Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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JERUSALEM (JTA)-Israeli leaders and citizens responded with euphoria as the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem on Monday, designating a pre-existing consular building as the official U.S. diplomatic mission to the Jewish State. Hundreds of revelers, many wearing Trump's signature red baseball caps commemorating the move, sat on bleachers outside the new embassy in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood on Monday afternoon as an honor guard of U.S. Marines paraded the national...
A few weeks ago a group of 13 Central Floridians went to Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York, with Rabbi Yanky and Chanshy Majesky of The Chabad of North Orlando to experience Shabbat in the Heights-a weekend trip sponsored by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. This same time one year ago, Orlando resident Rhonda Des Islet went on the trip and shared in the Heritage that she was grateful to experience the Crown Heights lifestyle by living among the Orthodox Jews for the weekend. "I have to...
Members of Congregation Ohev Shalom resoundingly approved the Board of Trustees' recommendation to make Rabbi David Kay their religious leader, in a vote at the COS annual meeting. Rabbi Kay, who came to COS as assistant rabbi in 2004, had been serving as interim rabbi since Rabbi Aaron D. Rubinger decided last fall to semi-retire as Rabbi Emeritus. The April vote confirmed the congregation's support for Rabbi Kay's continuing as rabbi of COS. Rabbi Kay began his rabbinical training when he was...
Evan Dvorchik, son of Keith and Alison Dvorchik, has committed to the University of Central Florida's Knights football team as a long snapper center. In January 2017, Heritage ran an article about Dvorchik being named a top performer at the Rubio Long Snapping Camp in Georgia. Dvorchik was a junior in high school. His trainer, Chris Rubio, stated at that time that Evan was "snapping with a ton of confidence as his ball hits under .77 consistently." A long snapper is not a large alligator. The te...
Oh, what a night! Jewish Academy of Orlando's Spring Family Learning Night focused on Art Education, and families from its community joined us for a myriad of activities. The event started with a pizza picnic on the playground, where everyone made new friends. Then, it was off to learn why art is such an important part of learning-- it teaches motor skills, builds confidence, fosters creativity, teaches perseverance, and so much more! Whether it was creating clay bugs to identify the sections...
The New York-based Touro College and University System is pleased to announce a yearlong lecture series it is bringing to Orlando in partnership with The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando. The inaugural lecture, "Hope in the Midst of Despair," will be delivered on Thursday, May 24, by Rabbi Alan G. Ciner, vice president of Community Engagement at TCUS. It will be held at The Roth Family JCC, located at 851 N. Maitland Ave. in Maitland, Fla., starting at 7 p.m. "This lecture series and other...
Leonard Stein of the University of Toronto's Centre for Comparative Literature and president of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies has announced the awarding of a 2018 "Mini-Conference" to the St. Augustine (FL) Jewish Historical Society. The one day Conference, to be held on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort will focus on "Telling the Story of Crypto-Jews in the Southeast US." Scholars from many disciplines are expected to share in their research to...
(JNS) In striking more than 50 Iranian military targets within 90 minutes early on Thursday morning, the Israel Defense Force displayed just a sample of its advanced, intelligence-fueled precision firepower, dealing a crushing blow to Iran's assets in Syria. This exchange of fire represents a new, stepped-up phase in the escalating Israeli-Iranian standoff in Syria. Much of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria was destroyed in this wave of strikes, likely leaving the Quds Force-the overseas...
(JNS)-Following an Iranian rocket barrage on Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces pounded Syria with significant airstrikes, obliterating dozens of targets associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Overnight on Wednesday, Iran lobbed 20 Grad and Fajr-5 rockets into Israel from the suburbs of Damascus. Four of the rockets were neutralized by the Iron Dome missile-defense system, with the other 16 landing in Syrian territory. In retaliation, Israel struck the rocket launching site....
Iran’s Quds forces launched a barrage of rockets at IDF bases on the Golan Heights in northern Israel on Wednesday night, the first Iranian attack on Israeli soil in history. The assault prompted an extensive Israel Air Force attack on dozens of Iranian targets in Syria. Shortly after midnight, IDF defense systems identified approximately 20 rockets that the Iranian Quds forces had launched at IDF forward posts on the Golan Heights. The majority of the rockets missed their mark and fell in Syria territory, while four were intercepted by the I...
WASHINGTON (JTA)—President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the Iran nuclear deal, is bad policy and calls into question America’s international credibility. Mr. Trump has now set the international community on a slippery slope, imperiling the national security interests of the United States and our allies, particularly Israel. I voted against the Iran nuclear deal three years ago because I felt it left certain long-term questions about Iran’s enrichment capabilities unanswe...
(JNS)—While we cannot know the future, past history gives a good indication of how Iranians react when confronted with force. Iranians fear confrontation. They most often get others to do their dirty work so that others would be forced to take the blame. That’s why they created Hezbollah, which carried out terrorist acts for which Hezbollah would be held responsible. An example of this is the 1982 bombing of the American embassy in Lebanon. Americans blamed that organization for the destruction of the embassy, but focused U.S. action on Leb...
