The Jewish News - February 2012 by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Celebrating Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties FEDERATION NEWS

FEBRUARY 2012

Volume 42, Number 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 7A 10A 14A 16A 26A 27A 31A 1B 10B

Local News Jewish Interest Focus on Youth Community Focus Commentary Israel & the Jewish World Life Cycle Jewish Happenings Recent Events

4A Women’s Day Luncheon a success

15A An evening of exploration and discovery

19A

Celebrating 40 Years! Published by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee www.jfedsrq.org

Reggae sensation Matisyahu to rock Sarasota! By Len Steinberg

ll musicians want us to believe that their particular brand of auditory art is unique. But you would be hard pressed to find a more singular performer than Matisyahu, who mixes reggae, folk, jam band, Hebrew and hip-hop into an exhilarating modern blend. Yes, you read correctly – Hebrew influences. See, Matisyahu is an Orthodox Jew who posts daily meditations on Old Testament verses to his website, www.matisyahuworld.com. He avoids secular subjects like drugs and women in favor of incorporating mystical Kabbalah imagery into his spiritual lyrics. And he pulls musical inspiration from Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Phish – and 18th century Hasidic melodies. But the 32-year-old, born Matthew Paul Miller in suburban New York City, says Judaism wasn’t a defining part of his early life. “I grew up Jewish but not really religious,” he tells one source. “I would say I actually grew up pretty much like any other kid in America.” The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is electrified to bring a musician of this caliber to our area! Matisyahu comes to Sarasota on Saturday, March 3 at 8:30 p.m., and will play at the Sailor Circus Arena. The concert will feature the internationally-acclaimed singer, rocker and hip-hop artist in a unique acoustic performance. “Finally, a musical artist that truly appeals to people of all ages and demographics comes to Sarasota!” says committee member Joe Kramer. Tickets are priced at $36 for adults and $18 for students with a valid ID.

Since emerging onto the music scene in 2004, Matisyahu has been attracting crossover audiences perhaps like no other performer in history. His 2009 Top 40 Matisyahu hit, King Without a Crown, was at the top of charts across the country. The amount of energy and lyrical meaning he displays only scratches the surface of this musical talent. He can’t refute the influence of his live performances. “Over the course of a tour a lot happens,” Matisyahu says. “Certain sounds develop between me and the musicians. What goes on night after night turns into living, breathing live music, and a certain magic is created that can’t be reproduced in the studio.” For all those wondering how an Orthodox Jew keeps up with his intense religious regimen while selling out amphitheaters and stadiums worldwide, Matisyahu says he’s struck the perfect balance. “Religion has been a way for me to stay focused and connected to something. When I’m on the road, every Sabbath day I get off the tour bus and go do things in the local Jewish community wherever I am, just to get away from it all. I think it’s a cool balance.” To purchase tickets, please visit www.jfedsrq. org/matisyahu.aspx. For more information or questions, please contact Len Steinberg at lsteinberg@ jfedsrq.org or 941.371.4546 x106.

Federation hosts third annual Jewish Film Festival

TBS honors Hazzan Diane Nathanson

By Roz Goldberg

10B Chanukah celebrations throughout the community A publication of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee Klingenstein Jewish Center, 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232 Annual voluntary subscription: $25

t’s that time again, Jewish film fans! The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is proud to announce the six outstanding films that will be shown during its Jewish Film Festival, Sunday, March 11 through Thursday, March 15, and Sunday, March 18. Presented in partnership with the Sarasota Film Festival, the Jewish Film Festival will present a diverse group of new, award-winning films about Jewish life and experience; these films have never before been shown in the Sarasota area. Except for the March 18 film, each film will be shown twice, and every showing will be followed by a discussion with the audience.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANASOTA FL PERMIT 167

Here are the extraordinary films that the 2012 Jewish Film Festival will proudly present: Berlin 36: This thrilling feature film is about the German-Jewish high jumper, Gretel Bergmann, who unwittingly became the biggest threat to the Nazi Party in 1936, when Berlin hosted the summer Olympic Games.

continued on page 2A

See Section B for Jewish Happenings & Recent Events

February 2012

FEDERATION NEWS

Jewish Film Festival...continued from page 1A Dolphin Boy: This amazing documentary is about the use of dolphinassisted therapy in Eilat, Israel, to treat posttraumatic shock. It won the Audience Favorite Award at the Washington Jewish Film Festival 2011. Mabul (The Flood): This is a touching and beautifully-acted drama about an Israeli family’s effort to confront the painful truths that threaten its cohesion – and about the redemptive power of love. Winner of Best Supporting Actor “Ophir” Award, Israel Film Academy 2010, and Crystal Bear-Special Mention, Berlin International Film Festival 2010. Opening Night Film, Washington

Jewish Film Festival 2011. My Australia: This touching, sometimes humorous, coming-of-age story is about two Jew-hating brothers who are growing up fatherless and Catholic in mid1960s Poland – and find out they are really Jewish and bound for Israel. Winner of Audience Award, Jerusalem Film Festival 2011. Remembrance: This is a remarkable and deeply-moving film about the enduring love between two concentration camp prisoners, a Jew and a Polish Christian. Inspired by actual events, the film starts in 1944 and ends 30 years later. Closing Night Film, Washington Jewish Film Festival 2011. Standing Silent: This sensitive, provocative documentary is about the presence of sexual abuse in some parts of the Orthodox Jewish Community. Phil Jacobs, editor of the Baltimore

Young Jewish adults celebrate Hanukkah

Jewish Times, and himself an Orthodox Jew, fights to bring to light the pain and suffering of hundreds of survivors of this abuse, penetrating the wall of fear and silence that surrounds the issue. Co-sponsored by Jewish Family & Children’s Service. The films were selected by Roz Goldberg and Jordan Shifrin, co-Chairs of the Jewish Film Festival Committee, in consultation with Holly Herrick, the Sarasota Film Festival’s Programming Director, Yitzi Zablocki, Director, Israel Film Center, New York, NY, and the Committee’s members: Karen Bernstein, Fran Braverman, Barbara Horowitz, Terry Neis, Susan Newmark, Nadia Ritter, Lois Stulberg, Evans Tiller, Janet

Tolbert and MaryLou Winnick. The Jewish Film Festival is presented in partnership with the Sarasota Film Festival, which will show additional Jewish-themed films during its 10-day Festival, April 13 to 22. As a proud sponsor of the Sarasota Film Festival, the Jewish Federation urges its supporters to attend as many SFF presentations as possible, not just the Jewish-themed films. The Jewish Federation is working on a number of exciting events in connection with the Jewish Film Festival, including a reception for filmgoers between the matinee and evening showings on Sunday, March 11. More information about the festival and how to buy your tickets will be available in the coming weeks.

Israel Wall street GIlad PalestIne Iran a part of the conversation Obama www.FederationBlog.org

Staff Report

n December 21, the Young Adults Division (YAD) of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, came together on the Federation campus to celebrate the second night of Hanukkah. Young Jewish adults from Sarasota and Manatee counties came out to eat latkes, play dreidel and light the menorah. The attendees each brought their own menorah to light and the blessings were recited. Some participants learned how to play dreidel for the first time and definitely enjoyed eating their winnings – gelt! YAD is a newly formed group of young Jewish adults in their 20s and 30s who come together for different events such as happy hours, holiday celebrations and community service projects. The group meets every month for happy hours at various locations. This gives them the opportunity to socialize with other young Jews living in the area and build up a different social network within the community. Abraham Feder, YAD Chair and principal cello at the Sarasota Orchestra, says, “I have found, in my time in Sarasota, it has been difficult to find a place in the community not only as a young person, but especially as a young Jew. The Federation is providing, in YAD, a place for young Jewish adults in the area to meet new people and find their

identities as Jews in the community. We had a wonderful turnout for our first formal event, and Alex Lieberman, Ashley Haber we’re ex- and Elena Haas play dreidel tremely grateful to the Federation for giving us the chance to be a part of something really special.” TribeFest in Las Vegas In March, some of the young adults will be heading to Las Vegas for The Jewish Federations of North America’s TribeFest – an entertaining, interactive and educational celebration that will draw over 1,500 Jewish young adults (ages 22-45) from across North America. TribeFest will reflect the vibrant setting of its host city, Las Vegas, offering meaningful, fun and top-quality content. Through presentations by dynamic leaders in politics, entertainment, music, art, food, religion and other aspects of Jewish life, TribeFest will offer attendees many ways to connect to their own Judaism and how they see themselves as part of the community. To learn more about YAD, please contact Jessica Katz at jkatz@jfedsrq. org or 941.371.4546 x123.

The Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota FL 34232 941.371.4546 • www.jfedsrq.org

Lion of Judah & Pomegranate

LunCheon Tuesday, February 7 Sarasota Yacht Club

11:30 am • Honoring Judy Weinstein event chair: Susie Steenbarger Co-chair: Joan Lieberman

Featuring special guest

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Yevgeny Kutik This event is sponsored by:

Questions? Contact Ilene Fox at 941.371.4546 ext. 110 or ifox@jfedsrq.org A minimum gift of $1,800 to the Federation’s development efforts is requested. The Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota FL 34232 941.371.4546 • www.jfedsrq.org Members of the Young Adults Division at the Hanukkah celebration

FEDERATION NEWS 3A February 2012

February 2012

Smilow back by popular demand to lead a musical Women’s Passover Celebration By Ilene Fox

fter leading 350 women at last year’s Women’s Passover Celebration, Peri Smilow couldn’t be more pleased to be returning to Sarasota to provide her perspective on how to use music as part of an enriching seder. “This year’s event will once again allow hundreds of Sarasota-Manatee’s women and girls to gather together to share a warm, musical and delicious celebration of Passover,” said Smilow. “Together we will take a journey from slavery to freedom recalling the exodus of our people from Egypt and marveling in the unique role that women have played and continue to play in the life of the Jewish people,” she continued. Smilow, a nationally recognized leader as well as composer and performer of contemporary Jewish music, is returning by popular demand to Sarasota on Thursday, March 22 at 6:00 p.m. at Michael’s On East. When reached to talk about her upcoming visit, Smilow said, “What makes me most excited is singing and teaching about Tikkun Olam, and building community. This year, the important and enriching work of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-

Manatee will be featured. On a personal the holiday smelled very different from note, Sarasota happens to be where my our everyday menus; it smelled like a mother now lives, and I am particularly celebration, it smelled like joy. But, alpleased to be able to celebrate this with though my grandparents were an exception, I didn’t come her as well.” Since last year’s event, from a family with a long history of celeSmilow has enjoyed a full touring schedule performbrating holidays; so for most of my life ing throughout the northmy mom and dad eastern United States, Texas conducted our sedand Florida. She debuted a ers, and my memonew one-woman show, Peri Smilow Sings the Great ries included the fact that we all just (Jewish) American Songsang and sang and book, featuring the music Peri Smilow sang every aspect in of the Gershwins, Harold Arlen, Richard Rogers, Irving Berlin, the telling of our Passover story. My mentor, Rabbi Harvey Fields, Stephen Sondheim and others. In early 2012, Smilow will launch a new inter- Rabbi Emeritus of Wilshire Blvd. Synagogue in Los Angeles, taught me many active website. Reflecting quietly, Smilow said, years ago that it didn’t matter if I knew “Since Passover is all about memories, the Hebrew, or knew how to cook the I want to share some memories of my holiday foods. He said that what really own Passover seders. Those memories mattered was the telling; the passing of are still delicious for me, both in terms the memories through the linking of our of the food and the people who were generations. As an adult, looking back part of them. My first memories are of today, I know that his teaching was exmy grandparents’ apartment in New actly right. Back then, as children, after York City, and the bottom line is that the meal we would disappear into the

basement, and we would create plays based on the stories from the Haggadah. Then we would search for and find the afikomen, and then perform our seder plays for our parents. And today, that for me is what Passover is all about… the telling of the stories, the recounting of our history. My deepest hope is that we will have many, many women come and join us with their daughters and their granddaughters at Michael’s On East on March 22. I think they will come away from our Passover Celebration with new connections to their families, a sense of pride in being Jews, and equipped with some valuable resources, new music and stories to add to their own Passover experiences.” Reservations for the Women’s Passover Celebration will be taken beginning February 1. Please visit www.jfedsrq. org or call Joan Hanley at 941.371.4546 x100. For questions about the event, contact Ilene Fox at 941.371.4546 x110 or ifox@jfedsrq.org. Make your reservations early as seating is limited and it’s expected to be a sell-out!

Ramat Gan Dance Theater brings Israeli culture to Sarasota By Dr. Adam Agran

n December 13, inside a full Beatrice Friedman Theater, the Ramat Gan Dance Theater put on an artistically delightful performance that satiated our thirst for Israeli culture during the Chanukah season. The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee’s Orna Nissan, The Robert and Esther Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative, and the rest of the Federation staff searched far and wide to find this extraordinary dance troupe that consisted

of 30 Israeli dancers aged 12-17. Local Jewish children were overjoyed to meet their contemporaries from overseas as they shared not only their love of dance but their love for Judaism. The 90-minute performance was electric with brightly colored costumes ranging from pastel butterflies to the traditional black and white rabbinic attire. They dance through each other, around each other, and with a 40-foot flowered braiding.

The audience clapped, waved their arms and stomped their feet to the different songs and performances. The dancers ended the evening like it began, with a powerful, moving dance routine that kept us wishing for more. After the performance, Cantor Neil and Saranee Newman hosted an afterparty for those in attendance to meet and greet the talented young men and women who danced so tremendously

for us. As they dined on chocolate cake and cheesecake, the dancers shared their stories and experiences. Thank you very much to The Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative for sponsoring such an amazing event. For more information or to get involved, visit www.HellerIAI.org. To learn more about Israeli programs, contact Orna Nissan at 941.371.4546 x104 or onissan@jfedsrq.org.

Ramat Gan Dance Theater (photo courtesy of Roger K. Burnard)

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FEDERATION NEWS

February 2012

As always, Women’s Day event a total success By Adeline Silverman

n December 5 the sun shone and Sarasota’s Jewish women came out in force to attend the Annual Women’s Day Luncheon. They knew from past experience that this would be an outstanding event, as well as an opportunity to get together with friends, many of whom were returning from up north where they had spent the summer. One could easily sense the warmth and camaraderie being expressed. And Adeline Silverman once again, based on the previous years’ successes, this was a sellout almost as soon as it was announced by the unique invitations, again designed by our talented Janet Mishner. Federation president Nelle Miller

welcomed everyone with inspiring words which expressed Federation’s mission and the role most of us play in making it come alive, as we strive for deeper meaning in our lives, and instilling our values and core priorities to our children and families. She spoke of our need to wake up each day and make a difference in the lives of our families and friends and our local and international community, and noted that “tzedakah” was a basic part of being able to make that difference. This year, the project chosen to benefit from the tzedakah we could raise was Jordan River Village, a camp designed to enrich the lives of children from Israel and neighboring countries suffering from serious illness and lifethreatening conditions, which was founded by our own Marilyn Grant and her husband, Murray. The camp is free for the children, but the cost for each

Marsha Frank, Ruthe Actor, Ruth Ades

child’s stay is $2,000, and we were urged to give what we could to support scholarships, and $5,018 was raised. Nelle made it a point to thank those who worked so tirelessly for the success of the event, beginning with Ilene Fox, Federation’s Director of Women’s Philanthropy. She then extended thanks to Helen Glaser and Irene Ross, co-chairs of our Women’s Allison Silver-Schwartz, Judy Gold, Fran Braverman Division (Nashim L’Tovah), Fran Braverman and Allison Silver- humor, largely based on life with her Schwartz, co-chairs of the event, and mother, was enthusiastically received to all the members of the committee, by her audience, many of whom could who were asked to stand up and take a easily relate to the stories she told, and bow. Also, since it was Allison Silver- she interacted heartily with the audiSchwartz’s birthday, she was presented ence. Much of her material had to do a birthday cake! with her own experiences growing up. A delicious lunch, again catered She writes her own material, and when by Michael’s On East, was served, and she’s at a loss, she calls her mother, who then we were treated to always comes through. Laughter filled the delightful and down- the room, both with her performance to-earth humor of our and with her responses to a delightful Q special guest, renowned and A session. comedian, Judy Gold. The Nashim L’Tovah leadership Judy is an award-winning hopes to see everyone again for the actress and comedian, Women’s Passover Celebration on best known for her long- Thursday, March 22 with Peri Smilow. running show, 25 Ques- Look for your invitation in the mail. For tions for a Jewish Mother, more details or to purchase your ticket, and The Judy Show. Her visit www.jfedsrq.org.

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FEDERATION NEWS 5A February 2012

February 2012

Israel: More isolated than ever

By Rabbi Howard A. Simon, Chair of the Robert and Esther Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative Established 1971

PUBLISHER The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Road Sarasota, FL 34232-1959 Phone: 941.371.4546 Fax: 941.378.2947 E-mail: jewishnews@jfedsrq.org Website: www.jfedsrq.org Published Monthly Volume 42, Number 2 February 2012 48 pages in two sections USPS Permit No. 167 March 2012 Issue Deadlines: Editorial: January 27, 2012 Advertising: February 1, 2012 PRESIDENT Nelle Miller EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Howard Tevlowitz ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Marty Haberer COMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIRS David Gruber, Linda Lipson MANAGING EDITOR Ted Epstein CREATIVE MANAGER Christopher Alexander ADVERTISING SALES Robin Leonardi PROOFREADERS Adeline Silverman, Stacey Edelman JOSEPH J. EDLIN JOURNALISM INTERN Haven Miller MISSION STATEMENT: The Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee strives to be the source of news and features of special interest to the Jewish community of Sarasota-Manatee, to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions in the Jewish community, and to communicate the mission, activities and achievements of the Federation and its Jewish community partners. OPINIONS printed in the Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee do not necessarily reflect those of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, its Board of Directors or staff. SUBMISSIONS to the Jewish News are subject to editing for space and content, and may be withheld from publication without prior notice. Approval of submissions for publication in either verbal or written form shall always be considered tentative, and does not imply a guarantee of any kind. Submissions must be sent electronically to jewishnews@jfedsrq.org. LETTERS to the editor should not exceed 300 words, must be typed, and include the writer’s name, mailing address and phone number. Letters can be submitted via snail mail or e-mail (jewishnews@jfedsrq.org). Not all letters will be published. Letters may be edited for length and content. ADVERTISING: Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement and may require the words “Paid Advertisement” in any ad. Publication of advertisements does not constitute endorsement of products, services or ideas promoted therein.

Member publication:

omehow the world has lost its recently praised negotiations with the mind, fails to understand reality, violent, fanatical misogynists of the Taland opts to blame Israel for most iban. This from the woman who extolled or all of the problems that exist in the Saudi Arabia where women receive ten Middle East. What produces even more lashes for having the chutzpah to drive sadness is that the leadership an automobile. of the United States has, of Why are our nalate, taken the lead in chastion’s leaders verbally tising Israel for reasons that attacking the United have no basis in fact, but repStates’ strongest and resent our country’s foreign most trustworthy ally policy turning more and more in all of the Middle in favor of the Islamist world East? The reason is that is taking over much of because the administhe Middle East. tration has chosen to On November 30, Howsupport the growing ard Gutman, the son of a PolIslamist power in this Rabbi Howard A. Simon ish Holocaust survivor and region of the world currently the United States Ambassador and in Europe. With the first results to Belgium, blamed Israel for Muslim of Egypt’s recent election now tallied, anti-Semitism in Europe. He stated that we find that voting in the most liberal if only Israel was more open to the Pal- and cosmopolitan cities gave the ultraestinians then the Muslim world would conservative Muslim Brotherhood and be more accepting of Israel. the Salafi parties 60% of the vote. In the Two days later, Defense Secretary months to come, when the more conserLeon Panetta told Israel, in a speech be- vative areas of Egypt go to the polls, it is fore the Brookings Institution in Wash- expected that the Salafi ranks will grow ington, that she should “just get back to in power and the Muslim Brotherhood the damn table.” Panetta made it clear will maintain its lead in the elections, that if Israel was willing to make more thus turning Egypt into the newest and, concessions to the Palestinians, re- perhaps, the most threatening of all Isgional animosity toward Israel would lamist states. How did President Obama evaporate. react to the election results in Egypt? One final blast at Israel came from He celebrated the election as a victory Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who for “democracy” in the land. The realtook Israel to task accusing the state of ity is those who were elevated to power repressing women’s rights. This from have little or no relationship with either our nation’s foreign policy leader who the word or concept of democracy.

