Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 2007 - 2031 of 10919
Critics are slamming a New York Times reporter for her religious insensitivity in complaining that she had to stay on the women's side of the Western Wall when covering New York City Mayor Eric Adams' visit to the holy site Tuesday. Emma Fitzsimmons, City Hall bureau chief for the paper, posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, a picture of herself looking over the partition that separates male and female worshipers at the Wall, as per Orthodox Jewish tradition at a prayer site. She...
(JTA) - A Russian court has extended the pretrial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for another three months. In a hearing on Thursday at Lefortovo District Court that was closed to press, a judge ordered Gershkovich to remain in detention until at least Nov. 30, a court spokeswoman said. Investigators from the FSB, a Russian state security agency, had requested the extension. Gershkovich, 31, is the American-born son of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union. He was...
(JTA) - Ahead of the first Republican presidential debate, the candidate with the least political experience is making some of the biggest headlines - in part due to his views on Israel. Vivek Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur who has never held elected office, is seeing growing support for his long-shot candidacy. A recent poll placed him neck-and-neck in second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the crowded GOP field, and the RealClearPolitics polling average places him in...
(JNS) — Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy told JNS late last month that he supports most of former President Donald Trump’s policies on Israel and that he wanted to go further than the former president with respect to the Abraham Accords. In a recent interview with The Washington Free Beacon, Ramaswamy articulated a rather different aspect of his “Abraham Accords 2.0,” including ending military funding to Israel by 2028. “If we’re successful, the true mark of success for the U.S. and for Israel will be to get t...
(JTA) – Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s announcement that it would consider a major case on Second Amendment rights, Jewish groups are joining an effort led by a Jewish organization for survivors of domestic abuse to back gun-rights restrictions for people convicted of domestic violence. Jewish Women International is leading an amicus brief that also includes the organizations representing Reform, Conservative and Orthodox rabbis, along with several interfaith organizations, in the case United States v. Rahimi. The case, which the court anno...
(JNS) — Vivek Ramaswamy may not be heading to the White House, but his candidacy did serve a useful purpose in the week leading up to the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle. Ramaswamy’s comments about foreign policy drew fire from his opponents while also giving him some attention in a race where all of the focus is on the man who isn’t deigning to show up at the debate: former President Donald Trump. Ramaswamy drew the scorn of the mainstream media by saying that he would seek to divide Russia from China. His realp...
(New York Jewish Week) — On his first trip to Israel as mayor, Eric Adams made all of the expected stops — meeting with the prime minister and president, visiting the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, sampling from the offerings of the country’s tech scene. But he added another, less traditional agenda item: a meeting with two organizers of the ongoing mass protest movement against the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul. The 40-minute meeting, which took place Tuesday at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem, made Adams o...
Israeli jailed in Madagascar for smuggling tortoises (JNS) — A Madagascar court has sentenced an Israeli man to two years in prison for attempting to smuggle dozens of rare tortoises out of the country, local media reported on Monday. The man, whose identity remains under gag order, was also fined $400. The 39-year-old from Beitar Illit, south of Jerusalem, was arrested two months ago at the airport after 59 rare tortoises were found in his possession. According to Ynet, the prosecution is seeking a sentence of 10 years in prison, with a f...
(JNS) — Earlier this summer we saw multiple media outlets using various methods to attempt to separate Jews from their holiest site, the Temple Mount. Now National Geographic continues this trend in a long article by Andrew Lawler that privileges the Muslim narrative regarding the site. (“An unprecedented look inside one of Jerusalem’s holiest—and most controversial—landmarks,” August 15.) The article does not ignore Jewish claims, but subtly denies their credence. For example, Lawler states that “Many Jews believe the dome [of the Rock] sta...
(JNS) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker drew criticism from Jewish groups recently when he vetoed a bill that would have required the state’s public schools and hospitals to offer upon request kosher, halal and other religion-based dietary options. State and federal prisons are required, per the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, to offer such dietary accommodations to inmates. But no such federal law applies to state schools and hospitals. The bill, IL HB3643, which the billionaire Jewish democrat vetoed on Aug. 11, was...
A new 14,000-square-foot Jewish Student Center is set to open Sunday, Sept. 3rd at the University of Central Florida. The Chabad Center’s grand opening will culminate a two-year building project. “This is one of the most exciting charity projects that we have been involved in and that has given the most joy to our family. It is very rewarding and very easy to support a project when you are partnering with one of the most loving, caring, dedicated, able and committed persons in the world, Rab...
Perhaps you've heard the news. Fires torching hundreds of properties. Entire households burned to the ground. Every personal belonging lost. Thousands of lives destroyed. The devastation has been unprecedented, and it will take years to rebuild that which can be rebuilt. But the personal tragedies and lives lost may never heal. If you're in the West, you may have heard about the tremendous loss in Maui, Hawaii. Wildfires have left a trail of death and destruction. As horrible as that is, that's...
Four years after assuming the duties of CEO of the Rosen JCC, Dr. Reuben L. Romirowsky made the decision to retire. Hailing from the northeast, he wanted to return to his home where he could be with his wife and close to his children and grandchildren. A search was made for a new CEO and the Jack and Lee Rosen Jewish Community Center search committee recently announced that Ofira Bondorowsky, an accomplished leader and philanthropic visionary, has been named as the new chief executive officer...
