‘Share your stories with me': Meet Jessica Tzikas, the new Jewish Journal editor
Hello readers,
I am honored to introduce myself as the new editor of the Jewish Journal at the South Florida Sun Sentinel. As a lifelong member of the South Florida Jewish community, the Jewish Journal has been a staple in my household since before I could even read the pages.
I was born and raised in Boca Raton, had my Bat Mitzvah at Temple Beth El, and now immerse my own young children in local Jewish life.
Growing up in Boca Raton meant that Judaism always surrounded me — whether through the friends I sat next to in class or the extracurriculars I attended after school. Still, I experienced my own share of antisemitism, like when a classmate drew a swastika in my fifth-grade yearbook. But it wasn't until I left the safety of my hometown that I realized just how rare, and special, being Jewish really is.
I received my bachelor's degree in editing, writing, and media from Florida State University and quickly moved to Philadelphia after graduation to pursue a master's in publishing from Drexel University. There, I worked as an editor for Philadelphia-based magazines — but while I loved the city, I always felt a strong urge to be home.
After five years away, and with a desire to start a family, I moved back to South Florida, knowing it was the best place to raise my children. Since then, I have written for a variety of local publications, covering restaurants, events, and the people who make our area so notable and diverse.
When Oct. 7, 2023, happened, an uneasiness washed over me and my career trajectory took a turn. After my daughter's Chabad preschool received a bomb threat, I knew I needed to do more for our community. Raising awareness and continuing to be openly proud to be Jewish didn't feel like enough.
I began to focus my writing on Jewish publications, hoping I could help bring a sense of familiarity and belonging to fellow Jews my age. And yet, I still felt I could be doing more. So when the Jewish Journal posted the job for a new editor, I felt it was, as my grandmother always said, 'bashert.'
The Jewish Journal has always been a publication that helps local Jews feel connected. As your new editor, I hope to maintain that connection, continuing its legacy of strong storytelling and community building. We are living in a time of uncertainty, especially when it comes to the Jewish lens, and I hope to inspire conversations on both sides of the coin and to address the issues we face as Jews living in a post-Oct. 7 world.
But more than that, I hope to bring more awareness to our amazing community, to shine a light on all the meaning we bring to South Florida, and to give you, the reader, a platform to share your stories, both big and small.
The landscape of our local community is constantly changing. I had the pleasure of interviewing the new CEO and president of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, Igor Alterman, for my inaugural article in the Jewish Journal. We both expressed our shared goal of ushering in a new generation of South Florida Jews and creating a space for the ever-growing numbers of young families and young professionals moving into and growing up in our community. I aim to stay true to the generations who have come before and who laid the foundation for this publication, but to also grow alongside the younger generations and evolve the Jewish Journal into something we can all be proud of.
I believe that its success lies within all of you, whether you are a lifelong reader or newly joining us. And I hope that together, we can continue to inspire others and write the narratives that deserve to be told. My inbox is always open — please feel free to reach out with your story, your ideas, or to simply say hello.
We should never feel uneasy about telling our Jewish stories. I hope to make the Jewish Journal a space where we can tell them with confidence.
Thank you for trusting me as your editor. I look forward to what's next.
Jewish Journal editor Jessica Tzikas can be reached at jtzikas@sunsentinel.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
44 minutes ago
- New York Post
22 crew members rescued after cargo ship carrying 3,000 electric vehicles catches fire near Alaska
The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to U.S. Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Advertisement 4 Smoke rose from The Morning Midas when it was approximately 300 miles south of Adak, Alaska. AP Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. 4 The ship was carrying around 800 electric vehicles from China en route to Mexico. via REUTERS Advertisement The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system. But they were unable bring the flames under control. 'The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,' Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. 'Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.' 4 The crew abandoned the ship after they could not control a fire. AP The U.S. Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard. Advertisement Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it. 'We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives,' Dean said. 4 'We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives,' Rear Admiral Megan Dean said. AP The 600-foot (183-meter) Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. Advertisement The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico. Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters, which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80% of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New owner of Portsmouth events venue once went to school there
