Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 4127 - 4151 of 4548
NEW YORK (JTA)-When Susan Katz Miller's Episcopalian mother and Jewish father married in the 1960s, they did exactly what most religious leaders advised intermarried couples to do: They chose one religion and stuck to it. Katz Miller's mother put her religious tradition aside, learning to make matzah balls and shepherding her four children through bar and bat mitzvah lessons. But when Katz Miller married her Episcopalian husband, she didn't want to choose. Instead, she and her husband raised... Full story
The American Hebrew Academy Honor Society is accepting nominations for eighth- and ninth-grade students who have shown excellence in academics, character, leadership and community service. The society’s goal is to acknowledge bright, hard-working, well-rounded students who are nominated by school personnel, rabbis, Jewish community professionals, camp directors, counselors, coaches, and/or friends for membership in to the American Hebrew Academy Honor Society. All Honor Society students will be able to compete for five (5) $20,000 annual m... Full story
BERLIN (JTA)-It's 4 a.m. at the famous Kater Holzig club and hundreds of beautiful young people are going crazy on the dance floor to the sound of heavy electronic beats. To the casual clubber, it's just another ordinary night out in Europe's hottest city. But this gathering is far from ordinary. Many of those dancing are immigrants from two countries whose ongoing tensions could explode in the world's face at any given moment. Welcome to the first Iranian-Israeli techno party organized by the... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-For most of the seven years Tova Kinderlehrer lived with her young family in Pittsburgh, she wished she were somewhere else. Her son wasn't doing well in school, her husband's construction career had stalled and Kinderlehrer, though part of a "massive" urban community, felt isolated. She dreamed of escape. In 2011, Kinderlehrer and her husband, Micah Simmons, bought a 38-acre property in Conneautville, Pa., they named Farm Schmarm. Along with their three children, they care for 16... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-We were sharing a pastrami sandwich and pickles at the Los Angeles landmark Canter's Deli. I was 24. She was nearly 50 years older, with a piercing voice as loud as her flaming red wig. Her name was Eva Rubenstein Grant, and she was a little-known nightclub manager the morning of Nov. 24, 1963, when her brother left the apartment they shared in Dallas and blasted his way into infamy by fatally shooting Lee Harvey Oswald. It was history's first live televised murder. Eva worked... Full story
Markus Zusak's acclaimed novel, "The Book Thief," could neither compare with nor replace the first-person reality of "The Diary of Anne Frank." The success of the 2006 book does demonstrate, though, that younger generations will identify with and embrace a contemporary, accessible introduction to the Holocaust. The moving film adaptation of "The Book Thief," opening Friday, Nov. 15 and appropriate for adolescents, tilts slightly more toward a coming-of-age story than a Holocaust film. There's no... Full story
BOSTON (JTA)-A gift-giving, angst-ridden purple gorilla is among the characters who help enliven the Chanukah celebrations in eight new holiday books for children, families and young adults. One, "With a Mighty Hand," is not about Chanukah but will be a treasured gift to add to a family's bookshelves. Tilda Balsley, the author of many children's books, including four Jewish-themed "Sesame Street" titles about Grover, Big Bird and friends, brings two new offerings, "Eight is Great" and "ABC... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-The phenomenon this year of Chanukah and Thanksgiving coinciding could mean even larger family gatherings than usual. So here are some tips: Plan the menus well ahead of the special celebration, and pick recipes that are easy to follow and make them well in advance. This way, cooks can enjoy their company. Have a few appetizers available as guests arrive and dinner isn't ready. One of my favorites is hummus, which I like to serve with cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers and toasted... Full story
When his son asked for The Elf on the Shelf-the famed Christmas toy that is said to keep an eye on children and report back to Santa Claus regarding their behavior-entrepreneur Neal Hoffman said he felt an admitted pang of "elf envy" and saw the need to offer something more appropriate. "I said to myself that I wished there was a toy and book that was an alternative, that was rooted in Jewish traditions," Hoffman told JNS.org. Hoffman, at the time an employee of the Hasbro toy and game company,... Full story
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
