Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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WASHINGTON (JTA)-When President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for what was likely to be the last time as leaders of their countries, the most important thing they said was "see you soon." Netanyahu's invitation to Obama to visit Israel post-presidency augured a thaw in U.S.-Israel relations, which was also seen in remarks by Israel's diplomatic corps and signals from the pro-Israel lobby. Their friendly, relaxed interaction was in marked contrast to meetings like the...
Five Jewish mothers from Orlando participated in the Jewish Women's Renaissance Project (JWRP) Leadership Conference in College Park, Md. The JWRP Leadership Conference, held in collaboration with Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, gathered Jewish women from across the world to hone their leadership skills and create a global Jewish women's movement. The annual conference was launched in 2013 with 65 participants from the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and has grown to include some 300 people...
TEL AVIV (JTA)-Shimon Peres, the former defense hawk turned Nobel Peace Prize winner and the last of Israel's founders, has died. Peres died before dawn Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, at 93, Israel Radio reported. The former president suffered a massive stroke earlier this month and was reported initially to be in stable but critical condition. His condition was reported to have deteriorated dramatically on Tuesday afternoon. Israel Radio quoted his family, who were at his side, as saying he was...
Can a children's book about the Jewish High Holidays help advance world peace? A new edition of an award-winning children's book author thinks so-and National Geographic agrees. "Celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur"-first published in 2007 and reissued this year with a new cover-is one of the volumes included in National Geographic's series, "Holidays Around the World," which introduces children to the ways in which religious and cultural holidays are celebrated in various countries. Other ho...
By Sean Savage JNS.org The United States and Israel made history on Thursday signing the largest ever military assistance package between the two allies. The agreement was hailed by many as a means to ensure the Jewish state will securely meet the challenges of a dangerous and unstable Middle East over the next decade. However, after years of seemingly strained relations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama, does the deal sweep aside this history as...
The number of retired U.S. military generals and admirals endorsing Donald Trump in an open letter has grown from 90 to 162, says the only Holocaust survivor signing it, retired Green Beret Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow, a key proponent behind the effort. Shachnow and retired Rear Admiral Charles Williams organized the letter and signature collection earlier this month, citing Trump's commitment to rebuilding the military, securing the borders, defeating Islamic supremacy and restoring law and...
Gene Starn was the founder of the Heritage and also of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando. He wrote this article in 2005. I am about to have zenith moment! Many of us who are tracing our family history often hit a brickwall. When we have a breakthrough we can experience such elation—it’s a feeling so unique, so satisfying, so completely engulfing that it stirs the senses beyond belief. It came about when I had a phone call two weeks ago from Paris, France. I could barely understand the woman, who spoke with a very heavy acc...
Ellie Bodker, the international president (N'siah) of BBYO, the world's leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement, visited the greater Orlando Jewish community over Sept. 15-18. Bodker, of Overland Park, Kan., was elected by 700 of BBYO's top teen leaders to serve at the helm of the organization, representing the B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG), BBYO's renowned leadership program and high school sorority, travel around the world and motivate Jewish teens to grow their local BBYO programs, strengthen...
With the coming of Rosh Hashanah, Jews around the world will celebrate the new year of 5777. According to the Jewish calendar, the world’s oldest calendar still in use today, the year 5777 will begin on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 2. Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish High Holiday period, is a two-day celebration and includes the customs of sounding the “shofar” (a hollowed-out ram’s horn) and the eating of symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey to evoke a “sweet new year.” The High Holidays end with Yom Kippur 10 days later....
By Jason Dov Greenblatt NEW YORK (JTA)—As my family and I prepare for Rosh Hashanah, we look back with grateful hearts for the brachot, blessings, in our lives. We take time to reflect on the joys and the challenges, the ups and downs, that we experienced during the previous year. To me, a meaningful observance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur requires taking stock of life’s hard-earned victories and heartfelt woes, its underappreciated blessings and unfulfilled potential. As Jews, we have the opportunity—indeed, the obligation—to renew ourselv...
WASHINGTON, D.C. (JTA)—I support Hillary Clinton for president because I have seen her work up close—as first lady, senator from New York and secretary of state. She has the temperament, experience and judgment to be commander-in-chief and our country’s representative to the world. And I know she has a deep commitment to the State of Israel and a special sensitivity to help Holocaust survivors. During his first term, President Bill Clinton appointed me his special representative for Holocaust issues to provide belated justice for Holoc...
I wrote some thoughts down, posted them on my Facebook page and wrote a truncated version to the Orlando Sentinel, which was printed as a letter to the editor. So, here are some further ramblings. 9/11 was a tragedy. We have had a few in our history. The greatest war toll of American dead happened within our own borders between 1861-1865. Dec. 7th, 1941 was a tragedy. We went to war against two sovereign nations: Japan and Germany. We won. They both are functioning democracies today. You cannot go to war against a Movement. A Movement has no...
