Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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‘Leave New York’s yeshivas alone,’ writes Wall Street Journal (JNS) — “Are Jewish moms and dads who send their children to religious schools lawbreakers? Or are they exercising their right to live by their beliefs—even if those beliefs are out of fashion with modern American sensibilities?” So asks William McGurn, a Wall Street Journal editorial board member, in an op-ed in the paper. The piece comes to the defense of Orthodox Jews, who have come under regular fire in The New York Times, and who are being investigated by the state’s educa...
(JNS) — Many see the creation of the modern-day State of Israel as part of a historical narrative, in which Israeli independence was a reaction to the Holocaust. “The catastrophe which recently befell the Jewish people—the massacre of millions of Jews in Europe—was another clear demonstration of the urgency of solving the problem of its homelessness by re-establishing in Eretz-Israel the Jewish State,” the provisional government of Israel declared on May 14, 1948. But when JNS interviewed nearly 30 veterans of the 1948 War of Independe...
(JNS) - There are no words to describe a trip to the extermination camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The camps are surprisingly well-preserved and are a living testament to the most heinous crime in modern human history: the systematic extermination not just of every Jew, but of the attempt to annihilate every single one to the extent that shockingly detailed records were kept on so many of the 6 million killed. Visitors to the camps witness the cruelest of inhumane living conditions of the...
(JNS) - Holocaust distortion and trivialization and banalization are on the rise around the globe, even as outright denial is relegated to the fringes of society, the head of Yad Vashem said. The remarks come at a time when multiple European countries seek to whitewash their roles in World War II by highlighting the heroes among their countrymen while obscuring or outright denying the actions of collaborators who participated in the murder of six million Jews. "The good news is that outright Hol...
RAISE, a work and social skills training program for adults with disabilities, is excited to announce its recent partnership with the Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Joann Fabrics. Now, with more partnering locations, RAISE is looking to expand its enrollment capacity this fall. Currently, there are 12 RAISE employees and since each employee has two job coaches, there are 24 active volunteer job coaches this year. RAISE hopes to be able to accept up to 20 new employees in the fall cohort. To do so...
Heritage Florida Jewish News is accepting nominations for the 2023 Heritage Human Service Award, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando this summer. “For more than 30 years, individuals who have made major, voluntary contributions of their talent, time, energy and effort to the Central Florida community have been honored with the selection and presentation of this award,” said Jeff Gaeser, editor and publisher of the Heritage. Last year’s recipient was Dr. Edward Zissman. Former recip...
Several modern-day celebrations take place between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot. The first that occurs is Holocaust Memorial Day or Yom Hashoah. The list of survivors diminishes with each passing year, however, the importance of remembering remains alive within the Orlando community and specifically in the senior living facilities in the area. The Jewish Pavilion provides candles, flowers and a meditation to help those who want to take a moment and reflect on the horrors of this event...
(JNS) — Negotiations over the Israeli government’s judicial reform initiative resumed on Monday as coalition representatives met with counterparts from the Yesh Atid and National Unity parties at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is mediating between the sides, said the talks would be “focused and rigorous” and cover all core issues. “The Office of the President continues to do everything in its power to encourage the sides to adhere to dialogue with the aim of bringing about a broad consensus,...
(JTA) — In a surprise move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed out of his appearance at a major conference of U.S. Jewish leaders in Tel Aviv, just hours before a speech that was expected to draw mass protests. But in a sign that the conference organizers did not expect Netanyahu’s cancelation to head off the protests, Jewish Federations of North America told attendees that it was not changing the schedule of the buses bringing them from their hotels to the conference center. The group had told attendees to plan extra tim...
(JNS) — The Jewish Federations of North America released a short video on April 9 proclaiming its opposition to a federal judge’s ruling two days prior to overturning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the “abortion pill” mifepristone. JFNA stated it was “deeply troubled” by the court ruling and said the FDA has deemed the drug to be “extremely safe and effective for over two decades.” The judge’s ruling “is counter to our policy priority that reproductive health should be protected and that everyone should be able to fol...
(JNS) — U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to Israel later this month and become the second-ever House speaker to address the full Knesset, his Israeli counterpart Amir Ohana announced on Tuesday. Ohana described McCarthy as a “steadfast supporter and longstanding friend of Israel,” and noted that it would be the top Republican official’s first trip outside the U.S. since assuming his post in January. “This is a clear expression of the strong and unbreakable bond between Israel and its closest a...
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The first time Gidon Lev encountered Holocaust denial was after becoming an unwitting TikTok star at the age of 86. “I was totally shocked. How could this be?” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about receiving dozens of comments accusing him of lying about the years in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. “If only I was a liar,” he said. “Then I would have a father, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. I would have had a childhood.” With half a million followers on the popular social media platform and 8.3 million l...
