Atlanta Jewish Times No. 2, January 17, 2014

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The loss of an israeli hero

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atlanta

january 17, 2013 – january 23, 2014

16 shevat – 22 shevat 5774 vOL. LXXIX NO. 2

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THE Weekly Newspaper Uniting the Jewish Community for Over 85 Years

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Jews Take Top Honors at Golden Globes Page 23

Jewish Laurel Canyon at The Temple Page 28

AJT

israel

Israeli Pride

GOOD NEWS MADE IN THE JEWISH STATE THIS PAST WEEK FIRST SMALL INTESTINE TRANSPLANT. Surgeons at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva have performed the first-ever successful transplant in Israel of a small intestine. The patient was a 39-yearold woman who had been fed through a vein since her own intestine was removed two years ago. The donor was an 11-year-old Israeli girl whose other organs saved four children.

ISRAELI STUDENTS TOUCH THE SKY. Two scientific experiments designed by grade eight to 10 Israeli school students were launched to the International Space Station, where astronauts will perform them in zero gravity. Holon students are testing the formation of sugar crystals and Mateh Yehuda students are looking to mix oil and water.

THE SECOND MOST PHILANTHROPIC COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported that

in 2012 Israeli households and businesses donated 7.6 billion Shekels to nonprofits. This was an increase of 8.8 percent on 2011 and amounting to 0.76 percent of GDP. The USA came top with 2.1 percent of GDP. MEDICAL RESEARCH IN THE GALILEE. The Israeli Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee has allocated NIS 2.5 million for biomedical research to be conducted at hospitals in northern Israel. President Peres made the announcement at the Galilee Forum. Eighteen studies have been approved for the project.

HOW THE BRAIN SENDS MESSAGES. Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have deciphered the basic biochemical mechanism that transports essential transmitting chemicals in the brain. Defective transporters can cause diseases such as Parkinson and Huntingdon. The discovery opens new research areas into treatment.

TURKISH ORDER FOR ISRAELI SURGERY ROBOT. Israel’s Mazor Robotics received its first order for a Renaissance surgical robotic system from Turkey.

Mazor’s Turkish distribution partner Cordamed Biomedical Engineering will install the system at a major hospital in Istanbul.

NEW TREATMENT FOR COLON CANCER. Israeli bio-med Aposense has successfully completed pre-clinical studies for the ATT-11T molecule for early stage treatment of colon cancer. ATT-11T works in tandem with Pfizer’s Camptosar (generic name Irinotecan) to improve its effectiveness with fewer side effects.

CRACKING THE GLASS CEILING. Orit Shulman, director of development and partnerships for Kol Israel Haverim, visited San Francisco to promote the Israeli program that supports high school girls in science, technology, engineering and math from eighth grade through to 12th grade.

TECHNION STUDENTS RAISE 20 GUIDE DOGS. The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind needs people to raise their Labrador puppies. Technion students love dogs and have the lifestyle that can train guide dogs to behave well in all situations. So it’s a “win-win” situation.

january 17 ▪ 2014

ISRAELI ARAB HAS TRIPLETS AFTER HEART SURGERY. Zinav Alpiomi had IVF treatment but suffered a heart attack when 30 weeks pregnant. Doctors at Kaplan hospital in Rehovot cleared her clogged arteries and then delivered three tiny but healthy baby girls. Her joyful husband Ahmed said, “We thank God and the Kaplan medical staff.”

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ISRAELIS DONATE WARM CLOTHES TO SYRIANS. Human Warmth (Cham Enoshi) is an Israeli student organization collecting and donating warm clothing and bedding to refugees from the Syrian civil war. These reports feature Amal-Shimshon - a multi-ethnic school near the Syrian border - that is participating.

JEWISH DOCTOR’S HOME VISITS TO PA VILLAGE. Dr. Yitz Glick, an orthodox Jew from Efrat in Judea makes weekly personal house calls to Wadi Nis, providing medical treatment free of charge to Palestinian Arab patients. Dr Glick also founded the Efrat Emergency Medical Center in 2000, which treats Israelis and PA residents.

ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS. Technion’s Professor Mark Talesnik empowers his students to change the world.

Their first project was to build 62 sustainable biomass reactors for a Nepal village. They generate methane for energy, recycle waste into fertilizer rather pollute the water, and save using wood to produce harmful smoke.

INSTANT ELECTRICITY FROM ALUMINUM AND WATER. The Israel Technion demonstrates its eco-friendly fuel cell that works immediately you pour water into a container of activated aluminum powder. It is 10-15 times more powerful than the equivalent Lithium-ion battery.

SUSTAINABLE FISH FARMS. Israel’s Moti Cohen builds aquaponic farms that provide people with both fish and plants to eat. The crops feed off the waste created by the fish, while the fish thrive on the oxygen made by the crops.

No waste or fertilizer. Moti has been advising the UN on aquaponics.

A NEW AGE OF SELFIES. The CamMe app from Israel’s PointGrab allows you to control your smartphone camera from a distance of up to 22 feet. Just raise your hand and make a fist. The app will then start counting down and take your “selfie” photo.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET. Israelis Shai Avidan and Ariel Shamir have invented “seam-carving” also known as re-targeting. You can now reduce or enlarge the width of a photo without changing its height or distorting the content. It helps the easy transfer of images to mobile phone screens, for example.

SAMARIA WINES WIN FRENCH STARS. The annual French wine competition held by 1001degustations.com awarded gold stars to all eight of the entries from Psagot Boutique Winery in the Binyamin hills. The Pesagot winery was established in 2003 on the site of vineyards owned by Jews since the Second Temple period.

A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME. Israel’s PlaySight has revolutionized tennis training with SmartCourt – a gamechanging analysis and feedback system to help tennis players improve their performance. PlaySight has installed eight systems in the U.S. and plans to bring it to every field sports club around the world.

NEVADA GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT COMPLETED. Israel’s Ormat Industries has finished building the Don Campbell geothermal power plant in Mineral County, Nevada. The 16-megawatt power station is named after the late Ormat employee who identified the geothermal field.

BIRD FOUNDATION INVESTS $9 MILLION. The Bi-national Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has approved $9 million worth of funding for 11 new joint projects between American and Israeli companies. They cover electronics, cyber security, life sciences, communications and homeland security.

MORE RESERVES. Over one billion dollars was added to Israel’s foreign currency reserves in December.

SPRESH KEEPS FOOD FRESH. Don’t you hate it when you cut an apple and it turns brown before you get a chance to eat it? Israel’s Aviad Mozes has developed an all-natural spray called “Spresh” that keeps cut fruit and vegetables fresh for hours.

FIRST ISRAELI-CHINESE CAR IS DELIVERED. A 28-year old interior decorator from Shanghai took delivery of a brand new Qoros 3 sedan from Qoros Vice President Volker Steinwascher.

THE LARGEST ONLINE TRANSLATOR. Israel’s One Hour Translations (OHT) has over 15,000 translators in 100 countries. Its clients include Toyota, CocaCola, the US Army and IBM. OHT has just received a $10 million investment from Israel’s Fortissimo Capital to boost its ambitious expansion plans.

january 17 ▪ 2014

MAKING WIKIPEDIA MORE ACCESSIBLE. Eighty IT experts attended an 11-hour “Hackathon” event in Tel Aviv to add value to the free content service that powers Wikipedia. One app allows mobile phone users to add photos to wiki articles of nearby sites. Another turns Wikipedia articles into instant Powerpoint presentations.

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Tickets as low as

$25

AJT

letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

I

commend Hillels of Georgia for wanting to criticize the ASA’s call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, but a statement which notes only that the ASA action is the wrong tool for delivering the “condemnation, boycotting, and international interference in its domestic policy” that “Israel (might) deserve…” is hardly a strong defense of Israel.

Buy Now & Save!

Magic for the kids, romance for the romantics, and snarky humor for all.

The fact is that the ASA should be applauding the diversity of Israel’s colleges and universities, where Arabs and Jews attend the same classes; where Arabs and Jews are taught by faculties whose members include Arabs and Jews; where Arabs and Jews conduct research in laboratories headed by Arabs and Jews.

A brief history lesson should be given to bring the situation into perspective. Israel liberated the West Bank from an illegal occupier (Jordan) in a defensive war while protecting her people from openly-announced genocidal intentions.

Israel’s offers to withdraw in return for recognition and peace were soundly rejected by the Arab world. Israeli communities occupy less than 5 percent of the West Bank, are located in areas of strategic, historic, and religious significance to Israelis, and actually provide employment opportunities for Palestinians.

By Jeanine Tesori Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the Book by William Steig Directed by Rosemary Newcott

February 22–March 9 Tickets @ 404.733.5000 alliancetheatre.org/shrek Groups 404.733.4690

Organizations which seek to improve the lot of the Palestinian people should be calling for an end to anti-Jewish incitement and an acceptance of the Israeli vision of “two states for two peoples” (entailing a willingness of the Palestinian state to live side-by-side, in peace, with the nation-state of the Jews).

Let’s raise our expectations of the Palestinian leadership and tell them that we expect that they will truly negotiate (rather than acting as if Give and Take means that the Israelis give and the Palestinians take, to paraphrase Prime Minister Netanyahu).

And rather than accepting the Palestinian dictum that “Israel cannot be a Jewish state if it has 1,000,000 Arab citizens,” let us reply, “Israel is a Jewish state and a democracy; we expect that the Palestinian state will give full citizenship to all its inhabitants, including Jews, Christians and peoples of other faiths, as well as Moslems.”

Family Series on the Alliance Stage

fulton county arts & culture

Toby F. Block

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

Correction: Last week’s paper inadvertantly misspelled Alliance Theatre in the Chris Moses interview.

Correction: Simcha announcement for Joshua Benjamin Asarnow from the Atlanta Jewish Times, Jan. 10 issue: “Benjamin volunteered at Good Mews Animal Foundation,” should have read, “Joshua volunteered at Good Mews Animal Foundation.”

Jazz

january 17 ▪ 2014

at

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Saturday, January 25th 8:00 p.m. featuring Emile Worthy and his quartet $50 per person Dairy Desserts will be served Benefiting GHA performing arts

For information and reservations: contact rosnerj@ghacademy.org or call 404-843-9900

Correction: Correction to a photo caption from the December 27, 2013 issue that accompanied the article entitled “As My Fathers Planted for Me” should have read: Henry Birnbrey and Malcolm Minsk.

atlanta

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EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief

CLIFF WEISS

cmweiss@atljewishtimes.com Associate Editor

elizabeth friedly efriedly@atljewishtimes.com Assistant Editor/Web Editor

DANA SPECTOR

dspector@atljewishtimes.com Contributing Writers

ARLENE APPELROUTH BRAM BESSOFF Eden Farber Rachel LaVictoire marcia jaffe Al Shams CHANA SHAPIRO Shaindle Schmuckler CREATIVE SERVICES Creative Design

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GABRIEL WEISS CONTACT INFORMATION general office 404.883.2130 KRUDY@atljewishtimes.com The Atlanta Jewish Times is printed in Georgia and is an equal opportunity employer. The opinions expressed in the Atlanta Jewish Times do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

The Atlanta Jewish Times Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ZADOK PUBLISHING, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, ATLANTA, GA 30328 ©COPYRIGHT 2014 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES MEMBER AMERICAN-ISRAELI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

january 17 ▪ 2014

THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-3345) is published weekly by Zadok Publishing LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta Ga 30328.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta, Ga. POSTMASTER send address changes to The Atlanta Jewish Times 270 Carpenter Drive Suite 320 Atlanta Ga 30328.

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AJT

Jaffe’s Jewish Jive

Successful ‘Jewish Jackets’ NO RAMBLERS WRECKED HERE

BY MARCIA JAFFE AJT Contributor

I

was intrigued by two recent articles in the Atlanta Business Chronicle (Jacques Couvert): “Want to Be a Millionaire? You Should Have Gone to Georgia Tech” and “Georgia Tech Among the Top Schools for Post Grad Students.”

In the “Millionaire” story, Tech is touted among the top colleges in the world for producing millionaires, just behind the University of South Africa and ahead of the University of Moscow – Harvard being number one.

In the other article about the financial success of the graduates, Tech is among the top in the country, and the only school in Georgia to be on the list of “highest earners out of college.” (Study: Nerdwallet’s Top 25) Some would argue that in today’s world, being a millionaire is “no big

deal.”

Seven in every 100 Americans is one. Eighty percent are first generation millionaires (self made). The average American millionaire is age 61 with over $3 million. The U.S. has the seventh highest density in the world with Israel ranking close behind at eighth.

Those with Russian ancestry in the U.S. have the highest percentage of millionaire households! Do Jews fill out the census as having Russian ancestry? I am of Russian ancestry.

Noting that my brother, Steve Caller, and several others in his circle recently celebrated the anniversary of their 50 year graduation from Tech, how did the Jewish “boychiks” fare in this complex engineering equation?

Notice I refer to the males, because in 1962 there were only a handful of female students. According to

Tech grads David Herckis and Julian Saul, the few girls were “downright scary and could have been on the Tech football team.

So we got to date the local pretty 16-yearold Jewish girls.”

The guys still gather at Charles Madanick’s house in Tequesta, Fla., where they recall such antics as the housemother (what a fine job that was!) swatting flies on the burgers, the pledges emptying out the china, silverware, trophies, and pictures on the frat house walls and hiding them in various Atlanta basements until a truce was formed.

