Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 21877
Compiled by Christine DeSouza Early in January, International Space Station's Crew-11 were medically evacuated from the space station. Crew-12, comprised of a team of four, arrived on Feb. 14 to continue the months-long research mission. One of those Crew-12 members is Jewish American astronaut Jessica Meir, who serves as the crew's commander of Expedition 74/75. Meir and her crewmates - American Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev - blasted off...
Central Florida lost a vital scholarly influence in the world of Judaic studies when Dr. Moshe Peltz Pelli passed away in Winter Park, Florida on Jan. 7, 2026. He lived a full life devoted to his beloved family and his academic scholarship. Dr. Pelli was born in Haifa, Israel May 19, 1936 (then known as British-administered Mandatory Palestine, before the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel) to Shmuel Zanvil and Golda (Zahava) Peltz. After completing his distinguished military service in Israel, Dr. Pelli forged a unique path by pursuing...
(JNS) — Over 1,400 bereaved families gathered last week to plant trees in memory of their loved ones at the newly established Iron Swords Forest, which spans 367 dunams (approximately 90 acres). Established last October by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund at Khirbet Mador, near the Re’im Recreation Area, the forest is Israel’s largest memorial dedicated to those murdered and the fallen in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and the ensuing war. Among the participants was Vered Libstein of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, who lost four family...
(JNS) — The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced Feb. 9 that it was officially terminating its operations in light of the return from Gaza of the last deceased hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. The body of the 24-year-old volunteer in the elite Israel Police Yasam Special Patrol Unit was held in the Strip for 843 days before it was brought back for burial in Israel, closing the chapter on the 251 individuals abducted into Gaza during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, and four others taken before the war. The Israeli NGO said it had ...
Over 200 guests gathered on Feb. 10 for a spectacular morning of style and celebration at the annual fashion show benefiting Jewish Pavilion Senior Services. Hosted by Dillard's at the Altamonte Mall, the event brought together supporters, sponsors, and community members for an uplifting program filled with food, fashion, and friendship. The energy throughout the morning was vibrant and inspiring, reflecting the strong community spirit that continues to sustain the organization's mission of serv...
The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah is hosting a Purim luncheon for the March meeting, to be held March 3 at 11:30 a.m. The theme is The Two Faces of Vashti. Jewish educator and life member of Hadassah, Janet Friedman will unmask Esther and Vashti at the luncheon. She is well known for offering engaging classes and programs on a wide variety of topics. Friedman retired from a career in information technology with NASA and also completed 38 years with Disney. Registration is required. General admission is $25, which includes lunch. Please note,...
Learn about the newest technology that decodes history and discover the heritage of those who sailed to the New World as The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society, in collaboration with Dr. Roger Martinez-Davila, present Dr. Martinez-Davila’s discoveries to the public about St. Augustine’s secret settlers. The title of the program is The Forbidden Voyagers of 1565: Escaping the Inquisition on Wednesday, March 4 at 4 p.m. Dr. Martinex-Davila is a professor of history at the University of Colorado. He is a specialist in the complex social net...
(JNS) — Israel is allocating tens of millions of shekels to a newly-created “Hills Administration” that will seek to combat anti-Arab violence in Judea and Samaria by some 300 Jewish rioters, Ynet reported on Sunday. The initiative, which is being promoted by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and was first reported in November, calls for the creation of a new unit within the Israeli Defense Ministry to coordinate a response for at-risk youth. Under the plan, the Defense Ministry would receive two million shekels (about $500,000) annua...
(JNS) — The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved a series of measures aimed at deepening Jerusalem’s hold on Judea and Samaria and expanding Jewish communities in the region, according to Hebrew-language media. The decisions promoted by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are reportedly expected to bring about far-reaching changes to land acquisition rules in Judea and Samaria. The approved measures include lifting confidentiality from land registry records; canceling historic restrictions on land sales to non...
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) apprehended more than 20 Palestinian terrorists and wanted individuals overnight Sunday in counter-terrorism operations across Judea and Samaria. The IDF Samaria Brigade arrested a terrorist involved in the purchase and possession of weapons, as well as in planning to harm Israeli soldiers and civilians, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said. Four more suspects were detained during the operation in the area. In a separate operation, IDF troops and Border Police fighters app...
(JNS) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged his nation to unify as the United States has been boosting its military presence in the Gulf region. “The enemy must be driven to despair. The enemy’s despair comes through [our] unity, strength of thought and determination, and steadfastness in confronting the enemy’s temptations. These are what build national power,” Khamenei tweeted. AFP cited the Iranian leader as calling on his citizens to show resolve ahead of the 47th anniversary this week of the Islamic Revolution that brough...
(JNS) — America’s classrooms are under siege. Not from budget cuts or test scores, but from an ideology that undermines our very foundations of liberty, equality and mutual respect. A new White Paper by the North American Values Institute titled “When the Classroom Turns Hostile” lays out the case in unmistakable terms: what’s happening in K-12 education is not a series of isolated incidents, but a systemic crisis that is robbing our children, especially Jewish children, of a safe, honest and empowering education. The battle for the minds of...
