Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Last Friday, Eagle Scout Max A. Waldor of Orlando Troop 996 was honored at the Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council's annual Recognition Banquet for Eagle Scouts, held at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel and Spa, as the recipient of three distinguished awards. And because he dreamed the creation of the Holocaust Memorial at SOJC, and did it, Waldor became a Disney Dreamer and Doer. Waldor received the Chester M. Vernon Memorial Eagle Scout Scholarship in May 2014. He received this award by... Full story
The National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs has announced that Jewish Community Center's Jack & Lee Rosen Southwest Orlando Campus has been awarded Accreditation. As an Accredited center, the JCC's Rosen Campus has been recognized as an early care and education program exemplifying excellence in the care of young children. By achieving accreditation, the JCC demonstrates that it provides a high quality program for children, professional development opportunities f... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Rep. Eric Cantor, the majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives and the highest-ranking Jew in congressional history, lost his Republican primary in Virginia to a Tea Party challenger in a major upset. Cantor, 51, who rode the Tea Party wave to majority leader after the 2010 elections, was trailing Dave Brat, 56 to 44 percent, with 87 percent of the vote counted on Tuesday evening, June 10. Cantor conceded after 8 p.m. "Obviously we came up short," Cantor told his... Full story
Israeli students Gilad Sha'ar,16, Eyal Yifrach, 19, and Naftali Frankel, 16 were kidnapped late Thursday night (June 12) from a hitchhiking point in Gush Etzion. The Jewish Federations of North America sent the following letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "We are writing to you at this difficult hour to declare the complete solidarity of the Jewish community of North America with you, with the families of the abducted students and indeed with the entire people of Israel. At... Full story
[AL-QUDS UNIVERSITY]-The Palestinian professor who touched off a maelstrom of controversy by taking a group of students to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in Poland is now at odds with his former employer after the school accepted his resignation. Dr. Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi, who headed the American studies department and served as chief librarian at Al-Quds University, stirred-up a hornets' nest among Palestinians who felt the visit was not appropriate when he led the March trip. Dao... Full story
(PaulieGroup) With the first chord of one of the most famous guitar riffs reverberating through the amplifiers June 4, 50,000 music fans were greeted with the 1981 classic Start Me Up, as the Rolling Stones made their Israeli debut in Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park. As promised, the band took the stage at 9:15 p.m., pushing back their original start time to enable observant Jews to attend the entire concert after sundown marking the end of Shavuot, a holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah at... Full story
(JNS.org) In a section of Hillary Clinton's new memoir that was published by U.S. media over the weekend, the former secretary of state writes that the Obama administration made a tactical mistake by demanding an Israeli construction freeze that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented between 2009 and 2010. Clinton in "Hard Choices" writes, "In retrospect, our early, hard line on settlements didn't work." She explains that the American stance on the settlements hardened Palestinian... Full story
A Facebook page created Friday following the kidnapping had garnered close to 80,000 “likes” by Monday. The “Bring Back Our Boys” Facebook page, which aims to raise international awareness of the kidnapping, acquired more than 7,000 “likes” in its first four hours, and numerous viewers uploaded pictures of themselves holding signs reading “Bring Back Our Boys.” The page is predicated on the international protest formula initiated by U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, who created a page called “Bring Back Our Girls” to campaign for the release of... Full story
Residents of Chambrel Island Lake and Southland Suites were welcomed as guests to a tea party at Machaneh Ohev. Camp Director Amy Geboff coordinated this program along with Jewish Pavilion Program Director Emily Newman to join the seniors with the 7th and 8th graders of Machaneh Ohev. The theme for this program was welcoming guests to a tea party as seen in the Disney movie "Beauty and the Beast." The teens and the seniors decorated tea cups together while sipping iced-tea and enjoying... Full story
Yvonne David suffered the loss of her father last September, and because she was swept up in her grief, she joined a grief support group sponsored by VITAS and the Jewish Pavilioin. This is her account of the support group and how it has helped her. David's article about the first three weeks of the class was published in the May 9 issue. The second half of the free six-week VITAS Bereavement Support Group course dealt with developing a new self-identity, searching for meaning, and receiving... Full story
Sunday, June 8, Fabienne Kaplan was chosen Woman of the Year at the closing luncheon of Temple Israel Sisterhood for the year 2013-14. The luncheon was held in the Roth Social Hall at the synagogue, and new officers for 2014-15 also were announced. The officers are: president, Cathy Swerdlow; VP education, Nancy Stern; Co-VPs of membership, Nicki D’Amato and Patty Rose; VP programming, Mollie Savage; VP fundraising, Sheri Denberg; corresponding secretary, Sandy Oser; recording secretary, Fanny Sernik; and treasurer, Roberta Schreiber. The p... Full story
I’ve long argued that any proper understanding of the Palestinian conflict with Israel’s legitimacy is compromised by not taking wider regional factors into account. The school of thought that describes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as “the Middle East conflict” is dangerously misguided, because it ignores other factors that are far more important, such as the historically violent schism between Sunni and Shi’a Islam, Iran’s renewed assertiveness in Syria and Lebanon, the shared strategic interests binding Israel and the conservativ... Full story
