Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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WASHINGTON (JTA)-The top Democrat handling foreign relations in the Senate says he will endeavor to get Congress to reauthorize Iran sanctions before year's end, a key goal of pro-Israel activists. "There's general agreement we have to extend the sanctions against Iran, and we need to do it before they expire at the end of this year, " Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told JTA on Thursday. Last month Cardin toured Israel, Saudi Arabia...
Two high school girls from Miami who went missing Saturday afternoon during a weekend trip to Orlando, Fla., with their school were found by search teams on Sunday and were on the way to a local hospital, where they will be reunited with their families. A police helicopter spotted Brocha Katz and Rivkah Moshe, both 16 years old, who were last seen taking a walk together at the Caribe Resort. A rescue team was sent to an isolated spot in a densely forested swampland near the hotel where they were staying. While they were only several thousand...
The United States Postal Service describes the stamp. The 2016 Hanukkah stamp features a holiday menorah in the window of a home. Artist William Low added visual interest to the scene by highlighting the contrast between the hot candles flames and the cool snow, the vertical candles and the horizontal window frame, and the dark menorah with brightly lit candles. Bhel Kessler was the art director." The 2016 Hanukkah stamp should be issued sometime in October....
With a few strokes of the pen, Wednesday, April 6, the landscape of Orlando was profoundly altered as Orlando Torah Academy (OTA) closed on their building. OTA is now the proud owner of a 17,000 sq. ft. building on a 1.5 acre campus. This dramatic new chapter in its history was precipitated by phenomenal and sustained growth since its inception. Founded almost 6 years ago with an enrollment of a mere 12 children, OTA has grown to almost 60 students this year. With new families already...
By Jane Edelstein More than 200 people recently attended the grand opening of Nate's Shul-the new home of Chabad of North Orlando. While dark clouds remained overhead, sunshine and smiles prevailed as children reveled in games and snacks and adults enjoyed conversation and camaraderie. And finally, the question of "who is Nate?" behind "Nate's Shul" was answered. "We are honored to name our shul after Nathan Kaplan (Of Blessed Memory), who was the grandfather of Rabbi Chaim and Lauren," said...
The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah presents "A Visit with Barbara Sofer" on Monday, April 25, 2016 at 10 a.m. in the multi-purpose room at Congregation Ohev Shalom. The event is open to the public and admission is free of charge. Beverages and Passover pastries will be served. Barbara Sofer is a prize-winning journalist, author and inspirational speaker who also serves as the Israel director of Public Relations for Hadassah where she reports the stories of Hadassah's achievements in print and...
The Jewish Academy of Orlando will throw the ultimate girls night out party-"Lady Luck" on Wednesday, May 4, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Women from all around Central Florida will be joining one another at the Winter Park Farmer's Market, located at 200 W New England Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32789, for a fabulous night of fashion, sushi, wine, and live music while celebrating the women of our community. The latest fashions by Tuni and other local stores will be on display. There will also be...
Over the years, I’ve spoken at or attended a number of academic conferences on the subject of rising anti-Semitism. Parleys like these are essential for boosting our understanding of why, seven decades after the end of the World War II, the taboo around anti-Semitic invective—whether directed at Jews as Jews, or through code words like “Zionists”—has been broken. Historians, sociologists, and political scientists, along with scholars from similar disciplines, all play a decisive role in determining how the trajectory of anti-Semitism changes e...
No, the headline doesn’t refer to America’s president. I’m referring to the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Mahmoud Abbas. But let’s keep President Barack Obama’s party, the Democrats, in mind as we examine the latest developments involving Abbas and his Fatah party. Established in 1964—long before there were any settlements or “occupied territories”—Fatah has long been the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and it carried out many of the PLO’s most notorious terrorist massacres. The 1972 Munich Oly...
A recent visit with a young Japanese friend, a paratrooper in the IDF, provided an insight into the nature of Israel and other places. He said that fellow soldiers take him for Chinese or Korean, even though he explains that he comes from Japan. Israelis do a lot of traveling. It’s tough being cooped up in a small country with hostiles all around. We can reach Europe, depending on destination, with 30 minutes of flying (Cyprus), four hours (Italy or France), or five hours (Britain). There are more than four million departures annually by I...
For some, the members of the Israeli NGO calling itself Breaking the Silence (BTS) are “whistleblowers” and human rights activists; for others, they are a tiny group of dangerous messianists who tour the world promoting anonymous and false allegations of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) war crimes. The recent exposé on Israel’s Channel 2 showing how they gather sensitive and potentially classified information on IDF tactics and equipment—far removed from any human rights claims—increased the suspicion and hostility with which they are viewed by...
(Rabbis Without Borders via JTA)—There are two funny images I like to circulate this time every year as we approach the Passover holiday. The first is a cartoon of a truck with large text on the side reading Morty’s Passover Cleaning. On the driver’s side door is the word “chametz” inside a circle with line struck through it. Underneath the large Morty’s Passover Cleaning text on the side of the truck it reads: Orthodox $89.95, Conservative $49.95; Reform $19.95. The second image is of a person’s office cubicle completely covered in aluminum f...
Yesterday a group of students from New York University came to visit Karnei Shomron. They were on a semester in Israel program and as part of a course on religion and politics, they were interested in how religious beliefs affected the settlement movement. They also wanted to learn more about the partnership between Jews and Christians on the settlement issue. I was eager to meet these young students but as soon as they entered, before I even had a chance to open my mouth and say anything, I was met by a feeling of distance, bordering on...
