Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
Happy Purim! There’s an old Jewish saying, “When Adar arrives, we increase our joy.” For me, that joy does not only come from eating too many hamantaschen, but also from reconnecting with old friends who all seem to make their way to sunny South Florida this time of year. Today, I had a wonderful surprise visit from my old Camp Hillel friend Aryeh Seiden and his wife, Cindy, and later, I was blessed to catch up with my longtime colleague and friend from my New Jersey years, Howard Gases. There’s no better way to celebrate Purim than with good friends, great memories, and, of course, laughter.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
Can somebody please slow down the clock? It’s hard to believe we are already finishing the first week of March. The Oscars have come and gone, Major League Baseball’s 2025 season is under a month away, and Purim is just around the corner, all of which means that Passover preparations have already begun in many Jewish homes! Lori and I are counting down the days until our son Noah, our daughter-in-law Patricia, and our granddaughters Gabby and Ollie come to visit. Meanwhile, my brother is preparing for a trip to Offenburg, Germany, where our family lived for centuries before being forced to leave during the Holocaust. He’ll be the first Haberer to return, and I can’t wait to see it all when he FaceTimes me from our ancestral home.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
I am thrilled to share that I will be taking Adam Nimoy, son of beloved actor Leonard Nimoy, out to dinner when he visits our Levis JCC Beifield Auditorium on March 6th to promote his new book, The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father Leonard Nimoy. This is a dream come true for me. Growing up in Inwood, Manhattan, I spent countless hours in front of the TV watching Star Trek. Even then, I felt immense pride when I learned that Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, the two stars of my favorite show, were both Jewish. Now, decades later, I am incredibly fortunate to meet prominent figures like Adam through my lifelong work in Jewish communities. Moments like these remind me of the deep impact of Jewish storytelling.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
Today Hamas released the bodies of four hostages, including three members of the Bibas family – baby Kfir, his older brother Ariel, and their mother Shiri -- as well as Oded Lifshitz, one of the oldest hostages abducted on October 7, 2023. This news is simultaneously heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. This news comes as a reminder that we must continue to come together as a community in strength and in support for our Israeli brothers and sisters, always. I continue to pray for all the remaining hostages and their families. Bring them home now!
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
This week has been filled with ups, downs, and nonstop headlines, beginning with Sunday night’s Super Bowl and now shifting to the fragile state of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. As Shabbat approaches, we are collectively watching, waiting, and continuing to pray for the safe return of all the hostages.
There is no better way to begin this week’s Shabbat message than with gratitude for the release of the 13 Israeli hostages, along with 5 Thai laborers, from Gaza. Their safe return to Israel is bittersweet as we continue to pray for the remaining 76 hostages, knowing some of them may no longer be alive. We cannot rest until each and every one of them is brought home.
I am writing to you from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, where I am learning alongside 200 colleagues at JCCA Mifgash, an annual gathering of executive leadership from our network of 170 JCCs across North America. It is inspiring to be surrounded by colleagues and friends, recharging together so we can return home and serve our local JCCs and Jewish communities at our very best. One particularly moving moment was bidding farewell to twelve esteemed colleagues as they retire and step into the next chapter of their lives.
This has been quite a week. Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincided with Inauguration Day this past Monday for a rare overlap amid brutally cold temperatures. Here in South Palm Beach County, it has been unusually wet, gray, and chilly. So chilly, in fact, that I just bought four more bales of wood for my fireplace – rarely used here in Boca, but truly appreciated this week! Of course, the most significant moment of the week took place on Sunday with the safe return of three Israeli hostages from Gaza. They are finally back where they belong: home with their loved ones. We pray for the continued safe releases of hostages during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement and for the eventual return of all 91 remaining hostages.
This morning, I had coffee with Sean Haberer, a gentleman who is likely a cousin of mine. Sean’s family, like my own, originates from Offenburg, Germany. Of the Jews from that region who survived World War II, most left prior to Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass), which occurred throughout Germany on November 9–10, 1938. After leaving Offenburg, my family came to New York through Ellis Island. Sean’s family moved to South Africa, then Toronto, where he still resides today. It was fun spending time with Sean and exploring the potential of our familial ties. Haberer is not your typical Jewish name. There are approximately 2,600 Haberers in the world, with 2,400 from Germany. Throw in the fact that the majority of Haberers are not Jewish and it becomes a much smaller universe.
