Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA)-Ariel Sharon, one of Israel's last warrior statesmen, whose military and political careers were woven into his nation's triumphs and failures, has died. Sharon, 85, died Saturday at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv after eight years in a coma. "He went when he decided to go," said his younger son, Gilad, who has become the fierce guardian of his father's legacy. He was among the last of Israel's founding fathers, fighting in every Israeli military conflict in the first three decades...
BALTIMORE (JTA)-The rain dripping from his uniform provided an unceremonious end to London Fletcher's career as the Washington Redskins linebacker headed to the locker room following a recent road loss to the New York Giants. His team's last-place finish was hardly the idealized final walk off the gridiron for Fletcher as a professional player. But his 16-year National Football League career might never have launched were it not for Charlotte Kramer and Leonard Schwartz. The Cleveland...
Hadassah members are excited that Marcie Natan, national president of Hadassah, will visit Orlando on Jan. 30. This "meet and greet" event will take place at Sawyer Lake Pavillion in Heathrow in Lake Mary, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Zionism and love for Israel are in Marcie Natan's heart, and Hadassah is in her DNA. She has served the organization with her quiet strength, profound integrity and generosity of spirit since her early 20s. Natan joined Hadassah and rose to president of the Eastern...
As part of the continuing series on the Federation of Jewish Men's Club's Keruv initiative, which was launched to address the most profound change affecting the American Jewish community in the 21st century-interfaith relationships, Temple Israel's Men's Club Keruv consultant and immediate past president of the Florida region of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, Elliott Davis, will speak on "Grandparenting in an Interfaith Relationship." The event will be held in Temple Israel's Roth Social...
NEW YORK (JTA)-The murder of Menachem Stark has sparked intense media scrutiny of the Brooklyn real estate developer's troubled business record, prompting the New York Post to ask "Who didn't want him dead?" on its front page. But while mainstream media outlets scrutinized the Satmar hasid's relationships with tenants, contractors and lenders, haredi Orthodox publications offered a decidedly different take-looking not for clues to why someone would kill Stark, but celebrating his many virtues....
NEW YORK—The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has condemned actress Emma Thompson and three dozen other British actors, for seeking the boycotting of Israel’s celebrated Habima Theater troupe, which is to perform later this year in a six-week theatrical festival taking place at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. Thompson and her colleagues cite spurious human rights concerns but hypocritically fail to call for a boycott of the National Theater of China, which is participating in the same festival. The ZOA has condemned Thompson and u...
This coming March, Jewish Pavilion part-time area program directors Julie Levitt, Judy Procell, Emily Newman and Melanie Baxt are each hosting a Passover seder for between 10 to 50 guests. Like most experienced hostesses, they will prepare the traditional seder plate, set a festive table, and warmly welcome guests. And when these ladies are done leading their first seder, each will host approximately 10 more before month's end. Levitt, Procell, Newman and Baxt support Jewish elders in assisted-l...
The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) will present “To Be a Jew in the Free World: Jewish Identity Through the Lens of Modern History,” the institute’s new six-session Winter 2014 course that will begin during the first week of February. Rabbi Yanky Majesky of Chabad North Orlando will conduct the six-session course at 7:30 p.m. for six consecutive Mondays starting Feb. 3, at The Courtyard Marriott, 135 International Parkway in Lake Mary. Rabbi Yosef Konikov of Chabad South Orlando will conduct the six sessions at 7 p.m. for conse...
This December, Central Florida Hillel's Taglit Birthright Group had the opportunity to visit Kiryat Motzkin, an Israeli city, north of Haifa that has a long-term partnership with our Greater Orlando community through the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando and the Partnership2Gether program. On their visit, the students first visited the Mashmaut center, where participants met and spoke with Holocaust survivors and were fascinated to hear their stories. Next they visited the Weizman school's...
When it comes to the most asinine response to the purported deal between the world’s main powers and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program, top honors to go Harvard University’s Stephen Walt. Walt was the co-author, with his academic colleague John Mearsheimer, of “The Israel Lobby,” a badly researched, poorly argued screed about how a cluster of pro-Israel organizations have cajoled successive U.S. administrations into doing things they otherwise wouldn’t have done. Paranoically obsessed with what he regards as the malign influence o...
Islamic terrorists attack America in many ways. Their goal is to Islamize America. We need the help of good Muslims to identify not so obvious ways that we are being attacked, such as noted below. They attempt to control work conditions. An employee at Disney World who, for her religion, suddenly insisted on modifying her costume with an Islamic headdress. It seems it was not good enough for this Muslim woman that Disney offered to allow the headdress for a different position. Then there are the employees at Target stores who suddenly refused...
The latest Palestinian threat to leave the negotiations and turn to the international community to give it what it wants comes after the passage in the Israeli government of a proposal to attach the Jordan Valley to Israel. The principal promoter of the proposal is MK Miri Regev, one of the most outspoken of the parliamentarians in the right wing of the Likud delegation. Most likely this will join several other efforts of Israeli politicians to threaten Palestinians and Israeli Arabs with something approaching an apocalypse. Remember the...
(This is part of a series of essays on Jewish day schools being published by the Sustainable Stories project of PEJE, the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education.) SILVER SPRING, MD. (JTA)—I don’t know about you, but as a Jewish day school graduate, parent and former board member, I am a little tired of hearing about how excellent we are. This is not because I embrace mediocrity but because I am increasingly unsure of what it means. I do see the word “excellence” strategically placed in development materials all the time. It is used in s...
