Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1726 - 1750 of 4419
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
A Thank You to German Chancellor... "World Jewish Congress president Ambassadåor RONALD S. LAUDER met recently with German Chancellor ANGELA MERKEL at the site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp and thanked her for announcing that Germany is committing $66 million to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to support preservation of the memorial site. (Millions of dollars for each murdered Jew? NOT ENOUGH! NOT EVEN BILLIONS WOULD BE ENOUGH! Am I bitter? I suppose... Full story
Bringing new life to hamantaschen was a challenge. People are dead set on their favorite flavors like classic poppy seed and apricot. Of course, newer directions such as Nutella and rainbow funfetti are a big hit with the kids, but reinventing the grown-up hamantaschen into a decadent cookie you actually crave was very important to me. Then it hit me: alfajores! Alfajores are an incredibly decadent sandwich cookie filled with dulce de leche, a caramel-like spread made from condensed milk. The... Full story
By Marilyn Shapiro Purim is around the corner, and not far behind are costumes and dancing and Purim shpiels and groggers and hamantashen. And, for some, alcohol. According to the Talmud, it is one's duty, to "make oneself fragrant [with wine] on Purim until one cannot tell the difference between Haman and Mordecai." (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 7b). On this one holiday, alcohol is not the most important element, but many imbibe. As explained by writer Tvi Freeman, Purim is not about drinking.... Full story
With costumes, spiels and lots of drinking, Purim, which starts at sundown on Monday, March 9, is one of Judaism's most raucous holidays. You might know about beautiful Esther thwarting evil Haman's plans, the custom of getting drunk and what hamantaschen are. But we're guessing there's a few things about this holiday that might surprise you. 1. Esther was a vegetarian (or at least a flexitarian). According to midrash, while Queen Esther lived in the court of King Ahasuerus, she followed a... Full story
The Heritage staff-left to right, Jeff Gaeser, Christine DeSouza, Kim Fischer, Paulette Alfonso (in red mask), David Lehman and (kneeling in front) Gil Dombrosky (not in the picture are Ruth Sandweiss and Joyce Gore)-wishes everyone a safe and happy Purim holiday, celebrated on the 14th and 15th of Adar (March 10-11). (The celebration is real, the picture is not. But if any Heritage readers know who this photo is really of, we'd love to know!)... Full story
When Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis was sworn in to Washington's Supreme Court earlier this month, she became the second Native American person to serve on a state Supreme Court. "This was never something I really planned on or expected to happen," Montoya-Lewis tells Kveller via phone from her offices in Olympia. Upon hearing of her appointment by Gov. Jay Inslee, her reaction was "disbelief," she says. You see, Montoya-Lewis never intended to be a lawyer or a judge. "My intention when I went to... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Fans of mainstream Jewish music may find Nissim Black's latest single "Mothaland Bounce" jarring and alien, but they're just not listening with an ear to the rhythm of Jewish history. Set against the aural backdrop of an African basso profundo beat, and framed by scenes of gritty urban blight, the popular African-American-Israeli Hasidic artist boldly intones his rap-staccato credo in a manner that's hard to square with his woolen tzitzit, long Polish bekishe and towering shtreime... Full story
(JNS)-The University of California San Diego has announced a gift of more than $1.3 million from the Koret Foundation to support joint research on marine archaeology between UC San Diego's Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology and the University of Haifa's Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies in Israel. The three-year award will facilitate scientific exploration of coastal environments in Israel, which offer the most sensitive deep-time records for how humans have adapted to climate and... Full story
TEL AVIV (JTA)-"Where's the Chagall?" asked a visitor to this city's Gordon Gallery on a January morning in 1996, hoping to glimpse one of the prize lots being auctioned days later by the gallery. The painting, titled "Jacob's Ladder," was prominently on display, but still a gallery employee walked the prospective buyer over. When they arrived at the work's designated spot on the wall, all that remained was a bent nail. The Chagall was gone. For nearly two decades, the painting remained... Full story
(JNS)-"Happy are those who dwell in Your house."-Psalm 84 It's official. Israel has been named the 13th happiest country in the world. So says the 2019 United Nations World Happiness Report, which ranks no less than 156 countries using such factors as income, social-support networks and life expectancy. Topping the list was Finland, with the United States lagging behind Israel as the 19th happiest, and South Sudan bringing up the rear at No. 156 (arguably, the most miserable). In search of some... Full story
"I have written all my life," said Joni Okun, Maitland resident and author of the historical fiction "To Hold the Throne." I've written several children's books that are currently off the market, but I've considered publishing them." Okun has always had a vivid imagination. "I remember when I was in third-grade I had to do a report on America's western pioneers and I also remember that I was fascinated with the covered wagons. I was enamored, imagining what was it like to live in a covered... Full story
(JNS)-Israel's Ministry of Tourism and Land Authority recently announced the winners of two tenders for the construction of four new Dead Sea hotels, part of a new complex that will be constructed alongside a shopping center and 430,000-square-foot conference center. Africa Israel, Fattal Hotels, Elad Hotels and Barclays Israel won the tender to build their hotels, amounting to 1,000 rooms, in the new tourism area between Ein Bokek and Hamei Zohar in the southern Dead Sea. In the same area,... Full story
Enough already!... I don't know how much time I have left on this earth... but what about my children and their children and their children? (Upsetting thought!) I read this recently and share it with you: "Anti-Semitic graffiti was found on more than one hundred gravestones in the Jewish cemetery of Westhoffen in eastern France. The case came to light after similar desecration was reported that same day in the nearby commune of Schaffhausen-sur-Zorn. The region of Alsace has suffered from a rec... Full story
When the bar mitzvah announcements of Andrew and Eric Lopez, twin sons of Ed and Linda Lopez of Winter Park, were published in the March 31, 2006, issue of the Heritage, Linda kept the paper with plans to frame the announcements. The newspaper sat on top of her dresser bureau for years, turning yellow with age. Time went on. Their son Andrew attended UCF, majoring in music and education. In January 2014, he attended a Florida Music Education Association development conference in Tampa and met... Full story
