Page 6 - The Jewish Voice - December '22

Page 6, The Jewish Voice

Local Happenings from page 5

The baskets reach The rabbi shared stories about the manner in which his
approximately 280 individual community has taken upon themselves the responsibility
recipients, including Alpert to serve the spiritual needs of all of the 60,000 Jews in the
JFS Kosher food pantry clients, neighboring country of Iran. Most exciting was the peaceful
counseling clients, homebound coexistence that he described between the majority Muslim
seniors, single-parent families, population and the small Jewish community of Azerbaijan.
families who recently lost So supportive is the Muslim government that they provide
a job, households that have and maintain a public school in Baku exclusively for
trouble making ends meet, Jewish children to receive a solid Jewish education. The
ALICE households (Asset Muslim president regularly attends important events at the
Limited, Income Constrained, Chabad Center of Baku!
Employed), households
with three generations, Families Invited to
clients experiencing health Free Sensory-Friendly
complications, etc.
More information about Hanukkah Celebration
the Alpert JFS food insecurity
program and the kosher food Caregivers whose children would benefit from a
pantry can be found online Hanukkah event with sensory considerations are invited
at www.alpertjfs.org/food- to attend a free, fun, festive, and thoughtfully designed
insecurity/. community celebration at Temple Beth David in Palm
Beach Gardens on December 18 from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Azerbaijani Rabbi Speaks Federation of Palm Beach County’s Commission for Jewish
The event, open to everyone, is sponsored by Jewish
at Chabad Education, Yad Hebrew School for Students with Differing
Abilities, and Temple Beth David.
Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens recently held its Friday The first of its kind in the Palm Beaches, the celebration
Night LIVE series with special guest speaker Rabbi Pesach will feature music and movement, arts and crafts, story
Mirov of Baku, Azerbaijan. Rabbi Mirov spoke of his early time with interactive role play, Hanukkiah lighting, and
youth in Baku, with his family going back at least 400 years donuts.
in the Caucasus Mountains. Under the Soviet Union, Rabbi Organizers are creating this event with various sensory
Mirov was denied the ability to have a Jewish education. He considerations, including volumes, lights and scents, plus
had very limited exposure to any form of Jewish life until smaller groups and high staff ratios.
Chabad opened in the area after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Visit jewishpb.org/inclusivehanukkah to register. For
At that point he began studying Torah with his family at the more information, please contact Susan Kanzel at susan.
Chabad and has brought profound meaning and purpose to kanzel@jewishpalmbeach.org or 561.242.6675.
their lives. Though he never dreamed of going back to live in
Azerbaijan, he was asked to serve as rabbi of the Mountain MorseLife Ranked
Pets Parade Around Beth David Jews Synagogue in Baku soon after his marriage to his
Azerbaijani wife, Naomi, who herself had a similar story of Among the Best Workplaces
Preschool Shabbat is always a treat at Temple Beth David self-discovery.
and one never knows in Aging Services
who will show up to
participate. Recently, Based on an independent confidential survey of its
the “visitors” just employees, MorseLife Health System in Palm Beach
happened to have been County was selected by Fortune magazine as one of the
preschool pets! The Best Workplaces in Aging Services for 2022.
event began with a The feature appeared in Fortune magazine’s print and
Pet Parade as families online editions in early October 2022.
and their pets drove or According to Fortune’s Great Place to Work Global
walked by the entrance Employee Engagement Study, 86 percent of MorseLife
to the preschool. They employees felt it is a “great place to work” compared
were greeted by Cantor with 57 percent of those employed at typical comparable
Danielle Bensimhon, U.S.-based aging services organizations.
who blessed each
pet individually. The Local Happenings on page 7
proud pet owners were
then given a certificate
(suitably decorated
with Noah’s Ark!) that
cited the name of the Happy
pet and the date of
the blessing. The pets
were each presented
with a “puppichino”
reward — a small cup
of delicious whipped-
cream. If those pets H lidays
c oul d t a l k, t he y
would certainly have
asked for seconds! To
extend the fun, each
preschooler was asked
to bring a favorite
stuffed animal to class
— and that “pet” spent
the morning being
cuddled and fussed
over.
Temple Beth David
combined the fun We wish everyone a safe and healthy
morning with a pet
supply drive; families holiday season with
brought donations that
were later given to a
local pet charity. your family and loved ones.
The day was an
overall success for
parents, children,
and their pets. It also
served to continue mittlemaneye.com
teaching the children about tikun olam – how to make the
world a better place.