Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCI No. 17, April 29, 2016 by Atlanta Jewish Times

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Atlanta VOL. XCI NO. 17

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APRIL 29, 2016 | 21 NISAN 5776

Inside: Yom HaShoah Special Section, Pages 15-21

Holocaust Ceremony Will Turn To Children

INSIDE Calendar �� 4 Candle Lighting �� 5 Health & Wellness �� 6 Israel News �� 7 Opinion �� 10 Arts ��22 Business �� 23 Education ��24 Sports �� 27 Obituaries ��28 Crossword �� 30 Marketplace ��31

AGING WELL

As Emory launches a massive study of aging, the Jewish Home shares tips on how to do it better. Page 6

30-YEAR JOURNEY

Once an outcast place for gay Jews, Bet Haverim has become a core part of the Jewish community. Page 8

SACRED SPACE

A Jewish-owned art collection at the Carlos sheds light on Tibetan Buddhism. Page 22

WINNING RUN

A rare winning season has Weber baseball on the verge of the playoffs. Page 27

In Every Generation Photos by David R. Cohen

Led by Bob Bahr, around 60 Sunrise at Huntcliff Summit residents gather for a model Passover seder Thursday, April 21, held a day before the start of the holiday to enable people also to attend seders with their families. Although the assisted living facility in Sandy Springs is not strictly a Jewish residence, many of the seniors who live there are Jewish, and this is the 10th year they have come together for a seder.

he children of the Holocaust — those who survived, those who perished, and those who never were and never will be — are the focus of this year’s Yom HaShoah commemoration Sunday, May 1, at the Memorial to the Six Million at Greenwood Cemetery. “Now that the older survivors are not with us — just a handful — what we’ve got left are survivors who were children,” said Jeannette Zukor, who is chairing the 51st annual ceremony organized by the survivor group Eternal Life-Hemshech at the Greenwood memorial. “Not all of them got out by the Kindertransport.” In September 1939, an estimated 1.6 million Jewish children lived in areas the Nazis would control; 1.5 million Jewish children were dead by May 1945. Most of the children who survived spent at least some time hiding, Zukor said, and they had to scrounge and suffer through the hunger, disease and terror of the ghettos and brutal occupation. Such was the experience of Robert Ratonyi, the featured speaker May 1. Born in Budapest in 1938, Ratonyi saw his father taken as forced labor, then lost his mother one night in October 1944 when all the adults were marched off, leaving the children to fend for themselves. He didn’t see his mother again until the summer after the war ended in 1945. “It’s important for me to tell my story,” Ratonyi, 78, told students at Georgia Tech in March. “Twenty years from now there will be articles written saying the Holocaust didn’t exist, but you will have heard from someone who was there.” You can hear Ratonyi and see all of the survivors light memorial candles at 11 a.m. May 1 at Greenwood Cemetery, 1173 Cascade Circle, southwest Atlanta. The event, to be held rain or shine, is free, as is admission that day to the Holocaust exhibit at the Breman Museum. ■

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MA TOVU

The Awesome Silence

and were met with the mind-blowing experience of seeing G-d, with all of the intensity of being in the intimate presence of the divine. There is a midrash that tells us that the experience lasted just a moment, for people began to faint. Some sages say they fainted upon hearing the first word G-d uttered, Ani, or I (in “I am your G-d”). My favorite

Guest Column By Marita Anderson

explanation is that it was enough to hear the first letter, aleph, which is silent. Thus, it was in the awesomeness of the silence that the Israelites knew the divine. One of my beloved teachers often drilled into his students that Torah is not journalism; it is a complex literary work about the inner workings of the soul and what it means to be human. Whether you believe that our ancestors experienced revelation at Sinai or not, the idea of human encounter with the divine is a profound part of the Jewish tradition. And our celebration of Passover is ultimately a spiritual preparation for the festival of Shavuot, the re-enactment of that encounter. Gunilla Norris, a teacher on universal meditation practices, writes: “Within each of us there is a silence — a silence as vast as the universe. We are afraid of it … and we long for it. When we experience that silence, we remember who we are … creatures created from silence.” In the rush of the Passover holiday, the exhaustion of the end of the school year, the transition from the slumber of winter to the toil of spring, I invite you to sit and rest into silence. We have 49 days until the festival of Shavuot, rarely celebrated in many parts of the Jewish community. Observant Jews will count the days with special prayers. If this is unfamiliar to you, or if it is not in your practice, try wandering into silence. It is in silence that we might find the divine essence we seek. Try it. Tell me what happens. ■ Marita Anderson, the wife of Temple Emanu-El Rabbi Spike Anderson, is graduating in May from the Academy for Jewish Religion in California with a degree in Jewish chaplaincy.

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s I write this, we have not yet begun to celebrate Passover, and my household is bursting with anticipation. My middle son is hilariously attempting to sell our chametz to the babysitter, my youngest child has taken our cockatiel’s molted feathers to task around the house, and my oldest son is planning the seating arrangements for our first seder in Atlanta. What could be more fun than moving every piece of furniture out of the living room? There is singing, bickering, cooking and bargaining going on, all at the same time. It is pure chaos and pleasure. Over the years, I have learned that the excitement of our fast-paced life often causes me a great deal of anxiety. My nervous system is not as strong as it used to be, and I easily get overwhelmed, especially if my vision for how things should unfold is not met by reality. I can relate to the description of modern-day life by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a scientist and meditation teacher, who calls it “full catastrophe living.” What he means by catastrophe living is the energy we often waste on stress and the painful disappointments we carry because of our inflexible attitudes toward the challenges of life. Let’s be honest: As much as we love the Jewish holidays and our families, planning for Passover, especially if you are hosting a seder, is hard work, no matter how much or how little you observe the holiday. Because it requires a great deal of coordination, negotiation and preparation, it becomes a microcosm for how we approach our life in general. What is sometimes lost in the burst of energy that Passover requires is that we are preparing for something much greater. The space we enter after Passover, textually speaking, is the wilderness of the desert. After the narrative of our miraculous escape from Egypt, we find ourselves lost and not knowing the way. What is the purpose of our wandering? What are we seeking? We have the narrative of our postslavery ancestors, who were rebellious, ungrateful and undisciplined. They generally behaved as people do when they are desperately afraid of uncertainty. Despite their impatience and fear, they did not wander the desert in vain

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Greek history exhibit. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, hosts “Synagonistis: Greek Jews in the National Resistance” in the Katz Family Mainstreet Gallery through May 15. Free and open to the public when the center is open; www.atlantajcc.org.

SUNDAY, MAY 1

Community run. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, holds the annual Harris Jacobs Dream Run 5K road race and 1-mile special-needs walk at 8 a.m. Registration is $30 until April 30 and $35 race day ($15 for children 12 and under and for the special-needs walk); www.atlantajcc.org/HJDR. Blood drive. Jewish War Veterans Post 112, Ahavath Achim Synagogue and the Red Cross hold a citywide blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ahavath Achim, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead. Reserve a spot at www.redcrossblood. org with sponsor code JWV.

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Contributors This Week MARITA ANDERSON ARLENE APPELROUTH CHERIE AVIV • YONI GLATT LEAH R. HARRISON JAN JABEN-EILON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE KEVIN MADIGAN • ED MENDEL TOVA NORMAN • DAVE SCHECHTER EUGEN SCHOENFELD CADY SCHULMAN RABBI MARC HOWARD WILSON PATRICE WORTHY

CREATIVE SERVICES

Car show. Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs, holds its Kosher Kar Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to benefit a homeless shelter project. Entry is $18 per car; bit.ly/ kosherkarshow. Admission is free; call Ted Marcus at 404-808-3241 or Paul Flexner at 770-833-0891 for details. Paint time. Hadassah’s Mount Scopus Group holds an afternoon of painting and sipping kosher wine for women and men from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Sips n Strokes, 3019 N. Druid Hills Road, Toco Hills. Admission is $30, with reservations required; friedjmelissa@gmail. com or 678-372-4452.

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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 Gannett Publishing Services 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

Film screening. Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy

Springs, shows the documentary “Above and Beyond,” about the founding of Israel’s air force, at 5 p.m. Free; www.or-hadash.org.

MONDAY, MAY 2

Senior Day. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and Jewish Family & Career Services join the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, to hold activities at the center for people 65 and older from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Each attendee picks three activities and gets a kosher lunch; transportation is available from eight locations. Admission is $5; www.atlantajcc.org/seniorday. FIDF gala. British Col. Richard Kemp is the keynote speaker for the Atlanta gala dinner of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, honoring lone soldiers, at 6 p.m. at the InterContinental Buckhead, 3315 Peachtree Road. Advance registration for $250 ($118 for those 35 and under) is required; www.fidfse.wix. com/atlgala16 or 678-250-9030.

THURSDAY, MAY 5

Fed Talks. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta honors former Chairman Marty Kogon with its Lifetime of Achievement Award and hears from JSwipe founder David Yarus, JScreen founder Randy Gold and Focus on a Jewish Tomorrow CEO Susan Jackson at 7:30 p.m. at the Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road. Tickets, available to 2016 Community Campaign donors, are $36; www.jewishatlanta.org/ fedtalksor 678-222-3723.

FRIDAY, MAY 6

Days of Remembrance. “Mothers and Fathers: Stories of Love and Loss” is the theme for the official Georgia commemoration of the Holocaust at 11 a.m.

Remember When

10 Years Ago April 28, 2006 ■ The Jewish Motorcycle Alliance will roll into Whitwell, Tenn., made famous by the 2004 documentary “Paper Clips,” for the Paper Clip Ride to Remember 2006. The Atlanta chapter of the JMA, the Sabra Riders, is expected to have 15 to 20 riders make the trip to Tennessee. The goal of the ride is to raise money for Whitwell Middle School. The ride kicks off May 4 when the bikers gather in Chattanooga. ■ The bar mitzvah ceremony of Simon David Llewellyn of Marietta, son of John and Donna Llewellyn, was held Saturday, Feb. 25, at Temple Kol Emeth. 25 Years Ago April 26, 1991 ■ Mark Lampl, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, has returned from six months of active duty in Saudi Arabia, including his first war in more than two decades in

in the North Wing of the state Capitol, 206 Washington St., downtown. Free, but seating is by invitation only; holocaust.georgia.gov.

SUNDAY, MAY 8

Holocaust documentary. The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust’s “Anne Frank in the World: 1929-1945” exhibit, 5920 Roswell Road, Suite A-209, Sandy Springs, shows the short film “Mothers and Fathers: Stories of Love and Loss” at 1 p.m. Free; holocaust.georgia.gov. Yom HaShoah. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, holds a community commemoration in the Besser Memorial Garden with speaker Rabbi Joseph Polak at 3:30 p.m. Free; www.atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161.

MONDAY, MAY 9

Memorial lecture. Rabbi Yitzchok Tendler presents a pre-Yom HaZikaron lecture on the legacy of Dov Indig, a soldier killed in the Yom Kippur War, at 8 p.m. at Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855 LaVista Road, Toco Hills. Free; RSVP at bit.ly/1XSRhvX or 404-633-0551.

TUESDAY, MAY 10

Annual meeting. American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta Chapter holds its 72nd annual meeting at 11:45 a.m. at 103 West, 103 W. Paces Ferry Road, Buckhead, with speaker Dina SiegelVann, the director of AJC’s Belfer Center for Latino and Latin American Affairs. Tickets for the lunch meeting are $35; www.ajcatlanta.org/72AM. Yom HaZikaron. Amit Farkas, sister of the late Thom Farkas, is the keynote speaker at the Israeli Consulate’s observance of Israeli Memorial Day at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30) at Aha-

the service. The East Cobb resident, who was in charge of rest and relaxation for all Americans serving in the Middle East to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, took particular pleasure in such Jewish observances as Friday night services and a 400-person seder in Saudi Arabia, where Jews are banned. ■ Dr. Jonathan and Betsy Dubin of Atlanta announce the birth of their second son, Seth Etan, on March 18. 50 Years Ago April 29, 1966 ■ Maj. Zvi Osrin of Israel is visiting Atlanta as an emissary of the Foundation for the Jewish National Fund. A native of South Africa, Osrin went to Israel in 1948 and fought in the army. In Atlanta under the auspices of Canter Isaac Goodfriend of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Osrin is meeting with Zionist and other community leaders about the possibility of establishing a council in Atlanta to unify JNF activities.

■ Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Cohen of Atlanta announce the

engagement of their daughter, Judith Sharon Cohen, to Martin Neil Kogon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Kogon of Meridian, Miss. A July wedding is planned.

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CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

Survivor story. Holocaust survivor Helen Fromowitz Weingarten speaks at noon at Fellowship Bible Church, 480 W. Crossville Road, Roswell, in a program sponsored by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. Free; 1.usa.gov/1SMJ66g. Character study. Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta, presents the six-week Jewish Learning Institute course “Strength & Struggle: Lessons in Character From the Stories of Our Prophets” on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., starting tonight. Tuition is $69; www.chabadnf. org or 770-410-9000.

THURSDAY, MAY 12

JNF breakfast. Jewish National Fund’s annual Jack Hirsch Memorial Breakfast honors Lt. Col. Tiran Attia, director of Israel’s Special in Uniform program, at 7:30 a.m. at The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St., Midtown. Free; jnf.org/ hirsch2016, bgluck@jnf.org, or 404236-8990, ext. 851.

Yom HaAtzmaut lunch. Jewish National Fund’s Women for Israel division holds a luncheon to celebrate Israeli Independence Day and honor Lt. Col. Tiran Attia at 11 a.m. at Congregation B’nai Torah, 700 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Registration is $54; bit.ly/1Vx1q3U, mfriedland@jnf.org or 404-236-8990, ext. 852.

SATURDAY, MAY 14

Scholar in residence. Rabbi Arnold Goodman returns to Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, for a scholarly weekend. He presents the sermon at the morning service and discusses the Roman siege of Jerusalem after the Kiddush at 12:45 p.m. Free; aasynagogue.org.

SUNDAY, MAY 15

Pew discussion. With moderator Steve Chervin, Rabbi Arnold Goodman and Israeli Deputy Consul General Ron Brummer discuss the recent Pew report on Israeli religious and political opinions at 10 a.m. at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead. Free; aasynagogue.org. Caring for a parent. Jenifer Firestone and Rabbi Ilan Feldman lead a twopart workshop, “Navigating the Jour-

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

End of Passover Thursday, April 28, light candles at 8:01 p.m. Friday, April 29, light candles at 8:02 p.m. Saturday, April 30, Pesach ends at 9:01 p.m. Achare Friday, May 6, light candles at 8:08 p.m. Saturday, May 7, Shabbat ends at 9:07 p.m. ney From Child to Caretaker,” today and May 22 at 10 a.m. at Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855 LaVista Road, Toco Hills. Free; RSVP to bit.ly/1Ud8eCh or 404-633-0551. Yom HaAtzmaut festival. Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs, hosts a communitywide Israeli Independence Day celebration from noon to 3 p.m. with a shuk, kosher food, games, and Israeli music and dancing. Admission is $18 per person, $24 per couple or $36 per family; ulazusman@gmail.com, ekleigh@gmail. com or www.or-hadash.org. Student awards. The Marian F. Perling Hadassah Chesed Student Awards are presented to outstanding seventh- to 12th-graders at day schools and synagogue religious schools at 2:30 p.m. at

Congregation Or VeShalom, 1681 N. Druid Hills Road, Brookhaven. Free; RSVPs appreciated by May 10 to 470482-6778 or atlanta@hadassah.org. Cole Porter concert. Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, presents “Let’s Misbehave” with Carmen Bradford, Scott Glazer, Tyrone Jackson, Mace Hibbard and Justin Chesarek, at 3 p.m. Free but donation requested to AA’s Cultural Art Fund; ivanmillender@earthlink.net or aasynagogue.org. Swing concert. The Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown, concludes with “The King of Swing: A Night of Benny Goodman” at 5 p.m. Tickets are $49 for members, $59 for nonmembers; thebreman.org or 678-222-3700.

