Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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The Shalom Orlando Board stated that Keith Dvorchik is “no longer with the organization,” effective immediately. Craig Polejes, Shalom Orlando Board of Director’s chairman, did not give any information as to the reason for this action. “We are deeply committed to the Central Florida Jewish community and its mission to serve our community,” said Polejes. “This change in leadership is an opportunity to embrace new possibilities and fresh perspectives while upholding the traditions and values that...
The Israeli-American Council, the Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando quickly pulled together a rally on Sunday, Oct. 8, to show their support for Israel and where many call "home." T-shirts stating "I Stand With Israel" were available in the foyer of the JCC as approximately 350 people gathered to stand in solidarity. Intermingled with the crowd were Representative Anna Eskamani, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Val Demings, as well as Congressman...
Two Neo-Nazi groups marched in Altamonte Springs and outside the entrance to Disney Springs shopping center on Saturday, Sept. 2. Dressed in red shirts, black pants and black masks, 51 members of the Goyim Defense League and the Blood Tribe, who called the antisemitic demonstration "March of the Redshirts," walked from Sanlando Park to Cranes Roost Park, about a mile and a half away chanting "White power," "Jews will not replace us," and "We are everywhere." Blood Tribe, founded by former U.S....
Family histories are a precious legacy of who you are and from where you came. Unfortunately, as time goes on, these stories can get lost over time. Dr. Lane Jay Mercer heard his family stories all his life. He shared them like bedtime stories with his four children. His son suggested he write the family history down so that future generations could enjoy their heritage. And that's what he did - "An American Jewish Family Saga" follows five generations of his family's journey from Spain during...
Talking with author Ed Borowsky is pure enjoyment. He shares stories from his life that are funny, whimsical, sad, and always with a ring of truth to mull over. His writing style is the same way. He expertly weaves his life experiences into his fictional characters and the situations they find themselves in to the point that reality and fiction become one. "It's a Good Day to Liquidate" is his first fiction novel and it will be released June 29. It's not his first published work - that goes to...
RAISE, a work and social skills training program for adults with disabilities, is excited to announce its recent partnership with the Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Joann Fabrics. Now, with more partnering locations, RAISE is looking to expand its enrollment capacity this fall. Currently, there are 12 RAISE employees and since each employee has two job coaches, there are 24 active volunteer job coaches this year. RAISE hopes to be able to accept up to 20 new employees in the fall cohort. To do so...
In the spring of 1959, Lawrence Golub and Roy Ans graduated from high school in Valley Stream on Long Island, N.Y., and chose colleges to attend. Golub and Ans had known each other from grade school. While Golub went to the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Ans chose to attend Washington College - a very small college with only 500 students, and less than two percent were Jewish. The college, referred to as the "hidden gem on the Eastern Shore," was nestled in a very small town called...
Following up on his promise made to Rabbi Konikov of Chabad of South Orlando and the entire Central Florida Jewish community, Rep. Darren Soto reached out to the United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to seek an investigation into the antisemitic actions committed by the Goyim Defense League a couple weeks ago in southwest Orlando, the Lake Nona area and Volusia County. “I write to express my concern with incidents perpetrated against the Jewish community in Central Florida by the ‘Goyim Defense League.’ I respectfully request your...
On Feb. 17, a man dressed in a gawdy yellow and blue floral outfit with a lei around his neck, along with many others from his group walked up and down Sand Lake Road in front of Chabad of South Orlando for three and a half hours shouting through a megaphone to people who were arriving for Shabbat at the shul. "Sir, do you think you should be put in an oven?" he yelled, laughing and relishing the hate he was spewing. Intermingled with cursing, he and a few others continued the hate talk, address...
The University of Central Florida has been relatively antisemitism-free for many years. Under the leadership of Aaron Weil, Central Florida Hillel had kept any antisemitic groups from making much of a roar on campus. Under the current leadership at Hillel, much is the same – even when on Monday, Feb. 6, members of the #YeIsRight movement set up a table on Memory Mall as part of an antsemitic provocation tour. This group, which mouths the hate talk of Kanye West, has made several previous stops at other Florida universities, including Florida S...
People often complain that they have no voice in government legislation, thinking erroneously that they are just “one person whose voice doesn’t matter.” But this isn’t true. There is a grassroots political action group in the area that works with locally elected congressional representatives who support pro-Israeli legislation. Called the Central Florida Pro Israel Friends Political Action Group, it’s been in operation for more than nine years quietly meeting with local represent...
Orlando lost another builder of the Jewish community. Described over the years by many friends as compassionate; serious; deeply devoted to the community, Congregation Ohev Shalom, Israel and the world, Burt Chasnov, 75, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. Burton R. Chasnov was born on Aug. 14, 1947 in Brooklyn, N.Y. and attended Brooklyn College where he was a member of Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity. He received his bachelor's degree and became a Certified Public Accountant. He started his...
In the midst of all the New Year’s reveling in the streets of Orlando, high above on an office building on Orange Avenue and Washington Street antisemitic messages “Vax the Jews,” “Honk if you hate Jews,” “Hitler was right” streamed over and over across the building’s top. According to clickorlando, no one below reacted to the sign. But news outlets and politicians across Central Florida and the nation soon began talking out against it. Channel 6 reporter Eric von Ancken was right on top of it. I’m glad to see that our local news is bringing at...
