Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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On Nov. 6, 1994, the Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando opened the Shayna Cai Presser Parenting Center within its Richard S. Adler Early Childhood Learning Center. Twenty years later-to the week-the Roth JCC will celebrate the center, now known as Shayna's Village, by recognizing its founders, Es Cohen, and her sons, Justin and Matt Presser at a "Party After Dark" on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Roth JCC. Shayna's Village is a unique kid-sized village housed within the Roth JCC...
The weekend of Oct. 24-25 every Jew worldwide, from all walks of life-from Scottsdale, Arizona to Seattle, Washington-is invited to come together and spend one Shabbat in unity. Whether Shabbat is observed in the home, with a group, at the synagogue, it will be a time to set aside everything else and observe Shabbat from sunset Oct. 24 to sundown Oct. 25. This event is called The Shabbos Project. The Project was conceived last year by Dr. Warren Goldstein, South Africa's chief rabbi. He set out...
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation is heading full steam into the new year. Under the leadership of the new chairperson, Ina Porth, JCRC is working on building bridges in the Jewish community and the greater Orlando community. Now the community relations committee is busy working on a fall program as a part of the community celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The Grits and Bagels Brunch will be held Nov. 2 and will include guest speaker Brad...
Jewish women from all over Orlando are expected to join the Mega Challah Bake on Thursday, Oct. 23, jointly hosted by all Chabad Jewish Centers in Orlando. The 'Mega Challah Bake' event has been held in major cities around the world in the past few months drawing thousands of women together. "This type of event empowers women in the sense that we can feel that we are part of something much bigger, united with Jewish women in our city and Jewish women throughout the world" said Chanshy Majesky co...
As world leaders converged on New York City for the 69th United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to remind them that the threats Israel faces today could be their own problems tomorrow. "Israel is fighting a fanaticism today that your countries might be facing tomorrow," Netanyahu said. In a wide-ranging speech to the 193-member world body that included not only a focus on Islamic terrorism but also on a nuclear Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,...
TEL AVIV (JTA)—For approximately a half hour at the beginning of her El Al Israel Airlines flight last week from New York to Tel Aviv, Elana Sztokman watched as the haredi Orthodox man seated next to her rushed up and down the aisle searching for someone willing to switch seats so he wouldn’t have to sit beside her. On the same route several hours later, another El Al flight was delayed as haredi men stood in the aisles refusing to sit next to women. After takeoff, the men resumed their protest until other seats were found for them. A pas...
With great enthusiasm, the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando’s Jewish Teen Education Network announces the award of six grants to area synagogues. Earlier this summer, JFGO announced the formation of the Jewish Teen Education Network (JTEN), an innovative response to the changing needs of today’s teens and a clearinghouse for all Jewish teen education in Central Florida. The Federation is thrilled to award grants to all local synagogues that applied to the program. This first initiative of JTEN, offers grants to synagogues that provide Jew...
Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF and the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida present "The Best of Enemies" from Oct. 15 – Nov. 16, in the Goldman Theater. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the passage and signing of the Civil Rights Act, the powerful new play by Mark St. Germain exposes the poison of prejudice and the beauty of friendship. Single tickets to "The Best of Enemies" ($10 - $45) are available now by calling (407) 447-1700, visiting w...
The UCF Knights for Israel is hosting the film screening of “Honor Diaries” on Monday, Oct. 20, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the UCF Hillel Ballroom, 3925 Lockwood Blvd., Oviedo. Nine women speak out in this documentary about gender inequality, freedom of movement, violence against women in honor-based societies, with particular focus on honor killings, honor violence, forced marriages, and genital mutilation in Western society. In addition to the film, there will be discussions led by Dr. Angela West, wife of Col. Allen West, who will speak on wom...
Who are we at war with in the Middle East? At first glance, this seems like a straightforward question with an obvious answer. We are at war with the Islamic State terrorist organization in Iraq and Syria. Moreover, “war” is the exact descriptor to use, now that the Obama administration has gotten over its initial reluctance to portray the clash in this part of the Middle East with such a stark and unmistakable word. War, however, is rarely simple. As a rule of thumb, one should appreciate that the identified enemy is not the only enemy. Hence,...
This article is mainly for those Americans who naively insist that Islamic terrorists are of no concern here, with reasoning like: they know nice Muslims, there are too few fanatics, they do not see them here or if we are nice to them they will be nice to us (as they were with (beheaded) journalists Daniel Pearl, James Foley and Stephen Sotloff?) Listen to the threatening words and actions below, of their vicious leaders, here in the United States. They are throughout America from New York to California and coming across the U.S.-Mexican...
What do the 1861 attack on Fort Sumter, Germany’s 1941 attack on Russia, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11 have in common? They represent an adversary’s error that brought upon it a greater power, and—in the case of the first three—eventual destruction. We’re still seeing the playing out of 9/11, principally now in Iraq and Syria. The end game has not been reached. Moreover, insofar as this is the first of the examples where organized states are dealing with non-state violence fueled by religious fanaticism, it may not end in anything like a surrender...
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Saying a nuclear Iran would be a “thousand times” greater threat to the world than ISIS, Israel’s ambassador to the United States warned against including Iran in any coalition to derail the jihadist group. Ron Dermer, speaking Wednesday to guests at a pre-Rosh Hashanah reception at his residence in suburban Maryland, also cautioned the U.S. against accommodating Iran during the current effort to degrade ISIS. His urgent tone was the latest sign of a split between the Obama and Netanyahu governments over how to deal with Ir...
