Jacksonville Jewish News - Aug. 2015

FIELD TRIP TO ISRAEL
Kids have pretend

passports stamped
on fantasy trip
abroad Page 8
THE IMPACT OF THE DEAL

Opinions about the
controversial nuclear
deal struck between
Iran & the US Page 5
YOGA SHALOM
Combining
Judaism
with
exercise
Page 15
Jewish News
acksonville
August
2015
Av/Elul
5775
Havana Themed
River Garden Gala
Set for Nov. 21
www.jewishjacksonville.org
JaxJewish
@jaxjewish
A publication of the
Volume
28,
Number
28
pages
Jacksonville Jewish Centers Hazzan

Holzer spearheads trip to Charleston
BY KATHY OSTERER
River Garden Chief Development Officer
University of North Florida President

John Delaney, his wife Gena and the
River Garden Gala Committee invite
you to join them at the 23rd Annual
River Garden Gala. The event, which
benefits River Garden residents, will
take place
Saturday,
Nov. 21
at the
Sawgrass
Marriott
Golf Resort
& Spa.
This years
theme is
Meet Me
in Havana
UNF President John
and will
Delaney and wife Gena
help revive
the vintage days of old Havana as we all
join in the Opening Night at the River
Garden Tropicana Club. SunTrust Bank
is very pleased to once again be this
years Premier Gala Sponsor.
President Delaneys initial introduction to River Garden came during his
1995 mayoral campaign, when he visited the campus and was enthusiastically
received by all in attendance. As mayor
of Jacksonville, his passion for the city
and its citizens brought about the Better
Jacksonville Plan, making possible new
public facilities and a refreshed infrastructure. As president of UNF, Delaney
continues to be responsible for the
most robust growth in the history of the
university.
River Garden and UNF enjoy a
multi-faceted relationship, where dozens
8505 San Jose Blvd.

Jacksonville, FL 32217
Jewish Federation of Jacksonville
POSTMASTER PLEASE
DELIVER BY AUGUST 1
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Jacksonville, FL
Permit No. 146
See 2015 GALA, p. 4
Hazzan Jesse Holzer was interviewed by local news outlets in Charleston during
his trip to the city as a representative of ICARE, a local interfaith coalition
Holzer attends Rev. Pinkney

funeral as representative of
local interfaith coalition
BY MATT FRANZBLAU
Federation Communications Director
Following the tragic shooting at the

Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.
in June, there were many emotions funneling through the conscience of the Palmetto
State, southeast region and the nation as a
whole. The killings claimed nine innocent
lives and sparked a rigorous political debate
about a symbol from the past, but it also
provided an opportunity for people of all
faiths to come together and show solidarity
for peace and acceptance.
One person particularly moved by the
recent events was Hazzan Jesse Holzer of
Holzer was able to attend the funeral service

for Rev. Edward Pinkney (pictured), on June 26
the Jacksonville Jewish Center, who belongs to a local organization called ICARE
or the Interfaith Coalition for Action,
Reconciliation and Empowerment. As an
ICARE member, Holzer regularly attends
meetings with other clergy members and
religious leaders in the Jacksonville community ranging from the Jewish, Christian
and Muslim faiths.
I mentioned the week prior about showing solidarity even before the atrocities in
Charleston took place, Holzer remembered. I said, how can we come together
as faith leaders during trying times in order
to get to know each other and break down
those barriers of race and religion?
With these statements still fresh on
his mind as he watched news coverage of
the shootings and their aftermath, Holzer
contacted other members of ICARE to see
if they would join him on a journey to their
sister city of the southeast.
Charleston is only a four hour drive

and I felt the need to do something because
its a close neighbor and a very similar
city, historically and demographically to
Jacksonville, he explained. A few of the
ministers actually seemed interested in
joining me and so over time I became sort
of the representative of them and some of
the justice work that we all wanted to do.
Members of ICAREs clergy caucus
were moved by Holzers proposal and
asked that he represent them on his historic
trip to South Carolinas most prominent
city.
As a Jewish faith leader, I felt the need
to make the journey in some form and I
knew that in the summer my schedule is
a little bit more flexible, He explained.
When I found out Reverend Pinkneys
funeral was on a Friday morning, I thought
that I should make that the journey.
See HOLZER TRIP, p. 3
Jacksonville hosts Israeli teen delegation

for memorable two weeks
BY JILL ABEL
Israel Partnership
The Israel Partnership was in full swing

this summer as in late June and early July,
the Jacksonville Jewish community was
host to four teens and one chaperone from
our partnership city of Hadera. It was an
incredibly busy two weeks of learning and
fun for the teens and included stops at local Jewish camps, trips to theme parks in
Orlando as well as exploring the city where
they were staying.
During their visit, the group worked
with campers at the Jacksonville Jewish
Centers Camp Ki Tov, the Jewish Community Alliances Camp Sabra and Theater Camps as well as Etz Chaims Camp
Sheves Achim. Together they shared music,
dance, art and cooking from our homeland
with all of the kids from Jacksonville.
I really wanted to help make a small
change for the kids here because Israel is
thousands of miles away so thats why I
wanted to show them a little part of Israel,
said partnership participant Priscila Sennes.
I answered their questions and gave them
a different point of view of our country.
The Israeli teens enjoyed their time

working in the different camps and were
happy to know that the kids in return
enjoyed spending time with them.
I wanted to leave something for the
kids because they were both happy and
sad, fellow trip participant Ariel Reznik
said. Happy that we had been there but
sad that we were leaving so I knew we had
left a part of us with them.
One evening during their stay, the teens
and their American hosts visited with the
residents at The Coves at River Garden.
Rabbi Matthew Cohen of Congregation Ahavath Chesed and Hazzan Jesse
Holzer of the Jacksonville Jewish Center
accompanied the teens in a wide variety
of Jewish music both in Hebrew and in
English. The residents sang along with the
teens and especially enjoyed sharing good,
quality conversation with them following
the program.
In addition to working in the camps, attending services at three local synagogues
for Shabbat and singing at River Garden,
the American and Israeli teens explored
Jacksonville with visits to MOSH,
For two magical and fun-filled weeks this

summer, American teens hosted their Israeli
counterparts in Jacksonville as part of the
Israel Partnerships relationship with sister city
Hadera
See ISRAELI TEENS, p. 13
page 2
Jacksonville Jewish News August 2015
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish
education
Few spots still remain for

fall at DuBow Preschool
BY SHEREEN CANADY
DuBow Preschool Director
A few spots still remain for a

few lucky preschool aged children
(one year old VPK) at DuBow
Preschool for the coming year.
In our loving school, your child
will benefit from exceptional
programming led by committed
and experienced staff, including
preschool professionals, clergy,
and specially trained teachers.
Our beautiful preschool, its
playgrounds and gardens are just
the beginning as we are blessed
to be housed in the Jacksonville
Jewish Center and to be part of
the Galinsky Academy, which
provides us with an excellent
facility, rich in shared resources.
The mission of our preschool for
74 years has been to offer a supportive, creative, safe, enriching,
and developmentally appropriate
environment for the youngest
members of the community. Our
goal is to work with the preschool
families, to provide an initial
school experience which instills
a joyful, solid foundation and
most of all, a love of being Jewish.
School begins on Monday,

Aug. 24 but most families will
join us earlier for our annual meet
and greet, Friday, Aug. 21 followed by a family picnic and play
date on the DuBow Preschool
playground. Sunday, Aug. 23, all
will be invited back by our Galinsky Academy PTA for a fun pool
party, marking the end of summer
and welcoming in the new school
year. Teachers will be returning
in mid-August to work together to
plan for the coming year.
Our teachers and staff really
care about each child and take seriously the trust that parents have
placed in us, said preschool
director Shereen Canady. I am
proud that our faculty of teachers
are eager to learn, stay current,
and embrace new and innovative
programs. We are looking forward
to another exciting and productive year of learning, sharing, and
growing with friends.
Those wishing to take a peek
at what we are doing can do so by
visiting our website at dubowpreschool.org. To schedule a personalized tour, simply contacting
Shereen Canady at 904-268-4200,
ext. 144 or email her at scanady@
dubowpreschool.org.
JCAs Summer Camp

brings in campers from
across the community
BY MOLLY SWEET
Michele Block Gan Yeladim
For eight weeks in the summer,

the Jewish Community Alliance
becomes home to more than 700
young children who spend their
weekdays engaged and stimulated
in various camp programming. Of
those 700, some are enrolled in
the JCAs preschool, but interestingly so, an extraordinary number
of campers come from outside the
immediate Jewish community.
JCA Summer Camp has built a
presence so highly regarded in
the greater Jacksonville area that
campers come from as far as Fruit
Cove and Fernandina Beach to
take part in these camp activities.
Whether for lack of camp
programming in their own areas,
the appeal and reputation of
the JCA camp experience or a
combination of both, we opened
our doors to students from more
than 20 different preschools and

elementary schools outside of the
area this year, said JCA Camp
Coordinator, Shelly Hughes. Its
a wonderful opportunity to welcome a diverse group of children
into our community because we
learn from them and we teach
them a little bit about ourselves,
she added.
Throughout the summer,
campers learn about Jewish traditions like Shabbat and singing
daily blessings, but for campers
who are year-round participants in
JCA programming, the opportunity to meet and interact with
new friends is very exciting. It
gives our students a little bit of
perspective, said Michele Block
Gan Yeladim director Theresa
Levy. During the year they build
social skills with children in their
class, but when we welcome new
friends for the summer it becomes
much more interesting and enriching for everyone.
page 3
community news
Holzer Trip
Continued from p. 1
With a date and a specific

event now in mind, Holzer left the
First Coast for the city thrust in
the national spotlight. The Centers cantor headed out Thursday
evening on a two-hour drive to
Hardeeville, S.C., where he spent
the night, only to wake up first
thing Friday morning and finish
off the trip, arriving in Charleston
at about 5:30 a.m.
I didnt even know if I would
be able to attend (the funeral),
given that there would be so
many people from the Charleston
community who would want to
be there and of course members
from his own church would take
precedence, as they should, said
Holzer of his 250 mile gamble. So
I went up there thinking, if I just
stood in line, rallying, whatever
it was, I would to try to be a part
of that solidarity and showing of
love.
The gamble would eventually pay off for Holzer but not
originally in the way he thought
when he first hopped in his car
the night before.
Luckily, the stars aligned and
I got there really early, thinking I
would have enough time to walk
around the area and visit the
church and not be in line but the
gift of all of this was that I actually
had to run to get to the line as
soon as I got there because there
were already a couple hundred
people waiting to go into the
arena, he recalled of his initial
ordeal. But those five hours were
probably the most important moments of me being there.
During his time waiting in line
and battling the South Carolina
summer heat, Holzer began striking up conversations with those
around him, who at first glance
looked nothing like the Jewish
clergy member from Florida.
The majority of people really
didnt talk about my kippah or
why I was there as a Jewish person
but we got to know each other,
he said. We talked about the
weather, how parking was impossible and how early we had to
wake up, but then our conversations deepened.
Soon the strangers around him
began to take the shape of friends
and acquaintances as people from
all faiths were engaged in meaningful and thought provoking
discourse.
We talked about race and
religion and how that plays a
role but I also talked about how
I was from Jacksonville and how
we still have forms of segregation, he said. Parts of our city
are still very segregated racially
and I wanted to find ways both in
action and in dialogue to break
down those barriers.
Not only was the Centers Hazzan popular with his new found
friends, but he also garnered quite
a bit of attention from local media
outlets as he fielded a number of
interviews as a clergy member
from out of state who made the
trip to Charleston.
I kind of stood out being the
Jewish clergy member with the
kippah among the masses, he
said. But there was sort of a respect and understanding between
myself and the people next to me
because if I was there that early,
then I felt something, something
similar to what they felt.
As the hours and the productive conversation passed, it soon
became time to enter the arena
where the funeral service was
being held. Once the five thousand plus people filtered into the
facility, services started and so did

an unexpectedly celebratory tone
among the parishioners.
Ive rarely attended a nonJewish funeral to begin with let
alone an African-American Methodist Episcopal funeral, but there
was a certain ruach or spirit at
that funeral, the first time church
congregant recounted about his
experience. I have never clapped
my hands at a funeral before but
I clapped my hands probably 40
to 50 times over the course of the
morning.
The service put Holzer on
sensory overload as between the
clapping and shouting there were
quite a few prominent politicians,
clergy members and community
leaders just a stones throw from
his seat in the arenas upper deck.
The pastor that was there
kind of ran the whole five hour
experience, Holzer remembered.
He introduced the dignitaries
that were there, the state representatives, the former secretary of
state, Hillary Clinton and Lindsey
Graham, who was sitting next to
her in addition to James Clyburn.
Then it was Reverend
Pinkneys turn, and he proceeded
to receive the largest ovation
of them all, a standing one that
lasted for two-minutes in which
everyone, politicians, parishioners
and plain people recognized a
man who gave his life for what he
believed in.
It was very inspiring to hear
some of the things he did, not
only as a pastor but as a state
representative, Holzer said. I
had gone in part, knowing his role
as pastor, fighting for all those
who are in need, but as a member of the state congress he really
in more recent years fought for
LGBT rights.
As the intermittent clapping
subsided, it gave way to singing
at the conclusion of the service
that morning as President Obama
took to the podium and serenaded the crowd in his rendition of
Amazing Grace at the conclusion
of his remarks.
Within two seconds of him
singing, everyone just joined in,
so it was actually kind of powerful because, yes he was leading us
in song but when you have more
than five thousand people singing,
its powerful, the man who is
used to singing in front of more
modest crowds commented.
Holzer was not too surprised
to hear the 44th President break
into song as the overarching
theme of his eulogy was grace,
mentioning the four-letter word
numerous times throughout his
period at the podium.
My original motivation for
coming to Charleston was to
honor Reverend Pinkney, but it
was just icing on the cake to hear
Obama so unfiltered, Holzer
said. Hes not running for office
anymore so he is able to finally
say what he is able to say with a
little more emotion. That kind of
president in that kind of moment
is important.
Once the service concluded,
Holzer walked back to his car,
saying so long to the city in which
he made so many memories
in such a short period of time.
The nearly four-hour long car
ride back to Jacksonville left the
Hazzan with plenty of time to
recount the moving morning he
shared with perfect strangers who
became fast friends.
I want to be able to create
areas for more conversations with
people of different faiths and
ethnicities, Holzer explained of
his newfound mission. Its not
just a passing conversation, but
is something that can be ongoing because hopefully through
my experiences, I can be a voice
for my community and in turn
people here in Jacksonville will
have those same conversations
that I saw in Charleston.
For more information about
ICARE and its mission, visit the
organizations official website at
icarejax.org or follow them on
twitter @ICAREJax and like them
on facebook.com/icarejax.

