Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Congregation Ohev Shalom was honored to host the Orlando Symphony Orchestra on June 12 as it launched its Two Concerts, One Community series. "Many of our congregants regularly attend performances at the Dr. Phillips Center, but welcoming the symphony and world-renowned baritone Lawrence Craig into our own sanctuary was beyond special. Seeing and hearing the musicians on our bimah was truly magical," said COS President Debby Gendzier. The sanctuary of Maitland's COS came alive with music,...
Maitland, FL – Congregation Ohev Shalom is honored to host a unique musical experience, Concerts for Peace, featuring the Orlando Symphony Orchestra and internationally acclaimed baritone Lawrence Craig. This intimate performance is open to the community, and will take place on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 7 p.m. at Ohev Shalom, located at 613 Concourse Parkway South, Maitland, FL. Under the direction of Music Director David Handel, the Orlando Symphony Orchestra will present a thoughtfully c...
Congregation Ohev Shalom is honoring Nina and Ron Oppenheim at "The Eras Gala" on Feb. 22, 2025. The Oppenheims' connection to Congregation Ohev Shalom spans decades, and their contributions have left a lasting impact on the congregation and the Orlando Jewish community. Synagogue President Debby Gendzier reflected warmly on their involvement, sharing, "Nina and Ron Oppenheim are family to Congregation Ohev Shalom. Like family, they have been incredibly supportive in every possible way to our...
“The Night Sky Lined with Silver” by award-winning author Yvonne David is poised to become a cherished Chanukah classic for readers aged nine and up. The second book in the Apple Tree Series (though it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone), this heartfelt story follows the Bieman family as they adjust to Jewish life in the Catskill Mountains in 1938. With its rich narrative and historical backdrop, the novel weaves the timeless theme of Chanukah — the triumph of light over darkn...
Just in time for the High Holidays, Eden Grove and The Mesaper Theatre announced the New York premiere of “Out of The Apple Orchard,” an off-Broadway production based on award-winning author Yvonne David’s book “Out of the Apple Orchard,” the first book in the four-part children’s book Apple Tree Series. It was adapted for the stage by Ellen W. Kaplan and directed by Nicole Raphael of The Mesaper Theatre. “Out of The Apple Orchard” was first performed at the Orlando Repertory Theatre in 2016...
The Mega Challah Bake has re-introduced the joy of challah-making to women throughout the Orlando area, following a year and a half Covid break. On Thursday, Nov. 11, Orlando's Chabad Centers brought the Mega Challah Bake back to Central Florida. One-hundred and fifty Jewish women of all affiliations joined together to prepare and bake challah as a collective, representing participation from all eight of Central Florida's Chabad Centers (South Orlando Chabad held their event on the same night...
"Mike Etzkin was a 'Newspaper Guy' through and through. He could write a good story, lay out the paper, and then write the headlines. "He could do it all," said Loraine O'Connell about her former Orlando Sentinel co-worker and spouse of 26 years. Etzkin died on Aug. 17, 2021, in Altamonte Springs, Fla., at the age of 74. After retiring from the Sentinel in 2007, he served as an award-winning editor of the Heritage Florida Jewish News until 2013. O'Connell added, "Mike will always be remembered...
Abby Sanchez, member of the Seminole County School Board, represents District 3 in Central Florida. First elected in 2016, Sanchez's current term ends in 2020. She is running for re-election in the primary election on Aug. 18, 2020; the general election is on Nov. 3 (check your local polling place for early voting). Growing up in South Florida, Sanchez, earned the nickname "Dear Abby" for her compassion, desire to listen, and problem-solving propensities. The moniker lives on four decades...
"Today is the day: The moment I (and many of you) have been waiting for! I begin my journey as the cantor of CRJ," posted newly hired Cantor Bryce Megdal in celebration of her first day on the job at Orlando's Congregation of Reform Judaism. While the cantor's interview process took place on video from her home in the Los Angeles area due to the ongoing corona virus pandemic, the Tucson native noted that she felt "right at home" with committee members and Rabbi Steven Engel leading the virtual...
