Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Deeply disturbing... I received the following letter from Ambassador RONALD S. LAUDER, of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and pass it along in part: "Every day, it seems, we hear another report of an anti-Semitic attack, a Jewish cemetery desecrated, a Holocaust memorial vandalized, or anti-Jewish hate speech posted online. Neo-Nazis and white nationalists are proudly marching in the streets of major cities across the United States and Europe, unafraid to express their hateful beliefs in public,... Full story
By Joyce Kilmer I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.... Full story
When Jory Hanselman was a high school student, she found herself struggling on multiple fronts. A family member was wrestling with addiction and mental illness. And two friends died suddenly, one from suicide and another from an overdose. "I was in a place where I was really struggling to deal with that loss along with taking into consideration the secondary trauma of living in a home where mental illness and addiction were playing out in a very real way," Hanselman said. To help her cope, her... Full story
(JTA)—The names Gal Gadot and Harvey Weinstein were among the top 10 mispronounced words of 2017, according to Babbel Magazine Gadot, who played Wonder Woman in the film by the same name and in “Justice League,” was fifth on the list put out by the magazine associated with the online language learning company. Her name is often mispronounced with a silent “t,” according to Babbel, which consulted with the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters, the U.S. Captioning Company and National Captioning Canada to ask their professional subtitler... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-It's a recurring theme in the career of actor Jeremy Shamos: extravagant praise for playing some less-than-extravagant characters. In reviews for "Meteor Shower," the new Broadway comedy by Steve Martin, the entertainment website Deadline.com says Shamos "is priceless as the zhlubbish Norm," who is the "mushy husband" to the character played by comedian Amy Schumer. And the Los Angeles Times calls Shamos "the strongest actor in the quartet," which in addition to Schumer features... Full story
Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has announced that he will perform in Israel next June with his band as part of a 2018 European tour. Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band includes fellow rock legends Steve Lukather of Toto, Greg Rollie of Journey and Graham Gouldman of 10cc. The group will perform two shows at Tel Aviv's Menorath Mivtahim Arena from June 23-24, according to Starr's website. Starr's concerts come more than 50 years after the Israeli government barred The Beatles from performing... Full story
Museum of Jewish heritage... The Museum of Jewish Heritage is a living memorial to the Holocaust. I recently received a letter from them and pass it along in part: "Who will share the truth about the Holocaust when the survivors are gone? This is a question that grows more urgent with every passing day... as fewer and fewer survivors remain to bear witness to the darkest chapter in human history. At a time when anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are on the rise worldwide, including acts of hatre... Full story
More than a generation ago, the passion to be the first to report the news led to the Chicago Tribune's banner headline of Nov. 3, 1948: "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN!" President Truman delighted in posing with the paper and beaming a smile from ear to ear. The Tribune had accepted as gospel the previous Newsweek's monthly cover story of an imminent Republican landslide: "Fifty Political Experts Unanimously Predict a Dewey Victory" (Oct. 11, 1948). Even worse in the history of American journalism was... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Trivia is having a major moment-and that's thanks, in large part, to Scott Rogowsky. The Jewish comedian has played a huge role in the runaway success of HQ Trivia, the iPhone app turned massive phenomenon that now has some 500,000 people glued to their iPhones at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. every weekday for a chance to feel smart and win money. HQ Trivia is presented in the format of a game show-it's hosted live by Rogowsky from New York twice a day. The app was created in August by Rus... Full story
NEW YORK-Like so many happy accidents, it started with Purim. Riva Preil, a physical therapist in her early 30s living in Manhattan, was recording a skit for her Orthodox synagogue's Purim spiel when the head of the events committee asked if she'd like to get more involved. The question took her by surprise. "I never thought to do it," Preil said of taking a synagogue leadership role. But at the urging of a friend she agreed. Soon, Preil organized a singles event. "Then I became addicted," she... Full story
Community Education and Resource Affiliation, a networking group for people who work with seniors, supported the efforts of the Jewish Pavilion with a $1,200 check. CERA awarded support to several nonprofit organizations that make the world a better place. They thanked the Jewish Pavilion for bringing companionship, resources to families and Jewish culture to our elders in long- term care. Pictured are Chris Bouille, CERA president; Emily Newman, program director for the Jewish Pavilion; and... Full story
I love dogs... But you knew that already. I recently found this little poem I wrote on the subject and dedicated it in memory of Aldo: "Dogs are people too" I love dogs, yes I do! Life's not full without one, I love dogs, how about you? They bring laughter and fun! Cats are smart and cats are swell, And they never drool, But a dog is "man's best friend" That's the golden rule! (That's not to mention the unconditional love they give us. I've had dogs all of my life... cats and birds too, but I... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-The crockpot has never been my favorite kitchen gadget. I know people love their crockpots and their instant pots, but there have been limited things I have made in a crockpot that I loved, or actually found more convenient. When I am dinner prepping for busy weeks, I typically don't make long-simmering meals that require my attention but rather just throw a bunch of stuff in the oven. But on a recent Friday that was going to be particularly harried-with baby swim class,... Full story
