Annual meeting will look at community through ‘Jewish Lens’

Adam Lopatin will emcee. Zion Ozeri, born in Israel of Yemenite immigrant parents, became world-renown for his photographic images capturing the Jewish experience around the world

Later, he came concerned about the quality of Jewish education and went a step further and also developed, with an educator, the Jewish Lens Project. The goal was to add the arts to Jewish education to provide a hands-on creative curriculum for middle and high school-age students that uses photography to teach Jewish values, identity and tradition.

Students from Congregation Beth Shalom and Temple B’nai Israel, both in Clearwater participated in their own Jewish Lens for the first time this year, when the Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties made the program available to religious schools through its Partnership 2000 (P2K).

The work of several students will be exhibited as those attending look at the community through a “Jewish Lens” at the Joint Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties and its Beneficiary Agencies on Tuesday, May 11.

Other highlights will include a celebration of Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Reunification Day – honoring Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War which made the 2,000-year-old prayer of “Next Year in Jerusalem” become reality.

The winner of the 2010 Dr. Edward N. Ludin Young Leadership Award will be announced and presented at the event. The identity of the Ludin Award winner is kept secret until revealed at the Annual Meeting.

The award is presented to an outstanding young leader to recognize commitment and dedication to the Jewish community. Arlene Ludin and family established the award in 1994 in honor of her late husband, whose special interest was in developing young leaders.

Adam Lopatin, winner of the 2009 Ludin Award, will be the Annual Meeting’s Master of Ceremonies. Lopatin is past chair of the Federation’s annual Campaign Kick-Off event, and is on its proposed slate of officers as incoming Vice President and General Campaign Chair (See Page 5).

Lopatin and the Federation are encouraging community members countywide to bring the whole family and join in the celebration of the Jewish community’s accomplishments, leadership, and youth – as part of the the continued effort by the Federation and its agencies “build a unified future together!”

The Jewish Federation also will recognize leadership and install board members for the upcoming fiscal year, as will its beneficiary agencies: Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, Pinellas County Jewish Day School, Jewish Community Center of West Pasco, Pinellas division of TOP (Tampa Orlando Pinellas) Jewish Foundation, and JCC Suncoast.

The program begins at 7 p.m. at Temple B’nai Israel, 1685 S. Belcher Road in Clearwater. The evening includes a dessert reception and is free; however, for planning purposes, RSVPs are required by May 5. Call the Federation at (727) 530-3223 or register online at www.jewishpinellas.org.