It's Happening In Miami

Do you have family or friends buried in local cemeteries? How can you meaningfully reflect upon the lives of those who came before? How can the memory of the past give you direction moving forward?

Join us for the Annual Communal High Holiday Memorial Services (Kever Avot) Sunday, September 10, 2023, 10-10:45 a.m., hosted by community rabbis, cantors and chaplains

For many of us, the past few years were marked by loss and death, and some of us grieved in isolation. While the pandemic was hard on all, it was particularly difficult for those who grieved. Join us together as communities as we remember those who are no longer with us and celebrate their lives. Following the short program at the cemeteries listed below, you will be able to visit the graves of families and friends with materials we will provide.

Locations:

Beth David Memorial Gardens Levitt-Weinstein 3201 N. 72nd Avenue, Hollywood

Lakeside Memorial Park 10301 NW 25th Street, Miami

Mount Nebo Kendall Memorial Gardens 5900 SW 77th Avenue, Miami

Mount Nebo Miami Memorial Gardens 5505 NW 3rd Street, Miami

Walk-ins are welcome. Open to the public. Free of charge. No solicitation of funds. You do not need to have a loved one buried at these cemeteries to participate.

ZOOM INFORMATION

We encourage all to attend, as you can be with others and visit the cemetery.

For those unable to join in person, we can provide a Zoom link before the event. Please register by CLICKING HERE.

When we consider the meaning and purpose of our lives, the High Holiday season is the perfect time to remember those who had a special impact upon us. For this reason, it is a popular custom to visit cemeteries during this time of year. This custom, called Kever Avot (graves of our parents), is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the souls of those who are no longer with us and reflect upon our own mortality and our role in this life. Join us as we come together in memory and prayer and light a yahrtzeit candle for those who brought light into our lives.

Chaplains from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and L’Chaim Jewish Hospice Program, along with local clergy, will be available to provide resources and support.

This program is supported by Tikvateinu: Together Finding Hope and Healing Following Loss: A Jewish Community Initiative Supported by Mishkan Miami of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and L’Chaim Jewish Hospice Program.

Everyone will be provided with a brief prayer to use for future visits.

For more information, please contact Rabbi Frederick L. Klein at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation at RabbiKlein@gmjf.org or 786.866.8486.

Have you ever thought about joining a synagogue? Are you looking for a spiritual connection for the Jewish New Year? There is no better way to experience the richness of the High Holidays than among a congregation of your friends and neighbors.

To help you find a place to worship, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami have compiled a directory of area synagogues, available here. We encourage you to select a synagogue, visit their website or call for membership information. Make the year 5783 a time for Jewish renewal for you and your family, and a time to find personal meaning and connection with your community!

Registration is now open for the 20th anniversary year of Milk & Honey Volunteer Drive-Thru & Drop-Off, taking place Sunday, September 18, presented by Jewish Community Services of Florida (JCS) and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.

Join your Jewish community for a meaningful day preparing and delivering Rosh Hashanah baskets and personal hygiene kits to Holocaust Survivors and homebound elderly. Volunteers will gather at 9 a.m. at Michael-Ann Russell JCC in North Miami Beach or Temple Judea in Coral Gables to assemble the baskets and later deliver them, bringing hundreds of appreciative seniors throughout Miami-Dade County sustenance and joy at the Jewish New Year. The event will be a contactless drive-thru and drop-off format. Click here to register today!

For the past five months, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and its overseas partners have been supporting relief and rescue operations for Jews in Ukraine and the surrounding region. Together, they have been delivering food, critical care supplies and lifesaving medical attention to those in need, while also bringing displaced Ukrainians to safety in neighboring countries and assisting with aliyah efforts to Israel.

Please join Federation on Tuesday, August 16 from Noon to 1 p.m. for a webinar where you will hear eyewitness accounts from the war-torn region and learn how your donations are saving lives.

Featured speakers include:

Oksana Galkevich, Senior Projects Director, Field Operations Director, Former Soviet Union, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), who is a constant presence on the ground in Ukraine, coordinating JDC’s rescue and relief efforts.