(JTA)-Is it true that Judaism doesn't accept converts? Is it true that Jews have to wash their hands before they pray? Is it true that Jews have historically killed their prophets? These are just a few of the questions Elhanan Miller has heard over the years. A fluent Arabic speaker and former Arab affairs correspondent for the Times of Israel, Miller saw that many Muslims he knew didn't have a clear understanding of Jewish practices and beliefs. So he decided to start teaching Muslims about... Full story
BIRMINGHAM, England (JTA)-Nine months after announcing that she is creating the world's first vagina museum, Florence Schechter is confident that she has heard every joke on the subject. Schechter, a Jewish comedian and communications professional in her 20s, is preparing to open the museum in Brighton, 50 miles south of London. When the news broke in the spring, it caught the attention of Conan O'Brien, who quipped: It will be "the first museum where you enter through the gift shop." The idea... Full story
Salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly, Zionism and progressivism. Few question the inherent, irrefutable bond between the first two of those pairs, but civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Zioness Movement, Amanda Berman, argues that the latter is just as natural-and she has several thousand left-leaning Jews with strong Zionist identities backing her up on that sentiment. The four-month-old Zioness Movement was born in a "watershed moment," several months after the inauguration of... Full story
Most residents of Tübingen, Germany, probably don't know that the local "synagogenplatz" (synagogue plaza) even exists. The rusted memorial to the synagogue that burned to the ground during Kristallnacht is one of the few tributes to Jewish life that once existed in the city-not that Jews ever really thrived there. The source of Tübingen's growth (its population is 90,000) and fame is its university, founded in 1477 by Eberhard the Bearded, who expelled all Jews from the medieval town. Upon t... Full story
BOSTON (JTA)-Emily Katz and Liora Hyman arrived early enough to snag front row seats for a concert with some of their favorite performers. But this show wasn't at one of Boston's storied nightclubs. Rather, it was the first-ever music lab at last week's biennial convention of the Union for Reform Judaism, where 6,000 delegates gathered at the Hynes Convention Center for the movement's largest ever gathering. When popular Jewish singer-songwriter Peri Smilow led off the set with her new song, "On... Full story
Whoever saves one life... I just watched the movie "Schindler's List" on television. I had seen it in the movies many years ago. I must admit, I was even more touched and disturbed than the first time. For those of you who don't know about Oskar Schindler, (although I can't imagine that any Jew wouldn't have that knowledge), Oskar Schindler (28 April 1908 - 9 Oct. 1974) was a German industrialist and a member of the Nazi Party, who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-On Thursday, The New York Times announced that its publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., 66, is stepping down at the end of the year and will be succeeded by his son, 37-year-old Arthur Gregg (A.G.) Sulzberger. The familial exchange of power wasn't unexpected. The younger Sulzberger is the sixth member of the Ochs Sulzberger clan to serve as publisher of the prominent New York newspaper. He is a fifth-generation descendant of Adolph S. Ochs, who bought the newspaper in 1896 as it... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-I recently stumbled upon a Yemenite Jewish cookbook from the early '60s called "Yemenite & Sabra Cookery," by Naomi and Shimon Tzabar. It's the type of cookbook I especially love to discover; the kind that covers a rare topic and is unusually designed. This one has beautiful wood-block print images scattered throughout. The recipes are more like sketches of how to make something rather than being clear directives. The first page of the book features a recipe for zhug, a clas... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-It's lunch break during a one-day conference on "Israeli Cuisine as a Reflection of Israeli Society"-so naturally I'm eating lunch. Everything on my white plastic plate can be considered Israeli food. There is a burek (which originally heralds from Spain, by way of Turkey), a chopped cucumber and tomato salad (Israeli or Palestinian, take your pick) and a quinoa salad (from Ecuador? Peru? Or maybe it's Mediterranean). Small triangles of pita surround the centerpiece of my... Full story
There is an organization that provides last dollar, interest-free loans for higher education to Jewish students in need. The Jewish Educational Loan Fund has been helping the Jewish community since 1889 when the doors of the Hebrew Orphans’ Home first opened in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the last 120-plus years, the organization has transformed twice: first, in 1931, when it began providing adoption and foster care services under the name Jewish Children’s Services and then, in 1961, began granting interest-free loans for college and formally cha... Full story
On Dec. 23, Larry and I traveled 400 miles to spend time with our friends, Chris and Bernie Grossman, in their new home in Tallahassee. And on Dec. 25, the Shapiros and Grossmans upheld a tradition as steeped in Jewish culinary ritual as eating brisket on Rosh Hashanah, potato latkes on Chanukah, and matzo ball soup on Passover. We ate Chinese food on Christmas Day. Growing up in a small town in Upstate New York, my family didn't eat Chinese food on Christmas Day, or most other days of the... Full story
The following is a recipe from the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel's executive chef, Chef Nir Elkayam. The Inbal's Orange Vegetable Soup is one of the many soups offered during the hotel's annual Soup Festival taking place through the winter in Jerusalem. The Inbal's Orange Vegetable Soup Ingredients (Yields 8 servings) 2 large onions 4 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups of pumpkin cut into cubes 2 large sweet potatoes cut into cubes 3 large carrots cut into cubes Black pepper 3 fresh thyme... Full story
