Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 2526 - 2550 of 4419
This year, for the first time in 60 years, Harry Lowenstein will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah without his beloved wife Carol. It will be a bittersweet occasion, only a few short weeks after what would have been their sixtieth anniversary. But Harry is a survivor-as well as a mensch-a person with integrity and honor. Harry Lowenstein was born in Fuerstrau, Germany, in 1931, the younger of two children. When he was seven years old, Harry was expelled from school for being a Jew. In 1940, he and... Full story
Before I even start this column, I want to say that I am writing it well in advance of Hurricane Irma and I hope all of you (and your pets) came through safe and sound. A saying that caught my eye... It rings true to me. It's attributed to a lady named HILARY COOPER: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Lebanon bans movie... I read this in a recent issue of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Digest: "Following pressure by... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—It’s always difficult to whittle down the list of influential Jews who died in a given year, but this year the task seemed to be especially tough. The number of Jews who left historic marks on their fields—and, more broadly, on Jewish culture—was remarkable. As 5777 draws to a close, here are some members of the tribe—representing areas as diverse as pop culture to politics—we’ve mourned since last Rosh Hashanah. Carrie Fisher, 60 Most know Carrie Fisher because of her iconic role as Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” f... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)-As a kid, I didn't live a particularly Jewish life. We were sent to Hebrew school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and got dropped off at Sunday school. We fidgeted through services occasionally-usually because we were attending a bar mitzvah or it was High Holidays season. I went to Saturday morning services pretty regularly the year prior to my own bat mitzvah-only because it was a requirement. My parents were under no such requirements, so their weekends were filled with other... Full story
As we are in the midst of the Jewish High Holidays, I can't help but remember where my husband and I were last year at this time. We had embarked on a Gate 1 Travel guided tour of Central and Eastern Europe visiting four countries. This trip began in Budapest, Hungary, then we traveled by bus to Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; and ended in Berlin, Germany. From there we added a week on our own in Paris. In my usual fashion, I made it a point to visit the Jewish communities, former... Full story
Repair the World, the largest Jewish service organization, invited young adults to Act Now for a Different Kind of Service with the 2017 Jewish High Holidays chapter of its service and education campaign. Repair the World also announced that the year-long campaign, “Act Now,” will mobilize people to address immediate issues and engage in critical conversations at many other meaningful times throughout the Jewish year, including the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving, MLK Day, and Purim, culminating with Passover in 2018. “Jewish young adult... Full story
I am so proud... I really am very proud of all the strides in medicine made by scientists at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev Center of Medical Innovation. That's why I write about it so often. I know that (heaven forbid) if a loved one or I was diagnosed with an illness, I would probably turn to them or have them consulted in some way. I received this information recently and pass it along to you: There is an urgent need for new therapies to target challenging, difficult-to-treat cancer... Full story
Few books in the last decade have aroused the controversy and public debate, at least in Europe, as Michel Houellebecq's "Submission." Still at the top of the charts in France, the novel, "Soumission" in its original French, has now conquered Germany, shooting to the top of the charts in its first week in shops, with more than a quarter of a million copies now in print in German. The novel, which drew controversy over its topic even before publication, was released in France on Jan. 7, the day... Full story
(JTA)-A challah-baking Jewish giant, a young baseball champ and an endearing boy in a pumpkin patch are among the stars of five delightful new books for kids published just in time for the High Holidays. This year's crop includes new stories by two of the country's most prominent children's book writers, David A. Adler and Eric A. Kimmel, who have entertained and informed decades of young readers. Three of the books are set during the holidays-Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year; Yom Kippur, the... Full story
Like most Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah brings to mind certain traditional food customs-the most well-known being the dipping of apples in honey. And while a classic apple pie or cake is a lovely way to commemorate our hopes for a "sweet new year," I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit. These apple and honey pie "pops" are a cinch to make-and even more fun to eat! They can be assembled (and frozen) in advance, and are especially nice to serve for a crowd-no cutting or forks needed... Full story
By Shannon Sarna (The Nosher via JTA)-I think we can all agree that shakshuka is probably one of the greatest dishes ever created. It's easy, simple and you can usually make it from stuff you already have in the house: canned tomatoes, spices and eggs. You can add vegetables like roasted eggplant, fresh (or frozen) spinach or cheese like feta or goat cheese. It's also versatile in terms of size: You can make a small portion or a much larger one. Shakshuka for a crowd is ideal for brunch... Full story
October 2016 The new year started off late (according to our Gregorian calendar). Tishrei 1, 5777 was on Oct. 3, 2016. New enterprises began, such as Zayde’s Kosher Catering, an extension of Zayde’s Kosher Kitchen, which was already established in the Rosen Plaza Hotel—the only hotel in town with a kosher kitchen to serve all its hotel guests. Now the kosher service is available for anyone who wants any event catered by a completely kosher service. And what a way to enter the new year! Florida’s 550,000-strong Jewish community braced for the... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Latif Jiji looks over this year's crop at Chateau Latif with an expression of satisfaction. If you've never heard of Chateau Latif, you're not alone. In fact, your favorite sommelier probably hasn't heard of it, either. It's not from the south of France, nor is it from Napa Valley. Rather, it's terroir is the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As far as he knows, Jiji is the only winemaker in Manhattan who grows his own grapes on the island. The "chateau" is the brownstone that Jiji,... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)-For Rosh Hashanah, many of us eat an apple dipped in honey as an auspicious sign for a sweet new year. The symbolism is clear, and the ritual as easy to pull off as squeezing a bear-shaped plastic bottle of honey. But what kind of a year could you expect from eating leeks, spinach and a fish head? A year of being a contestant on "Chopped"? Many Sephardic Jews practice a custom at Rosh Hashanah dinner called "yehi ratzones"-"may it be God's will"-which calls for a kind of... Full story