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

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vath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead. Free; attendees are asked to wear white shirts and are reminded that bags will not be allowed.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Emory Wants You for Massive Aging Study By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

mory University is posing a simple question to residents of metro Atlanta: If you could help change the world, would you? Medical researchers hope within five years to find at least 100,000 adults who say yes and enroll in the Emory Healthy Aging Study, the largest clinical research study ever conducted in Atlanta. As the study’s database grows with years and years of information, the research team expects to learn about diseases connected to aging, such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease and diabetes, and hopes to spot early indicators of those diseases’ onset to prevent them. For Alzheimer’s, one of the priorities of the study, no current treatments are effective, said Michele Marcus, an Emory epidemiologist and study investigator on the leadership team, being directed by neurologists Allan Levey and James Lah. “Once it’s diagnosed, it’s pretty late in the process, and damage to the cells in the brain is irreversible.” But by following a huge number of people for decades, with each sharing similar medical information and taking the same online assessments every four to six months, the Emory researchers hope to find signs that emerge early enough for medical intervention that prevents or delays dementia. “Doing this study in Atlanta is ideal

“I’ve been doing research for over 20 years, and I’ve never been so excited,” epidemiologist Michele Marcus says about the Emory Healthy Aging Study.

because we have an extremely diverse population,” Marcus said. For example, “we know that African-Americans have a higher risk of heart disease than Caucasians, but we don’t know why. We hope to tease out the factors.” Some of the Healthy Aging Study participants will be invited to join related research such as Emory’s Healthy Brain Study, which will involve more time and more intensive testing in person. For those in the general aging study, the commitment is an initial 20-minute questionnaire and followup assessments two or three times a year, all done online and totaling no more than six hours per year, according to the study website (healthyaging.

emory.edu), where you can sign up. The study also wants to collect data from devices such as Fitbit for those who use them. Researchers aren’t looking only for early signs of problems, Marcus said. They also want to learn what factors help people age gracefully without serious problems or declining health. Marcus takes the population-wide perspective on health problems. She used breast cancer as an example: Certain genetic factors greatly increase a woman’s likelihood of getting the disease, so knowing your genetic profile is valuable at an individual level. But most people who get breast cancer don’t have those genetic factors, so the genes alone don’t tell us much at the population level, Marcus said. The valuable data come from compiling records from huge numbers of people. The Healthy Aging Study is aiming for 100,000 people but doesn’t have a maximum number or a cutoff date for enrollment. You have to be at least 18 to participate and, for now, have to be proficient in English. Although Atlanta is the focus of recruitment efforts, anyone in the United States may sign up. Participants may stay in the study for decades or drop out at any time. While they won’t get free health care, participants will have access to their own data, to health advice and educational materials on the study website, and to an online community of fellow participants and researchers.

“We really see the participants here as partners. They’re not subjects. It’s the information that they give us that will help provide the answers,” said Marcus, who herself is a participant. “One of the really unique things about this besides the goal of enrolling 100,000 people is we have a dream team of collaborators,” she said, so the database will combine medical histories, clinical information, fitness data, genetics, neuroimaging and more. “Over time we can select partial subgroups of people and test various hypotheses by going back to this population and picking particular individuals for particular risk factors,” Marcus said. “It makes it more manageable on the data management side.” The amount and complexity of the data create analytical opportunities for all types of medical research, and Marcus sees the growing database as a draw for future medical talent to come to Atlanta. “We are taking an approach where we see this as a resource” for investigators at Emory and around the world, she said. “We really want to make the most of the data we collect.” The only obstacle to using the data for new investigations will be finding funding for additional analyses. “I’m just really excited about this study,” Marcus said. “It’s going to be awesome.” ■

Aging Expert: Don’t Obsess Over ‘Should’ By Patrice Worthy

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oga, check. Red wine, check. Friends, check. Retirement, check. For those letting the “shoulds” define life over 50, Sarah Kagan, a gerontological nurse and professor of gerontological nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, has some advice: Put down the checklist and live your life. Kagan talked about avoiding the shoulds during a presentation at the William Breman Jewish Home on Sunday, April 17, as part of the London Family Age Smart lecture series. She used humor and chutzpah to dish on how to enjoy the process of aging. “We need to have more conversations about aging because it begins to happen as soon as you’re born,” Kagan said as the room filled with laughter. She addressed several issues fac6 ing those over age 50 and spoke can-

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didly about the myths of aging and the importance of living authentically. Living life to the fullest often means doing away with the checklist, Kagan said. LeAnne Rinzler, 46, said she was drawn to the event because learning to be fully present every day is a good lesson for anyone. “I came for a multitude of reasons because I’m interested in the quality of my life today. I’m actually not thinking about 20 years from now,” Rinzler said. “I’m interested in what’s going to enhance and engage me in my day-to-day life and teach me how to let go of some of the pressure and stressors we all feel from society.” As technology evolves and more studies are conducted on aging, it can be tempting to follow the findings published in media. But Kagan said information disseminated by friends, family, the Internet and even doctors should be researched and confirmed. She cited red wine: Some people

drink it often because studies show that it is good for you, but next year studies could find something different. “If you like to have a glass of red wine in the evening, have a glass of red wine — not because studies say it is good for you, but because you enjoy it,” Kagan said. “You should do what you enjoy. That’s more important than following a list of shoulds.” Kagan followed up by giving her own short list of guaranteed ways to increase well-being, including exercise, a social network and happiness. Of course, finding happiness should never interfere with your health, so don’t eat that piece of cake if you have diabetes. Kagan said it’s all about using common sense. “I think most people don’t think about the constraints of living for the moment,” Kagan said. “There is freedom in making choices for the future.” Preparing for the future inevita-

bly includes the transition to retirement. Once people hit retirement age, Kagan said, they feel it’s a requirement to leave the workforce. But what about those people who enjoy their careers or find their work satisfying? “Retirement should not be looked at as the end of life or activity, but more like ‘What am I going to do with the next phase of my life?’ ” Kagan said about the anxiety-inducing transition. Kagan’s message resonated with Pat Balzar, 77, who said the talk validated how she lives her life. “I think in order to have a successful older age you have to live life to the fullest,” Balzar said. Kagan’s talk “reaffirmed what I am already doing in my life. I have wonderful friends that I spend a lot of time with. I exercise. I play mahjong. I spend time with my grandchildren, and I travel. So my life is full doing interesting things. I think it’s very important.” ■

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home An app to prevent diabetes. Israel’s Sweetch has developed a clinical-outcome prediction platform — a behavioral analytics engine and risk meter — to stop diabetes before it starts. Sweetch’s proprietary machine-learning algorithms detect pre-diabetes seven times more accurately than existing clinical evaluation.

and aerospace.

Training 100 medics in the desert. In the Negev it sometimes takes ambulance services half an hour to reach remote desert communities. So United Hatzalah is running a training course to increase the number of its emergency medical services volunteers from 150 to 250. Its goal is to have at least one volunteer in every village and kibbutz and to cut the overall response time for EMS personnel throughout the region.

Nanotech materials conference. Six hundred delegates attended Israel’s first Innovations in Advanced Materials conference. It showcased breakthrough nanotechnologies from Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists for use in everything from sensors and coating materials to electronics and 3D printing.

Credit card for the needy. Colel Chabad has launched a prepaid credit card for needy Israeli families to use to buy food with dignity. The Eshel Card can be used at selected grocery chains. An Israeli water incubator for L.A. The White House announced 30 water initiatives on World Water Day, March 22. One was the establishment of the Los Angeles Cleantech incubator, which will introduce 10 Israeli companies in water, energy and agricultural technologies to California and its nearly 123,000 farmers. Israel still helping Nepal recover. Nepal has passed the first anniversary of a devastating pair of earthquakes that killed 9,000 people, and Israeli aid workers, who brought the first international relief, are still on the ground in Nepal. So don’t believe it if someone says Israel shows up at disasters to grab the headlines, then leaves when the cameras go away. Birthright highlights Israeli achievements. Taglit-Birthright Israel is opening the State of Mind center for entrepreneurship and innovation in Tel Aviv. Tour groups will see Israeli entrepreneurship, innovation and technology in areas such as agriculture, medicine, defense, cybersecurity, transportation

Patriotic Excitement Photo by Ziv Koren

The Israeli “Cyber Olympics.” Hundreds of kids gathered in Tel Aviv to compete for the title of Israeli Cyber Champ 2016. The massive gaming project competition aims to encourage students to choose tech as a career. One sponsor is Israel’s SanDisk, an innovator in digital storage and a sponsor of the Rio Olympics. Smart hotel apps. Tel Aviv — the Smartest City in the World in 2014 — is leading an integration of Israeli travel apps into 12 percent of the city’s hotels. The apps, Howazit, Dotz and Aspectiva, will communicate between guests and the hotels and give tourists details of activities and events. Tel Aviv also is rolling out a DigiTel credit card for city residents, offering special discounts.

The Crowne Plaza City Center in Tel Aviv will soon have the chance to show its independent spirit again: Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) is Wednesday evening, May 11, to Thursday evening, May 12.

years after canceling an Israeli concert, Mexican rock legend Carlos Santana has agreed to put on a show in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, on July 30. Pharaoh’s amulet found. Archaeologists have deciphered a 3,200-year-old Egyptian amulet found when they sift-

ed debris dumped by the Muslim Waqf amid its building on Temple Mount. The amulet contains the name of Pharaoh Thutmose III, who reigned over Egypt from 1479 to 1425 B.C.E. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com and other news sources.

Israel’s Iron Mole. Israel has developed “the Iron Dome for tunnels.” The system’s sensors and algorithms located a Hamas tunnel reaching 90 feet into Israel from the Gaza Strip. The United States is interested in the technology to help locate tunnels dug by smugglers across the Mexican border. German triumph for Israeli wines. Israeli wineries won four gold medals and five silvers at the Mundus Vini Competition in Dusseldorf, Germany, which featured more than 5,000 wines. Galil Mountain Alon 2012 won the prestigious Grand Gold. Pat Metheny to perform in Israel. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny will perform in Herzliya on June 14 and Rishon Lezion on June 15. Metheny, who last visited Israel in 2011, has won 20 Grammys and is a member of the Jazz Hall of Fame.

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

Red Cross praise. The International Committee of the Red Cross’ chief surgeon, Harald Veen, attended Israel’s Surgical Management in Austere Environments conference. He said Israel is a role model for disaster medicine because “Israelis have the knowledge and experience” to excel in emergencies.

Cleaner garbage trucks. Israel plans to install emission filters on 500 garbage trucks. They will filter out 97 percent of the cancer-causing fumes emitted from the diesel trucks, according to the Environmental Protection Ministry, at a cost of 10 million shekels ($2.7 million).

Carlos Santana coming to Israel. Six

AJT

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LOCAL NEWS

Bet Haverim to Celebrate 30-Year Journey By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com

Congregation Bet Haverim members (from left) Andy Segal, Jamie Collins, Charlie Chasen, Max Levie-Sprick (behind Chasen), Kim Goldsmith and Jan Levie spruce up their new building, the former Young Israel location, early in 2015. The building purchase was the culmination of a three-decade journey from ostracism to full acceptance in the Atlanta Jewish community.

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

ongregation Bet Haverim is celebrating three decades as Atlanta’s first gay and lesbian synagogue with a multimedia presentation about its origins Sunday night, May 1. The occasion is a bittersweet reminder for Michael McNeir-Clark, the only survivor of the shul’s four original founders. “Increasingly during the 1980s, there was a growing sense of urgency: Don’t whine; fix it. Don’t put things off; there might not be a tomorrow,” McNeir-Clark told the Atlanta Jewish Times by email. The creation of Bet Haverim — Secretary of State Max Cleland certified the articles of incorporation June 24, 1986 — followed soon after the emergence of the AIDS epidemic and its devastating consequences. Gary Piccola and Robert Needle, two of McNeirClark’s co-founders, died of AIDS complications within a week of each other in 1989. The congregation was at first ostracized, and its members were identified in official records solely by their initials. Newsletters were sent out in plain brown envelopes. Bet Haverim was denied permission to join the Synagogue Council of Greater Atlanta, ostensibly because it lacked a full-fledged rabbi. Ruth Anne Davis, who joined Bet Haverim early on, remembers there were disputes about recognition as a real synagogue. “The Jewish community created a synagogue council, and we were not welcome, so that was a big brouhaha, and it came down to the issue of identity. There were some outside of our community who struggled with that.” When Bet Haverim reapplied for council membership, it was told it had to drop its tagline about serving gays and lesbians to be included. The congregation refused, and the resulting acrimony led to the council’s dissolution, eventually bringing about change. The prevailing attitude toward the gay community improved as lesbians and eventually heterosexuals, including couples with children, started joining Bet Haverim. “We were created because the world wasn’t an inclusive place, and I think the beauty of Bet Haverim now is even though it doesn’t really have that gay and lesbian identity anymore — 8 that’s kind of morphed, but the whole

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world has morphed,” Davis said. “The world is a place that is more inclusive and can celebrate differences rather than fear them.” The synagogue’s religious school opened in 1995 with a mere 10 students; there are now 125. The congregation, which for most of its existence gathered in private houses or rented spaces, now owns a building on LaVista Road in Toco Hills, where it has operated since October. Despite the difficulties, the creation of CBH was not considered a daunting task, McNeir-Clark said. “If other groups in other cities had done it, why not us? And those other synagogues helped us put things together so we weren’t reinventing the wheel.” He added that the founders’ main concern was for people to feel welcomed back into the Judaism of their pre-gay childhoods, when sexist language was the rule. “At the time, very little work was being done on nonsexist liturgy.” The first heterosexual family to join Bet Haverim, in the mid ’90s, was

Avrum and Gayene Weiss and their two small children. “We joined for the same reason everyone else joined: It was an incredibly haimish, welcoming place,” Weiss said. “It wasn’t a political statement and didn’t have anything to do with us being straight; it was just a fabulous synagogue. We went to High Holidays, and I was so moved, I started to cry. … A lot of our liturgy is about oppression and suffering, and I think when you are in a roomful of people who live it, it feels different. It’s not abstract or theoretical.” Jeri Kagel, a feminist lesbian who wrote the synagogue’s articles of incorporation, worried about heterosexuals altering the character of the congregation. “I would not want to say no to anyone who for whatever reason is disenfranchised, whether it’s their faith or they’re an interracial couple or just someone who didn’t feel honored. … I didn’t want to do to them what had been done to us, but the concern was, for me, I didn’t want us to become invisible to gay people. I wanted us to still

be visible, whether in our marketing (or) our name. I wanted gay Jewish people to very easily find us,” Kagel said. “All the straight people who joined us were very clear and very supportive,” she said. “It was wonderful, actually, and I do think some of them kind of held the mantle for those that came after them and who were aligned with what we really were. It was great; it’s still great.” The May 1 event is billed as “In the Beginning: A Story of Courage and Compassion” and is being presented by Andy Segal, a documentary producer formerly with CNN. “It’s just amazing to realize that it’s been over 30 years,” McNeir-Clark said. ■ What: Congregation Bet Haverim’s 30th anniversary Where: 2074 LaVista Road, Toco Hills When: 7 p.m. Sunday, May 1 Registration: Free, but seating is limited; congregationbethaverim.org/ cbh30.

