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  • Scene Around

    Gloria Yousha|Dec 14, 2018

    I know Chanukah is over for 2018 but I just have to share this song (to the tune of "The First Night of Christmas") with you... "On the first night of Chanukah, someone sent to me, a warm bagel topped with cream cheese. On the second night of Chanukah, someone sent to me, two matzoh balls and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese. On the third night of Chanukah, someone sent to me, three golden latkes, two matzoh balls, and a warm bagel topped with cream cheese. On the fourth night of Chanukah,... Full story

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks Hebrew in address at anti-Semitism conference

    Josefin Dolsten|Dec 14, 2018

    NEW YORK (JTA)—Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated the company’s commitment to fighting hate and used a Hebrew phrase to do so. Cook invoked a phrase from Leviticus 19:16 in its original language on Monday at the Anti-Defamation League’s Never Is Now summit on anti-Semitism and hate. “’Lo ta’amod al dam re’eikha.’ Do not be indifferent to the bloodshed of your fellow man,” Cook said after receiving the ADL’s Courage Against Hate Award. Cook, who is not Jewish, said in his address that the biblical mandate moves Apple to speak out on behalf of the ri... Full story

  • Real Israel: New book brings the 'aliyah' experience home

    Deborah Fineblum|Dec 14, 2018

    (JNS)-You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll feel what it's like to breathe the air of Israel on a daily basis. You'll also see this tiny sliver of land through the eyes of the 51 olim (new immigrant) bloggers whose experiences Akiva Gersh packed into "Becoming Israeli: The Hysterical, Inspiring and Challenging Sides of Making Aliyah." Warning: Don't be surprised if you find yourself pulling out your suitcase and throwing in your Naot sandals, the family photos and a year's supply of Ziploc bags.... Full story

  • This Dutch Christian boat maker wants to sail his life-size replica of Noah's Ark to Israel

    Cnaan Liphshiz|Dec 14, 2018

    KRIMPEN AAN DE IJSSEL, Netherlands (JTA)-For two years, the world's only seaworthy life-size replica of Noah's Ark has been wowing passengers traveling along Holland's Maas River. Built according to the specifications detailed in the Hebrew Bible, the 390-foot-long vessel towers to a height of 75 feet. It boasts enough wood to fell 12,000 trees. And its distinct form dominates the coastline of the small town hosting it deep in southern Holland's so-called Bible Belt. Dwarfing even some... Full story

  • 'Manchester by the Sea' director's latest Broadway play follows a Jewish family dealing with tragedy

    Curt Schleier|Dec 14, 2018

    (JTA)—On the phone last week, just before the revival of his play “The Waverly Gallery” opened on Broadway, Kenneth Lonergan sounded harried. There had been some set malfunctions earlier in the week, just as critics were getting ready to start their reviews. He acknowledged the play is hard to take—as much for him as for the viewer. “‘Cathartic’ seems to imply that writing it made me feel better,” Lonergan said. “It didn’t.” Perhaps the critics’ takes could lift his spirits. “The Waverly Gallery,” which runs through Jan. 27 at the John Golden... Full story

  • Fire safety tips for the menorah

    Lior Zaltzman|Nov 30, 2018

    (Kveller via JTA)—While Chanukah is a favorite on the Jewish calendar, there is no holiday as dangerous with its open flames, boiling oil and sharp graters for making latkes. So we’ve compiled these helpful tips to help you minimize the risks and have a safe and bright Festival of Lights. Menorah safety tips: Don’t leave your menorahs unattended. Never leave a room where a menorah is lit. Either wait for the candles to go out, or put them out yourself if you need to leave the room or house. Put your menorahs on a nonflammable surface. If you’r... Full story

  • A Chanukah reality show on stage

    Nov 30, 2018

    It's taken six years, but former Orlandoan Brian Feldman is finally bringing the project that started it all to the District of Columbia. And not to just one venue, but all eight Wards (charities). Unlike anything ever seen in D.C. history, "The Feldman Dynamic: 8 Wards of Chanukah," is an unprecedented reality theater event featuring Feldman's actual family: Mom, Marilyn Wattman-Feldman; Dad, Edward Alan Feldman; and sister, Adrienne McIntosh and the family cat (take allergy medicine if you... Full story

  • Scene Around

    Gloria Yousha|Nov 30, 2018

    Oy Vay... (There's no other way to put it.) According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there has been a "spike in hate crimes." And according to the World Jewish Congress, "rising levels of physical violence, harassment and intimidation against Jews, including the desecration of our synagogues, schools, monuments and cemeteries. There are attacks against our history, culture, and sacred rituals, including laws seeking to ban Kosher slaughter and male circumcision. There is biased,... Full story

