Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Along with Passover and Sukkot, Shavuot is one of the three major Jewish pilgrimage festivals. It falls out precisely 49 days after the second day of Passover, a period of time known as the Omer, and marks the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai. Here are nine things you might not know about this springtime holiday. Shavuot is the holiday of Jewish paper-cutting Shavuot is a springtime festival, a period when the earth is coming into full bloom (in the northern hemisphere...
As another successful school year comes to an end it's time to celebrate. It's hard to believe that it's been 12 years since the founding of Orlando Torah Academy. This has been an exceptional year of continued growth as enrollment has grown to almost 150 students from preschool through 8th grade. With children from over 60 families attending, OTA has established itself as the premier destination for Jewish education in Orlando. This year OTA will be honoring two very deserving couples at its...
(JTA) - The Palestinian Authority concluded its investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by accusing Israeli soldiers of deliberately shooting her in the back, a claim that Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said could not be true. "Any claim that the IDF intentionally targets journalists or those uninvolved [in terror] is a crude and blatant lie," Gantz said in a statement after the release of the PA report on Thursday. Israel has maintained that it is...
As we come to the end of the current school year, it’s time to start making plans for the new school year. Parents of little ones, who are transitioning from pre-school, need to decide if they want to move to public or private kindergarten. These are choices made based on your family and what educational environment is best for your child. Registration is currently open at the Rosen JCC for their Kindergarten class of 2022-2023. One of the best features of kindergarten at the Rosen JCC is the smaller class ratio of 1:10. This allows for s...
Next time you’re stuck in evening traffic, take a few seconds to enjoy the pinks and purples in the sunset. It might be the most overlooked, but spiritual self-care can help you feel grateful to be here on this earth, and move the focus away from yourself to something bigger. It can be going to a house of worship, saying a prayer or mantra, or it can be as easy as appreciating the everyday wonders and beauty of nature. These simple moments of reflection can help you find peace and t...
Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses, 65 years and older, may be entitled to a tax-free benefit called Aid and Attendance provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs. They must have served some time in active duty. The benefit is designed to provide financial aid to help offset the cost of long-term care for those who need assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and transferring. The benefits are quite significant. The single veteran may earn approximately $2000 per month. 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...
(JTA) — Among the many Jews on Russia’s latest list of Americans banned entry are three Chabad rabbis, in possible retaliation for Chabad’s decades-long effort to recover texts and artifacts that the Soviets took from the movement. The list of 963 Americans posted Saturday, first reported by Axios, includes three leaders of Chabad’s umbrella body, Agudas Chassidei Chabad. They are Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, the chairman of the executive of the umbrella body, a founder of the Washington office of the movement; Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the umbrell...
WASHINGTON (JTA) — In an unusual public broadside against dozens of Congress members, Israel’s ambassador to Washington said a letter calling for a U.S. investigation into the killing of a Palestinian American journalist was not a “fair” representation of the event. Michael Herzog was responding to a letter sent Thursday by 57 House Democrats to Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, and Christopher Wray, the FBI director. It called for an investigation into the death last week of Shireen Abu Akleh, a venerated Al Jazeera reporter killed...
(JNS) — Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared the main criminal case against him “dead,” after state prosecutors were forced to alter the charge sheet, Israeli media reported last week. The state’s witness in the trial, former Communications Ministry Director-General Shlomo Filber, was cross-examined by Netanyahu’s attorneys throughout the week. Prosecutors have charged that Netanyahu entered into “bribery relations” with businessman and former owner of the Bezeq telecoms giant Shaul Elovitch. According to the charges,...
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s participation in an upcoming event at the community of Elkana in Samaria is sparking controversy and generating protests against his participation, with residents telling Bennett “stay away.” Bennett is planning to participate in an event celebrating the town’s 45th anniversary. However, residents say that his visit is “an attempt to cynically exploit the residents of Elkana and make political capital, while Bennett’s government violates the state’s Jewish and Zionist values on a daily basis.” Residents have lau...
(JNS) — Resolutions proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives mean nothing. They give members an opportunity to pay lip service to various causes favored by their constituents but don’t commit the government to action. They are almost always not worth noticing. But every once in a while, a resolution is put forward that demands attention. This week that is exactly what happened when Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) proposed House Resolution 1123, “Recognizing the Nakba and Palestinian Refugee Rights.” The word nakba means “catast...
(Jewish Journal via JNS) — We’re seeing again how Israel can fight so well with weapons but so badly with words. Take the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, which has turned into an international incident. She was fatally shot during an Israeli anti-terrorist incursion into Jenin. An initial autopsy by Palestinian coroners found that it was “not possible” to tell whether she was killed by Israeli or Palestinian gunfire. Of course, that didn’t stop Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from treating Israel as a murderous...
