Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) - StandWithUs, an international organization that educates about Israel and combats antisemitism, has officially opened national operations in the country whose history forms the foundation of the "Israeli apartheid" slander. In South Africa, the continued rise in antisemitism, the challenge of fighting misinformation about Israel, and the call from Jewish and Christian Zionist communities for ongoing support from SWU have created the impetus for the organization to strengthen its presence...
(JTA) – The foundation overseeing the rebuilding plans for the site of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh has selected its first director, and her aims are nothing less than the total end of antisemitism. Carole Zawatsky, a longtime veteran in Jewish nonprofit leadership, was announced as the first new Tree of Life CEO Tuesday. Her appointment came as the nonprofit, which includes a planned memorial, museum and education center, revealed its grand plans for what its leadership hop...
(JNS) — Two of the most powerful members of the House of Representatives announced on Thursday that they would not seek positions in leadership during the next Congress. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 82, the first woman speaker of the House in U.S. history, made the announcement on the House floor, stating that she would not seek reelection to the Democratic party’s leadership in the next Congress, even though she plans to continue serving. The decision was made as the House will flip into the control of Republicans in January. Pelosi cli...
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) blasted the White House Tuesday for authorizing the FBI to investigate the shooting death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during a clash of Israeli soldiers with Palestinian terrorists in Jenin in May. “Joe Biden and his administration view Israel and Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu as political enemies, and so they are responding to them the way they respond to all their political enemies: by unleashing the FBI,” the Texan Republican said in a statement. “This outrage underscores how corrupt and blata...
So many people have asked about Gloria Yousha. She has been ill for quite some time and now it is with a heavy heart that we share with our readers, Gloria passed away on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022 peacefully. Her funeral was held on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, and she was buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, where her husband, Irving, is buried. Heritage will run a Scene Around column dedicated to her in an upcoming issue. - Jeff Gaeser, publisher, and Christine DeSouza, Heritage News...
Make gratitude part of your daily routine. Two common issues you might run into when starting a gratitude practice are forgetfulness and a lack of awareness. Try writing what you’re grateful for in a journal. This can be a great way to bring up memories from everyday events and keep thankfulness top of mind. You can also integrate visual reminders around you, like in your office, car, or home. These could be pictures of your loved ones, your children’s drawings, or even motivational quotes on...
The Jewish Pavilion will be honoring Lori Slutsky at their annual luncheon on Dec. 1 at the Hilton Altamonte Sprigs at 11 a.m. The $35 luncheon includes a holiday shopping bazaar. To register visit https://jpav.ticketspice.com/jp-connections-lunch-2022. The luncheon is being co-chaired by Marlene Adler and Susan Livingstone who serve on the Friends of the Jewish Pavilion Board with Slutsky, who is really looking forward to the festivities and is a little overwhelmed and very humbled. Her...
Noah is a valued employee at Dick and Dottie's Cafe and and Congregation Ohev Shalom. At Dick and Dottie's Noah has learned how to be a barista making a variety of latte, cappuccino, and espresso drinks. He has also learned how to use the cash register and wait on customers. At Ohev Noah is setting up and serving snack to the religious school students and doing some clerical work in the office. In both positions, Noah is learning how to greet and interact with customers and students. Noah is...
(JNS) — “We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause,” former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said, addressing Tuesday night’s Iranian American Jewish Federation of New York gala in Manhattan. “Her values are our values. Her fight is our fight. We stand with Israel because we believe in right over wrong, in good over evil. We stand with Israel because like millions of Americans through all generations, we hold fast to that ancient promise, that those who bless her will be blessed,” he continued. When Steven Khadavi, president o...
(JTA) — The Orthodox Union has endorsed federal legislation that would enshrine the right to same-sex marriage, marking a reversal of its previous positions. When more than 100 Jewish groups endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act this summer, the OU, an umbrella group representing Modern Orthodox synagogues, was not among them. The group had previously sat on the sidelines as well when the U.S. Supreme Court weighed Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, in which the court ruled that same-sex marriage was protected under the Constitution. But things c...
(JNS) — The Biden administration on Tuesday called on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take steps to calm tensions in Judea and Samaria, just hours after a Palestinian terrorist killed three Israelis in a stabbing and car-ramming rampage in and around the city of Ariel. “The United States is deeply concerned by the increased violence in the West Bank,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. “We convey profound condolences to the families and loved ones of the Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including childre...
(JNS) — Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced his intention to run for president in 2024, vowing to renew American exceptionalism if he is once again elected to the White House. “In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump told a crowd of supporters gathered at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “Two years ago, we were a great nation, and soon we will be a great nation again,” he said, adding, “This is not just a campaign, this is a quest to...
(Jewish Journal via JNS) — On Monday morning, news broke that controversial, far-right, probable soon-to-be government minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, while in coalition talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed support for an amendment to existing Israeli policy that would no doubt harm relations between American Jews and Israeli Jews. This change relates to aliyah—who is considered Jewish enough to move to the Jewish state. Status-quo Israeli policy welcomes converts to Judaism into Israeli citizenship, even converts who underwent the process of...
