Atlanta Jewish TImes, No. 5, February 14, 2014

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religion

B’nai B’rith Condemns Presbyterian Church’s Position DECRIES DVD AS ANTI-ISRAEL, ANTI-SEMITIC

FROM B’NAI B’RITH INTERNATIONAL B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B

’nai B’rith International deplores the Presbyterian Church (USA) for publishing and selling an “educational” document and DVD entitled, “Zionism Unsettled: A Congregational Study Guide,” which promotes virulent hatred of Israel, as well as animosity toward the historic rights and fundamental sensibilities of Jews across the religious and political spectrum.

According to the church’s website, the guide – created by the denomination’s Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) – draws on “compelling and diverse viewpoints from Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Israel, Palestine, the U.S., and around the globe.”

Despite the rosy terms in which the church describes the guide, its description is profoundly deceptive. The church conceals the actual nature of the publication – engagement in vile revisionism of not merely Israeli, but Jewish history too – while exploiting fringe perspectives to legitimize polemics contrary to any understanding of genuine interreligious dialogue and peacemaking.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has supported and marketed a hateful and defamatory anti-Jewish publication, perversely obscuring Israel’s very right to exist alongside its neighbors.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence in more than 50 countries, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. For more information visit www.bnaibrith.org

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February 14 ▪ 2014

We hope that the members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will see through the distortion of facts and the politicization of “education,” and renounce this assault on truth, decency and intercommunal relations.

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israel

Israeli Pride

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February 14 ▪ 2014

MaKiNG aTLaNTaNS FuNNiER SiNCE 1990

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KILLER HIV VIRUS CAN SAVE LIVES. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have identified how the HIV virus suppresses the T-cell immune response. It has helped them develop a peptide (small protein) that reduces the severity of Multiple Sclerosis - a disease characterized by an undesirable autoimmune T-cell response.

EDUCATION SYSTEM GOES GLOBAL. Seventy schools in the U.S., plus others in Australia, Austria, India, Poland and Singapore are now using the Israel-developed CIJE Excellence 2000 program. Mind-bending math problems and international competitions, puzzles and challenges build a school-wide culture of excellence.

ISRAELI TOURISM GROWTH. Israel attracted an all-time record of nearly 3.6 million international visitors in 2013, up two percent from 2012.

Tourism in the rest of the East Mediterranean was gloomier. Rarely publicized cooperation between Israeli and PA tourism officials facilitated easy access to Christian sites.

FIFTY PERCENT MORE USAGE. The power-extending products from Israel’s Lucidlogix Solutions can now extend battery life of smartphones and tablets by 50 percent. GameXtend, WebXtend and NavXtend are targeted at Android device manufacturers who want to reduce the power drain from high-performance hardware and software.

CO-EXISTENCE THROUGH FOOTBALL. Jewish and Arab children in Israel will come together for a new initiative supported by the British Embassy. It will provide year-round football-based activities for Jewish and Arab children aged 10-12 years.

More than 180 children participated in the launch tournament.

ISRAELI FILM WINS SUNDANCE. Tel Aviv University student Yuval Hameiri won the Short Film Jury Award: Non-Fiction category at the Sundance Film Festival, one of the world’s largest cinematic competitions for independent filmmakers.

“I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked,” beat 8,161 entries.

NEW EILAT OCEAN STUDIES CENTER. Israel’s Ben Gurion University and Canada’s Dalhousie University are to jointly build an internationally recognized Ocean Studies center in Eilat. The center will focus on marine biology, oceanography, undersea geology, endangered species, marine security and marine management.

CURRENCY RESERVES ALL-TIME RECORD. The value of the Bank of Israel’s deposits of foreign currency rose in January by $1.4 billion to a new record $83.1 billion.

MORE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), a Christian Zionist organization based in Jerusalem, has sponsored the immigration of another wave of members of India’s Bnei Menashe “lost tribe” to Israel, reuniting them with their families and ancestral homeland.

TWELVE SURVIVORS CELEBRATE COMING OF AGE. Twelve Holocaust survivors, five men and seven women, celebrated a joint bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah ceremony in Haifa, which they were unable to mark during their youth. “At the age of 13, I was in Auschwitz,” one of them said.

“There wasn’t really anyone to talk to about celebrations.”

SHABBAT SONGS REVIVE “NO-HOPE” PATIENT. On Shabbat morning, two religious students visited Netanya’s Laniado Hospital to distribute sweets and wish everyone a “speedy recovery.” They sang to a dying 60-yearold woman and by Monday she had revived, amazing the medical staff.

“Thanks to them I am alive,” she said.

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EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief

letters to the editor Dear Editor:

M

y great grandmother, may she rest in peace, used to cringe anytime the news would broadcast the name of a “sinner” with a Jewish sounding name.

The world in which she grew up informed her that such identifications were not good for our people.

Therefore, I bet she would have cringed to hear billionaire Sam Zell, born to Jewish Polish immigrants, pontificate about the income disparity growing in the goldeneh medinah.

He has the chutzpah to blame the negative reaction to such a phenomenon on the envy pervasive among the lower 99 percent of us. Instead, he avers, we all should be emulating his cadre’s work

ethic. (I can just imagine Marie Antoinette egging him on.)

Not only is Zell’s analysis a pox on Jewish ethical understanding and prescriptions, he must be living in an economics la-la land.

Is he unaware of the impact of globalization in which unfettered capital flows toward the relatively immobile, lowest paid labor markets? In which the 1 percent parlay their outsized political influence into favorable tax, trade, an anti-union legislation? In which their children’s schools, neighborhoods, and networks provide them access to opportunities, while the vast majority of Americans are supposed to content ourselves with Horatio Alger stories? In which anyone being served by a minimum wage-earner ought to realize a minimum wage multiplied by 80 hrs./wk., 52 wks./yr. doesn’t even grant one median middle class status?

The 99 precent have not abandoned our work ethic. Rather, we are smart enough to know that Zell’s ethic is grist for the mill of revolution, which history

teaches arises not out of the ranks of welfare mothers, but out of the ranks of a middle class disgusted by such condescension.

Rabbi Scott B. Saulson, PhD Brookhaven

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Jaffe’s Jewish Jive

Opening Night at the AJFF Gala FOOD, FASHION AND FILM – EQUALS JEWISH TRIFECTA

BY MARCIA JAFFE AJT Contributor

T

he Oscars have nothing on Atlanta; our red carpet was just as swell, our food divine.

We had a rough snow-week and suffered from “cabin fever;” and it was a grateful and grand crowd who come out to the Cobb Energy Center as Atlanta Jewish Film Festival sponsors ($300 per person ticket reduced to $150 for the younger set, or included in a patron pass) of the rescheduled gala on Jan. 30.

Stephanie Karpas

Ok, so it’s shallow to brag about clothes and labels, but we had a “tongue-in-cheek” look at some men and women who spiffed themselves up to walk the red carpet at the Gala.

Fashion is not all about money and designers. Many sported colorful, stylish, comfortable outfits. It was paramount to have ample waist room to consume huge amounts of unlimited gourmet food and an open bar.

After all, we needed some levity after seeing Atlanta cursed, criticized, and derided on national news for Snow Jam.

My biggest challenge was not just balancing three plates at a time, plus a drink, but gluttonously mixing the small plates in jumbled order from the

Ali Spizman

Brenda Benamy Lewis

Ray Rothman

vendor tables.

As a strategy, I went from smoked trout to baklava, ceviche back to a different baklava.

Then to AJA’s sushi combo (maybe six times), baklava, water chestnut soup, humus, baklava.

The art was to Marcia Goldman Mother Daughter Morris team zero-in on the top been coming for a number of years. items for your taste All types of movies, especially dramas, and not waste “limited stretch stomach documentaries, ones about Israel and space” to gouge on common things like the Holocaust; and ones with humor chips or fillers. and something uplifting are always a Walking the Red Carpet plus.”

Greeter, ticket administrator, and This year she was wearing two newly engaged Ali Spizman dazzled in special pieces of jewelry from Kenneth a metallic dress and matching big bang Gordon Private Jewelers. The necklace necklace – all from Fox’s. was luminous South Sea pearls; and

February 14 ▪ 2014

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Ali’s fire engine red lipstick added the ‘wow’ contrast to her silver sparkling ensemble. Movie wise, Ali said she was most looking forward to seeing “Quality Balls,” the documentary about David Steinberg.

the splurge earrings were platinum and diamond made in New York City.

Brenda Benamy Lewis’ hour glass tomato-red silhouetted dress was for NUE by SHANE, which she bought in NYC.

Marcia Goldman, in a chocolatepiped tan set from Cache, was looking most forward to “The Prime Ministers,” a documentary told through the eyes of Yehuda Avner, an adviser to five Israeli prime ministers.

Brenda said she was most looking forward to seeing that night’s feature, “Run Boy Run” which was a spectacularly photographed movie about a young boy’s survival during the Holocaust.

