June 6, 2024

I am pretty excited about our Florida Panthers going back to the Stanley Cup finals for the second year in a row with home ice advantage and the favorites to beat the Edmonton Oilers to win their first ever Stanley Cup Championship. Lori and I do have a pretty good track record of bringing championships to the cities we move to while we are living there—New Jersey, Detroit, Tampa, and Phoenix (who came pretty close in 2 professional sports).

Speaking of champions, our Dale & Ed Filhaber Mini Camp at the J is wrapping up their last week of pre-summer mini camp, powered by Indigo Gap, with an average of 45 children a day over the past three weeks. Now, onto Marleen Forkas Summer Camp, which starts Monday! Recently, I was part of a camp orientation for our summer staff and I reminded this group that “with great power comes great responsibility.” I emphasized the importance of summer camp and how much they will mean to their campers this summer and possibly for years and decades to come. I still remember the names of my counselor heroes and many of my former campers are still in touch with me to this day now in their fifties!

This week’s Torah portion is Bamidbar (In The Desert), the first portion in the book of Numbers, the fourth in the five books of Moses. In it, in the Sinai Desert, G-d says to conduct a census of the twelve tribes of Israel. Moses counts 603,550 men of draftable age (20 to 60 years). Two things come to my mind. First, that it was necessary to call up IDF soldiers 8 months ago this Shabbas in order to defend against the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7th, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken, over 100 who are still being kept in Gaza in captivity. The second is that I am now over 60 years old myself and would no longer be called upon to defend my land and my people. That is sobering. May our hostages be returned safely home soon and may Hamas lay down their weapons, so that we can move to a peaceful resolution for all peoples so they can live together in happiness and good health.

Light Shabbat candles Friday night at 7:54 pm
Shabbat ends Saturday night at 8:51 pm

Shabbat Shalom
Am Yisrael Chai!

If you would like to support the Levis JCC and its programs and services, click below.

Marty