Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) — On Oct. 27, the fourth anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, hatred of Jews was a palpably inescapable reality in America—from the Kanye West scandal, to a series of anti-Semitic incidents in Los Angeles, to the discourse surrounding the U.N. Commission of Inquiry. Yet those in search of a more uplifting message on that same day could find one at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, Calif., where a delegation from the Sharaka NGO participated in a town hall meeting to art...
New York, NY — Dianne Lob, Chair, and William Daroff, CEO, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement: “We commend President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken for reiterating the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and for encouraging its greater use and adoption as an essential tool to combat antisemitism. “On Nove. 4, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price stated: ‘The United States unequivocally condemns...
(JTA) — As Kanye West extended his antisemitic spree by tweeting about Jewish agents in Hollywood, the rocker John Mellencamp took the stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and said this about his longtime lawyer: “Allen is Jewish.” The line began an impassioned speech about the importance of non-Jews standing up for Jewish people at a time of antisemitism and anxiety for many of them, especially as white supremacists have taken up West’s comments as a rallying cry. Mellencamp was speaking on behalf of Allen Grubman, a prominent music i...
“Four Bam, One Crack, Six Dot.” Generations of Mah Jongg players and their children and grandchildren recognize the names of the small decorated tiles used in the Chinese game that found a devoted American audience among Jewish women. For thousands of Jewish women from the city, the suburbs and the Catskills alike, the weekly Mah Jongg games, with their friendly wagers, were as much a ritual as lighting Friday night Shabbat candles. Nearly synonymous with the playing were the ring jells, Bridge mix, Entenmann’s coffee cake and other iconi...
Did you know that some of America's most popular candies (Tootsie Rolls! Peeps! Peanut Chews!) were invented by Jews? How and why this came to pass is a remarkable tale that needs no sugarcoating. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Jewish beet farmers throughout the Russian empire produced the bulk of the sugar necessary to satisfy the high demand of the European market. When many of these impoverished farmers fled their shetls at the turn of the 20th century and immigrated to the United States, th...
After reconciling with someone is a good time to sit back and reflect. The journey to forgiveness has shown what doesn't work, but you still may not know what could work. For example, what could be done to manage your temper or react to someone else's temper, to avoid reacting negatively next time? Now would be the time to learn a new skill to help handle these situations. Do some research. Ask someone you know who has struggled with the same concern. You might be surprised to hear what helped...
(JTA) – Trish Adlesic was visiting her father in Pittsburgh on the day a gunman walked into the city's Tree of Life synagogue building and murdered 11 people. Almost immediately, the director started filming her surroundings with the aim of producing a documentary about the tragedy, bringing on a Tree of Life congregant, Eric Schuman, as an editor and producer. Drawing on her own experiences conducting "trauma-informed" interviews, Adlesic reached out to survivors hoping to create "a platform fo...
Jews have played a major part in inventing, creating, and running companies. Here are three early industry game-changers. Levi Strauss: Jeans from Jewish Genes Bavarian immigrant to the U.S. Levi Loeb Strauss (1829-1902), in partnership with Latvian-born inventor, Jacob W. Davis (1831–1908), and Levi's brother in-law, David Stern (1820-1875), also from Bavaria founded Levi Strauss & Co following the "creation" of the ubiquitous jeans by Strauss and Davis. Levi Strauss arrived on American soil i...
(JTA) — Two weeks ago, Ariel Elias, then a little-known standup comedian performing at a club in New Jersey, had a beer thrown at her head from a group of Trump-supporting hecklers who discovered she voted for Joe Biden. After the beer smashed against the brick wall behind her, she picked up the splattered can and chugged its remaining contents. It made for a very viral video and caught the attention of comedians from Whitney Cummings to Jimmy Kimmel, prompting the latter to invite her onto his late-night talk show. “I’m Jewish and from Kentu...
(JTA) - As rap star Kanye West continually refuses to back down from his antisemitic rants, some of the many institutions he has ties with have begun to jump ship. The fashion tastemakers Balenciaga and Vogue have announced they will no longer be working with him. Hollywood talent giant CAA has dropped him, and a planned documentary about him has been scrapped. But one formidable company remained, until recently, in West's corner: Adidas. Despite the German sportswear conglomerate's...
Hatred of Jews has been a feature of world history for centuries. But only in the late 19th century did a new specific word emerge to describe it. What prompted the coining of the neologism “antisemitism” was the perception of an altered relationship between Jews and the peoples among whom they lived that could not accurately be described as mere “Judeophobia” or “Jew-hatred.” The need for a new word affected not just self-identified antisemites. It was recognized by Jews and non-Jews throughout Europe and wherever Europeans settled in...
(JTA) - Jewish sports fans, regardless of sport or team preference, share one universal experience: discovering new players and immediately wondering, "Are they Jewish?" For decades, two men have provided the answers. Since 1997, Ephraim Moxson and Shel Wallman produced the Jewish Sports Review, a print-only, bimonthly magazine identifying Jewish athletes from college through professional sports. They rarely wrote in-depth profiles, and used few photos. The magazine's calling card was its...
