Page 13 - Jewish News_June-July-2021

FEDERATION NEWS June/July 2021 13A

2021 MoMENtum Trip to Israel A new beginning with Community Havdalah celebrations

October 18-24 By Jessi Sheslow, Teen & Family Programs Manager remain socially distant. That said, the young families led by me, and for Club
eat the heat in person with the
This particular summer also serves
Applications Opening Soon! Bour two summer Havdalah cel- as another kind of new beginning. Many mere fact that we are coming together Fed active adults led by my colleague,
entire Federation community at
in person will serve as a new beginning
Jeremy Lisitza. The events are BYOB
people in our community are starting to
Jewish community or Jewish ritual ebrations! Havdalah can be a magical feel comfortable being out and about – after a year of uncertainty. – Bring Your Own Blanket (or what-

observance. Participants must have experience for so many reasons. Bring- especially with the Covid-19 vaccines Our Community Havdalah on Sat- ever else you enjoy having with you
children at home age 18 or younger ing Shabbat to a close while welcom- more widely available. We are excited urday, June 12 will be held at Lido for comfort)!
OR be the parenting partner of a recent ing the new week can be the transition to come together in person as a com- Beach. The Havdalah on Saturday, July To register for these free Commu-
Momentum alumna. For 2021 ONLY, we need the most in our modern world. munity twice over the summer for Ha- 24 will be at Nathan Benderson Park nity Havdalah events, visit jfedsrq.org/
the age limit for the youngest child is The spiritual “pause” button that Shab- vdalah. We will continue to adhere to at UTC Mall. Both events will begin events. For more information, please
21. bat offers us helps create a more de- the recommendations put forth by the at 7:00 p.m. and will consist of a com- contact me at jsheslow@jfedsrq.org
Participants must be physically fined intention for the week ahead as CDC for outdoor engagement and en- munity-wide Havdalah celebration fol- or 941.343.2109, or Jeremy Lisitza at
and emotionally healthy. we stand together for Havdalah. courage you to still wear a mask and lowed by affinity breakout groups for jlisitza@jfedsrq.org or 941.343.2113.
For more information about the
2021 MoMENtum Men’s Trip to Isra- Overnight Camping Grants “How the Jews
el, please contact Gisele Pintchuck at
941.706.0029 or gpintchuck@jfedsrq.Lisa Feinman, Resource Development Manager Won the Wild West”
org. ach spring, The Jewish Fed- Conservative and Orthodox camps as
eration of Sarasota-Manatee close as Parkland, Florida, and as far By Marden Paru, Dean, Sarasota Liberal Yeshiva
identity persisted even after immigrat-Eassembles a committee of ded- away as Montreal, Canada. Some are id you know that Jews over Jewish values.
ing to the U.S. in 1990. We lived in a icated volunteers to do their favorite even traveling to Israel and Europe time conquered the Wild West? During this period, Jews found
small town in New Jersey where I was thing – give away money. Committee with their fellow campers. DLearn all about these exciting themselves in a totally free, capitalistic
typically the only Jewish kid in class. members Lori Greenbaum, Rebec- In 2020, Covid-19 forced most time periods when The Jewish Fed- society. They flourished as merchants
I was also the only Russian kid. Was I ca Schwartz Bergman, Howard Ban- camps to close. The committee was eration of Sarasota-Manatee offers at all levels: peddlers, importers, dis-
Russian or was I Jewish, or both? Five ner and Andrew Rosin are passionate very excited to be able to make these the six-week series, “How the Jews tributors, wholesalers and retailers.
years later we were granted U.S. citi-about enabling our community’s youth awards for the summer of 2021 and Won the Wild West,” beginning July There were also Jewish cowboys and
zenship. Now I was American, right? to enjoy and grow in an immersive celebrate the return of Jewish over- 12. Classes will meet for six Mondays cattlemen!
You can see how identity can get con-Jewish summer experience. This year night camping to the national and in- from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom. The bedrock of our modern thriv-
fusing. Fast forward to the Momentum they have facilitated memorable and ternational experiences available to our You will learn about the vari- ing market system was created by
trip in Israel where we had the oppor-formative Jewish overnight camping children and teens. ous Jewish settlements in each of the Jewish merchants in cities, towns and
tunity to contemplate our Jewishness experiences for 47 western states. Who were the pioneers villages throughout the West. They
in the context of our family, without campers attending 16 Number of Campers Attending Each Camp and what was their legacy? How did came with merchandise, in wagons
any family around. It was a rare op-different camps with they set up Jewish communities, deal and ships. They brought anything they
portunity to reflect. Through a series an average schol- Camp Barney Medintz 1 with Shabbat, kashrut, synagogues, thought would sell in this vast new ter-
of lectures centered around our roles as arship of $1,570 Camp Blue Star 3 clergy and religious education? Were ritory, and they had literally nothing
fathers, husbands and Jewish men, the per camper, awarding Camp Chi 1 there any Jewish gunslingers or Indian with which to start.
trip helped us focus above all on being nearly $74,000 in all. Chiefs? You bet there were! They were mostly immigrants
present, for ourselves and for the ones While some of Camp Coleman 21 When we study the period of the from Europe. New opportunities
we love. our families require Camp Gan Israel 2 American Wild West from 1849-1909, opened up in the Old West without the
It should be easy, but living in the large scholarships in Camp Gan Israel Detroit 2 we might conclude that it was the third presence of pervasive antisemitism. In-
moment is becoming increasingly dif-order to make attend- Camp Pardes Chanah 1 Golden Age of the Jewish People. (The deed, America was the goldene medina
ficult in our distracted, busy lives. We ing camp possible, the Camp Ramah Darom 6 first was the Golden Age of King Solo- (golden state).
have jobs, families, and kids to schlep Federation also offers Camp Ruach Hachaim 1 mon, 950 BCE, and the second was the The cost for this six-part series is
to extracurricular activities. But the Incentive Grants of Camps Airy & Louise 1 Golden Age of Spain, 1200-1300 CE.) $18 per person. To register, please visit
biggest roadblock to being present is $500 to campers who 1 It was a time when Jews adapted to jfedsrq.org/events. For more informa-
sitting right there, warming our pock-may not require fi- Cedar Lake Camp, (New Jersey Y Camps) new and strange environments, draw- tion, contact Jeremy Lisitza at jlisitza
et all day, every day: our phone. When nancial aid for camp. Ckids Gan Israel Florida 1 ing upon their intelligence, Yiddishe @jfedsrq.org or 941.343.2113.
our trip leader pointed this out to us, Of these, we would Cteen Summer 2 kop, creativity, hard work ethic and
it was a shock. On Shabbat in Jerusa-like to recognize the URJ 6‐Points Sci‐Tech Academy East 1
lem, we were asked to turn off and put Collier, Rosenthal, URJ 6‐Points Sports Academy 1
away our phones from sundown on Fri-Rosenberg, Rosin and Yeshivah Summer Program Morristown 2
day night to sunset the following day. Sakellarios families, 0 5 10 15 20 25
Retiring my phone for 24 hours was who donated a por- Join Us!
excruciating, like parting with a limb, tion of their grants back to the Feder- For more information about Over-
but it was also strangely freeing. When ation so the funds could be reallocated night Camping Grants or to get in-
you’re not constantly trying to fill the to families with greater need. Thank volved, please contact Jessi Sheslow,
empty space in your life, you start to you for your generosity. Teen & Family Programs Manager,
reflect. The grant recipients range in age at 941.343.2109 or jsheslow@jfedsrq.
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