Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) - Seven years ago, in the calm of a Saturday morning in Pittsburgh, the world convulsed. The Oct. 27 massacre at the Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha, in which 11 Jewish people were killed, did not merely shatter bones and hopes; it bent the axis of everyday life in my hometown neighborhood of Squirrel Hill. And now, in this seventh year, the hard work is no longer just to remember what happened or to respond with declarations of unity; it is to reckon with how memory demands us to live...
(JNS) - Walking down 3rd Avenue and 85th Street during a recent visit to New York, I was approached by a young, professionally-dressed woman who recognized me from news interviews. "Thank you for everything you do for Israel," she said, and held out her hand. I shook it, blushing. "No," I replied, "Thank you for standing by us during this difficult period." "Difficult period" is, of course, an understatement. For the past two years, the Jewish state and the nation it represents have been...
Keep a folder of all medical information. It is good to have a binder in addition to a folder on the computer, so you can take critical medical information with you to appointments. Information Needed: • Health insurance cards, Medicare cards, and so on • Appointment reminder cards from health care providers • A list of medications including dosages, frequency, date started and reason • A medical history • A list of emergency contacts, relationship, addresses and all phone numbers • A sheet for recording the date of visits, the provider an...
When Israeli pop star Yoni Bloch created a music video in January depicting scenes of the Israeli hostages returning through the use of artificial intelligence, it was meant as a hopeful fantasy. At the time, Bloch's song, "Sof Tov" or "A Happy Ending," went viral in Israel for offering optimism for the release of the nearly 100 hostages still held in Gaza. It also envisioned peace in the region accompanying the end of the war in Gaza. Now, nine months later, after the remaining 20 living...
In colder weather the arugula is less bitter than summer. Adding seasonal pomegranate seeds adds the sweetness needed. You can multiply the quantities for company. It makes a colorful presentation. 3/4 cup arugula leaves with stems. Wash and paper towel dry the greens. Use scissors, cut 1-2 inch pieces. (You can also use small pieces of romaine lettuce.) Cut a small ripe avocado in half. In the side without the pit, score small cubes with a knife and use a spoon to remove them from the peel. Keep the pit in the other half and sprinkle fresh lem...
I was born Gloria Bernardi, but my father was born Jacob Moses Schwartzman. When he came to America and became an opera singer in the years just before World War I, it was a time of smoldering antisemitism. He decided that the name Giacomo Bernardi would look better on theatre marquees than Jacob Moses Schwartzman. Bernardi became a name that opened doors, soothed suspicion, and allowed him to move between two worlds. And that’s what names often do — change to fit the times. They can protect, disguise, or celebrate who we are — and who we ho...
When the first season of the surprise hit "Nobody Wants This" ended last year, viewers were left with a cliffhanger about the unlikely couple at the center of the story: Would Joanne convert to be with Rabbi Noah? Would they be together at all? Now, the second season has dropped bringing the immediate revelation in the first episode that, while their relationship has survived, no decision has been made. Thus begins another 10-episode season showcasing the travails of an interfaith Los Angeles...
A signed, game-worn Sandy Koufax jersey is up for auction with an estimated value of more than $1 million. The listing at the Dallas-based Heritage Auctions notes that the No. 32 Los Angeles Dodgers jersey from 1966, Koufax's final season, has been photo-matched to a May 14 game at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, an undated image from the same season at Shea Stadium in New York City, as well as two other outings in which Koufax did not pitch. Koufax, 89, was one of the most dominant southpaws of...
Like most synagogues, Congregation Beth El in South Orange, New Jersey added new rituals after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel, saw another 251 taken hostage and launched a grinding war between Israel and Hamas. The Conservative congregation hung a "bring them home now" sign out front on behalf of the hostages. Rabbi Jesse Olitzky added the "Acheinu" prayer for redeeming captives to the weekly Shabbat service, and each week read the biography of a hostage. As the war raged...
The Torah is direct: eat this, not that; separate milk and meat, based on the verse “Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21); and remove leaven from the home before Passover. Leviticus and Deuteronomy do not say “to prevent parasites” or “to avoid food poisoning.” Rabbis treated these as chukim — decrees beyond human reasoning. To follow them was to show trust in God’s wisdom. Over the centuries, rabbis of old cautioned against searching for purely practical motives in these laws. They feared that if pe...
For seniors looking to maintain independence, explore the realm of online delivery services. These services offer more than just groceries; they cater to the specific needs of aging adults, regardless of their level of tech proficiency. What started as a niche market has now become a growing trend. Delivery has a long history, from the milkman in Britain in the 1860s to the emergence of pizza delivery for Italian royals in 1889. Mail order catalogs like Tiffany’s Blue Book and Montgomery Ward paved the way for remote shopping, while c...
As the weather gets cooler, a soup can be the perfect meal. (Rice and beans served together makes a complete protein meal.) Serve with some quality bread and a salad for an easy meal. The recipe makes 4-5 servings. 14 oz. frozen broad beans or a 14 1/2 oz. can of rinsed and drained Northern Beans 6 T. virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, (1 cup) finely chopped and fried in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. 2 medium tomatoes skinned and very finely chopped or 16 oz. can diced tomatoes,...
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 106 times to 143 laureates in its 125-year history. And yet numerous conflicts and wars rage on. Has the award lost its significance and power to truly motivate people to bring about lasting peace for our planet? Or have we overlooked simple but impactful solutions that may bring about peace and prosperity? What if we could avoid difficult situations and remedy serious problems simply by drinking enough water? Not just to eradicate wars between nations and...
