Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 2026 - 2050 of 4419
If you thought that the Jewish National Fund only planted trees, you are way behind the times. JNF was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land for Jewish settlements well before Israel became a nation in 1948. By 2007 it owned 13 percent of the total land in Israel and the nonprofit has planted over 240 million trees. Now JNF is invested in many other ways to support the land and the people of Israel through water solutions, research and development, education and most recently, becoming a key... Full story
Tunnel Anyone?... When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, New York, if a gate (or a wall) was around a school playground, locked on weekends and too high to climb over, we dug under... not quite a tunnel but enough to get through. (Just saying) According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation ... "A Jewish Telegraph Agency article highlighting data recently released by the FBI noted that hate crimes against Jews in America rose by more than a third in 2017 and accounted for 58 percent of all... Full story
(JNS)-What do you get when you toss in a bit of "Toy Story," The Little Engine That Could and The Magic School Bus book series? An optimistic (and very blue) "Berrie," a spacecraft with her eyes set on reaching the moon. But "Berrie" has the odds stacked against her. As far as spacecrafts go, she's pretty small and can't pack the energy punch necessary to launch her into orbit. But she has come up with many innovative ways to compensate for it-strategic collaborations, solar panels, tracking... Full story
If you and your tweens still aren't watching the Disney Channel show "Andi Mack," you must start ASAP. It deals with so many kinds of identities, including Jewish, in a way not usually seen on TV aimed at the pre-teen set. "Andi Mack" - the first Disney Channel show to focus on an Asian-American family-has broken new ground for the channel time and again. The premise is that Andi (played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) discovers that Bex (Lilian Bowden), the woman she thought was her sister, is really... Full story
PHILADELPHIA (JTA)—During Black History Month, we recognize the historical importance of President Abraham Lincoln as the foremost figure in the battle to abolish slavery. But even as Lincoln, whose 210th birthday we mark on Feb. 12, is widely known for his role fighting for equality, he may still be underappreciated. In fact, as a moral compass and a role model for liberty, his influence extends far beyond the specific events for which he is most well-known. In Lincoln’s time, like today, the issue of equality was relevant to many minority gro... Full story
(JTA)-In one of the pivotal scenes of Spike Lee's Oscar-nominated film "BlacKkKlansman," Ron Stallworth, the first black cop on the Colorado Springs police force, tries to motivate his Jewish detective partner Flip Zimmerman to finish their task at hand: infiltrating a local Ku Klux Klan chapter to thwart some dangerous schemes. "You're Jewish," Stallworth says. "Why you acting like you ain't got skin in the game?" "I was always just another white kid," he tells Stallworth. But after seeing and... Full story
Sufganiyot bursting with dulce de leche and pumpkin cream. Savory babkas swirled with roasted poblano peppers and crema. Mexican-inspired Jewish pastries from a new, online-only bakery are bringing exciting new flavors to Chicago’s Jewish food scene and Chicagoans of all backgrounds are already addicted. Founded by two Mexico City natives, Masa Madre offers a limited selection of made-to-order treats, many of which draw on co-founder Tamar Fasja Unikel’s Jewish heritage. Among Masa Mad... Full story
Along with the start of a new year comes long, cold, tiring days and withdrawal symptoms from holiday excess. We can all use a little refresh when it's time to step back into reality, and this soup is all I ever want to eat on a winter's day or night. The ginger and turmeric add a nice spicy kick to it, keeping up the energy levels and helping the immune system ward off anything that might be going around. The lemon takes classic chicken soup to another level with a burst of freshness. And... Full story
With the growing popularity of "The Samuel Project," a heartwarming story that re-connects three generations of family, the film is returning to Florida theaters for an encore release March 1, 2019 at many more venues. To encourage families to attend the film together, two grandkids under the age of 14 can attend for free when accompanied by a grandparent. Theaters in the Orlando/Daytona area include: Regal Pointe Orlando 20, Regal Oviedo Mall 22, and Regal Pavillion 14 in Port Orange. Directed... Full story
In the classic movie "Dirty Dancing," Jack Weston's character Max Kellerman, the owner of the fictional Catskill resort, laments the changes down the road. "[I]t all seems to be ending. You think kids want to come with their parents and take fox-trot lessons? Trips to Europe, that's what the kids want.... It feels like it's all slipping away." The heyday of the Catskills have ended, but the memories of those resorts remain with those who shared those summers as staff and guests. "This was our Ca... Full story
One of my greatest fears... I know getting old is not the greatest, but at least I want to grow old gracefully, and I want to recognize my loved ones and friends. You guessed it. One of my greatest fears is developing Alzheimer's disease! But reading about the following has given me much hope. Read on: "Alzheimer's Disease, affecting some 47 million people worldwide, for now remains an irreversible and fatal brain disorder... but... a Bar-Ilan University (Ramat Gan, Israel) brain researcher is d... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Mandy Silverman remembers being scared of the kitchen as a child. "There was a constant joke in my house growing up that I would mess up instant iced tea," she recalled in a phone interview with JTA last month. But a quick glance at her Instagram feed reveals how things have changed. Her more than 15,000 followers have come to rely on her to post photos of mouthwatering and whimsical challah creations with flavors such as red velvet and marshmallow hot chocolate. Since starting Ma... Full story
In this advanced digital age sometimes it's still nice to receive a good book that can be held in your hands, flipped through, and used as a learning tool in your household. The following 14 English-language books, all from the last decade, are excellent representations of Israel in food, culture, history, technology and children's literature, written by leading authors, illustrators, and photographers from Israel and the English-speaking world. Each one would make a stellar gift for family or... Full story
