Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) — Whatever happened to “Never Again?” Since the Holocaust, Jews have clung to this phrase as a talisman and a pledge. But “Never Again” has become “Not Again.” The Jewish community watches as violent extremists wage a war against our people, our culture and our homeland. Jewish bodies are littering our nation as pundits dither and pontificate away over definitions of terrorism and, ignoring the blood on the ground. It’s time to operationalize the phrase “Never Again.” Just days ago, at least eight Jewish victims lay on the ground, burn...
(JNS) — Tikkun Olam, the Jewish call to “repair the world,” has long inspired Jews to champion justice, defend the vulnerable and fight oppression. For much of the 20th century, that ethos naturally aligned with the Democratic Party, widely seen as the defender of civil rights and social progress. Jewish activists stood at the forefront of labor movements, civil-rights marches and anti-apartheid campaigns, believing that liberalism and Jewish values were one and the same. But the political landscape has changed—and dangerously so. The Democra...
In keeping with Jewish tradition that makes no differentiation between those who are born Jews and those who become them, I rarely talk about being a convert. But in light of the antisemitic attacks in America over the last two weeks, and as we celebrated Shavuot, a holiday honoring a convert, I wanted to break that silence. My beit din — the rabbinic court that signed off on my conversion — was exactly 16 years minus a month ago. I completed my conversion after four years of study — because I’m nothing if not both thoughtful and stubbor...
(JNS) — Another week, another country recognizing a Palestinian state. In the past 12 months alone, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Armenia and Mexico have joined more than 140 others already recognizing Palestine. France may be next, as it plans with Saudi Arabia to cohost a United Nations summit on the topic of Palestinian statehood. But symbolic nods of recognition don’t help anyone. Is there any agreement on what the country of Palestine looks like? Who governs it? Where are its borders? And does it matter whether Israel is on board wit...
(JNS) — It has been nearly a week since two unarmed, innocent Israel supporters were gunned down in Washington, D.C., without cause or provocation. I have been waiting in the intervening days for some sign of remorse or regret from the pro-Palestinian camp here in America. Not simply the compulsory condemnation of unprovoked violence (though that itself may not be a given in these confounding times), but a full-throated reappraisal and disavowal of a movement that has proven itself to be very different from what it claimed to be. From the d...
(JNS) — A Rubicon has been crossed. As so often has happened to the Jewish people throughout history, the hateful words that have been delivered in academia, on the media and in town halls by certain politicians have resulted in violent atrocities on Jews in Washington, D.C., and in Boulder, Colo. Somehow, the words “From the river to the sea, Palestine should be free” have become an acceptable part of the American lexicon. Does anyone even stop to understand the meaning of those words? “Free” of whom? Of Jews? Of the entire State of Israel? T...
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — After spending 583 days as a hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old American-Israeli citizen, was released. A moment of relief rippled through Gainesville, where some Jewish students say the moment brought a sense of healing and hope. Alexander’s release was part of an agreement organized by the U.S. and international leaders. At the University of Florida, home to one of the largest Jewish student populations in the country, students say the conflict between Israel and Hamas feels personal. “I waited so long for h...
(JNS) — In C.S. Lewis’s “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the Pevensie children are evacuated from London to a home in the English countryside to escape the Blitz. There, they discover a wardrobe that contains a portal into the magical and fictitious world of Narnia, a land where animals talk and there is no ambiguity between good and evil. In the end, the Christ-like figure of Aslan the Lion and his army, with the help of the children, defeat the evil White Witch who has brought perpetual winter to Narnia. Last week, evil passed through...
It’s taken a few days for the West to wake up and realize the significance of strikes that are taking place and widening throughout Iran, and to report on these. What’s needed now is for Western leaders to take action that capitalizes on these strikes and empowers the Iranian people to replace the evil Islamic Republic regime which has threatened them and the world, causing immeasurable pain, suffering, trauma, and death for nearly five decades. Massive national strikes are taking place specifically among truck drivers and bakers, so far, thing...
(JNS) — This has not been a good week for the State of Israel or the Jewish people. Sarah Milgrim, 26, and Yaron Lischinsky, 30, two young, promising members of the staff of the Israeli embassy, were brutally murdered as they were leaving a reception at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. This sort of abominable antisemitic atrocity is what occurs when America’s young people are constantly indoctrinated by academics of the “woke” far left and the highly biased left-wing media. Our educational institutions have been fortified by imme...
(JNS) — Why is Palestine still not an independent state? The conventional answer normally begins and ends with Israel and its “occupation,” presumably denying Palestinians their lands and their right to self-determination. Columbia University professor and Palestinian American Edward Said’s famous words that Zionism should be judged from the standpoint of its victims continues to possess cultural authority even if they contradict the historical record. Zionism always endorsed a policy built around the idea of sharing the land. For almost...
(JNS) — Despite being one of the worst foreign-policy decisions in the history of the United States, the “wisdom” of the 2015 nuclear deal is embraced as an article of faith by Democrats. Some see the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as genius simply because it was President Barack Obama’s idea. Others support it because they missed the day in school when their history teacher taught how the policy of appeasement led to the ravages of World War II. A third group, radical progressives, support it because they are inherently antisem...
(JNS) — The May 21 terror attack in Washington, D.C., where two Israeli embassy staffers planning to get married were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum is more than a national tragedy. It is a harbinger. The murder of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, allegedly committed by Elias Rodriguez while shouting “Free, free Palestine,” is not only an act of terrorism; it is a symptom of a far more dangerous climate of normalized antisemitism in the United States. You would have to be intentionally wearing blinders not t...
