Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 9524 - 9548 of 11388
(JTA)-Two synagogues and the homes of countless Jewish residents were damaged in the floods that swept through Houston on Monday and into Tuesday, inundating homes and businesses, sweeping away cars and leaving at least five people dead. Houston, America's fourth-largest city and home to more than 40,000 Jews, was paralyzed when many of the canals that run through the city (known locally as bayous) crested after torrential rains soaked the city. Some 8-12 inches of water fell in a matter of... Full story
Congregation Sinai, in Minneola, had its first Mitzvah Day on Sunday, May 3. What a success it was! Mitzvah Day is a common event at many temples throughout the country. It is a day when congregants, both young and old, reach out to the community to give back. Since the meaning of "mitzvah" is a good deed, it goes along with Judaism's belief in "tikkun olam," repairing the world. Congregants met at the temple at 9:30 a.m. for a continental breakfast. People enjoyed the bagels, donuts, juice and... Full story
Rabbi Karen Allen will lead Congregation Beth Sholom in Friday evening services at 7 p.m. on June 12. An Oneg Shabbat with light refreshments will follow. The synagogue is located at 315 North 13th Street in Leesburg, with the entrance on Center Street.... Full story
(ISRAEL21c)-Nepalese villagers now faced with massive rebuilding projects following the April 25 earthquake could benefit from the lessons learned by eco-minded builders in Israel's Arava desert. In preparation for future anticipated tremors, the Israelis are taking a unique approach to safe and environmentally sound construction rather than the more common, but expensive and less effective, reinforced concrete method often relied on to withstand earthquakes. Sitting a top the seismically... Full story
ISTANBUL (JTA)-In the backyard of the Etz Ahayim synagogue in Turkey's largest city, congregant Yusuf Arslan hollers pleasantries as he mingles with other members of the small congregation. He needs to shout to be heard over the deafening sound of a sudden downpour hitting the blast-proof glass ceiling that stretches over the synagogue's spacious yard. Installed after Istanbul's deadly 2003 synagogue bombings, the shield is meant to prevent grenades from exploding in the complex should anyone hu... Full story
Latin gospel singer Ingrid Rosario, accompanied by a four-piece band, belts out impassioned ballads before a captive audience, hands clasped or in the air, eyes transfixed on the stage or closed in a meditative state. Is this scene from church? A Christian rock concert? Hardly. It's a prayer session at a staunchly pro-Israel event. The Jewish state was front and center at the April 28-30 annual convention of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/CONEL in Houston. On the... Full story
Burial set for elderly Jewish couple who died in Houston flooding (JTA)—Funeral services were set for an elderly Jewish couple who drowned in the floods that swept through Houston last week. Shirley and Jack Alter, who died when their rescue boat capsized in the rushing floodwaters, were scheduled to be buried Sunday at the Congregation Beth Yeshurun Cemetery in Houston. The boat suffered engine failure before capsizing on May 26, the Houston-based Jewish Herald-Voice reported. The couple—Shirley Alter was 85 and Jack Alter was 87—were weari... Full story
The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando held its annual meeting on May 19. The National Anthem and Hatikva were sung by the 39ers' Honorable Menschen Choir; a new board of directors was installed and several volunteers were honored. RAISE employee Cameron Rohme spoke to the audience about the positive impact the JCC has had on him this year as part of the collaboration between the JCC and Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando's RAISE program, developed and implemented by... Full story
Friendship and fun are the main objectives of the Young Women's Social Group recently formed by the Jewish Pavilion. Not long ago, Nancy Ludin, Jewish Pavilion executive director, and Carol Feuerman, past-president and current board member, sat down to discuss the social challenges faced by young Jewish professionals transitioning to adulthood in Orlando. Both Ludin and Feuerman have adult children in their 20s and/or 30s and have seen that the rapid changes in lifestyle and circumstance during... Full story
Illinois became the third state in a month to pass legislation formally opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. But going further than non-binding anti-BDS measures in Tennessee and Indiana, the Illinois bill took concrete action against those who boycott the Jewish state. The legislation-which unanimously passed both the Illinois House (102-0) and Senate (49-0), and will be signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner-prohibits state pension funds from... Full story
As Islamic terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East sink to new levels of brutality, the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis and launched thousands of rockets at the Jewish state, finds itself facing a threat to its rule in Gaza. Over the last month, Islamic State-inspired jihadist groups in Gaza, who ironically argue that Hamas has been too lenient toward Israel and has failed to implement Islamic Sharia Law, have launched a campaign entailing both pr... Full story
Controversy is swirling over conflicting reports as to whether or not the Pope Francis called Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas an "angel of peace" during a meeting at the Vatican. Pope Francis, who canonized two 19th-century nuns from what was then Ottoman-ruled Palestine, met with Abbas at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, where he presented the PA leader with a bronze medallion and explained that it represented the "angel of peace destroying the bad spirit of war," purportedly... Full story
A presentation by Pastor Blake Lorenz about “Survival and Promise,” sponsored by the Zionistas on Sunday, May 17, became an informal group discussion about the “Unthinkable.” After introductions were made and Lorenz spoke briefly that the “Unthinkable” is here now, he opened discussion about what can we do to stop it? Before we can stop it, what is the unthinkable? Jew hatred, the open proclamation to destroy Israel, the killing of anyone who does not believe a certain type of Islam. Is the unthinkable the Muslim people? No. It is the movemen... Full story
