Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) - Every Passover, we ask the same question: Why is this night different from all other nights? This year, for the first time since Oct. 7, the answer is freedom. Real, hard-won and finally ours. Every living hostage is home. Every murdered hostage has been given the dignity of a Jewish burial. After 738 days that felt like lifetimes, the circle has closed. For two-and-a-half years, my heart broke on a rolling basis. Not a dramatic, one-time shattering, but a daily, quiet, relentless...
Many remember Beth Schafer when she was the cantor soloist at the Congregation of Reform Judaism back when it was the Congregation of Liberal Judaism. She has just released a new album, stating, "After months (years?) of dreaming, shaping, re-shaping, recording, listening, second-guessing, and ultimately trusting, "Sinai" is out in the world. "This album feels different to me," says Schafer. "Not just because it is entirely in Hebrew, but because of the musical landscape it travels. These arrang...
I went to the dermatologist today to have the first of two skin cancers removed — one on my face, the other on my neck. As she worked, I asked whether I should finally spring for tinted windows in my car. She smiled gently and said, “You can, but the roots of these growths go back more than 20 years.” That sentence landed like a rock. Twenty years? I had thought of all the times I had driven lately with the Florida sun blazing through my window or walked the dog “just for a minute” without a hat or sunscreen. The damage, my dermatolo...
One of my friends, Robin Asher, wrote: “Myrna, Myrna. What can I do? I can’t eat anything. That’s why I’m writing you. No sugar, no yeast, no milk, no dairy. I think I need a food fairy.” The Internet offers many recipes that substitute allergy producing symptoms. Gluten-free oats, pulverized to flour, in the food processor, almond flour, coconut flour or measure-for-measure flours are now easily available for gluten intolerance. Unsweetened applesauce, monk sugar, coconut sugar, brown rice sugar, agave, and honey can be used as sweetener...
Reprinted with permission from the Forward For weeks, I lived in Tel Aviv as missiles streaked across the sky overhead. I heard sirens day and night, disrupting sleep and leaving me constantly bracing for the next alert. I ran to dozens of shelters across the city, waiting tensely as interceptions echoed overhead. And yet, when I decided to leave Israel amid the ongoing war with Iran, I expected to feel relief. Instead, I felt a quiet, disorienting grief — as if I were stepping away from a moment I had spent my entire life waiting for. For m...
On the surface, "Ethan Bloom" looks like a familiar coming-of-age story: a 13-year-old nervously preparing for his bar mitzvah. But in this warm, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt film, the path to growing up takes an unexpected detour - straight through a Catholic church. At the center is Ethan, played by newcomer Hank Greenspan, a boy who secretly finds comfort inside a Catholic church while his family prepares for his bar mitzvah. Father Diaz (Carlos Ponce) becomes an unexpected guide, while...
Marilyn Shapiro has been a freelance writer for the Heritage Florida Jewish News since 2017. Most of her articles center on Jewish themes and her family. Some of her stories are accounts of people's lives during the Holocaust and how others are keeping alive the memory of its unfathomable history. She is an excellent writer - garnering four (two First-places, a Second- and a Third-place) Florida Press Newspaper awards since 2020. One of her First-place wins, "The mother of women's swimming:...
(JNS) — With the eight-day holiday of Passover practically around the corner, rabbis at OU Kosher are preparing for thousands of questions from Jews around the world. Along with the OU Kosher hotline, fielded by Rabbi Zvi Nussbaum, the Orthodox Union says its rabbinic coordinator, Rabbi Chanoch Sofer (also known as the “Webbe Rebbe”), is poised to address more than 3,000 Passover-themed questions expected to arrive via email. “Everybody thinks that we’re super-busy now with Pesach,” Rabbi Moshe Elefant, chief operating officer of OU Kosher,...
(JNS) — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) filed three joint resolutions of disapproval on Thursday targeting U.S. arms sales to Israel. The resolutions set up another test of Democratic support for Israel, after a record 27 senators tied to the Democratic caucus voted in favor of a similar Sanders resolution last summer to halt the sale of tens of thousands of automatic assault rifles to Israel amid the Jewish state’s war against the Hamas terror organization. The Thursday filings address the $658 million in munitions sales the Trump adm...
(JNS) - The siren went off at 8:17 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, in the northern Israeli city of Safed-a nationwide alert warning Israelis of the start of "Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury," the joint Israel-U.S. offensive against Iran's current regime. Julia Marzouk, 15, from Chicago, woke in a panic. She couldn't find her shoes. So she ran-barefoot, heart pounding-down to the shelter. "I felt completely confused," she said. "I asked questions in my head about what was going on. I had never experi...
(JNS) - As one enters the iconic Dizengoff Center shopping mall in Tel Aviv, it is hard to imagine that deep below, on parking level minus four, a city of its own has taken root. Three weeks into the war with Iran, Israelis in Tel Aviv have grown weary of repeatedly moving between their apartments and building shelters-or, for some, public protected spaces several streets away. On level minus four, tents have been erected and shared spaces assembled from garden chairs, colorful blankets and...
The following recipes by Myrna Ossin are for Passover. Enjoy! Passover Orange Chicken Meatballs This recipe is good any season. It has some Asian spices and is easy for a quick dinner. Serves 4. 1 lb. ground chicken 2/3 cup matzah meal 1 egg 2 T. soy sauce for Passover made with coconut aminos 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. ginger powder or 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated 1-2 T. avocado oil Sauce 1 T. potato starch mixed with 2 T. water 1/2 cup fresh orange juice ( I also make this with tangerine peel...
