Federation Star - January 2018
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ORGANIZATIONS<br />
<strong>January</strong> <strong>2018</strong> <strong>Federation</strong> <strong>Star</strong><br />
29A<br />
JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SWFL www.jhsswf.org / 239-566-1771<br />
<strong>2018</strong> Florida Jewish History Month<br />
It is now practically a given that<br />
there will be many organizations<br />
and institutions offering a variety of<br />
choices to honor this month in Southwest<br />
Florida. Hard to imagine that just<br />
a few years ago this was not an event on<br />
anyone’s agenda.<br />
The Jewish Historical Society of<br />
SWFL likes to think we helped it along<br />
by introducing many fascinating stories<br />
of our Southwest Florida Jewish<br />
like Pioneers. We put on programs, like the<br />
reli-Southwest Florida Jewish History Mas-<br />
Classes, and interview eyewitnesses<br />
der-ter<br />
ere of the fairly young local Jewish history.<br />
ims Many of you have already discovered<br />
rom our expanding Virtual Museum of<br />
ther Southwest Florida Jewish History and<br />
ith explored excerpts from the interviews<br />
and clips from the films we produce.<br />
not We hear from some of our “stars”<br />
hat-thaims they are pleased to see that their<br />
ows<br />
ble<br />
ies?<br />
ink<br />
rabnity<br />
ties<br />
imeve<br />
ish<br />
the<br />
an<br />
Marina<br />
Berkovich<br />
JHSSWF<br />
President<br />
COLLIER/LEE CHAPTER OF HADASSAH www.hadassah.org / 239-370-6220<br />
Hadassah update<br />
Karen<br />
Cohn<br />
Collier/Lee<br />
Hadassah<br />
Co-President<br />
stories were presented with warmth,<br />
love and care, as if by family members.<br />
And that’s the way it is – each oralvisual<br />
history participant becomes a<br />
JHSSWF “family.”<br />
As for me, after all the time I personally<br />
researched Abraham Myers’ life,<br />
I am pretty proud to have him as my<br />
Southern “ancestor” along with all his<br />
troubles. If you attended our 2017 Master<br />
Classes, you learned about some of<br />
his failures and trials, and his marriage,<br />
which effectively ended the Jewish line<br />
of his name, while immortalizing it as<br />
Fort Myers.<br />
“The Timeline of Southwest Florida<br />
Jewish History” is a presentation that<br />
will be added to our Virtual Museum<br />
and taken on the road in <strong>2018</strong>, with the<br />
help and support of our members and<br />
volunteers.<br />
JHSSWF membership is on the<br />
increase, and we encourage you to<br />
begin this month by renewing yours,<br />
subscribing to our lists, and attending<br />
our <strong>2018</strong> Florida Jewish History Month<br />
Celebration with Murray Hendel at the<br />
Hilton Naples on Sunday, <strong>January</strong> 21<br />
at 11:00 a.m.<br />
The sixth film in the Southwest<br />
It is always a good time to remind<br />
everyone that your donation makes<br />
a difference, no matter how small<br />
or how large it is. In case you are not<br />
aware, Hadassah has many ways to<br />
donate.<br />
Chai Society is a perfect way to<br />
begin the journey of giving. $15 a month<br />
is all you need to begin. When you are<br />
a member of Chai Society, Hadassah<br />
can count on you every month. Email<br />
Luba Rotsztain at luba.laufer.rotsztain@<br />
gmail.com for more information.<br />
The next level of giving is Keeper<br />
of the Gate and that begins with a yearly<br />
donation of $1,000.<br />
This donation will enable the extraordinary<br />
work of Hadassah to continue<br />
and grow in Israel and around<br />
the world. Saving lives through Hadassah<br />
Medical Organization insures a<br />
vibrant Jewish future through Young<br />
Judaea, and educating Israel’s leaders<br />
of tomorrow through Youth Aliyah and<br />
Hadassah College. Chair Ellen Harris<br />
can be reached at ehjh@comcast.net.<br />
Major Gifts is another level which<br />
helped build the Sarah Davidson Wetsman<br />
19-story tower in Jerusalem.<br />
A Perpetual Yahrzeit, which is one<br />
time donation of $1,000, makes it possible<br />
to have Kaddish said at the designated<br />
date of a loved one’s passing in the<br />
Fannie and Maxwell Abbell Synagogue<br />
located in the Hadassah-Hebrew University<br />
Medical Center at Ein Kerem,<br />
Jerusalem. This is where the Marc<br />
Chagall glass windows are located, and<br />
the sound of the Kaddish being said<br />
is breath taking. Contact Chair Gale<br />
Lazarus at galedoll@aol.com.<br />
Hadassah has a robust Designated<br />
Florida Jewish Pioneers Film Series,<br />
Murray’s Mile will premiere at this<br />
event, which is expected to sell out. The<br />
Honorary Chairman is Naples Mayor<br />
Bill Barnett. Collier County Sheriff<br />
Kevin Rambosk and U.S. Representative<br />
and former U.S. Ambassador<br />
Francis Rooney headline the long list<br />
of dignitaries.<br />
Individual tickets are $85 and may<br />
be purchased by check or online at<br />
https://jhsmurrayhendel.eventbrite.com,<br />
or email office@jhsswf.org.<br />
To advertise in the event program,<br />
purchase a table or become an event<br />
sponsor or a Society member, please<br />
email jhsswf@gmail.com.<br />
It is customary to summarize the<br />
outgoing year and make resolutions for<br />
the coming year just about now, so I will<br />
say that following in Murray’s footsteps<br />
for a part of 2017 has shown me that<br />
nothing is impossible if one wants to<br />
break barriers, create new paths, leave<br />
a lasting positive impression rooted in<br />
dignified honesty and integrity, even<br />
