Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 458
Another great loss to our Jewish community... I'm referring to Max Mogul, a longtime member of our Jewish community... for more than half a century at least. I wrote recently about the unfortunate passing of his beloved wife, Ruth. People who knew Max, knew how generous a man he was, especially to orphaned children. At his memorial service, people spoke so highly of him (which didn't surprise me) with much admiration, love and respect. Many also spoke of how he made them laugh! His daughter, Lyn...
Bigotry at its worst... I read this recently and pass it along: "Following outrage from the World Jewish Congress and other leading Jewish groups, the online streaming giant Netflix cancelled the release of a documentary that celebrates the life of Nation of Islam leader and prominent anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan, who has had a long history of bigotry and anti-Semitism, recently delivered vile remarks referring to the 'Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan.' He continues... 'Whenever...
What a loss... The World Jewish Congress and its affiliated community in Lithuania recently marked the 75th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto, alongside Pope Francis and other notable personalities. "Seventy-five years ago, the Germans and local Lithuanian accessories nearly obliterated one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in Europe, a hub of cultural and intellectual Jewish life for thousands of years," WJC President Ambassador RONALD S. LAUDER said. "But they did not...
Memories... Back in 1964, when my husband, Irv, and I moved to Orlando, one of the finest restaurants in Central Florida was Al and Linda's La Cantina. More than half a century has past, yet, after going there with our son, RON, the other night (Irv is deceased), I have to say it is still one of the finest restaurants in the area! And the service was as good as the food. (Our server, a beautiful gal, happens to be the granddaughter of Al and Linda!) Uh Oh... upsetting news from Germany... "The...
"Ach Tung"... Oy Vay... Do you remember the phrase that accompanied "Sig Hail," the Nazi salute? (It haunts my dreams!) Anyway, I read this recently in the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along to you: "The World Jewish Congress, United States, welcomed Germany's recent decision to admit the last known accused Nazi collaborator living on American Soil. JAKIW PALIJ, 95, served during World War II as an armed guard at the Trawniki death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943. After a...
Ancestry, ancestry... My mother was born in Montreal, Canada. Her family-her mother, father, brother and sister-were all immigrants from Ukraine. Her mother (my maternal grandma) died in Montreal at a young age, and her brother and sister came to the U.S. (Brooklyn), to live. My mom and her father followed soon after to join them in Brooklyn, where my mom eventually met my dad, they married and my older sister and I were born. So Ukraine is part of my ancestry and that brings us to the next...
I know Chanukah is over for 2018 but I just have to share this song (to the tune of "The First Night of Christmas") with you... "On the first night of Chanukah, someone sent to me, a warm bagel topped with cream cheese. On the second night of Chanukah, someone sent to me, two matzoh balls and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese. On the third night of Chanukah, someone sent to me, three golden latkes, two matzoh balls, and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese. On the fourth night of Chanukah,...
Oy Vay... (There's no other way to put it.) According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there has been a "spike in hate crimes." And according to the World Jewish Congress, "rising levels of physical violence, harassment and intimidation against Jews, including the desecration of our synagogues, schools, monuments and cemeteries. There are attacks against our history, culture, and sacred rituals, including laws seeking to ban Kosher slaughter and male circumcision. There is biased,...
Happy Thanksgiving... From me, my family and especially from my grandson, ZACHARY, a great guy. He is so kind and helpful to his "aging" granny and also very musically talented. (Forget the aging part!) And staying on that happy holiday thought... I was watching television recently and saw a talent that almost blew me away! His name is Jim Bailey, a male female impersonator who did impressions of Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Phyllis Diller, to name a few. Not only did he look like them, he...
A frequently asked question... "How could God have allowed the Holocaust?" A good answer according to Rabbi ALAN LURIE, "We can be mad at God for the Holocaust or for other human tragedies, but this is like a teenager who begs you to let him drive a car, promising to be responsible, gets drunk, crashes into a telephone pole, and then blames you for giving him the keys. If we agree that humanity must have free will, we must accept the consequences of its decisions. As Elie Wiesel wrote, 'After th...
Nightmares and memories... I'm referring to my childhood filled with anti-Semitic incidents. Until my family got off welfare and moved from the Red Hook Projects in Brooklyn, N.Y., I was spit at, beaten and threatened every day for being Jewish. Those memories stayed with me all these years, especially watching television this morning and seeing all that is transpiring in a Pittsburgh, Pa., synagogue massacre. I can handle anti-Semitism and I'm sure that my three sons can handle it, especially...
A great loss... I'm referring to the passing of Ruth Mogul, a member of our Jewish community who I've known for more than half a century. She was one of the most beautiful people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, both on the inside and on the outside. I'm sure many others feel the same way about her. She endured many hard times in her life, I'm sure, one of them being the loss of her sister, Joyce Siegel (my very best friend) and her beloved son, but I can honestly say that I've never seen...