(JNS) — Jews often say, “We have to take care of Eretz Yisrael,” the Land of Israel. It sounds noble to some, and it might even sound responsible. But to me, “have to” sounds like the teenager who “has to” clean their room or take out the trash. It’s a duty. A chore. For many Jews today, especially in the Diaspora, that’s exactly what supporting Israel has become: a burden. Contrast that with what I’ve heard from many non-Jews, particularly Evangelical Christians, who say with joy, “We get to take care of Israel.” They see it as a privilege....
(Israel National News, Arutz 7 via JNS) — One of the problems today is convincing too many oblivious people to support the United States, free Western societies and the State of Israel, instead of supporting Hamas terrorists and other anti-American, anti-free-world entities. It sounds bizarre, but unfortunately, we deal with this unbelievable problem every day. It was instigated by nefarious domestic and foreign actors who invested billions of dollars over many years to brainwash people from all walks of life. We should find ways to share w...
(JNS) — In his inaugural address, Pope Leo XIV expressed concerns about the rise of artificial intelligence, warning that it could undermine human dignity and replace human conscience with algorithms. The pope’s discomfort with AI resonates with a long history of the Catholic Church confronting transformative technologies that challenge its authority and influence. While non-Catholics have no place critiquing Vatican policy, Christian-Jewish relations have been impacted by its responses to major shifts. It thus behooves us to review those piv...
Dear Mr. President, You are about to make a decision for which you will be remembered by history. Your legacy will either be as a world leader who saved, or failed to save, many lives. The decision concerns Iran’s intention to develop a nuclear arsenal. There can be no reasonable doubt that Iran’s mullahs are determined to obtain nuclear weapons, despite their assurances to the contrary. Nor can Israel, which is the intended target of an Iranian bomb, be expected to rely on deterrence or containment. Iran must be prevented from achieving the...
“Hang up the phone and play dead.” This harrowing advice from Yuval Raphael’s father saved her life on Oct. 7, 2023, and brought her to the spotlight in Basel, Switzerland as Israel’s representative to Eurovision this week. Most Americans have never heard of Eurovision, and surely not 24-year-old Yuval Raphael. On Oct. 7, 2023, Yuval was at the Nova music festival in southern Israel along the Gaza border, located in a wooded area with an adjacent lot on which a stage had been set up for all night music and dancing. Thousands of young people...
(JNS) — A recent report published by the Network Contagion Research Institute highlighted a connection between the Middle East Children’s Alliance, makers of the “Teach Palestine Project,” and the Union of Health Work Committees in Gaza, which has financial and personnel ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The PFLP is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Connections between the terror group and UHWC came to light after the 2019 murder of 17-year-old Israeli Rina Shnerb, and was reported on by Matthew Levitt f...
(JNS) — I wrote last week about the most famous biblical commandment: “love thy neighbor.” We shared commentary by Nachmanides (the Rambam) on how we mustn’t harbor hate in our hearts but rather confront the person who we believe wronged us. That way, we will be able to keep the peace between us and ultimately be able to fulfill the commandment to love thy neighbor. The problem is that not everyone enjoys being confrontational. I don’t have any statistics, but I would imagine that most people tend to shy away from confrontation. The average p...
Recently there have been rumors of President Trump changing the name of the Persian Gulf to the “Arabian Gulf,” causing great concern and even anger among millions of Iranians. At the same time, there are ongoing reports about the U.S. making a deal with the evil Iranian Islamic regime, concerning Israelis, Iranians, and Americans alike. As Trump visited the Middle East and flew over the body of water separating Iran and the Arabian peninsula, it’s important to look at what this means today, historically, and the long-term implications for t...
(JNS) — This week, one of our prayers has been answered: Edan Alexander is free. Taken hostage during the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and dragged into the Gaza Strip along with some 250 others, he is now able to see the sky after 584 days in captivity. And while we thank God for his return, we must also take a few minutes to reflect on something even larger — what it means when a young man like Edan chooses to leave his family, friends and future behind to serve a people and a nation he didn’t have to. Because he didn...
(JNS) — U.S. President Donald Trump is the greatest friend that Israel and the Jewish people have ever had in the White House. Still, some are concerned that there has been no action on Iran. The ayatollahs are the most devious, conniving and untrustworthy cabal in the world. They have perpetrated terrorism against America and Israel in the form of proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. They have funded and encouraged university riots and protests in cities across the world. Regime change in Iran should be the goal. Iran is a paper t...
Last November, as part of a company staff retreat, my daughter (who is also my co-worker) and I had the opportunity to visit Paamoney Ruach, (Wind Chimes), a unique nonprofit that serves as both a therapeutic facility for people with severe PTSD and a shelter for abused animals. As someone with a background in social work who generally prefers animals at a distance, I went with an open mind but no expectations. Wind Chimes is located in a residential neighborhood, hidden behind fences. When Dr....
(JNS) — An incident involving college students at a bar owned by a celebrity best known for sports betting and reviewing pizza isn’t the sort of thing expected to go down as a pivotal moment in the history of antisemitism and the Jewish world’s responses to the hatred directed at it. But the viral story about a sign that read, “F*** the Jews,” at a Barstool Sports eating and drinking establishment in Philadelphia and the angry reactions to it by owner Dave Portnoy may tell us a great deal about both the way Jew-hatred has become normalized in 2...
