The Jewish News - March 2018 by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Happy Birthday

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MARCH 11, 2018 • 7PM

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This issue of The Jewish News contains paid political advertisements. These ads do not reflect the views of, or serve as endorsement by, the staff or leadership of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.

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Celebrating Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Israel and the World FEDERATION NEWS

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Published by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee www.jfedsrq.org

March 2018 - Adar/Nisan 5778 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

9A 15A 22A 25A 28A 31A 1B

Community Focus Jewish Interest Israel & the Jewish World Commentary Focus on Youth Life Cycle Jewish Happenings

6 Gulf Coast Hillel: a “Jewish home away from home” for local college students

8 Small Hands Give Back honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Volume 48, Number 3 A message from Federation leadership:

Opening the closed door

By Michael Ritter, Federation President, and Howard Tevlowitz, Executive Director Often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. – Helen Keller lthough the weather was unseasonably cold and there were long lines at the falafel stand, most agreed that the We Love Israel Shuk recently held on The Jewish Federation Campus was a resounding success. We were both there from early morning until late afternoon, impressed but not surprised that around 3,000 people atMichael Ritter and Howard Tevlowitz tended the fivehour event – eating, shopping, being entertained and schmoozing. All the local Jewish organizations were represented and there were about 100 hardworking staff and volunteers of all ages on hand to make the experience as enjoyable for everyone as possible. This was truly a remarkable community-wide cooperative event. What were the two comments we heard the most from the attendees? “I had no idea how large this campus is and the extent of buildings, sports facilities and undeveloped space available here for community use,” and “I thought the Flanzer Jewish

28 The youth scoop from Temple Beth Sholom

A publication of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee Klingenstein Jewish Center, 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, FL 34232 Annual voluntary subscription: $25

McIn tosh

Road

Southwest view of Federation Campus and land

over the years to either close, relocate or adopt more sustainable operating models. So, for those of us who spent many childhood, teen and adult hours at a JCC wherever we lived, the closing here in 2007 was a particularly sad time. And although many of us still refer today to the Flanzer building on our campus as the “JCC building,” the doors have closed for this organization we once continued on page 2A

“Happy Birthday Israel” – Celebrating at home! Staﬀ Report

7 Israeli buildings that will make you stop and stare

Community Center (JCC) had closed.” Sometimes it’s still hard to believe that the JCC, located on The Federation’s 32-acre campus, closed its doors over 10 years ago. Despite the dedication and hard work of many talented staff and volunteers, our JCC ultimately succumbed to market conditions and demographics beyond its control – similar to the challenges that may have required some other JCCs

n honor of Israel’s 70th anniversary of statehood, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee will present “Happy Birthday Israel” in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Federation Campus (note change of venue) on Sunday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. The event will feature Israeli entertainment by The Shuk music group and the Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble. The event is co-chaired by Edie Chaifetz and Saranee Newman. The Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble celebrates the dynamic culture, history and dance from Israel and the Diaspora. With melody, rhythm and ethnic contemporary movement, the group conjures the colors and sacred roots of Jewish life with passionate storytelling and choreography. The Shuk has its roots in traditional Jewish music and has expanded into world music, blending elements of jazz, rock, ethnic and progressive music. Through music, they create a NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANASOTA FL PERMIT 167

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dialogue between cultures – Israeli and Middle Eastern music to western classic and country folk. This high-energy band will have you dancing and clapping all evening! Israel is so much more than just America’s only democratic ally in the Middle East; it is thriving, vibrant, exciting and fun! This is the side of Israel we will bring you at this festive, celebratory event – great music and entertainment, snacks and a familyfriendly program. At the event, we will honor leaders in our community who have helped our Jewish Federation accomplish one of its goals – to provide teens with significant Israel experiences and missions. These Israel experiences have proven to enhance teen Jewish identity and have had a significant impact on their ability to address anti-Semitic and anti-Israel continued on page 3A

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FEDERATION NEWS

Introducing the 2018 Federation/JWRP participants Staﬀ Report

he Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee has partnered with the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) for the second year to offer a life-changing journey through Israel to a new group of moms with children at home under the age of 18 who are being raised Jewish. Established in 2009, JWRP has brought over 10,000 women and 950 men from 26 countries on this trip. The program seeks to “inspire women to transform themselves, their families and their communities; to connect them to the land, to their Jewish values and to each other.” The MOMentum mission, a highly-subsidized trip for the moms through the JWRP, with individual scholarships awarded by our Jewish Federation, is a physical and spiritual journey through Israel. Besides touring Masada, the Dead Sea, Yad Vashem, Tsfat and Jerusalem, the women will pray at the

Kotel and participate in discussions and lectures, with topics ranging from marriage to gossip and how to “turn off” for Shabbat. Through the JWRP curriculum and planned events, this group of women will continue to meet after their Israel trip to learn Jewish values that will help to elevate their pride in Judaism and their love for the State of Israel, and to eventually take on leadership roles in the community. The curriculum will help them learn to feel more empowered to lead in a way that will bring a deeper meaning and purpose to our community at-large and at home. This quote from our Federation’s 2017 trip chair, Julie Green, sums up the experience beautifully: “It’s hard to pick just one highlight of this trip for me. Spending 10 days in Israel sharing joy, sorrow, laughs and tears showed me a side to each of these unique, remarkable women that I would never

have had the opportunity to see. I am forever changed as a friend, a wife and a mother, and I feel blessed to have had the time to learn with each of these amazing ladies. The beauty about this trip wasn’t just the shared experiences in Israel but the experiences that we will continue to share as a “sisterhood.” If I had to pick one highlight, it was at the Western Wall. We walked alone, each in our own space, to the Wall, where we each connected spiri-

tually in our own way. After, we gathered and the experience continued. The hugs and tears can’t be described. We all shared it and felt it, and it will forever be ‘our moment.’” Julie is serving as the Madricha (mentor) for this year’s group. If you are interested in more information on the next Jewish Federation/JWRP trip, please contact Gisele Pintchuck at 941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org.

(Back row:) Michele Colburn, Rachel Star-Cappelli, Michelle Mallitz, Lauren Udwari, Linda Hoﬀberger, Julie Green, Lisa Weintraub, Lauren Glassman, Ilene Fox, (middle row:) Dori Goldfarb, Kari Ellingstad, Wende Kozlow, Helene Feo, Gisele Pintchuck, Kim Rosenberg, (front row:) Charlotte Jones, Maggie Hilton, Wendy Leventhal, Audrey Quale

j o i n u s fo r Major Gifts Dinner

An Evening Celebrating Rich Bergman SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018 4:30 – 6:45 pm Federation Campus 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota

CO-CHAIRS rich bergman

EDIE CHAIFETZ | HELEN GLASER IRENE ROSS | BUNNY SKIRBOLL

n celebration of Israel’s 70th anniversary of statehood, we are delighted to toast (and ROAST!) the one and only Rich Bergman for his lifelong dedication to supporting Israel through education, advocacy and missions. His love for Israel and the Jewish people is evident in all he does — as community leader, tour guide, colleague, friend, and most importantly, as loving and supportive husband, father and grandpa.

Couvert will include VIP seating for the Happy Birthday Israel event in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on the Federation Campus, immediately following dinner. For more information, please contact Gisele Pintchuck at 941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org

Opening the closed door...continued from page 1A challenging financial framework of a knew, and it will never exist again here JCC-type membership. In other words, in its prior form. you pay for just the programs and serBut other doors have clearly vices you choose to utilize. opened, and more are still opening. In New initiatives on our Campus the last several years, through the infor Jewish Life could include an exnovative and strategic thinking of our panded Jewish Film Festival; an upJewish Federation staff and leadership, graded theater; a Jewish day camp; this community has been able to conmore robust youth, adult and senior tinue experiencing certain legacy JCC programming; a coffee shop and meetprograms and services, including the ing rooms; art exhibits; dance exhibiJewish Film Festival and other educations; enhanced educational facilities tional and family-related activities not and cultural opportunities utilizing 21st typically provided by Federations. century technology; more Israel and Our Federation joined the JewHolocaust-related programs; Maccabi ish Community Center Association (JCCA) and uses this organization as a resource to help provide some of the unique proMcIntosh Road grams and services that our community still wants. The Federation has also been renting out some of the previous JCC buildings East view of Federation Campus and land and facilities to Games and other sports offerings; and outside organizations, and this rental so much more. income has been used to directly fund In many ways, our Jewish Fedmany wide-ranging Jewish community eration’s goals remain quite simple, programs and services over the last 10 and align very well with what we conyears. tinue to hear from you. We want to be But there is so much more we can able to engage more people in Jewish be doing. Most notable, in connection households throughout our area in acwith some recently required repairs tivities, causes, spiritual searches, culand renovations, we are laser focused tural involvement, learning and social on more significantly and effectively networks, etc., that deepen important developing and utilizing what is now connections to Jewish life, and ulticlearly seen by us as the most valuable mately to those of all ages in our Jewlocation for various current and future ish community. Jewish-related programs and services An old door has closed, and a new – our 32-acre campus. Many who atdoor has opened. The time is now to tended the Shuk or have walked around not look back on what was, but to fothe campus grounds recently are seeing cus on our future and what can be. We the door that has begun to open. always want to know what you think. We are now envisioning what an Michael can be reached at mritter@ integrated, fully operational 21st cenjfedsrq.org and Howard can be reached tury “Campus for Jewish Life” could at htevlowitz@jfedsrq.org. mean for our community, without the

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“Happy Birthday Israel!”..continued from page 1A rhetoric on college campuses. Malkin and Kalin families: When Rich Bergman: Over the last 50 Bob Malkin passed away in 2005 withyears, Rich has devoted himself to out ever fulfillserving as a passionate advocate for his ing his dream beloved Israel. He is a Holocaust studof traveling to ies teacher, and a lecturer on standing Israel, his famup against anti-Semitism and all forms ily established of prejudice. Rich works tirelessly with the Bob Malkin our Federation Young Ambasdonors to help sador Program them make their with our Jewphilanthropic ish Federation. Who does the Jewish community turn to for dreams a realThis prestigious annual teen leadership the most trusted service in real estate? ity. He has been program includes a rigorous selection instrumental process by Federation, pre-mission in establishing leadership training, and culminates many important in a two-week mission to Israel. Over programs that the past 13 years, the Malkin and Kaimpact our community, including the lin families, led by Ed Kalin and LesHeller Community Relations Commitlie Malkin, and including all of Bob’s tee (CRC) and the Bob Malkin Young children, have helped to send more Ambassadors Program. than 150 teenagers to Israel. Contributing to the Beatrice Friedman and family: Sally (z’l) and Sam (z’l) Shapiro prosperity of our Through her generosity, Bea made it and family: The Shapiros’ passion for Jewish Community possible for dozens of Jewish teenagdeveloping since 1979! ers to experience tomorrow’s Israel by being an Jewish leadearly supporter of ers resulted the Bob Malkin in the creRyan Ackerman Barbara Ackerman Young Ambassaation of the 941.387.1818 941.780.6045 dors Program. In Shapiro Teen addition, she esEngagement Program (STEP). Through #1 Team by Sales Volume across ALL companies tablished a legacy STEP, they have invested in cultivatin Sarasota County, Manatee County & Longboat Key! gift that provides ing leadership skills by providing opwww.ackermangroup.net Sarasota-Manatee portunities for our Jewish teens and teens with scholarships to attend the college students to learn and fight antiAlexander Muss High School in Israel, Semitism, advocate for Israel, and Owned and Operated by NRT, LLC a study abroad, immersive 6-, 8- or 18learn the lessons of the Holocaust at week accredited program. Jewish conferences, seminars and conEsther and Robert Heller: After ventions. three “wondrous” visits to Israel, the Anne and Barry Stein: After Hellers founded The Robert and Esther participating in the March of the LivHeller Israel Advocacy Initiative (now ing Mission (MOL), Anne and Barry the Heller CRC). This innovative iniwere instrumental in bringing the protiative is responsible for a myriad of gram to the teens of Sarasota-Manatee. programs about Israel advocacy, antiMOL is a two-week international eduSemitism, Iran and the threat of radical cational program bringing Jewish teens Islam to our from all over the world to Poland on community Comprehensive Dermatology and the counSkin Cancer Detection try. The CRC now plays an Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery integral role in the educaCosmetic and Laser Services tion and adMedical Spa Treatments vocacy programs Federation sponsors, reaching almost all areas of our Jewish and non-Jewish community. Hershorin and Schiﬀ families: Yom HaShoah to march from AusBetty and Herb Schiff (z’l) established chwitz to Birkenau, and then to Israel the Betty and to observe Yom HaZikaron and celHerbert Schiff ebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut. In addition Send-A-Kid to providing scholarships through our to Israel Fund Federation for area teens to participate at our Jewish in the mission, the Steins have gener8451 Shade Avenue, Suite 205 Federation 22 ously opened their home for pre- and years ago. The post-mission dinners and educational Sarasota, FL 34243 first recipients Board Certified Dermatologist programs for the participants. were their own You don’t want to miss the excitCarlee LaPensee, ARNP grandchildren, and since then, huning celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday! dreds of our Sarasota-Manatee teens See the ad on page 7B for more details. have received scholarships to particiGet your tickets online at jfedsrq.org/ pate in Israel travel experiences. The events or call 1.800.838.3006. Schiffs built a wonderful legacy here in Sarasota, which they passed on to their daughter, Patti Hershorin (z’l), son-inlaw Richard, granddaughter Laura and great-granddaughter Emma. Joan and Bart Levenson: The Levensons recently established the Levenson Exchange and Advocacy Program (LEAP), designed to strengthen the bond between our Sarasota-ManCat Tails - A Night in the Garden atee Young Ambassadors and the Tel Friday, March 9, 2018 Mond Young Ambassadors from our 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. sister city in Israel. This cultural exchange program provides our Marie Selby Botanical Gardens local teens with 811 S. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL the opportunity Complimentary Valet Parking to get to know their counterparts in Israel prior to Join Cat Depot for an enchanting cocktail party under the stars at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. their trip in sumGuests will enjoy live entertainment, hand-crafted cocktails, delectable bites prepared by mer 2018 as a award-winning Michael’s on East, delicious desserts, a premium raffle and our best silent auction to date! way to enhance the experience Tickets are $150 Per Person and create strong bonds. In 2019, To purchase tickets, please visit www.catdepot.org or call 941.366.2404 our local teens will host the Israelis for two weeks while they experience Jewish life in the United States.

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March 2018

FEDERATION NEWS

A decades-long partnership: JFCS and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee By Sandy Chase

allocation funding model was no lontermined to see her emerging agency ger a viable working model. Federation thrive, she relied heavily on the yearly could no longer subsidize programs, unrestricted allocation provided by The Jewish Federation of Sarasotaespecially as community demographics began changing – changes that reManatee, which also provided funds quired the organization to the Flanzer Jewish to re-examine its misCommunity Center and sion and funding prioriJewish Housing Council ties. (now known as Aviva- A “We were operating Campus for Senior Life). like a shtetl,” said HowWith a limited staff ard Tevlowitz, Federaof three, boundless ention Executive Director. ergy, and yearly funding, “We needed to become Rose could continue suprelevant and responsive porting and expanding to our Jewish commuthe agency’s programs, nities locally, nationally pay salaries and mainand globally.” tain the infrastructure. Rose Chapman So Federation emIn only a few years, the barked on a new path, changing its community would avail itself of the allocation funding model to one of pronew department for children and adoviding grants for specific programs tied lescents at the permanent home: the to the organization’s mission. Through Goldie Feldman Building on the Weina granting process, Federation had to berg Campus. st ensure that programs supported and However, 21 century realities advanced its mission and annual priorithreatened to cloud Rose’s visions. ties before providing funds. Federation began realizing that the This funding shift, which took place over a three-year period to allow agencies to plan, created angst, anger and frustration amongst agencies, donors and others. Now requests had to mesh with The Federation’s mission. Top dollar paid for your But Rose didn’t dwell on the negaRolex, Breitling, Cartier tive. “Where would I now receive and other luxury brands money for pursuing my programs?” Rose asked, facing reality head on – and pragmatically. Spurred by this new 4180 South Tamiami Trail funding model, she looked to create (Just South of Walt’s Fish Market) ways of ensuring that her organization, programs and staff would survive. 941.953.1315 Mon-Fri 9am – 6pm “Granted, I could provide viable rationale for supporting ‘Jewwww.SarasotaWatch.com Sarasota Watch Company is not affiliated with Rolex or any of its subsidiaries. ish’ programs, but now we had to find additional funding for our nondenominational programs that are critical in our community.” For Rose, a defense against antiSemitism has always been helping all – especially non-Jews. “Nondenominational programs will resonate because Jews will be seen as advocates for all.” Inspired by that mantra, Rose and her limited staff did find money from alternative sources – strengthening programs for seniors, children, veterans and the homeless. Facing obstacles with a fervor that powered her foresight, Rose: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 Established partnerships and proThe Resort at Longboat Key Club cured funding from other community organizations Food & Wine: 5:30 – 8:30 Enlisted the aid of donors through Event Chairs: Eve & Marc Kanoff fundraising Wrote grants – a multitude by herGolf Challenge Chair: Barbara Brizdle 11:30 Registration, 12:30 Shotgun Start self – not only to Federation but also to local, state and national governments, one being Healthy Families through a federal grant Golf Challenge Identified the best and brightest 25+ Local Restaurants as JFCS interns while teaching at Calling all birdies, Live Band USF Sarasota-Manatee twosomes, foursomes! Presented workshops to the AssoGet your friends together Wine & Beer ciation of Jewish Family and Chiland play for a good cause, Martini Bar dren’s Agencies, sharing her ideas then join us under the tent about growing agencies and brainfor an evening of food, Silent Auction drinks & entertainment! storming with others Today, JFCS boasts a staff of more

rust, integral to the JFCS-Federation partnership, has evolved through a long, meaningful journey that has helped both organizations realize their respective missions: (1) empowering individuals and families toward self-sufficiency, and (2) strengthening Jewish life, providing for Jewish people in need, and supporting Israel. Ironically, an unexpected revised funding model had been the catalyst for solidifying that trust. In the early 1990s, when Rose Chapman assumed the helm as President/CEO of Jewish Family Services (soon to be known as Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee and now known as JFCS of the Suncoast), she wasn’t aware of the demographic and societal changes that the newly-formed autonomous agency would have to navigate. Rose was ready to face new responsibilities after a 15-year stint at the Miami Jewish Family Services as a licensed clinical social worker. De-

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than 120 dedicated professionals who provide a range of services that include: Case management, addressing individual client issues holistically Individual and group counseling Life-skills education Assistance with basic life necessities The multi-county social service, nonprofit organization with 16 locations, including one in Charlotte County, also meets the needs of Alzheimer’s patients and, most recently, cancer survivors, since taking over the defunct Center for Building Hope. Ultimately, Rose worked with Howard and the volunteer leadership of both agencies to foster a partnership between Federation and JFCS, which continues to thrive under her successor, Heidi Brown. The Federation underwrites JFCS’s Jewish Healing Program, including the Community Chaplain position; case managers that work with Holocaust survivors, Jewish seniors and Jewish families in distress; and Shabbat and Jewish holiday programming in senior living facilities throughout our two-county area. Federation also provides emergency funding through JFCS for Jewish individuals and families in need to cover rent, utilities, food and other expenses. According to Howard, “Rose Chapman is a visionary. Under her leadership, the organization had learned to cope with a potential funding crisis, ultimately helping to strengthen our community.” Howard underscores that Rose’s legacy is founded on determination and transparency. “When The Federation would review funding requests for a specific program, I saw accountability – Rose’s signature. I knew she’d check every quarterly report and grant request.” Rose responds that Howard trusted her and her volunteer leaders to present cogent proof for funding. Heidi echoes Howard’s sentiments: “As we move into a new era, we are proud to celebrate an incredible agency that was dynamically led by Rose Chapman for 25 years. Rose has worked tirelessly to plant seeds that have taken root and created the foundation of a strong, multi-functional social service agency that provides life-altering services. Rose has led with determination and passion.” As JFCS moves into a new era, we celebrate the success of Rose Chapman and look forward to observing how the agency continues to grow and prosper under the progressive leadership of Heidi Brown. On behalf of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, JFCS of the Suncoast, and the entire community, we are grateful to Rose Chapman for all she has done and continues to do for our Sarasota-Manatee community.

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FEDERATION NEWS

March 2018

“Twice Promised Land and 100 Years War” – War of Independence A series by Dr. Steven Derﬂer 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 48, Number 3 March 2018 48 pages USPS Permit No. 167 April 2018 Issue Deadlines: Editorial: February 28, 2018 Advertising: March 1, 2018 CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Change of address inquiries can be sent to Brieana Duckett-Graves at bdgraves@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6305.

PRESIDENT Michael Ritter EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Howard Tevlowitz SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Marty Katz MANAGING EDITOR Ted Epstein ADVERTISING SALES Robin Leonardi – 941.552.6307 PROOFREADERS Edward D. Cohen, Jack Mansbach, Sharon Napschin, Elliot Ofsowitz, Merry Sanders, Bryna Tevlowitz MIMI AND JOSEPH J. EDLIN JOURNALISM INTERNS Ashlyn Downey-Hayes, Nikol Isakovska 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 SarasotaManatee, 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 email (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.

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Editor’s note: The “Twice Promised Land and 100 Years War” series will continue over the next several issues of The Jewish News. This feature is included as part of our Federation’s year-long celebration of Israel @ 70. n spite of the fact that the international community recognized the need to create three states in the British Mandate territories, and voted favorably upon it, not all were pleased with the end result. Beginning almost immediately, the Arab League would back an all-out civil war aimed at consolidating what was supposed to become a Palestinian Arab state, and at the same time pressure and try to Dr. Steven Derfler deny the decided-upon territory to the Jewish Palestinians. The military action would begin as early as December 1947, a full half-year before the formal declaration of the State of Israel. Armies from Iraq, Egypt, Transjordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon began to amass just outside of the proposed partition boundaries. To make matters worse, the decidedly pro-Arab English military did everything in its power to tip the military scales on the side of the Arab League forces. During the decades of the British Mandate, with the unrest fomenting, the British military designed blockhouse-style police stations that could withstand all but a full firepower military assault. These were called Taggart Forts (named after the officer who designed them). Strategically placed throughout Palestine, a majority of these positions would eventually be turned over to the Arab forces trained by the British military. One of the fiercest battles fought in this timeframe would be the battle for Jerusalem’s roads (April-May 1948). The focal point would be in the Bab el-Wad, by the Latrun Police Station. Today, it serves as a museum for the armored corps, with dozens of memorials along the road nearby. Many “miracles” took place in this period of time, but perhaps the major feat of note was the building of what would become known as “The Burma Road.” With the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Road under constant siege and blockade by the Arab forces, the Jewish military would actually construct a bypass road, primarily by hand, through the mountains to avoid the Arab troops and supply the beleaguered city of Jerusalem. However, the victories needed to be tempered by the violence of war

and collateral damage. We need to remember that, prior to the creation of Israel, many paramilitary groups comprised the Jewish defense forces of Palestine. They all vied for control, and actually fought (both figuratively and literally) each other for finances, arms and controlling strategies. As a result, actions taken by these groups had no responsibility to a central command. So, at times, uncontrollable military action did occur, sometimes with a violence that allowed collateral damage. A major case in point was the episode in the Bab el-Wad village of Deir Yassin. On April 9, 1948, in the heat of battle, the village was destroyed and there were, according to the story, a massacre of civilians. The cry went out to avenge over 200 civilian deaths at the hands of the paramilitary Irgun and Lehi-radical Jewish elements. If we take into account the nature of the “Arab Mind” (an excellent treatise by Israeli scholar Raphael Patai), then we understand the hyperbole found in both Arab language and culture – a kind of paranoia of sorts. If the Arab propaganda called for the destruction of the Jews, Israel, etc., and used flowery, eloquent language to make believers of themselves and the opposition, then why shouldn’t they believe that the Israelis could be bent on similar destruction. So the call went out to

“Remember Deir Yassin” and avenge Arab civilian blood with Jewish civilian blood. This would add fuel to the fire by creating a mass hysteria among the civilian population to abandon their homes in soon-to-be controlled Jewishly allotted territory – adding to the myth of a completely, forcibly displaced Palestinian Arab population. However, Deir Yassin’s tale would take a new turn in 1998. The BBC would research and document that the initial reports of Hazem Nusseibeh and Hussein Khalidi in 1948 would be proven to be lies – admitted by the two men as propaganda and a means of exhorting the Arab world to rally against the Jewish community. Was there uncontrolled violence on both sides here? Yes. Were some civilians killed? Absolutely. Was the village of Deir Yassin totally destroyed and its civilian population massacred? No. However, the episode would be one of a handful of key events that would galvanize the Jewish military into creating an umbrella national organization that would become known as the IDF by June 1948. Dr. Steven Derﬂer is an international educational consultant, public speaker, archaeologist, historian, researcher, teacher and writer. He has been uncovering the histories of ancient civilizations for 40 years.

