Laura P. Koffsky was recently installed as President of Women’s Philanthropy of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation for 2012-13, along with a full slate of new officers and Board members.

“I see this as a time of incredible opportunity,” said Koffsky. “We have managed to sustain our Women’s Campaign over recent years – in a down economy. We have created new programming that caters to specific groups, and there is a new sense of enthusiasm with the recent success of the Miami Mega Mission.

“Now is the time to build on these successes and to create more meaningful connections for engagement among women in Miami’s Jewish community,” she said.

Other Women’s Philanthropy officers to serve in 2012-13 include Elise Scheck Bonwitt, Campaign Chair; Charlotte Brodie, Vice President of Central Area Campaign Development; Sheree Savar, Vice President of Miami Beach Area Campaign Development; Amy Chefetz, Vice President of Northeast Dade Area Campaign Development; and Alisa Oppenheim, Vice President of Southwest Dade Area Campaign Development.

Sara Bejar is the new Vice President of Education and Leadership; and Tracey Spiegelman is Vice President of Outreach and Development. Brett Graff is Secretary and Elizabeth Schwartz is Parliamentarian. Mojdeh Khaghan Danial is Immediate Past President and Nominating Committee Chair.

Newly elected Board Members at Large include Becky Delaster, Adrian Dubow, Belinda Gilbert, Robin Jacobs, Ilene Kossman, Lisa Kudish, Tania Lapciuc, Kim Mendelson, Joanna Segal and Mytyl Simancas-Blister.

Koffsky noted that the coming year holds great promise for increased involvement from members of Miami’s Jewish community.

“So many women came back from Israel feeling a tremendous sense of excitement and commitment,” she said. “We expect those intense feelings to fire up our existing membership and attract a new generation of future leaders to Women’s Philanthropy.”

In fact, while in Israel, 91 women chose to become a Lion of Judah – or to renew a previous commitment to be part of this group. As signified by a gold Lion pin, these philanthropic women make a gift of at least $5,000 each year to the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign.

To learn more about opportunities for involvement in Women’s Philanthropy, email Women@JewishMiami.org or call 786.866.8442.

Elise Scheck Bonwitt, Greater Miami Jewish Federation Women's Philanthropy Campaign Chair, and Laura P. Koffsky, Women's Philanthropy President.

This summer, the Jewish Volunteer Center of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation will be offering a wide range of service programs for teenagers ages 12 through 18 as a part of the new Teen Summer of Service program. Teenagers will have the opportunity to assist the elderly, serve as assistant teachers, provide food to those in need, work at summer camps, or even travel to Boston, Chicago, DC or Israel. By volunteering with the Teen Summer of Service, teenagers can help those in need, acquire valuable work experience and earn community service hours.

Below is a list of organizations offering programs as part of the Teen Summer of Service. For more information about the Teen Summer of Service or the Jewish Volunteer Center, please contact Lori Drutz at ldrutz@gmjf.org or 786.866.8414.

Miami Jewish Health Systems

Summer volunteer opportunities are available to teenagers 14 years or older on weekdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Volunteer opportunities include:

For more information about volunteering with the Miami Jewish Health Systems, please contact Susan Willenborg, Director of Volunteers, at 305.762.1407.

Temple Israel of Greater Miami

Temple Israel of Greater Miami is looking for teen volunteers to assist teachers in their summer programs. Teenagers who are 16 years or older can volunteer between Monday and Friday with flexible hours ranging from 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. For more information about volunteering with Temple Israel, please contact Valeria Michanie at 786-248-3033.

BBYO Impact

With BBYO Impact, teenage volunteers will be able to travel to Boston, Chicago, DC or Israel. Once there, they will be able to learn about important issues affecting the Jewish community, meet other young Jewish leaders, and help make the world a better place. For more information, visit www.bbyo.org/summer or call Alex Bolotovsky, Regional Program Director, Miami BBYO at 484.553.6106.

Jewish Community Services (JCS)

Jewish Community Services has a wide range of volunteer opportunities available for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 from Monday-Friday with flexible hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. These programs include:

To learn more about volunteering with JCS, please call Marian Mendelsohn, Director of Special Projects, at 305.403.6539.

The Closet

Volunteers are needed to sort bags of donated clothes, help organize shelves and assist clients at The Closet, a community-based clothing thrift shop in North Miami Beach. Volunteers ages 12 and up are needed on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those interested in volunteering should call Dana Tangir at 305.467.1928 or Karina Chocron at 305.305.9222.

