NEW FACILITY OPENS AT CHAYA MUSHKA CHILDREN’S HOUSE
STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING Rabbi Bregman’s Call to End Modern-Day Slavery
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SEPT 28, 2012 - OCTOBER 4, 2012
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TEMPLE KOL EMETH LAUNCHES CONVERSION INITIATIVE Rabbi Steven Lebow Talks Motivations, Challenges | Page 10
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SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
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FROM THE JCC
MJCCA Announces Complete Book Festival Line-Up ANDREW MCCARTHY, MICHAEL FEINSTEIN, TONY DANZA AMONG KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
he Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta recently announced the full author line-up for the 21st edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA. One of the South’s premier literary events, the Festival is scheduled for Nov. 1 through 18 with two special “Prologue to the Book Festival” events set for Oct. 14 (James Patterson) and Oct. 15 (R.L. Stine). “For two weeks each year, we are proud to bring our community authors from around the world who are also celebrities, public figures and pop culture icons,” Ina Enoch, Festival co-chair with Sheri Gumer, said. “More than 10,000 visitors will enjoy engaging speaker programs, author meet-and-greets, book signings, panel discussions, the Family Reading Festival and more.” This year, more than 50 of the year’s best and brightest authors will present in a variety of forums. Keynote speakers include Award-winning travel writer and actor Andrew McCarthy; New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin; CBS News Travel editor Peter Greenberg; television, screen and stage star Tony Danza; celebrated author and screenwriter Delia Ephron; Grammy Award-winning pianist and ambassador of the Great American Songbook Michael Feinstein; and world-renowned religious scholar and bestselling author Rabbi Harold Kushner. “During the Book Festival, our community comes together to explore, learn, and share literary and cultural experiences with these extraordinary authors,” Gumer said. “’Fest’ people come to hear an author discuss his or her book and can’t wait to bring a friend or family member back to another program. The Festival is such a wonderful, communitybuilding event, and gets better each
Michael Feinstein
year.” The events scheduled for the first three days of the Festival show the caliber of events: • On the opening night of Thurs., Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Michael Bar-Zohar, author of “Mossad: The Great Missions of the Israeli Secret Service” will start the proceedings off on a high note. Bar-Zohar, author of more than 30 books, was a former member of the Knesset and an adviser to General Moshe Dayan. In “Mossad,” he reveals some of the more fantastic episodes in the history of Israeli intelligence operations around the world. Also, later that night (8:15 p.m.), Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of “Jerusalem: A Biography” (President Bill Clinton’s “No. 1 book of the year”), is set to appear. From King David to the 21st century and from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is the epic history of 3,000 years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and coexistence. • Next, on Fri., Nov. 2 at 12 p.m., Maggie Anton, author of “Rav Hisda’s Daughter: Book 1 – Apprentice,” will speak. The woman behind the blockbuster “Rashi’s Daughters” series that captured the imagination of millions of readers is back with the first of a two-volume series titled “Rav Hisda’s Daughter.” The book is based on actual Talmud texts and populated with its rabbis and their families. • Then, on Sat., Nov. 3 at 8 p.m., Andrew McCarthy, author of “The Longest Way Home: One Man’s Quest for the Courage to Settle Down,” will host a session.
Tony Danza
The award-winning travel writer and actor (known for his roles in “Pretty in Pink,” “Mannequin,” “St. Elmo’s Fire” and “Weekend at Bernie’s,” among other films) will share about his latest work, a deeply personal journey played out amid some of the world’s most evocative locales with an
James Patterson
irrepressible taste for adventure, candor and a vivid sense of place. Editor’s note: For a complete calendar and to purchase tickets, call (678) 812-4005 or visit atlantajcc. org/bookfestival.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
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Andrew McCarthy
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from our readers
Is Enough Being Done for Jewish Atlantans with Special Needs? THE DEBATE CONTINUES Dear Editor:
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s a Jewish educator, I am so happy to read articles sharing my passion for creating learning opportunities for children with special needs and disabilities. In response to the letter by “an Atlanta resident” in the Aug. 31 issue, I praise the writer for urging “our Jewish community to start working together and take care of our own.” However, I do not feel that the writer gave a full and accurate picture of what our community does for those children in our community.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
At The Temple, we are proud to fully include all children and adults in all aspects of congregational life. In our school in particular, we have an inclusive learning program that serves over
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75 students (well over 10 percent of an enrollment of almost 600 students) in our Sunday and Hebrew programs. During the week, these students attend traditional or special needs public and private schools. Our congregation’s inclusion program, led by Stacey Levy, a licensed speech pathologist, creates learning plans (similar to Individualized Education Programs) for each of these students so they can be fully integrated in all classroom learning, activities and trips; educates our teachers to work with students who learn differently; and trains a cadre of over a dozen high-school-student special-needs facilitators each year to shadow students with moderate and severe needs. Student needs in our program range from mild dyslexia to autism. Most importantly, all of our children are welcomed into the congregation as
bar and bat mitzvah at age 13, no matter how severe or what type of special need or disability they have.
ously and work hard to include all of our children in lifecycles, especially bar and bat mitzvah.
The Temple is not alone in serving children with differences. A grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and facilitated by Jewish Educational Services brought special needs awareness and education to our congregational schools in the early 2000s. Since then, the Education Directors’ Council of Greater Atlanta has been providing ongoing special needs training for our Hebrew and Sunday school teachers each year.
As the 11th largest Jewish community in America, we [in Atlanta] certainly have a long way to go to meet all of the needs of our children and adults with special needs or disabilities. However, with strong congregations, great rabbis and educators, committed parents and the Amit agency all working toward the same goal, Atlanta can one day shine as a beacon for inclusion for the rest of klal Yisrael.
I feel that the writer of “Those with Special Needs are Underserved” has overlooked some of the successes and achievements of our community. As a member of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, I believe that all of our congregational rabbis (as opposed to “some rabbis”) take this issue seri-
Sincerely, Rabbi Steven H. Rau, Reform Jewish Educator Director of Lifelong Learning, The Temple
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Don’t shut them out, but set some definite limits. Later on, you will be happy to have bubbe and zayde available to babysit! - Bubbe Judy Editor’s note: Submit your questions and have them answered by one of the AJT’s four Bubbes! Email your concern(s) to submissions@atljewishtimes.com, and you might just get a little free – but valuable – advice!
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First of all, don’t make a big tzimes out of this (i.e., blow it out of proportion). Calmly tell your parents that you love having them come visit but that dinner time is getting so hectic, you are getting a little meshugge (crazy) and you need some alone time with your husband and child. Suggest another time that might work better for all of you.
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French Far-Right Leader Calls for Kippah Ban
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Via JNS.org rench politician Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front party, sparked controversy over the weekend of Sept. 21 with a call to ban traditional Jewish head coverings known as kippot.
Le Pen, known for her anti-immigrant and nationalist positions, has long called for banning Islamic head coverings such as the niqab and burka and has now added kippot to her “wish list.” “Obviously, if the veil is banned, the kippah [should be] banned in public as well,” the French daily Le Monde quoted Le Pen in an interview published Sept. 21. French President Francois Hollande denounced Le Pen’s call for a ban on religious head coverings, saying, “Everything that tears people apart [or] divides them is inappropriate.” The president of the Conference of European Rabbis, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, said Le Pen has “once again exposed herself as being unworthy of the mainstream French political space,” according to the Jerusalem Post. Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, said in a statement that Le Pen’s comments “encourage the growth of bigotry in a nation to whom the world looks for democratic and tolerant leadership.” France’s National Front party was founded in the 1970s by Jean-Marie Le Pen. Marine, who succeeded her father, placed third in last spring’s presidential election.
now!
Israeli Ambassador Protests Ahmadinejad’s Denial of Jewish History at UN PROSOR: “LIKE APPOINTING A PYROMANIAC TO BE A FIRE CHIEF”
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Via JNS.org ranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters at the United Nations that while his country “has been around for the last [7,000 to] 10,000 years,” Israel has been “occupying” territory in the Middle East for 60 to 70 years and has “no roots there in history.”
Ahmadinejad, whose larger speech to the entire UN General Assembly was scheduled for Yom Kippur, addressed a smaller UN assembly on the rule of law Monday. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor left the room to protest the Iranian president’s remarks. “Ahmadinejad showed again that he not only threatens the future of the Jewish people, [but also that] he seeks to erase our past,” Prosor told reporters. “To allow Ahmadinejad to speak at the UN about the rule of law is like appointing a pyromaniac to be a fire chief.” On the topic of a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Ahmadinejad said, “Fundamentally, we do not take seriously the threats of the Zionists. We have all the defensive means at our disposal, and we are ready to defend ourselves.”
Syrian Mortars Strike Northern Israel for First Time
FEARS OF INTERNAL VIOLENCE SPILLOVER POSSIBLY REALIZED
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Via JNS.org
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
s reported by Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, several mortars fired by Syrian government troops targeting rebels hit open agricultural fields in Israel’s Golan Heights region on Sept.25, marking the first time such an incident has taken place. The Israel Defense Forces said no one was wounded in the shelling.
The IDF also issued a statement on its website that it would not accept the spillover of violence from Syria into Israel and that it has filed a complaint with United Nations forces operating in the border area.
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The mortars landed near Kibbutz El Rom in the northern Golan Heights. The shells were apparently not aimed at Israel, rather at rebels in Syrian villages close to the border. Heavy fighting between Syrian troops and rebels was reported in Syria’s Quneitra region, which lies along the border with Israel. There have been concerns in Israel that the ongoing internal violence in Syria could spill over the border and that the long-quiet frontier area could become a new Islamist front against Israel.
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Op-ed: Eradicating Modern-Day Slavery SUPPORT THE TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION REAUTHORIZATION ACT By Rabbi Rachael M. Bregman The Temple and the Open Jewish Project
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n 11-year-old girl in fivepoint shackles is escorted into a courtroom. Her crime? She was caught in the back of a van with a 43-year-old man who had paid for 30 minutes of her time to do whatever he wanted to with her. Where was the man when the girl was in court? He’d already been released, fined $50 for misdemeanor solicitation and set free. The little girl – because at 11, what else can we call her – belonged to a pimp who had three other girls in his possession. After she had run away from home, the pimp took her in, and now she was “paying him back” for a roof over her head, her clothing and some food.[1] This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Procla-
mation, but slavery still exists today, and this is what it looks like. The Facts According to the U.S. State Department and the International Labor Organization, there are between 21 and 27 million slaves in the world today – more than at any other time in history. Of them, 25 percent are women, men and children – thousands in the United States – who are victims of forced sexual exploitation. And while not all those who work in prostitution are victims of human trafficking, many are, especially children. “Runaway and throwaway”[2] children are easy prey for traffickers. One out of every three teens will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home, and the younger a girl[3] is, the more likely she will be sexually victimized. A pimp will attempt to break a girl’s will though physical and verbal
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“Any child who is feeling lonely and isolated is at risk,” Judge Peggy Walker of the Douglas County Juvenile Court said. “Kids run away to the city and sell their bodies for drugs or alcohol or a place to stay, [and] their parents are generally stunned, believing that sexual exploitation is something that happens to someone else’s child.”[5] The Johns can look just like you and me: Of the men purchasing sex, 75 percent are white and of upper- or upper-middle-class.[6] Our Motivation for Change A century-and-a-half ago, President Abraham Lincoln declared, “… upon this act [of emancipating all slaves], sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty G-d.[7]” Lincoln’s claimed authority not just from the Constitution, the U.S. military, the citizens of this nation and G-d on high; he characterized the act as one of justice itself.
We sing about redemption from slavery in the daily prayers[8]. G-d commands us to free the captives, that slavery is wrong, and that, as Jews, central to our identity is ridding humanity of the practice.
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This is happening not just to someone else’s kids; the victims could be my kids and yours. There has been a marked rise in the sexual exploitation of kids from middle- and upper-income backgrounds.
As Jews, the call to end human slavery goes beyond merely justice. Among our religion’s central rallying cries is, “remember, you were a slave in Egypt,” reminding us of our freedom and the great responsibility to protect others who are enslaved which comes with it.
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abuse to prepare her for a life of prostitution and separate her completely from her previous life,[4] making the child completely dependent on him or her and enslaved to the sex trade.