Holzer waited in line for nearly five hours, making

friends and contacts before making his way into the
arena where Rev. Pinkneys funeral services were held
The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church at

daybreak, Friday, Jun. 26, where just nine days before
a total of nine lives were taken in a tragic shooting
Scan to
watch
Hazzan
Holzers
video of
Obama
singing
on
President Obama addressing the crowd of more than 5,000 inside TD Arena, who came to
honor S.C. State Senator and Rev. Clementa Pinckney during an emotional funeral service
page 4
community news
Celebrating two successful years
Incoming Jewish Federation of Jacksonville president Sandy

Zimmerman (L) and executive director Alan Margolies (R)
present outgoing president Hal Resnick (center) with a
plaque thanking him for his service during the past 24
months at the Federations June board meeting.
JJN Ad Directory - Aug. 2015

At the Jacksonville Jewish News, our advertisers are precious
to us. It is with their support that the Jacksonville Jewish community has a newspaper. Advertising revenue also offsets the cost
of production, so Federation dollars can be dedicated to helping
Jews locally and overseas. Please continue to live generously and
support our advertisers:
B&C Financial (p. 12)

Beachview Rentals (p. 20)
Beirut Restaurant (p. 8)
Bob Ham Eyewear (p. 22)
Borland Groover (p. 2)
Brandon Pest Control (p.9)
Davolis Catering (p. 11)
DuBow Preschool (p. 2, 14)
Erica Jolles - Magnolia
Properties (p. 11)
Galinsky Academy (p. 14)
Heekin Clinic (P. 3)
Impressions (p. 25)
Innovative Financial
Solutions (p. 15)
Jewish Fed. of Jax ( p. 24)
Jewish Museum of Florida
(p. 21)
JJC Sisterhood (p. 12)
JJN High Holidays (p. 7)
JCA - Discover Israel (p. 28)
Jerry Seebol (p. 25)

Larry Tallis Photos (p. 25)
Margos Catering (p. 10)
Mazon (p. 23)
Nancy Rubenstein Realtor
(p. 20)
PaigeWajsman-Creeks
Realty Group (p. 11)
Pediatric Dentistry (p. 25)
River Garden (p. 19, 26)
Selevan Religious School
(p. 15)
Society of Healers (p. 13)
Spivaks Institute (p. 21)
Stein Mart (p. 10)
The Tax Man (p. 25)
The Temple Sunday School
(p. 22)
Tumbling Kids ( p. 22)
Vandroff Insurance (p. 6)
The Womens Board (p. 27)
For your advertising needs, please contact advertising

sales representative Barbara Nykerk at 904.733.4179
or Eta Perras at 904.629.0466.
what's inside
Business Directory........... p. 25
Cartoons.............................. P. 5
Classified Ads................... p. 25
Community News......................
.... p. 3-4, 6, 10-11, 15, 20, 26
Education ......... p. 2, 8, 14, 27
Federation News.............. p. 13
Foundation ..................... p. 18
JCFS ..................................p. 17
JCA ...................................p. 16
Local & National News.... p. 23
Lifecycles.......................... p. 25
Opinion................................ P. 5
River Garden.................... p. 19
Statewide News.............. p . 22
Synagogue News......... p. 9, 21
printed
by
Jewish News
acksonville
Try us Online!
Try reading the Jewish News online. Go to
jewishjacksonville.org/news and follow the link.
You can also read past and current issues of the
JJN in digital format at issuu.com/jewishnews
Scan the below QR code to bring you to our
online archive...
JJN
Last years gala theme was River Garden of Eden and drew a large crowd from the community.
This year Chez-zam returns to provide more outstanding entertainment for those in attendance.
2015 Gala
Continued from p. 1
of the Hebrew homes staff have

graduated from the university
as well as several River Garden
board members, both past and
present who come from various university departments. The
agency continues its partnership
with UNF today and serves as
a learning laboratory for UNF
students in nursing, therapy, nutrition, social services and administration.
Gena and I appreciate the

culture and values that River
Garden embodies, said President Delaney. It is about caring
for people and families, and we
are delighted that Jacksonville
has such an organization in our
midst.
The Galas success has had
a direct impact on the residents
of the home as it supports River
Gardens mission to serve the
entire community with caring and
excellence. River Garden serves
residents from diverse religious
and ethnic backgrounds while
maintaining an environment
supportive of Jewish identity and
informed by Jewish values.
For those interested, sponsorships are available and individual
ticket prices begin at $250 with
a special Junior Patron price of
$175 for those 40 and younger.
For information or reservations,
call Kathy Osterer at 904-8868430 or e-mail her at kosterer@
rivergarden.org. You can also
check out the events official website at rivergardengala.wordpress.
com or like us on Facebook River Garden Gala.
Cummer Museum reunites art stolen

during Holocaust with rightful owners
BY HOLLY KERIS
Chief curator, Cummer Museum
Since 2011, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has settled
three claims regarding works in
its permanent collection that were
discovered to have been looted
from Jewish families by the Nazis
during World War II. For many,
news of these cases happening at
a mid-size regional art museum
may be surprising. However, size
and geography do not determine
a museums likelihood to receive
such a claim, nor should news of
a claim be interpreted automatically by the public as a negative
judgement against the museum. In
fact, any museum anywhere in the
world whose collection consists
of objects made before 1945 and
likely to have been in continental
Europe during the second world
war could face similar claims.
In addition to the horrors of
the Holocaust, the Nazi regime
orchestrated a program of theft,
confiscation, coercive transfer,
looting, pillage, and destruction
of objects of art and other cultural
property in Europe on a massive
and unprecedented scale. The
ripple effects from this terrible period are still being felt across the
art world today, as many of these
looted objects entered the art market during and after the war, and
have yet to be returned to their
rightful owners. In subsequent
years, public institutions and private citizens have purchased these
works in good faith, not knowing
the true history of the objects.
The first claim, 2010-11,

involved two pieces of Meissen
porcelain given to the Cummer
by St. Augustine collector Ralph
Wark and his sister, Constance
Wark, between 1964 and 1984.
This collection, numbering nearly
750 objects, is considered to be
the most significant collection
of early manufacture Meissen porcelain (1710-60) in the
United States and one of the top
three collections of its type in

the world. Two pieces from the
famed Von Klemperer collection,
amassed at the turn of the previous century and widely regarded
as the finest private collection of
Meissen ever assembled, were
among Warks gift to the Museum. Unbeknownst to Wark or
the Cummer, the Von Klemperer
collection had been deemed a
national treasure and confiscated
by the Nazis. The decision by the
Cummers Board of Trustees to
return the two works to the Von
Klemperer family came after extensive research by Museum staff
and the engaged participation and
support from the Boards Artistic
Affairs committee.
The same process was repeated
when the Cummer Museum
received word from the heirs of
noted Old Master dealer Jacques
Goudstikker in 2012, concerning

a painting in the Permanent Collection. After extensive research
by both the family of Goudstikker
and Cummer staff, Vanitas (1677)
by Jacques de Claeuw (active
1642-1676) was determined to
have been among the 1,400 works
in his gallery confiscated by the
Nazis. In this case, the Museum
reached an agreement with the
family to keep the painting in
Jacksonville. It is heartening to
see museums like the Cummer
do the right thing for Holocaust
victims and their heirs, said
Marei von Saher, Goudstikkers
daughter-in-law. We hope that
the restitution of this work will
lead other museums to act just as
responsibly when faced with the
discovery of Nazi-looted art in
their collections.
As an educational institution, it
is vitally important to the Cummer Museum to share these stories. In addition to the extended
label on Vanitas with the story of
its history, the Museum will create
a short video documentary with
the assistance of Goudstikkers
family, which will be placed next
to the painting in the gallery and
made available online. And, in the
Cummers Meissen installation, a
similar video will be placed next
to a recent gift of Meissen porcelain, from the personal collection
of Gustav von Klemperers greatgrandson, in recognition of the
Cummer Museums commitment
to and respect for the families
who lost so much during these
terrible years.
page 5
opinion
Rabbinically Speaking Who really directs our lives?

BY RABBI JOSEPH HIRSCH
Retired clergy member
On the Aug. 15 Sabbath we

will read a short yet moving
portion of the Torah in which
Moses concludes the great farewell
address that he delivered before
his death. We are deeply stirred
by the spiritual quality displayed
in these words as they represent
a document which we can study
with much profit. Imbedded in
the words of farewell are not only
sentiments of great moral character, but also theological and
philosophical ideas that underlie
Judaism and related religions. The
doctrine of freedom of choice
is repeatedly expressed, with its
corollary, moral responsibility.
Even in modern times we are not
quite clear about the implications.
Behold, I have put before you
today life and God, death and evil
choose life. This point of view
is specific to Jewish tradition. We
part company with philosophies
which deny free will and personal
responsibility.
There are two opposing opinions on whether people are free
to make choices or if life makes

choices for them. One is that
people do not make any decisions;
instead it is all in the cards and
there is very little we can do about
it. Those who hold this viewpoint
to the fact that in certain areas
we have no options. We did not
decide whether we would be tall
or short, strong or weak. We did
not choose the country in which
we were born. These are many
important eventualities about
which we have nothing to say.
Some extrapolate this fact to an
extreme position, asserting that all
of life is predetermined and that
people are the objects of a process
in which there are no subjective
choices. It is interesting that this
point of view is formed by how
secularists see the world as a big
machine in which people are little
cogs. The machine operates, the
wheels spin and the little cogs turn
and humans are in turn helplessly
caught in the mechanism.
Similarly, those who hold a
religious view may assert that God
ordained it all. It is all predestined
and we are the victims or beneficiaries of events beyond our
control. Against these varieties of
opinions stands the Jewish view

expressed by Moses.
On the other hand, there are
important aspects of life over
which we
exercise
free will.
Those
decisions
are made
flowing
out of our
ethical
standards
and are
ultimately made
in the
secrecy of
our own
hearts.
People can make these decisions
and wherever they turn, the Torah
urges: choose life and not death.
Every choice, in a real sense, may
determine ones entire destiny.
I read a newspaper account of a
high school student whose friends
enticed him to play truant from
school. It seemed a rather minor
defection from responsibility but
it led to a car ride and an eventual
tragic accident which resulted in
RABBINICALLY
SPEAKING
death. A seemingly unimportant

choice that ended in catastrophe.
All of us make choices every
day. What seems to be a simple
decision may be the most important in our own life. The decision to attend services may affect
ones entire career. A man once
told me that he walked into the
synagogue just by impulse and he
heard something that enabled him
to make a decision that changed
his life. A simple choice of going
or not going, of doing something
right or not doing it may release a
chain of consequences that result
in life or death. Moses pleaded
with his people to weigh their actions and to always incline toward
the good and the right. We cannot
know the final result, but the first
step can turn us in the direction
of life.
The Talmud states this in a
striking manner. If you abandon
the study of Torah for one day, it
will depart from you for two days.
This is illustrated as follows: Two
friends walk together until they
come to a crossroad. One turns to
the right and one turns to the left.
Each walks only one mile but they
find themselves two miles apart.
In whatever we do and wherever

we turn, we are free to make decisions but we must never think that
a decision is a small matter. Every
choice could be a major one, so we
must discipline ourselves to weigh
each one and direct every step
toward life.
As Rosh Hashanah approaches,
we should take to heart this
ancient yet ever modern lesson of
Moses. We are not mechanisms
that operate by hidden strings.
We are not irresponsible pawns
in a game over which we have no
control; we are living and deciding
people. Let us therefore choose life
and pray for a new year of happiness for ourselves and for our
loved ones.
Rabbi Joseph Hirsch is a retired
clergy member, who now lives in
the Jacksonville community. Hirsch
is a former U.S. Air Force chaplain
where he was stationed in Okinawa, and has served congregations
in California and the Cleveland
area. Prior to his retirement Hirsch
assumed rabbinical duties in Palm
Coast.
This deal gives Iran the bomb, tell lawmakers in

Washington that its a bad deal
BY JOSH BLOCK
CEO & President, The Israel Project
Last months announcement of

this nuclear agreement with Iran
is a realization of the deepest fears
and the most dire predictions of
skeptics who have, for two years,
been warning against exactly this
outcome -- a bad deal that both
enriches this tyrannical regime
and fails to strip Iran of nuclear
weapons capability. The deal will
give Iran billions in cash and
sanctions relief to fuel its terror
and war machines, shred the hardwon sanctions regime beyond repair, and enable the Iranians to get
away with hiding the full extent of
their nuclear work, infrastructure,
and know-how. It will not have
an enforceable inspections regime
or a workable way to re-impose
pressure on Iran when it cheats.
And then, after just over a decade, most of this deal will expire,
and Iran will be allowed to have
a full-blown nuclear program -- a
screws turn away from a nuclear
weapon. It is important to ask: if a
three-month nuclear breakout by
Iran is a problem today, why are
we giving the Mullahs in Tehran
hundreds of billions of dollars,

all so Iran will have a zero break
out time, according to President
Obama himself, in just over ten
years?
Irans repressive regime needs
economic relief far more than
we need an agreement by these
terms. Prior to this round of talks
in September 2013, Iran was
six-months from a balance of payments crisis and total economic
calamity. Rather than leveraging
that pressure to stop Iran and
dismantle its program, President
Obama relieved it prematurely in
order to secure an agreement that
will midwife an era of nuclear
terror and tyranny, at the expense
of freedom, human rights, and
American national security.
At the beginning of these talks,
President Obama promised Congress and the American people
that he would secure a good deal
or walk away. He couldnt bring
home a good deal and he couldnt
bring himself to walk away.
Instead, he walked away from
every key position demanding the
shuttering or dismantlement of
Irans military nuclear infrastructure -- including their fortified
enrichment bunker, buried under

a mountain, on a military base,
where Iran will be permitted to
continue enriching and developing its ability to spin faster and
more advanced centrifuges.
To believe this is a good deal,
you have to trust Iran. The American people, and their lawmakers,
rightly, do not. Over the next 60
days, Congress will review this
accord, acknowledge that the
President has, unfortunately, not
lived up to the promises that he
made, and instead delivered a deal
that will make America, our children, and the world less safe.
The American people deserve
better. Our negotiators can do
better. Congress must insist on
it, and reject this bad deal. This
deal doesnt stop Irans path to a
bomb: it paves it. Thats why The
Israel Project (TIP) will continue
its work, day and night, to inform
press, policymakers, and the
public about the dangers of this
bad deal. Log onto nobombforiran.com for more information
or to sign the petition, telling
lawmakers this is in is ultimately
a dangerous deal.
Graphic courtesy of The Israel Project
Jewish News
acksonville
Advertising Representatives
Barbara Nykerk 904.733.4179
Eta Perras 904.629.0466
Editor & Communications Director
Matt Franzblau mattf@jewishjacksonville.org
Communications Committee
Jon Israel, Chair
Shirley Bielski
Helen Hill
Michele Katz
Joan Levin
Andrea Mail
Rachel Morgenthal
Andrew Ocean
Marsha Pollock
Federation President
Sandy Zimmerman
Federation Executive Director
Alan Margolies
8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217
The Jacksonville Jewish News is published monthly. All submitted content becomes the property of the Jacksonville Jewish News.
Announcements and opinions contained in these pages are published as a service to the community and do not necessarily represent the views of the Jacksonville Jewish News or its publisher, the
Jewish Federation of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jewish News is
not responsible for the Kashruth of any product advertised.
Copy deadlines: All news, photographs, etc., must be received
by the 6th of each month, and sent to jjn@jewishjacksonville.org.
Ad deadlines: All ads must be received by the 15th of each
month and sent to jjn@jewishjacksonville.org in pdf format.
page 6
community news
Osher Family
Israel Partnership hosts
The Osher Family is truly amazing!
Manya, Tal and Levana go out of their
way to host Israeli visitors to Jacksonville in the most welcoming way.
For the last three summers, they have
hosted teens from the Israel Partnership Summer Teen Exchange Program.
Levana has been an incredible host
each summer and continues her efforts
and commitment to the program as she
hosted another teen this summer as well.
In addition to the teenage delegation,
the Oshers have even hosted educators and members of the Israeli Scouts
Caravan. We are so grateful to the Oshers for opening their home and sharing
their hospitality with our Israeli guests
because whenever we ask, they always
say yes!
August
2015
Jax Jewish Singles explores

St. Augustines Castle Otttis
Jax Jewish singles explored Castle Otttis in St. Augustine earlier this
summer. The groups tour guide Rusty is the second from the right.
BY FRANCINE SMITH
Jax Jewish Singles
Earlier this summer, members

of the Jax Jewish Singles group
enjoyed early dinner and music
at Kingfish Grill in St. Augustine
followed by a tour of the historic
Castle Otttis. Rusty, the owner,
gave the group a comprehensive
90-minute tour describing the
spiritual and historic symbolism
of the Castle, both inside and out.
Castle Otttis (spelled with three Ts)

is an original landscape architecture
inspired by Irish castles.
Join the Jax Jewish Singles for
its next outing, a Sunday dinner
at P.F. Changs, which features
a blend of high-quality, Asianinspired cuisine in a sophisticated,
contemporary bistro. Contact
Francine for the exact date and
time of the event at 904-221-8061
or email her directly at francine.
smith@comcast.net.
Jewish Moms playgroup

looking for new members
By DuBow Preschool
Jewish Moms Playgroup is

open to all Jewish families in the
Jacksonville area -- affiliated or
unaffiliated -- with children from
newborn to four years old.

