Page 1 - The Jewish Voice - June '23

VOL. 13 NO. 6 www.seabreezepublications.com JUNE 2023

Federation’s Annual Community Meeting

Highlights Significant Achievements

More than 250 guests gathered to celebrate a thriving
Jewish Palm Beach during the annual meeting of Jewish
Federation of Palm Beach County last month. The evening
included several significant announcements, including a
$2.5 million endowment for the Jewish Volunteer Center,
the launch of a critical new initiative to combat the rise of
antisemitic incidents in Palm Beach County, and an awards
ceremony to highlight some of the most dedicated leaders
and professionals in our community. The event was held
at Meyer Prep; Jonathan Chane and Beth Wayne served
as event chairs.
During the annual meeting, Board Chair Susan Shulman
Pertnoy and President and CEO Michael Hoffman shared Chani Kolan (left), our community’s shlicha
several areas of growth and achievement, including: Jason DelGrosso and Amy Terwilleger (Israeli emissary) for the past two years, with Tom
received the Robert S. & Ceil N. Levy Benisty and Agam Ilovich, our shinshiniot (Israeli
Federation’s Annual Community Meeting on page 4 Young Leadership Award. Bruce and Lori Gendelman post-high school emissaries) this past year.
JCC Launches Hiring Initiative Friday Night

for Preschool Teachers Live with

Mandel Jewish
Community Holocaust
Center of the
Palm Beaches has
announced a new Survivor Band
hiring initiative
for preschool
teachers at the Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens hosted a unique Friday
Early Childhood Night Live with the Holocaust Survivors Band. The event
Learning Centers in Boynton Beach and Palm Beach With more than 20,000 youth included in this growing began with a musical concert by Holocaust survivors
Gardens. The Mandel JCC has committed to raise wages for number, families and children remain at the core of the who used music to help them survive the atrocities of
these vital staff members to attract and retain exceptional Mandel JCC’s work. the Holocaust. Their lively and talented music inspired
educators. Recognizing the critical role preschool teachers Jewish values, also referred to as human values, are the large crowd to jump to their feet and break out in
play in the early development, education, and engagement infused in all youth and family programming at the Mandel spontaneous dancing.
of youth, the Mandel JCC has prioritized a shift in the JCC. With approximately 81 percent of the Mandel JCC’s Following the concert, the founder and leader of the
professionalism, formal expertise, and ongoing training 300 preschool students coming from families that identify as Holocaust Survivor Band, Saul Dreier, blessed the crowd
for preschool educators. Jewish, there is a critical responsibility to provide meaningful with an extemporaneous blessing. Following the Shabbat
“Historically, preschool teachers have been viewed exposure to Jewish rituals and incorporate Jewish traditions, service, Dreier told the tale of his resilience through
and compensated simply as daycare workers and not as values, and activities to strengthen students’ connection six years in concentration camps and the miracle of his
professional educators,” said Jesse Rosen, President & to their Jewish heritage and community in a low-barrier, survival from a planned execution through the blast of
CEO, Mandel JCC. “This challenge has made it impossible inclusive manner. a shofar and sympathetic Nazi officer. Drier described
to attract and retain the high-quality staff our children “The success of the Mandel JCC’s Early Childhood the courage it took for him to rebuild his shattered life
deserve. This initiative will serve to affirm the importance Learning Centers is due in great measure to our educators and family after the war and of the vision in creating the
of preschool educators’ role, expertise, and value.” who bring their professional expertise, passion for education, Holocaust Survivor Band.
This is a tremendous time for growth in Palm Beach innovative approaches, and dedication to the classroom every
County as the fourth largest and fastest growing Jewish day,” said Rosen. “Our educators serve as critical role models
community in North America. More than 170,000 people to help facilitate Jewish education and Jewish engagement.”
reside within the geographic boundaries of the Mandel JCC To fund the increase in compensation for current staff and
and that number is projected to rise to 200,000 by 2026. attract top-quality new educators, the hiring initiative requires
an additional $600,000 in
budgetary resources each
year. The Jack, Joseph and
Morton Mandel Foundation
has committed to a $400,000
grant each of the next three
years and the remaining
$200,000 will be raised
locally in partnership with
the Jewish Federation of Palm Friday Night Live on page 2
Beach County.