On Sunday, February 12, members of the community gathered to celebrate the topping out (the placing of the last beam on the structure) of the new Galbut Family Miami Beach Jewish Community Center. The highly anticipated community landmark, which began construction on July 14, 2011, was on display for the first time during the ceremony and hard hat tours. Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, City Commissioners, Greater Miami Jewish Federation Chair Barbara Black Goldfarb, and other local civic, religious and organizational leaders all participated in the ceremony.

The new two-story building will be known as the Galbut Family Miami Beach Jewish Community Center, in recognition of Ronalee and Russell Galbut, the first major donors to the JCC’s $12 million Capital Campaign.

The property was made available to the JCC through a 99-year lease, provided by the City of Miami Beach. Construction was initiated with a loan that was generously guaranteed by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. “Our Federation is extremely proud to have advanced the funding to support the construction process of the new JCC,” said Barbara Black Goldfarb, Chair of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. “We know how much this facility will mean to Miami Beach residents.”

The new 35,000-square foot facility and its three-acre property, located along the Intracoastal Waterway at 4221 Pine Tree Drive, are scheduled for completion this September and will become the first full-service JCC facility in the 97-year history of Miami Beach.

“Miami Beach is the largest Jewish population center in the United States that currently lacks its own full-service Jewish community center,” said Jerry Sokol, President and Campaign Chair of the Miami Beach JCC. “When the doors of our new facility open later this year, it will mark a real milestone with the introduction of new and innovative programs that will serve to unify a truly diverse Jewish population.”

The Galbut Family Miami Beach JCC will feature a variety of specialized facilities to meet the recreational, cultural, creative and social needs of the Miami Beach Jewish community, including a 6,500-square-foot gymnasium, a 4,200-square-foot outdoor swimming pool and a multi-purpose outdoor playing field.

It will also offer a 4,200-square-foot fitness center with state-of-the-art workout equipment; designated rooms for Pilates, aerobics and spinning; and a staff of expert instructors and trainers. Classes and programs will be made available to men and women of all ages, and tailored to fit their specific needs.

The new facility will also host a variety of special events, including concerts, art exhibits, cultural presentations and holiday celebrations. Additionally, it will offer a schedule of children’s events, day camp sessions, senior programs and enrichment activities.

For more information about the Galbut Family Miami Beach Jewish Community Center, please contact JCC Executive Director Jay Roth at 305-534-3206 or at jroth@gmjf.org.

Join hundreds of volunteers and make the call that’s timeless! We live in a fast-paced, modern world, but coming together to help our Jewish community is a tradition that has lasted through the ages. This year’s Super Sunday phonathon, taking place on March 18, will be a fun-filled day, featuring blast-from-the-past music and entertainment alongside modern communication methods, including social media and texting.

All of the money raised on Super Sunday will support the 2012 Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign, which helps provide a vital lifeline of programs and services for Jewish people in need in Miami, in Israel and more than 70 other countries around the world. Every donor makes a difference – no matter what age, no matter what amount given.

In addition to supporting the Annual Campaign, volunteers can raise money for local Federation-funded agencies, synagogues and day schools by signing up for the Super Sunday incentive program. Any Miami-Dade County synagogue or any agency or day school that receives an allocation from the Federation/UJA Campaign can receive 50 percent of any eligible gift raised by that agency’s representatives on Super Sunday. The organization with the most pre-registered volunteers to attend Super Sunday also will receive an additional $1,000 – so participants help their organizations just by being there.

A highlight of Super Sunday this year will be the Miami-Dade County senior citizens’ Senior Prom, taking place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and organized by the Mitzvah Miami program of the Jewish Volunteer Center. Service hours will be available to teen volunteers, who will be serving the seniors dinner, dancing with them, and helping to make the evening special and memorable. To sign up as a teen volunteer, please contact Lori Drutz, Director of the Jewish Volunteer Center at Volunteer@JewishMiami.org or 786.866.8414

As of January 27, 2012, Mark Kravitz, Chair of Super Sunday, is joined by Recruitment Co-Chairs Sarah Burstein and Lindsay Sasha David; Training Chair Steven Scheck; Hospitality Co-Chairs Howard Chafetz and Jonathan Kravitz; Youth Activities Co-Chairs Lisa Feldman and Judy Rosensweig Kapiloff and Members-at-Large Lisa Goldstein and Annie Lefton Migdal.

To RSVP online for Super Sunday, click here or call 786.866.8380. To make a gift now, click here.

