Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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NEW YORK-Union for Reform Judaism released a list of its Top Ten Moments for 2013. Making the list was Beth Schafer as a producer of the celebration of Women of Reform Judaism's Centennial Anniversary. In 2011, Schafer was commissioned to write an anthem that would define and celebrate the WRJ in its 100th year in 2013. The text chosen by members of the WRJ attending the 48th Assembly in Washington D.C., came from Isaiah 1:17: "Limdu Heiteiv, dirshu mishpat, ashru chamotz, shivtu yatom, rivu alm... Full story
After careful deliberations, the Orlando Chapter of Hadassah chose five members to be honored at its annual Awards Brunch on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, at 11 a.m. at the Hilton Hotel in Altamonte Springs. These five members are Joan Schwebel, Rita and George Slotnik, Marcia Wasserman, and Rita Weissmann. Joan Schwebel, Ph.D., is one of the recipients of the Myrtle Wreath Award. Schwebel was educated in N.Y. public schools until 1956, when her family moved to south Florida. In 1961, she received a... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Edgar Bronfman, the billionaire former beverage magnate and leading Jewish philanthropist, died Dec. 21 at the age of 84. As the longtime president of the World Jewish Congress, Bronfman fought for Jewish rights worldwide and led the successful fight to secure more than a billion dollars in restitution from Swiss banks for Holocaust victims and their heirs. As a philanthropist, Bronfman took the lead in creating and funding many efforts to strengthen Jewish identity among young... Full story
Matt Loory was working at the First Watch restaurant on Rt. 436 in Altamonte Springs, training to become a manager, when Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, where he graduated with honors in 2012, called him and said that Ringling Bros. had a job opening for a cook, was he interested? Longwood resident Loory was interested. "I grew up seeing Ringling Bros. every year in Orlando with my family and fell in love with the circus." Just 23 years old, his future already looked bright... Full story
TEL AVIV (JTA)-The disclosure last week that American intelligence spied on former Israeli prime ministers has given new momentum to the effort to secure a pardon for convicted spy Jonathan Pollard. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several leading members of Knesset have called in recent days for Pollard's release following reports that documents leaked by former defense contractor Edward Snowden showed U.S. intelligence had targeted the email addresses of Ehud Barak and Ehud... Full story
(JTA)-In 1992, Edgar Bronfman was preparing to leave North America for Paris for his first meeting with then-French President Francois Mitterand at the Elysee Palace when at the last minute Bronfman decided he wanted to take an unexpected meeting in Geneva instead. So he asked Serge Cwajgenbaum, Bronfman's right-hand man in Europe, to phone the palace and ask to reschedule. The Elysee secretary, Hubert Vendrine, exploded. "He asked me who Edgar Bronfman thinks he is to move around a meeting... Full story
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was surprised by a forthright expression of support for the Jewish state from Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting last month in Moscow, Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported on Friday. Netanyahu had flown to meet the Russian leader in a last minute effort to prevent an interim nuclear deal between Iran and world powers from being signed. During the meeting, Netanyahu asked Putin to withhold support for the convening of a Nuclear Non Proliferation Conference the stated purpose of which would be... Full story
NEW YORK– Jewish National Fund (JNF) is denouncing the decision by the American Studies Association to boycott Israel’s academic and research institutions by encouraging people to take action. Items include a letter writing campaign to the president of the ASA and university deans and faculty members, tweets to the ASA (“End the @AmerStudiesAssn boycott of academic institutions in #Israel! #academicfreedom”), and spreading the Positively Israel message of Israel’s contributions to the world by bringing a Positively Israel event to campus, helpi... Full story
Jewish teens from across Central Florida joined for the Chabad Teen Network trip during the winter break vacation. The CTeens had a wonderful time ice skating at the RDV and then drove to South Orlando to the Kosher Gourmet Restaurant where they were treated to a wonderful Israeli-style dinner. Following dinner, the CTeens gathered at Chabad of South Orlando for a workshop on the Jewish perspective on showing gratitude and appreciation 'Hakarat Hatov' led by Rikki Gurewitcz. A video was shown of... Full story
ORLANDO-Join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) at the Maitland Public Library, 501 S. Maitland Ave., Maitland, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. (6:30pm for networking and mavens) for a program featuring Rae Price Library of Judaica at the University of Florida (UF). Curator Rebecca Jefferson and Journalism and Mass Communications Librarian at UF, April Hines, will present "Jewish Newspapers in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library: an introduction and tutorial."... Full story
It is the first of its kind. EVENTful Moments is a one-stop showcase that is everything, and more than anyone planning a bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, or a party in Orlando could ask for. This isn't a mega-convention with dozens of vendors. "We've done the work for you and narrowed the field to a select few caterers, DJs, florists, photographers and videographers, invitation specialists, and event planners," said event co-chairwoman Joy Bochner. Twenty-six of Central Florida's finest event vendors... Full story
(JTA)—It started as barely a blip on the radar. At its annual conference last April, the Association for Asian American Studies, or AAAS, unanimously approved a resolution calling for an academic boycott of Israeli universities to protest the country’s treatment of Palestinians. While the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement had been active for some time on campuses across the country, it was the first time an American academic organization had signed on. But since the AAAS is a tiny group of barely 800 members, and fewer than 100... Full story
On a virtual stroll through the website of the “U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel”—a deeply unpleasant experience, I should add—I came across an article that drew an analogy I hadn’t encountered before. Intellectually ludicrous and morally ugly, the writer compared the situation of Aida, a Palestinian refugee camp near Bethlehem, with the bombing by the German Luftwaffe of the Basque city of Guernica in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. The Aida camp is not the most luxurious place on earth, yet it is far from... Full story
