VOL. 15 NO. 5
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MAY 2025
Volunteers Demonstrate Power of Community During Global Good Deeds Day In an inspiring display of community, more than 1,000 local volunteers came together with Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Kohl Jewish Volunteer Center (Kohl JVC) in partnership with Palm Beach Atlantic University to make a powerful impact during Good Deeds Day – a global day of service that began in Israel in 2007. Now in its ninth year in the Palm Beaches, volunteers of all ages participated in a wide range of service projects, reflective of the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repairing the world). “Good Deeds Day is an inspiring example of what happens when a community comes together with purpose,” said Michael Hoffman, President & CEO of Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. “Seeing volunteers, from young children to seniors and from all backgrounds, come together throughout the Palm Beaches is incredibly powerful. The collective impact will be felt far beyond this single day.” From packing meals to cleaning beaches and so much more, here are the highlights from Good Deeds Day 2025: Meal packing: An extraordinary 250 volunteers packed a record 53,856 breakfast meals for Caridad Center, Quantum House, Palm Beach County Food Bank, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (in partnership with Restoration Bridge International), and Palm Beach Harvest. Gleaning at a local farm: In partnership with Cros Ministries, more than 100 volunteers of all ages gleaned nearly 5,000 pounds of peppers from a local farm. The produce was
donated to the Palm Beach County Food Bank. Beach cleanup: More than 80 volunteers of all ages helped clean the shoreline at Singer Island Beach by collecting more than 60 pounds of garbage, along with our partner the Beach Bucket Foundation. These efforts are critical to turn the tide on marine pollution. Family-friendly phone-a-thon: An inspiring group of 25 volunteers, including many teens, helped raise thousands of dollars to fuel Federation’s work by making phone calls on behalf of Federation’s Annual Campaign. This mitzvah helps Federation continue to do life-saving work around the world. Family succulent plant party with local seniors: Children and students in the community helped bring smiles to the faces of Wellington Bay Retirement Community residents who enjoyed a plant-making party thanks to our friends at PJ Library. Family Mitzvah Madness & Magic: Nearly 80 children and their families joined together as Federation’s Sundays Together, a family Jewish educational experience, collaborated for a special morning of Mitzvah Madness & Magic. Children made blankets for Healthy Mothers,
Healthy Babies, decorated water bottles for Edna W. Runner Education Center, painted kindness rocks, made friendship bracelets, and created Passover items for their families’ seder table. The families also enjoyed a magic show with Eric the Magic Guy. Nourishing knowledge packing party: Nearly two dozen volunteers from the Admirals Cove community in Jupiter packed 65 backpacks with brand-new school essentials and 100 weekend lunches for students in underserved Title I schools throughout Palm Beach County. Volunteers Demonstrate Power of Community on page 4
Gala Cocktail Dinner Marks Chabad’s 19th Year Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens recently hosted its annual Gala, celebrating 19 years of growth, impact, and community. The shul was transformed into a formal dining experience featuring sushi, stir-fries, carving stations, and handcrafted pasta dishes. Later in the evening, a dessert spread added the perfect sweet touch.
The evening opened with Rebbetzin Chana Vigler, who delivered a heartfelt address reflecting on the shul’s journey — from humble beginnings to a world-renowned center of Jewish life. She proudly announced a major milestone: The shul’s YouTube Torah classes now reach over 50,000 subscribers worldwide, with some videos surpassing one million views. Yet, amid this remarkable growth, she emphasized that the most treasured aspect of Chabad remains its warm, welcoming spirit. Following her words, Rabbi Dovid Vigler highlighted the impact the community has had on Israel and the IDF over the past year. Several dedicated Chabad members were recognized for their contributions to the growth and vitality of the congregation. Each honoree received a custom-crafted Judaica metal sculpture as a token of appreciation. This year’s distinguished honorees included: • Amy Wendt, Volunteer of the Year • Deane Dubansky, Chabad Tomorrow Award • Michael & Devorah Chana Horwitz, Jewish Leadership Award • Melanie & Michael Cohen, Pillars of the Community Award After the awards, the energy shifted to a night of laughter as Rob Berger’s comedic flair set the stage for a performance by Michael Rapaport and Ami Kozak. Kozak had the audience in stitches with his hilarious impersonation of President Donald Trump delivering a
Bar Mitzvah speech. His sharp wit and impeccable timing left the room roaring. In a deeply personal and unexpected turn, Rapaport shared his Jewish awakening since October 7, 2023. He spoke candidly about how, before that tragic day, he saw his Jewish identity as merely cultural. However, witnessing the global rise in antisemitism ignited a powerful transformation within him. Rapaport described his newfound dedication to laying tefillin daily and embracing Jewish observance, recognizing that the strongest response to hatred is unwavering Jewish pride and action. Gala Cocktail Dinner on page 2