Federation Star - January 2017

More documents

Recommendations

Info

26A Federation Star January 2017 Shabbat of Solidarity Rabbi Adam F. Miller First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me. – Pastor Martin Neimoller (1892-1984), Protestant Minister Those famous words from Pastor Neimoller derive from a series of lectures given in the years after the Holocaust. Reflecting back on the horrors that had taken place, Neimoller believed that too many remained silent during the Nazi reign of terror. Individuals failed to speak up when the Nazis persecuted, imprisoned and murdered millions. Their silence served as a complicit acceptance of these inhumane actions. In order to demonstrate that we cannot tolerate hatred toward any group, Neimoller would vary the list, extemporaneously adding to the groups he mentioned. Living in Naples, we often feel removed from national trends, including the dramatic surge of anti-Semitism witnessed across the country. Sadly, our community is not immune to these events. In early December, vandals used a shotgun to damage the Temple Shalom sign. This incident added to a growing list of experiences that included the painting of a swastika at a local school, an increase in anti-Semitic comments heard by children from their peers, and the verbal assault of a woman as she drove out of the temple parking lot. In contrast to the experience from Pastor Neimoller’s time, when individuals stood idly by the blood of their neighbors, the community rallied in response to the events in Naples. As news of the sign quickly spread, Temple Shalom experienced an outpouring of support and love from across Southwest Florida. Phone calls and emails poured in from those who wanted to express their solidarity with Temple Shalom and the Jewish community as a whole. One gentleman from the community even called to offer an anonymous gift to cover any costs for repairing the sign. In his words, “If hate mongrels can destroy [the sign], lovers of all people can keep on fixing it.” We quickly realized that this about more than the act of vandalism. The damage to the sign was superficial – of greater concern to us was the need to repair our community. On Friday, December 9 we hosted the Shabbat of Solidarity. Reaching out to faith leaders and community leaders from across Southwest Florida, we invited everyone for a night of solidarity. This service united our community, allowing us all to say with one voice that we will not tolerate bigotry, racism, hatred or violence here. This community will be one in which love triumphs over hate, and where all can live peacefully together. Thank you to all who attended – demonstrating your commitment to remain vigilant against hatred. Our gathering strengthened the spirits of all those who have experienced bigotry, racism or hateful acts. Standing together we choose a community of love and respect. Twentieth-century theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel cautioned, “Indifference to evil is worse than evil itself.” We are not indifferent to hatred and injustice. Rather, we remain hopeful that it is possible to create a community in which hatred itself can find no purchase, and a society in which the seeds of injustice cannot flourish and bloom. I pray that the Shabbat of Solidarity was not a singular event, but the beginning of a new era for all of us. A time when we will find the strength and courage necessary to continue standing up to hate and injustice. That we will learn to build bridges that connect us, and tear down the walls that divide us. As our Chanukah candles brightened the world at a time of great darkness, may the warmth and positive energy generated by the Shabbat of Solidarity continue to brighten our community in the months and years ahead. Rabbi Adam Miller serves at Temple Shalom in Naples. Father Bob Kantor, Pastor of St. Agnes Catholic Church, and Rabbi Adam Miller, Rabbi of Temple Shalom, will participate in a dialogue based on a book co-written by Pope Francis and Rabbi Abraham Skorka: “On Heaven and Earth; Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the 21 Century.” The book brings together a series of conversations between the authors - both tenacious promoters of interreligious dialogues on faith and reason - about God, fundamentalism, atheism, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and globalization. Father Bob and Rabbi Miller, as members of the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County, will re-create this fascinating dialogue, making it relevant to our lives and providing us with a better understanding of these religions and their responses to the issues we face today. So, pre-register NOW at www.faithandwine.com. Invite your friends, neighbors and fellow parishioners to this GREAT event! Menu Cheese Display: Vegetable Crudite Fresh Fruit Display Buffet: Chicken Marsala • Penne Pesto Pasta Whipped Bliss Potatoes Cranberry Herb Thyme Green Beans Greek Salad • Bread Assortment Dessert: Cheesecake Bites Go to www.FaithandWine.com to learn more! Thursday, January 19, 2017 6:30-8:30 PM (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.) featuring Father Bob Kantor & Rabbi Adam Miller Cost: $25 prepay • NO WALK-INS! Please prepay for this event no later than noon on January 17, 2017 by going to www.faithandwine.com (using Paypal) or dropping off your check made payable to “Faith and Wine, Inc.” to the St. John parish office. Or you can mail (postmarked before Thursday, January 12, 2017) your check to Kathleen Millard at 2134 Morning Sun Lane, Naples, FL 34119 Event held at: St. John the Evangelist PLC Ballroom 625 111th Avenue North, Naples, FL COMMENTARY The shared nature of Jewish existence “On Heaven and Earth” Event open to men! SAVE THE DATES: Mark your calendar now for the remaining Faith and Wine Dates: February 23, 2017; March 23, 2017 and April 20, 2017. Temple Shalom Sisterhood Judaica Shop JUDAICA SHOP SEMI-ANNUAL SALE Sunday, January 15 through Sunday, January 29 40% off Chanukah merchandise 25% off all other stock items Some items 