STARTUP RABBI
DR. POET
Spike Anderson’s path to Temple Emanu-El includes crucial stops in Israel and Silicon Valley. Page 6
STAR SIBLINGS
Gastroenterologist Stan Cohen unwinds by collecting art, writing poetry and combining them. Page 24
woodruffcreateATL.org
While Jason Cohen is performing in “Cats,” sister Leslie will make her bid for food TV stardom. Page 27
Atlanta VOL. XC NO. 26
Iran Wins Nuclear Deal
The United States and other global powers reached an agreement with Iran on Tuesday, July 14, to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the end of crippling economic sanctions against the Islamic republic. The deal, announced in Vienna by European Union representative Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, largely follows the framework agreement announced in April — the framework widely criticized by Israeli and Arab officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal a “mistake of historic proportions.” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was jubilant. “Today people in Lebanon and Palestine are happy because Zionists have tried to block this deal but failed,” he said. “Do not be deceived by the propaganda of the usurper Zionist regime.” The 45-page Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which is 159 pages with attachments to cover the technicalities, says in the preamble that it is necessary to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, then in the next sentence notes that “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.” Obama vows to veto any bill blocking the deal, Page 13
New Name, Same Effort For Shelter By Ariel Pinsky
T
Prepared for Disaster
Sherwin Levinson, the executive director of the volunteer Medical Reserve CorpsGeorgia East Metro, demonstrates how to deal with a disaster involving mass casualties during a training session in mid-2013. In eight years in charge, Levinson has built up the MRC GEM to almost 400 members ready to take the pressure off professional first responders in a crisis. Story, Page 16; Health & Wellness section, Pages 14-23
SILENT STRENGTH POLICE TRAINING
An interfaith discussion on the power of words grapples with the comparable power and wisdom of selecting silence instead. Page 7
JULY 17, 2015 | 1 AV, 5775
WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM
The Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange brings 19 top cops to Israel for an education on the latest techniques. Page 8
INSIDE
Calendar 2 Home 24 Candle Lighting
2 Youth 26
Israel 3 Arts 27 Local News
5 Obituaries 28
Opinion 9 Crossword 30 Education 12 Marketplace 31
he Shearith Israel Night Shelter for Women is now Rebecca’s Tent, the first of several changes for the nonprofit organization. The winter shelter, off University Drive, provides homeless women of all backgrounds food and housing, plus the job-coaching and résumé-building tools they need to turn their lives around. The new name is part of an effort to broaden the shelter’s reach to volunteers, community support and fundraising, board Chairman Daniel Newman said. “One of the things we were hearing pretty consistently was that unfortunately the name was starting to become a barrier.” The organization separated from Congregation Shearith Israel in 2010. The new name conveys the spirit of the shelter through the biblical traditions of hospitality, said Newman, the chairman for six years. The facility is named for the matriarch Rebecca because, like the shelter, she “welcomed those in need with open arms” by offering water and shelter to Abraham’s servant. Other upcoming changes include the selection of a new board chairman Monday, July 20, and the search for a replacement for Executive Director Sallie Weddell, who is retiring in October. Weddell said the changes at the shelter are exciting. “We’ve got new programs that we have put in place in the past couple of years, we’re going to have new leadership, and we’ve got a new brand to take our message to the community and hopefully attract more volunteers.” ■
CALENDAR
CELEBRATE
CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES
at
Parshah Matot-Massei Friday, July 17, light candles at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18, Shabbat ends at 9:30 p.m. Parshah Devarim Friday, July 24, light candles at 8:26 p.m. Saturday, July 25, Shabbat ends at 9:25 p.m.
MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY ONGOING
Hollywood in the camps. “Filming the Camps — John Ford, Samuel Fuller, George Stevens: From Hollywood to Nuremberg” runs through Nov. 20 at the Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road, Buckhead. Admission to the museum is $16.50 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, $11 for children 4 to 12, and free for members and younger children; www.atlantahistorycenter.com or 404-814-4000.
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History of Jewish Atlanta. The Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown, presents “Eighteen Artifacts,” an exploration of Atlanta’s Jewish history, through Dec. 31. Admission to the museum is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students and educators, $4 for children 3 to 6, and free for members and younger children; thebreman.org or 678-222-3700. Holocaust exhibit. Kennesaw State University’s “Parallel Journeys: World War II and the Holocaust Through the Eyes of Teens” is on loan at the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, 5920 Roswell Road, Suite A-209, Sandy Springs, through Aug. 25. Free; holocaust.georgia.gov.
FRIDAY, JULY 17
Shabbat Under the Stars. Temple Kol Emeth holds services in East Cobb Park, 3322 Roswell Road, at 7:30 p.m. after a bring-your-own picnic dinner at 6:30. Free; www.kolemeth.net. Prospective member event. Temple Beth Tikvah, 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell, holds a wine-and-cheese session at 6 p.m. Free; www.bethtikvah.com.
SUNDAY, JULY 19
Bet Is for Baby. Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, holds its twice-a-year, three-part program for first-time expectant parents, starting today at 10:30 a.m. with “Raising Jewish Children: A Guide for the Perplexed.” The program continues at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 26, with a session on brit milah and baby naming and concludes at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, with “Networking, Resources and Connecting” and a Shabbat lunch. Free; register with Marcia Lindner at
404-603-5748 or mlindner@aasynagogue.org. Movie and dancing. Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, shows “Hava Nagila (The Movie),” to be followed by Israeli dancing, at 7 p.m. Admission is $8; bethshalomatlanta.org.
TUESDAY, JULY 21
Team trivia. The Sixth Point’s Recess SPIN (Sixth Point Interest Network) kicks off with free trivia at 7:30 p.m. at Buckhead Saloon, 3227 Roswell Road. Food and drinks are available for purchase; mbrodzki@gmail.com or thesixthpoint.org.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22
Israeli retail experience. Conexx’s I-3: Israel, Innovation, Impact Series presents “The Retail Experience,” the first of three programs focusing on thought leadership from U.S. and Israeli companies, with a look at integration between brick-and-mortar and online operations at 7:30 a.m. at IBM, 6303 Barfield Road, Sandy Springs. Admission is $20 for Conexx members, $35 for nonmembers; www.conexx.org.
THURSDAY, JULY 23
High tech for all. Conexx holds a program with Ihab Atalla, the head of Amdocs’ Nazareth operations, on the expansion of the Israeli high-tech industry into Arab society at 8 a.m. at Le Meridien, 111 Perimeter Center West, Dunwoody. Admission is $15 for Conexx members, $25 for nonmembers; www.conexx.org.
SATURDAY, JULY 25
Tisha B’Av program. The Temple and Ahavath Achim Synagogue join for a service that includes the Book of Lamentations, prayer and seudah sheleshit (third meal learning with the rabbis) at 7:30 p.m. at AA, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead. Free;
SUNDAY, JULY 26
Tisha B’Av program. Video presentations on Jewish history, heritage and current events mark the day of mourning at Congregation Beth Jacob, First video starts at 1 p.m.; the last begins at 6:30. Suggested donation is $10.
Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.
ISRAEL
Israel News
JNF Launches $100M Advocacy Effort A gift of $100 million from the Boruchin Family Estate has financed the creation of the Jewish National Fund Boruchin Israel Education Advocacy Center to focus on Israel and Zionist educational programming. “John and Dora Boruchin saw that their lifelong commitment to Israel and the Jewish people would continue through their bequest to JNF,” said Mike Lederman, the center’s chairman. “The Boruchins wanted JNF to undertake bold initiatives connecting Jewish youth to Zionism and advocating for the Jewish state.” The center will advocate for Israel, deliver Israel education in the diaspora, and counter the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement to strengthen Americans’ connection to the land and people of Israel. “Here in Atlanta, we are all aware of the importance of far-reaching Zionist education,” said Alan Lubel, co-president of JNF’s Southeast Region. “JNF adds value to Israel education provided by synagogues, camps and schools and fills gaps in serving the community. … Our Atlanta board plans to take full advantage of its resources for the betterment of our metro area.” Register for Cybersecurity Forum Monday, July 20, is the deadline for early-bird registration for “Securing Your Future: Staying Ahead of Developments in Cybersecurity,” a forum presented by Baker Donelson at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center on Aug. 20 and 21. Featuring Israeli and U.S. cybersecurity experts, the forum is part of the law firm’s Israel and the American South Initiative. The Israeli Consulate General to the Southeast, Conexx, the Georgia Economic Development Department, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Israeli Economic Mission to the South and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s office are partners in presenting the program. The first day of the program, “Defending the Grid,” will focus on the latest threats and government responses to them. Day 2, “All for One and One for All,” will concentrate on collaborative efforts against cyber threats. For more information and registration, visit cybercon.us. The early registration fee is $350.
Corrections & Clarifications
• A June 26 article on Sharon Hochdorf’s winning of the Dale Riggins Humanitarian Award at the annual Allie Awards had the wrong first name for her husband. His name is Robert Hochdorf. • A June 19 article about Dr. Perry Brickman’s June 7 presentation at Atlanta Jewish Academy omitted some important facts about the revelation of anti-Semitism at Emory University’s dental school and may have left an incorrect impression about the response and apology of university president James Wagner in October 2012. Brickman gives full credit to Art Levin, who as the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast director pressured Emory in the late 1950s and early 1960s to halt the anti-Semitic practices that preceded and continued under Dean John Buhler. Brickman calls Levin, who left Atlanta in 1962 over the Jewish communal leadership’s failure to fight Emory, the hero of his story and the man who almost singlehandedly forced Buhler to resign in 1961. In contrast to the Emory administration’s efforts to bury the scandal in the 1960s, Brickman has nothing but praise for the Wagner administration’s response to the findings of his research on the dental school when he presented the information in 2012. Rather than try to hide from history, Wagner offered a full apology without any pressure from Brickman or Jewish faculty members.
100th Anniversary, Leo Frank Exoneration Memorial Service Sunday, August 16, 2 pm (Place TBA) Rabbi Steven Lebow Founder and Chair
Timothy and Joanne Cole Associate Chairs
Guests: Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court, Hugh S.Thompson (Retired) Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court, Norman Fletcher (Retired) Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court, Leah Sears Senior Assistant Attorney General of Georgia, Van Pearlberg Chief Judge, Cobb Superior Court, J. Stephen Schuster Chair, Cobb Commission, Tim Lee State Representative, Michael Smith Counsel, Anti-Defamation League, Dale Schwartz And many, many others...
“In this ‘Newer South’, in Marietta, we are prepared to remember a difficult past in order to affirm a better future...” Rabbi Steven Lebow Rabbi Steven Lebow Ravlebow@aol.com Face Book: Rabbi Lebow: “Leo Frank: Falsely Accused, Wrongly Convicted...”
JULY 17 ▪ 2015
KKL Unveils Finances Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, the Israeli partner of the American nonprofit Jewish National Fund, issued the first financial report in its history Tuesday, July 7. The KKL-JNF report revealed Israeli land holdings worth $2 billion and $567 million in revenue in 2014, including $20.2 million in donations from North America. KKL-JNF controls about 13 percent of the land in Israel. The Israel Land Authority oversees sales of the land. The separate, New York-based JNF USA has always reported its finances as required of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. KKL-JNF, which is a nongovernmental agency, has been under pressure in recent years to operate with more transparency. In releasing its financials, the agency decried the “witch hunt” against it.
AJT 3
IF YOU CAN QUALIFY TO BE MY EMPLOYER This is what I will do for you. If you will hire me at the same pay that you would pay a minimum wage person, I will do the following for you: 1. I will put all of my salary into an Escrow Account so that if you should need money in the future for any reason whatsoever, you can use the account as collateral. 2. I will release you from the requirement to pay me if you become totally disabled for 6 months or more before age 65…. But I will continue to put into the escrow account the same amount of money, as though you had paid me. 3. In the event of your death while I am in your employ, I will provide your family each year an income greater than the amount that you had paid me each year, for as long as you wish and then make available to them in a lump sum between 40 and 50 times my annual salary. This need never be repaid. 4. If you wish, a�ter 20 years, I will give back to you all of the salary that you paid me in a lump sum plus a profit, or I will give you a lifetime income instead. 5. If you will pay me just a little more than minimum wage, I will also provide you with a meaningful income to Age 70 should you be unable to work while I continue to make deposits into the escrow account.