This summer, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation will lead a free, 10-day Taglit-Birthright Israel trip for members of Miami’s Jewish community who are between the ages of 22 and 26. Registration opens at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 15; those who have been waitlisted for registration in the past can register beginning at noon on Tuesday, February 14 at the Birthright Israel website. Due to the immense popularity of the trip, registration fills up fast – interested candidates are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.

This trip, which will take place in the summer of 2012, will allow participants to enjoy a variety of Israel experiences, including the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a sunrise at Masada, floating in the Dead Sea, a traditional Bedouin tent dinner feast, camel trekking the desert, trendy Tel Aviv, mystical Tsfat, the Sea of Galilee, and Israeli culture and night life.

After participants return to Miami, Federation also encourages them to remain connected with one another through Birthright group reunions, and offers them many opportunities to get involved in the Jewish community through young leadership programs.

Taglit-Birthright Israel is an international program that offers free trips to Israel for all Jewish young adults, ages 18 to 26, post high school, who have neither traveled to Israel before on a peer educational trip or study program nor have lived in Israel past the age of 12. Since the program’s inception in 2000, nearly 4,000 people from Miami have participated in Taglit-Birthright Israel trips.

The Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign provides a yearly allocation to the Birthright Israel Foundation, helping to make the trip possible for Miami-Dade County residents. In order to strengthen ties between Miami and Israel and build a strong Jewish future, Federation provides a wide range of Israel programs for interested Miami residents.

To learn more about Federation programs to Israel, please click here.

Working with in-house counsel can raise a number of complex questions and concerns for attorneys. The Attorneys’ Division of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation will focus its first Speaker Series program on “How to Make In-House Counsel Happy.”

The program will be held on Wednesday, February 15 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m., and will feature three expert panelists: Elliot Basner, Esq., Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Intellectual Property at Diageo; Robert D. Fatovic, Esq., Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Ryder System, Inc.; and Leslie Sharpe, Esq., In-House Counsel at Rialto Capital Management. Click here to learn more about the speakers.

The program is being held at the law offices of Bilzin Sumberg, 1450 Brickell Ave., 23rd floor. A kosher breakfast buffet will be available. The couvert (not tax-deductible as a charitable expense) for this event is $18. There will be no solicitation of funds.

The Attorneys’ Division Speaker Series is chaired by Michael N. Kreitzer, Esq. Sidney Pertnoy, Esq., is the Chair of the Attorneys’ Division and Justin B. Kaplan, Esq. and Melissa Groisman, Esq. are Co-Chairs of The Network Attorneys’ Division.

The Attorneys’ Division and The Network Attorneys’ Division provide opportunities to connect with some of Miami-Dade’s most influential legal community members – all while enhancing their own community involvement.

To make reservations for this event, click here. For more information, contact Pam DiGiacomo, Professional Advisory Committee Director, at pdigiacomo@gmjf.org or 786.866.8627.

Click here to learn more about the Attorneys' Division.

Shabbat is traditionally a time of peace, contemplation and togetherness. On Friday and Saturday, February 24 and 25, hundreds of Jewish people will share this holiday together during Shabbat Across Miami, taking place at venues across Miami-Dade County. This annual Shabbat celebration, which attracts worshippers of all ages and denominations, is a joint project of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, community synagogues, and day schools.

Services will be held Friday evening and Saturday morning at numerous synagogues, and at one of our day schools on Friday morning. During the programs, each organization will join with Federation to raise awareness about the many social-service, humanitarian and educational programs funded by the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign in Miami, in Israel and in more than 70 other countries around the world.

There is no cost to attend Shabbat Across Miami, and no reservations are needed. There will be no solicitation of funds for Federation at any of the events.

For more information about “Shabbat Across Miami,” please contact Laura Rodriguez at lrodriguez@gmjf.org or 786.866.8680. You may also learn more about the offered events by clicking on the links below.

North Dade

Shabbat Evening Services, February 24

Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center (C)

Beit David Highland Lakes Shul (O)

Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus (C)

Chabad Chayil/The Family Shul (O)

Temple Sinai (R)

Willie and Celia Trump Synagogue (O)

Young Israel of Aventura (O)

Shabbat Morning Services, February 25

Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center (C)

Beit David Highland Lakes Shul (O)

Chabad Chayil/The Family Shul (O)

Willie and Celia Trump Synagogue (O)

Young Israel of Aventura (O)

Miami Beach

Kabbalat Shabbat Friday Morning Services, February 24

Lehrman Community Day School

Shabbat Evening Services, February 24

Beth Israel Congregation (O)

