Editorials ..................................... 4A Op-Ed .......................................... 5A Calendar ...................................... 6A Scene Around ............................. 9A Synagogue Directory ................ 11A News Briefs ............................... 13A WWW.HERITAGEFL.COM YEAR 44, NO. 25 FEBRUARY 21, 2020 26 SH’VAT, 5780 ORLANDO, FLORIDA SINGLE COPY 75¢ Jewish Academy initiates TAP Jewish Academy of Orlando quickly evaluate the cost and has made private education be confident they can afford more accessible by initiat- sending their children to a ing the Tuition Assistance private school. Program. The TAP program JAO supporter David Krink- adjusts tuition based on a er mentioned, “The TAP family’s income for new stu- program is one of several dents in grades TK-5th. TAP is initiatives to make our amaz- designed to boost enrollment ing school accessible to even of new students by specifically more families and minimize targeting middle-income cost as a barrier to an excel- families. lent private school education.” The TAP program in- Head of School Alan Ru- cludes a simple online sonik stated, “We are con- tuition calculator for par- fident TAP will boost our ents, which they can use to enrollment and make our determine their student’s great school accessible to tuition fees based on their even more families.” Jewish income. If the calculated Academy of Orlando serves tuition fees are acceptable, central Florida students of IfNotNow supporters at a rally in New York City. parents can submit their all faiths from transitional request for approval, and kindergarten through fifth receive a response from the grade. The school delivers a IfNotNow turns up volume in Democratic school within 48 hours. whole-child education foster- Allowing parents to quickly ing academic excellence and determine and receive approv- character education rooted in circles, pushing pro-BDS, anti-Israel agenda al of their student’s tuition Jewish values. Jewish Acad- fees based on their income, emy of Orlando is accredited By Jackson Richman ing with Islamaphobes and anti-Semites of “Islamophobes,” “anti-Semites, and and in the privacy of their by the Florida Council of and white nationalists. And no Democrat white nationalists” that perpetuates own home, allows parents to Independent Schools. (JNS)—The anti-Israel group IfNot- should legitimize that kind of bigotry by “bigotry” Now approached the leading Democratic attending their annual policy conference. Without blinking, Warren then agreed presidential candidates in New Hamp- I’m really grateful you skipped the AIPAC to boycott next year’s AIPAC conference. shire, ahead of the state’s primary on conference last year, so my question is if “The way I see this, is that for America 15th-century prayer Tuesday, to ask if they will skip the annual you’ll join me in committing to skip the to be a good ally of Israel and of the AIPAC Policy Conference next month— AIPAC conference this march?” asked an Palestinians, we need to encourage both only to get one commitment so far. IfNotNow activist named Sarah, who parties to get to the negotiating table,” book fully restored That commitment was from Sen. Eliz- also asked Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Warren. abeth Warren (D-Mass.), who relayed her the same question at a town hall in the Sanders said he would have “no objec- decision via an answer to a question by same town the day before. tion to going.” a potential constituent at a town hall in Warren simply replied, “Yeah.” Former U.S. Vice President Joe Derry on Feb. 6. Tonight, Elizabeth Warren nodded Biden followed suit. “I’m an American Jew, and I’m terrified along and smiled as a questioner slan- by the unholy alliance that AIPAC is form- dered AIPAC as “an unholy alliance” IfNotNow on page 15A Taika Waititi’s big win & 5 other Jewish moments from the 2020 Oscars By Emily Burack dependent Film Spirit Awards. But this year’s Oscars had (JTA)—When Adam some pretty wonderful Jewish The “Moskowitz Mahzor” before restoration. Sandler was shut out of this moments nonetheless. Here’s year’s Academy Award nomi- a roundup. nations for “Uncut Gems,” the Maori Jewish director, Oscars lost out on the chance writer and actor Taika to have an acceptance speech Waititi had a big mo- as hilarious as the one Sandler ment delivered Saturday at the In- Waititi, 44, took home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Jojo Rabbit,” his first Oscar win and the first ever by an Indigenous director. Waititi’s “anti-hate” satire about a boy who has Adolf Hitler as an imaginary friend, was up for six awards, Natalie Portman’s Oscars cape with the names of female but Waititi’s win was the only directors snubbed by the Academy. one for the film. The director dedicated the Waititi’s mom, Robin Co- small boy’s imagination, our award to “all the Indigenous hen, told her son