Genetics is always changing. It seems as if every day there is a new article about a new study, and trying to navigate all of this information can be quite confusing. This past month, a new study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) suggesting that all women be screened for BRCA gene mutations, which are associated with a significantly increased risk for cancer. This has become a debated topic in the medical community, as many would say that it is too soon to recommend broad population screening. As a leading resource for information on Jewish genetic disorders, including hereditary cancer predispositions, the Center for Jewish Genetics is here to help the community understand this new information.

While the medical professionals have not come to a consensus on universal BRCA testing, there are three important points to take away from this study:

1. About half of the Ashkenazi individuals who were positive for BRCA mutations had no suggestive family history of cancer.

2. Women carrying a BRCA gene mutation still have a very high likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancer, even without a family history of cancer.

3. Even in Ashkenazi men without cancer, about 2 percent harbor BRCA mutations, and these mutations are likely the source of the inherited BRCA mutations in individuals with no family history of cancer.

But the question remains-what does this all mean? We know that those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are at an increased risk for carrying mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. In fact, one in 40 individuals of Ashkenazi descent is a carrier of a BRCA mutation compared to one in 400 individuals in the general population. This means that individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are much more likely to be carriers for a mutation that significantly increases the risk of developing certain types of cancers.

While the Center looks forward to follow-up research that may come as a result of this PNAS study, its position on screening remains the same. The Center suggests that Ashkenazi decent is enough to consider genetic counseling, which can help decide if screening is appropriate, but this is not the standard of care in 2014. The Center strongly encourages anyone considering BRCA testing (or any other genetic testing) to seek the appropriate genetic counseling and education before proceeding with the test. Genetic counseling, physicians, and health care providers involved with cancer prevention can help individuals navigate their options such as “What would we do it we test positive?” It is important to understand the implications of a positive test result before proceeding with the test.

Still have questions regarding BRCA mutations? Need help finding local resources? The Center’s on-staff genetic counselor from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is always available! Visit the Center online at www.jewishgenetics.org for more information, or contact the Center’s staff at [email protected].

The Center for Jewish Genetics is a cooperative effort of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The Center is a support foundation of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and is funded in part by the Michael Reese Health Trust.

Alyssa Cohen is the former Strategic Communications Coordinator for the Center for Jewish Genetics.

Dr. Gershon Locker, M.D., is a board member for the Center for Jewish Genetics.

The 76th anniversary of “Kristallnacht,” or “Night of Broken Glass,” causes me to pause to remember and reflect. What is different, and what is the same? What have we learned from the extreme violence of those 48 hours that were a prelude to the increasing atrocities of the Holocaust?

On Nov. 9, 1938, a wave of violence and fury was unleashed against Jews. Some 1,400 synagogues were attacked and devoured by fire in the Jewish communities of Germany, Austria, and Sudetenland. Storefront windows were smashed and businesses destroyed. At least 90 Jews were murdered, and approximately 30,000 Jewish men were taken from their homes and communities and sent to concentration camps-all while local firefighters and civilians stood idly by.

The magnitude of the assault on synagogues, homes, businesses, and people was unprecedented. The attackers were often neighbors and former friends; the violence was open, direct and virulent. Sometimes referred to as “the beginning of the end,” Kristallnacht marked a pivotal point in the history of the Holocaust. The Jewish community learned that their way of life had come to an end; that they needed to flee Germany, and that times were, indeed desperate.

What did the Nazi regime learn? They saw that the international community stood in silence. While panic-stricken Jews anxiously searched for countries of refuge, the world turned away, and borders were closed. Indifference and inaction fanned the flames of injustice and emboldened the Nazis. In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, Nazi Germany moved forward to exclude Jews from schools and professions, to complete the “Aryanization” of businesses, to expand the labyrinth of concentration camps, and ultimately to murder more than six million Jews.

What do visitors to the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center learn? They see Jews who were once fully integrated into German society systematically stripped of their rights and humanity-and the quiet from the rest of the world. As visitors walk on a “shattered glass floor” in the “Kristallnacht” gallery, they feel the cost of indifference. As they round a bend and see blaring headlines from leading newspapers in the U.S. and around the world recounting the horror, they experience the frustration of “no response.” And they question: what would have happened if more people and politicians in the U.S. and beyond had objected? How many could have been saved?