A major American university is currently hosting a visiting novelist who says that Israel is a deeply racist country and that its creation was a “catastrophe.” And the Chicago Jewish Federation is helping to foot the bill. The Israel Studies Project at the University of Illinois, which was created by, and is funded in part by, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan of Chicago, invites Israeli writers and academics to spend time at American universities. This year’s choice, Sayed Kashua, certainly has some interesting things to say. Kashua is an...
As the Republican party pushes to retake the majority of the U.S. Senate in the upcoming November midterm elections, which would give it control of both houses of Congress, a partisan shift in power may significantly affect a broad range of foreign policy and domestic social issues that are prioritized by American Jews. Midterm elections in the Senate and House of Representatives have been historically difficult for the party holding the presidency. Democrats have held the Senate since public disapproval with the administration of President...
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, OCTOBER 10 Light Sha...
Harriet Corey of Altamonte Springs, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, at her daughter’s home in Demarest, New Jersey. She was 72 years old. A native of New York, Harriet was born in the Bronx on Feb. 13, 1942, to the late Samuel and Esther Metzger Miller. She attended local area schools and was married to the late Frederick Corey who passed away on May 18, 1983. In 1976, Harriet and her family relocated to the Orlando area from Pittsburgh, Penn. Mrs. Cory served as administrator at Congregation of Reform Judaism, formerly Congregation o...
Ted Finkel, husband, father, grandfather and a visionary trailblazer in the health-care field, died on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, at his home in Orlando. He was 80 years old. As a trailblazer in the field of health-care, Mr. Finkel opened the country’s first Women’s Diagnostic Center in Atlanta, later opening centers in Jacksonville and Denver. Starting his career as an insurance salesman in Miami, Mr. Finkel was inducted in the 1966 Million Dollar Roundtable. Along with Martin Gelb, he founded the Mt. Sinai Hospital Young President’s Club...
Martin Herman of Novi, Michigan, died Sept. 21, 2014. He was 88 years old. Mr. Herman was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and lived there all of his life. He owned Martin Herman Advertising and was a talented artist and photographer, having earned a degree at Menninger’s Art School. Mr. Herman was an avid golfer and taught golf for many years after his retirement. He was loved and respected by his students. Mr. Herman was a founding member of Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park, Michigan and past president of its Men’s Club. He ser...
Kenneth L. Lipsitt, MD, of Orlando, passed away at his residence on Monday, Sept. 29, 2014. He was 68 years old. Dr, Lipsitt, a native of Michigan, was born on Nov. 19, 1945, to the late Dr. Seymour and Gertrude Jacobs Lipsitt. Dr. Lipsitt had a practice in Altamonte Springs. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Wayne State University earning a bachelor’s degree in history with distinction. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Lipsitt attended Wayne State University School of Medicine and received his m...
Gloria Titen of Longwood, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014, at Village on the Green Health Center. She was 88 years old. In addition to her husband of nearly 66 years, Harvey, Gloria is survived by her children Edward (Lisa) of Tampa, Andrew (Gail) of Tampa and Ellen (Edward) Wojcik of Winter Park. She is also survived by five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Yank Frank Pavilion at Temple Israel Cemetery with Rabbi Joshua Neely officiating. The family requests contributions in memory of...
The following dedication was written by Gloria Titen's daughter, Ellen Titen. Chocolate cake: home-made with love. Delicious, hand-ground liver with secret ingredient Ritz crackers. A true friend, and Woman of the Year for Hadassah. Our mom, Gloria Titen, lived a long, wonderful life. She made her children feel overwhelmingly loved throughout their whole lives. What greater gift could you ask in a mother? You so rarely hear of anyone these days described as a "lady," but indeed, Gloria Titen was...
On Sept.19, Waldflowers BBG (B'nai B'rith Girls) hosted the first Shabbat dinner of the fall term. Waldflowers BBG is the BBYO girls-only Orlando chapter, open to all Jewish teens in 9th through 12th grade. This Hollywood-themed Shabbat dinner was hosted at Arielle Cohen's house and had the largest turnout so far this term. The current teen leadership board of Waldflowers BBG is Sarah Michel (senior, Winter Park High School), Sara Freedman (sophomore, Lake Mary High School), Taylor Harris (junio...
Oy... here I go, down again!... I fall very often these days... not that I'm elderly, mind you (shut up!) but sometimes a little unsteady on my feet. Like the other day, I fell face forward when I tripped over a tree trunk at the dog park. (I didn't get hurt though. I fell directly on my breasts which cushioned the fall and kept me from getting any broken bones.) And on this very subject, I recently read in a copy of a World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest, the following article under the heading,...
On Friday, Sept. 19, Temple Shir Shalom welcomed nationally recognized performer, composer and educator Peri Smilow to Oviedo. This was the second in a series of guest musicians performing during Shabbat services. Smilow presented her Shabbat-in-Song with Beth Schafer, Temple Shir Shalom's spiritual leader and a renowned Jewish musician in her own right. But far from just performing Jewish songs during a Friday night service, Smilow took on the duties of teaching and leading the congregation...