50% off! Hours Sunday - 9AM to 12PM (only during Religious School) Wednesday afternoon - by appt. (Please call Jean - 591-3404) Tuesday through Friday - 10AM to 12:30PM Temple Shalom • 4630 Pine Ridge Rd. • Naples, FL 34119 239-455-3030 The Federation Star is a monthly nonprofit newspaper supported by generous readers, committed advertisers and the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Rabbi Mark Gross I last had the privilege of addressing the local Jewish community in these pages in October, as we prepared to welcome a New Year with sweet taigelach and the blowing of the shofar. And now it is a new year again – this time, though, with the apple dropping on Times Square instead of dipping in honey. To a very great degree, of course, this January New Year represents as much of a fresh beginning as did our Jewish New Year a few months ago. That is because of the energy and excitement generated by our local population of year-round residents as they accord a warm welcome to their seasonal residents now pouring back into Collier County from higher latitudes. This month marks the beginning of only my second year on Marco Island, and as such I still have enough of a fresh outside perspective to point out something that long-time locals may take completely for granted. And that is this: there are far too few sun-belt communities across the country that enjoy the level of interest, involvement and support from seasonal visitors as we do in our greater Naples Jewish community. Maybe that’s because they’re simply grateful for the opportunity to defrost. Or maybe it’s because they heard our declaration of Southern hospitality (“make yourself part of the family”) and chose to take it seriously. Or perhaps, at the most fundamental level, it’s simply because we are all family in the first place. We Jews are the only religion in the world that is also (and perhaps first and foremost) a national ethnic group, with a shared legacy and a common destiny. The foundation of that legacy is laid in our Torah-reading cycle this month, which will see us concluding the Book of b’Reisheet (Genesis) and beginning Sh’mot (Exodus). Genesis ends with the twelve sons of Jacob journeying down to Egypt, while Exodus describes how their descendants, the twelve Tribes of Israel, came back up out of Egypt 400 years later; but the Torah text is explicit that, moving in or out, up or down, the family of Jacob always shared their journey as a single unified entity. We still do. The benchmark of that is the suffix “-nu” you will see in all our prayers (“avinu malkeinu,” “eloheinu v’eilohei avoteinu,” “asher kid’shanu b’mitvotav”), and in the Israeli national anthem: “od lo avdah tikvateinu.” That little grammatical particle is the all-important first-person plural, which serves to anchor each and every one of us as a component of a larger whole. Jewish life is inherently corporate, collective and communal. This is so much the case, that you simply can’t be Jewish alone. It’s impossible to learn Talmud without a study-partner to help put the content in context; a couple marrying needs at least two others to witness and sign the k’tuvah; a parent presenting a child for circumcision needs nine others to make a minyan to witness the fulfillment of the Covenant; a mourner grieving similarly requires a quorum to recite Qaddish, the benignly manipulative of our Tradition to make sure that no one deals with their loss alone. The shared nature of Jewish existence is summarized and captured in the title that Mark Zborowski chose, more than a generation ago, for his richly evocative study of the long-vanished shtetl world: Life is With People. Here in our not-so-little shtetl of Naples and environs, we rejoice in those who are here all year; we rejoice in those who come to join us at this season; and we rejoice most of all in the commitment that all alike share in living Jewish life together, bringing light and warmth to us all. Rabbi Mark Gross serves at the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island. Opinions and letters printed in the Federation Star do not necessarily reflect those of the Jewish Federation of Collier County, its Board of Directors or staff, or its advertisers. To reach the editor of the Federation Star, send an email to fedstar18@gmail.com. B T
FOCUS ON YOUTH January 2017 Federation Star BBYO Naples celebrates its 5 th anniversary By Skylar Haas, Assoc. Regional Dir. of BBYO’s North Florida Region BBYO Naples celebrated a ponents to the success of BBYO Naples. huge milestone recently in Taylor Bollt, Zoe Van Slyke and Ben celebrating its 5 th anniversary. Klausner were teens who attended summer programs, led community events, On Sunday, December 11, teens, parents, friends, family and alumni came and were instrumental to the establishment of both Negev AZA and Sababa together at Temple Shalom for an afternoon of commemorating, reminiscing BBG. During the celebration we heard and good food. such powerful words from the young While the 8 th Chapter boards of adults who have gone off to college Sababa BBG and Negev AZA were destalled and the new teens were installed, community involvement. and pursued their path in leadership and a sense of excitement filled the room. Thank you to everyone who came This same ceremony that was done out to celebrate with us! term after term felt unique because of For more information about service, the community of supporters who came advocacy and philanthropic opportunities for Naples teens, email me at out to share in this meaningful moment in BBYO Naples history. shaas@bbyo.org. Three teens who were once part of Follow us on Instagram @Naples the program and left a lasting legacy BBYO and Like us on Facebook @ were honored for being such key com- Naples BBYO. 27A Samantha Front and Eli Melnick, the current BBG and AZA presidents BBYO is launching in the Fort Myers community with the goal of connecting local teens with a larger network of Jewish teens throughout the State of Florida. If you know of a teen in the Fort Myers area who may be interested, have them