Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3151 - 3175 of 4432
By Cnaan Liphshiz KAZAN, Russia (JTA)-When the six members of the Simcha klezmer band hauled their instruments into a dilapidated rehearsal space, no one suspected they were about to hijack a government building in this large, clean city some 450 miles east of Moscow. But that's exactly what happened in 1995 when this popular ensemble-founded in 1989 by Jewish musicians during the Soviet Union's twilight years-entered the Teacher's House, a government-controlled building that had once been a syn... Full story
The story of the modern exodus of "Beta Israel" the Jews of Ethiopia during Operations Moses and Solomon, which together airlifted some 22,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel, is well known. Less well known is the dramatic exodus of over 48,000 Jews from Yemen. Almost unknown is the role played by Alaska Airlines. No one knows for certain when the first Jews came to Yemen. Local legend has them being sent as traders by King Solomon. In any event, Jews have lived in Yemen for many centuries. In that... Full story
Dr. Richard Signer, who played a leading role in establishing not one but two of Central Florida's leading children's hospitals, is retiring this week after a 40-year career at Florida Hospital. Dr. Signer arrived in Central Florida in 1976, at which time he was only the second pediatric surgeon in the region. He went on to found Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in 1989, followed by Florida Hospital for Children in 2000. "I want to acknowledge the tremendous kindness and generosity those... Full story
"Freedom is not Free"... How well we know that statement! I, myself, have used it many, many times. But where does it come from? I recently found out when I received the following poem from The American Legion, which was submitted by John M. McCormick. The poem was written by KELLY STRONG while he was still in high school in Homestead, Florida. It was inspired by his father, a career Marine. Kelly Strong later became a commander in the U.S. Coast Guard. Here is the entire poem: "I watched the... Full story
Kinneret Council on Aging welcomed Susan Bernstein of Temple Israel to lead a Tu B' Shevat seder on Thursday, Jan. 21, in the dining room at Kinneret Apartments. Allita Dunn (shown in photo) and 20 other residents participated in the seder that featured fruits and grains and red and white grape juice for wine. "This was the first time our residents experienced a Tu B'Shevat seder," said Leslie Collin, executive administrator of the Kinneret Council on Aging. "We hope to make it an annual event... Full story
Synagogues should not be a place to go just on holidays or special occasions. Today’s challenge is to make synagogues relevant and meaningful so that they are viewed as spiritual and educational centers designed to encourage community engagement year-round. In an effort to find ways to better engage South Florida’s Jewish Community, The Orloff Central Agency for Jewish Education (Orloff CAJE) and the Institute of Jewish Knowledge and Learning (IJKL) will be showcasing innovative practices that have brought a new energy to the 21st century syn... Full story
Justice finally served... I read this in the current issue of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Digest and pass it along to you: "A judge in Kansas has followed a jury's recommendation and sentenced the avowed anti-Semitic and white supremacist FRAZIER GLENN MILLER Jr. to death for the fatal shooting of three people at two Jewish sites in April 2014. Miller was convicted of killing Reat Underwood, 14, and his grandfather, William Corporon, 69, outside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Alejandro Beutel bowed his yarmulke-covered head and pressed his hands and forehead into the 2,000-year-old stones of the Western Wall. After slipping a note into one of the cracks, Beutel whispered a prayer and cried. It's a scene that unfolds daily at the sacred site in the Old City here-except that Beutel is a convert to Islam, the son of a Jewish father and Christian mother. He was one of 11 Muslim activists who visited Israel this month as part of the Muslim Leadership... Full story
In an ongoing effort to assist patients, and particularly young patients overcome the emotional challenges associated with hospitalization, the Lincoln David Abraham Paediatric Educational Institute at Shaare Zedek released a book titled “Preparation for Surgery.” The full color book is specifically designed for children to help familiarize themselves through bright pictures and explanations of the process involved in undergoing surgery at the hospital. The 40-page publication uses a story-book form to chart the course of a young girl who und... Full story
"The Double Life of Laurence Oliphant," by Bart Casey This book is the improbable tale of a Victorian young man who abandoned a glittering career as an author, war correspondent, diplomat and Member of Parliament to embark on a quest to understand the true meaning of life by finding God and the angels in heaven. He believed he succeeded in that mission, together with his beautiful young wife, British heiress Alice le Strange, first by pledging his fortune and subservience to a hypnotic prophet f... Full story
LINDSBORG, Kan. (JTA)-Thousands of birds strutted around like rambunctious kids at recess-six varieties of turkey and nearly 40 breeds of chicken, duck and geese. As soon as a stranger stepped into their dominion, a dozen of the largest toms surrounded the visitor. "They're just making sure you're not here to take over the flock," fourth-generation farmer Frank Reese Jr. explained. Out on the open Kansas prairie, about 80 miles north of Wichita, Reese's Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch has become an... Full story
(Jewniverse via JTA)—Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday (on De. 12, 2015) has brought on a flurry of centennial celebrations, books, exhibits and Sultan of Swoon-inspired concerts. Jack Daniel’s even issued a Sinatra Century blend and Uber offered a fleet of vintage cars so people in New York City could ride in Sinatra style. One detail that maybe wasn’t exactly planned for the festivities was the reveal last week that Sinatra’s body was hidden after his death – in a Jewish funeral home. Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, of a heart attack in Los Ange... Full story
