Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 2889 - 2913 of 3602
Central Florida Hillel recently hosted an event for Israelis in Orlando, a group that strives to bring Orlando's Israeli population closer together. Through its association with the Foundation of Jewish Culture, Central Florida Hillel was able to invite Israeli actor and director Yiftach Klein, who provided a free Hebrew screening of "The Policeman" followed by a question and answer session.... Full story
On Thursday, Dec. 11, 17 second-grade students from Jewish Academy of Orlando got the lesson of a lifetime, and it was not in the classroom. They were able to visit a Habitat for Humanity Winter Park-Maitland construction site at 832 English Court, Winter Park, 32789, to bring to life the lessons they have been learning at school during their Social Studies unit on economics. At Habitat for Humanity, the students conducted mock inspections of a home under construction, putting mathematical... Full story
With television shows like “Who Do You Think You Are?” and “Finding Your Roots,” it is no wonder that genealogy is the second most popular hobby in the U.S. (gardening is No. 1). It is also the second most visited category on the Internet (next only to pornography). In light of this growing interest in family histories, on Jan. 12, 2015, Congregation Ohev Shalom and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando (JGSGO) will present a special program featuring David Laskin, author of “The Family,” which is the story of his own ancestors w... Full story
TAMPA—The Tampa Orlando Pinellas Jewish foundation (“TOP”) has launched a new endowment program that will empower every member of the community to have a long-term impact on Jewish institutions and organizations at home, in Israel and around the world. TOP will facilitate the “Life & Legacy” program under the guidance of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a program that represents a shared commitment by area agencies, synagogues and day schools to work together to collectively secure endowment gifts. The grant-funded program will be offered f... Full story
The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center (HMREC) is pleased to announce an upcoming reception with Boris Fishman, author of "A Replacement Life." The New York Times calls Fishman's novel, "bold, ambitious and wickedly smart." The reception with Fishman is free, open to the public, and will take place on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Holocaust Center. Book clubs and individuals interested in reading the novel and attending the event are encouraged to RSVP to B... Full story
Nursing homes can be sad places to visit year-round but visiting at holiday time can be even more upsetting. Imagine that your home has turned red and green, with Christmas lights and Christmas music galore. The yuletide spirit decks the halls, as well as the dining room with baked ham and eggnog featured throughout the month of December. Every year, from Thanksgiving through the New Year, our Jewish elders in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities experience the "glad tidings" of the... Full story
The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando is pleased to announce it will honor Susie and Ed Kleiman, Pearl and Howard Lefkowitz, and their families, at its annual J Ball event on Saturday, March 7, 2015, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. "We are thrilled to honor the Kleimans and Lefkowitzes for their incredibly strong commitment to our JCC and community," said David Wayne, executive director. The event, which will begin at 7 p.m., will include entertainment, food stations, an open... Full story
Congregation Beth Israel of Ocala invites the community to a “Lunch and Learn” on Sunday Jan. 11, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Arbor Conference Center at On Top of the World Retirement Communities in Ocala. The program will feature Rabbi Linda Holtzman who will speak about the history of the Reconstructionist movement, its contributions to Judaism and the implications for the future. Her presentation will be from the vantage point of a rabbi who has spent most of her rabbinic life working in the Reconstructionist movement. Rabbi Holtzman, a Rec... Full story
Chabad of South Orlando is hosting a Chanukah Winter Community Festival on Sunday, Dec. 21, featuring a concert with Lazar Lloyd, Israel’s king of the blues; as well as snow cones, donuts, cotton candy, crafts, necklaces and light-up menorahs. The festival will be held at Chabad of South Orlando’s new location, 7347 W. Sand Lake Road, and admission is free. Starting at 4:30 p.m. there will be snow activities, including snow sledding down real snow; at 5:45 p.m. the Grand Menorah will be lit; at 6:15 p.m. Lazer Lloyd will perform in con... Full story
The sixth-grade Social Studies students at the Jewish Academy of Orlando took a step back in time to learn about ancient civilizations. To better understand the importance mummification played in the Ancient Egyptian civilization, the students mummified a kosher chicken. This multi-day, multi-step activity was a unique experience. The students can't wait to open their sarcophagus (a stone coffin) next school year in science class and see how successful they were. For more information about the... Full story
Join the Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 1-4 p.m. at its Maitland location for Hanukarnival – an outdoor event the JCC is billing as a "dreideltastic, menorific family celebration." The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature inflatables, Chanukah-themed arts and crafts, Maccabee sports competitions, as well as musical performances by children from the JCC's Richard S. Adler Early Childhood Learning Center, the Jewish Academy of Orlando, a... Full story
More than 300 Jewish National Fund (JNF) supporters gathered at the Rosen Plaza Hotel on the evening of Nov. 18 for JNF’s annual Orlando Tree of Life™ Award Dinner. Local philanthropists Valeria and Jim Shapiro and Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins were awarded JNF’s esteemed Tree of Life™ award. Tess Wise, founder of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center, was presented with the Guardian of Israel award. JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson was the keynote speaker and gave an update on JNF’s important work in Israel. F... Full story