As we again approach U.N. sponsored International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan.27, it is fitting for all peoples, not just Jews, to reflect on its significance. The threat to the world is as present today as it was in the 1930s. Humanity didn’t succeed very well when confronted then by the so-called master race, so we all get to take teacher’s test again to see if we have learned anything ‘in class.’ Today, everyone is called to struggle against a new form of regime evil and totalitarianism threatening the world—master jihad, an aberratio...
“Folk song calls the native back to his roots and prepares him emotionally to dance, worship, work, fight, or make love in ways normal to his place.” —Alan Lomax, Folk Songs of North America Over sushi in Brooklyn the other night, I was asked to justify why we made the kids see “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the Coen brothers new movie. The answers flowed easily. One: The creators of the film are geniuses and as far as art is concerned, kids, go with the geniuses. They always have something to say. Two: The movie is a snapshot of an historical moment i...
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 17 Light Sha...
For the third consecutive year, the Ormond Beach Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans made a lot of folks happy at the Jewish Federation of Volusia & Flagler Counties Jerry Doliner Food Bank. In an assembly-line fashion, eight tables were set up and families, regardless of race or religion were given turkeys, all of the sides and a huge apple pie. The Federation added apples, pears, apple juice, popcorn, chips, pastries and specialty foods from Olive Garden. Also helping to provide...
Israeli-Arabs and their representatives in the Knesset refuse to consider a territory swap backed by U.S. negotiators at the Israel-PA peace talks, which resumed in Jerusalem, according to Israeli press reports. The swap would see Israel cede sovereignty over 10 towns, home to 300,000 Israeli-Arabs, along the Green Line, in an area called the Triangle, to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for a similar amount of land developed by Jewish settlers. Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi, founder of the Arab Movement for Change...
Alyce Shames of Orlando, passed away on Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, at Florida Hospital – Orlando. She was 91 years old. Mrs. Shames was born in Detroit, Mich., on Feb. 3, 1922, to the late Max and Bessie Bean Greenfield. A college graduate, she was a school librarian. Mrs. Shames was the widow of the late David Shames and a longtime member of Congregation of Reform Judaism. She is survived by her daughters, Janice and Linda. Graveside funeral services were held at Ohev Shalom Cemetery with Rabbi Steven Engel officiating. Arrangements entrusted to B...
Charles Sigal of Statesboro, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., passed away on Monday, Dec. 30, 2013, in Statesboro. He was 71 years old. An Orlando native, Mr. Sigal, “Charlie,” was born on Nov. 15, 1942, to the late Frank and Sarah Brecker Sigal. Immediately following high school graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served for eight years, earning numerous medals and commendations. While in the service, he met the former Diana Burckhardt, whom he married in 1970 in Tampa. Following his discharge, he became a manufacturer’s rep in the food...
Judith Stern of Orlando, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014, at Baptist Hospital in Miami. She was 79 years old. Mrs. Stern was born in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 6, 1934, daughter of the late Max and Esther Mestechkin. A true woman of valor, she and her husband, Allan Stern (of blessed memory) raised their family in Rockford, Ill., before relocating to Orlando. The Sterns were married for 55 years. Judy was a devoted wife to Allan; a loving mother to her children, Marcia and Rabbi Nathan Langer; Marilyn and Honorable Kevin Emas; and Mathew and...
David Wallman of Kissimmee, passed away on Friday, Dec. 27, 2013, at Consulate Health Care of Kissimmee. He was 90 years old. Mr. Wallman was born on July 15, 1923, in New York City, to the late Joseph and Jennie Fishler Wallman. Following high school he entered the United States Marine Corps are served in the Pacific Theater receiving a Citation and Letter of Commendation from the Commanding General for his outstanding service. Following his discharge he attended college, becoming an electronics engineer. In 1979, he and his wife, the late...
LaBeouf skywrites apology HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (JTA)—Shia LaBeouf, the 27-year-old “Transformers” star, has been the center of a plagiarism controversy. LaBeouf’s recently released short film “HowardContour.com” appears to be a near replica of veteran cartoonist Daniel Clowes’ 2008 comic “Justin M. Damiano.” Clowes apparently was blindsided by the plagiarism, telling Buzzfeed that he had no idea of the film’s existence until it was released online in December. LaBeouf has been tweeting bizarre apologies for weeks, many of which turned out to be pl...
(JTA)-In less than a year, Dane Kuttler and Rowan Parker exchanged vows in 10 different wedding ceremonies at 10 different venues on two coasts under nine different marriage canopies. In what Kuttler calls "Wedding Tour '13," the introverted Seattle couple wanted to share their celebration with as many friends and family as possible while avoiding the pressures of one big party. "It was fun," Parker said. "We wanted to travel. We wanted to take a big vacation." The couple first exchanged vows...
Katie Daughtery Faircloth and Michael Benjamin Goldwasser were married on Nov. 10, 2013, in Heathrow, Fla. The wedding and reception were held at Heathrow Country Club. Rabbi Aaron Rubinger officiated at the wedding ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Liz Faircloth of Longwood, and Gary Faircloth of Altamonte Springs. She is the granddaughter of Barbara and Edsel Prast and Betty and Benjamin Faircloth. The groom is the son of Annette and Albert Goldwasser of Lake Mary. He is the grandson of Zelda and the late Sol Newman and Ann and Harold...
