Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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For centuries, Jewish men were immersed in Torah and Talmud. But what about the women who were typically excluded from formal study? It’s not that they were uneducated. They drew on a different kind of intelligence, learning through oral tradition, trained memory, and hands-on skill. They absorbed knowledge about childbirth, herbal medicine, and care of family and neighbors, passed from woman to woman over generations. Noticing what others missed, they addressed unmet needs with practical, lasting solutions — shaping families, sustaining com...
Home for the holidays? That’s not always the case for college students, who travel far and wide to attend schools throughout the United States. It’s not always possible to return to family after arriving across the country to study. Travel is expensive and time-consuming, and this year, with the Jewish holidays falling midweek, it could result in too much missed time for classes. Fear not. Campuses across North America offer services, meals and more for those students staying put on campus. The Philadelphia area is a case in point. At Penn Hil...
(JNS) — Israeli ministers on Saturday night called on the government to annex Judea and Samaria, after the U.N. General Assembly voted to adopt the so-called New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, which outlines the implementation of a two-state solution and the path towards recognition of a Palestinian state. “The fact that a diplomatic attack on Israel is met with Israeli silence—is unacceptable and cannot continue,” said Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Defense...
(JNS) — At sundown on Monday, Sept. 22, Jews around the world will gather to mark Rosh Hashanah —the day on which we acknowledge our past and pray for our future. This year, as we usher in 5786, we are called once again to reflection, repentance and renewal. It is a season of hope, of honey and sweetness, even when the world beyond our doors feels bitter. American Jews, like our fellow Americans, are living through a time of domestic polarization and global upheaval. Events arrive fast and fur...
Behind Kibbutz Nir Oz, on a small rise overlooking the fields toward Gaza, stands a new memorial. At 14 feet tall, the Lion of Judah sits with its mouth agape, teeth bared, eyes dark with anger and pain. One massive paw rests upon a dedicatory stanchion. This Lion is the work of Jerusalem artist Sam Philipe, a fifth-generation Jewish sculptor. The project was conceived and funded by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation in collaboration with the Nir Oz community. Philipe and I...
Often described as “a soft-spoken man with a presence about him,” Barry J. Kudlowitz, a former executive director of Jewish Family Services, passed away Sept. 7, 2025, in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Kudlowitz was the executive director of JFS from 1992 to 2011. He was very proud of his work at JFS. Rabbi Arnold Siegel said Barry had his “finger on the pulse of the organization.” “He walked softly and carried an invisible stick,” Siegel said, adding “he was very approachable” and no matter what the problem a person had, Barry would make time fo...
(JNS) - "We said there will be no Palestinian state - indeed there will be no Palestinian state. This place is ours," declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rousing applause at the festive signing of an "umbrella agreement" between the government and Ma'ale Adumim at the Judean city's Cultural Center on Thursday evening. The umbrella agreement commits the government to finance the construction of two new neighborhoods and the expansion of a third in a city that hasn't seen a new n...
On Thursday, Sept. 11, members of the Mainland Chamber of Commerce came together for a special Coffee Connections Breakfast with a meaningful twist. Hosted by Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, this Pre-Rosh Hashanah celebration blended networking, tradition, and homemade food to create a morning that was as heartwarming as it was delicious. Held at New Hope for Kids in Maitland, the event welcomed close to 50 attendees for an engaging cultural experience just days ahead of the Jewish New Year,...
Recognizing the right time for assisted living can be tough for caregivers, often leading to delayed action. Here are signs to consider: • If your loved one’s condition worsens beyond your capacity to manage alone. • Despite your efforts, your care isn’t sufficient. • You feel isolated in your caregiving role. • Lack of respite options leaves you exhausted. • Family relationships strain due to caregiving demands. • Your work and personal life suffer due to caregiving responsibilities. • Feelings of guilt about prioritizing your own well-bei...
The Jewish Chamber of Commerce networking breakfasts will be held from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 17, April 21, and May 19. The cost is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. The location will be provided upon RSVP to The Jewish Chamber will hold (kosher) Lunch & Learn events at the Roth Family JCC from noon – 1:30 p.m. These luncheons will host Amy Kimlat with Business Development of See Magic Live on Nov. 5, a Chanukah party featuring music with Michael Kramer on Dec. 3, and Wayne Green, C...
(JNS) — Ahead of the High Holidays, which start with the Jewish New Year at sundown on Sept. 22, Israel’s National Security Council issued a travel warning to the public on Sunday about possible threats so that it could take preventive measures. The warning, issued through the Prime Minister’s Office, was not a new travel alert but an up-to-date review of the main trends in terrorist activity around the world, the NSC said. “The recent period has been characterized by continued efforts to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish...
(JNS) — Elizabeth Tsurkov landed in Israel Wednesday, a day after the Israeli-born graduate student was released from two years of captivity in Iraq. “The head of the Mossad thanks his Cypriot counterpart for the assistance in facilitating Elizabeth’s humanitarian transfer through Cyprus to Israel. The cooperation between the two countries once again proves itself,” read a joint statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Tsurkov, 38, an Isra...