Israel is told to make peace with the Palestinians, but the leadership of the United States and the world refuse to recognize the fact that the Palestinians have no wish to make peace with Israel. The goal of Fatah, Hamas and Hezbollah is to destroy Israel and rid the Middle East of each and every Jew that exists. All of Israel’s neighbors are in agreement that a land without Jews would be a welcome reality. This does not appear to bother the leadership of the United States, the EU, the UN or any other country in or out of the Middle East. Thus Israel is more isolated today than she has ever been. She must rely on herself alone to combat a growing enemy on her borders and throughout the world. Israel must rely on Jews and non-Jews who know what is being done to her and will not abandon her. The struggle is real, problems multiply on a daily basis, and a disillusioned, Islamist-favoring world stands back doing nothing on behalf of Israel. It is a shandah for which the world should be ashamed. To learn about how you can get involved with the Heller IAI, please visit www.helleriai.org or contact Geneve Kallins at gkallins@jfedsrq.org or 941.371.4546 x105.

Jeff Jacoby provides new insight and food for thought on the Middle East By Geneve Kallins

he Jewish Federation’s Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative proudly presented Jeff Jacoby on December 11 in the Beatrice Friedman Theater to discuss “A Two-State Solution and Other Myths of the Middle East.” Rabbi Howard Simon, chair for The Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative, began the evening with a passionate introduction on behalf of the Heller Initiative, setting the tone for the event. Len and Helen Glaser, who so generously sponsored the program, introduced Jacoby and closed the evening with a special thanks to all who attended. As anticipated, Jacoby delivered an exceptional lecture, providing a wealth of knowledge and information that the audience was most grateful to receive. Jacoby has been an op-ed columnist for The Boston Globe since February 1994. Seeking a conservative voice to balance its famously liberal roster of commentators, the Globe hired him away from the Boston Herald, where he had been chief editorial writer since 1987. His twice-weekly essays had been dubbed “a must-read,” and the Globe was receiving more letters to the editor about his columns than about those of all the other columnists combined. A native of Cleveland, Jacoby graduated with honors from George Washington University in 1979 and from Boston University Law School in 1983.

With such an impressive resume day, February 15 at 7:00 p.m. For more and vast expertise in the subject matter, information, please contact Geneve KalJacoby provided new insight and food lins at 941.371.4546 x105 or gkallins@ for thought, encouraging some audience jfedsrq.org. For tickets, please contact members to re-evaluate their under- Jacob Taylor at 941.751.4546 x109 or standing of the dilemma in the Middle jtaylor@jfedsrq.org. East and the proposed twostate solution. Without a doubt, the evening was a great success, proving to be truly educational and informative while maintaining a rather positive outlook for the future. Coming next on behalf of The Heller IAI is syndicated radio talk show host Dennis Prager on WednesProgram sponsors Len and Helen Glaser with Jeff Jacoby

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FEDERATION NEWS

February 2012

Never forget

Sponsored by

By Stephanie Konicov

ever forget… is a mantra that I have grown up with. These are words that I have heard along with the stories of my grandparents’ survival from the Holocaust. Never forget… is a mantra that I have heard together with the stories of my mother, who was a hidden child. I knew it was ingrained, a part of my very essence, and yet, until the afternoon of the Fifteenth Annual Holocaust Survivors Luncheon, I didn’t realize how deeply. On that day, December 13, 2011, for me. the mantra became I REMEMBER. As the program began, I looked around the room at 112 people who were either survivors or descendants of survivors. One hundred twelve people,

each with their own story of pain and triumph. One hundred twelve people with stories of friends, families and loved ones who were no longer with them, but whom they carried in their eyes, their souls and their hearts. Shining as a testament to the strength and endurance of each of the people there, the descendants ranged from the second all the way to the fourth generation. When the program began with the youth of the Ramat Gan Dance Theatre, I looked around the room to see a sea of people with joy in their eyes. Each and every one was mesmerized by the beauty and talent of these students and soldiers who were sharing their immense talent with us. The music was uplifting; the joy in their dance obvious. I imagined many of the audience remembering a faraway time when they, too, shared such dances with their friends. Susie Konicov, my mother, sitting next to me, leaned over to say, “I used to do some of those dances after each Friday Federation President Nelle Miller, Richard Bergman, night Shabbat service. It was Barbara & Martin Arch, Orna Nissan

part of our Oneg.” The joy and memories seemed to me to be a tribute to life after the war. I saw in their eyes proof that every person in the room that day had Paul Molnar and his family (photos courtesy of Roger K. Burnard) gone on to live life, to grow, to move on and TO REMEM- bers of your family today; a family once BER. again of eighteen. Paul, I REMEMBER We had the honor to listen to a few and always will. of Paul Molnar’s stories as he was honIt was an amazing afternoon – a ored for his ongoing support of Holo- room full of triumph, renewal, growth caust education in the greater Sarasota and continuity. It was a room full of life area. Paul, I REMEMBER and will al- and joy, with second, third and fourth ways remember the story you shared generation descendants, all thankful for about the tall, strong tree with eighteen their predecessors’ strength, love and branches. Those eighteen branches rep- even luck. I would like to tell each and resented each member of your family as every one – I REMEMBER and always you rode in your first cattle car. You had will. us envision seventeen of those branches Many thanks to The Jewish Federbeing cut off the tree, as you were the ation of Sarasota-Manatee and Martin only branch to survive. You further had and Barbara Arch for sponsoring the us envision the one remaining branch Holocaust Survivors Luncheon. growing and thriving until there were To learn about Holocaust education once again eighteen branches. These programs, please contact Orna Nissan eighteen branches, representing mem- at 941.371.4546 x104.

Everyone has a story to tell

Sponsored by

By Amy Hirshberg Lederman

ast year my mother turned 80, and we celebrated with a family trip to Montana. The gift she cherished most was not the picture frame we had engraved or even the matching bracelets I made for all the women in the family. It was simply being surrounded by her family, laughing, toasting and sharing memories and stories together. But afterward, a sort of gloominess set in as Mom experienced a letdown after her Big Event. It was evident in our daily phone conversations as she recited a litany of new complaints: her book group was boring, all of her friends were sick or moving to Florida,

her doctor never called her back. “You need something to do, Mom, something to focus on to keep you excited about life,” I told her with the certainty of a psychiatrist. “There’s still a lot out there for you. Why don’t you take a class, start painting again or write about your life?” Mom responded to the last idea like a flower in need of water. Since I live more than 2,000 miles away, I gave her a “crash phone course” on how to use Google to research where she might find a writing class. She called a friend and they began to plan it together. The friend, she confided to me, didn’t even like Florida and was staying put for the

Jewish Museum of Florida Thru May 13, 2012

Max Miller

Cuban Hebrew Congregation, Miami Beach, FL, watercolor, 2005.

Final Mourner’s Kaddish: 333 Days In Painting

Max Miller's grief provides inspiration for a vivid account of his year spent saying Kaddish (the Jewish prayer of mourning), for his father. The 50 vibrant watercolors depict the synagogues Miller visited in New York, Vermont, Ohio and Florida, along with commentary on his experiences with those he met. While honoring the Jewish tradition of memorializing a parent, Miller learned a great deal about his father and their shared heritage.

T hru March 18, 2012

WOODEN

SYNAGOGUES OF POLAND

& THE F LORIDA CONNECTION

Model of Gombin Synagogue, built in 1710; destroyed by the Nazis in 1939.

With support from

This exhibition by Max Miller originated at the Yeshiva University Museum in New York City and is sponsored by New York Foundation for the Arts.

Since the 10th century, Jews lived in Poland. As their numbers increased, they lived in shtetls & built wooden synagogues that represent Jewish folk art. During World War II, the Nazis destroyed these early wooden synagogues. Englishman Peter Maurice studied these and made 10 models that he donated to the Jewish Museum of Florida. Exhibit includes stories of Floridian Jews who came from Poland.

Also enjoy our core exhibit MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida, Museum Store, & Bessie’s Bistro

The Museum is supported by individual contributions, foundations, memberships and grants from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts; the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners and its Cultural Affairs Council and Tourist Development Council; and the City of Miami Beach and its Cultural Arts Council.

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winter. Within a few days, they had both to her sense of being. In her darkest moenrolled in “Writing Your Memoirs,” ments, it was stories about her family and what transpired over the next 10 that kept the pieces of her life together. weeks is a story in itself. Writing about them now The first week she did much to bring recalled me daily – not newed meaning to her with complaints but with days and a sense of peace questions about how to to her life. use “this darn machine” Without our stories to make it do what she we are drifters. They act wanted. When my long as anchors in the turbudistance computer tutorlent waters of our lives. ing didn’t do the trick, I But stories, like water, told her to go to her local are fluid. Each time one library where they have is repeated, something is tutoring for free. changed. A small detail Amy Hirshberg Lederman My mother is not a is added, a few words technically gifted person, but what she are left out, a name once lost is rememlacks in mechanical skills she more bered. What matters most is not that the than makes up in willful determination. facts are true but that the deeper truths At the library she met a retired woman within the stories are revealed. who volunteered to come to her house My mother sent me a folder with the to help her. What started out as a les- work she submitted for her final class. son in Microsoft Word blossomed into She wrote in the voice of Jamilla, the a lovely friendship as my mother and grandmother who raised her after both her new friend began to share their lives of her parents died. As I read them with over Diet Coke and the keyboard. a lump in my throat that refused to reAs the semester unfolded, I heard cede, I found these truths: That no mata renewed energy in Mom’s voice. ter how lost or lonely we may be, when She would call and tell me about the we feel loved and connected to family, dream she had of a childhood friend we can survive the worst of times. And or a memory about her father walking it is through the discovery and sharing through the apartment where they lived of our stories with others – be they our when she was 2 years old. Because my children, grandchildren or friends – mother lost both of her parents just be- that we can appreciate the meaning of fore her third birthday, the stories she our life and let our life have continued has been told about them were crucial meaning. Amy Hirshberg Lederman (www.amyhirshberglederman.com) is an awardwinning author and syndicated columnist, international speaker, Jewish educator and attorney. Her second book, One God, Many Paths: Finding Meaning and Inspiration in Jewish Teachings, won the 2009 Best Book on Religion and Spirituality from the Arizona Book Publishing Association. Amy will serve in a scholar-in-residence capacity for The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee this year. Stay tuned to The Jewish News for information about Amy’s community program in mid-March.

LOCAL NEWS February 2012 7A

February 2012

Tu B’Shevat: Parents are gardeners

Education Corner By Sara Steinmetz

hich is the most important part of a tree – the roots, the stem, the leaves or the flowers? Although we may admire a tree’s colorful leaves and luscious fruits, surely the most important part of a tree,

or of any plant, are the seeds, since all other parts are there so that there can be seeds. Without seeds, plants would live and die, and that would be the end of them; before long there would be no more plants. All parents are gardeners. The fertile soil is the mind of a young child, and parents plant all sorts of ideas and experiences, which over time bloom into a garden of thoughts, dreams, attitudes, feelings, beliefs and goals. The parents’ words and actions can be compared to seeds that are dropped onto the soil of a child’s mind. Some seeds can be blown away in the wind because a parent’s words and actions don’t reflect the same notion. Simply, this means that both the words and actions of parents must match up in order to nurture the garden. When a parent encourages a certain goal but the child observes

In-season synagogue open houses Calling all snowbirds! By Laurie Lachowitzer

he Synagogue Council of Sarasota-Manatee invites you to visit our area synagogues during your stay. Most of the congregations are hosting special Open House events where you will meet and greet temple clergy and leadership, see their facilities and attend a service, all at the same time. On Friday, February 3, six area temples will be welcoming guests: Jewish Congregation of Venice at 7:30 p.m. (jewishcenterofvenice.org), Temple Beth El of Bradenton at 7:30 p.m. (templebethelbradenton.com), Temple Beth Israel at 8:00 p.m. with guest speaker Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger (tbi-lbk.org), Temple Beth Sholom at 6:00 p.m. (templebethsholomfl.org, call 941.955.8121 to RSVP for dinner), Temple Emanu-El at 6:30 p.m. for a Wine, Cheese and Lollipop Reception before the 7:00 p.m. service (temple emanuelsarasota.org), and Temple Sinai at 5:15 p.m. for Wine and Cheese preceding the 6:00 p.m. Rhythm and Jews Service (templesinai-sarasota. org).

On Saturday, February 4 at 10:00 a.m., Congregation Ner Tamid of Bradenton will be welcoming guests (nertamidflorida.org). The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism will have a presentation on Jewish Music Archives during their service on Friday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. (chj-sarasota.org). And Congregation Kol HaNeshama will feature a Scholar-in-Residence speaker on Friday, February 24 at 6:00 p.m.(congkh.org). Temple Beth El of North Port (templebethel-np.org) is an additional member of the Synagogue Council. All synagogues welcome inquiries and guests at their services as well. The Synagogue Council of Sarasota-Manatee is a consortium of 10 congregations working together to strengthen commitments towards a Jewish future. These open houses are a great opportunity for local unaffiliated individuals and families as well as our seasonal friends to check out the synagogue communities to see if there is one that makes you feel like you are home.

Tidewell maintains its accreditation as Jewish Hospice

idewell Hospice again received reaccreditation from The National Institute of Jewish Hospice (NIJH) at its accreditation conference. Tidewell earned its initial accreditation in 2006 and has received reaccreditation every year since. NIJH is the national accrediting organization for hospice programs and organizations across the country caring for the Jewish terminally ill. Tidewell has always cared for Jewish patients and provided emotional support for their families. This designation signifies its continued commitment to meeting the specific needs of Jewish patients and families. Tidewell is one of 55 hospices nationwide that has earned this distinction. For information about Tidewell Hospice, call 855.843.3935 or visit

www.tidewell.org. For information about NIJH, call 800.446.4448, visit www.nijh.org or email info@nijh.org. Tidewell Hospice is an independent, not-for-profit organization offering a home-based, total support system for people living with advanced illness and their families. Tidewell cares for more than 8,000 patients and their families annually in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. Offices are located in Arcadia, Bradenton, Englewood, Lakewood Ranch, North Port, Palmetto, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Sarasota and Venice. Tidewell is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program with deemed status, signifying excellence in quality care and meeting Medicare’s Conditions of Participation.

the parent doing otherwise, the seed is blown away. As gardeners, parents must bear in mind the significance of the following elements which deeply impact the growth of the seeds in our garden: 1. Sun: Parents must not just instruct their children what to do, they must illuminate their world. They must transmit a shining Judaism. Torah teaching illuminates and shows what is right and wrong, rather than just imposing it. 2. Warmth: We must provide our children with unconditional love. Our love for them must be predictable. They must know that even when we get angry, we still love them. This unconditional love instills in them a self-esteem and security that allows them to face life’s challenges with confidence. 3. Air: Air implies space and atmosphere. Just as a tree needs space to grow, a child needs his own identity and the “space” within which to de-

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velop it. He also needs his own personal quality time with his parents. 4. Atmosphere: It is very important to be aware of the environment that surrounds your child and the “quality of air” that he breathes – in the home as well as outside it. What does your child see at home? Does he see mutual respect and love between his parents? What does he see his parents do and say? What are their attitudes? The atmosphere is determined not so much by what is said as by what is done. Most important of all is to remember that being a parent/gardener is a full-time job. We must be consistent and persistent in tending our gardens and constantly on the lookout for problems that might arise so that we can nurture our seed and assure it doesn’t turn out to be a weed. Yes, gardening and creating a beautiful garden is an everlasting mission for every parent. Sara Steinmetz is the Education Director at Chabad of Sarasota

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM

Sarasota-Manatee’s Conservative Synagogue

in february All Are Welcome! Come Join Us! ONGOING PROGRAMS Daily Morning Minyan Sunday-Friday, 8:00am Minyan Breakfast Wednesdays, 9:00am

SHABBAT SERvIcES Fridays, 6:00pm Saturdays, 9:00am

Shabbat Dinners Fridays, 7:00pm Must RSVP to temple office Rabbi’s Tisch Tuesdays, 8:45am Scholar’s circle Tuesday, 9:50am Davening Workshop Wednesdays, 9:30am (Ending February 22) Medicine in the Talmud with Marden Paru Wednesdays, 7:00pm (Ending March 7) chug Ivri Hebrew Reading & conversation Thursdays, 10:30am

Wednesday, February 1, 7:00pm, Noah Greenberg presentation of the Shtender he created for TBS Saturday, February 4, 7:00pm, 19th Annual Celebration of Imagination at Michael’s On East Sunday, February 5, 9:00am, World Wide Wrap Tuesday, February 7, 7:00pm, Bowl-athon with Temple Sinai at AMF Lanes Wednesday, February 8, 12:00pm, Sisterhood Fashion Show & Chinese Auction Sunday, February 12, 8:00am, Suncoast Blood Drive Sunday, February 12, 8:30am, Mitzvah Day Monday, February 13, 1:15pm, Interesting Lives with Hazzan Jeffrey Weber Wednesday, February 22, 12:15pm, Idelson Library Film Series, “Ahead of Time: The Extraordinary Journey of Ruth Gruber” (RSVP for lunch); film begins at 1:00pm

Temple Beth Sholom

Marty cohn’s class Thursdays, 1:15pm

1050 S. Tuttle Ave. Sarasota, FL 34237

Judaica Shop, Gail Jagoda Monday-Thursday, 10am-3pm

941.955.8121

Idelson Adult Library Monday-Thursday, 10am-3pm

Email: info@templebethsholomfl.org Website: www.templebethsholomfl.org

Home of Temple Beth Sholom Schools: • The Martin and Mildred Paver Religious School – 941.552.2780 • Justin L. Wiesner Pre School – 941.954.2027 • Goldie Feldman Academy Grades K-8 – 941.552.2770

LOCAL NEWS

February 2012

Caregiving requires keeping channels of communication open

ridging the generation gap with your parents is not always easy, especially when introducing such sensitive issues as healthcare, finances and transportation. But as parents age, there comes a time when finding common ground and achieving a level of mutual understanding and trust on these sensitive topics is important to the well-being of your entire family. Here are a few pointers that can help you open a more productive dialog with your parents at a key moment in both your lives: Find a quiet place to talk. Pick a place where you can easily talk without distractions or fear of interruption.

