Tampa says Happy Birthday Israel

Maureen and Doug Cohn, with their family looking on, receive the “key” to the community campus. More than 1,000 Tampa Jewish community members celebrated the state of Israel’s 62nd birthday at the annual celebration, held this year at the JCC & Federation’s newly named Maureen and Doug Cohn Jewish Community Campus.

The celebration included a ribbon-cutting and naming ceremony honoring the Cohns for their longtime commitment financially and through personal involvement with the Tampa JCC & Federation and Weinberg Village assisted living residence. The campus, located off Gunn Highway, is home to the Federation, Tampa JCC, JCC Preschool North, Tampa Jewish Family Services and Weinberg Village.

Alissa Fischel, Tampa JCC director estimated that about 1,200 attended the celebration over the course of the four-hour event, based on a counter at the campus entrance,

Among the highlights of the afternoon was the music of the Mike Eisenstadt Band along with a live feed of the Sunday Simcha radio program, food, games, kids’ arts and crafts and a petting zoo.

Organizations and congregations from throughout the community offered a plethora of information about the local Jewish community at exhibits under blue and white tents. The festivities took place in the shade under the oak trees behind the campus buildings.

Jews from New Tampa to South Tampa donned T-shirts and baseball caps commemorating previous celebrations. Tampa City Council member Linda Saul- Sena was among them.

“I just recently returned from a wonderful trip to Israel and now I have an even stronger connection,” she said. “I’m proud to be Jewish and proud to have a Jewish homeland.”

Sharon Wallace of Tampa also expressed pride in her heritage and in the state of Israel. “I try to come every year,” she said of the Independence Day celebration. “I’m a Zionist, and this is my way of supporting Israel locally.”

Others echoed that sentiment of standing with Israel on this special day and being together as Jews. “It’s nice to see all the congregations come together to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut,” said Ron Pross, a past president of Congregation Kol Ami, who sat near the band with his mother, Ruth, a new resident of Weinberg Village.

The four man Mike Eisenstadt Band, led by Kevin Frye who also emceed the event, entertained the crowd playing lively Israel favorites while performing live for WMNF-85 FM. Special solos by Hazzan Jodi Sered- Lever of Congregation Kol Ami and Cantor Riselle Bain of Congregation Schaarai Zedek added to the day, as did a color guard provided by the local Jewish War Veterans Post 373.

Crowds gathered to sing along or tap their toes from rows of seats facing the outdoor stage. Both a juggler and Israeli dancers entertained and got audience members to join them.

At 2 p.m. Jonathan Ellis, Tampa JCC & Federation president, opened the official ceremonies.

Les Barnett, president of the TOP Foundation, introduced Maureen and Doug Cohn, calling them to the stage as their daughter, son, and daughter-in-law gathered at the foot of the stage with their children.

Calling the couple the “exemplification of a renaissance couple,” Barnett told the crowd of the Cohns’ lifetime commitment to Jewish life as well as organizations that support the arts, music, interfaith relations, health issues, seniors and political causes.

Both of the Cohns thanked the Federation, their family, friends and other members of the community for showing them such love and appreciation.

“When we moved to Tampa in 1970 the first thing we did was affiliate with a synagogue and I went to the JCC preschool to enroll our children,” Maureen Cohn said. “Then I looked up the Women’s Division (of the Tampa Jewish Federation).”

She said the Women’s Divisions of Jewish federations in Chicago, Dallas and Tampa, cities where the Cohns have lived, have been the source of many lifelong friendships.

The couple was given a “key” to the campus and participated in a symbolic ribbon-cutting to mark the renaming. A new campus logo was also unveiled as part of the ceremony.

The festivities culminated in the celebration of Israel’s 62nd birthday, featuring white and blue cupcakes forming the flag of Israel, with participants singing “Happy Birthday” to Israel in both English and Hebrew.

Press photos by KAREN DAWKINS & ELAINE MARKOWITZ


At left, Kevin Frye hosts the Sunday Simcha radio broadcast from the celebration. At right, the Jewish War Veterans of Post 373 presents the colors, displaying three flags — Israel, the United States and one representing the veterans.

Some of the 1,000+ celebrants, from top: Ron Pross and his mother, Ruth, a new resident of Weinberg Village; Hope Barnett, former president of the Tampa Jewish Federation, and husband Les Barnett, president of the TOP Foundation; Barbara Zack and Tampa City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena.




Audience participation, juggling and dancing.