Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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First Century Roman Judea marked a pivotal time in the history of the Jewish people. Many important and influential leaders helped to shape Judaism into what it is today. The characters portrayed by students in Eliana Gershon's third through fifth grade class at the Meitin Religious School at Temple Israel, whether admired or feared, were key players in transitioning our people out of Hellenistic Judaism into the early stages of what would become modern day Rabbinic Judaism. It is a strong... Full story
Local award-winning author, Yvonne David, wrote her first book, "Out of the Apple Orchard," in 2005. It is a story, set in the Catskills in 1910, of a 12-year-old Jewish boy named Adam, whose family moves from the Lower East Side, N.Y., to Mountaindale, N.Y., for the fresh country air. Because of his father's illness, the family subsists on a little bit of bread, milk and a few other basics. Hunger hurts, and Adam steals some juicy, red apples from a neighbor's orchard for his family. However, h... Full story
According to the Talmud, we are obligated to write our own Torah Scroll. This is considered the 613th Mitzvah. Later on, The Rambam writes that since the lack of one Torah letter causes a Torah Scroll to be invalid, this commandment can be fulfilled by writing a single letter of a completed scroll. Following this tradition, a nationally recognized Scribe, Neil Yerman, will be coming to Congregation of Reform Judaism along with a most unusual Torah. The Congregation will be dedicating the Torah... Full story
The Jewish Pavilion's Black and White Gala will be held on Sunday, March 13 at 5 p.m. at the Orlando Sheraton North in Maitland. This year's honorees are two stellar volunteers who cherish the elder-care community-Carol Stein and Sammy Goldstein. The gala will include a silent auction, gourmet meal, and the musical sounds of Paul Stenzler and his band. It all started with a calendar. For years Sammy Goldstein, executive director of Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, donated Jewish calendars inscribed... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-With the sudden passing last weekend of Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court is now split 4-4 between liberals and conservatives, throwing into doubt how the court will rule on a raft of cases-including several watched by Jewish organizations. Scalia, who was 79, is being mourned by Orthodox Jewish groups, which embraced his robust originalist doctrine, as well as Jewish church-state separation advocates, who railed at some of his decisions but admired his sharp wit and ded... Full story
WASHINGTON—A report released today by the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) details how anti-Israel campus groups in the United States made significant efforts to strengthen ties with allies on campus and in their communities during the fall 2015 semester. ICC observed a shift away from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolutions in favor of theatrics and disruptive tactics. Anti-Israel activists from Minnesota to Texas to Maryland employed disruptive tactics on campus this fall, staging dramatic protests at pro-Israel events and at camp... Full story
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org)-Iran was expected to receive its first S-300 air defense system from Russia on Thursday, Russian media reported Wednesday. This will be the first the major weapons deal to be implemented in the wake of last summer's nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which brought an end to most of the international sanctions on Iran. A Russian official denied the report later on Wednesday, telling the state-run Russian news agency TASS that there were still... Full story
The Griswold Cares Foundation awarded a second-time grant to the Jewish Pavilion's Senior Help Desk for their efforts in supporting independent living for those in need. The Griswold Cares Foundation is a private charity 501c3 established by Griswold Home Care to further the company's belief that care for the elderly and disabled should be available to all, helping to further the company's collective mission and values and to give back to the communities that they serve. The Pavilion's grant... Full story
The annual COS youth theater production will be performed Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m. and Wednesday, March 9 at 6:45 p.m. at Congregation Ohev Shalom. “The Role Model,” written by Cara Freedman, is a musical about a Jewish high school class that is making a video about a Jewish role model for a cable network show. Throughout the performance the audience will meet Jewish heroes from the past and present including Hannah Senesh, Theodore Herzl, Moses and many more. The main character Ava played by Robyn Kast can’t figure out who her hero is and u... Full story
Join the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) for “Genealogy Trek,” on Tuesday, March 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Roth Family Jewish Community Center in Maitland. JGSGO member and new webmaster Barry Sieger will introduce the society’s new website, demonstrate how to use it, and seek input and suggestions. He wants the website as user friendly and useful as possible for JGSGO’s members. Sieger will also present some interesting genealogical information that he learned at the IAGJS Conference in Jerusalem last summer.... Full story
The Holocaust Center has arranged a special screening of ‘RACE,’ a new feature film about Jesse Owens’ 1936 Olympic experience, for Sunday March 6 at 2 p.m. at the Regal Winter Park Village Stadium. After the film there will be a Q&A session with Orlando Sentinel sports writer Shannon Owens Green, who is Jesse’s great niece. She will be joined by Jesse’s great-nephew, Hayward Christopher Owens, who played for the NBA , and Mica Owens-Weary, Shannon’s sister. Dr. Richard Lapchick, head of the University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sport Busines... Full story
Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, this week sounded an unusually strong—and therefore welcome—warning about the continuing bias against Israel in the corridors of the world body. On a visit to Israel, Power spoke publicly about the experience of ZAKA, an Israeli humanitarian aid organization, in its efforts to gain accreditation at the U.N. After describing Zaka’s venerable record of assistance not just in Israel, but in New York City after the 9/11 atrocities and in Haiti after the devastating earthquake there... Full story
