Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCII No. 30, August 4, 2017 by Atlanta Jewish Times

EDUCATION: BACK TO SCHOOL, PAGES 22-33 ALL TOGETHER NOW DECEMBER DILEMMA A NEW SPIN

For the first time, Atlanta’s only all-grades day school will be on one campus. Page 24

A mandate to teach Christmas The Epstein School rolls out to kindergartners looks like an a wheellike logo as it moves unwanted gift. Page 29 toward the future. Page 31

Atlanta VOL. XCII NO. 30

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AUGUST 4, 2017 | 12 AV 5777

AJC Seeks Teen Leaders By Rachel Fayne

Photo by David R. Cohen

Galloping Into Fluent Hebrew Israeli counselor Sapir Beresi leads campers in the Marcus JCC’s Hebrew immersion day camp program in a game in which they must put articles of clothing on a zebra and say the items’ names in Hebrew. Story, Page 22

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INSIDE Calendar �� 4 Candle Lighting �� 4 Israel News ��5 Opinion ��10 Business �� 20 Arts ��34 Obituaries ��36 Crossword ��38 Marketplace ��39

American Jewish Committee Atlanta is launching a free leadership and advocacy training program for high school students. Leaders for Tomorrow, which centers on issues affecting the Jewish people and Israel, is accepting applications until Friday, Aug. 18, from high school sophomores and juniors. Applicants should be high achievers eager to learn about issues related to past and current Israeli affairs, challenges facing the global Jewish community, and anti-Semitism, among other topics. While participants will be educated about the issues, the program also focuses on teaching advocacy skills so today’s high school students will have the knowledge to educate others as they move into college and beyond. Julie Katz, an AJC Goldman Bridge fellow, said the program is a prime opportunity for high school students to engage with issues they haven’t dealt with. “LFT is really a great way for highachieving high school students to gain insight on issues affecting Israel and the Jewish people, as well as gain critical advocacy and leadership skills,” she said. LFT also fosters connections among teens in the Jewish community and provides some resources for their future. Though the initiative is new to Atlanta, LFT succeeded in New York two years ago, then moved to Chicago last year. The Atlanta program will consist of seven or eight training sessions at the AJC office in Buckhead on Sundays from 5 to 8 p.m., beginning Oct. 15. Admission is limited to 25 to 30 students, who will be selected based on their applications and interviews. Students can apply through the AJC Atlanta website at www.ajcatlanta.org. ■

AUGUST 4 â&#x2013;ª 2017

MA TOVU

Can Power of Prayer Drive Away Suffering? will save all those who are deserving of being saved and worthy of being cured is dangerously toxic. It suggests that those who are not saved, those who suffer, are deserving of suffering. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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

We all know wicked folk who thrive and good people — kind, giving people — who suffer. This line of thinking is an insult to those who suffer, to those who love them and to G-d. Who are we to know G-d’s will? Are we so G-d-like that we are entitled to sit in judgment of those who fail to avoid the unavoidable difficulties that litter life’s path? As a rabbi, I embrace the power of prayer and do not deny that it has the potential to help those in need. But it is a whole other matter to assume that lack of effectiveness is proof of insufficient effort or, worse yet, wickedness. We have seen people search in vain for an explanation of the challenges small or large that they face. And if the suffering is not punishment in and of itself, it is damaging to be told that you are deserving of your difficulties; that it is your own fault for not living well, not praying better or not caring enough. Claiming to know the divine will only cruelly compounds unwished-for suffering by adding a moral dimension. I cannot know G-d’s will or desire, but, as I wrote to the mother grieving the loss of her children, I could only imagine G-d weeping by her side. ■

I embrace the power of prayer and its potential to help those in need. But it is a whole other matter to assume that lack of effectiveness is proof of insufficient effort or, worse yet, wickedness.

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My friend had recently become involved with a faith healer. She was inspired by his particular brand of spiritualism. He helped her connect with the divine spirit, to see the world with new meaning. Then she began following him through the hospital. Going into the room of a sick person, they would perform rituals and pray. My friend explained that he had a long success rate of being able to cure even the sickest individuals. All sickness was, in his vision of the world, proof of spiritual misalignment. Sincere prayer and repentance would reset the spiritual order and lead to a cure. But if the repentance was insincere or the prayer not fervent enough, the stain of sin, in the form of sickness, would remain. I pray. In the morning when I wake up. When I put my head down to sleep. Before I eat. And each week when I make challah, I follow the tradition of generations of Jews who saw in the setting aside of a portion of our bounty a moment of particular grace and potential blessing, and I pray for all those who have asked me to keep their health and the health of their loved ones in mind. Prayer is powerful stuff. Still, my friend’s description of prayer as a cure-all raised concerns. “What about those who are not healed?” “Prayer works,” she assured me, “as long as you are deserving. If it does not work, that means that somewhere, some piece of you, past or present, is not deserving.” The conversation is one that replayed in my mind recently when I was sending a note to a mother who had lost the second of her two children to cancer. There is no singular theology that explains all. But the line of thinking that G-d

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SATURDAY, AUG. 5

Divorce boot camp. A program to help women through the legal, financial and emotional issues involved with divorce starts at 10 a.m. at the Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta. Free; register by calling 770-377-4941 (Debbie Dorman).

SUNDAY, AUG. 6

Blood drive. The citywide drive is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead. Appointments at www.redcrossblood. org (code JWV) or through Gail Solomon at gailsol@gmail.com.

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Contributors This Week RABBI RUTH ABUSCH-MAGDER EDIE BARR MORT BARR RACHEL FAYNE YONI GLATT JORDAN GORFINKEL LEAH R. HARRISON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE ALLEN LIPIS KEVIN MADIGAN LOGAN RITCHIE EUGEN SCHOENFELD RICH WALTER PATRICE WORTHY

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AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

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CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Dive into Shabbat. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, welcomes the community for a pre-Shabbat pool party at 5 p.m., with blessings and songs at 6. Free; www.atlantajcc. org or 678-812-4161.

Yoga for couples. An all-levels yoga class with no experience required is hosted by InterfaithFamily/Atlanta, SOJOURN, Congregation Bet Haverim and Honeymoon Israel to celebrate Tu B’Av at 10 a.m. at the Philip Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Suite A, Atlanta. The fee is $10 per couple; bit.ly/2uPRP1k.

Va’etchanan Friday, Aug. 4, light candles at 8:17 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, Shabbat ends at 9:15 p.m. Eikev Friday, Aug. 11, light candles at 8:10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, Shabbat ends at 9:07 p.m.

Corrections & Clarifications

• Nefesh B’Nefesh’s July 3 charter flight with more than 200 people making aliyah from North America included Galit Ratson, an 18-year-old from Cartersville whose older brother made aliyah earlier in the year, and four members of the Rabayev family from Suwanee. A July 14 article incorrectly said no one from Georgia was on the flight. • A July 28 article underreported the accomplishments of Atlanta athletes at the Maccabiah Games in Israel. Twelve local athletes and coaches won a total of 16 medals. In addition to the bronze medal reported for the open men’s 100-meter butterfly, swimmer Zachary Fisher won silver and gold medals in two relay races, including a Maccabiah record in the 4x100 medley relay. Fencer Sophie Goodman won a silver medal in the women’s epee group event, and fencer Michael Fazylov won a gold medal in team saber and a bronze in individual saber.

MONDAY, AUG. 14

Exhibit opening. The Jewish Educational Loan Fund’s history is featured in “The Legacy of the Hebrew Orphans Home” at the Breman, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students and educators, and $4 for children 3 to 6; thebreman.org or 678-222-3700.

THURSDAY, AUG. 10

Curious film. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s AJFF Selects series presents “Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators” at 7 p.m. at SCADshow, 173 14th St., Midtown. Tickets are $13; ajff.org or 678-701-6104.

SUNDAY, AUG. 13

Transgender talk. Joy Ladin, the first openly transgender employee of an Orthodox Jewish institution, discusses various religions’ approaches to gender diversity at 7 p.m. at Congregation Bet Haverim, 2074 LaVista Road, Toco Hills. Free; www.sojourngsd.org/joy-ladin-

Infertility support. Licensed infertility therapist Lauren Berman facilitates a Jewish Fertility Foundation support group at 6 p.m. at MACoM, 700-A Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Free; www.jewishfertilityfoundation.org.

Hadassah brunch. The Metulla Group holds a new-members brunch with speaker Milton Tambor on “Judaism and Social Justice” at 11:30 a.m. RSVP by Aug. 6; details from lindafay7@ yahoo.com or 678-443-2961.

TUESDAY, AUG. 15

touraugust-2017.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 16

Transgender training. Joy Ladin leads a session on how clinicians can talk about and serve gender-diverse people at 11 a.m. at Jewish Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Free; www.sojourngsd.org/ joy-ladin-touraugust-2017.

THURSDAY, AUG. 17

Elder abuse talk. DeKalb County Solicitor General Sherry Boston speaks to the Edgewise group at 10:30 a.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Free for members, $5 for others; www.atlantajcc.org or 678-812-3861. Transgender talk. Joy Ladin discusses community inclusion at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Free; www. sojourngsd.org/joy-ladin-touraugust2017.

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

Remember When

25 Years Ago July 31, 1992 ■ The Atlanta Jewish Federation is assembling a committee, chaired by former Greenfield Hebrew Academy President Eliot Arnovitz, to study the future of high school education in the community. The result could be the opening of a second Jewish high school as an alternative to Yeshiva Atlanta. ■ Drs. Stephen and Maureen Gordon of Atlanta announce the engagement of daughter Penny Gordon to Robert Larsen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Larsen of Buckhill Falls, Pa., and West Palm Beach, Fla. ■ Carole and Stephen Feinberg of Atlanta announce the marriage of daughter Gail Hilary to Philip Brian Silverman, son of Suzanne and Howard B. Silverman of Atlanta, on May 17.

50 Years Ago Aug. 4, 1967 ■ Jewish property losses in the racial rioting that devastated sections of Detroit were put at $50 million out of total losses that could exceed half a billion dollars. A wholesaler serving the 12th Street downtown area, once a major Jewish section of Detroit, said 30 Jewish merchants whom he supplied had been wiped out. Insurance underwriters have refused to cover the losses. ■ Capt. Joel B. Piassick of Atlanta, departing assistant chief of the Material Branch, Vietnam Regional Exchange, was awarded a Bronze Star for his outstanding service in Vietnam during the period of November 1966 to June 1967. He received an Army Commendation Medal in February. ■ Frances Carol Taylor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Taylor of Everett, Mass., became the bride of Stuart Eizenstat, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Eizenstat of Atlanta, on July 16.

ISRAEL NEWS

Lia Van Leer receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011.

Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. Aug. 4, 1920: Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan publishes the article “A Program for the Reconstruction of Judaism” in the Menorah Journal. His ideology eventually leads to the creation of a fourth American Jewish denomination, the Reconstructionist movement. Aug. 5, 1995: Famed Israeli composer Menachem Avidom, whose compositions help lay the groundwork for Mizrahi and Sephardic music in Israel, dies in Tel Aviv. Aug. 6, 1923: The 13th Zionist Congress is convened in Carlsbad, Czechoslovakia. It discusses details of the Palestine Mandate, particularly the prerogatives of the Palestine Zionist Executive, which guide Jewish immigration and settlement. Aug. 7, 1904: Ralph Bunche is born in Detroit. In 1947, he is appointed as a U.S. representative on the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine, which is charged with devising a partition plan. His efforts to secure armistice agreements between Israel and Arab nations, beginning in 1948, earn him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950. Aug. 8, 1924: Israeli film pioneer Lia Van Leer is born Lia Greenberg in Beltsy, Romania (today Moldova). Aug. 9, 1982: Chez Jo Goldberg, a Jewish deli in Paris, is attacked by two terrorists wielding grenades and machine guns. Six people are killed, and 22 others are injured. The attack is believed to have been planned and carried out by the Abu Nidal Organization, an international Palestinian terrorist group. Aug. 10, 1920: After the San Remo Conference in April 1920, a treaty is signed between the Allies and leaders of the Ottoman Empire in Sevres, France, to break up the empire.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Today in Israeli History

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel’s First Brewery Rolled With Tax Cut While Israel’s outstanding wine industry has received international recognition with recent features in publications such as Wine Spectator, Aug. 4 is International Beer Day, so it is timely to take a look at the early history of beer in the Holy Land. “All attempts to establish beer breweries in this country have so far proved unsuccessful,” proclaimed the Palestine Bulletin on June 30, 1920. Those failures took place despite calls for investing in the industry because of the abundance of barley grown in the region. In 1922, the B’nai B’rith Messenger reported that Nahum Tisch (Tishbi), the secretary for trade and industry of the Palestine Zionist Executive, advocated opening a brewery in Gaza, among other industries, to help spur Jewish development there. Both Tisch and editorials of the 1930s commented that in addition to exporting barley used to make beer in Germany and England, the Yishuv was spending

substantial sums to import beer. Among the reasons the beer industry had not developed, despite the availability of some ingredients and

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Guest Column

Bottles are labeled at the Palestine Brewery in Rishon L’Zion in 1939.

By Rich Walter

a thirst for beer among European immigrants, were the high taxes imposed on its production. Only when the British agreed to lower the excise tax on beer from 20 mils to 8 mils per liter was an economically successful brewery constructed. A group of French Jewish industrialists, led by the banker Rene GastonDreyfus, was behind the country’s first brewery, Palestine Brewery Ltd., which opened in the cellar of a Rishon L’Zion winery in 1934. In addition to being from a well-known Parisian banking family, Gaston-Dreyfus was a trained brewer

who had helped to start breweries in Egypt, Morocco and Indonesia through Sofibra, an investment firm he had created to finance breweries. Gaston-Dreyfus, who would later receive the French Legion of Honor for his service in both world wars, was inspired to create the brewery after hearing a lecture by Chaim Weizmann at the Sorbonne on economic development in Palestine. A year after opening, the brewery launched a label competition, which was won by Albert K. Henschel of Jerusalem. The first bottles were marketed and sold as Nesher (Eagle) beer in January 1936. Over 3 million bottles were produced in the first year

of operation. After the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, more breweries emerged in the 1950s to challenge the country’s first brewery. Commercially successful beers Goldstar and Maccabee came to dominate the marketplace. In recent decades, a number of microbreweries have been established in Israel. While Israeli wine is available in many area stores, it appears that, at present, one cannot purchase Israeli beer in metro Atlanta. ■ Rich Walter is the associate director for Israel education at the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org).

