Federation Star - January 2018

14A Federation Star January 2018
“Nakba: The Source
of Arab Israeli Conflict”
Jerrold L.
Sobel
ZOA of SWFL
President
On May 14, 1948 (5 lyar 5708
in the Jewish calendar), David
Ben-Gurion, the Executive
Head of the World Zionist Organization
and the Chairman of Jewish Agency for
Palestine, proclaimed the Declaration
of Israeli Independence. No doubt the
seminal moment in modern Jewish history
due to events just prior.
Concluding the Declaration in the
second to last paragraph, Ben-Gurion
stated, “We extend our hand to all
neighboring states and their peoples in
an offer of peace and good neighborliness,
and appeal to them to establish
bonds of cooperation and mutual help
with the sovereign Jewish people settled
in its own land. The State of Israel is
prepared to do its share in a common
effort for the advancement of the entire
Middle East.”
The very next day, a day the Palestinians
would come to regret, five Arab
armies descended upon the nascent
Jewish state with the expressed intent
of genocide. They failed to achieve this
goal and, for all intents and purposes,
the Arab/Israeli conflict of 1948 has not
yet ended. As a consequence of this war,
Islamists throughout the world have
ruefully commemorated May 15, 1948,
as the “Day of Disaster,” or “Nakba”
in Arabic.
There are many foundational pillars
which have festered this generational
conflict: potential borders of a proposed
Palestinian state, Jerusalem, lack of
BEING PART OF OUR FAMILY
DOESN’T COME WITH A PRICE TAG
Temple Shalom is proud to announce L’Shalom, our new membership
model. L’Shalom relies on an innovative approach to help you engage
more fully with your faith, your family, and your community, and
makes it easier to become part of our Temple Family.
This new pledge system discards standard annual dues and asks you
to donate to the continuity of our congregation by pledging to give
what you can afford, as a gift from your heart.
L’Shalom is an embodiment of Temple Shalom’s
commitment to Relational Judaism:
• The relationships created as we worship, study, socialize and perform
mitzvot together provide myriad opportunities to comfortably
express your Jewish beliefs and values
• For young and old alike, individuals, couples or families, living in
Naples full or part time, Temple Shalom offers a warm welcome
and an opportunity to explore how you can best embrace
your Jewish identity and faith
In our One Family, inclusiveness is
not only priceless, it’s treasured.
For more information on L’Shalom and becoming part
of the Temple Shalom family, contact us by phone or email
4630 Pine Ridge Road
Naples, FL 34119
239-455-3030
info@naplestemple.org
www.naplestemple.org
recognition of Israel as a Jewish state,
and other seemingly irreconcilable problems,
but none greater than the Nakba.
Disputing the realities of war, sources
sympathetic to the Arab viewpoint
have since claimed the events of 1948
as a fulfillment of a long dreamed-of
Zionist plan to rid Palestine of its Arab
population, expelling them from their
homes, and transforming Palestine into
a Jewish state. As a holy grail to this
argument, Palestinians are insistent
that not only those displaced by the war
be allowed the right of return but their
progeny as well.
Jewish historians vehemently dispute
this claim and offer that the Arabs
in Palestine were asked to stay and live
as citizens in the Jewish state. Instead,
they chose to leave, either because
they were unwilling to live with the
Jews, or because they expected an Arab
military victory which would annihilate
the Zionists. They thought they could
leave temporarily and return at their
leisure. Later, an additional claim was
put forth, namely that the Palestinians
were ordered to leave, with radio
broadcasts instructing them to quit their
homes.
On Wednesday January 10, worldrenowned
Middle East researcher
Dr. Asaf Romirowsky will return to
our area and speak at Chabad Jewish
Center of Naples (1789 Mandarin
Road). His topic of discussion will be
“Nakba: The Source of Arab Israeli
Conflict.”
Tickets are $20 in advance and $22
at the door; $7 for students. Send your
check to ZOASWFL, 4003 Upolo Lane,
Naples, FL 34119. For further information,
contact me at jerrysobel@aol.com
or 914.329.1024.
Temple Shalom, a Reform congregation founded in 1962,
is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism
Torah Talk
Join the volunteer-led discussion of the
week’s Torah portion on the first Saturday
of each month. On January 6 the
portion is Shemot. There will be a light
breakfast at 8:15 a.m. with discussion to
follow at 8:30 a.m. There is no charge
and all are welcome.