Not a surprise to me... In my opinion, some of the smartest brains on earth belong to Israelis, especially when it comes to medicine and science. For instance, they are so advanced in the cures for some of our major diseases and conditions and, when it comes to science... well, read this next article: "As announced by SpaceIL and reported in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, an Israeli spacecraft will launch in December with a goal of landing on the moon next February. Founded in 2011, SpaceIL is...
Something to think about... From Hezbollah's terrorist army in Lebanon to Iran's growing military presence in Syria, Israel's northern border separates its citizens from one of the most dangerous places in the Middle East. Just miles from the tiny town of Metula, on Israel's border, Hezbollah terrorists have turned Lebanese towns into militarized compounds, armed with thousands of rockets. (I'm having nightmares!) A meaningful tribute... I read this recently and pass it along to you: The...
Some good news from the UN... "The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has published a new guide to addressing anti-Semitism through education. The manual, introduced by UNESCO Director General AUDREY AZOULAY, is geared toward youth, teachers, and political leaders alike. It warns that anti-Semitic attitudes are no longer limited to radical or extremist groups, and are appearing more in the mainstream. The guide stresses that in addition to the importance of Holocau...
Will it ever end?... (Probably, it will NEVER end!) I read this today and pass it on to you. (Why should I be the only one depressed?): "The Israeli Journal of Foreign Affairs, a publication of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, has released a penetrating study revealing the extent of the resurgence of anti-Semitic discourse in Poland in the wake of its controversial Holocaust Law. (The law as it stands now still stifles any real discussion of the extent to which local Poles were...
Will it ever end?... I read this in a recent edition of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along: "The World Jewish Congress strongly condemned photographs that emerged recently in Bulgaria showing two boys at the Bulgarian Cup Football finals with neo-Nazi symbols scrawled across their chests. 'The WJC stands with the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria, Shalom, in categorically condemning the disgusting and cynical exploitation of children to spread messages of hate and...
Another great move... I read this recently and pass it along to you: "Speaking at a meeting of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations in Jerusalem, which operates under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress, Paraguayan President HORACIO CARTES expressed satisfaction over the moving of his country's embassy to Jerusalem. If anyone had any doubt about the appropriateness of the embassy move, Cartes said, 'just read the Bible.' Cartes added that this would be his final trip to Israel, as his t...
A special date... Today, Sept. 7, my beloved spouse, Irv and his twin brother, Jack, were born. Irv and I were married for 55 years until his death on Aug. 20, 2015. Life goes on... barely. I also just received a message on my cell phone that said U.S. Senator John McCain has died. How sad! I had so much respect for Senator McCain, he will be sorely missed by me and by the entire country (and maybe even the world.) May he rest in peace. French justice... I read this recently about the murder of...
Who knew? department... When I was younger and much better looking (oh quiet!), I loved to wear the latest fashions and I adored the famous fashion designers. My favorite was RALPH LAUREN. I just found out that his real name is not Lauren, rather Lifshitz! (A landsman!) If you were born in 1925-1955... This is a note to all the kids who survived the 1930s, '40s and '50s. No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, we are awesome!! Our lives are living proof!! First, we...
Anti-Semitism in France... As recently reported in the La Croix International, (and passing it along to you), some 300 leading French public figures signed a manifesto denouncing what they see as the new wave of anti-Semitism in their country. The manifesto was published recently in Le Parisien newspaper and was signed by politicians, as well as Jewish, Muslim and Catholic leaders. Among the signatories were two leading Catholic officials: JOSEPH DORE, Bishop-emeritus of Strasbourg, and Father...
Jerusalem, the true capital... I read this in a current issue of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along to you: "BETTY EHRENBERG, executive director of the WJC, North America, joined with 70 other leaders from the Jewish and Christian communities in the U.S. and Latin America to meet with Guatemalan President JIMMY MORALES in Guatemala to show support for his decision to move the Guatemalan Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guatemala was the first country to follow...
Praise for Israel... I read this recently in a copy of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along: "Speaking at a meeting organized by the Israel Council on Foreign Relations,which operates under the auspices of the WJC, Bulgarian President RUMEN RADEV noted that the Jewish community of Bulgaria remains an integral part of the country's society. He also stressed that Israel and Bulgaria "now enjoy better relations than ever." The event came at the end of Radev's official visit to...
Life goes on... Today, Aug. 3, would have been Irv's and my 58th wedding anniversary. He passed on Aug. 20, 2015, after marking 55 years of marriage, and being blessed with three wonderful sons. When we took our marriage vows back in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1960, "Till death do us part," we really didn't focus on those words. But, life goes on. Justice finally... I read this in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along: "World Jewish Congress President Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder...
The future is here... I am so proud of Israel and all of its fabulous accomplishments. For instance, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is the epicenter of a talent and technology boom that is transforming the world: The Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) is a public-private partnership with Ben-Gurion University (BGU), the Beer-Sheva municipality and Gav-Yam Negev. Tenants include EMC, Oracle, Deutsche Telekom, Elbit, Jerusalem Venture Partner's Cyberlabs, Hewlett Packard, Allscripts, WeWork, as...