Fundraising sounds harmless and caring. The vast majority of fundraising is just that. Many years ago I attended a fundraiser for Afghanistan against Russia, held at Faneuil Hall, the birthplace of the Boston Tea party of December 16, 1773. Feeling moved I donated money not knowing the true nature of Islamic terrorists. Mainstream media rarely reports on radical Islamists who are attacking us frequently, violently and subtly. Here I present an important tool they use: fundraising. Money is of major importance in any war. Radical Islam is well... Full story
“Messiah” may be a stretch. The word implies something from another world, associated with the Almighty, and meant to create some kind of paradise for those who are favored. Writing from Jerusalem on the subject is especially dicey, given that we are within walking distance of the places where the world’s primary claimant to the title was born and died. Beginning it with a small “m” might convey a more modest intention, of a political figure who will make things better, provide a new alternative, shake up the tired folks currently running thing... Full story
We’re so used to seeing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process fail that we often overlook this simple question: How is it possible that so many can try so hard for so long and still fail to make any progress? How can it be that the United States, the most powerful country on Earth, has failed so royally, despite decades of making this conflict a top priority? What I’m especially interested in is this: Why have the Palestinians, in particular, seemed so reluctant to make a deal? As Ari Shavit wrote recently in Haaretz, “Twenty years of fruit... Full story
When I graduated from Brandeis in 1972, where I majored in philosophy, I immediately knew that I owed Brandeis a great debt. And so, over the past 2 decades I have been, at times, an adjunct lecturer at the Brandeis International Business School, served on the Board of the Business School, and the Board of the University itself. With gratitude I have contributed significant sums to my alma mater, including a chair in Financial Markets and Institutions to the Business School. It was at Brandeis that I was introduced to the pre-Socratic philosoph... Full story
The recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League has been making headlines in the Jewish and non-Jewish media. Some articles see the research as flawed, and one rabbi, Jay Michaelson, claims that according to the survey, he, too, could be considered anti-Semitic. Michaelson’s column is a bit disingenuous, since at times he deliberately twists the questions, but he does make a good point: Why does agreeing with these statements, which could be taken neutrally, equal anti-Semitism? The answer seems clear in one way: Many are the same canards u... Full story
(JNS.org) Israel must be prepared to act alone in the face of the Iranian nuclear threat, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, said Sunday at the annual Herzliya Conference. "While the U.S. is an irreplaceable strategic ally, we need to be ready to do things on our own," Amidror said, according to Israel Hayom. In response, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said the U.S. "will use... Full story
MORNING AND EVENING MINYANS (Call synagogue to confirm time.) Chabad of South Orlando—Monday and Thursday, 8 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., 407-647-3055. FRIDAY, JUNE 20 Light Shabbat c... Full story
GIVAT SHMUEL, Israel (JTA)—On the rolling green fields of a suburban Tel Aviv park, hundreds gathered to pray for the imminent rescue of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers. Rabbis delivered speeches, singer Yonatan Razel performed two pieces based on liturgical invocations of God’s mercy, and a prayer was recited for the safe return of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, who were kidnapped last week while hitchhiking from the West Bank settlement of Kfar Etzion. Nearby, the calm warmth of summer in Israel seemed to take the edge off... Full story
Robert Allen Kanter left his life on this earth on June 4, 2014. His loving family and special friends gathered for his peaceful transition at his home in Orlando. Mr. Kanter was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and moved to Orlando in 1983. He leaves behind his family and is survived by two brothers, Gerald and George and their wives Adrian and Katherine respectively, and his sister Mildred, along with his beloved nephews and nieces Wayne, Mark, Michael, Barbara Ann and JoAnn and their loving families. Mr. Kanter was a great friend to many, a w... Full story
Lois Lubell of Orange City, passed away on June 11, 2014, at Savannah Court in Orange City. She was 92 years old. She was the third of four children, and was born in Irvington, New Jersey, on March 31, 1922, to the late Joseph and Rose Olenikow Rothman. Mrs. Lubell was the widow of the late Milton Lubell, who passed away in 1985. Mrs. Lubell is survived by her son, Howard (Fran) Lubell of DeLand; daughter, Ann (Brian) Terwilliger of Sanford; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her... Full story
Matthew Rawiszer of Orlando, passed away on June 10, 2014, in Winter Park. He was 31 years old. Mr. Rawiszer was born in New Rochelle, New York, on July 15, 1982, to Randy Rawiszer and Rebecca Hill Bruder. He moved to Orlando from New York in 1998, and was a graduate of Winter Park High School. He was a shift supervisor for a direct mail company. Mr. Rawiszer is survived by his father, Randy, of Sanford; his mother, Rebecca (Matt) Bruder of White Plains, New York; his brother, John (Christie) of Orlando; and grandmother, Zorina Rawiszer of... Full story
Washington Jewish Week A prominent Republican senator considered by many to be a contender in the 2016 presidential election has embarked on a foreign policy push of late, with a strong focus on Israel and the Jewish community. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a Tea Party favorite, recently returned to the Capitol after a tour of Europe and the Middle East with Secure America Now, including a two-day stop in Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, members of the Knesset, and Isr... Full story
The Rolling Stones played in Israel. And that’s awesome. The Stones are the world’s greatest band. They are also the world’s oldest. I am surprised that a band that’s been around as long as the Stones—and that’s toured for as long as the Stones—never made it to Israel. But that’s what 50th anniversary tours are for. The Stones aren’t just musicians. They’re insightful social commentators. Infused in their lyrics are messages of hope, despair, and a commentary on contemporary life. And if you look carefully, important Jewish lessons can be foun... Full story