Everyone had to eat standing up.

And how about the time they spent days constructing a papier-mâché Ramblin’ Wreck, only to be devastated by rain hours before the parade?

David Herckis

Steve Caller, President AEPi

january 17 ▪ 2014

There were trying times also. Castro took over and the Cuban students were anguished that their parents might be harmed. The next year, they were in class when news came of Kennedy’s Assassination.

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pared me for my career in construction. More than that, it opened doors to jobs and acceptance. I came to any deal able to perform competently.”

“The Christian frats made it clear that we were not welcome. But there were three Jewish ones; and my AEPi experience was extraordinary. It was the first time I was ever a member of a vibrant group that held its own. We were always in the top three academically and played intramurals on par.

“The fraternity was grubby; but on weekends we got preppy – khakis, button down shirts and weejuns. We studied hard and kept up with our work. If you didn’t, you were gone in a hurry.

“Money was tight, but tuition and expenses ran $2,000 a year. I earned half on summer construction work. To conserve, we used to eat at the notorious downtown Leb’s, order a 35 cent bowl of soup, and eat $3 worth of pickles and rolls.”

“I became a man at Tech and gained Steve Caller rethe confidence to Major General Larry Taylor calls when the first meet the world head nine African Amerion. Only Vietnam cans (all men) were brought in. “They loomed in our way,” said Caller. were thoroughly vetted. It was a peaceful transition and Tech behaved A U.S. Marine Corps Major General well.”

Who Happens to Be Jewish The President of AEPi Parlayed Leadership into Real Estate Steve, a commercial real estate developer, said, “My education pre-

Larry Taylor, an Industrial Management Major, says he hung out at Manuel’s Tavern while enrolled Tech. (“as well as now’). Larry picked Tech because he says it’s all he could afford.

“One night I remember ‘a brother’ sitting in the shower, totally nude, playing the saxophone. I will always relish those experiences.”

At Tech, Larry lettered as a freshman gymnast and became a Varsity Cheerleader the next year.

Within 40 years of active and reservist duty with the USMC, Larry climbed eight ranks to reach Major General. He also flew commercially for Northwest Airlines.

His 50-year-old son is also a Marine.

Cutting Up With Sammy Davis, Jr. Charles Madanick (from Birmingham) got a BS in math and an MS in industrial management.

He worked for General Electric in consumer products marketing for 19 years.

Madanick filming a commercial at Sammy Davis Jr’s home

If I had to be marooned on a desert island, I’d pick Larry as my date.

After leaving GE, he was employed for 13 years at a large multi-specialty medical clinic/hospital in New Orleans as the VP of Marketing and Public Affairs.

Madanick said, “The best part about Tech (other than the A Nude Saxophonist degrees) was AEPi in the Shower fraternity. Most of Julian Saul and Larry Taylor my current friends Jackie Wolfe also are fraternity brothmajored in Industrial ers from 50 years ago. There are two Management and Math. After gradudinners a year in Atlanta of brothers ating, he entered a training program (and spouses); and we meet once a at Sears. He was later transferred to year in Florida.

Last year we had 27 their national headquarters in New at my house in Tequesta.

York in women’s apparel, and promoted to a national buyer in women’s pants.

During the next six years at Sears, he traveled two months a year to procure merchandise absorbing the import business overseas. He eventually left Sears to open an import division for a domestic garment company of which he became a partner. Further entrepreneurially, he resigned to open his own company.

Wolfe said, “I feel that in my time at Tech I really learned ‘how to learn,’ organize, fact find, and approach solving problems.

“Most of the stories I could tell about AEPi cannot be printed. The thing I remember for three years in a row was rush night at Aunt Fanny’s Cabin where actives waited for the new pledges to pass out so they could eat their steaks.

“The funniest memory involves Steve Caller and me. At Steve’s instigation, we started writing semirisqué poems about individual brothers, secretly posting them on the fraternity house bulletin board late at night. (I was typing them on my manual typewriter under the covers so no one would hear the typing.)

“Steve would stealthily post them.

They were ascribed to ‘J. B. Loggerhead.’ Although some brothers thought that Steve and I were the culprits, we never admitted to it and nobody knows conclusively to this day who did them. We even had one posing imitator, but we know who that was,” laughed Charles.

Today this would be called Facebook harassment.

To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

King of the Coke Bottle Marshall Barrash majored in Ceramics Engineering (whoever heard of such a thing?)

Marshall, from Baltimore, found his Tech education “far more valuable than I expected.”

For 29 years he worked with the Coke team that decided what packaging (plastic, metal, glass), how much liquid fit into what dimension, and how all that worked with the vending machines for Fresca, Sprite, Tab, Coke, etc globally.

Barrash says, “Of all my friends in life, the ones closest are the AEPi Frat boys.”

About containers and engineers, Oscar Wilde said: “To the optimist, the glass is half full.

To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be” Warren Buffet Was His Tagalong One of the most colorful alums is Julian Saul, current CEO of Barnsley Gardens Resort. Self deprecating, Saul said he was “a pledge for five years and ‘barely’ graduated because they rounded up his 1.965 average.”

He was on the Freshman Football team which gave him some wiggle room to not study 24/7.

Julian moans, “Nothing in life was ever as hard as final exams at Tech.”

Decades later, Saul was featured in Georgia Trend magazine as One of the Most Influential Georgians.

After graduation, Saul went into continued on the next page

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january 17 ▪ 2014

He went through high school, “wanting to be the toughest kid and idolizing John Wayne and Leon Uris’s works that all aligned with Marine Corps ethos.”

Call 404-812-6955 or BWellSeniorCare.com

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AJT

Jaffe’s Jewish Jive

continued from previous page the carpet business back in his native Dalton, Ga., and eventually sold out to Warren Buffet.

He was invited back to address Tech students; months later he arranged for Buffet to speak as well.

This has remained a verified legend among Yellow Jackets.

A Problem Solver Who Wanted His Steak Rare David Herckis (of Savannah) also majored in Industrial Management and was selected for Macy’s Executive Training program.

Herckis was promoted to Assistant Buyer in furniture, which he parlayed with his father-in-law into their own Ethan Allen concept chain.

Herckis said his degree, “taught him how to think out problems ap-

plicable to any situation. Tech was a hard school with the physics and calculus. I used to ponder all the girls at University of Georgia and Florida, and muse, ‘Why am I here?’”

Herckis remembers the night at the Tropical Gardens party where he was so drunk he broke his foot. Oops.

He said there were many “characters” at Tech. One roommate was Elvis “before there was Elvis and ‘poof,’ just disappeared.”

With no cell phones back then, David worried about the student who showed up days later. The excuse: “He was shacking up with a girl at the Rivera Hotel, and then the money ran out.”

Herckis was minutes from calling the boy’s parents and police.

He recalls asking the frat cook to grill his steak rare. She said, “It comes to me lookin’ gray, and it comes

gray back to you.” Sounds yummy.

Prettiest Girls South of the Mason Dixon The AEPi Sweetheart Court touted some classic beauties, Linda Sims, Carla Weitz, Dorothy Fierman, Ina Sue Ableman and Mitzi Canter to name a few.

They often had the guys over to their homes for holidays; they in turn came over after Sunday school to hang out at the frat house.

Mitzi Canter (now Rothman) said the frat had the best parties and bands -recalling the Coasters and the Isley Brothers.

“We were so cool!” exclaimed Mitzi, who remembers the jungle party, “Because they were engineers, they rigged up the courtyard and house with ‘borrowed’ bamboo, and tropical décor.

Linda said, “We hosted them at the lake for ski parties.” Carla Weitz Silver, Sweetheart Court Having reared a daughter in Atlanta recently, I asked who would allow a 15-year-old go “hang out” at a frat house.

Linda confirms, “They were sweet guys, and we were always chaperoned, of course! There was ….some drinking,’” she winked.

Linda Sims Estroff,

“We used to eat at Crossroads on Sunday nights; and the TEPS and AEPis would glare at each other from across the room.”

The Crossroads student diners must have saved up from the pickle lunches at Leb’s.

Mitzi further said, “The Tech boys were smart and interesting. But the truth is, I preferred the Emory boys because they were closer to my neighborhood.”

Anthony Mackie (actor) said, “You never see girls running after engineers.”

Sweatheart Court

Linda (now Estroff) recalls taking her parents to an AEPi party where the Hot Nuts were performing.

“We were all so naïve, standing in a circle clapping until we listened to the lyrics and figured it out.”

“See the girl dressed in black” catapulted the Sims family out the front door.

january 17 ▪ 2014

Carla (now Silver), a 16-year-old student at Northside High School, appeared on the cover of the Technique newspaper in March of 1960 welcoming the boys back to school after spring break.

Unfortunately they incorrectly identified her as another woman, and re-ran it the next week. Carla remembers the teas the men sponsored to bring the parade of local girls in to meet them at the beginning of the year.

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Carla wore heels, white gloves, and pearls to the teas as well as football games!

I’m not buying that.

“Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers DO them.”

-James A. Michener 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

business

From Israel to the Clouds

LOCAL IT ENTREPRENEUR SHARES HIS STORY, RETHINKING TECHNOLOGY IN BUSINESS as a guide whenever he came in on his support calls.

BY ELIZABETH FRIEDLY ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Z

ohar Shiff, entrepreneur and president of Don’t Sweat IT Solutions, had no intentions of coming to Atlanta – or the United States for that matter – while living in his home country of Israel.

“I helped as much as I could while I was there, but the company I was a part of wasn’t really behind it.” Shiff wanted to do more than simply support the software.

He wanted to advise and guide the customer, help them to expand.

Shiff was then approached by a colleague who wanted to start a venture.

Zohar Shiff

Although his love for technology had been developing since childhood, Shiff’s path to a career in Information Technology (IT) and subsequent reimagining of the industry wasn’t quite so straightforward.

Shiff grew up on Kibbutz Hanita, in Israel, where children went to school for five days out of the week and spent the sixth working. According to Shiff, most of his peers pursued agriculture, passing their days outdoors in the banana or potato fields.

“And I never had interest in being outside in the sun,” Shiff laughs. “I had technical abilities, so I went to work with an electrician. I liked to build stuff and take it apart.”

He took his amassed knowledge from said electrician and applied it to his other passion – the theater.

It was the army, of all places, that allowed Shiff to explore his thespian passion whereby he went on to perform for three years, five nights a week.

While gratifying, his army salary didn’t exactly cover the bills. In an effort to bridge his two interests and supplement his work in the army, Shiff began a career in stage lighting.

In a spurt of entrepreneurial zeal, Shiff also opened up a restaurant, only to have it close six months later. It was this experience that left a bad taste in his mouth, causing him to shy away from the world of business for years to come.

After his eventual move to the States, Shiff worked odd jobs as a laundry manager, furniture mover, and eventually support technician for a nationwide medical software company.

It was a time of change in the computer industry. The internet had only just begun to take hold and DSL was the latest thing. The medical offices were suddenly interested in having personal computers, internet, and email. As a result, they turned to Shiff

“I didn’t need to take care of the business end, just the technical so I was convinced to go back in to business.”

And so it was that several of the doctors’ offices immediately became clients of Shiff’s new IT support services.

Along the way, customers began to broach the subject of Shiff coming in on a monthly basis to monitor their technology and keep it up to date, instead of on-call.

Shiff decided to offer a flat, monthly fee with everything included – all remote support, technician visits, monitoring and updating of equipment and programs - in order to help ease the minds of business owners.

The Shiff Atlanta brand would eventually undergo a makeover, in no small part thanks to Michael Friedman of Sosgona Marketing & Design, LLC, to be reborn as Don’t Sweat IT Solutions. In its current incarnation, Don’t Sweat IT offers IT services ranging from cloud servers to synchronized email to disaster recovery.

“They [the customers] always feel intimidated by IT. Some probably even feel stupid because they don’t understand,” says Shiff.

In his past work experiences in IT support, Shiff noticed his fellow technicians becoming frustrated with the customers that they were supposed to be helping. He realized there was a real need for a human connection, for a patience that had been lacking.

Shiff’s friendly demeanor turned one-time jobs into returning customers, and a simple concept into a thriving business.

“I liked the connection with the people, more than the connection with the computer,” says Shiff. “I noticed the positive human interaction and then I came up with the thought that maybe the whole computer thing is just an excuse to connect with people.”

The name change is a reflection of Shiff’s personal mission to make IT less daunting.

“I would advise them to run certain programs to maintain their computers and they would reply, ‘Why don’t you run it for us?’”

Shiff eventually struck out on his own and began Shiff Atlanta IT services in 2010. If the internet and email had been the up-and-coming technology when Shiff’s prior venture began, the new technological horizon was cloud computing, for which Shiff wanted to push the envelope even further.

Simply put, cloud computing connects a large number of computers typically via the internet. It allows businesses to reduce their IT infrastructure, eliminate purchase of expensive equipment and only pay for the computing power they actually use.

Everything from email and internet browsing to documents and data management is now available from anywhere and on any device.

“Take for example the idea of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device),” says Shiff.

“It’s one of the ultimate expressions of the idea of cloud computing. It frees users to work the way they want, where they want, without compromising corporate security.”

Shiff saw something else that was missing in the way IT services had typically been handled.

