Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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On Dec. 12, a terrorist opened fire on a passenger bus on Route 60, just north of the Jerusalem tunnels. The bus continued to the security checkpoint before getting assistance. Twenty-three bullets hit the bus and three people were injured. The young boy in this photo was killed. Just him. Out of 23 bullets, only one person was killed. Miracle? Our rescue medics (Hatzalah) were at the scene quickly. We were not qui k enough to save the one boy though. We don’t always succeed. It is a hard part of the work. Take a look at the photo. Not just a...
in Munich, and in that city, he said, "this tragedy is still very present." One through-line in the film is that the Olympics, the first to take place in Germany since the Games Hitler hosted in 1936, were meant to "welcome to the world to a new Germany," in the words of a German official, at a time when World War II and the Holocaust were still in living memory for most people. Mark Spitz, a Jewish American swimmer, won seven gold medals, and the producers are depicted discussing whether to...
Chanukah Star Cookies, Hamantaschen base This recipe makes 15 5-inch large stars, 25 3-inch small stars or about 20 Hamantaschen. Ingredients 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 egg 2 3/4 scant cups flour 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar Beat until consistency for spreading, adding 1/4 tsp. milk as needed. Divide frosting in half. To one half, mix in 1-2 drops blue food coloring. Have a few small...
(JNS)- For years, Manischewitz has sold potato latke mixes, whether vegetable, low-salt or gluten-free. This year, the 136-year-old company joins other kosher purveyors, like Golden, in offering the product. The company's new frozen latkes will make Jewish cuisine more accessible to everyday consumers, Shani Seidman, chief marketing officer of Kayco, Manischewitz's parent company, told JNS. "When you think about Manischewitz over the past 130 years, it has always been associated with the...
It’s Chanukah. But it doesn’t feel like it so much. My one boy, the eldest, has finally finished his reserve service. now what? Now he is planning an overseas trip with his friend, a common plan for Israeli soldiers exiting their army service. My second boy who has been in Gaza, then Lebanon, then Syria, then the Golan Heights, tells me he is coming home this afternoon. So, I have to ready his bed, get the laundry done so the machine is clear for his things, make food, and make sure there are things he likes. I want to share greetings and ble...
By Izzy Salant (JNS) - "One day, I was going to be murdered by Hamas, and today, James Harden and the Clippers are applauding me," Omer Bilansky, general manager of a basketball league for high-school-aged children in the Eshkol region of Israel, tells Rabbi Erez Sherman, senior rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, on the court at Intuit Dome, the Clippers' home arena. On the jumbotron, both are shown wearing black T-shirts that read "Clippers Community Heroes" with labels to match, as the...
(JTA) - To celebrate Chanukah and Christmas, Max and Sophie, siblings in an interfaith family, bake up a batch of gingerbread dreidels. That's the plot of a new children's book out this year, but it could be a real-life occurrence this month, when the first night of Chanukah falls on Christmas Day. Among the children's books released ahead of the holidays are several that nod to the unusual calendar convergence and the increasing share of families that include both Jews and people who are not...
My 77-year-old mother does not like stuff. She abhors clutter. She reuses everything. If you were to buy her a bottle of nice olive oil as a hostess gift, it would sit unopened in her pantry for the next 20 to 40 years. When I ask what she wants for Chanukah, the answer is always the same: Nothing. But last December, my mother came to me with a specific request: She wanted eight lists of cultural recommendations, one per night. It turned out to be the best present I’ve ever given her. The eight categories I selected were books, movies, TV s...
With the Internet, one has access to all sorts of creative ideas depending on the ages of those celebrating. Check it out to keep your children busy with Chanukah activities before and during the holiday. I often had one night or afternoon where I invited families to celebrate together with my family. I let them know that it is not a gift-giving time. To make it easy with working mothers, we make it a potluck and had a menu that people can indicate what dish they would like to contribute. A typical menu would include Latkas,(potato pancakes)....
Life has a funny way of changing in an instant. For me, that moment came on March 26, 2020. I was a 19-year-old college student, full of energy, ambition, and independence. My life was one of endless possibilities, and I never gave much thought to health complications—especially something as life-altering as epilepsy. But that morning, everything shifted. It began like any other day, but by the time I regained consciousness, my world had flipped upside down. I found myself surrounded by p...
I love Christmas. I love looking at all the lights on people's homes and all the twinkling trees inside. I love holiday cookies. And I love how some people fill every inch of their house in Christmas decorations. That being said, I am very happy to celebrate the season vicariously. With a name like Marilyn Cohen Shapiro, you probably have realized that I have never actually celebrated Christmas. Growing up as the only Jewish family in a tiny upstate New York town, we never had a Christmas tree...
As we age, monitoring blood pressure becomes increasingly vital for heart health. Seniors are particularly prone to isolated systolic hypertension. Regular monitoring helps detect and manage such risks. It’s essential not only to spot high blood pressure but also to track its trends over time. Seniors and healthcare providers can then make informed decisions about lifestyle changes and treatments. Blood pressure and heart health High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a silent threat to seniors’ heart health, increasing the risk of heart dis...