Rabbi Joshua Neely of Temple Israel will continue “Conversations with the Rabbi” on Sunday, Dec. 14, at Brown’s New York Deli in Maitland at 4 p.m. The topic of conversation will be “Israel: Situation From Inside Out.” This is a continuing series and gives all members of the community an opportunity to talk with the rabbi. There is no charge for admission. Brown’s New York Deli is on the corner of 17-92 and Lake Avenue in Maitland. For more information, please call the synagogue office (407-647-3055) or go to Temple Israel’s website at ww... Full story
Ms. Rubin's seventh-grade civics class from Teague Middle School recently attended a field trip to the Holocaust Center. In the picture, (left) UpStanders coordinator Bailey Robb and Executive Director Pam Kancher hold a poster created by the students as a thank you to the Holocaust Center for their first experience with the UpStanders program. The poster tells a wonderful story of learning and empathy. Some of the poignant comments included: "It will touch me forever," "Thank you for teaching... Full story
As part of the Holocaust Center’s participation of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Holocaust Center presented a panel discussion on marginalized communities. Marginalization, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is to put or keep someone in a powerless or unimportant position within a society or group. The Civil Rights Act was a long step forward toward equality of rights under the law. Unfortunately, there still are barriers and closed doors that prevent s... Full story
Hadassah of Williamsburg is having a general membership meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, at Parkview Pointe Clubhouse, 5650 Parkview Drive in Williamsburg, at 1 p.m. The children from the Orlando Torah Academy will sing Chanukah songs. Members, associates and friends are cordially invited to attend this program, held on the first night of Chanukah. Refreshments will be served. For further information please call Eleanore at 407-351-9189 or Sylvia at 407-470-4812.... Full story
The Jewish Friends Club of Kings Ridge is hosting a Clermont Chanukah Party that will be open to the entire community on Tuesday evening, Dec. 16-the first night of Chanukah. There will be a special Chanukah Candle Lighting Ceremony performed by Cantor Isaac Kriger and Rabbi Howard Schwartz of Temple L'Chayim in Clermont. This celebration event is a terrific opportunity for the community to join together and to learn about Jewish tradition, history, culture and heritage. Cantor Isaac Kriger,... Full story
On Sunday, Dec. 14, Mead Botanical Garden, located at1300 S. Denning Dr., Winter Park, will be the picturesque backdrop for the Jewish Academy of Orlando's Chanukah celebration, which will include food, socializing and a concert featuring local spiritual leader Beth Schafer of Temple Shir Shalom and her band, comprised of Bill Gifford on bass, Randy Nichols on drums, John Marsden on keyboard and Schafer on guitar. Schafer has been blazing a trail in contemporary Jewish music for many years and... Full story
Join Rabbi Cowin as he leads Celebration Jewish Congregation (CJC) in its observance of Chanukah—the Festival of Lights. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, CJC will welcome the beginning of Chanukah with the lighting of the community menorah located in Market Street Park, near the fountain. For those new to Celebration, it’s at the intersection of Celebration Avenue and Market Street, directly across from Celebration’s original City Hall and the Post Office. The service will start promptly at 5:15 p.m. Traditional Chanukah prayers will be chanted and lots... Full story
Jewish Pavilion volunteers Norma Ball and Pam Ruben, as well as all Pavilion volunteers and members, will be honored at the Jewish Pavilion's annual JP Connections luncheon. As the two volunteers of the year, Ball and Ruben both understand how important it is to spend time with our senior citizens. Longtime Pavilion volunteer Norma Ball never imagined she would spend her retirement years visiting seniors. The Sanford resident spent most of her working life in Jewish education in Albany, New... Full story
On Sunday, Dec. 7, Chabad Lubavitch of North Orlando will be hosting Sassy Reuven, a veteran of the Israel Defense Special Operation Forces. During the terror-filled years of 1973-1976 Reuven served in the IDF's elite "Red Beret" paratrooper unit. He participated in several covert operations in Israel's mighty struggle against Arab terrorism. In July of 1976, Reuven participated in the famed Entebbe counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission code named "Operation Thunderbolt," flying thousands of... Full story
Sixty years ago, 1954, Temple Israel—with 89 charter members—was founded by a group of young Jews looking for a Conservative, yet progressive, way of practicing Judaism. The Central Christian Church building, located at Ridgewood Ave. and Cathcart Street, one block from Lake Eola, was the congregation’s first home—purchased for $40,000. Today, after having been housed in several buildings over the years, stands on property located at 50 S. Moss Road in Winter Springs. On Dec. 6, the congregation will celebrate two diamond anniversary events.... Full story
North Orlando was rocking Sunday, Nov. 16, and it wasn't because boy band One Direction was headed into town. All the fuss and fanfare was for Lake Mary's newest celebrity, Chabad of North Orlando's new Sefer Torah, sponsored by Steve and Dawn Chamu family, and Paul Sebag. The torah was dedicated that morning at Lake Mary's Westin Hotel with all the festivity customary of a blessed and joyous event. The auspiciousness of the day was compared to "momentous, awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime event... Full story
Judaism is more than the sum of its parts. Judaism is hands-on, practical and detail-orientated faith. As Jews, we want to know what to do and how to do it. We love our history and rituals. Our culture and art are everywhere. However, this leads most us to learn our Judaism piecemeal. We learn about weddings before we have one. We learn about keeping kosher when we set up our kitchen. We read parts of the Torah each week, but rarely have the opportunity to take a step back to look at the big picture. To provide this big picture, Temple Israel... Full story
The Kinneret Council on Aging has announced the honorees for their 2015 “8 over 80” event to be held on Sunday, March 1, 2015. “We were thrilled with the support we have had from the community and were truly inspired by the number of outstanding individuals over the age of 80, who continue to contribute to our community and promote the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam,” said Faye Novick, 8 over 80 chairwoman. “We hope the community will join in honoring our 8 over 80 with a traditional Jewish holiday meal. The honorees for the 2015 event are... Full story
