b’nai - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T06:21:46Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/b%E2%80%99naiHealth & Harmony: Girl’s sun-safety mitzvah honors grandfather she lost to melanomahttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/health-harmony-girl-s-sun-safety-mitzvah-honors-grandfather-she-l2019-12-03T21:34:19.000Z2019-12-03T21:34:19.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960910681,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960910681,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="7960910681?profile=original" /></a><em>Brooke Diamond of Boca Raton honored Alex Morgenstern by working to put sunscreen dispensers in parks. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Joyce Reingold</strong></p>
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<p>A stuffed animal resembling a favorite pet. Water-resistant earbuds. A tween-sized fitness tracker. These are all suggested gift ideas for the 12-year-old set that would surely put smiles on many young faces. But when Brooke Diamond turned 12, she had other ideas.</p>
<p><br /> The Boca Raton girl put out a call to friends, family and corporations asking for contributions of sunscreen and sun-protective clothing items, and money to buy two sunscreen dispensers to place at local parks.</p>
<p><br /> It was the year leading up to her April 13, 2019, bat mitzvah at B’nai Torah, and she’d chosen melanoma awareness and prevention as a mitzvah project, her way of giving back to the community.</p>
<p><br /> “I knew right away what I wanted to do,” she said, her soft voice filled with conviction.</p>
<p><br /> When she was 10, she’d lost her beloved maternal grandfather, Alex Morgenstern, 73, to stage 4 metastatic melanoma. She wanted to do something meaningful to prevent others from developing what the Melanoma Research Foundation calls the deadliest form of skin cancer.</p>
<p><br /> Brooke, now 13 and an eighth-grader at Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, is well-versed in melanoma facts and statistics. “On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns,” she said. “Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50%.”</p>
<p><br /> While there is no cure for melanoma, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “most cases of melanoma could be prevented.”</p>
<p><br /> Finding hope and purpose in prevention, Brooke watched as donations to her project, dubbed Peace, Love + Sunshine, began rolling in.</p>
<p><br /> “We wrote letters to sunscreen companies and clothing companies,” said her mother, Lauren. “It was like the holidays. Every time you got to the door, there were boxes of sunscreen or boxes of the neck wraps fishermen wear.”</p>
<p><br /> From the bounty, Brooke assembled 46 packages of sunscreen, SPF shirts and SPF hats for children at the Milagro Center in Delray Beach. And as the donations continued to flow, she delivered the same potentially lifesaving items to the dermatology department at the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach.</p>
<p><br /> Brooke helped put together a 12-member team of friends and family — including her father, Harold — to take part in the SafeSun Foundation’s annual Run From the Rays 5K/1 Mile Run/Walk.</p>
<p><br /> SafeSun, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and other skin cancers, donated the team’s registration fees to Caridad’s dermatology department.</p>
<p><br /> Through Facebook fundraisers, Brooke raised $2,000. Del Prado Elementary — where Lauren teaches fifth grade — and its PTA contributed $500. Pride Air Conditioning donated another $500.</p>
<p><br /> With $3,000 in hand, Brooke planned to acquire two automatic sunscreen dispensers she hoped to see placed near the carousel in Sugar Sand Park and by the tennis courts at the Swim and Racquet Center. Both were places where she and her brother, Mitch, now 11, had spent happy hours with the grandfather they called “Pop Pop.”</p>
<p><br /> To learn more about the dispensers, Lauren spoke with Fran Nachlas, a founder of SafeSun. Nachlas had partnered with the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department and the West Palm Beach-based Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation to place dispensers in other Boca Raton locations.</p>
<p><br /> The Diamonds then reached out to the foundation, asking the 501(c)(3) to safeguard their funds until it was time to work together to buy the dispensers.</p>
<p><br /> Stacy Ostrau, executive director of the RDK foundation, said, “We’re really proud of Brooke’s dedication to help raise awareness and support people being sun-safe. She was so passionate about it, because of her grandfather, and she really worked hard to get that done.”</p>
<p><br /> On Oct. 7, Brooke and her mother stood before Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District commissioners, asking them to green-light Brooke’s request. In a real-life lesson in civics, Brooke saw commissioners embrace and amplify her proposal.</p>
<p><br /> Commissioner Craig Ehrnst proposed, and the panel agreed, that the district absorb the cost of filling and maintaining the dispensers. Each dispenser cost $500, with another $500 needed to fill it with sunscreen — approximately 4,000 “squirts,” according to the RDK foundation.</p>
