Jewish Connection - March 2026

JewishConnection

DEDICATED TO ENGAGING, INFORMING, & INSPIRING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY .NEWS

MiamiBookFairLaunchesStoriesWe

Miami Book Fair today announced the launch of Stories We Share: A Celebration of Jewish Voices, a new ongoing literary series spotlight ing Jewish storytelling in all its breadth and com

place Wednesday, March 18th, 2026, at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus and features nationally recognized authors Maya Arad, Allegra Goodman, Rachel Kadish and Tova

Share:A Celebration Of Jewish Voices

the introduction of Nu Reads to Miami audi ences. Curated by the Jewish Book Council, Nu Reads is a bi monthly subscription program delivering exceptional Jewish literature directly

the Fair’s longstanding mission to use literature as a bridge between communities. In a city shaped by layered identities and global diaspora voices, the series creates space for Jewish writers and thinkers to explore tradition, reinvention and contemporary life through story.

Continued On Page 16

• Implant Reconstruction • Porcelain Crowns and Bridges • Cosmetic Bonding

• Cosmetic Dentures

• Over Dentures

• Extractions

Root Canal Therapy • Partial with Clear Invisible Clasp • Soft Based Dentures • Repairs & Relines While You Wait

Cosmetic Bleaching

ZOAPraisesPresidentTrumpForHistoric,NecessaryU.S.–Israeli ActionAgainstIslamicRepublicOfIran’sTerrorRegime

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein, and the ZOA Board, staff, supporters, and friends are enormously grateful to President Trump for the courageous, necessary joint U.S. Israeli action against the Islamic Iranian terror regime and elimination of Iran’s monstrous evil Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and many of Iran’s evil leaders. Millions of citizens of Iran, Israel and other Middle Eastern nations share our gratefulness to the U.S. President and the U.S. and Israeli forces. Polls show 81% of Iranians oppose the Ayatollah and his regime. (It seems only Tucker Carlson supports the Ayatollah.)

The U.S. Israeli action was long needed: For decades, the Iranian Islamist regime has been the world’s prime state sponsor of terrorism –funding, arming, and directing terror proxies that murdered Americans, Israelis, and count less others across the globe including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and more. The Iranian regime’s relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles endangered the U.S., Israel, and the entire free world.

Throughout the forty seven years since radi cal Islamic Iranian terrorists seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took American dip lomats hostage, the Iranian regime and its prox ies have engaged in war against America, Israel, Jews, Christians, other non Muslims, the West, its Muslim Arab neighbors and its own people who sought freedom from Islamist tyranny. The Iranian regime openly declared its intentions, chanting “Death to America,” “Death to Israel”

and “America is the Big Satan, Israel is the Little Satan” at state sponsored rallies.

Iran and its proxies murdered American service members and civilians in attacks in Lebanon, at Khobar Towers, aboard the USS Cole, roadside bombings in Iraq, the October 7 massacre, and other acts of terror across decades. Iran also facili tated the worst terror attack on American soil: Iran helped Al Qaeda plan 9 11, and arranged the travel and trained the terrorists for the deadly 9 11 attacks.

In 2020, ZOA expressed our grati tude to President Trump for eliminating IRGC terror leader Qasem Soleimani to prevent imminent attacks on Americans.

But for decades, many U.S. Administrations, especially the Obama and Biden Administrations, “kicked the can down the road,” or even continued to fund Iran, even while Iranian regime hit lists targeted U.S. officials (including President Trump and Former Secretary Pompeo) and U.S. citizens (including ZOA President Klein). Former Administrations moreover ignored the Iranian people’s cries for U.S. assistance when they rose up against the regime.

Today’s action was clearly not solely about Israel. Even if Israel didn’t exist, America would have needed to attack Iran to protect itself and much of the world from terror, deadly missiles and nuclear annihilation, and to aid the Iranian citizens who have severely suffered from the Iranian regime’s tyranny, mas sacres of women who refused to abide by the regime’s fanatical demands, and recent mas sacre of over 32,000 innocent Iranian civilians in the last few weeks.

tolerant nation and law abiding citizen of the

rageous, long needed action to bring safety and

stability to America, our allies, the Middle East

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is prouder than ever that we were the only major Jewish organization to publicly honor President Trump, in person, at our standing room only NYC gala, with our rarely given highest award

JFRJoinsEdmondsFamilyAtWhiteHouseEventGivingMedalOfHonor ToMasterSergeantRoddieEdmondsForSavingJewishServicemen

[1] JFR EVP Stanlee Stahl, Pastor Chris Edmonds, CSM retired Terry Richardson, Bob Ollis [2] JFR EVP Stanlee Stahl, Pastor Chris Edmonds [3] CourtesyDefense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), White House Medal of Honor Ceremony

The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) joins the Edmonds family and the survivors and descendants of Stalag IXA in celebrating Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds posthumously receiving the Medal of Honor this week at White House and Department of War programs. The JFR was one of the first organizations to recognize Edmonds’ World War II heroism, honoring him posthumously with the Foundation’s Yehi Or (Let There Be Light) Award in 2016.

