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JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

Israeli Pride

GOOD NEWS MADE IN THE JEWISH STATE THIS PAST WEEK Israeli neurologist discovers positive side effect. A study by Israeli neurologist Dr. Rivka Inzelberg has identified that patients taking dopaminestimulating medication to control symptoms of Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease have contracted artistic or literary creative skills. Reducing the medication suppresses these new skills. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re set to warm up to jazz in Eilat. The winter International Red Sea Jazz festival returns to Eilat Jan. 17 through 10. Nine ensembles from Israel and abroad will participate in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival, which includes 15 musical performances. The hotel venues are the Royal Garden, King Solomon and the Royal Beach, and jamming will occur at the Monkeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar. Israel bans cosmetics tested on animals. The Jewish State now officially bans the import, marketing and sale of any cosmetics, toiletries or detergents whose manufacturing process involves animal testing. Head of the Knessetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Animal Rights Lobby MK Eitan Cabel said that the law represents â&#x20AC;&#x153;a true revolution in animal welfare in Israel.â&#x20AC;? ISRAELI TEACHER gets Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honor for the Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s English. English-born teacher, lecturer and writer Penny Ur, from Moshav Amnon, has just been awarded the Order of the British Empire in the New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Honours List for her work promoting English-languageteaching methodologies. She made aliyah in 1967. Arab states love Israeli produce. A major Lebanese supermarket chain is selling Israeli goods despite the 64-year-old Arab boycott of the Jewish State. According to a Tel Aviv University report, Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exports to Middle Eastern markets in 2011 totaled more than $6 billion, about 13 percent of overall Israeli exports. The first frankincense tree for 1,500 years grows. Dr. Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies has grown a new sapling of the rare and fragile tree at Kibbutz Ketura in the Negev. Israel introduces â&#x20AC;&#x153;perceptual computing.â&#x20AC;? Using a unique platform

developed at Intelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Haifa center will soon make it possible for computers to anticipate the needs of their owners. Intel is offering developers $1 million in prizes to come up with the software of tomorrow in the Intel Perceptual Computing Challenge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dog TVâ&#x20AC;? debuts. Flat-screen technology has improved sufficiently for dogs to be able to view TV programs, and as a result, Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s YES channel has now launched Dog TV. For NIS 9.90 per month, you can leave your pet home alone to watch three- to six-minute-long programs of soothing, stimulating and

scary content, so as not to feel lonely or abandoned. Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roads are the 10thsafest in the world. The number of accidents and fatalities on Israeli roads has been falling steadily in recent years and have now reached a 50-year low. The year 2012 saw a 25-percent drop in road deaths; reasons include improved infrastructure, technology, publicity and the work of NGO Or Yarok. Garbage dumps become homes. Israel will transform a disused landfill site in Netanya into a residential area for

2,062 families and 1,100 hotel rooms. The process will involve evacuating 2.5 million cubic meters of waste, increasing Netanyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous Iris Nature Reserve and providing much-needed housing for the seaside city. Two Israeli apps are among Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best of 2012.â&#x20AC;? The first, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any. DO,â&#x20AC;? allows users to manage a task list using voice commands or touchscreen technology. The second, â&#x20AC;&#x153;GroupShot,â&#x20AC;? allows group photos to be edited so that everyone looks their best.

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AJT

Israel

AJT

From the Editor

Guns, Guns Everywhere AND NOT AN EYEBROW RAISED BY RON FEINBERG

W Web Editor

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JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

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hen guns and gun control become big news in the U.S., as often as not Israel becomes part of the conversation. Generally, the connection is made when a commentator on one of the cable networks or a newspaper editorial writer points out, and rightly so, that weapons are as common as falafel in the Jewish homeland. The “journalists” – and I use that term in its broadest definition – usually offer little context or perspective. But what they report about guns in the Holy Land is, mostly, the gospel truth: They’re everywhere.

Aviv or Haifa on a Sunday morning – the beginning of the work week in Israel – then you’ll have a chance to see just how much weaponry is actually in circulation in this tiny nation. I wasn’t around in the 1940s, but I imagine the coming and going of youngish troops in Israel – armed and smartly decked out in an array of colorful uniforms – is a mirror image of what the U.S. probably looked like during the dark days of World War II. In Israel, troops returning to their duty bases can be spotted with Dror light machine guns, Uzi pistols, submachine guns, Galil assault rifles, the occasional high-powered sniper rifle, a wide range of handguns and, of course, the omnipresent M-16s.

Need proof? My friend Malka snapped this photo last summer At first glance, it of a teenager getting It’s a common sight in Israel: might seem like the some cash at an ATM Off-duty soldiers keep their wild and wooly West in Jerusalem. Assault weapons where security is has been reborn in the weapons are just about assured – on their person. Middle East. But after as common in Israel as PHOTO/Malka Riesenberg a moment or so, the the ubiquitous jeans and camisole the teen’s wearing; just weapons and soldiers seem a natural a little metal accessory that brings out part of this place, just another interesting ingredient – along with Sabra the highlights in her hair! wit, falafel, serpentine streets and Most Americans visiting Israel mystical secrets – that makes Israel for the first time are caught a bit offspecial. guard by all the weapons carted about by IDF troops, many like this oh-so- So snap away with your digital young woman in civilian clothes. It cameras at the teens and their assault all seems so alien to the way we live rifles. You’ll find them most everyour lives in the land of the free and the where. They don’t seem to mind the candid camera hijinks of tourists, and, home of the brave. believe it or not, all those weapons In the Jewish homeland, it’s part of make Israel one of the safest countries everyday life! Soldiers are responsible in the world for visitors. for their weapons, even when off-duty, and often have nowhere to stash them. A final note: Here’s hoping that one So they carry them on errands, when day soon the weapons in Israel will visiting friends or out for a casual disappear, along with all the reasons that make them necessary! I’m also drink. thinking it would be a good thing if It’s not at all uncommon to spot a U.S. lawmakers could take a cue from guy or girl in a bathing suit, strolling their counterparts in the Knesset and along the Mediterranean with friends, come up with a sensible approach to an assault weapon slung casually over gun ownership and regulations in the their shoulders. coming year. If you happen to be at one of the central bus stations in Jerusalem, Tel

FROM OUR READERS

Keep America Manly

Dear Editor & Harold Kirtz: entlemen: I am really bothered by this proliferation of anti-gun “articles” in recent issues of the AJT, all with the same old non-truths and innuendos. I have no idea where the writer of the “Gun Control [is a Jewish Value]” item in the Dec. 28 issue did his “research.” Before I write further, let me state unequivocally: Nobody hurts more, is shocked more, is made more ill or is angered more at these UNSPEAKABLE horrors such as school shootings than the law-abiding firearms owner, expecting the usual bleeding-heart response to pass additional gun laws would have prevented this terrible tragedy. How? Try to count the laws that the nutzoid [violated] in executing the above crime. Murder 27 times, attempted murder about 10 times, discharging a firearm within city limits a gazillion times, etc., etc., and so on. There are over 20,000 gun laws on the books, most rarely – if ever – prosecuted. All these are active; Federal and State. How’s about enforcing them? The writer [of the aforementioned AJT article], Kirtz, makes the following statement: “The 2nd Amendment was never written for everyone to own guns.” Whoever said it was? That was a new one for me! The 2nd Amendment allows terrorists access to firearms! The 2nd Amendment allows the mentally disturbed to own firearms! Where? In a hoplophobic nightmare? And no, it was certainly not meant to supply guns to active shooters in a school or elsewhere! I am proud to belong to this nation’s oldest Civil Rights organization, The National Rifle Association of America, Inc. I hold Patron membership and cannot stand by and not comment on the absolute untruths about the NRA in the article. “The NRA will give it’s “full-throated cry” to try and prevent any infringement of our civil rights”? Perhaps, Mr. Kirtz, you would like to tell the readers of this fine periodical

why it’s wrong for a grass-roots organization to make phone calls or write our lawmakers for redress. It’s estimated there are 250 MILLION firearms in private hands in the U.S.; if [all] owners voted, do you have any idea of the power of such a bloc? To state that “75 percent of [the NRA’s] 4 million members support background checks” is as far from the truth as chicken salad is from chicken manure! And that “a large majority favors bans on assault weapons” is ludicrous! [Besides,] what is the definition of “assault weapon” here? I’d like to know where you go this information. Don’t EVER think that the NRA does not bleed a little every time a jack-leg shoots up a school, college, teens, the faithful, moviegoers, subway riders or people on the street.

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The Atlanta Dayanut Institute

Your article calls attention to buybacks (how can a government entity buy back something they never owned?) and “bullet magazines” (incorrect term). The NRA’s reaction to this tragedy was a suggestion for schools to have armed guards; the liberal response was to disarm the law-abiding.

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From Hitler’s Army to the Israel Defense Forces An Evening with Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger

[President] Barack Hussein Obama’s children have four Secret Service officers as protection; all and good, plus 11 more armed officers on school duty. I guess his kids are more valuable than mine or yours. I personally welcome the idea of armed, trained police officers guarding my children, even if I couldn’t afford 15. I’m going to end this about now, with the hopes that future writers research their material. What’s next for Mr. Kirtz’s schools? A sign stating “THERE ARE NO GUNS IN THIS SCHOOL”? May G-d help us all from the liberal “elite” who think they’re better than you or me. If the 2nd Amendment is gutted, reworded or eliminated, ask yourself the question: What’s the Amendment to be removed next? Let’s not emasculate the U.S. any further! Sincerely, Eugene Kaplan

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JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

AJT

According to Arlene

A “Destination Bar Mitzvah” COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER By Arlene Appelrouth

AJT Columnist

pitality.

tlanta’s Jewish community has the reputation of being warm, welcoming and full of old-fashioned Southern hos-

When a number of Orthodox rabbis and their families moved to Atlanta more than 20 years ago to form the Atlanta Scholars Kollel, they brought new meaning to Jewish adult education and redefined what it is to reach out to help other Jews. As anyone who has read my columns knows, I was frequently faced with situations I wasn’t sure how to handle as my son David was becoming more religious. Thankfully, throughout the process, rabbis from the kollel and their wives have always been available, ready to help. I’m reminded of when David was living in Jerusalem, learning in a ye-

shiva. He called with the exciting news he was able to fly home for the holiday of Sukkot. “We have to have a sukkah,” he said. I have always been committed to helping my children realize their dreams, so when my son said he had to build a sukkah, I hung up the phone and asked myself how I could make his dream of an Appelrouth sukkah a possibility. I picked up my car keys and headed for the nearest Home Depot. As I walked up and down the store’s aisles, looking at all the types of wood, I realized I was in over my head. I had no idea what to buy to build a sukkah, and I doubted anyone from the Home Depot staff would be able to advise me, so I contacted a kollel rabbi. When Rabbi Michoel Lipschutz, one of the kollel rabbis, had given me his

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cell phone number, he encouraged me to call if I ever had a problem. I finally had a good reason to call. He listened carefully as I explained the situation. Then, he told me to stay where I was, that he would meet me in the store. That was the only time I’ve consulted with a rabbi in a retail store. I’m not sure if it’s the only time for Rabbi Lipschutz. Anything is possible. Indeed, over time my relationship with the Lipschutz family has become one I treasure. Rabbi Lipschutz is well known for kindness, warmth and a willingness to go out of his way for others. These character traits are mirrored in his wife Rivka, and together, the Lipschutzes have touched many Jewish lives with their loving kindness.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

“This was a Kiddush Hashem,” said Mrs. Lipschutz of the ease with which all the arrangements were made. A Kiddush Hashem – a sanctification of G-d’s name. When Yitzchok Lipschutz was called to the Torah, he davened with

“‘This was a Kiddush Hashem,’ said Mrs. Lipschutz of the ease with which all the arrangements were made.”

