ZAKA Search & Rescue Continues U.S. Law Enforcement Training On Respect For The Deceased, Launches First Responder Mental Health Partnership Jewish Connection News Jul 29, 2026 Hundreds Of Sheriffs, Deputies And Public Safety Leaders Representing All 50 States Gathered At The National Sheriffs’ Association Annual Conference For A Specialized Program Hosted By ZAKA Search & Rescue, Israel’s Internationally Recognized Volunteer Emergency Response And Disaster Victim Recovery Organization. The Session Focused On Jewish Customs And Traditions Surrounding Kavod HaMeit, The Obligation To Honor The Dignity Of The Deceased, And Marked The Latest Chapter In The Growing Partnership Between ZAKA Search & Rescue And The National Sheriffs’ Association. The program was led by ZAKA North Executive Director Moshe Rozenberg, ZAKA Search & Rescue Commander Simcha Greiniman and ZAKA Search & Rescue Chief Medical Psychologist and Head of Resilience Dr. Vered Atzmon Meshulam. Attendees heard directly from ZAKA leaders about Jewish laws and customs that govern the treatment of the deceased, including the religious imperative for rapid burial, respectful handling of human remains and close coordination with Jewish communities during times of crisis. The session aimed to equip law enforcement agencies with practical tools to better understand the traditions of Jewish victims of fatalities, violent crimes, disasters and mass casualty incidents in their jurisdictions. “The relationship between ZAKA, the National Sheriffs’ Association and each of the departments that we engage with are extraordinarily important both for the broader Jewish community,” said ZAKA North Executive Director Moshe Rozenberg. “Every sheriff who better understands Jewish traditions surrounding death and burial is better equipped to serve Jewish families during their most difficult moments. At the same time, these partnerships create trusted relationships with departments across the United States, ensuring that when communities need assistance, expertise or guidance, ZAKA Search & Rescue can help. Whether that support comes over the phone, through training or in person, our goal is to strengthen preparedness, dignity and service for everyone involved.” In addition to the program, ZAKA Search & Rescue and the National Sheriffs’ Association began a working partnership focused on first responder mental health and resilience. The initiative will bring together public safety professionals from the United States and Israel to share best practices, learn from one another’s experiences and develop training frameworks to better support responders facing trauma, burnout and the cumulative impact of repeated exposure to critical incidents. “Sheriffs and public safety leaders face many of the same challenges our responders face in Israel,” said Chief Medical Psychologist and Head of Resilience Dr. Vered Atzmon Meshulam. “Whether responding to violent crime, natural disasters, terror attacks or mass casualty incidents, the responsibility extends far beyond the scene itself. Through this partnership, we are not only sharing Jewish customs surrounding dignity for the deceased, but also learning from one another and working together to strengthen responder resilience, preparedness and community trust.” The program provided sheriffs with practical knowledge about Jewish customs surrounding death, including the importance of timely burial, coordination with clergy and faith leaders, the prohibition on unnecessary autopsies in many circumstances and methods for working effectively with Jewish families and communities during periods of grief. The growing relationship between ZAKA Search & Rescue Executive and the National Sheriffs’ Association has already expanded beyond educational programming into operational collaboration, emergency preparedness and responder wellness initiatives. Leaders from both organizations emphasized that the exchange of knowledge benefits communities on both sides of the Atlantic. “We are deeply grateful for the special relationship we have built with the National Sheriffs’ Association and for the partnerships ZAKA North has developed with sheriffs and their departments across the United States,” said ZAKA Search & Rescue CEO Dubi Weissenstern. “These relationships are far more than professional connections. They are partnerships rooted in a shared commitment to serving families during their most difficult moments with dignity, compassion and respect. Together with our friends and supporters across the United States, they help empower the sacred work performed by ZAKA’s volunteers 24 hours a day, seven days a week across North America, Israel and around the world. We are grateful to the National Sheriffs’ Association, to ZAKA North and to every volunteer, supporter and partner who makes this work possible.” For many attendees, the session represented more than a cultural competency program. It served as an opportunity to exchange ideas with Israeli emergency response leaders who have extensive experience responding to mass casualty incidents, disasters and acts of terrorism while preserving dignity for victims and supporting families through unimaginable loss. Founded to honor the dead in accordance with religious tradition, ZAKA has evolved into a full-scale emergency response network, with over 4,000 trained volunteers operating 24/7 across Israel to honor the dead, aid the living and bring dignity in times of devastation. Today, it operates a wide range of units – from rapid medical response and search and rescue to water recovery to culturally sensitive burial teams serving Israel’s Jewish, Bedouin, Arab and Druze communities to international units deploying at a moment’s notice to crises across the globe. For more information, visit: https://zakaworld.org/ . Attendees heard directly from ZAKA leaders about Jewish laws and customs that govern the treatment of the deceased. The session aimed to equip law enforcement agencies with practical tools to better understand the traditions of Jewish victims of fatalities, violent crimes, disasters and mass casualty incidents in their jurisdictions. Previous Next

