Community Magazine November 2008

60 Community magazine Fundraising Dinner for iVolunteer Held at Edmund J. Safra Synagogue iVolunteer, New York City’s friendly visiting program for homebound Holocaust Survivors, hosted a fundraising dinner for their volunteer visitors, survivors and friends. Over one hundred guests shared an evening of festivity and inspiration to honor their dedicated volunteers. The event was chaired by Reese Schonfeld, Co-Founder of CNN and the Food Network, and was hosted by the Edmund J. Safra Synagogue in Manhattan. Friends of the Julliard School of music played live music, and General Oliver Lustig, Reserve General, survivor and author from Romania, shared inspiring words with the crowd. Dr. Judy Tellerman from Chicago composed a song in honor of iVolunteer and taught it to the guests. iVolunteer creates a sense of community by providing both survi- vors and volunteers with social events and special programs. These programs include monthly Friday night dinners for volunteers and luncheons for survivors.. The program’s volunteers come from all walks of life. Some are successful professionals who want to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors, while others are local high school and college students who wish to reach across the gen- erations and establish a unique friendship with a lonely senior. All iVolunteer volunteers are screened and trained prior to beginning their home visits. In particular, the volunteers are trained to identify the Holocaust Survivor’s other social service needs, so that iVol- unter can bring an outreach caseworker to help the senior access additional benefits and services when necessary. If you know of a Holocaust Survivor who would like to be a part of this program, or if you would like to volunteer or learn about dedication opportunities, please contact Chani Sacho at (646) 461.7748 or info@ivolunteerny.com . Athletes Wanted for 18th World Maccabiah Games Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel invites Jewish athletes to apply to represent Team USA in various sports and divisions at the 18 th World “Chai” Maccabiah Games. Athletes that excel in the following sports are encouraged to apply at www.maccabiusa.com: Open sports competition: cycling, fencing, field hockey, half marathon, judo, karate, lawn bowls, rowing, soccer, squash, swimming, taekwondo, ten pin bowling, tennis, track & field, triathlon, volleyball, water polo, wrestling. Juniors sports competition: baseball, karate, gymnastics, judo, soccer, squash, swimming, tennis, track & field. Masters sports competition: cycling, half marathon, soccer, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon. Applicants for tennis should register within the next week, as tennis tryouts are scheduled for the first two weeks of November. Other tryouts scheduled for the remainder of 2008 include fencing, field hockey, futsal, gymnastics and water polo. Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel (MUSA) is the official sponsor of the United States Team to the World Maccabiah Games, the Pan American Maccabi Games and the Maccabi competitions in Europe and Australia, and co-founder of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America. The World Maccabiah Games are a quadrennial event that takes place in Israel. The 18 th World Maccabiah Games, scheduled for July 13 – 23, 2009, will be the world’s third largest international athletic competition, with 9000 competitors representing six continents and over 60 countries. EFT Healing Gets Local The power of the mind to help heal the body has long been recognized. This powerful connection is the basis for Emotional Freedom Technique, a gentle, natural healing process said to be capable of diminishing or even eliminating a diverse range of emo- tional and physical issues. Now, Miriam Langsam, a local practi- tioner in Brooklyn has integrated EFT into her repertoire to treat a variety of ailments. EFT was introduced in 1995 by Gary Craig, a Stanford engi- neer. Even now, Craig still marvels at the program’s effectiveness: “….My jaw still drops at the results. I’ve lost count of the number of phobias, panic/anxiety attacks, traumatic memories, guilt and physical ailments that have been elegantly relieved (often in min- utes)… Even though EFT violates just about every conventional belief out there, the results remain remarkable. EFT isn’t perfect, of course. We don’t get 100%. But it usually works well and the results are sometimes spectacular. It often works where nothing else will .” Though it’s often called “Emotional Acupuncture , ” it does not involve any needles. While acupuncture is said to work by access- ing the healing points along the pathways of the body’s energy meridians with needles, EFT simply taps on ten specific acu-points, while gently focusing on a specific issue. The surprisingly simple process is effective in addressing issues such as stress, self-esteem, weight-loss and headaches. The EFT technique is predicated on the notion that 85% of all ailments are rooted in a disruption in the body’s energy system caused by unresolved negative memories. The cure, therefore, lies in restoring the energy system to its natural mode of functioning. Miriam Langsam, MS, EFT-Adv, CH is an Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner and Certified Hypnotist, who treats prob- lems such as stress, trauma, phobias, fears, self-esteem, weight- loss, OCD, shalom bayit (domestic harmony) issues, children’s issues, pain, and postpartum depression. She is now forming W.I.S.H.E. (Wisdom, Inner Serenity & Healing) groups based on the EFT approach. Contact Miriam at 718.854.3808, or visit www. chooseemotionalfeedom.com to learn more about EFT or to sched- ule an appointment. Community Chest