Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
I was born Gloria Bernardi, but my father was born Jacob Moses Schwartzman. When he came to America and became an opera singer in the years just before World War I, it was a time of smoldering antisemitism. He decided that the name Giacomo Bernardi would look better on theatre marquees than Jacob Moses Schwartzman. Bernardi became a name that opened doors, soothed suspicion, and allowed him to move between two worlds. And that’s what names often do — change to fit the times. They can protect, disguise, or celebrate who we are — and who we ho...
The Torah is direct: eat this, not that; separate milk and meat, based on the verse “Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21); and remove leaven from the home before Passover. Leviticus and Deuteronomy do not say “to prevent parasites” or “to avoid food poisoning.” Rabbis treated these as chukim — decrees beyond human reasoning. To follow them was to show trust in God’s wisdom. Over the centuries, rabbis of old cautioned against searching for purely practical motives in these laws. They feared that if pe...
Sharm el-Sheikh, October 9 (U.S. time): Israel and Hamas signed a first-phase agreement that promises a pause in fighting, a partial Israeli pullback, and hostage–prisoner exchanges, with releases expected shortly after Israeli cabinet ratification. Much to hope for. But peace isn’t just paperwork — it rests on trust and, not to be forgotten, on what children are taught. As President Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.” There are three sobering clues from recent history which explain why verification can’t be a footnote, it’s the whole bal...
People often talk about “trading a Palestinian state for peace,” yet few know the history of this land. While Gaza fills headlines, another phrase is hitting the headlines lately: the “Occupied West Bank.” The West Bank is the heartland of ancient Israel and Judah, including Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. It was seized by Jordan in 1948 and then captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The West Bank has never been a Palestinian state; before 1948 it was part of the British Mandate, and before that it was under Ottoman rule. Biblica...
On too many college campuses today, Jewish students aren’t asking for special treatment — they’re asking to be able to study in peace. Recently, that basic expectation has been shattered. Into that breach stepped Mothers Against College Antisemitism — a parent-led network that rocketed from a Facebook group to a national force almost overnight, now with more than 63,000 members. Their premise is simple: If universities won’t protect Jewish students from harassment and open calls for their eradication, parents will. Elizabeth Rand, attorney...
For centuries, Jewish men were immersed in Torah and Talmud. But what about the women who were typically excluded from formal study? It’s not that they were uneducated. They drew on a different kind of intelligence, learning through oral tradition, trained memory, and hands-on skill. They absorbed knowledge about childbirth, herbal medicine, and care of family and neighbors, passed from woman to woman over generations. Noticing what others missed, they addressed unmet needs with practical, lasting solutions — shaping families, sustaining com...
By In 1965, I stood with a tour group at the Wailing Wall — then part of East Jerusalem and under Jordanian control. That control began under Article VIII of the 1949 Armistice Agreement, where Jordan explicitly guaranteed Israeli Jews free access to the Wailing Wall, along with other religious sites. Historian Martin Gilbert has noted that promise was never honored: “During the 19 years of Jordanian rule in East Jerusalem, no Israelis were allowed to visit this site which was most holy to the...
Gabe Friedman in his Heritage article July 11, 2025, “What Zohran Mamdani has actually said about Jews and Israel,” quotes New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani as having “no problem” with Israel’s right to exist. But readers deserve more than assurances. They need to know what Mamdani actually said — and what he deliberately left out. Similarly, Mamdani gives rhetorical cover to the slogan “From the River to the Sea.” While Mamdani says he doesn’t personally use the phrase, he has refused to condemn it, defending it instead as a “des...
Long before stand-up went mainstream, the backroads of the Catskills echoed with the rhythms of Jewish laughter. The Borscht Belt wasn't just a vacation spot - it was a refuge, a proving ground for comedy legends, and a cultural sanctuary for families turned away elsewhere. Today, thanks to the vision and dedication of Marisa Scheinbeld and her associates, that legacy is being brought back to life. Scheinbeld's Borscht Belt Historical Markers Project is transforming forgotten resort towns into...
On Aug. 18, 1790, President George Washington wrote to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island. He assured them: “Everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.” He continued with words that the Jewish people, among many others, have carried close to heart for over two centuries: “The Government of the United States... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” It was a promise. It took time for it to become...
