Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCI No. 25, June 24, 2016 by Atlanta Jewish Times

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www.LeeBrant.com INSIDE Calendar ��4 Candle Lighting ��4 Israel News ��6 Opinion �� 10 Education �� 18 Sports �� 20 Health & Wellness ��22 Business ��25 Home ��26 Arts ��28 Obituaries ��29 Crossword ��30

SAFE AND SACRED After Orlando, two LGBTQ Jews explain how others can be allies and help restore their safe spaces. Pages 8-9

LEADING WOMEN The latest Jewish Women’s Fund grants pay more attention to young leadership development. Page 14

GIVING LIFE A Beth Jacob member in need of a kidney finds the donor across the mechitza. Page 22

JEWISH ‘OZ’ Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion connect Jewish paths to the yellow brick road. Page 28

VOL. XCI NO. 25

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JUNE 24, 2016 | 18 SIVAN 5776

JCC Embraces A Kosher Touch By Tova Norman

he Marcus Jewish Community Center will welcome a new kosher caterer to its kitchen and cafe space Aug. 1: A Kosher Touch, a division of Sandra Bank’s Added Touch Catering. The cafe space opened up in May when Enoch Goodfriend shut down his catering operations for health reasons. The center put out a request for proposals and interviewed many local caterers before choosing A Kosher Touch, Marcus JCC CEO Jared Powers said. “We are inclusive of all kinds of ways that people practice their Judaism,” he said. “It was important for us to have a kosher caterer on site.” A Kosher Touch will lease the space from the JCC and use the kitchen to continue normal kosher catering operations while also operating the cafe. Bank and her team will move their kosher operation from space at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. She said the move is bittersweet, but she is excited to occupy a larger space and to have the opportunity to develop the cafe. The JCC’s Dunwoody campus also is closer to Bank’s nonkosher operation, Added Touch Catering, in Sandy Springs. Powers said A Kosher Touch shares a vision for the cafe with the Marcus JCC. “We wanted to create a family-friendly place that’s healthy and affordable.” Bank agreed. While planning continues, her hope is to refresh the menu and space. “I just see it as being a destination.” She hopes to be open all day, serve coffee and tea, bake daily (including her biscotti), have grab-and-go snacks, and offer a full menu that is still in the works.

Inside: Best of Jewish Atlanta Page 16

Goodfriend’s Grill is no more at the Marcus JCC, meaning events such as this Yom HaAtzmaut celebration in 2015 will be catered by A Kosher Touch in the future. The new catering arrangement brings together two winners of our Best of Jewish Atlanta reader survey: the Marcus JCC (local Jewish nonprofit) and A Kosher Touch (caterer). See all 22 winners on Pages 16 and 17.

She and her team are sampling menus at restaurants around the city. “My sales team, they are all young, and this is what they like: healthy, quality food at the right price,” she said. Expect fresh fruits and vegetables and salads. She wants to show people that kosher food can be healthy and delicious. “Kosher food has been given a bad rap over the years,” she said. Bank said she hopes to offer meat and dairy options on different days. Because the cafe and catering operation are certified by the Atlanta Kashruth Commission, she is working out the details of that rotation with a mashgiach. “Here is a golden opportunity to provide the community with healthy, fresh, delicious food,” she said, hoping that her

menu will persuade JCC members who are already at the center to eat at the cafe. “They should be going nowhere else.” A Kosher Touch will also provide lunches for 300 preschoolers at the Weinstein School every day. While she plans to adapt to what works best for her customers, Bank also has ideas for additional opportunities: takeout dinners delivered in carpool lines, food at the pool, fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, special entertainment and nights out, sushi, and more. “I’m excited because I want to do it right,” she said. Powers said a kosher caterer and a kosher cafe are important elements of the JCC. “We just want to make it that fullservice experience.” ■

ily, and fellow Midtown-based developer Carter would share the role of master developer for City Springs. The companies plan to start construction this summer on 30,000 square feet of retail space and nearly 300 homes — 19 townhouses and 275 apartments — in an area bounded by Johnson Ferry Road, Roswell Road, Mount Vernon Highway and Sandy Springs Circle.

“We are excited and honored to be part of such an important addition to Sandy Springs,” Jo Ann Chitty, a Selig senior vice president, said in a press release about the closing. “City Springs will be a truly walkable destination that defines the future of Sandy Springs.” Sandy Springs was just voted the best neighborhood in the AJT’s Best of Jewish Atlanta reader survey (Page 16). ■

Selig Closes on City Springs Property

elig Enterprises and partner Carter have completed the purchase of nearly 3½ acres at the core of Sandy Springs’ City Springs development, putting the first phase of the project on schedule to be completed in winter 2017. The closing was announced Friday, June 17, almost exactly two years after Sandy Springs decided that Selig Enterprises, led by Steve Selig and his fam-

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MA TOVU

Midlife Progress Report In the two decades that have passed since I last walked on campus, much of what I had hoped for has indeed come to be, but there have also been twists and turns and unanticipated challenges. Life has been good but not always easy — certainly not as easy as I hoped or naively expected. At midlife the unabashed, limit-

Taking Root By Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder rabbiruth@gmail.com

less optimism has been replaced with more realistic expectations. Adulthood means we make our opportunities, but we also take out the trash, navigate failures and increasingly come up against the limitations of our own bodies. At our class dinner there was a placard with painfully youthful photos of four of our classmates, all deceased. They were not with us to tell their stories. The majority of those who were murdered in Orlando were not much older than we were at graduation. They will never get to try and fail or succeed. At midlife, all is not perfect, but it is. At the reunion, others on campus were celebrating just five or 10 years or 35, 40 or more. Some of the younger women (for it was a women’s college) had sought out my classmates for wisdom and perspective, while I was pronounced a baby by some of my elders. Neither an infant nor a crone, at midlife I celebrate that I am here to tell the stories. On Saturday night, a particularly close friend from back in the day and I stepped away from the group and had dinner alone. The years had slipped by. Reconnecting, we began to share our stories. There was so much good. She’s professionally successful; her children are delightful. But it did not take long before we were shooting straight, sharing the details of the difficulties and disappointments. It was not easy stuff. But as she reflected the next day, “It was very fortifying.” She is stronger than I ever remember her, and, like all of us, she has the next chapters to write. Blessed are You, the source of life, who has brought us to this moment. ■

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recently attended my 25th college reunion. In popular culture, reunions are fraught affairs. Regrets abound. Attempts to recapture youth play out for the better and usually the worse. And if in real life the exaggerations of sitcoms and murder mysteries are avoided, it is hard to escape the taking stock that comes from returning to a place that launched you forth in youthful promise. When we marched across the stage 25 years ago, I blissfully believed all was possible. My short life had been blessed with every advantage, and the opportunities ahead seemed infinite. At my fifth reunion, the last time I returned, the optimism seemed well placed. I was married nearly a year and pursuing my professional dreams. So much lay ahead. Now, I wondered, how would life stack up at this juncture? Arriving on campus, people were happy and eager to connect. They shared joyfully. We are married to college sweethearts, happily divorced, single, straight and gay. Some have lived around the world; others never left the neighborhood. Our children, for those who have them, range from 21 years to less than 21 months. As doctors, lawyers, reporters, teachers, writers, full-time moms, in the nonprofit and profitable worlds — there is no simple accounting for our time. To be fair, those in attendance were a self-selecting crowd: those with strong and enduring ties to our alma matter, those confident enough in their accomplishments, those whose health and finances allowed for the indulgence of a long weekend. But at that first night together, I was struck by the array of ways we had composed our lives since graduation. There was no singular story or metric of success. Over breakfast the second day, as I followed up on the happy family tale begun the night before, an old friend admitted she had only told me half the story. In addition to the joys, there were troubles too. Not hers alone. Revealed, as we got more comfortable with one another, were sick spouses, jobs lost, parents gone too early. Not all the divorces were voluntary or easy. Not all the choices more generally were of our own choosing.

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CALENDAR Atlanta

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Contributors This Week

RABBI RUTH ABUSCH-MAGDER PAULA BAROFF • GABRIELLE COHEN YONI GLATT LEAH R. HARRISON ZACH ITZKOVITZ MARCIA CALLER JAFFE ROBBIE MEDWED • TOVA NORMAN LOGAN RITCHIE DAVE SCHECHTER SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER EUGEN SCHOENFELD LAUREN SHAPIRO RACHEL STEIN

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THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2016 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Being grateful. Rabbi Ari Sollish leads “Waking Up to Life: A Gratitude Seminar,” examining Torah and positive psychology, at 7:30 p.m. at the Intown Jewish Academy, 928 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta. The cost is $18; 404-8980434 or intownjewishacademy.org.

Behalotecha Friday, June 24, light candles at 8:34 p.m. Saturday, June 25, Shabbat ends at 9:36 p.m. Shelach Friday, July 1, light candles at 8:35 p.m. Saturday, July 2, Shabbat ends at 9:36 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

Bargainata sale. The National Council of Jewish Women, Atlanta Section, holds an inventory reduction sale at the Bargainata Thrift Boutique, 6600 Roswell Road, Suite D, Sandy Springs, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday; 404-843-9600. Farewell service. Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, honors Rabbi Elana Perry with a special Shabbat service and oneg at 6:30 p.m. Free; templesinaiatlanta.org. Pride Seder. Congregation Bet Haverim, 2074 LaVista Road, Toco Hills, with SOJOURN and InterfaithFamily/ Atlanta, hosts the Atlanta Pride Seder. Bring a drink to share. Dinner is $10; congregationbethaverim.org/pride or 404-315-6446.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26

Memorial tour. Architect Ben Hirsch leads a visit to the Memorial to the Six Million at Greenwood Cemetery, 1173 Cascade Circle, Southwest Atlanta, at 10 a.m. Free for Breman Museum members, $10 for others; bit.ly/1RABTit.

MONDAY, JUNE 27

Monster art. The Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown, welcomes children ages 3 to 6 for open-house art lessons between 10 a.m. and noon in the “Where the Wild Things Are” exhibit. This week’s lesson is about drawing and cutting shapes to assemble a monster. Free for Breman members.

For nonmembers, two children are free with each $12 adult admission; www. thebreman.org or 678-222-3700.

TUESDAY, JUNE 28

Financial technology conference. The Conexx-organized Atlanta-Israel FinTech Innovation Conference begins at 8 a.m. today and ends at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Greenberg Traurig, 3333 Piedmont Road, Suite 2500, Buckhead. Free; register via www.conexx.org or 678-274-9699. A reception Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Greenberg Traurig is $20 for Conexx members, $35 for others. MACoM meeting. The Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah holds its annual meeting, with a light dinner, at 7 p.m. at Congregation B’nai Torah, 700 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Free; rsvp@atlantamikvah.org.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30

Book talk. Atlanta resident Emily Giffin launches her latest novel, “First Comes Love,” through a conversation with Mara Davis at 7:30 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets, including a copy of the book, are $29 for JCC members, $34 for nonmembers, or get two tickets free by becoming a patron of the Book Festival of the Marcus JCC; www.atlantajcc.org/ bookfestival or 678-812-4002.

