Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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In a first-ever for Israel and the IDF, recently a Christian Israeli Arab enlisted as an Israeli Air Force cadet. Nationally, only 10 percent of cadets who begin the prestigious course graduate and earn their pilot wings. Yet, for this Christian Arab, whose name cannot be revealed for security reasons, just passing the rigorous medical, physical, and psychological tests is a historic achievement to be celebrated, with wide implications throughout Israeli society. “This is a proud day for Israel’s army,” stated Dr. John A.I. Grossman, chair... Full story
NEW YORK, NY—The Hadassah Foundation, a nonprofit organization that awards grants to social change programs that empower women and girls in Israel and the United States, is pleased to announce $330,000 in new grants. The recipients are six organizations in Israel that increase opportunities for women and girls of all backgrounds to obtain and advance in decision-making positions. Co-Chair of The Hadassah Foundation Israel Grants Committee Diane Sigel exclaims: “The expertise and ingenuity reflected in this year’s Israel grant recipients is rema... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)-As evening descended on Jerusalem one Friday last month, 1,000 students gathered at the Western Wall for the traditional prayers to welcome the Jewish Sabbath. They joined the throngs who dance and sing at the holiest site in Judaism as Shabbat begins. When it was over, they repaired to the homes of local families for a traditional Shabbat meal with all the customary trappings. For many, it was a highlight of a trip to Israel that had cost them almost nothing. Except these were... Full story
(JNS)-The quick succession of Palestinian attacks on Israeli security forces in the past 24 hours appears to be a chain reaction of unorganized incidents, each one forming the "inspiration" for the next attacker and each attack forming a link in the terrorist chain. The goal of Israel's security forces now is to cut that chain and freeze the momentum of incidents before they snowball into a wider wave of violence that will be far more difficult to control. In a joint operation launched by the... Full story
(JTA)-Like many parents when their small children are a bit under the weather, Ofer Dekel measures his boy's temperature frequently. But in Dekel's case, his concern for his son Liam is exacerbated by living at the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic: Wuhan, China. Dekel, a 56-year-old businessman originally from Haifa, Israel, has lived in Wuhan for many years with his Chinese wife, Nana, who is the mother of his two youngest children, both of whom are under 10. Authorities have placed the... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—Jared Kushner didn’t realize his father-in-law was serious about running for president until Donald Trump asked his daughter Ivanka, Kushner’s wife, to help launch his campaign. That’s one revelation in Kushner’s exclusive interview with the Orthodox weekly Ami Magazine about his role in the Trump administration. We took a look at the full interview (available only in print or online with a subscription) and five things stood out. Kushner didn’t know he’d be working on a peace plan, either Apparently the president asked Kushner... Full story
(JTA)-The Trump administration put questions about the seriousness of its Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal to rest Tuesday by delivering a 181-page, detail-laden document that outlines a clear-if one-sided-vision for the future of the region. The document includes sections on history, security and economics, among others. We've got a roundup of the most important details here. But the quickest way to make sense of the plan might be to skip to pages 41 and 42. That's where you can find two "con... Full story
Jewish Academy of Orlando partnered with PJ Library Greater Orlando to bring the community, "#beeyourselfie," a day that celebrated every child's uniqueness. The fun-filled morning started with a story time led by JAO Head of School Alan Rusonik and a "selfie" photo session with JAO's beloved mascot, "Mac the Bee." Later the families started their exploration of what makes each person unique. Each child was provided a passport. The passport guided families to travel between three different... Full story
(JTA)—President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan on Tuesday, and the release event was a doozy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Trump at a news conference and compared it to President Harry Truman’s recognition of the State of Israel in 1948. Netanyahu also snuck in the fact that as part of the plan’s starting framework, he will look to apply Israeli sovereignty over territory that much of the international community considers illegally occupied. In the most basic sense, the plan is a two-s... Full story
(JTA)—Reactions to President Donald Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan unveiled Tuesday took a predictable path, with Jewish groups on the right praising the much-anticipated proposal and those on the left criticizing it. The proposal, which Trump presented at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would give Israel the Jordan Valley and parts of the West Bank while freezing for four years the areas that the U.S. proposes as part of a future Palestinian state. A Palestinian state would be made up of Gaza and the... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Israeli President Reuven Rivlin assailed Polish complicity in the murder of European Jews during the Holocaust during a visit to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Speaking at a joint appearance Monday with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Krakow, Rivlin said that both Jews and Poles were victims during World War II. He then launched into a subtle rebuke of recent efforts to rewrite Poland's wartime history. "Poland, the place where the Jewish people flouri... Full story
(JTA)-President Donald Trump's long-awaited peace plan has been met with plenty of skepticism since its release on Tuesday. Could Trump actually be the one to settle a decades old conflict where so many other American presidents have failed, with a plan that was devised without consulting the Palestinians? But some critics zeroed in on a much more specific aspect of the plan: the proposed high-speed railway connecting the West Bank and Gaza, the two geographically distinct territories of a... Full story
