Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Would you like to "experience the nerve center of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement?" read the promotional materials for "Shabbat in the Heights," an annual weekend sponsored by Chabad, one of the world's largest Hasidic groups. Considering Chabad's question, I thought to myself: First, will it be a spiritual, religious or fun weekend in Crown Heights (Brooklyn), N.Y.? And second, will some of my favorite people from my North Orlando Chabad community - including the dynamic Rabbi Yanky Majesky - be...
Mystical, spiritual, busy –and darn fun! That's my description of my recent eight-day trip to Israel sponsored by the Jewish Learning Institute, Chabad's comprehensive learning/educational resource company headquartered in Brooklyn. The trip was attended by some 750 Jews and 60 rabbis from across the United States, plus a few international travelers. The March 12-19 Israel trip was unique in that it offered seven different programming tracks, with names like "Food and Wine," "In the Footsteps of...
There are many ways to confront, and move on, from the grief of losing a loved one. As a grateful participant in the grief support program sponsored by the Jewish Pavilion and Vitas Healthcare, here is part of my story. My daughter Sara got married this past July in Manchester, Vermont, to her long-time boyfriend Griffin. She did all the extensive wedding planning, of both the ceremony and reception, on her own. I knew a lot of details about the reception ahead of time, but precious few about...
"We are doing our annual gala auction online this year because it's the best choice we have. We're just not going to lose sight of helping our seniors, no matter what," said Shirley Schoenberg, co-chairwoman of this year's "Ungala" event sponsored by the Jewish Pavilion. The highly anticipated annual fall fundraiser has moved online this year - the first time in the event's 13-year history. Participants won't have to leave the comfort of their living room to win the auction's most popular...
Everyone knows that dogs make great companions. But they also make great visitors, as seniors living at the Oakmont Village in Lake Mary are pleased to discover month after month. As part of the "Licks and Hugs" program sponsored by The Jewish Pavilion, dogs provided by Pet Rescue by Judy visit residents monthly. "It's a wonderful program," noted Karen Teixeira, the activities director at Oakmonte's Sienna Memory Care community. "The seniors really enjoy the unconditional love from the...
How do Israelis celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day? Like many Israeli holidays, there's a lot of singing, dancing, and eating. Family and friends gather to reminisce of both victory and statehood. Yet, Israel Independence Day takes place right after Yom Hazikaron-the Memorial Day for fallen Israel Defense Forces soldiers. Placing the two holidays so close together is a reminder that Israeli independence has come at the very highest cost-the lives of sacrificed soldiers. So what...
When an Iranian drone was shot down in a field this past February, news focused on the ensuing Israeli plane shot down in Syria, and on the long-term implications for the United States' involvement in Syria. But what of the Israelis who heard the drone fall almost literally in their backyard? What of the thousands of Israelis who were awakened at 4 a.m. just after Shabbat, in a panic about the siren that was going off? "I awoke, dressed in my uniform, and comforted my neighbor next door, who...
A beginner in the Jewish genealogy search, Jane Edelstein recently attended the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies conference held in Orlando. This is the second article about her experience finding her roots. If you're building your family tree online, you may be tired of reviewing old historical documents that aren't even in English. It's one thing to focus on relatives that you or your parents had once met, but once you've gone back two or more generations, how do you...
A beginner in the Jewish genealogy search, Jane Edelstein recently attended the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies conference held in Orlando. This is the first article in a series about her experience finding her roots. You didn't know your great-grandparents, and even thinking about Europe at the turn-of-the-century doesn't really sound appealing to you. So why should you spend at least a little bit of time, and seek out your Jewish ancestry? "Jewish genealogy is not a...
"When I was so young, I didn't recognize the significance of Israel's becoming a state." So said one of the mature adults at Village On The Green senior community in Longwood, speaking of her memories of Israel's birth as a nation in 1948. "Getting news, especially from other countries, was very different back then," noted another senior, pointing out that she was barely 20 years old at the time. "I kind of vaguely remember hearing about Israel's new statehood once, but really don't remember...
As Passover seders approach next month, and many Jews again recite the list of 10 plagues that were wrought upon the Egyptians, it behooves us to consider, "What are today's modern-day plagues, and what am I doing to help combat them?" Indeed, that's the question that a group of teens and mature adults asked themselves at a recent Jewish Pavilion intergenerational program held at the Village on the Green senior-living facility in Longwood. The "frogs and locusts of the past" may be somewhat...
You are selling your car. A prospective buyer offers your advertised price of $4,500. You say yes. It's a verbal acceptance. A few minutes later (before anything is put in writing), another prospect arrives and offers you $5,500. Do you honor your acceptance to the first buyer, take the higher offer from the second person, or attempt to negotiate for more money from the first buyer? This is just one in a series of ethical dilemmas discussed recently with a teen group from Congregation Ohev...
