I’ve come to realize that Pride is the most Jewish non-Jewish holiday. Think about it. We’re celebrating the adversity we have faced in the past and constantly reminding the next generation through story telling what the real meaning of Pride is. We celebrate by throwing parades, parties and having a meal (somehow pride bunches are even longer than a Seder). We can’t even agree on the exact dates for Pride, heck in Orlando we moved our parade to October.
But probably most important is our willingness to ensure that our celebrations are inclusive and welcoming even for those not in our community. Think of the joy in having someone not Jewish attend your Seder. It’s not about converting them but instead being given an opportunity to share in one small slice of what it means to be Jewish. The same goes for having an ally attend a Pride event. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our pride for being in the LGBTQ community.
The LGBTQ community and Jewish community share a lot. From our constant fight against hatred towards us just because we are different, to our various sects and subgroups within our community each with their own unique identities.
But most imporant is that both the LGBTQ and Jewish communities view themsleves as an identity and culture. As Jews, most of us feel that being Jewish is more than just a religion, the same goes for being a member of the LGBTQ community. It’s just a community with cultures (and subcultures). And both often view this as a small but important part of their overall individual identity. I would struggle to define myself without mentioning that I’m gay or that I’m Jewish. Both are a huge part of who I am.
So on this Pride I encourage you to join in the celebrations but also take a moment to learn more about the LGBTQ community. This could be learning about why pronouns matter and adding yours to your email signature or yourZoom profile, understanding what it’s like to have two dads or two moms and encouraging your child’s school teacher to celebrate all parents in May (not just Mother’s Day), learning a little more about the LGBTQIA identities and what they mean, learning why there are various versions of the pride flag and hanging one at your house. I mean after all, it couldn’t be a Jewish holiday if we didn’t throw in more learning.
Want to be among the first to know what's happening with your Federation and your Jewish community? You need the Fed Friday e-newsletter in your inbox once a week. Subscribe today. You'll be "in the know" before you know it!
We respect your privacy and do not tolerate spam, We will never sell, rent, lease or give away your information to any third party.
We at the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando and its Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) are heartbroken and outraged over the death of George Floyd, an African American man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. Floyd’s pleas for his life as he lay handcuffed and helpless on the ground were met with silence by the police officer. This death is yet another in a disturbingly long list of inexcusable injustices that have been perpetrated against African Americans across the United States.
We call on people of all races, ethnic backgrounds and faiths to speak up now against the systemic racism that is a longstanding disgrace – one for which we all share responsibility.
As Jews we have seen how unchecked hatred can destroy millions of lives and haunt generations in its wake. Our tradition teaches us that all humans are created in the image of God. The Torah obligates us to not stand idly by.
The powerful words of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Elie Weisel resonate at this time:
“I swore to never be silent whenever or wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
As a community of conscience, we pledge to all communities of color to work with you, not only to combat racism in all its forms, but also to remain vigilant in pointing out injustice and defending all its victims.
In the days since George Floyd’s death, we have seen tens of thousands of Americans peacefully take to the streets to demand justice. We stand with our fellow Americans and we will not be distracted by those who would take advantage of this righteous cause to further sow the seeds of discord. Our collective future depends on this focused effort.
Our children and grandchildren are watching. Each of us has a responsibility to stand up and speak out against injustice and to join together in finding a constructive and peaceful path forward. In that spirit, we commit ourselves to the biblical call of “Justice, justice shall [we] pursue,” and the imperative of achieving a peaceful, just and equal society for all.
George Floyd should not have died. He, his family, African Americans everywhere and all who have suffered as a result of discrimination and bigotry are entitled to justice and freedom from hate. Today we stand in solidarity with them as we say, “Enough.”
We continue to work with our Jewish agencies, organizations, and synagogues to support the African American community.
We at the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando and its Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) are heartbroken and outraged over the death of George Floyd, an African American man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. Floyd’s pleas for his life as he lay handcuffed and helpless on the ground were met with silence by the police officer. This death is yet another in a disturbingly long list of inexcusable injustices that have been perpetrated against African Americans across the United States.
We call on people of all races, ethnic backgrounds and faiths to speak up now against the systemic racism that is a longstanding disgrace – one for which we all share responsibility.
As Jews we have seen how unchecked hatred can destroy millions of lives and haunt generations in its wake. Our tradition teaches us that all humans are created in the image of God. The Torah obligates us to not stand idly by.
The powerful words of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Elie Weisel resonate at this time:
“I swore to never be silent whenever or wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
As a community of conscience, we pledge to all communities of color to work with you, not only to combat racism in all its forms, but also to remain vigilant in pointing out injustice and defending all its victims.
In the days since George Floyd’s death, we have seen tens of thousands of Americans peacefully take to the streets to demand justice. We stand with our fellow Americans and we will not be distracted by those who would take advantage of this righteous cause to further sow the seeds of discord. Our collective future depends on this focused effort.