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Eyes in the sky. The Israel Space Agency’s first satellite for environmental research was scheduled to blast into orbit from Arianespace’s launch facility in Guiana on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Venµs, whose name is based on an acronym for vegetation and environment monitoring on a new micro satellite, is a joint project with France’s space agency. It will use a camera operating on 12 wavelengths to study soil and vegetation, and it will test the Israeli Electrical Propulsion System.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Birthright brain surgery. Kimberly Winkler from the Dominican Republic suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm while on a Birthright Israel tour. She was rushed to Hadassah’s Ein Kerem hospital, where surgeons performed three delicate surgeries to save her life. A real wonder. Gal Gadot, the Israeli star of “Wonder Woman,” has risen to No. 1 on The Hollywood Reporter’s Top Actors list, which ranks the most popular actors on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Google Plus.

A lap around Manhattan. Israeli Guy 6 Cohen took part in July in the 20 Bridg-

es Swim around the island of Manhattan, one of the hardest swims in the world. The 52-year-old Shefayim resident completed the swim in just over 7 hours, 45 minutes, to raise money for research by Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center into sudden cardiac death, which killed his 6-year-old daughter, Netta, 15 years ago. A 2,600-year link to the other Georgia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili highlighted 2,600 years of Jewish relations with the Caucasus country during the Georgian leader’s visit to Israel on July 24 and 25. Kvirikashvili committed to strengthening the nations’ bilateral ties. Testing fruit for freshness. Ness Zonabased startup AclarTech has developed the AclaroMeter app, which works with a smartphone’s camera and the Israeli SCIO molecular scanner to monitor the ripeness, freshness and quality of fruit and vegetables. The app could revolutionize the global food market by helping prevent waste. Still the cream of the crop. Israeli cows

in 2009 produced more milk on average than those in any other country — around 2,640 gallons per cow for the year. Eight years later, Israel’s cows are still world champions, now averaging 3,162 gallons of milk a year. Investing in car tech. Through its InMotion Ventures, Tata Motors (owner of Jaguar Land Rover) has invested in the $40 million Maniv Mobility venture capital fund, Israel’s first VC fund dedicated to innovations in autonomous driving, connected cars and vehicle data. Maniv has invested in Otonomo in Herzliya and Cognata in Rehovot. Cheaper shoes. The Israeli Finance Ministry has canceled the 12 percent customs duty imposed on shoes. The purpose of the move is to reduce the gap in prices between Israel and other nations without hurting domestic manufacturers. Silver in hoops. Israel’s under-20 men’s basketball team reached the European final in Greece by upsetting France, 74-52, in the semifinals before losing to the host nation, 65-56, in the title game July 23.

Easy driver. Israel’s Transportation Ministry has announced that olim (new immigrants) and returning residents with valid driver’s licenses for five years will be able to get Israeli licenses immediately. Before, any driver had to take lessons and a practical test. The aliyah app. Making aliyah requires a series of steps toward full integration: papers, diploma, language, work, etc. MyAliyah, a new iOS app, helps new immigrants to Israel to track stages of relocation and absorption and receive their benefits to ensure aliyah success. More immigrants from Venezuela. Twenty-six Venezuelans from seven families recently made aliyah with the financial support of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Route to Rome. Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, is expanding service to Israel this winter, including daily flights from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com, timesofisrael.com and other sources.

ISRAEL NEWS

Photos by Shahar Azran, Israel Bonds

Expert Investment Advice Legendary investor Warren Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, meets Atlantans Manny and Samuel Fialkow and Richard Kopelman during an appearance by the “Oracle of Omaha” at an Israel Bonds dinner in New York on June 15 that was attended by U.S., Canadian, Mexican and Brazilian investors interested in buying $1 million to $5 million worth of bonds. “The purchase of Israel Bonds is a … deserved endorsement of a remarkable country,” Buffett said in a speech at the event. “Israel has become a showcase of what can be done when you unlock an ocean of human potential.” With Buffett’s help through appearances at the dinner and at private receptions in New York and Omaha, Israel Bonds gained purchase commitments topping $200 million.

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ISRAEL NEWS

The facility at Machpelah, the Cave of the Patriarchs, in Hebron has been open to Jews for 50 years.

English Speakers Make Aliyah Easier By Mort and Edie Barr

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Sixteen months after making aliyah, we find ourselves busier than ever and well-integrated into our Ramat Beit Shemesh community. Our successful absorption is largely a result of the neighborhood in which we live, which is virtually 100 percent English-speaking. Our community is a magnet for religious, English-speaking immigrants from North America, South Africa, England and Australia. Several synagogues are on our street; the one directly across the road from our home is Kehillat Menorat Hamaor, which was founded about 18 years ago by a group of South Africans and other Anglos who had moved into the newly constructed neighborhood. Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph was only mud and foundations in 1995; buildings were occupied shortly after. The first minyan on Nachal Maor Street was held in 1998, and eight years later the congregation moved into its still-incomplete building. A page from our synagogue’s promotional literature states, “Kehillat Menorat Hamaor is a dati leumi (national religious) synagogue following the Ashkenazi tradition. We nurture a closely knit … and loving community … where Jews of all ages and backgrounds, new immigrants and native Israelis, are welcomed and feel comfortable and valued; where a deep abiding love of Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael is mani8 fested.”

The Torah sermons are in English, and perhaps that says it all. There is an old joke about where we live: “Here, in our community, you can get on a bus and in only 10 minutes you are in Israel.” The practical aspect of living here is that neither of us missed a beat after moving from Atlanta to Israel: Our skill bases and experiences were immediately applicable here. It was easy to find friends and integrate into our community, and in June both of us assumed leadership positions in our community. Edie resumed her involvement in senior matters through her elevation to chair of Maor Seniors, a group loosely affiliated with our synagogue that runs social programs and trips for the older generation. Mort was elected by the Menorat Hamaor membership to be the board chairman. Such opportunities to contribute to our community would not have been possible in a Hebrew-speaking, more native Israeli community. There is, of course, a flip side to this instant integration: Despite completing ulpan, the immersive, fivemonth Hebrew language course we previously wrote about, our Hebrew language skills have been retarded by the ease of navigating in English. We are forever grateful to Google translate, dual-language neighbors, and our children, who live nearby and can help us read our mail. A lack of Hebrew fluency also is not a barrier to being the rosh vaad ha-

bayit (head of the building cooperative) of our apartment building. Mort took on that job in June 2016, two months after we made aliyah. Collecting monthly vaad dues of 150 shekels ($42), ensuring the building is well maintained and clean, paying bills, and managing sudden repairs are the key responsibilities. Our plumber and several handymen are from Britain or the United States, and that makes life easy. Indeed, one of our plumber’s employees is an ex-Atlantan. Between community and building, we are now fully engaged. Language aside, to live in Israel is to be a witness to biblical prophecy. When we read in our prayers that we want to see the rebuilding of Jerusalem in our days, we only have to drive 20 minutes to see the progress being made. We usually enter Jerusalem from the south through tunnels under Bethlehem and Beit Jala into the Gilo neighborhood. Construction is almost complete to connect the tunnel road to the Menachem Begin Highway bisecting Jerusalem. Soon we will be able to cross from south to north along a superhighway in the middle of Jerusalem. Our own Ramat Beit Shemesh is expanding so rapidly that new neighborhoods seem to grow overnight. If we keep our windows open, everything becomes covered with the dust of construction, but we do not complain because we are witnessing the rebuilding of Israel. New immigrants will occupy many of the new buildings.

This year marks 50 years since the reunification of Jerusalem. It is interesting that when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, it was about 50 years until Cyrus, the Persian ruler, let the Jews start rebuilding. Then 20 years later the Beit Hamikdash (Temple) was rebuilt. In modern times, Theodor Herzl prophesied in 1897 that there would be a Jewish state in 50 years. The United Nations voted for the creation of Israel in 1947, 50 years later. In 1967, 20 years later, Jerusalem was reunified and totally in Jewish hands. Coincidence? Maybe. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we attended the World Mizrachi celebration of Jerusalem’s Jubilee. It was quite an event, lasting from Monday, May 22, to Thursday May 25. The kickoff event was dinner and music featuring Yaakov Shwekey and the IDF Choir. Speakers included Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Economic Minister Naftali Bennett, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Racheli Fraenkel, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Chief Rabbi David Lau, Natan Sharansky and entrepreneur Jon Medved. Also present were the three soldiers from the iconic picture of the paratroopers at the liberation of the Kotel in 1967. We were able to meet them, take pictures with them and have them autograph their photo for us. Of significance was the description of Jerusalem as the city on earth and the city in heaven. Anyone who

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ISRAEL NEWS

The liberation of Hebron is celebrated the day after Yom Yerushalayim.

Edie Barr gets an autograph from Haim Oshri, one of three Israeli paratroopers from the famous David Rubinger photo at the Kotel in 1967.

Construction is a constant part of life in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

Jacarandas bloom in May in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

were “L’shana habaah b’Yerushalayim” (next year in Jerusalem). On the day after Yom Yerushalayim, we went to Hebron for Hebron Day, which marks the day in 1967 when IDF Rabbi Shlomo Goren and his driver entered Hebron alone, and the whole city surrendered to them without a shot being fired. He opened the Cave of the Patriarchs to Jews for the first time since 1929, when we were forced out after bloody pogroms by the Arab population. We ended the conference on the Mount of Olives, looking at the Temple Mount. Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Tzipi Hotovely, the deputy foreign affairs minister, spoke of this special time in Jewish history. What a wonderful time to be able to live our dream of aliyah. ■ After living in Atlanta since 2006, Mort and Edie Barr made aliyah March 30, 2016. Mort retired as the director of technology at Colgate Palmolive, was the executive director of Congregation Beth Jacob, and was the founder and CEO of Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta. Edie retired from a career as an assisted-living activities director for NORC, Berman Commons and the Carlton. She is a former president of the Mount Scopus Group of Hadassah Greater Atlanta, served on the Hadassah Greater Atlanta board and was active in the Beth Jacob Sisterhood.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

has been to Jerusalem has experienced its otherworldliness, yet it is a pluralistic city with many modern challenges. Even its name reflects duality: Yerushalayim is plural. Barkat says the city has opportunities, not challenges. If Jerusalem can work, any city can deal with its problems. Jerusalem was created by David as a capital of all of Israel that was not located in any tribe’s area (the same idea was used to create Washington, D.C.). Thus, Jerusalem belongs to all Jews anywhere. Medved told us about all the international companies that are coming to Jerusalem to be part of startup industries. In fact, 6,000 people came to a high-tech conference recently to learn about investing in high-tech Jerusalem. At the closing session, Rabbi Lau spoke about how Jerusalem is the heart of the Jewish people. That is why hardened, nonreligious soldiers cried when they liberated the Old City in 1967. Sharansky, who heads the Jewish Agency for Israel, spoke about how the Six-Day War made the Jews of Russia proud of being Jewish instead of simply suffering discrimination. He learned that Jews could fight and win, giving him the strength to fight for freedom in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. His only words to the Soviet court when he was sentenced to prison

Jerusalem as seen from the Mount of Olives is an inspiring sight.

OPINION

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Our View

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Pass Force Act

It’s hard to find anything shocking regarding Palestinian terrorism against Israelis, but this nugget after the latest violence in the name of peace around the Temple Mount comes close: The Palestinian Authority is paying $344 million a year to support imprisoned terrorists and the families of those killed or wounded in the act of trying to kill Israelis. That’s 7 percent of the PA budget but equivalent to 49.7 percent of the foreign aid the Palestinian government receives, according to an analysis conducted by the Institute for Contemporary Affairs. Let those numbers sink in. The government of President Mahmoud Abbas — now into the 13th year of his four-year term — feels that the best use of the aid that pours in from the United States, the European Union and others is not to develop the physical, political and economic infrastructure of the nation the Palestinians claim to want, but to thank terrorists for killing their neighbors. Make no mistake: Each terrorist attack, successful or not, decreases the prospects for peace by making Israelis feel more vulnerable and less comfortable with the idea of being bordered on two sides by a hostile, independent Palestinian state. The latest bitter example is Omar al-Abed, the 19-year-old Arab who knocked on the door of a Jewish family celebrating Shabbat at home in Halamish on July 21 and, when he was invited in, fatally stabbed a 70-year-old Jewish man and two of his adult children. He reportedly will receive $3,120 a month for life; by comparison, the average Palestinian engineer earns $1,300 a month. It’s a lot easier to slaughter a few Jews than study for a degree and work hard, especially when the PA gives the convicted terrorists pay raises despite, or in response to, international grumbling about such payments, which cause increasing consternation in London and Paris as their residents experience life under the constant fear of terrorism. It’s time for the United States to do more than complain about the reward system for terrorist “martyrs.” It’s time to push ahead with a legislative solution introduced in February by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): the Taylor Force Act, named for the Army veteran from Vanderbilt who was fatally stabbed by an Arab terrorist in Tel Aviv last year. The bill would cut off U.S. foreign aid to the PA until it stops paying for acts of terrorism, thus forcing Abbas to make a choice between financing deadly violence and having the financial life choked out of his government. The deceptively short, simple bill has its flaws, such as the risk of cutting off security cooperation (as Abbas did during the Temple Mount crisis). There’s no mechanism for reducing rather than eliminating the aid and no reward for cutting off the terrorist payments other than maintenance of the existing level of aid. Analyst Michael Koplow at the invaluable Ottomans and Zionists blog has suggestions to make the bill more effective without defanging it. But it is simply immoral for the United States to continue giving the PA the financial ability to pay terrorists, and it must stop. Congress must pass the Taylor Force Act. ■