Ahavat Olam

Gain valuable work experience at Temple Ahavat Olam in South Dade, where volunteers will perform office work, answer phones, and file and organizing documents. Volunteers 16 years and older are needed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. To learn more, please contact Kim Fielder at 305.412.4240.

Temple Sinai

Temple Sinai of North Dade needs volunteers ages 16 and up to help at their multiple offices and at their summer camp. Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday, with hours based on the availability of the volunteer. To be a part of this opportunity, please contact Susan Warech at 305.932.9010.

Chai Lifeline

Volunteer with Chai Lifeline, an organization which brings joy to children who are living with an illness. Chai Lifeline offers volunteer opportunities for teens ages 16 and older.   Opportunities include:

If you would like to volunteer with Chai Life line, please contact their office at 305.956.9990.

“Transitions in Life and Beyond” is the theme of the 17th Annual Conference on Ministering to the Elderly, being presented by The Jewish Chaplaincy Program of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, in collaboration with Miami Jewish Health Systems and Jewish Community Services of South Florida, taking place on May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 5200 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami. Open to the public – and of particular interest to caregivers, clergy, mental health professionals and those involved with older populations – the conference will cover different cultural and religious perspectives on aging, seniors’ evolving views on life and the various ways seniors can make the most of this transformational period in their lives. To view the conference's full agenda, click here.

Dr. Harry Moody, current Director of Academic Affairs for the AARP and author of The Five Stages of the Soul and Aging: Concepts and Controversies, will headline the conference.

“The process of aging can be a period of realignment, of spiritual awakening and inner exploration. As people live longer, this period remains an uncharted ocean in our society; we hope to challenge ourselves to reconsider this new frontier,” says Rabbi Frederick L. Klein, Director of The Jewish Chaplaincy Program and Chair of the Conference.

Registration for the conference is $25 and includes lunch. For more information, or to find out about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Alicia Schindler at 954.253.2830 or aschindler@mjhha.org.
View Schedule and Program Notes

The Jewish Chaplaincy Program of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation offers spiritual support from caring and knowledgeable professionals and unique opportunities for volunteers to make a real impact on individuals, families and the community. To learn more about the Jewish Chaplaincy program, please click here or contact Rabbi Frederick Klein at 786.866.8620 or RabbiKlein@gmjf.org.

Five outstanding leaders will be honored for their service to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and to Miami’s Jewish community when Federation presents its annual leadership awards at its 74^th Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 31. The dinner event, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, will feature the election of new Federation Officers and Board members. Federation will also recognize and thank Barbara Black Goldfarb, who has served with distinction as Chair of the Board for the past two years, and welcome Brian Bilzin, who has most recently served as General Campaign Chair, to the position of Chair of the Board. Hedy and Daniel Whitebook will chair this event.

Elise Scheck Bonwitt, Steven Scheck

The Stanley C. Myers Presidents’ Leadership Award, named for the late Founding President of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, is presented annually to two dynamic Jewish leaders who have demonstrated outstanding service to Miami’s Jewish community. Stanley C. Myers was an exceptional leader who served the Jewish community of Miami for decades and helped set the standard for Jewish philanthropy in South Florida. The 2012 honorees are Elise Scheck Bonwitt and Steven Scheck.

Jerry Sokol

Named in remembrance of the late Robert Russell, a Past President of Federation, the Robert Russell Fellowship Award is presented to a member of the community who has shown active interest in Federation and, in particular, Jewish communities overseas. Bob Russell was an extraordinary leader who served as a National UJA Chairman, and Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Housing Committee. The 2012 honoree is Jerry Sokol.

Lisa Goldstein, Mark Kravitz

The Sandra C. Goldstein Young Leadership Award was created by Miriam and Sam Goldstein in 2006 in memory of their daughter Sandra C. Goldstein – a wonderful young leader in Miami’s Jewish community who received the Stanley C. Myers Presidents’ Leadership Award in her lifetime. It is presented annually to two individuals. The recipients of the 2012 Sandra C. Goldstein Young Leadership Award are Lisa Goldstein and Mark Kravitz.

To register to attend Federation’s Annual Meeting or for more information, click here or call 786.866.8432.

The Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) of The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation will host its 2012 Spring Seminar on Tuesday, May 8 at Temple Israel, 137 NE 19 Street, Miami. The keynote speaker will be attorney Charles A. Lowenhaupt, advisor to high-net-worth families around the world, who will offer an insider’s perspective and share best practices for your clients as he addresses the topic, “The Art of Strategic Philanthropy.”

Registration and networking will begin at 11 a.m., followed by lunch and the program at noon.

Charles A. Lowenhaupt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lowenhaupt Global Advisors, is co-author with Don Trone of the book, Freedom from Wealth, published in 2011. In his book, Lowenhaupt discusses how the process of wealth management often creates unnecessary burdens for successful families, even though wealth should bring satisfaction and allow for full self-actualization. Freedom from Wealth presents a process whereby these families can establish objective standards to manage significant wealth through the generations by first deciding what the wealth is really for.

Lowenhaupt is also Managing Member of Lowenhaupt & Chasnoff, LLC, an affiliate of Lowenhaupt Global Advisors. Established by Lowenhaupt’s grandfather in 1908, it was the first U.S. law firm to concentrate in tax law. He is a Founding Advisory Faculty member of the Institute for Private Investors, and he advises the Institute as an Emeritus Member and contributor to its programs.

Lowenhaupt is also a Co-Founder and President of the Institute for Wealth Management Standards, a former Director of the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies in Pittsburgh, a Director of the St. Louis Art Museum and a Director of the Clements Library of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Lowenhaupt serves as President of Temple Emanuel in St. Louis. His book, Freedom From Wealth, will be available for sale after the presentation.

Couvert for the event, which includes a kosher lunch, is $36 (not tax-deductible as a charitable contribution). There will be no solicitation of funds, and application has been made for one hour of continuing education credit. To register, click here.

Chaired by Laura B. Kaplan and Joseph Barry Schimmel, Esq. the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) is a group of more than 200 legal, accounting, finance and insurance professionals who offer guidance to The Foundation and serve as its ambassadors to the community. The Foundation is chaired by John M. Bussel.

For more information, contact Pam DiGiacomo, PAC Director, at PAC@JewishMiami.org or 786.866.8627.

Jewish community members visit the historical Masada
Jerusalem Post
Biggest Federation Trip to Israel in Years
Haaretz Media Clip
700 Miami Jews in Israel for biggest ever federation trip
From commemorations to celebrations, South Florida Jews on dream mission to Israel
S. Fla. Jewish Community Group Making Pilgrimage To Israel
Kol Yisrael Interview
Federation Trip to Israel Biggest in 10 Years
Israel National News: Mega Mission to Israel Affirms Jewish Identity (Highlights JFNA, Greater Miami Miami Federation)
WSVN Coverage of the Miami Mega Mission
Miami Herald -- Record-sized group from Greater Miami Jewish Federation heading to Israel
Orlando Sentinel -- South Florida Jews celebrate founding of Israel
Israel National News -- ‘Mega Mission to Israel Affirms Jewish Identity
E-Jewishphilanthropy (essay, Jacob Solomon) -- Missions to Israel: Old-School Strategy in a New Age World
WSVN-TV  -- Jewish community continues 10-day Israel trip
WSVN-TV -- Jewish community members begin Mega Mission to Israel
WSVN-TV (Fox News Miami) -- Jewish community arrives in Israel
Jewish Community Arrives in Israel
WSVN-TV Miami -- Holocaust survivors and children visit memorial
WCBS Miami (CBS News Miami) -- S. Fla. Jewish Community Group Making Pilgrimage To Israel
JTA -- Biggest federation trip to Israel in years brings more than 700 from Miami

Just 17 days remain until Sunday, April 22, the day the El Al charter plane departs Miami International Airport, taking 400 Miami Mega Mission participants to Israel – and joining more than 300 more in our spiritual homeland for the journey of a lifetime. The much-anticipated trip is the culmination of more than two years of work by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation in cooperation with local synagogues, and is being chaired by Saby Behar, a Federation Past President and mission veteran.

To help preserve the many memorable moments for mission-goers and those back home, Federation has created a dedicated special website called MiamiMegaMissionLive.org. It will feature photos from the mission, updates on news and events, plus blog posts from several participants. Those on the mission can post their photos and interact with their fellow travelers through an online group set up for each bus, as well as on Facebook.com/miamimegamission. Twitter enthusiasts can join in the conversation by using the hashtag #megamission, and everyone can download the special mobile app for MiamiMegaMissionLive.org.