Don’t try to do everything at once. There’s a lot of ground to cover – much of it new – and you’re inevitably going to reach a point where you and your parents will need to stop and explore options before going on. Ask general questions. Your goal is to start a conversation, not a crossexamination. Make sure your parents have the opportunity to bring up topics of concern to them. Stay on task. Stick to the topics at hand. Avoid the temptation to rehash old family history. Invite a third-party to participate. Have someone your parents trust take part in the conversation and

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These we honor ANNUAL CAMPAIGN

IN MEMORY OF

Simon Rosenthal Marilyn Goldman Mommom and Poppop Fink Jeff and Wendy Rudd

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Marvin and Helene Peretz’s 60th Anniversary Edwin and Linda Baker Carrol Kahn’s Birthday Joan Lipsky Josh and Julie Green Jeff and Wendy Rudd Martin and Dana Klein Froma and Jules Willen Murry and Leona Levine Arnie and Ellen Gwirtzman

BOB MALKIN YOUNG AMBASSADORS

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Joel Fedder Inna and Gerry Sideman

IN MEMORY OF Sydney Weiner Judy Weinstein Jeffery Caminier Rich and Rebecca Bergman Herb Gold Rich and Rebecca Bergman “Dolly” Sprinz Pacy and Morris Weinstein

MAZEL TOV Josh and Julie Green Judy Weinstein

Michael and Nadia Ritter – marriage of your daughter Inna and Gerry Sideman Sam and Roz Brott’s 65th Anniversary Rich and Rebecca Bergman Rich Bergman Irwin and Joel Lowenstein

HEBREW BURIAL SOCIETY

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serve as an impartial mediator. Their presence can have a tempering effect on the conversation and help avoid misunderstandings. This is a perfect role for Jewish Family & Children’s Service Care Managers. It takes courage to launch Markowitz turned to JFCS for help with long distance these conversations, but in the Andrea caregiving for her parents Rudy and Flo, pictured above long run it can be worth the effort. Tackling these issues together, port, please call the JFCS Caregiver with good will and ingenuity, increases Help Line at 941.364.7560 or check your chances of finding solutions that out our caregiver website at www.care work for the entire family. givernetworksrq.org. If you are a caregiver and need sup-

Ner Tamid volunteers serve Christmas dinner to homeless By Rabbi Barbara Aiello

“

t’s a mitzvah,” said Ner Tamid Board Chair Elaine Mittler, as she described her congregation’s seven-year commitment to serving Christmas dinner at Bradenton’s local soup kitchen, Our Daily Bread. “Mitzvah” is loosely translated as a “good deed,” and that’s just what ten Jewish volunteers accomplished as they continued their annual “mitzvah” of love and service to Bradenton’s homeless men, women and children. Greeting guests, dishing up veggies, piling on ham or turkey, and slicing yummy pies is all part of a day well spent for the dedicated volunteers: Marcia and Marvin Shepard, Elaine Mittler, Rhonda Mittler, and David, Stacey and Jackie Jacobson, who help out each year, along with first-timers Joy Yelin and Ken and Rhonda Kaplan. The Jewish crew arrived early in the morning and worked at the Bradenton

soup kitchen for several hours, which allowed the kitchen’s regular volunteers to enjoy Christmas with their families. This Christmas day, in addition to serving hundreds of meals, Ner Tamid congregants presented a check to Our Daily Bread, which represented donations from dozens of Ner Tamid members and friends. “We know they need help throughout the year, so this is our way of continuing our congregation’s commitment of service to our community,” said Mittler, who noted that Ner Tamid received accolades from the public including a letter received last year which read in part, “To all the lovely souls of your congregation, I just wanted to tell you that there really is hope for a better tomorrow for all of us, and despite our differences in belief, we can live hand in hand.”

Rachel Fox Malcolm and Beverly Brenner

ISRAEL PROGRAMS

IN MEMORY OF

Poppy Jeff and Wendy Rudd

MAZEL TOV

Gerry and Inna Sideman’s new grandson Matthew Nadia and Michael Ritter

Schiff SKIP (Send a Kid to Israel)

MAZEL TOV

Richard and Patti Hershorin Mort and Bunny Skirboll Sam and Roz Brott’s 65th Anniversary Sam and Sally Shapiro Gerry Isaacs’ Birthday Sam and Sally Shapiro Richard and Patti Hershorin Howard and Bryna Tevlowitz

NOTE: To be publicly acknowledged in The Jewish News, Honor Cards require a minimum $10 contribution per listing. You can send Honor Cards directly from www.jfedsrq.org. For more information, call 941.371.4546 x119.

Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’! Keep those dinners rollin’! Ner Tamid volunteers don’t miss a beat as they prepare trays and serve dinner to Bradenton’s homeless men, women and children.

Stacey Jacobson looks on as husband and Ner Tamid Board member David puts the finishing touches on a dinner tray. The Jacobsons, along with daughter Jackie, have served at Our Daily Bread soup kitchen for seven consecutive years.

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LOCAL NEWS February 2012 9A

JFCS receives Alliance Strategy Counts! grant By Andria Keil Bilan, JFCS VP of Development

ewish Family & Children’s Service was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Alliance for Children and Families to implement a pilot project meant to explore, test and gain understanding of the elevation of strategy within nonprofit human service agencies. The grant comes from the Alliance’s Strategy Counts! Program – a multi-year pilot project that will closely examine the impact from elevating the role of strategy in nonprofit human service providers. The Alliance, headquartered in Milwaukee, is one of the nation’s largest membership associations of private, nonprofit human service organizations. JFCS will institute its own Strategy Counts at JFCS! Program, a transformational project which will build stronger teams and transform the current culture into one of shared ownership and responsibility. This team approach will build an understanding and strengthen the commitment of ownership of mission and strategy by mid-level and direct service staff. This will allow the agency to elevate its strategy at a time it

is experiencing unprecedented growth. Because JFCS is committed to providing more direct service without an increase in infrastructure, overhead and support functions, the agency needs a strong team with a shared set of values, empowered to move the agency forward for the betterment of those served and the greater community. “This grant enables JFCS to not only improve our own services and ultimately reach even more vulnerable citizens,” said Rose Chapman, LCSW, President/CEO of JFCS. “But it means we are part of an exciting program that is closely examining how nonprofit human service organizations can be even more effective throughout the country.” JFCS is one of 14 nonprofits around the country participating in the Strategy Counts initiative. Each are testing strategy models to determine whether they will create more organizational capacity, thereby gaining opportunities to generate revenues for service delivery, expand successful core services, and achieve better resilience in the face of economic downturns.

Hanukkah season brings interfaith opportunities to Kobernick Anchin

anukkah presents Jews the opportunity to rededicate themselves to traditions and to support and preserve the ideals of religious tolerance and freedom. In modern times this means opening their hearts to those of different faiths. This season, the residents of Kobernick Anchin certainly put those ideals into action. When the students at Booker Middle School needed Christmas ornaments to sell at their holiday bazaar, residents sprang into action. Using a special mixture of applesauce and cinnamon, they created an array of cookie-cutter ornaments that smelled as delicious as they looked. Residents applied glitter to the ornaments as a sparkling finishing touch and proudly delivered these handmade delights just in time for the school’s bazaar. As the holidays approached, Rabbi Barbara Aiello, Kobernick Anchin’s resident chaplain, asked Christian residents (Kobernick Anchin is nondenominational) and staff to erect and decorate a Christmas tree. In fact, members of

February 2012

Marcy Kennelly honored as “Teacher of the Year”

arasota Jewish community leader Marcy Kennelly was recently recognized as “Teacher of the Year” at Tuttle Elementary School. Along with other outstanding instructors at local schools, Kennelly will now vie for district-wide “Teacher of the Year” honors. An acclaimed educator with 24 years of experience, Kennelly has served as director for a Midwest Hebrew school as well as a kindergarten through eighth grade teacher of secular studies in public and parochial schools. She has also taught in a juvenile detention center and a children’s mental hospital as well as tutored children homebound for medical reasons. Kennelly combines her extensive educational experience and devoted spirit with a love for Judaism and service in her volunteer work at Temple Emanu-El. Kennelly serves as a member of the education committee, advising the synagogue’s religious school director and helping to evaluate and implement curriculum, and also belongs to the Intergenerational, House and Grounds, and Membership Committees. Kennelly also oversees Temple Emanu-El’s re-energized Havurah

Marcy Kennelly stands in front of a display she created of her students’ letters to veterans for Temple Emanu-El’s Veterans Shabbat

Group and has assisted in the creation of the congregation’s many vibrant new havurot. Kennelly was inspired by her father of blessed memory, Zangwill, who encouraged her educational aspirations. Just as she was preparing for her Masters degree studies, Zangwill became seriously ill; she promised her father to continue her education and – in his honor – started the program two weeks after he passed away. Sharing the nachas of Kennelly’s recognition as “Teacher of the Year” are her husband, Temple Emanu-El Vice President Michael Kennelly, her mother Bluma, and her proud temple family.

stay connected @ www.jfedsrq.org

AJC’s INAUGURAL WINTER LUNCH & LEARN! FEATURING

BRET STEPHENS Foreign Affairs Columnist for The Wall Street Journal Dayna Henry gets ornaments ready to be hung on the Christmas tree

Congregation Ner Tamid joined the group and helped decorate for both Hanukkah and Christmas. Anchin resident Connie Horst spearheaded the project as she encouraged staff to bring a favorite ornament to place on the tree. With lights twinkling and hot chocolate brewing, residents were invited to a carol fest with singers from the Sarasota Christian Church who delighted the residents with familiar seasonal tunes, including The Dreidel Song, which Rabbi Barbara taught to their Christian friends.

Can America Win the Future for the Middle East? Wednesday, February 15 ~ 11am - 1pm Longboat Key Club & Resort, Harbourside Dining Room

Lecture only $35 (includes Lunch)!

Reservations Required: Contact Monica at 941-365-4955 or sarasota@ajc.org Bret Stephens is the foreign affairs columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal Asia and Europe. He is a regular panelist on The Journal Editorial Report, a weekly talk show on the Fox News Channel. Mr. Stephens joined the Journal as an op-ed editor in New York in 1998 and later worked for the paper as an editorial writer in Brussels. In January 2002 he was named editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, a position he assumed at the age of 28. Mr. Stephens has reported stories from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, Mexico, South Africa and Indonesia, among other countries, and interviewed dozens of world leaders. He was raised in Mexico City and educated at the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics.

Sponsored by Lois Stulberg, Member of AJC’s Regional Board of Directors Congregation Ner Tamid member Terry Simpson decorates a tree for the skilled nursing unit

Members of the Sarasota Christian Church perform a selection of Christmas tunes for Kobernick Anchin residents

To learn more about AJC, please visit www.ajc.org.

10A

JEWISH INTEREST

February 2012

Volunteerism – a core Jewish value By L. Arthur Safer, Ph.D.

ignificant events in one’s life may lead to paths which reaffirm and remind us of one of the core Jewish values: volunteerism. My journey began with the passing of my wife and a commitment to move from my university professorship to becoming an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Chicago. I did know that service to my community had always been an essential part of my adult life, whether serving on social agency boards or being an active member of the Temple Emanu-El congregational family. Did I know at this time in my life that I would again become engaged in gemilut hasadim (acts of loving kindness)? Probably not. But then I met Daniel. It’s difficult for Daniel to stop smiling. The 13-year-old New Orleans native and honor roll student seems to have an eternal giggle; a pervading happiness that he brings everywhere he goes. Daniel’s optimism is contagious and remarkable in itself. What makes Daniel’s brightness exceptional is the fact that he is a Hurricane Katrina transplant and now living homeless on the South Side of Chicago. But in the face of homelessness’ dark and mountainous challenges, Daniel beams because today he has Chicago HOPES.

Still the hurdles facing Daniel are staggering. He lives in a drab, humid homeless shelter with his mother and 4-year-old brother. Inside, the shelter is chaotic. Babies cry constantly. Some mothers scream, cursing at their children and each other. Daniel is the second oldest male in the shelter, which provides refuge to female victims of domestic violence. Only the shelter coordinator, a middle-aged man, is older. The streets outside are a war zone. While Daniel has been living here, a teenage boy was fatally shot point blank only a few doors away from his shelter residence. Daniel persists despite the chaos and haze of homelessness. The above story about Daniel became the essence of my year-long work in the Chicago Public Schools Homeless Education Department during 2009-2010. As a VISTA volunteer, my responsibilities involved coordinating after-school tutoring and enrichment programs for kindergarten through middle-school students who lived in Chicago’s 26 homeless shelters. As the “senior” VISTA by age and hair color, some 40 years older and grayer than my young VISTA colleagues, my adventure took me down two divergent paths – one of working with children in need

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who were not afforded the educational services due to their homelessness, and the other a bond with my VISTA peers. I suspect that my overarching personal growth during this hiatus from academic life was a product of both. Any stereotypes which I may have had about homeless children and adults were quickly diminished as I became a trusted friend to those kids in the shelter over time and being a consistent presence each week. Affectionately, “Mr. Art” was there to provide homework guidance, work on improving their education skills, and most importantly, being a person who cared and engaged them in their life struggles. These young people brought to their shelter the same excitement, curiosity, enthusiasm and developmental issues as kids who were living at home in a stable environment. Their parents and grandparents remained a steadying influence even though they were faced with circumstances beyond my own comprehension or experience. One of the many enrichment activities we did was having a professional potter help them mold clay masks. The creativity and beauty of their clay projects was wonderfully “kid like” and fun. In the end, three of my kids gave me their masks, which now hang prominently and proudly in my

condominium in Chicago. As for my VISTA friends, I became a mentor for them as they pursued future academic careers and social service positions by reviewing law school and graduate applications, writing letters of recommendation, and just being there as a resource. At the same time, they infused me with an energy and purpose for doing community service, commitment to a social justice agenda, and a sense of idealism which perhaps had lain dormant in me. Thus, gemilut hasadim has reinvigorated my purpose in the community, and the by-product of the VISTA experience has led me to continue my service as a founding Board of Directors member for Chicago HOPES for Kids and a Board of Trustees member on the Chicago Franciscan Outreach Association, which provides emergency shelters and a full-service food kitchen to Chicago’s homeless population on a daily schedule. Thus, a revitalized idealism and gemilut hasadim have brought me to a truly wonderful place in my life. L. Arthur Safer, Ph.D. is a member of Temple Emanu-El in Sarasota; Professor, Department of Leadership, College of Graduate and Innovative Programs, Concordia University Chicago; Professor Emeritus, Leadership and Policy Studies, Loyola University Chicago

Jewish life on the other side of the bars By Martin Himmelfarb

ne of the first things people ask me is, ‘what’s a nice Jewish boy doing working as a prison guard?’” recounted Jeffrey Kostbar, who served 31 years with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Parole Commission, Pardon Attorney’s Office and Witness Protection Program. As an undergraduate at Kent State University during the Vietnam War, Kostbar decided to make a contribution to society by becoming a prison social worker. He recently described his experiences to a Men’s Club gathering at the Jewish Congregation of Venice. There were not many Jews working in the Bureau back then, but Kostbar

“

applied for a position anyway. Assigned as an entry level prison guard, Kostbar soon distinguished himself by breaking up fights among the inmates. His career then advanced steadily in prison management. Eventually, he met the man convicted of killing a guard at the B’Nai Brith headquarters in Washington, D.C. Kostbar told the inmate that he was Jewish, but he never had any problems with the convict. Actually, many prisoners claim to be Jewish, reported Kostbar. Since by law the religious needs of all prisoners must be honored, Jewish inmates enjoy good kosher food.

LONGBOAT KEY DEMOCRATIC CLUB The Longboat Key Democratic Club monthly luncheon meeting will be held on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 at noon at the Harbourside Dining Room of the Longboat Key Club and Resort.

The special guest speaker is Keith Fitzgerald, Candidate for the 13 Congressional District. Keith is a former Florida State Legislator. He is a Professor of Political Science at New College in Sarasota. th

Cost is $23 per person. Please contact Jane Albaum at 941-362-0520 by Wednesday, February 8 to RSVP and for additional information and directions.

JEWISH INTEREST 11A February 2012

February 2012

New novel sounds a prophetic call for renewal of the Jewish state

By Philip K. Jason, Special to The Jewish News

destroying its nobility and essence without solving any of its problems. It implicitly perpetuates homeise is an astonishing tale, as true grown terror. The story opens with as the breaking news from Israel. Though it is easy to characterize the long-delayed homeit as promoting a leftist perspective on coming of Lilah Kedem, Israeli-Palestinian issues, it’s quite clear a Sabra in her mid-fifties that the author and principal characters who has spent three see themselves simply as practical. The decades living in the new ingredient, for many readers, will United States. She has become an inbe the increas- ternationally-acclaimed photographer, ing dimension of long-separated from her husband and terrorism from son, whose heart now tells her it is time within – meaning to return. The Israel Lilah returns to is changed Jewish terrorism in particular. For in many ways. The divisiveness is ugly Gotlieb, Israel’s and bitter; variety has transformed into own extreme right shades of “us and them.” Party lines are is as much a dan- sharply drawn, and disagreement is felt ger to the state and labeled as treachery. The country Phil Jason as the terror born seems to have lost its soul. Now reunited with her husband, of Islamic fundamentalism. Its values and actions compromise the country son, and childhood friend Michal, Lilah not only politically, but also spiritually. inevitably befriends Michal’s husband, They infect the country with a disease an Israeli Arab physician named Issam Halaby. In a short period of that cannot be cured even by time, circumstances lead Israel’s unparalleled medical the two couples to bond institutions. and found a new moveIn the novel, the government. Na’aleh (rise) is not a ing Nationalist Party is headpolitical party but a loosely ed by a self-perpetuating organized grassroots orgaleadership cadre committed nization that fosters comto satisfying the wealthy and munication, cooperation powerful. Its policies proand mutual support to Ismote unbridled materialism, raeli communities of all increasing the distance beethnic and religious stripes. tween the rich and the poor, It works to awaken the popand its security stance pays Yosef Gotlieb ulation to rise up against more attention to real estate than to the values of justice, equal- mindless hate and bigotry and the stranity and tolerance. For many, including glehold that twenty wealthy families Naftali Kedem, leader of the opposition seem to have on government policy. Unofficially allied with Naftali’s forces and Knesset member, the Nationalist Party is a dead end for Israel, New Democratic Party, Na’aleh’s imRise: A Novel of Contemporary Israel, by Yosef Gotlieb. ‘Atida Press. 386 pp. $14.99. Kindle eBook $4.99.

mediate concern is to counteract the Sons of Gideon, a right-wing terrorist group killing Arabs and conciliatory Jews by staging spectacular acts of murderous violence. Essentially, the Gideon group promotes ethnic cleansing of Israel’s Arab population and brooks no dissent from those striving toward fruitful accommodation and reconciliation. A separate thread of the novel develops around the mission of Eli Zedek, a top-level Israeli security agent charged with investigating domestic terrorism. He, too, is on the trail of these homegrown terrorists, who gladly take credit for their atrocious deeds. Before long, Eli and Lilah cross each other’s paths. Lilah, who is determined to fight with her camera, discovers an image of one of the perpetrators in a roll of film she shot in Jaffa while building her portfolio for a book on Women of the Ports. The image matches the description of the hulking figure many had witnessed at a terrorist attack by the Gideons. The novel winds back and forth between the home lives of the key characters, the public rallies to topple the present government staged by the

11A

Book Review

by Philip K. Jason New Democratic Party / Na’aleh organizations, and the growing frequency of terrorist attacks. Lilah becomes the spokesperson for the movement to redeem her country from its social ills and spiritual ills, its debilitating hatreds and violence. Embedded into the suspensefilled events and rich characterizations are compelling analyses of what must be done to correct Israel’s path and to release it from the stranglehold of a powerful minority. The issues are thoughtfully and clearly expressed, and the passions of the Kedem and Halaby families, along with the almost superhuman commitment of Eli, so often thwarted by government ineptitude or interference, make Yosef Gotlieb’s ideas and principles for a renewed and reawakened Israel come fully alive. Philip K. Jason is Professor Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. He reviews regularly for the Naples edition of Florida Weekly and for Fort Myers Magazine. Visit Phil’s website at www.philjason.wordpress.com.