Our children and grandchildren are watching. Each of us has a responsibility to stand up and speak out against injustice and to join together in finding a constructive and peaceful path forward. In that spirit, we commit ourselves to the biblical call of “Justice, justice shall [we] pursue,” and the imperative of achieving a peaceful, just and equal society for all.
George Floyd should not have died. He, his family, African Americans everywhere and all who have suffered as a result of discrimination and bigotry are entitled to justice and freedom from hate. Today we stand in solidarity with them as we say, “Enough.”
We continue to work with our Jewish agencies, organizations, and synagogues to support the African American community.
When Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Shimon were sitting,
and Yehuda, son of converts, sat beside them. Rabbi Yehuda opened and
said: How pleasant are the actions of the Romans, they established
marketplaces, established bridges, and established bathhouses. Rabbi Yosei
was silent. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai responded and said: Everything that
they established, they established only for their own purposes. They
established marketplaces, to place prostitutes in them; bathhouses, to
pamper themselves; bridges, to collect taxes from them. Yehuda, son of
converts, went and talked about their statements to others, and they were
heard by the monarchy. They said: Yehuda, who elevated, shall be elevated.
Yosei, who remained silent, shall be exiled to Tzippori. And Shimon, who
denounced, shall be killed.
He and his son, went and hid in the study hall. Every day his wife
would bring them bread and a jug of water and they would eat. When the
decree intensified, he said to his son: Women are weak-willed, perhaps the
authorities torture her and she reveal us. They went and they hid in a cave.
A miracle occurred and a carob tree was created for them as well as a spring
of water. They would remove their clothes and sit in sand up to their necks.
They would study all day. At the time of prayer, they would dress, cover
themselves, and pray, and they would again remove their clothes afterward
so that they would not become tattered. They sat in the cave for twelve
years. Elijah came and stood at the entrance to the cave and said: Who will
inform bar Yoḥai that the emperor died and his decree has been abrogated?
They emerged, and saw people who were plowing and sowing. He
said: They abandon eternal life and engage in life of doing. Every place that
they directed their eyes was immediately burned. A Divine Voice emerged
and said to them: Did you emerge to destroy My world? Return to your
cave! They again went and sat for twelve months. They said: The judgment
of the wicked in Gehenna lasts for twelve months. A Divine Voice emerged
and said: Emerge from your cave. They emerged. Everywhere that Rabbi
Elazar would strike, Rabbi Shimon would heal. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi
Elazar: My son, you and I suffice for the world.
As the sun was setting on Shabbat eve, they saw an elderly man who
was holding two bundles of myrtle branches and running at twilight. They
said to him: Why do you have these? He said to them: In honor of Shabbat.
They said to him: And let one suffice. He answered them: One is
corresponding to: Remember (Ex. 20:8), and one is corresponding to:
Observe (Deut. 5:12). Rabbi Shimon said to his son: See how beloved the
mitzvot are to Israel. Their minds were at ease.
Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya’ir, his son-in-law, heard and went out to him. He
brought him into the bathhouse and tended to his flesh. He saw that he had
cracks in his body. He cried, and the tears fell from his eyes and caused
Rabbi Shimon pain. Rabbi Pineḥas said to Rabbi Shimon, his father-in-law:
Woe is me, that I have seen you like this. Rabbi Shimon said to him: Happy
are you that you have seen me like this, as had you not seen me like this,
you would not have found in me this. At first, when Rabbi Shimon ben
Yoḥai would raise a difficulty, Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya’ir would respond with
twelve answers. Ultimately, when Rabbi Pineḥas ben Ya’ir would raise a
difficulty, Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai would respond with twenty-four
answers.
He said: Since a miracle happened for me, I will go and repair
something … Rav said: Jacob established a currency for them. And Shmuel
said: He established marketplaces for them. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He
established bathhouses for them. In any event, clearly one for whom a
miracle transpires should perform an act of kindness for his neighbors as a
sign of gratitude. Shabbat 33a
“If a woman does brilliant work but nobody notices, can we call her a genius?”
Lise Meitner turned physics on its head when she was part of the team that discovered nuclear fission of uranium. She collaborated with Otto Hahn and Otto Robert Frisch. They were talked about for a Nobel Prize, and in 1944 the award came through for ‘the discovery of the fission of heavy atomic nuclei’ but the winner was … Otto Hahn.
Several scientists and journalists have called her exclusion “unjust. However, Meitner has received many posthumous honors, including the naming of chemical element 109 meitnerium in 1992.
Drawn together by their shared love of music and exceptional talents, famed composer Felix Mendelssohn and his older sister Fanny developed a close relationship that endured throughout their lives. While Fanny’s gender prohibited her from enjoying the same social opportunities or support in developing her musical gifts, her talents appeared to be nearly as formidable as those of her more famous brother. Felix would regularly submit his compositions to Fanny’s discerning musical ear, taking her critical advice to heart and modifying or excising material that she found questionable.