Also sending images daily to the website will be award-winning photographer Randi Sidman-Moore, who has documented past Mega Missions for Federation. She will be on the charter plane, along with Emmy-award winning filmmaker Jerry Levine and Michael Behar of Levine Films, both of whom will be capturing the journey on video. The two will create a souvenir video to be shared with Miami Mega Mission participants at the end of the journey.

Federation has arranged for television and newspaper reports to cover the Mega Mission and the Pre-Mission to Poland. Ted Scouten and Rafael Murciano of WFOR CBS 4 are traveling with the Pre-Mission to Poland, recording and sharing the impressions and activities of the 140 participants, including Holocaust survivors, as they tour significant sites of the Holocaust and pre-war Poland. Stories are expected to air locally on the Miami-based television station.

Award-winning WSVN-TV Channel 7 reporter Rosh Lowe and cameraman Luis Abad will send home a variety of stories from Israel. In addition to local reports, Lowe has covered major national stories and has appeared numerous times on CNN and Fox News Channel with his breaking news and exclusives. As this is his first trip to Israel, he will be sharing the excitement of other “first-timers.”

The Miami Herald also plans to cover the mission.

If you’re one of the 700 members of Miami Jewish community participating in the Miami Mega Mission to Israel, don’t miss the orientation session on Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Miami Downtown, 1601 Biscayne Boulevard. This important meeting will provide valuable information that you will need before departure. You will also have the opportunity to meet fellow travelers, ask questions and learn more about the Mega Mission. Dessert and coffee will be served.

Attendance at an orientation session is mandatory for Mega Mission participants. If you cannot attend on March 28, a makeup session will be held on April 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Federation’s Stanley C. Myers Building, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard. RSVP for the March 28 Orientation here or RSVP for the makeup session here.

To learn more about Miami Mega Mission Israel 2012 or to register, please contact Katy Boyask, Mega Mission Manager, at 786.866.8466 or email MiamiMegaMission2012@JewishMiami.org. Limited space is still available on the charter flight; click here to register for this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Hundreds of members of our community will gather at the Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation on the evening of Sunday, April 15 in observance of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). Together, they will honor the memory of the six million Jewish people who perished at the hands of the Nazis and pay tribute to those who survived the horrors of the Holocaust.

This solemn ceremony, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., will include prayers, songs and a performance by the Second Avenue Jewish Chorale. There will also be a candlelighting ceremony in honor of the recent victims of terror in Toulouse, France, as well as all Jewish victims of terror around the world.

Aranka Siegal, a novelist and recipient of the Newbery Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, also will share her personal experiences from the Holocaust. Siegal was born in the town of Berehove (Beregszász in Hungarian), Czechoslovakia. At the age of 13, she and her family were forcibly relocated the Jewish ghetto. She was later sent to the Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps before being rescued by British forces in 1945.

The Hon. Chaim Shacham, Consul General of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico, will participate and speak at the event, which is chaired by Wendy Reiss Rothfield.

Prior to the ceremony and beginning at 3 p.m., the names of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust will be read aloud. Those who are interested in volunteering as a reader should contact the Holocaust Memorial.

This event is being held in cooperation with the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council.The Holocaust Memorial is located at 1933-45 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach. Free parking is available south of the Memorial. In case of rain, the program will be held at Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach. Complimentary round-trip bus service is available for Holocaust survivors at 5:00 p.m. from Young Israel of Sunny Isles and Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus.

For additional information about the event or to RSVP for a bus pick-up, please contact the Holocaust Memorial at info@holocaustmmb.org or at 305.538.1663.

Another 20 compassionate volunteers have graduated from Refuat Ha-Nefesh, the Jewish Spiritual Care Visiting Program of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Jewish Chaplaincy Program and Jewish Volunteer Center.

Launched in 2009 and led by rabbis, social workers and gerontologists, Refuat Ha-Nefesh (Healing of the Soul) explores the Jewish philosophy of visiting the ill, issues and concerns facing the elderly, religious perspectives of end-of-life issues, and traditional healing rituals. Participants also learn in a group setting about dementia and depression in seniors, Jewish medical ethics and other relevant topics. Since the program’s inception, 32 other volunteers have received certificates of completion, and are actively at work providing thousands of hours of spiritual support and companionship to people in institutional and home settings across Miami-Dade County.