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ISRAEL
Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Israeli-Canadian back from fighting terrorists. Gill Rosenberg returned to Israel on Sunday, July 12, after spending seven months fighting Islamic State alongside Kurdish forces in the Middle East. “It’s good to be home,” she said. “I’m here for now and don’t plan on going back there any time soon.” Implant to give meds automatically. Petah Tikva-based Teva is partnering with U.S. company Microchips Biotech to use its implanted microchip to deliver Teva-made treatments to patients. The technology avoids having to measure medications or even to remember to take them — perfect for the elderly and forgetful. Electrical pulses better than Botox. Botox (botulin toxin) is not the only way to get smoother, less-damaged skin. In the laboratory, Tel Aviv University researchers have shown that short, high-tension electric pulses can reduce wrinkling and damage to the skin from disease without causing scars or heating. Test your dog for diseases in minutes. Biogal Galed Labs, based at Kibbutz Galed, has developed seven veterinary test kits for diagnosing infectious diseases in pets. The PCRun molecular detection test kits save tens of thousands of dollars of equipment and produce results in 75 minutes instead of several days. Successful trial of Parkinson’s treatment. Rehovot-based biotech company Pharma Two B has announced positive results in its Phase IIb pivotal clinical study of P2B001 for the treatment of early-stage Parkinson’s disease. The tests combined two low-dose chemicals that separately had limited effect and were dangerous in high dosages. Yahoo! sends top employees to Israel. Yahoo!’s senior product development director brought 10 participants in the Yahoo! Associate Product Manager program to Israel. They visited the Technion and Jerusalem and had lectures in the company’s Haifa and Tel Aviv research-and-development centers. Free WiFi on South African buses. Radwin, based in Tel Aviv, has deployed its FiberinMotion wireless mobility to provide free WiFi on buses in the
South African city of Tshwane, which includes the capital, Pretoria. Over 200,000 unique users have accessed the free service since it was installed in December. Measuring a plant’s health. Kibbutz Yad Mordechai-based Phytech is bringing the Internet of Things to the plant world. Plantbeat’s sensors measure how healthy a plant is and what to do to improve its health. Phytech will sell its PlantBeat alert system to farmers in North and South America. Not just coffee, art. Israeli startup SteamCC has invented the Ripples coffee foam printer, which produces a personalized design in the foam on the top of your coffee. Choose one of the hundreds of designs available on the Ripple Maker’s touchscreen, and it is printed through the tiny openings in the machine’s nozzle. A better booster seat. Israeli entrepreneur Jon Sumroy has developed mifold, a booster seat that is one-tenth the size of the typical booster seat. It holds the seat and shoulder belts down to match the child’s height and body contours to fit securely. It easily folds up, making it ideal for carpools, taxi rides and even bus rides. Turning plastic waste into fuel. The Israeli government’s Environmental Services Co. Ltd. will begin operating a facility recycling plastic waste into fuel by extracting more than 1,200 pounds of oil per ton of waste. The facility will process 3,000 metric tons of plastic waste every year. Waze ride-sharing app. Google has launched a pilot carpool service for Tel Aviv commuters through Israeli navigation app Waze, which Google bought in 2013 for about $1 billion, and through RideWith, a new app for passengers who are not Waze users. New RyanAir flights to Eilat. Lowcost airline RyanAir has announced six weekly flights to Eilat from Budapest (Hungary), Krakow (Poland) and Kaunas (Lithuania). RyanAir expects to bring 40,000 passengers a year. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com, ynetnews.com and other news sources.
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LOCAL NEWS Atlanta
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EDITORIAL
10 Years Ago July 15, 2005
■ The Marcus Foundation has given a $345,000 grant to Jewish Family and Career Services to fund outreach programs at Congregations Etz Chaim in Marietta and Dor Tamid in the Duluth-Alpharetta area. The programs will expand social services and educational programming and are not limited to members of the synagogues. ■ Drs. Mark and Nancy Weiner of Atlanta celebrated the bar mitzvah ceremony of their son Daniel Jeffrey Weiner on Saturday, June 25, at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. 25 Years Ago July 20, 1990 ■ Torah Day School plans to relocate to an office complex near Northlake Festival Shopping Center. The temporary site is expected to house TDS for a year or two while the
board searches for a permanent home for the Orthodox elementary school. The 130 TDS students had occupied a wing at Yeshiva High School; however, Yeshiva plans to separate classes by sex and thus needs more classroom space. ■ Rae and Louis Weintraub of Marietta announce the birth of a son, Matthew Scott, on June 6. 50 Years Ago July 16, 1965 ■ Jewish demographic experts have studied significant changes in the Jewish population in Savannah since 1951. Irwin B. Giffen reported that the Jewish population has increased by 4.3 percent, but the age group deemed most productive — 30 to 59 — decreased by 478 people. The study also showed that of the young people who moved away the past four years, more than 10 percent intermarried. ■ Robyn Iris Sicro, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Sicro of Atlanta, became the bride of Sanford Martin Wiener, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wiener of Ocala, June 27 at the Shearith Israel Synagogue.
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MICHAEL JACOBS
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Contributors This Week APRIL BASLER DAVID BENKOF JON GARGIS JORDAN GORFINKEL LEAH R. HARRISON ZACH ITZKOVITZ MARIA JAFFE NANCY KRISEMAN KEVIN MADIGAN RUSSELL MOSKOWITZ ARIEL PINSKY DAVE SCHECHTER EUGEN SCHOENFELD CADY SCHULMAN TERRY SEGAL AL SHAMS DAVID SHAPIRO SOPHIE ZELONY
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LOCAL NEWS
Will you hire me? This is what I will W do for you.
Entrepreneurial Rabbi Arrives at Emanu-El By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
(If you qualify as my Employer) If you will hire me at the same pay that you pay a minimum wage person, I will do the following for you: 1. I will put all of my salary into an Escrow Account so that if you should need money in the future for any reason whatsoever, you can use the account as collateral. 2. I will release you from the requirement to pay me if you become totally disabled for 6 months or more before age 65…. But I will continue to put into the escrow account the same amount of money, as though you had paid me. 3. In the event of your death while I am in your employ, I will provide your family each year an income greater than the amount that you pay me each year, for as long as you wish and then make available to them in a lump sum between 40 and 50 times my annual salary. This need never be repaid. 4. If you wish, a�ter 20 years, I will give back to you all of the salary that you paid me in a lump sum plus a profit, or I will give you a lifetime income instead. 5. If you will pay me just a little more than minimum wage, I will also provide you with a a meaningful income to Age 70 should you be unable to work while I continue to make deposits into the escrow account.
JULY 17 ▪ 2015
Guaranteed
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Call, text or e-mail Mayer Smith CLU ChFC LUTCF
404-725-4841 smithmayerruthg@bellsouth.net
weeks sailing and soul-searching. He said he had a revelation on the sailboat. “On my deathbed I didn’t want to have hen Rabbi Spike Anderson just done more business when I could arrived on the pulpit at the have done something else. And I had Stephen Wise Temple in Los this vision that I would do something Angeles in 2008, he wanted a noncon- that was for Israel and help the Jewish troversial topic for his first sermon. people and selfishly allow me to focus He chose the environment — and on my own relationship with G-d.” watched some of his new congregants That was at least the third time Iswalk out in anger. rael helped alter the course “After getting over the of his life. shock, I was really interestThe first was a trip ed in what their rationale from his native Boston was for their thoughts and after his bar mitzvah celopinions,” said Rabbi Anebration. Rabbi Anderson derson, 43, who became the said that visit sparked his new senior rabbi at Temple interest in Judaism after a Emanu-El on July 1. nonreligious childhood. “In the end we found He returned to Israel more common ground over for a semester of his junior the course of years than year in college and delved separate issues,” he added. into serious Torah study That lesson in dealing with Orthodox rabbis. That Rabbi Spike Anderson with congregants was one experience led to three of many Rabbi Anderson years when he was shomer learned in seven years at Wise, which Shabbos while living in New York. has 2,300 member families and five “These were brilliant teachers who rabbis, providing multiple mentors. really could bring out the beauty and He likened his time at the L.A. Re- the divinity of the text and the tradiform congregation to working for IBM tion,” the rabbi said. and his move to the Atlanta area, where Another key teacher was Rabbi he has no family, and to Emanu-El, “a Ron Friedman, his childhood rabbi smaller place with tremendous history, at Temple Israel in Boston. He called potential and opportunity,” to ventur- Rabbi Friedman after his sailboat souling out with a Silicon Valley startup. searching. The two men didn’t know Rabbi Anderson should know: He each other well, but their phone conspent his pre-rabbinical career in the versations led to an invitation to spend high-tech industry, first with a New the summer in Boston shadowing RabYork-based headhunting firm that sent bi Friedman. him to Silicon Valley to set up a satelOne day started with a crowded lite office, then with a business he and funeral for a young mother, progressed two partners launched there in 1997, through marriage counseling, preMonday Technology Solutions. marriage counseling and bar mitzvah His strong support for Israel, tutoring, and concluded with a social which later helped him win over Wise action project for the homeless that inTemple skeptics of his progressive po- volved hundreds of congregants. sitions on social issues, helped end his “I remember walking to his car high-tech career and set him on a path at 10 o’clock at night,” Rabbi Anderto the rabbinate. son said, “and I said to him, ‘So this is A couple of years later, “Israel was a pretty good job, right?’ And he’s like, getting its name dragged through the ‘It’s the best. Incredibly taxing but inSan Francisco media mud in this sort credibly meaningful.’ And it was pretty of Orwellian way that one often sees, much at that moment that I decided, and I got really angry,” Rabbi Ander- ‘Yeah, I’m gonna do it.’ ” son said. He connected with AIPAC and Now he and wife Marita and their with rabbis in the Bay Area after hav- two sons and a daughter, ages 9, 6 and ing put serious Judaism on hold, and 3, are here, drawn to Atlanta by what soon he was spending 90 percent of his Rabbi Anderson sees as energy simitime on pro-Israel activities and Torah lar to Silicon Valley in the 1990s and study instead of running the business. attracted to Temple Emanu-El by the He wound up selling his share of opportunity to be an entrepreneurial the business and spending a couple of spiritual leader. ■
Words and Silence Wield Interfaith Power By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
W
ords have the power to hurt and to help, and Sunday night, July 12, they had the power to unite religions for an interfaith discussion at the Istanbul Cultural Center in Alpharetta. “Words can create, and words can destroy. And finally in all of our traditions, words can heal,” said Congregation Gesher L’Torah Rabbi Michael Bernstein, the Jewish voice on a panel that included the Rev. Jeffery Ott, a Dominican priest at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, and Muslim representative Kemal Korucu, the director of interfaith affairs for the Atlantic Institute. The institute and the Neshama Interfaith Center co-sponsored the discussion, timed to conclude with a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner. A religiously diverse group of more than 100 people attended the talk, during which Korucu emphasized that words, as powerful and useful things, are also dangerous. All three panelists said their faith traditions show great respect for the importance of words, despite the emphasis in secular culture on action over words with clichés such as “talk is cheap.” Korucu cited one of the Quran’s creation stories as an example. When G-d creates Adam, He whispers the names of things to the first man. G-d then asks the angels, who questioned the wisdom of creating man, to name those things, and they can’t. Then He asks Adam, who names everything, and the angels prostrate themselves before Adam. “There is power in the ability to name things,” Korucu said. For those who doubted the power of words, he cited the life-changing power of two words: “I do.” “The power of words,” Ott said, “is to shape our lives.” One of the great questions, Korucu said, is why G-d gave us tongues for communication instead of something more appealing to the “Star Trek” fan in him, such as a direct brain-to-brain dump that would avoid all misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Never mind difficulties resulting from different languages, he said. “The danger comes from using the same word to mean different things.”
Neshama co-founder Rabbi Mitch Cohen, during closing remarks, argued that the danger comes from the missed nuances of words. He cited no less an authority than Depeche Mode, whose song “Enjoy the Silence” includes the lyrics “Words are very unnecessary. They can only do harm.” The panel and audience members grappled with the power of silence. Rabbi Bernstein noted that in Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Gamliel’s son Shimon says he has never found anything better than silence, and Korucu told a story about a wise man’s advice that smart people speak less. “How do we decide when to speak and when to be silent?” Rabbi Bernstein asked. Korucu noted that in Islam, someone who is silent in the face of injustice is said to be a silent devil, but he said silence also can send a powerful message as long as it is not motivated by fear. Silence can be viewed as agreement, Rabbi Bernstein said, but remaining silent also can be a proper expression of humility because we often are too quick to denounce injustice that isn’t there. “We honor silence as a sense of awe before the mystery of G-d,” Ott said, pointing to the classic overnight silence in monasteries. He said even the story of Jesus’ crucifixion reflects ambivalence on silence. One tradition, the priest said, is that Jesus remained silent before his accusers, refusing to give them power over him by engaging with them, but the Gospel of John gives Jesus a long speech denouncing them. Sometimes both yes and no are unjust answers to unjust questions, Rabbi Bernstein said, and the proper response is silence that rejects the question. He found a parallel in the forgiveness offered to Dylann Roof by some relatives of the nine Emanuel AME Church members Roof slaughtered in Charleston last month. That forgiveness isn’t about moving forward, the rabbi said, but about not letting Roof define the conversation and thus have power over them. “There’s something very full about silence,” Rabbi Bernstein said. “It’s not empty.” An audience member said silence allows G-d to talk to and guide us, and Rabbi Bernstein said words that come to us from G-d are both powerful and frightening. ■
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JULY 17 ▪ 2015
LOCAL NEWS
AJT 7
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
LOCAL NEWS
GILEE Trains 19 in Latest Exchange
JULY 17 ▪ 2015
S
AJT 8
eventeen law enforcement officers from Georgia, most from the Atlanta area, recently returned from two weeks of training in counterterrorism techniques and technologies in Israel as part of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange’s 23rd annual peer-to-peer public safety training program. Leaders from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation completed the 19-member delegation. “As the world changes, getting ever smaller, GILEE’s focus on international public safety partnerships cannot be more important,” said GILEE Director Robert Friedmann, professor emeritus of criminal justice at Georgia State University. GILEE hosts public safety exchanges, conferences and experts who introduce best practices in law enforcement to police and other public and private safety professionals. Among other honors, GILEE received the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police President’s Special Service Award in 2014. “I thank you for your willingness to be a part of this successful law enforcement training program and for sharing your knowledge with other officers on your return,” Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia wrote in a letter to the delegation. “It is important that the men and women who serve in law enforcement have all the tools necessary to protect the citizens of our country.” Isakson praised GILEE for exchanging information on counterterrorism and drug interdiction between Georgia and Israel. The Georgia participants in the exchange: • Rome police Maj. Deborah Burnett. • Rockdale County sheriff’s Capt. Sonya Cordero. • Forsyth Police Chief Robert Corley. • Sandy Springs Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone. • Houston County sheriff’s Maj. Alan Everidge. • Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison. • Smyrna Deputy Police Chief Robert Harvey Jr. • Clayton County Deputy Police Chief Gina Hawkins. • Upson County Sheriff Daniel Kilgore Jr.