Cartoon by Yaakov Kirschen, Dry Bones

Making Jewish History in NOLA renovated building owned by Jewish commercial “How many of you were born in the South?” the real estate developer Jeffrey Feil. It will be designed speaker asked from the bimah at Temple Sinai in by the firm of Patrick Gallagher, the Jewish creator New Orleans during Friday night services July 28. behind the World War II Museum and the overMost of the people in the overflow chapel crowd hauled Beit Hatfutsot in Tel Aviv. raised their hands. Given the involveBy the time Ken Hoffment of Hoffman and man got through quesGallagher, and based on tions about our parents, Editor’s Notebook the presentation July 28 by grandparents and greatmuseum Vice Chairman grandparents to ask how By Michael Jacobs Rusty Palmer, the museum many had family in the mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com should provide the same South before the Civil War, kind of interactive experiabout a half-dozen of us ence you get at the World still held our hands up. War II Museum, albeit with less military hardware. “You’re the people I want to talk to,” he said. It should be an impressive addition to the clusThat’s because Hoffman, who was born in Houster of museums near the circle (and right on the St. ton, was raised in Baton Rouge, earned two history Charles streetcar line) when it opens in 2019. And all degrees from Tulane and spent the past 18½ years as of us have a role to play in making the museum what the education director at the National World War II we want it to be as it tells the Southern Jewish story. Museum in New Orleans, had just been announced Neither Hoffman nor Palmer made a pitch for as the director of the reborn Museum of the Southmoney, but they did push for a different kind of conern Jewish Experience. tribution: a 15-question online survey, accessible at The museum got its start in 1986 at the Reform www.surveymonkey.com/r/msje or through the mumovement’s Henry S. Jacobs Camp (named for my seum’s website, www.msje.org. While you’re there, grandfather’s brother) in Utica, Miss., after some of you can sign up for email updates on the museum. the small Jewish communities disappearing around The new museum, with its small-town focus, the South began donating relics to the camp. should complement Atlanta’s Breman Museum, Under Macy Hart, the museum evolved into the which leans toward the big-city Jewish South with its Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Atlanta and Savannah collections. Life, which moved to Jackson and shut down the Hoffman’s involvement piques my interest not museum itself. only because he’s a fellow Tulane history grad, but But now the institute has spun off the museum also because he did his master’s thesis on the Jewish into an independent nonprofit organization that community of Port Gibson, Miss., where my grandhas Atlantan Jay Tanenbaum as its chairman and mother went to synagogue before her family moved possesses more than 2,000 items, including some from nearby Pattison to New Orleans. 700 oral histories. The museum has found a home That’s the same grandmother whose 104th in New Orleans: 818 Howard Ave., about two blocks birthday we celebrated the day the museum anfrom the city’s No. 1 tourist attraction, the World nounced its location and Hoffman’s hiring. War II Museum, and one block from Lee-less Circle. A museum that tells her family story is not a The new Museum of the Southern Jewish Expebad present. Happy birthday, GaGa. ■ rience will take up half of a huge, four-floor, newly

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Letters To The Editor

Palestinians Shouldn’t Blame Israel for Refugees

Irwin Levine is well-intentioned, but his analysis of the situation is incorrect (“Don’t Give Up on Peace,” Letters to the Editor, July 14). Israel is not responsible for the Palestinians’ suffering; they are being used as cannon fodder in a propaganda campaign and war of terror being waged against Israel. The 800,000 Jews expelled from their homes in Muslim countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa in the decade after Israel’s rebirth were quickly absorbed and uplifted by Israel; their descendants now form the majority of Israel’s Jewish population. In contrast, the descendants of Arabs who fled the 1948 Arab-initiated war aimed at preventing Israel’s rebirth are still living in refugee camps, denied citizenship and economic opportunity in many of the very countries that expelled their Jews. The Palestinian leadership insists that Israel must take in the “refugees.” But they will not become citizens in any state that the leaders may ever deign to establish, the idea being that either Israel will be destroyed by acts of war or cease to be a Jewish state when it is overrun by millions of people who have been raised in a society that reserves its highest honors for those who have murdered Jews and provides the murderers and/or their families with generous stipends. Muslim leaders are determined to keep the “refugees” poor and easily manipulated. In 1968, after the Arab League rebuffed Israel’s offer to withdraw from land liberated in the SixDay War, Israel attempted to improve the conditions in the refugee camps. Muslim nations persuaded the United Nations to condemn the plans and stop their implementation. In the early 2000s, Salam Fayyad, as the finance minister for the Palestinian Authority, attempted to improve the economy of the West Bank. His efforts were so successful that the Palestinian leaders in Gaza and the West Bank had a mini-reconciliation, during which they agreed on only one point: Fayyad needed to be ousted. As part of the 2005 unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, American Jews purchased state-of-the-art greenhouses from the farmers of Gush Katif and gifted them to the people of Gaza,

in an attempt to jump-start the Gazan economy. Palestinians destroyed all the greenhouses. Plans to construct a joint IsraeliGazan industrial park near the border had to be abandoned because the site was so often the target of missile fire from Gaza. While the world complains of Israel’s “blockade” of Gaza, Israel sends tons of supplies into Gaza every day. Does any right-minded person think that Israel should not try to stop the flow of munitions into Gaza? Shouldn’t sane people agree that security needs to be stepped up at the entrances to the Temple Mount, from which Muslims have been throwing rocks and firebombs at Jews worship-

ping at the Western Wall for decades, not to mention the automatic weapons, hidden on the holy site, recently used to gun down two Israeli policemen? Israel doesn’t need to be lectured about showing concern for the Arab people. Mr. Levine’s comments should have been directed at the Palestinian leadership and that of the broader Muslim world. — Toby F. Block, Atlanta

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Extra Bit of Good

From the Blogs

Just a note that Bobby Nooromid (“Jewish Atlanta’s 40 Under 40,” July 14) is also a frequent blood and platelet donor. So while he has been honored with a mention in the AJT, he also has saved a bunch of lives — Bob Frohlich, Marietta

The Atlanta Jewish Times welcomes letters and guest columns from our readers. Letters should be 400 or fewer words; guest columns are 600 to 700 words. Send your submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com. Include your name, the town you live in, and a phone number for verification. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length.

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AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

OPINION

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OPINION

America’s Soulless Approach to Medicine In 1965 I moved to Memphis, where I was told with great pride that the city had more churches than gas stations. There is a great pride among the population of the United States that this country is religious — almost as religious as India. The National Opinion Research Center’s data consistently show that most people in the United States believe in G-d’s existence and that 85 percent of the population believes in life after death. But do those findings mean that the population of this country is religious? The answer depends on how one defines religion. If we define religion by a belief in a deity and church attendance, the United States wins, hands down. But if we define religion by a belief in a moral society and care and concern for people’s need to have a high quality of life, I am not so sure. I remember well the complaint of one person that his minister had

four rotating sermon topics: smoking, drinking, sex and gambling. During the Vietnam War, I

One Man’s Opinion By Eugen Schoenfeld

conducted a study (initiated by the ministers association of Germantown, a suburb of Memphis) regarding appropriate sermon topics. Church members, responding to the questionnaire, vehemently opposed the idea that ministers should challenge the moral validity of that war. The responses reminded me of a movie about “Sin City” — Phenix City, Ala., where the city was ruled by heartless, corrupt criminals. The members of the local crime organization, on the one hand, complained that the minister in his Sunday sermon didn’t adequately emphasize fire and brimstone and, on the other hand, immedi-

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AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

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Cartoon by Nate Beeler, The Columbus Dispatch

ately after church services ordered the execution of people who opposed the corruption of city leaders. Perhaps this problem had its roots in the Christian teaching of the duality of power, in which G-d and Caesar have separate domains. Heaven and earth are separate, and G-d’s just domain ends when it comes to governing on earth. Perhaps this lack of concern with this world and the people in it was brought on by Christian rejection of the Jewish Bible, including the rejection of the moral ideals of the prophets. The Torah and the prophets place moral life ahead of faith and hence espouse the view that obedience to G-d does not end with a declaration of faith but includes morals. From that perspective, economic institutions are not free from moral laws, and business is not governed only by the law of self-interest and profit. Sociologist Max Weber, at the end of his treatise of the Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism, bemoans that capitalism in the United States rejected its Protestant moral and ethical roots in favor of the profit motive. “Get all you can get” is the dominant approach without consideration of collective needs and interests, which are subsumed under the false concept of rugged individualism. What is more moral, the saving of human life or the right to private property? Is it moral if we make medicine available only to those who can pay for it and let the others die? The precipitous rise in the cost of medical care in the United States, including the prices for even generic drugs, seems to support the beliefs

that property rights are more important than human life and that human value is judged by wealth alone. The opponents of Obamacare bring this perspective to justify their view of the value of human beings. Jews, at least those who have followed the moral dicta of the Torah and the prophets, have always distinguished between private and collective needs (tzorchey yachid and tzorchey tzibur). For many years we sought G-d’s blessing on those who were concerned with collective needs and who understood that all human life had an equal intrinsic value, so that saving one life was equivalent to saving all mankind. Is there a great difference between those teens who stood by and mocked a drowning person rather than extend help and those people who do not want to provide for the collective needs of health — not as a matter of charity, but as a right for all people, poor and wealthy alike? The United States is the only industrial country where the real right to life is not granted, yet we wish to call ourselves the richest country. Rich in production, perhaps, but are we also the poorest country in moral belief? Perhaps it is time to realize that the bare-knuckle capitalism of the 1920s and 1930s is gone, and the new economic system accepts the moral teaching that there are areas of life in which the profit motive is without merit. Perhaps all those good people in Congress should remember what the Gospels of Mark and Matthew taught about gaining the whole world and losing one’s soul. Do we wish to be known as soulless America, just as Phenix City was the soulless city? ■

AUGUST 4 â&#x2013;ª 2017

SIMCHAS

Births Ahuva Steininger

Joshua and Sammi Steininger of Baltimore announce the birth of a daughter, Ahuva Chana Steininger, on May 25, 2017. Mrs. Steininger is the former Sammi Haber of Atlanta and is a graduate of the Epstein and Weber schools. The proud grandparents are Mike and Stephanie Steininger and Wendy Haber and Ira Haber. The thrilled great-grandparents are Bessie Hirsh, Adele Morris, and Rosalind and Philip Haber. The over-the-moon great-greatgrandmother is Lena Sisselman, who celebrated her 102nd birthday in late May.

Max Jaffe

Craig and Carli Jaffe of Vernon Hills, Ill., announce the birth of a son, Max Noah Jaffe, on July 3, 2017. Mrs. Jaffe is the former Carli Haber of Atlanta and is a graduate of the Epstein and Weber schools. The proud grandparents are Jay and Jill Jaffe and Wendy Haber and Ira Haber. The thrilled great-grandparents are Rosalind and Philip Haber, Adele Morris, and Jay Strauss. The over-the-moon great-great-grandmother is Lena Sisselman, who celebrated her 102nd birthday in late May.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Wedding Shanken-Reid

Jessica Elizabeth Shanken and Jay Evan Reid were married June 10, 2017, at Blue Hill at the Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson officiated. The bride, the daughter of Hazel and Marvin Shanken of New York, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and received her M.B.A. from New York University. She is the vice president of business development and new media at M. Shanken Communications Inc., the publisher of Wine Spectator magazine. The groom, the son of Gail Reid of Roswell and the late Lawrence “Larry” Reid, a former resident of Dunwoody, graduated from Virginia Tech. He is the director of football operations for the National Football League. The couple lives in New York.

SPORTS AMSSL Standings — Week 8 A Division

B’nai Torah

Dor Tamid

Temple

Ahavath Achim

Or VeShalom

Sinai

Beth Tefillah

Chabad

B Division

Beth Tikvah

Ariel

Young Israel

Gesher L’Torah

Etz Chaim

Or Hadash

Sinai 2

Beth Jacob

C Division

Emanu-El

Dor Tamid 2

Beth Shalom

Beth Tikvah 2

Kol Emeth

Temple 2

Sinai 3

B’nai Torah 2

B’nai Torah Reclaims Regular Season Crown

Aug. 6 Schedule

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The Atlanta Men’s Synagogue Softball League will begin a doubleelimination playoff tournament Aug. 6. Brackets in the A and C divisions are set, but two makeup games Aug. 3 will determine the final seeding in B. B’nai Torah, which was upended by Beth Tefillah last season as regular-season A champions, has cliched first place in A with a 7-2-1 record. In C, Emanu-El finished a perfect 10-0 to clinch first place. Depending on the outcome of the games Aug. 3, either Ariel (5-3) or Beth Tikvah (7-2) will be crowned the winner of B.

LOCAL NEWS

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Mental Health Initiative Launches at Or Hadash Shira Funk and Yaniv Zigmond (as the Camp Judaea Lion) support Sophie Knapp’s Depressed Cake Shop fundraiser.

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Assisting people with mental illness has become Devi Knapp’s main goal after her own bouts of depression over nearly 30 years. That’s why she has co-founded Baken (In the Nest), a mental health collective that has support from Congregation Or Hadash and Rabbi Analia Bortz. After discovering a mental health first-aid class on Facebook, Knapp thought of her own teaching career the past 18 years and the limited training and discussions on mental health. Knapp regularly blogs about her anxiety and depression, but she realizes that some of her readers won’t know what’s going on with the people near them. “I receive support because I’m out there, but there are also people who may not receive the same exposure due to their inability to speak up,” she said. Determined to make a difference, Knapp approached Rabbi Bortz, who is a physician, to create four events between January and May this year. As part of a bat mitzvah project and for the organization’s first event, Knapp’s daughter, Sophie, hosted a bake sale with the Depressed Cake Shop, which raises awareness about mental health issues. The pastries, decorated with sad faces and broken hearts, raised over $2,800 for the Georgia Parent Support Network, which helps children and families with financial needs. In March, Knapp hosted a sepa-

Sophie Knapp baked these cookies in partnership with the Depressed Cake Shop to help raise awareness about mental health.

rate event for families with children who have mental health issues, inviting 30 attendees and a panel of professionals, including psychologists and psychiatrists. “People began talking and felt they were speaking with members of the Jewish community vs. going to the hospital or an office building,” she said. An event in May for adults with mental health issues drew increased participation and questions about the next event. By mid-May, Rabbi Bortz and Knapp decided to invite Jewish health professionals to help plan the next step. “We wanted to support people without providing them treatment because at the end of the day we did not wish to be a treatment center,” Knapp said, “but help connect individuals to have a better understanding of their mental health and where they can find assistance.” As a result, the next event, “Wrapping Your Arms Around Mental Illness,” is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 13, at Congregation Or Hadash. Mental health professionals will speak with individuals and present 45-minute sessions on various topics, including grief, eating disorders and suicide.

