Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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The Jewish Chamber of Commerce in Orlando, led by Board President Harrison Shames of the Jewish National Fund, continues its mission of fostering community connections and providing networking opportunities to individuals from all backgrounds. Each month, the Chamber hosts a free networking breakfast at One Senior Place in Altamonte Springs, welcoming both members and non-members, regardless of faith or affiliation. Held every first Thursday morning at 8:30 am, the networking breakfast offers a...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Birthright Israel commemorates its quarter-century milestone, with approximately 6,500 young participants scheduled to arrive this winter to support the recovery of Israel’s tourism sector. More than 300 international groups will engage in volunteer programs and diverse internships across Israel. Since November 2023, all tours have incorporated war-related elements, including visits to “Hostage Square,” tours of Gaza border communities, volunteering initiatives, and encounters with Oct. 7 survivors. In addition to the...
(JTA) - Jewish groups are mourning Jimmy Carter, the former president and broker of Israel's peace deal with Egypt who died Sunday at 100. In statements issued following his death, many of the groups are citing the peace deal and other landmark moments in Carter's presidency, which stretched from 1977 to 1981, as examples of Carter's legacy. Several of them are also acknowledging that in his post-presidency, the longest in American history, Carter aggrieved some American Jews by aggressively...
(JNS) - A rare prehistoric ritual complex has been uncovered in the depths of the Manot Cave in the Western Galilee, Israel. The study of this complex, published in the journal PNAS, was led by Dr. Omry Barzilai from the University of Haifa and Israel Antiquities Authority, Prof. Ofer Marder from Ben-Gurion University and Prof. Israel Hershkovitz from Tel Aviv University. "The rare discovery provides a glimpse into the spiritual world of Paleolithic hunter-gatherer groups who lived in our...
(JNS) — The Israel Defense Forces is carrying out engineering operations aimed at setting conditions for the safe return of the some 60,000 Israeli civilians displaced from their homes in the country’s north, the army said on Monday. “As part of efforts to create the conditions for the return of the northern residents to their homes, the IDF is conducting a wide-ranging operation to restore and clear up communities in northern Israel,” the IDF stated. IDF engineering squads and other units are operating in more than 40 communities to clear o...
(JTA) — Two Israelis were among those injured in Jan. 1’s truck ramming attack in New Orleans, which authorities are investigating as the work of a terror cell tied to the Islamic State. The attack, perpetrated in the first hours of the new year, killed 15 people at a crowded celebration in the city’s French Quarter, and wounded dozens. The attacker, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, was killed in a firefight with police. Jabbar, 42, had an ISIS flag in the car with him, and authorities are investigatin...
(JNS) — Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced his resignation from parliament in a national address on Wednesday evening, almost two months after being fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “This is a stop on a longer journey that has not yet been completed. As on the battlefield, so is the public service: there are moments when you have to stop to assess the situation and choose the direction of action,” the Knesset lawmaker began. Although he was leaving the Knesset, Gallant stressed that he was staying within Netan...
(JTA) — TEL AVIV — Ilana Decker, who moved from Israel to New York three years ago, says she doesn’t agree often with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Arguing, as he does, that the government should not make health mandates, she said, makes her “sound like an anti-vaxxer, which I’m not.” But there is one issue, she said, where she and Kennedy do line up: The man whom Donald Trump has picked as the next secretary of health and human services has publicly floated ending the decades-long policy of encouraging cities to inject fluoride into the American wa...
(JTA) — Israel is closing its embassy in Dublin in response to the Irish government’s criticism, Israel’s foreign minister announced on Sunday. The move does not end diplomatic relations between the two countries. Still, it offers a dramatic illustration of how Gideon Saar, who became foreign minister last month after a rapprochement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is approaching ties with countries that are critical of Israel. In a statement on social media, Saar cited Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state, its support for cas...
Stop ‘incendiary’ remarks about Israel, Conference of Presidents tells pope (JNS) — The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations appreciates and shares the pope’s “concern for the suffering of innocent civilians and desire to spread peace and compassion around the world.” But Pope Francis has gone beyond that and said troubling things about the Jewish state, Harriet Schleifer and William Daroff, chair and CEO respectively of the umbrella Jewish group, wrote to the pontiff on New Year’s Eve. “We write in the spirit of this...
(JNS) — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called for an emergency meeting to prepare for an expected spike in immigration as antisemitism rises globally in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre. In a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday evening, Sa’ar said that a wave of worldwide antisemitism has eroded Jews’ sense of security in the Diaspora and has already generated a greater demand for immigration to Israel. “A broad national plan is required that will also include optimal absorption of the expected immigrati...
(JNS) — In a New Year’s Eve statement, U.S. President Joe Biden proclaimed January to be National Stalking Awareness Month. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Justice Department charged Forrest Kendall Pemberton of Alachua, Fla., with a count of stalking for allegedly planning to attack an AIPAC office in Florida. Family members told the FBI that Pemberton, who went missing from his Gainesville, Fla., home apparently with multiple firearms, appeared to have left a note stating that he would “close the loop,” “stoke the flames” and say “goodbye” t...
(World Israel News) — Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters descended onto Times Square to mark New Year’s by calling for an intifada against Jews. They carried signs with slogans like “End Zionism,” “No War on Iran,” and “End All Aid to Israel.” The Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the People’s Forum organized the protest. Members of the crowd, many wearing keffiyehs and face masks, chanted, “There is only one solution: Intifada revolution,” “We will honor all our martyrs,” and “Gaza, you make us proud....