Sarasota Concert Association

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12A

JEWISH INTEREST

February 2012

So that they may rest in peace

By Norman and Hannah Weinberg, Poland Jewish Cemeteries Restoration Project (PJCRP)

uring September 2011 we led a Jewish heritage tour of Poland and accomplished much more than that: meetings of great significance with the German and Austrian ambassadors; planning for involvement in our work of Polish with non-Polish youth; rededication ceremonies of two more cemetery restorations; celebration of our tenth anniversary; dealing effectively with cemetery vandalism; and an important breakthrough on a new restoration project with significance to many more. We arrived hopeful we could make a difference; we left knowing we had accomplished far more than our expectations. Our organization, Poland Jewish Cemeteries Restoration Project (PJCRP), had its beginnings in 2001 with the highly successful restoration of the Ozarow cemetery (Norman’s parents were born in Ozarow). The Ozarow project and thirty more subsequently over the next ten years, relied on Andrzej Omasta, Director of PJCRP Cemetery Projects and his team of consultants in Poland, the generous donations from hundreds of descendants, and our close and continuing relationship with Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland, ensuring that this and any future projects were carried out to the highest Halachic standards. Our efforts lowered anti-Semitic and anti-Polish sentiments,

brought Holocaust education to Polish youth, and peace, respect, understanding and reconciliation. Five years ago, we began a Petition to the German Government. The Petition asks the German government to take responsibility and pay their fair share of the costs of restoration of the more than 1,200 Jewish cemeteries German forces destroyed and the thousands of mass graves they left behind. The response to the Petition has been outstanding, supported by both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, including The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, Agudath Israel of America, CRIF in France, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Polish government, and many more (see www.pjcrp.org/list.html). While most of our tour group members enjoyed sightseeing in Warsaw, our delegation met at the German embassy for an appointment with German Ambassador Rüdiger Freiherr v Fritsch and discussion of the Petition. The delegation consisted of Rabbi Michael Schudrich; Andrzej Omasta; Roger Cukierman, VP of World Jewish Congress; Norman Weinberg, PJCRP Executive Coordinator; Randall Kaufman, Prof. of Holocaust Studies at Miami Dade College; Prof. Alex Bartnik, University of Warsaw and PJCRP consultant; and Dr. Wojtek Brochwicz-Lewinski, PJCRP consultant. A few days later, we learned

that the ambassador had requested us to Zvi Rav-Ner, and his wife Didi, joined form a committee to discuss and present us for dinner at our hotel. Norman preways in which the German government sented him with a signed copy of the could participate and ways in which Petition and the ambassador spoke to German youth could take part. This was us about his mission in Poland and then truly a breakthrough of historical significance! Because of our continuing close relationship with the U.S. embassy, our delegation met with U.S. Ambassador Lee Feinstein to discuss our meetings with the German and Austrian ambassadors. The ambassador received a copy of the Petition and presented his letter of support, confirming that the U.S. embassy is committed to helping us in our mission. e traveled to LosNorman Weinberg presents a copy of the ice, the most beauPetition to Israeli Ambassador Zvi Rav-Ner tiful of the more than 30 of our restorations. We knew in talked about the dangers to Israel. advance to our great dismay and conOzarow: We had already restored cern that the cemetery had been van- the Ozarow cemetery ten years earlier dalized, for the third time in as many (see www.ozarow.org). Now we had reyears. We expressed our concerns. The turned for the rededication of the newly perpetrators, skinheads and members restored Ohel (house of the rabbis). of a local gang in their twenties, were Funding had been provided by many quickly apprehended by the authorities generous donors – Ozarow descendants and await trial. The governor promised from the U.S., Canada, France and Israel. that the cemetery would be well lit in Two rabbis are buried in the Ohel. Rabbi the evenings and the mayor promised Aryeh Epstein (1837-1914) and his son, that security would be increased, the Rabbi Yaakov Epstein (1876-1916). walls reinforced, and the damages rePolaniec: Our interest was in respaired. By the time our group arrived, toration of the Jewish cemetery, where the vandalism had been repaired at the Hannah’s grandmother is buried. She town’s cost. died tragically in 1918 at the young age At Treblinka, Ira Garshowitz, an Is- of 32 of the Spanish Flu. The cemetery raeli correspondent, spoke to our group has no monuments (a few are stored in passionately about the importance of the basement of the municipal building) supporting Israel so another Shoah and there is a large mass grave abutting never happens. As if to reinforce Ira’s the river flowing past the cemetery at statements, that evening, back in Warcontinued on next page saw, the Israeli ambassador to Poland,

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In-Season Synagogue Open Houses

You are invited to meet and greet clergy and leadership, tour the facilities and experience a Shabbat Service. Fri., Feb. 3: @ Jewish Cong. of Venice, 7:30 PM (jewishcenterofvenice.org) @ Temple Beth El Bradenton, 7:30 PM (templebethelbradenton.com) @ Temple Beth Israel, 8 PM Guest speaker, Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger (tbi-lbk.org) @ Temple Beth Sholom, 6 PM; call to RSVP for dinner (templebethsholomfl.org) @ Temple Emanu-El, 6:30 PM for Wine, Cheese and Lollypop Reception, 7 PM Service (templeemanuelsarasota.org) @ Temple Sinai, 5:15 PM Wine and Cheese, 6 PM Rhythm and Jews Service (templesinai-sarasota.org) Sat., Feb. 4: @ Cong. Ner Tamid, Bradenton, 10 AM (nertamidflorida.org) Fri., Feb. 17: @ Cong. for Humanistic Judaism, 7:30 PM with a presentation on Jewish Music Archives (chj-sarasota.org) Fri., Feb. 24: @ Cong. Kol HaNeshama, 6 PM with Scholar-in-Residence speaker (congkh.org)

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Guests are welcome at all congregations always! Organized by the 10 congregations of the Synagogue Council of Sarasota-Manatee to encourage snowbirds and unaffiliated individuals and families to sample the temple families until they find one to call home.

JEWISH INTEREST 13A February 2012 one end. Norman led the delegation to the Mayor’s office. Doubting the town could afford to pay anything towards the restoration, Mayor Jacek Tarnowski listened as Norman enumerated the many benefits to the town: The U.S. ambassador, speaking before a group of mayors, heads of Jewish foundations and Polish government officials five years ago, declared that towns supporting Jewish cemetery restorations would be listed with the U.S. embassy as preferred sites for foreign investment. Restoration helps beautify the town, thus, increasing tourism. A scholarship program would be started at the local high school and prizes given for the best essays, poetry, artwork and photography related to the Holocaust. (So far, an estimated 10,000 students have participated throughout Poland and many prizes have been awarded.) A few days afterwards, the mayor called to let us know that the town would pay for the restoration. Polaniec would become the first town to offer funding for Jewish cemetery restoration! Hannah also had a pleasant surprise. The town’s secretary presented her with the Book of Residences of 1932. She discovered many of her relatives listed, including her father, with birth dates and house numbers. In a very moving moment, the tour group returned to the cemetery to say Kaddish for Hannah’s grandmother and all interred there. It was in Polaniec a few years earlier when Hannah and I met with Ewa Pacult and her sons. As an infant during the war, after her parents were murdered by the Germans, Ewa’s mother was hidden by a Catholic family. Ewa and her mother were told they were Jewish about seven years ago by her adopted Polish grandmother on her deathbed. Ewa asked us for advice how she could bring up her sons Jewish. We told her she must live in Cracow or Warsaw and enroll her children in a Jewish school. This she did and we were soon to meet Ewa again in Cracow and learned her sons received a Jewish education. And she, an orthodox Jew, was now a member of the Chevra Kadisha (burial society). Poland has an estimated 3,000 Jews remaining after the Germans annihilated 90% of the Jewish population, then of about 3.5 million people. There are many more “hidden” Jews discovering their past. Rabbi Schudrich estimates on this basis that there are at least 20,000 Jews in Poland. Jews in Poland had a very close, even mystical, relationship with their cemeteries. They visited regularly, tearfully mourning the loss of loved ones; with happy hearts to announce births and marriages; they would pray and plead for guidance at the graves of their revered rabbis; and they would carefully look after and clean their sacred burial sites. On this, our tenth anniversary restoring what is left of Jewish heritage in Poland, we could look back feeling we had participated in a great mitzvah, caring for these sacred cemeteries on behalf of the murdered millions of the Shoah, so that they may rest in peace. For more info, visit www.pjcrp.org, or contact Norman Weinberg at 716. 912.9378 or weinberg36@gmail.com.

February 2012

13A

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14A

FOCUS ON YOUTH

February 2012

Community youths support JFCS

ur community is indeed fortunate to have so many families who have encouraged their children to perform acts of loving kindness. Jewish Family & Children’s Service offers its sincere thanks to Jesse Clark and Faith Holliday for their support of at-risk youths served through our Children’s Play Therapy Center and Challenge-to-Change Programs at Emma E. Booker Elementary School and Booker Middle School. For his Mitzvah project, Jesse Clark participated in the JFCS Adopt a Fam-

ily Program and donated holiday gifts for 25 students from Emma E. Booker Elementary School and Booker Middle School. Jesse, who is becoming a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El, secured toys, games, sporting equipment and a bicycle for children who might otherwise not have received a gift for the holidays. The entire Clark family supported Jesse’s efforts, using this as a teaching moment for his two younger brothers, Justin and Josh. Tim and Cynthia Holliday, owners of Children’s World, were looking for

meet, compete and create lifelong memories! meet, compete and create lifelong memories! meet, compete and create lifelong memories!

August August 5-10, 5-10, 2012 2012 •• Houston, Houston, TX TX August 5-10, 2012 • Houston, TX Federation will subsidize 10 participants in individual, team sports and

Federation 10 participants individual, team sports and performing will arts.subsidize Visit www.jfedsrq.org or in contact Len Steinberg for more Federation will 10email participants individual, team sports and performing arts.subsidize Visitx106 www.jfedsrq.org or in contact Len Steinberg for more info at 941.371.4546 or lsteinberg@jfedsrq.org. performing arts. Visitx106 www.jfedsrq.org or contact Len Steinberg for more info at 941.371.4546 or email lsteinberg@jfedsrq.org. info at 941.371.4546 x106 or email lsteinberg@jfedsrq.org. Boy SportS: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Soccer, Swimming, Table Boy SportS: Basketball, Bowling, Bowling, Soccer, Swimming, Table Tennis & Tennis Baseball, • Girl SportS: Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Tennis & Tennis • Girl Soccer, Softball, Boy SportS: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Bowling, Soccer, Swimming, Table Swimming, Table Tennis,SportS: Tennis &Basketball, Volleyball • performinG ArtS: Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis & Volleyball • performinG ArtS: Tennis & Tennis • Girl SportS: Basketball, Bowling, Soccer, Softball, Acting/Improv, Broadcast Journalism, Culinary Arts, Dance, Jazz, Musical Acting/Improv, Broadcast Culinary Dance, Musical Swimming, Table Tennis, Journalism, Tennis Volleyball • Arts performinG ArtS: Theater, Digital Photography, Rock&Music, VisualArts, & VocalJazz, Music. Theater, Digital Broadcast Photography, Rock Music, VisualArts, ArtsDance, & VocalJazz, Music. Acting/Improv, Journalism, Culinary Musical Theater, Digital Photography, Rock Music, Visual Arts & Vocal Music. The Klingenstein Jewish Center,

The Klingenstein Center, 580 McIntosh Rd.,Jewish Sarasota FL 34232 580 Rd.,•Jewish Sarasota FL 34232 941.371.4546 www.jfedsrq.org The McIntosh Klingenstein Center, 941.371.4546 580 McIntosh Rd.,• www.jfedsrq.org Sarasota FL 34232

941.371.4546 • www.jfedsrq.org

Kol HaNeshama – where families make bread together

he Kol HaNeshama Family Education Program continues its hands-on, fun and affordable family-centered Jewish education curriculum that gives busy families a chance to “do Jewish” together. A recent series of classes focused on Shabbat in the home and how families can make time to rest and make the day special. The families learned all about challah – its traditions, the blessings, braiding and, of course, baking – from Education Tim Baldwin kibbutzes Director Jennias daughter Fay creates one of the fer Singer with family’s menorahs assistance from Education Committee member Lynn Teichman. Another recent shared-learning experience was the making of individual chanukiot, when the families, while painting and decorating their menorahs, reviewed the story and message of the Maccabees, learned the blessings for the menorah, and answered a “quiz” by Jennifer Singer. The program that is used, “Doorways to Judaism,” explores Jewish holidays and values in a modern framework. It gives families tools to incorporate Jewish practice into their lives, and encourages a sense of involvement

in Jewish community life through opportunities to perform acts of kindness, contribute to righteous causes and engage in Jewish study. If you are searching for a learning environment designed specifically for families, please join us. For more information, call 941.244.2042.

a community project for their daughter, Faith. When Tim learned about the Children’s Play Therapy Center at JFCS, he knew that his daughter and retail store could make a difference! Faith generously donated toys and games that she had outgrown, and then helped her parents select an assortment of educational toys, puppets and puzzles for JFCS. JFCS offers many Mitzvah projects for families and youths to lend a helping hand to others. For more info, contact Tara Booker, Director of Volunteers & Community Outreach, at 941.366.2224 x143 or tbooker@jfcs-cares.org.

Faith Holliday with her donated toys for the Children’s Play Therapy Center

Jesse Clark with donated gifts for his Mitzvah project

Daddy-Daughter Dance returns to Temple Emanu-El

emple Emanu-El Religious School’s Social Committee sends this important message to girls in Sarasota-Manatee: Tell your fathers, grandpas and special friends that the big night is almost here! On Sunday, February 12, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Temple Emanu-El will once again sponsor the fabulous Daddy-Daughter Dance. The Daddy-Daughter Dance is an amazing event for girls and the men who love them most: an evening of music and dancing featuring a professional makeup artist; nail salon; professional father-daughter portraits; food, including elegant finger sandwiches, hot tea, root beer floats, and a gallery of beautiful handcrafted desserts; a longstemmed rose for every daughter; a “How Well Do You Know Your Daughter?” contest; glamorous decorations

Eden Glickman brought her dad, Rabbi Brenner Glickman, to the 2010 Daddy-Daughter Dance

“Im ein ani li, mi li; uchshe’ani le’atzmi, ma ani; ve’im lo achshav, eymatay?”

If I am not for myself, who is for me? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?

and a disco ball; and a Chinese raffle with fabulous prizes for girls of all ages. You definitely want to mark your calendar for this special occasion! The DaddyDance Daughter Dance Daddy-Daughter Chair Jay Vandroff is chaired by and daughter Ava at the 2010 event Jay Vandroff. Committee members and volunteers include Beth Vandroff, Sharon Alcock, Jeff and Wendy Cohen, Rabbis Brenner and Elaine Glickman, Sharon Kunkel, Marni Mount, Shana Rosenthal, Rachel Stark-Cappelli and Kim Sheintal. The cost for the Daddy-Daughter Dance is $20 per father, grandpa or special friend for paid reservations made by February 7; the girls are admitted free of charge. After February 7 or at the door, admission is $30 per father. Payment should be sent with the names of attendees and the ages of daughters to Temple Emanu-El, attention Jay Vandroff, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232. For more information, please call Jay at 941.356.3006.

College Scholarships Each year, the Jewish Federation awards college scholarships to qualified applicants. For complete info and to apply, visit www.jfedsrq.org. GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS: • Application deadline is April 9, 2012 • Must be an undergraduate student in the next academic year at a university, college or community college. • Must have resided full-time in Sarasota or Manatee County for the past two years, as of the application deadline. • These scholarships are available only to those of the Jewish faith. • Personal interviews may be required. • Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. • Scholarship recipients are required to write to the family that established the scholarship and thank them.

Questions? Contact Jessica Katz at 941.371.4546, ext. 123 or email jkatz@jfedsrq.org.

The Klingenstein Jewish Center

580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota FL 34232

941.371.4546 • www.jfedsrq.org

FOCUS ON YOUTH 15A February 2012

February 2012

Israeli soccer team surprises local teens

15A Sponsored by

By Jake Hurwitz

hen teens arrived at Communiteen (the weekly Jewishthemed discussion group, specifically for middle and high school students) on Wednesday night, December 7, they had no idea what the night had in store for them. As the first lesson of the evening was coming to a close, students began to stare in utter confusion at the mass of Israeli men who had suddenly come parading into the lobby of the old JCC. After a few brief introductions, the Communiteen students were allowed a question and answer session with their

guests, the Maccabi Haifa U17 men’s soccer team. The students inquisitively asked how the athletes felt about their commitment to serve in the Israel Defense Forces upon turning eighteen and how the schools worked in their coun-

Haifa Boys U-17 Israeli Soccer Team players present Federation with team flag and colors

try. Some of the female students even ventured to find out whether or not a player had a girlfriend! Following the discussions, both groups enjoyed a light meal before spending time mingling and meeting new faces. The night ended with a small showcase of soccer skills. Many laughs were shared that night, and both the students and players were disappointed that time had passed so quickly. The Maccabi Haifa U17 Men’s squad played the U.S. Men’s National U17 Team at IMG Academies in Bradenton on December 11. A number of

An evening of exploration and discovery

emple Beth Sholom Schools Winter 2011 Museum Night was an evening of exploration and discovery. This bi-annual, interactive, museum-like event takes place at Sarasota’s only “Museum School.” A Museum School is a project-based learning method that fosters abstract, intellectual tasks to explore complex issues. The culmination of the learning process is a museum exhibit where the interdisciplinary curricular projects are on display “museum style” and students serve as “museum docents” to share knowledge with others. TBSS students (K to 8th grade) acted as docents, were very well prepared, and proved to have a thorough under-

standing of their science-based projects. Each student had to communicate and share their knowledge of their research to fellow students, parents and friends of the community. Some of the projects included a live performance of The Great Kapok Tree by the first grade, The Human Body: All Systems Go!, Matter & Energy: It Matter to Us!, Plants: Green Thumbs Up!, Life Cycles: Round & Round We Go!, and Religious Studies Exhibits. Part of the schools’ overall philosophy is that all students are capable, competent and powerful individuals. What better way to honor them than by having their students’ learning on display in a professional manner for the

Sheldon Low

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Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 10:30 am

entire community. Whether toddlers or 8th graders, all our students are proud of their accomplishments, and they enjoyed sharing their knowledge during this evening of discovery.

1st graders Sydney Opstal, Melina Malliaras, Clementine Schwartz and Jack Guttman perform The Great Kapok Tree

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Communiteen students were in the stands to support Maccabi Haifa to a 1-0 victory. It’s not too late to join Communiteen! Classes are held most Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. on the Federation campus. For more details, contact Len Steinberg at 941.371.4546 x106 or lsteinberg@jfedsrq.org.

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16A

COMMUNITY FOCUS

February 2012

Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings

ew College Library Association (NCLA), in conjunction with AJC (American Jewish Committee), is proud to present Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings, an exhibition from the collection of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibit will run from Tuesday, February 7 to Friday, March 30 at the Jane Bancroft Cook Library on the New College of Florida campus. For Americans, the iconography of Nazism is found in the swastika, the jackboot and the Nazi banner. But an-

other symbol – flames and fire – accompanied the Third Reich from its strident inception to its apocalyptic demise. The exhibit focuses on how a series of book burnings, initiated by German university students on May 10, 1933, became a powerful symbol during World War II, prompting counter demonstrations in New York and other American cities. Many American writers’ books were burned as well. Among the noted writers were Ernest Hemingway, Upton Sinclair, Helen Keller and Jack London. Ironically, among those books targeted for destruction was the works of Jew-

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ish poet Heinrich Heine, who in 1822 penned the prophetic words, “Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human beings too.” For more information, please contact Johnette Cappadona, Executive Director, New College Library Association, at jcappadona@ ncf.edu or 941.487.4600. The New College Library Association was founded in 1964 to provide direct financial support to ensure the Jane Bancroft Cook Library has the intellectual resources to serve Florida’s

Photo of book burnings, courtesy of U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

official Honors College and Sarasota’s finest institutions of higher learning. The Library boasts a rich collection of 280,000 volumes, thanks to the NCLA, which has provided more than $2 million for the purchase of books and other materials.

