Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Temple L'Chayim will host a combined Jewish Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah Service that will be open to members as well as to the entire Central Florida community. Cantor Isaac Kriger and Rabbi Howard Schwartz of Temple L'Chayim will lead this celebration with traditional services, special Torah readings, prayers, songs and a festive meal from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4. Sukkot: This holiday begins at sundown on Sept. 27 and it ends on Sunday, Oct. 4. The Festival of Sukkot...
Colonel Chezie Sagiv spoke softly to the intimate group of people who had gathered to hear what life is like in Israel for a distinguished IDF Air Force officer, pilot and senior Air Force instructor who also is a high level educator and high school principal. He happened to be in Orlando for only two days to visit with his friend, Judy Shujman. "He took amazing care of my two children in Israel this summer and has known my brother, David, for over 20 years when he attended the Air Command and S...
A world-wide registry of sukkahs has been set up, and is listed online at www.localsukkah.org. The directory has been designed for Jews to locate a sukkah near to them, so that they can go there to eat. The idea of this service is not to list every sukkah, but to try and have a sukkah listed for every area in which Jewish people may find themselves during Sukkos. The main focus of this service is to enable people who work on Chol-Hamoed to eat lunch in a sukkah, which is close to their place of work. As all listings are confirmed annually...
When Tony Ruben joined Orlando's first pinball league this past summer, it never occurred to him that he might emerge as one of its champions. Yet, on Tuesday, Sept. 8 the Longwood resident found himself in vigorous play for a trophy at Oviedo's new Pinball Lounge. Ruben emerged victorious after a head-to-head play-off match for second place (first place went to Pinball Lounge co-owner, Kurt van Zyl). "I never imagined I would even place when I joined the pinball league." Ruben noted, "I guess a...
(JTA)-When he looks into the tired eyes of the Syrian refugees now flooding Europe's borders, Guy Sorman is reminded of his father, Nathan, who fled Germany for France just months before Adolf Hitler came to power. "He wanted to go to the United States. Visa declined. He tried Spain, same result. He ended up in France, neither welcome nor deported," Sorman wrote last week in an Op-Ed in Le Monde in which he argued that Europe should learn from its abandonment of the Jews during the Holocaust...
The day after the largest sandstorm in 15 years swept through the State of Israel last week, turning the skies orange and clouding people's vision, Azerbaijan Ambassador to the U.S. Elin Suleymanov says his eyes are opened wide. On his first visit to the Jewish state through Project Interchange, an institute of the American Jewish Committee, Suleymanov tells JNS.org he has been enlightened about issues ranging from Judea and Samaria's Jewish communities to the Palestinians to religion and...
(JNS.org) South African Member of Parliament Kenneth Meshoe spoke out against the claim by Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement activists that Israel is an "apartheid state." "There are many Christians that support Israel, but they don't come out... Those who know what real apartheid is, as I know, know that there is nothing in Israel that looks like apartheid," Meshoe, who is the president of the African Christian Democratic Party, told Israel's Channel 10. He added that those who...
Noted Jewish genealogist Hal Bookbinder will discuss how American women could lose their citizenship in the early 1900s and the history of Castle Garden, the Barge Office and Ellis Island at the next Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Roth Family JCC in Maitland. A longtime genealogist, Bookbinder is known around the world for his leadership and knowledge of genealogy. His presentation will help genealogy enthusiasts...
The Jewish Academy of Orlando is announcing a new series of events open to the public, focusing on modern days issues of Jewish day school. These Wine & Shine Mingles will highlight topics including how a Jewish day school develops and advances its curriculum, how parents can become an integral part of their children’s Jewish education, and how the community can help develop the values of Tzedakah (Righteousness) and Tikkun Olam (Repairing our World) within our children. “The 2015-2016 school year is off to an exciting start at the Jewish Aca...
Hadassah of Williamsburg is having a “Pot Luck” social and meeting , on Oct. 7, 2015, at noon at Parkview Pointe Clubhouse , 5650 Parkview Pointe Drive in Orlando. Share your goodies with everyone. For further information, please call Eleanore at 407-351-9189 or Sylvia at 407-470-4812....
The Kinneret Council on Aging will proudly pay tribute to eight individuals over the age of 80 who have made significant contributions to the Jewish and Central Florida community on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016. “The 8 over 80 event really resonates with our mission of the Kinneret Council on Aging and the inspiring stories we hear about seniors who contribute to our community through leadership, activism, altruism and philanthropy”, said Geannie Share, president of the Board for the Kinneret Council on Aging. “This year we are honoring those who h...
Let’s assume—despite evidence that polling on the issue was at best “quick and dirty,” according to one prominent analyst—that the Jewish establishment was out of step with most American Jews in opposing the Iran agreement. And let’s agree with other polls suggesting American Jews as a whole are to the left of the biggest Jewish organizations, especially, if not exclusively, when it comes to Israel. Who cares? Various op-eds lamenting this gap note that the Jewish vote remains overwhelmingly Democratic and that most American Jews support rev...