BOSTON (JTA)-In the despair of the Soviet Union's fierce World War II battles against the Nazis, a 42-year-old Jewish man from Odessa wrote a song in Yiddish poking fun at Hitler's failures to seize control of Ukraine's coal and oil resources. "On the High Mountain," written by Veli Shargorodskii about the war experience in 1943-44, ends with the words "Germany is in trouble, Hitler is kaput!" The satirical song was among hundreds collected during the war by Moisei Beregovsky (1892-1961), a... Full story
(JTA)-A Hasidic cantor and a jaded community college biology teacher don't seem like two individuals who would be fast friends. In "To Dust," the debut film from director Shawn Snyder, they make a hilarious team. The odd couple plot is not all lighthearted though. For Snyder, 37, how to deal with the loss of a loved one is the core of the film. "I watched my mom lose her mom about five years before I lost my own mom," Snyder said in a telephone interview. He recalls seeing "the value she [his... Full story
(JTA)—“I was the hairy Jewish monkey in a sea of blond kids.” That’s not Seth Rogen or Jonah Hill—it’s Sarah Silverman talking about her upbringing in Bedford, New Hampshire, on an upcoming episode of “Finding Your Roots,” the celebrity genealogy show on PBS. Bedford, the comedian explains, was not exactly a very Jewish community. “My feeling of being Jewish came from my being the only Jew,” Silverman tells host Henry Louis Gates Jr. “We [her family] had no religion, but because I had this kind of intuition, when I went to any friend’s house I... Full story
Ruth Ort is passionate about hooking people up with a good match. A retired speech pathologist, she has been doing it for years in South Beach and since moving up to Central Florida, she has already found two people’s “soulmate.” In fact, she said she’s only had two “bombs” in all the matches she’s made—which are quite a few. “I think this whole idea is very much an idea that should have been done already,” she told Heritage. “In Orthodox Jewish circles it is a shidduch (arranged marriage) and I am the shadchan (professional matchmaker).” Ort’s... Full story
Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month is a unified effort among Jewish organizations worldwide to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and those who love them. JDAIM is observed each February. But the truth is, while it brings the issues of disability inclusion to the forefront, inclusion is something we must focus on all year long. In our quest to include every member of our community, we would do well to pay attention to the following ancient examples of accommodation. The Torah begins by t... Full story
CANTON, Mass. (JTA)-At a kickoff party Sunday night at the Orchard Cove senior home in this suburb about 25 miles from Boston, boisterous cheers erupted from a small ballroom. Dozens of residents had begun an evening-long tailgate-style gathering as their New England Patriots started yet another Super Bowl, this time against the Los Angeles Rams. Of course, the residents didn't know that at the final whistle their team would be hoisting its sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy hours later. "Everyone was... Full story
Israeli special needs youth... I read this in the World Jewish Congress digest (WJC) and share it with you: "The WJC recently brought a first-of-its-kind delegation of special needs youth from across Israel to Poland for an educational mission to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. The mission was arranged by WJC President Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder at the initiative of WJC-Israel Chairman Gad Ariely, in cooperation with the Welfare Department of the Modin-Reut-Maccabim municipality, Akadem... Full story
(JTA)—It would be hard to defend the Super Bowl as a “Jewish” event. However, this year, the big game had an unusually Jewish pop culture feel: both the game’s Most Valuable Player and its main halftime performer were Jewish, and Jewish celebrities starred in some of the most talked about Super Bowl advertisements. We rounded up the most Jewish moments of Super Bowl LIII. 1. Julian Edelman becomes the first Jewish Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. The Patriots wide receiver had 10 catches for 141 yards on his way to the honor and Jewish sports... Full story
Anti-Semitism in sports... I read this in the current issue of the World Jewish Congress digest and pass it along: "The WJC and Chelsea Football Club recently held the final competitions of a global campaign to combat widespread racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia in sports. The Pitch for Hope competition called on young people ages 18-30 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel to propose creative ideas for an initiative to harness the spirit of comradery in sports and build... Full story
(JTA)-The day after the New England Patriots beat the favored Kansas City Chiefs to reach their third straight Super Bowl-their amazing ninth in less than 20 years-CBS Sports analyst Boomer Esiason made an intriguing statement: Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "Is Julian Edelman not a Hall of Famer?" Esiason, a former NFL quarterback, asked on a Boston radio show last week. "The guy is clutch in the biggest of games. I don't know what else to tell... Full story
(JTA)—PBS’ celebrity genealogy show “Finding Your Roots” has had plenty of Jewish guests—Bernie Sanders, Larry David, Paul Rudd and Scarlett Johansson—and the occasional guest, like Paul Ryan, who learn they have a Jewish ancestor on their family tree. But the season five premiere, which airs Jan. 8, contains the most dramatic Jewish story the show has unearthed so far: “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin discovers he’s nearly a quarter Jewish. Martin, 70, grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey. His mother was part Irish, and his father was ha... Full story
Last weekend, 10 representatives from Orlando joined more than 3,000 women leaders from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries, hailing from as far away as Laos and Angola, Ghana and Uzbekistan, at the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Women Emissaries (Kinus Hashluchos) in Brooklyn, N.Y. The annual event was aimed at reviving Jewish awareness and practice around the world. Preconceived notions about the insular role of women in Hasidism were shattered as thousands of women from around... Full story
