Page 1 - The Jewish Voice - January '21

VOL. 11 NO. 1 www.seabreezepublications.com JANUARY 2021

Study Reveals Impact of COVID-19 on Local Jewish Community

In a year of unprecedented change and mass uncertainty Both Federations and their networks of partner
due to the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis, agencies quickly pivoted to address the needs of the
findings from an expansive new study commissioned by community’s most vulnerable by creating and enhancing
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and Jewish critical services and programs for those facing extreme
Federation of South Palm Beach County indicate increasing financial hardship, isolation, and other emerging
financial insecurity and emotional distress. The study also challenges. Demographic studies completed in 2018
found a desire for continued connection to Jewish life, and showed that the Jewish community of Palm Beach County
the necessity for Jewish organizations and synagogues to is among the largest in North America, with a combined
quickly adapt to meet the needs of families and individuals 301,000 people living in 147,000 Jewish households, an
of all ages through virtual programming. increase from totals reflected in 2005 studies.
The study was conducted by Brandeis University, one Due to the size of Palm Beach County’s geography
of the country’s leading research entities, and spanned and Jewish population, two Jewish Federations serve
from Boca Raton to Martin County. The results provided two service areas. The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach
a much-needed look at the impact of the pandemic on the County serves the area south to Boynton Beach, north
Jewish community. The two local Federations were among to Martin County, west to Wellington, and east to Palm
10 across North America that participated in a national study
by Brandeis. Study Reveals Impact on page 2 Federation, JCRC Convene on page 2
Elizabeth Smart to Headline Sylvia Belolo oversees preparation of 1,500 weekly Meals-

No Excuse for Abuse Virtual Event on-Wheels deliveries at Jewish Association for Residential
Care Florida for South Palm Beach County.

The Ferd & Gladys Temple Judea
Alpert Jewish Family
Service (Alpert JFS) No
Excuse for Abuse event, Helps Feed
an eagerly anticipated
annual signature
program of the agency, the Hungry
will be on February 16
at 7 p.m. Abduction
survivor Elizabeth Smart Each month
will be the keynote temple members make
speaker. In light of the Elizabeth Smart sandwiches to benefit
pandemic, this year’s St. George’s Center
17th consecutive program, chaired by Ilene Goldstein, Diann Event chairs Judith Rosenberg, Diann Mann, Ilene Goldstein in Riviera Beach, a
Mann, and Judith Rosenberg, will be virtual. refuge and safe place
The virtual evening is free to the community at-large, with announce the winners of the No Excuse for Abuse Poster & for the homeless and
Alpert JFS asking friends Poetry Contest. Jewish student artists and poets in elementary, less fortunate to come
and neighbors to make a middle school, and high school were eligible to enter single to eat and rest. More
donation to its $360,000 submissions in any medium on the topics of bullying; teen than 600 sandwiches
campaign to fund the 2020- dating abuse; healthy relationships; and emotional, verbal, were made at home,
2021 annual campaign in or physical abuse. dropped off at Temple
connection with online The abduction of Elizabeth Smart was one of the most Judea, and delivered
events. All contributions followed child abduction cases of our time. During her nine to St. George’s the
will fund much-needed months in captivity, she was controlled by her captors with same day.
assistance for the most threats against her and her family’s lives if she tried to escape.
vulnerable from Boynton Her powerful testimony, presented before her captors and
Beach to Vero Beach. the world, shared details of the very private nightmare she
At the event, Carol Shubs endured, leading to their conviction. Since her traumatic
and Karen Berkner, co-chairs experience, Smart has become an advocate for change,
of The KOLOT (Hebrew for KOLOT chairs Carol Shubs published author of the New York Times best-selling book,
“voices”) Committee, will and Karen Berkner My Story, and promoted The National AMBER Alert, The
Adam Walsh Child Protection
& Safety Act, and other safety
legislation to help prevent
abductions.
Register online at www.
alpertjfs.org/events/2021nefa.
For more information about
the virtual evening, phone
Maxine Sonnenschein at 561-
252-8825 or email nefa@ Temple Judea Helps Feed the Hungry on page 2
alpertjfs.org.