Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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The fate of Israel and, specifically, the reunification of Jerusalem were decided 50 years ago at Ammunition Hill. As Israel mourns the fallen on Remembrance Day, Jewish National Fund-USA ensures that the legacy of every name on its Wall of Honor won't be forgotten "In that warm and beautiful land, does evil reign and do calamities happen, too?" So wrote Israel's national poet, Chaim Nachman Bialik in his poem El Hatzipor (To the Bird) in 1892. It was these words that stuck in the mind both at...
Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and Andre Dobson, PE coach at Faith Christian Academy in east Orlando, have a lot in common. They both are passionate about football and love Israel. To be able to combine the two is the icing on the cake for both men. And they have their icing: Kraft sponsors the Israel Football League and built the only football stadium in Jerusalem, Israel, and Dobson is going to be training one of the League's coaches this summer. This is where Dobson needs...
By World Israel News Guatemala made history on Wednesday when it moved its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, two days after the US made the same move. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and several heads of state from both countries were present at the momentous ceremony. "It is not a coincidence that Guatemala is opening its embassy in Jerusalem two days after the US. You are always among the first," Netanyahu said....
(ISRAEL21c)-Throughout her 25 years of life, Netta Barzilai was told over and over that she wasn't pretty enough or smart enough or skinny enough to accomplish what she wanted in life. Last night she proved them all wrong. Smart, sassy, zaftig Barzilai did Israel proud, winning the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon as the representative of her country. This was the first time Israel has won the competition in 20 years. "Mazal tov, Israel!" shouted Eurovision officials at the post-contest...
This summer, a delegation from the Orlando community will be joining Rabbi Yanky and Chanshy Majesky of Chabad North Orlando at the National Jewish Retreat in Providence, Rhode Island. The annual event, coordinated by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, will run from July 31 to Aug. 5 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The Retreat offers a luxurious vacation experience in a five-star hotel with a remarkable 180 options of lectures, workshops, and entertainment to choose from and gourmet kosher cuisine....
Local Orlando scholars will share their knowledge in a three-part lecture series, titled Hot Talks, at The Roth Family JCC this summer. Hot Talks Lecture Series dates are June 6, June 20, and July 11 and commence at 6:30 p.m. "These three lectures by members of our local Orlando community will broadly encompass the idea of being a 'hero,' from exploring the history of Jewish identity in superhero comics, to understanding the physics behind superpowers, and implementing strategies to make our...
Group donations, like this one from a local Mahjong group who donated their team's winnings, really made an impact on this year's JFS Orlando Pantry Restock Challenge. Shown here (l-r): JFS Executive Director Eric Geboff, Es Cohen, Delores Indek, Linda Wallerstein, Debbie Bellinkoff, Judy Kahan-Davis and Lila Tinkoff. Thanks to many generous monetary and food donations, as well as a $10,000 match from The Weiner Family and The Winter Park Wealth Group, JFS Orlando raised over $22,000 and nearly...
In honor of the Yartzeit of the Rebbe on the 3rd of Tamuz, Chabad of North Orlando, will be hosting a unique multimedia concert that tells the story of the Hassidic melodies taught by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory. Known far more for his written and spoken word, the Rebbe also left a legacy of melodies, each accompanied with a story, an anecdote and message he would share as he taught them. Six of these melodies, together with their stories, are brought to life by a life performance by a local string quartet, which is interspersed wi...
Special thanks to William (Bill) Frigen, veteran of the Korean War, for serving his country. Frigen served for four years in the air force followed by four years as a corpsman in the reserve. Following his work as a corpsman, he graduated nursing school, became a psychotherapist and later a professor. He now resides at Brookdale Lake Orienta where he is adored by Jewish Pavilion staff and volunteers....
JERUSALEM (JTA)-As he strolled on his leafy, narrow street overlooking what is now the United States Embassy in Israel, Ben Katz stepped back to dodge the side-view mirror of an oncoming truck, which had jutted onto the sidewalk. A few hundred feet past Katz's garden apartment, four security guards lounged under a tent. Below them, adjacent to a walking path leading to a small park, was the U.S. diplomatic compound that, on Monday, became the embassy. "For practical purposes, it's a question of...
NEW YORK (JTA)-Despite growing condemnation for the deaths of 60 Palestinians on the Gaza border yesterday, Israel defended its military's actions as an act of self-defense in the face of a mass attack. "We didn't want it to happen, but we understood these were Hamas' intentions," Dani Dayan, Israel's consul general in New York, told reporters Tuesday. "We are not going away. We will defend our border. We will defend our population. If they invade Israeli communities, we will have to take much...
As the British began to dismantle their Mandate (The British Mandate) and leave western Palestine (as Israel was called at the time), Israel’s War of Independence began (Nov. 30, 1947 - May 14, 1948). During the war, Palestinian Arabs became belligerents in the conflict, and by its end, rather than accept a Jewish state after five-and-a-half months of warfare, Palestinian Arabs called upon their brethren from seven surrounding countries to invade and crush the nascent Jewish state. Six thousand Jews—one percent of Israel’s Jewish population—los...
