L’DOR V’DOR

L’DOR V’DOR FAMILY, EDUCATION AND SENIOR LIVING THREE RIVER GARDEN HEROES WIN FLIGHTS

By Kari Bell, River Garden Senior Services

On May 6, JetBlue announced a Healthcare Heroes sweepstakes promotion, to give a pair of free tickets to 100,000 healthcare workers as thanks for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. River Garden Dining Services Manager Dan Uhl jumped at the chance to nominate River Garden staff for the prize. As of June 1, three winners from River Garden have been named: Tsehay, Yvonne & Liz.

Uhl submitted the following to JetBlue for this sweepstakes:

“Tsehay works tirelessly caring for our residents even though her own husband is By Brittney Hicks, Jewish

Community Alliance

While Michele Block Gan Yeladim was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we teachers took the time to engage in professional development opportunities offered by the JCC Association, which had a powerful impact on me. These opportunities increased my understanding compromised with respiratory health problems.”

“Yvonne has worked for us for 20+ years. She herself is in her 60s and risks her own health to provide for others.”

“Liz, a mother of four, is an immigrant who works hard every day to provide nourishing meals for our 165 residents that live full time at our facility. She never misses a day of work & always shows up with a smile ready to help our team & residents.”

In a statement, JetBlue President/COO Joanna Geraghty said, “We applaud the healthcare workers who Sheva Jewish Lenses, which guides our school’s learning. This in turn gave me a newfound admiration for the incredible staff at my school and a greater sense of confidence as a teacher.

The professional development opportunities from the JCC Association covered a variety of topics from Jewish values, holidays, and rituals. Teachers participated virtually in Passover and Yom

Elizabete “Liz” Lacuku and Dan Uhl celebrate the win.

are helping us get through this challenging time and inspiring humanity along the way. This is an opportunity for us to fly it forward and show our appreciation for Ha’atzmaut celebrations. We were also able to learn from and network with other North American JCC educators who spoke about their classrooms, students and practices.

I took virtual tours of other schools and gained great insight on changes I could make to my own classroom, particularly how to add more aspects of K’dushah (Intentionality and Presence). I reflected the heroic efforts of medical professionals, first responders and public servants–not just in New York but around the

SCHOOL IS IN FOR TEACHERS AT BLOCK GAN YELADIM

and appreciation for the 12

country as well.” and realized the importance of natural beauty that could be added to my classroom as well furniture rearrangements, displays and maintaining an environment that is clutterfree.

Professional Development allowed me the chance to see these schools and learn from other educators and add some of their knowledge to my own teaching toolkit.

TORAH ACADEMY WELCOMES NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL By Sara Smolensky, Torah Academy been teaching for 14 years. Additionally, Rabbi Horowitz has led teen Shira and their five children. Both Torah Torah Academy of Jacksonville is very excited to announce Rabbi Shalom Horowitz as the new Head of School. Rabbi Horowitz will assume his role in summer 2020 and has been actively involved in transition activities with staff and board members. Outgoing Head of School is Rabbi Shaya Hauptman who held the position for the past five years. The Hauptmans are relocating to Chicago this summer and will be missed by the Torah Academy and Jacksonville Jewish community. Rabbi Horowitz comes to Jacksonville from Atlanta, GA, where he most recently served at Torah Day School as school counselor and has programming at Atlanta’s Congregation Beth Jacob in various capacities for the past 10 years, motivating and inspiring the next generation of upcoming Jewish leaders. Rabbi Horowitz holds a Bachelors in Talmudic Law from Beth Midrash Govoah, a Masters in Educational Administration from Pace University, and a Masters in Clinical Counseling from Bellevue University. His past work in creating both educational curriculum and student character development programs will be put to great use for the students at Torah Academy. In July, Rabbi Horowitz will be moving to Jacksonville with his wife Academy and the broader community are excited to have Rabbi Horowitz as incoming Head of School along with his family. He has already launched plans to build on the excellent success the school has seen in recent years in both enrollment and programming. The Torah Academy family looks forward to having Rabbi Horowitz take the helm and continue to deliver on Torah Academy’s product of a quality secular education and dual Jewish studies curriculum.