Master Sergeant Edmonds was captured by the Nazis during the Battle of the Bulge on December 19, 1944, and sent to Stalag IXA, a prisoner of war camp. As the highest ranking American soldier in the camp, Edmonds was responsible for 1,292 American POWs, including approximately 200 Jewish American GIs. When the camp’s commandant ordered Edmonds to identify the Jewish soldiers for separation, Edmonds refused. Placing a pis tol against his head, the commandant again demanded that the Jewish soldiers step forward. Edmonds responded, “We are all Jews here,” refus ing to identify them and thereby saving their lives.

Edmonds survived 100 days of captivity and returned home after the war, never speaking of his actions. He passed away in 1985, and it was only decades later that his son, Pastor Chris Edmonds, uncovered the full extent of his father’s heroism.

In addition to presenting Edmonds with its Yehi Or Award, the JFR produced its award winning documentary Footsteps of My Father, which recounts Edmonds’ courage through the lens of his son and several of the Jewish American POWs he saved. The film has screened globally and received numerous honors, help ing to bring Edmonds’ story to audiences in the United States and abroad.

His heroism has also been recognized by Yad Vashem, which named him Righteous Among the Nations, the only American sol dier to receive that distinction.

Master Sergeant Edmonds’ story is prominently featured in the JFR’s nationally recognized Holocaust education program on rescue and moral courage. Educators across the country study his actions as a powerful example of leadership, conscience and responsibility in the face of evil. Through teacher seminars, stu dent curricula and public events including documentary screen ings, the JFR highlights Master Sergeant Edmonds’ moral clarity and willingness to risk his life for others as a timeless model of

heroism. His story continues to inspire students and educators alike, reinforcing the enduring lesson that one individual’s cour age can save lives and shape history.

“For years, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous has worked to ensure that Master Sergeant Edmonds’ extraordinary courage and moral leadership would not be forgotten,” said JFR Executive Vice President Stanlee Stahl, who attended the cere mony in Washington. “The awarding of the Medal of Honor affirms what the survivors of Stalag IXA have long known, that his actions represent the highest standard of bravery, humanity and

responsibility.”

The JFR continues its work of providing monthly financial assistance to aged and needy Righteous Gentiles living in 10 countries. Since its founding, the JFR has provided more than $46 Million to aged and needy rescuers. Its Holocaust teacher education program has become a standard for teaching the his tory of the Holocaust and educating teachers and students about the significance of the Righteous as moral and ethical exemplars.

ComedyIconYakovSmirnoffToPerform AtAventuraArts&CulturalCenter

The City of Aventura presents Yakov Smirnoff, a legendary figure in American com edy, at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center on Thursday, March 26th, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. The performance marks the final show of the 2025/2026 Aventura Comedy Series.

After emigrating from the former Soviet Union in 1977, Smirnoff arrived in the United States with little more than a dream. He began his career working as a bartender at Grossinger’s Catskill Resort in New York, where he started telling jokes to customers each

evening while still learning English. As his lan guage skills improved, his humor quickly gained attention and popularity.

Smirnoff later moved to Hollywood to pur sue comedy full time, where his unique perspec tive as an immigrant and his optimistic view of life resonated with audiences nationwide. He rose to prominence through appearances on The TonightShow with Johnny Carson and numerous other television programs, including a recurring role on Night Court. He also starred in his own television show, titled after his well

known catchphrase, “What a Country.” VIP tickets are available as an add on and include a post show meet and greet/photo opportunity with Smirnoff. Tickets to all shows are on sale now. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. Buy tickets online at: www.aventuracenter.org. By phone at: (877) 311 7469. Or: (954) 462 0222 or in person at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center box office Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00 p.m. Noon to 5:00 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each

performance. For Group Sales, please call: (954) 660 6307.

The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center is located at 3385 Northeast 188th Street, Aventura, Florida 33180. Join the conver sation, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram @aven turacenter or #aventuracenter.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts manages the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, a 14,864 Square Foot, 330 Seat Waterfront Complex that hosts performing arts, cultural and educational programming for all ages.

MerrilyWeRollAlong

Alex Jorth, John Reed and Joline MujicaMerrily We Roll Along 21 - Photo by Morgan Sofia Photography.

Following its triumphant, Tony Award winning Broadway revival that became one of the most celebrated productions of the season, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami Dade County (@arshtcenter) and Zoetic Stage (@zoet icstagemia) are proud to present the Miami premiere of Merrily We Roll Along, the cult favorite musical by Stephen Sondheim which traces the unraveling—and eventual spark—of a decades long friendship among three artists chasing success. Featuring an all local cast, the musical will run in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater from Friday, March 13th, 2026 Sunday, April 5th, 2026.

Tickets to Merrily We Roll Along are $67* and may be purchased now at: www.ArshtCenter.org. Or at the Arsht box office by call ing: (305) 949 6722.

For guests with acces sibility needs, the Arsht pro vides accessible seating and complimentary assistive lis tening devices for all per formances, along with sign language interpretation, open captioning, and audio description at select shows to ensure an inclusive expe rience for all guests.

“It is always a celebration of creativity and joy when we bring the work of Stephen Sondheim to our stages and community,” said Zoetic Stage Artistic Director Stuart Meltzer. “Merrily We Roll Along demonstrates Sondheim’s incredible use of lyrics: language surrounded by a gorgeous score, remind ing us all to never let go of our dreams.”

Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of Frank Shepard, a famous song writer and eventual film producer, and his two closest friends. Moving backwards across 20 years, the show details Frank’s rise from a penniless dreamy eyed composer to a wealthy film producing sell out, and what he lost to get there.

winning actors from across South Florida, and stars Carbonell Award winner Alex Jorth as Frank Shepard, John Reed as Charlie Klingas and Joline Mujica as Mary Flynn. The production also features Leah Sessa, Lindsey Corey, Justin Packard, Sara Grant, Irene Adjan, Wayne LeGette, Joel Rodriguez and Kalen Edean.

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Tickets shown include taxes and fees. Visit: www.arshtcenter.org for up to date infor mation.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami Dade County is made possible by the public support of the

through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County

Since opening in 2006 in the heart of downtown, the Arsht proudly serves as the cultural pulse of Miami – the heart of magi cal live arts experiences that spark the imagination and connect people to one another. Whether on our stages or in your neigh borhood, the Arsht is alive year round with international artists, innovative programming from resident companies and local arts part ners, free community events that reflect Miami’s unique identity and more than 100 culturally diverse and impactful learning expe riences for 80,000 children every year.

The Arsht, a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization, has been recognized as a leader in Miami’s cultural transformation, producing more than 400 annual events that generate 11,500 local jobs and $125 Million in eco nomic impact. The Arsht is home to a robust series of touring Broadway musicals, star studded jazz and classical music concerts curated for South Florida, an award winning Miami based theater program and numerous historic and televised events. Free annual Arsht events, such as Gospel Fest Miami, Art + Mind Day, Heritage Fest and our LGBTQ+ Pride celebration bring together people from all corners of our community. For more infor mation, visit: www.ArshtCenter.org.

About Zoetic Stage

Zoetic Stage was founded in 2010 to cre ate fresh, bold interpretations of contem porary plays and musicals, and is dedicated to enhancing South Florida’s national artistic profile by producing regional premieres and developing new works to become part of the American stage repertoire.

In 2020, Zoetic Stage was named the Best Theater Company by the Miami New Times. The theater has been nominated for an impres sive 140 Carbonell Awards (of which 15 were for Best Production of the Year) and won 45, including six for Best New Work and four for Best Production of a Play or Musical. Zoetic Stage productions have received 48 Silver Palm Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Zoetic Stage is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network, a member of Theatre Communications Group and the South Florida Theater League.

The production features an all local cast featuring award

Visit: www.zoeticstage.org for more information.

FederationsStudy:1 In 4 Jewish Adults Struggle Financially

www.jewishfederations.org

“Many people don’t realize the extent to which members of our Jewish community face financial issues, but this eye-opening data tells an important story” www.jewishfederations.org

Nearly 1 in 4 Jewish adults (23%) are financially vulnerable— meaning they rely on government benefits, struggle to pay their bills, or have less than $1,000 in savings—while an additional 12% say they are just managing to make ends meet, according to a new study by Jewish Federations of North America, with sup port from TEN: Together Ending Need and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

“Many people don’t realize the extent to which members of our Jewish community face financial issues, but this eye opening data tells an important story that we all need to be attuned to,” said Jessica Mehlman, Jewish Federations’ Associate Vice President of Impact & Planning. “When nearly a quarter of our community is struggling, we cannot look away. These numbers underscore the urgent need to strengthen the safety net and ensure that every Jew, regardless of income, feels welcomed, val ued, and connected.”

There are some segments of the Jewish community that face more financial challenges than others. For example:

• 68% of low income Jews lack a college degree.

• 27% of low income Jews are divorced or separated women.

The study also found that:

• 57% of financially vulnerable Jews have no emergency savings.

• 87% of financially vulnerable Jews could not cover more than three months of expenses with their savings.

• 88% of financially vulnerable Jews rely on Medicaid.

The report makes clear that financial pressures affect how Jewish adults access, participate in, and experience Jewish life.

While respondents consistently say they highly value their Jewish identity and strive to live accord ing to Jewish values, many cite cost as a prohibitive barrier to engaging in activities.

The survey highlights a “belonging gap,” in which 48% of financially vulnerable Jews felt their local Jewish community cares for people who are in need. This, in turn, makes them feel less connected and less positive about their community and less cared for. The Jewish community prides itself on giving tzedakah, but with grow ing affordability challenges, those in need still report that they do not feel supported.

financial security. With one in four struggling financially and one in ten relying on government benefits, Jewish Federations’ public affairs team is committed to ensuring that all members of the

Jewish community can live dignified lives, advocating for policies that provide financial security for the vulnerable.

This gap, leaders warn, threatens long term communal cohe sion.

The release of this data comes as Jewish Federations continue to expand programs that support economic security, Mental Health, food access, and pathways to community participation, including strong support for Jewish Human Service organi zations. In addition, Jewish Federations are working with a pilot cohort of federations to strengthen and expand their strategies on

Federation leaders say the findings will help guide future investments and encourage philanthropists and community organizations to strengthen the social safety net.

“Financial vulnerability is shaping Jewish life in profound ways. From participation to long term communal resilience,” said Rachel Sumekh, CEO of TEN: Together Ending Need, which organizes funders on the issue. “This is a moment for funders, Federations, and lay leaders to strengthen our communal safety nets and invest in the Infrastructure that allows every Jew and American to live with dignity.”

