Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 32
(JNS)-Israel's newest air-defense system, David's Sling, made the headlines this week after going into action for the first time on the border with Syria. Although it appeared not to strike the target-in this case, two short-range missiles fired by the Assad regime against a rebel region near the Israeli border-that should not be seen as a major setback, defense experts have told JNS. Produced by Israeli defense company Rafael, in partnership with American defense firm Raytheon, the David's... Full story
(JNS)-When you drive into Israel's Sha'ar HaNegev Region in the northwestern Negev, the fields are burnt and black. The trees are broken, and the smell of acrid smoke stings the eyes and nose. "It is a very upsetting view," said Zeev Meidan, general manager of the Israeli Honey Council. Meidan, who in the past was employed as a beekeeper at the area's Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, has been spending extra time in the southern district to support the region's honey farmers, many of whom have been the... Full story
EFRAT, West Bank (JTA)-Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee laid bricks in a new neighborhood in this settlement in a ceremony Wednesday that took its language and cues from Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" rhetoric. During the ceremony in Efrat's Tamar neighborhood, organizers distributed red caps bearing the slogan "Build Israel Great Again" and spoke of how thankful they were for the president's support. Leaders of the Yesha Council, which represents the settlement movement,... Full story
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Hillel International announced that former Israeli Justice Minister and Member of Knesset Dr. Yossi Beilin has been elected to serve as chair of the board of Hillel Israel, a volunteer position. His appointment was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of Hillel Israel. In addition to his extensive public service career, Beilin is the visionary of the Birthright Israel program, which has brought more than 650,000 young Diaspora Jews to Israel for 10-day educational... Full story
Sometimes all it takes is some friendly encouragement and a little banter to add spark to a game that may otherwise seem tame. At least, that was Jacob Cohen's experience on a recent Monday when he took over as the "caller" for a game of Lotto at the Savannah Court Assisted Living Community in Maitland. Cohen, 21, and a senior in the bachelor's in nursing program at Florida Gulf Coast University, grew up in Orlando and is spending part of his summer volunteering for The Jewish Pavilion. In addit... Full story
Preparations are in full swing for the new academic year for the four growing Chabad Hebrew Schools in the Greater Orlando area. "Chabad Hebrew School is a warm and loving place," said Jenn Nero, who sends her son to Chabad Hebrew School in North Orlando. "My son doesn't want to miss a day." "The students come in with a smile, leave humming a Jewish song," noted Chanshy Majesky, director of CHS of North Orlando. "We share the warmth and spirit of Judaism in a real and tangible way, and the... Full story
A wonderful time was had by the residents at Brookdale Lake Orienta and the children from Camp J at the third annual get together hosted by the Jewish Pavilion's Inter-Generational program. From quiet one-on-one time, tech talk, puzzles, coloring books, cards, singing and dancing, everyone did it all and loved every minute. -Walter Goldstein, Jewish Pavilion program director... Full story
(JNS)-A documentary featuring the notorious Louis Farrakhan will not be available to Netflix customers next month after all, with the media streaming giant citing an "internal miscommunication." "This film will not be released on Netflix. Due to an internal miscommunication, it appeared to be scheduled for release on Netflix, but it is not," a Netflix spokesperson told JNS. "We apologize for any confusion this has caused." The 2014 film, "The Honourable Minister Louis Farrakhan: My Life's... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)—David Kustoff, running for re-election in Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District, had three things in his favor: incumbency, a solid Republican district and President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Kustoff was not taking anything for granted, though: In the Republican primary on Thursday, he faced a challenger, George Flinn, who spent more than twice what he has on the campaign and likes to remind voters that he is a “Christian conservative.” Which is notable because Kustoff is Jewish. “It’s unfortunate that someone would try and... Full story
SAN FRANCISCO (J. The Jewish News of Northern California via JTA)—Campers and staffers were evacuated from Camp Tawonga in Northern California on Tuesday morning due to potentially harmful smoke from backfires set by firefighters battling the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park. A new crop of 330 campers arrived on Sunday, a day after officials at the Jewish camp were assured by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the U.S. Forest Service that the fire would not impact camp. But on Monday, Tawonga camp officials w... Full story
(JNS)—In ancient times, people looked to portents involving the heavens and earthbound events in order to try to understand the baffling world in which we live, as well as to discern the will of their Creator. In the 21st century—armed with science, sophisticated technology and mass communication—we’re much smarter than that. Instead of pondering the stars, we now expect the fall of a loose rock in an old stone wall to explain it all. When a boulder that was part of the ancient Western Wall fell this past week, it was just a matter of gravity... Full story
(JNS)—Last Thursday, a Palestinian teenager stabbed a young Jewish father to death and wounded two others. On Sunday, a Palestinian teenager who assaulted Israeli soldiers was released from prison to international acclaim. Later on Sunday, two Palestinian teenagers with machine guns and bullet magazines were intercepted on their way to massacre Jews. Palestinian children are not born hating Jews or loving violence. Who is to blame for encouraging and inspiring these young people to engage in such murderous behavior? We can, of course, d... Full story
