Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Instaglatt, a new kosher meat and poultry company, officially launched in Central Florida on December 18 and is now taking orders for delivery to the greater Orlando area. The company is the brainchild of founder William Branca, who explains his motivation on the website, instaglatt.com: "InstaGlatt was born out of a personal journey and a recognized need in the Orlando Jewish community." Branca shares that he returned to his Jewish roots in 2024 and became more observant. During this time, he r...
(JNS) - Using his "one of a kind" personal menorah, which is made from "shrapnel of rockets that were shot down by the IDF and then smelted together by an Israeli artisan" reminds House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) of the "true meaning of Chanukah." "In the face of darkness, light bursts forth. In the presence of fear, miracles emerge," Johnson said during the second annual Capitol Menorah Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday. "And in moments of despair, hope springs eternal." Johnson's menorah, which R...
A beautiful example of unity and collaboration brought the Southwest Jewish community together, showcasing its spirit of support for one another at the Rosen JCC Community Chanukah Fest. This celebration was the result of a successful collaboration among numerous Jewish nonprofits, offering unique activities for both children and adults. The event drew several hundred participants, creating a memorable community gathering. Highlights of the activities and their hosts included Chanukah Silly Putty and Instant Snow by Rosen JCC, Candle Making by...
Full or part-time Disney employees can log their volunteer hours and Disney will make a financial contribution to the Jack and Lee Rosen Jewish Community Center, no matter where you volunteered your time. Disney rewards all volunteerism by turning company-sponsored and personal volunteer hours into charitable donations. Cast members can convert their time into a grant for an eligible charity of their choice, and can do so throughout the calendar year, up to a total of $2,000 per employee. Hours may be logged up to Jan. 15 of the following year...
Chabad of South Orlando will host the annual Grand Car Menorah Parade on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 6 p.m. The parade will start at the Chabad Center of Jewish Life, 7347 W. Sand Lake Rd. with a police escort and finish at the Menorah lighting celebration, 5135 International Drive. To participate in the parade, arrive at the Chabad Center by 5:30 p.m....
(JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to and delivered a message of hope to the Iranian people. “People of Iran: As we see history unfold before our very eyes, I can only imagine what you’re feeling right now. Your oppressors spent over 30 billion dollars supporting Assad in Syria. Today, after only 11 days of fighting, his regime collapsed into dust. Your oppressors spent billions supporting Hamas in Gaza. Today their regime lies in ruins. Your oppressors spent over 20 billion dollars supporting Hezbollah in Leban...
(JNS) — Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, formerly of Fox News, provides the “leading platform” for Jew-hatred, according to Amichai Chikli, the Israeli diaspora affairs minister. “Congratulations to Tucker Carlson for becoming the leading platform for fringe Holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists and blood libel enthusiasts who oppose the State of Israel,” Chikli wrote on Tuesday. Carlson, with whom Fox News “agreed to part ways” on April 24, 2023, hosts an eponymous show on social media, where he has 15 million followers. Chikli’s cri...
(JNS) — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Tuesday that any entity threatening Israel’s security would face dire consequences. Speaking at a naval base in Haifa, Katz revealed that Israeli forces had destroyed Syria’s navy, as part of a broader campaign to neutralize strategic threats that could later pose a danger to Israel. “The IDF has acted in recent days to attack and destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel,” Katz stated, cautioning rebels that “whoever follows [ousted president Bashar] al-Assad’s...
(JNS) — U.S. President Joe Biden on Dec. 16 reiterated his commitment to bring the remaining 100 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza home, as he enters the final month of his presidency. “I will not stop until I get every single one of them out,” said Biden at his final White House Chanukah party. The remarks come amid reports of an imminent deal with Hamas for the release of hostages before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office on Jan. 20. President Biden added that he was inspired by the power of the Jewish people’s hope and optimis...
Remarkably, in a city in East Africa that is home to two million people, as of 2018 there were no streetlights. In 2019, we installed solar-powered streetlights at the city's 'bus station'-a name that doesn't quite fit, as it was essentially a dirt field in the center of town. When I visited after the lights were installed, the impact was immediately visible. Nearby stores stayed open later, crime in the area decreased, and, most unexpectedly, young children gathered under the lights to do...
On Sunday, Dec. 15, Temple Israel Sisterhood sponsored a Chanukah Market. The event, which featured a variety of local vendors, had something for everyone to enjoy. Among the most popular offerings were delicious treats from Sage Catering which served up fresh sandwiches and donuts. The market was a haven for those looking for unique, handmade items. Local artisans showcased a variety of crafts including pottery and Judaica jewelry. Other tables included fair-trade chocolate, dog-related items,...
(JNS) - Former hostage Judith Raanan met with President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Monday at his golf course in West Palm Beach. She was the first female hostage to be released from Hamas in the Gaza Strip after being kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahel Oz in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Raanan, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen based in the Chicago area, gave Trump a drawing she had made and described the trauma of her captivity. She expressed her trust in the...
(JNS) — The Biden administration has privately asked Israel to approve an urgent request for U.S. military aid to Palestinian Authority forces, Palestinian, American and Israeli officials told Axios. The request comes after the P.A. launched a rare counter-terror raid in Jenin, where Ramallah for years refused to act against Iranian-backed terrorist groups, in violation of its commitments under the Oslo Accords. Ramallah launched its operation, dubbed “Defense of the Homeland,” following the Dec. 5 seizure by Hamas and Islamic Jihad of a P.A....
