December 1, 2022

Shalom Chaverim (Dear friends), You are receiving this week’s message on December 1st. I feel that this November flew by faster than any I can ever recall in the past, and it really was a great month with so much to be grateful for! On a personal note, when our son Noah was in town for a holiday visit with my wife Lori and me, we had the truly special experience of going together to select a beautiful engagement ring that he then took home and presented to his lovely fiancée, Patricia. We are so happy for them both! Lori and I are also really looking forward to the trip we will be making to visit our daughter Danielle and her husband Colin in St. Louis during New Year’s week. We just can’t wait to see our sweet granddaughter, Emi Lou!

At your Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center, things are buzzing! As you may have heard, on Thanksgiving Day, our Paul Markhoff Racing with The J’s Turkey Trot 5K was our best attended race ever. With almost 1,800 participants, the energy, excitement, and sense of community was simply amazing and inspiring. I am also very happy to report that after a hiatus, our Levis JCC will be proudly returning to the 2023 JCC Maccabi Games this coming summer. Participating Jewish athletes and star reporters between the ages of 12-16 will experience a truly special and life-transforming week of competition and camaraderie at the largest Jewish youth sports event in the world! This unique, Olympic-style Jewish experience features a variety of sports competitions, opening and closing ceremonies, community service projects, social and cultural events, and opportunities to create Jewish connections, friendships, and memories to last a lifetime! Be a part of the of our Levis Krug JCC Maccabi Games experience and join the Boca Delegation as we head south to Fort Lauderdale. More information can be found here.

This week’s Torah portion is Vayetze (Went Out) in the book of Genesis, the first book in the Five Books of Moses. In it, we are introduced to the very complex idea of Jacob’s ladder, which seemingly connects Heaven and Earth, and from which angels climb and descend. This reminds me of the Belinda Carlisle song “Heaven is a Place on Earth.” I guess none of us will ever really know if there is a Heaven beyond our world. What I am certain of is that we can make our time in this world very special and meaningful in a variety of ways. I completely believe that the work we do every day at your Adolph & Rose Levis JCC brings us closer to “that place.” Whether it be the Turkey Trot, the JCC Maccabi Games, or any of the essential and excellent programs, services, activities, and opportunities we make available to our community every single day, with your help and involvement, together we really can make our community a Heaven on Earth.

Light Shabbat candles Friday evening at 5:10 pm.
Shabbat ends Saturday night at 6:05 pm.

Shabbat Shalom,

Marty