MONDAY, JULY 4

Kosher BBQ. Chaim Goldfeder brings kosher Texas barbecue to Atlanta for a one-night Fourth of July event at Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855 LaVista Road, Toco Hills, from 5 to 8 p.m. Food such as brisket, chicken and hot dogs will be sold. Admission is free; www. bethjacobatlanta.org or 404-633-0551.

Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com. Find more events at atlantajewishtimes.com/events-calendar.

Remember When

10 years ago June 23, 2006 ■ Micah Weiss heads to Wesleyan University this fall with a slew of writing awards. Most recently, the Congregation Bet Haverim member was honored as the Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s 2006 Georgia Champion Journalist for his work on the Grady High newspaper and for launching a supplemental magazine, Nexus, which included his awardwinning article on a day at a Muslim high school. ■ The bat mitzvah ceremony of Shana Beth Freedman of Atlanta, daughter of Steve and Peggy Freedman, will take place Thursday, July 4, at Congregation Etz Chaim. 25 Years Ago June 28, 1991 ■ Shirley Margolin of Atlanta is 70 years old and blind, but

neither age nor impairment has stopped her from training to throw the shot put, discus and javelin at the National Senior Olympics, to be held June 29 to July 1 in Syracuse, N.Y., with the coaching of Philip Mulkey. ■ Dan and Irina Dressler of Atlanta announce the births of Joshua Mathew and Rachel Lia on Sept. 16, 2005. 50 Years Ago June 24, 1966 ■ Rabbi David Stavsky, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Beth Jacob Synagogue of Columbus, Ohio, has called for the abolition of the bar mitzvah ceremony because “nothing has contributed more to the adulteration of faith and the confusion of intellect than the bar mitzvah training program in America.” He called the ceremony “a myth.” ■ Miss Marjorie Kay Blank, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blank of Augusta, became the bride of Alfred Valare Dell’Ario, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred A. Dell’Ario of Albany, on June 4 at the Augusta Town House.

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Approval of melanoma treatment. The BBC reported that Britain’s National Health Service has approved the funding of patients receiving a pioneering melanoma treatment developed by Israeli Jacob Schachter. The approval was one of the fastest in NHS history.

First-time precision for breast cancer surgery. Surgeons at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, have reported that MarginProbe from Dune Medical of South Caesarea has reduced the number of repeat breast cancer operations by 75 percent. MarginProbe checks accurately that all cancerous tissue has been removed the first time. Advances in bio-ink. Israeli research continues into bio-ink that could print human organs. Ness Ziona’s Nano Dimension and Haifa’s Accelta have labtested proof-of-concept 3D bio-printers. Perfect score. Mohammed Zeidan from the Arab community of Kafr Manda in northern Israel scored a perfect 800 on Israel’s Psychometric Entrance Test. Zeidan plans to study electrical engineering at the Technion.

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The chords for any song. Music plat-

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form Utab has developed an algorithm that can analyze a chord from a recording of any song in 15 seconds. It simplifies the task of finding the most accurate chords to play. A rooftop farm without dirt. The Aleinu aeroponic farm sits on the roof of the Mishor Adumim industrial park between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It employs 20 people, Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, Israeli-born and immigrants. Herbs and lettuce grow in humid air without soil or water. Soaring Israeli startups. In the first week of June, 13 Israeli startups raised a total of $237 million. They include WalkMe ($50 million), Trax ($40 million), Weka.IO ($32 million), SundaySky ($30 million), Zimperium ($25 million) and EarlySense ($25 million). J.P. Morgan’s Israeli team. Global bank J.P. Morgan is hiring technical developers in Israel for its “next-generation pricing, risk management, analysis and trade management platform,” known as Athena. Heroes of the Jewish people. The new wing at Tel Aviv’s Beit Hatfutsot mu-

seum is showing an exhibition for children titled “Heroes — Trailblazers of the Jewish People.” Its 144 top names include Maimonides, Albert Einstein, Anne Frank, Henrietta Szold, Theodor Herzl, Sigmund Freud and Bob Dylan.

Fewer flight delays. Israel has been admitted into the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation. Eurocontrol provides advanced control and navigation aviation services for managing and planning air traffic flows.

Queen to rock Israel. The first visit to Israel of the band Queen will be Sept. 12 at Tel Aviv’s Park Hayarkon. “This is an amazing opportunity at last to bring Queen music live to thousands of folks who have been devoted to our music for years. Can’t wait,” said guitarist Brian May, an original band member.

Much more gas down there. Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told the Conference of the Institute for Policy and Strategy in Herzliya that Israel has undiscovered offshore natural gas worth four more Leviathan fields (about 2.2 trillion cubic meters).

Thousands learn together. The Tzohar Rabbinical Organization hosted some 8,500 people at Shavuot learning sessions at 22 venues in major cities throughout Israel. The Tel Aviv program included discussions on social issues, halachic challenges, and cultural and personal growth. A good read. “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Hebrew University’s Yuval Noah Harari was included among Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ “5 Books to Read This Summer” and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s widely followed “A Year of Books” blog.

Silver in Euro swimming. Hamadiaborn swimmer Gal Nevo took home the silver medal in the 200-meter individual medly at the European Championships in London. Nevo and five other Israeli swimmers have qualified for Rio. Surviving two in the head. Assaf Bar, one of the dozen Israelis wounded in the Sarona Market terrorist attack in Tel Aviv on June 8, clearly describes events from that evening, when he was shot twice in the head, in an Arutz Sheva TV story (youtu.be/-v5aOOoGh5E). Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com and other news sources.

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ORLANDO SHOOTING

Being an LGBTQ Ally Isn’t About You

n the early hours of Sunday, June 12, a gunman opened fire at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. He would go on to murder 49 people and hurt at least 53 more. At the same time, Jews worldwide were immersed in Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an all-night program devoted to Torah study to re-enact the ancient Israelites’ preparation for receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. On Monday night, after the holiday ended, Rabbi Shmuel Herz feld took the members of his Orthodox congregation, Ohev Sholom, to Fireplace, a predominantly AfricanAmerican gay bar near his synagogue in Washington, D.C. Rabbi Herzfeld was so moved by his own actions that he wrote an article about the night in The Washington Post. “I learned that when a rabbi and members of an Orthodox synagogue walk into a gay African American bar, it is not the opening line of a joke but an opportunity to connect; it is an opportunity to break down barriers and come together as one; it is an oppor-

tunity to learn that if we are going to survive, we all need each other.” I know that many people are looking for ways to show their allyship and

Guest Column By Robbie Medwed

love after Orlando, but this isn’t it. Newspapers and magazines have been flooded with articles that describe how gay bars are sanctuaries and sacred spaces for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people. For so many, gay bars are one of the only places we can remove our masks and be ourselves without fear of retribution or bodily harm. We aren’t worried about being assaulted in a gay bar’s restroom. We don’t have to change our speech patterns or mannerisms or do anything different just to fit in. For many of us, gay bars are the one place where we can just be who we are, in freedom.

To have a crowd of non-LGBTQ people invade that sacred space, even if the intention is positive, removes the sense of refuge from the outside world. Rabbi Herzfeld describes how his mother approached a man standing by himself outside the building who invited them in. What if this person wasn’t in the mood to play host for a group of visitors? How could anyone turn down a Jewish mother? He invited them in, but we do not know if everyone inside the bar was happy he did so. Rabbi Herzfeld continues with vignettes of tearful conversations and forged connections. I don’t discount those conversations, but I wonder how many in the bar wanted their night to turn from mourning with their own community to having to engage in conversation with curious outsiders. Worse, writing an article about how meaningful it was for the congregation centers the pain on non-LGBTQ people, which breaks the very first rule of being an ally: It’s not about you. This article congratulates its author and his congregation for being Such Great Saviors. The congregation’s members were far more focused on dealing with their own emotions than on allowing others to mourn in peace. (Had someone from the bar written about how moving it was that this group came to spend time with them, it would be an entirely different story.) If you want to stand now with the LGBTQ community, and I sincerely hope you do, go to vigils and speak out against bigotry and hatred, especially in your own congregations. Direct your actions inward to make change. How is your own synagogue, school or community complicit in reinforcing anti-LGBTQ sentiment and bigotry? How can you help dismantle those systems to make your spaces more welcoming for LGBTQ people?

Rather than invade someone else’s space, see how your space can be changed to be more accommodating. LGBTQ people throughout history were forced to create their own refuges away from the world because they weren’t welcome anywhere else. Do not demand they step aside and give you room in their safe spaces. Help them defend their safe spaces from the outside and ensure they remain safe. These visitors are from a movement that doesn’t recognize the full humanity and equality of LGBTQ people. The Orthodox movement has made huge steps in welcoming LGBTQ people — I don’t want to diminish that — but it still has very, very far to go. If Orthodox Jews truly want to be LGBTQ allies, they must start with the systems in which they live. They must also understand the role that religion has played in causing pain to LGBTQ people over the centuries and the role they themselves play in that. For many in the LGBTQ community, religion has been one of the greatest sources of pain and strife. While religion, and Judaism in particular, can be a wonderful place for so many, we have to understand that this is far from a universal feeling. Bringing our religion to others, especially in a nonreligious setting where they have not asked for our attention, forces it upon them in a very unfriendly manner. There are many great ways to be an ally, no matter your religious beliefs. None of them involves placing your needs first. Be someone’s friend. Ask people what they need. Listen to the response, then give them exactly that. Being an ally sometimes means putting someone else’s comfort or needs above your own. It means doing it because you want to be there for someone who needs you and not the other way around. ■

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

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ORLANDO SHOOTING

Vigil Helped Restore Faith in Sacred Pride spaces devoid of judgment or discrimination. The gay bar has always served as the refuge, the sanctuary, the transcendental escape from homopho-

Guest Column By Lauren Shapiro

bia and transphobia. It is the defining institution of the LGBT community. The security and nachas I feel inside a gay bar parallel my feelings when I am in shul, singing in Hebrew and taking a short vacation from a society in which Christianity is the default. For people like me, deeply enmeshed in both Jewish and LGBT life, an attack on a gay bar during Pride Month feels much like an attack on a synagogue during Simchat Torah. This understanding gave the word “vigil” even more significance Tuesday, June 14, when I mourned the attack in Orlando outside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Leaders

from nearly 40 organizations joined a crowd of 3,000 to pray for the Pulse nightclub victims and their families. Many speakers represented secular and political LGBT initiatives, but the vigil had an extraordinary variety of religious delegates. Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim organized and facilitated the event. Imam Plemon El-Amin of the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam and Josh Noblitt of St. Mark United Methodist Church offered prayers, as did Unitarians and the leader of a queer Native American group, who discussed death with the vocabulary of indigenous religions. The most powerful speech came from Amina Abdul-Jalil — queer, Muslim and not apologizing for either. She emphasized that a whole group of people (Muslims) cannot be persecuted for this act of evil against another minority (LGBT people). She said that pitting her two communities against each other would only allow hate and chaos to proliferate. Accepting her message means recognizing the attack on Pulse as not simply another jihadist attack, but first and foremost as calculated homopho-

bia. This attacker claimed an extremist homophobic ideology, but homophobia is not confined to his ideology. It appears across religious and cultural lines, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in devastating ways. Confronting the ugly truth of pandemic homophobia is what made the vigil so powerful. Representatives from major religions that, throughout history, have attempted to eradicate, ignore or save individuals from homosexuality offered prayers of healing for the LGBT community — not simply because this community is composed of human beings, but because it is specifically, cohesively, the LGBT community. I had never seen a collection of religious leaders recognize LGBT culture and its defining institutions, the gay bar and Gay Pride, as sacred in their own right. I see this recognition, a small bit of light in an overwhelmingly dark time, as its own blessing. ■ Weber School alum Lauren Shapiro is a recent Penn grad who now lives in Washington, D.C., to pursue a career in international economic law.

