Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3401 - 3425 of 4432
(JTA)—To anyone who has read a rock-and-roll biography or caught an episode of VH1’s “Behind the Music,” it is a sadly familiar tale: An artist achieves great success only to self destruct. There’s something called the “27 Club,” made up of a surprisingly number of influential musicians who died at that young age. Among them are Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and, as of July 2011: The English songstress Amy Winehouse. Winehouse is the subject of a powerful new documentary, “Amy,” which is both fascinating and painful to watch. She rel... Full story
The Seeking Kin column aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. (JTA)-Jewelry hung from Rosa Zacharia's ears and neck. Bracelets adorned her wrists and she wore rings on six of her fingers. She and her family were dressed to the nines. Life appeared to be pretty good for Zacharia and her husband, Naftali, and their three girls: Sara, Rahel and Yoheved. This was the image of the Zacharia clan captured at a Tel Aviv photo studio on May 29, 1929. Naftali mailed it to Chicago, to his... Full story
Fiction in a nonfiction setting makes a great thriller "Descent Into Paradise" by P. Sinclair Available Sept. 22 to buy online from retailers including amazon.co.uk and can be ordered at all good bookstores. Thrust into a vortex of violence, a beautiful Mossad assassin, an American special forces operative, and a Palestinian freedom fighter find themselves torn between loyalty and love in this insightful historical thriller, which exposes the origin of the Arab Israeli conflict and the Islamic... Full story
Judaism's harmony with humanity's spirituality "Sketches of a Life" by Enrique (Eitan) Kuperman Available now, directly from the author at EKuperman@aol.com. Copies are also available in Spanish. Written from the heart and experiences of Enrique Kuperman, "Sketches of a Life" weaves together a series of bold and powerful short stories told from a Jewish perspective. Covering family, community, conflict and the refuge of spirituality, Kuperman's work reminds readers of Judaism's innate harmony... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)-The scent of hamburgers and beer wafted over the field. The fans were bathed in barbecue smoke. The bleachers were cut out of Jerusalem stone, the field was made of artificial turf. The spectators who had come to greet a tour of Pro Football Hall of Famers sat in plastic armchairs that blocked off the red zones and end zones, with nothing separating them from the game being played at midfield. The players-diminutive by National Football League standards-wore shorts and no... Full story
The city of Jerusalem, with its rich history and beauty is also, unfortunately a magnet for disaffected teens and young adults. They come from all over Israel as well as the rest of the world, looking for excitement, entertainment and of course, other youth. Many Jewish parents from the wide world send their kids to Israel, hoping they will find some sort of life changing Jewish experience. Sometimes it does not work and the young people, at loose ends, often end up on their own in Jerusalem. As we well know, that can result in risky behavior... Full story
You know your getting old when... My spouse and I had the pleasure of seeing the stage play "I Love Lucy" in the Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts recently thanks to our own wonderful DONNA FIEGEL, Public Relations director at True Marketing. It was brought to Orlando courtesy of Fairwinds Broadway Across America. I'm not saying how old I am, you understand (?) but the show was based on the televising of the Lucy show at the Desilu Studios in Hollywood during... Full story
(JTA)-Good deeds can be contagious. Just ask Laura Marks, a British Jew who is widely credited with creating one of her community's most widely celebrated new traditions: an annual Mitzvah Day, now in its 11th consecutive year, in which thousands of British Jews perform charity work in retirement homes, homeless shelters, hospitals and even neglected cemeteries. Inspired by the custom of some American Jewish communities, including in Los Angeles and Detroit, Marks thought the activity not only p... Full story
Depression is laughable. It's a bold statement. But it is one that Jewish author John Shuchart of Leawood, Kan., thinks could positively impact the 14.8 million American adults who suffer from depression. Shuchart, a successful entrepreneur and insurance salesman, retired and put any future career ambitions on hold to focus on a fight that is near to his heart: the stigma and treatment of mental illness. Four years ago, Shuchart himself was in such a deep depression that he nearly attempted... Full story
(JTA)-It wasn't so long ago that gay men were vilified by American society at large. Back in the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic surfaced, priests railed against them, claiming the disease was God's revenge for sinful lifestyle choices. That, of course, has changed-mostly. While there are still regular examples of anti-gay sentiments (and violence), HIV/AIDS is no longer the scourge it once was. Most Americans now support same-sex marriage and the practice is now legal in most states. If there is... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-I love roasted potatoes for Friday night, but sometimes they can get a bit boring. Of course you can dress up your potatoes with zaatar, mustard or even truffle oil, just to name a few of the hundreds of ways you can make roasted potatoes. But I have been perusing a lot of Middle Eastern cookbooks lately and I got it into my head to make a harissa dipping sauce to go with potatoes. What is harissa? It's a spicy chili paste native to North African cuisine and varies from coun... Full story
(JTA)-"Orange Is the New Black" protagonist Piper Chapman may no longer have a Jewish husband, but that doesn't mean that Judaism isn't a huge part of the new season of the Netflix hit. In fact, religious identity is one of the biggest themes of Season 3, as many of the inmates look for something to cling to, whether it be Norma's (Annie Golden) cult or, in the case of Cindy Hayes (Adrienne C. Moore), Judaism. It's not all that surprising: The series creator Jenji Kohan is Jewish and Judaism... Full story
