Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JTA)-New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is the winner of the $1 million Genesis Prize, the so-called Jewish Nobel. Kraft, 77, will be giving the money "to initiatives combating anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice as well as attempts to de-legitimize the State of Israel," according to a statement. Genesis Prize chairman and co-founder Stan Polovets in the announcement Wednesday called the Jewish-American NFL owner and businessman "one of the world's most generous philanthropists... Full story
(JTA)—In a tense exchange on “The View,” co-host Meghan McCain confronted Tamika Mallory about her support of Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader known for his history of virulent anti-Semitic comments. Mallory’s response is sure to add fuel to accusations that she is too soft on Farrakhan and has not sufficiently condemned anti-Semitism. “I don’t agree with many of Minister Farrakhan’s statements,” Mallory said in the exchange. “Specifically about Jewish people?” McCain asked. “As I said, I don’t agree with many of Minister Farrak... Full story
ATHENS-In a small, nondescript classroom in Greece's capital city, 10 Jewish eighth-graders study a biblical text about Jacob and Esau under the guidance of Rivkah Carl, a Jewish teacher from Teaneck, New Jersey. The students chatter loudly in Greek among themselves, though the language of instruction is English. In an adjacent classroom, nine kids-each wearing headphones and sitting in front of computer monitors-listen as their Israeli instructor teaches them Hebrew. But this is no Jewish... Full story
(JTA)—Manny Yekutiel opened his eponymous Manny’s in November, calling the Middle Eastern cafe and restaurant in downtown San Francisco a “civic social gathering space.” His goal for the Mission District eatery was “to create a central, accessible and affordable place to go to become a better informed and more involved citizen,” he told the San Francisco Examiner. Manny’s has earned praise for hosting talks with speakers on issues ranging from Black Lives Matter to urban sustainability. But Yekutiel, who is Jewish, is being protested wee... Full story
IKEA Israel to open fifth store in Tel Aviv (JNS)—The Swedish furniture and home accessories chain IKEA will open its fifth store in Israel later this year in Tel Aviv. The store will have just 21,500 square feet of floor space. It will focus on kitchens, reported Globes on Thursday. IKEA’s largest Israeli store, in Rishon Lezion, is 366,000 square feet and was opened in 2010, but not before the first one in the country opened in 2001 near Netanya. The other megastores are in Kiryat Arba, opened in 2014, and Beersheva, opened in 2018. IKEA is a... Full story
(JNS)-This time six years ago, Israel completed its high-tech border fence with Egypt, marking the start of a transformation in the situation along this restive frontier. With its network radars and cameras, the obstacle-dubbed "Hourglass" by the Israeli Defense Ministry-issues alerts to Israel Defense Forces units regarding suspicious movements. The barrier has almost completely stopped the mass movement of illegal migration from Africa, Dr. Ofer Israeli, a geostrategist and international... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israeli politics looks like a big mess right now. In the past few weeks, three new parties have been launched and one party has kicked out a former partner. More changes are likely, too. It probably will get messier still if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indicted before national elections are held on April 9. The latest polls show 12 to 14 parties entering the new Knesset, many with the bare minimum of four seats. (The Knesset has 120 seats.) That would be up from 10 in t... Full story
Temple Israel recently signed a 9.5-year contract extension with Rabbi Joshua Neely. This is the synagogue's third contract with Rabbi Neely, who has been the spiritual leader of this progressive Conservative congregation since 2010. Temple Israel President Adrian Share explained "the length of the contract is the strongest testament to our commitment to each other and the long-term stability this provides to our congregation and prospective members." Congregants enjoy engaging with Rabbi Neely,... Full story
The New York-based Touro College and University System is pleased to announce winter and spring lectures it is bringing to Orlando in partnership with The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando. The Winter Lecture, "Our Precious Legacy: Have We Given It Over to Our Children As It Was Given To Us?" will be delivered by Rabbi Alan G. Ciner, vice president of Community Engagement at TCUS, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando, located at 851 N. Maitland Ave. in Maitland,... Full story
This February, Chabad Centers throughout Orlando will offer “Crime and Consequence,” a new six-session course by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) exploring 3000 years of Jewish perspective on conviction, sentencing, and criminal rehabilitation. Beginning the first week of February, participants in the course will challenge their thinking, ponder the implications of ancient Talmudic wisdom for complex modern cases, and get to the heart of the most pressing injustices facing our cri... Full story
Jewish Academy of Orlando will break ground for its new Kindness Garden on Monday Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Day. The garden will be a segment of the campus playground. The project is part of a grant to incorporate fine arts in to the school's Judaic Studies program. A segment of the grant requirement was to solve a problem in the school through the creative process. Led by the 5th grade class, the problem that students chose to solve was how to ensure all members of the JAO community act with... Full story
Super Bowl Sunday is Feb. 3rd this year, just weeks away. That means the annual World Wide Wrap sponsored by the Men’s Club of Congregation Ohev Shalom is just around the corner. Each year, Men’s Clubs from Conservative and Masorti synagogues throughout the United States and beyond present this Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs program to encourage greater participation in the ancient and deeply meaningful ritual of wrapping t’filin. This year’s event is being sponsored in partnership with Women’s League for Conservative Judaism. Congregatio... Full story
