Atlanta Jewish Times, No. 22, 2015

NEW HOME

Former Weber Head of School Sim Pearl is leading Or VeShalom’s Bayit young-adult outreach. Page 8

SCHOOL HOME

ISRAELI HOME

Temima’s building hasn’t changed the character of the education for girls going on inside. Page 17

To learn more and request an at-home screening kit, visit JScreen.org

Eyal and Aviva Postelnik spread Mediterranean touches around their East Cobb mansion. Page 22

Atlanta VOL. XC NO. 22

JUNE 12, 2015 | 25 SIVAN, 5775

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Chutzpah Keys Startup Paradise

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

T

Yellow Roses of Toco Hills

New Torah Day School graduates are all smiles Monday night, June 8. Rabbi Ilan Feldman praised their class for being 51 universes protected by the Torah. Full coverage, Page 15

GAMER GODS

Led by Todd Harris and Erez Goren, Hi-Rez is conquering the business world by creating virtual worlds in computer games. Page 20

BLOODSUCKERS

A Caribbean vacation inspired Temple Sinai member Matt Brill and business partner Jason Smith to launch Mr. Mister to kill mosquitoes. Page 24

INSIDE

Candle Lighting

2 Simchas

Israel

9 Home 22

Opinion

21

10 Business 24

Education 14 Obituaries

29

Youth

16 Crossword

30

Technology

18 Marketplace

31

he traits that make Israel the world’s startup nation are essential to the Jewish character, according to Lior Vaknin, the founder and president of Israeli Startups NYC. The Tel Aviv native used his speech at an Israel Bonds dinner for Ina and Harold Enoch on Wednesday, June 3, to explain the core characteristics that have forced the world to recognize that “Israel has become startup paradise”: • Chutzpah. Vaknin said Israeli chutzpah goes back to Abraham, who dared to negotiate with G-d over Sodom and Gomorrah. Today, that chutzpah shows in 22-year-olds who are certain their startups can beat multinational companies in billion-dollar markets.

• Resourcing. The Israeli army is the most efficient human resources organization in the world, Vaknin said. Israel Defense Forces training teaches Israelis how to get the most out of people.

• Visualization. Autosuggestion has spread in popularity through gurus such as Tony Robbins, but Vaknin said it’s a technique Jews have used for two millennia. We survived by visualizing ourselves returning to a restored Jerusalem each year, then made that vision come true.

• Social responsibility. Thousands of entrepreneurs in Israel do volunteer work because they think in terms of “we” instead of “I,” Vaknin said. “If you want to see change and if you want a better future, it has to start with you.” ■ Temple Sinai honors Enochs, Page 4 Technology section, Pages 18-21

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CALENDAR 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.

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.

Mixed media. Chastain Arts Center and Gallery drawing instructor Ben Smith exhibits 14 works in mixed media with pencil, ink, watercolors, acrylic and spray paint at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs.

Free; www.templesinaiatlanta.org.

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.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Parshah Shelach Friday, June 12, light candles at 8:31 p.m.

Saturday, June 13, Shabbat ends at 9:33 p.m.

Parshah Korach Friday, June 19, light candles at 8:33 p.m.

Saturday, June 20, Shabbat ends at 9:35 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11

Aging with spirituality. Social worker Nancy Kriseman, author of “The Mindful Caregiver,” presents a workshop on “Understanding the Importance of Spirituality and Religion in the Lives of Elders” at 6 p.m. at Arbor Terrace of East Cobb, 886 Johnson Ferry Road.

Free; 770-977-4420.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Recipe demo. Real estate agent Joan Kaplan demonstrates recipes from her charitable cookbook, “Heartfelt Fare,” from noon to 2:30 p.m. at Vista Yoga, 2836 LaVista Road, Decatur. Donations, benefiting several local nonprofits, are rewarded with copies of the cookbook; thekaplanfamilyfoundation.org.

Jazz show. Grammy-winning saxophonist Mace Hibbard performs at 7 p.m. at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $10 for center members and $15 for nonmembers; www.atlantajcc.org/pldb-live/25492 or

We’re celebrating Simchas June 26.

You can too.

Advertising deadline is June 18.

678-812-4002.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

Slaton honored. A historical marker honoring John Slaton, the Georgia governor who commuted Leo Frank’s death sentence in 1915, is unveiled at 11 a.m. at the Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road, Buckhead, with speakers including state Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias and Senior Assistant Attorney General Van Pearlberg. Free; georgiahistory.com.

MONDAY, JUNE 22

Alzheimer’s fundraiser. The Bridge Club of Atlanta holds bridge games all day, starting at 7 a.m., to raise money as part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Longest Day. Entry is $10 per game; www.bridgeclubatlanta.com.

TUESDAY, JULY 7

Class on faith and fame. Bob Bahr teaches a six-week class, “The American Idol — Faith and Fame in the Twentieth Century,” focusing on showbusiness icons Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey. Temple Sinai, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Emory University, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and Interfaith Community Initiatives/ World Pilgrims are sponsoring the class. Sessions July 7, 14 and 21 meet at Holy Innocents’, 805 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs; sessions July 28, Aug. 4 and Aug. 11 meet at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs. Registration is $49; www.olli. emory.edu.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8

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Spy games. Daniel Silva, author of the Gabriel Allon series of spy novels, speaks about the latest entry, “The English Spy,” at 7:30 p.m. at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $24 for center members and $29 for nonmembers, including a signed first edition of the book; www.atlantajcc. org or 678-812-3981.

adults only from noon to 4 p.m. at the home of Melanie and David Feingold.

The cost is $10 per person or $5 for prospective members; RSVP by June 24 to Ellen Frank at ebfrank619@gmail. com or 404-502-4997.

Holocaust film. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum brings “Projections of Life: Jewish Life Before World War II” to the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, 5920 Roswell Road, Suite A-209, Sandy Springs, at 1 p.m. 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.

SUNDAY, JULY 19

Civil rights visit. Greater Atlanta Hadassah is visiting the Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., downtown, at 1:30 p.m. You can park free at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center at 11 a.m. and take the free streetcar to Centennial Park to have a picnic lunch or eat at the food court at CNN Center or meet the group at the museum at 1:30. Admission is $10, payable by check to Hadassah and due July 3; Greater Atlanta Hadassah, 47 Perimeter Center East, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30346. RSVP to Edie Barr at gahprogramming@gmail.com or 404-325-0340.

FRIDAY, JULY 31

Reform community Shabbat. The Atlanta Reform congregations hold their annual joint Shabbat service at 6:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs.

Corrections & Clarifications Israeli Consul General Opher Aviran’s oldest daughter, a professional dancer in the Netherlands, is not married.

Her marital status was incorrect in the interview with Aviran in the June 5 issue.

SUNDAY, JULY 12

Summer splash. Greater Atlanta Hadassah’s Ketura Group holds a pool party and barbecue with veggie burgers, kosher burgers and hot dogs for

Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

LOCAL NEWS

ARZA Wins Election For Zionist Congress

A

t least four Atlantans won seats at the 37th World Zionist Congress in the elections for the 145seat American delegation, according to results the American Zionist Movement announced Thursday, June 4.

ARZA, the Zionist arm of the Reform movement, was the top votegetter among the 11 slates, receiving 21,766 of the 56,737 votes cast, just over 38 percent. That total earned ARZA 56 delegates, matching the number it won for the 35th World Zionist Congress in 2006, the last time elections were held for the American delegation.

Temple Kol Emeth member Blair Marks, the president of Women of Reform Judaism; The Temple Senior Rabbi Peter Berg; and Temple Sinai Rabbi Brad Levenberg have made the delegation, according to the ARZA slate.

Former Temple Emanu-El Rabbi Stanley Davids, who lives in California, also made it as No. 56 on the slate.

“This was a massive victory for liberal/progressive Judaism, especially at a time when the values and concerns of the center and left were set aside in the recent Israeli national elections,” Rabbi Davids said. “ARZA has earned the right to speak as the largest American delegation.”

He said he expects the World Zionist Congress, and thus the World Zionist Organization, “to embrace many if not most of our concerns.”

The congress establishes policies and leadership for the WZO, the Israeli government agency that, among other things, oversees the West Bank settlement program, the Jewish Agency for Israel and Jewish National Fund. Held every four or five years, the congress has 500 delegates: 190 from Israel, dis-

Declining Votes

tributed based on Knesset representation; 145 from the United States; and 165 from all other nations. Additional delegates come from such organizations as Hadassah and B’nai B’rith.

“The World Zionist Congress is the single best opportunity for American Jews to have [their] voice heard on critical issues facing Israel and the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Vernon Kurtz, the AZM president.

Finishing second and third were Mercaz with 9,890 votes, good for 25 delegates, and the Religious Zionists with 9,594, earning 24 delegates.

Mercaz, representing the Conservative movement, declined from 33 delegates in 2006. One delegate will be Ahavath Achim Synagogue member Margo Gold, the president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

The Religious Zionist slate — the Orthodox Union, the National Council of Young Israel, the Rabbinical Council of America, Yeshiva University and other Orthodox organizations — fell from 35 seats in 2006.

Combined, the three slates associated with religious denominations will hold 72 percent of the U.S. seats this year, compared with 85 percent in 2006. The represenation for the other slates at the congress Oct. 20 to 22 in Jerusalem: American Forum for Israel, representing Russian-American Jews, 10, up from two in 2006; Hatikvah, the Progressive Zionists, aligned with Israel’s Labor Party and Meretz, eight, a gain of one; Zionist Organization of America, seven, an increase of two; Zionist Spring, a new combination of old parties that combined for three seats in 2006, seven; the new World Sephardic Zionist Organization, four; Alliance for a New Zionist Vision, a new group of young Jews, two; Green Israel, one, off one; and Herut, one, down one. ■

The American Zionist Movement tried to make it easy to vote, giving people from mid-January to the end of April and offering the option to vote by mail or online. But the number of American Jews who cast ballots dropped from about 76,000 for the 35th World Zionist Congress to 56,737 this year for the 37th congress, a decline of about 25 percent. (AZM allocated the delegates for the 36th.)

Voters had to pay a $10 registration fee ($5 for those 30 and under) to cover expenses, but Jewish newspapers across the country, including the Atlanta Jewish Times, joined the 11 competing slates in spreading the word about the importance of the congress and trying to get out the vote.

“Those who cast their votes in this election became part of a great historical continuum and are now personally involved in crafting the future of the Jewish state,” said Judge Abraham Gafni, the chairman of the U.S. Area Election Committee, which oversaw the voting. ■

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By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

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LOCAL NEWS

Enochs Help Build Sinai’s Ties to Israel Bonds

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

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he woman who built Temple Sinai and the man who provided the financial means for her to devote herself to volunteer work were honored by the Reform congregation at an Israel Bonds dinner Wednesday, June 3.

Ina and Harold Enoch were celebrated and at times roasted while $1.62 million in bonds were sold at the Sandy Springs synagogue.

Rabbi Brad Levenberg noted that Ina Enoch still has her original hard hat and her copies of the blueprints from the renovation and expansion of Temple Sinai more than a decade ago.

As for her dentist husband, the rabbi said, “Well, he paid for it with his hard work with our endowment committee.”

In welcoming the crowd of a couple of hundred people to the synagogue, Steve Berman pulled out another Ina Enoch hard hat that he said he found in storage. “The Enochs are Temple Sinai,” he said, “and this is the house that Ina built.”

That house played host to what might be Ambassador Opher Aviran’s last official appearance as Israel’s consul general to the Southeast. Aviran said Israel Bonds play a crucial role in

one of the four legs of successful diplomacy for Israel, a strong economy, and he hopes that other states follow the example of Georgia, which bought $10 million in Israel Bonds last year.

He also praised the turnout at Temple Sinai for including so many young faces.

Chuck Berk, a Temple Sinai member and the general chairman of Israel Bonds in Atlanta, noted that about $1.2 billion in Israel Bonds were sold in the United States last year.

“Every Jew should be buying Israel Bonds,” he said, because they’re a safe investment with a good return, they’re easy to buy and to redeem, and they make great gifts in increments as small as double chai ($36).

While thanking the evening’s hosts, Lynn and Jan Saperstein and Cathy and Alan Gottlieb, as well as everyone who turned out to honor them and buy bonds, the Enochs focused their remarks on Israel.

Harold Enoch said guest speaker Lior Vaknin, a young entrepreneur who heads Israeli Startups NYC, represents the hope and future of Israel.

Ina Enoch said she fell in love with Israel on her first visit in 1983, renewed that love affair on Rabbi Ron Segal’s first Temple Sinai trip to Israel in 1999, went back in 2002, and now can’t wait to return again early next year. ■

Photos by Michael Jacobs

Top right: Ina Enoch declares to husband Harold that he is the wind beneath her wings.

Above: Ambassador Opher Aviran prepares to speak at one of his last official appearances before he leaves Atlanta in August.

Left top: Steve Berman sports an Ina Enoch hard hat from Temple Sinai’s renovations.

Left middle: Temple Sinai Rabbi Elana Perry delivers the d’var Torah at the Israel Bonds dinner.

Left bottom: Chuck Berk lays out the reasons Israel Bonds are a smart investment.

New Israel Fund Seeks Civil Peace in Israel

By Benjamin Kweskin

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JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

ew Israel Fund’s values and Israel’s values are the same, and “New Israel Fund does not support BDS,” the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement targeting Israel.

Those were among the messages from Libby Lenkinski, NIF’s vice president of strategy, as she attempted to dispel misconceptions about her nonpartisan organization in front of over 100 Israel supporters at Congregation Shearith Israel on Monday, June 8.

NIF says it is “the leading organization committed to equality and democracy for all Israelis,” and the focus of its Atlanta event was the March Israeli elections, seen as a blow to the liberal side within Israel. But the program also was a chance for NIF to show it is part of the pro-Israel mainstream.

“It is a false comparison to assume only the right focuses on security and 4 only the left is concerned with human

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founding liberal, democratrights,” Lenkinski said. ic values.”

She was asked pointed Not supporting BDS, questions by Steve Berman, she said, doesn’t mean co-founder of the Weber agreeing that BDS should be School, and by the audience. illegal in Israel.

