Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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This sukkah, created by Andy "Eliyahu" Alpern, has a panoramic view of the Western Wall. It's a way "of sharing Eretz yisrael with people all over the world who can't be here," he told JTA....
The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando is partnering with the Writer's Block Bookstore of Winter Park to host an inaugural Central Florida Jewish Book Festival on Sunday, Oct. 29 at the JCC's Maitland location. The day will feature four Jewish authors in three time slots: legal fiction author, Ronald Balson (11 a.m.-noon); a panel discussion featuring professional bridesmaid, Jen Glantz, and YouTube stars, Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin (1-2:30 p.m.); and a keynote...
It started with a two-year contract back in August 1990, and now, 27 years later, Rabbi Aaron Daniel Rubinger is laying down the mantel of senior rabbi at Congregation Ohev Shalom and assuming the title of rabbi emeritus. "The last two years I've considered working just part-time," he told Heritage, "so, when the synagogue leadership offered me this opportunity, I was thrilled!" The change will go into effective Oct. 15. Rubinger will still perform some lifecycle events, conduct some services...
The women of the Orlando Jewish community have for years been very successful at raising money for the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando through Choices, the women's philanthropy division. Each year the Choices event brings women together for an evening of fun, friendship and delicious food. Now the men of the community are stepping up to the plate with their own Men's Night Out to bring the community's men together to benefit local Jewish youth educational programs. And what a night it will...
Have you given much thought to the power of music? Paul Stenzler, bandleader of Orlando's Rhythm Release and current president of the Jewish Pavilion Board of Directors, thinks about it each time he sees a concert-goer literally moved by the sound of music. Heads begin to nod in time, and shoulders sway back and forth, releasing everyday concerns for many, the beat uniting fans for the duration of the performance. Other times, Stenzler observes the glint in the eye of a toe-tapping,...
Congregation Beth Sholom will celebrate Sukkot with a Pot Luck Meal and Service on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. Ater the meal, the service will begin with the mitzvah of shaking the lulav and the Etrog in the sukkah, then move into the sanctuary to continue the service. Celebrate Shabbat and Simchat Torah with the synagogue that feels like family. Shabbat evening service led by Rabbi Karen Allen on Friday, Oct. 13th at 7 p.m. will also celebrate Simchat Torah. An Oneg Shabbat will follow the service. The Rabbi’s Roundtable Discussion Group with Rab...
The Jewish Community Relations Council will present “Connecting the Dots: North Korea, Iran and Israel,” a discussion led by Professor Eytan Gilboa of the Israel Public Diplomacy Forum, on Monday, Oct. 16 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Professor Gilboa, who has published books and numerous articles on international communication and U.S policy in the Middle East, will analyze the turbulent landscape of the modern Middle East and the current threats posed to Israel by North Korea and Iran. The Jewish Community Relations Council, the advocacy arm of th...
Always wanted to learn mahjong but never knew how? The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando will be offering Beginner Mahjong Classes for five straight Tuesdays beginning Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Maj expert Dale Perreault will teach the fundamentals of the game, whether you're new or want to brush up on your skills. The cost is $5 per class or $20 for the series-all classes are free for JCC members. To sign up, email register@orlandojcc.org, call 407-621-4036 or visit...
Attacks on Israel's legitimacy were in full flow at the UN General Assembly session in New York City on Wednesday, as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the 1917 Balfour Declaration-in which Britain announced its support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people"-as a "crime against our people," while Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described the Jewish state as "the rogue Zionist regime," in language harking back to the...
It took less than 90 seconds for Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, to make the Palestinian delegation to the UN Human Rights Council squirm in their seats. Just after members from the PLO, Syria, Qatar, North Korea, Pakistan, Venezuela and Iran spoke their vile reasons to disassociate with Israel at United Nations Watch, Yousef spoke in English with clarity and confidence as he called out the PA's human rights abuses of their own people. "Where does your...
As the New Year 5778 begins, 88 percent of Israeli Jews say that they are happy and satisfied with their lives. This makes sense. Israel’s relative security, its prosperity, freedom and spiritual blossoming make Israeli Jews the most successful Jewish community in 3,500 years of Jewish history. The same cannot be said for the Jews of the Diaspora. In Western Europe, Jewish communities that just a generation ago were considered safe and prosperous are now besieged. Synagogues and Jewish schools look like army barracks. And the severe security c...
This week, I became an American citizen. As I intently studied my naturalization certificate after the oath-taking ceremony, it struck me how fortunate I am to be accepted into this nation on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, of all occasions. I should stress that my own story is rather routine and uninteresting. I came to the U.S. from the United Kingdom with my family, I had a job and a home in New York, and as the years went by, I progressed from a work visa to a ‘Green Card’ to full citizenship. Along the way, I did nothing more dramatic than fil...
