OVERDUE
NIF OR NOT?
Judges, rabbis and an exgovernor help celebrate the legacy of John Slaton, who tried to save Leo Frank. Page 6
CAPITAL IDEA
Is the New Israel Fund working to save Israel or destroy it? Both sides make their arguments. Page 12
A Conexx panel discussion explores why Atlanta is such a popular spot for Israeli investment. Page 15
Atlanta VOL. XC NO. 24
JUNE 26, 2015 | 9 TAMMUZ, 5775
WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM
Shearith Israel Finds Fill-In Rabbi
Kindness Worth A Party
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Viridian Images Photography
Sharon Hochdorf accepts the Dale Riggins Humanitarian Award in April at the Allie Awards, the Atlanta event industry’s big night. Read more about the Button It Up owner on Page 25 — part of our Summer Simchas section, Pages 16 to 34.
AJA’s Combined Campus Wins City OK The Sandy Springs City Council gave unanimous approval Tuesday, June 16, to a use permit for Atlanta Jewish Academy to upgrade its Northland Drive campus to incorporate its high school, now operating in Doraville at the former Yeshiva Atlanta campus. AJA closed on the sale of the high school campus on Raymond Drive earlier in June, but the school will lease space from the new owner, the Tapestry School, for at least the next school year.
MOVING IN
The Breman is the new home of the Savannah Jewish Archives, beating out Jewish centers on college campuses for the collection. Page 13
Sandy Springs approved changes to the former Greenfield Hebrew Academy campus to serve preschoolers through 12th-graders. AJA’s plans call for an increase from 117,000 to 185,000 square feet of space through the addition of a gymnasium and 14 classrooms. The school also will add an unlighted soccer field and parking spaces, but 58 fewer than required by ordinance. The city accepted a total of 180 parking spaces under the condition that AJA mandate
BAGELICIOUS
The search for Atlanta’s ultimate bagel tastes what the longtime East Cobb champ has to offer besides a New York state of mind. Page 36
carpools for student drivers, use Congregation Beth Tefillah for overflow parking, and ban students from parking on neighborhood streets. AJA will have no more than 720 students, the total approved for GHA. “Our plan is to house the leading program for a unified infant through twelfth grade school in a leading facility,” Ian Ratner, the president of the AJA board, said in an email announcement. Construction news should come soon. ■
INSIDE
Calendar 2 Business
15
Candle Lighting
3 Food 36
Local News
4 Obituaries
37
Israel 9 Crossword
38
Opinion 10 Cartoon
39
Southeast 13 Marketplace
39
ongregation Shearith Israel has hired an interim rabbi to lead the synagogue through the next year. Rabbi Melvin Sirner will take his position at the Conservative intown shul in early August. He will replace Rabbi Hillel Norry, who decided after 13 years not to seek a renewal of his contract, which expires at the end of June. As Rabbi Norry is leaving Shearith Israel, Rabbi Sirner is retiring from Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle, N.Y., where he has spent his entire career since being ordained out of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1972. He has been Beth El’s senior rabbi since 1976. “We are very fortunate to have someone with Rabbi Sirner’s qualifications and history to come to our synagogue for the next year, and frankly I’m sure he’ll help us as we pursue our more long-term, full-time rabbi,” Shearith Israel President Josh D’Agostino said. A tribute (vimeo.com/129578914) created by his congregation demonstrates the affection for Rabbi Sirner. In the New Rochelle area, he helped found the Interreligious Council, worked with Meals on Wheels and a soup kitchen, and led the Westchester Board of Rabbis. Nationally, he has served on the Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Chancellor’s Rabbinic Cabinet at JTS. Rabbi Sirner and his wife, Lenore, are expected in Atlanta the first week of August. Part of the attraction for them, D’Agostino said, is that they have family in the area. Shearith Israel will renew its rabbinic search after the High Holidays. ■
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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. 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.
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.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Pride Seder. SOJOURN and Congregation Bet Haverim hold a community meal at 6:30 p.m. at the Phillip Rush Center Annex, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, to recognize the struggle of the LGBT community against oppression, with a focus this year on police treatment of black transgender people. Bring a dairy or vegetarian potluck dish. Free; RSVP at sojourngsd.org/calendar. Pasta and prayer. Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Virginia-Highland, offers a vegetarian pasta Friday night dinner after a short service at 6:30 p.m. Free to all; 404-3761743. Community Shabbat. The Kehilla, 5075 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, holds a community dinner at 8:15 p.m. after Shabbat services at 7:15. Dinner is $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers;
thekehillaorg.shulcloud.com/community-dinner.
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
Rolling down the Hooch. The Sixth Point is going tubing on the Chattahoochee River. Meet at $10 River Tubing, 4349 Abbotts Bridge Road, Duluth, at 1 p.m. Cost is $11 by cash or check or $11.50 by credit card; www.facebook. com/events/1603276903282307.
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, held at 10 a.m. Thursdays. 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
Supreme Court review. The AntiDefamation League brings together legal scholars Erwin Chemerinsky and Frederick Lawrence with Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick to discuss this year’s big high court rulings online at 1 p.m. Free; www.adl.org/supremecourtreview. 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 678812-3981.
FRIDAY, JULY 10
Shabbat dinner. Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs, welcomes the community to a hamburger and hot dog dinner with Friday night services at 6 p.m. Free; www.or-hadash.org or 404-250-3338.
SUNDAY, JULY 12
Summer splash. Greater Atlanta Hadassah’s Ketura Group holds a pool party and cookout with kosher veg-
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CALENDAR
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.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
Refreshment for body and soul. The Kehilla, 5075 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, offers Kabbalah, dinner and cocktails with a lecture by Rabbi Karmi David Ingber on Judaism and the power of laughter at 7 p.m. The cost is $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers; thekehillaorg.shulcloud.com/kabbalah-and-cocktails.
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 streetcar
to Centennial Park for a picnic lunch or meal 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 by 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. Movie and dancing. Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, shows the documentary “Hava Nagila (The Movie),” to be followed by Israeli dancing, at 7 p.m. Free; bethshalomatlanta.org.
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.
THURSDAY, AUG. 6
A spoonful of sugar. The musical “Mary Poppins” opens at 8 p.m. at the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Morris & Rae Frank Theatre and runs through Aug. 16 for seven performances. Tickets are $15 to $28; www.atlantajcc.org/boxoffice or 678-812-4002.
FRIDAY, AUG. 14
Shabbat in the park. Congregation Etz Chaim holds its annual musical Shabbat service, starting at 5:30 p.m. with a grilled meal at 6:15, in East Cobb Park, $5 per person or $20 per family; RSVP at www.etzchaim.net/SITP by Aug. 10.
CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES
Parshah Chukat Friday, June 26, light candles at 8:34 p.m. Saturday, June 27, Shabbat ends at 9:36 p.m. Parshah Balak Friday, July 3, light candles at 8:34 p.m. Saturday, July 4, Shabbat ends at 9:36 p.m.
Corrections & Clarifications
• A quotation about humility from Congregation Beth Jacob Rabbi Ilan Feldman used in a report on the Temima graduation in the June 26 issue was incorrect. The comment should have read “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” • A June 26 article on the Antony Blinken Jon Huntsman Jr. American Jewish Committee Global Summit used a photo of Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken in place of a photo of former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman Jr. The correct photos are above. Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.
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LOCAL NEWS
Religion, Addiction and Sexual Orientation Panel urges openness about LGBT substance abuse By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com
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ot only does religion fail to guard against addiction, but it can add situations and pressures that encourage problems, especially for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. An interfaith discussion explored substance abuse and recovery among LGBT people Tuesday, June 16, at the Phillip Rush Center. Audrey Galex, a journalist and part-time professor at Georgia State University, moderated the discussion, convened by SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity. “If you don’t think addiction issues happen in your family, you need to wake up,” Galex said. “No matter what your sexual orientation is, no matter your gender identification, it is part of family life in the 21st century.” Panelist Phillip Washington, a recovering addict who calls himself an androgynous gay man, said both his parents were ordained ministers who
the command to drink,” Rabbi hid behind Scripture and refused Beiner said. “Way too many synato face the reality of their son’s gogues have casino nights. Eatlifestyle. Homosexuality and ading disorders are very common, diction “were a double whammy particularly in ultra-Orthodox of shame for the family,” he said. communities, because women “When I spoke about me to them, are constantly cooking, feeding it was always, ‘What will the peopeople, have many children and ple say? How will they look at us have to look perfect. If anyone as parents?’ When I asked what has a problem, keep it behind the real issue was, I wouldn’t closed doors.” hear anything about their own Galex, a member of Congrepersonal feelings on why it was gation Bet Haverim, responded such a problem. It was always Photo by Kevin Madigan to Rabbi Beiner: “Our community a ‘Jesus will fix it’ type of thing. Rabbi Judith Beiner, next to Phillip Washington, likes to say these are the excepWhen it came to sexual issues, says people in the Jewish community tend to tions, these are not the norms, what is there to fix? Because that hide problems behind closed doors. instead of saying, ‘What’s wrong means I’m broken. My addiction and my sexual orientation are not the all those stigmas I carried with myself.” here? How was this hidden for so long?” Rabbi Beiner added: “It’s imporsame thing. With addiction, I had to Rabbi Judith Beiner, the commulook at the part that I played first be- nity chaplain at Jewish Family & Ca- tant that we recognize that there are fore Jesus could fix anything. I had to reer Services, said that when it comes people with addictions and not hide get past that.” to addictive behavior, Jews are set up away from it. From an institutional Washington stressed he does not to fail because of the intransigence of level, one of the best things we can do is blame his religious upbringing for his traditions stretching back thousands recognize that all these things are part addictions. “After first tasting alcohol, of years in “an institution where every- of our language, part of our culture. If you want to reveal something about I remember feeling free and not self- thing looks right on the surface.” conscious about who I was. It was a “Every holiday comes with too yourself, it should be embraced withfalse sense of security that took away much food. Lots of alcohol. Sometimes out judgment.” ■
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EDITORIAL
Remember When
Conference of American Rabbis in Seattle. The Reform movement represents the largest branch of U.S. Judaism with over 1.5 million members. Local rabbis were hesitant to voice their opinion on the matter, and Temple Sinai President Rubin Piha said: “Given the nature of this issue, I’d rather not comment.”
■ Shirley Shipman-Johnson, a Baptist woman from Poplarville, Miss., looks to fulfill her World War II veteran father’s promise of increasing awareness and education of the Holocaust and other atrocities by leading a recently created Holocaust commission in Mississippi modeled after that in Georgia.
■ The bar mitzvah of Warren Jacobson of Atlanta, son of Denise and Irving Jacobson, will take place Saturday, July 7, at 8:30 a.m. at B’nai Torah Synagogue.
10 Years Ago June 24, 2005
50 Years Ago June 25, 1965
25 Years Ago June 29, 1990
■ Ralph McGill, editor and publisher of the Atlanta Constitution and author of “Israel Revisited,” will receive the Bronze Medallion Award from the Atlanta Chapter of Mizrachi Women at the first Victory Dinner Dance on Sunday, June 27. McGill will be honored at the Beth Jacob Social Hall for his outstanding contribution to American-Israeli relations.
■ Three of five major Atlanta Jewish leaders declined to comment on this week’s decision by Reform Judaism to admit homosexuals into the rabbinate at the Central
■ Mr. and Mrs. Herman Poliakoff of Charlotte announce the engagement of their daughter, Sandra Joy Poliakoff, to Dr. Herbert Stanley Kalin of Quitman.
■ Craig and Julie Rubin of Roswell announce the birth of their twin daughters, Isabella Lauren and Jessica Aileen, on Dec. 3, 2004.
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LOCAL NEWS
Another Hot Day in June
J
ohn Slaton was feeling the heat in June 1915 when, in the final days of his second term as Georgia governor, he commuted Leo Frank’s death sentence to life in prison. So it was appropriate that the midday temperature approached 95 degrees Wednesday, June 17, as about 80 people turned out to honor Slaton at the unveiling of a historical marker outside the Atlanta History Center off West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead.
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Photos by Michael Jacobs
A: Former Gov. Roy Barnes, whose wife is the granddaughter of one of Leo Frank’s lynchers, praises the courage of John Slaton. B: John W. Wallace Jr. speaks on behalf of fellow descendants of John Slaton. C: Van Pearlberg, a former Cobb County prosecutor who is Georgia’s senior assistant attorney general, is a regular speaker about the Leo Frank case.
D
D: Temple Kol Emeth Rabbis Steve Lebow (front) and Erin Boxt lead the priestly blessing at the end of the ceremony. E: Georgia Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias (left) and Cobb County Superior Court Chief Judge Stephen Schuster talk after the unveiling ceremony. F: Sheffield Hale, the president and CEO of the Atlanta History Center, supplements his duties as the ceremony’s host by keeping a replica of the Slaton historical marker from blowing off its easel in the gentle breeze providing occasional relief from the heat.
B
G: Cobb County Superior Court Chief Judge Stephen Schuster emphasizes that the Cobb of today is far different from the Cobb where Leo Frank was lynched.
E
H: Jerry Klinger, the president of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, explains the Latin phrase he found on Leo Frank’s grave marker in New York, semper idem (always the same). I: Shelley Rose from the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast Region office in Buckhead explains how the Frank case galvanized the ADL, formed in 1913. J: Georgia Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias addresses the importance of standing up for the rule of law.
