FY18 Annual Report

Let the sun shine! Our commitment to improve our building and campus overlaid with our commitment to being green and observing the core Jewish values of sh’mirat ha’adamah (protection and renewal of the world) and ba’al taschshit (do not destroy or waste) led us to convert our JCC to solar power. In November 2017, we entered into an agreement with Keystone Power Holdings who built and is maintaining a solar panel system on our roof – saving the JCC money on its monthly energy bill and helping us do our part to reduce dependence on fossil fuel. Becoming a Soulful Parent Early in 2018, we piloted a new parenting program, Becoming a Soulful Parent, with Ayeka, an Israeli organization whose mission is to use traditional Jewish learning and make it personally relevant, meaningful and transformative. “Building a cohort/community of peers in a similar stage of life – but so totally different than us – was awesome.” – Carrie Fischbein Darsky “After each session, we left inspired to think about a different element of parenting and better ourselves, our relationship with our children and with each other.” – Tamra Feldman “Learning about and being able to readily distinguish between our soul and ego voices was (and continues to be) incredibly valuable, helping us to gain perspective and grow increasingly close as a family.” – Lisa Hamlisch t h e r e ’ s s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h i s p l a c e • t h e r e ’ s s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h i s p l a c e • embracing our values t h e r e ’ s s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h i s p l a c e • t h e r e ’ s s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h i s p l a c e • We celebrated, rejoiced and learned with our community as Israel turned 70 in 2018. • Community Shaliach (emissary) Michael Levi held monthly Cafe Israel sessions which took us on a journey through Israel by decade. • We participated in Live and Learn , an evening of Jewish exploration, inspiration and celebration, where local clergy and educators presented Jewish learning on a variety of current issues – some humorous, some serious, all meaningful! • Together, we watched Arab Labor , the hottest TV sitcom series in Israel. • Internationally acclaimed Israeli author Etgar Keret shared his creative process, his inspirations and reflections on the current state of Israel. • We had a blast at our family Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration which featured Israeli jazz musicians, dancing, a falafel dinner and make-your-own traditional Israeli chocolate balls for dessert! • Francine Klagsbrun, author of Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel , told us the full-blown, fascinating story of Israel’s founding mother, and our spring Film Festival featured Ben-Gurion: Epilogue , a documentary about Ben-Gurion and his dreams for Israel. • We joined #mytietoisrael, an interactive tribute intended to encourage people to think about what Israel means to them and what their connection – or tie – is to Israel. We spent time sharing and practicing our beloved Jewish values with our community.