• Washington County sheriff’s Maj. Mark McGraw. • Suwanee Deputy Police Chief Janet Moon. • Georgia Deputy Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon Jr., Law Enforcement Division field operations. • Georgia State Patrol Capt. Grady Sanford Jr., Troop A commander. • University of Georgia police Capt. Phillip Silk. • Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Joseph Spillane. • Georgia Bureau of Investigation Investigator Rodney Wall. • Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura. ■
Top right: The GILEE delegation is briefed at the Israeli Police Academy. Middle left: The GILEE delegation learns about K9 operations. Middle right: GILEE Director Robbie Friedmann (fifth from right) and the law enforcement delegates pose in Israel with former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (in the cap). Bottom left: Learning at an Israeli crime lab are (from left) Houston County sheriff’s Maj. Alan Everidge, Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Joseph Spillane, Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura and Sandy Springs Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone. Bottom right: An Israeli border guard delivers a briefing to (from left) GBI Inspector Rodney Wall, Sandy Springs Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone, Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura, Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Joseph Spillane and Smyrna Deputy Police Chief Robert Harvey.
State Association Honors Massell Sam Massell, Atlanta’s only Jewish mayor, was inducted into the Georgia Municipal Association’s Municipal Government Hall of Fame at the GMA’s convention June 29 in Savannah. The Hall of Fame honors municipal officials who exemplify public service and have made extraordinary contributions to their communities. Massell was inducted along with
Ringgold Mayor Joe Barger and Barnesville City Manager Kenny Roberts. Massell, who will turn 88 in August, is known as the “mayor of Buckhead” as the founding president of the Buckhead Coalition. “Since leaving elective office a number of years ago, he has continued to demonstrate his appreciation of and respect for GMA,” GMA Executive
Director Lamar Norton said. “Mayor Massell has also played a critical role in many significant quality-of-life and economic development initiatives.” Massell served as mayor from 1970 to 1974 after 16 years in the city government. He also served on the Mountain Park City Council from 1950 to 1952 and was the president of the National League of Cities in 1971 and 1972. ■
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
OPINION
Reinterpreting Anachronisms es that were believed to be the way to please G-d through meals and pleasant aromas. Incense burning was designed to appease G-d through aromatherapy. One can understand how important this function was to the primitive individuals. But the prophet Isaiah already began to challenge the need for animal sacrifices.
One Man’s Opinion
able — an idea that we already express in the Havdalah service. Similarly, the ancient animal sacrifices are symbolic. Perhaps the most important element in sacrifice is to refute our natural tendency for egoism. Sacrifice demands that we share with others that which is precious to us. This is the foundation on which morality is founded — the need to control the human tendency to be egoistic. No good society can exist
unless we are willing to sacrifice, to share that which is ours with others who need it. This is what Rabbi Hillel taught: If we are only for ourselves, what are we? An important function of religion is to implant in us the idea of selflessness and the principle that our individual needs can be met only when we first meet our collective needs. That idea is central in our ancient belief in Klal Yisrael. ■
By Eugen Schoenfeld
One can justifiably ask: Is the recitation of sacrifices and our primitive view of G-d necessary today? Does it not force us to retain our primitivism? Right after the Second Temple was destroyed, the most famous rabbi of that time, Yochanan ben Zakkai — I could call him the savior of Judaism — told his disciple that the practice of gemilath chassodim (kind acts) is more efficacious as the means for alleviating sins than the slaughter of animals. Still, the rabbis refuse to alter their views about our ancient but primitive practice of animal sacrifice. We continue to pray for G-d to restore the sacrificial offerings in His sanctuary. On the surface we may see the above practices and prayers as anachronisms, but the principles that they stand for are not. We must be sure that as we change, we do not throw out the kernels with the chaff or, as we say today, throw out the baby with the bathwater. Some of these ancient acts reflect important universal and eternal principles. Is it possible, for instance, that when we bless G-d because he gave the cock the ability to distinguish between night and day — that is, between light and darkness — we implicitly say how much more so we humans should understand the symbolic meaning of night and day? Night and day are symbolic references to light and darkness, which represent the differences between knowledge and ignorance as well as between good and evil. Instead of throwing out the prayer, we need merely to alter it. It would make greater sense were we to bless G-d who instilled in us the intelligence to differentiate between knowledge and ignorance, goodness and evil, the desirable and the undesir-
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JULY 17 ▪ 2015
O
n Shabbat, per my custom, I went to the synagogue. It was early enough to participate in Birchoth Hashachar, the morning blessings. They are a series of statements in the form of blessings recited by the rabbi or the chazzan, to which the congregation responds with amen. I couldn’t find any reference to why we include these recitations in our morning service. There is a mystical belief that we have to respond daily to 100 blessings with amen. The responses to these morning blessings give us credit for 90. But as soon as the first of these blessings was recited, my mind shouted, “Anachronism!” This blessing states: “Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, who gave the rooster an understanding to differentiate between day and night.” What else could one say: What an anachronism; why are we reciting it? Here I go again. Some of my readers have complained that I often use words that are unfamiliar to them. No problem. An anachronism is a thing, a person or a belief that is out of place in time; it belonged to an earlier age and is incongruous in the present. Why are we thanking G-d for the crowing rooster? It surely is an anachronistic belief. Perhaps once we believed that the rooster’s ability to foretell the coming of dawn was a miraculous gift. But whatever reason we had in the past, this blessing does not have any significance today. If we need any help to wake up, an electronic device will do it most efficiently. The fact is that many prayers in the siddur (prayer book) are incongruous. They were essential to an earlier belief system but no longer have meaning today. In my view, the Mussaf service — that part of the Shabbat or holiday service that comes after the Torah reading — is not only unessential, but perhaps can be perceived as a way through which we retain a primitive perception of G-d and retain Judaism as a primitive faith. When the Temples were destroyed, our ancestors were in a conundrum. The main function of the Holy Temple was the offering of sacrifices. This was the way, we believed, that we could appease G-d and erase our sins of omission and commission. A brief view of Leviticus will tell the reader the many forms of sacrific-
AJT 9
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
OPINION
Our View
Existential Risk
JULY 17 ▪ 2015
T
AJT 10
he United States and other world powers finally made a deal with Iran on its nuclear program and the end of sanctions Tuesday, July 14, after too many postponed deadlines to count. We didn’t like the framework of the deal that emerged in the spring, and, if anything, the final deal is weaker. But the verbal fight now moves from the secrecy of Geneva to the public hearings of Congress. While Iran represents the greatest and perhaps only military threat to Israel’s existence, a potential nuclear trigger in Tehran is not the only danger. The boycott, divestment and sanctions movement just celebrated its 10th anniversary, and we must be clear about its ultimate goal. It is not the end of any blockade of Gaza or Israel’s withdrawal to the pre-1967 cease-fire lines or the establishment of two states in peace; it is the elimination of Israel. We thus thank the American Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops for rejecting a BDS resolution this month and the Mennonite Church USA convention for tabling a similar proposal. Those church leaders recognized that the cause of peace is best served by fair treatment for Israelis and Palestinians alike. By contrast, we are disgusted by the distorted view of the conflict presented by the United Church of Christ, whose General Synod voted 508-124 at the end of June to endorse BDS, following the example the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2014. The UCC’s resolution and supporting statements draw a picture of helpless, peaceful Palestinians being oppressed and slaughtered, so pressure must be brought against companies “benefiting from the occupation.” Strangely, nonessential businesses such as SodaStream and Ahava are singled out; no mention is made of Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc. Nor does the resolution call for pressuring Hamas, Fatah or any other Palestinian organization to reject armed conflict, accept the existence of Israel and negotiate in good faith. In the UCC’s view, Israel and only Israel is responsible for the conflict and any resultant deaths. The resolution also distorts public opinion by repeatedly claiming Jewish support for BDS and naming Jewish Voice for Peace as an example, leading any uninformed American to conclude that BDS has strong, not fringe, support in our community. In the end, Iran is scary and dangerous, whether it is attacking with nuclear-armed missiles from the Persian heartland or conventional missiles controlled by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. But we have faith in the Israel Defense Forces, with full U.S. backing, to defeat any military foe. At least Iran and Hezbollah are honest about their dreams of destroying Israel, and at least they offer targets for Israel to strike. BDS resolutions from American churches are more dangerous because they distort the truth and their intentions, and Israel has no weapon to fight back — other than us. We can’t just shrug off the UCC and Presbyterian resolutions. Let your friends from those churches know why the resolutions are not OK. Explain the reality in the Middle East. And never stand by silently while Israel’s legitimacy is under attack. ■
A Tale of Two Rabbis
T
Anecdotal and statistical evidence, however, wo rabbis are on my mind this week, one a shows that nothing creates a stronger Jewish idennewcomer to Atlanta and the other operating tity than a strong connection to Israel. That’s the in a land I’ve never visited called Chicago. idea behind Birthright, That distant rabbi, which recently celebratBrant Rosen, has launched a ed sending its 500,000th congregation called Tzedek young Jewish adult on a Chicago. It declares itself Editor’s Notebook free 10-day trip to Israel non-Zionist, but anti-Zionist By Michael Jacobs and this month has taken could work just as well for mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com a busload of Jewish Ata synagogue that connects lantans. Israel with “the ways of emStill, the anti-Zionist pire, nationalism, physical argument could be made that instilling a Jewish might and militarism.” identity doesn’t necessarily spark a renewal of JewTzedek Chicago’s founding led the Jewish Daily ish religion. Forward to ask: “Can a Non-Zionist Synagogue SucThat’s where the second rabbi, Temple Emanuceed — and Spread?” El newcomer Spike Anderson, comes in. He wouldn’t Survival is fine, but I hope it doesn’t spread. be a rabbi and might not even be a practicing Jew if I understand that many Jews are angered by not for Israel. Israel’s refusal to try again to trade conquered land He grew up in a Jewish but nonreligious home. for promises of peace, just as many are repelled by From the time he learned to read with a book of the repeated destruction Gaza has suffered. Bible stories, he felt a close relationship with G-d. But the argument in support of Tzedek Chicago But it wasn’t until he visited Israel after his bar mitzgoes beyond demands for an immediate two-state vah ceremony that he found Judaism. solution or utopian visions of a single secular state “Israel was easy. Judaism was something that I in which all people live in peace. That argument emthink really had to be learned,” Rabbi Anderson said. braces the up-is-down, black-is-white idea that Israel In effect, Israel was the gateway drug that led him itself is destroying Judaism and the Jewish people. to Judaism — delving into Torah study, embracing Part of the case relies on the false belief that Shabbat, wrestling with theology, appreciating “the anti-Semitic attacks are rising because of growing anger at Israel. All Jews are seen as supporting Israel, beauty and the divinity of the text and the tradition.” Does Israel have that effect on all Jews? Of so anti-Israel feelings produce anti-Semitic actions. course not. Can individuals practice meaningful But that anger provides an excuse to unleash Judaism without Israel? Sure. existing anti-Semitism rather than create it. But the dream of Israel helped Judaism and the Some say Israel’s image as a bully turns off Jewish people survive through the millennia, and the young people, who then reject Judaism with Israel. reality of Israel is essential if Judaism and the Jewish Others argue that Judaism’s universal themes of people in all our depth, diversity and divinity are to liberation and justice are blurred by the focus on a survive through the coming millennia. ■ place and peoplehood.