I felt in every fiber of my being the terrible result of hatred, prejudice, and indifference while on a recent “Learning Journey” in Poland led by Illinois Holocaust Museum. We travelled from Warsaw to Krakow and to many smaller towns in between, learning about both the beautiful culture and rhythm of Jewish life through the centuries and the wrenching devastation during the Holocaust. We saw that where once there had been 10,000 Jews in a town of 13,000, now there are none; where once 6,000 Jews were a vital part of a village of 10,000, now there are none. We felt viscerally both the legacy of absence and the absence of legacy. And we questioned: how could the course of history have been altered if neighbors and nations spoke up and prevented these crimes against humanity?

In the almost 70 years since the end of World War II and the liberation of concentration camps, anti-Semitism has simmered and bubbled. Now, however, there is a brazenness and pervasiveness that should gravely concern us all. We see four people murdered at the Jewish Museum of Belgium and a synagogue firebombed in Brussels, a Jewish tourist attacked in Berlin during Rosh Hashanah holiday, and here in the United States, vandalism of Philadelphia’s Holocaust memorial and swastikas painted on a Jewish fraternity at Emory University. These are just a few of the troubling signs of a world filled with prejudice and hatred. Beyond the Jewish community, churches and mosques are being destroyed in Syria and Iraq, and children, like Nobel Prize recipient Malala Yousafzi, risk their lives to advocate for girls’ education in Pakistan.

We must question whether we are doing enough to raise our voices and take action against the increasing violence fueled by hatred around the world. These lessons are taught in the Museum’s Karkomi Permanent Exhibition: that if we are silent or indifferent to prejudice, discrimination, and hatred, we allow an environment in which violence flourishes. They are also the lessons taught in our Make a Difference! The Harvey L. Miller Family Youth Exhibition (for third graders and beyond): to be an “upstander” as opposed to a bystander and to speak out on the issues that are important to you.

The Museum exists to teach these critically important lessons to current and future generations through our exhibitions and programs. We remember the past in order to transform the future. It is needed today as much as ever.

Susan Abrams is chief executive officer of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, located in Skokie.

More than 1,100 supporters of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago attended an intimate evening with former Prime Minister and President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres on Oct. 28.

In a conversation moderated by JUF President Dr. Steven B. Nasatir, the 91-year-old Peres-who stood at David Ben-Gurion’s side on May 14, 1948 as Israel declared independence-discussed everything from that exciting day to the current state of the world as it impacts Israel and Jews everywhere. (Watch the video of their conversation.)

“There are many who think the world is anti-Semitic,” Peres said when asked about the events of this past summer. “No, the world has changed for good and worse.”

Although growing Arab populations in Europe have caused challenges for Israel and the Jewish people, he said, Israel has the support of China and India, two of the world’s largest and most populous countries, in addition to that of that United States, which he called “the only country in history caring for the welfare of other people.”

“When I look around I can’t remember any country that contributed so much as the U.S.,” he said. “There is no country that is as generous as the U.S. without asking for anything in return.”

Peres also fielded a question about how he sees the next generation from a current high school student and Write On for Israel Fellow, Sari Mishell. He described young people today as extremely well-informed, forward-looking and “the most honest generation we’ve ever had.”

“People say, ‘Study history or you will repeat the same mistake’; but you make mistakes anyway,” he said. “And when you look back, the past is an ongoing mistake. Who wants to go back to the hunger, the shortcomings, the ignorance? The young generation wants to move forward.”

Nasatir thanked Peres for attending and for his leadership over the last several decades.

“We are all lovers of Israel who have been inspired by your wisdom and your leadership,” he said. “This is a historic event for the Chicago Jewish community and we thank you so much.”

Peres was also interviewed by the Chicago Tribune (subscription required) during his stay in Chicago, and by JUF Chairman of the Board Bill Silverstein at a private JUF event the night prior to the Vanguard dinner.

The Vanguard event, which helps launch the 2015 JUF Annual Campaign, was hosted by Neil G. Bluhm, Vanguard dinner chair, and Sara Crown Star, 2015 JUF general campaign chair.

A lot of people mistake Seth Meyers for a Jewish guy.