And in addition to all they give to the Jewish community through their roles of rabbi and teacher (Mrs. Lipschutz teaches at Temima High School in Toco Hills), the couple has 10 children. Recently, when it was time to plan the bar mitzvah of their son Yitzchok, there were many things to consider. Foremost was their desire to have Mrs. Lipschutz’s father, Yehuda Dickstein, present. Given his health issues, it would only be possible for him to attend services if they took place near Dunwoody, where he lived. Luckily, Mrs. Lipschutz’s sister, Dena Friedman, is married to Rabbi Binyomin Friedman, the spiritual leader of Congregation Ariel. Thus, it was not a problem to make arrangements for the bar mitzvah to take place in Dunwoody. The challenge would be how to accommodate all the colleagues and friends who wanted to be there.

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ily that provided hospitality. He read 29 names.

More than 150 of the invited guests who replied said that they would be there for the Lipschutz simcha, but also that they would require Sabbath hospitality. In cases like this, when you don’t drive on the Sabbath and the synagogue is not located within walking distance of a hotel, the responsibility of providing hospitality goes to the members of the shul. At the ceremony, when all had gathered, Rabbi Binyomin Friedman took the time to read the name of each fam-

proficiency. The Torah Day School student was well-prepared. As he chanted the words of the parsha, and then recited his haftorah, the nachas in the congregation was palpable. Yitchok Lipschutz was proof of Jewish continuity. At his bar mitzvah, even though the sanctuary was filled with people from many localities, there weren’t any strangers. Those who filled the sanctuary of Congregation Ariel last weekend were united by their love and appreciation for the Lipschutz family. Everyone was treated as family. When Rabbi Friedman walked to the center of the bimah to address Yitzchok and his proud parents, he noted that everyone had participated in the first Lipschutz “destination bar mitzvah.” “I have just one word to say about the next Lipschutz destination bar mitzvah,” said the rabbi (and uncle to the bar mitzvah boy) before delivering the punchline.

“Cancun.”

Arlene Appelrouth earned a degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Florida and her career as a writer and journalist spans a 50-year period; she currently studies memoir writing while working on her first book.

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AJT

Noga Reports

Canceling New Year’s RABBINATE’S LETTER SPARKS ANGRY OUTCRY BY NOGA GUR-ARIEH

Christian or secular holiday celebrations.

such: Israel is, in fact, the land of the Jews, but it respects all religions.

n Dec. 24, the rabbinate of Haifa sent out a letter to local hotels and event halls that warned they would lose their kashrut supervision if they held New Year’s Eve or Christmas parties on their premises. The letter, as published on Ynet, read in part:

The kashrut supervision grants a venue kosher status. Only through kashrut can a hechsher – the Orthodox Union’s kosher product certification – be given to an establishment.

Furthermore, Haifa is a very heterogeneous city, a true symbol of coexistence. Only 82 percent of Haifans are Jewish. There remain 4 percent who are Muslims, and almost 14 percent who are Christian (Arabs and non-Arabs).

AJT Contributor

“No parties celebrating Christian New Year’s Eve should be held on the premises, and our supervision will be further denied to those who disobey our instructions.” Later, the Chief Rabbinate sent a statement to the Jerusalem Post, saying, “It is forbidden for a Jew to be present in a place where ‘idol worship’ is being conducted.” Two factors have made this issue especially controversial: the great importance of kashrut supervision to businesses and the prevalence of such

More to the point, a place without a hechsher is a place that no religious person will go, and thus a place that loses its hechsher will probably lose many customers. It makes sense that the rabbinates’ orders have caused great distress, considering almost all Israelis celebrate New Year’s Eve and many Israelis enjoy Christmas parties. The truth of the matter is that most of us couldn’t tell you today’s Hebrew date. Personally, I find this sort of oppression that the rabbinate is trying to enforce disgusting. Most of the criticism has come from Israeli citizens and journalists who refused to accept the content of the letters. Our argument is

Life at Home is the Key to IndependenceSM

When the nation was founded in 1948, it was promised that in Israel there would be freedom of religion. But when people have no place to celebrate a day that is meaningful to their beliefs, I find it a violation of such freedom. To me, this is the dark side of Judaism, the one that is so old-fashioned and shut to the outside world that it feels the need to force itself upon others. The fact that Israel is defined as a Jewish state gives the Orthodox rabbinate a lot of power, and because of this, several of our laws reflect more Orthodox values. For example, marriage and divorce can only be legal if they are committed in the official rabbinate of Israel. Also, some laws discriminate against women: If the husband dies before he and his wife brought a child into the world, his brother must marry her unless she approaches the rabbinate of Israel and requests a halitsa ceremony. Such biblical rules still exist in 2012!

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I was born and raised in Israel, and unfortunately, this means that although I disagree with the Orthodox rules that apply to all Israelis, I have learned to live with them. I’ve had to live with the fact that when it is my time to be married, I must take part in Orthodox ceremonies which I do not agree with, such as going to the mikveh and being “purchased” by my husband through a ketubah (in addition to others). But what I still cannot live with are the small things some very dark people with lots of power think they are allowed to do here. When a small group of rabbis tell their followers who serve in the IDF to leave a ceremony in which a woman is singing, they dismiss and humiliate a person solely because of her gender. When a rabbinate of a religiously heterogeneous city threatens local businesses to no longer allow celebrations of another religion, they dismiss and humiliate people because of their beliefs.

For years, Jews were hunted because of their religion. They were forced to hide their Jewish characteristics and were marked as “different” or as outsiders. Thus, it only made sense that when the Land of the Jews was founded, it would respect all people. I understand it is vital to not lose the formal Jewish identity of Israel, but I don’t think that’s necessary. Israel can remain the Land of the Jews while not fully controlled by Orthodox rules. People who don’t believe in such rules must be able to live their daily lives uninterrupted. I know that losing the Orthodox parts of formal Israeli law – specifically those regarding matters such as marriage – is practically impossible. Such things were agreed upon long before Israel was founded, and could only be done away with if the Orthodox ceased to be a major force in the Knesset, and this will never happen. Fortunately for this situation, though, every law can be bent a little bit. With time, these very laws were indeed bent a little bit, thanks to some more liberal rabbis. The threatening letter that was sent by the Haifa rabbinate, however, was not in the name of any law. It was in the name of darkness, of unwillingness to live and let live. This was a new low, and I am glad it received such massive objection and resistance. Facebook, newspapers, news websites – everyone condemned the letter. Eventually, when it became clear that no one would be willing to follow such orders, the rabbis withdrew their decree. Unfortunately, their harsh words remained, and no apology was made. This battle against darkness is far from being over. I believe that all people – Orthodox, secular, Jewish, Christian, Muslim or of any other set of beliefs – should be able to live their lives freely. They should be able to do the things they want without forcing others or being forced themselves based on a certain group’s beliefs. I am glad Israelis still believe in liberalism of life, and are willing to fight to keep Israel in the light. Noga Gur-Arieh visited the U.S. to work at Camp Coleman after finishing her military service in the IDF. She is now back in Israel, working as a journalist.

AJT

Edenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garden

Donkeys and Divine Experiences A PLACE TO CALL HOME AJT Columnist

for this monumental religious experience.

ears of joy: To some, they come at the sight of a beautiful scene in nature. To others, they can be brought on by looking at an old photograph of friends you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen in forever

Now, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been a person who really got stage fright or performance anxiety; I never worried about public speaking. However, this experience was to be the build-up of my entire religious life, the turning point in all that I had fought for. To preserve my

BY EDEN FARBER

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every single person in the entire world has the opportunity to find a religion (or an anti-religion), a denomination, a place of worship or a text to follow; and everyone deserves the opportunity to connect to a god, if they choose to believe in one.â&#x20AC;?

Me? I cry when a talking donkey gets kicked down by a wayward prophet. This past summer, I spent a month learning at a seminar for Jewish high school girls, a place that has become my home away from home very quickly. One Shabbat â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Shabbat Parshat Balak (the Bible portion with the story of Prophet Bilaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;am and the donkey) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we were in the city and given the option between two Orthodox synagogues to attend for our morning services. One of them particularly appealed to me: Darchei Noam, an Orthodoxegalitarian minyan, also known as a partnership service. I was excited, as this seemed like it was my perfect religious fit. I was even offered to lead a portion of the service, and without blinking an eye, I accepted the offer with a huge smile. After a very comforting practice with one of my biggest role models and most knowledgeable teachers who plays a significant role in that synagogue, I felt fully ready

Then the moment came; it was such a liberating experience. I felt so attached to Judaism, reading out the words passed down from Moses at Sinai for the whole congregation. That feeling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that spiritual high, so to speak â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was extremely powerful as it flowed through my veins that day.

voice, I did not sing at our tisch, and I went to bed anxiously awaiting the dawn of what was to be the best day ever. As I walked into the synagogue the next day, I peered around to soak up this new experience: the equal mechitza and the voice of my teacher filling this gym-turnedpalace. I took my seat. Everything astounded me: the respect given as the woman got off the podium and a man got on was all so new, yet so right. Then, when I myself got up to take the Torah from the ark, I felt for the first time that this was my Torah that I was holding.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go back and read Torah for the congregation. As I began to practice, I thought: Wow, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m about to be the voice that brought me to tears not six months ago.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s these kinds of religious epiphanies, spiritual excitements and theologically-centered leaps of joy that should be normal for everyone. Every single person in the entire world has the opportunity to find a religion (or an anti-religion), a denomination, a place of worship or a text to follow; and everyone deserves the opportunity to connect to a god, if they choose to believe in one.

We have six shuls on LaVista Road alone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; six temples of worship, all sharing the same community, open to anyone. Some say our Jewish community is cursed to have so many different denominations, all strong-willed and present, even in small areas, but I say the opposite; we are blessed to have so many different religious opportunities and available places of worship. As for myself, I have found one that works for me. Not myself as a part of a group of rabble-rousers, but me, the individual searching for G-d. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so grateful that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had that opportunity to not only experience religious fulfillment, but to lead others in it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also thankful that Jews have communities worldwide and are capable of accepting everyone for their differences. If it were not for tolerance, I â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a teen living in this big world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; would never have found my â&#x20AC;&#x153;placeâ&#x20AC;? in such a way that I have. Eden Farber, 15, is a sophomore at Yeshiva Atlanta. She was recognized in the Jewish Heritage National Poetry Contest of 2010 and has published op-eds and poetry in Modern Hippie Magazine and the NY Jewish Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fresh Ink for Teens section.

See Â why Â everyone Â is Â joining Â the Â GHA Â family.

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JANUARY 11 â&#x2013;Ş 2013

and a year. To still others, it might be songs around a campfire or Friday night onegs that prompt the waterworks.

As I handed the Torah off to the other side, I was blown away. The Torah reading commenced, and when the reader â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a woman â&#x20AC;&#x201C; uttered the first word I cried. For three portions straight, I sat there and wept, tears of bliss streaming down my face.

