Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 2451 - 2475 of 4419
(Jewish& via JTA)—For many years, I worked in the most special place I could imagine. It’s a radical beit midrash (house of study) in Jerusalem, Memizrach Shemesh, the Social Action Beit Midrash, inspired by the traditions of Jews from Arab lands. At Memizrach Shemesh, we used Jewish texts, with a special emphasis on Sephardic and Mizrachi rabbinic texts, as tools for awareness raising and social change. We trained leaders, educators and activists in Israeli society with the perspective that good community workers need to learn before tak... Full story
(JTA)-Like any self-respecting author, Ann D. Koffsky checks her Amazon rankings on a regular basis. "A little bit ridiculously," she acknowledged. Yet when she noticed the rating for her most recent book had dropped to one-star overnight, it wasn't so funny-especially once she started reading the user reviews. "This book is filled with lies," claimed one. "Very upsetting," said another. "Utter propaganda..." began the next. Soon the "review war," as Koffsky called it, spilled over onto her... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)—In many homes, there is a tradition to bake Hanukkah cookies this time of year. Whether it’s the sugar and butter mixing in the mixer, the blue and white sprinkles, or the festive menorah cookie cutters, there is something about cookie baking that propels us into the holiday spirit. This year, I wanted a new Hanukkah cookie to share with family and friends. Although I love the classic sugar cookie with sprinkles, sometimes it’s nice to have a really easy and delicious cookie with limited frill and fuss. These blue crink... Full story
CASALE MONFERRATO, Italy (JTA)-It's always Chanukah in this picturesque town in northern Italy's Piedmont region. Jews have lived in Casale Monferrato for more than 500 years, with the community reaching its peak of 850 members at about the time Jews here were granted civil rights in 1848. The town still boasts one of Italy's most ornate synagogues, a rococo gem that dates to the 16th century. These days, only two Jewish families live in Casale. The synagogue, which is part of a larger museum... Full story
(My Jewish Learning via JTA)—How do you pronounce Chanukah? Is there a correct spelling for the holiday? Why does Chanukah last eight days? These are just some of the frequently asked questions about the Festival of Lights. Here are the answers to those and many more. How do you pronounce Chanukah? English speakers generally pronounce it HAH-nuh-kuh. However, some people prefer the Israeli pronunciation, which is khah-new-KAH. Is there a correct way to spell Chanukah? Chanukah is a Hebrew word, not an English one, and there is no standard t... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-Noodles and cottage cheese was the defining dish of my childhood. I think of it as the Eastern European version of boxed macaroni and cheese-a culinary staple of youth. Whenever I bring up noodles and cottage cheese in conversation, it always elicits a strong reaction: Either there is an immediate enthusiastic nostalgia associated with it, or instant confusion and/or disgust. I've found little neutrality on the subject. The polarity of responses inspired me to do more... Full story
Love thy neighbor?... I read this in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along: "More than 200,000 Syrian civilians have benefited from Israeli aid sent over since last June, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) revealed. Dubbed 'Operation Good Neighbor,' the ongoing effort has seen the transfer of hundreds of tons of supplies to the residents of towns and villages just over the Syrian-Israeli border since the beginning of the civil war in 2013. According to the Jerusalem Post, the... Full story
(JTA)-There's a long and poignant story behind the T-shirt that Ari'el Stachel often wears these days. It says, in Hebrew letters, "Totzeret Teman"-"Product of Yemen." The unexpected juxtaposition of two cultures, Israeli and Arab, is as fascinating and complex as Stachel himself. Stachel, 26, is an actor and singer making his Broadway debut in "The Band's Visit," a charming new musical starring Tony Shalhoub ("Monk") and the rising star Katrina Lenk. The play is based on the 2007 award-winning... Full story
SAN FRANCISCO (JTA)-Lyla Maymon and Jane Shvartzman went to interview officials last year at the Larkin Street Youth, a local organization fighting homelessness among young people, to see if their programs were worthy of a philanthropic grant. Maymon and Shvartzman asked all the right questions, like what percentage of the group's budget was used for overhead and how it planned to spend the money. They had looked up its financials on GuideStar, a database of nonprofit files. So, perhaps not... Full story
When India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel last July and waded in the ocean with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that historic meeting not only paved the way for a stronger relationship between the countries, it spurred local doctors, Jewish and Indian, to have an informative, networking event together. Drs. Amish Parikh and Daniel Layish, friends who are members of the Central Florida Association of Physicians from the Indian Subcontinent and the Jewish Federation of Greater... Full story
Salute to all who are willing to sacrifice for our country... I am writing this column in advance. It is Veteran's Day and I am the proud mother of a Lt. Commander Navy, former Army vet who served in Iraq, and former sailor who served on a minesweeper in the Persian Gulf. I am also the widow of a Korean War Army veteran. (I never served, but wow, how I worried!) Speaking of Veteran's... I received this letter from AARP Fraud Watch Network. It began, "They protected us. Now it's time to protect... Full story
The great wonder known as the Dead Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate. This calamity has brought Dead Sea explorer and researcher Noam Bedein to lecture halls across the U.S. with the hope of bringing awareness on what changes we may be witnessing in the coming years. On Oct. 23, Bedein spoke to the students at the University of Central Florida. The event was sponsored by the student organization Knights for Israel and CAMERA on Campus. Bedein's stunning photography and virtual reality... Full story
