Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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This story originally appeared on Kveller. I know, I know. The shofar has finally stopped ringing in your ears, you’ve managed to get the honey out of the couch cushions and you are fully re-hydrated after Yom Kippur’s fast. You want to rest. I get it; I do, too. But hear me out. You may have thought we all peaked at some point during the third minute of “tekiyah gadolaaaaaaah,” but we most certainly have not. Welcome to my absolute favorite Jewish holiday: Sukkot. If you haven’t marked th...
This story was originally published on The Nosher. Stuffed cabbage rolls are a traditional Simchat Torah food because two of the little rolls side by side look like a Torah scroll. Even if your cabbage rolls come out in various sizes, you can place a big roll next to a small roll, and together they'll look just like a Torah at the end of the year, scrolled all the way to the end of Deuteronomy. Like soup, stuffed cabbage rolls taste just as good (if not better) the next day. So this recipe can...
(JNS) — Arab antisemitism is not a response to the creation of Israel, it is the driving force behind the Arab-Israeli conflict. Too many people reverse cause and effect. They blame the antisemitism suffered by world Jewry on the existence of Israel. This is the central thesis in Matthias Küntzel’s book “Nazis, Islamic Antisemitism and the Middle East,” newly published in an English translation. Küntzel, a German political scientist and historian, holds that the 1948 Arab-Israeli war was an aftershock of World War II and a direct result of...
(JTA) — If one were to imagine what the prophet Jonah saw on his way down into the gullet of the whale, it might be something like this: He slides feet first into its mouth on two inches of warm slime, the effluvia of a thousand squids past. Tooth sockets above him now, rancid black pits. Teeth passing on either side, yellowed cones, one missing, one fractured, one putrid with rot…The quaking cave of the mouth…His bare foot plants into a cold mash. The scene, however, is actually a passa...
Overweight in Beverly Hills? That's a misdemeanor. Overweight in show business? Ahh, that's practically a felony. That's the thesis of the hilarious fiction story "Once Upon a Time in Beverly Hills," written by first-time author Elaine Franklin. It is a blend of escapism and realism featuring two Jewish characters in a fun romp through the glamour and pitfalls of society and show biz. It is a "fine fairytale of three good friends and some magic," said one reviewer. The story centers around Joann...
(JNS) — A 1953 “coup put an end to the best hope for democratic secular politics in Iran during the 20th century,” stated Nader Hashemi during a recent Alternative Radio podcast titled “Iran: The Struggle for Democracy.” Hashemi, an American of Iranian ancestry, is the newly-installed director of Georgetown University’s Saudi-established Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Hashemi was appointed to this position after his anti-Israel conspiracy mongering made his presence on the faculty of the University...
(JTA) — Fat Choy was a critic’s pick for its flavorful, inventive vegan Chinese menu when it opened in Manhattan’s East Village in 2021. But pandemic and inflation pressures forced its closure the following year, and its chef, Justin Lee, considered exiting the kitchen to become a teacher. Now, Fat Choy has reopened in suburban New Jersey, with a Jewish partner and kosher certification. And this week, the restaurant landed on the New York Times’ 2023 Restaurant List — the 50 restaurants across the United States that the newspaper’s dining crit...
This story originally appeared in Hey Alma. I get a lot of odd looks when I tell people that my favorite day of the Jewish year is Yom Kippur. As Jewish holy days go, Yom Kippur exists at the complicated intersection of community observance, intense liturgy and heavy-hitting ritual expectations that can be - and for many people, is - a perfect storm of anxiety, pressure and guilt. From the traditional fast to the powerful language of the readings, Yom Kippur can bring up complicated feelings...
As you get older, a health care provider may recommend vaccinations, also known as shots or immunizations, to help prevent or curtail certain illnesses. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist about which of the following vaccines you need. Flu - Flu is short for influenza. It is a virus that can cause fever, chills, sore throat, stuffy nose, headache, and muscle aches. Flu is very serious when it gets in your lungs. Older adults are at a higher risk for developing serious complications from the flu, such as pneumonia. Flu is very contagious....
(JTA) — When Ryan Lavarnway joined Team Israel for the World Baseball Classic in 2017, the journeyman catcher chose jersey no. 36 not because of the number stitched onto the back, but because the shirt fit him best. But in the years since that tournament, any time Lavarnway has represented Israel, he’s stuck with 36, which holds meaning as a multiple of 18, a number that signifies life in Jewish tradition. That choice is emblematic of Lavarnway’s experience with Team Israel, one that he says...
(JTA) - Those who are Jewish or Phish fans - or both - have likely noticed at one point: Jews really seem to love Phish. There are many possible reasons for this, starting with the fact that the genre-bending jam band has many ardent fans of all stripes, having sold millions of albums and played to enormous festival crowds for decades. Two of the band members - bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman - are also Jewish, and the group has been known to play Jewish songs such as "Yerushalayim S...
This story originally appeared in The Nosher. When people deny themselves food for an extended period of time, they’re usually ravenously hungry and find themselves thinking about consuming huge amounts of food. But it’s not a good idea to pack it in too quickly. It’s too hard on your digestive system. So when Yom Kippur comes to a close, I make it easier for my family and friends and follow the age-old wisdom of transitioning from the fast to the main meal by offering my guests a light nibbl...
