On September 10th, Temple Sinai’s Jquest will join Tikkun HaYam - Repair the Sea®, and Jewish communities around the world in the 6th Annual Reverse Tashlich, a global waterfront cleanup. Repair the Sea, an organization “where science and spirituality intersect from a Jewish perspective” is a nonprofit group founded by CEO Rabbi Ed Rosenthal. During his time as campus rabbi for Eckerd College where the biggest major is Marine Biology, Rosenthal, who is also a scuba diver, says he did a deep dive to find the intersection between Judaism and the ocean. Through his Scubi Jew program, Rosenthal was teaching his students about Tashlich, a ceremony performed on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah where Jews symbolically cast off the sins of the previous year by tossing pebbles or bread crumbs into flowing water. One of his students suggested that they do a reverse Tashlich, where they actually remove human sin from the water rather than throwing it in. From there, the inspiration for Repair the Sea was born.

“I started Repair the Sea as an independent 501C3 organization to share the spiritual wonders of water in the sea from a Jewish perspective and to raise awareness about the many threats that are facing the marine environment,” shares Rosenthal. “And I’m so happy to say that the organization grew from five students in 2016, to this past year where we had 245 teams register in 12 countries on six continents.”

In the years since, Reverse Tashlich has become a High Holy Days ritual around the world. In 2022, 245 communities in 12 countries registered to participate in the global tradition, with over 3000 participants worldwide. Synagogues, Hillels, Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Federations, Jewish Day Schools, Community Organizations, Moishe Houses, Young Adult Divisions, Mitzvah Projects, Families, and more joined the initiative in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Israel, Moldova, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Rabbi Ed Rosenthal said he is “overwhelmed” by the global response to this program. “There are so many issues facing the Jewish community, but the environment is barely addressed. The response to the Reverse Tashlich shows that the environment should also be a priority. Nature is an intrinsic part of the Jewish tradition and, as Jews we are charged with the responsibility to protect it.”

September 10, 10:00am, South Lido Beach, Ted Sperling Park. 

Pictured: Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, CEO of Repair the Sea. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

The Child Protection Center, Inc (CPC) has been awarded a grant by Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation to expand our Capacity of Hope. The Child Protection Center has continued to grow over the last 43+ years to meet the demands of our community, and as the region continues to enlarge, we are steadfast in comprehensively serving victims of child abuse and neglect. One of CPC’s partners over the years that has made our impact possible is the Barancik Foundation, and their recent investment of $450,000 in CPC’s mission will create the ability to recruit and retain expert talent to service our community’s most vulnerable children. Expert team members at CPC deliver trauma informed and individualized care to children and their families, establishing hope and healing after children have endured unimaginable abuse or neglect. No child should have to suffer, and CPC’s ability to serve those in need without a waiting list is vital to our community’s success. This grant supports our growth by creating the ability to hire new expert therapists, in addition to supporting current staff to keep CPC’s retention rate high. In addition to supporting CPC’s team capacity, a portion of the Barancik Foundation funds will be used for communications and partnerships, to ensure the community is aware of resources and programs available at the Child Protection Center through a new strategic marketing and communications plan launching this year. The Child Protection Center’s mission is the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse, as the organization envisions a community where children are safe from abuse and free to thrive. For over 40 years, CPC has been serving Sarasota and DeSoto Counties in the State of Florida and is accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. For more information on CPC or to inquire about ways to get involved, please visit us at  www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277. 

Pictured: The Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation awarded Child Protection Center a $450,000 grant in efforts to support the fight against child abuse.

