Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3815 - 3839 of 4556
In conjunction with the JCRC's Grits and Bagels Brunch, over the next few weeks, The Heritage is running a series of articles about local Jewish community members who made an impact on the Civil Rights movement. This is the first in the series. While many civic leaders select an organization or a cause to champion, Jerome J. Bornstein (Jerry to his friends) selected many. Known in the Jewish community as a visionary-president of both the Jewish Community Council and Jewish Federation of Greater... Full story
My Grandma Gloria was my everything. She was one for the storybooks, conceptualized from a fairytale. She was the salt of this earth and the light in the sky. I firmly believe if angels do exist, she for sure was placed on this earth to be mine. For she always told me that I was hers. From this day forward, a big part of me will be forever missing. But the parts of me that remain are all made of pieces carefully hand-crafted by her. From my earliest memories, she smothered me with love. As I grew older, she taught me patience. She taught me to... Full story
My visit to the White House... I know. I know. This is old news already but, as I've said many times before, I am writing my column far in advance... so the White House intruder story only happened within the last few days of this writing. Back to my White House experience: My spouse and I visited "the people's house" (as it is called) in Washington D.C., recently. There were four levels of security on the lawn alone, before ever getting close. By the time we finally got inside, we thought that... Full story
Oy... here I go, down again!... I fall very often these days... not that I'm elderly, mind you (shut up!) but sometimes a little unsteady on my feet. Like the other day, I fell face forward when I tripped over a tree trunk at the dog park. (I didn't get hurt though. I fell directly on my breasts which cushioned the fall and kept me from getting any broken bones.) And on this very subject, I recently read in a copy of a World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest, the following article under the heading,... Full story
As Simchat Torah approaches, Genesis begins anew, “Retelling Genesis,” the new book by Barry Louis Polisar, gives a timely fresh perspective on 13 stories in the Torah’s first book. Each story gives a voice to many secondary characters whose perspectives are overlooked in the original Bible stories. Polisar offers the thoughts and feelings of many female characters: Eve, Noah’s wife, Lot’s daughters, Hagar, Zilpah and Bilhah (Jacob’s handmaidens), and Dinah. He also explores what the silent Isaac thought about his near-sacrifice, what Cain t... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—As we ushered in Sukkot, was there a blood moon rising? John Hagee, the San Antonio pastor who wrote the book “Four Blood Moons: Something is About to Change,” would have us believe so. Hagee predicts that because of a cycle of four lunar eclipses called a tetrad—two this year and next on Passover and Sukkot—that something big is about to happen, like the Rapture. The eclipse was seen throughout much of the world on Oct. 7 and 8—the latter the eve of Sukkot. It was visible throughout much of the United States on Oct. 8, but on... Full story
The "Seeking Kin" column aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. BALTIMORE (JTA) – Decades removed, at a private game reserve in South Africa, the unique bond felt by the Class of 1984 at Durban's Carmel College had endured. Twenty-four graduates from the now defunct Jewish high school had gathered for a reunion of the class precipitated by its 30th anniversary. "The relationships between us were very much like brother and sister," Warren Bank, an advocate in Johannesburg who c... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)-Ambitious girls of yore looking for role models among successful and accomplished women might turn to scientist Marie Curie, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart or first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a social justice champion. And then there was Altina Schinasi, the subject of a new documentary feature, "Altina," directed by her filmmaker grandson Peter Sanders. "Tina" grew up among the opulent splendor of a New York mansion, became a painter and innovative sculptor, then an... Full story
Dana Selznick has been listening to the needs of deaf and hearing impaired children since she was just a kid herself at Lake Mary High School (LMHS class of '05). Selznick befriended a deaf teen during her freshman year, and advocating on her behalf became second nature throughout her high school years. Selznick studied sign language at LMHS, and decided to pursue a career in deaf education. She received an undergraduate degree in deaf and hard of hearing education from the University of North... Full story
I would recommend seeing the film “This is Where I Leave You” before spending time with your extended family. Despite their quirks, your own family will seem incredibly normal compared to the highly dysfunctional Altman clan, who make this film a “family affair” in the most unusual ways. The dramatic comedy opens with character, Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) having a really bad day. He discovers his wife in bed with his boss, and then receives a phone call that his father has passed away. Judd ar... Full story
Greece, Hungary... oy vay!... Oy vay! is right. The more information I get about happenings in these countries, the more upset I become. (Of course, ISIS has me worried as well... More wrinkles on my brow.) I received this note from the World Jewish Congress Organization (WJC): "A devastating, anti-Semitic alliance was forged when more than one in five Hungarian voters recently cast their ballot for the far-right anti-Jewish and anti-Roma Jobbik party... giving them 23 seats of the 199 seat... Full story
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (JTA) - This week marks the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live," which is entering its 40th season. Happy birthday guys! To mark the occasion, we've assembled a list of our 10 all-time favorite Jewish moments on SNL (they're like butter, so good Coffee Talk and Hanukkah Harry didn't make the cut): 10. Saving 'Soviet Jewelry' Gilda Radner scores as Emily Litella on a Chevy Chase-hosted Weekend Update segment, with her classic talking-head rant trying to figure out what all... Full story