OPINION
The Cuban Branch On My Family Tree
NEVER Takes a Vacation
from Finding You Your Dream Home!
prominent among the island’s Jewish community. One among them, Joe, had owned a small grocery in Tampa, Fla., and befriended the exiled Jose Marti, who repaid the kindness when Cuba gained its independence in 1902 by inviting Joe and Mauricio (as Morris
Top Agent in Coldwell Banker Atlanta for 2014 By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com
was known) to the island. My 16-year-old son and I made the reunion part of our road trip to Maine. Also on hand were my brother the rabbi, his wife the cantor, and a family friend who is a scholar of our greatgrandfather. Over four hours, tales were told (including stories of Shabbat dinners in Cuba), memories were checked, and cousins learned about one another’s lives. Lois has never returned to Cuba. Bob has been back three times. Susan told how, on their first visit, Bob feared that he would be unable to find his father’s grave. But almost instinctively, he walked directly to it, and, for the first time, she said, he was able to fully grieve. Lois talked about burying her wedding ring and other jewelry in her infant son’s diaper bag, figuring that if Cuban troops searched that deep, they were welcome to what they found. My cousins are reminders of a once-thriving community of American Jews in Cuba who invested in businesses and raised families and left sadly when the revolution made life there intolerable. Whether those seeking compensation ever receive a penny remains to be negotiated, but discovering and forming friendships with this branch on our family tree certainly merited a Shehecheyanu. ■
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Atlanta History Center Film Screening and Conversation with Christian Delage Monday, August 24, 2015 J 7:00
pm
An evening with director Christian Delage, historian, curator of Filming the Camps - John Ford, Samuel Fuller, George Stevens: From Hollywood to Nuremberg exhibition, and filmmaker whose earlier credits include the documentary Nuremberg, The Nazis Facing Their Crimes. Admission is $5 for members; $10 for nonmembers. Reservations required, call 404.814.4150 or visit online.
Dave Schechter is a veteran journalist whose career includes writing and producing reports from Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East. Letters The AJT welcomes reader feedback. Send letters of no more than 350 words to mjacobs@atljewishtimes. com. Include your name, hometown and phone number.
AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Lectures
JULY 17 ▪ 2015
From Where I Sit
Stevens and his crew filming in France, n.d. © Courtesy of the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, CA
O
ur Shehecheyanu was followed by a toast to President Barack Obama, whose decision to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba led to this “reunion” with newfound cousins. The blessing was for the good fortune of our gathering. The toast was neither an endorsement nor a criticism of the policy change, but merely an acknowledgment that without it we might have remained strangers. After the president announced his intentions in December, The New York Times published a front-page article about Americans seeking compensation from Cuba for property seized in the Communist revolution. The article included a photograph of a woman sitting astride a horse and a man standing beside her. Here was Lois, the woman on the horse, sitting in the kitchen of a home in suburban Boston. Her husband, Roy, who was born in Havana, passed away several years ago. Lois had driven from upstate New York with her daughter, Amy, who recently testified before Congress about the farm, the shirt factory and her paternal grandmother’s house (now used by the Chinese Embassy), left behind when the family fled Cuba. Our hosts were Bob and his wife, Susan. Bob’s father, Rael, was Roy’s older brother. Bob was raised in Cuba but left at age 12 with his mother. Rael died when Bob was 6 and was buried in a Jewish cemetery on the island. Spread out on the counter were photographs and pages from our family tree. My great-grandfather Solomon made his way from a village in Moldova to centers of learning across Europe and to Cambridge University before coming to New York City. His twin brother, Isaac (who became Israel), settled in Palestine in the 1880s and was among the founders of the village of Zichron Ya’akov. Israel married twice and had 11 children. Roy’s mother, Jeannette, was one of his daughters. Roy’s father, Morris, was the son of Aaron, one of Solomon and Israel’s brothers. Roy’s parents (who were first cousins) were Bob’s grandparents. The forebears who came to America and settled in Cuba were
Robin Blass
AJT 11
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EDUCATION
Education Briefs
JNF to Fund Two High-Schoolers Applications are being accepted until Aug. 31 for Jewish National Fund’s Shirlye Kaufman Birnbrey Alexander Muss High School in Israel Impact Fellowship Program, which will send two Atlanta-area high school juniors to Alexander Muss for the spring semester free. Applicants may attend public or non-Jewish private schools and are chosen on merit. They must fill out applications at jnf.org/atlfellowship. The Shirlye Kaufman Birnbrey Impact Fund was established by her children — Jeff and Alison Kaufman, Richard (z”l) and Barbara Kaufman, Mark and Nancy Kaufman, and Karen and Craig Senft — for two years. “Our mother promoted the importance of funding Jewish schools,” Karen Senft said in a JNF announcement, “so in her memory we now provide impact funds to the Alexander Muss High School in Israel to fund scholarships to meritorious JewishAmerican students who wish to study in Israel. We established this fund to continue our mother’s legacy to future generations of Jews and the advancement of Jewish culture.” The fellowship includes on-campus housing and field trips. “Shirlye Kaufman Birnbrey’s children are enabling JNF to promote the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, a resource that will develop young leaders to influence teens regarding Israel,” said Beth Gluck, JNF’s Southeast regional director. For more information, contact Gluck at bgluck@jnf.org or 404-236-8990, ext. 851. AJC Helps Educate Christians A Baptist Old Testament scholar in Atlanta is among 16 American Christian leaders completing a 13-month educational program on Judaism through the Christian Leadership Initiative, a partnership of the American Jewish Committee and the Shalom Hartman Institute. The Rev. David Garber, who teaches the Old Testament and Hebrew at Mercer’s McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, joins Belmont University religion professor Sally Holt as representatives of the Southeast in the group. Seven people from the Southeast are among the 60 alumni from the three previous sessions of the program. “CLI provides an open space for Christian leadership to experience and study Judaism and Israel from a Jewish perspective, fostering a unique process to secure positive interreligious relations,” said Rabbi Noam Ma-
rans, AJC’s director of interreligious and intergroup relations. “Christian understanding of Judaism is advanced by CLI as fellows apply this experience to the education of Christian leaders.” The final 10-day segment of the program began July 14 in Jerusalem with a focus on models of community. In addition to the final segment and an opening seminar in Israel, program participants joined monthly online sessions in which they studied classical and modern Jewish texts with Israeli and North American scholars. CLI alumni meet for symposia on contemporary Jewish thought. Darshan Yeshiva Adds Rabbi Atlanta-based online learning site Darshan Yeshiva now has a dozen rabbis offering conversion programs with the addition of Reform Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer of Portland, Ore. Rabbi Mayer, who left denominational Judaism in 2000, is the founder of Religion-Outside-the-Box, a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 that aims to help people connect with G-d in a way they can understand. His approach starts with the question “What is it that you feel you need to do so that you will feel authentic telling people you are Jewish?” ‘Mensch’ Premiere Seeks Partners Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain aims to sign up 3,000 synagogues, schools and other organizations to be her partners in the Sept. 18 release of the 10-minute film “The Making of a Mensch.” The release date marks the second annual Character Day, which teaches about character development and intentionally falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The film is Shlain’s first explicitly Jewish work since 2006’s “The Tribe,” which explored American Jewish identity through the Barbie doll. “The Making of a Mensch” applies the ancient Jewish wisdom of Mussar to explore the character development themes Shlain presented in launching Character Day last year with the short film “The Science of Character.” “I think people are ready for this deep conversation, and it’s this great opportunity to show how these ancient Jewish ideas are in fact very relevant and can be a guide to leading a meaningful and purposeful life in today’s world,” Shlain said. Materials for post-film discussions will include questions for different age groups and a website with resources related to specific character strengths. Sign up to participate at www. letitripple.org/making_of_a_mensch.
WORLD NEWS
Jewish leaders respond with skepticism From staff reports
P
resident Barack Obama immediately vowed Tuesday, July 14, that the nuclear agreement with Iran will go into effect after Congress’ 60day review period. In a 7 a.m. speech at the White House, Obama said he welcomes a vigorous congressional debate about the deal, then vowed that he will veto any legislation standing in the way. “I believe it would be irresponsible to walk away from this deal,” he said. The United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union reached the deal with Iran after extending the June 30 deadline several times. The agreement does not eliminate Iran’s nuclear program but, its supporters say, extends the time for Iran to build a bomb from about two months to a full year. “It’s not only a deal,” EU representative Federica Mogherini said. “It’s a good deal, and a good deal for all sides and the international community.” But when Congress reviews and ultimately votes on the accord, American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris said, it should focus on one question: “Will the deal enhance the security of the United States, our allies in the Middle East and the world? If so, then it should be supported. If not, then it must be opposed.” The agreement does not force Iran to stop threatening Israel, end support for terrorists, protect human rights, respect its neighbors’ borders or even free some Americans held prisoner. But Obama said the deal offers everything the framework promised, including a two-thirds reduction of centrifuges to about 6,000, a 98 percent cut in the stockpile of enriched uranium, no use of advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium for 10 years, and no new heavy-water reactors for 15 years. The deal blocks all potential Iranian pathways to a nuclear weapon, White House officials said. But World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder warned that Iran can’t be trusted. “Tehran has a long history of misleading the world. Last Friday’s government-sponsored Quds Day rallies, in which the masses again shouted ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel,’ are a good example of why we shouldn’t be overly optimistic.”
Obama said the agreement does not rely on trust because of its verification provisions, which give International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to key nuclear facilities and the nuclear supply chain any time of day, although requests for access could be delayed for weeks. Iran accepted such limits to stop international sanctions. The end of those sanctions will produce an estimated $150 billion windfall for Iran by freeing up money overseas and will open the spigots for Iranian oil sales. Israel and Iran’s Arab neighbors, aside from the allied regime of Bashar Assad in Syria, fear that the money will increase meddling in regional affairs and support for Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. “The flow of funds will grow substantially, enhancing still further Iran’s capacity to trample on the values we cherish and pose profound threats to our vital partners in the Middle East and beyond,” Harris said. Obama said the sanctions will be lifted in steps after Iran meets certain conditions. The agreement says the sanctions will be removed “simultaneously” to those conditions being met. In addition to the sanctions related to the nuclear program, the agreement will end an arms embargo after five years and an embargo on ballistic missile technology after eight years. Those sanctions reportedly were among the final issues to be resolved. If Iran violates the agreement, the sanctions could be restored in 65 days under the deal’s snapback provisions. Overall, the president said, the deal is better than any alternative. Options up to and including war remain just as possible with the deal as without it, and the agreement will mean that the world will have better intelligence about Iranian facilities and capabilities if the military has to act. As for those, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had called for tougher sanctions, Obama said the world would not support an effort to “sanction Iran into submission” because the purpose of the sanctions was to force negotiations. The deal moves the Middle East away from war, he said. “We must continue to test whether or not this region, which has known so much suffering, can move in a different direction.” ■
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Obama Declares Deal Best for Middle East
AJT 13
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
An Internal Struggle
Myasthenia gravis lurks in some who appear healthy By Jon Gargis
I
n most situations, people can’t tell that Reba Herzfeld has a chronic disease that affects tens of thousands of Americans. “To look at me, I’m perfectly healthy,” she said. But bright lights, humidity and fatigue are triggers that can cause her eyes to droop, a symptom of myasthenia gravis. She is one of several Jewish Atlantans who live with the autoimmune neuromuscular disease, which leads to varying degrees of weakness of voluntary muscles. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the disease occurs in all ethnic groups at any age, though it is most common in women under 40 and men over 60. MG is not directly inherited or contagious and has no cure, though drugs can help with its symptoms. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America reports that about 20 in every 100,000 Americans will be diagnosed with MG, but the disease
might be underdiagnosed. Herzfeld, 66, who serves as the treasurer of the Georgia chapter of the foundation, was diagnosed with MG in 2004, though her condition may have started earlier. “I was extremely premature — weighed less than 2 pounds at birth. My problems could have started then,” said Herzfeld, a Dunwoody resident and member of Temple Emanu-El. “I always had a droopy eyelid. It looked like I was winking at photographers.” She said it took her six doctors, including one who said, “I can’t diagnose heavy eyelids,” and 4½ years to get a diagnosis. “I went from an optometrist to an ophthalmologist to a neuro-ophthalmologist to an ocular plastic surgeon to a neurologist at Emory. That was all after going to a plastic surgeon years prior to lift my lid.” Herzfeld’s MG affects only her eyes. Others experience more severe symptoms. Ken Schwartz was diagnosed with MG after symptoms surfaced while he and his wife were on a European cruise.
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“I was having trouble after dinner speaking. I was slurring my words, and I couldn’t say certain words. I also developed some swallowing issues at the same time,” he said. “The doctor on the ship wanted to get me off the cruise, and I told him I was determined to finish out the cruise, so he told me that I had to go to the hospital emergency room at our next port and get an MRI, which I did, and the MRI was clean.” He finished the cruise after getting a clean bill of health in Norway. “We got home, and I went to my local doctor, who recommended that I go to a neurologist, who then in about 15 minutes diagnosed me with myasthenia gravis.” That was in July 2012. A few weeks later, his symptoms resurfaced, which led to a trip to the emergency room and a month in intensive care until about Aug. 20. “They moved me from one hospital to a rehab center, and I basically woke up the 22nd of August and had a breathing tube, tracheotomy and a feeding tube, and after another month in rehab, I was finally weaned off all the machines and came home,” he said. He was put on a soft diet. Schwartz’s MG is in remission with the help of prescribed medications. He hasn’t had even a mild episode in a long time, but he said that if a piece of meat is too big or not cut right, it can cause issues.