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When we commit to tzedakah (here, “justice”), we are breaking the cruelty that exists within us and the world and transforming it into compassion, and in doing so, we are changing our very nature.[9] Justice is protecting the slaves in our world. Today, we both yearn and are commanded to turn the world, ourselves and wickedness around toward good. We are the ones who have committed these crimes, and we are also the ones who can protect their victims. The power is in our hands. How You Can Make a Difference It is incumbent upon us to pass the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), the cornerstone of the U.S. effort to combat modern-day slavery. This act, currently stalled in the Senate, will allow us to make sure the protections for the slaves of today are renewed and expanded upon. Simply go to passtvpranow.org, sign your name and do your part to protect those who suffer the fate from which we have been freed. And simpler still, come to the Child Trafficking Summit: Education to Action on Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. at The Temple to learn more and get involved fighting this fight. Editor’s note: Rabbi Rachael Bregman is the founder of the Open Jewish Project and a rabbi at The Temple. Sources Cited [1] Based on a true story related to the author. [2] Children who have been rejected, ejected or abandoned by parents or guardians, according to the New Heritage Dictionary. [3, 5] Not all victims of sex trafficking are girls, and not all pimps are men; see Chief Judge Sanford Jones’s comments at the Fulton County Juvenile Court in July 2005 in Atlanta Magazine article by Mickey Goodman. [4] “Hidden in Plain View: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Girls in Atlanta, Executive Summary – A Study of the Atlanta Women’s Agenda,” September 2005. [6] Study on prostitution commissioned by the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), Prostitution Research and Education (PRE) and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), 2006-‘07. [7] See showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/emancipate.htm. [8] “Mi Camocha” prayer. [9] Based on “The Three Keys of Rav Nachman of Bratslav.”
AJT
from my lips
Just One Tale of ALS “IT HURTS. DO WHATEVER YOU CAN.”
AJT Contributor
M
y friend Lenny is a big, burly guy. On a good day, you would guess that he was one of the Sopranos; his Brooklyn accent and shrewd, quick wit served him perfectly as he spent his life climbing the ladder in the shmatteh trade, as a vice president of merchandise for a premier chain of department stores and eventually the owner of his own fabric business. And he was tough, too – the way you have to be in a business that exemplifies cutthroat. His upbringing earned him the scars that force a man to become such or turn him into a Woody Allen nebbish; in other words, he learned to solve a problem or get crushed under its wheels. But all pretenses of Lenny’s gruff burliness were shredded in 2006, when his beloved Judy succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an illness so insidious and indescribable that the most we can do is refer to it in the shadow of its most noteworthy victim, Lou Gehrig. The short of it, according to the ALS Association, is that “the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed, then die.” Around the High Holy Days in 2005, Lenny noticed that Judy became winded and struggled up a simple staircase. No, it was really no cause for alarm; but, in short order, Judy’s leg began to fail and her breathing became increasingly labored. Impossible to ignore, Judy and Lenny jumped onto the frustrating merry-go-round that so many ALS victims describe: an endless tail-chasing exercise of eight doctors, countless tests (some desperately painful), repeated misdiagnoses and therapies, surgeries and treatments that proved to be of no avail. By the following April, Lenny had to take her to the bathroom, dress her and feed her. It was then that the diagnosis of ALS was finally made. By August, she
According to my count, it has taken me just 150 words to summarize the horrific track of a terrifying disease; in contrast, each minute of it hangs as an eternity. Were I to write an encyclopedia, I could bring no more comfort to Lenny or the thousands like him who watch helplessly as their beloved succumb to ALS. There is yet no cure, not even sufficient palliative care, for a syndrome that is so painfully debilitating and inevitably fatal. Research and faith hold all the cards; the former is being conducted aggressively, with the most hopeful being in the realm of stem-cell and gene therapy. How many years and dollars will it take to cure or even allay ALS? Only G-d knows. Keeping faith, though, is trickier – this faith must persist in spite of the damning evidence that could so easily stifle faith. It is faith in the wisdom of researchers who labor selflessly to search out cures and healing; faith in the benevolence of the everyday men and women who give their voice, time and wherewithal to promote awareness and research; and faith in each other for the empathy we can share with victims and their loved ones, which says in actions even louder than words, “We are here. We will not abandon you. We will stay by your side and use whatever power we have to share your pain and heartbreak.” It is faith, above all, in G-d, who makes no promise of life without the ravages of disease but who also has invested us with minds and hearts to search out cures and healings, if we would only use them wisely and compassionately. I once asked Lenny, were he more articulate with his pen, what he would say to his potential readers. “I don’t even know,” he replied with an edge of resignation atypical for a guy who has made his living speaking forthrightly. He then said, almost as an afterthought: “Tell them it hurts. Tell them to put themselves in my place, or in Ju-
dy’s place. Tell them that it’s almost too much to bear. Tell them to do whatever they can.” Now you’ve heard from Lenny in words more articulate than my own: Don’t let your own silence become
deafening. It hurts. Do whatever you can. Editor’s note: Marc Howard Wilson is a rabbi and writer in Greenville, S.C.
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was bedridden, gagging on her own saliva and virtually immobile. Shortly thereafter, she was placed on a ventilator, never again to breathe on her own until, at her order, the breathing tube was removed. She surrendered, finding her eternal peace, just a year after she first stumbled climbing the steps.
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Temple Kol Emeth’s Initiative for Conversion and Enrichment Q & A: TKE’S RABBI STEVEN LEBOW Interview by John McCurdy Managing Editor
Transcription by Elizabeth Friedly
Atlanta Jewish Times to explain in further detail the motivations, aims and expectations for this groundbreaking new program.
Assistant Editor
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s the High Holy Days come to a close, Roswell’s Temple Kol Emeth launches a new sort of program for the new year. The congregation announces the Initiative for Conversion and Enrichment (ICE) as 5773 dawns with the goal of 20 successful conversions within 12 months. The Initiative entails several entry options, including a free weekly threepart series called “Taste of Judaism: Are You Curious?,” to be held on Mondays and open to all. Also offered are three different courses of Torah study: sessions for women on Wednesday mornings; sessions for all interested on Saturday mornings before services; and, to be held on Sundays starting soon, sessions targeted towards those in the exploratory stages hosted by TKE’s new rabbi, Rabbi Erin Boxt. For those going beyond the basics, a 20-week course with Rabbi Mitch Cohen allows for learning above the drop-in level. Rabbi Cohen – Derech Torah instructor at the MJCCA for more than a decade – will also offer a Sunday class and support group for people who have already converted. Finally, synagogue faculty member Debbi Antonoff will lead “Milestone 13,” which aims to help interfaith couples figure out how to raise their children as Jews and successfully see their son or daughter become bar or bat mitzvah. Recently, TKE’s spiritual leader Rabbi Steven Lebow spoke with the
Atlanta Jewish Times: Tell me a little about the origins of the ICE. Rabbi Steven Lebow: Temple Kol Emeth itself was founded exactly 30 years ago by seven interfaith couples. So, the congregation was very unusual from the get-go that there were a tremendous number of non-Jews associated with the temple. There was no Reform temple outside the perimeter at that time, so we were the first sort of Reform outreach, as it were. What happened with several of those early couples [was that] the non-Jewish spouses became Jewish and thus informally began the movement within the synagogue to encourage conversion. Over the last 30 years, it’s always been kind of “underground,” but at the same time it was just very clear that we accepted Jews by choice and that we enjoyed having them and wanted to encourage them. In Atlanta at large, it’s really kind of untapped over the last few years: There are a tremendous number of people, not just in Marietta but in the metro Atlanta area, that would like to convert. Up until maybe 10 to 15 years ago, it was the case for most converts that their interest was piqued because their spouse was Jewish. But now, we are seeing particularly Reform Judaism as a competitor in the marketplace of ideas; everyone thinks of this [the United States] as a Christian nation, but the fact of the matter is there’s 40 or 50 million unaffiliated human beings in the U.S.
And while Jews will never be the majority – we’re not conversionary, per se, as we don’t go out there and try to get people – we can do a better job of keeping our doors open and encouraging people to choose Judaism as their religion. AJT: So why launch this Initiative now, in 2012?
Rabbi Steven Lebow and Temple Kol Emeth launch the Initiative for Conversion and Enrichment to make Judaism more accessible to any and all interested. PHOTO/courtesy Rabbi Steven Lebow
RLS: It’s not driven so much by me or by my vision; the ICE is driven people who walked into our doors and just said, ‘You really need to do this. We would like to become Jewish, but many other synagogues are not welcoming. They make it harder rather than easier.’
So the answer to your question is that there really is an upsurge [in interest in becoming Jewish]; we really see it whenever we do our polling that there’s a tremendous number of people that come in because they’re hungry for spirituality. In other words, this is really driven by the people rather than by the rabbi; this is something that people are looking for, and we as Jews are foolish if we don’t welcome new blood and new life. AJT: What do you expect in terms of feedback from the community on a conversion initiative? RLS: I think that there will be gentle opposition – but opposition nonetheless – to our methods and our approach. Unfortunately, I think there’s a number of rabbis as well as Jewish lay-people who have not gotten with the program; they still think that Judaism is merely an ethnicity and that you’re either born a Jew or not. There will be opposition to the Initiative; there will be people who say
that either one shouldn’t convert or that Judaism is not a conversionary religion. I agree with the latter point, in a way; after all, we’re not going go out there knocking on doors. There will also be people who say that we “make it too easy” to convert, but I don’t look at it as making it easy at all; I look at it as being warm and welcoming if someone decides they want to walk through our doors. [But] the Jewish faith is absolutely opposed to that line of thinking. Judaism is a personal religious philosophy that anyone can choose; in fact, in our synagogue and in other Atlanta synagogues, we have a number of Jews of Asian, African American and Hispanic descents. So we have a number of people who belong to other racial or ethnic groups but identify religiously as Jewish. Look in the Bible: Joseph’s wife was not Jewish, and Moses’s wife was not Jewish. Ruth of the Book of Ruth was the preeminent convert. The truth is that Judaism is very open to conversion and has always been so. Editor’s note: For more information on the Initiative for Conversion and Enrichment at Temple Kol Emeth, visit kolemeth.net or call (770) 973-3533.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
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community
Honoring the Lives of Women… …ONE STITCH AT A TIME AJT Columnist
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n Sept. 30, the Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History at the William Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum will be displaying the Chai Quilt. The name of the project – coming from the Hebrew word for “life,” which doubles as a symbol of good luck and a representation of the number 18 – symbolizes the 18 women of valor depicted on the quilt. At the upcoming event, Pat Pugrant, the quilt’s coordinator, will share her insights on the quilt’s subjects, all of whom worked in their own ways to improve the lives of those in their communities. Those honored include Lilly Abroamowitz, Barbara Asher, Ruth Ferst Byck, Betrty Cantor, Helen Cavalier, Rae Alice Cohen, Vida Goldgar, Betty Goodfriend, Lola Lansky, Annie Lazarus, Rose Esserman Levin, Lilo Meyer, Rose Nachman, Laura Rosenberg, Beverly Shmerling, Sadell Sloan and Mary Tenenbum Neff.
As she set about the project, she found herself especially intrigued by the image of Roz Penso Cohen, another Atlanta woman whose life was cut short by health issues. “It was important to include her,” Pugrant said. “Every year, I’d see articles about a luncheon in her honor, and I didn’t know anything about her. I wanted to know the reason. “I found she’d been a volunteer with the National Council of Jewish Wom-
Thousands of hours of loving stitchery were involved, and the result is a dynamic 21st-century rendition of a
All of this to see how their cherished family members are being honored in this quilt, which will become part of the Breman’s permanent exhibit and serve as a living legacy and inspiration for future generations of women.
LEFT: Each square of the Chai Quilt honors a woman of valor with lovingly hand-embroidered needlework art. RIGHT: Chai Quilt coordinator Pat Pugrant stands in front of the finished work, to be officially introduced at the Breman Museum on Sept. 30.
en with a special interest in interfaith work, and it was this that was being honored. I began to find there were many whose stories I could share.” With an image in her mind of what she wanted, Pugrant met with friends – including the Shalom Quilters in Atlanta as well as non-Jewish quilters in north Georgia and North Carolina – to execute it. Upon its completion, she traveled with the “Women of Valor” quilt, using it as an outreach for the Museum.