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LOCAL NEWS

Dominican Mission Reflects Bet Haverim’s Advocacy Rabbi Joshua Lesser (arms crossed) and nine rabbinic colleagues visit with a Dominican LGBTQ advocacy group during the American Jewish World Service’s Global Justice Fellowship trip in January.

ongregation Bet Haverim’s longtime rabbi, Joshua Lesser, typified the Reconstructionist congregation’s tradition of activism and advocacy by joining nine other rabbis on a weeklong American Jewish World Service mission trip to the Dominican Republic in January. “Alongside our own particularistic questions, we’ve always had these issues of what’s our role in the world,” Rabbi Lesser said. “What part do we want to play? How do we want to be part of the solution?” The trip focused on the problem of hundreds of thousands of Dominicans who have been stripped of or denied citizenship because of Haitian ancestry, even though most of them have lived on the Dominican side of the Caribbean island for generations and speak Spanish, not Creole. It’s an issue that smacks of racism in a nation with a history of valuing light skin color, to the extent that when the Dominican Republic agreed to take in Jewish refugees in 1938, a prime mo-

tivation was to bring in more white people. The denial of basic rights based on race and ethnicity hit close to home for Rabbi Lesser as a native Atlantan, a Jew and an American (the United States had encouraged the use of Haitian labor in the Dominican sugarcane fields). Such connective threads help Rabbi Lesser try to follow the “fourfold song” teaching of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and weave together the songs of self, Israel, humanity and the cosmos. “I actually don’t think that in the 21st century we have the luxury to say we’re going to focus on only one thing,” Rabbi Lesser said. The mission provided training in

the human rights model AJWS applies in 19 nations and fit Rabbi Lesser’s interest in combining spiritual-pastoral work with advocacy and activism. The rabbis met with two nongovernmental organizations a day. The NGOs’ focus ranged from statelessness and women’s health to LGBTQ issues. Along the way, they heard heartrending stories, such as a man who has all the proper documentation to get his national identity card, but government officials have given him the bureaucratic runaround for more than two years, forcing him to take off-the-books, often unpaid construction work. The rabbis focused on those kinds

of stories when they met with U.S. Embassy officials, and Rabbi Lesser is determined to share the stories within Bet Haverim and continue his advocacy. “We’re a medium-size congregation, but we’re able to have a significant impact, particularly because we’re doing work where the Jewish community is not yet doing work, whether that’s locally and now hopefully internationally in this way,” he said. The most spiritual moment of the mission emphasized for Rabbi Lesser that helping the Dominicans is a core expression of Judaism. The trip included Shabbat Shirah, when we read about Miriam’s musical celebration of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. The last meeting heading into Shabbat on Jan. 22 was with the Board of the Women of Mama Tingo, a women’s rights organization, whose members closed the session by singing liberation and freedom songs accompanied by timbrels and tambourines. Rabbi Lesser said he told his fellow rabbis that Shabbat Shirah was happening right in front of them. “In that moment I really got that this is the story of us.” ■

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

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OPINION

Our View

Never Forget

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

e have just completed the Passover seders, whose primary purpose is to teach each generation how the Holy One saved us from bondage through the Exodus. We go through the annual ritual so that we never forget how we were forged as a people in our escape from Egypt. It’s appropriate that the next crucial dates on the Jewish calendar also are all about remembrance and our responsibility to educate our children. From Tuesday evening, May 10, to Thursday evening, May 12, we observe and honor the miracle of modern Israel, including all those who have given their lives for its survival, during Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). Those days mark the renewal of the promise that brought us to Israel from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, and it is vital that we make sure our children understand how central Israel and our return to the land are to Judaism. But first comes Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening, May 4 and 5. We have multiple free opportunities to observe the event and honor the memory of the 6 million slain by the Nazis: • Sunday, May 1, at 11 a.m. is the 51st annual ceremony at the Memorial to the Six Million at Greenwood Cemetery, organized by the survivor group Eternal Life-Hemshech with the help of the Breman Museum. Hungarian survivor Robert Ratonyi is the featured speaker. The Breman’s Holocaust exhibit is open to the public at no cost that day. • Friday, May 6, at 11 a.m. is the Days of Remembrance ceremony arranged by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust at the state Capitol. Am Yisrael Chai’s Andrea Videlefsky receives the Humanitarian Award, and the Marist School’s Brendan Murphy gets the Distinguished Educator Award. Under the theme “Mothers and Fathers: Stories of Love and Loss,” the commission’s observance also includes the “Georgia’s Response to the Holocaust” exhibit in Sandy Springs through May 4, a documentary screening at 1 p.m. May 8 in Sandy Springs and a presentation by survivor Helen Fromowitz Weingarten at noon May 11 at Fellowship Baptist Church in Roswell. • Rabbi Joseph Polak, a Dutch toddler survivor, is the keynote speaker at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s observance at the Besser Holocaust Memorial Garden. Holocaust survivors are a dwindling population 71 years after the fall of Hitler and the liberation of the camps. That’s why the Yom HaShoah observances aren’t just an opportunity; they’re an obligation. Just as we share the responsibility to retell and remember the story of the Exodus each year, so we share the responsibility to bear witness to the testimonies of Holocaust survivors to protect the memory of the greatest crime against humanity in the modern world. That means not only must we attend at least one of these events each year, but we also must bring along members of the next generation. Just as we must consider that we ourselves were saved from Egypt, so we must recognize that we ourselves were threatened with annihilation in the Holo10 caust. And we must never forget. ■

AJT

Steve Sack, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Sweet Taste of Seder Spirits

aced with the big news about the Conservative That wasn’t the main point of the Man Seder, of movement dropping the ban on kitniyot this course. Many of the 70 attendees did a mitzvah by Passover, we welcomed something new to the donating suits to a nonprofit helping men who need table of the Jacobs family seder. dress clothes for work. All of us had a good time soNo, we didn’t add corn or rice or beans. I can’t cializing and feasting on a four-course steak dinner. argue with the logic behind the new rabbinical Most important, Rabbi Adam Starr delivered eight opinions on kitniyot, as explained by Congregation teachings for us to bring home to our own seders. B’nai Torah Rabbi Joshua Heller in our Pesach issue, Still, Rabbi Starr decided this year to distriband, growing up in a Conservaute a handout tive synagogue, I always argued with those lessons that the ban on corn in particular because, he said, Editor’s Notebook made no sense. After all, corn not no one would take By Michael Jacobs only was unknown in the Middle notes while he was mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com East 3,000 years ago, but it also speaking and, after had never been seen in Europe four courses of beer 800 years ago when Ashkenazi and bourbon, he rabbis adopted the kitniyot rules. couldn’t count on Still, I found myself agreeing with Atlanta anyone remembering what he said. Kashruth Commission Rabbi Reuven Stein that, In other words, alcohol played an important regardless of the justification for the rules to begin role in the Man Seder, so maybe it wasn’t a coinciwith, they have worked fine for eight centuries and dence that a couple of my tablemates were talking have long since become a part of Pesach tradition. about shopping for slivovitz for Pesach. I’d never had Why change now? slivovitz and never thought about getting it for PassWhich means, as usual, Passover emptied out over, but I was told there were plenty of choices. the family liquor cabinet. (The bourbons we usually I mentioned the discussion to my wife, and, sure drink wouldn’t pass muster under anyone’s rules enough, she added a bottle of slivovitz to the Passbecause, in addition to corn, they use wheat or rye. over supplies. When we reached dessert during the But the change on kitniyot in theory brings all-corn seder, the bottle came out of the freezer, and shots of whiskeys into play for those who want to go there.) the plum brandy were passed around our table for In past years, with beer and whiskey out of the the first time. picture and with all-potato vodka increasingly tough It almost certainly will be the last time as well. to find, we made due with just wine for a week. But I’m not sure why our Eastern European ancesthen I went to the Man Seder at Young Israel of Toco tors and their Slavic neighbors thought making Hills on April 10 and had my eyes opened to another brandy out of plums was a good idea. Maybe somePassover-kosher option: slivovitz. thing sickly sweet and slightly medicinal served as I didn’t go to the Man Seder in search of somean antidote to their bitter peasant lives. More likely, thing to drink during Passover. After all, one of the people everywhere try to ferment whatever is at charms of the Man Seder is the chance to go through hand to get a buzz. the forms of a seder with booze you can’t have durAll I know is next Passover we won’t have to buy ing Passover: beer and bourbon. more slivovitz; there’ll be plenty left in the freezer. ■

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OPINION

A Survivor’s Memories in His Own Voice

year ago, I wrote an article for the Atlanta Jewish Times about a world without Holocaust survivors. That piece began: “Norbert Friedman sits in a small, soundproof booth at Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters’ Midtown studio. As he has almost weekly for several months, the 92-year-old reads aloud from his memoir, ‘Sun Rays at Midnight: One Man’s Quest for the Meaning of Life, Before, During and After the Holocaust.’ ” A year later, with the recording finished, Friedman bought lunch for the AIB staffers to express his appreciation for their help. The next challenge is arranging public access to this chronicle by a Polish Jew who survived 11 Nazi concentration and labor camps. (Full disclosure: As content manager for AIB, my wife helped facilitate the project.) Friedman rose from his wheelchair and in accented English said he had prepared 18 pages of remarks, then laughed and said he would read only three. The years have not dulled

his sense of humor. “Thanks to the dedication of all involved, the promise given to those who could, to survive the catastrophe of mankind, fulfilling the pledge ‘Do

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

not let the world forget what happened to us’ will be enhanced by the legacy of a recorded spoken word. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for that,” Friedman said. He also thanked “the impresario of the project,” Judi Ayal, formerly of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, “who convinced me of its feasibility” and monitored the reading from start to finish. “Do not let the world forget.” That is what the Jewish community does on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, which this year begins at sunset Wednesday, May 4, based on the Jewish calendar. In Atlanta, the

Holocaust will be remembered in commemorations at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 1, at Greenwood Cemetery and at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at the Besser Holocaust Memorial Garden at the Marcus Jewish Community Center. The number of survivors continues to shrink. A year ago, there were 189,000 in Israel. A recent article pegged their average age at 87 years old. In the United States, last year’s estimate of 130,000 is expected to be reduced by half by 2020. Amy Neuman, the program manager of Holocaust survivor services at Jewish Family & Career Services, said the arrival of survivors to be near family has kept steady a figure of about 250 in the Atlanta area. One who recently passed away at age 91 had a unique connection to Friedman. As The Atlanta JournalConstitution reported: “On a Tuesday morning in early June 1950, Maria Geitler Dziewinski opened the door to a familiar face she had not seen since leaving war-torn Europe. It was a friend from her hometown of Krakow, Poland.” That friend was Norbert Friedman. “We walked up a flight of stairs

and knocked on the door,” Friedman told the AJC. “The lady of the house opened the door, and when she saw me, she almost fainted, and so did I. It was Maria Dziewinski.” Friedman is a raconteur, and at lunch he smiled as he retold the reunion story. He believes in the power of memory, so he continues to write and continues to speak. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has initiated an effort called History Unfolded, crowdsourcing public research of newspapers from 1933 to 1945 to learn what Americans knew about the Holocaust as it happened. What has been learned thus far is that more information was available to the public than previously believed. “The sad thing is that, given all that publicity, still the Holocaust happened,” Sandi Auerbach of Somers, N.Y., a member of the museum and contributor to the project, told The Washington Post. More important than decades-old newspaper articles are the memories of living witnesses. That is why Friedman wrote “Sun Rays at Midnight.” That is why it he felt it important to record the memoir in his own voice. ■

Peas and Beans and Rice – Oh, My to debate the mind-spinning halachic intricacies of the kitniyot issue. Nor do I want to. I simply wish to interject a word besides mutar or assur that we have rarely heard invoked in the controversy, especially in a compelling way: “sentiment.”

Guest Column By Rabbi Marc Howard Wilson marcwilson1216@aol.com

Sentiment plays a huge role in Jewish observance, especially when we come to appreciate that Judaism is not merely a cut-and-dried creed. It is a peoplehood (or the clichéd “lifestyle”). It embraces not only do’s and don’ts, but also practices, folkways, regional minhagim and mores. They awaken sentiments that bypass rationality as they streak nonstop to the neshama. Some are not momentary emotions; they often endure for generations, even if their relevance is lost or not even remembered. Sentiments touch warm places

inside, ones that spark fond remembrance of times, celebrations, comfort foods, relatives and loved ones who have passed on, and simply “the way things used to be.” When we’re touched, we savor the sentiment. Perhaps we laugh; occasionally we cry. Kitniyot for some of us might be one of those sentimental tugs. I am Ashkenazi and was raised with practices and traditions uniquely beloved by our “tribe.” I connect with ages and places past — Grodno, Bialystok, Suvalk — with wonderment about when in antiquity some zayde gone by first chanted the melody for “Ki Lo” that we still lustily sing at our seder. And sentiment lives on in the things that “we have always just done that way” — which vegetable for karpas, the family recipe for charoset, hide and seek with the matzah, you know. If we do them “wrong,” we don’t just miss them; we are short-circuited. Perhaps the Conservative rabbis were right about kitniyot but also wrong about them. Sentiment is often stronger than the letter of the law. Thus, we eat our peas at the peril of depriving ourselves of yet another sentimental journey, just because it is

no longer legalistically relevant. My bubbe would never have served green beans on Pesach, and my zayde would have never tolerated a rice kugel. They likely did not even know what role kitniyot played in the bigger picture of Passover observance. But it was integral to their Passover. Now, for me and my family, it makes a statement of where and whom we came from. We do not serve kitniyot, and our kids don’t either. Doubtful that we ever will. Case closed. It may be the minuscule issue of kitniyot or something more august. Rabbis and laity: Please do not strip our practices of their potential for evoking sentiment. Stop calling them “halachically irrelevant.” Create a new/old paradigm in which the things we have come to venerate are still a source of sentimental celebration, rational or not. Loved when they are here. Missed when they are gone. Where is the impetus, anywhere and everywhere, to inject beloved Jewish sentiment into a body that would otherwise be merely inert skin and bones? Unless more of us step up, I fear that one day we will miss these practices dearly when they are gone. ■ 11 APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

o we or do we not eat kitniyot (legumes, rice and related starchy veggies) on Pesach? For centuries the answer has been Se phardim, “Yes,” and Ashkenazim, “No.” Kehillot Ashkenaz apparently were more inclined to mill dried kitniyot into flour to bake into forbidden bread at Pesach. Hence, the Ashkenazi prohibition, which Sephardim do not share. But the maelstrom erupted when a p’sak issued by the Conservative rabbinate lifted the prohibition on kitniyot, even for Ashkenazim. In brief, the rationale was that the practice had become irrelevant because it is now uncommon even in Ashkenazi communities to use kitniyot in the heretofore, bread-driven manner. The p’sak was condemned by Orthodox (and some Conservative) Jews but was largely celebrated by Conservative adherents. To read all the commentary, vitriol and rant in the social media, one would think that either the Messiah had come or that he had been waylaid by the Romans. I am not sufficiently competent

AJT

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OPINION

Ushering in the Messianic Age

he table was set for the seder. My mother’s gleaming, white, embroidered linen tablecloth covered the table. Here and there were faint signs of past spilled wine that gave the cloth some character. After all, it had been used for many years. On top of that was Mother’s handicraft: a large, white, beautifully designed lace overlay that took her many years to complete. The bright white of the table coverings was warmed by the glow of the holiday candles in Mother’s treasured pure-silver Shabbat candelabras, which were always polished. On the table was a large kearah (a treasured seder plate) with the Passover symbols properly displayed. It was now late in the evening. We had performed the commandment of telling the tale. The stories about Egyptian slavery and our redemption had been read, and my father and I had finished our traditional discourse about human freedom. Of course, we enjoyed a sumptuous banquet; no one could make gefilte fish as well as my mother. The chicken soup was golden and befitting the kinglike figure of my father, wearing his white robe while sitting in a large chair surrounded by many pillows, where the afikomen had been hidden and redeemed from my brother, who stole it and held it for ransom. We all sang with great gusto, although most of the time somewhat offkey, before we chanted the thanksgiving prayer for the food we had eaten. Now the special silver cup — Elijah’s becher (chalice) — was filled with wine and set in the middle of the table. “Benjamin,” my father called out, “will you open the door?” My younger brother did so, and

a burst of cool air blew in. It was still quite cool in Munkacs in the middle of April. All of us at the table rose and

Letters to the Editor

be. Very often in life those words don’t match up with our complaints of character, behavior, relationships and petty flaws. My tribute to Dan is that in life as in death, people say the exact same things about him because he spent his entire life trying to help and please others. If you knew Dan, you’ll agree. If you never met Dan, you missed out on a continuously helping and remarkable friend. — Mark Rosenhaft, Talking Rock

Farewell, Dan

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

On April 7 my friend and sidekick Dr. Dan Appelrouth died (obituary, April 15). This was unexpected because I saw him the day before and was told he was improving. Many tributes to Dan poured in. There were over 500 people at his memorial service. My point is that many people who pass away have all the good 12 things said about them, as it should

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One Man’s Opinion By Eugen Schoenfeld

proclaimed “baruch habah,” welcoming the spirit of the prophet. Jarring the table a little bit, I pointed to the quavering wine in the cup and said to my little sister, “Look, Esther, Elijah came and drank from it.” Who is this person, this Elijah? Who is this Tishbite from Gilead whom we invite each year to enter our home even for a brief moment to take a sip of wine from his special cup? He is the prophet who, according to traditional belief, ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot; he is the symbol of our hope. Oy, Gottenyu: Oh, dear G-d, times are hard, and it is ever more difficult to earn a decent parnosoh. Life is getting more bitter and difficult amid the increasing anti-Semitism. I ask you, dear Elijah, be our avenging force. Pour out your wrath on these people as you did almost three millennia ago against the priests of Baal who invaded Israel. Avenge us as you did against Jezebel the evil queen. And above all, bring us geulah — redeem us from these hard times. It is time for you to announce the coming of the Messiah. We, the Jewish people, have long dreamed about the redeemer, the anointed — maybe King David himself reincarnated or his descendent — one who will bring a new world order. For over two millennia in troubled times we have hoped for and believed in the