Before her death at age 41, Fanny witnessed changing attitudes toward women in musical professions, resulting in a handful of her works being published and thereby fulfilling her lifelong dream of being considered a serious composer. (Library of Congress)
“Why have there been no female Mozarts?”
A female Mozart quite literally existed: Maria Anna Mozart, the older sister of the brilliant and prolific composer Wolfgang. She might have been his equal if her talent hadn’t been left to molder.
When Wolfgang Mozart was young, his talent was expertly nurtured as his father took him on tour in Europe, introducing him to composers and musicians who advised and encouraged him.
Maria Anna, known as Nannerl, also had extraordinary talent: She performed on the harpsichord and toured with her brother when they were both young. Some reports say she was better than her little sibling and that he idolized and learned from her. At age 12, she was called one of the best musicians in Europe.
But it didn’t really matter. Once she hit her teens, her father deemed it inappropriate for her to perform anymore and sent her home to get married.
Gifted chemist Rosalind Franklin was one of the key figures in the discovery of the structure of DNA, but for many years she received no recognition.
Using a technique she developed herself, Franklin took X-rays that showed DNA’s helical structure. Using Franklin’s photographs and their own data, fellow King’s College researchers James Watson and Francis Crick created their famous DNA model. Watson and Crick walked away with the credit and the Nobel Prize. Franklin’s contribution was not acknowledged. Some have called it the most egregious snub of a woman scientist in history.
After Franklin’s death at age 37 from ovarian cancer, Crick admitted that her contribution had been critical to their breakthrough discovery.
Join our PJ Orlando families as the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s woodwind quintet presents the iconic story of Hansel and Gretel.
We’ll experience the musical retelling of the story of two curious children who find themselves lost in the woods when their paths cross with a mysterious witch. Through their harrowing adventure, Hansel and Gretel exhibit two important Jewish Values: “ometz lev” courage/trusting oneself, and “optimiyut” optimism/problem-solving.
After the concert, children (ages 3 to 8 recommended) will enjoy hands-on activities in The Plaza Live lobby. A Toddler Zone for newborns and children up to age 2 is also available.
Our storytime tickets are generously gifted to our PJ Orlando families through a donation from our Friends of PJ Library Orlando Edward and Marian Bromberg.
Online registration is required ($2.00 non-refundable registration fee for each person over the age of 2 will be collected at registration). Tickets are available on a limited first-come first serve basis.
Please arrive between 1:30 pm to 1:45 pm to check in your family. A special section will be reserved for our families. The performance will begin at 2:00 pm.
Thursday, January 30 · 7:30pm (6:30pm – optional tour of the theater)
Orlando Shakes · 812 E Rollins Street · Orlando, FL 32803
In a touching one-woman show, Dr. Ruth’s incredible journey is told, from fleeing the Nazis in the Kindertransport and joining the Haganah in Jerusalem as a scout and sniper, to her struggles to succeed as a single mother coming to the United States – and of course how she became America’s most famous sex therapist.
About This Production
Everyone knows Dr. Ruth Westheimer from her career as a pioneering radio and television sex therapist. Few, however, know the incredible journey that preceded it. “Becoming Dr. Ruth” is filled with the humor, honesty and life-affirming spirit of Karola Ruth Siegel, the girl who became “Dr. Ruth,” America’s most famous sex therapist.
Special Women’s Division Seat Pricing
Orchestra center tickets: $44
Side of theater seating: $34
Join us Thursday, January 16, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at A Gift for Teaching for the first Jewish Federation Women’s Division Community Service Day of the new year!
Please bring packaged crayons or other school supplies to donate to A Gift for Teaching. We require that you register in advance so that A Gift for Teaching can plan for the correct number of volunteers.
You’re welcome to stick around afterward and join us for lunch (lunch is not provided free).
Smoke rises after an Israeli forces strike in Gaza City, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019. Israel killed a senior Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza early Tuesday in a resumption of pinpointed targeting that threatens a fierce round of cross-border violence with Palestinian militants. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
The conflict in southern Israel has continued into a second day. The Jewish Federations of North America’s Israel office has prepared a comprehensive update that we are sharing.
In addition, the following articles detail how our partners at the Jewish Agency have helped during this difficult time — with Federation support:
More than 250 rockets have been fired at Israel by Palestinian Islamic Jihad since 6:00 am Tuesday, Israel time.
Despite a six-hour lull overnight, the rockets resumed early Wednesday morning.
Sirens have continued to sound across the south, and have also been heard in a number of locations near the Jerusalem – Tel Aviv highway corridor.