ORT America 2012 International Major Gifts Gala & Annual Meeting

RT America will hold its Inau- encouraged to register online at www. gural International Major Gifts ORTamerica.org/AMRSVP. Gala on Sunday, February 26 he day following the Gala, on at the beautiful Breakers Hotel in Palm Monday, February 27, ORT Beach, Florida. The Gala will honor America will convene its 2012 those remarkable individuals who have Annual Meeting at the Kravis Center shown an unparalleled financial dedica- Cohen Pavilion in West Palm Beach. tion to ORT America’s mission to “Edu- Supporters from across the national will cate and Elevate.” come together to celebrate the 90th anni“We are delighted to serve as co- versary of the organization’s founding chairs of this extraordinary event,” in the United States and set fundraising said Daniel and Meryle Verner (Boca and outreach goals for the coming year. Raton, FL). “Both of us are especially Program highlights include an adlooking forward to celebrating the gen- dress by Dr. Jean De Gunzburg, Presierosity and commitment of our major dent of World ORT (and a descendant supporters. of ORT co-founder Horace de GunzThis truly international event will burg), a demonstration of interactive feature dignitaries from World ORT and smart boards pioneered by ORT’s Kadia presentation by His Excellency Am- ma Mada (Science Journey) program in bassador Ron Prosor, Israel’s Israel, and in-depth reports newly appointed Permanent on ORT programs in Latin Representative to the United America and the United Nations. States. “We are thrilled that AmThe Honorable Toby bassador Prosor, so early in Feuer (Weston, FL) is serving his tenure, has agreed to adas the 2012 Annual Meeting dress our group,” said Shelley Chair. Ms. Feuer also serves B. Fagel, National President as Florida Region Chair and Ron Prosor of ORT America. “He has imArea Development Advisor pressed everyone with his savvy, grace Committee Chair for the region. “Chairing the upcoming ORT and intelligence, and we look forward to hearing his fresh, thoughtful com- America annual meeting affords us a mentary on the relationship between the unique opportunity to shape this momentous event,” said Ms. Feuer. “I am United States and Israel.” For registration information about especially delighted to have this event ORT America’s Annual Meeting, please held in the Palm Beach area, offering contact Michael Bettencourt at mbet- many of our donors and the local comtencourt@ORTamerica.org, or call munity an opportunity to participate in 800.519.2678 x 233. Participants are an ORT America national event!”

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COMMUNITY FOCUS 17A February 2012

February 2012

17A

AJC’s Inaugural Winter Lunch & Learn to feature Bret Stephens of The Wall Street Journal

JC (American Jewish Commit- Learn, and the first time it will be held tee) West Coast Florida is proud during the height of the winter social to announce that Bret Stephens, season in Sarasota, thanks to the graforeign affairs columnist for The Wall cious support of Lois Stulberg, MemStreet Journal, will be the ber, Regional Board of Directors. Plans are Keynote Speaker at its already underway for Inaugural Winter Lunch AJC’s 2012 Summer & Learn on Wednesday, Lunch & Learn Series, February 15 at 11:00 a.m. in Harbourside Dining which is being sponsored by the law firm of WilRoom at the Longboat Key Club & Resort. The liams Parker. “We’re building on title of Mr. Stephens’ lecture will be “Can America the enthusiasm we genWin the Future for the erated last summer. I’m so excited to bring Bret Middle East?” The cost is to town for our Winter only $35, which includes Bret Stephens Lunch & Learn. I think the luncheon. For reservations, please contact the AJC office at our community will appreciate the knowledge and insight of this interna941.365.4955. This will be the fourth consecutive tionally acclaimed journalist,” says Briyear that AJC is presenting a Lunch & an Lipton, Regional Director of AJC.

Sarasota Jewish Chorale celebrates Bar Mitzvah

hirteen years after they said “it interested singers. What resulted was a couldn’t be done,” the Sarasota turnout of about 25 people! The most Jewish Chorale will celebrate frequent phrase heard that night was its Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, February “we have always been looking for a 4 at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, a group like this!” The brainchild of Arlene Stolnitz, favorite venue of the popular singing it was not until she met with Priscilla troupe. Members of the choral group will Shore and Joel Kreiss of Venice that participate in Shabbat services and will the idea came to fruition. With Joel as join the Temple Emanu-El volunteer interim conductor and Priscilla as accompanist, the group was off to a mochoir in prayer and song. After services, the Chorale will mentous start. With a lot of perseverance and the sponsor a Kiddush luncheon followed by an original musical presentation, good fortune of the talents of many dedEsther’s Story, written by chorale mem- icated singers, the group has performed bers Rivka Chatman and Brenda Leder- continuously ever since in the Sarasotaman. Chorale members will be honored Manatee area. Now under the direction of conducat the event in celebration of the Chotor Martha Kinney Kesler, with accomrale’s thirteenth year. For further information, call panists Sybil Broh and Priscilla Shore, 941.355.8011 or 941.492.6944, or visit the Chorale has a roster of nearly 30 singers. In addition to Shore and Stolwww.sarasotajewishchorale.org of the original Thanks to the interest of Bob Wyatt, nitz, several the_Family_Jeweler 14276members Name:_________________________________________________ _Invoice_Ref_#:_________________ z’l, a columnist for The Jewish News, who still sing with the group include an article placed in the newspaper in Sylvia Gross, Ken Sipser and Bruce September 1999 called for a meeting of Feldman.

Mr. Lipton added that Bret Stephens is a friend of AJC who participated in a debate with Richard Cohen of The New York Times on the subject of Iran at AJC’s 2010 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Bret Stephens writes a weekly column, “Global View,” which appears in the U.S., Asian and European editions of The Wall Street Journal. He is a deputy editorial page editor, responsible for the editorial pages of the Asian and European editions, the columnists on foreign affairs, and the Far Eastern Economic Review. He previously worked for the paper as an op-ed editor in New York and as an editorial writer in Brussels for

The Wall Street Journal Europe. From March 2002 to October 2004, Mr. Stephens was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, a position he assumed at age 28. In 2004, he was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, where he is also a media fellow. Raised in Mexico City and educated at The University of Chicago and the London School of Economics, Bret Stephens is married and has three children. To make reservations for the first Winter Lunch & Learn, please contact AJC at 941.365.4955 or sarasota@ajc. org. To learn more about AJC, please visit www.ajc.org.

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18A

COMMUNITY FOCUS

February 2012

Delegates from Temple Sinai Looking for a temple? Take virtual tours of local synagogues attend historic URJ Biennial he Union for Reform Judaism’s And Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the 24 hours a day @ www.jfedsrq.org. Biennial, held in December in Jewish Agency, reflected on the Reform

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movement’s work to free Soviet Jewry and on the Agency’s focus today. Debbie Friedman was remembered with a loving tribute, and the Religious Action Center was feted for its 50 years as the prophetic conscience of Reform Judaism. The mantle of leadership was passed from Rabbi Eric Yoffie to Rabbi Rick Jacobs, previously the rabbi at Westchester Reform Congregation in Scarsdale, New York. Rabbi Yoffie was recognized for his 16 years as President of the URJ by both his family and the movement. Rabbi Jacobs charged Reform congregations with asking themselves how they could become the most compelling communities they could imagine and announced a movementwide Campaign for Youth Engagement. The Temple Sinai delegates – Rabbi Geoff Huntting, Chazzan Cliff Abramson, Religious School Director Sue Huntting, and co-President Elana Margolis – spent five days attending workshops, plenary sessions and talking with many people from congregations around the country facing similar challenges. The learning, sharing, networking, praying and celebrating that happen at a Biennial cannot be replicated. And this was a BiRabbi Huntting, Elana Margolis, Chazzan Abramson ennial to beat them all. and Sue Huntting at the URJ Biennial

Washington, D.C., was billed as the largest and best ever. Four local residents representing Temple Sinai participated in this historic event. With almost 6,000 other Reform Jews from North America, Israel and the former Soviet Union, the energy was electric as the convocation welcomed honored guests and saluted its own. Topping the roster was President Barack Obama, who wowed the audience with his shout-out to the NFTY youth, commiserated with Jewish parents about having a daughter attending the circuit of Bar/Bat Mitzvah services and parties, and masterfully wove the week’s Torah portion into his remarks. Israel’s Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, encouraged the Reform movement to continue its successful efforts to democratize Israel’s religious life. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor affirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel.

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COMMUNITY FOCUS 19A February 2012

February 2012

19A

Temple Beth Sholom honors Hazzan Diane Nathanson

emple Beth Sholom hosted a Tribute Dinner honoring Hazzan Diane Nathanson for her dedicated years of service to Temple Beth Sholom. This special gala was held on December 4 in the Temple Beth Sholom Madeline Sainer Social Hall. Several congregational members, as well as guests in attendance, commented on the beautiful setting, the delicious dinner, the video montage, and the program, which was dedicated to Hazzan Nathanson’s tenure, which touched so many Temple families over twentyseven years. Rabbi Joel Mishkin shared wonderful memories about working together

Ben Nathanson and Hazzan Diane Nathanson

with Hazzan Nathanson for seventeen Beth Sholom will always be appreciayears. Desiree Nathanson, Hazzan tive for the remarkable job of the event Nathanson’s daughter, shared many co-chairs, Susan Benson Steenbarger poignant remarks about her mother and Jo Harrity-Goldis. and father and her own life at Temple Beth Sholom. Andrea Caulfield and Susan Weintraub gave touching tributes to their “best friend forever,” Diane Nathanson. Hazzan Nathanson and Hazzan Jeffrey Weber performed two musical duets, and teenTemple Beth Sholom co-presidents Al Goldis and agers Fallon Katz and Jessica Steve Silva present Hazzan Nathanson with a gift Zelitt performed a duet in her honor. Hannah Puckhaber, Sisterhood President, and Joel Servetz, President of the Men’s Club, presented Hazzan Nathanson with lovely gifts from both of their organizations. In addition, the Sisterhood and the Men’s Club donated ten self-watering potted plants to the Goldie Feldman Academy in honor of Hazzan Nathanson’s Tribute Dinner. Joel Servetz served as our photographer for this important evening, and his beautiful pictures will be treasured keepsakes for our temple event. Temple

Family and Friends of Israelis

amily and Friends of Israelis (formerly PNAI) is excited about its new name and exciting year. The group had several new guests at its annual Hanukkah party at Malcolm Zeldin’s lovely home. Everyone had fun singing, eating latkes, and exchanging gifts. The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 12 at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom. The program will be interesting and meaningful. FAFI welcomes anyone who has ties to Israel to come to the get-togethers. You will be with a fun-loving, nonpolitical group whose members have

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20A

February 2012

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Take a stand against genocide and mass atrocities

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n Sunday, February 12, Humanity Working to End Genocide will present its sixth annual program, “Take a Stand Against Genocide,” at Incarnation Catholic Church, 2929 Bee Ridge Road. The guest speaker will be Cameron Hudson, Senior Advisor to the Committee on Conscience of the U.S. Holocaust Museum and Memorial. Hudson was previously Chief of Staff to the President’s Special Envoys for Sudan, Ambassador Princeton Lyman and Maj. General Scott Gration.

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Using his experience and insight, Hudson will provide an insider perspective on the situations in the Sudan and Congo and how individuals can take a personal stand against genocide and mass atrocities. Humanity Working to End Genocide is a coalition of over 55 civic, religious, business and community organizations and schools in Sarasota and Manatee counties with the mission of raising awareness and calling for action to stop genocide and mass atrocities in Darfur and around the world. Co-chairs for the event include Bishop Frank J. Dewane of the Catholic Diocese of Venice, Florida; Dr. Laurence Miller, City Manager of Arcadia, Florida; and Nelle Miller, President of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. For additional information, contact Bernie Ehrlich at 941.351.8341.

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The program will also include a performance by the Westcoast School Choir. Doors open at 1:15 p.m.. The program begins at 2:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. As Chief of Staff to the President’s Special Envoys for Sudan, Hudson traveled monthly to Sudan, Qatar and other neighboring states as part of the U.S. delegation to the North-South and Darfur peace talks. Prior to that, he served as the Director for African Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House from 2005-2009. During that time, he led the interagency policy-making process related to sanctions on Sudan in response to the genocide in Darfur, election-related violence in Nigeria and Kenya, and policy responses to internal conflicts in Eastern Congo. He began his government service as an intelligence analyst with the CIA.

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Question: Why did you join Congregation Kol HaNeshama? I have lived in Sarasota full-time since 1987. With the exception of regular participation in JCC activities (theater, singles, etc.), I have not had an organized, consistent, spiritual or social “home base.” In my life I have participated in Reform, Conservative and Humanistic congregations. Kol Haneshama is different from those in my experience, mostly because of size and attitude. The congregation is inclusive and welcoming; each new member treated as family. And due to its modest size, members are not overwhelmed by administrative structure or rules. If you have an idea, it is received openmindedly and reviewed quickly. Within a month of joining, I advanced two ideas for participation which were heard and reacted to very swiftly. The services are very enjoyable, conducted in front of a wall of windows which frame a view of nature: trees, a creek, occasional wildlife, etc. This is enhanced by a great deal of music. I was introduced to the congregation by close friends. When our friend’s terminal illness caused him to be bedridden for an extended time, the synagogue membership – their local “mishpocha” came forth with unbelievable attention and spiritual support. I wanted to be part of a group which had such character and loving kindness. The membership displays a high level of education, intellectual knowledge, professional experience, humor and – consequently – curiosity. But these traits are not accompanied by an elite or stuffy attitude. As a retired scientist/ educator, such characteristics are very important to me. My partner Marilyn and I look forward to many interesting and challenging interactions and friendships as members of Kol HaNeshama.

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COMMUNITY FOCUS 21A February 2012

Not your mother’s Yentl

February 2012

21A

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Asolo Rep’s Yentl gets a makeover

lezmer/folk rock aren’t the words that come to mind when someone mentions Yentl, but don’t let Barbra Streisand’s iconic 1983 film version deter you from seeing one of the biggest productions to hit Sarasota this year. Director Gordon Greenberg first saw promise for a production of Yentl after reading an article in The New York

Times Sunday Magazine about women who were not permitted to attend school in Afghanistan. “Suddenly, I understood that Yentl was not only a great story, but also a contemporary one. Although the play takes place in 19th century Poland, it could just as easily take place in any number of countries now,” stated Greenberg. But Greenberg didn’t just want to restage Yentl. He wanted to show audiences how prevalent the show’s themes are in today’s society. With topics like gender discrimination, transgender identities and religious schooling, Yentl has the power to speak to a whole new level of theatergoers. “Once you remember that these characters are young kids, just out of high school, you realize how powerful and frightening this time of life is for them,” said Greenberg. “They are all experiencing romantic and sexual

SaBra Hadassah update

aBra Hadassah chapter’s activities are in full swing! The Hadassah Danziger-Polejes Book Club continues to meet monthly. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is scheduled for Thursday, February 2. 97 Orchard Street by Jane Ziegelman is the Thursday, March 1 selection. For more details, contact Marilyn Stark (941.925.1852) or Sandy Paris (941.355.4842). On Wednesday, February 15 at 10:30 a.m., join your friends on a tour of the Ringling College of Art and Design. A lunch will follow. Please contact Elaine Nutlay at 941.907.8457 or ern918@gmail.com for more details. The Monthly Mania is a new inno-

vation to our schedule. Each month a new and unique activity is offered to our membership. A small group of members are able to experience something new, while having a chance to get to know each other better. On Tuesday, February 21, the Viking Culinary Center at 8130 Main Street in Lakewood Ranch will be the site for a hands-on demonstration and dining event that we’ll be talking about for years! To reserve your spot or for more information, call Ashley Gruters at 941.447.7019. SAVE THESE DATES: Mah Jongg and lunch at the Teahouse at Asian Arts on Monday, March 5; Centennial Celebration at the Polo Fete Ballroom on Sunday, March 18.

Two distinguished couples to be honored at gala

t Chabad of Sarasota’s 17th annual gala, two very special couples who have deeply impacted Jewish education will be honored. Morris & Paecia Weinstein have been major supporters of the Weinstein Religious School, and Arthur & Sheila Fox are supporters of the Samuel & Sarah Kaplan Preschool, which was named after Sheila’s parents. The glatt-kosher gala will be held at

Michael’s On East on Thursday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. It benefits the Children’s Scholarship Fund, which helps assure that families with financial constraints are not turned away from enrolling their child at Chabad of Sarasota’s preschool, religious school or summer camp. Cost per ticket is $150. For reservations and placement of a tribute ad in the dinner journal, please call the Chabad office at 941.925.0770.

longings without the ability to openly explore or even discuss them. It’s a recipe for broken hearts, rich drama – and a lot of humor.” Reinventing the production would not only require an amazing creative team and cast, but also a fresh, raw take on music within the show, similar to a Shakespearean or Brechtian piece. And that’s where Jill Sobule came in. Sobule, known for ’90s hits such as Supermodel and I Kissed a Girl, was a little hesitant at first, but Greenberg knew he had to get her for the production. “Her songs are soulful, smart and funny. They are empowered and vulnerable. And they are all highly melodic and full of life. On top of it all, it cracked me up that we would have the woman who wrote I Kissed A Girl write the score for Yentl. How much more appropriate can you get?” After a mutual friend recommended Sobule, Greenberg and Asolo Rep’s Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards met with the singersongwriter after one of her gigs in Los Angeles. Sobule was “flattered, intrigued, but slightly wary…I had read the Isaac Bashevis Singer short story, but also knew that most people associated Yentl with the 1983 movie and its luscious Bergman/Legrand soundtrack. I realized that if I was to work on Yentl, I had to give it a completely different spin.” Sobule used the text of the play as inspiration to pen 16 songs to be per-

formed in between scenes. She calls it folk/punk/klezmer and gave the raw product simple chords so that the professional actors (with varied musical experience) could easily play and have fun. “Lyrically, I went on a research mission: I met with one of the only three female Orthodox rabbis, talked with a transgender yeshiva student, but also went back to my own semi-confused, painful but lovely coming-of-age period,” stated Sobule. While the production will be more a play with music than anything else (“Think a play combined with a rock concert,” explained Greenberg), the actors have been in rehearsals since early December to perfect the new take on an old classic. And while Papa Can You Hear Me? is nowhere to be found, Greenberg and Sobule’s Yentl is promising to shake things up. Tickets to Asolo Repertory Theatre’s Yentl can be purchased by calling the Asolo Rep box office at 941.351.8000 or online at www.asolorep.org. Yentl runs January 20 through April 26.

Temple Sinai

Keeping the rich flame of Reform Judaism shining brightly

February Happenings We welcome everyone Open House!

Rhythm and Jews Shabbat Service Friday, 3rd 6:00 PM Wine & Cheese 5:15 PM Rabbi Huntting and Chazzan Abramson with The Bruno Trio. Come Meet and Greet the Temple Sinai family.

Club 21 at Sinai ~ Saturday, 25th 6:00 PM Join us for a fun-draiser as we celebrate 21 years. We’ll transform into the hottest piano club in town! Fabulous food, live entertainment, silent & auction items galore. Shabbat Service, Friday, 10th 7:30 PM followed by Oneg Tot Shabbat Friday, 17th 5:30 PM Fun/Interactive/Music Shabbat Service, Friday, 17th 6:00 PM Wine & Cheese at 5:15 PM Men’s Club Shabbat, Friday, 24th 7:30 PM followed by Oneg

Lifelong Learning Classes continue:

Wednesdays, Torah Talk (9:30 AM) & Brown Bag (noon) with Rabbi Huntting Spirit of Peace Mediation with Reb Ari, Tuesdays, 7th, 21st 7 PM 966-7778 Tastes of the Jewish Year: Cooking Class- Passover Delights Tuesday, 28th 5:30 PM rsvp Zildjian’s 363-1709

Saturday Shabbat Services 10:00 AM 4th, 25th in the Chapel 11th Bar Mitzvah of Isaac Rodeheaver 18th Bar Mitzvah of Justin & Ryan Klawans

Paecia & Morris Weinstein

Sheila & Arthur Fox

For a continuously updated community calendar, visit www.jfedsrq.org.

Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting Chazzan Cliff Abramson Laurie Lachowitzer and Elana Margolis, Co-Presidents Sue Huntting, Religious School Director 922-9322 Laura Freedman, Early Childhood Director 926-9462 Andrea Eiffert, Youth Group Director 924-1802

4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Road located off Proctor between Beneva and Swift Sarasota, FL 34231 941-924-1802 Templesinai-sarasota.org

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COMMUNITY FOCUS

February 2012

An Evening of Treasures

very year for the past four years, Chabad of Bradenton has been holding an Evening of Treasures, a gala auction and cocktail party to help raise funds for the Chabad Jewish Center. From over 200 local business owners who donate to the auction to the generous participants of the actual auction, all are united in helping to support Chabad in its important work. Rabbi Mendy Bukiet, Director of Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch, gratefully remarks that his greatest challenge is to keep up with the growth of the Chabad Center and its activities. As Chabad enters its eighth year, it proudly boasts The Sunshine Committee, a thriving Hebrew School, holiday celebrations, a Jewish Learning Institute, Torah Tots, weekly classes and lectures, teen programs, a Women’s Circle, and Camp Gan Israel to name a few of its various programs and campaigns. All this and more is facilitated by the partnership and support of the local community throughout the year. Chabad aims to bring the message of unconditional love to all the children, teens, adults and elderly of the Manatee community. “We called this event an Evening of Treasures because that is indeed our hallmark, treasuring each and every individual for their unique contri-

bution to the world,” says Rabbi Mendy Bukiet. We are looking forward to an exciting night that will bring the community together to celebrate our past, rejoice in the present and gear up passionately for the future. This event is a fabulous opportunity to not only support Chabad but to enjoy an elegant night out with the Chabad family as well. The Evening of Treasures will feature complimentary mystery raffles and a split-the-pot cash prize. There will be silent and live auctions on seventy-five valuable items, including travel packages, jewelry, Disney tickets and deluxe golf packages. The program will also include a cocktail party and cash bar catered by Fete Catering and Polo Grill. A video presentation of Chabad’s activities and programs throughout the year will be shown as well. The Evening of Treasures will take place at the Polo Grill, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, on Wednesday, February 29 at 6:30 p.m. To learn more, RSVP, become a sponsor or purchase tickets for $50 (which includes complimentary mystery raffle tickets), please visit www. chabadofbradenton.com/auction or call 941.752.3030.

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“Month of Welcome” at Temple Emanu-El

ewish and interfaith singles, families, empty-nesters and seniors are all warmly invited to connect with Temple Emanu-El during its “Month of Welcome.” Designated as Temple Emanu-El’s “Month of Welcome,” February is filled with events for all ages. Festivities begin with a reception of “Wine, Cheese and Lollipops” before family services. “This is an evening for the young and the young at heart,” Membership Vice President Kim Sheintal stated. “Come experience why Temple Emanu-El is THE place for families!” Other intergenerational February events include Tot Shabbat and the much-anticipated Daddy-Daughter Dance. During the “Month of Welcome,” Temple Emanu-El also reaches beyond its walls with “Jewish Jokes” – a free evening of comedy featuring Rabbi Brenner Glickman. Held at a local café, the event will be fun, inclusive and appealing to all. Other free “Month of Welcome” events include the acclaimed Shabbat Alive!, a service honoring healing professionals in Sarasota-Manatee, and a “Bring a Friend Wine and Cheese

Reception.” “It is hard to imagine that so many activities are planned at Temple Emanu-El in February,” Sheintal commented. “Yet it is true, and everyone is welcome.” Event details can be found in the Jewish Happenings section of this issue or by calling 941.371.2788. The Temple Emanu-El family looks forward to meeting you!

Temple Emanu-El Vice President of Membership Kim Sheintal and Eden Glickman greet congregants and guests at Shabbat services

Temple Beth Israel to host Scholar-in-Residence

emple Beth Israel of Longboat Key will welcome Rabbi Mark Washofsky, Ph.D. as its Scholar-in-Residence February 10 - 12. An esteemed professor at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Rabbi Washofsky’s weekend theme will center on The Halakhah and Reform Judaism. Following Shabbat evening services on February 10, Rabbi Washofsky will present “Reform Judaism and the Halakhah: The Enduring Connection.” A special oneg will follow. On Saturday, February 11 at 10:00 a.m., Rabbi Washofsky will continue with a discussion on “The Responsa Literature: How Jewish Law Responds to the Challenges of Every Age.” TBI’s

Scholar-in-Residence weekend will conclude with a breakfast and lecture on “Cloning and Human Stem Cell Research: What Halakhah Can Teach Us,” at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 12. This program is free and open to the community. A small fee will be charged on Sunday to cover food costs. The Temple Beth Israel Scholar-inResidence Program presents nationally recognized scholars and educators who lecture on a variety of Jewish themes and subject matters. It is an intensive weekend of lectures and discussions on a subject determined by the area of expertise of the visiting scholar. For more information, call the Temple office 941.383.3428.

Comedy Central at Chabad

he 8th Annual Comedy Central at Chabad of Sarasota, held on December 11, was a truly phenomenal event which had people smiling ear to ear. The event featured noted comedian Sarge and an opening act by Jamie Kirkell. Throughout the 90 minutes that Sarge was on stage, everyone’s personal worries or concerns were diminished as genuine smiles and laughter pervaded. The roaring laughter was a good way to gauge the event’s success. It was a wonderful pre-Chanukah event, spearheaded by Chabad of Sarasota’s President, Dr. Barry Stein. For the evening’s success, we salute the following generous contributors: Ian Black, The Law

Firm of Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni and Walsh, Sam & Linda Klafter, Remodling Sarasota, Splash – Noah & Lili Rosenberg, Dr. Fred & Cindy Sonstein, Family Practice Associates, Kara Weisman, Nelson & Dr. Ronit Shaller, Sarasota Orthopedic Associates, Dr. Isaac & Vivian Kalvaria, and Delicious Creations by Tzesa Wieand.

stay connected @ www.jfedsrq.org

COMMUNITY FOCUS 23A February 2012

Golf, eat, drink and make a difference

ou are invited to join Jewish Family & Children’s Service for the 8th annual Celebrity Chefs & Wine Tasting event on Tuesday, March 20 at the Longboat Key Club & Resort, Islandside. Thirty local premiere restaurants will be represented by their chefs serving signature dishes; select wines will be provided as well as old-fashion fountain egg creams. Entertainment will be provided by a local band playing island music. The event will also feature a silent auction and a live auction, with Meteorologist Bob Harrigan, WWSB-ABC 7, serving as the auctioneer. Proceeds from this event will ben-

Randy & Susan Mallitz with Bob Weil at Longboat Key Club & Resort

efit JFCS programs and services. JFCS provides counseling, prevention, intervention, outreach and education on a non-denominational basis to positively impact the lives of children, families and seniors. New this year is the addition of the Golf Challenge that will also be held on March 20. Come enjoy a day of golf at the exclusive Longboat Key Club Islandside Golf Course from noon to 5:30 p.m. and then join the Celebrity Chef festivities from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. This annual event began in 2005 under the leadership of founding chairs Marion & Dr. Bernard Levine. The 2012 co-Chairs are Susan and Randy Mallitz, Chef Chair is Robert Weil of the Longboat Key Club & Resort, and Golf Challenge Chair is Shaun Benderson. Celebrity Chef tickets start at $85 per person and the Golf Challenge tickets are $375 per golfer, which includes a patron level ticket to the Celebrity Chef event. For information, please call Josephine Eisenberg at 941.366.2224 x142.

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February 2012

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Temple Beth Israel’s “Live” from NY’s 92nd Street Y™

emple Beth Israel’s winter/spring lineup for its “Live” from NY’s 92nd St Y Program continues Thursday, February 2 at 8:00 p.m., when Lawrence Summers sits down with Thane Rosenbaum. Summers, former director of President Obama’s National Economic Council, will share his thoughts on the debt and housing crises, the collapse and bailout of Wall Street, economic stimulus initiatives, free trade, globalization, anti-Semitism and, perhaps, even the upcoming presidential election. He was Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration, and former president of Harvard University. Thane Rosenbaum is a novelist and law professor at Fordham University and the director of the Forum on Law, Culture and Society. Tuesday, February 7 at 8:15 p.m.: Bart Ehrman, Jennifer Wright Knust and David Gibson will examine the Bible’s many mixed messages on sex and sexuality, and its lasting influence on hot-button issues from the priesthood to gay marriage. Ehrman and Knust are Biblical scholars whose recent books Forged and Misquoting Jesus have touched a nerve with readers and set off fierce public debates. David Gibson is an award-winning religion writer. Gloria Steinem will sit down with Budd Mishkin on Tuesday, February 28 at 8:00 p.m. The world-renowned

feminist leader will talk about her travels in this and other countries as an organizer, lecturer and frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality and her work organizing across boundaries for peace and justice. Budd Mishkin is the host and reporter for NY1’s “One on 1 with Gloria Steinem Budd Mishkin.” TBI’s “Live” programs are broadcast on a huge, 8 ft. by 15 ft. screen in the Temple sanctuary (567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key), which provides comfortable, auditorium-style seating for up to 300. The Social Hall expansion of the sanctuary offers an additional 200 seats along with a second screen for close-up viewing. Doors open half an hour before the simulcast. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Cost is just $5 for nonmembers and free for TBI members. Temple Beth Israel serves as the local host for broadcasts from the 92nd St Y’s renowned educational and cultural programs, which are simulcast to community organizations across America. The series is sponsored by the Rabbi Sanford Saperstein Fund of Temple Beth Israel and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

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❒ Gold: $10,000 • One table of ten, full gold page in journal and plaque at American Independence Park in Israel ❒ Silver: $5,000 • One table of ten and full silver page in journal ❒ Bronze: $2,500 • One table of ten ❒ Patron: $1,200 • Two tickets to award dinner All sponsors will be listed in the Scroll of Honor ❒ Individual tickets: $250 per person:

Len & Helen Glaser Rabbi Joel S. Mishkin – Tree of LifeTM Honorees –

Marty & Paulette Samowitz – Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients –

Additional sponsorships and ads are available for a special tribute journal. Please make checks payable to JNF. Amount enclosed: Name(s): Address:

Saturday, March 10, 2012 • 7:15 pm Michael’s On East 1212 East Avenue South, Sarasota, FL Proceeds from the dinner will benefit Aleh Negev, an innovative rehabilitation village in Southern Israel that provides severely disabled young adults the opportunity to live a rich and productive life within a safe environment. To RSVP or for more information, please contact Tova Hocherman at rsvpNorthFL@jnf.org or 800-211-1502.

City/ST/Zip: Home phone: Email address: In accordance with IRS regulations, your contribution exclusive of the $90 per person dinner cost is tax-deductible. Israel bonds are accepted as payment. Jewish National Fund 1951 NW 19th Street, Ste A100 Boca Raton, FL 33431 www.jnf.org

24A

COMMUNITY FOCUS

February 2012

“Interesting Lives” at Temple Beth Sholom

emple Beth Sholom member Jerry Beck was the featured speaker at the December Interesting Lives program sponsored by the Idelson Library. He spoke about the four major phases of his life: his Danzig years, his Army years, his career at Ford Motor Company, and his retirement experiences. Born in the Free City of Danzig in 1926, Jerry was sent to school in

Jerry Beck

England in 1938, from where he and his family later immigrated to New York City. Following a few years in the Army, Jerry obtained his degree in mechanical engineering and joined Ford in 1951, improving manufacturing technologies. After becoming a lawyer in the 1960s, he worked as an in-house counsel in the Patent Department at Ford for five years and then transferred to the Ford Glass Operations, dealing with numerous Ford subsidiaries and other glass companies worldwide. Since his retirement in 1990, for a few years Jerry served as a consultant and partnered in a golf equipment development company. For further information about Temple Beth Sholom’s Interesting Lives program, please contact Judy Lebowich at 941.371.4686 or lebowich.judy@ comcast.net. The next Interesting Lives program, on Monday, February 13 at 1:15 p.m., will feature the new Temple Beth Sholom cantor, Jeffrey Weber.

Shabbat Alive! returns to Temple Emanu-El

he time for singing and dancing, joy and exaltation, spiritual uplift and inspirational prayer is here once again as the all-musical Shabbat Alive! worship service returns to Temple Emanu-El on Friday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. Held three times a year, Temple Emanu-El’s Shabbat Alive! services are one of the premier Jewish music experiences in Sarasota-Manatee. Shabbat Alive! unites outstanding musicianship with deeply-felt religiosity, providing a soulful, moving and completely unique service. “I thought by now that interest in Shabbat Alive! would wane, but it just doesn’t stop,” Rabbi Brenner J. Glickman commented. “People are responding with a greater fervor than ever. Cars are filling our parking lot, the one next door, and the one across the street. It is a sensation.

“The feeling of Shabbat Alive! fills your soul with delight,” he added. “The music touches your core in a way that reason cannot explain. Your body moves; your voice sings out. And hundreds of other people are singing out with you.” The community is warmly invited to Shabbat Alive! The service is preceded by a 6:15 p.m. Shabbat dinner. For dinner reservations, please call Ethel Gross at 941.388.7899. The Shabbat Alive! service is free, with no reservations required.

Shabbat Alive! band members

Educational opportunities Rabbi Dan Krimsky, abound at Kol HaNeshama a community educator

he area’s only Reconstructionist congregation, Kol HaNeshama, has an ambitious education program that’s more comprehensive than would be expected from its size. First, congregants and welcome guests learn in these traditional areas: theology – at Arnold Bindeman’s Shabbat classes; mitzvot – in Rabbi Goldie Milgram’s Monday night classes; and Torah – at the monthly at-home Lunch and Learns led by different members. Erudite discussions about Jewish literature occur at monthly “Books and Bagels.” This education is wonderful and mind-expanding, but Kol HaNeshama doesn’t stop there. Jennifer Singer, with input from Rabbi Goldie, directs an innovative family education program, where parents learn (or relearn) with

their children. Members learn about issues of hunger and inequality. Recently, a lively discussion on “Ending Homelessness in Manatee and Sarasota Counties” was led by Richard Martin, former Sarasota mayor and Executive Director of Suncoast Partnerships. Because Kol HaNeshama prides itself on community, learning from and about each other is paramount. In Arnie Binderman’s “Who’s That Sitting Next to Me at Services” lunchtime gatherings at the Serving Spoon Restaurant, different congregants share their life stories. Kol HaNeshama congregants are also getting to know each other better at the recently begun small Shabbat dinners in members’ homes. To learn more, call 941.244.2042 or visit www.congkh.org.

abbi Dan Krimsky of the Jewish Congregation of Venice is an educator as well as a spiritual leader. His weekly adult education classes at JCV are well attended and he works closely with JCV’s Sunday School students, teachers and parents. In keeping with JCV’s active involvement in interfaith programs, Rabbi Dan has visited many other Venice faith

JoDee Martin and her second-grade class at Venice Christian School

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COMMUNITY FOCUS 25A February 2012

February 2012

25A

AJC congratulates new Officers and Board Members

rian Lipton, Regional Director of AJC (American Jewish Committee) West Coast Florida, is pleased to announce the election of new Board of Directors and Officers for 2012. AJC’s Regional Members and Board of Directors are delighted that Gerri Aaron, Stuart Siegel and Anne Virag have been elected Vice Presidents of AJC, joining Flori Roberts and Ina Rae Levy. Fran Blum will be joining AJC’s Executive Committee as its newly elected Secretary. Sue Jacobson will continue to lead the Board for another year as its Regional President. Mr. Lipton states, “We’re thrilled to have such accomplished leaders who are passionate about AJC and who are committed to educating the community about AJC’s mission through programming and outreach to Jews and non-Jews alike.”

AJC’s Board of Directors and Regional Membership are thrilled to welcome Veronica Brady to the Board. Ms. Brady is the Senior Vice President for Philanthropy at Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Before joining the nonprofit organization, Veronica Brady worked for 25 years for SunTrust, where she most recently served as senior Vice President for wealth and investment management. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Florida. Ms. Brady has been a leader on the Boards of Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota Family YMCA, Cancer Support Community, and many other Boards. She has earned the Girls’ Inc. “She Knows Where She’s Going” award, the National Council of Jewish Women’s Women in Power Award, the YMCA First Citizen Award, and the Leadership Sarasota Outstanding Leadership Award. In addition, she has been very engaged in the activities and initiatives of AJC’s West Coast Florida Region. Joining Ms. Brady as a newly elected AJC Board Member is Stan Rutstein, a commercial real estate agent and investor with RE/MAX Alliance Group. Mr. Rutstein is a former corporate executive with a national background in multi-store retailing and importing. He spent 40 years both in public and private business ventures and has extensive international experience. He began his career as a clothing retailer in New England, and also taught Marketing at Northeastern University. Mr. Rutstein is a graduate of Harvard Business School. He currently serves as Chairman of the

Sue Jacobson

Veronica Brady

Audit Committee of Sarasota County Economic Development Corporation, and was the Chair of the Sarasota Season of Sculpture Board. In addition, he has served on the Board of the Sarasota Film Festival and numerous other boards. Stan Rutstein was a co-Chair of the Dinner Committee for AJC’s 2010 Civic Achievement Award Dinner when Matt and Lisa Walsh were honored. The addition of the newly installed Officers and Board Members will en-

Stan Rutstein

able AJC West Coast Florida to continue to flourish as a vibrant group, bringing exciting events and educational activities to the community. AJC, the nation’s oldest human rights organization, has worked for over a century to promote democracy, pluralism and mutual understanding, and defends the rights of Jews and non-Jews the world over. For more information about AJC, please visit www.ajc.org or email liptonb@ ajc.org.

Temple Beth Sholom member offers quilt for Torah Fund

n January 11, Anne Schimberg was honored by the Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood Torah fund with its Light of Torah award as one who exemplified the criteria of the study of Judaism and Torah and her Gemilut Chasadim (Deeds of Loving Kindness). Molly Ballow, a retired registered nurse, quilt artist, and co-Vice President of Torah Fund of Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood, is offering a beautiful quilt for a donation of $1,000. This donation will be sent directly to the Women’s

League for Conservative Judaism Torah Fund, which supports the education of rabbis, cantors and lay educators. For additional information, please contact Molly Ballow at 941.377.1340.

Molly Ballow and her quilt

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26A

COMMENTARY

February 2012

Living a good life From the Bimah Rabbi Joel S. Mishkin Temple Beth Sholom

ere is a bit of a puzzle to ponder from our Bible. I have often wondered why, when the Torah refers to the end of the life of the Patriarch, Abraham, it says, “This was the total span of Abraham’s life: one hundred and seventy years. And Abraham breathed his last, dying at a good ripe age, old and contented, and he was gathered to his kin.” As we read

these words, we think they are true. We know that Abraham died at an old age, one hundred and seventy, but we also might wonder, knowing the facts of his life, how the Torah could say, “he died contented?” When you think back over the events of his life you recognize just how many significant challenges Abraham faced during his time on this earth. He had to stand by and watch his wife, Sarah, expel his maidservant, Hagar, and his own son, Ishmael, into the wilderness with no more than a piece of bread and a skin of water. We are told that “the matter distressed Abraham greatly,” but we never see that he did anything about it. He just allows them to go off into the wilderness alone. Perhaps he had some serious regrets about not taking a more active role in this epic confrontation between his own child and his wife. What about witnessing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? How

must he have felt when he was unable to save these two towns for which he advocated so fiercely with God? And what about the Akedah? Did he have any second thoughts that he might have made the wrong call when he decided to simply obey God and take his son to Mount Moriah and bind him on an altar and almost sacrifice his son? Or earlier on, when he decides to tell a fib and say that Sarah is his sister rather than his wife when the two of them are in Egypt and Pharaoh has taken an interest in Sarah? All of these episodes point to a place where Abraham, if his real feelings were known, might have said, “I didn’t do what I should I have done.” But all we know is that at the end of his life we are told Abraham died at a good ripe age, old and contented. So how can we reconcile these words? Our rabbis of old often relied on creative Midrashim to explain problems in the text. So here is my midrash. I would

assume that anyone as formidable as Abraham would obviously have some regrets at the end of his life. And so I believe that he would have said the following: “I wish I had been kinder to my children. I wish I had been fairer with my wife. I wish I had done better on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah.” We are just missing this interior monologue in our Torah. The truth of Abraham’s life is that his life is not very different from any of our own lives. At the end of the day, everyone’s life is filled with regrets. Everyone’s life consists of times when we made the wrong choices, said the wrong words or did the wrong thing. That is the point of being human. And so maybe Abraham, having thought about all of these things and accepted his own limitations, could come to peace with them and move on. And so he really did die, old and contented.

