Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3238 - 3262 of 4702
By Shannon Sarna (The Nosher via JTA)-If a sweet pulled brisket married a can of baked beans, this dish would be their delicious baby. I love baked beans, right out of the can, all summer long for cookouts and backyard parties. It reminds me of my childhood, not to mention it's just straight up easy and cheap. You can follow all my steps below. You could also put a brisket in a slow cooker with some water, a bottle of store-bought barbecue sauce and maybe an onion. After 3 1/2 hours, add the... Full story
Ha Ha Ha Hee Hee Hee Ho Ho Ho... No. Santa Claus isn't coming to town. (No way! This is a Jewish story!) I'm writing about my experience the other day with the Jewish Community Center's Laughter Yoga class that takes place every Monday afternoon from 12:15 pm until 1 pm. It is lead by the very talented and likeable DANA KAPLAN. I walked into the designated room at the JCC with Dana and saw some chairs in a semi-circle waiting for us. Lovely gals who were taking part, Barbara and Sylvia, were... Full story
Joshua Aaron Overturf: Marine veteran, firefighter, EMT, National Guard Army, training for Staff Sargent promotion and getting ready to attend paramedic school so that he can change his military occupational specialty to work as a helicopter medic. As if these accomplishments weren’t enough, my son also saved my life. I want to go back a little and tell you about what happened to me before this incident. On June 13, 2016, I had emergency surgery to fix a blockage behind a hernia on the right side of my stomach. I was in the hospital until J... Full story
JEDWABNE, Poland (JTA)-As German army troops invaded eastern Poland, Ichak Lewin's family fled their town of Wizna. On July 10, 1941, the Lewins approached the nearby town of Jedwabne, where hundreds of Jews lived and had the means to shelter other Jews. But the Lewins soon realized they had come to the wrong place. "We were on the cart when we smelled a fire and another bad smell," said Lewin, recalling the day 75 years ago that has changed how millions in Poland and beyond think of the... Full story
On Sunday, July 17, The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando's Theater at the J will host a One Orlando Concert. All proceeds from ticket and concession sales will benefit the One Orlando Fund, established by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to assist victims of the Pulse tragedy. Kerry and Amanda Giese, the directors of Theater at the J, felt that the amazing talent of the theater's performers could be helpful to raising money for the medical bills, funeral costs, and day-to-day expenses of the people... Full story
(JTA)-On my bookshelves there are two rows of volumes on the Soviet Jewry movement. Squeezed in among the tomes is a small, well-worn paperback with pages no longer attached to the spine, "The Jews of Silence," by Elie Wiesel. This slim volume is, however, a bridge. It crossed Wiesel and his readers over from his prior works, hearing the screams of those silenced in the Holocaust, to an eloquent challenge in 1966 to listen to the cry of our silenced but living oppressed brethren in the USSR.... Full story
Speaking with passion and commitment, nationally known speaker/media expert Laurie Cardoza-Moore, founder and president of Proclaiming Justice To the Nations (PJTN), once again encouraged her audience in Altamonte Springs to take a stand against the BDS movement. The event was hosted by the Greater Orlando Citizen Action Network. "My message... is if you stand by and you do nothing in your lifetime when you see what is happening to Israel and you see the rise of anti-Semitism, will you share... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-Look, I'm going to be honest with you: Deep frying is a huge pain. It's hot, it's splattery, sometimes things come out raw and it's not exactly healthy. BUT! Big, big but. It is also, when done right, one of the best things in the world. Deep frying has given us french fries, doughnuts, falafel and, perhaps most important, fried chicken. If there's a better food than fried chicken, I don't know it. To give this American comfort food classic an Israeli twist, I added plenty o... Full story
(JTA)-Most people know Elie Wiesel as the author of "Night," one of the first published autobiographical accounts of what life was like inside Nazi concentration camps. The book, which helped shape the American understanding of the effects of the Holocaust, has since become a staple on high school reading and best-seller lists. But Wiesel wrote more than 50 books of fiction and nonfiction-and not all were focused on his harrowing experiences in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald camps. He was... Full story
Remember Hezbollah?... With all the talk and worry about Isis these days, we almost put on the "back burner" terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. DAVID HARRIS of the American Jewish Congress wrote the following (in part) on April 27th of this year: "Nearly three years ago, The European Union finally overcame its longstanding resistance and addressed the issue of adding Hezbollah to its terrorism list. The good news is that the 28 member states, prompted by the determination of Bulgaria,... Full story
(JTA)-In the world of television, Rachel Goldberg is a rare character: a Jewish, female antihero. She's the main character in "UnREAL," a scripted drama on Lifetime about the behind-the-scenes world of a "The Bachelor"-type reality show called "Everlasting." Rachel is played by Shiri Appleby, who's best known for her lead role as Liz Parker on "Roswell"; more recently she played Adam's nice Jewish girlfriend, Natalia, on "Girls." Rachel is complex in the way that all humans are complex-though sh... Full story
TULSA, Okla. (JTA)-Walk into Congregation B'nai Emunah on any Tuesday afternoon and you'll barely get through the massive, light-filled foyer before it hits you: an aromatic wave of warm oatmeal and raisins, or perhaps a sweet surge of rich, melting chocolate chips. What you're smelling isn't catered food for a bar mitzvah bash. Rather it's one of the most highly regarded bakeries in the region, which is also an innovative social justice project that might just be a model for civic-minded... Full story
A new Jewish community resident snowbird, Bill Squires of Windermere and Massachusetts, sang 'G-d Bless America' during the seventh inning stretch at the Boston Red Sox-Seattle Mariners baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Father's Day, June 19. A retired businessman, Squires has performed the 'Star Spangled Banner,' 'O Canada,' and 'G-d Bless America' at over 280 events throughout the east coast and Texas, including the Amway Center in Orlando; Florida spring training games for the... Full story
Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas terrorist leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef and author of a 2011 New York Times bestseller memoir, recently re-emerged in news headlines when he spoke at the annual conference of the Jerusalem Post newspaper. The so-called "Green Prince," Yousef is a Palestinian born in Ramallah and raised by one of Hamas's most dangerous leaders. The younger Yousef was arrested by Israel, but rather than becoming further hardened in prison, he became enlightened about the... Full story
AMSTERDAM (JTA)-In a country where 75 percent of Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, the Moszkowicz family of lawyers stood out as a unique Jewish success story. Descended from Max Moszkowicz, a steel-willed Auschwitz survivor who became Holland's first modern celebrity attorney, his four lawyer sons took the family business to new heights, turning their name into a household brand here with winning arguments in some of the country's most famous trials. Max Moszkowicz himself in 1987 obtained... Full story
Shades of Jack Benny... Everyone who remembers beloved comedian, JACK BENNY, remembers that he always claimed to be 39 years old. (Well mentally, maybe). Anyway, I believe that's where the Jewish Community Center's 39ers Group got its name! I attended a meeting of the 39ers last Monday afternoon. The members were all very nice and welcoming to me. I knew most of them by their faces but could not remember names. Many knew my name though, because of this column. JCC Program Director MARNI... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Eve Goldberg's son, Isaac, was in a panic. He had to get out of college. Isaac Goldberg Volkmar had been at the University of Rhode Island for less than a semester in 2009 when he called his mother desperate to escape. He had joined a fraternity, where his brothers got him to take the pain medications Percocet and OxyContin. After a few months the New York teen knew he was addicted and needed help. From there, Isaac was in and out of rehab in Pennsylvania and New York. He... Full story
By Pamela Ruben A few days ago our youngest flew the coop, and was off to college without so much as a look back. His newly empty-nesting parents made up for his lack of nostalgia with a few tears and endless Facebook posts about his launch and arrival at college. Since he's been gone, we have received six short texts (but who's counting?) and one emoji sharing his status, which we can report is 'thumbs up.' From his cryptic messages, I have pieced together that all is well, and that, for the... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-In thinking about "Jewish" desserts, certain dishes immediately come to mind: Babka. Rugelach. Hamantaschen. And, if you ask me, the black and white cookie. I don't think I'm alone here, but I didn't actually know why. So I did some research and discovered that the iconic cookie has ties to Glaser's Bake Shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side, which opened in 1902. Now I don't date back quite that far, but I can unequivocally claim a lifelong love affair with the black and... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Instead of visiting the Western Wall, they visited Ellis Island. Instead of hiking in the Negev Desert, they took a day trip to a Habonim-Dror summer camp. Instead of basking in the sun on the Tel Aviv beach, they watched clips of the Three Stooges mocking the Nazis. And instead of Birthright, a 10-day trip meant to acquaint American Jews with Israel, a cohort of Israeli graduate students participated in a 10-day trip to get to know American Jews. The trip, which began June 18,... Full story
HARRISBURG, Pa. (JTA)-Taking a seat on the dugout bench of the Portland Sea Dogs, Nate Freiman politely dismisses the premise that he pines to return to the major leagues. Maybe it's a defense mechanism now that he's two seasons and three organizations removed from his last appearance in the bigs. But Freiman, dripping sweat from pregame batting and fielding practice, projects sincerity in his gratitude for playing baseball professionally-all the more so for his hometown Red Sox's AA affiliate... Full story
Since our last column, our Central Florida community has been changed indelibly. While the horrific attack at the Pulse nightclub brought immense grief and anger to our City Beautiful, the resulting collaborations to promote inclusion and unity have made us extremely proud to be Orlando Strong. As a Jewish community, it has been so heartening to see our clergy out in force with their counterparts from other faiths, to see our synagogues lead discussions on healing and to watch our community members participate as individuals in the various... Full story
The seed for the city of Cleveland's first professional championship in a major sport in 52 years may have been planted at the Shaw Jewish Community Center on White Pond Drive in Akron, Ohio, nearly 20 years ago. That's when a tall, lanky kid from Akron named LeBron James walked onto the hardwood court and changed the game of basketball forever. Coach Keith Dambrot, now the head basketball coach at the University of Akron, conducted those sessions that attracted between 50 and 100 players.... Full story
About Israeli boycotts... I read this in a recent issue of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and will share it with you: "The World Jewish Congress welcomed a decision by the British government to issue binding guidance to all public authorities in the UK aimed at preventing them from boycotting Israeli suppliers and imposing stiff penalties on those who do. WJC CEO ROBERT SINGER called the new rules 'a significant step and a major victory against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—It’s a truth universally acknowledged that if you have a child, random strangers will talk to you. They will comment on your child’s looks or behavior or on your parenting skills, or they’ll tell you about their own children, or they’ll offer unasked-for advice. Sometimes the best response is to politely yet briefly engage, then move on. Sometimes the conversation actually is interesting and you want to chat more. Sometimes it’s worth speaking up and pointing out the idiocy/offensiveness of what they’re saying. And sometimes... Full story