After all, he’s married to a Jewish woman, his paternal grandfather was Jewish, last spring he was presented with the gift of a Montreal Expos yarmulke on his show, and he and his brand of humor have a Jewish sensibility about them.

Though he isn’t technically a member of the tribe, he’s certainly a friend to the tribe, and promises to bring the laughs to our community when he headlines this year’s Big Event Fundraiser next month.

For the seventh year in a row, JUF’s Young Leadership Division’s (YLD) Big Event Fundraiser will be the place to be for young Jewish adults in Chicago, to be held at the Sheraton Chicago on Saturday, Dec. 13–or the easy to remember 12/13/14. This year’s festivities will include a new format: First, the comedy show with wine, beer, and concession snacks at your table, followed by a new two-hour after party with open bar, late night food, DJ, and dancing.

Past Big Events have featured musician Matisyahu, and comedians Sarah Silverman, Andy Samberg, Jimmy Fallon, Aziz Ansari, and most recently Jim Gaffigan and Amy Schumer-who last year drew 2,100 people. This time around, YLD hopes to once again bring in a big crowd. “We are only six weeks away from our sixth annual Big Event, and I am so excited that we will be hosting over 2,000 of Chicago’s young Jewish community,” said Amy Kirsch, 2015 YLD Campaign Chair. “We are thrilled that Seth Meyers will be able to perform. Plus, with the new after-party and an opportunity to meet Seth Meyers, I am certain we are going to have a huge turn-out and a great night to kick-off our 2015 Annual Campaign.”

“I can’t think of a more exciting way to raise money,” said YLD President Brandon Prosansky, “so that JUF can continue to provide social services and sustain Jewish communities in Chicago, in Israel, and around the world.”

Meyers’ appearance in Chicago is a return home to the Windy City for the Northwestern alum. The comedian, born in Evanston and raised in Bedford, New Hampshire, spent a long tenure at Saturday Night Live–12 years as a cast member, eight seasons as head writer, and seven as anchor for SNL’s Weekend Update.

Earlier this year, he took over for fellow comedian and Big Event alum, Fallon, as host of the NBC’s famed talk show Late Night.

Meyers won an Emmy for “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics” for host Justin Timberlake’s musical monologue, and has been nominated six times for Emmys for his writing on SNL and the 2011 special The Real Women of SNL.

Among his many emcee duties, Meyers hosted the Emmy Awards this past fall.

Back in 2011, he headlined the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. During his remarks, he made a joke about Osama bin Laden. The comedian was unaware that, a world away, US intelligence had located bin Laden and Navy SEALS planned to attack the next day. Meyers garnered rave reviews for his hosting dinners that night.

And he’s sure not to disappoint at his next gig–YLD’s Big Event Fundraiser-where he’s bound to feel right at home. “Every single Jewish person thinks I’m Jewish,” Meyers recently said. “It’s not their fault. They think that because of my face, my name, and everything about me.”

Attendance at YLD’s Big Event Fundraiser requires a gift to the 2015 JUF Annual Campaign. Ticket price includes comedy show and after party with two hours of open bar, late night food, and DJ. If you have contributed $25 or more to JUF, your ticket price is $85. Attending the Big Event Fundraiser indicates that you will match or increase your previous JUF gift. If you are a new donor or contribute less than $25 to JUF, the ticket price is $110. This includes the event’s minimum gift requirement of $25 to the 2015 JUF Annual Campaign. The fair market value of this event is $85, which is not tax-deductible.

Become a table host to secure group seating with your friends. As a table host, you will be asked to fill a table of 12 (including yourself) by having your friends register online. Guest list is due by Monday, Nov. 17. To be a table host, email [email protected]. All other seating will be general admission.

The Ben-Gurion Society (BGS) VIP reception will begin immediately following the program for JUF donors who contribute $1,000 or more to the 2015 JUF Annual Campaign. VIP reception will include premium open bar, late night food, and the opportunity to meet Seth Meyers in person.

Dietary laws observed. Ages 21 and over only.

Register online here. For more information, contact the YLD office at (312) 357-4880 or [email protected].

The latest edition of Slingshot, an influential national guide for philanthropists, profiles the Chicago-area’s REACH program, a collaborative effort to help local Jewish day schools better meet the needs of the whole child, including their academic, social-emotional and physical health needs.