“There is a stigma and mystery in the Jewish community of the unknown regarding mental health, and we have a responsibility to make the disease transparent to everyone to generate support,” Rabbi Bortz said. “By continuing the mitzvah project within the community, we can hear, listen and potentially save lives while building a nest.” In addition to Or Hadash, Baken hopes to branch out to Congregation Shearith Israel while partnering with Jewish Family & Careers Services and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Despite numerous faith based resources available to the community, Knapp is striving to include Jewish clergy that people feel comfortable speaking with. “The community is great at assisting individuals with physical disabilities but somewhat limited when addressing mental ailments and help-

ing families who may have someone suffering from an illness,” Knapp said. “Rabbi Bortz knows what she is talking about and is sensitive to the subject. I don’t know if others have had the same training.” As the organization grows, Knapp hopes to arrange monthly speakers on pertinent topics and possibly start a book club and a movie night to generate discussions about mental health. Baken also intends to hold a symposium in the spring to train rabbis on mental health and has heard from MACoM and Hadassah about collaborations. “People often expect individuals suffering from mental health issues to quickly get better or receive medication, which are common stigmas,” Knapp said. “However, I hope that those suffering from mental illness seek help and realize there is nothing to be ashamed of and that this is a normal part of life.” ■

What: “Wrapping Your Arms Around Mental Illness” Who: Ten-plus professionals leading 45-minute breakout sessions Where: Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs When: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 Cost: Free; RSVP at www.baken-atlanta.org/events

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Josh Pastner is the head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team and was named 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year in his first season on the job. Before that, Pastner was the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Memphis from 2009 to 2016 where he guided the team to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2011 to 2014. He was also a player on the 1997 Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball national championship team, and an assistant coach at the University of Arizona under Lute Olson from 20022008. While playing basketball at the University of Arizona from 1996-2000, Pastner earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in only three and a half years. The 39-year-old Jewish coach now resides in the north Buckhead area with his wife and two kids.

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If you’re playing Southern Jewish geography, there’s a good chance that Anthony Alann Johnson will come up in the conversation. Though he’s an ordained minister, he’s more active in the Atlanta Jewish community than most Jewish Atlantans and is an honorary member of The Temple. Once one of the youngest people to serve in the Alabama House of Representatives when he lived in Birmingham, Johnson is running for the Atlanta City Council from District 11, which covers the Cascade area of Southwest Atlanta. Mayoral candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms now represents the district, which includes Cascade and Campbellton roads. The district is 96 percent African-American, ranging from the wealthy to those below the poverty level, but Johnson said he wants to find a middle ground to repair the struggling area. “I’ve always promised to pledge to be a representative of everybody in the district,” Johnson said. “I’ve been preaching for 20 years. I’m a licensed and ordained minister, and that means taking care of everybody — the haves and have-nots — and facilitating a better quality of life.” Like many Atlanta neighborhoods, District 11 is undergoing redevelopment, resulting in displacement that Johnson said is turning his constituents off from the political process. In response, the city recently partnered with the Westside Future Fund to enact the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund Program, which pays the property tax increases of qualifying homeowners. District 11 is Atlanta’s first displacement-free zone. Johnson is on a listening tour to engage residents about their neighborhood concerns. What Johnson has found so far is that basic needs are not being met. “We’re visiting everyone in the district, from our poorest to our elderly. We’re advocating for the older generation to be protected against reverse mortgages,” Johnson said. “We need to make sure everyone, especially our seniors that have worked their entire lives, who own a home, are not run out of the neighborhoods.” De-escalating crime is one of his priorities. Carjackings have risen sharply in Atlanta and in District 11

Anthony Alann Johnson volunteers at the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival.

in recent years, a problem that gained attention when actress Queen Latifah became one of the victims. Johnson has worked with Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves, another mayoral candidate, to combat crime. “When it came to the carjackings, the thieves were running through the woods and behind the gas stations,” Johnson said. “We posted no-loitering signs, and Chairman Eaves approved millions of dollars to approve each gas station with an off-duty Fulton County sheriff.” Day workers used the area to line up for jobs, gathering around 4 a.m. outside the parking lot of Arbor Terrace, a senior residence. Johnson is also looking at how he can create opportunities and bring vibrancy back into District 11. The district’s next city councilman has as an advantage in an area that is ripe for economic growth. Infrastructure improvements are already being planned, and corporations such as UPS have found homes in District 11. Residents are on board with progress, but Johnson said more work must be done. “Money is a solution, and I don’t want to raise taxes, but we need to take new approaches to find new monies,” he said. “Projections show our population is going to double in the next seven years. We have a lot of people with no jobs, and we have to make sure that we have jobs for everyone and everyone has a place to live.” He embodies the spirit of tikkun olam (repairing the world) after years of volunteering with people. Johnson comes from a line of 35 preachers and pastors, including the Rev. N.H. “Fireball” Smith Jr., co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Joseph Lowery, who is Johnson’s god-uncle. The City Council candidate is also a mentee of Rabbi Jonathan Miller

OPINION

of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham. What stands out about Johnson is that he wants to serve as much as he wants to lead, Rabbi Miller said. “Atlanta is very blessed to have him, and he can be very effective there,” the rabbi said. “If you want something done, Anthony will get it done. He exudes confidence, and I have confidence in him.” Johnson became interested in Judaism when he moved back to Birmingham from Atlanta to take care of his ailing grandfather and began to preach. He took up Hebrew classes and dedicated his life to the community. He also is a strong advocate of Israel. “He looks out for his people — African-Americans and Jewish people,” Rabbi Miller said. His determination to connect to the black and Jewish communities impressed Doug Ross, the Atlanta chairman for AIPAC and the Birthright Israel Foundation. “Anthony’s commitment to Israel and to strengthening black-Jewish relations is inspirational,” Ross said. “He is a great and valued friend of the Jewish community.” Johnson’s service in the community has been heavily influenced by his childhood growing up among the Jews of Birmingham, who positioned themselves as advocates for African-Americans, Johnson said. “They were seen as people who opened their hearts and minds and worked to collaborate with the African-American community.” The move back to Atlanta was an easy transition in part because of the Jewish community here, said Johnson, who has completed his second year of Hebrew classes at The Temple. “One thing I’ve learned is that Jewish geography is real. I really feel like I’m family. I’ve sat at the feet of great rabbis, and they are my foundation,” Johnson said. “I thank G-d for the chesed, or the lovingkindness and grace, that Jews show one another.” ■

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Birmingham Rabbi Jonathan Miller has mentored Anthony Alann Johnson.

BUSINESS

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Epitome Makes Strides Into Hip-Hop Culture By Patrice Worthy Aric Rosenberg grew up like a lot of other kid in the 1990s, with a love of shoes and hip-hop. He turned those loves into a career by working at Stankonia Studios, the home of Outkast, and later by opening Epitome, an upscale shoe boutique with a mezuzah on the door at 252 Pharr Road in Buckhead. The boutique is home to some of the most stylish sneakers found in Atlanta. Every week customers can look forward to shipments of such rare kicks as Yeezy Boots, Comme des Garcons Converse Chuck Taylors, Fenty by Rihanna slides, and the recent Adidas and Daniel Arsham sneaker collaboration. Rosenberg is known for his alliance with the music industry in Atlanta. For example, he hosts exclusive parties during the BET Hip Hop Awards. An Orthodox kid from Atlantic City, N.J., he talked to the AJT about how he stays connected to the hip-hop community while running one of the chicest sneaker stores in the city.

Aric Rosenberg says it’s a challenge to keep the hottest trends in Epitome.

AJT: How did you cultivate a love for sneakers? Did you collect them? Rosenberg: Growing up, I always had shell toes or Chuck Taylors. Hiphop always had an influence on me. I never considered it collecting; I just always had shoes. When I went to college, I asked my mom to keep my shoes. AJT: How did you make connections in the hip-hop industry? Rosenberg: I went to school at Full Sail University to become a sound engineer. I was in the music industry and worked at Stankonia Studios as an assistant engineer. The industry took a

Epitome draws large, diverse crowds to the Buckhead store with a range of exclusive sneakers.

dip; I started going to resort shows as a buyer. I grew up buying and discovered I was good at it. AJT: How do you maintain your connections with the hip-hop industry? Rosenberg: I look at it like the creative scene. It all ties back to hip-hop music. Being in New York, it’s a creative thing. Right now, I’m working on a collaboration project in October, the month of the BET Hip Hop Awards. I would rather focus on one big, impactful event than several small ones.

have.

AJT: How do you choose the sneakers? Like the Comme des Garcons Chuck Taylors? Rosenberg: The majority of them are exclusive to Epitome. I said I had to have Nike, and when I went to Nike, they liked the visions. It’s definitely a challenge to stay up on the hottest trends or the newest trends. My fiancée, DJ Martina McFlyy, does all the female buying. She’s the creative director.

AJT: How does growing up Jewish affect your lifestyle in Atlanta? Rosenberg: I grew up walking to synagogue at Chabad. My parents, Noah and Lili Rosenberg, are Israeli. I grew up in an Israeli community and everyone speaking Hebrew among each other. I keep kosher at home, but not when I’m away from home.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

AJT: What are some of your favorite sneakers? Rosenberg: I’m into comfort and style. I like Adidas because they have the best technology. But my clients like the limited products. They all want something not everyone is going to

Epitome’s collection includes artist Daniel Arsham’s collaboration with Adidas.

AJT: Who are some of your celebrity clients? Rosenberg: We have had everyone from Teyana Taylor to Future, 2Chainz and Andre 3000 come in and buy shoes.

AJT: How does your love of hiphop extend to Israel? Rosenberg: I am actually really good friends with Kosha Dillz. I have a lot of Israeli friends who are big in hiphop over there, like Peled, Axum and Ortega. They are all part of a collective called The Cabinet, and they performed at the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. ■

HEALTH & WELLNESS

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Kidney Transplant Transforms Atlanta Life Kidney disease affects nearly 31 million Americans, according to the American Kidney Fund, and is the ninth-leading cause of death in the United States. It’s a silent disease, and many people are unaware that they are experiencing symptoms until they are diagnosed in the advanced stages. Jewish Atlantan Barry Flink, however, is defying the odds against kidney disease, thanks to the kidney donation he received Jan. 19. Flink’s battle with kidney disease is filled with miracles that have enabled him to survive to tell his story. His body persevered while he suffered through a decline in renal function. As his kidney disease got worse, he lost his zest for life. He was ridden with diabetes and hypertension in addition to declining kidney function, a dangerous trio that led Flink down a narrow path. Over five years, Flink felt the worsening effects of the decline of his kidney function. His creatinine levels became dangerously high, and Flink feared what would happen. That is when Flink got his first positive medical surprise: He was told he didn’t have to go on dialysis because his body was coping with the harsh changes, and he was not in renal failure despite high creatinine levels that approached the necessity for dialysis. Still, it appeared inevitable that he would reach the point of needing dialysis, and doctors raised the idea of a kidney transplant. Patients often spend years on the waiting list for kidney transplants because of the difficulty of finding a match. Flink was spared that wait, however, because three people offered their kidneys. It was a miracle for him to be close to so many selfless people. Diana Farmer, Flink’s former employee, proved to be a perfect match, and she donated the kidney for the transplant. His creatinine level peaked at 7.4 the day of surgery. Had the level reached 8, Flink would have been

forced to go on dialysis. The successful surgery took three hours Jan. 19 at Emory University Hospital. “Be very careful about what hospital you pick, and make logistics a part of your consideration,” Flink said. The timing also was lucky. The transplant was performed two months after Flink went on Medicare, which covered almost the entire half-million-dollar cost of the procedure. Had Flink been forced to go through the surgery without Medicare, he would have borne more of the expense. The kidney transplant changed Flink’s life. He was dispirited for many months, but now he has a renewed drive to succeed. His vision has improved, and his diabetes and hyperten-

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Developing an Ear For the Hebrew Tongue With Israeli counselors, Marcus JCC immerses campers in the language By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com The Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Camp Isidore Alterman is one of nine day camps across North America running a Hebrew immersion program in which campers from kindergarten through third grade spend all day surrounded by a staff of Hebrew speakers. The program is known as Kayitz Kef, which means “summer of fun.” Besides the Marcus JCC’s Dunwoody campus, it operates at JCC camps in Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, Chicago and Palo Alto, Calif., as well as Ramah camps in Nyack, N.Y., Philadelphia and Washington. In Atlanta, the program is known as the Gesher Hebrew Immersion Program and runs over four or eight weeks alongside Isidore Alterman’s traditional day camp. Counselors speak only Hebrew to the campers during everyday activities including swimming, sports, arts and crafts, archery, and ropes. The schedule also involves an intensive, fun Hebrew language program. “The kids really like it,” said counselor Noam Zadok, who came here for the summer from Kfar Saba, Israel, to work at the camp. “Most of the kids are coming back again from the first session. They pick up a lot of Hebrew in a short time. I had kids who didn’t know a word in the first week, and now they can say full sentences like ‘I have to go

to the bathroom’ and ‘What activity do we have next?’ ” This is the second summer that the Marcus JCC has offered the Gesher Hebrew Immersion Program, which is supported by the Areivim Philanthropic Group, the Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Marcus Foundation. Be’er Sheva native Tamar Gez is in her first of two years serving as the Atlanta JCC’s Israeli emissary through a partnership with the Jewish Agency of Israel. She oversees the summer program and the five Hebrew-speaking counselors from Israel. “It’s a great way for the kids to be exposed to the language and play with it in a very nonformal way,” Gez said. “The whole idea for me is to have fun with the language. I don’t want a camper to come to me and tell me they had a boring time at camp. I want them to say to their parents, ‘We tie-dyed, and now I know how to say pink in Hebrew.’ ” Some campers start with a strong knowledge of Hebrew; others know almost none. Gez said that even campers who know Hebrew finish camp speaking more fluently than before. The five Israeli counselors, who stay with host families during their three months in Atlanta, regularly get invited to Shabbat dinner by the parents of campers. “We get great feedback from all the parents,” Gez said. “They say their kids are having fun, and they are picking up an ear for conversational Hebrew.” ■

EDUCATION

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B’nai Mitzvah Circuit Fuels Simcha Success don’t want my son/daughter’s celebration to be just like someone else’s!” It won’t be.

Guest Column By Shelly Danz

Your vendors will work with your family to create a customized event that reflects your child’s style and preferences. But if you loved the game the kids and adults played with the DJ at last

week’s party, be sure to mention it to your entertainment partner. If your mitzvah kid loved it, you should have it. ■ Shelly Danz is the founder and chief party officer of Atlanta Party Connection (www.atlantapartyconnection.com), the premier bar and bat mitzvah resource in the metro area, helping thousands of families to create their ideal mitzvah celebrations. APC connects parents with top vendors, secures exclusive deals and discounts on services, provides party consulting, and produces a twice-yearly Bar & Bat Mitzvah EXPO. The next expo is Sunday, Aug. 27, at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North in Sandy Springs.

