Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS)—I found myself locked in a room listening to Israel Defense Forces’ veterans tell their stories while people outside chanted for my blood. For several hours, the protesters chanted, pounded on the walls and doors of the lecture hall, and intimidated participants trying to enter. While the event pressed on despite this brazen assault, at least two Jewish students broke down and had to be escorted out. The relentless pounding, chanting and noise continued unabated for several hours without letup. Calls of “viva intifada,” fauda (meanin...
The murder of eleven Jews while they were observing Shabbat occurred in the heart of Mister Rogers's Neighborhood. The Reverend Fred Rogers and his wife Joanne owned a home and raised their two sons in Squirrel Hill, just two blocks from Tree of Life, the scene of the Oct. 27, 2018, massacre. Who was Fred Rogers? Why did his former neighbors in this predominantly Jewish section of Pittsburgh turn to him for comfort after the tragedy? And why, 17 years after his death has he become everyone's fav...
Wishing all my readers a very "HAPPY NEW YEAR"! The Holocaust????... I read this recently. It was very disturbing. I pass it along to you: "The New Zealand Jewish Council, an affiliate of the World Jewish Congress responded with concern to the results of a recent poll undertaken by the Holocaust Memorial Trust of Auckland, which revealed a shocking level of ignorance and uncertainty about the Holocaust in New Zealand. The poll was carried out in collaboration with Curia Market Research. More...
NEW YORK (JTA)—A new documentary about the Wild West covers everything you would expect – gunslingers, cattle barons, lawmen and wide-open spaces. And one thing you wouldn’t: Jews. “Jews of the Wild West,” from director Amanda Kinsey, shows how Jews were as much a part of the American Western expansion as covered wagons and riveted blue jeans—the latter, of course, invented by a Jew. Kinsey said their stories resonate because America’s true history is diverse, and immigrants have always played a...
I first read about arayes-grilled pita sandwiches filled with ground lamb mixed with chopped onions, parsley and spices that are crispy on the outside and juicy within-a few years ago. The mentions increased over time, like a drum beat growing in intensity. While I had lived in Israel and visited there often, I had never eaten one. But it became clear that it was something I had to do. Arayes were a new food THING. Arayes have been around for a long time and there is lots of discussion as to the...
This article originally appeared on Alma. Significant spoilers for all four seasons of “The Man in the High Castle” contained below. When I started watching “The Man in the High Castle,” the idea of a show set in an alternate universe where the allies were defeated in WWII and the Nazis rule over half of North America landed differently than it does today. That’s not to say 2015 was any sort of idyll free of danger or systemic injustice, but the last four years have made the worst of our polit...
"What Macaulay was to the history of the English, Marcia Jo Zerivitz is to the history of Florida Jewry. She has salvaged the records of the past and turned the struggles and successes of the dead into a living, breathing narrative," said Stephen J. Whitfield, professor emeritus of American Studies, Brandeis University. The first comprehensive history of the Jews of Florida from colonial times to the present is a sweeping tapestry of voices. Despite not being officially allowed to live in...
(JTA)-The 2019 Golden Globe nominees were announced Monday morning, and the film "Marriage Story," written and directed by Noah Baumbach, leads the pack with several nominations. Here are the other Jews and Jewish productions that were nominated: "Marriage Story" The movie is up for best drama film, and Baumbach also scored a nomination for best screenplay. Jewish co-star Scarlett Johansson is nominated for best actress in a drama (her co-star Adam Driver, who isn't Jewish but often plays...
Critics have long called out “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” co-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino for the lack of diversity in her shows about pushy, fast-talking white ladies. This outcry probably motivated Sherman-Palladino to set “Maisel” in the 1950s, when its sheer whiteness could be blamed on historical accuracy. Still, I went into “Maisel” two years ago excited to see a gorgeous, prestige show with a female Jewish lead, even if the casting and reliance on broad Jewish stereotypes were not id...
OH NO! HERE WE GO AGAIN! ... The following is part of a letter sent to Hillel from a parent: "I never thought I would have to write anything like this. When you send your child off to college, you expect to worry about the regular things, like whether he or she will find good friends or succeed in class. You shouldn't have to worry about whether other students might hate Jews. My son is proud of his Judaism, a feeling we worked to instill in him from an early age. He enjoyed his time at Hebrew...
(JTA)—For many Jews around the world, there’s probably no love lost for 2019. As the year draws to a close, the Jewish community continues to grapple with the continued rise of global anti-Semitism—one major community in Europe is facing the possible election as prime minister of a man who many Jews consider an anti-Semite. And Israel is caught in the grip of political paralysis following two fruitless elections (with a prime minister facing prosecution for corruption). Meanwhile, with a U.S. presidential election looming next year that is su...
An anniversary is typically a happy occasion with fond memories. This week, Kay observes an auspicious anniversary, one which she's just grateful to be alive to experience, despite the many challenges that befell her in 2010. I suspect that she'd rather not have had the experience to be observing the anniversary to begin with, or her story being shared. When you meet Kay today, immediately you see her zest for life, her passion, and boisterous outgoing personality infusing everything she does....
(JTA)-Mel Brooks' new HBO special is a departure from the comedian's typical belly-laugh fare. In place of the slapstick gallows humor-though there's plenty of that, too, in "Mel Brooks Unwrapped"-is a more introspective, documentary-style reminiscence of his nearly 60-year career. "You got it right on the nose," Brooks says in a phone interview from Hollywood. "It is kind of a walk through my life, a memoir. Some of it is funny, and some of it is moving and touching. It's a very different kind...