Some 60% of rockets fell in non-populated areas (or fell short, landing inside the Gaza Strip).
90% of those rockets headed toward population centers were successfully knocked out of the sky by the Iron Dome Defense System.
Forty eight Israelis have been hurt by rocket fire or by falls when running to a shelter (mostly sustaining light or moderate injuries) and at least 25 people have been treated for shock.
In response to the rocket fire, the IDF carried out three waves of retaliatory attacks on Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets.
In the attacks, Israel reportedly hit dozens of Islamic Jihad sites across Gaza, destroying infrastructures and weapons stockpiles as well as killing 12 terrorists (according the Palestinian Ministry of Health).
Among other targets hit by the IDF were a facility that develops long-range rockets, as well as naval vessels belonging to the terrorist group.
According to an unnamed Israeli military source, the IDF has a “rich data bank” of additional potential Islamic Jihad sites that it can continue to hit.
For photos and further details about the IDF strikes, click here.
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, less than 24 hours in his new position, appeared on Israeli television saying that “We are sending a strong and clear message to our enemies, on all fronts: Whoever plans to attack or harm Israel by day, should never be sure that they will make it through the night.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “We are not bent on escalation, but … will respond to every attack against us, and respond very sharply. Islamic Jihad would do well to understand this right now, instead of when it will be too late. I believe that Islamic Jihad is starting to internalize this message. They understand that we will continue to strike them without mercy. They understand that Israel is very strong and that our will is very great. We are determined to fight to defend our country and if they think that these barrages or these strikes will weaken us or lessen our determination, they are mistaken. Therefore, they have but one choice – to stop these attacks or take more and more blows. The choice is theirs.”
According to reports, Israel sent a message to Hamas saying that if the terror group stays out of the current fighting, it would be not be targeted by the IDF. This is a seemingly different approach than the one that Israel has taken in the past, where the IDF had stated that it holds Hamas responsible for everything that occurs in the Gaza Strip. From all accounts, both sides are keeping to this understanding, and there has been no direct conflict between Hamas and Israel in this round of fighting. (In fact, some commentators have suggested that Hamas is even encouraging the current fighting as a way of curtailing the strength of its rival, Islamic Jihad).
While the IDF says that it does not want the situation to escalate into a broader military operation inside the Gaza Strip, there has been a small increase in troop deployment along the Gaza border fence with a limited number of companies and battalions.
The IDF’s Home Front Command continues to impose restrictions:
All schools and kindergartens south of Tel Aviv remain closed.
In the south, all places of work, other than “essential services,” have been shuttered.
In the Tel Aviv region, school has resumed, but non-essential places of work are only permitted to open if they have a designated shelter or protected place that can be reached by workers within 90 seconds.
Economic damage to industry – mainly as a result of lost working time – after just one day of conflict, has been assessed at $80 million.
JFNA’s Israel office continues to operate under emergency protocols and is in close touch with relevant Israeli government branches, our partners, and individual federation representatives on the ground.
JFNA’s Israel office attended a meeting yesterday afternoon of the Emergency Coordination Roundtable (known by its Hebrew acronym, “Rahel”) at IDF military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
JDC is in the middle of a process of reaching out to municipalities in the South to asses needs. JDC has also opened the Virtual Center for Independent Living, which is a hotline for elderly residents living alone who may need special help, advice or counseling during the current emergency situation. The hotline was established with the support of a Jewish Federations grant. In addition, the JDC Ashalim program has recently trained social workers who work with families at risk, to provide special care during emergency situations and crises. The social workers are provided with a special emergency kit, which has proved – over the last 24 hours – to be extremely effective.
The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror (supported by Jewish Federations) has already provided immediate emergency assistance to families whose homes in the south have suffered direct hits. Within hours of yesterday’s attacks, the Agency’s Amigour subsidiary sent construction teams to repair homes hit by rocket fire, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance.
The Jewish Agency has also provided assistance to 6,500 new immigrants in absorption centers and 5,000 seniors in assisted living facilities in areas affected by the current crisis. At the same time The Agency is in talks with local municipalities in the south discussing the possibility of respite days for residents of the affected areas.
The Israel Trauma Coalition’s resilience centers continue to experience a significant increase in emergency calls. The Natal and Eran hotlines are operating at full capacity, 24 hours a day, and are currently reporting a 40% increase in call volume. Over 50% of calls are coming from the center of the country, 20% from the South and 15% from the North. Most calls are from anxious parents seeking guidance as to how to speak with their children about the situation. ITC instructions that provide recommendations on to how to help children cope in times of crisis, have been widely disseminated.
As always, JFNA’s Israel office remains in close touch with Israeli government authorities and our partners and is very closely monitoring the situation.
Sources: Office of the Prime Minister, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IDF Spokesperson, Israel Channel 12 News, Galei Tzahal Radio, the Jerusalem Post