Keep your eyes open for party experiences that the kids love.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Back to school also means back to bar and bat mitzvah celebrations, so your child — and you — will likely be invited to several parties. If you’re in planning mode, attending other people’s parties is a great way to find out what you might want for your family’s simcha. Use a notes app on your smartphone or keep a small pad of paper in your purse to jot notes on the elements you like. This planning hack will put you on the fast track to your ideal celebration. Here’s what you should pay attention to: • Invitations. Does the invitation set the tone for the weekend? Does it express the mitzvah kid’s personality well? Do you like the wording? Keep it and bring it to your discussions with invitation vendors. • Music. What songs have everyone on the dance floor? What songs send all the kids to find alternative activities? While some newer songs will be hot when your celebration comes around, those that got a good response in the year prior to your date should still be popular. Note them for your DJ. • Party flow. Does the party start with a bang? When is the horah? When is the montage? When do the parents speak? Keep an eye on whether the sequence of events appears seamless or chopped up, and think of how you’d do it the same or differently. • Montage. Time the montage on your watch. Is it too long for you? Are kids getting restless? Then make yours shorter. • Favors. Do the kids like and keep the favors? Determine whether a favor has been added to the experience and tied in with the theme, or whether you think it was unnecessary. • Food. Are the kids going nuts over the dessert offerings? Do the adults at your table rave about a dish? Note them for your caterer discussions. • Decor. Do you love the way the room looks when everyone walks in? Do the lighting, balloons, flowers and signage appeal to your aesthetic? Snap an unobtrusive picture if you can, or note the parts you like most for future decor discussions. • Play the most/least game. On the way home, ask your mitzvah kid what he or she liked most and least about the celebration. You may be surprised about what stood out and what didn’t. You might be thinking, “But I

EDUCATION

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Photos by David R. Cohen

The new entrance to the AJA Upper School in Sandy Springs will be ready when school starts Aug. 14.

The bathrooms in the new AJA building have been designed with modern finishes and high-end materials.

The Upper School classrooms have been designed with modern flexibility, including projectors and whiteboards on each side of the classroom.

A competition soccer field is being installed beside the main entrance to the new school.

AJA Can Finally Convene on One Campus By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

When classes begin this month at Atlanta Jewish Academy, the area’s only Jewish day school running from preschool through 12th grade will be on one campus for the first time. The school, formed in 2014 through the merger of Greenfield Hebrew Academy in Sandy Springs and Yeshiva Atlanta High School in Doraville, embarked on a $10 million capital campaign in 2015 to build a unified campus on the former GHA campus on Northland Drive. Phase 1 of the campus plan, which marked its groundbreaking in February 2016, is nearly complete and is on track to be ready when classes start Aug. 14. The former site of Yeshiva Atlanta, which served as the campus of the AJA Upper School on Raymond Drive in Doraville, was sold in 2015 and par24 tially rented back to AJA until the new

building in Sandy Springs was complete. It is slated to be used as a DeKalb County charter school. “The ability to create a K-12 school allows us to find synergies both educationally and academically and leverage it in a way that just can’t be done if you’re not in that environment,” AJA Head of School Rabbi Ari Leubitz said. “I suspect that this is a wave of the future in that we will see more schools try to combine and be able to achieve these academic efficiencies.” The new building, which cost $9 million and connects to the existing school, is 19,000 square feet and features three state-of-the-art science labs, a beit midrash and a student commons with breakout rooms for study sessions. The classrooms in the new Upper School were designed for flexibility with a modern educational vision. There are no teacher desks in the classrooms, and teachers will often move around, according to Upper School in-

structional leader John Wilson. Outside, the new Upper School features a separate entrance and parking lot, as well as a regulation soccer field and outdoor basketball court. The AJA board is trying to raise an additional $3.5 million for a competition gym on the campus. The AJA Upper School competes in sports in Georgia High School Association Region 5-A with the likes of the Weber School, Galloway and Paideia. “Now that we are on one amazing campus, we will really be able to integrate and ensure that there is educational alignment in every aspect of the school,” said Ian Ratner, the former board president who chairs the capital campaign. “Getting everyone on one campus will allow the Lower School and Middle School kids to see amazing, positive role models in high school so that by the time they get to that age, staying at AJA will seem natural.” Rabbi Leubitz said the additional benefits of having all the students on

one campus include access to high school classes for high-achieving middle-schoolers and a streamlined curriculum for easing the transition from eighth grade to high school. The AJA Upper School has an enrollment of just under 100 students, and the new building is designed to hold twice that many. AJA is zoned to have up to 720 students in Sandy Springs; last fall the enrollment was around 500. “We combined two great institutions with a long and rich history into an even greater one,” AJA board President Alan Minsk said. “We are here for the entire Atlanta Jewish community, and we believe bringing the two campuses together onto one campus is yet another step in building a beautiful home for our children, where they can grow and prosper to become Jewish.” The dedication of the new building, including a mezuzah hanging, is scheduled for Oct. 29 during AJA’s annual L’Chaim event. ■

EDUCATION

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Sharon Duke Estroff started Challenge Island as a collaborative, creative outlet for schoolchildren.

Tara Nixon Photography

Island Offers Refuge From High-Tech Age For Sharon Duke Estroff, being a writer, educator and parent wasn’t quite enough. While teaching at the Epstein School during the 1990s, Estroff thought her students were not getting what they needed, so she developed the Challenge Island education program, which is now a rapidly growing franchise operation. She launched the educational enrichment program as a home-based business 14 years ago. “It was a product of everything I had learned as a parenting journalist, as a teacher and as a mother of four,” she said. “I really felt the kids needed some kind of break from all the technology, so all these different philosophies went into creating this program.” Challenge Island provides “collaborative, challenge-based experiences for ages 4 to 14 in the form of afterschool classes, in-school workshops, camps, parties, homeschooling events, team building and multi-generational family adventures” and is at the forefront of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education, according to its website. “All of the STEAM that’s going on in the schools incorporates digital stuff, and while I think that’s good, the kids really need to be able to make something of, say, a cardboard box — make nothing into something,” Estroff said. “So much of their socializing is taking place in the digital space. This program reclaims the original definition of technology as a solution to a problem, and it gives them the ability to do this in a group, in a social environment. You need to be a thinker, get along with others and express your ideas persuasively.” Estroff, who for years wrote a parenting column for the AJT, attended Duke University and received a master’s in education from Emory. “I majored in psychology, but I de-

cided I wanted to work with the children rather than just observe them on the other side of a two-way mirror,” said Estroff, whose father is Emory clinical psychologist Marshall Duke. “I wanted to be in the room with kids, actually helping them do the puzzles.” Having written the book “Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah?” Estroff said her program addresses the need for young students to collaborate and be creative as a unit, rather than individually, without relying on digital activity. “Kids don’t have enough opportunity to interact because they’re always on the phone,” she said. “There are bot-

tomless concerns from parents about the dangers of media and the way kids are using them. There’s no adult in the room to put boundaries. It’s kind of a free-for-all.” With Challenge Island’s tribal concept, “there’s something about being included,” Estroff said. “You trust (one another). You’re part of something. You’re not working with someone just because you happen to be sitting next to them. Things that are intangible are addressed. Everyone is in it and carries their weight, making a difference together.” The program now has 65 franchisees in the United States and has

spread to Egypt and the Philippines. Estroff hopes to at least double that number within a year. She operates the program at schools in East Cobb and Sandy Springs, and seven others operate franchises in Georgia. “What I thought was missing has really struck a chord with a lot of schools, educators, different organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs. Those who care about kids recognize what we’re doing,” she said. “This is so crucial to modern kids who need to thrive in this global economy, communicate with other people, and be responsible in their thinking.” ■

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

By Kevin C. Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com

Challenge Island incorporates lowtech approaches to STEAM education.

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EDUCATION

Anti-Semitism Resources Are Ready for School Year By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com After reporting on incidents of anti-Semitism in public and non-Jewish private schools, the AJT wanted to learn about the resources available to help teachers, administrators, parents and students respond to those issues. The AJT spoke to the Center for Israel Education, the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, Jewish Student Union Executive Director Rabbi Chaim Neiditch and interim Anti-Defamation League Southeast Director Shelley Rose. The Center for Israel Education seeks to educate people on topics related to Israel, including the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and anti-Israel rhetoric. In addition to educational materials, the CIE hosts occasional dialogues related to anti-Israel bias on college campuses. Those discussions are facilitated by CIE President Ken Stein, an Emory University professor of contemporary Middle Eastern history, political science and Israel studies. “There has been a steady demand for resources provided by the CIE,” said Rich Walter, the center’s associate director for Israel education. “We are constantly being asked to help enhance professional development with teachers and various communities.” Walter cited the example of a local synagogue inviting the center to speak with seventh-graders and their parents about the teaching of Israel in a public middle school. “I don’t know if there is a cause and effect related to a recent rise; however, there have definitely been opportunities to provide context and education around the issue.” The CIE partnered with the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative for a day of professional development involving workshops focused on Israel engagement among youths, Walter said. The center offers articles and resources on Israel at www.israeled.org. “Whatever is happening, it’s not happening in a vacuum in terms of anti-Semitism, the delegitimization of Israel or using the country as an entry point to anti-Semitism,” Walter said. “Our goal is to help broaden people’s knowledge so they are able to recognize anti-Semitism and not just legitimate criticism of Israel.” He said CIE hopes to increase partnerships with synagogues, schools and other educational institutions to

serve as a resource. “Although fighting anti-Semitism is not a direct part of our mission, we feel it’s an important byproduct, to make sure raising the level of Israeli education both globally and locally is an important first step to combatting this reiteration.” The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust serves as a conduit for learning about the Holocaust. In a statement, commission Executive Director Sally Levine said: “Learning how and why the Holocaust happened is an important part of the education of Georgia citizens. It encourages reflection upon the moral questions raised by this unprecedented event and the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.” The commission has trained more than 200 educators in two-day workshops the past two years in partnership with the University of North Georgia, the Bibb County Professional Learning Center in Macon, Augusta University, Columbus State University and Fulton County, Levine said. The workshops are free, thanks to funding from the Marcus Foundation and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. The commission also has provided training at the Georgia Council for the Social Studies conferences the past three years. It makes films such as “European Anti-Semitism From Its Origins to the Holocaust” available to educators through holocaust.georgia. gov, co-sponsors programs addressing hate speech, racism and anti-Semitism, sends staffers to Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism meetings, organizes Holocaust survivors to speak about the Shoah and anti-Semitism, and works closely with the ADL. The ADL’s No Place for Hate program and step-up assemblies are among the many resources the organization offers to counter anti-Semitism and other forms of hate. The ADL also provides workshops for Jewish youths in middle and high schools to confront anti-Semitism if they encounter it. Words to Action is one of two versions, Rose said. It provides interactive scenarios on how to respond to antiSemitism, examine the consequences and practice constructive dialogue against hate speech and anti-Israel bias. “It’s important to practice scenarios as we sometimes find ourselves in situations or hear an anti-Semitic term and get caught up in the moment where we don’t know what to say,” Rose said. “However, if you practice ahead of

EDUCATION

JSU Executive Director Rabbi Chaim Neiditch

time, you are more likely to respond within the minute.” The workshops also are offered to parents, she said. “We often find that adults are just as interested in participating.” A separate version is offered to high school seniors and college students to help examine and address new anti-Semitism, which Rose said includes anti-Israel bias that crosses into anti-Semitism. “Some people think if it’s anti-Israel, it’s automatically anti-Semitism, but there are various nuances, which is why we give students a chance to discuss their own experiences, practice and work through scenarios.” The ADL’s Holocaust curriculum, Echoes and Reflections, in partnership with Yad Vashem and the Shoah Foundation, helps students absorb the Holocaust’s impact through comprehensive lessons offered to schools and teachers. The course uses video testimony from survivors and other eyewitnesses. The course is available at www.adl.org. Rose said community requests have increased for the ADL’s World of Difference workshops and No Place for Hate programs. “Over 204 schools received their No Place for Hate designation, which is up from 160 schools, in the 2016-2017 school year,” Rose said. “Many of the schools use the World of Difference to address specific issues. However, while we are receiving a lot of calls about the Words to Action workshops, we don’t have a lot of requests for it. When we do set up a workshop, however, it is often geared toward broader issues responding to hate as opposed to anti-Semitism alone.” While the ADL offers numerous programs, Rose noted a need to promote the Words to Action workshops and a plan to initiate a push within Fulton County synagogues to encourage inquiries about the ADL’s programs. “Often a school system’s first response is to state they don’t have an issue, but it is better to get in front of the problem at hand and address the issues of cultural diversity in a positive way in order to prevent further problems,” Rose said. With over 4,000 teen participants, Atlanta’s Jewish Student Union is

reaching public schools through Jewish programing, regardless of students’ religious affiliation, Rabbi Neiditch said. “We’ve discovered we are able to reframe how Jewish and non-Jewish students look at Judaism, what it is and its values through interaction,” he said. “Kids who may have not wanted to join the club initially find a new home as well as positive feelings toward Jewish people and Israel.” JSU has a waiting list of 53 schools that want the club, said Rabbi Neiditch, who recently hired a full-time rabbi to help meet the growing demand. “It’s still not enough. Not only do people want more out of school programing, but more trips with JSU,” Rabbi Neiditch said. “Everyone should have an opportunity to participate in Jewish programing, despite financial or transportation barriers they may have.” JSU hopes to expand and plans a new program next summer to invite 40 teens on a Jewish leadership initiative to Israel after receiving a significant grant. JSU also wants to increase its programing inside and outside schools to bring kids together around social and educational opportunities. “Over time we have constantly adapted our programing to meet teens’ needs and created a curriculum in Atlanta which is now being used within 250 public schools throughout North America,” Rabbi Neiditch said. He noted his recent efforts to improve the Fulton County 2017-2018 Student Code of Conduct with the help of a former teacher, a parent and Fulton County Schools Assistant Superintendent Christopher Matthews. Rabbi Neiditch said significant training will begin for teachers on handling each situation. “There need to be rules and language that specifically address situations regarding hate crimes vs. typical bullying to ensure they are quickly escalated and scrutinized.” However, the big issue in schools is not anti-Semitism, Rabbi Neiditch said. “We can fight back at individuals who wish to hurt the Jewish people; however, if we are not producing programming that gets kids to want to stay and remain Jewish, that’s a much bigger problem.” ■

