Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 4328
Dr. John Jenkins, a neurosurgeon at Orlando Neurosurgery in Orlando, is devoted to the people and state of Israel and has made a monetary pledge to help those who are suffering on the moshavs in southern Israel. Because of the impact on him of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacres, Dr. Jenkins has pledged a $50,000 matching grant for donations to moshav Ein Habesor in southern Israel, near the Gaza border. Through a Christian charity called City Serve, Israel, his donation is earmarked to help ease the...
Nancy Meisenberg is on a mission – to get the word out about how to help Israel in its recovery from the ongoing war. With many ways to help, how can anyone know what organization to trust, what to do, how to donate? There are also so many needs in Israel - the moshavs that border Gaza are still in disarray, their fields need tending; trauma centers are full to capacity with soldiers and civilians dealing with their emotions and PTSD; the basic needs of the IDF; this list goes on. Meisenberg dec...
Years ago, something went wrong late in a friend's much-wanted pregnancy. If her fetus continued to develop, it would either kill her or leave her unable to have future children. Her father, a respected Orthodox rabbi and scholar, advised her to have an abortion. Though a loving father, his decision was based on Jewish law. Judaism is a pro-life faith, but not in the way anti-abortionists mean. In Judaism, the mother's life and health always come first because human life begins at birth. Until...
(JTA) — Christopher Columbus was likely Jewish, Spanish researchers have announced in a splashy new documentary aired on Spain’s national broadcaster on Saturday. According to the documentary, the researchers spent 22 years researching Columbus’ national origins before concluding that bones buried in a Seville cathedral are in fact the famed explorer’s — and that his DNA suggests that he likely came from a Jewish family. “We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son,” the le...
(JTA) - When the NBA season tipped off on Tuesday, there were three Jewish players taking the court - the same trio who were in the league last year - though one is still finding out where he will be playing. Two of those players - Deni Avdija and Amari Bailey - have changed uniforms, while All-Star Domantas Sabonis is entering his fourth season with the Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile, Ryan Turell, who played in the minor G League last season, and Abby Meyers, who appeared in nine WNBA games in 202...
Knee pain can be debilitating, but there are various treatment options available to provide relief. Here’s a breakdown of some common methods: 1. Corticosteroid Shots: Administered up to four times a year, these shots combine a steroid (Cortisone) with a numbing agent. These injections offer fast, temporary relief during flare-ups by reducing inflammation. While generally safe and effective, overuse can lead to knee cartilage deterioration. Individuals with diabetes or metabolic conditions should be cautious as these shots may increase blood s...
(JTA) - How are we supposed to celebrate Simchat Torah this year with a full heart? The very name of this holiday - "the joy of the Torah," celebrating the completion of the annual Torah cycle - connotes an emotion we cannot fully inhabit on the anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of Hamas's brutal attack on Israel. I vividly remember standing in shul last year, wondering how we might celebrate with the Torah as the news trickled in. The rabbi kept updating us with the news of more and more...
(JTA) - ASHEVILLE, North Carolina - My backyard is perfect for a sukkah. I can walk right off the deck into my yard, which is surrounded by my garden and the autumnal woods. There is easy access to the kitchen and to the stars. Last year, my first in my new home here in this beautiful mountain town, I was away for much of the weeklong Sukkot holiday helping someone I care about who needed me. So I was excited to buy the building materials and make use of my space for the first time this fall....
By Shira Li Bartov (JTA) - In "White Bird," a long-anticipated film about a Jewish girl who is rescued by her classmate in Nazi-occupied France, the Holocaust is fertile ground for teaching children how to be good. The movie is a spinoff of "Wonder" (2017), a modern-day story about a middle schooler seeking to fit in despite his facial differences. "White Bird" opens with that boy's bully, Julian (Bryce Gheisar), but the real hero is his grandmother Sara (played in the present day by Helen...
(JTA) - When basketball superstar Stephen Curry sunk a series of three-point shots to help Team USA clinch the Olympic gold medal in Paris this summer, it's unlikely the four-time NBA champion was thinking about Abe Saperstein. But as a new biography of the trailblazing Jewish basketball executive suggests, Curry had plenty of reasons to be grateful to Saperstein, who is best known as the founder and longtime head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters. Saperstein, who at 5-foot-3 is the shortest...
(JNS) - The Museum of the Bible on Tuesday unveiled what it says is the oldest Hebrew book ever discovered, dating to the 8th century and originating with Jews living in a Buddhist civilization in modern-day Afghanistan. Located in Washington, D.C., just two blocks south of the National Mall, the institution opened the exhibit, titled "Sacred Words: Revealing the Earliest Hebrew Book." It runs through Jan. 12, 2025. It will also make a stop in New York at the library of the Jewish Theological...
(JNS) - "We are Zionists and pro-Israel. We want to turn the Negev green and this looks like a way to do so," Avi Leitner, the president of the Blue Agave Israel Group, told JNS on Monday. Leitner and his partner Avi Rosenfeld went to Mexico together years ago and discovered the secret behind producing high-end tequila-the blue agave plant. The two visited areas in Mexico where farmers grow agave and identified similarities in weather conditions there and in the Negev Desert. Six years ago,...
