Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) - On July 8, 2025, a new class featuring the likes of basketball's Amar'e Stoudemire, judoka Oren Smadja, Paralympian Moran Samuel, swimmers Sarah Poewe and Helen Plaschinski Farca de Finkler, sports commentator Chris Berman and tennis legend Shahar Pe'er was to be inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Following the postponement of the 2025 Maccabiah Games for a year, due to the war, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (known as "the Hall") followed suit and...
(JNS) — Any ceasefire or post-war arrangement regarding Gaza must meet specific criteria outlined by the government, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said on Sunday. “Three essential goals, as defined by the Cabinet, must be achieved,” Karhi told JNS. “First, the return of all hostages; second, the elimination of Hamas’s governing and military capabilities; and third, ensuring that the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to the State of Israel.” He added that, beyond these objectives, U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to r...
Julian Ralph Meitin, a devoted husband, father, brother, Zaide, and friend, passed away on July 2, 2025, at the age of 83. Julian lived a life rooted in purpose and service to others. Born in Albany, New York, on March 1, 1942, and a lifelong resident of Orlando, Florida, Julian loved golf, cheering on the Florida Gators, traveling with his wife Sheryl, playing poker, and large family gatherings. He was a committed leader in the Orlando Jewish community, serving multiple terms as president of th... Full story
(JNS) — The way to prevent the Iranian regime from buying itself more time and securing enough funds to rebuild its nuclear program is to “double down on secondary sanctions, with shipping, so they can’t do their illicit oil sales,” according to Sandra Hagee Parker, chair of the CUFI Action Fund. “Now that they have been brought to their knees, we must put their face to the pavement,” Hagee Parker told JNS. “Now is not the time to let up off the gas.” On Tuesday, thousands of attendees of Christians United for Israel’s 20th annual Washington...
If you notice a loved one repeatedly asking the same questions, becoming more confused, or struggling with memory, you might assume they have dementia. However, these symptoms could also be signs of hearing loss. Recent research, as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, highlights the connection between cognitive decline and hearing loss, confirming what many health professionals have long suspected: hearing loss can significantly contribute to cognitive impairment. A groundbreaking study conducted by...
This July the Holocaust Center will continue to offer meaningful programs and experiences, beginning with the Book Clubs discussion of “Jews in the Garden,” by Judy Rakowsky. Held on July 16 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., the group will explore Rakowsky’s family’s Holocaust history after discovering a mass grave in a Polish garden. This memoir traces her quest for justice and truth. The Summer Youth series will continue the Fighting Spirit: Krav Maga and Jewish History with its third session on July 20 from 1 – 2 p.m. Hosted in partnership with Shaan...
Laurence Morrell would like to invite people who have been in the Orlando Jewish community for a long time — 80 years or more — to come together and share their contributions to the Jewish community and what it was like when the Jewish community was coming into being. “I think it would be a nice event and an historical and informational event, something to let newcomers to the area know that some of us just didn’t get “off the train.” A venue and date would be decided if enough interest is shown. If you are interested in this kind of get-toge...
The Holocaust Center presents “A Night at the Catskills Comedy Show” on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 6 p.m at the Dr. Phillips Center. This show is a nostalgic, retro-themed comedy show that pays tribute to the legendary Jewish resorts of the Catskills that launched the careers of some of America’s greatest comedians. Cocktails and light snacks will be available. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit hmrec.org....
Eric S. Goldstein, who has served as CEO of UJA-Federation of New York for 11 years, will step down next summer as the head of North America’s largest and most influential Jewish federation. In a statement Tuesday announcing his departure, Goldstein reflected on a tenure marked by several communal crises, bracketed by two wars in Gaza and including the COVID pandemic. “I remember well my plans for that first summer of 2014. I expected to learn the ropes and ease into the job. History, tragically, had other plans. On June 30, 2014, the bod...
(JNS) — The U.S. military’s recent airstrike under Operation Midnight Hammer has delayed Iran’s nuclear program by up to two years, according to a new Pentagon assessment. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters Wednesday that intelligence assessments continue to confirm the significant damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. “We have degraded their program by at least one to two years—intel assessments inside the [Defense] Department assess that…. I think we’re probably closer to two years,” Parnell stated. T...
(JNS) — Multiple Jewish organizations offered condolences after Karen Diamond, 82, a victim of the antisemitic firebombing in Boulder, Colo., on June 1, died from her injuries. “This horrific act is part of a broader and deeply troubling rise in antisemitic violence across the United States,” the Jewish Federations of North America stated. “It is no longer possible to separate online hate, city hall rhetoric and campus incitement from real-world consequences. Our communities are being targeted—for being Jewish, for speaking out, for simply sh...
“It’s in the open, he doesn’t accept my position, he wants a deal,” Ben-Gvir said during a faction meeting of his Otzma Yehudit Party at the Knesset on Monday afternoon, adding, “I think that’s a big mistake. “We have a disagreement on this subject. We agree on many things — we agreed about [the targeted killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah, we agreed about Iran, we agreed on many things. On this subject, he does not agree with me,” the Cabinet minister told JNS. Netanyahu landed at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Mon...
