Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 2401 - 2425 of 4419
Three cheers... I read this recently in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along to you: "World Jewish Congress President Ambassador RONALD S. LAUDER welcomed the European Court of Justice's decision to uphold the European Union's (EU) listing of Hamas as a terrorist organization, and called on the EU to do everything in its power to prevent European entities from engaging in business or showing any other form of support with it. In upholding the decision to keep Hamas on the... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-I was first introduced to Turkish coffee in Israel. Prepared in the traditional copper cezve, it was served piping hot and in beautiful, delicate cups. I quickly became enamored of its strong flavor and clean, robust taste unmarred by sugar. In addition to the pure taste of coffee, there was another flavor I couldn't quite place. When I asked the brewer what it was, he told me it was cardamom. It seemed a strange combination at first, but as I kept drinking I found it was... Full story
Like you, I was tempted to roll my eyes when I first learned that the calendar for late January declares a National Day of Hugging amongst its notable monthly holidays. Then, I thought back to all the times in which I really needed a hug, and felt a little less skeptical. Just yesterday, I tripped and skinned my knee, something which hasn't happened since I was a little child. Fortunately, a jogger was passing by, and helped scoop me up with an outstretched hand. That brief second when our... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)-"The Nazis were bad people who didn't like Jews," I heard myself saying to my 3-year-old. I immediately questioned this rather disappointing explanation. Bad people? What does that mean? Haven't my wife and I always told our child that people aren't "bad" or "good," even if they do bad or good things? And isn't "didn't like Jews" rather an understatement? But, then, what exactly should you tell such a young child about the Holocaust? I was in this predicament because of "The... Full story
When I am among trees By Mary Oliver When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks, and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily. I am so distant from the hope of myself, in which I have goodness, and discernment, and never hurry through the world but walk slowly, and bow often. Around me the trees stir in their leaves and call out, "Stay awhile." The light flows from their branches.... Full story
NEW YORK-Yechiel Malik was born and raised an hour's drive from New York City, but until age 10 he spoke only Yiddish. He grew up in an all-Hasidic village in New York's Hudson Valley, and for most of his school years his primary focus was Judaics, with only minimal secular studies. "No one around me spoke English," Malik recalled. "Maybe I picked up a word here and there-but my entire world was Yiddish speaking." Today, Malik not only is fluent in English, but he is pursuing a college degree... Full story
SAN FRANCISCO (J. the Jewish News of Northern California via JTA)-"Az men est khazer, zol es shoyn rinen ibern moyl" goes an old Yiddish saying: "If you're going to eat pork, eat it until your mouth drips." Sunday night at Brick & Mortar Music Hall here, the mouths of rabbis and foodies dripped with Peanut Butter Pie with Bacon, a Rabbit Crepinette and a Pulled Pork Potato Kugel with barbecue sauce. The occasion was the "Trefa Banquet 2.0," a delicious spread of treif (nonkosher food) made by... Full story
(JTA)-On Easter Sunday in 1959, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. rose in the pulpit of his Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, to deliver a sermon that focused on his just-completed visit, with his wife, Coretta, to Jerusalem and its holy sites. King's trip that month to eastern Jerusalem and the nearby cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus and Jericho, all of which were then part of Jordan, came at the end of a month-long visit to India that he wrote about extensively later in... Full story
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
