Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1717 - 1741 of 1920
(JTA)-A day after a radio host falsely said that Sen. Bernie Sanders has Israeli citizenship, the candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination spoke publicly about how his Jewish identity has influenced him. In an interview with the Christian Science Monitor Thursday, Sanders (I-Vt.) said that he was "not particularly religious" but that as a child being Jewish taught him "in a very deep way what politics is about." "A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932," he told the Monitor.... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Rochelle Shoretz was fond of saying, "There are no problems, only solutions." Her approach to life was not to dwell on bad news, but to channel the energy that friends described as boundless into somehow making things better. It's what drove her to establish the national cancer organization Sharsheret after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28. On Sunday, Shoretz died of complications from the disease at her home in Teaneck, New Jersey. She was 42. At the time of... Full story
(JTA)-Two synagogues and the homes of countless Jewish residents were damaged in the floods that swept through Houston on Monday and into Tuesday, inundating homes and businesses, sweeping away cars and leaving at least five people dead. Houston, America's fourth-largest city and home to more than 40,000 Jews, was paralyzed when many of the canals that run through the city (known locally as bayous) crested after torrential rains soaked the city. Some 8-12 inches of water fell in a matter of... Full story
Illinois became the third state in a month to pass legislation formally opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. But going further than non-binding anti-BDS measures in Tennessee and Indiana, the Illinois bill took concrete action against those who boycott the Jewish state. The legislation-which unanimously passed both the Illinois House (102-0) and Senate (49-0), and will be signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner-prohibits state pension funds from... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-A 39-year-old executive with an education startup and a 20-year-old naval academy student were among the seven people confirmed dead from an Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia. Rachel Jacobs, the executive, who also is the daughter of former Michigan State Senator Gilda Jacobs, and Justin Zemser, a second-year student at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, were both Jewish. The accident, on a northbound train Tuesday night, injured more than 200 people, and... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—The Pew Research Center’s newly released 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study offers a trove of data on American Jews based on interviews with 35,071 American adults, 847 of whom identified their faith as Jewish. Here are some of the more interesting findings about the Jews. We’re highly educated: There are more American Jews with two or more university degrees than those who have just one—31 percent have a graduate degree and 29 percent have just a bachelor’s degree. With a college graduation rate of about 59 percent (more tha... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-From roundtable discussions to protests and prayers to candid talk with law enforcement officials, American Jewish communities are joining in the debate about community policing in the wake of several high-profile deaths of unarmed black men while in police custody. Officials were short on specifics, but several told JTA that protests in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray on April 19 have sparked a determination to confront the tensions between police and minority... Full story
For just more than a month now, the Virginia State Bar (VSB)-which, it should be noted, is a state body working with the legal profession in Virginia-has been embroiled in a nasty political row over its apparent boycott of Israel. I say "apparent" because this hasn't been the kind of run-of-the-mill boycott row one encounters on college campuses. Leading officials of the VSB are insisting that they are not boycotting Israel and that, moreover, they were not even aware of the Boycott, Divestment... Full story
The University of Florida chapter of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was closed last Tuesday, April 28, after a misconduct investigation by the university was started in light of reports that ZBT members attending a spring formal yelled at, spat on, and hurled beer bottles at a group of military veterans who were also staying at the same Panama City Beach resort. The veterans were attending the Warrior Beach Retreat at the Laketown Wharf to relax and heal. After receiving the information of the fraternity members’ behavior, the university charged t... Full story
(JTA)— On Rosh Hashanah, according to the liturgy, our fate is written in the Book of Life. But Jewish football fans may be spending the holiday thinking about something else: the NFL opening games they are missing. The 2015 NFL schedule was released on Tuesday, and the season kickoff is on Sept. 13, which is the first night of Rosh Hashanah. The first game of the season, as it has been in recent years, is on a Thursday (Sept. 10). But the following Sunday (Erev Rosh Hashanah, Sept. 13) kicks off the season for most of the league’s tea... Full story
(JTA)- Critics love to nitpick Hillary Clinton's personal and policy choices, as they have during the recent email scandal and the Benghazi scandal. This time, however, the critics may have a substantial case against her. As soon as Clinton's campaign was launched, her campaign logo was lampooned from all sides. Some called it too simple, others thought it looked too corporate. Some were just confused that it features a red arrow pointing to the right – a feature that seems to contrast the blue... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Jewish leaders expected President Barack Obama to sell them hard on the Iran nuclear deal. Instead, participants in two White House meetings on Monday said he offered a softer pitch on how deeply he cares for Israel and the Jewish people. "He tried to explain he understands Jewish trauma, history, the Jewish feeling of being alone in a bad neighborhood," said a participant in the first meeting, which was attended by 15 top officials from Jewish organizations. Another described... Full story
