Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA) - The constant stream of breaking news about American politics and the coronavirus pandemic has hidden a sobering fact: Six prominent Holocaust survivors who had dedicated much of their lives to educating others against hatred have died in Europe over the past month. These are their stories. Esther Cohen One of only 160 people from her native Greek city of Ioannina who survived the genocide, Cohen died there on Tuesday at the age of 96. She had escaped the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp...
(Jewish Journal via JNS) - Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called on the Trump administration to declassify a report detailing the current number of Palestinian refugees who are receiving aid from the U.N. Works and Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees. "Very important that the Trump administration declassify the report that provides a current estimate of the number of Palestinian refugees who are receiving support. This goes to the heart of speaking hard truths in...
(JNS) — Former First Minister of Northern Ireland Lord David Trimble has nominated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office. Lord Trimble won the prize himself in 1998 for his efforts to find a solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. As a Nobel laureate, his nomination of Netanyahu and Prince bin Zayed will lead the Norwegian Nobel Committee to discuss the issue. The announcement comes less than a mon...
People who suffer from diabetes frequently require insulin shots, causing pain, inconvenience, and visible scars that do not heal. To address this pressing healthcare issue, a company based in Israel developed the first oral insulin capsule, called ORMD-0801, providing diabetes treatment without the need for shots. The pill passed previous rounds of testing with impressive results, placing it on the fast-track for commercial availability, Oramed announced last spring. Nearly half a billion people worldwide suffer from diabetes. On Monday,...
The nights may be getting longer, but they are also about to get a whole lot brighter. On Dec. 13, children will gather on ZOOM or in person at Chabad of North Orlando to spread light all over town in a new interactive Chanukah event. Children will embark on a scavenger hunt journey, discovering Chanukah's message and experiencing the miracle of Chanukah in their own lives - how good conquers evil and light conquers darkness. "The best way to make a message stick is through experience," said...
Jewish Academy of Orlando's Knesset (student government) is collecting toys to benefit local children in need through Jewish Family Services. Collection boxes for unwrapped are located at the JCC. The event continues through Friday, Dec. 18. Jewish Academy of Orlando serves central Florida students of all faiths from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school delivers a whole-child education fostering academic excellence and character education rooted in Jewish values. Jewish Academy of...
As COVID continues, caution is taken as the Jewish Pavilion program directors plan Chanukah luncheons or bring Chanukah goodie bags to area assisted-living facilities. The outdoor luncheons are open to the public. Here is the schedule: Friday, Dec. 11 Cascade Heights, 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 Allegro, noon Watercress, 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13 Oakmonte Village and Cascade Heights, no time given Monday, Dec. 14 Westchester, 1 p.m. Village on the Green, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15 Siena, 1 p.m. Cordova, 1:20 p.m. Valencia, 1:40 p.m. Dec. 26 Life...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — The personal information of thousands of Israelis was compromised on Tuesday, following a massive hack into the database of a major local insurance company. The Capital Markets Authority and the National Cyber Directorate confirmed that there had been a cyberattack on the Shirbit insurance company and that its clients’ information had been leaked in the breach. Founded in 2000, the Netanya-based Shirbit has upwards of 200 employees and is one of the largest insurance firms in Israel. Several years ago, it won a sta...
(JTA) — The Supreme Court blocked government restrictions on houses of worship imposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a late-night ruling Wednesday. Deciding two cases at once — one brought by Agudath Israel, an umbrella organization representing haredi Orthodox Jews, and one brought by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn — the court ruled that restrictions placed on New York’s “red zones” with high COVID test positivity rates unfairly discriminated against houses of worship. The decision, which split 5-4, was the first in which Justi...
(JTA) — The Council of the European Union, which is a key driver of EU policy, “invited” all the bloc’s 27 members to adopt a definition of anti-Semitism that includes anti-Israel vitriol. The invitation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition came in a declaration published Wednesday by the Council, which is made up of cabinet ministers from all the bloc’s member states. “Member States that have not yet done so are invited to join the other Member States and endorse the IHRA working definition as soon as possi...
(JTA) — Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Tuesday that his party will back a bill crafted by the opposition in parliament to dissolve the government, likely sending Israel to its fourth election in two years. The votes from Gantz’s Blue and White would provide the needed votes for the measure to pass in the Knesset. Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, formed a unity government earlier this year by agreeing to rotate the premiership after 18 months, but the two have been at odds from the outset of the partnership. Their lat...
(JNS) — The end of the great injustice to Jonathan Pollard has finally come. The video of the call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to him displayed the warmth that the convicted spy whose parole restrictions were just lifted deserved to receive from Israel after suffering terribly for 35 years. The small studio apartment in which he and his wife, Esther, reside shows that even during his past five years of “freedom,” Pollard was still being punished with onerous parole conditions. It is a great relief that the Justice Depar...
(JNS) — Some 850,000 Jews have been deported from Arab countries and Iran, but their stories are not heard in E.U. meetings and their photos cannot be found hanging in exhibitions in the corridors of the United Nations. Their names are not mentioned in the thousands of U.N. resolutions of recent decades, and the international community has not earmarked an annual date to mark their plight. The United Nations may see them as “negligible” refugees — but we do not. After their failure to prevent the establishment of the State of Israel, and as...