(JNS) — Israel, with support from the United States, makes the Middle East and Europe safer. So, how is it being repaid? With calls for the creation of a Palestinian state, made unilaterally. Countries such as France, Ireland, Spain and Norway have already moved toward recognizing Palestinian statehood. The United Kingdom and others may soon follow. Some present this as a bold step toward peace. In reality, unilateral recognition undermines Israel’s security, emboldens extremists and sets back the cause of genuine peace. From Israel’s stand...
(JNS) — The same week in which Israel struck a profound blow to global evil, severely weakening the Iranian terror regime and incapacitating its proxies, also saw a surge in anti-Israel vitriol around the world. One of the most grotesque expressions came from British punk artist Bob Vylan, who chanted (together with his audience) “Death, Death to the IDF” at England’s largest music festival, broadcast by the BBC to millions. These and similar phenomena are deeply disturbing. They also intensify my gratitude at having left England more than 30...
(JNS) — Under the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump, on June 22, American airmen flew B-2 bombers tens of thousands of miles, releasing powerful “bunker-buster” bombs, destroying Iran’s nuclear-weapons factories as American sailors on a distant submarine fired salvos of dozens of Tomahawk missiles. The mission followed nearly two weeks of aerial assault by the Israel Air Force. Coordinated efforts between two allies ensured a military success with the nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, and other strategic facilities, either...
(JNS) — The American political landscape is continuously shifting, but some things remain constant. The growing support of the evangelical Christian community in the United States for Israel is a constant that impacts national politics more profoundly than many realize. It is no exaggeration to say that without the evangelical Christian community, U.S. support of Israel would look different today. Nowhere is this support more visible than at the annual Christians United for Israel Summit in Washington, D.C., the largest pro-Israel gathering i...
(JNS) — You can’t make this stuff up. Yet Nir Hefetz — a state witness in the ongoing bogus trial of his former boss, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu — just gave it the old college try. In an interview with Channel 12’s current-events program “Duach Matzav” (“situation report”), Hefetz made as assertion worthy of the same network’s left-wing satire program “Eretz Nehederet.” But he and his hosts, well-known Bibi-bashers Yaron Avraham and Einav Galili, discussed the claim in earnest. The chat came on the heels of a Truth Social...
(Investigative Project on Terrorism via JNS) — For weeks, debate over Israel’s 12-day war with Iran has revolved around nuclear enrichment capabilities, damage assessment, and the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rarely does anyone pause to mention just how insane it is that the Islamic Republic exists almost exclusively to destroy Israel and America. As long as the current government controls Iran, neither Israel (the “Little Satan”) nor the United States (the “Big Satan”) is safe....
Dear Editor: One can only hope that the Heritage would be read by more people if only to see the frontpage picture of “The Lion has roared,” symbolizing how prayer and faith work. However, there is more for reading about the classy way Israel handled the “idealistic” flotilla by a young Swedish woman infatuated by Arafat’s headgear with little understanding of that evil Egyptian’s preoccupation with “Palestinian” destruction of the Jewish State (“Israel’s brilliant handling of the ‘flotilla’ affair,” by Ruth Blum, June 20 issue, page 4A). Equal...
MORNING 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 of Orlando — Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Temple Israel — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-647-3...
(JNS) — The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said on Wednesday that intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear program was “severely damaged” during the 12-day war with Israel. “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes,” according to a statement attributed to agency director John Ratcliffe. “This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source indicating that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would...
(JNS) - A bicycle is so much more than just a means of transportation. So says Adva Sharvit, who co-founded the not-for-profit organization Hamaslul with her husband, Karmy Shirby, in 2015 - with two groups, 20 youth, 15 pairs of bicycles and two counselors - to use the bicycle as an educational vehicle and explore the land of Israel. Sharvit, who earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience, researching post-traumatic stress disorder, discovered that cycling is a cogent therapeutic and educational tool to...
A golem has awakened in my bedroom. Rather than clay, this one is made of stone. Like other golems he is unable to speak — for now, that is. Yet, unlike such mythical creatures of the past he was not put here to seek revenge on the oppressors of our people. Nor was he created by a rabbi. Actually, he is the rabbi! So begins another day for a man well past retirement age. I start to move my fingers. One by one I repeat doing so until my hands no longer feel like hardened cement. While my body a...
(JNS) - It's difficult to imagine a face like Elliott Gould's becoming a matinee idol today. It is angular and brooding, with eyes that have carried a weight beyond their years and a voice that teetered between irony and sincerity. "Acting, for me, was always about truth," he said in a recent conversation from his home in California. "And the truth is, I never fit in. That's why I worked." Gould, 86, doesn't so much act as inhabit a mood. He was never Hollywood's golden boy - but that, in part,...
