Creative Seder: Thinking inside the sand box



Ethel Pila could not figure out how to part the Gulf of Mexico, but the setting for her “Seder in the Sand” was aimed at helping her guests relate to the Jews’ flight from slavery in the Egyptian desert. Lacking a desert, Pila’s Seder was held on the sandy beach behind her Redington Shores condo, a fishing pier in the […]

No hora at wedding! Bride’s mom files suit over omission



What’s a Jewish wedding without the newlyweds hoisted in chairs as the crowd dances the hora to the tune of “Hava Nagila?” Apparently not nearly Jewish enough in the eyes of the bride’s mother, Toni Lewis of Tampa, who is suing Tampa-based D. Bailey Management, Inc., (DBM) the company that she says provided the band for the marriage of Lewis’ […]

‘Agitated and angry’: White supremacists still a danger, experts say



¦ Related column, Page, 3,Related stories, Pages 4, 8 LOS ANGELES — The recent shootings at a pair of Kansas City-area Jewish facilities illustrate the persistent threat of white supremacist violence, even as broad measures of anti-Semitism continue to decline. Suspected gunman Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. had a long history in the white supremacist movement, dating back to the 1970s, […]

Just a nosh…



Poker ace skips pair of mom’s Seders, wins $1 million at Florida tourney While his relatives in South Florida were reciting the Four Questions, Eric Afriat was looking for four of a kind at a high-stakes poker tournaments. The Montreal man, who skipped both Seders at his mother’s home in West Boca Raton to play in the tournament, was the […]

Israel formally suspends talks with Palestinians



WASHINGTON — Israel formally suspended peace talks with the Palestinian Authority over the national unity accord signed with the Hamas authority in the Gaza Strip. “The Cabinet today unanimously decided that Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government backed by Hamas, a terrorist organization that calls for Israel’s destruction,” said a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released […]

Games, food, music to highlight Israel Independence Day celebration



A community celebration of the 66th anniversary of Israel’s independence will he held on Sunday, May 4 from noon to 4 p.m. at Congregation B’nai Israel, 300 58th St. N., St. Petersburg. The free event, presented by the JCC Suncoast and Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties, will feature Israeli dancing, Maccabiah games, arts and crafts, a camel ride, […]

Lacking long-term plans, many U.S. Jewish cemeteries in neglect



NEW YORK – For years, the historic Jewish cemetery was so overgrown with weeds, plagued by toppled headstones, and littered with fallen branches, beer cans and snack-food wrappers that at least a quarter of its graves were impossible to reach. Even now, after a $140,000 cleanup and improved maintenance procedures, the 35,000-grave cemetery relies on the generosity of a non-Jewish […]

Mother’s Day cards also support victims of domestic violence



For the 16th year, Jewish Women International (JWI) is organizing a project for people to send a Mother’s Day card to their mom and in turn will send flowers and a basket of beauty products to women and children in domestic violence shelters on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11. The Mother’s Day Flower Project aims to encourage women and their […]

Kansas City deadly shootings highlight threat of ‘lone wolf’ attacks



WASHINGTON — The deadly shootings at two Jewish institutions in suburban Kansas City illustrates the dilemma of how best to protect Jewish institutions from the threat of deadly violence by extremists acting alone. “Lone wolves are really by far the most dangerous phenomenon. They are vastly more difficult to stop in advance of their actions,” said Mark Potok, the publications […]

Local federation offers text alerts for crisis, weather, community events



Notification of a crisis, extreme weather conditions, or a big communitywide Jewish event is only a text message away, thanks to a program initiated by the Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties. To sign up to receive the text messages, text PINELLAS to 51818. Though the program began within the last year, the federation emailed a reminder and invitation […]