The 69-year-old Marietta resident and member of Congregation Etz Chaim said his wife, Lois, comes running if he coughs, just to make sure he’s OK. “She’s more in tune to things that I can and can’t do,” Schwartz said. “She knows that after we’re outside, for example, doing yardwork for a while, a half-hour or whatever, I’ve got to come inside and rest—things like that that you don’t even think about anymore.” He said he can’t exercise regularly because repetitive motions make him tired. Sometimes he can swim or walk awhile; other times, he quickly wears out. “I’m lucky that I’m alive. I came really close to not being here,” Schwartz said. “Lucky” is how 57-year-old Michael Schwarz of Vinings describes his experience with MG. His condition has not worsened since he was diagnosed with ocular MG in 2008. Before the diagnosis, Schwarz had persistent double vision — a definite drawback for a freelance photographer and videographer. “It really affected my work,” he said. “I couldn’t work for a while, and when I was able to go back, I had to wear an eyepatch to help with the double vision. That kind of freaks people out when you’re a photographer and you walk in with an eyepatch.” He, Schwartz and Herzfeld are part of the patient-led Myasthenia Gravis
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HEALTH & WELLNESS month, except July and September, to be there because you’re scared. You from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The next meeting is don’t know anything about the disease; even in many cases your doctor doesn’t Aug. 3. “A lot of people don’t seek out a know anything about it. It’s hard to find support group,” Herzfeld said. “We had good information out there, and it’s one young woman come to a meeting just great to come and sit and talk with other people whose husband that have gone had myasthenia through what gravis. She was they’re about to in tears — he go through.” didn’t want to Schwartz, a come to a meetpart of the group ing. He didn’t for nearly three want anyone to years, said the know that he had information he the disease. A lot received helped of people are emrecently when he barrassed. It can went to the denbe debilitating.” Bright lights, humidity and fatigue can tist for a cleaning But for the trigger Reba Herzfeld’s myasthenia gravis and cause her eyelids to droop. because some three longtime shots dentists group members, the monthly gatherings are invaluable. use, such as Novocain, can worsen MG. He took a continually updated “I had never even heard of it when I was diagnosed with it,” Schwarz said, MFGA pamphlet on the topic to the adding that he has been in the support dentist. “I said, ‘I know you’re busy, but group more than five years. “To walk you need to read this, what you can and into a room — and maybe in the first can’t do.’ And he appreciated that, and few meetings, we had six or eight peo- he took the time right then and there to ple — that was pretty emotional just to go through it to make sure everything see somebody else with the disease and he did was not going to hurt me.” But perhaps the most important hear other people’s stories. “In the beginning, I think you want thing support group attendees have
, lASER & AESTHETICS CENTER
learned is that the MG struggle is not always visible to others. “Like any other condition, you may or may not have a physical symptom. For example, I really don’t have any physical symptoms,” Schwartz said. “There are still things that I can’t do. There are still things that if I do do, I’ll get tired, and I’ll need to rest. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean that that person is all right, 100 percent. I know that’s hard for a lot of people to grasp. ‘Well, you look fine.’ ‘Yeah, but I feel like dog doo.’” “In a way, it’s taught me to be patient with people,” Schwarz said. “I can be a very impatient, demanding person, but what it has taught me is that everybody’s got some struggle that they have internally, and you never know what it is. Myasthenia is one of those many, many things out there that people are struggling with, and for some people, it’s a life-altering experience. I think I’m doing well with it, and I try to live my life as I would if I didn’t have myasthenia, but there are a lot of people who just can’t do that anymore.” More information about MG is available by visiting www.mggeorgia. org, calling 770-427-3441 or emailing info@mggeorgia.org. ■
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Support Group, which meets monthly at Chamblee First United Methodist Church. “There are people in our support group that can’t walk, have trouble eating, can’t keep a job anymore. I’m self-employed. … If I can’t work, I don’t get paid, so there was a period of time, maybe two or three weeks long, where I just couldn’t take any assignments anymore because it was getting so bad, so I had no income,” Schwarz said. “But luckily it got better.” The eyepatch is gone, and he can see normally with the help of one medication. Seven years after his diagnosis, he is not likely to develop further muscle weakness because, according to the MGFA, those who have only ocular MG for five years are unlikely to develop additional symptoms. “I am very lucky that it’s not on the grand scale of things,” Schwarz said. “I’m one of the luckiest patients that I know because mine hasn’t really progressed to the point where I’ve had to have some of the really tough treatments that some of the other people have had.” The Chamblee support group is open to all in the MG community, including family members and caregivers. It meets the first Monday of every
AJT 15
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Medical Reservists Prepare for Disaster By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com
pool to draw from and a greater need in Gwinnett. Also we have a greater diversity there. We herwin Levinhave over 100 lanson has made guages spoken in our it his mission schools, and among to educate as many our members we people as possible have 20 languages on what to do in an that they can act as emergency. translators for. In The Lawrence and of itself, that ville resident runs would be a great rethe Medical Reserve source.” Corps-Georgia East Levinson said Metro (MRC GEM), all disasters start out which trains volunlocal, then move on teers to augment ofto county, state and ficial efforts during federal levels. “What crises in Gwinnett, I try to get across is Newton and Rockif you learn to take dale counties. care of yourself in an Launched in emergency, we’ll be the wake of the Sept. happy. If you learn 11 attacks, MRC deto take care of your clined until Levinfamily as well, that’s son was brought in even better. Your as executive director neighborhood, that’s eight years ago. great, and if you’re “It was moriwilling to come out bund, and I was reand help deal with cruited to bring it the whole commuback to life,” he said. nity, that’s golden, Top: Sherwin Levinson has the Levinson, who studthat’s perfect. If we logistical support of his wife of more than 40 years, Judee. ied physics at MIT, train one more perBottom: MRC GEM Executive Director is from Chicago and son to take care of Sherwin Levinson provides training has lived in the Atthemselves, that’s on rescues involving ropes. lanta area since 1979. one less person that Now his nonneeds attention from profit group is thriving with almost the authorities.” 400 members, ranging from age 18 to You can get information on volunretirement. Some have medical or pub- teering at mrcgem.com./join_us.html. lic safety backgrounds. Despite its resurgence, MRC faces “We just had a weekend retreat, challenges. “Keeping people interested and I had about 55 members there, and engaged is the first one. Second is which was just great,” Levinson said. recruiting, and third is financial. Right “Saturday we did an exercise on radia- now we’re not in bad shape. We operate tion response for the CDC, and Sunday on a shoestring,” said Levinson, adding, morning we looked at where we fit in “I know how to make ends meet.” the national response picture.” He said world governments generMembers can take such courses as ally are failing to address terrorism. first aid and CPR, epidemiology and tri“ISIS has taken possession of a age, and infection control. fair amount of radioactive material. I “In an actual emergency we’ll think the general attitude is that places need lots of skills and some people to like Syria and Iraq are deserts with nojust help calm the public — show them mads, and they don’t realize they have where to go, help them with paper- modern cities with modern hospitals, work, and take care of all the practicali- and they have cancer treatment facilities, all the way down to taking out the ties, which use highly radioactive retrash,” Levinson said. sources,” making dirty bombs possible, Most of MRC’s focus is on Gwin- Levinson said. “I think they have the denett and its 850,000 people, about four sire to do so. The challenge is keeping times Newton and Rockdale combined, it out of the U.S. and, if it does happen, he said. “Obviously we have a greater responding quickly.” ■
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Should You Donate Blood? By Al Shams
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uring World War II, U.S. armed forces sustained over a million combat and noncombat injuries. Many required blood transfusions. Service members seeing their comrades in need were eager to help their buddies in any way possible, including donating blood. So a whole generation of Americans became familiar with donating blood. After the war, these veterans continued the donation process. Many churches, synagogues and veterans organizations held regular blood drives. Those veterans saw donating as a great humanitarian and patriotic act; I share this belief. I grew up in the shadow of World War II and was familiar with the blood donation process. That “Greatest Generation” is passing into history, leaving a legacy of self-sacrifice and compassion. The generations who have followed need to come forward to pick up the baton, but it seems many are unwilling to donate. There is a great need: • Every two seconds someone needs blood. • Approximately 41,000 blood transfusions are needed each day; each could require multiple pints of blood. • Each donation can benefit three lives. • Over 1.5 million Americans a year are diagnosed with cancer; many require blood on a daily basis. • A single automobile accident could require 70 pints of blood. Since age 19, while a student at the University of Florida, I have donated blood on a regular basis. My synagogue, B’nai Torah, like many others, has blood drives every couple of months. Each of us has our own reasons for acting as we do — working for the common good, charitable donations, helping those in need, etc. In my case, I have been blessed, thank G-d, with good health. My way of paying back that wonderful gift is by regularly donating blood. This has been a great and wonderful exchange that I will continue as long as I am able. Will you join me in this noble effort? ■
AJT 17
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Asher Celebrates Golden Anniversary By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com
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astroenterologist Harold Asher of Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital was recognized for 50 years at the hospital and received Emory’s Medical Staff Years of Service Award on May 21. The ceremony also included the presentation of the hospital’s E. Napier “Buck” Burson Physician Award of Distinction to vascular surgeon Peter B. H’Doubler Jr. Born and raised in south Atlanta, Asher grew up as a member of Congregation Shearith Israel and attended Emory University and Emory Medical School, from which he graduated in 1959. His medical career includes time in the U.S. Army as the chief of medicine at Valley Forge General Hospital in Phoenixville, Pa. He rose from captain to lieutenant colonel in the service. Asher also was a resident at Tulane University in New Orleans and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and had a gastroenterology fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. In 1965, he returned to Atlanta from Boston to work at St. Joseph’s in its former downtown location. Amid the civils rights movement, Asher got referrals from white and black people. “Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. used to send his congregants over to St. Joseph’s,” Asher said. “Some of them couldn’t afford any care. It was an interesting period.” Over the course of his 50 years with St. Joseph’s, Asher has seen many changes in gastroenterology. In 1970, he said, Atlanta had only about eight practicing gastroenterologists. Today, the area has more than 100. “I think the biggest change I have seen was the invention of the modern colonoscope,” he said. “In 1969 I used to go to New York to visit Dr. Hiromi Shinya at Beth Israel Medical Center. He brought the first colonoscope into the country. I was going down there about every week to learn how to use that technique. The improvement of endoscopy equipment was also huge. More people are able to get medical care today, although it’s still not where it should be.” ■
Wired for Inclusion By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
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he renovations at Congregation B’nai Torah are highly visible entering the final month of Phase 2, but one of the most important improvements is heard but not seen: a loop system that enables people using hearing aids to hear clearly in the sanctuary and beit hamidrash at the flip of a switch. B’nai Torah is the first Atlanta-area synagogue with the system. Copper wiring beneath the carpet sends the signal from the sound system directly to anyone who activates a wire called a telecoil within a hearing aid. When the T-coil is on, the hearing aid grabs only the electronic signal instead of amplifying all nearby sounds. Most hearing aids have T-coils built in, said audiologist Rita Chaiken, who was instrumental with husband Fred in installing the system. The frequency response of the loop system is tuned to each user. There’s no signal interference from other users and no maximum number. There is one limitation, Chaiken said: “You have to be sitting up.” Mike Exelbert, a fellow B’nai Torah member who uses a hearing aid, said that adding the technology to a 30-year-old building made for an interesting project. Chaiken said it would have been easier to set the loop up in only part of the sanctuary, but B’nai Torah didn’t want to create the stigma of a special section. “No one thinks twice about the fact that someone wears glasses,” Rabbi Eytan Kenter said. “We want to be a place where we celebrate those things that make us different.” Exelbert credited Rabbi Kenter with B’nai Torah’s commitment to inclusion. “That’s just part of this bigger plan that B’nai Torah has for making itself accessible to people with disabilities,” said Chaiken, who urged nonmembers with hearing impairment to visit B’nai Torah to experience the system. Her hope is that other congregations will install the system; she’s happy to answer questions. “We’re not looking for exclusivity for this,” Exelbert said. ■
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
A WISH for Jewish Infertility Support
A
ug. 30 will mark the official kickoff of the Wo/Men’s Infertility Support Havurah, which will meet monthly at Temple Sinai to shed light on infertility issues in a community atmosphere. Lynn Goldman, a lawyer specializing in adoption and assisted reproduction law, saw a void in the Jewish community for couples dealing with infertility. “I reached out to Rabbi (Elana) Perry of Temple Sinai four or five months ago and explained to her that I had gone through infertility 13 years ago, and back then there was no support out there for Jewish people going through infertility,” Goldman said. “Rabbi Perry then did some research in the Jewish community and came back to me and said she had other inquiries.” One of those other inquiries was from Lynne Eisenstein, another founding member of the havurah, known as WISH. Separately, another Temple Sinai member who experienced infertility requested the inclusion of a fertility prayer during Rosh Hashanah services, causing ripples in the congregation and adding momentum to the efforts of Goldman and Eisenstein. “Rabbi Perry then suggested to have a meeting and see what kind of support mechanism we want to have out there,” Goldman said. A steering committee composed of Goldman, Eisenstein and four other women came to the conclusion that a support group meeting monthly with alternating topics and speakers would be the best way to offer different perspectives on infertility and fill the void in the community. The Jewish perspective is what will separate WISH from other infertility support groups, Goldman said. “There are a lot of families going through this, and to be able to have that support is so necessary and also very wrapped up in Judaism,” Goldman said. “Judaism dictates to be fruitful and multiply, but it’s not always easy for people. This is a place and a way for people to gain support and meet others that are going through it as well so that they don’t feel like they’re going through it alone.” Goldman will be part of a panel of legal, medical and religious experts who will answer questions and offer advice at the August kickoff event,
“From If to When.” Jaime Gimpelson Ackerman will moderate the panel, which will include Dr. Daniel Shapiro, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility expert; Dr. Angela Arnold, a psychiatrist specializing in infertility issues; and radio personality Jenn Hobby, who had fertility struggles before having daughter Lauren in 2013. “The inaugural event on Aug. 30 will help answer people’s questions, followed up by support groups that are going to happen on the listed dates,” said Alli Allen, who runs marketing for
WISH. “You can talk, and if you don’t want to talk, you can listen to others. There’s a lot you can learn just by hearing other people’s stories.” Though the kickoff and subsequent meetings will take place at Temple Sinai, Goldman said WISH is not limited to members of the Reform congregation. It’s open to same-sex couples, heterosexual couples, Jewish and non-Jewish people from any synagogue and any denomination. “We’re hoping that we will grow over time, and if other synagogues want to be involved, we are happy to
work with them,” Goldman said. To RSVP for the kickoff and see a list of upcoming events, visit www. wishatlanta.org. ■
What: “From If to When,” Wo/Men’s Infertility Support Havurah kickoff event Where: Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30 Cost: Free; RSVP at www.wishatlanta. org
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AJT 19
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y mother-in-law, of blessed memory, was in the ICU at St. Joseph’s Hospital before her passing in December. The doctor on call made a visit by showing up on an in-room monitor. My wife, who was with her at the time, was in shock, as this was her first experience with telemedicine. Statements like “How impersonal? How can he get any idea of what is going on in this room?” came flowing from her lips. Although this was somewhat disarming, one thing’s for sure: This is the future. The traditional doctor-patient relationship is being challenged on all fronts unless you want to spend the money for your own concierge practitioner. I presume the people of the house-call era had to get used to traveling to the doctor’s office as well. Personally, I am an early adapter to all things tech. I implemented complete electronic health records years before there was a push to do so. I purchased a hospital-quality digital X-ray machine when few in private practice were investing in making that switch. My office sign-in is an all-digital touchscreen iPad paperless process. I push the technology envelope at every turn, both clinically and administratively. However, there is one area of my practice that is completely old school: my initial consultation and historytaking process. For that, I want to get to know the person in front of me. I want to hear what he or she is saying or, for that matter, not saying. I want to see body language. I cannot do that if my face is in front of a computer, inputting data. This no-tech, old-fashioned process of talking face to face, allowing the patient to discuss all health concerns, connects us and helps me to connect the dots to get to the root of the problem at hand. Why would I go old school in this area when health care/medicine is not walking but running at light speed the other way? There is nothing more important than that initial meeting. It’s when I get to know who my patients really are; I want to find out what makes them tick.