Please Â RSVP Â to Â Bonnie Â Cook Â at Â 404-Â843-Â9900 Â or Â cookb@ghacademy.org

AJT

IF YOU ASK ME

On 2013, Being Jewish, and Having My Head Frozen WHAT THE END OF THE WORLD WAS REALLY ALL ABOUT BY CLIFF MAZER

For the Atlanta Jewish Times

ow that it’s 2013, you don’t have to be Sigmund Freud to figure out what all that “Mayan Apocalypse” stuff was really about. After my recent holiday trip to Tulum and Cancun, Mexico, I’ve had some time to think about it. Also, I’m no longer hungover from New Year’s Eve, so I can think straight. Sort of. I will tell you this: It wasn’t about Christ-messiahs, biblical revelations, Mesoamerican astrology or numerology. Nor was it about 9/11, doomsday, Noah’s Ark, atomic bombs, fall-out shelters, flesh-eating bacteria or zombies that do the same.

More likely, it was about the simple, but profound, challenge of being a conscious human being. It’s all about being an alive and sentient bipedal creature on a small planet called Earth who must face the ever-present reality of life and death. Other plant and animal species don’t have to think about it. They certainly don’t obsess about it. They just “do,” as Yoda would say. Theorizing or writing about our mortality is a relatively easy task for me as a psychotherapist and so-called humorist-blogger. The difficulty lies in really thinking and feeling about the fact that we live our lives knowing we will expire one day. The fact that our turn in the whole “Lion King” circle of life “thing” is in-

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evitably approaching – just like the Mayan calendar ending and starting over at zero – is much more disturbing and unnerving. It’s cause for reflection, soul searching, and possibly a glass of wine. Those of us who have faced a death in the family, suffered a serious illness, had a near-death experience or lost someone near and dear know that we are forever changed by it. As understandably neurotic young parents with young children or middle-aged parents with aging and sometimes chronically ill parents of our own, many of us can’t escape the feeling that the “other shoe is going to drop” eventually. We are honestly quite fearful that “something bad might happen.” And sometimes something bad has already happened, and we think we can’t handle any more pain, loss or tsuris. The truth is, however, that either we embrace our losses and traumas, finding a way to give them meaning and purpose, or we add to the existing collective denial, dread, fear, anxiety and angst in our world. Some people don’t think about it or just aren’t all that afraid. Others have odd individual or shared rituals to control their fears, i.e., hopping on one foot or not stepping on cracks. Or, in the case of the Mayans, rolling severed human heads down steep pyramid steps after first removing their beating hearts. That last strategy seems rather drastic to me. Also, kinda messy. I’m one of the people who used to lay in bed at night as a 10-year-old boy and creep myself out thinking about “not existing” someday. I’m not sure I’m much better off today, but at least I know a few things: I know we can heal our “selves,” but also that we cannot cheat death. Once, around age 13, I thought about saving money to have my head frozen in one of those futuristic cryogenic chambers run by companies that store dead bodies for a million dollars

in hopes of someday curing their fatal illness. Now, I realize that’s dumb because it not only begs the question of who would want my nasty old frozen head with hardwired mental problems and sleep apnea, but also that of whose second-hand, defect-ridden body I would no doubt get stuck with. It’s not like I could afford a brand new one – a body, that is – and if I could, I wouldn’t be driving a 2001 Ford Expedition around Atlanta now. With my luck and my ADD (disorganized sub-type), my freeze-dried head would probably get lost or repossessed for non-payment. Either that, or they’d cure my illness and bring me back to life on the day before the real apocalypse. But is it really worth it being thawed out and propped up on some stainless steel desk like Robocop connected to a laptop and heat lamp in the year 2146 just so I could witness a giant meteor hit Miami Beach and turn Florida into cinders? Actually, now that I think about it, maybe. Being the cerebral Jewish person that I am, if I do end up like that, somebody please remember to at least turn me off before going to bed and, for G-d’s sake, give me my sleeping pill. I can’t seem to live without my Ambien. Also, I’d really be mad if somebody in the future decided to use my head for a bowling ball or rolled it down the steps of some blood-stained pyramid. I’m Jewish, and we don’t go in for that kind of thing. For that matter, not all that many Jews bowl, and there are, to my knowledge, very few Jewish professional bowlers. Trust me, when the time comes just light a yahtzeit candle and say the Kaddish. It’s way more civilized. Cliff Mazer, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist who lives in Sandy Springs and has a thing for pirates.

This is the first in an ongoing series. Here our author explores his upbringing and the beginning of his exploration…

was born into a middle-class family in Cairo, Egypt in 1987 to Muslim parents. The first school I attended was a Catholic parochial institution, where my first-ever best friend was a Christian. During our religion classes – which are common in Egypt – they would separate the Muslims and the Christians into two separate rooms. That was probably the first time I started to question a lot about religion and the universe; it was so silly to me that the Muslim teacher was telling us that “if you are not a Muslim, you are going to hell,” despite our Christian friends being in the next room! I mean, how can you be a decent religion teacher, someone who is supposed raise us to be good to each other for the sake of our nation, and say that? It was pure racism in my eyes.

I was surprised when, in response, the teacher pointed to Palestine on the map. I said to him, “There is no Israel there; it’s Palestine.” He said, “They stole this land from Palestine, [so] we don’t approve or accept Israel.” I was shocked. From my Islamic learning, I knew that most of the

Since then, I’ve always wondered: “What kind of religion makes people so closed-minded to judge others based on what they drink or how they think?” It was then that I decided to reconsider everything I was taught about the religion of Islam. I recall asking a strictly religious Muslim friend, “Why would a surgeon go to hell because he is Christian, although he may have saved hundreds of Muslim kids?”

e begin our observance of Shevat on Jan. 12 this year. The most wellknown date of the coming month is Tu B’Shevat. Tu being the number 15 in Hebrew, this title – the “15th of Shevat” – is similar to that of our American Independence Day, the “Fourth of July”; the date itself is the name of the holiday. What this holiday marks is the New Year of the Trees. At first, it may seem unusual for Judaism to include more than one New Year, but realize that in America we observe more than one New Year as well. In total, we have three: the beginnings of the calendar year, the school year and the fiscal year. But back to Tu B’Shevat – it is thought of as a new year because, traditionally, the age of the trees was calculated for tithing on this date in history. In Leviticus, it’s stated that fruit from trees may not be eaten during the first three years; the fourth year’s fruit is for G-d, and only after that may the fruit be eaten by all. For now, we trudge through midwinter, but after the cold, sap awakens in the trees. Most of the rainy days are over, and it is nature’s time to rejuvenate. It’s the start of new life.

The physical tree, being revived, mirrors our spiritual Tree of Life. It is said that the physical tree has a revealed part in the trunk and branches, and also that it has a hidden part in the roots, and this mirrors us as well; we have our outward physical bodies and our inward souls. Finally, note that the trees grow upward, opposing gravity. It is our job to grow upward as well. This is the power of life – to be creative and original. Our purpose is to connect to the Tree of Life and discover our unique gifts that we bring to the world. Meditation Focus What seeds do we want to plant and nourish in ourselves to help us bloom? Dr. Terry Segal is a licensed marriage & family therapist, Ph.D. in energy medicine, hypnotherapist and author of “The Enchanted Journey: Finding the Key that Unlocks You.”

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“You always tell us that Israel is the bad side,” I said to the teacher. “Where is Israel, and who are these people we always have to be against and hate?”

They saw us with drinks in our hands, and they froze; they only stared at us with wide eyes and didn’t say a word. Then, just one week later, I realized that all of the more religious Muslims were avoiding me, and some of them even seemed to prejudge me, as if everything that is bad in life had resulted from me holding a cup of beer.

AJT Columnist

One day, I voiced my confusion over the conflict.

After high school, I went to dental school, and like any normal teenager I wanted to try new things, like drinking. Once, I was on a short trip to Sharm elSheikh (a city on the Red Sea), partying with some friends, when we ran into some of the more religious Muslims we knew from school.

BY TERRY SEGAL

REG

Later on, I had a history class in middle school in which we learned that Egypt badly defeated Israel on Oct. 6, 1973 in the Yom Kippur War. Alongside those facts, we were told that, as Egyptians, we should always support the Palestinians and be against Israel.

places that Islam exists were obtained through jihad or what they call the “Islamic Openings” – in short, wars and killing. But how could we permit that – the forceful taking of land – when committed in the name of Islam, and then turn around and condemn the same act when it was undertaken by Jews?

I TA L I A N

He told me that, though God chose to give him wealth and fame in this life, he did not choose to give him such things in the afterlife. What a silly way to try to convince me! Editor’s note: Sherief Medhat is a dentist originally from Cairo, Egypt. As part of his quest for greater understanding, he visited Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in 2012.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

For the Atlanta Jewish Times

IN E

By Sherief Medhat

LIKE THE TREES, REVIVE AND STRETCH UPWARD

FIRST-HAND LOOK AT RADICAL ISLAM

A New Year of Growth

Op-ed: Questioning the Teachings

NEW MOON MEDITATIONS

SE R V

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Community

New Mission at The Breman REACHING OUT TO A BROADER AUDIENCE BY RON FEINBERG Web Editor

ention “The Breman” in Metro Atlanta and the first image that pops into most people’s minds is a Holocaust museum. That’s both good and bad. The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum has a vast and iconic Holocaust gallery that draws thousands of visitors each year. But Aaron Berger is hoping that it can become much more. Berger, who joined the museum a year ago as executive director, is on a mission. His goal is to reinvigorate The Breman by building on what already exists and, in the not-too-distant future, turn the place into a cultural destination for Atlantans and tourists. “I want The Breman to become one of the cultural centers of Atlanta,”

jor supporter and cheerleader for the museum. “He was so very proud of Jane Leavey’s efforts and would have appreciated Aaron Berger and how he has built on her success.”

Berger said. “My hope is that, when someone is sitting around on a Thursday evening and trying to figure out what they want to do over the weekend, we become part of the conversation.” To that end, Berger and his staff have been examining the museum’s goals in recent months and are set to present a new mission statement to its board of directors in a few weeks.

Berger’s efforts and his hopes for the future will be unveiled later this year with the opening of a major exhibition on Rich’s, the department store that for years was inextricably linked with the city of Atlanta – and the Jewish community. His thinking is that the Rich’s exhibit will attract a new and larger audience for The Breman.

“We want to move beyond history and become a place that encourages an appreciation of Jewish art, history and Jewish identity,” he said. “We really want to focus on highlighting the Jewish contribution…to the world.” To a degree, that has always been part of the museum’s mission, both through The Lillian and A.J. Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education and the Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History. In recent years, the museum has also featured a series of high-profile exhibits, including “ZAP! POW! Executive director Aaron Berger sees the Breman Museum soaring to new heights in 2013. PHOTO/Gary Feinberg

BAM!,” examining the golden age of comic books and the role Jewish artists had in their success; and “Where the Wild Things Are,” a look at the creative world of writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak. The special exhibits will continue: Opening this month is a fun and, well, tasty exhibition, “Chosen Food: Cuisine, Culture, American Jewish Identity,” that will examine the significance of Jewish food and meals through photographs, memorabilia, recollections and opinions.

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JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

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best wishes for a healthy and happy 2013! ©2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned And Operated By NRT LLC.

Then, in May, “Project Mahjong” will take center stage, exploring the traditions, history and meaning of the game in Jewish American life from its beginnings in the 1920s through today. Both of these exhibitions were planned under the leadership of Jane Leavey, the former executive director of The Breman, who Berger has only words of praise for when discussing past successes. He’s in good company when talking about his predecessor. “I know that Bill Breman [the man whose vision and financial support led to the creation of the museum] is smiling down on The Breman,” said Elinor Breman, Bill’s widow and a ma-

Whether you’re Jewish or not, a member of the Orthodox community or a non-practicing Jew, the Rich’s story is probably part of your life if you grew up in the area. After all, who hasn’t heard about Rich’s or once shopped there?