(JNS) — Supporters of the BDS movement against Israel claim they are not antisemitic. I have co/ncluded that they are correct in the sense that the word “antisemitism” is too weak to capture their depravity. It is not necessary to go into the myriad examples of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance to define “antisemitism,” the word means hatred of Jews. Lots of individuals and groups hate Jews and have for centuries. More recently, a new form of anti-Semitism emerged in which “Israel” or “Zionist” is used as a euphemism for “Je...
A new study conclusively shows multiple benefits of a faith-based life to working-class adolescents – particularly males. As a child living in communist Russia, Ilana Horwitz knew nothing about religion. But after her family emigrated to the United States when she was seven years old, Horwitz attended a Jewish school and began teaching some Judaism to her parents. Years later, as a graduate student in sociology, education, and Jewish Studies at Stanford University, she chose to focus on religion as an academic interest. Horwitz realized that m...
(JNS) — Whether you even know what a picture postcard is will immediately put you in a certain age bracket. Just recently, I asked a group of teenagers if they knew what a postcard was, and they had absolutely no idea. It reminded me of a video posted last year of two teenagers being challenged to operate an old-fashioned telephone where you dialed the number with that circular dialing system. They were completely flustered and just could not work it out. I’ll get to the picture postcard soon. I intended procrastinating, but I never got aro...
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. Congr...
(JTA) — The Minnesota Republican Party apologized for screening a video that depicted liberal Jewish billionaire George Soros as a puppet master controlling two Jewish Democrats, saying that those responsible were not aware that the imagery had antisemitic connotations. “We understand that the use of imagery depicting Mr. Soros as a puppet-master at our state convention raised concerns that the imagery perpetuated an antisemitic trope,” state GOP chairman David Hann said Thursday in a statement, noting that the Jewish Community Relations Counc...
In preparation for God's appearance on Mount Sinai, Moses and the Israelite people "stood at the foot of the mountain" (Exodus 19:17) waiting to see and to hear what transpires. The unusual preposition - be-tachtit ("at the foot of") - is understood in the Midrash to mean that the Jewish people were literally standing under the mountain. That is, at the moment God speaks the Ten Commandments, God also uproots Mount Sinai from the ground and holds it over the people, as if to say, "If you accept...
(JNS) - When Michael Aloni's agent told him about "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem," he was a bit confused. "Since when is there a beauty pageant in Jerusalem?" Aloni recalled asking at the time, at an event last week at Temple Emanu-El's Streicker Center in New York City. He'd just finished filming the third season of "Shtisel" and had shaved off his beard. He said he read the best-selling novel by Sarit Yishai Levi, on which the show is based, in less than two days and cried while reading it....
(JNS) - The Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, in association with the National Library of Israel, announces Menachem Kaiser, author of "Plunder: A Memoir of Family Property and Nazi Treasure" as the winner of its 2022 award for nonfiction. Heritage editor, Christine DeSouza, wrote a book review about Kaiser's book in the June 4, 2021 issue of the paper. The story recounts the author's Holocaust-survivor grandfather's battle to reclaim the family's apartment building in Sosnowiec, Poland...
(JNS) - Remnants of an ancient city, mysterious inscriptions, caves and catacombs, gorgeous scenery - all are to be found in Bet She'arim, one of Israel's most impressive UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Located in the rolling hills of the Lower Galilee between Haifa and Nazareth, Bet She'arim makes a great day out for families, nature lovers and history buffs. The site has been recently updated, and a stop at the well-equipped Visitor Center to pick up a free map will orient visitors to the best pe...
(JNS) - David Rudolf is one of the most heralded defense attorneys in America with numerous awards. More importantly, he says, is that he has helped fight for innocent people and tried to make sure that everyone gets a fair trial. "That's a central part of Jewish tradition and heritage to defend people and fight the abuse of power," Rudolf told JNS by phone. The native of Hewlett on Long Island, N.Y., started out as a public defender in New York City, later moving to North Carolina to be the law...
(JNS) — NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen wrapped up a whirlwind tour of Israel this week, taking time to speak with members of the press before heading back to the United States. Allen, a two-time world champion and team USA Olympic gold medalist, was in the country as a guest of America’s Voices in Israel together with the Ted Arison Family Foundation. The America’s Voices in Israel organization has brought many celebrities, influencers and high-profile, opinion-makers to Israel over the years, enabling them to experience the country for themselves...
Beth Michele Balog Berger, formerly of Riverdale, N.Y., passed away on May 22, 2022. She was born to Paul and Estelle Balog on July 15, 1953. After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science at 16, she attended The City College of New York before transferring to and graduating from Cornell University at the age of 20. She met her husband-to-be, Isaac, at the City College of New York, and they were married and lived in Riverdale after her graduation. She then earned her master’s degree from Lehman College, and had three children. W...
