Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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By Gloria Green What kind of 13-year-old memorizes and chants in a foreign language, interprets ancient texts in front of a crowd, and stands poised on a bimah with confidence beyond their years? The answer: One whose brain has been trained — not just in faith, but in focus. In Jewish life, that training often begins long before the Bar or Bat Mitzvah. It’s not just preparation for a single moment; it’s mental infrastructure that lasts a lifetime. Memory, discipline, bilingual agility, moral reasoning, public speaking — this is cognitive cross-...
Color therapy can be beneficial for those with memory loss. Dementia specialists recommend using different colors to provide contrast in spaces and to help distinguish different objects. Read below for some helpful tips about implementing different colors in different situations: PINK can reduce combative behavior, according to some research studies. The “pink effect” may reduce feelings of aggression and anger. BLACK is recommended by some therapists for individuals with Alzheimer’s. If wandering is an issue, some therapists recommend placi...
In recognition of 20 years since the Gaza pullout, JNS is featuring a five-part series of articles reflecting Israel's disengagement, speaking with an array of former Gush Katif residents to find out how they perceive the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Trump plan for the Gaza Strip and the prospect of returning. Many former Gush Katif residents believe that the massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis, would have neve...
I must admit that while reading the first several chapters of “Living Dangerously: My Struggle to Get Rich Without Losing My Soul”(Beverly House Press, June 2025) by Irwin Gabriel Katsof, I didn’t like it or the author at all. I was even sorry that I agreed to review it. But to say it got better is an understatement. In the end, I loved both the book and the author; there is so much to learn from it. So if, like me, you have no patience with people who only seem to care about status and mater...
Loehmann's, the New York City-based discount department store that had a devoted - and deeply Jewish - fan base, is set to make a return later this month. Now under new ownership after closing for good in 2014, Loehmann's will relaunch as a series of pop-up stores, beginning with a warehouse sale at Tanger Outlets at Deer Park on Long Island on Aug. 22, the New York Post reports. Future pop-ups are planned in Florida and New York City. The iconic brand, founded by former department store buyer F...
(JNS) — Israeli and French researchers have discovered in Israel the earliest scientific evidence of interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, Tel Aviv University announced on Wednesday. The skeleton of a five-year-old child who lived 140,000 years ago, that was found in a prehistoric cave on Mount Carmel, features a combination of Neanderthal and Homo sapiens traits, according to the university. Neanderthals vs Homo sapiens While closely related, Neanderthals and Homo sapiens were distinct human species with different physical chara...
(JNS) — A building long thought to be a fourth-century church in the Ibero-Roman city of Castulo may be one of the oldest synagogues discovered on the Iberian Peninsula, National Geographic reported on Monday, citing an archaeological study published last month. Near modern-day Linares, in the province of Jaén, about 160 miles south of Madrid, archaeologists digging in Castulo encountered several ritual objects that they associated with Jewish worship. Some researchers believe that the Synagoga Mayor in Barcelona is the oldest synagogue in Ib...
By Joseph Strauss What exactly is "Slam Frank," the purported hip-hop musical that reimagines the Holocaust's most famous victim as a pansexual Latinx girl today? Is it a real show with real actors and real songs constructing a real story for real audiences? Or is it an elaborate social media prank designed to pillory the left and rage-bait the right? Or could it be both? The show's Instagram account, its primary engine of promotion, has stoked the confusion. Co-creator Andrew Fox posts...
Before starting your search for home health care, consider the level of assistance you need and how long you’ll require it. There are three main types of caregivers: • Personal Care Aides: These non-licensed caregivers assist with tasks like shopping, cooking, light housekeeping, transportation, and companionship. • Home Health Aides: In addition to personal care tasks, these aides monitor health and assist with daily activities like bathing and dressing. They must undergo state-specific training. • Certified Nursing Assistants: CNAs provide...
"Together We're Stronger!" As the director of the Jewish National Fund-USA in Orlando, and in his role as the president of the growing Orlando Jewish Chamber of Commerce, he has a fervent belief that together we are stronger. With the rise in antisemitism and the tragedy that occurred on Oct. 7th, Shames believes that today, more than ever, we must come together in our Jewish community for this one important common-sense reason. That's why Shames is working diligently to coordinate the...
In recognition of 20 years since the Gaza pullout, JNS is featuring a five-part series of articles reflecting Israel's disengagement, speaking with an array of former Gush Katif residents to find out how they perceive the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Trump plan for the Gaza Strip and the prospect of returning. Sitting in his backyard in the crisp nighttime air at Mount Hebron, overlooking the holy city of Hebron, Meir Dana-Picard, 45, feels at home. After...
Oh, give me a home. So I don’t have to roam. Where the Astros, the Mets or Cubs play. Maybe Dodgers or Rays, or Toronto Blue Jays. Just as long as it’s somewhere to stay. The month of July was a momentous one for Major League Baseball. The 95th all-star game was scheduled to be played in Atlanta, Georgia. Fans, players and family members traveled from around the nation. Among the events was the Home Run Derby, which promised a top prize of $1 million to the winning slugger. Truist Park was fil...
