Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCII No. 49, December 15, 2017

GREATER SCOTT

EDUCATION, PAGES 14-20 SPANISH FRIENDS TEEN SPARK

Federation and Hillel are mak- Weber School students are ing Agnes Scott College a nicer working with Latino peers to prepare a preschool. Page 16 place for Jewish life. Page 15

VOL. XCII NO. 49 WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM

Atlanta teens have a new initiative to jump their gap to the Jewish community. Page 18

DECEMBER 15, 2017 | 27 KISLEV 5778

Jerusalem Recognition Thrills Some, Worries Others President Donald Trump’s official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital brought joy to Israeli Consul General Judith Varnai Shorer.

“It’s our Jerusalem, so I was very happy. And I think most people in Israel, even if there are differences, most people in Israel are very happy,” the Atlantabased ambassador said.

Rabbi Herbert Cohen, a former Atlantan visiting from Beit Shemesh for the Shabbat after the announcement, said with a shrug, “I think it’s a good thing.”

Trump made the announcement Wednesday, Dec. 6, outraging Palestinians and other Arabs and disappointing European allies. He did not specify the borders of the capital and instead said it is up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine the final status of Jerusalem as well as to negotiate a two-state peace agreement if that’s what they want.

While Trump signed a six-month waiver to the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, he also ordered the State Department to begin preparations for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

Dov Wilker, the regional director of American Jewish Committee in Atlanta, agreed with Shorer that the recognition of Jerusalem was long overdue. Israel officially made Jerusalem its capital in 1949.

“I think it’s a historic announcement,” Wilker said, adding that AJC has

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (shown during an earlier Middle East debate), faced criticism and condemnation from the other 14 members of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, Dec. 8, two days after the Trump announcement.

Read her U.N. statement, Page 8.

lobbied for this recognition for decades.

The Czech Republic quickly followed the United States in acknowledging that Israel’s government operates from Jerusalem, so it is the capital. Taiwan also said it considers Jerusalem the capital.

The Philippines expressed interest in moving its embassy to Jerusalem.

Wilker said AJC continually presses the issue with the diplomats of other countries, and Shorer expressed hope that other nations will follow the U.S. lead. “We know that there are some African and Latin American countries that are considering it,” she said.

Both said that not recognizing Jerusalem did nothing to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Subscribe, Support, Sustain Support the AJT and Subscribe Today.

1-year subscription for home delivery of the Atlanta Jewish Times: $65 in Georgia, $89 outside of state, delivery by U.S. mail.

To subscribe, go to www.atlantajewishtimes.com/subscription.

For more information, please call 404-883-2130.

“I don’t think that the peace process was broken (by Trump) because we didn’t have a partner, and the Palestinians have been deceived,” Shorer said, referring to protesters. “For the Europeans, I can say they never were very helpful, and they didn’t do anything to promote the peace process. But G-d forbid the Americans take the steps. It annoys them.”

“We may as well try something different,” Wilker said.

But that was far from a unanimous view in Jewish Atlanta.

The clergy at Temple Emanu-El issued a statement that walked a common line, leavening support for international recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital with concern about the consequences

INSIDE Candle Lighting �������������4 Israel News ��������������������� 5 Opinion �������������������������10 Education ����������������������14 Chanukah ���������������������25 Health & Wellness ������28 Obituaries ���������������������28 Crossword ���������������������30 Marketplace ����������������� 31

of the timing of the U.S. announcement.

“We pray for the safety and security of Jerusalemites and all those throughout Israel, though we acknowledge that prayers alone will not bring peace,” Rabbis Spike Anderson, Max Miller and Rachael Miller and Cantor Lauren Adesnik said. “Our prayers must be followed by comprehensive actions to bring lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta declined to make any statement because of internal disagreement about how to respond.

While the Jewish Council for Public Affairs greeted the announcement as warmly as AJC did, its local affiliate, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta, focused in a written statement on concerns about the safety of Israelis and Palestinians as violence, including terrorist attacks, rockets and riots, broke out.

“The JCRCA fully supports the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace with secure borders and we encourage the U.S. Administration to fulfill this vision by bringing the parties together for face to face negotiations to pursue peace,” the JCRC said.

Shorer downplayed the idea that the U.S. decision was the right move at the wrong time. “There is never a good time in the Middle East,” she said. “Whatever you do is wrong.” ■

MORE ON JERUSALEM

• Harold Kirtz: Not the time. Page 7 • Ken Stein: We don’t know what promises have been made. Page 9 • Our View: We needed a different approach­to peace. Page 10 • Dave Schechter: Peace remains elusive­in Jerusalem. Page 11

2

DECEMBER 15 â–ª 2017

MA TOVU

In Plain Sight lives of at-risk youth, recently gave an impassioned ELI talk on tapping the potential of the Jewish community to meet the need for foster parents. The truth is that while the Jewish community is deeply invested in raising and educating the next generation of Jewish children, we are not yet invested in foster care. Who better to step up to the plate than a people with a history

Light & Bones

By Marita Anderson

of orphans with postwar trauma starting over and building anew?

In his book “Justice in the City: An Argument From the Source of Rabbinic Judaism,” Aryeh Cohen writes that to be a resident of a just community means hearing and seeing the injustice of the “stranger” as your own and sharing the burden. By interacting with people who would otherwise be invisible to us, we develop the consciousness that is necessary for action.

How do we pay attention to the lives of children in the foster care system and see their predicament as part of our communal obligation? How do we remain open to the possibility of opening our homes to children whose lives are often complicated by trauma?

Can we look at these kids as deserving a chance for repair?

It takes tremendous commitment and stability to provide a loving home for kids who are not biologically our own and may be reunited with their birth parents. Not every person or every family is equipped to foster children, but we can live in the experience of the question “What can I do?”

Here are some ideas: Become a court-appointed special advocate volunteer to ensure that kids do not get lost in the overburdened legal and social service systems; support those who are becoming foster parents; offer mentorship, donate supplies or volunteer with organizations that support foster children, such as the Foster Care Support Foundation; and continue the conversation about becoming a foster parent and perhaps one day it will be a possibility.

As for my daughter and me, we have talked a lot about her new friend and his siblings. We cannot seem to get them out of our minds. ■

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Holding my hand and a cup of hot cocoa, my daughter skipped with confidence onto a playground in a small town outside Atlanta. After a few minutes of observing, she ran off to play with some kids who were pretending to run away from bad guys.

I spotted her near the swings with a little boy who had become the focus of attention of this group. They bestowed the boy with a nickname my daughter didn’t like, and she stood by him, coaching him on how to respond.

“Tell them you don’t like it! Tell them it isn’t right!” she kept saying.

When the group of kids ran off, the boy extended his hand to my daughter and asked if they could be friends. They shook on it and ran off to play.

Any parent would feel deep joy at this sweet encounter. I looked around to see if the boy’s parents took notice, while my daughter and her new friend sat chatting and looking through the boy’s notepad filled with drawings.

After a while, my daughter’s voice rang out as she came running toward me: “What is auster care, Mama?”

I was jolted out of my daydreaming as I tried to comprehend her question. This is how my daughter learned about foster care, on the playground with a child whose parents could not be there. I learned that the boy was there with his siblings, including two toddlers and two special needs children.

The kids live in different dormlike group homes with staffers who take shifts around the clock. Two weekends per month, a transport is arranged for the children to come to the same location so they can spend two hours together.

This is how I was awakened to the reality that is in plain sight, although many of us rarely give it much thought. In Georgia, more than 11,000 children live in foster care, with only 7 percent transitioning to adoptive families. In the United States, an average of 420,000 children are in foster care on any day.

But there are not enough foster parents, and for many kids, like the boy my daughter befriended, the only option is to live in an institution that provides basic necessities but usually no real attachment or love.

Beth Hurwitz, a social worker and activist whose focus is improving the

3

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

CALENDAR THURSDAY, DEC. 14

PUBLISHER

MICHAEL A. MORRIS

michael@atljewishtimes.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER KAYLENE LADINSKY

kaylene@atljewishtimes.com

ADVERTISING

Senior Account Manager

BRENDA GELFAND

brenda@atljewishtimes.com Senior Account Manager

MICHAL BONELL

michal@atljewishtimes.com Account Manager

EILEEN GOLD

egold@atljewishtimes.com

EDITORIAL Editor

MICHAEL JACOBS

mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com Associate Editor

DAVID R. COHEN

david@atljewishtimes.com Staff Writer

SARAH MOOSAZADEH sarah@atljewishtimes.com

Contributors This Week MARITA ANDERSON BOB BAHR HOPE CHERNAK KELLY COHEN DANIEL EPSTEIN YONI GLATT JORDAN GORFINKEL KAREN HANDEL LEAH R. HARRISON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE KEVIN C. MADIGAN NIF ATLANTA COUNCIL FRAN PUTNEY LOGAN C. RITCHIE DAVE SCHECHTER SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER KEN STEIN RICH WALTER BETH WARREN

CREATIVE SERVICES Creative Design

DARA DRAWDY

COMMUNITY LIAISON JEN EVANS

jen@atljewishtimes.com

CONTACT INFORMATION GENERAL OFFICE 404.883.2130 KAYLENE@ATLJEWISHTIMES.COM

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

The Atlanta Jewish Times is printed in Georgia and is an equal opportunity employer. The opinions expressed in the Atlanta Jewish Times do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta, Ga.

4

POSTMASTER send address changes to The Atlanta Jewish Times 270 Carpenter Drive Suite 320, Atlanta Ga 30328.

Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2017 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Infertility support. The Jewish Fertility Foundation holds a support group with therapist Lauren Berman, plus wine and cheese, at 6 p.m. at MACoM, 700-A Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Free; 770-843-7413 or www. jewishfertilityfoundation.org/Support.

Religious equality in Israel. ARZA President Rabbi Josh Weinberg speaks to American Jewish Committee about pluralism, democracy and equality in Israel at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, with a reception at 7 p.m. and the program at 7:30. Free; www.ajc.org/atlanta or 404-233-5501.

Sandy Hook vigil. Faith in Public Life and Outcry Georgia remember the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., with a prayer vigil and a call to action for Georgia gun laws at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Road, Buckhead. Free; www.outcrygeorgia.org/newtown.

FRIDAY, DEC. 15

Lunchtime Culture. The Breman Museum, the Center for Puppetry Arts and the High Museum hold a discussion on puppet building at noon at the High, 1280 Peachtree St., Midtown. Free; www.thebreman.org or 678-222-3700.

SUNDAY, DEC. 17

Lox and learning. Anshi, 1324 N. Highland Ave., Morningside, meets for bagels and Torah at 10 a.m. Free; www. anshisfard.org or 404-969-6763.

At Pooh Corner. The Atlanta Jewish Academy Lower School, 5200 Northland Drive, Sandy Springs, presents “Winnie the Pooh Kids” at 11 a.m. Admission is $5; atljewishacademy­.org.

Temima benefit. Rabbi Menashe Goldberger, Eduard Zilberkant, Sandy Salzinger, Cathy Lynn and Brad Ritchie perform classical music at 2 p.m. at At-

Miketz Friday, Dec. 15, light candles at 5:12 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 16, Shabbat ends at 6:11 p.m.

Vayigash Friday, Dec. 22, light candles at 5:15 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23, Shabbat ends at 6:15 p.m.

Laugh for Shelter

Comedians Amanda Marks and David “HT” Rosen are combining laughter and charity at “The Brisket Belt Show” on Saturday night, Dec. 16.

The stand-up comedy of Marks, Rosen, Hayley Ellman, Rachel Eppstein, Sam Gordon, Michael Salloway and Chris Saslo will raise money for Rebecca’s Tent, the women’s shelter founded by Congregation Shearith Israel.

“We are delivering a small circle of people, proving you can be funny at any age,” Rosen said.

The celebration of the fifth night of Chanukah will include menorahs, dreidels and gelt, and latkes will be sold to raise more money for the shelter.

Marks and her sister, Alison Goldstein Lebovitz, host “Sis and Tell,” recognized as the best podcast in Creative Loafing’s Best of Atlanta 2017. The latest episode details why women should shave their faces at the bizarre recommendation of Marks’ dermatologist.

The Dec. 16 show is at 8:30 p.m. at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge, 644 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta. Tickets are $15 at the door or at freshtix.com/events/ brisketbelt.

Marks and Rosen are taking the show on the road to Mobile, Ala., at the Blind Mule on Jan. 13, to Tallahassee, Fla., at Junction at Monroe on Jan. 25, and to Marks’ hometown, Birmingham, Ala., at Stardome on Jan. 27. Each show will benefit the local Jewish community.

— Logan C. Ritchie lanta Jewish Academy, 5200 Northland Drive, Sandy Springs, to benefit Temima High. Tickets are $36; temima.org/ benefit-concert or 404-325-5560.

Mentalist. Amir Lustig performs at 8 p.m. at the Chabad Israeli Center, 4276 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Brookhaven. Tickets are $25 ($30 for VIP seats); www.cicatlanta.com or 404-252-9508.

MONDAY, DEC. 18 Back to the Bronx. Steve Samtur presents “The Bronx the Way It Was” at 10:30 a.m. at the Chabad Israeli Center Atlanta, 4276 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Brookhaven. Tickets are $15 each

or $25 per couple; 800-727-6695.

Infertility support. The Jewish Fertility Foundation holds a support group with therapist Ashley Marx, plus wine and cheese, at 7 p.m. at 60 Lenox Pointe, Buckhead. Free; 770-843-7413 or www. jewishfertilityfoundation.org/Support.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 Kabbalah & Cocktails. Rabbi Karmi Ing­ ber discusses “The Real Battle of Chanukah Then & Now” at 7 p.m. at The Kehilla, 5075 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Admission is $15 for members, $18 for others; RSVP to www.thekehilla­. org/kabbalah-and-cocktails.

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at the Atlanta Jewish Connector, www.atlantajewishconnector.com.

Remember When

10 Years Ago Dec. 14, 2007 ■ The Marcus Jewish Community Center has decided that the 13th season of the Jewish Theatre of the South will be its last, and its artistic director, Mira Hirsch, will leave the center in the spring after the final two JTS productions, “Hard Love” and “The Last Schwartz.”

■ The bar mitzvah ceremony of Mitchell B. Nemeth of Atlanta, son of Larry and Ellen Nemeth, was held Saturday, Sept. 1, at Congregation Beth Shalom.

25 Years Ago Dec. 11, 1992 ■ A three-year U.S. Education Department grant worth $73,000 a year will boost Middle Eastern studies in Georgia

public schools, enabling Emory University’s Kenneth Stein to prepare packets for teachers on such topics as geography, sociology, culture and politics and to acquire educational films and books. The grant is a boost for Emory’s Middle East Research Program, which Stein leads.

■ Mindy and Neil Schechter of Atlanta announce the birth of a daughter, Brianna Eve, on Nov. 10.

50 Years Ago Dec. 15, 1967 ■ The Jewish community of 150 families in Jackson, Miss., is living in terror after three bombings since Oct. 20, including one blast that destroyed the home of Rabbi Perry Nussbaum. “The Jewish community is finally feeling the strong undercurrent of anti-Semitism,” reports a New York Post correspondent, Jack Nelson. Rabbi Nussbaum is living under police protection, and other Jewish families have hired private security to patrol their neighborhoods.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ISRAEL NEWS

Reform Biennial Expresses Tension With Israel The president of the Union for Reform Judaism has called for greater recognition of the role American Jews play in guiding the Jewish people.

It’s time to “stop thinking that Israel unilaterally sets the agenda for world Jewry,” Rabbi Rick Jacobs told the largest URJ gathering ever in his d’var Torah on Saturday morning, Dec. 9, in the impressive worship setting carved out of the cavernous auditorium of the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

“The time has come,” he told the nearly 6,000 people at the URJ biennial, to “replace it with an ethos of an interdependent, mutually responsible world Jewish community with two powerful centers, North America and Israel.”

His call for a greater voice for the Reform movement in world Jewish affairs came near the end of a year in which Israel’s relations with non-Orthodox Diaspora communities plummeted amid anger at government actions.

The Israeli government this year introduced legislation to strengthen the power of the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate in determining the legitimacy of Jewish conversions of people seeking to immigrate to Israel. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu froze an agreement reached after years of negotiations to build an egalitarian, pluralistic prayer space at the Kotel.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin was quoted in recent weeks as saying nonOrthodox Jews don’t deserve a place at the Western Wall “because they’ll be gone in another couple of years due to assimilation and intermarriage.”

Rabbi Jacobs, who leads the largest American Jewish denomination, cautioned in his address that “we are coming alarmingly close” to the breaking point in the movement’s relationship with the Israeli government.

