Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Join Congregation Ohev Shalom’s Men’s Club and Sisterhood for a fun night of bowling. Bowl the Night Away will be held on Jan. 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at AMF Bowling Lanes in Altamonte Springs. The cost is $18 for two hours of bowling, and includes shoes and pizza. Please RSVP to Michael Asher at michaeldasher3@gmail.com AMF Bowling Lanes is located at 280 Douglas Ave. Please make your check payable to COS Men’s Club. Mail by Jan. 10 to: COS Men’s Club & Sisterhood—Bowl the Night Away, 613 Concourse Parkway South, Maitland, FL 32751.... Full story
Local elder home facilities and the Independent Living communities welcomed The Jewish Pavilion to come and celebrate with the residents during Chanukah. Many family members of the residents also came to share in the festivities with their loved ones. The Jewish Pavilion's staff worked to organize and coordinate with the staff at the facilities and together were very successful in hosting numerous "Chanukah Parties" in the Greater Central Florida area! There was plenty of food, fun and... Full story
It only takes one person to strive to make a difference. Sami Kuperberg is such a person. She had endured anti-Semitism since her freshman year at Oviedo High School. Students would tease her because she is Jewish. One student wouldn't let her raise her hand in class to answer questions and grabbed her arm and drew a swastika on it. She was even punched and kicked just because she is Jewish. Kuperberg heard of a program called Jewish Student Union, and reached out to Rabbi Gabi Gittleson of... Full story
Smiles and bear hugs were in abundance on a recent Sunday afternoon as the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando held its third annual PJ Library Family Mitzvah Day at Build-A-Bear in Altamonte Springs. More than 70 moms, dads, babies, kids and grandparents took part in this increasingly popular Federation holiday tradition, creating nearly 40 stuffed animals and cards to donate to the young patients at Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando. Federation volunteers, along with PJ Library Coordinat... Full story
Kostya Kimlat and his niece Kira Murga are entertained by "Fatz," one of the animatronic characters created by Aaron Fechter, founder of Creative Engineering. Kehillah: A History of the Jews of Orlando continues at the Orange County Regional History Center through Feb. 20, 2018. For information about hours of operation and cost, please call 407-836-8500. The History Center is located at 65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando.... Full story
Jewish Pavilion Program Director Walter Goldstein performed familiar holiday and classic tunes at Brookdale Island Lake. Volunteers Terri Fine-Stenzler and Debbie Meitin led blessings, songs, and told the Chanukah story to a room filled with friends and neighbors. Vitas Health Care and Cornerstone Hospice provided cookies and calendar gifts for the residents in senior living communities. These photos are from Brookdale Island Lake in Longwood.... Full story
The Rosen JCC celebrated the 100th birthday of Ethel Siegel, a dedicated and active member of the Jewish community center. A ceremony honoring Ethel was held on Dec. 21 at the Rosen JCC. Ethel is a senior member of the Chai Steppers social group that meets at the Rosen JCC. Originally born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1917, Ethel married Matthew Siegel in 1941 and is the mother of two children. The family resided for many years in Roslyn, N.Y. on Long Island before retiring to Florida. Ethel is an... Full story
Congregation Beth Chaim is back, but actually, it never really left. The small Reform congregation, which was located on 434 in Winter Springs, was struggling a few months ago. Funds were tight and its location was in a remote area. Rumors abounded that the congregation had closed its doors for good. It had closed its doors-that is, the doors of the building in Winter Springs. Right after the High Holidays the group of faithful congregants opened a new door in Oviedo, thanks to its cantorial sol... Full story
On Tuesday, Dec. 5, fifth-grade Jewish students from the Jewish Academy of Orlando got together with Muslim students from Leadership Preparatory School and Christian students from Geneva School for a morning of learning and sharing. The Multi-Faith Education Program began 14 years ago when its founder, Louise Franklin Sheehy, worked to foster a climate of peace among the children of the different Abrahamic faiths. This was the first meeting between the three schools that will take place this... Full story
Jewish Academy of Orlando announced it will be honoring Nathalie and Dr. Jordan Steinberg and giving a lifetime achievement award to Dr. Edward Zissman at the school's annual gala, Sunday, Dec. 17 at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. Nathalie and Jordan moved from Montreal, Canada 10 years ago, with their three children. They wanted to build a meaningful Jewish life and provide their children with the best Jewish education possible. Jordan has been on the Board of Directors of the school... Full story
Chanukah is almost here and it shows at the Altamonte Mall. The Chanukah menorah is located on the second level near the food court. Shown here are Rabbi Mendy Bronstein of Chabad of Altamonte Springs with two little friends.... Full story
A Boy Scout doesn't just become an Eagle Scout. He has to earn the rank through a series of requirements, including: earn 21 merit badges-13 of which are required; perform a service project that he plans, develops and oversees; and successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review. Fewer than 5 percent of Boy Scouts earn the Eagle rank. Tyler Gaeser, the son of Marci and Jeff Gaeser, has been in scouting since first grade when he became a Cub Scout. He advanced to Boy Scout Troop 617, Oviedo... Full story
Join the Orlando Torah Academy for a special Chanukah evening at the Rosen JCC, Thursday, Dec. 14, at 5 pm. Be amazed by a spectacular LED performance while enjoying a complimentary dairy Chanukah dinner. There will be fun activities for all ages, and prize giveways raffled off for attendees! Purchase raffle tickets as well for a chance to win a trip for two to Israel! For more information, please contact office@orlandotorah.com Admission is free. The Rosen JCC is located at 11184 South Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando.... Full story