(JNS) — As of Aug. 17, the Jewish Federations of North America has allocated $249,000 that it raised from 120 Jewish communities nationwide as part of its emergency Hawaii Wildfire Fund. The funds will go to Maui Kosher Farm, Jewish Congregation of Maui, Maui Jewish Ohana, Chabad of Maui and Jewish Community Services of Hawaii, JFNA stated in a release. “The devastation in Maui is immeasurable, but we continue to be inspired by our partners on the ground that have responded with so much care, compassion and professionalism to the needs of the...
The recent Jewish Chamber networking event saw an impressive turnout, with around 30 passionate individuals gathering to connect, collaborate, and foster relationships within the community. The event, held in a warm and inviting atmosphere, provided a platform for like-minded professionals to exchange ideas and insights. Attendees represented a diverse range of industries, from finance and technology to arts and healthcare, reflecting the richness of expertise within the Jewish community....
Francine Fox, founder of Think of Me Please® wanted to express her gratitude to Dr. Layish for his dedication and contributions to the organization. She hosted a surprise luncheon for him at his practice in Altamonte Springs and presented him a plaque proclaiming Aug. 17, 2023 "Dr. Dan Layish Day." His wife, Staci, the staff, doctors and some of the Think of Me Please board members participated in the surprise luncheon, which was catered by Chef Alex Jones (www.chefalexjones.com). Founded in...
In a dynamic blend of business and tradition, the Jewish Chamber of Commerce is set to host a unique networking event on Sept. 7, 8:30 a.m., at TooJay’s on Colonial. With a vibrant Rosh Hashanah theme, this breakfast event promises not only professional connections but also a celebration of culture and community. As summer fades into fall, the Jewish Chamber of Commerce invites entrepreneurs, professionals, and business enthusiasts to come together for an evening of camaraderie and growth. The event, set against the backdrop of the upcoming R...
The Hadassah Orlando Chapter will host Maitland police officer Daniel Holland who will speak about how to stay safe when an active shooter threatens. The event will be held at Congregation Ohev Shalom, 613 Concourse Parkway South, Maitland, on Sept. 5 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The admission is $20 and includes lunch. The deadline for registration is Friday, Sept. 1. Register at https:/events.hadassah.org/orlandoaslunch For more information contact Marj Smith at msesquemt@aol.com....
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The sounds of protest echoed and the ticket scanner malfunctioned as Israel’s transportation minister, Miri Regev, led a dry run for journalists of Tel Aviv’s long-awaited light rail on Aug. 16. The landmark project, which cost nearly $5 billion, promises to reshape the experience of commuting to Tel Aviv, or moving within it, for countless Israelis. The Red Line, whose route runs through Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, through Tel Aviv to Petah Tikva, will officially open to the public on Aug. 18 — eight years after constru...
(JNS) — In the event of a constitutional crisis, the Israel Police will be on the side of “law and justice,” Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai said on Wednesday. Speaking during an induction ceremony for the new Lod police chief, Shabtai said, “I would like to make it clear in a way that is not ambiguous—the police have only one compass and that is the law and justice; as long as I am in command of it the law will decide and we will act only according to it.” Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who spoke immediately a...
(JNS) — After disclosure reports came to light revealing that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) traveled to the World Cup for four days on Qatar’s dime, the progressive congresswoman, who frequently criticizes the influence of the Israel lobby in U.S. politics, is being accused of “selective outrage.” “We see a huge amount of Qatari influence in the halls of Congress on a regular basis,” Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Matthew Kassel, of Jewish Insider. “I don’t think that Ilha...
(JNS) — Palestinian terrorists fired on the Shahak Industrial Park in northern Samaria on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said. The IDF reported no casualties but said that the attack had caused material damage. The vehicle used in the attack was located in Palestinian Authority territory and contained ammunition and spent cartridges. Israeli forces were searching the area for the suspected shooters. “The shooting joins the dozens of shooting incidents over the past year which occurred in the bloc of settlements in northern Samaria, and the...
(JNS) — Monday’s murderous terrorist attack on Route 60 in Hebron, in which an Israeli woman was shot dead and a man seriously injured, is just the latest indication of the sad fact that Israel is in the middle of a prolonged security escalation in Judea and Samaria — with no end in sight. The incident comes two days after an Israeli father and son were shot dead in Huwara, an attack that may have helped “inspire” Monday’s shooting. So far in 2023, 34 people (33 Israelis and an Italian tourist) were killed in Palestinian terrorism, and almost...
(JNS) - Monday's murderous terrorist attack on Route 60 in Hebron, in which an Israeli woman was shot dead and a man seriously injured, is just the latest indication of the sad fact that Israel is in the middle of a prolonged security escalation in Judea and Samaria - with no end in sight. The incident comes two days after an Israeli father and son were shot dead in Huwara, an attack that may have helped "inspire" Monday's shooting. So far in 2023, 34 people (33 Israelis and an Italian tourist)...
(JTA) — A vacant West Hartford, Connecticut, synagogue building, shuttered in 2018, could soon turn into 49 apartments — including affordable housing, a local newspaper has reported. Agudas Achim, an Orthodox congregation established in 1887 that primarily served Romanian immigrants, moved to its third permanent location in the building in 1969. Five years ago, it merged with another congregation, United Synagogues, and the building went up for sale the following year. Now the property, which the city appraised at about $2.5 million, is und...
