December 28, 2023

Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),

This is my very last Shabbat message of 2023. It has been an honor and privilege to communicate with you throughout this past year. It is very important to me that the Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center touches you in some way every single week, and I will continue to reach out to our community with a weekly message in the new year. This week, my wife Lori and I will be landing in St. Louis for a quick visit with our daughter and son-in-law, and our precious granddaughter Emi Lou. It will be truly a joy to ring in 2024 with them -- we miss them so very much.

I’d like to share a quick “year in review” at our Levis JCC:

As we begin our 41st year in business, we are one of 170 JCCs in North America. Our Levis JCC is located on the Jewish Federation’s 100-acre gated, secure campus, which is the largest Jewish community campus in North America. The 2.5 acres we occupy on campus is now known as the Toby & Leon Cooperman Campus. This past summer, 700 children participated in our Marlene Forkas Camps summer camp programs. More than 240 preschool children attended the Betty & Marvin Zale Early Childhood Learning Center this past year. Our Phyllis & Harvey Sandler Center presented more than 270 cultural arts programs -- that’s almost a program a day! Our Helene & Roy Schwedelson Special Needs Department is widely regarded for their excellence in programs that embrace children, teens, and adults with special needs and their families. More than 20,000 people came through our building this past year. It’s been an incredible year! Our Levis JCC leadership and staff are truly looking forward to another wonderful year providing engaging, enriching, and essential programs and services for our growing community.

This week’s Torah portion is Vayechi (And He Lived), in Genesis, the first in the five Books of Moses. In it, Joseph conveys to the children of Israel that, “God will surely remember you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which he swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Thousands of years later, we are defending this land as we speak. I remain hopeful for peace in this coming new year.

Light Shabbat candles Friday night at 5:19 pm. Shabbat ends on Saturday night at 6:16 pm.

Wishing each of you and those you love a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Shabbat Shalom
Am Yisrael Chai!

Marty