Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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On Jan. 29, 1972, I left Viet Nam — my tour was cut from one year to 6 months due to the Nixon ordered troop reduction. I traveled by transport cargo plane (bench seats) to Tokyo. Left Tokyo Jan. 31, arrived in San Francisco Feb. 1, and transferred to Ft. Dix, NJ, for discharge arriving there Feb. 3, 1972. Three and one-half years of service, and I can say, without hesitation, that I would do it again. I learned much, matured, had experiences that could have never been duplicated: Marc’s Brit Milah, February 1970, was the first in Aug...
(JTA) - A team of researchers said they have identified the person who betrayed Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis 80 years ago: a Jewish notary forced to work for the Nazis. The man identified by a cold-case team that has been working for six years to identify the persons responsible for the discovery of the Franks by Nazi authorities in occupied Amsterdam was Arnold van den Bergh, a notary and a member of the Jewish Council, which the Nazis established to better control Dutch Jews. The accusation is outlined in "The Betrayal of Anne...
When Federation CEO Keith Dvorchik went to Israel last October, one of the places he visited was Hebron, the beautiful city where the Jewish patriarch Abraham and matriarch Sarah, as well as Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Joseph are buried. As Dvorchik relaxed with others in the group, he learned that the soldiers who guard the tomb have no place to relax when they are off duty. The IDF soldiers, known as the Golani Brigade, serve a 3-month rotation at Hebron, guarding not just the tomb but also the city. Their “base” is built out of...
I must confess that I am a hoarder. I strongly believe in keeping things "in case I need them in the future." I'm not a messy hoarder, and I usually know where to find what I have carefully put away, but I am always reluctant to let go of anything that is in good condition even if it has no immediate use. It is the year of the corona. I have plenty of time to ponder on the vexing question: "What is the difference between being a hoarder, a careful housewife or a respectable collector?" All three hang on to objects that are not really...
I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted ... For many years I've been told that we look alike. Also for many years I've been told that we sound alike. I do know we are both funny ... but she was a comedian and I was a dancer and now (still) a vocalist. Also, she is deceased and I am (at least for now) still alive! Have you guessed who I'm referring to? Joan Molinsky is her name and she (like me) was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. Now do you know? Of course you do! Joan Rivers was her performing name. I sincerely miss her and her sometimes...
In a country whose biblical and modern history are intertwined and covered with dramatic events taking place at locations everywhere, Gush Etzion is among the most significant. Gush Etzion is the Judean mountain region between Jerusalem and Hebron. It sits at elevations between 2500-3000 feet, made extra beautiful by terraced hilltops and a range of crops including vineyards and olive trees, and ancient paths that were the biblical highways, which pilgrims and traders would transverse in religious pilgrimages and for trade. I like to refer to i...
(JNS) - Every age has its own narrative myth about those who acquire great wealth. In the 21st century, the prevailing story is that of the nerd who parlays technological genius into billions. The Big Tech oligarchs who make their way onto the Forbes' billionaire list are envied and feared. But with only a few conspicuous exceptions, their posh lifestyles, liberal politics and donations to fashionable and politically correct charities generally protect them from the worst abuse that pop culture can inflict on the famous. The nerd billionaires...
By With new COVID variants, seemingly never-ending vaccines, mandates causing tensions between government and citizens, and travel restrictions forcing the separation of families and friends this winter, there is a prevalent feeling of uncertainty. The upcoming holiday of Tu B'shevat reminds us that despite it all, the Jewish people are always a nation with hope. Tu B'shevat, the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat, is a unique holiday. According to the Talmud (Rosh Hashana 2a), Tu B'Shevat was the day used to decide how old a tree was for...
Marvin Friedman was called to the Torah for the second time in his life as a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, at Chabad of Greater Orlando. Friedman was first called to the Torah in 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The following is a letter Friedman, a graduate of MIT, shared with MIT Hillel news. A renewal of my Jewish identity By Marvin Friedman I am 80 years old and just celebrated my second bar mitzvah. This was all about reestablishing my identity as a Jew. On Jan. 8, 2022, I was called to the Torah, 67 years after my first bar mitzvah in...
The Jewish Pavilion provides many services to those living in elder-care communities, and among them is hosting Shabbat services at places like Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary. Randi Cunningham, who has volunteered through the Jewish Pavilion at Oakmonte for six years, plays a role in making the services happen. She first started volunteering in September 2016 following her dad's move from South Florida to Oakmonte's assisted-living facility. Cunningham said she didn't want him to move to Central Florida because of the lack of Jewish culture but...
(JTA) — In recent years, some “Harry Potter” fans have reconsidered their love for the series in light of the controversy surrounding its author J.K. Rowling, who has been criticized for comments about the transgender community. But after the release of an HBO special last week that celebrates the “Harry Potter” movies’ 20th anniversary, some are critiquing the series for a different reason: the inclusion of goblin characters that run the wizarding world’s bank. In the “Harry Potter” world, Gringott’s Bank, the bank that serves wizards and wher...
I feel heartsick ... Don't forget... I write this column almost two weeks in advance of your reading it. So... it is January 1st and I just watched "Fiddler On The Roof" for the third time. It was featured on television and that's what I do most of my spare time, watch television! Getting back to "heartsick": Although I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and my dad was born in Brooklyn also ... and my mom was born in Montreal, Canada, I know my ancestry is Russian and Polish. Actually, my maternal grandparents and my Uncle Jack and Aunt Betty were...
Time, in its essence, is an unceasing flow on which human beings have imposed meaning with arbitrary divisions and markers — years, months, weeks, days, minutes, and seconds. These units of time serve as measures for human activity in education, commerce, leisure, agriculture, and religion. Jewish time grew out of God’s imposition of order on the primeval chaos. First, God separated the light from darkness, creating day and night. Then, as a reflection of God’s cycle of creation and rest, the work week was differentiated from Shabbat. Later...
