Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA)-They volunteered. They played soccer. They went to camp. They were sweet, mature and easygoing. They were just beginning their lives, or helping others on their way. And one died so that others could live. Jewish students and staff were among the 17 people who were killed when a gunman entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon and began shooting. Among the Jewish victims are first-year students Jaime Guttenberg, Alex Schachter and Alyssa...
There are four Democratic contenders for governor of Florida and one of them is Jewish. His name is Philip Levine, and he optimistically sees a lot of opportunity for Florida. He is the former mayor of Miami Beach, a wealthy businessman, and a member of Temple Beth Sholom, a Reform congregation in Miami Beach, but he said his personal faith does not play a part in his campaign. And although he is proud to have been a prominent surrogate for Hilary Clinton's presidential campaign, he sees...
What does a retired clinical chemist with two grown children and no formal Jewish education know about the Talmud? As it turns out, a lot... Maggie Anton grew up in a secular Jewish household, and had little investment in her Judaism until she was married. In 1992, she joined a women's Talmud class at the home of Rachel Adler, now a professor at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. Surprised by how much she loved engaging in the Hebrew and Aramaic text, she delved even deeper into the text and...
(JNS)—The annual funding Israel receives from the United States may be increased by $200 million in 2019, according to President Donald Trump’s fiscal year budget request. Israel is expected to receive $3.3 billion in 2019. The requested funds are the result of a $38 billion 10-year memorandum of understanding signed between Israel and the United States at the end of President Barack Obama’s term in office. The additional proposed funds are being apportioned to provide “assistance to bolster Israel’s capacity to defend itself and maintain its q...
Tikvah Fund debuts Maimonides Scholars Program for Jewish high school juniors and seniors NEW YORK—The Tikvah Institute for High School Students has announced a new summer program in partnership with the Maimonides Fund, which will take place from June 24 through July 8, 2018. The program is geared towards Jewish public and private school students who are motivated to learn more about Jewish philosophy, culture and history. Students who will attend this two-week immersive summer institute come with a passion to learn more about the i...
(JTA)—The pluralistic youth movement BBYO will expand its Jewish learning programs with the help of a $3.9 million grant. On Wednesday, BBYO announced that it had received the grant from the Maimonides Fund, which supports initiatives related to education and Jewish identity in North America and Israel. The grant will be used to to hire educators, speakers and song leaders to work with BBYO’s teen participants at the group’s international convention, weekend retreats and summer camps, the group said in a statement. It will also support Israe...
Never had a chance to be a contestant on The Price Is Right? Always thought you could beat that guy on Jeopardy? Secretly wish you could buy a vowel on Wheel of Fortune? Well, then, "come on down" to Ohev Shalom on Wednesday, Feb. 28, for Game Show Purim. The fun begins at 4 p.m. with COS's annual all-ages community Purim carnival. For $18 ($15 in advance) play as many games as you want, as many times as you want. (Unlimited games for children ages 4 and under for only $5.) Buy kosher food and d...
Purim begins at the end of February! (Feb. 28, March 1-2) The Jewish Pavilion staff and volunteers will be celebrating with the Elder Residents in many of Orlando's assisted living, independent living, memory care and rehab facilities. There are plenty of "parties/plays" on JP program directors' schedules and they welcome volunteers to come and join in the fun! Please contact the Jewish Pavilion office to participate with programs. Call 407-678-9363 and "Make a Difference in the Lives of...
(JTA)-As he leads the police response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is likely enduring some of the toughest days of his career. And he's probably looking to his Judaism to guide him through it. Israel is the county's first Jewish sheriff, and it's an identity he has embraced. A 2016 campaign flier reported on that year by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel centers on the role that faith in general, and Judaism in particular, plays in his life. "My...
(JNS)-Rabbi Bradd Boxman of Kol Tikvah, a Reform congregation in the town close to Boca Raton, held a healing and memorial service after the mass shooting that was attended by community members. According to Rabbi Boxman, a large number of students from his congregation was enrolled at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan of Temple Beth Chai counseled parents at the local Marriott hotel whose children were still unaccounted for. Kaplan said that Jamie Guttenberg was among his...
On Tuesday a delegation of diplomats from the US Consulate in Jerusalem came to Bethlehem to participate in a meeting of the local chamber of commerce. When they arrived in the city, Fatah members attacked them. Their vehicles with diplomatic license plates were pelted with tomatoes and eggs by a mob of protesters calling out anti-American slogans. After the Americans entered the hall where the meeting was scheduled to take place, some of the rioters barged in. They held placards condemning America and they shouted, “Americans Out!” Some of...
Here are some late night thoughts as I approach my 89th year. God knows (he or she, assuming of course...) that I am not a theologian, or for that matter—in the eyes of many who are—a religious person. A Jew? Oh yes—first and foremost and for at least the last two thirds of my life. If I am a Jew, certain things become self-evident. I have a DNA that is consistent with millions and millions of people both living and dead. Many of those dead of course, not of natural causes. I am a descendent of a people who in essence invented a belief syste...