“You have a problem, you call somebody and they come, they fix the prob-

january 17 ▪ 2014

“The official reason I came here was because I had a job offer to be a laundry man for $17,000 a year,” says Shiff.

lem and you pay them per hour,” he explains. “But that puts the technician and the client in a situation of conflict of interests because the client wants the job to be as short as possible and the technician makes more if the job takes longer. The way to overcome that was to take a risk.”

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AJT

EDEN’s GARDEN

The Perilous Inaction of R’Eliezer SURPRISINGLY TIMELY LESSON FROM A TALMUDIC TALE

By Eden Farber

AJT contributor

U

nderstanding all of the complexity of a story in the Talmud is difficult, even for scholars. Applying a story to modern times can be even more challenging.

Yet last week while studying Tractate Sukkah with a friend of mine, it suddenly clicked for me: a story with a lesson for our day and age.

Rabbi Eliezer is spending the holiday of Sukkot with his student Yohanan. As the day goes on, it gets very hot and sunny, and Yohanan asks R’ Eliezer if he can cover the Sukkah with a blanket, so as to make it cooler.

R’ Eliezer responds with an irrel-

evant comment, to avoid answering the question. It gets hotter, and the same question is met with the same irrelevant distraction. Finally, when a strip of sunlight penetrates the Sukkah and Yohanan sees that R’ Eliezer is directly under it, he jumps up and covers the Sukkah, presumably to make his teacher more comfortable.

Immediately, R’ Eliezer takes up his cloak and leaves.

The Talmud begs the question, why did he leave? He never said it was forbidden to cover the Sukkah with a blanket. The Talmud responds that R’ Eliezer left because he believes that it is forbidden to take action without the explicit direction of one’s Rabbi, and his own personal Rabbi had never instructed him about this situation.

Ignoring the abruptness of his behavior, we see from other stories that R’ Eliezer isn’t exactly a people person. I’d like to address the very deep fear of crossing one’s teacher, and more to the point, the fear of making innovations in the realm of Jewish law.

There is a very disempowering mindset expressed here: prioritizing honor of the authority over the agency of the student, stringencies over leniencies, and a reticence to teaching old dogs new tricks: a fear of using one’s own mind and knowledge, lest something in tradition be threatened.

When the Chief Rabbi of Israel came out a few weeks ago in a statement against Rabbi Avi Weiss, a prominent and influential Open Orthodox Rabbi, he criticized him for his halachic innovations.

Orthodoxy, right now, is in a state of internal turmoil – unsure as to the fluidity of halacha in modern life. Is it adaptable? Can we make changes that mesh more seamlessly with our modern lives? Or is halacha all or nothing?

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Everyone who has spoken out against Rabbi Weiss in the past few weeks has, in essence, also spoken out against an adaptable future of the movement.

Much like R’ Eliezer in the story before, they have done so out of a fear of the unknown. What would happen if we use our own knowledge to make our own decisions?

Luckily, a fear of the unknown is a fear that our community can overcome. If we stop bashing authorities who advocate for more inclusion and work harder to make decisions that work for our modern lives, the unknown will not be frightening at all.

It will be our generation’s own picture, painted by the unique circumstances of the world we find ourselves in, gently letting go of the fear of change that we see exhibited in the Talmudic tale.

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.

Those questions will never be answered if we are so desperately clinging to titles and authority. Questions of religion are meant to be inter-

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AJT

Shaindle’s Shpeil

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to My Laptop EVERYBODY’s TWO CENTS ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A JOURNALIST

AJT CONTRIBUTOR

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o now it is official. I am a journalist.

Please stop your snickering; a girl can dream can’t she?

Seriously, aren’t all contributors to newspapers, magazines, rag papers, social media outlets, TV considered journalists? You certainly do not have to agree with me, you are entitled to your own opinions.

Shaindle’s Shpeil is my tweet, blog, text, email, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Vine and all the other expressions of social media, including all the new waves of technologies that are now making it possible for everyone to be a journalist; including yours truly.

Folks have more in-law stories than Santa has presents. I could write such an expose – oh wait – perhaps I will. Of course I would change all the names of the innocent and not so innocent, in order to protect myself!

we had over the wishbone? I could never win because you figured out how to cheat.”

Or how about the suggestion that I both give and write about travel ideas?

“We would make a wish with each of us holding one end of the bone. Silently with eyes shut tightly, we would try to break the wishbone in half. The person with the larger half was assured their wish will come true. You would put your thumb on the top of the wish bone so you would always win and so your wishes would come true!”

That sounds great, but I am not actually a member of the frequent flyers club. Then there are suggestions about political views; of course they want their views expressed, the heck with mine.

I was at a dear friend’s home celebrating New Year’s Eve. Throughout the evening, the question of the night was, “Shaindle are you taking notes, are you going to write about us?”

There are so many of you, my dear readers/fellow journalists, who believe it is urgently important that I, along with the rest of humanity, must know when you shop, take a walk, get a speeding ticket, go grocery shopping, find a bargain, sneak a medicinal “hit,” drink too much, wash the dog, bathe your kids (as well as exactly how long it’s been since your kids had a bath), lost your wallet, find your wallet, lose your keys, find your keys and when you take a shower, alone or not!

Well, actually I could, some stuff was actually very funny, but keeping my friends is a wee bit higher on my priority list than writing about their antics. However, one piece of advice I must share: don’t stick a knife in a live electrical receptacle.

So you will forgive me if I too now take great poetic justice in calling myself a journalist, with something interesting, or not so much, to say. Daddy would be so proud – finally my imagination has a legitimate outlet.

I opened it ever so carefully, unwrapped the myriad of papers the item was wrapped in, then tore open the little plastic bag in which the myriad of papers resided – to find a wishbone from a chicken.

Everyone has an idea of what, or even better - whom, I should write about. The conversation always begins, “Shaindle, I read all your columns and I love them. Wherever do you come up with your ideas?”

No, I am so not kidding, I am so serious. Also included was a little tiny note which read: “this should make a great story for you.” I am staring at the wish bone and the note and find myself in a bit of a panic.

I usually respond with, “I can’t believe you actually read what I write, (I’m still in that honeymoon stage of, is this really my life?) my ideas come from my life.”

Why would I find myself in a bit of a panic you ask? Because I thought for a moment my sweet sister lost her mind. After all, the weather man keeps informing me it is freezing up north. Could she be experiencing a brain freeze? I immediately, if not sooner, picked up my phone and call Maggie.

Responses usually sound the same: “Oh that is so clever of you, if you ever need any ideas, I have so many for you. Like how about if you write an article about my in-laws? You won’t believe my mother-in-law goes through my drawers looking for proof of my cheating on her son. Does she seriously think I would actually leave evidence?”

Cheating on a wishbone? Seriously? So I ask her how could I cheat and what was the game.

Oh good grief, really? We did have a good laugh, talked about other snapshots of our lives, laughed some more.

I was, needless to say, relieved my Maggie was in perfect mental health.

My cousin had an idea that I should write about papa (my grandfather) and the fact that in Europe he not only owned a boarding house with my mama (grandmother), and worked with leather products, but that they were bootleggers.

What? No way, my tiny little grand-parents were bootleggers! I can’t believe it. On the other hand, it could be true. Right? Something I will have to investigate. Stay tuned, this could be the big story about two little Jewish grandparents we all lovingly called mama and papa.

Shaindle welcomes your suggestions, just remember, no rites of privacy will be observed.

The very best suggestion came in the form of a small box which arrived in the mail addressed to yours truly.

The return address indicated the little gift was from my sister Maggie in Massachusetts.

“I got the little gift you sent me,” I said calmly. Carefully I then added, “What does it mean?”

My sister replied after a long sigh, “Oy, you don’t remember all the fights

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AJT

The Next Voice of Atlanta Sports

KIDS STEP UP TO THE MIC FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF BROADCAST TRAINING special for the ajt

H

as your child ever dreamed of calling a last second, game-winning shot on radio or TV? Well now is their chance.

The award-winning Sports Broadcasting Camps will return for their seventh year in Atlanta. The camp will be held the week of July 14-18 at

Emory University for boys and girls between the ages of 10-18.

At the camp, kids will have an opportunity to make sports anchor tapes on camera, host their own sports talk radio shows, be videotaped hosting their own Pardon The Interruption style show, as well as make play-byplay tapes into recording devices of the NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and World Series.

Campers will also get a chance to meet local sports broadcasting celebrities. Past guests at the Sports Broadcasting Camp include the voice of the Hawks Steve Holman, sports talk radio host John Kincade, ESPN reporter Lisa Salters, Braves reporter Tommy Hart, sports anchor Anthony Amey, Falcons’ Jason Snelling, among many others.

The Alfred & Adele

Davis Academy

An Evening with Cokie Roberts Wednesday, February 5, 2014 7 p.m.

Free Community Event

The Davis Academy is pleased to present award-winning journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts for an evening of conversation and book signing. Copies of her best selling books along with her new and first children’s book, Founding Mothers, will be available for purchase and signing.

january 17 ▪ 2014

The Davis Academy Lower School 8105 Roberts Drive, Atlanta GA 30350

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The Alfred & Adele

Davis Academy www.davisacademy.org

Seating is limited for this exclusive event.

Please RSVP today to: rsvp@davisacademy.org.

For more information,contact Lori Zelony, lzelony@davisacademy.org Proud Affiliate of:

All campers have dreams of being the next Joe Buck or Bob Costas. Some already have their own sports blogs and podcasts.

All the videos that the campers make during the week will be uploaded to our YouTube page so that family and friends will get a chance to see these passionate young kids in action, doing what they love. These videos can also be shared on the camper’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Sports Broadcasting Camps, LLC will be entering its 13th summer. In addition to Atlanta, the camps are in eight other cities across the country including Philadelphia, Baltimore, North Jersey, Chicago, Boston, South Florida, Columbus, and Los Angeles.

All camps have both day and overnight options.

For more information on the Sports Broadcasting Camps call (800) 3190884 or email info@playbyplaycamps. com; also visit www.playbyplaycamps. com or facebook.com/sportsbroadcastingcamps

AJT

Finally! A Jewish Day Camp for Intown Atlanta IN THE CITY NOW MAKING CONVENIENT CAMP POSSIBLE FOR COMMUNITY SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

camp experience was for her kids.

he days of schlepping your kid across town for camp are over!

In the City Camp at Emory is Atlanta’s only co-ed, intown, Jewish day camp for kids ages 5-14.

Unable to find a co-ed intown Jewish day camp that captured the best parts of the summer experience she had and wanted for her kids, Eileen did what any good Jewish mom would do – she started her own camp.

Now entering its third summer, In the City Camp provides the exciting activities, creates the lifelong friendships, and facilitates the characterbuilding experience of Jewish overnight camp – and lets your child sleep at home.

Lemons to lemonade (or perhaps bugs to bug juice?)

By the summer of 2011, In the City Camp executive director, Eileen Snow Price, was tired of schlepping her four kids across town each day to attend Jewish summer camp. But, as a former JCC day camper and Camp Barney Medintz camper and counselor, she understood how valuable a Jewish

runs for eight weeks ending Fri., Aug. 1. Sign up for one week, all eight, or anything in between. Before and after care is also available.

Sign up!

Registration opens in January. Visit www.inthecitycamp.com for more information.

Camp begins Mon., June 9 and

By the camp’s second summer in 2012, it was clear the community had embraced it when 100 kids attended each week. Some were even coming from the ‘burbs.

An incredible intown facility In the City Camp is located on Emory University’s beautiful campus in Atlanta’s Druid Hills neighborhood. Campers have access to Emory’s state-of-the-art facilities including an Olympic-size pool, beautifully manicured fields, and an impressive climbing wall.

As you will hear if you check out the fantastic video on camp’s website, that pretty much makes it the Harvard of summer camps.

Activity choice and field trips

Ayla Cohen

At In the City Camp, both Kid campers (ages 5-10) and Tween campers (ages 11-14) choose the sports, art, and music activities they participate in each day and take a field trip off-campus every week.

Campers hike Stone Mountain, volunteer at the Food Bank, and jump on the giant trampolines at Sky Zone. Additionally, Tween Campers experience at least one overnight activity each week.

L-R: Ayla Cohen, Kinneret Weismark, Mollie Glazer

Back row: Allison Marill, Sophie Silverman, Shoshi Ginsburg Front row: Rudy, Ayla Cohen, Mollie Glazer, Kinneret Weismark, Annie Shwartz

A staff committed to Judaism and Israel In the City Camp wants to ensure that each camper connects with Judaism and Israel while they experience all the traditional camp activities like swimming, basketball, arts & crafts, and singing.

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january 17 ▪ 2014

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To make sure that happens, all of the camp’s counselors are Jewish.

Camp also will welcome four Israeli staff members this summer.

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AJT

Where Future Entrepreneurs Blossom

CAMP INC. HONES SKILLS OF YOUNG JEWISH STUDENTS FOR BUSINESS WORLD SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

L academics

Camp Inc. is a Jewish overnight

Your Neighborhood Camp Experience

ESA camp

June 2nd– July 3rd, 2014

creative

Adventures for 2-year-olds to 8th grade

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A D V E N T U R E S U M M E R E P S T E I N

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FL EXIBLE FRIENDLY F UN

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ocated in the mountains above beautiful Boulder, CO, Camp Inc. provides seventh through 12th grade campers with a unique Jewish over-

night summer camp where they develop community, confidence, leadership, and Jewish identity through hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and business.

