Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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The 26th annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival will delight the senses and stir much thought. Running from Saturday night, Nov. 2 through Monday evening, Nov. 4, six very different films will bring laughter, tears and contemplation. An overriding theme of all six films seems to be choices made and relationships broken or kept. Here is the lineup: Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:45 p.m. at the Orlando Science Center Digital Adventure Center The Performance Laced with beautiful 1930's music, songs, and...
Dr. John Jenkins, a neurosurgeon at Orlando Neurosurgery in Orlando, is devoted to the people and state of Israel and has made a monetary pledge to help those who are suffering on the moshavs in southern Israel. Because of the impact on him of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacres, Dr. Jenkins has pledged a $50,000 matching grant for donations to moshav Ein Habesor in southern Israel, near the Gaza border. Through a Christian charity called City Serve, Israel, his donation is earmarked to help ease the...
(JTA) — Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the deadliest attack on Israel in its history, was killed in a shootout with Israeli forces, Israeli officials reportedly have said. Kan, Israel’s government-run radio network, quoted senior official sources as saying that DNA testing confirmed that the Hamas chief was one of three terrorists killed in a shootout Thursday, Oct. 17, with Israeli forces in Rafah, the city on the Gaza-Egypt border. Israeli officials would not confirm the report to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The army had earlier said that...
Nancy Meisenberg is on a mission – to get the word out about how to help Israel in its recovery from the ongoing war. With many ways to help, how can anyone know what organization to trust, what to do, how to donate? There are also so many needs in Israel - the moshavs that border Gaza are still in disarray, their fields need tending; trauma centers are full to capacity with soldiers and civilians dealing with their emotions and PTSD; the basic needs of the IDF; this list goes on. Meisenberg dec...
Years ago, something went wrong late in a friend's much-wanted pregnancy. If her fetus continued to develop, it would either kill her or leave her unable to have future children. Her father, a respected Orthodox rabbi and scholar, advised her to have an abortion. Though a loving father, his decision was based on Jewish law. Judaism is a pro-life faith, but not in the way anti-abortionists mean. In Judaism, the mother's life and health always come first because human life begins at birth. Until...
On Sunday, Oct. 13, Jewish Pavilion Senior Services brought together residents, family members, and board members at Village on the Green for a festive Wine and Cheese Party in celebration of Sukkot. Attendees enjoyed a delicious spread of wine, cheese, fruit, white fish, herring, and challah, all while surrounded by beautifully decorated lemons. Jane Edelstein, board chair of Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, welcomed the crowd and spoke about the deeper significance of Sukkot. "Sukkot reminds...
After the cancellation of last year's Men's Night Out due to the Oct. 7 attack, the organizing committee and sponsors decided to go forward with the Eighth annual Men's Night Out, to be held at Congregation Ohev Shalom on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, starting at 5:30 p.m. Organized and presented by Congregation Ohev Shalom, Temple Israel, Congregation of Reform Judaism, Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation, in conjunction with Shalom Orlando, Men's Night Out is a collaborative outreach program and a "community driven" gathering designed to bring...
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — A poll commissioned by a Jewish affiliate of the Democratic Party shows Vice President Kamala Harris garnering 71 percent of the Jewish vote in the seven swing states likely to decide the election. The poll released Wednesday by the Jewish Democratic Council of America and conducted from Sept. 26-Oct. 2 showed Donald Trump getting 26 percent of the vote just four weeks before the Nov. 5 presidential election. The states include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada. The polling by...
(JTA) — Christopher Columbus was likely Jewish, Spanish researchers have announced in a splashy new documentary aired on Spain’s national broadcaster on Saturday. According to the documentary, the researchers spent 22 years researching Columbus’ national origins before concluding that bones buried in a Seville cathedral are in fact the famed explorer’s — and that his DNA suggests that he likely came from a Jewish family. “We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son,” the le...
(JNS) — An executive at CBS, in an email in August, instructed employees to “not refer to Jerusalem as being in Israel,” The Free Press reported on Thursday. Mark Memmott, the senior director of standards and practices at the news department of the New York-based broadcasting network, acknowledged that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but added this did not mean that CBS should accept this. “Yes, the U.S. embassy is there and the Trump administration recognized it as being Israel’s capital. But its status is disputed...
(JTA) — Voters weigh their values and priorities before casting their ballot for president. For me, achieving and maintaining peace in the world is the single most important issue to consider when choosing the president of the United States. When we look at the last four years of the Harris-Biden administration versus the four years of President Trump’s administration, there is no comparison. For the four years of Trump’s presidency we had peace, but the world is very different today. President Trump eliminated the funding to Iran when he wi...
(JTA) — I was born and raised in Israel, the oldest of 10 siblings, in a liberal-minded Orthodox Jewish family. I love my family, a diverse gang of smart people who respect one another even when disagreeing. Politically we are a mixed group. Some of us are fiscally conservative or libertarian. Others are traditional liberals who believe in a social safety net. Although only three of us live in the United States, we are all American citizens and eligible voters in the November elections. We share a concern for the State of Israel and for the saf...
