ANNUAL MEETING See the program with awards and board members. page 3
WORLD OF NATIONS See photos of the Federation’s Israel booth.
YEAR IN REVIEW Read about what your Jewish agencies have been up to.
REMEMBERING Read about area Yom Hashoah events, see the pictures. page 23
page 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
page 2
JEWISH NEWS Jacksonville
June 2012 • Sivan/Tamuz 5772 • Published by Jewish Federation of Jacksonville • www.jewishjacksonville.org • Volume 24, Number 12 • 24 pages
Introducing Jacksonville’s Jewish agency presidents
Mark Green, Foundation
Jan Lipsky, JCA
8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217
Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
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Jacksonville Jewish agency leaders for the 2012-2013 year are: Jan Lipsky, Jewish Community Alliance president; Mark Green, Jewish Community Foundation of Northeast Florida president; Mark Lodinger, River Garden president; Francine Kempner, Jewish Family & Community Services president; and Larry Appel, Jewish Federation of Jacksonville president. Introducing: Jan Lipsky is the new president of the JCA Board of Directors. Lipsky has served on the board for 11 years, most recently as vice president. She has chaired the Personnel Committee, facilitated board retreats, and guided the board’s work on development of the mission and vision statements. Additionally, she drafted board member roles and responsibilities ultimately adopted by the board. In 2010, she received the prestigious Esther Leah Ritz Next Generation JCC Leadership Award from the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America. The award identifies future leaders of Jewish community center boards and includes a training program designed to enhance the skills needed for them to assume top leadership roles. Lipsky has served as system vice president for Human Resources and Organizational Development for St. Vincent’s HealthCare since 2000. She has served the organization for over 30 years, beginning as an instructor for Critical Care. Lipsky assisted the transition of St. Vincent’s Southside (formerly known as St. Luke’s Hospital) from Mayo Clinic in 2008 and is helping plan St. Vincent’s Clay, the sys-
Mark Lodinger, River Garden
tem’s third hospital opening in Clay County in 2013. She is a past board chairman for Girl Scouts of Gateway Council serving from 1998 to 2004 in that role. During this time the Council Board purchased North Fork Ranch in Clay County, assuring a safe camping location for future generations of members. Jan served the council and her synagogue, the Jacksonville Jewish Center, by building the Girl Scout program from one Brownie troop to over 100 girls in all levels during the 1990s. Jan has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from FSU and UF, earned the Senior Professional Human Resources certification and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is married to Bruce Lipsky, a photojournalist for The Florida Times-Union. They have two daughters: Jessie Lipsky is a graduate of FSU and Emma Lipsky is a graduate of UF. Both teach third grade, the Seminole in Jacksonville, the Gator in Gainesville. Football season is a real problem. Mark Green continues as president of Jewish Community Foundation of Northeast Florida. Our Jewish Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Mark Green will be serving as president for an additional year. As a founding member of the board, Mark understands the significance of the work Foundation does. Through the Create a Jewish Legacy initiative, the Foundation is raising awareness of the need for leaving bequests and estate gifts to the Jewish
Francine Kempner, JFCS
Community Foundation for the benefit of the Jewish community. We are raising and growing endowment funds needed to ensure the financial strength of our Jewish agencies and synagogues. Mark has served as an active board member since Foundation’s inception in 1995. His service has included chairing the Grant Review/Allocations Committee and serving on the Development, Bylaws, Professional Advisory, Real Estate, Nominating, B’nai Tzedek Youth Philanthropy, and Create a Jewish Legacy Steering committees. For several years, he served as the designated partner representative for The Temple. Born in Albany, N.Y., Mark relocated to Jacksonville and attended public schools, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law. A local attorney specializing in marital, family and criminal law at Dale, Bald, Showalter, Mercier & Green, P.A., Mark volunteers for the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, was listed in “Who’s Who in America Law” in 2007 and named a Florida Super Lawyer in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Active on local community boards, Mark was past president of The Bridge of Northeast Florida and the Jewish Community Alliance. During his 16 years on the board of the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville, Mark was recipient of the 2007 Joe P. Safer Community Service Award. He has returned to the Federation board as a member of the Executive Committee. Mark and his wife Nancy believe in Tikkun Olam and giving back. As the couple
Larry Appel, Federation put it, “We want to leave the world a better place than we found it.” Mark Lodinger is now in his second year as president of River Garden Hebrew Home/Wolfson Health & Aging Center. He has served on the River Garden Home board since 1991 and served as chair of the River Garden Admissions board for the past seven years. Mark is also a member of the River Garden Senior Services board as well as the River Garden Foundation board. Mark spearheaded and co-chairs the River Garden Classic Golf Tournament, which has raised over $900,000 since its inception 16 years ago. The tournament benefits The Albert Z. Fleet Geriatric Training Center at River Garden, a Florida licensed not-for-profit post-secondary school that provides academic training and skills for persons desiring to become certified nursing assistants. Mark is excited about the recently opened 10,000-square-foot expansion and additional refurbishment of River Garden facilities to further develop outpatient therapy programs, adult day care and home health programs. He invites the community to visit River Garden and check out our beautiful new look. Lodinger is a well-respected insurance planner, with knowledge of a wide range of financial products. He also advises on estate planning and business continuity strategies. He is a member of Congregation Ahavath Chesed, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and serves on the board of the Jacksonville
See PRESIDENTS, p. 19
Spotlight: River Garden Senior Services This month’s feature of one of Federation’s beneficiary agencies: River Garden
they share eight children, three of hers and five of his. Merline has been attending the Adult Day Care Program at River Garden for three years. The Adult Day Care Program at River Garden provides support for older adults in the community who live at home but may Adult Day Care program require health monitoring, socialization thrives at River Garden and nutritional guidance in a secure setting By River Garden Senior Services during daytime hours. “When Merline first came to the Adult Merline Harbin A proud graduate of Florida Day Care Program State University and an avid she was so sick – she “We had looked at other Adult Day Care faSeminole fan, Merline Harbin can had been told that she cilities, and we feel we found the best prooften be spotted sporting her FSU was going to need gram in Jacksonville here at River Garden. colors. Merline worked as an exat jewishjacksonville.org, dialysis and was even It’s important to have high quality adult day ecutive director of the Girl Scouts put on Hospice care. care in the community so family caregivfor many years in Tallahassee and She improved so ers can continue to work or just have some Jacksonville. She and her husband, Nelson, much she didn’t need Hospice and her kidtime for other daily activities.” He credits have been married for over 38 years and ney function got better,” shared Mr. Harbin. See RIVER GARDEN, p. 19
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