Ray’s “look forward to” movie was “Kidon” which imagines the puzzle behind the real-life assassination of a Hamas leader.

I did have to close my eyes at certain scenes; but definitely worth experiencing the ending.

Marcia added some eclecticism with her embroidered elephant purse from Chang Mei, Thailand. I defer to my memory from last November of spending six hours atop a huge swaying elephant in the woods of Chang Mei sans an embroidered purse.

Ray Rothman walked the red carpet in a white shoulder boa. Ray said, “I love attending the AJFF and have

A mother/ daughter combo was also fashion forward. Belinda and Lydia Morris shone in Cache (white/black

block dress) and Mom’s Alnoral (decades old) harlequin top.

Their “must see” movie list was

Joey was there at the Festival’s inception, having created the now very familiar chair logo. BrightHouse also authored the Festival’s new theme

needed no fuss as her Lion of Judah pin was the most telling and meaningful statement in itself.

in the department stores, plus preselected(limited choices that don’t overwhelm) au courant shoes, purses and costume jewelry at discount prices.

Sometimes their fashions are too trendy or youthful; but it’s still inspiring.

Fox’s make me nervous because of their restrictive three-day return policy, but it’s worth it. And the nerve not to accept credit cards. Who does that?

But they do have live human sales people who help match up outfits and tell you if your derriere looks too wide in the wrong kind of pattern.

Professor Matthew Bernstein

Marcia Jaffe

line, “Feast Film.”

Cynthia and Joey Reiman

“Bethlehem” (a cliff hanger centered on the tragic relationship between an Israeli intelligence officer and his Palestinian informant) and “The Zigzag Kid,” a family friendly action packed tale about a 13-year-old Dutch “boy detective.”

Debra Segal’s Philosophy black and white wrap dress was “a find” from Loehmanns, well accessorized with Coach shoes, and a mink trimmed St. Tropez alligator bag.

The biggest fashion fuss was over svelte standout beauty Stephanie Karpas (“Yes,” she said “just like Passover.”) Her escort teasingly said she was a “professional model;” and we could believe it.

Her tri-colored horizontal striped knit was from Neiman’s (Ronny KOBO) with black leggings and low heeled boots.

The Guys Have It Going On Too One of Atlanta’s male fashion favorites is Joey Reiman. Reiman, author of “The Story of Purpose” and CEO of BrightHouse and BrightHouse Pictures, produced the AJFF Introductory film as a gift.

Debra Segal

on

Known for his innovative flair for style, Joey was wearing a handpainted colorful pair of jeans by the late artist Paul Chelko with whom he had a long-time friendship.

Renee, in head to toe Chanel, said, “I have a ton of black.” Their go-to movie was “Bethlehem.”

A Note on Retail Therapy Fox’s has only one location in Atlanta. I first discovered them in South Florida. They know what Jewish women like: things you don’t see

A “good bye” word about Loehmann’s and Syms – may they rest in peace. I bought my wedding dress at Loehmann’s back room in 1980, and sought out Loehmann’s for decades in Beverly (Hills) Center, 17th Street in Manhattan, Aventura Mall and even Pompano, Fla. I also reveled over “hit or miss finds” at Syms - “where we educated consumers were their best customers.”

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The pants were sent to him as a gift after Paul passed away; and Joey wore them to demonstrate his mission (like Paul’s) which is focused on helping causes. I’ll never forget when Reiman addressed the staff at the conservative Atlanta Journal Constitution in blue velvet slippers.

Another local “stand-out-hunk” was Matthew Bernstein, Professor and Chair of Emory’s Department of Film and Media Studies.

Actually I didn’t know who he was initially; just was complimenting his pink shirt and fabulous aquamarine cufflinks. Bernstein’s suit was Armani, his shirt and cufflinks won sentimental honors for being left to him by his late father 10 years ago.

Bernstein, our real expert, lists his favorite AJFF films as: “Bethlehem,” “Ida,” “Kidon,” “Omar,” “The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers,” “Run Boy Run,” “The Wonders,” and “The Zigzag Kid.” In fact, Bernstein has six pages in the AJFF booklet dedicated to his “Professor’s Picks - Not To Be Missed.”

Finally, best buddies, Mark Kopkin and Renee Evans, were crisp and dazzling. Mark was in a custom Dario Perla suit (adore his pocket tri fold). Renee

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Jaffe’s Jewish Jive

Both mega discounters understood Jewish fashion, but they got off track in the past few years with new owners, or by trying to be something other than their original business model. Jewish women with any memory feel this loss.

My black and lemon diamond patterned dress for the gala was Just Taylor, a steal from TJMaxx at $39.99, as were the leather-like leggings. This time they didn’t rip out the label.

I squeezed into a wide three headed lion belt from the Festival Flea Market in Pompano, Florida. $10. What fun!

The Main Feature “Run Boy Run” Mark Kopkin said, “‘Run Boy Run’ touched me, as it hit so many emotions from the sadness in the way this young boy was treated, to respect for his persistence and perseverance, to anger for the way the woman was treated that sheltered this innocent child. I thought it was a great film; and the gala preceding was fantastic!”

Matt Bernstein, our movie guru said, “Opening night was the second

t i m e I saw “ R u n B o y Run.” I admired it very highly from the first. A p o w erful, moving, stunMargot Alfie’s dessert booth n i n g f i l m beautifully made.”

That being said, although these movies must and should be made, and their stories told, I couldn’t help hearing comments such as: “I am taking a break from the gut-wrenching, despair, ‘tearing my insides’ out type of movies” or “I am passing on the Holocaust and Palestinian conflict movies this year” or “The child’s arm being mangled on the farm or the dog being shot in his arms made me cover my eyes.”

The festival offers something for everyone; and in the past few days, I saw “Marvin Hamlisch – What He Did For Love” and the “American Jerusalem: Jews and the Making of San Francisco.”

The 1915 World’s Fair, Levi Strauss, the Gold Rush, the earthquake, America’s first Jewish major, all lend a different look at easy assimilation in San Francisco.

Both were A+ and worth the drive to Merchants Walk at 9:30 p.m. in 33 degree weather.

Note in the Hamlisch movie, the aging women Angie Dickinson and Carol Bayer Sager looked terrific; and the men like Christopher Walken looked like the “walking dead” with spiked hair.

Those Who Served Us One of the more lively booths was Margot Alfie’s “Cooking with Margot” of Mexican-Syrian heritage. She caters intimate gatherings from tapas to high tea; luckily that night she had her cascading dessert display: butter sugar cookies, almond apricot pistachio paste pin wheels, chocolate and traditional baklava.

Margot was on the AJFF movie selection committee and viewed over 250 movies. Hope she microwaved her own popcorn.

February 14 ▪ 2014

Fuego Mundo was a first time exhibitor this year. Co-owner Masha Herskovitz said, “I loved being a major sponsor and working with such a great cause and group of people. We wanted to promote the films and festival, and at the same time, expose more people to our authentic South American, healthy, dairy-free and certified kosher cuisine.

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“We provided a 100 percent sponsorship that night including feeding 800 people, decor, staffing, a silent auction prize for a three-course meal for six people, and a commitment to feed 45 AJFF volunteers ‘gratis.’ It was our first time participating in the gala.

This is the first year that AJFF has offered its patrons our kosher option, so there were a lot of ‘firsts’.”

My personal “fav” AJA started with a Tuna Tataki, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Vegetable Roll combo. Here To Serve has been involved with AJFF for five years. In addition to the booth, they also had a silent auction item.

General Manager David Abes said, “We love giving back to the community

that has supported us for so long. It’s impossible to measure the wealth of that kind of return!”

Noting that they avoided meat (and non-kosher seafood), Abes said, “We really love to introduce festival attendees to our 11 concepts, but we also like to be considerate about people’s preferences – so it’s no coincidence!”

Israeli Animal Magnetism Another fun touch was the Israeli partner in “Mag-nificent,” who took the red carpet pictures and transformed them into magnets to distribute as favors during the evening.

“We really have a unique story.

Both my partner and I are Jewish; we met at summer camp; and when I moved here from Israel, we started the company together,” said Roey Shoshan.

It costs $299 an hour with a minimum of three hours on weekends (less during the week). They boast such clients as Audi, The Atlanta Hawks, Four Seasons, Dominos, and Star 94.

Adora Israeli food booth said they came over from Tel Aviv just for this event. To my taste, the humus was pasty and “blah,” not even as good as Sabra.(Luscious Lemon is the best).

They were hospitable, upbeat and did a better job with their creamy chestnut soup.

It’s Not Too Late As of the gala night, 152 screenings were already sold out. Sometimes new tickets go on sale, and some viewers have been known to show up at the box office and get in.

But it’s not too late to participate in the second largest Jewish film festival in the U.S. (San Fran being number one).

