Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Within a year, in the Orlando area several of our beloved Jewish young adults died due to an accidental drug overdose. Statistically, it is likely that someone close to you will suffer from a substance use disorder in the coming years. How will you recognize the signs? Are there signs? And if you sense something is wrong, what do you do? If you are sure someone you love is dealing with substance use disorder, whom do you turn to for help? An upcoming panel discussion on Thursday, May 27,...
The duality of Shavuot is undeniable: the yom tov exists, or rather coexists, with distinctly different facets. On the one hand is its status as an agricultural festival marking the wheat/barley harvest and the related celebration of the precociousness of the Land of Israel and another aspect is its historic commemoration of the most remarkable event in the origin story of the Jewish People - the Revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Passover and Shavuot are connected by family ties as much...
On Thursday, May 6, an antisemitic group called the Goyim Defense League stood across the street from The Roth Family JCC with signs and megaphones, ranting their propaganda to protest against the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida. They also attempted to hand out flyers to cars as they stopped at traffic lights at Maitland Avenue and Maitland Blvd. Their van, decorated with Holocaust denial and hate-filled messages, tried to come onto the JCC property. However, the JCC...
(JNS) - Israel's President Reuven Rivlin has announced that Yair Lapid will now receive the mandate to form the country's next government. Rivlin made the announcement in a televised statement from his official residence, saying that his "main consideration" was who was the best choice to form the next government. "From the number of recommendations, it is clear that MK Yair Lapid could form a government that has the confidence of the Knesset, despite there being many difficulties," Rivlin...
Last December, the Seminole County's Sheriff's office held a Toy Drive for neglected children in partnership with Chabad of North Orlando. Following on the success of that campaign, Sheriff's Deputy Lt. Brad McDaniel turned once again to SCSO's chaplain, Rabbi Yanky Majesky, to ask for the assistance of the Jewish community, this time for the county's homeless population. CBS's 60 Minutes put the spotlight on the homeless issue right here in our community in a segment that aired a few years ago...
The Eighth Annual Commemoration of the largest mass arrest of rabbis in U.S. history will take place outdoors at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bayfront, 32 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, at noon, Friday, June 18. This 30-minute event sponsored by the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society, is free and all are welcome. The wearing of masks is requested. The event will be available on Zoom. On June 18, 1964, 16 rabbis and a Reform Jewish administrator were demonstrating in St. Augustine, at the...
JFS Orlando CARES, the emergency COVID-19 rental assistance program of Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando, officially re-opened on May 1, 2021 and is accepting new applications. Dedicated to providing relief to those severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program is open to Orange County residents and it may provide up to three months of rental assistance for those who qualify. Funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and to apply for assistance, visit the online application at...
Tensions are rising and rocket fire is constantly changing as Sderot, Ashkelon and Tel Aviv are under fire. In Jerusalem, the Temple Mount riots are escalating. The central Israeli city of Lod was placed under emergency lockdown on Tuesday night to clamp down on violence undertaken by Arab residents there. The population of about 80,000 Jews and Arabs saw rioting and looting on Tuesday night. Arab mobs were seen throwing stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at police, while also burning...
(JNS) — In recent days, conflicting reports have emerged over the ongoing negotiations in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, leading to questions over to what extent the United States will undo Trump-era sanctions against Tehran. Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, as well as an expert on Iran negotiations and sanctions, told JNS that he believes the reports coming out of Iran reflect leaks that the Islamic regime is already declaring victory at the negotiating table with the United States g...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — In the runup to Jerusalem Day, which this year falls on May 9, the city continues to be Israel’s largest, with a population nearing 1 million, according to a study by the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research. The study was presented to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin by JIPS researchers on Tuesday. At the end of 2020, the capital’s population comprised 952,000 residents, according to the study, with an average age of 24, compared to the national average of 30. The figure in Tel Aviv was 36, while in Haifa it was 3...
(JNS) — As ecstatic songs rang through the hills, I tried to enter the stadium around the grave of the Mishnaic sage and spiritual luminary, Shimon bar Yochai. It was packed rock-solid with people. “That’s OK, let’s listen outside,” I sighed to my staff. Earlier, as our bus of gap-year students climbed toward Mount Meron, I was constantly receiving Shabbat meal request messages. For 39 years, this has been my life; I quickly arranged as many connections as I could, while yearning to return to the festive atmosphere in the bus. Who knew that man...
I was at a social gathering recently. In Israel, social events can easily become political events, or even indistinguishable from one another, especially in the turbulent period in which we find ourselves, hovering on the verge of a potential broad coalition government, or another, fifth, national election in 2.5 years. In the course of conversation, someone I was standing with referenced “Likud backstabbers,” clearly referring to Gidon Sa’ar and Naftali Bennett and their respective parties, New Hope and Yamina. The implication was that by ab...
The word “folly” has become associated with only one policy decision in all of our nation’s history. That policy decision was to purchase Alaska from Russia immediately after the end of the Civil War. The primary advocate of the purchase for $7,000,000 was then Secretary of State William H. Seward. After much heated public debate and opposition, the sale was ratified by the U.S. Senate and consummated by Mr. Seward who was ridiculed and heavily criticized at the time in the American press. The purchase, coming so close to the end of the Civil...
