Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Articles from the December 1, 2017 edition


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  • After Harvey, this woman distributes mezuzahs to those who need them

    Ben Sales|Dec 1, 2017

    (JTA)-As hurricane Harvey swept over Houston, Chava Gal-Or counted herself lucky. The water rose up to her door and a little bit seeped in, but her home did not flood. However, many in the Reform synagogue where she works had it much worse: Twenty-nine families lost their homes-about 15 percent of the congregation's members. At first, Gal-Or despaired the extent of the damage and how little she could do to help. "I can't rebuild their houses," said Gal-Or, the director of congregational...

  • Jewish students describe violent atmosphere on US college campuses

    Dec 1, 2017

    ‪The Knesset—Despite laws in Europe against anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, as well as police activity and obligatory school trips to concentration camps, the number of anti-Semitic incidents is only increasing. During Monday’s meeting of the Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs, Jewish and Israeli students described incidents of harassment on college campuses in the United States. Committee Chairman MK Avraham Neguise (Likud) said, “Classic hatred of Jews is disguised today as criticism of Israel, and leading universi...

  • How Jews on the left and the right are empowering BDS

    Seffi Kogen|Dec 1, 2017

    (JTA)—The BDS debacle at the University of Michigan proved once again that Jews can be their own worst enemies. Since 2002, the University of Michigan’s Central Student Government (CSG) has, on 10 occasions, rejected resolutions to support the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction the State of Israel. This month, however, for the first time, the resolution passed, to much hand-wringing in the Jewish community. The students who fought the resolution—sacrificing sleep, schoolwork and social lives—did absolutely everything they could,...

  • Obituary - CELLE MARY BASCH

    Dec 1, 2017

    Celle M Basch, age 75, of Orlando, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, at her residence. Born in Chicago, on Sept. 2, 1942, she was the daughter of the late Lewis and Roslyn Schenker Weinberg. Celle attended the University of Oklahoma, majoring in Anthropology. She was a woman of many talents, ultimately becoming a successful real estate salesperson, together with her husband, Alan. She and Alan were married on Aug. 4, 1963, in Miami. Originally settling in Orlando in 1971, they moved frequently, due to Alan’s aerospace engineering work, f...

  • Obituary - HELAYNE SCHREIBER

    Dec 1, 2017

    Helayne Schreiber, age 75, of Winter Park, passed away at Regents Park of Winter Park, on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, on Sept. 7, 1942, a daughter of the late Benjamin and Iris Martin Schreiber. Helayne earned her bachelor’s degree from Rollins College and her master’s from Nova University. She was an administrator in the health care industry. Prior to relocating to Orlando, she was living in the Atlanta area. She was a loving mother, grandmother and sister, and is survived by her children, Haryn (Debra) Kre...

  • On Broadway, an Israeli-American plays an Egyptian romantic in 'The Band's Visit'

    Steve North|Dec 1, 2017

    (JTA)-There's a long and poignant story behind the T-shirt that Ari'el Stachel often wears these days. It says, in Hebrew letters, "Totzeret Teman"-"Product of Yemen." The unexpected juxtaposition of two cultures, Israeli and Arab, is as fascinating and complex as Stachel himself. Stachel, 26, is an actor and singer making his Broadway debut in "The Band's Visit," a charming new musical starring Tony Shalhoub ("Monk") and the rising star Katrina Lenk. The play is based on the 2007 award-winning...

  • Weekly roundup of world briefs from JTA

    Dec 1, 2017

    Uber in Israel ordered to shut down ride-sharing service JERUSALEM (JTA)—Uber must halt its ride-sharing service in Israel, a Tel Aviv judge ordered. The ruling Monday gave the UberDay and UberNight service until Wednesday morning to shut down because the drivers were not insured properly. The drivers are not licensed to drive a taxi. The Uber taxi service, which is properly licensed and insured in Israel, can continue to operate, however. Israeli cab drivers had sued Uber, as did Gett, a taxi service previously known as GetTaxi. Uber has o...

  • These bar-mitzvah kids already are Jewish philanthropists

    Ben Sales|Dec 1, 2017

    SAN FRANCISCO (JTA)-Lyla Maymon and Jane Shvartzman went to interview officials last year at the Larkin Street Youth, a local organization fighting homelessness among young people, to see if their programs were worthy of a philanthropic grant. Maymon and Shvartzman asked all the right questions, like what percentage of the group's budget was used for overhead and how it planned to spend the money. They had looked up its financials on GuideStar, a database of nonprofit files. So, perhaps not...

  • Can a Jew from liberal Miami Beach be Florida's next governor? Philip Levine is betting yes.

    Amy Sherman|Dec 1, 2017

    MIAMI (JTA)-One candidate for governor is a former congresswoman and the daughter of a former governor and U.S. senator. Another candidate is a mayor who grew up in a blue collar African-American family. A third political newcomer is a Harvard graduate who builds affordable housing. Florida has been known as a place where candidates of diverse backgrounds make a name for themselves. But in statewide races it generally hasn't included Jews, at least in recent decades. Former Miami Beach Mayor...