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Jenna Richman achieves Girl Scout Gold Award
Olympia High School senior Jenna Richman has been in the Girl Scouts since she was in first grade. This year she completed her Gold Award project to receive her Girl Scout Gold Award - the highest awa...
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Am I Proud! ... The song "Of Thee I Sing" written by my 2nd cousins (on my fathers side), George and Ira Gershwin, became the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize on Oct. 10, 1935 (way before I was...
Florida Jewish couple turns 100 years old together and celebrates 80th anniversary
(JTA) -A Jewish couple in Florida is celebrating two hefty milestones together this year: 100 years of life, and 80 years of marriage. Lou and Edith Bluefeld, of Boca Raton, have known each other...
Farewell to a great Jewish patriot
(JNS) — I feel deep sorrow at the passing of a wonderful friend, and wonderful person—the late Sheldon Adelson. With a broken heart, in the name of my wife, Sara, on my own behalf and in the name of many people in Israel and the world, we send...
What I saw in one of Israel's crazy party hostels during COVID quarantine
TEL AVIV (JTA) - As we were reminded at the beginning of the latest lockdown, Israel's quarantine hotel situation throughout the COVID pandemic was a disaster. The people sent there complained of...
'The Challah Girl' - an old tale told in a refreshingly new way
Fairy tales generally have an "old world" feel to them that sometimes is jarring to our modern sensibilities. And yet, their classic story lines and vivid plotting make them a genre that always appeal...
Orthodox Jewish businessman vies for the crown at World Series of Poker's main event
(JTA) — As Gershon Distenfeld sees it, life and poker have their similarities — notably “a certain amount of uncertainty.” “There is a little bit of luck involved — sometimes a lot of luck,” an Orthodox Jewish businessman from...
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For many (many) years... I performed as a dancer but mostly as a vocalist. In fact, this was the first New Years Eve that I haven't performed. I will always remember the year 2020 as the worst I've...
Jews in the Land of Disney: Jews in the Land of Disney Joe Goldovitz - From cranberry farmer to Jewish spiritual leader, but always a musician
When Joe Goldovitz learned to play the piano at an early age, he didn't realize that music would be the consistent thread that kept him going in more ways than one can imagine. Goldovitz's father was...
Growing up in a hate-filled world
Sometimes I feel uncomfortable sharing my Judaism in public. Why should I have to be though? Judaism has had such a profound impact on my life and has shaped me into the person I am today. I attended a Jewish preschool, have been participating in...
A Jewish bartender's 5 tips for perfectly delicious homemade cocktails
It's been a unique and challenging year for all of us; learning how to find joy and relax is more important than ever. One of our favorite ways to chill out is with a homemade cocktail. Don't know... Full story
The formerly Orthodox character on 'The Good Doctor' is inspired by the creator's family
(JTA) - Writer and producer David Shore didn't have to look far when developing a key new character for his hit ABC-TV series "The Good Doctor." He went straight to his nieces and nephews, the...
How Pixar's 'Soul' borrows from an ancient Jewish idea
(JTA) - Pixar's "Soul," released on Friday on Disney+, is a tender balm of a movie about an aspiring jazz musician who dies on the day he gets his big break. Watching "Soul," which is set in a richly...
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If it gets any colder, I'm moving to Florida! ... (I shouldn't complain. I get to wear a jacket and hide my tummy!) Anyway, I must say, the more I research for this column, the more I find reasons to...
For the few Jews in West Virginia, one of America's most struggling states, the pandemic has offered silver linings
WHEELING, W.Va. (JTA) - Surrounded by silver crucifixes and Christmas ornaments, Samuel Posin and Joan Berlow Smith sell vintage jewelry and myriad tchotchkes at their church-turned-boutique gift...
9 heartwarming Jewish stories from 2020, a year to otherwise forget
(JTA) - There's no sugarcoating it: 2020 was a difficult, trying, tragic year. But just because COVID-19 dominated the headlines and our personal lives, that doesn't mean there weren't any Jewish...
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Chanukah is over for this year ... And what a year it was! 2020 was a nightmare (due to the pandemic) and Chanukah was not celebrated with family this year ... just one son, who lives here to keep me...
Gal Gadot gets Jimmy Fallon to try gefilte fish for the first time
(JTA) — Gal Gadot may act in American blockbusters these days, but she’s still an Israeli through and through. So there are some quintessential foods she has never tried. Jimmy Fallon took advantage of this fact for a tasty segment with the...
There is nothing like hugging a cuddly stuffed animal
For his bar mitzvah project, William McNarney collected stuffed animals to give to children at Orlando Day Nursery in Parramore, an early childhood center where many families are experiencing trauma...
Beautiful diamonds for a beautiful lady
Congratulations to Jewish Pavilion raffle winner Dolores Indek, who won elongated diamond earrings donated by Addeo Jewelers. Funds will be used to enhance the lives of seniors in long-term care...
Fresh out of college and making Aliyah
Kicking off a master's degree is a high point in any academically ambitious student's life. Between the academic stimulation, making new friends and soaking in the college life atmosphere, the...
Israeli ventilation system could give COVID-19 the 'smart' treatment
(Israel Hayom via JNS) - An Israeli startup's groundbreaking innovation may provide a much-needed remedy to the shortage of ventilators and the overwhelming of staff in COVID-19 wards. "Yehonatan...
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Thanks to TikTok ... (I'm too old to know about TikTok but anyway): The World Jewish Congress was pleased to hear from TikTok that it has removed anti-Semitic content shared by users after the WJC...
Historical novel on Holland's largest Holocaust rescue operation slammed for 'awful' errors
AMSTERDAM (JTA) - It was meant as an ode to one of the most courageous yet little-known rescue efforts of Jews during the Holocaust. But a week after its publication, a Dutch-language historical...
The real story behind 'Mank,' the new movie about the Jewish screenwriter who brought us 'Citizen Kane'
(JTA) - Acclaimed director David Fincher's highly anticipated film "Mank," on the Jewish screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz and the story behind his writing of the classic film "Citizen Kane," hits...