Any fan of wrestling knows how engaging wrestling can be as they are drawn into the drama of wrestling teams pummeling their opponents. Such is the sport of wrestling, and Central Florida is home to two young Israeli wrestlers - in fact, one of them is the youngest wrestler in Israel's history. In the world of wrestling, Hadar Horvitz and Ori Gold are known as the "Better Together" tag team. Horvitz, 23, is from Tel Aviv. Gold, 21, is from Kfar Saba. Both were drawn to wrestling at very early...
Local author Lenore Richman Roland has just finished writing a book of poems for children, titled "Under Granna's Poetry Tree, Birthday Poems for her Grands." Her inspiration for this book has been her children and grandchildren. Since 2003, when her oldest grandchild was born, she has been writing original poems to celebrate each grandchild's birthday from the first to the present. In January 2022, she wrote a poem for her granddaughter, Francesca, to celebrate her 10th birthday. As she always...
For children, the days leading up to Chanukah are always filled with anticipation. Here is a small children’s bedtime book that teaches little ones about Chanukah during the 10 days before the holiday. “Dreaming of Hanukkah,” by Amy Shoenthal and illustrated by Kate Durkin, tells the story of Chanukah as children count down from 10 to 1 and discover the traditions and customs of the holiday — from Maccabee soldiers to crispy latkes to blessings over the hanukkiah. Amy Shoenthal is a Jewish...
This Scene Around is dedicated to "Yours Truly" Gloria Yousha, who passed away Nov. 18, 2022. Gloria Yousha started working at the Heritage in April 1980. That was 15 years before I became her editor. Her first column on April 4, 1980, began: "How do you spell kvelling? (quevelling? kuvelling?) Whichever way it's spelled, it most certainly applies to proud parents SHARON and GEORGE BERGER, whose son EMERY, age 12,spelled his way correctly all the way to Seminole County Finals of the National Spe...
Michael Zerivitz, DDS, better known to all his patients as Dr. Z, practiced dentistry at 916 Deltona Blvd. in Deltona for 42 years - caring for up to three generations in one family. When he decided to retire, his patients were sad to lose him. "There has been an outpouring of emotions from his patients," said his wife, Ody Arias-Zerivitz. "Many patients have sent cards, have come by the office to drop off gifts, fruits, etc. All in show of their appreciation for Dr. Z's dedication and...
A lot of people, including Jaguars’ owner Shad Kahn, New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia spoke out clearly against the antisemitic message posted during the Gators/Bulldogs game last weekend. The message “Kanye was right about the jews [sic]” flashed on the outside of one of the end zones at TIAA Bank Field stadium. The Universities of Florida and Georgia issued a joint statement condemning the hate speech at the stadium as well as in other areas a...
Coming Nov. 12 – 15 is the 24th annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival. This year's shows are back to the normal in-person viewings at the Enzian Theatre, except the opening night film, "Greener Pastures," and the closing night film, "Persian Lessons," which will be shown at the Orlando Science Center Digital Adventure Theater. Also back is the Mensch Pass (limited quantity) for $118, which includes all six programs and First Priority Seating with doors opening 30 minutes early; the S...
The Roth Family JCC auditorium was filled to capacity at the annual RAISE (Recognizing Abilities and Inclusion of Special Employees) Meet & Greet in September with nine new employees and their families, job coaches, and members of the Jewish community who support RAISE. The growing success of the program was evident as Founder and Director Loren London shared that as the program has expanded, Shalom Orlando hired RAISE Director of Employment & Education Rachel Slavkin, M.Ed., to be the RAISE...
Thirty-eight years ago, Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, the only Jewish funeral home in Central Florida, opened its doors at 115 W. Gore Street in Orlando to serve the funeral needs of the Jewish community from Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, as well as making arrangements for other contiguous counties and out of state burials. Thirteen years later they moved to 640 Lee Road, gaining much needed space. Recently, however, Beth Shalom had to move from this location because it became...
Recently the Florida Press Association held its annual newspaper contest, and I was pleased to learn that I won second place in the Serious Column category. The article, titled “Substance use disorder is a community problem,” (June 4, 2021), was a result of the initiative taken by many members of the community to make a difference in the fight against drug abuse. The program I talked about — B’ri’ut (Hebrew for acceptance and wellness), sponsored by the Jewish Federation and backed by several synagogues and agencies — kicked off with a meet...
During the 2022 annual meetings of The Roth Family JCC and the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando it was unanimously approved to merge the two agencies into one entity called Shalom Orlando. Discussion of the merger began about five years ago with studies of Federations and JCCs that had merged successfully, including Tampa's Federation, which has existed as a Federation/JCC for more than 20 years. Since he was CEO of both agencies, Keith Dvorchik will continue as the CEO of Shalom Orlando....
On the occasion of David Moldau's 80th birthday, Sunday, Aug. 21, Chabad of North Orlando dedicated its new Hebrew school, naming it the Moldau Hebrew School, after David and Harriet Moldau. During speeches, Rabbi Yanky Majesky noted that David and Harriet are committed to the welfare of Jewish life. Rabbi Sholom Dubov shared about the Cup of Blessing, which was before him on the table with cups of paint. He invited leaders and those who made the school possible to pour paint over the cup – as r...