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LOCAL NEWS
Honoring a Man of Courage
Marker unveiled for the governor who tried to save Leo Frank
S
ave for one act, Georgia Gov. John Marshall Slaton would not receive such attention a century after he left office. His achievements as governor — protecting a state-owned railroad from competition, devising a tax equalization system, paying teachers’ salaries in full and enhancing the state’s financial reputation — do not explain the acclaim he receives today. Save for one courageous act. On June 21, 1915, just days before leaving office and in the face of overwhelming public hostility, Slaton commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence given Leo Frank after his conviction for the murder of Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old Marietta girl who worked in the Atlanta pencil factory Frank managed. A marker honoring Slaton was unveiled Wednesday, June 17, on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center along Slaton Drive, just off West Paces Ferry Road and close to the Slaton family home. The plaque reads in part: “Concerned by the sensationalized atmosphere and circumstantial evidence that led to the notorious 1913 conviction of Jewish businessman Leo Frank in the murder of teenager Mary Phagan, Slaton granted Frank clemency in June 1915. Slaton’s commutation of Frank’s death sentence drew national attention but hostile local backlash resulted in Frank’s lynching in August 1915 and the end of Slaton’s political career.” The marker was erected by the Georgia Historical Society, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation and the Atlanta History Center. “One hundred years ago, on a hot Georgia day kind of like today, a group of prominent Georgians and a mob gathered together to celebrate the lynching of a Jew. We gather together 100 years later to celebrate one of the few prominent Georgians who stood up against the mob and to celebrate, really, the rule of law,” said David Nahmias, an associate justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Two months after Slaton stood tall in defense of the rule of law, Frank was abducted from the state penitentiary in Milledgeville and driven to Marietta, where he was hanged Aug. 17, 1915 — the only known lynching of a Jew in the
Before his ar- Georgia of racial prejudice is unfair. A United States. rest, Frank was conspicuous Jewish family in Georgia Slaton (1866the president of is descended from one of the original 1955) had a long an Atlanta lodge colonial families of the State. Jews have career in public of B’nai B’rith, been presidents of our Boards of Eduservice. He repwhich founded cation, principals of our schools, Mayresented Fulton the Anti-Defama- ors of our cities, and conspicuous in all County in the tion League in our commercial enterprises.” Georgia House Slaton acted after reviewing thou1913 to counter of Representanot only anti- sands of pages of documents from the tives and served Semitism but also trial. He was hanged in effigy. A mob as speaker of the other forms of estimated at more than 1,000 people House, then was bigotry. The Frank attempted to march on the governor’s elected to the state case spurred the home and was rebuffed by troops from Senate. He was apADL’s growth. the Georgia National Guard. The resultpointed acting govA century later, ing fury briefly drove him and his wife, ernor in 1911 after Shelley Rose, the Sallie, from the state. Hoke Smith was The marker honoring Gov. John Marshall “John Slaton defined his moment senior associate elected to the U.S. Slaton stands along Slaton Drive, just Southeast region- in history,” said Van Pearlberg, a MariSenate and served south of West Paces Ferry Road and east of the Atlanta History Center. al director of the etta resident and the senior assistant until 1912. He later ADL, hailed Sla- attorney general of Georgia. He noted was elected governor in his own right and served from ton, telling the gathering that he “made that Slaton contrasted himself with the right decision, and he stood by his “another governor who turned a Jew 1913 to 1915. over to a mob,” a reference to Pontius John W. Wallace Jr., a great-great- principles.” In his commutation order, Sla- Pilate and Jesus. nephew of Slaton’s, accepted the honor Slaton, Pearlberg said, “chose the ton downplayed the issue of prejudice on behalf of his family. Slaton’s act of courage has been against Jews as a result of the Frank harder right rather than the easier remembered in stage, screen and tele- case: “The charge against the State of wrong.” ■ vision productions. He’s likely the only person portrayed by both of the original “Odd Couple” actors: Walter Matthau in an episode of the television program “Profiles in Courage” and Jack Lemmon in a TV movie about the Frank case. In a recent opinion piece for the Marietta Daily Journal, Rabbi Steven Lebow of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb wrote: “Looking back at the last century, only two Georgia governors will be recognized as political heroes. Only two governors sacrificed their careers in Georgia, in order to do the right thing. The most recent was Roy Barnes, Leo Frank 100th who lost his bid for re-election in 2003 (in part) because he had championed Yahrzeit Service, removing the Confederate Battle symbol from the Georgia Flag.” Sunday, August 16, 2 pm Barnes attended the unveiling and, though not a scheduled speaker, was invited to address the 80 people at Frank lynching site: the ceremony. “This day is long overdue,” said Frey’s Gin Mill and Barnes, lauding Slaton for “courage Upper Roswell Road in the face of fear and hatred” and lamenting “how the best of our community” came to hate so much as to resort to murder. Rabbi Steven Lebow “You cannot be from Cobb County and not know about Leo Frank,” Ravlebow@aol.com Barnes said. His wife’s grandfather was Face Book: Rabbi Lebow: a member of the lynching party, whose “Leo Frank: Falsely Accused, Wrongly Convicted...” organizers included prominent resi7 dents of Marietta and Cobb County.
1915-2015 It’s been 100 years! Isn’t it time to finally exonerate Leo Frank?
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com
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Etgar 36 Founder Gets $5K Grant Billy Planer, the founder and director of Etgar 36, has received the annual $5,000 Mintz Family Foundation Award for Creative Jewish Education. Etgar 36 is a cross-country travel program for Jewish teens. Its goal is to inspire teens to become engaged politically and socially. “I was the youth director at Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Buckhead for a number of years,” Planer said. “I decided they could and should do deeper and better programming for the teens than just doing our annual trip to Disney World.” Planer said the grant money will enable Etgar 36 to be more affordable. “We’re also on our 13th summer trip,” he said. “So we’re going to have a big bar mitzvah party in January, which is basically a huge reunion for kids who’ve gone on trips, as well as friends and supporters of the program, so it will help with that as well.” Etgar 36 is traditionally a summer program, but day schools and youth programs across the country have hired Etgar 36 to create and run smaller versions during the school year. MACoM Hires Director The community mikvah under construction beside Congregation B’nai Torah now has a director. Abby Horowitz is the first executive director of the Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah, MACoM announced Monday, June 22. The Dartmouth College graduate has nonprofit experience with Cornell University Hillel, the Fine Arts Work Center and Emory University Campus Life. She has a master’s in Jewish studies from Emory and a master’s in creative writing from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers. She grew up in Albany, N.Y., and lives in Decatur with husband Eli and children Gavi and Meir. Full-Time Director for Women’s Fund The Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta has announced that Rachel Wasserman will become the fund’s first full-time executive director July 1. She has served as the part-time director since 2012. The decision to make Wasserman’s role full time reflects the three-year growth of the fund, which now has 86 female trustees and recently announced $100,000 in grants to eight Israeli and seven Atlanta organizations. “Rachel is the consummate professional. She is strong, smart, positive and inspiring,” said the fund’s outgoing chairwoman, Ilene Engel. “JWFA is blessed to have Rachel guiding us.” Wasserman, one of the Atlanta Jew-
ish Times’ 40 Under 40 in 2014, is a Brown University graduate with master’s degrees from Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. “I am so appreciative to the trustees for giving me this chance to work with them on our collective mission, which fills my heart every day with so much pleasure and inspiration,” she said. Expanded Eruv Is Up The Sandy Springs eruv was restored to operation in time for the second Shabbat in June. Unrelated construction work had left parts of the eruv’s virtual walls in disrepair for almost three months. The restored eruv has expanded northward past Glenridge Drive to the south side of Interstate 285. The western and eastern borders are little changed — basically Lake Forrest Drive on the west and Ga. 400 on the east — but the eruv now ends at West Wieuca instead of reaching Interlochen Drive in Buckhead. An eruv is a virtual enclosure that makes a public space private, allowing items ranging from a prayer book to a tallit to a house key to be carried and baby carriages to be pushed without violating Shabbat observance. Congregation Beth Tefillah and The Kehilla are within in the eruv. Or Hadash Director Resigns Congregation Or Hadash Executive Director Bruce Warschoff has resigned, effective when the Sandy Springs synagogue hires a replacement, President Fred Wachter announced to the congregation June 10. Warschoff has worked for Or Hadash for more than five years. “Bruce’s passion, dedication and commitment to the Or Hadash community is reflective of his personality and has been a tremendous blessing for all of us who have had the opportunity to know and work with him,” Wachter wrote. A search will be conducted for a new executive director. Kaplan Honored for Disability Work Atlantan Shelley Kaplan, a national advocate for inclusion of people with disabilities within the Jewish community, served as the honorary chair at the National ADA Symposium of about 900 people in Atlanta from May 10 to 13, The event celebrated 25 years of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Kaplan, who has worked in the disability support field for 35 years, received the 2015 National Humanitarian Award at the event. Last year Kaplan received the Guardian of Zion Award from the Jewish Educators Association of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
ISRAEL
Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home
Rise in Muslim tourism. The number of people visiting Israel from Arab countries is increasing. From January to May, 14,200 tourists came from Jordan, Egypt and Morocco. Major benefits for Israeli Arabs and Druze. The left-wing Ha’aretz newspaper called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new initiatives that benefit Israeli Arabs “praiseworthy” and “revolutionary.” These initiatives address housing shortages and education. The Israeli Cabinet also approved a $500 million-plus, five-year plan to develop Druze and Circassian communities. Israeli vets aid in Georgia flood rescue. A day after severe floods sent ani-
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Water-saving tips in California. Israeli water technology experts went to Sacramento to demonstrate smart ways to secure water from a desert. The demonstrations included recycling of wastewater, desalination, detection of leaky pipes and different charging structures for water purity. Beautifying Wikipedia. Israel’s Wikiwand interface takes content from a wiki page and redraws it in a more aesthetically pleasing format with extra elements such as a table of contents, maps and drawings to make information more accessible to users. The interface recently received a Webby Award for best user experience. Israeli scientists discover tiny nearby galaxy. Scientists from Tel Aviv University and the University of California have discovered a dwarf galaxy containing over a million relatively new stars. The galaxy, called the NGC 5253 dwarf galaxy, was hidden by clouds of dust. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com, israel21c.org and other news sources.
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AT L A N TA F I N E H O M E S . C O M | 4 0 4 . 2 3 7 . 5 0 0 0 © MMXV Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Moss by Melissa Payne Baker, used with permission. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.
Atlanta History Center
filming
John Ford Samuel Fuller George Stevens
from Hollywood to Nuremberg
Israel Photo of the Week
More Than a Drop To Drink
Many years of drought in Israel, coupled with an increased demand from the rapidly growing population, drained the country’s limited water resources. Jewish National Fund (ww. jnf.org) has worked to alleviate Israel’s chronic water shortage, primarily through the construction of recycledwater reservoirs that have increased the water supply by 12 percent. Not only has JNF helped build more than 200 reservoirs over the years, but it also has established the JNF Parsons Water Fund to address the threat of future water challenges.
Through 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 26 ▪ 2015
Interfaith Encounter Association wins peace prize. The founder of the Interfaith Encounter Association, Yehuda Stolov, and its assistant director, Salah Alladin, were this year’s winners of the $10,000 Institute of International Education Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East.
mals from Georgia’s Tbilisi Zoo toward the city streets, a team of veterinarians from Tel Aviv’s Ramat Gan Safari and Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo arrived in the Georgian capital to advise zoo officials and help dispense medicines and anesthetics.
George Stevens and his crew, France, 1944 © Courtesy of the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, CA
Micro-antenna for stomach cancer. Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are developing a tiny antenna that can be inserted into the stomach via an endoscopic tube to detect and treat early-stage cancers too small to be treated by current methods. At present, doctors must wait until a tumor is large enough to be treated.