(JNS) — The United States Congress will hold a discussion next month on the application of Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, according to Yesha Council Chairman Yisrael Ganz. “We are at a rare moment in time with a friendly and supportive U.S. administration. This is the time to move forward with a historic step that will affect the security of the entire State of Israel,” said Ganz, who is currently in the U.S. promoting the sovereignty plan. Referring to last week’s deadly terror attack in Jerusalem, which left six people dead—in...
(JNS)— It’s been almost two years since Hamas and other Palestinian Arab terrorists invaded southern Israel, murdered more than 1,200 people, and kidnapped 251 others, dragging them into the Gaza Strip. Two years since those terrorists committed rape and other unspeakable atrocities, as well as fired as many as 5,000 rockets into the Jewish state as part of the barrage on Oct. 7, 2023. Much like the Nazis, Hamas’s goal and war aims were explicitly disclosed and not hidden. It was the elimination of Israel and its citizens. The Hamas Coven...
(JNS) — In September 1972, the world watched in horror as Palestinian terrorists stormed the Olympic Village in Munich, taking members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage. By the time the ordeal ended, 11 Israeli athletes were dead. The world’s reaction was predictable: outrage, speeches and hand-wringing, but little action. The International Olympic Committee hurried to resume the Games. West German officials bungled the rescue attempt and then quietly released three of the captured terrorists. Israel drew a very different conclusion. The...
(JNS) — It’s easy to be cynical about congressional hearings. They often seem political and ideological. They encourage grandstanding. But hearing rooms aren’t courtrooms and they aren’t meant to be. Public hearings are forums where lawmakers are able to expose real problems in ways invaluable to American democracy. In an era when the most pedigreed brands in journalism have abandoned their duty to report facts honestly in favor of extremist advocacy, hearings can also be an essential corrective, allowing citizens to bypass the legacy media f...
(JNS) — At the heart of Jewish identity stands freedom. The people of Israel were born out of the eternal cry: “Let my people go!” This is our founding story, the DNA of Jewish existence, the yearning for liberty, the duty to break the chains of bondage, and the understanding that freedom is the precondition for a worthy human life. And it is no coincidence that freedom precedes the giving of the Torah: Without freedom, there can be no choice, and without choice, values themselves are stripped of meaning. Freedom is what separates man from...
MORNING 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. 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 Israel — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-647-3...
By JNS Staff (JNS) — Israel’s Defense Ministry has agreed to transfer the cannon that shelled the Altalena, the Irgun cargo ship that the newly created Israel Defense Forces shelled off the Tel Aviv beach in 1948, to the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz authorized the transfer after Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu requested that the “holy cannon” be relocated from the IDF’s Glilot military base in Ramat Hasharon to Begin’s national memorial in Jerusalem. The weapon was...
This story originally appeared on The Nosher. Apples dipped in honey and honey cakes are popular across the Jewish world around Rosh Hashanah. But if you grew up in Israel, you most likely came across a unique variation of honey treats: duvshaniyot. These dense, dark, round honey cookies are a must in many families' High Holidays nosh rotation. The modest duvshaniyot (their name derives from the Hebrew word dvash, meaning honey) seem to have been part of the Israeli repertoire forever and you ca...
Home for the holidays? That's not always the case for college students, who travel far and wide to attend schools throughout the United States. It's not always possible to return to family after arriving across the country to study. Travel is expensive and time-consuming, and this year, with the Jewish holidays falling midweek, it could result in too much missed time for classes. Fear not. Campuses across North America offer services, meals and more for those students staying put on campus. The...
"It must all be recorded with not a single fact omitted. And when the time comes - as it surely will -let the world read and know what the murderers have done." - Oyneg Shabes Archives On April 14, 2023, a few days before the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, officials unveiled a new monument in that Eastern European city's Jewish cemetery. The glass and stone structure honors a group of brave Jews who risked their lives to collect thousands of items, that has provided insight...
(JNS) - "Seeing so many people express joy over Charlie Kirk's murder shows how deeply we are failing as a society to protect free speech and the right to hold an opinion," pro-Israel advocate and influencer Noa Cochva, told JNS this week. Cochva, a model, who represented Israel at Miss Universe in 2021, said the assassination of U.S. conservative media personality Kirk highlights the rise of violence in society, mentioning the death threats she herself received for expressing her views. "I've...
Mrs. Sherry (Glick) McCracken, 75, passed away Friday, Sept.5, 2025, at her Longwood, Florida home following a brief illness. Mrs. McCracken was born Jan. 25, 1950, in Boston, Massachusetts to the late Benjamin and Estelle (Rothman) Glick of blessed memory. Mrs. McCracken a retired accountant moved to the Longwood area in 1980 from New York, Mrs. McCracken is survived by her devoted husband of 44 years, Gerald McCracken of Longwood, Florida; her loving sons, Ian (Wendi) McCracken, Marc McCracken and Adam McCracken all of Longwood, Florida;... Full story