“When I first started here and talked to people in the community, many said they had never visited The Breman,” Berger said. “Hearing that was like having a knife go through my heart.” Berger thinks his challenge is finding a way to reach broader segments of the entire community. “The Breman needs to be accessible to all people,” he said. “And if we do our job right, we can use the museum as a vehicle to educate the public about the Jewish world and Jewish contributions.” Do it properly, and the really good news will be that Berger will also be welcoming new visitors to The Breman. He’s also hoping that people who haven’t been to the museum in a few years will stop by soon for a return visit. “The message I’m sharing these days is to tell people to come back for a program or a new event,” he said. “Come back and rediscover The Breman.” Editor’s note: See thebreman.org for more info on the museum, its location and hours and upcoming exhibits.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

Education

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“Paying it Forward” at Epstein School 2012-13 SCHOOL YEAR IS ONE OF GIVING From the Epstein School For the Atlanta Jewish Times

he Epstein School is renowned not only for its academics, but also for instilling wholesome Jewish values and developing character in its students. While the institution’s unique academic program does prepare students to excel in the finest high schools and colleges, Epstein graduates are also highly sought after because they are effective leaders who recognize their responsibilities to the greater community. Using as a foundation the principles of derech eretz (“respect for others”) and tikkun olam (“making the world a better place”), Epstein has been a leader in the community and a positive force in Sandy Springs and the greater Atlanta area for more than 36 years. Last year alone, the school was honored for over 500 hours of service to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Operating on the theme of “Pay it Forward,” Epstein School and its students are proud to have accomplished the following in 2012:

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

Sunday by Appointment

• Elementary school students collected nonperishable food to give to the JF&CS food pantry at Thanksgiving. Additionally, 192 letters were written by Epstein School families to thank U.S. soldiers and show our appreciation, and the letters were delivered to Q100’s “The Bert Show” by second grader Ella Colker as part of their “Big Thank You” campaign. • Fifth-grade students brought light into the lives of Holocaust

Epstein School students (left to right) Isabel Berlin, Mia Battoglia, Jake Bardak, Josh Peljovich, Lior Granath and Isabel Berlin and (front) Hannah Feldstein hold the check representing funds raised for Hurrican Sandy relief. PHOTO/courtesy Coleen Lou

• The school as a whole raised $1,532 for Hurricane Sandy relief, with the funds to be divided between the Solomon Schechter School of Long Island and Jewish Education Project. In addition, second grader Kayla Kornfeld collected more than 200 books for a Jewish day school in Brooklyn, N.Y. that lost 7,000 books in the devastating storm.

Sunday by Appointment

• Third graders, as part of their year-long mitzvah of helping the elderly – “Hapaz” – visited residents of Hammond Glenn, a senior community in Sandy Springs to sing Chanukah songs and play dreidel. They also baked honey cakes for the residents at Rosh Hashanah.

• Fourth graders, as part of their mitzvah project to feed the hungry – “Maacheel Reevim” – contributed enough canned food to the Atlanta Community Food Bank to provide 48 meals to those in need. • The fourth-grade choir, led by Laura Levine and Gale Scott, sang Chanukah songs to Holocaust survivors while visiting “Café Europa” at Congregation Beth Jacob. The following week, Classes 4A and 4C sang at Huntcliff Summit Senior Community.

survivors in our community on Rosh Hashanah by baking honey cakes and writing greeting cards. • Preschool students collected tzedakah money each week at Kabbalat Shabbat to donate to a variety of organizations, including Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer and Locks of Love. • Middle school students helped underprivileged kids enjoy the holiday at Amy’s Party. There were gifts, carnival games, activities, treats, prizes, a DJ and dancing. The children were also able to take presents home for their family members. • Students and parents at “Hands On Epstein” made sandwiches and baked cookies for the Genesis Shelter.

AJT

Education

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GHA First Graders Celebrate Colonial Festival STUDENTS RECREATE HISTORY FOR PARENTS, PRINCIPAL BY LEAH LEVY

AJT Contributor irst graders at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy (GHA) donned tricorns and mob caps to perform at the school’s annual Colonial Festival, celebrating their Early American History unit.

Each year, first-grade students study Colonial America with teachers Beth Intro, Gail Skolsky and Emily Pullman. Using a variety of study methods – dramatic portrayals, hands-on activities and supplemental reading material – the youngsters become experts on life in “the Colonies.” The culmination of all this hard work is the aforementioned Festival, for which first graders invite friends and family to GHA, perform a concert of patriotic songs from Colonial days and dance both the Minuet and a square dance onstage. They also show their guests the many aspects of Colonial life, demonstrating the use of dyes to color cloth, how to make butter and sachets, how to write with quill and ink and how to play with colonial toys. This year, there was even a beautiful replica of the Mayflower built by Jean Paul Pentecouteau, GHA volunteer. Pentecouteau’s hard work, enthusiasm and experience as an architect produced a ship that could only have come from a true craftsman. As a finishing touch, the first graders introduced an TOP LEFT: Left to right, GHA first-grade students Manny Pargman, Simon Berry, Ty Stern, example of cross-stitch needlework, a technique comYael Mainzer, Kayla Minsk and Natanel Gold. BOTTOM LEFT : Mikey Wilson, Simon monly used in the Colonial Era. They enjoyed incorporating the symbol of the Berry, and Caroline Cranman demonstrate a Colonial Era game for GHA Principal Leah SumGreenfield Hebrew Academy into their presentation with the help of Princi- mers. BOTTOM RIGHT: GHA first graders perform authentic Colonial Era songs before a version of the Mayflower, hand-crafted by GHA volunteer Jean Paul Pentecouteau. TOP RIGHT: The pal Leah Summers.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

cross-stitch needlework of Greenfield Hebrew Academy’s logo. PHOTOS/Devi Knapp

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Building a New Society

Because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had enough gefilte fish.

BETTERING THE FUTURE THROUGH JEWISH EDUCATION BY RABBI MICHAEL LAPIDUS For the Atlanta Jewish Times â&#x20AC;&#x153;Contemporary Jewish education has the task of creating the very society of which it should be the reflection.â&#x20AC;? - Israel Scheffler, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Visions of Jewish Educationâ&#x20AC;?

ontemporary Jewish education is a generative endeavor: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about creating something that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet exist. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;somethingâ&#x20AC;? is nothing less than a new society or, more simply stated, a better world, which contemporary Jewish education is tasked with producing.

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What arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we trying to do?

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not trying to perpetuate the status quo. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not trying to resuscitate an ancient past, nor a mythic one. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not trying to impart some specific or esoteric knowledge or dogma to a new generation with the hopes that they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let it fade away. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not cultivating a generation of complacent and unquestioning followers of fashion.

What are we trying to do?

At The Alfred and Adele Davis Academy, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to improve the

future. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to pour old wine into new bottles, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re creating new varietals. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re innovating, improvising, visioning, challenging, reinventing, discarding, sifting, shifting and grappling. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re starting with the end in mind and challenging one another to get there. Creating a society requires chutzpah. It also requires patience, humor, grit and teamwork. The good news is that each step we take toward our goal strengthens us to take subsequent steps. The students that we are challenging today will be the parents we are partnering with tomorrow. The required â&#x20AC;&#x153;long viewâ&#x20AC;? in such boundless and invigorating work must be achieved through many incremental steps. Eventually, the world we are trying to create and the world in which we live will start to resemble one another. At that point, we can truly point to Jewish education and say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tikkun olam.â&#x20AC;? Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: Rabbi Micah Lapidus is the director of Jewish and Hebrew studies at the Alfred and Adele Davis Academy.

Blue Star Camps: All in the Family 1/3/13 3:58 PM

THREE GENERATIONS OF â&#x20AC;&#x153;EXTRAORDINARY VALUEâ&#x20AC;? From Blue Star Camps

For the Atlanta Jewish Times

ver the last 66 years, Blue Star Camps (bluestarcamps.com) has infused the lives of three generations of campers with Jewish traditions, values and spirit. This summer, Blue Star will host between 400 and 600 campers for each of sessions.

JANUARY 11 â&#x2013;Ş 2013

Jewish children ages 6 to 16 will come from all over the United States, as well as Canada, Europe, Israel and Central and South America to experience a variety of activities including creative arts, sports, outdoor adventure and nature, waterfront, tennis, horseback riding and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Living Judaismâ&#x20AC;? program.

Blue Star was founded in 1948 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the same year as the State of Israel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by the Popkin brothers of Augusta, Ga. after they returned home from service in World War II. Since its inception, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jewish families have always recognized the extraordinary value of the Blue Star experience,â&#x20AC;? said Rodger Popkin, the son of co-founder Herman and a camp owner/director with his wife Candy for 40 seasons. Now, drawing upon a rich family legacy, Rodger and Candyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son Jason Popkin and daughter Lauren Popkin Herschthal are third-generation owner/directors of the camp. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think my uncles or my father knew how important what they were creating would become when they founded Blue Star so many years ago,â&#x20AC;? Rodger added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But their dream has evolved into a promise fulfilled and a gift to generations of young people.â&#x20AC;?

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Bringing Science to Life TDSA Science Fair BY LESLEE MORRIS

For the Atlanta Jewish Times riends and family filled the gym at Torah Day School of Atlanta for the school’s annual Sixth Grade Science Fair.

Projects included an exploration of how best to melt ice; an experiment to determine which house paint colors keep your energy bills low; a look at voice-recognition technology; and a special exhibit on ratios and reaction times, among others. More than 50 students took part in the fair. TDSA’s middle school science teacher, Christine Castle, is good at inspiring and encouraging her pupils.

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“She is very skillful at tapping into the students’ interests and sparking enthusiasm for science in general,” said Linda Rabinowitz, TDSA’s General Studies Principal. “We are fortunate to have her as part of our middle school team.” The first-place winners in the girls’ division include: Talya Wittenberg, “Making the Strongest Bridge Truss Design,” for best engineering project; Simcha Freida Kayser, “How Stainless is Stainless Steel?,” for the most original idea; Ariella Wolfe, “The Best Lava Lamp,” for the “coolest” project; and Sarah Leah Pearlman, “Light vs. Pigment When Mixing Colors,” for the best overall project.

Contact Steven W. Cook, PhD swc@collegebridge.net or 404.983.4573

Honorable mentions include Rachel Tress, Ariel Kaminetzky, Shaina Hoff, Shayna Stroll, Yael Lovett and Gitty Lipszyc. The first-place winners in the boys’ division include: Nati Gershon, “Home Made Hovercraft,” for engineering; and Yitzi Zolty, “Amount of Fabric on a Hot Air Balloon,” for best overall project. Honorable mentions include Aaron Weiden, Eli Varon, Yaakov Meir Cohen and David Berendt. The judges for this year’s fair included Dr. Paula Gorlin, Dr. Adina Hirsch, Dr. Elizabeth Herman, Dr. Harold Shlevin, Dr. Nison Shleifer, Dr. Sheldon May, Doug Hrabe and Karen Grinzaid.

GHA to Host Morehouse Choir in Honor of MLK, Jr. GOSPEL MUSIC AND DRAMATIC READING TO REMEMBER KING

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reenfield Hebrew Academy will present an evening of spirituals on Jan. 26 to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the biblical message of justice that he carried.

• • • •

The program, set to begin at 7:30 p.m., will feature gospel music performed by Morehouse College’s Uzee Brown Society of Choraliers. The Choraliers, directed by Dr. Uzee Brown, Chair of the Music Department at Morehouse College, will be followed by a dramatic reading of MLK Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech performed by the seventh grade students of GHA.

