My First Four Months

By Tal Mola Israeli Community Shlicha

Four months ago, I arrived in Jacksonville excited, curious, and afraid. As soon as I landed, all my fears changed to one great feeling of gratitude. At the airport, Theresa Levy, Tal Osher, and Allison Jacobs were waiting for me with a huge sign that read “Welcome, Tal”. At that moment, I understood and felt the warmth (not only in the weather) and the love that so characterizes this community.

Since then, there have been ups and downs, mainly because I’m missing home and family, but there is no doubt that the huge support I receive from my colleagues at the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida and the JCA, my host families, and the community in general strengthens me and helps me focus on doing what I am here to do - bring Israel home to you. I want to thank everyone who has been there for me since I arrived, and I want to invite anyone who would like to get together to reach out to me at jaxshlichut@ jewishjacksonville.org to meet for coffee (or tea).

My first programs were about the High Holidays and were held at Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and the Sunday School at Beth El - The Beaches. On Rosh Hashanah, I did a program at the JCA after school where the class wrote letters to their classmates wishing them a good year. For Sukkot, I worked with students on sukkah decorations. The kids had a lot of fun and I even discovered an artistic side in me.

I conducted the same Rosh Hashanah letter-writing program with the Jewish Federation staff. It was a good opportunity to reflect on the past year and to think about what we would like to wish our colleagues and ourselves for the New Year.

Once a month I held a “Café Israeli” program, where we discussed hot topics related to Israel - such as elections, my military service, and the Memorial Day for Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This event will still be held monthly, but I have adapted it to reflect my own style and have rebranded it as “Israel Time.” I will continue to cover hot Israeli topics and will make it even more fun and interactive. Be on the look out for my announcements - you don’t want to miss it!

On November 30th, we had a big celebration for the Ethiopian Jewish holiday of Sigd (Worship) for the first time in Jacksonville. The time and effort I put in, along with several volunteers and other community members, was worth it. More than 50 people came to learn about the holiday and celebrate with traditional Ethiopian food and dance. I explained the origins of Sigd and its history in Ehtiopia - and now in Israel - and finally, we watched the stunning dancers who volunteered to come and dance to the sounds of Ethiopian music.

I invite you to come to my programs, to hear about Israel from different aspects of culture, history, and food, and through my personal story.

Yours, Tal