100 Days of Impact: Engaging

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee provides programming for young Jewish adults that gives a sense of community for an age group which isn’t very well represented here. By gaining access to career and social networking these young adults are able to make friends and sometimes even find jobs with fellow Jews.

Scotty Felsenfeld is a young man you moved to Sarasota from Michigan hoping for a fresh start. His family recently moved here so he had a foundation. 3 days after the big move he came to one of our YAD (Young Adult Divison) happy hours. He got to know many people, who he calls friends to this day and someone else very important. As a video editor he was concerned that he would not have many job opportunities here on the suncoast but he met someone who was a producer at the HUB.

“Being a part of YAD has brought on incredible experiences for me. I’ve met wonderful people, I’ve seen awesome places around town and at my first YAD event, days after moving to Sarasota, I connected with someone who got me my dream job! I look forward to meeting more interesting and fun people” – Scotty Felsenfeld.

YAD provides opportunities for personal growth and community activism, while building strong relationships in the Jewish world.  Join us for an upcoming social event! Visit the YAD page or contact Len Steinberg at 941.552.6301 or lsteinberg@jfedsrq.org for more information.

2014 March of the Living Delegation

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota Manatee is proud to announce that we are sponsoring 8 dynamic, energetic and smart young women and men to join the March of the Living 2014 Mission.

The teens participating in the April 23 – May 7 mission to Poland and Israel are: Rachel Metzger, Jesse Schein, Rochelle Prokupets, Brittney Mintz, Janae Newmark, Jamie Albert, Madison Bryan and Alex Eiffert. Len Steinberg, our Federation’s Assistant Program Director will be chaperoning the group.

The March of the Living is a two week annual International experience where teens from around the world come together and bear witness to the destruction of the Holocaust in Poland and Europe, and then travel to Israel to rejoice in the Jewish homeland.

The program commemorates Yom Hashoah , Holocaust Memorial day by visiting the camps and then by marching from Auschwitz and Birkenau.  It then celebrates Yom Ha’atzma’ut – Israeli Independence day – in the streets of Jerusalem.

The teens are required to participate in Holocaust study that will be taught by trained educators and will be meeting with our local Holocaust Survivors. In addition, they are scheduled to visit at the Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg in further preparation for the mission.

Upon their return from Israel, the teens are expected to write articles for the Jewish news about their experiences, help promote the mission to other young men and women in the area  and volunteer in various Federation programs.

We are counting on this group to represent our city and our Federation with dignity  and pride. We are confident that each of these teens will teach others about the danger of complacency in the face of evil, and about the  horrors of the Holocaust after they see them first-hand.

Mensch of the Month – Terry Blumenstein

Terry Blumenstein is an unassuming but extremely vital member of our Jewish community. From chairing key committees to serving on the Federation’s Board of Directors, Terry has seen almost every side of our Federation. He has graciously served as Communications Chair, Education Scholarship Chair, Overseas Teen Travel Chair, Finance Committee member and more.

Not only has Terry chaired and participated on committees, he has also made significant changes and additions that will continue to shape the future of our Jewish community. One of the most notable things that Terry accomplished was during his time as Communications Chair, when he completely revamped the production of The Jewish News. The changes that he championed increased the quality of the newspaper, while saving our organization significant dollars.

Terry first appeared on our radar screen when he agreed to participate on a mission to Ethiopia and Israel with our Federation. Good friend and past Federation President, Nelle Miller, was on that mission as well. After returning from that powerful mission, Terry was committed to give back to the Federation and to the Jewish community – he certainly has delivered!

Terry has always had a strong connection to his Jewish roots. His father is a Holocaust survivor, and when Terry was young, he thought that “everyone’s dad was a survivor!” A few weeks after the 1967 war, Terry and his family moved to Israel, where they lived for close to one year. This only helped to strengthen his connection to Israel and the Jewish people. Terry and his family then returned to Canada, where he was raised, educated and ultimately met the love of his life, Eileen. They then moved to Sarasota in 1993 with their first son Sam, and in 1997 Ethan was born.

In addition, Terry is very committed to the Blood Bank, where he is a member of the 26 gallon club, as well as Temple Sinai, where he served as a board member and Vice President of Facilities during the transition from old to new building, and has been on a number of committees. Terry also takes pride in being able to “use his hands.” If a sprinkler head breaks or a ceiling fan needs to be installed, friends call Terry, who comes right over with his well-stocked set of tools. His fee? An ice cold beer when the job is completed.

For all these reasons and so many more, Terry Blumenstein is our mensch of the month. Mazel tov, Terry!

Federation’s Mensch of the Month – Pastor Joey Mimbs

Dr. Joey Mimbs serves as the Senior Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Bradenton, Florida, where he has ministered since 1999.  Called to the ministry as a child, Joey was ordained as a pastor in 1984 and he completed his Doctorate of Ministries degree in 2005.  Joey serves as the President of the Board of Manatee Religious Services, a ministry that reaches out to those hurting in our community and connects them with local congregations.  He is the past President of the Manatee County Ministerial Association and currently serves as an officer for the organization.  Joey also serves on the Board of Waters Edge of Bradenton Retirement Community and has recently assumed the position of Co-Chair with Rabbi Howard Simon of the Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative as part of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Pastor Joey took his first trip to Israel on The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s second Inter-Faith mission earlier this year (2013).  This trip was a “dream come true” as he has a love and passion for both Israel and the Jewish People. He loves what God loves; and God loves Israel! Pastor Joey has been married to Carol for 29 years; they have three adult children.

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is extremely grateful for Pastor Joey’s outstanding support and passion for the State of Israel and for our community. Through his guidance and leadership, we can progress Israel advocacy and promote tolerance in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

Pastor Joey dedicates his life to helping others and strengthening our community. He is a mensch for Sarasota-Manatee and he is a mensch for Israel. Thank you, Pastor Joey, for all you do!

Federation’s Mensch of the Month – JOE FLOERSHEIMER

The Federation’s “Computer 4 Seniors” class would not be what it is today without the help and dedication of Joe Floersheimer. Joe has been a devoted volunteer teacher providing technology education to seniors in our Sarasota-Manatee community for eleven years. One of his special gifts is being able to convey the intricacies of computers in such a way that makes it simple for everyone to understand.

In addition to his volunteering at Federation, Joe has also been active in helping with Temple Beth Sholom’s “Family Promise” homeless prevention project. He truly has a passion for helping those in need in our community and we are so grateful to have people like Joe involved with our Federation.

Outside of his volunteerism Joe enjoys his time by participating in Ring 81 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the world’s largest organization dedicated to the art of magic. Joe has been a first rate prestidigitator captivating his audiences for more than 16 years.

We are so fortunate to have Joe Floersheimer as part of our Jewish Federation Family; he truly epitomizes the definition of a mensch.