Leading the Shacharit service for 6,000 people Saturday morning was Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple, who said during an unrelated event back in Atlanta that it was “the most challenging rabbinic assignment I’ve ever had in my career.”

In commenting on Rabbi Jacobs’ remarks in Boston, he said: “The ultraOrthodox have turned a cold shoulder on the concerns of the majority of Israelis. Additionally, too many religious and civic leaders in Israel are ignorant about Jewish life in America. Reform has a major role to play in building bridges between our communities.”

The strongly worded speech to

Photos courtesy of the Union for Reform Judaism

Rabbi Peter Berg leads Saturday morning services for nearly 6,000 Reform Jews at the URJ biennial in Boston on Dec. 9. He later joked that he’s used to crowds of only 5,000 at The Temple.

the leaders of Reform Judaism came just three days after President Donald Trump made public his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

It was a decision met with a mixed response at the Reform biennial. An official URJ statement called the decision “ill-timed.”

“We cannot support his decision to begin preparing that move now, absent a comprehensive plan for a peace process,” the URJ said.

That position was reflected in a public statement on behalf of the clergy at Temple Sinai in Sandy Springs,

whose senior rabbi, Ron Segal, led a sizable delegation to the Reform convention.

“Just as Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Jewish people, our Palestinian neighbors also possess intrinsic ties to the city of Jerusalem,” the Sinai clergy statement said. “Our team, like many of you, is wrestling with conflicting emotions and responses.”

Attendees at the biennial heard a call for the creation of a “reverse Birthright” that would bring Israelis to American Jewish communities in much the same way that some 600,000 young American Jews have been introduced to life in Israel.

The Reform movement, Rabbi Jacobs said, “should not underestimate the power Israelis experience when they spend time here with us.”

“Let each of us search for our brothers and sisters in Israel,” he said, “knowing that the only way we will find them is not by looking from afar, but rather by leaning in closer than ever.”

Despite tension between the URJ and Israel’s government, the Reform movement is growing there. Reform

URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs says it’s time to recognize two centers of Jewish life in the world.

congregations, which unlike their Orthodox counterparts do not receive government subsidies, have doubled in Israel the past two years, and public acceptance there of the Reform movement is at a historic high. The 100th native Israeli Reform rabbi recently was ordained.

A large Israeli delegation was among the attendees from 12 foreign countries who joined the Reform biennial in Boston.

In addition to expressing their concern over the direction of Israeli policies, delegates approved resolutions on racial justice, climate change, sexual violence in schools and the global refugee crisis. ■

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

By Bob Bahr

5

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Cool paint job. Three entrepreneurs have developed a way to turn energy from the sun into a cooling agent that could save electricity and have significant environmental and even security benefits. Yaron Shenhav and Gadi Grottas, co-founders of Herzliya’s SolCold, and Hebrew University’s Guy Ron have invented a high-tech coating that cools down structures when the sun shines.

The paint is based on a technology SolCold developed called Anti-Stokes Fluorescence. The paint consists of two layers: The outer one filters out the sun’s rays, and the inner one cools the material by turning heat into light.

Coke and pregnancy. Ronit Mach­ tinger, a senior obstetrician in the in vitro fertilization unit at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, has discovered that the odds of IVF producing a successful pregnancy rise if the wouldbe mother significantly reduces her consumption of soft drinks. Machtinger has conducted research with colleagues at Harvard and Columbia.

Northern solar farm. A solar power plant with nearly five times the capacity of Israel’s current largest solar

array will be built in the north beginning as early as the first half of 2018.

The 250-megawatt plant will provide 2 percent of Israel’s electricity. Despite abundant year-round sunshine, Israel trails much of the world in solar power, relying mostly on natural gas and coal.

team of Roosters, deployed by a single operator, can set up an independent wireless network to talk to one another and the operator across hundreds of yards. There’s no need for a cellular connection, which could be offline in a disaster.

Pollution-free future. Yuval Steinitz, the minister of national infrastructure, energy and water resources, said Israel by 2030 will no longer use polluting fuels such as coal, diesel and fuel oil in electricity production, transportation and industry. Steinitz listed steps recently taken by the government to reduce the use of those fuels, such as prioritizing natural gas over coal at power stations.

Record run. Tourism remains hot in Israel, with 355,900 foreign visitors in November, up 24 percent from November 2016 and 70 percent from November 2015. For the first 11 months of 2017, 3.3 million tourists entered Israel, up 25 percent from 2016, and injected $4.5 billion into the economy. “We continue to break records in incoming tourism, and this month we mark more than one year of an upward trend in incoming tourism,” Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said.

Rooster robot rescue. The Rooster is a robot from Be’er Sheva-based startup RoboTiCan that can reach victims of disasters where it’s not safe to send rescue workers. The Rooster’s name comes from the fowl’s preference for walking but ability to fly when necessary. Most search-and-rescue robots can walk or fly but, unlike the Rooster, cannot do both. The Rooster is not artificially intelligent but is autonomous. A

WeWork on demand. Office space rental company WeWork, founded by Israeli Adam Neumann, is worth $20 billion and has established itself in 20 countries, including three locations in Atlanta. WeWork has bought several companies recently, the latest being social networking company Meetup.

WeWork has taken the lead in the co-

Birthright Israel Expands Age Eligibility to 32

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Birthright Israel announced Wednesday, Dec. 6, that 27- to 32-yearolds will be eligible for the free trips to Israel, beginning next summer.

Birthright had been open only to 18- to 26-year-olds since its founding in 1999, but a limited number of slots will be opened to the older age group.

The increase in Birthright Israel’s maximum age reflects the trend of young adults reaching such milestones as marriage and parenthood later in life and builds on Birthright’s most successful year, with nearly 48,000 participants in 2017.

The age change is meant to enable more Jewish young adults to develop connections with their Jewish heritage.

“We are proud that Birthright Israel has become an important rite of passage for Jews around the world but have heard from many older Jewish adults who feel that they missed their opportunity to attend a trip and explore Israel,” Birthright CEO Gidi Mark said. “Given the impact our trips have on participants personally and profes6 sionally, we want to ensure that those

who choose to begin the next phase of their lives at a later age are able to have this meaningful experience.”

Charles Bronfman, who co-founded Birthright with Michael Steinhardt, said: “When Birthright Israel was founded in 1999, we never imagined the extent to which these trips would impact young adults globally. I am proud to watch the organization transform over time while continuing to offer high-quality cultural experiences that allow young adults to be proud of their Jewish identity and develop strong connections with the Jewish Diaspora, Israelis and the state of Israel.”

Birthright has sent more than 600,000 Jewish young adults from the Diaspora to Israel, growing from 9,462 participants in 2000 to 48,000 this year. Birthright is committed to continually evaluating its programming to match the needs of participants.

Summer registration opens Jan. 30, although an early-bird option at 10 a.m. Jan. 29 is available for pre-registered applicants. Visit registration. birthrightisrael.com for details. ■

The Kupat Holim Clalit pharmacy operates at Kfar Saba in 1938.

Today in Israeli History Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details.

Dec. 15, 1999: Aqua International Partners, a San Francisco-based venture fund, purchases a 25 percent stake in bottled water company Mayanot Eden (Eden Springs) for $47.5 million.

Dec. 16, 1922: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the father of modern Hebrew, dies from tuberculosis at the age of 64 in Jerusalem. His funeral on the Mount of Olives is attended by 30,000 mourners.

Dec. 17, 1975: In a Paris meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger tells Iraq’s foreign minister that the United States will not negotiate on Israel’s existence but could “reduce its size to historical proportions.”

Dec. 18, 1911: At the urging of Berl Katznelson, a proposal is passed

working space and is disrupting the office and real estate markets. The company supplies an Internet connection, a cleaning service, a reception desk and more.

American chai. Singer-songwriter Don McLean, who wrote the iconic song “American Pie” about the “day the music died,” will perform at the Ra’anana Amphitheater on June 16. Since first hitting the charts in 1971, McLean has amassed more than 40 gold and platinum records worldwide. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.

Scorpions welcome. German heavy metal band the Scorpions are returning to Israel as part of their Crazy World Tour. The Scorpions are scheduled to perform at Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena on July 19. The band has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, thanks to such songs as “Wind of Change,” “Still Loving You” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane.”

Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com, israel21c.org, timesofisrael. com and other sources. among the Zionist leadership to create Kupat Holim Clalit (General Sick Fund).

The organization remains Israel’s largest health care provider.

Dec. 19, 1903: Attending a Chanukah ball arranged by Mevasseret Zion, a Paris Zionist society, Max Nordau survives an assassination attempt.

Nordau founded the World Zionist Organization with Theodor Herzl.

Dec. 20, 1936: Arturo Toscanini, considered one of the finest virtuoso conductors of the 20th century, arrives at Lod Airport after being asked to conduct the opening performance of the Palestine Philharmonic.

Dec. 21, 1973: Convened under the co-chairmanship of the United States and Soviet Union, a conference begins in Geneva “aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East.”

The conference ends Dec. 29 with the stated intention to reconvene at some point, but it never does. The conference largely serves as a cover for private Israeli-Egyptian disengagement talks.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ISRAEL NEWS

U.S. Recognition of Israel’s Capital Ill-Timed peace between the parties. How naive.

Trump’s reason is totally about himself. He is doing something none

Guest Column

By Harold Kirtz

of the other recent presidents would do, and he is saying, “Look how well I am doing.”

As Jews, we understand that Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of Israel. Israel has the absolute right

to determine the location of its capital.

But this is about what the United States, not Israel, should do.

What is at stake? The safety of Israelis and Palestinians as a result of violent protests and the vilification of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces that will inevitably result from the attempts to quell the protests and restore order and safety to the streets of Jerusalem. The violence threatens to reverberate far beyond the borders of Israel and Palestine.

This move further diminishes the influence of the United States, as evidenced by Mahmoud Abbas’ announcement that the Jerusalem deci-

sion ends the U.S. role as peace broker and the Saudis’ criticism of the move.

The Palestinians refused to meet with Vice President Mike Pence.

These consequences raise the question of whether the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital was necessary now and whether that recognition is in the best interests of Israelis, Americans and the international Jewish community. The Trump decision has sparked violence and eroded the U.S. position on the international stage.

The United States needs to be the constant through which a deal can be forged. It must not be a pebble under the mattress, a constant irritant. ■

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

The search for peace and security in the Middle East is and should be never-ending until they are achieved.

We hope we will get there soon, but if not, we should leave for others, as much as possible, the conditions under which peace and security can eventually be accomplished.

Israel is almost 70 years old. But the return to Israel was a search of almost 2,000 years. The search for peaceful coexistence with the Arab world started when hostilities began in 1948 after the nationhood of Israel was established.

Many difficulties have evolved the past 50 years — ever since the Israeli defense minister offered to return lands taken in the 1967 Six-Day War in exchange for a peace agreement.

It is not easy to achieve peace when the Palestinians tell the world they want peace but understand among themselves that peace means their control of all land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.

That understanding leaves no room for a real peace process based on two lands for two peoples. Much of the world supports two for two, but until the Palestinians do, there will be no peace, much less security.

But Israel and the United States should not give up the goal.

Some Israelis and some Americans look for a solution of one state where the Jews are in charge and the Palestinians are a second-class group, or a solution where the Palestinians must join an amalgamation with Jordan or leave the land. Some Palestinians and other Arabs see a one-state solution in which Arab citizens eventually outnumber the Jewish citizens, thereby eliminating the reality of a Jewish homeland.

What the president did in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital Wednesday, Dec. 6, was unfortunate. It leaves less room for negotiators.

The administration was supposed to be working diligently on peace negotiations, a noble goal. So what does President Donald Trump do? He pokes the negotiations in the eye. Just look at the reaction by the Palestinians and others in the Muslim world.

His announcement that the U.S. Embassy will move to Jerusalem is illtimed, uninformed and boneheaded.

Trump said he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty or making any moves that would affect

7

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ISRAEL NEWS

Haley: Honesty Enhances the Hope for Peace

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, delivered this statement during an emergency U.N. Security Council session Friday, Dec. 8, on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The Jewish people are a patient people. Throughout 3,000 years of civilization, foreign conquest, exile and return, Jerusalem has remained their spiritual home. For nearly 70 years, the city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the state of Israel, despite many attempts by others to deny that reality.

The American people are less patient. In 1948, the United States was the first nation to recognize the independent state of Israel. In 1995, the U.S. Congress declared that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel and that the U.S. Embassy should be located in Jerusalem.

Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama all agreed with that position, but they did not act. They delayed, in the hopes that a peace process would produce results — results that never came.

For 22 years, the American people have overwhelmingly supported that position, and they have waited and waited. This week, President Trump finally

8

made the decision to no longer deny the will of the American people. It’s important to be clear about exactly what the president’s decision does.

“The United States The president will not be lectured to has announced by countries that lack any credibility when it that the United comes to treating both States recognizIsraelis and Palestinians es the obvious: fairly,” Ambassador that Jerusalem Nikki Haley says. is the capital of Israel. He has also instructed the State Department to begin the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. That is what the president has done.

And this is what he has not done: The United States has not taken a position on boundaries or borders. The specific dimensions of sovereignty over Jerusalem are still to be decided by the Israelis and the Palestinians in negotiations. The United States has not ad-

vocated changing any of the arrangements at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif. The president specifically called for maintaining the status quo at the holy sites.

Finally, and critically, the United States is not predetermining finalstatus issues. We remain committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement.

We support a two-state solution if agreed to by the parties.

Those are the facts of what was said and done this week. Now, there are a few more points that are central to the discussion of this issue.

Israel, like all nations, has the right to determine its capital city. Jerusalem is the home of Israel’s parliament, president, prime minister, Supreme Court and many of its ministries.

It is simple common sense that foreign embassies be located there. In virtually every country in the world, U.S. embassies are located in the host country’s capital city. Israel should be no different.

The United States took this step in full knowledge that it will raise questions and concerns. Our actions are intended to help advance the cause of peace. We must recognize that peace is advanced, not set back, when all parties are honest with each other. Our actions reflected an honest assessment of reality.

I understand the concern members have in calling this session.

Change is hard. But we should never doubt what the truth can do. We should never doubt that when we face the truth, believe in the human spirit and encourage each other, that peace can happen.

To those who have good-faith concerns about the future of peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, let me again assure you that the president and this administration remain committed to the peace process.

To those who do not act in good faith — to any person, leader, country or terrorist group that uses this week’s decision as a pretext for violence — you are only showing yourselves to be unfit partners of peace.

Finally, I will not let this moment pass without a comment about the United Nations itself. Over many years, the United Nations has outrageously been one of the world’s foremost centers of hostility towards Israel.

The U.N. has done much more to damage the prospects for Middle East peace than to advance them. We will not be a party to that. The United

States no longer stands by when Israel is unfairly attacked in the United Nations. And the United States will not be lectured to by countries that lack any credibility when it comes to treating both Israelis and Palestinians fairly.

It is no coincidence that the historic peace agreements between Egypt and Israel and between Jordan and Israel were both signed on the White House lawn. If and when there is a historic peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, there’s a good likelihood that it, too, will be signed on the White House lawn.

Why is that? It’s because the United States has credibility with both sides. Israel will never be, and should never be, bullied into an agreement by the United Nations or by any collection of countries that have proven their disregard for Israel’s security.

To my Palestinian brothers and sisters, I can tell you with complete confidence that the United States is deeply committed to achieving a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We have demonstrated that commitment over many years and with the investment of large quantities of financial resources and diplomatic energy.

Sadly, peace between the two sides has not been achieved, but we will not give up. Our hand remains extended to you. We are more committed to the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace today than we’ve ever been before. And we believe we might be closer to that goal than ever before.

Both Israelis and Palestinians have very real stories to tell. Painful stories of challenges, distrust and destruction.

But this conflict is not just about the past. It must not be about all of those painful stories. It must be about future generations. Palestinian and Israeli children both deserve a future of peace, one no more and no less than the other.

When those children are grown, they should look back and look to this time when the parties genuinely negotiated for their sake. These Palestinian and Israeli children deserve to have hope of a brighter and more peaceful future.

Our wish and prayer is that this is the time both sides stop thinking about present needs and start thinking about future generations. I urge all countries in the Security Council and in the Middle East to temper their statements and their actions in the days ahead.

Peace remains achievable. We must all do our parts to achieve it. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ISRAEL NEWS

The Merits of Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital settlements or start negotiations or do something else.

How do those who said Trump received nothing know what was promised privately to the United States by the Israelis or by Arab states? When Jared Kushner was in Saudi Arabia a

Guest Column

By Ken Stein

month ago, how do we know what was said then or before or after? The muted Saudi reaction to the Trump statement might be a telltale sign.

Second, Arab and Palestinian leaders immediately said the United States disqualified itself as a “reliable mediator” in future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Really?