Scammers are always looking for new ways to target seniors. Here are six of the most common scams to watch out for: 1. Check Tampering: Scammers intercept paper checks from mailboxes, erase the ink, and rewrite the amount and payee information. They also digitally alter stolen checks to appear genuine, often using voice recordings to authenticate phone transactions. 2. Voice Printing: Fraudsters record seniors’ voices and use software to create convincing imitations, enabling them to impersonate victims and access sensitive accounts like i...
(JTA) - As a gender historian and scholar of intermarriage, I binge-watched the new Netflix series "Nobody Wants This" with a combination of foreboding and optimism. Depictions of romances between Jewish men and Christian women have been ubiquitous in popular culture since "The Jazz Singer" in 1927 as Jewish men in Hollywood depicted their own lived experiences. Having analyzed popular culture over a century, I was concerned that I would see familiar tropes, but I also hoped that there would be...
(JTA) - "Nobody Wants This," a rom-com Netflix series starring Adam Brody as a charming Los Angeles rabbi who falls for a blond, agnostic sex and dating podcaster played by Kristen Bell, is based on a true story - kind of. Erin Foster, the creator of the show, is a blond Los Angeles native who found her match in a Jew, albeit not a rabbi - her husband is record-label owner Simon Tikhman - and converted for him. Like her protagonist Joanne (Bell), she also "got the ick" when her Jewish then-boyfr...
(JTA) - The latest Israeli film on Netflix has a setting and theme that, one year after Oct. 7, could not be more current: It centers on soldiers ending their service by volunteering at a kibbutz on the Gaza border. "Kissufim" paints a portrait of Israeli life as it oscillates through phases of trauma and hope - including a near-death scene as someone dances. It was filmed in August 2021, more than two years before Hamas unleashed an attack on southern Israeli communities, including the real-lif...
(JTA) — In 2001, Yom Kippur fell on Sept. 26, two weeks after the terror attacks that brought down the World Trade Center. By then, the major denominations had already written special prayers to be said during Yizkor, a prayer service in memory of the dead. The Reform movement posted a prayer in the style of the liturgy said for Jewish “martyrs” and Holocaust victims during the traditional service. “Remember all those who were lost in the terror of that day,” it read. “Grant their families peace and comfort for Your name’s sake.” Yom Ki...
(JTA) — It’s been days since Hurricane Helene struck her community, and the CEO of Jewish Greenville still doesn’t know who is OK and who still needs help. “It’s very much a crisis situation for many people here,” Courtney Tessler told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, about the Jewish community she serves in South Carolina’s upstate region. “Our focus right now is just confirming the safety and identifying the immediate needs,” she said. “Without power and without Internet, and with spotty cel...
During the 2023 Daytona 500 race, a group of Nazi wannabees called the Goyim Defense League displayed antisemitic messages from the “Welcome to Daytona Beach” walkway, drawing attention to themselves standing on the bridge, waving to cars passing below. They also projected vile antisemitic messages on the Daytona International Speedway façade. Shortly after this event, residents in Ormond Beach awoke to find plastic baggies by their front doors, which held wood chips that were supposed to repr...
It’s genetic. It’s a life-time achievement award. It’s inevitable. Choose all or some or one of the above. Along with cataracts, high cholesterol, worn-out knees, and numerous aches and pains that come with age, we can add hearing loss. According to a 2021 study by the National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorder, approximately 28.8 million American adults need hearing aids. Unfortunately, only one in six does something about it. My husband decided to be one of them. Larry’s problems began a few years back. His inabili...
As caregivers, we often find ourselves in situations that test our patience and emotional resilience. Caring for a loved one can be rewarding, but it can also be emotionally taxing leading to feelings of frustration and anger. It’s crucial to recognize and address these emotions constructively to maintain our well-being and provide the best care possible. Here are some valuable tips for managing caregiver anger: 1. Take a Walk: When you feel yourself on the brink of saying or doing something you might regret, take a step back. A simple walk can...
Fellowship Church recently hosted the spokeswoman for Rescuers Without Borders in Israel, Natalie Sopinsky, who gave an "on-the-ground and very personal" perspective of the Gaza and Hezbollah conflicts. "On my speaking tour, I get the same questions over and over," Sopinsky said. "One of them is: What do you see happening ... will there be peace?" Eleven months and counting as of Sept. 24, and now Hezbollah has launched all out attacks on northern Israel. The red dots on this map represent the m...
(JNS) - On the eve of Wednesday, Oct. 2, Jews the world over will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Sweet dishes are served to welcome in 5785 with wishes for a sweet year ahead. And for peace. After a year like this one, the Jewish people need some resolution. They need the estimated 100 hostages returned from nearly a year of captivity in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas terrorist attacks and atrocities in southern Israel last October. They need calm in Israel's north and the...
The High Holy Days is a time for us to turn inward, to reflect on our lives, not only where we have been but also where we hope to go in the coming year. So much of the world needs our help. What can one person do? How can one person make a difference? In the Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Tarfon writes, “It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work but neither are you at liberty to desist from it.” That quote has been in my email signature for several years and serves as a reminder to me and those that read it that we can all can make a dif...
When we reflect on grief, our minds often turn to the emotions and processes following the loss of a loved one. However, the journey of grief begins long before death, especially when a loved one receives a life-threatening diagnosis. This pre-loss mourning is termed anticipatory grief, a concept illuminated by renowned grief expert Dr. Therese Rando. Anticipatory grief encompasses the mourning of past, present, and future losses, shaping the emotional landscape of both care recipients and caregivers. From different vantage points, care...
