Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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The Heritage Florida Jewish news took away two awards at the Florida Press Association’s annual weekly newspaper contest. “The temple of Zoom (Video Conferencing) is upon us” by Christine DeSouza won second place for Best Headline. In the Faith and Family Reporting category, writer Marilyn Shapiro took third place for her article titled “Purim — a time to be drunk on happiness....
Central Florida Hillel kicked off its 20th anniversary with a tree planting on Sunday, July 11. The year 2021 marks the 20th year that Central Florida Hillel has been recognized as a Jewish organization by the Greater Orlando Jewish Federation. Central Florida Hillel would not be where it is today without the support of the Orlando Jewish community. UCF Hillel has supported thousands of Jewish knights as well as students from Stetson University, Rollins College, Valencia Community College,...
Reports about the Arabs who live in Judea and Samaria is always covered in the mainstream media - their living conditions, their suffering, their plight, etc. There is not much coverage about Jews who live in Judea and Samaria and are successfully creating community and building businesses through many struggles while living in the midst of constant danger or fears of being evacuated because they live in certain areas. Some call these settled lands Israeli-annexed land, others claim it is...
Once again this fall, Jewish high school students in the North Orlando area will have a unique opportunity to earn college credits while exploring the tenets of Judaism. Over the last year, the stock market came to a crashing halt only to rebound to record highs. Oil prices fell below $0 a barrel and cryptocurrency exploded. Millions lost their source of income and the president of the United States sent checks in the mail. As we experience a time of profound economic flux, CTeenU's newest...
JFS Orlando CARES, the emergency rental assistance program of Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando, provided relief for those impacted financially by COVID-19 since October 2020. With the completion of the program on June 30, 2021, JFS Orlando distributed more than $884,043.39 in rental assistance to help 339 families remain housed, impacting a total of 860 individuals. Dedicated to providing relief to those severely impacted during the pandemic, JFS Orlando CARES was open to Orange County residents and provided up to three months of...
Hunter Gold was selected to be the next executive director of Central Florida Hillel and will be starting on July 28. Originally from Long Island, he moved to Florida for college, and has maintained a love of Florida ever since. He received his MBA from UCF after obtaining his BS in accounting at the University of Florida, where he was a member of AEPi and active in Hillel. Gold is excited about meeting UCF Hillel students and helping prepare them to become the next generation of leaders in the...
Who thought the topic of the Dead Sea Scrolls could be so entertaining? Natural story-teller Kenneth Hanson, Ph.D., as done just that. In addition to being an associate professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Central Florida, he is a brilliant actor who brings to life academic topics such as archeology finds in Israel and the Dead Sea Scrolls through his characters known as Jerusalem Jones and Menachem the Essene, also known as the 2,001-year-old man. He shares insights, mixed with a lo...
The Rosen JCC is known for their Early Childhood Learning Center program. For years their mission has been to guide children in their development of social, emotional, academic, creative, cultural and physical skills so that they embrace a love of learning. They now offer kindergarten classes. This accredited kindergarten offers a low student to teacher ratio to allow for small groups and to tailor instruction to individual needs. This helps to build a solid foundation for reading, writing and...
JFS Orlando is pleased to announce its first-ever Summer Recipe Raffle! Starting July 7 through Aug. 18, JFS will be raffling out a different prize every week with a final Grand Prize at the end of the summer. There are two ways to enter the raffle: submit your own recipe or donate $36 (each $36 donation counts as an entry, i.e. $360:10 entries). Whichever way you choose, you will automatically be entered for that week's prize, future weekly prizes, and the final Grand Prize. So, now is the...
Heritage columnist, Mel Pearlman, won an Honorable Mention Award for Journalistic Excellence in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel from the American Jewish Press Association. Only 110 awards were presented to writers, editors, photographers and graphic designers from Jewish newspapers across the country at the 40th annual Simon Rockower Awards in Jewish Journalism program. Pearlman's winning article was "Two Nights in Aqaba, Parts 1, 2, 3," and ran in the Heritage Feb. 14, 28, and March 13,...
Mahjong for Beginners Interested in learning how to play Mahjong? Then this class is for you. This 6-week series introduces the fundamental principles of the game — perfect if you are a new player or want to brush up on your skills. The class will meet on Tuesday mornings, from July 7 - August 10, 10 a.m.-noon. Taught by Dale Perrault at The Roth Family JCC The cost is $36 for JCC members; nonmembers, $50. To register visit campj.org. Author Series On July 12, Daniel Silva will discuss his book “The Cellist,” from 8 p.m.- 9 p.m. at The Roth...
Many of the seniors visited by staff and volunteers at the Jewish Pavilion transition from one community to another. The Jewish Pavilion follows them wherever they land. Three dear friends met at Brookdale Lake Orienta in Altamonte Springs and today the friendship continues at Cascade Heights in Longwood. The trio are not only buddies at Shabbat services but they also dine together and visit one another in their apartments. The group is very impressive. Elizabeth Taylor (real name) (center in...
