Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 3132 - 3156 of 3615
The Orlando Senior Help Desk is a free service provided by the Jewish Pavilion for people of all faiths. You can contact a senior resource specialist with extensive experience in dealing with issues related to older adults and their families and caregivers. Feel free to access the website at your convenience providing an abundance of information regarding issues you or your families face. The sponsors on our website are vetted for their quality of service. Feel free to contact the Help Desk at 407-678-9363 for more information and more in... Full story
If you saw a group of boys cleaning the headstones in Temple Israel's cemetery in Gotha recently they were Scouts from Troop 641. Sam Charles, a member of the Troop is a candidate for Eagle Scout and had selected this community service project in honor of his cousin Talia. Talia lost the battle with cancer last summer. Charles' Eagle Project was to help remember all the others before her and said, "Talia is remembered for her fame and huge inspiration to so many young women and girls who strive... Full story
While everyone enjoys great music, it is especially appreciated by residents in senior living communities. Jewish Pavilion volunteer and soloist, Penny Goldstein D'Agastino, brings joy to the residents when she performs monthly at Grande Villa in Altamonte Springs. Pictured are Penny Goldstein D'Agostino with a resident and Barney Evans, Activities Director with a resident. While both D'Agostino and Evans are members of the tribe, residents of all faiths participate in Musical Tuesdays. They... Full story
At the end of this month, a delegation of members from Temple Israel will accompany Temple Israel's "Goold Torah" to Berkach, Germany, for the 160th anniversary of the opening of the building that housed the then-newly-built Berkacher Synagogue (1854). This Torah had been written especially for the synagogue's opening by Hirsch Hessberg, an ancestor of Lothar Goldschmidt who eventually saved the Torah from destruction by bringing it to Temple Israel after fleeing the Nazis. Thus, the scroll... Full story
For the past 60 years or so, the question of how to create and sustain a vibrant Jewish community in America has remained relatively the same, but the players continue to change. And the question on everybody's agenda today is how to reach the Millennials, with 80 million Americans falling into this demographic category. Here in Central Florida, this has been part of the Federation's focus over the last year and a half and the results are very encouraging. In 2003, spearheaded by local philanthr... Full story
Brooke Deratany Goldfarb knows she can make a difference as a circuit judge in the justice systems of Brevard and Seminole counties. In the world of law, Goldfarb has been around the block. Graduating from Harvard Law School in 1996, the Brevard County native has practiced in multiple areas of law, beginning as an international business, corporate and immigration attorney. Two years later, she facilitated mergers and acquisitions at a national law firm in Washington, D.C. When the economic... Full story
He's quite a character. And we know a lot of his characters: Shrek, The Smurfs, The Rugrats, and Boy Genius, to name a few. But Wednesday, May 7, at the Longwood Community Center, Jewish Orlando, courtesy of Chabad of Lake Mary, got the chance to meet one of Hollywood's most acclaimed and sought after living screenwriters: Oscar nominee and box office success David N. Weiss, whose films worldwide have grossed more than two billion dollars. What comes to mind when thinking of the Hollywood and... Full story
Over 20 Jewish National Fund (JNF) Women for Israel (WFI) supporters gathered for a fun-filled evening of instructed painting at The Scarlet Easel on Thursday, May 8. WFI Chair Debbie Meitin spoke about JNF's important work in Israel and highlighted a few of their partners and projects including Lotem - Making Nature Accessible, a national organization in Israel that offers nature activities to people with special needs, and the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center, a 21,000-square-foot secure... Full story
Temple L’Chayim is making its permanent home in Clermont and will have a Torah Walk tonight, May 23, at 6:45 p.m. The procession will start on Route 27 about 2 blocks south of Walgreens and end at our new location 4420 Route 27 South. A Torah Walk is a joyous ceremony to place the Holy Scriptures into their new home. All members of the community are invited to mark this momentous occasion. Sabbath services will begin at 7:30 p.m.... Full story
Congregation Beth Sholom invites the public to join us as Rabbi Allen leads a special Shavuot Shabbat service on Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m. Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. It is customary to stay up studying scripture on the night before Shavuot, as spiritual preparation to receive the Torah personally. The Torah Roundtable will be the preparatory study for the holiday. It provides a unique opportunity to talk with the rabbi as she leads an informal and interactive discussion. It is held at the Sumter County... Full story
The Zionistas had a booth at the JCC Yom Haatzmaut Israel Independence Day celebration and gave celebration attendees the opportunity to learn more about this 3-year-old group of Christian and Jewish women and men who are a voice for Israel in the Central Florida community. Shown here are Zionista cofounders Diana Scimone, Sandi Solomon, and Judy Shujman, and member Carolyn Warren. Eva Ritt, fourth cofounder of the group, arrived earlier to set up their booth. Contact Sandi Solomon at Sansolomon@hotmail.com for more information about their... Full story
Summer is quickly approaching and in less than two months Camp J will be starting its 42nd summer at the Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando. The national award-winning summer camp in the heart of Maitland prides itself on being a safe and fun environment for children to spend the summer infused with Jewish values and national award-winning programming. “Camp J is unlike any camp around because we have so many different activities in one place,” said Abby Paulson, Camp J director. “Not all children have the same interests, so we ha... Full story
Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of North America is pleased to honor Harriett Lake as the recipient of the Kipnis-Wilson Friedland Award. Established in 2004 in honor of Lion of Judah founders Norma Kipnis-Wilson and Toby Friedland z”l, this award recognizes Jewish women who have made a positive, invaluable and lasting influence on their Jewish communities. It is not a surprise that Lake is being awarded with this special recognition. She established the Lion of Judah Division in Orlando 35 years ago and since then has become one... Full story
Beit Hamidrash, the community Hebrew high school program, was created more than 25 years ago by the area synagogues in conjunction with the Jewish Federation. The program—which seeks to impart post b’nai mitzvah high school students with a mixture of serious Jewish learning, including the Holocaust and American Jewish history, coupled with lighter educational classes such as cooking and art—has educated several thousand teens in the last 25 years. Unfortunately, the program has experienced a steady decline in numbers over the last eight years... Full story
The entire community is cordially invited to attend the dedication (Hannukat HaBayit) of the Roth Social Hall at Temple Israel, which has recently been renovated. Please join the Temple Israel membership for this special occasion as well as representatives from the greater Orlando Jewish community on Sunday, May 18, 2 p.m. at the synagogue, located at 50 S. Moss Road, Winter Springs. Rabbi Joshua Neely will begin the festivities with some words of Torah to be followed by coffee, tea, and... Full story
Heritage Florida Jewish News is accepting nominations for the 2014 Heritage Human Service Award, which will be presented in August 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 Nina Oppenheim. Former recipients have... Full story
More than 100 women gathered at the 6th Annual Jewish Pavilion Fashion Show held on May 1 at Hutton in Winter Park, for a morning of friendship, fashion, finger foods, and fun. Pavilion volunteers graciously served as runway models as storeowne Susan Johnson shared the latest fashion trends. Pavilion board member and event honoree Elaine Gamson thanked Pavilion volunteers, family members and participants for their overwhelming support of the event, as well as of the Jewish elder community, her... Full story
On Sunday, April 6, nearly 90 Jewish teenagers arrived to the Roth Jewish Community Center in Maitland to participate in a day of community service called J-Serve, an International Day of Jewish Youth Service. Since 2005, J-Serve has been a part of Youth Service America's Global Youth Service Day weekend. Orlando's J-Serve, titled "The Ripple Effect" was one of over 100 international projects in which sixth- through 12th-grade teens explored Jewish values of gemilut chasidim, acts of loving... Full story
On Friday, May 16, from 7p.m. to 9 p.m., Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 1515 South Semoran Blvd, Orlando, FL 32807, an expert international panel will discuss Christian persecution around the world. The co-organizers of the event are Bruce Lieske and Alan Kornman. “As a Jew I believe in the concept of tikun olam, to repair the world, which is the foundation of Judaism. Right now the Christians are being persecuted and it is incumbent upon the Jews to be the voices of conscience for Christians in their time of need, because it is the right t... Full story
Congregation Beth Sholom of Leesburg invites the public to join Rabbi Karen Allen for Friday evening service on May 9 at 7 p.m. This service will include special readings for Yom HaAtzma’ut, Israeli Independence Day. Following the service, there will be coffee and refreshments at the Oneg Shabbat. Guests are encouraged to stay and enjoy the warmth and friendship of “The Synagogue That Feels like Family.” Congregation Beth Sholom is located at 315 North 13th Street in Leesburg, with the entrance on Center Street. For more information, visit... Full story
On April 24, Waldflowers B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG) met at the Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando for a night of Israeli food, friendship, and fun. Members kicked off the program by writing thank you letters to soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to show our appreciation for everything they do for our homeland. Using the organization Thank Israeli Soldiers, our letters will be distributed among different units in the IDF and all the soldiers will understand how grateful we... Full story
Monday afternoons are a time of celebration, song, and snack at Savannah Court and Cove in Maitland. Residents of all faiths and backgrounds stroll, wheel, or ambulate into the main hall at 3 p.m. on the dot, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Jewish Pavilion volunteers, the force behind their weekly happy hour. On Monday, May 28, Savannah Court residents had an additional reason for celebration. A rabbi affixed a mezuzah to the doorpost with a moving ceremony, designating the facility as a... Full story
Most programs begin with a dream, a wish, a need. The seeds of RAISE-Recognizing Abilities & Inclusion of Special Employees-were planted when Loren London and her husband provided a membership to the Jewish Community Center for her brother where he faithfully worked out in the gym. She noticed that he really enjoyed being there. The people were so kind and friendly to him. He felt at home. Then London thought, "It's such a shame. I'm having a hard time finding employment for my brother.... Full story
This past weekend, several UCF students discovered swastikas carved into a wall of the off-campus private apartment complex where they reside. While the complex houses UCF students, it is not part of the UCF campus. The story was carried by The Jewish Press, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based newspaper. And although it is horrifying to see, the incident is being considered by Orlando police as vandalism and not a hate crime at this point because the actions do not appear to be directed at any specific... Full story
A 2014 Pew Study reports Christians are the most persecuted group in the world. In 2013, a Vatican spokesman reported 100,000 Christians are murdered each year. Churches are regularly burned in Nigeria, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Iraq. Christian pastors have been jailed and beheaded. Austrian human rights advocate and counter-jihadist Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff will be coming to Orlando to participate in a march against Christian persecution on May 17 at Lake Eola Park. Noting that radical Muslims typically use the canard, “first t... Full story