Temple Beth Sholom (R)

Temple Emanu-El (C)

Shabbat Morning Services, February 25

Beth Israel Congregation (O)

Congregation Ohr Chaim (O)

Cuban Hebrew Congregation (C)

Temple Emanu-El (C)

Young Israel of Bal Harbour (O)

Central/South Dade

Shabbat Evening Services, February 24

Ahabat Olam (R)

Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom (R) (C)

Bet Shira Congregation (C)

Temple Beth Am (R)

Temple Beth Or (RE)

Temple Beth Tov Ahavat Shalom (C)

Temple Hatikvah – The Homestead Jewish Center (R)

Temple Israel (R)

Temple Judea (R)

Temple Moses, Sephardic Congregation of Florida (O)

The Rok Family Shul - Chabad Downtown Jewish Center (O)

Shabbat Morning Services, February 25

Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom (R) (C)

Beth David Congregation (C)

Bet Shira Congregation (C)

Chabad at Midtown (O)

Chabad of Palmetto Bay (O)

Temple Beth Tov Ahavat Shalom (C)

The Rok Family Shul - Chabad Downtown Jewish Center (O)

On Tuesday, February 14 at 7 p.m., Ambassador Hannah Rosenthal will speak about her unique role in President Obama’s administration as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, as well as the focus of her efforts over the last two years. The program, which is being presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, will take place at Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, located at 20400 NE 30th Avenue in Aventura.

In her capacity as a Special Envoy for the U.S. State Department, Rosenthal develops and enacts policies and projects to combat anti-Semitism domestically and internationally. She has traveled throughout the world to speak with government and religious leaders to ask for their condemnation of all forms of anti-Semitism; she also works to improve school curricula, with a particular emphasis on Holocaust education. The Special Envoy was established by the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004, and is a part of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

Rosenthal is the former Executive Director for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). She is also the daughter of a rabbi and Holocaust survivor.

Light coffee and dessert will be served at this event, which is free and open to the public. For security reasons, advanced registration is required; please contact the JCRC at CommunityRelations@JewishMiami.org or 786.866.8485.

Joining the JCRC in sponsorship of this event are the Anti-Defamation League and Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center.

Whether it is a love of art, nature, fashion, food or technology – or any of several other subjects – participants on Miami Mega Mission Israel 2012 will have the opportunity to explore their personal interests from a uniquely Israeli perspective during the mission’s “Options Day,” Friday, April 27.

The once-in-a-lifetime Mega Mission journey, which will enable 800 members of Miami’s Jewish community to experience Israel together, leaves Miami on April 22, 2012 and returns on May 1. During each day of the Mega Mission, participants will explore Israel on an air-conditioned bus with friends, neighbors and an expert guide. On Options Day, however, participants will board a new bus based on their particular interests and travel on special tracks with others who share the same passions.

Available for Options Day are tracks for First-Timers; Arts & Culture; Art & Artists; Explore Tel Aviv; Fashion & Shopping; Food & Wine; Nature-Lovers/Ecology/Conservation; Start-Up Nation/High-Tech; Archaeology & History; Extreme Adventure; Medical; Volunteerism; Legal; Hebron and Gush Etzion; Mind, Body and Spirit; and Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. (Spa services during any relevant tracks are available at an additional cost.)

Because the tracks for Options Day are available on a first-come, first-served basis, participants are urged to register early and make their choices as soon as possible.

In addition to Options Day, the Mega Mission will include a commemoration of Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day); a celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day); and visits to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Negev and Northern Israel. Five spectacular Mega Events will provide outstanding entertainment and many surprises.

The Mega Mission costs $3,600 per person (double occupancy, space limited) including non-stop, round-trip charter flight; $2,500 per person (double occupancy, land only) and $1,800 for individuals ages 22-39 (double occupancy, land only). Charter packages are subject to a $300 fuel surcharge per person. Itinerary is subject to change.

More than 650 people have already signed up for Miami Mega Mission to Israel – don’t miss your chance to be part of this community-wide journey. Click here to view the full itinerary and track options, or contact Katy Boyask, Mega Mission Manager, at 786.866.8466 or MegaMission2012@JewishMiami.org for more information.

Underscoring Miami’s long-standing commitment to supporting high-quality Jewish educational experiences for students of all ages, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation is offering a total of $80,000 in additional grants to Jewish day schools that already receive funding from the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign.

The Federation/Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) Day School Committee has invited each Federation-funded Jewish day school in Miami-Dade to submit a proposal for an “Educational Enhancement Grant” of up to $8,000.

