Week of February 20, 2026
Week of February 20, 2026
(JNS) — Iran’s foreign minister vowed on Sunday that Tehran will never abandon uranium enrichment, even if it means facing war with the United States, sharpening a tense standoff over its nuclear program. The Islamic Republic “has paid a very heavy price for its peaceful nuclear program and for uranium enrichment,” Abbas Araghchi claimed during a forum in the capital, according to AFP. “Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our...
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) apprehended more than 20 Palestinian terrorists and wanted individuals overnight Sunday in counter-terrorism operations across Judea and Samaria. The IDF Samaria Brigade arrested a terrorist involved in the purchase and possession of weapons, as well as in planning to harm Israeli soldiers and civilians, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said. Four more suspects were detained during the operation in the area. In a separate operation, IDF troops and Border Police...
(JNS) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged his nation to unify as the United States has been boosting its military presence in the Gulf region. “The enemy must be driven to despair. The enemy’s despair comes through [our] unity, strength of thought and determination, and steadfastness in confronting the enemy’s temptations. These are what build national power,” Khamenei tweeted. AFP cited the Iranian leader as calling on his citizens to show resolve ahead of the 47th anniversary this week of the Islamic Revolution...
El Al to fly to Vietnam, Korea and the Philippines By Etgar Lefkovits (JNS) — Israel’s flag carrier, El Al, announced on Sunday that it will launch nonstop service to Hanoi, Seoul and Manila from Tel Aviv, marking a major expansion of its service to Asia. The thrice-weekly flights to each city will bring to a record 60 the number of destinations serviced by El Al. The flights to Vietnam—which is already serviced by rival Israeli airline Arkia—will begin in October with economy fares starting at $899 round-trip, while service to South...
(JNS) — Over 1,400 bereaved families gathered last week to plant trees in memory of their loved ones at the newly established Iron Swords Forest, which spans 367 dunams (approximately 90 acres). Established last October by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund at Khirbet Mador, near the Re’im Recreation Area, the forest is Israel’s largest memorial dedicated to those murdered and the fallen in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and the ensuing war. Among the participants was Vered Libstein of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, who lost four...
(JNS) — Israel is allocating tens of millions of shekels to a newly-created “Hills Administration” that will seek to combat anti-Arab violence in Judea and Samaria by some 300 Jewish rioters, Ynet reported on Sunday. The initiative, which is being promoted by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and was first reported in November, calls for the creation of a new unit within the Israeli Defense Ministry to coordinate a response for at-risk youth. Under the plan, the Defense Ministry would receive two million shekels (about $500,000)...
(JNS) — Anti-Israel groups and left-wing Jewish organizations are rallying to stop Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York City Council from forwarding proposals that would create buffer zones around houses of worship and educational facilities. While Jewish advocacy groups have come together to back the legislation, PAL-Awda of New York and New Jersey called for “urgent action” on Feb. 8. “Tell your state senator and assemblymember to reject anti-free speech buffer zones.” The group wrote that “Hochul is trying to sneak this through...
(JNS) - Before Oct. 7, 2023, Israel knew that digging was taking place in Gaza, and on a massive scale. But for a long time, warning signs were ignored, and there was a refusal to believe that one day we would discover a dark, brutal world beneath the ground. Today, after more than two years of fighting, tunnel experts are warning against falling asleep on watch again. "Before the war, we said, 'It's there, we're here, we'll make sure no tunnels are crossing the fence,'" says Lt. Col. R., 37,...
(JNS) — The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced Feb. 9 that it was officially terminating its operations in light of the return from Gaza of the last deceased hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. The body of the 24-year-old volunteer in the elite Israel Police Yasam Special Patrol Unit was held in the Strip for 843 days before it was brought back for burial in Israel, closing the chapter on the 251 individuals abducted into Gaza during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, and four others taken before the war. The Israeli NGO said it had...
