Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3528 - 3552 of 4548
(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
While water crises are fast becoming a significant part of life around the world, that trend is moving in the opposite direction in Israel. Until recently, Israel experienced a perpetual water shortage that reached extreme proportions, primarily due to drought and over-consumption. But for the past several decades, Jewish National Fund (JNF) has worked to alleviate and mitigate Israel's chronic water shortage through a range of water collection and conservation initiatives. For example, JNF's co... Full story
Sonya Baumstein's three-years-in-the-making goal to row across the Pacific Ocean, began and ended within one week. She arrived in Choshi, Japan, in April, her boat arrived in May, and she had been waiting for the weather conditions to be optimal. On Sunday, June 7, Baumstein made sure her supplies were intact, called her parents, Darrel and Debbie Baumstein of Orlando, and rowed out of the Choshi marina in glassy smooth waters. She hoped to arrive in San Francisco by September. She made it into... Full story
(The Nosher via JTA)-You got through Mother's Day, Memorial Day weekend and even Shavuot. But folks, it's not quite time to relax: Father's Day is almost here. Another weekend to reserve for family celebrations and another round of gifts to procure. If the special dad or guy in your life loves to be in the kitchen, at the grill or engrossed in a good cookbook, then we've got a couple of great gift ideas to show him how much he is adored. For the meat lover • Facon Beef Bacon from Jack's G... Full story
Too close to home... I am really nervous about all the information I am sent relating to the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. But now, after receiving this month's issue of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest, I am really upset. Anti-Semitism is getting much too close to home. Read on: The Jewish Telegraph Agency recently reported on two separate anti-Semitic incidents... one in which swastikas were spray painted on a Jewish fraternity house at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee,... Full story
ISTANBUL (JTA)-Every time she prepares her newspaper for print, Karen Sarhon has her pick from dozens of submissions she receives daily from writers around the world. A desirable situation for any editor-in-chief, Sarhon says it is nothing short of unbelievable for her monthly, El Amaneser, which is the world's only newspaper in Ladino-a Jewish-Spanish language teetering on the brink of extinction. "In the 1970s, Ladino was truly a dying language, but El Amaneser is among the relatively new... Full story
By Nadav Weil Jews and non-Jews alike recognize the importance of the Holocaust. We acknowledge the horrifying impact on the world, and search for the lessons we must learn in order to make the promise of “never again” a reality. In working with students, the Holocaust Center urges the next generation to think deeply about the community of Survivors, their eyewitness accounts, and their life stories. Through knowing them, we can more fully appreciate the terrible losses caused by bigotry and intolerance. Some students, more than others, tak... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-When Stephen Kaufer, the CEO of TripAdvisor, an $11 billion company that runs America's leading user-generated hotel review website, thinks back to all the places he has visited, one stands out as his favorite. Jerusalem. "Oh my gosh, looking at all of these amazing structures, the history that you could still visually appreciate from thousands of years ago with modern life going on all around it-I just thought it was magical," Kaufer said of his 1989 visit to Israel. "It... Full story
"The Liberation of the Camps: The End of the Holocaust and Its Aftermath," by Dan Stone, Yale University Press, May 2015, 288 pages Dan Stone's "The Liberation of the Camps: The End of the Holocaust and Its Aftermath" is difficult reading, and not just because it meticulously documents what happened in the Displaced Persons camps in the three years after the war ended. The newly published book also reveals painful facts that we did not know-and that we would rather not need to know. We did not... Full story
(JTA)-How do you tell a joke in China about Jews when the only things most Chinese think they know about the Chosen People is that they're smart and good with money? That was Jesse Appell's quandary when he moved to China three years ago from Massachusetts with plans to become a comedian-and, like many stand-ups, to mine his own upbringing for material. "All the bad stereotypes about Jews in the West are considered good in China," Appell told JTA. "Chinese say: 'The Jews control the media and... Full story
It was one year ago in April that RAISE (Recognizing Abilities and Inclusion of Special Employees) was launched with five employees who worked part-time, two days a week for three hours at The Roth Family JCC and JFS Orlando. A third day was spent participating in a group social skills class called "Lunch and Learn," that included the employees (and once a month their families as well). Under the umbrella of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, this program has truly been a group endeavor w... Full story
Why is a Jewish newspaper running an article about a horse winning a race? Because this winning 3-year-old bay colt's owner, Ahmed Zayat, is an Orthodox Jew who studied at and graduated from Yeshiva University. After graduation, Zayat worked for the haredi Orthodox real estate developer Zev Wolfson. His Hebrew name is Ephraim. He and his family live in the Orthodox neighborhood of West Englewood in Teaneck, N.J., attend Congregation Bnai Yeshurun. And give generously to several Jewish causes.... Full story
