Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3321 - 3345 of 4702
BRUSSELS (JTA)-I was feeling nervous about coming to Brussels for seder with my family. Making the 130-mile trip there from my home in Amsterdam meant taking my 5-month-old son on a train that last year saw an attempted jihadist attack, and into a city that is still reeling and on alert from the March 22 Islamist bombings that killed 32 people. I wasn't worried about terrorism, though. Having experienced, by the time I turned 19, two intifadas and the Gulf War missile attacks in my native Israel... Full story
JACKSON, N.J. (JTA)-Pinchas Cohen spent most of Monday wandering around Six Flags Great Adventure under a blazing sun, wearing a knee-length black coat and carrying a big box of shmura matzah under his arm. An imposing, Russian-born Chabad-Lubavitch Hasid who now lives in Brooklyn, Cohen came to this amusement park in New Jersey with his 11-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, the two youngest of his nine children, to have some fun on the first day of chol hamoed, the intermediate days of Pass... Full story
TEL AVIV (JTA)-On an army base in northern Israel, a scrawny nerd with glasses shakily patrols in the dead of night. Suddenly he's ambushed by a group of militants in kaffiyehs, and he's forced to fight for his life, using everything from a gun to a knife to a desk lamp, until he's left with blood dripping down his face. This isn't the most recent flare-up in the Israeli terror wave. It's a scene from the recent horror film "Freak Out," starring Itay Zvolon-who is famous in Israel for a... Full story
Two representatives of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando joined more than 200 participants from seven countries who gathered April 10-12 in Baltimore for the 8th Annual PJ Library Conference. Jennifer Cohen, JFGO's director of Outreach and Engagement, and Aleah Mathews, volunteer co-chair of JFGO's Shalom Families committee, represented Greater Orlando at the conference. PJ Library, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that is administered and subsidized locally by the Jewish... Full story
A monthly update on current issues from the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando’s Jewish Community Relations Council Hello, and welcome to the first monthly column from the Jewish Community Relations Council! We look forward to sharing news, information, and action items on how you can make a difference in Central Florida and beyond. For our first column, we want to simply introduce ourselves and tell you what we do. As part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, the mission of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is to live our... Full story
(JTA)-The story of Chiune Sugihara-the Japanese consul in Kovno, Lithuania, who disobeyed his government's orders in 1940 and issued transit visas through Japan to thousands of Jews seeking to flee war-torn Europe-wasn't widely known until 1985, when Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial authority, honored him as one of the Righteous Among the Nations. But I grew up hearing Sugihara's story because he saved my father's life. My father, the attorney Nathan Lewin, is a Sugihara survivor. I also... Full story
By Hillel Kuttler The "Seeking Kin" column aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. (JTA)-"If only," it's the most common regret expressed by "Seeking Kin" interviewees, and by genealogists generally. David Harel has dug into his family's history impressively, but second-guesses himself for never asking his late father, Yaakov Halberstadt, key questions before Halberstadt died at 96 in 2010, or for not pressing to address other mysteries. Harel, 74, who lives on Kibbutz Yavne, near... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—Every year it happens in just about the same way: I pledge to stick to it. I create reminders and support systems. I beg my husband to join me in the daily routine. And then at some point, I fail. No, I’m not talking about a fad diet; I’m talking about the ancient Jewish ritual of counting the omer. Every night, starting from the second night of Passover (at the seder), Jews count an “omer”—a measurement of grain that was brought to the ancient Temple in Jerusalem as an offering. Of course, now the counting is only symbolic: W... Full story
From mystery to mystery, We are the Phoenix Firebird Garuda Bennu Choi. They tried to destroy us, Shot Beheaded Crucified, and Threw us in ovens. From the alter of ashes We arose Stronger Smarter More powerful. Don’t they know? Our destruction is—Impossible. From mystery to mystery, We are Jews.... Full story
I know what's wrong... I was recently visited by my dear cousin Ben, a retired psychologist. One of my sons is also a psychologist. His wife is a psychologist. My machatunim (her mom) is a retired psychologist... THEY NOW CONFIRM THAT I AM NUTS! (But I kind of knew that already.) Not a surprise... With all the anti-Semitism in the world these days, this report I recently received from the World Jewish Congress (WJC) under the heading "Immigration to Israel Highest Since 2003," doesn't surprise... Full story
ISRAEL21c-Shafrir Levi's baby boy loves to slurp spoonsful of bananas, pears and apples mashed with pure sesame-seed paste, known as tahina in Israel and tahini most other places. The baby's affinity for ground sesame seeds is understandable, and not just because tahini is a staple of the Israeli diet (the word tahina comes from the Hebrew verb "to grind"). His ancestor in Morocco was a master of making the tahini-based treat called halva, and opened the Halva Kingdom in Jerusalem in 1947.... Full story
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (JTA)-"Why can't we eat veggie burritos tonight? Will I be miracled? Will they play 'The Wheel?' Will Phil sing?" These four additional questions were asked at a Passover seder this week that's quickly becoming a new Bay Area tradition. Fans of the legendary psychedelic band the Grateful Dead celebrated Passover for the third year in a row Wednesday night at Terrapin Crossroads, the Marin County club owned by the band's bassist, Phil Lesh. This was the first year that seders... Full story
ISRAEL21c-Two guys walk into a New York City bar in 2003 and meet a couple of Brazilian women. "What do you miss most from home?" the men ask. "Agua de coco," the women answer. Coconut water. In 2004, the two men found Vita Coco, which takes off like wildfire as consumers everywhere seek alternatives to sugary soft drinks. Today, Vita Coco is the global market leader in coconut water, the clear nutritious liquid inside young green coconuts. The company has 10 manufacturing facilities in eight... Full story