(JTA)—“It looks just like L.A.” A character in the Amazon series “Transparent” says this as she gets her first glimpse of Tel Aviv, and if you work for the Israeli government, or any of a number of pro-Israel groups, you probably couldn’t be happier. Even if the show will go on to acknowledge the political and human rights mess of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and don’t worry, it will), such glimpses of an extremely appealing and otherwise normal Israel have the feel of “mission accomplished.” The start of the fall TV season has been v...
If we learn from an experience, there is no such thing as failure. Harvard University is perhaps the most prestigious academic institution in the world. Oprah Winfrey has often been called one of the most successful women in the world. So it was fitting that this June it was Oprah who was given the honor of serving as commencement speaker to the graduating class of some of America’s most elite students. But what was truly remarkable was the subject that Oprah chose as her theme. To a group almost certainly assured of great success in life, O...
Is there anything that would entice liberal Jews to stand with President Donald Trump or to join with him in trashing former President Barack Obama’s legacy? The obvious answer is nothing. In the wake of Charlottesville, disgust with Trump is at an all-time high with most voters, but especially liberal Jews who were already appalled with him. Moreover, the longer Trump is in office, the better his predecessor looks to many Americans, if only for his more presidential temperament if not his policies. Yet a desire to defend Obama’s record has bee...
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...
JERUSALEM (JTA)-When it comes to Sukkot, the weeklong festival in which Jews live and eat in temporary huts known as sukkahs, no place does it better than Jerusalem. City schools and plenty of workplaces close, and a festive spirit permeates the air. Many Jews around the world make a tradition of visiting Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday, which is also known as the Feast of Booths. Can't make it to the Holy City? Fear not. Your sukkah can now transport you and your loved ones here. Well, sort...
After a postponed start (Irma), the seniors at Village on the Green were happy to see the students return as the Jewish Pavilion kicked off the second year of its intergenerational programming. As JTEN students from Ohev Shalom greeted their senior "buddies" with open arms, the beaming seniors were clearly happy to see their young friends return for a multi-generational friendship and discussion. "I enjoyed the program very much last year," proclaimed one of the seniors. "I would be happy to do...
(Kveller via JTA)-I know something about most Jewish holidays. I can tell you that Chanukah is about miracles, Passover is about slavery and freedom, and Shavuot is about cheesecake. (I have no idea why, but when it comes to matters of cheesecake, it is not mine to question.) The one holiday that has baffled me for years is Shemini Atzeret. I can't remember the first time I became aware of it, and to be honest, I didn't care much about it until last year when my older daughter started attending...
A salute to the righteous... "They risked their lives to save Jews"... according to The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, "Now they need our help." This is just one example of a righteous family: "Presov, Slovakia, Fall 1941, Elena Maradikova lived with her brother and parents in Presov. Elana's father, Ondrej, worked as a detective for the Presov police. Prior to the outbreak of WWII, two young Jewish men, Martin Weil and Jan Kohl, had rented a room from the Maradik family. When the war...
What could be the reason behind a 'slumber party' with guests ranging from ages 77 to 19? Hurricane Irma, of course. When Hurricane Irma came storming through, she created 'strange bedfellows' all over town, with the mixed generations offering shelter, comfort, and whatever was needed from one another. In our family's case, my 22-year-old daughter's one bedroom apartment became the most valuable real estate in town. As my eldest only lost power for a brief time, she opened her air-conditioned an...
(JTA)-Days after joining a pro-Israel group, Melissa Landa knew something had gone wrong: She said her mentor stopped working with her, pulling out of a conference presentation just days in advance. Landa didn't know that her mentor, John O'Flahavan, would then stop taking her calls. Or that O'Flahavan would soon dismiss her from teaching the education course she designed. Or that one year later, she would be fired from the college where she had taught for more than a decade. But in the late...
(JTA)-After he managed to bribe three van drivers to load their vehicles with aid supplies and drive him and his crew from the San Juan airport, Eli Rowe felt his humanitarian mission was off to a good start. Gas was scarce in Puerto Rico, but now all the food, medicine and hygienic supplies he had flown over from the mainland was making it into the Caribbean island's capital. Then he laid eyes on the city. It was devastated. "We saw sheer destruction everywhere," said Rowe, the CEO of Jet911,...
MEXICO CITY (JTA)-I was on the 11th floor of an office building here when the ground started moving. There had been a mock evacuation that same day in remembrance of the 1985 earthquake that killed more than 10,000 people, but this was no drill. According to protocol, everyone ran toward the building's columns-structurally the safest place to be in an earthquake. I closed my eyes as the rumbling worsened, focusing on my breath and hugging the concrete structure as ceiling lamps came down,...
At least 59 dead, over 500 wounded in shooting attack in Las Vegas (JTA)—At least 59 people are dead and more than 500 wounded in Las Vegas in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The attack took place at a country music festival outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Strip late Sunday night. The gunman has been identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, who apparently killed himself in a standoff with police. Paddock reportedly shot at the crowd with automatic weapons from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay at around 10 p.m. w...
