Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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The surge... I recently heard from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about the surge in anti-Semitism. The subject was addressed in an article written by DANIEL ELBAUM and MARC D. STERN. I pass it along (in part) to you: "Almost daily accounts of vandalized cemeteries, spray-painted swastikas and bomb threats to JCCs and other Jewish agencies have naturally evoked considerable alarm. Clearly, we must never reconcile ourselves to an America where this is considered normal. Yet we must not succumb to...
"Whoever saves a single life is as if one saves the entire world"... This magnificent saying comes from the Talmud. I received the following from the Southwest Outreach, a newsletter of the Southwest Indian Relief Council: You would be surprised by how many Americans don't realize the need or the challenging conditions that exist on American Indian reservations. Many don't know that unemployment averages 50 percent; The National Congress of American Indians says real per-capita income of...
Good for Amazon!... I received this information in the current World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along to you: World Jewish Congress CEO ROBERT SINGER thanked Amazon CEO JEFF BEZOS for removing several Holocaust denial books flagged by WJC on multiple occasions since 2013 as being in violation of Amazon's guidelines prohibiting the sale of material that 'promote or glorify hatred.' In a letter to Bezos, Singer offered the WJC's assistance in helping to identify and flag other...
Good for you... I'm speaking of a New York City Subway rider, GREGORY LOCKE, who is a hero in my book because he shared his post on Facebook as a lesson for all of us. I read the following in the current World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along to you in its entirety: After a Manhattan subway was defaced with swastikas on several windows and advertisements, a group of riders joined together to erase the racist graffiti. In a Facebook post, subway rider, Gregory Locke wrote that 'the...
Neo-Nazi nightmare... I read this recently in the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along to you. Warning: It is upsetting to read but as Jews, we must keep our eyes wide open: "WJC CEO ROBERT SINGER expressed concern after an annual neo-Nazi rally known as Lukovmarch proceeded as planned recently in Sofia, Bulgaria, despite a ban issued by Mayor YORDANKA FANDAKOVA. "While we welcome the mayor's ban this year on the rally, we are distressed that even that declaration of authority could no...
"This is my town"... That is the name of the newest BARRY MANILOW album. It refers to New York City, of course. (This is also my town!) Although I have been living here in Central Florida for more than half a century, I still walk, talk and think like a New Yawka. See what I mean? Oy vay department... I read this bit of disturbing news in the current issue of the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along to you in its entirety: "The Palestinian terror group Hamas, has elected one of the...
(When you read this column I will still be in Chicago visiting with children and grandchildren.) Oh my aching back... I read this in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along to you: One of the leading causes of back pain is poor posture...the slumping way we sit and walk" (My son always reminds me to straighten up before I leave the house. He feels it will make me look and feel younger.) One Israeli product, Upright, is trying to help us stand taller and, as a result, feel...
About cancer... I have written often about Israel's cancer cure breakthroughs. Here is another. I received this letter from the Weizmann Institute of Science and pass it on in part to you: "Each year, millions of lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis. Chances are this disease has dramatically affected you or someone you love. Since the past month of May was recognized as 'National Cancer Research Month,' we're pleased to share just a few of the highly promising cancer projects taking place...
This Tibetan proverb should be shared... "The secret to living well and longer is: Eat half, Walk double, Laugh triple and love without measure." This was told to me by my friend ELIZABETH TAYLOR. (No. Not the famous actress! Rather a friend from my Grief Support Group with the same name and who is also a beautiful woman.) Here we go again... I read this disturbing report in last month's World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and, in part, pass it along: "The latest report on anti-Semitism in...
Here we go again... The following are two sayings sent to me by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). As disturbing as they are, we have to be aware of the hate: "Wherever you see an Israeli, slit their throat." This was said by Sultan Abu Alainin, Palestinian Authority Central Committee, top adviser to PA head Mahmoud Abbas. If "filthy" Jews and Christians "don't convert to Islam, their life and property are halal (free for the taking) for the Muslims." This was said by American Imam...
I never knew of this true hero... Tuvia Bielski (May 8, 1906-June 12, 1987) was the leader of the Bielski group, Jewish partisans who set up a camp for Jews fleeing the Holocaust during World War II. Their camp was situated in the Naliboki forest, which was part of Poland between World War I and World War II, and which is now in western Belarus. Tuvia was the son of David and Beila Bielski, who had 12 children: 10 boys and two girls. Tuvia was the third eldest. His brothers Asael, Alexander ("Zu...
A future without cancer?... I received this letter from Tel Aviv University and will share it in part: "Imagine a future without cancer... a world where remedies exist for all breast cancers... where even the most aggressive tumors can be stopped as easily as the common cold. This is not science fiction. This could soon become reality because of research you (all of us) have made possible as an American friend of Tel Aviv University (by our support). One example of how Tel Aviv University...