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OPINION
Our View
True Courage
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
Courage,” “bravery” and similar terms are thrown around far too much in politics. After all, what is an elected official putting at risk when he or she takes a principled stand? Cruel comments from the public? Criticism from the media? A premature exit from public life, often accompanied by an earlier opportunity to cash in post-politics? Even political suicide is not the end; it’s just the start of something different. So believe us when we say that John Slaton showed true courage, not just political backbone, when he took a principled stand in the final days of his second and last term as governor of Georgia. Slaton risked his life to try to save another. That’s not hyperbole. After the governor commuted Leo Frank’s death sentence to life in prison June 21, 1915, Slaton needed the protection of the Georgia National Guard to escape the mob at the inauguration of his successor a few days later. The death threats forced Slaton and his wife to flee the state when his term ended; they didn’t move back for a decade. Much has been said and written about Slaton in the century since he declared the evidence against Frank to be unconvincing and thus rejected the ugly, hate-filled will of the people. He has been idealized on the big and small screen as a profile in courage and shamelessly attacked by cynics and Frank-haters as the poster child for conflict of interest because one of his law partners served on the Frank defense team. But the shame belongs to all of us who call Georgia home that somehow it took a full 100 years for Slaton to receive the public honor he has always deserved in the city where he made a long career devoted to the rule of law. We thank the history organizations and concerned individuals whose tireless pursuit of justice led to the unveiling of a Slaton marker June 17. It doesn’t matter that Frank died less than two months after the governor spared him, the only Jewish victim of a lynching in U.S. history. What matters is that Slaton decided the rule of law was worth the risk to his own life. “We need to remember those who stood tall in defense of the rule of law, to inspire all of us who need to stand tall when the rule of law is again threatened, as it is in one way or another almost every day,” Georgia Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias said at the unveiling ceremony. Why did Slaton surrender his own safety in what proved to be the fruitless effort to save the life of someone so many of his fellow Georgians despised? It was simple: When he did his due diligence, he found ample reasons to doubt Frank’s guilt, and he embraced the unassailable principle that the state requires absolute certainty to kill a citizen. “I can endure misconstruction, abuse and condemnation,” Slaton wrote in the commutation message, “but I cannot stand the constant companionship of an accusing conscience, which would remind me in every thought that I, as a Governor of Georgia, failed to do what I thought to be right.” Would that we all were so driven by conscience 10 to do the right thing. ■
AJT
Conflicting Truths on NIF
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tended to help organizations hold Israel to its ideals, hree little words have become the most divisive phrase to hit Jewish Atlanta since “Charles the criticisms from those groups fuel anti-Israel propaganda. As NGO Monitor reported, the new U.N. Stanley.” Human Rights Council report critical of Israel’s conNew Israel Fund. NIF alternately is portrayed as one of the bright- duct during last summer’s Gaza war frequently cited NIF-funded groups, such est lights among nonprofit as B’Tselem, Hamoked, groups devoted to helping IsBreaking the Silence and rael achieve its ideals and be the Association for Civil a light unto the nations and Editor’s Notebook Rights in Israel. as one of the greatest Jewish By Michael Jacobs Today’s issue inthreats to the survival of mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com cludes the final columns Israel as a Jewish state. we will print about NIF The frustrating reality for the near future. My for the majority of us — those who may have heard of NIF and the opposition decision to institute a cooling-off period arguably favors the anti-NIF side, which gets the temporary last to it, such as efforts to prevent its participation in word — George Birnbaum’s column responds to the New York City’s Israel Day Parade — is that it’s hard adjoining column from the Atlanta NIF Council. On to filter the facts from the spin and the name-calling the other hand, we ran two news articles in which and the accusations on both sides. It’s even harder NIF’s Libby Lenkinski explained and defended NIF to reconcile the angry back and forth with the good before we ran any NIF-related opinion pieces. intentions and devotion to Israel of people who are Beyond any disputes about fairness, however, coming to verbal blows over NIF. we couldn’t keep going back and forth in print. We The people I know in Atlanta who are involved were rapidly approaching, if we hadn’t reached, the with NIF believe in an Israel that is democratic and point where the claims and counterclaims were losa haven for the Jewish people. Most if not all oppose ing any impact on our readers. boycotts of Israel and believe that Israel ultimately The print moratorium is not meant to stifle can live in peace only as part of a two-state solution. debate. As I discussed in this space a week ago, good It’s worth noting that the Jewish Women’s Fund Jewish arguments don’t end and don’t have winners of Atlanta just made a grant to NIF for its work with and losers. But the process requires an acceptance Ethiopian-Israeli women. That $2,600 grant repreof good intentions on both sides, and the latest colsents the consensus of more than 80 women comumns reflect no such mutual respect. mitted to the Jewish community and Israel. I ask everyone concerned about NIF to let the At the same time, it’s hard to ignore that NIF has argument rest through our Fourth of July holiday. supported groups that many Atlanta Jews oppose. The week of July 13, the debate may resume online (I Some of those organizations, while not backing general boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, hope on a revamped AJT website), where any errors or misleading comments can be addressed immedo back BDS targeting the West Bank. Any legitimadiately. And we offer to host a more formal debate, cy given to BDS, no matter how limited, strengthens whether real or virtual, to help our community the global movement to delegitimize Israel. understand the issues surrounding NIF. ■ In addition, while NIF’s grants might be in-
OPINION
Yasher koach to George Birnbaum, Hank Sheinkopf and Ronn Torossian for their exposure of the New Israel Fund (“Unmasking the New Israel Fund,” June 19). NIF provides financial support to several groups that call for sanctions against Israel, even if it claims to oppose BDS. Indeed, its online policy statement asserts that “NIF will thus not exclude support for organizations that discourage the purchase of goods or use of services from settlements.” Of course, the real goal of many of those NIF-funded groups is the dismantling of Israel. Boycotting “settlements” is merely a less controversial way to get sanctions rolling — and once they are started, they will eventually extend to anything Israeli. It is revealing, too, that NIF vigorously fought a recent Israeli Supreme Court ruling that will allow possible legal action against organizations propagating BDS. It is fortunate that there are many worthy organizations and charities in Israel that genuinely work to alleviate poverty and abuse among all sectors of society while not collaborating with those sworn to Israel’s destruction. Doron Lubinsky, Sandy Springs
Defending Settlements
I really don’t see why groups such as the New Israel Fund have a problem with Israeli settlement activity. Israeli communities in Judaea and Samaria (aka “the West Bank”) are built on land that Israel liberated from an illegal occupier (Jordan) in a defensive war. The communities cover only 2 percent of the disputed land and are in areas of strategic importance to Israel. In addition, the communities provide desperately needed employment opportunities for Palestinians. Those jobs are the best antidote to the anti-Jewish invective that spews from mosques, schoolrooms and media outlets in much of the Muslim world. If the Palestinian leadership were really seeking peace with Israel, it would welcome such Jewish-Palestinian cooperation. Nor do I understand why the New Israel Fund would oppose Israel’s efforts to make the participation of Israelis in the BDS movement illegal. Omar Barghouti, a founder of the BDS movement, has openly admitted that the movement seeks the dismantling
of the Jewish state. Just this month, the initial meeting of the Two States, One Homeland Initiative, a joint Israeli-Palestinian group that seeks to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict, had to be postponed because of threats from BDS activists who oppose any “normalization” of relations between Israelis and Palestinians. I believe that Israel must remain a Jewish state as well as a democracy. I would hope that all pro-Israel groups would emphasize the Israeli narrative. Toby F. Block, Atlanta
Stop Arguing
I am a Jewish woman, first-generation American, and I grew up with a grandfather who hollered, a father who hollered and now have a husband who hollers. I have a stomachache at every meal because of this. And you are saying it is a Jewish thing to argue (“Something to Argue About,” June 19)? My grandmother, mother and I grew up at a dinner table where the man made the pronouncement of what the family’s opinion was on any given issue, and I can’t remember a time that there were any good intentions — only a desire to win, humiliate and dominate. Maybe you saw an episode of “Frasier” where a mother and daughter engage in a tear-filled argument and come away hugging, but that is not the case in my family or most of the families I know who have this dynamic. You postulate that maybe the magic of Jewish argument holds the key to countering the dangers of assimilation and intermarriage. Wow, is that the only thing you could think of? I have a husband who likes nothing better than a good argument, but only one where the purpose is to make another person feel bad. My children have vowed to break this vicious cycle. If arguing means being authentically Jewish, I am coming back as a genteel Southern Methodist lady in my next life. I’ve had enough arguing to last a lifetime. Arguments should be saved for life-or-death decisions. Name withheld, Duluth Let Us Hear From You The Atlanta Jewish Times welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. Letters generally are 350 or fewer words; guest columns can run up to 700 words. Send submissions to mjacobs@ atljewishtimes.com, and please include your town of residence and a phone number. For columns, we usually include a photo of the writer. We reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, style and accuracy but will not change the meaning.
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
Letters to the Editor Exposing NIF
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OPINION
The Truth About NIF
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
n George Birnbaum, Hank Sheinkopf and Ronn Torossian’s fictitious column “Unmasking the New Israel Fund” (June 12), the trio claims to benevolently “uncover the truth” about the New Israel Fund. In reality, their only aim is to further distort the truth about NIF. While each and every one of the false charges made in their article merits refutation, the most egregious and outrageous is that NIF is “an organization dedicated to and supportive of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.” We believe that the Jewish community here in Atlanta is too smart to fall for these dirty tricks, and we’d like to take a moment to demonstrate just how bald-faced this charge is. Allow us to present three key, undeniable facts: • Not only does NIF vocally oppose the BDS movement, but it also refuses to fund organizations that have BDS programs. This is not just a paper policy. There was one instance (out of the more than 1,000 organizations that NIF has funded over the years) of a group funded by NIF that supported BDS. NIF cut off the group’s funding. • NIF actively works to defeat boycotts of Israel. Just last month, as FIFA was preparing to debate a proposal to ban Israel from international competitions, NIF Israel Executive Director Rachel Liel (wife of a former Israeli consul general to the Southeast, Alon Liel) wrote a letter to the president of FIFA urging that body not to expel Israel from worldwide soccer. • Investment is the opposite of divestment: NIF invests upward of $20 million in Israel every year. Since its founding over 35 years ago, NIF has funded over 1,000 different organizations that advocate for the values that we in the Jewish community here hold so dear: democracy, equality, religious freedom and social justice. The resources collected from NIF donors overseas go toward empowering Israelis on the front lines of the struggle to make Israel a more equal and democratic society. The public defamation exposed here does not end with NIF. Birnbaum, Sheinkopf and Torossian are part of a tiny but vocal movement that, in the interest of promoting an extremeright-wing agenda, are quick to smear respected organizations and individuals in the American Jewish community. 12 Today they are coming after NIF
AJT
because they object to NIF’s liberal values. They hate NIF’s opposition to the settlement enterprise in the territories and NIF’s belief that a two-state solution is essential if Israel is to remain both a Jewish and a democratic state. Furthermore, their attacks erode the standards of respectful debate, which have always been the hallmark of the American Jewish community.
Guest Column From the NIF Atlanta Council (chaired by Shai Robkin, left)
And by defining their own boundaries for what it means to be pro-Israel based on their own worldview, the trio erodes our community’s ability to defeat the BDS movement. After all, it is NIF’s progressive bona fides that make it among the very best defenders of Israel against the BDS movement. As Israeli journalist Ari Shavit (most recently in Atlanta in support of a Birthright fundraiser) wrote this month concerning leftleaning college students who may be attracted to BDS: “Trying to sell them the Gush Emunim (settler) agenda won’t work. Only a liberal Zionist message can foment change. Only liberal Zionists can generate enthusiasm and provide inspiration. Only Israelis who believe in the two-state solution can confront those Israel-haters who believe in exactly what the right believes in — one state.” It is shameful that just a few weeks ago Mr. Birnbaum utilized a speaking platform provided to him by a venerable organization like Israel Bonds to attack NIF. And it is tragic that he and his colleagues would rather spend their time and energy pushing people out of our community than having constructive conversations to build broader support for the Jewish state. It is up to us — up to all of us — to reject this approach. ■ This column represents the consensus view of the Atlanta Council of the New Israel Fund, chaired by Shai Robkin. In addition to Robkin, the following council members specifically signed off on this piece: Steve Berman, Heidi Einhorn, Lois Frank, Leah Fuhr, Robin Kramarow, Charles Miller, David Minkin, Glenda Minkin and Judy Lipshutz.
With NIF, Follow Money
O
ne of the more famous quotes of William Shakespeare, “Methinks thou dost protest too much,” gives insight into human nature. The louder or more vitriolic one protests, the more one is usually trying to distract from the truth. The response by the New Israel Fund’s Atlanta Council to the article co-written by Hank Sheinkopf, Ronn Torossian and myself is full of vitriol and protest that we say to NIF, “Thou dost protest too much.” Even though the NIF Atlanta leadership claims to want “civil debate,” it launched a personal attack, including attacking my positions while representing them inaccurately. Rather than resort to the baseless vitriol typical of NIF, we would rather stick to facts and truth. Fact 1: The NIF council claims that we “hate NIF’s belief that a two-state solution is essential if Israel is to remain both a Jewish and a democratic state.” The reality is that while NIF positions itself in the United States as a moderate organization, in Israel it is shunned as extremists by the left, right and center. From the Labor Party to the ruling Likud, from fiercely secular Yair Lapid to the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, all say that a boycott of any sort against Israel is blatantly anti-Israel. NIF does not oppose a boycott of goods and services from the West Bank. The issue with NIF is that it works to destroy Israel as a Jewish state, not whether it supports a two-state vs. one-state solution. NIF works around the world against the Israel Defense Forces. We accept political differences; we don’t accept boycotts against the state of Israel. Fact 2: The NIF council claims that “Birnbaum, Sheinkopf and Torossian are promoting an extreme-rightwing agenda.” We stand with the state of Israel, and much like Haim Saban and Sheldon Adelson, who recently held a noteworthy conference to oppose a boycott, the three of us, who have many political differences, have only one agenda: We stand with the state of Israel. Fact 3: The Atlanta council claims that NIF is against the BDS movement. The facts indicate otherwise. Before the Israeli Supreme Court, petitioners who sought permission to advocate boycotts of Israel were NIF-funded organizations, including Gush Shalom,
Adalah — the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. Fact 4: NIF supports organizations that support the families of terrorists. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered law enforcement to destroy the homes of the families of terrorists who had murdered Jews, Hamoked petitioned the Supreme
Guest Column By George Birnbaum
Court on behalf of the terrorists and their families. Hamoked is a grantee of the New Israel Fund, which provided $688,901 in grants from 2008 to 2013. Fact 5: Two other NIF-funded organizations — Breaking the Silence and B’Tselem — published wellpublicized reports slandering the IDF’s conduct during Operation Protective Edge. These reports contribute to the delegitimization campaign against Israel and give the international community false information to help level harsh criticism against Israel. Thus, for example, Fatou Bensouda, the head prosecutor at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, which is conducting a preliminary investigation into the events of Operation Protective Edge, noted that her office will use Breaking the Silence’s report. Fact 6: Anyone who is confused about NIF’s intentions should apply an old adage in politics and criminal justice — “to get to the truth, just follow the money.” The simple truth is that NIF’s money trail leads to organizations, foundations and NGOs that directly harm Israel through BDS, anti-IDF movements and a general delegitimization of Israel in the international community. A simple review of some of the grantees that have received NIF money, and hence Jewish donor money, can be viewed at www.ngo-monitor.org/article/new_israel_fund. Don’t take our word for it, and don’t take NIF’s word for it. Simply look up the facts and decide. Some of these organizations’ history, rhetoric and actions are in complete contrast to what NIF claims is its mission. Our goal is simply to stand with Israel. All one has to do is review NIF’s grantee list to know if you stand with Israel, you cannot stand with NIF. ■
SOUTHEASTERN NEWS
Savannah’s Breman Shift
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
Other options included the Sylvia he archives at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Center have grown by about 20 percent at the College of Charleston and the with the addition of the Savannah Jew- Carolina Center for Jewish Studies at ish Archives. The Savannah collection consists of about 175 linear feet of material, 6,000 photographs and 150 oral histories about the port city and the Chatham County Jewish community from the 1750s to now. The Breman’s Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History became the home for the materiSavannah Jewish Archives General Photograph Collection als after the Savannah This undated photo shows Gottlieb’s Kosher Delicatessen, which was located at Whitaker and Duffy streets in Jewish Archives and Savannah before moving to Bull and 43nd streets. Savannah Jewish Federation searched for a the University of North Carolina. place offering increased access. The Breman will make the collec“We determined that the logical choice was the Breman Museum in At- tion available to researchers, historilanta, which collects Jewish historical ans and students around the world. Breman board members Judith items from all over the state of Georgia,” said Kaye Kole, one of the found- Taylor, Laura Dinerman and Jerry ers of the Savannah Jewish Archives. Rosenberg guided the process the past The Savannah Federation’s board eight months. Once the Breman integrates the voted unanimously to deed the collection to the Breman based on the recom- materials, the museum intends to use mendation of a committee composed the Savannah items in programs, exof Edwin Byck, Jeff Kole and Susan hibitions and online to expand their availability. ■ Lieber-Lozada.