On a winter morning in 1825, Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia opened its doors for a consecration few in the city would forget. The sanctuary filled not only with Jews but with the city’s civic and religious leaders. Bishop William White, the Episcopal bishop of Pennsylvania, was there. So too were the chief justice and associate judges of the state Supreme Court, along with ministers from other Christian churches and “many other distinguished citizens.” The newspaper that cover...
Submitted by the family Jeffrey Steven Koplow left us far too soon on Oct. 25, 2024, and the world is a little quieter and a lot less funny without him. He is survived by his devoted mother, Toby Stolar; his greatest joys - his children, Chase and Maci Koplow; his longtime friend and wonderful co-parent, Erin Koplow; and his loving sisters, Randi Benatar and Penny (Keith) Grumer. Also missing him deeply are his nieces and nephews: Natalie (Jason) Staple, Michael (Alyssa) Salerno, Hallie (Kevin)... Full story
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on Sunday and Israel conducted strikes against targets inside the territory in the biggest threats yet to the week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The soldiers were not killed by Hamas, the group and Israel both said. The deaths come as Hamas is continuing to locate and release the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, as required by the terms of the ceasefire deal, and as U.S. officials head to the region in an attempt to preserve the deal...
For months, I wracked my brain for a way to express my appreciation and admiration for Rabbi Sholom Dubov, chief rabbi of Chabad Orlando, for the major role he has played in my family’s lives. Put it simply — he fortified our Jewish identification. He doesn’t need another watch or camera, suitcase or sweater, I thought. Then it hit me. What better way to pay tribute to him than simply create a tribute. So, as he celebrated his 64th birthday on the eve of Yom Kipper, here is my heartful tribute to him as well as a remembrance of my life...
(JNS) - I've been thinking a lot about Yaakov Kirschen now that the year 5785 has ended and a new one has begun. I had long known of him but had just started getting to know him, meeting the man behind the "Dry Bones" political cartoon - recognized far and wide in the Jewish news world - on the last Saturday in March. I happened to be in the same place he was that Shabbat, spending time with family in a suburb of Tel Aviv before flying back to the States that night. He was convalescing from a...
(JNS) - Customers at Fuzzy's Pizza Katy in West Houston have the option of ordering something a little bit more lofty than just a tomato pie as part of a current promotion. The family-owned pizza shop is offering a limited-edition Elie Wiesel keepsake box in honor of the Sept. 30 birthday of the late Holocaust survivor. Wiesel died on July 2, 2016, at the age of 87. It's an opt-in program; owner Jeff Hajjar said he started with 72 keepsake boxes (as of Tuesday night, he had 19 left) in the...
Typical causes of stress include work, financial struggles, parenting issues, relationship troubles, health concerns, caregiving and more. Signs and symptoms of stress include feeling anxious, sweaty palms, fluctuating mood, digestion issues, constipation or diarrhea, dizziness and nausea, teeth grinding, headaches, decrease in energy levels, trembling, and rapid breathing. The impact of stress on your mental and physical health can lead to behaviors such as trouble concentrating, experiencing memory problems, constant irritability, impaired...
(JTA) - When Rita Zohar stepped into the role of Bessie Stern, a Holocaust survivor whose death sets in motion Scarlett Johansson's new film "Eleanor the Great," she wasn't simply acting. Zohar, 81, is a childhood survivor of the Holocaust. She was also drawing on her lived experience of loss and resilience to bring life to her character. "This role in this movie has given me a voice," Zohar told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "Even though this is not my story, this is not what happened to me...
(JNS) — The Netflix animated series “Long Story Short,” which premiered last month, is drawing attention both for its creator, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, of “BoJack Horseman” fame, and for its treatment of Jewish family life through humor. The series follows the Schwoopers, a middle-class Jewish family, across decades. It proceeds in a non-linear fashion, highlighting the tensions, joys and incongruities of American Jewish life. Jeremy Dauber, Atran professor of Yiddish language, literature and culture at Columbia University and director of its In...
(JNS) — The final performance of “Parade,” a Tony Award-winning musical, was held just days ago at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It told the story of the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan, a teenage girl in Atlanta, and the flawed trial, conviction, and, ultimately, the vigilante lynching of Leo Frank, a Jewish New Yorker transplanted to the American South who managed the factory where the murder took place. The trial was marred by antisemitism, bribery, coerced testimony and mob intimidation. Though the curtain has closed, Frank’s conviction...
These are quick and easy to make for an impressive dessert. Makes 12 mini pastries. 17 oz. Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry 1 recipe Almond Paste from Scratch (See below.) 4 oz. Sliced or slivered almonds 1 egg yolk Defrost pastry about 1 hour. Pastry should be soft enough to work without breaking, but still cold. Line a baking sheet with foil sprayed with cooking spray. For mini pastries, cut each section of defrosted pastry in thirds lengthwise and then cut each length in half. Spread each...
Preheat oven to 425F. In microwave melt 4 T. butter, covered, 45 seconds on high. Set aside. In a 3-quart casserole with a cover, place 1 cup rinsed basmati rice with two cups water. Mix in a packet of low sodium bouillon powder. Place casserole on micro-safe dinner plate to catch drips. Cover and cook in microwave 15 minutes on high. If rice is too dry, add 2 T.-3T. water and cover to allow rice to absorb moisture. If too wet, allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes or reheat in microwave 2...