CyberwellCommendsMetaOversightBoard DecisionOverturningMeta’sDecisionToKeep Emoji-BasedHateOnline

CyberWell, a nonprofit and trusted partner of Meta (Facebook, Instagram and Threads), TikTok and YouTube work ing to combat online antisemitism, commends the recent decision by the Meta Oversight Board (OSB) overturning Meta’s original determinations in two cases involving the use of monkey emojis to target Black individuals with racist abuse.

In its February decision, the OSB found that the content vio lated Meta’s Hateful Conduct policy and called on the company to strengthen both automated and human moderation systems to address “algospeak,” including emoji based hate. The Board fur ther recommended auditing and regularly updating training data to improve detection of violative emoji use across languages and ensuring that content is routed to reviewers with appropriate linguistic and regional exper tise. These recommendations align with CyberWell’s expert public comment submis sion on this issue, which analyzed the use of algospeak to target the Jewish community.

“The Oversight Board’s ruling highlights an important reality: emojis are not neutral when deployed as coded hate,” said CyberWell Founder and CEO Tal Or Cohen Montemayor. “Algospeak has become a sophisticated tactic used to evade monitoring and moderation while promoting dehumani zation and hostility toward minority communi ties. From what we have observed in the online universe, the popularity of algospeak has increased following the roll out of generative AI platforms and generative AI content on Social Media.”

As the Oversight Board recognized, con textual analysis, updated datasets and region ally informed human review are essential to countering these evolving tactics.

CyberWell’s monitoring across English and Arabic language platforms identified four dehumanizing archetypes of algospeak used to target Jews, including animal emojis. Compar ing Jews to pigs, rats and monkeys; devil emo jis. Portraying Jews as evil or satanic; and proxy code words such as “tiny hat,” “juice,” and the juice box emoji to circulate conspiracy theories about Jewish global control or moral corruption.“For Meta, the next step must be operationalizing the OSB decision and trans lating its impact to content targeting other minority communities,” added Cohen Montemayor. “By strengthening automated systems, investing in regionally competent human moderation, auditing training data and partnering with specialized external stakeholders, Meta can ensure this decision translates into measurable impact. Addressing complex and fast evolving forms of online hate

technologies monitor Social Media in English and Arabic for mote violence against Jews and their allies based on the ing definition of antisemitism. Its analysts review and report this content to platform moderators while indexing all verified posts in the first ever open database of antisemitic Social Media posts, cataloging it openly for transparency at: app.cyberwell.org. Through partnerships, education and real time alerts, CyberWell

AuschwitzJewishCenterFoundationHosts26U.N. DiplomatsOnHolocaustEducationToVisitPoland

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation hosted represen tatives from 26 U.N. missions for a multi day educational visit to Poland focused on Holocaust remembrance and confronting big otry, hate and antisemitism.

The delegation, led by Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon included 21 ambassadors and five deputy permanent representatives to the United Nations from Albania, Australia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Haiti, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Micronesia, Moldova, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu and Zambia.

The program began in Krakow with a reception at the Galicia Jewish Museum. During the event, Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Director General Jack Simony commended Ambassador Danon, noting his tireless advocacy for the Jewish people and his moral clarity and conviction in ensuring their voice is heard in the international arena. Simony then shared the Foundation’s mission to transform Holocaust memory into action and to confront rising antisemitism and extremism through edu cation and leadership engagement.

Ambassador Danon then addressed the diplomats about the destruction of European Jewry and the moral responsibility of world leaders in the face of escalating hatred, and the Rwandan Ambassador reflected on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, drawing connections between Rwanda’s experience and the Holocaust and underscoring the responsibility of the inter national community to act with moral clarity in the face of incite ment and mass violence.

During their trip, the group traveled to Auschwitz, the former Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp where more than 1.1 million people, most of them Jews, were murdered. The ambassadors toured the grounds, barracks and memorials, engag ing in discussions about historical memory, the consequences of unchecked hatred and the role of international institutions in pre venting future atrocities.

They also visited the Auschwitz Jewish Center Campus in Oswiecim which includes the only surviving synagogue in the town that was once home to a thriving Jewish community and now serves as a museum and education center dedicated to translating Holocaust memory into action. There, participants learned about the city’s vibrant prewar Jewish life and the near total destruction of the community during the Holocaust, as well as the Center’s ongoing educational initiatives.

“Auschwitz stands as the site of the systematic destruction of European Jewry, but it also stands as a warning to the world. When diplomats walk these grounds together, memory is no longer abstract and responsibility becomes personal. Our mission is to ensure that the lessons of Jewish history strengthen the resolve of leaders to confront antisemitism and defend the dignity of every human being,” said Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Director General Jack Simony.

“At a time of rising division around the world, building mean ingful bridges with U.N. ambassadors is not just important, it is essential,” said Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation Chairman Simon Bergson. “When senior diplomats walk through Auschwitz together, they do more than observe history; they build relationships rooted in truth and shared responsibility, strength

[1] The delegation, led by Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon included 21 ambassadors and five deputy permanent representatives to the United Nations. [2] The multi-day educational visit to Poland focused on Holocaust remembrance and confronting bigotry, hate and antisemitism.

[3] During their trip, the group traveled to Auschwitz, the former Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp where more than 1.1 million people, most of them Jews, were murdered.

ening the resolve of global leaders to turn remembrance into meaningful action.”

