PARTNERS Find more photos of our Israeli teen visitors. page 27
JEWISH HISTORY Explore the history of Jewish businesses in Jacksonville.
HIGH HOLIDAYS Find holiday events and synagogue service schedules.
page 7
pages 18 & 19
Jewish News Jacksonville
September 2013 • Elul/Tishrei 5773/5774 • Published by Jewish Federation of Jacksonville • www.jewishjacksonville.org • Volume 26, Number 3 • 28 pages
Federation kicks off new year
TIKKUN OLAM
By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
The Jewish Federation of Jacksonville will kick off the 2014 annual campaign with an exciting and insightful program for the entire community. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Alliance, Jacksonville will host Dr. Misha Galperin, president and CEO of the Jewish Agency for Israel, International Development. Galperin is the former executive director of the Jewish Federation of Washington, D.C. Currently he is responsible for the Jewish Agency for Israel’s external affairs, financial resource development, marketing and communications, and many of its strategic initiatives worldwide. He is the co-author of “The Case for Jewish Peoplehood: Can We Be One?” and of “Reimagining Leadership in Jewish Organizations: Ten Practical Lessons to Help You Implement Change and Achieve Your Goals.” He has written and spoken internationally on issues of peoplehood, Jewish identity and community. He was chosen as one of the top five in the 2010 Forward list of the 50 most influential Jewish leaders in North America. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Galperin immigrated to the United States as a teenager. His personal journey is a story that has been inspiring audiences throughout the country. There is no minimum gift required to attend this event, however, attendees will have the opportunity to make their gifts to the 2014 annual campaign. Funds raised by Federation support the programs and services of the Jewish Community Alliance, Jewish Family & Community Services, Jewish Community Foundation of Northeast Florida, River Garden Hebrew Home, Martin J.
8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217
Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
POSTMASTER PLEASE DELIVER BY SEPT. 1
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 146
See KICKOFF, p. 25
From left: Tsofi Elfassy, chaperone; Shelly Bronshtein; and Inbar Socoletzky taste test caramel apples at Peterbrooke. Go to www.jewishjacksonville.org/tikkunolam/aspx for more pics.
Vered helps Sydney Leach, 11, tie a hamsa bracelet at the Center’s Camp Ki Tov.
Jacksonville and Israeli teens unite communities
By JILL ABEL
Israel Partnership
Ron Levinger helps Ben Davis paint a hamsa at the Center’s Camp Ki Tov.
Inbar works with some summer camp kids at JCA’s summer camp.
In the words of a teenager, “I think that at least all the Jews in the world need to be united. I loved this [Tikkun Olam Summer] program because I felt that this program is starting to make a little step to this huge goal. The Jews in the world are like a puzzle and, without that connection between the Jews in the USA and the Jews in Israel, the puzzle would be never complete.” This summer Inbal Bello of Hadera, Israel, quoted above, and more than 15 other teenagers from Hadera and Jacksonville joined to create lifelong bonds of understanding and friendship.
Inbal Bello helps Avi Israel paint a hamsa, a symbol of good luck, at the Center’s Camp Ki Tov.
Nitzan Garten helps with children with an art
See TEENS, p. 27 project at JCA’s summer camp.
Spotlight: Masa offers life-changing study By ELINA MOYN
Masa Israel Program Tel Aviv University
In 1980s Latvia, being Jewish wasn’t ideal. It’s not something you exactly bragged about or even made known when specifically asked. So when I emigrated from Latvia to the United States at the age of 6, I had a malnourished Jewish identity. It was not until I was a senior at the University of Colorado, during my Masa Israel experience at Tel Aviv University, that I fully gained appreciation for my roots. Masa Israel Journey offers young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 immersive, life-changing gap year, study abroad, post-college and volunteer experience in Israel, connecting them to programs that meet their interests, offering scholarship, providing expertise, and
Elina Moyn supporting them throughout the entire process. I have always known I was Jewish, but knew little about our traditions or history. In Latvia, my parents had no job security and were strongly encouraged not to attend synagogue. The first time we experienced positive reinforcement
for being Jewish was when an American Jewish immigration service helped us settle in the United States in 1992. During my time at CU Boulder, I had the opportunity to take part in a Birthright Israel trip that sparked my curiosity about my Jewish identity and fueled my hunger for more. Though I extended my trip beyond the usual 10 days, I knew I needed to return for a longer period of time. During my senior year of college, I spent a semester at Tel Aviv University. Many people spend semesters abroad with the intention of simply having a good time, and while I certainly wanted to enjoy myself, I also felt like I had the opportunity to learn and absorb as much as possible about the Jewish homeland. In the United States, professors often
See SPOTLIGHT, p. 10