Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA) - When Michael Smuss died last month at 99, an era of Jewish history came to a close. Smuss was the last known resistance fighter during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, when Jews rose up against their Nazi persecutors in one of the most dramatic episodes of the Holocaust. Smuss was not the only prominent survivor to die in recent weeks. A number of survivors, several centenarians, have died in a wave that underscores the rapid disappearance of anyone alive with robust memories of the...
Shalom Orlando has appointed Marni Mandell as the new CEO of the organization. While already busy engaging with local leaders and other stakeholders in the Jewish community, Mandell will formally begin her role as CEO in early January 2026. Mandell previously spent 12 years leading Jewish nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Israel, and for the last 15 years, she has founded and led technology startup companies in Tel Aviv. Mandell most recently joined with other Israeli entrepreneurs to...
Kinneret Council on Aging is proud to celebrate 40 years of dedicated service to enhancing the lives of Central Florida's low-income senior residents. Since its founding in 1985, KCOA has remained steadfast in its mission to support independence, dignity, and quality of life for older adults through innovative programs, advocacy, and community partnerships. Over four decades, the Kinneret Council on Aging has become a cornerstone of support for older adults across the region, touching thousands...
(JNS) — Assault rifles and other equipment belonging to Hamas terrorists were discovered on Wednesday during reconstruction work at Kibbutz Be’eri, more than two years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the community. “Arms and communication devices belonging to Hamas terrorists were found in a kindergarten in Kibbutz Be’eri. Police bomb squad officers neutralized the weapons safely and without incident,” the Israel Police stated. An investigation found the weapons included “loaded and ready-to-fire Kalashnikov rifles, along with communicati...
Quarterback for the Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa told reporters on Sunday he would like to play an NFL International Series game in Jerusalem. The football player was asked after the Dolphins’ 16-13 win over the Washington Commanders in Madrid, Spain, in which international destination he would like to play next. Tagovailoa first mentioned Hawaii, where he is originally from, but then added Jerusalem as his next favored location. “Shoot, it’d be pretty cool to go play in Jerusalem. I don’t know, that’d be sick,” he said. The Dolphins pl...
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 400 to 15 on Monday to pass a bill that aims to stop what its author, Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.), calls the growing terror threat of “vehicle-based attacks.” H.R. 1608 cites the Jan. 1 attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, in which the attacker drove into a crowd and then shot at police officers. The attacker killed 14 people and injured dozens of others. The bill calls on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to submit a classified report to Congress within 180 days assessing “the current and em...
Historically, unflavored beers have been generally assumed to be kosher, but the stout and bitter truth is that craft brewing has introduced recipes that extend beyond water, hops, barley and yeast, per a Nov. 17 letter from the Orthodox Union certification service that spread on social media. There is now a “proliferation of flavored beers, diverse additives and shared equipment that can compromise the kosher status of even seemingly straightforward brews,” per the letter attributed to the OU. (JNS sought comment from the kosher cer...
(JNS) — A new survey by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) finds overwhelming Israeli opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The poll, conducted Nov. 16–17 by Dr. Menachem Lazar among 698 Jewish and Arab Israelis (±3.7 percent), finds 70 percent of Israelis oppose creating a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines—the highest level recorded by the Center since the war began. Among Jewish Israelis, opposition stands at 79 percent. Only 8 percent of respondents support a Palestinian state uncond...
(JNS) - Starship Bagel of Dallas won the Best Bagel award at this year's New York BagelFest, a competition that brought bakeries from across the globe to Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y., on Nov. 16. In addition to taking home the top prize in the festival's blind-tasting category, the Dallas bagel shop also earned wins in multiple subcategories, including Best New York Style Bagel and Best Showmanship, as well as placements in Most Creative and Schmear of the Year. New York BagelFest 2025, sponsore...
(JNS) - A painting, which depicts a Jewish woman and which the Nazis stole after annexing Austria, sold for $236.36 million-reportedly a record for Viennese decorative artist Gustav Klimt-at a Sotheby's auction on Tuesday. Dated between 1914 and 1916, the oil painting is titled "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" and portrays the daughter of Klimt's "most important patrons," Serena and August Lederer, and captures "the social prominence and beauty of the sitter," according to Sotheby's. The auction...
Last Thursday evening approximately 600 Jews and Christians stood together to show their support for Israel at the Standing With Israel event held at the Orlando Sheraton North in Maitland. Sponsored by Steve Strang, CEO of Christian publishing company Charisma Media, and promoted by Michal Osteen of the Jewish community, the evening opened with prayer by Rabbi Geoffrey Spector of Congregation Ohev Shalom, followed by the singing of Hatikva and the National Anthem. Paul Wilbur, a well-known...
(JNS) - A world-first event took place at Rabin Medical Center's Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, where a woman suffering from severe intestinal inflammation caused by Crohn's disease underwent a life saving, minimally invasive robotic bowel resection in her 32nd week of pregnancy. The complex surgery, which lasted several hours and involved dozens of medical staff, was completed successfully, allowing her to carry the pregnancy to term and give birth to a healthy baby girl. Tzofiya...
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik announced a run for governor Friday, as the Republican seeks to leverage her elevated profile as a vocal supporter of the Jewish community to a role in higher office. She aims to challenge the Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul, who angered many Jews in New York with her endorsement of New York City's mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, despite his track record of Israel criticism. In an announcement video for Stefanik's gubernatorial run, a narrator notes that she "fought...