In its just-released Midwest supplement, Slingshot 2014-15 highlights 21 organizations representing an array of Jewish life in the Midwest. The featured programs were chosen from among hundreds of finalists reviewed by 112 professionals with expertise in grant-making and Jewish communal life. The Slingshot Guide itself helps funders diversify their giving portfolios to include the most innovative and effective programs and organizations in North America.

Organizations were evaluated on their innovative approach, the impact they have in their work, the leadership they have in their sector, and their effectiveness at achieving results.

In its profile of REACH, the guide said “Day schools did not have the ability or know-how to serve students with special needs or different learning styles. REACH allows them to accomplish this.”

The program is a collaborative effort of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago, and is being administered by Jewish Child & Family Services.

REACH Director Julie Gordon said the program builds the capacity of Chicago’s day schools to provide a quality education to all children by streamlining existing resources, establishing new systems and protocols, and delivering a range of assessment and consultation services.

It works with day schools across the Chicago area in four main areas: direct services, consultation, professional development and community collaboration, Gordon said. REACH connects students and families to affordable diagnostic testing and provides occupational, speech and language therapy to those who qualify through Chicago Public Schools. It also works to bring additional services to schools beyond what is paid for by public funds. Consultation and professional development occur in multiple formats for administrators, teachers and families. These services are each adapted and administered to meet the varying needs, cultures and ideologies of the day schools and the families they serve.

“REACH has been instrumental in providing many services to our school and students,” said the director of general studies at one day school. “REACH has become an integral player in professional development … providing workshops, teacher observation and coaching, and administrative consultations on an ongoing basis. I can say without reservation that our school is a better institution due to the efforts of REACH.”

“We are proud to be among the efforts included in this brand-new supplement as Slingshot expands its coverage to highlight the amazing work of organizations in the Midwest,” Gordon said. “For 10 years, some of the most innovative Jewish programs in the country have benefitted from the attention Slingshot has brought them.”

For organizations listed in the guide, the recognition often is a critical step toward obtaining much needed new funding and expanding their work. Selected organizations are eligible for grants from various Midwestern peer-giving networks of young donors that are identifying, highlighting and advancing causes that resonate with the next generation of philanthropists. The guide is a frequently used resource for donors seeking to support organizations transforming the world in novel and interesting ways.

“Introducing a Slingshot Guide focused specifically on the Midwest lets us highlight the breadth and depth of the Midwest’s innovative Jewish projects,” said Hilary Schumer, program manager at Slingshot. “It allows us to give these organizations the recognition they deserve and boost their presence among donors and volunteers in their local communities. The collaboration that results creates significantly more impact than what each of the individual organizations can achieve on its own.”

The supplement was supported through a generous partnership with The Crown Family Philanthropies and the Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund. Alicia Schuyler Oberman, foundation director of the Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund, said “There is a great deal happening in Jewish life across the Midwest, much of which people may be hearing about for the first time in this new edition of Slingshot. I am thrilled to showcase the amazing potential and impact of these 21 projects. Jewish innovation in the Midwest is at the forefront of entrepreneurial and entrepreneurial Jewish programming.”

The Midwest supplement is one of three accompanying this year’s Slingshot Guide. Another highlights organizations committed to impacting the lives of women and girls, and the third lists innovative projects in the Greater Washington, D.C., area.

About the Slingshot Guide

The Slingshot Guide, now in its 10th year, was created by a team of young funders as a guidebook to help funders of all ages diversify their giving portfolios to include the most innovative and effective organizations, programs and projects in North America. The Guide contains information about each organization’s origin, mission, strategy, impact and budget, as well as details about its unique character. The Slingshot Guide has proven to be a catalyst for next-generation funding and offers a telling snapshot of shifting trends in North America’s Jewish community – and how nonprofits are meeting new needs and reaching new audiences. The book, published annually, is available in hard copy and as a free download at www.slingshotfund.org.

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, Deerfield High School will host a benefit concert for “Midwest goes Mideast,” a trip to Israel for its orchestra students. Deerfield will become the first U.S. public high school to embark on a performance tour to Israel.

