AREA RED CROSS CHAPTER TO HONOR BETHANIE GORNY WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Bethanie Gorny has two talents, as an educator and as a published prolific writer, which led the American Red Cross Southern Shore Chapter to select Bethanie as the recipient of their “Community Service Individual Award.” She will be honored Tuesday, March 16 at 6 p.m., at Harrah’s during the Red Cross Community Achievement Awards presentations. She is being recognized for her decade long efforts on behalf of local Holocaust survivors and in honor of her recently published book, “Fridays With Eva: Caring for and Learning from My Mother-in- Law,” a Holocaust survivor. This exciting story was published by Rob Huberman’s ComteQ publishing and “heightens awareness of the effects of the Shoah on the survivors and her children,” declared the author. Active in the Jewish community, Bethanie is past president of Jewish Family Service and serves on the executive committee of the Holocaust Resource Center of Richard Stockton College. “I am highly honored,” said Behanie, who resides with her attorney husband, Jack Gorny in Linwood. For ticket and other information call Yvette Soto at the Red Cross office in Pleasantville 646-8330.

ON HIS SABBATICAL RABBI GABER RECHARGED HIS BATTERIES AND VISITED OTHER SHULS

After a three-month sabbatical, Congregation Beth Judah Rabbi Aaron Gaber said he came back “refreshed with his batteries recharged, doing some traveling, reading scholarly texts on what is important to me (as a spiritual leader) and to my Congregation.” One of the most enlightening experiences he had, which caught HM’s attention, was Gaber’s “Shul-Hop” to 10 other Conservative, Reform and Orthodox synagogues “I found each was special in its own way; I attended a Friday night service at B’Nai Jeshurun in NYC and heard an amazing evening of davening with musical instruments. And they had this understated ‘Ruach’ spirit that captured Shabbat for me. . . we attended my cousin’s daughter’s Bat Mitzvah at a lovely Reform Temple in Massachusetts where the davening was different from my own but the singing and hamishness of the service made us feel right at home. I heard beautiful davening and Torah reading at Adath Jeshurun in Philadelphia and “I even was (as Gaber put it) a ‘Jew in the pew’ at Beth Judah.” He said “I will spend the next 18 months or so working on the practices of meditation and yoga while learning Hasidic texts as a way to deepen my own spirituality and connection to God.”

MY GRANDAUGHTER WASN’T UNDERSTUDY FOR LEAD ROLE IN “ALADDIN,” BUT LEARNED IT IN 24 HOURS

She wasn’t even the understudy for the lead role as Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin,” performed by middle school students in Egg Harbor Township schools, but HM’s grandaughter, Antonia Maffia, was given 24 hours to learn the role and she came through superbly last week. She had no previous acting experience but got her break when the girl who had the part couldn’t sing due to an accident. With her remarkable memory, Antonia learned the role overnight. Her father and mother, John and Valerie Maffia said “We heard Antonia sing to herself but never in public.” When the 13-year-old eighth grade “A” student and soccer goalie – who could be tapped for her sport when she attends Egg Harbor Township High School next September – was asked now that the theater bug has bitten would she choose soccer or the stage, she replied: “If I had to choose between soccer and acting right now, it would be the stage.” She was slightly nervous as the show began, but as it progressed she warmed up to the role and gained her confidence. Antonia performed even better on the second night, while the girl who had the lead role performed the closing night. The rest of the cast performed well before a receptive audience. Equally impressed by Antonia’s performance was her younger sister, 11-yearold

Kyra, who has the brightness and personality for acting. Their dog, Dakota, who couldn’t attend for obvious reasons, gave Antonia five barks of approval.

HERB STERN SAYS AC’S HISTORIC MUSEUM OPEN AFTER CLOSURE DUE TO STORM DAMAGE

“I am happy to announce that Atlantic City’s Historic Museum and Art Center on the Garden Pier are both open after a three-month closure due to October and November storms (which damaged much of the structure and electrical systems,” says the museum’s Herb Stern. The Art Center has a display of original art by local artists, while the museum has a photo display of art deco in old Atlantic City by Vicki Gold Levi, along with a new exhibit of vintage newspapers from Stern’s collection of World War 2 and AC periodicals over the decades. Bob Ruffalo is chairman; Stern, vice chairman; Joan Sless, secretary; Alex Marino, treasurer; and board members are Boo Pergament, Marvin Miller and Ron Wagenheim. “Both venues are great attractions and worth a visit to New Jersey avenue and the Boardwalk,” emphasized Stern.