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ate into the night Saturday, June 11, I fist-bumped to booming electronic music and twirled a rainbow flag at my favorite nightclub. As my friends and I observed D.C. Pride in our familiar, shimmering temple, many communities like ours reveled in the holiness of June, Gay Pride Month. When we awoke June 12, we had little to celebrate; 49 people had been killed at an Orlando gay club for doing exactly what we had been doing, exactly when we had been doing it. Those 49 were killed for being queer and for honoring the simcha of Pride. I use “observed,” “temple” and “simcha” on purpose. Gay Pride is a sacred holiday for the LGBT community. It ensures that our cultures and histories are not brushed aside in a society that focuses on the heterosexual and cisgender experiences. It honors those who have fought for our rights, from marriage equality and employment protection to our very safety in public. LGBT people have been shamed for public affection and offered few

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OPINION

Our View

Missile Salvo

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

resident Barack Obama’s administration likes to respond to criticism of the president’s public rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by pointing out that U.S.-Israeli security cooperation has never been stronger, which is true. But one sentence in a policy statement Tuesday, June 14, reveals the vulnerability of those links. In a wide-ranging critique of a Department of Defense appropriations bill before a vote in the House, the White House singled out a proposed $455 million increase in the $145 million the administration wants to spend on procurement and research and development for Israel’s missile defense programs. The administration threatened a veto if the bill passed without changes, although, given that the $600 million proposed for the anti-missile programs is just over 0.1 percent of the $517.1 billion defense budget, money for Israel isn’t likely to sink the legislation. The House certainly shrugged off the complaints, passing the bill June 16 without any changes. AIPAC, which expressed deep disappointment at the White House, noted that Congress has boosted appropriations for U.S.-Israeli missile cooperation above administration requests every year for more than a decade — meaning under Republican and Democratic presidents. “These cooperative programs — including the Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome — are critical for Israel’s defense against a growing array of missile threats and make an important contribution to U.S. missile defense programs,” AIPAC said. The annual budget game enables members of Congress to score points with supporters of Israel at no cost to the president. But the Jewish Telegraphic Agency says this appears to be the first time an administration has spoken out against the increase. Maybe the missile defense spending became a target this year because it’s Obama’s last chance to get certain policy positions on the record. More likely, it’s part of the jostling over a 10-year memorandum of understanding on military aid to Israel. While both nations reportedly agree on increasing the annual aid from about $3 billion to something approaching $5 billion, they disagree on whether to include the missile programs within that total. The missile spending is separate from the guaranteed aid now, a situation Israel prefers because of the flexibility to adjust as needed. The Obama administration wants missile money in the annual aid. The administration position makes sense, and Netanyahu has indicated his willingness to make the change in exchange for a big boost in the aid package. But the bigger issue is Israel’s continuing position as a supplicant, forced to beg for justified U.S. military assistance and cooperation. The United States doesn’t treat other vital military allies as welfare cases, even though such NATO members as Greece and Turkey are Israel’s inferiors in military capability, economic power and useful innovation. It’s time for the United States to stop treating military appropriations for Israel as a gift and acknowledge that the spending is crucial to U.S. defense. Otherwise, Israel might look eastward, and China might 10 benefit from Start-Up Nation know-how. ■

AJT

Cartoon by Rick McKee, The Augusta Chronicle

Remember, It’s Only Politics

ur articles often inspire strong responses, but debate, we have a choice between a third term of few pieces have produced as much anger as similar policies and a sharp reaction the other way. Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus’ June 10 Either way, we’re likely headed for a recession column explaining that, as a committed Republican after a long run of economic growth, and the winner and fierce Hillary Clinton opponent, he is supporting won’t be able to rely on novelty (either for the first his party’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. female president or for the anti-establishment out(Marcus, in addition to being one of the leading sider). That screams “one-term president.” philanthropists in Jewish Atlanta, is the father of A closely divided Congress isn’t going to let my boss, Michael A. Morris, the the next presiowner and publisher of the AJT.) dent do anything Most Facebook reactions dramatic to expand Editor’s Notebook were negative. The comments or roll back Barack By Michael Jacobs were vitriolic. People vowed Obama’s policies. mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com never to shop at Home Depot. Despite the opening Others lamented that Jewish Atleft by Antonin Scalanta is so reliant on Marcus and lia and lots of specuthe Marcus Foundation. lation, the Supreme I have no desire to defend Marcus, who doesn’t Court’s balance might not be at stake. Liberal justices need my help, or Trump, who doesn’t deserve it. But would try not to retire under Trump; the conservaas we head into July, when the national political tives wouldn’t want to leave under Clinton. conventions will start the final phase of this presiClinton isn’t going to turn America into a socialdential election, we Americans are long overdue for ist state, and Trump isn’t going to make us into a fasa reconsideration of how we debate politics. cist dictatorship. That’s the brilliance of the system My political beliefs aren’t important, but in the the Constitution’s Framers installed 230 years ago. interest of transparency, here’s where I stand: I’m Even if the two candidates were the power-hungry not tied to any party. I don’t think I’ve ever voted for extremists being portrayed, they couldn’t do the a Democratic presidential candidate, but I’ve voted horrible things Stalin did in Russia or Hitler did in for many Democrats for other offices and have voted Germany — nations that had no tradition of reprein more Democratic than Republican primaries. sentative democracy or individual rights. Having worked for Washington-area newspaThe rhetoric of the two main-party candidates is pers throughout Bill Clinton’s presidency, I know far going to be ugly as they try to convince us that electtoo much about Hillary Clinton to vote for her. But ing the other person would be a catastrophe. Don’t I don’t trust a volatile political unknown like Trump believe them. This is just politics, and in four years with presidential power, so I can’t vote for him. we’ll try again to find the best person to lead us. My suspicion — and this is coming from the People who disagree with you aren’t evil, no expert analyst who predicted in February that matter how heated the politics. They don’t need to Marco Rubio would be our next president — is that be insulted or shunned or boycotted. We accept that this election won’t prove to be of earth-shattering truth among our friends. It’s time to extend the same importance. It feels like 1988 all over again: After assumptions of intelligence and good intentions to an eight-year presidency that shifted the political fellow Americans we don’t know. ■

AJT

JUNE 24 â&#x2013;ª 2016

AJT

JUNE 24 â&#x2013;ª 2016

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OPINION

‘You Can’t Escape Your Judaism’ A week after exiting the social media platform, Weisman added: “Life without Twitter is just fine. I find myself reading far deeper into stories.” Twitter eventually suspended the accounts of several offenders, and Google Chrome removed an app that

From Where I Sit By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com

aided the tracking of Jewish names. Meanwhile, numerous Jews (and nonJewish supporters) on Twitter placed parentheses around their names as a sign of defiance. Weisman’s parents, retired Dr. Evan and psychologist Nancy Weisman, his twin sister, Dr. Jamie Weisman, and his brother, Mark Weisman, all live in the Atlanta area. “My parents moved to Atlanta in 1967, when I was 2. They joined The Temple because of Rabbi (Jacob) Rothschild and his role in the civil rights movement. Even after they

moved to the suburbs (Sandy Springs), we schlepped to The Temple, while most of our Jewish neighbors went to Temple Sinai. My parents were committed,” said Weisman, whose bar mitzvah ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Rothschild’s successor, Rabbi Alvin Sugarman, now the emeritus rabbi. “There was a very large and vibrant Jewish community then, as there is now. I’d say what anti-Semitism I encountered was casual and somewhat apologetic. People would talk of Jewing down a price without thinking, but I also remember a friend apologizing because his mother had said I was a Jew. I assured him I am and am not offended,” Weisman said. “Racism and anti-homosexual sentiments were far more prevalent and dangerous. I never felt unwelcome in Atlanta. Frankly, as a child in Atlanta, I regarded Catholics as far more exotic than Jews. And back then, far more than now, the alliance between African-American and Jewish leaders was strong, public and proud. The Temple’s partnership with Ebenezer Baptist Church was a point of pride for

the congregation and for me personally.” Weismann graduated in 1983 from Riverwood High School and in 1988 from Northwestern University, where he studied African history and journalism. After college, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea Bissau and the Philippines. He joined The New York Times in early 2012 from the The Wall Street Journal. His first novel, “No. 4 Imperial Lane,” was published last year. The 50-year-old Weisman acknowledged the personal impact of the anti-Semitic abuse: “It so happens that my younger daughter is in the midst of bat mitzvah training, and my girlfriend’s daughter just was bat mitzvahed, so all of this has played out as I spend a lot of time doing Jewish things. By coincidence really, Judaism is more a part of my life now than it has been for a long time. But being tagged with triple parentheses on social media to denote my religion does make me realize the post-World War truism that you can’t escape your Judaism. The haters won’t let you.” ■

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

ou may have read that an editor at The New York Times quit using Twitter after anti-Semitic abuse by something called the “altright.” That was Atlanta native Jonathan Weisman, a deputy Washington editor of the Times. Weisman said his breaking point — a message calling him a “kike” and telling him to “prepare for the oven” — came after Twitter was shown numerous examples but took no action. “So I will be moving to Facebook, where at least people need to use their real names and can’t hide behind fakery to spread their hate,” he informed his 34,700 Twitter followers June 8. The alt-right considers mainstream conservatism soft on ethnic and religious minorities. Several Jewish journalists have been targeted by trolls who profess allegiance to Donald Trump and hide behind what they suppose are clever Twitter account names. On May 18, Weisman posted a Washington Post op-ed about Trump by Robert Kagan titled “So This Is How Fascism Comes to America.” Weisman described in the Times what followed: “Trump God Emperor sent me the Nazi iconography of the shiftless, hooknosed Jew. I was served an image of the gates of Auschwitz, the famous words ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ replaced without irony with ‘Machen Amerika Great.’ Holocaust taunts, like a path of dollar bills leading into an oven, were followed by Holocaust denial. The Jew as leftist puppet master from @DonaldTrumpLA was joined by the Jew as conservative fifth columnist, orchestrating war for Israel. That one came from someone who tagged himself a proud future member of the Trump Deportation Squad.” Weisman asked about their use of triple parentheses around Jewish names. Like putting a bell on a cat, one troll replied, to show how Jewish names (((echo))) through history. “I’ll leave @jonathanweisman as a shrine to hate and a research tool for anyone actually interested in this contemporary manifestation of antiSemitism, which is at once thoroughly modern (snide, patronizing, provocative) and ancient, with all the tropes that have bedeviled Jews for centuries,” Weisman said by email days before leaving Twitter.