We currently have 100 + moms
participating. Would you like to
host a playdate? We usually meet
at the playground, but we love
moms to post if they are headed to
the park or to an event where we
can all gather together! Wed love
to have more ambassadors planning playdates. Join our Facebook
group, or email: jewishmothers@
groups.facebook.com
If you have someone in mind you

would like to nominate for Mensch of
the Month, who volunteers both their
time and efforts to the Jacksonville
Jewish community, simply submit their
name, photo and a short write up about
them to jjn@jewishjacksonville.org
Jewish meditation groups need leaders

BY GAIL GREENFIELD
Jewish Meditation Groups
Last year, following a presentation on Jewish Meditation at the

annual Community University,
there was a high demand to learn
more about meditation. After
reaching out to the community
to gauge interest levels, several
groups formed in just a few short
months. The intention of these
groups, in addition to devoting
time each week to the practice of
mediation, is to use the practice
as a foundation for ones own
spiritual path. There are many of
us who are looking for ways to
connect more deeply and spiritually but through meditation we

learn to quiet our minds, while
finding a peaceful place inside
and making space for that experience. Meditative practices have
been an integral part of Judaism
for centuries. Aryeh Kaplan,
whose book, Jewish Meditation,
is the basis for the syllabus we
use, states, Jews by nature are
spiritual people.
There are currently four ongoing groups which put this practice into use; two in Ponte Vedra,
one in Nocatee, and one in Mandarin. These groups have been
thriving and there is a waiting
list for future groups. Before the
need can be met for more groups,

additional facilitators are needed.
Because of that fact a facilitator training session will be held
on Sunday, Aug. 30, from 24
p.m. at the home of Mrs. Marilyn
Wolfson. There is no cost for the
training, but advance registration
is necessary. Prior meditation
experience may be helpful but is
not required. If you possess any
experience in group leadership or
teaching and have an interest in
meditation, mindfulness and spirituality, please consider becoming
a facilitator. Contact Gail Greenfield at gailsgreenfield@hotmail.
com or call her at 904-534-7381
for more information.
page 7
page 8
EDUCATION
Back to school is just right PJ Library takes a trip to Israel

around the corner at
without even leaving Jacksonville
Kids explored Israel recently with the help of PJ Library who provided pretend passports and fantasy flights
to and from the homeland, complete with stops at the Dead Sea, the Western Wall and the Negev Desert
By Jewish Family & Community Services
Students at Michele Block Gan Yeladim will soon be bringing backpacks

into their classrooms as the school years starts Monday, Aug. 24th
BY MOLLY SWEET
The 2015-16 school year is

quickly approaching and in just a
few weeks, Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergartens
hallways will be once again stirring
with the thrills which come with
a new crop of students. For some,
this year will mark a first encounter
with the school, while others will
start their final year with Block
Gan. No matter where students are
in their preschool journey, there
are plenty of events planned for
throughout the year to stimulate
growth, learning and development
in addition to helping prepare them
for their academic successes in
elementary school and beyond.
Preschool Family Orientation
scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21 and
the Welcome Back Brunch will be
held Sunday, Aug. 23. During these
two events, students and parents
will have the unique opportunity to
meet teachers and classmates and
see the classrooms they will be calling home for the coming year.
This is a great way to get acclimated and ease any nerves and apprehensions your child might have
about starting school, says Theresa
Levy, director of Block Gan. After
students get settled into the routine
of school, Michele Block Gan
Yeladim faculty members will help
their pupils tackle everything from
literacy and language development
to science and technology. Golomb
notes that faculty eagerly awaits the
arrival of new iPads for classroom
use as well. In addition to learning
core skills like language, fine and
large motor abilities, social studies, art, music, drama, Judaics and
physical education, Michele Block
Gan Yeladim has many extra-curricular offerings, including Spanish,
cooking, yoga and music. Enrollment is still open for the 2015-16
school year, so visit the Michele
Block Gan Yeladim Preschool page
on the JCAs website at jcajax.org/
ECE or contact Rochelle Golomb
at 904-730-2100 ext. 259. You can
also call director Levy at 904730-2100 ext. 237. School starts
Monday, Aug. 24, see you then!
PJ Library took a trip to Israel

this summer via the playground
at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.
Accompanied by their parents,
the children boarded ELAL Flight
904 to Tel Aviv. With passports
in hand, they listened to stories
and learned about the places they
would visit. During their journey, they had many sites to go to

including the Dead Sea for a float,
the Western Wall where they left
notes, as well as Jerusalem and
the Knesset. They also went to
the Negev Desert for a Dig and
climbed Masada. At each location
they received a visa sticker which
they placed in their passport.

After all of that travel in the hot
summer weather, it was time for
picnic lunches and sno-cones. PJ
Jax Adventures will be taking off
again this fall for more fun and
exploration, so be sure to be on
the lookout for our next trip so
you can join us.
Michele Block Gan Yeladim offers wide

range of enrichment classes for kids
Michele Block Gan Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten offers various enrichments classes for students
such as Spanish, music, yoga and cooking which enables them to have hands on learning experiences
BY MOLLY SWEET

Preschool and Kindergarten
curriculum is based on a unique
variety of approaches drawn from
the best practices of educational
organizations like the National
Association for the Education of
Young Children, Reggio Emilia,
Montessori and more. Though it is
influenced by many philosophies,
one of the intrinsic elements of
Michele Block Gan Yeladims
curriculum is play-based and
hands-on learning; that children
reach their fullest potential in
learning and discovery by doing.
Hands on experiences greet students daily in the classroom, but
are especially present within enrichment classes. These courses,
offered to Block Gan preschool
and kindergarten students as well
as children in the community, provide an opportunity for pupils to
engage in activities outside their
conventional curriculum.
In Spanish class, children learn
the foundation for fluency in the
language as research shows that

children who study a foreign
language display higher cognitive
performance in overall basic skills
in elementary school and beyond.
Learning a second language at a
young age is cognitively as easy
as learning a primary language,
so now would be the perfect time
for an introduction into Spanish.
Magnificent Musicians offers
an introduction to the elements
of music: rhythm, melody and
harmony as well as music history. With hands-on activities
like drumming, singing and hand
bells, students are encouraged to
experiment and create musical
ideas. As with learning a foreign
language, research on the cognitive impact of studying and playing music shows that neural activity is significantly increased in
children who participate in these
activities. Children also experiment with movement and body
awareness in Yoga classes. Recent
studies have shown that students
exposed to yoga tend to be less reactive, more optimistic and more
able to focus, concentrate and

interact with their peers. Yoga and
other similar contemplative activities help children learn to regulate
their emotions and behavior in
healthy ways. Research by Sat Bir
Khalsa, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, shows that long-term
yoga and meditation practice
changes the part of the brain that
regulates resilience to stress and
emotional reactivity.
Students can also stimulate
their senses and explore global
flavors in a unique class called
Cooking around the World. The
kitchen is a perfect setting to
teach and reinforce basic math
skills when measuring ingredients, demonstrate chemistry,
refine motor skills and teach different cultures through a culinary
lens. Michele Block Gan Yeladims enrichment classes begin in
the fall and are open to the entire
community. For more information on these hands-on classes
contact Rochelle Golomb at 904730-2100 ext. 259 or Rochelle.
golomb@jcajax.org.
page 9
synagogue news
Jacksonville Jewish Center installs

new board of directors for 2015-17
Beth El The Beaches

to hold screening of The
Green Prince at next mixer
BY GAIL GREENFIELD
Beth El The Beaches Synagogue
New Jacksonville Jewish Center president Alyse Nathans
Outgoing president & Chairman of the board Fred Pozin
Beth El The Beaches Synagogue will hold its next member

and guest mixer, Sunday, Aug.
23, at 5 p.m., where there will
be a wine and cheese social
followed by the showing of
the documentary The Green
Prince. Set against the chaotic backdrop of events in the
Middle East, Nadav Schirmans
The Green Prince retraces
the details of a highly unprecedented partnership that developed between sworn enemies.
This film recounts the true story
of the son of a Hamas leader
who emerged as one of Israels
prized informants and the Shin
Bet agent who risked his career
to protect him.
As a defiant teenager growing
up in Palestine, Mosab Hassan
Yousefs fervor against Israel
was unquestionable, ultimately
landing him in prison. Shaken
by Hamass brutality within

the prisons walls, in addition
to a growing disgust for their
methods, particularly suicide
bombing, he had an unexpected
change of heart and began to see
Hamas as more of a problem
than a solution. Recruited by
the Shin Bet (Israels internal
security agency) and given the
code name Green Prince, he
spied on the Hamas elite for
more than a decade, constantly
risking exposure and certain
death while grappling with the
perception that he had betrayed
his own family and people.
Along the way, what started
as a cautious alliance between
Mosab and his Shin Bet handler,
Gonen Ben Yitzhak, grew into
an enduring loyalty which no
one could have ever predicted.
For more information about the
screening, contact Gail Greenfield at gailsgreenfield@hotmail.
com or at 904-534-7381.
Blue Jeans n BBQ

means back to school
Shabbat at The Temple
The new board of directors for the Jacksonville Jewish center who will serve the synagogue for the next 24 months
By Jacksonville Jewish Center
The Congregations Annual

meeting was an exceptional evening highlighted by a beautiful
ritual installation, committee reports, in addition to talks by Shari
Shuman Financial V.P., Mens
President Harry Peltz, Sisterhood
Representative Etta Fialkow and
highlights from the Co-United
Synagogue Youth Presidents Jack
Gare and Levana Osher.
Mazel Tov to outgoing President Fred Pozin as he becomes
the Centers new Chairman of the
Board and to incoming President,
Alyse Nathans who takes over as
the second female president in the
history of the Jacksonville Jewish
Center, preceded by community

volunteer extraordinaire Marsha
Pollock.
The new Jacksonville Jewish
Center Board of Directors is as
follows:
Joette Anderson, Allan
Andrew, Eve Aptheker, Ellen
Balotin, Etta Fialkow, Risa Datz,
Bob Fischer, Debbie Goldstein,
Rhoda Goldstein, Alan Harrison,
Joanie Levin, Faye Hedrick, Amy
Levinson, Marla Lewis, Lenny
Maiman, Harvey Matoren, Mauri
Mizrahi, Rachel Morgenthal,

Penny Powell, Jen Plotkin, Meryl
Rittenberg, Randi Rogozinski,
Scott Schwartz, Rebekah Selevan,
Shari Shuman, Michael Setzer,
Sheri Weiss, Sara Werner, Elyse
Whitman and Carole Wolpin.
The new Jacksonville Jewish Center Executive Committee
includes members:
Dave Bielski, Gaby Bubis,
Tyler Curl, Michael DuBow, Mel
Gottlieb, Bruce Horovitz, Debby
Kaye, Steve Mizrahi, Alyse Nathans, Rick Plotkin, Fred Pozin,
Mike Schneider, Russell Selevan,
Ben Setzer,
Leonard Setzer, Maura Silverstein, Sheree Spriggs and Morrie
Zimmerman.
The Friday Night Live band will perform at the Blue Jeans n BBQ Shabbat
scheduled to take place Aug. 14 to help celebrate kids going back to school
By Congregation Ahavath Chesed
Every child in America is

preparing to return to school this
month, and as Wiatt Bowers, the
Temples programming vicepresident put it, Temple families
are preparing their own children
and providing for those who
cannot provide for themselves.
It is because of this that Temple
families are collecting school supplies to be given to Jewish Family
& Community Services for the
children in the foster care system.
That is just one way we work to
make the world a better place,
Bowers added.
On Aug. 14, The Temple will
welcome its friends from JFCS to
share in a special Blue Jeans n
BBQ Shabbat. Its a neat tradition we have created, explained
JFCS executive director Colleen
Rodriguez. This is the fourth
year The Temple has helped the
children in our care and its so
important because foster care
children are often embarrassed

by their situation, even though
they did nothing to create it, she
added. Arriving at school with
all their supplies helps them feel
like every other child in their
classroom and that is an important
first step in creating a successful
school year.
The Friday Night Live Band
will participate in Shabbat worship that evening which begins at
7 p.m. and everyone is invited to
attend. The Band members have
such fun creating the experience
as the congregation embraces the
spirit of Shabbat, said Temple
President and keyboard player
Brian Bialik. Together, it is a
Shabbat filled with ruach, so don
your denim and yall come now!
For those planning to come, Shabbat dinner, catered by Bonos, will
be served at 6 p.m. Dinner reservations are appreciated as there
is a small fee. To RSVP, send an
e-mail to rsvp@TheTempleJacksonville.org.
acksonville
Jewish News
JaxJewish
@jaxjewish
Social Media Directory
page 10
community news
8 Notes Musical Series

stars at River Garden
Soccer, Basketball and more offered

for children and adults at the JCA
Pianist and composer Lynne Arriale performs The American Songbook recently at River Garden Senior Services as part of the 8 Notes Musical Series
By Jewish Community & Family Services
Jewish Family & Community

Services was pleased to have
Lynne Arriale recently perform
The American Songbook for
the seniors at River Garden, The
Coves, Camellia at Deerwood,
and Brookdale Southside as part
of our 8 Notes Musical Series.
Arriale is a pianist/composer
whose career is graced by a love
of melody and a joy of musical
discovery. At the core of Arriales
appeal is her warmth, humor and
ability to communicate with her

listeners. She is currently the Associate Professor of Jazz Studies
and Director of Small Ensembles
at The University of North Florida
in Jacksonville. Sponsored by the
family of Sylvia and Ben Gottlieb, the 8 Notes Musical Series
is part of JFCS Jewish Healing
Network. Twice a year we bring
musical performances to our
senior community as we did this
past July.
Make a difference in the

life of a blind person by
creating Braille materials
By The Temple Braille Group
The Temples Braille group is

asking for volunteers who would
be interested in transcribing printed materials into Braille using a
computer. Help is also required
to reproduce maps and diagrams
using raised line and collage
methods. Training is available for
those wanting to help get these
valuable materials to the readers
who use them. Free classes are offered weekly, on Thursday morn-
ings and are open to men and

women 18 years of age or older.
The non-sectarian Braille group
has been sponsored by the Temple
Sisterhood of Congregation Ahavath Chesed since 1957. The next
orientation meeting is scheduled
for Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. and classes
begin Sept. 3 at 10 a.m. For more
information call Thelma Lebowitz
at 904-292-1160 or Pat Gray at
904-955-8832. You can also text
Candace Richardson at 904-6077619.
The JCA offers many athletic programs for kids and adults including soccer leagues and select basketball clinics
BY IMAN BYFIELD
Jewish Community Alliance
The Jewish Community Alliances Sports and Recreation

Department offers many programs
for children and adults looking
to hone their skills in a variety
of different sports. Beginning in
September, the JCA is offering
youth and adult soccer leagues
in addition to a select basketball
team and youth tennis clinics for
the entire Jacksonville community. The JCA Youth Soccer
League will hold a mandatory
skills evaluation on Sunday, Aug.
9, from 1-4 p.m. at Bolles High
School (7400 San Jose Blvd.).
The JCA Youth Soccer League
seeks to develop young athletes into fundamentally sound
players, while having fun in an

organized, competitive and social
atmosphere. Age groups will be
determined once the evaluations
are complete. For more information, or to obtain specific try-out
times for your childs age group,
call 904-730-2100 ext. 254.
Adults 18 and older can also
form teams of six to eight players for five-on-five soccer or if
they prefer, register individu-
ally to be placed on a team. This

league meets on Sundays from
September 13 to November 1 and
all rosters must be submitted by
Monday, September 7. On Monday, Sept. 21, tryouts will be held
at the JCA for its Select Basketball Team. JCA Select Basketball
is for players who want to compete at the highest level and those
who make the team will benefit
from quality coaching and the
opportunity to play in a structured
training camp prior to joining a
competitive league. Tryouts begin
at 6 p.m. for girls and 7 p.m.
for boys, and registration is not
required prior to tryouts. For more
information on these programs,
contact Rio Robinson at 904-7302100 ext. 250 or rio.robinson@
jcajax.org.
page 11
Community NEWS
Sisterhood Strong
August Jewish Java to feature Jewish

history lesson of northeast Florida
BY ISABEL BALOTIN
Shalom Jacksonville Director
Join us for Shalom Jacksonvilles monthly Jewish Java

on Wednesday, Aug. 5 from
9-10:30 a.m. at Village Bread
Caf (11050 San Jose Blvd.)
Purchase a delicious breakfast,
danish or bagel and you will
get a free cup of coffee. After
the announcement of upcoming events in our community,
Allan Silberman, a member
of the St. Augustine Jewish
Historical Society, will share
Recently 15 members of Temple Bet Yams Sisterhood participated in Women Build for Habitat for Humanity of St. Augustine and St. Johns County. Together the women along with
other volunteers from the community helped construct two
homes in the area.
Swing Batter!
The 2015 Synagogue Softball season is in full swing, with

games on select Sunday mornings at the Jacksonville Jewish
Centers softball field. Anyone who wants to play, regardless
of congregation affiliation or level of ability can contact league
commissioner Dan Wohl at dwohl@bellsouth.net.
acksonville
Jewish News
Grow your business
If you want to reach a demographic with

a higher than average household income
and education, the Jewish News is your
connection. To advertise, contact Barbara
Nykerk at (904) 923-3205 and
bnykerk@comoacst.net or Eta Perras at
(904) 629-0466 and perraseta@bellsouth.net
some very surprising facts and

fiction surrounding the earliest Jewish settlers in northeast
Florida.
Jewish Java meets the first
Wednesday of every month
and it doesnt matter how long
you have lived in the area, you
are always welcome to join us.
Federations Shalom Jacksonville is the official Jewish
welcome wagon of Northeast
Florida. If you are new to the
area or would like to learn
more about the Jewish com-
munity, please contact Isabel