Enrique Ginzburg, M.D., F.A.C.S., Trauma Medical Director, Chair of Surgery and President-Elect of Medical Staff, Jackson South Community Hospital, and Professor of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who personally provided top-notch medical care to individuals injured in the deadly Ukraine war.

Elise Udelson, Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, who met with refugees in Poland as well as volunteers and professionals providing daily relief.

There is no cost to attend. To RSVP, click here. Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

For more information, please contact Simon Kaminetsky at skaminetsky@gmjf.org or 786.866.8453.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation is seeking warm and supportive host families for two 18-year-old Israeli emissaries dedicated to making a difference in Miami's Jewish community. In Federation's ongoing commitment to connect Miami’s Jewish community with the people of Israel, we are proud to be bringing back the Shinshinim program to Miami. Shinshinim are high school graduates who defer their time in the Israel Defense Forces to serve as cultural emissaries by sharing their knowledge of Israel, its history, culture and people with various groups throughout the Diaspora. Organized by Federation overseas partner The Jewish Agency for Israel, the initiative brings Israel to life through educational activities around Jewish and Israeli culture, holidays, Hebrew instruction and more. Transportation is provided by the program. Home hospitality can be for three months or longer. If you are interested in hosting one of the teens, please click here to complete an interest form. For more information, please contact Bonnie Dawson at bdawson@gmjf.org or Lital Dayan at LitalD@jafi.org

Spend your summer with the Miami Jewish Film Festival (MJFF) at the second annual Summer Movies Under the Stars film series, which brings classics, family favorites and exciting blockbusters to screens across the city every Thursday beginning at 8:30 p.m.

All events are free and open to the public and are shown at four different public parks in Miami Beach, including Lummus Park, Altos Del Mar Park, Muss Park and Pride Park. The lineup kicked off with Top Gun and runs through Thursday, September 15 with selections such as Spider-Man: No Way Home; Who Framed Roger Rabbit; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; and Dirty Dancing. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, drinks, snacks and even pets to make themselves feel at home. Click here for more information and a complete schedule of showtimes and locations.

MJFF is a program of Greater Miami Jewish Federation subsidiary the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education, and the project is a collaboration with the City of Miami Beach OnStage! Program.

Music for Hope Benefit Concert for Ukraine PERFORMANCE Wednesday July 13 | 7:30 PM Temple Emanu-El

The Career Institute of the Miami Music Festival in partnership with Temple Emanu-El announce a special benefit concert to raise funds to support humanitarian relief efforts for the people of Ukraine. The evening will highlight music by Ukrainian, Tartar, and Georgian composers in various chamber music and vocal selections. This performance is free and open to the public. Seating is general admission.

Generously Supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation

Reserve Seats

Holocaust Impact Theatre General Interest Meeting August 22nd | 7 PM | Alper JCC Miami

Holocaust Impact Theatre (HIT) is BACK! HIT is a theater group comprised of local high school students who write, perform, direct, and produce an annual show to address social injustice using themes from the Holocaust to reflect on the dangers of hate. Interested? Contact Ruth Gordon at (305) 793-9537.

It is one year since the devastating collapse of Surfside’s Champlain Towers South, which fell early on the morning of June 24, 2021, claiming 98 precious souls and leaving an entire community devastated. As the world mourned the loss of life from this horrific tragedy and families struggled to come to terms with its aftermath, it was heartening to see people of all backgrounds and faiths from all around the world come together for rescue, recovery and support services. On June 24, many public and private vigils will be held to honor the memory of the victims and to provide solace to those who survived. We at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation extend our deepest condolences to the families who continue to mourn their loved ones and rebuild their lives, and we remain ready to support our community's needs through our partner agency, Jewish Community Services of South Florida. May the memory of all those lost in the Surfside disaster forever be a blessing and may the spirit of generosity, kindness and unity that we witnessed at that time continue to motivate and inspire us all. – Jacob Solomon, Greater Miami Jewish Federation President & CEO