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Fulton Schools Work to Defend Diversity By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Frustration and confusion sometimes follow incidents of harassment at schools because federal laws limit the information available to parents. “It is important for our parents to understand that we have very strict federal laws under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, which restrict us on what we can share,” Fulton County Schools Assistant Superintendent Christopher Matthews said. “Our school system is one of acceptance, and we want our schools to be tolerant of people with different backgrounds. We do apply the code of conduct but can’t always share how and who it’s been applied to.” Although Fulton County public schools are not the only public and non-Jewish private schools in the Atlanta area to experience incidents involving allegations of anti-Semitism the past couple of years, the on-therecord examples used in a recent AJT report on rising anti-Semitism came from the Fulton system. The AJT there-

“We rely on our teachers for a lot of information regarding how our students are coping with things and how we can help address it,” North Springs Charter Principal Michael Scott Hanson says.

fore gave Fulton educators a chance to speak about the issues involved and the possibility of revisions to the Student Code of Conduct in response. To address incidents of harassment and bullying, North Springs Charter High School often refers to the guidelines in that Code of Conduct, said the school’s second-year principal, Michael Scott Hanson. “Once we receive an allegation, we start investigating the situation and speak with individuals who may have further information about what trans-

pired before applying the policy,” Hanson said. “In instances where parents are not satisfied with how a situation is handled, however, Fulton County officials will then contact the school and work with them to determine if the Student Code of Conduct has been applied.” North Springs also works with outside organizations to help kids understand the impact of bullying, Hanson said. Five students accompanied him to the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate summit on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. The students later formed an advisory committee with other students to address issues of culture and acceptance. “North Springs is one of our more diverse high schools,” with large black, Latino and Asian populations, said Susan Hale, a Fulton County Schools spokeswoman. Located in Sandy Springs, North Springs also has a significant Jewish population. Hale said the student advisory board at North Springs sought to bring Step Up Assemblies to North Springs

in partnership with the ADL. Those efforts began before a Valentine’s Day incident in which a Snapchat post indicating that “My love for you burns like six-million Jews” circulated at the high school. Speakers from the ADL were invited to conduct eight small assemblies over two days to promote inclusivity and to train teachers in response to future incidents, Hale said. “We rely on our teachers for a lot of information regarding how our students are coping with things and how we can help address it,” Hanson said. He said North Springs has always been inclusive and regularly hosts multicultural activities, including an event in February promoting half the student body’s cultures through food. A parent of a child who has reported harassment at a Fulton County school said the Student Code of Conduct is being changed to provide further protection for students with special needs, increased training for the teachers who work with them, and more consideration of the seriousness of offences when taking disciplinary action. Matthews said he is not aware of any specific policy changes, but he said language regarding special education students has been added to the Student Code of Conduct. The language is broad enough to apply to a wide range of hate-driven incidents, Matthews said. “If it can be shown that there is a specific code that has been violated, then we are prompted to provide consequences. We don’t label each incident, but attempt to gather evidence and are then obligated to apply the consequences.” Matthews mentioned that Fulton County Schools recently hosted a summit that brought faith leaders and educators together to discuss partnerships they could implement in schools. “It is important that we have the ability to connect with the community and faith leaders, which is just one way we can open doors and ensure that we are providing an inclusive community,” he said. Moving forward, the county hopes to implement social emotional learning programs, which teach responsibility, acceptance and diversity, as well as a new five-year strategic plan about which the county administrator did not elaborate. Matthews said grassroots initiatives include governance councils composed of parents at each school. ■

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Christmas Presence Haunts Kindergarten Classes The Georgia Department of Education is implementing a new curriculum requirement to teach Christmas in kindergarten despite pleas from educators and Jewish community members. Requests came from the Georgia Council for the Social Studies and Rabbi Steven Lebow of Temple Kol Emeth are among those who have requested revisions to the new Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies. The new standards will be implemented this school year for more than 125,000 kindergartners in the state. Christmas is the only religious holiday kindergartners are required to learn about, including Labor Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day. “In the kindergarten social studies standards, students learn about federal holidays,” GaDOE told the AJT. “The standard reads, ‘Identify the national holidays and describe the people and/ or event celebrated.’ As Christmas is a federal holiday, it is included in that standard.” The state department led a yearlong analysis of the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies, which the state Board of Education unanimously approved June 8, 2016. But GCSS stated in a letter that the Department of Education added Christmas and Columbus Day to the required lists after the review process. “During the revision process, Christmas was not included as a national holiday in the standards,” GCSS Executive Director Eddie Bennett wrote. “Later, when it was added, we requested that Christmas be removed. We felt that teaching about one holiday that represented one particular faith was inappropriate.” Bennett added: “I spoke to several people in the Jewish community who were concerned. Because our student population is so diverse, I believe that it is appropriate to teach about other religious holidays including Jewish holidays and holidays of other religious groups.” That would include Christmas. The Standards of Excellence for Social Studies read, “Kindergarten students should know that Christmas is a national holiday that is celebrated on December 25th each year.” GCSS called for action in a letter to its members: “Those of us who have been carefully watching the review process unfold were very surprised to

find there are major discrepancies between the work of the (March 16, 2016) review committee and the now posted ‘draft’ standards. It seems that certain items were dropped into the curriculum after the committee had completed their work and voted on the changes made to each grade level/course.” Teachers from across the state were involved in revising the state curriculum standards for social studies, guided by 9,000 comments from parents, teachers and officials. At each step, committee members documented changes and cited support and commentary from the surveys. Yet, GCSS wrote, the last-minute change to add Christmas appears to be out of line with the public and formal revision process that was adopted. GCSS said the review committee meeting March 16, 2016, included email messages and letters from public figures that were not part of the teacher surveys. “If a few people are able to overturn the comments of thousands and the work of hundreds who were a part of the committees, then the whole pro-

cess is called into question.” When Temple Kol Emeth member Rena Zweben read about the standards, she approached Rabbi Lebow. “We have tried to take measured steps to not make a huge ordeal initially,” Zweben said. “You get more results with honey than with vinegar. We didn’t want this to be perceived as ‘Oh, this Jewish organization is bent out of shape because this is not their holiday.’ We tried to engage cooperation and dialogue in hopes that cooler minds could resolve this in a way that made a lot of people happy.” Rabbi Lebow said he contacted state education officials three times but did not receive a response. In a column written for the AJT, “Don’t Teach Christmas to Kindergartners,” Rabbi Lebow wrote: “How does the state mandate the teaching of Christmas without any reference to its religious roots and core values? Christmas is not just a holiday, like Veterans Day or Presidents Day. To the world’s 1 billion Christians, it is the birthday of Jesus Christ, their lord and savior. How can the state of Georgia demand

the teaching of Christmas without any reference to its religious importance?” Zweben echoed those concerns. “How will they maintain separation of church and state? Where does that leave kids who are non-Christians? It’s one thing to celebrate all the holidays. It’s different to talk about federal holidays and people who are integral to that holiday. For example, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you talk about Martin Luther King Jr. You talk about Christmas, and where do you go?” Andrea Young, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, said: “By requiring discussion of a religious holiday of one faith and no other religious holidays, these standards could put schools at risk of violating students’ constitutional rights, especially because they apply to very young children. Schools need to be careful that they don’t cross the line into proselytizing or indoctrination when teaching about any holiday with religious connotations. The risk of religious coercion is especially high when young children are involved because they are more impressionable.” ■

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

By Logan C. Ritchie lritchie@atljewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

Panel: Youths Need Open, Honest Talk on Israel By Patrice Worthy

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As students head back to school, Jewish educators are exploring new ways to engage young people in Israel. During the Center for Israel Education’s annual training conference for Jewish educators, Rich Walter moderated a panel discussion June 28 among Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple, former United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism national education coordinator Amy Dorsch, Epstein Head of School David Abusch-Magder and Ta’am Yisrael: A Taste of Israel program manager Ariel Lapson about why engaging Jewish children with Israel instills pride at a time when they need it most. The panel’s theme was that Jewish institutions should make it a priority to provide information about Israel in classrooms and through trips to Israel that are not conducted in a vacuum. But successful Israel engagement begins in the home, Dorsch said. “The question is ‘Why should I care?’ But it should be ‘Why do I care?’ … It’s really about talking about Israel and having symbols of Israel in the home.” Providing classroom tools and cultivating relationships with Israelis have impacts on impressionable young minds, but Lapson said nothing compares to an Israel experience. Between the start and end of a trip to Israel, students are “completely transformed,” Lapson said. “The question is, are you willing to make the investment in Israel and make it an integral part of their Jewish identity?” Abusch-Magder agreed. He grew up in a household in which making aliyah was not an option. He said the Jewish community should take responsibility for the younger generation’s perception of Israel. “I work to make sure students can make multiple connections. I try to give them an emotional connection and a dedication to stay engaged,” Abusch-Magder said. “I hope their view of the world continues to evolve and mature, and I hope their view of Israel matures.” But sparking interest in young people grows more difficult by the day, Rabbi Berg said, so programming at The Temple is designed with a youth engagement component. The Temple as a congregation now takes more people to Israel than the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta does, Rabbi Berg said. Temple members

begin their relationship with Israel around b’nai mitzvah age, then take another trip in high school before they become eligible for Birthright Israel during college. Despite The Temple’s encouragement for all members to support Israel, teens are increasingly aware of issues within the country and are asking tough questions, Rabbi Berg said. “Human rights is the No. 1 issue among college students. We have to figure out how to engage with them on that issue, and we almost never do that,” he said. Speaking soon after the Israeli Cabinet suspended plans regarding an egalitarian prayer area at the Western Wall and supported tighter Chief Rabbinate control over conversion within Israel, he added: “They were rocked by the news at the Kotel, and the conversion news made it even worse.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government backed off both of those actions under pressure from American Jewish leaders. The key is to give teens a place in the conversation in which their voice and opinions are acknowledged, even if people don’t agree, Rabbi Berg said. “If teens don’t have the freedom and flexibility to express themselves, they will walk away from Israel altogether.” Dorsch said that giving teens space to question and disagree is important, especially on a topic like Zionism. “The subject makes people uncomfortable. As Jews, we need to have uncomfortable conversations,” she said. “We need to give teens the space to say, ‘I don’t agree with everything you’re telling me about Zionism.’ ” Guiding the conversation is essential, said Walter, who emphasized that Jews should not shy away from controversial subjects. Young adults are bombarded with anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses, making it tough for them to express support for Israel, so teaching them about collective identity and connections to Israel is important. Dorsch recalled being on a college campus in Indianapolis where people were scared to speak a word of Hebrew. It’s a “travesty happening in the U.S.” Conversations about Israel give teens and college students the information and tools they need to engage those with opposing views, Dorsch said. “Jews have often hidden themselves, and that’s how we lose,” she said. “As an educator, it’s your job to reverse that.” ■

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Epstein Not Just Spinning Its Wheel With Logo The Epstein School is welcoming students back this month with a new logo, which communications director Coleen Lou said represents the institution’s fluidity in moving forward while remaining rooted in its heritage, symbolized by the blue Star of David in the logo’s center. “The vision for the logo emphasizes the need to look forward as we move into the 21st century and reflects who we are as an organization,” Lou said. The wheel forming the logo represents movement and Epstein’s continual change. The logo was developed by Epstein’s marketing strategist, Tali Benjamin, and Head of School David AbuschMagder with input from a survey provided to community members and from school parents who are marketing professionals. “One of things we started to think about is who we are as a 21st century school, how we can be the best day school respective of our identity and how we teach as a process of continu-

ous improvement,” Abusch-Magder not an in-the-box school and tried to said. capture that in a more coherent and In creating the logo, Epstein lead- organized way.” ers focused on the range of students at Epstein remains associated with the school, how it strives to meet their the Conservative movement’s Soloneeds and what it means to be Jewish mon Schechter schools, although the as they conSchechter name tinue to grow. is not part of “Judaism the new logo. will always Abusch-Magder be at the said the Schechcenter and ter organization core of our has transformed students, but into an affinity The Epstein School’s new logo represents the fluidity and movement of the school in the 21st that doesn’t group that’s part century while it maintains its Jewish identity. mean they of the Prizmah: are static or Center for Jewstuck in the past, but rather that they ish Day Schools, which was formed last will use it to help guide them,” Abusch- year from the merger of the major naMagder said. “I think we have captured tional Jewish day school groups. that in our logo and hope that it resoDespite maintaining their assonates more with people at an initial ciation with the organization, Abuschglance as opposed to our previous Magder noted that the school’s identity graphic,” which looked like a cross be- was always connected to the Epstein tween an E and the Hebrew letter shin. School. Abusch-Magder said the old logo Although the Schechter assodidn’t match the school’s direction. ciation remains, Abusch-Magder said “The framework for the original it has not been a strong part of the logo was a box, and we didn’t want to school’s identity. “No one really says I be confined to that,” he said. “We are attend the Solomon Schechter school,

but Epstein, and from a brand perspective, if you need to go complex, go complex on something that matters, such as how we educate our students. That’s the story we would like to tell the community and do so in a meaningful way.” Abusch-Magder said that although Prizmah continues to support Epstein through professional development and conferences, Prizmah’s creation marked a national shift in Jewish education and often sparked denominational conversations on the experience of operating a Jewish day school in a small market. Since its unveiling in July, the Epstein logo has fostered enthusiasm among faculty, parents and students. “I am excited where we are going as a school and as an institution,” AbuschMagder said. “We are constantly considering what it means to be a Jew and citizen in the 21st century, but also what it means to educate in today’s era.” He said he hopes the Epstein community will be proud of the logo for the next five, 10 or 15 years “and that we continue to grow and evolve alongside the community.” ■

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

Geography Guides Davis To Compare Religions By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