We are now more busy than usual. Perhaps various groups of activists had been sidelined by the storm, which is still evident in piles of tree trash that block sidewalks. Whatever the cause for the pause, there were Saturday night demonstrations in behalf of legalized marijuana, or at least easier access to the refined weed sold by drug stores with prescriptions for the relief of pain. Gays and lesbians had their demonstration, perhaps leaving some loyal to both gays and marijuana wondering whether to parade for one or the other. The best-known... Full story
In 1924 the first chapter of the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) was formed in Omaha, Neb. In 1925, B’nai B’rith International adopted AZA as its official youth program. Later on, in 1944, B’nai B’rith Girls was officially established the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) was born. Now BBYO is independent from B’nai B’rith International and BBYO, Inc. was established as its new name. Also BBYO has spread to Israel, U.K. and Ireland, France, Thailand, Bulgaria, Curacao, South Africa, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and recently Turkey, Serbia,... Full story
A few months ago, as I was beginning my tenure at JFGO, a former senior volunteer leader of the United Jewish Communities whom I greatly admire for his wisdom and insight wrote in his blog: “Many of us have watched the JFGO for years, viewing it as a place of unrealized and incredible potential. In the past years, it has struggled with dormant campaigns and huge debts. But, there is clearly a revitalized leadership in Orlando and... there is real hope. But this community represents an incredible challenge.” Today, I can say that he was rig... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—In the coming days, many eulogies will attempt to capture the magnitude of the loss suffered this week by the Jewish community. Really, though, all you need are eight words: Edgar Bronfman was a prince of his people. There are other machers who devote much of their time and money to Jewish causes. But none of them boast the same combination of lineage, intrigue, eccentricity, wonder, grandness and love for Judaism and the Jews. By birth, he was the son of Samuel Bronfman, chairman of Seagram Ltd. and president of the Canadian J... Full story
Dear Editor: I’m reading, Heritage, (Dec. 20, 2013 issue) for the first time; copies were made available at our shul. I’ve paused to comment on, “Israeli father saves daughter kidnapped by Palestinians.” The writers or their editors offer a glimpse at evidence that explains a little of Israel’s difficulties with its neighbors. “‘A Palestinian man saw her yelling, pulled over and gave her his cellphone so that she could [call] me and the police.’” No observation, comment of appreciation or acknowledgment that this Palestinian act might have been... Full story
MORNING AND EVENING MINYANS (Call synagogue to confirm time.) Chabad of South Orlando—Monday and Thursday, 8 a.m. 407-354-3660. Congregation Ahavas Yisrael—Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-644-2500. Congregation Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Daytona—Monday, 8 a.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m., 904-672-9300. Congregation Ohev Shalom—Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-298-4650. GOBOR Community Minyan at Jewish Academy of Orlando—Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Temple Israel—Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-647-3055. FRIDAY, JANUARY 3 Light... Full story
(JNS.org) Following the proposal of a new Iran sanctions bill in Congress, Mehdi Moussavinejad, a senior member of the Iranian parliament's energy committee, threatened that Iran would increase its uranium enrichment to 60 percent. In November's interim nuclear deal, Iran agreed to dilute its 20-percent-enriched uranium stockpiles down to 5 percent. "Given the method that the other negotiating side-the U.S. in particular-has adopted during the nuclear negotiations, the legislators are working... Full story
Some 250 women in Jerusalem set a Guinness World Record for donating the most hair to make wigs for cancer patients in a single drive. The record was broken in November at a hair salon in Jerusalem's Malcha Mall after five hours, when the Zichron Menachem Cancer Support Center collected 117 pounds of hair. The drive continued for three days at 200 salons throughout the country. The haircuts were free. Several of the women who donated their hair were cancer survivors and their family and... Full story
Betty L. Beroth of Orlando, passed away on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, at Orlando Regional Medical Center. She was 84 years of age. Born on May 19, 1929, in Atlantic City, N.J., she was the daughter of the late Leo and Charlotte Kornblau Burg. Mrs. Beroth was a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education, and taught elementary school for more than 30 years. On Jan. 2, 1955, in Atlantic City, she married Arnold Beroth, her husband of nearly 59 years who survives her. In 2012, Betty and Arn... Full story
Marsha M. Cohen-Little passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013, at Orlando Health. She was 67 years of age. Ms. Cohen-Little was born in New York City on Jan. 11, 1946 to the late Abraham Harold Cohen and Edith Schlanger Cohen. She was a high school graduate and recently received her college degree. During her working career, Marsha worked as a bookkeeper. She was a longtime member of Temple Israel. A graveside service was held at Temple Israel Cemetery with Rabbi Joshua Neely officiating. Arrangements entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel,... Full story
PHILADELPHIA (JTA)-Fittingly, Harvey Pollack was the one who scribbled the number 100 on the most famous photograph in basketball history: Wilt Chamberlain holding the piece of paper signifying his astounding point total in a 1962 game for the then Philadelphia Warriors. After all, Pollack is basketball's ultimate numbers and public relations man. But the scrawling is hardly Pollack's sole legacy in a nearly seven-decade career in basketball. He was the first to track a player's blocked shots,... Full story
Braff film Sundance-bound HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (JTA)-It seems like just yesterday that folks were ripping high-earning "Scrubs" star Zach Braff for taking money from regular people via Kickstarter to fund "Wish I Was Here," his follow-up to "Garden State." Now the film is done and set to premiere in Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Film Festival in January, USA Today reports. In addition to directing and co-writing the project, Braff also has a starring role alongside Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin,... Full story