And remember to arrive early to claim a seat. Some have begrudgingly had to sit on the front row since others arrived an hour early with extra scarves, purses, and coats to save multiple seats for their entire neighborhood, who then saunter in at the last minute.

After 35 years with the Atlanta Newspapers, Marcia currently serves as Retail VP for the Buckhead Business Association where she delivers news and trends(laced with a little gossip).

On the side, Marcia is Captain of the Senior Cheerleaders for the WNBA at Philips Arena.

AJT

film festival

AJFF Review: ‘The Pawnbroker’

CLASSIC FILM ON RACE, SURVIVOR GUILT STILL IMPACTFUL the unwed mother – poverty stricken black and white people.

n 1965, movie-goers all across America were introduced to Sol Nazerman, the deeply depressed Holocaust survivor and main character of the movie “The Pawnbroker,” wherein Nazerman’s dingy, dark pawnshop was just an extension of his ailing soul.

Nazerman treats his customers the same way the Nazis treated the Jews, with contempt. In private, he calls them “scums, rejects.” They enter his store in desperate need of money.

Some of Nazerman’s customers just want to hear a kind word from him, but his dialogue is cold, dry, and non-redemptive.

I

“The Pawnbroker” was one of those rare movies that grabbed the consciousness of the viewer by showing the desperate acts and desperate people of Nazerman’s gritty world.

Like most groundbreaking, unforgettable movies, “The Pawnbroker” received its fair share of criticism when it premiered because it dealt with the taboo subject of Holocaust survivor-guilt, as well as the complex race relationships between African Americans and Jews.

The gritty setting of 1960s Harlem, N.Y. parallels the images of Nazi Germany. From the beginning of the movie, the audience is sucked into Nazerman’s world as he drives to work.

The loud, screeching subway train painfully reminds Nazerman of the cattle cars carrying Jewish victims to Auschwitz. Shoes heaped in front of the window of an old shoe repair shop are eerie reminders of the mounds of shoes that were next to the gas chamber at Auschwitz.

Poor African Americans who have become numb to the poverty around them can be seen gambling near stoops or walking with their faces etched in hopelessness, just like the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto.

Nazerman’s pawnshop is really a metaphor for the concentration camp.

There are wired gates separating Nazerman and his merchandise from the customers that enter the shop. Even during the day time, the cinematography of the movie creates a dark, loathsome place, a constant reminder of Nazerman’s private thoughts.

At night, the headlights of passing cars cast an eerie shadow in the shop that resembles search lights of the concentration camp, just waiting to expose a doomed shadow.

The customers that enter Nazerman’s store are considered the dregs of society: the prostitute, the drug addict,

“I remember seeing ‘The Pawnbroker’ a long time ago,” states pawnbroker David Goldwasser. “I could not relate to Nazerman’s deep depression. But I do remember when a Holocaust survivor came into my store once to pawn his Russian prayer book. It was a very ornate book.”

For 63 years, David Goldwasser, along with his family, owned and operated the Brooklyn Loan Company in Atlanta.

According to Goldwasser, Nazerman’s business could never have survived in the real world.

“Having a genuine, long-term relationship is key to a successful business,” says Goldwasser. “I stayed in business so long because I listened to people’s problems. I did get a lot of people coming in the shop who were down on their luck, but I gave them credit and many times paid for them to buy clothes and food. I served all people from all colors and backgrounds. Generations and generations of customers came to my store.”

Like Goldwasser, it appears that there are times when Nazerman wants to tear down the walls of his mind and engage his customers, but he never really does. He wears his past like a heavy blanket. The unforgettable flashback scenes throughout the movie give the audience an even deeper glimpse into Nazerman’s private memories.

Most of Nazerman’s customers are African Americans. Rodriguez is the African American crime boss who helps Nazerman illegally obtain money for his shop. Rodriguez and Nazerman have a complex relationship full of dependency and tension. Ultimately, they depend on each other for survival.

Overall, the film is committed to depicting the complex relationship between African American and Jews.

It was set during a time when the civil rights movement was becoming very prominent. Even five decades since the premiere of “The Pawnbro-

ker,” few movies have explored the unique bond that Jews and African Americans had before the Civil Rights Movement.

“When Jews like Nazerman came to America, many of them opened businesses in black neighborhoods because there was an obvious need, and they did not have the racial prejudice towards blacks that many whites did. The blacks appreciated the Jews providing important services,” states Goldwasser.

“The 1960s were an interesting time for Jews and blacks. In Atlanta, blacks were beginning to get better opportunities. A lot of Jews were marching with King [Martin Luther King Jr.] because they knew that he was fighting for their rights too,” Goldwasser adds.

Some of the other controversial themes in the film are interracial relationships. Jesus Ortiz, Nazerman’s Puerto Rican assistant is dating an African American prostitute.

Ortiz’s first name is symbolic, and he ends up redeeming Nazerman at the end of the movie. Ortiz’s girlfriend bares her breast to Nazerman to try to entice him to give her money, but her display only brings flashbacks of his wife being raped by the S.S. guards in a concentration camp. Gang violence is also a prominent theme in the movie.

“The Pawnbroker” received many awards, but it never received the coveted Oscar. However, in 2008, the movie was chosen for historic preservation by the U.S. National Film Registry because it was, and still is considered historically and culturally important “Many of the street scenes of “The Pawnbroker” are unscripted. They are the real sights, and sounds of Harlem, New York during the 1960s, so the movie serves as a time capsule for anybody who wants to experience this particular period of time,” states Stephen Leggett, program coordinator for the Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board.

Gracious living,

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February 14 ▪ 2014

BY TIFFANY PARKS SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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AJT

film festival

AJFF Review: ‘Aftermath’ LESSONS LEARNED FROM AJFF FILMS PT. 2

By DR. DAVID RYBACK

the real-life cover-up of a Jewish massacre at the hands of Catholic Poles.

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

D

eemed one of the most controversial Polish films ever made, “Aftermath” is a mystery-thriller based on

When we meet our main character Franek, he has left his native vil-

WORLD PREMIERE Lily Balsen in the Alliance Theatre’s 2013/14 world premiere production In Love and Warcraft. Photo by Greg Mooney.

For gamers & romantics at heart.

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“An original romantic comedy for the digital age.”

2014 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition Winner

—Wendell Brock, AJC

lage in Poland for Chicago to escape family issues. Nevertheless, Franek returns when he hears that his younger brother, Jozef, is having problems with the other villagers.

It turns out that Jozef has been destroying roads and removing the stones that make their foundations.

These stones, we discover, are the tombstones of Jews long dead from the era of the Nazi occupation.

Franek cannot fathom why his brother is doing this inane thing. He does, however, feel some burning hostility among the villagers.

Finally getting his brother to open up, Franek discovers that Jozef has an uncontrollable obsession to unlock the secret of these murdered Jews.

February 14 ▪ 2014

By Madhuri Shekar Directed by Laura Kepley

NOW–February 23 Tickets @ 404.733.5000

alliancetheatre.org/loveandwarcraft | Groups 404.733.4690

Series on the Hertz Stage

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Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

Were they murdered by the Nazis or is there some deeper secret hiding in the ground? Most importantly, what do we learn from a film such as this?

“Aftermath” reminds us that memories never die, even when beaten down by lies, hostility and burial.

How difficult it is to realize our own culpability in unspeakable evil.

Truth can be devastating, espe-

cially when the layers are peeled to the core, and reveal that blame can be shared more widely than we ever imagined.

In the final scenes, we see a Jewish group of tourists sharing Kaddish for their sacrificed forebears. Franek joins the group, lighting his own candle for these victims of war, and sharing his own sense of responsibility for the anti-Semitism that prevailed so widely, ignited by the vile Nazi murders that invaded most of Europe.

“Aftermath” reveals what hateful and ignorant anti-Semites tried to hide. They were successful for so many years, but the truth prevailed, putting the blame where it belonged, no longer hidden in the mud of criminal secrecy.

Dr. David Ryback is an Atlanta psychologist, author and speaker. He can be reached at David@EQassociates. com. Read Dr. Ryback’s first film review online at atlantajewishtimes.com

AJT

community

MJCCA Ensemble at National Theatre Festival YOUNG PERFORMERS RETURN TO JUNIOR THEATRE FESTIVAL

BY LORA SOMMER

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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tephanie Friedman, MJCCA’s Arts & Culture Program Coordinator, recently led a group of 13 young performers from the MJCCA Youth Ensemble, as they participated in the Junior Theatre Festival with 4,000 other kids from all over the country.

The MJCCA’s Youth Ensemble, consisting of 23 students, had rehearsed for 26 weeks to perform the full-length production of “Annie” at the MJCCA. Thirteen of those students were invited to perform an abbreviated, 15-minute version of “Annie” at the Junior Theatre Festival.

Step up the pace.

Online student

Lindsay Little enrolled in an accounting class while studying abroad.

