Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Purim is Judaism's most dramatic, fun-filled holiday. When else can you dress up like a bunny rabbit and eat doughy triangles filled with poppy seeds? Purim occurs on the 14th of Adar. (In certain walled cities like Jerusalem, "Shushan Purim" is celebrated the following day, the 15th of Adar.) Purim celebrates the dramatic turn-around events, where the wicked Haman tried to annihilate the Jewish people of ancient Persia. The Jews were saved through God's miraculous arranging of events, as...
(JNS) — Holocaust survivor Charlotte Roth, 96, finalized her immigration to Israel on Wednesday in Tel Aviv, nearly eight decades after being liberated from Nazi captivity. Roth, born in Czechoslovakia, survived Auschwitz and a death march after being deported with her family in 1944. She later rebuilt her life in a Displaced Persons camp, married and immigrated to the United States before raising four children in Cleveland, Ohio. Accompanied by five generations of descendants, Roth completed her immigration process with the help of Nefesh B...
The usual costumes on Purim are straight from Shushan - Esther, Mordechai, Ahasuerus, or even the bad guy Haman. But some people treat Purim like Halloween, choosing their favorite from a gamut of options. This year, if I went with the "Halloween" option, I would don a black cape, a black hat, and lots of green face makeup. Yes, I would be Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. So why would I choose to dress up as one who would be considered in Jewish tradition as one of the Amalekites? The...
(JNS) - In a quiet art gallery on George Washington Street, a short walk from Jerusalem's bustling city center, color fills the walls with scenes of weddings, musicians, Jerusalem landscapes and Biblical figures bathed in radiant light. For the London-born Robert Elisha, the owner and curator of Huvy's, these are not simply paintings. They represent memories, faith and history-preserved on canvas in his art gallery and reflecting his family's own warmth and hospitality. In an interview at the...
(JNS) - ZIKIM, Israel - For nearly a year and a half, Michal Reichter stared at the Mediterranean Sea from her first-line beach home in her southern Israeli agricultural community, but dared not approach. "The sea is my home, but I would not agree to come near it," said the 46-year-old resident of Kibbutz Zikim, three miles north of Gaza. The trauma of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, still fresh in her mind even after nine months of being evacuated from her southern Israel home, simply...
Many older adults say they feel cold even when others in the room are comfortable. While this can seem like a minor complaint, increased sensitivity to cold in seniors is common and sometimes it can signal an underlying health concern. Why aging adults feel coldera As we age, the body undergoes physiological changes that affect temperature regulation: • Lower metabolic rate: The body produces less heat at rest. • Thinning skin: Aging skin provides less insulation. • Loss of subcutaneous fat: The fat layer beneath the skin decreases, reduc...
(JNS) - In the hills surrounding Ramat Beit Shemesh, groups of teenagers and soldiers ride mountain bikes along narrow dirt trails, climbing steep ascents and navigating rocky descents. The activity looks recreational. But for the participants of Geerz, every ride carries a deeper purpose. The program's founder, Nachum Wasosky, never intended to build a typical sports club. A therapist and family counselor who has worked with youth for more than two decades, he created Geerz as a therapeutic...
Looks like it’s time to brainstorm. Please consider my thoughts and take part in developing a solution. We’ve got to come up with some new ideas in order to combat hateful acts against the Jewish people. Let’s look at the numbers: Antisemitic incidents have increased by nearly 900 percent in the United States over the last decade. In many countries, tombstones have been defaced with swastikas, toppled, or shattered. Synagogues have been targeted with vandalism and shootings. Jews are being...
We live in an age of advanced imaging, targeted therapies, robotic surgery, and medications that a generation ago would have seemed miraculous. About 75 percent of physicians are U.S. medical school graduates. Roughly one quarter earned their degrees abroad, with India among the largest sources of international medical graduates. Many patients now see a range of specialists. Yet some harm today is caused not by illness, but by the care meant to treat it. The word for this is iatrogenic — harm that results from medical care. This includes a...
Lenore Roland has lived in Windermere for more than 30 years. She recently settled into The Mayflower where she was the subject of an article in The Mayflower's magazine, Compass. Heritage Florida Jewish News received permission to reprint this article to share with our readers, many of whom know her. From her early years, new Mayflower resident Lenore (Lenny) Roland seemed destined to be a writer. But her life - from New York City to Winter Park -included many other accomplishments and...
(JNS) - Canadians of indigenous ancestry are still mulling over a trip they took to Israel last fall and are looking forward to the release of a documentary about their experience. "The Lands Between Us" is slated to be screened in early March in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver with support, in part, from the Israeli embassy in Canada. "I miss being on the land and with the people," Crystal Lavallee, a filmmaker from the Niagara area in Ontario, who is of Métis and Greek descent, told...
In today’s fast-changing world, staying on top of your health is easier — and more high-tech — than ever before. At Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, we’re always looking out for innovations that help seniors live healthier, more independent lives. One of the most exciting developments we’re seeing is the rise of next-generation health wearables — smart devices that can monitor everything from heart rate to sleep patterns and even blood sugar levels, all with just a simple slip-on device. Here’s a quick guide to the latest in wearable heal...