(JNS)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has perhaps never looked more subtly elated on any previous visit to the White House than he did on Tuesday. He and U.S. President Donald Trump, the friendliest-ever president toward Israel in U.S. history, stood side by side in the announcement of the friendliest vision Israel has ever seen regarding its borders and its future. Relief that the long-anticipated diplomatic part of the peace plan was revealed to the public for the first time was palpable. So, too, was the fact that this as the f... Full story
(JNS)-With campaigns under way before the third round of Israeli elections within a year on March 2, Likud officials, and the Blue and White Party, have repeatedly made statements over the past few weeks in favor of annexing the Jordan Valley. And that has elicited vocal reactions among the public both for and against the idea. The Trump administration's peace plan, revealed at the White House on Jan. 28 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attendance, gave American approval for... Full story
(JTA)—As part of President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for Middle East peace unveiled Tuesday, Israel says it will “apply its laws” to the Jordan Valley and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. At a news conference with Trump at the White House discussing the broad outlines of the plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will otherwise “maintain the status quo” territorially for at least four years. Application of Israeli law to parts of the West Bank would signal a major change to the territory and the contours of... Full story
JERUSALEM (JTA)—A major gathering of world leaders in Jerusalem meant to highlight the world’s determination to learn the lessons of the Holocaust has become mired in controversy, dragging Israel into a battle over history debates still raging in Europe three-quarters of a century after the end of World War II. Some 46 presidents, princes and prime ministers converged on the Israeli capital on Thursday for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, an event organized by President Reuven Rivlin, Yad Vashem and the Israeli Foreign Ministry to com... Full story
(JNS)-As many as 500 Christian students gathered in Jerusalem recently for a mega-event marking the Passages organization's fifth anniversary. With 8,000 students who have arrived in Israel so far, that number is expected to reach 10,000 by the end of next year. For many of the students, the Passages nine-day trip to Israel represented their first-ever visit to Israel. Throughout the experience, students discover the deep roots of Christianity in the place where that ancient faith was born,... Full story
TEANECK, N.J. (JTA)-Jason Greenblatt, President Donald Trump's former Middle East negotiator, made his first public speech since leaving the White House on Sunday night. Greenblatt, 52, who worked as a lawyer for Trump for two decades prior to joining the administration, spoke at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck, New Jersey, the Modern Orthodox synagogue where he is a member. The event was raising money for a new Holocaust memorial in the township, which has a significant Jewish population.... Full story
(JNS)-Israel might be known globally as a high-tech juggernaut, but the "Startup Nation" is on the verge of being a superpower in diamonds as well. No, not the kinds that shine, but the kinds you use for pitching, catching and batting-as for the first time in history, the Israel men's national baseball team has qualified for the Summer Olympic Games to be held this summer in Tokyo. This past September, Israel stunned the competition by winning the "A" pool Olympic-qualifying tournament in... Full story
(JTA)-Walk into an Israeli post office or one of the many local stores that have lately been serving as ad-hoc delivery centers and you'll be confronted by a jumble of boxes sealed with the telltale black and blue packing tape from Amazon.com. Orders from the American online retail giant have surged here in recent weeks, following the launch of the company's Hebrew-language online storefront and the offer of free shipping from the United States. American immigrants to Israel have long relied on... Full story
(ISRAEL21c)—Israeli NGO IsraAID has sent a relief team to assess needs in Puerto Rico after a deadly 6.4 magnitude quake hit the Caribbean island on Tuesday. The quake, which killed one and flattened buildings in the southern part of the island, was the latest in a series of 100 or so tremors that have hit Puerto Rico over the last 10 days and show no signs of stopping. It was strongest quake to hit the island since 1918 and has caused widespread damage to a nation still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017. IsraAID, which has been o... Full story
Khalil Yusef Ali Jabarin, the terrorist who stabbed to death Ari Fuld, was convicted of murder by an Israeli military court on Monday morning. Jabarin stabbed Fuld outside a shopping center in Gush Etzion in September 2018. Fuld, though mortally wounded, heroically drew his gun, shooting and wounding the terrorist before he could harm others. Fuld then collapsed from his wounds. Efforts by first responders were unable to save him. The terrorist, Jabarin, is an 18-year-old resident of the town of Yatta, located south of Hebron in the... Full story
(ISRAEL21c)—The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo is collecting donations to help the Animal Rescue Collective purchase veterinary supplies for animals affected by wildfires in Victoria, Australia. “The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo and its staff are distressed by the horrific fires in Australia and the widespread devastation to its unique wildlife,” the zoological park announced Jan. 5. The bushfires began in New South Wales in September, where about 130 fires continue to burn, and have spread to Victoria, where some 31 blazes are burning. University of Sydne... Full story
(JNS)-New excavations by Israeli archaeologists suggest the existence of a 2,000-year-old Jerusalem market in the City of David, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday in a statement, i24News reported. Archaeologists and historians call the road that is being excavated under an eastern Jerusalem Arab neighborhood the "Stepped Street," also called the "Pilgrims' Path" or the "Pilgrimage Road." A rare ancient measuring table and dozens of stone measurement weights that were recently excavate... Full story
(JNS)—Following a preliminary hearing on Tuesday by Israel’s High Court of Justice on the question of whether an indicted lawmaker can be tasked with forming a government, a three-judge panel ruled that a decision will be handed down at a future date. The hearing followed a petition filed by 67 citizens with academic, security and culture backgrounds arguing that even though Israeli law allows a prime minister to continue serving in his position until proven guilty in court—and even until all appeals are exhausted—the same law should not per... Full story