Four members of the MJCCA cast received special honors at the Festival: Elena Dollinger, Logan Sucan, Rose Lubin, and Jesse Price.

The MJCCA’s Youth Ensemble The MJCCA presents two Youth Ensemble sessions per year. The 26-session class employs a workshopstyle technique, and while the focus is kept on education, there is a performance at the end of each session.

The next Youth Ensemble presents, “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown,” which began Jan. 27, and will conclude with performances on May 5 and 6. Participants in this class will learn all music, scenes and choreography in preparation for the performances.

Be Fearless.

Are you juggling work and family and just need one class to graduate? Or maybe you want to start college by taking just an art or history class? In any case, GPC offers eight-week fall courses to fit your busy schedule. Second-half registration* is now open for classes starting October 14! *Future student applications must be completed and evaluated on or before Sept. 29.

All youth ensemble sessions take place in the MJCCA’s Morris & Rae Frank Theatre.

For information, contact Stephanie Friedman at Stephanie.Friedman@atlantajcc.org, or visit www. atlantajcc.org.

gpc.edu/secondhalf

February 14 ▪ 2014

Friedman said, “The kids had a blast at the Junior Theatre Festival!

This was the second year we participated and it was such a great way to culminate the session. The young actors represented the MJCCA beautifully and performed with great energy and focus. We watched several other groups perform, and met 4,000 new theatre friends from 92 groups, representing 26 states.”

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AJT

community

Hadassah at “The Geller Girls” World Premiere MOUNT SCOPUS GROUP ATTENDS, MEETS PLAYWRIGHT SPECiaL FOR THE AJT

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he Mount Scopus Group of Greater Atlanta Hadassah attended the world premiere of “The Geller Girls” at the Alliance Theatre on Sunday evening Jan. 26.

Many members who were present met with the playwright, Janece Schaffer, prior to the performance.

For more information about Hadassah and upcoming events, please contact Susan Berkowitz at (404) 622-9601, or by email at mtscopushadassah@aol.com ABOVE (l-r) Alexis Cutchins, MD Cardiologist; Nancy Fried, Registered Dietician; Susan Berkowitz, President, Mt. Scopus Hadassah; Dennis de Garcia, Certified Personal Trainer, and Rabbi Kassorla, Congregation Or VeShalom

LEFT: Janece Schaffer, playwright with Mt. Scopus President Susan Berkowitz.

Every Beat Counts

“…even if you have never given these creatures much consideration, spend some time in this show…”

EVENT SPOTLIGHTS HEART HEALTH

New York Times

“…expectant and enormous, skeletal and spooky…”

Chicago Tribune

SPECiaL FOR THE AJT

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n Tues., Feb. 4, the Mount Scopus Group of Greater Atlanta Hadassah presented with Congregation Or VeShalom, “Every Beat Counts: Hadassah’s Heart Health Program.”

New Exhibit!

!

fernbankmuseum.org/whales

W

O

RR O

M

TO

February 14 ▪ 2014

S

N PE O

®

This was an educational event to promote women’s heart health. The program is part of a national initiative to provide guidance to women of all ages on prevention of heart disease, is the leading cause of death among American women.

Whales: Giants of the Deep was developed and presented by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

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For more information about Hadassah and upcoming events, please contact Susan Berkowitz at (404) 622-9601, or by email at mtscopushadassah@aol.com

AJT

tell & kvell

Local Entrepreneur Honored with International Grant JKG AND ROI HELP Ana Fuchs CONTINUE PIONEERING WORK IN JEWISH EDUCATION an afterschool program (a combination of a Hebrew school and an afterschool fter a global search, an Atlanta program that is offered up to five days a native recently became one of week) and a Sunday morning program.

JKG currently serves 130 students, only seven young profession- als from around the world to ages preschool through fifth grade. receive the prestigious Natan Grants Twenty percent of the children attend the afterschool all five days, according for ROI Entrepreneurs.

Ana Fuchs, founding Executive to Fuchs.

This independent Director of Jewish Kids Hebrew school, whose Group (JKG), a new indemotto is, “A reimagpendent Hebrew school ined, reinvented, and rithat offers “summer-camp diculously cool Hebrew style, content-rich, meanSchool,” promises experiingful Jewish supplemenential Jewish learning in a tal education for children camp-like setting. from unaffiliated or interfaith families,” was named

“We provide stellar a recipient of the grant Jewish education to more funded by the Natan Fund, and more Jewish families a giving circle for young irrespective of whether or professionals, to support not they have chosen to beROI Community members’ long to a synagogue,” said Ana Fuchs innovative ideas for diverFuchs. sifying Jewish life in com “What we do is something very difmunities around the world. ferent,” she continued. “We pick up the

The $40,000 in grants will be allo- kids from school and first give them cated to seven ROI Community mem- a hug hello. We’re actually based in a bers from the United States, Mexico, house. We have all of these amazing India and Israel. counselors and directors. It is Jewish

The partnership between Natan summer camp. It’s the most delicious and ROI Community, a program of program you can imagine.” the Schusterman Family Foundation But the fun atmosphere is groundwas created to bring together Natan ed in a cutting-edge curriculum and a Fund’s young philanthropists with focus on building meaningful Jewish ROI members’ cutting-edge projects for friendships and community, akin to global Jewish engagement, thereby fa- those forged at Jewish summer camps, cilitating a deeper impact on the Jewish which studies have shown contribute to world. higher rates of positive Jewish identity,

“Through these grants we are able according to Fuchs. to support entrepreneurs working on Fuchs background is in scholarly truly grassroots initiatives, while con- research. In fact, it was while working necting our members to the breadth at the Institute for the Study of Modof innovative ideas shaping Jewish life ern Israel at Emory University that the around the world,” said Jackie Fish- seeds for JKG were planted. man, Assistant Director of the Natan

Two local families – one affiliated Fund. and the other unaffiliated – had found

According to No’a Gorlin, Associate each other and contacted Fuchs. “They Executive Director of ROI Community, wanted something cool and Jewish for “We see this partnership as an oppor- their kids,” recalled Fuchs. tunity to continue investing in involved,

At first Fuchs was hesitant. She enthusiastic young Jews who can inalready had a job. So she quoted them vigorate their peers and themselves, what she admitted was a ridiculously as they help to shape a thriving Jewish high price, assuming it would scare future.” them off. It didn’t.

As for the 31-year-old Fuchs, who

“That was my first indication that grew up in Virginia Highland, receiving there was an unbelievable need for the Natan Grant is a “double simcha.” this,” she said. What began as Fuchs

“We are honored to receive this teaching six kids in garage for an after grant because the financial support is school program quickly multiplied to 65 much needed, but it also represents all kids. of the intellectual and developmental

After that, Fuchs started running support we have received as a result of focus groups, “What we found was that being a part of the ROI cohort, which is even families affiliated with a synaall about building relationships,” she gogue wanted more and better Jewish said. education,” she said.

Established in 2011, the Jewish

The challenge was especially great Kids Group (JKG) offers six days a for two working parent families who, on week of programming in the form of the one hand, have an increased need

A

for childcare, but on the other hand, didn’t want to drag their children to after school or Sunday school kicking and screaming, according to Fuchs.

“Why do they love summer camp and they hate this?” Fuchs wondered.

“Why can’t we combine this? The answer was obvious: a Jewish afterschool.”

In 2010, there was only one program like this in the entire country, located in Boston.

Today, JKG is one of a growing number of afterschool-Jewish schools around the country. Fuchs helped establish a cohort for executive directors of these new models for Jewish education to share and learn from each other.

The cohort received a grant from the Covenant Foundation.

The way Fuchs sees it, these alternative models of Jewish education are filling a need for many Jewish families in North America.

“There are challenges with the traditional supplemental Hebrew school model and until now, nothing has been done to dramatically and sustainably

change the model nationwide. Right now we have got to try new options for Hebrew school because there is a reverse trend of Jewish discontinuity,” she said.

In Atlanta alone, 84 percent of Jewish children receive no Jewish education, according to Fuchs.

But she is quick to point that just because JKS is an independent school that is not affiliated with a synagogue does not mean that she is anti the organized or traditional Jewish world.

“I think synagogue membership is important. I personally belong to two synagogues,” Fuchs said. “But many of these families aren’t going to synagogue anyway,” she added. “What we’re giving them is what they want: a relevant, dynamic, high quality Jewish education that teaches why it’s a privilege to be Jewish with a curriculum that is fun, serious, and joyful.”

February is American Heart Month Visit Dr. Jason S. Reingold, MD, FACC at Atlanta Cardiology & Primary Care to make sure your heart is healthy.

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February 14 ▪ 2014

BY ABIGAIL PICKUS SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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AJT

tell & kvell

Ira Blecker Named Partner at Levy Tax & Consulting, LLC VETERAN CPA TO HELP LEAD FAST-GROWING FIRM SPECiaL FOR THE AJT

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ra Blecker has been named partner at Levy Tax & Consulting LLC and will help lead the fast-growing company with founder Sam Levy.

