Our Jewish Voices

A written collective of voices in our Northeast Florida Jewish Community. To submit a story, please email JLife@jewishjacksonville.org. 500-word limit.

Chayala Give Me A Smile-a

For eight years. I attended a Moriah Hebrew Day School in Englewood NJ. Shame lingered from my inability to understand Navi (Prophets) or Gemara (Talmud) taught in Hebrew. When I entered Rabbi Reshevsky’s class, he would open his arms saying “Chayala, Chayala, give me a smile-a.” As …

My Grandmother's Candlestick

Sally Constain, author of The Keys to Fanny, a work of historical fiction inspired by her grandmother's life in the shtetl, has lived in Ponte Vedra, Florida since 2014. She is a member of the Shalom Club in Jacksonville and Hadassah. Read her story today!

Traveling to Israel

Gail Greenfield is a native of Jacksonville, being part of the Safer family. She is a retired RN, on the Regional Board of Hadassah, and facilitates two Jewish Spirituality/Meditation groups at the Beaches/Nocatee. Read her story today!

Grandma's Love

Carole Ort has lived in Jacksonville since 1996 and is a member of the Jacksonville Jewish Center and Jewish Community Alliance with her husband. Read her endearing story about her Jewish upbringing!

Redemption: A Parable by Pinchos Kurinsky

Pinchos Kurinsky is a retired clinical social worker. For over thirty years, he ran programs targeting the Jewish poor, elderly and homeless in New York. Learn more about him and read his poem by clicking the link above.