Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1926 - 1950 of 4419
Even though I haven’t technically been a camp counselor for a decade or so, the role has never fully left me. Camp counseloring is an unassuming yet all-powerful part of my identity. The skills I learned have helped with every job I’ve done, every degree I’ve earned, every relationship I’ve built. Yet this summer, my fellow Jewish summer camp colleagues across the country are facing hiring challenges with our college-age counselors. It seems that instead of loading up their fannypacks and heading off to wrangle young campers for the summer,... Full story
(JTA)-An invitation to the 1928 wedding of the seventh and last Lubavitcher rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was discovered at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. Schneerson popularized the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement and through aggressive outreach to non-affiliated Jews became one of the most influential forces in the Jewish world. The discovery of the invitation comes just days before the 25th anniversary of his death on June 12. Several versions of the invitation were... Full story
(JTA)-Many are familiar with the names of the larger Nazi concentration camps like Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. But some estimate the Nazis had as many as 40,000 satellite camps around Europe. Several existed on the only British soil conquered by the Nazis: Alderney, one of the Channel Islands, where the Nazis imported thousands of slave laborers to build defenses in hopes of conquering more English land. Caroline Sturdy Colls, a British professor and forensic archaeologist perhaps best known... Full story
It's hard to improve on the classic goodness of a good American barbecue (or cookout, depending on what part of the United States you might reside). Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken drumsticks and corn all cooked on a grill are the height of summer perfection. But I am always thinking about carbs, specifically how to add delicious, homemade carbs to any meal. So on a recent Sunday when my kids were out of the house, I decided it was time to whip up some homemade pretzel challah rolls to go with som... Full story
For nearly a decade, chef Avi Shemtov has been a pioneer on Boston’s food scene. In 2010, he rolled out The Chubby Chickpea, one of the first food trucks in the city, serving up Israeli-style street food from falafel and chicken shwarma to chickpea fries. Two years ago he launched Tapped Beer Trucks, the area’s first mobile local craft and wine fleet. But the 34-year-old Shemtov has long dreamed of opening a full-service restaurant to offer Boston-area diners a contemporary twist on Sephardic and Israeli dishes inspired by his Tur... Full story
Okay! So I’m a senior citizen... Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others. But, on reflection, I would like to point out that it was NOT the senior citizens who took: The melody out of the music! (Rap is spelled with a silent C). The Golden Rule from rulers. The learning out of education. The service out of patriotism. And we certainly are n... Full story
The flowing robe, turban, and thick dark beard of Imam Mohamad Tawhidi recalls the ayatollahs he studied under in Iran, his birthplace. Although he immersed himself in Islamic studies in the Iranian Al-Mustafa International University, the similarity ends there. An Australian citizen since 1998, Tawhidi is known as the self-proclaimed Imam of Peace, the celebrated cleric turned Islamic reformer. As a Shia imam, Tawhidi is proud of his lineage of scholars and grand ayatollahs of Iraqi descent, which he says stretches back to the companion of... Full story
Jewish identity has been the subject of many artists’ work. Chagall used color and light to illuminate the journey of the Jewish people. Nevelson’s sculpture paid tribute to the six million Holocaust victims. Today, artist Marc Bennett continues this tradition by asking the question, “What if the Star of David could speak?” Bennett created The History of the Star of David artwork to serve as a time capsule that invites us to discover the centuries-long evolution of Judaism’s iconic star, which bore witness to the depths and heights of Jewish... Full story
(JNS)-A new project called "Brave" is bringing together veterans of the Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. military with Jewish students to share stories, learn about the Jewish state, stand up against hatred and combat anti-Semitism on campus. The initiative, organized by Hillel at Baruch College in New York City and launched this past semester, is also organizing trips for America vets to visit Israel, as well as Shabbatons for Jews and non-Jews to interact with one another-all with the goal... Full story
(JTA)—Women served as combat soldiers during Israel’s War of Independence, when the fledgling country needed all the fighters it could get. But following the 1948 war, it took half a century before they were allowed back in combat. Since the late 1990s, when some units started allowing female recruits, the number of women serving in combat has rapidly increased. Last summer saw a record 1,000 female combat soldiers inducted. Debbie Zimelman, a U.S.-born photographer who has lived in Israel for 30 years, spent five years with young women ser... Full story
Here we go again... The German government revealed a 10 percent rise in anti-Semitic incidents in 2018. (Surprise, surprise.) I recently read this headline and pass it along to you: "The World Jewish Congress stands with our affiliate, the Central Council of Jews in Germany, in calling for concrete action by the government, as well as by police and judicial authorities, in cracking down on anti-Semitic acts and rhetoric across the country. The German government, under the leadership of... Full story
PORTLAND, Ore. (JTA)-From the day after Passover through Shavuot, Jews count down the days to commemorate the barley sacrifice, or Omer, given at the Temple in honor of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Although you could fulfill the mitzvah of "counting the Omer" merely by reciting the blessing and stating the day's count, many Jews use the Omer period to renew their souls. People enslaved to anxiety or material possessions use the ritual to seek transformation into... Full story
Contrary to popular belief, summer is not only for the lighter things in life. It can be the best time for luxurious nostalgia and dark rumination. Like Lana Del Rey, I’ve often got that Summertime Sadness. This may be the reason why, without fail, as soon as the weather turns properly muggy, I turn my office upside down looking for my tattered copy of William Styron’s “Sophie’s Choice.” In fact I’d venture to say it’s the perfect summer read. But whenever I bring this up to others, they think I am making an insensitive joke. I am not. Yes,... Full story
