Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Jewish National Fund (JNF) will host its annual Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Rosen Plaza Hotel on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The event will honor two generations of the Weiner family, Dick and wife Louise and son Ben and wife Maura with the Guardian of Israel Award along with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer with the recipient of the prestigious Tree of Life™ Award. “I believe that anything is possible in Israel through JNF,” said Aaron Gorovitz, JNF Orlando board member. “Having been active in this orga...
Jewish Family Services Orlando, a Winter Park based nonprofit human service agency that provides social programs to those in need from all faiths, will celebrate its 35th anniversary at its 12th Annual Evening of Valor on Nov. 3, from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Evening of Valor is JFS’ main fundraiser and will honor past agency presidents, former George Wolly Community Leadership Award recipients and Spring Fiesta honorees. Among those being recognized are George Wolly, the first JFS executive director and the namesake for the Leadership Award. Wolly and...
Longtime friends and Orlando philanthropists, Chuck Steinmetz and Harvey Kobrin, have shared many experiences since their days as fraternity brothers at the University of Florida in the 1960s. Kobrin and Steinmetz cemented their friendship at Pi Lambda Phi fraternity on the Gainesville campus, and have remained close for more than 50 years. This October the two men are joining forces to honor their late wives. The Jewish Pavilion’s annual “Walk in the Park” will be co-sponsored this year by Ch...
“There is no substitute for books in the life of a child.” This comment by American educator, teacher and author Mary Ellen Chase could not be truer in an age when books yield to electronic media in the lives of our children. Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, author of “The Barefoot Book of Jewish Tales,” and a mother of three children, brings her latest book to a storytelling and meet-and-greet session on Tuesday evening, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., at Congregation Beth Am, 3899 Sand Lake Road in Longwoo...
Modern medicine has brought us near miracles. It’s also brought us some of the most difficult decisions we’ll ever have to face. Are we obliged to prolong life even at the cost of terrible suffering? Should we legalize the sale of organs, such as kidneys, to save the lives of transplant patients? May a woman with a multiple-fetus pregnancy opt for fetal reduction, thus forfeiting the lives of some to possibly save others? When it seems that every available option is morally questionable, how do we decide? Torah and the Talmud are not sil...
On Sunday, Oct.27, a panel of four local Holocaust survivors—Sonja Marchesano, Sylvia Rapp, Eva Ritt and Harry Lowenstein—will share their memories of Kristallnacht at a special program at the Holocaust Center, 851 N. Maitland Avenue. They will talk about their experiences on the night of Nov. 9, 1938, that began Hitler’s Final Solution. They will also discuss how they survived the war. The panel will be moderated by Professor Richard Gair of Valencia College. The program, which starts at 2 p.m., is free and open to the public. Free parki...
Join Rabbi Karen Allen on Friday, Oct. 25 at Congregation Beth Sholom for the inaugural meeting of the Rabbi’s Torah Roundtable, a lively discussion of contemporary issues in the context of Jewish tradition. The program will begin at 4 p.m. with conversation and light refreshments. This informal and interactive forum is a unique opportunity to talk with the rabbi as we explore together the meaning and impact on our lives today of the Torah portion we will read at our Shabbat service on the following morning. On Saturday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m., R...
“You are on a special mission behind enemy lines. The enemy is chasing you. Your mission is complete, but the journey home is even more perilous. As you quietly make your way across a rocky embankment in the dark, you hear the tell-tale sounds of enemy soldiers as they approach your position. Your heart is pounding. Exhausted, famished and dehydrated, you know that one false move could be your last.” Stressed? At 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, in The Homewood Suites, 755 Currency Circle in Lake Mary, Chabad Lubavitch of North Orlando presents Min...
In 2012 the Holocaust Center created a drama, titled “Witness,” that tells the story of Kristallnacht through the words of the victims, perpetrators and bystanders who were there on that fateful night. Because of its format—a readers’ theater that requires no costumes, memorization or special staging, accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation of historic photographs—it provides a simple but powerful way to focus on the human cost of Nazi persecution. In recognition of the 75th anniversa...
Simchat Torah is one of the most joyous days in the Jewish year. On this day, synagogues and Jewish communities throughout the world study the closing words of Deuteronomy and immediately recite the opening words of Genesis. Acknowledging that the study of Torah is endless the last aliya with its theme of the death of Moses is followed immediately by the first aliya with its theme of creation. The highest congregational honor one can receive is to be called to the Torah for the “last” aliya or...
Are teens prepared to make choices that will shape their future? For example, is it okay to lie to protect someone you love? Do parents have a right to read their children’s text messages?; is there anything wrong with being a bystander to bullying? Jewish Learning Institute Teens (JLI Teens) new course, ‘Is it Legit? Steering your Way through Everyday Ethical Dilemmas’ offers teens the tools to make decisions, develop strong ethical opinions, and to empower their inner voice to stand up for what they believe in. The course encourages teens...
On Oct. 27, The Jewish Pavilion, an Orlando-area organization dedicated to supporting the elderly, will be holding its 4th annual Fall Festival to raise awareness and funds to support the elderly in our community. The event which will be held at Crane’s Roost Park in Altamonte Springs from 9:30 a.m. until noon. The Jewish Pavilion Fall Festival and Walk includes a free bagel breakfast, live entertainment, a health fair, activities for children, and dozens of vendors. Additional sponsors are s...
