Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Articles written by Debra Kamin


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  • Jewish superheroes-fully human and totally inspiring

    Debra Kamin|Jun 17, 2016

    TEL AVIV (JTA)-Say the words "Jewish" and "superhero" together in a sentence, and most people will likely think of Gal Gadot, the dark-haired former Miss Israel who's better known these days as Marvel's Wonder Woman. Milton Maltz wants to change that. The Cleveland, Ohio-based philanthropist and businessman is a longtime friend of Tel Aviv's Beit Hatfutsot-Museum of the Jewish People. And when he got wind of the museum's plans for a massive $100 million upgrade, one particular exhibition piqued... Full story

  • At Museum of the Jewish People, an iconic exhibit of miniature synagogues breaks new ground

    Debra Kamin|Jun 3, 2016

    TEL AVIV (JTA)—In 1978, when Beit Hatfutsot-Museum of the Jewish People opened, it did something big. But it did it in the smallest way possible. Among the museum’s first exhibits was a gallery filled with 18 miniature synagogues, each as intricate and tiny as a dollhouse. Representing houses of worship from around the world, the Synagogue Hall—like the museum itself—was a picture of global Jewish diversity, its models reflecting the wide range of building styles that house Jewish prayer. Visitors to the museum gasped at the fine detaili... Full story

  • The globe-trotting, picture-taking couple that documented the 20th-century Jewish experience

    Debra Kamin, JTA|Mar 25, 2016

    TEL AVIV (JTA)-In the summer of 1942, while Nazi officials in Wannsee were coining the term "Final Solution," Leni Sonnenfeld donned a crisp sundress and smiled into a camera in New York City's Central Park. At her side was her husband, Herbert, dressed in a starched U.S. Army uniform. In the photo he's confident and casual, his hands in his pockets and his legs spread wide. She is elegant and poised, a quiet smile on her lips. They are young and clearly in love. Staring at the attractive pair... Full story

  • Revisiting Ethiopian aliyah after 30 years

    Debra Kamin|Mar 11, 2016

    TEL AVIV (JTA)-Orli Malassa doesn't remember ever feeling anything but Israeli. To her parents, who came to Israel from Ethiopia in 1983 when she was 5 years old, Malassa's accent-free Hebrew, fluent use of Israeli slang and effortless assimilation into the Jewish state has felt nothing short of a miracle. "To this day, they are just amazed," Malassa says of her parents' attitude toward life in Israel. "It's a prophecy coming true for them, and they are just so grateful." An estimated 120,000... Full story

  • New to Republican race, John Kasich espouses wisdom of Torah

    Debra Kamin, JTA|Jul 31, 2015

    (JTA)—Political columnist Matt Bai recently got an old-fashioned Jewish guilt trip for skipping synagogue, and not from his rabbi or his Jewish mother, but from an evangelical Christian politician angling for the White House. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who this week officially joined the jam-packed race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, is an ardent Protestant. But when he sat down with Bai in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, he went with a JDate-style icebreaker: “Do you go to synagogue?” Bai, who spent years covering politics for the N... Full story

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