This story originally appeared in The Nosher. In “Full Moon Feast,” Jessica Prentice guides us through 13 lunar months and the foods grown and prepared within them in traditional cultures. At its core is the idea that food connects people to one another, to themselves and to the natural world. Prentice describes the lifecycle of Pacific salmon, who in early autumn are born in freshwater streams, spend their lives in the ocean and then journey back upstream to their birthplace to spawn the next generation. The salmon’s natural life cycle provi...
(JTA) - A film being billed as the first co-production by Israeli and Iranian filmmakers debuted at the Venice International Film Festival after a secretive production process that included a trip to Israel by the Iranian co-director. "Tatami," which received a standing ovation at the prestigious film competition, tells the story of a female Iranian judoka champion who is ordered to fake an injury to avoid facing an Israeli opponent at a judo championship. The story is loosely based on the 2019...
(JTA) - An historic wartime photography partnership from the 1940s - often credited as the first to capture many of the horrors of the Holocaust - is getting the Hollywood treatment. Kate Winslet stars in "Lee" as model-turned-wartime-photojournalist Lee Miller, who often worked alongside David E. Scherman, a Jewish photographer portrayed in the film by Jewish actor and comedian Andy Samberg. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last weekend. Miller, then employed by...
In mid-2021, as the COVID pandemic raged, high school student Lily Messing noticed that the social ills plaguing her native Tucson, Arizona - including domestic violence, drug abuse and homelessness - all seemed to be getting worse. Meanwhile, Jake Hammerman, a teenager in Lafayette, California, a suburb in the San Francisco Bay area, saw firsthand how the pandemic exacerbated the challenges facing homebound seniors, many of whom were isolated to begin with. Determined to do something to help,...
(JTA) - To prepare for their role in creating Adam Sandler's latest movie, crew members hit the Toronto bar and bat mitzvah circuit. Production designer Perry Blake and set decorator Julia Altschul, guided by a local consultant on the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony, crashed 10 parties within a matter of weeks. "We saw how amazing and big and outlandish and extravagant they were," Blake told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "With a movie, you usually set your sights high - bigger than the real...
Appropriate use of assistive devices can prevent falls. These devices may include canes, walkers, and reachers. A physical or occupational therapist can help you select the correct device and teach you how to use it. Canes — A cane may help you feel more stable when you walk. Different types of canes are available. Some have grips made of foam or that fit the shape of your hand. Many canes can be adjusted, but some cannot. You need to be taught what length cane is best for you. Walkers — A walker will help you stay balanced by giving you a wide...
This story originally appeared in The Nosher. Ruffle milk pie is a Greek dessert made with a simple custard base and rose-like coils of phyllo dough. It’s a type of galatopita (Greek for pie made with milk) that is very similar to the Middle Eastern dessert muakacha (Arabic for wrinkle), which is also known as a crinkle cake. Crinkle cakes had a viral TikTok moment last year, and it’s obvious why ruffle pies have become so popular: they’re easy to make and result in a gorgeous, golden brown dess...
This story originally appeared on The Nosher. Most of my American Jewish friends ate brisket, kugel and babka at their family High Holiday feasts. I often imagined what that would be like, curious about the dishes that were so popular with my friends but were never served in my own home. In my Soviet immigrant family, our holiday meals looked quite different. Typically, my maternal grandmother, Mira, hosted both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at her home. These meals always had a very specific...
This story originally appeared on Kveller. “Don’t you dare,” I said, just milliseconds before a red matchbox car came catapulting toward my head. I scowled at my 2-year-old and gave him a stern finger-waggle. Without hesitating, he trotted over, touched my arm gently and said, “Sorry.” I should have been pleased, right? But my toddler’s saccharine “sorry” (pronounced “sowwy”) was devoid of remorse. Were he capable of a genuine apology, he probably wouldn’t have thrown the stupid car at me in the first place. I should add that a few minutes la...
(JTA) — Days after Elon Musk threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League for billions of dollars and amplified a hashtag spread by white supremacists, the ADL’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, praised Musk’s business acumen but called his behavior “frustrating” and said he was spreading “age-old tropes” around blaming Jews for antisemitism. “I’ve always tried to treat Elon and everyone at the company with respect and forthright manner and a constructive approach. I would do that again,” Greenblatt told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “The truth is th...
Old-fashioned apple dumplings are made with peeled and cored-out apples that get encased in pastry or biscuit crust and are baked until golden and tender. For hundreds of years, apple dumplings have remained a classic comfort food both in the States and across the pond in England. Descriptions of this dish appear as far back as the early 1700s, and apple dumplings were famously Thomas Edison’s favorite food. This dessert has remained popular in the United States for hundreds of years, from New E...
This story originally appeared in The Nosher. We grew up in Barcelona, Spain. Not exactly your typical Jewish upbringing, and while we loved the beautiful city, it could be difficult and isolating during the Jewish holidays. Nevertheless, we managed to form a tight-knit group each year with our aunt, uncle and cousins who enjoyed the festive Syrian-Lebanese style food our talented mother prepared for us. The main meal itself was amazing, but it was the symbolic foods we ate before the main meal...
(JNS) - Dutch forensic investigators have identified the remains of a man executed by the Nazis in the Netherlands eight decades ago as that of a Jewish resistance hero after locating a cousin in Australia, investigators said on Wednesday. Bernard Luza, 39, was killed by a firing squad in 1943 after he and hundreds of other Jews were arrested following a raid on a factory in northern Amsterdam on Nov. 11, 1942. His body was discovered in 1945 in a grave with four others, buried at a shooting...