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SOUTHEASTERN NEWS
Church Massacre Outrages Jewish Leaders
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he fatal shooting of nine people Wednesday night, June 17, at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston brought reactions from the Jewish community across the country. Dylann Storm Roof, 21, was arrested in North Carolina and has admitted
carrying out the massacre after sitting through a prayer meeting for an hour. A rambling online manifesto believed to be connected to Roof decried “Jewish agitation of the black race.” “In my opinion the issues with jews is not their blood, but their iden-
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
alpharetta : cumming : duluth : dunwoody : johns creek : marietta
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tity,” the manifesto reads. “I think that if we could somehow destroy the jewish identity, then they wouldnt cause much of a problem. The problem is that Jews look White, and in many cases are White, yet they see themselves as minorities.” The Anti-Defamation League expressed horror and sorrow at the shooting and pointed to indications that Roof is a white supremacist. A photo on his Facebook page shows Roof with two flag patches, one from apartheid-era South Africa and the other from whiteruled Rhodesia, both of which are used as symbols by white supremacists. “The shooting rampage at Emanuel AME Church evokes memories of the bombing that killed four black schoolgirls at a church in Birmingham, Alabama, more than 50 years ago. That tragedy was a wake-up call for all of us, and this one should be too,” ADL National Director Abraham Foxman and Southeast Regional Director Mark Moskowitz said a joint statement. “As the people of the city of Charleston and the state of South Carolina remember the lives of the nine individuals murdered at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, I, along with my family, the consulate staff, and the Israeli community at large, offer our sincerest condolences,” said Ambassador Opher Aviran, the consul general of Israel to the Southeast. “This brutal act of violence exposes the threats democratic societies like ours face when hate rears its ugly head. We condemn in the strongest terms this senseless act carried out against innocent victims gathered in a house of worship, a place that should serve as a refuge and place of inspiration. The people of the state of Israel mourn with you in this exceedingly difficult time.” Aviran sent letters to South Carolina leaders to convey condolences to the families and community. “Israeli-Americans across the country are heartbroken and horrified at the mass killings in Charleston. This despicable act struck especially deeply because it violated a house of peace and worship,” said Shawn Evenhaim, the chairman of the Israeli-American Council. “We stand with the Charleston community, the people of South Carolina and all Americans in offering our deepest condolences and prayers.” “This horrific massacre of innocents at prayer is extreme depravity,” said Rabbi Noam Marans, the American Jewish Committee’s director of interreligious and intergroup relations.
“We are shocked beyond words that someone could enter a house of worship in our country and commit such a horrific crime.” B’nai B’rith International condemned the shooting at the church, a Charleston fixture since 1816: “Attacking people as they pray is the height of depravity.” The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean, and Yitzchok Adlerstein, the director of interfaith affairs, said in a joint statement that the center was horrified. “All Americans are again confronted with the specter of a house of worship violated and our religious freedoms violently debased.” The Jewish Federations of North America said: “To target peaceful worshipers for no apparent reason other than the color of their skin is abhorrent and horrendous. A house of worship should and must be a place of sanctity and of peace, a safe haven for all rather than a target of terror.” The Orthodox Union expressed outrage at the “heinous attack.” “This act of senseless violence and brutal terror has no place anywhere in the world, but particularly not in a house of worship. Indeed, the perpetrators have violated all houses of worship with this vile attack,” the OU said. Rachel Lasser, the deputy director of the “heartbroken” Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said: “For all congregants — from the youngest children in religious school, to young professionals engaged in religious life, to longtime stalwarts of the community — houses of worship are places of safety, comfort and inspiration. For the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church to have become a place of such horror tears at the heart of every person of faith and goodwill.” The RAC, which advocates tougher gun control laws, said the shooting is a reminder that people who want to cause harm can too easily get guns. “This incident is not merely another example of horrific gun violence in this country, it is also another example of the toxicity of racial inequality and prejudice that plague our society,” Rabbis Ron Segal, Brad Levenberg and Elana Perry wrote in an email message to Temple Sinai members June 18. “It is our sincere hope that communities of conscience will take even greater action in the future to respond to the anguish wrought by intolerance and to end the threats fueled by racial hatred. But today, we simply mourn.” ■
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BUSINESS
Israeli Capital Seeks Home in Atlanta efforts. He has been involved with Israel on many levels for years and has traveled there more than 20 times. • Mier Matana is a principal of Atlanta-based Crown Holdings Group, a real estate company creating opportunities in the Southeast in multifamily housing, retail and real estate development. He was born and educated in Israel and has experience
Business Sense By Al Shams
in law, finance, real estate and investment banking. • Norman Radow was born and educated in New York and holds a law degree from New York Law School. He has extensive experience in real estate litigation and transactions. In 1994 he formed Radco; one of its first projects was the redevelopment of the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown. The panelists were in general agreement on these items: • Many Israeli investors saw Eastern Europe as an attractive region because of its proximity to Israel (within a two-hour flight); lack of development during 50 years of Communist rule; availability of vast land at low cost; proximity to major population centers in Western Europe; large population of people eager for employment; and governments seeking economic growth. • But that analysis proved flawed. Israeli investors did not anticipate the vast corruption, chaotic regulation and confiscatory laws that combined to render the region undesirable for large capital infusions. • Israeli investors looked for another region favorable for invest-
ment and decided that the U.S. Southeast scored high because of U.S. adherence to the rule of law; lower levels of corruption; fewer arbitrary confiscatory rules; relatively stable governments; and title insurance, which is important for institutional investors because it reduces confusion in the sale of real estate. Why have Israeli investors zeroed in on Atlanta? (From left) Abe Schear, Randall Foster, Norman Radow and The panelists cited Meir Matana gather to discuss Israeli capital coming to Atlanta. the efforts of Mayor Kasim Reed and Gov. Radow, while positive about Nathan Deal to seek outside capital, es- Atlanta, mentioned that the city and pecially from Israel, to a dynamic area the metro area have some important with great growth potential. needs that must be addressed, includThe Southeast offers a good ing water infrastructure, transporlifestyle and relatively low costs in a tation alternatives and highway right-to-work region with good infracongestion. structure, low taxes, and a pro-growth The panelists agreed that more attitude. Plus, Hartsfield-Jackson Inter- Israeli capital will find an inviting national Airport makes travel easier. reception in Atlanta. ■
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
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s Jews living in the United States, we are accustomed to viewing Israel as a country seeking help and capital to promote growth. But things are changing: Israel is becoming a source of capital for the U.S. economy. Conexx and law firm Arnall Golden Gregory held a breakfast meeting June 11 on “Atlanta’s Rise as a Deal Making Portal for Israel.” Translation: A growing number of Israeli institutions and individual investors are seeking real estate opportunities in Atlanta and the Southeast. Israel’s tremendous economic growth the past 15 years has dramatically increased the capital available for investment. Israel has a total land area approximating that of New Jersey, and much of that land does not lend itself to development. Barriers to entry are high, and prices have escalated dramatically the past 10 years. So it makes sense for Israelis to seek real estate investment opportunities outside Israel. Also, when you consider that the country is surrounded by enemies, it makes sense to diversify wealth to another part of the world. Randall Foster, the managing director of FOCUS Investment Banking and chairman of Conexx’s Invest in Israel committee, served as the panel’s moderator. Foster reviewed the dramatic growth of the Israeli economy; it is now second only to Silicon Valley as a hotbed for technology startups. He also mentioned the contribution Conexx has made to growth. The panelists: • Abe Schear is a senior partner at AGG and practice leader of the firm’s global real estate and Israel business
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SIMCHAS
Financial Planning for Your Child’s Simcha
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
azel tov! Your child has been given a date for a bar or bat mitzvah weekend. Many of us feel conflicting feelings of absolute joy and sheer fear. What kind of event will my child want? Will we be able to afford it without dipping into our retirement funds? These are normal feelings. As a father and a financial adviser who just celebrated a daughter’s bat mitzvah, I can offer some advice that might be helpful. To our family, Isabelle’s bat mitzvah was a magical weekend, a culmination of an incredible journey, including her Jewish studies and her maturing into a Jewish woman. While there are many ways to have a bar or bat mitzvah celebration, it was important to my wife and me that Isabelle had input into the event. No matter what you choose for your mitzvah weekend, there is one universal truth: It requires planning. The decisions and details appear over-
AJT 16
whelming, but planning and getting your finances in order will help you feel more in control. • Start early. Two simchas require planning in the life of a Jewish child: a bar or bat mitzvah and a wedding. You
Guest Column By David Skid david.skid@morganstanley.com
do not need to begin saving immediately after the bris or baby naming. However, the earlier you start, the more comfortable you will be dealing with them financially. Even though you will not know the exact goal amount when you begin saving, you know the event will happen at a certain point in the future. Giving yourself time to be financially prepared will be helpful in making the decisions when the big days approach. • Decide what suits your family. The type of mitzvah weekend your
family desires and the associated cost are inextricably linked. Many celebrations are child-focused, while others include friends of the parents. Expenses can vary dramatically if your celebration is only for your child’s friends or if you include adults. The number of children you have may also affect your decisions. Will you have multiple b’nai mitzvah? Depending on their ages, will any of them celebrate their weekends together? Some families tie their mitzvah weekend to a destination trip, perhaps to Israel, to commemorate the occasion. Ultimately, it is important to do what feels both special and comfortable for your family. • Invest your money strategically. Depending on your timeline and your appetite for risk, consider investing some of your mitzvah savings in growth-related investments and begin shifting toward more secure assets as the event draws near. By the time you are three to five years away, a majority of the money should be fairly safe and secure. Within a two-year timeframe, keeping
the money in a money market fund will likely provide the most security and liquidity. • Ask the pros. Consider working with an event planner. With their years of experience, event planners can decrease your party planning stress and save you money as a result of their relationships with vendors. Additionally, having someone with your family to assist during the actual weekend will allow you to be fully engaged in the moment with your family. For our family, we would not have changed a thing. All of the time and energy spent planning Isabelle’s weekend were worth it. We felt in control of the process and were able to fully immerse ourselves in the simcha. While her party was everything we wanted it to be, my wife and I will forever remember our pride seeing our daughter called to the Torah. ■ David Skid, a certified financial adviser and certified financial planner, is the executive director and financial adviser at Vantage Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley, Atlanta.
SIMCHAS
Caterer Clears First Hurdle For $100,000
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atlanta 's only event space wi th
ocean vi ews.
YOUR GUESTS WILL NEVER FORGET THE EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE WAITING FOR THEM at Georgia Aquarium. Through two large observation windows in our ballroom, they’ll come face-to-face with fascinating animals from around the globe. Whether you’re hosting a wedding, bar/bat mitzvah or other memorable simchas, our flexible space can be customized to create a unique, personalized setting for your special occasion. Complementing this dramatic scenery, Wolfgang Puck Catering also maintains a kosher kitchen with innovative cuisine to elevate your one-of-a-kind event. Email booking@georgiaaquarium.org or visit us at GeorgiaAquarium.org/book-your-event | 404.581.4126 | WHERE IMAGINATIONS GO TO PLAY. |
Georgia Aquarium is a not-for-profit organization, inspiring awareness and conservation of aquatic animals.
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
andy Springs-based kosher caterer For All Occasions and More has passed the first test in Chase Bank’s Mission Main Street Grants program. Needing a minimum of 250 votes from supporters in the first phase of the program, For All Occasions surged to 339 by the June 19 deadline. The voting took place through Facebook. For All Occasions owner Jodie Sturgeon said she pushed hard with Facebook, email, Twitter and LinkedIn to get the necessary votes. It’s not clear how many of the small businesses applying for the grants made the cut, but For All Occasions was one of 39 of 126 applicants with Atlanta mailing addresses to advance. The caterer has outlasted more than two-thirds of the local applicants. Only 20 businesses in the nation will receive the $100,000 grants, to be announced in September. Sturgeon hopes that the way she entered the competition is a meaningful sign. She didn’t know about the Mission Main Street program until she got an email from Chase that looked like just another advertisement. “I never click on that email,” she said, “but something told me to click on it.” The annual competition is open to any for-profit business that has operated at least two years and has fewer than 100 employees. If Sturgeon wins, she will use the money to improve transportation and kitchen productivity. She wants to upgrade from her two work vans by buying a bigger truck, possibly with refrigeration. She also wants to improve the workflow of her parve kitchen at Atlanta Jewish Academy. She said she would remove an unusable dishwasher in the middle of the room and put a self-contained, hood-free convection oven in its place to do parve baking. For All Occasions bakers now have to walk to AJA’s meat kitchen to access a parve oven, “which is a little schlep,” Sturgeon said. She said a new oven would streamline the process and increase productivity, so For All Occasions could offer more parve cookies and other baked goods at reasonable prices. ■
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File Name: 15AQUA1405_ATLJewishTimes_Celebration Live: NA Client: Ga Aquarium Trim: 6.667”W x 11.75”H
Color: 4C Process Built @: 100%
SIMCHAS
Wedding Spindel-Owens
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r. and Mrs. Bennett Herzfeld of Dunwoody announce the marriage of their daughter, Geri Dawn Spindel of Knoxville, Tenn., to Wesley Andrew (Andy) Owens of Knoxville. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Owens of Powell, Tenn. The bride is also the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. G.D. Spindel Jr. of Alpharetta. The bride and groom had a barefoot beach wedding attended by close friends and family. The bride’s daughter, Gilliann Reiss Costerisan, was the flower girl and gave her mother in marriage. After a honeymoon on James Island, S.C., the bride and groom, with daughter Gilliann, will make their home in Knoxville.