In honor of Veteran's Day, Orlando Torah Academy students had the privilege of hearing from guest speaker Rabbi Jeff Chaitoff. Rabbi Chaitoff shared his experiences as chaplain in the Army with students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. He brought in photos and relics from his days on active duty, including his uniforms. Students enjoyed asking questions and hearing about what life was like as a soldier. They also loved trying on the uniforms! Thank you, Rabbi Chaitoff, for your service to the... Full story
Bal Harbour, Fla., is best known as a popular destination for snowbirds. With a population ranging from 2,500-8,000, depending on the time of the year, it’s hard to believe that this small oceanside village, 30 minutes north of Miami, is now a national leader in combating anti-Semitism. On Nov. 21 in front of a packed room, the Village Council unanimously passed a measure that adopted the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism—creating a village code that will permit law enforcement to consider anti-Semitism as a “motivation for cri... Full story
The Boards of Directors of the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida and Congregation of Reform Judaism are thrilled to announce plans for a joint Jewish Heritage Tour to Poland and Germany from June 10-22, 2018. It was during the Holocaust Center's first sponsored tour to Poland and Prague in 2016 that HMREC Executive Director Pam Kancher and Rabbi Steven Engel decided to co-sponsor this trip to Poland and Germany in 2018. "Participants will have the opportunity to explore... Full story
On Nov. 19, Central Florida Christians and Jews shared a unique evening together at the Rosen Plaza. The focal point of this year’s event was to bless the nation of Israel, and to raise funds for three organizations that help Jews still trapped in areas like Crimea and Ukraine make aliyah to Israel. The event, A Night to Bless Israel, was a successful interfaith event to show support for Israel, and raised $151,000 for Ezra International, Return Ministries and Cyrus. “Raising funds to bring 20 persecuted and impoverished Jewish families to Isr... Full story
Students and faculty of Lake Brantley High School are learning about how to stand up to hate in these troubling times. Through the dedication of Brantley's Club L'Chaim co-presidents Alana Halperin and Jordan Greenberg and student members, another informative meeting was held at the school to bring awareness to the reality of hate in the world, and how to combat it. These meetings are part of an on-going series. The first meeting of this kind was held a year ago. Although the students expected... Full story
The Roth Family JCC is gearing up for the 2018 "J-Rassic Park" J Ball Charity Auction that will be held March 14, 6:30 p.m., at the Orlando Science Center. In advance of the auction itself, the JCC is hosting a raffle for ticket-buyers: Anyone who buys their ticket by Dec. 21 will be entered into a raffle for 4 tickets to the Jan. 3 Orlando Magic game against the Houston Rockets. Tickets are currently on sale: General admission is $100; Tickets for parents of JCC preschool students, Jewish... Full story
Elliott Davis, Lee Sisselsky and Judy Kahan Davis rode their bikes from Wekiva to O'Brien Road, where the Heritage office is located, to pick up their paper that did not arrive at their homes on Friday. The Heritage doesn't know why so many people did not get their Heritage newspaper last week. The papers are dropped off at the Orlando post office on Thursday for mail delivery on Friday. Once it leaves Heritage premises on Wednesday for printing, it is out of our control. We don't suggest that... Full story
Central Florida Hillel welcomes Dana Bial as its new board chair. Bial received her bachelor's in Business Administration in Accounting and Computer Science from Kent State University and her master's of Taxation from Florida International University. She is principal and owner of Forefront CPA, PLLC, an Orlando-based accounting and tax consulting firm, that provides a full range of services to business and individuals around the world. Bial has lived in Orlando since 1998 where she and her husb... Full story
Students from Central Florida Hillel attend the AIPAC annual event with Senator Joe Leiberman, who graciously spent time with the students afterwards entertaining their questions and sharing stories. The event brought out over 270 Orlandoan AIPAC supporters.... Full story
This week, the Holocaust Center, located in Maitland, launched the first media campaign in the organization's 30-year history to raise awareness of its mission to combat racism, bigotry and bullying. While the Center has run ads in the past, the campaign, Make Hate History, aims to increase the Center's profile and attract new visitors and supporters. It uses provocative messages that highlight recent incidents across the nation, and right in our own backyard, to inspire activism. Ads will run... Full story
Joseph Wittenstein, Z"L, (1914-2008) had a remarkable grasp of the Orlando-area history and an ability to recall details from most of the 20th century that proved invaluable in understanding the city's past. Wittenstein also enriched Central Florida through his wide civic and philanthropic involvement. For these reasons and more, the Orange County Regional History Center is honoring Wittenstein posthumously with the Donald A. Cheny Award on Nov. 30 at the Center. The Donald A. Cheny Award recogn... Full story
The theme for this year's JP Connections should be smiles, because the lyrics "Who can turn the world on with her smile?" (theme song for the "Mary Tyler Moore" TV show) can be applied to JP honoree Shirley Schoenberger; and honoree Dolores Indek's daily goal is to put a smile on people's faces. The annual Jewish Pavilion luncheon recognizes two volunteers who have gone above the call of duty in volunteer work. However, it isn't a "duty" to either of these women but truly their heart's desire... Full story
