Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Articles from the February 10, 2023 edition


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  • Over 2,300 killed as earthquake rips through Turkey, Syria

    Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake centered in southern Turkey killed more than 2,300 people combined in that country and Syria early on Monday, toppling buildings and causing shockwaves felt across the region, including Cyprus, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Israel. Emergency medical services in Turkey and Syria said that the death toll was expected to rise in both countries as hundreds of people potentially remained trapped under collapsed structures. The quake struck just after 4 a...

  • Israel sends aid to Turkey and Syria in wake of earthquake

    David I. Klein|Feb 10, 2023

    ISTANBUL (JTA) — Israel is sending aid to Turkey and Syria in the wake of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has left over 2,000 dead as of Monday evening here. Israel will send medication, tents and other supplies to Syria, its neighbor that it considers a hostile state, according to Hebrew language media. The Israeli military will also send rescue teams to both countries, the Israeli embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. That embassy was only recently formally re-established after years of diplomatic t...

  • Birthright leader stepping down at year's end

    Mike Wagenheim|Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) - Over the course of his illustrious career, Israel "Izzy" Tapoohi has helmed some of the most recognizable Israeli franchises, including Africa-Israel Investments, Bezeq, Israel Bonds and the Israel Electric Corporation. But, as he announces his retirement at year's end, Tapoohi, 76, says nothing has been more fulfilling than his role over the last six years as president and CEO of the Birthright Israel Foundation, the non-profit organization that raises funds in the United States to...

  • House strips Omar of Foreign Affairs Committee assignment

    Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — The House of Representatives voted today to oust Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from its Foreign Affairs Committee. The decision followed repeated promises from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to remove her over a history of antisemitic remarks. All but one Republican–218–voted to strip Omar of the assignment, while 211 Democrats backed her. Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio) voted present. Omar has accused Israel of having “hypnotized the world” and Jews of buying control of Congress. She called Israel an “apartheid state” and likened it to...

  • Time for some Solar Bears fun

    Feb 10, 2023

    March 2nd is Jewish Heritage Night at the Solar Bears. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the puck drops at 7 p.m. The Jewish Chamber of Commerce is participating in the event. For this game, Jewish Chamber members will enjoy an upgraded suite and a guest speaker at 6:30 p.m. Shades, the Mascot, is going to visit with Chamber participants. It is a $5 beer night! Expect a very fun evening with lots of networking/socializing. For parking and ticketing information visit https://jewish-chamber.com/events/solar-bears-game....

  • Profile of a unique couple

    Susan Bernstein|Feb 10, 2023

    The best part of being a program director for the Jewish Pavilion is that it gives me the opportunity to meet interesting and sometimes outstanding individuals in our community. Two of these residents, whom I had the pleasure to meet recently at the Village on the Green, are Mati Braun and his wife, Rachel Heimovics. Mati is a native of Israel where he graduated from the Israel Academy in Tel Aviv. He came to America in 1962 to study with Joseph Fuchs at the Juilliard School, and in 1969 he...

  • Coffee and conversation event coming up

    Feb 10, 2023

    The Jewish Chamber is having a networking breakfast in the private room at Panera Bread on Rte. 436 and Maitland Avenue on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 8 a.m.- 10 a.m. Enjoy a bagel, coffee and socializing. An RSVP is not necessary. For more information about the Chamber visit https://jewish-chamber.com The Jewish Chamber of Commerce was founded in 2010 with the vision of bringing together Jewish business professionals of every denomination to stimulate growth within the business community. We aim...

  • Jewish Federations, JDC raise money for Turkey

    Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — The Jewish Federations of North America and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee have launched fundraising campaigns to provide humanitarian aid to people in Turkey after the devastating earthquakes today. Thousands have been killed in what officials are calling the worst quake to hit the region in decades. The initial one registered at a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, causing massive damage to buildings, homes and medical facilities in Turkey and Syria. An aftershock, which registered more than 7.5, exacerbated the d...

  • Republican Party denounces Kanye West and Nick Fuentes

    Ron Kampeas|Feb 10, 2023

    WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Republican Party unanimously condemned as antisemitic Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, saying their beliefs have no place in “any political discourse.” The resolution opposes “all forms of antisemitism, antisemitic statements and any antisemitic elements that seek to infiltrate the Republican Party.” It names West, the rapper and designer now known as Ye, saying he “has repeatedly made statements that are antisemitic, shameful, wrong, offensive, bigoted, and contrary to American and Republican principles.” It also names Fuent...