6/9/15 2:57 PM
I play Sherlock with the critical information I gather. This takes about 40 minutes of one-on-one time. Ultimately, I want to see if I am the right doctor for the case in front of me. For that, I need laser focus and total concentration.
Guest Column By David Shapiro DrShapiro@CompleteSpineSolutions.com
This style also lends itself to a skill set that requires extensive training in listening. Truth be told, I am not a naturally attuned listener, yet it is a skill I’ve learned through necessity. I have trained in this important life skill for my patients’ benefits. Although nowhere near perfect, I am getting better at it every day, even after over two decades in practice. I realize that this is not practical in most of today’s health care settings and that not every doctor or practice can afford to go through this time-consuming process. My practice thrives through word of mouth. I rely on my patients to share with others their life-changing results, but it all starts with listening to them. Patients appreciate this time spent and feel it is incredibly refreshing as well as surprising; the feedback I get supports this approach. The time it takes to keep up with governmental regulations, insurance requirements, privacy rules and the like forces doctors to have less face time with patients; the result is that impersonal doctor-patient relationships are the future. The doctors I speak to are unhappy with this trend. We must all continue to find a way to invest precious time upfront with patients, even with all the challenges the current health care environment creates; only then can we develop a clinical strategy to help that particular patient live happier, healthier, stronger and longer. ■ Dr. David Shapiro, certified at the highest level in chiropractic biophysics, is the founder and chief wellness officer of Complete Spine Solutions in Tucker (www.mytuckerchiropractor.com).
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he fourth annual Relay for Life Ruach Atlanta is moving to a larger venue and setting a larger goal for money raised to support the American Cancer Society. After being held at Roswell parks the first three years, Ruach Atlanta is moving south of the Chattahoochee to North Springs Charter High School at 7447 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Five teams — representing Temple Beth Tikvah, Temple Kol Emeth, Congregation Ner Tamid and Jewish Family & Career Services — have signed up for the Oct. 11 event, toward a goal of about Top: The survivor lap helps kick off the annual Relay for 25 teams with 300 to 400 Life Ruach Atlanta. Bottom: Activities for participants of all ages are part of the celebration of life. participants, if not more. The fundraising goal is $35,000, up from $26,000 raised last cer as a community. That spirit extends to fundraisers year. Already, $4,200 has been raised. Ruach Atlanta is held on a Sunday throughout the year. For example, a to enable Shabbat-observant Jews to fundraiser is set for Monday, July 20, participate in Relay for Life, although from 3 to 6 p.m. at Menchie’s at Sweet the event is not faith-based and is open Apple Village, 12030 Etris Road, Roswell. to all. The main event runs from 1 to 8 Relay for Life traditionally lasts up to 24 hours, representing the 24-hour- p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, and incorporates a-day struggle against cancer, and nor- all the traditional Relay elements. An opening ceremony kicks off mally takes place from Friday night through Saturday, conflicting with Ruach Atlanta at 1 and is immediately Shabbat. Former Temple Beth Tik- followed by a survivor lap. Team members then can accompavah President Sheryl Blechner came up with the idea of a Sunday Relay to ny the survivors and caregivers during a team lap. avoid that conflict. The luminaria ceremony takes Not only is Relay for Life Ruach Atlanta a chance to memorialize those place at 6 p.m. Luminaria are paper who have lost their fight to cancer and bags containing candles that are dedito honor those who are still fighting or cated by participants to honor or mehave survived cancer, but it is also an morialize individuals. The closing ceremony starts at 7. opportunity to celebrate life. To register or join a team for Ruach “We want families to understand that this is a festival atmosphere with Atlanta, go to www.RelayForLife.org/ activities for kids and adults alike,” ruachga. A $10 donation is suggested said Blechner, a co-chair of the event. but not mandatory as a sign-up fee. “We really want to grow this event and Survivors are always free. Organizations are encouraged to encourage people who have not participated in the past to register and partici- participate in honor of specific survivors or in memory of specific people pate this year.” Ruach Atlanta — ruach means who died of cancer. The Relay staff will spirit — is an event that solidifies the create posters of the honored individuspirit and celebrates the willingness to als if the groups they are associated support one another and to fight can- with provide photos. ■
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AJT 21
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Giving Back With a Smile By April Basler abasler@atljewishtimes.com
of a coat drive with One Warm Coat. In May, Flax Dental participated in Red Nose Day, a campaign dedicated or Dr. Hugh Flax and his team at to raising money for children living Flax Dental in Sandy Springs, giv- in poverty by having fun and making ing back is a priority. people laugh. Flax found out about Flax, who heads the Red Nose Day while visiting cosmetic and restorative New Orleans when he and dental practice, is involved his wife, Robyn, saw red with the community. He noses being sold at a drugsupports charitable prostore. grams and provides schol“I looked into it and arships to the next generarealized what a great idea tion of dental professionals. this was to contribute to The award-winning kids that are not well off,” cosmetic dentist is an inFlax said. “We decided, why ternational lecturer, a past limit it to my family and president of the American my professional family? Top: Dr. Hugh Flax Academy of Cosmetic DenWhy not get the patients tistry and a founder of the involved? That was one of Below: In addition to Georgia Academy of Cosmetthe most fun days we’ve had Dr. Hugh Flax, the Flax ic Dentistry. Dental team includes recently. Patients liked it. It’s Through the Knowledge nice when you can have fun (from left) Faith, Kandy, Tracey and Edi. Matters Flax and do someDental Scholarthing that ship Program, actually has Flax Dental is significance awarding one as well.” $500 scholarHe used ship to a stuto live in New dent in a denOrleans, and tal assistant he set up a program and humanitaranother $500 ian fund for scholarship to those affectsomeone in a ed by Hurridental hygienist program. Flax Dental cane Katrina. The AACD Disaster Realso is offering a $1,700 scholarship lief Fund has raised over $100,000 for through the AACD Apex scholarship victims of Katrina and other disasters. program, which sends select students Flax recently received the AACD Huto the academy’s Annual Scientific Ses- manitarian of the Year Award to honor sion. those efforts. The cost of a dental education has Flax also makes a donation every dramatically increased since he attend- year to Camp Twin Lakes, which serves ed school in the 1980s, Flax said, so he children facing serious illnesses, and offers the scholarships to alleviate the his older daughter, Lindsey, is a camp financial burden many students face. counselor there and at the Marcus Jew“I have been lucky to have been ish Community Center. His younger mentored by many great people and, daughter, Brenna, works on the wateralong the way, had the privilege of front at Camp Barney Medintz. mentoring others,” Flax said. “I realThe family lives in Alpharetta and ized that after being in the profession helped found Congregation Dor Tamid. for 30 years, I want to try and contribTreating patients, teaching and ute to the future of the profession.” writing keep Flax working seven days Flax Dental participates in a pro- a week, but he said he has been blessed, gram called Give Back a Smile, which and it is important to share those blessprovides free cosmetic dental care to ings. “I know that for every person that victims of domestic violence, and buys I treat and every person that I teach, back Halloween candy from young there is a ripple effect that goes on,” he patients and sends it to troops over- said. “I’m making a difference not in seas. In conjunction with Oral Cancer just one person’s life, but in multiple Awareness Month in April, Flax Dental lives. There are people that are less forprovides free oral cancer screenings to tunate than I am, and it’s my duty to the community. Flax Dental also is part give back to others.” ■
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
Incorporating Mindfulness Into Life
the best ways to quiet your monkey mind will be critical to decreasing stress and applying mindfulness into your life. So why practice mindfulness? The benefits are many. It fosters selfawareness and balance and encour-
The Mindful Caregiver By Nancy Kriseman
ages us to be more compassionate, nonjudgmental, patient, kind and gentle toward ourselves and others. Mindfulness can also help us nurture our spirit, which is the essence of who we are. When our spirit is filled, we often feel joyful, calm, nurtured and loved. When our spirit is depleted or neglected, we can feel angry, tired, depressed and sad. One of the most common ways to practice mindfulness is through meditation, which teaches you to focus on your body by listening to your breathing and heartbeat. It helps you calm your spirit so that you can relax. Traditional meditation was born out of Buddhist and Zen teachings, but other ways to practice meditation are less formal. For example, try carving out five to 10 minutes for yourself throughout the day. See if you can sit quietly and take three or more deep breaths. This is a way to slow your heart rate and tune in to your body. If sitting still is difficult, try to find other ways to clear your mind and connect to your heart. Consider engaging in one of your favorite activities: walking through the woods, gardening, fishing on a quiet river, swimming, running, listening to soothing music, taking a relaxing bath, engaging in prayer, drumming, or singing. All are wonderful ways to calm the mind and soothe your spirit. It doesn’t matter how you practice mindfulness. It only matters that you choose to make a commitment to selfcare. Remember, you matter. ■ Nancy Kriseman is the author of “The Mindful Caregiver” and a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in older people and their families. Visit www.nancykriseman.com or follow her on Twitter (@GeriatricMSW).
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n the meshuggeneh world we live in, it’s no wonder that many of us feel like we are on a treadmill. Our interactions, relationships and lives are increasingly complicated, interconnected and complex. Plus, we receive constant messages from work, family and society pushing us to do more. All of that can cause us to be our own worst enemy by striving to be better — better parents, better siblings, better spouses, better caregivers. The result is that we can end up believing that we are never doing enough. There are many reasons for stress in our lives, including being a caregiver. In my 30-plus years as a clinical social worker with family caregivers, I have seen the devastating impact of burning the candle on both ends. Yet when I ask my clients why they don’t take care of themselves, they typically respond: “How can I take care of myself when I can barely take care of my family and everything else in my life? There is no time for me!” Seeing so much distress compelled me to help my clients get in the habit of self-care. For many of them, it was not an option but a necessity. Stress is an inevitable and natural part of life. When we are overly stressed, we can get overwhelmed and disconnected from ourselves. Learning how to lessen the stress in our lives is essential to positive well-being. Mindfulness is a practice that can be used to lessen stress and promote self-care. What is exciting about practicing mindfulness is that everyone can use this approach without a heavy time commitment. Research has determined that 30 minutes a day of mindfulness practice can help lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and re-energize your mind, body and spirit. So what is mindfulness? It is an approach that encourages us to be aware of the present moment while recognizing and accepting all our feelings, good and not so good. It teaches us to tune in to our physical bodies as a way to get in touch with our feelings. One of the blessings of mindfulness is that it can help you learn to slow down, become quiet and focus on the present. It can calm what the Buddhists call “monkey mind.” Monkey mind refers to internal dialogue and chatter inside your head. Identifying
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HOME
Poetic Passion Blends With Medical Compassion
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e’s a Buckeye. Dr. Stan Cohen, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is an expert in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition recognized by Atlanta Magazine as a top doc in his field. He trained at Johns Hopkins and did his fellowship at Harvard. He also has an aesthetic side, combining his poetry with visual arts. His master bedroom holds a gigantic perpendicular wood carving, and doesn’t everyone seal off the bathtub so that rare African baskets and figures can be displayed? The proud grandfather laughs at a tribute, “Grandpa Stan is better than Afghanistan.” Jaffe: You chose to be photographed in this setting. Why? Cohen: These three sculptures ask interesting questions about art with their negative space. Here, Sol LeWitt answers differently than Andy Warhol or Frank Stella’s “What you see is what you see.” Jaffe: And the glass cube? Cohen: By Jon Kuhn, who constructed an intricate, prismlike interior of reflective surfaces that dance through the larger structure and around the walls. I like how the geometries play off each other, and I like him. He used to stay with us; the kids would call him “Seaweed” because he’d bring it for meals. It’s just a fun memory I have.