“It would not be an exaggeration to say that Amos was MLK’s mentor,” Rabbi Buckman said. “As a Jewish school, we teach our students about the prophet Amos and the prophetic message of justice that MLK carried forward. Amos was fully aware of the injustices of his time, and challenged the establishment of his day. MLK did the same.” There will be no charge to attend the performance, but reservations are required. The program will last approximately one hour. To reserve a seat, email mlk@ghacademy.org by Jan. 23.

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Rabbi Lee Buckman, Head of School at GHA, points out that Martin Luther King, Jr. embodied the message of the biblical prophets – most notably, the prophet Amos, who spoke about justice. Dr. King famously quoted Amos in his “I Have Been to the Mountaintop” speech, saying “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

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AJT

Education

I’ve Applied to College! NOW, IT’S MY PARENT’S TASK TO FILE BY DR. MARK L. FISHER AJT Contributor

affordable school, perhaps a community college closer to home.

y now, high school seniors have applied to college or soon will. Their parents, meanwhile, are trying to figure how to handle the high cost of a good education.

Also, while weighing these options, don’t forget the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The form for this year has been available online since Jan. 1, but don’t panic, you don’t have to complete the application in a week. Each college has its own deadline; check out the websites of schools that interest you for FAFSA due dates.

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For many families, private colleges are too expensive – the bill for such schools, including tuition, room, board and other fees, can easily top $50,000 per year. Public colleges and university are often a better (and cheaper) option, especially in Georgia. For students who quality, the state offers the HOPE Scholarship, a program that covers many of the costs associated with attending college. As such, one of your first steps in planning for college is to check with your child’s high school and learn about the HOPE program. Additional information can be found on the web by searching the Hope Scholarship site at GAcollege411. Another step is to look into the availability of merit scholarships. Most schools offer funds for students who excel academically, and additionally, many schools also offer athletic scholarships and funds for students who are involved in community service programs. You’ll need to check with individual schools to find out if such scholarships are offered and to learn who is eligible.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

The Importance of the FAFSA

You’ll also want to check out FAFSA’s website at fafsa.ed.gov. But be careful – there are some websites that mimic FAFSA and charge for their services. FAFSA is free! You can actually complete a FAFSA

application online. Colleges then study the results to determine if a student is eligible for financial aid, be that through grants, scholarships, loans and/or workstudy programs. The FAFSA application is somewhat like a tax return. In fact, if your tax return is already done when you set about filling out the FAFSA form, you might want to have it handy. It’ll make the task go quicker – and easier. If your 2012 tax return is not complete, then you’ll need to “guesstimate” certain answers. Keep a record of everything you submit. You might be subject to a verification process and have to submit tax documents.

There are parents who never discuss finances with their children. That can be a problem, especially if their youngster is hoping to get into a prestigious university that the family can’t afford.

If you still need additional help, call the U.S. Department of Education for information on FAFSA or other scholarship programs at (800) 433-3243.

Occasionally, such students manage to latch on to a merit scholarship or need-based money. Often, though, that’s not the case, and there then needs to be a “Plan B” to follow: a more

Editor’s note: Dr. Mark Fisher is a college and career consultant at Fisher Educational Consultants (fishereducationalconsultants.com) and is the college counselor for Yeshiva Atlanta.

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Tips for School Success NEW YEAR, NEW SEMESTER BY ALLISON BARCHICHAT For the Atlanta Jewish Times Now that first-semester grades are in, many of us wonder what we can do to make second semester more successful for our teens. Here are four quick tips to turn that grade point average around: 1. Get the scoop. Some parents call my business for tutoring, but when asked the name of their child’s teacher or the course their youngster is taking, they don’t have an answer. In the tutoring world, this is vital information. Before things go south, keep track of all your child’s teachers, classes and grades. Also, make sure your student has the login and password for their school’s online grade book so they can check on their grades. 2. Start talking. In many schools, teachers are only required to contact a student’s parents once if a student is in danger of failing. However, there is no limit on the number of times you can check-in with your child’s teacher. So send an e-mail to your child’s teacher any time you have a question or notice grades slipping. Don’t wait!

3. Use the web. A parent contacted me recently to see what her son should use as a final exam review tool. Meanwhile, the teacher had already posted her own review on her blog. Sometimes, information given to our teens at school doesn’t make it all the way home. Check the teacher’s blog as a means of crosschecking your student! Links to teacher blogs are on most school’s webpages. 4. Impor tance of homework. In high school, there is homework every night. If your child isn’t bringing materials home, there’s a problem. Teens often interpret ungraded homework as “unnecessary homework.” Everything the teacher assigns is important, graded or not, for review, practice and understanding. All the tutoring in the world isn’t going to make your teenager do his homework, and nothing will impact your student’s grades more. Editor’s note: Allison Barchichat is the mother of three boys and owner of East Cobb Math Tutoring in Marietta (eastcobbmathtutoring.com).

Enter a JIFLA’s Essay Contest and Win $100 WHY A HAND UP IS BETTER THAN A HAND-OUT

J JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

ewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta (JIFLA) has embarked on an awareness campaign by reaching out to our leaders of tomorrow – our youth – with their new essay competition. The essay prompt, “Why giving a hand up is better than giving a hand-out,” is a theme we can all relate to in these times.

Entrant’s essays should be at least 500 words. The contest is split into two age groups: ages 10 to 13 and ages 14 to 18, with a winner from each receiving a $100 gift card. The deadline for submission is Feb. 17, 2013. Please email entries to freeloan@jifla.org. Editor’s note: Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity established to provide short-term, non-educational assistance to Jewish individuals and families in the state of Georgia through interest-free loans. Contact Dr. Mort Barr at (404) 410-6886 for more information on JIFLA and Stan Alhadeff at stan@alhadeffcentral.com for more information on the essay contest.

AJT

Outreach

Standing Together UWI’S PROJECTS OFFER HELP FOR THE HOMELAND, WORLD JEWRY From United with Israel For the Atlanta Jewish Times

nited with Israel – a global grassroots movement comprised of individuals who are deeply committed to the success and prosperity of Israel – is the world’s largest pro-Israel community, with more than 1 million supporters. Originally founded by American Jewish families, the organization today facilitates a large variety of projects that benefit the Jewish State and Jews at large. Because of United With Israel, these achievements were made possible in 2012: • On the fifth night of Chanukah, American and Israeli families joined together with Israeli soldiers on the Reim Military Base. This year, the soldiers lit a very special Menorah that was created from the remains of Qassam rockets that exploded in Israel.

• Additionally, a special ceremony was held in honor of the soldiers, who received “Warm Winter” care packages from UWI supporters. Personal letters from admirers all around the world were presented as expressions of gratitude and unity. • Two above-ground bomb shelters were delivered and installed for kindergarteners in the town of Nitzan. The children of Nitzan, along with other children who attended the event, decorated the shelters with hand-painted murals. Donations are currently being accepted to build more shelters through UWI’s website. • A partnership with singer-songwriter Dovid (David Green) allows him to share the video of his song entitled “Jerusalem – Eye of the Universe” from his new inspirational album, “Journey to the Real You.” • An online petition, “Stop Iran,” de-

mands that world leaders take immediate action against the threat of nuclear attack from Iran. Participants can sign at stopiran.org.

• One million people “liked” the UWI Facebook page, granting the organization a global friends reach of more than 200 million people.

• Another online petition, “Keep Jerusalem United,” recognizes the city as the eternal capital of the Jewish people and strongly supports all efforts to maintain and strengthen a united Jerusalem. Participants can sign at unitedwithisrael.org/declaration.

• Attendees celebrated at a free event, “Better Place,” on Apr. 11, 2012 at the like-named business’s headquarters in Tel Aviv. The company’s Israeli innovators revolutionizing transportation with their pioneering method to convert not only the country of Israel, but much of the world, to electric cars.

• “Israel Inside” is now viewable for free online. The film has been screened in six out of seven continents and is receiving international attention from governments worldwide. Narrated by New York Times bestselling author and former Harvard lecturer Dr. Tal BenShahar, the movie reveals how the strong Israeli sense of family and community responsibility leads to not only a charitable society but to a society that shares responsibility with each other.

• Through a partnership, Lemaan Achai’s Passover Aid Project distributed direct aid to more than 180 impoverished families (approximately 600 children) who were participating in the organization’s programs. Many of the families that were helped last year are not on this year’s Passover “Aid List” because, with this help, they were able to get back on their feet and no longer need charitable help.

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AJT

Arts & Life

Q & A: David Cooper of Troika Balalaikas BALA-WHAT?!

banjo to proportions that would literally overshadow a grown man, the balalaika is a Russian hollow-bodied string instrument first documented in the 1700s. As suggested by their name, Troika Balalaikas features a trio of the instrument, which is accompanied by a domra (a lute-like instrument) and accordion.

Cooper studied in Kiev at the Glier Institute of Music, helped in the creation of the Atlanta Balalaikas Society and has been playing with Troika Balalaikas for roughly 20 years. The group, founded by Lynn McConnel in San Francisco, has toured both Canada and the United States.

Cooper was kind enough to further explain this unique instrument, as well as more on performing in Troika.

By Elizabeth Friedly Assistant Editor avid Cooper has been studying the art of Russian folk music for more than three decades. As part of musical ensemble Troika Balalaikas, he’ll bring his expertise to Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs on Jan. 23.

Audiences and critics around the country have applauded their brightlycostumed, Old World performance. But one question remains: What exactly is a balalaika? Ranging wildly in size, from dimensions akin to those of your average

Atlanta Jewish Times: What sparked your interest in this genre of music? David Cooper: I had been interested in college. I went to the University of Illinois and was studying ethno-musicology. The jazz professor at the university had recently returned from Russia, where he had taken the jazz band on a tour and had heard Russian folk orchestras while on the trip.

He wanted to start an orchestra, so he ordered music and instruments, put up signs and asked people to join! In the beginning, nobody knew what they were doing. We had scores and music to look at, and we’d just start playing. Over the years, we brought in teachers, made some progress. But I started in college and never stopped. AJT: How difficult of an instrument is it to play?

DC: The balalaika is a challenge to be an expert on because it borrows techniques from so many different instruments – guitar and violin, any kind of string instrument you can imagine. So you really have to spend time learning these various techniques.

Russian immigrants in the community. I think the number is around 60,000 or 70,000 in the Atlanta area. There may be more than that, even. There’s also a lot of Americans who just love this kind of music, maybe because of the unique instruments.

AJT: Could you give us a little background on the balalaika?

But yes, we have a pretty good following. We had one of the largest crowds the last time we played Steve’s Live Music. He [Steve] said it was the largest crowd he’d had so far.

He learned to play the prima balalaika from a peasant who lived near him named Antip. He was enthralled by the sound of the instrument, and Antip gave him lessons.

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DC: We have a pretty loyal following actually. There’s a large, large number of

From left to right, Gregory Carageorge, Lynn McConnell, David Cooper and Angelina Galashenkova-Reed of Troika Balalaikas. PHOTO/courtesy Lynn McConnell

DC: The development of the different sizes [six] was kind of a later invention, by a man by the name of Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev. He’s known as the “father of the balalaika orchestra.”

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AJT: What type of audience have you found here in Atlanta?

He essentially modernized the instrument, working with violin makers and instrument builders of the time in Petersburg, and put it into its present form. AJT: What’s it like as a group dynamic, working with so many talented people? DC: Well, that’s definitely the case. It’s a lot of years of performing experience. Angelina [Galashenkova-Reed on the domra] has won awards all over Russia. Greg Carageorge [on the accordion] actually belonged to a group in San Francisco before joining Troika Balalaikas called Klezmorim, and it was one of the early groups in the Klezmer music revival. He knows a bunch of Yiddish tunes, so we’ll be doing some of those at Steve’s Live Music on Jan. 23.