On June 5, 2025, Lt. Leonard M. Keysor was posthumously honored with a historical marker at the location of his London home. It was the first public recognition of him as a Jew. Born in London, Leonard Keysor moved to Australia just before the outbreak of World War I. When war was declared, he enlisted in the Australian Army, joining the 1st Battalion. Serving with Australian Forces in the trenches of Gallipoli during World War I, Keysor was a bomber and a highly skilled grenade thrower. He was...
By When last year’s hurricane tore through South Florida, the devastation reached far beyond shattered windows and waterlogged furniture. For Jewish Heritage editor Christine DeSouza, it meant the total loss of her cousin’s irreplaceable family photos, records, and keepsakes —family history, gone in a matter of hours. (DeSouza’s cousin lives on Pine Island, where Hurricane Ian made landfall in 2022). After a recent conversation with DeSouza, I found myself thinking: what if it had been me? Over the years, I’ve carefully compiled our family’s...
The name of Israel’s newly launched military operation — Operation Rising Lion — echoes one of the most enduring symbols of Jewish strength and identity. For Jerry Klinger, founder and president of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, the lion is more than metaphor — it is the centerpiece of a growing public art campaign that visually affirms Jewish history, survival, and legitimacy. “This military operation and our Lion’s Trail projects share a powerful metaphor — both the...
This summer, a new memorial will rise in the Golan Heights - a mountainous region in Northern Israel known for its breathtaking views and strategic importance. Here, where rolling green hills meet the border with Syria, a quiet place of remembrance is taking shape beside a soccer field in the Druze town of Ein Qiniyye. The memorial will honor 12 children from the four neighboring Druze towns who were killed on July 27, 2024, when a Hezbollah missile struck a soccer field in Majdal Shams. The...
The installation of the sculpture honoring the women of the Israel Defense Forces is now underway. The sculpture - depicting two female soldiers, one from 1948 and one from 2024 - is expected to be completed and delivered by late May, with a dedication ceremony to follow. Standing approximately 12 feet tall atop a hill, the tribute will occupy a prominent site in Petach Tikva, a city known as the "Mother of Settlements." Founded in the late 19th century as the first modern Jewish agricultural co...
Boynton Beach, Florida retiree, Jerry Klinger, has dedicated his life to preserving the often-overlooked contributions of Jewish individuals and communities. After a successful career in finance, he founded the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, which has completed over 200 historical projects across 43 states and eight countries, highlighting Jewish heritage and history. Klinger's journey into historical preservation began with an unexpected discovery while searching for the...
After a successful career in the world of finance, Boynton Beach, Florida, resident Jerry Klinger has become a "professional rememberer." Klinger, 73, started this endeavor as a result of trying to locate the first Jewish house of worship in New Mexico, Temple Montefiore, Las Vegas, N.M., established 1884. Instead, he found a Catholic church. At that location, he established the first of many markers, plaques and monuments he has placed across the United States. The list includes the first...
This old picture from the early 1900s was a family enigma for many decades, until the mystery was solved earlier this year. I have stayed in touch throughout the years with cousins who are the son and daughter of Minnie, the girl on the left. My cousins and I knew the picture was of our widowed grandmother, Hinda Schwartzman (with the black bow), along with her widowed daughter, Jennette Bayles (Baylish), and two of Jennette's three daughters-Minnie, left, and Anne, rear. My cousins guessed the... Full story
About two years ago, I flew to Israel for the annual conference of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies, held that year in Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem, I toured Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims. One of the very powerful exhibits honors "The Righteous Among the Nations"-that small minority who at great risk managed to rescue Jewish people during the Holocaust. YadVashem.org identifies the four major kinds of help that were provided by those few:... Full story
For those interested in their family history, the "My Jewish Roots" series of 10 monthly hands-on genealogy workshops is being held by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO). These workshops are being co-hosted by The Roth Family JCC, Rosen JCC, UCF Hillel, Congregation Ohev Shalom, and Temple Israel in rotation at their facilities and also joinable over the Internet. The December Workshop topic is "Conduct USA based Research." The following is one of my stories of finding... Full story
As a Jewish Pavilion program director visiting Jewish residents in nursing homes/independent and assisted living/rehabilitation facilities in Southwest Orlando, I am fortunate to have gotten to know Sasson Bechor, who is newly arrived in Orlando. Anyone fortunate to meet and talk with Bechor will learn how proud he is to have a Jewish heritage that goes back 2600 years to the year 586 BC. That history is significant in Jewish tradition. That was the year Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem by... Full story
