The Villages - December 2021 - 29

New members came in droves, from 60 to hundreds in a hurry.
" We decided, okay, it's time to get a rec. center and formally become a
group, and we have almost 400 members now. "
Faulkner flashes a proud smile.
" Yes, there's a huge interest in our group, and now more and more
Ellen Faulkner
AJW Club Founder
Jewish people are moving to The Villages. People are actually leaving New
York and other states to come and live here because they know there's a
place for them. There are two synagogues and maybe seven Jewish social
groups. We get a lot of support from the rec centers, and John Rohan, and
there's so much acceptance of our culture. Every square now has menorahs
- every single one, and they decorate and they're inclusive because
they understand. "
Faulkner describes the fun her group's had over the years, via craft
projects, educational offerings, feasts and charity functions. On her cell
phone, she scrolls through photos of AJW members at gatherings, huddled
in small groups with arms entwined, wearing matching smiles. There
are shots of packed rooms, with food dishes crammed across
tables like vehicles in rush hour traffic. She continues
scrolling, and the string of memories unspools.
" We've done so many events, " Faulkner says,
" a lot of fun stuff. And we make holiday treats
like some of the things that you eat at Hanukkah,
or potato latkes. I dip them into powdered
sugar, and they become really sweet. Some people
don't, but that's the best way to eat them; and
it's a whole production. "
Now gearing up for this year's holiday party, she
describes the Thanksgiving Day craft they'll do as
a group, followed by prayers for Hanukkah.
" We can light the menorah, which is the
symbol for Hanukkah. We encourage everyone
to bring their menorahs. "
Faulkner returns to her photos and retrieves the
appropriate ones.
" We had a contest for the oldest menorah, and we
even had some from the 1920s, " she said.
In the photo, a dim room shines with a chorus of lit
candles, each held by its own unique menorah -brass with
marble accents, ornate with lavishly twisted branches or
modern and sleek as a piece of art.
" Everybody had to go up to the stage and give a little bit
of history about the menorah - where they got it from and
what it meant to them, " Faulkner said.
" It's really all about sharing, and some people are here
Robyn " Sparkles " Kassie
AJW Club Member With Her Menorah
by themselves and they don't have family to celebrate with,
so we have kind of become a giant family. It's been a really
great experience. We have a board with 14 members, and
we meet and plan things. "
MAGAZINE
29
The Villages - December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - December 2021