To be considered for a grant, each school is asked to propose a special initiative benefiting students from kindergarten through 12th grade.


Such projects may be implemented school-wide or by a single teacher or grade, and must align with one of three categories:

• Technological enhancements, including software and hardware that will improve student
learning and instruction in the school
• Curricular enhancements, addressing a specific Judaic or General Studies challenge
• Professional development initiatives, dealing with a particular student need through support
of teacher learning

“Jewish education is one of our community’s greatest priorities,” said Federation Board Chair Barbara Black Goldfarb. “By instilling in our children a knowledge of Jewish history and traditions, as well as a strong connection to Israel, we are helping to ensure a promising future for the Jewish people. At the same time, we must provide a solid General Studies education so that our students have the tools they need to succeed academically in college and beyond.”

For the 2011-12 fiscal year, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation allocated more than $7 million to programs that foster formal and informal Jewish educational experiences. These funds support Jewish day schools, synagogue religious schools, college-based study and outreach programs, Holocaust study programs, Israel experiences, Jewish community centers, overnight camp scholarships and more.

To learn more about the Educational Enhancement Grants or Federation’s support of educational programs, contact Federation’s Community Planning & Allocations Department at Planning@JewishMiami.org or 786.866.8495.

On Thursday, February 16, 2012, hundreds of people will come together for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation 2012 Main Event. This annual gathering is more than a celebration – it is also a demonstration of our community’s commitment to helping Jewish people in need in Miami and worldwide, as well as solidarity with the people and State of Israel. During this memorable evening, Professor Alan M. Dershowitz of Harvard Law School will be honored with the 2012 Friend of Israel Humanitarian Award.

Dershowitz, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, is an unwavering advocate for Israel and a long-time friend of Miami’s Jewish community. He has published more than 100 articles in magazines, newspapers and journals such as The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, The Nation, Commentary, Saturday Review, The Harvard Law Review and the Yale Law Journal, and more than 300 of his articles have appeared in syndication nationally. Dershowitz has also written 27 fiction and non-fiction works.

The Main Event, which is being chaired by Stephanie and Jules Trump, begins with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Miami Downtown, 1601 Biscayne Boulevard.

Non-tax-deductible couvert for the event is $95 per person, or $54 for those age 30 and under. A minimum gift of $1,000 per person to the 2012 Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign is requested. Members of the community age 30 and under are invited to attend The Main Event with a suggested minimum gift of $365 to the 2012 Federation/UJA Campaign.

RSVP is now closed.

Dietary laws will be observed. Valet and self-parking are available. For more information, call 786.866.8416.

Children of all ages will share an afternoon of singing, dancing and ruach (spirit) when Jewish musical sensation Rick Recht performs live in concert on Sunday, January 15, 2012 for the Miami community. This community-wide event, which is presented by the PJ Library of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, will take place at Temple Emanu-El, located at 1701 Washington Avenue on Miami Beach, beginning at 1 p.m.

Rick Recht is the top touring musician in Jewish music, playing over 150 concerts a year in the United States and abroad. He is widely recognized for his appeal to youth and family audiences, not only as an exceptional musician, singer/songwriter and entertainer, but also as a role model for involvement in Jewish life. His music offers a unique blend of pop music, Hebrew and Jewish texts, and messages of social responsibility.

The PJ Library promotes a love of reading while sharing Jewish values and traditions. Miami-Dade County families with children ages six months to eight years old can sign up for PJ Library to receive free Jewish-themed children’s books, music and DVDs sent directly to their homes each month. PJ Library also hosts events throughout the year that offer young children and their parents a chance to explore their Jewish roots together.

The PJ Library is part of a national program founded in 2005 by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Miami’s PJ Library chapter is funded by the Blank Family Foundation, started by one of Federation’s founders, Sam Blank.

Tickets for the event cost $5 (or $18 for four), and can be purchased the day of the event at the venue.

The sponsors of this event to date are Congregation Ahavat Olam, Marriott Courtyard Miami Beach South Beach, Temple Israel of Greater Miami, and Judy and Michael Kapiloff.

On Wednesday, January 25 at 7 p.m., members of the Ben-Gurion Society will come together for an evening of celebration and community at the Moore Building, located at 4040 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami. The event will feature a cocktail reception, dancing and live entertainment.

The Ben-Gurion Society is a national donor recognition program for individuals ages 25 to 45, acknowledging those who make a gift of $1,000 or more to their Federation’s Annual Campaign.