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Learning occurs beyond the classroom, says Davis Academy eighthgrade social studies teacher Matthew Barry, who with sixth- and seventhgrade social studies teacher Joelle Jordan will teach comparative religion as part of the Reform Jewish day school’s new seventh-grade curriculum. After collaborating with Assistant Principal Jeff Rothstein, Associate Head of School and Principal Drew Frank and other administrators, Barry and Jordan decided to re-evaluate what seventh-graders should learn. Using curricula taught in high schools and other middle schools, they decided to cover geography, then tackle bigger issues related to religion. The revamped course starts with human geography, followed by Roman history and its geographical, social, political and economic impact on the world, leading to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance with an exploration of historical and geographical perspectives, including the spread of trade, inventions and diseases. A separate unit focuses on comparative religion. The religion course examines key questions regarding today’s popular religions and their foundations, history and traditions, and it draws comparisons with Judaism. The curriculum covers the geography behind each religion’s beginning, how the religions thrive in certain regions and the number of people practicing them in relation to the world population. “Neither of us has ever taught something like this before, but as a Jewish day school we thought it would be interesting if the kids see outside of the Jewish spectrum,” Barry said. He has traveled to Israel nine times with eighth-graders to explore historical sites, including Nazareth and mosques, but he felt that students should know more. “Although the kids have some background information on the sites, they need to see and gain greater exposure so they may attain a better understanding of the world around them, especially regarding religiosity.” Barry said social media often mislead students on religion. “Kids may see something regarding Mormonism from ‘The Book of Mormon’ or ‘South Park,’ which is often related to pop culture, and although it may be funny, they need to

understand the greater context,” Barry said. “There are 14 million people in the world who practice Mormonism today, as well as previous presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Students need to realize there is more out there than social media resources. They need to know more about these religions and why they exist.” The goal of the comparative religion unit is to have students look at texts and develop organic questions about each religion, Barry said. “A social studies class shouldn’t be the regurgitation of facts, dates and famous dead people, but a natural discussion and debate on why the past has affected and created the present and where we are headed in the future because of those things.” He also hopes to introduce a unit comparing various wars from social, political and economic standpoints. Rather than provide a strict curriculum, Barry and Jordan spent the summer developing questions for students. “I want students to understand that geography is not just related to physical features or political boundaries, but rather how human and physical interactions with the world shape certain areas based on global perspectives and political structures,” Barry said. Davis students will get to learn about Jamestown, Williamsburg and Washington on a trip through Virginia to the nation’s capital. The students will spend two weeks learning about the history of the region. “I think one of the things that Joelle and I work well on is looking to see what items we can add to the curriculum. We constantly ask ourselves, ‘What are some other questions the students can research, as well as social and political topics they can discuss?’ ” Barry said. “This is our base, and our goal is to stimulate as much class discussion as possible.” He added: “Middle school is a pivotal time for the students because the kids don’t accept the facts as presented, but rather ask questions and develop their own opinions about various subjects. What better way to discuss religion than in a classroom like that?” He said Davis students travel all over the world during and after their time at the day school, “and we want them to understand what that entails before they leave the school. We want them to gain a better perspective of what’s out there before they travel.” ■

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First Eighth-Graders Arrive at Packed Chaya Mushka The Chaya Mushka Children’s House Elementary & Middle School will reach a milestone when the school year begins Aug. 21: The members of the Montessori Jewish day school’s first graduating class will begin their last year. The class is composed of 10 eighthgraders, eight of whom have grown up as the Sandy Springs school has added a grade each year since opening in 2010. “It’s exciting, and it’s challenging because at the end of the day this class is the one that will set the tone for where we go as a school,” said Rabbi Michoel Druin, the head of school. People in the past have asked where Chaya Mushka graduates went to high school, he said. By the spring, he’ll finally have some answers. Rabbi Druin said the eighth-graders are considering everything from public schools to yeshivas, and part of his job this year is to meet with Jewish high schools to ensure that Chaya Mushka graduates have a seamless

transition wherever they go next year. The arrival of the school’s first graduating class coincides with a time of expansion and transition for the school, an outgrowth of Chabad of Atlanta’s Chaya Mushka preschool, led by Dassie New at Congregation Beth Tefillah. The elementary and middle school is at capacity with 100 students on a leased campus on West Wieuca Road. No more than 15 are in a classroom. During a phone interview Thursday, July 27, Rabbi Druin said he had a forthcoming meeting with a family of four children but likely had nowhere to put them. As a stopgap measure for this year, the school has installed a climate-controlled tent to serve as a lunchroom while Chaya Mushka searches for a permanent home. One possibility, Rabbi Druin said, is to purchase and build out its current campus. Students come from all over, he said, including East Cobb and Alpharetta in addition to the school’s hometown of Sandy Springs. Enough students come from Toco Hills that the school is adding a second

van for transportation to and from that heavily Orthodox enclave, reflecting that many of the students are not part of Chabad families. One of the attractions is an individualized educational road map for each student, adjusted based on assessments conducted every three months. The school is adding an engineering program for first- through eighthgraders this year, filling out its STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) curriculum. From fourth grade up, teachers have specific disciplines — an engineering teacher, a math teacher, an art teacher — instead of teaching everything themselves, though the lessons will cross lines. Rabbi Druin said he believes in forcing students out of their comfort zones, so students who need help get more questions to guide them rather than being given the answers. “We want to make sure they are learners vs. students,” he said. Students can memorize and repeat what they are taught but can’t go beyond it. Learners know how to gain understanding and value learning.

The STEAM curriculum blends high- and low-tech approaches. The school is getting the latest Bluetooth whiteboards, but Rabbi Druin said it’s also important for students to study with actual books and write with pens on paper in addition to typing on keyboards. “I don’t believe in overwhelming technology,” the rabbi said. “I still walk around with a pen in my pocket.” Such blended learning enables students to progress in line with their own abilities — some of the eighthgraders will be doing high school math this year, getting an edge on their peers next year — while also ensuring they’ll all measure up favorably with students around the country, Rabbi Druin said. The result, he said, is the creation of proud, knowledgeable Jews. “The reason why we exist as a school,” Rabbi Druin said, “it’s about Jewish kids getting a Jewish environment that inspires them as Jewish people. … That’s a primary purpose why we’re here, to inspire them, to make sure they’re proud of their heritage, proud of their history, proud of their community.” ■

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

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Kosher Rapper Sammy K Full of Surprises By Patrice Worthy It was meant to be click-bait, a Hasidic Jewish man walking up to some kids on a New York street to ask whether they would like to hear him rap. But to everyone’s surprise, Samuel Kalnitz, known as Sammy K, has bars. “I intended the video to be promotion for the song, but it became a promotion for me,” Sammy K said about the viral video featuring his song “Kosher Kosher.” The Yeshiva University student, who is majoring in business management, has his ambitions in music and becoming the first well-known Orthodox Jewish rapper. “Those clothes — that’s actually how I dress when I’m going to shul, but we did it for the promo,” he said. A Toco Hills-bred Atlanta native, Sammy K performs music influenced by the rappers and hip-hop artists he listened to growing up in what is now the rap capital of the United States. His beats have the familiar sound of trap music, a form of rap rooted in Atlanta. “I grew up listening to Ludacris

Sammy K says the rap industry is easier to navigate in Atlanta than New York.

and T.I., and Outkast has had an impact on my music,” Sammy K said. “I listen to Logic, Little Dickey, Machine Gun Kelly, Migos, Travis Scott, Young Thug and Wale.” His playlist is typical of a man

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Manager Dennis Gindi (left) says people have misconceptions about what Jewish rapper Sammy K will sound like.

his age, and he recently did a remix of “Mask Off,” a popular song by rapper Future, also a native Atlantan. But when it comes to his own music, Sammy K keeps it clean, meaning no curse words, a promise he made to his parents before they agreed to let him pursue music. “I had to promise to keep it clean and finish school,” Sammy K said. “Hiphop is such a reflection of who you are and what you believe, so there are no vulgar rhymes, and I keep it clean. Plus, I have a little brother who listens to my music, and he’s my biggest fan.” The other promise he made to his parents was to finish college. “Right now, I’m in business management, but I’m switching to marketing,” Sammy K said. “Every class I take, I apply it to what I do.” The three-man Sammy K team also includes manager Dennis Gindi and another Jewish rapper, Ursa, who is in charge of all social media and digital platforms. When his video reached 20,00 views, Sammy K knew he and his team were onto something. Since then, he has booked shows and received kudos from producer Sonny Digital. He opened for Travis Porter at the TKE Gamma Kappa Chapter house during the Little 500 at Indiana University. He also was part of the Jewish songwriter showcase Aug. 20 at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. The Indiana show was his biggest by far, but the university is known for hosting everyone from The Roots to Lil Wayne at frat houses such as AEPi and SAM.

Joshua Jacobson, the social manager for TKE and an Atlanta native, wanted to book Sammy K after hearing about him through mutual friends. “Most people didn’t know who he was, but after the show, people wanted to know if he had a SoundCloud and Instagram,” Jacobson said. It’s his ability to rock the mic that makes an impression on listeners. Sammy K said audience feedback pushed him to fully pursue his dreams. “I knew it was tangible a year ago,” Sammy K said. “Person after person kept saying, ‘I love it. I love it.’ ” Gindi said the team wants him to be known for his talent, not for being a Jewish rapper, because his religion is just a part of Sammy K. For his manager, the biggest challenge is getting Sammy K’s name out there, and when people find out he’s Jewish, they tend to have a preconceived notion of his sound, Gindi said. “You don’t know how many times when I tell people, they laugh and say, ‘Jewish rapper, that’s cute.’ But they come back days later and say, ‘Wow, that wasn’t what I expected.’ ” While attending Yeshiva University, Sammy K is focused on school, but he tries to get back to Atlanta whenever he can because the rap industry here is easier to navigate. “New York is great for a lot of things, but New York hip-hop is very different. I stand out a little bit,” Sammy K said. “I don’t make Jewish music per se, but I believe that no matter where you came from and no matter the ethnicity, you find the opportunities and go after them.” ■

ARTS

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Photos by Marcia Caller Jaffe

A: Mark Jaffe, who opened the Chai Gallery in spring 2016, has a collection of works by Picasso and Chagall on display. B: French artist Linda Le Kinff likes to paint on wood, as with “Rehearsal II.” C: Anatole Krasnyansky painted “Accordion and Horns” on rice paper.

Chai Gallery Plans Consignment Sale The Chai Gallery of Fine Arts in Sandy Springs is gearing up for a threeday estate sale Aug. 25, 26 and 27 by combining its own discounted inventory with the collections of local residents who want to sell on consignment any art they inherited, no longer want or have no room for.

Gallery owner Mark Jaffe (no relation to me) wants to see your pieces to determine their salability and what prices you want to get for them. “I plan to sell items at belowgallery and -appraisal prices. Judaica is fine, but it doesn’t have to be,” Jaffe said. “Bring it by or contact me to discuss your treasures. “We will have the full gambit: Miro, Chagall, Peter Max, and some

surprises like Mordechai Rosenstein and Anatole Krasnyansky.” Also for sale are works by French artist Linda Le Kinff, who paints on wood pallets, such as her colorful “Rehearsal II.” One of the most spectacular pieces is “Accordions and Horns” by Krasnyansky, a Ukrainian-born architect and Hollywood set designer. It is a beautifully framed watercolor on rice

paper that is a tribute to the rock group Kiss. “It’s also about masks,” Jaffe said. “Everyone wears them in our various roles on and off stage.” The Chai Gallery, at 5975 Roswell Road, Suite E-355, is in the shopping center at the intersection of Roswell and Hammond Drive next to Cafe Sunflower. Jaffe can be reached at 770-2890114 or mark@chaifineart.com. ■

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com

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OBITUARIES

Marvin Cohen 82, Atlanta

Marvin Bertram Cohen, born Oct. 26, 1934, in Macon, peacefully passed away early Sunday, July 30, 2017. The loving husband of 60 years to Sandra Cohen and father to their daughter, Lori Cohen Sobel (Stuart), and son, Kent Isaac Cohen (Lisa), “Pops” was the best grandfather to Emilie Sobel, Noah Sobel, Miles Cohen, Lindsey Cohen and Harris Cohen, attending and reveling in all the life events and accomplishments of his children and grandchildren. Graduating cum laude from the University of Georgia in 1956, he maintained lifelong bonds with his AEPi fraternity brothers, for whom he served as master. He developed enduring friendships with hundreds of others, in and beyond Atlanta, whose lives were enriched by his love. For 50 years he was a 32nd-degree Scottish Rite Freemason. Serving as a navigator in the U.S. Air Force, he rose to the rank of captain. Doing his duty as a military paymaster, he reminded all of the time he missed a payday to be present at the birth of Lori. From the earliest times, his life was dedicated to family. His entire life was especially devoted to Sandy, as they enjoyed constant companionship, friends and travel and were always to be found dancing Wednesday nights at Johnny’s Hideaway. Through his constant involvement and attention, he taught his family to love, to honor and to care for one another. He leaves as his legacy that family, bound to one another by his unconditional love. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the American Cancer Society. The funeral took place Tuesday, Aug. 1, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

George Jacob Freidkin 70, Atlanta

George Jacob Freidkin, 70, of Atlanta passed away Friday, July 21, 2017.

He was born July 22, 1946, in Dallas, Texas, to Deborah and Marvin Freidkin, both of blessed memory. George earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and his master’s degree from the University of Houston and worked toward a doctorate at the University of Michigan. He worked as a computer programmer for the unmanned Apollo 2 and 3 space missions, helped nationalize the health care system in Haiti, and ran a successful consulting business. He enjoyed cooking almost as much as he enjoyed eating and loved playing racquetball. George was preceded in death by a sister, Jennifer Fish. He is survived by sister Jane McGoff (William); brothers Steve (Carol) and Don (Halina); brother-in-law James Fish; nieces and nephews Denise Barrett (Travis), Rebecca Owen (John), Rachel Diamond (Jeremiah), Jacob Freidkin, David Freidkin (Sunny) and Ellie Fish; and dear friend Steve Mitchell. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. A memorial service will be held in Houston at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Second Helpings Atlanta (www.secondhelpingsatlanta.org) or Temple Emanu-El (www. templeemanuelatlanta.org). Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Barbara Friedman 84, Atlanta

Barbara Friedman, 84, of Atlanta died Thursday, July 27, 2017. Survivors include her loving husband of 62 years, Bernard Friedman; son and daughter-in-law Howard and Holly Friedman of Acworth; daughter and son-in-law Shari and Frederick Schenk of San Diego; grandchildren Benjamin, Michaela and Sydney Schenk and Arianna and Ryan Friedman; brothers Arthur and Edward Goldsmith; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Ann and Sam Galanti; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Special thanks to her devoted caregiver, Carolynn Haywood. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Weinstein Hospice, the American Cancer Society or a charity of your choice. A graveside service was held Sunday, July 30, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Charlotte Friedrich 77, Delray Beach, Fla.

