President's Reflections

It is hard to believe that 2022 is here with a new set of hopes and dreams. I’m sure we all felt that our Covid-19 days were behind us however, a new variant has reared its ugly head. This now seems to be our new normal. Although we are back at Temple Israel with in person services and Sunday school, this is not the time to let our guard down. I encourage all of you to wear a mask when out in public and of course to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer. Let’s stay the course so that come spring we will all be able to enjoy life as it should be with family and friends. From our family to yours have a Blessed New Year.

Tu Bishvat falls on the calendar mid-January this year, and for Chadash, this means we will focus some of our efforts towards the environment. Our Torah teaches us to practice Tikkun Olam or repairing the world, as it is the holiday where we celebrate the world’s trees and all they provide for us.

When Chadash students return from winter vacation, not only will we plant seeds to plan for a better tomorrow, but we will also spend time cutting plastic grocery store bags into loops in order to send off to eventually be crocheted into plastic sleeping mats for the homeless. Not only will this project involve each Chadash student in the program, but the outcome will provide a dry padded spot for someone sleeping on the streets unable to find room in a shelter.

It is important that as part of Chadash, we teach our students to be compassionate contributors of their community, and not only will our students be recycling, cutting and preparing bags for crocheting, but our Chadash community will learn about the homeless in our own backyard in Stark County.

If you would like to donate your plastic grocery store bags to our effort, please feel free to drop them off to Julie at Beit Ha’am not later than Friday, January 7, 2022. Any leftover bags will be returned to a local grocery store for recycling.

Advanced sign-up for in-person participation is no longer required.

Marva L. (Bell) Jones-Dodson, a retired nurse has devoted her entire adult life (51 years) to volunteer service in the Stark County Community.

She was born Marva L. Bell in Massillon, Ohio to the late Herbert and Lula M. Bell.

She received her early education in the Massillon City Schools, Malone College, Timken Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, Stark State College for Employee Development & Management and Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Stark County.

Upon passage of the State of Ohio Board of Nursing examination, Mrs. Dodson became employed as an Operating Room Nurse at Aultman Hospital, Canton, Ohio. She later became an Office Nurse at the former Canton Orthopaedics, Inc. (nka Spectrum Orthopedics), where she provided patient care for the daily office function for four orthopaedic surgeons.

Mrs. Dodson is retired from Massillon City Schools as the Health Coordinator of the Massillon City Schools Public Preschool Program and the School Clinic Nurse at Franklin Elementary School. She is currently a State of Ohio Notary Public.

Among her numerous areas of civic service through the years, she formerly served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Massillon YWCA, the Charter Member, Board and Executive Committee of Habitat for Humanity of Massillon, Ohio, Inc. where she was involved in the building of twenty-six homes for families in need. She served as a member of the United Way of Greater Stark County Agency Review Team to review agencies requesting funding from the United Way.

She also served on the Affinity Medical Center Board of Trustees, the Community Hospice Advisory Board of Stark & Tuscarawas Counties, the Stark County Health Department Medical Reserve Corps, the American Heart Association Board of Directors of Stark & Wayne Counties, the Prescription Assistance Network of Stark County Board of Directors, the Washington High School Alumni Association Board of Trustees, Massillon Chapter of the NAACP and the “Still I Rise” Book Club of Canton.

A faithful member of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Massillon, Mrs. Dodson serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. She is a Life Member of the Board of Deaconess, President of the Usher Board, Life Member of the Women’s Home & Overseas Missionary Society, Life Member & Chaplin of the Ohio Conference Lay Council, Statistician for the A.M.E. Zion Church Ohio Conference, duly elected delegate to the A.M.E. Zion Church 106th Session of the Ohio Annual Conference, and the duly elected delegate to the A.M.E. Zion Church 51st Session of the Worldwide General Conference in 2021.

Her areas of interest are Antique Doll Colleting, Outdoor Sports Activities, Music, Theater and Researching the history of African Americans in Stark County with emphasis on the history and contributions of African Americans in Massillon, Ohio. She exhibits her collection entitled “CHARISMA” (Contributions of Historic African-Americans whose Roots and Influence are Significant to the Massillon Area), which includes antiques, artifacts and photographs. Mrs. Dodson received national recognition for her exhibit in the 2003 March Issue of American Libraries Magazine. Photos from her collection are featured in “YESTERYEARS” (A Pictorial History of Stark County, Ohio) published by the Canton Repository. Additionally, photographs from her collection are engraved on The Stark County/Ohio Bicentennial Wall of Fame plaque featuring “Stark County’s Greatest Sons & Daughters” and “The Stark County Story Exhibit”, both permanently located in the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, Canton, Ohio. She currently serves as a member of the African American Cultural Center & Museum Committee seeking to establish a Black History cultural center and museum representing African Americans of Stark County.

She is the recipient of the 2012 ABCD, Inc. “Lifetime Achievement” Award and selected as one of “Who’s Who in Black Cleveland-Akron-Stark County” Class of 2013 Spotlighting and Celebrating African American Achievement. In recognition of her devoted service to Massillon and the Stark County Community, Mrs. Dodson was the recipient of the “Mayor’s 2019 Senior Citizen Award” City of Massillon, the One Tiger, Inc. 2019 “Heritage Award” and the Massillon Tiger Benchwarmers Booster Club’s 2020 “Community Service & Achievement Award”.

Mrs. Dodson is the proud mother of Celeste M. Jones of Middleburg Heights, Ohio.

Her key to a happy life is to fear God, keep His commandments, and to live out our God-created identity. “Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives towards us. For our lives are made up of a million moments, spent in a million different ways. Some are spent searching for love, peace and harmony. Others are spent surviving day to day. But there is no greater moment than when we find that life, with all of its joys and sorrows, is meant to be lived one day at a time.

If you haven't made your donor, it is not too late!! Temple Israel Sisterhood and Shaaray Torah Synagogue are excited to present our second virtual combined donor, featuring Chadash students. This year’s Donor Program will take you inside the classroom where you will be able to see all the wonderful Judaic education provided by our religious school. Covid -19 has changed our lives and donor structure. This virtual donor provides a unique opportunity to see our classes in action. This has never been possible before! We know you will enjoy it! Also, just like last year, the program link will be sent to you free of charge. The minimum Donor is $25.00 but all donations are welcome. A special gift of $100 or more is a wonderful way to honor or memorialize a loved one, honor a family member or friend celebrating a special life cycle event, and to tell someone you love that they are special to you. As read in the Shema, “You shall teach them diligently to your children.” This is actually what your contribution to Donor does – it helps educate the children of Chadash so that they can one day teach them to their children. Thank you for your support.

Please think about ordering your National Mah Jongg 2022 Card from Temple Israel Sisterhood. You can order your card by dropping off or sending your check to the Temple Office with the names and addresses of those individuals who would like to order a 2022 card or send a check and info to: Barbara Spera 1380 Shiloh Run SE, North Canton, OH 44709. Cards are $9 for standard print and $10 for large print. Cards will be sent to your home address around April 1,2022. All orders MUST be received by Feb.2, 2022. Make checks payable to Temple Israel Sisterhood. Questions? Call Barb at 330-494-8360.

In Appreciation of