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March 2018

FEDERATION NEWS

Gulf Coast Hillel: a “Jewish home away from home” for local college students By Sandra Rifkin

was founded and continues to serve students at New College of Florida, Ringling College of Art + Design, USF Sarasota-Manatee and State College of Florida. Our Federation has formed an oversight committee that is made up of former Jewish communal professionals, a retired professor and a retired Hillel director. Chair Esther Garfinkle leads the committee to ensure our Jewish students have the “home away from home” they deserve. The committee is comprised of Dr. Steven Derfler, Iris Nahemow, Susan Prohofsky, Sandra Rifkin and Irene Ross. In just one school year, with an interim Hillel professional, Gulf Coast Hillel saw a surge in student participation in events and leadership. This alone shows the impact that providing on-campus support for local students through Gulf Coast Hillel has had thus far. Having a committed and stable

illel International’s motto provides a “Jewish home away from home” for college students around the globe. When our Jewish Federation was contacted by Jewish students in Sarasota-Manatee about the lack of Jewish stability on their campus, we knew our time to help had come. Through our relationships in the education and non-profit communities, we were able to connect with campus administrators to learn how we could help our Jewish students. It was clear that our students needed a stronger Hillel presence on campus. Hillel understands the needs of Jewish students better than anyone. Therefore, a cooperative partnership between our Federation and Hillel International seemed the best way to support the students’ efforts. Two years ago, Gulf Coast Hillel

Hillel strengthens students’ Jewish identity and relationships with each other. The Hillel oversight committee is working with Hillel International to hire a dedicated and enthusiastic professional to lead Gulf Coast Hillel. Some of the events that this professional will plan and execute with student leaders include Shabbat dinners, Lunch and Learn seminars with various relevant topics and guest speakers, and holiday celebrations such as a

By M

Yom Kippur Break Fast and Passover Seder. In addition to these events, Gulf Coast Hillel is exploring opportunities to send eligible students on Birthright Israel missions. The committee would welcome community members to assist with sponsoring Shabbat dinners for students. Please contact Jessi Sheslow at 941.343.2109 or jsheslow@jfedsrq.org to discuss sponsorship opportunities or to learn more about Gulf Coast Hillel.

New College of Florida students celebrate Rosh Hashanah

Federation expands Education Scholarship Program By Andrea Eiﬀert

T Ringling College students light Shabbat candles on Family Weekend

he Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee has expanded its Education Scholarship Program to include non-need scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year. Eligible students should be Jewish and enrolled full-time in a post-secondary undergraduate program. The applicant and his/her parent(s) must be full-time residents in either Sarasota County or Manatee County for a minimum of two years. Additionally, ideal candidates will demonstrate lead-

ership qualities, be involved in the local Jewish community and/or pursuing a degree in a field of Jewish study. An essay is required, and top candidates will be interviewed. Scholarship applications will be accepted through Monday, April 9, 2018. No applications will be accepted past the deadline. To apply, visit https://jfedsrq.org/ Staﬀ educationscholarships. For more information, contact me at aeiffert@jfedsrq. org or 941.552.6308.

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Zikaron BaSalon: a special way to commemorate our Jewish history

By Maor Ben-Arie, Community Israeli Shaliach

even years ago, a small group of friends in Israel began organizing gatherings in private homes to learn about the personal experiences of Holocaust survivors. The concept was so well received that today more than 500,000 people have participated in Zikaron BaSalon (Memories in the Living Room). These opportunities to meet and learn from a survivor often take place in conjunction with the commemoration of International Holocaust Day (January 27) or Yom HaShoah (observed in the spring), but are also held throughout the year. Sharing about the

Holocaust in a living room is a more informal yet also, perhaps, a powerful way to convey the horrific darkness Jews confronted in Europe during World War II. In January, JFCS’s Holocaust Survivor Support Services Case Manager, Jan Alston, and I initiated the first Sarasota Zikaron BaSalon at the home of Rabbi Jonathan and Marty Katz. Among the guests were teens who received scholarships from The Jewish Federation to participate on the 30th anniversary March of the Living (MOL) program, where they will join thousands of other young people in Poland this April. There they will march through the gates of Auschwitz before flying to Israel to celebrate Yom

Ha’Atzmaut. When Helga Melmed, a local Auschwitz survivor, began telling about her harrowing story, a quiet mixed with fascination, sadness and dismay pervaded the room. Later, Helga patiently answered a wide range of questions. “The opportunity to sit with a survivor in such a setting, up-close and so very personal, and then to have the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers,” remarked one of the teens participating in MOL, “meant a great deal to me. Because I know the number of living survivors is decreasing, I feel grateful to have had the opportunity for this deeply impactful experience. To participate or host in future Zikaron BaSalon events, please contact me at maor@jfedsrq.org or 941.780.9576.

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re you in need of extra financial help for your higher-education needs? Applications for the Jewish Educational Loan Fund’s (JELF) interest-free loans for higher education (college, graduate school and vocational programs) are available to Jewish students in the SarasotaManatee area for the 2018-2019 school year. JELF grants are need-based, “last-

dollar” financing, meaning that JELF provides the final dollars that bridge the gap between a student’s total financial resources and the cost of attending school. To qualify, applicants must be: Enrolled full-time in a program leading to a degree or certificate at a U.S. accredited institution A U.S. citizen or have lawful immigration status Able to demonstrate financial

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March 2018

FEDERATION NEWS

Jewish News internship available to area student By Kim Mullins

he Mimi and Joseph J. Edlin Memorial Journalism Internship provides the opportunity for an area student between the age of 16 and 22 to obtain real-world experience with a professional publication and the chance to learn more about the Jewish not-for-profit world. Through the generosity of the Edlin family, an area student will be awarded a paid internship with The Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee this summer. The funds for the internship have been provided through the Joseph J. Edlin Endowment Summer Journalism Internship Fund, represented by Mimi and Joseph’s three daughters, Jamie Edlin, Laura Wendel and Mari Edlin. The endowment fund is administered by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. The St. Louis Jewish Light is also a beneficiary of this fund. The roots of this project began to

grow in 1990, when Mrs. Edlin and her daughters discussed ways to honor Edlin’s late husband, Joseph. Joseph Edlin was a lawyer and real estate developer. He also wrote book reviews and did feature writing. He taught in Washington University’s English Department and was a lecturer. “He was a man who used words exquisitely, both oral and written,” said Mrs. Edlin.

Mimi passed away in September 2017. Mimi always enjoyed the annual process of meeting the internship candidates. It gave her great pleasure and pride to read their stories in the newspaper each month. Her daughters made the decision to continue the internship in memory of both of their parents. Last year, through the family’s generosity, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee was able to hire two interns. High school students Ashlyn Downey-Hayes and Nikol Isakovska were selected as the 2017 Jewish News interns. Each of them has submitted articles, interviews and stories on topics relevant to the Jewish community. The selected intern Ashlyn Downey-Hayes, Miriam “Mimi” Edlin, Nikol Isakovska

will be paid $600 for approximately 60 hours of work over the course of the year. Preferred are applicants who wish to pursue a career in journalism, have a desire to work in the nonprofit sector, and are interested in helping others. Applicants interested in writing or graphic design/illustration are encouraged to send samples of their work, a resume and cover letter to Marty Katz via email to mkatz@jfedsrq.org or regular mail to The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, Klingenstein Jewish Center, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232. The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 16, 2018. Please contact Marty Katz with any questions. The Mimi and Joseph J. Edlin Journalism Internship is funded by the Joseph J. Edlin Endowment Summer Journalism Internship Fund.

H By E Small Hands Give Back honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By Melissa Werbow, PJ Library Committee Chair

hen Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched for civil rights in Selma, he said, “I felt my legs were praying.” For young children, prayer you do with your

whole body makes perfect sense. They love to dive into a project head first. On Monday, January 15, in honor of what would have been the 88th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a

group of families gathered to pray with their feet. The second annual PJ Library Small Hands Give Back program was co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School. Families met on Lido Beach to give back by cleaning up the beach. Each family filled a bag with garbage and then gathered together to hear selections from PJ Library books on the theme of tikkun olam (making the world a better place). Everyone

enjoyed the beautiful winter sunshine, fun company, and meaningful opportunity to show that even the youngest children can make an impact. PJ Library and PJ Our Way provide free, Jewish-themed books to children ages six months to 11 years old. Monthly programs are held to engage young families. To find out more about these programs or to subscribe, visit https://jfed srq.org/youth-programs or call Andrea Eiffert at 941.552.6308.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS THEY HELP MAKE THE JEWISH NEWS POSSIBLE Families on Lido Beach for the PJ Library Small Hands Give Back program

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COMMUNITY FOCUS

March 2018

“From Moses to Mossad: Our Jewish Spies”

By Marden Paru, Dean, Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva | This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

ne of the most popular genres of fiction today is spy thrillers. The public’s fascination with intrigue and mystery draws many of us to the fiction shelves in libraries and at booksellers. However, there are many documented accounts of Jewish spies whose achievements will only be found in the non-fiction sections of libraries, history books, archives, government dossiers and the Internet. Why Jewish spies? We intuitively know the answer: Jewish survival and continuity. Starting in the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible), Moses sends 12 scouts to the “promised land” 3,430 years ago. Ten gave negative reviews while Joshua and Caleb brought a positive report on what the Ancient Hebrews would find

entering the land of Canaan. Thirtynine years later, Joshua leads the successful conquest of the land of Canaan. The information he gleaned from spying was of great value all those many years later. Thus begins a legacy of spying to preserve, as well as rescue, Jews from potential danger and mayhem. On the basis that many of our constituents do not know about the true heroism and intrigue of the many Jewish spies of history – both ancient and contemporary – a special course has been developed which will include tales and reports of the success of those who have gone underground on behalf of the Jewish people. With a long history of the Jewish people constantly under attack, many brave Jewish men

and women took great risks to protect their fellow Jews from destruction. In every age, Jewish spies, through their heroism and daring, brought honor and dignity to the Jewish people in times of great danger. Starting Monday, April 2, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m., the Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva will offer an eight-week course, “From Moses to Mossad: Our Jewish Spies,” which includes the study of the resistance and infiltrators in Jewish underground movements in German-occupied Europe, and undercover groups seeking Jewish statehood in pre-state Israel: Yiddishe Partizaners, the Mossad, Irgun, LEHI, Eli Cohen, Shin Bet, and notable women undercover agents, as well as the daring-do of so many others. How was

Adolph Eichmann found and whisked away to Israel in 1960? Exactly how and why did Jews learn to excel in the craft of spying? Many secrets will be revealed. To register or for more information, please contact me at marden. paru@gmail.com or 941.379.5655. The course fee is $60. Classes are held on The Jewish Federation Campus, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. The Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva is a not-for-profit, independent adult Jewish studies institute which is partially funded through a grant from The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Classes are open to anyone regardless of religion, race or sexual orientation. We invite you to participate.

Hitting all the high notes for our chai year By Eliora Jablow | This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

s I sat listening in the lobby of the Hecht Music Building on The Federation Campus, I got to my feet and walked into the choral room. The Sarasota Jewish Chorale (SJC) was rehearsing the song “The Prayer” by Sager and Foster, and the beauty of the words being sung had shivers running down my spine. It was one of the loveliest things I’ve ever heard. SJC is entering its chai, or 18th, year with a new artistic director, Sharon Greene, and some old and new voices. “SJC is a family. We sing and laugh and share our weeks together,” said Ronnie Riceberg, SJC Board President. “We care about each other and bring out the best in each of us through song.” My mother, Emily Tennenbaum, a soprano, joined SJC four years ago and

has been an active member ever since. She has been singing since she was a child and was a member of her temple choir. This year, when I came to Florida as a snowbird, the house has been filled with song as my mom gets up singing, and sings her parts throughout the day. Truly, the Chorale and its family spirit have brought her voice and spirit back to life. In the past few years, I’ve gone to concerts performed by this dynamic group in various Jewish venues throughout the greater Sarasota region. Everywhere they go they bring delight and smiles to those who attend their performances, whether they are in area synagogues, at JFCS or at Federation’s Annual Kristallnacht Remembrance. I’ve sat with founding member Arlene Stolnitz at several concerts. She is the one who 18 years ago brought the first

group of singers together. Arlene is a joy to be around, and music is in her soul. Please join us on Sunday, March 25 at 4:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom for SJC’s concert. It will be our finest as we honor the memory of Anne Frank and celebrate the 70th birthday of the State of Israel. The program, “Remembering to Rejoicing,” consists of the Chorale singers and instrumental soloists on the cello, flute and piano.

There will be a reception following the concert. Our sponsors are The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and Temple Beth Sholom. Tickets are $18 in advance or $20 at the door. For tickets, visit sarasotajewishchorale.org or call Susan Skovronek at 941.355.8011. Eliora Jablow is the daughter of Emily Tennenbaum, a soprano in the Sarasota Jewish Chorale.

- Join us for -

Passover Seder with your

Temple Beth Israel Family

Friday Service, March 30th, 5:30 pm Seder 6:30 pm at Temple Beth Israel on Longboat Key Conducted by

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10A

March 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch welcomes Cantor Deborah Bard to its congregational family

t is with great pleasure that Temple Beth El announces a wonderful new addition to our family, Cantor Deborah Bard. Cantor Bard comes to us from her home in California, with a wonderful history of service to many Jewish communities, to serve as fulltime cantor. Among her many accomplishments, Cantor Bard serves as Cantor Emeritas of the historic K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Congregation in Chicago. Recently, she was the visiting cantor of Anshe Shalom Congregation in

Olympia Fields, Illinois. Her sparkling tor in 1985. She did graduate work in exuberant voice is enhanced by her Voice and Music Performance at the Manhattan School of firm belief that music has the singular power to transcend Music, and in Creative the spoken word, to uplift the Arts Education at New soul, to inspire prayer, and to York University. direct us to the Sacred. Deborah served on the Executive Board of Deborah has a B.A. in Humanities from University the American Conference of California, Berkeley, and of Cantors, on the Board a B.S. in Sacred Music from of the URJ Commission on Synagogue Music and the Hebrew Union CollegeCantor Deborah Bard the Hyde Park Kenwood Jewish Institute of Religion, where she received Investiture as CanInterfaith Council. She is a member

“These we honor” Your Tributes

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 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 941.552.6304.

IN HONOR OF Victor Morrison Amy Eliezer

Happy Passover

of the American Society for Jewish Music, National Council of Jewish Women, and the Alumni Association of Hebrew Union College. She holds an honorary Doctorate in Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Deborah is the proud mom of Rachelpenina, from whom she gleans her most inspiration! So with great pride, we the Jewish community of Manatee County welcome Cantor Deborah Bard to our congregation, community and family.

Betty Schoenbaum to receive National AEPhi award

embers of Alpha Epsilon Phi Alumnae Suncoast will be joined at this year’s annual luncheon by officials from the national AEPhi organization who will come to present Betty Schoenbaum with an award as 2017’s outstanding AEPhi alumna. Kelly Koffman, the AEPhi Foundation president who resides in Los Angeles, Dr. Cheryl Kraff-Cooper, AEPhi board member from Chicago, and past national president and foun-

dation trustee Connie Sandler from Minneapolis will be joined by AEPhi’s executive director, Bonnie Wunsch of Connecticut, for the presentation. The luncheon will be held at Libby’s Café and Bar (1917 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota) at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 27. All area AEPhi alumnae are welcome to attend, but reservations are required. Please contact chair Sora Hecht Yelin at sorayelin@yahoo.com if you wish to attend or for further information.

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At the March 2017 AEPhi Alumnae Suncoast luncheon (Betty Schoenbaum, front row, far left)

Rich ab

March 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Sarasota Manatee ORT inaugural installation

ecently, ORT members and wish friends gathered at the Herwish shorin Schiff Community Day ation oldsSchool for the inaugural installation of Musicthe 2018 Executive Board for the Sarawishsota Manatee ORT chapter. It literally was inaugural in that 2018 marks the m offirst year that ORT exists as a single eansORT chapter in Sarasota-Manatee, and a presidential inauguration was the wishtheme of the installation. In 1972, Women’s American ORT welcon-(now known as ORT America) made a presence in Sarasota-Manatee with two ORT chapters (Sarasota Day and Sarasota Evening). Sue Rosin was the first president of the Sarasota Evening chapter. In the 46-year local ORT history, chapters were added, chapters merged and chapters folded. There have been 13 different local ORT chapters (Sarasota Day, Sarasota Evening, Longboat Key, Manatee, Venice, Gulfwind, Islandside, SarasostaPalm, Evening Tides, Aqua Coast, SaraMana Evening, Gulfside, GulfsidePalm). In January 2018, ORT chapters merged to become Sarasota Manatee ORT. January 21 was the perfect day to install a new board, because since 1937, the United States has publicly inaugurated the incoming president on

Richard Hershorin and Sue Rosin reminisced about the early years of ORT in Sarasota

January 20. However, some inaugurations took place on January 21 when January 20 fell on a Sunday. Each Executive Board member recited the oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of (and stated their respective office) of Sarasota Manatee ORT chapter, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the bylaws of ORT America,” while placing her hand on the The History of ORT book written by Leon Shapiro. The following were installed: Suzanne Crandall and Joanie Gastman (co-presidents), Roz Lieberman (vice president), Alice Cotman (treasurer), Ethel Gross (financial secretary) and Marcia Simon (recording secretary). Fran Cohen (corresponding secretary) was unable to attend.

Suzanne Crandall (top) with Joanie Gastman were installed as Sarasota Manatee ORT Co-Presidents

11A

Advertorial

Aviva uses music in pursuit of memory

e have all experienced that fantastic moment when a beloved song comes on the radio bringing with it all the emotion and memory we can muster. Maybe it was the song from your wedding or a loved one’s favorite tune. No matter the circumstance, music has an outstanding way to remind us of days gone by. That powerful connection between music and memory is exactly what gave birth to the worldrenowned non-profit and healthcare initiative, Music & Memory. As a nonprofit group, the program brings a personalized music library to seniors in an effort to improve cognition, emotional attachment and motor skills. For the first time in 25 years, Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life will feature this extraordinary program at our Anchin Memory Care Community. Led by Aviva Activities Director April Moschini, the program will use already existing technology such as iPods and iPads to bring residents their favorite music. Residents can choose from hundreds of different artists, genres and styles to create the perfect playlist for them. Aviva’s top-notch nursing team will undergo a rigorous training program provided by Music & Memory, which will help them facilitate music sessions and guide residents in a stimulating cognitive exercise. The program, which has gained rapid popularity since 2011, targets residents with dementia, Alzheimer’s, motor impairments, and similar physical challenges by giving them unparalleled access to the world around them. Across the country, healthcare facilities and caregivers are sharing the incredible stories of success in resi-

Aviva? As a community and one of the few Memory Care Centers in Sarasota, our team is always looking for ways to not only challenge our residents but to bring a whole new aspect to their daily lives. While some of our programs are focused on mobility and motor skills, others serve a singular purpose: to ring in a sense of joy, purpose and community. Our hope is that Music & Memory will fill our halls with

not only the sound of some of yesteryears’ greatest hits, but the sound that comes with people enjoying music as a community. We are grateful to our volunteers who will assist us in this program. Each day, volunteers will communicate with resident families to curate playlists and an individual’s most treasured musical memories. These playlists are then downloaded onto iPods and are kept easily accessible for staff and volunteers. Next is where the simplicity of this program really shines. Thanks to today’s modern technology, which is increasingly portable, our residents can engage with their favorite songs anytime, anywhere. From afternoons spent in the garden to the comfort of their own bedrooms, our residents will have a joyful and stimulating experience brought to them! At its core, Music & Memory takes a simple concept and applies it in a lifechanging way. As April stresses when

Celebrate with our Annual Passover

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FRIDAY • MARCH 30, 2018 • 6pm seder conducted by

Rabbi Michael Sternfield & Cantor Deborah Bard

Traditional Seder Kosher Style Seder Meal IMG AcAdeMy Golf & country club

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dents participating in the program. Residents, who prior to starting the program kept themselves isolated or even showed aggressive tendencies, have been found to relax and even become more social with those who share their love for a particular artist. One of the most popular success stories from the program was part of Music & Memory’s documentary which was shown at the Rubin Museum of Art in New Yok City. In the clip, a male resident who was completely incapable of speech is able to use his love of Cab Calloway to not only communicate with the team caring for him but also his fellow residents. So what will the program bring to

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talking about the program, “Bringing joy and happiness to residents with dementia is so important when we are helping them ‘live in the moment’ day to day.” By using the power of music to personally engage with every resident, we not only care for them, we also help make Aviva even more of a place to call home. Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life is more than just a community, it is a lifestyle. As Sarasota’s premier senior rental community, we invite you to experience the possibilities! Visit avivaseniorlife.org or call 941.225.8369 to schedule a tour.

12A

March 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Temple Sinai’s Mitzvah Day – a day of giving to the community

emple Sinai sponsors its annual Mitzvah Day this year on Sunday, March 4. Mitzvah Day is based on the concept of tikkun olam, interpreted as helping to repair the world through purposeful acts of loving kindness. Temple Sinai volunteers gather together as one united Temple Sinai family and perform acts of loving kindness on behalf of hundreds who are most in need in our community. Our volunteers include Temple Sinai’s Religious School students and teachers, GAN preschool students, members, families and friends. We welcome everyone from the community to join us. The event offers Temple Sinai members and community members a special opportunity to be involved in numerous projects dedicated to performing community service on behalf of the homeless, children, teens and adults most in need in our area. All

members and ages of the temple congregation volunteer for a wide range of activities. Children and teens, along with their families, gain a greater understanding of the joy found in helping others. One special project, called Adopt a Book, involves our third-grade students reading a book to underprivileged youngsters and then giving them the book to take home. Second-graders will be planting vegetables to donate. The Youth Group Car Wash raises funds for scholarships to Camp Jenny held at URJ Camp Coleman. As always, this is an opportunity to help make the world a better place, and the 2018 Annual Mitzvah Day does exactly that with help from our volunteers. To join this wonderful day of giving, call the temple office at 941.924.1802.

