Happy New Year!

L’Shanah Tovah!

Elderly pass night peacefully as Hurricane Irma rages



While many fretted in darkness as Hurricane Irma battered the region, some weathered the storm in style, staying in facilities where the lights, television and internet never went out, hot showers and three hot meals a day were offered and day care for kids was a reality. That is how it was for those who stayed at Jewish centers for […]

Irma slams cemetery but spares most other local Jewish facilities



High winds from Hurricane Irma toppled 8 huge trees and 20 medium sized ones at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Largo, uprooting one casket and causing up to $75,000 damage. Though the casket, entangled in roots of a large tree, was not in the Jewish portion of the cemetery, the fallen trees damaged the main irrigation pump and pulled irrigation and […]

Letter from the Editors



It’s all about power – the power of Mother Nature and the type of power you get out of an electrical plug. Like many of you, the Jewish Press office lost power during Hurricane Irma and as of Friday, Sept. 15, the electricity still had not been restored. Combine that with our printer and mailer shutting down a couple of […]

In 8-minute call, Trump says New Year offers chance for Israeli peace, vows to keep Jews safe from hate



WASHINGTON – The debate has gone on for weeks among rabbis and Jewish leaders: If President Donald Trump does not formally renounce white supremacists, is it still worth engaging in a conversation with him? This was on much of the Jewish community’s mind since Aug. 23, when the leaders of three religious streams – Reconstructionist, Reform and Conservative – said […]

Organizations



JCC All programs listed are either at the Maureen & Douglas Cohn Jewish Community Campus, 13009 Community Campus Drive, or at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC at 522 N. Howard Ave. To RSVP or for more information on programs at either center, contact Pnina Levermore at (813) 291- 2253 or pnina.levermore@JewishTampa.com. All registrations should be completed before events begin. Friday […]

Israeli consulate in NY evacuated after death threat against Netanyahu



NEW YORK (JTA) – The Israeli consulate in New York City was evacuated after receiving a threatening letter. The consulate’s spokeswoman, Almog Elijis, confirmed that the building was evacuated Friday, Sept. 15, due to a threatening package and that the situation was under control, but did not provide further details. The Jerusalem Post reported, based on a source at the […]

Shabbat & High Holiday Candle Lighting Times



A life or death situation



In a few weeks, each of us will be facing a life or death situation. And, the fact that it’s metaphorical doesn’t make it unimportant. I’m talking, of course, about Yom Kippur. We all know the central image of the day – the Book of Life. We’re told that God is using that day to finish writing our names in […]

Changing our Perspective



I am writing only days after Hurricane Irma tore through our state. For days we prepared our homes, checked in on friends and family. We worried about pets, children and the elderly. Rabbis and congregations made arrangements to keep precious Torah scrolls safe. In the aftermath of Irma, we cleaned up our yards and drove cautiously with traffic lights out. […]