Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA) - To celebrate Chanukah and Christmas, Max and Sophie, siblings in an interfaith family, bake up a batch of gingerbread dreidels. That's the plot of a new children's book out this year, but it could be a real-life occurrence this month, when the first night of Chanukah falls on Christmas Day. Among the children's books released ahead of the holidays are several that nod to the unusual calendar convergence and the increasing share of families that include both Jews and people who are not...
My 77-year-old mother does not like stuff. She abhors clutter. She reuses everything. If you were to buy her a bottle of nice olive oil as a hostess gift, it would sit unopened in her pantry for the next 20 to 40 years. When I ask what she wants for Chanukah, the answer is always the same: Nothing. But last December, my mother came to me with a specific request: She wanted eight lists of cultural recommendations, one per night. It turned out to be the best present I’ve ever given her. The eight categories I selected were books, movies, TV s...
(JNS) — Hamas has agreed to two of Israel’s key conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza, raising hopes for an agreement to release hostages within days, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Hamas for the first time agreed to accept the presence of Israeli forces in Gaza during a 60-day truce, the newspaper quoted unnamed Arab mediators as saying. The sources also confirmed to the paper reports from earlier in the week that Hamas had submitted a list of hostages, including U.S. citizens, whom it would release. The purported breakthrough fol...
(JNS) — A majority of Kibbutz Nir Oz members voted on Monday to return to their destroyed homes and rebuild. The kibbutz was among the hardest hit communities during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel. One in four residents was either killed or kidnapped, including the Bibas family, mother Shiri, husband Yarden and their two children, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old. In a letter to the government, the kibbutz members stressed their expectations for a large-scale and generous construction plan, according to Israel’s Chann...
(Jewish Journal via JNS) — President Theodore Roosevelt is known for the saying, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” The presidencies of Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be remembered for a very different aphorism: “Speak in apologetic whispers and defund your sticks; you will go backwards in retreat.” Those are two very different approaches to diplomacy and the realities of international affairs. It explains why both Obama and Biden were among the least capable foreign policy leaders our country has ever known. A good exam...
(The Forward) — The prospect of President-elect Donald Trump return to power has unsettled many American Jews, who traditionally vote Democratic. Memories of his first term — marked by polarizing rhetoric, controversial policies, and the perception of flirtation with extremist elements — still loom large. Please, let’s all take a deep breath. American democracy is tough and resilient, and the fears about Trump himself, and his policies, are vastly overblown. Nobody is saying Trump’s second term will be a cakewalk — politics never is. But rea...
(The Forward) — Many pieces have been written comparing the story of the hit-Broadway musical “Wicked” — a riff on the backstory of “The Wizard of Oz” — to that of the Jewish people. The musical, which was just adapted into a blockbuster film by John Chu, explains how Elphaba, who was born with unnaturally green skin, came to be known, unjustly, as the Wicked Witch of the West. And since the movie came out, numerous writers have argued that Elphaba’s story of persecution and discrimination is particularly Jewish. However, the similarity goes...
(JNS) — Do you remember when universities were institutions that taught us how to think critically rather than telling us what to think and when journalism schools emphasized ethics and the importance of truth-seeking? If those days ever existed, they seem long gone, particularly regarding coverage of the Middle East. Amnesty International is mistaken for a human-rights organization when it is nothing more than a media whore engaged in National Enquirer-like sensationalism. It has mastered the art of generating headlines and stirring outrage w...
(JNS) — Strong winds are blowing around us — to the north, south, east and west. Regimes are wavering or collapsing, and new ones are rising. We must not be passive because what they all have in common is a fervent hope for our destruction. Protecting our lands and stabilizing our borders is a clear and present necessity. We must immediately apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, Gaza and the Jordan Valley, and broaden our hold on the Golan Heights and Lebanon. Thank God, while writing these lines, we have been informed of Israel’s liber...
(JNS) — As chaos envelops Syria — with one gang of terrorists overthrowing the other gang of terrorists who ran the government — the question needs to be asked: Can you imagine the danger Israel would now be facing if it had surrendered to U.S. demands in the 1990s to give up the Golan Heights? This isn’t some theoretical what-if scenario. During the first Clinton administration, a team of State Department negotiators led by Dennis Ross spent several years trying to pressure Israel to give over the Golan to Syrian dictator Hafez Assad (father...
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., 407-647-30...
With the Internet, one has access to all sorts of creative ideas depending on the ages of those celebrating. Check it out to keep your children busy with Chanukah activities before and during the holiday. I often had one night or afternoon where I invited families to celebrate together with my family. I let them know that it is not a gift-giving time. To make it easy with working mothers, we make it a potluck and had a menu that people can indicate what dish they would like to contribute. A typical menu would include Latkas,(potato pancakes)....
Life has a funny way of changing in an instant. For me, that moment came on March 26, 2020. I was a 19-year-old college student, full of energy, ambition, and independence. My life was one of endless possibilities, and I never gave much thought to health complications—especially something as life-altering as epilepsy. But that morning, everything shifted. It began like any other day, but by the time I regained consciousness, my world had flipped upside down. I found myself surrounded by p...
