Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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The theme for this year's JP Connections should be smiles, because the lyrics "Who can turn the world on with her smile?" (theme song for the "Mary Tyler Moore" TV show) can be applied to JP honoree Shirley Schoenberger; and honoree Dolores Indek's daily goal is to put a smile on people's faces. The annual Jewish Pavilion luncheon recognizes two volunteers who have gone above the call of duty in volunteer work. However, it isn't a "duty" to either of these women but truly their heart's desire... Full story
When India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel last July and waded in the ocean with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that historic meeting not only paved the way for a stronger relationship between the countries, it spurred local doctors, Jewish and Indian, to have an informative, networking event together. Drs. Amish Parikh and Daniel Layish, friends who are members of the Central Florida Association of Physicians from the Indian Subcontinent and the Jewish Federation of Greater... Full story
More than 160 men from around Central Florida came together on Nov. 2 for an evening of camaraderie with all that "men stuff," you know-steak, drinks, and a great comedian. The event, co-sponsored by the Men's Clubs and Brotherhoods of Congregation Ohev Shalom, Temple Israel, Congregation Beth Am, Congregation of Reform Judaism and Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation, in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, was profitable, netting about $12,000 for local Jewish youth... Full story
What an eventful day Sunday, Nov. 12, was! It was the opening of the Kehillah: A History of Jewish Life in Greater Orlando exhibit, and it is an amazing history. As a volunteer for the project, I attended the opening “thank you” luncheon for volunteers and sponsors. During the program, Marcia Jo Zerivitz, LHD, exhibition curator, said in the word “history” is the word “story,” and this is the living story of this Jewish community. Walking through the exhibit is enlightening, but to walk through with descendants of the first Jews to arrive in C... Full story
It all goes back to April 2014 when Jason Mendelsohn, now 48, received the heart-stopping news that he had squamous cell carcinoma on his right tonsil. He was shocked. He didn't smoke, it was just a small bump on his neck. Later, his doctor confirmed that is was stage 4 HPV-related tonsil cancer. He probably contracted the HPV virus while he was in college, 25 years earlier. Before the shock had time to wear off, he had a radical tonsillectomy, neck dissection (42 lymph nodes removed from his... Full story
For the past 26 years, India and Israel have been developing a strong relationship. While once India was an adherent to the Arab League boycott of Israel, in 1992, India announced it would establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. A few months later, the two nations signed an agreement to increase cooperation between Indian and Israeli industries. Today, trade is booming. India is Israel's ninth leading trade partner. Exports have risen from $200 million in 1992 to $4.2 billion in 2016.... Full story
Last Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott paid a visit to The Roth Family JCC to announce his proposal of $1million to provide extra security to Jewish day schools throughout Florida. The monies would be ear-marked for security upgrades and other counter-terrorism measures, such as video cameras, fences, bullet-proof glass, alarm systems and other safety equipment. He then stressed that the proposal still has to go through the state congress and encouraged everyone to contact their congressmen and state... Full story
The Roth Family JCC's Jewish Film committee finished the grueling (tongue-in-cheek) task of choosing five films (and one short) out of 104 to present at the Central Florida Jewish Film Festival. Partnering with Maitland's Enzian Theater for the last 19 years, The Roth Family JCC is once again, bringing the community films with Jewish and Israeli themes that will make you laugh, cry, and think. As in the past, each film offers something totally different and totally wonderful. So it is worth it t... Full story
Amy Schwartz Kimlat certainly does and it helped her to make a tough decision-to resign as marketing director of The Roth Family JCC. Her final day will be Nov. 10. There is no doubt about it that on May 15, 2006, Kimlat brought a "magic" to the Maitland JCC and injected tons of motivation and inspiration into this community center. "Marvin Friedman was the executive director who hired me," Kimlat recalled. "He joked with me at the time that he'd meet my request for a Mac computer to do my job i... Full story
It started with a two-year contract back in August 1990, and now, 27 years later, Rabbi Aaron Daniel Rubinger is laying down the mantel of senior rabbi at Congregation Ohev Shalom and assuming the title of rabbi emeritus. "The last two years I've considered working just part-time," he told Heritage, "so, when the synagogue leadership offered me this opportunity, I was thrilled!" The change will go into effective Oct. 15. Rubinger will still perform some lifecycle events, conduct some services... Full story
It took less than 90 seconds for Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, to make the Palestinian delegation to the UN Human Rights Council squirm in their seats. Just after members from the PLO, Syria, Qatar, North Korea, Pakistan, Venezuela and Iran spoke their vile reasons to disassociate with Israel at United Nations Watch, Yousef spoke in English with clarity and confidence as he called out the PA's human rights abuses of their own people. "Where does your... Full story
Sept. 14 was an evening of laughter, music, dance, prayer and unity among women at The Roth Family JCC and the Rosen JCC as each dug their hands into bread dough, braiding magnificent round Challah at Chabad's fourth annual Mega Challah Bake. It was also the largest women's event yet in the community, hosting more than 360 women at The Roth Family JCC and more than 200 at the Rosen JCC, for a combined total of more than 560 participants. Ages ranged from 9 years old to 106 (that's Myrtle Skop... Full story