Pugrant’s Pivotal Piece
She took it to churches, outreach programs, Hadassah meetings and “anywhere people wanted me.” She kept books in which those she shared with share their own experiences and reminiscences.
Pugrant accepted the challenge gladly. She had been a reading specialist in DeKalb County until a series of serious health challenges cut her career short.
Pugrant began her research for the Chai Quilt last year, talking to family members and friends who gave her beautiful insight into women’s lives. The piece took 10 months from idea to finished work; most of the blocks are hand-appliquéd, hand-embroidered, beaded and embellished.
centuries old women’s handicraft. Pugrant is excited that family members of honorees are coming from as far away as Boston, Tennessee, Alabama and other relatively distant locales; she’s even been in touch with some who live in Jerusalem.
Editor’s note: The public is invited to the Sun., Sept. 30 program, to be held at 2 p.m. at the Breman Museum (1440 Spring St.). General admission is free for Breman members or $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for students.
“It was important to me to include Vida and others in this quilt,” Pugrant said. “Many of my friends had passed on, and I wanted to honor them. There are politicians, community workers; people not just from Atlanta, but across the state.”
This is not a new kind of work for Pugrant; several years ago, Breman Museum archivist Sandy Abrams approached her with the idea of crafting a quilt to recognize great women whose lives spanned the era from 1850 to the present. These were not to be just famous people, but “ordinary” women who lived their lives in heroic ways.
Working on Her Latest Masterpiece
“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve been honored to receive an honorarium for the Museum,” Pugrant said. “All the money for this quilt has been contributed by those who’ve invited me to speak.” She sees the quilt as a networking tool: People want to relate to people, learn about others, hear stories and tell their own stories.
Mt. Scopus Group Holds Year’s First Meeting SHIRLEY BRICKMAN SPEAKS ON “THE GOOD OLD DAYS” The Mount Scopus Group of Greater Atlanta Hadassah held its first general meeting of the 2012-‘13 year on Sept. 11 featuring community leader Shirley Brickman. Brickman presented “The Good Old Days… They’re Still Here,” as part of the evening’s proceedings at the Avis G. Williams Library in Decatur. For more information on the Mt. Scopus Group’s events, please contact mtscopushadassah@aol. com, or call (404) 294-1613 or (404) 622-9601.
Suzy Tibor (right) of Mt. Scopus Group of Greater Atlanta Hadassah presents a certificate to guest speaker Shirley Brickman. PHOTO/courtesy Jody M. Franco
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By Suzi Brozman
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Growing Up Persian…and Jewish A PERSIAN JEWISH PERSPECTIVE ON LIVING IN ATLANTA Editor’s note: This is the second article in the AJT’s multi-week series “A Community of Communities,” which aims to explore the diversity of the Jewish Atlanta. Sarah Moosazadeh writes from Marietta.
By Sarah Moosazadeh
For the Atlanta Jewish Times
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hen the revolution occurred in Iran in 1979, my parents were forced to do one of two things: Either join my mom’s family in America or risk persecution. As a nation, Iran was already heading towards a non-secular government. Demonstrations soon spread throughout the country advocating for an end to the Shah’s reign and the 54-year-old monarchy. Before the revolution, many Iranian Jewish communities were able to peacefully co-exist with their Muslim neighbors and were seldom ostracized. Although they were considered the minority, the Jews in Iran still made up a large part of the population and benefited from the Shah’s modernizing reforms.
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Prior to 1979, Judaic schools were built within major cities in Iran, and many Jews were able to hold governmental positions; but once the royal regime collapsed, many Jewish Persians realized what was on the horizon and decided to leave the country permanently. In the following years, the Jewish population of Iran decreased dramatically as residents began their long journey to either Israel or the United States. Emigration was a risk in and of itself, as during the days of the revolution, the government monitored movement closely; anyone who was caught fleeing the country was quickly placed under extreme scrutiny. Once I was born, however, my parents determined that the best gift they could offer their only daughter was to live a life free from tyranny.
In order to raise money for departure, my mom began to sell everything she possessed: She sold her wedding 12 dress, her jewelry, her paintings and
even wedding gifts she had used to decorate her home shortly after marriage. Meanwhile, my father worked endlessly to get our papers in order so we wouldn’t have any setbacks along the way. After days of waiting in line to acquire our passports and waves of questions as to why we were leaving the country, my family and I were finally ready to go. With the last of our belongings packed and only enough clothes to fill two suitcases, we fled the country we had once called home. Once my parents came to America, life did not become any easier, as each immediately set off to find work. My father, an accountant in Iran, had to start from “square one” in the U.S.; there were no freebies, no handouts and no networking opportunities. He earned money through a number of remedial jobs but slowly worked his way up the corporate ladder. Despite the circumstance he was presented with, however, my father always placed his family first and made sure we were well provided for. Life for my mother, on the other hand, took on a whole new meaning in the States. Unwilling to give up on her dreams, she began to work double shifts and raised enough money to put herself through college. In Iran, she had been a nurse and considered herself a very independent woman, but now, she was under considerably less governmental and societal oppression. Upon her college graduation, she made it her sole mission to ensure that both my brother and I refused to let anything get in our way and celebrated that same milestone. A few years and plenty of tuition money later, my brother and I have those diplomas. My Unique Experience Growing up Persian-American has really been a treat for me; I still don’t
know to which side I am more partial.
dinners.
I grew up listening to Persian music and cannot remember a time when it didn’t fill our house. Whether it’s a sappy love song or the latest pop hit, there is something about Persian melodies that always draws me in. What’s more, after the revolution occurred, a number of Persian artists began to sing politically-themed songs, and today, those tunes are hailed as some the greatest Persian musical works of all time.
As such, I don’t remember eating a great deal of traditional Jewish foods – such as gefilte fish or kugel – while growing up, but I do remember how my parents stressed the importance of our religion and made sure that my brother and I had every opportunity to learn our Jewish heritage alongside our Persian heritage. My father may be preparing Persian dishes when it comes time to break the fast after Yom Kippur, but when we are at synagogue, our prayers are just the same as everyone else’s.
Of course, while listening to Persian music is one thing, dancing to it is quite another. I seldom miss an opportunity to attend a Persian wedding and almost always find myself on the dance floor when I do. Persian Jewish weddings in particular can be very lavish in style and very extravagant in décor, food and music. I have attended dozens of family weddings in settings from New York to Los Angeles, and each one always out-does the one before it. From Eiffel Tower chuppahs and four-foot flowerand-crystal centerpieces to elegantly designed reception halls, it never ceases to amaze me how creative yet spendthrift Persian Jews are. Still, what I enjoy most about these events is the fact that I know all the dance moves and songs by heart. Since I grew up learning how to speak Farsi, I can relate to the music and lyrics instantly. Then, there’s dinner; as guests slowly make their way to their tables, you can smell the kabobs roasting from a mile away. I am sure anyone one who has ever tried Persian food would agree with me that it is the most exquisite cuisine they have ever had and that the aromas alone can make dieters give in immediately. Each dish has its own unique recipe and uses a generous amount of fresh green herbs. The stews are usually seasoned with an array of fruits such as plums, quince and apricots and are served with intricate dishes of rice. Over the years, I have spent countless hours watching my parents prepare these very dishes for Shabbat
When my parents left Iran, they knew that they wanted to live in a country which would allow them to practice their religion freely and yet still allow them to maintain their heritage. Today, when I attend various networking events in Atlanta, I like to share both of my cultures and do not feel that I need to substitute one over the other. The Ties that Bind I love my Persian culture and my Jewish identity just the same and am always amazed by how receptive people are to both. Although Atlanta’s Jewish Persian community is not as big as compared to that of New York or L.A., it is rapidly growing. Of course, regardless of what part of the country you find yourself in, we Jews all share many common experiences and traits. For me, too, it is almost impossible to attend a bar mitzvah with my parents and not hear the same line of questioning amongst the guests: A well-practiced interrogation always starts off with discussion of college acceptances, new jobs and (my all time favorite) the martial statuses of the young adults. If you are Jewish-American – be that of Persian, Eastern European or Russian descent, or originating in another country – we are connected by values of family, tzedakah and fellowship.
AJT
community
Another Successful Soul Trip THE 2012 EDITION OF CHABAD OF GEORGIA’S ANNUAL JAUNT TO NYC of year in the area, there are advertisements for sukkahs, and many nearby apartments are built with special balconies that are large enough to have a meal under the stars.
Their Big Apple adventures included a visit to the Ohel – resting place of the Rebbe Menachem Schneerson, of blessed memory – where the travelers had an opportunity to reflect and write a prayer or a request on paper and drop it at the gravesite.
Trip-goer Michael Kessler said that he learned a great deal about Rebbe Schneerson’s history and felt a “spiritual connection with the Rebbe’s teachings through his dealing with with the Chabad rabbis on the trip” and that “the Rabbis interact with people in a warm, non-judgmental [and] down-toearth way.”
Next it was on to Crown Heights to visit Chabad International Headquarters. Participants were able to go into the Rebbe’s office, where he lived later in his life, and hold afternoon services. They also visited the home where the Rebbe lived with his wife Chaya Mushka and were treated to a New York Pickle Tasting. Later, the Soul Trippers learned the inside scoop on Williamsburg, N.Y., home to people from a variety of religious Jewish groups. At this time
Kessler said he also gained a new understanding of the differences between the Chasidic sects in the Williamsburg area as well as a greater appreciation for Chabad’s way of looking at things.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
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hose taking part in this year’s Chabad of Georgia Soul Trip – the congregation’s annual venture to New York City – were treated to a day of learning, sightseeing and shmoozing.
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Pay It Forward with ORT’s NextGen 2012-2013 BOARD ANNOUNCED, PROGRAMMING BEGINS
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“Education is a privilege, not a gift,” she said. “ORT allows students to help themselves through schools and educational programs around the world.”
he Atlanta Region of ORT America is pleased to announce the formation of its 2012-2013 Next Generation Board. Organized and led by Marni Singer Goldman, ORT Atlanta’s Associate Director since early 2012, the Board aims to engage a younger group of “ORTists” – philanthropicminded and passionate leaders in the community.
By involving a younger audience, ORT Atlanta hopes to spread awareness and educate the community of its mission. With the community’s continued support, the organization is able to fund its many global programs to ensure the existence of education and job opportunities for those in need.
Nikelle Klareich, the incoming NextGen Board President, has been involved in the American Jewish Committee’s Access group, as well as the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Young Leadership Council and Diamonds Over Georgia, Penn State University’s Alumni Association event benefiting pediatric cancer research and support.
“The energy and excitement of ORT Atlanta’s NextGen group is truly contagious,” Shulman said. “I look forward to working with this group as we build a new generation of ORT leaders.” NextGen’s first happy hour event was held on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at Verde Taqueria in Brookhaven’s Dresden Walk area; nearly 100 young professionals, most of new to ORT, were able to network, socialize, enjoy friends and learn about the organization and, specifically, its impact on education in Latin American countries.
“ORT brings opportunities for learning and growth to people across the world, and in turn enriches communities locally and globally,” Klareich, an Atlanta resident for six years, said. “I am honored to be a leader in ORT and to be bringing ORT’s message to my generation.” ORT, the largest non-governmental educational organization in the world, annually serves more than 300,000 students in 60-plus countries. Continuing to lead the way in computer technology, robotics, nanotechnology, bio-engineering and biochemistry, the organization strives to change the fate and destiny of hundreds of thousands by educating and elevating individuals.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
Through local fundraising efforts, ORT is able to raise funds to build schools and implement programs that allow students to develop careers, contribute to their communities and live with dignity. Jenna Shulman, ORT Atlanta’s Region Director, believes whole-heartedly in such efforts.
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The NexGen Board is excited to continue its momentum and is currently planning a variety of programs to be held through the remainder of the year and into the next.