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is a NonProfit Organization dedicated to harnessing the lessons learned from the Holocaust to combat hatred and bigotry through educational programs and by providing direct humanitarian aid to victims of mass atrocities. It supports survivors of genocides and other tragedies, including Ukrainian refugees and those impacted by Hamas’s October 7th attacks. The Foundation maintains the Auschwitz Jewish Center, the last remaining synagogue in

Oswiecim (Auschwitz) and serves as the primary institution dedi cated to preserving the memory of the town’s Jewish community while addressing hate. To date, over a million people have visited the center, more than 300,000 students participated in its edu cational programs and tens of thousands of diplomats, military and law enforcement personnel and educators, have taken part in its educational initiatives on tolerance and the Holocaust.

For more information, visit: https://ajcfus.org/.

FromBattleScarredToRebuilt

Re’ImBaseSportsCenterReopensAsPartOfItsNIS23MillionRestoration

The sports center and gym at the Israel Defense Forces’ Re’im Base reopened Tuesday as part of a comprehensive NIS 23 Million reconstruction project led by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) and the Association for Israel’s Soldiers (AFIS) to restore facilities destroyed during the October 7th, 2023, terrorist infiltration at the Gaza Division headquarters base.

Supporters, soldiers and commanders gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony, affixing of the mezuzah, unveiling of a com memorative plaque and an inaugural basketball game marking the return of the sports complex. The center’s initial construc tion was funded by donors from FIDF’s New York Tristate Area Real Estate Affinity Group, who following October 7th came together to spearhead its rebuilding.

The restored facility includes a State Of The Art fitness gym and indoor basketball arena with seating for spectators. Its reopening serves as the centerpiece of the broader NIS 23 mil lion rehabilitation project to rebuild the base’s operational, social, welfare and religious Infrastructure on base.

After terrorists infiltrated the base on October 7th, they chose the sports center as their own base of operation and for tified position for further attacks on the soldiers and their fami lies on base. As IDF special forces closed in as they worked to liberate the base, the terrorists made the gym the site of their final stand. Opting to mitigate the risks to ground troops an air strike was called in to eliminate the terrorists rendering the building completely destroyed. Overall, the attack left many of the base’s operational, social, welfare and religious centers unus able.

In the months that followed, a large scale rehabilitation effort was launched to restore the base to full operational capacity. Through funding from FIDF and in partnership with AFIS, dam aged facilities across the base were rebuilt and restored.

The project included rehabilitation of the synagogue, library, health clinic and other service structures. Crews completed extensive electrical, air conditioning and sealing work, as well as repainting, safety repairs and reconstruction of Infrastructure damaged during the attack.

The sports center, which became one of the most visible sym bols of the battle, was rebuilt from the ground up. The renovation also included refurbishment of the gym, soldiers’ club, memorial room and additional welfare facilities, aimed at providing Gaza Division soldiers with a fully equipped environment.

“Rehabilitating Re’im Base is a true mission, stemming from the inseparable bond between the Jewish community in the United States and IDF soldiers,” said Friends of the Israel Defense Forces CEO Major General (Res.) Nadav Padan. “Commitment is tested in times of emergency, and our support has grown stronger. It continues throughout the long process of rebuilding, recovery, and strengthening morale. The reconstruc tion of the sports center and other welfare facilities symbolizes the determination to restore routine, stability, and a place that enables soldiers to continue their mission with a sense of security and pride. We stand alongside the soldiers of the Gaza Division today and in the future, with full and ongoing commitment.”

“The rehabilitation project at Re’im Base is a moving expres sion of closing the circle,” said Association for Israel’s Soldiers

felt gratitude to FIDF and to the many donors for their generous contribution and unwavering commitment to IDF soldiers. The completion of this rehabilitation project is not only the rebuild ing of structures, but also symbolizes the end of a complex period and the beginning of a new path for the soldiers and commanders at Re’im base. It is an expression of life, spirit, and hope return ing to the base, and of our commitment to providing those who serve there with a dignified environment that is strengthening and secure.”

Co Chair of the FIDF New York Tristate Real Estate Affinity Group Marty Berger, who participated in the ceremony and inau gural basketball game, reflected on the center’s restoration.

“I remember when we first built this gym and facility and coming back over the years to see how much they meant to you. When we returned in December 2023, just two months after

October 7th, we saw the damage and the bullet holes throughout the gym and fitness center. It was heartbreaking, but we also saw how the Gaza Division re emerged ready to defend Israel with strength and determination and we vowed to rebuild it. To see this place rebuilt and to have played a small part in restoring it is deeply humbling,” Berger shared with soldiers and FIDF sup porters in attendance.

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) is a 501(c)(3) Not For Profit Organization dedicated to honoring and support ing the brave men and women of the IDF who risk everything to protect the State of Israel and the Jewish people. While the mis sion of the IDF’s heroes is to look after Israel, defending its peo ple, borders and freedom, FIDF’s mission is to look after them. FIDF provides life changing support through education, finan cial aid, bereavement programs, Mental Health services and more, ensuring that every soldier, veteran and bereaved family knows they are not alone. Through global partnerships and unwavering commitment, FIDF stands as a pillar of strength for those who sacrifice so much in service to the Jewish homeland. For more information, visit: https://www.fidf.org/

MoreThan1,200ZAKAVolunteers MarkZayinAdarInNationalGathering

More than 1,200 volunteers of ZAKA Search & Rescue gath ered Monday evening at the Avenue Conference Center near Ben Gurion Airport to mark Zayin Adar, the traditional date asso ciated with the birth and passing of Moshe Rabbeinu and to honor their shared mission of Kavod Hameit.