  • Forget the crunch-try these creamy potato latkes for Chanukah

    Rachel Ringler|Nov 30, 2018

    (The Nosher via JTA)-Each Jewish holiday has its iconic food: For Passover it's the symbolic matzah; for Rosh Hashanah it's sweet honey and new fruits. For Purim we get the delectable hamantaschen; and for Chanukah it's oil. That purified olive oil, used to rekindle the iconic seven-branched candelabra that was eternally lit in the grand Temple in Jerusalem, has shown up in modern times in our Chanukah lamps and in our foods. Jews from North Africa traditionally ate some form of fried pastry or... Full story

  • Celebrate Chanukah with fine art Judaica photography

    Nov 30, 2018

    Larry Oskin of Art Beautique offers a unique virtual art gallery with Judaica artwork and a professional fine art photography service in Central Florida. For years, many Jewish homes, temples and community facilities have been challenged with creating a unique environment that celebrates Jewish life, traditions and culture. With seven very diverse Art Beautique Collections, Oskin celebrates Judaica & Religion, Flowers & Nature, Cityscapes & Seascapes, Animals, Americana, World Capitals, and... Full story

  • The Chanukah connection: Sharing the light with far-away family

    Deborah Fineblum|Nov 30, 2018

    (JNS)—For generations, lighting the Chanukah candles together has been the stuff that makes lifelong memories. But today’s far-flung families are increasingly challenged to share the sight of the candles aglow, the sound of the blessings and traditional songs sung by old and young alike, the feel of a perfect dreidel spin, and the smell and taste of latkes fresh from the pan. Long-distance offspring may be away at college, on a gap-year program, studying in a seminary or yeshivah, a lone sol... Full story

  • This teen coped with tragedy by starting a program to help others

    Sarah A. Levi|Nov 30, 2018

    When Genevieve Liu was 13, an unimaginable tragedy dramatically changed her life. She was on the Lake Michigan shore on vacation with her family in Michigan on Aug. 5, 2012, when her father, a celebrated pediatric surgeon, spotted two boys drowning in the lake. He rushed into the water and managed to save the boys, but the doctor was pulled under by the lake's undertow and drowned. In an instant Liu, her mother and her two younger siblings were left without the head of their close-knit family.... Full story

  • In Holland, one of the world's most expensive Chanukah menorahs hides in plain sight

    Cnaan Liphshiz|Nov 30, 2018

    AMSTERDAM (JTA)-Nothing about the appearance of object MB02280 at this city's Jewish Historical Museum suggests it is the capital's priciest Chanukah menorah, worth more than the average local price of a duplex home. Shaped like the body of a violin, it is only 16 inches tall. Its base cradles eight detachable oil cups intended to function as candles on Chanukah, when Jews light candles to commemorate a 167 BCE revolt against the Greeks. They are set against the menorah's smooth, reflective... Full story

  • What's new for kids to read at Chanukah? Try a fresh take on the trailblazing 'All-of-a-Kind Family.'

    Penny Schwartz|Nov 30, 2018

    (JTA)-Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie. The names of the five fictional sisters bring a smile to generations of Jewish Americans who grew up reading "All-of-a-Kind Family," the classic mid-century chapter book series by Sydney Taylor that followed the day-to-day doings and adventures of a Jewish-American immigrant family on New York's Lower East Side. The trailblazing series marked the first time that a children's book about a Jewish-American family found an audience in both Jewish and... Full story

  • Scene Around

    Gloria Yousha|Nov 23, 2018

    Happy Thanksgiving... From me, my family and especially from my grandson, ZACHARY, a great guy. He is so kind and helpful to his "aging" granny and also very musically talented. (Forget the aging part!) And staying on that happy holiday thought... I was watching television recently and saw a talent that almost blew me away! His name is Jim Bailey, a male female impersonator who did impressions of Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Phyllis Diller, to name a few. Not only did he look like them, he... Full story

  • Students Supporting Israel: A group for pro-students by pro-Israel students

    Jackson Richman|Nov 23, 2018

    (JNS)-After Israeli and Armenian flags were torn down and other items were thrown to the ground by anti-Israel protesters at an event in May at the University of California, Los Angeles, the school's Students Supporting Israel chapter gave a list of demands to the UCLA administration to protect the pro-Israel community. SSI at UCLA is on the front lines fighting against the annual National Students for Justice in Palestine Conference, which UCLA is slated to sponsor from Nov. 16-18. For... Full story