Over 200 guests gathered on Feb. 10 for a spectacular morning of style and celebration at the annual fashion show benefiting Jewish Pavilion Senior Services. Hosted by Dillard's at the Altamonte Mall, the event brought together supporters, sponsors, and community members for an uplifting program filled with food, fashion, and friendship. The energy throughout the morning was vibrant and inspiring, reflecting the strong community spirit that continues to sustain the organization's mission of...
Central Florida lost a vital scholarly influence in the world of Judaic studies when Dr. Moshe Peltz Pelli passed away in Winter Park, Florida on Jan. 7, 2026. He lived a full life devoted to his beloved family and his academic scholarship. Dr. Pelli was born in Haifa, Israel May 19, 1936 (then known as British-administered Mandatory Palestine, before the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel) to Shmuel Zanvil and Golda (Zahava) Peltz. After completing his distinguished military service in Israel, Dr. Pelli forged a unique path by...
(JNS) — The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved a series of measures aimed at deepening Jerusalem’s hold on Judea and Samaria and expanding Jewish communities in the region, according to Hebrew-language media. The decisions promoted by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are reportedly expected to bring about far-reaching changes to land acquisition rules in Judea and Samaria. The approved measures include lifting confidentiality from land registry records; canceling historic restrictions on land sales to...
(JNS) - Mati Caspi, one of Israel's most influential and innovative musicians, died oFeb. 8, 2026, at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) following a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 76 years old. "With aching hearts and deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved husband and dear father," Caspi's family said in a statement. "His love and the creations he left behind will always remain a part of us." Born on Nov. 30, 1949, in Kibbutz Hanita, Caspi was widely regarded...
JERRY TANNENBAUM Jerry Tannenbaum, 87, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a lifetime of love, loyalty, and friendship. Born in New York, Jerry grew up a proud Barnes boy, forming bonds with friends from the Bronx that would last his entire life. One summer at Cutlers Cottages, the year before she turned 16, he met the love of his life, Lois. That meeting began a partnership that would span more than six decades, until her passing. Jerry later moved his young family to Orlando, where he... Full story
HERBERT D. MANELOVEG Herbert D. Maneloveg died peacefully, on Feb. 2, 2026, one week after celebrating his 101st birthday. He was a renowned media and marketing advertising executive, beloved husband, father and grandfather and a friend to all. Born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania he served in World War II as an Army private at the Battle of the Bulge, suffering a shrapnel injury and was awarded the purple heart. He completed college upon his return and then moved to New York to begin his career in... Full story
DR. ARNOLD VICTOR SIGNER On Feb. 9, 2026, Dr. Arnold Victor Signer, age 81, passed away peacefully in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by family and love. He was born on Feb. 2, 1945, to Marilyn (Breckstein) and Allan Signer in Miami, Florida. Soon thereafter, the family relocated to Lakeland, Florida where Arnie was raised and graduated from Lakeland Senior High School. He attended Emory University in Atlanta followed by the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland. Arnie was a retired... Full story
(JNS) — When the 20 national teams gather next month for the World Baseball Classic, every team but one will be accompanied by two Major League Baseball security agents. Team Israel will have four. “This is just stuff that other teams do not have to deal with,” Nate Fish, manager of the Israeli national team and CEO of Israel Baseball Americas, told JNS. “But it’s stuff that we’re used to dealing with.” “We don’t talk about it that much,” he said. It’s been nine years since Team Israel, then ranked 49th, shocked the...
Compiled by Christine DeSouza Early in January, International Space Station's Crew-11 were medically evacuated from the space station. Crew-12, comprised of a team of four, arrived on Feb. 14 to continue the months-long research mission. One of those Crew-12 members is Jewish American astronaut Jessica Meir, who serves as the crew's commander of Expedition 74/75. Meir and her crewmates - American Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev - blasted off...