And as far as our orchestra, the Atlanta Balalaika Society, our last performance at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center was sold out. AJT: What is a typical show like? DC: We perform in costume, so it looks colorful. You’d think we were gonna dance with the costumes we have on, but unfortunately we don’t dance, we just play music [laughs]. We really kind of pull from a broad spectrum, not just Russian music, but gypsy music, Ukrainian music, some Serbian music. So, it’s kind of a broad array of music from that area. We also have some Yiddish music. We had a standing room only crowd last time, so everyone should get their tickets early! Editor’s note: Catch Troika Balalaikas at Steve’s Live Music on Wed., Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. Tickets available online (steveslivemusic.com) or at the door.

AJT

Arts & Life

Kosher Movies: The Tree of Life (2011) MAKING PEACE WITH THE MYSTERY OF DEATH BY RABBI HERBERT COHEN AJT Contributor

hen I was 12 years old, I had what I would call an “out-of-body experience.” I thought I was in the presence of G-d. It happened in Mountaindale, N.Y., in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, where I was a camper at a religious boys’ camp. We were singing and dancing on Friday night on the holy Sabbath, and suddenly my whole body was tingling.

and from my child’s perspective, he possessed a kind of divine mystery. I share these very early childhood memories because they resurfaced as I watched Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life,” a one-of-a-kind movie that seriously attempts to give the viewer a notion of what life after death is like and how love and forgiveness can enable us to cope with the inevitable inconsistencies and adversities that are part of existence. The film, set in the 1950s, recounts the story of a loving Texas family whose faith is tested in the crucible of life experience. The parents – played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain – experience the tragic death of two children, the father’s loss of his job and the growing-up tensions between father and son that threaten to destroy their inherent love for one another.

The Ethics of the Fathers tells us that one moment in the afterlife is more blissful than all of life in this world, suggesting that it is only from the aspect of eternity that we can truly transcend present adversities and appreciate the everyday miracles of life. “The Tree of Life,” suffused with poetic images of beauty from all facets of creation, affirms that within one’s fam-

ily are nurtured the seeds of love that allow us to endure and come to terms with the mysteries and tragedies of life. Rabbi Cohen, former principal of Yeshiva Atlanta, now resides in Beit Shemesh, Israel. Visit koshermovies.com for more of his Torah-themed film reviews.

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Life, which begins with hope and innocence, brings inconsistencies, loss, suffering and death to the forefront, echoing the Book of Job, which is quoted at several points in the film.

I also recall that, when I was a very little child, my mother (of blessed memory) planted in me a sense of the spiritual life, a sense that G-d was involved with me. She encouraged me to say the following prayer when I went to bed: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Further, I remember that my earliest conception of G-d was that of an old man who lived on the top floor of my friend Victor Delgrasso’s house. He had an ancient face and a black moustache,

The movie is filled with images of doorways and ladders, as if to suggest that we need to enter another world to comprehend the one in which we are living. The climax of the movie takes us through one of those doorways: As we cross the threshold, we glimpse the afterlife, an ethereal place where we are all reconciled with one another and where forgiveness is the operative emotion. Freed from the constraints of the real world, we can make peace with parents with whom we have had deep disagreements and create eternal bonds of love with people in our lives, both past and present. All of this makes our present life more bearable, meaningful and spiritually satisfying.

Join us for our Open House on Sunday, Jan. 13, 10:00 – Noon Or schedule a private tour today: Lisa Mirsky, Director of Admissions 678.527.3300 Proud Affiliate of:

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JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

I felt spiritually touched, as if I had gotten an “A+” on a final and hit a home run at the same time. It was an exquisite moment.

The tale is told through the eyes of the son Jack, who in different portions is an 11-year-old boy and an adult, a successful architect who seeks to discover meaning in a contemporary world where wealth is the measure of the man, not his spiritual sensitivity.

Atlanta’s Reform Jewish Day School 23

Atlanta Synagogue Directory

Sponsored by:

CHABAD Chabad Intown 928 Ponce De Leon Avenue Atlanta, GA 30306 www.chabadintown.org 404.898.0434

Congregation Beth Shalom 5303 Winters Chapel Rd. Atlanta, GA 30360 www.bshalom.net 770.399.5300

Guardians of the Torah P.O. Box 767981 Roswell, GA 30076 www.guardiansofthetorah.org 770.286.3477

The Kehilla of Sandy Springs 5075 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30342 www.thekehilla.org 404.913.6131

Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Rd. Roswell, GA 30075 www.bethtikvah.com 770.642.0434

Chabad Israel Center 5188 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30324 www.cicatlanta.com 404.252.9508

Congregation B’nai Torah 700 Mount Vernon Hwy. Atlanta, GA 30328 www.bnaitorah.org 404.257.0537

Young Israel of Toco Hills 2074 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.yith.org 404.315.1417

Temple Emanu-El 1580 Spalding Dr. Atlanta, GA 30350 www.templeemanuelatlanta.org 770.395.1340

Chabad Jewish Center 4255 Wade Green Rd. Suite 120 Kennesaw, GA 30144 www.jewishwestcobb.com 678.460.7702

Congregation Etz Chaim 1190 Indian Hills Pkwy Marietta, GA 30068 www.etzchaim.net 770.973.0137

Nediv Lev: the Free Synagogue of Atlanta 3791 Mill Creek Ct. Atlanta, GA 30341 My.att.net/p/PWP-NedivLev 770.335.2311 Shalom B’harim 150 Warwick Street Dahlonega, GA 30533 www.shalombharim.org 706.864.0801

Reconstructionist Congregation Bet Haverim 2676 Clairmont Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.congregationbethaverim.org 404.315.6446

Temple Kehillat Chaim 1145 Green St. Roswell, GA 30075 www.kehillatchaim.org 770.641.8630

Orthodox

Reform

Anshi S’Fard Congregation 1324 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.anshisfard.com 404.874.4513

Congregation B’nai Israel 1633 Hwy 54 E Jonesboro, GA 30238 www.bnai-israel.net 678.817.7162

Congregation Ariel 5237 Tilly Mill Rd. Dunwoody, GA 30338 www.congariel.org 770.390.9071

Congregation Dor Tamid 11165 Parsons Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097 www.dortamid.org 770.623.8860

Congregation Beth Jacob 1855 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.bethjacobatlanta.org 404.633.0551

Congregation Ner Tamid 176 West Sandtown Rd. Marietta, GA 30064 www.nertamidonline.com 678.264.8575

Congregation Beth Yitzhak 5054 Singleton Rd. Norcross, GA 30093 770.931.4567 Email: anatoliy@bjca.com

Congregation Rodeph Sholom 406 East 1st Street Rome, GA 30161 www.rodephsholomga.org (706) 291-6315

Congregation Ner Hamizrach 1858 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.nerhamizrach.org 404.315.9020

Temple Beth David 1885 Mcgee Rd. Snellville, GA 30078 www.gwinnetttemple.com 770.978.3916

Chabad of Cobb 4450 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta, GA 30068 www.chabadofcobb.com 770.565.4412 Chabad of Gwinnett 3855 Holcomb Bridge Rd. Suite 770 Norcross, GA 30092 www.chabadofgwinnett.org 678.595.0196 Chabad of North Fulton 10180 Jones Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.chabadnf.org 770.410.9000 Congregation Beth Tefillah 5065 High Point Rd. Atlanta, GA 30342 www.chabadga.com 404.257.9306 Conservative

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

Ahavath Achim Synagogue 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. Atlanta, GA 30327 www.aasynagogue.org 404.355.5222

Congregation Gesher L’Torah 4320 Kimball Bridge Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022 www.gltorah.org 770.777.4009 Congregation Or Hadash 6751 Roswell Rd. Atlanta, GA 30328 www.or-hadash.org 404.250.3338 Congregation Shearith Israel 1180 University Dr. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.shearithisrael.com 404.873.1743 Non-denominational Atlanta Chevre Minyan Druid Forest Clubhouse North Crossing Dr. Atlanta, GA 30305 www.atlantachevreminya.org Congregation Kehillat HaShem 315 Cotton Court Johns Creek, GA 30022 rabbiatlanta.com 770.218.8094 Congregation Shema Yisrael 6065 Roswell Rd., #3018 Atlanta, GA 30328 www.shemaweb.org 404.943.1100

Temple Kol Emeth 1415 Old Canton Rd. Marietta, GA 30062 www.kolemeth.net 770.973.3533 Temple Sinai 5645 Dupree Dr. Sandy Springs, GA 30327 www.templesinatlanta.org 404.252.3073 The Temple 1589 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 www.the-temple.org 404.873.1731 SEPHARDIC Congregation Or VeShalom 1681 North Druid Hills Rd. Atlanta, GA 30319 www.orveshalom.org 404.633.1737 Traditional Congregation Shaarei Shamayim 1810 Briarcliff Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.shaareishamayeim.com 404.417.0472

AJT

Tell & Kvell

December’s Mensch of the Month: Cool Jews! THIS WEEK: JAN THE OUTDOORSMAN Annette Marcus CHESED COMMITTEE LEADER SPREADS MITZVAH TO MANY

BY CHANA SHAPIRO AJT Contributor

ver the last eight years, Annette Marcus has devoted her time, talent and infectious enthusiasm to developing a strong, thriving Chesed (“Acts of Loving Kindness”) Committee at Congregation Or Hadash. She has grown the program to include more than 60 volunteers, each of whom are responsible for providing support to our members and their families and friends in the event of a birth or adoption, illness, death or other significant life event.

There are many men and women in our community who do unexpected, interesting, unusual or “out-of-the-box” things. They typically live under the radar, so we stepped up. Let us introduce you to some of them!

Under Annette’s leadership, the once small committee has become a large team that prepares and delivers meals, shops for groceries, provides transportation to or from medical appointments and is renowned for its frequent hospital visits, calls, e-mails and cards for those who are ill. Annette works closely with our rabbis and has energized our whole congregation’s involvement in this sacred task. She also personally makes time to reach out to those in need of a hug, meal or visit to lift their spirits. In addition, she has also streamlined the process, providing for more effective communication and quicker response time. Having created a responsive and efficient giving solution for our community, Annette makes the mitzvah of chesed an easy, joyful part of our daily life. Committee members are afforded the opportunity to help make life a little easier and better for those in need. Following Annette’s lead, they feed the soul of our whole congregational family. - As nominated by Jackie Nix

ANNIVERSARY Yanchuck

uth and Sidney Yanchuck celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 14.

Atlanta Jewish Times: What’s all that gear? Jan Siegelman: I cut and trim trees. I need gear to cut, and I need gear to climb! AJT: How’d you get into that? JS: I’ve been climbing trees since I was 4 years old. I used to climb high and hide from everybody below. It’s about the challenge, pushing myself. AJT: What are those chickens doing over there? JS: We eat fresh eggs five out of seven days a week. AJT: Are you worried about cholesterol? JS: Of course not! AJT: How many roosters do you have? JS: Only one; he’s mainly for show. And the crowing!

AJT: You like animals. JS: We have two American Staffordshire terriers, lots of Gambusia mosquitofish and goldfish outside, a homeless guinea pig that we took in, and the chickens. AJT: What about children? JS: We have three sons and three daughters, all born at home. Two sons are married. I’m a grandfather. AJT: What do you do for fun? JS: Everything. My work and fun are the same. I coach wrestling at Yeshiva Atlanta, kayak, take people rafting, lead caving groups, do rock climbing, mentor scouts, run, ski, juggle, do acrobatics, teach trampoline. I’ve built furniture, the decks around the house and our fish pond, had my own plane, did hanggliding. I want to sail across an ocean one day, and… AJT: Stop! Are you afraid of anything at all? JS: When I’m up in one of those really tall pine trees and the wind is blowing hard, you bet I say the Shema!