TOP: Left to right, ORT NextGen Board President-elect Nikelle Klareich, Holly Kurtz and Lisa Heller MIDDLE: (L to R) Scott Goldman, Bela Jacobson, Leandro Gryngarten, Ross Levine and Josh Feingold ABOVE: (L to R) Steven Cohen, Delilah Cohen, Beth Harber, Justin Cohen And Lauren Sturisky
Editor’s note: Join ORT’s Young Families on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. for ice cream and “Get the Scoop on ORT” in Morgan Falls Park. ORT is also partnering with Georgia Tech on Feb. 2, 2013 for “Squishy Science,” highlighting the physics of cooking and featuring Atlanta top chef Richard Blais. Finally, visit ORT’s Online Auction site, ORTbay (biddingforgood/ortbay), from Oct. 1 to 21 to bid on more than 130 packages including gift certificates, vacations, lessons, jewelry, synagogue memberships, massages and more. Email atlanta@ ortamerica.org for more details about any of these events. FAR LEFT: (L to R) Marni Goldman, Val Siegel, Beth Friedman and Lynne Eisenstein LEFT (L to R) Brian Fink, Peter Bricks, Leisa Richman and Diana Luskin
AJT
community
Breman Jewish Home Residents, Staff and Volunteers Build Replica of Jerusalem’s Western Wall MINIATURE KOTEL CONSTRUCTED IN ATLANTA From the William Breman Jewish Home For the Atlanta Jewish Times
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trip anywhere in the world is wonderful, but a stop at the Western Wall – the only surviving structure of the Second Temple in Jerusalem – takes one’s breath in a special way. When Breman Jewish Home board member and volunteer Cherie Aviv and CEO Beth Laxton learned that a Jewish retirement community in Sarasota, Fla. built a replica Western Wall (also known as the Kotel) for its residents, they felt compelled to bring a similar concept to the institution they serve and have their community symbolically experience this most sacred site. Laxton was fortunate to visit the Western Wall herself in 2000 and thus brought first-hand knowledge. “Being able to place a prayer between the stones was something I never dreamed I would be doing; yet there I stood, in front of this sacred spot, finding meaning and solace,” she said. “Some of the residents of the Home have visited the Wall, but many have not and, at this phase of their life, are unlikely to get there. By bringing a replica here we could produce a spiritual event – regardless of faith.” The Breman Home’s Replica Wall made its official debut during the week prior to Rosh Hashanah. Aviv, who cochaired the project with the Home’s Director of Recreation Therapy Michelle Jordan, noted at the event:
was in awe of what the Home was doing to create a replica of the Western Wall, and I was thrilled that I could be a part of it. It brought back memories of my visit to the Wall with my family.” Ronette Bloom Throne, vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Community Campaign, volunteered as part of Federation’s Mitzvah Day and too found the experience quite moving. “We had an amazing morning at the Home,” she said. “I felt re-energized after seeing the impact of our community support at work at one of our [JFGA’s] affiliates. The experience was extremely meaningful and one that I will not forget!” The creation of the Replica Wall was a cross-cultural initiative with broad support. Community members contributed over 150 shoeboxes; then, to transform the boxes into stones, residents and volunteers covered them in a concoction of paint, cornstarch and sand. Volunteers added the finishing touches with sponge-painting and glitter. Lastly, staff and volunteers built the wall and, like masons, laid out the shoeboxes into different arrangements by size. “Building the wall reminded me how such a simple, tangible experience can be so powerful and bring hope and prayer to seniors, especially at this time of year,” volunteer Leslie Levy said.
The Replica Western Wall will remain in the lobby of the Home until Oct. 10, when the Home’s staff will gather the messages and prayers placed among its “stones.” Then, in January 2013, participants on JFGA’s Birthright-Israel Trip will bring them to Jerusalem and place them in the actual Western Wall, thus allowing all to connect with their faith in an active way. “Watching people place their messages and prayers was inspiring, especially knowing their words will find their way to the real Wall,” said Laxton. “It’s humbling for me and heartwarming for our residents.” Editor’s note: For more information about the Home’s Replica Western Wall, contact Beth Laxton at (404) 351-8410 or blaxton@wbjhome.org. To learn more about the William Breman Jewish Home, which offers skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, independent living, assisted living and hospice services, visit wbjh.org.
On opening day, residents, family members, volunteers and staff learned about the history and importance of the real-life location. To give further meaning to the experience, those in attendance were given the opportunity to write their own prayers and messages and insert them into the crevices between the shoebox “stones.” Carole Bernson, a resident of The Home, shared her feelings after the project’s completion. “It meant a great deal to me to participate in this program,” she said. “I
TOP LEFT: he finished Replica Western Wall will stand in the Breman Home’s lobby through Oct. 10. RIGHT: Breman Home volunteers and staff acted as “masons,” laying out the blocks for construction. ABOVE LEFT: Volunteers help Breman Home residents decorate the shoebox “stones” of the Replica Western Wall. PHOTOS/courtesy the William Breman Jewish Home
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
“We wanted the wall built in time for Rosh Hashanah, a time of reflection and prayer.”
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politics
RJC Sends Members to South Florida in Swing State Effort ATLANTA CHAPTER REPRESENTED AMONG GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEERS By Andrew Floam
For the Atlanta Jewish Times
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he Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), energized by the role which Jewish voters will play in the upcoming presidential election, focused its recent efforts in the swing state Jewish communities of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. On Sept. 9 and 10, RJC members from all over the country traveled to Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boca Raton and other areas in South Florida, where they walked neighborhoods, made literature drops, waved signs at major street intersections and made calls from local phone banks. Meanwhile, the RJC has been highlighting in TV and Internet ads interviews with Jewish Democrats who voted for Obama in 2008 and now have “buyer’s remorse.” Why Now? For years, the Democrats have been doing grassroots efforts like this in presidential, congressional, senatorial and local elections by recruiting supporters from other states to get out their message. The Republicans are now at it, sparked by research that shows a substantial portion of the Jewish community has shifted its allegiance away from Obama and the Democrat party: Recent polls indicate that Jewish support for Obama is still high but down from 2008’s figure of 78 percent to between 55 and 60 percent. As such, the Jewish vote in the swing states is critical in the upcoming presidential election, and the RJC is seizing the opportunity to convince Jews to vote Republican. They are finding that many Jews are realizing that their vote for Obama in 2008 was a “feel-good” act, and many have since turned sour on the current President. Why Jews?
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One of the RJC’s missions is to dispel myths about conservatives and
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Republicans. For example, many Jews do not realize that the Republican party – Mitt Romney in particular – are strongly pro-Israel and insistent on Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s capital; conservatives have a place in their hearts for Israel because Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and is the sacred homeland for Judaism and Christianity. Why should Jews vote Republican and, in the Presidential election, for Mitt Romney? Our coalition asserts that Jews need to understand that the Republican platform is based on these fundamental principles (among others): • Pro-prosperity. A strong America is one in which people are working and prospering and in which government policies are promoting small business success. This should resonate positively in the Jewish community because so many Jews are small business owners. • Pro-job creation. There are 23 million Americans out of work, and Republicans recognize that this is unacceptable. Clearly this Administration has failed to kick-start the economy; if you count the reported 8.2 percent unemployment, add to that all those who have given up looking for work as well as those who are underemployed and have had to accept part-time employment, the real unemployment job statistic is closer to 15 percent. Romney’s pro-business experience and leadership will reverse this trend. • Pro-individual. A central Republican theme is that the power should not rest in an oversized, over-regulating government, but with a limited government which promotes individual freedom to realize the American dream through our G-d-given talents. • Pro-Israel. The security of Israel is paramount to the security of America and world Jewry, and Republicans
believe that lack of leadership in the current Administration has contributed to the unraveling Middle East situation and the increasing threat from Iran. • Sound fiscal policy. The security of our country is inextricably tied to being free of debt so we can protect and defend the interests of freedom and have the resources to invest in needed education and infrastructure. The current Administration has racked up more debt than any President in history: Trillion-dollar deficits every year have driven the national debt to over $16 trillion. • Pro-freedom. And that includes freedom of religion. Yes, Republicans are proJudaism because they are for freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.
BOTTOM: Republican Jewish Coalition volunteers turned out in force for grassroots campaigning efforts in South Florida. ABOVE: Signs supporting the Jewish vote for Mitt Romney were seen all over the Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Delray Beach areas. TOP: Phone-banking was an important component of the RJC’s efforts in South Florida. PHOTOS/Ray Bassett – Maddock Photography
My Own Take Having traveled to Boca Raton myself to participate in the efforts, it was uplifting to be around like-minded Jews and to play a role in the activities. I was joined early Sunday morning by many local Floridians, Jews and non-Jews who supported the literature drops, sign-waving and phone-banking; even more impressive, though, were the numerous participants who traveled from California, Texas and other more distant states. After a long day of promoting the RJC’s message in West Palm Beach, Del Ray Beach and Boca Raton, we were joined by hundreds more Coalition members at a Republican Victory Event which featured Congressman Alan West, former UN Ambassador John Bolton and U.S. congressional candidate Adam Hasner. It was a high-energy evening of fiery patriotic speeches, all pointing towards a final push during the next
eight weeks to bring about a Republican victory in the November presidential and congressional elections. Many people who would have previously sat on the sidelines – among them this author – are participating through the RJC to do whatever they can to elect Mitt Romney. In light of recent and ongoing developments in the Middle East, the Coalition will finetune its messages and continue these activities in Jewish communities until Election Day. The goal is that, through these efforts, more Jews will realize that Mitt Romney and the party of Lincoln can better serve the interests of American Jews than the Democrats and President Obama. Editor’s note: Andrew Floam is a member of the Atlanta chapter of the Republic Jewish Coalition. The views and opinions expressed above are not necessarily those of the Atlanta Jewish Times or its staff.
AJT
israel
Israeli Pride
GOOD NEWS MADE IN ISRAEL THIS PAST WEEK
• Israeli honey proved it’s the “bees knees.” The average Israeli consumer will buy two kilos of honey for the holiday season. Specialty honeys made in Israel include organic honey, marzipan honey and halva honey. Flavors are introduced by placing hives near eucalyptus and groves of citrus, avocado and apple. • Human trials for Alzheimer’s treatment were conducted. Ladostigil – from Israel’s Avraham Pharmaceuticals – relieves behavioral and psychological symptoms of Al-
zheimer’s disease. In lab animals, the medication also slows the progression of symptoms and prolongs life. Results of human trials are due end 2012. • India and Israel made a fashionable agreement. Following the Textile and Apparel Show in Israel, India and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand business and cooperation in the sphere of clothing & fashion industries, innovative technologies and possible solutions for the textile industry. • A Palestinian Arab was treated for Parkinson’s in Haifa. Doctors at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center have cured 51-year-old Palestinian Arab accountant Tarik Sadek Abu Baker of severe Parkinson’s disease using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy. Having been barely able to move or talk, he now has no visible symptoms.
• A phone application to add new contacts was introduced. Ringya, developed in Israel, allows you to photograph and upload lists of contact addresses to your iPhone. It even recognizes handwritten addresses, business cards, etc. • It was announced that Medigus cameras will orbit the Earth. Israel’s Medigus will supply its miniature video cameras and video processing equipment for NASA’s Robotic Refueling Mission. In 2013, NASA intends to send a robot to the International Space Station equipped with a 0.99-millimeter camera, which Medigus says is the smallest in the world. • NICE Systems won a nice prize. Israeli hi-tech company NICE won the award for Ingenuity in Language Technology at the 2012 LT-Innovate Summit in Brussels for a semantic inference platform that interprets and
links the meaning of phrases used – whether through speech, email or social media – by customers. • The Jewish state helped its female citizens to become doctors. The Israel Medical Association’s Scientific Council and the Health Ministry are piloting a program to enable physicians to complete their hospital residencies in part-time hospital work, the aim being to enable young women to both have families and specialize and thereby reduce doctor shortages. • Thousands swam across the Kinneret. Approximately 10,000 participated in the annual Crossing Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) Swim, which is one of the largest amateur sports events in Israel. They included British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould, who led a team of swimmers from the UK Embassy.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
• Neurofeedback was used to treat ADD/ADHT kids. BrainGamesIsrael monitors a child’s brainwaves whilst they play a computer game or watch a film. If the child’s attention begins to wander, the game or film changes, stops or slows. Focusing the mind continues the activity and thus conditions the child’s brain.
