Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) — Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire on Thursday following calls between U.S. president Donald Trump and the leaders of each country. After Trump announced the truce on social media, the State Department released a statement with details of the agreement between the two sides. “Israel and Lebanon will implement a cessation of hostilities” that will start at 5 p.m. Eastern on April 16 for “an initial period of 10 days, as a gesture of goodwill by the government of Israel, intended to enable good-faith negotiations toward...
(JNS) — The House of Representatives narrowly defeated a measure to invoke the War Powers Resolution to end the conflict with Iran on Thursday in a mostly party-line vote. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) was the lone Democrat to oppose the resolution, siding with Republicans to defeat the effort to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities by 213 to 214. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a libertarian who frequently opposes foreign policy measures, was the only Republican to vote in favor of the motion. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who previously joined M...
(JNS) — A bipartisan group of 41 U.S. senators urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to allocate $750 million to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program for the 2027 fiscal year. “The threat of violence is unfortunately increasing at places of worship across our country at alarming rates,” wrote Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) in a letter to leaders of the committee on April 16. “Nonprofit organizations that are at risk of terrorist attacks, particularly houses...
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday with Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, conveying his “deep sorrow over the tragic loss of four lives” in an Iranian missile attack that targeted the city the previous night. “The most important point that came up again in our conversation is one simple principle, an iron rule: Anyone who follows the guidelines of the [Israel Defense Forces] Home Front Command and stays in a protected space has almost no chance of being harmed,” Netanyahu said in a video statement following the call. “I ask...
The Orlando Chapter of Hadassah will hold its May luncheon on Tuesday, May 5, 11:30 a.m. at Congregation Ohev Shalom, 613 Concourse Parkway, Maitland. Barbara Chasnov, local chapter member and Hadassah Keeper of the Gate, will present her 21st visit to Israel through storytelling, videos and slides. Through her discussion, members will experience the profound impact of Hadassah’s work. Registration required. General admission is $25, which includes lunch. Entry is limited to guests who have pre-registered. Reserve your place at o...
(JNS) — Against the twin backdrops of Israel at war and rising Jew-hatred around the world, some 7,000 people from around the world marked Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, by marching the two miles between the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps in Poland. Known as the International March of the Living, the annual event is designed to create a new generation of witnesses to the murder of 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis. The task is taking greater importance as the n...
(JNS) - More than 50,000 participants registered for the 15th International Jerusalem "Winner" Marathon, held Friday under the theme "Am Yisrael Runs," in an event marked by a more subdued atmosphere than usual amid the ongoing war. The event took place as a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel brokered by the United States began. The 26.2-mile race was canceled, while other runs were moved to earlier in the morning, due to an expected heatwave and dusty conditions. Alame Haimro, 36,...
(JNS) - A team from the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites arrived in early April in a small Upper Galilee community where the sounds of air-raid sirens and explosions had become routine amid weeks of sustained rocket fire. Despite the U.S.-brokered 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon that went into effect on Friday, residents of Israel's north continue to face uncertainty as security conditions evolve. For many children in the region, daily life has unfolded largely within bomb shelter...
Reform movement warns anti-AIPAC rhetoric among Democrats risks crossing into Jew-hatred (JNS) — The Union for Reform Judaism warned on Monday that Democratic criticism of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee singles out the pro-Israel organization and, in some cases, crosses over into antisemitism. The Reform movement stated that it is “deeply concerned” by efforts to portray AIPAC as uniquely malign in campaign finance debates, as political rhetoric around Israel intensifies. “Every candidate has the right to accept or reject funding...
(JNS) - KRAKOW, Poland-For eight decades, Holocaust survivor Hannah Yakin, 93, wondered what happened to the baby boy who turned up outside a neighbor's home in suburban Amsterdam during World War II with some clothes, blankets, a hot water bottle and buttermilk powder. "I never forgot him because I loved him so much," Yakin told JNS this week during the annual March of the Living Holocaust commemoration in Poland. The little girl of nine who had played with the baby for two years in the garden...
(JNS) - KRAKOW, Poland-Scores of elderly Holocaust survivors from around the world, including a dozen from war-ravaged Israel, are in Poland this week for the annual March of the Living Holocaust memorial event, even as the war against Iran forced the cancellation of the official Israeli delegation. The annual event, expected to draw some 7,000 participants in one of the world's largest Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations, takes place on Tuesday amid a surge in global antisemitism...
(JNS) - Israel's Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused European countries of standing on the sidelines during the war with Iran while benefiting from the weakening of the Islamic Republic's military capabilities. In an X post, the ministry shared a CNN segment with NATO chief Mark Rutte, who praised U.S. President Donald Trump for degrading Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, which he said was "really very important for your and my safety, here in the U.S., in Europe, in the Middle East." "This is how it always is in Europe: they...
(JNS) — Thousands of individuals across the United States, Canada, Israel and around the world will unite at private residences, synagogues and community centers on April 24 for “Shabbat for Israel,” a coordinated series of intimate Shabbat dinners hosted in honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Spearheaded by Jewish National Fund-USA and chaired by philanthropists Sara Cannon, David Peskin and Alyssa Russo, what began in 2025 as a nationwide effort to unite Zionists through a...