You are receiving this Shabbat message 2 days before my 61st birthday, amid the chilliest temperatures of the year for us here in Boca Raton. With the holiday season behind us, we’re heading into a very busy time: we have an upcoming Presidential Inauguration, the NFL Playoffs are on the way, Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine and sadly, we still await the release of the over 100 hostages continuing to be held in captivity in Gaza. Of course, we are keeping the people of California in our hearts and thoughts as the devastating fires continue to rage on. There is a lot going on nationally and globally. It is a good reminder that there is always a place to come together right here at our Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
I remember sitting with friends in Cincinnati on New Year’s Eve of 2000 and waiting to see if the world would come to an end. The dreaded “Y2K” was predicted to wreak havoc globally. As the clock struck midnight, we all breathed a sigh of relief as the new millennia dawned. We enjoyed our get together with friends, and of course, life went on. A quarter century has passed like the blink of an eye. Our children are grown and married, and Lori and I have 3 beautiful granddaughters! We live in South Palm Beach County now and it is my great privilege to lead the Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center into a new chapter of its long history. A quote I’ve heard our community icon and leader Larry Feldman say, “how blessed are we”?
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
Today is the first day of Chanukah, which was never canonized in Jewish texts. The main reason for this is because the Rabbis viewed the violence and the bloodshed of the Maccabees’ victory over the Greco-Syrians as incompatible with the Jewish values they were promoting. Instead, over the millennia, Jewish thinkers and teachers chose to focus on the lovely idea of our “Festival of Lights.” As we gather with family and friends to continue the tradition of lighting our chanukiot, spinning the dreidels, eating latkes and sufganiyot, and enjoying the spirit of the season, I feel the comfort of rallying behind the idea of light in darker times.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
One week after the flash rebel victory over the 50-year Assad regime in Syria, the stakes continue to grow higher for Israel, for Turkey, the US, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and the entire region. It will be fascinating watching how things unfold in the coming days, weeks and months. As the President & CEO of the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC my lens is very much focused on Israel’s security, how the Jewish community here in South Palm Beach county is feeling, and how we are being perceived by our non-Jewish neighbors.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
Though the Chanukah holiday is still about two weeks away, I find the events in Syria this past week force my hand in making this early connection. As many of you know, Chanukah is the celebration of the Jewish Maccabees, a small army, who defeat none other than the Syrians, whose King Antiochus Epiphanes outlaws Jewish practices and desecrates the alter in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem with a sacrifice of pigs to the Greek God Zeus Olympios. Almost 2,200 years later, this week the world witnessed the dramatic and speedy fall of the 50 year rule of the Assad dictatorship in Syria. We do not know what will come next in terms of leadership in Syria, but I feel comfortable saying that very few tears are being shed about the fall of a brutal dictator and the weakening of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance.” I may light an extra candle this year to recognize this modern Chanukah miracle.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
As I write this Shabbat message to you I am keenly aware that we are now in the first week of December. Thanksgiving has passed although the added pounds have stuck around. And we have Chanukah squarely in our sights. The end of the year is quickly approaching as we come close to celebrating the first 25 years of the 21st century! That’s a pretty big deal.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
With Thanksgiving one week from today, I am reminded that Chanukah and the end of the year are right around the corner. At this incredibly busy time of year, it is nice to have a moment to slow down and celebrate our uniquely American holiday of gratitude with family and friends. After the turkey, it’s going to be a mad dash to the end of the year!
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
It has been a hectic few weeks full of exciting and wonderful events both personally and professionally. Between Jewish Holidays, weddings and family events, and a full roster of Levis JCC programs, I can hardly believe that it is almost Thanksgiving. After we celebrate that, we all know the end of the year comes up fast. As we approach our beautiful winter season, there is so much to look forward to, including our champion Florida Panthers season defending South Florida’s first Stanley Cup!
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
This week’s message comes to you on the heels of an historic Presidential election. Celebrating our niece’s wedding with our family and friends this weekend will be a welcome break from politics. A family simcha is always a wonderful way to come together, especially one that marks the start of what I hope will be a long and very happy marriage.
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
This weekend my wife, Lori, and I will be in St. Louis visiting our daughter Danielle, son-in-law Colin, and granddaughter Emi Lou, who is now 2 and half years old. We are excited join them for “trick-or-treating;” Emi Lou will be decked out in her caterpillar costume and Lori found cool grandparent caterpillar shirts so we match. Like many families, we are scattered across the country, so it is always so special when we can all be together, and we are particularly excited for the opportunity to celebrate this childhood tradition!
Shalom Chaverim (Dear Friends),
It is nice to be back in South Palm Beach County after celebrating my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding in Phoenix, Arizona last week. It was extra special to share that experience with our two new granddaughters as well, Gabriela and Olivia. As I look back at the weekend, certain moments really stand out to me, such as when we were eating breakfast at a community table and a woman overheard us speaking about the wedding. She quietly paid for breakfast for the six of us and left us a beautiful note. It is so heartwarming, at a time when we see so much ugliness in the world, that every now and again people surprise us with their graciousness, generosity and even love. I also took the time to explain to my granddaughters why I take pride in giving tzedakah when someone in need comes asking me for help.
