Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Jewish Academy of Orlando announced it will be honoring Nathalie and Dr. Jordan Steinberg and giving a lifetime achievement award to Dr. Edward Zissman at the school's annual gala, Sunday, Dec. 17 at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. Nathalie and Jordan moved from Montreal, Canada 10 years ago, with their three children. They wanted to build a meaningful Jewish life and provide their children with the best Jewish education possible. Jordan has been on the Board of Directors of the school... Full story
Chanukah is almost here and it shows at the Altamonte Mall. The Chanukah menorah is located on the second level near the food court. Shown here are Rabbi Mendy Bronstein of Chabad of Altamonte Springs with two little friends.... Full story
A Boy Scout doesn't just become an Eagle Scout. He has to earn the rank through a series of requirements, including: earn 21 merit badges-13 of which are required; perform a service project that he plans, develops and oversees; and successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review. Fewer than 5 percent of Boy Scouts earn the Eagle rank. Tyler Gaeser, the son of Marci and Jeff Gaeser, has been in scouting since first grade when he became a Cub Scout. He advanced to Boy Scout Troop 617, Oviedo... Full story
With files from the Israel Mission to the UN Israel's Mission to the United Nations, in partnership with the World Jewish Congress, celebrated 70 years since the historic November 29, 1947 United Nations vote on Resolution 181 that called for the establishment of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel. The event, initiated by Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, took place in the Queens Museum, which served as UN headquarters in 1947 when the vote took place. US Vice President Mike Pence... Full story
Democratic US senators have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to stop the planned demolition of twoillegally built Palestinian villages, claiming that the move could endanger Israel's future. The Times of Israel reported that 10 members of the Democratic Party signed the letter, including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Diane Feinstein, Al Franken and Brian Schatz. The letter urged Netanyahu to scrap an order to demolish the Palestinian villages of Sussiya and... Full story
As the Heritage Florida Jewish News went to press, the world was anticipating the announcement from President Donald Trump to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital and beginning the process of moving the U.S. Embassy to the holy city, a step that threatens to spark unrest across the Middle East and undermine American efforts to forge a new peace plan. The State Department, meanwhile, warned U.S. embassies around the world to prepare for possible protests and violence and banned travel by... Full story
The United Nations General Assembly in New York passed six resolutions on Thursday, Nov. 30, affirming Palestinian rights and condemning Israeli violations of international law, Middle East Monitor reported. According to one resolution ('Jerusalem'), "the Assembly reiterated that any actions by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem were illegal and therefore null and void." This resolution was adopted by 151 votes in favor... Full story
(JNS.org)-A German public broadcaster on Saturday cancelled a scheduled concert by former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters following a campaign highlighting the rocker's anti-Semitism. The show, "Us and Them," was scheduled to take place June 11, 2018, at Cologne's Lanxess Arena. The concert was nixed after Cologne resident Malca Goldstein-Wolf launched a petition to prevent the Westdeutscher Rundfunk television network from using public funds to sponsor the event. The petition referenced the... Full story
It has been a long time since I’ve heard anyone say anything positive about the French Socialist Party (PS), once the giant of that country’s post-war politics, but trounced into fifth place in this year’s presidential election, with just 6 percent of the vote going to its candidate. But I’m nonetheless going to throw caution to the wind, and offer my modest congratulations to the PS for its Nov. 21 decision to expel Gérard Filoche, the party grandee at the center of a row over a dismally transparent anti-Semitic tweet from his account,... Full story
It’s difficult for Americans to sympathize with the rulers of Saudi Arabia. Though a longstanding ally of the U.S., the oil-rich theocracy has helped foment extremism around world by funding fundamentalist mosques and madrassas. That 15 of the 19 hijackers who carried out the 9/11 attacks were Saudis and not Iranians is something that can’t be forgotten. But the moment may have arrived when Riyadh may be providing some common sense advice Washington should heed. By taking steps to highlight the need for the West and its Arab allies to start add... Full story
The most prominent Jewish leader in America did not mince words when it came to the question of whether the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) should have an office in Washington, D.C. In a telegram to the president, he wrote, “Our country must not permit the killers of Jewish children and the assassins of American diplomats to open an office in Washington, D.C.” But I’m not talking about last week’s news. I’m taking about 1976. The chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations was Rabbi Alexander... Full story
The article that ran in the Nov. 17 issue titled “The history of the $1 bill and who was Haym Solomon?” was a great story, but it wasn’t entirely true, unfortunately. I had a very enlightening conversation about the piece with Murray Toborowsky, a former high school American history teacher, who agreed that it is a great story. For Jewish people, it’s encouraging to read that a Jewish man saved our fledgling new country at the ninth hour. But alas, Toborowsky told me George Washington never said “Send for Haym Solomon,” when funds were desperat... Full story