Trump said: “This decision is not intended, in any way, to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement.

We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. We are not taking a position on any final-status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. … The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed by both sides. … I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif.”

Third, what infuriates Arab leaders and Trump’s critics is that by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he put the United States squarely in the position of reaffirming Israeli sovereignty as the state of the Jewish people. He put the United States in the position of challenging the international community’s sharp rebuke of Israel’s claim to a Jewish connection to the land of Israel and Jerusalem, as refuted by UNESCO decisions this year and earlier.

Further, he rebuked the abstentions by the Carter (1980) and Obama (2016) administrations on passed U.N. resolutions and others claiming that Jerusalem is “occupied territory.”

After the 1948 and 1967 wars and in 1980, Israel reaffirmed in several sovereign ways that Jerusalem is her capital; each time, Arab states and the

United Nations have refused to accept Israel’s sovereign decision. Trump aligned with the rights of a sovereign state over the opinions of the international community.

Fourth, Trump’s choice of this moment to offer the Jerusalem statement had contemporary relevance. It may have been timed to engage those Christian sympathizers who might support Roy Moore’s candidacy in the Alabama senatorial election, but as Palestinian leader Hanan Ashrawi acknowledged on CNN on Sunday, Dec. 10, the Palestinians are in a bad way because Arab states are more concerned with their own well-being.

Palestinians themselves are fed up with their leadership. They suffer from ideological and physical divisions and do not have that glue they had as a community or support from Arab states when Yasser Arafat was the head of the PLO several dozen years ago.

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, a senior Arab editorial writer, noted on Dec. 9 that events unfold too quickly in the Middle East and that attention to the Palestinians is more fleeting than ever

before. Mentioning extreme sectarianism, the Iranian-Saudi clashes, the very existence of the dire circumstances in Syria, Iraq and Libya, and Russia being on the move in the region, his conclusion was that “the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem are being used to serve personal agendas.”

Finally, what was significantly omitted in Trump’s speech?

He did not say when the embassy would be moved. He did not tell the U.S. ambassador in Tel Aviv to move to Jerusalem now and use the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem as the temporary American Embassy until a permanent embassy is built. He did not say a future U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem could not be an address for both Palestinian and Israeli diplomats.

He did not prejudice the definitive disposition of Jerusalem in final negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. He did not preclude a two-state solution, nor did he remove the United States as a mediator. A lot of premature hand-wringing. ■ Ken Stein is the president of the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org).

OPEN HOUSE

Sun. Dec. 17 • 2-4pm.

East Cobb • Priced to Sell Fast! • $375,000

• Walton High School • Open Floor Plan • Guest bedroom on main • Renovated Kitchen • Brand-new Roof and Furnace • Full Finished Basement Exclusively Marketed By:

Brenda Beshara

Listing Specialist Cell: 404-580-8248 Brenda@BesharaTeam.com Keller Williams ATL North Office: 770-509-0700

FMLS #5909371

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Whether you hate or love President Donald Trump, don’t let it blind you to the meaning of the words he utters or the tweets he sends. Regardless of your emotions or strong political leanings, his words are decisively important; he is the president of the United States.

In keeping with the genuine skepticism of his remarks on domestic or foreign policy matters, his Dec. 6 proclamation to “officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel” was met with a flurry of criticism.

Most opinion writers, bloggers, diplomats, media analysts and heads of state, many international organizations (United Nations, European Union, etc.), and even the pope vigorously challenged the wisdom of the United States taking a demonstrative position on Jerusalem. A group of American Jewish professors criticized the statement, as did elements within the American Jewish community.

Some of the criticism on the Jerusalem statement was and is simply a combination of being anti-Israeli, antiNetanyahu or anti-Trump. But seven of nine former U.S. ambassadors to Israel opposed the move of the American Embassy to Jerusalem. There is a fear that prolonged violence will ensue. Will it?

Only a minority of writers, among them Caroline Glick in The Jerusalem Post, Bret Stephens in The New York Times, Israeli writers at Ynet and Israeli think tanks, wholeheartedly endorsed Trump’s remarks.

In my view, Trump’s remarks were not a haphazard statement electronically dispatched at 5 a.m.; they were not uttered with irony or sarcasm during an impromptu response to a press conference question, at a public gathering or at a town-hall meeting.

Trump’s remarks were a skillfully crafted diplomatic statement.

What were the criticisms of his statement, and why did his statement have merit? What did he not say, promise, clarify or preclude?

A major criticism was that his statement was unilateral. The argument was made that the president received nothing in return for stating that “Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital; acknowledging this is a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace.”

Trump was lambasted for not receiving an open Israeli promise to stop

9

OPINION

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Our View

Israel’s Capital

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

President Donald Trump’s statement Wednesday, Dec. 6, acknowledging 68 years late the reality that Israel’s capital is Jerusalem should be read for what he did and did not say.

Trump did not say a “unified Jerusalem” is the capital, and he said the final status of the city as a whole, like a two-state peace solution, is a matter of negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians.

Trump could have done more to tie his announcement to a revived peace process. He could have specified that the U.S. Embassy will be established in an area of Jerusalem that has been under internationally accepted Israeli sovereignty for nearly 70 years. He could have announced a plan to upgrade the U.S. Consulate in eastern Jerusalem to serve as an embassy to the Palestinian Authority, with the expectation of its serving the same role in a future Palestinian state.

Separate the message from the man, and you have the United States correcting a mistake dating to the Truman administration. The only reason the United States did not recognize Jerusalem then was the faint hope that the Arab world would accept the terms of the 1947 U.N. resolution that proposed interlocking Jewish and Arab states. That resolution included a provision that Jerusalem would be an international city, a corpus separatum (separate body), a diplomatic myth. The Arab rejection of the partition plan included the rejection of that special status.

To judge by the reactions from the Palestinians, Europe and many others, you’d think the two sides were days away from a permanent peace when Trump torched those hopes with his announcement.

Trump has been condemned. Israel has been condemned. The Jewish people have been condemned.

Not only have the Palestinians launched violent protests, including rocket fire from Gaza and terrorism in Jerusalem and other cities, but Jews in Europe, who are neither Israelis nor Americans, have come under attack. And the reactions from the same “leaders” who condemn U.S. acknowledgment of reality have ranged from shrugs to expressions of understanding and even support for Arab anger.

It’s ridiculous that global expectations for the Palestinians are so low that people expect and accept violence in response to words. It’s outrageous that any Jew anywhere can be seen as a justifiable target of that violence.

No peace process existed Dec. 5, and the Palestinians had shown no intention of ever negotiating in good faith, opting to wait for international resolutions and demands to force a solution on Israel. It’s reasonable to hope that the honesty of the statement Dec. 6 will force the Palestinians to re-evaluate their approach and talk about a deal while it’s still possible.

History, including Israel’s treaty with Egypt and the 1993 Oslo Accords, shows that bilateral negotiations are the only path to peace for Israel. The United States has a role as a mediator and a guarantor of any agreement, but a process or plan pushed on the parties from the outside will never succeed.

The best thing the United States can do to support a peace deal is to create conditions that compel the two sides to talk. The status quo wasn’t doing that; 10 maybe a dose of reality will. ■

Cartoon by Nate Beeler, The Columbus Dispatch

Social Action on Political Inclusion The Temple launched its Rothschild Social “Never before … has the minority in our own Justice Institute with a series of insistent messages congregation felt the condescension and the ostraSunday, Dec. 10, about the need for Atlanta’s first cism of the majority,” he said. “If my dad were alive and largest Jewish congregation to keep striving to today, he would be sad.” improve the world, as it has done for 150 years.

Rabbi Rothschild noted that congregants happiBut amid comments from Rabbis Peter Berg, ly overlook extreme differences to talk with Muslims Alvin Sugarman and David and even Presbyterians, Spinrad, institute chair whose national organizaKent Alexander, and keytion’s double standards Editor’s Notebook note speaker Sally Yates, toward Israel and Jews

By Michael Jacobs no words were more neces“would make the Spanish mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com sary than those from Rabbi Inquisition proud.”

Bill Rothschild, the son of For those non-Jews, the institute’s namesake, he said, we treat people as Rabbi Jacob Rothschild. individuals instead of overgeneralizing, we listen to The younger Rabbi Rothschild, who attended them, and we recognize that the humanity in each the formal opening lunch with his mother, the price- person is a child of G-d. But we don’t grant the same less Janice Rothschild Blumberg, told the more than courtesy to fellow Jews who get their news from dif200 people spread around the social hall that it’s not ferent sources. enough to be inclusive of people who differ in race, Rabbi Rothschild warned that the institute faith, gender, sexual orientation and national origin named for his father and endowed by the Arthur M. if the institute is to “live up to Dad’s memory.”

Blank Family Foundation will fail unless it becomes That’s the memory of The Temple’s senior rabbi a safe place for anyone who wants to work on social from 1946 to 1973, who pulled not only his Reform justice — now in the areas of minor sex traffickcongregation, but his entire city into the age of ing, the environment and climate change, Jewishintegration. Rabbi Rothschild’s activism made The Muslim relations, LGBTQ inclusivity and equality, Temple a target, resulting in the bombing in 1958. poverty and homelessness, public education, racial His efforts united 80 clergymen behind the pro-civil- justice, refugee resettlement, sensible gun safety, and rights Ministers’ Manifesto. His drive compelled women’s rights, with the possibility and even the Atlanta to hold the South’s largest integrated civilian expectation of more issues in the future. dinner in 1965 to honor his friend Martin Luther But the rabbi’s warning could have applied King Jr. for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. beyond one social justice institute to our synagogues As Rabbi Sugarman, an Atlanta native, said, and our people in general. We have survived 4,000 Rabbi Rothschild simply meant “everything.” years despite betrayals and bloody battles. Surely we But his son said The Temple has reached a point don’t need to see the world through the same political of internal strife that exceeds the disputes over civil lens to share the task of applying the Torah’s lessons rights 60 years ago. For many, Rabbi Rothschild said, as G-d’s partners in creating an ever-better world. you can’t be a good Jew, or at least a good Reform Jew, And if the others in that room took Rabbi Rothunless you recognize that one political party alone schild’s words to heart and share his message, the serves G-d’s will and that the other is evil incarnate. institute named for his father is already a success. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Facts on the Ground for Jerusalem’s Future York Mayor Ed Koch lamenting to then-Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek about the age of sewer pipes in his city.

“You think you have problems,” Kollek replies. “My water system goes back 3,000 years!”

Letters To The Editor

should be urging Muslim countries to rescind their laws barring Palestinians from citizenship and restricting the professions in which they may work.

Anyone who wants the Palestinian people to have a better future should urge Palestinian leaders to stop “claiming they want a state with East Jerusalem as its capital” and to start working toward that goal by negotiating with Israel. (Both Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas flatly rejected Israeli proposals for the establishment of a Palestinian state, on essentially all the disputed land, with the possibility of shared governance in parts of Jerusalem; neither even offered a counterproposal.)

Effective negotiations would require the Palestinians to drop their stance that only Israel needs to make concessions, that signing a peace treaty will not end the conflict and that the “refugees” will not be citizens in the new state (i.e., that Israel must let herself be overrun by millions of “refugees” raised on a steady diet of antiJewish invective for decades).

Yes, it is possible to be both proIsrael and pro-Palestinian (people). But mouthing the narrative of those who seek to replace the nation-state of the

Being Pro-Palestinian

Michael Jacobs is correct in saying Jewish anti-Zionist groups, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, pose more danger than Linda Sarsour and the BDS movement (“Sarsour Isn’t the Real Threat,” Dec. 8). The sad truth is that, while many people equate being anti-Zionist with being pro-Palestinian, most of Israel’s enemies do little if anything to advocate for the Palestinian people or to help them in achieving statehood.

In the first decade after her rebirth, Israel absorbed and uplifted 800,000 Jews thrust from Muslim countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Their descendants make up the majority of Israel’s current population.

In contrast, Muslim leaders (including Palestinian leaders after 1964) conspired to keep the descendants of Arabs who fled the Arab-initiated 1948 war in refugee camps until “the Zionist entity” could be destroyed.

People seeking to alleviate the poverty and statelessness of the “refugees”

From Where I Sit

By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com

Some 866,000 people — 63 percent Jewish and 37 percent Arab (of whom 95 percent are Muslim and 5 percent Christian) — live in the city.

Jerusalem has problems like any sizable city, but also others that are unique, stemming from issues of religion, history and politics.

“The strangest thing about the tangible city of Jerusalem, though, is that it apparently exists only because of symbolism,” Israeli journalist and historian Gershom Gorenberg wrote recently. “The only resource it has ever had to sell is sanctity.”

History, mythical or real, has made Jerusalem sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

Jerusalem has been the seat of

Israel’s government since the 1948 War of Independence. Israel has controlled the whole of Jerusalem since the 1967 war, when the victors reunited the western and eastern (including the Old City) sectors of the city, the latter having been in Jordanian hands since 1948. Arabs have envisioned that the capital of a future nation of Palestine would be located in the eastern sector.

The conventional view has been that the future of Jerusalem would be part of a larger negotiated agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

No country currently maintains an embassy in Jerusalem. Successive American administrations have signed a waiver every six months to bypass the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, in which Congress directed that the U.S. Embassy relocate from Tel Aviv.

President Donald Trump altered the status quo by identifying Jerusalem (not west, not east, not unified, just Jerusalem) as Israel’s capital, calling it “nothing more, or less, than a recognition of reality.”

Foreseeing a new reality, Trump ordered the State Department to begin the process (expected to take several years) of moving the U.S. Embassy while also again signing the waiver (to forestall a reduction in State Depart-

ment funds mandated by the act).

In essence, Trump borrowed an Israeli strategy by creating, at least verbally, a “fact on the ground,” forcing others — particularly the Palestinians — to adjust their strategies.

“We are not taking a position of any final-status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders,” Trump said, adding that “the United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.”

While expressing delight with Trump’s statement, the current Israeli government has appeared content with things the way they are. In equal measure, what the Palestinians regard as a prejudicial action by the United States is a log thrown on the smoldering fire of their discontent.

Thus, Dec. 6 has become another date on the calendar destined to be viewed one way by Israelis and another by Arabs. There are many such days.

I do not presume to know how all this will play out.

All that most of us interested in this issue can do is to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but prayers alone might not be enough. ■

Jews with a Muslim-majority state does the Palestinian people no good at all.

— Toby F. Block, Atlanta

divided into western (Israeli) Jerusalem and eastern (Jordanian) Jerusalem.

However, the dream of internationalizing the city did not die.

When Jerusalem was reunited during the 1967 war, interest in internationalizing Jerusalem increased, as Jewish rule of Jerusalem was deemed offensive to the rest of the world, especially the United Nations. The concept of internationalizing Jerusalem is especially attractive to enemies of Israel, as Israel has more resolutions passed against it than the rest of the 200-odd nations in the world combined.

Trump’s announcement ends the dream of internationalizing Jerusalem and thus taking it away from Israel in the name of peace. It also makes dividing Jerusalem more difficult.

Jerusalem has been touted as two capitals of two states. How would such an arrangement work if a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli in one part of Jerusalem (a crime) and fled to another part where his act was viewed as heroic?

While there may be unrest in the short term, I believe this announcement to be positive because it dashes the dreams of a Jew-free Jerusalem.

— Jack L. Arbiser, Atlanta 11

Ensuring Jewish Jerusalem

President Donald Trump made the announcement that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, producing a mixture of reactions. Traditional enemies of Israel, including Iran, Turkey, The New York Times, and, surprisingly to a lesser extent, Arab countries, condemned the move. Some in Israel felt it was merely a recognition of facts on the ground, as the Knesset and the majority of Israeli government offices are in Jerusalem.

In truth, the move has tremendous significance.

Several years ago, I asked Yoram Ettinger, an Israeli diplomat and close family friend, why the embassy was not in the part of Jerusalem west of the 1949 Green Line, as this is not disputed territory. He said the goal when the Palestine Mandate was divided into Israel and Arab territory was for Jerusalem to be an international city.

Events on the ground overtook dreams, and after the War of Independence ended in 1949, Jerusalem was

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

— Psalms 122:6 My favorite walk in Jerusalem begins on Rashba Street in the Rehavia neighborhood.

At the corner I turn right onto Sderot Ben Maimon.

On a Friday afternoon in spring, passers-by carry groceries and maybe flowers. Planters outside apartment windows are dripping with bougainvillea, their brilliant shades of pink, purple and red set against the Jerusalem stone.

At a left turn onto Menahem Ussishkin Street, the branches of trees overhang the sidewalks. Looking into ground-level apartments, I see tables being prepared for Shabbat.