The Historic Stranahan House Museum To Host Groundbreaking Ceremony For Transformational Captain Campaign Project South Florida Sun Times Aug 27, 2025 The Historic Stranahan House Museum – The Oldest House In Fort Lauderdale And The Epicenter Of Broward County’s Long And Fascinating History – Will Break Ground On The Museum’s Campus-Wide Transformation Into The “Center Of Community,” A Return To Its Original Role In 1901 As Fort Lauderdale’s First Gathering Place. In 2018, the Stranahan House embarked on a transformational capital improvement campaign to further protect the historic site and create new opportunities for locals and visitors alike. The Capital Campaign aims to enhance Stranahan House’s facilities and offerings, ensuring its continued significance as a vital cultural institution. Accomplishments to date include the new seawall, the New River Patio, and updated historic porches donated by Old Florida Lumber. To commemorate this milestone, the Historic Stranahan House Museum will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, September 17th. Florida State Representative Chip LaMarca, Florida Senator Rosalind Osgood, Commissioner Ben Sorensen, and City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County dignitaries will join the Stranahan House’s Executive Director Jennifer Belt, incoming Board President Maggie Gunther, Board of Directors and donors for the celebration. Following the ceremony, light refreshments will be served. “I’m so excited about the groundbreaking of Stranahan House’s museum and welcome center. It’s extremely important that we maintain Fort Lauderdale’s rich history even as the city grows and matures,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “The museum and welcome center will take the property to the next level as one of the city’s most important historical elements. It also has the added bonus of boosting the Las Olas portion of our downtown and the whole Riverwalk area. I look forward to its opening.” This innovative expansion, led by architect Leo Hansen, Miller Construction, EDSA, and Brizaga, marks the official start of construction for the Capital Campaign improvements, ensuring the Stranahan House continues to serve as a vibrant gathering place for generations to come. The renovation of the administration building will include The Egret Classroom, a state-of-the-art education center funded by a Private Family Foundation, and the Kitchenworks Hospitality Center. New ADA-compliant facilities, including restrooms, as well as an on-site archival and storage facility, will enhance the museum’s ability to serve the community and preserve its collections for future generations. The Mosser Family Education Planning Center, funded by John and Pamela Wilkes, will ensure the creation of new, dynamic programming. The east side of the property will be home to a new welcome center featuring a ticketing window and gift shop, funded by the City of Fort Lauderdale, and an event pavilion, funded by Broward, Palm Beaches, and St. Lucie Realtors. The Rogers Family Foundation donated the Virginia and Dwight Rogers Courtyard, an additional location for community gatherings and celebrations. Spearheaded by committed supporters and patrons, the Stranahan House kicked off the $3 Million capital campaign by announcing it had raised $1.6 Million from generous organizations, including the Broward County Cultural Division, the Fritch Foundation, the R.O. Powell Family Foundation, the Salah Foundation, and the Ted Drum family. Wayne and Lucretia Weiner ignited momentum and enthusiasm within the community with a $100,000 match donation in 2024. Lead gifts were generously provided by Tripp Scott and the Hudson Family Foundation. This campus-wide improvement plan has been met with great support from partners and community stakeholders. The recent state appropriations have allowed the Stranahan House to reach almost 75% of its funding goal. About Historic Stranahan House and Museum: The Historic Stranahan House and Museum, the oldest and most historically significant surviving structure in Broward County, has served as a trading post, post office, town hall and home to the Stranahans. Frank Stranahan is Fort Lauderdale’s first businessman and most respected pioneer. His wife, Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, was the area’s first school teacher and a champion of many civic, social service, environmental and educational causes. Today, the mission of the Historic Stranahan House Museum is to tell the story of the birth of the community through the lives of two extraordinary people and the homestead they created and to serve as an enduring legacy of historic preservation. Its purpose is to preserve, interpret and promote the House, historic site and history of our community’s founding family. Every year, more than 3,000 fourth-grade school children and 30,000 tourists and locals visit, making the House one of the top cultural attractions in Fort Lauderdale. Stranahan House and Museum is located at 335 Southeast 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, please visit: www.stranahanhouse.org . Previous Next

