July 7, 2022

Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),

There’s just nothing like family. This week marks the end of a great trifecta of special family time for me. As I’ve shared with you all, first I visited my mom in Queens to celebrate her 80th birthday, then Lori and I headed to Missouri for a visit with our daughter and son in law, and spent some wonderful time meeting our first grandchild. This week, our son Noah, who lives in Phoenix, came for his first visit to Boca Raton. These past three weeks have been filled with the special happiness that comes from spending time with the people you love most. Family is everything, and that also rings true at our Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center.

Our Levis JCC family is in the midst of some big and exciting changes, but we’re all also hard at work planning for another wonderful season. On July 13th, the Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival (JLK BRJFF)’s Screening Committee will begin meeting to plan another outstanding Festival. This dynamic group will review many films that have carefully chosen by Wendy Honig, the Festival’s Artistic Director, and Les Rich, the Festival’s Program Director. Together, this group will narrow the list down and carefully consider which films will be on our roster this year. Wendy tells me that the films under consideration are truly outstanding and include several comedies, which have apparently been challenging to come by in recent years. I am certainly looking forward to my first JLK BRJFF experience – pass the popcorn, please!

This week’s Torah portion is Chukat (Laws) in the book of Numbers, the 4th of the 5 Books of Moses. It includes the famous moment when Moses strikes the rock for water to come forth when G-d asked him to speak to the rock. The water flows, but G-d tells Moses neither he nor his brother Aaron will enter the Promised Land.

Wherever each of our “Promised Lands” may be, our families – nuclear, extended, work family– and how we go about our business matters very much. We always need to strive to go about things the right way. By doing so, we each serve as a light not only onto ourselves but to others as well.

Light candles Friday night at 7:58 pm
Shabbat ends Saturday night at 8:56 pm

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom,

Marty