Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1676 - 1700 of 4383
(JNS)-A Jewish mother in Maryland created an illustrated online book in a PDF format that helps parents explain to preschoolers and toddlers the school closings due to coronavirus. "My School is Closed" by Meredith Polsky, co-founder of the Jewish organization Matan, is written from the point of view of a child, who says on one page "I'm not sick now. My friends are not sick. We are staying home to help people stay healthy." Polsky, also a developmental support coordinator at Temple Beth Ami... Full story
(JTA)-Rena Munster was looking forward to hosting a Passover seder for the first time. In past years, her parents or another relative hosted the meal. But this year she had invited her parents, siblings and other extended family to her Washington, D.C., home. Her husband, an amateur ceramics artist, was making a set of dishes for the holiday. And she was most excited for her family's traditional day of cooking before the seder: making short-rib tzimmes, desserts that would pass muster... Full story
Passover is among the most celebrated of Jewish festivities, a time when families typically gather together from wherever they may be dispersed to engage in the ritual retelling of the exodus from Egypt. Circumstances don’t always allow for large gatherings, yet Jewish tradition tells us that we are still obliged to retell the story of our ancestors’ liberation. According to Maimonides, even if one is alone on the Seder night, he must ask himself the question: Why is this night different? At a time when many people may be celebrating the hol... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—Born into a Catholic family with a Jewish surname, I should have expected I would one day find myself leading a Passover seder. To date, my husband Larry and I have hosted nine seders, eight of which I’ve had the honor to lead. This role was bestowed upon me after my Jewish husband concluded that in light of my organized, creative, teacher-like nature, I was the right person for the job. The tradeoff was food prep, which he happily agreed to tackle. Not one who enjoys cooking, I acquiesced. Besides, the man makes a mean bri... Full story
MOUNT HERMON, Israel (JTA)-Standing on a peak atop Israel's highest mountain on a dazzlingly bright February morning, I had just stepped into my skis and begun to descend when I heard someone yelling in my direction. A soldier clutching an automatic weapon was running after me. "Hey! You can't go that way," he shouted. "That's a closed military zone." Welcome to Israel's only ski area, wedged into the northernmost corner of the Golan Heights along the Syrian border at an elevation of 6,600 feet.... Full story
(aka Lois Lane*) Last year, Jason Mendelsohn (aka SupermanHPV) spoke on Capitol Hill at a Congressional Briefing titled "Let's End HPV-related Cancers." During his talk, in which he shared his human-papillomavirus-related (HPV) cancer-survivor story, he showed a 2-minute video of pictures of his family life, hospital stays for treatment, and ringing the bell in celebration of his recovery. The song accompanying the photos was "If You're Going Through Hell" by Rodney Atkins. Mendelsohn's mom,... Full story
Some personal thoughts... Joan Rivers was a friend. She once said, "whenever I hit bottom, the only thing I think of has been set down by Jerome Kern (another Jew and, of course, a great composer)). "Pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again." (Unfortunately, Joan suffered a tragic death.) Another friend... (And also a talented Jew) NEIL DIAMOND, recently came out of retirement (he retired 2 years ago because he contracted Parkinson's Disease) to perform in Las Vegas. (I went to... Full story
(ISRAEL21c)-Fifteen years after he filched a 2,000-year-old ballista stone from a Jerusalem archaeological site, an anonymous Israeli arranged to return it to the Israel Antiquities Authority. The man explained that the coronavirus crisis makes him feel "the end of the world is near" and he wanted to clear his conscience. Moshe Manies, the person who agreed to bring the pilfered stone to the state without divulging the identity of the thief, wrote a post about it on Facebook. He explained that... Full story
In Yeshiva/Rabbinical School, the community underwent multiple tragedies/difficulties in a short period. One of my rabbis told me at that time something that has stayed with me until today, giving me the support and inspiration during difficult times. He compared life (in some ways) to a school: Just like you would never give a second grader a test meant for a high school kid, so too in life, Hashem/G-d only gives us challenges that are tailor-made for each one of us specifically, as He knows exactly what we can handle and what we are capable... Full story
Now that former Chief of Staff General Benny Gantz, has been tasked with forming the next Israeli government by President Rivlin, it’s time to take a look to see how we got here and how this relates to Israel’s Arabs. Far from being an apartheid state, some 20 percent of Israel’s population are Arabs who live as equal citizens with full rights and privileges. Paradoxically, Israeli Arabs do not all have the same responsibilities as the rest of the population, specifically regarding their exemption from military or civilian national service. Thi... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-A hand-drawn portrait of a young man in a French internment camp. A photo of a Jewish girl who survived the Holocaust by hiding in a monastery. A letter detailing efforts to improve life for Jews in the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp. These are just a few of the 250 artifacts that the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has collected recently through a drive launched last month-around the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-to collect Holocaust-era artifacts... Full story
The new coronavirus, aka COVID 19, is upon the world. It happened so quickly that our Jewish leaders had to react: No coming to temple. Adhere to the guidelines limiting gatherings to 10 people or less. Exercise social distancing. The following is information on what some synagogues are doing and where to look for services online, information on b’nai mitzvahs, funerals and classes. Services All synagogues across Central Florida are closed at this time, however, many synagogues are holding online services. Rabbi Sholom Dubov of Chabad of G... Full story