Looking for a bagel? We can help you with that and hamentashen, too. But for now we're on a roll - bad pun number one, if you're counting. It's the second edition of "Scene around...again" - and we plan to continue providing news about area events, people, and places to go. Rhonda Des Islets, long-time subscriber, earns our appreciation for writing in to express her support for bringing back the column. It's readers such as Rhonda who keep the column going by sharing personal and community annou...
(JNS) - The mass shooting at Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018, in which 11 Jewish worshippers were killed, took place over parents' weekend at the University of Pittsburgh. Robyn Markowitz Lawler, who was then working at the Pitt Hillel, had been fielding questions from parents about where they could go to Shabbat services, and she and her staff had told them about Tree of Life. "When I got the phone call in the morning that there was an active shooter in...
(JNS) - It was almost a decade ago that Team Israel came seemingly out of nowhere to reach the second round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic as higher-ranked teams fell short. The Israeli team's leadership is hoping for another taste of success this time around. "At this point, we have a habit of winning, and we have a tradition of winning," Nate Fish, manager of the Israeli national team and CEO of Israel Baseball Americas, told JNS. "We're going in expecting to find our way out of the first...
Hamantaschen! Purim, March 2, is celebrated with a festival tone. Four mitzvahs for the holiday are reading the Megillah, the story of the Book of Esther; giving to the poor; having a celebratory meal; and sharing food gifts, often hamantaschen. This recipe features a sugar cookie base. You can fill them with your favorite filling, poppy seed, prune, jams, or chocolate. Makes 15. 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 egg 2 3/4 scant...
Talk about a life full of history and adventure. That is Aryeh Green’s life. Chief strategy officer of Gigawatt Global, a Jerusalem-based renewable energy platform for Africa, and co-founder of its nonprofit arm, Gigawatt Impact, Green recently spoke to a group in Winter Park about the ongoing work of the US 501©3 nonprofit and for-profit company (separate entities). And even though the Israel-linked solar projects are extremely important with the ability to help some of the poorest co...
As we age, keeping our brains sharp is just as important as staying physically active. One fun and effective way to do both at once is through dual-tasking – a simple but powerful method that challenges both the mind and body at the same time. You may already be doing it without realizing it! Ever walked and talked with a friend at the same time? That’s dual-tasking. But recent research shows that when we intentionally combine movement with mental effort, it can significantly boost our memory, coordination, focus, and even help delay cog...
(JNS) - To paraphrase a French maxim: "The more things stay the same ... the worse they get." At least, as far as antisemitism is concerned. This thought came to me early one recent morning, while I was channel switching my TV at home. I came across a broadcast of "Gentleman's Agreement," the ground-breaking 1947 movie, starring Gregory Peck, about discrimination against Jews in post-World War II, post-Holocaust, supposedly enlightened American society. The film, in which Peck portrayed Philip...
"Even through these challenges, I have remained committed to being a strong example for my siblings and to upholding our Jewish traditions with pride." - Samuel Kyeyune I generally don' t write articles about members of our tribe living outside the Orlando area. After all, the title of my column is "Jews in the Land of Disney." But, I have an interesting story to tell. Recently, I was contacted by a 26-year-old young Jewish man living in Uganda. The term "Jewish geography," comes to play, and in...
When cold weather arrives and the air turns sharp enough to sting, some Jewish households still turn to the kitchen. Long before health insurance, urgent-care clinics, or online medical advice, healing came from bubbling pots, simple ingredients, and slow cooking. Food has always been more than sustenance: It is how people manage to stay upright when illness, hunger, and winter close in. Grandmothers do not need nutrition charts to know what works. Nutrition writers today speak of probiotics, antioxidants, collagen, and immune-supporting foods...
Got your grogger? Here we go! Such a commotion. Naturally! Exactly what you expect from the Jewish noisemaker. But there’s more commotion. Because, just like Chanukah, there are many ways to spell and pronounce the name of the device most notably associated with the holiday of Purim. Maybe you have a favorite Jewish blog you like to read on your computer. If so, you’ll likely have a blogger writing about the grogger — a rhyme you’ll remember. Alternatively, there’s grager, gragger, or gregger. I...
On the day before the National Football League championship game last Sunday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was studying his playbook, and reviewing game films. He was reviewing the plays his team could use the next day against the New England Patriots. He was studying the defensive formations and personnel alignments the Patriots could send on the field. He was preparing to put himself into the best mental state for victory. A devout Christian, he should have gone to shul. ,,, . ,≥ The Torah portion read in synagogue on the day b...
The Bridge Theatre Company recently gave a performance that left the audience silent in the way only truth can silence a room — and then rose to its feet as one. “Anne & Emmett,” performed at the Pargh Event Center at the Rosen JCC, was gripping, flawless, and unrelenting. The audience in the packed auditorium gave a standing ovation at the end, but what mattered just as much was what did not happen that afternoon: no one left. Every seat remained filled as the house lights came up and the cast, director, and board stayed for an extended conve...
Jewish Pavilion Senior Services and the Orlando Senior Help Desk are always exploring innovative, evidence-based approaches that may enhance quality of life for older adults. One emerging wellness modality gaining attention is Red Light Therapy, a non-invasive treatment that supports skin health, pain relief, muscle recovery, hair growth, and potentially even mood and sleep. Red Light Therapy uses low-level red and near-infrared light to stimulate cellular activity, helping the body heal and function more efficiently without discomfort or...