The recent per curium (unsigned) decision by the U.S. Supreme Court granting a temporary injunction prohibiting the governor of New York from enforcing a poorly drafted, over-bearing and constitutionally defective executive order has been misrepresented by the media to the American public. The Executive Order under legal attack issued by Governor Cuomo restricted religious gatherings to 10 persons in so-called “red zones“ and 25 persons in so-called “orange” zones where Covid-19 infections were increasing, and was mostly directed against...
What is a good museum? A good museum serves its entire community. A good museum speaks to society. A good museum challenges you, sparking a social and cultural conversation. That means that a good museum will, from time to time, face controversy. Are Holocaust museums an exception? Must they avoid tough conversations about contemporary society? Is their sole purpose to memorialize the past? Of course not. On Nov. 2, the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, near Orlando, opened a new exhibit. “Uprooting Prejudice: Faces o...
(JNS) — Not long before a virus born in China began spreading around the globe, destroying lives, devastating economies, and, oh yes, shutting down the Washington social scene, I attended an elegant, off-the-record dinner hosted by a well-funded think tank of the libertarian persuasion. The guest of honor, a senior figure in the Trump administration, excused himself before dessert, citing pressing matters of state. At that point, a distinguished professor from a prestigious university held forth, posing a question to those around the table: ...
Dear Editor: I just read “The Dems Had No Choice But to Rig The Election!,” by bookseller and former journalist Ayad Rahim. It was published on Dec. 4. 2020, in Front Page Mag, a project of David Horowitz Freedom Center. Please read this amazing account today and then join those of us who cannot stand by without making our voices heard. Get in the fight send emails to Barr at the DOJ and Wray at the FBI and demand they start investigating now! We can’t just lay down and surrender, this is what they expected you to do. Please contact : Attor...
Dear Editor: From my perspective, the election of 2020 will have a monumental effect on future elections in the United States. I feel that a new beginning has started. There is a small but potentially enlarging crack growing in the electoral process at all levels of government. This election showed the beginnings of a more united diverse electorate. The Latina vote, the Black vote, the Asian vote seemed to be more united behind specific candidates like never before. The Jewish vote, again was divided again with more votes going to the...
MORNING MINYANS (Please note, because of the coronavirus, some minyans have been canceled or held virtually.) Chabad of North Orlando is holding in-person 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.,...
BOSTON (JTA) — As a child, Sheryl Haft was captivated by the sounds of her grandparents speaking Yiddish. Sing-songy terms of endearment like “bubbala” and “mamleh shayne” sparked joy when her grandmother used them. Grittier words like “shmendrick” and “kvetch” tickled her funny bone. Now Haft has captured that passion in a new children’s book that puts a delightful Yiddish spin on “Goodnight Moon,” the beloved bedtime classic by Margaret Wise Brown. “Goodnight Bubbala: A Joyful Parody” is set during Chanukah. With bright and lively illustrat...
Chanukah is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays in the United States. But that doesn't mean there is nothing new to learn about this eight-day festival. From the mysterious origins of gelt to an Apocryphal beheading to Marilyn Monroe, we've compiled an item for each candle (don't forget the shammash!) on the Chanukah menorah. 1. Gelt as we know it is a relatively new tradition - and no one knows who invented it. While coins - "gelt," is Yiddish for coins, or money - have been part...
If you're tired of "regular" potato latkes by the second night of Chanukah, here are some versions and accouterments to try. For most of these recipes, you can start with your own basic potato latke recipe, and substitute appropriately. If you're not supposed to have so much oil, you can spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray or Pam and put any of these in a hot (450 degree) oven for about 5-8 minutes on each side. Ingredients peanut oil 1 teaspoon garlic or 2 garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon p...
Happy Chanukah! ... As you know, Chanukah began sundown on Dec. 10th and goes through sundown on Dec. 18th. The holiday celebrates redemption of the second Temple in Jerusalem. Of course, fried foods are proper in commemoration of the oil that burned for 8 days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the Holy Temple. (Yum, Latkes!) This is one of my favorite holidays. Let's celebrate the "Festival of Lights." What I'm grateful for ... Watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on television, I...
(JNS) - A free trade agreement between Israel and Ukraine will take effect beginning Jan. 1, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky posted on his Twitter account. "Relations between our countries are rising to a new level," he wrote. "This gives a 'green light' to Ukraine's export growth, and creates closer cooperation in the fields of high-tech, engineering and investment." Originally signed in January 2019, the agreement promotes the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation...
(JTA) - In the more than 30 years that Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel has worked at Agudath Israel, an umbrella organization and advocacy group representing haredi Orthodox Jews, he can't remember a single year where as much of the group's work took place in court. There was the lawsuit challenging New York State for applying different standards on attendance at houses of worship than at businesses. Agudath Israel filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs. There was the case in which Orthodox...