<p><br /> With the district absorbing the sunscreen expense, Brooke was able to donate another dispenser to Sugar Sand Park and the Swim and Racquet Center, for a total of four, and keep funds in reserve for future installations.</p>
<p><br /> In the chambers that evening, a proud grandmother Tamara Morgenstern donated $1,000, more sun protection for future park visitors.</p>
<p><br /> Brooke’s desire “to make a difference in our community inspired the board,” district Executive Director Briann Harms said in a news release. “By supporting her project, we encourage youth to engage in outreach while simultaneously helping protect our community. We are proud of her and happy to support this important initiative.”</p>
<p><br /> “I’d love to see this as more of a holistic project for all of the area,” Ehrnst said at the meeting. “So, if that means another way of doing it instead of us individually putting one up here, one there, I’d rather work with the city to see how we can do this across the city.”</p>
<p><br /> He looked at Brooke. “I’m very supportive of your project, Brooke, and if we can make it happen on a bigger basis, I think that would be more exciting, don’t you?”</p>
<p><br /> “Yes!” she replied, and later she called it “awesome.”</p>
<p><br /> Brooke isn’t always comfortable in the spotlight, but when it comes to advocating for sun-safety and melanoma awareness, she stands tall. “I don’t want the attention,” she said. “But I want the message to be out there.”</p>
<p><br /> Through Peace, Love + Sunshine, her tribute to her grandfather, the message, and his memory, live on. Watch this space for installation plans, which are still in the works.</p>
<p><br /> “It was a part-time job helping to manage this project with Brooke, and nothing gave me greater pleasure to do it because I knew something good was going to come out of something sad,” Lauren said. “And we talk about my dad in some way, shape or form just about every day.”</p>
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<p><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>SunSmart America guidelines</strong></span><br />When the UV index reaches 3 and above, use these five SunSmart guidelines:<br />• Slip on sun-protective clothing. Wear loose-fitting, close-weave clothing that covers as much skin as possible during outside activities. <br />• Slap on SPF 30+ sunscreen. Apply SPF 30+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside to ensure maximum effectiveness. Reapply every two hours or more often if you’re involved in physical or water activities.<br />• Put on a hat, to protect the neck, ears, face and nose.<br />• Stay out of the sun as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Use shade whenever possible. UV radiation can reflect from surfaces such as water, sand and concrete, so it is important to wear a hat, appropriate clothing and sunscreen even while you’re in the shade.<br />• Slide on sunglasses. Exposure to UV radiation can damage the eyes. When practical, wear close-fitting, wraparound sunglasses that cover as much of the eye areas as possible. Look for glasses that block 100 percent of UV rays and that absorb most high-energy visible radiation, or blue light.<br /> Source: Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation</p>
<p>Melanoma facts <br />• When it’s detected early, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is 99%.<br />• It’s estimated that the number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2019 will increase by 7.7%. <br />• The number of melanoma deaths is expected to decrease by 22% in 2019. <br />• The vast majority of melanomas are caused by the sun. One U.K. study found that about 86% of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.<br />• On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns, but just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.<br />• Help prevent melanoma by seeking shade whenever possible, wearing protective clothing, avoiding direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and using broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30.<br /> Source: Skin Cancer Foundation</p>
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<p><em>Joyce Reingold has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to joyce.reingold@yahoo.com.</em></p></div>Finding Faith: Two congregations join forces to deliver a community Thanksgiving dinnerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/finding-faith-two-congregations-join-forces-to-deliver-a-communit2019-10-29T21:29:48.000Z2019-10-29T21:29:48.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960903495,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960903495,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960903495?profile=original" /></a><em>County Commissioner Robert Weinroth volunteered alongside Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer at the dinner in 2018. It’s hosted by Congregation B’nai Israel and Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church and will take place Nov. 26 this year at Ebenezer. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong></p>