“This event provides a great opportunity for the young leaders of our community to rise to the occasion – to show their support for Jewish people in Miami, in Israel, and around the world,” said Scott Wagner, who, along with wife Shoshanna Wagner, is co-chairing the event.

Couvert for this event is $54 (not tax-deductible) and includes light dinner fare (dietary laws observed). Valet and metered street parking will be available.

A $1,000 suggested minimum gift to the 2012 Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign is requested, payable throughout the year.

To RSVP, click here. For more information, email BenGurionSociety@JewishMiami.org, or call 786.866.8446.

Hundreds of members of the Miami-Dade legal community will gather to celebrate the achievements of three dedicated professionals at the 28^th Annual Judicial Reception, hosted by the Attorneys’ Division of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. This popular event, which includes a cocktail reception, will take place on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail. Members of the Attorneys’ Division will recognize Judge Gill S. Freeman with the 2012 Community Service Award, Judge Alan S. Gold with the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award and attorney Robert C. Josefsberg with the Honorable Theodore "Ted" Klein Special Recognition Award.

Judge Gill S. Freeman is a Circuit Court Judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit, who also serves as the Dean of Advanced Judicial Studies for the State of Florida. She is the former Vice Chair of the Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Commission and Chair of the Gender Bias Study Implementation Commission. She will be presented with the 2012 Community Service Award for her devotion to the community and for her work, which has helped women make major gains in receiving equal treatment in the courtroom.

Judge Alan S. Gold, a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida, will receive the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional work as a public servant. His commitment to fairness and legal ethics has remained constant even as he presided over numerous high-profile cases, making him a role model to the entire legal community.

The third award — the Honorable Theodore “Ted” Klein Special Recognition Award — honors an attorney or judge who has had a profound impact on individuals in the legal community. The 2012 Ted Klein Award will be presented to attorney Robert C. Josefsberg, a committed philanthropist and passionate advocate for the vulnerable. Josefsberg has tirelessly worked on pro bono cases, providing representation for clients regardless of economic status. He has also dedicated significant time, efforts and resources to programs that promote the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse by young people.

The Attorneys’ Division of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation is chaired by Sidney M. Pertnoy. Dennis G. Kainen will serve as the Chair of this event and Solomon B. Genet will serve as the event Vice Chair.

The couvert for the Judicial Reception is $85 per person (not tax-deductible as a charitable deduction), and includes a kosher cocktail reception. There will be no solicitation of funds.

To make a reservation, click here. For more information, contact Pam DiGiacomo, Director of the Attorneys’ Division, at Attorneys@JewishMiami.org or 786.866.8625.

Click here to view a list of past Judicial Reception honorees.

On December 25, the Jewish community of Miami will once again come together to help the vulnerable and to enhance the area on the 4^th Annual Jewish Community Volunteer Day, presented by the Jewish Volunteer Center of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Give the gift of meaning by participating in one of nine volunteer opportunities taking place at different locations throughout Miami-Dade County.

Volunteers of all ages are invited to help cook and serve meals for those in need, create meaningful holiday celebrations for children, visit residents of a nursing home, and participate in beautification projects. The full list of available volunteer activities is below.

To be a part of this new Jewish community tradition, please sign up for the program of your choice.

Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Cook a Holiday Meal

Create a Celebration

Friendly Visitors

Serve a Meal

Beautify Our Community

The Federation would love to have more volunteers with outstanding skills and talents give back to our community. Skill-based volunteers can help the most vulnerable in meaningful ways while serving needs that may be unmet without their help. If you have a skill and want to put it to good use, call us. We will find a volunteer opportunity that is right for you!

All the best,
Lori

I hope that by chronicling my experiences throughout the Challenge, individuals will gain a deeper understanding of food insecurity and the importance of feeding programs. However, I was not the only one participating in the challenge in our JCRC. I am very proud that 12 individuals representing the JCRC of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and community leaders pledged to participate in the Food Stamp Challenge. I would like to share some of their experiences with you. As I stated in my very first blog post, our volunteer leadership inspires action.

Tobi Ash, JCRC Member

The entire concept of rationing my food and watching what I eat is not foreign to me. As the child of Holocaust survivors, the importance of food was impressed upon me at an early age. Bread crumbs were not permitted to fall to the floor. If a piece of bread was inedible due to mold or some other accident of fate, weather or bad luck, and could not be fed to the hapless birds or ducks in the neighborhood, it was wrapped reverently in a napkin before being thrown in the garbage. Thankfully, other than keeping kosher, I have never been completely very restricted with my food choices.