M he

By S

ligio effor Cele Win cal t As i boat this lebri port and Title Dev M lebri arm Boar dent repe

Volunteers packed backpacks for those in need at the 2017 Mitzvah Day

Temple Beth Sholom to hold Shabbat services in Lakewood Ranch Beth Sholom kicked off its “TBS Goes to the Ranch” outreach on Friday, February 23. Our next Shabbat service will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23, so mark your calendars to attend at the Windsor, 8220 Natures Way, Lakewood Ranch. The service will be filled with Shabbat singing led by our Lakewood Ranch residents, Cantor Neil Newman and Cantor Aaron Marcus. Services will be followed by an Oneg Shabbat. Come to share in the joy of Shabbat with the camaraderie of your neighbors and meet new people living in

Everyone is welcome! You do not have By D to be a member of Temple Beth Shon lom to attend. p The Lakewood Ranch service is an s additional Friday night service to the cial 6:30 p.m. service held at Temple Beth Sholom at our Tuttle location in Sara-enga sota. RSVPs are not necessary, but areDuri welcome to help plan for set-up and theEma Oneg Shabbat. RSVP to RRothstein@sore templebethsholomfl.org. For more in-King formation, please call Saranee New-exce perfo man at 612.220.2382. Thea sota, recit T

Cantor Neil Newman and Cantor Aaron Marcus

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ow many times are there conversations about filling the needs of those in the Jewish community living in Lakewood Ranch? How many people would attend a Friday night service if it was closer to where they lived? What would having more opportunities do to energize the Jewish community? Temple Beth Sholom is looking to support the community in finding answers to these questions. In order to meet the growing needs of our congregants and many prospective members living in Lakewood Ranch, Temple

March 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Marc and Eve Kanoff: Celebrity Chefs helps JFCS nourish the community By Sandy Chase

FCS of the Suncoast (JFCS) strives “Having learned so much, it made to foster self-sufficiency for those sense to do it again. We had hands-on most vulnerable – regardless of reexperience plus the unwavering supligious denomination. To support these port of Heidi, her staff, and very dediefforts, successful fundraising at the cated, creative volunteers. Eve and I Celebrity Chefs Food & also enjoy collaborating Wine Tasting event is criti– complementing each cal to achieve our mission. other’s financial and As in the past, the Longcreative expertise,” says boat Key Club will host Marc Kanoff. this high-energy event. CeThe Kanoffs are lebrity Chefs has great supconfident that they have port from local restaurants developed a framework and merchants, as well as for continued success Title Sponsor Benderson in 2019 and beyond. As Eve and Marc Kanoﬀ Development. Marc relates, “Steadfast Marc and Eve Kanoff chaired Cesupport is paramount for more than 650 participants to enjoy an evening of lebrity Chefs in 2017. And with a little outstanding cuisine, adult beverages, arm twisting from Steve Seidensticker, music and an extensive silent auction. Board Chair, and Heidi Brown, PresiA fantastic golf tournament is held bedent and CEO, the Kanoffs agreed to a fore the Food & Wine tasting at night.” repeat performance.

Having relocated from Princeton, New Jersey, the Kanoffs learned about JFCS’s monumental community accomplishments. “We grew up with tikkun olam. Impressed by Rose Chapman’s vision, I joined the Board and now chair the Investment Committee and serve on the Governance Committee,” Marc says. Laura McManus-Mesia, JFCS Chief Development Officer, and others attest: “We are grateful for Marc and Eve’s leadership, enthusiasm and fervent support.” The event will be held on Tuesday, March 20. Golf will start at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Food & Wine Tasting at 5:30 p.m. To register online, please visit http://JFCS2018.gesture. com or call Laura McManus-Mesia at 941.366.2224 x138.

A fulﬁlling spring with Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood

By Donald Malawsky | This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

n keeping with the mission of Temple Emanu-El, which promotes spiritual growth, learning and social justice, the Temple Brotherhood engages in many projects and events. During the last three years, Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood has co-sponsored a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These tributes, presented to exceptionally large audiences, included performances by the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Key Chorale of Sarasota, and Reverend Charles McKenzie reciting Dr. King’s iconic speeches. This year, the Brotherhood and

The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee co-sponsored the 37th Annual Sarasota MLK Celebration at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex. Over 300 people, including many temple members and others in the Jewish community, attended breakfast and were welcomed by Sarasota Mayor Shelli Freeland Eddie and Commissioner Willie C. Shaw. Also featured were singers from the Sarasota Opera, local celebrities and politicians. Rabbi Richard Klein of Temple Emanu-El delivered the invocation, and Rev. McKenzie offered insights about the warm

From my family to yours

Jan Schneider COMMUNITY PESACH

SEDER

friday, march 30, 7:30 p.m. chabad education center 21560 angela lane, venice

Warm and inviting atmosphere ● Hebrew and English reading Gourmet Passover cuisine ● Inspirational Holiday insights Enjoy a meaningful and interactive Seder

A project of Chabad of Venice

941.493.2770

*Subsidized participation is available. Please contact the Rabbi in confidence if this charge is beyond your means. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

‫ב"ה‬

relationship between Dr. King and the many prominent rabbis and other Jews actively involved with the 1960s civil rights struggles. Proceeds from the breakfast were used to provide scholarships to Newtown High School graduates. Awards were presented to a number of community contributors including Federation Executive Director Howard Tevlowitz. It was a beautiful, glorious day. The Brotherhood continues its busy season with two important events in March. On Thursday, March 8 at 7:00 p.m., the Brotherhood will sponsor distinguished Georgetown University professor Robert J. Lieber, who will deliver a free lecture regarding current developments in the Middle East with emphasis on Israel. Professor Lieber is a prolific author and has appeared in countless media outlets. Next, the Brotherhood will sponsor the talented, entertaining klezmer musical group, Klezmania on the Gulf, at its Klezmania Gone Wild event on Sunday, March 25 at 6:00 p.m. in Benderson Family Hall with a sumptuous Jewish-style dinner. The community is warmly invited to both events. For more information, please contact Don Malawsky at 941.359.2890 or dmalawsky@msn.com.

13A

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14A

March 2018

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Temple Beth Israel of Longboat Key presents its 2018 Kallah Scholar By Rabbi Peter Kasdan

Gerard Daniel, past president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and Honorary Life-Member of the Union for Reform Judaism’s Board of Trustees, in loving memory of his wife Ruth Daniel. Designated by Newsweek as the most influential rabbi in America and by The Washington Post as the “quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Jewish Federation Miracle Swimming Hill,” David Saperstein, for decades,

directed the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, representing the Reform Jewish Movement, the largest segment of American Jewry, to Congress and the Administration. During the last two years of the Obama Administration, Rabbi Saperstein served our nation as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International

Coalition to Preserve Religious Liberty, and served on the boards and/or executive boards of numerous national organizations including the NAACP, People for the American Way, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Religious Partnership on the Environment and the World Faith Development Dialogue. Rabbi Saperstein currently serves as a Senior Fellow at both Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs and its School of Foreign Service’s Center for Jewish Civilization, as well as the Senior Advisor for Strategy and Policy for the Union for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Saperstein is married to Ellen Weiss, an award-winning journalist. They have two sons, Daniel and Ari. Rabbi Saperstein will speak at Temple Beth Israel’s Erev Shabbat Service on March 16, beginning at 8:00 p.m. His topic will be “Being the Hands of God: Jewish Social Justice at a Time of Crisis and Opportunity.” Following the service, all in attendance are invited to partake of the Oneg Shabbat. The next day, beginning at 10:00 a.m. during the Shabbat morning service, Rabbi Saperstein will address the topic “Religious Persecution, Refugees and the Search for Religious Freedom Across the Globe.” Following the morning service, all in attendance are invited to share lunch in the congregation’s Shabbat Cafe.

Religious Freedom, carrying out his responsibilities as the country’s chief diplomat on issues of religious freedom. Also, an attorney, he taught seminars on Church-State Law and Jewish Law for thirty-five years at Georgetown University’s Law Center. During his distinguished career, Rabbi Saperstein served as the chair and/or co-chair of several national inHalf Nov 30.pdf 1 11/30/17 9:48 PM terreligious coalitions including the

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emple Beth Israel, through its Speakers Committee, is proud to announce its 2018 Kallah Scholar, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director Emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and URJ Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy. The Annual Kallah Scholar Weekend is sponsored by temple member

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March 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

15A

Rescuing the Jews of Bulgaria By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD

hile many people know that Denmark rescued most of its Jewish community from the Nazis, the story of how the 48,000 Jews of Bulgaria were saved was hidden for many decades. Seventy-five years ago this month, in March 1943, the worst fears and brightest hopes of the Jews of Bulgaria were realized. They were saved largely through the effort of one remarkable poliDr. Paul Bartrop tician. Dimitar Peshev was a leading Bulgarian lawmaker in the 1930s and 1940s, and a major actor in resisting the pro-Nazi government of Premier Bogdan Filov. Through this opposition he prevented the deportation of Bulgaria’s Jews to the death camps of Nazi Germany. The small Jewish community dated back to the 2nd century CE, and there were also some Sephardic Jews whose ancestors had been expelled from Spain after 1492. Bulgaria had resisted pressure to join the Axis until circumstances beyond its control forced the government to take sides, and in order to spare his country the devastation of possible German occupation, Tsar Boris III reluctantly agreed to join the Tripartite Pact on March 1, 1941.This alliance allowed Bulgaria to recapture Macedonia from Yugoslavia, and Thrace from Greece, territories which the country

lost after World War I. Under German pressure, Bulgaria enacted anti-Semitic laws even before becoming an Axis ally. On January 23, 1941, the Law for Protection of the Nation, which copied Nazi Germany’s Nuremberg Laws, came into effect, and in 1942 the government set up a special Commissariat for Jewish Affairs. On January 21, 1943, SS officer Theodor Dannecker, acting on behalf of Adolf Eichmann, arrived in Sofia to force Bulgaria to deport its Jewish population. On February 22, 1943, he reached a secret agreement with the head of the Bulgarian Commissariat for Jewish Affairs, Alexander Belev, for the deportation of Jews from the newly-acquired Bulgarian territories in Thrace and Macedonia, to Germanoccupied areas, by April 15. The Jews in these territories numbered around 13,000, but the Germans were hoping also to deport some 8,000 Bulgarian citizens of Jewish ancestry living in “old” Bulgaria. In the spring of 1943, the Bulgarian government signed a new law whereby all of Bulgaria’s Jews would be deported through Kyustendil on March 10, 1943, and sent to Nazi death camps in Poland. Jews in Thrace and Macedonia would also be rounded up and deported. When the Jews of Kyustendil learned of their imminent deportation, they attempted to have the order overturned through the intercession of one they knew as a friend: Dimitar Peshev, the Minister for Justice

LIBERAL YESHIVA a t o s a r a s PRESENTS APRIL 2018 COURSES

and Deputy Speaker of the Sobranie (Parliament). On March 8, 1943, a local Jewish delegation, including Jakob Baruch, a personal friend of Peshev’s, spoke with him about the government’s deportation plan. Peshev had not previously known of it. Upon confirmation of the story, he decided that the deportations had to be stopped. He traveled to Kyustendil and met with the assistant chief of police, who described to him how they were to take place. Peshev now saw all too clearly the consequences of Bulgaria’s alliance with Hitler, and decided he had to act. Together with a close friend and colleague from Kyustendil, Petar Mihalev, he went to Parliament and burst into the office of Interior Minister Petar Gabrovski, insisting that he cancel the deportations. Explaining the gravity of the situation, and after a fierce argument, Gabrovski called the governor of Kyustendil and instructed him to stop the deportations. By 5:30 p.m. on March 9 – just one day after Peshev had learned about the planned action against the Jews – the deportations had been cancelled. Despite Gabrovski’s assurance, however, Peshev needed further guarantees – especially after he learned that the Jews in the occupied territories of Thrace and Macedonia were already being deported. On March 18-19, 1943, Jews in Thrace were taken to Lom, in Bulgaria; from there they were shipped to Vienna, and then transferred to trains going to Auschwitz and Katowice. All Macedonian Jews were interned by March 11. On March 22 and 25, some were deported by train to Auschwitz; on March 29, the rest were deported to Treblinka.

Peshev now decided to bring up the matter in Parliament. On March 17, 1943, he wrote a letter of protest and had 42 Members sign it. Disregarding Prime Minister Filov’s instruction not to subject the letter to a vote in the House, it was discussed in caucus on March 23, 1943. Not wishing to have his authority undermined, Filov demanded that each of the signatories stand and verbally announce their support of Peshev’s letter. Shamefully, only 30 of the original 42 affirmed their position, and when a final vote was taken it was decided to censure Peshev. The next day he was forced to step down as Deputy Speaker. The years that followed were not kind. Under communist rule, Peshev was arrested as a member of the former Bulgarian collaborationist government and, facing the death penalty, members of the Jewish community from Kyustendil testified on his behalf. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison at forced labor, but after eighteen months the court reviewed his case and he was released upon learning of his key role in saving Bulgaria’s Jews. Released, he was forced to live in isolation, without a job or a means for sustenance. In January 1973, Yad Vashem recognized Dimitar Peshev as one of the Righteous among the Nations for his role in saving the Jews of Bulgaria. A few weeks later, on February 20, 1973, he died – a Holocaust resister recognized, sadly, much too late. Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. He can be reached at pbartrop@fgcu. edu.

FROM MOSES TO MOSSAD: OUR JEWISH SPIES MONDAYS 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM Starting April 2 (Eight Weeks) One of the most popular genres of fiction today is spy thrillers. Our fascination with intrigue and mystery draws us to libraries and book sellers. However, many people do not know of the true heroism and intrigue of the many Jewish spies of history both ancient and contemporary. This special course will include tales and reports of the success of Jewish spies whose primary goal was to save and protect Jews facing danger. With the Jewish people constantly under attack, many Jewish men and women took great risks to protect their fellow Jews from destruction. In every age, Jewish spies, through their heroism and daring, brought honor and dignity to the Jewish people in times of danger. Instructor: Marden Paru; fee $60.

THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN IN JUDAISM TUESDAYS 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Starting April 3 (Eight Weeks) Not enough credit has been given to the women of Judaism for their forbearing place in ancient Judaism. To some extent, even in the modern period, Jewish literature, ritual and custom emphasized the male role in Jewish life. But all of that was to change as enlightenment spread through Europe by the 18th century. We have much to learn from our matriarchs and unnamed woman of the Hebrew Bible as well as from the trend of egalitarianism in contemporary Judaism. Many of the gender roles have changed in Judaism where women often dominate the synagogue landscape and serve as activists in the broader Jewish community. This course will review the ever-changing role of women in Judaism and salute their achievements in maintaining Jewish continuity. Instructor: Marden Paru; fee $60.

NOW AT THE FLORIDA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM Discover the secret history

THE IMPACT OF YIDDISH CULTURE FRIDAYS 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Starting April 13 (Eight Weeks) While Yiddish has all but vanished as a living language, it is still spoken in cloistered communities primarily by ultra-religious Jews—from Borough Park in Brooklyn to Mea She’arim in Jerusalem. But in modern America, long gone is the familiar Yiddish shprach many of us heard as youth from our immigrant parents and/or grandparents. Yet, there is a renewal of interest in both Yiddish and Yiddish culture that is in reach of those who want access. This course will study the impact of Yiddish culture on the American scene as depicted in humor, comedy, contemporary literature and on the stage. There is no reason to recite the Kaddish for Yiddish and Yiddish culture. It still thrives here. Instructor: Marden Paru; fee $60. Inquire about multi-course discounts. Scholarships are also available. Classes are held on the Campus of The Jewish Federation, 580 McIntosh Rd. in Sarasota. To register or seek more information, please contact Marden Paru, Dean and Rosh Yeshiva at 941.379.5655 or marden.paru@gmail.com. Please make checks payable to the Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva and mail to Marden Paru, 5445 Pamela Wood Way #160, Sarasota, FL 34233. NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs. The Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency. It is funded, in part, by a grant from The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.

on display FEBRUARY 10 – JULY 15 The Nazi responsible for transporting millions of innocent people to death camps mysteriously disappeared after World War II. Photographs, film and recently declassified espionage artifacts reveal the truth about his daring capture and historic 1961 trial. is a co-production of the Mossad — Israeli Secret Intelligence Service; Beit Hatfutsot — The Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv; and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, Cleveland, Ohio

55 Fifth Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727.820.0100 • www.TheFHM.org

16A

March 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

Sarasota Jewish Chorale presents major production: “Remembering to Rejoicing” By Arlene Stolnitz | This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

n a commentary at the end of Ronald Balson’s book, Saving Sophie, the author states, “The Jewish experience in wartime Poland was dehumanization, slavery and extermination. Those few that survived the camps were universally staunch Zionists. They wanted to go to Israel. Israel was their rebirth.” The idea behind this statement, though not specifically connected to Balson’s book, was the impetus for the the Sarasota Arlene Stolnitz Jewish Chorale’s unique production later this month, “Remembering to Rejoicing – The Legacy of Anne Frank and the Miracle of Israel.” Much of the story has already appeared in the February edition of The Jewish News as told by Sarasota Jewish Chorale President Ronnie Riceberg. But I will let you in on the interesting backstory of how it got started, even earlier… Several years ago, Pieter Kohnstam of the Jewish Congregation of Venice approached me with an idea he had been thinking about for some time. Pieter, a Holocaust survivor, had an early connection with Anne Frank, whose family had fled to Amsterdam during the late ’30s. The two families lived in the same apartment building in Amsterdam. Pieter was a few years younger and Anne Frank was his babysitter. Years later, in Florida, as a survivor, Pieter had been an ambassador telling his remarkable story of survival

and his special relationship with the Frank family. Pieter had an idea that the words of Anne Frank’s diary could be used in a musical presentation. The occasion would be the 70th anniversary of the publication of her diary. He asked me if the Sarasota Jewish Chorale might be interested in being involved. At this point, it was just a dream. Coincidentally, the chai (18th) anniversary of the formation of the SJC would soon be approaching. Eventually, Pieter made a connection with Ronnie Riceberg and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Along with Pieter’s group, The Anne Frank Center of Mutual Respect, the idea started to become a reality. Ronnie’s article in the February edition of The Jewish News tells the story in detail of how the connection was made. The SJC’s new artistic director, Sharon Greene, an accomplished musician and singer with Choral Artists of Sarasota, and Ronnie were charged with the task of correlating the written words of Anne Frank with Holocaustrelated music. It was decided to have a program in which the first half related to the words of Anne Frank’s diary with appropriate music, leading to the second half, which was to be a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel. Much like those words of Ronald Balson’s quote, the program celebrates the idea that out of the ashes of the Holocaust, a country was born. And it would be presented in honor of the SJC’s 18th anniversary. What has evolved will stir your imagination and will remain with you long after you leave! Selections from The Diary of Anne

Temple Beth Israel

Frank will be shown in a visual production as the Chorale sings music appropriate to each theme. Several songs come directly from Voices of the Holocaust, presented at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in April 2014. Under the direction of Maestro Joseph Holt, Artistic Director of Choral Artists of Sarasota, Voices was presented in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Permission granted by Sheridan Seyfried, composer of the Voices production, has allowed the Chorale to sing poignant songs from ghettos and concentration camps. The second half of the program has a completely different and upbeat flavor, and celebrates the formation of the State of Israel. The members of the Chorale have been in rehearsal for the production

since September and are excited about its upcoming premier on Sunday, March 25 at 4:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom. Tickets can be purchased at www.sarasotajewishchorale.org as well as at the door. Donations can be made through the Chorale website at www.sarasota jewishchorale.org. Your support is greatly appreciated. Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sarasota Jewish Chorale, is a member of the Jewish Congregation of Venice. A retired educator from Rochester, New York, she has sung in choral groups for over 25 years and also sings in Venice’s Chorale (formerly Exsultate!). Her interest in choral music has led to this series of articles on Jewish folk music in the Diaspora.

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JEWISH INTEREST

March 2018

17A

n: Breathtaking tale of prominent professor’s undoing expertly woven with biblical and Mishnaic passages Book review and interview by Philip K. Jason, Special to The Jewish News

bout The Ruined House: A Novel, by Ruby nday, Namdar. Translated by Hillel Halkin. Beth Harper. 528 pages. Hardcover $29.99. d at well ome books are so spectacularly original, so far beyond ough the boundaries of any reader’s asotaexpectations, and so challenging, that rt isthey establish a new point of reference for any further discussions of literary ara-achievement. er of Ruby Namdar’s The Ruined e. AHouse, set at the dawn of the 21st cenNew tury, explores the s for givens of a cataice’s clysmic era that r inmay become a this period of tumulmusic tuous cleansing. Though centered on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual Phil Jason disintegration of a successful, middle-aged college professor, it fully engages the new American century’s self-masking: its adulation of elites and its confusion of cultural values. Andrew P. Cohen, an accomplished and proud secular Jew, has tripped over the scales of hubris and found himself to be a foul beast. His aura of polite self-congratulation has become contaminated and slowly begins to smother him. His many faults, the recognition of which he has artfully hidden from himself for decades, are in the process of being revealed. The selfishness with which he ended his marriage is exposed to him. The comfort and security he felt in his rg academic achievements, the physical attractiveness and health that he nurtured and in which he delighted, and his assumption of fully controlling his always upward-bound destiny are most painfully stripped away. Namdar tells his story, almost sings it, with a lyricism that is only the richer for the hideous images that increasingly fill up Cohen’s world as

the Kohanim, his behavhe falls apart. The erotic turns into its ior until this invasion of hideous opposite. Images of grotesque the distant past would tongues and penises fill his imaginahave disgraced his lintion. He sees signs of what’s coming, eage. has nightmares and incredible dayIt is hard to deterdreams, and they all finally rest on how mine to what extent his being – if not his world — has been author Namdar wishes penetrated and irradiated by ancient his readers to engage texts: sections of Old Testament with with these seven inaccompanying Mishnaic commentary. triguing passages, but This material, represented in the clearly they are not graphic style of the original manumeant to be merely scripts, focuses on the preparation of ornamental digressions. Readers must the Temple’s high priest for performing be open to the relevance of this unexhis duties during the seven days leadpected material. ing to Yom Kippur, the holiest day in As Andy Cohen falls from the the Jewish calendar. These duties are grace of his comfortable, prestigious largely rituals of purification, but also university position, it is as though include various kinds of sacrifices – ofhe has worshiped false gods. He had ferings to God. taken his gifts for granted by deluding Inner and outer cleansing of the himself into thinking that he had used self and the Temple are described, them well. along with a numHis behavior toward ber of sacred obhis ex-wife, his daughjects like fire pans ters, his students and coland candelabras. leagues, and his girlfriend The strange ceris ultimately always Andyemonial practice centric. Namdar is remarkof purifying holy able at painting Cohen’s places by sprindawning awareness of his kling them with ravenous ego, as well as blood is included. at representing the false Seven sections promises Cohen makes drawn from this to himself to change his running narrative/ ways. commentary serve Namdar alludes to as the dividers Ruby Namdar (and briefly quotes from) marking the seven Yeats’ The Second Coming, and chapters of Namdar’s book. The yearnthrough this reference, reminds us, if ing for divine approval registered in not Cohen, that the professor is only the priest’s actions seems to magically a representative figure in a doomed journey through time and space, ushercivilization. For Cohen, the phrase ing in Cohen’s self-loathing. The imag“Things fall apart, the centre cannot es in these passages also vividly reveal themselves in Cohen’s world and Cohen’s awareness, however fleetingly. Of course, Cohen bears the title of priest. That’s what his last name means. However, he has not taken on the mantle of a Kohane’s responsibilities. If he were truly a descendent of

hold” is only about him. The many scenes of disorientation, gluttony, perverse visions, panic and depletion in the novel are gorgeously crafted, as are those that develop the several boldly conceived characters in this convention-bursting novel. These include Cohen’s insightful older daughter, Rachel, his shallow friend the university president, and his clever, complicated girlfriend, Ann Lee. Namdar’s sketches of the various New York neighborhoods in which scenes are set are in themselves small masterpieces. So, too, are his descriptions of the more confined settings: the restaurants, the apartments, the offices, and the interiors of universities. This effort must have been an enormous challenge for translator Hillel Halkin, whose contribution to Namdar’s opportunity to amaze the English-language audience is immeasurable. Ruby Namdar has set himself enormous challenges, met them marvelously, and left this reader gasping for breath. Reprinted, with permission, from www. washingtonindependentreviewofbooks. com. See: http://www.washingtoninde pendentreviewofbooks.com/bookre view/the-ruined-house-a-novel. Philip K. Jason is Professor Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. He reviews regularly for Florida Weekly, Jewish Book World, Southern Literary Review, and other publications. Please visit Phil’s website at www.philjason.wordpress.com.

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18A

March 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

Stars of David

Interested in Your Family’s History?