On Nov. 5, 2024, Americans will be voting in what many view as the most consequential elections in our history. As I make my selections, it will be imperative that my choices reflect the values that are important to me not only as a Jew but also as a human being, those concerning freedom, truth, justice, equality, intelligent leadership, and empathy. In a recent poll by the Jewish Democratic Council of America, 72 percent of Jewish voters backed Vice President Kamala Harris, and 25 percent supported former President Donald Trump. In 2021, the P...
For single-issue voters for whom Israel is the most paramount, the choice in November hinges on which candidate is truly best for the Jewish state. Voters leaning toward Donald Trump tout him as the most pro-Israel president in history. Without trying to compare his policies to, say, Harry Truman, who made the Partition Plan happen, or Lyndon Johnson, who established the U.S. as Israel’s principal arms supplier and guarantor of its qualitative edge, or Ronald Reagan, who institutionalized U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation, let’s examine Tru...
MORNING MINYANS 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 Israel — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-647-3...
(JNS) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, wrote to her 15 million social media followers on Sunday night that the Jewish state has to act quickly to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip. “The U.N. reports that no food has entered northern Gaza in nearly two weeks,” Harris wrote. “Israel must urgently do more to facilitate the flow of aid to those in need. Civilians must be protected and must have access to food, water and medicine. International humanitarian law must be respected.” The vice president...
(JTA) - When the NBA season tipped off on Tuesday, there were three Jewish players taking the court - the same trio who were in the league last year - though one is still finding out where he will be playing. Two of those players - Deni Avdija and Amari Bailey - have changed uniforms, while All-Star Domantas Sabonis is entering his fourth season with the Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile, Ryan Turell, who played in the minor G League last season, and Abby Meyers, who appeared in nine WNBA games in 202...
(JTA) — Miriam Adelson has delivered on a pledge she reportedly made at the start of the general election season, donating $100 million to a campaign committee supporting the candidacy of Donald Trump, according to disclosures filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. The money was distributed to Adelson’s super PAC, Preserve America, which she had seeded earlier this year with $5 million, in a series of installments: $25 million a month in July, August and September and an additional $20 million at the end of September. A major fun...
Knee pain can be debilitating, but there are various treatment options available to provide relief. Here’s a breakdown of some common methods: 1. Corticosteroid Shots: Administered up to four times a year, these shots combine a steroid (Cortisone) with a numbing agent. These injections offer fast, temporary relief during flare-ups by reducing inflammation. While generally safe and effective, overuse can lead to knee cartilage deterioration. Individuals with diabetes or metabolic conditions should be cautious as these shots may increase blood s...
(JTA) - How are we supposed to celebrate Simchat Torah this year with a full heart? The very name of this holiday - "the joy of the Torah," celebrating the completion of the annual Torah cycle - connotes an emotion we cannot fully inhabit on the anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of Hamas's brutal attack on Israel. I vividly remember standing in shul last year, wondering how we might celebrate with the Torah as the news trickled in. The rabbi kept updating us with the news of more and more...
(JTA) - ASHEVILLE, North Carolina - My backyard is perfect for a sukkah. I can walk right off the deck into my yard, which is surrounded by my garden and the autumnal woods. There is easy access to the kitchen and to the stars. Last year, my first in my new home here in this beautiful mountain town, I was away for much of the weeklong Sukkot holiday helping someone I care about who needed me. So I was excited to buy the building materials and make use of my space for the first time this fall....
(JTA) — For months, the United States has signaled that Yahya Sinwar was the biggest impediment to a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war, with the Hamas leader unwilling to consider any scenarios that would require his group to cede control over the Palestinian territory. But does that mean his death, announced on Oct. 17, means the war could soon come to an end? President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris say they think it should. But both Israel and Hamas have signaled that they plan to keep fighting. “Yahya Sinwar, the lea...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) - The IDF spokesperson unveiled new details and footage from the death in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and the chief architect of the Oct. 7 massacre. In a video, captured by an Israeli drone, shows Sinwar sitting on a couch inside a destroyed building. Upon noticing the drone hovering above him, Sinwar, who had lost a hand from earlier gunfire, throws a piece of wood at the drone in an effort to knock it down. (The video can be...
Michael W. Berey, Esq., of The Villages, Florida, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, at the age of 66. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ann Berey (nee Maslow); loving children, Nikki (Brian) Comer, Eric Berey, and Megan (Zach) Adams; loving sisters, Bonni (Dale) Cash and Cindy Horn. He was predeceased by his beloved parents, Joyce and Jerold Berey. Michael was the most loving and kindhearted person. He was a great husband, father, brother, and friend. He will be missed by everyone that has ever known him. Funeral Services at Sol...
Mr. Albert Joel Katz, 83, Celebration, Florida passed away peacefully Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Orlando Health ORMC. Mr. Katz was born April 10, 1941, in Bronx, New York to the late Martin and Helen Katz. A retired school psychologist from New York, he and his wife moved to the Orlando area after 17 years in West Palm Beach, Florida. Mr. Katz is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Susan Katz; devoted daughter, Julie Knott; his beloved grandchildren, Amelia and Matilda; and son, Robert...