I began the food stamp challenge on Thursday October 27, 2011 at 2:00 PM. I note the time because I had to attend a luncheon meeting discussing this very topic and the lunch cost $15. Because of that meeting, I had to start the challenge afterward. I am now eating on $31.50 for the week. This means no more coffees at Starbucks and no more bottled water. Normally, I eat organic food and try to avoid processed foods. I like to eat things that only one ingredient, but I see that might not be possible on this sum. I watch my sugar intake and have not had soda since the mid 1980s. I have been filling my plastic water bottle with tap water, although I worry because the latest research shows that BPA in plastic bottles is bad for you, especially with repeated use and sun or heat exposure (I live in Florida where the weather is either hot, or hotter). On my food stamp budget, I cannot purchase a stainless steel water bottle, so I chug from my old, dented water bottle.

I have tried to reign in my own food budget prior to starting the Food Stamp Challenge by subscribing to CouponMom, Living Social, Groupon and other coupon websites. I regularly type in coupon before making any sort of purchase. I realize that if I were really dependent on food stamps, I might not have access to Internet, or own a computer, so I go to the library. Library hours have changed and now my city library is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 1 to 9 and the rest of the week from 10 to 6. It is now closed on Sundays. The line for the functioning computers is long and I have to wait my turn. In order to print the coupons, I must pay for the paper I use. I might end up paying 25 cents for a 30 cent coupon, really just saving 5 paltry cents for an enormous amount of effort.

I normally get the Sunday papers, which include coupon inserts. However the Sunday paper costs $2 – which is hefty considering that my overall food budget is $31.50. The coupons that they usually have are for toiletries, cleaning items and diapers. I do find for barbeque sauce, chicken poppers (not Kosher) and cookies.

Shabbat will also be a problem. Orthodox Jews prepare a multi-course meal for both Friday night and Saturday morning with something small to eat Saturday early evening. Everything has to be prepared in advance. Traditionally, the meal includes ceremonial bread (delicious challah), some sort of soup, fish dish, and chicken or beef dish along with a side dish or two and a dessert. To start, there is a prayer over wine or grape juice. I realize that I cannot afford to make Shabbat dinner on food stamps. The cheapest kosher grape juice starts at $3.00 and that is almost 10% of my food budget for the week. Fish is exorbitantly expensive, so I can use a can of tuna. Soup is easy and can be inexpensive if I don’t add chicken to it. Kosher chicken is extraordinarily pricey – almost $4 a pound. Beef and lamb are unaffordable. There is no way I can make my usual Friday night dinner on food stamps alone.

I am lucky because on Saturday mornings, if I go to the synagogue, there is food available. If I time it perfectly, I can go to a variety of synagogues and gorge myself. There is almost always a Bar Mitzvah and in the crush of people, I can be mistaken for a long forgotten relative. I can help myself to bread, gefilte fish, a variety of salads and a cholent (a meat and bean stew) served hot. I found out there is also a website www.shabbat.com where I can be vetted and then placed into people’s homes where they will feed me a Friday night dinner for free, just because Jews like feeding other Jews on Shabbat.

Helen Chaset, JCRC Member

The first day of the Food Stamp Challenge was my best. A friend shared her peanut butter sandwich at lunchtime and dinner was leftover ratatouille. I came in at under $4.50. The second day was more difficult. Home brewed coffee which costs approximately 35 cents a cup, a can of tuna for lunch for $1.60 and two slices of pizza, which cost me $2.50 for dinner met the challenge, but left me feeling blue. The third day I traveled out of town to meet a friend. Knowing we would eat dinner out together, I was able to get through the day on just coffee. I splurged at dinner and failed the challenge, coming in $11.00 over the food stamp allotment. My privileged and affluent lifestyle was going to make sticking to the challenge difficult.

As I drove back home through Alligator Alley, I had plenty of time to think about the differences in my life from the lives of women who are on food stamps. They would not be driving across the state to meet a friend. They would not have a restaurant meal. They would not get the ample servings of meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and breads that are available to me daily. I thought about how much of my social interaction takes place with and around food, sharing a dinner with friends, either home-cooked or at a restaurant.

On Monday, I went to Publix to shop for groceries and try to stay at the $31.50 per week allotment. My shopping cart held milk, eggs, pita bread, honeydew melon, 3 bell peppers, Muenster cheese, tuna, a small wedge of brie, and two cucumbers. The total was $31.32. I came in under the allotment, but the amount of food I had bought wouldn’t get me through the week.