Recognizing that the threats Lenkinski also adto Israel are real, NIF’s redressed religious freedom sponse is that building in Israel. She said the lack of metaphoric or literal walls civil marriage and thus civil undermines Israel’s democdivorce remains a problem racy and thus its security. that groups from the left, Lenkinski said certain Photo by Benjamin Kweskin right and middle want to adparties on the right have introduced anti-democratic Led by questioning by Steve Berman, New Israel Fund’s Libby Lenkinski dress. “It is time to mobilize speaks to more than 100 people at Congregation Shearith Israel. in opposition on this issue.” legislation — limiting voting Lenkinski said NIF is rights and organizational failure of the Oslo Accords, the secrights for the “Arab sector,” curtailing ond Palestinian intifada and increased reaching outside the “Ashkenazi Tel freedom of speech, and limiting access settlement activity, among other devel- Aviv bubble” to groups such as the Mizto funding for organizations promot- opments, the Israeli government has rahim (Middle Eastern Jews), Russians, ing liberal, democratic values — and grown suspicious of NIF and made life Ethiopians, Haredi and Arabs.

She said the major issues affecting NIF and its partners have fought those more difficult for the group. measures, with partial success.

NIF is seen as a threat from with- the Haredi, Arabs and Mizrahim also Israel was a more tolerant coun- in, but Lenkinski said NIF and its part- concern NIF: socioeconomic problems, try that welcomed or at least accepted ners and supporters should be seen as discrimination and a feeling of excluNIF’s work in the 1990s, but after the pro-Israel “based on supporting Israel’s sion from society. ■

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LOCAL NEWS Atlanta

emphasized Islamic fundamentalism, while Joyce Starr of the U.S. Global Strategy Council worried more about the lack of water.

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Contributors This Week DAVID BENKOF JORDAN GORFINKEL LEAH R. HARRISON ZACH ITZKOVITZ MARCIA CALLER JAFFE BENJAMIN KWESKIN RABBI HIRSHY MINKOWICZ RUSSELL MOSKOWITZ SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER EUGEN SCHOENFELD AL SHAMS

10 Years Ago June 10, 2005

■ Savannah, whose Jewish community dates to the first year of Georgia’s existence, is trying to add to its 1,700 Jewish families (3,800 people) by advertising in Atlanta, Chicago, Florida and the Northeast. The ads describe Savannah as “a great place to raise a family and a fun place to retire.”

■ The bat mitzvah of Suzanne Lynn Goldstein of Atlanta, daughter of Marcy and Dr. Robert Goldstein, will take place Saturday, June 16, at Shearith Israel Synagogue.

50 Years Ago June 11, 1965

25 Years Ago June 8, 1990

■ Augusta celebrated five years as the smallest city in the United States or Canada to support a Jewish day school with a banquet at Adas Yeshuron Synagogue on May 24.

The Augusta Hebrew Day School has captured the imaginations of educators nationally for its high standards in secular and Hebrew studies. Lt. Col. and Mrs. Irvin Kent received an award for their fundraising for the school.

■ The biggest threats to peace in the Middle East are the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the shortage of natural resources, two experts said at a seminar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Federation. Oded Eran from the Israeli Embassy

■ Dr. and Mrs. Paul Ambery of Atlanta announce the engagement of daughter Susan Betty Elaine Ambery to Dr. Morris Socoloff, son of Mrs. Philip Socoloff of Atlanta and the late Mr. Socoloff.

■ Danny and Florie Glusman of Atlanta announce the birth of their daughter, Eliana Luski, on March 5, 2005. She was 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 21 inches long.

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LOCAL NEWS

Kosher Klassics

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he results are in from Congregation Or Hadash’s second annual Kosher Kar Show, held at the Conservative synagogue in Sandy Springs on Sunday, May 31. The co-chairs for the event, Ted Marcus (1982 Chevrolet Corvette) and Paul Flexner (1959 MGM coupe), also had success, finishing as the first and second runners-up, respectively, to Best in Show winner Bill Gillson and his 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. The People’s Choice Award went to Ken Rosenberg and his 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback, while Karyn and Thom Bosco won the Rabbi’s Choice Award with their 1974 MGB. In the All Electric Car Rally, Scott and Adina Bradshaw finished first, and Alan Pilzer, supported by navigators Annsley and Ken Rosenberg, was second. ■ Top: Congregation Or Hadash Rabbis Analia Bortz (left) and Mario Karpuj (right) with show organizer Paul Flexner and Rabbi’s Choice winners Karyn and Thom Bosco, who showed a 1974 MGB. Bottom left: This 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback won the People’s Choice Award for Ken Rosenberg. Bottom middle: Ted Marcus finished second in the Best in Show competition with this 1982 Chevy Corvette. Bottom right: Paul Flexner (left) seems pleased to have finished as the second runner-up in the Best in Show competition.

Star of Pace’s Show

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JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

he 107 members of Pace Academy’s Class of 2015 had a surprise sendoff from actor Robert Downey Jr., in town to film the latest “Captain America” movie, at the graduation ceremony Saturday, May 16, at Peachtree Presbyterian Church.

In his speech, Downey, whose wife and second son are Jewish, shared observations from his experiences as a father, actor and businessman. “Life is doing something with us, something kind of beautifully messy and imperfect. But I like it,” he said.

He encouraged graduates to “stay out of life’s way,” “be rigorously honest,” “strive to be tolerant of yourself and others” and “make the right series of sacrifices.”

“I’m grateful that the future belongs to you,” Downey said.

Pace’s new graduates will attend 55 colleges and universities in 26 states and the District of Columbia, plus one in Scotland. Six graduates were named National Merit Finalists; two are National Achievement Scholars. ■

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Top right: Actor Robert Downey Jr. delivers Pace Academy’s 2015 commencement address.

Bottom right: After the presentation of diplomas, Robert Downey Jr. stands with the chairman of the Pace Academy board of trustees, Robert Sheft (left), and Head of School Fred Assaf.

Hadassah’s Heartbeat of Fashion

T

he Metulla Group of Great Atlanta Hadassah held its second annual Every Beat Counts fashion show, brunch and silent auction Sunday, May 3, at the Country Club of the South.

The proceeds went toward Hadassah’s Every Beat Counts initiative, which focuses on education about and research into women’s heart health. The program empowers women of all ages to make appropriate lifestyle choices for themselves and their families. Group President Michele Weiner-Merbaum introduced the guest speaker, Rene Serrate of U First Fitness. CJ’s Talk of the Town in Alpharetta provided the fashions. For more information on Hadassah, contact the Greater Atlanta Hadassah office at 678-443-2961. ■

Top: The marvelous models of Metulla Hadassah Middle left: Metulla Hadassah President Michele Weiner-Merbaum with CJ’s Talk of the Town owner C.J. Bognar Middle Right: Speaker Rene Serrate of U First Fitness and Metulla Hadassah President Michele WeinerMerbaum Bottom: Metulla Hadassah members Gail Golden (left) and Sydelle Silberman

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LOCAL NEWS

Local Briefs

Field Set in District 80 The Georgia House’s Jewish membership definitely will decrease by one.

Four non-Jewish candidates have qualified for the July 14 special election in District 80 to replace Mike Jacobs, a Jewish Republican who resigned to serve on the State Court of DeKalb County.

The district covers Brookhaven and parts of Sandy Springs and Chamblee.

The four contenders, all lawyers like Jacobs, are Democrat Taylor Bennett and Republicans Catherine Bernard, Loren Collins and J. Max Davis.

Bernard ran against Jacobs in the 2014 GOP primary. Davis resigned as Brookhaven’s first mayor to run.

Another special election will be held the same day to fill House District 48, left vacant by the death of Republican Harry Geisinger. The candidates in that Roswell-area district are Democrat James Johnson and Republicans Dave McCleary and Betty Price, the physician wife of Congressman Tom Price.

Michele Henson, a Stone Mountain Democrat, is believed to be the only Jewish member of the Georgia House.

UpStart to Boost Atlanta Innovators UpStart Bay Area has accepted four

innovative Jewish programs into its threeyear National Accelerator program, and two of them are from the Atlanta area.

Camp Living Wonders, the Jewish residential special-needs camp led by Noah Pawliger, and Jewish Kids Groups, the independent Hebrew school program run by Ana Robbins, will get help from UpStart to develop and implement their nonprofit vision, reach fiscal sustainability, and access networks and resources.

The other members of the new UpStart group are the Jewish Studio Project, a San Francisco Bay Area effort to combine a Jewish house of study with an art studio, and Fuente Latina, which is trying to improve coverage of Israel in Spanishlanguage and Latin American media.

Historical Society Elects Hertz Doug Hertz was one of six new members of the Board of Curators elected by the Georgia Historical Society in late May. Hertz, a member of The Temple, is the president and CEO of United Distributors and the chairman and founder of Camp Twin Lakes. He also chairs the board of the Georgia Research Alliance and Woodruff Arts Center.

“The six new curators are some of Georgia’s top business and philanthropic leaders,” said W. Todd Groce, the Historical Society’s president and CEO.

Kosher Caterer Seeks $100K Grant Chase Bank is taking votes until Friday, June 19, in its fourth-annual Mission Main Street Grants program, which will give 20 small businesses across the nation $100,000 each in September.

The social-media-driven contest requires businesses, which had to apply

by June 5, to get at least 250 votes from Facebook members to advance to the panel review stage of the competition.

The local entrants include For All Occasions and More, which was more than 40 percent of the way to the goal June 9. Vote for the kosher caterer at www. missionmainstreetgrants.com/b/40361

or search for other businesses at www. missionmainstreetgrants.com.

Youth Exchange Invites Schoenfeld The international youth exchange program IFYE Association has invited Holocaust survivor and Atlanta Jewish Times columnist Eugen Schoenfeld to speak at its national conference at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel.

The conference runs June 17 to 21; Schoenfeld is scheduled to speak Thursday, June 18, about the Holocaust and the principles of justice.

IFYE was formerly the International Four-H Youth Exchange.

Lifesaving Appreciation

B

uckhead Coalition President Sam Massell accepts a certificate June 1 from Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell commending the coalition for civic services, particularly its trauma kit program for the Atlanta Police Department. The $50 kits, for officers on the streets, are meant to save lives from blood loss. The coalition donated the initial 30 kits, and the Midtown Alliance and Central Atlanta Progress each donated 30. The number of kits has grown to 645. Call Garth Peters at 404-233-2228 to donate one or more kits.

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Come see our progress and meet our Director

Visit our website at www.ahavalearning.org or call 404-603-5759.

Ahavath Achim Synagogue | 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue NW | Atlanta, Georgia 30327 Ahava Early Learning Center welcomes all children regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

Sunday, July 12 2:00 p.m.— 4:00 p.m.

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LOCAL NEWS

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Bringing It All Back Home

Bayit@OVS aims to re-engage young adults

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

E

ngaging young adults has long been a top priority for Jewish organizations, and now one of Atlanta’s oldest congregations is taking steps to bring its youth back home.

On July 1, Congregation Or VeShalom is launching Brookhaven Bayit@ OVS, a center for Jewish young-adult engagement in Atlanta. The institution aims to connect 20- to 40-year-olds to Judaism in new ways.

Chosen to lead this new venture is the founding principal of the Weber School, Sim Pearl, who retired from Weber after 18 years in June 2014.

B@OVS will be closely affiliated with OVS. “Dr. Pearl is an incredible individual,” Or VeShalom Executive Director Lynne Balaban said. “He’s warm. He’s enthusiastic. He bubbles over with spirit, and he has a great connection with these young adults, so we really think he has what it takes to bring these kids

Pearl said he was back home.” sharing his thoughts Bayit, the Hebrew with some former word for home, was Weber parents when chosen as the name he learned that Or Veof the new entity to Shalom was looking to symbolize a feeling of launch a program for belonging and togethyoung adults. He sugerness. Pearl envisions gested that the congreB@OVS as a family gation create a center that will gather to celthat would be a hub for ebrate “the rhythms of Jewish engagement in being Jewish” and learn the surrounding comtogether in new ways. munity, and they beThe center will gan working together. be open to all Jewish “It was serendipyoung adults in AtSim Pearl ity,” he said. lanta.

Or VeShalom is in “At Weber I was able to be involved with some wonder- Brookhaven, which is a hot spot for Atful kids and watch them grow through lanta’s young professionals. The team high school,” Pearl said. “Then they behind B@OVS, which includes Pearl, went off to college, and I was always OVS President Scott Galanti and Lisa curious as to what would happen when Galanti Rabinowitz, hopes that the lothey graduated and got into their 20s cation of the congregation will help to and 30s. I wanted to find what millen- bring in young Jewish adults in Bucknials seek in Judaism and how to en- head, Midtown and Brookhaven.

The synagogue will be the home gage them.”

base, but events will move around.

“The goal of this center is to create a community that will engage young adults in very meaningful and compelling ways to their Jewish lives but not in cookie-cutter ways,” Pearl said. “At the end of the day, it’s about relationships and being part of community while still feeling that you belong to a much broader global community.”

Jewish disengagement in young adults has been a much-discussed issue the past few years. In the Pew Research Center’s 2013 Religion & Public Life Survey, only 68 percent of Jewish millennials said they identified as Jewish.

Still, Pearl sees an opportunity to create a movement in Atlanta and beyond.

“If we can figure this out in Atlanta and create our own little paradigm,” he said, “we could be the harbinger of great things for Jewish people across the world. The potential is tremendous, but the success depends on what the people involved make of it. It won’t happen overnight.” ■

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ISRAEL

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home

A cure for addiction. In clinical tests, scientists at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University working with Canada’s McGill University discovered DNA methylation changes occur during an addict’s withdrawal process. These changes increased cravings, but administering a DNA methylation inhibitor ended the cravings. $10 million to research genetic diseases. Canada’s Azrieli Foundation has donated $10 million to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for researching genetic disorders. The new Azrieli Center for Stem Cells and Genetic Research will focus on Down syndrome, PraderWilli syndrome, diabetes and Fragile X syndrome.

Triple treatment stops lung cancer returning. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot discovered how lung cancer cells adapt to stop the effectiveness of treatments that block tumor growth. So they have found a solution that targets the adaptations. Applying three treatments together stops tumor growth permanently.

