Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 39
HaZamir Orlando Charter members (l-r) Alexa Schein, Hannah Schenkel, Harrison Burke, Vicki Geismar and Maya Milsom prepare to take the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House with 400 other Jewish teen singers from the USA and Israel on Sunday, March 26, for the HaZamir Gala Concert. They will be accompanied by their conductor Cantor Jacqueline Rawiszer and parent coordinator Andrea Burke and more than a dozen family and friends from Orlando. If you know of a Jewish High School student who might... Full story
Rabbi Mendy Bronstein with his wife, Mussie, and three children (Yaakov, Batya and Bina ka"h) hit the ground running, so to speak, when they arrived in Altamonte Springs last September. They came from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Rabbi Mendy was the youth director and associate rabbi at The Shul. From photos and posts on his Facebook page, the Milwaukee Jewish community loved him dearly. And why not? From his genuine smile, twinkling eyes and clear understanding and explanation of Judaism, just... Full story
This past week, Jewish Academy of Orlando invited its new director of academics to speak to the parent body. Alan Rusonik, head of school, announced that Nikki Buyna will start in June. As director of academics, Buyna will be the academic leader working with the teachers and the head of school to support and enhance the curriculum and learning experience within the Jewish Academy of Orlando. She will provide leadership and vision in the ongoing development, improvement and evaluation of... Full story
(JTA)—A United Nations affiliate removed a report accusing Israel of apartheid from the Internet following a request from the secretary-general of the international body. Antonio Guterres asked the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, or EWCWA, to remove the report, which was published Wednesday and says it “establishes, on the basis of scholarly inquiry and overwhelming evidence, that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid,” Reuters reported Friday. Rima Khalaf, the commission’s chief, resigned because of Guttere... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-In the upstairs sanctuary of a Manhattan synagogue, a group of rabbis is studying Jewish texts on pluralism and community. One floor below, 22 students are sitting in pairs poring over the book of Exodus. The students spend all day, every weekday in the building, studying Jewish text and observing strict Jewish law in a gender-equal environment. The rabbis, by contrast, leave the building that afternoon and return to their communities across the country, which range from Reform... Full story
"Are you Jewish?," the hopeful Chabad rabbi asks me as I walk past the weekly Mitzvah "Tank" on the corner of William and Wall St. on my way to work. It's considered a good deed in Chabad to help other Jews, including those unaffiliated with the religion, to perform a quick ritual. I can never pass by these guys without them asking me this question. I guess I "look" Jewish, or maybe they sense in my furtive sideways glances a sort of curiosity, something other than the typical New Yorker defense mechanisms to street solicitation. "Are you... Full story
Just one drop of blood can tell within minutes if a patient has had a heart attack thanks to a revolutionary kit developed in Israel that is already saving hospitals time and money. More important, it can save lives. A health professional needs only one drop of blood to let a patient know if a heart attack has occurred. If two stripes appear on the kit, the result is positive and the patient must immediately receive additional care. The test is easy, noninvasive and takes less than 15 minutes to perform. One in three Israelis appears in... Full story
Standing up non-violently to anti-Israel activists on the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) campus in South Africa had a positive effect during “Israeli Apartheid Week” (IAW), and BDS demonstrators folded up their flags and didn’t even show up for the last day of the event. “We are taking a stand and saying, ‘Enough,’” Gilad Kabilo told The Algemeiner reporter Lea Speyer. Kabilo, leader of a group sponsored by StandWithUs, said that the no-show on the last day was because of the strong response of Jewish and pro-Israel students who... Full story
The April “My Jewish Roots” workshop, “Analyze Your DNA Results” is for anyone with an autosomal DNA test from any of the three major testing companies, 23andMe, Family Tree DNA, or Ancestry.com. You likely have a very long list of potential relatives at your disposal. But how do you make the most of those matches? Which matches are worth your time and effort? Learn how to use genetic and genealogical clues to filter and sort your matches in order to make the most progress with your DNA test results. JGSGO President Jerry Kurland noted,... Full story
The I-4 Ultimate project is the largest infrastructure project in Florida history. The public-private partnership is completely reconstructing 21 miles of the interstate in Orange and Seminole counties, including 15 major intersections and 140 bridges. Of major interest is the extensive work in Maitland that will reconfigure the interchange and improve traffic flow between SR 434 and I-4. David Parks, I-4 Ultimate public information officer, will provide a project overview, update on progress and tell the J-Lunch group how to cope with the... Full story
Congregation Ohev Shalom invites the community to participate in two enjoyable events that mark the weeklong celebration of Passover. Around the Jewish table cooking on Sunday, April 2, at 12:30 p.m. and the Matzah Brei Brunch and Matzah Ball drop on April 16 at 10 a.m. Anyone who has to cook for the holiday knows that looking for new recipes is an ongoing endeavor. On April 2nd come and cook with Ellen Zollman and together you will make Tzimmes, a different Charoset and dessert beyond macaroons! The program reaches all ages from adults to... Full story
The Orlando Chapter Hadassah presents "Lunch with Cuban-born author Marisella Veiga" on Tuesday, April 4, at Congregation Ohev Shalom at 11:30 a.m. She will present her book, "We Carry Our Homes With Us", a memoir of her flight from Cuba as a young girl and her integration into American life. Veiga is a professional writer and college professor. Her work has appeared in both literary and commercial publications, including the Washington Post, Poets & Writers and Art in America. In 2004, Veiga... Full story
The Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved a measure setting aside $1.5 million to enhance security at all Jewish day schools in Florida. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, said there had been 154 bomb threats reported at Jewish schools around the country, and 17 reported in Florida. Appropriations documents show the measure, HB 3653, would benefit students in preschool through high school. Florida has 35 Jewish day schools in nine counties. Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, asked what security measures would be... Full story
On Sunday evening, April 2, the Men’s Club and Sisterhood of Congregation Ohev Shalom will be sponsoring an art exhibition and auction featuring art in all media and price ranges. Approximately 160 pieces of art, memorabilia. and glass will be presented by Marlin Art of New York, which conducts art auctions for organizations all over the country. The artwork, which is one-half to one third below gallery prices, will be presented, explained, and auctioned in a professional manner that will be appreciated by both gallery collectors and art n... Full story
The prospect of all-out conflict between the U.S. and the North Korean regime has loomed large over the last fortnight, as a consequence of the latest round of provocations from Pyongyang. It’s always a competition between the world’s rogue states as to which one of them can pose the greatest threat to global peace and order at any given moment. Since 2011, the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, backed by Russian and Iranian military power in the air and on the ground, has wreaked havoc in the Middle East, annihilating around 500,000 people and... Full story
The artificiality of a Palestinian identity is reflected in the attitudes and actions of neighboring Arab nations who never established a Palestinian state themselves. The rhetoric by Arab leaders on behalf of the Palestinians rings hollow. Arabs in neighboring states, who control 99.9 percent of the Middle East land, have never recognized a Palestinian entity. They have always considered Palestine and its inhabitant’s part of the great “Arab nation,” historically and politically as an integral part of Greater Syria - Suriyya al-Kubra - a des... Full story
For the past 15 years, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has been promoting the so-called “Saudi Initiative,” a plan he says proves that Saudi Arabia sincerely wants peace with Israel. But this week, a senior Palestinian leader revealed that at the very moment the Saudis were launching that plan, they were financing a major wave of terrorism against Israel. It’s time for Friedman to publicly admit he was wrong and apologize for the harm he caused to Israel. It all started Feb. 6, 2002, when Friedman devoted his New York Times colum... Full story
At a time when much of American Jewry is opposed to the immigration policies of the nascent administration of President Donald Trump, it was probably only to be expected that a growing number of synagogues would declare themselves “sanctuaries” where “undocumented” immigrants—a euphemism for those who crossed into the U.S. illegally or overstayed their visas—can find both shelter and help in evading the authorities. These institutions and their supporters say their decision is grounded in justice, history and even Jewish liturgy. But in spite o... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—When a friend, cause or institution we support has been hurt or under attack, it’s human nature—and admirable—for people to want to “do something” to be helpful. Unfortunately, onlookers’ idea of being helpful is not always what’s most useful to those who have been hurt. We’ve seen it recently at one Planned Parenthood medical office, where pro-choice protesters gathered to counter those protesting against abortion. The protest went on despite the organization’s preference for non-engagement at its clinic sites in deference... Full story
Dear Editor: My mother-in-law passed away in January. While she had been suffering from poor health, her death was unexpected and our family was in shock. In the early morning hours that followed, we started doing the activities that all Jewish families do at moments like this: Phone calls were made; travel arrangements were put in place. When should the funeral be? Who can attend? Are the Rabbi and Cantor available to officiate? What is the address of the cemetery? Scores of logistics, all of which require timely answers in order to have... Full story
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... Full story
The Hadassah Chapter of Williamsburg will have their monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 26 at 1 p.m., at the Parkview Point Clubhouse in Williamsburg, which is near Sea World. The speaker for the meeting will be Sandy Berkowitz, who’s topic will be “You say more than you think.” All are welcome to attend. There will also be a Donor Luncheon on March 29 at the Olive Garden restaurant for all those who have accumulated $85 for the group. (There is still time to meet the requirement!) Hadassah of Williamsburg will hold its Installation Meeti... Full story
It's not hard to be moved by an article that shares the story of struggling families, whether they are dealing with homelessness, hunger, or underemployment. What is hard is taking that desire to help to the next step, and doing something to positively impact the very people you have read about. Since December of last year, 17-year-old Lake Mary High School junior Frances Hoffen has been doing just that. On Dec. 31, the teen-ager discovered an article by the Sentinel's Kate Santich about an... Full story
March is Multiple Sclerosis Month and Hadassah leads the world in the stunning success and implementation of the research at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Malia is just one of the many stories of triumph in Prof. Dimitrios Karussis program. Malia was a top Dallas trial attorney-a senior partner in a law firm and the mother of three children, the youngest, age five. Her energy level was high and her life was full. And then, 18 years ago, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). In the be... Full story
Danielle Faith Shenkman, daughter of Lisa and Jason Shenkman of Sanford, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 1, 2017, at Congregation Beth Am in Longwood. Danielle is in the seventh grade at Sanford Middle School where she is a member of the Jr. Thespians, Advanced Chorus and the Drama Club. Her hobbies and interests include singing, reading, dancing, art and theater. Sharing in the family's simcha will be Danielle's brother, Zachary; grandparents, Norman and Rita... Full story
