Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3883 - 3907 of 4518
A Shayne Maydel?... That expression fits me today like a loch in kop! But, believe it or not, I was once a great beauty. (Shut up!) My figure was superb; my breasts used to stand out proudly, but now gravity has taken them down. (I trip on them often); and all the muscles in my legs have turned to flab, acting like brakes when they rub together. (I can hardly walk!) My face, that could once stop traffic (in NYC), now stops traffic everywhere! I recently told my spouse I was stunning. He said,... Full story
Regarding Shavuot-when Jews from around the world celebrate the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai-Rabbi Chayim Vital wrote on behalf of his master Rabbi Isaac Ben Solomon Luria ("Ha'Ari), "Know that one who does not sleep at all on this night, even for one moment, but rather immerses himself in [the waters of] Torah the entire night, can be assured that he will live out his year; no injury will befall him during this year." That level of protection is certainly a draw, but those who have... Full story
The Jewish Pavilion hosted it's first Shabbat service with residents at Savannah Court of Oviedo.... Full story
Fresh cheese is a staple in classic Shavuot foods, traditionally wrapped in a soft, egg-like blintz that is then fried lightly in butter. Variations on this theme can keep things interesting and expand your kitchen craft. You can try freshening up your blintz package with a cheese upgrade—namely, simple homemade ricotta, which tastes sublime. Cheesecake is another way to expand the joy of this holiday. Small cheesecake bars, topped with early strawberries, are a wonderful way to usher in the transition-to-summer month of June. A Thai tea c... Full story
Standing alone against the desert landscape, Kornmehl Goat Cheese Farm & Restaurant is modest, lacking artsy adornments and embellishments that tourists often favor. But situated about 30 miles south of Sde Boker, the home of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, the farm is a striking example of how the once vast desert region that most tourists simply ignored is blooming today. Owners Anat and Daniel Kornmehl are considered by many chefs to be the finest makers of goat cheese in Isr... Full story
By Edmon J. Rodman LOS ANGELES (JTA)-In the Ten Commandments, the Torah tells us to "Honor your father and your mother," but on mothers-in-law, it's mum. That is until we come to the two-day holiday of Shavuot and read the Book of Ruth, which records the relationship between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. Since Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah, and in Ruth we can observe another form of giving-that of loving familial support-we can use the holiday to explore the give-and-take of... Full story
Sonya Baumstein is only 29 years old, but in her short life this second-generation Orlandoan-daughter of Darryl and Debbie Baumstein and granddaughter of Jack and Roz Baumstein-has sailed more seas, peddled more pavement, paddle-boarded more straits and rowed more oceans than any other American. And she is not finished yet. Baumstein has an impressive goal: To solo row the North Pacific Ocean from Japan to San Francisco. And not just row for the conquest, but to collect oceanographic data that... Full story
The Shabbat of Memorial Day weekend later this month will mark a first in American Jewish life: Three New York City congregations representing the three major U.S. Jewish movements will daven from the same prayer book. Produced by the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) Jewish Chaplains Council specifically for the military, the siddur that the trio of shuls will use for those services made its debut at the Jewish Community Centers of North America (JCC Association) biennial in late March. Distribution... Full story
A must read... This comes (in part) directly from the American Jewish Committee (AJC): “Iran subjects children to the death penalty, including public hangings from cranes; North Korea maintains vast gulags where political prisoners, including the descendants and distant relatives of alleged political offenders, endure arbitrary executions, starvation and forced marriages for the purpose of breeding slaves; Russia has enacted sweeping homophobic legislation that criminalizes the sharing of information about gay, lesbian and other ... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—According to Jewish tradition, the Torah is so sacred that even a single error made on a single letter renders the entire scroll unfit for use. And yet the Hebrew Bible, including the Torah (its first five books), is riddled with corruptions and alterations that have accrued and been passed down over the millennia. Now an international team of scholars is working to fix all that. For the past 14 years, the team behind “The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition” has been laboring on a project to sift through the text and rever... Full story
In Israel, Israeli soldiers and bereaved families visit graves of fallen soldiers at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, on Yom Hazikaron, which commemorates Israel's fallen soldiers and Israeli civilians killed in terror attacks. Here in Central Florida at the Roth JCC, the community observed Yom Hazikaron with song, prayers and memories. See page 16 for the article and community photos.... Full story
One of Pnina Newirth's earliest childhood memories is of a trip to Mount Meron on Lag B'Omer. But this was no ordinary family vacation. "I was very small, yet I vividly recall the huge fires and the immense crowds," she says. Despite the cacophony and the roaring bonfires, the Ra'anana resident insists she felt no fear that day. "I knew my parents were there and would protect me. And we stood far enough back so give us a bit of distance," Newirth recalls. That moment was more than three decades... Full story
Dr. Gary P. Zola sees an inextricable connection between American Jewish history, American history, and global Jewish history. "The study of the Jewish experience in the context of the American nation sheds light on the story of the nation itself," Zola, executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, told JNS.org. "Jews played an inordinately large role in shaping the character of American culture and heritage. The opportunities Jews had to contribute to... Full story