The first Arab to head a Knesset committee. Knesset member Aida ToumaSliman of the Arab Joint List party became the first Arab party lawmaker to head a permanent committee of the Israeli parliament. She is now chairwoman of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women after being elected unanimously.

Inclusive magic lesson breaks world record. Israeli magician Israel Cagliostro set a Guinness World Record for the largest magic lesson. He taught a card trick emphasizing peace to 1,576 Jewish, Christian and Muslim fifth- and

Flood relief for Texas. IsraAID has sent a team to help relief efforts in Texas, where massive flooding has killed at least 21 people and affected thousands.

IsraAID’s executive director, Shachar Zahavi, said a team of 10 IsraAID volunteers would help with removing debris from damaged houses.

The fifth generation of drip irrigation.

Tel Aviv-based Netafim, the originator of drip irrigation, has in its 50th year launched its next generation of lowflow drippers. The new design boosts yields under harsh water conditions by combining low flow rates with excellent resistance against clogging.

Train spotting. Israel and China are exchanging train technology. Tel Avivbased Radware is developing a ticketing system for China Railways. Meanwhile, China Railway’s Tunnel Group will work on building the Red Line, the first of Tel Aviv’s new subway lines that will eventually crisscross the city.

40,000 in Israel Day Parade. At least 100,000 people lined Fifth Avenue on May 31 to watch 40,000 Israel Day Parade marchers make their way up the famous avenue from 57th Street to

74th Street during the parade in New York.

Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com, israel21c.org and other news sources.

Israel Photo of the Week

Seeding Ocean Growth

J

ewish National Fund (www.jnf. org) is helping “reforest” the world’s oceans. JNF partner Israel Oceanographic Research restores coral reefs by growing healthy young coral in underwater floating nurseries like this one in the Gulf of Eilat. The corals is transplanted onto barren reefs, restoring the underwater ecosystem. This leadingedge technique is being tested on coral reefs around the world.

Atlanta History Center

filming

John Ford Samuel Fuller George Stevens

from Hollywood to Nuremberg

May 6 - November 20, 2015 Hollywood directors John Ford, George Stevens, and Samuel Fuller created American cinema classics, but their most important contribution to history was their work in the U.S. Armed Forces and Secret Services.

An exhibition by the Mémorial de la Shoah, Paris, France.

AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Filming

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

Bacteria test in minutes. Rehovotbased Pocared Diagnostics has developed a device that can identify the bacteria in a sample within minutes, whereas current tests take several days.

The P-1000 employs fluorescence, optical analysis and artificial intelligence.

It can also test bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics.

sixth-graders brought together from across Haifa for a day of fun and crosscultural interaction.

Samuel Fuller’s Bell & Howell Camera © Courtesy of the, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, California, Coll. Christa Fuller

Breaking the rules. During a visit to the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said Israel thrives as a high-tech innovator because the culture encourages questioning authority and breaking the rules.

Schmidt said he was visiting Israel because of the tremendous influence Israel has on science and technology.

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Our View

College Giving

W

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

e’ve seen the good and bad of donations to higher education in recent weeks in Jewish community member Mike Leven’s $5 million gift to Kennesaw State University’s School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality and John Paulson’s $400 million donation to Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Each donation was the largest single gift the receiving university has gotten from an individual, but the smaller of the two is the one Jewish donors should emulate.

Harvard, as of last June, had an endowment of more than $36 billion. That’s larger than the gross domestic product of Jordan. A 3 percent annual return on that endowment would give Harvard nearly $1.1 billion a year — more than $161,000 for every undergraduate the university enrolls.

Paulson’s donation represents just over 1 percent of that endowment.

Kennesaw State’s endowment last June totaled just over $36 million, 0.1 percent of Harvard’s, so Leven’s gift represents nearly a 14 percent boost. On numbers alone, the Leven gift has a bigger impact.

But the difference goes deeper than numbers.

Kennesaw State will put Leven’s gift to immediate use to build and grow an academic program that is innovative and has an immediate impact on the economy by providing trained, creative employees and by developing new ideas for the vital hospitality industry. A large percentage of the students will be lifting themselves from low- and middle-income families, and they’ll have the advantage of the Leven name, well-known and respected in the hospitality industry.

Harvard’s SEAS offers the potential to benefit society, someday, somehow, through innovations and engineering marvels. And maybe some of those developments wouldn’t have occurred anyway at nearby MIT or Georgia Tech or Caltech or any of the other universities already doing great work in engineering and applied sciences. Certainly some of the students coming through SEAS will be from middle- and low-income families, and they’ll benefit from being Harvard grads, although the Paulson name won’t do them any good (he’s a financier, not an engineer).

But when it comes to societal benefits, Leven’s gift is a sure thing, and Paulson’s is a long shot.

Anyone who has money is free to do what he wants with it. If Paulson wanted to set fire to $400 million, that would be his business.

But no one gets a tax deduction for a $400 million bonfire.

Tax deductions are worthwhile for donations like Leven’s to innovative programs at underfunded public universities that are affordable for most if not all qualified students, but we’re not sure we as a society are getting our money’s worth with donations to private universities sitting on massive endowments.

We wish Harvard would take seriously its public service mission and stop asking for massive donations it doesn’t need.

Meanwhile, we urge Jewish donors, who give to higher education at six or seven times our proportion of the U.S. population, to think hard about where 10 their gifts can do the most tikkun olam. ■

AJT

Follow the Crowd to Innovation

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goals in the final hour. In the end, $1.36 million went rom a playground in Toco Hills to young-adult to Jewish outreach organizations in mid-February.

Shabbat celebrations in Midtown to soap for That success sparked #MillionsForChesed at the Israeli troops on the front line, Jewish fundraisstart of June. No Atlanta-area organizations were ing and innovation are charging together into the involved, but the campaign raised more than $3.44 21st century with the spread of crowdfunding. million for 16 organizations, crushing the goal of Crowdfunding through Jewish platforms $2.85 million. provides donors small and large the opportunity to The extra twist in the Charidy campaigns was give quickly, easily and immediately to innovative the mandatory role of programs that might be matching donors. Each overlooked or caught in buorganization had to reaucratic red tape through line up three matching traditional funding proceEditor’s Notebook donors so that every doldures, such as Federation’s

By Michael Jacobs lar pledged would turn allocations process or grant mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com into $4. applications to foundations.

Crowdfunding also A Jewish-led campaign provides a rising-tide at GoFundMe this spring effect. raised $8,750 from 133 contributors to help build a In the Charidy campaigns, funders who suppublic playground at Kittredge Park in Toco Hills. ported one group were motivated to investigate and The Temple and the Atlanta Jewish Music contribute to other organizations and had an option Festival are raising money to support their First to contribute to all the groups with one click.

Fridays program through Jewcer (jewcer.com/projJewcer, where campaigns are more than twice ect/strengthening-first-fridays-and-sacred-jewishatlanta). Eleven donors pledged $576 toward a goal of as likely to hit their goals as at Kickstarter, runs contests among campaigns in which it provides grants $1,800 in the first five days of the monthlong drive. to those that raise the most money in a certain peUnlike Kickstarter and some other sites, Jewcer riod. First Fridays is one of 54 campaigns competing isn’t an all-or-nothing platform, so the money will for three $1,800 grants. flow to First Fridays as donations are made.

A former co-worker of mine who made aliyah That takes away some of the excitement of the participated in such a Jewcer contest with a soaptwo million-dollar-plus national campaigns that making business, Happy+Ness, last year. She and Jewish organizations have run this year on Charidy. her daughter raised nearly $2,200 to help launch Each of those 24-hour fundraisers required not only the business, which aims to give single Israeli moms that the campaign total topped the goal, but that a safe place on a kibbutz to live and work for two each participating organization met its goal; otheryears to get their lives on track. wise, no organization would have received a penny.

Sure, I’m still waiting for the T-shirt and soap In the first of those campaigns, #MillionForOutbars promised for my donation, but I’ll settle for reach, the youth program at Congregation Ariel was knowing that my contribution helped Happy+Ness one of the 19 beneficiary groups. It quickly exceeded supply free soap to Israel Defense Forces soldiers its goal of $25,000, raising more than $33,000, but had to sweat as the last three organizations met their fighting in Operation Protective Edge last summer. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Option C

Dear Sheryl, Your tragedy is personal yet has touched us all. The untimely and sudden loss of your husband at age 47, leaving yourself and the two children behind, is pain that no one should ever have to endure.

Yet some of us have, and that is why I write.

As one of the most famous Jewish women in America, serving as the COO of Facebook, your personal life is somewhat public. Thousands of people are mourning along with you as you go through these very difficult times.

The essay you published in commemoration of Dave’s shloshim (30day mourning period) was extremely moving, emotional and inspiring. I encourage everyone I know to read it.

You educated the world about the Jewish term shloshim while exposing us to the rawness of your grief and some important life lessons you have already

Letters To The Editor Israel Is Democracy In Action

Regarding the New Israel Fund article “NIF Seeks Liberal Path for Israel, Supporters” (June 5), I am more concerned with the criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s gaffes than with the gaffes themselves. His admittedly inelegant remark about the Arab turnout may have simply been an attempt to rally his supporters. In a similar vein, my rabbi urged his congregants to vote Mercaz (Conservative slate) in the World Zionist Congress elections because the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties were going to be back in the Israeli coalition.

It is also important to note that many Arabs citizens of Israel, including some members of the Knesset, oppose the Jewish character of the state and that there were groups, with foreign funding, that were actively involved in increasing the participation of anti-

learned in just the first 30 days.

Toward the end of the essay you describe an upcoming father-child activity that your children now have

Guest Column

By Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz rabbi@chabadnf.org

to attend without their dad. You discussed it with a friend and came up with a plan to fill in for dad. With tears in your eyes, you cried to your friend, “But I want Dave; I want Option A,” to which your friend responded that Option A is not available, so you will just have to make the best out of Option B. You beautifully end the essay with a commitment to Dave that in his absence you will make sure to give your children the best possible Option B. Having myself gone through a similar tragedy a little over a year ago, with the sudden loss of my wife at the age of 37, the essay brought back so much of what I had gone through last year. She died suddenly from a brain aneurism, leaving me to raise eight Likud voters. The bottom line is that there was no attempt to prevent Arabs from voting, and the United Arab List ended up being the third-largest party elected.

Many people are acting as if Netanyahu’s “no Palestinian state on my watch” was the death knell of the “peace process.” Frankly, the peace process has been dead for some time, and it isn’t the Israelis who killed it. Leftist Ehud Barak and centrist Ehud Olmert both proposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in all of Gaza and 97 percent of the West Bank, with the possibility of shared governance in Jerusalem. Yasser Arafat (2001) and Mahmoud Abbas (2008) rejected these proposals, neither making any attempt to enter into negotiations.

Likewise, Netanyahu’s outline (2009) of a demilitarized Palestine abiding peaceably beside the nation-state of the Jews was met by Abbas’ bragging that he had not made any compromises and never would. With missiles being fired from Gaza, anti-Jewish incitement spewing from mosques, schoolrooms and media outlets, and the high praise being given to Palestinians who have killed Jews, no Israeli prime minister

children alone while trying to continue leading our growing community in suburban Atlanta.

So much of what you wrote resonated with me. The emotions, sadness, struggle, gratitude, lessons and resilience — it all felt so familiar.

There is much I would like to share with you, but please allow me to offer just one for now: Option C. Option A is what we want and deserve: our loved ones at our side experiencing life the way it was meant to be. Sometimes, sadly, that is not the case. Whether we understand who gets selected or why, some of us go through the tragedy and pain that you unfortunately experienced.

Yet there is another option besides B. Judaism believes in the eternality of the soul. The body is a mere casing that houses the spirit of life that G-d grants us. When a person passes away, it is only the body that dies. The soul lives on forever.

In a certain sense the soul is even more powerful after death when it is not limited to the confines of the body.

I had heard this, read it, even taught it for so many years. But it only became real for me last year when Rashi passed away. Option A was no

longer available, but in a strange way I felt like it still continued to be.

Winks, pokes, likes and so many other signs of the ongoing existence of our loved ones and their connections to us became the emotional lifeline for me in my new life.

Kind Bars, Sloppy Joes, delayed emails, Costco wagons, buttons — these were some of the odd places and ways that I felt the connection.

We all have our individual stories, but the theme is the same. The soul is still there and continues to be a force in our life in a very real way.

We cherish Option A, and that’s the way it should be. We live in a physical world, and that is where our relationships should be experienced.

We all want our own Dave. When a loved one is gone, there is pain, sadness and grief. We are material people and need tangible connections. We long for Option A. Yet even after they are gone, we still have them at our side, for it is the soul to which we connect. Let’s call it Option C. ■

should be willing to accept Palestinian statehood in the immediate future.

The parliamentary system of government allows small parties to wield a good deal of power, and in Israel this has allowed the Haredim to dominate religious affairs. It is not a situation that is going to change overnight. Yet a growing number of Haredi youths are serving in the Israel Defense Forces (or doing national service) and entering the workforce. There are now 70 Masorti (Conservative) congregations in Israel, and even Dati Le’umi (National Religious) communities are pushing back against Haredi excesses.

With good will on all sides, Israel will remain a Jewish and democratic state.

— Toby F. Block, Atlanta

ing for potential disrupters was apparently limited to denying entry to Arab-looking people at the door; otherwise, denial of entry of Hasan Jubran would’ve also led to the denial of entry to the other three activists because the four tickets were all bought

by Jim Chambers. Certainly, when we know anti-Israel activists do this sort of thing, it shouldn’t be too much to ask of the staff that a simple Google search is also done for attendees of an event.

The first result for Mr. Chambers is his Twitter account, which makes it clear he’s not interested in supporting Israel and would only attend such an event to disrupt.

More important, the title of the editorial is extremely problematic. Calling a nonviolent act a “terror attempt” cheapens actual terrorism. Not only is it offensive to the memories of Gilad, Eyal and Naftali (z’’l), whose brutal kidnapping and murder sparked last year’s operation, but cheapening terms in this manner causes people to ignore real terrorism. Although I’m not one who thinks Israel can solve its image problems solely with better hasbara, it is certainly a necessary component.