(JNS)-Imagine a teacher assigning a Holocaust-related project to a high school student in the United States, such as the creation of the "ideal concentration camp" or a Nazi cereal box. Or maybe the class spends just a single lesson on the complex subject matter as part of world or European history. These are not fictionalized scenarios; they are some of the findings by researchers looking to understand the state of Holocaust education in America. Questions of who should get taught, what... Full story
(JTA)—At this point, we know well how to wash our hands to protect ourselves from the coronavirus. But how do we soothe our souls? When we recently asked for stories about how local Jewish communities are adapting to the public health threat, we received plenty of examples of changes that are underway, from “Spock” greetings instead of handshakes to chopsticks as Torah pointers. We also got a request for spiritual guidance. So we reached out to several rabbis around the world and asked them to offer their advice. We’ll update this page with ad... Full story
Born and raised on the southwest side of Chicago, Rabbi David Kay of Congregation Ohev Shalom grew up in an area rife with anti-Semitism. This was the late 1960s, early '70s. Surrounding their tiny Jewish community were predominantly Irish Catholic, blue-collar neighborhoods. His small Conservative congregation was bordered by the parking lot of a very large Catholic church, whose priest embraced the pre-Vatican II mentality. "If their lot was empty, and someone from our congregation parked a ca... Full story
"Representatives of the World Jewish Congress met with JAN HAMACEK, minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic, as a follow-up to methodology provided by the WJC to the government for protecting soft targets in the country. As part of this work, the WJC compiled guidelines of methodology for coordinating protection of sites including malls, stadiums, concert halls, and other crowd-drawing locations and often targeted by terrorists and other violent offenders. The guidelines include... Full story
Sometimes sad things happen in beautiful ways. Ways that make you think about the blessings in your life. Ways that make it important to tell those that you love how special they are, and times that let others tell us how much we are loved. It is a horrible thing to receive a terminal medical diagnosis, but a beautiful thing to spend the time you have left making memories and dreams come true. Walter "Sky" Goldstein had a beautiful voice and a constant smile. He brought light into every room he... Full story
This story originally appeared on Alma. Both on screen and behind the scenes, Jewish directors, producers and writers are credited with developing the Hollywood system as we know it today. These seven pioneering Jewish actresses defied expectations of their gender and many survived religious persecution, fleeing Europe during World War II. Their films are testaments to their talent and prove the power of cinema as both a realm of escapism and a vehicle to explore some of the world's most... Full story
(J. The Jewish News of Northern California)-Michael Steinmetz was uncertain about inviting his grandmother to visit his marijuana factory in Mendocino County. Masha Steinmetz is 89 and an observant Jew who cared for Holocaust victims as a nurse in Israel after the war. Originally from Romania, she lived most of her life in Venezuela, a predominantly Catholic country where cannabis is widely considered taboo. For her visit to Mendocino, she brought enough kosher food to last her four days at the... Full story
Tell someone you made the gravlax at your next brunch and I promise they will be impressed. The truth is that gravlax is a surprisingly simple dish to make. There is no actual cooking involved, but you will have to plan ahead because it takes at least 4 to 5 days to allow it to cure in your fridge. But why stop at simple gravlax!? Curing fish, particularly salmon, can take on different flavors depending on what ingredients you include while curing. Beets, herbs, vodka, citrus can all be... Full story
Stories from the Orlando Senior Help Desk Lydia is an only child with a mother in early stage Alzheimer’s. Her father has no patience with her mother’s shifting personality and needs. At 90 years old, he is resistant to change and doesn’t understand or like what is happening. He yells a lot. They are not getting along. Lisa has been trying to handle the situation from over 1,000 miles away while taking care of her three teenage children. She is part of the Sandwich Generation that is in the middle of raising teenagers and elderly parents at th... Full story
Overheard at a luncheon a few months ago, two women were talking about the Jenny bracelets they were both wearing. They loved the natural stones, the beautiful colors and most of all, they loved Jenny. Jenny Ruben Forero had some challenges during her teen years that often kept her at home. To fill the time Forero made bracelets for the Jewish Pavilion volunteers to distribute to the seniors they visited. She also sold the bracelets at Jewish Pavilion Walks and donated all of the money to the... Full story
If you have had the honor of attending a Shayna's Village class at The Roth Family JCC's Richard S. Adler Early Childhood Learning Center, you most likely met the director, Karen Duncan. I met her when I first had a baby and was looking for how to become a parent. Right away when I met her, I knew she was special and unique. I wanted to learn from her and ideally, be like her. As a new mother of a newborn baby, once I met Karen, I signed up for every class she taught and attended her parenting... Full story
Oy Vay! More to worry about... You know I mean the Coronavirus! All of a sudden, my sons are telling me that, at my advanced age, I am more susceptible then they are so... "Mom, stay home! Wash your hands! Don't go to crowded places, like shopping for food or clothing, no restaurants and NO KISSING!!" (So far, nobody has tried!) Forgotten Jewish Refugees... "The World Jewish Congress, together with other Jewish organizations and the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations,... Full story
The window is opened in the room... some believe that opening a window allows the soul to depart. A candle lit, a prayer said, “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Master of the Universe, the True Judge.” Psalm 51 is read... It’s the Jewish way. Bury the dead within 24 hours after passing. In many cases, preparations are delayed because of issues with travel... scheduling... logistics. After burial, the mourning period begins. Seven days of Shiva, 30 days of intense mourning and then one year later the mourning period is over for the loved one.... Full story