May 8, 2018, the day that Donald Trump announced that he’s pulling America out of the nuclear deal with Iran, will mark the inauguration of a new American-Israeli-Arab alliance in the Middle East and a major realignment of US strategic interests. The administration had extended waivers on Iran’s nuclear sanctions on multiple occasions to allow for the US—together with our partners—to fix the fatal flaws of the JCPOA. Unfortunately, European leaders failed to commit to sufficiently meaningful amendments, especially on the most important element:...
Most people are familiar with the biblical story of David and Goliath, which occurred during the reign of King Saul. The ancient Philistines, who did endless battle with the Israelites in a futile attempt to conquer the land of Israel and to bring the Jews to their knees in servitude, had gathered a massive army on a mountainside near a place called Socoh. The Israelites were camped and arrayed for battle on an opposite mountainside overlooking the valley of Elah, in what was then Judah. Apparently, they were locked into a battle in which...
It’s an old expression: A definition of insanity is doing the same thing in the same way time after time and expecting different results. It’s been said many times about the Arabs in Israel time after time. And of course, not much ever changes. I realize by writing for a Jewish audience, I am preaching to the choir. But all of us are out in a general society where we hear a lot about Israel—and a lot of it is not particularly flattering—or true. So let’s arm ourselves with a little fact checking, and the next time you hear or read something...
Jewish tradition teaches that when our ancestors left Egypt 3,500+ years ago they were pursued by the Egyptian military still bent on their destruction. As they stood at the water’s edge faced with two very bad choices, the hand of God split the Reed Sea so our ancestors could cross on “dry” land and evade their pursuers. And when salvation came and everyone had safely crossed to the other side, the waters returned to their normal state and drowned the Egyptian enemy that had enslaved them for over 400 years. The angels, as the story relat...
(JNS)—When confronted with absolute evil or the depths of human depravity, some of us experience a very particular kind of depression. It’s as if we just can’t cope with such a repudiation of humanity. Some experience it when exposed to the details of child sexual abuse. And some feel it over the libelous falsehoods hurled at Israel whenever it’s forced to defend itself against genocidal fanatics, as happened this week in the Hamas onslaught on the Gaza border fence. There is actually a strong thematic connection between these twin evils....
It’s an irony that as Russia celebrated Victory Day, 73 years since the Allied victory of the tyranny of the Nazis, President Putin hosted Prime Minister Netanyahu as an honored guest. The timing and symbolism were meaningful. At the same time, Israel was preparing to launch a bold military strike against the modern regime that’s the Nazi’s successor: Iran. According to reports, Netanyahu informed Putin of impending strikes on Iranian military targets in Syria, and at least passively received Putin’s blessing. Numerous reports have been pu...
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...
Celebrate Shabbat with the Synagogue that feels like family. Congregation Beth Sholom’s Shabbat evening service will be led by Rabbi Karen Allen on Friday, June 8 at 7p.m. There will be an Oneg Shabbat following the service. The Rabbi’s Torah Roundtable Discussion Group with Rabbi Karen Allen of Congregation Beth Sholom will be held on Thursday, June 14 at 1p.m. at the Sumter County Administration and Library Building (with the golden dome) at 7375 Powell Rd. (near Pinellas Plaza and 466A), Wildwood. The Rabbi’s Roundtable series explo...
Whether living independently or with assistance, elders often experience social issues and anxiety. Here are just a few examples of what they may be feeling: • Loneliness from losing a spouse and friends. • Inability to independently manage the regular activities of living. • Difficulty coping with the physical changes of aging. • Frustration with ongoing medical problems. • Feeling inadequate from the inability to continue to work. You can offer to help them handle these feelings in several ways: • Plan a small trip with your loved one....
As about 40 Jewish residents of Oakmonte Village's independent living building sat expectantly on a recent Friday evening, Jewish Pavilion volunteer Susan Bernstein strapped a thin, boxy "travel guitar" around her neck. Since she was filling in for their regular twice-monthly Shabbat service leader, Cathy Swerdlow, Bernstein first introduced herself to her "congregation," mentioning her Long Island, NY, origins and bantering easily with the residents as some called out where they're from. She...
On March 28, 1956, nine-year-old Steven Mattis sat mesmerized in his living room in Philadelphia as Kraft Theater's adaptation of "A Night to Remember" unfolded. Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Walter Lord, the one-hour television production told the story of the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. At first enthralled by the beautiful ship, the glamour of the first-class passengers, and the contrast to the third-class passengers' circumstances, Mattis' fascination turned to horror...
Audrey Kaye Brennan, daughter of Michele Brennan and Mitch Barnett of Longwood, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at Congregation of Reform Judaism in Orlando. Audrey is in the sixth grade at Teague Middle School. Audrey has a big heart and loves volunteering in her community with her Girl Scout troop and her family. She is an active member of Jr. GORFTY and attends Yala at CRJ. She love animals and is always up for a travel adventure. Sharing in the...
I am so upset... What kind of White House do we have? What's with our 45th? What is happening to Congress? (Well, maybe I won't be alive much longer to care, but my children and grandchildren hopefully will be). Who ever made that remark about Senator JOHN McCAIN "dying anyway" should be fired! John McCain is what America is all about... (or should be about.) He has served our country honorably, I trust every word he says. He's not a liar! He tries to do the right thing for all of us, even if...