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camp where teenagers from around the world join together to explore what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Campers work together to launch a product or service using the skills and tools learned through daily team challenges, interactions with guest entrepreneurs, tours of local businesses, and weekly “Shark Tank” style pitch competitions.

Camp Inc. sits on 135 acres about 35 minutes from Boulder, Colo. The 9,000 foot high mountain property boasts an eight acre lake for swimming, boating and fishing, natural rock climbing, archery, sports fields, miles of hiking, and incredible views of the continental divide.

Campers spend two to three days per week in Boulder (ranked as one of the top entrepreneurial cities in the country) touring local businesses, meeting with entrepreneurs, and working on their team’s products or services.

Camp Inc. offers two, two-week sessions for campers entering seventh and eighth grade, and two, threeweek sessions for campers entering ninth to 12th grade. The seventh and eighth grade program is called Explorers, or “Chokrim” in Hebrew, and provides campers with an opportunity to explore what it means to be an entrepreneur.

The ninth and 10th grade program is called Apprentices, or “Mitmachim” in Hebrew. The Apprentices learn about the process of launching a company and the skills and tools needed to bring a product to market.

profit organizations.

The vision of Camp Inc. is to inspire a global community of multigenerational entrepreneurs and innovators, who continually work to develop the skills needed to turn their ideas into reality, build their Jewish

identity, connect to Israel in meaningful ways, and make a positive difference in the world.

With the support of counselors and professional staff, campers explore how Jewish values impact their own lives both right now and as future business leaders.

From interacting with Israeli startups and networking with other Jewish teens, to celebrating Shabbat and singing Hebrew songs around the campfire, Camp Inc. combines the best of Jewish summer camp with a top-notch business program.

Camp Inc. is a program of the Boulder JCC and is funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation and AVI CHAI Foundation, in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Camp Inc. was competitively selected as part of the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s esteemed Incubator II to receive both funding and mentorship to build the best Jewish overnight camp experience.

The 11th and 12th grade program is called Entrepreneurs, or “Yazamim” in Hebrew. The Entrepreneurs are introduced to the startup process and taught how to build a company, while honing in on specific skills great entrepreneurs need to have.

First time Jewish overnight campers may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 off the cost of camp through our One Happy Camper Program. Additional financial assistance is available.

Each three-week session starts with a week focused on team building, leadership, and philanthropy where campers start their own foundation and grant real money to local non-

For more information visit www.

CampInc.com, email info@CampInc. com, or call (303) 998-1900.

1/7/14 2:33 PM

AJT

The Wonder of a Very Special Camp

CAMP PROVIDES HOPE FOR FUTURE, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

C

amp Living Wonders codirectors Chanie and Noah Pawliger are used to glowing comments from parents.

The Jewish camp they opened three years ago for children with disabilities has been enthusiastically received. But a recent observation from a parent particularly caught their attention.

The father of a camper wrote, “For the first time, Adam* [real name omitted for privacy] can now envision a day when he will get married and live on his own.”

Another grateful mom said, “One of the biggest rewards in sending our daughter to Camp Living Wonders is the feeling of accomplishment and freedom to be loved for who she is instead of what others want her to be.”

For Noah, who has been involved in camping for most of his life as a camper and staff member, there is no greater satisfaction.

The affable 33-year-old father of two had learning differences and a hearing impairment that made academic success illusive. But camp was different.

“I felt that camp was something that just made sense, and I was good at, especially in comparison to school.

And I could come home and teach my family and friends what I learned.” says Noah.

That’s precisely what he and his wife Chanie, a professional special educator, are doing.

This year’s encampment will take place July 20 through Aug. 7 at Camp Arrowhead just outside Hendersonville, N.C. The setting is rustic and serene, yet completely accessible with modern conveniences, set to the backdrop of a beautiful lake and surrounding mountains.

This summer Camp Living Wonders expects to at least double last year’s enrollment. Most campers come from the Atlanta metro area; others travel from Florida, New York, Texas and California.

The Pawligers and their supporters anticipate that Camp Living Wonders will eventually have its own permanent location in the near future somewhere in the southeast. They are mindful of the importance of cautious, steady growth.

“There is no question of the need for a camp like ours, but we want to make sure this is a camp that lasts

through the ages. We’re targeting careful, effective growth so that we can best serve our campers and staff, G-d willing for many years to come,” says Noah.

Camp Living Wonders has attracted a dedicated, passionate staff, many of whom study and work in the fields of special education, occupational therapy and psychology. Others are siblings of children with special needs.

Last year’s staff included pre-medicine and even two rabbinical students who are focusing on special education.

“It’s safe to say that our staff are here not because it’s just a job, but because it’s a place that helps sharpen their skills and is essential to their career path,” says Chanie.

A day at camp features classic experiences like campouts, lake swims and hikes. Staff members use special skills, personalized pacing and uniquely tailored programs to ensure that every child has fun, is challenged and is successful.

Underlying every activity and interaction is an appreciation for the joy and wonder of Jewish life.

“Campers come to us from all points on the Jewish spectrum,” says Noah. “Some are from observant homes, while others have been excluded from the community and asked to stay away from community programs and synagogue because they were too distracting to others. In one case, a rabbi with extraordinary chutzpah told a CLW parent, ‘Perhaps not everyone is meant to have a bar mitzvah!’”

Noah continues, “Whatever their background, camp gives everyone a unique opportunity to connect with nature and to live, learn and play Jewishly. For example, a highlight of camp is pot-luck Shabbat dinner. In the Gan Peleh (The WONDERGARDEN), we grow huge, gorgeous vegetables in our camp garden, cook them together, and bring them to and then bless the food as a community. It’s a truly Jewish, farm-to-table experience.”

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Each cabin group prepares a dish for the festive meal and everyone learns that Shabbat is not complete without participation from all, both from their material contribution, and their individuality in the group.

Campers return home with a rich variety of experiences and skills that they proudly share with family and friends. It’s everything from making special friendships to making their bed to making fresh artisan challah.

One of the most important takeaways is the loving relationships forged between staff and campers.

Many campers have never been away from parents, and the knowledge that they will be supported and cared for by competent, fun-loving staff members is a source of comfort.

This is seen in the relationships that carry through the year until the next summer.

An exciting addition for 2014 is the new staff-in-training (SIT) program. “’Typical’ 16-year-olds will join camp-

ers—living in the cabins, going on trips—to learn what it means to serve as staff members for young adults with special needs.

Noah says, “The SIT program is the true test of our effort to provide campers with ways to integrate into group and community settings, develop friendship and grow into confident, independent Jewish adults.”

An important resource is Camp Living Wonder’s board of directors, which includes camp directors, professional educators and members of the disabilities community.

Board member Doug Stein adds, “It’s been a joy to watch camp evolve from a dream into a life-changing opportunity for these deserving young people. Noah and Chanie have identified a very real need in the community and across the country.”

Editor’s note: to learn more about Camp Living Wonders visit the camp website at CampLivingWonders.org.

Camp Grasshopper

Camp Grasshopper summer day camp engages preschoolers in an adventure of discovery. With a different theme each weekly session, camp staff lead indoor and outdoor activities that are that are fun, creative and targeted specifically to the interests and abilities of boys and girls ages 3 to 6. Throughout the week, campers enjoy arts and crafts, music, story time, creative play, drama, sports and nature study, with lunch and playground time each day.

For more information, visit atlantaspeechschool.org/grasshopper or call 404-233-5332.

3160 Northside Pkwy., NW | Atlanta, GA 30327 404-233-5332 | atlantaspeechschool.org

january 17 ▪ 2014

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS the ABILITY TO SHINE

Camp Living Wonders is a special summer place for exceptional Jewish children.

We bring the magic of camping- friendship, nature, achievement, and discovery to kids with developmental and cognitive disabilities.

Camp Living Wonders is inclusive of Campers 7-21 years old with high-functioning developmental disabilities including, but not limited to Autism and Spectrum disorders, ADD/ ADHD, Aspergerís Syndrome, Down syndrome, Fragile X, and PDD. Our S.I.T. program is an inclusive program of for neuro-typical teens who are 16 years old or finishing their Sophomore year in High School and our campers with special needs who are 20 and over.

Camp Living Wonders 5425 Powers Ferry Road Atlanta, Georgia 30327 404-482-2676 camplivingwonders.org Main Summer session July 24-August 7th Session 1 of Nitzutzot (Sparks) July 24th ñ July 30th Session 2 of Nitzutzot (Sparks) August 1st- August 7th

MJCCA SUMMER DAY CAMPS Fun, Friends, Activities, Adventures

Free Bus Transportation throughout Metro Atlanta including new Emory/Decatur Bus Stop!

More than 100 cam p options for rising PreK-10th Grade

ENTREPRENEURSHIP OVERNIGHT CAMP FOR GRADES 7-12.

The only Jewish overnight camp where campers explore what it means to be an entrepreneur and work together to launch a product or service from scratch.

january 17 ▪ 2014

• Indoor & Outdoor Camps • Open to Members & Community • New 6 Month Payment Plan • New Camps - Color War Camp - Creative Chefs Camp - EA Sports Camp - and more!

REGISTER ONLINE NOW! *See atlantajcc.org/specials for details.

Download the 2014 Summer Day Camps Catalog at

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atlantajcc.org/camps

www.CampInc.com info@CampInc.com 303-998-1900 Boulder, CO

AJT

Spending Vacation Onstage ALLIANCE THEATRE’S UPCOMING SPRING BREAK AND SUMMER DRAMA CAMPS SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

T

he Alliance Theatre Education Program continues the celebration of excellence in stage and film acting with its 2014 Spring Break and Summer Drama Day Camps.

One of the most successful and respected programs in the country, the Alliance Theatre Acting Program offers students of all ages, experience, and abilities a chance to work with professional theatre and film educators in one of America’s most renowned regional theatres.

“We offer the opportunity for young people to explore this art form in a highly creative and supportive environment,” said Christopher Moses, Alliance Theatre Director of Education.

From musical theatre to film acting, the Alliance Theatre’s spring break and summer drama camps remain one of the most popular and rewarding experiences for the young people of our community.

For more than 30 years, the Alliance Theatre’s high energy drama camps have inspired thousands of young people throughout Atlanta.

“It is our commitment to help each camper, regardless of age, find their voice and tell their particular story. It’s not just about rehearsing and performing, but really inviting our campers to join in the artistic process—and teaching skills that help develop more compassionate and creative human beings,” said Moses.

Spring Break drama camps begin for children as young as 18 months old and are offered for students as old as 12th grade. Camps meet Monday through Friday during the Spring Break holiday.

REACH FOR NEW HEIGHTS

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Register Now for Camp Thunderbird!

Learn more at our Open House on April 13.

Located just four hours from Atlanta, Camp Thunderbird’s 1.7-mile shoreline provides the ideal backdrop for life-changing experiences. For more than seventy five years, Thunderbird’s pristine 100-acre campus on the shores of Lake Wylie has welcomed campers wanting to escape the buzz of city life.

january 17 ▪ 2014

Editor’s note: to learn more, visit alliancetheatre.org/content/acting-camps

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Summer drama camps begin for children in kindergarten and are offered for students as old as 12th grade. Meeting times for summer camps vary by camp and age. Each camp ends with a performance for family and friends.

Coed, Ages 7 to 16 | one and two week sessions

www.campthunderbird.org

YMCA Mission: To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

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AJT

Getting a Jump on Sun and Fun

MJCCA ANNOUNCES NEW DAY CAMP OPTIONS FOR SUMMER 2014 SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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he Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) is pleased to announce that its Online Day Camp Registration is now open for returning campers, and opens Sun., Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. for new campers.

MJCCA Summer Day Camps offer more than 100 different options for children ages 5 to 14, including: Traditional Camps, Specialty Camps, Teen Camps, Performing Arts Camps, and Sports Camps. Day Camp starts the week of May 26 and continues through August 8.

New Camps for 2014 Include: ► Behind the Scenes Travel Camp (For rising 3rd-8th graders) Join us as we travel to five critically acclaimed local attractions for backstage tours and a peek into the inner workings of theatrical production. Destinations may include: Georgia Aquarium, Medieval Times, Center for Puppetry Arts, the Alliance Theater and the Fabulous Fox Theater. Campers will get to meet actors, directors, and designers who work on some of the most elaborate productions in Atlanta. ► EA Sports – It’s In The Game (For rising 2nd-8th graders) This camp offers a variety like no other by taking the best from both the real and virtual sports worlds. Working alternately between the console-based sports and real sports, this fun-filled week will include practice time, games, team play, fun competition, and will conclude with an exciting EA Sports Day.

january 17 ▪ 2014

► Color War Camp (For rising 1st-6th graders) Let the games begin! In the off-the-

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wall Color War Camp, every day is a new crazy competition.