— Jacob Alperin-Sheriff, Atlanta

FIDF Editorial Off-Target

I found the editorial “Terror Attempt” (May 29, 2015) on the Friends of Israel Defense Forces gala disruption to be way off the mark.

First of all, it completely let the staff of the FIDF off the hook. As your reporting makes clear, their screen-

Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz is the spiritual leader of Chabad of North Fulton.

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

T

he following column is a response to Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg’s muchshared post about the end of her 30-day mourning period for her husband, Dave Goldberg.

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OPINION

G-d’s Moral Principles

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e just celebrated Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the day G-d gave humanity His greatest treasure, the Torah, which contains the moral teachings that should serve as universal guidelines.

In the Jewish view, the moral principles in the Torah are so powerful that Jews and G-d are equally bound to obey. The Jewish view holds that G-d and the people of Israel are bound by a covenant in which both are subject to the laws of the Torah.

This covenant consists of a declaration by G-d of a reciprocal relationship between Himself and the people of Israel. He shall be our G-d so long as we obey His commandments. To me, the commandments to which we have committed ourselves are the moral commandments, the most important of which, as our prophets have reiterated, is the moral principle of justice.

It is important for us to understand that a covenant is a contract between two parties. In this sense, G-d and the people of Israel have stipulated we and He will be guided by the Torah principles, and thus the world will enjoy a collective well-being.

This idea is beautifully stated in an ancient tale in which G-d was held accountable for seemingly having violated the reciprocal expectations.

Let me briefly relate this tale.

An old widow came out from her hut carrying a freshly baked small loaf of bread and a smidgen of olive oil. She baked the bread with the last bit of her flour, and the jar contained her last few drops of olive oil. This was going to be her supper. She wasn’t concerned about her future because she knew G-d would provide for her.

Content with her life, she sat on a bench in front of her hut, faced the Mediterranean Sea, and anticipated a joyful albeit meager meal with the setting sun and the balmy breezes.

Suddenly everything changed. A sudden wind tore the bread out of the widow’s hand and carried it out to sea.

The widow became indignant and angry. “What have I done that G-d should unjustly punish me,” she thought. “Is it not enough that I have lost my husband and been left alone without any income?”

She felt that what happened to her was an unjust act by G-d and that she did not deserve such a cruel fate.

Hadn’t she been assured by the teachings in the Torah that G-d protects widows and orphans? Wasn’t the Torah a binding covenant between her and G-d? Had not the sages also assured her that G-d, like all Jews, must adhere to the stipulations set forth in the Torah? And had not G-d stipulated to uphold the cause of the fatherless and

One Man’s Opinion

By Eugen Schoenfeld

the widow, to provide them with food and clothing? Hadn’t He also declared a curse on anyone who subverted the rights of the stranger, the fatherless or the widow?

But G-d had treated her unjustly by taking the last morsel of bread from her, a widow. She decided she had a case against G-d. Let G-d defend Himself in a court of law in front of the wise judge King Solomon.

Solomon agreed to hear the case.

The widow walked all the way to Jerusalem and appeared in his court, accusing G-d of violating His own laws.

She wished nothing more than what was due to her — she wished justice.

Just before Solomon pronounced judgment, the door to the courtroom burst open, and a band of sailors appeared. One of the sailors identified himself as the captain of the boat and wished to relate a tale that he assured the king was pertinent to the case being tried.

The captain began his tale. He and his comrades were sailing in relatively calm seas; however, as sometimes happens, a storm suddenly brewed up.

In spite of their great efforts to row ashore, the ship did not respond to the rudder. In the midst of a gigantic wave, the boat hit an object, and its keel sprung a leak. The men stopped rowing and devoted their efforts to bailing, but no matter how hard they bailed, they could not stop the water from flooding the vessel.

When all human efforts were exhausted, they turned to their last resort: prayer. They prayed to G-d for a miracle because their own efforts were no longer adequate to save their lives. Suddenly there was a thump. A strong gust of wind, it seemed, carried an object that slammed into the keel and became firmly wedged in the hole,

OPINION plans to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham challenged G-d: “Will you destroy the righteous together with the evil ones?” Would that be just?

Abraham challenged G-d’s intent because He cannot disregard justice.

G-d can be held accountable for His actions.

In the story, the widow asks whether G-d can disregard the moral laws that He has given to us. He must be held accountable, just as He holds us accountable. In the Hasidic tales, we encounter a similar point of view.

Now and then I found the Berdichever Rebbe asking G-d to justify His actions in the same way that Abraham and the widow did. G-d must be our exemplar. This tale also implies that G-d, just like human beings, is subject to an even higher power. Only a tyrant holds himself free from any accountability.

G-d, just like human beings, is accountable for His deeds. G-d can be questioned, as the widow did, whether He abides by the principles He set forth in the Torah.

Our sages tell us that when we accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai, G-d also accepted His obligation to abide by the moral principles in the Torah.

In a sense, G-d is subject to the laws under which this universe exists.

Our sages tell us in many of the agadot (legends) in the Talmudic tales that G-d is obligated to abide by all the moral principles that He expects us to obey. Even more important from our perspective is that G-d also can be held accountable for His deeds. In this sense, G-d is bound to the higher principles in the Torah, which is the repository of the essential moral ideals that govern not only man-man relationships, but also G-d-man relationships.

First and foremost, He must adhere to the two most important ideals: the principle of justice and the moral law of reciprocity. ■

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JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

thus stopping the ship from being flooded.

Now with renewed might, the men rowed ashore, where they examined the object that stopped the leak and saved their lives. As you might have guessed, it was a loaf of bread.

The captain continued with his tale. The men walked to a nearby village, where the population was abuzz with news about the audacity of a widow bringing G-d to a din Torah. Perhaps even more important was the news that King Solomon, the one who had just completed building the Temple to G-d, decided to sit in judgment on whether G-d had violated the laws that he established to protect widows and orphans.

The captain was sure the bread that wedged into his boat was the same loaf that the wind snatched from the widow. In the end, G-d was acquitted, and the widow received gifts from the captain and the crew.

When I was young, I considered it an interesting tale. It was one of the many tales about the wise King Solomon. It must have made a great impression on me because I still remember it. But as an adult, I get great insight into the Jewish view of G-d from this tale.

It tells me that we Jews have a unique perception of G-d, a view far different from either Christianity’s or the Islam’s. In those two religions, G-d rules supreme, and His actions cannot be questioned — one must merely accept. While many Jews concur with this view and never dare to challenge G-d’s actions, others believe that G-d himself is subject to laws, even when the laws are of His own making.

G-d is supreme and often sits as a king in judgment, but even a king must abide by the laws of justice.

Whatever G-d does, He cannot exclude himself from the principles of justice.

Abraham did not accept G-d’s

AJT 13

EDUCATION

Flax Aids Dental Education

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

F

AJT 14

lax Dental in Sandy Springs is awarding scholarships this year to give the next generation of dental professionals a boost.

Through the practice’s Knowledge Matters Flax Dental Scholarship Program, Flax Dental is awarding one $500 scholarship to a student in a dental assistant program and another $500 scholarship to someone in a dental hygienist program.

The program must be at a Georgia college or university.

“At Flax Dental, we believe that knowledge matters when it comes to dentistry. It takes extensive knowledge and skill to provide patients with the highest standard of dental care,” said Dr. Hugh Flax, the Jewish community member who heads the cosmetic and restorative dental practice. “That’s why we like to say, ‘At Flax Dental, what we know will make you smile.’ We want the next generation of dental professionals to be able to not only share in that knowledge, but also build upon it to take the dental profession even further.”

Flax is a past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the founder of the Georgia Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He lectures internationally to teach other dentists advanced techniques in cosmetic and restorative dentistry.

Scholarship applicants must be college students, prospective college students or graduating high school seniors with a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The application must include a 400-to-600word essay, which will be judged on the effectiveness of presenting a personal point of view, clear communication and originality.

The deadline to apply for the dental assistant scholarship is July 25. The deadline for the dental hygienist scholarship is Nov. 15.

Flax Dental also is offering a $1,700 scholarship through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Apex scholarship program, which sends select students to AACD’s Annual Scientific Session to learn from the finest educators in cosmetic dentistry.

For more information, visit the Flax Dental scholarship page at www. flaxdental.com/flax-dental-scholarship. ■

EDUCATION

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Torah Day Unleashes ‘51 Universes’

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

R

Top left: Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta CEO Michael Horowitz reminds the graduates that they are part of a “we-centric community, not a me-centric community.”

Top middle: Congregation Beth Jacob Rabbi Ilan Feldman explains that the Torah is the key to maintaining individuality in a homogenizing world.

Top right: The eighth-grade graduation brings out the same smile from Orli Einzig (right) and her father, Head of School Rabbi Joshua Einzig (at the lectern).

Above: Each of the 32 young women graduating from Torah Day holds a yellow rose throughout the ceremony.

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JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

abbi Ilan Feldman never took his prepared remarks out of his pocket during the graduation ceremony for Torah Day School of Atlanta on Monday night, June 8.

Instead, the leader of Congregation Beth Shalom and rabbinic adviser to TDSA said he found all the inspiration he needed to address the packed Heritage Hall in the 51 graduating eighth-graders themselves — both the way they carried themselves during the processional into the room and the way they managed to avoid teetering over the edge of the stages on which their chairs were perched.

“When I saw them enter the room, it wasn’t a class. It was 51 individuals. And each one was distinct, and each one was beautiful,” Rabbi Feldman said, adding that he was moved to realize that an entire world entered the room each time another student walked in.

“Fifty-one universes entered this room, and 51 universes will leave this room,” he said, because of the students’ devotion to the Torah.

Without the Torah, Rabbi Feldman said, the world would determine what the students believe, think, wear and want. “The world is being swept by forces of conformity. … In the process, the individual neshama of each and every human being is being obliterated. The Torah is the only defense against losing the individuality of the human being. These students are being given the opportunity to retain and develop and sparkle as individual reflections of the Almighty above.”

He told the students that they think they are leaving something in graduating from Torah Day, but they are simply setting out on a path of devotion to G-d, the Torah and themselves.

Rabbi Feldman added that like the stages on which the students sat, where sliding a chair an inch could have sent a graduate tumbling over the edge, “in life itself slight moves can actually make a major difference.”

The Orthodox community behind Torah Day School has proved that effect by sacrificing for the good of the school and its students, the rabbi said. “This community has banded together to make it possible for each of these individuals to shine and sparkle. … Mazel tov to a community that stands for all the values manifest in this school.”

Federation CEO Michael Horowitz’s advice to the graduates also focused on the Jewish community of which they will play a growing role over the years. That community, he said, is we-centric, not me-centric.

The head of school, Rabbi Joshua Einzig, whose daughter Orli was among the graduates, used the Torah’s repeated countings of the Hebrews to remind the soon-to-be-high-schoolers that the Jews are a people who are finite but have the opportunity to become infinite, as long as we remember our place in the world. ■

AJT 15

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JUNE 12 â–Ş 2015

YOUTH

AJT 16

Check your answers to the Super Shabbat Sheet for Shelach at atlantajewishtimes.com/2015/06/super-shabbat-sheet-solutions-shelach.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

Temima Changes World, 1 Girl at a Time

W

hen Rabbi Menachem Deutsch is honored at the graduation for Temima High School, he won’t have to think too far back to remember when the future of the school for girls wasn’t secure.

“About 15 years in. I’m telling the truth,” Rabbi Deutsch said. “We were living on fumes for 12 or 15 years.”

But when the 10 members of the Class of 2015 receive their diplomas from the 19-year-old Richard & Jean Katz High School for Girls at 7:30 Thursday night, June 11, at Congregation Beth Jacob, they’ll be leaving a school that sits on a solid foundation.

The 10 spent their senior year in Temima’s first permanent home, a twostory structure on Beth Jacob’s property in Toco Hills.

“It was miserable, and they loved it,” Head of School Miriam Feldman said about Temima’s previous home in trailers behind Torah Day School.

Learning in the trailers was fun, senior Adina Horvath said, but “it’s much more official in the building.”

Rabbi Deutsch said the building makes educating the girls easier and is an important symbol of how far the school has come, but “what goes on inside the building is more important.”

“It’s in a different league from what I envisioned,” Rabbi Deutsch said.

“That’s a tribute to Mrs. Feldman.”

The building has administration and a women’s center on the first floor and the standard mix of labs and other 21st-century classrooms upstairs, including docking carts for the girls’ tablet computers. But the hallways offer clues to what makes Temima different.

On a recent tour of the school, a board covered in black paper contained a hidden inspirational message being revealed with the addition of colored push pins. Bordering the big message were examples of the positive thoughts Feldman tries to teach the girls: • “Happiness is dependent on your thoughts.”

• “Secure or insecure … it’s your choice.”

• “Sweep away your old maps.”

• “Be tolerant of others. You don’t know what’s going on in their lives because you can’t see the whole picture.”

Those are signs of the emotional tools Feldman provides the girls.

“Mrs. Feldman makes us think differently,” said Adina, who plans to study psychology at Touro College after

It will be an opportunity to reflect Temima’s community feel helps a gap year in Israel. “She makes us love make the graduation one of the annual on how far the school has come. each other.”

The sense that Jewish Atlanta had “The goal was to create a place highlights for Rabbi Deutsch, who is grown big enough for where a Jewish girl could its own girls school led be immersed in her herito Temima’s founding, tage and where she could Rabbi Deutsch said. “We have an entire inner didn’t have money. We life she would take with didn’t have students.” her when she left high The school needed at school, an inner life that least four students for its would keep her centered first class, but only three and focused and G-dof the five new graduates oriented and from that from Torah Day were inwould spring her ability terested, Rabbi Deutsch to manage in the broader said. But a Greenfield Heworld and be successful brew Academy grad and in the broader world and a public school girl who be a leader in the world found inspiration over and be of service to huthe summer joined. mankind,” Feldman said.

Photo by Fred S. Gerlich Studio “It started on mira“And I see it happening. …

Temima: The Richard & Jean Katz High School faces LaVista Road. cles,” he said.