(JNS)—The new Netflix series “Historical Roasts,” which mocks the young Jewish diarist Anne Frank, finds itself in the midst of a backlash. One particular episode features actress Rachel Feinstein as Frank, Gilbert Gottfried as Adolf Hitler and Jon Lovitz as U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt. These performers are Jewish. “Everyone knows you as a hero and a best-selling author, but to me you’ll always be little number 825060,” says Gottfried as Hitler to Anne, adding that, “Of all the accounts that I’ve read, Anne, your book is by far the most... Full story
Ten years ago this week, my father and I spent our last Father's Day together. My mother and he had moved up to an independent living facility in Upstate New York four miles from me. Two years later, his health had deteriorated, and he passed away November 2008. People may remember Bill Cohen for his stores in Keeseville, his community service, his pride in his family. What I remember-and treasure-about Dad were the stories about him that my siblings and I share again and again. Many of them... Full story
It only took Brigitte Gabriel 14 minutes to make her point as she gave a keynote speech addressing the rise of global anti-Semitism before the United Nations in September 2014. She received a standing ovation as she spoke out strongly for Israel. Spring forward almost five years, and Gabriel, through her organization ACT for America, is still speaking out strongly for Israel, democracy and Judeo-Christian values. She was recently in Orlando to promote her new book, "Rise: In Defense of... Full story
Today, June 14th is my birthday... (Do NOT ask the year!). When I was little, my mother said that people were flying their American flags in honor of my birthday. I believed her! 'Anti-Semitism is no longer the extreme... 'It is now mainstream!' "This frightening thought comes from World Jewish Congress CEO and Executive Vice President ROBERT SINGER when he recently addressed the Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism in the OSCE Region in Bratislava, Slovakia, which brought together political... Full story
Shavuot, the "Feast of Weeks," is celebrated seven weeks after Passover (Pesach). Since the counting of this period (sefirat ha-omer) begins on the second evening of Passover, Shavuot takes place exactly 50 days after the (first) seder. Hence, following the Greek word for "fifty," Shavuot is also referred to sometimes as Pentecost. Although its origins are to be found in an ancient grain harvest festival, Shavuot has long been identified with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Shavuot in... Full story
Any room that Susie Stone walks into becomes warmer and brighter in an instant! This dedicated volunteer helps regularly at Jewish Pavilion programs at Westchester of Winter Park and Savannah Court of Maitland, and she has been an active Friends of the Jewish Pavilion member for years. The seniors she visits are always glad to see her and look forward to her positive attitude and big smile. — Lisa Levine... Full story
Long, long, long (long) ago, when I was young... Just before World War II (I said it was long, long, long !) and we were poverty stricken and living in the Red Hook Projects of Brooklyn, New York, anti-Semitism was on the rise in the U.S. Because of it, I was beaten up as a toddler. And because of that, I learned a few "Hail Mary's" and "Our Father," and denied being Jewish. I claimed to be Catholic. During the war, my dad got a job in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and we went off Welfare and moved to... Full story
You've probably heard of cheesecake or blintzes as traditional foods to enjoy for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, but get ready to fall in love with a cheese-filled carb treat you have never heard of: Bessarabian cheese buns. This family recipes come to us from the Jewish community of Bessarabia-today's Moldova, which is situated between Ukraine and Romania and close to the Black Sea-by way of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where the author of the recipe moved upon her arrival to the United States in... Full story
It is customary to eat dairy food on Shavuot (June 9-10)) for a number of reasons. One reason is that Shavuot is linked to the Exodus from Egypt into the Promised Land, and it is written “From the misery of Egypt to a country flowing with milk and honey...” (Exodus 3:8-17). For those on gluten free diets, the traditional baked dairy foods often served for the Shavuot holiday can present a challenge. Pereg Natural Foods offers this unexpected and delicious gluten-free brownie cheesecake dessert, that the entire family and guests will enjoy. Rec... Full story
(JTA)-Many modern-day Jews aren't all that familiar with Shavuot, which celebrates the day when the Israelites first received the Torah from God and falls seven weeks after Passover marked their Exodus from Egypt. Jews with some familiarity of Shavuot probably know the holiday as a day for eating cheesecake-along with other creamy, dairy-rich dishes, like cheese blintzes and kugel for Ashkenazim and soutlach and boyikos de keso for Mizrachim. There are varying theories about the significance of... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-The Tony Award nominations announced Tuesday were dominated by "Hadestown," a musical about the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice that garnered 14. One among the "Hadestown" nods was for best director for Rachel Chavkin, who is Jewish. She also had been nominated in 2017 for directing "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812." Sam Mendes is also nominated for best direction of a play for his work on "The Ferryman." He's known for his work on the James Bond films "Skyfall" and... Full story
On June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty, an unarmed intelligence ship reporting to the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the auspices of the National Security Agency, was ambushed by unmarked jet planes. Rockets and machine gun fire erupted, napalm hit the deck, and a torpedo blew a 40-foot hole in the starboard side of the vessel. Lacking any means of defense, the sailors were powerless. In the end, 34 American sailors and translators lost their lives and another 174 were wounded—many for life. Israel confessed to the attack but called it an ... Full story