There is a hauntingly solemn-yes not to be missed-art exhibit opening at the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center on Sept. 10. The works were created by St. Petersburg artist Judith Dazzio. What makes this exhibit so unique is that Dazzio painted these pieces as a result of hearing a Holocaust Survivor's personal story in her sixth-grade class. Her story stayed with Dazzio throughout her life. An adult now, she recalls, "I can still see the numbers on her arms. I can see her holding... Full story
The turn out for the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando's Annual Meeting wasn't as large as in past years. Perhaps the weather, casting a gloomy, gray, cloud-covered sky that threatened rain, put a damper on many families' plans to come because this year's annual meeting was also billed as Family Fun Day that included a picnic. Another change in the meeting was the agenda. It was much shorter -less than an hour to go through all the protocol: the approval of last year's minutes, the... Full story
Tuesday evening, Aug. 22, the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center hosted a panel discussion on free speech vs. hate speech. The timely dialogue was arranged as a result of the Charlottesville protest/counterprotest. Michael Friedman, president of HMREC, welcomed the more than 500 people in attendance, and stated that we should all treat people with respect even if we disagree. "The way we respond to Charlottesville defines us as a country," he stated. Moderator Scott Maxwell,... Full story
What is JSU? The Jewish Student Union is an after-school club that provides any high school student-regardless of Jewish affiliation-a Jewish experience through programs that strengthen their Jewish identity and connection to Israel. Run by the teenagers, a club can be established in a school simply by being requested (JSU does not barge in and establish itself). Last year, a student at Oviedo High School experienced anti-Semitism at the school. She'd heard about the Jewish Student Union and... Full story
Her demeanor is reserved. She speaks softly with dignity and grace. Yet beneath that quiet exterior lays a strength to spearhead many projects that enhanced the Orlando Jewish community. Sara Stern reveals her deep love of Judaism and the Jewish people through her accomplishments within organizations such as Congregation Ohev Shalom, Hadassah, the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando and the Women's League of Conservative Judaism. Her motivation comes, she stated, from "a deep-seated belief... Full story
Lester Mandell, a leader and pacesetter in the Jewish community, died on Thursday, July 27, 2017. He was 96 years old. Mr. Mandell, with contemporaries Hy Lake, Lester Zimmerman and John Lowndes, is a household name in both the construction industry and the Jewish community. In fact, Mandell has worked in the construction business for more than 80 years-starting out in Miami building houses for 37 cents an hour. He and his wife, the former Sonia Margolis, met each other in Miami at a "No Names"... Full story
Former Heritage editor, Mike Etzkin, is a proud uncle. His nephew, Brian Etzkin, is the "winningest" head coach of the men's and women's tennis teams in history at Cleveland State University. Etzkin's work was cut out for him when he came to Cleveland as head coach in 2002. Both the men's and women's teams were, in his words, two "of the worst teams in the country." During his first year he brought the men's team to nine wins-six more than the previous two years combined. And since that beginnin... Full story
Kudos go out to Chef Zachary Engel for winning the James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year. Engel is the chef de cuisine at Shaya restaurant in New Orleans, and was one of 11 New Orleans chefs to be a James Beard Award finalist this year. And if his name sounds familiar, he is also the son of Rabbi Steven and Beverly Engel of the Congregation of Reform Judaism. This is a prestigious honor, as the James Beard Awards are considered among the highest honors in the American culinary... Full story
There is another local water polo player who will be playing on the Maccabi Water Polo team this summer. Ory Tasman, four-time All-American and Winter Park resident, was selected to the 2017 Maccabi Water Polo team. Tasman, a graduate of Winter Park High School in 2012, holds numerous records at Winter Park High and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, including most goals scored in a season (105) and a career (317). He graduate from MIT in 2016 with a degree in computer science and... Full story
After the recession slowed most businesses down considerably, Renee Friedman's team of 14 at FastSigns Orlando Central, under her leadership, hunkered down to make 2016 the company's best year since she bought the retail chain franchise in 2001. "The recession almost shut us down as we lost so many customers in the real estate and construction industries. Year after year sales declined despite all our efforts," she said. "We kept pushing forward and finally, about four years ago, we started to... Full story
RAISE, a work and social skills training program for adults with special needs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, is celebrating its third successful year. Just this month, two of its current participants have moved on to new jobs. And, as always happens with RAISE, more than one person was involved in the process of making this happen. Take Caitlin for example. She spent six-months in RAISE and was recently hired to work at FASTSIGNS Orlando Central by owner Renee Friedman, who saw... Full story
There are times when a very bad situation actually turns out to provide a "golden opportunity" to bring about change. Such is the case with Peter Gold, who started a nonprofit foundation called Strong City, a 501(c)(3) that supports organizations that empower underserved youth. It was only 16 months ago that Gold-who's parents live in Longwood -was fighting for his life after being shot by a man who was abducting a woman. Just recently, that horrific shooting was brought to the American peoples'... Full story
After reading the article about Zev Halikman, the young 22-year-old who made the USA Maccabi water polo team (see the April 7 issue of Heritage), Rochelle Willner of Temple Shalom Aleichem in Kissimmee was on the phone to Heritage. "I thought you'd like to know that there are two other people from here going to the World Maccabiah Games this summer," she said. Those two people are Marilyn Glaser, president of Temple Shalom Aleichem, and Kissimmee resident, Lazar Lowinger, a member of the USA... Full story
