Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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It was the second night of Chanukah and the house was full of her excited grandchildren, who shrieked and wailed and chattered like the construction crew that worked on the Tower of Babel. Was it totally random, the old lady wondered, or was there a script for this bedlam? I shouldn’t be so cranky, she reasoned. But twelve kids—some exultant with their gifts, some complaining—could shatter the glass in the windows. And such lavish Chanukah gifts. In my day, thought Bubbe, I’d be lucky to get a piece of fruit and a silver dime. The gifts h... Full story
I never served... Veteran's Day was celebrated with a delicious dinner out for me and my spouse. It was free for him because he is a veteran. My meal was not free because I never was in the military. I am the mother of a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander who served in Iraq from 2007-2008; I am also the mother of a psychologist who cared for sailors with mental health issues at Great Lakes Naval Base; and I am the mother of a sailor (our youngest) who served on a minesweeper in the Persian Gulf; als... Full story
This year for the first time since 1861, Thanksgiving and Chanukah overlap. The holiday mashup is creating a cooking quandary for those who will honor both celebrations. Just what do you serve? Here, a recipe for Curried Sweet Potato Latkes given to us by Susan Cohen of Harrisburg, Pa., from a cookbook authored by Jewish culinary expert Joan Nathan. Curried Sweet Potato Latkes Ingredients: 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder 2... Full story
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—If the Pilgrims are lighting menorahs and the Maccabees are chasing turkeys, it must be Thanksgivukkah, as some have come to call the confluence of Thanksgiving and Chanukah that will happen this year on Nov. 28. It’s a rare event, one that won’t occur again until 2070 and then in 2165. Beyond that, because the Jewish lunisolar (lunar with solar adjustments) calendar is very slowly getting out of sync with the solar calendar, the Chanukah-Thanksgiving confluence won’t happen again by one calculation until the year 79811—when t... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-Some folks are taking the rare confluence this year of Thanksgiving and Chanukah to heart, renaming it Thanksgivukkah, redesigning their menus for the occasion (latkes topped with cranberry relish anyone?) and refashioning ritual objects (a turkey-shaped hanukkiyah called the Menurkey is gaining traction on Kickstarter). Others are taking it one step deeper, celebrating how the combined holidays enable us to fully appreciate being both Jewish and American. It's a perfect... Full story
When you think of Chanukah, the first food that comes to mind is probably the latke. While the potato pancake certainly has its virtues, its oily cousin, the sufganiya has it own unique pleasures. Today, we troll the web for the jelly-filled, powdered sugar-topped, calorie-laden doughy delight. Israeli folklorist Dov Noy says that sufganiyot go back. Way back. According to an apocryphal Bukharran fable, the first sufganiya "was given to Adam and Eve after their expulsion from the Garden of... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—When Eric Woodward started rabbinical school at the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary, he assumed he would be be the only student who grew up celebrating Christmas along with Hanukkah. But midway through his training, when Woodward started a discussion group for students of interfaith families, more than 20 people showed up. Not all were children of intermarriage like Woodward, who was raised in Los Angeles by a secular Jewish mother and non-practicing Catholic father. Some were Jews by choice. Others had parent... Full story
(StatePoint) Everyone is using technology to stay connected these days-especially kids. And Chanukah is a great time to think about getting your kids a device to keep them plugged in and learning at the same time, like their very own tablet computer. Parents worry mobile technology can be expensive, breakable and give users access to a world of information-not all of it kid-friendly. But that doesn't mean you should exclude the next generation from the tech trend, say experts. "Technology can... Full story
Out with a bang... What is happening? I'm beginning to wonder if those mental cases who desire suicide, choose grand-standing shoot-outs in very public places like movie theaters, navy bases, malls, airports, etc., are trying for their 15 minutes in the spotlight before police cause their "suicides" for them. Take others along? Who cares? The perpetrator will be dead too! Well, sometimes it backfires, as in the case of the alleged LAX Shooter. Clinging to life, he may spend the rest of it as a v... Full story
He suffered from nightmares and had U.S.ed alcohol to blot out depression. After leaving Iraq as a wounded soldier in 2004, Harrison Manyoma of Humble, Texas, remained haunted by his experiences, which had culminated in a roadside car bomb explosion. And then, last year, through another veterans’ program, he learned of Heroes to Heroes. The Ft. Lee, N.J.-based organization takes groups of wounded U.S. war veterans, especially those diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, on a trip to Israel. For Manyoma, that journey proved t... Full story
ABC wants more 'Goldbergs' Hollywood, Fla.-Fans of "The Goldbergs," kvell away. ABC has announced it is picking up the fledgling comedy for a full season. While the series received lukewarm reviews from critics, it is averaging 7.5 million total viewers. Apparently folks like being inundated with 1980s memorabilia (think Rubik's Cube and "Ghostbusters" Halloween costumes) and hearing Jeff Garlin lovingly refer to his TV brood as idiots ad nauseam. Yes, we think it's cool that a Jewish family is... Full story
The Jewish Pavilion's annual "Walk in the Park," held Oct. 27 at Crane's Roost Park in Altamonte Springs, was a resounding success, and the support of the community couldn't have been better. There was a balloon man, face painters, booths with jewelry, food and beverages, and entertainment-enough for all to enjoy. These Jewish Academy of Orlando 5- to 8-year-olds brought a smile to everyone's face as they sang several favorites.... Full story
