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

What a life...

Here I am, still alive in spite of my age, still performing and still writing. And if the coronavirus doesn't get me, there is still a lot to do!

Of course I have great memories of folks I met and worked with, many of them Jewish like me and many from Brooklyn, N.Y. like me, but not all!

For instance, singer Eddie Fisher, a Jew yes, but from Philadelphia! We worked together in Las Vegas and Orlando. He is gone now but never forgotten. (See photo. That's Eddie and me, not Elizabeth Taylor. OH SHUT UP!)

And speaking of the coronavirus...

I received this from RONALD S. LAUDER of the World Jewry Digest and I pass it along to you:

"In frightening and uncertain times like those we are facing now with the coronavirus, some people all too often and dangerously look for and unjustly blame scapegoats.

There is an open effort on the part of some fear mongers, some little more than troublemakers but many in positions of leadership and influence, to dub COVID-19 something other than what it is: a disease caused by a virus that knows no political or social boundaries.

Holding Asian-Americans (or Jews) responsible for the coronavirus merely because of hate or because it originated in China, is deeply offensive and a genuine threat to them. Such scapegoating is terrifyingly familiar to the Jewish people. And we are also being targeted now.

In the United States and around the world, grotesque caricatures of hook-nosed Jews and messages and images implying that Jews are exploiting positions of power in politics, finance and healthcare to spread the virus have emerged. Malicious, ugly jokes are being made about ridding the world of its Jewish problem by letting us die.

Blaming Jews for the coronavirus has become a guiding force for anti-Semites worldwide. As unequivocally as I stand against this latest evolution of hate directed against my people, it is vital that the Jewish people and all Americans take an unyielding stand against any and all efforts to vilify any individual, community, people or nation for the crisis unfolding around us.

This is a moment for coming together in a globally shared experience as we recognize what we have in common, not for driving wedges or parroting falsehoods that only add to the anxiety in our midst.

We have no way of knowing what COVID-19 will yet take from us, but we can decide right now that we will not allow it to rob us of our civility, our pride in our nation's diversity, and our ability to build a more perfect union across the many communities that call America home."

(Well said, Ronald. I am proud to be your friend!)

This is from AIPAC...

(AIPAC stands for American Israel Public Affairs Committee). It was sent to me by BRIAN SHANKMAN, director of Regional Affairs and Development, and I pass it along to you:

"It's probably safe to say that you didn't spend most of your day today thinking about the threat of terrorist rockets or terror tunnels near your home. But in Israel, people face threats like these every day. Consider this:

To Israel's north, the Iranian backed terrorit group Hezbollah has an arsenal of some 150,000 missiles and rockets, many of which are capable of precisely targeting any location in Israel.

To Israel's south, Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza have launched more than 2,500 rocket at Israel. Earlier this year, the Israeli Navy intercepted an attempt by Hamas to smuggle additional weapons into the Gaza strip.

To the northeast, Iran is dramatically increasing its aggression. In recent months, Iran carried out two cyber attacks on Israel's water infrastructure. One of the attacks was a direct attempt to poison Israelis by injecting deadly levels of chlorine into the civilian water supply.

As Americans, it is hard to fathom dangers like these on our borders. It's almost impossible to imagine the fear of knowing that terror could strike at any time by land, sea, air, or even below ground.

But while we may not be able to comprehend dealing with the threats Israel faces, we do have the power to help. That's because each of us can help Israel keep its citizens safe by advocating for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship."

Once again, a reminder...

A reminder that my favorite show of the year, The Dazzling Divas, is almost here!

The Divas new show will take place on Saturday, October 10th (tomorrow) at the VFW Longwood, 1520 N. Ronald Regan Blvd.

There will be two shows, one at 3 p.m. and one at 6 p.m.

The cost is only $12 per person. Snacks will be available. RSVP to 407-670-4418.

The entertainers are all beautiful and talented. (And they all have great figures like I used to have!)

Very sad news...

I heard from our own ALAN ROCK, who informed us that my favorite radio personality, Jack Simpson, has died.  Jack's Jazz on the Beach show was first aired by a Brevard radio station in 1967 and has been heard on WUCF since 1983. The show includes swing, bebop, and vocal jazz by small groups and big bands.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jack several times. What a wonderful guy he was! He will be sorely missed.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando...

If you've decided to learn more about Judaism and want to get more involved in our Jewish community, you may want to join the Melton Adult Jewish Learning Program.

For more information, contact JULIA BERGER at .

The Roth Family Jewish Community Center...

Want to get in shape? Want to get healthy? This is the place for you.

There is a fitness center open Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m., 7 a.m., noon and 10 p.m .; Friday-6 a.m., 7 a.m. noon and 6 p.m .; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m., 5 p.m.

All safety precautions are in place.

Advance reservations to http://www.orlandojcc.org/workout.

For more information, phone 407-645-5933. Also inquire about water aerobics on Wednesday, at 1 p.m.

One for the road...

Brian Shankman

Whoever thought up the word "mammogram"? Every time I hear it, I think I'm supposed to put my breast in an envelope and send it to someone.

While we're on the subject of mammograms, I have a test scheduled in a few days. And while we're on the subject of tests...

Bill was resting in his bed in his hospital room wearing his facemask, of course. When the nurse looked in on him, he asked her "Are my testicles black?" She was startled at the question and answered, "I don't know!"

About twenty minutes later, another nurse passed Bill's room and looked in on him. "Are my testicles black?" She was also startled and quickly left the room without answering him.

When a third nurse checked in on him, he took off his facemask and asked, "Are my tests results back?

She answered, "No."