JEWISHJACKSONVILLE.ORG | VOL. 32 NO. 11 | AUGUST 2019 – AV 5779
Jax JEWnited brings together Jewish teens Q&A with Zoe Mail
Join us for Q: Jewish SAVE THE DATE Community Jewish Community Day in partnership with the Day theof Art & Gardens Cummer at Museum Sunday, August 25 Cummer 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
What is the goal of Jax JEWnited? A: The goal is to bring together local Jewish teens from all across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida and help them feel more connected to the community. It is also a way for Jewish teens from different areas to meet each other.
Q: How does it differ from teen programs like NCSY, USY and JSU? A: This program differs from others in that it is inclusive to everyone and is not specific to a school or synagogue. While youth groups are meant for Jews who already know each other to THE The Jewish Federation of Jacksonville andto offer get including together, our event is about meeting people Enjoy all the Cummer Museum has The Cummer Museum ofaArt and Gardens scavenger and becoming art activities and museum-wide hunt! more involved in the broader are partnering for the first Annual Jewish Jewish community. Community Day on Sunday, August 25. The with the in partnership Q: Who is it intended for? Cummer will be openComplimentary to the community Event from event is intended for all Jewish high noon till 4 p.m., with a variety of information Cummer Museum of ArtA:&OurGardens Co-chairs: Stefanie Levine and schoolers in Jacksonville, no matter their Jewand projects available to showcase what ourJodi Rogozinski Sunday, 25background. ish local Jewish agencies, schools and syna-August Registration information to follow gogues have to 12 p.m.-4 p.m.Q: What activities will the upcoming event offer. RepreJewish Community Day sentatives from include? Enjoy all the Cummer Museum has to offer including the various at the Cummer A: The September art activities andJewish a museum-wide scavenger hunt!8 event at the JCA (see page orga12 for details) will consist of fun ice breakers 829 Riverside Avenue, nizations will for people to get to know each other, followed Complimentary be available to Event Jacksonville by group activities/competitions to encourage share the work camaraderie. We will be putting the teens with they doLevine and and Jodi Co-chairs: Rogozinski Sunday, August 25, Stefanie people they don’t know. answer any information to follow noon to 4 p.m.Registration For more information about JEWnited, Community partners* questions you contact Zoe Mail at zoemmail@gmail.com. *as ofmight July 1,have. 2019 Kosher food will be available for purchase. “Please come out, have fun, learn someWelcome to our back-to-school edition! thing new, and celebrate all that our comAs it says in Deuteronomy, chapter 6, we are munity has to offer while enjoying the art and commanded to teach our children the mitzvot, and atmosphere at The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens,” said Faye Hedrick, director of how to live by them. When you teach someone you the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville’s rGEN become like a parent to him or her. This teaching of division. the written and oral Torah has been the ongoing link Community For more information, email Faye at partners* to our survival as Jews throughout the generations. fayeh@jewishjacksonville.org. *as of July 1, 2019
SAVE
DATE
Jewish Community Day
Clockwise left to right: Jillian P., Jasmine M., Rachel J., Jamie B., Zoe M., Brandon M., Drew W.
And you shall teach them to your children and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.
How to welcome newcomers: a little sensitivity and a smile can go a long way
8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217
Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
Published Monthly POSTMASTER PLEASE DELIVER BY AUG. 1ST
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 146
By Mindy Rubenstein & Isabel Balotin
Summer’s end can be a time of transition, and for many it means settling into a new place, starting new schools or new jobs. For those who have never been a newcomer or if it’s been a long time, it helps to have some tips on ways to make others feel comfortable and welcome. As the Jewish community of Jacksonville continues to grow, with an estimated 200 families moving here each year according to Isabel Balotin, director of the Federation’s ShalomJax program, it’s relatively simple to extend a little kindness to others, especially if they are new. Simple things we may take for granted, like navigating a new place and locating resources, can be a source of stress. “It’s about sensitivity,” says Balotin, who has lived in Jacksonville for decades and helps welcome newcomers by matching them with people and organizations who may
Rabbinically Speaking
be helpful. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to grow the community. The only way we can do that is by expanding kindness and hospitality.” It’s simple, and something anyone can do. If you see someone you’ve never met, don’t assume they’re being welcomed by someone else. Reach out and say hello, introduce yourself, ask about them and listen for the response. We may be busy, but it only takes a moment to show a bit of friendliness that can have a lasting impact. “A smile, a handshake, a hug, people remember that,” she says. “One thing that makes people feel comfortable coming up to you – just smile at them. A warm smile breaks the ice.” For those who are new and want to integrate into the community, it’s important to put yourself out there – go beyond your comfort zone. We may get caught in the cycle of – “I don’t go because I don’t know
Back to school…BACK TO SCHOOL?! Our heads begin to reel from the onslaught of ads in the papers and the signs plastered all over Walmart and Target. That very familiar yet uncomfortable feeling wells up deep inside, striking a mixture of fear and relief into every parent’s heart. It’s been a long summer, perhaps too long, and we’ve been itching to see our children get back to their daily routines. Alas, the flashbacks of those late-night emails from the teachers and principals, the temper tantrums and the stressful studying before tests causes us each to begin questioning, “Am I truly prepared to go through another ten months of this? G-d, help me!” But school doesn’t have to be this way. The Torah places great value on education and literacy, while balancing the burden with the understanding that we are to guide each individual child on his or her own path by utilizing the skillsets unique to him or her. When we partner with our schools to ensure that our children’s individual needs are met, and the school creates a warm and personalized environment, those concerns begin to fade. Furthermore, what makes a Torah education so vital to our budding Jewish future is the content of the material combined with the positive influences
See NEWCOMERS, p. 12
See RABBINICALLY SPEAKING, p. 12
Rabbi Shaya Hauptman, Head of School, Torah Academy of Jacksonville