Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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"Through my time involved with Knights for Israel and being involved in the pro-Israel world, I've always mentioned how thankful I am to be at a university where even if anti-Israel sentiment exists, it's under the radar. And today was a beautiful example," said Jesse Benjamin Slomowitz, a student at UCF and member of the Knights for Israel. With anti-Semitism raging on college campuses across the U.S., the Jewish students at the University of Central Florida, with a few exceptions, have not...
Theater at the J is presenting the rock-and-roll hit musical "Bye, Bye Birdie" on Thursday Sept. 29. As a lead up to the opening, producing director Kerry Giese wanted to do something different-and gutsy-to promote the play. He is going to show the movie version of "Bye, Bye Birdie" for free on Saturday, Sept. 17, complete with popcorn and soft drinks, in The Roth Family JCC's Harriett & Hymen Lake Auditorium. "This doesn't mean don't come see the play!" Giese quickly added. In fact, the play...
Ina Porth, who has a rich 38-year history of commitment to the Greater Orlando Jewish community, is one of the recipients of the 2016 Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The award was presented during the International Lion of Judah Conference, held Sept. 11-13 in Washington, D.C. The distinction, named for Lion of Judah founders Norma Kipnis-Wilson and Toby Friedland z"l of the Miami Jewish Federation, honors the most inspiring women in Jewish...
The Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando (JFGO) recently awarded $7,800 in Jewish Teen Education Grants for the 2016-17 academic year. JFGO’s Jewish Teen Education Network (JTEN), now in its third year, awards the grants to support ongoing academic Jewish teen educational programming in the Central Florida community. For the 2016-17 academic year, six Central Florida congregations received awards: Temple Shir Shalom/Temple Israel, Congregation of Reform Judaism, Congregation Ohev Shalom, Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation (SOJC) and C...
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Most Israeli Jews would prefer Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump as the next president of the United States, even though more of them think Trump would be better for the "Israeli government's policy." According to a poll released Sept. 6, 43 percent of Israeli Jews prefer Clinton as president, compared to 34 percent who want Trump. But 38 percent say Trump would be better for Israel, compared to 33 percent who say Clinton would be. On both questions, a large number of people...
An Israeli legal rights NGO and an attorney, who together won the largest judgment ever against the Palestinian Authority (PA) in America, say a U.S. Appeals Court decision to dismiss the judgment sets a bad precedent for future legal attempts to hold the PA responsible for terrorism against Americans in U.S. courts. The Shurat HaDin—Israel Law Center had joined forces with attorney Kent Yalowitz, of the law firm Arnold & Porter LLP, to sue the PA on behalf of 10 American families of victims of the Second Intifada. They won a $655.5 million com...
Speaking at UN High Level Forum on Anti-Semitism, at United Nations headquarters in New York, Mark Weitzman, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Chief Representative to the UN (NY) exhorted the world body “to immediately appoint a special representative on anti-Semitism with the authority to investigate and act on appearances of anti-Semitism in all circles of the UN.” Weitzman also urged the United Nations “to immediately adopt the ‘Working Definition of Anti-Semitism,’ which included examples related to attacks on the Jewish state, that was ad...
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry implied that the world would be better served if the media did not report about terrorism as often. “Perhaps the media would do us all a service if they didn’t cover it quite as much. People wouldn’t know what’s going on,” Kerry said to the press during a meeting in Bangladesh. “No country is immune from terrorism. It’s easy to terrorize. Government and law enforcement have to be correct 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. But if you decide one day you’re going to be a terrorist and y...
The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center is kicking off its fall cultural season with a new exhibit titled Two Regimes. The exhibit features the work of two women: Teodora Verbitskya, who chronicled her experiences in Russia in the first half of the 20th Century, and her daughter Nadia Werbitzky, a professional artist who translated her mother's writings into striking pieces of art. The exhibit will be on display at the Holocaust Center through Jan. 6, 2017. Upcoming events: I...
Dr. Yudit Greenberg, George and Harriet Cornell Endowed Professor of Religion and director of the Jewish Studies Program at Rollins College, is pleased to invite the community to a public lecture on the lost tribes of Israel on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Galloway Room, Mills Building, at Rollins. The speaker, Dr. Tudor Parfitt, the world's foremost authority on the mystery and history of the lost tribes, is the Distinguished professor of Sephardi and Mizrahi Studies and the director of...
Do you know of an active and passionate senior over 80 who volunteers countless hours and lends their leadership skills to help organizations in our community? Then please consider nominating them for Kinneret’s 7th Annual 8 over 80 Honorary Dinner. The Kinneret Council on Aging will proudly pay tribute to eight individuals over the age of 80 who have made significant contributions to the Jewish and Central Florida community on Sunday, March 5th, 2017. “The 8 over 80 event really resonates with our mission of the Kinneret Council on Aging and...
On Nov. 20, 2016, three Conservative congregations will hold an event to honor individuals from each of their participating synagogues for outstanding leadership within their synagogue and their community. The event, called “Man of the Year/Youth of the Year” will be held at Temple Israel in Winter Springs. The three Conservative temples in Central Florida sponsoring the event are Congregation Beth Am, Longwood; Temple Israel, Winter Springs; and Congregation Ohev Shalom, Maitland. All of the Men’s Clubs belong to the International Feder...