To make it convenient for holiday shoppers, Joanne Berman with Sterling Silver 4u will be selling gorgeous Judaic jewelry and Chanukah gifts Oct. 23-25 in the lobby of the Rosen Jewish Community Center, located at 11184 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando. The boutique will be open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Those in the Maitland area can shop her novel Judaic jewelry and gifts at the Roth Jewish Community Center in Maitland, 851 N. Maitland Ave., Nov. 4-8, from 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m....
A little more than 10 years ago, Aaron Weil had his eye on one of two positions: executive director and CEO of either the Edward and Rose Berman Hillel Jewish University of Pittsburgh or University of Central Florida Hillel. Pittsburgh won out at that time and now Central Florida’s Hillel will glean from his experiences and accomplishments, which are many. Weil is passionate about the future of the Jewish community and sees clearly the role Hillel plays in keeping the young Jewish adults a...
WINTER PARK—The financial challenges facing higher education institutions throughout the country are being addressed in a new and innovative way by one liberal arts college. Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., recently opened The Alfond Inn with net operating income designated for a permanently endowed scholarship fund. What’s unique about it is that all the net proceeds help fund full-ride student scholarships at Rollins. It was built by a lead gift of $12.5 million from the Harold Alf...
The Holocaust Center in Maitland has announced a partnership with the Global Peace Film Festival, Rizwan Zaman on behalf of the Holocaust Center, The Islamic Society of Central Florida and the Enzian Theater to present a special screening of the documentary “BESA: The Promise” on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 12 p.m. It is a part of Central Florida’s Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Kristallnacht—the beginning of Hitler’s Final Solution. A remarkable group of arts and cultural organizations are hosting a series of events to promote respect a...
Temple Israel Sisterhood will be going on its third shopping trip to the Festival Flea Market in Pompano Beach, Fla., on Sunday, Nov. 3. The group will travel south on an air-conditioned bus from the Jewish Academy of Orlando’s parking lot at 8 a.m. and return around 8 p.m. Bagels, snacks and water will be available and a comedy video movie will be shown during the ride. During the return trip the bus will stop at Glick’s Kosher Market in Delray Beach. They have a variety of kosher foods for...
Every Friday afternoon Jewish Pavilion volunteers lead Shabbat services followed by a bit of discussion, refreshments and kibbitzing. Shown here is volunteer and lay leader Steve Newman shmoozing with ‘the ladies’ Vera Skall and Julie Rudnick after the service at Chambrel. New friendships are formed and stories are shared among all who attend. To become involved by volunteering, call the office to find out more information 407-678-9363....
“Whenever I speak with Sy, he is always quick to remind me ‘Don’t forget, I was arrested before you were!’” explained Ambassador Andrew Young in remembering his friend and colleague, Rabbi Israel Dresner. Rabbi Dresner was one of 16 rabbis arrested in St. Augustine on the afternoon of June 18, 1964 while supporting the work of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. It was the largest mass arrest of Jewish clergy in the United States. The former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations was speaking...
Anyone can be a “path setter” on Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Jewish Pavilion’s Fall Festival and walk at Cranes Roost in Altamonte Springs. For a donation of $50 to the Jewish Pavilion, donors can have a sign with a Footprint along the walking path with the name of a loved one. For $100 donors can get a deal and have three Footprints along the path. Larger donors can purchase larger signage in the form of a high-heeled sneaker for $180. “This is a great way to pay tribute to walk sponsors Harvey...
Congregation Ohev Shalom Held it’s Kitah Alef/first grade Consecration in conjunction with Erev Simchat Torah on Thursday, September 26. The students sang two songs, received their own Torah and were blessed under a Chuppah that the families made together. The first graders carried their Torah followed by their parents carrying the real Torah for the first of the seven Hakafot around the synagogue. Mazel Tov to the Kitah Alef families and their teachers Judy Shujman and Vicky Countess and M...
Nine teens were selected this month to be a part of Orlando’s J-Serve Teen Task Force. The Teen Task Force is a unique leadership opportunity for Jewish teens in grades eight through 12 to plan the community’s annual J-Serve day of teen community service. Teens on the Task Force are selected because they have a desire to plan and lead their peers through community service, representing all local Jewish youth groups. The team is comprised of: Jonah Goldberg (sophomore, Lake Mary Prep), Matthew Gottfried (eighth grader, Sanford Middle), Tay...
After months of planning, Lake Mary is finally on the map of premier Jewish learning. Beginning this fall, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) opens a new branch in Lake Mary, which brings the total number of JLI locations to over 600 worldwide. JLI is the first international educational institution to present traditional Judaism in a professional, innovative, academically challenging-yet-accessible format. JLI was created to address the need of Jewish adults for in-depth Jewish knowledge. Authorities on each subject have organized the...
Zionistas will present “Hatred Directed Against Israel and the United States” on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Woman’s Club of Casselberry, 251 Overbrook Drive, Casselberry, Fla. The event is open to the public and is free. The guest speaker will be Dr. Jonathan Matusitz, associate professor in the Nicholson School of Communication at the University of Central Florida. Matusitz has contributed to more than 95 academic publications and has given more than 100 conference prese...
We’ve all been there: on our way to a time-sensitive appointment (and probably running a little late) when all of sudden traffic on the highway comes to a screeching halt. As you crawl forward inch by inch, the first thing that comes to mind is definitely not “What does Judaism have to say about this?” “It’s natural to equate religious practice with religious institutions,” observes Rabbi David Kay of Congregation Ohev Shalom in Maitland. “That’s especially true for Jews, where the synagogue is the focal point of the community.” But...