to read idea of Hitler is skewed like The “Moskowitz Mahzor” after restoration. kids in the world who want “Caging Skies” by Christine a needle scratching across a to do art and dance and write Leunens—the story that record. This imaginary Hitler (JNS)—Restoration of Germany and Northern Italy. stories. We are the original Waititi adapted into his satiri- reminds us of an uncomfort- the National Library of Is- The manuscript is considered storytellers and we can make cal film. able reality—that in the right rael’s renowned Moskowitz exceptional due to the illus- it here as well.” Waititi’s father “Today, we know Hitler as climate, what we come to Mahzor has been completed trations and illuminations is from the Te Whanau-a- the evil madman who engi- imagine can be deadly.” with the manuscript online found throughout, including Apanui, a Maori tribe. neered the torture and murder Jewish actress Natalie for the first time. images of rabbits, bears, fish, He also shouted out his of millions of people,” Cohen Portman and Jewish actor It was created on parch- Jewish mom: “Thank you told Variety. “But if we don’t Timothée Chalamet presented ment in the 15th century by Book on page 15A for being my mother, and think more deeply about how Waititi with the award. Joel ben Simeon, considered for many other reasons, but he convinced half the world In the press room after by many to be the most im- for giving me the book that to help him, we leave the winning, Waititi echoed his portant Jewish artist of the I adapted. This film wouldn’t door open to a repeat perfor- mother’s sentiment on the Middle Ages. have existed without you do- mance. When Taika depicts Ben Simeon was a scribe ing that.” him as the affable hero of a Waititi on page 15A and illuminator active in PAGE 2A HERITAGE FLORIDA JEWISH NEWS, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 The Holocaust Center presents the heralded Vedem Underground exhibition through April 3 MAITLAND, FL—The Ho- Jan. 13 through April 3, 2020. structs and reinterprets the within the walls of Czechoslo- locaust Memorial Resource “Named one of the Smithson- literary work of the teenage vakia’s Terezin Ghetto, and and Education Center of ian’s 10 “Don’t Miss...” new Jewish creators of the longest- was a symbol of protest, re- Florida is honored to feature exhibits for Winter 2017, Ve- running underground maga- bellion and creative activism Vedem Underground: The dem Underground, produced zine in a Nazi camp. From by some of the era’s youngest Secret Magazine of the Ter- by the Vedem Foundation, is 1942 to 1944, Vedem (“In the resistance fighters. Inspired ezin Ghetto (1942-1944) from an art installation that decon- Lead” in Czech) chronicled life by Vedem’s invaluable lessons about the necessity of free speech and the dangers of propaganda and censorship, CLOG-FREE GUTTERS the exhibit premiered at the OR YOUR MONEY BACK Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance in Los GUARANTEED! Angeles in 2016, and has since been presented in cities such as Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Sacramento and Portland, Oregon. LeafFilter Using a combination of pop- AFTER art graphics, archival photo- graphs and cartoons, as well as the prose and poetry created LeafFilter by the magazine’s contribu- BEFORE tors, Vedem Underground celebrates the artistic and sistance and producing the Memorial Prize, a project of cultural legacy of Vedem by Vedem Underground docu- American Jewish University’s 15% OFF breaking down its 83 weekly mentary film with an Oscar- Institute for Jewish Creativity. YOUR ENTIRE LEAFFILTER PURCHASE* issues totaling 800 pages, and Emmy-award winning The exhibit has also been gen- Exclusive Off er – Redeem By Phone Today! then reconstructing them in team; Los Angeles-based art erously supported by the Jew- ADDITIONALLY the form of a contemporary director Michael Murphy, who ish Community Foundation of magazine. conceptualized the exhibit as Los Angeles. Other support 10% OFF SENIOR & Vedem Underground was a merging of punk subculture- for the project comes from MILITARY DISCOUNTS produced and curated by Rina inspired art and the 1940s-era Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Taraseiskey, whose grand- ‘zine aesthetic; and Dallas- Persons Foundation and the CALL US TODAY FOR father led the resistance at based writer and journalist Ziering Family Foundation. Lithuania’s Kovno Ghetto, Danny King. Additional details on this pro- A FREE ESTIMATE PLUS! and who is also co-writing Vedem Underground was gram, can be found at https:// THE FIRST 50 FINANCING the companion book Vedem the winner of the 2016 WORD www.holocaustedu.org/event/ CALLERS WILL THAT FITS 1 Underground: Pages of Re- Grant: The Bruce Geller vedem-underground. 1-877-486-2333 RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL YOUR BUDGET! 5% OFF 1Subject to credit Promo Code: 285 approval.