Page 3 - Jewish News _August 2021_

FEDERATION NEWS August 2021 3A

Howard Tevlowitz...continued from page 2A
FEDERATION BOARD PRESIDENTS a visionary and continued building that money was.) Coldwell Banker is Proud to Announce
UNDER HOWARD’S TENURE: agency. Aviva was different because it The Federation went to organiza- The Ackerman Group
2001-2002 Howard Markus* was a very big business, and our im- tions frequented by the Jewish commu- ® *
2003 Allan Feder* pact on them was much smaller. The nity, including the Van Wezel, Asolo • RANKED #25 SMALL REAL ESTATE TEAM BY REAL TRENDS 2021
2004-2006 Rhea Hughes JCC was not happy with our changes, Repertory Theatre, Florida Studio The- TOP 1.5% OF 1.46 MILLION REALTORS
2006-2008 Dr. Lewis Hanan and they did not respond proactively to atre (FST) and The Perlman Music • RANKED #8 COLDWELL BANKER SMALL TEAM IN NORTH AMERICA
2008-2009 Judy Weinstein the direction we were going. They un- Program/Suncoast, among others,”
2010-2011 Nelle Miller fortunately did not pay attention to the Howard explained.
2012-2013 Nancy Swart financial side of the organization, and
2014-2016 Patti Wertheimer as a result, eventually had to close.
2017-2019 Michael Ritter “Dr. Lew Hanan was here when
2020-2021 Randon Carvel the JCC collapsed. He made a promise
*of blessed memory to the community that we would keep CALL US FOR ALL YOUR
year strategic plan process to actually REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
change the way we operate.”
Creating a plan Ryan Ackerman Barbara Ackerman
By 2004, the organization had an 941.387.1818 941.387.1820
agreed-upon plan, and had begun im- Contributing to the prosperity of our Jewish Community since 1979!
plementing that plan. At that point, the Howard Tevlowitz and Kate Alexander, www.ackermansrq.com
organization supported three agencies: Associate Dir. At Large, Florida Studio Theatre *Based on Volume Sales for Small Teams in Florida
Flanzer JCC, Jewish Family & Chil- “We realized we could not force
dren’s Service (later JFCS of the Sun- consumers to do what we wanted. In-
coast) and the Jewish Housing Council stead, we needed to understand con-
(now Aviva Senior Living). sumers and react to the way they
Over a three-year period, the Fed- Former Board President Dr. Lew Hanan consume. That meant our whole finan-
eration moved from allocations to di- with Howard Tevlowitz cial model had to change, including
rected funding. “We no longer wanted moving forward – which we did. There how we granted money.”
to give these organizations funds ‘just were a lot of unhappy people. But Lew Today (according to the most re-
because,’ but instead wanted to instill and our leadership stuck to their guns cent population study conducted in
some accountability into our giving. and set everything in motion,” Howard 2019), 84% of the Sarasota-Manatee
There had been no mutual understand-said. “Our early leaders were vision- Jewish population is still unaffiliated
ing of what these organizations were aries and really cared about the future with a particular synagogue. “Jews
trying to do. It wasn’t that it was bad, of this organization. It wasn’t just the don’t necessarily define themselves as
but some of it did not jive with the di-leaders at the top. It was the lay leaders a religion,” Howard said. “They define
rection we were taking,” Howard said. and staff who put their blood and guts themselves as a people, and there is an
“Believe me, you don’t make friends into this every day to make it happen. important difference between the two.
when you do that.” Success doesn’t just happen because The Jewish identity is connected to
Each agency responded differently you will it to happen. It happens be- peoplehood and to land. It is more of a
to the changes. cause people buy in to what you’re mentality than a religion,” he said.
“JFCS had Rose Chapman. Rose is selling – and hopefully they don’t fire “When I came here, I really didn’t
continued on page 3A you in the meantime,” he said. understand all of the tumult that I
Going where the people are would create in the community, all the
“My first year here we finished a pop- anger. But at the end of the day, it all
ulation study and found that Sarasota- boiled down to understanding the con-
Manatee was a highly disengaged sumer and understanding the difference
community – meaning most Jews were between religion and peoplehood. That
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE is what drives us here – not worrying
HOWARD TEVLOWITZ: about a label that somebody else put on
Kim Adler: them or they put on themselves, but be-
Visionary. Dedicated. Compassionate. ing open and wanting to engage.”
Rich Bergman: Collaborations
Every woman
Visionary. Knowledgeable. Caring. Howard began meeting with different E ver y woman
Randon Carvel: people and organizations in town. “It
matters here.
Passionate. Creative. Tenacious. was all about building relationships. It
Rose Chapman: was so wonderful to work with these matters here.
WGC
Community. Collaborator. Committed. different organizations and develop WOMEN’S GIVING CIRCLE
Bob and Esther Heller: programs to meet our mutual goals. The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee The Women’s Giving Circle [ “Ma’agal
Brilliant. Tireless. Talented. For example, with FST, the Asolo and Nashim”] is a giving circle that empowers
Rev. Dr. Chaplain Tom Pfaff: the Van Wezel, we would sponsor pro-
Humble. Friend. Servant of the Jewish grams that had a Jewish element to women as funders, decision makers and
community. them. It was all about achieving our agents of change. Each member contributes
Jennifer Rominiecki: mutual missions,” he said. One of the $518, and each has an equal voice in directing
Open-minded. Forward-thinking. biggest collaborations was with Selby our funds. The giving circle model multiplies individual actions,
Collaborative. Gardens. “I met with Selby Gardens’ creating a tremendous collective impact.
Rabbi Michael Shefrin: CEO, Jennifer Rominiecki. She had a
Dedicated. Mensch. Friend. great idea of bringing in a Chagall ex- In the last seven years, we have distributed more than $307,000
Inna Sideman: hibit and we were the main underwriter in grants to nonprofits in Israel that help women and children of
Nonconformist. Visionary. Caring. of that event.” all backgrounds live safer, healthier and more meaningful lives.
Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz: The list of organizations and Our Mission
Honest. Straightforward. events that the Federation supports has
Patti Wertheimer: grown and changed over the years. It To enhance the lives of Jewish women
Passionate. Visionary. Dedicated. was based on looking for opportu- and children who are in need of help
unaffiliated with a particular syna- nities within the arts, education and and live in Israel.
gogue. So, we set out on a path that I faith communities, where the Jewish
call the ‘Willie Sutton method of com- community was already involved. “We
munity development’ – going where learned by listening,” Howard said.
the people were.” (Willie Sutton was “For example, we gave Embrac-
a famous bank robber who robbed ing Our Differences its initial home.
banks because that was where the continued on page 4A
Please see pages 24A-25A for a montage

of our fearless leader over the years. QUESTIONS? Contact Jeremy Lisitza at 941.343.2113 or jlisitza@jfedsrq.org