Balotin, 904-448-5000 x 206
or e-mail her at shalomjax@
jewishjacksonville.org.
page 12
What You See is What You Get

Authentic and fully transparent. Thats how weve
been investing for 20 years now. And honestly, our
clients feel good knowing the expectations, what
investments they own, and exactly where their money
is. Take a look at B&C. Youll like what you see.
www.BandCfinancial.com | Call us at 904.273.9850

110 Professional Drive, Suite 101, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
page 13
federation news
Israeli & American teens bonded over frames of bowling at Latitude 30 Teens also tried their hand at painting at Yes You Canvas
Israeli Teens
Continued from p. 1
Yes You Canvas, the Ponte Vedra

Inn, Sweet Petes, the Avenues
Mall, Latitude 30 and even made
a special day trip to Universal
Studios in Orlando. Through their
interactions, the Israeli teens were
able to learn about what life is like
as an American teenager.
As a group, both the Americans
and the Israelis learned about the
real meaning of our Israeli Partnership with Hadera-Eiron and
they uncovered the special connection that we all share as Jewish
people. This program makes the
connection between Israeli and
diaspora Jews stronger, explained
Israeli teen Hadar Matana. We
live our lives in different ways and

I find it so interesting to learn
about those differences because
the Temples are so different - even
the way people dress is different,
so its great to learn about.
Logan Sims, a first-time Jacksonville host teen said, I learned
that even though we were a world
apart, nothing cut us off from being friends because being Jewish
connected us in a special way to
the point of where we could sing
together and speak without having
awkward moments. I think that
connection is going to continue
for the years to come, he added.
You should go to Israel as
an American Jew so you can see
how Jews live there and make
connections with the people over
there, said Levana Osher, another
Jacksonville host teen. Osher
traveled to Israel through the
Israel Partnerships Tikkun Olam

program two summers ago and
feels that the connections she has
made with Israeli teens through
this program are deep and long
lasting.
Iris and Mark Kraemer hosted
the final gathering of the friendly
bunch at their home. While there,
the teens, both American and
Israeli shared insights into life
in America and the similarities
and differences between our two
countries.
One of those differences was
discovered by Sennes, who said,
Ive noticed at synagogues that
women are more treated like men.
That was a bit of a culture shock
as I was able to read in front of
the Torah, she explained. Sennes
friend Hadar Matana could not
get over how polite the people in
Jacksonville were as she said, You
Visiting Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando
dont just smile at people in Israel

- there is no reason to do that.
While many of the teens noted
differences, Sims shed light on the
similarities. I liked seeing how
alike we were in our personalities
and humor, he said. It was very
easy to get along with Ariel, but
it was astounding to know that
there was another Jewish teenager
across the planet who looks more
closely related to my family than I
do, he added.
Nili Trabelsi, the Israeli chaperone for the delegation was so
touched by the warmth of the
people in the local community
because she couldnt believe that
people would open their homes
and share themselves so freely.
We have something so strong
in common. It doesnt matter that
we dont speak the same language because we are all brothers
and sisters which is why it is so

strong, she explained. We might
not have felt it before but we feel it
so much now.
When Israeli Hadar Matana
was asked when it was that she
first loved America, she said, I
think it is hard to love a place that
you have never been to but I can
now say that after I have been
here, I do love America.
And that love was shared with
American teens alike as Jacksonvilles Aaron Abel noted that, It
was the people of Israel which I
met through this program that
made me truly love Israel.
A special thanks goes out to
the Block, Canady, Osher, Kight,
and Sims families for hosting
the members of our Partnership 2Gether 2015 Summer Teen
Delegation.
Family found at Welcome

to Kutshers screening
Is honored to present
A GERMAN LIFE:
Marcy Appelbaum Reindl (R) after meeting her long lost cousin, Irene (L)
BY ISABEL BALOTIN
Shalom Jacksonville Director
The screening of Welcome to

Kutshers became a catalyst for
friends, relatives and former hotel
co-workers to meet again. Marcy
Appelbaum Reindl met cousins
and other friends from Monticello
and her story is below:
Two very exciting things
happened when I went to see the
awesome Welcome to Kutshers
movie with a Catskills group.
Before the movie, it was announced that I was connected to
Dubins Bungalows. A couple sitting beside me became so excited
and said they knew of Dubins
since they were from Monticello.
They were Dave and Kit Wagner
from Monticello, NY. (who are
newcomers residing at The Coves
and I went to school with their
children).
After the movie a woman
came up to me and asked if I
was related to Aaron Dubin and
I said, that he was in fact my
grandfather. She said her grandfather was Itzik Dubin, Aarons
Dubins first cousin. With this
being said, I have had cousins in
Jacksonville for the past 12 years
and did not even know it. The
photo is of my newly acquainted
cousin Irene and me with a photo
of the Dubins Bungalow pool.
Everyone enjoyed the movie and
I got to travel down memory lane
at Kutshers ice rink where I had
taken lessons with Celia Duffy.
Wanting to share her excitement and experience, Marcy
posted the story and photo on

Facebook. This is what happened.
I posted the photo and meeting by chance on Facebook. My
uncle Larry Dubin upon reading
the post commented with some
memories of his own. He said,
What an incredible meeting.
Dave Wagner and I were buddies
in our teen years. His Dad was
the plumber who installed the
plumbing in many of the bungalows at Dubins. Dave also looked
after the chickens on the farm.
Their place adjoined Hellers
Farm. Itzik had a rooming house
across from the big hotel on Sackett Lake. All their family spent
many summers there.
Then my uncle Larry started a
conversation with Dave Wagners
son, Neil.
Nice hearing from you. I
am 82 living in Florida. Your
Dad and I had some wonderful
experiences. Parties in the barn
going to Camp Mahogee nearby
on Silver Lake to meet some girls,
hunting in the woods behind the
house, feeding the chickens ,etc.,
then off to college and gone. I
remember your aunt Grace. Is she
still as attractive as I remember?
I hope they are still around and
thriving.
Experiences like these are very
common at our Catskills events
and Im looking forward to our
second screening of Welcome
to Kutshers on Sunday, August
2 at 1:30 p.m. at River Garden.
Surely, some more Catskills connections will be made.
AGAINST ALL ODDS, CHANGE IS POSSIBLE
The personal, spiritual and professional journey of
DR. BERND WOLLSCHLAEGER

2012 FAFP Family Physician of the Year,
Former IDF Medical Ofcer & Book Author
Sunday, August 3O, 2O15

1O:3O a.m.
at the home of Holly and Mark Emas

This Federation event is open to ALL Jewish healthcare professionals and
their signicant others in our community and will support the
2016 Annual Campaign. Kindly RSVP
RSVP by August 21 to events@jewishjacksonville.org
page 14
EDUCATION
Socialize, play and learn with your little one at DuBow Preschool
Parents can interact and learn with their little one through classes like
these two above offered by DuBow Preschool throughout the year
BY SHEREEN CANADY
DuBow Preschool Director
DuBow Preschool offers a

wonderful variety of classes
open to the entire community for
parents as well as their babies and
toddlers. Families are given the
opportunity to meet other families
in the community, learn parenting
tips and bond with their little ones
while participating in our fun
and creative classes. A full list of
course offerings are listed below,
we hope to see you soon!
Shalom Baby
Come join in our bi-weekly
free playgroup as we have a great
crop of parents, babies and toddlers who enjoy playing, singing
and making treasured keepsakes.
Class participants also talk about
current parenting issues and even
celebrating Shabbat and Jewish
holidays. Learn more by contacting Shereen Canady at 904-2684200 ext. 143.
Family Music & Movement
Family Music & Movement
classes incorporate songs with
movement and various hand held
instruments. Sprinkled into that

instruction will be some wonderful stories, along with American
Sign Language, and cooperation
practice. This is also one of the
rare classes where siblings are
encouraged to attend. Find out
more by going to facebook.com/
familymusicandmovement.
Color Splash
This is a parent and me sensory class designed for parents
and children to have hands-on exposure to varying textures, smells,
and tastes in an environment
that encourages learning through
experience. Find information
regarding the class at facebook.
com/colorsplashclass or send
an e-mail to colorsplashclass@
gmail.com.
Stroller Workout in Sept.
A brand new class for the
stroller crowd starts this September. Get fit and stay fit while enjoying an hour with other moms.
Look for this new Parent & Me
class offered by DuBow Preschool and keep in the loop about
upcoming workouts at facebook.
com/strollerworkout.
Kids have fun under the

stars at JCA Camp Gan
Yeladims UNDERnights
Kids at Camp Gan Yeladim and KinderCamp had the chance to have
fun after hours at the JCA during its UNDERnight program this summer
BY MOLLY SWEET
During this past summer, the

JCA Summer Camp had engaging activities for children all day
long, but on two special occasions, the excitement extended
into the evening for Camp Gan
Yeladim and KinderCamps
UNDERnight programs. Those
special evenings brought Gan
Yeladims Tovim campers and
KinderCampers back to the J
after hours for crafts, dinner and
swimming. For the campers,
its a really exciting night because they are a little too young
for overnight camp so UNDERnights are a great opportunity
for young campers to get a taste

of the excitement of a typical
overnight camp, said explained
Rochelle Golomb, Assistant
Director of Michele Block Gan
Yeladim Preschool and Kindergarten. They even bring
their pajamas and leave with a
special souvenir, She added.
The themes for this summers
Camp Gan Yeladim UNDERnights were a Pirate Party and
Rainforest Adventure. Campers
either stayed or returned to the
JCA for a fun-filled evening,
and by the time their parents
came to pick them up, they were
all dressed in pajamas and ready
for bedtime.
page 15
community news
JCA to present a pair of free summer cultural arts events
The Boathouse Cello Choir will be performing at the JCA, Sunday, Aug. 2
By Jewish Community Alliance
In August, the Jewish Community Alliances Cultural Arts

Department will be holding two
entertaining programs free of
charge to the entire Jacksonville
community. On Sunday, Aug.
2, at 3 p.m., a fun afternoon of
music featuring the Boathouse
Cello Choir will be performing
at the JCA. This eclectic group
of cellists, whose skills range
from beginner to advanced, got
their name from the boathouse
of the local yacht club which
served as their first practice
space. Aside from the cello,
the various members bring
numerous talents as several
of them write original music.
The groups standard repertoire
includes everything from classical to rock music and they also
include songs with fun vocals
and audience participation. To
keep a festive atmosphere, the
JCA asks that attendees bring
blankets or lawn chairs to sit on
but there will be chairs provided

for those who forget. There is
no dress code for this informal
concert and dairy snacks can be
brought if desired. Additionally,
the JCA will be serving lemonade and cookies.
On Sunday, Aug. 23, at 2
p.m., the JCA will present a
showing of the film Brighton
Beach Memoirs. This heartwarming story, based on Neil
Simons award-winning play,
recounts 15-year-old Eugene
Jeromes desperate attempts to
uncover lifes mysteries while
his family actively obscures the
clues. Even so, he manages to
keep his priorities (baseball and
girls), firmly in order throughout
this hilarious adaptation of the
Broadway hit about growing
up in Brooklyn during the late
1930s. Advance registration
is requested for both of these
programs. For more information
or to register, visit jcajax.org or
contact the registrar at 904-7302100 ext. 228.
Yoga Shalom is alive

and well at Beth El- The
Beaches Synagogue
Mind, body & spirit come together in peaceful harmony at Yoga Shalom
BY MARLA DAHLENBERG
Beth El The Beaches Synagogue
Yoga Shalom is a DVD

which presents a unique worship
experience that brings together
mind, body and spirit and combines the two powerful spiritual
disciplines of Jewish worship
and yoga practice. This activity
puts Jewish worship into sharp
focus by clearly explaining each
of the prayers, their connections to yoga and context of the
service as well as kavannot, or
interpretive writings which add
depth and creativity to each

chapter. Yoga Shalom will help
those who take part in it relax
their body and calm their mind,
while nurturing their spirit by
using advanced, gentle, and
chair modifications for each
posture sequence. The class
meets every Wednesday for an
hour starting at 10:30 a.m. and
anyone is welcome to take part
but they are asked to bring their
own mat. Any questions can be
directed to program organizer
Gail Greenfield at gailsgreenfield@hotmail.com.
page 16
JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE
JCA Family Fun Days makes a splash JCA Summer Camp

for members and their families
season in review
By IMAN BYFIELD
BY IMAN BYFIELD
Last month the Jewish Community Alliance held a Family

Fun Day event at the JCAs
Howard and Joy Korman Outdoor Pool. JCA members and
their families enjoyed the won-
derful weather, pool activities,

hot dogs and DJ entertainment.
Family Fun Days are a great
opportunity for JCA members
to experience the wonderful
facilities the JCA has to offer as
well as meet other members and
enjoy quality time with families
in the community. The next JCA
Family Fun Day will take place

Monday, Sept. 7, from 11 a.m.-3
p.m. and will feature games, entertainment and food. These free
events are open to JCA members
and their families, for more information, contact Rio Robinson
at 904-730-2100 ext. 250 or rio.
robinson@jcajax.org.
The JCA 2015 Summer

Camp season was a great
success. Camp Gan Yeladim,
Kinder Camp, Sabra, Habonim
and Primetime Teen campers
have enjoyed a fun filled and adventurous summer experience.
Littlest campers participated in
events like Under Nights and

the International Mud Day and
the older campers had the opportunity to engage in specialty
art and sports choices like ice
skating, pottery, and horseback
riding, theatre productions and
adventure days. Each day, JCA
summer camp participants were
engaged in a variety of fun,
stimulating activities.
jca happenings
For more information or to register for programs at the JCA, call
904-730-2100 or visit our official
website at www.jcajax.org.
Vandroff Art Gallery
The Art of Annelies Dykgraaf

will be shown from July 31 Sept.
2. Annelies was born in Nigeria,
West Africa and spent her first
18 years in rural areas where her
parents lived and worked as missionaries and teachers. She holds
a B.F.A. degree with a minor in
French from Calvin College in
Grand Rapids, Mich. Meet Annelies at the opening on Tuesday,
Aug. 4, from 6-8 p.m. This is free
and open to the entire community.
Free Summer Concert
Join us for a free concert with the

Boathouse Cello Choir on Sunday,
Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. Bring blankets
and lawn chairs or a dairy snack.
We will provide extra seating,
lemonade and cookies. All ages
welcome but advance reservations
are requested.
JCA Film Series
Brighton Beach Memoirs, based

on Neil Simons award-winning
play, is a wonderful, semi-autobiographical comedy with heart, wit
and hysterical insights into family
life and growing up just a little off
center. This film is showing on

Sunday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m.
Pottery
This eight week course teaches

hand building and wheel throwing. Students learn how to glaze
and finish pieces using high-fire
glazing techniques. The fee for this
program is $216 and $144 for JCA
valued members. Classes are on
Thursdays, Aug. 27 through Oct.
22 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
The Great Escape
Adults age 50+ can board Carnival Fascination for a fabulous

trip to the Bahamas with stops in
Freeport and Nassau. Tour the islands, dine on fine food and enjoy
nightly entertainment. For more
information, including double,
single and triple rates, contact
Sandy Oasis at 904-730-2100 ext.
322. Reservations are required by
Thursday, Aug. 20.
Marvelous Movies
The Sound of Music is celebrating

its 50th anniversary. See this mega
hit on Monday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m.
inside the JCA and enjoy hotdogs
at the pool during intermission.
Reservations are appreciated by
Saturday, Aug. 29, and the fee for
this program is $7 but free for JCA
valued members.
Jerusalem at the IMAX Youth Tennis