While in Israel, students will serve as cultural ambassadors of goodwill from the state of Illinois and the USA to share music of America with Israeli audiences. They will also seek to learn about and experience authentic Middle Eastern culture through exchanges with local music schools, clinics with local musicians, and visits to important historic sites. The mission is to foster growth and positive relationships through the international language of music while learning about and honoring other cultures.

Concert highlights will include DHS Orchestra alumni guest artists: violinists Adam DeGraff (’92)http://adamviolin.com and Anne Clark Kolb (’92), and conductor emeritus Charles Emmons Jr. The concert will also feature the Chicago Salaam Shalom Music Project, an interfaith ensemble dedicated to celebrating diversity through authentic Middle Eastern music.

The special fundraising event will be held at 7:30 p.m., October 28, in the auditorium at Deerfield High School, 1959 N. Waukegan Road. General Admission tickets are available for a donation of any amount. Donate here.Donated funds will be used to lower the cost of the trip for participants and establish a scholarship fund for students who would otherwise not be able to participate.

The pre-concert reception will begin at 7 p.m. Middle Eastern Cuisine will be provided by Mizrahi Grill.

JCC PresenTense Chicago, a highly sought-after social entrepreneurship program, is seeking passionate volunteers and Fellows for their new 2015 season. Apply today through Nov. 6 to be part of this inspiring community of innovators and social entrepreneurs.

A largely volunteer-run, vibrant grassroots community of entrepreneurs, mentors, coaches and Advisory Board committee members, JCC PresenTense Chicago is fostering innovation by tapping into the talents and energy of everyday professionals in our community. Over an intensive six-month program, Fellows will work to develop their original ideas into sustainable businesses with the unifying sense of dedication to make this world a better place.

“All great innovators and creators need a fertile environment to grow their ideas. PresenTense is an organization dedicated to doing just that,” said 2012 Fellow and 2014 Mentor, Karen Berk Barak.

Each Fellow works closely with a volunteer mentor and coach for guidance and support. In turn, mentors and coaches gain the opportunity to grow their skills, knowledge, and networks. Fellows attend monthly seminars, workshops and speaking opportunities, such as Social Innovation Night and Shark Tank, to build skills. The program culminates with Launch Night in June, when Fellows share and pitch their ventures to potential partners and funders.

In the past three PresenTense Fellowships, more than 35 Fellows have benefited while working on the development of socially responsible ideas into sustainable businesses.

“Participating in this community gave me a feeling of deep satisfaction.” said Jacob Forman, 2013 Coach and Chair of 2013 Launch Night.

For more information on JCC PresenTense Chicago, visit www.gojcc.org/presentense, or contact Becky at [email protected] or 847.763.3629.

Camp Nageela Midwest, in Marshall, Ind., just received the Torah. Specifically, their own Torah scroll, dedicated to the memory of the one and a half million children killed in the Holocaust.

In July, the camp held a Hachnasat Sefer Torah, a celebration to welcome the Torah- similar to the ushering of a bride to the chuppah– with singing, dancing, and a processional, followed by remarks by both staff and campers. Everyone was able to examine the scroll up close and even to watch the last letters being written by a sofer (scribe) in person. Obtaining the Torah involved a campaign spearheaded by Eric Rothner, Yosef Meystel and Barak Baver; one fundraiser was held in the Illinois Holocaust Museum.

Rothner delivered the Torah to the camp personally, accompanied by several family members. The scroll, which was written in Israel, was designed to be lightweight, so that campers could carry it unassisted. The inscription on the cover expresses the idea that it was “given to the children to inspire them to live in an honorable manner,” said Nosson Factor, the camp’s director. In thanks, the children gave Rothner handmade crafts. Next, Rothner will dedicate a sports complex at the camp.

Prior to the Torah’s delivery, the camp prepared campers for its arrival with discussions on the making of a Torah scroll, the meaning of the Torah, and the impact of the Holocaust. “Jewish summer camp has the opposite intention of the Nazis,” said Factor, explaining why he thought the camp’s Torah should be dedicated to the memory of those children the Nazis killed.

Who would you like to have at your 5th birthday party? For Limmud Chicago, the guest list is growing every day, with Josh Nelson, Amichai Lau Lavie, Neshama Carlebach, and Joel Grishaver topping the list.