These are powerful, powStill, Feldman said erful women.”

Single-sex education helps the being honored for helping found the the financial side has been grunt work.

“This is where everybody in my girls thrive academically, but the school school. “To be recognized at that event is probably the nicest place and nicest opinion should be putting their dolalso wants to get them ready for life.

“They’re deeply committed ser- time of the year to get that recogni- lars,” she said. “What else are you going vants of G-d and humanity” who un- tion,” he said. “I couldn’t think of a bet- to put dollars into? Who else is going to guarantee the Jewish future?” ■ derstand that they can’t live just for ter forum than this.” themselves, Feldman said.

The Torah-focused education at Temima includes teaching about fearthink and love-think. Each girl gets a blue book Feldman created with guidance on how to resist the negativDEBBIE SONENSHINE ity and bad influences they find everySTAR NEWMAN where. The lessons, she said, help them KATIE GALLOW Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Internationally become strong women who can raise Certified Negotiator, Luxury, New Homes families and run businesses and otherand Corporate Relocation Specialist wise contribute to making the Jewish #1 Sales Associate in Sandy Springs Office Voted Favorite Jewish Realtor in AJT, community and the world better.

Best of Jewish Atlanta “If all Jewish girls were trained this way, the entire world would change,” Feldman said.

“In my opinion and a lot of people’s opinions, it’s the best Jewish girls school in the country,” Rabbi Deutsch said. “I believe it to be true.”

He said he has heard principals elsewhere advise people who want to East Cobb see how to run a Jewish girls school to Prestigious Gated Home in Stonewalk $1,200,000 travel to Atlanta to visit Temima.

The school draws interest from • Detailed Real Wood Molding, Antique • To Die For Outdoor Living Space- Covered out-of-town parents. Seven students Nailhead Floors, Beamed Ceilings- No Detail Porch, Grotto Pool, Level Private Fenced this year were boarding with local famOverlooked & Impressive Craftsmanship Backyard, Stone Patio & Built-in Grilling Area • True Chef’s Kitchen w/ Top-of-the-Line • Carriage House Suite Above 3-Car Garage ilies so they could attend Temima, and Appliances Overlooks Great Room Makes a Perfect Office,Yoga Studio or Au Feldman said that number might rise Pair Suite • Master Retreat on Main with Gorgeous to 10 next year.

Spa-Like Bath & Custom Wood Closet • East Side/Dickerson/Walton- East Cobb’s Favorite Schools!

• Terrace Level Features a 2nd Master Suite, Feldman said Temima is highly seRec Room, Wine Cellar & More! lective with out-of-town applications, and Rabbi Deutsch said Temima not direct 404.250.5311 only doesn’t recruit, but actually tries office 404.252.4908 to deter boarding students so it can Debbie@SonenshineTeam.com | www.SonenshineTeam.com focus on local girls without worrying ©2014 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Operated By a Subsidiary of NRT LLC. 17 about students’ living arrangements.

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By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

AJT

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

TEECHNOLOGY

A High-Tech Brand Called Judaism

I

have spent the past several years working at the intersection of marketing and technology for brands across a wide range of industries. In plain English, this generally means getting someone to like and buy your brand through a combination of witty marketing and an ability to communicate with her on an Internetenabled device such as a mobile phone or tablet.

As I survey the Jewish community, both in terms of what I experience and what friends share with me, I have surmised that Jewish organizations encounter the same challenges as those of major brands across a range of industries. In essence, what can we do to get consumers to care about us, and how should we mash up marketing with technology to make it so?

Like so many brands, our Jewish institutions got used to controlling the message and dictating the processes for engagement. It came from years of tradition and repetition, with few alternatives and little pushback. But if you think about yourself or any youth

out of diapers, power lies in the hands of the consumer. No matter how hard brands try to control what consumers do or say, we consumers now possess

Guest Column

By Dan Israel dan@reptilestorytelling.com

the power to do as we please with any brand, without a brand’s “written consent” or perhaps even awareness.

For brands of any flavor, be it consumer or religious, the No. 1 challenge is how to remain (or become) relevant to consumers in an always-on, alwaysconnected world where a distraction is only a swipe away. Before longing for Purim so we can drown our sorrows, let’s take a look at how some brands overcome this situational analysis.

The brands that truly connect with consumers follow two simple rules. The first rule of engagement: Develop a relationship with me. Don’t just treat me like a piggybank.

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

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Shabbat kit every week with all the trappings: the candles, the wine and the challah. Use one-hour delivery from Amazon so people can make the decision as late as Friday afternoon.

Even more compelling: Provide more freemium options for Jewish Atlantans. Let nonmembers of a synagogue pre-pay for Shabbat on Demand with a Starbucks-like loyalty program.

Let existing members have a choice — pay annual dues or go for a prepaid option, each with different benefits.

Let people from different synagogues collaborate on the creation of a service of their own making. Don’t force them to attend the synagogue service to make this happen; let them do it via a Skype session. And even let people outside a synagogue join in.

Provide forums for Jewish Atlantans to compare and contrast their experiences with synagogues, rabbis and Jewish organizations across the city.

Brands have come to understand how ratings and reviews drive consumer satisfaction and increase authenticity. Shouldn’t we experiment with reviews ourselves?

What we must come to understand is that competition for Judaism is coming not from other quarters of the Jewish community, but from nontraditional competitors as diverse as Lifetime Fitness and yoga studios.

My purpose in laying out these two rules of engagement is to start a conversation. Let us collaborate on ways to make our Jewish institutions more relevant to the 120,000 Jewish Atlantans who are only one swipe away from joining us. ■



Advice.

Beyond Investing.

AJT

I have seen one too many brands treat every interaction as an opportunity to shake down a consumer. An email about a new product offering, a text message about a discount, all of it drives home the same thing — come to me to buy something. But Sephora has realized that to truly integrate yourself into someone’s lifestyle, you have to provide utilitarian capabilities not just in the store, but also outside the store.

In Sephora’s tablet app, someone can learn how to apply blush by watching a video on half the screen while the other half uses the frontfacing camera to show you following the lesson. No sale, just something relevant to the consumer.

The second rule of engagement: Let me play a role in the creation of your brand. Maybe one of the best examples is a monolithic icon protected by a secret formula no one can tamper with: Coca-Cola. The past three years, Coca-Cola has rolled out Freestyle, a new generation of fountain dispenser.

It doesn’t just let you pour a Coke; it lets you concoct any drink you like from 100-plus flavors. You can store your mix selection in an app that can be used at a different Freestyle machine later or shared with others.

In essence, the quintessential, unalterable beverage known for over 100 years has found a way to let consumers co-create with the company.

The thread through these two rules is the involvement of the consumers. Effective brands seek to make consumers active participants, not passive bystanders. Why can’t we do that in the Jewish community?

Why can’t we flip the synagogue and make it easy to deliver Shabbat to the home every week?

Create Shabbat in your own home, and we will help you. Ship a

Besides talking smack about politics, Dan Israel spends his time at Reptile Storytelling smartening up brands with digital capabilities and insights.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

TECHNOLOGY

Technology Growth Produces New Marketing Trends clear and consistent in all channels.

• Making sure you track and analyze the results of your efforts to understand what works well and

Guest Column

By Mark Itzkovitz mitzkovitz@webtechemail.com

what needs additional effort. Digital marketing lends itself to measuring and tracking success, much more so than traditional marketing. Businesses

now have the ability to more clearly understand how their marketing efforts are being received and how buyers behave. We can easily react based on usage data to improve the results of your online marketing efforts on an ongoing basis.

Content marketing is an ongoing effort. A long-term commitment is required to gain the best results for your organization. The online marketing landscape is ever-changing; one of the biggest challenges businesses face today is staying current with new trends in technology and marketing.

Many small businesses don’t have the resources in-house to accomplish

these efforts, but the market is saturated with agencies and consultants who specialize in digital content marketing.

Here’s an article with some things to consider when finding a content marketing partner: wtmarketing.com/ blog/top-5-questions-ask-hiring-internet-marketing-agency. ■ Mark Itzkovitz is the president of WebTech Marketing (wtmarketing.com) and can be reached at 404-348-4921, ext.

101. He started WebTech after 10 years in corporate IT with Georgia-Pacific and has used his technology experience and digital marketing knowledge to help hundreds of businesses in Atlanta grow.

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JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

T

he past several years, technology has played a key role in how businesses approach marketing.

It’s no secret that the new marketplace is digital. Mobile devices have taken over. Not only do the vast majority of shoppers make purchases online, but a quickly growing percentage of those online purchases are done from a mobile device.

Suffice it to say that one of the biggest challenges businesses face today is how to effectively communicate with and market to their customers and potential customers in this rapidly changing digital environment that has become the primary marketplace for buying and selling products and services.

Buyers do research online and typically don’t reach out to a make a purchase until they are well-educated and close to making a buying decision.

Consequently, businesses are looking for ways to connect with and establish online relationships with buyers earlier in the sales process. This is called content marketing, its goal being to provide useful, meaningful content about products and services that is easily accessible through all digital channels, such as websites, social media, email and ad campaigns.

By consistently publishing new and relevant content, a business will establish relationships with potential buyers. It will also become an online knowledge base for the product or service being sought. A buyer ready to make a purchase will be much more likely to purchase from a source that has established credibility.

There are many variables that play a part in the process. Here are some pragmatic additions to any digital marketing strategy: • Having a clear plan for what content to provide and a clear understanding of exactly how potential customers find you and what information they are seeking.

• Making sure your content is mobile-friendly and can easily be consumed on a mobile device (quick load times, clean and simple designs, etc.).

• Making sure your content is search-engine-friendly and optimized for search.

• Making sure your content is organized in an intuitive manner and is easy to navigate with clear calls to action.

• Making sure your message is

AJT 19

TECHNOLOGY

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Hi-Rez Plays Gods

PC game maker brings art to tech

By Zach Itzkovitz

C

omputer games may bring to mind a teenager in his bedroom who hasn’t showered in days.

But that isn’t the picture at Hi-Rez Studios in Alpharetta. Hi-Rez has developed some of the most popular PC games in recent years, including Global Agenda, Tribes: Ascend, and SMITE. Jewish community member Todd Harris co-founded Hi-Rez with Israeli Erez Goren in 2005 and serves as the chief operating officer.

“Erez and his brother were big gamers way back in the day,” Harris said. “They started a software company around 1985, doing software automation for gas stations. I joined that company when it had around 100 people.

When we left, it was around 1,000.”

After that company, Radiant Systems, went public — NCR bought it in 2011 — Goren and Harris started another software company, BlueCube Software, which they later sold.

Using profits from their first company’s initial public offering and their sale of a second company, Goren and Harris started Hi-Rez Studios with enough private funding to make what

Tech Support Guidance from 3 IT professionals

By David R. Cohen and Zach Itzkovitz Three Jewish-owned Atlanta-area tech support companies, Computer House Calls, Don’t Sweat IT Solutions and Fakakta Computers, guide us through information technology help.

Computer House Calls

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

Nathaniel Lack founded Computer House Calls in 1987, making it one of Atlanta’s oldest computer repair businesses. He worked with Michael Dell at an early IT company in Austin, Texas. After working as a political consultant for years while fixing computers on the side, Lack began using his IT skills full time.

When to Call “I specialize in anything from teaching a person how to set up a computer and advising them on how 20 to use Quicken or QuickBooks to set-

AJT

they wanted, how they wanted.

They stuck with Alpharetta, which has over 600 tech companies, because of its workforce, low costs and friendly business environment, Harris said.

Their games are hybrids of computer programming, architecture and ancient mythology. They even employ a “lore researcher” to read up on culture before it manifests in a game.

Controversy arose in 2012 after the release of SMITE, a game featuring gods from a diverse range of religious traditions as playable characters who battle one another. One such character is Kali, a Hindu goddess of time and destruction. Hindu leaders objected to Kali’s in-game attire, which some would call pornographic.

“It was really only one individual in America who tends to protest when he sees Hinduism portrayed in a light he doesn’t approve of,” Harris said. “He did issue a lot of press releases, and it made the news.”

Harris said gamers at Hi-Rez Studios occasionally broadcast their digital endeavors for the viewing pleasure of the Internet’s gaming community.

“Here, two people in our studio that are playing the game, they’re dem-

ting up networks and troubleshooting hardware and software issues and designing websites,” Lack said. “Anything and everything that they ask for, I can do.”

What’s New Lack said customers struggle with managing different sets of information from different access points in cloud computing systems. “Customers are so tied to their iPhones and iPads,” Lack said, “and their need to have them synced smoothly with their computers — Microsoft Office, their calendars, their contact lists. All of that is syncing smoothly through the cloud. So this is obviously a new technology: cloud-based storage and information that’s no longer concentrated or centralized on [customers’] computers.”

More info: 770-751-5706

Don’t Sweat IT Solutions

Israeli Zohar Schiff started Don’t Sweat IT Solutions in 2010 to provide hands-on support to small and midsize businesses in metro Atlanta. Don’t

Todd Harris dismisses Hindu criticism of SMITE as being generated mostly by one person.

onstrating some new functionality,” Harris said. “Right now there are 1,600 people that are watching this.”

Hi-Rez hosts competitions for games such as SMITE. One competition paid out millions, Harris said.

Competitions are occasionally filmed and broadcast using Hi-Rez’s production studio. It is a set that resembles mainstream media outlets such as ESPN — lights, cameras and action.

“There are commentators doing play-by-play. There’s a ticker,” Harris said. “There are instant replays.”

Computer game development demonstrates the union of art and science.

It requires a lengthy assembly-line pro-

cess that demands diverse skills from a varied workforce. Facilities with different purposes compose Hi-Rez. The studio works closely with Microsoft to make games playable on the Xbox. Within the studio are large displays of analytics, letting the developers know just how many gamers are playing their games and how that number has changed over the years.

Playing god has never been easier or more lucrative. Ever-mutating technology makes work and any task more efficient and leads to advances in entertainment. New digital platforms afford artists more tools and, therefore, more creative freedom. ■

Sweat IT provides all-inclusive support to companies that don’t necessarily have the time or capacity to deal with the range of computer issues businesses face in 2015.