(JNS) - Moshe Davis learned that he was out of a job on Feb. 4 from a public social media post that Phylisa Wisdom was succeeding him as director of the New York City Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism. Close to an hour later, his supervisor made it official. He wasn't surprised but was disappointed, he told JNS. Mayor Zohran Mamdani "signaled that they would be taking a different approach that didn't align with mine," Davis said. "I was hoping they wanted to make this office something that...
(JNS) — A new House caucus focused on opposing Sharia law in the United States has expanded to 36 members from 18 states, according to Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), one of its co-founders. The Sharia Free America Caucus was founded by Self and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) following a conversation with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) at the White House Christmas Party, according to Self. He told JNS that the caucus has three primary goals. “We think our missions and our goals are to, one, alert our colleagues in Congress to the dangers of the...
(JNS) — The proliferation of semi-autonomous Muslim majority communities in Western Europe applying aspects of “Sharia,” Islamic law jurisdiction, has alerted some U.S. lawmakers to this same developing phenomenon in America. During a Feb. 10 hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution,” the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution will examine evidence about the potential threat that Sharia poses to the basic freedoms underpinning our constitutional...
(JNS) — America’s classrooms are under siege. Not from budget cuts or test scores, but from an ideology that undermines our very foundations of liberty, equality and mutual respect. A new White Paper by the North American Values Institute titled “When the Classroom Turns Hostile” lays out the case in unmistakable terms: what’s happening in K-12 education is not a series of isolated incidents, but a systemic crisis that is robbing our children, especially Jewish children, of a safe, honest and empowering education. The battle for the...
(JNS) — Among the many fascinating factors of maintaining offices in Metzuzat Ze’ev (Ze’ev’s Fortress) on King George Street in Tel Aviv, which has long served as the ideological and administrative headquarters of Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s movement, including Revisionist Zionism, Betar and the Herut/Likud movement, is how often Jewish history repeats itself. The building, which started as a Betar club, was renamed the Jabotinsky Institute. As when Betar became illegal during battles to remove the British from our land, it was clear that...
(JNS) — “Gaza Crossing to Egypt Reopens in Step Forward for Fragile Cease-Fire,” celebrated The New York Times on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day. And just like the 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, it feels like we are seeing the same thing occur yet again. Only this is real life and far from funny. It’s deadly serious. Opening the Rafah border crossing while Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad continue to be fully armed benefits the terrorists more than anyone. Aside from handing Hamas more to brag about to everyday Gazans, it gives the...
Robert Kraft deserves credit for something I have long urged: that wealthy Jews devote their philanthropy to Jewish causes and Israel. While his choice to spend millions—reportedly $15 million this year—on Super Bowl ads combating antisemitism is well-intentioned, it raises questions about the most effective use of limited Jewish resources. Kraft can spend his money as he wishes. But Jewish philanthropy is not unlimited. $15 million is more than spare change; it can endow an institution for decades or determine whether an organization...
(JNS) — I have long grappled with understanding the origins of evil. The events unfolding in Iran offer a stark example. Millions have taken to the streets, bravely demanding their basic human rights, in addition to such simple conditions as clean water in their homes and the necessities to provide for their families. As it stands now, one U.S. dollar is valued at about 42,000 Iranian rials. But what they are really after—what causes a pain in their hearts with a yearning so incandescently profound—is freedom. Freedom to walk about the...
Lenore Roland has lived in Windermere for more than 30 years. She recently settled into The Mayflower where she was the subject of an article in The Mayflower's magazine, Compass. Heritage Florida Jewish News received permission to reprint this article to share with our readers, many of whom know her. From her early years, new Mayflower resident Lenore (Lenny) Roland seemed destined to be a writer. But her life - from New York City to Winter Park -included many other accomplishments and...
Hamantaschen! Purim, March 2, is celebrated with a festival tone. Four mitzvahs for the holiday are reading the Megillah, the story of the Book of Esther; giving to the poor; having a celebratory meal; and sharing food gifts, often hamantaschen. This recipe features a sugar cookie base. You can fill them with your favorite filling, poppy seed, prune, jams, or chocolate. Makes 15. 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 egg 2 3/4 scant...