Federation will begin taking applications for Refuat Ha-Nefesh again in the fall. For more information about The Jewish Chaplaincy Program, click here or email Chaplaincy@JewishMiami.org. To learn about volunteer opportunities through Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center, click here or email Volunteer@JewishMiami.org.

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation will hold its third annual anti-hunger Intergenerational Advocacy Seder, “Through a Different Lens,” on Tuesday, April 3, around the theme “Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat.” Featuring two national Jewish agencies’ perspectives on hunger and related policy issues, the program will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard.

High school and college students, young adults, seniors and community leaders are invited to participate in this program, which is presented in the format of a Passover Seder with informative content about the problems of hunger and food insecurity in the United States. A Haggadah – prepared by Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the JCRC – will provoke a thoughtful, intergenerational dialogue about the Jewish community’s role in hunger activism.

The forum is a component of “Through a Different Lens: Generation to Generation Advocacy Series,” an innovative initiative created by the JCRC to educate and engage local students and adults in meaningful discussions and workshops about the vast portfolio of Jewish advocacy efforts. Participants learn and share ideas about topics of importance, such as Israel and public policies affecting South Florida and the nation.

The Seder is part of a national effort to help support legislation that counters food insecurity, and it is funded by the Jewish Council of Public Affairs and supported by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. The JCRC works in partnership locally with several organizations, including Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center, Holocaust Memorial and Chaplaincy Program, as well as BBYO. BBYO has engaged its teens actively in this initiative as a part of its “Stand Up” and “Speak Up” advocacy campaigns addressing the subjects of hunger and Israel.

Some of the program’s funding provides the opportunity to work with two accomplished individuals who are new to the JCRC. Mica Cohen, a student at Florida International University and a member of the student board of Hillel Second Generation (H2G) is serving as the JCRC’s advocacy fellow; and Phyllis Littman, a community leader is serving as a mentor for the program and the student advocacy fellow. Cohen and Littman will work with JCRC professionals to engage people of all ages in advocacy.

To reserve a place at the Intergenerational Advocacy Seder or for more information, please contact Lori Dearman at 786.866.8486 or CommunityRelations@JewishMiami.org.

We are shocked and outraged by the tragic terror attack that took place on the morning of March 19 at a Jewish school in southern France and has left at least four dead, including three young children.

According to early reports, a terrorist on a motorcycle carried out a fatal shooting around 8:10 a.m. outside Ozar Hatorah, a Jewish school in the southern French city of Toulouse. The shooter reportedly used two weapons and then fled the scene. Four people were killed, including a teacher, 30-year-old Rabbi Yonathan Sandler; his two sons, Arye, age 6, and Gavriel, age 3; and Miriam Monstango, age 8, daughter of the school principal. Others remain in critical condition.

An estimated 20,000 Jews live in Toulouse, and 600 children attend Ozar Hatorah. Local media reported that the victims were Israeli nationals who moved to France earlier this year.

These events are not just a tragedy for the community of Toulouse, but also for the global Jewish community. While we are deeply disturbed by an attack of any kind on Jews, it is even more outrageous when a terror attack is specifically directed at children. We stand with the Jews of France at this time of tremendous sorrow, joining with all people of goodwill in praying for the full recovery of those injured in this hateful attack and offering our heartfelt condolences to the Sandler and Monstango families, and to the entire Jewish community of Toulouse.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation will continue to monitor the situation closely with The Jewish Federations of North America and our overseas partners, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, to determine if and how we may be of assistance or support.

May the families of those tragically murdered in this attack be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Barbara Black Goldfarb, Chair of the Board
Jacob Solomon, President and Chief Executive Officer

At the beginning of February, a sudden wave of dangerous winter weather gripped Eastern Europe and parts of the former Soviet Union. The death toll rose as rescue crews evacuated dozens of people from snow-blocked villages in Serbia and Bosnia. In towns across Bulgaria, temperatures plunged to their lowest since records started being kept 100 years ago. It was so cold in the capital, Sofia, that ATM cash machines froze up, according to Trud newspaper.

Thanks in part to yearly allocations from the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) was able to activate its emergency winter response system.

