Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(Israel Hayom via JNS) - Some 38,000 new immigrants will celebrate their first Independence Day as Israeli citizens this year, according to figures released by the Jewish Agency on Sunday. The figure marks a two-decade immigration record. The data also shows that immigration was driven higher by the war in Ukraine, where the Jewish Agency, in cooperation with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews , helped rescue thousands of Jewish refugees. Upon arrival in Israel, the Aliyah and...
(JNS) POLAND - A Muslim group including participants from across the Arab world took part for the first time in the International March of the Living, the annual 1.9-mile walk from the concentration camp at Auschwitz to the extermination camp of Birkenau in Poland to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. The precedent-setting move was the brainchild of Sharaka, an organization of young Israeli and Gulf State leaders formed in the wake of the Abraham Accords. The 18-member delegation,...
(JTA) - Let's get one thing out of the way: Elon Musk is not Jewish. But his acquisition of Twitter comes amid longstanding problems with antisemitism and hate speech on the platform - and Jewish users fear his free-speech orientation could make things worse. Musk's purchase of the social media company, for a reported $44 billion, will likely take months to complete and could be derailed in any number of ways. And while the serial entrepreneur is known for acting quickly and decisively - sometim...
(JNS) - Jordan fears it is losing its recognized status as official custodian of Jerusalem's holy Muslim sites, including the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site, as Palestinians incited by Hamas, other terror groups and the Palestinian Authority continuously held riots during the Muslim month of Ramadan. In at least one incident, rioters nearly set the Al-Aqsa mosque on fire. Jordan has blamed Israel for the violence and for violating the status quo there. And now, it is demanding total...
Congregation Ohev Shalom Men's Club and Sisterhood are hosting a community-wide event to support humanitarian efforts for the people of Ukraine. The program will be held on Sunday, May 22, 2022 at COS. In addition to raising funds for Ukrainians, this event will be a lot of fun. COS Men's Club member Mark Stone will entertain the audience with his unbelievable mind reading and ESP show, "Mentalmania," sprinkled with lots of comedy. Stone, who is a professional mentalist, will not accept a fee...
When was the last time you gave yourself a compliment? Try a little emotional self-care today with affirmations and positive thoughts, self-love and compassion, or giving yourself room to cry or laugh. Even practicing forgiveness towards others can be healthy for your emotional well-being. This type of self-care allows more space for the things we want to do and think about instead of guilt and shame. Show yourself a little love. We can help. Learn more about JFS Orlando's FAMILY of services,...
The Orlando Gay Chorus is one of the largest groups of mixed members of LGBTQ+ choruses in the country. Since forming in 1990 they have become a fixture performing in the Central Florida area. This not-for-profit group, in addition to the full chorus has four small ensembles performing at concerts, cabarets and at community or private events. They will be finishing up their season at their annual spring concert at the Rosen Event Center, Saturday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, May 15, 3 p.m. This show will feature the chorus, ensembles,...
The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society will explore the history of Temple Bet Yam in the synagogue’s facility at 2055 Wildwood Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32086, on Wednesday, May 11, at 2 p.m. Founded in 1993, the establishment of Bet Yam is a local expression of a seismic shift within the world of American Jewry toward a more liberal understanding and interpretation of Jewish Heritage. The program will include presentations by Temple Bet Yam founders Shelly and Marty Cohen, Carol Gladstone, Joan Guglielmo, and Donna and Elliott P...
Celebrate with The Roth Family Jewish Community Center at a “Big Night Out,” an interactive golfing experience. Ages 21 and up are welcome. There will be complimentary parking, golf with other supporter of the JCC, food stations, drink tickets and cash bar, and learn about the 2022 JCC key initiatives. The event will be held at Topgolf Lake Mary, located at 1010 Greenwood Blvd, Lake Mary, on May 25. Registration is at 6 p.m. with lite bites and cocktails. At 7 p.m. the program begins with an award presentation honoring Amy Feinberg with the...
Heritage Florida Jewish News is accepting nominations for the 2021 Heritage Human Service Award, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando this summer. “For more than 30 years, individuals who have made major, voluntary contributions of their talent, time, energy and effort to the Central Florida community have been honored with the selection and presentation of this award,” said Jeff Gaeser, editor and publisher of the Heritage. Last year’s recipient was Hank Katzen. Former recipients have inclu...
(JNS) — An American Jewish Committee survey of U.S. and Israeli Jewish millennials shows that Israel-Diaspora relations remain strong but also indicates points of divergence regarding what role Diaspora Jews should have in influencing Israeli policies, anti-Semitism in the United States and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The first-ever parallel survey of Jews, ages 25 to 40, was conducted by YouGov in the United States and Geocartography in Israel for ACCESS, AJC’s young professional program and AJC’s Contemporary Jewish Life Depar...
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – At a time when the horrors of the Holocaust are again on the minds of Europe and the world, an alarming new survey shows widespread misunderstanding - and even real doubts - among a surprisingly large number of Americans regarding the darkest chapter in modern world history. The survey, conducted for the Holocaust Education Resource Council, underscores the need for continued and strengthened education to make sure that genocidal outrage is never again repeated or a...