(JNS) — Some 5,000 people attended the annual Chabad lighting of the National Menorah on the Ellipse, south of the White House, on Wednesday night, the first night of Chanukah, according to organizers, who had to set up extra chairs for the overflow crowd. Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch, emceed the event, which he and his father, Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, have organized for decades. He told JNS that the turnout and energy at the event show that Jews ha...
(JNS) - A 1,700-year-old ceramic oil lamp, decorated with depictions of the Temple of Jerusalem's menorah, has been uncovered in the city, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Thursday. The lamp, which was used for lighting and has been dated to the Late Roman Period, was uncovered completely intact during an archaeological excavation on the Mount of Olives earlier this year, the state-run archaeological body said. The announcement of the discovery was timed for the eight-day Chanukah...
At Cascade Heights, a longstanding partner of the Jewish Pavilion Senior Services, the warmth of community and tradition radiated through the halls, as residents and volunteers came together for a joyful Shabbat service and Chanukah party. For many years, Cascade Heights has been a proud Platinum Sponsor of the Jewish Pavilion, and their collaboration has turned these celebrations into much-anticipated events on the holiday calendar. This year, Cascade Heights transformed their activities room...
Exhibition — “Escape Denied: The Frank Family’s Struggle for Freedom,” exhibition will open on Jan. 16 and run through May 2, 2025. The opening reception will be on Jan. 16 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The exhibit reveals the Frank family’s struggle to emigrate from Nazi-occupied Europe, highlighting their failed attempts to find refuge in the U.S. and Cuba, and the broader impact of immigration policies during that time. Register at holocaustedu.org. International Holocaust Remembrance Day — The Holocaust Center will observe the 80th annivers...
(JNS) — Preliminary numbers for the first half of 2024 show a 15 percent increase in foreign investment in Israel, according to the annual report of the Chief Economist’s Office of Israel’s Finance Ministry, published on Tuesday. With the exception of a major investment by Intel, 2023 saw a 24 percent decline in foreign investment in Israeli hi-tech compared to the previous year, the report states, according to Israel’s Globes business daily. Only 1,563 deals were concluded in 2023, compared to 2,502 in 2022—a drop of 62 percent. Key investmen...
(JNS) — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the military will continue to maintain security control over the Gaza Strip after the war with Hamas concludes. “In response to various reports, my position regarding Gaza is clear. After we defeat Hamas’s military and governing power in Gaza, Israel will maintain security control in Gaza with full freedom of action, just as in Judea and Samaria,” the minister wrote in a post to X. “We will not allow any terrorist group to organize against Israeli communities and citizens...
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — The Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s federal death sentence remains intact, after President Joe Biden commuted 37 of the 40 sentences of prisoners on federal death row. All of the three men still sentenced to death committed crimes that were motivated by hate or terrorism. Biden’s announcement early Monday morning is among a number of measures he is taking to protect his policies and vision ahead of Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. Biden froze the use of the death penalty while in office and Trump has said he plans to...
(JNS) — The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous has announced its largest one-time seasonal award to rescuers of Jews during the years of World War II and the Holocaust. “During history’s darkest hour, these brave men and women risked their lives and the lives of their families to save Jews from Nazi persecution,” Stanlee Stahl, JFR executive vice president, told JNS, referring to Righteous Gentiles. “As they grow older, many face increasing hardship and isolation. We hope this special award allows them to experience joy this holiday season, cr...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Talks toward a hostage release deal have gained significant traction, an Israeli government official said on Monday evening. Recent negotiations have focused on bridging gaps, particularly regarding the deployment of Israeli forces along the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors during a ceasefire. Reuters reported that an Israeli delegation has traveled to Doha to continue the dialogue. “The Philadelphi and Netzarim routes are no longer an obstacle; Hamas has shown flexibility on these matters,” Defense Minister Israe...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) - Beginning on Jan. 20, 2025, "it will be possible to take additional actions in Gaza," senior Israeli officials say. The prevailing impression in Israel is that President-elect Donald Trump does not particularly care what measures Israel employs in the Gaza Strip. He has two clear objectives: the release of the hostages, and an Israeli victory to conclude the war. The methods to achieve these aims appear irrelevant to him. In Jerusalem, as well as in the Kirya military...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Externally, the Iranian regime appears preoccupied with managing its proxies, future investments in Syria, and rehabilitating Hezbollah—but behind the scenes, Iranian society is approaching collapse. Air pollution, shortages of oil and gas, frequent power outages, unpaid salaries, and brain drain are just some of the problems that Iranian citizens face. These issues are worsening daily with cumulative damage. In conversations with researchers studying Iranian society, issues of corruption and sanctions emerge. Will all...
(JNS) — The 37th anniversary of the Hamas terrorist organization’s founding on Dec. 10 came during a period of decline due to defeats in Gaza and the broader region, a senior Hamas official based in Turkey told Saudi media. “Hamas is suffering from a genuine leadership crisis,” the official said. “The Al-Aqsa Flood [Oct. 7, 2023], attack backfired on us, submerging us in a sea of blood and crises. The most recent blow was the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria, with which Hamas had been attempting to rebuild relations.” The Syrian govern...