Additionally, the 10-person firm recently expanded its office space in Dunwoody due to rapid growth, at the Crown Pointe office park.

Mr. Blecker has been with Levy Tax & Consulting since its founding in 2010.

The firm offers innovative tax and consulting solutions for individual and business clients.

Longtime clients include prominent law firms, multiple-office physician groups, consultants, engineers, promotional products companies, real estate firms and start-up technology companies. Levy Tax & Consulting also assists high net-worth clients with personal tax planning and compliance.

“Ira is not only an incredibly talented CPA but a leader within our business and our industry,” said founder Sam Levy. “I am privileged to call him a partner and look forward to working together to bring our services and solutions to an ever-growing numbers of business clients in Atlanta.”

Prior to joining Levy Tax & Consulting in 2010, Mr. Blecker was with Rosenthal & Kaplin. Earlier in his career he worked at Frazier & Deeter in Atlanta and Beers & Cutler in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Blecker has a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Florida and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Georgia Society of CPAs.

“I am excited to become a partner at Levy Tax & Consulting and take an even bigger role in capitalizing on our incredible success and momentum of the last three years,” said Blecker.

Artwork Brightens Lives of Special Needs Patients BAT MITZVAH TOVA LEAH EIDEX INSPIRES OTHERS TO HELP FOUNDATION SPECiaL FOR THE AJT

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s part of her bat mitzvah celebration several months ago, Tova Leah Eidex and her family recognized a need at a local organization with which they have a personal connection.

The non-profit Dentistry for the Developmentally Disabled (DDD) Foundation provides dental care that is critical to special needs patients, including Tova’s 10-year-old brother, Effie.

February 14 ▪ 2014

Since every penny at DDD is put directly toward patient care, the organization’s physical space was described as bare, “clinical,” and sparse, lacking in color and décor.

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Tova, along with her seventh grade classmates and many friends, crafted bright and cheerful art work to make the dental clinic a more inviting and comforting environment for the 4000 adults and children who are treated there every year, and for whom dental care can be quite stressful and frightening.

The Eidex family delivered the framed artwork to DDD and the staff was overjoyed and so grateful. Tova and her class now represent Torah Day School on the “DDD Foundation” facebook page, as well as on the walls of the office.

Yasher koach Tova Leah Eidex!

AJT

eden’s garden

Snowpocalypse Reflections REMINDERS ABOUT LIFE, DEATH FROM ONE SMALL PUDDLE

BY EDEN FARBER AJT CONTRIBUTOR

C

arefully stepping over small, dirty puddles on the street – the only things left of Atlanta’s “snowpocalypse” two weeks ago – I am reminded that nothing is permanent. Neither snow nor sunshine; neither destruction nor peace.

This impermanence is only enhanced by our fast-paced lifestyle. We require almost instantaneous gratification for something to be up to our standards.

Scrolling through Facebook newsfeeds, death is replaced by birth is replaced by politics is replaced by romance, before anyone can get a chance to process what any of that actually means to us. We want our fast food to be faster, and we want the fastest way of getting it.

When Phillip Seymour Hoffman

He had known Hoffman personally and reflected on their past conversations about their relationships with substance abuse. But one reflection stood out: “[Hoffman] did not die from an overdose of heroin — he died from heroin. We should stop implying that if he’d just taken the proper amount then everything would have been fine.”

By making that implicit argument, that is was the overdose and not the dose that was detrimental, we lose sight of the real problem.

You can cover up just about anything with leaves, but eventually, the wind will blow at the right place and the right time, and what was hidden will be revealed.

Without attempting to sum up all the sad and disturbing truths of substance abuse, I’d like to try to understand why everyone is comfortable acknowledging the short-term problem (an overdose) and less comfortable focusing on the long-term one (drug addictions and a lack of community).

Short term problems are easy to fix. I’m hungry; I eat. I have a headache; I take Ibuprofen. I feel a void; I fill it. But we have problems, personal or cultural, that are not ephemeral and require our full attention. We can’t ignore the roots.

We’re not going to slow down, that’s the truth of the matter. Regression is not the answer. We’ve made amazing progress over the centuries. But while our fast-paced society has its ups, it also has its downs.

It’s rather incredible that I can scroll through the world’s happenings in about 20 seconds. All the information is easily accessible in front of me.

With the tap of my finger I can see the world.

But that means I also need to be wary of forgetting that the world is much bigger than my finger can reach.

When I scroll through wars, there are people dying on the other side of my computer. I cannot forget what it means to be a part of that world, the one I can’t always see, as well as my own.

Carefully stepping over small, dirty puddles on the street, I am reminded that sometimes all we need is a simple reminder – as little as a pool of water on the ground – to get us back on track.

Atlanta’s Eden Farber, 16, was recognized in the Jewish Heritage National Poetry Contest of 2010 and has published op-eds and poetry in Modern Hippie Magazine and the NY Jewish Week’s Fresh Ink for Teens section.

Dr. Daniel Gordis

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Daniel Gordis and Jeremy Ben-Ami

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

No cost for this program.

All are welcome.

5645 Dupree Dr, NW Sandy Springs, GA 30327

Please RSVP to www.templesinaiatlanta.org.

7:30 - 9:00 pm, Temple Sinai

Hear two distinguished voices speak from very different points of view.

Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President and the Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem. He is a regular columnist for the Jerusalem Post and a frequent contributor to the New York Times. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and trends in Israel, and a winner of the National Jewish Book Award, Dr. Gordis was the founding dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism, the first rabbinical college on the West Coast of the United States.

Jeremy Ben-Ami is Founder and President of J Street, a pro-Israel, pro-peace advocacy organization in the US whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israel-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. He is also the executive director of JStreetPac, which endorses and raises money for federal candidates. Ben-Ami served in the mid-1990’s as the Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor in the White House to President Bill Clinton, worked on seven Presidential and numerous state and local campaigns and was Howard Dean’s National Policy Director in 2004.

This evening is a partnership between The Temple and Temple Sinai

Author, Reporter for the Jerusalem Post

Jeremy Ben-Ami

February 14 ▪ 2014

died, everyone was very quick to mourn the loss of a great person and his talent to an overdose of heroin. Everyone was buzzing with tellings and retellings of the story—until Aaron Sorkin, renowned screen-writer and actor, told his telling.

President of J Street

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AJT

education

Lions A-Boys Team Wins Basketball Championship

D

Students Turn 100

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avis Academy’s youngest students became 100-years-old on Wed., Feb. 5 to celebrate their 100th day of school.

In celebration of being 100 days smarter, students participated in activities throughout day revolving around the number: how far does 100 steps take you, building with 100 items, what can you do in 100 seconds, counting out 100 snacks, and many other fun activities.

avis Academy’s A-Boys Basketball Team took home the MAAC Championship title Thurs., Feb. 6 for a win against The Epstein School Eagles.

Retracing the Footsteps of Greatness

Davis ruach was everywhere, and each player fought to the end in a nail biter of a game to bring home the trophy with an ending score of 36 - 35.

Congratulations to the team members Simon Ben-Moshe, Jared Hopkins, David Leven, Scott Leven, Zach Leven, Zach Negin, Aaron Rice, Ben Rosing, Paul Rosing, Jake Rubin, Adam Spector, and their coaches Coach Kenny Silverboard. Assistant coach Yaman Taylor and Athletic Director Loren Spaulding.

T

he Davis Academy fifth grade took a day trip to Birmingham, Ala. to walk in the footsteps of our civil rights leaders. Students visited Temple Emanu-El, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the Civil Rights Institute and ended their day with some fun at the McWane Science Center.

Davis 2014 Tech Fair

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he Davis Academy had a tremendous showing at the North Atlanta Jewish Students Technology Fair at The Weber School on Sun., Jan. 25, including a first-ever Davis Academy Lower School winning project.

Davis had nine first place winning projects will continue on to the state technology fair in Macon on March 8.