Keep Giving Haggadot I was very impressed, reading the

coming of the Messiah even though he may tarry. The coming of the Messiah was my mother’s favorite tale. She told me many times her version of the messianic period: It would be a time without strife and hatred when all people would be freed from their daily drudge and she as a woman would no longer have to cook and toil. Didn’t you know that when the Messiah comes wondrous trees will produce fruits that will provide all the nourishment people need? We all will become vegetarians, and we no longer will need to slaughter animals because these wondrous fruits will taste like whatever our heart desires. All you’ll have to do is pluck one from the tree; all of it will be free. The fruits will be as magical as the manna G-d gave our ancestors in the desert after we left Egypt. It will be a time of peace, and we will be freed from G-d’s curse on humanity — the one declaring that with the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread. But above all else, it will be a time of peace. We must earn the privilege of the messianic period. Many wars between Og and Magog — the ones we were told would precede the Messiah — have come and gone, and the redeemer has yet to arrive. Our hope for the coming of the Messiah, for we believe in a literal coming, has had many obstacles. We had to contend with a slew of false messiahs, such as Shabbetai Zvi. As time passed, we began developing a sense of cynicism about the whole idea of a redeemer, and, as we did with many other unrealizable hopes, we turned to humor. Two tailors stood at the open doors to their store, waiting and hoping to attract customers. Times were

hard, and the economic depression was deep. The first tailor sighed and pronounced: “Dear G-d, isn’t it time for you to send us the Messiah?” To which the other tailor responded: “Why are you praying for the Messiah to come?” “You know,” the first tailor said, “when the Messiah will come there will be techiyath hameitim — the dead will rise — and they all will need new clothes, and we will be busy.” “Not so fast,” declared the other tailor. “When the dead will rise, among them there will be many tailors, and competition will be even more furious than now.” “Ah, I don’t know about that,” the first tailor said. “You see, I am not worried about them; they don’t know the latest style.” Some of our hopes associated with the Messiah were already realized. The miracle occurred May 14, 1948, just as I was getting ready to leave Germany for the United States, when the United Nations recognized Israel as an independent country. Jews from the four corners of the world, the remnants, the survivors of the Holocaust, were being taken to the Jewish country — almost 2,000 years after the Romans cleared the Jews from Judaea and forced them to disperse and live in the Diaspora. The miracle is not complete. The essential element in the coming of the messianic world — a world in peace where nations will not teach war — is yet to come. I still believe in and hope for the realization of Isaiah and Micah’s dream of a world sans war for a sensible humanity. I still hope for the realization of a song that I used to sing: Zolt shojn zahn de geulah, Meshiach wilt shon kumen. Let there be a redemption of the world, and the Messiah will indeed still come. ■

paper online erev Pesach in Jerusalem, that you created a beautiful page with images expressing the spirit of the haggadah exhibit at Emory (“Pages Through Time,” April 22). People looking at the cases, discussions going on, a few more images from haggadot — a perfect prelude to the seders and chol hamoed. From afar I can only make suggestions. First, it would be nice if individuals in Atlanta who have haggadah collections would share that information with M. Patrick Graham, the head of the Pitts Theology Library. Then he and his staff could develop a census of hag-

gadot in the Atlanta area and other locales where the paper is read. Second, Dr. Graham is preserving haggadot in the Pitts Library’s climatic control areas. So if you have haggadot you no longer want, pass them on to him. They can be preserved, and the donor’s name will be listed. Third, the haggadah collection at the Pitts Library will grow with the assistance of kind individuals who would like to see available haggadot acquired by the library. Thanks to everyone who has attended the exhibit, open until June. — Rabbi David Geffen, Jerusalem

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Kogon Follows In-Laws’ Example By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com

hen Marty Kogon saw how his father- and mother-in-law volunteered in the local Jewish community to make it better for their children and grandchildren, he knew he aspired to be like them. As the newest recipient of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Lifetime of Achievement Award, he said he has done just that. It’s not receiving the award that humbles him, though; it’s the thought of having his photo on the same wall as his father-in-law, Gerald Cohen, who was given the same award. “While I have literally worked with every single person who is on that wall of Lifetime of Achievement Award winners, and I owe a debt to all of them and admire them all greatly, the thought of being on that wall with my father-in-law is very, very special,” Kogon said. “It’s not an honor that you really seek out. It just happens, and I’m really astonished.” Kogon is being honored during the Fed Talks event Thursday, May 5, for contributions to the Atlanta Jewish community and to Federation. The third annual event will feature three speakers: David Yarus, the founder of What: Fed Talks Where: Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, Buckhead When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5 Tickets: $36, open only to donors to the 2016 Federation community campaign; www.jewishatlanta.org/fedtalks

Jewish dating app JSwipe and marketing agency mllnnl; Randy Gold, the founder of JScreen; and Susan Jackson, the executive director of Women’s Philanthropy, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, and the president and CEO of Focus on a Jewish Tomorrow, a consulting firm whose services shape Jewish engagement and capacity building. Kogon is a past chairman of Federation and sits on the board of directors. He was the original chair and is a current board member of the student scholarship organization ALEF Fund, was the original chair of the Israel Economic Development Committee, and has received numerous honors and awards for his professional service and philanthropic efforts. Federation Chairman Howard Feinsand said Kogon and his family “are the lifeblood of Federation.” “Marty has been and remains a go-to volunteer who gets things done and done in the right way,” Feinsand said. “Marty could and should write the book on how to model philanthropy to one’s children and grandchildren to ensure a Jewish future. Marty was the standout choice for this year’s award. I’m honored to know him and to work with such a mensch.” While Kogon has been in the community trenches, licking envelopes and making solicitation calls as well as serving as chairman, the desire comes naturally to create a community his descendants will be proud of. “What we do today creates the environment that our children are going to grow up and live in,” he said. “If we do that properly, we have something beautiful. If we don’t do it well, our children are the ones who really suffer.” ■

ZBT to Honor Massell

Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell will be honored with the Man of Distinction Award at the international convention of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity this July in Atlanta. Massell, Atlanta’s only Jewish mayor, was a member of the ZBT chapter at the University of Georgia, from which he graduated in 1948. “When you look up the definition of ‘man of distinction,’ you should find a picture of Sam Massell. Sam exemplifies leadership, commitment and involvement. Atlanta saw unbelievable growth during his time as mayor. He has set new standards for accomplishment as head of the Buckhead Coalition,” said ZBT Foundation President Bruce Weinstein, a University of Alabama graduate. “The amazing thing about Sam is how available he is to lend anyone a helping hand. He is the ultimate mentor, and he has been my role model, as well as for others, since I have lived in Atlanta.” ZBT will hold its convention from July 21 to 24 at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead (bit. ly/1YRsQz0). Massell will receive the award during the grand banquet July 23. “One only needs to consider the source to realize how honored I am to be selected for this recognition,” Massell said. “I’ll strive to live up to its title.” ■

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

LOCAL NEWS

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

One Good Match

JF&CS acquires program to aid survivors, other elderly By Tova Norman

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

or the past 10 years Sharon Spiegelman has been making matches. As the director of One Good Deed, Spiegelman has worn many hats — fundraising, marketing, organizing — but her favorite part of her job is matching volunteers with older adults to help them continue to live independently. “We have some matches that have gone on for more than six years,” she said. Now One Good Deed has become part of its own match with Jewish Family & Career Services. As of March 1, OGD is a program within JF&CS’ Aviv Older Adult Services, a department that includes geriatric care management, information and referrals, counseling, caregiver services, transportation, Holocaust survivor services, and other kinds of assistance. This partnership enables JF&CS to expand its services and One Good Deed to take advantage of the infrastructure

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Photo courtesy of JF&CS

One Good Deed client Judy Smith says of her volunteer match, Nancy Brower, “Nancy is one of the best things that has happened to me since I moved back to Atlanta. One Good Deed couldn’t have made a better match.”

at JF&CS. “JF&CS has been focusing on collaborations with other organizations in the community, and One Good Deed is the perfect kind of partner,” said Rick Aranson, the chief executive officer of JF&CS, who announced the partnership at the JF&CS annual meeting March 17. “We offer complementary services, and working collaboratively will result in greater impact in our community and opportunity for our clients.” Marty Halpern, who founded One

Good Deed in 2006, agreed. “We are thrilled to become a part of JF&CS. We view it as a great partnership, and it’s a wonderful growth vehicle for One Good Deed,” he said. When Deborah Zisholtz, the director of Aviv Older Adult Services, who previously worked at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, began her position at JF&CS, she realized the need for a “friendly visitor” program in the array of services Aviv offers. “I’ve always known One Good Deed, since the very beginning,” she said, and she thought it would be the perfect partnership for JF&CS. “It fits nicely in terms of coordination of services for older adults and their family caregivers,” Zisholtz said. “It’s one more layer of support that (clients) can get.” Spiegelman agreed. “One Good Deed’s friendly visitor program just fit perfectly within what they were doing,” she said. “I really thought that this was a good move for us to have sustainability and longevity.” She added: “We’re pretty much transitioned over. We just had a big welcome to JF&CS recognition for National Volunteer Appreciation Week. All of our volunteers came to JF&CS, and Rick and Deborah and some of the geriatric care managers spoke about other services that might be helpful to their recipient or their recipient’s family.” From the beginning of OGD, Spiegelman realized the importance of this type of friendly visitor service. “We learned older adults desperately wanted company, and while volunteers were providing companionship, there were many other ways the volunteer could help in and outside their home,” said Spiegelman, now the program manager for OGD. Over the past decade, OGD has recruited, screened and trained more than 300 community volunteers, who have provided 30,000-plus hours of assistance. The “friendly visitor” often helps in the way a family member would, Zisholtz explained, but without the history that comes with a parent-child or spouse relationship. “There is no bias. There are no issues,” she said. “It’s a totally different relationship that takes a lot of stress off the caregiver.” Since the merger with JF&CS, OGD has received more requests for service,

so volunteers are always needed. “We’ve always had more requests than we’ve had volunteers,” said Vivienne Kurland, One Good Deed’s program coordinator, who has worked as the volunteer coordinator for OGD since 2013. “We have more requests to make matches because JF&CS serves a much larger recipient population,” she said. “It’s not about money,” Halpern said of the organization he founded. “It’s about giving your time and your effort. It’s just a beautiful thing helping someone.” Volunteers are asked to commit to spending two hours twice a month to a care recipient for at least a year. “We want it to become a strong bond, so we are very careful about the matches,” Kurland said. Jane Wullbrandt Center had just returned from the funeral of her match of more than six years on the day that she spoke to the AJT. “It affected me a lot more than I thought it would,” she said. But Center, who volunteers with her husband, Charles, at monthly NORC luncheons as part of her work with OGD, said she has many great memories of spending time with her recipient. “You really get to know your match,” she said. “And they’re really good at matching people.” Center often helped her match with projects or took her to lunch. She brought her to her home for visits and even attended a family wedding with her. “You kind of get to be a little part of their family,” said Center, who actually had two matches she visited regularly. “Both of my matches have daughters who live in town who are their main caretakers, and I’ve had such a great relationship with both of their daughters.” No matter what the volunteer does with the recipient, OGD is about forming a relationship. “It just really enriches your life to be friends with them,” Center said. “It kind of keeps you grounded and makes you think about what is really important and what’s not.” ■ For more information about One Good Deed or to volunteer, contact onegooddeed@jfcs-atlanta.org. To learn about JF&CS’ other programs and services for older adults, contact aviv@jfcs-atlanta.org.

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YOM HASHOAH

Standing Alone Saved Lives in Rwanda By Patrice Worthy

other foreigners left the Tutsi people vulnerable. His presence in the small country made a huge difference. “It’s not what I said. It’s the power of presence. There’s a power in being there,” Wilkens said. “Often it’s not about the responses when there’s a crisis, but we don’t need to stay away.” Rwandans who survived the genocide listened to Wilkens as they remembered the slaughter. Martin Ngamije, who lives in Atlanta and has been in the United States for more than 10 years, lost his entire family in the genocide. He said Wilkens is a hero to many Rwandans. “If we had him in our part of the country, he may have saved a lot of people. It was a possibility to prevent it because the genocide was already prepared, the people knew, especially the international community. The U.N. had a report, but instead they just left,” Ngamije said. “When everybody was packing their stuff, he said, ‘I’m not leaving.’ He stayed to maybe save one person, but he saved hundreds. If you have more people like him, we wouldn’t be able to say over 1 million died. It would be less.”

Wilkens negotiated to stop the killings of Tutsis and to get food to orphanages. He stood up to Gregoire Ndahiman, a former mayor charged with killing more than 2,000 people, at an orphanage housing the children of many of the people Ndahiman killed. “I had a mission, and I guess that’s what helped me,” Wilkens said. “There’s potential in finding an ally in the enemy. It won’t happen all the time, but you have a greater chance if you believe it’s possible.” His ability to humanize people who committed atrocities reflects his talent for looking beyond his immediate circumstances to see the greater good. During his visits back to Rwanda, Wilkens said, he has witnessed true forgiveness in the form of restoration, under which 200 confessed killers of Tutsis are working in a labor camp to rebuild schools and villages. “It’s about not living with bitterness, anger and resentment,” Wilkens said. “If we don’t forgive, we pass that bitterness and anger on to our children, and the Tutsi children deserve to live in a world that is not fueled with hatred and revenge.” ■

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APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

t a moment when abandonment and hopelessness prevailed, Carl Wilkens made a decision that saved thousands of lives. As the only American to stay in Rwanda during the three-month massacre of Tutsis in 1994, the author of “I’m Not Leaving” is an example of what can happen when people stand firm in their convictions. Melanie Nelkin, vice president of American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta Chapter, works to bring awareness to contemporary genocide. She said Wilkens’ story resonates with people because it’s a first-person account. “I think Carl’s message gets across to people because he was there. I think I said in my introduction that it’s rare to meet someone who was a rescuer; they’re hard people to find. During the Holocaust, where were they?” Nelkin said. “Listening to someone who says, ‘I’m risking my life’ these days to prevent genocide, we just need to be aware. Sometimes it’s not about creating consensus and changing people’s minds; it’s about laying doubt.”