The "Seeking Kin" column aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. BALTIMORE (JTA) – Tanya Klein grew up knowing that her mother, Tova Silverstein (nee Lowenbraun), had survived the Holocaust in hiding in her native Belgium. Mom, however, shared few details – only her rescuer's surname, Larose, and the name of the village, Villers-Poterie. But at a family wedding in 2009, Klein's chat with a cousin launched a quest to find and meet one of her mother's rescuers. And last week the Bal... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA) - It was 6 a.m. on Aug. 19, 1964 when the phone rang in the Los Angeles apartment of Ivor Davis, the young West Coast correspondent for London's Daily Express, circulation 4 million. On the other end was the paper's foreign editor, who told Davis to drive to the airport and catch the 11 a.m. flight to San Francisco. His assignment was to cover that evening's gig at the Cow Palace by a hot British pop group called the Beatles. For Davis and the band, it would be the start of a... Full story
Israel is at war on two fronts. There is the physical battleground of death and destruction that has caused the loss of life and suffering, plus dramatic financial and economic setbacks. Fortunately, however, for the moment there is a cease fire but this may only be temporary. There is a second war that continues to rage that is equally as severe as the physical battles Israel has fought—the psychological public relations war. “How can the true picture of Jews and Israel be shown to the world? How can we make our own people, much less the world... Full story
My old fears resurface... I've written about my experiences with anti-Semitism as a young child in Brooklyn, New York, a few times in this column. I would hope that subject is over and done with... but, apparently not... at least not in Europe. According to the American Jewish Congress (AJC): "At a time when 'Death to the Jews' chants can be heard at public gatherings in European capitals, allegedly in protests against Israel, the bold, timely and unambiguous words of the three foreign... Full story
(JNS.org) Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow is "quietly converting to Judaism," The New York Post reported. The outlet's gossip column, Page Six, reported that Paltrow is converting after following kabbalah for years. Many non-Jewish celebrities have adopted or followed the teachings of kabbalah, most notably Madonna. Paltrow's late father, Bruce Paltrow, who died in 2002 of cancer, was Jewish. Her mother, Blythe Danner, is Christian. The actress has said she was raised with both religions.... Full story
The Jewish New Year is a time for starting anew, for leaving the past behind us and crafting a better future for ourselves and our community. It is a time for courage when we take a look at ourselves and take stock of what we have achieved and where we have fallen short of our own goals. At Central Florida Hillel, this past year has been a year of heretofore-unimagined growth. On the positive side, we opened a magnificent 600-bed student apartment complex that is now 100 percent occupied. We... Full story
"Can we talk?"... My heart is breaking (and many of you feel as I do) at the news that Joan Rivers passed away recently. I loved her and have followed her career for more that half-century, stealing many of her jokes along the way. I considered her a friend. Here is a tribute (part of a poem from DAV) and "borrowed" by me: "Thank you my friend for all you do, For giving so much, saying no to few So when I ask for one more thing, Think of all the light That your jokes can bring." I particularly... Full story
On behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, we want to express our best wishes to you and your family for a sweet New Year 5775. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world, and this is where our calendar begins. On this day, we are expected to conceive a plan, engage in a vision of the future, have ambition and desire to take an active part in the shaping of our future. Our plan will focus on bringing Federation back as a community builder. To do so, we... Full story
At the start of 5774, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando embarked on a new chronological chapter-having just celebrated our 40th anniversary. And while the number 40 has major significance in Judaism, perhaps even more important in Jewish tradition is what comes after 40. After submersing oneself in a mikvah ritual bath of 40 measures of water, one becomes spiritually pure. After a biblical storm that lasted 40 days and 40 nights, the world became rid of evil. After 40 days on Mt.... Full story
One of the unique aspects of the High Holidays is that the focus is on the past, present and future all at the same time. We reflect on the year that has just come to an end and ask our family and friends for forgiveness for past transgressions. Then, we think about the people we are today and what we can do right now to heal the world and make it a better place. And finally, when this is done with proper devotion and intention, we are able to grow and change, and create a better future for our... Full story
NEW YORK-KosherFoodieBox (www.kosherfoodiebox.com), introduces the tastiest way to discover the latest kosher food introductions without shopping or traveling from store to store. The web-based business delivers various size packages of the newest foods to hit the kosher market, along with special offers for those who enjoy the samplings, as well as links for ordering more, more, and more Foodie favorites! The brainchild of Gail Lobel Rand, a Kosher Foodie whose spare time is spent scouring the... Full story
The Jewish Pavilion does far more than bring challah to the doorsteps of seniors living in long- term care facilities. We are all about community, companionship and continuity for our elders. In secular senior living facilities, the staff are unfamiliar with Jewish culture. They do not know when the holidays are or how they should be celebrated. Their dietary staff are inexperienced with Jewish cooking and traditional Shabbat and holiday meals. Jewish Pavilion program directors work with... Full story
The Holocaust Center has a long history of cooperating, coordinating and collaborating with a diverse group of cultural, civic and religious organizations in order expand the reach of our mission and vision of embracing a diverse community where everyone feels respected and safe. In 2006 we partnered with the WellsBuilt Museum of African American History to develop a unique exhibit titled, "Embracing the Dream" that honored Central Florida men and women involved in local civil rights... Full story