Congratulations to the following first – third place students (and to their Tech Coach Todd Williamson) for the hard work each put into their project to achieve these outstanding results:

February 14 ▪ 2014

co un nt De ra r ct

First Place Projects: Ben Finkelstein and Matthew Winston - Game Design: 7th - 8th grade Katy Sullivan - Non-Animated Graphic Design: 7th - 8th grade Audra Buffington - Digital Video Production: 5th – 6th grade Sophia Gurin - Digital Video Production: 7th - 8th grade Isabelle Mokotoff - Web 2.0 Applications: 5th – 6th grade Adam Weintraub - 3D Modeling: 5th – 6th grade Charlotte Morrison and Ilana Lavine - Robotics: 7th - 8th grade Jack Tresh and Justin Thompson - 3D Modeling: 7th - 8th grade Evan Nathanson and Noah Greenberg - Mobile Apps: 7th - 8th grade

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Second Place Projects: Katy Sullivan - Web 2.0 Applications: 7th - 8th grade Olivia Sidman - Digital Video Production: 5th – 6th grade Evan Nathanson and Jack Kaye - Digital Video Production: 7th -8th grade Caroline Goldman - Web 2.0 Applications: 5th – 6th grade Phillip Weinstein - Web 2.0 Applications: 5th – 6th grade Madi Kamean - Non-Animated Graphic Design: 5th – 6th grade Jack Kaye and Noah Greenberg - Robotics: 7th - 8th grade Gabi Louis - Multimedia Applications: 5th – 6th grade Matthew Winston and Josh Glass - 3D Modeling: 7th - 8th grade Jonah Medoff - Game Design: 5th – 6th grade Third Place Projects: Molly Antebi - Digital Photography: 7th - 8th grade Madi Kamean - Digital Video Production: 5th – 6th grade Izzy McCullough - Digital Video Production: 7th - 8th grade Isabelle Waid - Web 2.0 Applications: 5th – 6th grade Jordan Palgon and Evan Feintuch - Robotics: 3rd – 4th grade

AJT

education

Epstein 2014 Tech Fair

STUDENTS EXCEL AT NAJS TECHNOLOGY FAIR

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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he Epstein School recognizes that in today’s technology-driven world, high-tech, multimedia skills are important for success in the 21st Century and beyond.

The school is pleased to announce that 18 Epstein students took first place honors at the 2014 North Atlanta Jewish Students’ (NAJS) Technology Fair.

These exceptional students demonstrated their mastery of technology and will now go on to compete at the state level competition, the 2014 Georgia Educational Technology Fair.

Epstein students are fortunate to experience an advanced technology environment from a very early age.

“It is very exciting and rewarding to see how many of our students consistently place so highly year after year at the Technology Fair,” stated technology educator Leora Wollner.

Congratulations to all the winners! Below is a list of their first prize-projects: •

Pnina Sasson - Animated Graphic Design - 3rd - 4th grade

•

Gavriella Mamane– Digital Photography- 3rd - 4th grade

•

Liana Bernstein & Rayna Marks - Digital Video Production - 3rd - 4th grade

•

Jordan Leff & Benjamin Sturisky – Mobile Apps Design - 3rd - 4th grade

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Aiden Myerson & Eden Shaw - Multimedia Applications3rd – 4th grde

•

David Leavitt – Robotics – 3rd – 4th grade.

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Eitan Pritzker & David Leavitt – Game Design – 3rd – 4th grade

•

Maya Kahn & Galya Fischer - Animated Graphic Design – 5th –6th grade

Back row- Isabel Berlin, Hallie Bernstein, Galya Fischer, Liora Dressler, Zachary Bernstein, Eitan Pritzker Middle Row- Maya Kahn, Asher Fitterman, Avi Pearlman, David Leavitt, Eden Shaw Front row- Liana Bernstein, Pnina Sasson, Benjamin Sturisky, Aiden Myerson, Rayna Marks, Jordan Leff, Gavriella Mamane

•

Avi Pearlman - Digital Photography – 5th –6th grade

•

Asher Fitterman & Avi Pearlman-– Robotics – 5th –6th grade

•

Liora Dressler & Hallie Bernstein – Animated

Graphic Design – 7th -8th grade •

Zachary Bernstein - Digital Photography – 7th -8th grade

•

Isabel Berlin - Multimedia Applications – 7th -8th grade

GHA Celebrates Chagigat Mishnah CARRYING OUR JEWISH KNOWLEDGE PAST THE 50 YARD LINE

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he Greenfield Hebrew Academy fifth graders celebrated their Chagigat Mishnah with music, drama, and a great deal of learning last week.

Students of Rabbi Ari Karp and Rabbi Sam Strauss demonstrated a truly impressive knowledge of the six books of Mishnah.

The program opened with Rabbi Karp’s story of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, who escaped from the besieged city of Jerusalem to plead for the preservation of the town of Yavneh and its great yeshiva.

“Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai understood that there was no way to save Jerusalem, and he knew that the Jewish people were about to be scattered

among the nations,” he told the audience. “The only way to ensure Jewish continuity is by having an established place of Jewish education.”

Rabbi Strauss analyzed the meaning of the Hebrew words mesorah and mesoret, which he interpreted as the tradition itself, and living within that tradition.

“Today we celebrate both those things,” Rabbi Strauss said. “Not just learning this body of literature, but living that life.”

The students sang songs and performed often-humorous skits, demonstrating the concepts they had learned.

Mrs. Debbie Bornstein said, “Parshat Mishpatim tells us, for example, to keep kosher; but it doesn’t tell us what to do or how to do it. One of my students asked, ‘How do we get so many laws from just one line?’ It’s a terrific question, and the answer is Mishnayot, which gives us a new level of understanding of the Written Torah.”

Interim Head of School Leah Summers and Middle School Principal Franeen Sarif distributed sets of the six books of Mishnah to each student, to add to their Jewish libraries. By the time every GHA student graduates,

each one has a basic library of sefarim.

Mrs. Summers likened the passing on of our tradition to a football game.

“At a place called Har Sinai,” she told the students, “the coach – Hashem – told them, here’s the plan. Go out for the long pass, catch it, and throw it to your kids – then your kids will toss it to their kids – and on, and on. All of our ancestors caught the ball, ran with it, and passed it on. Some generations fumbled, but luckily for us, they never dropped the ball. And now that you are studying Mishnah, now that you have arrived at the age when you’re starting to become b’nai mitzvah…you’re ready to receive the ball.”

February 14 ▪ 2014

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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AJT

arts & entertainment

JEWS MAKING NEWS Compiled by elizabeth friedly

Zuckerberg Commemorates Facebook’s 10th, Tops Charity List

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n honor of a decade online, Zuckerberg and Co. are offering Facebook users a “Look Back,” with personalized video/slide shows of their most-liked photos, statuses and life events. The videos can be accessed at facebook.com/lookback.

If Zuckerberg is looking back on 2014 thus far, he has a lot to be happy about.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the 29-year-old entrepreneur has had the best financial start of anyone on the planet in gaining $3.4 billion.

And yet, Zuckerberg and his wife – a physician named Priscilla Chan – have matched this immense good fortune with equal generosity.

The couple recently topped the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of most generous American philanthropists of 2013, after Zuckerberg and Chan donated $992.2 million to a Silicon Valley nonprofit.

Born Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, he is the son of Karen Kempner and Edward Zuckerberg, with three sisters. He was raised in a Jewish household and became a bar mitzvah at 13.

Louis C.K. Sells Unreleased Film Online

February 14 ▪ 2014

L

18

ast week comedian Louis C.K. released his previously-unseen, 1998 film “Tomorrow Night” on his website to fans for a mere $5. Filmed in black and white, the indie project features cameos from the likes of a young Steve Carell and Wanda Sykes.

He is best known for his FX series entitled, “Louie,” for which he writes, directs, produces and stars, as a fictionalized version of himself. The show’s fourth season will premiere May of this year.

It seems the success of “Louie” has potentially paved the way for the development of another series by C.K. on FX. It has been announced that fellow comedian Zach Galifianakis will star as well as write for the yet-to-be-titled show.

Born Louis Székely Jr., he is the son of Mary Louise Davis and Luis Székely. C.K.’s paternal grandfather, Dr. Geza Székely Schweiger, was a Hungarian Jew who emigrated to Mexico.

Have Dessert, Guilt Free

DARK CHOCOLATE: THE HEART HEALTHY GIFT FOR YOUR VALENTINE SPECiaL FOR THE AJT In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, cardiologist Jason Reingold, MD says go ahead and give your sweetheart some dark chocolate this year – to consume in moderation.

In the past year, more research has suggested a beneficial link between higher levels of chocolate consumption and the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular events.

In one study, participants with the highest levJason Reingold, MD els of chocolate intake had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke, compared with participants who consumed the lowest levels of chocolate.

The secret behind chocolate’s beneficial effects on the heart is the effect of powerful micronutrients – flavonoids and phenols found naturally in the cocoa bean.

These compounds function like antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables where free radicals are neutralized and destroyed, helping the body resist damage to cells. For example, flavanols help keep LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized and clogging up coronary artery walls.

Studies also suggest that the phenols found in dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure by an average of five points for systolic and an average of two points for diastolic blood pressure.

Improvement in blood pressure has been found in people who consumed as little as 3 1/2 ounces of dark chocolate every day for 15 days. But, the effect may be short lived, as one study found that after only two days without chocolate blood pressure returned to previous higher levels.

Finally, researchers believe that dark chocolate can help improve endothelial function. This refers to the cells that line the blood vessels to help keep them dilated and elastic.