Wilkens spoke about Rwanda on Monday, April 18, at an event sponsored by Am Yisrael Chai, the Georgia Coalition to End Genocide, AJC and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust for Genocide Awareness Month. Wilkens recalled the process of deciding to stay in Rwanda when everyone else left, abandoning orphanages, schools and the place they called home. His story is a lesson in genocide prevention and a testament to the power of presence. Wilkens said he learned that standing your ground in the face of violence is a powerful weapon. “They were told, ‘We’re leaving, but you can’t bring any Rwandans with you, it’s too dangerous,’ ” Wilkens said. “That’s what hurt: We had a plan for ourselves and not for them. The embassies cleared out all the citizens. The idea to stay never crossed their minds.” Wilkens moved his wife and children to Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, while he stayed to save the lives of people in the community where he had lived for almost a decade. Wilkens said he understands the logistics of leaving Rwanda, but the mass exodus of 275 Americans in addition to hundreds of

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YOM HASHOAH

Child Survivor Reveals Never-Ending Holocaust By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

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abbi Joseph Polak was 50 years old and visiting Paris to give a lecture on Jewish law in July 1992 when he had an urge to open a door into his past by taking a quick trip to Germany to see Bergen-Belsen. He couldn’t remember the Nazi camp, but he and his parents were held there for more than a year until they were crammed onto a freight car and shipped east in the final weeks of World War II. That journey killed his father and nearly did the same to his mother before Soviet troops freed them. It wasn’t until his return to Bergen-Belsen that Rabbi Polak began to understand how the end of the war in 1945 didn’t end the Holocaust for him and so many other survivors — a theme he explores in depth in his memoir, “After the Holocaust the Bells Still Ring,” which won a National Jewish Book Award last year. Depending on how he reads his audience, it’s also a theme he will discuss Sunday, May 8, when he is the keynote speaker at the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Yom HaShoah commemoration. His story of a child born in Nazioccupied Holland in 1942, surviving Westerbork and Bergen-Belsen, and fleeing to Canada with his mother in 1948 has been seen as the continuation of the life of another Jewish child, Anne Frank, whose diary ends with her capture in Amsterdam. Both the Franks and the Polaks were taken to Westerbork, then Bergen-Belsen, where Anne Frank died. Rabbi Polak noted one of her final diary entries: “Ultimately, I believe in the goodness of man.” “Had she been able to write in Bergen-Belsen — where in the last month there was no food, none, or drinking water, and a high percentage of the prisoners had typhus, and people were eating each other — she would have never written that,” Rabbi Polak said. The book shows that liberation didn’t bring a fairy-tale future for sur-

vivors. Death s e e m e d certain for young Joseph’s mother, so he was adopted out, only to be reunited with her when she Rabbi Joseph Polak says r e c o v e r e d the war and the Nazis months later. weren’t going to tell him They stayed what kind of Jew to be. in Holland until 1948 but realized there was no future for them in a country where 85 percent of the Jews had been slain. “There’s no country in which Jews were more betrayed than Holland,” Rabbi Polak said, criticizing the Dutch effort to portray Frank’s story as typical across the nation. He and his mother went to her former hometown of Montreal, where her father had been a cantor, but they found that the community didn’t want to hear about the Holocaust. Rabbi Polak said the first prayer he learned was the Kaddish, not the Shema, so he could stand at the front of a strange shul every morning and mourn for a father he didn’t remember. And no one asked him why a 6-year-old was saying Kaddish That attitude rubbed off on Rabbi Polak. His mother was willing to talk about what happened in Europe, but the older he got, the less he wanted to hear it. Fortunately, his wife eventually recorded his mother’s story. It turns out that Rabbi Polak, who spent most of his career as a Hillel rabbi in the Boston area, was right on time in delving into his past: Survivors tend to start talking and looking for answers at age 50. Now 74, Rabbi Polak is trying to tell his story to as many people as possible. “I am terrified of the memory of the Holocaust going down the tubes … with the demise of the last survivors,” he said. “The world out there is getting tired of hearing this.” ■

Who: Rabbi Joseph Polak What: Yom HaShoah commemoration Where: Besser Holocaust Memorial Garden, Marcus Jewish Community Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody When: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8 Admission: Free; www.atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161

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YOM HASHOAH

Minister Builds Bridges One Grave at a Time By Jan Jaben-Eilon

n increasing number of Atlanta congregations are organizing trips for their members, but instead of going to Israel, they are traveling to the ancestral home of 80 percent of American Jews: Poland. Both The Temple and Congregation Etz Chaim have taken trips to Poland in recent years, and Temple Sinai plans a Poland visit for summer 2017. One Atlantan annually spends weeks in Poland to restore Jewish cemeteries, but most Atlanta Jews have never heard of him. That may be because Steven Reece is a Southern Baptist minister. In 2010 he launched the Matzevah Foundation, named for the Hebrew word for a gravestone, which organizes Jewish cemetery restoration projects in Poland that include Christians, Jews and local Poles. Although a connection to Jewish cemeteries in Poland might seem a stretch for a Southern Baptist minister, Reece’s passion developed organically. A professional photojournalist, Reecewas drawn to Poland in 1988 after seeing photographs of Christians living in Communist Poland. After studying at a U.S. seminary, he returned to Poland in March 1997, which is when he began to understand the complex relationship between Poles and Jews. An offhand comment by a waitress in Otwock, led him to a Jewish cemetery. “I began to research why cemeteries were important to Jews. I saw a website about a Polish Jewish cemetery restoration association, and I

was hooked,” he said. “I feel I owe a debt to Jews for being a vessel of G-d. On a practical level, for me, the outcome isn’t the restoration of a cemetery, but the restoration Steven Reece sees of a relationship. himself building Jews gave birth to bridges between Christians and Jews. Christianity. And a great evil was perpetrated,” a reference to the Holocaust. “It should be Christians who take the first step because the Shoah happened during the Christian reign in a Christian country,” Reece said. “Ninety percent of the people were Christian. The theological aftermath of the Shoah was very difficult. We were viewed as perpetrators or people who just stood idly by. Christians must understand the Jewish perspective of the Shoah. Our response should be one of justice. “The essence of this is mercy and lovingkindness, which is the highest expression for Jews. I felt we, as Christians, could go into this no man’s land between Christians and Jews.” Although the members of the board of the Matzevah Foundation are Christian and its work in Jewish cemeteries in Poland has been accomplished by Baptists and Catholics, Reece’sgoal has always been to include Jews in his restoration projects. But he has not found much interest among American Jews. “This surprised and saddened me,” he said. “The primary Jewish response in North America has been,

Steven Reece examines a matzevah in the Zambrow Jewish cemetery in 2013.

‘Why should we go back? It’s a graveyard.’ The second response has been ambivalence.” Reece said that restoring graveyards isn’t about death, but about the lives of Jews who thrived in Poland. “These people had lives and died and were put in graveyards, which families cared for. ... Why should we just walk away because of seven years of death? Reece, who lived in Poland for years and speaks fluent Polish, thinks American Jews have allowed a piece of themselves to be cut off from their history because of the Holocaust. Two years after he created the Matzevah Foundation and now living in Atlanta, he sought contacts in the local Jewish community. He sent a letter introducing his project to the Atlanta Rabbinical Association and letters “to every rabbi of every congregation. I didn’t distinguish between Reform, Conservative or Orthodox.” He received only one response, from Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple, and they have continued a dialogue. “I met with Steven because he asked,” Rabbi Berg said. “The first time, I didn’t know him; I just responded to

his meeting request. But I have come to admire him and the mission of Matzevah, especially since returning from Poland and seeing the cemeteries firsthand. He is doing good work, and it comes from a genuine place.” In Poland, Reece works with a representative of Poland’s chief rabbi and with the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage (FODZ) in Poland. When they asked him why he was interested in restoring Jewish cemeteries in the country, he had one word: “Reconciliation.” This summer Matzevah will work on five cemeteries, including one in Oswiecim, near Auschwitz. For the first time he will work with two American Jewish groups on restorations. In one case, eight family members and descendants from Markuszow will work on that community’s cemetery. Reece said FODZ wants descendant groups to champion these cemeteries. “I am developing a collaboration model for how descendants in North America can partner with local Poles to care for the cemeteries. My role is only consultative.” Living in the United States after Poland hasn’t been easy for Reece. “When I came back from Poland, I couldn’t re-enter the Baptist world. What I do doesn’t resonate with the Baptist community,” but he’s also out of step with the Jewish community. “I stand as a hybrid between Jews and Christians, but I’m neither one,” he said. “I’ve become a third culture. For the person in the middle, I have to show grace to both sides. But that’s what bridge builders do.” ■

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YOM HASHOAH

Atlanta Nonprofit Helps Polish Torah Get Home By Jan Jaben-Eilon

Polish Torah that was brought to this country about a century ago and made its way to Temple Hadar Israel in New Castle, Pa., has returned home to a new congregation in the center of Warsaw. The stream of serendipitous acquaintances and connections that enabled this homecoming in a matter of weeks still has its participants reeling. Sam Bernstine, the board president of Temple Hadar Israel, whose history stretches back more than 100 years through its predecessor shuls, said his congregation is still glowing with pride and accomplishment for the donation of one of its eight Torah scrolls to Beit Centrum Ki Tov in Warsaw. “Sometimes we feel that we’re so small that we can’t have much of an impact, but this gave us a chance to have a major impact. I have received numerous emails from congregants about this beautiful story and how, even in our dwindling years, we’re able to make such an impact,” Bernstine said. When Bernstine said “dwindling,” he was being realistic. In the 1950s, New Castle’s population was about 50,000; now it’s half that. The city once had 300 Jewish families; now it has 70 Jews, most of whom are senior citizens. New Castle is one of an increas-

ing number of small U.S. Jewish communities whose ability to sustain Jewish life is declining along with their populations. Watching this evolution in American Jewish life, David Sarnat, a former head of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, created the Jewish Community Legacy Project to help those communities plan for their eventual dissolution. The Atlanta-based JCLP started a few years ago, signing up small Jewish communities and helping them “find a way to prepare a plan that honorably allows them to leave a legacy, as well as make sure their assets go to aspects of Jewish life that were important to them when they were a vibrant congregation,” said Sarnat, who has worked with Temple Hadar Israel for years to help it establish its legacy plan. “What made this Torah donation so exciting was the coming together of circumstances, and it happened so quickly,” he said. (Full disclosure: The writer of this article notified David Sarnat of Beit Centrum’s need for a Torah.) Just days after learning that a Progressive Jewish congregation in Poland planned to open its doors Friday night, April 8, the first of Nisan, and needed a Torah, Sarnat contacted Bernstine, who requested a letter of explanation for the Torah’s need. Joe Smoczynski sent an email

A Torah written in Poland that wound up in New Castle, Pa., returns to Poland for its first Shabbat in its new congregation in Warsaw on April 8.

from Poland relating how the launch of the congregation had been planned for years. Beit Warszawa, where Smoczynski is a board member, is the flagship congregation of Beit Polska, the umbrella organization of Polish Progressive Judaism, recognized by the World and European unions for Progressive Judaism. But Beit Warszawa is about six miles from the center of the Polish capital, and some congregants wanted a more centrally located Synagogue. The chair of Beit Polska’s audit

committee, Smoczynski wrote: “Before 1939, Poland had thousands of Sefer Torahs, which were virtually all destroyed or saved by some and taken abroad. Today, if we wish to have a community, we need to find a Torah from outside Poland. The alternatives in Warsaw are Chabad, the Orthodox, and a Reform community set up and indirectly controlled by the Orthodox. There is no affiliate of the World Union for Progressive Judaism or the European Union for Progressive Judaism in the center of Warsaw, a city which had the world’s largest temple before the Second World War.” Smoczynski wrote his letter March 15. On March 20, the board of Temple Hadar Israel voted unanimously to donate a Torah to the new congregation. A few days later, with the encouragement of Rabbi Howie Stein, Hadar Israel congregant Dale Perelman carried the Torah to Los Angeles and the waiting arms of Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak, the executive director of Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland, who carried the Torah to Poland at the end of March. Less than a month after Sarnat made the match between Hadar Israel and Beit Centrum, the Torah and its new home were dedicated in a special Shabbat that included current Rabbi Boris Dolan and former Beit Warszawa Rabbi Gil Nativ, who flew with his wife

Riding for Rebirth

Atlanta native works for Krakow Jewish community By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

tlanta native Jennifer Singer has lived and worked with the Jewish community of Krakow, Poland, the past eight months as part of a yearlong program with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Singer, who attended the Epstein School, is serving as a JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps Fellow. She assists the Jewish Community Center of Krakow staff in developing programming to engage tourists and locals in Polish Jewish life. Jenn is part of a larger cohort of 20+ JSC Fellows serving worldwide with JDC. In early June, Singer will help oversee the Ride for the Living, a 55-mile bike ride from Auschwitz-Birkenau to the JCC Krakow. It is one of the largest annual fundraising projects of the Krakow Jewish community. 18 “The Ride for the Living is not

AJT

only to remember the Holocaust, but to celebrate the future of the Jewish community in Krakow,” Singer told the AJT. “The story being told of Jewish life in Poland is unlike any Jennifer Singer other in the world, and the JCC is helping lead the way to building the Jewish future of Krakow.” Despite existing less than 60 miles from the worst of the Nazi death camps, the JCC Krakow has more than 600 Jewish members and is part of a thriving community with three active synagogues. Singer said that the Krakow Jewish community has gained strength each year since the fall of Poland’s Communist Party in 1989 and that a growing number of young adults in the city are reconnecting to their Jewish roots. Add 1.5 million visitors each year to Ausch

witz, many of them Jewish and staying in Krakow, and the community is in a good position to prosper. “It’s very inspirational to be here in this city,” Singer said. The 2016 Ride for the Living, from June 2 to 5, will be the third time cyclists have trekked across the Polish countryside in support of Holocaust survivors and Jewish rebirth in Poland. In 2014, 15 people participated in the ride. This summer, Singer said, organizers expect 100 to 150. “With the funds raised from the first ride in 2014,” Singer said, “we were able to bring 30 of our Holocaust survivors to Israel for the first time. Many of them had never been on a plane or even

traveled outside of Krakow for their entire life. Last year we had 85 participants and raised $150,000.” Funds raised from the ride go toward the JCC Krakow’s senior club (which includes 80 Holocaust survivors), Jewish student club, Sunday school and Club Bet for adults. The Ride for the Living was inspired by Robert Desmond, a JCC Krakow member who in 2013 rode his bicycle 1,350 miles from London to Auschwitz, visiting World War II sites of liberation along the way. Desmond realized that the ride should not have ended in a place of loss but at a place of hope, and the Ride for the Living was born. ■

Feel Like Going for a Ride? Registration for the Ride for the Living from June 2 to 5 is open at www. friendsofjcckrakow.org/2016-registration. The registration fee, including three nights in a hotel, ranges from $500 per person for triple occupancy in a three-star hotel to $1,075 for single occupancy in a five-star hotel. There also is a commitment to raise at least $800 ($400 for those under age 30).

A mezuzah goes up at the new Beit Centrum Ki Tov in central Warsaw.

from their home in Israel for the occasion. Rabbi Nativ was instrumental in naming Beit Centrum Ki Tov. As Rabbi Nativ explained, ki tov, meaning “it was good,” is a repeated phrase in the first chapter of Genesis. But “Ki-Tov” was also the Hebrew name chosen by a Polish rabbi who made aliyah and whose family name was originally Mokotov. The new congregation was named in memory of Rabbi Nativ’s good friend Michael Mokotov, who died in the Yom Kippur War and descended from that rabbi. The idea to name the congregation after Mokotov was “brought to my attention last December by a group of Polish Jews by choice, most of whom I mentored during the three years I lived in Poland,” Rabbi Nativ said. As Smoczynski noted in his letter to Hadar Israel, Poland lost two generations of Jews through the Holocaust and the 4½ decades of Communist rule afterward, during which survivors were forced to continue to hide their religion. “We have many members who are at the beginning of their journey, seeking to repair their destroyed or broken Jewish roots.” Beit Centrum is establishing its roots with a planting from the mature Temple Hadar Israel. As Smoczynski wrote: “This gift means a part of your community will always be with us. You have given us a seed that we will nurture so it can grow and bloom.” Likewise, JCLP is growing in a new direction, becoming its own nonprofit organization. “It’s a function of maturity,” Sarnat said. The Breman Museum was JCLP’s first fiscal agent, followed by the

Union for Reform Judaism, which with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Jewish Federations of North America, plus a grant from the Atlanta-based Marcus Foundation, helped get JCLP on its feet. “Donating the Torah to Poland is emblematic of what JCLP is capable of doing in the next years,” JCLP board Chairman Michael Kay said. “JCLP will emerge as a crossroads of a lot of activities that are disconnected. JCLP will become the place to go when you have a need for a Torah or some other ritual items, or you want to donate one. JCLP will become the home address for many such interesting activities, and you can’t put a value on that.” Sarnat, who heads JCLP with former Federation executive Noah Levine, said JCLP has worked with 40 communities, most of which are still active, although three have closed. Through their legacy plans, these congregations have established endowments for the perpetual care of their cemeteries, Holocaust education and scholarships for young people. “We’ve helped place $2 million in endowments with Federations (in nearby larger communities), with $12 million in the pipeline,” Sarnat said. Torahs and other ritual items from those various communities have been donated to Hillel chapters at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Vermont and the University of Texas. A few Torahs were donated to two Reform Jewish camps, two Reform congregations in Israel and the TALI school in Jerusalem. “When we started out, we didn’t know if we needed to be a separate organization,” Kay said, “but now becoming its own entity will help its identity. I’d known David about 30 years when he asked me to become the nominal chair when they started. I didn’t grow up in a small community, but I’m empathetic. These are communities that, through thick and thin, have persevered, just as Jews have persevered. It’s not easy to get a congregation like this started when there are very few Jews, then they grow, and then at the end of their lifecycle, they are small again. It’s important to manage the exit as honorably as possible.” Hadar Israel’s Bernstine said: “I keep telling people that we need to keep finding ways to be relevant today. We want to leave our own legacy. It is one thing to take something from Atlanta to Tuscaloosa, but this was a global connection and relationship. It shows how a few people can have a significant impact on others by doing the right thing.” ■

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APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

YOM HASHOAH

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YOM HASHOAH

Weber’s Trip Through History

Seniors experience Israel before and after a week in Poland By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

or five weeks in December and January, 36 seniors from the Weber School took part in an impactful trip to Israel. But rather than repeat the traditional trip Weber has taken in years past, the Jewish high school added a weeklong section in Poland focused on Jewish history and the rebuilding of modern Jewish communities there after the Holocaust. In Poland the students experienced what was once a Jewish community numbering in the millions and traveled to Auschwitz and Majdanek to bear witness to the horrors of the Shoah. Students also met with Jewish youths at the new Jewish community centers in Krakow and Warsaw. “The students were definitely impacted by their experience,” said Rachel Zebrak, the coordinator of the Israel/Poland Experience trip for Weber. “It is an extraordinary culmination to