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Engagement Taffel-Cox
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r. Duane Cox and Sandy Taffel announce their forthcoming marriage Saturday, July 11, 2015, in a private, backyard Jewish wedding at their home in Marietta. Mrs. Taffel is the daughter of the late David Cohen and the late Ann (Wolf) Cohen. Dr. Cox is the son of Arthur Cox and Lois (Garrett) Cox. The bride-to-be has been a small-business owner the past 20 years. The groom-to-be is a retired dentist and inventor. He is involved in numerous projects, including H3O2 synthesis and new dental products.
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SIMCHAS
Kosher on Cue
B’nai Torah member rolls with barbecue trailer By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com
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can cook up to 60 racks of kosher beef ribs or 30 whole briskets at a time. The trailer was completed in October. To haul it, Marks had to trade in his GMC Yukon for a 2015 Ford F-150. In May, the Marcus Jewish Community Center sponsored Food Truck Thursday at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody for the first time. Marks was there with his trailer and partnered with Jason Adler, the mashgiach of Congregation Beth Tefillah, to kasher it. To be approved, the smoker was heated to 650 degrees for an hour. Marks also wrapped tefillin inside the trailer with Chabad Rabbi Levi Mentz before the event to make it official. “The JCC food truck night I consider as my grand opening,” Marks said. “I sold out of 100 pounds of kosher beef ribs there in an hour and a half. Now I have people that are booking me through January and people who are looking into bar and bat mitzvahs a year down the road.” Despite launching at a food truck event, Marks is quick to say that his trailer is not a food truck, and he is focused on catering festivals and events. The high cost of kosher meat, he said, makes it a gamble to operate as a food truck and guess how many customers to cook for. “When I do a private event, I know exactly what my numbers are.” Besides his kosher meats, Marks offers two signature sides: a vinegarbased coleslaw and cowboy caviar. The barbecue pitmaster also can cook up different styles of smoked meats. “I like to offer to my guests whatever style of barbecue they like,” he said. “I can do Carolina style. I can do Texas. If they want Kansas City style, that’s what I’ll make. When I’m dealing with customers and figuring out what kind of barbecue they are going to like, that’s what kind I’m going to make.” ■
Left: Before the Marcus JCC’s food truck event May 14, Keith Marks wrapped tefillin with Rabbi Levi Mentz. Top right: Keith Marks hopes that Keith’s Corner Bar-B-Que will be a hit at festivals and special events. He can be reached at 404-250-1227 or keith.kcbbq@gmail.com. Inset: Marks poses with a slab of his kosher beef ribs.
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
eith Marks has loved barbecue for as long as he can remember. As a kid in Columbia, S.C., he spent summer evenings around a barbecue pit with his dad and two brothers. Marks loved cooking so much that he studied hospitality and restaurant management at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island but wound up running a logistics business and settled in Atlanta in 1992. A chance email set him on a path back to his barbecue roots. Now the Congregation B’nai Torah member has launched Keith’s Corner Bar-B-Que (www.keithscornerbbq.com), Atlanta’s first kosher food trailer of its kind. “When I was operating my logistics business, I felt a void because I wasn’t cooking,” he said. “There was an email that went out from B’nai Torah that Temple Beth-El in Birmingham needed teams for their kosher barbecue competition. So I got a few guys together, and we went and competed in 2011. That year we didn’t win any awards, but in the offseason we started re-creating our recipes together, and that’s what really sparked Keith’s Corner Bar-B-Que. I knew at that point I was going to end up going full force.” Marks and B’nai Torah members Brian Mailman and Matt Dixon started competing on the kosher barbecue circuit. Before long, the crew had taken home trophies from several major contests in the United States, including grand champion at the 2013 Long Island Kosher BBQ Championship. The team’s love of barbecue led it to spearhead the first Atlanta Kosher BBQ Competition at B’nai Torah in 2012. Marks, Dixon and Mailman will chair the next edition Oct. 18. Last summer, Marks took the leap with his plan to create a barbecue trailer for catering at festivals and private events while also using it to compete in barbecue competitions nationwide. “I’m here to help the community in learning what kosher barbecue is about,” he said. “A lot of people think barbecue is about sauce, but what it’s really about is letting the meat stand for itself. It’s all about balance.” At over 26 feet long, the Keith’s Corner Bar-B-Que trailer features a 30-gallon freshwater tank, three sinks with running water, air conditioning, and a Stump’s gravity-fed smoker that
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SIMCHAS
The Art of Photo Entrepreneurship Chuck Wolf clicks with digital creativity By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
huck Wolf, one-time king of national camera retailers, is back with a concept meant to accommodate technology that didn’t exist when Wolf Camera ruled the industry. Chuck Wolf’s Photo Design Bar offers a range of services for shutterbugs of every ilk, including turning digital images into prints, art and other objects and digitally archiving prints. Wolf Camera went bankrupt in 2001 and was taken over by Edward Ritz, the founder of Ritz Camera and a relative of Wolf’s. That company also failed, largely because of the advent of smartphones with built-in cameras. “I merged with my cousin when I had to. Digital came around, and we weren’t selling as much. Also, I had bought Fox Photo, but it was not the right time to buy. A lot of people got out due to digital,” Wolf said during an interview at his new store in Buckhead. “I knew it was coming, but I didn’t think it would come that quickly,” he
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said about the rising popularity of the mobile devices that undermined Wolf Camera. “Camera sales were lowprofit anyway, but you had to have them.” Wolf left the photography business for a decade and started Photos by Kevin Madigan an ad and marketAt 73, Chuck Wolf has returned to the photo business with his Photo Design Bar in part, he says, because “I really enjoy talking to people.” ing firm, WC+G Ad Logic, which is thriving. “Our biggest account is Kauff- to print them to see what the result Wolf said many customers are man Tire. Has been for eight, 10 years. would be. Now it’s great because they transferring photos onto canvas as We do all their advertising,” the affable can pick out the right picture before wall art. Classes in Photoshop and edit73-year-old said. “I don’t give up my day they turn it into us, and we turn it into ing are available. job (at Ad Logic), but I’m here a lot be- art,” Wolf said. “We print better qual“We put your pictures on mugs, cause I really enjoy talking to people.” ity than anybody, and we care about it. bags, clothing. We just did a lamp the The Photo Design Bar has a multi- That’s our goal. We all used to put pho- other day. It’s the creation of art décor. tude of choices for customers. tos in albums. Now we can do photo We can do anything,” he said. “At Wolf “Right now there are billions of books where you can write whatever we always worried about selling more images taken every day, and lot of them you want to, do different sizes in the cameras, more film. Now we sell a serare not being printed. Before, you had same book, be creative.” vice, and we’ll hold your hand.” ■
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SIMCHAS
Mag-nificent Sticking Around Company to launch app and franchise By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com
Schedule your next event at the Newly Renovated Wyndham Atlanta Galleria. → 10 Million Dollar Renovation - Just completed!! → Kosher Menu Available → Three Elegant Ballrooms to choose from → Heated Indoor/Outdoor pool → Complimentary parking & shuttle → Conveniently located just off 285 From a lavish signature affair to smaller, intimate gatherings, we can accommodate every wish for your ceremony. Schedule your tour today with one of our professional event planners!
6345 Powers Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30339 (770) 955-1700 www.wyndhamatlantahotel.com
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
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n the summer of 2011, two friends set out to reinvent the way Atlanta celebrates events. The idea wasn’t new, but the market was. Israeli Roey Shoshan witnessed an emerging trend of instant photo magnets at weddings and b’nai mitzvah in his home country and saw an opportunity to bring the same business to the Southeast. The Bar-IIan University graduate and business partner Andrew Levison began taking photos at events and printing them on magnets as souvenirs for guests. Four years and 450 events later, Mag-nificent (www.mag-nificent. com) has grown into a full-fledged player in the Atlanta event industry. Now the two are ready to take their business into uncharted territory. “We want to expand,” Shoshan said. “We feel that Atlanta should be the home base of what we do because we’ve proven this concept works, but we want to go to more cities. In order
The colorful photo magnets to do that, we have to show that from Mag-nificent offer eventAtlanta and other places can be a specific borders that Shoshan, the success.” current young-adult director at the Mag-nificent has a devoted Marcus Jewish Community Cenlocal following, and Levison and ter, designs himself. Levison has Shoshan have a plan to establish worked full time on Mag-nificent a national presence within the since 2012 and operates the com$280-billion-a-year event industry. pany out of DeskHub in Buckhead. The business partners have Mag-nificent has launched its started franchising their operation first franchise outside Atlanta in and are in the final stages of develWashington, D.C. After they release oping an app for event attendees their event photo app, Shoshan to take their own photos and have and Levison plan to help entreprethem produced on printers while neurs across the country replicate they wait. The app will also have Andrew Levison (left) and Roey Shoshan hope to what they have done in Atlanta. an option to order prints of any bring the Israeli-inspired Mag-nificent to new cities. “We feel that this app can take photo and have them delivered to us to the next level and really make the user’s home. keting opportunity that Mag-nificent’s this business something that you can The partners have expanded Mag- branded photo magnets provide. nificent’s operations beyond the origi“These big companies have franchise,” Shoshan said. “That’s the nal mix of weddings, birthdays and found that our service provides a re- top of the mountain for us. We want b’nai mitzvah to include corporate, ally unique marketing opportunity,” he to be able to offer someone who is insports and nonprofit events. Mag-nif- said. “There’s all sorts of giveaways out terested in operating their own busiicent boasts big-name clients, includ- there, from T-shirts to stress balls, but ness to come join our team and start in ing JPMorgan Chase, Dunkin’ Donuts, to put your branding somewhere that whatever city they want. The model has Domino’s and the Atlanta Hawks. Ac- people see every day and are going to been proven to work in more than one cording to Atlanta native Levison, the put on their refrigerators, there’s really city. There’s no reason that it shouldn’t work in yours as well.” ■ shift is a result of the distinctive mar- not much else like it.”
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SIMCHAS
‘Dream Team’ Triumphs
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ooking at the competition, Nancy Joffre didn’t think her team had a chance to walk away with an Allie Award, but what she called “my dream team” was victorious. The five finalists for best team effort on an event costing over $50,000 included some of the heavy hitters in the Atlanta area’s event industry. As for the firms that worked with Joffre on a construction-themed event at Ponce City Market more than year before the April 19 awards gala, “we’re all kind of small shops,” Joffre said. “I’m a one-person show, so for me it was incredibly exciting,” said Joffre, who was attending her first Allie Awards at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. The Allies are the Atlanta event industry’s annual awards for quality and creativity, and Joffre’s dream team made the dream of winning come true. The heavily Jewish team was led by Joffre’s Celebration Concierge and included Sandra Bank’s Added Touch
Catering, Doris Geller’s Event Savvy, Jason Kagan and Aaron Payes’ KB Events (the offspring of Krazy Boyz DJ), and Active Lighting and Design. Joffre hired the rest of the team, other than Active Lighting, which Event Savvy brought on board. “We have very good rapport with each other,” Joffre said of herself, Bank, Geller and the Krazy Boyz. Now they also have a shared Allie. “We all contributed something,” Joffre said. “I was sort of the team captain,” working to ensure that the night was what the client wanted. The award announcement said the team turned a “construction site into construction chic. Who knew construction could be so stylish?” Joffre said the award means a lot
because it was judged by fellow members of the event industry. “Any kind of event you put on, any kind of big event, is a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” she said. ■
Viridian Images Photography
The winning team, including Nancy Joffre (second from left), Doris Geller and Jason Kagan at the lectern, accepts the Allie for best team effort. Sandra Bank missed the awards gala because she was in South Africa.
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
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©2014 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, Le Méridien and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.
