Page 42 - Jewish News_January-2021

42A January 2021 COMMENTARY

The power of an idea Exercising our AQ muscles to get us through Covid

Learn about By Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz, Community Chaplain
our growing Jewish community…
Newmans as school founders to sup-
oe Newman turns 108 on January
13. As chaplain at Aviva - A Cam-
The first population study in 20 years is here! Jpus for Senior Life since August, port the enterprise and prove that their
kids had potential well beyond cus-
I’ve had the privilege of getting to
tomary expectations. Unlike in other
know Joe and many other remarkable
marginalized or otherwise made to feel
residents. environments, the children were not
Joe is feisty. He’s also a voracious unaccepted.
reader whose mind and recall remain At the center of everything, Joe
sharp. I need to be on my toes during traveled all over Indiana to raise mon-
Socrates Café, a ey and advocate for legislation on be-
weekly discus- half of the rights, dignity and future of
sion group (cur- developmentally disabled children and
rently held via adults. Over the years, the school’s ex-
Zoom) Joe ini- cellence attracted the philanthropy of
tiated to explore prominent business and civic leaders.
pivotal issues like Legions of volunteers contributed their
the future of the time, energy and expertise in numerous
Supreme Court, dimensions.
Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz injustice in our Notre Dame embraced the Logan
prison system and race relations. model as well. In 1968, a new school
Joe doesn’t shy away from put- built right across from the university
ting group participants, especially me, drew hundreds of children and adults
on the spot regarding our for therapy and sup-
views on controversial port every day. Other
2019 Sponsored in part by topics. At the same time, Logan initiatives like
a grant from:
Jewish Community Study he prizes exchanges that job training and group
Cohen Center Authors: A socio-demographic portrait of the Jewish compel him to revise his home-learning op-
Matthew Boxer
Matthew A. Brookner community in Sarasota-Manatee own perspective. portunities sprang up
Eliana Chapman
Janet Krasner Aronson Joe is very much in and around South
Learn about our Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community: young at heart. When Bend and into Michi-
Moses reaches 120 at the
gan.
jfedsrq.org/CommunityStudy
jfedsrq.org/CommunityStudy
A revered com-
conclusion of the Torah
and we are told, “his eyes
were not dim, nor his nat- munity asset, the Lo-
gan Center’s annual
For more information, ural force abated,” I think Joe Newman budget of $29,000,000
contact Kim Adler
941.552.6300 of Joe. It was only last year that family today enables the provision of an ar-
kadler@jfedsrq.org members prevailed on him to stop driv- ray of programs including vocational
ing. He subsequently gave his sleek red instruction and placement, recreation,
convertible that, he notes, “really im- socialization, educational enrichment,
residential support, behavioral guid-
pressed the ladies,” to a relative.
Looking for ana, where, as a youngster he sneaked ance, wellness, protective services,
Looking for
Joe grew up in South Bend, Indi-
guardianship and adult day activities.
another way
another way into Notre Dame Stadium to watch fa- NewmanFest, a major annual Center
bled Irish football coach Knute Rockne
fundraising event, always lives up to
to advertise
to advertise conduct practice. He remembers that its motto: “A good time for a good pur-
when Rockne later spoke at his high
pose.”
your business?
your business? school, he told students to make sure site (logancenter.org) shares words of
A short video on the Center’s web-
they always ate potatoes with the skin
on them because that’s where most of
appreciation from Joe and Sophie for
With guaranteed category exclusivity,*
With g uaranteed categ or y exclusivit y , * the nutrients are. Joe and his brother the 28 years they had Rita Jo in their
both attended Notre Dame.
lives: “You were not a burden, but a
our twice weekly banner ads,
our twice weekly banner ad s, Joe married and worked as an ac- motivation. You molded our character
get YOUR message out!
g et YOUR message out! countant in South Bend. But his life and gave us insight and compassion for
*We limit ads to a maximum of took a major turn when, during the others less fortunate.”
Joe Newman doesn’t spend time fo-
Federation Eblast interactive banner four per Eblast and only one per birth of his only child, Rita Jo, com- cusing on his age. He’s too busy doing
plications led to her being born with
8,000
ads are delivered to 8,000 active business profession. brain impairment. However, rather other things. I am inspired by his deter-
subscribers each Tuesday and Friday than sending her to an institution, a mination to continually expand his hori-
JFEDSRQ.org/Eblast_Advertising
JFEDSRQ.org/Eblast_Advertising
for just $75 per ad — that’s less less common practice in 1950, Joe and his zons of learning and to make a positive
than a penny per recipient!
than a penny per recipient! wife Sophie spearheaded the transfor- difference in the lives of others.
mation of an abandoned building into Rabbi Jonathan R. Katz serves as the
a school for children with intellectual Community Chaplain and Director of
and developmental disabilities. JFCS’s Jewish Healing Program and
The Logan Center was named
Also, our new Sunday for the street where it stood. Wealthy the Director of Spiritual Services for
Also, our new Sund
ay
Aviva - A Campus for Senior Life. His
E blast , sent a t the end of and poor parents alike from across the positions are underwritten by The Jew-
Eblast, sent at the end of
each month, is a sneak pr e vie w community banded together with the ish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
each month, is a sneak preview

ALL
edera
F
of of ALL Federation events in
tion e
ents in
v
the upcoming month. STAY CONNECTED STAY CONNECTED
the upcoming month.
Y
You can promote
ou can promote

your event for only
your event for only
$100 per month.
$100 per month.
Interested? Contact Adam Kaplan at
Interested? Contact Adam Kaplan at facebook.com/jfedsrq
akaplan@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6307
akaplan@jfed srq.org or 9 4 1.55 2. 6 307 twitter.com/jfedsrq