There will be something for everyone this week, as campers participate in tons of creative activities including art, swimming, sports, cooking, and more. Get ready to cheer on your team. ► Push Kart Rally (For rising 3rd-6th graders) Get rolling in the “camper-powered” Go-Kart Derby. Campers will work in teams to design, build, and decorate their very own wooden push-powered gokarts. Teams will learn about racing strategies, safety on the track, and how best to control their karts to cross the finish line. ► Superhero Camp (For rising K) Join us for the new Superhero Camp, where campers will spend the week engulfed in superhero excitement. Activities include saving fellow superheroes from evil plots, creating gadgets and costumes, inventing a unique superhero character, a visit from a superhero, and much more. ► Creative Writing (For rising 6th-9th graders) Explore the world of wordsmiths in the new Creative Writing Camp. Learn tons of techniques, tips, and tricks to help you tell a captivating story, edit and review your work and your friends’ writing, and finally submit a finished product to be published at the end of the week.

► Atlanta Hawks Dance Camp (For rising 1st-6th graders) The Atlanta Hawks Cheerleaders are excited to bring the first ever Atlanta Hawks Dance Camp to the MJCCA. Led by seasoned Hawks’ cheerleaders, campers will participate in exciting activities like learning dance techniques and high energy routines. ► The Camp Barney Medintz Experience (For rising 3rd-4th graders) Campers are invited to sample the best of both day and overnight camp.

Campers will spend three nights at Camp Barney Medintz, the summer overnight camp of the MJCCA, located in the North Georgia Mountains, and will participate in an exciting mix of specialized programming. ► Leaders in Training (LIT – for rising 9th graders) and Staff in Training (SIT – for rising 10th graders) Participants in our Leaders in Training program will take the beginning steps to being the ultimate group or activity counselor. Rising ninth graders will work with campers, travel on field trips as a group, and participate in leadership and team building pro-

grams. The Staff in Training program provides rising 10th graders the opportunity to work directly with children.

The program will also offer engaging training sessions that will include camp program planning and best practices in working with children.

Other popular returning camps include: ● Aerial & Acrobatics ● Archeology Rocks ● Atlanta Hawks Basketball ● Chess Camp ● CIA Fusion ● Fencing ● Hollywood Bound ● Intro to Graffiti Art ● Junk Art ● Lego Robotics ● Meteorology Camp ● Need for Speed Travel Painting Frenzy ● Sports Broadcasting ● Spy Camp ● Video Game Builders ● Water Wipeout.

Meryl Rindsberg, MJCCA Day Camp Operations Director commented, “I am thrilled about the new camp options that we are offering this year. From campers competing in zany and outrageous activities in Color War Camp, to building a push powered gokarts, to Atlanta Hawks Dance Camp, there is truly an exceptional new camp available for each and every interest.”

Rindsberg continued, “In addition to these new offerings, campers will continue to enjoy the high quality camp options and activities that they have grown to love over the years, including: swimming, tennis, horseback, travel camp, and numerous sports camps, just to name a few.”

The MJCCA offers free bus transportation, with 23 convenient stops at locations around metro-Atlanta, including a new stop this year in the Emory/Decatur area.

“MJCCA Day Camps is where the magic of summer begins! Our campers get to pursue and enjoy their every interest and passion. And, along the way, they laugh, swim, and explore, while establishing lifelong friendships and memories,” says Rindsberg.

Editor’s note: for information about the various day camp offerings, call (678) 812-4004, or visit www.atlantajcc.org/ camps.

AJT

community

Q&A with Emile Worthy

BELOVED TEACHER, JAZZ VOCALIST TO PERFORM AT GHA BENEFIT AJT CONTRIBUTOR

A

t the Greenfield Hebrew Academy, everyone knows Emile Worthy as “Mr. Emile.”

He’s been overseeing the Club Kef after-school homework lab for eight years, as well as running the IN THE PAINT Basketball Camp.

But not many people realized that Mr. Emile has another life – as a professional jazz vocalist.

Emile Worthy has been a fixture in the Atlanta music scene since 1979.

With a deep, rich baritone that seems to originate at the very bottom floor of his enormous heart, he has been singing jazz standards in and around Atlanta for over 40 years.

On Saturday evening, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m., Mr. Worthy will perform at Jazz at GHA, an evening of sophisticated entertainment, to benefit the performing arts program at the school.

sicians. My father knew Louis Armstrong, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Danny Kaye – musicians who performed in New York.

I remember he’d line us up in the living room, all the kids, and we’d sing “Rockin’ Robin” for his friends.

I grew up around music. I remember visiting Louis Armstrong’s house and playing on a big, round rug he had—we would all congregate at his house and sing together. Louis Armstrong once told me, “If I can sing, you can sing. Anybody can sing!” He was a wonderful man, very kind.

I sang at my first gig when I was 15 or 16-years-old, and I was scared to death. You see, I’m very tall, so I looked much older than I was! I did lots of musical theatre in school, and my high school music teacher got me a role in an Off-Off-Off-Off Broadway theater. I sang all over New York.

He kindly answered the following questions to better shed light on his personal journey to establishing himself as a singer and performer.

AJT: What brought you to Atlanta?

Atlanta Jewish Times: How did you get started singing?

There was nothing but farmland out there back then—kids could always make a little money picking strawberries. Well, one day I went to apply for some job in Roslyn, Long Island, and

Emile Worthy: Well, my father was a singer in New York (I grew up there) and of course, all his friends were mu-

EW: It was just too cold in New York!

My family moved from Brooklyn out to Long Island, to a little town called Wyandanch.

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The snowplow had come by, you see. That was when I decided to leave.

I got my car out and as soon as the weather cleared, I jumped in my little Plymouth Duster with a six-pack of Coke and two sandwiches and started driving south. My sister lived in Atlanta. When I got here, Atlanta seemed like home. It felt like the place I was supposed to be.

AJT: Was it difficult to break into the music scene here?

EW: No, it wasn’t hard. Every gig you go to, there’s always someone you know. But it is difficult to make a living doing nothing but music here in Atlanta, so I’ve always done a lot of different things.

I worked at Emory as a research technician for 30 years, and I do the afterschool program and basketball camp, and I perform around town. I sing at Churchill Grounds, at Café 290 just around the corner from here, all the little clubs, private parties.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been ringing in the New Year by performing with Mose Davis, a marvelous piano player, at the Sundial Restaurant in the top of the Westin Peachtree Plaza. I’ve always believed that I can do anything I want to do.

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AJT: At GHA, you’re famous for that line!

EW: You know, when I work with kids, the essence of what I do is motivation.

They tell me, “I can’t get the ball in the hoop,” and I tell them, “You cannot say ‘can’t.’”

That’s not a good word. It blocks you. If you try, you will work it out, as long as you’re not afraid to fail. The more you try, the more you’ll do.

The other day, at Club Kef, one of the little ones said, “I can’t zip up my coat.”

Another child turned around and told him, “You can’t say that in front of Mr. Emile; he says there’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.”

It brought tears to my eyes, I was so proud.

AJT: You’re a really patient coach.

EW: I know that the more you explain to a child, the deeper the pathway you build from one neuron to another. If you don’t have five minutes and 600 words to explain to a child, then why are you here?

I give my students the love and direction I’d give my own kids. And when I coach basketball, I teach the kids that just because they aren’t 5’10” it doesn’t mean they can’t play.

AJT: It’s a long time since your first performance as a teenager. Do you still get nervous?

EW: The time before I sing is nervewracking for me. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, you never stop being a person, you never stop being nervous.

Tony Bennett used to say, “If you’re not nervous, you’re going to bomb.” Every time I’m a nervous wreck until I actually start singing. But once I walk on stage, I’m so into what I’m doing that I don’t even hear the audience. I just sing.

Emile Worthy will sing at Jazz at GHA on Sat., Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy. It will be an intimate evening of smooth jazz, with desserts served. Mr. Worthy will be accompanied by keyboardist Andrew Fazackerly, Ramon Pooser on bass, drummer Charles Nesbitt, and Charles Edwards on horns. The performance benefits upgrades to security at GHA. Tickets are available at showtix4u.com or (866) 967-8167. For more information, contact Jill Rosner at (404) 843-9900.

Leah Braunstein Levy is a paraprofessional at GHA and the author of The Waiting Wall, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for 2010. Her work appears in a new collection of essays, Kaddish, Women’s Voices, available from Urim Publications.

january 17 ▪ 2014

BY LEAH BRAUNSTEIN LEVY

19

AJT

oNe maN’s opiNioN

Remembering the Golem

HOW A MISJUDGED JEWISH SUPERMAN CAN STILL SAVE US

BY EUGEN SCHOENFELD AJT Contributor

I

was standing in the attic of the Alt-Neu Schul in Prague looking at the little heap of dirt.

“So this is it,” I said to myself.

This clump of dirt was supposedly the remnant of a fearsome being, created for one purpose – to defend the Jews of Prague.

I knew the story. My mother told it to me many times, and later I read the story in Hebrew. I was now an adult, and yet I wished that I could believe in it as a child. There is a comfort in believing in the legends, in having the ability to discard objective reality in favor of a childlike sense of awe.

Revisiting the Past It was early August in 1945, and just two months earlier, I had been liberated from Muhldorf Waldlager, one of the concentration camps associated with Dachau.

After spending about two months in a hospital, my father and I returned to Munkacs, my home town. I arrived to a dead city, sans my people and friends – a town that belonged to the Soviet Union.

I remembered my mother’s frequent comments cautioning me “don’t trust Fonyeh ganef (Ivan the thief).”

This and of course the void of friends and kin led me to my decision not to stay there. The next morning I said goodbye to my father, who decided to stay for a while longer – perhaps hoping for the return of any member of our family.

After all, for 13 years my hometown was a part of Czechoslovakia, a country that for the scant 20 years of its existence was the most democratic country in the world. The first two presidents were liberal, intellectual professors of sociology - Dr. Garyk Masaryk and Dr. Edward Benes.

As a Jew devoted to my people’s history, one of my first acts in Prague was to visit the famous and noble structure: the Old-New Synagogue.

How could I ever live among people who idly, and some of them happily, stood by as we were marched to our doom?

The synagogue was empty – that is empty of people, but it was filled with haunting spirits of five centuries of individuals who poured out their embittered lives in a hostile Christian environment devoid of the humanitarian law of tzar baal chai (not causing pain to living beings.)

After a brief stay in Budapest, where the Russian Army was still in command, I decided to go to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

This was the synagogue of Rabbi Jehudah Lowe ben Bezallel, also known as the Maharal, credited as the creator of the Golem.

Throughout our long history, we have had many heroes. They were individuals who fought the enemies of our people, such as Samson, Gideon, Judah the Maccabee, and Bar Kochbah, and of course we had far too many heroes in the last half of the last century in Israel.

These were human heroes, people who gained note because of their military exploits in their own land defending their own people. But in the sixteenth century, Jews living in the Prague ghetto needed a Supper Hero – they needed an entity that was impervious to knives, swords and bullets, an entity who could save the Jews from the frequent attacks inflicted on them by the Christian world.

Moreover, they needed someone who could guard them from the consequences of one particular lie, one that usually has been spread before Passover – the lie known as the blood accusation.

january 17 ▪ 2014

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Jews in many parts of Europe were accused of needing the blood of Christian children to bake Passover Matzoth.

Since Passover often coincides with Easter, these lies were repeated and expounded in the churches as truth, resulting in the massacres of Jews.

These were the times when Jews needed a champion, a Superman, who would defend them and, as the story goes, the Maharal decided to create one.

There were previous stories about Jewish mystics who could animate objects of clay, described in Sefer Yetzirot,

a Book of Creations. The Maharal was not only a great Talmudic scholar, he was also knowledgeable in Jewish mysticism -- the Kabbalah.

Using this knowledge, the Maharal fashioned a lump of clay into a human form; one of large proportions and of great strength. To vitalize the clay statue, the rabbi inscribed on a piece of parchment G-d’s holiest name, his specific name known in Hebrew as the shem hamforash, and placed it under the statue’s tongue.

The Maharal wished to attribute this object with a greater significance than merely being a defender. He wished to make it a symbolic representation of something that would reflect the essence of human existence, and so the rabbi scratched the word “emeth” the Hebrew word for truth on the clay man’s forehead.

And thus the Golem, a word which Talmud was used to describe an unformed clay object, was now to be considered as one who would debunk the lies and illuminate the truth. The Golem was to be the savior of truth and justice.

Yet the Golem was hardly successful. Some say that he became an indiscriminate murderer.

My mother had a different and more acceptable ending. The Golem was a dull, dumb, speechless, and clumsy being. As he became a troublesome object in the Maharal’s household, the rabbi’s wife asked the Maharal to dispose of him. The rabbi took him to the synagogue’s attic, the story goes, where he removed the parchment under his tongue and Golem crumbled and returned to the dust and clay from whence he came.

As a recently liberated camp inmate, I stood in the attic of the Alt-Neu Shul looking at this almost indiscernible little mount of clay.

I realized the ultimate truth: No outside agent can save us from evil. There can be no Superman who can humanize our society.

The human world can only be saved by human beings. We, and we alone, are the agents who can create a better world. Good, bad or indifferent it’s up to us to change the human world into a humane world.

Eugen Schoenfeld, a professor and chair emeritus at Georgia State University and a survivor of the Holocaust and is available for speaking engagements.

AJT

community

Family Learning at The Breman

children and parents learn about the holocaust

T

he Breman Museum began a program in which they are teaching Jewish children and their families about the Holocaust. The Breman is reaching families through their schools and synagogues.

