Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(ISRAEL21c)-The constantly intensifying battle against viruses and antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" isn't only about finding stronger drugs against infection. The focus is moving to preventing infections in the first place. That's why large companies such as Carrefour and a Far East luxury hotel chain are looking at unique germ-vanquishing textiles invented by Jerusalem's Argaman Technologies and manufactured inside its custom-built factory. Carrefour Group, a French-based superstore chain with... Full story
(JTA)-Elisha Nochomovitz, a 32-year-old French Jew, was to be among the 17,000 participants in the Barcelona Marathon on March 15. But the marathon, one of Europe's most popular running events, was postponed to October because of the coronavirus outbreak. Still, Nochomovitz found a way to do what he had been training for despite being forced to spend the past month confined to his apartment in Balma, near Toulouse, under lockdown. (He had worked at a restaurant in Toulouse, but that was shut dow... Full story
By Jackson Richman (JNS)-Aron Bielski is the youngest and last living member of the Bielski brigade, which he founded along with three of his brothers. Their activities have become widely known as one of the largest partisan groups that rescued Jews during the Holocaust. He was born on July 21, 1927, into the family of David and Beila Bielski, who had 10 sons and two daughters, in what is today Belarus. According to Aron Bielski, they were the only known Jewish family in the Belarusian village... Full story
"Watch this series!" everyone advises on social media. "Read these books!" others exhort. As a work-from-home mom whose preschooler's distance-learning schedule from her Jewish school requires constant supervision-exactly why are they still teaching about Passover every day if we can barely have a Seder?!-my main response to all these recommendations is, when? When do people have time to commit to a series, a novel, an online language course? I may be home all the time now, but I feel like I'm... Full story
When VITAS® Healthcare Chaplain Nicolle Grasse met Adele Laznowski Zaveduk in early January in the home she shared with her husband, the 82-year-old woman was visibly weak from a long fight against advanced heart failure. Zaveduk had been receiving care from VITAS for only a few days. Her doctors expected she had only a few weeks to live. Yet her eyes shone brightly as she thumbed through a box brimming with envelopes, each bearing her name and address scrawled by a child's hand. For 25... Full story
(JNS)—I don’t sleep much. I never have; a good five hours was all I ever needed to feel refreshed and go about my day. But in the past eight years, that’s dwindled down to about three hours a night (it did correlate with the birth of my fourth child and the fact that I moved from newspaper print to online journalism). I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s true: I have the email, social-media posts and computer time logs to show for it. Not that it’s something to brag about. Quite the contrary! It’s just that I can get so much done, and I d... Full story
(JTA)-Fresh off his Super Bowl win in February, Kansas City Chiefs lineman Mitchell Schwartz took a vacation with his wife, Brooke, to St. Lucia. Little did they know that when they returned, they would be spending the next few months holed up at home because of the coronavirus pandemic. So Schwartz, 30, has turned to what he loves maybe more than football: cooking. Posting to his 79,000 Instagram followers using the hashtag #ChefSchwartz, the Jewish athlete has shared photos of many of his... Full story
Social distancing and staying inside is hard. Thankfully, accessing good things to watch during this time is not. This is the second installation of a weekly column on Jewish movies and TV shows that you should stream in quarantine. "Blazing Saddles" Streams on: Hulu Available to rent on: Amazon, YouTube, iTunes and more. Family friendly? No-only for mature audiences due to language and adult material (JTA)-Confined by the coronavirus plague over the Passover holiday, what better way to satisfy... Full story
This is a common question. Although I don’t believe God did this. The world is a beautiful, wonderful place. Things like this have happened throughout all of mankind. You can believe that perhaps this is in God’s plan. But God gave us each other to love and cherish, and perhaps it’s a reminder to Treasure your life more. To realize that we’re not in the driver’s seat. We recognize how frail we really are. So, let’s lean on each other and let’s give our worries over to God. This is an excerpt from the article written by Ed Borowsky, “Me... Full story
A word about Passover... Our shared Jewish heritage and traditions bind our global family together, especially during difficult times. And with Passover just ended, we recognize that this year's commemorations were unlike any in recent memory as we found ourselves unable to gather with loved ones, friends and neighbors. 75 Years After A Nightmare... Of course I refer to Auschwitz, which was liberated 75 years ago. I read this in the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along to you:... Full story
As we tread carefully through the fourth month of the corona virus pandemic, the emotional and physical devastation this plague has caused is felt acutely by so many. As our days of sheltering at home continue, it has become much more real, much more personal, much more frightening. My husband Larry and I are feeling the impact, as I suspect many of you are. Our community already has had two confirmed deaths from the virus. A friend from my writing group, who had been sick with bronchitis, posted the following message on a Monday on her... Full story
(JNS)—Israel must take a series of immediate steps that would enable it to end its nationwide closure and enter a new “corona routine” that would revive the economy and that could begin immediately after Passover, Interim Defense Minister Naftali Bennett stated on Sunday. In a new national response plan that he published, Bennett wrote that “the State of Israel saw the danger early and took a series of correct decisions that revolved around ‘closing Israel.’ On one hand, this bought us precious time, but on the other, it had a terrible ec... Full story
