Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would be discussing "all pending issues," including the Iran war, during his visit to Washington this week. "Tomorrow I will fly to Washington to meet, at his invitation, with President Trump," Netanyahu said in opening remarks ahead of a government meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday. The premier said he would also attend a memorial service for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom he described as "one of Israel's greatest friends...
Early in July 2025, Rabbi Menachem Zev Kramer of the Orlando Torah Center addressed the Orange County commissioners asking for special consideration and a waiver of zoning rules to build a 9,300-square-foot expansion plan for its worship center. "This is not just a request about bricks and mortar, this is about space," Kramer said during the hearing last year. He continued, "Right now we are currently out of room. The space we have is simply not sufficient for the needs of our community, our...
ORLANDO, Fla. - Following a national search, The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida has appointed Tim Roberts, an accomplished museum leader, historian, and Florida native with more than 20 years of experience guiding museums and cultural initiatives, as its next Chief Executive Officer. Roberts will start in that role on Sept. 14, taking over from interim CEO Emily Sterling. "We're excited and proud to welcome Tim as our next CEO. He has the experience we prioritized in...
(JNS) — The UJA-Federation of New York accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of targeting Jewish New Yorkers and exploiting Israel for political gain after he released a video on Tuesday calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal.” “Mayor Mamdani: New Yorkers elected a mayor to lead this city—not to make Israel the centerpiece of your political grandstanding,” the UJA stated. “Your video is rife with distortions and disinformation,” the organization stated. “At a time of rising antisemitism, repeatedly singli...
Experience an unforgettable evening with world-renowned lecturer Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel. As a retired sergeant major in the Israel Defense Forces, a farmer and Judean pioneer, Rabbi Gimpel has a broad understanding of what God is doing in and through Israel. He is also a best-selling author, musician and one of Israel's premiere Jewish media personalities. He is a co-founder of The Land of Israel Network, and the Aurgot Farm and Educational Center which has become a global destination for people...
Former RAISE employee Brandon Corrales was recognized as an Everyday Hero on spectrum News 13. Brandon exhibited courage, quick thinking and calmness during an emergency when he helped save his bus driver's life. Brandon was on his way home from work when he noticed his Lynx bus driver had a medical emergency. "I noticed something was off," he said on Spectrum News 13, and without panic, he got off the bus and flagged down a nurse by the VA Hospital in Lake Nona to call 911. Not only did he ask...
On Wednesday, Aug. 19 the Rosen JCC will host a brunch for the homeschool community. There are a multitude of homeschoolers in the community and this is an opportunity to connect and share ideas. The brunch is free, but RSVP is requested at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/homeschool-community-town-hall-brunch. The Rosen JCC is located at 11184 S. Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando....
RAISE is currently accepting applications for its Fall RAISE employees. This unique organization provides adults with disabilities the opportunity to: • Develop workplace and social skills • Gain real employment experience • Build confidence and independence • Connect with the community • Work alongside supportive job coaches and mentors Apply at shalomeorlando.org/raise...
(JNS) — Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said on Saturday that threats by New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani to possibly order the arrest of Israel’s prime minister will not dissuade Benjamin Netanyahu from speaking “proudly” at the U.N. General Assembly’s annual General Debate in the Big Apple in September. “Zohran Mamdani has failed at managing New York, and instead of fulfilling his role as mayor and fighting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he chooses to engage in incitement and generate headlines thr...
(JNS) — Hamas’s newly appointed leader Khalil al-Hayya delivered a television address in the Arabic language on Wednesday in which he vowed to continue in the path established by his predecessors, including Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel’s south. Al-Hayya said he is assuming the role with a “heavy burden” in a “delicate and sensitive stage in the history of our national cause,” according to Al Jazeera. “The first thing we affirm is that we will walk the same path, carrying the banner high...
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday identified 12 Palestinian soccer players, coaches and a FIFA referee whom it said served in the “military” wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, explaining why it eliminated them and rejecting what it described as a false campaign accusing Israel of deliberately targeting athletes during the war in Gaza. The military said that the men were targeted because of their involvement in terrorist activity, not because of their roles in soccer. According to the IDF, after they were killed, many...
(JNS) — Several dozen Hezbollah terrorists remain trapped inside a tunnel complex in the area of Southern Lebanon’s Ali al-Taher Ridge, with supplies expected to run out within days, Channel 12 News reported on Monday. Israel Defense Forces soldiers are positioned at the tunnel exits, preventing the estimated 40 Hezbollah operatives from leaving, the report said. With supplies dwindling, however, the military is preparing for the possibility that the terrorists could attempt to carry out a surprise attack. The Ali al-Taher Ridge reportedly con...