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<p>On Nov. 26, nearly 3,000 people, many of them children, will dine on dishes made by the best chefs at some of the finest country clubs in Boca Raton and Delray Beach. Another 1,000 will receive dinners packaged to go. But at the end of the meal, there will be no check to pay and no server to tip.</p>
<p>The annual Feed the Community Thanksgiving Dinner is a joint venture by two Boca Raton congregations — Congregation B’nai Israel and Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church — to feed their friends and neighbors who don’t have the resources for a full Thanksgiving meal.</p>
<p>The dinner will take place starting at 3:30 p.m. in Ebenezer’s church building and the surrounding property at the southwest corner of Glades Road and U.S. 1 in Boca Raton. Tents will shield the food, dessert and beverage areas and provide shade for diners.<br />The Thanksgiving dinner tradition has been around longer than senior Rabbi Robert Silvers, who has served the synagogue for 26 years.</p>
<p>“I will brag about it,” he laughs. “It functions as a well-oiled machine. But to us, it’s not a special event. It’s what we do.”<br /> The partnership between the two houses of worship began in 1984, when the synagogue’s leaders approached Ebenezer’s with an idea for a cooperative Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative event.</p>
<p>In 1985, the congregation at Boca Raton’s fledgling synagogue joined with the congregation of the city’s oldest African-American church for an interfaith service in memory of King, a year before Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially celebrated.</p>
<p>From there, the relationship grew.</p>
<p>For the Thanksgiving feast, the kitchens at St. Andrews Country Club, Addison Reserve Country Club, Mizner Country Club and Boca Grove Country Club will each make nearly 1,000 servings of mashed potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese and green beans. VIP Caterers will roast about 80 turkeys.</p>
<p>This fete isn’t popular with just the diners. There are so many volunteers from CBI’s congregation that it limits each person’s shift to 45 minutes, so everyone gets a chance.</p>
<p>“Now we have two and three generations of volunteers,” Silvers said. “Teens who came with their parents are now here with kids of their own.”</p>
<p>Silvers says Ebenezer and CBI have more in common than one might think.</p>
<p>“We both share the same giving heart,” he says. “We know the value of helping others. It’s a blessing to us to be a blessing to others.”</p>
<p>For more information about the Feed the Community Thanksgiving Dinner and other projects, call coordinator Minda Shaiman at 241-8118, ext. 119 or email minda.shaiman@cbiboca.org, or call Ebenezer church at 391-7357.</p>
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<p><em>Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and events. Contact her at janisfontaine@outlook.com.</em></p></div>Religion Notes: ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ author to speak at Congregation B’nai Israelhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/religion-notes-tuesdays-with-morrie-author-to-speak-at-congregati2019-10-29T21:26:35.000Z2019-10-29T21:26:35.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960895462,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960895462,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960895462?profile=original" /></a><em>Acclaimed author and speaker Mitch Albom will be featured in Boca Raton on Nov. 14. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong></p>
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<p>Congregation B’nai Israel will host a special literary event, “An Evening With Mitch Albom,” from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14 at the synagogue, 2200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton.</p>
<p>Well-known since he released the best-seller <em>Tuesdays With Morrie</em> in 1997, Albom is a popular and positive speaker. Morrie topped the New York Times nonfiction best-sellers list of 2000. Albom followed with more heartfelt books: <em>The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, The First Phone Call From Heaven,</em> and his latest work, <em>Finding Chika</em>. It’s about a little girl and an earthquake, but it’s really a story about family.</p>
<p>The lecture is part of the CBI speaker series. Tickets are $36 for general admission, $54 balcony, and $54 and $100 in the sanctuary. Call 241-8118 or visit <a href="http://www.cbiboca.org">www.cbiboca.org</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>Entrepreneur to speak</strong></p>
<p><br /> The 2020 fundraising campaign for the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County kicks off Nov. 6 with a reception and a talk by one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, one who personifies the campaign’s theme: “Live Your Passion.” <br />You may not know Jesse Itzler’s name, but he’s the brains behind many successful projects. He founded Marquis Jet, one of the world’s largest prepaid private jet companies (like a boat club, it grants you access to a plane depending on a price package). He sold Marquis to Berkshire Hathaway/NetJets.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960895301,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960895301,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="254" height="254" alt="7960895301?profile=original" /></a>Itzler, 51, is a rarity — a Jewish rapper who appeared on MTV (he had a Billboard hit in 1991 with Shake It Like a White Girl). Later he co-founded Alphabet City Sports Records and became the producer and singer behind the NBA’s “I Love This Game” music campaign and the New York Knicks anthem Go NY Go.</p>