Sidney is a resident of the William Breman Jewish Home and Ruth is a resident of the Cohen Home. Their children, Rita and Earl Kessler of Alpharetta, bring Ruth to the Breman Home to visit on a regular basis.

Other family members joining the anniversary celebration were daughter Arleen Poston of Orlando, Fla.; grandchildren Mark and Allyson Tibor of Johns Creek, Brian and Rebekah Kessler of London, U.K., Adam Kessler of Atlanta and Mike and Danielle Krise of Orlando. Great-grandchildren are Aaron Tibor, Rachel Tibor, Jordan Tibor, Jonah Kessler, Laurie Kessler, Hank Krise and Hannah Krise.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

“They both receive such outstanding care at their respective facilities that it outweighs the separation,” Rita said. “If it weren’t for the staff at the Jewish Home, my dad would not have lived long enough to celebrate this day.”

AJT

MATZAH BALL SOUP FOR THE SOUL

G-d Doesn’t Change Overnight WHY SHOULD YOU? By Rachel LaVictoire AJT Contributor

t’s strange the sort of emphasis that’s put on the New Year.

Each year, we have 12 new months, 52 new weeks and even 365 new days, and yet so many people see Jan. 1 as a day of redemption – the day when our past mistakes and grievances disintegrate and we can start fresh. “This year,” we tell ourselves. “This is the year” to quit smoking, lose 10 pounds, get married, get a promotion, get good grades, learn a new language, erase debt and chase that childhood dream. I’m not calling New Year’s resolutions foolish. It’s important to have goals and aspirations, things to work towards and to keep us motivated. What I’m skeptical about is the instantaneous change that people expect when they flip the page on their calendar and stumble into a new year. Take, for example, the hypothetical Schmoe family: Joe Schmoe has dinner with his family on Dec. 31. Mrs. Schmoe has put out

a beautiful table cloth over the wooden dining room table, set two sterling silver candlesticks in the middle, and put out the family’s nice china, complete with wine glasses and napkin rings. Joe sits down with his children, Boy Schmoe and Girl Schmoe, and Mrs. Schmoe pulls dinner from the oven and pours wine for herself and her husband. The four of them dine and chat, reminiscing about the year that’s passed. They can’t help but think about all of it – about how strange it feels to be 365 days away from last year’s New Years Eve, about how so much has changed since then while, at the same time, so much remains the same. Finally, Joe asks: “So what are everyone’s New Year’s resolutions?” After moments of consideration, each person answers. Mrs. Schmoe will lose 10 pounds, Joe will stop working late nights at the office, and Girl and Boy Schmoe both vow to spend more time outside. Done. Later, the ball drops and they clink their flutes of champagne and sparkling apple juice. The kids stay up playing iPhone games, Joe finishes up some

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

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

Blessing for the Wine Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu Meelech Haolam, Borei p’ri hagafen

Praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Blessing for the Bread (Challah) Baruch Atah A-do-nai, El-o-hei-nu Melech haolam, Hamotzi Lechem min haaretz. Our Praise to You Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Friday, January 11, 2013 Light Candles at: 5:29 pm Shabbat, January 12, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:28 pm Friday, January 18, 2013 Light Candles at: 5:35 pm Shabbat, January 19, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:34 pm Friday, January 25, 2013 Light Candles at: 5:42 pm Shabbat, January 26, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:40 pm Friday, February 1, 2013 Light Candles at: 5:49 pm Shabbat, January 26, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:47 pm

reports for work, and Mrs. Schmoe sits in the living room with chocolate cake, watching the celebrities in Times Square. But tomorrow, all of this will change, right?

shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will increase My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt (Exodus 7: 1-3).”

Probably – for a little bit.

The rest of the story is well known:

Then, maybe Mrs. Schmoe will have a birthday lunch and indulge in dessert. Maybe Joe will have a presentation to prepare for, keeping him in the office late one night. Maybe the kids get stuck inside one day because the weather stops them from going out. They’ll get frustrated with themselves for failing and, before they know it, they’ve all given up.

Pharaoh won’t believe Moses, and so Moses will turn his staff into a serpent. Still Pharaoh’s heart will not soften, and so G-d will send down 10 plagues, and the Israelites will walk towards freedom.

Why? Because turning a page in your life is not as easy as turning the page on your calendar. We need to be ready. We need to have a plan. Mrs. Schmoe can’t go from chocolatelover to salad-lover because the calendar says it’s time to change – and neither can anyone else. In this week’s parshah, Va’eira, G-d speaks to Moses. G-d says He has heard the cries of his people and He is going to redeem them from slavery. Even G-d, though, understands that a change of that stature can be overwhelming. Therefore, G-d says to Moses: “I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will save you from their labor, and I will redeem you… And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be a G-d to you…I will bring you to the land…I will give it to you as a heritage (Exodus 6:6-8).” Notice all of the promises, the individual steps: I will save, I will redeem, I will take, I will be a G-d, I will bring and I will give you a heritage. But even with all that planning, things do not start smoothly. Moses cried out to G-d, “Behold, I am of closed lips; so how will Pharaoh hearken to me? (Exodus 6:30).” G-d immediately responded, showing us that a struggle is no reason for quitting. He comforts Moses and tells him: “I have made you a lord over Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, will be your speaker. You shall speak all that I command you, and Aaron, your brother,

Then, Pharaoh will change his mind and chase after them, and G-d will part the Red Sea and then allow the waters to fall in and drown the Egyptians, and thus, the Israelites will be free. We won’t read about the miracle of the Red Sea and the freeing of the Israelites for two more weeks. Patience – that’s what we are being taught here. We see G-d as omnipotent and omniscient, and yet He did not save the Israelites instantly. G-d first made the choice to free them, then planned their escape, spoke to leaders, dealt with obstacles and, eventually, was able to pronounce the Israelites as free. So, if G-d doesn’t make abrupt changes, why should we put that pressure on ourselves? Give yourself time. Sit down with your friends and family and ask yourself what you really hope to gain in the coming year. Build a plan for what to do when your plan falls apart. Work towards your goals and dreams, but don’t be discouraged if you fall short a few times. And when you get there, when you’re accomplished and proud, do as the Israelites did and celebrate, perhaps in the fashion that the singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman offers: “And Miriam raised her voice with song. She sang with praise and might, we’ve just lived through a miracle, we’re going to dance tonight.” Rachel LaVictoire (rlavictoire@wustl. edu) is a graduate of the Davis Academy and Westminster High School, recipient of the prestigious Nemerov Writing and Thomas H. Elliott Merit scholarships at Washington University of St. Louis and an active member of Temple EmanuEl and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

AJT

D’VAR TORAH

Parashat Vaera OUR PERSONAL EGYPTS Temple Beth Tikvah and the Atlanta Rabbinical Association

here are tremendous crimes, tragedies and injustices of all kinds that exist in our world. Parashat Vaera teaches me that I have to continue the work of Creation by doing my part. Let’s look at the text: “And I have now heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in slavery; and I have remembered My covenant (Exodus 6: 5).” There are people experiencing pain in the world, and while we might be deaf to their cries and to their pleas, G-d never is. With all of my heart, I believe that G-d can hear the cries of those who feel confined in their own “Egypts.” Note that the term for Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzrayim, and the root of the

word – tzar – means “narrow.” Thus, being in Mitzrayim is a narrow place, a confining place.

the fifth cup at our seder; instead, we leave that for Elijah the Prophet. Think for a moment of that symbolism.

Today, we are supposed to remember how we were slaves in Egypt so that we can be a source of support to others who are still in some sort of a “Mitzrayim.” But the genius of our text is that even in such a place – the place that traps us – we are never alone.

If there are five promises of redemption and we do not consume the fifth cup (not yet, anyway), it means that the fifth promise has not yet been fulfilled. Thus, the fifth cup is reserved for Elijah, who also has the task of announcing the coming of the Messiah.

G-d does hear us, even when we are too weak or depressed to even cry; when we are simply groaning.

So perhaps we are to drink that cup when the Messianic time is upon us? And – this has always been the question to stir me the most – are we to just simply wait for that time?

When G-d heard our Israelite ancestors, G-d made five promises of redemption. The first four are symbolically reflected in our Passover seder with the four cups of wine, as follows: “I will free you…and deliver you…I will redeem you…I will take you… (Exodus 6: 6-8).” But the fifth promise is: “I will bring you into the land.” And we don’t drink

What about the teachings of Elijah knocking on our doors, looking for an act of chesed/kindness while we are at our seder? I believe we can play a part in bringing Elijah to partake in that fifth cup. We can do our part to assist those who are confined, imprisoned, trapped

in some sort of Egypt. It could be the Egypt of mental health disorders; it could be the Egypt that poverty brings; it could be an Egypt through addiction. Whatever the case may be, we can choose to listen to the cries and groans of our neighbors, just a little more carefully, bring redemption to these suffering souls and thus to our world. These people in their Egypts, they need us. As we move into 2013, let this be the year where we don’t leave people’s cries and groans only for G-d to hear. We can play a part in redeeming the world by helping our neighbor, finding ways in our communities to support the fallen, and thus we will truly walk in G-d’s ways. Editor’s note: Rabbi Greene is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Tikvah and a member of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

BY RABBI FRED GREENE

AJT

what’s happening

Sat., Jan. 12 Mt. Scopus Musical Soiree, an evening featuring concert pianist Elena Boguslavsky; proceeds go towards genetic research at Hadassah Hospital. Sat., Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m. $25/person. Private residence. For info, (404) 325-0340 or embarr1@bellsouth.net. CTeen Shabbaton Registration, Shabbaton in New York City. Feb. 8-10. $225/ person without airfare. $450/person with airfare. For info, visit nyshabbaton. com or email rebarik@gmail.com.

Sun., Jan. 13 Young Women’s Financial Literacy Program, empowering teen girls with the tools to successfully handle their finances (grades 8-12). Mother/daughter seminar followed by workshops. Sun., Jan. 13, 2 p.m. $20/mother + teen daughter, $25/mother + two daughters. Weber School. Register at jwi.org/Atlanta. MJCCA Day Camp Online Registration, with a variety of new options for

children ages 5 to 14. Sun., Jan. 13. atlantajcc.org/camps.

Breman Museum members only. Thurs., Jan. 24. rkatz@thebreman.org.

Yiddish Lovers Club Meeting, once a month meetings. Sun., Jan. 13, 11 a.m. Beth Jacob Synagogue. (404) 6330551.

Fri., Jan. 25 Shabbat Dinner & Tu B’Shevat Seder, after service. Celebrating our love for Israel and the environment. Fri., Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. Congregation Etz Chaim. Register by Jan. 22, etzchaim.net/lilmodereg.aspx.