Coupled with reducing inflammation, normal endothelial function promotes free flowing blood and prevents platelets from sticking together and forming a clot which can lead to stroke and heart attack.

Unfortunately, there can be a down side to the chocolate we eat every day.

First, as chocolate is processed to eliminate the natural bitter flavor, the beneficial flavonoids and phenols are also removed.

Second, the chocolate we consume is usually processed with excess fat and sugar. These extra calories can lead to obesity and diabetes, which can reverse any positive effects that chocolate may have on the heart.

So, like all things in life, the best solution is to eat dark chocolate in moderation: •

ook for a cocoa content of at least 65 percent, and remember – the higher, L the better in terms of flavonoids and phenols. Milk chocolate has lower levels of cocoa, and white chocolate does not contain any cocoa. Even worse, both have more fat and sugar than dark chocolate.

•

Limit yourself to no more than 3 ounces (85 grams) a day.

•

alance the extra calories from chocolate by eliminating calories B from your diet.

•

on’t wash down your chocolate with milk, as it may interfere with the D absorption of antioxidants from chocolate.

•

on’t forget about other sources of flavonoids and phenols like fruits, D vegetables and red wine.

AJT

Appreciating Diversity

PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL JEWISH DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH SPECiaL FOR THE AJT

I

n 2009, a group of Jewish special educators declared February to be National Jewish Disability Awareness Month. The group aimed to raise awareness of the need to foster the inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in Jewish communal organizations and settings, such as schools, synagogues, and camps.

Jewish communities around the country are participating by creating programs and events to recognize this movement.

“As Jews, we should be very aware of the importance of individual freedoms. This is a fundamental civil rights issue,” said Eve Bogan, Director of Developmental Disabilities Services – Tools for Independence.

If families of young children are not comfortable in Jewish settings, they are likely to back away from the community. Therefore, inclusion of in-

dividuals with special needs is also a Jewish continuity issue.

Here in Atlanta, our community has embraced National Jewish Disability Awareness Month through an array of programs and events topped off with JF&CS’s 21st Annual Larry Bregman, M.D., Educational Conference on Feb. 22 & 23.

This conference offers adults with developmental disabilities, their families and their caregivers the opportunity to learn about topics that might not be addressed in other venues. It also allows participants to socialize with others who share their interests and needs in a unique conference atmosphere.

Classes and discussions take place to emphasize the importance of being a self-advocate and living a healthy lifestyle. Bregman is open to the community, and volunteers are needed.

For more information on Bregman, or volunteer opportunities, visit www.

Bregman.org.

Support Adults with developmental disabilities at The Tasting on Thurs., March 27 The Tasting is a benefit celebrating and supporting the extraordinary people with developmental disabilities in the Zimmerman-Horowitz Independent Living Program.

Admission includes tastings of exquisite wines, as well as fine dining samples from the following eateries: ▪ Cibo E Beve

▪ Davio’s

▪ Double Zero Napoletana

▪ Food 101

▪ The General Muir

▪ Genki Noodle and Sush

▪ The Grand Hyatt

▪ Haven

▪ Honeysuckle Gelato

▪ Lure

▪ Parsley’s Catering

▪ Red Pepper Taqueria

▪ Serpas

▪ Smash

▪ Sotto Sotto

▪ South City Kitchen

▪ Valenza

▪ and more

February 14 ▪ 2014

BY ANNA WISHNEFF

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.TheTasting.org.

19

AJT

d’var Torah

Are You There G-d? It’s Me, Eytan

WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN IT FEELS LIKE THERE’S NO REPLY

BY RABBI EYTAN KENTER SPECiaL FOR THE AJT

W

hile a religious service attendee and regular worshiper, I can think of a couple of times in

my life where I have literally called out to G-d with a particular request.

your plan for me. Guide me at this difficult time!”

Standing in darkened silence, I cried out to G-d to please tell me what to do, “G-d, please let me know

Not surprisingly, I did not hear from G-d in that moment and was left standing there in silence. It seems that G-d does not work that way, regardless of how many times we ask.

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In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tissa, we encounter two separate occasions where the people desire G-d’s presence. They want to know that G-d is there and still cares for them.

The Israelites, fresh off G-d’s revelation from Mount Sinai, haven’t heard from G-d or from Moses for 40 days. They miss feeling G-d’s presence and knowing what G-d wants from them. In order to remediate that problem, they create the Golden Calf either to serve as a G-d that they can always see and will never leave them, or as a throne that they hope will entice G-d to come down and dwell among them.

Following the episode of the Golden Calf, Moses feels a similar distance from G-d. He asks G-d if he truly cares for him and if so, for G-d to show Moses G-d’s face.

February 14 ▪ 2014

G-d tells Moses that it is impossible for someone to see G-d’s face and live, so instead, G-d will pass by and Moses will be able to see G-d from the back. This transpires and Moses is satisfied, even if his full request was not truly fulfilled.

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I find great power in this story.

Beyond the fact that even Moses did not always get to see and hear G-d as he wished, Moses also learns that we can only see G-d once G-d has already passed by.

While conveyed literally in our story, I’d like to propose that we view this narrative metaphorically. The story is teaching us that we could not live in a world where we saw G-d directly and always knew G-d’s plan. It would be too much for us to live with and is certainly not in our best interest.

Instead, the fortunate among us are able to see G-d once G-d has al-

ready passed. We are able to see G-d in those amazing moments in our lives, but all too often, only after the fact. More often than not, we are like Jacob who declared, “Behold G-d was in this place, but I did not know it.”

Just a few weeks ago, as the snow fell on Atlanta, we were faced with unprecedented challenges. Some of us drove for hours, others were left to walk the last five miles, while still others slept at friends’, family, or a Home Depot.

In those moments, we were all caught up in the challenges of the moment. But as we look back, there has rarely been an occasion where we saw so much goodness: the teachers who slept over with her students; the Home Depot employee that trudged through the snow to find the elderly woman who needed the warmth of his store; the child passing out sandwiches and waters to stranded motorists.

“Behold G-d was in this place, and only now, we know it.”

In those difficult moments and in those beautiful moments, we can get lost in ourselves, either in our sadness or our arrogance and declare that G-d is not there for us. Yet, for the fortunate among us, as we navigate our joy and our grief, we are able to look back and realize that G-d was indeed present inspiring us, challenging us, and holding us close.

So the next time that you call out to G-d and do not hear a response, don’t fret. G-d is there, you just may not realize it until G-d has already passed us by.

Rabbi Eytan Kenter comes to B’nai Torah as a recent honors graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He was born and raised in Westchester, NY where he spent his summers doing youth work at two Ramah camps and on USY on Wheels serving in capacities from counselor to group leader and from Tefillah Coordinator to Drama Head.

AJT

may their memories be a blessing

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times Fri., February 14 6:01 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 15 6:58 p.m.

Fri., February 21 6:08 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 22 7:04 p.m.

Reba Freedman 91, Atlanta

Reba M. Freedman died peacefully on January 28, 2014. She was born December 5, 1923, in Atlanta, the third of five children of Gertie and Morris Merlin. She married Theodore Freedman in 1946, forming a loving partnership that would take them around the country and the world, including New York City and Rome, two places she especially loved. Reba was an avid student and a life-long learner, who read at least two newspapers daily, staying abreast of current events and the state of the world. As a full-time, devoted, and extremely organized wife and mother, she managed the household while Ted traveled for the ADL and involved herself at Congregation Emanu El and in B’nai B’rith Women. With the four children grown, she began a career and enjoyed the life of a working woman, managing an office in New York City. She was a doting grandmother and great grandmother. She will be greatly missed. Reba was preceded in death by her husband, Ted; her son, Theodore M. Freedman; her three brothers, Jerome, Leon, and Arthur Merlin, and one sister-in-law, Sylvia, and her brother-in-law, Harry Silverman.

She is survived by her sister, Fay Silverman, and two sisters-in-law, Dottie and Bev Merlin; her children and their spouses: Renee and Larry Stern, Phyllis Freedman and Thomas Glass, and Elise Freedman; her grandchildren and their spouses: Francesca Stern and Brian Eden and Matthew Stern and Robin Gossett; her great grandchildren: Anabelle and Theodore Gossett-Stern; and many devoted nieces and nephews. Graveside services were held Thurs., Jan. 30, at Emanu El Memorial Park. Donations may be made to the Ted Freedman Endowed Scholarship at the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin or to the Anti-Defamation League.

