2019-09-06 E-Edition

‘Bubbles & Bubbly’ gala to feature marine expert

Dr. Ellen Prager, a marine scientist and New York Times bestselling author of “Sex, Drugs and Sea Slime: The Ocean’s Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter,” will speak at Bubbles & Bubbly, the second annual gala fundraiser for Hillels of the Florida Suncoast. The event will be held at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa on Saturday, Nov. 9 and will […]

Police learn from mistakes of officers in Nazi Germany


In the months leading up to World War II, many German police officers aligned themselves with their nation’s military and political objectives, and were complicit in persecuting parts of the population instead of protecting them. That led to the slaughter of Jews, gays, and others targeted by Nazi politics. It is from those lessons in history that an educational program […]

Federation launches ‘Volunteer Central’

The Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast has added a new community-wide volunteer center to its website. “Our website now features ‘Volunteer Central,’ a resource for organizations to find volunteers, and also for individuals to find opportunities to get involved in our community,” said Lucé Piccin, Federation campaign and communications associate. Positions are listed by category and duration. Categories include […]

Federation changes website address

The Jewish Federation has changed its website address to incorporate its recently changed name and broader service area. “Since we changed our Federation’s name in July, we want our website to reflect that,” said Lucé Piccin, campaign and communications associate. The Federation changed its name from the Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties to the Jewish Federation of Florida’s […]

Wrong in any dictionary

Is it Rosh Hashanah or Rosh Hashana, or maybe Rosh HaShanah? Depending on where you grew up and what you learned in Hebrew class, you can find different spellings for the same High Holiday – and the same goes for Hanukkah or Chanukah. Is it Bat Mitzvah or Bas Mitzvah? As Jews you likely accept those variations (although you probably […]

Just a nosh..


Pittsburgh newspaper gives Pulitzer Prize money to Tree of Life synagogue Employees of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette donated to the Tree of Life synagogue the $15,000 they won for their Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the deadly anti-Semitic shooting there. The newspaper won the prize in April for its “immersive, compassionate coverage” of the attack, which killed 11 people and […]

Connecting… and why we can’t stay here



One of the down sides of using Hebrew words in any community endeavor is that there’s the potential that it makes it just one bit harder for the recipient to understand what you’re really trying to say. While not parallel, it can feel a bit like the launch of a company for which you’ve essentially created a new word: remember […]

PJ Library plans sweet storytime event to celebrate Rosh Hashanah

Allison Davis of Nobel Nectar Apiaries will talk about bees during a PJ Library Rosh Hashanah celebration on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. The event, put on by the Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast will include an apple and honey bar for each child, a Rosh Hashanah craft and […]

Examining the language of truth



You may remember a 1992 film called My Cousin Vinnie. The story involves a case of mistaken identity in a murder trail in which these two youths are falsely accused. One eye-witness has something wrong with her eyes, and another was off on his timing, borne out by the amount of time it takes a true Southerner to cook grits. […]