As the afternoon passes, automobile noise fades, and a relative quiet ensues. In that moment, in that corner of Jerusalem, there is peace.

I first took this walk while living in Jerusalem more than 30 years ago.

I’ve walked it on every visit since.

Google Earth shows me that much has changed in the neighborhood, most notably construction of new apartments.

There is a story about then-New

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

We Stand With NIF which it was roundly criticized as At the end of his recent AJT opininherently political and not credible. ion column titled “BDS, NIF and the Breaking the Silence is a unique Race for Governor” (Dec. 1), Mitchell organization that creates a space for Kaye writes, “It is time to ask local NIF Israeli soldiers who have served in leaders where they stand.”

We’re glad he asked so that we can answer.

We, the members of Guest Column the Atlanta Regional Council of the New Israel Fund,

By NIF Atlanta Regional Council stand behind NIF in its now almost 4-decades-old mission to empower those the West Bank or Gaza to talk about in Israel who struggle daily to build a their experiences. Their stories are society as envisioned by its founders: often hard to hear, but they’ve proved a Jewish and democratic country that their integrity in the face of those who protects the rights of all its residents. would prefer that they not be heard.

We have no doubt that Kaye cares Ironically, Kaye’s column can for Israel’s well-being as much as we have a positive consequence if it opens do — a group that includes people the eyes of those who truly love Israel who have lived in and are citizens of to the fact that disdain for truth, for Israel, who have served in the Israel honest media and for civil society has Defense Forces, whose children live in permeated the seats of power in the and have served in the IDF, and who Jewish state just as it has the current own homes in Israel.

American administration and its altKaye no doubt knows this, and, as right allies. such, it is particularly troubling that We are therefore particularly aphe would propagate the half-truths, preciative of the support NIF lends to misrepresentations and outright lies The Whistle, a recently created, dataabout NIF that originate from the Israeli version of the alt-right media — driven, nonpartisan nongovernmental organization that works to promote a “alternative facts” that have time and fact-based political culture in Israel. time again been debunked.

We encourage Kaye and all other AJT Most important and insidious, readers who care about Israel and who Kaye would have you believe that NIF care about the truth to learn more at supports the boycott, divestment and thewhistle.co.il. sanctions movement, a claim that As much as anything else, NIF has been repeated by alt-right Israeli stands for truth. And we stand behind media for years despite being disNIF. ■ proved over and over again. As stated unequivocally on its website, nif.org, NIF does not support BDS and will not The members of the Atlanta Regrant funding to any organization that gional Council of the New Israel Fund does. are Steve Berman, Lois Frank, Leah Fuhr, Kaye also mentions a recent inves- Jan Jaben-Eilon, Robin Kramarow, Judy tigation involving Breaking the Silence Lipshutz, Charles Miller, David Minkin, but omits the fact that the investigaGlenda Minkin, A.J. Robinson, Shai Robtion included significant lapses, for kin, Harry Stern and Charles Taylor.

Taylor Force was a West Point graduate. He served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He went on to pursue an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

While visiting Israel as a grad student in March 2016, Taylor was killed in a stabbing attack by a Palestinian terrorist.

Today, more than 20 months after Taylor’s tragic death, the Palestinian Authority is still paying a monthly pension to the family of Taylor Force’s murderer through the Palestinian Martyrs Fund.

Despite Taylor’s murder and the murder of dozens of other Americans, Israelis and citizens from our allies across the world at the hands of Palestinian terrorists, the United States continues to provide approximately $400 million in aid every year to the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority funds its Martyrs Fund (perhaps better called the “murder fund”) at an estimated $300 million a year, according to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. That is almost one-tenth of the Palestinian Authority’s annual budget.

Money is fungible, so let’s be blunt. By continuing to send hundreds of millions to the Palestinian Authority, we are essentially subsidizing this “murder fund” and facilitating the Palestinian Authority’s subsidization of the murder of Americans and Israelis.

This ends now. On Tuesday, Dec. 5, I helped pass H.R. 1164, the Taylor Force Act, through the U.S. House of Representatives on a voice vote.

This legislation will stop the out-

rageous, despicable and unacceptable practice of providing U.S. taxpayer dol-

as Israel’s capital or the location of our embassy. But everything now has changed. More terror, more rage, more to be expected. See? Those that hate have found another excuse to escalate acts of hate. And those that proclaim peace while pursuing hate have found another reason to continue doing so.”

• Rabbi Marc H. Wilson, “A Rabbi Is Dreaming of a White Christmas”: “The Christmas ambiance is delightful, but it has never driven me to want to be Christian. It has never made me want to own a Christmas tree, or to hang a stocking, or to embrace the Christian messiah. I love Christmas and partake

in its beauty as someone else’s experience, not for a moment feeling compromised in my convictions to my Jewish heritage and its own profound beauty.”

• Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, “What Would a Synagogue Run by Millennials Look Like?”: “The true reason that I believe my millennial team invests in our community is because we believe that synagogues remain the best vehicle to collaborate, innovate, and engage the next generation of Jews in Jewish living. Where else but a synagogue can you find an already built-in core of volunteers who are already on some level invested in your vision? Together,

my millennial team see ourselves as partners in supporting the sacred collaborative work that each of us does in conjunction with the members of our community.”

From The AJT Blogs

The community conversation is always active at the AJT’s blog page, blogs.timesofisrael.com/atlanta-jewish-times. Visit the blogs to sign up for your own AJT blog or to add your comments to recent posts. Excerpts from some recent posts: • Wendy Kalman, “O Jerusalem”: “If you think about it, nothing on the ground is different at this time, ei12 ther with recognition of Jerusalem DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Why I Helped Pass The Taylor Force Act Guest Column

By Karen Handel

lars to an organization that funds the murder of Americans. It’s inconceivable to me how this was ever allowed to happen in the first place. And it is unconscionable to allow it to continue on our watch.

We hear a lot of talk in Washington about being a friend to Israel. But our budgets and our actions under the last Presidential administration did not support America’s longstanding commitment. During that time, we sent almost $1.7 billion to Iran, the Middle East’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, in a deal that allowed their regime to continue to develop nuclear weapons and the missiles needed to deliver them.

We’ve allowed those financing the direct murder of Americans and Israelis to count on American taxpayers to fund the next attack. But I will not stand by and allow this to continue.

The Taylor Force Act restores a commitment to one of our closest global allies in Israel and eliminates an incentive for others to harm our own people. I look forward to enthusiastically working to see this bill signed into law by the President in the coming weeks. ■ Karen Handel represents Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.

Write to Us The AJT welcomes letters and guest columns from our readers. Letters should be 400 or fewer words; guest columns are up to 700 words.

Send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com. Include your name, your town and a phone number for verification. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length.

13

DECEMBER 15 â–ª 2017

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

JELF Raises $221K to Continue Support for Students

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

The Jewish Educational Loan Fund’s support for higher education through interest-free loans brought more than 500 community members together Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Westin Perimeter in Sandy Springs for JELF’s annual meeting and year-end celebration.

Featured speaker Larry Schall, the president of Oglethorpe University, addressed the importance of higher education and highlighted public policies that affect institutions and contribute to rising tuition.

While college debt has doubled the past decade, Schall said, the leading cause is the growth of for-profit colleges.

The shift in covering the cost of higher education from the state to students has driven tuition higher and contributed to the increase in student debt, Schall said. That’s why he encourages people to support organizations such as JELF, which is Georgia’s oldest nonprofit organization and makes loans to cover the last dollars Jewish

14

Photo by Marcia Caller Jaffe

Oglethorpe President Larry Schall and outgoing board President Marianne Garber take time for a quick photo during JELF’s annual meeting and year-end celebration Dec. 5.

students from Florida to Virginia need to pay for higher education.

“I’m a believer that education has the power to change one’s life. In fact, it can alter an entire family’s trajectory,” Schall said.

With the help of the Koonin family’s matching gifts, people attending the JELF annual meeting raised $211,712 from 210 donations, including $92,335 in new dollars.

Rabbi Alvin Sugarman, the rabbi emeritus at The Temple, delivered the

d’var Torah and said: “Each one of you is a letter in the Torah because of your support for JELF. You are keeping our tradition of learning and respect alive through education and making it possible for individuals who may have not had the opportunity through your care and generosity.”

JELF’s outgoing president, Marianne Garber, recounted her involvement with the nonprofit and its achievements and noted that after 142 years it’s nice that JELF is no longer the best-kept secret around.

Garber said JELF’s total number of donors has increased by 63 percent, and the organization has maintained a 99 percent repayment rate from students for 10 consecutive years. It currently has loans totaling $1,000,046 out to 273 students.

Incoming board President Stan Lowenstein spoke about his involvement with JELF and about its future.

“When it comes to JELF, the organization’s culture is built from the bottom up. … It’s an exciting time for me to be a part of it.”

Lowenstein hopes to expand JELF’s mission within a 30-mile radius of Atlanta to penetrate the market more deeply and serve more students. A new strategic plan is launching in April.

He recounted a recent conversation he had with a donor about JELF’s mission. “This is the best philanthropic opportunity in the city of Atlanta, and it’s not just because we help Jewish children go to college, but the fact that when we give money, it goes straight to students and we recycle. … It’s true tzedakah and very easy to connect to.” ■

Exhibit’s Final Weeks You have until the end of December to learn about the century and a half of history behind the Jewish Educational Loan Fund in the exhibit “The Legacy of the Hebrew Orphans’ Home” at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown.

You can tour the exhibit, which includes photos, artifacts, remembrances, thank-you notes and “Jelfies,” during regular museum hours. 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.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

‘Shidduch’ Strengthens Jewish Life at Agnes Scott A partnership between Agnes Scott College and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta not only is enhancing Jewish life on the campus, but also is intended to benefit the greater Decatur community.

The partnership was initiated

by Phyllis Kozarsky, who became acquainted with Jewish students at the small women’s liberal arts college when she joined its board of trustees a few years ago. A small Hillel chapter served Agnes Scott, but Kozarsky found that many students also attended programming elsewhere, such as the Emory Hillel, for greater involvement that filled a void of campus Jewish life.

While no one knows exactly how many Jewish students attend the Presbyterian-affiliated college, Hillels of Georgia Executive Director Rabbi Russ Shulkes estimates that it may be as many as 50 out of what Agnes Scott’s website reports as a total student enrollment of 927 this fall.

Anti-Israel sentiment stands in the way of a positive Jewish experience on the campus. In particular, the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace and its supporters vocally endorse the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.

“We take the stance that this is an anti-Semitic group,” Rabbi Shulkes said. “One of Hillel’s pillars is Israel.

We are Israel. If a campus has any antiIsrael spirit in any way, we feel it is our responsibility to advocate for Israel.”

He added: “Agnes Scott is not good for every student, but for the ones who choose it, the school does a phenomenal job. One aspect of the culture is that they are a very liberal university. That means, from an Israel perspective, they try to play all sides of the coin.”

But Rabbi Shulkes said few Jewish students have negative experiences.

“Agnes Scott has always taken it seriously and done the remedy.”

After hearing the issues Jewish students face, Kozarsky, an Emory physician, and her husband, Eliot Arnovitz, the president and CEO of M&P Shopping Centers and a former Federation president, decided to take a step that would strengthen Jewish life at Agnes Scott. As Kozarsky likes to describe it, they arranged a shidduch (marriage) between the college and Federation.

The idea was timely because Federation is seeking greater connections with younger Jews, and such a partnership provides the opportunity through

The Agnes Scott College Hillel brings together students, not all of them Jewish, to celebrate Shabbat.

programming on campus and in the surrounding community to enhance Jewish life at Agnes Scott and to engage otherwise nonaffiliated Jews in the Decatur area.

“It’s a win-win for all,” Kozarsky said.

The new relationship began over the summer and enabled the Agnes Scott Hillel to employ Omer Zimmerman, a Hillel Israel fellow who also works with other small Hillel chapters in Georgia, to devote 10 hours weekly to develop a more vibrant Jewish experience at the college.

“My job is to support the girls and lead the (student) board,” Zimmerman

said, adding, “The students are amazing. They really want Jewish-related events.”

Something they wanted right away — to have their own Friday night program and not have to go to other campuses — has been realized. In the first semester they held about five Friday night Shabbat dinners, each drawing eight to 25 students, some of whom are not Jewish, Rabbi Shulkes said.

Because an investment in student leadership training will help the campus organization thrive, Agnes Scott Hillel student board members will be among the participants at a Lake Lanier retreat in January. They will learn the responsibilities of their leadership roles and important skills, such as how to write a budget.

Hillel will promote opportunities to Agnes Scott students for Israel experience programs, such as Birthright Israel and Georgia Onward, an eightweek internship in Tel Aviv.

As for the community engagement goals, Rabbi Shulkes said he knows brainstorming is taking place about ways to expand Hillel’s reach into the Decatur community just as the orga-

nization does in areas such as Athens, where he said the Hillel chapter does a lot of programming for the larger Jewish community and for the underprivileged in the area.

Now that the match has been made, said Kozarsky, who is no longer an Agnes Scott trustee, she and Arnovitz have stepped away from the college to allow all the good to happen.

“We don’t want to be helicopter parents,” she quipped, although Kozarsky plans to participate, along with Agnes Scott Jewish alumnae, in a soonto-be-named Jewish advisory group.

With its livelier Jewish experience and the many assets that make it an attractive choice overall, Rabbi Shulkes is confident that Agnes Scott is becoming a more inviting college option for Jewish students.

“Our permanent goal is that Agnes Scott is viewed as a destination for Jewish students and that it be a happy place for Judaism,” he said. “Agnes Scott has a beautiful, unique campus. It has an amazing potential to be a place for students to come and have a college experience and not give up anything” Jewishly. ■

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

By Fran M. Putney

15

EDUCATION

Above: Weber School students work to prepare the preschool space for Los Niños Primero.

Left: The Los Niños Primero chorus performs at a fiesta.

Weber Makes Amigos With Preschool Partners

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com

16

A teacher at the Weber School has initiated a partnership with another Sandy Springs school to create a space for Latino preschoolers and their families.

Olivia Rocamora, the dean of Weber’s Spanish program, and Los Niños Primero have joined forces to design and equip a preschool room at El Centro Católico Del Espíritu Santo (Holy Spirit Catholic Church) on Northwood Drive, an area lacking in that type of facility.

Los Niños Primero (Kids First) is a nonprofit, year-round educational program for children ages 3 to 6. It also has a volunteer program for teenagers, many of whom went through the school as youngsters, and those teens are helping their peers at Weber prepare the space.

Rocamora said the project began with a fundraising competition that in nine days raised $1,100. “All our students raised money. It was so moving.

Some were saying, ‘Here’s my baby-sitting money.’ They got passionate about helping, and even when it was over, they still wanted to give money and were examples to their peers.”

The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Rocamora is “the perfect candidate to lead this collaboration,” said Ashley Lewman, the development coordinator at Los Niños Primero. “My hat is off to her. This is something the teens, Jewish and Latino, are doing together — creating a place where families and children can come and really feel safe and welcomed.”

Lewman said Latino families are the backbone of Sandy Springs. “These are people who are feeling under siege

right now, and they are right here doing a lot of the work our own people don’t want to do. It’s the most vulnerable population here, particularly the children.”

The space will eventually include a large mural based on literary themes, and that artwork will be a joint effort.

A design will be drawn based on students’ impressions of books they are reading in Rocamora’s class. It will then be projected onto a wall, and they will fill it in with paint.

The development of the mural will be under the guidance of artist Betsy Cañas Garmon, who said the common theme is connectivity.

“We will explore what it looks like to come from divergent backgrounds and be in the same community and shared space,” Garmon said. “I really can’t tell what it’s going to be yet. That depends on what the Weber students see, what they envision.”

Rocamora said she grew up with Latino culture and literature and was a Spanish major in college. “I applied to Weber because I like the values of Jewish education — questioning and debating, trying to blur the lines a bit and challenge each other — so I knew I wanted to teach Spanish but also challenge kids why we learn it and how we engage with Spanish-speaking communities.”

She started a travel program at Weber of immersion into Spanish culture with Jewish roots “so that students see that being Jewish is not a specific skin color or language; there are brothers and sisters all over the world in different cultures,” Rocamora said. The program has taken students to Argentina and Cuba, with Spain next on the agenda. ■

EDUCATION

It’s Never Too Early to Prepare for College.

No matter the age of your high school son or daughter, now is the time to investigate the CollegeBridge approach to college preparation, selection, and application.

Our approach will impact your child’s success in college and in life.

Epstein School second-graders’ artwork is featured in an exhibit at the Sandy Springs Public Library. Their creations (“Sharpie Mandalas With Quilting Accents”), made under the guidance of art teacher Pamela Cohen, are on display through December.