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Jaffe: The Judaica in your study is as unusual as anything I have seen in this genre. Cohen: That’s a triptych by two Russian emigres, Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid, known for their wry sense of humor and irony. One panel has a puzzle with their picture in a historic German house, surrounded by a Russian Scrabble set with biographic notations. The second resembles a Torah scroll; it’s actually a Hebrew fantasy about the Temple floating overhead (when they moved to Israel). In the third, one is lecturing to wolves (probably us) in the countryside.
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Jaffe: Collecting, yes, but why would a physician write poetry? Cohen: I am more of an accumulator. As for poetry, I’ve written since high school; later I committed to becoming a better wordsmith. Reading and crafting poetry allow me to use
language in more thoughtful ways. Sometimes I deconstruct traditional columns and lines. Experimenting that way forces me (and the reader) to re-examine typical conceits. I’ve gotten ideas from the pungent smell of beer and stale popcorn at Braves games, from the surface of a painting, from thinking about my family. Art spills
Chai-Style Homes By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com
Cohen: I’ve done readings at bookstores and libraries, even at the original Whitney Museum (now the Studio School). And museums: Whitney, Getty, the High and MOMA have some in their collections. One poem is bronzed in front of the Atlanta-Fulton County detention center. Jaffe: These wooden rulers are rather eccentric. Cohen: It’s something of an homage to my father, who sold specialty advertising. I did a series replacing the “Your Name Here” on yardsticks with three-line poems. I then built sculptures with these “Measured Words.”
resource for families. It’s interactive so parents can research restaurants and foods (over 350,000), build communities among themselves, share tips, and soon they’ll be able to find recipes. Jaffe: Leave us with some poetry. ‘Every Coin a Blessing’ With only a shake, the coins would dance inside the tin, White with a hatted boy staring sadly from the center Of the Jewish star outside — but all the mystery was within. The heavy nickels and quarters in a slow fox trot, The lighter dimes and pennies
over into medicine and vice versa. Jaffe: How goes your collaboration with fine artists? Cohen: I am in awe of talent. The fact that some wonderful artists have joined me on projects has been truly gratifying. The first was a book with Glenn Goldberg. We called it “Two” because he did these pochoir prints of two elements; I did two-column poems that were intended to be read harmoniA cally. He designed Photos by Duane Stork the cover so no one A: Dr. Stan Cohen sits below Sol LeWitt’s geometrics and near Jon Kuhn’s would know what glass cube on the left and blue sandblast on the right. kind of book they were picking up. probably shining silver Jaffe: You have an extensive accuThe second, “Seeping Into/Out of And bright copper in a faster mulation of art here that you are not the Well” (with Gary Stephan), used rumba waiting release. sharing. In poker, we’d say, “You have the premise of organicity and all that cards you ain’t showing.” Why? was entering our lives, like the AIDS As few as four and I could have ice Cohen: My role is very humepidemic. My columns expanded and cream, a whistle bling. All day I see parents in difficult extended so that the pages unfolded. Or a decoder ring — if I could just situations. Parents taking care of sick Concurrently, Gary embedded his shake them back children are true heroes and martyrs. drawings within the pages, so they Through the top slit and into my I come home from stressful days to regradually emerged. With Ed Ruscha, palm — if the cardinal known for word paintings, we inverted lax my eyes and distract my thoughts. On the limb outside would ignore Doing so seems private and personal. the paradigm. I minimized my poems, my quiet climb and he made these sign drawings withAnd grasping greed some anytime Jaffe: What’s new medically? out any wording. So it was appropriate before the rabbi’s Cohen: We are doing great rethat we called the book “Beyond Hell.” Key emptied the box and my ice search and clinical care. I am also very Then Robin Bernat and I comcream dreams. proud of Nutrition4Kids.com, where bined her images and my six-line poems into prints that could be read in I am working to improve the ways Instead I watched my grandmothparents feed their children (whether a variety of ways. er reach on her toes healthy or with specific needs). We To the shelf and the box, saying a have over 300 blogs/posts as a free Jaffe: So who gets to see this?
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HOME prayer and kissing Her pennies before dropping them in. Tzedakah, Charity, she would smile. Every coin attached To a blessing. Every blessing for someone she loved, Someone she never met or a country she might never see. Listening again, I heard different rhythms in the coins. The scrape of hunger at a table, the cry of an orphan, The winds of a hurricane, the torrents of a flood, The parch of Israel’s desert, the songs of its settlers. The breaking of bones, the shattering of glass. Every coin for a greater good, I put in my own. ■
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B: This glass cube is by Jon Kuhn. C, E, F: A triptych by Jewish emigres Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid portrays a German house surrounded by a Scrabble set, a Hebrew fantasy about moving to Israel that is formatted like a Torah scroll, and a lecture to the wolves (representing naive people). D: What would serve as a bathtub in some homes is a site to display African art and baskets at the Cohen home. G: “Acropolis With Pipe Clamp” is a 1989 photo work by twins Doug and Mike Starn. H: Stan Cohen’s “Measured Words” presents his poetry on rulers. I: Another presentation of Stan Cohen’s poetry is embedded on Gary Stephan’s French-folded image designs.
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YOUTH
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ARTS
Supportive Siblings Get ‘Cutthroat,’ Catty Cohens will star on stage and screen on same weekend
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eslie Cohen can’t wait to see her culinary television premiere Sunday, July 19, when she faces off on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen.” But that’s not all she’s excited about over the weekend: Her brother, Jason, is also taking the stage as he performs in the Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s production of “Cats.” “It’s so special for both of us to have an experience together back to back,” Cohen said. “It brings a lot of joy to the entire family.” Cohen, the general manager of Roasters restaurant at Lenox, has always wanted to be on a culinary show and was shocked when Food Network representatives found her on Facebook and asked her to audition. “I sent in profile pictures, my bio, a small portfolio and did a Skype interview,” Cohen said. “That’s kind of how it all sort of unraveled. It was so exciting. It was unbelievable how an opportunity like that came about.” Cohen said she felt every possible emotion when she filmed the episode. “It’s excitement, it’s nervousness, happy,” she said. “You have every emotion. It’s like a roller-coaster ride. You’re scared, but you’re trying to dig down deep and pull out that creative side. It’s a lot of emotion. But it was a lot of fun.”
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a culinary arts school in Rhode Island. During college she interned at One Midtown Kitchen under celebrity chef Richard Blais. “He’s a creative genius to me,” Cohen said. “To be able to work under him for six months was amazing. I learned more Left: Roasters’ Leslie Cohen makes her culinary TV debut July there than I ever 19 on “Cutthroat Kitchen,” Alton Brown’s competition show. Right: Jason Cohen’s latest Atlanta Lyric Theatre show is “Cats.” learned anywhere.” After graduaCohen has been sworn to secrecy tion, Cohen began working at Roasters regarding the outcome since she fin- and became its general manager at age ished filming the show in December. 22. It’s a secret that has been hard to keep. “I fell in love with getting to man“People will really interrogate age people and lead a team,” she said. you,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘I know you “I like to be able to do the creative side, won,’ and they’ll try to look at your which is any specials, and re-creating face. It’s intimidating. You have to play menu items. I also learned how to run dumb. It’s been very hard to not talk a business, which is very important to about it, especially with family mem- my career.” bers and close friends.” As excited as she is about her naThe show will be interesting, Co- tional TV debut, she’s just as excited hen said. “You’ll just have to find out. for her brother, who takes the stage at You’ll get to see all my skills, and my the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Cenpersonality will come out.” tre for a three-day run of the Andrew Cohen knew she wanted to be- Lloyd Webber musical “Cats.” come a chef after taking a two-year “My brother is a very, very talented culinary program in high school. She guy,” Cohen said. “I’m just really proud studied at Johnson & Wales University, of him. He’s been working extremely
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hard at what he does. He’s an incredible dancer.” Jason Cohen has been dancing since childhood. In 1996 he was one of 30 children chosen out of 1,000 who auditioned to be a Coca-Cola Kid during the Olympics. He and the others performed several shows a day at Centennial Olympic Park. “That was a huge thing when that happened,” Leslie and Jason’s mom, Lynn, said. “It was very cool.” As an adult, he performed in such stage shows as “Chicago” and “Catch Me If You Can” and is planning to start rehearsals soon for “Young Frankenstein.” He performs with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, the city’s only professional musical theater company, and teaches at Dance It Off in Sandy Springs, the studio his parents, Steve and Lynn, own. Lynn Cohen said she is in shock over everything that’s happening this weekend for her children. “Things are good in your life always, but to see your kids shine, especially on the same weekend, we’re going to be on Cloud 9,” she said. The “Cutthroat Kitchen” episode premieres Sunday, July 19, at 10 p.m. A viewing party will be held at Roasters, 2770 Lenox Road, from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Appetizers and drinks will be provided. A second viewing party will be held at Dance It Off, 6780 Roswell Road, on Friday, July 24, from 8 to 11 p.m. “Cats” will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Cobb Energy Centre. ■ (404) 817-3500 Atlanta@Israelbonds.com Development Corp. for Israel, Member FINRA Effective through July 14, 2015
JULY 17 ▪ 2015
By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com
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SPORTS
OBITUARIES
Sports Briefs
Soccer Team Name, Logo Revealed Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s Major League Soccer team now has a name, a logo and a Falcons-esque
Week 6 Softball Standings A Division
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Sinai 1
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Dor Tamid 1
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Emanu-El
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Gesher L’Torah
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Etz Chaim
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Or Hadash
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Beth Tikvah 2
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Kol Emeth
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Bet Haverim
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color scheme after an announcement celebration Tuesday, July 7. Atlanta United FC will become the 22nd MLS team when it begins play in 2017 at the new Falcons stadium under construction downtown. United’s uniforms won’t be revealed until next year, but they will feature three team colors: black, victory red and gold. The logo features a gold block A in front of black and red stripes within a black circle that shows the team name. “Tonight represents a milestone moment for our city, for our club and for soccer fans across the region,” Blank said at the celebration. ADL Honors Slive Former Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive received the 2015 Stuart Lewengrub Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast Region on Thursday, June 25, at the ADL’s annual Corporate Recognition Breakfast. Slive was recognized for his efforts to enhance women’s athletics and increase diversity among coaches during his 13 years with the SEC. He retired this spring. The ADL also presented its award for Corporate Partner of the Year to law firm Alston & Bird.