(JNS) - Israel is home to some 111,000 Holocaust survivors and victims of antisemitic persecution, according to new government estimates released ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026. Women make up about 63 percent of survivors, most of whom are in their 80s and 90s. Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday that the global Jewish population stood at 15.8 million at the start of 2025, including 7.2 million Jews in Israel, or roughly 45 percent of the total, and 6.3 million in the...
Celebrate Israel’s Independence Day with an unforgettable, family-friendly experience. Travel Israel North to South — from the Golan Heights and Galilee to Tzfat to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Negev and Eilat — all at the Rosen JCC. The adventure is from 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on April 26 and is free to attend, but RSVP is required. Presented by The Pargh Foundation, this cultural journey will explore six immersive stations, each highlighting a unique region of the country. Discover the richness and diversity of Israel through interactive activit...
Rabbi Shai of Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation presents Sacred Cycles — Women, the Moon & the Wisdom of Jewish Time, with Na’amah, Mama Mazel. This course is offered online on Mondays, April 20, April 27 and May 4 at 8 p.m. on Zoom. Register at cognitoforms.com/SOJC1 Discover the spiritual power of Rosh Chodesh. Explore mazal and self-understanding through a Jewish lens. Learn how to align with your natural emotional and spiritual rhythms....
(JNS) — To mark his first 100 days in office, Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City, talked about how many potholes he has filled. He should be focusing on mending his relationship with New York City’s Jews, according to Jewish leaders. “Unfortunately, in his first 100 days, Mayor Mamdani has done nothing to allay the concerns I expressed before the election regarding his stance on Israel and the safety of Jewish New Yorkers,” Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, who leads Park Avenue Synagogue, a Conservative congregation on Manhattan’s Upper East Side...
By Joshua Marks U.S. Central Command said on Sunday that its forces will begin blockading all maritime traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports on Monday, in line with a presidential directive. “The United States to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports on April 13 at 10:00 A.M. ET. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT,” U.S. President Donald Trump posted to his Truth Social platform on Monday, reaffirming CENTCOM’s earlier X post and his announcement on Sunday that the U.S. Navy would immediately begin block...
(JNS) — American military forces, ships and aircraft will remain deployed “in, and around, Iran” until a “real agreement” is fully implemented, U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 8. The U.S. military is “loading up and resting,” and its next action would be “bigger, better and stronger than anyone has ever seen before” if the deal is not complied with, Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media platform. He added that the agreement prohibits Iranian nuclear weapons and ensures the Strait of Hormuz “will be open and safe.” A two-week c...
(JNS) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has reinstated a $655.5 million judgement against the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority for supporting terrorist attacks and making payments to the perpetrators. In a March 30 decision, the three-judge panel reversed its previous decision to throw out the case following a 2025 Supreme Court decision in a similar suit and the passage of a 2019 federal law designed to enable the victims of terrorism to pursue civil court cases against the perpetrators. The plaintif...
(JNS) — A recently-launched E.U.-backed digital archive documenting the history of Greek Jews is offering free public access to more than 212,000 documents and over two million digital records, the European Jewish Congress said this week. The Iossipos (“Josephus”) project, named after the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, has been implemented by the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki with roughly €4 million ($4.3 million) in funding from Brussels’ National Strategic Reference Framework 2021–2027 program. Described by its developers...
(JNS, Israel Hayom) - Imagine you are a fighter in an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces. In two days, a critical mission in Lebanon awaits. Before the operation, you are taken for a final drill at one of the military's training grounds to sharpen your combat edge and make sure every shot you fire hits the enemy's kill zone. You enter the training compound according to procedure. Everything is advancing smoothly. Then, in the very last room, a split second before the finish line, a corporal leaps from a hiding spot and shouts at you:...
(JNS) — At the Orchid Hotel in Tel Aviv, the bomb shelter on level minus one is filled largely with foreign voices, with little Hebrew heard. The space is occupied by tourists who arrived for short visits, but now find themselves stranded in Israel, with no clear departure date. Jacqueline Sanders, a headhunter from the Netherlands, arrived on Feb. 23 for what was meant to be a two-week Purim visit with a close friend and her 23-year-old son. “We are from the Jewish community in Holland and we come to Israel regularly. I knew it could pos...
Israeli troops have taken operational control of a destroyed stadium in southeastern Lebanon where slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah once threatened the Jewish state, the military said on Monday, confirming a major raid in the Bint Jbeil area. “Bint Jbeil in the year 2000. Someone stood here, in this field, and claimed that Israel is a cobweb filled with spiders that must be exterminated. Today, that man is gone, the compound is gone, and his words are worth nothing,” Brig. Gen. Guy Levy, commander of the 98th Paratroopers Division, said...
JPMorgan Chase CEO warns of New York corporate ‘exodus’ over high taxes (JNS) — Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., is warning of an “exodus of people and jobs” from New York City due to high city and state corporate taxes, and individual income and state taxes. In his annual letter to shareholders released on Monday, Dimon, 70, wrote that JPMorgan Chase, which was formed in December 2000 with roots traced back to the Manhattan Company founded in 1799, has “shrunk our headcount in the city, from 30,000 a decade ago to 24,000 today, and...