Giovanni Donatelli used to walk the halls of Portsmouth Catholic High School as a young boy. Now, almost four decades later, Donatelli is the new owner of the renovated and renamed building, Cambridge Hall. An entrepreneur who moved to the U.S. in 1982, Donatelli is the founder and CEO of The Language Group, a Virginia Beach-based translation service company established in 1999. His company employs 70 fulltime employees and 600 linguists skilled in 225 languages. The Language Group also has a secondary office in Hamburg, Germany. In early April, Donatelli purchased the building at auction for $660,000. There was also a separate transaction totaling $25,000 to buy the intellectual property rights for the business, including the event hall, website, furniture, artwork and baby grand piano. William J. 'Billy' Summs Sr., auctioneer with Atlantic Asset Management Group, said Donatelli was the perfect buyer. The Italianate-style building was transformed into a wedding and event venue in 2022 by Ed O'Neil, an insurance agent with New York Life in Norfolk. Donatelli plans to reopen it this summer as an event hall to host family and company functions. An immigrant from the east coast of Italy, he said he identifies as a local boy from Portsmouth and cherishes the building. 'I stood where my locker used to be and you can see where the desks used to sit,' he said. 'I can almost see myself sitting in the classrooms again.' Armed with ideas, Donatelli said he will continue to operate it as a rental event hall for now — including employee functions for his business — but he is also thinking about using part of the more than 6,000 square feet for nonprofits. Overjoyed with the amount of care the two most recent owners put into the building following years of neglect, Donatelli, a resident of Virginia Beach, said it's now up to him to be a proper steward of it. 'I would love to have a reunion to celebrate the different classes that graduated from there — back in their own building,' he said. 'And I'd like to make a wall to honor the school with a copy of all the yearbooks.' Situated at the corner of London and Washington streets in Old Towne Portsmouth since 1892, the structure was originally St. Paul's Academy for Boys, then St. Paul's Catholic High School before it became Portsmouth Catholic High School in 1964. The Donatelli family's journey to Hampton Roads began in the late 1970s when his father, Otero, a tailor in his native land, was recruited by Morris Rapoport, late patriarch and founder of The Quality Shops. 'They couldn't find anyone in the U.S. so they extended their search and found my father,' Donatelli said. Rapoport sponsored the family's visas and after 6 years they applied for their citizenship. Donatelli's mother, Grace is known throughout Hampton Roads for her seamstress skills. Donatelli and his younger brother, Sandro began their schooling at the now defunct Shea Terrace Elementary where he fondly remembers they learned to speak English. His love of languages only grew from that experience. When Donatelli was in seventh grade, he started his studies at Portsmouth Catholic. An altar boy in Italy, Donatelli said he continued his faithful service to the church every Sunday, serving mass at St. Paul's Catholic Church adjacent to the school. 'I used to play right there and fly my kite on North Street in the parking lot,' Donatelli said. 'It's my home; even though I'm an immigrant, I really grew up in Portsmouth.' Portsmouth Catholic shuttered in 1991 and Donatelli graduated from Churchland High School the following year. 'It feels right; the sentimental connection is there, and it's really special that I was able to do this,' he said. 'It's really nice to feel like I can offer something back to the community by buying my old schoolhouse.' Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836,
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
What to know about National Puerto Rican Day Festival in Milwaukee
National Puerto Rican Day Festival, an event celebrated in cities across the United States this Sunday, will feature a parade, artists and musical performances in Milwaukee. Here's what to know about the National Puerto Rican Festival. The annual National Puerto Rican Day Festival is hosted by El Conquistador Latino Newspaper with Noticias Wisconsin from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday near the Mitchell Park Domes. The event is free to all attendees. This is separate from the annual Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin on Sept. 21. According to Jose Rodriguez, the event director for El Conquistador Newspaper, this year's National Puerto Rican Festival will also have a parade for the first time in 30 years. The parade starts at 11 a.m. at the corner of South 16th and West Pierce Streets and will head to Mitchell Park, according to Telemundo Wisconsin. Rodriguez said this festival is celebrating its third year, and the last parade celebrating Puerto Rican culture was about 30 years ago. Rodriguez said the return of the parade would bring the community a sense of pride and memories for those who remember festival parades in their childhood. National Puerto Rican Festival and Parade started in New York in celebration of the growing Puerto Rican population in the state. The first parade was held on Sunday, April 13, 1958, in New York City and then spread to other cities including Boston, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. According to Rodriguez, the day is important because it celebrates Puerto Rican culture for the community and a way to revitalize an old tradition. Milwaukee has a long history with Puerto Rican people. Puerto Ricans started moving into Wisconsin after World War II, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. By the 1950s, the Puerto Rican population in Wisconsin stood at more than 2,500 people. That population rose to about 69,000 by 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. After the parade, people will be able to see artists and hear from speakers from Telemundo Wisconsin. The day will feature Puerto Rican artists and performers. People can also participate in the salsa dance competition, hot dog eating contest, a domino tournament and a pincho cook-off. Noon: Opening Ceremony 1 p.m. Ray Y Su Orquesta, a local artist 1:30 p.m. Bembé Drum & Dance, a community-based group that teaches Afro-Latino music and dance to young people. 2 p.m. Septeto Charambó, a Milwaukee-based salsa band. 3 p.m. Orquesta Rumba, a Milwaukee-based band that plays Latin jazz, salsa and cumbia 4 p.m. Freddy B It Ain't Me, a Milwaukee musical artist 4:30 p.m. Salsabrositas, a Milwaukee-based dance group. Más Tempo, a Milwaukee musician. 6 p.m. Orquesta Ayala, a Milwaukee-based salsa group This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee celebrates National Puerto Rican Festival this Sunday
