October 19, 2023

Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),

A friend of mine posted “what a year this week has been” on Facebook today. That really resonated with me. Like many of you, I have watched and listened to news reports with great concern about the events unfolding in our beloved Israel. I have spent my entire career working on behalf of the Jewish community and I can say with certainty that I have never been more concerned for Israel’s safety and the safety of Jewish people everywhere, than I am right now. The way that our community has come together in support of our extended Jewish family is a comfort, but there is so much sadness in our collective heart right now. It is at times like these when I reflect on the power of community as a source of light in dark and troubling times.

While it is easy to feel so helpless these days, it is comforting to know that our Adolph & Rose Levis JCC continues to be a place of community. Tzedakah, kindness, compassion, and love are essential elements of our core mission, and we incorporate those ideals in all of our programs and services. The Levis JCC Resale Boutique is just one example of this. Proceeds from Boutique sales provide funding for our financial assistance and scholarship programs, making quality preschool, camp, and special needs programs accessible to many families who would not otherwise be able to afford them. The Boutique, in partnership with organizations throughout our community, directly helps those in need. Working closely with our colleagues at Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services, our Boutique has assisted numerous Ukrainian refugees with clothing and household items, helping them to settle into their new lives in our community. The Boutique continues to be a collection point for a Jacobson Food Pantry drive, as well as a diaper bank drive in partnership with South Florida Diaper Bank. We are proud to be part of a community that cares for its most vulnerable.

This week’s Torah portion is Noach (Noah), which was my daughter Danielle’s Torah portion during her bat mitzvah. Noah is also our son’s name, chosen with the hope he would become “a righteous man in his generation.” My wife Lori and I are very proud that our children live lives that include a love of their Jewish heritage and a strong connection to Israel. In Noah, the second portion of Genesis, the first book of the Five Books of Moses, G-d directs Noah to build an ark, and to prepare for the flood that will come as punishment for the evil and corrupt world. G-d introduces the appearance of the rainbow as a sign that the world will not be destroyed again. At this moment of deep concern for Israel, our Jewish people, and the safety of the world at large, I hope we see more rainbows in the coming days; I hope justice is served, our hostages are returned safely, and that we will know war no more.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Light Shabbat candles Friday night at 6:29 pm
Shabbat ends Saturday night at 7:22 pm

Shabbat Shalom

Marty