  • 92-year-old Holocaust survivor was Doug Emhoff's guest

    Philissa Cramer|Feb 10, 2023

    (JTA) — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff extended his focus on Holocaust remembrance by inviting a Washington, D.C.-area survivor to be his guest at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech Tuesday evening. Ruth Cohen, who survived multiple concentration camps including Auschwitz, joined Emhoff at the annual policy address in Washington. Emhoff first met Cohen last year before International Holocaust Remembrance Day with his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a press release from the White House. This year, Emhoff spent Int...

  • CUFI Action Fund statement on removal of Rep. Omar

    Feb 10, 2023

    WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the CUFI Action Fund released the following statement welcoming the House of Representative’s vote to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee: “Antisemitism has no place anywhere in America, including and especially in Congress. The CUFI Action Fund welcomes today’s vote to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Rep. Omar has a track-record of trafficking in antisemitic tropes and making bigoted claims concerning pro-Israel activists. Moreover, her posit...

  • The Ilhan Omar vote is a turning point for American Jews

    Jonathan S. Tobin|Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — Seen only in the context of the struggle between America’s two major political parties, the House of Representatives’ vote to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the Foreign Relations Committee is not a historic turning point. It is merely the latest evidence that the once largely polite battles between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have escalated into a full-blown culture war. But while it is possible to frame House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s making good on his pledge to oust Omar from her seat on Foreign Relatio...

  • No, President Biden, the synagogue attack did not target the 'civilized world'

    David Suissa|Feb 10, 2023

    (Jewish Journal via JNS) — We attach ourselves to narratives because they comfort us. It’s comforting to think that the terrorist who murdered seven Jews coming out of a Jerusalem synagogue on Friday evening was striking a blow against “the civilized world,” as President Joe Biden asserted. But he wasn’t, Mr. President. Alqam Khayri, 21, a resident of eastern Jerusalem, was specifically going after Jews. His Palestinian brethren who celebrated his murderous act by dancing in the streets and handing out candies were not thinking about the civili...

  • CNN runs cartoon depicting Passover seder amid a sea of blood

    David M. Litman|Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — If CNN needs to flirt with antisemitic tropes to report on controversial Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, what does that say about the network? In an article dated Jan. 25, 2023, titled “As Israel bans Palestinian flags, one artist protests with his brush,” CNN’s Abeer Salman seemed to go out of her way to not just include ahistorical swipes at the Jewish state, but also—borrowing from centuries of antisemitic blood libel—associated the holiday of Passover with Jews benefiting from the shedding of blood of non-Jews. The focus of th...

  • Deep concerns about American Jewish leadership

    Rabbi Steven Pruzansky|Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — The left-leaning Israeli media is disseminating news articles transmitting the discontent of American Jewish leaders with the new Israeli government and the policies it wishes to implement. A good example of this genre is the recent Times of Israel headline that blared, “169 liberal U.S. Jewish leaders sign letter expressing concern over Israeli government.” These leaders headed non-Orthodox rabbinical seminaries, federations, AIPAC, the Conference of Presidents and others, and they decried accusations of “antisemitism” directed...

  • Why American Jewish politicians have rushed to defend Omar

    Benjamin Kerstein|Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — Opposition to American antisemitism is remarkably situational: By and large, right-wing antisemites face, as they should, widespread condemnation and ostracism. Left-wing antisemites and antisemites of color almost always get a free pass, with ostensibly anti-racist progressives rushing to their defense and proclaiming the usual shibboleths about “criticism of Israel” and “taken out of context.” At the moment, the primary beneficiary of this largesse is Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has thus far served as a highly effective spearhead for the e...

  • An attack against the civilized world

    Uri Pilichowski|Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — One month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush held a prime-time news conference to update the American people on his administration’s war on terror. He said, “One month ago today, innocent citizens from more than 80 nations were attacked and killed, without warning or provocation, in an act that horrified not only every American, but every person of every faith, and every nation that values human life. The attack took place on American soil, but it was an attack on the heart and soul of the civilized world...