The High Holy days are designed as a time for reflection, repairing and making ready. A new year, a new set of ideas and a determination to do better than last year. Really? One day leads to another, time goes on. I hit a BIG birthday a couple of months ago (really?). I had decided that I would cut back on my physical workouts when I hit that number. But, the next day I said to myself “Hey! I’m only a day older”—and went back to the routine. We all live life one day at a time. Jews have been doing this for millennia. Our history is that we...
One of the principal lessons that should be taught in courses dealing with politics and public policy is the persistence of uncertainty. People who insist on telling us what will be, or what will not be, have a lot to learn. Many who claim to be predicting are telling us what they want to happen, or alternatively telling us that their enemies currently in power are bound to make things worse. The reality is that there are many things capable of influencing who wins an election, which party or sub-party faction will have the upper hand in the...
One year ago, we commemorated the beginning of the “War to End All Wars” in 1914. So traumatized were the Great Powers by both the carnage, with millions of lives lost, and the loss of treasure, that they were determined to avoid future worldwide conflicts. Instead, their actions helped precipitate one. Three years following the 1918 armistice that ended The Great War, the Great Powers met in Washington, D.C., to prevent further development of the most fearsome weapon of war to date, the capital naval warship. The Washington Naval Treaty (the ...
(Kveller via JTA)—Last year I performed a magic trick: I made most of my “stuff” disappear. I never considered myself a hoarder, at least not the kind worthy of a feature on late night cable TV, but I held on to things, lots and lots of things, because I was sentimental. I thought getting rid of them meant giving up a memory. I was also convinced I would need all these things later on. And lots of my stuff was around simply because I had spent so much money on it that I thought I hadn’t realized each item’s value yet. Surely I would need this...
The Obama administration announced Sept. 8 that it is putting Mohammed Deif and three other Palestinian terrorists on its “designated terrorists” list. That’s basically a slap on the wrist—for someone who should be subjected to U.S. prosecution, not U.S. name-calling. Deif was trained in the art of bomb making by the infamous Hamas leader Yehya Ayyash, nicknamed “The Engineer.” When Ayyash was killed in 1995, Deif was chosen as his successor. Deif then masterminded bombings in which hundreds of Israelis, as well as a number of Americans,...
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...
Special thanks to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel for the calendars they provided to the Jewish community. Seniors in facilities visited by the Jewish Pavilion were thrilled to receive their calendars during High Holiday celebrations. Pictured are volunteer Debbie Meitin (center) with residents enjoying their Rosh Hashanah gift....
Caregiving for the Jewish elderly is particularly challenging in Central Florida because very few people who work in the industry are familiar with Jewish culture. They have never heard of our holidays or tasted our traditional foods. "When the Activities Directors Association invited the Jewish Pavilion to speak at their monthly meeting on Sept. 8, we were thrilled to oblige," said Nancy Ludin, executive director. Judy Procell, the program director from the Jewish Pavilion who oversees Winter...
During the high holiday season, Susie Stone (top, left) seldom goes a day without blowing the shofar. She makes an effort to play at as many Jewish Pavilion Rosh Hashanah events as possible. Susie drives all over town with her shofar, bringing Jewish tradition to our elders in long-term care. While she makes everyone proud, it is her mother-in-law, Sylvia Stone who enjoys the sounds of the shofar best of all. Throughout the year, Susie and Mark Stone make every effort to bring joy and compassion to seniors in many buildings, but they never...
Dr. Ethan F. Greene, age 32, of DeLand, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, at Florida Hospital—Orlando. Dr. Greene was born in Livingston, New Jersey, on Oct. 10, 1982, to Peter and Rebecca Schwartz Greene. He received a doctorate in music and was a professor of visual arts at Stetson University in DeLand. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his wife, Alma Lagarda Greene of DeLand and his son, Mateo, of DeLand. He is also survived by his brother, Abraham Greene. Graveside services were held in New Jersey. Funeral arrangements e...
The high holidays are almost over, and so by my clock time for another sweet challah recipe for the New Year. And one of the easiest ways to make a sweet, crowd-pleasing challah is to add chocolate chips, of course. Chocolate chip challah on its own is delicious and doesn't need much other than a little vanilla and cinnamon. But it's also great when you make double chocolate challah with a chocolate dough or peanut butter and crumb topping. But this High Holiday season I wanted something that wa...
Julia Elizabeth Geismar, daughter of Clifford and Shari Geismar, and granddaughter of Robert and Rochelle Blaufox and Gustave and Judith Geismar will be called to the Torah on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at Temple Shir Shalom in Oviedo. Julia is an honors student in seventh grade at Lawton Chiles Middle School where she enjoys art classes and plays clarinet in Concert band. She also helps lead her Religious School youth group, SHFTY, as co-president. Julia's Mitzvah Project allowed her to combine...
ANAHEIM, Calif. (JTA)-Arab Americans advocating on behalf of Syrian refugees have found some unlikely allies in their effort to resettle families from the war-torn nation: influential Jewish groups. Over the last few days, HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, launched a petition drive calling on President Barack Obama to swiftly open America's gates to an additional 100,000 Syrians, and the president of the Union for Reform Judaism wrote to the president and congressional leaders calling for...