By Nate Bloom, Contributing Columnist

Editor’s note: Persons in BOLD CAPS are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish for the purpose of the column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in a faith other than Judaism – and don’t identify with a faith other than Judaism as an adult. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish. The Tribe at the Oscars: 2018 Edition The 90th Oscars ceremony takes place on Sunday, March 4. It begins at 8:00 p.m. on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel will host. The following is a list of “confirmed” Jewish Oscar nominees. My practice is not to include the technical categories. The number of Jewish nominees is smaller than some years, but still substantial. Best Leading actor: TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET, 24, Call Me by My Name. He competes in this category with DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, 60, who starred in The Phantom Thread. Chalamet is the breakout actor of 2017. Besides starring in Call Me, a best picture nominee, he had a biggish supporting role in Lady Bird, another best picture nominee. He grew up in New York City, the son of an American Jewish mother and a French Protestant father. He’s referred to himself as Jewish. In Call Me, he plays a 17-year-old Jewish man living in Italy who has a brief same-sex affair with a visiting American Jewish student. Day-Lewis, 60, is the only male actor to win three best actor Oscars. His father, famous poet Cecil Day-Lewis, was of Irish Protestant background, while his mother, the late actress JILL BALCON, was Jewish. Jill’s father, MICHAEL, was a founder of the British film industry. Daniel has always been secular. He says Phantom Thread, in which he plays a fashion designer, will be his

last film. (No Jewish actresses were nominated this year and no Jewish actor got a supporting actor nomination.) No Jewish writers are nominated for an original screenplay. However, a number are nominated for best adapted screenplay. The Disaster Artist, a comedy about a terrible real movie, was written by SCOTT NEUSTADTER and MICHAEL H. WEBER, both 40. They have been a writing team since 1999 and have similar backgrounds. Neustadter grew up on Long Island and Weber in Atlantic City. Both had a bar mitzvah and like to dish about Jews in the movies. Their breakout film was 500 Days of Summer (2006), a clever original romantic comedy/ drama. Also in this category: Logan, which was co-written by SCOTT FRANK, 57, James Mangold and MICHAEL GREEN, 45. Logan is the first comic-book based movie to get a best screenplay Oscar nomination. Frank’s credits include writing Minority Report, Marley and Me and Out of Sight (best adapted nomination). He also wrote and directed Godless, a Netflix series. Green, grew up in a New York City suburb where his religious, Israel-born mother insisted he attend a yeshiva. He became more secular as he grew older. A top screenwriter, now, he got his big break writing a first season Sex and the City episode. Also: AARON SORKIN, 56, for Molly’s Game, a film from a memoir by Molly Bloom (whose father is Jewish) about

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Nate Bloom (see column at left) has become a family history expert in 10 years of doing his celebrity column, and he has expert friends who can help when called on. Most family history experts charge $1,000 or more to do a full family-tree search. However, Bloom knows that most people want to start with a limited search of one family line.

So here’s the deal:

Write Bloom at nteibloom@aol.com and enclose a phone number. Nate will then contact you about starting a limited search. If that goes well, additional and more extensive searches are possible. The first search fee is no more than $100. No upfront cost. Also, several of this newspaper’s readers have asked Bloom to locate friends and family members from their past, and that’s worked out great for them. So contact him about this as well. running high-stakes poker games. Sorkin became famous with his 1989 play A Few Good Men. It became a hit movie in 1992. LEE UNKRICH, 50, is the co-director and co-producer of Coco, a best feature-length animated movie nominee. He directed Toy Story 3, which won the Oscar in 2011. FRANK STIEFEL, 60ish, is nominated for best documentary short subject with Heaven is a Traﬃc Jam. It’s about MINDY ALPER, 58, a talented artist who has battled mental problems. Stiefel made a short movie, Ingelore (2009), about how his mother, a deaf teen, escaped Nazi Germany. BRYAN FOGEL, 40ish, wrote and co-starred in Icarus, a best feature-length documentary nominee. Fogel, a very serious bicyclist, blew the lid off Russian athlete doping in his film. Before Icarus, he was best known for Jewtopia, a comedic play/ film. His parents, who belong to a Denver Orthodox synagogue, will accompany him to the Oscars. DIANE WARREN, 61, is nomi-

nated for best song, “Stand Up for Something” from Marshall. This is her 9th best song nomination. She competes with BENJ PASEK, 32, and Justin Paul, who wrote “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman. HANS ZIMMER, 60, is nominated for best musical score for Dunkirk. He’s been Oscar nominated 11 times, winning in 1995 for The Lion King. The best picture nomination goes to the film’s producers. Nine movies are nominated. The following have “confirmed” Jewish producers: Call Me by My Name (PETER SPEARS, 50); The Darkest Hour (ERIC FELLNER, 58); Lady Bird (SCOTT RUDIN, 59) – the film’s director/writer, Greta Gerwig, recently told NPR she wanted to use excerpts of a STEPHEN SONDHEIM musical in her film. Fortunately, she said, Rudin is friends with Sondheim, 87, and Sondheim gave her permission; The Post (AMY PASCAL, 59, and STEVEN SPIELBERG, 71 – Spielberg directed The Post, but wasn’t nominated for best director this year.

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March 2018

JEWISH INTEREST PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT

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Like his opponent, David will be a strong voice for Israel in the Congress! David strongly

supports Israel’s right to exist—in peace and security—as a Jewish, democratic state— and to defend its citizens against terrorism and violence. Moreover, David’s desire to see Israel living in peace with its neighbors is very personal: he fulfilled a life-long dream by traveling there in 2015 with Temple Emanu-el. We hope that you will support David’s campaign, vote for him on Nov. 6, and urge your friends to do so, too. If you want to read David’s Middle East Policy Paper and other position papers, or contribute to his campaign, please log onto his website:

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19A

20A

March 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

NASCAR’s ﬁrst Israeli champion driver named among top 100 people positively inﬂuencing Jewish life

sraeli native Alon Day was recognized by The Algemeiner on February 6 as among “The Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life, 2017.” The accolade caps an incredible year for Day, which included being named “Israel’s Athlete of the Year;” debuting as a driver for BK Racing against the world’s top stock car drivers in NASCAR’s highest level, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series; and earning the title “Champion” of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. Alon Day shares the Top 100 list

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with a very diverse collection of luminaries which include: Ron Dermer, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.; Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader; Michael Pence, U.S. Vice President; Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook; Lillian Pinkus, President of AIPAC; Sheldon Adelson; Robert Kraft; Haim Saban; Jake Tapper, CNN Anchor; Bob Dylan; and Gal Gadot. When notified of his selection, Day said he was “really excited and honored to be part of a list that included such well known and great names.” Day, who regularly waves the Israeli flag in “victory lane,” further said,

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“Wherever I go and race, I am proud to represent the Jewish community and Israel, that will always be a part of me.” Born in the port city of Ashdod, Israel, Alon Day now lives in Tel Aviv. Currently 26, Day began his motorsports career at the age of nine. Learn more about Alon Day at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=E2CtHjj-GTs. For 2018, Day is scheduled to compete in 28 races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series beginning on Sunday, March 11 in Phoenix. He is currently seeking corporate sponsors and individual donors to help defray the costs of competition. A charitable organization has been created to assist Day and other Israeli motorsports ath-

letes. Its website can be found at www. RacingForIsrael.org. The Algemeiner describes itself as the “fastest growing Jewish newspaper in America.” In putting together its Top 100 list, the newspaper seeks “to inspire and motivate our young and the next generation, our future emerging leaders, in rising to the occasion and perpetuating the highest standards of our proud tradition and legacy – in serving and championing the cause of Jews and Israel.” Read the full article at: https:// www.algemeiner.com/the-top-100people-positively-influencing-jewishlife-2017/.

K’zohar Ha-Ivrit U-tzu E-tzah – Advise By Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin

he festival of Purim is about to commence as the month of Adar joyfully enters our calendar year. Purim brings on its wing a somber reminder that blind hatred, such as Haman’s, existed in the world in ancient times and unfortunately continues to this day. At the same time, its joyous celebration reminds us time and again Dr. Rachel Dulin of God’s help in overcoming adversity and conquering evil. Averting a sinister plan designed to kill the people of Israel is a motif spoken already by the prophet Isaiah. His words utzu e-tza ve-tu-far… ki ema-nu-El, literally, “hatch a plot – it shall be foiled… for with us is God” (Is. 8:10), entered the repertoire of songs sung on Purim to celebrate the day. It is to the words u-tzu e-tzah that I wish to direct our attention. Both words are derived from the root y.a.tz, meaning “advise,” “counsel” and “deliberate.” As a verb, ya-a-tz appears 65 times in the Bible and, as a noun, e-tzah appears 88 times. U-tzu is the imperative plural form of the verb, namely “give advice,” and e-tzah is the noun, meaning “an advice,” “a plan” and “a deliberation.” It is clear that, depending on the yo-etz, “the advisor” and the intent, the e-tzah can be good or bad. E-tzah can have an evil intent or a plot to hurt. Conversely, e-tzah can be good advice, a wise suggestion, a helpful deliberation, or a plan designed for the

betterment of everyone. At the center of the story of Purim is God’s foiling Haman’s evil e-tzah, given to the king of Persia to kill the Jews of his kingdom. The fact that ema-nu El, literally “God is with us,” turned a pending catastrophe into a joyful celebration. Indeed, even though Persia was far away in miles and time, the words of the prophet Isaiah clearly resonate the turn of events we celebrate on Purim. Interestingly, with the years, the biblical meaning of e-tzah became one of the measuring rods to highlight different features of human behavior. For example, based on Ps 13:3, the one who shut e-tzah be-atz-mo is literally “the one who searches independently for solutions.” On the other hand, oved e-tzot is “a person who is confused and clueless” (Dt. 32:28). We should also mention the person who is nil-eh berov e-tzot, literally, “one tired of all advice” (Is.47:13) and is not willing to listen anymore. And worst of all is the one who ma-a-lim e-tzah, namely, “a person who gives bad advice” (Job 42:3). We’ll end with the phrase, e-tzah ve-tu-shi-ya, literally, “council” and “resourcefulness,” which, according to the writer of Proverbs, are the features of true wisdom (Prov. 8:14). So, as Purim is celebrated around the Jewish world, may e-tzah ve-tu-shiya be our lot. May we enjoy supportive e-tzah when needed, and may good etzah triumph over evil. I wish you Purim sa-me-ach. Dr. Rachel Zohar Dulin is a professor of biblical literature at Spertus College in Chicago, and an adjunct professor of Hebrew and Bible at New College in Sarasota.

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March 2018

JEWISH INTEREST

21A

Aging Jewishly – What our traditions teach us about growing old

Jews and tattoos By Rabbi Barbara Aiello

ot long ago I received a call from a grieving widow. Her beloved husband of 71 years had passed away. “Jake wasn’t all that religious,” his wife Arlene explained, “but I do know that he wanted a Jewish funeral in a Jewish cemetery. I was making arrangements when her brotherin-law phoned to tell me that Jake’s Jewish funeral Rabbi Barbara Aiello was impossible.” Arlene was shocked. Then Jake’s brother explained. He said, “Jake can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetery because when Jake was in the Navy he got a tattoo.” These days, tattoos are all the rage. Among the general public there are those who view the tattoo as an urimartistic or even a spiritual expression, zah,yet others are opposed to any activity l thethat permanently marks the body. For at e-us Jews, however, the tattoo issue has us,”deeply historical roots with emotional to asignificance. Turning to the Torah in VaYikra ough (Leviticus), we find a specific prohibiime, tion regarding tattoos: “You shall not early bratemake gashes in your flesh for the dead,

the one difFor one rally ently oved and also bef all lling all is mely, (Job tzah and ng to ures

or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28). Even Maimonides, one of the greatest commentators, had a tattoo opinion. He concluded that regardless of intent, the act of tattooing is prohibited (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry 12:11). Then there’s Professor Aaron Demsky of Bar-Ilan University, who sites text from Isaiah and Job that suggests that tattooing was acceptable in biblical times. A modern perspective comes from a tattooed rabbi himself. Rabbi Marshal Klaven of Congregation B’nai Israel in Texas got his first tattoo at 16 years of age and now boasts four more, each depicting a Jewish theme. Rabbi Klaven even wrote his rabbinic thesis on tattooing in Jewish history. “In the Torah, tattoos marking affiliation to the people of Israel and/or the God of Israel were accepted, if not encouraged, more times than not,” says Rabbi Klaven, who adds, “In the classic rabbinic period, what bothered the rabbis was not the presence or the content of that mark, but its intended purpose. While a minority of sages believed that willfully receiving or giving a tattoo was a transgression, the majority objected only when the tattoo served an idolatrous purpose.” (Carol Kemp, “Rethink the Ink,”

Torah forbids us from tattooing our bodies. Nonetheless, one who has had tattoos can still be buried in a Jewish cemetery.” So where did the prohibition come from? It’s likely that Jewish parents and grandparents, many of whom found tattoos distasteful, passed off the myth as Jewish law. Indeed, Jake’s widow, the “Arlene” in our story, had no need to worry. Jake’s Navy tattoo would not prohibit a Jewish burial. That being said, our Holocaust history paints a horrifying picture of tattooing juxtaposed with the cultural phenomenon that nearly 40 percent of our adult children and 36 percent of our teenage grandchildren have at least one tattoo. What does this mean for us Jews? Beyond debunking the cemetery myth, a discussion of Jews and tattoos seems to be one that is quite timely, culturally appropriate, and indeed worth having. (NOTE: To learn more about denominational perspectives regarding Jews and tattoos, go to http://www. momentmag.com/are-tattoos-andbody-piercings-taboo/.) For ten years Rabbi Barbara Aiello served the Aviva Campus for Senior Life in Sarasota as resident rabbi. Currently as Aviva’s Rabbi Emerita, she shares her experiences on Aging Jewishly. Contact her at Rabbi@Rabbi Barbara.com.

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Jewish News Online UK 2017) Regardless of the historical argument, the emotional impact of tattooing is not lost on Holocaust survivors, their children and even their grandchildren. Historians tell us that during the Holocaust, concentration camp prisoners received tattoos only at the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, that included Auschwitz I (Main Camp), Auschwitz II (AuschwitzBirkenau) and Auschwitz III (Monowitz and the subcamps). The procedure was brutal and dehumanizing. Eye witness accounts from survivors testify to a procedure that featured “a special metal stamp, holding interchangeable numbers made up of needles… which allowed the whole serial number to be punched at one blow onto the prisoner’s left upper chest. Ink was then rubbed into the bleeding wound. Later on, a single-needle device was introduced, which pierced the outlines of the serial-number digits onto the skin.” (Tattoos and Numbers, U.S. Holocaust Museum) There is no record of a tattooed Holocaust survivor having been denied burial in a Jewish cemetery. In fact, many modern rabbis, including eight scholars polled for an article on the topic, say that the burial prohibition for a tattooed Jew is an urban legend most likely started because a specific cemetery had a policy against tattoos. Even Chabad spokesperson Chani Benjaminson states, “The

JUDAICA SHOP HOURS

Open Tuesday 12:00 - 3:00 pm Wednesday & Thursday from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Friday, by appointment only For special appointments, please contact Hannah Puckhaber at 941-552-2785 or tbsjudaicashop@gmail.com

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MINYAN Morning Minyan Sunday - Friday, 8:00 - 9:00 am Men’s Club Minyan Breakfast Wednesday 9:00 am

CONTINUING EDUCATION

◦A Cup of Joe and the Five Books of Mo: Tuesdays, March 6, 13, 20, 27, 9:15 am - 10:15 am

◦Yiddish Reading Circle: Tuesday,

call for dates, 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm ◦Chug Ivri (Advanced Hebrew Circle): every Thursday, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm ◦Lunch & Learn: Partners with our Planet: Jewish Tradition & the Environment w/Sue Spector Thursdays in March, 12:00-1:30 pm, $5 non-members; bring a dairy bagged lunch

Youth Corner

IDELSON LIBRARY BOOK REVIEW

Chalutzim & Kadima

Join us Wednesday, March 7, 1:15 pm as Judge Judith Barzilay reviews Here I Am: A Novel, by Jonathan Safran Foer

Seder & Strawberry Project at Honeyside Farms

Sunday, March 25

TBS Sisterhood and the SaBra Chapter of Hadassah

For details, call Kelly Nester at (941) 955-8121

Present guest speaker, Author Maggie Anton for coffee & discussion about her book, Fifty Shades of Talmud: What the First Rabbis Had to Say About You-Know-What

Men’s Club Breakfast Program

Monday, March 5, 1:30 pm, $10

TBS to hold additional Shabbat Service in Lakewood Ranch! Friday, March 23, Service at 7:30 pm at The Windsor,

8220 Nature’s Way, Lakewood Ranch. Services filled with Shabbat singing led by our Lakewood Ranch residents, Cantor Neil Newman and Cantor Aaron Marcus. All are welcome! Services followed by Oneg Shabbat

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Sisterhood’s Women’s Seder Sunday, March 18, 6:00 pm Call the Temple office for more details! MAH JONGG Every Tuesday, 12:00 - 3:00 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room. Snacks provided! TBS members $2 - Non-Members $3

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March 2018

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

7 Israeli buildings that will make you stop and stare Ranging from unusual to daring to strangely appealing, these extraordinary architectural eye-poppers show the quirky side of Israeli creative genius. By Abigail Klein Leichman, ISRAEL21c, www.israel21c.org, January 11, 2018

he austere “less is more” mantra of architecture in the first half of the 20th century gave way to the postmodern “less is bore” approach that said buildings could be both functional and artistic, even incorporating elements of irony and asymmetry. While “less is more” defines the famous White City Bauhaus buildings that earned Tel Aviv a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, the “less is bore” approach in Tel Aviv and other Israeli locales led to structures that have people stopping in their tracks to gawk, grin or gasp. Are these buildings beautiful or baffling, or both? That’s up to you. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ‘BUBBLE HOUSE,’ NEVE DANIEL French-born architect and interior designer Ephraim Henry Pavie planned this 10-room, four-story house for his

The Pavie Bubble House mimics the flowing shapes of nature (photo courtesy of Ephraim Henry Pavie)

An interior view of the Bubble House in Neve Daniel (photo courtesy of Ephraim Henry Pavie)

own family in 2007. It’s not completely finished because he’s always experimenting with the design. “I’ve been doing this kind of shape since I started learning architecture in Paris,” Pavie tells ISRAEL21c. “I don’t see why I should be obliged to use geometrical shapes which have nothing in common with nature’s system of shapes. The separation between inside and outside should integrate the life of the outside, and I think curves are the best way to make an envelope for a family.” His teachers warned that if he wanted to graduate he’d have to sketch rectangular buildings like everyone else. But once his diploma was safely in hand, Pavie and a few friends built two feng shui-inspired bubble houses in Paris in 1974. “The technical approach we developed allowed us to build free shapes. The structure is flexible, and when I’m sure everything fits the way it should fit I spray concrete on it,” says Pavie, who has also built bubble houses in Miami and on the French Riviera, and is completing another one in Israel. Every component, including the windows, is custom made onsite. ‘BEEHIVES,’ RAMOT POLIN, JERUSALEM Israel prize-winning architect Zvi Hecker designed the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot Polin as an enormous grid of pentagonal (fivesided) units. Completed in 1975 and since expanded upon, Ramot Polin’s 720 apartments zigzag around inner courtyards. “The general plan of the Ramot Housing is reminiscent of the palm of an open hand – its five fingers are re-

Ramot Polin, Jerusalem (photo via zvihecker.com/projects)

taining walls ‘supporting’ the slope of the hill,” explained Hecker. “Each ‘finger’ is composed again of five boomerang-like buildings assembled in such a way as to create interior courtyards [transected] by pedestrian paths reminiscent of the Old City of Jerusalem.” Similar geometry is seen in Hecker’s Synagogue in the Negev, where

Synagogue in the Negev (photo via zvihecker.com/projects)

three types of polyhedral units comprise the truncated octahedron building. SPIRAL HOUSE, RAMAT GAN The internationally prolific Zvi Hecker also designed this twisty house, which took five years to build, from 1984 to 1989. The facade of plaster, pink glass, stone fragments, corrugated tin and mirrors reflect the interior courtyard and the surroundings.

Spiral House, Ramat Gan (photo via zvihecker.com/projects)

Hecker describes the Spiral House, which won an architecture award insmil 1999, as a modern Tower of Babel. “Itto Te is a work of incomplete precision. Be-‘HO cause it is so precise it can’t be reallyTEL finished. The Spiral’s incompletenessTel A is also its poetry, because poetry is thethe g most precise expression of our need forthis p precision. Expressive as it is, the Spiralside can’t be fully understood. It speaks tothat many languages at one and the same time.” ‘THE CRAZY HOUSE,’ TEL AVIV This nine-story postmodernist apartment house, finished in 1985, was designed by Syrian-born architect Leon Gaignebet (also called Leon Geneva). The side of the building that faces the beach is embedded with gravel, shells, sand, natural wood and plants. The front-facing side features a metaland-concrete fresco. The architect has described these opposite sides as “east and west, masculine and feminine, mineral and natural.” Due to its prime location along Hayarkon Street in north-central Tel Aviv, the Crazy House elicits lots of continued on next page

Temple Beth Israel 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key 941-383-3428

Temple Beth Israel, The Center of Jewish Living on Longboat Key TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL’S SPEAKERS COMMITTEE is honored to present the 2018 Kallah Scholar – RABBI DAVID SAPERSTEIN Director Emeritus of the Religious Action Center and URJ Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy

March 16th - 17th, 2018 “Jewish Values in a Time of Crisis”

it. I chite T er m Hare per Aviv L love to lif was “ the s days be a play poin the s SAI HAM This mea flate et” b laun Dina ed o

Events are free and open to the public Shabbat Evening, March 16th @ 8:00 pm “Being the Hands of God: Jewish Social Justice at a Time of Crisis and Opportunity” Shabbat Morning, March 25th @ 10:00 am “Religious Persecution, Refugees and The Search For Religious Freedom Across The Globe” Following Rabbi Saperstein’s presentation on Saturday Morning everyone in attendance is invited to partake of a light lunch at TBI’s Shabbat Café To attend the lunch you must register: 941-383-3428

The TBI Kallah Scholar Weekend is made possible through a grant by Gerard Daniel in loving memory of his wife Ruth Daniel.

Sail

Emp scrap T grou is co num nas, tall, Haif

March 2018

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD continued from previous page

above mosaics depicting Haifa’s history, including a city map from 1773 and a painting of Mount Carmel from 1667. HERODS EILAT HOTELS The Herods Eilat Hotels are the brainchild of architect/entrepreneur/sailor Yoav Igra. Born and educated in Jerusalem, Igra earned a degree in architecture in Canada and returned to Israel in 1989 to create Israel’s first themed hotel resort similar to those in Las Vegas. The $140 million project is distinguished by historic-looking arches, towers, domes and columns symbolizing seven cultures that had great influence on the region: the Egyptians,

Nabateans, Greeks, Romans, Ayyubids, British and Israelis. Igra oversaw each detail down to the doorknobs. The complex of three hotels (Herods Palace for families, Herods Boutique for business travelers and Herods Vitalis spa hotel) opened in 1999. Igra lives in the Palace and continues to update and tweak his creation. Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.

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Morton’s offers a full menu of Passover delicacies, from traditional Seder plates to braised brisket, apple walnut charoset and pomegranate glazed chicken. Finish your meal with our famous flourless chocolate truffle cake. Details available online.

