Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) - The nearly 100-year-old Boulder County Historic Courthouse, adjacent to the site of June 1's antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colo., was lit up with bluish-purple lights from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 4 in solidarity with the victims and to call attention to Jew-hatred. "With support from the City of Boulder and the Boulder community at large, we know as a Jewish community that there are those who will stand up and walk beside us," stated Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Tel Aviv-born Colorado state...
This summer, a new memorial will rise in the Golan Heights - a mountainous region in Northern Israel known for its breathtaking views and strategic importance. Here, where rolling green hills meet the border with Syria, a quiet place of remembrance is taking shape beside a soccer field in the Druze town of Ein Qiniyye. The memorial will honor 12 children from the four neighboring Druze towns who were killed on July 27, 2024, when a Hezbollah missile struck a soccer field in Majdal Shams. The...
The Israeli army has recovered the bodies of two more hostages from Gaza, a married couple with U.S. citizenship who were slain on Oct. 7, 2023. Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein Haggai were on their regular morning walk on their kibbutz, Nir Oz, when terrorists attacked on Oct. 7. More than a quarter of their community of 400 was slain or taken as hostages to Gaza. Weinstein Haggai made an emergency call after the couple was ambushed but no one was able to reach them. Their children saw footage of their father’s body being dragged into Gaza. T...
On the evening of June 4, Grand Living welcomed over 125 guests for an unforgettable "Grand Happy Hour" - a celebration of community, connection, and generosity. The event offered a vibrant mix of fabulous food, delightful entertainment, and meaningful moments that brought people of all ages together. Whether mingling over savory bites or indulging in something sweet, attendees found plenty to savor. The event also featured live music that set a joyful tone throughout the evening. Laughter,...
This month the Holocaust Center is hosting several programs: The latest exhibition, “Margret Rey & the Making of Curious George,” is running from June 5 through Aug. 22. The exhibit uncovers the story of Margret Rey, a Jewish woman who, with her husband, escaped Nazi-occupied France on handmade bikes, carrying the manuscript for what would become Curious George. Courageous Conversations: Transforming Extremism through Dialogue — Two events: June 17, 2 – 6 p.m. will be a Youth Workshop and Dinner, held at UCF/Valencia Downtown Campus, Dr. Phi...
The RAISE program for adults with special needs is now accepting online applications for RAISE employees as well as opportunities to volunteer as a job coach. RAISE is a 6- to 12-month work and social skills training program for adults with special needs offered through the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando. RAISE provides paid employment at our partnering agencies. If you know of someone who may benefit from RAISE or are interested in being a job coach, please apply online at ShalomOrlando.org/raise or call 407-621-4033 for more...
Preorder or purchase and pick up challah, freshly baked by adults with disabilities, on Fridays from 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Roth Family JCC or at the front desk. You can also call the front desk (407-621-4036) and speak to Robin Merkel to reserve a challah to pick up on Thursdays from 4 – 10 p.m. or Fridays from 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. You may also preorder specialty challah (chocolate chip, cranberry, chocolate chip/cranberry, raisin and challah rolls) by calling Robin Merkel – same phone number and same times as mentioned above. All pro...
(JNS) — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued a scathing rebuke of several major American news outlets on Monday, accusing them of spreading false, Hamas-sourced narratives. In a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Huckabee directly blamed “reckless and irresponsible reporting” by the New York Times, CNN and the Associated Press for fueling antisemitic violence in the United States — specifically referencing last month’s deadly shooting of two Israelis in Washington, D.C., and Sunday’s firebombing of a pro-Israel demonstrati...
(JNS) — Israel has rescued or returned 199 hostages held by Palestinian terrorist organizations in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attacks in the country’s south, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday. One hundred forty-eight captives returned alive, while Jerusalem retrieved the bodies of 51 slain hostages, according to the official data. Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups abducted 251 Israelis and foreign nationals during the Oct. 7 massacre. The figure released by the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday include...
On Shavuot, Jews who ascended the Temple Mount brought with them the “Two Loaves” sacrifice. The activists, who are priests, donned priestly garments and rushed to the presumed location of the altar, where they offered the two loaves, until they were stopped by the police and Waqf officials. This is the first time a sacrifice has been offered at the Temple site since its destruction, according to sources from the Temple Mount movement. “The priest sanctified his hands and feet in the courtyard area using a ritual vessel, and then recei...
(JNS) - "The body remembers captivity pressure. It has physical and mental costs," Professor Noa Eliakim-Raz, the head of the Returning Hostages Department at Beilinson Hospital (Rabin Medical Center) in Petah Tikva, told JNS recently. Eliakim-Raz explained that years after captivity, former hostages are more likely to develop conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, respiratory issues, dental problems, premature aging and chronic pain. "It's not only about what we see when they come back....
(JNS) — Israel’s Foreign Ministry denounced United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday over his X post calling Israel’s current aid distribution model in Gaza “unacceptable” while failing to mention the Hamas terrorist group. On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces rejected accusations that its troops had fired at civilians in Khan Yunis, and released drone footage showing masked gunmen firing at civilians in Khan Yunis during what the military said was the time of the incident. In his June 2 post, Guterres said he was “appalled...
(JNS) — Starting just after midnight on June 9, citizens of 12 countries are to be barred from entering the United States, and those of seven others are partly blocked, per a presidential proclamation on June 4. “This approach was designed to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances,” U.S. President Donald Trump said. “The restrictions and limitations imposed by this proclamation are, in my judgment, necessary to prevent the entry or admission of foreign nationals about whom the...
