Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1626 - 1650 of 4419
AMSTERDAM (JTA) - For the Amsterdam Jewish Historical Museum, Chanukah this year entailed the stressful chore of assembling the world's most expensive menorah. Last week, the Rintel Menorah, a 266-year-old menorah valued at over a half-million dollars, was put back on display at Amsterdam's Jewish Historical Museum following the restoration of its wooden base, which was lost during the Holocaust. Built in 1753, the menorah is a relic from the golden age of a community that was nearly...
A while back a “recipe” (if you can call anything with one ingredient a recipe) for banana ice cream went viral. And with good reason. To make it you simply put a few frozen sliced bananas in a food processor and blended them until they achieved the consistency of soft serve. Pop them into the freezer and sure enough, you had a frozen, scoopable “ice cream” that was healthy, vegan and sugar-free. And, like most viral recipes, banana ice cream was soon replaced by the next food trend, and the one after that, and so on. But it’s back, with a ta...
When I was growing up, I knew brisket as an island of meat in a sea of sweet brownish-red sauce with carrot-plank buoys. Every holiday, this was plunked in the center of the table alongside a loaf of bread. It was... fine, but nothing to write home about. Whoever hosted the meal would lament about how the meat had been in the oven for hours as they sawed through the roast. I couldn't help but think "all that time for this?" As I sliced through the brisket, I imagined all the ways it could be...
Spinach jibn is a traditional Syrian way to prepare vegetables, akin to a crustless quiche. It’s most common to find it with spinach, but you can also make it with zucchini or other vegetables you may have around. It’s healthy and kid-friendly, though I assure you that adults enjoy it just as much. I learned to make this from my mom and grandmas, and it’s very near and dear to my heart. Jibn is adaptable. It’s freezable. It’s make-aheadable! I am sharing the recipe in its most basic form, but feel free to experiment from here: Mix it up by grat...
Heritage Florida Jewish News congratulates all of the 2020 high school graduates in Central Florida. As everyone knows, graduations were either put on hold until July or not scheduled at all for this year because of the coronavirus. Many families got creative and held neighborhood parades, made banners, videoed their graduate in gown, or had small family gatherings to honor their student. Heritage would like to recognize these students. Congratulations to: Anne Botwinik Anne was home-schooled... Full story
(JTA) - Astute viewers could find plenty of signs during the recent "Jeopardy!" Teachers Tournament that one leading contestant had some Jewish bona fides. There was the fact that Meggie Kwait teaches at Beit Rabban Day School, a Jewish school on Manhattan's Upper West Side. There was her covered hair, rare among game-show contestants but more common among observant Jewish women. And then there was her bet for the final question on a day when she was so far ahead she couldn't lose. "Yes, I...
StandWithUs is proud to announce the online global premiere of its powerful new documentary, "Minority of One." The screening will take place on June 22 at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. ET), followed by a live Q&A with the subject of the documentary, Hussein Aboubakr. Hussein Aboubakr Mansour was born in 1989 in Cairo, Egypt. The ultimate villains in the local lore were the "bloodthirsty Zionists," so Aboubakr began to study the supposed enemies of his people. He studied Hebrew at Cairo University, but di...
By Ed Borowsky This is the first article in a four-part series about the Puerto Rican Jews living in Central Florida and their history. Since Hurricane Maria in 2017 an exodus of Puerto Ricans, have relocated to the mainland United States. The overall population in Florida now exceeds one million, surpassing the Cuban population as the largest Hispanic group in the state. Jewish history in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico has the largest Jewish population of all the islands in the Caribbean. Today the...
From my heart... I stand with our African-American brothers and sister. Diversity is what makes the United States great! Please let's end racism and anti-Semitism once and for all! No longer divide us... This is a message from RONALD S. LAUDER, that appeared very recently in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest: "In frightening and uncertain times, like those we are facing now with the coronavirus, some people all too often and dangerously look for and unjustly blame scapegoats. There is an...
This moment has many of us reeling. Honestly, for those of you who are, like me, white-presenting Jewish parents, we should consider this a time of reckoning. Are we doing enough to make our homes anti-racist? What about our communal Jewish spaces? The work to dismantle racism goes beyond what we do when people are out in the streets protesting. And the activism we do outside of our home is just as important as the one we are doing inside our homes with our families, and especially with our...
HAVANA (JTA) - The remaining Jewish community in Cuba has much to contend with - a lack of resources and rabbis, a population that's both aging and dwindling, and ongoing uncertainty about how much aid and assistance they can expect from their co-religionists in the United States. Adding to that long list: It's not easy to find traditional Jewish foods. There are a variety of reasons why, especially for observant Jews who keep kosher. One of the biggest staples in the Cuban diet is pork - a cate...
By Emily Paster With everyone sheltering in place and spending their days at home, now is the perfect time to tackle a DIY kitchen project that you never seemed to have time for before. This one requires you to find some whole milk and cream, precious commodities for sure. But the end result — tangy, creamy homemade labneh — is so worth it. Labneh is also known as yogurt cheese because it is as thick and creamy as soft cheese. This unique texture is achieved by straining the liquid out of plain yogurt. Labneh is a staple ingredient thr...
