Page 25 - Jewish News_July-2020

COMMUNITY FOCUS July 2020 25

Temple Emanu-El celebrates virtual mitzvahs

with real impact

itzvah Day is one of Temple navirus pandemic, and to learn about ects to benefit JFCS of the Suncoast, of Virtual Mitzvah Day to local non-
Emanu-El’s favorite tradi- performing mitzvahs while social Juvenile Diabetes Research Founda- profits SPARCC, Second Chance Last
Mtions, as over 400 temple distancing. Photos of children color- tion (JDRF), Children’s Guardian Opportunity, Suncoast Blood Bank,
members gather for community service ing cards for the elderly; teenagers Fund, SPARCC, Planned Parenthood JDRF and the SPCA.
projects and donation drives to benefit making masks for healthcare work- and other charities. Members offered “We called it Virtual Mitzvah Day,”
20 different charitable organizations. ers; master gardeners growing healthy inspirational stories of their own vol- said event chair Rabbi Elaine Rose
Mitzvah Day 2020 was different. food for neighbors; families organizing unteer experiences, and guidance for Glickman, “but its impact is very real.
Temple Emanu-El’s 14 annual food and gift card drives for essential those wishing to join their efforts. The sense of hope and action and ca-
th
Mitzvah Day – on Sunday, May 3 – was workers; and adults giving blood were The gathering ended with the an- maraderie is real – and the good works
held via Zoom and called Virtual Mitz- shared, and participants pledged to vol- nouncement that an “angel” donor being done by our Temple Emanu-
vah Day. But its impact was very real. unteer in additional home-based proj- would provide financial gifts in honor El family are very real as well.”
Over 150 Temple Emanu-El mem-
bers gathered virtually to celebrate
mitzvahs undertaken during the Coro-

Temple Emanu-El Tot Shabbat member Temple Emanu-El college student Natalie Mount
Asher Weber displays items his family donated models one of the masks she made. Most of her
to nurses at Sarasota Memorial Hospital masks were donated to workers at Aviva.
A three-continent wedding Some of the participants in Temple Emanu-El’s Virtual Mitzvah Day give a smile or thumbs-up
after promising to participate in mitzvahs in the coming days

By Rabbi Jennifer Singer
he text arrived early Wednes- It would be impossible to be to- discover... A
day morning, which means my gether. Anyone who traveled for the new way
Tdaughter in South Korea had wedding would have to spend two
just gotten home from work, 13 time weeks quarantined before, and two to care for
zones ahead of me here in Florida. weeks quarantined afterwards. There
“Hi Mom! What are you doing this was no way to know when they might your skin
weekend?” be able to be together again, much less
“I’m leading services in the morn- when they could have a wedding.
ing on Saturday, and then I will be During one of our conversations
thinking all day about the fact that I am
not going to be at your wedding.”
“Funny you should bring that up.
Want to marry me and Seyeol over Comprehensive Dermatology • Skin Cancer Detection
Zoom this weekend?”
“Yes! Sure! Of course! A globe- • Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery • Cosmetic and Laser Services
spanning wedding sounds kind of per- • Medical Spa Treatments
fect to me.”
And that’s exactly what we did.
But perhaps I should back up and start Sarah Jane during her virtual wedding
at the beginning. afterwards, Sarah Jane said to me, “We
My daughter Sarah Jane moved were so disappointed to have to can-
to South Korea right after graduating cel, but when the idea popped into our
from college in 2013. Except for a heads to do something over Zoom, we
two-year stint in Berlin, where she at- knew we had to do it. And it doesn’t
tended graduate school, she has lived hurt that my mom is a rabbi and could 8451 Shade Avenue, Suite 205
there ever since. She’s happy, she has do the wedding for us.” David S. Sax, MD Sarasota, FL 34243
And so, three
days after I received Board Certified Dermatologist
the first email, we Carlee LaPensee, ARNP upderm.com
had a wedding. On Jesse LeBaron, PA-C
Zoom. A three-conti-
nent wedding. Sarah 941. 417.4104
Jane in Asia, Seyeol
in Africa, and me,
the officiant, in North
America.
It turns out that it
Rabbi Jennifer singer presides over the virtual wedding doesn’t take long to
friends, she likes teaching and she met plan a long-distance wedding. Sarah
the love of her life, Seyeol Kim. sent email invitations to immediate
About a year ago, Seyeol was of- family and her closest friends. I called
fered one of those once-in-a-lifetime my musician friend, Mindy Simmons,
jobs in Nairobi, Kenya, and they agreed and asked if she would play the wed-
that he should go, and that they would ding march on my electric keyboard.
be a long-distance couple for a while. I called my photographer friend, Cliff
Since they also knew they wanted to Roles, and asked if he would take pic-
spend their lives together, they planned tures.
a wedding in Korea for April 11, 2020. Because of the time differences
And then the pandemic arrived. It around the globe, the wedding was at
hit South Korea particularly hard early 9:00 a.m. on Saturday here, 4:00 p.m.
on, and by mid-February, Sarah Jane in Nairobi and 10:00 p.m. in Seoul.
knew that they would have to cancel It was perfect. She wore white, he
the wedding. But as the original wed- wore a suit, I wore the handmade tal-
ding date neared, they both found lit in which I was ordained. Some of
themselves getting sadder and sadder. the attendees wore pajamas and some
had both champagne and coffee
by their sides. She carried flow-
ers to which she had attached
two small medallions with pho-
tographs of both sets of grand-
parents at their weddings. Both
Sarah and Seyeol were nervous
and giddy and happy.
It was unique, joyous and
delightful. It was perfect.
Rabbi Jennifer Singer serves at
Congregation Kol HaNeshama
Rabbi Jennifer singer and musician Mindy Simmons
(photos by Cliff Roles) in Sarasota.
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