Community Day of Music
Join us on Sunday, January 7 at 4:00
p.m. for Temple Shalom’s Community
Day of Music. This free event showcases
the many musical talents of the
Temple Shalom family. Enjoy both
vocal and instrumental entertainment.
Light refreshments will be served following
the show.
Guest speaker
Beth Kissileff discusses her book Reading
Genesis: Beginnings on Thursday,
January 11 at 7:00 p.m. The book is
a new anthology from Kissileff that
fills Genesis with meaning, gathering
intellectuals and thinkers who use their
professional knowledge to illuminate
the Bibical text.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Temple Shalom events
open to the community
For more information on these events, call 239.455.3030.
Preschool Safety Day
Temple Shalom’s Preschool Safety Day
and Open House takes place on Sunday,
January 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. This is a fun-filled, free event with
visits from the Collier County Sheriff’s
Department, firemen, EMTs, Smokey
the Bear and McGruff the Crime Dog.
There will also be a bounce house,
crafts, music, pony rides, face painting,
and a chance to visit the preschool, take
a tour and meet the teachers.
Scholar-in-Residence weekend
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Over the weekend of January 26-28, Dr.
Richard Elliott Friedman will present a
series of lectures. On Friday, January
26 during Shabbat services (begins at
7:30 p.m.), Dr. Friedman will present
The Great Exodus Debate. On Saturday,
Janaury 27 at 7:00 p.m., he will present
Monotheism and the Death of the Gods
followed by a book signing. On Sunday,
January 28 at 10:00 a.m., Dr. Friedman
will present Love Your Neighbor (and
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Everyone) As Yourself, also followed
prese
by a book signing.
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Senior Housing Solutions –
who we are and what we do
Senior Housing Solutions provides
concierge-level senior housing
advice to people researching
senior housing for themselves or for a
loved one. We proudly serve both Collier
and Lee counties.
Bruce Rosenblatt, owner and senior
housing expert, has over 30 years of
experience in the senior housing industry
and is familiar with all the senior
housing options in our area. Bruce has
overseen 75 senior living communities
throughout the county including three in
our area, and has insightful knowledge
on how these communities operate and
important questions you should ask
when researching.
In 2008, Senior Housing Solutions
was formed to be a resource for people
who are considering moving to a senior
living community. The personal service
his company provides is a cornerstone
of his company.
“We help people every step of the
way,” states Bruce. “I truly understand
how difficult and complicated this process
can become, and how important
it is to have someone ‘in their corner’
during this process.”
Should someone be considering
a move to an assisted living facility,
Senior Housing Solutions provides
100% free advice to our clients. We are
familiar with all the options in the area
and stay current on pricing, availability,
resident satisfaction, operational issues
and staffing turnover. We know what
you don’t know! We help educate you
with
about the options and narrow down the Holo
choices by understanding your needs, of S
desires and preferences. We schedule T
the visits for you and will join you on is on
your tour. We help negotiate fees and
will provide resources to help your
move go smoothly.
Senior Housing Solutions also
provides consulting advice for people
who are in the planning stages and
want to develop a plan for their future.
In addition, we are frequently retained
to research places in areas other than
Southwest Florida.
You wouldn’t buy a car without
speaking with your mechanic, so why
would you move to a senior living
community without speaking with an
expert?
Being locally owned and operated,
Senior Housing Solutions prides itself
on being an active part of the local community
and specifically the Jewish community.
Bruce has served on the board of
JFCS, is a member of the MCA, and has
been a guest speaker for WCA, Naples
Jewish Congregation and the Jewish
Federation of Greater Naples.
Senior Housing Solutions is an
advertiser in the Federation Star and
L’CHAYIM (in Lee and Charlotte counties),
and was a sponsor of the Third
Annual Collier County Jewish Book
Festival’s opening event.
For more information, please visit
www.seniorhousingsolutions.net or call
239.595.0207.
Center for Judaic, Holocaust,
and Genocide Studies
Dedicated to educating all sectors of society about
Jewish civilization, the Holocaust, and genocide through:
• scholarship
• outreach
• inquiry
• sharing knowledge
• preserving the record
• helping teachers
• encouraging students
Visit www.fgcu.edu/hc/
Dr. Paul Bartrop, Director