(JTA) — Do you want to know one small but powerful way we could make Jewish life more inclusive? Stop telling fat people about your diet and asking if they’d like to join you. Last year I launched Fat Torah, with the aim of confronting weight stigma in Jewish communal life and deploying Jewish tradition in ways that are liberatory for all bodies. At the time, I assumed that I would be providing advice to individuals who were eager for an opportunity to “Ask the Fat Rabbi.” And you, my dear Jews (mostly Jewish women) have not disappointed. It ha...
Shavuot is a mysterious holiday. This commemoration of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai isn’t given a specific date for its celebration; instead we are told in the Book of Exodus to schedule it seven weeks from the second night of Passover. The tradition is to enjoy four sumptuous meals over the two days of the holiday and ensure that at least a few of them feature dairy foods. Evidently, at Mount Sinai, we received the laws of kashrut but didn’t have time to master proper slaughtering practices, so eating dairy was safer. Another reason for... Full story
Once only found on the extreme fringes of society, Holocaust denial, revisionism and antisemitism have seeped into our communities, houses of worship and, sadly, into our schools. When the principal of a public school in Boca Raton told a parent that, “Not everyone believes the Holocaust happened,” it made international headlines, and he was fired. It also led many parents and School Board members to ask how the Nazis’ systematic murder of 6 million Jews was being taught in our schools. The K-12 Floridian Holocaust Standards are curre...
MORNING MINYANS (Please note, because of the coronavirus, some minyans have been canceled or held virtually.) Chabad of North Orlando and Chabad of Altamonte Springs are holding in-person 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. Congregatio...
(JNS) — A mass grave of Holocaust victims has been discovered near the village of Logoza in Belarus, the Daily Mail reported on Friday. Photos from the excavation site show that officials uncovered bone remains, full skeletons (some with bullets in their skulls), fragments of clothing and children’s shoes, in addition to ammunition from ditches that are as deep as five meters. Personal objects were found as well, including a key and a broken comb. The mass grave is located about 22 miles from the capital, Minsk. Experts from the cou...
In the April 16 Heritage article “Laurie Cardoza-Moore: Get Holocaust education into schools, anti-Semitism out,” the source of Chairwoman of the Florida Holocaust Education Task Force Barbara Goldstein’s quotes was not included. She made these statements in an article written by Robbie Gaffney, titled “New Holocaust Education Resource Guide Coming to Florida School Districts,” Aug 6, 2020. In the same article, Cardoza-Moore and her own task force were invited (not appointed) to participate in the review of Holocaust material standards...
One morning, my wife suggested I look into making a different kind of bread. Not necessarily to replace my weekly challah habit, but just to try something new. I asked what she had in mind and she mentioned monkey bread. I'd never heard of it. So I Googled and turns out that monkey bread is actually a yeasted cake. Its origins are rooted in the immigrant Hungarian Jewish community that came to the United States. I immediately thought of my father's grandparents, Jews who immigrated from the form...
Last year revealed that the 31.7 million small businesses in America can truly make a difference when they support and rally around other local businesses. By working together, small businesses kept communities safe, fed, entertained, engaged and moving forward. One aspect of May's Small Business Month mission highlights companies who desire to witness the growth and success of other small businesses. As businesses are starting to come back, locally owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers have prou...
When Sheryl Kurland of Longwood, Fla., began traveling around the country doing interactive speaking engagements for college women on the topics of healthy relationships and sexuality, she was stunned at the amount of sexual assault these young women confessed to. "Through interactive exercises and games, I would also ask these college-age women to list their relationship priorities like communication, trust, and sex, in order of importance." She'd end with the message that trust is the...
Sad and disturbing ... Our own wonderful KEITH DVORCHIK, head of our Federation and Roth Family JCC, posted the following on computer: "Being Jewish is so much more than individuality. It is a communal identity. Jews around the world connect and bond because we truly are a family. As we prepare for Shabbat this week, let's remember our global family members who lost their lives, who lost their loved ones. Let's say kaddish for those who have not yet been identified and whose immediate family...
Heritage Florida Jewish News is accepting nominations for the 2021 Heritage Human Service Award, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando this summer. “For more than 30 years, individuals who have made major, voluntary contributions of their talent, time, energy and effort to the Central Florida community have been honored with the selection and presentation of this award,” said Jeff Gaeser, editor and publisher of the Heritage. Last year’s recipient was Hank Katzen. Former recipients have inclu...
The Jewish Pavilion 2021 fashion show attracted a sellout crowd this year and made more money than ever before. Chairwomen Marci Gaeser and Sharon Littman explained that women were looking for a fun Covid-safe activity and were thrilled to venture out. Many women in attendance had not seen one another for over a year and did not know whether to embrace or bump elbows. Recognizing acquaintances was rather challenging with everyone in masks. "If their hairstyle or weight changed, it was difficult...
