Jacksonville residents travel to AIPAC conference
DuBow Preschool celebrates 75 years
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A publication of
April 2018
• Sh’vat/Adar 5778 •
www.jewishjacksonville.org
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JaxJewishTV • Volume 30, Number 9 • 32 pages
Local Holocaust survivor and wife rebuilt life Retired couple receives support through Jewish Family & Community Services
Temple to host annual Yom Hashoah event April 8 By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217
Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
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Yom Hashoah, Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day, was established in 1953 to commemorate the lives that were taken during the Holocaust. Each year, one local synagogue hosts a community-wide observance for the day. This year, Congregation Ahavath Chesed – The Temple will host the Yom Hashoah service. Throughout the service, there will be certain readings and psalms read by area Rabbis, and the Cantor will sing a prayer. Survivors and family members will be invited to light candles to honor those who were lost. Each year, there is a different centerpiece – a different speaker and type of program. “This year is a really interesting program,” said Rabbi Matt Cohen of The Temple. “We will have a living room setup, a really nice, comfortable setup. We will have a panel of 3 generations – a Holocaust survivor, a child of a Holocaust survivor, and a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor which I think is going to be really powerful. I think the focus will certainly be on why it’s important to remember. I’m relaly looking forward to the third-generation piece because that’s the generation that’s most removed. The question is: How do we make those memories continue and last? That’s where the program is really going to hit home. How do we keep the memories alive?” This event will take place Sunday, April 8, at 3 p.m., at the Congregation Ahavath Chesed – The Temple (8727 San Jose Blvd.)
Semen Malamud (center) with his family in 1941 in Yampol, Ukraine.
BY DONNA O’STEEN Jewish Family & Community Services
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fifty-six years after they married, local Holocaust survivor Semen Malamud and his wife, Nelli, remain as in love as ever. Sitting at the dining-room table in their Mandarin home, they look through old photos and documents from throughout their lives that only re-affirm their commitment. “I really love you,” he tells her.
“I love you. I do,” she responds. Eighty-year old Malamud, who is one of 90 local Holocaust survivors receiving support from Jewish Family & Community Services, had a long road to get to Nelli. He was born to a family of eight in Yampol, Ukraine, in 1937 under the Soviet Union. He was just four years old when the Germans bombed and took over his town in 1941. The Nazis gathered Jews into a ghetto, where they lived in constant fear and
hunger. Mr. Malmud's mother tried to feed her family. During the day, one of her tasks was to peel potatoes. At night, she and her friend would go through the garbage to find the potato peels. One night she was caught and beaten by the Nazis. An even more horrifying memory was witnessing the Nazis gathering 126 Jews and killing them in front of the others. Malamud and his parents were sent
See SURVIVORS, p. 22
Celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut with a community-wide event at the JCA By Jewish Community Alliance
Once again, the Jacksonville community will come together to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 70th Independence Day. The event will recognize this milestone year with a community-wide celebration featuring activities and learning for all ages. We will explore Israel’s rich history and culture in collaboration with all of Jacksonville’s Jewish organizations. This event will take place at the Jewish Community Alliance on Sunday, Apr. 15
from 12-3 p.m. Included in this year’s event is a special Vandroff Art Exhibit, Expressions, curated by Major Assour and featuring Israeli artists. There will also be a screening of the award-winning film “Ben Gurion: Epilogue,” which details the life of one of Israel’s founding fathers. The afternoon will also have a Yom Hazikaron commemoration and a rabbinic panel. Attendees can enjoy fun activities such as sports, music,
See CELEBRATION, p. 22
Federation annual campaign update As we send this issue off to the printer, the 2018 campaign stands: We have raised $1,891,641.
We have received 894 gifts. We are ahead of last year on a gift to gift comparison by $40,000. Right now, we have $420,009 outstanding on 388 gifts.