The Jewish National Fund has introduced its re-designed pushke, better known as the Blue Box—the box that built a country. “More than a century old, our little Blue Box is known the world over but it does change to keep up with the times,” said Russell F. Robinson, CEO of JNF. “Today’s pushke represents the many projects in Israel that we and our partners are funding to build a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people.” The box has seen many iterations over the years. The first one was actually Theodor Herzl’s hat. At the Fifth... Full story
As is the case for many holidays in the Jewish calendar cycle, Lag B'Omer (May 18 this year) carries within it not one, but multiple and distinct layers of meaning. Mystical significances, historical memories, and moral reflections all meld together into the contemporary notion of what makes this day special, the product of nearly two millennia of overlaid and interwoven innovations in tradition and observance. One of the most prominent themes describes that the 33rd day of the Omer period broug... Full story
It's that time, I suppose... These days (being a so-called "Senior Citizen,") many of my friends, my spouse and I, and assorted relatives, are thinking about trusts, wills and such. Knowing that I'm an animal lover, someone sent this to me via email and I think it is worthy of repeating: A Dog's Last Will And Testament Before humans die, they write their last will and testament, give their home and all they have to those they leave behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what I'd... Full story
On Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer and the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, the Jewish community is aflame with celebration. People frolic around bonfires in traditional festivities, marking the day with joy. According to Rabbi BenZion Friedman, director of the Torah Learning Center of Greater Kansas City, the tradition of lighting bonfires on Lag B'Omer started with the passing of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on the 18th of Iyar. Known as the Rashbi, on the day of his... Full story
TEL AVIV—Despite an addiction to taking pictures everywhere they go, cellphone junkies have not been able to ditch their stand-alone cameras quite yet. Smartphones still don’t possess the sharp zoom capabilities of digital still cameras, so the resulting pictures can be messy and out-of-focus. That won’t be the case for long, however. Prof. David Mendlovic of Tel Aviv University’s School of Electrical Engineering and his former doctoral student Dr. Gal Shabtay, who together established the startup Corephotonics, have now successfully bridged... Full story
"We know we are going to be bamboozled," a despondent Stephen Wise, the foremost American Jewish leader of his time, confided to a friend before boarding a ship bound for England in early 1939. The British had invited Wise and other Zionist leaders from the United States and Palestine to take part in a "peace conference" with Arab leaders. Wise expected the worst, and he was right. The conference in London's majestic St. James Palace would set the stage for the imposition-75 years ago this... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-As a seventh-grader at the Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, Jordan Elist spent many hours fulfilling his community service requirement by volunteering at local food banks. The issue of food insecurity became "very dear to my heart," he said. "Being hungry is something that anyone can relate to." So when the food banks ran low on donations, Elist came up with a plan to help. He launched the nonprofit Save a Bottle, Save a Life, which raises money to purchase food by... Full story
Children from the Meitin Religious School at Temple Israel together with members of the Temple Israel congregation were proud to participate in Steven Kluger's bar mitzvah project: Feeding Children Everywhere. More than 4,300 meals were packed by the Temple Israel group for hungry children around the world and right here at home. Feeding Children Everywhere is a social charity that empowers and mobilizes people to assemble thousands of healthful meals for children lacking food. "My purpose was... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Most fans of the usually dismal Washington Wizards would be thrilled to be taking in the team's rare playoff run from a luxury suite. But Steve Buckhantz is used to watching the games courtside, with a microphone. Buckhantz, 58, a member of the local Jewish community center's Sports Hall of Fame, has served as the Wizards' television broadcaster for 17 years and endured plenty of putrid basketball. This year's squad, however, is making some noise, with the team reaching the... Full story
On Sunday evening, May 4, about 200 people gathered at the Roth JCC in Maitland for a solemn ceremony to honor those who gave their lives defending Israel. Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Remembrance Day, was first officially established in 1963 to honor those who fought for Israel's independence. Today, it honors fallen soldiers as well as civilian victims of terrorism. Its very existence is a painful annual reminder of the price the Jewish people pay to freely live in their own land. The Roth JCC... Full story
recently joined a grief support group offered by the Jewish Pavilion in conjunction with VITAS Innovative Hospice Care and held at Chambrel at Island Lake, a Brookdale Senior Living community. While my beloved mother passed away 18 years ago, my dear father died only last September. But with the recent loss of my father, I now felt like a heartbroken orphan. Swept up in my grief, I decided to seek help. My admiration for Nancy Ludin, executive director of the Jewish Pavilion, and this... Full story
PRAGUE—When the applause faded, the 32 young actors remained on stage in silence. Some of them hugged. They looked at each other, their faces filled with amazement and disbelief—the circle was complete. The Philadelphia-based troupe had brought the words of Terezín’s children back to where they came from. They had just given the first performance of “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” at the former concentration camp where the characters they portrayed had been held captive during the Holocaust. “This is where the kids that we are commemoratin... Full story