TWO NEW BOOK PROJECTS AT RIVER GARDEN

By Kari Bell, River Garden Senior Services

One of the greatest privileges of working In My Happy Place, Sheldon Gendzier reminisces about his childhood visits to Willow Branch Library. with older adults is having the opportunity to learn from their life experiences. In early 2020, members and residents met with Talia Zagagi, Masha Bezverkh and Talia Tesler, students at In My First Job, Herb Plotkin tells of his experience at age 14, helping out on Saturday at his parent’s family shoe store. Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, to share stories about My Happy Place. Following the interview, each teen wrote details of the exchange.

And now, as visitations are restricted on the River Garden campus, members have submitted their own narratives entitled My First Job. Ten seniors are featured in each collection. Each brief tale delivers a warm snapshot of personal history.

“Life stories help bind generations together. In Fall 2019, FSU graduate Rachel Dranetz wrote the first mini-memoirs featuring ladies from The Coves and we published a small book called My Best Year. I am thrilled to develop this idea, collecting more stories from our campus,” River Garden Communications and Marketing Director Kari Bell said. “These two new themes may sound simple, but they are rich with history and personality. I am so grateful to have had teacher Stephanie Teitelbaum and her students help.”

Both books will be published in Fall of 2020. 13

MEET TORAH ACADEMY’S PRESIDENT

By Sara Smolensky, Torah Academy

Deborah Shapiro has been leading Torah Academy as its president since October 2019. Mrs. Shapiro, prior to then, served as Torah Academy’s executive VP, is the mother of four TA students. When she is not devoting her time to her family and the school, she is a Principal Partner of Your Strategists, a data-driven business growth and branding marketing agency and consultancy firm. Mrs. Shapiro is also an adjunct Marketing professor at the University of North Florida.

Shapiro and her family have been proud supporters and active parents at Torah Academy for over a decade. Assuming the role of president, Shapiro joins a special cadre of communal leaders who make Jewish education a priority for the next generation.

“Torah Academy plays a vital role for our local Jewish community, not only to preserve the Jewish future but also to grow our community as families seek to establish their home in Jacksonville and are in need of strong Jewish institutions,” Shapiro said.

With Shapiro’s leadership, Torah Academy will continue to pursue excellence in both secular studies and Jewish education. Graduates from Torah Academy are prepared to attend the best high schools, universities and higher level education institutions. Recently, Shapiro fostered the process of merging Torah Academy, which operates as preschool through eighth grade, with Jacksonville Torah High School, making Torah Academy the first and only K-12 Jewish day school in the state outside of south Florida. Torah Academy acquired the former Jacksonville Torah High School and Shapiro helping lead a transition committee working to seamlessly integrate the high school with Torah Academy.

To inquire about enrollment, or for more information please contact the school office at 904-268- 7719.

POSITIVELY Y ours Tucked away on 40 acres in Mandarin is a special place that many people call home, even if most of them have never lived there. Built for the community, by the community, River Garden has honored generations with its highly rated services for 74 years.

Visit RiverGarden.org or call (904) 260.1818

Thanks For Your Understanding

To our precious families eagerly awaiting a reunion with your loved ones: we feel your pain, we appreciate your patience, and we will continue to connect you in every way possible.

I f you wou ld l ike to arrange a FaceT ime or Zoom ca l l w i th your loved one in our care , please call us and we’ll help connect you.

JEWISH HOLIDAYS SHAPED BY SHEVA PRINCIPLES

By Brooke Kovacs, Jewish Community Alliance

I graduated from the University of North Florida with a bachelor’s degree in History with a focus on Jewish Studies and Ancient World Religions and Cultures. I

Just because it’s Summer Break doesn’t mean that your child has to stop learning. Martin J. Gottlieb Day School Jewish Studies Coordinator Liat Walker compiled a list of resources to assist your child with their Judaic Studies during the summer months.

If you are looking for interactive, hands-on activities with a Jewish lens, go to Lev Children Museum Youtube channel or pjlibrary. org/familyactivities.

Children ages six to twelve can sign up for LevKids, a Jewish virtual camp with sessions throughout the week with regionally and nationally renowned talents and educators from around the globe.

Another great summer resource is BimBam.com. BimBam’s digital storytelling sparks connections to Judaism for learners of all ages from videos about chose this to get a greater sense of the Jewish culture and history I was denied growing up in an interfaith household. When planning lessons around Jewish holidays and celebrations in my ECE classroom where I teach

SCHOOL’S OUT BUT THE LEARNING CONTINUES

By Liat Walker, Martin J. Gottlieb Day School

Grasshoppers (2-3 year Jewish traditions, Jewish crafts, and Torah stories in a fun and contemporary way.