(JTA) — The 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Vanda Semyonovna Obiedkova died near her home in Mariupol, Ukraine, April 4, while the city was under a devastating Russian attack. Her family believed that her survivor testimony died with her. Obiedkova died, reportedly cold and emaciated, while sheltering in the basement of a store near her home; her daughter and son-in-law fled the city after burying her. The house they shared burned during the attacks, and the VHS tape containing the video testimony Obiedkova had recorded of her Holocaust e...
(JNS) — Discerning the truth about diplomatic activity is often a matter of sifting out what’s real from amid the surrounding noise of governmental spin. That means that at the moment, an accurate assessment of the possibility of a new American nuclear deal with Iran, as well as the state of U.S.-Israel relations may require one to ignore most of the headlines. If so, the optimism currently prevailing in Jerusalem about the prospects of the Biden administration betraying the security interests of Israel, the Arab states as well as the West cou...
(JNS) — The “West Bank” is “occupied” by Israel. Wait, no, only part of it is. The Palestinian Arabs are “stateless.” Wait, no, a large segment of the region actually is “governed by the Palestinian Authority.” These and other contradictory statements all appeared in a single article in The New York Times on April 17 by news correspondent Raja Abdulrahim. I almost feel sorry for her; she seems so confused. It’s not, however, a confusion based on facts that are perplexing or unclear. It’s based on the blatant contradictions betwee...
(JNS) — Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the breakout time for Iran to produce fissile material for a nuclear weapon had now come down to “a matter of weeks.” This is clearly deeply alarming news. But why did Blinken choose to announce this to the world? After all, it invites the question, “So what are you going to do about it?” Blinken told the hearing that renewing the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which lifted sanctions in return for limitations on its nuclear program,...
Earlier this month I was watching a U.S. report about the war in Ukraine, which I have been following with a degree of obsessiveness. It’s hard to imagine that an unprovoked war is happening at all, much less destroying entire communities. The human tragedy is underscored with more than five million, over 10 percent of Ukrainians, having fled their country. Because I am Jewish and Israeli, I tend to look at this through a Jewish/Israeli prism. This relates to common experiences of war, which Ukrainians are suffering and which Israel has s...
(JNS) — The defeat of the Nazis in World War II ended the Holocaust, but the war against the Jews continued. Muslims and the British administration in Palestine sought to prevent Israel’s establishment, and in 1948, five Arab armies invaded the newly established Jewish state with the intention of wiping it out. Egypt, Syria and other countries planned to attack again in 1967, but were stopped when Israel launched a preemptive strike. The war against the Jews still went on, however, led by the PLO and, more recently, Hamas and other ter...
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Several dozen members of Congress joined Holocaust survivors to mark Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust remembrance day marked by Jewish communities worldwide, by reading out the names of the dead and hearing testimony in the Capitol building on Wednesday morning. Rep. Brad Schneider, a Jewish Illinois Democrat who spearheaded the event, said in remarks that the need to commemorate now was made more acute by the atrocities taking place in Russia’s war against Ukraine. “A million and a half children died in the Holocaust,” Schneid...
MORNING MINYANS (Please note, because of the coronavirus, some minyans have been canceled or held virtually.) Chabad of North Orlando and Chabad of Altamonte Springs are 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. Congregatio...
(JTA) - It sounds like it could be the story of Purim: A Jewish woman uses her sex appeal to enter the upper reaches of a group whose members are hell-bent on destroying the Jews. But instead of Esther with King Ahasuerus, imagine her becoming romantically involved with Haman himself - and instead of the Persian Empire, it's the British Empire, circa 1962. "Ridley Road," a gripping and provocative four-part miniseries debuting on PBS's "Masterpiece" on Sunday after airing on the BBC last year, i...
(JNS) - Nefesh B'Nefesh, in partnership with Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA, welcomed its 74,000th new immigrant on Wednesday. Charley Smith, 34, made aliyah from Florida and reunited with his wife, Shaked, and their son, Adar, who arrived in Israel earlier this month. He landed just one week before Israel celebrates its 74th Independence Day. Originally from Minneapolis, Charley's connection to the Jewish state...
(JNS) — Nearly 80 years after the end of the Holocaust, the world’s oldest hatred continues to rise at alarming rates, despite an increased attempt to stem the tide of hate and the passage of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism by more than 800 entities, including governments worldwide. That is the consensus of a new global study on anti-Semitism from the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University, released on Wednesday in time for Yom Hashoah. It found that...
Being a part of a caring community, whether it’s family, friends or an organization, is known to reduce stress. When determining whether it is time for senior living, ask yourself or family member the following questions: • Are you frequently socializing and connecting with others? • Are you exercising regularly? • Are you eating fresh, nutritious meals? • Are you setting goals and enjoying a sense of purpose? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it may be time to consider senior living. While most seniors face major adjustments w...
This is "Be Kind To Animals" week. I'm still grieving the loss of my dear Chloe, my baby, my dog who died yesterday, April 22. (I write this column more than a week in advance). Chloe and I were twins... same eyes, same nose, same lips, same thighs, same tummy!) I wrote this poem for her: Chloe was my "little girl", she really was my heart, Her little stub tail had no curl, (Can I live when we're apart?) She was with us from 7 months to 13 years and some, She loved us too (I know that's true,)...