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arts & life
It’s All About the Music at Steve’s GREAT ATMOSPHERE, ACTS AT NEW VENUE IN SANDY SPRINGS By Charlotte G. Marcus AJT Contributor
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usic fans can enjoy tunes for every taste while they relax, drink and eat at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs. This new venue – named for proprietor Steve Grossman and set in an old wooden building unique from its surroundings – opens its doors at 6:30 every night, with musical acts starting their sets at 8 p.m. One can choose from bluegrass on Tuesday, international folk on Wednesday, blues on Thursday and variety/singer-songwriter showcase on Friday and Saturday. I myself enjoyed an evening featuring Asheville, N.C. vocalist Amy Pike with the Bonaventure Quartet.
humming and tapping your toes. A musician himself, Grossman surely knows how to pick the best music in town; having switched careers from synagogue education to entertainment host, he maintains an aim of promoting love and knowledge of music. Do join Steve, his wife Heleen Tibor Grossman and son and treat yourself and your friends to an exceptional musical evening. While there, be sure to look at the great collection of banjos (Grossman’s instrument of choice) plus an amazing menagerie of antique radios. Editor’s note: Reservations are recommended at Steve’s Live Music (234 Hilderbrand Drive); call (404) 418-6777 or get tickets online at steveslivemusic. com.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
Pike, looking every bit the country mountain woman she is in a dress sewn by her own hand with material from her own fabric shop, told the packed house that she drove by herself to wow the crowd with her melodious voice. The assembled musicians played from a repertoire of familiar numbers from many periods plus original numbers composed by guitarist Charles Wilson, the leader of the group. Marla Feeney (violin and clarinet) and Ken Gregory (trumpet, trombone and engineer) rounded out the group. When Pike sang old favorite “Besame Mucho,” quite a few couples were moved to dance cheek-tocheek in front of the bandstand. Towards the end of the set, I noticed a tattoo of Elvis on the singer’s ankle; no doubt the famous crooner himself would have admired her voice and every minute of this great group’s excellent and crowd-pleasing performance.
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Whether you’re a music connoisseur or just like to be royally entertained, you’ll leave shows at Steve’s
TOP: Steve and wife Heleen Tibor Grossman stand proud outside the new Steve’s Live Music. PHOTO/courtesy Steve Grossman ABOVE: The Bonaventure Quartet made many news fans during their performance at Steve’s Live Music. PHOTO/courtesy the Bonaventure Quartet
AJT
ARTS & LIFE
Kosher Movies: In the Line of Fire (1993) HERO OF WOLFGANG PETERSEN’S THRILLER PURSUES TESHUVA AJT Contributor
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hen I was going through a number of professional challenges many years ago, I questioned the motives of those who were undermining my position as head of school. I aired my feelings in front of a small group of people, and I regretted it soon after. My critical comments did not improve things; in fact, they made me feel smaller. I had spoken about somebody negatively, and it gnawed at me. Still, the full realization of what I had done hit me many years later, and by then, the person to whom I attributed these base motives was no longer living in the city, and our professional paths were totally different.
cumbing to ego and personal hurt, you would respond differently and not make the ethical mistake that you did in the past. If the exact same situation did not present itself, then you would still follow essentially the same protocol of repentance. Taken at face value, the film “In the Line of Fire” is an action-thriller; at its core, though, is a narrative of repentance. Frank Harrigan, a veteran Secret Service agent, is haunted by his failure to protect President John F. Kennedy from assassination, and he continually relives the incident in his mind and questions whether he did his best to guard the president from Oswald’s fatal bullet. Did he not protect him adequately because he feared for his own life? He thinks: “I don’t know why I didn’t react. If only I reacted, I could have taken that shot. That would have been alright with me.”
In time, I forgot about my offensive remark, but strangely, as I was reciting the confessional of Yom Kippur about 20 years after the fact, my offensive behavior of long ago resurfaced in my mind. I resolved to see if I could locate the person I maligned and ask for his forgiveness.
Here lies the crux of the film: Frank is g iven an opportunity to protect another president’s life, to redeem himself. He has a chance to do teshuvah, to repent, in the ideal sense: by facing the same challenge, this time making the right decision that will enable him to emerge whole again.
Fortunately, I was able to contact him and ask for his forgiveness, which he readily granted. As often occurs, he did not even remember the incident which had been haunting me and was gracious towards me throughout the conversation.
The circumstances, however, are different now. He is older and wiser, but physically, he is weaker. He pants and sweats as he runs after the killer, and we wonder whether he possesses the physical stamina to protect the president. The climax of the film takes place in a large hotel where the president is scheduled to speak, and Frank has to locate the killer and neutralize him or stand between him and the president and take the bullet intended for the president.
My motive in finding him was to do teshuvah, to repent. In Jewish tradition, this means to stop the offensive behavior, ask for forgiveness from the injured party and resolve not to commit the sin again. The ideal setting for teshuvah would require you to be in exactly the same place as before, where you would then choose to do the right thing.
In other words, instead of suc-
In the Yom Kippur liturgy, we ask for forgiveness for the sin we might not have remembered. Frank Harrigan’s story reminds us to remember the mistakes of the past, and to try to
find a way to correct them even many years later. Confronting the past in this way allows us the freedom to move forward, knowing that we have done our best. The ghosts of the past will then no longer haunt us.
Editor’s note: Rabbi Cohen, former principal of Yeshiva Atlanta, now resides in Beit Shemesh, Israel. Visit koshermovies.com for more of his Torahthemed film reviews.
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By Rabbi Hebert Cohen
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ARTS & LIFE
Broadway Comes to Little Five Points “TIME STANDS STILL” AT THE HORIZON THEATRE By Suzi Brozman
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AJT Contributor here’s a new play at the Horizon Theatre – new to Atlanta, that is. “Time Stands Still” had a good run on Broadway, where it got nominated for a Tony, and since
then it’s been seen across the country; the current production at Little Five Points’s finest theater finally gives locals a chance to see it for themselves.
as “a love story set in the high-stakes world of war journalism.” This is true in that war, danger and risk form the backdrop of the play.
Director Lisa Adler describes the work– written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies –
But to me, the world of high-stakes personal relationships is far more compelling and far more the focus of the play. Margulies focuses like a photographer with his camera on the emotions, motivations and reactions of the four characters who inhabit the play; we see them posing, playing and stripping their souls bare as they search – with one another or not – for a life with meaning, purpose and integrity.
It was a joy to watch her developing through the play; actress Carolyn Cook delineated her character with grace, pathos and a wicked sense of humor. Watch her face: It’s a real treat. As for the portrayal of Mandy – what can I say? Ann Marie Gideon wears the persona of the shallow event plan-
Sounds heavy, doesn’t it? It is, and it isn’t. As I watched, I kept asking myself, “Is it a comedy, a tragedy or a slice of life?”
From left to right, Chris Kayser as Richard, Carolyn Cook as Sarah and Robin Bloodworth as James in “Time Stands Still.” PHOTO/Horizon Theatre Company
In truth, “Time Stands Still” is a comedy, lighter than air in its silly moments, of which there are many. That being said, it is not a frothy confection, but an intelligent comedy dependent on timing, facial expressions and wit…a rare combination these days.
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Playwright Margulies weaves the strands of human experience so adeptly that the viewer can never be sure of what’s coming next. This play wrings your guts out even as you chuckle or sigh at sadness and missed connections. As one of the characters advises, “Let yourselves feel the joy – otherwise, what’s the point?” There’s sorrow – the lead actress plays a photojournalist just returned from Iraq, where she almost lost her life, and it is around this fact that the story revolves and evolves. I won’t go into too much detail and will resist the urge to pun about developing stories, negatives, focus and snapshots of life; however, those are all present, and this production is especially poignant given what’s been happening in recent days in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Our heroine, Sarah, tells us, “I make my living off the suffering of strangers.” Confronted by the younger and less philosophic Mandy about taking photos of people suffering, dying, Sarah can’t come to grips with it. She insists her job is toa take pictures: “Photographers are supposed to capture truth, not change it, to record life.” Sarah is utterly self-absorbed, a heroic figure, yet an incomplete one.
ner effortlessly, letting the costume slip enough to see the unschooled wisdom she possesses. She provides the grounding for the whole ensemble as she romps through the angst the others feel. Speaking of angst, Robin Bloodworth’s James – significant other to Sarah – is angst personified, and he does it brilliantly. A journalist inhabited by his own demons, James wants it all, especially the woman he loves, but doesn’t know how to break out from his past, his insecurity, his love and his loss. And what would an Atlanta play be without the ubiquitous Chris Kayser? From Shakespeare to Dickens and everything in between, Kayser is a master actor. It’s good to see him in a role that’s a departure from many he’s done recently; here, he’s funny, serious, achingly human as a man still (I think) in love with Sarah but also in the throes of a mid-life crisis and in love with the much younger Mandy. Brilliant! But enough of the plot; you’re going to have to see it for yourself without me giving away too much. Don’t wait. The theater isn’t very big, and this is their last show of the season. And one more thing, the icing on the cake for me: The fabulous set – there’s just the one, a Manhattan loft apartment – made me ready to sign a lease! Editor’s note: “Time Stands Still” is playing through Oct. 14. For tickets, call (404) 584-7450 or go to horizontheatre.com.
arts & life
Q&A: Carolyn Cook
PLAYING ROLE OF SARAH GOODWIN IN “TIME STANDS STILL” By Elizabeth Friedly
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Assistant Editor resh off Broadway, the critically acclaimed play by Donald Margulies “Time Stands Still” runs at the Horizon Theatre in Atlanta through Oct. 14. The gripping work depicts two journalists struggling to survive “normal” life after returning home from war-torn Iraq and the ‘ensuing changes in their relationship.
Lead actress Carolyn Cook and director Lisa Adler tell a story characterized by equal parts pain and laughter. Recently, they offered some insights to the Atlanta Jewish Times about their own journeys and their latest project.
I think the character I play is passionate about both her work and her life-partner, and she’s trying to figure out how all that goes together. She’s in a crisis situation; she’s had an enormous life-changing event happen. The play takes place over the course of a year. With [my character] and with the other characters – who are also in transition – we really experience the process of figuring out how to balance priorities as well as how messy, how loving and how life-affirming that can be. AJT: What do you find most challenging about your role as Sarah Goodwin?
Win with the AJT!
CC: I would have to say reaching the level of crisis that she’s in, because she’s been severely wounded in a roadside bomb. I’ve obviously never experienced anything like that, fortunately. There’s both physical pain and emotional trauma that comes from it. Sarah Goodwin (portrayed by Carolyn Cook) and James (Robin So, just tryBloodworth) embrace in an emotional scene. ing to imagPHOTO/courtesy Horizon Theatre Company ine what Atlanta Jewish Times: What prompted that might be like, and then living it you to pursue acting as a career? onstage in a way that is realistic and Carolyn Cook: I think it was just an believable for the audience while also overall sense that this was what I was being able to release and walk away supposed to be doing. It took me time from every night and come home to my to acknowledge that and to sort of give normal life: That’s a challenge. myself permission as an adult to say that this was a legitimate career. But [since] I did that, I’ve been working in the theater in one capacity or another ever since. AJT: Could you speak a little to the overarching themes of “Time Stands Still”? CC: This play is so beautiful. It really moved me when I read it, because it’s about the challenges of balancing – or choosing not to balance, somehow – family and vocation, personal commitment or life-passion.
AJT: What would you most like audiences to take away from this production? CC: Oh, that’s a good question. I think a sense that they’re not alone in their own life-journey, in their own lifesearch, that we all struggle with the same life questions. I hope the play is a window into four people’s personal journeys of discovery. I hope that window provides some insight into the audience member’s journey.
Q&A: Lisa Adler
DIRECTOR OF “TIME STANDS STILL” By Elizabeth Friedly Assistant Editor The Atlanta Jewish Times: What drew you to directing? Lisa Adler: I have been directing in one way or another since I was 13. When I was in the youth community theatre group, the plays were doubleor triple-cast, and there were often up to 100 kids in the plays. The director was focused on traffic management of all those kids, so the top teen leaders in the group took to directing each other so that we could all improve in our scene work; I directed my best friend’s scenes, and he directed mine.
