NEWS

Jewish HomeLife Offers Schools COVID Testing

By Dave Schechter

Head of school at the Atlanta Jewish Academy, Rabbi Ari Leubitz knows the challenges of creating a “COVID-compliant school,” a phrase he uses often in conversation.

As a recovering COVID patient himself, Leubitz understands the risks that the virus poses to the students, faculty and staff of AJA.

So he was pleased when Jewish HomeLife, in an effort facilitated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, offered COVID-19 testing with relatively quick results to Atlanta’s Jewish day schools, preschools and after-school programs. Testing of AJA’s 110 faculty, administraPhoto by Barrie Cohn, AJA marketing director // Nareen Bennett, Jewish HomeLife’s director of quality assurance (in blue PPE), administering COVID-19 testing at Atlanta Jewish Academy. Photo by Barrie Cohn, AJA marketing director // LaToya Clarke, Jewish HomeLife’s director of staff development and training (in white tors and staff began Aug. 10. First up was the PPE), administering COVID-19 testing at AJA. staff of the school’s early childhood development center, because its doors opened Aug. phone call from Jodi Lox Mansbach, Feddoing a solid service to Jewish Atlanta by not The Epstein School, Torah Day School of At13. Following the staggered return schedule eration’s chief impact officer, to Harley only supporting Jewish HomeLife with all lanta, The Weber School, Hillels of Georgia, for AJA’s 435 students, next Tabak, the CEO of Jewour testing needs, but also and Jewish Kids Groups. to be tested would be staff ish HomeLife. One theme now assisting us in providJHL also has done testing for from the lower grades, then Mansbach heard in the ing accurate and sensitive some staff of Jewish Family the middle school, and ficonference calls that Fedtesting for many Jewish day & Career Services, a partner nally the high school (whose eration holds with varischools,” said Jeff Gopen, in the AgeWell Atlanta aging students return after the ous sectors of the Jewish JHL’s chief operating officer. services program through High Holy Days), as well as community was that the The testing is being Federation. teachers whose lessons will schools wanted COVID-19 done by Nareen Bennett, Each school will debe virtual, to students attesting, to help reassure JHL’s director of quality cide the degree of testing tending from home. both staff and parents, but assurance, RN (registered it wants. Some may make

“It’s very clear that were unable to make the nurse), and LaToya Clarke, testing mandatory for facthere are certain elements necessary arrangements. its director of staff develulty and staff, and perhaps of individuals who are “We cannot remove all risk. Our JHL has gained exopment and training, RN, Ana Robbins, executive students, while others may more at risk,” Leubitz said. responsibility is to mitigate it perience in dealing with with oversight by nurse director of Jewish Kids decide to test in the event of “We cannot remove all risk. as much as possible,” said Rabbi COVID-19, some of it from practitioner Kara Gold. If Groups, praised the ease exposure to COVID-19 or if Our responsibility is to Ari Leubitz, head of school combatting outbreaks of the school has a nurse, all of having Jewish HomeLife anyone develops symptoms. mitigate it as much as pos sible.” the virus among staff and residents at the Berman Commons assistedat Atlanta Jewish Academy. test results go to that office. In the absence of a school come to its teacher training to administer COVID-19 tests. Ana Robbins, executive director of JKG,

Through its COVID-19 emergency living facility. (As of Aug. 14, JHL reported nurse, the school is informed about negaan independent Hebrew school program, fund, Federation thus far has allocated no COVID-19 positive cases at its facilities.) tive results, but JHL’s nurse practitioner will welcomed the access to COVID-19 testing. $400,000 to the day From early in the pandemcontact anyone receiving a “Jewish HomeLife came schools and $100,000 to ic, JHL steadily increased positive result. out to Jewish Kids Groups’ pre-schools to assist in their the amount of PPE worn by JHL receives the test teacher training and tested opening for the new school staff at its facilities, as well kits from Capstone and reeveryone. They made it so year. Jewish HomeLife reas cleaning protocols. Over turns the samples to the lab. easy with release forms ceived $348,000 from the time, it has secured access JHL also enters into Capand labeled test tubes. All fund to help purchase perto dependable sources of stone’s computer system we did was show up and sonal protective equipment PPE. the insurance information they quickly swabbed ev(PPE) and pay for increased In addition, through for every individual tested eryone. It didn’t even hurt staffing in the nine senior Capstone Healthcare in and the lab handles billtoo much,” Robbins said. residences that it operates Sandy Springs, JHL has acing the insurance carriers. Mansbach said she at three Atlanta sites, as cess to so-called viral tests A provision in the federal was “incredibly, incredibly well as home care services. “I hope we can expand this to that identify the presence Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Photo by Jewish HomeLife // grateful” for the assistance Now Federation has made more of the Jewish workforce as of COVID at the genetic level Economic Security (CARES) Harley Tabak, CEO of Jewish provided to the schools by $100,000 available to assist coming back to work becomes and have a higher degree of Act, requires private health HomeLife, on a video call Tabak and the JHL staff. with staffing and other expenses as Jewish HomeLife coordinates the school testmore of a reality,” but for now the schools are the focus, said Jodi Lox Mansbach, Federation’s chief impact officer. reliability and a lower rate of false positives than antigen tests. The commercial insurance plans to cover costs of testing to detect or diagnose COVID-19. discussing the COVID-19 testing with representatives of various schools and other programs. “I hope we can expand this to more of the Jewish workforce as coming back ing program. lab usually provides results In addition to AJA, others that have to work becomes more of a reality,” but for