Victor Benatar 90, Atlanta
Victor Benatar, 90, died peacefully in his sleep Wednesday, July 1, 2015. Victor was a native Atlantan, attending Boys’ High and graduating in 1942. He was on the boxing team, an officer in the ROTC and a cheerleader. Upon graduating high school, Victor enlisted in the U.S. Navy and because of his academic excellence was enrolled in the V12 program at Georgia Tech. He was a cheerleader for three years at Georgia Tech and received a bachelor of chemical engineering degree and a commission as ensign in the U.S. Navy. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1947. Victor worked as chief engineer at Palm Chemical until 1952; project manager at Lockheed Aircraft in Marietta until 1962; chief design engineer manager for Mead Packaging’s Machinery Division until 1969; and then started his own company, Advance Engineering. He designed and built machines for canvas frames, chiropractic adjustment machines (which are used throughout the world), the HoneyBaked Ham spiral slicer, and desulfurization equipment for steel mills. In addition, Victor was a Mason for more than 60 years as a 32nd-degree Scottish Rite member and a member of the Shriners band. He was also a docent at the Atlanta History and Jimmy Carter centers. He was a member of Congregation Or VeShalom and served on the board and was responsible for the general maintenance of the buildings. Victor was the son of Morris and Mary Benatar. His loving wife of 61 years, Rosalind, preceded him in death in 2011, as did his son, Marlin, in 2012. Victor is survived by his brother, Leo Benatar, and his wife, Louise; daughters Miriam Guest and husband Bill and Suzanne Goldstein and husband Howard; grandchildren Jason Guest and wife Katie, Andrew Guest and wife Kezia, Daniel Goldstein and wife Melissa, and Lauren Goldstein; and great-grandchild Penelope Guest. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Contributions may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom or to Weinstein Hospice. A graveside service was held Friday, July 3, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Estelle Graiser 74, Johns Creek
Estelle Graiser, age 74, of Johns Creek died Saturday, July 4, 2015. Survivors include her father, Herman Rosenthal; sons Richard (Paige) Graiser and Ira (Lee) Graiser; sister Arlene (Ed) Gill; brother-in-law Sam (Brenda) Graiser; and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Sheldon Graiser, and a son, Eric Graiser, of blessed memory. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Eric Graiser Memorial Fund at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. A graveside service was held Sunday, July 5, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Harold Philip Greenberg
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90, Atlanta
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Harold Philip Greenberg of Atlanta died peacefully at the age of 90 on Friday, July 10, 2015. He was born in South Africa to Rose and Aaron Greenberg, both of blessed memory. He and his wife immigrated to Atlanta in 1997 to be with their family. Harold is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Ros; son and daughter-in-law Derrick and Tamara Greenberg of Atlanta; son Ian Greenberg of Dolan Springs, Ariz.; son and daughter-in-law Ari and Dana Greenberg of Marietta; brother and sister-in-law Lou and Ettie Green of Boca Raton, Fla.; sister Flo Hesselsohn of St. Louis; brother and sister-in-law Boris and Shirley Greenberg of Cleveland, Ohio; and grandchildren Ilyse, Sam, Sarah and Josh. Graveside services were held Sunday, July 12, at Crest Lawn Memorial Park with Rabbi Ephraim Silverman officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Weinstein Hospice or Chabad of Cobb. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING
Stanley Mislow 78, Atlanta
Stanley Mislow, age 78, of Atlanta died Thursday, July 9, 2015. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty Mislow; son Mickey Mislow; daughter and son-in-law Lisa and Michael Banov; son and daughter-in-law Bobby and Carol Mislow; brother and sister-in-law Sam and Sandra Mislow; sister Celia Topper; and grandchildren Zachary and Jacob Banov and Alissa Mislow. Stanley was born and raised in Atlanta. He was a graduate of Grady High School, and he owned and operated Stanco Communications for more than 40 years. Stanley enjoyed fishing and dancing. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Graveside services were held Sunday, July 12, at Crest Lawn Memorial Park with Rabbi Ilan Feldman officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Congregation Beth Jacob. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Libby Orlansky 98, Atlanta
Libby Orlansky, age 98, of Atlanta died Thursday July 9, 2015. She was born in Sumner, Miss., to Alex and Bertha Goldberg. Mrs. Orlansky and her husband, Frank, ran a department store in Ruleville, Miss., for 47 years until retirement in 1987. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Orlansky, of blessed memory. Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Herb and Cheryl Orlansky of Atlanta; a son and daughter-in-law, Melvin and Adele Orlansky of Memphis, Tenn.; a sister, Ida Sontz of Louisville, Ky.; five grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren. A special thank-you to her caregivers at Brighton Gardens of Buckhead and Atria of Buckhead. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund at The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. A graveside service was held Sunday, July 12, at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
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Wednesday, July 1, 2015. She was born in Chicago and moved to Miami Beach. She attended Miami Beach Senior High School, where she was crowned queen of the school, and the University of Miami, where she was a Hurricane Honey. Judy met and married the love of her life, Martin Smith, in 1956. In 1978 they moved from Miami Beach to Atlanta. In Miami and Atlanta, Judy and Marty were community-spirited individuals whose lives revolved around their loving family and dear friends. Judy was actively involved with the Miami Beach Jewish Book Fair and brought the idea to her new home in Atlanta. She helped start the Atlanta Jewish Community Book Fair and founded the Fundraisers Organization, whose purpose was to do good deeds in the community. She was one of the first members of Lion of Judah of the Miami Beach Jewish Federation and was proud to wear her Lion pin when she moved to Atlanta and as she traveled around the world. Judy was an active board member of the Boca West Women’s Philanthropy for the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and the South Florida Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research. Judy’s life was filled with affection for her family and friends, with whom she loved to travel, golf, play card games and so much more. The exuberant charm of Judy Smith brightened the lives of all who had the good fortune to know her. Though the bright light that was her life dimmed much too soon, her memories will shine forever in our hearts. She is survived by son Brian Smith; daughter Suzy Harris Engelhard and son-in-law Hadley Engelhard; three grandchildren, Adam, Blake and Chase; sister Marlane Lilienthal and brother Skip Becker, both of Chicago; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Judy was preceded in death by her husband, Martin Smith; her mother, Betty Elrod Rose, and father, Sam Rose of Chicago; and a son-in-law, Lee Harris. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on Judy’s behalf to Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta, Fitzgerald Hebrew Congregation in Fitzgerald, or the charity of your choice. The funeral was held Sunday, July 5, at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Lorraine Pomerance Lorraine Pomerance, 93, a native of Atlanta, passed away peacefully in her sleep Monday, June 29, 2015. The daughter of Nan and Jack Wilensky, both of blessed memory, she was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Dr. Elliott Pomerance; a daughter, Dale Gillett; and a brother, Edwin Wilensky. Lorraine is survived by her daughters Jill Linfert (Mike) and Nancy Eypel (Arthur); son-in-law Dr. Bruce Gillett; grandchildren Brent (Laura) and Brian (Jen) Gillett; great-grandchildren Will, Oliver, Lucy, Silas and Rose Gillett; and brother Larry Wilensky. Lorraine spent over 20 years working alongside her husband in his optometry practice in Buckhead. She enjoyed taking cruises with friends and family and trips to the beach in Florida to visit her daughter Nancy, and she treasured her mother-daughter trips with Dale, Nancy and Jill to San Francisco, Santa Fe, Las Vegas and New York. Her unconditional love and devotion to her family were the central part of her life. She was brave, compassionate, caring and kind to everyone who crossed her path, and her lifelong commitment was showing others how truly important they were to her. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or the charity of your choice. A private burial took place at Greenwood Cemetery. A memorial service was held Thursday, July 2, at the home of Larry and Sheila Wilensky. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Judy Lynn Smith Atlanta
Judy Lynn Smith of Atlanta and Boca Raton, Fla., passed away peacefully
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93, Atlanta
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CLOSING THOUGHTS OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING
Av: Destruction And Redemption
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JULY 17 ▪ 2015
osh Chodesh Av begins Friday, July 17. Av is an intense month of destruction and redemption. Historically, the 9th of Av is a day of disasters, including the destruction of the first and second Temples, burned by fires fueled by hatred. Today we are witness to that same inflammatory kind of hatred. If we don’t elevate that level of intense energy, there is likely to be a repetition of the destruction. Av means “father” and is from the root “to will” or “to desire.” Av is characterized by an intensity of heat. The sun rules at this time of year, and the sun is the powerful body around which everything else revolves. It’s a source of light and heat. While the 9th of Av is considered the lowest point, the 15th is the highest, observed as a holiday of love. It is believed that on this midsummer’s day, when the yearly peak of the sun, masculine energy, converges with the monthly peak of the moon, feminine energy, a wholeness is created during the full moon that invites an opening for one to find a soulmate. The sages teach that the Mashiach is born on the 9th of Av and reveals himself to his bride and is betrothed on the 15th of Av. Interpretations suggest that the birth might not be literal but rather the sprouting of a lofty concept that is mulled over, integrated and sealed with action. We look to the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation) to understand more about how to balance our divine gifts. The Zodiac sign for Av is Leo. The Hebrew letter is tet; the tribe, Shimon; the sense, hearing; and the controlling organ, the left kidney. HaShem gives us areas of strength, weakness and challenges. Our task is to use what we have and develop what we are lacking to overcome the obstacles. Leo is associated with Av and the lion. Those born under this fire sign are said to be natural leaders who possess a giving heart and a strong, theatrical presence. They see projects through to completion, are dignified and loyal, possess a sense of honor, are self-assured, and have a zest for life. Just as all the planets surround the sun, Leos are comfortable shining at the center of attention. When out of 30 balance, they can become overbearing,
AJT
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CROSSWORD “He’s Got a Way”
By Yoni Glatt Editor: DavidBenkof@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Medium
autocratic and bossy or respond with wounded pride that can collapse the power of the lion. The letter tet resembles the womb, like a circle with an extension hiding within it. This holds the hidden good. Aryeh, Leo in Hebrew, means “lion of G-d.”
New Moon Meditations Dr. Terry Segal tsegal@atljewishtimes.com
The tribe of Shimon is the only tribe that Moses does not bless at the end of the Torah. This tribe seems to have been involved with the sins of Pe’or, such as engaging with foreign women who were prostitutes and committing idolatry. The sense is hearing. To hear, in Hebrew, means to understand. The Shema then translates to “Understand, O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is one.” There is a distinction between hearing and understanding. We are required not just to process sound, but also to integrate the meaning of power, directed by the ultimate leader, G-d, and bring it into our thoughts and through our hearts. With the controlling organ of the left kidney, we seek balance between the masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) aspects of the soul. In Chinese medicine, the bodily fluids arise from the left kidney, and balance must be maintained between metabolic heat and fluids so we don’t get dehydrated and depleted. Yin deficiency must be prevented during these hot months because, like a strong leader at the helm of followers, other organ systems depend on the kidneys to perform their tasks. As we wrestle during Av with contrasting emotions of grief and hope, we must become aware of our weak spots and deficiencies that affect the ways in which we maintain ourselves. Each of us needs to be a strong link in the chain that connects our people. Meditation focus What are your strengths in your physical body, your mind, your spirit and your emotions? What are your weaknesses in each? What must you work on to strengthen the important link that you are? ■
ACROSS 1 Former kingdom 6 18 10 “Oy!” 14 Actor Hirsch of “Into the Wild” 15 Rehoboam to Solomon 16 Miami Boys Choir part 17 Temple washing item 18 Song by 57 Across about where Ginsberg wrote his poems? 20 Goes from big to small, like Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man 22 Like Golem stories 23 Moniker (and hit) for 57 Across 25 Like Old Jewish Man from “The Simpsons” 26 Kosher deli item 27 Indian matzah equivalent 28 Serling of TV 29 Baseballers Rosen and Levine 30 Its emblem has Hebrew on it 32 Shabbat staples 34 With “The,” song by 57 Across about The Nile, as Pharaoh described it to Joseph? 40 Rava or Abaye 41 Justin Bartha’s role in “The Hangover” trilogy 43 2015 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film 46 Place for tefillin or a tallit 47 Israel’s has changed over the years 50 Fred Wilpon’s team div. 51 “Uptown Funk” musician 53 Song by 57 Across about Abram leaving his father’s house? 55 Chanukah menorah branches, e.g. 56 Many poems by Leah Goldberg 57 Subject of this puzzle 59 Kosher deli item
62 Important ingredient in some pareve dishes 63 One is about 5000 square amot 64 Some people daven to win it 65 Israel has 16 varieties of this bird 66 Adrien Brody, e.g.? 67 ___ chayil DOWN 1 Bush who visited Israel in 2007 2 Meryl’s “Prime” co-star 3 Former Prime Minister 4 Spock was half of one 5 Last name in a company that produced “Shalom Sesame” 6 His name is often second on the letterhead 7 Paul’s “Mad About You” co-star 8 Needs chicken soup, maybe 9 Moses felt it when seeing the Golden Calf 10 Dairy, on Shavuot 11 1999 Lumet film, which was George C. Scott’s last 12 How Kirk would order torpedoes to be fired 13 Tzedakah recipients 19 Something a Jewish grandmother may have or do 21 Mom 23 Be a yenta 24 Time for Lag Ba’omer 25 Use Israir 28 Holy heifer color 31 Actress Green of “300: Rise of an Empire” 32 Deg. of many professors teaching Leibovitz 33 Like the life of Jephtah’s
daughter 35 Be the face of Israel 36 Non-holy heifer color 37 OU, e.g. 38 Mysterious Kubrickian item 39 Shipmate of Kirk and Spock 42 Divorce document 43 1950 Asimov classic 44 Like well-behaved kinderlach 45 Part of some kosher animals that’s not eaten 47 Newsman Safer 48 Marvel bigwig Arad 49 Kosher deli item 52 Rahel Varnhagen had a famous one in Berlin 53 Mike who played Linda Richman on SNL 54 Apples not suitable for Rosh Hashana? 56 Mashugana to Jose 58 Mo. Tu B’Shevat often falls in 60 Hotel room for a Chatan and Kallah: abbr. 61 Like the Sinai
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I WOULDN’T BE HERE WITHOUT GRADY. ALL I REMEMBER IS THE GROUND COMING UP AT ME. I had an opportunity to go up in a World War II British trainer. We ran into some problems and as we came back over the airfield, we were going straight into the ground. I said to myself, “This is it.” People ran out to help and they could immediately tell I was in bad shape. Badly broken arm, my face was ripped off and I had internal injuries that were life-threatening. Next thing I know I’m at Grady. I got to the right hospital, the right surgical team, the right set of nurses. I’m a captain for an Atlanta airline. I got cleared medically to fly again. So just four months later and all is well.
JULY 17 ▪ 2015
Stanley James Trauma Survivor
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