(JNS)-Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) called on the U.S. Department of Justice to end funding for the Nation of Islam. The Washington Examiner first reported this development and the funding of "at least $364,500 in contracts and awards" from the DOJ and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons between fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2019. "The fact that hard-earned American tax dollars are being funded to this extremist group is not only unacceptable, it's downright immoral," the congressman wrote in a letter on Monday... Full story
(JNS)—Senate Democrats are reportedly seeking to block pro-Israel legislation introduced last week that Republican leadership is scheduled for Tuesday. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) each tweeted opposition to a vote advancing the legislation, citing the partial government shutdown over the past few weeks due to U.S. President Donald Trump not getting funding for a wall along the border with Mexico. The proposed measure rolls four bills that were introduced in the previous Congress, but were not e... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas again called on the United States to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Israel is stepping up its campaign for international recognition of its claim to the strategic plateau. A joint statement by the two Republican senators came on the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged John Bolton, the U.S. national security adviser, to recognize Israel’s claim to the Golan. Israel captured the heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and a... Full story
(JNS)-A medical resident fired from the Cleveland Clinic last year posted on Twitter that supporters of Israel should have their immune cells killed. "Studying for my med micro final, came across this. Clearly, I pay attention in class and write very useful notes," tweeted Lara Kollab in 2013. The Twitter post included a handwritten note: "People who support Israel should have their immune cells killed so they can see how it feels to not be able to defend yourself from foreign invaders." Kollab... Full story
Now in its third exciting year, the Meitin Alliance for Growth And Learning was created by Temple Shir Shalom (Reform) and Temple Israel (Conservative) to bring together Jewish students from a broad spectrum of backgrounds in order to have their diversity enrich their learning. Both congregations have always been committed to a robust and solid curriculum of Jewish knowledge, but working together brings the benefit of greater diversity of ideas. MAGAL, which means circle in Hebrew, believes... Full story
Students from a World ORT Kadima Mada Youth Village in Israel scored a historic "first" after their peace-making efforts were acknowledged at a major international forum. A short film, "Peace for Israel," made by teenagers from the Kfar Silver Youth Village, was screened at a UNESCO conference in Paris last month. The 90-second video on the use of drones and robots for peace, which was created by the students at the height of the conflict on the Gaza border in 2018, was selected as one of 10... Full story
(JTA)—Jewish federal employees who are struggling with expenses due to the government shutdown can now find some relief. The Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington approved an emergency program last week to provide loans of up to $2,000 per household to affected Jews living in the Washington, D.C., area. Several people have applied and two have been approved, the organization’s president, David Farber, told JTA on Wednesday. The association has allocated some $30,000 to the program, and it’s reaching out to local synagogues and J... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Sen. Bernie Sanders said it was "absurd" for Republicans to introduce as the Senate's first bill of this Congress a measure that would protect states that penalize Israel boycotters. "It's absurd that the first bill during the shutdown is legislation which punishes Americans who exercise their constitutional right to engage in political activity," Sanders, I-Vt., said Sunday on Twitter, linking to an article in The Intercept about the legislation. President Donald Trump says he... Full story
(JNS)-It shouldn't take 10 years to get permission to build a synagogue, but it did in Clifton, N.J. Finally, after a mediation overseen by the state's former attorney general, a community in Clifton will be able to worship in peace, in a new building. Synagogue leadership stated repeatedly that they were being illegally discriminated against through an array of arbitrary zoning-code interpretations (which judges ruled as incorrect), arbitrary planning-board requirements and excessive public... Full story
Netanyahu wants to face his accusers on TV By Marcy Oster JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a chance to take on his accusers on live television. Speaking Monday night, the prime minister said that during investigations into the corruption cases against him he “demanded a face-to-face confrontation with states’ witnesses.” He said he was denied several times. “Today I repeat that demand, and as far as I am concerned it should be on live television,” Netanyahu said. His statement was carried live on Israel’s ma... Full story
(JNS)-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed the Obama administration's Mideast policies, which were outlined in a similar venue almost a decade ago, and touted their reversal under U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that "America is a force for good in the Middle East." Without mentioning former President Barack Obama by name, he said at the American University in Cairo: "It was here, in this city, another American stood before you. He told you that radical Islamist terrorism does not... Full story
(JNS)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton on Sunday for the United States to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The prime minister raised the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump and did so on again with Bolton, who is in Israel as part of a trip that also includes visiting Turkey on Monday. “When you’re there, you’ll be able to understand perfectly why we’ll never leave the Golan Heights and why it’s important that all countries recognize Israel’s sovereignty o... Full story
(JNS)—After 18 months of secret research with the help of an international accountancy firm, Israel is preparing to officially demand compensation for assets abandoned by Jews who were forced to flee eight Arab countries after the establishment of the Jewish nation, to the tune of $250 billion. According to a report on Israel’s Hadashot TV news, the demands are being finalized for the first two of eight countries. Israel is preparing to sue Tunisia for $35 billion in lost assets and Libya for $15 billion. In total, Israel will demand $250 bil... Full story