The front of the “Crazy House,” Tel Aviv (photo by Fotokon/Shutterstock.com)

smiles and picture-taking from visitors to Tel Aviv. ‘HOUSE ON THE BOARDWALK,’ TEL AVIV Tel Aviv University Prof. Tzvi Harel, the good-natured architect who designed this post-modernist gravity-defying seaside apartment house, tells ISRAEL21c that he is “proud of being insulted about

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House on the Boardwalk at 2 Trumpeldor Street, Tel Aviv (photo via happyintlv.net)

it. I believe humor and criticism in architecture is very important.” The four-story building was never meant to be more than imaginary. Harel sketched it for a 1980s newspaper column on the renaissance of Tel Aviv culture and art. Local entrepreneur Avraham Piltz loved the oddball design and brought it to life, though he died before the house was completed in the mid-1990s. “The idea was that since it was on the shore of Tel Aviv, which in those days was quite neglected, you could be an exhibitionist and expose yourself playfully in front of the sea,” Harel says, pointing out that every room in each of the seven apartments has a sea view. SAIL TOWER (MIGDAL HAMIFRAS), HAIFA This government office building is meant to evoke a huge boat with inflated sails. Locals call it “The Rocket” because it looks like it’s ready to launch into outer space. Designed by Dina Ammar, the tower was completed on February 28, 2002, and made

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Sail Tower in Haifa (photo by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani/skyscrapercenter.com)

Emporis.com’s top 10 list of best skyscrapers that year. The Sail Tower, with 29 aboveground and three below-ground stories, is covered in curtain walls of aluminum and glass. Counting the antennas, it stands at 152.5 meters (500 feet) tall, making it the highest skyscraper in Haifa. In the lobby, 10 steel arcs soar

TBS Members $65 – TBS youth 17 & under are free, through the generosity of the TBS Sisterhood Non-Members $85 – Children 10 and under $45

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Temple Beth Sholom • 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237 941.955.8121 • info@templebethsholomfl.org

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March 2018

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

Christian-funded immigration to Israel spikes 25 percent in 2017

ERUSALEM, Dec. 26, 2017 – Supported by millions of Christians worldwide, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) brought 5,600 immigrants from 27 countries to Israel in 2017, reflecting a 25 percent increase from last year and amounting to a third of Israel’s new citizens from non-Englishspeaking countries. During the past year, The Fellowship also reached a new milestone by bringing the 10,000th immigrant to Israel since the organization began singlehandedly operating its own global aliyah (immigration) program in late 2014. The Fellowship works in 27 countries from Argentina to Ukraine where the Jewish community is threatened by economic turbulence, rising anti-Semitism or terrorism, and has become the lead aliyah force in nine of those countries. During 2017, a total of about 28,400 immigrants arrived in Israel from around the world, including 3,000 from North America and up to 1,000 from other English-speaking nations. Among the overall total of

newcomers, between 5,000-6,000 arrived on tourism visas but later changed their status to become new immigrants. The Fellowship itself brought one third of the remaining 18,400 olim, becoming an increasing force in aliyah. “Thanks to our millions of Christian friends in the U.S. and in countries from Brazil to South Korea, we are playing an increasingly active role in bringing new immigrants to their Jewish homeland,” said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, The Fellowship’s founder and president. “We look forward to bringing even more Jews home to Israel in 2018 and continuing to help build the Jewish state.” The Fellowship has been active in aliyah for 25 years, partnering with other organizations initially including the Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh, which The Fellowship helped found. Since starting its own global aliyah program in late 2014, The Fellowship has brought nearly 12,000 new immigrants to Israel from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Guatemala, Latvia, Lithuania, Melilla, Mexico, Moldova, Panama, Paraguay, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and another nation

which cannot be named due to security reasons. The Fellowship’s partnership with new immigrants to Israel does not begin and end at Ben-Gurion Airport. In addition to providing pre-aliyah seminars in immigrants’ native countries, The Fellowship provides financial aid, counseling and other support for olim to help them absorb into Israeli life, including grants of $800 per adult and $400 per child. About The Fellowship The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews was founded in 1983 to promote better understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews, and build broad support for Israel. Today it is one of the leading forces helping Israel and Jews in need worldwide Rabb – and is the largest channel of Christian support for Israel. Led by its founder and president, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, The Fellowship now raises more than $140 million per year, mostly from Christians, to assist Israel and the Jewish people. Since its founding, The Fellowship has raised more than $1.4 billion for this work. The organization has offices in Jerusalem, Chicago, Toronto and Seoul. For more information, visit www.ifcj.org.

BRIEFS CHINA IS ISRAEL’S FASTEST GROWING SOURCE OF TOURISTS

Over 113,000 Chinese traveled to Israel in 2017, up 41% over 2016, said Bora Shnitman, China director of the Israel Government Tourism Office. He attributed the surge to more targeted promotion campaigns, streamlined visa applications, and more direct flights. (Xinhua - China)

THE INDIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY HELPS FOSTER ISRAEL TIES

Israel has always sought friendship with India even before the independence of both countries from the same imperial power. The Indian Jewish community has played an important part in fostering these relations. At the time of independence, many senior officers in the Indian Armed Forces were Jews. Many founders of medical faculties, leading doctors, senior teachers, lawyers and judges were from the Indian Jewish community. Bombay University was the first

in the world to revive the teaching of Hebrew as a second language way before Herzl even dreamt of the creation of the State of Israel. Mahatma Gandhi was operated upon at the Sassoon Hospital in Poona, and his personal physician and friend was Abraham Solomon Erulkar. Even the signature tune of All India Radio was written by Walter Kaufman, a Jew. (Nissim MosesTalkar, historian and president of the Indian Jewish Heritage Centre, Hindustan Times - India)

ISRAEL DIGS DEEP TO THWART TUNNEL THREAT FROM GAZA

The Israeli military said Thursday, January 18, that a secretive project to build an underground wall along the border with Gaza is proving to be a deterrent against Palestinian attack tunnels. The wall extends hundreds of feet below ground and is studded with sensors. It’s also topped by a 26-foot metal fence. Excavating machines, concrete mixers and hundreds of workers are toiling furiously to complete the barrier by mid2019 at a cost of $700 million. (Ilan Ben Zion, Washington Post)

ISRAEL HONORS ITS FALLEN WITH AN ARCHITECTURAL GEM

The recently opened National Memorial Hall for Israel’s Fallen next to the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem has been included on a list of finalists for the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects’ 2018 international prize. A curved, 250-meter wall contains thousands of bricks with the names and date of death of the more than 23,000 fallen men and women from Israel’s security services killed in the line of duty. A small light bulb juxtaposed to each engraved brick enables it to be lit on the date of the person’s death, as per the Jewish tradition to light a candle. It is the first time Israel has commemorated the memory of all its fallen service people in one site, said Yair Ben Shalom, director of the site for the Defense Ministry. (Daily Mail - UK) continued on page 14B

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March 2018

COMMENTARY

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l From Our Community Chaplain

An unanticipated experience

urityBy Rabbi Jonathan R Katz aving decided to pursue chapwith laincy training at a Washt beington, D.C., hospital while t. Inserving as a rabbi in Northern Viremi-ginia, I thought the experience would ries,strengthen my pastoral care skills. It aid,did, just not in the way I anticipated. olim The small group of clergy and semlife,inary students in the program quickly and realized the focus was more on themselves than hrisreceiving explicit 83 to instruction to becocome more effecews, tive caregivers. In Tocontrast to what helphad been expecwide Rabbi Jonathan R Katz ted, we didn’t exstianplore insights and counseling technderniques from our respective traditions, tein,but what made each of us personally thantick. from Numerous journal writing assignJew-ments recorded our reactions to class Theexercises, the viewpoints of other $1.4group members, and visits with paationtients. These entries were then extenTo-sively discussed with a supervisor, a tion,mentor with whom I developed a particularly close relationship. Though encouraged to probe my needs, blocks and triggers, I nevertheless felt exposed. However, the supervisor’s caring yet candid nature enabled the working through of “my stuff” in ways that brought empowerment. This demanding self-examination enlarged my capacity for empathy and sense of professional competence. Another unforeseen aspect of the training involved the approach we took on our assigned wards. We were advised that a patient presents an opportunity for a chaplain to establish a potentially significant relationship even during the course of only a few visits. A hospital stay is usually unplanned and, as a result, normal routine is necessarily interrupted. Without notice, patients are surrounded by nurses, orderlies, therapists and other staff they’ve never seen before. Though discomfiting, this situation can actually lend itself to openings that foster helpful interaction and communication. In a hospital, an individual’s orbit is constrained by a small room (often shared) and a bed. His or her guard is lowered. There is also quite a lot of downtime. Such a circumstance allows a patient the chance to share

openly about different aspects of their lives. When characterized by warmth, spontaneity and depth, this exchange can be a source of healing in and of itself. During our training, my colleagues and I visited with individuals and family members of all faiths. Our aim was not to bring them closer to a particular religious orientation, but to reaffirm their essential nature and convey assurance at a time of medical concern. Though I’d enter a hospital room as a complete stranger, I would often leave feeling the patient and I had developed a mutually appreciated bond. This dynamic highlights the potential value of the stranger, a persona that usually carries an unfavorable connotation. The stranger offers an objective view of others who may have been conditioned by accustomed relationships to regard themselves in a fairly circumscribed manner. Think of the classic example of the passengers who meet on an airplane and become fast friends by the end of the flight. The lack of previous acquaintance yields a liberating, almost cathartic effect. Interestingly, reverence for the stranger is mentioned no less than thirty-six times in the Bible. Is this not a reflection of the stranger’s positive function? Whether in a hospital room, on a trip, at a meeting or in myriad other realms, the person we meet for the first time often possesses the capacity to expand our horizons and unlock new avenues of perspective. If we are to be “a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6), all of us are called to play a chaplain-like role by treating those we do not know with respect and facilitating possibilities for authentic engagement. To a great degree this responsibility constitutes our spiritual birthright. It points to the need for the cultivation of human uniqueness and worth at a time when so much in our society militates against it. There are, in the best sense, many strangers among us who represent missing pieces to our individual puzzles. Our openness to them holds the promise of growth and enhanced wellbeing. Rabbi Jonathan R Katz serves as a Community Chaplain and Director of JFCS’s Jewish Healing Program, a partnership between The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and JFCS of the Suncoast.

This Passover, whether you choose to celebrate with us or in the comfort of your own home, let TooJay’s do the preparation for your holiday meal. Call ahead and we will have your order ready; ask about our express pick-up options. To dine in on Friday, March 30 or Saturday, March 31, please call to make a reservation for the 5:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. seating. See restaurant or website for full menu.

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Passover begins at sundown on Friday, March 30. Many of the area’s temples will hold first- and second-night Seders open to the community. Contact the temples for more information.

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March 2018

COMMENTARY

Take a second look at the U.S. – United Nations relationship

P A

By Rabbi Howard A. Simon

he world learned quite quickly was 128 to nine in favor. The resolution what the United Nations thought has no effect whatsoever because the about President Trump’s deUN does not get to decide capitals that the United States recognizes or where cision to recognize Jerusalem as the it places its embassies. However, the capital of Israel. A resolution was first vote was significant in its introduced at a meeting of the Security Council reanti-U.S. and anti-Israel quiring President Trump expression. What we see is anto rescind his declaration other blatant attack on of Jerusalem as Israel’s Israel by the United Nacapital. The resolution was supported by 14 Security tions. This has happened all too often in the past. Council members and was In 1975, UN Resolution stopped by the veto vote of 3379 was passed by the the United States, thus deGeneral Assembly equatfeating the desired goal of Rabbi Howard A. Simon the resolution. ing Zionism with racism. This resolution stood until December The UN wasn’t through dealing 16, 1991, when the same General Aswith this issue. Next, the General Assembly, responding to pressure brought sembly of the organization took up the by the United States, rescinded the same issue, calling for rescinding of anti-Semitic, offensive language. the action taken by the United States. It is time to take a second look at The vote, supporting the resolution,

Our next generation From the Bimah Rabbi Sholom Schmerling Chabad of Venice & North Port

n the Seder night, as we sit down together with our children to eat our matzah and joyously celebrate our Exodus from slavery in Egypt, we will be faithfully replicating the traditions and practices performed by our parents, grandparents and great grandparents – going back thousands of years. Today a cry reverberates throughout the Jewish world: “Continuity!” How best to transmit our heritage to the next generation? How can we ensure that our grandchildren will celebrate their Passover with the same fervor and excitement? It is said that inherited wealth lasts for three generations. The same applies to inherited Judaism. Today’s young Jews are by and large of the fourth generation. In the fourth generation, Jewish identity is either renewed or it vanishes. On Passover we read of “Four Children” at the Seder table. These, one may suggest, represent four successive

generations. The wise son symbolizes the immigrant generation who received a good Jewish education and still lived Jewishly. The rebellious son is the second generation who, lacking a meaningful Jewish education, abandoned Jewish identity for social integration. The “simple” child is the third generation, confused by the mixed messages of religious grandparents and nonreligious parents. The child who cannot even ask the question is the fourth generation, who no longer has a memory or context of Jewish life. Today’s youth are the fourth generation. They do not take for granted that they will marry another Jew, or establish a Jewish home, or raise Jewish children. Nothing can be taken for granted in the fourth generation, especially in an open society with its huge marketplace of competing ideologies. The fourth generation will choose to be Jewish for one reason only: knowing the sacred history of our people, sensing the richness of Jewish life, understanding the profundity of Judaism. Let us therefore utilize these precious moments of our Seder to truly immerse ourselves and our families in the rich Passover spirit (leaving idle talk and ‘catching up on the latest’ for a different evening). In so doing we can truly pass the holy baton of Judaism to the next runner in this historical marathon – our next generation. May G-d bless you and your family with a Passover filled to overflowing good health and happiness!

the relationship our country has with the blatantly anti-Semitic United Nations. The United States is the largest financial supporter of the UN. Perhaps it is time to curtail our financial support of agencies within the UN. It begins with withholding millions of dollars from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The U.S. contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency is $125 million for the first installment. That figure is going to be cut in half as a statement regarding our country’s dissatisfaction with the way the funds are spent and the lack of responsible conduct by the Palestinians who want the money but do nothing to promote

Opinions and letters printed in The Jewish News of SarasotaManatee do not necessarily reflect those of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers.

COMMENTARY BRIEFS WHY THIS MUSLIM WRITES IN A JEWISH NEWSPAPER

As a U.S. citizen and as a Muslim who had lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for 13 years, I wanted to reach the “people of the book” and found the Jerusalem Post a perfect platform. While no Muslim country’s newspaper would give me the opportunity to speak my mind openly, especially when I would expose the flaws of Muslims, the Jerusalem Post has so far published all my blogs without any alteration. The fundamental problem with the Muslims is that they think that either God or America would solve all of their problems. The Muslims have been praying for the destruction of Israel since its existence, but their prayers still remain unanswered. There is a mafia of religious thugs who, in the name of Islam, inflame the sentiments of the masses for stupid trivial issues. They challenge the rule of law at their will and no one has the courage to stand against this religious anarchy. We should learn from the Jewish people and see what they did to overcome their adversaries. They emphasized education. They never let their religion become a hindrance in their progress. They let their women have equal rights and become progressive. Their contribution to science and knowledge speaks volumes. They fo-

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cused on their survival and at the same time contributed a lot toward the good of mankind. My dear fellow Muslims, please tell me if any Muslim country’s newspaper will publish this article. That the Jerusalem Post published it is one of the reasons that I write in this newspaper. (Naseem Khan, Jerusalem Post)

MUSLIMS IGNORED JERUSALEM FOR CENTURIES

There isn’t a member of the Arab League or the Organization of Islamic Cooperation whose right to designate its own capital city is challenged by anyone. In every nation governed by Arabs or Muslims – or, for that matter, by Scandinavians or Africans or Christians or Latin Americans – foreign embassies are located in the capital. Every one, without exception. Only Israel has been treated differently. Mohammed never saw Jerusalem or walked its streets; his Arab followers didn’t conquer Jerusalem until six years after his death. During the centuries when various Islamic dynasties controlled Jerusalem, none established Jerusalem as its capital. After 1948, when east Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were under Muslim rule, they were ignored by the Arab and Muslim powers. No foreign Arab leader ever paid a visit, not even to pray at the al-Aqsa mosque. Palestinians placed so low a priority on Jerusalem that the Palestinian National Covenant of 1964, the PLO’s founding charter, makes no reference to it. Only when the Jews returned after the Six-Day War did the Arabs grow passionate about Jerusalem. (Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe)

THE HEART OF THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT

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peace in the area. The United States could next consider withdrawing from UN bodies as we have done with UNESCO, thus further reducing our financial support of the organization. Negative actions lead to important decisions. The United Nations is, in all too many ways, an anti-Semitic organization. The United States considers Israel to be one of its closest friends. You don’t treat friends in such a negative manner without paying a price. It is time that the United Nations paid that price. Rabbi Howard A. Simon is the founding chair of The Robert and Esther Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative.

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Actually, recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem is unlikely to have a major effect on peace one way or the other. First of all, there has been no serious diplomacy for years. And secondly, the conflict is about much more than Jerusalem. Let’s be clear on why there is an Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine – and why it has lasted for more than a century. At the heart of the matter is the conviction that all of Palestine, like all of the rest of the Middle East, belongs exclusively to the Arabs and it is an unendurable and uncompromisable continued on next page

Read the current and previous editions of The Jewish News online at www.jfedsrq.org.

March 2018

COMMENTARY

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Polish-Jewish relations: A case study in what can go wrong By David Harris, AJC CEO, February 2, 2018

ne day, I fear, what is currently conhappening in Polish-Israeli es as and Polish-Jewish relations thuswill become a case study for universipportties and diplomatic academies around ionsthe world in how an outwardly strong Unit-partnership can unravel practically s, anovernight. nited The core lesson will doubtless be of itsthat the moderate voices – committed endsto finding common ground on difficult pay-issues, as befits friends – were outnitedshouted and outmaneuvered by shrill, uncompromising voices for whom any und-concession was seen as weakness, if sthernot capitulation. This is particularly true, alas, in Poland right now. Having already confronted European Union institutions on unrelated issues, and finding itself quite isolated among member states, Poland has now chosen to jeopardize its links with Israel and the Jewish world by going ahead with problematic legislation regarding World War II and the Holocaust. As if all this weren’t enough for ameWarsaw, the United States has also goodspoken up, taking issue with the parliamentary measure and suggesting that easeits passage could adversely affect Po-

ewst theBriefs...continued from previous page e ofinjustice for Jews to exercise soverspa-eignty on Arab land. st) Tactically useful peace agreements may be permitted, but permanent peace with Israel is not. This is a philosophical point rooted in both religious and nationalistic principles that are widely Arabheld as sacred in the Palestinian comamicmunity. U.S. officials will be able to natehelp end the Palestinian-Israeli cond byflict only if they actually grasp what d bythe conflict is about. (Douglas J. Feith, atter,senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, hris-served as the U.S. undersecretary of em-defense for policy in 2001-2005, Forveryeign Policy) l has

WHY IS ARAB VIOLENCE alemTAKEN AS A GIVEN?

low-President Trump’s announcement that l sixAmerica officially acknowledges Jecen-rusalem as Israel’s capital is entirely stiesa symbolic gesture. The Israeli people shedalready view Jerusalem as their capital in theory and in practice, and all governalemment business is conducted in the city. In response to Trump’s declarander y thetion, the Palestinian “national and eignIslamic forces” announced “days of evenrage,” which included rioters throwing ales-rocks and firebombs. Over 30 rockets n Je-were fired indiscriminately into Israeli onalcommunities from Gaza, and Hamas und-promised an intifada. The last intifada, o it.the Second Intifada that began in 2001, r thesaw the killing of over 1,000 Israelis. Why is the immediate international pasoby,reaction to Trump’s declaration a call to repeal his declaration, in light of the “eventual” violence and instability that this purely symbolic move will cause? Why is there not an immediate condemnation of the incitement and calls over-to violence witnessed across the Arab y toworld? Why is Arab violence taken as waya given and why does the international beencommunity impose few expectations Andregarding violent uprisings that target muchIsraeli civilians. If we establish a status quo where violence against civilians s anis overlooked or justified, then there

ne – an a s the e all ongs s an able

land’s standing in America. The last time I checked, Poland needed friends, just like every other country, all the more so given its entirely legitimate and understandable security anxieties. Who is there for Poland? Well, for starters, Washington, the actor that, more than any other, has the will and capability to stand alongside Poland. Israel, with its long experience, has lots to offer as well. Moreover, many in Poland attribute its NATO accession, in 1999, in part to the efforts of the American Jewish Committee, which testified in the United States Senate for the security pact’s expansion, notwithstanding considerable opposition from those who feared Moscow’s reaction. Imagine a Poland today without NATO membership in light of what’s been happening to the east. Further, why does Poland, by its current action, seek to trigger a reopening of painful and complex historical narratives? Who stands to gain from this? Apart from the hotheads, I can imagine only one political leader outside the country who is grinning, and Vladimir Putin is not exactly Poland’s

will never be peace. (Suri Bandler, CAMERA)

EUROPE’S FAILURE TO EXERCISE THE DIPLOMACY OF TRUTH

The intellectual and political backing given to the “Palestinian resistance” by the European Commission has become the cover for the rampant anti-Semitism and terrorism endemic in Europe today. Europe has denied Israel the right of self-defense despite the rain of Hizbullah missiles on its innocent civilians in the north. Europe applied double standards and condemned Israel’s security fence in 2004 even after Israel suffered more than 1,000 killed in terrorist suicide attacks between 2001 and 2004. European leaders showed that they could easily vote for the worst lies about Israel in the UN General Assembly and other UN bodies. Israel must make its demands on Europe: • Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital • Combat incitement and antiSemitism • Halt the financing of many antiIsrael enterprises • Ban the textbooks that encourage incitement in schools • End the EU’s illegal building in the territories • Refuse boycotts or discrimination against Israeli products • Deny trade and common scientific work with countries that discriminate against Israel • Promote relationships with those sincerely friendly toward the Jewish state (Fiamma Nirenstein, former member of the Italian Parliament and Vice President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

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most trusted friend to begin with. To be sure, some in Israel and the larger Jewish world have made a bad situation worse by pouring oil on the fire, especially in their irresponsible claims suggesting, in effect, that Warsaw – attacked mercilessly by German forces on September 1, 1939 – was Berlin’s willing partner in Hitler’s Final Solution. Yes, there is an undeniable and immensely painful record of Polish anti-Semitism before, during and after the war, and Poland cannot dodge that history or seek, in effect, to outlaw discussion of any part of it. Democratic nations emerge far stronger from selfexamination than self-denial. But, however agonizing, this must not be the beginning and end of the discussion. There is far more to Poland’s history regarding both Jews and its wartime record, and this can’t conveniently be swept under the rug in a paroxysm of uncontrolled Jewish anger. Poland was brutally occupied by two nations, not one – Nazi Germany and the USSR. Thousands of its finest military officers were murdered, under Stalin’s orders, in the Katyn Forest. Countless Poles were sent to both Nazi and Soviet camps. Polish pilots played a vital role in the Battle of Britain. Without them, the outcome might, in fact, have been quite different. Polish cryptographers originally broke the Nazi code, leading to the game-changing breakthroughs at Bletchley Park.

The Polish underground alerted the world to the German plan to exterminate the Jewish people, and one unit, Żegota, worked to save individual Jews. And Polish soldiers fought valiantly at the battle of Monte Cassino – as my late father, who was there, testified – and elsewhere in the Allied struggle. In other words, Poland made a significant contribution to shortening Hitler’s dream of a “thousand-year” reign by 988 years. And fast forward to today. Twenty-eight years after Poland led the remarkable effort to throw off the yoke of communism and reconnect to the Western world, a vibrant Jewish community has re-emerged and Israel looks to Warsaw for support in the European Union and at the UN, where it currently sits on the all-important Security Council. It’s often said that moderates – those willing to listen to others and look for a “ZOPA,” Zone of Possible Agreement – are rarely as motivated and passionate as more extreme voices. So far, regrettably, that seems to be the case in this current contretemps. But, as one who cares deeply about all that’s been achieved since 1989, I refuse to be silent – or, for that matter, to abandon my moderation.

The AJC West Coast Florida office, located in Sarasota, can be reached at 941.365.4955.

