This week has been a profoundly sad one. Today marks the 24th anniversary of the September 11th attacks—a day etched into our collective memory. Most of us remember exactly where we were in 2001, when four coordinated attacks by al-Qaeda claimed the lives of 2,977 innocent people. We honor their memory and pause to reflect on the impact that day continues to have on all of us.
With Labor Day now behind us, my thoughts turn to the fall season and to the Yomim Noraim, the ten Days of Awe beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur. These days of introspection call on us to look inward and take stock of our actions. Spiritually, it is a deeply personal time, but it is also a time for us to enjoy being with family and friends as we celebrate the sweetness of a New Year and all of the possibilities it brings with it.
I write to you this Shabbat following the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis yesterday, a community that has experienced several recent acts of violence. Two children were killed and 17 others injured. Our hearts go out to the families, the students, and the entire Minneapolis community as they grieve.
I would like to begin this week’s message with a heartfelt Mazal Tov to my friends Jeffrey and Ellyn Kleinberg on the recent bris of their grandson, Judah. May their entire family be blessed with health, happiness, and many more simchas in the years ahead. For Lori and I, this was a glimpse, G-d willing, into what we can look forward to with the arrival of our first grandson in February.
Lori and I are home after a quick visit with our son Noah, daughter-in-law Patricia, and our granddaughters Gabby and Ollie. It was a joy to attend a gender reveal party for their baby who is expected to arrive in February 2026. It’s a boy, and we can’t wait to meet him! We are so excited and truly grateful for all our blessings. With his arrival, we will have 4 grandchildren – three in Arizona and our Emi Lou in St. Louis. As this next generation grows, I am filled with nachas. It is an exciting time for the extended Haberer family.
Lori and I are thrilled to share that our son, Noah, and his wife, Patricia, are blessing us with our fourth grandchild in February. We are filled with so much gratitude, and we couldn't be more excited! As you read this, we are on our way to Arizona for a long weekend and a quick gender reveal party. Stay tuned for the big news!
I am currently on the edge of my seat as Major League Baseball’s trade deadline approaches, hoping my Red Sox make the moves they need to finally return to the playoffs. But even the excitement at Fenway Park can’t compare to the incredible energy I’ve felt this week at our Adolph & Rose Levis JCC’s Marleen Forkas Camps. Color War broke out last Friday, and our “White Disco Fever” and “Blue Neon Vibes” teams have been competing nonstop in cheers, tug-of-war, and friendly challenges. The events concluded yesterday with our song, plaque and skit competitions where “Blue Neon Vibes” claimed victory. Beyond the competition, I see every single one of our 700 campers as a winner. Each summer, I find it deeply rewarding to connect with our campers and witness our staff’s extraordinary love for camp put to practice. I started my own Jewish journey at a JCC day camp and now, after a nearly 40-year career in Jewish communal service, I get to help new campers create those same formative memories. I feel like the luckiest person in the world.
We are quickly approaching Major League Baseball’s July 31st trade deadline. It’s always an exciting time for baseball fans, as team rosters are finalized for the final push towards the playoffs. As an avid Red Sox supporter, I’m hoping we can pick up a decent pitcher and first baseman to stay in the race.
I am writing this Shabbat message on the eve of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. As a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan (even though, yes, I did grow up just 15 minutes from Yankee Stadium), I’ll be cheering on the American League. My beloved Sox went into All-Star break with a 10-game winning streak, and I’m hopeful for a strong second half of the season and maybe few good trades before the July 31 deadline. As much as I enjoy baseball, tonight I am especially grateful to gather my own team of dedicated professionals over dinner and celebrate their incredible work in preparing and presenting our 2025-2026 budget, which was recently approved by the Board. It’s a privilege to work alongside such talented colleagues.
Summer is meant to be a season of laughter, friendship, and joy—especially at camp. For generations, across our country JCCs have been synonymous with summer camp. It is woven into the fabric of the JCC movement. And so, as we enter Shabbat this week, our hearts are especially heavy. Our hearts are with the people of Texas following last weekend’s devastating floods. At Camp Mystic, 27 campers and counselors were among the 120 lives lost, with 170 people still missing. May the memories of those lost be a blessing, and may their families find strength in the difficult weeks ahead.