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Jack Spielberg 91, Atlanta

Jack A. Spielberg, 91, died February 8, 2014. Born in Philadelphia, Pa., he grew up in the Bronx and Atlanta, graduating from Boys High School in Atlanta. Jack served in the Army in Europe during World War II. After the war, he used the GI bill to get his pilot license. He returned to Atlanta, where he started his own real estate and construction business, which he was still running weeks before he died. Jack was a long-time, active member of Ahavath Achim synagogue, where he helped out in many different roles over the years, including as the Friday night gabbai. Although Jack never finished college, he was an avid reader, deeply interested in learning and taught himself in a variety of topics. He had respect for and a healthy skepticism of traditional medicine, believing in the possibility of alternative medicine as well as traditional treatments. Jack had strongly held political beliefs and a sense of humor and readily shared both. He loved to dance, especially tap and big band and was still showcasing his impressive style well into his late 80s. Jack had a tenacious spirit and remarkable stamina. He is preceded in death by his brother, Sol; and is survived by his brother, Nathan and his wife Alice; sister-in-law, Gisela; and a multitude of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. An online guestbook is available at www.edressler. com. Donations in his memory may be made to Ahavath Achim, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30327, www.aasynagogue.org; or the William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, www.thebreman.org. Graveside service was held at 2 p.m., Mon., Feb. 10 at Greenwood Cemetery, with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, (770) 451-4999.

Serving Atlanta’s Jewish Community with Sensitivity and Respect Edward Dressler, President

David Boring Michael Braswell Allen Guertin Jonathan Miller Licensed Funeral Directors

770.451.4999

www.JewishFuneralCare.com

February 14 ▪ 2014

Dr. David T. Smiley, 85, of Atlanta, died on February 4, 2014. He is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Gloria Smiley; son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Linda Smiley, Atlanta; son, Carl Smiley, Atlanta; daughter, Janice Hazlehurst, Chico, California, daughter and son-in-law Vickie and Robert Armstrong, Johnson City, Tenn.; and step- daughters and sons-in-laws, Elizabeth and Paul Locke, Arlington, Va. and Laura and Gerald Welsh, Anchorage Ark.; and 11 grandchildren, Richard and Hilary Smiley, David, Ryan, and Christopher Hazlehurst, Phillip and Michael Sholes, Rachel, Isaac, and Elijah Locke and Arthur Welsh. He was predeceased by his sister, Irene Bossen, of Atlanta. Dr. Smiley was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and raised and lived in Atlanta. He graduated from Boys High School in 1946. Dr. Smiley was a graduate of both Emory University and the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Smiley practiced otolaryngology in Atlanta for over 40 years. Dr. Smiley was an U.S. Air Force veteran and obtained the rank of captain. After his retirement from clinical practice, he worked for the Military Entrance Processing Service. Dr. Smiley and his wife traveled widely. In his younger days, Dr. Smiley was an avid golfer, bicycle rider and skier. He was also a dedicated and talented musician, and started his own band called the AZA Aces in his teen years.

He continued to play clarinet and saxophone with the Sentimental Journey Orchestra and the Callanwalde Concert Band, and in 2013 Dr. Smiley received special recognition for over 40 years of service to the bands and music. Dr. Smiley was known for his sweet tooth and witty sense of humor. Sign online guestbook at www.edressler.com.

Graveside services were held at noon on Thurs., Feb. 6 at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the William Breman Jewish Home, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, (770) 451-4999.

21

JEWISH PUZZLER

by David Benkof

Across 1. Like Tel Aviv in the summer 5. Soprano/wife of Efrem Zimbalist, Sr. 9. Part of Billy Joel’s “Summer, Highland Falls” 14. Plant mentioned in the Torah 15. Illustrator Louis 16. Horas alterative 17. Water for Ladino-speakers 18. They can be made kosher by boiling them 19. Writer Brown (“The Case for Jewish Peoplehood: Can We Be One?”) 20. Hungarian-Israeli poet (“A Walk to Caesarea”) 23. Ailment of Rabbi Yosef Eliashiv at age 101 24. The smallest shekels 25. Seleucid, e.g.

28. President of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 31. The moon begins to do it after Passover 34. Cracow synagogue 35. “Rabbis Without Borders” org.

36. As East European Jews moved West, they traded their caftans for these 38. Make a parnassah 41. Torah ___ (publisher of “Living Jewish Values”) 42. Miep who helped Anne Frank 43. ID digits 44. “NYPD Blue” producer 49. Ikey, Mikey, Jakey, and Sam 50. “September ___” (Neil Diamond hit)

51. A Jew after Yom Kippur ends 54. Left-of-ceter Orthodox rabbi who died in 2013 57. Matot-___ (double Torah portion) 60. Kind of chazer 61. Part of a playground argument 62. Julia Frankau’s novel “Dr. Phillips: A Maida Vale ___” 63. First two words of the poem mentioned in 20-Across 64. Phone line acronym 65. Emmy winner Roberts 66. Notre ___ (School where Mike Rosenthal played football) 67. Have ___ in (speak one’s piece)

11. Herod’s 1051 12. Rapper Miller (“Blue Slide Park”) 13. Al Jolson, really 21. Rabbi quoted in the Gemara 22. Kind of moon marked the start of a Jewish month 25. Island where the word “kike” was coined 26. Lains the Torah 27. Republican-turned-Democratic Senator Specter 29. Capitals of Manhattan and Modi’in?

Fri., Feb. 14

February 14 ▪ 2014

42. La ___ (LA kosher Italian restaurant) 45. In Israel, their addresses have “strudels” in them 46. Chanukah month, on rare occasions 47. Slipped shekels to, under the table 48. North American capital with 12 synagogues 52. Goldman and Lazarus 53. Jah worshiper 54. Bagel shop 55. Rock band consisting of three Israeli-American sisters 56. Yenta-like 57. Shifra was this kind of wife in the book of Exodus 58. Annie in “Oklahoma!”

59. It fought Isr. in several wars

Last week’s answers

Down 1. Sound at a bris 2. Israeli scientists are trying to use it as fuel 3. “Hinei Mah Tov,” sometimes 4. More like Shylock 5. The Hebrew one has a nun in it 6. Bathrooms for Sir Moses Montefiore 7. Torah portion about leprosy 8. Knesset roll call notation 9. It’s milchig 10. “___ to Fight For: American Jews in the Second World War” (Jewish Heritage Museum Exhibit)

WHAT’s happening

22

30. Chapter 95 of “Antiquities of the Jews” 31. Bitcoin, e.g.

32. Pogrom participant 33. “Broadway ___” (grown-up fundraiser) 37. Letter that can reverse tenses in Biblical Hebrew 38. Annie Leibovitz work, for short 39. Get ready to put on “The Dybbuk” 40. Jack Klugman TV role

Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G, Bring your children for a Shabbat-related activity and story in the Srochi Discovery Center. Songs and blessings with Rabbi Glusman. The Weinstein School Shabbat Dinosaur will also be stopping by! Challah and grape juice served. Fri., Feb. 14, 5 p.m. Free.

MJCCA Zaban Park. Info, rabbi. glusman@atlantajcc.org or (678) 8124161.

“Windows of the Soul: A Portrait of America,” Georgia artist Susan K. Friedland’s current exhibit at the Booth Western Art Museum, open until April. Fri., Feb. 14. Borderlands Gallery.

Sat., Feb. 15

Jazz at the JCC with Michael Feinberg, hailed as a musical prodigy turned evil genius, bassist and composer Michael Feinberg has made his name known throughout the jazz world. Sat., Feb. 15, 8 p.m. $17-$24/ person. Zaban Park. Info, box.office@ atlantajcc.org, (678) 812-4002.

Sun., Feb. 16

Astrology, Judaism, & Health, “The Cosmic Connections,” with Maxine Taylor. As an internationally-known astrologer, she will share what our sages taught about astrology. A light dairy brunch will be served. Please bring a heart healthy dairy or vegetarian appetizer, salad, drink, or

dessert to share. Sun., Feb. 16, 1 p.m. $5/person. Foundation Therapy Center. RSVP, shalomallga@gmail.com or (678) 461-4321.

Tues., Feb. 18

Mardi Gras Group Fitness Launch, new music, new moves and new focus in all free-style classes and the quarterly releases of your favorite LES MILLSTM programs. Open to the Community. Group exercise schedules at atlantajcc.org. Tues., Feb. 18 until Sun., Feb. 23. Zaban Park. Info, deanne.jacobson@atlantajcc.org; (678) 812-4025.

Fri., Feb. 28

Vino Shabbat for Jewish Singles, age groups 40s and 50s. Celebrate Shabbat, talk with friends and meet other

Jewish singles. Enjoy gourmet challah, and vegetarian hors d’oeuvres.

Discounted ENO cards, which provide access to more than 50 wines available by the glass, will be available for purchase. Shabbat prayers and blessings with Rabbi Glusman.

Fri., Feb. 28, 6 p.m. $10/person. Vino Venue Wine Bar. Info, rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc.org, or (678) 8124161.

“Accessibility Shabbat: Tefillah in the Dark,” Temple Sinai will host an Accessibility Shabbat, where we will welcome Shabbat in a special dark service in honor of Jewish Disability Awareness Month. All are welcome.

Fri., Feb. 28, 6:30 p.m. Temple Sinai.

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February 14 ▪ 2014

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