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LOCAL NEWS

Women’s Fund Makes Leadership Top Priority By Paula Baroff

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

he Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta will emphasize and promote young women’s leadership development in the coming year, Executive Director Rachel Wasserman says. The organization recently announced grants to 16 organizations that further the fund’s mission of expanding opportunities to women. The focus on women’s leadership has grown this year and is expected to be a top priority for the fund in the future, Wasserman said. “Young women’s leadership development is a growing conversation and is something we talk about more and more in making sure we’re building the pipeline for Jewish leaders in the Jewish and general communities and empowering young women to use their voices,” she said. The Jewish Women’s Fund doesn’t have a quota for specific grantee types but has placed leadership higher on the list of concerns the past year. One grant Wasserman is particularly excited about is to New Yorkbased jGirls Magazine. “It’s a startup organization. It’s brand new,” she said. “All of the content will be written by Jewish girls and directed to Jewish teenage girls. It will be empowering both in the process and in the content.” The online magazine will be able to reach girls nationally and internationally. The editorial board of teenage girls will receive ongoing mentoring. The Jewish Women’s Fund is giving money to Israeli organization WePower for a project called Women for Future Leadership. “They specifically work with local female leaders that are already in city council or local government or are interested in entering government,” Wasserman said. The project will provide

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Trustees of the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta discuss this year’s grant proposals.

those women with concrete skills and mentoring to help them gain more say in politics and seats in government. “It’s very specific to get more women in politics in Israel. It’s taking immense strides in increasing these numbers.” The fund, a philanthropic partner of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, has always granted money to overseas organizations, but this is the first year it is supporting programs in the United States that aren’t specifically centered in Atlanta. The fund also is bringing national programs to Atlanta. The Organization for the Resolution of Agunot is coming to Atlanta to run seminars about get (religious divorce) refusal and domestic abuse. Jewish Women International is continuing to run programs on college campuses. JWI has worked with student leaders at the University of Georgia on dating abuse and sexual assault and was just awarded a grant to bring the same program to Emory University. “Part of the program is allowing student leaders to take charge, so when JWI leaves, the work continues. It’s really a grant that keeps on giving,” Wasserman said. “This is a program we feel incredibly passionate about, and JWI does an amazing job.” The Jewish Women’s Fund is look-

ing beyond making grants. “We are just now sitting down to plan our programming for the year again and looking at the next three years,” Wasserman said. “I anticipate that we will run some communitywide programs that are not just for our trustees around the issue of young women’s leadership.” The fund also is lowering the financial threshold for younger women to become trustees. “We really wanted to make sure the barrier for entry into our fund was going to be accessible for younger women,” she said. “I hope that as more young female Jewish philanthropists join, we will have that much more of an emphasis on leadership. It’s something that should not only be important for the younger generation, but for older women as they have to worry about who will take over.” The amount of money awarded has increased with the fund’s membership, which has grown in the past year from more than 80 trustees to more than 100. The fund raised $40,000 more this year than last year. Each grantee got around $10,000. “Nothing describes us better than reading our grants and the issues they address and the ways they uniquely consider women and girls. They’re the ones doing the real work,” Wasserman

said. “We’re so excited about the work that’s going to be done.” The fund announced the grants in four impact areas. In the impact area of leadership development: • ALMA Pre-Army Academy for Women, Jewish Agency for Israel. • JGirls Magazine. • Women Activists for Social Rights, Makkom. • Women for Future Leadership, WePower. • Leadership development curriculum, Yeshivat Maharat. In the impact area of economic justice: • Ehete Center, Achoti (in partnership with the New Israel Fund). • Securing Israel’s Future Through Employment, IT Works. • Latet Atid: To Give a Future, LatetIsraeli Humanitarian Aid. • Financial empowerment program for Haredi girls and young women, Mesila International. • Crossing the Street, Women’s Spirit. In the impact area of preventing violence against women: • Legal education and outreach for civil action against get refusal, Center for Women’s Justice. • Changing the Culture: Emory University, Jewish Women International. • Agunah prevention initiative in Atlanta, Organization for the Resolution of Agunot. • Respect My Red/iClub, Weber School. In the impact area of educational advancement: • Project Talya, Society for Advancement of Education. • Temima FOCUS (Finding Occupations, Careers, Universities, Success), Temima, the Richard and Jean Katz High School for Girls. ■

AJT

JUNE 24 â&#x2013;ª 2016

LOCAL NEWS

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Best of Jewish Atlanta

870 Readers Pick Their Favorites

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

e didn’t know what to expect when we rolled out this year’s Best of Jewish Atlanta reader survey. While it’s not an original idea, it’s not something the Atlanta Jewish Times has done recently, and we struggled not only to select nominees, but also to pick the categories. What we presented in late May in print and online was essentially a beta test — we knew we had a flawed product, but we decided the best way to work out the bugs would be to let our readers try out the survey and give us feedback. We took away two strong messages. First, with more than 870 ballots cast and with genuine excitement from some of the winners, it’s safe to say that plenty of our readers had fun with the survey, as we intended. So we’ll do it again next year, albeit with some tweaks. For example, next time we’ll call it Jewish Atlanta Favorites to reflect that we’re not making any claim that the winners are better at what they do than any of the other nominees. Second, the leaders of the four biggest Jewish day schools really hated being pitted against one another in a popularity contest, as you can see in their letter on Page 17. We’ll reconsider whether to keep day schools as a category next year, when we’ll likely drop a few categories and add several others. We welcome any comments and ideas about categories; just email Editor Michael Jacobs at mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com. Because this was a highly unscientific survey conducted mainly for fun, we’re publishing only the winners, not the full results. But we can say that the most competitive categories — 10 or fewer votes separating first from second or even third — were the coffee shops, the kosher caterers, the local and regional affiliates of national Jewish nonprofit groups, the Jewish-owned nonkosher restaurants, the public high schools and the non-Jewish private schools. The most popular category was the best musician or band, for which more than 630 of you cast ballots. As far as overall vote-getters, two nominees stood out: kosher restaurant winner 16 FuegoMundo with 232 and the Atlanta

AJT

Jewish Film Festival with 229. Sammy Rosenbaum (musician or band) and Goldbergs (bagel) were the only other winners to top 200 votes. Remember, nothing about this survey is objective, and the fact that your fellow Jewish Atlantans didn’t vote for your choice in a particular category doesn’t mean that your preference isn’t best for you. It’s just a little friendly competition.

Bagel

Goldbergs

“Thank you to all of our loyal customers for making Goldbergs their choice as Atlanta’s best bagel restaurant,” said Gigi Dancourt, the company’s marketing manager. “Congratulations to all of our Goldbergs team for a job well done. Being the oldest and the best deli in Atlanta reiterates our pursuit of providing nothing less than the best products and service to our customers, resulting in 100 percent total customer satisfaction. For over 44 years this has been and continues to be our promise to you.”

Kosher Grocery

Toco Hills Kroger

“Kroger is honored to be recognized as the destination for kosher grocery shopping by the Atlanta Jewish Times subscribers,” said Glynn Jenkins, the public relations director for Kroger’s Atlanta Division. “It is important that our stores reflect the diversity of our customers, associates and community, and we strive to bring a high level of quality, variety and expertise to our kosher customers. Whether it’s our kosher meats cut to order, fresh baked goods, deli meats, or our full variety of dry, frozen and dairy goods, we want to provide the greatest shopping experience for our customers.”

Ali’s Cookies

Co-owner Jeff Rosengarten said: “We already knew that, but we are very proud. For the last eight years we have worked very hard to provide the best product we can to our customers, both Jewish and non-Jewish.”

Holly Firfer is happy about her first big award since her seventh-grade bowling league.

FuegoMundo

Co-owner Masha Hleap-Hershkovitz said: “Thank you … for this honor. We work hard and put a lot of love into our gourmet Latin cuisine, customer service and environment, and this recognition from the Jewish Times is much appreciated. We enjoy serving a diverse clientele, kosher, Jewish and non-Jewish customers, and especially love our repeat customers and ‘FuegoMundo Fanaticos.’ As I like to say in Spanish, ‘FuegoMundo es para todo el Mundo.’ ”

Jenny Levison has moved her flagship Souper Jenny location into the Atlanta History Center.

Jewish-Owned Nonkosher Restaurant

Souper Jenny

Media Personality

Holly Firfer

“Wow! I am so honored. Thank you,” the CNN correspondent said. “The last thing I won was most improved in my seventh-grade bowling league. … Seriously, as a proud member of the Atlanta Jewish community, I am honored to be a part of such a terrific group of Jewish media personalities. Thanks to my friends and family who voted for me, for those who even know who I am, and for those who checked the box because I have such a weird last name. You all have made my year. By the way, does this come with a lifetime supply of gefilte fish?”

Judge

Wendy Shoob

speechless, and I appreciate the Jewish community’s vote, especially now as I’m retiring.” Attorney General Sam Olens (right), shown with Rabbi Paul Kerbel on a trip to Israel, is the highest-ranked Jewish official ever elected statewide in Georgia.

Elected Official (current)

Sam Olens

“Thank you,” the Georgia attorney general said. “It is my great honor to serve our state.”

Kosher Treats

Kosher Restaurant

Superior Court Judge Wendy Shoob won’t be defending her title as best judge next year because she’s retiring from the bench.