New Ways to Move in 2014

Congregation Gesher L’Torah pictured participating in the “We are Here” program at the Breman Museum on Jan. 12.

Now Showing

MJCCA ANNOUNCES SPRING DANCE CLASSES SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

D

ance at the MJCCA has recently announced that it will open an additional dance level for dancers wanting to join its J Dance Company (ages 6-11 years) this semester, which will feed into the currently enrolled year-round J Dance Company.

Dancers must be evaluated by one of the MJCCA instructors and invited to participate in the Company. One J Dance Company highlight is its annual trip, which in June 2014 will be to New York City.

The J Dance Company has performed on various stages throughout Atlanta, as well as the Waterside Stage in Downtown Disney in Orlando. All MJCCA dance classes will take place at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

About Dance at the MJCCA

The MJCCA offers a wide array of dance classes for every skill level and interest. From toddlers to middle-schoolers, participants in the Dunwoody dance classes learn self-discipline and build strength and coordination, while developing grace and self-confidence as they enjoy the creative expression of movement. Private and group lessons are available to take dancers from beginner to the most advanced levels.

NatioNal GeoGraphic eNtertaiNmeNt preseNts

J Dance Company For dancers who are interested in a serious and committed program. The J Dance Company provides dancers the opportunity to experience advanced classes, dance performances throughout Atlanta and recitals on a professional stage.

Dancers must be invited by one of the MJCCA instructors to participate in these small, intimate classes that offer intensive instruction in ballet, jazz, and tap. Dancers are expected to participate in a minimum of two classes per week and spend time practicing at home.

The instructors are proud to bring their expertise to the J Dance Company, many of whom are trained professional dancers themselves, still performing locally and across the southeast, and are extremely active in the dance industry.

There are spots available for the MJCCA’s Spring 2014 Recreational Dance Classes. Starting with the youngest ballerinas and hip-hop stars, the MJCCA recreational dance program begins with a Pre-Dance and Pre-Ballet course introducing dance basics.

Instruction at this young age focuses on engagement with other children, following directions, and understanding dance terms. Early Childhood classes help build essential physical skills including coordination, balance, rhythm, and body awareness.

From the youngest ballerinas to the most advanced jazz dancers, the MJCCA recreational dance program offers dance classes for every skill level and interest.

Disciplines including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and tap are available for early childhood and elementary-middle school dancers. Summer dance camps and vacation dance camps are also offered.

A COSMIC PICTURE / ARCANE PICTURES FILM IN ASSOCIATION WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC “JERUSALEM” NARRATED BY BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH ORIGINAL MUSIC MICHAEL BROOK EDITORS JEAN-MARIE DROT BOB EISENHARDT, ACE DOUG O’CONNOR DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY REED SMOOT, ASC SOUND RECORDIST THIERRY MORLAAS-LURBE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JAKE EBERTS DOMINIC CUNNINGHAM-REID PRODUCERS TARAN DAVIES GEORGE DUFFIELD DANIEL FERGUSON WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY DANIEL FERGUSON

See it on the biggest screen in town, Fernbank’s IMAX® Theatre.

Local Mom Randi Steuer said, “My daughter, Marley, started dancing in the MJCCA’s recreation program four years ago. She then moved into jazz/hip hop, and last year she joined the J Dance Company. Marley has traveled to Disney with Company J, and is looking forward to traveling to NYC with the Company this summer.”

Steuer continued, “Performing onstage has really helped Marley to come out of her shell. She has found something she is really great at that makes her feel special.

We couldn’t be happier.”

For information, contact Erin Lesure at (678) 812-4049, or erin.lesure@atlantajcc.org

®

january 17 ▪ 2014

Recreational Dance Classes (ages 2 – 16)

fernbankmuseum.org 21

AJT

TELL & K’vell

Mitch Kaminer Receives Realtor of the Year Award LONG-TERM REALTOR ADVOCATE HONORED BY ATLANTA BOARD SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

Anniversary

Rothfarb & Kooden

N

ative Atlantan, Joanne Shari Rothfarb and Michael David Kooden of Savannah, will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary on Jan. 21. They were married at Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta officiated by Rabbi Arnold Goodman and Cantor Isaac Goodfriend. Joanne is the daughter of Ruth and Dave Rothfarb, and Michael is the son of Barbara and the late Lewis Kooden. They have lived in Savannah for the past 30 years, and have three sons, Aaron, 26, Ross, 23, and Elliot, 20.

M

itch Kaminer, Associate Broker with RE/MAX Paramount Properties, Owner of Kaminer Property Management, LLC, and past President of the Atlanta Board of REALTORS® (2012), was honored with the prestigious 2013 REALTOR® of the Year Award by the Atlanta Board of Realtors at the organization’s annual awards event.

Kaminer, who has been a Board Member of the Atlanta Board of Realtors since he started his real estate career in 1994, is recognized for his long-term support of the organization’s goals and is known throughout the Atlanta real estate industry for his successful initiatives, numerous Board and Committee positions and indefatigable drive.

During his involvement with the Atlanta Board of Realtors over the past two decades, Kaminer has served as its Education and Technology Committee Chair (2003), Member Services Committee Chair (2004), Trade Show Committee Chair (2005) and VP of Administration and Finance (2006), and Leadership Development Committee Chair (2008, 2009), among others, culminating in 2012 with his election to President of the well-respected professional organization.

“Knowing Mitch for many years I have been impressed by his dedication to the Realtor cause and the real estate industry,” says Victor Salerno, Broker/ Owner of RE/MAX Paramount Properties. “Everyone here is proud of Mitch’s accomplishments, and no one deserves the Atlanta Board of Realtors 2013 Realtor of the Year Award more than him. We need more leaders in the industry like Mitch. Congratulations Mitch, well done!”

Marietta City Council Sworn In COUNCILMAN GOLDSTEIN MARKS TENTH TERM

M

arietta City Council was sworn in on Jan. 6 for a new four year term. Councilman Philip M. Goldstein was sworn in for his 10th, having already served almost 34 years as Ward 7 Councilman. Goldstein is believed to be the longest serving municipal elected official in Georgia that is Jewish and was the youngest in Marietta, having been first elected at age 21, as well as the longest serving in Marietta’s History.

Prior to joining RE/MAX Paramount Properties in 2010, Kaminer worked with RE/MAX Greater Atlanta from 1996-2010, and with Northside Realty from 1994-1996.

In addition to realizing $7.5M gross real estate sales in 2013 alone, he also manages 70 executive rental properties throughout the greater Atlanta metropolitan area through Kaminer Property Management, LLC. Always eager to share his expertise to better his community, Kaminer is a volunteer with Jewish Family Services in the Shalom Bayit Program, helping to direct services to survivors of abuse, prevention and educational programming.

In his spare time, he enjoys long-distance bicycle rides and takes three to four spinning classes per week.

january 17 ▪ 2014

Kaminer served as a Flight Engineer on C-141’s in the United States Air Force from 1985-1990 and during Desert Storm, but these days he flies for fun as a licensed pilot. He and his wife Jackie have three children and live in Roswell.

About RE/MAX Regional Services:

RE/MAX was founded in Denver in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger. In 1978, the first franchised RE/MAX Regional office was opened in Georgia. Today, RE/MAX Regional Services (RRS) provides outstanding support to close to 4,000 agents in nearly 300 offices in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Southern Ohio and Southeastern Michigan. RE/MAX agents are proud to have raised more than $130 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other 22 charities.

The Honorable Judge P. Harris Hines Georgia Supreme Court is swearing in the Council.

From Left to right: Councilmembers James Stuart Fleming, Griffin Lee Chalfant, Jr., Johnny Walker, G. A. (Andy) Morris Anthony Calvin Coleman, Michelle Cooper Kelly and Philip Michael Goldstein

AJT

TELL & K’vell

Engagement

Adelman & Pastore

S

heila and David Adelman of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Denise Anne Adelman, to Morgan Watson Pastore, son of Wendy and John Corlett of Ball Ground, Ga. and Karen and Anthony Pastore of New Port Richey, Fla. Denise is the granddaughter of the late Kathryn and Maurice Adelman of Tampa, Fla and the late Roslynn and Jerome Mandel of Atlanta. Morgan is the grandson of Roberta and Herb Watson of New Harbor, Maine, Alfred Lilore of Hudson, Fla, Marie and Jack Brady of New Port Richey, Fla and Ruth Corlett of Safety Harbor, Fla. The wedding is planned for May, 2014 in Atlanta.

ARTS & LIFE

JEWS MAKING NEWS Compiled by elizabeth friedly

Golden Globes, Wins & Losses

Bar Mitzvah

Daniel Lewis

M

azel Tov to Daniel Lewis on his Bar Mitzvah ceremony, set to take place Jan. 18 at Temple Sinai. He is the son of Amy and Bryan Lewis and brother of Lindsey Lewis of Atlanta; grandson of Barbara and Paul Michalove of Asheville, N.C., and Roger Lewis of Los Angeles, Calif. For his Mitzvah project, he is working with The Christopher League. Daniel is currently a student at the Epstein School in the seventh grade.

Andy Samberg

J

Michael Douglas

ewish actors Andy Samberg and Michael Douglas, as well as director Spike Jonze came away as winners at the 2014 Golden Globes.

EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL LECTURE in the TENENBAUM FAMILY LECTURE SERIES in JUDAIC STUDIES

Spike Jonze

Samberg won Best Actor in a TV Comedy for “Brooklyn NineNine,” while Douglas won for Best Actor in a Mini-Series for “Behind the Candelabra.” Samberg’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” also was also awarded Best TV Comedy Series. Jonze (born Speigel) won Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture with his film, “Her.” Disney’s “Let It Go,” performed

by Idina Menzel lost to U2’s

William G. Dever

Distinguished Visiting Professor, Lycoming College Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies, Arizona State University

Did God Have a Wife?

Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel

February 3, 2014 Wednesday, 7:30pm Reception Hall Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University This event is free and open to the public ~ Please join us for a reception following the lecture Free parking available at Fishburne and Peavine Parking Decks

Woody Allen

“Ordinary Love,” from the film, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” Actor Liev Schreiber also lost Best Actor in a TV Series (Drama) to Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad.” Although he was not nominated for an award, director Woody Allen was recognized with the Cecil B. Demille award for “outstanding contributions to the world of 23 entertainment.” january 17 ▪ 2014

This illustrated lecture will showcase recent archaeological evidence that reveals the differences in beliefs and practices of ordinary people in ancient Israel compared to the elitist, idealist portrait in the Bible.

AJT

community

Being the PAL He Needed

JF&CS’S BIG BROTHER AND SISTER PROGRAM HELPS FAMILIES to KEEP MOVING

BY JACKIE GOLDSTEIN

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

W

hen an unimaginable tragedy took the life of Scott Tenenbaum’s dad, his mom Debra “decided not to focus on what happened ‘to’ his dad, rather what has happened ‘since’.”

One of the most important things that happened ‘since’ took place when she found PAL: Atlanta’s only Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister program of Jewish Family & Career Services’ Child & Adolescent Services – Tools for Families division. That was about 12 years ago when Scott was not quite 5-yearsold.

Scott is now a senior in high school, but he remembers how awkward it was for his family. “Other family members were grieving and they didn’t know

what their role was supposed to be for me,” said Scott. “Joel was an outsider.

He didn’t have any history with our family but he didn’t have to question his role – pure and simple – ‘I’m here for you’ ... that was his role.”

Through the years Joel Libowsky has been that Big PAL who was there for Scott. He taught him how to tie his shoes and more importantly how to be a man. Joel even coached Scott’s flag football team and helped coach soccer.

When Scott got older they played a lot of basketball together, watched movies and just hung out.

“I have two older sisters and a mom. For me, it was a necessity. I needed a male influence,” said Scott.

“Joel taught me things, not even on purpose, just from watching him. I learned the things a man is supposed

Scotty and Joel

to do - like grabbing the check or setting up a television. I needed somebody to be the designated role model in my life. Now whenever I’m making a big decision I always talk to Joel about it.”

Scott added with a smile, “I don’t always follow his advice.”

Joel recalls all the times he “got to be a kid again” when he was with Scott, and all of the shared big moments in their lives from Scott’s Bar Mitzvah to Joel’s wedding, babies’ namings and brit milahs.

“My kids love him,” says Joel. “the PAL program made me appreciate my children and my life that much more.”

Some of Joel’s fondest memories were when all the kids and adults in the PAL program came together for events. “I loved seeing all these kids bonding with their Big PALs.”

january 17 ▪ 2014

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His advice to Big PALs? “Give them your undivided attention - open up to them and let them open up to you.”

Since being in the PAL program, Joel and Scott’s relationship hasn’t changed much, just the amount of time they spend together has.

Joel has a growing family, and although time is a little more scarce these days, Joel and Scott still see each other once a month and talk frequently on the phone. Scott even babysits Joel’s three children now that he’s older.

This experience has even made

him think that maybe one day he’d like to be an adult PAL. Debra, Scott’s mom, cherishes the relationship that Scott and Joel have, “I was worried at first about things like, did Joel know how to put Scott’s seatbelt on or how to handle him if he had a meltdown? I was afraid to let him be with someone.”

But Scott was so comfortable and early on she lost her fears. “I’ve always welcomed his opinions. I know he’s got Scott’s best interest at heart. He’s helped me raise him with good values and he’s helped me see my son through someone else’s eyes that I trust. And the fact that it is a Jewish program was good for Scott - he knew that he wasn’t the only one in the community going through this.”