It may be hard to imagine but the staff at Jewish Pavilion pulled off a five-minute Seder at the Maitland Chamber Breakfast on April 13, the last day of the holiday. They used “My Very Own Haggadah” and breezed through it, skipping all Hebrew and songs. Participant of all faiths gathered for a delicious and comprehensive meal along with an explanation of the Seder plate. Special thanks to all of the wonderful cooks who provided a most delicious meal — Alex Lehrer, Nancy Ludin, Dale Danuf...
(JNS) — Ibtihaj Muhammad made history as the first hijab-clad athlete on the U.S. Olympic team. But in court papers filed late Tuesday, a New Jersey elementary school teacher says Muhammad is also a liar. In a series of October 2021 social media posts, Muhammad accused veteran schoolteacher Tamar Herman of abusing a seven-year-old Muslim student by “forcibly” pulling off her hijab while “the young student resisted.” Herman insists this didn’t happen and contacted Muhammad to offer her side of the story. But when Herman texted Muhammad to...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — No matter how you look at it, the current escalation is here to stay. Even if the flare-up with Hamas in Gaza and in the north is over for now, the chances of a multi-theater conflagration fomented by Iran have risen significantly, and it is doubtful whether the genie can be put back in the bottle. The escalation on all fronts has also had Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah meet this week in Lebanon with Hamas leaders, with a photo released showing all three men sitting in a room under Iran’s Supreme Lea...
(JTA) - Zachary Ottenstein didn't expect to bond with his dad over chess and classic rock during his trip home from Florida at the end of Passover. But when Ottenstein switched his phone on after the holiday ended last night, it blew up: Fort Lauderdale was flooded and flights out of the airport - including their flight to New York - were canceled. The city was underwater after the rainiest day in its history. He consulted with his dad, Matthew: They had enjoyed their Passover week at a hotel,...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) - Despite the external and domestic challenges Israel has faced in the past several weeks due to ongoing terrorism and the protest over judicial reform, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been maintaining an upbeat demeanor, making it clear that he is optimistic and content with how things are unfolding in the government. The following interview was carried out just before Passover: "In the end, the public needs to know that we have a good and stable right-wing...
(JTA) — When Benjamin Netanyahu put his controversial calls for judicial reform on pause three weeks ago, many thought the protesters in Israel and abroad might declare victory and take a break. And yet a week ago Saturday some 200,000 people demonstrated in Tel Aviv, and pro-democracy protests continued among Diaspora Jews and Israeli expats, including those who gather each Sunday in New York’s Washington Square Park. On its face, the weeks of protest have been about proposed legislation that critics said would sap power from the Israeli Sup...
Omar no longer a speaker at US Commission on Religious Freedom event (JNS) — Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who has compared boycotts of Israel and of Nazi Germany, was slated to deliver opening remarks at a U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom event on Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims, according to a listing shared on Twitter. But the event is now slated for May 1, without the congresswoman on the docket. Rabbi David Saperstein, director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Jud...
(JNS) — Antisemitism is on the rise throughout the Western world, particularly targeting haredi Jews and particularly in certain Diaspora urban centers, according to The Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University. The finding is detailed in the center’s 22nd annual Antisemitism Worldwide Report, which was published in collaboration with the American Defamation League. This writer has strong personal recollections of walking to the synagogue in Brooklyn, New York, long before antisemitic incidents were rep...
(JNS) - This year's March of the Living, the annual tribute to the 6 million held at the site of the former German death camp Auschwitz in Poland, was conducted under the theme of "Honoring Jewish heroism in the Holocaust." The event took place April 19, on Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was the first time since the global pandemic that the March was held in its full format, with delegations from well over 25 countries and 10,000 participating. It falls one day before the historical...
RAISE Inclusion Director Rachel Slavkin and RAISE Strategy and Development Director Loren London met with Rosen Hotels & Resorts Human Resources department to share their mission of offering a work and social skills training program for neurodiverse adults along with guidance for transition to community employment. This partnership will provide RAISE participants with an opportunity to train and work in Rosen Hotels & Resorts. Rosen Hotels & Resorts is now the 14th training site that has...
Did you know that three out of four adults have HPV by the age of 30, and 62 percent of freshman in college? HPV-related tonsil cancer has become an epidemic among men between the ages of 40 – 60. April is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month. To celebrate survivors and give hope to patients and caregivers, as well as honor those who died, Jason Mendelsohn is making a difference by raising funds and awareness with a Whiskey and Wine Fundraiser and Awareness Event at Mercedes-Benz of Orlando on S...
This Pesach started out like so many others ... beautiful sunny weather, lots of tourists, families gearing up for Seder and Chol haMoed vacations together in all the fun places in Israel with water. Life events in Israel are strong and fast. Weddings are tremendous events, with hundreds of guests. When I attended my first wedding in Israel I was astonished at the number of guests ... something like 600 ... ("who is paying for this?" I thought to myself) also the attire, so many in jeans and...