  • Anxious? Angry? Here's why we have to keep going

    Melissa Cohen|Nov 16, 2018

    (Kveller via JTA)—“I’m so scared for your synagogue,” my (non-Jewish) mother said to me as we were driving the other day. We were talking about my daughter’s schedule—religious school was on the agenda for that afternoon—and she had asked me about our synagogue’s security following the terrible attack in Pittsburgh. I was silent for a minute, and then told her that I’m scared all the time now. I’m scared when I go to the library; I’m scared when I go to the mall. I hesitate before I get into an elevator with strangers, and I think about bombing... Full story

  • What I learned about my heart

    Harold Witkov, First Person|Nov 16, 2018

    "Tears come from the heart and not from the brain." -Leonardo da Vinci When I was 21 years old, I had a very personal spiritual experience. While contemplating a greatest power and imagining it above, I felt a divine spark deep inside of me; that is, inside of my heart. Since then, my belief in God has never wavered. Some 45 years later, I had another experience of the heart. This time I had a heart attack and open-heart bypass surgery. After the surgery, when I left the hospital, I had an unsig... Full story

  • Scene Around

    Gloria Yousha|Nov 16, 2018

    A frequently asked question... "How could God have allowed the Holocaust?" A good answer according to Rabbi ALAN LURIE, "We can be mad at God for the Holocaust or for other human tragedies, but this is like a teenager who begs you to let him drive a car, promising to be responsible, gets drunk, crashes into a telephone pole, and then blames you for giving him the keys. If we agree that humanity must have free will, we must accept the consequences of its decisions. As Elie Wiesel wrote, 'After th... Full story

  • This Jewish teen is helping underprivileged kids apply to college

    Zev Stub|Nov 16, 2018

    When Daniel Zahn was applying to college, he felt very stressed. The essays, the questions, the decisions he had to make – it all seemed overwhelming. But Zahn had two older siblings who had gone through the process, as well as the support of seasoned parents and teachers. After applying to more than 10 schools and for a handful of scholarships, Zahn landed a spot at one of his top choices: Penn State, where the 19-year-old is now a junior. It was only once he got to college that Zahn r... Full story

  • Egyptian Golden Potato Soup Recipe 

    Sonya Sanford|Nov 16, 2018

    (The Nosher via JTA)-Egyptian Jews comprise one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. There have been waves of Jewish immigration to Egypt over centuries: Sephardic Jews arrived during the Spanish inquisition, Ashkenazi Jews fled there from Eastern Europe during the pogroms of the 19th century, and Jewish traders from the Ottoman Empire settled after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. In the 1950s, Egypt began to expel its Jews following the creation of the State of Israel. Like... Full story

  • Cult classic 'Dr. Phibes' may live forever

    Marilyn Shapiro|Nov 9, 2018
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    Horror fans who were in or near Santa Monica, California, on Oct. 26, had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Halloween Double Feature at the Aero Theater. "The Abominable Dr. Phibes," a cult classic with fans around the world, was one of two films showcased. And sitting in the audience was the film's creator, an 86-year-old Troy native whose vivid dream inspired it. William Goldstein was born on July 10, 1932, in Troy, N.Y. He and his family attended Temple Berith Sholom. After his bar... Full story

  • Mazel Tov to twins' 70th bar mitzvah anniversary

    Nov 9, 2018

    Twins Herbert and Martin Siegel celebrated their 83rd birthday on Oct. 24, followed by a 70th anniversary of their bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth Sholom in Leesburg. The twins were bar mitzvah'd in October 1948. Herbert lives with his wife, Betty, in The Villages. Martin and his wife, Betty (yes, they both married Bettys!), lives in Niceville, Fla.... Full story

  • Scene Around

    Gloria Yousha|Nov 9, 2018

    Nightmares and memories... I'm referring to my childhood filled with anti-Semitic incidents. Until my family got off welfare and moved from the Red Hook Projects in Brooklyn, N.Y., I was spit at, beaten and threatened every day for being Jewish. Those memories stayed with me all these years, especially watching television this morning and seeing all that is transpiring in a Pittsburgh, Pa., synagogue massacre. I can handle anti-Semitism and I'm sure that my three sons can handle it, especially... Full story

  • Judaism and death: Five surprising ideas

    Nov 9, 2018

    By Rabbi Benjamin Blech (Aish Hatorah Resources)—Your days are numbered, but it’s not the end. On some level of awareness we all know that our days are numbered. How to cope with that recognition is perhaps the greatest challenge of life. For some, acknowledging mortality is liberating. Chris Allen’s hit song lyric suggests that “I wish you can live life like you know you’re dying.” For others, fear of the unknown is debilitating and cause for depression. Knowing that death awaits us negates hope for the future and destroys the capacity fo... Full story

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