when at times, opinions and goals may<br />
clash or collide, and adversaries may<br />
be numerous and relentless. Murray’s<br />
determination to make a meaningful<br />
impact on this community is a lesson<br />
many of us will benefit from. My resolution<br />
for <strong>2018</strong> is to make certain all our<br />
Southwest Florida Jewish Pioneers get<br />
their stories captured. May <strong>2018</strong> bring to<br />
the Jewish Historical Society of SWFL<br />
and to all Jews, unbroken peace and<br />
mazel in the year of Chai.<br />
Explore the early Jewish life of<br />
SWFL by visiting the Virtual Museum<br />
of Southwest Jewish History at www.<br />
jewishhistorysouthwestflorida.org.<br />
Our Mission<br />
Collecting, protecting and preserving<br />
Jewish histories to celebrate the contribution<br />
by Jews in Southwest Florida<br />
every day of every year is part of our<br />
mission.<br />
Become a member of JHSSWF, a<br />
sponsor, business associate, volunteer<br />
and/or donor. Contact us at:<br />
The Jewish Historical Society<br />
of Southwest Florida<br />
899 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 116,<br />
Naples FL 34108<br />
239.566.1771<br />
office@jhsswf.org ~ www.jhsswf.org<br />
The Jewish Historical Society of<br />
Southwest Florida is a section 501(c)(3)<br />
charitable organization.<br />
Giving and Estates Program. If you<br />
have a business that does matching, the<br />
Institutional Foundation/Corporate Giving<br />
Program is another matching way to<br />
give. For more information, contact Yael<br />
Shmookler, Director of Development<br />
North, Central Florida, and Southeast,<br />
at 443.824.9499.<br />
What you get back is the knowledge<br />
that you made a difference in Israel.<br />
What you get back here in the United<br />
States is being a member of a terrific organization<br />
that advances the health and<br />
well-being of individuals, families and<br />
people around the world. Hadassah also<br />
advocates for issues impacting women,<br />
our society and health. To everyone who<br />
has already sent in donations, I personally<br />
say “Thank You.”<br />
This is my last <strong>Federation</strong> <strong>Star</strong><br />
article for Hadassah and I would like<br />
to thank co-President Gayle Dorio and<br />
my fabulous board, without whom we<br />
would be nothing. They put in a lot of<br />
hard work to make the programs fun, interesting<br />
and educational. Lynn Weiner<br />
and Shelley Skelton are taking over on<br />
<strong>January</strong> 30, so come and be a part of the<br />
next generation of leaders.<br />
Hadassah is an organization, as you<br />
know, that is the “Power of Women<br />
Who Do.”<br />
Upcoming events:<br />
Tuesday, <strong>January</strong> 30: Hadassah<br />
Installation Luncheon at the Vineyards<br />
CC, Carol Finn, carolthomp<br />
son@mylegaledge.com<br />
Sunday, February 4: New Member<br />
Brunch, location TBA, Donna<br />
Goldblatt, mom443@aol.com<br />
Monday, February 5: Board Meeting<br />
at Temple Shalom<br />
Monday, February 12: Mah Jong /<br />
Card Party, Sandy Diamond, sandy<br />
diamond1@earthlink.net<br />
Sunday, February 25: Hadassah<br />
Fundraiser Brunch, Israel’s 70 th<br />
Birthday at the Hilton Naples, Lee<br />
Henson, lhenson13@gmail.com<br />
JEWISH WAR VETERANS https://jwvpost202.wordpress.com/ 239-261-3270<br />
JWV Post 202 attend Veterans Day ceremonies<br />
By Martin Cohn, Vice Commander, JWV Post #202<br />
Our National Commander, Laurence<br />
Schulman, reminds us<br />
that “American Jews have<br />
served in our nation’s military since<br />
1657, when Asser Levy won a petition<br />
to allow Jews to assist in the defense<br />
of New Amsterdam – now New York<br />
City – against the English. Today, at the<br />
National Museum of American Jewish<br />
Military History, visitors can see evidence<br />
that Jews have fought and died for<br />
this country since its inception.”<br />
At the Community School’s Veterans Appreciation Day event: Commander Harve Sturm,<br />
Earl Taube, Joel Banow, Vice Commander Martin Cohn, Chaplain Sam Oshry<br />
JWV Post 202 members here in<br />
Collier County were very busy this past<br />
month. Veterans Day ceremonies<br />
occurred throughout<br />
the county. We attended<br />
the November 10 Veterans<br />
Shabbat at Temple Shalom,<br />
the November 11 Veterans<br />
Shabbat at Beth Tikvah, and<br />
the Veterans Day Celebration<br />
at Cambier Park.<br />
We also attended the Community<br />
School’s Veterans Appreciation Day on<br />
November 10, where the middle school<br />
students honored veterans with patriotic<br />
music, lunch and a special gift basket.<br />
Each veteran was accompanied by a<br />
student to take them through the school<br />
complex. It was a very special day. It’s<br />
always good to be appreciated.<br />
In December, we had our Welcome<br />
Back Social at Seasons 52 restaurant<br />
and we participated in the<br />
Community Chanukah Celebration<br />
at Mercato.<br />
JWV Post 202 is always<br />
seeking new members.<br />
Anyone who has served in<br />
the military (wartime service<br />
is not required) can be<br />
a member. Family members<br />
can join as Associate members. So come<br />
to our monthly meetings which provide<br />
a time for comradery and sharing our<br />
common interests.<br />
For more information, call<br />
239.261.3270 or email jwvpost202@<br />
gmail.com. Visit our website at www.<br />
jwvpost202.wordpress.com for updated<br />
information.<br />
What do you think? The <strong>Federation</strong> <strong>Star</strong> wants to know! Send your letters and comments to fedstar18@gmail.com.