SAN FRANCISCO (JTA)—At a time when more than three-quarters of American Jews say they do not keep kosher, should we be shocked when Jews gather together and eat non-kosher food? American Jews have always gone beyond the restrictions of Jewish dietary laws, eating non-kosher (treif or trefa) food Sometimes this has been a deliberate choice. Other times it has resulted from the challenge of acquiring meat slaughtered according to Jewish ritual law and other foods consistent with the dietary requirements. According to Pew, only 22 percent of A...
(JNS)—U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley made headlines on Jan. 2 by saying that President Donald Trump has decided to stop funding UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Work Agency, until the Palestinians agree to come to the negotiating table. On Jan. 16, the president—on the advice of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson—agreed to transfer $60 million for now, as opposed to slashing all of the funding overnight. But the other $65 million of this usual installment has been held in reserve. The total amount of money paid to UN...
(JNS)—A senior Palestinian Authority official this week declared that “Nikki Haley needs to shut up.” He’s referring to the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations. If a representative of any other regime had used such language against a female American diplomat, feminists everywhere would be up in arms—and rightly so. But for some reason, Palestinian misogyny gets a pass. The P.A.’s Saeb Erekat made his ugly remark about Ambassador Haley in an interview with the Palestinian website Al-Watan Voice on Feb. 3. It came soon after...
MORNING AND EVENING MINYANS (Call synagogue to confirm time.) Chabad of South Orlando—Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. and 10 minutes before sunset; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8:15 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 Isr...
(The Nosher via JTA)-Guava, or guayaba in Spanish, is native to tropical areas such as Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Because of its proximity and availability, the fruit is a part of many Latino cuisines. Guavas have a strong tropical fragrance and floral taste notes similar to papaya and grape. They can be prepared a variety of ways (think smoothies, cocktails, glazed over grilled meats, and even fish), but is especially wonderful mixed with cheese, such as queso...
(JNS)-Israel's Knesset voted Feb. 11 to make Ariel University in Samaria the state's ninth accredited institution of higher learning. The vote officially places the university under the auspices of Israel's Council for Higher Education. Parliamentarians voted in favor of the bill, 56-35. Full accreditation will enable Ariel University to advance plans to develop a medical school. Ariel, one of Israel's largest Jewish settlements, has approximately 20,000 residents. Accreditation of the...
Benjamin David Colley, son of Robyn and Kevin Colley of Apopka, Fla., will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on March 2 and 3, 2018, at Congregation Beth Am of Longwood. Ben is in the seventh grade at Teague Middle School where he plays the trumpet. His hobbies and interests include playing second base and outfield in competitive baseball. Sharing in the family's simcha will be Ben's family from South Florida, Atlanta, Colorado, Kansas, California and New Jersey....
Samuel Ethan Poteshman, son of Hali and Mike Poteshman of Winter Park, will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at Congregation of Reform Judaism in Orlando. Sam is in the seventh grade at Lake Highland Preparatory School where he is on the Honor Roll. His interests include playing piano since he was in second grade, making movies, watching YouTube videos and spending time with friends. Sam is also on the middle school robotics team. For his mitzvah project, Sam has volunteered at Give Kids the World working at...
LOS ANGELES (JTA)-With the Academy Awards on the horizon, there is no shortage of high-quality films to see in theaters and on the small screen. Getting a jump on the festivities, here are five of the best Jewish-themed ones to watch this awards season, from Oscar contenders to short gems. "Foxtrot" Directed by Samuel Maoz and starring Lior Ashkenazi and Sarah Adler, "Foxtrot" is a wrenching film about an array of dark topics: parental grief after the death of a soldier son, the joys and...
Wow! Go figure... I recently watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in South Korea. I've seen many Olympic ceremonies in my long life, but this one was by far, the best! It was perfect in every way and I was especially thrilled to see team USA and, of course, team Korea, made up of both North and South Koreans marching into the stadium together and learning that they will be competing as one. I must mention that a weird thing happened as I was watching... one of my deceased husband's...
By Gabe Friedman (JTA)-If one thing jumps out about the nominations for the 90th annual Academy Awards, it's the lack of big Jewish headlines to be plucked from them. "The Shape of Water," Guillermo del Toro's latest fantasy-tinted film, about an amphibian creature housed in a government laboratory, led the pack with 13 nominations. Nevertheless, here are the Jewish nominations and storylines from another year of great cinema: "Call Me By Your Name" gets four nominations. "Call Me By Your Name"...
(The Nosher via JTA)-Upside down cakes are one of my favorite types of cakes to make, mostly because they are an easy way to impress. In an upside down cake, the fruit is layered on the bottom of the pan along with sugar, and a simple, fluffy cake batter is poured on top. Once it's baked, the cake is inverted, and what was once the bottom of the cake becomes a gorgeously syrupy, fruity top. What could be simpler? American upside down cakes are traditionally made with pineapple and cherries, but...
(JNS)—As a small Islamic sect of an estimated 20 million people—about 1 percent of the global Muslim population—the Ahmadiyya community is a persecuted minority across the Middle East. But at the southern entrance of the northern Israeli city of Haifa lies Kababir village, home to 2,000 residents, 70 percent of whom are Ahmadi Muslims. In Kababir, Ahmadis enjoy full religious and cultural freedom and pray in the only Ahmadi mosque in the Middle East, opened in 1934 and redone in 1979. The safe haven they have found in the Jewish State, as co...
