Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Orlando Torah Academy hosted its first Science Fair on Dec. 3rd. Nine students from grades 2-5 participated, displaying their findings from experiments completed at home. Parents, teachers and fellow students all turned out for the fun. Akiva Paris, from Mrs. Dottino's 5th grade class, took first place with "Which Material Will Best Protect a Falling Egg." Ezra Ellman, a second grader from Mrs. Wittlin's class, placed second with "Water & Ice." Third place was awarded to Rikki Yachnes, from... Full story
"Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front," a poignant coming-of-age documentary film, will be shown at Congregation Ohev Shalom on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, at 7 p.m. Most of the film is in Hebrew with English subtitles. This documentary follows five diverse Israeli high school graduates as they enter the army at age 18. Through this compelling documentary you begin to truly understand and digest the fact that in their young hands, and others like them, rests the responsibility of... Full story
Lawrence Kolin, a mediator and arbitrator with Upchurch Watson White & Max, is one of only 50 attorneys to be honored as The National Law Journal's 2015 Litigation Trailblazers. He accepted his award at a reception honoring the distinguished recipients in New York City on Dec. 14. "The National Law Journal proudly recognizes the people who have truly 'moved the needle' in facilitating the changing ways that law firms conduct business," says Kenneth A. Gary, the journal's vice president and... Full story
Part 2 of a 3-part series The international and domestic threat of terrorism is driving the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary's principal concerns and outcome, as repeatedly related at the Republican Jewish Coalition's (RJC's) Dec. 3, 2015, Presidential Candidates' Forum held in Washington, D.C., with 13 of the Republican Primary candidates speaking. Addressing this terrorist threat is linked to an increased American security alliance with Israel as multiple candidates noted in their... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)—U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking at an annual U.S.-Israel confab, said Israel’s government must consider the consequences of evolving toward a single state incorporating the Palestinian areas. “How does Israel possibly maintain its character as a Jewish democratic state?” Kerry said Saturday at the Saban Forum in Washington, D.C. Would Palestinians “be relegated to a permanent underclass? Would they be segregated?” he asked. Kerry’s forceful questioning of Israeli policy as well Israeli Defense Minister Mosh... Full story
(JNS.org) The Vatican issued an unprecedented declaration that the Jewish people are part of God’s salvation without explicitly confessing Christ as their savior, in a document that includes other changes in Catholic Church teachings related to Christian-Jewish relations. On Thursday, the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews presented the “A Reflection on Theological Questions Pertaining to Catholic-Jewish Relations” document during a press conference at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of the “Nostra Aetate... Full story
Five years ago, four motivated women went to lunch in Mount Dora. That in itself is not unusual—but what happened as a result is. Jewish and Christian, they realized each had a love for Israel and a desire to support the land and fight anti-Semitism through awareness, advocacy, and activism. They knew there were many other women in Central Florida who felt the same way. By the time they returned to Orlando, they came up with a plan—and Zionistas was born. Five years later, this coalition of Christian and Jewish women has worked together in pow... Full story
The Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando's annual Women's Philanthropy fundraiser is set for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at Congregation Ohev Shalom in Maitland. Formal invitations will go out in January, but Choices ambassadors gathered at the Maitland Jewish Community Campus on Dec. 9 to fill out "save the date" cards to send to friends and family. The theme for Choices 2016 is "Celebrating the Spirit of the Woman," with Barbara Chasnov being honored as the Harriet Ginsburg Woman of Choice. This... Full story
On Dec. 8, middle school students from the Geneva School, a Christian day school, and Leaders Preparatory School, an Islamic educational school, joined the middle school students from the Jewish Academy of Orlando for a morning of learning and sharing. This was the first meeting between the three schools that will take place this year. The theme for this year's multi-faith program is "cities and peace." Each different faith will be teaching about cities that are important to their different... Full story
By Ben Cohen JNS.org Belgium’s justice minister came in for a fair bit of stick this week over some injudicious observations regarding the Nov. 13 Islamist terrorist massacre in Paris. “It’s no longer synagogues or the Jewish museums or police stations, it’s mass gatherings and public places,” said Koen Geens, as he tried to encapsulate the deadliest security dilemma that Europe has faced since the height of the Cold War. Of all the obvious terrorist targets that Geens could have picked, he chose two that were distinctly Jewish among a list of... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—Every time Palestinian leaders sit down at the negotiating table, or give a public speech, they never fail to raise the plight of the 700,000 Arab-Palestinians displaced when they refused to accept Israel’s existence in 1948. For too long, the State of Israel and the global Jewish community have done too little to memorialize and honor the other side of that story—the 850,000 Jewish refugees from Arab countries. For many Jews, these are personal stories, family accounts told around the Shabbat table. It is now our duty to ensur... Full story
John Kerry is seeking to top up his several efforts to deal with the Middle East by joining the Israeli and international left in warning that Israel will have to accommodate itself to a single country, with a Palestinian majority, if it doesn’t make peace with a Palestinian state. As my late mother used to say when pressed, “Horse shit.” We are used to Mahmoud Abbas’ threats, more or less weekly, that if he doesn’t get what he wants he will have no choice but to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and present to Israel responsib... Full story