Middle school students met at the Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando on Saturday night, Oct. 19, for dinner and a night out at the RDV Ice Den.... Full story
High school girls BBYO chapter, Waldflowers BBG #326, met for a chapter meeting in October. They read out loud the menorah pledge principles and covered old and new chapter business. Shown here are (l-r) Emily Weinstein, Maddie Gordon, Sari Misek, Janna Gluck, Danielle Benghiat, Rylie Breiner, and chapter advisor Lyla Halikman.... Full story
High school teens in Oviedo met on Sunday, Oct. 20, for a fall festival. They baked pumpkin pie, held a canned food drive and discussed upcoming programs for Speak UP week, when Jewish teens all around the world connect, discuss and celebrate Israel in their own way. Speak UP week is over Nov. 4-8.... Full story
BALTIMORE (JTA)-For Carla Greenspan, the news was upsetting: A relative by marriage of the man who saved her mother's life during the Holocaust was spurning an award from Yad Vashem. "It's a sad legacy for him if this is truly how they feel," Greenspan said from her home on Manhattan's East Side. "Their great-uncle went out of his way and risked his life to save my mother." Mohamad Helmy, an Egypt native who worked as a physician in Berlin when World War II broke out, helped hide the family of... Full story
Enough with the anti-Semitism... Frankly, I get disgusted when I hear such news as that which was reported recently by the World Jewish Congress Digest (WJC) about Turkey. I always considered Turkey to be a good friend of Israel. Here is the article in full: "The World Jewish Congress harshly criticized recent statements (this past summer) made by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister BESIR ATALAY who blamed a conspiracy of the foreign media and the Jewish Diaspora for anti-government protests... Full story
Paula Abdul's Kotel bat mitzvah HOLLYWOOD, Fla.-Better late than never, as they say. At 51 years young, former "American Idol" and "X Factor" judge Paula Abdul will celebrate her bat mitzvah at the Western Wall, The Times of Israel reports. Abdul, who was raised Jewish and has been linked recently to Chabad, arrived in Israel last Monday. In addition to marking the milestone in Jerusalem, she will also visit Tel Aviv and the Galilee. She met last week with President Shimon Peres. That all... Full story
HOUSTON (JTA)—Midway through the first quarter, Omri Casspi entered the preseason game between his Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks. A minute later, the buzzer sounded summoning Mavs rookie guard Gal Mekel into the Oct. 21 contest. Casspi took his first shot, a three-pointer that missed. On the ensuing possession, Mekel scored on a driving layup. Order was following form: Four years ago, Casspi became the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association. And with the new season tipping off this week, Mekel will become the s... Full story
The Orlando Jewish community can be very proud of one of our own who had a hand in the development of Apple's newest OS X desktop operation system, "Mavericks." Former Longwood resident Emery Berger, an associate professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, developed a "Hoard" algorithm, which Apple adopted, that speeds up a computer by reducing memory resources so the computer can "make a decision" faster. In computer talk, an algorithm is a... Full story
(JTA)-You'd think Adam Grossman has a pretty easy job. After all, with the Boston Red Sox owning one of the most iconic brands in professional sports and gunning for their third World Series title in the past decade, how hard could it be to put fans in the seats at Fenway Park? But Grossman, the team's 33-year-old vice president for marketing and brand development, takes nothing for granted. While players and fans are fixated on the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, he's already prep... Full story
St. LOUIS (St. Louis Jewish Light)—Taking a page from “Fiddler on the Roof,” mega baseball fan and Congregation Shaare Emeth Rabbi James Bennett was recently heard uttering a variation of the famous Teyve line, “May God Bless and keep the Czar... far away from us!” Only in Bennett’s case, it went, “May God Bless and keep the Dodgers... far away from the World Series!” Guess what, it worked. The St. Louis Cardinals claimed the National League Championship Series title, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2. The Red Birds happened to win the game... Full story
The Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando had a great turnout at its second annual FitTata event. The Roth JCC hosted this morning of fitness to support Florida Hospital's fight against breast cancer. Various fitness classes took place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., where participants from all over joined together to work out for an important cause. Vendors from the local community showed their support by either making a donation or attending the event. Florida Hospital's Healthy 100 Women... Full story
Papal wishes... This is directly from The World Jewish Congress Digest: "On September 2, World Jewish Congress president, Ambassador RONALD S. LAUDER, led a small delegation of WJC leaders to represent the global Jewish community before Pope FRANCIS at the Vatican. The pope asked Ambassador Lauder to convey his personal wishes for a sweet and peaceful new year 5774 to all Jews. On behalf of global Jewry, Ambassador Lauder presented the pontiff with a gift of a Kiddish cup and a honey cake. At... Full story
Bar’s baffling boy problem Hollywood, Fla. (JTA)—Some good news for the single guys out there: You can lose the JDate subscription because we have the perfect girl for you: Bar Refaeli is on the market, and she’s ready for a relationship. She told the Israeli newspaper Yediot Achronoth herself, the New York Daily News reports. Can’t figure out why a hot blonde model is having trouble landing a guy? Neither can she. “I don’t understand it,” Refaeli said. “I look great. I’m cool. I like going out. I like being at home, I like movies, I like ea... Full story