Debra’s advice to parents thinking about a PAL match for their child: “Don’t be afraid to let your child rely on someone else and don’t second guess the benefits it could have on every member of the family.”

PAL is a program of Child & Adolescent Servies – Tools for Families, a division of Jewish Family & Career Services. To find out more about the PAL program, contact (770) 677-9390 or pal@jfcs-atlanta.org.

Jackie Goldstein is a freelance writer and a former Big PAL.

AJT

arts & life

Survival of the Spirit

PERFORMER, SURVIVOR TO ADDRESS REMEMBERANCE ARTS PROGRAM SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

A

m Yisrael Chai! presents, “Survival of the Spirit” – Art, Music and Culture of the Holocaust.

Our annual Holocaust Remembrance program will include a keynote address by Ela Weissberger, a child survivor of the Theresienstadt concentration camp who will tell her story of survival and the struggle to preserve the human spirit despite enormous adversity.

Theresienstadt housed many of Europe’s distinguished artists, composers, musicians and authors. The Brundibar music was smuggled into the Theresienstadt camp where composer Hans Krasa adapted it for the children’s opera.

Weissberger performed the role of the cat in the Children’s Opera “Brundibar.” She participated in each of the 55 performances, including the one filmed for the International Red Cross Visit in 1944.

Most of the cast members, musicians and the composer were transported to their deaths in Auschwitz.

Of the 15,000 children who entered Theresienstadt only 150 survived.

Weissberger is one of them.

The evening of Sun., Jan. 26 is the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The commemoration will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception that will include an opportunity to view exhibits, talk to survivors and listen to messages from ambassadors/consuls from Israel and other countries.

The formal program begins at 7 p.m. and will include a performance of songs from Brundibar. Weissberger will participate in the performance followed by presentation of her story of survival.

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The event will be followed by a dessert reception with time to mingle with survivors and foreign dignitaries, and take away the message that we can never allow the Holocaust to happen ever again, anywhere in the world.

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We have to admire and be inspired by the indomitable Spirit of Survival and we need to remember the Children of the Holocaust, so that they can continue to live through us and bring their interrupted lives to their destiny with our hopes and dreams for redemption, freedom and peace for all.

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To this end, we will continue to work towards planting 1.5 million daffodils – one for each child who perished in the Holocaust – as a worldwide Holocaust Memorial so that we will be reminded every spring, when the daffodils once again break through the barren earth and bring light, color and promise to the whole world.

By attending this event and sponsoring the planting of daffodils, you will play a part in our collective effort to remember the Children of the Holocaust and the lessons we have learned from them.

Editor’s note: For more details, www.amyisraelchaiatlanta.org.

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Tell Our Advertisers you’ve seen them in the Atlanta Jewish Times

january 17 ▪ 2014

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AJT

education

The Difference One Year Can Make

HOW A GAP YEAR IN ISRAEL CHANGED A LIFE AND HELPED SAVE OTHERS SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

F

or Adi Genosar, it took getting out of her routine to realize she was stuck in one at all – and she’s glad she did it.

Taking a gap year with Young Judaea Year Course between high school and college led Adi to understand who she really is and what she’s truly passionate about.

Throughout high school, Adi assumed that she would pursue a degree in business. “I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. “I’m good at time management, and wanted to be a wedding planner. I thought I would study business when I got to college. I figured, ‘I’m decent at this, why not make it a career?’”

Before embarking on her chosen career path however, Adi wanted to spend a year between high school and college near her family in Israel and she wanted to do it while earning credit toward her college degree.

january 17 ▪ 2014

Young Judaea- Year Course, which has components all over Israel and would provide her with a range of

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new and exciting experiences as she earned up to 30 credits, seemed to be the best choice.

Little did Adi know that her year on Young Judaea Year Course would be more than just a year in Israel. It was a year that would change the rest of her life.

Adi’s world began to change almost as soon as she got off the plane.

Soon thereafter, she began volunteering at Fat Meir’s Soup Kitchen in Bat Yam, outside of Tel Aviv. Spending her mornings making lunches for children who couldn’t afford lunch, she would then return to the soup kitchen to help prepare a hot dinner for those in need.

“I had never before been exposed to that kind of generosity,” she explains.

It was a new way of interacting with the world around her, providing value and making an impact on those in need, in a way she had never even thought of previously.

While the soup kitchen opened Adi’s eyes to the effects of the power of togetherness to make change, it was in her next position on Year Course that she found her true calling. En-

couraged by a madricha (counselor) on the trip, Adi began to volunteer with the Magen David Adom (Israeli Red Cross).

“I was so scared at the beginning,” Adi recalls, laughing, “but by the end of training I couldn’t imagine not being a paramedic.”

Ten days of intensive training followed by eight to 12 hour shifts, and Adi realized that this was what she truly wanted to do with her life.

“I found my passion,” she reflected.

“It was the first time in my life I could say I really did everything in my power to help.”

Since returning from Year Course, Adi – now in her sophomore year at Georgia State University – is studying in a pre-nursing program. She credits her experience on Year Course as the reason for the shift from business to her current studies.

“On Year Course, I learned what it meant to be committed, and how

Adi Genosar

much of an impact I could make as an individual. I earned a full year’s worth of credit while also being able to actually explore and find what I love to do.”

Editor’s note: For more information about Adi’s experience and to learn more about Young Judaea Year Course, you can visit www.youngjudaea.org/yearcourse or contact the Young Judaea Southeast Shaliach (emissary): Neta Shani, neta.shani@ youngjudaea.org, (917) 831-0850

AJT

arts & life

High-End Fun Comes to Sandy Springs

THE VERDICT IS IN: AREA’S NEWEST ENTERTAINMENT CENTER EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

AJT CONTRIBUTOR

A

s invited guests to the new Stars and Strikes in Sandy Springs, my friend Zack Naturman and I got to play and explore this awesome entertainment center prior to its Grand Opening later this month. Aside from having fun, my job is to write a review of Stars and Strikes for the AJT. The first thing that I must say is that the two-story laser tag arena was the best I have ever seen. We played several rounds of laser tag and it was amazing.

My next favorite thing was the laser maze. It was set up with lasers criss-crossing all over the room, like

you see in the movies where a valuable object is being protected. The object is to slither under and over all of the lasers, like a secret agent, to get to the end of the mission.

The laser maze is located in the arcade, which has lots of video simulator games and other traditional games. Tickets are earned by playing the games, and those tickets can be cashed in for prizes.

In addition to the laser games and arcade, the main area had 20 stateof-the-art bowling lanes with big screen TV’s, where we bowled, hung out (resting between laser tag games) and had some lunch.

oven, but the menu included all kinds of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees.

The main dining area is the 710 Grille, a more upscale restaurant that seats 250. The main area also has a large circular bar in the center, where adults can sit and watch the kids wherever they are in the building. They even are set to feature live entertainment on their stage every weekend.

Aside from the main areas, Stars and Strikes has fantastic VIP party rooms and private event spaces with dance floors, private bars and dining, eight private bowling lanes, and nine projection TV’s. This is the perfect place for a big party or special event.

Zack, my dad and I all agreed that the new Stars and Strikes is really clean and safe, plus the games and activities are really cool and fun.

This was not ordinary bowling alley food. We had cheese quesadillas and cheese pizza from the stone pizza

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january 17 ▪ 2014

BY GABRIEL WEISS

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AJT

in the moment

The Jewish Laurel Canyon

SHARING THE STAGE WITH JEWISH MUSIC LEGENDS TO HONOR DEBBIE FRIEDMAN

BY BRAM BESSOFF

AJT contributor

S

halom Rav is one of my alltime favorite prayers during Shabbat; the tune just gets to me. I’m convinced there is a science to creating certain musical tones that cause your hair to stand on end or to feel that tingle up your arms and spine.

If I did college all over, I would perhaps make this my thesis and take a scientific route to my studies rather than creative.

Instead, I’m sitting on stage at the Temple in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, a gorgeous synagogue with rich history and a strong connection to the black community. I plan to attend next weekend for the annual MLK service where the congregants of Ebenezer Baptist Church share Shabbat with The Temple.

I was able to share an awesome moment a few years back when I played with Soul Aviv for this very same service. It was an experience that has even deeper personal meaning since I discovered my two degree separation to Dr. King himself (see my column story “Music Opens Up Jewish World of Prayer”).

Back to sitting onstage. I’m getting ready to play a Shabbat service with a duo called Kol B’Seder.

Service is about to begin and it hits me, I’m about to play with Jewish music legends performing their famous setting to one of my most favorite prayers (actually two, as Modeh Ani is a top five for me and can be counted as their second “hit.” When hundreds of congregations use your melody for a prayer, it’s a hit).

january 17 ▪ 2014

Kol B’Seder have a fun lighthearted service. With a Smuckers Brothers banter between the two, they led a service filled with impactful melodies, comedic parodies and personal stories about their times with Debbie Friedman.

This was a special Shabbat Service, as it was the second Yorzheit of Debbie Friedman and the reason why Kol B’Seder was the featured guest.

As I am hearing these stories of writing music together with Debbie, I couldn’t help but see the parallels to what happened in the late 60s at Lau28 rel Canyon: musicians coming together

The Temple’s Shabbat Shira Service, Debbie Friedman Memorial and Kol B’Seder concert was performed by (left to right) Cantor Deborah Hartman, Youth Director Sam Rosenbaum (Bass Ukulele), Bram Bessoff (Drums & Percussion), Cantor Jeff Klepper (Kol B’Seder), Rabbi Peter Berg, Cantor Dan Freelander (Kol B’Seder) and Judy Cole (not shown).

for extended periods of time and creating music that will affect generations to come.

If you know the story of Laurel Canyon, many of the pop artists of that time fled to the outskirts of L.A. to live an anti-suburbia life in the hills outside of Hollywood off Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

But most don’t know that a group of young Jewish song leaders were collaborating around the same time at the Kutz Camp Songleader Institute.

While Joni Mitchell (the undisputed “Queen of Laurel Canyon”) and Graham Nash opened their home to many musicians and put their experience to song like CSN’s legendary “Our House,” A young Jeff Klepper was studying song leading alongside Debbie Friedman and Jim Schulman.

their show on the road, writing their most famous works, including “Lo Alecha,” “Tov L’hodot,” “V’yashvu Ish” “Modeh Ani” and later “Shalom Rav.” Kol B’Seder became the official name of the group when Jeff started Cantorial school at the Hebrew Union College (HUC) School of Sacred Music in 1974, later rounded out by musicians Steve Samuels and Steven Puzarne.

Meanwhile, a new sense of Jewish community – one instilled by music, was born out of the collaboration of alumni from Kutz Camp and HUC, including Kol B’Seder members, Dr. Michael Isaacson, and of course, Debbie Friedman who now holds her name in front of the University’s School of Sacred Music.

The band played frequent events, colleges and high profile gigs like performing alongside Shlomo Carlebach for Israel’s 30th birthday celebration in Central Park. By 1981 – when they recorded their first album “Shalom Rav: Kol B’Seder in Concert” at Kutz Camp – Jeff Klepper and Dan Freelander were the only remaining members.

I was honored and humbled to share the stage with two of such greats and pioneers, and whole heartedly suggest you keep your eye for the next Shabbat Shira service held by any of the wonderful congregations here in town – it just may change the way you experience Jewish prayer and “going to temple” for the rest of your life.

Dan Freelander, the other half, grew up in Worcester, Ma. and the two met at U.A.H.C. Joseph Eisner Camp and developed a strong bond years later when they road-tripped to Colorado as song leaders for the NFTY winter retreat in 1971.

Although the two went on to be leaders at separate congregations, they could be found performing across the country. They continued to gain notoriety from their performances at the Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education, which not only influenced the next generation of song leaders like Craig Taubman and Doug Cotler with their published works, “The Bridge” (1985) and “Sparks of Torah” (1989) but paved the way for these upcoming song leaders to garner national attention.

Upon their return from NFTY convention, Jeff and Dan decided to take

Anyone who says that music does not shape a generation should look to

Jeff, one half of the founding members of Kol B’Seder grew up in Manhattan on a steady diet of Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs and mostly influenced by Bob Dylan.

what happened in Laurel Canyon and Kutz Camp.