(JTA)-Mark Zuckerberg wrote last December on Facebook that for him, "religion is very important." Looks like he meant it. The Facebook co-founder has been invoking Judaism a lot lately. In May, he quoted a Jewish prayer at Harvard's commencement. Two weeks ago he posted a picture of his daughter with a family kiddush cup. And on Saturday night, he posted a public apology at the end of Yom Kippur. It's quite a transformation for a public figure who once defined himself as an atheist. Although he... Full story
Do you know the history of the $1 bill? And do you know who Haym Solomon was? You may be in for quite a surprise! Looking at the backside of the One Dollar bill, you will see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved. If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a... Full story
How sweet it is (or isn't)... Wow! What can't Israel do? They are leading the world in cures for many diseases, coming up with fabulous inventions that make our lives easier... and now... a new App that assesses fruit freshness! I read the following in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along: "As published in the Times of Israel, an Israeli startup-Aclar Tech-has developed a mobile app that monitors, in real time, the ripeness, freshness and quality of fruits. The AclaroMeter... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-I had heard the myth of chocolate cakes made with cooked quinoa and didn't quite believe they would actually be tasty. This cake is surprisingly moist and delicious. Note: This recipe is gluten- and dairy-free, and Passover friendly. You can make this cake up to three days in advance, and it also freezes well. This recipe is excerpted with permission from Paula Shoyer's cookbook "The Healthy Jewish Kitchen." Ingredients: For the cake: 3/4 cup quinoa 1 1/2 cups water Cooking... Full story
BERLIN (JTA)-In late 1943, the Germans were desperate to cover all traces of their death camp in Sobibor, Poland. They demolished buildings, bulldozed the evidence, planted trees. More than 70 years later, archaeologists led by Yoram Haimi of the Israel Antiquities Authority set about excavating the site, uncovering gas chambers, mass graves-and, late last year, a girl's silver pendant. It is engraved with a date, the place name "Frankfurt" and the Hebrew words "mazal tov." A cry from the... Full story
(JTA)-On a recent Friday, Eitan Press stood in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market offering to apply balm to the beards of passers-by. Press was hoping they would get hooked on his product, an ointment that comes in a variety of Jewish-themed scents, including the popular Sukkot (myrtle, lemon, lemongrass and mint) and Havdalah (clove and cinnamon). The founder of the Aleph Male beard balm company, Press estimates that he has "anointed hundreds of beards" since its founding in July. "I've seen how... Full story
(JTA)-Of all the many loaded issues tied to the bloody history of Jews in the former Soviet Union, none is as sensitive today in that part of the world as their role in the 1917 revolution that brought the communists to power. The outsized prevalence of Jews in the ranks of the revolution that broke out a century ago on Nov. 7 has remained a mainstay of anti-Semitic vitriol in the area. During the Holocaust, it served as a pretext for the murder of countless Jews across Eastern Europe by... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—For many home cooks, spices are an afterthought, sprinkled on a dish lacking in flavor. Israeli-born, French-educated chef Lior Lev Sercarz wants to change that. “If you want to make good food and beverages you need to know about spices, and I would like to help you know more about it, whether you’re a home cook, whether you’re a professional,” Sercarz, 45, told JTA recently at La Boite, the small spice and biscuit shop he opened in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. Since opening La Boite in 2011, Sercarz has amassed... Full story
TEL AVIV (JTA)-As Hebrew pop music blares, a half-dozen young Israelis swing around stripper poles. Clad in skimpy spandex outfits, the men and women dance, twirl and flip above the hardwood floor. On the sunny street outside the dance studio, passers-by stop to gawk through the picture windows. Some giggle guiltily, while others snap photos with their cellphones. They could be forgiven for assuming the performance was somehow connected to the strip club located across the beachside plaza. But... Full story
A body of an American solider lying peacefully in the snow in a battlefield in Belgium. A Jewish boy in Brooklyn orphaned twice by World War II. And the world-renown photographer who connected the two. This is their story. Samuel Tannenbaum was born on July 10, 1942, in Washington, D.C. to Henry and Bertha Fiedel Tannenbaum. Less than two years later, Henry was drafted into the United States Army, Bertha and Sam moved to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn to be closer to their families. After... Full story
One hundred years ago, on Nov. 2, 1917, the British Government issued the Balfour Declaration. This month, British Prime Minister Theresa May stated, "we are proud of the role that we played in the creation of the State of Israel." Jewish Rights to Palestine were internationally guaranteed. In the first Report of the High Commissioner on the Administration of Palestine (1920-1925) presented to the British secretary of state for the Colonies, published in April 1925, the most senior official of t... Full story
(JTA)-"It was very peculiar," said Gilbert Gottfried, 62, about becoming the subject of the aptly named bio-documentary, "Gilbert." "The filmmaker, Neil Berkeley, came to me and said he'd always dreamed about making a Gilbert Gottfried documentary," the comedian told JTA in a telephone interview. "I told him you should set your dreams higher." When they first met in October 2014, Gottfried was not enthused at the prospect of the film. He was concerned about what he called the "'Wizard of Oz'... Full story
By Curt Schleier (JTA)-Turns out you don't actually have to be a guest on Henry Louis Gates' PBS show "Finding Your Roots" to, well, find your roots. Gili Rozenfeld, 29, a video editor who lives in Tel Aviv, caught a glimpse of the episode that ran Tuesday on Israeli TV showing actress Scarlett Johansson tearing up when she learns of ancestors who died in the Warsaw Ghetto. Rozenfeld was shocked when she recognized the names of Johansson's relatives, particularly Zlata Szlamberg, who was 15 at... Full story