For this 5th annual festival of Jewish learning, Limmud Chicago will be in Skokie for the first time, at the Skokie Doubletree Hilton. The combination festival and conference will take place Nov. 15 and 16, beginning after sundown on Saturday night through 10 pm, and continuing on from 8 am to 6 pm on Sunday. Josh Nelson and Neshama Carlebach will be leading havdalah, the ceremony that ends Shabbat, to kick off Saturday night’s activities.

Limmud Chicago is one of more than 60 cities around the world that have been celebrating Jewish learning, spanning the spectrum of Jewish life. Along with the international standards set by the first and largest Limmud in the UK, which began over 30 years ago, and attracts over 2,500 people each December, Limmud Chicago is an all-volunteer organization.

There are core principles at work for each Limmud, including diversity, empowerment, mutual respect, volunteerism, and participation. Limmud Chicago has attracted up to 400 participants each year, offering 80 different learning sessions on topics as diverse as Israel, text study, music, history, and modern life. Anyone who wants to submit a proposal for a session can, because Limmud believes that everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner. Presenters stay for the entire day, so they can learn from others, who may be professional educator, but often, are not.

Passion is the word of the day. People who attend Limmud Chicago are passionate about what they have to share, and want to learn. As it says on the website, “Wherever you are on your Jewish journey, Limmud can take you one step further.”

For more information, visit www.limmudchicago.org or contact Shoshana Waskow at

[email protected].

On Sukkot, starting this year on the evening of Oct. 8, it’s considered a mitzvah to dwell in your sukkah.

The Torah says: “In Succot, you should dwell for seven days. Every citizen of Israel should dwell in succot, so that your generation will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in succot when I brought them forth from the Land of Egypt.” (Vayikra/Lev. 23:42-3)

In that spirit, JUF News asked its readers the following hypothetical question: If you could invite any “ushpizin”-Sukkah guests-into your sukkah-living or dead, famous or not-who would top your guest list?

I would invite my baby niece, Sloane Agdern. Since she was born I have been anxious to show her the extreme joy and beauty I have found in Judaism. I simply can’t wait to share each and every holiday with her, and then start over, and share them all again.

Beverly Agdern

Chicago​

My first reaction was I would invite my son, Jeffery, who died of Leukemia at the age of 12 on Sept. 11, 1981. He has left a hole in my heart. Then I thought of my three granddaughters-Lily, Bella, and Sage who have helped me to keep going. It is a hard choice, the past or the future!

Charlene Wexler

Richmond, Ill.

I would have people who are known to be great conversationalists: Paul Simon (the singer), Spike Lee, Billy Crystal, Meryl Streep, Dick Cavett, Anna Quindlen, and George Will. Oh, who am I kidding- they’d just end up talking about baseball.

Paul Wieder

Chicago

I would invite Angelina Jolie. I’m a big fan of hers, and hopefully she would bring her kids and her husband.

Jonathan Weissbrot

Chicago

I would like to invite my future great-great-grandson to eat with me in our sukkah so we could talk about being Jewish and the state of Israel.

Robert Feiger

Deerfield

If I could invite anyone to my Sukkah this year, it would have to be the Chicago-native writer, actor, and comedian, the late Harold Ramis. Sukkot occurs just after a very intense time on the Jewish calendar and with his perfect comedic timing, philosophical insight, and easy going manner, Mr. Ramis would bring just the right balance of laughs and thoughtfulness to any Sukkot celebration. Sukkot is a time when we remember and get to experience how the Jews lived when they wandered the desert in search of a better place, and Mr. Ramis would most certainly makes us stop and think about how we could make this year better for each other, and not just like another Groundhog day.

Brad Arlen
Chicago

I would invite the Dalai Lama to my sukkah. I feel that simply being around him would be peaceful. He promotes everything that I try to live by-being present, living in the moment, and living a life of kindness, peace, and love. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” ~Dalai Lama

Jaime Olson

Chicago

Justin Timberlake. You said anyone, right? Sukkot always feels so festive to me and there’s nothing more festive than laughing, singing, and dancing with your family and friends. Well, JT has got it all: he sings, he dances, and his comedy skills are dead on. Why not have him join the Lovitz family celebration?

Lori Lovitz

Chicago