Should we worry about the future? Of course. But how far into the future? We should certainly complete the obligations we have committed to for today. And maybe next week. Beyond that, however, something unforeseen may get in the way. In matters of politics and public policy, it’s much more complex. How much to worry about the incompetence of the American president? Or the tilt to the right of the Israeli prime minister? Each of those characters may be the most weighty influence on the near future of the U.S. and Israel, but there is lots e... Full story
This week, the fourth of my children visited Poland. Though the immediate threats to Jewish life in Poland today are not what they were 75 years ago, I can’t escape the need to protect her from Poland, our history, and its horrors. I don’t fear for her physical safety, but I do fear her loss of innocence as she will be exposed to the horrors to which our people, and specifically dozens of our relatives, were subject, and murdered. I’ve been to Poland and I’ve witnessed concentration camps, death camps, the gas chambers, and the cremato... Full story
By Martin Sherman (JNS)—One of the most mendacious and widely propagated myths regarding the Middle East conflict is that Israel’s defensive actions against hostile Arab initiatives—whose sole aim is to murder or maim Jews, simply because they are Jews—constitute “racism.” The apparent reason for these grave accusations is rooted in the fact that some of the coercive measures, necessary for the effectiveness of these defensive Israeli actions, are carried out differentially (and therefore, allegedly, discriminately) against Palestinian... Full story
(JNS)—Since Sept. 11, 2001, whenever there has been a terrorist attack in the West (and there have been many), the question everyone asks is: “Where are the moderate Muslims?” Well, we are here, but our voices have been drowned out by the hysterical din of the Islamist narrative. In light of the urgent need to promote the voices of progressive liberal Muslims, a conference was held on Aug. 8 at the Jewish Community Center-Chabad of Aspen, Colo., in which five reformist Muslims spoke about challenges faced within the Muslim world. The key questi... 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
TEANECK, N.J. (JTA)-For many Americans, no hamburger is complete without cheese. Whether a slice of no-fuss American or something fancier, the cheese melds the beef patty with the bun into umami-laden perfection. Until now, the cheeseburger was the stuff of daydreams for Jews observing kosher dietary laws that prohibit the mixing of meat and dairy. Sure, there are vegetarian meat substitutes and fake cheeses-made from ingredients such as black beans and brown rice, cashew nuts and soy-but the... Full story
(JTA)-It's been a dizzying few weeks for South African model and actress Shashi Naidoo, who transformed herself from a harsh critic of the Palestinians to what some are calling a "cover girl" for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. It all began in an Instagram post last month, when Naidoo called Gaza a "s***hole" and accused Palestinian leaders of diverting aid in order to feed its "ambition to annihilate Israel." She explained that she was defending a South African record producer w... Full story
Famous improv comedian Wayne Brady got his start at the SAK Comedy Lab year’s ago. And although he most likely will not be among the SAK performers who take the Temple Israel “stage,” those who do are just as talented as Brady. So, don’t miss seeing Temple Israel temporarily transformed into a comedy club on Saturday, Aug. 25 as Orlando’s famous SAK Comedy Lab entertains the crowd with a personalized, one-hour show. The cost is $10 per person and appropriate for kids 10 and up. Free babysitting is available for younger children. There wil... Full story
Praise for Israel... I read this recently in a copy of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along: "Speaking at a meeting organized by the Israel Council on Foreign Relations,which operates under the auspices of the WJC, Bulgarian President RUMEN RADEV noted that the Jewish community of Bulgaria remains an integral part of the country's society. He also stressed that Israel and Bulgaria "now enjoy better relations than ever." The event came at the end of Radev's official visit to... Full story
(JNS)-The Israeli Defense Forces said it launched an airstrike on Wednesday night, killing seven terrorists from the Islamic State who had infiltrated Israeli territory in the Golan Heights along the Syrian border. According to the IDF, Israel had been tracking the seven armed suspects from the Islamic State terror group in the southern Golan Heights near the area of the triangle of Israel, Jordan and the demilitarized zone of Syria when the Israeli Air Force aircraft struck them. IDF Spokesman... Full story
(JTA)-It's been nearly three years since Jeremy Corbyn became the leader of Britain's Labour Party, and he has riled British Jews more than any other politician in recent history. Last week, Great Britain's three leading Jewish newspapers united in publishing a front-page editorial warning that a Corbyn premiership would constitute an "existential threat to Jewish life in this country." In May, the previous president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said Corbyn has "anti-Semitic views"... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Cantor Philip Sherman gives me a call after having finished two circumcisions before noon on Tuesday. That's a light day, he explains. On Thursday, he will be performing circumcisions for four baby boys; on Friday, he'll do five. Sherman, 62, is a mohel (in fact he was featured as one of "America's Top Mohels" in a 2014 JTA article) and has performed over 20,000 circumcisions, both for Jewish and non-Jewish families. But in between performing multiple circumcisions a day and... Full story
Nanette P. Babenzien, age 67, of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away on Friday, July 20, 2018, at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. A native of Brooklyn, Nanette was born on June 2, 1951, to the late Joel and Cecille Kaden. For many years, she was the owner/operator of the family packaging and delivery service started by her parents. On April 11, 1976, in Roslyn Heights, N.Y., she married Eric Babenzien, her husband of over 42 years who survives her. She relocated to the Nashville area in 2014 to be closer to her family. In... Full story