As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, numerous Jewish issues are important to Esther Shacket. From the need for the existence of Israel to the plight faced by Jewish women suffering from domestic abuse, Esther has long been committed to the Jewish concerns. For more than 30 years, she has been an active member and an important voice in the South Florida Jewish Community.
She was born in Poland and grew up in Israel where served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the area of psychological research. Although her childhood was primarily secular, she always felt connected to Jewish life. “But,” she says, “here in the United States, its critical to have a real connection to Judaism.”
Tags: Esther Shacket, Jewish Federation of Broward County, Jewish Women's Foundation
Posted in N/A |
Israel holds a very special place in the heart of Ray Leightman. He proposed to his wife, Ida, at the top of Masada at sunrise. The couple returned to Israel in 1994 to celebrate the bar mitzvah of their son Eric. “We were so happy to have Eric’s bar mitzvah in Israel, we really wanted it to be more of a Jewish experience,” Ray recalls.
Ray has enjoyed his Jewish life experiences and is hoping to share that passion with the people of Broward County. As president of Broward County Northern Trust, this banker has invested his heart in helping the Jewish community flourish in the area.
“I want to create a Jewish legacy and it’s especially important for the Broward County area,” Ray explains. “Very few people here are actually from this area and they don’t identify with the county, we need to develop their allegiance to help them feel connected.
Tags: Jewish Federation of Broward County, Ray Leightman
Posted in Finance |
Growing up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Cindi Samson was brought up fairly religious. “We had Shabbat dinners, my family was observant and my dad was president of our temple and my mom was a leader with Haddassah, I had a very strong foundation.”
Summers away at Camp Interlaken in Wisconsin were very important to Cindi, the Jewish camp was a special place away from the suburbs and when she wasn’t a camper anymore, Cindi was on the staff as a Camp Director. It was also there that Cindi met her husband David, who also spent summers there as a camper and later on as the waterfront director.
Magical memories of the camp are now even more special and the family is reliving their history while their older two children, Hannah and Kyra are able to follow in mom and dad’s footsteps.
Tags: Cindi Samson, Jewish Federation of Broward County
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If you look up the word “advocate” in the dictionary, you might see a description of Howard Talenfeld, a man who has dedicated over two decades to advocacy. The South Florida attorney has given a voice for thousands of disabled individuals, the elderly, as well as children in the Florida foster care system. He has fought vigorously, appearing on national television and lobbying his causes with governors, senators and representatives.
Jewish Federation of Broward County is now on Howard’s radar, and he is serving as the chair of the Disability Committee to bring residence and placement services to the Jewish community. This need is very personal for Howard, since he and his family have been caring for his sister, Bess, who was born with developmental disabilities.
Tags: Howard Talenfeld, Jewish Federation of Broward County
Posted in Legal |
Involvement with the Jewish Federation all tied together for Karen Zemel when she was able to mesh her professional involvement and her own personal life. Karen was working for the Kesher School for learning differences at the Hillel Community Day School in North Miami Beach and was raising her family with her husband Franklin, while he was building his law practice.
“I always knew of Federation, but my experiences were more cultural, and less religious. We had settled in Hollywood after marriage and we became involved with our temple and began our entry into the Jewish non-profit world.”
Today Karen is the incoming chair of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, and has found her “golden opportunity” to help the Jewish community with fundraising and education. “Even in a tough economy, we have to stay focused, and I bring enthusiasm and clear thinking to the table, we have to educate the public about our programs and work together while the Jewish Federation is going through a metamorphosis. “
Tags: Jewish Federation of Broward County, Karen Zemel
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