The annual event brought together vol unteers from across Israel — from northern bor der communities to Eilat, from the Mediterranean coast through Yehuda and Shomron — representing the full spectrum of Israeli society. Participants included Jews from Chareidi to Chiloni communities, Ashkenazi and Sefardi backgrounds, as well as Druze, Christian, Baha’i and Muslim volunteers who serve their communities through ZAKA’s cul turally sensitive units.

Representatives of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate, the chief rabbis of the police and the military, and leading operational partners of ZAKA also participated in the gathering, underscoring the close cooperation between rabbinic authorities, security services and emergency response agencies in carrying out the organization’s mis sion.

Zayin Adar has long been observed by Jewish burial societies as a day of reflection on the sacred responsibility of caring for the deceased. Jewish tradition teaches that Moshe Rabbeinu’s passing was attended to with ulti mate dignity, underscoring the holiness inher ent in Chesed Shel Emet. For ZAKA vol unteers, whose work centers on Kavod Hameit, the gathering serves as both spiritual reflection and recognition of year round operational serv ice in Israel and abroad.

“ZAKA’s responsibility is to the deceased and to the families who depend on us for cer tainty and dignity,” said ZAKA CEO Dubi Weissenstern. “Our volunteers respond at all hours, in every corner of the country, ensuring that every individual is treated with respect and that families can lay their loved ones to rest with clarity and honor.”

Throughout the evening, volunteers were recognized for their ongoing commitment to emergency response, victim identification, search and rescue operations and culturally sensitive burial services.

national partnerships and deploys abroad when requested by authorities during disasters and mass casualty events.

“In moments of tragedy, families are searching for answers

dition, ZAKA has evolved into a full scale emergency response network, with over 4,000 trained volunteers operating 24/7 across Israel to honor the dead, aid the living and bring dignity in times of devastation. Today, it operates a wide range of units –

“Our volunteers dedicate countless hours to intensive training and operational readiness,” said ZAKA Chief of Operations Chaim Weingarten. “At every incident — whether a traffic acci dent, terror attack or complex recovery — they act with profes sionalism, precision and deep respect for the sacred nature of this work.”

Throughout the evening, volunteers were recognized for their ongoing commitment to emergency response, victim identification, search and rescue operations and culturally sensitive burial services.

care,” said ZAKA’s U.S. Executive Director Moshe Rozenberg who participated in the gathering. “ZAKA’s mission is to stand beside families and authorities, ensuring that dignity, compassion and closure remain at the center of every response.”

In addition to domestic operations, ZAKA maintains inter

Founded to honor the dead in accordance with religious tra

from rapid medical response and search and rescue to water recovery to culturally sensitive burial teams serving Israel’s Jewish, Bedouin, Arab and Druze communities to international units deploying at a moment’s notice to crises across the globe. For more information, visit: https://zakaworld.org/.

“Stories We Share reflects Miami Book Fair’s commitment to amplifying diverse voices and creating meaningful dialogue through lit erature,” said Lissette Mendez, Executive Director of Miami Book Fair. “We are proud to partner with Jewish Book Council on this event to bring Nu Reads to Miami and to launch this series with authors whose work challenges, inspires and connects readers across genera tions.”

“Jewish stories have always held a vital place in our culture,” said Stacey Mindich, “I created this fund to affirm that the joys and sorrows of

memoir and literary scholarship:

Maya Arad is the author of twelve books of Hebrew fiction and serves as writer in residence at Stanford University’s Taube Center for Jewish Studies. She will present her novel, Happy New Year, the inaugural Nu Reads selec tion.

Allegra Goodman is the author of seven nov els, including the national bestseller Isola, a Reese’s Book Club selection, and Sam, a Read with Jenna pick. She will discuss her new novel, This Is Not About Us (February 2026), the cur rent Nu Reads selection.

Rachel Kadish is an award winning novelist whose book The Weight of Ink was a USA

Books by the featured authors will be avail able for purchase on site through Books & Books, with signing opportunities to follow. Nu Reads subscriptions and limited edition book boxes curated around Goodman’s new novel will also be available for purchase, with all subscrip tion sales handled by the Nu Reads team.

Event Details:

Stories We Share: A Nu Reads Celebration

Date: Wednesday, March 18th, 2026

Time: 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Location: Auditorium (Building 1, 2nd Floor)

community through inclusive, accessible pro grams that promote reading and support writers year round. The annual eight day festival has grown into the largest and most comprehensive community rooted literary gathering in the United States, generating discourse on contem porary literature and current issues of inter national importance. Year round programming includes The Little Haiti Book Festival; the new Stories We Share initiative; creative writing and publishing workshops; author presentations; reading campaigns; and Books for Free, a part nership with The Children’s Trust that distrib utes more than 150,000 free books annually to children in Miami Dade County. Follow: @mia

Nu Reads is a bimonthly subscription series that brings remarkable Jewish literature straight to your home. By subscribing, you’re not only porting Jewish writers and the publishers who bring these stories into the world. As a member of Nu Reads, you’re helping to harness the power of a community that is passionate about books and ensure the enduring power of Jewish

JewishFamilyHomeCareOnceAgainAwarded WithThree2026BestOfHomeCareAwards

Jewish Family Home Care (JFHC) – a Not For Profit Agency – is honored to announce that it once again received three 2026 Best of Home Care Awards from Activated Insights, formerly Home Care Pulse, the leading firm in experience management for post acute care. The awards include the Leader in Experience, Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice. JFHC received all three awards in 2025 and 2024, and both the Best of Home Care® – Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice Awards from Activated Insights in 2023.

