Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 26 - 38 of 38
When the champion of the U.S.-Israel alliance sounds the alarm, something about the steadfast allies’ relationship is more contentious than usual. Last week, the staunchly bipartisan American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)—which does not frequently issue public statements, let alone criticize a sitting American president—urged the Obama administration to “recommit to improving” U.S.-Israel ties. AIPAC’s March 19 statement came after White House and State Department representatives dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s... Full story
A combination Purim party and 95th birthday celebration were held last week at the Sutton Home in Dr. Phillips where retired Rabbi Rudolph Adler resides. Twenty-one of the rabbi's dear friends from Congregation Ohev Shalom made the trip to Dr. Phillips to share in the celebration, which began with a Purim play. Rabbi Adler was the first to volunteer to play a part-that of Mordecai, with his real own daughter, Rae Wallach, playing Queen Esther. Others in the cast included Elaine Gamson, Fran... Full story
Eighth graders from Congregation Ohev Shalom attended the annual regional Gesher convention of United Synagogue Youth March 20-22 in Orlando. "Gesher" is a bridge and the convention, which is for eighth graders only from the entire Ha Negev Region, serves as a bridge from the middle school youth group Kadima to the high school group USY. Any Jewish sixth-12th grader is welcome to join COS Kadima or USY regardless of synagogue membership.... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—Each year, the thought of Passover makes me want to run away. It’s a labor-intensive, heavy-on-the-sighing holiday, especially in Israel. The traditions and message are nourishing, but for me they get lost in the pre-holiday hype, in the burden of preparation, and in the myriad prohibitions that turn us back into disgruntled slaves. If the 10 biblical plagues paved the way for the Israelites liberation, the 10 modern plagues of Passover have me reaching for my passport and looking for a simpler way to celebrate freedom. 1.... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral and burial in Israel of seven children who died in a house fire in Brooklyn. "God Almighty took seven roses," said their father, Gabriel Sassoon, in a eulogy at a Jerusalem cemetery on Monday afternoon, according to Ynet. "He took my children and my future grandchildren, maybe 70 or 80 of them, their smiles. To you, my God, I give my all. My soul, my all. That is how I feel." The mourners at the Givat Shaul Cemetery included close friends... Full story
PHILADELPHIA (JTA)-The Reform movement's rabbinic association unveiled its new High Holidays prayer book-one that continues the movement's trend toward inclusive liturgy-at the group's 126th annual convention. Mishkan HaNefesh, the Reform's first High Holidays prayer book, or machzor, since 1978, was a major focus of the Central Conference American Rabbis conference that concluded here Wednesday. The prayer book features the voices of female writers and language more reflective of the LGBT... Full story
One of the highlights of the Selznick Middle School at the Jewish Academy of Orlando is the eighth-grade trip to Israel. This year, 11 students, accompanied by their teacher, Idit Lotringer, traveled to Israel for a 12-day trip that changed their lives. For most of the students, this was their first trip to Israel and they have come back inspired and transformed. During their time in Israel, the students visited Tel Aviv, Haifa and the north of Israel. Near Haifa, the students visited a school in Orlando’s sister city, Kfar Motzkin, and s... Full story
ADL: Anti-Semitic incidents in U.S. up by 21 percent NEW YORK (JTA)—Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose by 21 percent in 2014, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit of anti-Semitism. The organization counted 912 anti-Semitic incidents last year, up from 751 in 2013, with the period surrounding last summer’s Gaza war seeing a surge of incidents. The tally included 36 cases of assault or other violence, 363 incidents of vandalism, and 513 cases of harassment, threats and events. “2014 was a particularly violent... Full story
(JTA)-A whopping 16,000 books have been written about President Abraham Lincoln. But a new book and an exhibit at the New York Historical Society tell a previously untold story about Lincoln: his relationships with Jews. Benjamin Shapell has been collecting documents relating to Lincoln and the Jews for over 35 years, housing them in the archives of the Shapell Foundation. For the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination, Shapell persuaded Jonathan Sarna, the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-Passover brings the same challenge each year-especially for the baker. How do you make an array of delicious and unique desserts without using any flour (or any other leavening ingredients, for that matter)? This task is additionally complicated by the fact that dairy is often off limits, too. So when I find a recipe that works-and that my family agrees is a "keeper"-I tend to bring it back year after year. And this sponge cake is no exception. Moist and deeply flavorful,... Full story
The recent horrors in Brooklyn have united Jews in sorrow. They are also a tragic example of how quickly fire can sweep through a home and the devastation it can leave behind. In addition to Shabbat, practically every Jewish holiday has a connection to fire. These sites provide potentially lifesaving advice for enjoying our traditions safely. Tragic results can occur year round when fire is not given the respect it demands. Some recent examples: • Passover: A mother trying to set fire to a piece of bread as part of a centuries-old Jewish r... Full story
(Jewniverse via JTA)-In 1900, Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company. The brothers were not Jewish, but their original logo looked a lot like the Star of David. It was a circle with two interlocking triangles forming a six-pointed star. An interlocked "DB" was at the center of the star, and the words "Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles" encircled the outside edge. One popular belief was that the symbol was chosen to anger their competitor Henry Ford, a notorious... Full story
Central Florida Hillel students (l-r) Tamara Zishuk, Kayla Symonds, Desia Bacon, and Matt Ubl cleaned the headstones at the COS Cemetery as a community service project on Sunday, March 22.... Full story