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March 2018

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Jewish values prominent in social and emotional learning

Education Corner

By Dan Ceaser

or generations, adults have fretted about younger generations. We have worried about how new clothing or hairstyles, revolutionary books, popular music, violent movies or video games, or other cultural phenomena will contribute to the eventual downfall of American society. Today’s youth, while more connected than ever thanks to electronics and social media, seem to be more isolated and at risk for depression than any generation before. With very real fears due to bullying (online and in real life), continued gun violence in the U.S., and increasing hostilities between our country and others, it’s hard to reassure our kids that everything really will be OK tomorrow, next week or next year. With all of that said, I can assert that there is no better time to be an educator if your goal is to help kids to learn and grow in a holistic manner. In schools across the country and right here in Sarasota County, educators are focusing our efforts in the area of social and emotional learning (SEL). In so doing at Community Day School, my teachers and I get to see Jewish values in action, such as the importance of having integrity and honor

(menschlichkeit), a commitment to doing good in the world (tikkun olam), avoiding gossip (lashon ha-ra) and bullying, a desire for peace (shalom), and a dedication to social justice (tzedakah). According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), “Social and emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” As communities become more multicultural and multilingual, with students from diverse social and economic backgrounds, an increasing number of schools are turning to SEL to provide a strong foundation for safe and positive learning, and positive interpersonal relationships. In a Jewish day school, SEL is right at home alongside our educational philosophy and Judaic curriculum. When children feel respected and loved in the classroom, they will be much more willing to take risks and try difficult tasks. They will look out for fellow classmates and will look out for one another. The best way to create an environment of trust and respect is by overtly teaching kids about how to be part of a community of learners. We use many techniques for teaching kids how to be part of a community. Every grade begins with advisory the first 15 minutes of the day. We take time at the beginning of the school year to really get to know each other, sharing everything from our favorite foods to the worst times in our lives. We discover how we are alike and how we are different, and how to accept those similarities and differences. As we

Preparing for College?

learn about the names of all the different feelings we have, we explore ways to identify and predict those feelings as well as how to deal with them when they are happening to us. SEL skills are essential – they help students succeed in school, career and life. In addition to improving academic results, SEL reinforces crucial skills such as decision-making, self-awareness and self-regulation; encourages students to try harder while helping them to handle failure better; and better prepares them to share ideas with diverse groups of people. Through Jewish values and the

new SEL curriculum components, we explicitly teach peace, compassion and understanding. We have created an entire professional development and evaluation rubric that has “fostering acceptance” as the very first guiding principle. At a time when kids may be more comfortable looking down at a screen than face to face with a peer, and likely to know more about the Kardashians than members of their own families, I am glad to have Jewish values and the SEL curriculum to help our kids find themselves, and find community. Dan Ceaser is Head of School at Hershorin Schiﬀ Community Day School.

The youth scoop from Temple Beth Sholom

t the end of January, USY had its annual Tu B’Shevat event at TreeUmph! in Bradenton. In honor of the holiday that celebrates trees, we swung through the rope courses at TreeUmph! and concluded our celebration with a Tu B’Shevat Seder. The Seder consisted of traditional fruits and we recited the blessings giving thanks for them. Everybody had a great time at this event because of the team-building element of the activity. Last month, Chalutzim and Kadi-

ma enjoyed Sky Zone. We had a great youth turnout for the World Wide Wrap XVIII, as participants gained knowledge regarding the spiritual purpose of our physical rituals. On February 18, Kadima and USY had an amazing time at Universal Studios, enjoying time with other Jewish youth from all over Florida. Upcoming youth events include the Passover Seder, and Strawberry Project at Honeyside Farms on Sunday, March 25. For more information, call the temple office at 941.955.8121.

Te ce

Amy Levinson, Sadie Vitkus, Melanie Green, Jacob Green, Alex Hanan, Hannah Levison at the Tu B’Shevat event at TreeUmph!

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Rabbi Yonah Schiller will provide an introduction to Design Thinking and challenge participants to create new strategies for affecting change in our Jewish teen community.

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March 2018

FOCUS ON YOUTH

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ngCommunity Day School kicks off

World ORT science program

eventh and eighth-graders from Hershorin Schiff Community Day School are currently participating in the World ORT Kadima Mada (Science Journey) Global Collaborative Problem-Solving program. Multiple teams of four students – two

from the Rodman High School in Kiryat Yam, Israel, and two from Community Day School – are working together to solve real-world sustainability problems. The program kicked off with a Skype session in mid-January. Com-

munity Day is the only school from the United States engaged in the current run of the eight-week program. By reading articles, conducting experiments, and through team discussion, students will try to figure out why the animals in the “World of Animalia” are dying, and will work together to solve the environmental issues at the root of the problem. Each member of the team plays the role of a different specialist; the students must collaborate to share their knowledge. “Not only are we thrilled at any opportunity to foster interaction with students in Israel, the goals for this program align perfectly with our edu-

cational philosophy,” said Head of School Dan Ceaser. “We are working to create global citizens who are problem-solvers, who can work cooperatively, and who have empathy for, and an understanding of people who may be very different from themselves.” Programs like this teach students how to evaluate and use information, interact harmoniously with others to reach a goal, and utilize the digital space efficiently – qualities necessary to advance in the high-tech marketplace of the 21st century. The project results will be presented during the school’s “Learning on Display” event in May.

Preparing students to be LEADERS and Teacher Amy Tutunick (far left) and her students celebrate the successful connection to peers in Israel via Skype (photo by Wordslinger Marketing & PR)

GLOBAL CITIZENS

Temple Sinai’s annual celebration of grandparents

bsolute joy shone on the faces of the children, and this look reflected right back in the faces of their audience – their grandparents, Bubbes, Zadies, Yayas, Papas, Nannies and more. The Gan at Temple Sinai recently hosted a Gan Grandparent Gathering. Grandparents were invited for an afternoon of fun. The students, ages 15 months to 5 years old, sang songs honoring these very special people in their lives. There was an interactive Shabbat experience that followed, and a tasty lunch was served to all. There

was dancing, singing and rejoicing! An important part of the service included learning about the mitzvah of tzedakah. The boys and girls taught about their weekly collection for a charity they will select to donate to at the end of the school year. Since not everyone’s grandparents are local, we had a magnificent plan to share the date well in advance for folks to travel here to participate. They came from all over. If it was not possible for the family to attend, the Women of Sinai, Temple Sinai’s Sisterhood, volunteered to be “grandfriends” to our little ones. It was such a special day for all involved. Of course, we could not allow our guests to leave empty-handed. The children shared their photos and poems on a keepsake key chain that was a big hit. Keys were quickly being added to this new gift. As everyone left the event, the resounding comment heard was, “See you the same time next Eden and Eliana Tibi with their grandparents Barbie and Mark Edwards year!”

Join us for an Open House! Numerous dates in March; evening tours available. Call (941) 552-2770 or email admissions@communityday.org

• Preschool - 8th grade • Rigorous, project-based curriculum • Individualized, accelerated program • Multiple foreign languages • Fine arts programs daily • Competitive athletics • Intensive outdoor learning and play • Convenient hours for working parents • Accredited by FCIS, FKC & PRIZMAH

Hershorin Schiff Community Day School 1050 S. Tuttle Ave. Sarasota | (941) 552-2770

www.CommunityDay.org

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PJ Library helps families on their Jewish journey by sending Jewishcontent books and music on a monthly basis to children from age six-months to eight-years. This program is completely free for families, thanks to the generosity of The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and our incredible donors.

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W NEGRAM O PR Drew and Glenn Scharf with grandparents Marily Scharf and Jerry Minzt

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March 2018

FOCUS ON YOUTH

Join young families in the strawberry ﬁelds at “Strawberry Fields Shabbat” This program is Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

oung Jewish and interfaith families are warmly invited to spend Shabbat in the strawberry fields at “Strawberry Fields Shabbat” on Saturday, March 17 at 11:00 a.m. at Hunsader Farms, 5500 C.R. 675, Bradenton. A very special opportunity to celebrate Shabbat, the blessings of nature and, of course, the taste of fresh-picked strawberries, “Strawberry Fields Shabbat” is proudly presented by Temple Emanu-El in partnership with The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and PJ Library. This wonderful morning will begin with socializing with old and new friends as children explore the recently-renovated playground area and feed

the animals in the newly-enhanced petting zoo. After playtime (and generous spritzes of hand sanitizer!) families will participate in an age-appropriate outdoor Shabbat worship experience, featuring songs, blessings, movement, and a story with Temple Emanu-El Assistant Rabbi Michael Shefrin. Families are then invited to unpack and enjoy their brown-bag lunches – then head to the strawberry fields to pick fresh delicious strawberries for dessert. (We’ll treat every family to their first pint!) The morning will finish up with mini ice cream cups for all the little ones. Although this special event is designed especially for families with

children up to age 6, older kids are also warmly invited. Spaces are limited for “Strawberry Fields Shabbat,” and early registration is encouraged. Please reserve your family’s spot at w w w. j f e d s r q . o r g / events or call Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman at 941.379.1997 for more information. We look forward to celebrating Shabbat with you in the strawberry fields!

Martin Rosenbaum shows oﬀ his basket of freshly-picked strawberries at Strawberry Fields Shabbat 2017

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Celebrate Shabbat at Hunsader Farms with a petting zoo and Shabbat blessings, songs, movement, and a story with Temple Emanu-El Rabbi Michael Shefrin. Enjoy a train ride and pick fresh strawberries with old friends and new ones. Bring a picnic lunch, and we’ll treat your family to a pint of fresh strawberries and ice cream for the kids! For more information, contact Rabbi Elaine Glickman, 941.379.1997

March 2018

LIFE CYCLE

Sarasota-Manatee Chevra Kadisha

Please submit your life cycle events (births, B’nai Mitzvah, anniversaries, weddings) to

ANNIVERSARIES

60 Marty & Allan Gersman Temple Sinai 55th Laurance & Barbara Newman Temple Emanu-El 15th Nadine & Todd Anderson Temple Emanu-El th

15 Stacy & Jamie Rosenberg Temple Emanu-El 10th Tami & David Silver Temple Sinai th

BAT MITZVAH

Marc Ash, son of Lauren & Howard Ash, March 3, Temple Emanu-El Garet Pearson, son of Michelle & Brad Pearson, March 10, Temple Emanu-El Josh Steinbach, son of Anne & David Steinbach, March 17, Temple Emanu-El

IN MEMORIAM

Joseph W. Boston, 82, formerly of New Orleans, LA, January 20 Norma Coel, 93, formerly of Hartford, CT, January 23 Glenn E. Goodman, 74, of Sarasota, formerly of Winston-Salem, NC, December 23 Irwin H. Katz, 90, of University Park, January 18 Lawrence Kolbin, 88, of Sarasota, January, 30 Donald Laiderman, 91, of Sarasota, November 21 Marvin W. Ostroﬀ, 90, of Sarasota, January 27 Harold J. Rosen, 96, of Sarasota, January 3 Edward Sanford, 92, of Sarasota, formerly of Nice, France, January 16 Les Seelig, 81, of Sarasota, December 28 Eileen J. Winberg, 88, of Longboat Key, January 20

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During times of neeD for generations Jewish members of sarasota & manatee County Communities have turneD to toale brothers.

The Jewish Federation offers assistance for all ages, like: Camp Grants, Overseas Grants, Education Scholarships, Religious Scholarships, and Women’s Giving Circle Grants. Plus, complimentary programs like PJ Library, Shalom Baby and Senior services provide unique support throughout Sarasota and Manatee.

Gerry Ronkin

Jewish Family Coordinator

Learn more at jfedsrq.org/help

OFFICE

loCally owneD & operateD for over 100 years

3 generations of toale family management

941-955-4171 CELL

941-809-5195 www.ToaleBrothers.com

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March 2018

Have a joyous Passover. And share what it means to you. #PassoverPublix

Celebrating Jewish Life in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Israel and the World FEDERATION NEWS

Serving our community since 1971!

Published by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee www.jfedsrq.org

March 2018 - Adar/Nisan 5778

Volume 48, Number 3

Jewish Happenings THURSDAY, MARCH 1 TBS Lunch and Learn Join us from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom (Multi-Purpose Room, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota) for a discussion of “Partners with Our Planet: Jewish Tradition & the Environment.” Bring a dairy bagged lunch and enjoy fascinating discussions regarding various modern ethical concepts led by Sue Spector. Lunch and Learn takes place on Thursdays, March 1, 8, 15 and 22. Cost: free for TBS members; $5 for nonmembers. For more information, please contact the temple office at 941.955.8121 or info@templebethsholomfl.org.

In the Kitchen with Sylvia

Israeli-style Purim dinner Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Celebrate Purim with Chabad of West Bradenton! Enjoy an Israeli-style dinner, take pictures at the “Kotel,” taste different wines from Israel, and hear the Megillah. Join us at 5:00 p.m. at Chabad of West Bradenton, 3611 Southern Pkwy. W. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per child. To RSVP, visit www. chabadofwestbradenton.com. For more information, contact Rabbi Zev Steinmetz at rabbi@chabadofwestbradenton.com or 941.735.9049.

Italian-style Purim dinner

Sylvia Pastor, cooking maven and longtime Temple Beth Israel member, will lead a class on how to prepare several traditional Jewish dishes. The event begins at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Admission is free for TBI members and $10 for nonmembers. Space is limited and registration is required. Please call 941.383.3428 or email info@tbi-lbk.org for more information or to make reservations.

Purim in Italy will give you a flavor and taste of Italy without having to travel. All are welcome at 5:30 p.m. at Chabad of Sarasota (7700 Beneva Road) to join us for a festive Purim meal which will feature an exciting and tantalizing menu with an Italian flair. For those who want to hear the Megillah reading, a reading will be held at 5:00 p.m. The cost for the dinner is $18 per adult, and $12 per child, age 5 or older. To RSVP, call 941.925.0770 or visit www.sarasotachabad.com.

Purim Shpiel

Purim in Outer Space

Celebrate Purim with a Purim Shpiel and live game show at 4:30 p.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. The event is open to the public. Dress up in Purim attire (optional) and enjoy music and dancing. All kids in costumes will receive a prize. Hear the Megillah reading and enjoy a Mediterranean buffet dinner. Cost: $25 for adults and free for children. For tickets, visit www.chabadofvenice.com or contact Chaya Rivka Schmerling at 941.493.2770 or rivka@chabadofvenice.com.

Out of this world fun for the entire family! Join the Chabad family for Megillah Blast-off, Ha-Moon Tashen, Cosmic Cuisine, Open Galaxy Bar, Moon Walk Masquerade, Comedy with the Cantor and Rabbi, Space Crafts, Laser Tag, Space Shuttle Turbo Slide, music and an amazing atmosphere at 5:45 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Prepaid admission: $18 for adults; $12 for children (CHS students come free). At the door: $25 for adults; $18 for children. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.

SCHOLAR

IN RESIDENCE

LECTURE SERIES

• Mysticism

and Kabbalah

Rabbi Yonah Schiller Rabbi Yonah Schiller’s work as Executive Director at Tulane Hillel has TUESDAY, MARCH 20 been focused on investigating new and high impact approaches to the idea of Jewish 9:30am – 11:30am community building. He is the founder of the Beatrice Friedman Theater Jewish Design Initiative (JDI), a national design on The Jewish Federation Campus incubator geared towards building scalable 582 McIntosh Road, Sarasota systems, models, and projects for creating inclusive and high impact Jewish community.

FREE

For more information visit jfedsrq.org/ scholar-in-residence

Registration Required

ADMISSION

Questions? Contact Jeremy Lisitza 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org

jfedsrq.org

Wishes you and your family a

Happy Passover!

Stay informed throughout the month. Sign up for the Jewish Federation’s Enewsletter at www.jfedsrq.org.

March 2018

JEWISH HAPPENINGS FRIDAY, MARCH 2 “Torah Passages and Psalms on Israel”

Opening Night: Saturday, March 3, 7-10pm Join us for a night of traditional Cuisine, Music & Dance.

Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center West Entrance

525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota

For more information: www.fogartyville.org

Judaism focuses on the centrality of Zion to its religious being in all manners of its liturgy as it has developed for over 3,000 years. The Book of Psalms expresses so poignantly in Psalm 137: “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not; if I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy.” Count down to Pesach with this class. Join us at 10:30 a.m. on Fridays, March 2, 9, 16 and 23 at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult per class; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

Brandeis National Committee General Meeting Join Brandeis National Committee on The Federation Campus (580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota) to hear Maggie Menderski, award-winning Retail and Tourism Reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, who will speak on “Where Do People Shop?” Find out how shopping patterns impact building and redevelopment in Sarasota. The event takes place from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Attendance is free. Light refreshments will be served. Bring your friends and neighbors. For more information, contact Fran Spring (941.753.2211 or franspringny@hotmail.com) or Joan Levenson (941.371.2872 or j.levenson@comcast.net).

Rhythm & Jews Erev Shabbat Worship Service

Dermatology by Newman For clear, healthy skin, visit Dr. Joshua Newman, nationally recognized as a “Top Doctor” by Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd.

Friday Night Live for Teens

Receive expert diagnosis and treatment for conditions including: Skin cancer • Skin growths • Skin disease Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Join Rabbi Michael Churgel and Chazzan Cliff Abramson for our Rhythm & Jews Shabbat Worship Service and hear the Bruno Family Musicians as they join in for an uplifting service with a variety of traditional, Israeli, Sephardic and Chassidic melodies. The service begins at 6:00 p.m., preceded by a Welcome Reception at 5:15 p.m., at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter from Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

Joshua M. Newman, M.D. Medical/Surgical Dermatologist

Schedule your annual appointment today! CenterForSight.net • 941-488-2020

SARASOTA | MANATEE | CHARLOTTE COUNTIES

SAVE THE DATE!

CTeen at Chabad of Sarasota has established a new monthly initiative – Friday Night Live. It will take place on the first Friday of every month. The teens will join the congregation for the short Shabbat service, which will be followed by a special teen Oneg Shabbat. All teens in grades 7-12 are welcome to join to honor the Shabbat with great camaraderie and unique desserts. The free Friday Night Live program runs from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. Advance reservations are required. To RSVP or for more information, call 941.925.0770 or email ella@chabadofsarasota.com.

First Fridays Join Chabad of West Bradenton for Friday night services followed by a kiddush the first Friday of every month. Services begin at 7:00 p.m. at 3611 Southern Pkwy. W., Bradenton. For more information, contact Rabbi Zev Steinmetz at rabbi@chabadofwestbradenton.com or 941.735.9049.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 Kol HaNeshama class on Aleynu Congregation Kol HaNeshama will present a class on Aleynu at 9:00 a.m., preceding Shabbat services, at Southgate Community Center, 3145 Southgate Circle (off Tuttle Ave.), Sarasota. Longtime KH member Arnie Binderman will lead the free, discussion-based class on this interesting and sometimes misunderstood prayer. Rabbi Jennifer Singer will conduct Shabbat services, starting at 10:00 a.m. The congregation’s warm and welcoming potluck lunch will bring Shabbat morning to a close. For more information, visit congkh.org or call 941.244.2042.

Explore Kabbalah Examine the relevance of the world’s oldest spiritual wisdom in this “New Age.” Explore the ancient teachings of the Kabbalah and their applications on a practical level. Join us every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. For more information, email Rabbi Sholom Schmerling at rabbi@chabadofvenice.com.

APJA presents Satya Winkelman

An Evening to Thank and Honor All Legacy Donors and Partnering Organizations.

SPONSORED BY

For more information, contact Gisele Pintchuck at 941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org, or visit JFEDSRQ.org/Events

INVITATION TO FOLLOW

The Association of Professional Jewish Artists (APJA) presents awardwinning feminist ceramicist Satya Winkelman. Join us at 7:30 p.m. for a home and art tour and artist interview. Limited attendance. Cost: $18 to support APJA public programs. By reservation only. Email klapshein@ aol.com.

“Pour’Em Another! Purim Celebration & Whiskey Tasting” During this Hershorin Schiff Community Day School event, guests will sip and learn about various bourbon varieties from a whiskey expert. The tasting program will utilize the elements of Project-Based Learning, a teaching method that is at the heart of the Community Day education program. Attendees will enjoy dinner by the bite, open bar, music and dancing, live and silent auctions, boutique shopping, and a “mystery whiskey drawing” for gift certificates. The fun begins at 7:30 p.m. at Michael’s On East, 1212 East Avenue S., Sarasota. Tickets are $150 for patrons and $100 for general admission. For more information, contact Iris Starr at 941.552.2770 or istarr@communityday.org.

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JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018

Reserve Your Passover Meal Today. RESERVE ONLINE SHOP.WFM.COM OR CALL 1-844-936-2428

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018 SUNDAY, MARCH 4

MONDAY, MARCH 5

Temple Sinai Mitzvah Day

NCJW’s “The Blankee Bee”

Join Temple Sinai and members of the community for a special opportunity to be involved in numerous projects dedicated to performing community service on behalf of children, teens and adults most in need in our community. All ages of the temple congregation and community are encouraged to volunteer for a wide range of activities. Children and teens, along with their families, gain a greater understanding of the joy found in helping others. Mitzvah Day kicks off at 9:15 a.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter from Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

The National Council of Jewish Women has an ongoing project called “The Blankee Bee.” The project has involved its members in making nosew fleece blankets which have been distributed to various agencies, such as Manatee Community Action Agency, HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters), residents of Anchin Pavilion, patients at the Florida Cancer Center, and children at Camp Mariposa as a joint venture with JFCS. Join us from 10:00 a.m. to noon on The Federation Campus (580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota) to make these blankets. For more information, please contact Joan Bour at 941.281.2133 or joanbour5@ yahoo.com.

Israeli Art Show

Coffee & Discussion

The Al and Sophia Katz Jewish Art Gallery hosts its annual Israeli Art Show from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. It features stunning artworks by local Israeli and Jewish artists in various media for viewing and purchase, with all purchases benefiting the programs of the Center. At 4:00 p.m., an emotive concert of “Spring Romance on the Piano” will be performed by worldrenowned Israeli pianist Eleonora Lvov. Donations greatly appreciated. For more information, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239 or visit www.alkatzcenter.org.

Temple Beth Sholom’s Sistherhood and the SaBra Chapter of Hadassah welcome author Maggie Anton for coffee and a discussion about her book, Fifty Shades of Talmud: What the First Rabbis Had to Say about YouKnow-What. Join us at 1:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, Madeline L. Sainer Social Hall, 1050 South Tuttle Ave., Sarasota. Cost: $10. RSVP by Thursday, March 1 to Marilyn Stark at 941.925.1852 or 16pilcher@gmail. com.

wine gefilte fish matzoh ball soup brisket with gravy tzimes us green salad desserts

Members & their out-of-town guests $50 Non-members $65 Kids 12 & under $18 Kids under 6 free To signup online/snail mail go to congkh.org

Please join for our kosher

Pesach Seder

A Relaxed

Friday, March 30th Knowledgeable 6 pm Contemporary

Congregation Kol HaNeshama

Community

A Synagogue for Everyone Engaging * Participatory * Spiritual

congkh.org

941.244.2042

Pesach Prep – Step by Step The laws of Passover emanated in ancient Israel and continue to be practiced by Jews worldwide. This course will provide you with a step-by-step plan for celebrating Passover Israeli-style, beginning with making your personal Passover timetable on March 5; how to prepare the kitchen for Passover on March 12; Passover foods from Israel on March 19; and Passover props on March 26, focusing on Israeli themes to further beautify this year’s Passover festivities. Join us on these Mondays at 2:00 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult per class; $5 per student; healthy foods included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

The Wonder of Jewish Liturgy As part of Temple Beth Israel’s Rabbi Michael B. Eisenstat Miniversity of Judaism, Rabbi Stephen L. Sniderman will give a discourse on the marvel of traditional liturgy, exploring the structure, meaning and dynamics of Jewish religious services. The presentation begins at 2:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Admission is free for TBI members and $10 for nonmembers with pre-registration, and $15 at the door. Please call 941.383.3428 or email info@tbi-lbk.org for more information or to make reservations.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 6 Caffeine for the Soul Join the most popular Jewish women’s book club in town at 10:00 a.m. at the Chabad Education Center, 21560 Angela Lane, Venice. No cost. For more information, contact Chaya Rivka Schmerling at 941.493.2770 or rivka@chabadofvenice.com.

Holocaust survivors’ Purim party and luncheon Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

2018 SPRING TE RM MARCH 5 - APRIL 27 COURSES + EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL + LECTURES + SPECIAL EVENTS March 15: The Stratemeyer Syndicate: How the Hardy Boys Became a Billion Dollar Industry With USA Today best-selling author Don Bruns. Einstein’s Circle Forums: Open forums moderated by experts in a variety of timely topics. March 14: Can a Cake Shop Refuse to Bake a Cake for a Same Sex Wedding? March 27: Women at the Crossroad of Truth and Consequences Located on the campuses of TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota ACADEMY EAST AT STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA 7131 Professional Parkway, E., Lakewood Ranch

Request or view a catalog or register online or by phone

www.rclla.org • 941-309-5111

Join us from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (location TBA) and enjoy a Megillah Play and live entertainment for dancing and listening pleasure. Reservations required. For more information or to RSVP, call Jan Alston at JFCS at 941.366.2224 x172.