For preschool and elementary school children, there is Shaboom! An animated series for Jewish kids. The day school children LOVE to watch the Shaboom videos, bimbam.com/kidsfamily/shaboom/

Ji Bytes is a taste of Jewish learning for kids for an hour a day! Kids watch, play, discover, and create in a safe, Jewish educational setting.

Lastly, The Martin J. Gottlieb Day School has been an active partner of Ji Interactive.

Jewish Interactive’s educational resources include over 11,000 educational games (some of which were created by our own students) and can be enjoyed by going to jitap.net/activities/.

If you have any questions about online summer enrichment for your child, you can contact Morah Liat at lwalker@dubbowgottlieb. org olds), I like to use my academic knowledge to make creative and unique experiences for my school family that are influenced by the JCC Association Sheva lenses.

At Chanukkah, we focus on the Jewish lens of Hit’orerut (Awakening) and explore the concept of light and darkness, which is a common theme during the festival of lights. We explore with flashlights and colored tiles to create shadows. We watch as the candles drip down our chanukiah and the shadows on the wall disappear with the flame.

During Purim we explore the Jewish lens of B’rit (Covenant) instead of focusing on teaching the usual story of Esther through dramatic play and the history of the holiday. We focus on why we are coming together as a school family for a celebration, and I always pose a fundamental question: What is a celebration? Most children answer they feel a celebration is when you have fun with your friends and family. Nova A.’s definition was, “laugh until your tummy hurts!”

Style for a Steal

Roosevelt | Mandarin Lakewood | Beaches Harbour Village Baymeadows

DUBOW PRESCHOOL VPK STUDENTS MOVE UP!

By Brian Pargman, DuBow Preschool & Martin J. Gottlieb Day School

Mazel Tov to DuBow Preschool students who celebrated their VPK journey with the annual Moving Up Ceremony on May 27th. Due to COVID-19, the ceremony was held via Zoom, but that did not hinder parents, students, Bubbes, and Zedes from celebrating all of our talented students.

The event kicked off with new Head of School, Tina Silva, leading the over 100 participants in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Hativka and prayers led by Robin Morris and Michelle Margol. A video montage recapping the year was a treat and shown for all to see--and it was a very busy By Crystal Whitman, Jewish Community Alliance

Jewish history teaches us that we are created in the divine image of G-d (b’tzelem elohim) and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. This is an especially important message in today’s world. There are so many things going on around us, and books can help us communicate with younger people in our lives. year! From dress-up days, special classroom guests, JSO/JFRD safety days, the VPK-4th/5th grade Buddies Program, there were tons of memories to highlight throughout the school year.

The event concluded with classes dividing into breakout rooms where each teacher spoke about the enjoy for my young students is We are Jewish Faces by Debra B. Darvick (a PJ Library book). This book contains photos and names of many different people such as “Bubbe faces,” “Zayde faces,” “faces of all races and places,” and other “Jewish faces.” One of the pages my class enjoy is the, “missed and kissed” faces page. After our school was closed for a time, we were happy to see our missed family faces again.

Empathy is a big part of individual student and shared a special memory. Even though the special ceremony was held online this year, there was no shortage of tears of joy shed by many of the participants.

Preschool and Day School parent Tmima Neihaus said, “It was so great seeing all the children, teachers, and being able to treat people with dignity and respect. There are many good stories you can expose your children to for them to start learning about empathy right from the start. Here are a few that will do that as well as teach some Jewish History along with it: •A Little Girl Named

Rosenfeld •Goldie’s Purim by Jane

Breskin Zalben (PJ

Library) •The Chameleon That Saved

administrators on the VPK Moving Up Ceremony Zoom. The video presentation was adorable and the goodbye poem read by all the VPK teachers was touching. It definitely gave the VPK graduates a sense of closure and moving on...to

JEWISH HISTORY AND CONCEPTS: PRESCHOOL STYLE

16 One simple book that I

Miriam by Dina

kindergarten!”

Noah’s Ark by Yael

Molchadsky (PJ Library) •King Solomon and the Bee adapted by Dalia Hardof

Renberg

One of the most important teachings of Judaism is that there is one G-d who wants people to do what is right and compassionate. Young children learn about Jewish history from child-friendly Torah tales and other books that expose them to the concepts that are valued by the Jewish faith.