Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 1951 - 1975 of 4383
(JTA)-The Passover seder can be boring for kids. A new Haggadah is trying to change that. Published by Kveller, a Jewish parenting site, the Kveller Haggadah is "for curious kids-and their grown-ups." The Haggadah's co-creators are Elissa Strauss, a columnist on parenthood for CNN, and Gabrielle Birkner, the co-author of "Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome" (Harper Wave, 2018) and a former managing editor of JTA. Strauss and Birkner don't skate around the darker part... Full story
(MyJewishLearning via JTA)—With thousands of published Haggadahs available for purchase, choosing the one that is best for your seder can be overwhelming. For an overview of the many possibilities, we recommend “HowIs This Haggadah Different?” Here are some things you might want to consider when selecting a Haggadah: Cost Remember, you’ll need a copy of the Haggadah for each guest (or every two guests, if people are comfortable sharing). Unless you plan to buy one copy and then do some extensi... Full story
(JNS)-The Hebrew word "haggadah" means "narration" or "telling." As the Passover seder's instruction manual, the haggadah is perhaps the most important tool for fulfilling the Passover mitzvah of telling the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt (a mitzvah that is mentioned six times in the Torah). The Rambam (Maimonides) in his Mishneh Torah explains that relating the miracles and wonders that were done for our fathers in Egypt on Passover night is a positive commandment, and that it is a... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)-Can the essence of Passover fit into a box? Fans of Manischewitz and Streit's will undoubtedly answer, "Yes, in a matzah box." But a successful Kickstarter campaign called Hello Mazel aims to reinvent that box, promising a package filled with Passover-related "Jewish awesomeness" that will be delivered to your door (or someone else's). The project was a smash on Kickstarter, to the tune of more than $152,021 with 1,395 backers. Investors who pledged a minimum of $50 will... Full story
BOSTON (JTA)-Four questions. Four cups of wine. Four types of children. At Passover, the number four figures prominently in the rituals of the seder, the ceremonial holiday meal that can be mesmerizing and mystifying. Four new delightful and brightly illustrated books for young kids will enliven, and help explain, the popular eight-day spring holiday, which this year begins on Friday evening, April 19. One features kids' favorites from the long-running TV series "Sesame Street." A fifth new... Full story
(Alma via JTA)-Being an adult can be rough sometimes-like when you live too far from your family to go home for Passover or can't find the time or money to do so. If this sounds like you, believe us, you're not alone. The good news is this in no way dooms you to an evening of eating matzah and drinking Slivovitz on the couch. With a bit of planning and some fine-tuned delegation, you'll be hosting your own friend-seder in no time. Below, you'll find some of our favorite friend-seder tips. Consid... Full story
(My Jewish Learning via JTA)—Keeping kosher for Passover means abstaining from hametz, the fermented products of five principal grains: wheat, rye, spelt, barley and oats. Though matzah, the unleavened bread eaten on Passover, is made from grain, it is produced under highly controlled conditions to ensure that it does not ferment. Ashkenazi Jews who keep kosher for Passover have also traditionally avoided eating kitniyot, a category of foods that includes corn, rice, beans and lentils, though the Conservative movement’s rabbinic aut... Full story
(MyJewishLearning via JTA)—If you’ve never been to a Passover seder, you might be feeling a bit intimidated at the prospect. Relax. The seder is an opportunity for celebration, discussion and lots of tasty food. Here are some things to know before you go: What should I wear? People usually dress up a little for the seder, but it’s best to ask your host ahead of time, as seder attire can run the gamut from jeans and T-shirts to suit-and-tie. You’ll probably eat a lot, however, so don’t wear anything with a tight-fitting waist! What should I brin... Full story
(JNS)-While the AIPAC policy conferences features panels and breakout sessions on almost every issue central to the geostrategic challenges facing the State of Israel, one key issue is repeatedly left off the schedule. That is the issue of Jewish settlements and growing neighborhoods outside the Green Line. To that end, more than 700 conference participants gathered off-campus on Sunday night to participate in an event supporting approximately 700,000 living in Judea, Samaria and periphery neigh... Full story
(CENTRAL FLORIDA)-What's the longest you've ever hugged your sibling? This National Siblings Day (Wednesday, April 10), award-winning performance artist Brian Feldman plans to hug his sister, Adrienne McIntosh, for 24 seconds. In 24 cities. In one day. "24 Second Embrace" is the thrilling conclusion to the "24 Embrace Trilogy," following "24 Minute Embrace," Brian's 2015 project which featured him and his mother sharing a hug for 24 minutes in three cities (Orlando; Washington, D.C.; and... Full story
We will never forget... Who really died at Auschwitz? What really died at Auschwitz? Here's an interesting viewpoint. The following is a copy of an article written by Spanish writer Sebastian's new James Brown Vilar Rodriguez and published in a Spanish newspaper. It doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate the message to the rest of Europe - and possibly to the rest of the world. "I walked down the streets in Barcelona and suddenly discovered a terrible truth-Europe died in Auschwitz... We... Full story
Middle-school students at the Saul Mirowitz Community School in St. Louis have spent a lot of time over the last year outside the classroom. They traveled to Alabama-the cities of Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma-as well as Memphis, Tennessee, to learn about civil rights. They spent a week at a Wisconsin nature preserve to learn about environmental stewardship. They went to Heifer Ranch in Arkansas to learn about hunger and poverty, spending a night without beds and with little food to give... Full story
BOSTON (JTA)—Hot off the Jewish press in Vilna in 1877, a dramatic Yiddish romance novel became a surprising success, selling out its first 10,000 copies in Jewish communities across Poland and Russia. It’s not hard to see why. Set in the mid-19th century in the outskirts of the Russian city of Mohilev, Yankev (Jacob) Dinezon’s “The Dark Young Man” had it all: a page-turning, ill-fated modern love story thwarted at every turn by a villainous and sinister in-law; dramatic storytelling that exposed the divide between rich and poor; and the clash... Full story
