Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Steven Eichenblatt enters the Heritage office right on time. He offers his hand and speaks in a soft, relaxed voice as he greets me with a warm, confident smile. I've never met Steven, but many people in Central Florida know him. He appears to be a gregarious, yet humble man - and he is. Ask anyone who knows him. But this outward appearance wasn't always so. As is often said, you can't judge a book by its cover. Does anyone ever really know what goes on inside anyone's head? Or family? Steven...
My name is Marni Mandell, and I’m honored to be stepping into the role of CEO of Shalom Orlando and The Roth Family Jewish Community Center. This role is both professional and deeply personal for me. My family’s roots in the Orlando Jewish community go back generations, and after many years living in Israel, returning to Orlando over the past couple of years has felt like a homecoming. I’m raising my young children here now with my Israeli husband, which makes this work not only about honoring our past, but about shaping a strong, vibra...
(JNS) - When award-winning journalist and author Yardena Schwartz began researching the 1929 massacre of Jews in Hebron, she had no idea she was uncovering what she now calls "ground zero" of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Nor did she imagine that nearly a century later, the patterns she identified would reemerge with devastating clarity on Oct. 7, 2023. Her book, "Ghosts of a Holy War," explores how the murder of 67 Jews in Hebron-once considered one of the safest Jewish communities in Mandatory...
(JNS) — Everyone has heard of the unlikely hero — that person who, despite all odds, comes to the rescue in a seemingly herculean way. It can be the mom who, in a burst of adrenaline, partially lifts a car to save a child stuck underneath; a neighbor who puts out a fire while community members are asleep; or a Good Samaritan who jumps into a body of water to rescue a person flailing about. And then, there’s the likely hero — that person trained to do the right thing as a result of career and hap...
Did you know that your nervous system is naturally wired to connect with others to survive and to feel safe and supported? When you’re near someone who is calm and grounded, your body senses it. This natural process is called co-regulation — when two nervous systems connect and help each other feel more at ease. Here’s how connection helps: • It lowers stress levels • It can slow your heart rate • It brings you back to the present moment more quickly Whether it’s a warm hug, sitting quietly next to a friend, sharing a deep breath, or si...
Editor's note: Heritage's beloved Gloria Yousha, who wrote Scene Around for XX years, passed away on Nov. 18, 2022. Since that time, no one has come forward to take on covering the social scene for the paper. Now that may be changing. Steven Cardonick, who writes the "Give a listen..." column is very interested in writing the column. See what you think and hopefully he will be taking on the challenge! Happy New Year! Our gift to you: The renaissance of Gloria Yousha's Scene Around column. May...
(JNS) - How does one begin to describe Jane Goodall's legacy to the world? Few people in history have saved more individual animals or wildlife species from extinction and restored or protected more environments. In fact, conservation of the environment has been globally defined by her measures and moral compass. Goodall, who died on Oct. 1 at the age of 91, was a U.N. messenger of peace, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a Dame of the British Empire. She touched millions upon millions...
Drive down Sand Lake Hills today and you can feel it almost immediately: something has shifted. What was once a quiet pocket of Southwest Orlando has become a hub of Jewish life, activity, and — perhaps most visibly — food. Over the past year, a new kosher marketplace opened just minutes from Orlando Torah Academy, joined by a rotating Chinese kosher pop-up and the continued success of Kosho Sushi, which has become a go-to destination not only for observant families but for kosher-curious diners across the city. On the surface, these are foo...
(JNS) — I land at Ben-Gurion International Airport after a week in New York that feels like a lifetime. The wheels hit the tarmac with a dull thud that spurs customary applause from passengers. They’re either relieved after the long journey or clapping for arriving in the Jewish state. Before passengers are permitted to unbuckle, the pilot takes to the loudspeaker. “Welcome home,” he says in Hebrew, proceeding to highlight the bravery of the Israel Defense Forces and express hope for the swift return of the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaini...
Dear Editor: Growing up in Australia was so secure and pleasant. “G’day mate, how’re you going?” was the cheerful greeting of people as they passed each other in the street. We didn’t lock the doors and the windows were always kept open. How did this “pleasant, friendly society turn into one filled with so much hatred? On Oct. 9, 2023, before we even understood what had happened in Israel, before we had started to defend our country, before we retaliated against the murderous attack on the kibbutzim and the border villages, Australians...
(JNS) — For decades, particularly since the war began on Oct. 7, political campaigns have organized in the United States to delegitimize the rule of Netanyahu and try to push him out of office. They came consistently from presidents Clinton, Obama and Biden. More recently, efforts have been rumbling from the MAGA camp of the Republican Party. Much of the campaign centers around anonymously sourced reports from so-called senior officials who claim that America’s president is getting fed up with Netanyahu. These reports are continuously pro...
It has been a year of both devastation and distinction for Yifat Merbl, a professor in the Department of Systems Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. Merbl was recently named one of Nature magazine's "Ten people who shaped science in 2025," a prestigious honor recognizing her groundbreaking work on the human immune system. "It's an amazing recognition in what we do and provides an amazing boost, also to my incredible team, to keep pushing the boundaries of science," Merbl...