A mandala is a complex, abstract artistic design that is usually circular and generally has an identifiable center point from which symbols, shapes and forms emanate.

Designing a mandala can be inspirational, therapeutic and fun because it contains recognizable images that carry meaning to the artist and represent the connection between our inner worlds and outer reality. The library, at 395 Mount Vernon Highway, is open seven days a week if you want to see the mandalas in person. ■

Take the time to explore our website.

Visit us at www.collegebridge.net

Contact Steven W. Cook, PhD swc@collegebridge.net or 404.983.4573

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Circular Beauty

17

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

Teen Initiative Aims to Drive Engagement

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com The Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative is launching programs more than a year after the Jim Joseph Foundation announced it was giving an Atlanta partnership $2.1 million over five years to engage more teenagers with the Jewish community.

The initiative is a collaboration of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, the Marcus JCC and the Atlanta Rabbinical Association under the leadership of Hope Chernak, who arrived in mid-April as the executive director of the $4.2 million effort (half from the Jim Joseph Foundation, half from local matching funds).

The initiative focuses on highschoolers in the hope of boosting Jewish teen engagement and education throughout the community with new programs of interest to teens. Examples include an arts program, a seminar with lawyers and activists on how Jewish values inform social justice, and a possible seminar on civil rights in partnership with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Each program will be taught through a Jewish lens to foster teens’ connection to Judaism and will operate during spring, summer, fall and winter breaks from school.

A national collaboration began in 2013 after the release of the Jim Joseph

Hope Chernak is the AJTI executive director.

Foundation report “Effective Strategies for Educating and Engaging Jewish Teens,” whose goal is to connect tens of thousands of teens to meaningful Jewish learning experiences.

The San Francisco-based foundation picked 10 cities — based on their specific characteristics and history of communal partnerships — to participate and committed more than $29 million to support the resulting Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Funder Collaborative.

Amanda Abrams, the chief program and innovation officer at the Marcus JCC, said Atlanta was selected because religion is more of a normal practice in the South than in the other nine locations: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver/Boulder, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego and San Francisco.

Abrams said Atlanta’s initiative has been well received so far and was acknowledged by a Jewish Federation in New Jersey, which requested further information after hearing a presentation by Abrams during the General Assembly of Federations in Los Angeles in

November.

“They thought what we shared was very informative, and my hope is that what we’ve done in Atlanta will transfer to other communities, at least in the planning process,” she said.

Input from the community and collaborations with existing organizations are important, Abrams said, as the initiative looks for sustainability early instead of waiting until the grant runs out after five years to seek new funding. The initiative therefore is flexible and open to change along the way.

The AJTI has canvassed in various communities, including Alpharetta and intown, to reach as many teens as possible. Although areas inside and outside the Perimeter present a challenge for the initiative, Chernak said AJTI is prepared to cross any boundary.

The Marcus JCC is working behind the scenes to implement the initiative by providing human resources, technical and financial support, supervision, and management. Federation is leveraging the funding with aid from the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Marcus JCC. Chernak said the initiative remains in the pilot stage but is reaching out to agencies, synagogues and student clubs to schedule one-on-one meetings and explain the effort.

“We are not trying to become another youth program but in fact support and provide any resources and …

fill in a gap where students are currently not involved,” Chernak said.

AJTI’s first intensive session for teens, JumpSpark Sports, is scheduled for January and will provide a behindthe-scenes look at Atlanta’s sports industry.

AJTI also launched JumpSpark Professional for the development of communal professionals working with teens. A seminar in January will feature a discussion about teen behaviors and challenges.

The initiative hopes to create a pocket of communities with 15 to 25 kids each who will get to know one another and learn together. The initiative also wants to establish a leadership track in a year to help students learn what it means to be mentors.

Teens can learn more about the initiative at www.jumpsparkatl.org.

“Teens are at a critical stage of their life when they are building up their Jewish identity, and although we have great programs in the community, such as BBYO, there are still plenty of teens who have no Jewish connection, and having more options that are different and unique is important,” Federation CEO Eric Robbins said.

Abrams added, “It’s sometimes hard for people to understand what the AJTI is because there’s truly nothing like this that exists in Atlanta. It’s such an innovative way of serving Jewish teens.” ■

Youth Professional Seminar Focuses on Innovation

By Rich Walter and Hope Chernak

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Picking through random objects in a Tel Aviv youth hostel, 13 Atlanta youth professionals and one Israeli Reform rabbi listened to the words of their teacher, artist Hanoch Piven.

“We all have the ability to look at the world in a different way, a playful way,” Piven said while those 14 people selected among the crushed soda cans, odd buttons, children’s toys, dried pasta and unraveled cassette tapes.

We were using our creativity and objects others had discarded to create self-portraits representing who we were as educators and individuals.

Looking at our work in new and innovative ways was the overall theme of the eight-day seminar in Israel.

Sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative through its professional network, JumpSpark Professional, the 18 experience brought together educa-

tors representing congregations, youth movements, camps and arts groups.

The seminar was conceived and led by AJTI Executive Director Hope Chernak, with the help of Rabbis Gabby Dagan and Na’ama Dafni-Kellen of the Leo Baeck Education Center and Congregation Ohel Avraham in Haifa.

Chernak was also deeply invested in creating local partnerships to serve the group, both during its time in Israel and upon its return. She turned to the Center for Israel Education, which provided Rich Walter as a scholar in residence. Walter offered historical context and strategies for engaging learners with Israel in diverse ways.

AJTI plans to build on the trip to expand JumpSpark Professional to offer opportunities for personal and professional growth, networking and collaboration. CIE will continue to work with AJTI to offer Israel enrichment for Atlanta Jewish professionals. ■

Participants in the JumpSpark Professional seminar in Israel show the self-portraits they made with found materials. Seated (from left) are artist Hanoch Piven; Ezra Flom, the director of youth and family programming at Temple Kol Emeth; Nicole Andronescu Flom, the assistant director of education at Ahavath Achim Synagogue; Bobbee Griff, the youth adviser at Temple Beth Tikvah; Adam Griff, the regional director of youth engagement for NFTY-SAR; Elizabeth C. Foster, a family and teen educator at The Temple; Molly Okun, the director of youth and teen engagement at Temple Sinai; and Jason Price, a program manager for the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative. Standing (from left) are Hope Chernak, the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative; Rabbi Gabby Dagan of the Leo Baeck Education Center; Rich Walter, the associate director for Israel education at the Center for Israel Education; Hannah Zale, the music director for In the City Camp and a religious school music educator and youth adviser at Congregation B’nai Torah; Susan Cosden, the director of education at Temple Beth Tikvah; Jody Gansel, a program manager for the Experiential Jewish Education Network; and Mira Hirsch, an artistic associate for Theatrical Outfit Project Tolerance at The Temple.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

A New Model of Teen Engagement: JumpSpark

The Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative kicks off its first engagement by gathering teens across Atlanta for an Atlanta United game.

The first JumpSpark intensive session, set for January, will focus on sports.

wisdom, texts and values in accessible and relevant ways.

JumpSpark was inspired by a Brandeis University study, “Engaging Jewish Teens: A Study of New York Teens, Parents and Practitioners,” which said: “Virtually every teen is engaged in at least one extracurricular activity and over half hold at least one leadership position. Sports appear at the top of the list and Jewish activities at the bottom. The main reasons teens choose these activities are that they are fun and give them opportunities to learn new things and develop skills.”

Students should not have to choose between extracurriculars and Jewish involvement. Our goal, thus, is to ignite a spark in teens and to lower at least one hurdle to engagement. In the months ahead, JumpSpark will offer intensives on culinary arts, music, eSports, dramatic arts, fashion, and writing and publishing, just to name a few. We are planning a weeklong program discussing civil rights in collaboration with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and Etgar 36.

When electricity jumps across a gap, a spark, called a jump-spark, is produced. This is the inspiration behind our program name and reflects our mission to help ignite sparks within individual teens and within the Jewish teen community.

Visit JumpSparkATL.org or email info@atlantajewishteens to learn more. Registration for JumpSpark programs is open. ■ Hope Chernak is the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative.

Kelly Cohen is the education director of the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative.

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

No matter your organization, sports heroes in a partnership with mission or audience, there are hurdles Beit Hatfutsot. A clinic with associate to teen engagement, and success today director of referee development for requires new models of engagement the NBA, Scott Bolnick, will be a lesson to confront obstacles facing teens, in tochecha, the Jewish laws of giving including overextended schedules, acrebuke, with a larger focus on giving ademic pressure, the feeling of not fitand receiving feedback. ting into existing programs, and a lack of relevance of the Jewish community and Guest Column its teachings.

We know that effective

By Hope Chernak and Kelly Cohen Jewish programming needs to engaged teens through their interests and speak to • Help teens build their résumé their passions. Teen program providof life. ers should recognize the obstacles to Teens prioritize activities that participation while offering a range they feel are valuable, engaging and of ways for teens to connect and stay exceptional and are more likely to connected in the Jewish community.

With this in mind, a new platform participate in activities that they think will help them get into college or assist has been conceived by the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative, the ninth city in the their career path.

Every JumpSpark intensive will Jewish Teen Education & Engagement bring together a small cohort of teens Funder Collaborative. This bold experiwho will use the unique features and ment targets Jewish teens not fully people of Atlanta to learn, work and engaged in Jewish life through a new give back to the community together. program, JumpSpark, which offers Our participants will increase their interest-based intensives for Jewish knowledge, develop skills, clarify valteens during school breaks. ues, build Jewish identity and develop Teens have diverse interests and the capacity to contribute to the Jewish talents, so there cannot be a onecommunity and the world at large. size-fits-all approach. The goal and • Partnership, partnership, partmethodology of JumpSpark addresses the gap between the pursuit of areas of nership.

From its inception, the Atlanta interest and Jewish involvement.

Jewish Teen Initiative is rooted in The innovation in our platform is adaptable and can be replicated in any collaboration. We cultivate partnerships with community professionals, community across the country with educational institutions and other orfour guiding principles: ganizations, enabling us to use Atlanta • Don’t make teens choose. as our classroom. However, AJTI is also We know students’ lives are the first programmatic partnership complex and busy. Successful teen among the Marcus JCC, the Federation models will find topics that students of Greater Atlanta and the Atlanta are interested in and meet them there.

Rabbinical Association.

Jewish values are part of our everyday • Meet teens where they are and lives, and, as educators, it’s our role to show them how their interests are help build those bridges for our teens. meaningful using a Jewish lens.

As an example, our pilot intenPrograms need to be offered sive, JumpSpark Sports, will run during a time that works for students from Jan. 2 to 5, the final week of the today.

The Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiaholiday break for many Atlanta school tive’s educational vision is to engage districts, and will engage students Jewish teens in growth opportunities through a behind-the-scenes look at through exceptional educational, the sports industry. community-building programs.

This intensive program offers Motivated by the words of Isaac stadium tours, speakers, skill-building Luria, the 16th century master of clinics and exposure to the business of Kabbalah, who said, “There is no sports. The intensive will couch those sphere of existence that is not full of experiences in the language of Jewish holy sparks,” the Atlanta Jewish Teen wisdom and learning.

Initiative will guide teens to uncover A trip to the College Football Hall meaning in their areas of interest and of Fame will culminate in a discusempower them to lift those “sparks” sion of Jewish models of heroes and through engagement with Jewish how those values translate to modern

19

EDUCATION

Surrounded by his team, local State Farm agents and Dean Benjamin Ayers from the Terry College of Business, Backpack Project founder Zack Leitz is presented a $25,000 check from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program in Correll Hall at the University of Georgia on Dec. 6.

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Backpack Project Wins $25,000 Grant

20

Dunwoody native and University of Georgia junior Zack Leitz’s studentrun nonprofit organization, the Backpack Project, was awarded a $25,000 grant by the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

The nonprofit organization Leitz launched in 2015 provides backpacks filled with food, clothes and toiletries to people who are homeless across Georgia. To date, the organization has hand-delivered more than 2,200 back-

packs.

Leitz also was recognized as a community hero by the Atlanta Braves in the summer of 2016, earning the organization a $5,000 grant.

The State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic program in which people vote to support their favorite causes. The Backpack Project was one of the top 40 votegetting causes out of 200 finalists and 2,000 submissions. ■

Limmud to Launch Learning Program

our local Limmuds and other partners invest in and benefit from Something for Everyone, we will see an expanding, upward spiral of involvement in Jewish learning and culture across all ages and demographics among Jews who have been underserved until now.”

Limmud North America has received a multiyear, six-figure challenge grant to start Something for Everyone, which aims to bring innovative Jewish learning to more people by increasing the involvement of underengaged families, young adults and others.

SFE will be piloted in several U.S. cities holding Limmud events in 2018.

“Something for Everyone is about Limmud opening its doors to everyone and expanding the Jewish horizons of individuals, volunteers and communities,” Limmud Chief Executive Eli Ovits said.

Families and young adults often can’t afford Limmud festivals, such as Limmud Atlanta + Southeast’s annual Labor Day weekend gathering at Ramah Darom, because of cost. Through philanthropic and organizational partnerships and Limmud communities, SFE will provide subsidies and targeted programming to families and young adults.

SFE also will support targeted marketing and recruitment, research into new learning approaches, and collaborations.

“Limmud needs more volunteers to sustain our current communities and create new ones,” said Eliana Leader, a Limmud Atlanta activist and member of the SFE allocations committee. “As

AJA to Start Building Sports Center in 2018

Atlanta Jewish Academy will begin construction on an athletic center for its unified Sandy Springs campus early in 2018, the day school has announced.

The Vivian Zisholtz z”l Sportsmanship Center will embody and encourage values that were important to Zisholtz, a mother of four alumni of AJA’s predecessor schools, Greenfield Hebrew Vivian Zisholtz Academy and Yeshiva Atlanta High School.

Zisholtz, an occupational therapist who was a beloved volunteer at the schools and Congregation Beth Jacob, died in August at age 58.

The Zisholtz Sportsmanship Center will be used for athletics, wellness programs and community service efforts, and AJA plans to see whether other schools and organizations want to take advantage of the space.

Jay Cinnamon is leading the project for AJA.

LOCAL NEWS

UGA Professor Finds Power in Partial Exodus

By Marita Anderson

Richard Elliott Friedman, a University of Georgia professor, shared his expertise with the USCJ convention.

we can assume the group fleeing into the desert totaled more than 2 million people.

Friedman, however, presents evidence from a multidisciplinary perspective of archaeology, biblical text study and genetics that the actual number of people leaving Egypt must have been significantly smaller.

One of Friedman’s textual arguments is based on a reading of the Song of Deborah, which is set in Israel and lists all the tribes of Israel without mentioning Levi. Alternatively, the Song of Miriam, or the Song of the Sea, which is set in Egypt, talks about “a people” leaving Egypt, without using the word “Israel.”

Lastly, there is the issue of the different names for G-d used throughout the text, which Friedman said is the clue that points to the multiple authors of the Torah.

Friedman’s theory is that the Levites, a genetically diverse group distinctly different from Egyptians, experienced an exodus out of Egypt and brought their narrative and their way of worship to Israel.

While our traditional view of the Exodus as an event experienced by all Israelites is challenged by Friedman’s findings, he said the moral lessons of the story are even more poignant when grounded in historical evidence.

Biblical texts associated with the Levites address how to treat “the stranger among you” and how to treat slaves with fairness. It is from those lessons that we get “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which is solidified in the very fabric of Jewish consciousness.

Those lessons are not just moral fables. Friedman believes that they are based on the historical experience of the Levites and transmitted by generations of Jews in the annual retelling of the haggadah. ■

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

When I was a college student taking classes in Jewish studies, the quintessential question that came up time and again was about who wrote the Bible, the most read text of all time without a byline.

Biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman published a book in the late 1980s to answer that very question.

“Who Wrote the Bible?” pieced together the contributions of multiple authors in various time periods, highlighting changes in voice and literary structure of the biblical text.

Friedman is known not only for his biblical investigative studies, but also for his ability to transmit biblical scholarship to lay readers in an accessible way.

For the past 11 years Friedman has taught in Georgia, where he is the Ann and Jay Davis professor of Jewish studies at the University of Georgia.

He spoke during Shabbat at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s biennial convention in Atlanta, presenting his latest book, which came out in September: “The Exodus: How It Happened and Why It Matters.”

Friedman is a great storyteller and often sprinkles his teachings with humor and lightheartedness. He reminisced that his rabbi growing up presented the Exodus by saying that it doesn’t matter if the actual event happened; what matters are the lessons Jews have drawn from the experience.

Friedman joked that, living in the South, it would be incomprehensible to say that it doesn’t matter whether the Civil War happened, but what matters are the lessons we take away.