ARNOLD RAFKIND LEVY Arnold Rafkind Levy, 93, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026. Born in the Bronx in 1933, Arnie grew up in Brooklyn, NY, surrounded by many cousins, aunts, and uncles. Arnie went to Brooklyn College and then graduated from Harvard Law School in 1957 after taking a year off to attempt to write the Great American Novel, Rafkind Rabbit. He had three children with his wife, Carole, and practiced corporate and securities law in NYC as a partner in the law firms Wagner McNiff DiMaio & Levy and Epstein Becker & Green. He also...
Quick! There’s no time for leavening. No rye bread and no bagels. No time for a lengthy examination about individual empowerment versus group interdependence. Instead, we bring a freestyle assortment of Pesadik (Yiddish for Pesach) stories and macaroon-sized morsels from the contributions of our fellow tribal members. May the bitterness of your horseradish be counteracted by a spoonful of Haroseth! Freedom and Life — A personal revelation Without life there is no freedom. Nu? Did I need to tell...
As we celebrate Passover, I contemplate my ancestors' flight out of Egypt. If the Exodus happened today, I am not sure if I would ever make it out of Egypt. According to the midrash, the Pharoh commanded the Israelites to leave immediately following the tenth plague. As we all know, they had so little time that the bread had no time to rise. As a woman who loves to bake challah, I could live with whipping up the dough and foregoing the rising process. As long as I had butter and raspberry...
For many people unfamiliar with traditional Jewish communal structure, the word kollel can sound foreign, abstract, or even intimidating. Sometimes the reaction is candid: “Is that simply a group of men sitting in a room studying ancient texts?” Others may wonder whether such an institution has relevance in a modern, growing Jewish city. The truth is that a kollel is one of the most quietly transformative institutions a Jewish community can have — especially outside major population centers. At its core, a kollel is an advanced center of Jewis...
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all other cancers combined. Among these cancers, melanoma is less common but far more dangerous because it is more likely to spread to other parts of the body if it is not detected early. Melanoma accounts for about one percent of all skin cancers, yet it causes a large percentage of skin cancer deaths. The good news is that when melanoma is found early and treated promptly, the...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Today we mark 34 years since the murderous bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, which left 29 dead— Israelis, Argentines and nationals of other countries—dozens of wounded, and bereaved families who carry the scars to this day. Two and a half years later, the Argentine capital was struck by another terrorist attack, this time at the AMIA (the country’s main Jewish community center), which exacted an even greater toll: 85 dead and more than 300 wounded. Two similar attacks: the same city, the same method...
Sandi Solomon, (nee Torgovnick) is a remarkable woman. Many of you know her as she has spent most of her working life serving the community living in Seminole County. In fact, you may have enjoyed programs she was instrumental in developing while serving three, four-year terms as Casselberry City Commissioner. If you have ridden on the extensive bicycle trails throughout Seminole County, thank Solomon, as she was instrumental in turning Casselberry into a bike-friendly city for all to enjoy. The...
Aaron Weil, former CEO of UCF Hillel and his wife, Sharon, former executive director of nonprofit operations for Kinneret Council on Aging, live in Tel Aviv. Heritage has permission to repost the following from Aaron. I am frequently asked by my friends abroad "how are we holding up in Israel these days"? This got me thinking. The short answer is like a Honey Badger, a Mongoose or a Hedgehog facing wave after wave of venomous snakes. The longer answer is below. How are we doing? We are tired,...
On the morning of March 11, 2026, Jewish Pavilion Senior Services hosted a delightful Sponsors Breakfast at Grand Living in Lake Mary. The gathering brought together sponsors, board members, and supporters who share a commitment to enhancing the lives of seniors served by the Jewish Pavilion. The breakfast provided a wonderful opportunity for guests to enjoy a delicious meal while connecting with other businesses and community leaders who support Jewish Pavilion Senior Services. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere encouraged meaningful...
“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.” – Kurt Vonnegut Laughter is more than a pleasant reaction — it is a powerful physiological and emotional tool. Research shows that laughter positively influences multiple body systems. It strengthens the immune response by stimulating the production of immunoglobulins, improves circulation by increasing oxygen intake and heart rate, and promotes the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain reli...
Brownies with Marbled Cream Cheese This easy recipe is an easy snack. 18 oz. package of fudge, chewy brownie mix 2 eggs 1/2 cup oil 1 tsp. instant coffee, optional 1 T. cocoa powder, optional 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature (I used Neufchâtel cheese with 1/3 fewer calories.) 3 T. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla, divided Chocolate curls or chocolate chips, optional to garnish Cover a 9x13 baking pan with foil, making handles or cover the pan with parchment overlapping the sides of the baking dish....
By Steven Cardonick Spring! We survived winter without too much snow this year. A few flakes came down from the skies but never made it to the ground here. According to one of my readers, Josh the joker, they were escorted off the plane by security personnel, questioned, and sent back to their northern homes. Baseball! The grapefruit league is already winding down and regular season is about to start. Did you catch an exhibition game? The closest spring training park is over in Lakeland where...
For a long time, Jews looking for representation in video games had to make do with the possible Jewishness of William Joseph Blazkowicz, the Nazi-hunting protagonist of the popular ‘90s video game series Wolfenstein. A white, muscular, machine-gun-toting GI, with a lantern jaw and blue eyes, Blazkowicz didn’t exactly look the part. But his Polish ancestry, together with his enthusiasm for vanquishing Wehrmacht soldiers, left many Jews convinced. (Eventually, in 2017, Wolfenstein creator Tom...