Audiences are large, enthusiastic and passionate. They are also diverse in age and race in ways that other cities in the country can only dream of. Each theatre serves its own specific audiences, and audiences can’t necessarily articulate the mission of each theatre – but they know which ones are “their” theatres, which ones they are drawn to aesthetically and emotionally. Just as we all have restaurants, places of worship and schools which we call our own, so audiences have theatres. The tone for each theatre is set by the artistic director/leader – just as it is by the executive chef for a restaurant; the pastor, minister or rabbi for a religious institution; or the principal/ headmaster for a school.
When I began producing for Horizon, I found it very difficult to downshift to the small, detailed attention AJT: Finally, that acting rewhat about the quires. It was story of “Time easier to direct Stands Still” plays that I was Director Lisa Adler, a co-founder of Horizon The- most appealed producing than atre Company, takes on Donald Margulies’s Tony to you? Award-winning “Time Stands Still,” running to act in them. through Oct. 14. LA: I was interI also needed to Photo Courtesy Horizon Theatre Company ested in the stobe responsible for the overall product as co-artistic/ ry of a strong woman pulled by her conproducing director, [and] you cannot be flicting needs and passions. She loves on the outside watching that [whole] if her work [and] she loves her partner and the life they developed together. you are acting. Then, a big event rocks their world, pri I enjoy the ability to influence the orities shift and choices must be made entire journey of the play, to create and that will forever alter the shape of their control the whole world in collaboration lives. with designers and actors. I loved that the play has two strong female characters that represent opAJT: How would you describe the theater posite points of view about how to live your life as a woman in the 21st cenenvironment in the city of Atlanta? LA: We have an absolutely fantastic tury. These two immensely different rapport between the professional the- women find friendship with each other atres here in Atlanta. We know and and come to value the choices of the respect each other and appreciate what other. we each bring to the community as we pursue our individual missions. We are working together to make Atlanta the best place to live and work as a theatre artist in America. We have a long way to go to reach that “BHAG” – Big Hairy Audacious Goal – but we have passionate leaders and artists working on it. The theatres collectively want to be a positive force in our city for bringing people together for dialogue, connection and celebration.
The play is mostly a deeply personal love story that is funny and moving and features meaty, interesting roles for a quartet of actors; and I have some of the best actors in Atlanta in this ensemble. Just like life, [“Time Stands Still”] is comedy and drama mixed up, and it offers lots of small and big truths about trying to be a responsible, moral person in our world today.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
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education
New Facility for Chaya Mushka Children’s House Lower Elementary STUDENTS LEARNING IN FRESH ENVIRONMENT
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habad of Georgia opened a new campus for their lower elementary school students this school year. Students from first grade through fourth grade started in August at the new location on Sandy Springs Circle.
The Chaya Mushka Children’s House Lower Elementary is the only Jewish Montessori school in Atlanta (see chabadga.com). Pictured here are students hard ATL Catering Ad 8/27/12 2:42 PM Page 1 at08.27.12 work on their biology and math assignments.
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Bring something good to the table. PHOTOS/courtesy Allison Carter
CMCH Students Visit Summers Landing ROSH HASHANAH CARDS, NEW YEARS WISHES DELIVERED On Sept. 14, students from Chabad of Georgia’s Chaya Mushka Children’s House Lower Elementary visited the Summer’s Landing Senior Home, bringing Rosh Hashanah cards and wishes for a l’shana tovah for residents.
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TDSA Students Donate to Zichron Menachem
Ensure Your Voice Will Be Heard For Generations “I’m involved in ORT in all facets of the organization: fundraising, giving, and whatever else I am asked to do. This is the example I've set for my children and grandchildren.”
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LEVY SISTERS TRIM LOCKS TOGETHER
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orah Day School of Atlanta students Shira Levy (second grade) and Daniella Levy (kindergarten), sisters, together spent a full year growing their hair to meet the 12-inch requisite to donate to Zichron Menachem. This organization helps children in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel who lost their hair to chemotherapy by using the donated hair to make wigs. Mother Dr. Sarah Levy smiled as she recalled the day her daughters returned to school after donating.
William Klineman Atlanta, GA
“My girls bolted out of their beds in the morning and were dressed before I could blink my eyes,” she said. “They were so excited to surprise their teachers and friends with their new haircuts.” As Shira’s teacher Morah Cohen taught her class just a few weeks earlier, mitzvah goreres mitzvah (“one mitzvah begets another”): Shira’s classmate Shira Lewis was inspired to also donate hair to Zichron Menachem upon hearing of the great gift her friend made; she gave as a refuah shelemah for her grandmother, Pesha bas Channah.
Learn more about Planned Giving in the Atlanta Region today. Contact Jenna Shulman at (404) 327-5266 or at jshulman@ORTamerica.orgor visit www.ORTamerica.org.
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SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
Sisters Shira Levy (left) and Daniella (top) get their hair cut to donate to Zichron Menachem.
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education
Crunching the Numbers of a Changing College Landscape INTERESTING READING IN HIGHER EDUCATION By Dr. Mark Fisher
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AJT Contributor ith my weekly subscription to “The Chronicle of Higher Education” comes an Almanac loaded with interesting information. This special edition allows one to see the big picture, and I’ve personally selected from its 98 pages those items most important to AJT readers. There are some fast-growing campuses when you compare student undergraduate and graduate enrollment increases from the fall of 2000 to 2010. Included in these figures are some campuses that grew more than 50 percent in their total undergraduate and graduate enrollments: Both the University of Central Florida and the University of Alabama are mentioned as far as public research institutions. The student increase at Alabama: From 19,227 to 30,127. Meanwhile, Central Florida’s student body has gone from 33,713 to 56,106, which is a 68.7 percent increase. Interestingly, the Jewish population at ‘Bama is around 600 students. The college has made an increased effort in the Atlanta area to recruit Jewish students, and often, the President of the college has addressed Jewish students and their parents at the MJCCA. Among private non-profit research colleges, Drexel, Cornell and Nova Southeastern all had at least a 50 percent student enrollment increase during this period; Drexel went from 13,128 students to 23,637 students, an 80.1 percent jump.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
Introducing the Classes of 2013 and Beyond What about a profile of freshmen at four-year colleges? The percentage of Jewish students was 2.6 percent. Politically, in rounded figures, 47% of the frosh were middle-of-the-roaders, and 21 percent declared they were conservative, while only 3 percent claimed to be “far left” and 2 percent “far right.” As an aside, I think an interesting study would be to survey students upon graduation from college to determine where their political positions would be at that point.
Why do these high school gradu24 ates want to attend college? Reasons
listed as important were getting a better job; learning more about areas of interest; training for a specific career; gaining a general education and appreciation of ideas; making more money; preparing for graduate school; and becoming a more cultured person. Which colleges had the best sixyear graduation rates? Of the 10 private colleges with the best graduation rates, six are in the Ivy League: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth; rounding out the list were Williams, Stanford, Wesleyan and Notre Dame. Among the top ten public institutions with the best graduation rates were Virginia, William and Mary, Michigan and North Carolina. The Price Tag What about average college costs, financial aid not included, in 201112? Total average costs for in-state students living on-campus at public colleges were $21,447, while those for out-of-state students in the same boat were $33,973. For private colleges, the average cost was $42,224, while that for a two-year public college without room and board was $7,878. In short, private four-year colleges still have higher sticker prices and higher net prices, than do public four-year colleges. But do note that in recent years, the percentage increase in average sticker tuition and fees has been higher at public colleges than at private ones. There were so many colleges – 123 of them – that charged $50,000 or more in 2011-12 for tuition, fees, room and board and other costs that there are just too many to name. But before, parents go into a panic mode, it should be said that many students paid less when they were the beneficiaries of financial aid. What were some of the institutions that Jewish students favor in this category? Among them are New York University, Johns Hopkins, Barnard, Vanderbilt, the University of Chicago, Washington University, Tulane, Northwestern, Cornell, Tufts, George Washington, Boston University, Franklin and Marshall, Amherst, Pennsylvania, Brandeis, Rochester and Columbia. Making It a Worldly Experience Which schools are among the
leaders with the most international students? They are the University of Richmond, Wesleyan, Smith, Wellesley, Franklin and Marshall, Oberlin, Bryn Mawr and Dickinson. And what countries are leading the way with the most students studying in the U.S.? Easily in the lead are China, India and South Korea. Interesting that the number of foreign students at American colleges more than doubled over a 30-year period, with international students making up 3.5 percent of all students at American institutions by 2010-11; the number of Chinese students at American colleges has more than doubled over five years, with an especially sharp increase in the number of undergraduates. Meanwhile, the top study-abroad destinations for U.S. students in 2009-10 were Britain, Italy, Spain, France and China. Also, the number of American students going to Israel jumped 60.7 percent in one year. As for the Peach State, Specifically And finally, what statistics can be found for the State of Georgia? Average tuitions are $5,435 for public fouryear institutions; $2,480 for public two-year institutions; and $20,783 for
private four-year colleges. On the other hand, between need-based grants, non-need grants, and non-grant aid, there is a total of $772,076,000 state spending on student aid; Emory has the largest endowment at $5,400,366,906. The enrollment figures impress: At the 27 public four-year and 40 public two-year colleges in the state, 261,566 students are enrolled at the former and 174,543 students are enrolled at the latter. In addition, private fouryear non-profit colleges – of which there are 32 – enroll some 70,267 students. The above figures give you a broad picture of the national and state college scene; draw your own conclusions based on the facts, but remember that financial aid plays a very big role when it comes to what a family will really pay. Don’t let the sticker price scare you away. A future article will explore the financial aid scene. Editor’s note: Dr. Mark Fisher (drmarkfisher@bellsouth.net) is a college and career consultant at Fisher Educational Consultants and is the college counselor for Yeshiva Atlanta.
Update: SAT & ACT Photo Requirements
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n my article, “Registration for the SAT and ACT has Changed,” (the AJT’s July 27 edition), I warned of late-breaking changes, and sure enough, since that printing things have changed.
The new ACT photo requirement starts with the Oct. 27 (or Oct. 28, if you’re testing on a Sunday) test. For SAT takers, the College Board has delayed the absolute requirement for one’s photo until the March test. There has been some confusion on the part of those registered for the Oct. 6 test who would like to opt for a Sunday test-taking; because of Sukkot, Sunday testing will not be held that weekend, but instead on Oct. 14 (at Yeshiva Atlanta). If you have already taken an SAT, are signed up to take it again on Oct. 6 but are registered as a Sunday tester, the Sun., Oct. 14 date should appear on your admission ticket; if not, call the College Board. Also, remember that if you are taking the SAT for the first time and are a Sunday test taker, you need to register by mail and include a rabbi letter. And finally, middle school students who take the test for talented and gifted programs will not need to have a photo submitted in order to take the SAT. That’s the latest info on the SAT and ACT, but, again, the websites of these agencies are the final word.
AJT
education
GHA Hosts Mommy & Me Program VISITING THE K’FAR VILLAGE
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mong the 350 individuals on a Nefesh B’Nefesh charter aliyah flight that left JFK airport in New York on Aug. 13 were former Atlantans (today new Israelis) Avi Buckman and Yvonne Sonsino.
Immediately after b
lI NE ST W IN G
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Noemi and Isabella Mandel paint in the K’far’s Mommy & Me program at Greenfield Hebrew Academy. PHOTO/courtesy GHA Sandy Springs- Inside 285 $1,675,000 $999,999
By Leah Levy AJT Contributor
F
aculty and students at the Katherine and Jacob Greenfield Hebrew Academy always love to host visitors, but they were particularly excited to meet the attendees at the GHA Mommy & Me program.
These littlest visitors joined the K’far (GHA’s Infant/Toddler Village) for a prearranged play-date. Their mothers accompanied them as they tried out life in the K’far, joining the other children for story time with the school librarian, play in the Imagination Playground and healthy snacks. Everyone worked on crafts for Rosh Hashanah and participated in the K’far’s daily activities. “It’s a great opportunity to see and experience the school,” explained Director of Admissions Bonnie Cook. “Our K’far students love it when friends come to play! They can bring
their moms, and, of course, dads are always welcome too.” Noemi and Isabella Mandel, who are each two-and-a-half years old, brought their mom Mia along. “My girls had such a great time!” Mia said. “You only have to walk through the hallways to see what a wonderful, warm community Greenfield is.”