The Holocaust Center honored local community activists, Susan and Gordon Arkin, at its annual Dinner of Tribute. The event raised more than $330,000 to support the Center's education and bullying prevention programs. The evening included a presentation that illustrated how the Holocaust Center is "Lighting the Way" toward a more inclusive community free of all forms of prejudice and bigotry. It detailed how every word in the organization's name, Holocaust – Memorial – Resource – and Educa... Full story
People of the Book returns for the third year of One Book, One Community, One Summer, a chance to read and discuss a book of general interest to the Jewish community. This year’s book is “The Jew and the Lotus” by Roger Kamenetz, the fascinating story of a diverse group of Jewish leaders invited to meet with the Dalai Lama to discuss how a people can survive and thrive in Diaspora. As in past summers, “People of the Book” will be co-facilitated by Janet Friedman and Rabbi David Kay. In previous years, “People of the Book” explored the... Full story
Guest speaker Jane Edelstein, president of Edelstein Associates, shares “Seven Off-the-Wall Tips for Better Business Meetings” during the Jewish Business Network’s gathering Tuesday, May 19, at Brown’s New York Deli in Maitland. More than 30 Jewish business professionals participated in the event. The next Jewish Business Network get-together is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, at 7 p.m. For details, go to www.jfgo.org.... Full story
Heritage Florida Jewish News is accepting nominations for the 2015 Heritage Human Service Award, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando. “For more than 25 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 Loren London. Former recipients have included Wolf... Full story
Whooping cough warning issued in Brooklyn’s Orthodox communities NEW YORK (JTA)—The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued a warning about an increase in cases of pertussis, or the “whooping cough,” in the Orthodox communities of Williamsburg and Borough Park, Brooklyn. The city’s department of health issued a statement on Friday, May 22 about 21 confirmed cases of pertussis – 18 children and three adults – in those communities between October 2014 and April 2015. Of the 10 afflicted children who were under 10 mont... Full story
Jewish families come together for Mother's Day Shabbat in the Park Our Jewish Orlando's Shalom Families celebrated Mother's Day with a special Shabbat in the Park on Friday, May 8, in Central Park on Park Avenue in Winter Park. Each family in attendance was welcomed with a basket containing all the Shabbat essentials (challah, grape juice and candles). After a picnic dinner, parents socialized and shared dessert while their children made special flowers to present to their moms. The families... Full story
In its final month, the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando’s annual campaign is only $41,000 from reaching $1 million. It is a milestone they have not achieved since 2007. “This is an amazing accomplishment that has been made possible by the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of our volunteers. To all who have given your financial support and your time during this annual campaign, please accept my sincere gratitude on behalf of Federation,” said JFGO Executive Director Olga Yorish. “If the positive trend we are now experie... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)-A 39-year-old executive with an education startup and a 20-year-old naval academy student were among the seven people confirmed dead from an Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia. Rachel Jacobs, the executive, who also is the daughter of former Michigan State Senator Gilda Jacobs, and Justin Zemser, a second-year student at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, were both Jewish. The accident, on a northbound train Tuesday night, injured more than 200 people, and... Full story
(JNS.org) Palestinian Authority security forces have rounded up more than two-dozen Hamas supporters on West Bank college campuses for interrogation in recent weeks. A Hamas-aligned student group won an April 22 student council election at Birzeit University, which is located near the PA’s de facto capital of Ramallah. “Everyone knew that this was going to happen,” Nagham Yassin, a Palestinian student at Birzeit, told Al Jazeera. “It happened last time the Islamic bloc won in 2007. Everyone assumed it would happen this time. Anyone who goes in... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—The Pew Research Center’s newly released 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study offers a trove of data on American Jews based on interviews with 35,071 American adults, 847 of whom identified their faith as Jewish. Here are some of the more interesting findings about the Jews. We’re highly educated: There are more American Jews with two or more university degrees than those who have just one—31 percent have a graduate degree and 29 percent have just a bachelor’s degree. With a college graduation rate of about 59 percent (more tha... Full story
Congregation Beth Sholom invites the public to attend as Rabbi Karen Allen leads a special Shavuot Shabbat service on Saturday, May 23, at 10 a.m. Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. Customarily, groups stay up late into the night studying the Torah on the night before Shavuot in spiritual preparation for the holiday. It is considered that each person personally receives the Torah. The Shavuot Shabbat service will be held at Congregation Beth Sholom, 315 North 13th Street in Leesburg, with... Full story
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) will host a presentation on how to improve the security of your computer, how to reduce the risk of malware infecting your computer, and similar hazards in the digital age on Tuesday, June 2, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Roth Family JCC, in the Senior Lounge. Learn from a computer professional. Mark Schulman is an author, speaker, software designer, and technology enthusiast. He enjoys learning about the ways technology can make life bet... Full story