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, meet at 9
a.m. in the JCA lobby to experience one of the worlds most
beloved cities in this spectacular
documentary filmed in 3D for
the IMAX screen. Lunch will be a
Dutch treat and reservations required by Thursday, Aug. 20. The
fee for this program is $30 but just
$20 for JCA valued members.
Quick start programs provide an

overview of tennis and teach the
fundamentals of the sport. Classes
focus on learning proper swinging
motions and the most effective
way to handle a tennis racquet.
The JCA offers several ongoing clinics for all ages. For more
information contact Reggie Exum
at 904-730-2100, ext. 317.
Youth Soccer
JCA Select Basketball

Tryouts
JCA Youth Soccer mandatory

skills evaluation will take place
on Sunday, Aug. 9, at Bolles High
School. League practice will be
held Sept. 13 through Nov. 1. For
more information and age-specific
evaluation times, contact Coach
Rio Robinson at 904-730-2100 ext.
250 or rio.robinson@jcajax.org.
The fee for this program is $150
and only $100 for JCA valued
members.
Adult Soccer
Form your own teams of six to

eight players for five-on-five soccer. You can also register individually or with a friend to be placed
on a team. League play begins
Sept. 13 at Bolles High School
Stadium.
Select Basketball team tryouts

will be held Monday, Sept. 21 at
the JCA for players who want
to compete at the highest level.
Those who make the team will
benefit from quality coaching
and the opportunity to play in a
structured training camp prior to
joining a local competitive league.
Tryouts will begin at 6 p.m. for
girls and 7 p.m. for boys. For more
information, contact Coach Rio at
904-730-2100, ext. 250.
School Year Makos

Swim Team
This team introduces competitive

swimming and helps prepare children for the upcoming competitive summer league. Register for
one day, two days or four days a
week. Clinics start Sunday, Aug. 2
and for more information contact
Jessica Novotny at 904-730-2100,
ext. 240.
JV Makos Swim Team
This team is for children interested in being a part of a swim

team and who are able to put their
faces in the water as well as swim
half the pool length unassisted.
Practice days are Monday and
Wednesday, 1:30-2:15 p.m. and
sessions are held monthly. The fee
for this program is $82, but only
$55 for JCA valued members.
JCA Fencing for Adults

(14 and older)
Session I will be held on Wednesdays, Aug. 5 Sept. 30 from
6-7:30 p.m. The fee for this
program is $210 and just $140 for
JCA valued members.
JEWISH COMMUNITY ALLIANCE 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $208,000
904.730.2100
wwwjcajax.org
page 17
Briefs
PJ Library
PJ Library, the award

winning free program
for books and music is
open to all families with
Jewish children in Jacksonville. If your children
are between the ages of 6
months and 8 years, they
are eligible. Please sign
up now by going to www.
pjlibrary.org/communities/jacksonville, or by
calling Ilene Schinasi at
904-394-5724.
JEWISH FAMILY and COMMUNITY SERVICES

JFCS helps to create
JFCS Strengthens ties and
bonds of forever families empowers parents through
vital outreach program
BY LAURA EVANS
but JFCS adoption coordinators
Jewish Family &
Community Services
On any given day, JFCS is

the parent to nearly 250 children
in the Duval county foster care
system. These children have
been removed from their homes
due to abuse or neglect and even
abandonment. JFCS strives to
work with parents by teaching
them life and parenting skills
so that they may reunite with
their children in a stable and
safe home environment. Unfortunately, not all children can
be reunited with their parents
JFCS in partnership with

River Garden is pleased
to bring you our meal
program, Meals4You,
From our Kitchen to
Yours. Meals are delicious, nutritious, convenient and delivered
right to your door. Jewish
dietary laws are observed.
Call Ilene Schinasi for
more information at 904224-6287.
Call2Go
Call2Go is the transportation program at JFCS.

We work with Checker
Cab and we are happy to
schedule rides for Shabbat and Holidays at no
charge. We also provide
rides for medical appointments and quality
of life events. Call Ilene
Schinasi for more information 904-224-6287.
Jewish Healing
Network
Become a Jewish Healing Network Volunteer at

JFCS and help us fulfill
the Mitzvah of Bikkur
Cholim. If you are interested in helping, you can
make a weekly visit or
phone call to a senior and
even help us deliver food
to those who cannot get
out and get it themselves.
Please call Ilene Schinasi
at 904-394-5724.
Victoria Hester and Rebecca

Marguiles work very hard to
complete those adoptions in a
timely manner so they children
will have a permanent and
loving home. The Department
of Children & Families/Family Support Services set a goal
for JFCS to finalize 45 adoptions between July 1, 2014 and
June 30, 2015. Always one to
try and surpass its goals, JFCS
has finalized 78 adoptions by
the targeted deadline, meaning
78 children now have forever
families.
Dupont Counseling to
expand efforts in schools
BY RACHEL WEINSTEIN
Meals4You
Jewish Family &

Community Services
JFCS was recently awarded

a $200,000 grant through the
Jacksonville Childrens Commission, United Way and
Duval County Public Schools
to partner with the Arlington
Family Resource Center, one of
the communitys Full-Service
schools. The goal of this pro-
gram is to provide behavioral

health services to improve the
overall emotional functioning
of children and their families.
Therapists, support staff and a
clinical supervisor will provide school-based therapeutic
services (individual and family
counseling) within the surrounding zip codes of the Arlington
area. For any questions, contact
Rachel Weinstein, Clinical Manager at rweinstein@jfcsjax.org.
A request for school supplies

By Jewish Family
& Community Services
School is just around the

corner and stores are stocked
with school supplies but parents
know all too well how expensive these supplies are. Regardless, these caring moms and
dads want their children wellprepared for their first day of
school. JFCSs foster care children in Duval County are provided lifes necessities of food
and shelter but unfortunately
none of the extras we all take
for granted, including school

supplies. Please help JFCS give
these children a positive start
to their school year as a donation of just $18 helps cover the
cost of basic supply needs. A
donation of $36 will cover all
basic supplies, plus lab costs,
sports equipment and clothing,
which many children in middle
and high school require. Your
donation is an investment in our
communitys children. These
kids need JFCS support but can
they count on yours too?
BY LAURA EVANS
Jewish Family &
Community Services
Many of todays families

experience difficulty in maintaining a stable home environment, so to help with this, JFCS
prevention specialists go to such
homes in Duval and Nassau
counties to provide support
and services which help keep
children in their homes and out
of the dependency of the court
system. The services that JFCS
helps provide include education on nurturing parenting and
active teen parenting, behavior
Navigating the large maze of

housing options for seniors
By Jewish Family
Have you heard the following

words before? Mom shouldnt
be driving and we are concerned
that she isnt eating well. If
you have and when there are
changes in the quality of life in
older adults who need additional
support, turn to Jewish Family
& Community Services for a
thorough review of their options. JFCS offers experts in aging services who can explain all
choices for senior living. From
As reported in the June issue

of the Jacksonville Jewish News,
the Feed a Needy Neighbor or
FANN food drive began in May
and runs through July. The goal
is to raise at least $10,000 to support the JFCS Food Pantry, which
will generously be matched by
the Block Family Foundation.
At the time of submission for the
August edition of the JJN, we can
independent living at home to

senior apartment communities,
even assisted living, continuing
care, and skilled nursing, each
choice will offer different levels
of care and different costs to
meets the needs of your loved
one. As with any move, make
sure to consider all of your options and ask all the right questions. If you would like more
information for help with your
loved ones long term care, call
us at 904-394-5728 to meet with
the JFCS Care Managers.
Frannie Sheridan to
perform at The Temple
By Jewish Family
Holocaust Family Gatherings presents, Frannie Sheridan

who will share, Voice of Gen
2 - The Power of Truth Telling.
Feed a Needy Neighbor

(FANN) challenge update
By Jewish Family
modification, family treasures

(a communication curriculum),
case management and emergency financial assistance. 80-percent of the referrals to STEPS
come from the Florida Department of Children & Families,
while 15-percent are from
the community (schools and
community agencies, including JFCS). Consequently, just
five-percent are the individual
families requesting help that
need it. Last fiscal year, JFCS
helped strengthen and empower
654 families with 2,518 children
through the STEPS program.
only report on the donations as

of July 15th but it is exciting to
announce that we have received
$10,022.14 and we still have yet
another half of a month to tally
up our donations. Thank you
for all of your support and for
making the difference in the lives
of so many who need our help,
especially the children who have
been unable to receive their free
meals from school during summer vacation.
Services has exceeded its lofty
$10,000 goal for the Feed a
Needy Neighbor (FANN) Block
Family Challenge as it has received donations from throughout the community totaling
$10,022.14 since the drive first
began in May. Donations were
accepted through the end of July
and there is still another half of
a month left of tallying to complete before the final totals will
be announced to the community.
JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $294,500
Sheridan is a popular Gen 2 Entertainer and Lecturer. This program is scheduled for Sunday,
Oct 18, 2015 from 1-3 p.m. at
Congregation Ahavath Chesed
The Temple. Please call Naomi
Mirensky at 904-394-5777 for
more details.
page 18
JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Education
Strategic Plan for the JCF: Charting our Course
costs: Up
BY KEVIN ROGERS
Household
incomes: Flat
Stock Market:
Turbulent
Jewish Community Foundation
This above challenging combination of factors makes for the

perfect storm for families who
are trying to invest in their childs
education.
Many parents in
our community
are grappling
with how to pay
for increased
costs of college
tuition as well as
the tuition for
their children
to attend Jewish
day schools or
for those young
By JEFF
adults who are
KLEIN,
participating at
Executive
one of the many
outstanding
Director
Jewish educational experiences offered by
our local synagogues and temples.
Here at the JCF, planning for
the future is what we do best as
individuals and families can start
scholarship funds for their educational needs. JCF scholarship
funds can be established with an
outright gift of cash, appreciated
assets like stock or even real estate.
Leaving a percentage of your estate
earmarked for a JCF scholarship
fund will ensure that your fund
will last in perpetuity. Scholarship
funds that are a part of the JCF can
be named in honor of a loved one
or in your familys own name. They
can also be earmarked for a specific
college or university, a synagogue
or temple or any other non-profit
or Jewish day school.
Suppose you wanted to establish
a $10,000 scholarship, we normally
advise that a fund should be valued
at 20 times the amount you want
to generate, so an annual $10,000
scholarship would need to have a
fund of $200,000. Often, a JCF donor will establish a fund and add to
it during his or her lifetime. Others
may take out a life insurance policy
owned by the JCF, which will then
receive the proceeds at some future
point in time.
College tuition, day school
tuition and the cost for religious
school education continues to increase. The JCF is your resource for
insuring the future of our community. By establishing a JCF scholarship fund today, you will make sure
that children who represent the
future of our community will have
the opportunities to attend college,
Jewish Day schools or religious
schools, so our community remains
vital and strong for generations to
come.
If you would like to explore
ideas on how you may establish
your own scholarship fund please
feel to contact me at 904-265-6855
or send me an e-mail at jeff.klein@
jewishfoundationnefl.org
MONEY
MATTERS
In January of this year, the

of Northeast Floridas Board of
Trustees embarked on a strategic planning process. The JCF
is fortunate to have Dr. Hal
Resnick, Dr. Sue Nussbaum (JCF
President), Mark Green (outgoing JCF President) and Jeff Klein
(Executive Director), guiding
the board through this process.
In addition, we are privileged
to have a group of trustees who
care deeply about the process
and who in addition are actively
engaged in building and developing this new plan for the future
of the Foundation.
So why is this process important to you? The primary reason
is that the success of the JCF cannot be achieved apart from the
success of the partner organizations in which it works with. In

other words, the JCF will only
be successful in fulfilling its mission when it helps other partner
organizations put in place the
financial resources necessary for
them to achieve long term financial viability and vibrancy.
One very effective method of
building a foundation for long
term financial stability is through
the JCF endowment program.
Establishing and growing an
endowment fund is a powerful

strategy for sustaining the programs and activities at the core
of an organizations mission. Uncertainty about the flow of future
revenue is a concern for every
organization and any number of
events beyond the organizations
control, from natural disasters to
declining economic conditions,
can have a devastating impact on
future receipts and/or expenses.
When these events occur, some
nonprofits try to compensate for
financial shortfalls by increasing
revenues but in a depressed or
strained economy, this strategy
can undercut the organizations
mission. Having an endowment
in place gives the organization
the means for increasing revenue
without cutting programs,
reducing staff or being forced to
increase their fees.
Establishing an endowment
provides more for an organization than simply a means for

building long-term financial
viability. It also functions as a
concrete symbol of an organizations long term commitment to
their mission and vision. It says
that who they are and what they
do is important, not only for the
current generation but for future
generations as well.
As the board of trustees continues its work on the new strategic plan, we hope you will consider the impact an endowment
through the JCF can have on the
future financial sustainability of
an organization or program in
the Jewish community which you
care so deeply about. For more
information about how you can
establish an endowment, please
contact Jeff Klein, JCF Executive
Director, at 904-265-6855 or jeff.
klein@jewishfoundationnefl.org.
Foundation to hold special board of

trustees meeting, slated for Aug. 26
Jewish Community Foundation of Northeast Florida board of trustee members Susan Levine, Adam
Marmelstein and Gary Wilkinson will be on hand for a meet and greet at the Aug. 26 board meeting
BY KEVIN ROGERS
Special thanks to Mel and

Debbie Gottlieb for opening
their home to host a special
meeting of the JCF Board of
Trustees on August 26, at 6

p.m. This meeting will serve
two purposes: The first is to
create an informal, social atmosphere which will enable everyone to get to know our new
trustees better (Susan Levine,

Gary Wilkinson and Adam
Marmelstein); The second part
of the meeting will be dedicated to work on the new JCF
Strategic Plan.
of Northeast
Florida
4932 Sunbeam Rd., Ste 200
904.394.0720
jeff.klein@
jewishfoundationnefl.org
Foundation happenings
Investment Oversight
Committee (IOC) - August is a
critical month for chair Barbara
Jaffe and the entire IOC as they
continue their work through
the request for proposal (RFP)
process. The purpose of an RFP
is to ensure the JCF is employing the best possible investment
management advisor for our
donors and partners. Some of the
criteria used by the IOC to rank
the competing firms include fee
structure, asset allocation models
institutional experience in the
non-profit sector. On August 24,
the IOC is scheduled to conduct
interviews with representative
from four different firms.