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JUNE 26 â–Ş 2015
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SIMCHAS
CELEBRATE
at
MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY
Event Industry’s Best The 25th Allie Awards were handed out April 19. Among the winners:
Planning Discipline • Best Event, Corporate Association Over $20K: Mint DMC, Gulfstream Suppliers and Operators Conference • Best Event, Corporate Association Under $20K: Allied PRA, Be the Highlight of the Show • Best Social Event Over $20K: Your Event Solution, Raise the Torch • Best Public Fair or Festival: Destination South Meetings & Events, Mad Scientists Hit Downtown Atlanta
Design Discipline • Best Floral Design: Legendary Events, Coming Up Roses • Best Non Floral Design: Let’s Celebrate, Mitchell’s Hunger Games • Best Themed Event Décor: Your Event Solution, Raise the Torch • Best Tabletop Design: Bold American Events, Snowy Winter in the Woods
Cuisine Discipline • Best On-Premise Catering: Bold American Events, Google Holiday Party • Best Off-Premise Catering: Added Touch Catering, Construction-Themed Bar Mitzvah • Best Menu Presentation: Hyatt Regency Atlanta, VIP Chef’s Table • Best Menu Design: A Divine Event, a la cARTE: An Exclusive Showing
BAR/BAT MITZVAHS SHABBAT DINNERS BRUNCHES REHEARSAL DINNERS CEREMONIES rich, beautiful rooms and table settings full-service bars with an extensive selection of wine, spirits and champagnes authentic, chef-prepared italianamerican dishes served buffet or family style skilled banquet managers experienced in a wide range of social, religious and cultural events
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
PERIMETER
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Wedding Planning & Design Discipline • Best Wedding Over $20K: TOAST Events, London Calling • Best Wedding Under $20K: Distinctive Design Events, Vintage Wedding • Best Wedding Floral Design: A Divine Event, First Love • Best Wedding Photography: Renee Brock Photojournalist, One Enchanted Day • Best Cake Presentation: Cherokee Town & Country Clubs, Duck, Duck, Turkey • Most Creative Wedding Venue: A Divine Event, First Love
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SIMCHAS
Good Deeds Get Noticed
Hochdorf receives humanitarian Allie
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utton It Up owner Sharon Hochdorf received the prestigious Dale Riggins Humanitarian Award at the Allie Awards ceremony April 19 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. The annual Allie Awards, launched in 1991, recognize excellence in Atlanta’s event industry. The Humanitarian Award was added in 1994 to honor “an individual who donates time, talent, effort and expertise to community services both within our industry and in our community,” according to the Allies website. “The recipients of the award are among the most honored luminaries in our industry.” Hochdorf, whose company produces digital photo novelties for events, received the award for her frequent donations of photo options to charitable events, such as the Kate’s Club and the FARE Walk for Food Allergies annual fundraisers, and for her gifts of excess products, such as rolled ink and photo frames, to schools. The donated items often are used for student art projects. She was an in-kind sponsor for
this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, donating red-carpet photos printed on site and using social media to make those shots available for posting or sharing from the event. Her husband, Roger, nominated her for the award. In business, Hochdorf has been active in the event community for 28 years. Previously Roswell residents, the Hochdorfs have lived in Alpharetta for 13 years. They are members of Congregation B’nai Torah, where their two now-adult daughters attended Hebrew school. The girls also went to preschool at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, where Hochdorf was a teacher from 1989 to 1995, and to Camps Alterman and Barney Medintz. While attending Centennial High School, the girls were active in BBYO. Hochdorf is a lifetime member of Hadassah and participates in some ORT activities. Commenting that she
Viridian Images Photography
Sharon Hochdorf’s surprise is clear as she arrives onstage to accept the Dale Riggins Humanitarian Award on April 19.
always wants to do more, she said: “The business takes so much of my time. That’s why I try to give back through donating services and products.” In addition to Atlanta, Button It Up caters to the Orlando and Chat-
tanooga markets, offering traditional photo booth services as well as open digital green screen options; b’nai mitzvah and corporate flip books; photo buttons, magnets and keychains; and graffiti wall and Instagram photos. ■
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
By Leah R. Harrison
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SIMCHAS
Giving the Gift of Nature
LOTEM includes those with special needs in Israel’s outdoors By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com
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xperiencing nature is a favorite pastime of many Israelis, but what about those who are unable to enjoy the great outdoors in traditional ways? Based in the north of Israel, LOTEM (www.lotem.net/?page_id=386) is offering accessible hikes and nature activities to people with special needs. At the Emek HaShalom (Valley of Peace) Nature Park in Yokneam, the partnership region of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, LOTEM helps more than 30,000 people a year participate in nature activities. The definition of special needs has expanded over the years for LOTEM and now ranges from people who are wheelchair-bound or have other physical impairments to children on the autism spectrum to women and children who are victims of domestic violence. LOTEM’s director of development, New Jersey native Alisa Bodner, visited Atlanta the week of June 15 and chatted
about the 22-year-old organization, its Jewish National Fund partnership and its quest to be inclusive. AJT: So what is LOTEM exactly? Bodner: LOTEM enables people with special needs to experience nature. So whether that’s buildA wheelchair-bound LOTEM guide works with students ing accessible hiking from the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. trails or leading hikes around the country for people who It’s a real problem if as a society there’s have never been in a forest, a child in a a sector who can’t enjoy or be part of wheelchair, a man who was injured in the national pastime of Israel, which is his IDF service and is blind, or children hiking. So by enabling people to hike on the autism spectrum, we give them on nature trails, we are really being a the gift of nature and the land of Israel. more inclusive society. AJT: Why is nature an important gift to give? Bodner: In Israel, everyone goes out to nature and hikes. People with special needs were being left behind and weren’t able to experience that.
AJT: What is LOTEM doing specifically to include these groups? Bodner: In addition to the actual building of accessible hiking trails, we lead hikes for special needs schools, group homes and people who wouldn’t
Alisa Bodner
ordinarily be able to go on a hike. Some of them don’t even know what a tree is; their whole existence is indoors, treatment after treatment. We also run an ecological farm in the north of Israel outside the city of Yokneam where we educate people with special needs from all over Israel about ancient agriculture. In the summer we run the only wheelchair-accessible wine press in the world so they can actually press the grapes with their wheels alongside their able-bodied friends or family.
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
AJT: Tell me about your partnership with JNF. Bodner: We are a partner organization of the JNF, so when we’re talking about funding in the United States, JNF is our main source. So if donors want to make a gift to the JNF, they have an opportunity to designate where their gift will go, and since we are a partner, donors can designate their gift to LOTEM. We also have partnerships with the Israeli government.
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AJT: So are you inclusive with your donors as well? Bodner: What’s very important for us is to share the work we are doing with others. Values that we impart in LOTEM are something that other societies can learn from. Therefore, thanks to the partnership with JNF, we are really able to engage other communities around the United States. One of these wonderful projects we have is called Mitzvah to Mitzvah, where bar and bat mitzvah youth can select LOTEM as their tzedakah project. Taking it a step further, if and when they come to Israel, they can actually lead a hike with our special needs participants and with one of our guides. We also throw a celebration for them on the farm. So it’s not just about giving tzedakah; it’s about actually coming to Israel and being part of the project. ■
SIMCHAS
Bar Mitzvah Hike Unites Dad, Son
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n the summer of 2009, Congregation Beth Tefillah member Jeremy Tepper celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah in Israel and raised more than $2,000 for LOTEM as part of its Mitzvah to Mitzvah program. Tepper, whose father was left disabled by a 1982 diving accident, felt a personal connection to LOTEM and its work with special needs children and adults. After his bar mitzvah celebration, Tepper and his family hiked on LOTEM’s inclusive trail at Emek HaShalom outside Yokneam. It was the first time that Tepper and his father, Dr. Mitchell Tepper, had been able to hike together in nature. “It’s not something you get to do all the time,” said Tepper, now 19. “Hiking is one of the most memorable parts of any trip to Israel, so to do it with my dad was really a great experience.” During their time at Emek HaShalom, the Teppers commemorated the event with cake at the farm with LOTEM staff members. For Tepper’s father, who works with people who have disabilities, hiking on the LOTEM trail was a special experience. “What would typically happen,” he said, “is that I would take a path that is accessible to me, and then when we get to a place where I can’t go, I’d have to stop and just watch. I would never be able to participate alongside my family unless we were on a paved path. On LOTEM’s trail I was able to go everywhere they went.” Jeremy Tepper is now a sophomore at Georgia State University and is majoring in computer science. Three years ago, he started Tepper Photography (tepperphotography.com) to shoot photos at events. He said he would love to see an organization in the United States do what LOTEM has done in Israel for people with special needs. “My dad and I were just in Miami and worked with an organization called Shake a Leg that does adaptive sailing, kayaking and snorkeling for people with all kinds of disabilities,” Tepper said. “So to see that more in different areas would certainly be great.”■
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SIMCHAS
Planning a Party Close to Her Heart
Barbara Roos-organized gala raises $2M for juvenile diabetes By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com
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hen Barbara Roos planned Atlanta’s first Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Gala 20 years ago, she was thrilled to raise $125,000. Never did she dream the event would raise $2 million for research into juvenile diabetes, a milestone the organization hit this year. “It was a big, big accomplishment to us,” Roos said. “I’m a goal person. I think I would have been devastated if we hadn’t. Now I’m on to a bigger goal
for next year. I’ve proved we could raise $2 million, so I’m on to something else.” In addition to reaching her fund raising goal, Roos and her husband, Duke, were honored when the JDRF’s Georgia Chapter Living and Giving Award was renamed the Barbara and Duke Roos Living and Giving Award. “It was quite an honor,” Barbara Roos said. “It was exciting for us.” While Roos said the event was amazing, it also was bittersweet for a woman who lost her daughter, Debbie Roos Hoppenfeld, to complications from juvenile diabetes 18 years ago.
“Of course, the cause has broken my heart,” Roos said. “It’s been a haul. We felt like we did her proud that night.” Juvenile diabetes isn’t as simple as avoiding sugar, Roos said. The disease can affect the heart, kidneys and eyesight. “I’ve personally seen it all,” Roos said. “I would never let my daughter wear the wrong kinds of shoes because your feet
Duke and Barbara Roos helped raise $2 million at this year’s gala to fight the disease that killed their daughter.
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don’t heal. A blister can put you in a life-threatening position.” Through the course of her daughter’s disease, Roos had to witness, among other things, neuropathy, which made Hoppenfeld throw up daily. Toward the end of her life, Hoppenfeld was legally blind, went through kidney failure and had a heart attack at age 32. But, despite the toll diabetes can take on the body, life is much easier now for diabetics than it was more than 20 years ago when her daughter was diagnosed, Roos said. Blood sugar testing is easier and offers instant results, and insulin pumps make the lives of diabetics much easier. But a cure for diabetes has not been found. “The only organization that has found a cure for a disease is the March of Dimes when they found a cure for polio,” Roos said. “I would like to put the JDRF down on that list.” That’s where the $2 million raised this year comes in. Roos, a party designer by trade, plans to continue heading up the JDRF’s annual gala as long as she can. A party designer since the 1990s who now works for Bold American Events, Roos has planned events for U.S. presidents since Jimmy Carter was in office, and this year she will plan her 20th gala for Jane Fonda. She’s also into her second generation of b’nai mitzvah for whom she has planned parties. But of all the parties and events she has planned, none is closer to her heart or more successful than the JDRF Gala. “Of all the galas I have seen, I have never seen $2 million raised,” Roos said. “It is a phenomenal organization, and it’s one of the most successful. I cannot reiterate enough how great their staff is. Unbelievable. We were proud. Proud, proud, proud.” ■
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SIMCHAS
Party Express Rocks Toward Milestone By Jon Gargis
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fter nearly 25 years, Party Express continues to roll. Since March 1991, Party Express by Tevyeh (tevyeh.com) has performed at weddings, b’nai mitzvah and corporate events around Atlanta. Producing the live-band, DJ and interactive entertainment shows for the Jewish-owned firm is Vlad Gorenshteyn, the managing partner and one of the company’s DJ/MC personalities. His father, Alex Gorenshteyn, was one of the company’s founders and remains its musical director. It’s not unusual for Vlad Gorenshteyn, the second generation of his family in the business, to meet secondgeneration customers — and even some with much longer connections to the company. “We have some families coming to us that the father of the bar mitz-
Tips on Selecting Simcha Entertainment
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
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vah was the bar mitzvah himself, and sometimes it goes even further — we did the father’s bar mitzvah and now their daughter is getting married,” Vlad Gorenshteyn said. “It’s really interesting that we’re able to have that connection, really an intimate experience on our end, because we get to be a part of multigeneration events in some cases.” Toco Hills resident Rose Anne Schulman has hired Party Express for three b’nai mitzvah, two weddings and several shul parties. Most recently, she hired the band to perform at her son’s wedding in Cincinnati. “I brought them in because they play a variety of music. We wanted traditional music, and we also wanted modern music. They’re they only band I know that can do all of that,” she said. “I didn’t want just ‘Hava Nagila’; anybody can put on the copy of ‘Hava Nagila.’ I wanted a lot more variation, and I wanted a lot of Jewish music.”
