Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA) — Five days after Nancy Pelosi made history in 2007 as the first woman elected to be speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, she held an event at her alma mater, the private Roman Catholic university, Trinity Washington. She asked a rabbi, the Reform movement’s David Saperstein, to headline the event because she saw the movement as taking the lead on a crisis that deeply concerned her, in Darfur. “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor,” Saperstein said, quoting Leviticus. Pelosi was so pleased with Saperstein’s remarks t...
(JNS) — A pro-Israel non-profit dedicated to combating antisemitism on U.S. college campuses released a study Wednesday showing not only the safety of Jewish students under threat but Jewish identity itself. The annual report from the AMCHA Initiative found a year-over-year doubling of threats related to Jewish identity at 60 percent of schools most popular with Jewish students. Those threats are defined as attempts to “dissociate Zionism from Judaism, pit Zionism against progressive values, accuse Zionist Jews of undue privilege, power and...
Blast rocks Istanbul, killing at least 6 and canceling memorial for Jews killed in 2003 attacks By David I. Klein ISTANBUL (JTA) – So far six are reported dead and dozens injured in a blast on Istanbul’s İstiklal Caddesi, a major tourism hotspot and thoroughfare that sees tens of thousands of tourists every day. The perpetrators and full extent of the attack are not yet clear, but Israel’s Channel 13 news reported that one Israeli was injured in the attack. Turkish authorities said they suspected terrorism. The blast took place as Istanb...
(JNS) — In a renewed push of faith-based diplomacy, three heads of the U.S. Congressional Israel Allies Caucus have written to the leaders of more than two dozen countries urging them to vote to shutter two anti-Israel U.N. institutions in a vote that will come before the General Assembly later this year. The appeal comes as the Palestinians pushed through a draft resolution at a U.N. committee Friday over the objections of the U.S. and Israel calling on the International Court of Justice to issue a legal opinion on Israel’s “prolonged occupati...
(JTA) — Art Spiegelman’s “Maus,” along with six books about the Holocaust geared toward young readers, are among the hundreds of books that a handful of school districts in Missouri have reportedly removed from their shelves since the start of this school year. The list of books pulled from shelves was published Wednesday by the literary free-expression advocacy group PEN America, along with a letter of protest signed by Spiegelman and other authors. “This is what happens when we are operating in a climate of fear,” Jonathan Friedman, P...
(JTA) — Students at one of Chicago’s most selective public high schools are calling for improved Holocaust education after a classmate goose-stepped across the stage of a Halloween costume contest while wearing a German military uniform. The principal of Jones College Prep, which draws high-performing students from across Chicago, has already been suspended over his handling of the incident, which he initially downplayed. The Chicago school district has launched an investigation into whether the school followed “protocols for processing bias-ba...
(JNS) - One could circle Brooklyn's Edward R. Murrow High School for blocks on Tuesday. There were no political activists handing out campaign material. A truck with inaudible speakers passed the school's polling place once in a four-hour window. Neighborhood residents could be forgiven for not realizing an election was taking place. Outside of the "Vote Here" signs zip-tied to the fence by the entrance to the polls, there was only one glaring reminder for this Midwood community, which is...
WASHINGTON (JTA) - President Joe Biden called Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on being reelected Israeli prime minister. Netanyahu said the two would work to expand the Abraham Accords. "President Biden called me to congratulate me on my elections victory and said the U.S.-Israel alliance is as resilient as ever,' Netanyahu said Monday in Hebrew on Twitter. "I thanked President Biden for our close personal friendship of 40 years and for his commitment to the state of Israel. I told him...
The year of 5783 promises both growth and continuity at Congregation Ohev Shalom as we welcome our wonderful new clergy, Rabbi Geoffrey Spector and Cantor Jeffrey Weber. In the few months since they arrived it's become clear they make a great team, with warm and engaging manners both on the Bima and in less formal settings. Already we've learned from them, prayed with them, had fun with them, and enjoyed the process of forming lifelong relationships with them. Now it's time to formalize their...
(JTA) — King Charles III wants to make sure that the United Kingdom’s chief rabbi can make it to his coronation ceremony next year — so much so that he’s letting the Jewish leader sleep over at his house. The coronation is set for May 6, 2023, which falls on a Saturday, in the middle of the Jewish sabbath. Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and his wife Valerie, who are Orthodox, are not allowed under Jewish law to travel by car or use electricity on Shabbat. King Charles’ current residence, before he moves into Buckingham Palace, is Clarence House, lo...
On Saturday, Nov. 26, Chabad Lubavitch of North Orlando will be hosting a screening of the new documentary movie “Reckonings.” In the aftermath of the Holocaust, secret meetings began to negotiate the incomprehensible compensation for survivors of the largest mass genocide in history. Survivors were in urgent need, but how could reparations be determined for the unprecedented destruction and suffering of a people? Reckonings explores this riveting, untold story. The program will be held at Nat...
When Orange County Public Schools close for holidays or in-service days, it can be a challenge for many families who need child care. Parents look for activities to keep kids busy. Or they need a place for kids to go while they work. The Rosen JCC offers School Out Days. OCPS schools will be closed for a Thanksgiving break and the Rosen JCC will offer School Out Days Monday- Wednesday, Nov. 21st — 23rd. The days run 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. Activities include Creative Art, Gym Activities, Playground Time, Music and Science activities. This is ava...