“It’s a real honor,” the Fulton County Superior Court judge said. “I’m

Elected Official (former)

Liane Levetan

“I’m very flattered,” the former DeKalb County CEO said. “There are so many good people. … I’m still pretty involved.”

Sports Owner/Exec/Coach

Arthur Blank

“We are committed to our fans and this city, so we’re always striving to build competitive teams people can be proud of, on and off the field,” the Falcons owner said. “I’m always pleased when our organization is recognized because I see it as a reflection of our commitment to the fans and to core values like giving back and leading by example, as well as the great work of our associates.”

Festival

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

“AJFF is proud to be recognized as among the Best of Jewish Atlanta and honored to be the winner of this category,” festival communications manager Leah Sitkoff said. “We look forward to continuing to serve and engage with the community in bringing outstanding cultural programming to diverse audiences throughout the year.”

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LOCAL NEWS

Sammy Rosenbaum

“Being voted Best of Jewish Atlanta is a wonderful honor,” Rosenbaum said. “I am grateful for all of the love and support from the community and look forward to many more awesome musical moments together.”

Kosher Caterer

Added Touch/Kosher Touch

“I think it is such an honor, honestly,” owner Sandra Bank said. “I’m not a trained chef; this is my passion. I’m an elementary school teacher by profession, and I love what I Sandra Bank owns Added Touch Catering do, and I get the opportunity to do and its Kosher Touch subsidiary. it every day. It just goes to show that if you work hard, if you believe in what you do, if you follow your dream, your dreams will come true. … I’m sort of in awe. I’ve always tried to remain under the radar a little bit. … Creating and doing events is my passion, and I love it. I don’t take that stuff lightly. It’s a real honor, and I feel very blessed.”

Simcha Venue

Georgia Aquarium

“Georgia Aquarium is honored to be voted best simcha venue by Atlanta Jewish Times readers,” said Will Ramsey, the vice president of sales. “Georgia Aquarium’s The Georgia Aquarium’s s p a c i o u s Oceans BallOceans Ballroom provides a place in room proAtlanta for simchas with vides breathviews of ocean life. taking views of various aquatic life, while Wolfgang Puck Catering maintains a full-service on-site catering operation, including a kosher kitchen. As one of the city’s most unique event venues, we are proud to host guests at several types of special events throughout the year, including corporate gatherings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and weddings, and our staff is dedicated to making each event an enjoyable and memorable experience.”

Coffee Shop

Crema

“I think it’s symbolizing and representing something because this week

we’re celebrating three years, and this is our best birthday gift ever,” owner Yossi Ben-Haim said. “To get recognition from our supporters after three years — winning best coffee shop in Atlanta — is the best birthday gift. We’d like to thank you so much, and we will love to keep serving our customers every day.”

Local/Regional Affiliate of National Nonprofit

AIPAC

Public High School

Riverwood International Charter School

“All of us at Riverwood are working hard to provide our students with the best opportunities. This is a big deal and an honor to us,” Principal Robert Shaw said.

Non-Jewish Private School

Local Nonprofit

Marcus JCC

“We were thrilled that the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) was named best local nonprofit and the MJCCA’s Camp Barney Medintz was named best sleepaway camp in the AJT’s Best of Jewish Atlanta poll,” Marcus Jewish Community Center CEO Jared Powers said. “For several generations now, our agency has provided life-enhancing programming to more than 55,000 people every year in our community. Today, the MJCCA strives to create spaces (Zaban Park and Camp Barney Medintz) that foster growth, encourage people of all ages to try new things, and build lifelong friendships, all in a welcoming and inclusive environment that celebrates Jewish values, traditions and culture. We take great pride in turning everyday minutes into Jewish moments that are remembered for a lifetime, and I speak for all of us who love the MJCCA when I say thank you for this recognition.”

Sleepaway Camp

Camp Barney Medintz The Marcus JCC’s Camp Barney Medintz provides an inclusive environment each summer in the North Georgia mountains.

Neighborhood

Sandy Springs

Jewish population. It’s our diversity and, importantly, our community’s acceptance and support of those unique backgrounds that help create the warm environment which lures many to make Sandy Springs home.”

“The win as best neighborhood comes as no surprise for those who live in Sandy Springs. It’s an obvious choice,” Mayor Rusty Paul said. “Our community is a culturally diverse collection of people with a substantial

Woodward Academy

“We are very proud to be voted best non-Jewish private high school

by the readers of the Atlanta Jewish Times,” Woodward President F. Stuart Gulley said. “Woodward Academy has longstanding ties to the Jewish community, and this recognition reflects those relationships. At Woodward we live our commitment to a deep respect for difference — to being a place where Jewish students and students of other faiths are welcomed and honored. Our students bring an amazingly rich variety of cultural backgrounds and experiences to our campus, creating a diverse, dynamic learning environment from which they can embark on their lives with true perspective — embracing others’ and their own views of the world.”

Jewish Day School

Epstein School

It’s Wrong to Make Day Schools Compete

s active community members and the current presidents of the boards of the Davis Academy, the Epstein School, Atlanta Jewish Academy and the Weber School, we feel compelled to respond to the “Best of Jewish Atlanta” survey by the Atlanta Jewish Times. While this survey has historically asked for feedback on subjects such as best bagel, restaurant and music, the addition of “best” Jewish day school and “best” nonprofit has taken this light and whimsical survey in a very different direction. The beauty of the Jewish community, and one of the strengths of the Atlanta Jewish community in particular, is the variety of different houses of learning, action, support and worship. Similar to selecting a synagogue, where a parent chooses to send a child to school is a very personal choice based on the individual needs of that child and the priorities of each family. Choosing the right school is one of the most important choices parents will make, and we are blessed to have many wonderful options in our community. We are diminishing the importance of education overall by suggesting that those who may love certain schools or who perhaps haven’t yet had the opportunity to explore our schools should participate in a popular vote or best-of competition among organizations dedicated to changing lives. This is very different from where one might stop to pick up a warm bagel.

You prefaced the survey by saying that this is unscientific and that there is no claim that the winners are actually the best. To that point, reporting results stating that one is the “best” or better over another is misleading and doesn’t paint a real picture for readers of the Jewish Times. Moreover, it comes at a terrible time — a time when the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is running its own survey to secure meaningful feedback from the Atlanta Jewish community (#IAmJewishATL) about the needs and future direction of our community. The Jewish Times plays a key role in our community and has always been dedicated to reporting on stories important to the Jewish community as a whole. We would be remiss if we didn’t share our desire to keep us focused on what is truly important. Come visit us and fill your pages with the incredible things happening in our communities. Publish these amazing stories, and leave the best-of schools and agencies portion of the survey on the proverbial cutting room floor. Communally, Darrin Friedrich, president, the Epstein School Debbie Kurzweil, president, the Davis Academy Ian Ratner, president, Atlanta Jewish Academy Tonia Sellers, president, the Web er School 17 JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

Musician or Band

AJT

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EDUCATION

Photos by Leslee Morris

A Torah Day School grad proudly displays his new status at Congregation Beth Jacob’s Heritage Hall.

Three of the 23 boys in the TDSA Class of 2016 celebrate after their graduation.

Three of the eight girls in the TDSA Class of 2016 are all smiles after the ceremony.

Fond Farewells for 31 TDSA Grads, Others

heers rose and tears fell from an overflow crowd celebrating the graduation of the Torah Day School of Atlanta Class of 2016 at Congregation Beth Jacob’s Heritage Hall on Monday, June 6. The 31 graduates, who each received the Tanach as well as a diploma, heard Rabbi Joshua Einzig, the outgoing head of school, welcome the crowd and Mike Wien bring greetings from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. Beth Jacob Rabbi Ilan Feldman reminded the former eighth-graders

that they have the strength and foundation to meet the inevitable challenges ahead. Linda Rabinowitz, the general studies principal, lauded Lisa Stroll’s 19 years of teaching and administration and presented her a farewell gift, and she acknowledged Susan Krohn’s three decades of dedication to the students. Rabinowitz also noted all of Rabbi Einzig’s contributions and his willingness to share knowledge and expertise. Six graduates shared perspectives on their experiences at the school, and

a memories slide show created by Tali Afrah and Yoeli Minkowicz showcased all the graduates. Rabbi Einzig named Eli Golding and Aaron Gerchikov the recipients of the Keter Shem Tov Award from the Torah Communications Network. Rabbi Einzig reminded the students that their teachers believe in them and have confidence that they will develop in their own ways with their own strengths. The 2016 graduates are Moshe Adler, Shraga Alterman, Yosef Asa,

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EDUCATION

Kogon: ALEF Fund Crucial Tool By Paula Baroff

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

eople who want to support Jewish day schools shouldn’t let a state cap on an income tax program deter their participation, former Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Chairman Marty Kogon says. Kogon was the first chairman of the ALEF Fund, a nonprofit student support organization that enables Georgians to designate state income taxes to help Jewish day schools and preschools provide scholarships. The ALEF Fund is not a charity, Kogon emphasized while speaking at the monthly meeting of the Jewish Breakfast Club on Wednesday, June 15, but a way for people to choose where their tax dollars go. An individual or corporation can designate ALEF Fund contributions for a specific school. “Eighty or 90 percent of students have their grandparents helping pay for school in one way or another,” Kogon said, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, which created the ALEF Fund, is trying to bring down the cost for families. Although the technicalities of the state program behind the ALEF Fund are complex, the process is simple. “You’re going to spend it anyway,” Kogon said of state taxes. All you have to do is submit an application to direct a certain amount of the taxes through the ALEF Fund to your chosen school. Since the fund was started in 2008, the amount of money designated to Jewish schools has increased steadily, but so has the money designated to similar funds for other private schools. Georgia has capped the amount of tax money that may go to student support organizations for private schools at $58 million. This year and last year, the state received applications totaling far more than that amount on the program’s first day. The state approved only the applications received that first day — and only a prorated portion of each requested contribution so that the $58 million stretched across all the applicants. Still, Kogon urged everyone to designate tax money to the ALEF Fund. The more money the fund raises in applications, the higher the percentage of the $58 million will be allotted to Jewish schools. ■

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SPORTS

David Weidenbaum (kneeling in red) and his team are the regular season champions.