contact Skylar Haas at shaas@bbyo.org. Jewish Federation of Collier County announces its First Annual Youth Leadership Award The Jewish Federation of Collier County Youth Leadership Award will be given to honor the achievements of Greater Collier County high school seniors demonstrating leadership in their activities at their respective congregation and/or BBYO youth group. They will be recognized for their successful balancing of Jewish leadership, high school academics, athletics and clubs, and community service. A one-time award of $2,000 each will be given to two deserving seniors. This scholarship will be used to further their education at an accredited college, university or vocational school. Scholarship Applications can be found online at www.jewishnaples.org. The deadline for submissions of the Youth Leadership Award application, essay, resume, transcript and references is January 9. Temple Shalom Preschool update By Seyla Cohen, Preschool Director A brand new year! With the holidays behind us, it’s that time of the year when the children at Temple Shalom Preschool begin to settle into their familiar surroundings. Here at TSP, their home-away-fromhome, students enjoy returning to their classrooms, their comfort zone. Parents, as well as students, seem to sigh with relief when the hustle and bustle of the end-of-year activities are behind them. It feels good to calm down and revert back to a more routine lifestyle with more defined schedules. Children strive on structure, so returning to a more predictable routine does them well. In January, we welcome our newest students, our Lil’ Cubs. Those little ones who missed the cut-off, will begin their first school experience. Through the help and tender loving care of Miss Jane, our new Lil’ Cubs class will thrive, and kids will begin to learn all about independence. It’s hard at first to leave Mommy and Daddy, but once they catch on to the routine, they become our newest endearing family members. Health-Safety Day/Open House Once again Temple Shalom Preschool is hosting its annual Health-Safety Day/ Open House on Sunday, January 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a very special activity-packed day-long program educating our young citizens about health and safety within our community. Various community helpers come to present awareness about their individual departments. The children enjoy seeing fire trucks up close and personal. They are able to climb on board and view fire fighters’ gear and equipment. EMTs show up in their ambulances for the children to have a clear view of what is inside its vehicles, and the police department brings its mascot, McGruff the Crime Dog, teaching the children about combating crime in the area. Water safety, a major concern for parents in the area, is reinforced. Domestic animal services is another presenter along with Smokey the Bear from the Department of Forestry. And the Seyla Cohen with preschoolers dressed for a Thanksgiving celebration rock climbing wall and bounce house bring a lot of fun and excitement to the children, as do riding the ponies around our campus. Our Health-Safety Day is an event open to the general public, and is a welcome and well-received program for the community each year. Parents will also have a chance to tour our beautiful Preschool and meet our teachers. Children will have fun listening to a story in our famous Storyland Children’s Library, singing with our music teacher, checking out our brand new and futuristic Technology Lab, doing experiments in our Professor Einstein’s Laboratorium, having their face painted, jumping in the bounce house, riding on a pony or climbing on the rock wall! Save the date! We are very excited to announce that on Friday, February 3 we will have awardwinning recording Artist Ellen Allard performing for all the children of our community. This concert will be free of charge and open to the whole community. Ellen Allard is a much-loved performer for children and young families. Her concerts are high energy, interactive, and get kids and grownups singing, moving and dancing! This concert was made possible with the generous grant we received from the Jewish Federation of Collier County. Thank you JFCC for your dedication to help educate our children. More information will follow concerning the concert. Wishing all a very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year. Jewish Bedtime Stories & Songs for Families The PJ Library program supports families in their Jewish journey by sending Jewishrelated books and music on a monthly basis to children for free. Sponsered by Arthur & Susan Karp The Family PJ Charitable Library Foundation, is Inc A Supporting Foundation of brought to the Collier The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee County community by Visit JFCS the Federation of Southwest website to sign up! www.jfedsrq.org Florida. For more information, call 239.325.4444. Follow us at facebook.com/pjlibraryofsarasota
Page 1 and 2: presented by 6 events to choose fro
Page 3 and 4: JEWISH FEDERATION January 2017 Fede
Page 5 and 6: JEWISH FEDERATION Published by 2500
Page 13 and 14: COMMUNITY FOCUS January 2017 Federa
Page 17 and 18: DONOR APPRECIATION LIST January 201
Page 21 and 22: JEWISH INTEREST January 2017 Federa
Page 23 and 24: JEWISH INTEREST My first minyan By
Page 25: ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD BRIEFS JE
Page 29 and 30: SYNAGOGUES / ORGANIZATIONS January
Page 31 and 32: COMMUNITY DIRECTORY January 2017 Fe
Page 33 and 34: Celebrating Jewish Life in Collier
Page 35 and 36: ARTS & CULTURE Jewish Community Day
Page 37 and 38: ARTS & CULTURE Estero Fine Arts Sho
Page 39 and 40: An audience of 162 people attended
Page 41 and 42: Wednesday, February 8, 1:00 - 3:30
Page 43 and 44: JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL January 2017 F
Page 45 and 46: JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL January 2017 F
Page 47 and 48: ARTS & CULTURE January 2017 Federat

Federation Star - January 2017

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?