Choosing a skilled nursing facility for your loved one is one of the most important decisions you will make. At Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, we understand how overwhelming this process can be. That’s why we offer the Orlando Senior Help Desk, a free resource designed to guide families through senior care decisions with compassion and clarity. While no facility is perfect, there are key indicators to help you determine whether a facility will provide the level of care and dignity your loved one deserves: 1. Go beyond the surface A b...
While many Americans spend Dec. 25 gathered around Christmas trees and festive dinners, another longstanding tradition was celebrated at Temple Israel this year: enjoying Chinese food on Christmas Day. What began in the early 20th century as a matter of practicality has become a cherished cultural ritual for many Jewish families across the United States. During a time when most restaurants closed for Christmas, Chinese eateries, often run by immigrants who didn't celebrate the holiday, remained...
“Limited-time membership. A $60 value for only $15.” So read the many emails and postcards over the course of a year. We waited. Then the new BJ’s Wholesale Club opened. We still waited. I decided to see what they had to offer besides a big discount at the gasoline pump. The website mentioned electronics. Bulk purchases of groceries. Household goods and office supplies. Out of curiosity I entered the word “Jewish” in the search box. Up came a list of 10 products in order of relevance. 1. Pastram...
(JNS) — Gabrielle Strauchler has been campaigning for years to remove mobile phones from her classroom. The English teacher for boys in Karnei Shomron, in Samaria, says the devices distract pupils, particularly those who are clearly addicted to digital games or social media. Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced that beginning on Feb. 2 (Tu B’Shevat), a nationwide school policy will be implemented prohibiting children from using mobile phones anywhere on elementary school grounds, unless they are being used for educational purposes. A...
(JNS) — On Jan. 25, 2006, almost 20 years ago, the Palestinian Authority held its last elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, which functions as the Palestinian parliament. The result was a landslide victory for Hamas, the genocidal terrorist organization that planned, led, and executed the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. The chairman of the P.A., Mahmoud Abbas, had been elected a year earlier, replacing the deceased Yasser Arafat. Soon after his election, he traveled to Washington to meet President George W. Bush. Shortly after returning,...
(JNS) — U.S. President Donald Trump credited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for guiding the Jewish state to victory over a “force the likes of which very few countries could have handled.” JNS asked Trump about his relationship with the Israeli premier. “He’s a wartime prime minister,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “He’s taken Israel through a very dangerous period of drama.” Standing alongside Netanyahu at a press conference outside the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., Trump said that under other leadership, Israel “mig...
(JNS) — I looked at then-Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) like he had a screw loose. We were on a congressional delegation in Israel in 2011, and he kept asking to see Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system. At the time, Iron Dome was new, highly classified and very much not on our itinerary. Each time he raised the question, I wondered how on earth I could possibly make that happen. But Lamborn, bless him, did not let it go. A few days later, our delegation met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During his briefing, the prime min...
At the Orlando Senior Help Desk, we’re always seeking out ideas and organizations that inspire seniors to live with greater vitality, meaning, and connection. One such organization is Sage-ing International, a nonprofit that invites us to reimagine the aging process – not as a time of decline, but as a powerful and fulfilling stage of life. Sage-ing International supports older adults in living their later years with intention, wisdom, and heart. Whether you’re just learning about this approach, or have already taken part in their progr...
(JNS) — In October 2003, Oran Almog lost his eyesight at age 10 in a terror attack at the Maxim restaurant in Haifa. His father, brother, grandparents and cousin were among the 21 people killed in the attack, which wounded 60, including his mother, sister and aunt. Sami Jaradat, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member who dispatched the bomber, was released as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in January. Almog, 32, told JNS on Sunday that it was hard for him to come to terms with Jaradat being free, but he understands “the big...
The Schvitz offered a kind of restoration that beats anything offered today. In the late 1960s and early '70s, when my sister, Vicky, or I came down with a bad cold, my father had an unconventional cure: He would drop us off at the, better known to Clevelanders as the Schvitz. It was a men-only institution every day of the week except Wednesday, which was Ladies' Night. Vicky and I checked in, stripped down, stowed our clothes in lockers, and wrapped ourselves in the signature Schvitz uniform: a...
When you experience a soft tissue injury like a sprain, strain, or pulled muscle, the first instinct is often to reach for ice or wrap the area. For decades, the standard recommendation was the RICE protocol: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. However, recent insights into sports medicine and physical therapy have led many experts to shift their focus to a newer protocol: MEAT – Movement, Exercise, Analgesics, and Treatment. Let’s look at both approaches, when to use them, and how to transition from injury to recovery effectively. The RIC...
Wandering Jews we are. And with so many choices there’s bound to be a lot of meandering. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist are the main four branches. Other movements: Humanistic, Chabad, New age… Given the variety of practices presented, we see a smorgasbord of choices. I wonder how many other Jews have been on a circuitous path such as I have traveled. My earliest memories — other than those of eating kosher lamb chops — are riding in a car to Jewish day school in another...
Hadassah, the Woman’s Zionist Organization of America, is alive and strong in Central Florida. Founded in 1912 by Henrietta Zold, it is one of the largest international, volunteer Jewish organizations, with nearly 300,000 members in the United States. Hadassah was founded before Israel was a state and before women could vote. For 100+ years, Hadassah has worked proactively to find and implement solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing each generation. Together, we’re advancing women’s health, supporting a strong Israel and insti...