By Debra Kamin TEL AVIV (JTA)—Rabbi Talia Avnon-Benvinste grew up secular. Her family felt deeply and culturally Jewish, but beyond the regular Israeli rhythms of holidays and shared history, didn’t observe religious customs. But when, in the 1980s, Avnon-Benvinste turned 12, she shocked her family by telling them she wanted a religious ceremony to celebrate her bat mitzvah. Avnon-Benvinste’s family was on a kibbutz in Israel—not in the United States, where Reform Jewish congregations offer religious coming-of-age ceremonies to girls as well as... Full story
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippor are just a few weeks away and Chanukah is fast approaching. There will not be a new Chanukah stamp this year. This means local post offices will not be getting Chanukah stamps automatically. They will have to order them. If you want to buy Chanukah stamps this year, now is the time for you to go to your local post office and ask to speak to the person who orders stamp supplies. Tell him/her to order Chanukah stamps now so they will have them in time for the... Full story
A worldwide registry of Sukkahs has been set up, and is listed online at www.localsukkah.org. The directory has been designed for Jews to locate a Sukkah near to them, so that they can go there to eat. The idea of this service is not to list every Sukkah, but to try and have a Sukkah listed for every area in which Jewish people may find themselves during Sukkos. The main focus of this service is to enable people who work on Chol-Hamoed to eat lunch in a Sukkah, which is close to their place of work. As all listings are confirmed annually prior... Full story
(JTA)-Ahead of the 120th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress that Theodor Herzl organized in Switzerland, 120 men and women named for him gathered in Herzliya to celebrate his legacy. On Aug. 29, 1897, Herzl, a journalist who was born in what today is Hungary, convened in the city of Basel some 200 participants from 17 countries, including 69 delegates from various Zionist societies. The gathering, the first of its kind in terms of scale, is widely regarded as a watershed in the effort to... Full story
Something to think about... I read this on Facebook. It was posted by our own ALAN ROCK: This was a line from the mouth of Thomas Jefferson: "When the speech condemns a free press, you are hearing the words of a tyrant." (Nuff said!) From Ben-Gurion University of the Negev... "Sometimes it's easy to forget what a miracle today's Israel is. Everywhere you look, you see a modern, vibrant, thriving nation with more promise than imagination could have conceived a few decades ago. And Israel's... Full story
(JTA)-The Nazi punching debate (is it OK to punch a Nazi?) went viral in January after a liberal protester slugged white supremacist Richard Spencer in the face during President Donald Trump's inauguration. But whether it's OK to confront hatred with violence is not a new topic of conversation. The question was debated in the 1930s among American Jews, who were faced with both the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Nazi sympathizers at home. One hotbed for the debate was Newark, New Jersey,... Full story
The story I am about to tell is real, happened to me, and I am glad to share both as a way to praise God for His mercy and grace, and to share a uniquely Israeli and Jewish perspective on a story that may not be so unique in general. It is in every way a Shabbat miracle for which I will forever be profoundly grateful. Shabbat, complete day of rest. The Torah lists 39 forms of work that were used to build the Tabernacle. Observance of Shabbat means a full avoidance of all these, and the modern... Full story
Taylor Swift’s newest, record-breaking single “Look What You Made Me Do” is eliciting both shock and questions from her fans and her critics. What do the dark lyrics mean? What is she trying to say? Many critics of Swift’s vengeful-laced song are surprised by her rage and hatred of others, but Taylor’s deepest hatred is directed at herself. In one of the saddest lines of the song she writes: “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh ‘cause she’s dead.” In some ways her new release is oddly timely. With a few we... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—There’s a small music room in the basement of cellist Maya Beiser’s large, kempt house in the leafy Riverdale section of the Bronx. It’s pretty spare—a few cellos, some basic recording equipment and posters from past concerts. Against one wall, though, rests a cherry red Gibson SG guitar, the kind made famous by AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. Beiser—a tall, auburn-haired and beautiful Israeli-American—smiles when asked about it. “I play around with it sometimes,” she said. She also owns several foot pedals, which alter and distort... Full story
The mystical meaning of the next eclipse which is only seven years away. Amazingly enough, the “totality eclipse” which took place this past Monday across the continental United States was not the end of the story. While eclipses of this magnitude are fairly rare occurrences—scientists tell us that if you stood in one place on earth you would have to wait on average another 360 years until you again saw another total eclipse—this time round is going to be different. A sequel is due a mere seven years later, on April 8, 2024. This proximi... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—On the night of Rosh Hashanah, thousands of people will leave work, gather in congregations across the globe and worship God, the ruler of the world. Ten days later they will begin a fast and gather again to pray, this time atoning for their sins. On both occasions they will praise Jesus Christ and pray for his return. They are not Jews, nor are they Jews for Jesus. Rather, these congregants are members of an evangelical Christian movement called the Living Church of God. On the days Jews know as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, t... Full story