(JNS) — The proliferation of semi-autonomous Muslim majority communities in Western Europe applying aspects of “Sharia,” Islamic law jurisdiction, has alerted some U.S. lawmakers to this same developing phenomenon in America. During a Feb. 10 hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution,” the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution will examine evidence about the potential threat that Sharia poses to the basic freedoms underpinning our constitutional republic. Sharia is...
(JNS) — Among the many fascinating factors of maintaining offices in Metzuzat Ze’ev (Ze’ev’s Fortress) on King George Street in Tel Aviv, which has long served as the ideological and administrative headquarters of Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s movement, including Revisionist Zionism, Betar and the Herut/Likud movement, is how often Jewish history repeats itself. The building, which started as a Betar club, was renamed the Jabotinsky Institute. As when Betar became illegal during battles to remove the British from our land, it was clear that a museum—an a...
(JNS) — “Gaza Crossing to Egypt Reopens in Step Forward for Fragile Cease-Fire,” celebrated The New York Times on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day. And just like the 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, it feels like we are seeing the same thing occur yet again. Only this is real life and far from funny. It’s deadly serious. Opening the Rafah border crossing while Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad continue to be fully armed benefits the terrorists more than anyone. Aside from handing Hamas more to brag about to everyday Gazans, it gives the terrori...
Robert Kraft deserves credit for something I have long urged: that wealthy Jews devote their philanthropy to Jewish causes and Israel. While his choice to spend millions—reportedly $15 million this year—on Super Bowl ads combating antisemitism is well-intentioned, it raises questions about the most effective use of limited Jewish resources. Kraft can spend his money as he wishes. But Jewish philanthropy is not unlimited. $15 million is more than spare change; it can endow an institution for decades or determine whether an organization sur...
(JNS) — I have long grappled with understanding the origins of evil. The events unfolding in Iran offer a stark example. Millions have taken to the streets, bravely demanding their basic human rights, in addition to such simple conditions as clean water in their homes and the necessities to provide for their families. As it stands now, one U.S. dollar is valued at about 42,000 Iranian rials. But what they are really after—what causes a pain in their hearts with a yearning so incandescently profound—is freedom. Freedom to walk about the stree...
Members of the Central Florida Jewish community will gather later this month to celebrate a milestone 16 years in the making. On Sunday, Feb. 22, Temple Israel of Winter Springs will honor Rabbi Joshua Neely’s “sweet 16” — commemorating his 16 years of service to the congregation and his many contributions across the region. The celebration, set to begin at 5 p.m. in the Roth Social Hall, will feature an evening of food, music, and memories. Guests will enjoy catered appetizers, dinner, and drinks as well as live entertainment, a photo booth, a...
Chabad of North Orlando and Chabad of Downtown are presenting a Purim at the circus party at the Orlando Science Center, 777 E. Princeton St., Orlando, on March 3 at 5:15 p.m. There will be a Megillah with slideshow in the theater, Purim crafts, music, a dinner, and incredible circus show and dancing. There is no cost. Please RSVP by Feb. 25 to JewishNorthOrlando.com/circus...
Lenore Roland has lived in Windermere for more than 30 years. She recently settled into The Mayflower where she was the subject of an article in The Mayflower's magazine, Compass. Heritage Florida Jewish News received permission to reprint this article to share with our readers, many of whom know her. From her early years, new Mayflower resident Lenore (Lenny) Roland seemed destined to be a writer. But her life - from New York City to Winter Park -included many other accomplishments and...
(JNS) - Moshe Davis learned that he was out of a job on Feb. 4 from a public social media post that Phylisa Wisdom was succeeding him as director of the New York City Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism. Close to an hour later, his supervisor made it official. He wasn't surprised but was disappointed, he told JNS. Mayor Zohran Mamdani "signaled that they would be taking a different approach that didn't align with mine," Davis said. "I was hoping they wanted to make this office something that...
(JNS) - Canadians of indigenous ancestry are still mulling over a trip they took to Israel last fall and are looking forward to the release of a documentary about their experience. "The Lands Between Us" is slated to be screened in early March in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver with support, in part, from the Israeli embassy in Canada. "I miss being on the land and with the people," Crystal Lavallee, a filmmaker from the Niagara area in Ontario, who is of Métis and Greek descent, told...
In today’s fast-changing world, staying on top of your health is easier — and more high-tech — than ever before. At Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, we’re always looking out for innovations that help seniors live healthier, more independent lives. One of the most exciting developments we’re seeing is the rise of next-generation health wearables — smart devices that can monitor everything from heart rate to sleep patterns and even blood sugar levels, all with just a simple slip-on device. Here’s a quick guide to the latest in wearable heal...
Looking for a bagel? We can help you with that and hamentashen, too. But for now we're on a roll - bad pun number one, if you're counting. It's the second edition of "Scene around...again" - and we plan to continue providing news about area events, people, and places to go. Rhonda Des Islets, long-time subscriber, earns our appreciation for writing in to express her support for bringing back the column. It's readers such as Rhonda who keep the column going by sharing personal and community annou...
(JNS) - The mass shooting at Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018, in which 11 Jewish worshippers were killed, took place over parents' weekend at the University of Pittsburgh. Robyn Markowitz Lawler, who was then working at the Pitt Hillel, had been fielding questions from parents about where they could go to Shabbat services, and she and her staff had told them about Tree of Life. "When I got the phone call in the morning that there was an active shooter in...