Jewish Academy of Orlando's students loved celebrating Hanukkah with their friends. Here are a few peeks from the week's activities. Jewish Academy of Orlando serves central Florida students of all faiths from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. The school delivers a whole-child education fostering academic excellence and character education rooted in Jewish values. Jewish Academy of Orlando is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. To learn more about Jewish...
I recently returned from the annual Momentum Men's Trip to Israel. It was my third trip-the first with a friend more than two decades ago and the second for a bar mitzvah in 2018 with a bunch of 13 year olds and their families. Three different experiences, for sure. Momentum is an organization based in Washington, D.C., and in Israel whose mission is to build Jewish continuity and connection to Israel and Judaism. For 10 years, it has taken to Israel groups of Jewish mothers who have children...
(The Nosher via JTA)-Everyone loves potato latkes, but no one likes the mess of frying them or the guilt associated with eating them. These latkes are baked in the oven and easily won over my kids. You do need to watch them so they don't burn; they were done at different times in different ovens. And my pickled applesauce is basically a tangy-spicy applesauce, which we also eat like eating with schnitzel. Note: Latkes may be made 2 days in advance and reheated in the oven or frozen; applesauce...
CALDWELL, N.J. (JTA)-Figure skating costumes have a long and sometimes ridiculous history. Until about the 1930s, women were expected to compete in ponderous and weighty skirts, making it hard to move freely, let alone tackle a triple lutz. That all started to change largely for two reasons. The first was Sonja Henie. Only 10 when she first began competing, she got away with shedding the standard cumbersome skating clothing women wore in favor of much shorter twirly skirts, which allowed her to...
First of all, I want to say, "Happy Chanukah to everyone!" "Whoever saves a single life"... To continue this saying from the TALMUD, "is as if one saves the entire world." This brings up the story of Josef Meyer, who saved many Jews from Nazi slaughter. Josef, his wife Elfriede Meyer and their two girls, HANNE and HERTA, were a devout Catholic family with a passionate belief in the values of humanism and democracy. Josef worked in the agricultural administration in Germany but was forced to reti...
(JTA)—You may not know who Ken Ludwig is, but you almost certainly know his work. Ludwig is the reigning king of theatrical farce. Among his 28 plays are six that made it to Broadway and seven to London’s West End, including “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Crazy for You,” “Moon Over Buffalo” and “20th Century.” They have earned him a passel of awards—multiple Tonys and Oliviers, among others—and have been performed around the world. A recent tally revealed there are approximately 1,000 productions of a Ludwig play in the U.S. alone every year. But his lat...
NEW YORK (JTA)-On a recent snowy afternoon, Tony Shalhoub is drinking tea in a room at the Whitby Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. He's in the midst of a long press day promoting season 3 of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and he just wants to get comfortable. So he gets up before the interview begins to turn up the room's thermostat. "Now it's good," he says in his smooth, deep voice. The move fits Shalhoub's thoughtful personality-he speaks in careful, measured sentences-and it's also something his...
Driving into a small gated community in Casselberry, scenes of lit-up snowmen, reindeers, Santas, and Christmas creches adorn many front yards-typical scenery for this time of year. Then, suddenly, what's this? In front of one house is a display of Chanukah décor alight in blues and whites! The lighted yard is the inspiration of Mary Siegel, wife of Rabbi Arnold Siegel and mother of Elisheva Siegel. She came up with the idea when the family lived in Bartlett, Tennessee, more than 20 years ago...
Best wishes to you from all of us at JFS Orlando during these eight days of joy and peace. May the Chanukah lights remind you to always increase in matters of goodness, to never be afraid to stand up for what’s right, and that a little light goes a long way! We hope each lit candle casts a warmth and a glow over your home and heart this season. And may your household feel the blessings of God this Chanukah. Chanukah Sameach! To learn more about JFS Orlando, visit www.JFSorlando.org or follow us @JFSorlando....
This is Part I of the men's trip to Israel, sponsored by Momentum and JOIN Orlando. Rick Geller and Jason Toll went to Poland ahead of the group and met up with them all in Israel. Poland is on the way to Israel, my traveling companion, Jason Toll, and I realized. Invited to join 180 men on a "Dad's tour of Israel," we created our own, adult version of "March of the Living"- a pilgrimage to deepen our understanding of Jewish history's darkest age, and to give us an opportunity to honor three...
According to Adobe Analytics, Cyber Monday 2018 generated over $7.9 billion in sales, with one of the top sellers spent on smart phones. I will be one of those in the market. My iPhone 7, approaching its third year, is losing battery power. And, to be honest, the newer version offers a great camera. But when does my cell phone cross the line from being a toy, a luxury, a “nice-to-have-one-but-I-don’t need it” to my constant companion? I didn’t feel that way about my first flip phone. In 1999, I talked my husband Larry into purchasing a Nokia 32...
A quote from Primo Levi, a survivor of Auschwitz... "It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere." (Sends chills up my spine but I know anti-Semitism still exists. I have first-hand knowledge as a victim.) And I recently read this in a World Jewish Congress letter. "Our efforts have taken on new urgency and we cannot rest until the age-old scourge of anti-Semitism has been defeated once and for all and the Jewis...