"Gratitude. Mindfulness. Community Engagement." These are just some of the merits, which Dr. Susan A. Bach, Ph.D., formerly the executive director of the Center for Leadership Development at Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business, has been imparting on her more than a dozen students enrolled in the two- to- four-year leadership program. With an upcoming assignment on the theme of forgiveness, Bach brought in Orlando area author Yvonne David as an authority on the subject. David's... Full story
By Pamela Ruben How far would you go to help a worthy cause? So far, no distance is too great for Orlando real estate attorney Andy Reiff. Over the past 26 years, Reiff has logged over 4,000 miles on his 26-year-old Trek 2100 racing bike, raising over $100,000 to help improve the lives of those stricken with chronic diseases, like multiple sclerosis and diabetes. For more than a quarter of a century, the 59-year-old biking enthusiast has participated in "Bike MS: The Citrus Tour," which raises... Full story
(JNS)-Mike Signer, who served as the mayor of Charlottesville, Va., during the rally and protests last August that brought white supremacists to the forefront of international attention, recalled that he was about 8 or 9 when he heard his first anti-Semitic slur. "Growing up in Northern Virginia, the last thing I wanted to be was different, so I assimilated," he told more than 3,000 Jewish teens attending the annual BBYO International Convention held last week in Orlando, Fla. It wasn't until... Full story
On Sunday, Jan. 28, honorees and guests of The Jewish Pavilion's Gems & Jeans Gala demonstrated the impact that just one person can make on an entire community. Co-chairs Marci Gaeser, Sharon Littman, and Susie Stone delivered opening remarks and warmly welcomed the more than 200 guests who had gathered at the Sheraton Orlando North in Maitland to celebrate gala honorees, and to make a difference in the lives of residents of senior living communities served by the Pavilion. Littman commended... Full story
The Jewish Pavilion's *Pearls of the Pavilion luncheon will take on a whole new luster when it is held at the home of Jewelry Designer Gay Harrison of Gay Harrison Handcrafted Couture Jewelry. Harrison is generously opening her Longwood home for the occasion, which takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 20th. Following a gourmet luncheon, the acclaimed designer will offer a sneak peak of her 2018 Spring Collection, along with a sparkling discussion of upcoming trends in jewelry. "We are so appreciative... Full story
Like you, I was tempted to roll my eyes when I first learned that the calendar for late January declares a National Day of Hugging amongst its notable monthly holidays. Then, I thought back to all the times in which I really needed a hug, and felt a little less skeptical. Just yesterday, I tripped and skinned my knee, something which hasn't happened since I was a little child. Fortunately, a jogger was passing by, and helped scoop me up with an outstretched hand. That brief second when our... Full story
Most women have that 'little black dress' that can be dressed up or down for almost any affair. But what's appropriate to wear for an event that doesn't follow stereotypical fashion expectations? If you have recently received an invitation to the Jewish Pavilion's 'Gems & Jeans Gala' taking place on Jan. 28th, you might be wondering, "What's a girl (or guy) to wear?" "Anything goes," declares event co-chair, Marci Gaeser. At last year's gala, Marci wore glittery heels and tank top, with skinny... Full story
"How can you hate someone you have never even met?" was a question frequently pondered by 6-year-old Eva Mor, as a young child growing up in Poland in the year's following World War II. Often harassed and bullied on the way to and from kindergarten, or even from a short walk to the park, the child of two Holocaust and labor camp survivors was perplexed by the hate and bigotry directed at the Jewish members of her community well after the war's end. In 1957, the family sought refuge in Israel,... Full story
Do you remember when the original trolleys ran in New York state? On Thursday, Oct. 23, 90-year-old Carl from Brookdale Island Lake reflected back on when the trolley ran through the city of Buffalo, sharing his memories with his new teenager friend, Matthew. Residents, Cyndee and Al, joined the trip down memory lane, recalling a time when the milkman and the doctor came right to their door. Teens from three local Chabad centers (Chabad of North Orlando, Chabad of South Orlando, and Chabad of... Full story
On a recent sunny Sunday October afternoon, Jewish Pavilion Board of Directors Chair Paul Stenzler shared with an audience of over 400 community members of all ages that "All of you will require the support or services of the Jewish Pavilion at some stage of life as your family matures." Fulfilling this important community need happens only because of private contributions and small grants. Thus, was born the Jewish Pavilion's first ever "Music Fest and Vendor Extravaganza" at Lake Brantley... Full story
Have you given much thought to the power of music? Paul Stenzler, bandleader of Orlando's Rhythm Release and current president of the Jewish Pavilion Board of Directors, thinks about it each time he sees a concert-goer literally moved by the sound of music. Heads begin to nod in time, and shoulders sway back and forth, releasing everyday concerns for many, the beat uniting fans for the duration of the performance. Other times, Stenzler observes the glint in the eye of a toe-tapping,... Full story
What could be the reason behind a 'slumber party' with guests ranging from ages 77 to 19? Hurricane Irma, of course. When Hurricane Irma came storming through, she created 'strange bedfellows' all over town, with the mixed generations offering shelter, comfort, and whatever was needed from one another. In our family's case, my 22-year-old daughter's one bedroom apartment became the most valuable real estate in town. As my eldest only lost power for a brief time, she opened her air-conditioned an... Full story
What better way to memorialize those who have loved and nurtured the arts than by naming a musical festival in their honor? Those were the thoughts of Jewish Pavilion Board member Geanne Share when she and husband, Adrian, chose to pass on the legacy of her parents, the late Inez 'Teddy' and Myron Snyder. With the arts and philanthropy at the center of Share's Brookline, Massachusetts home, she credits her parents for inspiring her life of volunteerism, with training given "while practically sti... Full story
Like many back-to-schoolers, Ed April is preparing to return to classes. An eager student, he has already read through his required text on the Spanish American War. In just a few weeks, Ed will join with the thousands of students on the campus of Northwestern University, as he heads into his ninth year at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Northwestern University (OLLI). Though Ed is more than 55 years older than the average college student, he shares that returning to campus each year for... Full story
"Collecting family stories not only benefits the senior-storyteller, but can add to the richness of their relationship with their family members and caregivers," said Emily Newman of the Orlando Senior Help Desk. I am living proof of the previous statement, as it took me almost 50 years to uncover an Olympic-sized story that brought my late maternal grandfather to life. As my Grandfather Irving passed before I was born, I never developed concrete images of who he was during his lifetime. I knew... Full story
"Fraud happens to everyone from youngest to oldest, and to people of all backgrounds. Today we are going to talk about making elders a tougher target... Just like you and I head into work on Monday morning, full-time scammers head to their warehouse each Monday, too," said Detective Leamon "Lee" Davis of the Orange County Sheriff's Office at the 11th Annual Education and Prevention Symposium held on Friday, June 16, in acknowlegement of World Elder- Abuse Day. Sally Kopke of Vitas Healthcare... Full story