This holiday week has been a busy one! Lori is back from Arizona, where she has been helping our son Noah and his family settle into their new home. We wish them many happy years there! It’s wonderful that for what feels like the first time in a long time, there are no urgent updates or new wars to report, and I hope that we all can enjoy a restful and peaceful holiday weekend. Of course, we continue to pray for the return of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza and for the safety of our brave chayalim (soldiers) who are defending Israel.
It’s been quite a week, with United States entering what is now being called the 12-Day War, targeting multiple Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, and ultimately brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Amid this global tension, after a wonderful vacation, I am back in Boca while Lori headed to Arizona with our son Noah and his family to help them settle into their brand-new home in Gilbert. In between two closings and reviewing documents, she’s helping them furnish their new space and make it feel like home.
This week, I am writing to you from San Diego, where Lori and I are celebrating the birthdays of our granddaughters, Ollie, who just turned 8, and Gabby, now 11. Being there to celebrate their milestones was already special, but it was made even more meaningful by spending Father’s Day together, with my son, Noah, and our amazing daughter-in-law, Patricia. Tuesday night was another of this week’s terrific highlights: our Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-1, winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup title. Go Cats! Even during these personal moments of joy, my heart remains with Israel, who is bravely embarking on a mission to dismantle Iran’s nuclear threat. And still, 20 months later, we continue to pray for the 53 hostages held in Gaza, 23 of whom we hope are alive. Israel and our Israeli brothers and sisters will not be far from my thoughts.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
I am writing this week's message from LaGuardia Airport as I head back to South Palm Beach after spending a few days in Forest Hills, Queens with my mom and brother. My mom is about to turn 83, and my brother and I try to visit whenever we can to help with small repairs, sort through paperwork, and, most importantly, spend quality time together. I am grateful for these moments and hope to share many more in the years ahead. Waiting for me back home is tonight’s Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. Our Florida Panthers have been clawing their way toward their second consecutive victory and currently lead the series 2-1 over the Edmonton Oilers. Tonight, like so many of you, I’ll be watching and cheering them on!
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
This has been a difficult week. On Sunday, while many in our community were preparing for Shavuot, a holiday that honors the giving of the Torah and celebrates our religious foundation, we were confronted by a terrible act of hate. In Boulder, Colorado, a group of peaceful protestors marching in solidarity with the Israeli hostages were violently attacked by a man shouting, “Free Palestine.” Eight victims were hospitalized, among them an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. It’s heartbreaking that on the very holiday that provides us with guidelines for living with peace and compassion, we witness an atrocity that directly opposes all that the Torah teaches.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
I'm writing this Shabbat message to you from the "show me" state of Missouri where Lori and I spent the Memorial Day weekend with our daughter Dani, son in law Colin, and our precious granddaughter, Emi Lou, who recently turned 3. We had so much fun being together, visiting the Botanical Garden, enjoying the park and doing some shopping at the mall. It has been wonderful spending time with them all—connecting with family is always a joy.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
I write this week’s message with a heavy heart. We mourn the senseless death of two beautiful young people – Israeli embassy staff members killed in Washington, D.C. as they were leaving an American Jewish Committee event at the Capital Jewish Museum. This horrible act of violence and antisemitism casts a shadow of sadness felt by so many. I am reminded that it is more important than ever to be together in community, something I am proud to foster every day at our Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
This week brought the uplifting news of the last living American hostage’s release from Gaza, as 21-year-old New Jersey native Edan Alexander was reunited with his family after 19 months in Hamas captivity. His release renews our hope and prayers that the remaining 58 hostages, 23 of whom are believed to be alive, return home swiftly and safely.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
Let me begin by wishing all the incredible mothers in our community a wonderful and love-filled Mother’s Day! This is an exciting week, not just for families, but for hockey lovers as well, as we enter the second round of Stanley Cup Playoffs. While our Florida Panthers have lost their first two games to the Toronto Maple Leafs, I have faith they’ll rally, regain momentum, and bring home the Cup for the second year in a row.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
Each year, I am struck by the remarkable juxtaposition of the sorrow of Yom HaZikaron, the Israeli Day of Remembrance, to the joy of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Day of Independence. Yom HaZikaron is perhaps the single most difficult day of the year for Israelis, as the lives of her fallen soldiers and victims of terror are honored. This year, it feels especially heavy as we continue to pray for the 59 hostages who remain captive in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. And still, just as Israel does each year, we find the strength to move from mourning to celebration as we welcome Yom Ha’atzmaut, the anniversary of the reestablishment of a Jewish state nearly 2,000 years after we lost sovereignty of our native land. Remarkable indeed.
