President’s Message 2025
President’s Report June 2025
What a year! The JCB has achieved a lot this year. Mazal tov to us!!!!
Last year, February 2024, we had an amazing Campaign fundraiser, led by Mitch Blaser, to achieve this…We did it! We bought the First Jewish Community Centre in Bermuda History!!!!!
More on that shortly.
We, The JCB board, continue to try to do our best for all members, trying to assist people to have the most meaningful Jewish experience while living in Bermuda. This year, there were some successful oneg Shabbats and some well attended holiday events.
We have a lot of young families and we continue to be outnumbered at events by children which is a very happy thing indeed and bodes well for the future. It does bring a bit of chaos, but we’ll take it.
It is challenging meeting everyone's needs as not everyone wants children focused events, we have had several adult only events too as a result which are popular too and we endeavour as a board to continue providing for all. If anyone has any ideas, requests or wishes please come forward and voice them, we are here for you all and are flexible and willing to respond and act. The JCB mission is to meet the Jewish needs of our members and we are focused on this goal. If we can make it work we will do it.
Board Thank-You
As always, I would like to thank the all-volunteer board for a lot of work in the background this year. They step-up unselfishly year after year doing what is needed to keep our community going. We have been resilient. Some of us do more than others which is ok, but some go over and above like Cort and Felicia and Tori.
Cortney, our ‘assistant’ treasurer, still does most of the grunt work for the community. Cort has been keeping all of our accounts in check. It’s a thankless job, one which requires almost daily attention. This gets largely unnoticed and unrecognized, but she works away behind the scenes with no accolades. Cort also runs the Hebrew School, planning, the purchasing of materials. I don’t know if you all noticed at the Hebrew school Shabbat the other day she made amazing T-shirts for every student! with the JCB logo on the front and their individual Hebrew name and Israeli flag on the back!!!! Thanks Cort, I appreciate you and all that you do for this community.
Felicia holds the vital role of Secretary of the Community, despite her growing family. She still organizes the communication, surveys and computer systems, she keeps everyone informed and in touch. She has also been doing the newsletter, emails, announcements and event reminders, Not to mention filling in when anything is needed... kids in tow. This is the central spine of the community. Without Felicia none of you would know who, what, when, where and how. Please acknowledge Felicia if you get a private moment with her, thank her AND her family for sacrificing hours of family time for us. I don't know how she does it all. She’s amazing.
Tori, Torah Tots arranger and challah baker extraordinaire! She bakes challah for Torah tots weekly even taking additional flavour requests! She also organises the well loved PJ libraryprogram where every child in the Community gets a Jewish book every month to take home- Please let us know if you are not on the list and would like to be! She also reads to the kids in the Hebrew school , we call it Tori's Torah stories. Her inclusiveness, enthusiasm and friendly style is infectious and I think anyone who has a Jewish baby in Bermuda can’t help but be attracted to the fun and friendship that Torah Tots provides to young Mums and their families.
Everyone in the board does something and I would like to thank them all personally, Heather, Francine, Jodi, Alberto, Nir and Adam, thank you from all of us. You care, you step up. You each represent different Jewish Perspectives- all important. And I appreciate all of them even when I may have a different personal perspective- that’s ok. We are all in it together and all differences, small that they may be, need to be voiced and accommodated as best we can.
The Board has put together a JCB strategy for the next 3 years, Felicia will give an overview of what that looks like.
Year Overview
Rabbi Meyer and Marla came for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the second time this year, of particular note is the addition of a child oriented family service to High Holydays. Thank you for supporting us in this important time of the year.
Warren Bank assisted with his chazanic prowess this year again. which I think all would agree added a lot to the spirituality and feeling of the high holydays, Thanks so much Warren!! Thanks also to Damian again who stepped up again to provide the all-important shofar blowing!
We built the sukkah again this year and had a couple of events in it!
Chanukah was lovely. Back to a community event.
Purim also returned to a community event.
We had an amazing Community Seder! Well attended and enjoyed by many. It was at Four Ways… We are going up, very fancy venue! . Thanks to Jodi for doing the necessary legwork. Felicia stepped up and ran it! The seder was very well and well received indeed.