(JTA) — A ballistic missile fired from Yemen severely damaged a Tel Aviv-area school early Thursday morning, in some of the most significant damage yet in an ongoing barrage from Houthi rebels based there. No children were present at the school in the suburb of Ramat Gan, which officials said would be rebuilt, and would reopen in another already constructed building within weeks. The rocket, which Israel partially intercepted, was fired as Israeli fighter jets were on their way to Yemen to target Houthi positions there. Dozens of jets t...
By Menachem Wecker (JNS) — At a Chanukah celebration at the Israeli embassy in Washington on Wednesday night, getting choked up while talking about the plight of the hostages was a bipartisan experience. Both Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and John Kirby, the White House national security communications advisor, paused to compose themselves as they addressed the audience. “For millions of Jewish men, women and children across the entire world, Chanukah is a sacred time. One where the...
NYC Israeli shawarma spot makes NYT’s ‘Best New Restaurants’ list By Adi Nirman (JNS) — Spice Brothers, the Mediterranean restaurant operated by Israeli chef Lior Lev Sercarz, has earned a spot on The New York Times’s “New York’s 14 Best New Restaurants of 2024” list. Sercarz, born in northern Israel, met David Malbequi, the restaurant’s former co-owner, while working together for renowned chef Daniel Boulud. They opened Spice Brothers in September 2023, but the two eventually parted ways and Lev Sercarz remained to manage the restaurant. The r...
By Rossella Tercatin (JTA) — In April, when a group of pro-Palestinian activists pressured Florence’s city hall to have the local honorary Israeli consul resign, they also took aim at a politician, Sara Funaro, who was running for mayor. “We’re sorry that we haven’t heard one word of condemnation of the Israeli government’s behavior from Marco Carrai,” the honorary consul, the activists said. “Just as striking is the silence of Councilor Funaro, who has actually wished this person well in his work.” Funaro didn’t respond — and doesn’t appear to...
(JNS) — Hamas has agreed to two of Israel’s key conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza, raising hopes for an agreement to release hostages within days, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Hamas for the first time agreed to accept the presence of Israeli forces in Gaza during a 60-day truce, the newspaper quoted unnamed Arab mediators as saying. The sources also confirmed to the paper reports from earlier in the week that Hamas had submitted a list of hostages, including U.S. citizens, whom it would release. The purported breakthrough fol...
(JNS) — A majority of Kibbutz Nir Oz members voted on Monday to return to their destroyed homes and rebuild. The kibbutz was among the hardest hit communities during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel. One in four residents was either killed or kidnapped, including the Bibas family, mother Shiri, husband Yarden and their two children, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old. In a letter to the government, the kibbutz members stressed their expectations for a large-scale and generous construction plan, according to Israel’s Chann...
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — There are 34 Jews in the incoming Congress, with a 35th likely to join in April. Should that candidate, Florida State Sen. Randy Fine, win his special election in Florida, that would mean no change in numbers overall between the outgoing Congress and the incoming one: The House Jewish delegation will drop from 26 to 25, but the number of Jewish senators will increase from nine to a minyan. Dig a little deeper, though, and there are some changes — both in terms of new challenges and new opportunities for the Jewish class...
JewBelong to put up antisemitism awareness billboards during holidays (JNS) — December 2023 had the highest number of antisemitic incidents of any month last year, the Anti-Defamation League reported. The activist group JewBelong is attempting to make sure that doesn’t repeat itself this month. To that end, as of Dec. 9, the nonprofit organization is placing billboards on main roads near four airports in the United States: Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, Fort Laude...
(JNS) - Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country after a coalition of rebel groups stormed Damascus, ending his family's five-decade rule over the Arab Republic, Reuters reported on Sunday morning. Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that the regime had fallen, an officer who was informed of the move told the press agency. A Syrian airplane took off from Damascus International Airport as the capital was being taken by the rebels. Reuters said it could not immediately...
(JNS) - Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu, visiting the Syrian border on Sunday, hailed the collapse of the Assad regime, "a central link in Iran's axis of evil," describing it as a "historic day in the history of the Middle East." Netanyahu said the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who fled the country after a coalition of rebel groups stormed Damascus on Sunday, was the direct result of blows Israel inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, "the main supporters of the Assad regime." U.S. National...
Temple Israel Adult Education is hosting a Virtual Travel Series that continues in January. This is offered to the community by Temple Israel. Places to visit include Jewish Mexico, Jewish Ireland and Jewish Jamaica. There is no cost to enjoy this series that can be enjoyed from the privacy of your own home. Register at templeisraelevents.com to get the zoom link. Jan. 30, 2025 — 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. “Jewish Mexico” with Monica Unikel-Fasja This will be a visual tour to get to know the origins of Jewish life in Mexico at the beginning of th...
On Tuesday, December 3, the Jewish Chamber hosted a festive Hanukkah breakfast at One Senior Place in Altamonte Springs, welcoming 25 attendees from diverse backgrounds to celebrate the Festival of Lights. The event featured a vibrant display of holiday décor and a delicious spread of homemade Hanukkah favorites creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Guests enjoyed classic treats like latkes, sufganiyot, and other traditional holiday dishes while connecting with fellow attendees. The...