Weber students relax atop Masada after climbing the mountain and reenacting the battle that ended the Great Jewish Revolt in 73 C.E.

our students’ Jewish day school and general high school careers.” Zebrak said the goal of the fiveweek trip was to teach the students about the significance of the creation of modern Israel and its place in history to help develop their attachment to the Jewish state. One sign of the trip’s success is that several Weber seniors now are looking at gap year programs

in Israel. The students’ experiences in Israel ranged from studying at IDC Herzliya to participating in social justice activities at Tahana Merkazit. They went through a five-day Israel Defense Forces simulation program called GADNA, in which the Weber students learned how to shoot M-16 rifles, took military orders and slept in tents. The Atlanta

teens also studied and re-enacted the battle of Masada and prayed in the 2,000-year-old synagogue in the mountain fortress. Having gotten a taste of that ancient battle, they visited Sderot, the southern town that has been subjected to relentless rocket fire from Gaza the past decade. The students also took up issues of coexistence during meetings with Arabs and Druze. “Having traveled to Israel two times already, I doubted that the third trip would be much different. I mainly went to be with my friends and to grow closer with them as we made our way through the classic tourist sites and cities,” Weber senior Michelle Nelkin said. “Upon reflectance, I realize that this trip brought me closer not only to my friends, but also to Israel and to Judaism through the power of our very own language: Hebrew.” Zebrak said, “Our kids left Israel with a love and appreciation for the country that will forever be solidified in their hearts and souls.” ■

‘Saddest Day in Poland’ Weber School senior Remy Zimmerman kept a journal throughout the trip and provided the following excerpt from one of her entries in Poland. oday was our saddest day in Poland so far. We went to the Auschwitz concentration camp in the morning, and I was really nervous on the bus ride there. We got headsets and radios and split off into our two classes. It was very foggy and gloomy outside, which accurately set the mood for the day. We walked through the concentration camp and saw where people slept, where women were tortured, where medical tests were done, and honestly, I feel weird writing these things down; it is so inhumane. We were told a story about how the Nazis would cut open the stomachs of pregnant women, clear them out and put live animals inside. They would sow them up and let them slowly die. It’s terrible. Parts of the concentration camp were set up like a museum. There was a room of hair, a room of shoes, a room of brushes and a room of suitcases, all of which were found at the camp and belonged to people who were unwillingly brought in. It made everything very real. These artifacts were right in front of my eyes … all of them, in a pile. I don’t understand how people still deny the Holocaust. It makes no sense to me. I can’t fully put into words everything I was thinking today, and I can’t wrap my mind around everything we saw. We went to the book of names, and none of

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

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my family had been in the Holocaust, but I still looked up my last name and found five pages filled with Zimmermans. There were also two full pages of Greenbergs, which was my mom’s maiden name. It scared me to see these pages. I don’t know if I am related to any of them. I don’t think I am, but what On a foggy December morning, Weber students draped in Israeli if I’m wrong? flags stand outside the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau. We went to another write about it. This was the closest I have, and ever room that was dedicated to the children who died will be, to understanding what life was like during at the camp. An artist took drawings that those kids the Holocaust, and I am still nowhere near full commade during the war and re-created them exactly prehension. The tour was like going through a time how they were found. They were all drawn in penmachine. cil, and some had small amounts of color. Using a The part that really spoke to me was at the end pencil as well, he traced the pictures directly on to when our guide said to us, “Your visit is over. Follow the wall. He didn’t add or take away anything from me to the exits and return your headset.” Our walk the original drawings. through the concentration camp was just a tour. There were recordings of kids talking that had … We were able to leave. Victims of the Holocaust been recovered from the Holocaust, and they were were not on a tour that had an end. playing overhead. This room got to me. Some kids They couldn’t make any long-term goals. Each drew birds and trees, and others drew soldiers with morning they woke up and had to focus on survivguns. They were too young to understand the war, ing that single day or that single hour. They knew but some kids were able to depict an accurate imtheir time was limited, but they didn’t know when age. I was sad throughout the tour, but this was the that limit would become their reality. The inside of first part that made me cry. the concentration camps were their only world. I After this we walked into a gas chamber, and it saw that same inside but was able to walk out. ■ was really disturbing. I don’t know what else I could

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YOM HASHOAH

Meeting Survivors’ Needs in Their Final Years receive social programming, reparation assistance, case management or financial assistance through JF&CS. Approximately 80 get financial assistance; 38 percent have income at or below the federal poverty level. “Many survivors feel compelled

Guest Column By Cherie Aviv

to tell their stories and ensure Nazi atrocities never again occur,” said Aaron Berger, the executive director of the Breman Museum. “However, telling their stories takes a toll physically, emotionally and psychologically on this aging population. We are extremely pleased that this consortium, under the leadership of Cherie Aviv, with support from JFGA, is addressing such a pressing and important need.” “In 2016, JF&CS received $687,000 in Claims Conference dollars, and for 2015 it was $589,000,” said Amy Neuman, the manager of Holocaust services for JF&CS. “We did get an increase, and it seems like a large amount, yet it is not enough, especially in light of the fact that we had an all-time-high new enrollment in 2015 of 25 survivors. The existing funds are insufficient to meet the growing needs associated with all of these services due to aging survivors.” Many clients are older than 90. The projected annual cost for the unmet needs is $400,000, based on requests received in 2015. The HSSF initiative has resonated with members of the community. It has raised more than $1.06 million from more than 140 donors, including 11 foundations, as of mid-April. HSSF has distributed nearly $50,000 to cover assisted living support, prescription drug support, medical bills, home-delivered meals and emergency assistance based on requests received through February. “Our community has really stepped up in support of this effort,” said Howard Feinsand, the Federation board chair. “It was clear that we needed to do something to address these unmet needs, and I’m glad we could serve as convener for the local Jewish agencies in our community.” Contributing to this success has been the collaboration among the

agencies in coordinating services and meeting social needs. For example, without Federation’s support and ability to convene all of the pertinent agencies, this critical need would not be getting the attention and outpouring of support that it has received. The Marcus JCC and Hemshech organized Supper With Survivors, a dinner for young adults and survivors. The Breman offers free event tickets to survivors and creates intergenerational opportunities for teens and the survivor community to get together. JF&CS and Jewish Home Life Communities are working together to identify joint referral and care opportunities. Jewish Federations of North America launched the Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care, known as The Center, responsible for the distribution of federal funds. JF&CS was one of 23 Jewish service organizations nationwide to receive funding from this program through a request for proposal process. JF&CS, with matching funds from HSSF, was awarded $176,000 from The Center over two years to aid survivors. The Center will provide $99,000, of

which $60,000 is from federal funds. The HSSF initiative will provide $66,000, and JF&CS will fund $11,000. “For years, JF&CS has been proud to provide services to survivors as the needs of aging survivors grow,” said Rick Aranson, the CEO of JF&CS. “Our partnership role with HSSF to address the unmet needs is stellar and allows us to bring the very best results to a special and deserving population.” In reflecting on this effort, I am proud of our community for stepping up to care for survivors. The response has been amazing, and I am truly humbled by it. The HSSF initiative is already having an impact, and I am pleased about the difference we are making. If you would like to learn more about the Holocaust Survivor Support Fund, be part of this community effort or make a contribution, please call Susan Moray at 404-870-7690, email smoray@jewishtatlanta.org, or visit JewishAtlanta.org/holocaustsurvivorsupportfund. ■ Cherie Aviv is the chair of the Holocaust Survivor Support Fund.

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

ane is in her mid-80s and is a survivor of Auschwitz. She lives with her daughter, Leigh, her only family member. Leigh works full time, which is a problem because Jane has dementia and cannot be left alone. Through a program at Jewish Family & Career Services, Jane receives funds to provide coverage for the maximum allowed — 25 hours of home care a week. While 25 hours might seem like a lot, Jane (like many others) needs much more. The funds Jane receives are provided by the Claims Conference established by Germany, which set this cap. The Claims Conference, founded in 1951, allocates German government funds to Holocaust survivors in need throughout the world for suffering and losses resulting from Nazi persecution. The Claims Conference makes some direct reparations to survivors and funnels others through agencies. But the amount it gives is not enough. When I heard about this situation and similar ones for Holocaust survivors in our community, I felt an overwhelming responsibility to do something. I knew survivors were getting some assistance, but I was surprised when I learned the needs far exceeded the funds available. I knew the time to act was now. Spearheaded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, we assembled a Holocaust assessment committee of representatives from partner agencies and community volunteers. The result was a recommendation to address the shortfall in an outreach effort called the Holocaust Survivor Support Fund. The community formed an advisory committee of representatives from Federation, JF&CS, Jewish Home Life Communities, the Breman Museum, the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Eternal Life-Hemshech and 14 community volunteers. Federation’s Holocaust Survivor Support Fund initiative kicked off in September with a clear focus on raising funds to meet the needs for survivors. The estimated shortfall to meet these needs each year is $500,000, or $2.5 million the next five years. The money raised will be put into a spend-down fund. As pledges are paid, dollars will be distributed to agencies through a formal process. In Atlanta, 212 survivors have been identified. Of those, about 130

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ARTS

Sacred Collection Comes to Carlos

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

ew York collector Alice Kandell, a Harvard Ph.D. and child psychologist, has made a dramatic enhancement to Atlanta’s arts scene. On loan through Nov. 27 at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum is “Doorway to an Enlightened World,” through which compelling works of Tibetan Buddhist art are displayed not as individual, unconnected pieces but in their proper sacred context, regarded as a doorway into a higher world. Among the most impressive objects are large, gilt-bronze Buddhas and bodhisattvas dating from the 15th through the 18th centuries, a Mongolian silver Buddha with seashell and coral adornments, and a gilded bronze of the goddess Tara with a gemencrusted crown. The paintings are framed within their original silk brocade, complete with the original finials. Author and media personality Robyn Spizman Gerson said, “My husband, Ed, and I attended Alice Kandell’s lecture at the Carlos, and it was amazing. She is a brilliant woman, devoted philanthropist, and has amassed a world-class collection. Her knowledge of Tibetan art is unsurpassed, and the spiritual essence embraces an exotic culture. The impressive craftsmanship of each piece embodies a culture few of us could even imagine. “We are in awe of Alice’s artful mission and intrigued by the fact that the art is not about the artist, rather the juxtaposition of the history of each family who possessed it for hundreds of years. It’s a not-to-be-missed experience, and Alice takes us on a fascinating journey into another world.”

AJT

Jaffe: How did you get involved with this type of collection? Kandell: It’s very much a fairy tale story. When I was in college, my friend visited the tiny border country of Sikkim, where she fell in love with their crown prince and soon became queen. I went to their coronation (after pleading with my Harvard professors to grant me the time off). From that point forward, I was overwhelmed by the beauty, people, art and functioning of the Buddhist community. Fantasy became reality.

Jaffe: Can you provide some of the history vis-a-vis your collection? 22 Kandell: During the 1960s China

Photo by Kay Hinton, Emory University

This shrine at the Carlos Museum displays the Buddhist pieces in their proper context.

Jaffe’s Jewish Jive By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com

destroyed much of the culture. As refugees fled, they could not carry artwork. During the Cultural Revolution, China demolished close to 6,000 monasteries and historical frescoes (dating to the 900s), extracted gemstones, and melted the gold. Remember, some of these shrines were seven stories high. The better news is the Chinese now know what they lost and are attempting to re-create new things from the old relics. But it won’t be the same. In 1975 India annexed Sikkim. Jaffe: Why Atlanta? Is this display going to other cities? Kandell: For two years it was at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. After Atlanta it will be permanently displayed at the Smithsonian. The Carlos, a gem of a museum, did a wonderful job during the opening with nine monks dressed in yellow, chanting and singing in a deep-throat overtone voice. It’s a special sound where they produce two notes at once. It was very moving and brought tears to my eyes. Note that monks have that vocal range because they had to communicate from mountain to mountain (laughing) before cellphones. The Dalai Lama blessed many of the objects here and has a special relationship with Emory. Jaffe: Share with us how your

Photo by Bigelow Taylor

Alice Kandell has been involved with Buddhist art since she was in college and a friend fell in love with the king of Sikkim.

Photo by Alice Kandell

Chanting and singing Buddhist monks help open the exhibition at the Carlos Museum.

photography interplays. Kandell: The king of Sikkim gave me total access to document the country’s culture. For several years I bounced around on mules and in jeeps, which resulted in my two books: “Mountaintop Kingdom” and “Sikkim: The Hidden Kingdom.” In a way this was like Camelot. I donated the 300 original photographs to the Library of Congress. They are accessible online and part of the public domain. Jaffe: How does a Jewish woman process this kind of iconography not as an anathema to our Ten Commandments? Kandell: I am Jewish, not Buddhist. The goal of Buddhism is self-enlightenment, which does not conflict with Judaism. These serene icons help people meditate and enhance one’s

understanding of self and universe. I’m a collector of many things. Jaffe: What’s the extent of your collecting, and is it a fait accompli? Kandell: I had about 500 pieces and donated 250 to the Smithsonian, which built a room to display the art exactly as it was positioned in my dining room rather than individually on pedestals. By the way, it would have taken 10 rooms to display on pedestals. In terms of the future, hmmm … this is like an addiction to me. If my curator found the right piece, I’d go for it. Remember, this type of art does not belong to me or anyone. Jaffe: At what monetary value could the shrine room be estimated? Kandell: Let me think. What’s a sunset worth? ■

BUSINESS

Sharing 16 Life Lessons • If you get indigestion, lie on your left side. • Find people who know things in a blink and hold them dear — doctors, electricians, car mechanics, etc. Read “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell if you don’t know what I’m talking about. When you need to hire professionals for either personal or business reasons, always seek out experts in

Business Sense By Ed Mendel

their respective fields. Do not hire generalists. For example, when it comes to lawyers, doctors or financial advisers, seek out someone who has a narrow focus to get the best possible advice. • The more people yell and scream, the guiltier they are. It’s like the old expression: The chicken that squawks the loudest usually ends up at the company picnic. • Cybersecurity is a real problem. Don’t be lazy; change your major passwords every three to four months. • Winners win; losers make excuses. • The people who are successful in life and make the big money are those who make decisions. • Like most shortcuts, it was an ill-chosen route. • Don’t ever miss a chance to tell someone you love him or her. If you like this advice, share it with your friends and family. And tell them that you love them every day! ■ Ed Mendel, co-founder of Ned Davis Research Group and Davis, Mendel & Regenstein, is a philanthropist and a limited partner in the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta, Waze Partner

sraeli-created Waze already is the go-to app for many drivers looking for the fastest way around metro Atlanta, but a new partnership could make Waze indispensable. The city of Atlanta announced March 30 that it was joining the Waze Connected Citizen Program to help reduce traffic congestion. Under the partnership, Waze sends the city realtime information that app users share about crashes, stalls, congestion and other road issues. In return, the city

SUZI VOYLES

tells Waze and its users about road construction, closures, utility work and emergencies that might affect traffic. “The city of Atlanta is proud to join the Waze Connected Citizen Program,” Mayor Kasim Reed said. “Through this partnership, we will be better positioned to support additional viable solutions, promoting a better quality of life.” Atlanta joins Johns Creek, Bartow County and West Jackson as Georgia localities participating in the program. ■

SANDY SPRINGS

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 VOTE MAY 24TH PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE MONTHLY MEETING OF

The Jewish Breakfast Club with featured speaker DR. JEFFREY KOPLAN

Vice President, Global Health at Emory University

Wednesday, May 11th 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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JBC

Jewish Breakfast Club

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

recently had the pleasure of going to Grandparents Day for my grandson’s class, and Mr. Yates, the headmaster of the Atlanta Speech School, shared a quote with us that every time someone dies, it’s like a library burns down. He then said that it does no good in life to have all the knowledge in the world if you don’t share it with people. Which brought me to think about the covenant of G-d and the Jewish people. There are many different stories on this topic, but the one that sticks with me is the story I learned growing up. G-d offered the Torah to nine other tribes before He offered it to the Jewish people. The other tribes offered financial rewards, but the Jewish people instead offered a guarantee that they would teach their children and their children’s children from generation to generation — l’dor vador. With that background in mind, here are 16 life lessons that I would like to share from my library: • If you don’t go to bat, you can’t hit a home run. No one ever became successful in what they were going to do. Just do it. • If money can take care of something, it’s not a real problem. We all know people who have real problems. • Don’t ever start believing that your sweat is perfume. • Be nice to everyone you meet. But stay away from toxic people; they will bring you down. • If you argue with an idiot, you only end up talking to yourself. • When you make a mistake, admit it and get on with your life. • The more things you own, the more they own you. • Learn to accept the things you cannot change.

