Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 2176 - 2200 of 4386
(Kveller via JTA)—It’s possible you haven’t yet heard about RIE, the hottest new parenting trend, but trust us: You will. RIE is an acronym for Resources for Infant Educarers (and, no, that’s not a typo). It’s a parenting philosophy that has recently gained traction, thanks to endorsements from celebrities such as Tobey Maguire, Jamie Lee Curtis and Hank Azaria. Vanity Fair and the New York Post have featured articles on the method, as if you need further proof that RIE has “arrived,” and a new parenting center that’s focused on the philosop...
This one-pot paprika chicken is a take on my mom's memorable paprika chicken recipe. I have very fond memories of cleaning the whole bird and then rubbing it down with loads of paprika for weeknight dinners. The spice gives a deep rich color and imparts a delicious smoky flavor. This is my updated and modernized variation of mom's simple recipe made into an easy one-pan meal. Oh, and find yourself some Castelvetrano olives-they are buttery with a bit of brine and are so addictive. Tip: If you can't find the specified olives, substitute with...
(The Nosher via JTA)-From bulbous and egg-shaped to small and thin, the eggplant (or if you're British like me, the aubergine) is a staple fruit within Sephardic Jewish cooking. Originating in India or perhaps even China, eggplant seeds are thought to have traveled along the Silk Road into the hands of Jews and Arabs as early as the 18th century. From there, eggplant has been used so often in Jewish cooking that some refer to it as the "Jewish apple." Eggplant is now enjoying a wonderful...
(JTA)-In the quiet opening of "Naharin's Virus," an hour-long dance piece by the famed Israeli choreographer Ohed Naharin, an onstage narrator tells you what the evening won't be about. You the audience will not receive its due. Your curiosity will not be satisfied. You won't agree on the meaning of what you are about to see. OK, fair enough. You don't go to modern dance for the plot, at least not in the conventional sense. You go for the pleasure of seeing bodies in motion, to see how the dance...
CHICAGO (JTA)-This city's kosher restaurant scene has long lagged behind other metropolises like New York and Los Angeles-but changes might be coming. A bold forthcoming restaurant, an authentic taqueria and reports that two established neighborhood eateries are looking to change hands are raising hope for kosher diners who want more options and fresh new flavors. Chef Laura Frankel, who brought fine kosher dining to Chicago when she opened the upscale restaurant Shallots in 1999, is planning to...
On Aug. 12, 1952, 13 Soviet Jews convicted of espionage and treason were executed in Moscow's Lubianika Prison. Their confessions had been extracted by torture. This group, known as "the Martyrs of the Soviet Union," included actor Benjamin Zuskin, poets Itzik Feffer and Peretz Markish, children's author Leib Kweitko, and other leading intellectuals. The story began with the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, founded in 1942 to develop ties with American Jewry as part of the Soviet struggle against...
“In Judaism, prophets were considered visionary not because they predicted the future, but because they saw possibilities. Roz has always been someone with the ability to both see possibilities and then take that all-important step and make them happen,” said David Bornstein of his cousin Roz Fuchs, this year’s recipient of the Heritage Human Service Award. From an array of multi-colored glass vases arranged neatly on a bookcase to the artwork on the walls and the simple arrangement of chairs and couches all brought together by a 1920...
On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first person to set foot on the moon. His timeless and famous remark at the time, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” will go down as one of the most iconic phrases of all time. Yet, when Armstrong visited Israel in 1994 he was brought to a place in the Old City of Jerusalem and asked Meir Ben Dov, his host and noted archeologist, if Jesus himself actually would have walked there. “I told him, ‘Look, Jesus was a Jew,’” recalled Ben-...
(The Nosher via JTA)-Harissa is a spicy, rich-flavored North African chili paste and it is one of my favorite condiments to use in the kitchen. It is traditionally made with roasted red pepper, chiles, garlic, and a mixture of spices, depending on the family and exact origin. You can easily find several varieties in the supermarket (usually in the ethnic foods aisle), but I prefer making my own, in part so I can control the level of spice. A traditional Nicoise salad features baby potatoes,...
The future is here... I am so proud of Israel and all of its fabulous accomplishments. For instance, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is the epicenter of a talent and technology boom that is transforming the world: The Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) is a public-private partnership with Ben-Gurion University (BGU), the Beer-Sheva municipality and Gav-Yam Negev. Tenants include EMC, Oracle, Deutsche Telekom, Elbit, Jerusalem Venture Partner's Cyberlabs, Hewlett Packard, Allscripts, WeWork, as...
A rare bronze coin dating to the first century and minted during the fourth year of the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans was recently discovered at the archaeological sifting project at Emek Zurim National Park in Jerusalem. The source of the soil from which the coin was extracted is the City of David National Park in the heart of the Old City. The coin, minted by Jews in the year 69 CE, right before the destruction of the Second Temple a year later, features the words "For the Redemption...
Our favorite hometown magician, Kostya Kimlat, was once again on Penn & Teller’s Fool Us television show on Monday evening, July 16. Did he fool them once again? Kimlat did a card trick that involved catching a selected playing card while the cards are falling down in a cascade that magicians call a “dribble.” He told the Fool Us audience that he has been practicing this trick for 17 years. “It’s the hardest trick I do. And I wanted to do it one time when it mattered most, so that I would never have to do it again,” he said in an email to hi...