Sarah Wertheimer, the executive director of Embracing Our Differences, recently announced that the organization has received a $2,000 grant from the Sarasota Kiwanis Foundation. The grant will help support the organization’s annual Bucket Fillers Reading Day. The "Bucket Fillers" series of books, written by the
nationally acclaimed author and Venice resident, Carol McCloud, teach children the value of kindness. In November 2022, 8,648 books were provided to 8,182 students and 466 classrooms and early learning centers in Sarasota and Manatee counties during this initiative. What’s a “bucket filler?” “The ‘Bucket Filler’ books use the concept of an invisible bucket to encourage positive behavior and warm hearts,” says Wertheimer. “Each book shows children how rewarding it is to express kindness, appreciation, and love to others. The Sarasota Kiwanis Foundation is also passionate about making a difference for the children in our community. We are deeply grateful to them for their support of this program.” While Embracing Our Differences is best known for its annual international art exhibitions, the organization’s year-round education initiatives include professional development opportunities for educators, reading days, unity days, and other learning programs and events. Wertheimer says that these ongoing arts education programs “represent the most important aspect of our efforts – reaching and impacting the lives of thousands of students and teachers locally and around the world.” She explains that, since 2004, more than 587,000 students have participated, including 58,122 students and 1,981 teachers during the 2022-2023 school year alone. For 20 years, Embracing Our Differences has drawn on the passion and perception of artists, students, writers, and others to create powerful statements of diversity and acceptance in its annual outdoor public art exhibition consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art and accompanying quotes. The scale and impact of this outdoor exhibition has continued to grow. In 2023, EOD presented two exhibitions in Sarasota County—one in North Port and one in the City of Sarasota. The exhibits attracted 320,616 people, bringing the total amount of exhibition visitors to more than 4.3 million since its launch in 2004. Next year’s Sarasota exhibit runs January 21- April 14, 2024, in Bayfront Park.For more information about Embracing Our Differences, call 941-404-5710, or visit www.embracingourdifferences.org. 

The Center for Urgent Care was deliberately created to be different. We are proud of our ‘Hybrid Advanced Practice Model’ that combines the best features of a Free Standing Emergency Department and a Traditional Urgent Care with a Concierge Level Approach.

By creating this ‘Advanced Practice Model’, we really ‘broke the mold’ of the traditional urgent care model. Whereas most traditional urgent care facilities can do little more than take care of minor things and then refer the patient to the ER, by virtue of our Advanced Model, we are distinctly different.

First, you need the Right People. All of the members of our Clinical Team (Nurses, Providers, Radiology Technicians, etc) have ER and/or ICU experience and all of us work extremely closely every day with our ER trained and highly experienced Medical Director who sets forth our policies and procedures.

Second, you need the Right Equipment. Our state of the art in-house diagnostic capabilities include both Advanced Radiology and Laboratory Services. We have our own Certified CT Scan and Digital Radiology Suite. We also have our own Certified Lab which provides us with lab results within minutes enabling us to function at the same level as any free standing ER. In addition, we have our own in-house Certified Pharmacy which has the same Formulary of medications as any free standing ER enabling us to treat acutely a huge variety of medical conditions.

Third (and most important) you need the Right Culture of Caring. We are proud that we are privately owned and as such we do not have to deal with the administrative and bureaucratic burden that many corporate owned facilities have to contend with. All of us who work here share the same ‘old fashioned’ values and together we have built a very real and very genuine culture of caring. It truly is who we are as people. And it is really very simple… treat every single patient just like they were our friends or family… every single moment of every single day!

All of this while continually having much shorter wait times and being much more cost-effective than the ER… why go anywhere else?

Our multiple awards and recognitions, and our hundreds of 5-star reviews in Google, Yelp, Facebook and other sites, are testaments of what we do and of our unwavering commitment to be ‘The Best of The Best’! 

Learn More About The Center for Urgent Care!

Breathe new life into your landscape! Join Master Gardener Volunteers October 7 for the 2023 Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Sale located at the Barbara Davis Educational Gardens (1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221) from 9:00am - 12:00pm. The sale will feature Florida natives, pollinator plants, edibles, shrubs, ground covers, and more, all grown by Master Gardener Volunteers. All proceeds from this event go to the operation and maintenance of the Master Gardeners’ Educational Gardens and Greenhouse, and to support Master Gardener educational and outreach programs. Our latest goal is to install an outdoor shade structure in the gardens so we can offer more hands-on learning opportunities during the hot, sunny months! Tickets to the event are free and guests are required to register beforehand on Eventbrite. Only cash or personal checks will be accepted during the sale.  