Charlotte Friedrich, 77, of Delray Beach, Fla., passed away peacefully Thursday, July 27, 2017. She was born April 11, 1940, in Detroit to Jeanette and Harry Lieberman, both of blessed memory. Charlotte was passionate about her career in administration for genetics and cardiology at Emory University Hospital, but her devotion to her family was unparalleled. She retired to Florida in 1998. Charlotte was preceded in death by her loving husband, Bernard. She is survived by her children, Ryan (Jo-Ann), Bruce (Fran), Darrin (Robin) and Ilisa Levine (David); grandchildren Jessica, Kevin, Jami, Lindsay, Matthew, Bradley and Stevee; companion Mel Guttman; sister Sheyla Greene; and brother Michael Lieberman (Joan). Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Graveside services were held Sunday, July 30, at Crest Lawn Memorial Park with Rabbi Shalom Lewis officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Epstein School (www.epsteinatlanta.org) or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (donate.lls.org). Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

Burton Gold

88, Atlanta

Burton M. Gold, 88, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Saturday, July 29, 2017. He was predeceased by a wife, Lenore E. Gold; a brother, Roy E. Gold; and his parents, Mildred and William Gold. Burt was born April 7, 1929, in New York City. Originally a resident of Mount Vernon, N.Y., he later resided in New Rochelle, N.Y., then moved in 1969 to Atlanta, where in addition to his business interests he was active in both the civic and

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OBITUARIES Jewish communities. He received a B.C.E. degree as a civil engineer from Cornell University in 1951, followed by military service during the Korean War as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. He was the founder, chairman and CEO of Stratton Industries Inc., an industry-leading producer of commercial and institutional carpets marketed around the world. The company was sold to WestPoint Pepperell in late 1986, and the Stratton name lives on as part of Shaw Industries, a Berkshire Hathaway company. His biography has been included in Who’s Who in the South and Southwest and Who’s Who in Finance and Industry. After retirement, he was engaged in marketing, consulting and real estate investment. Burt’s commitment to philanthropy was a lifelong passion. He served as Atlanta Israel Bonds chairman and in numerous capacities with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, including trustee, general campaign chairman, vice president and president of the endowment fund. He served as a member of the board of directors of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. Further, Burt served as the chairman of the Southeast Region of the Anti-Defamation League. He was a lifetime honorary national commissioner of the ADL and a lifetime member of the board of directors of the Atlanta regional office of American Jewish Committee. He also served as treasurer and vice president of The Temple and as a member of its board of trustees and executive committee. He formerly served on the board of directors of the Standard Club, where he was an avid golfer. A devoted Cornell University alumnus, he generously donated an art collection and gallery to the Johnson Museum of Art. He served as the chairman of the Georgia Business Community for the Arts and was past chairman of the Carpet and Rug Institute trade association. He also served on the board of trustees of the High Museum of Art, to which he donated an extraordinary collection of contemporary art in memory of his late wife, Lenore, and established the Lenore and Burton Gold Gallery. He was the 1983 recipient of the Atlanta Chapter American Jewish Committee Human Relations Award, received the Carpet and Rug Institute Humanitarian Award in 1988, was the 1990 citywide honoree of Atlanta Israel Bonds, and in 1999 was a national honoree of the Anti-Defamation League, receiving the Abe Goldstein Human Relations Award at the ADL national commission meeting in Atlanta. He and his late wife, Lenore E. Gold, were the parents of four daughters and sons-in-law: Joanne Gold and Andy Stern (Baltimore); Lauren and Jim Grien (Atlanta); Janice and Andrew Dietz (Atlanta); and Pamela and Michael Alexander (Atlanta). He and wife Barbara Friedland Gold enjoyed a loving, 20-year marriage, and his stepsons and stepdaughters-in-law are Lance and Susan Friedland (Alpharetta) and Myles and Janie Friedland (Tampa, Fla.). He was proud of all his grandchildren: Daniel and Zachary Stern; Katie and Mark Littmann, Emily and Chase Warden, and Dylan Grien; Samantha and Jessie Dietz; Lenore, Maya and Nolan Alexander; Sam Friedland and fiancée Tania Isacoff and Dave and Mariah Friedland; and Coleby and Dawson Friedland. A special thank-you to his loving and devoted caregivers, Bernard Mohale, Xavier Boykin, Kirt Moore and Thiago Prago. Burton M. Gold maintained residences in Delray Beach, Fla., and Atlanta. Funeral services were held Monday, July 31, at The Temple. Rabbi Peter Berg, Rabbi Alvin Sugarman and Cantor Deborah Hartman officiated. Contributions in Burt’s memory can be made to The Temple, the Anti-Defamation League and the William Breman Jewish Home. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Memorial donations may be made to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. Sign the online guestbook at www.jewishfuneralcare.com. A graveside service was scheduled to be held Wednesday, Aug. 2, at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notices

Armand Amar of Bradenton, Fla., longtime Congregation Or VeShalom member, husband of Janet Steiner Amar, and father of Rachel Maeroff, Daliah Amar, Tamar Harari, and Jennifer and Jessica Poore, on July 27. Alfred Bay of Atlanta, father of Fran Bay, on July 29. George William “Bill” Butcher Jr., 74, of Marietta, husband of Carla Butcher and father of Jaime White, Shawn Butcher and Bill Butcher III, on July 8. Mildred Cohen, 95, of Buford, mother of Temple Sinai member Marc Cohen and Stephanie Pure, on July 26. Paul Handmacher, 71, of Montgomery, Ala., brother of Congregation Or VeShalom member Maxine Barrocas, husband of Barbara Handmacher, and father of Julie Tepper and Nathan Handmacher, on July 26. Martin Hurlich, 74, of Charlotte, N.C., husband of Harriet Hurlich and father of Temple Sinai member Michele Vayle, Lisa Sherrill and Robin Atkins, on July 23. Warren Levin, 84, of Atlanta, Temple Sinai member, husband of Susan Levin, and father of Beth Galan, Julie Levin and Erika Needleman, on July 21. Stanley Ney of Sandy Springs on July 26. Sydell Pergament of Sandy Springs and Congregation Or VeShalom, on July 11. Seymour Rabin, 99, of Sandy Springs, Temple member, husband of Shari Rabin, father of Steve Rabin and Ellen Rabin, and stepfather of Jonathan Goldman, Jill MacRae, Ashley Howle and Drew Goldman, on July 21. Alvin Rogel of Atlanta on July 29. Victoria Sisian of Dunwoody on July 28. Lorraine Slater, 89, of Atlanta, mother of Nancy Colter and Ellen Barrow, on July 19. Genya Teitlis of Decatur on July 18. Benjamin Weissmann of Atlanta on July 30.

Ida Katt Ida Katt, 95, of Atlanta, residing in Tampa, Fla., died Friday, July 28, 2017. Ida was born in Fall River, Mass., and was married to David Katt for 59 years. They lived for many years in Sandy Springs. Ida was a devoted mom to daughters Sheila and Esta. She also worked for many years as an executive secretary at Honeywell Corp. in Atlanta. Survivors include daughter and son-in-law Dr. Sheila Katt-Beck and Tom Beck of Tampa; daughter and son-in-law Esta Katt and Iosi Vaida of Cumming; and grandson Steffen Beck of Tampa. She was predeceased by her husband, David, and sisters Lillian, Selma and Bea Ginsberg of Fall River and Cranston, R.I.

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

95, Atlanta

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Measuring Up Too Well With My Jungle Mitzvah

AUGUST 4 ▪ 2017

In 2006, my wife and I had a great trip to Peru. The night before we left the jungle, our group was the only one in the dining room except for a man about 50 and a young girl. As we got up to leave, the man approached me and introduced himself in English with an accent that suggested he was Spanish. He said his name was Señor Leon. He continued in a gracious manner, saying he had just arrived in Iquitos. He had three pieces of luggage, but only two arrived: his daughter’s and presents. His luggage was back in Madrid, and he had only the clothes on his body to last the 22 days he expected to spend in Peru. He was wearing a pair of wool pants, a short-sleeve shirt and a beautiful leather jacket. A smooth talker, Leon was a big, burly man with a white beard and a girth the size of mine. Leon then said: “I am going to make you an unusual offer. I am wearing heavy wool pants, as you can see, much too heavy for the jungle. My guide took me around Iquitos yesterday, and we couldn’t find pants large enough for me, since I wear Size 46 pants. You are about my size, and I think your jeans, the jeans you are now wearing, are the only pants in a hundred miles that could fit me. Would you consider selling those pants to me? “I am desperate for a second pair of pants, so I will pay any price you name. I have no other choice. Please consider this offer seriously. What do you think?” I was dumbfounded, but I could appreciate the man’s situation. I told him: “I know people who offer to give the shirt off their back, but never their pants. Your request is taking the matter to a whole new level.” We all laughed. I told Leon I had another pair of pants and two pairs of shorts, and I would consider his request. That evening, after much discussion, I agreed to sell my pants, but a straight sale didn’t seem enough because Leon’s problem was a result of his being overweight. I was overweight 38 too.

That led me to write a contract for Leon and me. The next morning, I approached him at breakfast and read him the contract, and he promptly signed it. The contract read as follows:

The Bottom Line By Allen H. Lipis

• Señor Leon must try on the jeans. • The price is $40 in cash. • Leon and I both agree to lose 40 pounds, one pound for each dollar of this agreement. • When either party reaches the 40-pound goal, that party will cut his jeans in half and send half to the other as a sign that the weight loss has occurred. • If we come to Madrid, Leon will provide a tour and dinner. • If Leon comes to Atlanta, I will provide a tour and dinner. • The contract falls under Peruvian law. Leon put the pants on in a bathroom and concluded not only that they fit, but also that they were a tad too big on him, which was disconcerting to me, for Leon was a big man. Thereafter, we both signed the contract with a smile, and Leon paid me $40 on the spot. There was one final point. Since he was buying my pants, would he consider selling me his jacket? He indicated that it was a custom-made leather jacket that he had designed for himself, but he agreed to have his tailor in Argentina make me a similar jacket. I thanked him, and we parted good friends. I never lost the weight, and I doubt that Leon lost it either because he kept the pants. However, he cut a small piece off the cuff of the jeans, made it into a tiny pair of pants and sent it to me in a plaque with the remark “Allen’s pants sold in the jungle.” Eventually, Leon sold me a new leather jacket similar to his. I still have the jacket, but it barely fits. The bottom line: You can do a mitzvah almost anywhere. ■

CROSSWORD

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“Named For”

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

21 23 29

ACROSS 1. Black snake that’s deadlier than 47-Across 6. Mount ___ (aka Sinai) 11. Job for Matisyahu 14. First of two months in a leap year 15. “I Have ___” (Bernstein song in “West Side Story”) 16. Ben-Gurion posting; abbr. 17. Drink for actress Bialik 19. Flanders who keeps kosher on “The Simpsons” 20. 1984 Mozart movie made by Milos Forman 21. “Police ___” (1984 Steve Guttenberg hit) 23. Item in the high priest’s chest plate 24. Treif letters 25. ___ Einai 26. Kotter of “Welcome Back, Kotter” 29. Degs. for those teaching or looking to write like Arthur Miller 31. Jacob had an injured one 32. Mentalist Geller 33. Two Naot, e.g. 34. Genre of 21-Across 37. Need a refuah 38. Output for illustrator Spiegelman 40. Org. that supports Uzi owners 41. Tune by 20-Across 43. Actress Arthur and others 44. Witness, at a Jewish wedding 45. Ian Kinsler has some, Ricky Henderson has way more; abbr. 46. Where a red cow might be kept 47. Poisonous Middle Eastern snakes 48. Prime Minister Netanyahu 50. Former title for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks 51. Apple core one never makes a blessing over? 53. Salinger’s J. or D.

combat soldier must be 31. What “Purim” means 33. Brady and Edelman wear them on their shoulders 34. Kop or rosh, scientifically 35. What a lighted Havdalah candle will do 36. Vashem and Eliezer 39. ___ Lingus, Ireland’s El Al 42. Kafka’s last piece? 46. Third wife of Jacob 47. Breathing woe that has afflicted Billy Joel 48. Puts on, as tefillin 49. Surmise, like with Talmudic logic 50. Goldman ___ 52. Award Forman won for DOWN 20-Across 1. Ima, in English 54. Female lead in Curtiz’s 2. The first man 3. Rudolph of “Bridesmaids” “Casablanca” 4. Jerusalem’s Chord ___ (light 55. Helps, like a good Samaritan rail crossing) 56. James ___ Jones, voice of 5. Singer Mann or actress a Han Solo foe Anouk 6. Meats that are not kosher 57. Iranian money 58. It seems like Julia Louis7. Suffix with schnozz or pay 8. Those in King David’s family Dreyfus wins one every year 61. “Just the Way You ___” 9. Force out, from a home (Bruno Mars) 10. Shul platform 11. Family tree of bassist Simmons 12. Couples, like on Harvey Levin’s “TMZ” 13. Chad ___ (seder ender) 18. A rabbi might give one LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION about the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 T A L M U D S H E M E S P parshah 14 15 16 A R I A N A S E L A L A A 22. Pass 17 18 19 P A R I S R A E L I S A M S judgment 20 21 22 23 S B A E I S D A H L I A S 24. Drinking 24 25 26 locale for model 27 28 29 M A N I C 30 31 32 O N E A S T U T T G A R T E R B E L T Refaeli 33 34 H A R A E A R N S 26. Island 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 E L I R I G A D N A T E D 6,881 miles 42 43 B A N O T S A R A from Israel 44 45 46 47 48 49 27. Singer India 50Z A G R E B B 51E N A C H M A N or painter Aroch 52E L I E 53 54 55 S 56A L L Y 57 58 59 L E V I T E S L A O B A P 28. Invoices for 60 61 62 63 D I E B E L F A S T D A Y S political comic 64 65 66 A N I S L A M K H A K I S 67 68 69 Maher P S P S A S L A N T S U N 30. What an IDF 55. Like life for some monks or yeshiva students 59. Roger Goodell’s pigskin org. 60. Toast to actor Topol 62. ___ Boca Vista (“Seinfeld” locale) 63. Glass piece that might be found by a chuppah 64. Father of Moses 65. They might learn in Isr. next year 66. Fire residue used as dip before Tisha B’Av 67. Exchange between Sela and Nadal

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