Special to Heritage This is a story about a dog named Lilly, a festering dispute that emptied streets in a Winter Park neighborhood and how two young children responded with acts of tikun olam. It all started Aug. 15 when two neighbors argued about the dog that was off leash. One neighbor, claiming the dog acted aggressively, shot Lilly in the eye. Thanks to a veterinarian who came to the rescue, Lilly recovered, but the neighborhood didn't. Neighborhood streets that once hopped with children pl... Full story
Okay! Okay! I'm sorta old (sorta)... What kind of word is sorta?? And speaking of words and getting older, I received this email recently. Read on: "Lost Expressions from Our Childhood Heavens to Murgatroyd! (Would you believe the email spell checker did not recognize the word murgatroyd?) Words gone as fast as the buggy whip! Sad really! The other day a not so elderly (65) lady said something to her son about driving a Jalopy and he looked at her quizzically and said what the heck is a Jalopy?... Full story
By Julie Wiener (JTA)—Bible scholars are not generally known for producing viral or sexy content. But American Jewish University professor Ziony Zevit is causing a stir with a new book suggesting that in Genesis, Eve was made from a bone in Adam’s penis—not his rib, as we have all been taught. In “What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden,” Zevit, who is distinguished professor of biblical literature and Northwest Semitic languages at the Bel-Air, California, university, makes the case for the baculum, which means penis bone. The (ahem) thrust... Full story
(Washington Jewish Week via JTA)—Maybe it’s the centuries of living under Christian and Muslim rule. Maybe it’s the history of forced conversion. Maybe it’s that there’s no religion requirement for the Jewish afterlife. Whatever the reasons, Jews have traditionally been uncomfortable proselytizing. But a Maryland foundation is flouting the taboo by funding outreach programs to non-Jews in an effort to bring them into the fold. “Our primary purpose is to support programs that publicize Judaism to non-Jews,” Ellen Gerecht, executive dir... Full story
(Washington Jewish Week via JTA)-Since being imprisoned in Cuba six years ago, Alan Gross says his life has been "surreal." He feels disassociated from the causes of his five-year incarceration and from the resulting fame. He was locked up largely because of U.S.-Cuba relations, he says, and he is a public figure thanks to the people who followed his story in the news or advocated on his behalf. "It never was about me," Gross said in an interview in his Washington, D.C., condominium. "My life... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-If the ratings for CW's newest show, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," are any indication, you probably aren't watching it. If not, you're missing out. Now that creator and star Rachel Bloom is nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV series- fingers crossed for her on Sunday!- it's time to tune in. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is hilarious and zany, and as it happens, it addresses Jewish identity in unexpectedly profound ways. The series is the story of Rebecca Bunch, a successful... Full story
(JTA)-It was clear long before the Internet swelled with heartfelt tributes to David Bowie that the late musician was an artistic legend. The 69-year-old Englishman, who died Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer, reinvented himself countless times in a music career that spanned more than five decades. There were stints, too, as a Broadway and Hollywood actor. From his Ziggy Stardust alter ego to his latest album-a jazzy, avant-garde rock release called "Blackstar" released just two days... Full story
AACI–Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel has introduced the first English language eLibrary in Israel. As the oldest and best-known non-profit organization designed to assist English speakers, AACI has grown from a humble ‘helping-hub’ to what is today a member-based organization that addresses nearly every aspect of the absorption experience. Members live in Israel as well as overseas. The AACI Sharon Woodrow Memorial eLibrary was developed in partnership with the digital innovator Library Ideas’ “Freading” division. It contains... Full story
As a child, Judith Dazzio didn't have a connection to the Holocaust. She is not Jewish, she did not live in Europe, and she did not live during the war years. There was little reason to expect that the Holocaust and its images would be the center of a decade-long passion in her adulthood. In sixth grade, Dazzio's class was visited by a Holocaust survivor, and that single visit laid the groundwork for an extraordinary body of work. The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based artist spent 10 years creating... Full story
After 41 years of taking care of Central Florida children as a pediatrician, Dr. Edward Zissman retired from his private practice, Altamonte Pediatric Associates, on Dec. 31, 2015. It is the end of a fruitful career that began in Philadelphia, his hometown, where he graduated from Temple University and Hahnemann Medical College, and then completed his pediatric internship at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and pediatric residency at the U.S. Naval Hospital and New England Medical Center in Boston.... Full story
The Seeking Kin column aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. (JTA)-"Seeking Kin" offers relationship stories over time. They are stories about the meaningful bonds people share with one another, how ties fade and why they mean enough for someone to strive to rekindle them. So as we celebrate our 100th column, we revisit four people with whom I have formed nice friendships while doing research and a fifth, a friend for three decades, who helps make "Seeking Kin" possible. Three... Full story
(Jewniverse via JTA)-Why does putting the word "Jew" in front of any object make it sound a little anti-Semitic? There are several theories for how the jewfish (Promicrops), an Atlantic saltwater grouper with fins and scales, got its name. It may derive from the Italian giupesce, which means "bottom fish," or may have originally been named "jawfish" for its large mouth. A less flattering theory is that in the 1800s, jewfish were declared inferior and only fit for Jews. The Maryland-based... Full story
We are all following the news these days... I recently received the following letter (in part) from Rabbi MARVIN HIER, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center: "I know you have been following the news from Israel with increasing alarm as a wave of murderous stabbings, shootings, bombings and car rammings have been unleashed by Palestinians against their Jewish neighbors. This barbaric and relentless new surge of terrorism has enraged Israelis. And you can see why when you consider the... Full story
