Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Internet terrorism...

Sounds frightening... and it is!

According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, "There is a new battlefield in the war against terror: the Internet and the dynamic world of social networking.

"Today, this technology that brings people together from across the globe also provides aspiring terrorists unprecedented access to vast libraries of step-by-step terrorism tutorials.

"Recipes for the pressure cooker bombs and radio signals deployed by the Tsarnacv brothers to murder and maim innocents in Boston, appeared in Inspire, al Qaeda's magazine, as well as other online publications... (months before the Boston Marathon bombing)."

The Simon Wiesenthal Center has been tracking these dangerous Internet postings and recently turned to the major Internet companies, asking them to do their share to help degrade the growing online subculture of terrorism and hate.

They met directly with Facebook, YouTube and Google but as yet have not heard back from Twitter despite the fact that research shows that thousands of online extremists increasingly use this powerful social media service.

And according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL): "It used to be that Jews were smeared and slandered on a daily basis in the pages of nearly every newspaper in America.

"One of the first acts of the newly formed Anti-Defamation League almost exactly a century ago was to get the publisher of The New York Times to write a letter to his media peers discouraging 'objectionable and vulgar' references to Jews.

"ADL kept the pressure on and by 1920, the widespread practice of using anti-Semitic descriptions of Jews in mainstream newspapers had ended.

Today, not only are Jews smeared and slandered all over the Internet, but anti-Semitic rants and rumors are used to incite Jew hatred and recruit Jew haters.

"Holocaust denial and other grotesque disinformation about Jews and Israel are widespread. Hate on the Internet isn't just a problem for our communities.

"Stopping the spread of anti-Semitism and hate on the Internet is a challenge unlike any we have faced in ADL's 100 year history."

(The age of technology is just beginning. Maybe I will miss its greatest advances due to my advanced age. And maybe that's not such a bad thing. For instance, recently I went to the park with my teen granddaughter who was busy texting her friend sitting right next to her. Her friend was texting her back! Whatever happened to conversation? Oy vay!)

Tribute to a sweet dog...

I'm referring to Duffy, a Scottish terrier, who was a precious member of my friend JOAN REDDITT's  family.

Duffy, about age 11, was so very gentle, independent, smart and loving.

And he had beautiful eyes that looked right down into your soul.

It seems Duffy had health issues that were not recognized and he expired quite unexpectedly just weeks ago.

On occasion I would ride with Joan in her car with my dog, Chloe. Duffy and his "sibling" Bella, a Dachshund, would ride in the back... until Bella would decide to ride up front, squeezing me and Chloe to the side. Not Duffy. He was too considerate. (But we love Bella anyway. She was my inspiration to lose a few pounds!)

Duffy will be mourned and missed by his "mom" Joan, "sibling" Bella, many human and animal friends at the dog park, and of course me and Chloe.

It's that time again...

Everyone looks forward to the shows presented by Mr. KENNY LEE and Ms. B.J. STEPHENS.

I consider it one of the best times I have all year... lots of fun and laughter... lots of talent and food! (There I go again about food!)

"Holiday With The Divas (their 10-year anniversary) will be performed on Sunday, Dec. 22 at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando, 851 North Maitland Avenue, Maitland.

Along with Kenny and B.J. will be regulars Crystal Vahzz, Chantel Reshar, Ramona, Geraldine Jones, Kaye Starr and a new name for me... Sindy Rae Clark. (I don't know about Sindy, but the others are female impersonators who look much better than me, dress much better, and have much better legs! I hate them!!)

There will be a special guest appearance by the JCC Senior's Honorable Menschen Choir. And, of course, a sumptuous buffet! (Food, food, food!)

Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and showtime is 2 p.m.

Admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. (Admission price includes the buffet.) For group sales, phone 407-670-4418

I plan to repeat this next week as a reminder... but write it down in your calendar book anyway because it promises to be too much fun to miss!

Always on my mind...

Not the song "You are always on my mind," rather the matzo ball soup at TooJay's Deli, Altamonte Springs. (Food again!)

After squirming through "The Hunger Games" latest movie, I really needed a matzo ball fix, so my spouse and I went to TooJay's.

Not only was the soup satisfying, we had the nicest waitress. She gave us an abundance of rye bread and butter, paper napkins (could she tell I was a slob?) and wonderful service. Her name is LAURA RUSAKIEWICZ and thankfully I don't have to pronounce it... just type it. (She deserves a shout-out!)

Brooklyn, New York...

Do you say "deez, doze, ya deince nice, cawfee, docta, I ax you, New Yawk, etc.? If you do, you may be from Brooklyn!

I'm from Brooklyn and in spite of my living here in Central Florida for almost half a century, I still tawk dis way (when I'm relaxed or when I just return from my yearly gigs in New Yawk).

Just recently while leaving the Publix Supermarket on University Blvd. and Goldenrod Road in Winter Park, a particular sign caught my eye..."Brooklyn Water Bagel Co." Their claim to fame is a quote from former CNN TV host (and a landsman), LARRY KING. Larry said: "The original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. brought back childhood memories. One bite and I was back in Brooklyn."

(To me, Brooklyn will always be awesome). This company also boasts that their bagels are "really authentic, really fresh, really awesome!" They also sell "shmears, eggs, melts, sides, muffins, cookies, pizza melts" and more.

The restaurant manager is JOHN PROCTOR and our server was SPENCER WARD. (They don't sound Jewish... but WHO CARES? THEY BROUGHT ME A LITTLE BIT OF HOME!)

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. can be reached at 407-681-4011 or online at http://www.brooklyuwaterbagels.com.

One for the road...

(This is one of my all-time favorite jokes. In fact, I tell it at every show I perform in New York and Chicago.)

One Shabbat morning, during prayers, there was a loud BOOM and a sudden flash of smoke appeared in the front of the synagogue. When the smoke cleared, the astonished congregation saw this frightening figure in red, complete with horns, pitchfork and tail.

Immediately, the congregation panicked. People rushed to the back of the synagogue trying to get away.

The devil watched the retreat with great glee, but his mood was disturbed by the sight of one man still relaxing comfortably in the third row, right side, in his pew.

Angrily the devil thundered, "Do you not know who I am?"

Morris replied in a nonchalant way, "Sure I do."

The devil was extremely puzzled. "Do you not fear me?"

"Nope! Not at all!" came the reply.

"Why not?"

Morris snorted, "What for? I've been married to your sister for 35 years!"