By Jonathan Feldstein Recently, Donald Trump visited a church in Detroit where something unusual took place. Yes, one might say that something unusual takes place in many of Trump’s appearances. But it wasn’t something he did but, rather, something he received that created the buzz. Trump was given a traditional Jewish prayer shawl, a tallit. Hosting Trump, Bishop Wayne Jackson of Great Faith Ministries draped the prayer shawl around the Republican presidential nominee’s shoulders. The congregation burst into applause. Since then, social media...
While walking through my Jerusalem hotel dining room thinking about the news from the states that a U.S. court has tossed out a $655 million terrorism judgment, a young woman came up and gave me a big “Hi!” Seeing that I was not connecting her face and name, she spared me that now all too frequent embarrassment and quickly said, “Sarah.” She was one of the first girls that my late daughter Alisa met when we moved to West Orange, New Jersey in 1978. She and Alisa attended nursery school and then started yeshiva together, and it was this now 41-y...
When individuals move to Israel, most are transformed by the new experience in obvious ways. Some become more religious, others become more right wing, and many become more, well, Israeli. Over the last 13 months, I’ve witnessed my own transformation as the aliyah experience has challenged me, encouraging growth and risk taking. I didn’t realize the extent to which my mentality had changed until a recent phone conversation with my mom. I spoke with her about my plans for that evening, only to realize how much the plans entailed completely ste...
NEW YORK (JTA)—Over 300,000 Jewish college students have arrived or will arrive shortly on American campuses—and what they experience there is likely not only to broaden their minds and uproot long-held assumptions, but shake their Jewish selves to the core. They will contend with powerful faculty and student voices accusing them of complicity in a regime of privilege and oppression here in America and of colonialism, genocide and apartheid in Israel. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and its campus allies have far had little imp...
Political theorist Mark Lilla has noted the irony that “Once upon a time, the Jews were mocked for not having a nation-state. Now they are criticized for having one,” and their stubborn determination to defend it. That is why the dramatic reassertion of national sovereignty in the Brexit vote is important for Israel. Nor was the British public alone. Laurent Wauquiez, former French minister for European affairs, said in the wake of the Brexit vote, “[T]he result would have been the same in any other country in the EU. Perhaps an even great...
NEW YORK (JTA)—“We are committed to helping ensure that the State of Israel welcomes Jews of all colors.” “We say we have black lives that matter in Africa.” “In America, race has been a central area of Jewish concern historically.” These are all statements that have been made in the course of a well-orchestrated public relations campaign to hasten the implementation of an Israeli government decision, reached in 2015, allowing the immigration of a number of Ethiopian citizens. These Ethiopians claim Jewish lineage as Falash Mura, descendants o...
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...
On Wednesday, Sept. 7, Chabad of North Orlando kicked off its local CTeen chapter for the coming school year. CTeen is a worldwide club aimed at engaging Jewish teenagers in Jewish practice and identity. The "Kick Off" event was held at Nate's Shul in Longwood where the teens got to meet each other, discuss the event calendar for the coming school year, learn about Rosh Hashana and of course have a bite and play some fun games. The highlight of the evening was building beautiful Tzedakah boxes o...
While most people prepare for the Jewish holidays a week in advance, the Jewish Pavilion staff begin their preparations several months in advance. Pictured are 50 challahs and honey cakes, service booklets and High Holiday paper goods to share with over 500 seniors in long- term care. Each Jewish Pavilion program director has a territory (north, south, east and west Greater Orlando) and interacts with activities directors in 15-20 senior communities in that territory. They coordinate High...
WASHINGTON, DC—BBYO is pleased to announce it has received an unprecedented $28.8 million in support from two long-time funders toward its newly launched $90 million, five-year “This Moment in Time” campaign. The campaign will enable BBYO to double its annual growth rate, with the goal of having 27,000 members annually by the end of the 2022 school year. BBYO will also expand its workforce, increase summer program offerings, better support its volunteer advisors, and grow its endowment. Ultimately, BBYO’s compelling year-round experie...
Jewish Pavilion staff and volunteers will be welcoming Shabbat with new friends at Brookdale Lake Mary the first Friday of each month. A lovely Kabbalat Shabbat, with a room filled with interested and seasoned residents, was held with many thanks to the staff for coordinating this program, Joanne Berman for providing the beautiful Judaica items for Brookdale, and Jewish Pavilion volunteer Barbara Abramson (on left with residents) for leading the blessings and readings. With the support and help...
Risa and Gil Dombrosky of Fern Park have a very talented artist in their family. Daughter-in-law, Crystal-who is married to their son, Adam-has been a professional artist for over 20 years. Originally from New York, she attended Fiorello LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. She entered her first art show at the age of 18 and received honorable mention. Since then, she has done commissioned pieces, such as murals, sculptures, landscapes and portraits for corporate executives, local...
In response to the Pulse nightclub massacre, Temple Israel organized a campaign to raise funds for the One Orlando Fund through the sale of T-shirts. The unique design, created by Emily Raij, incorporated remembrance of the 49 victims in a tree-of-life with Jewish symbols and a rainbow. But just contributing money was not enough. According to Cathy Swerdlow, Sisterhood co-president at Temple Israel, "We wanted to continue the conversation with the greater community and understand the ongoing...