Monthly Shabbat services and pot luck dinners. There is some interest in Kabbalat Shabbat service more than once a month, I am thinking that this is something to look pursue. it doesn't need to include pot luck dinner, services can be a short 45 minute prayer service.... we might try to achieve this this year and see what the response is.
Education
The children who attended Hebrew school have done well as shown at the Hebrew School Shabbat last week. Thanks to our teachers.... with amazing helpers Abby Autmezguine and Ellis Champion.
Torah Tots continued to be very popular with the under 4’s. It seems all of them will do anything for Challah! Thanks to Tori who provided fresh homemade challah every week!Private Bar/Bat mitzvah classes have been happening all year.
The JCC Building and Campaign fundraising
We bought the JCC this year!!!! Its all very exciting.
Thanks to Mitch Blaser and his trusty fundraising team .
501(c)(3)- We have incorporated American Friends of Bermuda as a New Jersey nonprofit corporation and applied to the Internal Revenue Service for recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization to raise funds and make grants, subject to the discretion and control of the Board of Trustees, to support our community’s mission and growth. This is being run by past members of the JCB namely, Phil Shaw, Emelia Weg/Flitman and Anne Carmigiani. Thanks to them, people who pay US taxes will be able to get a tax deduction when wanting to contribute to the JCB in a meaningful way.
The campaign did manage to not only cover the costs of the purchase of the building but also covered some much needed renovation fixes that are vital to the integrity of the building moving forward.
But, when in the planning stage, the architect came up with some more ambitious plans for the property, and after much consideration and meetings, the board came to believe that the more ambitious plans were going to meet the growing needs of the community better. As a result, the fundraising will continue to cover the very exciting new addition to the building. There is a copy of the JCC building plans here on the table for all to see (Will be shared in an upcoming newsletter). It's beyond exciting! This is historic, and I’m so proud to be a part of this maturing of the JCB.
Newsletter
Surprisingly, we did 4 newsletters this year.At the moment. It’s the life blood of the community. We could do more, we as a board hope to. We would love more help with this, please anyone with good newsletter/communications/administrative skills... Please let us know.
Tori is out there on the internet…Bermuda Jewish on instagram and facebook. She posts all sorts of things. If you are not connected please ask her about it. I am a bit of a luddite I’m afraid.
Life Events
Mazal Tov to Tara Hardy and Hart Freedman on their engagement! Wishing only the best for these supportive members of our community!
Jannes Archer joined us eight months ago after a challenging journey, and even joined us at our Lag B’Omer bonfire with his loving parents Kim and Dan. Sending blessings on their journey ahead.
Wishing Jamie, Ben, and Chloe a long life as they remember Nick Lusher, who passed away at the end of 2024. Sending love to the familyOur thoughts are with the family of Omer Neutra who was killed by Hamas terrorists on October
7th, and whose body is still held hostage in Gaza. His cousin Emmanuelle Roni Skali spent the summer here in Bermuda.
Mazal tov to the Maybury Family on the birth of Caelon!
Mazel tov to Ava Bernstein will have her Bat Mitzvah this month!
Chloe Lusher will be wed here in BDA this month!
Mazel Tov to Jane Gregory on the birth of their 4th grandchild, Eva Taylor Gregory on September 8th, 8lb 10oz to James and Leslie!
Abby Autmezguine graduated from Saltus with honors. Earned biology and ‘live free’ award, and was Prom Queen. She is off to McGill in September, and we wish her all the best with that and thank her for her support at the JCB in our Hebrew School!
Israel
I want to make a point to mention support for Israel, as if the nightmare of October 7th wasn't enough, now Israel is at war with Iran. I'm sure all of us are following the news with bated breath. Many of us have family, colleagues and friends in Israel. Hopefully it will make for a safer future for the next generation.
Am Yisrael Chai!!!!!
Closing
So that’s it for this year.
I wish you all a nice summer break and see you when the High Holydays kick in and we welcome back Rabbi David and Marla Meyer. A few events throughout the summer, and we kick-off with an adults beach BBQ at the Reefs on September 13th. Please purchase your tickets now, and invite friends along!
Yours Sincerely, Fiona