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...
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...
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...
Several community members from Orlando and Central Florida united with 2,500 proud Zionists at Jewish National Fund-USA's Global Conference for Israel in Dallas, fueling torches of light that continue to shine brightly even in these darkest of times. The delegation included philanthropists, pro-Israel community members of all faiths and from 10 different countries, long-time Jewish National Fund-USA partners (donors), rabbis, clergy, and cantors who attended the conference's Rabbinical Summit,...
(JNS) - The earliest known Chinese inscription in Israel from about 500 years ago has been uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Tuesday. (Spoiler alert: It didn't say "Made in China.") The rare 16th century CE Chinese inscription, unearthed in a dig on Mount Zion and discovered on a porcelain bowl fragment, reads: "Forever we will guard the eternal spring," the state-archaeological body said. Ancient Chinese porcelain vessels were previously found in Israel, but...
Last night in Alei Zahav, a large community in the Shomron, we met with a large group of medics from the region, to distribute equipment. Specifically, medic bags. These were newly trained medics, who went through their three-month training period, which we require after they complete the six-month, 200+ hour course. In the three-month training period, they get supervised real-life experience in the field. We don’t throw anyone into the field fresh and new. Among the attendees at the g...
The ballroom at Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs was abuzz with excitement as 100 guests gathered on Monday, Dec. 2, for Jewish Pavilion Senior Services' Annual JP Connections Hanukah Luncheon. The event delivered on its promise of gourmet cuisine, festive holiday shopping, and a heartfelt celebration of volunteerism. The highlight of the luncheon was the recognition of Joan Walker as Volunteer of the Year. Walker delivered an inspiring speech that resonated deeply with the audience, sharing...
In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of shopping and festivities. Yet, amidst the chaos, there lies a simple yet profound opportunity to bring warmth and joy to the lives of seniors in our communities. A gesture as small as gifting a cozy blanket or an engaging large-print book can illuminate the holiday season for a senior, wherever they may reside. Imagine the smile that spreads across a senior’s face as they unwrap your thoughtful gift, accompanied by a heartfelt, handwritten note exp...
For newlyweds Erwin and Selma Diwald, getting out of Austria wasn't a choice. It was a necessity. Their daughter, Frances "Francie" Mendelsohn, shared their fascinating story. Despite the undertones of antisemitism and the looming threats coming from Hitler's rise in Germany, the two young Jews had lived comfortable, family- centered lives in the beautiful city of Vienna prior to their meeting at a cousin's wedding in 1936. Bettina and Sigmund Diwald had welcomed their first child, Erwin, in 190...
Part II (JTA) - In 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, burying the nearby Roman city of Pompeii in scalding stone and ash. The catastrophe famously entombed, and preserved, the city's villas, workshops, and a gladiator barracks known as the Caserma dei Gladiatori. Excavators first unearthed the barracks in the late 1700s. Among the ruins they found a bronze helmet, with a circular brim, a griffin rising from its crest, and on its forehead, a palm tree - then a symbol tied to Jews...
(JNS) — It is a world-class understatement to say that these are challenging times for the Jewish people, particularly for Jewish youth. Hundreds of thousands of young and not-so-young people in Israel have had to take up arms for more than a year against murderous enemies. Their American counterparts, particularly those on university campuses, while not having to tote weapons, are, in their way, also fighting a war against another implacable foe. “Blind Spot,” a newly released independently produced film, focuses on the virulence of the antis...
(JNS) - A survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught on Israel delivered powerful testimony about her 54 days in captivity as she faced off with a student protest leader at a campus debate at the University of California, Los Angeles. The confrontation, captured in a video segment from earlier this year that was released on Monday by The Gr8 Debate and filmed by Trusted Confidential Coverage, brought together former hostage Moran Stella Yanai, UCLA encampment leader Aidan Doyle and Mosab...
(New York Jewish Week) - In the new comic book, "We Are Brooklyn: Stories of Hope," Francil Tejada shares her story about the Dominican Republic, where she was born, and the death of her grandmother, which inspired her to change how she connects with people and shows love. It's a personal story, a Brooklyn story and an American story - one of six being told through an anti-hate project initiated by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Others tell stories about an imam's trip to Au...
*A glimpse of Jewish Italy Thanks to a wonderful tour director, a great itinerary, and perfect weather, our recent trip to Italy was all that we had hoped for and more. We stayed in medieval buildings that had been converted to hotels, drove the stunning Amalfi coast, made our way through the Coliseum, tread over the ancient streets in Pompeii, enjoyed wine tasting in Umbria and Tuscany, climbed numerous stairs to churches and bell towers, and rode on a gondola in Venice. We enjoyed fabulous...
Part I (JTA) - In 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, burying the nearby Roman city of Pompeii in scalding stone and ash. The catastrophe famously entombed, and preserved, the city's villas, workshops, and a gladiator barracks known as the Caserma dei Gladiatori. Excavators first unearthed the barracks in the late 1700s. Among the ruins they found a bronze helmet, with a circular brim, a griffin rising from its crest, and on its forehead, a palm tree - then a symbol tied to Jews in...
(JNS) - Thrown into a tank after being riddled with seven bullets in Gaza, the 23-year-old Israeli soldier kept his hand on his mortally wounded Dutch Shepherd through the entire ride to the hospital, even as he drifted into unconsciousness. "I kept hoping that he was OK even as I felt my organs were popping out of my body," Ben Ladany told JNS in an interview in Herzliya on Wednesday of his beloved IDF counter-terrorism dog, Jack. For the next two months, Ladany lay in an induced comatose at...
(JNS) - On several recent flights in the United States, I was rather surprised, and somewhat bemused, to see full-page ads in the airline magazines for a matchmaking service. In fact, there was more than one such service being advertised. Who would believe that in the sophisticated 21st-century, old Yente-the matchmaker from "Fiddler on the Roof"-is being resurrected? "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch." Oh, the ad was very slick and professional, but...
(JNS) - Phil McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, isn't Jewish. But the trained clinical psychologist and host of the popular eponymous talk show told JNS exclusively that his staunch support of Israel is "really not anything other than just duty to me." "Everybody should be doing what I'm doing," he said. Dr. Phil has denounced Jew-hatred on his show, in interviews and in filmed segments. He told JNS that he was "appalled at the silence from so many people," including colleagues and fellow...
The Maccabee Bar Association of Florida is hosting a virtual event open and free to nonmembers featuring Ken Feinberg, author of “What is Life Worth?” Known for his transformative work on the high-profile 9/11 compensation cases, he will discuss insights on valuing personal injuries and lives. It will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21, at noon on zoom. Ken Feinberg is a man with a deep sense of equity, and fairness, based on a value system learned in his Jewish household. He has an endless supply of wisdom to share and is not afraid to address any...