  • What's Happening

    Feb 10, 2023

    MORNING MINYANS Chabad of North Orlando and Chabad of Altamonte Springs are holding in-person minyans. Chabad of South Orlando — Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. and 10 minutes before sunset; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8:15 a.m., 407-354-3660. Congregation Ahavas Yisrael — Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-644-2500. Congregation Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Daytona — Monday, 8 a.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m., 904-672-9300. Congregation Ohev Shalom — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-298-4650. GOBOR Community Minyan at Jewish Academy...

  • US pressure leads Netanyahu to delay demolition of illegal Jerusalem building, report says

    Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened to delay the demolition of an illegally constructed building in eastern Jerusalem due to American pressure, Channel 11 reported. Netanyahu was also reportedly warned by security forces that amid the current tensions, the building’s destruction could set off a round of violence in the largely Arab part of the capital. The large building houses 100 persons and is located in the Wadi Qaddum section of Silwan/Shiloah, an Arab neighborhood in the city’s southeast. The illegal structure has been...

  • Producer Julian Schlossberg writes memoir about working with Jewish stars over 6 decades

    Stephen Silver|Feb 10, 2023

    (JTA) — On a couple of occasions in Julian Schlossberg’s early life, he found himself in parts of the United States where some people he talked to had never met a Jewish person. The first was a stint in the Army, the second was while selling movies to rural television stations. But over the next six decades — once Schlossberg embarked on a long and successful career that included stops as a Hollywood studio executive with Paramount Pictures and later as a prolific distributor of movies and p...

  • Netanyahu leads Tu Bishvat tree-planting ceremony in honor of Jerusalem terror victims

    Feb 10, 2023

    (JNS) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led a tree-planting ceremony on Monday to mark Tu Bishvat in the Neve Ya'akov neighborhood of Jerusalem, where a Palestinian terrorist killed seven people last month. Netanyahu was joined by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and family members of the murder victims, as well as police officers, medics and paramedics who treated the wounded at the scene of the Jan. 27 attack. The following day, another Palestinian terrorist shot and seriously wounded an Israeli...

  • A rabbi who went down with his torpedoed warship in 1943 will not forgotten

    Lisa Keys|Feb 10, 2023

    (JTA) - Mark Auerbach was not yet 5 years old when he noticed an unusual stamp in his father's dresser. The well-worn three-cent stamp featured a drawing of a small group of men and a sinking ship, with the words "The Immortal Chaplains... Interfaith in action." It piqued his interest, so he asked his father about it. "Our cousin is on that," Auerbach, who grew up in Brooklyn, recalls him saying, searching for an age-appropriate explanation. "He said he was a rabbi who died during World War II w...

  • Insights from The Orlando Senior Help Desk: Skilled nursing facilities vs. rehabilitation hospitals/centers

    Nancy Ludin, CEO Jewish Pavilion|Feb 10, 2023

    Skilled nursing is a high level of care requiring advanced training and certifications. Skilled nursing care must be provided under the direct supervision of licensed health professionals, such as nurses speech pathologists, and physical or occupational therapists. Some examples of skilled nursing services include wound care, injections, catheter care, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, intravenous therapy, and the use of medical equipment to support the patient’s health care needs Skilled nursing is offered at skilled nursing f...

  • What goes around eventually comes around

    Marilyn Shapiro|Feb 10, 2023

    Recently, the University of Southern California renamed the school track and field Allyson Felix Field in honor of the USC alumna and its illustrious 11-time Olympic medalist. Most media sources did not include in its coverage the previous name of the venue: Cromwell Field. What is the story behind the change? Dean Cromwell, known as the "Maker of Champions" headed the USC track and field team from 1909 through 1948. During his tenure, he guided the team to 12 NCAA team national championships and 34 individual NCAA titles. A darker story...

  • One rabbi's lifesaving solution to help Odessa's vulnerable Jews: jerry-rigged car batteries

    Howard Lovy|Feb 10, 2023

    This winter, the city of Odessa, Ukraine, feels like the heart of darkness. The city is constant bombardment by the Russian military, freezing nighttime temperatures commonly fall below zero, and electricity is only available for six hours per day: three in the morning and three at night. Amid these desperate circumstances, Avraham Wolff, the chief rabbi of Odessa and southern Ukraine, is trying to bring some light - and heat. He's doing so with jerry-rigged car batteries to provide warmth and...

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