From Ed Kochman, President Florida Region FJMC:
Friends,
First of all, I want to thank those of our Members and Officers and Directors for their kind words, support, donations and prayers that I received during my 66-day hospitalization and acute care rehab ‘incarceration’. Although FINALLY now back home, I am still having at home PT, OT and visiting nurses. A very special thank you to Jonathan Zimmer our EVP, and to Eric Perelman, our secretary, and the many other board members who stepped up to the plate to keep our Region going during my down time.
It is also our hope that you celebrated a meaningful Pesach this year in particular. Never before has the story of Passover come so vividly to life as sadly it has been unfolding before our eyes since the atrocities which began in Eretz Yisrael on October 7th and continues to this day. The disruptions now on college campuses and blatant antisemitism for the most part unchallenged by the Universities and local officials is reminiscent of words I have read during the dark period of the Holocaust. li
Several years ago, I had incorporated into the Kochman Family Seders a reading originally published by Hadassah, entitled ‘the fifth son’ It is about the children who perished in the Holocaust and can no longer ask a question. I ‘married’ to that reading one of the newly published FJMC readings about what is going on presently in Israel today and then had an open discussion with our Seder guests. We also set an additional seat at the table adorned with the flag of Israel both in honor of and in memory of those members of the IDF and families no longer able to celebrate the holiday. It was indeed moving and meaningful and I thank FJMC for publishing the two Seder addendum sheets.
The Region has recently hosted a Zoom Meeting and It is our hope to have a series of LIVE and IN PERSON meetings along with our Zoom Broadcast. Hoping your Club or Synagogue would like to host a future Sunday breakfast meeting. If interested please reach out as soon as possible with the availability and dates for consideration.
Tonight is the beginning of Yom HaShoah, in my home we will also be reciting prayers when lighting the Yellow Candle in honor of the memory of those whose lives were senselessly taken during the current uprising in Israel. Thank you again, hoping to hear from you soon – and now a few words from our wonderful Executive Vice President, Jonathan Zimmer:
From Jon Zimmer, Executive Vice President Florida Region, FJMC:
It’s been a privilege to serve for Ed in his absence and I am very glad to see him back and home and out of his “incarceration”! It’s been an honor to temporarily serve the Florida Region FJMC while Ed was unable.
Even though summer is upon us, there is much to prepare and look forward. Both the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays will have Jewish Heritage Day baseball games over the summer, and hopefully attendance from FJMC affiliated clubs will be robust. We are in the process of planning our Men’s Club retreat, likely sometime in November after the High Holidays.
The Florida FJMC Region is fortunate to have lots of great clubs and leadership, do not hesitate to reach out!
This message is brought to you by the Florida Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC). We are part of a global confederation of over 200 Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing over 20,000 members across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and beyond. Learn more about how your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate with the FJMC at: https://fjmc.org/for-clubs/affiliating-with-the-fjmc/.
The Florida Region of FJMC serves the needs of affiliated Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Get to know more about the FJMC Florida Region and our growing network of Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods at www.floridaregionfjmc.org and please visit and LIKE our Florida Region FJMC Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
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