(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs via JNS) — The IDF and the Israel Security Agency have inflicted heavy blows on the Lions’ Den terror group in Nablus but are unable to stop the phenomenon. The group continues to operate and announced that it was involved in a new shooting attack on IDF forces protecting a group of Knesset members during a visit to Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus. There is also a terrorist group called the Nablus Battalion and another called the Balata Battalion that was recently established in the Balata refugee camp in the city....
(JNS) — It’s not like me to be an alarmist, but I’ve been thinking about something for months, maybe years. As time passes, it’s become increasingly clear that the worst-case scenario is about to happen. The Jewish people outside of Israel must step back and examine their reality. Too many things are happening at once that point to the fact that the s**t is about to hit the fan. This isn’t new. It’s been going on for years, escalation after escalation. But over the past few months, it’s reached the point of no return. It’s just too much to ign...
(JTA) — Last week saw Dave Chappelle deliver a brilliant monologue on “Saturday Night Live” addressing the antisemitism controversies surrounding Kanye West and Kyrie Irving. Unfortunately, “brilliant” doesn’t inherently mean “moral” or “good.” Chappelle’s monologue was a masterclass in how to normalize and embolden antisemitic discourse, delivered in plain sight and with just enough “wink wink, nudge nudge” plausible deniability — mixed in with a sprinkle of real commentary — that one would easily almost not realize that … wait, did Chap...
(JNS) — What is the mainstream expression of Jewish power? When superstars with millions of followers like Kanye West and Kyrie Irving exhibit anti-Semitic behavior, more often than not it revolves around a sinister view of Jewish power. Jews are the bosses. They own the record labels, the movie studios and the sports teams. They run the world. These stereotypes are not just sinister and anti-Semitic, they are also insultingly materialistic. They overlook a whole other view of Jewish power, one that has little to do with material wealth and e...
(JNS) — I missed comedian Dave Chappelle’s opening monologue on “Saturday Night Live” last weekend, but I knew I had to watch it when the wave of social media outrage reached me. When I finally saw it, what I heard shocked me. Chappelle’s jokes about the Kanye West and Kyrie Irving controversies were not only funny, they were insightful and true, which is why they were funny and why so many were angered by them. The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, issued a statement suggesting that Chapelle’s jokes “normalize” a...
MORNING MINYANS Chabad of North Orlando and Chabad of Altamonte Springs are holding in-person 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...
(JTA) — This year’s slate of Jewish Grammy nominees offers a little something for everyone. The nominees for the 2023 Grammy Awards, announced on Tuesday, include prominent Jewish names from pop and rap, but they also recognize Jewish musicians and writers in classical music and other less popular genres. Here’s the full (and varied) list: Jack Antonoff, a New Jersey Jewish day school grad who has become one of pop’s most in-demand producers and songwriters, thanks to his work with the likes of Taylor Swift and Lorde, is up for produce...
(JTA) - Like so many other American Jews from the New York area, I have been eagerly awaiting "I'll Have What She's Having," the new exhibit on the American Jewish deli now on view at the New-York Historical Society. After all, the deli was our family business. I grew up on Long Island during the baby boom era, when large groups of Jews moved to the suburbs. New synagogues opened in almost every town, and Jewish bakeries, shops and schools proliferated around them. My family had its pick of...
(JNS) — In a Nov. 16 open letter to Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Twitter management, 180 nonprofit and civil rights organizations called on the social media giant to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism. “Jewish users are subject to unrelenting harassment on Twitter,” the letter said. “Twitter’s guidelines should afford protection to Jewish Twitter users from antisemitic content and harassment,” said the letter, signed by groups such as StopAntisemitism, The Lawfare Project, Students Su...
(New York Jewish Week) — After a “traditional, religious” Jewish childhood in Brooklyn where he attended yeshiva, Barry Rosen fell in love with Iran. Rosen was 22 when he joined the Peace Corps and set out on a two-year stint in Iran in 1967. There, Rosen felt deeply connected to the people and culture of the country — he loved the food, the clothing, the language, and the sights, sounds and smells. “I was told by members of the Peace Corps that Jewish kids did very well in Iran,” Rosen says at the beginning of “Taken Hostage: The Making of...
There are certain signals that might mean it is time to give up the car keys. Unfortunately, very few seniors pay attention to these signs: • Nervous behind the wheel. • Reactions are too slow due to your vision. • trouble reading street signs. • A near mishap because you didn’t see a pedestrian, an object or another vehicle. • Get lost easily. • Hearing has decreased • Legs no longer work perfectly We suggest you start talking about these issues with your parents as early as possible. You may want to make a deal with them such as this is the...
(JNS) - Which is more important: pastrami or making love? This was a question that George Costanza, played by Jewish actor Jason Alexander, grappled with on a hilarious episode of "Seinfeld." And, of course, there's the episode set in Mendy's, where Jerry argues with an annoying guy named Kenny Bania about whether or not soup and a sandwich constitute a meal. In "'I'll Have What She's Having': The Jewish Deli," an exhibit at Manhattan's New York Historical Society, one can watch a number of simi...