Coming Nov. 12 – 15 is the 24th annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival. This year's shows are back to the normal in-person viewings at the Enzian Theatre, except the opening night film, "Greener Pastures," and the closing night film, "Persian Lessons," which will be shown at the Orlando Science Center Digital Adventure Theater. Also back is the Mensch Pass (limited quantity) for $118, which includes all six programs and First Priority Seating with doors opening 30 minutes early; the S...
NEW YORK — The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity is launching a new impact-driven philanthropic strategy to advance human rights around the world. The Foundation, led by Elisha and Marion Wiesel, will adopt a hybrid approach that will not only grant funds but also work with organizations directly as partners, offering access to innovative thinking partners and acting as an emblematic megaphone to champion their cause. The Foundation’s recalibrated grant-making program will seek to fund organizations that embody Nobel Peace Prize winner Eli...
(JNS) The Biden administration's ambassador to Israel Tom Nides has a tough act to follow. Predecessor David Friedman was the Trump administration's point person for major U.S. policy shifts in Israel's favor, including the move of the embassy to Jerusalem, recognition of Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights, and the signing of the historic Abraham Accords by Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. For Israel's center-right majority, the Trump administration provided a...
I asked for forgiveness, they've accepted my apology, now what? The journey of forgiveness doesn't end there. You think you've figured out the patterns and triggers that caused the issue in the first place. Now it's time to take the next step ... reconciliation! Listen to one another to adjust where you can and try to not let the issue happen again. If you and your partner keep having a fight about finances, try building out a budget together or talk about their perspectives. Be honest with...
A poll conducted by the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values and OneMessage Public Strategies reveals that self-identified “Progressives” and “Very Liberals” carry views far removed from the rest of the electorate, particularly on the Jewish community. In addition to domestic issues, those polled were asked their views on Israel and the current state of antisemitism in America. Seventy eight percent of self-identified Progressives and 81 percent of self-identified Very Liberals believe Jewish Americans have “unfair advantages” that need to be...
(JTA) — In 1892, an Oklahoma preacher born into slavery received a series of divine revelations that compelled him to launch a new church and, with it, a new religious movement in the United States: Black Israelism, better known as the Black Hebrew Israelite movement. More than a century later, the movement’s central tenet — that African Americans are the genealogical descendants of the ancient Israelites — has repeatedly found its way into popular culture through the expressions of non-Jewish African-American entertainers and athletes such as...
Ask a friend. When contemplating forgiveness, either asking for or giving, identifying the cause can be useful, especially if it is a deeper-rooted issue. There might be a pattern or trigger within yourself or another that you may be unaware of. Sometimes getting another perspective can help identify things we do not see. A friend, someone who knows you well and you can trust, can give you honest insight and an outsider’s perspective. The key, however, is to not get defensive when they give y...
By Tova Friedman A beloved dish “made the old-fashioned way” with lots of mushrooms. In “Honey Cake & Latkes: Recipes from the Old World by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors,” Tova Friedman writes, “My late husband’s favorite food was tzimmes, but he also shared his family’s recipe for kasha varnishkes. So from the time I had my own family and had children, we always used to prepare tzimmes and varnishkes. This is the “old-fashioned” way to make it: with lots of mushrooms.” This hearty dish is...
My mother's stuffed cabbage is one of my favorite dishes in the world. She makes it with ground beef and rice and simmers the stuffed cabbage leaves in a rich, savory tomato sauce. I could eat trays of it. My late grandmother used to make a vegetarian version, hers included rice, mushrooms, and barley. The sauce was sweeter than my mother's, leaning a little more to the Polish side of tradition, where sweet foods are more prevalent. I could also eat trays of her stuffed cabbage and I savored...
(JNS) — The women and men of Iran are fed up with the regime and are risking their lives for the future of their children, Dr. Sheila Nazarian says. Nazarian, a plastic surgeon, is the star of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Skin Decision” and a passionate social media activist. In the latest episode of “Global perspectives,” she and host Ellie Cohanim discuss the protests in Iran, anti-Semitism and what it means to be an immigrant in the United States. “I’ve never been prouder of my Iranian heritage, seeing my people stand up for what they...
(JTA) - It is rare that one can say attending a funeral was an uplifting experience. Yet the funeral Thursday for Judah Samet, who died Sept. 27, 2022, was exactly that, because remembering Judah can bring only positive feelings. He was a teacher of Torah at his Tree of Life synagogue, possessor of a unique and vigorous voice and sense of humor, veteran of the paratroop division of the Israeli army, lover of Golden Grahams, generous tipper and possessor of what he termed a "Bergen-Belsen...
Get to the root of the problem. The process of forgiveness can oftentimes start a bigger conversation surrounding the underlying issue that might have caused the event or disagreement you're apologizing for in the first place. First, try looking for patterns or triggers. For example, the common factor each time you get in an argument with your partner might be finances. Identifying it as the source of the issue will help you both build empathy and trust, making it easier to understand each...
(JNS) - Jewish actress Mila Kunis has charmed millions of fans around the world, but did she charm her way into America? After a screening of her new film "Luckiest Girl Alive" at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan on Sept. 29, the star who rose to fame playing Jackie Burkhart on "That '70s Show" told the crowd that, as a child, she strolled into the office of the woman who was to decide if her family would be allowed to go to the U.S. They'd been at the American embassy in Moscow for about 16...