When someone who is in need is allocated approximately $31.50 per week for food, grocery shopping becomes a delicate and well-thought-out procedure. Similar to my approach to the buffet, an individual experiencing economic hardship and on an extremely fixed income must approach the grocery aisles with forethought and perhaps longing. Just as I wanted the lox and whitefish but opted for the sliced tomato, an individual on food stamps may have to choose a can of tuna over fresh fish, canned goods over fresh produce or simple carbohydrates over lean proteins.

Of course, I am not the only one who is struggling with the Challenge, as income limits the choices that are available. One congressional representative shared that she had “peanut butter and crackers for breakfast.” Another representative tweeted, “this #foodstampchallenge is going to [be] really hard. [I] checked prices in [a local supermarket] and [it is] so easy to blow the whole week’s allotment.”

I understand that all people are not able to subscribe to the food stamp “diet.” However, there is an opportunity for others to take part in the Food Stamp Challenge. The next time you are in the grocery store, see the amount and type of food that $31.50 purchases. One point of this Challenge is to create a greater awareness of the struggles of those who are in need.

If you are able and inclined to do so, another way to participate is through a donation of $31.50 or more to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, as Federation supports many programs and services that feed the hungry and provide financial assistance to those in need. So, if someone is in the position to have to decide between necessities in life – like providing day care for their children versus proper nutrition – a scholarship for day care may make funds available for more healthy food items. Also, you can also donate $31.50 worth of kosher, non-perishable items to the JCS Kosher Food Bank, operated by Jewish Community Services of South Florida, a local partner agency of Federation.

Your participation is important, as we cannot have a Jewish community without the community.

Lori Dearman

After the conference, my husband wanted to go out for dinner (as I refused to make him anything valued at more than $1.50). So, we went to a local chain restaurant that is known to be a good value. I told my husband that I was trying not to contribute toward any restaurant bills during the Food Stamp Challenge, but I went with him to keep him company. In his own way, he tried to oblige me during the Challenge. He only ordered soup, and he was very proud of himself. I informed him that with tax, one item equals the amount that an individual on food stamps is allocated for his or her food budget for the entire day. “Are you planning on leaving a tip?” I asked. Needless to say, I do not believe my spouse will be requesting I accompany him to another restaurant for the duration of the Food Stamp Challenge, and we have agreed to eat out less frequently.

I find that I have grown weary from the process of constantly contemplating the fact that it not everyone’s choice to budget $1.50 per meal and participate in this “diet” as well as my continuous self-examination. Also, being at a wonderful conference that requires I stay focused and alert without proper nutrition has added to my exhaustion. So, it is about 9:00PM on Friday night, and I am going to sleep. I hope to dream of a solution to ending poverty by 2020!

Lori Dearman

I am inspired by the community leaders and members of our Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) who have decided to take this challenge and live on the average food stamp financial allotment of $4.50 per day, which is about $31.50 per week. We had 12 members of our JCRC who signed up to take the Challenge.

We launched the Food Stamp Challenge at our JCRC meeting with an informative introduction by Helen Chaset. Helen sits on our JCRC as a representative of Federation's local partner agency, Jewish Community Services of South Florida. JCS assists those who are food insufficient through meal sites, the JCS Kosher Food Bank, meal delivery and other services. These programs are in high demand, and shrinking budgets as well as a bad economy threatens their funding and future capacity. Debbie Hurwitz spoke from JCS. She is the Director of Access Services. During her presentation, Debbie detailed the programs and their significance to our Greater Miami Jewish Federation and JCS.

Laurie Flink, also a member of our JCRC, discussed her first day participating in the Challenge. Laurie depicted her experience attempting to live on a $1.50 per meal. She discovered that a local supermarket provided free coffee. While drinking her coffee, Laurie noticed two senior adults sitting next to her who had brought their food to the market. The two were sitting together sharing a peanut butter sandwich.

At our JCRC meetings, we typically serve an abundance of goodies. At this meeting, I abstained from eating any of the food in the spirit of the Challenge. I did not realize that one must budget time as well as money throughout this process. The result of this initiative, even after one day, is that I have really been put in more of the mindset of someone who is poor or hungry. You need to be organized and plan meals. Laurie seemed to approach the Food Stamp Challenge from the mindset of someone truly on a budget and experiencing the challenge of poverty. Like the senior adults that she had seen earlier in the day, Laurie brought a peanut butter sandwich to our meeting. Moreover, she shared her sandwich with Helen Chaset, paralleling the experience further.