The testing program began with a in one to two days. “Capstone Healthcare is signed on to the COVID-19 testing effort are: now the schools are the focus. ì

Sephardic Synagogue Gets Conservative Rabbi

By Bob Bahr

For what is believed to be the first time in its 106-year history, Congregation Or VeShalom, the Sephardic synagogue in Brookhaven, will have an Ashkenazic rabbi as its spiritual leader. Rabbi Josh Hearshen, who grew up in Detroit, is a 2007 graduate of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. The school is affiliated with the Conservative movement.

Although he has most recently been the rabbi of a Conservative synagogue in Tampa, for the past three summers he has served as the rabbi at Camp Ramah Darom, the Conservative facility in the Congregation Or VeShalom was North Georgia mountains, where he says he’s made many friends from Atlanta. founded by Greek Sephardic Jews from the island of Rhodes. Taking up his new position, he says, is “like coming home.” of accommodation and change?

He and his wife Carrie, who teaches Hearshen: There are so many vaat the Atlanta Jewish Academy, have two rieties of Sephardic Judaism. They’re all children, including one that was born grown up and they’ve been birthed in disjust before he accepted the job at Or Veparate communities around the world. Shalom. That’s why there’s a distinct flavor to

He spoke with us immediately after Moroccan Sephardic Judaism verses Perone of many personal meetings he’s had sian Sephardic Judaism verses Bukharan with his new verses Syrian. c o n g r e g a n t s , I think all of many of whom these are very have a strong different. sense of history So Sepand tradition. hardic Judaism

AJT: How a very adaptdoes an Ashable expression kenazic rabbi of Judaism. accommodate And I believe himself to a c o n g r e g a t i o n Sephardic Jews in Atlanta celebrate the 1912 wedding of Ezra and Joya Touriel, that that makes it very well that’s always immigrants from the island of Rhodes. suited to look been Sephardforward to how ic? we can change over these coming years

Hearshen: I’m on a listening tour and adapt to the world as it is now. And I right now. I also am doing reading and believe that that is part of the purpose of researching and studying to make sure my having been hired, to help lead them that I have a firm grasp of the sources through those changes. I am a non-Sepand often the different ways that things hardic trained rabbi. I have the experican be done. ence of the non-Sephardic world in ways

I’m working on the basic premise that to help modify or navigate this synaI’m not building a synagogue or working gogue as it looks to grow and develop in at a synagogue for myself. I’m working the coming years. in a synagogue and building a synagogue has always been for a community. And you have to be the AJT: Some of your congregants have rabbi that their community is looking to expressed concern about growth, even have. I’ve entered this job with my eyes survival. How do you see the question of wide open and my arms wide open to future growth? study and growth and development. And Hearshen: One of the major quesit’s not about my vision. It’s about what tions from the younger generations is our community’s vision is. about how our synagogue responds to modernity. There are issues of gender, is

AJT: How difficult do you see this job sues of Shabbat and all those things. And

Rabbi Josh Hearshenand his wife Carrie, their 11-year-old daughter Ayelet and new daughter Galit.

at what speed will we go in making those things happen. And so I think we have a major conversation that’s already begun about what roles women will be playing in the future and how we will get to that decision. There’s a question of how to feel more comfortable in their Jewish lives that are influenced by the non-Jewish world on a daily basis. Those are the questions that will be examined over the coming years.

And I believe that there are a very large number of family members that want to be a part of this congregation. They’re just waiting to see what happens. And then we also have a very nice young Jewish community, you know, growing here in Brookhaven that we feel very strongly we’ll be able to pick up many of those families.

AJT: One of the highlights of the Chanukah holiday in Atlanta has been the bazaar at your synagogue. Is it going to happen this year?

Hearshen: We’ve spoken about it already. We are having conversations about what it will look like this year. It will be happening somehow. Will it be outdoors? Will it be scaled back? We’re not sure. But we do feel strongly that we can make it happen somehow. We’re working on it. ì