(JTA)—“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and Sarah Silverman’s new late-night show earned Emmy nominations on Thursday. “Maisel,” Amazon Studios’ popular series set in a very Jewish 1950s New York neighborhood, was nominated for best comedy series. Rachel Brosnahan, its non-Jewish star, was nominated for best lead actress in a comedy series for her performance as the Jewish housewife-turned-comedian Midge Maisel. Silverman’s “I Love You, America,” in which the Jewish comedian mashes a nontraditional talk show format with videos of her interviewing Am...
"Delaware!" my husband Larry yelled as we drove past a line of parked cars on Galena Street in Frisco, Colorado. "We got Delaware!" In our life, "Getting Delaware" is a big deal. Within the first 10 days of our five-week search for license plates, we had gotten the license plate of the elusive Eastern seaboard state. Could Rhode Island be far behind? Road trip entertainment Today, while heading for their annual family vacation, children sit in the back seats of a SUV watching Toy Story or...
CHICAGO (JTA)—My sister was married on a beautiful summer day many years ago. Those of us in the wedding party took pictures in a garden before the ceremony. As maid of honor, one of my duties was to hold up the train of her dress so it wouldn’t drag through the dirt. But there was a lot of dirt, and the dress was soiled despite my best efforts. She couldn’t see the grime, but her bridesmaids could, so I silently made eyes conveying my distress over the maid-of-honor fail. I can’t keep a secret from my sister. So a minute later, nearly in tear...
NEW YORK (JTA)-For 10 years, Rabbi Dan Ain has tried to take Judaism out of the synagogue. He's convened Friday night prayers in auditoriums with musicians like Matisyahu and Lisa Loeb. He's held Rosh Hashanah services in a bowling alley/concert venue. He scheduled an interview earlier this month at an artisanal coffee shop in Brooklyn and showed up in a T-shirt and backward baseball cap, his long hair spilling out of the sides above his long salt-and-pepper beard. Ain became a rabbi because he...
I've been to this "paradise"... I'm referring to Switzerland, of course. It is truly an inspiring, lovely country. My deceased spouse and I truly enjoyed our visit some years ago and I will never forget it. I recently read this about the Swiss government committing to security of its Jewish community. I pass it along to you: "The Swiss National Council has adopted a motion mandating the government to increase its efforts to protect religious minorities, including the local Jewish community. The...
AMSTERDAM (JTA)-You can call a taxi, order a hamburger, rent a film and buy a book with a few clicks of a smartphone. So why shouldn't it be as easy to score a set of tefillin? That, at least, was the question that led to the launch last month of Wrapp-an app its creator calls "the Uber of the tefillin world." It connects those who have tefillin-leather straps attached to a set of two small boxes containing scripture on parchment-with Jews who need them for morning prayers or other rituals. And...
MARKOWA, Poland-Memorial plaques bearing the names of Poles killed for rescuing Jews line the pathway leading to a small, austere structure built into a hillside in this rural village in southeastern Poland. In the center courtyard, a large slab is inscribed to the memory of Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The quiet, reflective space sets the stage for the haunting story that unfolds within the walls of the building, a museum that memorializes Józef and Wiktoria Ulma, local farmers who...
(JNS)-Several camp counselors from Habonim Dror were present at an IfNotNow Jewish summer camp counselor training session in Boston on May 27. An organization that seeks to promote sympathy for the Palestinian narrative by encouraging fellow Jews to oppose the Israel "occupation," IfNotNow states on its website that its members "do not take a unified stance on BDS, Zionism or the question of statehood." Yet its critical statements against Zionist-aligned organizations, such as Camp Ramah, tell...
(JTA)-A letter written by Albert Einstein on the day he renounced his German citizenship, after realizing he could not return due to the rise of the Nazis, was sold at auction for $30,250. The letter written on board the S.S. Belgenland and dated March 28, 1933, sold at the Nate D. Sanders Auction House in Los Angeles. Bidding started at $25,000. A second letter from Einstein written in 1938 in which he discusses helping Jewish refugees escape Nazi Germany sold for $31,250. The 1933 letter was...
(JTA)-Omri Casspi, the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association, reportedly has agreed to a one-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Reports of the deal emerged Sunday with the start of the weeklong free agency period. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported the deal. Casspi, 30, can sign the deal on July 6. The Grizzlies will be his seventh NBA team. The 6'9" forward was waived in April by the Golden State Warriors, where he was under a one-year contract, after...
As a 66-year-old retiree, I play chess recreationally a few times a week. For the most part, I play in chess clubs that are open to the public and are drop-in. Such was the case, recently, when I did something during a chess game that only a handful of chess players in the history of the game can claim: I suffered a heart attack while playing. It was late afternoon on a Wednesday. All the other chess players had already gone home for the day. Kevin and I were the only ones remaining, and we...
About immigrants... This is a country made great by immigrants! My ancestry is Canada, Ukraine, Russia, Poland... as far as I know. (I plan to take an Ancestry test soon to see where else my ancestors come from). Everyone should be welcome... that is everyone but... (no, I am NOT getting political!) Great news from Greece... I read this in a recent World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along: "DAVID SALTIEL, president of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, a WJC...
(JTA)-Jewish tourists from North America are likely to notice one big difference when visiting synagogues around the world. Though a plethora of symbols, such as stars of David and menorahs, may be displayed, national flags are rare inside the sanctuary. Meanwhile, in the United States and Canada, an American or Canadian flag (and sometimes both) are commonly displayed on the bimah, or ritual stage, often alongside an Israeli flag. When did this uniquely North American Jewish custom originate...