JFHC provides multi reach, non medical home quality home health care for Broward County, Florida seniors from all reaches of life and any faith. JFHC is one of the largest providers of home health care, providing assistance to Holocaust survivors and any one in Broward County needing in home care. Providing service to more than 400 clients, including over 300 Holocaust sur vivors, JFHC offers services such as home health aides, compan ions, housekeepers and certified nursing assistants. It delivers tailor made home health care plans, with special consideration to patients’ physical and emotional needs, as well as their family’s budgets.

As a Leader in Experience award recipient, Jewish Family Home Care ranks among the top 10% of home care providers nationwide participating in the Activated Insights Experience Management program. This recognition reflects the organi zation’s sustained commitment to delivering outstanding expe riences for both clients and caregivers.

This accomplishment demonstrates JFHC’s long term dedi cation to excellent care and quality improvement. To qualify for this award, 10% of JFHC’s clients and caregivers were inter viewed each month by Activated Insights. Over 12 months, JFHC received high client and caregiver satisfaction ratings in areas such as caregiver training, compassion of caregivers, communi cation, scheduling, client/caregiver compatibility and more. Using feedback from clients and employees, as well as quality benchmarks from Activated Insights, the JFHC management team set goals to reach the highest level of experience possible.

The Best of Home Care® – Leader in Experience Award high lights the top performing home care businesses in the nation. Activated Insights believes that by honoring these providers, families looking for in home care for a loved one will be able to recognize and choose a trusted home care provider.

The Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice Awards are granted only to the top ranking home care providers, based on client and employee satisfaction scores gathered by Activated Insights. JFHC is now ranked among a small handful of home care providers across the country who have proven their ability to pro vide an exceptional working experience to employees and the highest quality care to clients. Best of Home Care providers have contracted with Activated Insights to gather feedback from their clients and caregivers via live phone interviews each month. Because Activated Insights is an independent company, it can col lect honest and unbiased feedback.

“We are incredibly proud to once again receive the 2026 Best of Home Care® awards for Leader in Experience, Employer, and Provider of Choice from Activated Insights,” said JFHC CEO Robin Miller. “Earning these recognitions year after year speaks to our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional in home care. What makes this honor especially meaningful is that the

awards are based on real testimonials from both our clients and caregivers. This continued achievement belongs to our extraor dinary team, whose dedication and compassion make a tangible difference in the lives of the families we serve every single day.”

“At Activated Insights, our mission is to help post acute care organizations create experiences that exceed expectations for both clients and caregivers,” said Bud Meadows, Chief Executive Officer of Activated Insights. “When agencies like Jewish Family Home Care consistently use feedback to improve and elevate care, it demonstrates a deep commitment to excellence. We’re proud to recognize their achievements and celebrate this mile stone.”

To find out more about JFHC’s commitment to excellence, please visit: JFCares.org. Or call: (954) 908-5677.

About Jewish Family Home Care, Inc.:

Jewish Family Home Care (JFHC) is a Not For Profit Agency providing quality home care for Broward County seniors from all reaches of life, enabling them to continue living at home and have the best level of wellness, dignity and independence throughout life. Such services are often a welcomed alternative to moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility. JFHC is dedicated to empowering individuals, strengthening older adults and families, and protecting the vulnerable and frail by providing direct home

care and personal care services guided by Jewish values, social responsibility, compassion and respect. JFHC is an affiliated agency of Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward. JFHC is located at 5890 South Pine Island Road, Suite#: 200, Davie, Florida 33328. For more information, visit JFHC at: www.jfcares.org. Contact: (954) 908 5677. Or visit: Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

FHC received three 2024, 2025 and 2026 Best of Home Care Awards® from Activated Insights, formerly Home Care Pulse, the leading firm in experience management for post acute care, including the Leader in Experience, Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice awards. JFHC received both the Best of Home Care® – Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice Awards from HCP in 2023.

About Activated Insights:

Activated Insights helps long term and post acute care pro viders strengthen workforce performance, regulatory compli ance, and care quality. Through recruitment, compliance focused education and training, retention, and experience management tools, along with the industry’s leading benchmarking and rec ognition programs, Activated Insights enables providers to reduce risk, improve satisfaction, lower turnover, and achieve operational excellence across senior living, post acute and home based care. Learn more at: https://activatedinsights.com.

Keller’sKornerJewishIn OlympicHockey: 1936&2026

By Neil Keller

[1] Neil Keller with Jack Hughes (Photo credit to Jeff Friedman) [2] The two 1933 German cigarette cards that we are holding. [3] A 2023 Topps card of 3 Hughes brothers.

Welcome to Keller’s Korner. When Jack Hughes slapped the overtime goal into the net that lifted the USA men’s hockey team to Olympic gold, my mind went to another Jewish hockey hero.