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EDUCATION Program adviser Laura Klingensmith (left), Principal Shlaina Van Dyke and Head of School Rabbi Ed Harwitz help Weber’s Technion challenge team celebrate its second-place finish April 18.

Weber Second With Rube Goldberg Machine

his staff into a serpent, and culminates in the unveiling of a seder plate. You can see the machine in action at youtu. be/uKoUIuFMV20. More than 600 students from 41 Jewish day schools in Europe, North America, Australia and Africa participated in the challenge at the middle and high school levels.

The Weber School produced the second-best Passover-themed Rube Goldberg machine in a global contest, the Technion’s mechanical engineering faculty and day school network RAVSAK announced Monday, April 18. The Weber team of Madison Barnard, Avi Botwinick, Justin Cobb, Levi Durham, Thomas Foodman, Izzy Jacobs, Eric Lieberman, Josh Lipton, Idan Livnat, Isaac Weissman, Sammy WeissCowie and Ross Williams, led by faculty adviser Laura Klingensmith, finished second to New York’s Abraham Joshua Heschel High School in the high school division of the first Technion Jewish Day School Challenge. The Weber machine depicts events from the life of Moses, such as choosing coal over gold as an infant and turning

Davis Gets EverGreen Status

The Davis Academy has earned Silver Status in the North Fulton EverGreen School Partnership, which promotes environmental stewardship. Davis received the recognition for its efforts in environmental education, including an outdoor garden and nature sanctuary. The outdoor garden has been a work in progress for elementary school students for several years. Children study plants and the growing process,

learn how to plant a variety of seeds, monitor the plants’ growth, and harvest fruits and vegetables. The nature sanctuary opened in spring 2015. “It’s very rewarding for our school to receive this recognition,” Head of School Amy Shafron said. “Educating our students to be good stewards of the environment and be knowledgeable about the natural world is not only an important part of our curriculum, but embraces our school values which encourage students to be responsible community and global citizens.”

20 Chesed Winners Picked

Greater Atlanta Hadassah will present the Marian F. Perling Hadassah Chesed Student Awards to 20 students from Atlanta day schools and synagogue religious schools at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at Congregation Or VeShalom in Brookhaven. The awards recognize seventh- to 12th-graders for their love for Israel, concern for Jews and Jewish culture, concern for other people, and good academic standing. This year’s winners: • Judah Means, Ahavath Achim Synagogue. • Aidyn Levin, Atlanta Jewish Academy Middle School.

• Oryah Bunder, AJA Upper School. • Mira Mutnick, Congregation Beth Shalom. • Alyssa Bruck, Congregation Dor Tamid. • Chase Flagel, Congregation Etz Chaim. • Joel Pozin, Congregation Gesher L’Torah. • Noa Benveniste, Congregation Or Hadash. • Felix Fisch, Congregation Or VeShalom. • Liana Slomka, Congregation Shearith Israel. • Sloan Salinas, Temple Beth Tikvah. • Morasha Winokur, Temple Kehillat Chaim. • Hailey Kessler, Temple Sinai. • Mya Artzi, Davis Academy. • Elaine Berger, Epstein School. • Carolyn Capelouto, The Temple. • David Medof, Weber School. • Ruthie Feldman, Temima High School. • Jessica Hankin, Temple Emanu-El. • Leah Lipskier, Torah Day School of Atlanta. The Chesed ceremony, open to the public, will recognize past recipients as part of Hadassah’s celebration of a century in Atlanta and will honor the

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APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

Graduation Issue May 20th 1/8 page ad for $54

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memory of Perling, who died in March. Phyllis Cohen, a past Hadassah Atlanta president who is chairing the centennial observance, conceived and developed the Chesed Student Awards when she was programming vice president in 1992. “Since Hadassah began as a study group, education and service have always been major focuses of our work along with health care,” she said. “I suggested seeking and highlighting outstanding, devoted Jewish students and rewarding them for their efforts and acts of kindness.” Perling sponsored the first awards, which were handed out at Or VeShalom, and they were named in her honor in 2010.

Davis Academy tennis team members celebrating the results of the MAAC championships are (back row, from left) Coach Anna Woodring, Lindy Feintuch, Sarah Rosenberg, Gal Rocabado, Dara Grocer, Coach Martha Chatlen and Eric Sherman and (front row, from left) Jordy Elster, Ethan Goldberg, Jenny Rice, Adam Weintraub, Alec Rosenberg and Jack Klafter.

Davis Tennis 1st and 2nd

The Davis Academy girls tennis won its second consecutive MAAC championship Wednesday, April 20, while the boys team finished second. The Davis girls — Ashley Costley, Amalia Haviv, Jordyn Rosenberg, Dara Grocer, Lindy Feintuch, Sarah Rosenberg, Shoshana Katz, Jenny Rice and Gal Rocabado — finished the season undefeated. The boys — Adam Weintraub, Evan Elster, Jordy Elster, Joshua

Forman, Sy Polekoff, Ethan Goldberg, Jonah Medoff, Eli Minsk, Andrew Altmann, Eric Sherman, Alec Rosenberg, Oren Panovka and Jack Klafter — suffered their first loss of the year in the championship match.

Gilman, Konner Honored

Two Jewish professors are among four Emory University faculty members recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, marking them as being among the world’s most accomplished scholars, scientists, writers, artists and other leaders. The four from Emory are Sander Gilman, a professor of psychiatry; Melvin Konner, the Samuel Candler Dobbs professor of anthropology and a professor of neuroscience and behavioral biology; Carol Newsom, the Charles Howard Candler professor of the Old Testament; and Kevin Young, the Charles Howard Candler professor of English and creative writing. Gilman is a cultural and literary historian and the author or editor of more than 90 books. His research interests encompass the history of medicine, history of psychiatry, Jewish cultural studies, visual studies, European comparative literary studies and cultural history. He is the author of the standard study on visual stereotyping of the mentally ill, “Seeing the Insane: A Cultural History of Psychiatric Illustration,” and wrote “Jewish Self-Hatred: Anti-Semitism and the Hidden Language of the Jews.” With Anson Rabinbach, Gilman edited “The Third Reich Sourcebook” in 2013. A former Modern Language Association president, Gilman was on the faculty at Cornell University for 25 years, at the University of Chicago for six years and at the University of Illinois at Chicago for four years. His visiting professorships have included universities in North America, South

Africa, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, China and New Zealand. Konner, whose Emory appointments include the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies, has conducted pioneering research exploring the links between biology and human behavior, medicine and society, and nature and culture. His two years among the Bushmen of the Kalahari led to the first book about the Paleo diet, “The Paleolithic Prescription: A Guide to Diet and Exercise and a Design for Living,” which he wrote with S. Boyd Eaton and Marjorie Shostak.

His 11 books also include “The Evolution of Childhood: Relationships, Emotion, Mind”; “Women After All: Sex, Evolution and the End of Male Supremacy”; and “Unsettled: An Anthropology of the Jews.” Konner taught at Harvard University before joining Emory in 1983. The American Association for the Advancement of Science made Konner a fellow in 1996. He also has won the John McGovern, MD Medal in Medical Humanities from Yale University School of Medicine and the American Anthropological Association’s Anthropology in Media Award.

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

EDUCATION

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EDUCATION

Epstein Celebrates Family Affair

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

pproximately 450 people gathered to honor brothers Bryan and Greg Lewis during the Epstein Celebration at the InterContinental Buckhead on Sunday night, April 17. The event, with the theme “It’s a Family Affair,” included an auction, a dinner and the music of The Helpers. Mark Stern, past president of Epstein’s board, thanked the Lewises for their years of dedication to the Epstein School, including the successful capital campaign renovation project they led. The Lewises gave Head of School David Abusch-Magder and board President Darrin Friedrich a handmade E with 10 words or phrases describing how the Epstein community responded

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to the renovation campaign: family, future, tradition, teamwork, giving back, philanthropy, perseverance, foundation, construction and the kids. Justine Cohen and Arin Tritt chaired the celebration with the following committee chairs: • Brenda Deckelbaum, Lauren Skor and Sharon Wolf, auction. • Nancy Miller, Brian Satisky and Cathy Selig Kuranoff, sponsorships. • Michelle and David Hirsch, Laurie and Michael Kogon, Natalie and Seth Toporek, and Ashley and Roger Woodman, host committee. • Candice Keilin and Karen Shulman, decorations. • Dana Kardon, raffle. ■

Photos courtesy of the Epstein School

Honorees Greg (left) and Bryan Lewis enjoy a moment with Cathy Selig Kuranoff.

(From left) Sara, Ross, Michael and Laurie Kogon attend the Epstein Celebration.

Longtime Epstein supporters (from left) Tamar Stern, Lisa Greenberg and Stacey Fisher enjoy the party at the InterContinental Buckhead.

Etta Raye Hirsch (left) and Carol Cooper join Epstein’s head of school, David Abusch-Magder.

Epstein parents and supporters Nancy Miller and Lauren Gersten check out the silent auction.

The Epstein School chorus sings “We Are Family” at the Epstein Celebration, whose theme was “It’s a Family Affair.”

Honorees Greg and Bryan Lewis present a handmade letter E to Epstein board President Darrin Friedrich (left) and Epstein Head of School David Abusch-Magder (right).

(From left) Adam Meyerowitz, Anat Granath, Jennifer Meyerowitz, and Jessie and Michael Rosenberg have a good time at the event.

After speaking about family, philanthropy and their dedication to the Epstein School, Greg and Bryan Lewis pick the name of the 50/50 raffle winner, Arin Tritt, who donated the winnings back to the school.

Two of the auction chairs, Lauren Skor (left) and Brenda Deckelbaum, display a John Mayerautographed guitar and album during the live auction at the Epstein Celebration.

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SPORTS

Postseason Prayer

Weber baseball awaits playoff fate

ax Harris was a freshman catcher on the Weber School baseball team the last time it qualified for GISA 1AAA region baseball playoffs. That was 2013, and after an 8-9 season, the Rams were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. Now a senior, Harris has been itching to get back to the postseason. “To have another opportunity to win a playoff game for the first time in school history would be a pretty big deal,” he said, “something really special for us.” Harris and the other four seniors on the 2016 Weber baseball team are waiting to learn their postseason fate. Although GISA 1AAA region play doesn’t end until May 1, Weber concluded its regular season Tuesday, April 19, to avoid a conflict with Passover. The team’s 10-6 record, the second winning season in school history, should be enough to propel seniors Harris, Eric Silver, Kyle Rabinowitz, Lonnie Edlin and Michael Asher to their second postseason — the first for their younger teammates — but they won’t know until the playoffs are set Monday, May 2. “It’s awesome to see how the program has progressed over the last three years since we were freshman,” first baseman Edlin said. The Rams had losing campaigns the past two years. Before this season, Weber Athletic Director David Moore promoted Scott Seagraves from assistant to head baseball coach. Seagraves, who is also the head coach of Weber’s softball team, helped set a new tone for a team that from

2002 to 2015 compiled a 48-106 record overall. “The players that are here now take this team very seriously,” Seagraves said. “They have a will to compete, a will to win and a will to get better. They feel like they are a part of something where they are building a program for the future.” The Rams also added a batting cage facility at their field, which Seagraves said has led to a better hitting squad. “Our hitting has allowed us to be in games that we weren’t in last year.” The Weber pitching staff, following the example of Jewish Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, is made up of five left-handers: Rabinowitz, Daniel Livnat, Zach Negen, Lior Granath and sophomore team captain Eli Katz. “Typically you have one left-hander or maybe two at most,” said Rabinowitz, who was offered a preferred walk-on spot at Georgia College and State University in the fall to play baseball. “It really helps our team because left-handers are naturally gifted pitchers with a lot of movement on their balls.” Weber needed to win its final home game April 19 to keep its playoff chances alive. The team turned to sophomore Livnat, who notched seven strikeouts in seven innings as the Rams won 7-3 over Loganville Christian Academy. Rabinowitz had a solo home run. The Rams finished 10-6 overall and 8-6 in region play. “It’s been a fun ride,” outfielder Silver said. “I definitely see a huge change in the program with Coach Seagraves. From workouts and before the season started, you could really tell that the team was going to be different than in years past.”

Photo by David R. Cohen

Weber baseball’s five seniors — (from left) Max Harris, Lonnie Edlin, Kyle Rabinowitz, Eric Silver and Michael Asher — hope to win a playoff game for the first time in school history.

“A lot of teams we played in years past would think it was an easy win when they would face us,” Rabinowitz said. “This year the games we lost have been a lot closer. We’re showing these schools that Weber can be a top contending team in the region playoffs.” If the Rams do make the GISA playoffs, it will be their last chance to win a postseason game in that association. Next fall the Weber School will switch to Region 5-A of the Georgia High School Association, where Atlan-

ta Jewish Academy competes. While Weber’s five seniors are waiting to see whether they get to don the blue and gold on the field at least once more, the team’s eight underclassmen have lots to look forward to. “We’re a really young team, which bodes well for the future,” Seagraves said. “I’ve been around a lot of baseball teams over the years, and this is a group of winners. They believe in themselves. As long as they play smart baseball, they will be successful.” ■

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OBITUARIES

Yolanda Gaynes 91, Atlanta

Yolanda Gaynes, daughter of Rose and Louis Diamond, died Friday, April 22, 2016, in Atlanta at the age of 91. She was born and raised in Newark, N.J., and graduated from Weequahic High School. Yola married Abe Gaynes on Feb. 10, 1946, after meeting at the Jersey shore. They raised their family in Millburn, N.J., where they lived for 35 years. Yola was a loving mother and devoted friend. She was a lifetime member of Hadassah and ORT. Yola had many hobbies but especially loved tennis, which she played for 50 years. Yola and Abe retired to Boca Raton, Fla., in 1985, then moved to Delray Beach, Fla. They continued to enjoy a life filled with travel and tennis. In 2009 Yola and Abe moved to Atlanta to live near family. Yola is survived by her loving husband of 70 years, Abe, to whom she was endlessly devoted. She is also survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Shelley Gaynes, and their children, Jonathan, Melanie and Carley Gaynes, and by her daughter and son-in-law, Leslie and Richard Gelfond, and their daughters and sons-in-law, Melissa and Adam Lowy and Wendy and Gary Strauss. Yola also had five great-grandchildren: Ryan and Devin Lowy and Gabby, Julia and Maci Strauss. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Weinstein Hospice, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Hadassah or the charity of your choice. The funeral took place Monday, April 25, at Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Eva Iteld

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

99, Atlanta

Eva Kaushanskaya Iteld died at home in Atlanta on Saturday, April 23, 2016, at age 99. She was born in Kishinev, Romania, and was a survivor of the Holocaust. She and her beloved late husband, Sholem, came to Atlanta after the war with the help of Harry and Guta Iteld and Evelyn and Lewis Silverboard. Without any knowledge of English but with incredible hard work, prayer and encouragement, they made a comfortable life for themselves and their daughters, Judy and Louise, as owners of a neighborhood grocery store. After retirement, Eva Iteld became the consummate volunteer for Pioneer Women, Mizrachi Women, the Breman Jewish Home, Meals on Wheels and Ahavath Achim Synagogue. She and her Mizrachi ladies created The Canteen, housed first at the Jewish Community Center on Peachtree and then at the Marcus JCC at Zaban Park in Dunwoody. They lovingly prepared kosher food and snacks for their very grateful customers. All of the profits from The Canteen went to charity. Eva Iteld strongly believed in doing the right thing and helping her fellow man. She made an impact on her community and taught her beloved family many lessons by her selfless actions. She was recognized twice as a Woman of Valor by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. She was the first recipient of the Goodfriend Award as Ahavath Achim Synagogue recognized her outstanding volunteerism. She is survived by her children, Judy and Larry Kaminsky and Louise and Stanley Baum, and grandchildren Rachel and Brandon Rosenbloom, Caren and Michael Merlin, Lauren Baum, Scott Merlin, and Meghan and Adam Merlin. She took great pleasure from her seven beautiful great-grandchildren. In addition, she is survived by step-grandchildren Allison and Chris Putala and George Kaminsky and two step-great-grandchildren. The family is grateful to Mama’s devoted and dedicated caregivers, Shirley Crick and Nelleta Francis. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Her funeral took place at Greenwood Cemetery on Monday, April 25. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the charity of your choice. She will be sorely missed by all who knew, admired and loved her. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-4514999.