(JNS.org) Former U.S. senator, secretary of state, and first lady Hillary Clinton on Sunday announced that she will run for president in 2016. She lost to President Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) welcomed Clinton's candidacy, saying in a statement that she "not only has been a true and valuable friend to Israel over her long and illustrious career, but also has consistently defended the most vulnerable among us." "She... Full story
(JNS.org) U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told donors that he is joining the field of Republican candidates running in the 2016 presidential election, The Associated Press reported Monday. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) had previously announced their campaigns. Reacting to the recently reached framework nuclear agreement with Iran, Rubio said in a statement that he fears the preliminary deal "will have devastating consequences for nuclear non-proliferation, the security of our all... Full story
WASHINGTON—In furtherance of the strategic “Drive to Excellence” plan, Hillel International today announced the addition of Matthew E. Berger as senior adviser for strategic communications. He assumed his post on April 20. Berger joins Hillel International with more than 15 years of experience in communications as a journalist and private consultant. “Matthew combines strong communications skills with a deep dedication to Jewish values. His commitment to our foundational principles and skill in working with specialized audiences is the precise... Full story
Leading up to the 67th birthday of the State of Israel, more commonly referred as Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day), it may be difficult to stay upbeat given the rising anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism around the world. On American college campuses, the situation has been especially grave-but the picture may not be as gloomy as it seems. A report released in February by the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) revealed that pro-Israel activity on U.S. campuses has actually increased in the... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-At noon Monday, several hundred students marched through the bright March sunshine from the J Street conference at the Washington Convention Center for a protest. "This is not a march!" organizers pleaded as the orderly group moved south from the Carnegie Library to the headquarters of Hillel International. With Hillel staffers mostly sequestered inside, student leaders of the self-described "pro-Israel, pro-peace" organization stood on folding chairs, held a megaphone to their... Full story
(JNS.org)-U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), upon announcing that he will run for president, said he would support Israel "unapologetically." "Instead of a president who boycotts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, imagine a president who stands unapologetically with the nation of Israel," Cruz told an audience at Virginia's Liberty University on Monday. Earlier this month, Cruz-now the first official candidate in the 2016 presidential race-told Israel Hayom that the Obama administration is not doing... Full story
(JNS.org) After being listed as a speaker for the upcoming national conference of the left-wing J Street lobby, Hillel International President and CEO Eric Fingerhut announced that he will pull out of the conference due to concerns regarding other speakers' history of "inflammatory statements" against Israel. The current list of J Street conference speakers includes Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed in the spring of 2014. Erekat has... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-It was not the first time John Lewis had invoked the Jewish-black alliance that fought for equality during the civil rights era. But it was the first time that the Georgia congressman, a civil rights hero, invoked it to explain why he was skipping a speech by an Israeli prime minister. "In many occasions we have worked side by side to strengthen our democracy and fight for equality and justice in this country," Lewis (D-Ga.) said at a news conference March 3 where several... Full story
A delegation of 17 students from UCF, along with Central Florida Hillel executive director and CEO Aaron Weil and chairman Hank Katzen, attended the AIPAC conference in Washington, D.C. The students met with congressmen and women, sat in various plenary sessions and breakout panels, and realized the importance of being there in person to show support for Israel. "As a Jew, the AIPAC Policy Conference served as a reminder that the Jewish people are small but mighty; when we all come together with... Full story
Originally published in Breitbart.com. A study titled "National Demographic Survey of American Jewish College Students 2014," conducted in the spring of 2014 by Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, revealed that over half of Jewish college students have experienced anti-Semitism on campus. Trinity professors Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar led the research project, under the guidance of Kenneth L. Marcus, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and past head of... Full story
Jim Hoft of the Gateway Pundit reported on a Ha’aretz article on an outbreak of anti-Semitic screed spray painted on garage doors in liberal Madison, Wisconsin, “Thirty Madison, Wisconsin Homes Spray Painted With Anti-Semitic Slurs.” However, as the Ha’aretz report notes there were over 30 such reports of anti-Semitic hate reported in Madison in 2014. Perhaps time for Gov. Walker to investigate the hate mongers ringing Lake Mendota. Are these KKKers, white supremacists? How could this ferment occur in liberal Madison? Haaretz reported: At leas... Full story
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has become a rising star in the Democratic Party through her focus on economic and social issues like income inequality and taking on Wall Street banks, triggering a groundswell of progressive support and calls for her to run for president. But less is known about her views on foreign policy and, by extension, Israel. Two recent moves by Warren may shed light on her outlook regarding issues prioritized by the Jewish state. She was one of four Democrats on the... Full story
Brandeis University President Frederick Lawrence, the leader of a Jewish-sponsored institution that has been at the center of several recent controversies, sent an email on Friday afternoon that announced he would be stepping down at the end of the current school year. "After careful consideration, and in close consultation with the Board of Trustees, I have decided to step down as president at the end of this, my fifth academic year," Lawrence wrote. "For the time being, I am looking forward... Full story