Intrigued by the challenge of grounding the Exodus in history, Friedman lays out evidence that makes the case for its historical validity, with a caveat. “Would it ruin your day,” he asked, “if you knew that the Exodus happened, but not everyone was in it?”

As he discussed at Congregation Shearith Israel in April 2016, one of Friedman’s main theories is that the Levites, who are the only ones in the Torah with Egyptian names, experienced an exodus from Egypt, while most of the Israelites were living in Israel at the time.

According to Exodus 12:37, the number of people leaving Egypt was 600,000 men, not counting women and children. With this figure in mind,

21

LOCAL NEWS

Photos by Marcia Caller Jaffe

Amiable Canadian Amy Fish gives practical tips for handling complaints and complainers Dec. 4.

Come see our new PERIMETER MALL location!!

(404) 946-5808 ticknors.com

Medical Weight Loss 25% Off First month

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

$500 Off 4 or more treatments

22

Center for Regenerative Medicine

678-841-7055 • Integrativewellnessatlanta.com Now Treating

• IV Therapy Botox/Dysport Juvederm • Stem Cell Therapy Super B injection • Hormone Pellet therapy Massage • ED Treatment Acupuncture • Oxygen/Aromatherapy Personal Training

Scott Kaplan, a former president of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, leads a different lunchtime workshop Dec. 4, “Retiring With Strength and Dignity in Conservative Judaism.” At least one other Atlantan, JScreen’s Karen Grinzaid, who spoke about Jewish genetic screening, ran a lunch session that afternoon.

Sometimes Kvetching Is Just About Eggs

By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism convention broke into several elective breakout sessions during lunch Monday, Dec. 4, and the “Kvetch 101” discussion proved to be the most popular in the huge, segmented ballroom at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta.

“Kvetch 101” expanded to four tables, perhaps because of the comedic title, perhaps because Jews have a reputation for knowing how to launch a grievance and for not being able to let go of one.

The session’s presenter was Amy Fish, who has served as an ombudsman in the health care industry and in her current job as the chief complaint officer at Concordia University in Montreal.

Fish, whose book “The Art of Complaining Effectively” was published in 2013, did indeed deliver.

Her formula for handling complaints, although targeted to synagogue staffers and officers at the USCJ meeting, can be applied in just about any scenario. And, yes, she was concurrently funny and honest.

Among Fish’s alphabetical list of tips: • Accept the complaint. Even when someone approaches at the wrong time (as when Fish was sitting shiva), say, “I want to give you the attention you need, but I will have to call you later in the week.”

• Break in half the receiving and the resolving. Ask questions to get spe-

cifics and show that you are listening.

“How many peanut candies (potentially allergic) were put out, would you guess?”

• Check into what happened before making excuses.

• Direct. Finding bacon in the shul refrigerator can go viral. Is there indeed an explanation?

• Excuse. Don’t forget to say, “I’m sorry,” even if you’re too busy making explanations.

• Feel free to pass along. If two congregants get into a tiff about seats, suggest that they talk to each other first to work it out.

“Sometimes when people are abusive, you have to break the communication: ‘I’m trying to help you, but you are yelling at me’ or ‘You are using offensive language, and I am going to disconnect this call. Click,’” she said.

“After all,” she added, “this isn’t Kiddush-gate. Sometimes it’s just about eggs.”

Alan Smirin, the president of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs, appreciated the session, which mirrored his experience in retailing.

“I am already doing many of these things in dealing with the public and now congregants, which are our customers,” he said. “Nine-tenths of what congregants complain about is legitimate and can be addressed. They have points that are well made.

“On the other hand, we hear ‘Too little mayonnaise in the tuna’ or ‘How come we ran out of cookies?’ Someone noticed the glue was not properly applied around the front-door mezuzah, and, hey, she was right. We fixed it.” ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Judaism Needs to Tweak Branding, Not Content

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

Archie Gottesman speaks about Jewbarrassment at the closing plenary of the USCJ convention Dec. 5 in downtown Atlanta.

Rabbi Noa Kushner discusses the need to give all people a chance when promoting inclusivity.

Communication also can resolve spiritual envy, which involves feeling self-conscious about the practice of Judaism, Gottesman said.

“What unites us is deeply in question, and the institutions we represent have to change,” Rabbi Feinstein said.

“What we create next is going to be what the synagogue represents. … Is our principal job to defend continuity, transmit, preserve and protect, or is it to create something anew?” ■

barriers to Jewish involvement.

There are multiple examples of Jewbarrassment, from speaking after the washing of the hands to forgetting to take the feta cheese out of a salad brought to a kosher home, Gottesman said, but speaking about that embarrassment can alleviate the stigma. “It doesn’t mean we have to change the rules, but become more sensitive.”

Rabbis are the primary drivers behind a synagogue’s brand, which can determine who will plug into the congregation. “Branding is the voice, language … and overall feel of a product

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Communities must find ways to connect Judaism’s traditional strengths to people who feel left out because of youth, lack of knowledge or other barriers, more than 800 attendees were told at the closing plenary of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism convention Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta.

“We are not here to create something new but rather translate the precious thing that we have — the Torah, Jewish life, experiences and love for one another — into the present,” said Rabbi Noa Kushner, the founding rabbi of The Kitchen in San Francisco. As part of a network of emerging communities, The Kitchen promotes Judaism among Jewish millennials and people from interfaith backgrounds, with no insiders or outsiders and no “others.”

“I think we’ve made a false dichotomy,” she said. “We either focus on having strong content and the Torah or increasing access and branding — it’s either one or the other — and we are forced to pick. But we need to have both.”

People must find ways to connect to the Torah that are meaningful to them, she said. “If religion and the Torah have to do with what is going on in our lives personally but also communally, then we will have a huge role to play.”

Rabbi Kushner finds it condescending when congregations and rabbis ask her how they can get younger people involved. “Who exactly are we referring to when we say ‘the younger generation' because there are multiple groups?” she said. “Each individual has to find the connection themselves, and we either need to make room or step aside so new things can be born.”

Rabbi Ed Feinstein of Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, Calif., said many congregants don’t want to change their leadership roles or the congregation.

“It’s possible to create a separate brand within the community,” Rabbi Kushner said. “I don’t think it’s hard to create another setting where people enjoy praying, but if people are upset, it may have to do with just wanting to create something for themselves vs. something that will grow and flourish.”

Jewbelong founder Archie Gottesman said congregations need to diminish “Jewbarrassment” and spiritual envy, two core issues tackled by Jewbelong, which strives to make Judaism and Jewish practice more comfortable and easier to understand to lower the

and religion” and is critical to drawing people in, she said.

Jewbarrassment can lead people to feel they are not good enough, Gottesman said, but making Jewbarrassment part of a congregation’s culture can help eradicate it.

“It’s not going to disappear overnight, but if you want to make your synagogue more welcoming, fun and less intimidating, just talk about it,” she said.

23

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Jews Urged to Apply Privilege to Renew Civil Rights

By Leah R. Harrison lharrison@atljewishtimes.com Conservative Jews who gathered at Martin Luther King Jr.’s church heard a call for a renewal of the spirit that motivated Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to pray with his feet by marching beside King more than 50 years ago.

With USCJ CEO Rabbi Steven Wernick as the moderator, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Ebenezer Baptist Church Associate Pastor Natosha Reid Rice spoke to United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism convention attendees Sunday night, Dec. 3, about “where Jews and AfricanAmericans need to go at this moment in history.”

“You just have to give me a moment to appreciate that I am sitting right here, right now,” Rabbi Wernick said before recounting the Jewish community’s participation in the civil rights movement, including the march in Selma, Ala., where Rabbi Heschel famously said, “I’m praying with my feet.”

Rabbi Wernick asked about the Jewish community’s present role in race relations. Greenblatt spoke of successes over the years and urged fellow Jews to put “opportunities to good use” on the still-prevalent issues of civil rights and criminal justice reform.

“Don’t remember, renew” the commitment to those causes, Greenblatt said. He added that Rabbi Heschel acted but also prayed. “I’m all for tikkun olam, but we've got to know Torah as well. Spiritual renewal doesn’t just happen on the street.”

“Amen,” Reid Rice said.

Photos by Leah R. Harrison Pastor Natosha Reid Rice, Rabbi Steven Wernick and Jonathan Greenblatt break the ice before their discussion at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Dec. 3.

She said more uncomfortable conversations are necessary. “I think we need to do more discomforting of the comforted and more comforting of the discomforted.”

Reacting to Greenblatt’s use of “renew” for the civil rights movement, she said, “We really need to pick up where it left off, rather than trying to redo what it did already.”

She spoke of remembering the early King but said he was assassinated at a time when he was causing disruption on issues such as economic justice and affordable housing. Early talk about having a dream didn’t disturb reality, but his later subject matter did.

“Justice in both of our faiths means expanding the land” to provide space for more than one type of people, Reid Rice said. She spoke of courageous moments during the journey through the desert and said that confronting uncomfortable things was necessary to go “into the land we called promised.”

She said we should not necessarily Rather than love each person with equality, she said, we should love people according to their needs, applying

creativity “with a listening ear and a courageous heart.”

Greenblatt raised the idea of privilege, and Reid Rice said we must acknowledge why we don’t like to talk about it. “We don’t want to be made to feel guilty because we’ve succeeded, and acquired and done.”

She broke down what privilege means in American society, translating it as having power and the ability to influence conversations, opinions and the lives of others who might not be in your household.

She said she would love to hear from someone “not of color pointing out the injustices that have happened to people of color.”

She spoke of the injustices at the root of the Black Lives Matter movement, and of the fears of a mother of two young children. She said, “I want to see you at the forefront” of the Black Lives Matter movement, responding to the injustices at its root, she said, but “not taking the movement over.”

She paused as the audience laughed, then said, “I’m so glad you got that. There’s a difference, right? Not

taking the movement over, but saying, ‘What can I do? … How can I pray with my feet in this moment?’ ” Another way to exercise privilege, Reid Rice said, is to use your position or capacity for good. “Be the voice that rights that wrong … so that those who are rendered invisible” are heard.

“Be the one that echoes that voice,” she said.

Greenblatt said this is the Jewish community’s greatest opportunity for improvement. “If you don’t show up, we get shut out,” he said. “We have got to show up, even if it doesn’t feel like it’s our issue.”

He doesn’t like the term “social justice,” he said. “It is just justice.”

Asked what would be the charge if Dr. King or Rabbi Heschel were alive, Greenblatt encouraged engagement, saying, “When you see hate, don’t roll your eyes. Roll up your sleeves and get involved.”

He said people must remember what it’s like not to have the privileges we enjoy. “It’s essential, essential, that we honor what we’ve got by helping those that haven’t got it.”

Reid Rice invoked King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” in which he wrote of interrelatedness, saying, “What happens to one, happens to all”; “Injustice for one is injustice for all”; and “I can never be the best that I can be, until you become the best that you can be.”

“Really embracing that is revolutionary,” Reid Rice said. “That’s what encouraged me to be here today. Because whatever I believe justice to be, I can’t get there without you.” ■

Beth Shalom Honored for Teen Israel Program

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Dunwoody’s Congregation Beth Shalom was one of 12 congregations from across North America that received Solomon Schechter Awards during the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism biennial convention in Atlanta from Dec. 1 to 5.

Beth Shalom’s congregational school, led

by Linda Zimmerman, was awarded second place for excellence in Israel education for its Teen Scene program, which incorporated material from the Center for Israel Education at Emory University and used videos and instructional material from Jerusalem U/Stand Up for Israel.

The course explored Israel’s complexities, accomplishments and values and inspired Beth Shalom teens to form relation24 ships with Israel, its people and its heritage.

The program gave the students the tools to respond to anti-Israel voices they’re likely to face at college if not in high school.

Edye Nechmad, a past vice president of education at Beth Shalom, and Rich Walter, the associate director of Israel education for the Center for Israel Education, taught the course.

Temple Beth Torah Sha’arey Tzedek in Tamarac, Fla., was first in Israel education for its Twinning program.

No other kehilla (community) in the South won a Solomon Schechter Award, USCJ’s­highest congregational honor.

More than 185 programs from USCJ’s nearly 600 congregations in North America were nominated for the awards, named for the man who founded the USCJ in 1913. ■

Photo courtesy of USCJ

Cantor Jen Brown (left), the co-chair of USCJ’s award committee, Margo Gold (second from left), the USCJ president and an Ahavath Achim Synagogue member, and Rabbi Steven Wernick (right), the USCJ CEO, present the Solomon Schechter Award to Congregation Beth Shalom Rabbi Mark Zimmerman, Director of Lifelong Learning Linda Zimmerman, Executive Director Loli Gross and President Howard Fish.

CHANUKAH

Shopping among the vendors at the bazaar often takes place with a takeout box of burekas in hand.

A T-shirt at the registration table makes the star of the show clear.

More Atlanta moms are discovering the unique, team-based 360Care™ designed to keep your kids well.

Sally Marcus, MD Allison Hill, MD Amy Hardin, MD Jeffrey Hopkins, MD Natalie Metzig, MD Tiji Philip, MD Adele Goodloe, MD

Abby Friedman (right) showcases her handmade ceramics.

One vendor in the social hall, Jason Oransky, offers artwork aimed at music lovers.

OVS Again Spices Season With Sephardic Flavors

By Leah R. Harrison lharrison@atljewishtimes.com The Congregation Or VeShalom sisterhood bazaar signals Chanukah is coming to Atlanta. Although the new Park Chase homes on the corner may have altered the neighborhood, but for the snow cover over the synagogue entrance, the bazaar Sunday, Dec. 10, remained gloriously unaffected.

As comforting as your favorite pair of jeans, the annual Brookhaven event never disappoints.

The list of vendors for the 42nd annual bazaar was a mix of the old and new.

Lylia Giraldo and her fantastic hats are still missed more than eight years after her death, but OVS welcomed 12 new sellers this year to join such favorites as the used-book sale and premium liquor auction. There were menorahs and colorful scarves, hand-thrown ceramics and original paintings, jewelry of all kinds, and a collection of handmade, beaded serving pieces, key finders and more by Erin Bressler.

An area was set aside for children’s games and crafts.

Then there’s the food.

“It’s all about the food,” said Angie Maslia Weiland, who has, husband Skip Weiland said, chaired the event the past three or four years.

The sale of baked goods represents

Sara Dorsey, PNP Maureen Shifflett, PNP Amanda Batlle, PNP Jennifer Martin, PNP Michael Levine, MD, Emeritus Ruth Brown, MD, Emeritus Jonathan Winner, MD, Emeritus

a year-round effort of the OVS sisterhood and community. After the bazaar, the bakers will take a break for the rest of December, then begin again in the first week of January. “You should come and bake on Tuesdays,” Skip said.

“If you bake, you get free lunch.”

Headlining the menu each year are the “world famous” burekas, in varieties such as potato, spinach, eggplant, rice and even mac and cheese — if you get there early enough. Despite a new rule this year limiting the number of burekas one person could buy by the dozen in the bake shop area, the cache of 11,000 burekas sold out by 2:30 p.m., 3½ hours into the bazaar and 2½ hours before its close.

Aside from pre-ordering burekas for 2018, the only option the rest of the afternoon was the hot food line, where burekas joined the famous spaghetti, salads and baked desserts available for eating in or taking home.

The foot traffic remained constant and brisk throughout, even as closing time approached. “Some things never change,” Angie Weiland said. “People just look forward to it. It’s in our blood.

This is just what we do. It’s just part of the OVS tradition.”

As I left with a clamshell container of warm burekas in hand, purchased just in the nick of time, the bazaar provided me with a parting gift: I wasn’t making dinner Sunday night. ■

6095 Barfield Road, Suite 200, Sandy Springs, 30328 (NEW 8/16!)

770.928.0016 • NorthsidePediatrics.com

THE SONENSHINE TEAM Atlanta’s Favorite Real Estate Team

DEBBIE SONENSHINE Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Internationally Certified Negotiator, Luxury, New Homes and Corporate Relocation Specialist Voted Favorite Jewish Realtor in AJT, Best of Jewish Atlanta

#1 Coldwell Banker Team in State

Debbie Sells Houses!

Luxurious Home with Huge One-of-A-Kind, Level Backyard!

• 4 Sided Brick John Willis Home with Outstanding Craftsmanship • High Ceilings - Coffered, Triple Treys, Gorgeous Trim & 3 Fireplaces • Gourmet High-End Chef’s Kitchen with All The Extras

Sandy Springs $999,000

• Stunning Master Suite with Fireside Sitting Room & Relaxing Spa Bath • Amazing Terrace Level with High Ceilings, Rec Room, Media Room, Office, Sauna & Full Bath • Feel Like You Are Away from It All While Close To Everything

direct 404.250.5311 office 404.252.4908 Follow Us On Facebook

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Photos by Leah R. Harrison

The last full tray of warm eggplant burekas is served.

