Scene Around

Have you ever heard of JDC?...

I hadn't until now, actually not until I received this info in the mail last week.

JDC stands for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Their main headquarters is located at 711 Third Avenue, New York City.

JDC is the world's leading Jewish humanitarian organization. For nearly a century, JDC has been saving lives and giving hope to the neediest Jews in the world. Throughout its long history, JDC has coupled the concern for Jewish lives with an equally firm commitment to strengthening Jewish life.

Here are just a few of JDC's involvements:

Building Jewish community-JDC-sponsored Jewish community centers strengthen Jewish identity and community connections for tens of thousands of Jews in Latin America, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe.

Providing disaster relief-JDC's long experience of delivering disaster relief makes it a valued partner when catastrophe strikes. JDC provided immediate relief after natural disasters in Turkey, Haiti, and Japan, and continues to work on long-term development in these countries.

Fighting hunger and poverty-In the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia where the economy is especially depressed, JDC makes sure that no Jewish children go to bed hungry.

Reaching isolated Jews-In the former Soviet Union, home to the world's poorest Jews, a network of JDC-supported Hesed centers offer food, medicine, and protection from the cold to elderly Jews in more than 2,600 towns and villages.

Strengthening Israel-In partnership with the Israeli government, JDC helps immigrants and vulnerable Israelis adjust and prosper with cultural and job-training programs designed to foster self-sufficiency and integration into Israeli society.

To learn more about JDC, you can go online to http://www.jdc.org/givetoday.

All that jazz...

There will be a special holiday concert at the Altamonte Chapel this Sunday, Dec. 6th. Our own talented ALAN ROCK will emcee one very special show indeed.

At the piano and also on vocals will be the one and only CAROL STEIN. She is a super-talent not only here but around the world!

Performing with Carol will be CHARLIE BERTINI on trumpet, BARRY SMITH on drums, and RICHARD DREXLER on bass.

(Folks, these musicians are the best of the best. Trust me. I know!))

The Altamonte Chapel is located at 825 East State Road 436, Altamonte Springs. The phone number is 407-339-5208.

The performance begins at 12:30 pm and ends at 2:30 p.m.

(Music as good as you'll get in New York or Las Vegas. I promise!)

An event planner "extraordinaire"...

I received this email about a truly talented gal who is a dedicated volunteer in our Jewish community.

I refer to the lovely FAYE NOVICK. Here is the email:

Coordinating 150 vendors and accommodating their every need is enough to pull your hair out, but Faye Novick still has a beautiful head of hair. (Wish I could say the same.)

Faye has been accommodating all of the people who have tables at the Jewish Pavilion's annual Fall Festival for six years.

It takes far more than a good excel spread sheet to position vendors based on the kind of business they run, their electricity needs, the food they are serving and so much more.

Faye Novick of Festive Occasions by Faye, is the consummate professional party planner. She is calm, organized, efficient and effective. (All the things I'm not!) Moreover, "she is a delight to work with," according to PAM RUBEN, marketing director for the Jewish Pavilion.

To learn more about this volunteer extraordinaire and five-star wedding and bar mitzvah planner, you can phone 407-748-4717.

Good entertainment tomorrow...

Lately Mount Dora is featuring very entertaining musical programs and this one promises to be one of the very special ones.

It is titled "Almost Manilow," featuring the song stylings of Barry Alan Pincus (WHO?) better known as BARRY MANILOW.

(Barry will be imitated here but is actually coming to Orlando in February to entertain. I will let you know date and place as soon as I find out.)

"Almost Manilow" will be performed on Saturday, Dece. 5th at 7 p.m. at the Mount Dora Community Building. To get tickets to online to http://www.MountDoraLive.com or phone 352-383-2165.

Two shout-outs worth shouting about...

Lovely, charming, efficient... attributes describing another special gal in this column also fit perfectly to waitress, RACHEL MEADOWS who works at the Steak N Shake restaurant number 147 in Winter Park.

Oh yes... I left out funny and entertaining! Those attributes fit her as well.

And another "shout-out" goes to General Manager JEFF NARDELLI of the Publix Market in Casselberry Commons on SR 436.

He is a gem, always so helpful to his staff and especially to customers like me.

One for the road...

Two men went out to dinner before going to shul for services. One of them was slated to speak to the congregation that evening.

They ordered their food and then, waiting to be served, discussed the subject the speaker was going to address.

All of a sudden, the speaker announced that he decided NOT to speak and also not to eat dinner!

"Why this change of heart?" said the friend.

"I forgot my false teeth," he replied.

Declaring it not a problem, the friend pulled out a pair of false teeth from his pocket. "Try these," he said.

The speaker tried them. "Too loose," he said.

The friend then said, "I have another pair... try these."

The speaker tried them and responded, "too tight."

The friend was not taken back at all. He then said, "I have another pair. Try them."

The speaker said, "They fit perfectly!" With that he ate his dinner and later gave his speech to the congregation.

At the end of the evening the speaker went over to thank his friend who helped him. "I want to thank you for coming to my aid. Where is your office? I've been looking for a good dentist."

The friend replied, "I'm not a dentist. I'm an undertaker."