It is almost hard to believe that it has been just a year since the horrific events of Paris in January of 2015. The painful memories of the attack at the Charlie Hebdo magazine, followed by the murderous strike on the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket, persist when we are forced to contend with all that has happened since. It is perhaps no exaggeration to say that the times we live in are more tumultuous and uncertain than any that we have seen since the end of World War II. Rarely does a day go by where another innocent person doesn’t lose h... Full story
In an interview on CBS-TV’s “This Morning” last week, President Obama outlined his theory of the causes of terrorism: climate change is straining natural resources around the world, and “when people are not able to make a living or take care of their families,” they become “desperate,” and “as human beings are placed under strain, then bad things happen.” The next day, a middle-class Muslim couple who were not under any evident financial strain and were perfectly capable of taking care of their six-month old daughter, decided to massacre fourt... Full story
There are many issues one can debate in the Jewish community—endorsing a boycott of Israel is completely out of bounds. Yet, there remain strong voices who are simply opposed to Israel. Founded in 1940 by the sons of John D. Rockefeller, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund claims to be a “private, family foundation helping to advance social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.” This organization who wants “peace” gave $140,000 in June to the Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization that openly endorses BDS and suppo... 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
Nearly 50 moms, dads and children began their Chanukah celebration Dec. 6 by joining Shalom Families for the first-ever Family Mitzvah Day at Build-A-Bear in Altamonte Mall. Shalom Families, a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando (JFGO), organized Family Mitzvah Day as a way of encouraging Jewish youth to get involved in acts of kindness for the Chanukah season. There were smiles, laughter and love all around as children created 24 stuffed bears, puppies and bunnies to be donated... Full story
Sylvia Fried, age 94, of Altamonte Springs, passed away at Hospice of the Comforter on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 29, 1921, to the late Israel and Anna Schneider Bubes, she was a homemaker and the widow of the late Joseph Fried, who passed away in 2005. Mr. and Mrs. Fried relocated to the Orlando area from Brooklyn in 1976. She was a member of Hadassah and B’nai Brith Women. Services and burial were held in New Jersey. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando FL 3... Full story
Sylvia Miller, age 90, of Coconut Creek, Fla., passed away at her residence on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2016. Born in New York on Oct. 3, 1925, she was the bookkeeper and the widow of the late Marc Miller, who passed away in 2006. Services and burial were held in New Jersey. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando FL 32810.... Full story
The room was decorated to 'the max' with balloons, streamers, hanukkiah, and dreidels. With over 40 residents gathered to enjoy the Chanukah sing a long lead by Cantor Allan Robuck there was nothing but smiling faces, clapping hands and tapping toes. Thanks to the staff of Brookdale, Jewish Pavilion volunteers and the very talented Cantor Robuck, the residents were treated to a wonderful festive holiday celebration.... Full story
"That was but a prelude; where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people as well," wrote Heinrich Heine, the German Jewish poet, journalist, essayist, and literary critic in his 1821 play Almansor. These prescient words are engraved in the pavement on Berlin's Opernplatz where, on May 11, 1933 thousands of books were burned by the Nazis. One hundred seventy-seven books, the Rabbinical working library of Reverend Herman Doych (Hermann Deutsch), were spirited out of Germany on April 24,... Full story
Jewish Pavilion Director Nancy Ludin, recently had the good fortune to be seated next to Ilene Miller on a return flight to Orlando. Miller, also of Orlando, revealed that she is a magician! "I'm a novice unrelated to Houdini nor will you see what I do on TV. However, I like to have FUN. And if I can put a smile on your face then my job is done!" she said. Known in the Orlando area as Maybelene the Fun Magician, Miller volunteers for nursing homes and children's hospitals. The result from... Full story
Eight days, almost eight decades... In spite of the fact that this is probably the saddest Chanukah I've ever experienced in my life, I was given one of the best Chanukah presents ever. Turner Movie Classics (TMC) recently aired the movie "That's Entertainment" about the first 50 years at Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios (MGM). What memories! What stars! What fabulous music, the kind I grew up with and perform! I especially liked the "American In Paris" ballet danced by Gene Kelly and written by my... Full story
(JTA)—Dolph Schayes, a Jewish basketball player who was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, has died. Schayes, who had terminal cancer, died Thursday in Syracuse, New York, The New York Times reported. He was 87. According to a 2014 article in The New York Jewish Week, the 12-time All-Star was “arguably, to professional basketball, what Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg were to baseball—the most prominent professional Jewish athlete to ever to play his sport.” The first player in the National Basketball Association to score 1... Full story
(JTA)-Since the mass shooting in the California city of San Bernardino, U.S. authorities have been piecing together what might have led Syed Farook and his wife, Tafsheen Malik, to gun down 14 of Farook's colleagues at a holiday party for county health department employees. The attack raises a host of questions. Here are five to consider. 1. In Israel, armed civilians stop terrorist attacks. Should that be a model for America? Opponents of gun regulation argue that attacks like the one in San Be... Full story