©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.
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Editor’s note: Leah Levy is a paraprofessional at GHA and the author of “The Waiting Wall,” a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for 2010. GHA will host a Family Open House at GHA on Oct. 28; families interested in Mommy & Me, the Infant/Toddler Village or the school are welcome to attend and see what’s going on at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy. For more information, call Bonnie Cook at (404) 843-9900.
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Bell Carpet Galleries Buckhead - 1675-Ferncliff Circle. Wonderful Super Sandy Springs 121 Burdette Road. Beautifulrenovation. custom home all on cute 4BR 4home. Vaulted great room, master main. one level. Bedrooms, 2 Full Baths, 2 Half Baths.on Walk out 3 tosecondgorgeous yard Full w/pool, pergola with & built-in grill.office & ary BRs +private loft & level laundry. basement rec rm, $1,195,000. encl. porch. Brandon ES. $410,000. Suzanne Goldstein 404-504-0763 / 404-262-1234 Kim Russell 404-504-0813 / 404-262-1234
Sandy Springs 990 Clementstone PrivateEstate 4BR/3.5BA - 3753 -Cochise Drive. One of Drive. a kind Vinings property. Vinings retreat on of 1+flat, acre! Roof raised provide open living space. 5.25 acres buildable land w/to 500 ft of Chattahoochee River frontage. B’ful Rm views, trails,Porch perfecteach for equestrian center. Huge Family andwalking Screened w/ fireplace. New $2,950,000. gourmet Kit & spa Bath. $574,000 Janice Quinn 404-558-4835 / 404-262-1234 Suzanne Goldstein 404-504-0763 / 404-262-1234
Buckhead Office 3650 H a b e r s h a m R o a d 404.262.1234 C O L D W E L L B A N K E R AT L A N TA . C O M ©2011 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. *Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2009. 3815ATL_12/10
Lifetime Installation Warranty on All Products 12 Months No Interest 6223 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs 404-255-2431 www.bellcarpetgalleries.com
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
C O L D W E L L B A N K E R AT L A N TA.C O M
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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
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 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 Congregation Etz Chaim 1190 Indian Hills Pkwy Marietta, GA 30068 www.etzchaim.net 770.973.0137
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
Chabad Jewish Center 4255 Wade Green Rd. Suite 120 Kennesaw, GA 30144 www.jewishwestcobb.com 678.460.7702
Nediv Lev: the Free Synagogue of Atlanta 3791 Mill Creek Ct. Atlanta, GA 30341 My.att.net/p/PWP-NedivLev 770.335.2311
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
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
Ahavath Achim Synagogue 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. Atlanta, GA 30327 www.aasynagogue.org 404.355.5222
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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 Shema Yisrael 6065 Roswell Rd., #3018 Atlanta, GA 30328 www.shemaweb.org 404.943.1100
Orthodox Anshi S’Fard Congregation 1324 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.anshisfard.com 404.874.4513 Congregation Ariel 5237 Tilly Mill Rd. Dunwoody, GA 30338 www.congariel.org 770.390.9071 Congregation Beth Jacob 1855 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.bethjacobatlanta.org 404.633.0551 Congregation Beth Yitzhak 5054 Singleton Rd. Norcross, GA 30093 770.931.4567 Email: anatoliy@bjca.com Congregation Ner Hamizrach 1858 Lavista Rd. Atlanta, GA 30329 www.nerhamizrach.org 404.315.9020 The Kehilla of Sandy Springs 5075 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30342 www.thekehilla.org 404.913.6131
Reform Congregation B’nai Israel 1633 Hwy 54 E Jonesboro, GA 30238 www.bnai-israel.net 678.817.7162 Congregation Dor Tamid 11165 Parsons Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097 www.dortamid.org 770.623.8860 Congregation Ner Tamid 176 West Sandtown Rd. Marietta, GA 30064 www.nertamidonline.com 678.264.8575 Congregation Rodeph Sholom 406 East 1st Street Rome, GA 30161 www.rodephsholomga.org (706) 291-6315 Temple Beth David 1885 Mcgee Rd. Snellville, GA 30078 www.gwinnetttemple.com 770.978.3916 Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Rd. Roswell, GA 30075 www.bethtikvah.com 770.642.0434
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 Sunday
WHAT’S HAPPENING SEPT
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Sun., Sept. 30
SAT Test Prep for ages 15-plus. Sun., Sept. 30, 1 p.m. Congregation Etz Chaim. Ilana.schlam@atlantajcc.org. Women of Valor Quilt Reception, join us and families of those honored for a reception as Pat Pugrant presents the quilt and recognizes these women. Sun., Sept. 30, 2 p.m. The Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. RSVP via valor.eventbrite.com. Defiant Chamber Music, award-winning Vega String Quartet performs Verdi’s String Quartet in E Minor and compositions by distinguished pianist, composer and Holocaust victim Erwin Schulhoff. Sun., Sept. 30, 3 p.m. The Marcus Hillel Center at Emory University. regions.adl.org/southeast. Scream-Free Parenting, five-class series for parents of children ages 3-plus. Sun., Sept. 30, 3 p.m. $125 member/$145 non-member. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. Ilana. schlam@atlantajcc.org. Sukkot Dinner, join Congregation Beth Tefillah for first-night Sukkot meal after mincha/maariva Services. Sun., Sept. 30, 7:45
p.m. $25/adult, $10/child (Ages 3-11). CBT Sukkah. RSVP requested by Sept. 24. (404) 843-2464 x104 or admin@bethtefillah.org.
Wednesday
OCT
3
Wed., Oct. 3
Chabad of Cobb’s Annual Sukkot Festival, featuring festive music, great rides, bungee, giant slide, pizza and more. Wed., Oct. 3, 5:30 p.m. East Cobb Park. Free admission, donations welcome. (770) 565-4412, extension 300. TEAM Manners, four-session class teaching children specific interpersonal skills and etiquette for 3rd- and 4th-graders. Wed., Oct. 3, 4:30 p.m. $125 member/$145 non-member. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. Ilana.schlam@atlantajcc.org.
Thursday
OCT
4
Thurs., Oct. 4
Love and Logic, a five-session course to de-stress parenting for parents of infants to six years. Thurs., Oct. 4, 10 a.m. $125 member/$145 non-member. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. Ilana.schlam@atlantajcc.org.
Lunch ‘N Learn, Rabbi Micah Lapidus speaks on “The Spiritual Life of Children and Adolescents: How to Nurture it and How to be Nurtured by it.” Thurs., Oct. 4, 12 p.m. Free admission; bring lunch or purchase at Goodfriend’s Grill. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. Ilana. schlam@atlantajcc.org. Ribs in the Shack, eat in the MJCCA Sukkah and enjoy live bluegrass music with The Cedar Hill Bluegrass Band for this fun Sukkot holiday program. Includes crafts for children; sponsored by The Weinstein School. Rain or shine. Thurs., Oct. 4, 5 p.m. Free admission. MJCCA’s Zaban Park. lora.sommer@atlantajcc.org Germany Today with guest speaker Bill Nigut, Southeast Regional Director of the ADL. Thurs., Oct. 4, 7 p.m. Goethe-Zentrum Atlanta German Cultural Center. regions.adl. org/southeast Women’s Circle Sushi, eat and design your own sushi dishes. Thurs., Oct. 4, 7 p.m. $12/ person. Chabad of Cobb Sukkah. RSVP by Sept. 28 at office@chabadofcobb.com Violinist Gil Shaham Performance, a Bach recital as part of the 2012-2013 Flora Glenn Candler Concert Series. Thurs., Oct. 4, 8 p.m. $60/person. Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. arts.emory.edu.
Fri., Oct. 5
Pizza in the Hut, pizza, pasta, salad, drinks and dessert with Congregation Beth Shalom after Shabbat services. Sun., Oct. 5. $10/ adult, $7/children. Under 3 free. Congregation Beth Shalom. RSVP form online bshalom.net.
Sat., Oct. 6
Hammond Glen Fall Carnival, featuring good, games and prizes, pony rides, petting zoo, bouncy house, clown, DJ, antique cars, motorcycles, face painting and balloon art. Sat., Oct. 6, 11 a.m. Free admission. Hammond Glen Senior Community. (404) 2566300.
Sun., Oct. 7
Training Wheels Atlanta, come learn about Sukkot at this Jewish family education program created by Hadassah that lets parents and children ages 3-5 become partners in discovering the joys of being Jewish. Sun., Oct. 7, 10 a.m. The Carlton on Mt. Vernon Rd. barids@bellsouth.net. Treetop Adventure, hosted by North Atlanta Jewish Singles, enjoy a tree-top obstacle course and fun event. Sun., Oct. 7, 11 a.m. Treetop Quest. RSVP to Mark Horvath mhorv00@gmail.com. Bearing Witness: Nazi Propaganda Films, a screenings of “Karousel” and “Hitler Gives a City to the Jews.” Sun., Oct. 7, 2 p.m. Free to members or $12/person. The Breman Museum. (678) 222-3700. Dunwoody Sunday Cycle, the monthly bike ride will continue throughout the year the first Sunday of every month. Sun., Oct. 7, 2:30 p.m. Bruster’s at Dunwoody Village. Visit ‘Bike-Walk Dunwoody’ on facebook.com or contact dr_barbara@bellsouth.net Sukkot Pot Luck, an event of Etz Aviv Hadassah; bring a pareve or dairy dish from the list and a lawn chair. Sun., Oct. 7, 4 p.m. $10/person. Private residence.
Wednesday September 26 • 8pm Kenny Blackman String Band
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards Book by Peter Stone
Based on a Concept by Sherman Edwards Original Production Directed by Peter Hunt Original Broadway Production Produced by Stuart Ostrow Presented through arrangement with Music Theater International
America’s Tony Award Winning Musical DORSEY THEATER
3593 Clairmont Road near Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30319
Celebrating the Beginning of Fall & the End of the Jewish Holy Day Season
$10 SPECIAL
Includes: Cover and our delicious flatbreads, bagels, and crostini’s all night (other menu items and drinks available as well)
Sept 14-Oct 7
Come Break the Fast, Celebrate Fall & Enjoy An Incredible Evening of Music www.steveslivemusic.com/kenney-blackmon-string-band-0
Reservations: www.1776themusicalatlanta.com 1-800-838-3006
404-418-6777 234 Hilderbrand Dr. • Sandy Springs • 30328 Tickets: steveslivemusic.com
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays, 2:30 pm.
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
Directed by Sandra Ellenburg-Dorsey
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AJT
MATZAH BALL SOUP FOR THE SOUL
Ha’azinu Haftorah COMFORT IN G-D’S STRENGTH By Rachel LaVictoire
T
For the Atlanta Jewish Times eenagers – more specifically, teenage girls – have a tendency to cover their belongings with inspirational quotes. If you have ever sat next to a girl during a boring class, you know this to be true. Back when I was in elementary school, the “cool” thing to do was to spend entire class periods just making a computer background. I would sit next to my friends, and we would scour the Internet looking for quotes and pictures that we thought were particularly inspirational. Things like: “Dance like no one is watching, sing as though no one can hear you, and live like you’ve never been hurt before.” “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” My friends and I could spend hours upon hours giggling and aww-ing at quotes like these. With bright colored markers and swirly fonts that we had practiced over and over again, we marked our planners, notebooks, binders and anything else with quotes.
I suppose, deep down, I thought that by seeing those quotes everyday, I might learn to live by them and to appreciate people and opportunities more. Don’t think that if you aren’t a teenage girl, you can feign ignorance of what I’m talking about. Imagine walking into any beachside shop or nick-knack store: Such places are covered with handmade plaques of little sayings and quotes; maybe it’s a welcome sign or a funny little mantra that makes for good conversation starters at dinner parties. For that matter, even Snapple caps, Taco Bell hot sauce packets and Dove chocolates come with a little phraseof-the-day. Simply put, quotes, sayings and clichés surround our day to day lives. But my point here is not necessarily to pick on quotes themselves; rather, I’m trying to point out a very strange phenomena that has swept through our culture: We get inspiration, wisdom and motivation from complete strangers based on one sentence of theirs. Imagine now that you walk into my home. Maybe you notice a mezuzah in the doorway, or maybe not, but when
Sponsored by
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
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
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.
