Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Jewish groups organized relief efforts following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. Authorities said it is possible that more than 10,000 people died from the storm. "We immediately activated our network of global partners and will leverage our previous experience in the region to provide immediate, strategic relief to survivors in their time of need," Alan Gill, CEO of The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), said in a statement....
BOSTON (JTA)-A gift-giving, angst-ridden purple gorilla is among the characters who help enliven the Chanukah celebrations in eight new holiday books for children, families and young adults. One, "With a Mighty Hand," is not about Chanukah but will be a treasured gift to add to a family's bookshelves. Tilda Balsley, the author of many children's books, including four Jewish-themed "Sesame Street" titles about Grover, Big Bird and friends, brings two new offerings, "Eight is Great" and "ABC...
NEW YORK (JTA)-The phenomenon this year of Chanukah and Thanksgiving coinciding could mean even larger family gatherings than usual. So here are some tips: Plan the menus well ahead of the special celebration, and pick recipes that are easy to follow and make them well in advance. This way, cooks can enjoy their company. Have a few appetizers available as guests arrive and dinner isn't ready. One of my favorites is hummus, which I like to serve with cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers and toasted...
When his son asked for The Elf on the Shelf-the famed Christmas toy that is said to keep an eye on children and report back to Santa Claus regarding their behavior-entrepreneur Neal Hoffman said he felt an admitted pang of "elf envy" and saw the need to offer something more appropriate. "I said to myself that I wished there was a toy and book that was an alternative, that was rooted in Jewish traditions," Hoffman told JNS.org. Hoffman, at the time an employee of the Hasbro toy and game company,...
It was the second night of Chanukah and the house was full of her excited grandchildren, who shrieked and wailed and chattered like the construction crew that worked on the Tower of Babel. Was it totally random, the old lady wondered, or was there a script for this bedlam? I shouldn’t be so cranky, she reasoned. But twelve kids—some exultant with their gifts, some complaining—could shatter the glass in the windows. And such lavish Chanukah gifts. In my day, thought Bubbe, I’d be lucky to get a piece of fruit and a silver dime. The gifts h...
The United States Postal Service recently introduced a new Chanukah stamp. The 2013 Chanukah stamp features a photograph of a beautiful forged-iron menorah created by Vermont blacksmith Steven Bronstein, who uses the ancient techniques of blacksmithing to create modern designs. Bronstein's blend of the primitive charm of ironwork with a contemporary design appealed to art director Ethel Kessler. "There is a rich tradition of crafts in Judaic art and that tradition goes back many generations,"...
I never served... Veteran's Day was celebrated with a delicious dinner out for me and my spouse. It was free for him because he is a veteran. My meal was not free because I never was in the military. I am the mother of a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander who served in Iraq from 2007-2008; I am also the mother of a psychologist who cared for sailors with mental health issues at Great Lakes Naval Base; and I am the mother of a sailor (our youngest) who served on a minesweeper in the Persian Gulf; als...
The second meeting of the Holocaust Center's Religion 201 series, held Oct. 22, presented another unique opportunity to talk about how different faith communities view the world and its meaning. The Rev. Kathy Schmitz, moderater of the course, introduced the topic for the evening, "How Can a World of Love and a World of Suffering Coexist?" Each of the presenters gave a brief explanation of how his faith addresses that difficult question. Nav Khalsa, speaking for Sikhism, explained the teaching...
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the "night of broken glass" that scholars identify as the beginning of Hitler's Final Solution. Arts and cultural groups throughout Central Florida have worked collaboratively throughout the year to provide an impressive array of programs that explore the impact of that night. These programs included exhibits, films, concerts, and lectures, each planned to remind us of the devastating cost of prejudice and intolerance. Hundreds of people,...
This year for the first time since 1861, Thanksgiving and Chanukah overlap. The holiday mashup is creating a cooking quandary for those who will honor both celebrations. Just what do you serve? Here, a recipe for Curried Sweet Potato Latkes given to us by Susan Cohen of Harrisburg, Pa., from a cookbook authored by Jewish culinary expert Joan Nathan. Curried Sweet Potato Latkes Ingredients: 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder 2...
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—If the Pilgrims are lighting menorahs and the Maccabees are chasing turkeys, it must be Thanksgivukkah, as some have come to call the confluence of Thanksgiving and Chanukah that will happen this year on Nov. 28. It’s a rare event, one that won’t occur again until 2070 and then in 2165. Beyond that, because the Jewish lunisolar (lunar with solar adjustments) calendar is very slowly getting out of sync with the solar calendar, the Chanukah-Thanksgiving confluence won’t happen again by one calculation until the year 79811—when t...
NEW YORK (JTA)-Some folks are taking the rare confluence this year of Thanksgiving and Chanukah to heart, renaming it Thanksgivukkah, redesigning their menus for the occasion (latkes topped with cranberry relish anyone?) and refashioning ritual objects (a turkey-shaped hanukkiyah called the Menurkey is gaining traction on Kickstarter). Others are taking it one step deeper, celebrating how the combined holidays enable us to fully appreciate being both Jewish and American. It's a perfect...
When you think of Chanukah, the first food that comes to mind is probably the latke. While the potato pancake certainly has its virtues, its oily cousin, the sufganiya has it own unique pleasures. Today, we troll the web for the jelly-filled, powdered sugar-topped, calorie-laden doughy delight. Israeli folklorist Dov Noy says that sufganiyot go back. Way back. According to an apocryphal Bukharran fable, the first sufganiya "was given to Adam and Eve after their expulsion from the Garden of...
NEW YORK (JTA)—When Eric Woodward started rabbinical school at the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary, he assumed he would be be the only student who grew up celebrating Christmas along with Hanukkah. But midway through his training, when Woodward started a discussion group for students of interfaith families, more than 20 people showed up. Not all were children of intermarriage like Woodward, who was raised in Los Angeles by a secular Jewish mother and non-practicing Catholic father. Some were Jews by choice. Others had parent...
(StatePoint) Everyone is using technology to stay connected these days-especially kids. And Chanukah is a great time to think about getting your kids a device to keep them plugged in and learning at the same time, like their very own tablet computer. Parents worry mobile technology can be expensive, breakable and give users access to a world of information-not all of it kid-friendly. But that doesn't mean you should exclude the next generation from the tech trend, say experts. "Technology can...
The Jewish community is rightly concerned with a campus environment that is too often hostile to Israel. Public demonstrations, inflammatory language and personal attacks by anti-Israel organizations seek to exploit the spirit of open debate and public action central to American academic life. Rather than reflexively respond to the animosity of others, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)—America’s pro-Israel lobby—and Hillel—the center of Jewish life on over 550 campuses worldwide—are working together to strategic...
Firing of bearded Hasidic police recruit ruled religious discrimination (JTA)—A Hasidic police recruit who said he was fired from the New York Police Department because he would not trim his beard was the victim of religious discrimination, a federal court ruled. Fishel Litzman, 39, could be reinstated in the coming days, according to the New York Daily News. U.S. District Court Judge Harold Baer issued his decision last Friday. Litzman had filed a civil rights lawsuit in June 2012 against the NYPD, the City of New York and Police C...