Why are we involved in a 12-centuries-old war? Shiites and Sunnis have been at it since the death of Mohamed. I have written before about “Sykes-Picot” the agreement that whacked up the Middle East between England and France during WWI and how their placement of dictators and kings (mostly Sunni) in the countries they “invented” brought some stability; albeit with horrible human rights abuses to the people of those so-called countries. So, George Bush broke the covenant, the Arab Spring has become a winter of death and destruction. Let’s f... Full story
Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is backtracking, a little, on her remark last week that “there is a special place in hell” for women who failed to endorse Hillary Clinton. Writing on the op-ed page of the New York Times, Albright did not apologize or withdraw the comment, but she did concede that it was “undiplomatic” of her to say what she said. Indeed, friends of Israel have had bitter experiences with Albright’s “undiplomatic moments.” During the 2014 Gaza War, Albright told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that Israel’s anti-terrorism a... Full story
The wave of terror directed against Israelis by Palestinians certainly harms Israelis. It hurts the victims, mostly civilians, and their families. It also frightens most Israelis, making them feel less secure. Yet arguably, this Palestinian violence harms the Palestinians much more. This is not merely the rhetoric of pro-Israel advocates. Rather, a growing number of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs are bravely making these observations. They are fearlessly speaking out for the sake of their own people, whose future, they believe, is seriously... Full story
(JTA)—On the morning of Dec. 1, 1988, a group of about 70 Jewish women entered the sacred space of the Western Wall. The women represented all the major streams of Judaism. Some wore prayer shawls or kippahs. Some did not. One woman cradled a Torah in her arms. Together, their voices rose in prayer, marking the beginning of a movement. From that day until now, the Women of the Wall have fought for the right of women to pray together at Judaism’s holiest site—out loud, with tallit, tefillin and the Torah. It has been no easy task. For the past... Full story
If you discriminate against the only Jewish country in the world, is that anti-Semitism? Let’s take the European Union (EU), which routinely discriminates against the Jewish state. Among the numerous “occupied territories” around the world, for example, the EU has singled out only the Jewish state for special labeling of products from those territories. Is that anti-Semitism? A less well-known example of EU discrimination comes from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), a group that aims to improve democracy and human... Full story
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 I... Full story
The 11th Annual J Ball will be on Thursday, March 10 at 6 p.m. at the Orlando Museum of Art. This year, we are thrilled to be honoring the Dick and Dottie Appelbaum family as well as Harriet Weiss. As always, the J Ball will be a fun-filled evening with fabulous food from Zayde's Kosher Kitchen at Rosen Plaza, amazing silent auction items, musical entertainment from Junction 88 Productions as well as Amanda and Kerry Giese from Theatre at the J, and unique photos with PhotoMingle. All proceeds... Full story
Guess who came to visit the students at the Jewish Academy of Orlando? None other than Shades from the Orlando Solar Bears! Shades came to promote Jewish Academy of Orlando Night at the Orlando Solar Bears, on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. At the game, the students of the Jewish Academy will be singing the National Anthem before the puck drop. This event is open to the community, so invite your friends and family to join us. Tickets are currently on sale, $18 each, payable to the Jewish Academy... Full story
Muriel Alexander, age 83, of Livingston, Texas, passed away at Mike Conley Hospice House, Clermont, on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Mrs. Alexander, a native of London, England, was born on March 26, 1932, to the late Behr and Leah Fank. She was a high school graduate and a homemaker. Mrs. Alexander and her husband, Bernard, who survives her, were motor-home enthusiasts who spent their time traveling all over the country. As was their custom, they wintered in the Central Florida area, coming from their home in Livingston, Texas. In addition to her... Full story
William B. Sharff, age 60, passed away at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. Mr. Sharff was born in Newark, Ohio, on Feb. 16, 1956 to Earl Lee Sharff and Marjorie Jane Silverman Sharff. He lived in Westerville, Ohio, and was a retailer. Funeral services and burial were held in Columbus, Ohio. Arrangements entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando 32810.... Full story
The Broadway star-famous for his role as the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera" as well as the Beast and Gaston in Disney's Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast"-will join Theatre South at Rosen JCC on Feb. 27 to celebrate the opening of the new Rosen Event Center. Norman shares a bit about his time on Broadway, his motivation when it comes to theater, and an exciting preview of what to expect during the Opening Gala. Q: Tell me a bit about your story. How did you first get involved... Full story
Lindsey Hope Shapiro, daughter of Samuel and Rachel Shapiro of Apopka, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah on Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, 2016 at Congregation Beth Am in Longwood. Lindsey is in the seventh grade at Wolf Lake Middle School where she is a member of the band and student government. Her hobbies and interests include softball, arts and crafts, playing the flute and hanging out with friends. Sharing in the family's simcha will be Lindsey's sister,... Full story
Celebrating with music, comedy and Purim party festivities, on Friday night, March 25, Isaac Kriger, Lizzy Brahm-Kriger, Syd Tenenbaum, Leigh Ann Singleton and Larry larkin of Kriger Entertainment Productions will perform a medley of top Broadway hits with selections from "Man of La Mancha," "Old Man River," "Phantom of the Opera," "Les Miserables," "Fiddler on the Roof," and more. The event takes place at the Clermont City Center, 620 West Montrose St., Clermont, at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $15... Full story