28
Blessing for thw 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.
“You are my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord does light my darkness. For by You I run upon a troop; By my G-d I scale a wall. [He is] the G-d whose way is perfect; The word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield unto all them that trust in him” (II Samuel 22:29-31). These are the words of King David. Upon reading them, does a love for G-d not fill your heart? Personally, I feel invincible, like I can take on enemies and scale walls; I have an omnipotent shield of protection.
Friday, September 28, 2012 Light Candles at: 7:08 pm Shabbat, September 29, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 8:01 pm Eve of First day Sukkot Sunday, September 30, 2012 Light Candles at: 7:05 pm Eve of Second day Sukkot Monday, October 1, 2012 Light Candles after: 7:58 pm Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Holiday Ends: 7:57 pm Friday, October 5, 2012 Light Candles at: 6:58 pm Shabbat, October 6, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 7:52 pm
line for the coming year, so that we look to G-d to help solve our problems before doing something we might regret. Or maybe it’s to remind us again of the power of G-d, so that we may truly fear Him and repent. I myself like to think it’s for comfort, for Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, and Yom Kippur can all be very intimidating and scary. After all, we read on the High Holy Days the Unetanah Tokef, which says: “On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, And on Yom Kippur it is sealed. How many shall pass away and how many shall be born, Who shall live and who shall die...”
The entirety of this week’s Haftorah portion is David’s song to G-d. No battles are fought, no conversations had; no altars are built and no laws are given. Instead, King David spends 51 verses thanking G-d for saving him from his enemies, and in my humble opinion, this is one of the most inspirational speeches ever given.
I was always afraid of this prayer. I asked myself: What if G-d does not accept my forgiveness? What if there are sins I have forgotten to repent for?
Picture your worst enemy. I don’t mean a girl at school who gossips about you or that mom in your carpool group who never volunteers to take on an extra day. I mean things that really affect your life: a lack of self-confidence, a feeling of under-appreciation, a difficulty in school that makes you feel inadequate or anything of the sort.
As such, in these days of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur, I will seek refuge in King David’s words – and I hope you do too. Maybe I’ll even pick up a Sharpie and doodle on my notebook:
Rather than scouring the Internet or the self-help section of the nearest bookstore, listen to King David:
Shabbat Candle Lighting Times shabbat blessings
you step through the doors into my home you see one of those plaques. It says:
“When I am in distress, I call upon the Lord, yes I call upon my G-d: and out of His abode He hears my voice, and my cry enters His ears... The Lord thundered from heaven; and the Most High gave forth His voice. And He sent out arrows and He scattered [my enemies], lightning and He discomfited them... He delivered me from my mighty enemy; for they were too powerful for me” (II Samuel 22:7-18). Surely there can be nothing more encouraging, or more comforting, than knowing that G-d can defeat even your greatest of enemies. But why, on this Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, do we read this song from King David? Maybe the reason is to keep us in
Obviously, I realize now that I should probably take scripture a little less literally, but regardless, the sense of intimidation remains.
“When I am in distress, I call upon the Lord, yes I call upon my G-d: and out of His abode He hears my voice, and my cry enters His ears.” Editor’s note: Rachel LaVictoire is a Westminster High School graduate and recipient of a prestigious writing scholarship at Washington University of St. Louis.
THIS IS YOUR JEWISH COMMUNITY AND JEWISH ATLANTA GETS ITS NEWS HERE. EVERY WEEK.
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AJT
MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING
Nanci Eichel
65, OF ATLANTA
Nanci Eichel, 65, beloved wife, mother and the proudest grandmother, died peacefully and surrounded by family with loving and expert care at Piedmont Hospital on Tues., Sept. 18, 2012. She died of complications of advanced colon cancer. She maintained her focus on others and their needs while her cancer advanced, and her treatments required enormous strength and endurance. Nanci was born in Chicago and moved with her family to Savannah, Ga. in 1961. Throughout her life, she was devoted to family, friends and children in her community. She was a graduate of the University of Georgia and taught in the Atlanta Public School system. She was a tireless volunteer advocate and fundraiser for the children’s welfare agency CASA. She was also a noted and successful businesswoman and launched a national interior design practice that included published showrooms and restaurants in most major American cities as well as homes and apartments in the United States and Mexico. She was personally and politically committed to the advancement of women in all fields and was enamored with British culture and history. She was a member of the Winston Churchill Society and held the utmost admiration for his career as a statesmen, author and artist. She experienced a great life of travel, a world of beauty, great ideas and great books. She will be terribly missed by her husband, children, grandchildren and friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, Norma Rabin, and Steven Eichel. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Ron Eichel; her daughter, Allison Howard, her husband Dan and their children Matt and Kate, all of Atlanta; her father, Seymour Rabin, and his wife Shari, of Atlanta; her sister, Ellen Rabin of Boca Raton, Fla.; her brother, Steve Rabin of Los Angeles; and David and Judy Eichel and their sons Mathew, Max, Drew and Sam, all of Cincinnati, Ohio. Sign on-line guestbook at edressler.com. Funeral services were held, Sept. 20, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at Temple Sinai with Rabbi Phil Kranz and Rabbi Ron Segal officiating. Interment followed at Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Nanci Eichel Fund for Colorectal Cancer Research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West - 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445. Arrangements by Dresslers Jewish Funeral Care.
Michael Levinson
Invest in Your Family’s Memories
55, OF MARIETTA
Kenneth Warschoff 93, OF JACKSONVILLE
Kenneth Warschoff, 93, passed away at Halcyon Hospice on Sun., Sept. 16, 2012 after a brief illness. Ken was born Sept. 28, 1918 in Bridgeport, Conn. to Frances and David Warschoff. He grew up in Miami, Fla. Ken was married to Shirley Sonnenklar Warschoff for 66 years until her death in November 2005. Kenneth lived in Atlanta for many years before moving to Jacksonville, Fla., where he and Shirley lived for 31 years. Ken was an avid golfer and bridge player. Ken is survived by his two children, Bruce Warschoff (Anita) and Linda Warschoff; grandchildren, Merrill Warschoff Press (Andrew), Laurie Warschoff Goldstein (Murray), Jeremy Weiser-Warschoff and Victor Weiser-Warschoff; and great-grandchildren, Ryan Goldstein, Jack Goldstein, Kelly Press and Shelby Press. Please sign online guest book at edressler.com. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Congregation Or Hadash. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.
The final phase of Menorah Gardens is now open. Monthly payments starting at $149.00 per person. Arlington Memorial Park features 126 acres of serene, beautiful, park like property for permanently honoring family and loved ones. With many distinct sections, we are able to offer the families of Metro Atlanta a wide selection of memorial arrangements – from dedicated Jewish gardens to gated private estates. As a member of the Dignity Memorial® network, we strive to give your family peace of mind knowing that the place future generations will visit will be maintained and cared for perpetually. To request more information, schedule a tour, or learn more about our services, please call 404-955-8933 or email: ampinfo@dignitymemorial.com
A r l i n g t o n M e M o r i A l PA r k 201 Mount Vernon Highway, NW, Sandy Springs, GA 30328
404-955-8933 | www.arlingtonmemorialpark.com
Arlington Memorial Park currently offers dedicated areas for 14 synagogues throughout Metro Atlanta: Ahavath Achim B’nai Torah Congregation Beth Shalom Congregation Beth Tikvah Congregation Dor Tamid Congregation Etz Chaim Congregation Or Hadash Congregation Or VeShalom Shaarei Shamayim Shearith Israel The Temple Temple Emanu-El Temple Kol Emeth Temple Sinai
For complete cemetery arrangements for one person in the unaffiliated section of Menorah Gardens. $149 monthly payment is based on 5 years at 0% financing for one interment right, vault, opening and closing and bronze memorial. Offer expires September 26, 2012.
ArlingtonMP_JewishTimes.indd 1
SEPTEMBER 28 ▪ 2012
Michael Levinson, age 55, of Marietta passed away Sept. 18, 2012. Michael was born in Long Island, N.Y. He moved to Atlanta with his first wife, Helaine, and opened his chiropractic office. He was very active in various roles at Kehillat Chaim in Roswell, Ga. He was involved in sports programs in the community, especially soccer with his three children, Joshua, Arielle and David. Years following the passing of his wife, he was blessed to meet and marry Geri and her wonderful children. He was much loved by all. Survivors include his wife, Geri Levinson; sons, Joshua and David Levinson; daughter, Arielle Levinson; mother, Edythe Levinson; stepchildren, Maria Marotta, Grace Marotta and A.J. Marotta; brother, Louis Levinson; and sister, Diane Trapani. Michael was preceded in death by his first wife, Helaine Levinson, and his father, Bernard Levinson. Sign online guest book at edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, a fund will be created for Mr. Levinson’s children at Wells Fargo Bank. Funeral services were held Fri., Sept. 21, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at Temple Kehillat Chaim with Rabbi Harvey Winokur officiating. The interment followed at Green Lawn Cemetery. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care.
29 8/21/12 5:18 PM
JEWISH PUZZLER
Crossword Clues
by Kathi Handler (bookssss@aol.com)
Across 1. Yids (Eng) 5. Ner Tamid 9. High priest vestment 14. Nizer bargain? 15. Diarist 16. Tsahal break 17. Popular Giants player 19. Pray (Yid) 20. Asner and Koch 21. Genealogists 23. Alphabet run 26. Meshugge bird 29. E. Lazarus specialty 30. ___ Ha Am 32. Nebbishes (Eng) 34. City of Benjamin 37. Biblical weapon 39. Former Israeli PM 41. Shema ender 42. Methuselah at the end 44. Receive by death 46. Israeli pilot 47. Harlot at Jericho 49. Witch’s dwelling 50. Fehr show, “Presidio __” 51. Ellis and Long 53. Boxer “Dangerous” __ Rosenblatt 54. Cable network 56. Novelist Sholem __ 58. United Synagogue Youth
59. Joel Grey musical 63. Zetz 65. Change for a shekel 66. Shikker perhaps? 72. Miss America host 73. Break a commandment 74. “Ol Man River”, composer 75. Sound of Kristallnacht 76. Cursed eye? 77. Paradise Down 1. Publisher (Abbrv) 2. High priest of Shiloh 3. Sign a Ketubah 4. Hillel 5. “Rent” Playwright 6. “I __ Thou”, M. Buber 7. L to P connector 8. Books of Moses: abv. 9. Wise elder 10. Shalom 11. Own 12. Angel of Death path 13. Daniel’s test sites 18. “_Couple”, Randall sitcom 22. Baseball’s “Flip” 23. Balak’s prophet 24. Game of Dreidel
25. Imitated Murray 27. Jonah’s milieu 28. Solomon’s find 31. 601 33. Steers 34. Zionist leader 35. Gribbines ingredients 36. Bear false witness 38. Ever to Heine 40. That woman 43. Men from Chelm 45. Amen
48. __ Carte 52. Torah 54. Spitz and Rothko 55. Shmutz (Eng) 57. Laughing sound 59. Yarmulkes 60. Kinetic art pioneer 61. “Vamp” actress 62. Act the gonif 64. Noodge with finger 67. Tri chai 68. 151 69. Imitated Deborah 70. Anger 71. Blitzer’s station
Last week’s answers
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Chess Puzzle of the Week by Jon Hochberg
Black to move, checkmate in 1
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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.
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Jay Givarz Loan Officer 678.832.9386 jay.givarz@suntrust.com NMLSR# 203728 Equal Housing Lender. SunTrust Mortgage, Inc., 901 Semmes Avenue, Richmond, VA 23224 is licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; is an Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee; is a Lender in Massachusetts having Mortgage Lender license #s ML1216, ML0133, ML1432, ML1914, ML1913, ML1815, ML2411, ML1214, ML2442, ML2491, and ML2538; is licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department; is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, toll free 1-800-330-4684; is a licensed lender in Rhode Island; and is doing business in Arizona as Crestar Mortgage, 7250 N. 16th Street, Ste. 100, Phoenix, AZ 85020. ©2011 SunTrust Banks, Inc. SunTrust, SunTrust Mortgage, and Live Solid. Bank Solid. are federally registered service marks of SunTrust Banks, Inc.
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