Calling all Professional
Advisors - The JCF is in the
initial stages of establishing a
professional advisory committee (PAC). The purpose of the
PAC is to provide guidance
and professional support to
the community on endowment
opportunities within the Jewish community and beyond by
engaging attorneys, CPAs, financial planners, trust officers and

business professionals across the
Jacksonville and St. Augustine areas. Benefits of being a member
of the JCF PAC include: Staying
up to date on trends in charitable
giving and estate planning, being
afforded the opportunity to attend seminars designed specifically for professional advisors
and receiving invitations to attend and/or host JCF sponsored
networking events with your
peers and colleagues. In addition
you will also be given recognition for playing a significant role
in ensuring our communitys
future and being listed as a JCF
PAC member on the new JCF
web site. Finally, plans are in
the works for a JCF PAC trip to
Israel. The cost of the trip will
be heavily subsidized through
the generosity of a JCF donor.
Our hope is that this special trip
will be affordable for everyone
who wants to participate. We
look forward to sharing more
about this group in the coming
months, so if you are interested

in becoming a member of the
JCF PAC, or would simply like
more information, please contact
Jeff Klein Executive Director,
at 904-265-6855 or jeff.klein@
jewishfoundationnefl.org.
JCF-n-JAX - The JCF has
begun publishing a bi-monthly
e-Newsletter entitled JCF-nJAX to keep everyone up to
date on all that is happening at
the Foundation. If you are not
already receiving the JCF-n-JAX,
we encourage you to become a
subscriber simply be sending an
email request to Kevin Rogers
Project Coordinator, at kevin.
rogers@jewishcommunityfoundationnefl.org and ask to have
your name added to our subscription list.
Stay Tuned - Part II of
Create a Jewish Legacy (CJL) is
beginning to take shape. Arlene
Schiff, National Executive Director for CJL, will be in Jacksonville three times during 2016 to
provide training and consultation

to our partners and synagogues
as we move toward completion
of the CJL program. The Create
a Jewish Legacy is a partnership
program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), which
assists communities through
partnerships with Jewish Foundations and other Federations.
Together they promote afterlifetime giving to benefit Jewish
day schools, synagogues, social
service organizations and other
Jewish entities. Through training, support and incentives, CJL
motivates Jewish organizations
to secure legacy gifts, steward
donors and integrate legacy giving into the philanthropic culture
of the Jewish community.
We Are Growing JCFs
current and future expectations
of planned gifts from your vibrant Jewish community, including individuals and our partners
now totals $41.7 Million.
JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $88,422
page 19
RIVER GARDEN SENIOR SERVICES

Summer Teen Volunteers Arrive
BY LESLIE HELD
Jewish Life & Volunteer Coordinator
904-260-1818
www.rivergarden.org
11401 Old St. Augustine Rd.
This summers program included twenty

awesome teens who brought their youthful
exuberance to entertain residents and assist
staff. There is no question that their presence
lifts the spirits of everyone they meet.
Something marvelous happens as we

watch young and old connect and engage in
meaningful ways Our teens come to
appreciate and understand the relevance of
bringing joy and friendship to others. There is
no doubt that such personal interaction with
residents many decades older than they are,
will likely influence ethical or spiritual
decisions they are bound to encounter and

grapple with, perhaps regarding their own
family members and friends, in future years.
Its wonderful to think they might just be
developing such necessary skills right here at
River Garden.
Briefs
- Remember As an integral part of the
River Garden community,
you have priority access
to our care system when
our programs can best
meet your needs.
Come And Volunteer At

River Garden - It Feels
Good It Does Good
Treat yourself to the River

Garden experience. The River
Garden Campus is home to our
dedicated and caring volunteers.
From teens to golden-agers, we
invite you to become a part of our
volunteer team.
Create your own convenient
schedule We guarantee your
personal fulfillment!!
Interested in volunteer
opportunities at River Garden?
Please contact Leslie Held at
904-886-8429 or email
lheld@rivergarden.org
Caregivers, friends and

family - monthly support
group reminder
Dealing with family issues of

aging and illness? Our support
group meets the 2nd Wednesday
of each month, 3:30-4:30 PM in
the Adult Day Care Center in the
Frisch Family Pavilion.
For more information, call or
email Dr. Sue Krall, PhD, ARNP:
904-886-8421 or
skrall@rivergarden.org.
Remember River Garden

when honoring or
memorializing your
loved ones
Donating to River Garden is

an uncomplicated, feel-good
activity. Here are several ways
weve made it easy for you
Simply mail to:
Development Department
River Garden Hebrew Home
11401 Old St. Augustine Rd.
Jacksonville, Florida 32258
Or call: 904-886-8432
Or go online:
www.rivergarden.org/donation
From Generation to Generation
LDor VDor
Remember River Garden and
the entire Jewish Community
in your will.
Clockwise from Top Left: Teen volunteers sort beads for creative crafts; Armando and Mrs. Banker enjoy working on
jigsaw puzzles; Sahaj admires Ms. Dees painting; Reese gets a crafts lesson from Ms. Atlanta
The Coves at River Garden: More Affordable Than You Think

Give it a try. Look at
some of the average living
expenses in Northeast
Most everyone knows that moving into an Florida. Mortgage rates
average about $1000 per
Independent Living Retirement Community
can relieve some of the burdens of remaining month; property taxes of
in your own home from lawn maintenance $1500 per year or $125 per
month; standard utilities,
and appliance repairs to roof leaks and
including water, power,
exterior painting. But did you know that it
sewage, cable TV, internet,
can also save you money? The Coves, an
independent living community located on the and others are estimated at L to R: Libbie & Manfred Katz, Renee Haire, Nancy Dean
over $250 per month. Add
37 acre River Garden Senior Services
campus, offers access to many amenities and to this routine home maintenance more
offers comfort, security and maintenance-free
services to facilitate a lifestyle that promotes than $250 per month over the course of a
living. Located minutes from luxury
year; groceries for dinner (delicious, elegant
wellness. And, living there could save you
shopping, historic St. Augustine and
dinners are included at The Coves), and it
money each month.
beautiful downtown Jacksonville, and with a
The Coves offers four different spacious really adds up. Looking to cut costs even
variety of activities and services, fine dining
apartment sizes in either one or two bedroom further? The Coves provides transportation
and friendly staff, The Coves provides
for medical runs, trips to the grocery store
layouts ranging between $2800 and $3750
elegant, yet affordable retirement living for
per month, with a nominal additional fee for and area shopping, as well as trips to the
active seniors.
movies, group restaurant excursions and to
a second person in the apartment, if
For further information, please call 904community shows and attractions, saving you
applicable. And once you begin calculating
886-8935, email mdavis@rivergarden.org or
the typical monthly expenses of remaining at transportation and vehicle maintenance costs. visit rivergarden.org/coves.
In addition to cost savings, Coves
home, you realize that it is more expensive
members enjoy a lovely environment that
than you think to stay in your own home.
BY SKIP WILLBACH
Director of Communications and Marketing
River Garden
Senior Services
Admissions........... 904-886-8420
Adult Day Care ........... 288-7858
Donations .................... 886-8432
Foundation .................. 886-8430
Home Health Care ...... 288-7851
Rehab / Therapy .......... 886-8454
The Coves ................... 292-2683
Volunteers ................... 886-8429
CEO Marty Goetz ....... 260-1818
RIVER GARDEN 2015 FEDERATION ALLOCATION: $195,000
page 20
community news
Jacksonville area woman receives gift of life from fellow Jewish donor
BY MATT FRANZBLAU
Federation Communications Director
When Atlantic Beach resident

Leya Parker received her Leukemia diagnosis in October 2013,
she was actually quite relieved
instead of being in shock or
dismay. Thats because Parker
had been suffering from bizarre
and unusual symptoms leading
up to an emergency room visit at
Baptist Beaches Hospital, where
she would receive a life-altering
diagnosis.
My husband, Chip and I have
four daughters and they are all
college aged. During the summer
previous to my diagnosis, I think
we had like six moves between
getting the girls in and out of sorority houses, apartments and we
were closing on our dream home
out in Atlantic Beach, Parker
described of her situation leading
up to her symptoms. I was really,
really tired but I just thought it
was from everything that was going on
Once the whirlwind of packing and unpacking finally settled
down, the then 46-year old was
still not quite able to catch her
breath as she continued losing energy and was in need of rest more
frequently.
I had a party in August and
I was extremely tired and people
were starting to notice that my
eyes were swollen, she said.
Then we went up to New York in
September to help celebrate my
parents 70th birthdays. I remember having a really hard time with
my jogs and runs and I was unable
to stay awake during Broadway
shows, so I thought age was really
starting to work against me.
Finally, tired of being tired
and not knowing what exactly
was wrong, she took matters into
her own hands and went to the
doctor when she returned home
to the Sunshine State. After some
preliminary tests, Leyas doctors
said that they thought she had
mono, but with persisting and
often intense symptoms, Parker
knew it wasnt that which was
plaguing her.
I was waking up sweating, my
bed was drenched so I thought
perhaps it was because of a female
change, she explained of one of
her symptoms.
In order to rule hormonal
changes out, she made a trip to
her GYN and after a simple blood
test, her search for answers continued. The one-time very active
middle-aged woman was becoming more sedentary and in the
process desperate to find out what
was exactly wrong.
I was so miserable and scared
and by this point I cancelled a trip
that we had planned to California
because I didnt know what was
wrong with me, she said.
After an MRI of her shoulder,
it was revealed that Parker had
signs of either Multiple Myeloma,
Lymphoma or Leukemia.
I woke up one Tuesday morning not too long after that and I
felt like I had lost a fight. I could
not get out of bed, she remem-
Leya Parker received a new lease

on life thanks to a bone marrow
transplant through an organization known as Gift of Life.
bered of her terrible ordeal. My

husband and I usually rode to
work together but I told him to
just go without me and I would
have Vikki, one of my neighbors
take me to the hospital.
That decision was one which
ultimately in hindsight ended up
saving her life as she arrived in the
Baptist Beaches emergency room.
I just wanted someone to tell
me either you are a hypochondriac and to just drop it or that I was
really sick, because at that point I
just needed answers.
Unfortunately for Parker, it
was the latter as opposed to the
former.
I waited and waited at the
hospital and was eventually told
that they didnt want to admit me,
she explained. So I sent a text to
my friend Rocky who is an oncology nurse and she immediately
texted me back and told me not to
leave the hospital until running a
specific blood test which had not
been administered to me at that
point.
Sure enough once the final
tests were run, Parker was able to
confirm what she had suspected
for quite some time. Her diagnosis
was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and following a bone
marrow biopsy it was discovered
that she was also PH+, which is a
mutation of ALL.
The results came back and it
said that I had a 98 percent blast
of Leukemia in my blood, meaning I was covered head to toe,
she said. My husband asked my
brother, who is a surgeon, what
would have happened if I would
have kept going and he said that I
would have up and died probably
within in 10 days.
Now that the mother of four
was officially diagnosed, there was
no time to contemplate treatment as she was transported via
ambulance to UF Health Shands
Hospital in Gainesville. There she
began taking her first few rough
steps in hopes of a full recovery
and that meant frequent chemotherapy treatments and stays in
the hospital.
I had so much leukemia that
the doctors didnt think they were
going to be able to put me in
remission during the first round
of chemotherapy, she recalled. As
expected, I didnt go into remission so a week and a half later I
received a mack daddy dose of
chemo, to which this day I dont

think I have fully recovered from.
At the very beginning of her
rigorous treatment, Parker was
told that in order to legitimately
beat this heinous disease, she
would need to have a stem cell
transplant, because she had ALL
and was PH+.
My brother, Aaron flew down
immediately from Blacksburg,
Va., to see if he could be my donor
because he knew I would need
a bone marrow transplant, she
said. Hes my brother so thats
who they would test first, but
unfortunately he was only half of
a match.
After her brothers test, a
preliminary sweep through the
donor database produced an
initial 13 matches which were
found through an organization
called Gift of Life. Gift of Life is a
Bone Marrow Foundation formed
in 1991 following a successful
registration drive to save the life
of Jay Feinberg, a then 23-year-old
analyst with the Federal Reserve.
Jay started it when he needed
a transplant 20-years ago. Back
then he was told there would
not be match for him because he
was Jewish and there were not
enough Ashkenazi Jews to donate
because of the Holocaust, Parker
explained. Here we are 20-years
later and I had more than a dozen
potential donors because they
were probably all from some sort
of Jewish background.
Although Parker had more
than a dozen prospective donors,
she only needed one match to save
her life. That donor was Jonathan
Struhl, now 26-years old and a
New York City venture capitalist
and entrepreneur, whose one day
of good deeds turned into a lifetime of fulfillment and friendship.
That particular day was back
in 2010 during a recruitment
drive at a charity event for an
Israeli orphanage, which Jonathan
helped organize. The kosher city
dweller was contacted by the Gift
of Life organization and asked if
they could set up shop at his event
and conduct swabs to add to their
mounting database.
At that event is when he was
swabbed, Parker explained. So
three years before he was contacted to be my match is when that
initially happened.
Fast forward a few dozen
months and Jonathan had no
idea that his simple act on a fall
day in New York would turn into
a life saving action for a woman
more than a thousand miles away.
Jonathan Struhl, a 26-year old

Jewish man living in Manhattan
was Parkers perfect match for a
bone marrow transplant.
With a specific match now in

sight, Leya was told that she in
fact had someone who could be
her donor and that he would be
ready for the procedure in late
February.
I was not allowed to know
anything about my donor except
their sex and approximate age, so
for a long time we thought he was
from Germany and nicknamed
him Hans, she recalled. Later I
thought he was from the south
and called him Bubba.
The only definitive information
Parker was able to find out about
her donor was that they gave
their stem cells on Feb. 24 and she
would receive them a day later.
Once the procedure was successfully completed, Leya had a new
lease on life and in all reality a
new identity when it came to her
genetic make-up.
The day I received my stem
cells, my girls brought a cake that
said happy birthday and had a
zero on it because I am considered
to be a new born, she explained
of her unique circumstances.
As a result of the transplant,
Parker and Struhl assumed a
near perfect identity, essentially
making their DNA the same. The
numbers reflect this as she is 100
percent Jonathan when it comes to
her B Cell count and 98 percent
him as far as it pertains to her T
Cell count.
My doctors basically told
me that this was it and that they
were confident that if I took the
transplant, this would cure me,
the one time cancer patient said.
They dont think I will ever get
Leukemia again because Jonathan
is such a strong donor.
This made Leyas and Jonathans first meeting all the more
special when the pair attended
the 15th annual Partners for Life
Gala in Struhls backyard of the
Big Apple this past June, just a
year and a few months removed
from Leyas life saving transplant.
Until that point, the two were only
permitted to exchange very basic
letters and were required to reveal
minimal information about themselves as the content of them were
screened before being sent out.
Jon walked up with a bouquet
of flowers and gave me a huge
hug, Parker recalled of their emotional meeting. I just cried and
could not stop hugging him.
The two then took turns read-
ing their short speeches they had

prepared for the event, with Jonathan going first and then Leya to
follow. The donor first shared his
message with the crowd and his
recipient, from a letter he wrote to
her many months before.
A portion of it read, I believe
in the power of prayer so every
morning and every night I will
pray for you. I pray that you will
be able to live life to the fullest.
You inspire me, you motivate me
and for that I thank you.
After all the other donors and
recipients being honored that
evening had their time in the
spotlight, Jonathan and Leya took
some time to get better acquainted
with one another, as both families lingered, talking at length for
nearly two hours.
It was just so fantastic and we
had so much in common, Parker
said. Both of Jonathans parents
graduated from the University of
Florida. He is also of Polish and
Russian descent and I am Polish,
Russian and German, which are
just a couple of the commonalities.
But it was learning about the
donors experience which had a
profound impact on Leya and her
family.
You always think of the recipient in these situations, because
its like oh my god this person
is dying, Parker said. But after
meeting Jon and the other families
at the gala, we realized that being
a donor is as equally as important
to them as it was for me and the
other recipients.
The bond that the unique pair
now shares is more than just a
psychological connection, its an
emotional one as both Leya and
Jonathan are now for all intents
and purposes, family.
I dont know whether or not
to call him a son or a brother,
because I am the same age as his
mom, Parker describes of her
now unique relationship with
Jonathan. Ive never had a son
but we are technically related now
because of blood.
The lifelong bond fostered
between Parker and Struhl is one
that repeats itself numerous times
through any given year as prospective donors are matched with
recipients through the Gift of Life
Bone Marrow Foundation by way
of its donor database. All it takes
is a swab of the check and $60 and
the organization will put you on
its list. Gift of life is always looking
for young adults who are able and
willing to be tested to see if they
are indeed a match. Funds are also
available for those still wanting to
be swabbed but who cannot afford
the start-up costs.
To obtain a swab kit from the
Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, or for more information on
the organization and its mission,
log on to giftoflife.org. To view a
blog documenting Leyas courageous journey on the road to
recovery visit lparkerblog.com or
go to http://bit.ly/1HNUR3w for a
special article on her and Jonathans meeting which was published
in the New York Daily News.
Scan QR code to watch Leya and

