Unity Dinner at Temple Emanu-El raises $100,000 for Israeli humanitarian relief
Unity Dinner raises $100,000 for Israeli humanitarian relief
A Unity Dinner sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee on Dec. 6 at Temple Emanu-El raised nearly $100,000 for emergency relief for displaced Jews, Christians, Druze, Muslims, and Bedouins in Israel.
Originally designed to honor the 20th anniversary of Leket – Israel’s national food bank – the event changed focus after the Oct. 7 attacks. "The war has significantly impacted all the citizens of Israel, regardless of religion or ethnicity, both on an emotional level and in their day-to-day lives,” Leket founder Joseph Gitler said in a Unity Dinner briefing from Israel.
Funds will provide a variety of assistance, including tens of thousands of pounds of produce, cooked meals, essentials for babies, and direct aid for the elderly, evacuees, and farmers across the country.
“We have been wholly consumed with providing emergency humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of Israelis under fire – families living in bomb shelters, evacuees, the elderly, farmers whose land has been destroyed,” said Lauren Yoked, executive director of American Friends of Leket. “This is in addition to the normal work that we do, providing 234,000 Israelis in need with fresh, rescued produce and cooked meals each week.”
Host committee members included Edie and David Chaifetz, Leelah and Joseph Gitler, Temple Emanu-El Rabbis Elaine and Brenner Glickman, Megan and Adam Heller, Robert Heeren and Steven Kalt, Tracy and Hal Munter, and Barbara and Laurance Newman. For information, visit leket.org/en.
Neal Communities employees join toy drives for children
Neal Communities employees in Lakewood Ranch helped brighten the holidays for children by participating in the Salvation Army Angel Tree gift program.
This year, 100 children will receive holiday gifts from Neal employees. Participating in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program has been an annual tradition at Neal Communities, benefitting an estimated 1,100 children over the years.
“This is a special time of year to give back to families and the community,” said Carlos Puente, vice president of sales and marketing. “We bought presents for more than 100 kids this year. It is a joy to see the Neal Communities family come together to spread joy and make things a little easier for some families that need help making holiday magic happen.”
Also, Neal Communities employees in Fort Myers, Naples and surrounding areas donated more than 100 toys to Toys for Tots, a toy drive run by the Marine Corps Reserve. This year, 582 local children were registered.
Pine Shores Presbyterian hosts Westminster Concert Bell Choir
Pine Shores Presbyterian Church will host the internationally acclaimed Westminster Concert Bell Choir on Jan. 16.
The 16-member Westminster Concert Bell Choir, featuring students at Rider University in New Jersey, is marking its 46th year. The choir uses the largest range of handbells in the world – eight octaves. Many of the bells are made of bronze and range in weight from 4 ounces to 11 pounds.
The Westminster Concert Bell Choir has appeared on PBS and holiday broadcasts of NBC's “Today” show. Its holiday performances have been heard annually on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today.” The choir also has performed at Carnegie Hall. Conductor Kathleen Ebling Shaw is a member of the music department at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. For more information, visit pineshorespres.org.
Around and about
The 32nd annual Englewood Methodist Church free Christmas community dinner will be held on Dec. 25 from noon to 3 pm. at Fellowship Hall, 700 E. Dearborn. Donations are welcome but not required. No reservations are necessary. Volunteers will greet and seat guests and a shuttle service will be available from handicapped and other parking spaces. Volunteers expect to serve 2,200 meals, including carry-out and homebound-delivery. (englewoodmethodist.com)
· "Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica" will return to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus on Jan. 6-21. The exhibition at the Museum of Botany & the Arts highlights the art of the indigenous Boruca tribe of the Costa Rican rainforest and features hundreds of masks (available for purchase). A limited-capacity preview is scheduled Jan. 5. The show is a collaboration with Lucuma Designs, a Sarasota-based wholesale fair-trade partner that represents artists in Costa Rica and Peru. (selby.org.)
· WSLR 96.5 LPFM is adding "Milo After Hours" on Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. The program, hosted by Milo B. Fresh, is "a modern psychedelic journey for late night consumption," according to Fresh, featuring a "consciousness-expanding mix of underground hip-hop, mutant techno, tribal drumming, aggressive guitar sounds, ambient music, new age, and arhythmic noise." The program begins Dec. 23. (wslr.org)
Submissions by Sherry Borgsdorf, Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman, Christine McKelvey, Marilyn Miller, Caroline McCoy, Nancy Seijas-Kipnis, Milo B. Fresh.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Unity Dinner raises $100,000 for Israeli humanitarian relief