When to Call “Any company or operation that has over 10 users would benefit from using us,” Schiff said. “Large operations can benefit from us too, even if they have an IT department, because we take most of the routine work, maintenance and support off their hands. You do your business; we do the computers.”

What’s New Schiff said the company is moving to more cloud-based solutions, which are more cost-effective. “We are launching soon a number of services and systems that utilize the cloud for smaller businesses,” he said, “so that we can eliminate any dependency on large and expensive servers in-house.”

More info: dontsweatitsolutions.com

users. Carp has worked on computers since the late 1990s. He specializes in desktop and laptop repair, home and business networking, and virus and spyware removal. The Tampa, Fla., native is also experienced in repair and support of mobile devices.

When to Call “Someone should give me a call if they are having performance challenges on their computer, if they want to replace and transfer the information from their computer to a newer computer, if they are having any sort of challenges revolving around backing up their data or sharing it,” Carp said. “Also any wireless issues inside the home I can help with.”

What’s New Support needs are more diverse, Carp said. “In the past, most of my customers had Windows desktops or laptops. Recently, the needs from customers have been centered on mobile devices like iPads and iPhones and getting everything in sync. So I’d say that the growth of my business has been around the growing number of devices we use on a day-to-day basis.”

More info: 404-954-1004 ■

Fakakta Computers

Damon Carp of Fakakta Computers aims to restore sanity to computers and mobile devices and their

TECHNOLOGY

A chat with a cybersecurity expert

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

AJT: The Cybertech 2015 International Conference was held in Tel Aviv ybercrime costs the U.S. economy in March. Why does Israel seem to be an estimated $100 billion a year, Ground Zero for cyber innovation? and news seems to break every Schober: Most of the innovation is day of yet another data breach, cloud definitely coming out of Israel. If you attack or information leak in America. look, they have some of the brightest Cybersecurity expert Scott minds coming out of university, and Schober is on a mission to fight this they’ve got very practical computer crime. His new book, “Hacked Again: It skills and understand the vulnerabiliCan Happen to Anyties and understand one … Even a Cyber how computer Security Expert,” is networks operate. out this summer. It I think that’s why details the struggle the United States for protection onand Israel work line in “the craziest very closely togethperiod of cyberseer because the U.S. curity hacks and is a prime target for scandals ever.” hacking. Many of He discussed these cybersecurity the cybersecurity companies have industry and his been coming out of cybercrime fight.

Israel recently and partnering with Scott Schober is the president and CEO AJT: Our U.S. companies. of Berkeley Varitronics Systems Inc. Word­Press website just got hacked last AJT: Tell me week. about your new book, “Hacked Again.”

Schober: Oh, no; that’s a common What was your goal when you set out weakness with WordPress. I forgot the to write it? exact statistic, but something like 70 Schober: Honestly, I wasn’t planpercent of WordPress sites are vulner- ning on writing a book, but when my able to attack. company was compromised with our credit card and checking account for AJT: What’s the most important about $65,000, a light bulb went off key to staying secure online? in my head. I decided that I needed to Schober: Security needs to be all- share my experience with people. We encompassing. That’s what I’m finding are a specific target because we sell now. It’s a pretty wide-open area, and security tools, and we’re reporting on we’re seeing lots of stuff happening topics of security and how to stay safe. in the government sector, especially When you start to do these things, you with the headlines you’re seeing today start getting visited by hackers. about the government being supposedly hacked by China. Security usually AJT: What advice do you have for comes down to best practices. I always AJT readers to tighten security online? start with the basics because everySchober: One of the big problems body seems to have some compromise is that people put too much informaof some sort, be it credit card informa- tion on social media. It’s become easy tion or social media accounts. for hackers to guess passwords and security questions. I always encourage AJT: What do you think is behind people for security challenge questions this uptick in worldwide cybercrime? to not put down “What high school did Schober: The bad guys are get- you attend?” Instead, put down one ting better at sharing information, and unique password that’s hard to crack. I that’s part of the reason it’s becom- could go and find out what high school ing more and more widespread. They almost anybody went to by doing a share tips on how to hack into a social simple Google search. It’s the same network, compromise credentials and thing with birthdays. That information perform identity theft or how to rip off is very valuable if someone is trying to the IRS for tax refunds. It’s all shared in steal money from you or take credit out the underground world. in your name. ■

C

Wedding Rudy-Ladinsky

K

aylene Rudy, daughter of Catherine Kelchner-Benedum and Louis Martin Stephens of Kingston, N.Y., and Louis Ladinsky, son of Barbara Baron of Brooklyn, N.Y., and the late Bertram Ladinsky, were married under the chuppah Sunday, May 24, 2015, in Marietta.

Kaylene is the business manager for the Atlanta Jewish Times and founder and president of Americans United With Israel.

Louis is a product manager at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, where he has been employed for more than 22 years.

Share your Celebrations with Your Atlanta Jewish Community for Free • • • • •

Birth Announcements Weddings Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Celebrations of all types Anniversaries

June 26 Issue Deadline June 19th

Send your story, announcements and celebrations with pictures today to kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or call 404-883-2130 x100.

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

You Could Be Hacked

SIMCHAS

AJT 21

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HOME

Israeli Passion With a Taste of Italy

A

viva and Eyal Postelnik, Israelis who are making an impact by being involved in the Atlanta Jewish community, built a magnificent fortress in Cobb County.

They lovingly imported construction materials and art from Italy, Israel and Las Vegas and stored them for three years while the house was being completed by builder Warren Sirzyk. The house, open in the center, is divided into two sides: day and night quarters. It is a stimulating cornucopia of sentiment and beauty capped by Aviva’s own artwork and that of Eyal’s mother.

From a hand-painted globe of the world’s synagogues by Sarah Kranz to sculpture by Richard MacDonald, it is all well choreographed.

Eyal, a high-tech entrepreneur, produces the navigation systems for GM cars in South America. Aviva is an expert and speaker on “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, which uses a historic melody from 1500s Spain.

Enter their artistic world.

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

Jaffe: What is unique about the various interior and exterior textures?

Eyal: We are comfortable surrounded by Jerusalem stone, which we imported. You can see it on several different surfaces — mainly the exterior, then in smaller formations on the entrance walls. The wall behind the Steinway Signed Collection piano is in a contrasting black-and-white [a la piano keys] marble pattern designed by Aviva and constructed in Italy.

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Jaffe: The kitchen glows in such a dramatic way. What are we seeing in here?

Aviva: The countertops and matching wall backsplash panel are illuminated quartz from South America with imbedded authentic fossils and chambered nautiluses. More sentimental is the collection of hamsas (hands) from around the world: some from the Holocaust Museum, some made of cement or handmade porcelain. Also, these birds were made by special-needs children in an Israeli school factory affiliated with Leah Rabin in collaboration with LOTEM [a Jewish National Fund partner].

Jaffe: The entrance foyer is quite grand, to say the least.

Eyal: The ceiling rises 24 feet.

The MacDonald bronzes are Cirque

du Soleil figures of male and female performers accentuating muscles and movement. They took two years to acquire (ultimately from a gallery in Vegas) by way of the Queen’s Garden in London. The mosaic floor was customdesigned in Venice.

Jaffe: Your family art is moving

Chai-Style Homes

By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com A and detailed.

Aviva: Eyal’s mother replicated several of the oils from known painters. For my own pieces, I specialize in intricate fabric, gauze and crochet collages, each one taking about 18 months to finish. I am most proud of this piece which I completed in Florence during a four-month course. It is micro-painting from 13th-century impressionism done in powder with authentic materials like vinegar, using a hand-painted tempera technique. There is quite a funny story here. I was about halfway into it when a well-meaning fellow student spilled her lemonade on it, and I had to start all over.

Jaffe: That must have been a real oy vez meir moment. Overlooking the living room from the mezzanine is dramatic. What drives the composition?

Eyal: The menorah on the fireplace mantle is Salvador Dali, and the glass is Chihuly. The sconces over the fireplace are melted gold. But my heart races when I see the movement of these gold Murano glass horses, all slightly different. The overhead chandelier is also from the same Murano collection.

The most unusual thing in here is the drapes made with over-100-year-old velvet from East Russian Bukhara, purchased in Israel from a Druze [ultimately sewn here]. We literally tested its velvet authenticity by setting it on fire. And, yes, it burned.

Jaffe: I wager that this dining room has hosted some special Shabbat dinners.

Eyal: The table in olivewood and onyx from the Donald Trump Collection seats 14. Kim Tkatch [an Israeli painter] did the floral oil, and the chandelier is Murano. The musical painting is by Alexander Kanchik, an Israeli art-

ist [and former Atlanta resident].

Aviva: This oil is Eyal’s fifthgeneration great-grandfather’s [Rabbi Nahum Kalisker, pioneer in 1917] of a famous site next to the synagogue in Rosh Pina. My parents are survivors, by the way.

Jaffe: What is the background on this giant Asian panel in the breakfast room?

Eyal: I purchased that in China.

It’s 200 years old and was full of dust when I found it in the Confucius Museum. It has two sets of letters to verify authenticity and depicts the seasons of the year.

Jaffe: You have a special story about this huge boat photograph.

Eyal: As a child, I fished with B my father near this old, shipwrecked boat near Haifa on an abandoned beach, reputed to have carried the Enigma machine [the boat turned out to be a Turkish craft from the 1800s].

National Geographic photographer Jeff Mitchum printed only 10 copies [on aluminum]. We acquired it from his collection at the Bellagio. His art is also presented at the Masada site in Israel.

The rough-textured frame is the wood from the sunken boat.

Jaffe: Yes, I see this is the lucky seventh out of 10.

Jaffe: What’s on the horizon for you two?

Aviva: We are quite involved in our children and grandchildren’s lives.

Our daughter is opening an Italian restaurant [Bellina] this summer in the new Ponce City Market. Our younger daughter in Israel is heading a startup app [Motionize] — wearable sensors for sports, including paddling. And we don’t take ourselves too seriously here.

This glass pitcher is from T.J. Maxx. ■

Photos by Duane Stork

A: The illuminated quartz kitchen countertops from South America are imbedded with fossils.

B: The view from the mezzanine level overlooking the living room showcases the Bukharan velvet drapes.

C: The custom marble design in the background complements the Steinway piano.

D: The Postelniks have No. 7 of 10 aluminum prints of photographer Jeff Mitchum’s Bellagio photograph of an abandoned boat on an Israeli beach.

E: Aviva Postelnik says the collection of hamsas from around the world is a sentimental part of her collection.

F: This treasured oil painting of the synagogue in Rosh Pina was owned by one of Eyal Postelnik’s rabbinic ancestors.

G: Aviva and Eyal Postelnik are surrounded by Murano glass horses, a tempera painting she did in Florence, and a Salvador Dali menorah.

H: The grand entrance to the Postelnik manor in East Cobb features Jerusalem stone, bronze Cirque du Soleil statues by Richard MacDonald, and a floor mosaic designed in Italy.

I: The dining room features a Murano chandelier and a Donald Trump onyx and olivewood table near a floral oil by Israeli artist Kim Tkatch.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

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BUSINESS

Battling the Bloodsuckers Mr. Mister sprays away mosquitoes

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

S

ummertime is upon us, and so are the days of grilling in the back yard and relaxing by the pool. But one pesky part of the season has also arrived.

Mosquitoes.

Enter Matt Brill and Jason Smith, the founders of Doraville-based mosquito control outfit Mr. Mister (www. mrmr.biz). As summer heats up, these two Jews are on a mission to help Atlanta residents take back their yards, one spray at a time.

“People don’t know that living without mosquitoes is an option,” Brill said. “We don’t sell mosquito control; we sell mosquito-free yards.”

Mosquito season stretches from March to October, with our flying foes active when temperatures top 50 degrees. Brill said demand for mosquito control skyrockets in June, July and August — for good reason. Atlanta has the unlucky distinction of being ranked the worst city in the United States for mosquitoes two years in a row by national pest control company Orkin.

Atlanta natives Brill and Smith didn’t start out in the pest control business, but they knew all about Georgia’s overabundance of mosquitoes. Brill grew up attending Temple Emanu-El and worked in private equity before a trip four years ago with Smith and

Mr. Mister treats the Brook Run dog park in Dunwoody.

their wives to St. Maarten gave them inspiration to get into the business.

“We couldn’t even go outside because there were so many mosquitoes,” Brill said of the Caribbean island. “I was thinking, ‘Why don’t they have a mosquito system?’ Jason and I had the idea to sell systems there, but doing business in the Caribbean turned out to be a challenge, so we ended up stopping down there and starting up here. My wife, Staci, married a guy who drove a Porsche Cayenne and worked in private equity. Now I’m in pest control, and I drive a pickup truck.”

In Atlanta the duo enlisted the help of Ryan Claterbaugh, a veteran of the mosquito eradication industry, and Mr. Mister was born. The company now offers two services for mosquito

How to Control Mosquitoes

Mosquito control doesn’t end at spraying. Mr. Mister’s Matt Brill offers these tips to help you reclaim your yard: • Eliminate standing water.

Mosquitoes need water to breed. Brill said the goal is to eliminate any standing water from your house or property, and you need to worry about more than gutters and drains. The Asian tiger mosquito can breed in as little water as an upside-down bottle cap.

• Reduce shade in your yard.

Prune hedges and mow the yard to reduce shady cover. Mosquitoes like to escape the midday heat in hedges, bushes, shrubs and tall grass. Mow the yard at least once a week to keep the grass from turning into a mosquito safe house.

• Stock water gardens with fish, and chlorinate swimming pools.

If you have a pond or swimming pool, you don’t have to drain it or let the mosquitoes run wild. Goldfish, minnows and other fish eat mosquito larvae, and chlorinated water keeps mosquitoes at bay.

Contrary to popular belief, these classic remedies won’t get rid of mosquitoes: • Bug zappers. They attract and kill thousands of insects, but most aren’t mosquitoes.

• Citronella candles. They aren’t any more effective than other candles, though candle smoke in general may have a limited repellant effect.

• Ultrasonic devices. They don’t work at all.

• Spraying garlic in the backyard. It might help with vampires but not these bloodsuckers.