Jonathans emotional first ever
meeting at the Gift of Life gala on
Nancy Rubenstein, REALTOR
C: 973.722.5648 | O: 904.285.1800
Nancy.Rubenstein@FloridaNetworkRealty.com
Visit my website
www.NRubenstein.FloridaNetworkRealty.com
2015 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire
Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.
page 21
SYNAGOGUE NEWS
Childrens inquisitive nature makes

for the ideal Torah studying climate
BY NAOMI CHASE
Temples Religious School Director
Recently, Rabbi Cohen, Associate Rabbi at The Temple,

shared a conversation he had with
his five-year old son. Dad, whats
an Israelite? he asked. Well,
sometimes you can put the sound,
ite on the end of the name of a
place to describe someone who
comes from there. Someone from
Israel could be called an Israelite,
the Rabbi explained. Oh because
in the Passover story, I heard
that word and I thought it was a
special kind of light, the young
boy replied. Later, the Rabbi
used this anecdote in a worship
benediction, wishing us many opportunities to be a light, to model
Jewish values and behaviors, and
to always consider the possibility
that at any given moment, someone, or someones child, might be
listening and learning from us.
I was reminded of an experience I had had with my own
five-year old many years ago when

he had been listening to his older
brother translate his Bar Mitzvah
Torah portion. When he heard the
words, And God spoke to Balak,
my younger son, asked, What
does Gods voice sound like?, so
I asked him, What do you think
it sounds like? Instantly, he responded, I think God sounds like
me! His older brother smiled
and said, Maybe hes right, and
God has millions and millions
of voices so God can sound like
everyone.
This is the way Torah will be
studied every Sunday at every
grade level at The Temples religious school this year. This summer, I will be training our Torah
teachers in a methodology known
as philosophical inquiry. Theyll
learn a variety of strategies which
encourage questioning and critical thinking as it is predicated on
the belief that children naturally
wonder about the world around
them. It also supports the organic
processes in which kids inquire
Lifelong learning stressed

through The Temples
intro to Judiasm class
The following questions may be

perplexing to some: How do Jews
define the God concept? How
does the rabbinic period of Jewish
history connect to modernity?
Does population make Israel a
Jewish state? How do Jews select
names for their children? Why
do some Jews celebrate two-day
holidays while others celebrate
just one day? Those of us who
attended religious school may
have answers to these questions,
or vaguely remember the issues
being addressed, but theres a
good chance that most of us probably have not have considered
these issues since our school days.
Introduction to Judaism at The
Temple is not just for those who
may be considering conversion, or
those who are interested in learning about our faith.
The curriculum is designed
for those seeking a richer understanding of their own Jewish
heritage, or a connection to our
community, as well as for those
beginning a personal discovery
of faith, explained the Temples
senior Rabbi Joshua Lief. Each
year when I teach this class, I
am inspired by the commitment
of the students to clarify their
understandings and to grapple
with their spiritual questions.
The interplay between the Jews
and the non-Jews always provides intellectual challenge and I
encourage members of the Jewish
community, synagogue-affiliated
or not to join the conversation.
This 16 session weekly program
provides a more in-depth understanding of the history, traditions,
rituals, and practices of the Jewish
people. Sondra and Ed Mallow enrolled in the program to learn and
to meet more people at Temple
and as Ed explained, I wasnt sure
that I would learn anything because I had been a practicing Jew
for more than 50 years. I have led
services for years and had served
as a synagogue president but as I
came to find out I could not have
been more wrong, he said. Now
I finally understand our history
and the whys of our traditions,
he added. My Judaism means so
much more to me now because I
learned who we are as a people,
where we came from, why we
celebrate what we do, and how a
religious service is organized and
why.
At The Temple, there is always
room to learn because learning is
of course a lifelong commitment.
Introduction to Judaism is open
to the entire community as Jews,
in addition to those who love
Jews and those who are loved by
Jews are welcome to enroll. The
class will be held on Thursday
evenings at 7 p.m. beginning Aug.
6. There is a small fee to cover
books and materials, so call The
Temple office with your questions
at 904-733-7078. To enroll on-line
simply send an e-mail to rsvp@
TheTempleJacksonville.org.
and engage daily to make sense of

their environment, their relationships and their feelings. Music,
art, film and literature support
these conversations. The technique teaches and promotes open
discourse in a community that respects diversity and imagination.
It also teaches self-control and
self-advocacy and balances deep
listening with the skills needed
to probe ones own thoughts with
others thoughts and perceptions.
Childrens philosophical inquisitiveness prime them perfectly
for Torah study and for extrapolating meaning from often vague
or perplexing texts. Our sages
teach, Hanoch et hana-ar lfi darko, lead the child according to his
or her path. Torah provides the
geography and its study through
this methodology provides a map
of multiple routes by which we
hope our students will become
independent thinkers, ready to
add their voices to a rich tradition
which is full of them.
Enrollment numbers are

soaring at the Martin J.
Gottlieb Day School
BY NANCY DAVIS
By Martin J. Gottlieb Day School
The Martin J. Gottlieb Day

School is excited to announce a
dramatic increase in enrollment
for the 2015-16 school year. As a
Solomon Schechter school serving grades kindergarten through
eighth, it is home to students from
different types of Jewish living
and levels of observance. We are
seeing an increase in enrollment,
about six percent overall and its
coming primarily from two types
of families, said Nancy Davis
who oversees admissions for the
day school. Those are families
who are new to the area as well as
others who have been dissatisfied
with the level of service theyve
been receiving in public schools,
particularly relating to standardized testing, she added. While

enrollment numbers are up, a few
spots still remain open in each
grade level. To schedule a tour,
call 904-268-4200 ext. 147.
page 22
statewide news
More than a dozen Florida
natives move to Israel on
chartered Aliyah flight
A new Israeli immigrant or Olim kisses the soil of her homeland after
arriving on the tarmac at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv this past July
BY RYAN GRIESS
Pruder Public Relations
A Boeing 777 chartered by

Nefesh BNefesh departed New
Yorks JFK International Airport
last month carrying 221 new immigrants (or Olim) from 14 states,
the District of Columbia, and four
Canadian provinces. The flight
featured a total of 16 people from
the Sunshine State and was facilitated in cooperation with Israels
Ministry of Aliyah & Immigrant
Absorption, The Jewish Agency
for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and JNF-USA.
On board were 32 families,
including 95 children, and 53 singles 12 of whom will be joining
the Israel Defense Forces. Also
of note were the 46 Olim moving
to Israels periphery as part of the
Nefesh BNefesh and Keren Kayemeth LeIsraels Go North and
Go South programs. Among the
Olim who have decided to make
Aliyah (move to Israel) today are
Shmulik Ben Yosef, 40, his wife,
Ilana, 35, and their children, Yael,
8, Amit and Idan, both 4, from
Boca Raton; Guy Ben Yehuda, 37,
his wife, Hela-Rose, 36, and their
children, Eliyah, 10, Oriya, 6, and
Odeya, 2, from Fort Lauderdale;
Rose Gold, 55, from Tamarac;
Elliott Diaz, 29, from Deerfield
Beach; Rotem Bronfam, 18, from
Weston; Eric Burie, 32, from
Hollywood; Allan Stern Wigoda,
19, from Aventura; and Gainya St.
Clair, 22, from Vero Beach.
Im making Aliyah to fulfill
my dream of joining the Israeli
Air Force to become a pilot, said
Allan Stern Wigoda, who is moving to Kibbutz Maagan Michael,
just outside of Haifa. Im excited
to meet new people and make
amazing memories and Im ready
to do my part defending my new
home. Julys planeload of Olim
is the first of two charters, which,
along with six group Aliyah
flights and Olim arriving independently on a daily basis, will

bring over 2,000 Olim making
Aliyah through Nefesh BNefesh
this summer. An estimated 4,000
newcomers from North America
are expected in 2015. Since 2002,
Nefesh BNefesh, together with
its partners, has brought 45,000
Olim to Israel from the U.S.,
Canada and England.
The hundreds of new Olim on
todays flight, and the thousands
who will be joining them over the
course of this year, are the modern-day pioneers helping to build
and secure the future of the State
of Israel, said Nefesh BNefesh
Co-Founder and Executive Director Rabbi Yehoshua Fass. Over
the past 13 years, it has been an
incredible privilege assisting over
45,000 Olim who are fulfilling
their dreams, and the hopes of our
nation, by returning to the Jewish
homeland.
Friends and family saw the
Olim off at a departure ceremony
at JFK Airport. Notable guests
included Israels Minister for
Senior Citizens MK Gila Gamliel;
Israels Permanent Representative
to the United Nations, Ambassador Ron Prosor; The Jewish
Agency for Israels Director of
Absorption Programs Orly Zuckerman; KKL-JNF Vice Chairman
Menachem Leibovic; and Nefesh
BNefesh Co-Founders Rabbi
Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart.
Founded in 2002, Nefesh
BNefesh in cooperation with the
Israeli government and The Jewish Agency for Israel, is dedicated
to revitalizing Aliyah from North
America and the UK by removing
or minimizing the financial, professional, logistical and social obstacles of Aliyah. The support and
comprehensive social services
provided by Nefesh BNefesh to
its almost 45,000 newcomers has
ensured that over 90 percent of its
Olim have remained in Israel.
acksonville
Jewish News
Grow your business
If you want to reach a demographic with

a higher than average household income
and education, the Jewish News is your
connection. To advertise, contact Barbara
Nykerk at (904) 923-3205 and
bnykerk@comoacst.net or Eta Perras at
(904) 629-0466 and perraseta@bellsouth.net
page 23
local and national news
Op Ed: Iran nuclear pact is the tale of the scorpion and the frog
BY CHAIM SHACHAM
Israel consul general to Fla & P.R.
Few residents of the Middle

East are unfamiliar with the story
of the scorpion and the frog. It
was first referred to in the Talmud
(Nedarim 41a), the seminal ancient Jewish legal text compiled in
the fourth century.
In it, a scorpion desiring to
cross a river meets a hungry frog.
Unable to swim, the scorpion asks
the frog to carry him across the
river on his back. In return the
scorpion promised the frog that
he would provide him with the
food he needs from the plentiful
hunting ground on the other side.
The frog, however, is wary. If you
sting me during the crossing, I
will surely drown. The scorpion
then answers the frog with perfect
logic: But if you drown, my dear
frog, I will also drown.
The reassured frog then agrees
to allow the scorpion onto his
back and he begins the swim.
Halfway through the crossing, the
scorpion stings the frog, paralyzing him, and the two begin to
sink. With his last breaths the
stunned frog cried out to the scorpion Why did you sting me!?
The scorpion angrily retorted We
are both dying because of you! Although you thought I was logical,
you should have seen that I was
still a scorpion!!
This parable comes to mind
when Israelis assess the nuclear
deal just reached with Iran. The
Iranian regime is the foremost
sponsor of terrorism in the world,
is on a march of conquest in the
Middle East, officially denies the
Holocaust, flagrantly violates the
(AP) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif
human rights of its own citizens,

is directly involved in the murder
of tens of thousands of Syrian civilians, and vows to annihilate the
one and only Jewish state. When
Iran tries to build nuclear weapons, it must be stopped.
From Israels perspective, the
negotiations between the world
powers and Iran, meant to prevent
a Tehran from gaining nuclear
weapons have not achieved their
vital objective. Quite the opposite,
they appear to have paved the
path to Iranian nuclear proliferation. Close examination of the
agreement with Iran reveals just
how dangerous it is:
Iran can now choose between
two paths to the bomb, one
through violating the agreement

and the second, through respecting it. Violating the terms would
require overcoming the limited
inspection mechanism, which is
plausible, since Iran has done this
in the past. While respecting the
terms would allow Iran to have
an unlimited ability to enrich
uranium with full international
legitimacy after about 10 years.
For Iran, waiting a decade to effortlessly achieve its long-standing
nuclear goals is not very long at
all.
The agreements inspection
mechanism must provide Iran up
to 24 days warning before inspectors can visit newly identified
suspicious sites. This is like giving
Jacksonville religious leaders split

on subject of same-sex marriages
BY BRITTANY DIONNE
First Coast News - Ch. 12/25
In the wake of the Supreme

Court ruling, some Jacksonville
religious leaders are calling on one
another to stand up and speak out
against same-sex marriages.
Supreme Court Justice John
Roberts noted that religious
institutions that refuse to comply
could be violating the law, which
could cause them to lose their tax
exemptions.
Jacksonville Conservative Rabbi Howard Tilman said he is only
doing what the Torah instructs
him to do.
Jewish tradition reminds us
that we are all created equally,
btzelem elohim, in the image of
God, Rabbi Tilman explained.
Northside Baptist pastor John
Lonix said he is also doing what
the Bible instructs him to do.
The lifestyle is an abomination. It is against God, Pastor
Lonix said.
The hot button issue over
same-sex marriage spans from the
courthouse to the sanctuary.
After a 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex
Jacksonville Jewish Center Rabbi

Howard Tilman says the Torah and
the Bible preach tolerance. He
plans to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.
marriage, several religious leaders

have had to decide whether to
perform same-sex ceremonies or
not.
Rabbi Tilman said he will
perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. The Torah or the Bible
teaches many things and many
values. The foremost is human
dignity of wanting to treat everyone with respect and the equal
treatment that they deserve,

Tilman said.
Pastor Lonix of New Haven
Baptist Church has refused to
perform a same-sex ceremony.
The Bible calls the lifestyle of
sodomites an abomination. According to the scriptures, if God
would judge Sodom and Gomorrah, America certainly has the
judgment coming its way, Lonix
said.
More than a dozen county
courts in Florida, including in Duval County, have ceased all wedding ceremonies, including those
for heterosexual couples. Some
have admitted same-sex marriage
was a deciding factor.
A representative from the
Duval County Clerk of Courts
office said performing weddings
at the courthouse was costing
them money and it was solely a
financially-motivated decision.
But some churches still insist
that they wont perform the ceremonies for religious reasons.
According to the American
Civil Liberties Union, the government will not punish religious
leaders who refuse to perform
same-sex marriage ceremonies.
a drug dealer several weeks notice

before searching his house. The
agreement also requires divulging
to the Iranians the intelligence
information on the basis of which
the inspection is requested.
The agreement fails to condition the lifting of the economic
sanctions and the other restrictions on Irans nuclear program
upon any actual change in Irans
belligerent behavior. The deal does
not have a stick requiring Iran to
cease its regional aggression or its
worldwide campaign of terrorism
before offering its many economic
and nuclear carrots.
The agreement provides Iran
with hundreds of billions of
dollars in sanctions relief, direct
investment, oil sales and unfrozen assets. This cash windfall will
naturally fund unrepentant Irans
terrorism and aggression that
continue to undermine regional
and global stability.
The agreement allows Iran to
continue developing advanced
centrifuges, which will enable Iran
to enrich much more uranium
much faster once the deal expires.
Israel is not alone in recognizing the dangers posed by the deal.
Irans Arab neighbors are no less
concerned. When Arab states
and Israel agree, its worth paying
attention.
Arab nations threatened by
Tehrans growing power in the
Middle East are likely to seek
nuclear parity with Iran, sparking
a nuclear arms race in the worlds
most volatile region.
While Israel truly appreciates the global efforts made to
confront the Iranian threat, and
has encouraged them, it now has
no choice but to raise its voice in
warning. The recent agreement
has fallen far short of its goals.
Tragically, the savage Iranian
scorpion has skillfully convinced
the logic-loving Western frog that
its safe to carry him on its back.
It is Israels hope that its global
allies in the search for peace and
stability in the Middle East will
urgently realize and address the
shortcomings in the Iran nuclear
deal before it stings us all.
The preceeding article was
originally ran in the Miami Herald
and republished with permission.
Chaim Shacham is the Consul
General of Israel to both Florida
and Puerto Rico.
page 24
page 25
LIFECYCLES
Births
Mazel tov to Dafna and Douglas Rand, who along with big
sister Maya Rose and big brother
Jonah Lev announce the birth of
son/brother Elijah Matan, on
June 17, in Washington, D.C. The
proud grandparents are Robin and
Marco Rand of Jacksonville, and
Esther Rosenman-Hochman &
Richard Hochman of Lexington,
Mass.
Mazel Tov to Kyle and Sejung
Steinfeld and big brother Miru of
Oakland,
Calif. on
the birth of
their son
and brother
Sonah
Meinen,
March
12th.
Proud
grandparSonah Meinen
ents are
Michele and David Steinfeld of
Jacksonville as well as Joanne and
Paul Park of Hamburg, N.J.
Bnai Mitzvah
Ethan Mitchell Plotkin, son

of Jennifer and Rick Plotkin, will
be called to the Torah on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah, on Oct.
24, 2015 at the Jacksonville Jewish Center. Sharing in the Simcha
will be his brother Jared, sister
Julia, Grandparents Herb and
Rose Lynn
Plotkin and
Tom and
Barbara
Grant along
with his
aunts,
uncles,
cousins and
friends.
Ethan Plotkin
Ethan is
Photo by Larry Tallis an eighth
grade honors student at Switzerland Point Middle school. Ethan
plays alto saxophone in both the
schools advanced Jazz Band and
Wind Symphony Orchestra. Ethan
also plays soccer for Florida Elite
Soccer Academy and in his spare
time enjoys reading, participating in Kadima and spending his
summers at Camp Ramah Darom.
For his Mitzvah project, he will
be performing concerts on his
saxophone for the residents of
River Garden.
Camille Perrin, daughter of
Andi Hackel, will be called to the
Torah on the occasion of her Bat
Mitzvah on August 29 at Congregation Ahavath Chesed The
Temple. Sharing in the simcha
will be her brother, Jonah Hackel
Perrin, Sky Figur in Mandarin;
and many
other friends
and family.
Camille is in
eighth grade
at Julia Landon College
Prep, where
she takes part
in leadership
Camille Perrin
and social
studies courses. In her spare time,
she enjoys dance, gymnastics and
writing. For her mitzvah project,
Camille will be asking for donations for the Love for Ethiopia
Foundation in order to help start a
lunch program for children at the
Sitota Learning Center, who are
living in extreme poverty. Donations can be made at loveforethopia.org.
Accomplishments
Dr. and Mrs. A. L. Green are

happy to announce the graduation of granddaughter Jaclyn
A. Shapiro from University of
Denver with a Masters Degree
in Psychology this past June and

grandson David B. Gross from
Bucknell University Magna Cum
Laude in May with a Bachelors
Degree in Economics. Jaclyn is
the daughter of Fred and Linda
Shapiro of Scottsdale, Ariz. David
is the son of Barry and Joanne
Gross of Media, Penn. The proud
grandparents attended both
events.
Cassi Imrie, daughter of Leya
Parker, was named an ambassador for
the Gift of
Life Bone
Marrow
Foundation at the
University
of Florida.
In her position, she
will be in
Cassi Imrie
charge of
recruiting donors for the organization at her school. Imrie is a
junior nursing major at UF and
took an interest in the foundation
following her mothers successful
stem cell transplant while battling
Leukemia.
Weddings
Daniel and Jessica Shorstein