Dear Editor: The Heritage issue of April 1 was particularly interesting notably for the various columns dealing with the presidential elections and AIPAC. After reading all of these columns, of course, I had my own thoughts and decisions on these very critical issues relating to the future presidency and the core issues that surround Israel and the Jewish people. As we approach the holiday of Passover, let us remind ourselves once again what took place between G-d and His covenanted people—Israel. The Jewish Liberal Democrats are ...
MORNING AND EVENING MINYANS (Call synagogue to confirm time.) 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., 407-298-4650. GOBOR Community Minyan at Jewish Academy of Orlando—Monday—Friday, 7:45 a.m.—8:30 a.m. Temple I...
On a typical weekday, Emily Newman, Orlando's Senior Help Desk specialist, can be found scribbling notes at her desk at the Jewish Pavilion office, phone glued to her ear. Thanks to funds raised by the Pavilion Golf Society (PGS) over the past four years, Newman has served as the Jewish Pavilion's elder resource since 2012, dedicating herself to passing on reassuring advice to older adults and their family members at no cost to the caller. On Sunday, May 15, at 7:30 a.m., the Pavilion Golf...
Please join We’re With You on April 16 at 8 p.m. for an evening of dialogue with four Druze families who lost their children defending Israel while serving the IDF. There will be an open dialogue about their culture, traditions and loyalty to Israel led by Dr. Ramzi Halabi, a leader in the Druze community of Israel. A coffee and dessert reception will follow the presentation. Conversation will be in English. This event is open and free to the community and will be held at the Jewish Academy of Orlando, 851 Maitland Ave. This event is s...
Joyce S. Goldstein, age 78, of Winter Springs, passed away on Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at Cornerstone Hospice at Winter Park Hospital. Mrs. Goldstein was born in Boston, Massachusetts on Jan. 8, 1938, to the late George and Betty Calish Snyder. Professionally, she was nurse, but that was merely one of her many talents. She was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother and sister, as well as an accomplished artist. She and her family relocated to the Orlando area from New Jersey in 1985. Joyce is survived by her sons, David J (Elizabeth)...
Adele Rosenbaum, age 98, of Orlando, passed away on Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at Mike Conley Hospice House in Clermont. Mrs. Rosenbaum, a native of Germany, was born on Feb. 3, 1918, to the late Seymour and Bessie Anfong Franklin. On Aug. 1, 1921, at the age of three, she sailed with her family from Rotterdam to the United States. A homemaker, she relocated to the Orlando area in 2005. Mrs. Rosenbaum is survived by her daughters, Susan (Lee) Kaufman of Clermont and Arlene (Fred) Katzman of Manhasset Hills, N.Y.; and three grandchildren, Mandy,...
This past March, a group of 100 Jewish National Fund (JNF) donors, including Central Floridians Bruce Gould and Jim and Jill Riola, experienced something unique as they all traveled to Israel with JNF's $1 Billion Dollar Roadmap Mission for one unbelievable week to engage in the many projects JNF has developed to grow the country's northern and southern regions. What made this trip even more special was that each participant is a member of one of JNF's specialized task forces and committees....
The Jewish Pavilion program directors and volunteers make sure that every Jewish person in elder-care facilities around Central Florida has a place at the seder table at Passover. The following is the schedule. April 15 Savannah Court 11:30 a.m. April 15 The Commons-Windsor Pl. Noon April 15 Arden Courts 1:30 p.m. April 15 Consulate 1:30 p.m. April 15 Westminster Winter Park 3 p.m. April 15 Horizon Bay Boston 4 p.m. April 15 Atria at Lake Forest 5:30 p.m. April 16 Plantation Oaks 2 p.m. April...
"Is it time for the Jews to leave Europe?"... I received this letter from the World Jewish Congress recently and pass it along to you in part: "They called us 'dirty Jews' and said 'You don't need your jewelry anymore. You've been wearing it for too long. Now it's ours,' said Diana after she and her husband, both Holocaust survivors, were viciously beaten by two thugs in Amsterdam. As a result of the attack, her husband lost his sight and both are confined to wheelchairs. Now Diana has fresh...
SAINT-DENIS, France (JTA)-After three firebombs hit the synagogue of this poor and heavily Muslim suburb of Paris, municipal authorities advised the local Jewish community to lower its profile. Like dozens of attacks on French synagogues since 2000, the January 2009 incident at the Chabad House of Saint-Denis, which did not result in any injuries, was believed to have been Islamist extremists' retaliation for Israel's actions-that year against Hamas in Gaza. "We were told by the mayor from the...
The Jewish Pavilion program directors often go over and beyond the "call of duty" in the course of any given day. Take Gloria Green, who is the program director for assisted living facilities in Southwest Orlando. In addition to organizing and coordinating Purim festivities and now Passover seders for a dozen or so elder communities, she really gets to know "her" Jewish residents. For example, Phillip Schwartz is the only Jewish resident at Arbor Cove, but that's of no matter to Green, she...
By Pamela Ruben Ruth Darvin is a woman of firsts. In the 1960s the Philadelphia native was an early female systems engineer with IBM and then Westinghouse at a time when she recounts "one computer filled an entire room." After relocating to Florida with her late husband, Herb Darvin, she became one of the first volunteers with the Jewish Pavilion in the Oviedo-Winter Springs area. More than a decade later, Darvin serves as vice president of the Jewish Pavilion Executive Board as well the...