The Most Coveted Retirement Destinations For Florida Retirees Thu Jun 06 2024 16:01:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Great Mentors Create Great Leaders: Hallandale Beach Is On A Positive Track Because of Astute Leadership By Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper June 9, 2022 Share During our June 1st Meeting we had the Chamber full of guests for the swearing in of our new Chief of Police, Chief Michel Michel and other guests from South Florida and Israel. I will not be going into detail about Chief Michel since our lead editor is covering the story. I do need to share that as Mayor, I am thrilled that we have begun this new chapter in the City Of Hallandale Beach’s Police Department. I have known and watched Chief Michel over the past 18 years. We joke that we grew up together in Hallandale Beach. Much of his training was under the leadership of Chief Tom McGill who was the epitome of Community Policing. The fact that Chief Michel learned from him and understands the impact of knowing and more importantly understanding our community is priceless. Over the past two years plus, we regretfully have been what seems like, we are under siege with shootings and crime. When I came back on the Dais, I was shocked that we had become so weak on Crime Fighting. The messaging or lack of unified messaging from the Dais had adversely impacted our Department and more importantly in my opinion created a sense of lawlessness. Please do not read into this as being against what I call “Boots On The Ground,” but why leadership is so important! Commissioner Anabelle Lima-Taub ran on a platform to Fight Crime after being a victim of it herself in the Southwest Area. She continually spoke about it on the Dais. I believe that when the Policies I have fought for in the past of sharing all Incident Reports in “Real Time” to the Commission were not being enforced by the previous Chief. This led to a false sense that it was really not that bad! What was worse, was our youngest Commissioner, who was pushing a small group to speak out against our Police Department. She was naïve to the fact that we worked tirelessly with many Residents in the area to get rid of the blatant Drug Dealing. These were not simply Marijuana deals, but with Crack and Cocaine. Chief McGill, our Federal Partners and unified Residents worked side by side on what was called Weed and Seed. Weeding out the Crime and establishing programs to benefit the Citizens. I am very optimistic that Chief Michel is the person to continue the legacy of true Community Policing. Working with the Residents to Fight Crime and to keep our streets safe. In this uncertain time in our society, due to COVID-19 and the Economy, we need strong caring policing. As a Commission we need to ensure that our Officers are well equipped with all of the modern tools and training to protect our Citizens. We also need to send the message that our Officers are here to aid our Citizens in their most incomprehensible and vulnerable situations. I congratulate and thank Chief Michel for taking on this amazing duty. City Manager, Dr. Jeremy Earle also deserves to be thanked for making the decision to hire Chief Michel. Sadly, he could not attend the Commission meeting due to his father's illness. I read his heartfelt message into the record. Commissioner Taub sponsored a proclamation in honor of Dr. Earle to recognize his hard work over the past year and a half as City Manager. His astute ability to lead our City and Staff through extremely tough financial territory has been remarkable. His professionalism, candor and transparency has been exactly what our City has needed to get us on a stable path. During this presentation Dr. Earle was at home with his father who was in hospice. The following day Dr. Johnathan Earle passed away. While City Manager, Dr. Earle is very private, I am hoping that he will not mind that I am sharing with our readers of his father’s accomplishments. I now understand where Dr. Earle gets his passion for Service and Community. Dr. Earle completed his Ph.D. at the University of Florida in 1985 and joined the faculty of the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering in 1987. He was appointed Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at the University of Florida College of Engineering in 1992. This position was later upgraded to Associate Dean. He remained in this position until his retirement in December of 2007. Dr. Earle was a leader, a pioneer and an innovator in Engineering Education who devoted his career to the success of students. As Associate Dean, he created the Engineering Student Services Center to provide Advising, Resources and Academic Support to Engineering Students. He is perhaps best known, though, for his dedication to increasing the retention and graduation rates of minority students in Engineering Disciplines. In 1993, he implemented the STEPUP Program (Successful Transition through Enhanced Preparation for Undergraduate Programs). STEPUP provides an intensive 6-week Residential Program for selected students and includes Peer Mentoring, Academic Preparation in Calculus, Chemistry and Engineering Design, as well as Industry Networking Opportunities. This Program is nationally recognized. From 2000 - 2001, he was responsible for the implementation of EFTP (Engineering Freshman Transition Program), which provided a Non-Residential experience open to all Engineering Freshman, as well as the Engineering GatorTrax Math Excellence Program, which was designed to provide hands-on applications of Classroom Mathematics Concepts to Middle and High School Students in the State of Florida. GatorTrax was so successful that the National Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi, modeled its K-12 Outreach Programs (MindSet) after GatorTrax. He also implemented the Gator Engineering K-12 Outreach Program that has brought over 10,000 students to the UF Campus to learn about Engineering. His many Awards and Recognitions include: the Wolfson Faculty Award for Outstanding Service to Students at the University of Florida, a member of the National Executive Council of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, the SECME Global Vision Award and the Faculty of the Year Award. In 2007, at a Ceremony in the White House he received the National Science Foundation Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Upon