arty Express by Tevyeh’s Vlad Gorenshteyn and Betsy Shaw Kramer, the company’s director of fun and entertainment, shared a few tips on booking a band or DJ for a bar or bat mitzvah or a wedding. • Make booking the entertainment your priority. “Our recommendation is to book entertainment first since a lot of venues have multiple ballrooms, and caterers are able to cater multiple events in one day,” Kramer said. “However, a good entertainment group does not typically have a clone that they can send out to two events in the same day.” Gorenshteyn said his company is typically booked six to 18 months in advance, so those who want to secure a specific entertainment company for their special day should be prepared to move quickly. • Reputation is key. “It’s important that the entertainment company has an impeccable reputation and is actually able to produce the vision and meet their clients’ expectation,” Kramer said. “This is typically evidenced in publicly available feedback, conversation with past clients, and multimedia examples of the type of work that the entertainment company does.” “Trust is No. 1 — reputation,” Gorenshteyn said. “I think that folks rely on their friends oftentimes, but I think it’s also very important, in the comfort of your own home, to look up ratings and reviews and make sure that piece of the puzzle” fits. • Meet your music makers. Kramer suggests setting up a face-to-face meeting with someone from the entertainment company to better determine the energy it can bring to your event, its capabilities, and its level of confidence and experience. “In other words,” she said, “a gut check: Can I work with these people or not?” She added: “When we first meet with clients, this is an opportunity for both us and them to decide if we’re a good match for each other. On our end, we do a lot of listening to make sure we understand what the individual client’s needs are. We also know how to ask the right questions because for many of our clients, it is the first simcha that they’ve planned, so they may not know what they want. My job is to work with the client and help them bring their vision to reality.” ■
She added: “A good band makes a good party. You can even almost get away with bad food, but if you have a bad band, it’s bad. If the food’s not good, people will generally just get up and eat something, whatever, but if the music’s bad and you don’t have the spirit in the room, if you will, it’s not much of a party.” But Schulman said that at her son’s wedding, “everybody left dancing in the aisles, so to speak.” The support of families like Schulman’s is one of the reasons the company has thrived, Alex Gorenshteyn said, adding that the community’s desire to invite Party Express musicians to be a part of their celebrations has been “an extremely humbling experience.” He also attributed the company’s success to its desire to provide the best shows “and energy that is too contagious to ignore.” Vlad Gorenshteyn said he aims to bring that passion and energy to every event, no matter whether it’s a family simcha or a corporate gathering. “It gives me sort of a level of satisfaction in my soul, one, because my team, we’re entrusted with somebody’s special event, and for many people, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs. With corporate work, you have companies (that may have) hundreds of years of a brand and reputation, and we have to be an extension of that brand and represent them and make them look good, whether it’s a product launch or they’re thanking their employees for a great year,” he said. Gigs “are all the same to us in the sense that we make an emotional connection with the crowd. We’re very passionate about that, and we’re delighted when we see people smiling and dancing and enjoying a great time. “That’s why we do what we do. It’s not a job for us.” Party Express finds time to lend its services to Jewish causes and events, from synagogue groundbreakings to anniversary celebrations, community leader recognitions and fundraisers. “With what little time we have remaining after performing at our scheduled performance commitments, we try our best to support our community because it feels good and because the community supports our craft,” Alex Gorenshteyn said. “One cannot exist without the other.” In January, Vlad Gorenshteyn served as the DJ at the Epstein School’s daddy-daughter dance. He “is wonderful to work with. The kids love him. He’s a big hit at the parties,” said Renee Videlefsky, who served as co-president of the Epstein
www.atlantajewishtimes.com of children of the HoloSchool PTO. She also had caust, children of Darfur. Vlad Gorenshteyn provide It’s very appealing to us bethe entertainment at the cause we work with kids all bar mitzvah of her son and the time, and kids are our b’not mitzvah of her two future, so what is a better daughters; her extended cause than investing into family has also hired his children? We’re blessed company. with talents, and we’re Videlefsky also lauded happy to share that.” Party Express’ contribu“We love this particutions to the Daffodil Dash. lar cause because the race Vlad Gorenshteyn warmed remembers the millions up the crowd before the of children that perished race March 29, providin the Holocaust and also ed post-race music, anVlad Gorenshteyn (back right) keeps the Party Express talent rolling to celebrations around the Atlanta area. raises funds for children nounced the winners and that are currently sufferintroduced the speakers. “He’s just been so cooperative and “The Daffodil Dash, that’s our big ing around the world today,” Alex Goeager to help us every year. It’s just cause,” Vlad Gorenshteyn said. “It cen- renshteyn said. “It’s a wonderful cause been heartwarming,” Videlefsky said. ters around children, in remembrance that everybody should participate in.” ■
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
SIMCHAS
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SIMCHAS
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I don’t mean to be heretical, but as Maimonides said in a hundred different ways, we must have a rationally open mind. And if we follow his lead, we must see a glimmering truth in the Chumash that’s rarely addressed by pulpit rabbis or Jewish scholars. It’s not a bland statement of fact — more a between-the-lines interpretation. It has to do with mixed marriage, conversion, integration — “outreach” may be a better word. I deduce that in the days of Moses and the initial homesteading of Canaan, Judaism in its formative years was much more open to non-Jewish mates — more so than even today, when the Greenbergs berate their daughter for marrying that fine Christian boy next door. If one stood by Marcia’s side in this bitter family debate, one could deliver a knockout punch by reminding the Greenberg parents that Moses, our foremost prophet and CEO, married a Midianite. Yes, we know he was raised in the Egyptian court — no Hadassah chapters there — and later wandered amid Midianite sand dunes — not many of us there, either. Later he was immersed in nubile Jewish ladies, yet he married Zipporah the Midianite. Obviously, it didn’t hurt his standing with his fellow Jews. The Chumash offers no rationalization of Moses’ departure from the fold. Shocking, but there’s not a word of rebuke that this reader can find. I don’t approve or applaud or condemn this strange event. I merely note it. And maybe this pairing wasn’t all roses and moonbeams. Some scholars suggest reading Exodus 4:24. Some commentators interpret this mysterious passage, wherein G-d considers killing Moses, to mean that Zippy (as Moses called her in affectionate moments) was initially opposed to the circumcision of Gershom. You read it; you decide. But back to our outreach theme. When the Chumash refers to the ragtag mob of fugitives at the Holy Mountain, it calls them a mixed multitude. Purity is absent. Evidently, the mob that navigated the Sinai was — you guessed it — “mixed.” Then, of course, we have Judah, our namesake. We are called Jews, short for Judah. Judah, the head of the
clan, marries a Hittite. David, member of the Jewish Hall of Fame, picks Batsheva, another Hittite. And when he is excoriated by Nathan the prophet, he is cursed because he caused the husband’s death, not
Scribbler on the Roof By Ted Roberts te11d@hiwaay.net
because he adds Batsheva, the non-Jew, to his harem. The son of this sin, Solomon, so beloved by G-d that he is the builder of the first Temple, is noted for lust for non-Jewish women. We were certainly a mixed multitude. And again our Bible finds no fault with Sol’s roving eye. Scripture is silent; it looks away. To top off our marital tolerance, we have Ruth, a non-Jew carefully selected by Boaz, who is in the line of the Moshiach. Our Moshiach, savior of the world, has a touch of the non-Jew in his bloodline. None of the above is to praise or recommend intermarriage. But our attitude was perhaps more open in the days of yore. I cast no judgment — simply an observation. Strangely, the Chumash repeatedly tells us to avoid contamination by Canaanite natives, yet when we have an Israelite-Hittite meeting under the chuppah, little is said. In every case — Joseph, Moses, Judah, David, Boaz, Solomon — the mating is ignored. When I discuss this with my Orthodox friends, they have an interesting and rational response: In the case of the pre-Sinai characters, they were not Jews in the full sense of the word. Yes, they were Israelites, but how could you be a Jew without the Torah? But still, I reply, they married outside the clan. Moses is especially puzzling because, though brought up in pharaoh’s court, he matured in a neighborhood as Jewish as Jerusalem. The same is not true of Abraham or Judah, who lived on streets without Hadassah chapters or JCCs. See what your rabbi says. ■ Ted Roberts is a syndicated columnist in Huntsville, Ala., who is happy to respond to reader comments.
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SIMCHAS
New Interfaith Community Comes to Atlanta
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nterfaith couples and families have a new resource to help them live Jewishly without being judged. “I don’t tell people what to do,” said Reconstructionist Rabbi Malka Packer, who brought the InterfaithFamily/Your Community initiative to town June 1 as the first director of InterfaithFamily/Atlanta. Atlanta is the sixth community to launch the program since 2011, after Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Washington is due to start in July. Interfaith marriage has long been seen as the prime challenge for American Jewry. In the Atlanta area, Federation’s last comprehensive community study, conducted nearly a decade ago, found not only 120,000 Jews, but also 30,000 non-Jews living with them. Atlanta was chosen to be the sixth InterfaithFamily site in part because of its demographics and in part because of local financial support for the program from Federation, the Michael and Andrea Leven Family Foundation, and the Marcus Foundation. InterfaithFamily’s approach, driven by data and by continual evaluation of programs, is to present a supportive community for interfaith families rather than offer criticism or guilt. The established model calls for: • Offering community-building and Jewish learning experiences to help families engage in Jewish life at home and in the community. • Advising people on connecting with one another and Jewish Atlanta. • Training Jewish organizations and professionals on welcoming interfaith families. • Connecting couples to clergy for lifecycle events and counseling. Rabbi Packer said she can be “independent and entrepreneurial” in how she applies those general approaches to meet Atlanta’s specific needs. She said the Reconstructionist rabbi in her comes out when halachic matters come up. She wants to help people be mindful and intentional in how they approach issues such as kashrut. “What does it mean to you? What’s the intent behind kosher laws?” Rabbi Packer said. “It’s not my job to judge.” Throughout, the intention is to be welcoming, maybe even as warm and welcoming as she has found Atlanta, her first Southern home.
She faces a big job. She has to get to know the community well enough to make referrals for families who need clergy. She has to conduct training so that, for example, a day school teacher will know how to respond if a student mentions having a Christmas tree at home. She has to work social media and maintain the InterfaithFamily/ Atlanta website (www.in-
Rabbi Malka Packer
terfaithfamily.com/elgg/ pg/groups/52068/atlanta). And she has to be available to provide counseling and other services — she already has two weddings lined up and is eager to perform same-sex ceremonies if the Supreme Court topples Georgia’s ban on such marriages. She’s hiring a project manager to help with the work, and she has support from the national Inter-
faithFamily organization. She is meeting with as many community members as possible to learn about the needs and the existing services and programs, and she said she is receiving enthusiastic responses. InterfaithFamily, which doesn’t charge for its services, is not competing with other institutions. Rabbi Packer is looking for partners, and she is not trying to change opinions about interfaith relationships. “I really see this as long term,” she said about her job in Atlanta. “I’m ready to settle down somewhere.” ■
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com
SIMCHAS
Catering Career That Wasn’t by Design Economic downtown has tasty payoff with Yum! By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
ood for Jewish holidays can be traditional yet fun. That’s a concept Ande Baron is hoping to introduce to local Jewish families through her catering company, Yum! For example, for Rosh Hashanah, Baron makes a Yom Tov Salad that is a play on the traditional apples and honey. It includes pomegranates, apples and honey Dijon vinaigrette. “I’m taking fresh ingredients and foods we associate with Rosh Hashanah, like apples and honey, and putting together a beautiful salad,” Baron said. Baron also makes an apple walnut bread and a caramelized apple kugel for the holiday. “You normally wouldn’t think of doing something like that for Rosh Hashanah,” Baron said. “It’s very delicious and different.” Baron started her catering business less than a year ago after a career in the design field. When the economy crashed, design work was one of the first areas that clients cut. “Unfortunately, design — especially the kind I did — was icing-onthe-cake work, and it just kind of went away,” Baron said. “Because I’m a little older, I don’t do web work or animation. I didn’t create apps. As people’s budgets dropped, so did people’s hiring of design firms. It was kind of hard for me.” So Baron decided she needed to
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3.93
reinvent herself. She went back to school to become a paralegal, but when interviews at law firms were hard to come by, she decided it was time to try to make something out of her love for baking and cooking. In the less than one year that Baron has been taking on clients, business has been going well. “I feel that I’ve been very, very fortunate,” Baron said. “I’ve bumped into people, and (they) have been like, ‘Oh, I’ve heard about your business, and I’ve heard really great things about it.’ The dream’s starting to become a reality. It’s really kind of exciting.” In the time Yum! has been open, Baron has catered cocktail parties, Shabbat dinners, Passover meals and Kiddushes.
She also caters kosher events, cooking everything in the host’s kitchen. “The people I have done this for have gorgeous platters and things that just complement the food so beautifully,” Baron said. “It’s a pleasure. It’s a change in environment. The whole experience is a lot of fun.” One of Baron’s kosher events was a luncheon hosted at Shirley Millender’s Sandy Springs home. “It was excellent,” Millender said. “Everything was very professional, and the food was very, very good. Everyone seemed to enjoy her menu and how she presented it. She did a beautiful job. She really cares about her clients.” You can reach Baron at 678-5921783 or ande.yum@gmail.com. ■
These are examples of Ande Baron’s catering work with Yum!
Ninth Series Maccabee % Bonds ($5,000 minimum) for 10 Years
3.78
Sixth Series Mazel Tov % Bonds ($100 minimum) for 5 Years
2.75%
Sixth Series eMitzvah Bonds ($36 minimum) for 5 Years
2.75%
(404) 817-3500 Atlanta@Israelbonds.com Development Corp. for Israel, Member FINRA Effective through June 30, 2015
“MEMORIES ARE WHAT WE CHERISH MOST”
Paula M. Gould P H O T O G R A P H Y
pm g photo. com ■ 4 0 4 -310 -20 94 pm g ph oto@m in dsp r i n g .c o m
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
— Pa u la M. Go u ld
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com
FOOD
Better Know a Bagel: Bagelicious The hunt for Atlanta’s best continues By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com
C
onsidered by many to be the crown jewel of Atlanta delicatessens, Bagelicious is where I headed for this edition of Better Know a Bagel. The godfather of metro Atlanta nosh factories has many fans, a great number of whom told me I couldn’t write about any other deli before I went to Bagelicious. So even though I grew up in East Cobb and I’ve eaten there hundreds of times, I found myself sitting at Bagelicious on a Sunday with my brother and dad, the invited bagel critics. Atmosphere Bagelicious has operated for nearly 25 years in East Cobb, building up a loyal following of bagel seekers and brunch goers along the way. This authentic delicatessen is a true throwback. New York sports memorabilia lines the walls, and the tables and chairs haven’t changed since at least 1995. Bagelicious still does not accept credit cards and does not have a
website, which goes to show how word of mouth and a devoted customer base can sustain a business even in 2015. Bagelicious is also well known in Atlanta for shop co-owner Carol Carola’s catering service. Diamond Caterers brings the deli’s authentic bagels, lox and schmear to hundreds of events each year. When we arrived at Bagelicious, there was a line out the door, and we had to wait 45 minutes to be seated. Verdict:
Bagels Creative Loafing called Bagelicious “an authentic New York deli experience in Atlanta,” and the bagels are exactly that. Firm on the outside and soft on the inside, these housemade discs aren’t oversized like some of their competitors, and they go down easy. Available in a variety of flavors, including blueberry, jalapeno, everything and sesame, these bagels are
enjoyed best with the house-made cream cheese or loaded up with kosher pastrami, corned beef or salami from the deli counter. In true New York tradition, the deli’s specialty bagelwiches are named after local personalities and landmarks. Try the Beau Bock Bagel, which comes with kosher salami, turkey breast, lettuce and mustard. Verdict: Spreads Looking into the display case at Bagelicious, the cream cheese looks more like a decadent gelato than a creamy bagel topping. It’s easy to mistake the walnut raisin for chocolate, and the strawberry looks good enough to eat in an ice cream cone. I have found in my many years of eating at Bagelicious that when you order cream cheese as a side, you get more than enough for two bagels. Coming in varieties like garlic, honey almond, jalapeno and lox, the schmear here is light and airy but heavy on flavor. Bagelicious also cuts its lox fresh in house, which gives it that authentic deli look, feel and taste. Verdict: Overall This beloved bagel institution has always been a terrific spot to chow down on fresh bagels, lox and classic deli fare. For out-of-town bar mitzvah guests and locals alike, I highly recommend a stop at Bagelicious. If you can deal with the crowds and long waits on weekends, this authentic deli will not disappoint.