TEL AVIV (JTA) – For years, only those with special permission could visit the climate-controlled repositories of the Jerusalem Cinematheque to see the moving pictures held in the Israel Film Archive. But following a massive digitization effort, anyone with an internet connection can now watch the footage. "We're at the fun part where we can share this treasure with the public," says Noa Regev, director of the Jerusalem Cinematheque. Following a $10 million project that began in 2015 to preserve, restore and digitize its audiovisual c...
The Book of Proverbs is one of the most quoted books of the Tanakh. Comprising the second book in the Ketuvim (or Writings) section of the Tanakh, Proverbs is full of lines that share wisdom on the importance of centering your life and relationships around morality, personal responsibility and the values of the Torah. It gives us such memorable maxims that have seeped into popular culture such as “pride goeth before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18) and “spare the rod, spoil the child” (Proverbs 13:24). It also contains colorful exhortations like “L...
(JTA) - Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, had a message for the actress Emma Watson after an Instagram account in her name posted a message that was in apparent solidarity with Palestinians: It'll take more than magic to solve the conflict. "Fiction may work in Harry Potter but it does not work in reality," Erdan said on Twitter Monday, attaching a screenshot of a post from Watson's Instagram account. "If it did, the magic used in the wizarding world could eliminate the evils of Hamas (which oppresses women & seeks the ann...
(JTA) — Few rabbis appear before more people than Angela Buchdahl, the senior rabbi of New York City’s 2,000-member Central Synagogue. But Buchdahl may have become one of the most recognizable rabbis ever after her name — and face — appeared as a clue on “Jeopardy!”. The cameo came toward the end of the game show’s second round, in a category titled “I am Woman.” Reigning champion Amy Schneider, en route to her 21st straight win, selected the $800 clue, and a picture of Buchdahl wearing a tallit with purple stripes appeared. Host Ken Jennings...
News that Israeli actress Gal Gadot is to play Cleopatra in a new film has ignited a storm of protests. Critics accuse Gadot of perpetrating "genocide" and cultural appropriation by planning to play the ancient Egyptian queen. A prominent Pakistani journalist blasted "Your country steals Arab land and now you're stealing their movie roles ..." Some are claiming that a Jew cannot play Cleopatra, and the role should go to an African or Arab actress instead. Nonsense. Cleopatra was a complex figure. Cleopatra VII (there were many Queen Cleopatras...
What a shock! (A good one.) ... I love to watch Jeopardy!, the television game show. It is my 7 p.m. "go to" show. For the past several weeks there has been one person winning each time. She is phenomenal! She is also a trans-gender person who seems very proud of her status. (She should be proud! I never saw anyone with such diverse knowledge.) Her name is AMY SCHNEIDER and she is Jewish! As you know by now, I write this column almost two weeks in advance of your receiving the Heritage. So, Amy may not still be the week-after-week champion,...
(JTA) - This year, everyone seemed to have an opinion about how the entertainment industry views Jewish women. The comedian Sarah Silverman and others openly inveighed against what she deemed "Jewface," or the trend of casting non-Jewish actresses as (Ashkenazi) Jewish women; a plotline on this year's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" season mocked a similar idea by having Larry David cast a Latina actress as a Jewish character on a show about his childhood. Whether you agree with Silverman or not, it's hard to hear a term like "Jewface" and not think...
(JNS) - When the pandemic hit, Edward Ilyasov was in a bit of a pickle. The 29-year-old resident of Queens, N.Y., had submitted his letter of resignation with plans to travel the world, starting with Israel. His last days at his well-paying job in finance were supposed to be during the latter part of March 2020, and he planned to paint a person a day as he gallivanted. Yet with restrictions on travel due to COVID-19, he realized that he'd have to scrap his artistic dream. His employer allowed him to return, and he began working remotely....
More than 3000 people joined the IAC National Summit and 125 participants joined the Orlando-Tampa delegation this year at South Florida, The Diplomat Beach Resort. The Summit featured a one-of-a-kind combination of inspirational sessions, insightful dialogue, thought-provoking panels, and professional networking, creating the spirit and atmosphere of Israel for three dynamic, stimulating, and energetic days. Speakers included world leaders, Israeli and American thought leaders, decision makers, change makers and cultural icons from business,...
More Jewish super-talents ... ADAM SANDLER is a talented actor-comedian who has starred on television and in many movies. He, of course, is Jewish and born in Brooklyn like me! His ancestry is Russian like me! At the age of 6, he and his family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he grew up. (Not like me.) As a teenager, Adam attended the Jewish youth group BBYO. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in Manhattan. Of course, he became famous as a member of the Saturday Night Live comedians. (That's where I...
NEW YORK — The Religious Zionists of America has undertaken a groundbreaking partnership with Amazon.com to make its “Tzurba M’Rabanan” text available in English throughout Amazon’s entire distribution network. This latest venture follows the dramatic growth of the contemporary Halacha learning program, which has seen a near doubling of interested participants and increase in weekly learning groups across North America this year. The “Tzurba M’Rabanan” learning method encompasses the full range of sources pertinent to any Jewish law, inc...
(JTA) - Bob Einstein, the cult-favorite Jewish comedian best known for playing Marty Funkhouser on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and the popular "Super Dave Osborne" character on various TV variety shows, is given the biography treatment in a new HBO documentary airing Dec. 28. "The Super Bob Einstein Movie," directed by Danny Gold and provided to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in an advanced screener, is a sentimental journey through the life and career of Einstein, who died in 2019 shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. The film features a heavy...
