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From the JCC: 72 years of apples and honey

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This is the time when we as Jewish people should reflect upon our year--our accomplishments and challenges, our joys and sorrows. But our reflection isn't just beginning now--we've actually been reflecting all year in celebration of our 36th anniversary, which culminated at our J Ball in May. One thing was very evident to anyone who attended the J Ball: the obvious commitment this community has to the strengthening of generation-to-generation, or l'dor v'dor. One after the other, the children and grandchildren of the Jewish Community Center's presidents spoke of the accomplishments of their parents and grandparents.

These children and grandchildren are now the ones who carry the torch for their parents' visions--they are the mommies in our preschool, the graduates of our summer camps and the children whose faces light up with wonder when they first taste apples and honey in our classrooms. The efforts that our founders made to make sure their children received a strong early Jewish education have ignited a spark in them, which the children have now passed on to their own children, many of whom are now enrolled in our Early Childhood Learning Center.

The Talmud teaches us that "the parent who teaches his son, it is as if he had taught his son, his son's son, and so on to the end of generations." (Talmud Kiddushin 36) So we'd like to take this time to reflect on all of the leaders who have brought the JCC to this present moment--a present in which thousands of children have graduated from our Early Childhood Learning Center and other youth pro-grams, many of whom make valuable contributions to our Jewish community everyday. The early childhood years are the time when not just the child's Jewish identity is formed, but the parents' as well. The JCC is uniquely positioned to serve as the portal for Jews into the community, as our infant and toddler rooms are often the first call a Jewish young adult makes to the Jewish community. "The JCC years" are the years when moms and dads build relationships with their fellow parents, when they make play dates and Shabbat dates, when they say "yes" to join their first committee, and when they first glimpse the amazing warmth of our Jewish community.

We are proud to be the Jewish connection for so many generations--not just our youngest. From our theater performances by the Center Players and Theatre South to our annual Camp Kayne Horah for seniors, the JCC strengthens and enriches the fabric of our Jewish community every day, including at our new Jack and Lee Rosen Southwest Orlando Campus, which we opened last August. Our community efforts were recognized this year by the Jewish Community Centers of North America with the awarding of 12 national honors. We are both proud and humbled to serve as this portal to Jewish identity and take this task seriously. As we reflect on our 36th years we ask you to join us in strengthening the next 36--bringing us to the day when our founders' great-great-grandchildren will smile with a taste of apples and honey.

We wish you a happy and healthy new year.

Daniel Coultoff, President David H. Wayne, Executive Director



Copyright 2010 Heritage Florida Jewish News, Fern Park, Florida. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 Heritage Florida Jewish News Fern Park, Florida. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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