From the SS to the IDF, with guest lecturer Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger. Sun., Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Tefillah. (404) 843-2464. Wed., Jan. 16 “Davenology: The What, How and Why of Jewish Prayer,” get more out of your personal prayers. A three part series on Wednesdays, monthly. Wed., Jan. 16, 6 p.m. Congregation Shearith Israel. ysmith@shearithisrael.com. Thinking Inside the Box, “Framing Women’s Lives” shadowboxing created by Weber School students. Wed., Jan. 16, 7 p.m. The Weber School. RSVP to brosenblit@weberschool.org. “To Catch An Anti-Semite,” with guest speaker David Nesenoff, on the viral video of White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Wed., Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. $12/ person for RSVP’s by Jan. 10. $15/person at door. RSVP to (770) 565-4412 or chabadofcobb.com. Sat., Jan. 19 Cancer Transitions Workshop, sixweek workshop to aide in active to post treatment. Sat., Jan. 19, 10 a.m. Free. Cancer Support Community. (404) 8431880. Sun., Jan. 20 A Night at the Races, dinner in honor of Harold & Lora Schroeder and Dr. Jason and Leanne Kaplan, featuring games and music and more. Sun., Jan. 20. Congregation Ariel. (770) 390-9071. Tues., Jan. 22 Adult Learning, a series of classes on a variety of topics, Tuesday evenings. Tues., Jan. 22, 7:15 p.m. $25/person. Etz Chaim. Register, (770) 973-0137 www.etzchaim.net/lilmodereg.aspx.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

Challah Baking Evening with Chabad Women’s Circle. Tues., Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m. $12. Chabad of Cobb. chabadofcobb.com.

Wed., Jan. 23 Famous Jewish Women You’ve Never Heard Of, event of Mt. Scopus Group of Greater Atlanta Hadassah with presenter Barbara Rosenblit. Wed., Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. Congregation Or VeShalom. RSVP to (404) 636-8582 or suzytib@bellsouth. net. Thur., Jan. 24 Private Home Tour, visit three exquisite private homes, the first featured in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle Magazine. For

Sat., Jan. 26 Family Concert, Mr. Greg’s Musical Madness. Sat., Jan. 26, 11 a.m. $10/ person. The Punchline Comedy Club. Tickets at punchline.com. Tu B’Shevat Seder, family-friendly seder. Taste some new fruits and sing songs. Sat., Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m. Congregation Shearith Israel. Register online or email ysmith@shearithisrael.com or RabbiLesack@shearithisrael.com. MLK Jr. Program, including a reading of the “I Have a Dream” speech and a chorus performance by the Morehouse College Choraliers. Sat., Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m. Free. Greenfield Hebrew Academy. RSVP to mlk@ghacademy.org. Family Movie Night, showing “The Lorax,” in support of CSI Youth with pizza, drinks and snacks for sale. Sat., Jan. 26. Congregation Shearith Israel. RSVP to marill@mindspring.com Sun., Jan. 27 Mahjong Tournament, benefitting Etz Chaim Preschool. Bring your 2012 Mahjong card; prizes awarded. Beginners seminar available. Sun., Jan. 27, 12:45 p.m. $25/person. Congregation Etz Chaim. http://www.etzchaim.net/preschool_events_registration.aspx. Israel Trip Info Meeting, for upcoming MJCCA trip, June 12-25. Sun., Jan. 27, 12 p.m. Zaban Park. Information and application forms, (678) 812-4161 or brian. glusman@atlantajcc.org. Chosen Food, “Cuisine, Culture and American Jewish Identity,” new exhibit opening. Wed., Jan. 27. The Breman Museum. (678) 222-3700. “Cirque du Simcha,” Torah Day School’s Main Event, a fun night for adults of all ages honoring Josh and Jodi Wittenberg and Susan Krohn. Sun. Jan. 27, 6:30 p.m. $65. Le Fais Do-Do on Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. tdsamainevent.com. Wed., Jan. 30 “Living with Integrity,” Navigating Everyday Ethical Dilemmas, new JLI course. Six weeks beginning Wed., Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m. Various metro Chabad houses. myJLI.com.

AJT

MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING

Gerald (Jerry) Broder 77, OF ATLANTA

Jerry Broder, age 77, died Oct. 29, 2012, at Gwinnett Medical Center in Duluth, Ga. of chronic health complications. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Feb. 3, 1935 to Simon and Bella Broder. He was a loving father to his three daughters, Beverly Matthews, Jana Broder and Michele Niland and her husband Patrick Niland. Jerry also leaves behind his grandchildren: Joshua Matthews, Michael Niland, Erin Niland and Mitch Miller. He is survived by his brother Carl (Sonny) Broder as well as numerous nieces and nephews in his home state of New York. Jerry was a born entrepreneur, best known for bringing Chinese food to the Atlanta area in 1968 with five restaurants called Won Ton. From there, he helped introduce Italian ice to the area before opening Jerry’s Famous Catering, which he retired from in 2007. Jerry was a cancer survivor. He was an active member of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Cancer Survivors Network as well as a founding supporter of the Esophageal Cancer Support Group. He was regularly seen roaming the halls of the hospital looking for those patients who he could help with his encouraging words and many stories. He found a way to bring humor into the lives of all. Jerry was an amazing joke teller. Jerry was an active member of the North Atlanta Men’s Club and was involved in daily discussion groups and book clubs at the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Atlanta. He was blessed with many friends who loved him dearly. Jerry loved to introduce his friends to Dim Sum and other ethnic foods. He loved to cook, eat and discuss food always. Besides his children and grandchildren, food was his favorite topic. Whenever Jerry had his children around, he loved to sit around a table and do jigsaw puzzles. This activity dates back to when his children were very young, and there was still a puzzle on the table when he passed away. A memorial for Jerry was held on Wed., Oct. 31 at the Marcus Jewish Community Center. It was attended by many who brought stories of Jerry’s life with them.

Academy of Music and the national touring company of the Metropolitan Opera. In 1967, he joined his brother and mother in Atlanta and quickly became a pioneer photographer for the burgeoning organizations of the Atlanta arts scene, including Theater Atlanta, the Atlanta Municipal Theater and the Alliance Theater. He remained on staff at the Alliance Theater through 1986. Back in the days when still photographs were a mainstay of political campaigns, he became the demand photographer for Georgia political campaigns, including the successful gubernatorial campaigns of Jimmy Carter and George Busbee. In addition, he photographed well-known political figures including Jesse Jackson; Robert Kennedy; Martin Luther King, Sr. (“Daddy King”); and Andrew Young. In 1976, he served as the chief photographer for the successful presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter and served as the official photographer of his 1977 presidential inauguration. Several of his books of photographs on President Carter are published. Charles was appointed to the Georgia Council for the Arts and served on the board of the Georgia Opera Company. He served as the staff photographer for the Atlanta Jewish Times for over a decade and was the on-site photographer in Morocco for the biblical movies “Abraham,” “Jacob” and “Joseph,” which were produced by his brother, Gerald. Along the way, he was an award-winning member of the Brooklyn Camera Club and an extraordinary and award-winning fencer; an R/C airplane enthusiast; a member of the Marcus Jewish Community Center; and a longtime member The Temple (The Hebrew Benevolent Congregation). His passions included history, archaeology, literature, opera, theater and his family. Charles is survived by his wife, Charlotte; his brother, Gerald, of Washington, D.C.; his sons, Lawrence and his wife Cheryl, and H. Philip and life partner Robert Gaul, all of Atlanta; his grandsons, Ben and Josh; and many nieces and nephews. An online guestbook is available at edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Temple, 1589 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309, the-temple.org; Hospice Atlanta, 1244 Park Vista Dr., Atlanta, GA 30319, vnhs.org; or the Parkinson’s disease organization of one’s choice. A chapel service was officiated by Rabbi Peter Berg 1 p.m. on Sun., Jan. 6 at The Temple, and followed by burial at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Irit Miller

67, OF DULUTH Irit Miller, age 67, Duluth, Ga., died Jan. 2, 2013. Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Elie Miller and Tehila Miller, Philadelphia; daughter and son-in-law, Ayelet Miller Elkayam and Ron Elkayam, Tel Aviv; daughter, Avital Miller, Nevada City, Calif.; sister and brother-in-law, Raya Sella and Jerry Sella, Gaithersburg, Md.; companion, Stephen Schreiman, Duluth; and grandchildren: Chaim Leib, Yona Zvi, Shoshana Beila, Yaakov Simcha, Binyamin Meir, Itai and Lior. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA.org) or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718 Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718. Sign online guestbook at edressler.com. A graveside service was held Thurs., Jan. 3, 2013 at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Adelphi, Md. with Rabbi Mordechai Terebelo officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.

Charles Maurice Rafshoon Charles Maurice Rafshoon, 86, of Atlanta, passed away at dusk on Jan. 3, 2013. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Oct. 3, 1926 to Helen and Jack Rafshoon. Charles enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1943 at age 17 and served until honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1949. He was married in June 1951 to Charlotte Goodman, to whom he would remain married for 61 years. Charles received his bachelor’s degree in history from Brooklyn College in 1955. After graduation, he took up the hobby of photography and soon began a career as a professional photographer. In New York, he began taking photographs for various law firms but soon transitioned into theatrical and dance photography, serving clients including the Brooklyn

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

86, OF ATLANTA

JEWISH PUZZLER by Kathi Handler (bookssss@aol.com)

Across 1. Son of Gad 5. Nerds 9. The waters of __ 14. Writer Irving 15. Dershowitz bargain? 16. Breathing 17. Diarist 19. Maccabiah activities 20. 551 21. Biblical killers 23. Dotted vavs? 26. One time 29. Biblical sign of mourning 30. “Atlas Shrugged”, writer 32. Tzedaka offerer 34. Belief: comb. form 37. Former Minister of Defense 39. Ulpan function 41. Her 42. Genesis figure 44. Purim site 46. Eddie Fisher’s ex 47. Made aliyah 49. A tel 50. Haifa to Jerusalem (dir) 51. Leg joint held by Jacob 53. Called to biblically 54. Cholent holder 56. Ellis or Cypruss 58. “Barney Miller”, __ Linden 59. Kern and others 63. Imitated Moses 65. Similar

66. Historian 72. Like Solomon 73. Go back 74. Jan Peerce specialty 75. Amos and Micah 76. Encounter 77. Jerusalem to Tel-Aviv (dir)

Shahn 34. Son of Asher 35. Disgrace (Yid) 36. Beiliss 38. Depot (abbr) 40. Purr 43. Emulate Abba Eban 45. Tisha B’Av sound

48. Mt Hermon activity 52. Actor Gould 54. Barry Greenstein game 55. Measurements 57. Wiggling tref fish 59. Dreyfuss film 60. Wiesel 61. Lift up

62. Singer work 64. Imitate Chagall 67. Ashdod to Jericho (dir) 68. Alphabet run 69. Solomon’s find 70. It is to Leonard Cohen 71. Yarmulke

Last week’s answers

Down 1. Got ya!! 2. NY Yankee, _ Blomberg 3. Possess 4. Mitzvah, good __ 5. Passover time 6. __ Carte 7. Sopher need 8. __ Fifth Avenue 9. Via __, Sea Road 10. Eilat, old style 11. Playwright Elmer 12. Angel of Death path 13. Mishmash (Eng) 18. Zeigfeld’s nickname 22. “_ of the Falsettos”, Finn composition 23. Urim and Thummim 24. Pollster 25. “Gezundheit”, response 27. Etrog cousin 28. Seth’s mom 31. Tay-Sachs carrier 33. Equipment for Ben

Chess Puzzle of the Week by Jon Hochberg

Challenge: White to move: checkmate in 2 moves

Last week’s puzzle solution. 1) Q x Rf1 2) K x Q 3) Re1#

Jon Hochberg is a chess instructor who has been teaching in the Atlanta area for the last 6 years. Currently, Jon runs after school chess programs at several Atlanta schools, including The Epstein school. He always welcomes new students, and enjoys working with children who have no prior chess knowledge. Jon can be reached at Jonhochberg@gmail.com to schedule private lessons.

JANUARY 11 ▪ 2013

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