(JNS)—April 1 is no laughing matter. Because back in 1992, the joke was on me. I was graduate student in New York City, almost done with my dual-degree master’s program in journalism and Near Eastern Studies. In fact, in my briefcase at the time was a recommendation letter for a job I was applying to—my first real writing job—at the Homer News in Alaska (which just yesterday reported the first case of coronavirus in the city of Kenai. I note this because that’s what got me started writing these daily pieces in the first place.) I was also in th... Full story
The prevalent thinking in 1972 was that the seventh Chabad Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on his 70th birthday, was going to reveal his retirement plans. Rather, he laid down a challenge. He was offering his birthday wish to the community to establish, by his 71st birthday, 71 new Chabad institutions throughout the world. Rabbi Sholom B. Dubov, Chabad chief rabbi of the Greater Orlando area was with him at that public gathering. Within a few hours, 71 rabbis were to go forth and establish... Full story
Ode to the Coronavirus by Yours Truly... I'm going crazy in my house, I sleep each night with Mickey Mouse, One son moved home to keep me safe, I wash my hands until they chafe, Coronavirus has me bored, I pray it goes away, dear Lord, This has to end on a closer date, There's one good thing, I'm losing weight! (Actually, losing weight is easy...every store is out of chocolate!) Let me explain about sleeping with Mickey Mouse: I own three big Mickey Mouse dolls and one tiny one and also two... Full story
This recipe originally appeared on The Nosher. When it comes to Passover cooking and baking, my favorite flour is not the dreaded matzah cake meal, which can make baked goods dense and heavy. It's teff flour. An ancient grain native to eastern Africa, teff is most familiar to Americans as the basis for injera, the spongy, fermented flatbread served at Ethiopian restaurants. But most of us know very little about teff beyond that. Teff is a tiny seed native to East Africa that functions much like... Full story
Main ingredients 6 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 4 eggs, divided 3 tablespoons potato starch 3 tablespoons Gefen Mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon salt pinch of white pepper 2 hot dogs, cut into 1/2-inch slices Start Cooking Prepararation Add potatoes and water to cover to a medium pot. Bring to a boil; cook until fork tender. Drain well. Mash the potatoes well in a large bowl. Add three eggs, potato starch, mayonnaise, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, mixing well to combine. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 de... Full story
All of creation seems oblivious to the virus running rampant through all the countries of the world. Here is a "thumbs up" from a strawberry, encouraging us to stay positive!... Full story
(JTA)-Randi Bergman isn't sure of her Passover plans yet, but there's a good chance she'll be spending the holiday alone. Bergman, a 34-year-old freelance fashion writer, lives alone in what she calls a junior one-bedroom apartment in downtown Toronto. The setup-desk, bed, couch, TV, kitchenette but no dining table-fits her usual busy lifestyle, which doesn't involve a ton of cooking and eating meals on her couch or at her desk. But it's not ideal for conducting a Passover seder, the festive... Full story
(JTA)-As the coronavirus continues to spread, synagogues, Jewish centers and other organizations that serve as gathering places for the community around the world have closed. But even while communities cannot come together physically, some are still organizing projects to provide support to those who are suffering or at perilous risk amid the pandemic. From phone counseling to sewing face masks to buying kosher food for Jewish doctors and nurses, there's no shortage of ways to help. Here's a li... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—My relationship with Amazon’s Alexa is complicated. I love that she’s politically informed and shares the latest news with me, and she has really great taste in music. Since she’s come into my life, I can’t imagine not waking up next to her every morning—but sometimes she gets on my last nerves. Her listening comprehension skills aren’t the best, she never pronounces my name correctly and she often lies to me about the weather. Alexa also can be very rude and impolite when she interrupts my conversations completely un... Full story
Biblical Irony: Passover seder may be delayed by the plague. Facebook meme One of Judaism’s most important holidays officially begins with the first seder on April 8. Pesach in the time of coronavirus, however, will be very different. During these difficult times, I think of my parents, Fran and Bill Cohen. As did many of the Greatest Generation, they went through several challenging times. In 1919, the Spanish flu was raging throughout the world. My mother, born in 1917, fell deathly ill. The family doctor saved her life by making a deep i... Full story
On Passover, Jews are prohibited from consuming any foods made with five familiar grains: wheat, oats, rye, spelt (which is actually just an ancient form of wheat) and barley. These grains are considered hametz because of their ability to ferment and rise. The only exception to this rule is, of course, matzah. As a result, many home bakers think that the only way to bake during Passover is to use matzah meal, which has an unfortunate tendency to make baked goods dense and even leaden. But today, as a result of the popularity of gluten-free and... Full story
Curb your Enthusiasm... While watching "Curb your Enthusiam" recently, actor/producer/director/writer of the television show (and formerly producer/writer of the very successful television show "Seinfeld" starring JERRY SEINFELD, LARRY DAVID, mentioned my very famous cousin, writer DANIEL KEYES and also one of Dan's books, "Flowers For Algernon," which, by the way, was required reading in most New York City schools. The book incidentally, was turned into the movie "Charly" starring Cliff... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA) – Haroset is one of the most important food components of the Passover seder. Its intense sweetness symbolizes the optimism in contrast to the bitter maror and salty water, which remind us of our ancestors’ suffering. Every family has its own special haroset recipe, and each year my mother makes ours, which is passed down from my grandmother. Our family recipe includes dates, sweet kiddush wine and lots of cinnamon. It’s delicious and I always spend the majority of my seder making matzah and haroset sandwiches. Still... Full story