(JNS) — “How do we make sure we never lose the land again?” This question caught me completely off-guard. I was attending the recent Zohar Conference in Tel Aviv when Yael Leibowitz posed it, saying it was the fundamental question facing the Jewish people. Every other issue, she suggested, was secondary. I have found myself returning to that question repeatedly. At first, it sounded like a question about military strength or politics. The more I reflected on it, however, the more I realized it was asking the central question of Tisha B’Av....
Across the world last week, Jews observed the saddest day on the biblical calendar, a day of mourning and fasting in commemoration of the destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE) and the Second Temple (70 CE), along with other calamities that have befallen the Jewish people on the same day — the ninth of the month of Av — across millennia. These are not a coincidence, and our observance and mourning are with deep introspection. The destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem pulled the rug out from under the cornerstone of Jewish life, som...
(JNS) —The United Nations has been consumed by the Palestinian issue almost since its founding. Middle East Studies departments often question the legitimacy of Israel while devoting extraordinary attention to a state that does not exist. Professors with no expertise in the Middle East sign petitions condemning the State of Israel and repeating talking points by Hamas. Students paying exorbitant tuition spend more time organizing anti-Israel demonstrations and calling for boycotts than demanding lower college costs. Meanwhile, a global media wi...
(JNS) — Here’s a strange paradox of Jewish life: The words we probably recite more often than any other Hebrew prayer are ones we sing without thinking about. We rarely explore the deeper meaning of the Shehecheyanu prayer, although we say it at almost every Jewish celebration, gala and lifecycle event. So let’s slow down and ponder the ancient words our sages designated to show our thankfulness. In this prayer are three clusters of words we use to articulate the nuances of our gratitude. We say Shehecheyanu, “who enlivens us,” then Ve-kiyama...
(JNS) — So far, it seems like there is a dichotomy between the U.S. and the Israeli positions on the Islamic Republic of Iran. For better or for worse, Washington is adhering to what is left of the Memorandum of Understanding. The United States wants to “mow the lawn” and open the Strait of Hormuz. Israel, however, believes that the Islamic Republic and all its terror proxies have to be eradicated for it to survive. At one point, it will get down to either the Islamic Republic survives or Israel does. It will become a zero-sum game. Follo...
MORNING MINYANS Chabad of Altamonte Springs — Sunday morning minyan, 8 a.m. Weekday morning minyan 6:30 a.m., 407-720-8111. 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...
(JNS) — A House amendment to end aid to Israel sharply divided the Democratic caucus on Wednesday, with less than half of Democrats voting to continue annual military funding to the Jewish state. Only 93 of the 212 Democratic lawmakers in the House voted to oppose the amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to end $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel. The amendment failed 104-314, with 103 Democrats voting to end aid to Israel and 10 voting “present.” Massie was the lone Republican to vote in favor of the measure, with 215 Republicans oppos...
(JNS) - Jewish leaders honored Lindsey Graham, the late Republican senator from South Carolina, at a virtual tribute hosted by the Israeli-American Council on Tuesday. Elan Carr, CEO of the council, said Graham had a "profound commitment" to Jews and Israel, where he saw Israelis give Graham the "same kind of riotous applause" that they gave the late former senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, a Washington Democrat. "It was extraordinary to see how deeply his work was appreciated and loved and...
(JNS) - When South African peace activist Klaas Mokgomole first arrived at Israel's main international airport outside Tel Aviv, he asked where the "Blacks-only" bathroom was. The former anti-Israel activist, who had been taught that Israel was an "apartheid state," thought the Ben-Gurion International Airport official, who looked at him quizzically, simply didn't understand his English. "What do you mean, Blacks-only bathroom?" the dumbfounded Israeli airport official replied. Mokgomole, who wa...
(JNS) - ANU-Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv has organized a weeklong celebration of the cuisines of "hidden" Jewish communities now living in Israel. The food of each group-including the Bnei Menashe from India, the Kaifeng Jews from China and the Subbotnikim from Russia-will be showcased at restaurants around the country, accompanied by the stories behind each dish. "Recently we've been starting to explore the issue of community, and we realized we have a lot of communities abroad that...
(JNS) - The Israeli military's deployment to earthquake-stricken Venezuela has become the longest humanitarian assistance mission ever conducted by the Home Front Command, as teams continue operating into a third week following widespread coastal destruction. Some 32 Israeli experts remain on the ground in La Guaira, near Caracas, according to Monday's Israel Defense Forces statement, assisting Venezuelan authorities in shifting from emergency response to long-term rehabilitation. IDF Brig....
Submitted by Jewish Pavilion Senior Services When people think about fracture prevention, bone density usually comes to mind first. While bone strength is important, research shows that balance plays an equally critical role in preventing serious injuries. In fact, more than 90 percent of fractures occur as the result of a fall. Improving balance can help prevent a simple stumble from becoming a life-changing event. A simple balance check you can try at home One easy way to assess balance is the single-leg balance test: How long can you stand...