JCC Softball Wraps Up

he Marcus Jewish Community Center’s modified fast-pitch softball league finished the spring season Sunday, June 19, with the championship and all-star games at Honeysuckle Park in Doraville. In the tournament finals, captain Jody Blanke’s squad beat David Weidenbaum’s team, 8-5. Three days earlier on Thursday, Weidenbaum’s team won the regular season title over Gene Benator’s team, 9-6. The JCC men’s modified fast-pitch league plays in the fall and spring. The fall season starts in late August. ■

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SPORTS

Atlanta Men’s Synagogue Softball League – Week 3 June 19 Results: Beth Tefillah 10, Temple 8 Young Israel 14, Beth Tikvah 4 Gesher L’Torah 9, Etz Chaim 4 Beth Jacob 23, Or Hadash 8 Beth Shalom 12, Sinai 2 12 Kol Emeth 8, Temple 2 7 Temple 2 23, B’nai Torah 2 10 DTEC 9, Beth Tikvah 2 8 League games continue Sunday, June 26, at East Roswell and Ocee parks.

AMSSL Standings — Week 3 Wins

Losses

Beth Tefillah

Dor Tamid

B’nai Torah

Temple

Sinai

Or Veshalom

Ahavath Achim

Ariel

B Division

3 Wins

Losses

Chabad

Or Hadash

Gesher L’Torah

Beth Tikvah

Young Israel

Etz Chaim

Beth Jacob

Emanu-El

C Division

3 Wins

Losses

Beth Shalom *

Kol Emeth

Dor Tamid/ Etz Chaim 2

Beth Tikvah 2

Temple 2

Sinai 2 *

B’nai Torah 2

* Beth Shalom and Sinai 2 played to a 12-12 tie over the weekend.

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

A Division

AJT 21

HEALTH & WELLNESS

THE SONENSHINE TEAM

Beth Jacob Member Gives Kidney to Another

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AJT 22

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wo Atlanta families from Congregation Beth Jacob sat beside each other in a surgical waiting room Friday, May 13, praying while their loved ones underwent kidney surgeries — one to have an organ removed, the other to have it implanted. In a heart-stopping moment leading into the Shabbat of Parshat Kedoshim, the Torah portion delineating paths of holiness, the surgeon emerged from the operating room. “It’s producing,” he reported, and tears flowed. Jonathan Levin had suffered from kidney deterioration for almost nine years, typically the limit before the kidneys fail, he said 1½ weeks after his transplant surgery. When he caught pneumonia in December, he started on a regimen of dialysis to drain the excess fluid from his lungs. He knew that if a live donor couldn’t be found, he would need a cadaver transplant within four years. As successful as those are, live donors are optimal, their kidneys more viable. “Dialysis is like a death sentence,” said Rabbi Josh Sturm, the director of outreach at Renewal, a New York-based organization that helps match kidney recipients to donors. “A person’s quality of life on dialysis is severely compromised. Side effects like nausea and fatigue are common, and often patients are unable to work.” Levin reached out to friends and the community through Facebook, a Jewish email group in Atlanta and his high school alumni in the search for a kidney. At least one person stepped forward to be tested from his high school class, and numerous people from the community responded. “People who weren’t even close friends were willing to undergo surgery for me,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed and grateful to my donor, Jennifer Green. I can’t even express the tremendous appreciation I have for her. My gratitude also spreads to the many others in Atlanta and the Beth Jacob community who were willing to help me in my time of need. It’s humbling and overwhelming to see how people cared, even those who only had a casual relationship with me or none at all. They are an amazing group of people.” Before the surgery, Levin was concerned. “This is a major surgery with many complications. I had had a dif-

ficult experience from the peritoneal dialysis port, and my skin around the area was still sore, causing the doctor to spend an extra half-hour cleaning that area out. I was afraid that they would not proceed with the surgery.” Even though Levin was in good shape, his age, 70, was a concern. “Surgery is not kind the older you get,” he said. “My older brother also endured renal failure and a subsequent kidney transplant. In a remarkable twist of divine intervention, my brother’s stepson became his donor. Despite being aware of my older brother’s transplant recovery, however, I did not know whether mine would be smooth or difficult or how much stress this might give my family.” With his healthy kidney, Levin can enjoy foods he had missed for a long time, such as avocados and potatoes. He also was thrilled to have the energy to walk to the end of his block and back within weeks of the surgery. “The recovery process has been straightforward,” he said, “with far less pain and a lot more energy than I expected. The hand of Hashem has been so clear throughout my journey. That this surgery is possible is nothing short of a miracle. The kidney has functioned miraculously to clean out the poisons from my body. Hashem has helped me every step of the way, answering each of my concerns with positivity.” He had to delay his return to services at Congregation Beth Jacob because of concerns about being in crowds, but “my optimism and resilience have lifted a big burden off of my family’s shoulders. Instead of worrying about my prognosis, my focus has turned to the extraordinary woman who saved my life.” Green called herself an “ordinary woman.” Primarily a devoted wife and mother, she owns and manages a boutique providing wigs for women and children who have disease-related hair loss. She also is a sought-after wig stylist, an avid runner and a baker. When she saw Levin’s request for a donor, she decided to get tested. The call soon came from the Piedmont Hospital transplant center: “You are next in line to be tested for Jonathan Levin. Do you want to proceed?” After consulting with a rabbi, Green agreed to go through more extensive testing, though she was unfamiliar with the process and was not ready to commit to a donation.

Green did not always think about the risks but had her moments, especially in the transplant center. “I never experienced any surgical procedure other than the removal of my wisdom teeth. Surgery, pain and general anesthesia were daunting prospects. And since I had lived my whole life with two kidneys, Congregation Beth Jacob members Jonathan Levin and Jennifer Green I never thought now are connected by the kidney she donated to him. too much about it. Now I found myself hopeful and “Life is short, and I pondered the mean I would have to scale back on prayerful that one kidney would susincredible opportunity coming my what I was doing before?” She said Renewal served as a sup- tain me.” way. This was a chance to do something One comment she heard had an meaningful, a unique opportunity. But port system while she learned more it was a process,” she said. “I needed to and weighed her options. “They hooked impact: “Hashem gave us two kidneys, make sure this decision would work me up with other donors so I could one to keep and one to give away.” She was told she would have to for me and my family and wanted to hear their stories and stayed at my side examine it from every angle. One ma- the entire time, up to and including my avoid ibuprofen and anti-inflammajor question was whether I would have hospital stay. They were a tremendous tory medications, which were her goany limitations, even though I was told source of support and encouragement, to over-the-counter remedies when I would be back to myself after the re- even flying someone down to be with needed, but other donors reassured her that other medications were effective covery period. Did having one kidney me during my surgery.”

www.atlantajewishtimes.com replacements. “The more I learned, the more it became solidified for me that this was a choice I wanted to make.” Leaning forward, Green added: “This whole journey has helped me grow in my relationship to Hashem. When you start looking, you see a lot.” As part of her preparation for the donation, Green had a medical checkup, and her doctor found something that required further examination. A stressful month of medical testing ensued, putting the transplant on hold. “This was frightening and disappointing,” she said. “I had to keep reminding myself that Hashem is in charge, there must be a reason, and the inevitable outcome would ultimately be good.” When she got medical clearance to proceed, she was more determined than ever to donate a kidney. A week before the surgery, Levin was told the identity of his donor, and he and his wife called Green to express heartfelt thanks and wish her luck. “You might wake up from surgery with an uncontrollable desire to run,” she joked. Jonathan laughed, but didn’t foresee that happening. Green wanted to be sure her hair

Continued on the next page

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

HEALTH & WELLNESS

AJT 23

HEALTH & WELLNESS stayed covered during the operation. Right before the surgery, a nurse appeared who said she was raised an Orthodox Jew and would make sure Green stayed covered. “That was the first and last time I saw that nurse,” Green said. “Talk about the hand of Hashem.” When she woke up from the surgery, she couldn’t wait to hear how things had gone for Levin. “You have a beautiful kidney,” the surgeon told her.

Beth Jacob Rabbi Ilan Feldman of addressed the community on that momentous Shabbat of Parshat Kedoshim, Atlanta’s Shabbos of renewal. “That’s how to do the mitzvah of veahavta lereiyacha komocha,” or loving your friend like yourself, he said, his voice choked with emotion. “Having such an event, with donor and recipient in the same congregation, helped us realize how deeply connected we are to each other and how far we would go for each other.” ■

Renewal Meets Need For Kidney Connections By Rachel Stein

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

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idney donor Jennifer Green and recipient Jonathan Levin marvel at the services of Renewal, the New York-based support organization for kidney transplants. The organization was born 12 years ago as the result of a relatively ordinary episode. Inside a waiting room, Mendy Reiner met a middle-aged man with bloodshot eyes who looked drunk. “I lost my job,” the man said, prompting Reiner to reach into his pocket and hand him $40. “No, young man, I don’t need your money,” the man said, shaking his head. “I need a kidney.” Reiner placed ads with his phone number in several newspapers: “Father of five, blood type O, in need of kidney.” Twenty to 30 people called to say they were willing to donate a kidney or to inquire about blood types, while others called to ask for help getting a kidney for themselves or a loved one. The idea took root, and Reiner was on a mission. He visited organizations, sharing his vision of helping people find kidney donors through the media. “You’re crazy,” Reiner heard time after time. “No one will donate a kidney because of an ad in the paper.” Reiner approached Sendy Orenstein, who also said the plan would never work. But Orenstein agreed to try it and sent Reiner to Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, now the director at Renewal. The rabbi paved the way for Renewal to work with transplant centers. Orenstein now is the group’s president. “If we do one transplant, our investment will have paid off,” Reiner said. “Two will be a grand slam. Fastforward — Renewal did 64 transplants in 2015. Our organization is responsible for 25 percent of all altruistic kidney transplants in the United States.” Altruistic transplants are those in

which a living donor is not giving to a close friend or family member. Renewal helps recipients encourage their friends and neighbors, engendering a sense of community and unity. “Guilt and pressure are never employed,” Rabbi Sturm said. “Kidney donation is not for everyone. Donors need family support, health clearance, and can’t do it on a whim. It has to be a well-thought-out decision. Our goal is to simply create awareness.” “We recently transplanted a 76-year-old professor who advertised on Facebook,” Reiner said. “The donor was a doctor who had bought a commodity that the professor invented; they already had a connection.” Renewal has facilitated transplants into children as young as 2, and the oldest recipient is 82. “Each case is unique,” Rabbi Sturm said. “Usually patients come to us at the end stage of renal failure, and we come up with a strategy to help them find a donor. It is awesome to be able to interact with regular people on a regular basis doing something extraordinary. When I see families vying for the privilege of helping their loved one, it is beautiful.” A 16-year-old girl told Rabbi Sturm that her father has always been her teacher. “But when I saw him donate a kidney,” she said, “it made all the difference in the world.” The rabbi said donors just see the world differently. An ad for a mother of three who needed a kidney inspired wide sympathy for the woman, but the eventual donor focused on the three children who needed their mother. “When I speak to donors about their motivation,” Rabbi Sturm said, “I am continually awed anew. Time after time I’ve waited to hear earth-shattering revelations. But the simplicity is profound: ‘Someone needed it. I had it, so I did it.’ ” ■

BUSINESS

SAGE Therapists Build Speech Skills With Fun By Logan C. Ritchie

AJT: How does a parent know her child needs help? Schapiro: There are so many areas to watch from speech and language — which includes content, vocabulary, syntax and more — and social pragmatic skills. At each age there is a different expectation. Eighteen months is a good age to get an opinion for whether or not to get services. Pediatricians can do the first check, but if you feel like something is off, push for more screening. AJT: Can you be more specific? If I’m the first-time mom of an 18-monthold, what am I looking for? Schapiro: At 18 months your child should be saying anywhere from 10 to 50 words, like ball, jump and up. By age 2 it jumps to hundreds of words. Not just nouns and objects, but also special concepts like “on top” and two-word phrases like “Mommy up,” “my turn” and “Daddy’s socks.” Now they combine words into phrases. AJT: If the language isn’t progressing? Schapiro: A pediatrician will pass on a referral for speech pathology. I call the parents, walk them through concerns, give a little advice and find out their thoughts. My company travels to homes and schools. When a therapist comes to your house, we show parents or other caregivers how to play therapeutically, so days between appointments they can be making progress. Everyone is on board with goals. AJT: How do the appointments go?

