'Come Sunday' Super Sunday

By Faye Hedrick, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida

One Sunday each year, passionate and committed volunteers make calls to the community in an eff ort to raise dollars for the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida’s annual campaign. This campaign supports our local Jewish agencies, synagogues, and day schools, as well as Israel, and more than 70 countries worldwide.

Throughout the morning, volunteers will make calls, asking community members to take part in the age-old Jewish tradition of tzedakah. This year’s Co-Chairs, Leah Palestrant and Sarah Schwartz are excited to welcome volunteers to our “It’s Give O’Clock Somewhere” themed morning. Callers will be greeted with mocktails and “Bagels In Paradise!" In addition, raffl e prizes, Jimmy Buff et tunes, and camaraderie with old and new friends will be a few of the fun things in store. Outdoor calling stations and social distancing protocols will allow for a safe event. If you’re not up to making calls asking donors to give, join us in making thank you calls to those who already have.

Leah summed it up perfectly when she shared, "Super Sunday is an exciting day for volunteers, professional staff , and community members alike to come together in the collective spirit of giving. Especially in what continues to be a challenging year for so many in our community, it is powerful to bear witness to our Jewish community here in Northeast Florida supporting one another."

But wait…there’s more! We are excited to off er a text-togive component, providing donors the option to close their pledges via text message through a simple, easy-touse platform. We will also allow donors the opportunity to make their gifts through a monthly payment option instead of the traditional yearly payment if they choose. This allows for regular, reliable donations, making it easier to budget and plan for both parties.

Check out the meaningful ways our dollars make an impact in Jewish Northeast Florida and around the globe:

• Your dollars provide counseling for those in crisis. • Your dollars provide scholarships towards Jewish education.

• Your dollars provide meals for Holocaust Survivors.

• Your dollars provide resources for rescuing Jews in danger.

• Your dollars provide global crisis response.

During times like this, and with challenges unlike anything anyone could have predicted, the needs are even greater. The demands on our local and overseas partners are signifi cant. We have to look for new, safe ways of coming together to help one another, and fundraising is more important than ever! Every dollar, every donor, and every volunteer will ensure that our Jewish community remains strong, vital, and prepared for the future.

Volunteer to make calls during this year’s “It’s Give O’Clock Somewhere” themed morning. The Federation provides training, a call script, and everything needed to set you up for success!

Most importantly, please answer the call when your phone rings on February 27, and if you’re able to help support our community, say “YES” when your volunteer caller asks for a gift to the 2022 Annual Campaign.

Super Sunday 2002: Mauri Mizrahi, Sam Levin, Michael Weiss, Mark Kraemer, Gary Kitay, Henry Gare and Ken Jacobs. 11

By Goldie Lansky, Hadassah Jacksonville

Robin Morris is the stem of a very strong Hadassah plant. Her grandmother and aunt planted the seeds of Zionism and served as active members of their Hadassah chapters. Today, Robin’s daughters and grandchildren are the flowering buds of the future.

The story begins with Robin’s grandmother, Ida Paillet, who together with Robin’s aunt, Julia Cohen, organized many celebrations for Hadassah New Orleans.

Bess Saliman, Robin’s mother, could not wait for marriage and children to become a Hadassah lady. She joined Junior Hadassah when she was in high school and served as its President. After graduation from Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University, she married Fivel Saliman (z”l) and became active in Hadassah Denver. Bess knew Hadassah would be a route to lasting friendships upon arrival in a new town, which it was. Of course, it was not long before

Bess became President of Hadassah Denver. Strong leaders cannot be ignored.

Bess’ daughters have followed in their mother’s footsteps. Cathy Saliman Holleb is active in Hadassah Chicago and Robin Saliman Morris has been President of both the Shir-Li group and the Hadassah Jacksonville chapter. Their children and grandchildren are life members, making it five generations of proud Hadassah members!

Hadassah Jacksonville is proud of the fact that we have many multi-generational members in our chapter. As an organization that has always empowered the next generation of Hadassah women to make an impact on the organization and within their communities, we welcome more! If you are a Zionist woman who wants to implement solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing our generation, advance women’s health, advocate for women’s issues, support a strong Israel and instill Jewish values in future generations, consider joining us today.

By Ken Jacobs, Etz Chaim Synagogue

More than ever, it is vital that we take the opportunity to recharge our physical, emotional, and spiritual batteries. Our Jacksonville community has a unique chance to do so at Etz Chaim’s Shabbaton with Harry Rothenberg on February 18th and 19th. Harry will be guiding us on overcoming one of the most difficult challenges of our time – How to Successfully Navigate the Balance Between Judaism and Professional Life.

Harry is a renowned expert on how to do just that. As a partner at The Rothenberg Law Firm and Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard Law School, he has represented countless victims of catastrophic injury, helping them to rebuild their shattered lives. But while he is well known for his successes in court, Harry is also passionate about speaking on Jewish topics. He is a highly sought-after lecturer for his many crowd-pleasing talks, and holds a popular weekly vlog about the Jewish holidays and the Torah portion of the week.

I have personally benefited from Harry’s unique gifts on two journeys of personal and spiritual growth that could only be described as life changing. Two years ago, I travelled on a Momentum trip to Israel with Harry as our trip leader, and more recently, last Spring, at a retreat in Orlando. We experienced inspiring classes learning vital lessons on themes such as Jewish parenting, marriage, and identity. We explored what Pictured above: Harry Rothenberg “living awesome lives” meant to each of us, and returned ready to bring our growth and inspiration home to have a positive impact on ourselves, our families, and our communities. Admission to this unique Shabbaton is free to our community. Please contact Rabbi Feigenbaum for further information at avifeigenbaum@gmail.com

By Isabel Balotin, StandWithUs

Supporting Israel and fighting antisemitism around the world is the mission of StandWithUs since 2001. As the newest addition to StandWithUs Southeast, (SWU) the Northeast Florida group is well on its way to becoming another major player in our Jewish community with education about Israel and combatting antisemitism. Since 2013, SWU Southeast has trained and educated our students to serve as interns in our local schools and has underwritten the IsraelLINK program for our middle schoolers in the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, and synagogue supplemental schools. The interactive computer program teaches students about modern day Israel and has been very well received. This year we are delighted to have a SWU Emerson Fellow at the University of North Florida.

Our local SWU group has already partnered with Jacksonville Hadassah in November and Congregation Ahavath Chesed in December to sponsor SWU highly trained and educated speakers in our community. We look forward to collaborating with any organization whose mission is to stand up to misinformation and hate. SWU has already trained eight local high school interns.