(JTA)-Yas, queen-it's all coming to an end. "Broad City," the hit Comedy Central series created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, aired its series finale on March 28 after five seasons. The series was groundbreaking for many reasons: It showcased a very specific comedic sensibility-empowering, female, New Yorker, millennial, stoner-oriented-that hadn't quite been seen before on mainstream television. But another big part of the "Broad City" women's identities was their... Full story
(JTA)-Alex Bregman has agreed to a six-year, $100 million contract with the Houston Astros-one of the largest deals ever for a professional Jewish athlete. Bregman, who turns 25 at the end of the month, has established himself as one of Major League Baseball's top players. Last year he finished fifth in the American League's Most Valuable Player voting following a season of 31 home runs, 103 runs batted in and a league-best 51 doubles. He also was named the All-Star Game's MVP. The only Jewish a... Full story
Review by Eleanor Bukowsky, librarian In her delightful picture book, “Creation Colors,” writer and illustrator Ann D. Koffsky reimagines the story of creation from an artist’s perspective. At first, the world was bleak and devoid of color. During the six days in which God created the oceans, trees, grass, moon, sun, stars, animals, and people, a variety of colors appeared that enhanced the earth’s beauty. Koffsky’s illustrations are eye-catching. On day three, lush greenery gladdens the heart; on day four, the sky is alight with a gorgeous... Full story
Enough nightmares... (Honestly, if it wasn’t for my children, my grandchildren, and someday, their children, I wouldn’t be so upset, because how much longer do I have on this earth? But I must worry about the hate that is returning... and also the rise of “white supremacists.”) One of the safest countries in the world has always been New Zealand. They are also allies with us. Recently, 50 people (including children) were killed while praying in two mosques. Their murderers were white suprema... Full story
The Jewish Pavilion celebrated Purim in over 50 senior communities including Brookdale Dr. Phillips. All festivities included a Purim spiel, hamantashen and music. Special thanks to the Orlando Torah Center and the Orlando Torah Academy for bringing the cutest children ever to celebrate Purim with their elders at Brookdale Dr. Phillips. More than 20 children came in costume and sang and danced with their residents. The seniors especially enjoyed cooing over the babies and hugging the little ones.... Full story
HOF HACARMEL, Israel (JTA)-Few non-Jews and even fewer British soldiers are regarded as highly in Israel as Orde Charles Wingate, a senior officer who became a legend here by shaping Israel's pre-state military. Many Israeli towns have a Wingate street or square, and relatives and others who share his name are often reminded of Israel's debt to him. "I had recognized him as a man of genius, and I hoped he might become a man of destiny," British Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote to Lorna... Full story
Each year, Susan Bernstein, Jewish Pavilion program director, travels to Guatemala to visit with Mayan women artisans who have been trained to use their skills in weaving, beading, and crocheting to produce beautiful Judaic products that include kippot, tallitot, challah covers, and mezuzah cases. Fair Trade Values closely match Jewish ethics, making it a logical partnership for Bernstein, who sees her work with the Jewish Pavilion as a way to connect with Jewish residents in the Orlando area... Full story
PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain (JTA)-On this island south of Barcelona, Jews celebrate Purim these days pretty much as they do most anywhere else in Europe. There's the reading of the Book of Esther at the small synagogue near the marina, followed by a costume party bringing together the different contingents of Palma's Jewish population of several hundred: unaffiliated Israeli families, retired British sun lovers, Sephardic locals and French businessmen, to name a few. But only 50 years ago, Purim wa... Full story
Climate change?... I received a report from the Environmental Defense Fund recently. It said in large red letters, “WE ARE A PLANET IN DANGER! I pass it on to you: “United Nation Secretary-General, ANTONIO GUTERRES said,’ This report by the world’s leading climate scientists is an ear-splitting wake-up call to the world. It confirms that climate change is running faster than we are, and we are running out of time.’ And EDF president FRED KRUPP said, ‘No single entity can mitigate climate change. We must build a global set of partnership... Full story
(JTA)-Though he may be one of France's best-known puppet makers, Michel Nedjar insists he does not really create the acclaimed and haunting figures that he calls his "Purim puppets." A former tailor's apprentice whose life's work last week went on display at the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Lille, Nedjar says he merely "exhumes" his puppets to reconnect to his brethren who were murdered in the Holocaust, to his lover and mentor who died of AIDS - and to his Jewish roots. The talk of... Full story
(JTA)—Every year before Purim, my inbox and social media fill up with dire exhortations from rabbis and yeshivas warning against the dangers of celebratory excess—as if drunkenness on the holiday were something new. In reality, the after-Purim regrets have been part of the discourse ever since Rabbah drunkenly attacked and inadvertently killed his dear friend Rabbi Zeira in the Talmud (don’t worry—he was revived in the end). Rabbis and communal leaders across the religious spectrum have condemned drunken revelry on a holiday dedicated to exce... Full story
(JNS)-In each episode of "Bubbies Know Best," which premiered Feb. 11 on JLTV, S.J. Mendelson, Linda Rich, and Bunny Gibson interview three potential suitors before picking one to go on a date with their bachelor or bachelorette. The bubbies then watch them-with the help of a live camera-go on a date and afterwards give pointers on what the daters did right and wrong. The Los Angeles-based grandmothers set up singles of all ages, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and sexual preferences. One episode... Full story