• Propane gas traps. They capture many mosquitoes but only a small fraction of the ones in your yard. control across metro Atlanta: a monthly ClearZone spray treatment and a fully automated, remote-control spray system installation.

The mosquito control business started in Houston around 2000. To stand out from the competition, and because Brill, Smith and Claterbaugh love giving back to the community, Mr. Mister does regular work at parks and playgrounds free. You may have seen a

Mr. Mister sign at Brook Run dog park, Morningside Elementary, or the playgrounds at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, Congregation B’nai Torah and Brill’s congregation Temple Sinai.

“All three of us have dogs,” Brill said. “Heartworm in dogs is transferred by mosquitoes. For us it was natural to complimentarily treat parks. We really believe in being responsible members of our community.” ■

Business Principles Embedded in Jewish Law

J

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

ewish leaders in ancient times believed that honesty and high ethical business standards were important parts of Jewish law. These laws applied to commercial transactions between Jews and between Jews and non-Jews.

Commerce and trade are as old as mankind.

They have flourished among all types of people.

You can imagine a farmer with many apples but no sheep — let’s do a trade.

Without trade, we would not enjoy our high standard of living. We live in a highly interdependent society. If trust is broken, living standards decline, and conflict ensues.

Maimonides believed that ethical business practices were one of the 24 highest priorities of Jewish law. There

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is no dichotomy between ethical and ritual behavior; they are part of the same G-d-given standards of morality.

I have long believed that men of varying backgrounds relate to one another through commerce. Once a

Business Sense

By Al Shams

mutually beneficial relationship has been developed, personal friendships grow. But if one side feels cheated or wronged, conflict could result.

Conflict is destructive to society.

Conflict is not G-d’s way.

The relevant Jewish laws include:

• Do not engage in dishonest or immoral practices.

• Do not steal.

• Distance yourself from false matters.

• Do not bribe.

• Use just scales and measurements.

• Speak truth to each man.

• Do not place a stumbling block in the path of the blind.

• Do not give false or bad advice to the unwary; do not place temptation before the unwary.

• Wages owed to workers should be paid promptly, without delays.

• Do not take advantage of one who needs work; a wage must be fair.

• Practice kindness, justice and compassion.

• Do not press your claims to the fullest extent of the law. Deal with oth-

ers in a spirit of tolerance, compassion and compromise.

• Do not take unfair advantage of another in business, and refrain from the appearance of impropriety.

• Care for your environment.

• Do not needlessly waste the resources that G-d has provided.

• Care for the stranger.

• Do not harden your heart or shut your hand from your needy brother.

The spirit and intent of these rules are clear. Each of us could think of other standards of ethical and fair conduct. Our challenge is to incorporate these rules and their spirit into our daily lives. ■ Al Shams is a Sandy Springs resident, a former CPA, and an investment professional with more than 35 years’ industry experience.

SPORTS

Pharoah’s Miracle It took a stubby-tailed colt owned by a family of Orthodox Egyptian-American Jews to do what many experts said was impossible: Win Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.

American Pharoah went wire to wire to win the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes by 5½ lengths Saturday, June 6, adding the victory to his wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes over the previous five weeks for the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.

American Pharoah became the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown. Thirteen colts won the first two legs of the Triple Crown but failed to win the Belmont in the 37 years between successes. That gap led observers to conclude that the modern horse is not capable of winning three grueling races in five weeks.

American Pharoah is owned by Ahmed Zayat, 52, an Orthodox Jew who grew up in Cairo under Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat and came to America in 1980 for college. He lives with his wife and children in Tea­neck, N.J. The Zayats spent Shabbat in an RV so they could walk to and from Belmont Park on Saturday.

The winning jockey, Victor Espinosa, is not Jewish, but he prayed at the grave of the Lubavitcher rebbe in New York on Thursday, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Zayat tried to sell American Pharoah when he was a yearling, but a bump on the colt’s leg scared buyers at an auction. Zayat Stables, which had bred him, wound up buying him back for $300,000.

He has now earned more than $4.5 million while winning seven of eight career races and the title of 2014’s champion 2-year-old colt.

Zayat sold American Pharoah’s breeding rights before the Belmont, but he said the colt’s racing career is not over. While trainer Bob Baffert will decide where and when American Pharoah will run again, he’ll likely race at least once during the summer, then enter the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 31.

Blatter Quits FIFA No sooner had we touted Sepp Blatter’s seeming invincibility as the head of soccer’s governing body, FIFA, than he announced his resignation amid the growing scandal that at least temporarily protected Israel from efforts to oust it from international competitions.

The exact date of Blatter’s departure isn’t known. FIFA has to call a special meeting to elect his successor, and that vote is at least four months away.

experience EPSTEIN.

Israel, meanwhile, plays at BosniaHerzegovina at 2:45 p.m. ET Friday, June 12, in qualifying for the 2016 European Championships (live on ESPN3.com).

Hockey Rooting Interest The NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers are long gone to Winnipeg, and the Flames even longer gone to Calgary. If you’re left wondering whether to favor the Chicago Blackhawks or Tampa Bay Lightning for the Stanley Cup, there’s this: The Lightning’s owner, Jeffrey Vinik, is Jewish.

The Lightning, who won the Stanley Cup under different ownership in 2004, lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.

And Poker, Too The World Series of Poker is best known for the $10,000-buy-in main event, whose champion last year won $10 million, but the series actually has 68 events and began May 27.

Jewish player Robert Mizrachi of Miami won Event 3, Omaha high-low with a $1,500 buy-in, for $251,022.

An Israeli, Idan Raviv of Holon, captured Event 12, a six-handed no-limit hold’em tournament, for $457,007. It is the second consecutive year an Israeli has won a WSOP title.

Week 2 Synagogue Softball Standings

Mazel Tov

to Epstein’s Class of 2015.

We’re so proud of you!

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta

335 COLEWOOD WAY NW | SANDY SPRINGS, GA 30328-2956 | EPSTEINATLANTA.ORG

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta

4819 AJT grad ad_1.indd 1

Wins

Losses

B’nai Torah

3

0

Ahavath Achim

2

1

Sinai 1

2

1

Or Veshalom

1

1

Temple 1

1

1

Dor Tamid 1

1

2

Beth Tefillah

1

2

Chabad

0

3

B Division

Wins

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta

Losses

Ariel

2

0

Beth Tikvah 1

2

0

Emanuel

1

1

Etz Chaim

1

1

Gesher L’Torah

1

1

Young Israel

1

1

Beth Shalom

0

2

Dor Tamid 2

0

C Division

6/5/15 2:42 PM

Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta

Standings A Division

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL

2 Wins

Losses

Sinai 2

2

0

Kol Emeth

1

0

Or Hadash

1

1

Beth Jacob

1

1

Temple 2

1

1

Bet Haverim

0

1

Beth Tikvah 2

0

2

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

Sports Briefs

AJT 25

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

SPORTS

Record Score

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he Marcus Jewish Community Center’s seventh-annual BB&T Harry Maziar Classic golf tournament, chaired by Ron Brill and Garrett Van de Grift, had 124 players and raised a record $370,000 in sponsorships, contributions, raffle tickets and a silent auction Monday, June 1, at the Atlanta Country Club in East Cobb. Howard Halpern, the chairman of Halperns’ Steak & Seafood, who was a co-chairman of the tournament the past four years, was honored at the event for his dedication to the center and his philanthropy, which includes the Marcus JCC’s Lynne M. & Howard I. Halpern Drama Camp and Camp Barney Medintz’s Lynne M. and Howard I. Halpern Aquatic Center.

The winners on the course June 1: • Putting contest — Rick Suid.

• Longest drive — Leo Yerashunas (male) and Aline Lee (female).

• First place, net score — Michael Coles, Madison Mongin, Jared Ingley and Rick Suid.

• Second place, net score — Isador Mitzner, Ronnie Galanti, Mark Rosenberg and Kevin Rabinowitz.

• Third place, net score — Leo Yerashunas, Keith Brennan, Andrew Steinberg and Jim Pfeifer.

• Fourth place, net score — Rich McKay, Reggie Roberts, Kevin Winston, and Ryan Teague. ■

Top left: Scott Jordan (left) from tournament sponsor BB&T with Marcus Jewish Community Center Chairman Doug Kuniansky Top right: Harry Maziar (left), the tournament’s namesake, and this year’s honoree, Howard Halpern Bottom left: The winning team this year is (from left) Rick Suid, Michael Coles, Jared Ingley and Madison Mongin. Suid also won the putting contest.

Bottom right: This year’s tournament honoree, Howard Halpern (center), is joined by past honorees (from left) Harry Maziar, Bernie Marcus, Jack Halpern and Ron Brill.

How to Soar Like a Hawk

A

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

tlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore shares his expertise with young players at the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Atlanta Hawks Basketball Day Camp at the Dunwoody campus Tuesday, June 2.

Bazemore averaged 5.2 points, three rebounds and one assist per game while coming off the bench for the Hawks during their Eastern Conference-best 60-22 season. ■

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ARTS

Flight of ‘Bumblebees’

Writer-director’s 4-minute film starring her brother wins national challenge

By Anna Streetman

in the Disability Film Challenge, which gave participants 48 hours in mid-April tlanta native and Jewish com- to produce a short film. All entries were munity member Jenna Kanell required to include a disabled actor, dihas won a national competition rector, producer or writer.

The annual challenge’s purpose is with her short film “Bumblebees.”

The film was named best picture to motivate disabled and nondisabled filmmakers to be proactive in the film industry, to help them gain exposure, and to generate entertaining content that includes people often unrepresented on film.

“I want this film challenge to empower disabled filmmakers by taking their careers into their own hands,” Disability Film Challenge founder Nic Novicki said.

This year’s theme was romantic comedy.

“Bumblebees” is a fourminute film about Kanell’s 19-year-old brother, Vance, on his first date. As a child, Vance was diagnosed with autism, Jenna Kanell works with her 19-year-old cerebral palsy and epilepsy. brother, Vance, on the set of her award-winning film, “Bumblebees,” in which Vance stars.

“Bumblebees” is Kanell’s

A

Shearith Israel. She plans to write and direct another 48-hour film this month and is acting and doing stunts for a feature film in New York in July.

“Long term, I’m still figuring out where my road winds,” Kanell said.

“All I know is that storytelling in all its forms is invaluable, and in whatever way I can, I want to help it breathe.” ■

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Jobb mixes newspaper research with witness interviews to weave a rollicking narrative. His secondary focus on Robert Crowe, who started with Koretz at the same Chicago law firm and prosecuted him in 1924, brings Koretz’s life into sharper relief. Jobb also works in such infamous Chicago characters as Al Capone and Leopold and Loeb.

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JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

nless you’re an expert on 1920s America, you probably don’t know the name Leo Koretz. But he ranks with Bernie Madoff among the worst Jewish swindlers in history.

Koretz perfected the Ponzi scheme before Ponzi and kept the scam going after Ponzi rose and fell in 1920. A lawyer who got his financial start by selling forged mortgages, Koretz moved on to real estate scams involving rice farmland in Arkansas before hitting the mother lode with Panama.

His investors, who included all of his family members, believed so completely in Koretz that they jokingly called him “Our Ponzi” while celebrating the triple-digit returns he delivered.

He was the toast of Chicago until he was exposed in 1923 when he sent some colleagues to Panama to visit his nonexistent oil wells. In the end he spent little more than a month in prison before dying from diabetes (unless, as some claimed, he faked his death).

film writing and directing debut. The film was produced by fellow actor and Georgia native Katy Tulka.

“I wanted to tell a simple story with universal themes, starring one of the most colorful characters I know,” Kanell said in an interview. She said Vance was told by doctors “that he might never walk, read, write or speak.

Thanks to the perseverance of my parents, countless therapists and the Lionheart School, none of that came true.”

Lionheart, in Alpharetta, serves children with autism spectrum disorders and other sensory problems.

The short film screened at the New Media Film Festival’s “Socially Responsible Content” block June 9 and 10 in Los Angeles after being part of the CTLPDX Film Festival’s family-focused offerings in Portland, Ore., in May. The film will screen again in Los Angeles at TCL Chinese Theatre for the HollyShorts Film Festival in August.

Kanell has worked as a unionized actor and stunt performer for years.

She is a graduate of the Epstein School and is a member of Congregation

AJT 27

ARTS

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Candid Conversation With Andy Cohen

By Leah R. Harrison

A

ndy Cohen is an affable, likable guy. After a dizzyingly busy network career that started at CBS just out of Boston University and includes head of development at Bravo for more than 10 years, he now hosts the nightly Bravo series “Watch What Happens Live.” He is also executive producer of the “Real Housewives” franchise.

At age 47, Cohen has written two books and is brainstorming a third. He has a close relationship with his mother, who follows every aspect of his career and is his biggest fan and at times his harshest critic.

I spoke with him about his career, his friendship with Anderson Cooper and their upcoming AC2 tour, his carefully considered comingout process while he was in college, whether he has experienced discrimination, his Jewish roots, and the changing media and political environment.

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

AJT: Reading about all you have done both at CBS and at Bravo is exhausting. Do you think you’re just high energy, you bore easily, you have something to prove, or are you just really driven?

Cohen: I think it’s a little bit of all those, but I also … love what I do. I am fortunate. … I love writing books. I love producing television. I love being on TV, and I certainly love this tour that I’m doing with Anderson. … And I know Anderson feels the same way, by the way. He’s an incredibly driven, hard-working guy who happens to absolutely love what he does, and I think it’s just because we don’t consider what we’re doing work, it’s just part of our life.

AJT 28

AJT: How did you and Anderson Cooper first meet?

Cohen: We were set up for a date like 20 years ago, in the early ’90s, and we got on the phone, and as a result of the call the date kind of never happened. … He says I was too high energy for him. I was kind of ready to have the

date — I thought he sounded interesting — but it never happened, and so I later actually found out onstage, during this tour, that I was too high energy for him on the phone (laughing). You know, I learn something new in every city.