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ere’s a recent headline in The Guardian: “Gaza Christians long for days before Hamas cancelled Christmas.” As a non-Christian, I’m curious about the reaction. Or when the media reports on attacks on Coptic Christians, an estimated ten percent of the Egyptian population. One such piece appeared in The Wall Street Journal on December 24. It focused on deadly assaults on Christians and their churches, while authoritative sources, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, document patterns of discrimination against Coptic Christians. A result has been the steady flow of emigrants from Egypt. I’m also curious about the reaction when the media notes the Christian population of Iraq has dropped precipitously, as people leave the country in droves for fear of their future. Or when Saudi Arabia shows zero tolerance for public worship or other activity by non-Muslim communities. Remember during the 1990-91 Gulf War, when America sent its troops to the kingdom to protect it against possible attack from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq? Our men and women in uniform were asked to risk their lives to defend the Saudis, but were told to keep any cherished religious symbols, such as a cross or Star of David, out of sight, lest they “offend” the host nation. Not much has changed since then for non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia. Or when, for the second year in a row, a Muslim terrorist group in Nigeria proudly claims responsibility for deadly attacks on Christian worshipers attending Christmas services. This year, the death toll was at least 39, with many more wounded. Looking for reaction, what I find is mostly deafening silence. Sure, there are perfunctory statements issued here and there, but that’s

about it. What’s missing is the outrage. Targeting any religious community writ large, be it Sufi or Ismaili Muslim, Baha’i, Chaldean or Coptic Christian, Jewish, or whomever, should trigger a thunderous global response. I come from a community where there was a daily vigil in front of the Soviet Embassy in Washington for 20 years – yes, 20 years – to protest the plight of Jews in the USSR. The goal was to let the Kremlin know the world wouldn’t remain silent. By the way, many non-Jews laudably joined, understanding that such out-and-out bigotry towards any faith group demanded universal condemnation. To be sure, there had been earlier discussions within the Jewish community about the respective merits of public activity versus private diplomacy. Advocates of the latter were fearful that drawing public attention might only exacerbate problems for beleaguered Jews behind the Iron Curtain. That debate evoked for me the story of the two partisans about to be shot by a Nazi firing squad. The officer in charge asked if they had anything to say before being executed. One said he didn’t. By contrast, the other began cursing at the Nazis, which prompted a caution from his comrade, “Shh, we don’t want to get them still angrier at us!” Clearly, private diplomacy, without the thunder of the streets, was not going to get far, so long as Soviet oppression persisted. Moscow had to know it couldn’t rely on a somnolent or snookered public in the West. And those Western governments, which might have been content to issue an occasional statement of concern while in reality conducting business as usual, were also put on notice. Every situation is in some way unique. But there are commonalities as well in how to respond. What should be abundantly clear,

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ISRAEL & THE JEWISH 27A FebruaryWORLD 2012

February 2012

27A

Israeli breakthroughs: 2011 edition Near East Report, www.aipac.org

srael remains the world’s top investor in R&D as a proportion of its GDP. And, based on its achievements in the fields of medicine, clean energy, high tech and other cutting-edge industries, the investment is paying off. This year, Prof. Daniel Shechtman won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking discovery of “quasicrystals.” The Technion professor, who does double duty at Johns Hopkins University and Iowa State, becomes Israel’s 10th Nobel laureate. Kudos to Tel Aviv University Prof. Yosef Shiloh for winning the top cancer research prize from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Hebrew University Prof. Haim Sompolinsky took home the top prize at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting in the United States. Meanwhile, two Israeli geneticists from the Hebrew University – Aharon Razin and Howard Cedar – were the first Israeli winners of the prestigious Canada Gairdner International Award, presented annually to researchers around the globe for outstanding contributions to medical science. Howard wasn’t the only family member honored in 2011. His son, Israeli film director Yossi Cedar, won the best screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival for his picture Footnote. Born in New York, Cedar grew up in Jerusalem and has also directed Beaufort, which won the Silver Bear at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar. More Hollywood news: The documentary film Strangers No More, about a Tel Aviv elementary school that boasts students from 48 countries, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject; the hit Israeli TV series,

Hatufim, has been remade in America as Homeland, which U.S. critics are calling one of the best new shows on television; the Walt Disney Company is partnering with an Israeli cinema chain to build a $160 million amusement park in Haifa; Jewish-American filmmakers Ethan and Joel Coen won the $1 million Dan David Prize, handed out at Tel Aviv University; and American movie icon Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in the Israeli start-up Mobli, whose product allows users to see real-time events that others are watching. There were plenty of blockbuster deals in 2011 between the United States and Israel. Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa won a competition to launch a “super science school” on Roosevelt Island off Manhattan. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg expects the campus to generate as much as $6 billion in economic activity by creating up to 600 new companies and thousands of permanent jobs in its first 30 years of existence. Apple is purchasing Israel’s Anobit – a global leader of flash storage solutions – for $500 million. Apple has also announced that the tech giant will be opening an R&D center in Israel – its first facility outside of the United States. Apple will join the ranks of companies with R&D centers already in Israel such as Google, IBM, Oracle, Motorola, Microsoft, Dell and Intel, whose new “Sandy Bridge” microprocessor chip – developed at its Haifa R&D facility – was all the rage at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. And it isn’t only high-tech companies that have decided to establish research facilities in the Jewish state. Barclays, one of the ten largest banking and finan-

cial services groups in the world, plans to open an R&D center in Tel Aviv. Medical patients have new hope thanks to a series of Israeli breakthroughs in 2011. An Israeli drug company is testing a promising vaccine that can kill cancer cells. Another company’s device that combines MRI and ultrasound technologies was cited by TIME Magazine as one of the 50 best inventions of the year. Technion researchers have found a way to reverse the aging process. The FDA has approved the “Rewalk,” a device that helps paralyzed people get back on their feet, featured last year on the TV show Glee. A new Tel Aviv University study claims cinnamon can prevent and fight Alzheimer’s. Good news, because the U.S. chain Cinnabon has opened for business in Tel Aviv. Israel’s medical prowess came in handy this year in coping with humanitarian disasters. The Jewish state was

the first foreign country to set up a field hospital in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami in March, and an Israeli humanitarian organization was recognized for its relief efforts in the wake of this disaster. Finally, other stories that made headlines in 2011: Electric cars went on sale in Israel this summer; NASA’s final space shuttle mission included an Israeli bone cell experiment; Israel opened a 62-km “Gospel Trail” from Nazareth to Capernaum for Christian pilgrims to retrace the route of Jesus; the Israel Museum put the complete Dead Sea Scrolls on the Internet, attracting millions of online visitors; two Israeli Arabs represented the country at the Special Olympics in Athens as part of the tennis delegation; the world’s oldest human remains have been found in a cave in Israel; and IDF soldiers delivered a Palestinian baby. Dear 2012: Can’t wait.

Online Video of the Month The Truth About the Refugees: Israel Palestinian Conflict www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_3A6_qSBBQ (5 minutes, 30 seconds)

In a video produced by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon explains that the reason there are still Palestinian refugees after more than six decades is because of Arab leaders’ recalcitrance to accept their brethren, and the UN, which created a separate agency with unique principles and criteria for Palestinians. The video also highlights the Jewish refugees who were forced out of their homes in the Arab world, and were subsequently absorbed by the State of Israel.

Christians at risk...continued from previous page above all, is that indifference or inaction is not a strategy in the face of religious bigotry, nor should it be a prescription for a good night’s sleep. First, countries have obligations under international agreements and covenants they have signed and ratified, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Allowing them, or groups within their borders, to trample with impunity on such bedrock rights as freedom of worship and equal protection under the law makes a mockery of their commitments. They should be named, blamed and shamed if they don’t change. By not ensuring that those responsible for the intolerance and violence are held accountable, governments, old and new, in these countries, are actually encouraging further violence against religious minorities. When the Soviet Union endorsed the Helsinki Final Act in 1975, it never for a moment thought anyone would actually hold it to the human rights standards set forth. But Helsinki monitoring groups sprouted up in the Soviet bloc and, to support them, in the West as well. The impact was quite profound. Second, Coptic Christians, to take one example, are not “guests” in Egypt,

nor should they be allowed to be depicted in this way. They happen to predate Islam’s arrival in Egypt by many centuries. They are not there by sufferance of the majority. Cairo cannot claim to be on the path to democracy, or invoke high-minded principles in lofty documents, if, in the real world, minorities live in fear. Third, complicit countries must be made to understand that they cannot get away with countenancing such behavior without paying a price in their relations with the West – and many do care about their ties with the U.S. If we fail to make this clear, or if we simply give lip service in the belief there are higher “interests” at stake, we only make matters worse, both for the vulnerable groups and for any prospect of democracy and the rule of law. If now is not the time to stand up, speak out, and be counted, when is? How many more Christian churches have to be attacked, how many more Christian worshipers have to be killed, how many more Christians have to pray in fear of harassment, and how many more Christian families have to emigrate before the silence is truly broken? To learn more, visit ajc.org.

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ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

February 2012

Netanyahu: Wherever you choose to live, be proud of your Birthright

Israel’s Prime Minister addresses 3,000 Taglit-Birthright Israel trip participants in Jerusalem

rime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed some 3,000 young adults at Taglit-Birthright Israel’s winter Mega Event on January 4 in Jerusalem, urging them to become advocates for Israel and to recognize and be proud of their connection to the Jewish people and the State of Israel. “You all come from great countries, but you all come from here. We all started here many years ago, and we all came back here. This is our birthright. This is your homeland. This is where the Jewish people forged their identity.” Netanyahu described Israel as “a country that seizes the future,” one which invests in technological innovation, medicine and education. He also encouraged the crowd to offer their support for Israel on college campuses and

in their communities. “I want you to enjoy yourselves, go back to your homeland and tell the truth about Israel. Tell them about a country where you can be free, free to work, free to criticize the government. A country in which a woman is the Supreme Court Chief Justice, a woman is a general in the military, and a country in which a woman can sit anywhere she wants to. The most important battle is the battle for the truth. And all of you can become an ambassador for Israel. “Whether you come here or whether you stay where you are, be proud of your birthright.” “This is the beginning of TaglitBirthright Israel’s Bar Mitzvah year,” said Michael Steinhardt, who helped found Taglit-Birthright Israel 13 years

ago. “Sometime this year, the 300,000th participant will arrive. You are part of a historic undertaking of the Jewish people. Becoming a Bar Mitzvah is not simply entering adulthood; it is about accepting adult responsibilities; to feel a new sense of responsibility and to be part of Klal Yisrael, the worldwide Jewish community.” He urged the crowd to “show your appreciation. Continue to be engaged in Jewish life. Love Israel, and be a proud Jew.” “In times of conflict, Taglit-Birthright Israel offers a glimpse of a promising Jewish future, one in which we can focus not on the question of who is a Jew, but what we can do to create a Jewish community which helps all others around us,” said Lynn Schusterman,

a co-founder of the program. “Each of us must know the values for which we stand, not just what we are against. I hope you realize that the true gift of Taglit-Birthright Israel is not just a free 10 days in Israel, but rather the once-in-a lifetime experience of meeting, friendship and connection, and all that you will gain from it. Israel needs you, the Jewish people need you, and the world needs you.” Taglit-Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark said, “In the course of the decade, it has become the most successful Zionist project in the Jewish world. We believe that the second decade of the project will lead to a significant change in terms of building the resilience of the Jewish people and strengthening their connection to Israel.”

Jewish Agency launches network of twinned schools Project connects tens of thousands of students in Israel and around the world

ew York, NY, Dec. 22, 2011 – The Jewish Agency has established an international network that will connect hundreds of Jewish schools around the world with twin schools in Israel. The goal is to create real connections between students and teachers on both sides of the ocean and to bring alive the image of Israel amongst the students in the Diaspora. The network will allow them to experience Israel in a real and live way – not as it appears in the media. In parallel, Israeli youth will be better able to understand the Jewish life in the Diaspora. As part of the initiative, students from Israel and around the world who attend one of the twin schools will hold virtual meetings on video screens in their classrooms. They will have joint classes in topics that deal with Judaism and general subjects such as ecology and art, and there will be face-to-face meetings between the students on joint educational visits. According to the Jewish Agency’s data, there are 850 Jewish schools (day

schools and afternoon schools) in North America, and 300 Jewish schools are operating in the former Soviet Union, which hundreds of thousands of Jewish students are attending. The Jewish Agency initiative will expand upon existing connections between the Diaspora schools and twin schools in Israel and will provide professional tools to educators participating in the project. The Agency has an ambitious set of goals for the network, such as the establishment of educational standards and criteria for programs. Already underway is a web-based knowledge center that includes interactive communication, educational content and best practices on school twinning. The educational content will include a menu of programs such as teacher training, school programming and increased opportunities for shared learning. The expectation is to expand the number of countries across the world involved in the network. In the first phase of the project, participants will include 200 Israel schools

and 200 schools from the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Russia, Hungary, Argentina and Turkey. The Director of the partnership unit at the Jewish Agency, Andrea Arbel, said, “The international network will advance the connections between hundreds of thousands of students and teachers from Israel and around the world, with the goal of allowing Diaspora Jews to relate to Israel as a real and warm place and allow Israelis to better know the Jewish Diaspora. “The greatest value of school twinning,” continued Arbel, “is that it brings Israel alive to tens of thousands of students and teachers around the world. Israel can be taught in the classroom and Hebrew can be taught in the classroom, but it is only when children and educators in overseas communities interact directly with Israelis does Israel actually come alive for them.” The kick-off event, attended by Jewish Agency Executive Chairman Natan Sharansky and Director General Alan Hoffman, as well Avraham

Infeld, a leading thinker in Jewish identity through pluralistic education, took place in Jerusalem this week. Educational leaders from around Israel, along with students from various countries participated in the ceremony, where a simultaneous lighting of the third candle of Hanukkah was broadcast on a giant screen. About the Jewish Agency for Israel Established in 1929, the Jewish Agency was instrumental in the founding of the State of Israel and now works to ensure the future of a connected, committed, global Jewish People with a strong Israel at its center. The Jewish Agency addresses the most pressing issues in Jewish life by working to inspire Jews throughout the world to connect with their people, heritage and land, and empower them to build a thriving Jewish future and strong Israel. The Jewish Agency pursues this goal by bringing young Jews to Israel for life-changing experiences and involving them in social activism in Israel and abroad. More information can be obtained at www. jewishagency.org.

Florida fire paramedic Rocky Parker is ready to help Israel By Wade Tatangelo, Bradenton Herald

t has nothing to do with politics. Or religion. That’s the first thing Rocky Parker, a fire lieutenant paramedic at the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department, said when asked about his involvement with the Emergency Volunteers Project. “The Emergency Volunteers Project (EVP) is a non-political, non-affiliated organization dedicated to deploying groups of “first responders” to Israel during times of crisis and national emergency to work with Israel’s emergency services in providing essential, life-saving services to Israel’s citizens,” begins the EVP mission statement. “I’m not Jewish,” he said. “Just a fireman helping other firefighters.”

Parker was trained in New York City by Israeli firefighters in Israeli fire tactics and procedures. “It was probably the most intense training I have ever done in my life,” he said. “Two people there are doing what 12 do in the states.” EVP then recently flew Parker to Israel to spend a week and a half training and working with Israeli firefighters in their stations to prepare for a national emergency. “The hospitality in Israel really struck me,” Parker said. “People were treating us like rock stars. They thought it was amazing we were doing this.” Parker said there are more than 100 U.S. firefighters involved.

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH 29A FebruaryWORLD 2012

February 2012

BRIEFS Kfir Damari, a communication systems engineer, has a dream: to land a miniature spacecraft on the moon sometime in 2013. Damari is one of the founders of Team SpaceIL, a non-profit organization representing Israel in the Google Lunar X Competition. The prize: $20 million to the first of the 26 international teams currently registered that lands an unmanned craft on the moon, moves it a minimum of 500 meters across the lunar surface, and transmits live high-resolution images back to earth. Damari and his partners have enlisted the support of 120 local volunteers, many of them engineers holding top positions in the technological and scientific community, as well as the country’s leading defense industries. (Xinhua, China)

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and began to build an aircraft. When Karem finished a year later, he wheeled into his driveway an odd, cigar-shaped craft that was destined to change the way the U.S. wages war. More than a decade of development later, Karem’s drone became the Predator, whose controllers thousands of miles away in the U.S. launch Hellfire missiles toward targets they are watching on video screens. (Washington Post)

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29A

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EILAT RAIL LINK TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE TO SUEZ CANAL China is poised to build a railway connecting Eilat to central Israel, and Israel’s Ministry of Transportation is currently drafting a memorandum of understanding. It will take 2.5 hours to travel from Eilat to Tel Aviv by train. The most ambitious part of the rail plan involves promoting it as a rival trade route to the Suez Canal, which will avoid the canal’s high fees. Israel wants shippers to dock in Eilat, load goods onto the train, and then ship them out of one of the country’s Mediterranean ports. (Jewish Chronicle, UK)

ISRAELI STARTED U.S. DRONE INDUSTRY In 1980, Abraham Karem, an engineer who had emigrated from Israel, retreated into his garage outside Los Angeles

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30A

February 2012

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CELEBRATING OUR 20TH YEAR

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD Briefs...continued from page 29A Jews comprise 75.3% of the population, with 5.9 million, with Arabs comprising 20.5%, or 1.6 million. 4.2%, some 325,000, are non-Arab Christians and others. 2011 saw a 1.8% increase in Israel’s population – 141,000 people – a rate comparable to the figures of the last decade. 166,800 new babies were born and 17,500 new immigrants arrived. (Ha’aretz)

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A new report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reveals that Israeli life expectancy is among the highest in the world (81.6 years in 2009) and fifth among OECD countries; the infant mortality rate is among the lowest in the world (3.8 deaths per 1,000 births); and a significant improvement has been recorded in the treatment of chronic diseases. A significant drop has been seen in mortality rates from heart disease, cancer and stroke. At the same time, healthcare spending per capita is 30% lower than the OECD average. (Ynet News)

ISRAEL SETS WORLD RECORD FOR LARGEST CHEMISTRY LESSON Guinness World Records says it has recognized Israel’s Science and Technology Ministry for holding the “largest chemistry lesson.” On September 22, the ministry organized a class in 13 locations that drew 4,207 participants to carry out a reenactment of an experiment performed in space by the late Israeli astronaut Ilan

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ISRAEL’S LARGEST UAV TO BECOME OPERATIONAL The Eitan UAV, the Israel Air Force’s largest unmanned aircraft and considered the most advanced UAV in the world, is scheduled to begin operations within several months after eight years in development. It has been reported that the Eitan was developed to reach Iran and Sudan. It is able to fly for 20 hours and can carry up to one ton. (Ynet News)

ISRAEL AN IMPORTANT PARTNER FOR INDIA During the past decade, Israel has emerged as the second largest supplier of sophisticated weapons systems to India. This has led to vastly expanding collaboration in areas like air defense systems and missiles, upgrading of aging equipment from the Soviet period, including tanks and fighter aircraft, and cooperation in areas of research and development, in highly-advanced night vision devices, sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles, which have a crucial role in dealing with cross-border terrorism. (The Hindu, India)

ISRAELI BROTHERS WIN WORLD DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP Brothers Omer and Sela Nevo from Tel Aviv University won the World Universities Debating Championships in the English as Second Language category which was held in Manila recently. More than 3,000 teams from around the world participated in the competition. (Ynet News)

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LIFE 31A CYCLE

February 2012

ANNIVERSARIES

50th Norman & Zelda Young Temple Emanu-El 45th Marsha & Warren Chernick Temple Emanu-El 20th Jay & Lynn Sacks Temple Emanu-El

15th Jason & Faith Lipton Temple Emanu-El 10th Marc & Amy Greene Temple Beth Sholom

B’NAI MITZVAH

Samantha Elizabeth Brooks (pictured) will be called to the Torah on Shabbat Shirah, February 4. The community of Kol HaNeshama, Sarasota’s youngest synagogue, and Education Director Jennifer Singer join with parents Caroline Popper & Barnett Brooks, as well as grandmother Susi Popper, in rejoicing at Kol HaNeshama’s first Bat Mitzvah. Chayse & Hunter Kessous, daughters of Daniel & Dana Kessous, February 4, Temple Beth Sholom Isaac Rodeheaver, son of Heidi Rodeheaver, February 11, Temple Sinai Ryan & Justin Klawans, sons of Susan & Barry Klawans, February 18, Temple Sinai Kendal Mattie & Karley Frances Sheckler (pictured), daughters of Ken & Kala Sheckler, February 18, Temple Emanu-El Ben Weber, son of Hazzan Jeffrey & Andrea Weber, February 25, Temple Beth Sholom