For the first time in decades, a long forgotten major league baseball player has been posthumously identified as Jewish. Monte Pfeiffer, who played a single game for the Philadelphia Athletics some 112 years ago, had vanished into baseball obscurity - until a sharp-eyed Yankees fan uncovered a surprising truth written in Hebrew. The discovery, rooted in dusty box scores, old newspaper articles and genealogical detective work, adds Pfeiffer to the rarest of rosters: Jewish major leaguers. "It's...
For those who miss the very funny, very Jewish presence of the late comedy icons Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, a new off-Broadway play that tells the story of their eight-year relationship practically brings the legends back to life. "Gene & Gilda," written by Cary Gitter and directed by Joe Brancato, is playing at 59E59 Theater on the Upper East Side through Sept. 7. Touted as "heartfelt and hilarious," the 80-minute new play takes the audience through the entirety of Radner's and Wilder's...
In today’s fast-paced world, multitasking is often seen as a skill, but it can reduce productivity and cause mental fatigue. At Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, we encourage seniors to embrace monotasking — focusing on one task at a time for better results. What Is monotasking? Monotasking is the opposite of multitasking. It involves giving your full attention to one activity, which helps the brain function more efficiently. Switching between tasks can cause mental fatigue and mistakes due to “cognitive switching,” where the brain needs time to...
Berger Family gift to Chabad: The Torah that escaped destruction twice By Stan Roberts When Jacquelyn Berger, Ph.D., along with her son Jeffrey and his family and daughter Marni Stahlman and her family, expressed a desire to acquire a Torah with a history of Jewish survival for Chabad of Greater Orlando, little did they dream their search would uncover a Torah buried by a rabbi to prevent its inevitable destruction by Nazis in the darkest days of the Holocaust. Dr. Berger feels that donating...
Part 3 of a series In recognition of 20 years since the Gaza pullout, JNS is featuring a five-part series of articles reflecting Israel's disengagement, speaking with an array of former Gush Katif residents to find out how they perceive the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Trump plan for the Gaza Strip and the prospect of returning. Bryna Hilburg, a symbol of the bereaved families of Gush Katif, talked to JNS about the attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and...
Mix by hand. 3 cups old fashioned oats, not quick or steel oats, 1 cup flour, 3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda 4 T. butter melted and slightly browned watch carefully. This add a caramel flavor to the cookie. 1/4 cup oil 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 3/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 yolk 1 tsp. vanilla This makes a stiff dough. Mix all of the above. 1/2 cup raisins and 1 cup chopped nuts are optional. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Mound 3 T. per cookie. Flatten cookies with...
Over 130 years after he stood trial for espionage, Jewish Captain Alfred Dreyfus made headlines last month when French President Emmanuel Macron declared July 12 the date the country would remember him and the antisemitism that led to his imprisonment. This presidential declaration follows on the unanimous vote of France’s National Assembly that agreed to raise his rank to brigadier general. These long overdue acts should also spur Americans to reflect on what happens when Jews become the b...
(JNS) - When I was growing up in Long Island quite a few decades ago, a common bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah gift was a certificate stating that a tree had been planted in the boy's or girl's honor. It was often accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek card, saying, "Mazel tov! Your day to water your tree is Monday." In Israel today, it's now possible to visit "your" tree as part of a new project called "My Tree in Israel" (www.mytree.co.il), which aims to connect both Jews and non-Jews abroad by...
LENOX, Massachusetts - The new Chabad of the Berkshires here is just down the road from Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and just off the main street (called "Main Street") where Ethan Frome, the title character in Edith Wharton's 1911 novella, took an ill-fated sled ride with his wife's cousin. "We're in the Times Square of the Berkshires!" says Rabbi Levi Volovik as he leads a tour of the gleaming, $12 million building, which opened in July. He goes on to list...
Caregiving is a demanding role, often requiring juggling multiple responsibilities, like ensuring that loved ones are transported to critical medical appointments or social engagements. For caregivers of seniors, transportation can become a significant challenge, particularly when the person they care for is unable to drive. Fortunately, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft have stepped in to make this task easier, offering solutions designed to alleviate some of the stresses caregivers face. These services now allow caregivers to arrange...
Ingredients 2 cups heavy whipping cream 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 2 tsp. instant expresso coffee or other flavor like strawberry jam or chocolate syrup 1 T. hot water 1 tsp. vanilla Extra chocolate chips and or nuts (optional) Directions In a small dish, dissolve expresso in hot water. Mix it into condensed milk with vanilla. Whip cream 2-3 minutes to stiff peaks. Fold condensed milk into whipping cream trying not to deflate mixture. Add optional chocolate chips and or nuts. Pour into 9x4” bread pan lined with plastic wrap, p...
(JNS) - A 5,500-year old workshop for the production of stone blades has been unearthed in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Monday. Evidence of an advanced industry was found, including long flint blades and the stone cores from which the blades were made, according to the IAA statement. The findings were uncovered in a large IAA salvage excavation at the Naẖal Qomem site (also known as Gat-Govrin, Zeita), funded by the Israel Lands A...
“We are honored to announce a transformational $1 MILLION gift from local philanthropist Andy Pargh, a true champion of arts, culture, and community.” So begins an email from the Rosen JCC. “In recognition of his incredible generosity and lasting legacy, our beloved Rosen Event Center will now be known as the Pargh Event Center.” Exciting details are reported in the Heritage (page 1, July 25, 2025). When I finished reflecting on the wonderful gesture by Mr. Pargh, I thought about how good deeds give honor to our names and, also about honorin...