On June 14, at 7 p.m., an in-person and zoom meeting was hosted by Keith Dvorchik, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Orlando, and Aaron Weill, CEO of Central Florida Hillel, for a community discussion on "Israel and Antisemitism." In front of a live audience of 10 people and over the Internet, via Zoom and a Facebook link, with 84 viewers, they held a discussion driven by the concern in the tremendous growth of antisemitism over the past two years. "Anti-Semitism world-wide has been increasing...
Congregation Beth Am has engaged Rabbi David Barnett to be their interim rabbi. He started on June 15, 2021. The Rabbinic Search Committee chaired by Steven Gordon, after having interviewed many qualified candidates, recommended Rabbi Barnett to the congregation. Rabbi Barnett will serve for one year. A primary focus of an interim rabbi is to work with the congregation's leadership and membership to establish a strategic plan for the congregation's future and to use his experience and expertise...
The following virtual programs will be hosted by the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center. The first on Sunday, June 27 at 3 p.m. is with Holocaust survivor Claire Soria. Hear Soria's story as she remembers vividly, the tanks going down her street as the Nazis invaded Brussels. She recalls the armed soldiers marching into every government building to take down their precious Belgian flags and replacing them with flags with the swastika. Soon after, Jewish children of every age were...
Federation CEO and Executive Director Keith Dvorchik reached out to the Heritage about the Trader Joe’s incident saying that “a lot more happened that wasn’t included [in the article Heritage ran].” After learning of the anti-Israel discourtesy paid the shopper, Dvorchik reached out to Trader Joe’s CEO Dan Bane. Bane assigned the grievance to the regional manager, who failed to address the problem properly. It was then reassigned to their in-house council, who is the head of all Trader Joe’s legal issues and a top executive. Dvorchik contacted...
Everyone knows the game where people sit in a circle and one person whispers something in the ear of the next person. The message is then passed on around the group. Nine times out of 10, the message ends up completely changed, portions deleted or information exaggerated. Such is what happened at Trader Joe's about a month ago. This is what happened. A woman, who will remain anonymous, but I will call "Carol," was checking out of the Trader Joe's in Dr. Phillips. She was engaged in pleasant smal...
On a hot morning in early June, I met with Grandparent Program participants Isa Vogel and Rebekah McNarney, age 9, as Isa was hosting a lovely brunch for her adopted 'granddaughter,' Rebekah and her mother, Lauren. Sitting together at Isa's table was a newly freeing experience after the isolation of COVID and a complete lack of visitors. Delicious homemade food was served by Isa, and the conversation flowed easily. The isolation felt by Isa and many of our seniors was intensified by the death of...
The Orange County Sheriff's Office has designated the Rosen JCC a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community. This designation was earned after the staff completed the required training on how to manage LGBTQ+ individuals who come to the facility feeling they are in danger. The Rosen JCC recognizes many in the LGBTQ+ community struggle with discrimination and acceptance. They want to provide a safe space for those who need a place to go for protection. The Rosen JCC is proud to be a place the...
The Jewish Pavilion is hosting a soiree on July 11 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Dillard’s department store in Altamonte Springs. The store will close early to the public on Sunday to host the first Jewish Pavilion Summer Soiree. “Our partnership for the fashion show was so successful, we wanted to have another great event and open it up to everyone,” said Nancy Ludin, CEO of the Jewish Pavilion. Shoppers will enjoy hors d’oeurves, desserts, signature drink cocktails, wine and craft beers, and entertainment as they shop. There will also be demo...
The RAISE program for adults with special needs is now accepting online applications for a limited number of fall positions. RAISE is a 6- to 12-month work and social skills training program offered through the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando that is open to all faiths and provides paid employment at our partnering Jewish agencies. In addition, RAISE assists our employees in the transition to finding employment in the community. If you know a young adult who may benefit from RAISE or you are interested in volunteering as a Job Coach,...
The Jewish Community Relations Council recently learned that some of Central Florida’s elected officials have received calls from anti-Israel advocates. The Council has asked, via social media, the community to make phone calls to these officials listed below, beginning with your personal representatives in your district, and send a counterbalancing message. “The objective is to advocate on behalf of Israel and share that our community supports Israel and condemns Hamas as a recognized terrorist organization. It must be emphasized that our mes...
With the dramatic recent rise in antisemitic and hate crimes, Congregation Sinai has become the very first Groveland business to install the new state-of-the-art Blueline 360 Active Threat Early Alert System. They have installed hardened windows, doors and other protective measures for the safety of their membership. They also have developed a close relationship with the Groveland police, to have extra surveillance on hand during all temple activities. Endorsed by Chief Ramsey and the Groveland Police Department, Blueline 360 has developed new...
The Rosen JCC recently hosted a reunion of the Early Childhood Learning Center Class of 2008. Choosing a pre-school can give your child a strong foundation and friends for life. These young adults were excited to be back where it all started. We enjoyed hearing their plans for the future. They shared their career goals, which included Ophthalmology, Air Force, History Teacher, Professional Speaker, Business, Doctor/Physician Assistant, Entomology and Musical Theater. Their next steps are to...
JFS Orlando was selected as the June beneficiary of the Winn-Dixie Community Bag program by store leadership at the Winn-Dixie located at 7800 South Highway 17-92, Fern Park. The organization will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at this location during June, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag. “We are very grateful to have been chosen for the Community Bag program in June,” said Philip Flynn, exe...