IN MEMORIAM

Robert Albert, 95, of Sarasota, formerly of Princeton, NJ, Nov. 25 Doris “Dolly” Ash, 72, of Sarasota, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, Dec. 3 Robert Edwin Blumenthal, 77, of Longboat Key, formerly of Philadelphia, PA, Dec. 5 Madeline (Kadar) Gaal Edwards, 96, of Monroeville, PA, and Sarasota, Dec. 4 Thomas Allen “Tom” Gray, 70, of Siesta Key and Washington, DC, formerly of Portsmouth, NH, and California, Nov. 19 Lillian T. Kreiger, 78, of University Park, Dec. 6 Arnold C. Levine, 83, of Lakewood Ranch, formerly of Dallas, TX, Dec. 6 Nathalie Mallett, 80, of Bradenton, Dec. 4 Marjorie A. Mesirov, 69, of Sarasota, Dec. 7 Artemis B. Saks, 91, of Sarasota, Dec. 6 Stephen I. Schlossberg, 90, of Sarasota, formerly of Washington, DC, Dec. 10 Ruth Siegel, 72, of Lakewood Ranch, formerly of Baltimore, MD, and Rochester, NY, Dec. 14 Sylvia Stern, 93, of Sarasota, Dec. 11 Sidney F. Weiner, 92, of Sarasota, Dec. 16

February 2012

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Feb. 26 - Mar. 1 Sunday, February 26 7:00 p.m. - Beatrice Friedman Theater, Federation Campus deborah Lipstadt The Eichmann Trial Tickets: $10

Monday, February 27 7:00 p.m. - Beatrice Friedman Theater, Federation Campus Joseph braude The Honoured Dead: A Story of Friendship, Murder and the Search for Truth in the Arab World Tickets: $10

Sunday, February 26 2:00 p.m. - Polo Grill & Bar, Lakewood Ranch a baseball Panel with Rich Michelson, Lipman Pike: Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Home Run King; Aaron Pribble, Pitching in the Promised Land: A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League; and John Thorn, Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game. Moderator: Charles Huisking. Includes ballpark snacks and silent auction of sports memorabilia. Tickets: $10 This evenT proudly sponsored by presenTed in parTnership wiTh

The Jewish Club aT lakewood ranCh

TueSday, February 28 7:00 p.m. - Beatrice Friedman Theater, Federation Campus Lorraine abramson My Race: A Jewish Girl Growing Up Under Apartheid in South Africa Tickets: $10 WedneSday, February 29 7:00 p.m. - Temple Beth Israel, Longboat Key Charles Fox Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music Tickets: $10

WedneSday, February 29, 12:00 p.m - Lido Beach Resort Fiction Panel & Luncheon with Talia Carner, Jerusalem Maiden; Ellen Feldman, Next To Love; and Nadia Kalman, The Cosmopolitans. Tickets: $36 (includes lunch) Thu, MarCh 1 7:00 p.m. B. Friedman Theater, Fed. Campus Goldie Milgram & Peninnah Schram Mitzvah Stories: Seeds for Inspiration and Learning Tickets: $10 presenTed in parTnership wiTh

CongregaTion kol haneshama

Visit www.jfedsrq.org for complete information Klingenstein Jewish Center

580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota FL 34232

941.371.4546 www.jfedsrq.org

CelebratingHAPPENINGS Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties JEWISH

FEBRUARY 2012

Volume 42, Number 2

See pages 10B-15B for Recent Events To submit your event, send an e-mail to JewishNews@comcast.net.

Jewish Happenings WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

“Lunch with the Rabbi” at Temple Emanu-El

Tel Mond Israel “Sister Cities” Luncheon

The tables are full, the dessert is delicious, the people are friendly, the conversation is lively – all we need is you! Enjoy casual socializing and stimulating discussion with Rabbi Brenner Glickman at Temple EmanuEl’s monthly “Lunch with the Rabbi.” Each month brings a different topic – from Holocaust photography to interfaith marriage to feminism in Israel – and a different homemade dessert. Grab a brown-bag lunch and be a part of one of the temple’s signature programs. This free event begins at noon at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, call the temple office at 941.371.2788.

The Sister Cities February luncheon will be sponsored by Sarasota’s Sister City – Tel Mond, Israel. Tel Mond is located just north of Tel Aviv and is situated in the midst of orange groves and productive farmland. With an emphasis on its youth and education, Sarasota and Tel Mond have been Sister Cities since 1999. Get a glimpse of the history of Tel Mond at 11:30 a.m. at the Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota. Cost is $22. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance by contacting Betty Greenspan at 941.780.1528 or lotus122@verizon.net.

Idelson Library Book Review – Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza Martin Cohn will review Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza, by Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole. About 100 years ago, in an old Cairo synagogue, European scholars discovered a 900-year-old treasure trove of documents written in Hebrew letters. Since the discovery, many long-lost fragments of medieval Jewish history have been reassembled and interpreted. Coffee and dessert will be served. This free event is open to the public and begins at 1:15 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, Idelson Adult Library at Goldie Feldman Academy, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. For further information, please contact Arlene Hamburger at 941.921.2554 or edham@comcast.net.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 WOS luncheon and program The Women of Sinai (WOS) will host a luncheon (catered by Cosimo’s) and program beginning at noon at 4631 S. Lockwood Ridge off Proctor between Beneva and Swift Roads. Maureen Thomas Zaremba, curator for education at The Ringling Museum, will talk about educational programming at the Museum as well as “Ringling in Bloom,” a festival of flowers, fine art, fashion and fine music taking place in late February. Please bring preschool books (ages 3-5) for donation to HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters). The cost is $12 for WOS members and $16 for guests. RSVP deadline is January 27. Please contact Myna Stoltz at 941.966.3532.

Monthly Challah Club & Loaves of Love Learn the art of baking and shaping challah with a twist of social action. Bake two challahs – one for your enjoyment and the other for local senior citizens. Bake it: Round ones, braided ones, all kinds of Challah creations. Each month we will learn a new braiding technique. Wrap it: Gift wrap the challahs as special gifts for the residents of a local nursing home and senior citizens around town or someone you know. Deliver it: Take the delicious treats, deliver them, and make someone’s day! The classes begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Chabad Jewish Center of Venice & North Port, 2169 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice. $8 for members; $10 for nonmembers. For more information, call 941.493.2770 or email info@chabadofvenice.com.

Find additional events in the Community Focus pages in section A and on the calendar page at www.jfedsrq.org.

Interactive event for families with children under 5 Temple Beth Sholom Schools hosts a free event for all families with children under 5 years old, to meet, discuss and share ideas on celebrating Jewish holidays and lifecycle events at home. Sing, dance, pray and enjoy a pizza lunch. Participate in interactive storytelling, cooking and art projects – with informational handouts, recipes and ideas shared. The event takes place from noon - 1:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. For further information, contact Flora Oynick at 941.954.2027 or foynick@tbsschools.org.

“Wine, Cheese and Lollipops” This Shabbat celebration for the young – and the young at heart – is the perfect time to check out Temple Emanu-El. As part of the “In-Season Synagogue Open Houses” event, Temple Emanu-El kicks off its “Month of Welcome” at 6:30 p.m. with an intergenerational pre-service reception. Adults will enjoy socializing and making new friends over wine, cheese and light bites while children participate in a fun craft and are treated to lollipops. The wonderful and lively family service follows at 7:00 p.m. Temple Emanu-El is located at 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, call 941.371.2788.

A Raisin in the Sun by

Lorraine Hansberry

A Raisin in the Sun is presented by special arrangement with SamUeL french, Inc.

Jan 25 WESTCOAST BLACK to THEATRE feB 19 TROUPE

CALL NOW!

366-1505

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1646 10th Way, SaraSota, at the corner of 10th Way and orange ave.

February 2012 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

JEWISH HAPPENINGS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Tu B’Shevat Seder and Open House at Ner Tamid

World Wide Wrap XII

Celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the Birthday of the Trees, with a Shabbat morning service and a delicious seder featuring Israel’s fruits and grains along with an explanation of their mystical connotations. Learn how each fruit category complements human personalities and how trees represent personal growth. It’s also the date of the Manatee and Sarasota “In-Season Synagogue Open Houses” event, so it’s a perfect time to invite friends to experience Congregation Ner Tamid, at The Lodge, 4802 B 26th St., W., Bradenton. There is no charge for the day’s festivities, which begin at 10:00 a.m. RSVP to Elaine Mittler at 941.755.1231.

Temple Beth Sholom is participating in the World Wide Wrap, an international program that brings the global Jewish community together to learn and practice the mitzvah of Tefillin. Breakfast to follow. This free event begins at 9:00 a.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. Contact the temple office at 941.955.8121 or visit www. templebethsholomfl.org for more information.

Tu B’Shevat service at CHJ The combined chorus of the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (CHJ) and the Unitarian Universalist Church, led by Music Directors David Berman and Robert Lischetti, will present a concert following a Tu B’Shevat service to celebrate respect for nature and the environment. CHJ will plant a tree on the grounds of Unity to honor the friendship, respect and acceptance of all people in our community. A picnic, featuring the traditional nuts and fruits will follow. Open to the public at no charge, this event begins at 10:30 a.m. at Unity, 3023 Proctor Rd., Sarasota. For more information, call 941.929.7771 or visit www.chj-sarasota.org.

SaBra Hadassah

Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood Honors Luncheon Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood is proud and delighted to fete the incomparable Alice Cotman (pictured) at this year’s Honors Luncheon. A Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood leader, past president of ORT America, actress and volunteer in local theatrical productions, co-founder of Humanity Working to End Genocide, chair of Women’s Day, Embracing Our Differences steering committee member, and so much more, Alice truly makes a difference every day in Sarasota-Manatee’s Jewish community! All luncheon proceeds benefit Temple Emanu-El Religious School. Donation levels: $45, $75, $100, $250. The event kicks off at noon at Lakewood Ranch Country Club, 7650 Legacy Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. For more information or to RSVP, call Ethel Gross at 941.388.7899 or Cin Gilburne at 941.812.4858.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 BIW Fashion Show

“Make my eyes look to the future.” – Henrietta Szold, Hadassah founder Celebrate our Centennial with us Food, Music, Dancing and More! Sunday, March 18, 2012 ~ 4-7 PM Fete Ballroom ~ Polo Grill & Bar ~ Lakewood Ranch For more information, contact Claudia at cdombrow613@aol.com or 941-306-5514

Attention Bridge PlAyers The Bridge Group meets Thursday afternoons from 1-4pm at the Federation Campus (582 McIntosh Road). Open to intermediate and advanced bridge players. For more information, call Jayne Rosenberg at 941-378-9323.

The annual Beth Israel Women (BIW) Fashion Show will again be produced by Saks Fifth Avenue and will feature the latest in spring fashions. Raffle, door prizes and more. Cost: $45; reservations required. The event begins at noon at Michael’s On East, Midtown Plaza,1212 East Ave. S., Sarasota. For more information or to RSVP, contact the Temple Beth Israel office at 941.383.3428 or info@tbi-lbk.org.

Finding Meaning in Mitzvot Using Rabbi Goldie Milgram’s 52 Mitzvah Cards, we will look at challenges posed by the tradition as well as our own lives, and the tension that arises when competing mitzvot seem to apply to a given situation. Although the course began in January, it is not too late to jump in as we will study a different mitzvah in depth in each session. Sessions are experiential as well as based in traditional texts and stories that illuminate the beautiful nuances of Jewish practice. Classes begin at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays at Roskamp Center, 1226 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Materials fee: $20 (Mitzvah Cards and text); course fee: no charge for Kol HaNeshama members, $40 for nonmembers (call for partial adjustment). To register, e-mail office@ congkh.org or call the KH office at 941.244.2042.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Meditation sessions Spirit of Peace Meditation Center offers a meditation session for people of all faiths from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, February 7 and 21 at Temple Sinai, 4631 S. Lockwood Ridge off Proctor between Beneva and Swift Roads. A donation of $5 per session is requested. For information, call Reb Ari Shapiro at 941.966.7778.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Sophisticated Ladies Fashion Show

www.helleriai.org • Get the facts about Israel • Learn how to respond to anti-Semitism • Contact local government and media

“Fighting antiSemitism and the movement to delegitimize Israel.”

The Klingenstein Jewish Center

580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota FL 34232

941.371.4546 • www.jfedsrq.org

Have a glass of wine, relax, and peruse the auction items at the second Sisterhood of Temple Beth Sholom Fashion Show. Enjoy an Asian chicken salad and dessert for lunch while watching the TBS models display fabulous fashions from Chico’s. The money that we raise from this exciting event goes towards scholarships for children for religious school and Camp Ramah. The event begins at noon at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. $40 per person payable to TBS Sisterhood, attn: Fashion Show. Reservations required. Please call Grace Goldstein at 941.366.4774.

For a continuously updated calendar, visit www.jfedsrq.org

JEWISH HAPPENINGS 3B February 2012 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 History of Black Theater in America with a Jewish Twist The Rabbi Michael B. Eisenstat Miniversity of Judaism presents Nate Jacobs, an expert on the history of black theatre in America, who will share his wealth of knowledge on the subject and on the essential need for black theater to be nurtured as part of our cultural fabric. He will also speak on the role Jews have played in the development of black theater. Jacobs is the founder of the acclaimed Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. This free event begins at 2:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Registration available online at www.tbi-lbk.org. For more information, contact the TBI office at 941.383.3428 or info@tbi-lbk.org.

Men’s Club Movie Night – Beaufort The film is about an Israel Defense Force unit stationed at the Beaufort post in Southern Lebanon during the South Lebanon conflict before the Israeli withdrawal in 2000. It chronicles the daily routine of this group of soldiers, their feelings and their fears, and explores their moral dilemmas in the days preceding the withdrawal and end of the 18-year South Lebanon conflict. The film begins at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Cost: Free for TBI members/$3 for nonmembers. For more information, contact the TBI office at 941.383.3428 or info@ tbi-lbk.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 Temple Emanu-El Shabbat Dinner What better way to welcome Shabbat than with a delicious meal shared with kind and friendly people? Begin your Shabbat celebration with a festive – and delicious! – catered Shabbat dinner with lots of old and new friends. You will be warmly and sincerely welcomed. The fantastic and inspirational all-musical Shabbat Alive! worship services follow at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $14 adult, $8 children ages 5-12, children under 5 free. The dinner begins at 6:15 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, please contact Ethel Gross at 941.388.7899 or ethrich2009@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Tot Shabbat at Temple Emanu-El Join us for a relaxed, welcoming and festive Shabbat celebration for young Jewish and interfaith families. There will be playground time, a bagel breakfast, and age-appropriate Shabbat prayers, songs, movement, and story with Rabbi Brenner Glickman. This month we’ll celebrate Tu B’Shevat – the birthday of the trees – with planting seeds and a fun nature craft. Lots of friendly faces and lots of fun! Although Tot Shabbat is designed for families with children ages 1-6, all are invited. This free event begins at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, call Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman at 941.379.1997.

‘A Jew Grows in Brooklyn’ Featuring Jake Ehrenreich

March 4, 2012 • 8:00pm

The acclaimed show chronicles the life of Jake Ehrenreich, a talented Americanborn child of Holocaust survivors. The New York Times raves “funny, touching and beautiful… you don’t have to be Jewish or Brooklynish… Jake is dazzling!”

Visit www.vanwezel.org for tickets! The Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota FL 34232 941.371.4546

www.jfedsrq.org

February 2012

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

February 2012 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Temple Beth Sholom’s Mitzvah Day

Interesting Lives Series presents Cantor Jeffrey Weber

Bring your wife, husband, daughter, son, mother, father, neighbor and friends. With your help we WILL make a difference. We will be volunteering in our community to perform a variety of activities. A light breakfast will be served at Temple Beth Sholom. Mitzvah Day begins at 8:30 a.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. Please call 941.955.8121 for registration.

The Idelson Library at Temple Beth Sholom will feature Cantor Jeffrey Weber as its February Interesting Lives speaker. Cantor Weber participated in the filming of the documentary 100 Voices: A Journey Home as a member of the ensemble. Cantor Weber, formerly a member of the Sarasota, New York City, and Metropolitan Operas, became TBS’s Hazzan in 2011. Come and listen to his experiences. There is no cost to attend this program, which begins at 1:15 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. Please contact Judy Lebowich at 941.371.4686 or lebowich. judy@comcast.net for more information.

“Art Robbins” Men’s Club Please join the Temple Beth El Bradenton Men’s Club for its monthly meeting and “nosh” at 10:00 a.m. at 4200 32nd Street West. There is always an interesting and special program, along with the planning of the next Men’s Club event. All are invited. For more information, please call the temple office at 941.755.4900, Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Falafel with Yoav Come and enjoy a terrific kosher falafel lunch prepared by Yoav Cohen from noon - 1:00 p.m. at Chabad Jewish Center, 11534 Palmbrush Trail, Bradenton. Cost is $4 a falafel. Call 941.752.3030 for more information.

Stump the Steinmetzes Trivia Night Join us at 6:00 p.m. for Chabad of Sarasota Men’s Club’s casual dinner and trivia night. This is a family event which will feature a fun night of Jewish trivia with fun questions that are sure to stump Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz and his family. Cost is $7 per adult, $5 per child, or $25 for an entire family. The event takes place at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. For more information and reservations, call the Chabad office at 941.925.0770.

Jewish Women’s Circle Game Show Competition Compete and get in the joyous Purim spirit with famous game shows, complete with fabulous prizes. The fun begins at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Chanie Bukiet. Cost is $5 for JWC members; $10 for nonmembers. Call 941.752.3030 for more information.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Ladies Lunch & Learn Join Chanie Bukiet from noon - 1:00 p.m. at Chabad Jewish Center, 11534 Palmbrush Trail, Bradenton, for a Lunch & Learn. Feast on a delicious lunch and learn Tanya, psychology of the soul, based on the Kabbalah. No cost. Call 941.752.3030 for more information.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Riding Through History: “The Circus Side of Sarasota” For generations, Sarasota has been “America’s Circus City.” See Sarasota’s colorful circus heritage up close and personal in a one-of-a-kind guided tour escorted by a professional circus performer aboard a festive, climatecontrolled coach. It is the “perfect way to have a historical tour of Sarasota,” says Sarasota Magazine. “Practically every landmark in town has a circus connection.” That also includes Jewish connections. The tour begins at 10:00 a.m. and lasts approximately two and a half hours. Cost: $30. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve your spot, contact the Temple Beth Israel office at 941.383.3428 or info@tbi-lbk.org.

Afternoon at the Oscars

Featuring Chefs from 30 local Premiere Restaurants, select Wines, old fashion fountain Egg Creams, Live/Silent Auction and New this year… Golf Challenge and Live Music. Celebrity Chef Co-Chairs Susan & Randy Mallitz

Golf ChallenGe Chair Shaun Benderson

For more information contact Josephine: JEisenberg@JFCS-cares.org

Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee, Inc. 941.366.2224 www.jFCS-cares.org

Tuesday March 20th Golf Challenge Shotgun Start 12 Noon Celebrity Chefs & Wine Tasting 6:00-8:30pm Longboat Key Club & Resort

2012

CHEF CHAIR Robert Weil Director of Food & Beverage Longboat Key Club & Resort CORPORATE PARTNERS: Benderson Development Bright House Networks Design Marketing Group, Inc. Gries Investments Fund J. Raymond Construction KBR Foundation Longboat Key Club & Resort David & Libby Mallitz, LLC Merrill Lynch – Sarasota Raymond James - Sarasota Rugs As Art TLC Landscaping Company United Capital Funding Corporate Sponsors as of 12/31