Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA) – Riding a wave of tabloid notoriety after winning his highly publicized defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp is planning to direct a biopic about a different troubled figure: the Jewish Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star is partnering with Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino to produce the film, which will be adapted from the 1979 play "Modigliani" by Dennis McIntyre. It will chronicle the life of the artist whose portraits and s...
(JTA) — Bobby Jones headed to bed on Sept. 4, 1972, expecting a grueling practice schedule the next day. After a standout sophomore season at the University of North Carolina, the future NBA Hall of Famer was in Munich as a member of the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team, which had just advanced to the medal round. Jones didn’t get the night of sleep he was expecting. “We heard gunfire at night and the village had turned into an armed camp by morning,” Jones told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. A little after 4 in the morning on Sept. 5, eight...
By Andrew Lapin (JTA) — One of the first people introduced in Ken Burns’ new documentary series about the Holocaust is Otto, a Jewish man seen in the series’ first episode who tries to secure passage to America for his family but gets stymied by the country’s fierce anti-immigration legislation. It isn’t until the third episode that viewers learn that Otto’s daughter is nicknamed Anne, and the pieces fall into place: He’s the father of Anne Frank, the Holocaust’s most famous victim. Burns calls the delayed detail a “hidden ball trick,” hopi...
(JNS) - A 1,200-year-old luxurious rural estate-the first of its kind in the Negev-was exposed in the archaeological excavations carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by the government through the Authority for the Development and Settlement of the Bedouin, prior to the expansion of the Bedouin town of Rahat. A surprise awaited the archaeologists in the estate's courtyard: a unique vaulted complex overlying a three-meter-deep, rock-hewn water cistern. Dating to the Early Isl...
(JTA) — The James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Twitty released a book of recipes and essays that fuses Jewish and African-American culinary histories this week. Twitty, 45, won acclaim for his 2018 book “The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African-American Culinary History in the Old South,” which also drew parallels between African-American and Jewish history. Twitty grew up in Washington, D.C., in a Christian household but around Jewish food, with a mother who regularly made challah; he converted to Judaism in his early 20s and now keeps...
(JNS) — It’s been a scorcher of a summer, so when a friend suggested a trip to the Berkshire Mountains, this Northeasterner was ready for some cooler weather. Not quite a “staycation” (it was about a five-hour drive during less trafficked hours), it was far less expensive than flying right now. The Berkshires in Western Massachusetts is rustic and rural, offering the feeling of really getting away from it all. Little towns and villages are nestled in the mountains, a skier’s attraction come wintertime. In July, verdant greenery and clean air—co...
Are you struggling with "just getting over it"? Whether you were the person who experienced an event or the one who responded to it, the after effect of any traumatic experience can leave you feeling helpless or anxious. It might be trauma. Telltale signs of trauma can be subtle emotional responses or life-threatening, and include flashbacks, avoiding reminders of the event, and anxiety or changes in mood. Although healing from trauma is a gradual process that doesn't happen overnight, you can...
Summer weather can pose special health risks to older adults and people with chronic medical conditions. It is critically important that adults particularly susceptible to hyperthermia and other heat-related illnesses know how to safeguard against problems. Hyperthermia is caused by a failure of the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body. Heat fatigue, heat syncope (sudden dizziness after prolonged exposure to the heat), heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are forms of hyperthermia. Older adults are at risk for these conditions, and th...
(JTA) - Jesse Eisenberg's newest film directing project follows two estranged cousins who travel to Poland and learn about their grandmother's Holocaust story. "A Real Pain," which will star Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, will begin shooting in Warsaw in March, Screen reported on Wednesday. After their grandmother dies, according to a description in Screen, Eisenberg and Culkin's characters try to learn about her past, and their journey - which involves joining a Holocaust-themed tour - brings up...
Recently Rabbi Mendy Bronstein of Chabad of Altamonte Springs, Rabbi Sholom Dubov of Chabad of Greater Orlando, Rabbi Konikov and Rabbi Zibell of Chabad of South Orlando, and Rabbi Lipskier of Chabad at UCF traveled to Almaty, Kazakhstan to attend the annual Rabbinic Convention along with other Florida Chabad rabbis. The following is what Rabbi Dovid Vigler of Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens experienced while there. Rabbi Bronstein shared this with his congregation and with the Heritage. I...
Because there is so much at stake spiritually during Rosh Hashanah, we make preparations beginning a full month earlier. At Rosh Chodesh Elul, or the start of the new month of Elul, we begin to stir with anticipation for this day of spiritual renewal. We set out our spiritual provisions by readying our minds for prayer and our hearts for forgiveness and by doing whatever we can to attain God's compassion and mercy when the Day of Judgment arrives. Blowing the Shofar Before Rosh Hashanah The...
There is no substitute for eating a dish in its place of origin, preferably made in a home kitchen by hands that hold the muscle memory of thousands of meals. For me, a close second is stumbling across a recipe, trying it out, and feeling transported to a new place by its flavors. The vastness of the Jewish Diaspora has gifted us with a wealth of interesting types of culinary mergers, and I particularly love exploring the Jewish food of India, where Jewish communities date back thousands of years. There are three distinctive Jewish Indian...