Israel's story... I received a little booklet with that title from StandWithUs. You probably can order it and many other related materials at www.standwithus.com/store This is what it says: Over 3,000 years ago an indigenous people developed a thriving civilization and culture in their homeland. Over time, they were conquered by a series of aggressive foreign empires. While some of the people stayed in their cities and communities, most of them gradually scattered across the Middle East and...
Oy vay department!... I watched an entire four hours of Nazi stories on television the other day. So much of it reminded me of Twitler... oops, I meant Hitler. Anti-Semitism all over again?... I received a letter from Rabbi MARVIN HIER, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and pass it along in part: "When I delivered an invocation at the presidential inauguration, I hoped to do my share to help begin to unite a divided country. Afterwards, people of all origins, faiths and...
A sign of the times we live in... I received the following in a letter from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) written by JONATHAN GREENBLATT, CEO and national director, and I pass it along to you: "After 69 bomb threats were received by Jewish Community Centers in at least 27 states in late January, followed by the desecration of a 120-year-old Jewish cemetery in Missouri last month, ADL issued a security advisory to Jewish institutions nationwide. 'If you receive a threat, take it seriously, '...
Not a kiddie movie... I'm referring to "The Zookeeper's Wife." No, it is definitely not a film comedy for children as it may sound. Rather it is the true story of a person who helped Jews escape from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. She hid them from the Nazis in her basement and played certain songs on the piano... one for hiding... one denoting safety, etc. These signals saved precious lives. Be sure to see this film! Upstate New York shocking news... Being a native New Yorker, I found...
More about BDS... I read this in a current issue of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and wanted to share it with you: "The World Jewish Congress criticized a recent decision by the city council of Trondheim, the third largest city in Norway, to back a boycott of Israeli goods from West Bank settlements. In a letter to Norwegian Foreign Minister BORGE BRENDE, WJC CEO ROBERT SINGER stated the resolution was based on 'double standards' and added: 'To Jews around the world, due to what...
Words of wisdom... I heard this expressed on the television program "Undercover Boss." It referred to someone who was very poor in early life and yet moved on trying to make things better and succeeded: "You can't let tough stuff get in the way of moving forward." (That really got to me so I thought I would share it.) Poland's president in Israel... I read this in the current issue of the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along in part: "Speaking recently at a forum in Jerusalem, Polish P...
Sure N Begorrah... I probably spelled that all wrong but I wrote it like I pronounce it... It is the only Irish sound I can make. (Today is St.Patrick's Day after all. And last week I was dressed as a shamrock for Purim!) Kidding aside... I recently received a letter from the American Jewish Committee: "There are 193 member states of the United Nations. One of them has been the target of more condemnations from the UN Human Rights Council than any other. That nation stands so prominently accused...
Finally, getting down to work... Being a recent widow, I kept putting off looking over things and donating or throwing away things. It took me more time than it should have because parting with "things" can be very painful under such circumstances. I started with boxes that held much paperwork, etc., and found the following clever piece that I decided to share with you. It's titled "Inner Strength." I don't know the writer: "If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills, If you can be...
Thinking of the "So-called" ban... Most of you are too young to remember when Jews were turned away from our shores, because they were not accepted as immigrants. (What ever happened to "Give us your tired, your poor..."?) I wrote the following many (many) years ago when I was a teen, to the tune of "Somewhere" from West Side Story. With the current rise of anti-Semitism everywhere, only Israel and some U.S. states are welcoming: "There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us, Place where...
It's about time... The Great Synagogue of Pilsen is returned to the Jews of the Czech Republic. With all the anti-Semitism that seems to be re-appearing in the world (including the United States) it is good to pass some positive news along sometimes. I read this in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest: "As reported in the Jewish Press, after 20 years as a Czech concert hall and art museum and more than a decade of intense lobbying, the Czech Republic's Pilsen municipality has made a decision...
I am conflicted... The following comes from Rabbi ALAN LURIE, author of "Five Minutes on Mondays: Finding Unexpected Purpose, Peace and Fulfillment at Work.": "Rabbis hear variations on the following questions: 'How can anyone believe in God after the Holocaust? ' (This is a question I often ask myself.) "How can a supposedly loving God stand back and let such a horrible thing happen? The purpose of creation, then, is to be in a loving relationship with its Creator. In order to have a true...
Delayed Bar Mitzvah celebration... I read this recently and think you will enjoy reading it as well: "YISRAEL KRISTAL, II3 years old, a survivor of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau who is believed to be the world's oldest man, recently celebrated the Bar Mitzvah that he missed because of World War I. His daughter, SHULAMIT KRISTAL KUPERSTOCH, told all that about 100 family members gathered to mark the rite. Kristal was officially recognized as the world's oldest man last March. He (at 13)...
It warms my heart... When former POTUS (President of the United States) surprised former VP JOE BIDEN with the Presidential Medal of Freedom "With Distinction," I felt so good. Joe Biden has always been a favorite of mine. His kindness and caring shines through inspite of the many tragedies he has endured in his life. I want to thank him for his years of service to our country. Our 44th was the first black president; Our 45th is our first orange (& yellow) president. (Is orange the new black?)...
