Scene Around

There are good people in this world...

The Jewish Foundation For the Righteous knows this for sure. I recently received the following letter from them:

The Jewish Foundation For the Righteous (JFR) was established to repay a debt of gratitude to Christian rescuers who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

The JFR sends monthly financial support to more than 550 aged and needy rescuers in 20 countries to help them pay for food, housing, and medical expenses. Since its founding, the JFR has provided more than $34 million to aged and needy rescuers.

We, as well as JFR. can have an impact on the daily lives of the rescuers. All of the rescuers supported by the Foundation (regardless of where they live) are in need of our help. They are in their 80s, 90s, and 100s. Many are in poor health. Most are living in poverty."

Any financial support they get lets the rescuers know that they have not been forgotten and enables them to live out their remaining years in dignity.

Monthly financial assistance is crucial to the daily survival of these true heroes.

The JFR also has an education program which preserves the legacy of the rescuers. They offer academic seminars that allow teachers to deepen their knowledge of rescue and the Holocaust, and they create materials that help educators present this complex history to their students.

Here is a brief story of one such rescuer, who (I believe) has since passed:

Anna Firuta of Ostra Mogila, Poland, and her son, BRONISLAW, hid JOAN BONDER and her brother, JOSEPH, from the fall of 1942 until liberation in 1944.

Anna and Bronislaw provided not only shelter and food, but also friendship and hope.

Joan and Joseph were the only members of their family to survive the war.

There is a website we can visit http://www.jfr.org where we can learn more about the work of this wonderful Foundation.

It is too late to thank the thousands of non-Jews tortured and murdered by the Germans and their collaborators because they helped Jews, or those Christian rescuers who have since died. But many still live.

These men and women risked their lives to save Jews. Now they may need help.

The Jewish Foundation For the Righteous does wonderful work. Let's learn more about them (and maybe how we can also help) by visiting their website.

Live and let live...

Rabbi SHMULEY BOTEACH's This World and Stand With Us have taken out a full-page advertisement in the New York Times recently to praise Israel as a haven for gay rights. With this ad, Rabbi Shmuley sends a powerful message that demands global support for Israel, a nation that respects the human rights of every citizen. The ad features an emotional passage from RENNICK, a gay American and proud supporter of Israel, who exposes firsthand the violence inflicted upon the gay community in neighboring Middle Eastern countries. Rabbi Shmuley raises extremely timely and sensitive issues, urging the world to acknowledge injustices and stand up for Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.

Music, music, music...

The next jazz program at the Altamonte Chapel, according to our own ALAN ROCK, is super exciting! Alan, who emcees these wonderful Altamonte Chapel jazz shows all year long, is host of his own radio show each Saturday and Sunday morning on WUCF 89.9 FM. (He plays great music so plan to tune in!)

On Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, FRANK WOSAR will be the featured performer.

Frank is the featured soloist in The Tommy Dorsey Band. He's been part of a group that has played The Chapel in the past and, Alan says "The audience loved him. Let's kick off the New Year with great showing for this great musician."

The Altamonte Chapel jazz shows begin at 12:30 p.m. and go for two hours. Professional musicians and vocalists are usually welcome to sit-in second set.

The Altamonte Chapel is located at 825 East S.R. 436 in Altamonte Springs. The phone number is 407-339-5208. (Be sure to go and enjoy!)

This is equally exciting...

The film, "Body and Soul, The state of the Jewish Nation" will be presented to the greater Orlando community by Congregation Ohev Shalom and the Jewish Community Relations Council on Thursday evening, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.

This stunning documentary by Gloria Greenfield, comprehensively shows the undeniable historical connection between the Jewish People and the land of Israel. This event is sponsored in memory of Robert Shapiro, M.D.

There is NO admission fee!

Congregation Ohev Shalom is located at 613 Concourse Parkway South

Maitland, FL 32751. The phone number is 407 298-4650.

(I will repeat this event as the date gets closer.)

This really happened...

Recently, while making my spouse a cup of coffee and fixing him a snack, which included grapes, one of the grapes accidentally dropped into the coffee cup. I gave it to him anyway and said it was a new French concoction called "raisin dans le café." (grapes in coffee).

He drank it and said "Yum, this is delicious!" Now he will only drink his coffee with a grape in it!

One more for the road...

Speaking of foreign concoctions, here is a joke about different languages:

A Swiss tourist in Tel Aviv is looking for directions and pulls up at a bus stop where two Israelis are waiting. "Entschuldigung Sie Bitte, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?" he says.

The two Israelis just stare at him.

"Excusey-moi, parlez vous Francais?"

The two continue to stare.

"Parlare Italiano?"

No response.

"Hablan ustedes Espanol?"

Still nothing.

The Swiss tourist drives off, extremely disgusted and frustrated. The first Israeli turns to his friend and says, "You know, maybe we should learn a foreign language..."

"Why?" says his friend, "that bloke knew four languages and that didn't do him any good!"