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
Verdict:
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Left: The Bagelicious cream cheese display is like a gelato shop. Right: A toasted everything bagel is at the heart of this deli feast.
Week 4 Synagogue Softball Results Ariel def. Etz Chaim Ariel def. Beth Tikvah 1 Dor Tamid 2 def. Beth Shalom Young Israel def. Dor Tamid 2 Beth Tikvah 1 def. Gesher L’Torah Etz Chaim def. Gesher L’Torah Young Israel def. Emanuel Emanuel def. Beth Shalom Beth Jacob def. Or Hadash Beth Jacob def. Kol Emeth Kol Emeth def. Temple 2
Week 4 Standings A Division
W
L
B’nai Torah
3
0
Sinai 1
3
1
Or VeShalom
3
1
Ahavath Achim
2
1
Beth Tefillah
1
2
Temple 1
1
3
Dor Tamid 1
1
3
Chabad
0
B Division
L
Ariel
4
1
Young Israel
4
1
Emanuel
3
2
Etz Chaim
3
2
Beth Tikvah 1
3
2
Gesher L’Torah
2
3
Dor Tamid 2
1
4
Beth Shalom
0
L
Beth Jacob
4
1
• Brooklyn Bagel Bakery & Deli: 5/5
Sinai 2
3
1
Beth Tikvah 2
3
1
Or Hadash
2
2
Kol Emeth
2
3
Temple 2
1
3
Bet Haverim
0
3
• Goldberg’s Bagel Co.: 4/5 • The General Muir: 3.5/5
1
T
5 W
Previous Ratings
• Art’s Bagels & More: 4.5/5
T 1
3 W
C Division
• Soho Bakery and Deli: 4/5
10-8 9-2 12-8 14-1 12-7 6-5 12-3 12-5 8-6 14-4 10-7
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OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
Arlene Levin
Joe Soriano
Arlene Levin passed away Sunday, May 31, 2015. Arlene was born Oct. 19, 1929, in New York City, the daughter of Rose and Robert Engle and the younger sister of Russell Engle. She was married for 30 years to her beloved Frank Levin, who passed away too young at the age of 54. Arlene leaves to cherish her memory her loving family: her two children, Laurel Neels of Atlanta and David Levin and wife Cory Davis of Washington state; grandsons Forrest Levin and Isaac Levin and wife Ariana; and niece and nephews Michelle Bisson, Eileen and Darryl Engle, and Larry Engle. Arlene will be missed deeply by her loving family, extended family and friends.
Joe Soriano, 91, of Atlanta died Friday, June 19, 2015. Mr. Soriano was born Dec. 21, 1923, on the isle of Rhodes to Morris and Rachel Soriano, of blessed memory. He immigrated to the United States in October 1939 and served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1943 through 1946, when he was honorably discharged. He married Julia Habib, his loving wife of 62 years, on June 28, 1953. Joe purchased Lee’s Fine Foods in 1956 and was its sole proprietor until his retirement in 1982. He will always be remembered for his kind, gentle demeanor and sweet smile. Joe is survived by his devoted wife, Julia Soriano; children Morris and Sherri Soriano, Shelley and Neil Cooper, and Janet and Michael Seligson, all of Atlanta, and Howard and Jodi Soriano of Chicago; grandchildren Julie (Stephen) Loftis, Lauren Soriano, Andrea (Matthew) Oppenheimer, Jason (Melissa) Cooper, Jenna Cooper, Elena Seligson, Justin Seligson, Joni Seligson and Julia Soriano; and greatgranddaughters Jordan and Madison Loftis. Mr. Soriano was preceded in death by his grandsons Joseph Soriano and Jared Seligson, of blessed memory. The family wishes to thank his devoted and loving caregivers, Dave, Iris, Kynisha, Althea, Jasmine and Jeffrey. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom, 1681 N. Druid Hills Road NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319; the Rhodes Jewish Historical Society, 10850 Wilshire Boulevard, No. 750, Los Angeles, CA 90024; or the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601. A graveside service was held Sunday, June 21, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
85, Atlanta
Herbert A. Maier 92, Chicago
Herbert A. Maier, 92, was the beloved husband of Rella, nee Sklut; loving father of Peter (Christy) Maier and Temple Sinai member Paula (Bennet) Alsher; and adored Papa of Lora, Rachel (Ben Martin), Hannah (Danny Sirdofsky) and Jacob. Born in Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia, he escaped the Nazis and died just short of his 93rd birthday. Herbie Maier exemplified what it means to be a husband, father and grandfather. He lived a rich and full life, and he has left behind a legacy of memories for those who knew him to treasure. Graveside services were held in Chicago. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals, Buffalo Grove Chapel, 847-229-8822, www.cjfinfo.com.
Frieda Neulinger
91, Atlanta
Death Notice
Cecille Alhadeff of Pretoria, South Africa, mother of Stan Alhadeff of Atlanta.
98, Atlanta
Frieda Neulinger, 98, of Atlanta passed away peacefully Wednesday, June 17, 2015. Born in New York to Celia and Joseph Greifer, both of blessed memory, she was preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, Sam, and her brother, Hyman. Frieda is survived by her daughters, Sharon Neulinger (Richard Kaplan) and Ellen Neulinger, and her grandchildren, Sara and Joseph Kaplan. Frieda grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn when she married. She worked as a legal secretary. In 2004 she moved to the Jewish Tower in Atlanta. Although nothing could ever equal New York City for Frieda, she enjoyed her new friends and proximity to her grandchildren. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Congregation Shearith Israel. Graveside services were held Sunday, June 21, at Wellwood Cemetery in West Babylon, N.Y. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Frederick Rudisch Dr. Frederick Rudisch, age 80, died Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Frederick Rudisch was born in 1934 in Kingston, N.Y., to Dr. Sigmund and Anne Rudisch. He graduated from New York University Dental School and practiced dentistry in Miami for 30 years. He was respected and loved by his community and family. Dr. Rudisch is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Ann Lederfeind Rudisch; son Douglas Rudisch of Boston and San Diego and son and daughter-inlaw Dr. Bruce and Adina Rudisch of Atlanta; brother and sister-in-law David and Mary Rudisch of Miami; and grandchildren Noa and Benjamin. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018. A graveside service was held Thursday, June 18, at Arlington Memorial Park with Cantor Donna Faye Marcus officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
80, Atlanta
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CLOSING THOUGHTS OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING
And Along Came Judy
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JUNE 26 ▪ 2015
rying to describe a life being brought up in the Bronx is not easy to do for the folks in Nebraska or in the South. In truth, it would challenge the imagination of all people unless you hail from the great borough of THE BRONX. An easy, innocent life, marred only by the sirens indicating that we should huddle under our school desks in case the Communists invaded. We were all so terrified of the Communists. The picture I created in my mind of what a Communist would look like was not a pretty one. I am guessing the bogeyman looked better than the Communist. We always felt safe. Safe was not a word frequently used. We were not forewarned to “be safe” or “stay safe.” We were not warned not to speak to strangers. The word itself was simply a way of life; we never considered that the word needed to be spoken. We played outside until dusk, when we were summoned for dinner — dusk, the seemingly gifted hour of the day. Dusk is still my favorite time of day, and it still feels like a gift. We played hopscotch and were never reprimanded for coloring on the sidewalk. We played stickball, and the cars would slow down if we were in the middle of running the bases. We played basketball in the schoolyard and were never attacked or robbed. We played jump rope, bounced the Spalding ball to “A, My Name Is,” and always made room for one more kid from the block. We knocked on the doors of the apartments of our friends and cousins. We all walked to school together, sometimes assisting one another in carrying some project or another. We never deliberately, or by accident on purpose, ruined another’s homework. We owned the block. We weren’t mean or spiteful about it. We did not need gang colors to recognize one another. We rode the buses and the trains freely by the time we were 11 years old. If we needed directions, the bus driver happily helped out. (Of course we were taught to say please and thank you.) By the time I was 10 years old, I walked through Crotona Park on my way to Southern Boulevard and Boston Road, where I attended Yiddesheh shule (Jewish school after public school) five days a week. This trek was two to three 38 miles long. I climbed the rock moun-
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tain, located in the middle of the park, without incident. Once, I was approached in the park by some mean kids who asked for money. I was a little scared but not panicked because I knew they weren’t going to kill me with a random gun or knife. I didn’t have any money, so they left, angry but without incident. We lived in a neighborhood, a real
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
Courage of Their Convictions”” CROSSWORD “The
By David Benkof Editor: DavidBenkof@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Challenging
Shaindle’s Shpiel By Shaindle Schmuckler shaindle@atljewishtimes.com
neighborhood. Grown-ups looked out for children who were not necessarily their own. We had my mom’s beauty parlor squeezed in between Hoffman’s grocery store and Prylucks drugstore on the corner. If you dared hang out near these stores, you knew to be alert to the prying eyes of Mrs. Goldberg, the neighborhood spy and tattletale. Walking to school, passing many stores and shoppers in various neighborhoods, we never questioned their intentions if they made a comment like “Finished with school already?” High school was a bus ride away, or we could walk, but it was a long walk. There were gangs with names like the Fordham Baldies and the female version, Fordham Baldettes. No metal detectors required. Was there trouble? Of course. We were over 3,000 teens with raging hormones, all in one building. Lunatics with illegal weapons were years away. The concept of a terrorist did not exist. And then President Kennedy was killed. Everything changed. Then 9/11 woke us all up to a brand-new kind of horror. I felt my beautiful childhood move further and further back in my memory bank. And along came Judy with an unexpected, precious gift: memories. Judy, who lives in Nebraska, who lived in my apartment building, whose dad played cards with my dad, who played kings and queens with me, who lived next to my cousins, who played hopscotch and jump rope with me, who shared my childhood, found me. Sent me photos of friends and cousins. Reminded me of these memories, memories that are our foundation, memories informing our lives as we live them, the first road on a life’s journey. ■
ACROSS 1 She played Alice in “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice” 5 Prussian city where Heinrich Graetz earned his doctorate 9 Relish at the deli? 14 “___ Nagila” (a New Jersey synagogue’s regular coffee klatch) 15 A challah’s outline, more or less 16 You might have a Pesach set of it 17 Adelson’s kind of machines in Macau 18 Word to start making something chosen 19 Sports under the chuppah? 20 She was convicted on March 29, 1951 23 Course where you can let your sins function? 24 ___-balls (product the Hostess company says contains “pork-sourced” gelatin) 25 He was convicted on March 12, 2009 32 Nail the bagrut 33 Carrie’s royal role 34 In Ancient Israel, one talent measured 30 37 Israel: po :: Diaspora: __ 39 What Jews do for Jerusalem from their captivity, per Yehuda HaLevi 42 Ginsburg garment 43 Parts in the cantata “My Name is Anne Frank” 45 Raw material for alchemist Mordecai Modena 47 “Stay, ___” (translation of the Hindi word Gokul - the name of St. Louis’s kosher vegetarian restaurant) 48 He was convicted on November 21, 1990 52 “___ Hayom” (song to end the camp day) 53 Alum of 2-Down 54 They were convicted on September 10, 1924 62 Akamol alternative 63 7th of ___ (date of Moses’s birth and death) 64 Like a set of kosher silverware that can be used for
both meat and milk 66 “___ the harsh-tongued, melancholy bell”: Emma Lazarus 67 Onetime Tel Aviv mayor Roni 68 Lake ___ Monsters (Colby Cohen’s first pro hockey team) 69 Disraeli and others 70 It might help close a kittel 71 Gets some schach from a tree DOWN 1 They may play at bar mitzvah parties 2 Hebrew was a required freshman course there in the 18th century 3 Bereishit trio 4 Joan of grub 5 Original “Wicked” Wizard 6 Yeshiva of Shem and ___ 7 Kind of particle discovered at Hebrew U. that’s shaped like a Star of David 8 Model Miller who dated Jake Gyllenhaal 9 Dope 10 King who rebuilt Jericho 11 Jaws of note 12 ___ off (how electricity shouldn’t be turned once Shabbat begins) 13 Used a pelephone 21 It once used the slogan “Tasti fantasti” 22 Well-done part of the brisket 25 Kenny Aaronson played it with the Rolling Stones 26 Heschel’s “Israel: An ___ of Eternity” 27 Ahasuerus’s ranged from India to Ethiopia 28 Important article in Yiddish 29 ___ Adumim (settlement in Samaria) 30 Cedar alternative 31 “Your teeth
are like a ___ of ewes that came up from the washing”: Song of Songs 35 Mitch Miller took it up as a teen 36 Darned 38 Piggy question? 40 Part of HUC-JIR: Abbr. 41 Go from Alecia Beth Moore to Pink? 44 Ruth and Esther, but not Daniel 46 Kosher ___ Spears 49 Prince of the stage 50 Jane of the settlement house movement 51 “Oom-Pah-Pah” composer-lyricist Bart 54 Tiberias or Tahoe 55 Fierstein character Turnblad 56 Pass ___ (eschew) 57 Tablet 58 Talmudist who’s about to score in tennis? 59 Lioness who was in love with Matthew Broderick’s character 60 It got you four shekels in 2001, six shekels in 2007, and four shekels in 2015 61 A U-boat on a radar screen, perhaps 65 Moonves who greenlighted “Friends”
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