Photo by Dana Goodson
Mazel tov to Daniel Shorstein

and Jessica Jacobs (now Shorstein) who were married Sunday,
June 28th at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.
Sympathies
... To the family of long-time

Jacksonville Jewish Center member Pearl Brooks, who passed
away June 17, at the age of 101.
She is survived by her daughters
Nancy (Gerald) Schultz and Marsha (Kenneth) Tucker; grandchildren David (Barbara) Sadowsky,
Greg (Susie) Sadowsky and
Mark (Donagh) Schatz; and her
six great-grandchildren. Funeral
services were held June 19, at
the New Center Cemetery in
Jacksonville. Contributions in
her memory may be made to the
Jacksonville Jewish Center or to a
charity of your choosing.
... To the family of Stephen
Myron Hackel, who passed
away July 2. He is survived by
his siblings Sharon Sherman and
Donna Walker; children Andi
Perrin and Paul (Jana) Hackel;
and grandchildren Camille Perrin,
Jonah Perrin, Adam Hackel, and
Kathryn Hackel. Funeral services
were held July 6, at the New
Center Cemetery in Jacksonville.
Contributions in his memory may
be made to Community Hospice
of Northeast Florida.
member Jacksonville Jewish Center member Maurice Maury
Wagner Goldstein, who passed
away July 4, at the age of 103.
His is survived by his wife Hilda
K. Goldstein; daughters Evelyn
(Charles) Moskovitz and Martha
(Jack) Killeen; grandchildren
Todd (Melissa) Wahnish, Tillie
(Sam) Venus, David Moskovitz
and Elizabeth (Mark) Brite; greatgrandchildren Shaman and Maurice Venus, and Ben and Roxanne
Brite; and numerous nieces and
nephews. Funeral services were
held July 6, at the New Center
Cemetery in Jacksonville.
Contributions in his memory

may be made to the Jacksonville
Jewish Center or the Community
Hospice of Northeast Florida.
Jacksonville Jewish Center member Sylvia Wernow, who passed
away July 6. She is survived by
her sons Sheldon (Shari) Wernow and Bruce (Jane) Wernow;
grandchildren Howard (Katie)
Wernow, Marisa Wernow, Seth
Wernow, and Shana Wernow; two
great-grandchildren, Yaelle and
Tyler; niece Gaye (Neil,) Sager,
niece Jennifer (Andy) Zunic,
and nephew Todd Sager. Funeral
services were held at Beth Moses
Cemetery in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Contributions in her memory can
be made to the Jacksonville Jewish Center.
... To the family of longtime
Jacksonville Jewish Center
member Marie Flauman Kowitz, who passed away July 12 in
Minneapolis, Minn. at the age
of 89. A graveside service was
held Friday, July 17 at the New
Center Cemetery. She is survived
by heer children Pat (Alex) Orban
and Cantor Mitchell Kowitz, as
well as her grandchildren Litsa
(Josh) Rivers, Joshua, Michael,
and Shelly Kowitz. Contributions
in her memory may be directed to
the Sholom Home, 3620 Phillips
Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55426
by going to sholom.com.
... To the family of Jerry Pentel, who passed away July 19
at the age of 82. Pentel is survived by his wife Sophia Pentel,
daughters Karen Duncan, Eileen
(Kraig) Torres and son David
(Mary) Pentel as well as his six
grandchildren, Allison, Rebecca,
Alexandra, Jessica, Caleb and
Maya. Funeral services were held
July 21 at King David Gardens at
Greenlawn Cemetery in Jacksonville. The family requests that
contributions in his memory be
made to Hadassah.
business card directory
Classifieds
Private Preschool in Mandarin looking for talented, caring,

experienced part-time preschool
teachers. Must be willing to
obtain or already have 45 DCF
training hours, First Aid & CPR
certification, as well as undergo
background screening, fingerprints, and drug test. Please,
submit resumes to scanady@
dubowpreschool.org.
Services is seeking a full-time
school counselor who will provide
a comprehensive counseling
program to help students achieve
academic, personal, and social
success. Requires a Master Degree in Guidance and/or School
Counseling from an accredited
college or university. A minimum
of two years of teaching, counseling, or other similar experience
is required. Knowledge of Jewish
practices, customs, values and
traditions. If you are interested in
being considered, please complete
the employment application form
on our website at www.jfcsjax.
org. EOE/AA:females/minorities/
disabled/vets DFWP.
To submit an item for lifecycles, please email it to jjn@

jewishjacksonville.org. Deadline is the 6th of the month.
For guidelines of how to write
Bar/Bat Mitzvah, wedding or
obituary announcements, go
to jewishjacksonville.org/news
under Share your news.
Larry Tallis, Photographer

904.373.0173
page 26
community news
Jaxs Jacob Mendelson earns spot

as coxswain for Team USA Rowing
Youth tennis clinics

now offered at the JCA
Jacksonvilles Jacob Mendelson will be representing the United States at the upcoming World Championships (Aug. 29 - Sept. 6) in France. He is also a senior on the University of Pennsylvanias rowing team
& Univ. of Pennsylvania Athletics
Jacob Mendelson, son of

Robin and Brian Mendelson, is
a rising senior at University of
Pennsylvania and on his way to
Aiguebelette, France after earning a spot on the mens 2+ boat
for United States Rowing at the
upcoming World Championships,
Aug. 29 - Sept. 6. Mendelson
secured the position of coxswain
on the national team after coming
out on top in the senior national
team trials. His crew consisted of
two Philadelphia-based rowers
in Frederick Winstead and Taylor

Brown, who shared the waters
with their future stars and stripes
teammate.
Mendelson, who served as the
coxswain for Penns second varsity boat in 2015 will be making
his second appearance for the red,
white and blue as three years ago,
he was a member of the junior
national team. Additionally, he is
a Jacksonville native and a 2012
graduate of the Bolles School.
This is an incredible opportunity for me to compete at a
level higher than I ever dreamed
possible during my collegiate
RIVER GARDEN IS
career, Mendelson said of his

accomplishment. I am looking
forward to gaining even more
experience at the elite level with
two extremely talented rowers
and while I am ecstatic about
making Team USA, I am hungry for more, he added. My
mentors in rowing have always
urged me to set high goals. This
summer, my goal wasnt just to
make the national team, it was to
bring home a medal from Worlds.
My teammates and I will train
hard these next two months to do
everything we can to bring home
some hardware from France.
COMMUNITY AGENCY...
WHY WOULD YOU GO ANYWHERE ELSE?
Adult Day Care
Home Health Care
A beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville / Jewish Dietary Laws Observed
Seniors are able to remain in their home

and receive supportive care
for as long as possible
Licensed by the State of Florida
Certified for Medicare
rivergarden.org/homehealth
904-288-7851
A safe, secure and gracious

state-of-the-art environment to help clients
socialize and thrive
Open Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
to meet the scheduling needs of caregivers
rivergarden.org/adultday
904-288-7858
11401 Old St. Augustine Rd. Jacksonville, FL 32258 904.260.1818 rivergarden.org
The JCA tennis department has several programs designed specifically

for kids, so they can learn how to play and compete in a way that is fun
BY IMAN BYFIELD
The Jewish Community Alliance has tennis clinics for players of all ages and proficiencies
but the JCA Tennis Department
has several programs designed
specifically for the youth tennis
player, so kids can learn, rally,
play and compete in a way that
is fun and keeps them coming
back for more. Quick Start Tennis, for the beginning and junior
player, teaches tennis fundamentals with classes that focus on
learning proper swinging mo-
tions and the most effective way

to handle a racquet. Instruction
is paced for younger players
and supplemented by fun games
and drills. For intermediate to
advanced players, JCA Junior
Varsity and Varsity Tennis
focuses on stroke production,
consistency and match play to
help older players feel more
comfortable during point play
and matches. All tennis clinics
are ongoing, so for more information, please contact Reggie
Exum at 904-730-2100 ext. 317
or visit www.jcajax.org.
River Garden Auxiliary

book sale is a novel idea
By River Garden Auxiliary
Nows your chance to buy a

new or slightly used book and
help the River Garden Auxiliary
in the process. Hardback and paperback books for all ages will
be available and all proceeds
go to benefit programming for
River Garden residents. The
sale will take place in the lobby
of the home, 11401 Old St. Augustine Road, Tuesday, Sept. 8,

from 11 a.m. - 3:30p.m. Those
wishing to donate books for the
sale can do so by dropping them
off at River Garden on Thursday, Sept. 3rd and Friday, Sept.
4th. For further information,
please call Michele Steinfeld
636-7580 and as always your
support is greatly appreciated.
page 27
EDUCATION
Camp Ki Tovs 2015 summer in review
Camp Ki Tovs summer was filled with fun activities such as swimming (left), playing in a bounce house (center) and special events such as wacky wear day and spirit competitions (right)
By Camp Ki Tov Staff
Camp Ki Tovs 2015 summer

was full of fun as it had lots of
new faces on the staff who were
eager to meet their campers. On
the first day, the children arrived
excited and ready for a memorable summer. This year, campers enjoyed some old favorites
such as fishing, archery, sports,
and more and on select weeks
special visits were made by a
petting zoo, a magical pirate, and
bounce houses. Other weeks,

campers ventured out to go to
Bowl America, the beach, as well
as the Jacksonville Zoo and Fire
Station 51. The camps new L.I.T.
program, headed by Setzer Youth
Director Steven Resnick, proved
to be a huge success as participants had lots of fun learning
leadership skills and making
friendships while working with
campers and other counselors.
Throughout the summer there
were varying themes such as Vis-
itor Day, Wacky Wear Day, and

Field Trip Day. Additionally, each
cabin competed with spirit and
pride to win the beloved spirit
stick. The camp was also very
fortunate to have Rabbi Tilman,
Hazzan Holzer, and Morah Liat
lead its Friday Shabbat lunches
with lots of ruach (spirit) and
passion! The Jacksonville Jewish
Centers clergy also joined each
cabin for Judaic-related activities
and the camp had the privilege
of hosting counselors from Israel
Rabbi Jim Rogozen

completes successful first
year at Galinsky Academy
By Galinsky Academy
The end of the 2014-15 school

year marked Rabbi Jim Rogozens
completion of his first year as the
Head of Schools at The Galinsky
Academy. Comprised of Setzer
Youth Education, the Bernard &
Alice Selevan Religious School,
Martin J. Gottlieb Day School,
and DuBow Preschool, Galinsky
Academy administrators have
enjoyed getting to know and work
with Rabbi Rogozen during the
past 12 months.
Rabbi Rogozen is a very
experienced head of schools
and is also a great listener, said
DuBow Presechool director
Shereen Canady. He cares about
not just the success of our schools
and programs, but the emotional
health of our teachers and staff
as well. He is a great blend of an
administrator and a rabbi.
Rabbi Rogozen also serves as
Principal of the Martin J. Gottlieb
Day School. In that role, he has
met with his contemporaries in
the Florida Council of Independent Schools and made a positive
impression there as well. One
of his colleagues was quoted as
Rabbi Jim Rogozen is the Galinsky Academys Head of Schools

and also serves as principal of
the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School
saying that, Rabbi Rogozen is

warm and friendly, and has made
a very positive impression on
all constituents, faculty, staff,
parents, and the leadership of the
Synagogue. Its because of this
positive first impression that the
Galinsky Academy looks forward
to many more years of success
with Rabbi Rogozen as its Head
of Schools.
acksonville
Jewish News
JaxJewish
@jaxjewish
Social Media Directory
who shared their love and passion for our homeland. As usual,
a great time was had planning
the annual Camp Ki Tov undernight/overnight and because it
was so much fun, a pair of them
were held this year. During the
special event campers took part
in nighttime swimming, flashlight games, and making kosher
smores.
As always, it is the overarching goal of Camp Ki Tov to build
long lasting memories for the
children and this year we were

more than successful. Thank
you to the combined efforts of
the administration, the clergy,
and to the loving parents of
all the campers who attended.
A big shout also goes to the
camps amazing staff comprised
of young men and women who
dedicated their summer to helping make lasting memories for
the kids.
page 28

Jacksonville Jewish News - Aug. 2015

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Jacksonville Jewish News - Aug. 2015

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FIELD TRIP TO ISRAEL

Kids have pretend

THE IMPACT OF THE DEAL

Jacksonville Jewish Centers Hazzan

River Garden Chief Development Officer

University of North Florida President

8505 San Jose Blvd.

Jewish Federation of Jacksonville

See 2015 GALA, p. 4

Holzer attends Rev. Pinkney

Federation Communications Director

Following the tragic shooting at the

Holzer was able to attend the funeral service

Charleston is only a four hour drive

See HOLZER TRIP, p. 3

Jacksonville hosts Israeli teen delegation

The Israel Partnership was in full swing

The Israeli teens enjoyed their time

For two magical and fun-filled weeks this

See ISRAELI TEENS, p. 13

Jacksonville Jewish News August 2015

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish

Few spots still remain for

A few spots still remain for a

School begins on Monday,

JCAs Summer Camp

Michele Block Gan Yeladim

For eight weeks in the summer,

than 20 different preschools and

Jacksonville Jewish News August 2015

With a date and a specific

facility, services started and so did

Holzer waited in line for nearly five hours, making

The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church at

Jacksonville Jewish News August 2015

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish

Incoming Jewish Federation of Jacksonville president Sandy

JJN Ad Directory - Aug. 2015

B&C Financial (p. 12)

Jerry Seebol (p. 25)

For your advertising needs, please contact advertising

of the Hebrew homes staff have

Gena and I appreciate the

Cummer Museum reunites art stolen

Chief curator, Cummer Museum

The first claim, 2010-11,

three collections of its type in

Goudstikker in 2012, concerning

Jacksonville Jewish News August 2015

Rabbinically Speaking Who really directs our lives?

On the Aug. 15 Sabbath we

to make choices or if life makes

opinions stands the Jewish view

death. A seemingly unimportant

In whatever we do and wherever

This deal gives Iran the bomb, tell lawmakers in

CEO & President, The Israel Project

Last months announcement of

hundreds of billions of dollars,

enrichment bunker, buried under

Graphic courtesy of The Israel Project

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/JaxJewish

Jacksonville Jewish News August 2015

Jax Jewish Singles explores