The Annual Federation/UJA Campaign provides funding to JDC, the Jewish Agency for Israel and other overseas partners so that these agencies can be on the ground and at work helping tens of thousands of individuals and communities in need 365 days a year. With this infrastructure in place, the JDC was able to mobilize quickly and efficiently under extreme conditions – such as those caused by this deep freeze. The JDC’s emergency protocol is a crucial part of its winter relief program throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

In the hardest-hit areas of the Balkans and Ukraine, the JDC was able to:

Among those helped by JDC is Sophie, who lives in Sofia, Bulgaria. She was found by her JDC social worker in her kitchen – the only room in her small apartment with heating – bundled in a winter hat, a heavy sweater and gloves. JDC provided Sophie with two electric heaters and will cover her electricity bills for January and February – costs that would consume 60 percent of her meager monthly pension and be unaffordable. This emergency assistance supplements the daily hot meal and medicines Sophie regularly receives from JDC.

Together with our local and overseas partners, Federation provides a safety net of programs to people in need in Miami, in Israel and more than 70 other countries. In addition to assistance with food, housing, rescue and resettlement, Federation-funded programs and services help to educate Jewish people, provide Jewish programming, and rebuild communities devastated by economic hardship and acts of war and terror. To learn more about how Federation dollars are allocated, please click here. To make a gift, please click here.

Here in Miami, Federation is partnering with our synagogues, schools and agencies to offer numerous programs that educate and engage young Jewish people from birth through college age and beyond. Through the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign, as well as special funding from generous donors, we are able to instill in our community’s children a strong sense of Jewish identity and deep connection to our shared Jewish heritage, to Israel and to other Jews around the world.

Funded programs include:

• The PJ Library®, which delivers free Jewish books and music to families with young children
• Jewish Overnight Camp Scholarships, which enable Jewish children to connect amongst themselves and develop their Jewish identities
• Moishe House, an outreach initiative based in a downtown Miami apartment that offers Shabbat, holiday, educational, community-service and social programs for Jewish adults in their 20s
• A variety of Israel experiences, such as the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, Taglit-Birthright Israel, MASA and more
• Opportunities in Miami to interact with peers and mentors from Israel

In addition, the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign provides funding to Jewish day schools and synagogue religious schools, summer camp scholarships, youth groups like BBYO, Hillel on college campuses, and much more. To help support Jewish identity-building programs and other initiatives in our community, please consider making a gift to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign. Please click here or call 305.576.4000.

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 Board Chair Barbara Black Goldfarb, and other local civic, religious and organizational leaders participated in the ceremony.

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 Goldfarb. “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.

The Dow Jones Industrial average has surpassed 13,000 for the first time since May of 2008. Other averages have also seen remarkable highs in 2012, including the Standard and Poors, the Russell 2000, and the Nasdaq. These numbers have created a new optimism on Wall Street, where it has become clear that the stock market has finally recovered from the aftermath of the recession and consumer confidence is on the rise.

With this exciting economic news, now is a great time to consider using appreciated securities to fund your philanthropy. The tax advantages are two-fold. First, by donating your stock directly to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation or other qualified charities, you avoid paying capital gains tax; second, you earn a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the day you donate it. With the recent success of the stock market, this means that both you and Federation will get the most out of your gift.

In addition to these benefits, a securities gift also offers you tremendous flexibility with regards to how the gift is allocated and how the gift can support you. Below are three different ways that a securities gift can make your philanthropic vision come to life.

By giving to Federation through securities, you are not only donating in a tax-savvy way that maximizes the effect of your gift. You are also allowing yourself to take advantage of some of The Foundation’s most exciting charitable giving opportunities, including Donor-Advised Philanthropic Funds, a Life Income Gift, or a Permanent Endowment.

To learn more about giving securities and The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, please click here or call 786.866.8623

Join hundreds of volunteers and bring your cell phone to 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. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to bring their cell phones and chargers for the phonathon.

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 786.866.8680. 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.

“April Showers Bring May Flowers: Benefits and Advice from the Rainmakers” is the subject of the next program in the Professional Advisory Committee Speaker Series presented by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Attorneys’ Division and The Attorneys’ Network.

The program will take place Thursday, May 17 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Stanley C. Myers Building, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard. Three expert panelists will share their special insights on legal practice business development: Alan J. Kluger, Esq., a founding member of Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L.; Michael T. Moore, Esq., principal of Moore & Company and a specialist in maritime and aviation law; and Mark S. Meland, Esq., a partner in Meland Russin & Budwick, P.A. Click here to learn more about the speakers.

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 Chair of the Attorneys’ Division and Melissa Groisman Steinfeld, Esq. and Justin B. Kaplan, Esq. are Co-Chairs of The Attorneys’ Network.

The Attorneys’ Division and The Attorneys’ Network 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.