receiving this Award, he is quoted: “I was humbled by it because I didn’t do this work for the award — I was just thinking about how to make my students successful,” Earle said. “For me the award is really a way of saying, ‘You made your students successful.’” Words alone cannot describe Dr. Earle's impact on our College. I, like many others, looked upon him as a mentor and role model. He was a wonderful colleague and a great and humble man. His work will never be forgotten. Dean Cammy R. Abernathy, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering - University of Florida. Our prayers are with the entire Earle family. Next week, I will share the funeral arrangements. As always, feel free to contact me anytime with your questions, concerns and ideas on how to make our City a great place to live, work and play! I am available by Phone or Text At: (954) 632-5700. E-mail me At: jcooper@cohb.org . Or visit my Facebook & Web-site At: www.MayorJoyCooper.com . < Previous News Next News >

A New Adventure On Stage: Broward Center Students Will Perform In The Musical Thu May 02 2024 16:08:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Concerts At The ArtsPark & Commission In The Community May 2, 2024 Share Bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy this show at the ArtsPark at Young Circle in Downtown Hollywood. Two exceptional bands will take the stage this weekend - Cortadito & Samambaia. Cortadito Since its origins twelve years ago, the evolution of Cortadito has led it to become one of the torchbearers of a pop culture phenomenon that is two centuries strong. A traditional folk and acoustic band that focuses on performing one of the earliest styles of Cuban country music known as Son (pronounced sOwn), their sound can best be described as reminiscent of the famed Buena Vista Social Club. This dynamic, Miami-based ensemble has been joined on stage by Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-Winning Singer Aymeé Nuviola, World-Renowned Flutist Nestor Torres, and has performed with legendary member of Buena Vista Social Club, Eliades Ochoa. In October of 2022, the group was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Jose Elias founded the band alongside Julio Cesar Rodriguez Delet, from Santiago de Cuba, in November of 2011 after a 12-year stint with Conjunto Progreso that garnered him a Grammy nomination for the album Masters of Cuban Son. The duo was an instant success and was celebrated for their ability to create a big band sound with such a small lineup. They released their first CD titled Abriendo Caminos in 2012, which featured an original composition by each of the artists “Delicias Caribeña” (Elias) and “Te Lo Perdiste” (Delet). In 2018, the group released their follow-up CD titled Canciones de Julio, which included five original songs and featured the participation of Double Bass Player Yorgis Goiricelaya and Roinel Vega, who performed with the likes of Albita Rodriguez and Oscar De Leon. The current lineup includes Bass Player Alberto Pantaleon, who has toured with the Afro-Cuban All Stars and is currently touring with Eliades Ochoa in the United States. The group also features trumpet player Tony Perigo, who started his professional career at the age of 17 playing with Cuban songstress Omara Portuondo. Rounding off the group on percussion is Santiago McCook, who is referred to as "El Pulpo" (the octopus), due to his one-of-a-kind multi-percussion setup that allows him to play the role of three musicians in one. Next month the group will release their first full-length feature album titled “The Guajiro Triangle.” The album will feature a variety of original compositions that celebrate the traditions of Cuban music in the modern world. The triangle represents the connection between Santiago de Cuba, Havana, and Miami, the group's home and final destination of this musical journey that was established two centuries ago. Samambaia Samambaia captures the essence of classic samba with an elegant and sophisticated twist. Fronted by the enchanting vocals of Rose Max, this ensemble features the elegance of the seven-string guitar, a masterful pandeiro player, an expressive percussive flutist, and a diverse array of Afro-Brazilian percussion. Their music not only embraces the traditional Samba Raiz but elevates it with a contemporary and polished flair that appeals to both purists and new audiences alike. Concerts at the ArtsPark is a free series of family-friendly events at Hollywood’s ArtsPark Amphitheater at Young Circle (Hollywood Boulevard at US-1). Lawn seating is available, so bring a blanket or beach chair for comfort. As a reminder, City parks are plastic and foam free. Single-use items, like plastic water bottles and utensils are prohibited on the grounds. For more information, visit: www.hollywoodfl.org - Or call: (954) 921-3404. Commission in the Community The Hollywood City Commission invites the community to an open forum where they can take part in a conversation with their City Commissioners and fellow Hollywood residents. Commission in the Community forums take place in each district of the City. Each meeting is facilitated by the District Commissioner for the area where the meeting is held. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, May 8th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Community Center at: 2400 Charleston Street. District 2 Commissioner Vice Mayor Linda Hill Anderson and the Hollywood City Commission invite the community to take part in this open forum where they can take part in a conversation with their City Commissioners and fellow Hollywood residents. < Previous News Next News >

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Tobacco-Free ‘23: Three Reasons Why This Is The Year To Quit Tobacco For Good Thu Jan 19 2023 17:05:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)