Saren Schapiro, who has degrees from the University of Texas and McGill University, is a certified speech language pathologist.

Schapiro: We ask kids a lot of questions. We are testing, not teaching. We start playing therapeutically. AJT: What can I do to further my child’s language? Schapiro: Parents can help, too. At the grocery, talk about fruits and vegetables. Talk about colors and shapes. Describe and narrate the day. That’s how you teach and build language. It gives meaningful context. Talk about body parts, clothing, shapes, action words — there are so many opportunities to build in language. If you are taking time to ask questions, you’re missing an opportunity to build language. Questions put children on the spot. Explanations give information and language. AJT: Other than at a pediatrician’s recommendation, how can families reach you? Schapiro: We host play-and-learn playgroups at Purple Hippo Art Studio on the MJCCA campus throughout the year. Professionals come in to play with kids and work with parents on speech development and occupational therapy. AJT: Is there a stigma for the older kids? Schapiro: The therapists work through play and games. This is not about sitting and doing work; it’s about moving the body and making it fun. We visit kids at camp during the summer so they’re not exhausted when it comes time for therapy. During the school year, it’s kind of the norm for kids to be pulled out of the class for something. We see other kids asking to go. ■

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

ith a team of traveling professionals, Saren Schapiro runs a multidisciplinary private practice to address the needs of children from Roswell to Grant Park. SAGE Speech and Learning Associates aids children as young as 18 months with issues ranging from speech development to sensory processing to autism spectrum diagnoses. The team includes therapists of all ages; some have worked together for 25 years. Schapiro, the mother of two young girls, grew up in Dunwoody with South African immigrant parents. She explains her field and how parents can hone in on communication concerns.

AJT 25

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Global Collection Takes Southern Turn

ivvy Lipson strikes a balance between the aesthetic and practical. She draws from the region while assembling from the globe. At the end of the day, her space is alive in a warm, calm and light way. Here in a multilevel Sandy Springs townhouse is evidence that small details can make a big impact. Jaffe: What initially interested you in Georgia artists? Lipson: When we arrived in 1976, we realized that we had very talented neighbors and friends. Who better to support? Yvonne Randall (“Stepping Stone”) was a highly regarded painter and sculptor; John Soulliere’s home studio was a few doors down. He worked magic in batik. Batik is a “resist” process for making designs on fabric. The artist uses wax to prevent dye from penetrating the cloth, leaving blank areas in the dyed fabric. The process is repeated to create complex, multicolored designs. John was my neighbor, and we went shopping at his house. We organized a show of his work to support the Walker School. William Entrekin is the South’s Andrew Wyeth. … His paintings give me such happiness. … And finding Marietta’s Robert Meredith’s trompe l’oeil work was pure delight. His pieces are full of wit and whimsy. The “Raggedy Ann and Andy” is total Americana, and it is fun to look at and play with as it moves. I met Meredith in conjunction with fundraisers for the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art.

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

Jaffe: Did you use an interior designer? Lipson: I worked with Michael and Patti Corcoran from the onset. … They knew me well, and it was a good partnership. Michael drew the townhouse from its earliest stage — from the ground up — moving the rooms around to give me morning light at breakfast. Patti helped me incorporate old pieces I loved to update and renew. I never saw myself as collecting, but I made purchases when I saw things that attracted me. After downsizing in 2009, I culled through my possessions, and luckily my children — both married with young families — were moving into houses, so collectibles and furniture found new homes. One of my requests when Michael was designing the townhouse was to give 26 me as much wall space as possible,

AJT

and it happily happened. Jaffe: What’s the most unusual piece you have? Any sentimental family art? Lipson: My mother brought this primitive folk art painting back from China in the ’80s. I like the watermelon theme. I think of watermelons as so Southern, and yet they are ubiquitous in China. My mom had a good eye and

Chai-Style Homes By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com

found my Peter Max “Moon Landing 1969” print in San Francisco. I learned he was Jewish, born in Berlin, moved to Shanghai in 1937, Israel in 1948, later Paris and then New York. My parents were of modest means, and our house was filled with prints including these two Diego Riveras. My mom proffered good advice. She said: “To admire sculpture, circle 360 degrees. Oftentimes the back has the best view.” That speaks to Yvonne’s pieces. Jaffe: Your late husband Robbie’s photography is so vivid; it mimics paintings. Lipson: Robbie’s cameras came with us when we traveled with more lens cases and camera bags than luggage. During our trips to southern Africa, the Ukraine, and, closer to home, the Dale Chihulys at Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Gardens or the butterflies at Callaway Gardens, Robbie was always on a quest for the perfect image. His photographs are a vivid reminder to me of those times. He was CEO of WellStar, and his works are on permanent display at Kennesaw State University and Kennestone and Cobb General hospitals. Jaffe: How do you use your kitchen and dining room to entertain? Lipson: The lacquered grasscloth table is very functional. … I am fortunate to have my children and grands close by, and the nine of us can all be together. I like contemporary neutral furniture. The kitchen has a light, fresh walnut look with minimal cabinetry. I added some personal touches, like locating the microwave below counter level and adding a walkin pantry.

B Jaffe: Your screened-in porch is comfortable this time of year. Lipson: Moving from our family home adjacent to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was emotional. My favorite part of our Marietta home was the screened-in porch. I really missed having a space that brought the outside in. I jumped through hoops to get the addition approved. This past Thanksgiving was balmy, so we enjoyed dinner for 19 in the screened porch with twinkle lights on the ceiling illuminating our table. Jaffe: You work as a travel adviser — what are some of your favorite haunts? Lipson: The exoticism of India, the wildness of southern Africa, or leave me in the art museums of Vienna. … I keep up with special art exhibitions that are taking place when

C my clients are in a particular destination. The weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal is really helpful, suggesting the bouquet show at the Dallas Museum of Art or the Van Goghs in Amsterdam. Before the huge Matisse show last year at MOMA, it was in London’s Tate Modern with no crowds. If I have learned one thing over the years, it’s that there is something special to discover wherever you go. … Just outside Hartford, Conn., the Hill-Stead Museum has matching Monet “Grain Stacks” that have never been seen outside of this once private home. Jaffe: If you could wake up tomorrow with one new piece, what would it be? Lipson: I want to find a passionate, colorful Frida Kahlo print so she is reunited with Diego! ■

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G Photos by Duane Stork A: Robbie Lipson, Livvy’s late husband, took this photograph during a trip to South Africa in 2005. B: The kitchen has such custom features as low appliances and minimal cabinets for open space and wide views. C: This photograph of Audrey Hepburn in her classic little black dress graces the master bathroom. D: Livvy Lipson’s neighbor John Soulliere created this intricate batik work, which is 4 feet wide by 3 feet high. E: Livvy Lipson’s collection includes an Yvonne Randall sculpture in front of a vibrant cityscape from a Savannah gallery. F: The grandchildren’s playroom is highlighted by Robert Meredith’s whimsical American trompe l’oeil “Raggedy Ann and Andy.” G: Architect Michael Corcoran created dramatic interior touches like this reverse soffit. H: Georgia artist William Entrekin’s watercolors line the wall by the child-proof dining table of lacquered grass cloth amid lighting by Yaakov Golan. I: Livvy Lipson’s mother brought this primitive folk painting back from China around 1980. Lipson loves the watermelon theme because of its connection to the South. J: One of Livvy Lipson’s first acquisitions is “Bastille Day Plage de Deauville” by Michel Kouliche.

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ARTS

A later costume in “The Wizard of Oz” is the favorite ever for Sarah Lasko, who stars as Dorothy.

Off to See ‘Wizard’

Jewish Dorothy and Cowardly Lion lead Fox Theatre’s journey through Oz By Gabrielle Cohen

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

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he national tour of the revamped musical “The Wizard of Oz” stops at Midtown’s Fox Theatre through Sunday, June 26, with Jewish actors in two of the most prominent roles. Washington, D.C., native Sarah Lasko stars as Dorothy, and Aaron Fried, who hails from Toms River, N.J., is taking on the role of the Cowardly Lion. It’s Fried’s fourth national tour and Lasko’s first. Both actors had strong Jewish upbringings. Lasko said her family was and is active in the Jewish community in the Washington area. Her mother is a preschool teacher at the Jewish Community Center, where Lasko herself worked for a time. Because of her grandmother’s enthusiasm for the holidays, she has strong memories of celebrating Passover and Chanukah with her family, which became an important part of her childhood. Many of the themes in “The Wizard of Oz” relate to Judaism, Lasko said. “It’s such a Jewish story line to me because what Dorothy cares about most is her family and her community, which is such a Jewish sentiment. The story of her going far away and going on a long journey over the rainbow and finding community there, but then realizing how important your roots are back home, is an inherently Jewish story line. It means something extraspecial to me because when I’m playing Dorothy onstage every night, the people I’m thinking of are my family and my heritage, so I think it ties in really beautifully.” Lasko does a lot to prepare for her time onstage. Though warming up is a standard thing to do, not many people must warm up with dogs.