Cohen: Well, no, I felt it through peer pressure at school, kids making fun of gay people, and I wrote about being at an Eddie Murphy concert where he’s … taunting gay people, and I’m very uncomfortable that he’s using the word faggot throughout his comedy, which was very distasteful. … But it was just a general fear and paranoia at that time that I was not going to be accepted when I came out because that was the mood of the day. This was in the ’80s.

AJT: How did the tour come about?

Cohen: We’re great friends, and we’ve traveled together a lot. My second book came out, “The Andy Cohen Diaries,” and he interviewed me about it at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. It was just a wonderful night. We have really nice chemistry. … It isn’t good enough to date, but we’ve got great chemistry, and we just thought this could be so fun to do this elsewhere, and we decided to take the show on the road.

AJT: You are completely upfront about your extremely supportive and loving parents and your Jewish upbringing. Is your Judaism always in the background, or does it somehow shape what you do?

Cohen: I think it’s part of the whole picture. When you grow up in a family where you’re bar mitzvahed and confirmed, you’ve just grown up with it. My family was Reform, but we celebrated all the holidays. There’s a lot of Yiddish thrown around in my entire family — yesterday I was trying to explain to someone what farbissina punim means — and it’s just part of my vernacular. I say it on the air a lot.

Beyond my Mazel of the Day, Yiddish is really a part of my life; it’s a part of my vocabulary. I just think the Jewish culture … is so much more than going to temple. It’s about who you are and how you live and how you communicate and certainly how you eat. Anyone who watches my show sees what a part it is of my life. I give a Mazel of the Day every day at the end of my show. Bravo has created a whole line of Mazel merchandise based on me saying it every night on the show. I know it’s not the

AJT: Have you had an interview with someone you expected to hate but came away liking?

Cohen: Oh, that happens almost every night, where I’m like, “Oh, OK, Tom Bergeron’s on, whatever!” And then you start talking to them, and you’re like, “This person is fascinating!” You can watch me, and I’m kind of falling in love with people on the air in front of everybody. That happens all the time.

AJT: In your book, you talked about coming out to your loved ones and friends. It seemed there were very few, if any, negative reactions. I’m wondering if you just didn’t talk about it, or if you never really felt any types of discrimination.

An interview at the 92nd Street Y led Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper to take their show on the road.

exact definition of mazel tov, but to me it’s like a shout-out. It’s something nice, something positive, so there’s a little luck in there too.

AJT: With the upsurge in anti-Semitism of late, have you felt a change in the environment?

Cohen: I certainly have from reading the papers, but, no, personally I would be lying if I told you I had.

AJT: Have you ever felt that you wanted to or should take a bolder stand Jewishly?

Cohen: Yes, I have. I’ve made bigger statements on air about people who are anti-gay. That’s something that has always struck me because it’s such a basic civil rights issue, and it’s obviously something that’s close to me and something that I care about. The truth is that I just really try not to get too political on the show, but the answer is, in my life, yes, but on the show it hasn’t gotten to that point.

AJT: Have you ever been to Israel?

Cohen: I’ve never been, and I’m overdue, and I need to go very soon. …

I’m dying to go.

AJT: What are you most afraid of?

Cohen: Just dying.

AJT: Not public humiliation?

Cohen: Public humiliation I’m way over. I’ve been humiliated a thousand times in public. I’m humiliated every night at 11! ■

What: “AC2: An Intimate Evening With Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen” Where: Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Cumberland When: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 20 Tickets: $75 to $350; ticketmaster.com, ac2live.com or 800-745-3000

OBITUARIES

Harry Muldawer 88, Atlanta

Harry Muldawer passed away peacefully Friday, June 5, 2015.

He was born March 5, 1927, in Atlanta to Sadie and Max Muldawer, of blessed memory. An accomplished musician, he excelled playing trumpet in the junior high and high school bands. After graduation from Boys’ High School, he served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II as an information specialist and received the World War II Victory Medal. Harry later became a partner in the popular downtown Vick’s Restaurant and Delicatessen, where his great sense of humor and personality attracted many customers. He met and married Harriett Berkman. They were married for 53 years. Harry was co-owner and developer of Four Seasons Apartments, after which he opened Briarcliff Village Beverage Store. As an entrepreneur, he operated businesses with great integrity and good will. In retirement, he enjoyed refinishing furniture and painting. For the past 3½ years, he resided at the Breman Jewish Home, where he received the most excellent care and developed wonderful relationships with the staff, who all loved him.

He was predeceased by his son, Jerry, and his sisters, Evelyn Rubin and Marian Perel. He is survived by his wife, Harriet; a daughter, Libby; a brother, Paul; sisters-in-law Carol Muldawer and Charlotte Horwitz; brother-in-law Michael; and many nieces and nephews. A private graveside service was held June 7 at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Rabbi Alvin Sugarman officiated. Memorial contributions may be made to the William Breman Jewish Home, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Scott Saban 49, Alpharetta

Scott Saban, age 49, of Alpharetta died Friday, June 5, 2015, after a 13-year courageous battle with brain cancer. Survivors include his wife, Hillary Saban; his children, Jacob, Benny and Hannah; his parents, Sue and Gary Saban; a brother, Jack Saban; his parents-in-law, Margery and Steve Greenspan; a sister and brother-in-law, Tracey and Kenny Solomon; and nieces Chloe and Daisy Solomon.

Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Memorial donations may be made to Camp Twin Lakes, 600 Means St. NW, Suite 110, Atlanta, GA 30318.

Rabbi Michael Weinstein officiated for a graveside service June 7 at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Abraham Velkoff Dr. Abraham Velkoff, age 102, of Atlanta died Saturday, June 6, 2015. Dr. Velkoff was born July 20, 1912, in the Bronx, N.Y., to Orthodox Russian immigrants, Louis and Dora Velkoff, of blessed memory. Dr. Velkoff attended DeWitt-Clinton High School and Columbia University, where he played tuba in the marching band and violin in the orchestra. He later moved to Atlanta to study medicine at Emory University. When arriving in Atlanta, he moved in with the Freedman family to live in a kosher home. In Atlanta he met and married Evelyn Weinkle before joining the Army in 1941. He did his medical internship and residency at Grady Memorial Hospital. Upon his return from the war, Dr. Velkoff began his practice, which was the first infertility practice in Atlanta. He practiced until he retired at age 75. After retirement he returned to Grady as a volunteer until age 99, when he broke a hip. His passion for life included his family, work, fishing, gardening, traveling, symphony, reading and the theater. He was a lifelong learner.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn Weinkle Velkoff, of blessed memory. Survivors include son and daughter-in-law Michael and Sandra Velkoff, San Rafael, Calif.; son Dr. David Velkoff, Los Angeles; daughter and son-in-law Debbie and Barry Gussoff, Atlanta; daughter and son-in-law Ann and Morris Podber, Atlanta; grandchildren Dana Gussoff, Jennifer (Mark) Salmenson, and Adam and Rachel Podber; great-granddaughter Emily Salmenson; and longtime companion Judy Syna. The family would like to thank his caretaker, Delores Ward, for her constant loving care. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Sunshine, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum or the charity of your choice. A graveside service was held June 8 at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

102, Atlanta

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CLOSING THOUGHTS OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING

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It’s Not a Bowl of Cherries CROSSWORD “Reading Up on the Bible”

JUNE 12 ▪ 2015

C

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herries are fattening, as are bananas, grapes and pears. Pure sugar! This hypothesis, although not scientific, was a mantra in a home with parents who believed we should be thin — not skinny, but not fat. Definitely not so thin people might think we were sick, G-d forbid.

Thin people are taller (my daughter No. 3 believed this; perhaps she still does). Thin people are smarter, more likable.

Thin people look better in clothes. Fat is lazy. Feh, ah gruhber maidel (Poo, a fat girl)! Said with great disdain in describing some young lady.

I was a skinny kid. I did not eat much. I just was not interested in food. I can’t even imagine not being interested in food. If I were to have a conversation with my younger self, I would have to say, “Wake up, young Shaindle, and smell the coffee, the kugel, a fresh bagel, the chocolate.”

By the time I was 5 or 6, my mom thought, “Enough already. We are going to a doctor.” Skin and bones I was.

My dad, on the other hand, trotted me around like a charm on a bracelet.

He insisted that everywhere he took me, people said, “Hymie, you have such a beautiful little girl.” He would kvell (be proud) each time. He insisted he had to hold my hand extra-tight, for fear someone would steal me away (such was my beauty).

I don’t remember the visit to the doctor, whose office was off the Grand Concourse, but he definitely sided with my mom. Smart doctors know better than to disagree with a mommy when it comes to her babies.

I was in for a huge surprise. I was going to have my tonsils taken out.

This seemed to be a popular way to get children to eat; who needs tonsils?

I had no clue what tonsils were; however, I feel certain I was happy to hear this diagnosis, given I was guaranteed as much ice cream as I wanted after the tonsils were removed. I have a memory moment of sitting on the bottom of a bunk-style bed and being given chocolate ice cream, which I ate so slowly that it dripped on the white gown in which I was draped.

And there you have it.

That’s when all my troubles began. Soon after the tonsils were exorcised from my body, I had an a-ha moment and realized food was delicious. I had been missing out on so much life had to offer.

Everything was hunky-dory until I hit seventh grade. Mind you, I was never a gruhber maidel; however, the chocolate chip cookies, bagels and other assorted items began to take up residence on my body. I was no longer just skin and bones.

It was about this time in my life that I was informed cherries, grapes,

By Alan Olschwang Editor: DavidBenkof@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Manageable

Shaindle’s Shpiel

By Shaindle Schmuckler shaindle@atljewishtimes.com

bananas and various other fruits were no longer on my go-to list of things to eat. Candy and other foods developed by the devil himself were hidden away in the “white cabinet.”

Hiding the forbidden food only made it more enticing. I became adept at pilfering just enough sweets from the white cabinet so as not to make it obvious that anything was missing.

A lifelong struggle was launched.

Now don’t go feeling sorry for me.

I managed to have lots of friends. I was usually one of the first to be chosen for various team sports. I danced, performed in school plays, was captain of cheerleaders, and let us not forget boys. None of this removed the little devil on my shoulder whispering sweet nothings. Look at those beautiful red cherries, he would whisper; just one more cookie, sweetie; oh, please, one more Baby Ruth. Pure evil.

And yet I married.

I could not, however, bring myself to purchase certain fruits. We enjoyed a happy marriage, becoming parents and grandparents in spite of those cherries. Then one day I had an epiphany. I now had a dear friend I could turn to for information. My friend Google revealed just how healthy these foods are. I held my proverbial breath and brought all these delicious, nutritious fruits home. Everyone — there are 20 in my family — loved the fruit.

I am now a fruit salad maven. If you haven’t tried Israeli cut fruit salad, including cherries after you remove the pits and fat-free plain yogurt, sweetened with cherry-flavored Crystal Light and a sprinkle of granola, you don’t know what you are missing.

We women must keep words like gruhber maidel from being aimed at others. Oops, am I sounding a bit like I am on a soapbox? Perhaps I am. ■

ACROSS 1 Joel’s “Cabaret” costar 5 Jacob to Abraham: Abbr.

9 The Exodus, in a sense 13 Japanese lokshen 14 Prefix with “pathy” (together, treatment method strongly advocated by Yehudi Menuhin) 15 Wedding staple 16 Over-the-top sermon 17 How some remove their yarmulkes 18 Second Commandment taboo 19 Fischer fixation 21 Canaan dog, e.g.

23 8th sephira of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life 24 Gershwin song, “___ All Laughed” 25 Menorah finish, perhaps 29 Manifestations of Sodom and Saddam 31 Gymnast Kerri Strug’s home state 32 Feature of “Hatari!” (1962) in which Red Buttons played a lead role 34 “Cross Creek” director Martin 35 Mitzvah type, for Ashkenazi Jews 36 Lerner and Loewe’s “If ___ I Would Leave You” 37 Sound made by the stone as it struck Goliath, perhaps 39 Samson’s were no doubt quite impressive 40 First person 41 Dolph Schayes datum 42 Really digs, as one’s Torah study class, e.g.

44 Do some dor-to-dor work with your values 46 One who is not to be trusted 47 “Remington ___”: TV Series in which Stephanie Zimbalist played Laura Holt 48 3800 - 3900 to the Romans 49 Start of the name of the character who saw Princess Leia’s hologram on Tatooine 52 Brad Ausmus’s milieu: Abbr.

53 Hung around after Hebrew school, say 55 “Abbie an’ Slats” writer 58 Research subject for Lise Meitner 60 It’s one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world 61 Second son 62 Lisa of “A Different World” 63 Ward who starred in Zwick/ Herdkovitz’s “Once and Again” 64 She costarred with Dustin in “Outbreak” 65 Competitor of Donna, Calvin and Ralph 66 M’od to 65 Across DOWN 1 Carolyn Jones character’s manservant in “The Addams Family” 2 Common source for the main latke ingredient 3 Football strategy 4 Example of provident and organized industry, according to Proverbs 5 Tzedakah beneficiaries 6 Sidney Lumet’s “Running on ___” 7 Vav in Venice 8 Anton Rubinstein, e.g.

9 Red alternative from the Galilee 10 Ben Gurion International’s locale 11 Valuable metal in Ladino 12 Gun designer Uzi 14 Words before “don’t you cry” in the song “Summertime” 20 Direction in a borscht recipe 22 Omer, for one 26 Goon 27 What the Knesset can do with laws 28 Prop used by Billy Crystal in “City Slickers” 30 Matzah to matzo: Abbr.

31 “To be a free nation in our Land,” for example

32 Penultimate round in the Ligat HaAl playoffs 33 Elliot Sharp’s genre, ____-garde 34 “Megillat ___” (Book traditionally read on Shavuot) 38 Kubrick’s computer 39 Knish, so to speak 41 One place to cool a 39 Down 43 State in which you don’t want the bat mitzvah just before her service 45 “Second” destroyed by Titus 46 Garden guardians that have five letters in common with creatures like the one from Prague 48 Like the high priest in the Holy of Holies, always 50 Mr. Television of a Golden Age 51 Tony Martin’s song “I Get ___” 54 Charles Goren’s position, at times 55 Sabra of the ’60s, for one 56 One-time New York mayor Beame 57 “Today I am a fountain ___.”

59 Congratulatory conclusion

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