WASHINGTON (JTA)—An inflection point in American policy towards Iran came this afternoon, when President Trump announced he will re-impose nuclear sanctions on Iran and effectively withdraw the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. Having done so, the administration should anticipate the range of responses available to Iran and plan for how to counteract them. One half of the Iranian response is guaranteed to be rhetorical, with an emphasis on persuading Europe to resist the U.S. move by taking actions favorable to T...
(JNS)—A fundamental red line was crossed. For the first time in our collective memory, radical activists successfully used anti-Semitism to convince one of America’s largest companies to turn its back on an established and respected civil-rights organization. A little history, for perspective. About a century ago, this country suffered from a plague of rampant and normalized anti-Semitism. In that context, B’nai Brith—the venerable Jewish social services organization—established two major entities that still thrive today: Hillel and the Anti-...
J.K. Rowling, French celebrities and German officials are making it clear they stand with the embattled Jewish minorities within their midst. In the past few days, the author J.K. Rowling—along with dozens of other people in Britain, France and Germany—have been saying enough is enough in the face of relentless anti-Semitism. Their words, coming amid record-breaking levels of anti-Semitism, are a welcome beacon of moral clarity. Rowling issued a series of Tweets on April 18, 2018, (Holocaust Remembrance Day), attacking anti-Semitism and ass...
JERUSALEM (JTA)—For decades, world Jewry helped Israel. Organizations gathered and sent funds to the feeble, small state; our Air Force and Navy were formed and trained by Jewish volunteers from around the globe. As we celebrate our 70th Independence Day, we should thank the previous generations while shifting to a new era, one in which we reverse the roles and Israel spends more time and resources helping the Jews of the world. Since its inception, Israel has played two roles: First, it is the country of all of its citizens, Jews and n...
Dear Editor: The American Jewish Congress applauds President Trump’s announcement that the US will abandon the undesirable Iran nuclear deal. The status quo has clearly and demonstrably failed and Iran has so far refused to commit to renegotiating a bad deal that will allow it to pursue a nuclear program within 15 years. Iran has for too long showed itself to be a bad actor in this process, as demonstrated by the discovery of the secret cache of files by Israel last week. The previous administration hoped that by signing a deeply flawed a...
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...
Judy and Robert "Bob" Rosenblum, former residents of Latham, New York, celebrated their 60th anniversary by renewing their vows at Congregation Shalom Aleichem, Kissimmee, Florida, on Friday, April 20. Rabbi Karen Allen conducted the service. Betty and Steve Schoenberg served as witnesses. The Rosenblum were married on April 12, 1958, at Temple Beth El in Troy, New York. They later joined Berith Sholom, where Bob served on the board, including time as president, and Judy taught Sunday school....
TEL AVIV (JTA)-When war broke out on Israel's northern border in 2006, Avigdor Guy remained calm. He lived in the northern port city of Haifa, but he didn't think the war would hit home-until, that is, it did. "Twelve years ago, they asked me if I was worried, and I said no, of course I'm not worried," Guy said. "And then missiles began to fall in Haifa, and it felt really bad." Now, as fears of a war on Israel's northern border heat up once more, Guy again feels fine. But this time, he says...
Jewish Pavilion strives to match volunteers with elderly individuals residing in senior living communities. Why offer such a service when people live amongst others with daily activities and community dining, you ask? Without individual attention and meaningful stimulation that social interaction and friendship provide, an isolated elder can experience poor health, a lack of strength and energy, depression, and other physical, emotional, and mental health problems. Visits from the Jewish Pavilio...
(JNS)-Roseanne Barr, the Jewish-American actress who made a name for herself in comedy and on television, talked about wanting to move to Israel and potentially running for office there while at the annual Jerusalem Post Conference on Sunday in New York. During a discussion on stage, the "Roseanne" star said: "I want to move to Israel and run for prime minister. In 2012, I said I was gonna run for president of the United States and prime minister of Israel, a twofer. But I do have that fantasy,...
More than 100 players hit the greens at Rosen Shingle Creek Golf Club on Sunday, May 6, for the Pavilion Golf Society's annual golf tournament. The event raised more than $18,000 to benefit the Orlando Senior Help Desk, a service of The Jewish Pavilion that offers free advice on services and living options for seniors. The morning began with a light breakfast, after which golfers took to their carts and positioned themselves for the shotgun start. A luncheon and live auction followed the...
We can count on Israel... When it comes to science and medical cures, Israel seems to be leading the world. How proud that makes me feel. It is even more than pride I feel, as I've been a diabetic for many years. I read this in my copy of World Jewish Congress (WJC) Digest, Science & Technology: "The Israeli company Cnoga Medical has developed a new, pain-free way to monitor blood glucose levels, eliminating the discomfort of diabetes patients who check their sugar levels by using a finger-prick...
(JTA)-President Donald Trump's decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital drew wide international criticism, with 128 countries including the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada voting in favor of a United Nations resolution condemning it. But several countries saw Trump's decision in a different light: as an example to follow. Shortly after the United States officially moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14, it will be joined by Guatemala and Paraguay. Both c...