(JNS) - It was almost a decade ago that Team Israel came seemingly out of nowhere to reach the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic as higher-ranked teams fell short. The Israeli team's leadership is hoping for another taste of success this time around. "At this point, we have a habit of winning, and we have a tradition of winning," Nate Fish, manager of the Israeli national team and CEO of Israel Baseball Americas, told JNS. "We're going in expecting to find our way out of the...
(JNS) - The mass shooting at Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018, in which 11 Jewish worshippers were killed, took place over parents' weekend at the University of Pittsburgh. Robyn Markowitz Lawler, who was then working at the Pitt Hillel, had been fielding questions from parents about where they could go to Shabbat services, and she and her staff had told them about Tree of Life. "When I got the phone call in the morning that there was an active shooter in...
In today’s fast-changing world, staying on top of your health is easier — and more high-tech — than ever before. At Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, we’re always looking out for innovations that help seniors live healthier, more independent lives. One of the most exciting developments we’re seeing is the rise of next-generation health wearables — smart devices that can monitor everything from heart rate to sleep patterns and even blood sugar levels, all with just a simple slip-on device. Here’s a quick guide to the latest in...
(JNS) - Canadians of indigenous ancestry are still mulling over a trip they took to Israel last fall and are looking forward to the release of a documentary about their experience. "The Lands Between Us" is slated to be screened in early March in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver with support, in part, from the Israeli embassy in Canada. "I miss being on the land and with the people," Crystal Lavallee, a filmmaker from the Niagara area in Ontario, who is of Métis and Greek descent, told...
Looking for a bagel? We can help you with that and hamentashen, too. But for now we're on a roll - bad pun number one, if you're counting. It's the second edition of "Scene around...again" - and we plan to continue providing news about area events, people, and places to go. Rhonda Des Islets, long-time subscriber, earns our appreciation for writing in to express her support for bringing back the column. It's readers such as Rhonda who keep the column going by sharing personal and community...
Learn about the newest technology that decodes history and discover the heritage of those who sailed to the New World as The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society, in collaboration with Dr. Roger Martinez-Davila, present Dr. Martinez-Davila’s discoveries to the public about St. Augustine’s secret settlers. The title of the program is The Forbidden Voyagers of 1565: Escaping the Inquisition on Wednesday, March 4 at 4 p.m. Dr. Martinex-Davila is a professor of history at the University of Colorado. He is a specialist in the complex social...
Members of the Central Florida Jewish community will gather later this month to celebrate a milestone 16 years in the making. On Sunday, Feb. 22, Temple Israel of Winter Springs will honor Rabbi Joshua Neely’s “sweet 16” — commemorating his 16 years of service to the congregation and his many contributions across the region. The celebration, set to begin at 5 p.m. in the Roth Social Hall, will feature an evening of food, music, and memories. Guests will enjoy catered appetizers, dinner, and drinks as well as live entertainment, a...
Chabad of North Orlando and Chabad of Downtown are presenting a Purim at the circus party at the Orlando Science Center, 777 E. Princeton St., Orlando, on March 3 at 5:15 p.m. There will be a Megillah with slideshow in the theater, Purim crafts, music, a dinner, and incredible circus show and dancing. There is no cost. Please RSVP by Feb. 25 to JewishNor...
The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah is hosting a Purim luncheon for the March meeting, to be held March 3 at 11:30 a.m. The theme is The Two Faces of Vashti. Jewish educator and life member of Hadassah, Janet Friedman will unmask Esther and Vashti at the luncheon. She is well known for offering engaging classes and programs on a wide variety of topics. Friedman retired from a career in information technology with NASA and also completed 38 years with Disney. Registration is required. General admission is $25, which includes lunch. Please note,...