I love Christmas. I love looking at all the lights on people's homes and all the twinkling trees inside. I love holiday cookies. And I love how some people fill every inch of their house in Christmas decorations. That being said, I am very happy to celebrate the season vicariously. With a name like Marilyn Cohen Shapiro, you probably have realized that I have never actually celebrated Christmas. Growing up as the only Jewish family in a tiny upstate New York town, we never had a Christmas tree...
As we age, monitoring blood pressure becomes increasingly vital for heart health. Seniors are particularly prone to isolated systolic hypertension. Regular monitoring helps detect and manage such risks. It’s essential not only to spot high blood pressure but also to track its trends over time. Seniors and healthcare providers can then make informed decisions about lifestyle changes and treatments. Blood pressure and heart health High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a silent threat to seniors’ heart health, increasing the risk of heart dis...
Mr. Jerome (Jerry) Brownstein, 84, Orlando, Florida passed away Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 at Harbor Chase of Dr. Phillips following a long illness. Mr. Brownstein was born July 25, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the late Isaac and Frances (Smith) Brownstein of blessed memory. He moved to the Delray Beach in 2001 from Bucks County, Pennsylvania before moving to Orlando in 2020. Mr. Brownstein a born leader, hard worker, high school teacher, Roster Chairman, vice president for his synagogue,... Full story
Dr. Randall "Randy" B. Coverman, M.D., a cherished husband, father, and esteemed dermatologist, passed away peacefully at his home in Longwood, Florida, on Dec. 6, 2024. Born on March 15, 1950, in Bucyrus, Ohio, Randy was the beloved son of the late Dr. and Mrs. Louis Coverman. Randy's academic journey led him to the University of Miami Medical School, where he earned his medical degree. He further honed his expertise in dermatology through a residency at UCLA, followed by specialized training... Full story
Gerson Lee Sacks was born in Burgettstown, PA, in 1936 to Isidore Benjamin and Sarah (Stone) Sacks, owners of the Sacks Department Store. He grew up known as "Sonny" with his older sister, Ruth (Chusid), who is deceased. He is survived by his former wife, Barbara (Kichline), the mother of his two sons, Jeffrey (Elizabeth) and Jonathan (Diana). His legacy also includes three grandchildren: Rebekah (11), Shane (10), and Benjamin (8). Additionally, he is survived by his longtime companion, Elinor... Full story
I was quite surprised and so sorry to hear of Harris’ death. Surprised, because I always pictured Harris to be invincible and that he would live forever. Sorry, because his loss leaves a great void not only in his family, but in the Orlando community at large, and certainly in the Orlando Jewish community. I expected his life to go on forever so that he could continue to do his unbelievable and role-model good deeds. I first met Harris right after he got to Orlando, introduced by Hy Lake, with the direction to solicit Harris for a gift to the J...
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — There are 34 Jews in the incoming Congress, with a 35th likely to join in April. Should that candidate, Florida State Sen. Randy Fine, win his special election in Florida, that would mean no change in numbers overall between the outgoing Congress and the incoming one: The House Jewish delegation will drop from 26 to 25, but the number of Jewish senators will increase from nine to a minyan. Dig a little deeper, though, and there are some changes — both in terms of new challenges and new opportunities for the Jewish class...
JewBelong to put up antisemitism awareness billboards during holidays (JNS) — December 2023 had the highest number of antisemitic incidents of any month last year, the Anti-Defamation League reported. The activist group JewBelong is attempting to make sure that doesn’t repeat itself this month. To that end, as of Dec. 9, the nonprofit organization is placing billboards on main roads near four airports in the United States: Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, Fort Laude...
What is going on and what are we seeing before our eyes? Is it real or is it just entertainment? As an American Conservative Jew, I grew up celebrating Jewish holidays in our dining room with my cousins. We’d get through the meal quickly and run off to the basement where we would watch movies. Every Rosh Hashanah we would watch “Grease” on the VCR and sing along with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. We knew all the songs all the dance moves. This was our joy. This was how we spent our time. Recently, while speaking with an American frien...
“The Night Sky Lined with Silver” by award-winning author Yvonne David is poised to become a cherished Chanukah classic for readers aged nine and up. The second book in the Apple Tree Series (though it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone), this heartfelt story follows the Bieman family as they adjust to Jewish life in the Catskill Mountains in 1938. With its rich narrative and historical backdrop, the novel weaves the timeless theme of Chanukah — the triumph of light over darkn...
(JNS) — Shortly after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Chris Atkins flew out of Ben Gurion International Airport. As news came through on his phone, the horrified Canadian filmmaker felt the urge to use his skills to tell the story of what was unfolding. His friend, the Egyptian-born, Canadian human rights advocate Majed El Shafie, felt the same way and hired a cameraman in Israel to document the atrocities. El Shafie asked Atkins to help sew the footage together. They agreed t...