Alec B. Katz

AJT 36, Dunwoody

Alec B. Katz, 36, died suddenly at his home in Dunwoody on Saturday, April

28 16, 2016.

Born Jan. 25, 1980, he was the youngest son of Stuart Katz and Janet Katz. Alec was a unique individual who, while he struggled through life in many ways, shone so brightly from within in ways that would astound, but only to those who were clever enough, caring enough and sufficiently observant to see. He was sensitive, he loved to joke, and his presence was always larger than life, figuratively and literally. To be around Alec was sometimes fun, frequently awkward and always interesting. Not in spite of but because of that, he will be deeply missed and sincerely loved. Alec was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Homer and Sally “Nana” Carson; his paternal grandparents, Robert “Papa” and Eleanor Katz; and his stepsister, Jenny Gryzinski. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his brother, Matthew Katz; his sister, Meredith Murphy; his stepmother, Lisa Katz; his stepbrother, Jeff Gryzinski; his brother-in-law, Jason Murphy; his sister-inlaw, Mindi Katz; and his three beloved nieces and nephews, Oscar, Lylah and Maya Katz. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. The funeral was held Tuesday, April 19, at Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs, with Rabbi Spike Anderson officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Temple Emanu-El Temple Fund, www.templeemanuelatlanta.org. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Mitchell Kloder 70, Sandy Springs

Mitchell “Mitch” Kloder, age 70, of Sandy Springs died Saturday, April 23, 2016. Mitch was a CPA/auditor who worked with the Department of the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs for over 25 years. He loved theater and music, especially country music, which he started to appreciate over the last several years. For the past eight years he attended the Country Music Festival in Nashville with his daughter, Deborah. Right to the end he was still planning to attend this year’s festival in June. He was also an avid reader and had a passion for science fiction and World War II history. He loved to travel, especially to Europe and Israel, of which he was a staunch supporter. Survivors include his devoted wife of 40 years, Katie Kloder; children Deborah Kloder of Alpharetta and Stephen Kloder of Mountain View, Calif.; sister Helena Kloder of Morristown, N.J.; brother Arthur Kloder of Spring, Texas; and his nieces and nephews. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to CureHHT (CureHHT.org) or Disabled American Veterans (DAV.org), 1700 Clairmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30033. Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 26, at Georgia National Cemetery. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Ethel Shuman Koplin 87, Macon

Ethel Shuman Koplin, 87, died peacefully Thursday, April 21, 2016, in Macon. Graveside funeral services were Friday, April 22, at Congregation Sha’arey Israel Cemetery in the old section of Rose Hill Cemetery with Rabbi Aaron Rubinstein officiating. Visitation with the family took place immediately after the funeral at the home of Henry Koplin, 1158 Jackson Springs Road. The family also received guests at the home of Henry Koplin on Monday, April 25. She was born Dec. 7, 1928, in Atlanta to the late Joseph and Rochelle Isikoff Shuman. She graduated from Girls’ High and worked as a secretary in Atlanta until she met and later married a Yellow Jacket from Macon. She is survived by daughter Rhonda and sons Henry, Evan (Marty) and Chip Koplin; grandchildren Amanda, Rachael,

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OBITUARIES Jessica, Alex and Sarah Koplin; sisters Corrine Shuman Rousso of Atlanta and Marilyn Shuman Nations (Don) of Panama City, Fla.; brother-in-law Mark Weinstein of Atlanta and sister-in-law Marian Shuman of Chattanooga; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Myron Koplin; brother Jerome Shuman; sister Barbara Shuman Weinstein; and stepmother Rose Shuman. She was a homemaker and a dedicated volunteer at all of her children’s schools, including Alexander III, Mark Smith, Lasseter and Stratford Academy. She was a past president of the Sisterhood at Congregation Sha’arey Israel. She loved planning social events at the synagogue and served as a volunteer and leader with the Brownies and Cub Scouts. After her children were grown, she especially enjoyed spending time at the house at Lake Sinclair with Myron and always looked forward to the annual Thanksgiving lake celebration with her family. She enjoyed fishing but not cleaning or cooking the fish. The family would like to thank all of her caregivers, especially Mrs. Ruthie Bentley and Rose Sanders and the staff of Harrington House at Carlyle Place. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Sha’arey Israel, 611 Plum St., Macon, GA 31201, or to Pine Point Hospice, 6261 Peake Road, Macon, GA 31210. Hart’s Mortuary at the Cupola had charge of arrangements.

Anita E. Levy 85, Atlanta

Anita E. Levy, age 85, of Atlanta passed away Friday, April 22, 2016. She was a graduate of Girls’ High and the University of Georgia. She worked at the Atlanta Apparel Mart for over 40 years. Anita was the wife of the late Neilan Levy, and she is survived by her brother, William Epstein; daughters and sons-in-law Jill and Andy Morton and Robyn and Marshall Mizell; and grandchildren Kevin and Jeremy Morton and Amanda Mizell. Graveside services were held at Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs, on Monday, April 25.

to be an American. Robert was admired by many for his thoughtfulness and for his generosity in helping others. Robert attended the Marist School, Emory University and Georgia State University. Robert was predeceased by his beloved parents, Ernest and Louise Weill Shulman, and is survived by his brother, Thomas W. Shulman of Atlanta, and his many cousins, along with their families. Sign the online guestbook at www. edressler.com. Robert’s funeral was Monday, April 25, at Westview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notices

Esther Leibowich de Bortz, 82, of Buenos Aires, mother of Congregation Or Hadash Rabbi Analia Bortz, on April 24. Jerome Charen, 89, of Philadelphia, husband of Raelea Charen and father of Congregation Beth Shalom member Carolann Reiter, Lance Charen and Marcia Rinaudo, on April 2. Sara Fagenbaum Dinberg, 93, of Sandy Springs, mother of Temple Sinai member Steve Dinberg and Nancy Dinberg, on April 10. William H. Flammer, 91, of Wayne, Pa., father of Temple Sinai member Hope Flammer, on April 7. Marilyn Joyce Adams Gogol, 78, of Glenview, Ill., wife of Edward Gogol and mother of Temple Kol Emeth member Didi Kaltman, on April 12. Shirley Goodman, 81, of Charlotte, N.C., mother of Teri Moffett, Brett Goodman and Philip Goodman and sister of Temple Sinai member Honey Workman, on April 17. Judith Greenfield, 67, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., wife of Harold Greenfield and mother of Temple Sinai member Scott Greenfield and Eric Greenfield, on April 3. Donna Kay Lewis of Decatur, wife of Jill Jacobs, on April 13. Zinaida Shulman of Marietta on April 17. Maury Weiner, 51, of Birmingham, Ala., husband of Robin Weiner, father of Llyse Diane Weiner and brother of Amy Alpern, on April 7.

Stephanie Robin Rotkow 42, Savannah

Robert H. Shulman 71, Atlanta

Robert H. Shulman, 71, an Atlanta native, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, April 21. He was an Atlanta real estate entrepreneur and had been a dealer in collectibles. He had many business and personal friends whom he always remembered. Robert was close to and fond of his many cousins and had an extraordinary memory. He was proud of his parents’ legacy, loved his country and was always proud

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

Stephanie Robin Rotkow, 42, of Savannah died Wednesday morning, April 20, 2016, at her home. Born in Savannah, she was a daughter of Joel Martin Rotkow and Debra “Debbie” Tabackman Rotkow. Stephanie was a member of Congregation Bnai Brith Jacob. She earned her B.A. in finance from Lynn University and was a contract analyst. Stephanie was most recently employed at the Brooklyn Cafe in Atlanta. Stephanie was preceded in death by her sister; her paternal grandparents, Fred and Dorothy Heyman Rotkow; and her maternal grandfather, Joseph Bernard Tabackman. Surviving are her parents in Savannah; her brother, Eric Rotkow, and his wife, Victoria, and their daughter, Zahava, all of Providence, R.I.; her maternal grandmother, Irene Tabackman of Chevy Chase, Md.; two aunts, Bobbie Leff and her husband, Michael, and Sally Sanders and her husband, Herb; and many cousins. The funeral service was held Thursday, April 21, at the graveside in Bonaventure Cemetery, conducted by Rabbi Avigdor Slatus. Remembrances: Congregation Bnai Brith Jacob, 5444 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA 31405, or Rambam Day School, 111 Atlas St., Savannah, GA 31405-5461. Please share your thoughts about Stephanie and her life at www.gamblefuneralservice. com. Gamble Funeral Service of Savannah was in charge of arrangements.

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CLOSING THOUGHTS OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING

You Read Me; Therefore, I Am

APRIL 29 ▪ 2016

ecently I went to a 12-step AlAnon meeting. Most people attend the meetings to learn how to cope with a family member who is an alcoholic or a substance abuser. I don’t. I go because I, like everyone else, must deal with someone whose dysfunctional behavior affects me. Usually, there is a reading that deals with the principles that all 12-step programs recommend as guides for living. People usually share their experiences that deal with the reading. One of the treasures inherent in these meetings is that they provide the opportunity to share what’s true, and this invites others to provide genuine support. I have a burning desire to tell the truth. One friend told me recently that what’s unique about me is how emotionally transparent I am. My mother, however, always criticized me for my emotional transparency, which she defined as “wearing your heart on your sleeve.” Things can be seen as a blessing or a curse. It’s all in how you choose to perceive reality. Since my husband Dan’s death April 7, words are oozing out of me. In the past, I would write the words I needed to say in my journal. Over the years, I’ve kept many different types of journals. Some are like diaries; others have been based on Ira Progoff’s methods, which are designed to make the unconscious conscious. Then there were morning pages as advocated by Julia Cameron. For eight years I went to writers workshops led by the excellent teacher Natalie Goldberg. She taught me how to write quickly, without planning or thinking. She named that process writing practice, and I’ve been teaching it, in my home and for seniors at Emory’s OLLI program, ever since I found out about it. More recently, I write almost everything on Facebook. The more I write, the more I want to write. I’m hearing songs I can envision onstage and writing words I can visualize being performed by actors. Poems and essays and memoirs and novels are aching to be expressed. I’ve always longed to be a serious 30 writer. When I was an investigative

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reporter, even though it was satisfying to know that what I wrote often had an impact, I always knew that newspaper stories ended up in the trash. I fantasized about writing something with more permanence. I used to imagine walking by a Barnes & Noble bookstore and seeing piles of books

CROSSWORD

“Making (Quiet) Noise 50 Years Later”

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

26 28

By Arlene Appelrouth

36 42

73 76

ACROSS 1. Nielsen in Zucker’s “The Naked Gun” 7. Bypass Jericho 12. Grind up matzah 16. Where Gal Friedman won gold 17. The population in Boro Park, Brooklyn, e.g. 18. Like latkes 19. Singers who had a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1966 22. They’re guarded in the Israeli Premier League 23. Flair in English or tree in Hebrew 24. “Bevadai” 25. “I could ___ horse!” (something 8-Down wouldn’t do) 26. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, e.g. 27. Chips in Edgar G. Robinson’s “The Cincinnati Kid” 28. A plague in 74-Across 31. Form of idolatry in 74-Across 35. G-d: Sp. 36. Made like the five kings after being defeated by Joshua 37. Unlike King Saul toward his end 38. Tu follower (date) 41. Jewish education institute in Manhattan 44. Where one can perform the mitzvah of Shiluach HaKan 45. Stat. for Braun 46. Band that had a 2016 No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart covering 74-Across 49. Goldberg’s is muscular, slangily 50. Perlman’s female “Cheers” co-star 52. Jew originally from Sana‘a 53. Many switch positions for the Sabbath-observant 54. Liam Neeson movie released 364 days after “Schindler’s List” 55. Arrange, as Arnold Rothstein may have done to the 1919 World Series 57. Freud’s home, to natives 59. Fervent Israel supporter and lead singer of 46-Across 61. 1967 film featuring 74-Across (with “The”) 65. “Tick-___” (nickname for Murder Inc. hitman Albert Tannenbaum) 66. ___ Lingus, carrier to see the Irish Jewish Museum 67. Sound on a game show

72 75

44 47

aappelrouth@atljewishtimes.com

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According To Arlene

35 38

with my name on the cover. Once I said to someone that when my time came, and my body was in a coffin being lowered into the ground, I didn’t want to be banging on the wooden box, screaming, “Wait, don’t give me back to the earth. I haven’t written my books yet.” Will I write the columns, poems, books and plays that are now emerging like popping popcorn in my consciousness? I don’t know because, since Dan’s death, I am busy managing what must be handled when someone dies. When he first fell off the bike and landed in the hospital and then on a rehab floor at the Jewish Home two weeks later, I knew it was going to be a challenging time. I wanted to be there for Dan, in his room, saying yes to his requests, because he was not able to do anything for himself. I knew that to stay mentally healthy and not fall into despair I had to take care of myself by exercising every day and doing other activities that are stress-relieving. I’ve been taking care of myself as best as I know how. Expressing myself is another thing I do for self-care. Knowing I am heard or read is important because it makes me feel validated and affirmed. I remember something I learned in high school, as a student of Latin, taught by a former priest named Mr. Hatrel. “Cogito, ergo sum” were the words: “I think; therefore, I am.” For me, it’s “I write; therefore, I am.” I’m grateful for any opportunity I have that puts my words and thoughts before the eyes of readers. “You read me; therefore, I am”: El legit, ergo sum. ■

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hosted by Chuck Barris 69. What Stoller and Glickman were excluded from doing in Berlin in 1936 72. Away from the storm (like the other sailors after Jonah was tossed over) 73. What Hapoel Tel Aviv players hope to score (2 words) 74. See 19 & 46-Across 77. Bob Dylan’s “It ___ Me Babe” 78. Rabbis debate if Jacob was ___ that Joseph was not dead 79. Virtuous midot 80. Tref letters at diners 81. Silverman joke that warrants a “ha” rather than a “LOL!” e.g. 82. Levy, as taxes

compared with his son 40. Caesarea vacation rental 42. Missiles in the Yom Kippur War or a rock band 43. Peach or orange one wouldn’t make a bracha on 44. “Shalom” to Jacques 47. Stays alert on the Syrian border 48. Teenage girl in scenes with Lauren Cohan’s Maggie on “The Walking Dead” 51. Those who will only eat a particular brand of Israeli candy? 55. What the existence of King Hezekiah was recently proved to be 56. It’s black on a Torah 58. People who annoy you (kvetchers) 60. “Disease” a teen who isn’t shomer negiah might pick up 61. Aplenty, like etrogs around Jerusalem before Sukkot 62. Hashish 63. Canadian coin worth 5.8 shekels on Jan. 1 64. Passes, like the Knesset 68. Sharon who played Cagney 69. What Yael did to Sisera 70. Main character in Harold Ramis’ “Groundhog Day” 71. Jonathan Larson musical 72. Motherless man 73. Drinks in Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim? 75. Rap band managed by Jerry Heller 76. “___ Believer” (The Monkees hit written by Neil Diamond)

DOWN 1. Hallström who directed Paul Rudd in “The Cider House Rules” 2. Carrier that denied removing Israel from its maps in 2014 3. It’s cyclical in Israel 4. TV friend of Howard (Wolowitz) 5. Rahab ran one (et al.) 6. ___ Einai 7. What Kubrick’s “2001” does to many viewers 8. They (basically) keep kosher 9. Punished son of Judah 10. ___air 11. Established (Israel’s borders) 12. Make like a children’s siddur 13. Explore Be’eri Forest 14. Robert who served the Confederacy with Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin 15. ___ Stallyns, band in Ed Solomon’s “Bill & Ted” movies 20. Newman, to Jerry 21. Psalms preposition 27. ___ Ledodi … 29. Like the rides 1 2 3 4 5 B O O R C in Kif Tzuba 14 15 I N F O H 30. Emerald Cove 17 18 M A R C M A kosher sushi 20 21 sheets A N A E O 23 32. Lubitsch’s S I T “Ninotchka” star 26 27 28 H E I N R I 33. Bagel choice 32 33 A L L I C 34. Sandler title 37 38 T I L T S role 41 S A U C E 36. What Iran 45 46 means to cause S H A L 48 49 50 Israel T N T R E 52 53 38. Mrs. Adler H O R A C E is one of 59 R O A C H Manischewitz’s 62 E S T E E 39. Like 65 W E E D S Solomon as king,

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 6

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40 43

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