Greater Venice Chapter of Hadassah Fashion show Join the Greater Venice Chapter of Hadassah for its annual fashion show at 11:30 a.m. at the Jacaranda West Country Club, 1901 Jacaranda Blvd., Venice. Enjoy fashions by Chico’s. Send you check for $34 to Hadassah, 4220 Tennyson Way, Venice, FL 34293. For more information, call Ruth at 941.492.6025.

Chabad of Sarasota Gala Chabad of Sarasota will honor Allie (AKA Maish) Fraidowitz, a longstanding and staunch member, at its 23rd Annual Gala at 6:30 p.m. at Michael’s On East, 1212 East Ave. S., Sarasota. Allie has made significant and meaningful contributions to Chabad such as organizing the weekly Cafe’ Maish, bolstering the morning Minyan, and initiating a seasonal Mincha service. Chairing the Gala are Dr. Shaya and Leah Suffin. The entertainment for the evening is SARGE, a well-known comedian, musician and entertainer. Cost: $180 per person. For more information about event tickets, call the Chabad office at 941.925.0770 or email info@chabadofsarasota.com.

ConneCt with your Jewish Community facebook.com/jfedsrq

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018

FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 Estate/Rummage Sale

“Hospital Warrior: How to Get the Best Care for Your Loved Ones” Join the National Council of Jewish Women for an enlightening program with speaker Bonnie Friedman. Hospital Warrior is a practical guide to advocating for a loved one. It is also a story of love, family and thriving. The program includes checklists, added resources, templates, and interviews with doctors and other healthcare professionals who provide essential tips and advice. This free program will be held at Turtle Rock Conference Room, 8500 Turtle Rock Blvd., Sarasota. Join us at 12:30 p.m. for refreshments and a meet and greet. The program starts at 1:00 p.m. RSVP to Marcia Schweitzer at marcia7032@yahoo.com.

he Jannie Jones, Gabriel Aronson, Joe Casey and Nygel D. Robinson. Photos by Mathew Holler

Support Temple Emanu-El Religious School while finding incredible items at incredible prices! The items donated for Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood and Brotherhood’s seventh annual Estate/Rummage Sale fill multiple storage units and include indoor and outdoor furniture, electronics, kitchen supplies, appliances, toys, collectibles, tools, sporting equipment, shoes and clothing for all ages, dishes, china, books, DVDs, fabulous tchotchkes, and much more. The community is enthusiastically invited to check out the merchandise – and the bargains – on Wednesday, March 7 and Thursday, March 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. All proceeds support the religious school. For more information, please call 941.322.0614.

er v o ld

“THEY GET THE HOUSE ROCKING.” -SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

BY RICHARD HOPKINS & REBECCA HOPKINS. “DYNAMIC” ARRANGEMENTS BY JIM PROSSER. -TOTAL THEATER

Idelson Library Book Review Temple Beth Sholom’s Idelson Library offers book reviews that present unusual perspectives on the Jewish experience. Judge Judith Barzilay will review Here I Am: A Novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. Taking place over four tumultuous weeks in present-day Washington, D.C., this novel will make you laugh, challenge your perceptions, and impress you with its brilliant language. Here I Am follows a fragile family in crisis and examines how they approach their fractured marriage through their religious identity. This free event is open to the public and takes place from 1:15 to 3:30 pm. at Temple Beth Sholom, Band-Desenberg Chapel, 1050 South Tuttle Ave., Sarasota. Light refreshments are served before and after the program. For more information, please contact the temple office at 941.955.8121 or info@templebethsholomfl.org. Galen Murphy-Hoﬀman, Samantha Joy Pearlman, William Selby, and Dane Becker. Photos by Mathew Holler

941.366.9000

THURSDAY, MARCH 8

FLORIDASTUDIOTHEATRE.ORG

Naiditch Family Foundation Jewish Film Festival Opening Night Our Opening Night screening will feature the Southwest Florida premiere of BenGurion, Epilogue, and we are honored to welcome the film’s director, producer and scriptwriter, Yariv Mozer, to SarasotaManatee as our special guest. Yariv graduated with distinction from Tel Aviv University’s Film and Television department in 2004. Since then he has directed documentary and feature films, including Sails in the Rain, The Invisible Men and My First War. His films have been shown in film festivals worldwide and have won several awards including the 2017 Israeli Film and TV Academy Award for Best Documentary. Film Festival sponsors will also have the pleasure of spending time on Opening Night with one additional special guest, Alon BenGurion, grandson of David Ben-Gurion. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Non-sponsors may purchase tickets to the Opening Night screening for $25. For complete details or to order tickets online, please visit www.jfedsrq.org/jff18. To order by phone, call 866.465.3995.

Caffeine for the Soul Give your week a Jewish boost and join us at 9:30 a.m. at Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee (1822 59th St. W., Bradenton) for learning and inspiration. Delve into the Torah’s timeless wisdom through a stimulating text and discussion-based class (Hebrew reading not necessary). Each class covers a stand-alone subject so you can benefit from each one if you cannot make the next one. To RSVP and for more information, contact Rabbi Zev Steinmetz at rabbi@chabadofwestbradenton.com or 941.735.9049.

Women of Sinai’s Mah Jongg & More Join the mah jongg games for a fun-filled day and enjoy a continental breakfast and catered lunch. The fun begins at 10:00 a.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter from Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). For more information, call Karen Worobow at the temple office at 941.924.1802, or email office@sinaisrq.org.

“Reality of Peace in Israel” Join Israeli Shaliach Maor Ben-Arie as he dives into the complex and increasingly difficult idea of achieving true peace in Israel. Gain an Israeli perspective during this interactive lecture which will address elements of historical precedence and the modern events that are shaping this critical time in Israeli history. This free event begins at 11:00 a.m. at Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information or to register, please call 941.757.8520.

Rugalach Revealed Connie Mederos-Jacobs will share the secrets of making perfect, delectable rugalach at 11:30 a.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Admission is free for TBI members and $10 for nonmembers. Space is limited and registration is required. Please call 941.383.3428 or email info@tbi-lbk.org for more information or to make reservations.

1241 NORTH PALM AVENUE

Heschel / King

3rd The dream annual continues Saturday, April 14

Please join us as we honor Rabbi Everett and Mary Gendler and their contribution to Civil Rights and the Jewish people

TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM 9:00am Service 10:45am Service Featuring Rabbi and Mary Gendler 12:00pm Lunch and Discussion Following lunch we have invited those who also marched with Dr. King to share their experiences.

“When King struck the depths

of a moral geyser, living waters gushed universally.” – Rabbi GendleR

Event Chair, Susan Shimelman

FREE EVENT

Presented by the Heller CRC and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee and hosted by Temple Beth Sholom For more information please contact Jessi Sheslow at jsheslow@jfedsrq.org To RSVP, visit www.jfedsrq.org/events or call Brieana at 941.552.6305

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018 SATURDAY, MARCH 10

MONDAY, MARCH 12 Jewish Film Festival screenings

Buon appetito! Now that’s Italian! Join the Temple Beth El Men’s Club and Sisterhood and Rabbi Michael Sternfield at an Italian meal and silent auction fundraiser to benefit the Jewish community. Come and enjoy good food, good friends, entertainment and wonderful auction items. This event is open to all and begins at 6:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, 5150 Peridia Blvd. East, Bradenton. Reservations required. The cost is $25 per person. For reservations and more information, call the temple office at 941.755.4900.

For complete details or to order tickets online, visit jfedsrq.org/jﬀ18. To order by phone, call 866.465.3995.

Join us from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Federation Campus (580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota) for an Israel @ 70 celebration featuring the Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble and The Shuk Band. Tickets: $18, VIP; $10, general admission. For tickets, call 1.800.838.3006 or visit www.jfedsrq.org/events.

Hollywood 20 Regal Cinemas 1993 Main St., Sarasota 10:30 a.m. - The Wedding Plan 10:30 a.m. - Amor 1:00 p.m. - Mr. Predictable 1:00 p.m. - A Heartbeat Away 3:30 p.m. - Operation Wedding 3:30 p.m. - A Quiet Heart 7:00 p.m. - An Israeli Love Story 7:00 p.m. - Ben-Gurion, Epilogue

TBS Men’s Club Breakfast Lecture Series

NCJW Book Club

Join us from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. to hear Dr. George Bacall talk about “SURVIVAL: My Parents’ Holocaust Journey from the Warsaw Ghetto to New York.” Bacall was born in Germany and grew up in New York City. He went on to establish his OB/GYN practice in Connecticut prior to retiring in Sarasota. He will present a PowerPoint slideshow about his parents’ Holocaust-era experiences, based in part on his mother Alina’s published testimony, No Common Place. The event takes place from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. Cost: $5 donation, breakfast included. For more information, please contact Rabbi Dr. Ed Weinsberg, Program Vice President, at 941.444.9790.

National Council of Jewish Women’s Book Club will meet at 1:00 p.m. at the Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave., Sarasota. The book for discussion is Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf, and will be reviewed by Nancy Golden. The club usually meets the second Monday of the month. For more information and to sign up, email Barbara Aferiat at barbara@aferiat.com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 11 Happy Birthday Israel Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

“Sunday at the Movies” Temple Emanu-El’s popular “Sunday at the Movies” series continues with the stunning Sabena Hijacking: My Version. In harrowing testimonies, archival material, exclusive interviews and riveting re-enactments, the film chronicles the May 1972 hijacking of a Brussels-Tel Aviv flight by Black September terrorists. This event, and its aftermath, raises political and moral issues that continue to be debated – and that shape the Israel of today. A discussion will follow the film. The event begins at 2:00 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. Cost: $5 at the door. For more information, please call 941.371.2788.

CHABAD OF BRADENTON & LAKEWOOD RANCH invites you to join in

T H E

PASSOVER S E D E R

Temple Sinai’s Chazzan Cliff Abramson’s Cabaret Join Chazzan Cliff Abramson, Christine Bruno and Temple Sinai’s own performers of all ages for an entertaining evening all about the lighter side of relationships. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota (enter from Proctor Road only, between Beneva and Swift). Cost: $18 per person. All proceeds go to the Torah Restoration Project. For more information, call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

Enjoy the holiday of Freedom at an inspirational Seder, complete with a gourmet Passover dinner, hand-baked Shmurah Matzah, and four cups of exquisite wine. COST

$50 adult $36 children (ages 3-12) $500 sponsor

SHABBAT, MARCH 31, 9:15 PM

Join Rabbi Mendy & Chanie at their traditional family seder.

THE CHABAD HOUSE, 5712 LORRAINE ROAD

Reserve before MARCH 5 & receive a $5 discount!

No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. For more info and to reserve: 941-752-3030 / info@chabadofbradenton.com www.chabadofbradenton.com

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Stay up-to-date on: • Events • News • Opportunities in the SarasotaManatee Jewish Community

The Jewish Federation offers programming for all ages!

From PJ Library through teen leadership missions to women’s events, Club Fed, and Fifty Shades of J, to senior services — your Federation provides support throughout Sarasota and Manatee.

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JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018

TUESDAY, MARCH 13 Jewish Film Festival screenings

PRESENTS

For complete details or to order tickets online, visit jfedsrq.org/jﬀ18. To order by phone, call 866.465.3995. Hollywood 20 Regal Cinemas 1993 Main St., Sarasota 10:30 a.m. - Between Worlds 10:30 a.m. - Operation Wedding 1:00 p.m. - An Israeli Love Story 1:00 p.m. - The Women’s Balcony 3:30 p.m. - In Between 3:30 p.m. - A Heartbeat Away 7:00 p.m. - The Wedding Plan 7:00 p.m. - Mr. Predictable

Mitzvah Knitting Group at Temple Emanu-El Are you a knitter or crocheter interested in using your talent to brighten the lives of others while making new friends? If so, please come to the Mitzvah Knitting Group sponsored by Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood. We gather monthly to craft and socialize, and our beautiful handiwork has been donated to local new parents as well as needy families in SarasotaManatee and in Israel. Bring your needles or crochet hook and a favorite pattern – we’ll supply the yarn and great company! The group meets at 10:00 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, email Susan Bernstein at susanhope22@comcast.net.

CTeen - Escape! Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Teens will remember the escape from Egypt with an exciting trip to The Escape Room! They will also pack matzah boxes for the community. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Special thanks to The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee for sponsoring CTeen 5778. An annual CTeen membership is $180 and includes all events, trips and dinners, excluding the International Shabbaton. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.

Happy Birthday

Israel

a celebratory, family-friendly birthday party for Israel!

MARCH 11, 2018 • 7PM Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Federation Campus (580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota) [ PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE ]

CO-CHAIRS: EDIE CHAIFETZ AND SARANEE NEWMAN Performance by

Music by

KESHET CHAIM

THE SHUK BAND

DANCE ENSEMBLE

92nd Street Y at Temple Beth Israel Yuval Harari and Dan Ariely will discuss “Future Think – From Sapiens to Homo Deus.” Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. event at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Desserts will be provided. Admission is free for TBI members and $10 for nonmembers with preregistration, and $15 at the door. Please call 941.383.3428 or email info@ tbi-lbk.org for more information or to make reservations.

HIGH-ENERGY, CROSS-GENRE BAND... Having performed in over 30 countries worldwide, The Shuk is one of the leading international music groups. - THE JERUSALEM POST

Eye Care Excellence in All Stages of Life

We will be honoring members of our community who have been instrumental in starting and supporting programs that provide Israel experiences for teens in Sarasota-Manatee:

RICHARD BERGMAN BEATRICE FRIEDMAN AND FAMILY ESTHER AND ROBERT HELLER HERSHORIN AND SCHIFF FAMILIES JOAN AND BART LEVENSON MALKIN AND KALIN FAMILIES SALLY AND SAM SHAPIRO (Z”L) AND FAMILY ANNE AND BARRY STEIN

Schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified ophthalmologists: • Murray Friedberg, M.D. • Allison Menezes, M.D. • Robert Edelman, M.D. • Jeffrey Davis, M.D. • Scott Silverman, M.D. • Anita Shane, M.D. • Robert Sambursky, M.D. • Jody Abrams, M.D. • Pooja Khator, M.D. • Paul Brannan, M.D. • Garry Condon, M.D.

CoastalEye.com • (941)748-1818

217 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton • 6310 Health Park Way, Ste. 340, Lakewood Ranch 1427 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

THINKING OF SELLING OR TRADING

THAT CAR, BOAT, OR RV? • Our online form makes it easy. • Support a worthwhile cause. • Receive tax benefits.

HONORARY CHAIRS ALAN AND RUTH ADES TOM AND KAREN BERNSTEIN GERRY, RUTH (Z”L) AND MIRIAM DANIEL ALFRED (Z”L) AND JEAN GOLDSTEIN LARRY GREENSPON AND MARY GRATEHOUSE JONATHAN AND MICHELLE MITCHELL REV. TOM PFAFF ROBERT AND LINDA ROSENBLUTH BETTY SCHOENBAUM

TICKETS ARE $10 FOR GENERAL ADMISSION AND $18 FOR VIP For tickets visit jfedsrq.org/events or call 1.800.838.3006

quest ions?

Visit jfedsrq.org

Contact Jessi Sheslow 941.343.2109 or jsheslow@jfedsrq.org or visit jfedsrq.org/Israel70

Ti c k ets on sale

N OW!

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018

CONGREGATION FOR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM

Passover Celebration

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 Jewish Film Festival screenings

Join us as we celebrate Passover with a warm, wonderful, humanistic Haggadah

SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 6:00 PM Michael’s On East • 1212 East Avenue, Sarasota Members – $55 Non-members – $65 Children under 12 – $25 Reservation deadline: March 23

Cong re g

WWW.CHJ-SARASOTA.ORG or call 941.929.7771

ation for to all ! Humanistic Judaism wishes a Happy Passover

For complete details or to order tickets online, visit jfedsrq.org/jﬀ18. To order by phone, call 866.465.3995. Hollywood 20 Regal Cinemas 1993 Main St., Sarasota 10:30 a.m. - A Quiet Heart 10:30 a.m. - The Women’s Balcony 1:00 p.m. - The Wedding Plan 1:00 p.m. - Operation Wedding 3:30 p.m. - Mr. Predictable 3:30 p.m. - Between Worlds 3:30 p.m. - A Heartbeat Away 7:00 p.m. - Amor 7:00 p.m. - In Between Temple Beth Israel 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key 3:00 p.m. - Mr. Predictable 7:00 p.m. - An Israeli Love Story

Looking to connect with other members of the Jewish community?

Temple Emanu-El “Lunch with the Rabbis” The Jewish Federation would like to welcome you to the area!

We Welcome You!

We hope you feel at home and become active members of the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community.

Questions? Contact Ilene Fox at ifox@jfedsrq.org or 941-343-2111

SAVE THE DATE

Are you looking for a great lunch date? Join Rabbi Brenner Glickman, Rabbi Michael Shefrin and friendly, interesting companions for lunch, socializing and discussion of current events and subjects of Jewish interest! All are invited to this popular, stimulating and enjoyable program. Attendees are asked to bring a brown-bag lunch and are also welcome to bring a newspaper article for discussion. Homemade desserts and terrific company are provided. The event begins at noon at Temple EmanuEl, 151 McIntosh Road. For more information, call the temple office at 941.371.2788.

Crash course in Israeli history This special class will help to prepare you to combat the tidal wave of misinformation, mythology and false accusations hurled at Jews, especially teenage and college students, in public forums and in the media. The history of Israel is a miraculous story that will be told by instructor Lawrence Newman through maps, film footage, timelines, photographs and original documents. Never be left again unable to defend the State of Israel against hate speech based in lies! Join us at 5:30 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods and discussion materials included. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

Temple Beth El International Film Series

m o Y a’ zmaut H At

ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY

SUNDAY, APRIL 15! TRADITIONAL ISRAELI FOOD AND FAMILY FUN

Join us as we celebrate Israel’s 70th Birthday! Where: Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County 3100 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota When: Sunday, April 15, 2018, 4-6pm What: A traditional Israel Independence Celebration Info: JFEDSRQ.org/Events

For more information, contact Maor Ben-Arie at maor@jfedsrq.org or 941.780.9576

Join the temple family for our monthly film series. This month’s film is the French comedy Rue Mandar. Set in Paris, the film features siblings dealing with the death of their beloved Polish immigrant mother. Sisters Emma and Rosemonde and their brother Charles are obliged to deal with the personal and physical aftereffects, which include the cozy, old-fashioned flat where she lived. Rabbi Michael Sternfield, our resident chef, will provide us with a wonderful dinner related to the film. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, 5150 Peridia Blvd. East, Bradenton. Cost: $10 for members; $13 for nonmembers. For reservations and more information, please call the temple office at 941.755.4900.

For a continuously updated community calendar, visit www.jfedsrq.org. Introduce Your Business to a Powerful Demographic. Sarasota-Manatee’s Only Jewish Newspaper SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1971

Advertise in The Jewish News, and Connect with Your Community! • More than 60% of readers earn $75,000+, with a quarter earning more than $150,000 annually • Over half of readers hold a college or advanced degree • More than half of readers frequently purchase products or services from ads seen in our publication Target the largest number of affluent, well-educated and discerning Jewish households in our area. Contact Robin Leonardi 941.552.6307, rleonardi@jfedsrq.org

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JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018

THURSDAY, MARCH 15

WORlD PREmiERE

Jewish Film Festival screenings

For complete details or to order tickets online, visit jfedsrq.org/jﬀ18. To order by phone, call 866.465.3995. Hollywood 20 Regal Cinemas 1993 Main St., Sarasota 10:30 a.m. - An Israeli Love Story 10:30 a.m. - A Heartbeat Away 1:00 p.m. - A Quiet Heart 1:00 p.m. - Ben-Gurion, Epilogue 1:00 p.m. - In Between 3:30 p.m. - Amor 3:30 p.m. - Operation Wedding 7:00 p.m. - Between Worlds 7:00 p.m. - A Quiet Heart

A NEW musicAl REVuE

cREATED & ADAPTED BY NATE JAcOBs

APRil 18–mAY 26, 2018 fOR TickETs! 941-366-1505 OR

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WEsTcOAsTBlAckThEATRE.ORg

ThEATRE

Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues.

TROuPE

This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture, and the State of Florida.

Bridge...

Documentary: About Face The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (CHJ), which meets at Unity (3023 Proctor Rd., Sarasota), welcomes Victoria Baum, who will present the documentary, About Face. This movie is based on the book The Enemy I Knew, and documents the World War II stories of young Jewish men who escaped danger at the hands of the Nazis and returned to fight them in Europe and North Africa. Baum’s father, Bernard Baum, was one of the U.S. soldiers who were immigrants and enlisted in the military in hopes of benefiting our country due to their native command of the German language. The event begins at 3:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Cost: free for CHJ members; $5 for guests. Registration required at 941.929.7771 or chjsarasota@hotmail.com.

Film and the Jewish Community Before she became Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life’s onsite rabbi, Rabbi Anne Feibelman served as a film producer for the Jewish Federation of New York. Journeying across the globe from Russia to Israel to the United States, Rabbi Anne saw Judaism through the eyes of a camera. Join her for this incredible lecture where she will discuss her experience and debut a short piece from her film tour. This free event begins at 7:00 p.m. at AvivaA Campus for Senior Life, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information or to register, please call 941.757.8520.

Anyone?

For more information

The Bridge Group meets Thursday afternoons from 1:00–4:00 pm on the Federation Campus (582 McIntosh Road). Open to intermediate and advanced bridge players. call Bob Satnick at 941.538.3739

Rosh Chodesh Society course – Chabad of Sarasota All women are invited to the Rosh Chodesh Society course “Pause & Affect” at 7:15 p.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. Although this is a 7-part monthly course, each segment stands alone. This month’s segment, entitled “Sacred Symbolisms,” will discuss how Shabbat foods carry powerful memories, and how the various traditional foods also convey profound messages about Shabbat and about life, transforming our Shabbat meals into a higher state of consciousness. For assistance with underwriting this course, appreciation is extended to Anne Stein. All women are welcome! Cost: free for Rebbetzin Circle, $10 for members, $12 for nonmembers. Anyone joining N’shei Chabad Women’s Rosh Chodesh Society class for the first time is our guest at no charge. For more information or to RSVP, call Sara Steinmetz at 941.925.0770 or email NCWSarasota@gmail.com.

Send your Jewish Happenings to jewishnews@jfedsrq.org

E RCL

WOM E

GIVING

N’ S

E OF W I RA E S A S H F E D E AT E RAS N O TA - M A

Every woman matters here. The Women’s Giving Circle [ “Ma’agal Nashim”] is a giving circle that empowers women as funders, decision makers and agents of change. Each member contributes the same amount, and each has an equal voice in directing our funds. The giving circle model multiplies individual actions, creating a tremendous collective impact. In the last four years, we have distributed more than $133,000 in grants to nonprofits in Israel that help women and children of all backgrounds live safer, healthier and more meaningful lives.

FUNNY

GIRL The Musical

Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Bob Merrill Book by Isobel Lennart from an original story by Miss Lennart

March 28 - April 15 “HELLO, GORGEOUS!” Tickets: $32/ $27/ $14 Student

OUR MISSION To enhance the lives of Jewish women and children who are in need of help and live in Israel.

838 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34236 Contact Ilene Fox at 941.343.2111 or ifox@jfedsrq.org

941.365.2494 ThePlayers.org

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture

10B

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018

FRIDAY, MARCH 16 Jewish Film Festival screenings

TheofFuture the Jewish Community is in Your Hands

For complete details or to order tickets online, visit jfedsrq.org/jﬀ18. To order by phone, call 866.465.3995. Hollywood 20 Regal Cinemas 1993 Main St., Sarasota 10:30 a.m. - In Between 10:30 a.m. - Ben-Gurion, Epilogue 10:30 a.m. - The Wedding Plan 1:00 p.m. - The Women’s Balcony 1:00 p.m. - A Quiet Heart 1:00 p.m. - Mr. Predictable 3:30 p.m. - Between Worlds 3:30 p.m. - A Heartbeat Away 3:30 p.m. - Amor

Shabbat dinner celebrating new Torah’s anniversary Join Chabad of Sarasota (7700 Beneva Road) at 7:00 p.m. for a festive Shabbat dinner. Along with delectable food and great camaraderie, the event will feature a special presentation by Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz entitled “Fascinating Facts About the Torah.” Although this event is offered free of charge, reservations are required by Wednesday, March 7. For more information or to RSVP, call the Chabad office at 941.925.0770 or email info@chabadofsarasota.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

LIFE & LEGACY™ is a partnership of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, The Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee and ten other local Jewish organizations that promote after-lifetime giving to benefit synagogues, social service organizations, Jewish day schools and other Jewish entities. The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is the only local organization focused on the whole-all of us thriving together. We are the center of Jewish life-serving as community convener; fostering an open exchange of ideas; developing programs and strengthening services that connect our constituents to their Jewish identity.