What is going on and what are we seeing before our eyes? Is it real or is it just entertainment? As an American Conservative Jew, I grew up celebrating Jewish holidays in our dining room with my cousins. We’d get through the meal quickly and run off to the basement where we would watch movies. Every Rosh Hashanah we would watch “Grease” on the VCR and sing along with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. We knew all the songs all the dance moves. This was our joy. This was how we spent our time. Recently, while speaking with an American frien...
“The Night Sky Lined with Silver” by award-winning author Yvonne David is poised to become a cherished Chanukah classic for readers aged nine and up. The second book in the Apple Tree Series (though it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone), this heartfelt story follows the Bieman family as they adjust to Jewish life in the Catskill Mountains in 1938. With its rich narrative and historical backdrop, the novel weaves the timeless theme of Chanukah — the triumph of light over darkn...
(JNS) — Shortly after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Chris Atkins flew out of Ben Gurion International Airport. As news came through on his phone, the horrified Canadian filmmaker felt the urge to use his skills to tell the story of what was unfolding. His friend, the Egyptian-born, Canadian human rights advocate Majed El Shafie, felt the same way and hired a cameraman in Israel to document the atrocities. El Shafie asked Atkins to help sew the footage together. They agreed t...
Several community members from Orlando and Central Florida united with 2,500 proud Zionists at Jewish National Fund-USA's Global Conference for Israel in Dallas, fueling torches of light that continue to shine brightly even in these darkest of times. The delegation included philanthropists, pro-Israel community members of all faiths and from 10 different countries, long-time Jewish National Fund-USA partners (donors), rabbis, clergy, and cantors who attended the conference's Rabbinical Summit,...
(JNS) - The earliest known Chinese inscription in Israel from about 500 years ago has been uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Tuesday. (Spoiler alert: It didn't say "Made in China.") The rare 16th century CE Chinese inscription, unearthed in a dig on Mount Zion and discovered on a porcelain bowl fragment, reads: "Forever we will guard the eternal spring," the state-archaeological body said. Ancient Chinese porcelain vessels were previously found in Israel, but...
Last night in Alei Zahav, a large community in the Shomron, we met with a large group of medics from the region, to distribute equipment. Specifically, medic bags. These were newly trained medics, who went through their three-month training period, which we require after they complete the six-month, 200+ hour course. In the three-month training period, they get supervised real-life experience in the field. We don’t throw anyone into the field fresh and new. Among the attendees at the g...
The ballroom at Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs was abuzz with excitement as 100 guests gathered on Monday, Dec. 2, for Jewish Pavilion Senior Services' Annual JP Connections Hanukah Luncheon. The event delivered on its promise of gourmet cuisine, festive holiday shopping, and a heartfelt celebration of volunteerism. The highlight of the luncheon was the recognition of Joan Walker as Volunteer of the Year. Walker delivered an inspiring speech that resonated deeply with the audience, sharing...
In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of shopping and festivities. Yet, amidst the chaos, there lies a simple yet profound opportunity to bring warmth and joy to the lives of seniors in our communities. A gesture as small as gifting a cozy blanket or an engaging large-print book can illuminate the holiday season for a senior, wherever they may reside. Imagine the smile that spreads across a senior’s face as they unwrap your thoughtful gift, accompanied by a heartfelt, handwritten note exp...
For newlyweds Erwin and Selma Diwald, getting out of Austria wasn't a choice. It was a necessity. Their daughter, Frances "Francie" Mendelsohn, shared their fascinating story. Despite the undertones of antisemitism and the looming threats coming from Hitler's rise in Germany, the two young Jews had lived comfortable, family- centered lives in the beautiful city of Vienna prior to their meeting at a cousin's wedding in 1936. Bettina and Sigmund Diwald had welcomed their first child, Erwin, in 190...
Part II (JTA) - In 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, burying the nearby Roman city of Pompeii in scalding stone and ash. The catastrophe famously entombed, and preserved, the city's villas, workshops, and a gladiator barracks known as the Caserma dei Gladiatori. Excavators first unearthed the barracks in the late 1700s. Among the ruins they found a bronze helmet, with a circular brim, a griffin rising from its crest, and on its forehead, a palm tree - then a symbol tied to Jews...
(JNS) — It is a world-class understatement to say that these are challenging times for the Jewish people, particularly for Jewish youth. Hundreds of thousands of young and not-so-young people in Israel have had to take up arms for more than a year against murderous enemies. Their American counterparts, particularly those on university campuses, while not having to tote weapons, are, in their way, also fighting a war against another implacable foe. “Blind Spot,” a newly released independently produced film, focuses on the virulence of the antis...
(JNS) - A survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught on Israel delivered powerful testimony about her 54 days in captivity as she faced off with a student protest leader at a campus debate at the University of California, Los Angeles. The confrontation, captured in a video segment from earlier this year that was released on Monday by The Gr8 Debate and filmed by Trusted Confidential Coverage, brought together former hostage Moran Stella Yanai, UCLA encampment leader Aidan Doyle and Mosab...
(New York Jewish Week) - In the new comic book, "We Are Brooklyn: Stories of Hope," Francil Tejada shares her story about the Dominican Republic, where she was born, and the death of her grandmother, which inspired her to change how she connects with people and shows love. It's a personal story, a Brooklyn story and an American story - one of six being told through an anti-hate project initiated by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Others tell stories about an imam's trip to Au...
