Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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It's rare, if ever, that one sits at home watching news of an impending attack that's already been launched at your country. But that's exactly what I did last night. First the IDF issued instructions to keep Israelis safe, including closing all schools, banning gatherings of more than 1000 people, and what to do in case of an air raid siren. An hour or so later it was announced that Iran had already launched dozens (up to 150-200) armed drones at Israel that would take as long as 9 hours to...
(JNS) — The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews will be supporting over 100,000 people in Israel this Passover, with a specific focus on families directly affected by the ongoing war against Hamas, especially bereaved families, hostages’ relatives and the tens of thousands of evacuees. As part of the 2024 Passover program, IFCJ will be distributing close to 19,000 600 shekel ($162) debit cards for evacuated families to use toward purchasing food items. The cards will also be delivered to families of injured soldiers as well as rel...
(JNS) — Israel’s War Cabinet on Sunday recommended retaliating to the first-ever direct Iranian attack on the Jewish state, although they were divided on the scope and timing of the response, Reuters reported on Monday, citing Israeli officials. However, no final decision was made, per reports, and ministers were to reconvene at 2 p.m. Monday to continue deliberations. The Islamic Republic and its terror proxies launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night, with Israel and its military allies shooting down most of the...
The story of Passover, more than any other Jewish holiday, is all about miracles. A burning bush. A staff that turns into a serpent. Ten plaques, each one worse than the previous one. The parting of the Red Sea. Manna coming down from heaven. Moses receiving the Torah. I have experienced what I consider miracles in my own life. Meeting Larry at a Purim party over 50 years ago. Holding our son and, three years later, our daughter, in our arms. Seeing flashes of ourselves and our children in our three beautiful grandchildren. Just this past...
The RAISE work and social skills training program for adults with special needs is now accepting online applications for RAISE employees as well as opportunities to volunteer as a RAISE job coach. RAISE is a work and social skills training program that provides paid employment at its partnering agencies. If you know someone who may benefit from RAISE, apply online by clicking on “Apply for RAISE employment” at www.jfgo.org/RAISE. If you are interested in volunteering as a job coach, inquire online by clicking “Apply to become a job coach...
Parents get ready to plan a night out for yourself. The Rosen JCC Saturday Night Out will be on April 27, 6 p.m. -11 p.m. This event lets you drop off kids for a night of fun. The theme this month is “An Evening of Magic.” Kids will be able to play games, have playground time, read and watch a movie with pizza. The monthly event gives parents a place for childcare while they plan a night out or a quiet night at home. Register now because space is limited www.rosenjcc.org/sno....
NEW YORK — As costs continue to soar due to inflation, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty has launched an emergency fundraising appeal to ensure the Jewish organization can provide free food to the more than 300,000 Jews who rely on the organization’s free food distributions for Passover across the tri-state area. More than 230 distribution events have been strategically organized across all five boroughs of New York City, as well as in Westchester, Albany, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey. These events serve as crucial access poi...
(JTA) — Those who might have described “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as a kind of “Seinfeld” on steroids got a fitting conclusion on Sunday, as the last episode of Larry David’s landmark 12-season sitcom was essentially a reprise of the much-maligned “Seinfeld” finale 26 years ago. Except one thing. (Spoilers follow.) In the finale, which aired on HBO and Max, Larry stands trial on the charge he was arrested for in the season premiere — handing a bottle of water to a friend waiting to vote, in violation of Georgia law. In the fashion of the “S...
WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the leadership of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the nation’s largest pro-Israel organization, released the following statements in reaction to reports that President Joe Biden held a tense phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during which the President demanded an immediate cease-fire to the war in Gaza. “President Biden is playing directly into the enemy’s hands by undermining Israel’s effort to defeat Hamas. If the President wishes to help Israelis and Palestinians, he should do...
(JNS) — Pierre Poilievre, a member of the Canadian parliament and the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, recently spoke to members of the Orthodox Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec. His address on March 26 received robust applause and several standing ovations. Poilievre proclaimed the permanence of the Jewish people, saying that “a thousand years from now, whatever is going on, on Fridays, as the sun goes down, there will be a Shabbat in Israel.” He said, “Those songs will be sung. The Jewish people will go...
(JNS) — Can you see the hypocrisy? I see it all day, every day. It’s hard to live in Israel, no matter how you feel about the war, and not see it. When you live in this region, it’s like the rest of the world is upside down. It’s like you’re looking at a bizarro universe that exists on a different plane—a universe so devoid of logic and morality that it no longer feels like your own. The Israel Defense Forces made a monumental mistake. It was an error almost no one wanted. The accidental drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen hum...
(JNS) — Given the current rancor between the White House and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the unbreakable, unshakeable bonds between Israel and the U.S. seem to be loosening a bit. While bad under any circumstances, the timing of the mistaken attack on the World Central Kitchen crew in Gaza could not have been worse. Not even Israel’s admission of error and apology curbed the world media’s appetite for defaming the Jewish state. President Joe Biden’s finger-wagging response opened the door for foreign leaders to do the same. I...