PJ Library Strawberry Fields Shabbat Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Celebrate Shabbat at Hunsader Farms (5500 CR 675, Bradenton) with a petting zoo, Shabbat blessings, songs, movement and story time. Bring a picnic lunch, pick fresh strawberries and enjoy a train ride. There will also be ice cream for the kids. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Register at jfedsrq.org/events. For more information, contact Rabbi Elaine Glickman at 941.379.1997.

Kol HaNeshama’s New Members Shabbat Join us at 10:00 a.m. at Southgate Community Center (3145 Southgate Circle, off Tuttle Ave., Sarasota) as Rabbi Jennifer Singer will honor new members by inviting them to take a group aliyah. Jennifer’s inspiring d’var Torah will connect the “new beginnings” of starting Leviticus with the new members becoming part of the Kol HaNeshama family. Following services, the potluck luncheon will include a festive dessert to mark the occasion. For more information, visit congkh.org or call 941.244.2042.

STAY INFORMED TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM DAILY

Your Jewish Federation Legacy Gift

Our Legacy Society Members are people like you. By leaving a legacy to Federation, you ensure that your values will be sustained for future generations. Please remember The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee with a gift in your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy.

… How will you assure Jewish tomorrows? By leaving a Legacy today! … To discuss creating your Jewish legacy, please contact:

Ilene Fox 941.343.2111 or ifox@jfedrsq.org

JFEDSRQ.ORG/Legacy

THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SARASOTA-MANATEE Klingenstein Jewish Center | 580 McIntosh Rd. | Sarasota, FL 34232 | JFEDSRQ.org

Did You Know?

26% of the global population harbor anti-Semitic feelings and beliefs 35% have never heard of the Holocaust and 26% of those who have,

believe the “number of Jews killed” has been “greatly exagerated”

74%

of those surveyed have never met a Jewish person and 54% said they were “unconcerned” about violence directed towards Jews –ADL Global 100 Anti-Semitism Index

Educators should provide opportunities for students to resolve conflicts, discuss problems, work in diverse teams, and think critically. In the end, interactive and engaging teaching strategies may ensure that this difficult topic is not avoided by students, but rather becomes an issue in which some of them may even develop a deeper and long-lasting interest. – Yad Vashem, Anti-Semitism guidelines The Robert and Esther Heller Community Relations Committee takes a firm stand against anti-Semitism in all its forms. We will use community resources and influence to combat what we believe is a rise in antiSemitism and anti-Zionist sentiments, which often result in aggressive acts and rhetoric against Jews. Through education, advocacy, and building relationships with the greater community of which we are a part, together we can combat hatred, bigotry, and harassment of Jews and other minorities.

jfedsrq.org

JEWISH HAPPENINGS

March 2018

11B

SUNDAY, MARCH 18 Naiditch Family Foundation Jewish Film Festival Closing Event Our closing event will feature the classic film Exodus. The ticket price includes a delicious Sabra buffet meal, which will be served during the film’s intermission. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, Exodus is a screen adaptation of the bestselling novel by Leon Uris. The film is concerned with the emergence of Israel as an independent nation in 1947. Its first half focuses on the efforts of 611 Holocaust survivors to defy the blockade of the occupying British government and sail to Palestine on the sea vessel Exodus. The second half of the film is about the War of Independence, which saved the newlydeclared state from annihilation. The event begins at 3:00 p.m. at the Sahib Shriners Auditorium, 600 N. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. Non-sponsors may purchase tickets to the closing event for $25. For complete details or to order tickets online, visit www.jfedsrq.org/jff18. To order by phone, call 866.465.3995.

IDEA SLAM Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Shapiro Teen Engagement Program (STEP) teens are invited to this creative and innovative workshop with Tulane University Hillel Rabbi, Yonah Schiller, who will present an introduction to Design Thinking: the process of using creative strategies to resolve issues and create new opportunities. Develop big ideas about what can happen in our Jewish community to engage teens in more meaningful ways. This event, sponsored by STEP, is free and open to all high school students. It takes place from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Zell Room on The Federation Campus, 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota. Please register at jfedsrq.org/events. For more information, call Andrea Eiffert at 941.552.6308.

Chabad of Sarasota Men’s Club breakfast meeting Enjoy the best kosher breakfast in Sarasota, including bagels, lox and cream cheese, scrambled eggs and onions, and whitefish salad, followed by an informative presentation by Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz entitled “The Passover Seder: Does it Have to Be That Long? How to Run an Efficient Seder in Short Order.” This event is open to the entire community and begins at 9:00 a.m. at Chabad of Sarasota, 7700 Beneva Road. Men and women welcome. Cost: $7 for Club 770 members; $10 for nonmembers. For more information or to RSVP, call the Chabad office at 941.925.0770 or email info@chabadofsarasota.com.

“Heart Transplants, Miraculous Technology, Personal Experiences” Jewish Congregation of Venice (JCV) members Sam Gurian and Gary Rosenbaum will describe their amazing and unique experiences after undergoing recent heart transplantation. Enjoy a hot breakfast at 9:30 a.m., followed by lectures and a Q&A session. The event takes place at JCV, 600 N. Auburn Ave., Venice. Cost: a donation of $7 to cover the cost of food. Reservations required. For more information and to RSVP, call the JCV office at 941.484.2022 or email jcvenice2@gmail.com.

For lots of useful stuff, visit www.jfedsrq.org.

Jewish War Veterans meeting Jewish War Veterans, Sarasota/Manatee Post 172, will hold its next monthly meeting at Aviva, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. The March meeting is the featured meeting of the year, where Post 172 honors four JROTC cadets, one each from Riverview, Sarasota, Booker and Lakewood Ranch high schools. At 9:30 a.m. enjoy a Super Dairy Brunch in the Main Dining Room of Kobernick House. The Award Ceremony follows, where each nominated Cadet will be presented with a “Patriot” medal, ribbon and certificate. There will be a short business meeting after the Awards Ceremony. For this event, all Kobernick veterans, along with JWV members, will eat free. Guests, spouses and significant others will pay $7 at the door. Since this meeting is always well attended, parking will be at a premium. If you are unable to park around the circle or along the lake near the entrance to Aviva, there is always ample parking in “C” lot. You may park in any uncovered space that is not already occupied. For further information or directions, please contact Stan Levinson, Commander, Post 172, at stanlevinson172@gmail.com or 941.907.6720.

“LGBTQ Life in Israel” Temple Emanu-El’s Israel Committee is proud to present a special program led by Community Shaliach Maor Ben-Arie. All are invited to learn about life in Israel for the LGBTQ community – from day-to-day experiences, to support and advocacy organizations, and service in the Israel Defense Forces. A PowerPoint presentation, engaging narratives, and questions and answers will illuminate this important topic. This free event begins at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, please call 941.379.1997.

Jewish Genealogical Society of SWFL presentation Until the dissolution of Poland in 1772, Jews were not allowed into Russia. Russia “inherited” 50,000 Jews that year. During the next 120 years, starting with Catherine the Great’s grandson, Alexander I, imperial regimes tried different strategies to deal with the growing Jewish population. Doug Cohen will present “Russification – An Attempt to Integrate the Jews into Imperial Russia.” The event begins at 1:00 p.m. in the Kobernick building on the Aviva campus, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information, contact Kim Sheintal at 941.302.1433 or klapshein@aol.com.

Children’s Day in honor of Liora Goldberg Bring your family to create festive Passover crafts and keepsakes to make this holiday truly memorable and beautiful with special handmade projects. All materials will be supplied, including paints, brightly-colored canvas bags to decorate, and bindings for handmade books. This day The Bridge Group meets Thursday of creativity and spirituality is dedicated annually to the honor afternoons from 1:00–4:00 pmof Liora Goldberg, an Israeli whose briefon life the lives ofCampus others forever. Join us thelitFederation at 2:30 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. (582 McIntosh Road). Cost: $12 per participant. Refreshments will be provided. To RSVP, call Open to intermediate Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239. and advanced bridge players.

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12B

March 2018 TUESDAY, MARCH 20 Scholar-in-Residence lecture with Rabbi Yonah Schiller

Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

Rabbi Yonah Schiller is the executive director of Tulane Hillel and also serves as an adjunct professor at Tulane University, teaching courses on Jewish mysticism and an introduction to Jewish civilization. The lecture takes place from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Beatrice Friedman Theater on The Federation Campus, 580 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota. For tickets, visit jfedsrq.org/scholar-in-residence.

Art in the Afternoon Join Brandeis National Committee as we experience the search for fulfillment in matters of the heart by characters from five beloved opera scenes in “Opera’s Shades of Love” by Jack Kahgan. The event takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in The Starlite Room, 1001 Cocoanut Ave., Sarasota. Lunch is included. Cost: $40 for BNC members; $55 for guests. For more information, contact Janet Tolbert (941.388.9624 or janetrtolbert@ gmail.com) or Maris Margulies (941.757.3012 or grandmakabatk@aol. com).

Sarasota Jewish Singles dinner meeting The Sarasota Jewish Singles is an outreach program of Temple Beth Israel to give all Jewish singles in the area the opportunity to meet other men and women who are alone. The group meets once a month for dinner, laughter and a time to turn acquaintances into lifelong friends. Join us at 6:00 p.m. at Bravo Coastal Bar & Kitchen, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, #1175, Sarasota. To make a reservation or for more information, call or text Rosalyn Fleischer at 941.915.6631 or rozfleischer@gmail.com.

Rosh Chodesh Society course – Chabad of Bradenton Women are invited to join RCS’s latest course, “Pause & Affect, A Shabbat Outlook.” The fifth class, entitled “Sacred Symbolisms,” will focus on the meanings of the foods at the Shabbat meals. Shabbat-themed food will be served. Join us at 7:30 p.m. at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. The course fee is $75 (textbooks included), or $18 per class. Jewish Women Circle members are entitled to a $5 discount. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@ chabadofbradenton.com.

JEWISH HAPPENINGS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 Caring for Our Community Join the National Council of Jewish Women for a Lunch & Learn program by Coastal Behavioral Healthcare For more than 40 years, Coastal Behavioral Healthcare has been “Caring for Our Community” by providing affordable evidence-based behavioral healthcare services to children, adolescents, adults, seniors and their families who struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues. Learn about its services in the mental health field. Hear about the latest updates of mental health legislation in Florida. The program begins at 1:00 p.m. and will be followed by a Q&A. (Venue TBA) For further information, please email Karen Pariser at karenpariser@verizon.net.

Israeli Films: Judea and Samaria As Israel celebrates its 70th birthday, our Israeli brethren are seeking your support through tourism to Judea and Samaria, where today’s Jewish pioneers are building their lives in imminent danger every day. Today’s movies have been sent here from Israel in order to help American Jews appreciate a world so different from our own and so distinctly courageous. Please open your hearts to the real-time struggles of our people and see their lives from the inside. Join us at 5:30 p.m. at the Al Katz Center, 5710 Cortez Road West, Bradenton. Cost: $10 per adult; $5 per student; healthy foods. To RSVP, call Beverly Newman at 941.313.9239.

On David Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

This is the fifth in the series of exciting video programs from the 92nd Street Y featuring some of the most compelling personalities, dealing with Israel and contemporary Jewish affairs. This free event begins at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, 5150 Peridia Blvd. East, Bradenton. For more information, please call the temple office at 941.755.4900.

Second Annual Florence Katz Memorial Concert Florence Katz, Temple Beth Israel’s longtime choir director, will be remembered and honored by the renowned TBI choir at 7:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Admission is free for TBI members and $10 for nonmembers with pre-registration, and $15 at the door. Please call 941.383.3428 or email info@tbi-lbk.org for more information or to make reservations.

The Jewish News is also available online. Visit The Jewish News page at www.jfedsrq.org and you’ll be just one click away!

April 13 Opening Night Film & Block Party April 21 Closing Night Film & Wrap Party

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JEWISH HAPPENINGS THURSDAY, MARCH 22

March 2018

13B

SUNDAY, MARCH 25

“Yiddish Language and Literature”

Symposium: Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke

The SaBra Chapter of Hadassah is pleased to present Baila Miller, who will speak on “Yiddish Language and Literature.” Many of us are “languagechallenged” when it comes to Yiddish. Nevertheless, you will completely understand and enjoy Baila’s presentation. Join us at 11:30 a.m. in the Zell Room on The Federation Campus, 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. A light lunch will be served. Cost: $12. RSVP by Monday, March 19 to Lee Ruggles at 941.924.1338 or lruggles.sabra@gmail.com.

Temple Emanu-El’s Social Action Committee presents a symposium on the important topics of stroke and traumatic brain injury. Join leading medical experts – including staff from Sarasota Memorial Hospital, health care providers, and survivors for a discussion about brain injury, cognitive impairment, coping with diagnosis, what to expect after an injury, and resources for help and healing. You likely know a survivor of traumatic brain injury, whether you realize it or not. Here is the place to learn more. This free event begins at 10:00 a.m. (registration opens at 9:30 a.m.) at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. For more information, please email suzyheadinjury@gmail.com or dconti@biaf.org.

Master of Color: Exploring the Work of David Hockney Join Judy Levine, President of the Florida Association of Art Teachers, as she explores the prolific work of British artist David Hockney. Known as one of the fathers of the modern-day Pop Art movement, Hockney’s work has led him to become one of the most influential British artists in history. This interactive discussion will cover the evolution of his work, including its dramatic change once he moved to the United States. This free event begins at 7:00 p.m. at Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information or to register, call 941.757.8520.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23 TBS Shabbat service in Lakewood Ranch The Lakewood Ranch service is an additional Friday night service to the 6:30 p.m. service held at Temple Beth Sholom at our Tuttle location in Sarasota. The service will be filled with Shabbat singing led by our Lakewood Ranch residents, Cantor Neil Newman and Cantor Aaron Marcus. The 7:30 p.m. service will be followed by an Oneg Shabbat and takes place at The Windsor, 8220 Natures Way, Lakewood Ranch. RSVPs are not necessary, but are welcome to plan for set-up and the Oneg Shabbat. RSVP to RRothstein@templebethsholomfl.org. For more information, please call Saranee Newman at 612.220.2382.

SATURDAY, MARCH 24 Temple Sinai’s Hats Off to Volunteers Gala Join Temple Sinai members, friends and family for a joyous evening of dinner, dancing and a silent auction as we thank all of our amazing volunteers. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. at Fete Ballroom, Polo Grill, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. Cost: $150 per person. For more information, please call the temple office at 941.924.1802 or email office@sinaisrq.org.

Jewish Genealogical Society of Southwest Florida presents

ISRAEL HERITAGE CELEBRATION

CKids – Junior Matzah Chef Calling all children to unleash their culinary genius to compete in challenges and create a new twist on traditional Pesach foods. The event takes place from 11:00 a.m. to noon at The Chabad House, 5712 Lorraine Road, Bradenton. Cost: $10; free to CHS students. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Bukiet at 941.752.3030 or rabbi@chabadofbradenton.com.

“Remembering to Rejoicing: The Legacy of Anne Frank and the Miracle of Israel” Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee

The Sarasota Jewish Chorale, under the leadership of Artistic Director Sharon Greene, celebrates its Chai Year with a gala concert from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota. Part one honors Anne Frank with Holocaust overtones. Part two pays tribute to the 70th birthday of Israel with memorable pieces such as “Exodus” and “Jerusalem of Gold.” The dramatic choral program will be accompanied by instrumentation and a slideshow. The Chorale will premiere a work honoring Israel, commissioned especially for its 18th birthday. A reception follows the concert. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Visit sarasotajewishchorale.org or call 941.355.8011.

MONDAY, MARCH 26 Bring a Friend Shadow Day The “school choice” window for Sarasota and Manatee county students runs through Friday, March 16. To give area families a taste of its individualized, project-based learning program, the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School invites area students in grades K-8 to experience a day at its school. Visiting students will be paired with Community Day students and enjoy core classes and enrichment programs throughout the day. A limited number of spaces are available in each grade and registration is required. The event takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota. To RSVP or for more information, call Amy Meese at 941.552.2770 or email admissions@communityday.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 29 Understanding Macular Degeneration Over 10 million Americans are currently dealing with the severe loss of vision associated with macular degeneration. Dr. Paul Runge is an expert on the disease and, as an ophthalmologist, is leading the way on finding a cure. Join him as he discusses macular degeneration’s history, current treatment methods, and the cutting-edge research of tomorrow. This free event begins at 3:30 p.m. at Aviva- A Campus for Senior Life, 1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota. For more information or to register, please call 941.757.8520.

Sunday, April 15, 2018 @ 1:00 PM Aviva

(1951 N. Honore Ave., Sarasota) • Sharing Family Stories about the Formation of Israel (by local residents with Israeli roots) • Hebrew and Yiddish songs by Sharon and David Ohrenstein • Israel Heritage Handout • Sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee RSVP by April 12 to Kim Sheintal (JGS of SW FL President) at klapshein@aol.com or 941-921-1433 to make sure enough handouts are printed

Learn more at jfedsrq.org/help

14B

March 2018

BRIEFS continued from page 24A

PENCE SAYS U.S. EMBASSY TO MAKE JERUSALEM MOVE NEXT YEAR ON FASTER TIMETABLE

The U.S. will open its embassy in Jerusalem next year, Vice President Pence said Monday, January 22, in Israel’s parliament. After President Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December, the State Department began looking for a possible site on which to build an embassy to replace the existing one in Tel Aviv. The administration weighed whether to build an entirely new em-

bassy, which could take as long as a decade and be very expensive, or whether to retrofit one of the consulate buildings in Jerusalem. A State Department official said the building being eyed is the U.S. consular service building in the Arnona neighborhood, which opened in 2010 on a site originally slated for the embassy. (Washington Post)

ISRAEL’S REMARKABLE DIPLOMATIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2017

 During 2017, Israel secured a series of unprecedented diplomatic achievements, reflecting a growing global and regional recognition of a shared threat from totalitarian Islamism, as well as an appreciation of Israel’s capacity to contribute in a variety of fields.

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ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD  President Trump’s declaration on December 6, 2017, that the American administration recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and is planning to move the American embassy there constitutes a significant landmark in the struggle, which has been ongoing since 1949, over the formulation of the U.S. position on Jerusalem. For the first time since Israel’s founding, the president has recognized that Israel is the sovereign in Jerusalem.  The willingness to present reality as it is, after two generations of succumbing to Arab and Islamic pressures and threats, constitutes a first-rate Israeli diplomatic achievement. The American move reflects the president’s decision to abandon the patterns of appeasing Palestinians and deliberately creating a position gap with Israel.  In May 2017, an American president chose Israel as one of the destinations for his first trip abroad. In his meeting with Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, President Trump publicly demanded that the PA should end the extensive financing of families of Palestinian prisoners and “martyrs” (terrorists).  In June, Prime Minister Netanyahu was the sole non-African speaker at the summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia. Later that month was the tripartite IsraelGreece-Cyprus summit in Thessaloniki to discuss the production of energy in the eastern Mediterranean.  In July, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi came for a three-day visit to Israel (and to Israel alone). Israel’s relationship with India is rooted in both countries’ selfimage as democracies opposed by ruthless Islamist enemies.

 In September, Netanyahu met Egyptian President el-Sisi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, their first public meeting since el-Sisi came to power in 2013. The mere fact that a public meeting took place – let alone in a relaxed mood and garnering positive coverage – illustrated the vast transformation in Israel’s standing in the region. (Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman, Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies)

ISRAEL TRIES ARABIC OUTREACH

Israel is using the Arabic language to seek common ground with Tehran’s enemies. With 1.2 million followers on his Arabic Facebook page and more than 181,000 on Twitter, Maj. Avichay Adraee is the face of the Israeli army’s messaging campaign. For Israel, social media has become a way to engage with Arabs and reinforce a growing alignment with Sunni Muslim Arab states. In one of Adraee’s most intense social-media exchanges, a fighter from Hizbullah last year tweeted a picture of himself in uniform with a message that his group was going to conquer northern Israel. Adraee responded: “If you dare, we will surprise you.” (Rory Jones and Nazih Osseiran, Wall Street Journal)

STATEMENT ON HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE FROM HEAD OF SAUDI-BASED MUSLIM WORLD LEAGUE

 “On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, celebrating the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp...I confirm...our great sympathy with the victims of the continued on next page

Give to LIFE & LEGACY™ A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, LIFE & LEGACY’s mission is to support the future of our Jewish community for generations to come. Whatever you cherish most about Jewish life…learning, community, worship, caring for those in need or social justice, by leaving a legacy you ensure that the things you value are sustained for future generations.

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ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

metBriefs...continued from previous page the Holocaust, an incident that shook Ashumanity to the core, and created eting an event whose horrors could not r in be denied or underrated by any ublic fair-minded or peace-loving perin a son.” posi- “This human tragedy perpetrated vast by evil Nazism won’t be forgotten ding by history, or meet the approval of Eran anyone, except criminal Nazis or for their genre. True Islam is against these crimes. It classifies them in the highest degree of penal sanctions and among the worst human atrocities ever.” ge to “One would ask, who in his right ran’s mind would accept, sympathize wers or even diminish the extent of this more brutal crime.” chay “We consider any denial of the Homy’s locaust or minimizing of its effect ocial a crime to distort history and an ingage sult to the dignity of those innocent wing souls who have perished...Islam... Arab decrees that anyone who assaults and kills an innocent soul will be ense held accountable as if he has killed from all people.” (Dr. Mohammad Al cture Issa, Washington Institute for Near sage East Policy) quer : “IfIRAN AND HIZBULLAH RoryARE TAKING ISRAEL’S treetTHREATS SERIOUSLY

 The Israeli intelligence community recently detected the emergence of serious strategic threats to Israel by Iran, Hizbullah, Syria, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. To prevent these threats from materializing, Israel’s diplomatic and E military system was enlisted for a ernaconcentrated diplomatic-PR effort ance to deter the threatening elements sary and use international leverages of witz influence against them (like Rusgreat sian President Vladimir Putin, for f the example). page

March 2018

 There are still no Shiite militia fighters near the Golan Heights border, Hizbullah doesn’t have a considerable number of precisionguided missiles yet, and there are no Iranian factories for improving the accuracy level of surfaceto-surface missiles in Syria or Lebanon. There are, however, preparations and attempts by the Iranian Quds Force and Hizbullah to build such a factory in Lebanon, after a similar factory was destroyed in a bombing in Syria.  The Iranians believe Israel won’t dare strike in Lebanon for fear Hizbullah will respond by firing missiles and lead to war. They believe there is mutual deterrence between Israel and Hizbullah, which allows them to fearlessly build the “missile accuracy improvement factories” in Lebanon.

 Israel’s political-security establishment, however, has conveyed to the Iranians and Hizbullah that their assessment is wrong: “We have red lines, and if precision missile factories are built in Lebanon, or if we detect Shiite militias in the Syrian Golan Heights, we’ll act to remove the threat without any hesitations, even if this leads to an escalation and war. If there is an escalation, we’ll act immediately, with full force.”  “Unlike you, Israel is already prepared, right now, to defend itself with offensive and defensive means, and your side stands to suffer from the results of that war much more than Israel would suffer. So you better think very carefully if you want Lebanon to return to the Stone Age for the sake of a precision-improvement factory.”

15B

 There are signs that Iran and Hizbullah are taking Israel’s messages seriously. Hizbullah has yet to return its fighters from Syria. The Iranians, even the Revolutionary Guards, can’t afford a war in Lebanon now in light of the economic situation at home.  The Iranians are now focused on expanding their presence and influence in Syria and want to gain from rebuilding that country. A war in Lebanon would thwart that too. (Ron Ben-Yishai, veteran Israeli military correspondent, Ynet News)

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