The pediatrician you choose for your kids matters.

Debbie@SonenshineTeam.com | www.SonenshineTeam.com ©2014 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Operated By a Subsidiary of NRT LLC.

25

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

CHANUKAH

Many Chances to Celebrate the Festival of Lights Chanukah, which started Tuesday, Dec. 12, ends around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20. Here are some of the ways to celebrate. Find more at www. atlantajewishconnector.com.

THURSDAY, DEC. 14 Family celebration. Rabbi Brian Glusman leads the festivities, including a menorah lighting, Howie the Great and free sufganiyot, at 5:15 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Free; atlantajcc.org.

Starlight spectacular. Chabad of Atlanta/Congregation Beth Tefillah lights a glow-in-the-dark menorah with Mayor Rusty Paul, provides a chocolate coin drop with the Sandy Springs Fire Department, and provides music, crafts, food and games during its annual celebration at 5:30 p.m. at Heritage Sandy Springs, 6110 Blue Stone Road. Free; www.bethtefillah.org or 404-843-2464.

Menorah lighting. Chabad Intown lights a giant menorah and provides latkes, doughnuts, dreidels and more at 6 p.m. at Ponce City Market’s lawn, Old Fourth Ward. Free; chabadintown. org/chanukah.

Mah-jongg. Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, holds a special Chanukah game session at 6:30 p.m. Admission is a $5 gift card to any retailer; RSVP to office@bshalom.net.

Vodka & Latkes. The Marcus JCC Young Adults program holds its annual Chanukah party at 7 p.m. at Rose Bar & Lounge, 3115 Piedmont Road, Buckhead. Tickets $18 for JCC members, $22 for others; atlantajcc.org.

Photo by Leah R. Harrison

The 42nd annual Chanukah bazaar at Congregation Or VeShalom proceeds as scheduled Sunday, Dec. 10, despite the snowstorm Friday and Saturday.

SATURDAY, DEC. 16 Latkes and lox. The Sixth Point celebrates the holiday with Shabbrunch at 11 a.m. at the Garden Hills Recreation Center, 339 Pine Tree Drive, Atlanta.

Admission is $10 in advance, $15 at the door; thesixthpoint.org/event/latkeslox-shabbrunch.

Havdalah and menorah lighting.

Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser helps Congregation B’nai Israel, 1633 Highway 54 East, Jonesboro, celebrate at 6 p.m.

Free; bnai-israel.net.

Menorah lighting. Congregation B’nai 26 Torah holds a lighting ceremony at

SUNDAY, DEC. 17 Family fun. The Atlanta Scholars Kollel’s ASK Brookhaven & Buckhead and ASK Dunwoody celebrate the festival with families with children up to age 10 at 10 a.m. at Hippo Hop, 1936 Briarwood Court, Northeast Atlanta. Admission is $10 per family; www.atlantakollel.org/event_detail.php?event=359.

Military social. Jewish War Veterans Post 112 holds its first semi-formal Chanukah social with sufganiyot and latkes supplementing its usual monthly kosher breakfast buffet, a display of military chanukiot dating back to

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

FRIDAY, DEC. 15 Dinner. Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, holds two seatings, at 5:30 p.m. (before the 6:30 Shabbat service) and at 7:45 (after the service), with latkes, doughnuts, dreidels and more. Dinner is $15 for adults, $7.50 for children 4 to 12, free for 3 and under; templesinaiatlanta.org.

Town Brookhaven, 4330 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven, at 6:45 p.m. (gather at 6:30), including songs, dreidels and treats. Free; www.bnaitorah.org.

Bluegrass concert. Nefesh Mountain performs at Temple Beth Tikvah, 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell, at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is a $5 donation to Drake House; www.bethtikvah.com.

Promukkah. InterfaithFamily/Atlanta holds its annual prom-themed holiday party, including a bring-yourown menorah lighting, at 8 p.m. at the Industrious offices on the eighth floor of the west side (elevators near West Elm) of Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., Old Fourth Ward. Tickets are $10 without or $18 with alcohol in advance, $18 or $25 at the door; www.facebook.com/ events/156746835076882 or www.interfaithfamily.com/promukkah.

Wine, Dine & Shine. Young Israel of Toco Hills, 2056 LaVista Road, holds Havdalah and a party with comic mentalist Ronnie Baras at 8:30 p.m.

Admission is $18; www.yith.org.

Party. Congregation Ner Hamizrach, 1858 LaVista Road, Toco Hills, celebrates with music, food and children’s activities at 8:30 p.m. Free; www.nerhamizrach.org or 404-315-9020.

1849, a military lighting ceremony, and a “Chanukah at Valley Forge” presentation at 10 a.m. at Berman Commons, 2926 Womack Road, Dunwoody. Admission is $10 (pay at the door); RSVP to jwvpost112@gmail.com.

Family celebration. Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, offers music, arts, crafts, a game room and food from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is $8 per family in advance, $10 at the door; form. jotform.com/73195184215154.

Children’s fun. The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park, downtown, working with the Marcus JCC and Jewish Kids Groups, celebrates Chanukah with songs and stories from Rabbi Brian Glusman at 11 a.m. and noon, stories at 1 and 2 p.m., and art projects all day. Tickets are $15.95; childrensmuseumatlanta. org/calendar/celebrate-hanukkah-acultural-exploration.

Carnival. Young Israel of Toco Hills, 2056 LaVista Road, holds a family celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free (bring an unwrapped gift to donate to Children’s Hospital); www.yith.org.

Golf cart menorah parade. Chabad of Peachtree City leads the mobile menorah parade from the Lake Kedron Park boat ramp at 3:45 p.m., culminating in a menorah lighting at Peachtree City’s City Hall, 151 Willowbend Road, at 4:30.

Free; www.chabadsouthside.com.

Menorah lighting. Chabad Intown lights a giant menorah and provides latkes, doughnuts, dreidels and more at 4 p.m. in the Yeah! Burger parking lot at the corner of Virginia and Highland avenues, Virginia-Highland. Free; chabadintown.org/chanukah.

Family party. Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, holds a Chanukah party with dinner, games, crafts, music and a silent auction from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for ages 5 to 12, free for children under 5 (registration closes Dec. 13); bethshalomatlanta. org/family-chanukah-party-and-silentauction or 770-399-5300.

Car parade. After its menorah lighting, Chabad Intown leads a menorah car parade from Yeah! Burger, VirginiaHighland, to the Chabad house at 928 Ponce de Leon Ave., Poncey-Highland, at 5:15 p.m. Free (the deadline to sponsor or drive with a menorah was Dec. 10, but you still can watch the spectacle); chabadintown.org.

Party. The Atlanta Scholars Kollel Morningside Center at Anshi, 1324 N. Highland Ave., celebrates with food and games at 5:15 p.m.; bring a gift worth up to $10 to participate in a white elephant game. Free; www.

anshisfard.org.

Camp night. Congregation B’nai Torah, 700 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, celebrates Chanukah and summer camp with In the City Camp, Camp Ramah Darom, the Marcus JCC’s day camps, PJ Library, Camp Judaea, Camp Barney Medintz and its own preschool camp with music, crafts, games and food to purchase from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free; www.bnaitorah.org (RSVP to RSVP@bnaitorah.org).

Coin menorah lighting. Chabad of Cobb raises money for Children’s Healthcare by lighting the world’s largest coin menorah at 5:30 p.m. at East Cobb Park, 3322 Roswell Road. Free but donations being collected; www. chabadofcobb.com.

Menorah parade. Chaya Mushka Children’s House Elementary & Middle School, 135 West Wieuca Road, Sandy Springs, leads a menorah parade at 5:30 p.m. from the school to Congregation Beth Tefillah, 5065 High Point Road, Sandy Springs. Free to watch (too late to register to participate); chayamushka.org/elementary.

MONDAY, DEC. 18 Menorah lighting. Chabad Intown lights a giant menorah and provides latkes, doughnuts, dreidels and more at 6 p.m. in Decatur Square. Free; chabadintown.org/chanukah.

Menorah lighting. Congregation Ner Tamid lights a giant menorah at Marietta Square at 6:30 p.m. Free; www. mynertamid.org.

Hawks and Heat. With Chabad of Georgia, the Atlanta Hawks hold their fifth annual Jewish Heritage Night, including a menorah lighting, at 7 p.m. with a game against the Miami Heat.

Tickets (including a free T-shirt to the first 200 buyers) are $24, $52, $58 and $64; hawks.com/jewishheritage.

TUESDAY, DEC. 19 Community party. Federation holds a celebration at Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway, East Cobb, at 6:30 p.m. Free; www.jewishatlanta.org.

Concert. Virtuoso violinist Boris Savchuk performs at 7 p.m. at a gala at Berman Commons, 2026 Womack Road, Dunwoody. Free; www.bermancommons.org.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 Babyccino. The weekly mommy and toddler program with a focus on Chanukah continues at 10:30 a.m. at Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta. Free but registration required; hs@chabadnf. org or 770-410-9000.

CHANUKAH

A Healthier Holiday

Healthier Doughnuts 10 minutes to prepare, 8 minutes to cook Serves 12 1 cup spelt flour 1 teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup coconut sugar 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2/3 cup almond milk 2½ tablespoons melted coconut oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and coconut sugar. In a separate bowl, stir together the vinegar, almond milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Pour the These doughnuts are wet ingredi- baked instead of fried for a healthier holiday treat.

ents into the dry, and stir together until they’re evenly mixed. Pour the batter into a greased doughnut pan. Tap the pan on a table to ensure the batter is even. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.

Sweet potatoes and parsnips provide a healthy change for latkes.

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Latkes 10 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to cook Serves 12 2 sweet potatoes, chopped in chunks 1 large parsnip, chopped in chunks 1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1 egg Coconut oil if frying Extra-virgin olive oil if baking Sriracha sauce, optional, to taste In a food processor, pulse the sweet potato and parsnip chunks.

Add in the jalapeno, parsley, salt and pepper, and turn on the processor for about 30 seconds until the ingredients are fully combined. In a bowl, whisk the egg. Add the potato mixture to the egg and mix to combine. Form thin patties from about 2 tablespoons of the mixture.

If frying: In a medium saucepan, melt about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, then add the latkes, about 4 at a time, and cook 2 to 4 minutes per side. Add and melt more coconut oil as needed.

If baking: Place the latkes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and drizzle olive oil on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes to achieve your desired crispiness.

Place finished latkes on a wire drying wrack with a paper towel underneath to absorb excess oil. Although coconut oil is a cleaner alternative to vegetable and other oils used for frying, it is still caloric. For a healthier recipe, use the baking approach. ■ Beth Warren is a registered dietitiannutritionist who writes on kosher food and nutrition and is the founder and CEO of Beth Warren Nutrition in New York.

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Chanukah’s tradition of frying foods to incorporate oil isn’t associated with healthy eating, but dietitian- n utritio n is t and kosher food writer Beth Warren has three steps to get through the eight nights with a Beth Warren minimum of guilt. specializes • Step 1 — Plan in healthy ahead. With mindkosher food. ful planning, you can prepare for holiday indulgences and select your favorite treats. That’s a proven way to help you snack less throughout the eight days of Chanukah.

• Step 2 — Plan for later. Once you preselect your favorite treat, save it for the end of Chanukah. You will have something to look forward to, and that anticipation could contribute a bit of added willpower against other temptations.

• Step 3 — Plan for physical activity. A sure way to balance the added calories that could creep in during Chanukah parties and the winter season is to plan fitness into your day. Keep in mind that your schedule could fill up with parties and menorah lightings, so plan for a minimum of 30 minutes of fitness into your day. And make it fun.

Here are two guilt-free treats for the Festival of Lights.

27

HEALTH & WELLNESS

OBITUARIES

Cutting Holiday Drama

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Q: What are some tools or tactics I can use to avoid the stress and family drama around holiday time?

A: Japan is incredible this time of year. Go there.

For the rest of us, I have prepared some practical tips. Using one or two will yield better outcomes than none at all. If you use all five, you will achieve Jewish Zen master status and will be spoken of for generations.

1. Chaos comes where chaos is welcome. If you anticipate problems, visualizing the triggers, the arguments, and the sweet, sweet comebacks, you are more likely to manifest this reality.

Those part-time cosmic life gurus are on to something: Some applications of visualization are backed by science. So instead of preparing for war, prepare for peace. Set your intentions to calm and cooperation, and discuss them with your core allies in the days and weeks leading up to the events. Aside from visualizing the success, you will be creating a culture.

Everyone wants a relaxing, pleasant experience over the holidays, but things go awry as we operate from the consistent fear that someone (cough, Aunt Janet) will disturb the balance.

So, instead of being on edge about what could go wrong, realize that everyone wants what you want and make it happen.

2. Limit the booze. People often look forward to having “a drink” during stressful times to chill out. Neurologically, alcohol does indeed induce relaxation, but it also relaxes the parts of the brain responsible for governing your better judgment, ethical decisionmaking and expressive language. Mix in a few decades of resentments with a dash of disappointment, and, gosh, what could possibly go wrong?

Also, for people living with anxiety, depression or any other mental health condition, alcohol can exacerbate the symptoms, especially when they are under stress. Cheers.

3. Eat well, get rest and exercise moderately. I don’t know what it is about the holidays, but people are so keen to eat themselves into misery.

I understand the temptation of salt, sugar, fat and white flour, for I too am a mammal, but if you have had negative family holiday experiences, do something entirely different this year and commit to your own well28 ness. Take a break. Exercise is proven

to reduce stress and enhance mental well-being, even in the short term.

Food choice is an essential piece, but as it pertains to holiday stress, let’s avoid spikes and crashes in our blood sugar.

4. Lashon hara. Simply, hold off on trash talk, negative gossip and “hey,

Guest Column

By Daniel Epstein

don’t tell (insert family member here) I told you, but …” until the new year.

If you can postpone these behaviors for many new years, good news: Studies show you’re more likely to have better overall life outcomes, including improved mental health, reduced risk of some cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and more satisfying social and family relationships.

5. Make a gratitude list. Start practicing now. Every night before bed, list three events that went well that day, including why they went well (if you like this, research “The Three Blessings”).

On the morning before a would-havebeen-stressful family gathering, make a list called “25 Things I Am Grateful For About the Day Ahead.” Make sure the items are focused on that particular day and the people involved.

Hint: Be as specific and detailed as possible. Tap into your senses, such as “the sound of latkes frying” or “the smell of Aunt Janet’s Aqua-Net hairspray as she hugs me goodbye.”

Happy holidays, y’all. ■ Daniel Epstein is a licensed psychotherapist and the program director at The Berman Center. For program or private practice inquires, email daniel@ bermancenteratl.com, or call 954-2285101. For those struggling with addiction and mental health illness, The Berman Center’s Intensive Outpatient Program (www.bermancenteratl.com) is the treatment, recovery and personal advancement center that helps people move from existing to living through an individualized, spiritually holistic approach, best-in-class clinical excellence, and exceptional post-treatment community integration programs. Finding hope, igniting purpose. For more tips on how to approach the above types of situations or answers to your questions, call The Berman Center at 770-336-7444, or email questions@bermancenteratl.com.

Robert Evans 87, Atlanta

Robert Evans, 87, of Atlanta passed away peacefully Friday, Dec. 8, 2017.

He was born Nov. 18, 1930, in Durham, N.C., to Sara and Emmanuel Evans, both of blessed memory. Robert served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before embarking on a career as a TV journalist with CBS News and later as a professional speaker.

He is survived by his sons, Jason (Kathy) and Jeffrey (Laurie); a daughter, Julie Caplan (Greg); grandchildren Drew, Alec, Sarah, Brian and Eric Evans and Norah and Josephine Caplan; and brother Eli. Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. Graveside services were held Sunday, Dec. 10, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Bradley Levenberg officiating. Memorial donations may be made to Temple Sinai. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Samuel Kron 90, Atlanta

Samuel Kron, age 90, of Atlanta passed peacefully in his home on the 19th of Kislev 5778, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.

A Holocaust survivor from Riga, Latvia, Sam made the journey to Atlanta in 1978, where he made a home with his wife and children. A proud new American, Sam loved to spend his time with his family. Sam was the gentlest man you could ever meet, and he leaves behind an even bigger legacy. He was what one would call a true mensch.

He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Rachel; daughter Faina and Alex Sporn; son Jacob and Sasha Kron; and grandchildren Elana, Michaela, Abigail, Marc and Sabi.

Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Holocaust Survivors Fund at Jewish Family & Career Services, as well as Weinstein Hospice. A graveside service was held Monday, Dec. 11, at Crest Lawn Memorial Park with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Marty Milstein 80, Dunwoody

Marty Milstein passed away Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Charlene Zimmerman Milstein; a brother, Phil Milstein of Columbus, Ohio; a son, Jeff Milstein (Karen); a daughter, Missy Stein (Terry); and grandchildren Jessica Alderson (Jesse), Rachel Stein, Andrew Stein, Kaden Milstein and Kayla Milstein. He was preceded in death by his sister, Helen Pickett, and his parents, Rose and Shy Milstein.

Marty was a true salesman at heart, loved by all who knew him. His readiness with a joke, jovial laugh and sparkling eyes will be warmly remembered. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marty moved to Atlanta after his marriage to Charlene, working in the furniture industry for nearly 40 years. His involvement at Congregation Shearith Israel gave him a great sense of satisfaction. Marty was also a member of a Masonic lodge and was a deputy sheriff of DeKalb County. After his retirement, he began a second career as a volunteer for Temple Beth Tikvah and St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary. One of the highlights of his later life was receiving the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Auxiliary Board. His thousands of hours of service garnered him a wide community of friends from all walks of life.

Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. A graveside service was held Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, at Crest Lawn Memorial Park with Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner officiating. May his memory be for a blessing. Those wishing to memorialize Marty may do so with a contribution to Temple Beth Tikvah (Cantor’s Discretionary Fund), Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital Fund or the Davis Academy. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Shirley Schiffer 73, Sandy Springs

Shirley Schiffer, 73, of Sandy Springs passed away peacefully at her home

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OBITUARIES Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, with her husband holding her hand. She was stricken with a virulent form of lung cancer.

Shirley was born the middle of three sisters to the late Alfred and Hanni Schiff in Marietta, Pa., and moved to New York City as a young child.

Her lifelong ambition was to become a registered nurse to help others. Having both R.N. and B.S. degrees in nursing, Shirley used her skills and inherent compassion to help the people she loved the most: her family, her friends and her patients. Professionally, Shirley was a clinic supervisor at Children’s Medical Services, a state agency providing medical care to indigent children with long-term handicaps. After retiring, she applied these same skills and love of children on a volunteer basis at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Northside Hospital.

Her greatest accomplishment, however, was to serve as a compassionate and knowledgeable adviser to the family and friends who were fortunate to be in her circle. Shirley was the rock and resource who provided advice and counsel, not only on medical issues, but also on enjoyment of life itself. Her warm smile, calming voice, infectious laugh, outstanding intelligence and tremendous compassion were sought by many.

Even those who did not know her personally benefited from her caring and generosity. Shirley was the visionary of the Alfred and Hanni Schiff Preschool, which provides high-quality early education to the families of Temple Emanu-El of Atlanta. She also joined her husband, Edwin, in establishing the Nathan and Mollie Schiffer Camp Scholarship Fund, which provides children with the opportunity to attend summer camp. Through both of these programs, Shirley’s positive impact will remain broad and everlasting.

To Shirley, family always came first, and she is survived by her husband of 52 years, Edwin; her elder son, Jarad, his wife, Lauren, and their children, Rachel and Julia (Ren); and her younger son, Adam, his wife, Karen, and their sons, Alex and Jacob. She is also survived by her sisters, Paula and Helen; their respective husbands, Stanley Popeil and Nicholas Chambers; and her brother-in-law, Dr. Kenneth Schiffer, and his wife, Marcia. In addition, she leaves behind seven nephews and nieces and 17 great-nephews and -nieces, all of whom she cared for dearly.

Shirley was a family person, first and foremost.

Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Schiff Preschool at Temple Emanu-El, 1580 Spalding Drive, Atlanta, GA 30350; the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 950 E. Paces Ferry Road, Suite 110, Atlanta, GA 30326; or Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327. Funeral services were held Sunday, Dec. 10, at Temple Emanu-El, with interment at Arlington Memorial Park. Rabbi Spike Anderson, Rabbi Scott Colbert and Cantor Lauren Adesnik officiated. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Sidney Stein 93, Atlanta

Sidney Stein passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017.

He was the fourth child born to Ben and Sarah Edelson Stein, on Oct. 11, 1924.

He was predeceased by his siblings: David (Gloria z”l) Stein, Terri (Will z”l) Michael, Edythe (Marty z”l) Steiner and Frances (Artie z”l) Robbins. Sidney had a wonderful life and enjoyed being around his family and friends. He was always engaged in the world around him and constantly wanted to know what was going on.

He was a graduate of Emory University in 1948 and was proud of his education. He stood out at graduation because he wore a yellow shirt, and everyone else had a white shirt. From that point on, Eunice, his wife, always made sure he was dressed right. Sidney served in World War II as a tail gunner on a B-24 bomber and flew on 35 missions in Europe. Sidney owned and operated S&F Beverage for 30 years. He enjoyed his participation and time at his shul, Congregation Shearith Israel, especially attending daily minyan services. Sidney made many friends and maintained his relationships with his old-time buddies. He also delivered meals for Meals on Wheels, where he always had stories to tell. He was an active participant in the Jewish War Veterans, where he and Eunice sold poppies to raise money. Eunice kept him busy, and he often said he never knew how he had time to work.

Sidney is survived by his loving and special wife, Eunice Feldman Stein; children Donnie (Patty) Stein, Stanley (Judy) Stein and Sara (Lance) Borochoff; grandchildren Jennifer (Michael) Kahan, Joshua (Dana) Stein, Benjamin (Nadine) Stein, Emily (Neil) Halpern, Elise (David) Baumgarten and Daniel Borochoff; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous adoring nieces and nephews.

Graveside services were held Thursday, Dec. 7, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Ari Kaiman officiating. Memorial donations may be made to Frieda’s Fund at Congregation Shearith Israel. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Rita Senoff Rita Gartner Senoff, age 69, passed away Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, after a tenacious battle with leukemia.

She was born Dec. 12, 1947, in Queens, N.Y., but spent 40 years in both Atlanta and Blue Ridge. She is fondly remembered for her giving spirit, her devoted work ethic, her fabulous cooking, her successful real estate career, her big laugh and so much more.

Mostly, she is revered for the close friendships she maintained, some for over 50 years, and for the love she showered on her family. Rita was true class. She appreciated the finer things in life and was passionate about Broadway shows and the excitement the Big Apple offered. Moreover, everyone could count on Rita to plan the party, entertain the guests and fix the drinks. No one could be a better hostess.

Her husband, Jay, adored her and treated her like a queen for over 20 years, and her two sons, Shawn and Craig, loved her to the moon and back. Everyone she came in contact with loved her too; even the entire staff on the fourth floor of Northside Hospital’s bone marrow unit lined up for her sendoff as she was transferred to hospice.

Rita is survived by her husband, Jay Senoff, and by her son Craig Gartner and her son and daughter-in-law Shawn Gartner and Amy Adamaitis. She is deeply missed by many other family members, including Terri and Eric Jacobson, Sysser and Joel Senoff, Shelley and Michael Senoff, Robyn Senoff and Ken Pomerantz, and her grandchildren, Everest, Hilit and Jonah, Max, Ella and Oscar, and Joseph and Alan. Contributions can be made in her memory to the Atlanta Hope Lodge or to a charity of one’s choice.

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

69, Atlanta

29

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Today Is the First Day Of the Rest of My Life

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

June 30, 19XX, was the very first day of the rest of my life.

On that, the day of my arrival at Bronx Hospital’s labor and delivery ward, my parents were expecting twin boys. If the date had been April Fools’ Day, my arrival still would not have been grounds for comedy.

What could that old doctor have been thinking when he excitedly informed my mom (z”l) and dad (z”l) that they were having twin boys? Seriously!

Absolutely no technology to support this outrageous claim.

He must have had a little too much celebratory schnapps, and it’s a good thing I was a cute baby.

So that is how this girl’s life got started.

Avid readers will recall that as soon as I could swing a hammer, Dad was teaching me typical (for the time) boy skills.

I was a quick study, loved learning these neat skills and loved all the attention bestowed on me.

Generally speaking, if you possess a preponderance of Y chromosomes, you are male; with X chromosomes, you are female. My dad must have recognized and related to the mixture of XY (tomboy) in me.

(Oh, don’t go getting your genetic Hula Hoops in a tizzy; it’s just a little comedy fodder.)

I had, and still have, so many days I recognize as the first day of the rest of my life (FDotRomL).

I have to mine my mind to recognize all the first days. (If I have forgotten any that you believe should be included, simply email me — I’d really like that.)

• First day of kindergarten. Now that was a glorious one. I felt buoyed by independence.

• First time I rode a three-wheeler or a two-wheeler bike by myself.

• First time I drove a car (it was an old Chevy truck).

• My first real paycheck. Thanks to Alexander’s department store, this is where I learned to be an employee and what skills one needs as a manager.

This is where I discovered that I love the adventure of working.

• First date. We went to the movies.

• OK, I feel it only fair to include 30 that first kiss. This particular first was

a game changer, a defining FDotRomL. • First day I rode the el trains and subway on my own.

• My first day as a camper. That day and every day since, I understood and accepted why I was sent here; it sure wasn’t to take up space.

• The day I floated down the bridal

CROSSWORD

By Shaindle Schmuckler shaindle@atljewishtimes.com

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

11

12

13

26

27

28

29

32

33

53

54

15

14 17

19

21

23

24 30

22 25

31

34

35

38

36

37

39

40

42

44

43

45

47

60

46

48

49

55

56

61

50

51

52

57

58

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

ACROSS 1. Move like Jagger 6. James Franco’s degree from Columbia U. 9. Hot or hard drink 14. Joel’s instrument 15. Koufax’s gift 16. Make like Jacob to Joseph 17. Mercy, Jewishly 19. Used a stopwatch 20. “Unclean though we ___” (Numbers 9:7) 21. Freebies from Seasons or Winn-Dixie 22. Funny Stiller 23. Place for a sukkah, for some 25. Job for Pinchas or Eli 30. Start of a famous Tevye song 32. Indochinese language 33. Isaac’s final one was 180 34. With 41-Across, what the ends of 17-, 25-, 47- and 62-Across translate to 38. “Those who remain ___ to G-d” (Daniel 12:12) 39. Executive Moonves 40. Words that follow “How Will I Know” (Whitney Houston) 41. See 34-Across 44. Elvis Presley’s “___ Lost You” 45. (Code of) Kiryas Joel’s is 10950 46. Ashdod to Hebron dir.

47. Real wild one, in Yiddish 51. ___ Hara 55. Simeon was full of it in the Bible 56. They may say “Shalom” 58. Gasteyer of “Mean Girls” 59. Amy Winehouse hit 62. What some mistakenly think Noah does at the end of

10

16

18

20

59

aisle toward many other first days of the rest of my life.

• The day I birthed the first of my four daughters, bestowing on me the coveted title of Mommy.

• The day of John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the day of the 9/11 attacks.

• The first day I awoke to the Vietnam War, an eye-opening FDotRomL. • The day I accepted the position of director of Camp AJECOMCE at the Jewish Community Center’s Zaban Park branch. I could not have imagined how impactful this would be on yet another FDotRomL. • The day I welcomed my first grandchild, who blows up my heart with so much love. She officially gave me the passport needed for the grandparent club. She is the first to call me Savta.

By the way, nine more grandchildren followed in her footsteps. Each one occupies a sweet space of love in my heart, making my heart sing every day.

Seven male cousins who will bring seven brides into our clan. Three females who will not have to do much persuading to bring in three grooms to round out the clan.

Must I be politically correct and use gender-neutral descriptions? Nah, not today.

Some folks would say that each morning we awake is the first day of the rest of our lives. I believe this to be so.

How I set the day, how I spend the day, affects and determines future FDotRomLs. Now go out there, stand up and speak out.

You will enhance all the first days of the rest of your life. ■

“I Had a Little Dreidel”

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

1

41

Shaindle’s Shpiel

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Genesis 9 64. “Gladiator” setting 65. Troop grp. the Marx Brothers performed for 66. Like Elijah when he wandered the desert 67. ___ Nahash 68. Where Daniel prevailed 69. Bellowed, as a bovine

28. Stare at 29. Rush rocker Geddy 31. Ziploc preservation product 34. Adrien ___ skin care products 35. Hebrew leader 36. Mosby played by Josh Radnor in a sitcom 37. “It’s ___ country!”

DOWN 38. Kipling’s Rikki-Tikki 1. Spritz 41. Virus researched at 2. Gadot’s Wonder Woman Hebrew U. wears one 42. “Yafeh” 3. Jeff Gordon or Alon Day, 43. Warms e.g.

48. Ross of song 4. New Eng. school 49. Emulate a jester 5. Rachel’s is believed to be 50. Violinist Yuval or

by Bethlehem sportswriter Weitzman 6. Sushi fruit 52. Google competitor 7. Like marzipan rugelach out 53. Like the Three Stooges, of the oven perhaps 8. Tefillin hrs.

54. Called, at a bris 9. Divisions 57. Tailor’s line 10. Menzel with a great set 59. Levi’s Stadium sound of pipes 60. Hellenistic or Elizabethan 11. DeLuise in “History of the 61. “___ love to spend the World Part I” night in Zion” (Rush) 12. Poet’s palindromic 62. Something to chew, to be preposition kosher 13. Like a soup made in 63. ___mo (replay feature) Genesis 18. “The Great Dictator” LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION Oscar nominee Y O D A A L D A P Y R E S Jack O M E N D O E G L E A V E 22. Word before U G L Y A C M E U L N A E B’rith or Yisrael W A L K I N G S T I C K 24. Unearth S E G A L D U H S in the City of P R A Y I N G M A N T I S A I L S O N E O N E L M David S C I F I R E F L Y N E O 26. Locale M A L H A S A O D A S H of a film S O L D I E R B E E T L E “Nightmare”; S T A N O N E I L abbr.

C A R P E N T E R A N T 27. Golden age O N A I R E L A L I D O L V O I C E R I G A S O U P of Hollywood E N D E D N E S S T E S S designer Lilly 1

2

3

4

5

14 17

7

8

9

24

25

13

35

36

62

63

26

32

33

37

29

30

39

43

46

31

34

38

40

41

44

47

45

48

49

50

53

12

22

28

52

11

19

21

27

42

10

16

18

20

23

6

15

51

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

64

65

66

67

68

69

61

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

MARKETPLACE GENERATOR SERVICES

HOME SERVICES

COMPUTER SERVICES

COMPUER HOUSE CALLS

Voted #1 by Atlanta Jewish Community

770-751-5706

Residential & Commercial

www.HealthyComputer.com

CALL US NOW FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

• • • • • • •

RHAYANI

470.443.4928 LEONARDO

470.443.4905

PC, MAC, iPhone/iPad Service Home & Commercial Service Virus/Malware Removal Laptop Screen Repair Data Recovery/Forensics Wireless Corporate Networks We beat competitor pricing!

As Seen On

It’s Time to Call for Help!

Generator Sales & Service, Inc. www.perkinselectric.com

fakakta computer?

770-251-9765

24/7 Power Protection Hands Free Operation | Professional Installation

I’ll drive to you! → Desktop & Laptop Repair → Home/Business Networking → Performance Upgrades → Apple Device Support → Virus/Spyware Removal

GENERATORS 24/7 POWER PROTECTION

HOME SERVICES

Fast Appointment Scheduling Reasonable Rates All Services Guaranteed

404-954-1004 damon.carp@gmail.com

Power up. Technology should simplify.™

I T S O LU T I O N S

IT

IT SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

877.256.4426

www.dontsweatitsolutions.com

PART-TIME FRONT OFFICE STAFF

Tenth Series Jubilee Bonds ($25,000 minimum) for 10 Years

3.73

CARGIVNG SERVICES POSITION WANTED Highly experienced woman with 25+ years in sales and relationship building looking for opportunity with local company. Call Adrienne, 954-268-5063.

Tenth Series Maccabee % Bonds ($5,000 minimum) for 10 Years

3.58

Seventh Series Mazel Tov % Bonds ($100 minimum) for 5 Years

3.48%

Kaye’s Caring Hands Home Healthcare & Private Duty Provides- CNA, companionship, meal prep, light housework, errands, driving client’s car, medication reminder and vital signs Call LaSonji Turner – 816-210-4121

Seventh Series eMitzvah Bonds ($36 minimum) for 5 Years

3.48%

(404) 817-3500 Atlanta@Israelbonds.com Development Corp. for Israel Member FINRA Effective through December 14, 2017

DECEMBER 15 ▪ 2017

Well established psychology practice in Sandy Springs seeking part-time front office staff/receptionist.

Looking for someone to join our team who coordinates closely with clinical staff to meet the needs of practice, warmly relates to clients, is resourceful, detail-oriented and organized.

Computer skills required.

Please email resume to: dr.spencer@bia1.com

31

32

DECEMBER 15 â–ª 2017