(JNS) - Israeli actress Gal Gadot, best known for portraying Wonder Woman, was named on Tuesday as the winner of the 2026 Genesis Prize, often called the "Jewish Nobel." "I am a proud Jew and a proud Israeli. I love my country and dedicate this award to the organizations who will help Israel heal and to those incredible people who serve on the front lines of compassion," Gadot said. "Israel has endured unimaginable pain. Now we must begin to heal-to rebuild hearts, families and communities." The...
(Altamonte Springs, Florida) Jewish Pavilion Senior Services will be hosting its Annual JP Connections event on Thursday, Dec. 4, in the ballroom at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs at 11a.m. This is a one-of-a-kind gourmet luncheon event and holiday shopping bazaar with an array of vendors and raffle prizes. All proceeds raised through ticket sales, raffle entries, and sponsorships benefit Jewish Pavilion Senior Services and its mission to bring joy and Jewish culture to residents of local...
A coalition of progressive Jewish organizations is condemning the Anti-Defamation League for what it calls “Islamophobic and racist” attacks on New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. In a statement released Tuesday, the groups criticized the ADL’s creation of a “Mamdani Monitor” to track policies and personnel appointments that the ADL views as threatening Jewish security. The signatories — including New York Jewish Agenda, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, IfNotNow, J Street NYC, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice and T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call...
(JNS) — Israel’s flagship carrier, El Al, posted another record quarterly profit on Tuesday, continuing to benefit from strong demand and raking in historic returns as major foreign airlines resumed flights to Israel amid a lull in the war against Hamas in Gaza. The airline, which operated almost continuously throughout the war, reported earnings of $203 million between July and September—an 8 percent increase from $187 million during the same period a year earlier. Revenue rose more than 7 percent to $1.07 billion, up from $1 billion in the c...
(JNS) — One of the anti-Israel founders of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s is striking out on his own over a politically charged frozen treat. Ben Cohen announced on Tuesday that he is making a watermelon-flavored sorbet with a theme of “peace in Palestine.” He said that parent company Unilever and its ice cream spinoff, Magnum, “stopped Ben & Jerry’s from creating a flavor for Palestine.” “I’m doing what they couldn’t,” Cohen said, sharing a video of himself crushing watermelons into juice. “I’m making a watermelon-flavored ice c...
(JNS) — A 5.1-magnitude earthquake centered in Cyprus’s Paphos region was felt in northern Israel on Wednesday, the Geological Survey of Israel reported. Israelis in Haifa, Tiberias, Nazareth and other northern towns reported feeling the tremor, but no injuries or damage were reported, Ynet reported. In September 2023, following a tremor that killed more than 2,000 people in Morocco, Israeli State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said the country had failed to prepare for a major earthquake. Englman’s warning came after a report found that 93 pe...
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces confirmed to JNS on Wednesday that it is building a barrier at the Israel-Lebanon border and that the security wall is entirely on the Israel side, countering Arab media reports that the work is being carried out beyond the Blue Line. “Contrary to Lebanese reports, the barrier in question is located within Israeli territory and does not cross into Lebanese territory,” the IDF said. The Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar network had earlier reported that the IDF was building a new fence opposite the village of Yarou...
(JNS) — U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog requesting a full pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial, Herzog’s office said on Wednesday. The letter reads in part, “As the Great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish People move past the terribly difficult times of the last three years, I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister and is now leading Israel into a time of peace, which includes my co...
(JNS) — The war against Hamas in Gaza isn’t over, because the Islamic terror group will not willingly give up its weapons, Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Avi Dichter said on Wednesday. The blunt comments by the senior Israeli minister, a former head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and a member of the Security Cabinet, come amid increasing Israeli concerns regarding the second stage of the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan. “The war is not ended; it is a ceasefire to prepare ourselves [for] the next stage,” Dichter sa...
Last year, Amsterdam’s Royal Concert Hall held its 10th anniversary of a Chanukah concert series that was rebooted 70 years after it was halted by the Nazis, in what some Dutch Jews saw as a repudiation of antisemitism that had swelled during the war in Gaza. This year, the concert has been called off — and the prestigious concert hall citing the chosen singer’s ties to the Israeli army. The Chanukah Concert Foundation, which organizes the event, had booked Shai Abramson to sing. Abramson is a retired lieutenant colonel for the IDF who serve...
(JNS) — The International Committee of the Red Cross has decried a “recovery” that Hamas staged of hostage remains in Gaza and called it “unacceptable,” but the Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the organization being complicit in the charade. “We appreciate the Red Cross condemnation of Hamas’s staged ‘burials’ and ‘discoveries’ of hostage bodies, which they previously extracted from Hamas holding sites,” the Israeli ministry stated on Wednesday. “There seems to be a gap between what the Red Cross office knows and reality, given footage of...
(JNS) — Concerned residents and officials from towns and municipalities in Judea and Samaria are weighing their options following a Nov. 2 District Court decision, overturning a previous ruling that allowed the Ariel Municipality to bar certain Palestinian Authority workers from entering the city based on security concerns. An Ariel municipal spokesperson told JNS that the ruling was a “catastrophe” from a security perspective, saying the city must now prepare for an influx of Palestinian Arab workers. He explained that until now, Ariel Mayor...