Again, I did not approach the Food Stamp Challenge with as much foresight and planning as Laurie. So, I watched as others satiated their hunger and thirst. I imagined what it would be like to be a child in which the lunch program had been cut. I felt uncomfortable and sad – besides a hunger for food, I felt left out. As we identify, food sustains us physically and emotionally, and being food insecure is unhealthy for the body and soul.

As a component of our JCRC meeting, we viewed the trailer of the documentary film Food Stamped. This film chronicles a couple as they participate in the Food Stamp Challenge and attempt to maintain a healthy diet. I must confess, I consider myself relatively health-conscious. However, it is difficult to follow a healthy diet on a very strict budget. For my version of the Food Stamp Challenge, I am going to try to budget each meal under $1.50. Today, I had an apple, some lettuce and a can of soup with beans for dinner. If I plan better, then maybe I will eat better.

Lori Dearman

Three Miami-Dade County middle- and high-school students just launched the Jewish New Year by taking the three top honors in a nationwide “Rosh Hashanah Student Photography Contest.” Aptly themed, “New Beginnings,” the contest was sponsored by The Jewish Lens, an international educational program that integrates photography with Jewish curricula. Introduced this year to eight Miami area Jewish schools and programs, The Jewish Lens is made possible through a supplementary gift to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.

The photography contest, which was open to all students in grades 5-12 across the U.S., saw a number of entries from South Florida youth and teens. Capturing the First-Place Prize was Michal Paniry, an eighth-grader from Miami who attends the Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School; Second-Place Prize went to Adir Levy, a ninth-grade student from Miami who is also a student at Hillel; and Blake Egozi, an 11th-grade student from Golden Beach who attends University School of NSU, won the Third-Place Prize.

Click here to see the winning photographs.

The Jewish Lens program allows teenagers to use photography to find themselves in their own culture and in relation to the Jewish people. Through special funding, the program is being introduced this year to Miami by Federation and the Center for Advancement of Jewish Education. The program will culminate in an end-of-year exhibition of student work. It is being offered to middle- and high-school students in eight Miami-Dade Jewish schools and programs, along with two schools in Miami’s partnership city of Yerucham in Israel’s Negev region.

This year, The Jewish Lens program will benefit seniors at Ben Lipson Hillel Community High School, middle school students at Hochberg Preparatory School and Temple Beth Sholom Youth Program, sixth-grade religious school students at Temple Judea and Temple Beth Am, eighth- and ninth-grade religious school students at Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom, students in grades 6-8 at Chabad Chayil Hebrew After-School Program and ninth-grade students of the Michael-Ann Russell JCC’s Hebraica Maccabi Tzair Youth Program.

For more information, call Ellen Goldberg at 786.866.8497 or email egoldberg@gmjf.org.

After serving in the army, many young Israelis decide to travel the world and then continue their education at a university. But for one group of young Israeli army veterans, a devastating terrorist attack on their friends changed their plans. To honor their friends’ memory, they created Ayalim, a student volunteer village that has revived the Zionist model of community-building in the Negev and Galilee.

Through Greater Miami Jewish Federation funding, Federation’s overseas partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel, is helping the Ayalim Association nurture values such as Zionism, young entrepreneurship and the bonds between people and land and between individuals and society – all in a way that fits the 21st century. Founded in 2002, the Ayalim Association today has more than 600 participants, living and volunteering in 13 student and entrepreneur villages throughout the Negev and Galilee.

“We had two goals,” said Dany Glicksberg, Deputy Director of Ayalim and one of the organization’s founders, “to bring young, dynamic people to settle in the Negev, and to promote social activism among these new community members to help the surrounding Negev towns.”

One of the Negev communities benefiting from the Ayalim vision is Miami’s partnership city of Yerucham. Students living in Yerucham’s Ayalim Student Village volunteer to help with more than 300 local children, initiating age-appropriate activities and taking part in educational, social and cultural programs.

In return for academic scholarships and subsidized housing in the villages, each Ayalim participant volunteers 500 hours annually with children in development towns and distressed neighborhoods, and takes part in the Association’s special projects, with the understanding that the projects’ success depends on a combination of individual needs and national objectives.

“Ayalim creates a framework for young people by connecting them to their roots, while also securing the future of Israel through development of important parts of Israel – the Negev and Galilee,” said Raquel Scheck, Chair of the Israel & Overseas Committee of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. “We are proud to have the opportunity to support this important initiative, which benefits so many.”

To learn more about the Ayalim Association and other Federation-funded programs in Israel, contact Federation’s Israel & Overseas Department at IsraelOverseas@JewishMiami.org or 786.866.8445.