It was heartening to see on the front page of The Heritage the powerful image of a table representing UCF’s Knights for Israel literally under the same tent as a table belonging to the Muslim Student Association (MSA). This is a testament to the tolerance and even cooperation between the two organizations. Frankly, it is an example that we wish other campuses could emulate. Kudos certainly should go to Hillel director Aaron Weil, current students and (of course) the MSA. However, the roots of cooperation in this relationship started to take h...
It has become standard practice among those who hate Israel to accuse the Jewish state’s supporters of suppressing speech. These so-called progressives piously charge Israel advocates of crying anti-Semitism whenever Israel is criticized, and accuse them of legal maneuvers and bullying tactics to avoid a debate about the real issues. Yet, often the anti-Israel protesters derail the democratic process. Their latest outrageous effort to stop the free expression of ideas occurred at the New York City Council. Councilman Andy Cohen (D-Bronx) recent...
Dear Editor: I recently relocated to Central Florida from Israel, and I want to take this opportunity to tell members of the Jewish Community about a wonderful program that helped me in my adjustment to life in America in Orlando. JFS Orlando’s Jewish Family Stability program is a jewel that many people may not know is there for them as well for their families. Every one I have met has been anxious and willing to help me. I owe my thanks to so many people, but especially to Clelie [Duroseau, B.S.W., Family Stabilization Program case m...
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...
NEW YORK (JTA)-American Jews are likely to vote for Hillary Clinton in November, but American Jewry's fastest-growing community is likely to go the other way. A solid majority of haredi Orthodox Jews will vote for Donald Trump, say experts and Republican operatives in the haredi enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn. While poll data isn't available on the fervently Orthodox vote, observers say the haredim are attracted by Trump's hawkish foreign policy, pugnacious personality and image as a successf...
If you have ever watched any of the television shows on the Food Network-shows like "Chopped," or "Cutthroat Kitchen"-you have a glimmer of an idea as to what JFS Orlando's Pantry to Plate Chef's Challenge is all about (except no one is "chopped" and it isn't cutthroat). Three area chefs from well-known restaurants each select food from the Pearlman Pantry and prepared an outstanding dish for three judges and all the guests (about 160 of them) to decide which dish was the best based on...
Special thanks to Larry and Renee Pitt for donating items from Larry's parent's estate to the Jewish Pavilion. The agency was able to use some of the items directly and sell the remainder. Pictured is Adele from Life Care Center of Altamonte Springs relaxing on her Judaic blanket donated from the Pitt estate. Adele is a retired college art professor. She was especially appreciative of the beauty of the blanket tapestry said Nancy Ludin, who visits her weekly....
Jewish Pavilion nonagenarians Cee-cee, Zelda and Margaret are enjoying their lollypops as they are getting ready for Sunday in the Park at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, at Cranes Roost. Pictured (standing l-r) are Nancy Ludin, exec. dir.; Mary Vindett, activities dir. at Horizon Bay; (seated, l-r) Nonagenarians Cee-cee, Zelda and Margaret....
France's Jewish community... I read this in the World Jewish Congress Digest (WJC), and pass it along to you: "France's Jewish community, the largest in Europe, has elected a Sephardic Jew as its new leader for the first time in half a century. Algerian-born FRANCIS KALIFAT was unanimously elected as the new president of the Jewish umbrella organization CRIF (Council Representative Jewish Institutions of France). He said his priority was to fight against anti-Semitism in all it's forms." The 63...
ELIZABETH, N.J. (JTA)-Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man who police say planted four bombs in Manhattan and New Jersey-including one in the train station here-used to come to the One Stop Kosher Market to buy snacks. The market is a couple minutes' walk down Elmora Avenue from First American Fried Chicken, the fast food restaurant run by Rahami's family. Rahami stopped by a couple times, employees told Yaakov Weiss, who manages the market and works at the adjacent kosher restaurant, Avenue Grill and...
WASHINGTON (JTA)-President Barack Obama's near parting gift to Israel, a guarantee of $38 billion in defense assistance over a decade, distills into a single document what he's been saying throughout eight fraught years: I have your back, but on my terms. The agreement signed Wednesday in the State Department's Treaty Room here increases assistance for Israel over the prior Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2007 under the George W. Bush administration and guaranteeing Israel $31 billion...
LOS ANGELES (JTA)-For Rosh Hashanah, many of us eat an apple dipped in honey as an auspicious sign for a sweet new year. The symbolism is clear, and the ritual as easy to pull off as squeezing a bear-shaped plastic bottle of honey. But what kind of a year could you expect from eating leeks, spinach and a fish head? A year of being a contestant on "Chopped"? Many Sephardic Jews practice a custom at Rosh Hashanah dinner called "yehi ratzones"-"may it be God's will"-which calls for a kind of...
Esther Halfon, age 69, of Lake Mary, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital in Orlando. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Esther was born on May 17, 1947, to the late Jack and Rachel Capouya Halfon. Following high school, she graduated from Troy State University and began a life-long career in contracts administration with Stromberg-Carlson, relocating with them to the Orlando area in the 1980s. Esther is survived by her brother, Melvyn (Judy) Halfon of Evans, Ga.; and sister, Bernice Halfon, of Palm Harbor, Fla. A...