<p>His record company found its niche mixing classic arena songs with game highlights for NBA teams including the Wizards, Mavericks and Lakers. He and his wife, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, own a portion of the Atlanta Hawks.</p>
<p>Itzler and his partner started Zico coconut water and sold it to the Coca-Cola Co. in 2013. Then Itzler turned to writing. In November 2015, he released the book Living With a SEAL: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet to wide acclaim. It was a</p>
<p>New York Times best-seller and topped the LA Times book list. In 2018, he released the introspective Living With the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me About Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus.</p>
<p>In 2008, Itzler married Blakely, whose net worth rivaled his own. Blakely (a convert to Judaism) and Itzler are raising their four kids near Atlanta.</p>
<p>The Nov. 6 reception begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and an opportunity for connection with friends and colleagues. Itzler will speak at 7 p.m. More than 600 are expected to attend the event at B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, 6261 SW 18th St.</p>
<p>Last year’s event raised $1 million.</p>
<p>A cover of $95 plus a minimum household contribution of $500 to the 2020 campaign is required to attend. Register at <a href="https://jewishboca.org/theopeningevent">https://jewishboca.org/theopeningevent</a>.</p>
<p>Call 852-3144 or email Erica Gordon at ericag@bocafed.org.</p>
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<p><strong>Big business and deep faith</strong></p>
<p>What do you think you would find at the intersection of capitalism and spiritualism?</p>
<p>Each month, Pastor Bill Mitchell of Boca Raton Community Church tries to shed light on that crossroads with BocaLead, a business lunch (and sometimes dinner) that explores how biblical principles can apply in the workplace.</p>
<p>The next luncheon takes place at noon Nov. 7 at the church. A dinner meeting at 6:30 p.m. is also planned.</p>
<p>Mitchell, with a 25-year business career to draw from, started BocaLead about five years ago. He says the goal is “to raise the bar of ethics and character” in business. Topics of discussion include leadership, team development, inspiring your co-workers and improving communication.</p>
<p>The lunch meets from noon to 1 p.m. the first Thursday of every month from September to June at the church, 470 NW Fourth Ave., Boca Raton. Registration is $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Get a table and bring the whole office. For more info, visit <a href="http://www.bocalead.com">www.bocalead.com</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>Holocaust exhibit opens</strong></p>
<p><br /> A new exhibition, “Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust,” opens Nov. 3 at the Levis JCC Sandler Center, 21050 95th Ave. S., Boca Raton, with a reception and presentation from 2-4 p.m.</p>
<p>The exhibition, which explores themes of kindness, heroism and compassion, debuted at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1995. Portrait photographer Gay Block and children’s book writer Malka Drucker spent three years interviewing 105 Christian rescuers in 11 countries who hid, protected and saved Jews in Europe during World War II. The exhibition features 56 pictures of the people Drucker interviewed for the book.</p>
<p>The exhibition is on display through Dec. 22. A series of lectures, films and programs is planned to illuminate the exhibition, including a talk by Rabbi Leon Weissberg called “Profiles in Moral Courage” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14. For more information, visit <a href="https://levisjcc.org/events/">https://levisjcc.org/events/</a> or call 852-3200.</p>
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<p><strong>Interfaith Café talks justice</strong></p>
<p><br /> The conversation at the Nov. 21 Interfaith Café will focus on the justice system. The presenter is Dr. Martha A. Brown, an advocate of the system known as “Restorative Justice.” Its goal is to hold the offender accountable for repairing the harm to make the victim whole again as much as possible. Does it work? Is it effective?</p>
<p>The conversation and nondenominational gathering meets at 7 p.m. at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach. Light refreshments are served.</p>
<p>The Interfaith Café meets the third Thursday of the month.</p>
<p>The meeting is free, but donations are appreciated. Volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of duties to keep this program going. For more information or to volunteer, email jane@aurorasvoice.org.</p></div>