NEW YORK (JTA) - "Pray for the welfare of the state," Rabbi Hanina writes, "for if it were not for the fear thereof, people would swallow each other alive." As cities around the nation burn with righteous indignation over yet another horrific incident of police brutality directed against a black man, Jewish leaders must reflect on our own long and ambiguous history with police as we grapple with our role in what is unfolding today. Historically, Jews have had an ambiguous relationship with the...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — May saw the highest number of American and Canadian Jews requesting to make aliyah through the Nefesh B’Nefesh organization since it was founded in 2002, according to numbers obtained by Israel Hayom. The figures indicate that the number of aliyah files opened doubled in May, with most applicants seeking to move to Israel in the next few months. More than 800 households applied online in May to make aliyah, compared to 424 in May 2019. The reason? The coronavirus. “Coronavirus has caused a lot of U.S. Jews to rethi...
By Marilyn Shapiro Every Friday afternoon since the corona virus has turned our world upside down, I have been baking fresh challah. I revel in the process: the measuring, the gradual rising, and especially the eating. But it has become so much more. As Roche Pinson wrote in her book, "Rising: The Book of Challah," "We make challah from a place of commitment to nourish ourselves and our families in a way that goes beyond mere physical feeding and watering." Even though I can't remember ever...
By Lenore Richman Roland Thirty-two years ago, I watched "The Impossible Spy," a 90-minute film, released on HBO On Demand. It introduced to the Western world the real story of Eli Cohen, an Israeli hero, who had become a legend in the Mideast. An extraordinary Israeli spy from 1961-1965, he infiltrated the high command of Syria's socialist Ba'ath Party and gathered military information that enabled Israel to win the 1967 Six-Day War against Syria, Egypt and Jordan. In 2019, I viewed Netflix's...
Here We Go Again! (Written by me.) Oh heavens No! Another poem! Enough already with staying home, I'm tired of cooking my own dinner, (A meal at Outback is a winner!) Amusement Parks are open now, As Press, I go for free (and how!) And seeing friends I've hung around, I miss so badly, I'm loony bound. Thanks to SNL and Dr. Phil, So many hours they did fill, Without my TV I'd go bats, Except for my sweet dog (and cats), They kept me happy up till now, I learned to speak "woof" and "meow", I even...
By Joanna O'Leary Don't you dare call them Jewish sticky buns. This rolled pastry laced with sugar, raisins, and ground nuts so named for its spiral shape (schnecken is German for "snail") is possibly the perfect accompaniment to your warm caffeinated beverage of choice. Unfortunately, schnecken is harder to find than its more popular sweet sister rugelach (also rolled with similar fillings). But the sweet story behind this underappreciated confection will leave you salivating and game to try a...
(JNS) - Using DNA technology, Israeli researchers have uncovered new clues about the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls, providing a new glimpse into Jewish life during the final days of the Second Temple period. Researchers from Tel Aviv University, led by Professor Oded Rechavi of the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Professor Noam Mizrahi of the Department of Biblical Studies-working with colleagues from Sweden's Uppsala University, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Cornell Univers...
Like many of us during this pandemic confinement, Stella Levy of Sacramento, California, has spent time cleaning house and going through long forgotten boxes of papers and photos. Little did she know she would discover some priceless family documents and Orlando history. Upon finding these treasures Levy contacted her cousin Roz Fuchs to share what she had. Fuchs, who chaired the Kehillah exhibit, which was on display two years ago at the Orange County Regional History Center, was excited to...
(ISRAEL21c) - The story probably didn't end happily for the bound and naked captive depicted on a 3,500-year-old clay tablet recently found in Israel. Things have turned out much better for the six-year-old boy who stumbled across this rare find a couple of months ago. Imri Elya from Kibbutz Nirim near the Gaza Strip spotted the 2.8-square-centimeter (1.1-square-inch) tablet while walking with his parents at the Tel Jemmeh archaeological site near Kibbutz Re'im. The curious boy picked up the...
(JTA) - Emma Seligman is trying to stay optimistic. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 25-year-old came extremely close to fulfilling every film student's fantasy: having her debut indie film played at coveted festivals and becoming an up-and-coming name to know in the industry. Her film "Shiva Baby" involves both of the terms invoked in its title: a sugar baby - or a young girl who receives money or other material gifts from a wealthy older man in exchange for company, and often sex - who...
Want to escape to a past Jewish lifetime where families ventured to a resort in the Catskills during the hot summer months? “Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort,” a film documentary by Caroline Laskow and Ian Rosenberg, will satisfy that desire. Kutsher’s Country Club was the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills. One of the legendary Borscht Belt hotels during its heyday, Kutsher’s was family-owned and operated for over 100 years. Anyone who watched Amazon Prime’s S...
A coincidence for sure... In my last column, I wrote another poem and mentioned Baby Snooks. Wouldn't you know... I just watched a fabulous movie on television, "Funny Girl" starring my fellow Brooklynite, BARBRA STREISAND. As you probably know, the movie is based on the life of Fanny Brice, who was a famous comic in the Siegfield Follies and the "Baby Snooks" radio show. WHAT TALENT! Still another coincidence... Fanny Brice lived on Henry Street. So did I, (770 Henry Street), Jews who grew up...
In the ultimate COVID-19 silver lining, the Broadway smash "Hamilton" will soon be available to stream from the comfort of your quarantine couch. Huzzah! Originally set to hit theaters on in October 2021, it was an incredible coup by Disney+ to snag rights to Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning musical. Luckily for everyone forced to self-isolate during the pandemic - and with Broadway theaters shuttered indefinitely - there's now something to look forward to on July 3 (just in time for...