"Protecting Paige," by Deby Eisenberg Retracing events from the 1915 Eastland disaster on the Chicago River to the Holocaust and beyond, "Protecting Paige" is a multi-layered historical novel driven by twists, turns, and revelations. Deby Eisenberg, a local Chicago author, presents a riveting story revolving around Paige, a girl orphaned by a random act of gang violence, her two unlikely saviors, and her discovery of secret tragedies and startling truths at the core of her identity. Opening in C... Full story
When Alex Kahn, son of Valerie and Dr. Bernard (Bernie) Kahn of Maitland, joined Startup Institute Chicago's web development course in fall 2014, he'd already been a technologist at heart and was ready to take this passion to the main stage. With a degree in economics and prior experience in market research, growth-strategy, and IT for his dad's dental practice, Kahn came to Chicago ready to immerse himself in both tech skills and the tech community. A quick study, it wasn't long after... Full story
What a "turn around"... I read this recently in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest under the heading "British Chief Rabbi Calls for Islam to Be Taught in Jewish Schools." It surprised me and I feel you should know about it too: "Britain's Chief Rabbi EPHRAIM MIRVIS has recommended that children be taught about Islam as part of government proposed changes to the curriculum for religious studies. Beginning in September, British schools will be required to teach two faiths as part of their... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-Beans are a staple food on many Cuban dinner tables: They are inexpensive, can feed an army and are easily adaptable to whatever you find in your fridge and pantry. There's something about a pot of beans, simmering low and slow on the stove all day, allowing all of the flavors and aromas to release, that screams home-cooked comfort. Plus, nothing sticks to your ribs on a cold day better than a good bean soup or stew. To be fair, I'd eat this even on a warm day. In fact, I... Full story
A few years ago, my friend J. Zel Lurie, a Delray Beach resident and founding editor of Hadassah magazine, decided he wanted to do something special to mark his 100th birthday. He decided to publish the illuminated pages of an ancient manuscript he had photographed in 1978 in Cairo at the synagogue of a Jewish sect known as the Karaites. The manuscript was the legendary Cairo Codex, originally known as the Codex of the Prophets, which had been in possession of the Karaites-a group that rebelled... Full story
Last summer, RAISE program coordinator Loren London received a phone call from Heidi Solomon director of Jewish Family Services Association of Cleveland's Horvitz YouthAbility. "Can our group perform for RAISE or another venue when we come to Orlando next year?" asked Solomon. London explained to Solomon that RAISE is a work program for people with special needs, but she would look into finding a place for YouthAbility to perform. After seeing a video online of YouthAbility's performance, two... Full story
(JTA)-Afikomen hunts, a rambunctious pup and the catchy classic "Dayenu." All are featured in a half-dozen new Passover books for children that will inform and entertain even the littlest kid-or a whole herd of 'em. The eight-day holiday kicks off this year on the evening of April 22. Why not pick up a new tome for the tyke in your life? Prices are about two zuzim and up. Passover is Coming Tracy Newman, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli Kar-Ben; ages 1-4; $5.99 This colorful board book is the... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-With Passover comes lots of cleaning, matzah eating, and potato peeling. I know, I know-potatoes get a bad rap during Passover because they're one of the seemingly few things we can eat (and therefore are made very frequently during these eight days). But I say don't fight the potatoes. Embrace them! They're cheap, they're easy, everybody likes them and they really are delicious. This Potato and Carrot Gratin recipe is the perfect side dish for your Passover seder. It's got... Full story
Tim and Courtney and their two children, Talan, 6, and Zach, 2, were vacationing at the beach in Volusia County from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They called the Jerry Doliner Food Bank there and asked what was needed. Gloria Max, executive director of Jewish Federation of Volusia & Flagler counties, said they told her they wanted to teach their children that if they take them on a one-week vacation, they have to learn to give back to the community they are visiting. "It was so refreshing to see... Full story
A fabulous talent... When I read this in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest it gave me tremendous pleasure so I decided to pass it along to you: "Itzhak Perlman, the 70-year old Israeli born violin virtuoso, is the third winner of the annual Genesis Prize, joining past recipients former New York City Mayor MICHAEL BLOOMBERG and actor-director MICHAEL DOUGLAS. Established in 2012 by a consortium of Russian Jewish philanthropists, the prize is presented annually to individuals who have achieve... Full story
Jay Feinberg of Olney, Maryland. invented a unique pen-shaped cleaning tool that helps clean the house for Passover as well as safely removes candle wax drips left by Shabbat and Hanukkah candles. The new product called the Scrigit Scraper was inspired by his mom's sturdy long fingernails and can remove small amounts of unwanted substances, such as dried food, adhesive labels and buildups of chamitz in corners, edges and grooves, without damaging household surfaces. The old saying goes,... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)-Can the essence of Passover fit into a box? Fans of Manischewitz and Streit's will undoubtedly answer, "Yes, in a matzah box." But a successful Kickstarter campaign called Hello Mazel aims to reinvent that box, promising a package filled with Passover-related "Jewish awesomeness" that will be delivered to your door (or someone else's). The project was a smash on Kickstarter, to the tune of more than $152,021 with 1,395 backers. Investors who pledged a minimum of $45 will... Full story