“It’s great to hear that your children are loving college, and not experiencing much anti-Semitism or anti-Zionism. They deserve to enjoy their time at school, just like everyone else!” That was my answer to a parent who recently commented, “my kids say they never see anything,” and asked, “is the situation on campus really that bad?” The truth is that most Jewish students will never experience the kind of hate we often read about in the news. I know, because when I was in college, I was one of those kids who didn’t see anything. I grew up in a... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—Did The New York Times just normalize an American neo-Nazi? That’s the charge being flung at The Newspaper of Record over its Saturday profile of Tony Hovater, 29, a “polite,” “low key” Ohio man who is a “committed foot soldier” who helped start one of the white nationalist groups that marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August. The article, titled “In America’s Heartland, the Nazi Sympathizer Next Door,” depicts Hovater cooking pasta for his sympathetic wife and pushing a shopping cart through his local grocery, and as... 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
Join the Orlando Torah Academy for a special Chanukah evening at the Rosen JCC, Thursday, Dec. 14, at 5 pm. Be amazed by a spectacular LED performance while enjoying a complimentary dairy Chanukah dinner. There will be fun activities for all ages, and prize giveways raffled off for attendees! Purchase raffle tickets as well for a chance to win a trip for two to Israel! For more information, please contact office@orlandotorah.com Admission is free. The Rosen JCC is located at 11184 South Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando.... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-It is the "the witching hour," around 4:30 p.m., when darkness descends swiftly on the streets of New York, and exhausted children and their parents tend to quarrel. But my son Joel, now 12, is full of good cheer. He keeps a steady bounce in his step. He smiles into the wind. "The black sky at this early hour," Joel explains, his tall frame swaying in sync with his springing step, "means that the Chanukah lights will be coming soon." For a parent, it is a sweet moment like so... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—Salad fixins? Check. Cookies? Check. Menorah, candles and dreidels? Check, check, check. My husband, kids and I were headed to family dinner at the home of a dear friend. She and her husband are not Jewish, but my friend is a history teacher who loves learning about and sharing multicultural traditions. Since she had never lit a menorah before, she asked me to bring ours—I was more than happy to oblige. For good measure, I also brought some dreidels and, because our kids ate all our gelt the first night of Chanukah, some red... Full story
(JTA)-Within the Jewish musical canon are several songs that seem to have always existed-tunes we all know and pass down from one generation to the next. One example is the Hanukkah favorite "I Have a Little Dreidel"-chances are most everyone reading this can sing the chorus, at least. Another example, from a more elevated sphere of Jewish practice, is "Shalom Aleichem"-it isn't hard to imagine Jewish families around the world simultaneously welcoming Shabbat with the familiar strains of this... Full story
(MyJewishLearning via JTA)-Do you have friends or family members who are new to the tribe? Maybe they recently converted, married a Jew or became newly interested in their Jewish roots? Or maybe you're the newbie and are wondering what to put on your wish list. Whatever the particulars, MyJewishLearning has you covered, with Chanukah gift ideas designed to please the Jewish newbies in your life. Cookbooks Amelia Saltsman's "The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen" ($20.23), Leah Koenig's "Modern Jewish... Full story
In honor of Veteran's Day, Orlando Torah Academy students had the privilege of hearing from guest speaker Rabbi Jeff Chaitoff. Rabbi Chaitoff shared his experiences as chaplain in the Army with students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. He brought in photos and relics from his days on active duty, including his uniforms. Students enjoyed asking questions and hearing about what life was like as a soldier. They also loved trying on the uniforms! Thank you, Rabbi Chaitoff, for your service to the... Full story
(I'm still upset about the Nazi march in Charlottesville some time ago. To think that our country's Commander in Chief said some of them were good people, makes me beyond angry!) And speaking of Nazis... I read this in the current issue of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along to you. I know it is upsetting but we MUST be aware or another Holocaust could happen!: "A small neo-Nazi group that bills itself as 'the Hitlers you've been waiting for' surreptitiously put up... Full story
An "enchanting festival of light-hearted glee and meaningful warmth" (Los Angeles Times) arrives in celebration at the end of Chanukah when the musical comedy, "The MeshugaNutcracker!," debuts in movie theaters nationwide on Tuesday, Dec.19, putting a unique spin on the classic Nutcracker ballet. "The MeshugaNutcracker!" will be shown at the Altamonte Mall 18, 433 W. Altamonte Dr.; Winter Park Village 20, 510 N. Orlando Ave.; and Waterford Lakes 20, 541 N. Alafaya Trail for only one 7 p.m.... Full story
(Jewish& via JTA)—For many years, I worked in the most special place I could imagine. It’s a radical beit midrash (house of study) in Jerusalem, Memizrach Shemesh, the Social Action Beit Midrash, inspired by the traditions of Jews from Arab lands. At Memizrach Shemesh, we used Jewish texts, with a special emphasis on Sephardic and Mizrachi rabbinic texts, as tools for awareness raising and social change. We trained leaders, educators and activists in Israeli society with the perspective that good community workers need to learn before tak... Full story
Frances Bercov, age 105, of Longwood, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, at Brookdale—Island Lake. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 17, 1912, to the late Louis and Sadie Worth Sharon. Frances worked as an administrative assistant in the jewelry business and relocated to the Orlando area from Miami in the 1980s. For many years she was affiliated with Congregation of Reform Judaism. Frances is survived by her daughter, Sheilah (Richard) Tolpin of Tavares; and was predeceased by her son, Stephen. In memory of Frances Bercov, the f... Full story