(JNS) — In January 1943, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued the Casablanca Declaration. It stated that the Allies’ goal was the “unconditional surrender” of the Axis powers. This was a statement of moral clarity and resolve for the ages. In sharp contrast, President Joe Biden has now effectively demanded Israel’s “unconditional surrender.” After the tragic accidental killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers by the IDF, Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and...
(JNS) — Marking on Sunday six months since the Oct. 7 massacre, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his weekly Cabinet meeting by listing what he called the “considerable achievements” of the war in Gaza. “We have eliminated 19 of Hamas’s 24 battalions, including senior commanders,” he said. “We have killed, wounded or captured a large number of Hamas terrorists. We have cleared out Shifa [Hospital in Gaza City] and other terrorist command centers.” He went on, “We have destroyed rocket factories, command centers and weapons caches. A...
(JNS) — Too many people in positions of power have all too conveniently forgotten what Israel is up against. And what we in the United States are up against, for that matter. Israel has been fighting a war of no choice. It is an existential war. It was forced upon Israel on Oct. 7, when the most brutal atrocities imaginable—the worst since the days of the Holocaust—were inflicted on Israelis. Now that six months have passed since Oct. 7, it’s time to ask a few pointed questions: Has the world forgotten the babies who were decapitated and bur...
(JNS) — It is appalling that Israel’s recent airstrike, accidentally killing seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen in Gaza who were bringing food to its besieged residents, has aroused as much international fury, if not more, as Hamas’s slaughter of 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7 in the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. President Joe Biden has become the fickle leader of this anti-Israel assault. As the November election looms and his re-election prospect shows signs of fading, he is clinging desperately to the hope that he ca...
MORNING MINYANS 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 Israel — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-647-30...
(JTA) — Rep. Gregory Meeks, the leading Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said he would not approve a U.S. sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel without “assurances” on what the jets would be used for. “I’m waiting for assurances,” Meeks, who represents a district in New York City, told CNN on Tuesday. “It is enough of the indiscriminate bombing. I don’t want the kinds of weapons that Israel has to be utilized to have more death.” Meeks is one of four lawmakers on Capitol Hill with the power to hold up weapons sales. He has pre...
(JNS) - First, the vegetable main course. Then comes the chocolate. The main course is a tasty, room-temperature side dish that you should make in advance so that when you are ready to grill, most of your meal is already prepared. I broil the eggplant slices in the oven, but you also can cook them on the grill before you cook the steak. Roasted Eggplant with Bell-Pepper Vinaigrette (Pareve) Reprinted with permission from "The New Passover Menu" (Sterling 2013). Serves 6-8 Prem time: 10 minutes...
(JNS) - Orthodox Union leaders delivered 100,000 letters to the White House on Wednesday, urging U.S. President Joe Biden to continue supporting Israel, demanding the release of hostages whom Hamas holds in Gaza and combating antisemitism domestically. The letters were the first batch of more than 180,000 that the OU has collected from synagogues across the country since Thursday, marking 180 days that the hostages have been in captivity. Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the OU,...
(JNS) - A brand-new Passover Haggadah titled, "Empowering Seder Conversations," published just in time for the holiday, is designed to promote inclusion at the Seder table, making the special evening more accessible for those suffering from aphasia and other neurological challenges. Aphasia is a condition that robs a person of the ability to communicate. It can affect one's ability to speak, write, work with numbers and understand language, both verbal and written. The Haggadah was written by...
There are numerous assistance programs available to veterans who need advanced in-home care. These include: • Aid and Attendance Benefits (A&A) — Available to veterans who receive a VA pension and meet certain other requirements, this program can help to supplement the cost of a family caregiver. • Veteran-Directed Home & Community-Based Services — This supplement to the standard Veterans Health Administration medical benefits program is available in most states (but not all) and provides a flexible monthly budget, which can be used to pay a f...
(JNS) - The Popular Resistance Committees, a coalition composed of Hamas and other terrorist groups, recently announced price drops for food in the Gaza Strip. Gazan merchants said, "An average family can now buy products for a hearty meal with 100 shekels [$27.15], compared to 200 shekels required for such a meal just a few days ago," Ynet reported. The news is in line with a report issued last week by the Israeli Defense Ministry's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories...
(JNS) — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday accused President Joe Biden of turning against Israel to appease the far-left flank of the Democratic Party. “Democrats are weak on Israel as well, and it’s their support for Israel. It’s rather stunning to us that there’s this dramatic shift. Hamas is holding more than 130 hostages, as you know, including Americans,” the 52-year-old Republican said at a press conference in Washington. “These people are languishing at the hands of barbaric terrorists, and Joe Biden is meanwhile giv...
(JNS) — Newly emerged video shot by Hamas terrorists showing the capture of female Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border has been described as “hard to watch” by Israeli media. In the video, parts of which have not been shared with the public, Hamas terrorists are initially seen with five female spotters, with two more later being added. “We will exchange you for our people,” the terrorists say. Another terrorist forces one of the soldiers to show him how to dial a Gaza number from her cell phone. The terrorists later put the soldiers into stol...