Bram Bessoff is a drummer and musician. When not onstage, Bram is a performance coach and music industry entrepreneur helping artists get the most out of their live shows and chart on Billboard. He sits on the board of directors as VP for The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. Follow Bram’s experiences on, off and backstage @bram_rocks. #InItForTheMoment

may their memories be a blessing

Abraham Schwartz

Ariel Sharon

93, Atlanta

85, Israel

Abraham Schwartz, 93, husband of Irene Levinson Schwartz, died Sunday, January 5 in Atlanta. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was the son of the late Samuel and Pauline Schwartz. Abe was Founder and CEO of Varsity Mercantile Company, served in WWII and a graduate of Ohio State University. He was a lover of life and active in many organizations and charities. He was one of the first collectors of antique fountain pens and helped founded the International Pen Magazine as well as published related articles. He and Irene enjoyed attending antique shows throughout their travels. He was very active in the Isaac Wise Temple organized affairs in Cincinnati, served as President of the Brotherhood and was a member for over 50 years. He was a member of Temple Emanuel since moving to Atlanta eight years ago. In addition to his wife of 70 years, Abe is survived by three daughters; Jacqueline Mandell, Sally Kornhauser, and Lisa Gordon (Ken); five grandchildren, Chloe Mandell, Erica Mandell, David Kornhauser, Clayton Kornhauser, and Stephen Coleman Gordon and cousins, nieces and nephews. Thanks is given to Abe’s caregivers, Barbara and Cathy. Memorial donations may be made to the Cure PSP Foundation for Neurolical Disorders, 30 E. Padonia Rd. Suite 201, Timonium, Maryland 21093-2308. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com

Ariel (‘Arik’) Sharon was born in 1928 in Kfar Malal. Sharon joined the Haganah at the age of 14 and served in the IDF for more than 25 years, retiring with the rank of Major-General. He also earned an LL.B. law degree from Hebrew University in 1962. He resigned from the army in 1973, but was recalled to active military service in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War to command an armored division. He led the crossing of the Suez Canal, which brought about victory in the war and eventual peace with Egypt. Sharon was elected to the Knesset in December 1973, but resigned a year later, serving as security adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1975-76). He was again elected to the Knesset in 1977 on the Shlomzion ticket. In 1981 Sharon was appointed Defense Minister, and he brought about the first strategic cooperation agreement with the U.S. and widened defense ties between Israel and many nations. He also helped bring thousands of Jews from Ethiopia through Sudan.

In 1998, Sharon was appointed Foreign Minister and headed the permanent status negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Following the election of Ehud Barak as Prime Minister in May 1999, Sharon was called upon to become interim Likud party leader, and in September 1999 was elected Chairman of the Likud. He served as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. On Feb. 6, 2001, Sharon was elected Prime Minister. On Jan. 4, 2006, after forming a new party, Kadima, in anticipation of elections to the 17th Knesset, Prime Minister Sharon suffered a brain hemorrhage and Ehud Olmert was designated Acting Prime Minister. Sharon never regained consciousness and passed away eight years later, on Jan. 11, 2014. Sharon was widowed and is survived by two sons, Omri and Gilad.

Raymond Kaye 90, Dunwoody

Raymond Kaye of Dunwoody, by way of Miami Beach, born in Coney Island, N.Y., passed away on January 8, 2014. On Dec. 28, his 61st wedding anniversary, he had a stroke and fought for his life for 10 more days. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeff; his older brother, Jerry; and his older sister, Gladys Slavity. Ray was a good man who was quick to give his opinion and make others laugh. He truly enjoyed volunteering for Meals on Wheels for many years.

Ray was dearly loved by his family and friends, who gladly helped him reach the age of 90. He is survived by his loving and understanding wife, Sylvia; his daughter, Jodi K. Buc and her husband Fred; three grandsons: Michael, Harrison, and Dylan, all of Nashville, Tenn.; cousin, Paul Kamelhair; niece, Jo Cohen; and many other relatives. Online guestbook is available at www. edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to City of Hope, www.cityofhope.org. Graveside services were held 1 p.m. Sun., Jan. 12 at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, with Rabbi Joseph Prass officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, (770) 451-4999.

Lewis Fine 44, Atlanta

Lewis “Sandy” Fine peacefully passed away on January 7, 2014. He graduated from Riverwood High School and Georgia State University before obtaining his law degree from Tulsa Law School. At the time of his death, Sandy was a member of the State Bar of Georgia and affiliated with Congregation B’nai Torah. He was a trial attorney with the law firm of Jacobs & King in Sandy Springs. Born in Atlanta on Sept. 24, 1969 to Laraine and Lowell Fine, Sandy was previously married and is survived by his two loving children, Aviva and Zev Fine; his parents; brother, Alan Fine; sister, Alison Fine (Josh Rosenberg and son, Levi); aunts and uncles: Loretta Fine, Barbara and Larry Fine, Faye and Marshall Fay; and many cousins. Online guestbook is available at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Epstein School, 335 Colewood Way, Atlanta, GA 30328; Congregation B’nai Torah, 700 Mount Vernon Hwy., Sandy Springs, GA 30328; MJCCA – Camp Barney Mednitz, 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338; or The William Breman Jewish Home, 3150 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, GA 30327. Funeral services were held 11 a.m. Fri., Jan. 10 at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, with Rabbi Joshua Heller 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

january 17 ▪ 2014

AJT

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AJT

what’s happening

Thurs., Jan. 16

A Taste of Tu B’shvat, featuring “The TreeMan,” a walking, living tree and enjoy fruits and nuts associated with the Land of Israel. Thurs., Jan. 16, 5 p.m. MJCCA Zaban Park. rabbi. glusman@atlantajcc.org or (678) 812-4161.

Tu B’shvat at the Tavern, young Jewish adults (21 and over) are invited to celebrate Tu B’Shvat with the MJCCA and JNF at Park Tavern, located on Piedmont Park. Enjoy special fruits and nuts in celebration.

Thurs., Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m. Free. Park Tavern. Info, roey.shoshan@atlantajcc.org or (678) 812-4055.

Fri., Jan. 17

MON, JAN 20 @ 5:30PM

Shabbat Dinner and AIPAC Speaker, immediately following Friday night services, Beth Shalom will host Carmiel Arbil from The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), at a traditional shabbat dinner to speak about world events and answer questions. Fri., Jan. 17, 7 p.m. $16.50/adults, $8.25/ages 10 and under. Congregation Beth Shalom. To reserve a space, (770) 399-5300 or www.bethshalomatlanta.org.

Sun., Jan. 19

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Emotional Sobriety Lecture, Spiritual Tools for Dealing With Dysfunction and Addiction: an honest look at why and how we get pulled into dysfunctional relationships and addictions and some practical insights on how to rise above the chaos. With Rabbi Shais Taub, acclaimed lecturer and author. Sponsored by Cobb Jewish Academy, JF&CS, Congregation Etz Chaim Sun., Jan. 19, 10 a.m. Free. The Pavillion, in Marietta. Info, (770) 565-4412 x300.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH 6 PM - 10 PM • OPERA

VISIT HAWKS.COM OR CALL 404.878.3250 FOR TICKETS

Speaker: Ambassador Ido Aharoni, the Consul General of Israel in New York as a part of Community Conversation 2014. “Ancient Land.

Brand (New) Israel.” Before event, bring computers and electronics for recycling, an Eco-Tour of the new Or Hadash Synagogue and JNF Israeli Emissary Ezra Ravins disccuses current social issues in Israel. Sun., Jan. 19, 10:30 a.m. Congregation Or Hadash. Register, jnf.org/atlido and RSVP, ahalper@jnf.org or (404) 2368990 x. 852.

Tues., Jan. 21

Emory at Etz Chaim, the bi-annual program bringing the best Jewish studies professors of Emory University to Etz Chaim. Professor Benjamin Hary, Winship Distinguished Research Professor, presents “Not Just Yiddish and Ladino: On the Phenomenon of Jewish Languages.”

Tues., Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. Congregation Etz Chaim.Info, (770) 973-0137 or www.etzchaim.net.

Wed., Jan. 22

“Helen Berr, A Stone Life” Opening, reception and opening night featuring an exhibition on the unique image of a young French girl brutally cast away from society during the German occupation in Paris.

Speakers include, Consul Generals of France and Germany, Directors of the Alliance Française and the Goethe-Zentrum as well as the Executive Directors of the Memorial de la Shoah, Paris and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. Wed., Jan. 22, 7 p.m. Free. Alliance Française d’Atlanta/Goethe-Zentrum, Midtown RSVP, www.afatl.com/EventListing

Sat., Jan. 25

Jazz at GHA, enjoy a sophisticated evening of jazz, featuring the mellow sounds of GHA’s own Emile Worthy and his quartet. Dairy desserts will be served. Sat., Jan. 25, 8 p.m. at GHA. Tickets at showtix4u.com or (866) 967-8167.

Thurs., Jan. 26

“The Geller Girls” Performance, come see “The Geller Girls,” written by Janece Shaffer at a discounted price from the CSI Sisterhood. Thurs., Jan. 26, 2:30 p.m. $39.38. (until Jan. 2).

Alliance Theater. Contact, (404) 7334604.

Jewish Educators Assembly Conference, the premier educational conference for Conservative movement educators from day schools, congregational schools, early childhood programs, and informal programs.

Including Gala Community Concert and Dessert Reception. Thurs., Jan. 26 - Jan. 29. Westin Atlanta Perimeter North Hotel. www.jewisheducators.org.

Sun., Jan. 29

Community Book Club Meeting, gather together to discuss the novel “Defending Jacob,” by William Landay. Sun., Jan. 29. Info, pgrad@att. net or (404) 876-2199.

Thurs., Jan. 30

Jews, Brews & Schmooze, mix & mingle with young Jewish adults. All are welcome, regardless of religious affiliation. Drinks and food available for purchase. Thurs., Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m. Gordon Biersch, Atlanta. roey. shoshan@atlantajcc.org or (678) 8124055.

JEWISH PUZZLER

by David Benkof

Across 1. “___ I am tonight!” (lyric from Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis”) 5. ___ HaChareidis (Ultra-Orthodox organization in Israel) 9. “___ arose from the Earth...”

(Gen. 2:6) 14. “___ to leap tall buildings in a single bound” 15. Miriam’s tribe 16. Samuel Gompers was president of the American Federation of ___ 17. Famous spoon-bender 19. Bruce who said “Dig: I’m Jewish.”

20. Name for Tel Aviv’s Zoological Center 21. “___ and I” (2005 Holocaust film) 23. “___-Yid” (Abba Kovner’s astronomic name for himself) 25. ___ of slavery (what the bitter herbs symbolize on Passover) 29. ___ Pops (kosher frozen treat) 31. RJ ___ Family Camp in Texas 33. Author Kafka (“The Metamorphosis”) 36. Rambam and Neil Sedaka, e.g.

38. Sababa 39. Followers of a philosophy Judah Halevi argued against 40. Israel’s consul-general to New York Aharoni 41. Chabad’s kind of Hasidism 44. Meal where you dip twice 46. Haman and others 47. Gaza group

49. Enjoys Manischewitz 51. Nebbishes 54. ___ of wine (what the bride and groom take under the chuppah) 56. Klipot (Kabbalistic idea) 58. Kadima leader Mofaz 62. One of the twelve Minor Prophets 64. Tool for Pissaro 65. Pennsylvania hometown of Ish Kabibble 66. ___ Turnblad (“Hairspray” mother) 67. Rapper Elliot who refused to boycott Israel 68. Brian Schatz (D-Haw.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)

69. Green or Rogen

Cookbook Collector”) 10. Actress Questel who voiced Betty Boop 11. Samuel ___ Tibbon (French Jewish philosopher) 12. One of four in the Haggadah 13. Adjudicate, a la Eichmann 18. ___ Yisrael 22. “And the darkness He called ___” (Gen. 1:5) 24. It’s done to the table after Shabbat dinner 26. “Stretching ___ silent gulfs her sister hand.” (Emma Lazarus

lyric in “Sympathy”) 27. What the Maccabeats executed, vis a vis the song “Dynamite” 28. Clem ___ (Singers of “Jews for Jesus Blues”) 30. The Third ___ 32. Torah portion about the holy days 33. “Columbo” star Peter 34. Like most shmurah matzah 35. “Allahu ___!” (Terrorist’s cry, sometimes) 37. Feh!

39. Hamentashen shapes before they’re made into triangles 42. ___ Chai Foundation 43. The way Bernard Madoff did things 44. 2006 Olympic silver medalist Cohen 45. Ancient Jewish sect of Qumran 48. Prepares charoset 50. “Jerusalem Post” ads come in many 52. Say “L’il Abner,” say 53. On a ___ (most common placement of a mezuzah) 55. Marc Chagall’s pop 57. Iranian leader Israel had close ties with 58. Equiv. of yeshiva for women 59. “Bali ___” (song from the musical “South Pacific”) 60. Abraham saddled his 61. Qtr. of Manhattan where the Jewish Museum of New York is located 63. Move for wrestler Bill Goldberg

Last week’s answers

Down 1. Autobiography subtitled “A Survivor’s Tale” 2. God told him “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace...”

3. Jonathan Kirsch’s “Moses: ___” 4. Israel is rumored to have bombs in this range 5. Conservative theologian Dorff 6. Home st. of Bob Dylan’s wife Sara 7. One might do it on a Bible 8. One of the Torah’s four types of watchmen 9. Novelist Goodman (“The

Shabbat Candle Lighting Times Blessing for the Candles Baruch Arah A-do-nai,El-o-hei-nu Melech Haolam Asher Kid-shanu b’mitzvotav V’zivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of time and space.

You hallow us with Your mitzvot and command us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.

Blessing for the Wine Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu

Meelech Haolam, Borei p’ri hagafen Praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Blessing for the Bread (Challah) Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu Melech haolam, Hamotzi Lechem min haaretz.

Our Praise to You Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Fri., Jan. 17 5:35 p.m.

Sat., Jan. 18 6:34 p.m.

Fri., Jan. 24 5:42 p.m.

Sat., Jan. 25 6:40 p.m.

Fri., Jan. 31 5:48 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 1 6:46 p.m.

january 17 ▪ 2014

shabbat blessings

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