(JNS) - Noor Dahri just published a new book on the Israel Defense Forces. He is a counter-terrorism researcher and a former officer with the London Police. He has studied at Herzliya's International Institute for Counter-Terrorism and has lectured in front of Israeli security experts. Dahri is currently in Israel gathering research for his next book on Israeli security threats, traveling along Israel's often tense borders with Gaza, Syria and Lebanon. Details of his trip, including visits to...
(JTA) - How the subject of his new documentary, "Syndrome K," has largely escaped public attention is a mystery to filmmaker Stephen Edwards. "It's the greatest elevator pitch in Hollywood," he said. "The story of three doctors, one of them Jewish, practicing with a fake identity, that fool the SS with a fake disease that saved Jews from certain deportation." "Syndrome K," which hits digital and video on demand platforms on Tuesday after some Jewish film festival showings, tells that...
The Jewish tradition of leaving stones or pebbles on a grave is an ancient one, and its origins are unclear. It is a custom or tradition, rather than a commandment, and over time many interpretations have been offered for this practice. Common explanations for this custom include: • Warning To Kohanim (Jewish Priests) During the times of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish priests (kohanim) became ritually impure if they came within four feet of a corpse. As a result, Jews began marking graves w...
Find time away from the chaos. During the end of summer as the kids get back to school and we shift out of vacation mode, things can seem a bit overwhelming. Let go of what you can and focus on good enough, not perfection, and make time to rest. If you normally spend all weekend doing household chores, try to carve out some quiet time for yourself or spend quality time with friends or family. Focus for an hour or two on yourself to let your mind clear. It's ok not to be perfect. We're here to...
The state of Florida is vulnerable to hurricanes during the Atlantic hurricane season (June-November.) When there is a warning of a hurricane or other natural disaster, elder-care communities ensure the comfort and safety of their residents. Senior communities have a Hurricane and Disaster Preparedness Plan which consists of recommendations from regulating authorities such as the Florida Division of Emergency Management as well as precautionary guidelines and procedures developed from their experience and expertise in hurricane preparedness....
Gloria Yousha is down on her back - literally - and can't sit to write her column. So here are a few stories from Scene Around past. We hope you enjoy them. Admiral Hyman Rickover ... (From December 2015) HYMAN GEORGE RICKOVER was a United States Navy admiral who directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of Naval Reactors. In addition, he oversaw the development of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, the world's...
Jerry Klinger, president and founder of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, contacted the Heritage after reading the article "Podcast series 'The Forgotten Exodus' tells overlooked stories of Jews from Arab Lands" published in the Aug. 5 issue of Heritage. He wanted to share about a sculpture on display outdoors at the Sephardi Memorial in Jerusalem that was created by noted Jerusalem sculptor Sam Philipe from a picture of a family literally walking across barren land to...
(JTA) — On Netflix’s “My Unorthodox Life,” both Julia Haart and her older daughter Batsheva said they regretted getting married as teenagers, the norm in their Orthodox Jewish community. So when the family landed a spot on “Celebrity Family Feud,” the star-studded version of the classic TV game show, they said anything they won would go to a group dedicated to opposing child marriage. On the episode that aired Sunday night, the Haarts prevailed over a set of personalities from the Bravo reality-TV show “Summer House” and sent $25,000 to VOW...
Twenty-eight-year old Rachel Lipman cares deeply about preserving her Jewish family's fifth-generation wine-making business, Loew Vineyards, but she's also keeping an eye on the future. As one of the youngest winemakers in Maryland - if not the youngest - she's pushing through boundaries in a traditionally male-dominated industry. But that's not all. Lipman is also educating customers about her family's extraordinary legacy of producing unique wines - a 150-year-old family tradition that was nea...
(JTA) - Why haven't Russian troops more forcefully attacked Dnipro, the Ukrainian city that is a spiritual center of the Chabad Hasidic Orthodox movement? According to one provocative Ukrainian Jewish oligarch, the answer is an ancient Kabbalistic curse against Russia's Vladimir Putin. Hennady Korban, who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship last month, told NV, a Ukrainian broadcaster, that he had initiated the curse, known as Pulsa Denura, against Putin - and that the Russian leader knew...
It's finally here - back-to-school time! It can be stressful to get back into the routine of things for both parents and children. Try making the transition back to school a little easier by reducing common stressors. Do those chores really need to be done or can it wait until after they start school? Order in from your favorite restaurant and skip the dishes. Remember that the transition to a new grade can be just as stressful for kids as it is for you. Give yourselves a few days to adjust...
If you or your spouse served in the military, you may be eligible for aid that can be applied to the cost of care services. The VA Aid and Attendance pension was established to provide financial benefits outside the traditional VA residential care system. It specifically helps veterans and their spouses finance daily personal care services if needed. These services include Personal grooming assistance, medication assistance, help transitioning into bed and incontinence management. These are...
My favorite movie of all ... This has nothing to do with the column or the comedians I'm writing about today, but I just saw my favorite movie, "Singin' In The Rain," on television for the 4th or 5th time. I loved everything about that movie. Unfortunately all the stars, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Conner, (none Jewish) are deceased, but they were and always will be favorites of mine. And dancing was my favorite talent ... more than singing. (Watching it gave me a good upbeat...
