Page 8 - The Jewish Voice - July '20
P. 8

Page 8, The Jewish Voice

      Local Happenings from page 6
                                                                                  aLL about Kids
      neutralized by the light of Moshiach when we will experience
      the peace, serenity, and joy for which G-d created this world.
      He said that the bad news was going to get much worse very  Special Needs Hebrew School              and important Jewish rites of passage, such as becoming a
      soon and that we should look out for it in the news. Everyone   Hosts Commencement                   bar or bat mitzvah. Between teachers and volunteers, Yad
      was puzzled when he said this, but it was just three days later                                      offers an almost 1:1 student-teacher ratio.
      when the riots and looting broke out across the country and   Ceremony Via Zoom                         During the commencement program, families enjoyed
      everyone sensed the intuition of his words.                                                          hearing the students chant traditional Hebrew prayer;
         Everyone left the event with a renewed sense of purpose      Twelve students from                 learning about highlights from the past year; a tzedakah
      during this very challenging pandemic.            Je wi sh  Fe de ra t i o n’s                       (Hebrew for donation) presentation to two organizations:
      The Lord’s Place Learns                           Friedman Commission for                            Jewish National Fund and Meir Panim; a tribute to Yad’s
                                                        Jewish Education (CJE) J.N.
                                                                                                           dedicated teen and adult volunteers; and a certificate
      Coping Strategies During                          Somers Yad Hebrew School                           ceremony, which also featured a graduation presentation
                                                        for Children with Differing
                                                                                                           to student Cara Fortinsky, who has been part of Yad since
      JFS Presentation                                  Abilities completed a                              it began in 2001.
                                                        year of learning with a                               “Seeing our students’ pride and joy at the commencement
         Ferd & Gladys Alpert                           heartfelt commencement                             ceremony after a year of such hard work is one of the most
      Jewish Family Service (Alpert                     ceremony for students                              beautiful experiences I have the good fortune to witness,”
      JFS) has been bringing                            and their families. Held                           shared Wilma Turk, who has served as Director of Special
      community members together                        via Zoom, the ceremony                             Needs Education for Federation’s CJE for the past 16 years.
      to share strategies, stay safe,                   provided an opportunity for                        “This program would not be possible without the dedicated
      and feel more empowered                           the students to showcase their Hebrew language abilities   team of teachers and nearly one dozen volunteers who
      and  connected  during  the                       and understanding of Jewish prayer and song.       enable us to create this incredible, one-on-one learning
      COVID-19  pandemic.  A                               The J.N. Somers Yad Hebrew School is the only formal   environment each week.”
      group of employees from The                       Sunday religious and Hebrew school in the Palm Beaches      Lisa Kramer’s son, Robert, has been part of Yad for five
      Lord’s Place recently gathered                    with the alternative learner in mind whose educational   years. Lisa, who also serves as a volunteer teacher, shared,
      virtually to attend Coping                        needs might not be as well suited in traditional settings.   “Yad is such an incredibly special program. Robert now has
      With Our New Reality: Social  Diana  Stanley,  The  Lord’s   The program philosophy is that all children deserve open   a stronger connection to his Jewish heritage and identity.
      Distancing Without Isolation,  Place Chief Executive Officer  gateways for participation in Jewish learning experiences   Our family is forever grateful.”
      an educational opportunity
      for those struggling with how
      to  manage  and  cope  with                       Summer Fun
      the barrage of changes and
      realities impacting their lives.                     The Mandel JC’s Summer Days at the J program began
         The exclusive presentation,                    last month with just under 200 children, preschool to grade 8,
      facilitated by licensed                           enjoying fishing, swimming, zip lining, and more.
      psychologist Iris Kiner, Psy.D.,
      and clinical director Elaine
      Rotenberg, Ph.D., helped
      participants identify coping
      skills, available resources,
      and how to connect if you feel
      socially disconnected.   Marc D. Hopin, Alpert JFS
         The connection between  Chief Executive Officer
      Alpert JFS and The Lord’s                                                                                                     Jacob Brodsky
      Place was forged by  The
      Hon. Geraldine (Jeri) Muoio,
      a consultant for Great Cities
      For All, former mayor of                          Leighton Patykula, Sadie Sheitlman,                  Chris Prince and Alexander
      West Palm Beach, and a board                      Emily Fox                    Jude Dokovna            Martin
      member of The Lord’s Place,
      who said, “Whether you are
      an individual, a parent, a
      corporation, or a nonprofit,
      support groups are needed
      to ensure that we are helping
      each other in these uncertain
      times. A free service like this
      is greatly needed.”      The Hon. Geraldine (Jeri)
         “The workshop provided a  Muoio, Consultant – Great
      new frame of thinking about  Cities for All
      social distancing and the
      impact of isolation,” said The Lord’s Place CEO Diana Stanley.
      “We are committed to providing our staff with resources to
      navigate this unsettling time in our world. We are honored that
      we were able to partner with JFS as they shared their expertise
      in this clinical area.”
         “Our Virtual Support Groups are an example of some
      good that is coming out of the pandemic,” said Alpert CEO
      Marc Hopin. “We are reinforcing established partnerships,
      and building new ones. Like The Lord’s Place, the Palm
      Beach Chamber of Commerce will be having an exclusive   Experience Dentistry with a Woman’s Touch
      presentation of their own next month. We are continuing to
      build community each day of every month, offering hope while
      we deliver help.”
                                                                        Cosmetic & Comprehensive Restorative Dentistry

       JFS Offers Virtual Support Groups                                      State of the Art & Same Day Restorations
          While Alpert JFS has always acknowledged and addressed
       serious situations surrounding mental health issues, the current      Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Sedation Available
       health  crisis  has  only  exacerbated  the  need  for  services,
       and the agency continues to serve the community via virtual
       technology. Kiner and Rotenberg’s presentation is also a weekly
       drop-in discussion group on Mondays at 6 p.m. Registration is   Joanne Green, D.D.S.
       required; visit www.AlpertJFS.org/events/coping/ to register.
       Other virtual group sessions offered during COVID-19 by the          10887 N. Military Trail, Suite 6
       agency, open to the public, are: Coping With Our New Reality:       Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
       Parent’s Edition on Mondays at 8 p.m.; a Domestic Abuse
       Support Group on Thursdays, 9-10 a.m.; two Family Survivors   (561) 622-2815 • www.joannegreendds.com
       of Suicide support groups, the first and third Wednesdays of
       the month for Lake Worth-area residents, and the second and
       fourth Tuesdays each month for residents of the West Palm      Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry - Cum Laude
       Beach area, both 5:-6:30 p.m.; and a Jewish Family Addiction   Hospital of the University of Penn - General Practice Residency Training
       support group on Fridays, 12-1:30 p.m. Visit https://www.             Harvard Dental School - Former Instructor
       AlpertJFS.org/virtual/ or call 561-684-1991 to learn more.     Boston Brigham and Women’s Dental Group - Staff Dentist
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