"Dear Breina, Welcome to a wonderful world and a warm and loving family - by family I include our wonderful community who truly are family," shared Rabbi Yanky Majesky of Chabad of North Orlando, at the naming ceremony for his newborn daughter, Breina Majesky, at Congregation Ahavas Yisrael on Monday, June 15, 2015. Rabbi Sholom Dubov presided over the extra-special baby naming ceremony and Torah service hosted at his Maitland shul, on behalf of his fourth grandchild, born on June 7 to daughter,... Full story
ISRAEL21c-On June 1, more than 1500 Jewish, Christian and Muslim schoolchildren from across Haifa helped set the world record for the largest magic lesson. The students, representing every school in the city, participated in "Haifa Magic for Peace," led by Israeli magician Cagliostro. Beating the previous world record held by Scottish magician Kevin McMahon from 2012, Haifa Magic for Peace was extensively covered in the Israeli media and helped put the sponsoring organization, theBeit HaGefen Je... Full story
Those who tune into "So You Think You Can Dance" got a nice surprise last Monday as Israeli-born Asaf Goren, who calls himself "The Hebrew Breaker," brought down the house with his style of B–boy break dancing that held judges Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul and Jason Derulo riveted to their seats. That is, only till the end of his routine, when they jumped to their feet in applause along with the rest of the audience who gave him a rousing standing ovation. At first, the 23-year-old originally f... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)-Conflict between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East now appears a permanent condition, but it didn't have to be that way, according to a one-hour PBS special premiering on June 30. "1913: The Seeds of Conflict" traces the relationship between the two Semitic tribes at a time when the Ottoman Empire ruled over what was later designated as Palestine, and then, Israel. The film starts out in 1913, one year before the start of World War I, which led to the defeat of Turkey as an... Full story
The "Seeking Kin" column aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. (JTA)-In the mid-1990s, Zvia Mordechai was newly divorced with two sons when Marlene Alvez, then in her early 20s, entered her life. Alvez was a recent immigrant from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who worked with Mordechai at the Niv School for the Deaf in Beersheba, Israel. Despite a disparity in their ages, the two bonded on the job and became friends. Mordechai helped Alvez find an apartment, took her shopping for... Full story
Tuesday mornings have become a busy place for Kinneret residents. In addition to the usual activities going on, now residents can enjoy the new, Delaney Café-a breakfast and lunch event held in the Jessie Render Social Hall and organized by the Kinneret Tenants Association. What started in May as an opportunity for residents to meet and enjoy a cup of coffee has evolved into a breakfast and lunch destination for Kinneret residents. "We recognized that our residents were interested in getting tog... Full story
They have our back? Jolly good!... I read this in this month's World Jewish Congress (WJC) Digest. I found it very interesting... hopefully true... and I pass it along to you: The WJC praised British Prime Minister, DAVID CAMERON, for proposing an additional $4.4 million a year to better protect Jewish institutions in the United Kingdom (UK) against potential terrorist attacks. This is in addition to $10.3 million provided in the budget to fund guards for all Jewish private schools and... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-You're back in your summer barbecue groove and have invited friends for a day of sizzling fun. Just as you've settled into your menu choices, you realize that one of your guests for that "easy" fete you're planning is vegetarian. Now what? You've been down this route before, serving plenty of vegetable centric sides and maybe even those dry vegetarian patties you find in the frozen food aisle. Newsflash: Vegetarians would rather not eat those faux burgers. So don't bother... Full story
BALTIMORE (JTA)-Two tattoos sandwich several others along the left arm of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar. One near the shoulder reads "8-14-13," the date of Pillar's major league debut. The bottom one shows a nautical compass in tribute to his grandfather, Ed Lambert, who often took his grandson on his boats and taught him how to sail. Pillar, a Los Angeles native, cherishes the memories of those Southern California trips. They'd set out from Coronado, the San Diego-area port where... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Michael Douglas hadn't heard of the Genesis Prize when he found out that he'd won it. In fact, the Oscar-winning actor was surprised to discover he was even in the running for an award designed for those who inspire fellow Jews. His father, actor Kirk Douglas, is Jewish. But his mother, actress Diana Dill, is not-Douglas thought that would disqualify him. "I felt that they made a mistake because my mother is not Jewish," Douglas told JTA in an interview Wednesday in Jerusalem.... Full story
After this summer, over 500,000 young Jews from around the world will have participated in Birthright over the past 15 years. Although Birthright successfully increases Jewish identity and pride, only a small percentage of the 43,000 participants each year actually continue to become more connected to Judaism or Israel after the initial excitement of their trip fades. Across the board, providers struggle to sustain alumni engagement in Jewish life post Birthright and according to a 2009 Brandeis University study, follow-up efforts were only... Full story
(JTA)-Bravo's newest sitcom, "Odd Mom Out," which premiered two weeks ago, stars Jill Kargman as Jill Weber, a sassy Jewish woman who marries into a blue-blooded Upper East Side family. The show, which is based on Kargman's 2007 book, "Momzillas," is hitting the airwaves just as another book about wealthy Upper East Side moms, "Primates of Park Avenue: A Memoir" by Wednesday Martin, is causing a stir for its depictions of the neighborhood's inimitable social code-and for Martin's alleged... Full story
The creators of SawYouAtSinai, the largest and most trusted Jewish matchmaking company in the world, have just introduced JBolt, the first Jewish Dating app with matchmakers. “We created JBolt to simultaneously bring the human touch to the dating app world, and bring the efficiency of the smartphone to the matchmaking world.” said Marc Goldmann, founder of JBolt. This innovative hybrid of matchmaking and smartphone app caters to the new generation of Jewish singles. JBolt is not a hook up app; its priority is to create long lasting rel... Full story
