Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA) - "A Complete Unknown," the new Bob Dylan biopic set in the early 1960s, ends years before the singer's controversial "gospel" period. Starting with 1979's "Slow Train Coming," Dylan recorded three albums exploring his apparent embrace of Christianity. For his 1980 tour, he played gospel music exclusively. It was a confusing time for Dylan's Jewish fans. As the movie suggests only obliquely, the guitar-carrying hitchhiker who tried to pass himself off as a former carnival barker was...
The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society will screen the award-winning documentary film "Xueta Island" at the St. Augustine Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave, St. Augustine, FL 32084 on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at 4 p.m. The documentary is about the crypto-Jews among the Balearic Islands. Evidence is strong that crypto-Jews came to St. Augustine from New Smyrna Beach along with many other Menorcans in 1777. Descendants of those crypto-Jewish Menorcans live in St. Augustine to this very day. The...
My day starts at the crack of dawn. I hear the rooster across the street at 5 a.m. My alarm goes off after I open my eyes. I push “snooze” until 5:05. Then again until 5:10. At 5:15 I swing my legs over the side of the bed and drag myself up. Bathroom, teeth, get dressed, lace up walking shoes. At 5:25 I walk downstairs. The dogs have galloped into the “stairs room” and are waiting for me on the other side of the gate. We have two gates, to keep them downstairs. They’ve jumped over them a few times, but generally they stay put. They follow me...
THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, has gained attention for its potential in pain management, particularly in the form of THC-infused gummies. These gummies offer a convenient and discreet way to consume THC, potentially reducing pain without the harmful effects associated with smoking. However, it’s crucial to approach edibles with caution, starting with a low dose and gradually increasing to avoid adverse effects. Unlike smoking, which delivers almost instantaneous effects, edibles can take one to two hours to kick in. This d...
No, we didn’t have Santa Claus come down our chimney this year. First of all, we don’t HAVE a chimney. And, being Jewish, Santa doesn’t usually visit our home anyway. Instead, as we awaited the first night of Chanukah, which fell on Christmas Day this year, for only the fourth time in the last 100 years and the first time since 2005. Instead, we had another not-so-lovely visitor to our home. The week before the holiday, while driving ‘my” Kia Sportage, Larry and I noticed that the windshield wiper fluid wasn’t coming out when we tried to ac...
(JTA) - Some Jewish stories of the last year have been impossible to miss: Israel at war, antisemitism around the world, a U.S. presidential election featuring Jewish politicians. Others may have slipped under the radar, drowned out by the drumbeat of breaking news. Here, we draw your attention to eight such stories, starting with one we published at the very beginning of the year. The magical life of Albert Levis, a scholar of storytelling who has his own improbable tale Albert Levis, in his la...
(JNS) - Last August marked the centennial of the birth of author Leon Uris, yet it passed with little commemoration in the Jewish cultural sphere. This absence is understandable as world Jewry is likely facing its greatest challenges since the end of World War II or, at least, since 1967. Many of us felt despair before the turning point in Israel's war with Hezbollah. Even now, we grieve for the hostages, and for family members and friends who served in Gaza or Southern Lebanon. Still, it is...
(JNS) - Anna hugs a battery-powered cat named Ginger. Seeing the social, friendly and positive child full of hugs, one would never guess the horrors she experienced during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre. How she hid for hours as she waited for someone to rescue her while her mother's bloody body blocked the closet door where she hid, and her father's lifeless body lay just a few feet away. We've read the headlines and stories. We remember those who were interviewed, giving voice to their...
(JTA) — Last December, in a column about the Jewish books of 2023, I predicted that “next year’s list will include a slew of books dealing with the crisis in Israel or will be read through the lens of the war.” It was an easy call: If this year’s nonfiction Jewish authors didn’t focus directly on the tragedy or aftermath of Oct. 7 — Israeli journalist Lee Yaron in “10/7: 100 Human Stories,” massacre survivor Amir Tibon in “The Gates of Gaza” and Adam Kirsch in “On Settler Colonialism: Id...
Identifying the signs of stress is crucial for maintaining well-being, especially as people age. Listen to your body’s cues, whether it’s tension headaches, muscle tightness, or a constant feeling of unease. Taking proactive steps to counter these effects is key. Try deep breathing exercises, take a leisurely walk, or simply carve out a moment to focus on relaxation techniques. Prioritize your time for self-care Carving out time for yourself is not selfish – it’s necessary for maintaining balance and vitality. Incorporate daily routine...
Park Avenue Synagogue’s senior cantor, Azi Schwartz, may already be leader at one of Manhattan’s most venerable Conservative congregations, but following a recent Shabbat service, it appears that the synagogue’s musical output may become even more … popular. On Dec. 7, Schwartz, along with his colleague, Assistant Cantor Mira Davis, premiered a new version of “Adon Olam” — a prayer that traditionally concludes Shabbat morning services — set to the tune “Popular” from the hit Broadway musical-tu...
On Dec. 12, a terrorist opened fire on a passenger bus on Route 60, just north of the Jerusalem tunnels. The bus continued to the security checkpoint before getting assistance. Twenty-three bullets hit the bus and three people were injured. The young boy in this photo was killed. Just him. Out of 23 bullets, only one person was killed. Miracle? Our rescue medics (Hatzalah) were at the scene quickly. We were not qui k enough to save the one boy though. We don’t always succeed. It is a hard part of the work. Take a look at the photo. Not just a...
in Munich, and in that city, he said, "this tragedy is still very present." One through-line in the film is that the Olympics, the first to take place in Germany since the Games Hitler hosted in 1936, were meant to "welcome to the world to a new Germany," in the words of a German official, at a time when World War II and the Holocaust were still in living memory for most people. Mark Spitz, a Jewish American swimmer, won seven gold medals, and the producers are depicted discussing whether to...
Chanukah Star Cookies, Hamantaschen base This recipe makes 15 5-inch large stars, 25 3-inch small stars or about 20 Hamantaschen. Ingredients 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 egg 2 3/4 scant cups flour 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar Beat until consistency for spreading, adding 1/4 tsp. milk as needed. Divide frosting in half. To one half, mix in 1-2 drops blue food coloring. Have a few small...
(JNS)- For years, Manischewitz has sold potato latke mixes, whether vegetable, low-salt or gluten-free. This year, the 136-year-old company joins other kosher purveyors, like Golden, in offering the product. The company's new frozen latkes will make Jewish cuisine more accessible to everyday consumers, Shani Seidman, chief marketing officer of Kayco, Manischewitz's parent company, told JNS. "When you think about Manischewitz over the past 130 years, it has always been associated with the...
It’s Chanukah. But it doesn’t feel like it so much. My one boy, the eldest, has finally finished his reserve service. now what? Now he is planning an overseas trip with his friend, a common plan for Israeli soldiers exiting their army service. My second boy who has been in Gaza, then Lebanon, then Syria, then the Golan Heights, tells me he is coming home this afternoon. So, I have to ready his bed, get the laundry done so the machine is clear for his things, make food, and make sure there are things he likes. I want to share greetings and ble...
By Izzy Salant (JNS) - "One day, I was going to be murdered by Hamas, and today, James Harden and the Clippers are applauding me," Omer Bilansky, general manager of a basketball league for high-school-aged children in the Eshkol region of Israel, tells Rabbi Erez Sherman, senior rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, on the court at Intuit Dome, the Clippers' home arena. On the jumbotron, both are shown wearing black T-shirts that read "Clippers Community Heroes" with labels to match, as the...
(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...