She is sure to put on music that will get her in the mood to be dramatic for 2½ hours. This “Wizard of Oz,” which has new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber in addition to the classics from the Judy Garland film, contains Lasko’s favorite costume, she said. Though she doesn’t want to spoil it, she wants anyone who sees the show to pay attention to her dress during her time in Emerald City. Fried grew up close to his Conservative synagogue, Congregation B’nai Israel, in Toms River, the oldest of a large group of siblings and close cousins. He was active in USY and did USY on Wheels during high school. He continues to practice Judaism while touring. “I love to have a Passover seder if I’m touring during that time,” Fried said. “I make sure to light all the candles during Chanukah. I even have this cardboard menorah that I’m able to pack and bring on the road with me, so that’s fun and interesting.” Before going onstage, Fried likes to find a quiet place where he warms up and immerses himself in his character. His favorite costume also comes from “The Wizard of Oz”: “There are so many different parts to the costume, but in particular my tail is especially outrageous in this production.” He said he feels a special connection to the Cowardly Lion. “I grew up not being able to accept myself, so all of those feelings of how important selfacceptance is and the feelings that you need to be something that you aren’t rings especially true with me.” ■ What: “The Wizard of Oz” Where: Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Midtown When: One or two shows daily through Sunday, June 26 Tickets: $30 to $95; foxtheatre.org/ events/wizard-oz or 855-285-8499

OBITUARIES

Franklin Benamy 82, Atlanta

Franklin Michael Benamy, 82, loving husband, father, grandfather and greatgrandfather, died peacefully in his sleep Wednesday, June 15, 2016, after a long, courageous battle with liver cancer. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Joan Brener Benamy; children Paul and Beth Benamy, Brenda and Alan Lewis, and Dean and Kim Benamy; grandchildren Sari Benamy, Brittany and Andy Saag, Alison Lewis, and Heather and Joey Benamy; great-grandchildren Emmy and Bennett Saag; sister Elaine Turry; and a large extended family. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Funeral services were held Friday, June 17, at Temple Sinai; burial followed at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Donations may be made to Weinstein Hospice or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Barry W. Goren 65, Alpharetta

Barry W. Goren, 65, of Alpharetta passed away peacefully Wednesday, June 15, 2016, at his residence with his family by his side after a six-year, courageous battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was the beloved husband of over 38 years to Marlene Goren. Also surviving are his daughter, Jennifer Goren; granddaughters Arianna Harris and Keera Harris; mother Marion Goren; sister and brother-in-law Lisa and Sandy Gerber; and nephew Harrison Gerber. Graveside services were conducted Friday, June 17, with Rabbi Bradley G. Levenberg officiating. The family prefers that contributions be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 3715 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta, GA 30327, or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

66, Cumming

Norma Grosswald, 66, of Cumming died Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Survivors include her husband, Richard Grosswald; daughter and son-in-law Lisa and Erick Mertz, Portland, Ore.; son and daughter-in-law Josh and Leah Hendrick and stepdaughter Anne Marie Hendrick, Baltimore; sister and brother-inlaw Barbara and Tommy Dunn, Houston; grandchildren Levon and Elijah; and many nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her former husband, Alfred Rosen, of blessed memory. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner’s Discretionary Fund, Temple Beth Tikvah, www.templebethtikvah.com. A graveside service was held Friday, June 17, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Shuval-Weiner officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Marvin Edward Rothbloom 89, Atlanta

Marvin Edward Rothbloom, 89, of Atlanta passed away peacefully Thursday, June 16, 2016. He enjoyed a long career as an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration. Marvin is preceded in death by his loving wife of 53 years, Adelle, and his brother, Norman. He is survived by his three sons, Stephen, Howard and Richard, and his sister, Charlotte. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Congregation Shearith Israel. Graveside services were held Friday, June 17, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Melvin Sirner officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notices

Norman Schimelman of Alpharetta on June 16. Joan Renee Stein, 75, of Dunwoody, mother of Temple Kol Emeth member Jackie Bold, on June 17.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE MONTHLY MEETING OF

The Jewish Breakfast Club with featured speaker ATTORNEY GENERAL SAM OLENS

Wednesday, July 13th 7:30 am – 9 am

7:30 am Reception • 8:00 am Program

Being held at Greenberg Traurig 3333 Piedmont Rd NE #2500

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We require a reservation because the breakfast is catered and we need to be able to plan. Kosher dietary laws observed.

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Jewish Breakfast Club

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

Norma Grosswald

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CLOSING THOUGHTS OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING

Exposing the Wolf In Modern Society

dmit it: The wolf in the children’s story “Little Red Riding Hood” is a very successful magician. He could become a loving, responsible member of the animal kingdom residing in the forest neighborhood, or, when needed, his true, deceptive self could emerge right before his neighbors’ eyes, without them knowing it is happening. When I was young, I am certain I read and reread this story over and over again. It is a fascinating tale to be sure. A bad guy, a good guy and someone to be saved. The real lesson of the story never fully occurred to me until I was a mom. I would read this story to my girls, never once sharing with them the true lesson to learned, which was not so hidden within its pages. Watch out for the wolf dressed in a costume and made up to look human. Not even when tragedy struck our chavurah (group of friends) in the worst possible way. Not even then! I wanted my girls to feel safe and free; I did not want them to worry about wolves in costumes. Today, this children’s story scares the life force out of me. Do you have to ask why? Take a moment to give it some thought. I am certain bells and whistles will suddenly be ringing in your soul as you realize there are wolves in human clothing all around us — at your coffee shop, on the baseball fields, at the movie houses. But how do we know? How can we be sure? How can we tell? Try to explain the deception to our children without scaring them into a psychotic break. Our sweet innocent children. How do we tell them that sometimes the wolf is not captured and 30 punished, that Little Red Riding Hood

might not be with us forever and that the good guys the wolf was pretending to be part of did not recognize that he was changing costumes and was not one of them? And just when did humanity become a political football, where one team feels it should be the victor? Seri-

Shaindle’s Shpiel By Shaindle Schmuckler shaindle@atljewishtimes.com

JUNE 24 ▪ 2016

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ACROSS 1. First name behind “The Prophet Jeremiah” 5. Kind of korban 9. Kallah’s path 14. One is equal to about half a meter 15. Where many a Jew might retire, for short 16. Israeli winery 17. Pulitzer Prize winner about a lost sukkah? 20. Scott Feldman’s baseball team 21. Evening, at the Venice ghetto 22. Increases (the settings at a seder) 23. Style of music running through Braff’s “Garden State” 25. Start of a seder? 27. Pulitzer Prize winner about Jonah’s journey to Nineveh? (with “The”) 36. Sergey Brin to Google 37. Tzanhanim scrub 38. Homer said “she puts the ‘she’ in yeshiva” 39. It can clean a tallit 41. Pulitzer Prize winner about what many Jewish settlers established? 44. World War II loser 45. Was guilty of Bal Tashchit (and a chillul Hashem) on Halloween 47. Where to find Hagafen Cellars 49. One who sang “Mazel Tov!” and “L’Chaim!” in a 2009 hit 50. Pulitzer Prize winner about what Indiana Jones made sure not to see in the Ark? 54. Adam did it at 930 55. YU h.s. 56. “Everything Is Illuminated” author 60. Home of the Great Choral Synagogue 63. Some Sanders ideas, to Trump 67. Pulitzer Prize winner about

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ously? One team as the victor? I know you must be thinking, “What’s wrong with our Shaindle? Why is she so serious in her otherwise happy Shaindle’s Shpiel?” Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Umpqua Community College, Orlando. Need I say more? Notice there is no need to give an explanation of what these words mean or conjure up. We just invoke a word, and we know. Balance! I must remember to balance. A number of years ago I had the distinct honor of studying with Congregation Beth Jacob Rabbi Ilan Feldman. I remember so much of his teachings, but today I concentrate on balance. Balancing the goodness in our lives, which is in huge supply, with the evil, which will never outweigh the goodness. When you finish reading this Shaindle’s Shpiel, take a long moment to consider all the balance in your life. On the one hand, I have my girls, their husbands, my grandchildren, my sisters, my cousins, my dear and true friends, and last but far from the least is the man who is my lifelong partner. Together we were blessed with children who treasure the balance, who are the bearers of goodness and kindness, and they will ensure this continues for generations to come. On the other hand … ■

“Pulitzer Winners”

By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Challenging

Today I concentrate on balance. Balancing the goodness in our lives, which is in huge supply, with the evil, which will never outweigh the goodness.

AJT

CROSSWORD

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Yom HaAtzmaut 70. Téa who married Duchovny 71. Home of Day-Lewis 72. Maimonides attained it 73. Notable Lauder 74. Unlike Elijah, according to some 75. Way down Hermon

34. The Irgun 35. A Mossad agent might have one 40. “Achbar!” 42. Pit near Sinai Temple in Los Angeles 43. Nonkosher can 46. Made like Crystal as Davis Jr. DOWN 48. Shtick 1. Half an Israeli martial art 51. Popularized Zuckerberg 2. Book after Joel button 3. Lewis Black might go on 52. Did some religious reading one 53. Crooks 4. Not an ideal place to be put 56. The Knesset might seal 5. Whom Ewan played one opposite Natalie, for short 57. “And all their wealth, and 6. Purim all their little ___” (Gen. 34:29) 7. Feeling after schlepping too 58. Mitzvot that are much testimonies 8. Unfounded emotion felt by 59. Kat’s “Thor” co-star Russo many a 44-Across 61. Singer Brickell married to 9. Bar mitzvah requirement Paul Simon 10. Home state of “Dear Abby” 62. Aloe in some Ahava 11. Went in headfirst, like products Braun 64. Saul Berenson’s frenemy 12. It was promised Dar on “Homeland” 13. Makes Havdalah, e.g. 65. Dub at a bris 18. 38-Across, e.g. 66. Green ___ monster, it 19. Biblical verb violates a commandment 24. ___ before Tu B’Shevat 68. Big Apple order (when Shabbat Shira must 69. Ryerson in Ramis’ fall, according to the Jewish “Groundhog Day” calendar) 26. “Timid” Nobleman 27. A chanukiah, for one 28. Janet who married Tony LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION Curtis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 J E S S E J A C O B E L I 29. Car that 14 15 16 C A H A N A L E H A S A N once had a Star 17 18 19 I B S E N S I T C R O W N of David logo 20 21 22 23 I S L A L A M E C H 30. Word to 24 25 26 27 S O L O M O N S I N A I describe the 28 29 30 31 32 First Temple era 33S H I A 34 E R 35 I C A 36 T E L S A L L Y S U N L I T 31. Who was a 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 E L K A N A H E L E A Z A R greater prophet 44 45 46 A N A D I N L O V E than Moses? 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 32. Jewish start 54B A L D 55 A D 56 I O S 57 A N O N L A N A P R O P H E T A of the day, to 58 59 60 T E R A C H L A N E the bard 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 M I S C A N O N T A M I D 33. Rickman 69 70 71 A N O R A I M I A S I D E opposite 72 73 74 A M R A M H A R A N N U N Radcliffe

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JUNE 24 â&#x2013;ª 2016