(JTA) — Since Feb. 24, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Jewish groups from around the world have flooded the country with support, from food to medical care to evacuations. Now, as temperatures fall and Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid ramp up, those groups are directing their efforts toward making sure that Ukrainian Jews can remain warm and safe in the coming months. A Ukraine response group organized by the Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement, whose rabbis are the Jewish leaders in many Ukrainian cities, is raising funds to buy...
(JTA) — The Anti-Defamation League is bolstering its advocacy on Wall Street by absorbing JLens, an organization known for rating companies on their alleged support for the Israel boycott, according to an announcement on Thursday by the ADL. Founded in 2012, JLens was for years one of the only groups pressing pro-Israel positions in the growing environmental, social and governance movement, known as ESG, which advocates for a form of corporate decision-making in which profit is not the only priority. Over time, JLens managed to raise a...
(JTA) — A poll of Jewish voters showed them overwhelmingly listing abortion rights and risks to democracy as their top issues when they voted in midterm elections. The poll commissioned by J Street and another exit poll conducted on behalf of Fox News Channel and the Associated Press also showed substantial majorities of Jews voting Democratic, although they differed on how big the majorities were. That is commensurate with Jewish voting in the past, which favors Democrats two-to-one generally. The J Street poll showed 74 percent of r...
New York — In response to a detailed complaint filed last January by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating whether the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia inadequately responded to incidents of antisemitic harassment. FCPS is one of the largest school districts in the U.S. In a November 3, 2022 letter, OCR notified ZOA that it will be investigating ZOA’s allegations that FCPS discriminated against Jewish stude...
(JNS) Arab expansion into land in Judea and Samaria is far outpacing Israeli growth in the area, according to a report by the Israeli NGO Regavim. "In the past year, the rate of illegal Palestinian construction has increased by 80%," the researchers wrote. So far in 2022, Palestinians built 5,535 illegal structures in Area C, which was placed under full Israeli control by the Oslo Accords. In contrast, illegal Israeli construction in Judea and Samaria amounted to 406 structures in 2022. Over...
(JTA) — Federal prosecutors have arrested and charged a New Jersey teenager with extremist Islamist views with making the threat that led to a sweeping FBI warning for the state’s synagogues last week. Omar Alkattoul, 18, of Sayreville, New Jersey, is charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce for an extremist manifesto he shared on Nov. 1 on an undisclosed social media network. He faces up to five years in prison. Alkattoul had pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS and researched how to obtain fir...
(JTA) — Three weeks after saying he was “alarmed” by Adidas’ ties to Kanye West, Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, donned the company’s sneakers for his group’s “Never is Now” conference in New York City. The about-face happened after Adidas ended its relationship with West weeks after the rapper began making antisemitic comments, satisfying the ADL’s demands. Now, Adidas is making a major donation to the anti-hate group and working with it to fight antisemitism among student and professional athletes. The new...
(JTA) - This week, Jewish communities across the United States are commemorating the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the anti-Jewish riots that marked a brutal turning point in the Nazi campaign of persecution. In Germany, cities and towns also will commemorate this day, but under a different name. They refer to the events of November 9-10, 1938, as "the November Pogrom," or variations on that term. That's became to many in Germany, the term "Kristallnacht" - night of shattered glass - sounds...
After criticism, Taylor Swift adds Orthodox-friendly dates to her upcoming tour By Caleb Guedes-Reed (JTA) — “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” isn’t just the name of a track on Taylor Swift’s newest album — the phrase describes the way many of the pop star’s Jewish fans were feeling after she released the dates for her upcoming tour. This week, Shabbat-observant Swifties voiced their disappointment with the dates, which were all slated for during or just after the end of the Jewish Sabbath, on Friday or Saturday nights. (There was one scheduled for Ap...
(JNS) — Many Tesla and other electric vehicles are being shipped to Israel to avoid an impending increase in purchase tax. The largest shipment of Tesla vehicles ever sent to Israel arrived at Ashdod Port on Tuesday. The consignment includes slightly more than 2,500 Model 3 sedans. A quarter of the vehicles are destined for Israeli leasing companies. A similar-sized shipment is due to arrive in Ashdod in the coming weeks. Both batches are from Tesla’s Shanghai factory. The massive imports are timed to beat the January increase in Isr...
(JNS) - StandWithUs, an international organization that educates about Israel and combats antisemitism, has officially opened national operations in the country whose history forms the foundation of the "Israeli apartheid" slander. In South Africa, the continued rise in antisemitism, the challenge of fighting misinformation about Israel, and the call from Jewish and Christian Zionist communities for ongoing support from SWU have created the impetus for the organization to strengthen its presence...
(JNS) - Apparently in Israel, the fifth time is the charm. After repeated attempts by the opposition, by defectors from his own right-wing bloc, by the prosecution and the Supreme Court to prevent embattled former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from ruling, the electorate finally ended Israel's protracted political deadlock by voting overwhelmingly in favor of Netanyahu and his natural-and loyal-right-wing allies. With 87.6 percent of the paper ballots counted, Netanyahu's bloc is likely to...
In keeping with its long history of cantorial excellence, Congregation Ohev Shalom is excited to announce that Cantor Jeffrey Weber has joined the synagogue as the new cantor. Cantor Weber joins Rabbi Geoffrey Spector in guiding the congregants in prayer and moving the congregation forward. Cantor Weber takes the reins from Cantor Allan Robuck who has retired and is now Cantor Emeritus. With his extensive cantorial, musical and performance background, Cantor Weber is uniquely positioned to...