Ninety years earlier, Rudi Ball stood at the center of a very dif ferent Olympic drama. He was the only Jewish athlete to compete for Germany at the 1936 winter Olympic Games, where his per formance represented a remarkable and little known act of Jewish resilience under the thumb of the Nazi regime.

As a collector of Jewish sports memorabilia, I happen to own three of the very few surviving Rudi Ball 1933 German cigarette trading cards as Hitler wanted to burn things of Jews. I also hap pen to live in South Florida, where the U.S. men’s team traveled to celebrate their win in Milan. I wanted to share the story of Rudi Ball with Jack Hughes and his brother Quinn, as well as a third Jewish player on the national team, Jeremy Swayman. It’s not my typical milieu, but I made my way on Monday to the nightclub E11even Miami with two Ball cards in hand.

There, I got a chance to tell Jack Hughes about the most important Jewish hockey player before him. I told him I had emailed his Jewish mother, Ellen Weinberg Hughes, in the past as she herself is a hockey Olympian.

Rudi Ball is a name most fans today have never heard, yet he was one of Germany’s brightest hockey talents before Hitler took power in 1933. Like the Hughes brothers today, Rudi came from a hockey family — he and his two brothers all played the sport. He starred for Germany at the 1932 Olympics, scoring three goals and helping the team win a bronze medal. At a time of rising antis emitism, his success brought pride to German Jews.

But when the 1936 Winter Olympics were awarded to Garmisch Partenkirchen, Hitler’s hatred of Jews was already well known. The German Olympic Committee did not want Rudi on the team because of his Jewish heritage (his father was Jewish). His Christian teammates were outraged. According to my research, Gustav Jaenecke and two others confronted German officials and delivered an ultimatum: “If Rudi doesn’t play, we don’t play.”

Hitler relented.

Rudi agreed to perform the Nazi salute at the Games — a pain ful compromise — in exchange for safe passage out of Germany for his family. They fled to South Africa.

Rudi was injured during the Olympic games, and Germany finished fifth, but his presence on that ice remains one of the most remarkable and little known acts of Jewish resilience in sports history.

It also had a cruel postscript: Rudi was obligated to continue playing for a Berlin team throughout the war, meaning that he was

maintaining his freedom but watching his community be anni hilated. Still, after the war, his brother Gerhard, also a talented hockey player, returned to Germany where the pair played together for several years before relocating permanently to South Africa.

Ninety years later, the world is again experiencing a surge in antisemitism. And again, a pair of hockey playing Jewish brothers are in the spotlight.

But things are different this time. For one thing, Jewish rep resentation in the Olympics is stronger. Back in 1936, the U.S. Olympic committee chairman was a Nazi sympathizer who boasted about how few Jews were on the national delegation. This time, dozens of Jews competed in Milan, including three on the men’s hockey team and more than a dozen on the Israeli team.

What’s more, the brothers who took the ice say antisemitism hasn’t been part of their life.

When I asked whether he or his brothers had ever expe rienced discrimination because of being Jewish, Jack answered

simply: “No, we have not.” All three brothers had bar mitzvahs and are proud of their Jewish identity, which comes from their mother, who served as a player development coach for this year’s gold medal winning women’s hockey team.

Ellen Weinberg Hughes said, “It all seems surreal. I could not be prouder of both the men and women’s teams.” She added, “I did not like Jack being hit in the mouth but [was] thrilled with the goal.”

I showed Jack two rare 1933 German hockey cigarette cards of Rudi Ball, and we posed for a photo holding them together. To me, it was a most meaningful encounter: Rudi Ball fought simply to stand on the ice. Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, and Jeremy Swayman stood tall on the ice and won gold for their country. Both moments, separated by 90 years, remind us how powerful Jewish pride in sports can be.

Neil Keller is a Jewish historian. Visit: www.NeilKeller.com to learn who is Jewish.

ABSOLUT INT’L REALTY

WATERVIEW #1048

Beautiful Unit, Very Nice Water Views, One Of A Kind. $449K. Call For Showing.

RENTED

WINSTON TOWERS 700 #2101

Fantastic Unit/fantastic View, Completely Renovated, One-of-a-kind, Only $749K.

OCEANVIEW #724

Great Views Arcoss The Ocean, Priced $414K

WATERVIEW #646

Gorgeous Views, Needs TLC, $429K.

REGENT PARK #516

1/1 Downtown Hollywood, Beautiful Unit, $265K. Centrally Located, New Kitchen, Covered Parking, W/D In Unit.

FLAMENCO #706

2/2 Beautiful Unit. Kitchen Redone/huge Balcony. Tiled Throughout All Special Assessments Paid. Only $350k.

WATERVIEW #1449

Beautiful Unit, Great Water Views, Unfurnished, Renovated $479,000 Tenant Occupied

UPTOWN MARINA LOFTS #505

3/2 Loft. Flow Through Unit. Open Kitchen. High Ceilings, Great Amenities, Rented. $599K

BENTLEY BEACH #906

Ocean Drive And 1st Street. South Beach Gem, 1/1, Fabulous Views, $9,000/month. Long/short Term.

WATERVIEW #138

First Floor, $369K, Rent $2,800

WATERVIEW #1848

Beautiful Unit, Great Views, $529k Gorgeous Unit

WATERVIEW UNIT #2047 - #747#1036 - #246 - #147

Presented By Bill SchoenbaumKing Of WATERVIEW (786) 877-2464