July 18, 2024

Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),

What a crazy and hectic week this has been – Lori and I are very much looking forward to wrapping it up with some wonderful family time with our son Noah, his fiancée Patricia, and their daughters. We can’t wait for them to arrive! I know all my fellow baseball fans tuned in for Major League Baseball’s 94th All Star Game on Tuesday. After that terrific game, we’re all ready for the final third of another exciting season!

There is plenty of excitement at our Adolph & Rose Levis JCC this week. Tonight is not only our Paul Markhoff Racing With the J’s 14th Annual Run, Sweat & Beers 5K, but also our Marleen Forkas Camp Kavod’s annual Summer Teen Dance. A program of the Helene & Roy Schwedelson Special Needs Department, our Camp Kavod is one of more than 20 programs offered throughout the year for individuals with special needs and their families. The 7-week summer program for campers ages 3-22+ features typical camp activities on campus and out in community settings, with a focus on having fun while acquiring vital life skills. Now in its 21st summer, this year 110 campers — a record! – join us each day, eager to see friends, favorite counselors, and enjoy field trips and activities. Our community is so fortunate to have the support of caring and generous donors, Community Partners, sponsors and underwriters who make these vital Special Needs programs possible for so many in our area.

This week’s Torah portion is Balak (King of Moab) in the Book of Numbers, the fourth in the Five Books of Moses. In it, three times, from three different vantage points, Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses on the Israelites; each time, blessings issue forth instead. When I think about the many blessings I see in action each day at our Levis JCC, I am filled with pride. For more than 40 years, our Levis JCC has been at the center of our community, serving hundreds of thousands of people through a variety of programs and services.

Light Shabbat candles Friday evening at 7:56 pm Shabbat ends Saturday night at 8:51 pm

Shabbat Shalom
Am Yisrael Chai!

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Marty