(JNS) - Arnold and Frimet Roth, parents of Malka Chana Roth, a 15-year-old American citizen killed in the Sbarro pizzeria bombing in Jerusalem on Aug. 9, 2001, presented a petition bearing some 30,000 signatures to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee during a private meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on May 13. The petition urges the United States to pressure the Kingdom of Jordan to extradite Ahlam Tamimi, 44, a Hamas terrorist who helped plan and engineer the bombing, which killed...
(JNS) - In response to Sunday's antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colo., Kristi Noem, the U.S. homeland security secretary, announced that she directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to "ramp up" crackdowns on those who overstay their visas. The Trump administration stated that the "urgent crackdown" comes after a 45-year-old Egyptian, "who had overstayed his visa in the United States and remained in the country...
(JNS) — Federal agents, who executed a search warrant in Lacey, Wash., found 35 guns, including an MG42 machine gun and short barrel rifles, grenade launchers, explosives, body armor and ballistic helmets “surrounded by Nazi paraphernalia,” Derek Sanders, the sheriff of Thurston County, Wash., stated on Tuesday. Sanders wrote that the U.S. Army’s criminal investigation division contacted the sheriff’s office for help executing the warrant, which he stated was “a result of a violent robbery and theft of military weaponry-armor” and which inv...
Judea and Samaria need people who are willing to take emotional and physical ownership of the area and say, “We get to be here.” Jews often say, “We have to take care of Eretz Yisrael.” It sounds noble to some…it might even sound responsible. But to me, “have to” sounds like the teenager who “has to” clean their room or take out the trash. It’s a duty. A chore. And for many Jews today, especially in the diaspora, that’s exactly what supporting Israel has become: a burden. Contrast that with what I’ve heard from many non-Jews — particularly...
(JNS) — The Islamic Republic will reject any nuclear agreement that aims to curb its “peaceful activities,” Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday, referring to its uranium enrichment efforts, while demanding assurances from the United States that sanctions will be lifted. “Iran has a peaceful nuclear programme. … we are prepared to provide this assurance to any party or entity,” AFP quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying. Uranium enrichment remains a major issue in negotiations with the United States that have been ongoing...
(JNS) — A federal judge in Boulder, Colo., blocked the deportation of the family of the suspect involved in Sunday’s attack on pro-Israel demonstrators. Mohamed Sabry Soliman was arrested for allegedly firebombing protesters who were marching peacefully in Boulder in support of the hostages in Gaza. The defendant shouted “Free Palestine” while attacking Jewish pedestrians with what the FBI described as a “makeshift flamethrower” and an incendiary device. In custody, he told authorities that he wanted to kill all Zionists, according to the Just...
No uranium enrichment under any Iran deal By JNS Staff (JNS) — U.S. President Donald Trump stated unequivocally that the nuclear deal currently being discussed with Iran will not allow any uranium enrichment, contradicting earlier media reports. The statement came shortly after Israeli news outlet Walla, citing two sources familiar with the deal, reported on Monday that Washington was open to permitting Iran limited, low-level uranium enrichment for an unspecified duration. That report conflicted with earlier reassurances from senior a...
(JNS) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog met on Tuesday with Omer Wenkert, a freed hostage who was released in February after being held by Hamas in Gaza for over a year. Wenkert was abducted during the massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, from a bomb shelter in Kibbutz Re’im, where he had sought refuge after escaping the attack on the Nova music festival. During the meeting, the president spoke with Wenkert and his parents, Niva and Shai, about his experience in captivity, the challenges of rehabilitation, and the urgent need to bring home the rem...
(JNS) — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called for tougher immigration and border enforcement on Wednesday in response to the firebombing attack in Boulder, Colo. on Sunday. Johnson noted that the alleged perpetrator, Mohamed Soliman, 45, had been in the country illegally since his visa expired in 2023. “We need to go find the other Solimans and get them out of America,” Johnson told reporters at the weekly House Republican leadership press conference. According to prosecutors, Soliman shouted “free Palestine” as he threw molotov c...
Eight people were burned in Boulder, Colorado, in a firebombing attack on a demonstration to draw attention to the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. At least one of the victims, who ranged from 55 to 88, was critically injured, according to authorities. Police arrested one man at the scene. The FBI identified him as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, and said he had used a “makeshift flamethrower” in the attack, which the agency said it was investigating as an act of terrorism. Soliman yelle...
Stan Rubins, Shalom Orlando Board chairman, shared with the “Shalom Orlando community” through email the following: After helping guide Shalom Orlando through an important leadership transition, Executive Director Rachel Greenspan will conclude her time in this role later this year. I’m very proud to say Shalom Orlando is on a path of positive growth and success, and we appreciate all of Rachel’s contributions. We wish her the very best. With the support of our full Board of Directors and a dedicated Search Committee, I’ll be leading a compreh...
Stan Rubins, Chair of the Shalom Orlando Board of Directors, recently introduced the Shalom Orlando 2030 Strategic Plan to the community at large, but he's quick to point out the plan isn't just for the community, it was created by the community, itself. "This isn't my plan, and it's not even Shalom Orlando's plan," said Rubins. "This is your Strategic Plan. The people of this community told us loud and clear what they want the Central Florida Jewish community to look like five years from now....