Florida Blue Foundation recently awarded the Jewish Family and Children Services (JFCS) of the Suncoast a $300,000 grant for their Community Well-Being Connection. This generous grant will be a multi-year grant over three years to support a fulltime licensed clinician (LCSW) and a part-time case manager that will bring essential counseling to assist youth and families in our Sarasota community. According to a recent analysis by the Sarasota County Mental Health Needs Assessment Task Force, Sarasota county’s behavioral health system "is in danger of becoming a crisis if steps to shore up and enhance the system are not taken." In order to respond to the ongoing increase for mental health services, new private-sector partnerships have been developed to satisfy these ever-increasing demands. As the school year begins in Sarasota County, anxiety and tension affect not only the children who may be concerned about their studies, socializing, and peer pressures, but also the entire family. Chief of Behavioral Services at JFCS, Keith Leahey shares, “the community integrated focus of this program has been very well received by our partner agencies and by the children, youth and their families. It is exciting to me to be serving in the broader community. JFCS is honored to have been selected by Florida Blue Foundation for this Community Well-Being Connection grant.” After a recent mental health training at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto counties, Kathy Bernal, the Community Wellbeing Clinician at JFCS recently received a heartfelt thank you note from those who attended, “your expertise is so valuable in educating our youth about stress and anxiety which is now such a common factor for many teens today.” JFCS is one of the Florida Suncoast’s leading mental health and human services agencies, and delivers programs and services on a non-denominational basis with the goal of empowering individuals toward well-being and self-reliance. Inspired by the Jewish tradition of helping all people, JFCS of the Suncoast believes all people are to be treated with dignity and respect and have equal opportunity for physical and mental well-being, self-expression, and joy. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties will honor Carol Butera, Non-Profit Executive, Richard Perlman, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of ExamWorks Group, Inc., and James K. (Jim) Price, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of ExamWorks Group Inc. at the 17th Annual Intertape Polymer Group Leadership Breakfast on Friday, September 8th. For the last 17 years, our community has come together every September at the annual Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) Leadership Breakfast to honor extraordinary trailblazers whose dedication to youth empowerment has resulted in greater opportunities for local teens to achieve their full potential. Proceeds from this event have enabled us to elevate our award-winning slate of Teen Programs and provide life-changing programs to thousands of teens across Sarasota and DeSoto Counties such as leadership training, service opportunities, entrepreneurial education, workforce development, and college and career prep. To learn more, contact Erin Guzzo, Director of Communications, at eguzzo@bgcsdc.org or 941-366-3911

Friday, September 8 from 7:30 am to 9 am, 3100 Fruitville Road (Lee Wetherington Club), Sarasota. 

Sarasota, Florida, August 25, 2023 - Forty Carrots Family Center has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 honor by The Sarasota-Manatee Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.  There were approximately 650 local businesses who were selected to participate in the process. An awards ceremony took place at the Van Wezel for the top 25 businesses who were selected, Forty Carrots placed 6th in the category of Small Business (Less than 100 employees), and CEO, Michelle Kapreilian, was awarded the “Leadership Award in the Small Business Category.” Forty Carrots is committed to strengthening families in our community and envisions a future where all children are raised in homes where they are loved, nurtured, and protected. Through parenting education programs, mental health services and early childhood education, Forty Carrots provides families with the tools, resources, and support to create environments in which all children can learn, love, and grow.  

To learn more, visit

UNITING A COMMUNITY | Bronwyn Beightol, Chief Impact Officer of United Way Suncoast works to create opportunities for deserving community members that will exist well into the future, September 2023. 

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