Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIX NO. 23, December 15, 2023

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VOL. XCIX NO. 23

DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 3 TEVET 5784

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THIS WEEK PUBLISHER MICHAEL A. MORRIS michael@atljewishtimes.com

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CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE BOB BAHR CHRIS CARR DAVE SCHECHTER DAVID OSTROWSKY DEBBIE DIAMOND JAN JABEN-EILON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE RABBI RICHARD BAROFF DD STEVEN MORRIS

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Happy Chanukah from Your Friends at the Atlanta Jewish Times Cover Photo: Kara Wexler and Eli Gruber's wedding.

CONTENTS ISRAEL ������������������������������������������������� 6 NEWS ������������������������������������������������ 12 BUSINESS ���������������������������������������� 30 SPORTS �������������������������������������������� 32 OPINION ������������������������������������������� 34 CHANUKAH �������������������������������������� 40 SIMCHAS ������������������������������������������ 43 HEALTH & WELLNESS ������������������� 62 ARTS & CULTURE ��������������������������� 72 CALENDAR ��������������������������������������� 74 KEEPING IT KOSHER ���������������������� 78 BRAIN FOOD ������������������������������������ 79 OBITUARIES ������������������������������������� 80 CLOSING THOUGHTS �������������������� 84 MARKETPLACE ������������������������������� 86

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 5

ISRAEL Pro-Palestinian Protester Catches Themself on Fire

By Dave Schechter A protestor with a Palestinian flag set themselves on fire Dec. 1 outside the Midtown Atlanta building that houses the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast.

The protester — whose identity has not been released publicly — suffered third-degree burns over 100 percent of their body and was reported to be in critical condition at Grady Hospital.

A security guard who tried to stop the self-immolation suffered burns to a wrist and leg. Television footage showed the guard, later identified by WSB-TV as Michael Harris, being placed in an ambulance, and taken to Grady Hospital.

Harris’ family told WSB that the protester was a woman.

Atlanta fire Chief Rod Smith told reporters at the scene that the protestor arrived at the 1100 Spring Street building at 12:17 p.m., at which time “The security guard noticed that the individual was attempting to set themself on fire. He immediately attempted, but failed, to stop

A security guard suffered burns when he attempted to stop the protester from setting themself on fire // Photo Credit: The Associated Press

the individual.”

Smith, who called the fire an act of arson, said that the protester was alone.

At the same press conference, Atlanta chief of police Darin Schierbaum said, “We believe it was an act of extreme

political protest.”

“We do not believe there was any nexus to terrorism,” Schierbaum said, adding that “Right now, we’re not aware of any credible threat against this location, against the consulate or its staff, or

anyone in this building.”

In addition to the Atlanta Police Department’s Homeland Security Unit and Atlanta fire and rescue personnel, agents of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were

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A pro-Palestinian protester lit herself on fire outside of the building that houses the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast // Photo Credit: The Associated Press

present.

A photograph published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution showed an Atlanta fire department investigator carrying a red gasoline can. “We found evidence of gasoline being utilized as an accelerant,” Smith said.

In addition to the Palestinian flag, burned articles of clothing were found at the scene.

The building, a Selig Enterprises property, houses numerous businesses in addition to the Consulate. The sidewalk and street along Spring Street have been the site of anti-Israel demonstrations since Israel retaliated against Hamas in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and about 240 kidnapped.

Schierbaum said, “This department is aware of the tensions that are present right now in the Jewish community and in the Muslim community. We actually have dedicated patrols occurring at this location and at other Jewish and Muslim communities in the city.”

Brian Davis, community security director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, told the AJT that he consults regularly with the Consulate’s security director. Davis said that from all appearances the protestor was a “lone actor” and posed no threat to the wider Jewish community.

As a precaution, the building housing the Federation and the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum was evacuated for about 30 minutes, while Atlanta police performed a security sweep, and then reopened.

A statement issued by Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon said: “We are saddened to learn of the self-immolation

at the entrance to the office building. It is tragic to see the hate and incitement toward Israel expressed in such a horrific way. The sanctity of life is our highest value. Our prayers are with the security officer who was injured while trying to prevent this tragic act. We are grateful to the City of Atlanta’s law enforcement and first responders for all they do to ensure safety.”

The security guard’s family told WSB that Harris suffered second- and third-degree burns. “He has a burn on his hand. He has a burn on his leg between his knee and his ankle. He has another one on his ankle on his left side,” Harris’ brother, Douglas Harris, told WSB. “My brother is doing well under the circumstances. I was down there earlier today to see him. He’s in pretty good spirits. He’s just trying to wrap this whole thing around his head on what happened,” Douglas Harris said. “By the grace of G-d, that he’ll be okay in time. It’s going to take some time.”

Harris’ family said his military instincts kicked in when he tried to intervene to save the woman’s life. “My brother is an Army Veteran. As far as helping people. We were raised that way to help somebody. So, him doing that is not surprising for people who know him,” Douglas Harris said.

The Atlanta Community Press Collective reported that a candlelight vigil in solidarity with the protester was held outside the building. The online site quoted Adam Brunell, a participant, as saying: “In Judaism, we say may their memory be a blessing, and may their memory be a revolution. I hope all these folks whose lives have been taken – I hope they become a revolution. That’s my prayer.” ì

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ISRAEL

Parents of Lone IDF Soldiers Flown to Israel

By Jan Jaben-Eilon In any given year, when Israel isn’t at war with one of its neighbors, there are approximately 35 lone soldiers from Atlanta serving in the country’s military without their immediate family living in Israel. But according to Seth R. Baron, vice president of FIDF Georgia & Southeast States, with more than 350,000 soldiers have been called for reserve duty since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Southern Israel, “we have no way of knowing how many former soldiers have been called up.”

So, while many Atlanta Jewish families are anxiously watching the news in Israel, hearing about hostage releases and more bodies identified as having been murdered in the brutal early October massacre, which saw some 1,200, mostly civilians, killed, parents of those who serve in the Israeli Defense Forces have a heightened interest.

The stabbing death in early November of Atlanta-native Rose Lubin, who was serving in the IDF in Jerusalem,

“Lone Soldiers have left behind their friends, family, and support systems to serve their Jewish homeland. Now it’s our turn to serve them and offer whatever measure of comfort we can,” said Russell Robinson, CEO of Jewish National Fund-USA.

“We are deeply moved and humbled by the daily courage of all the lone soldiers who are bravely serving our Jewish homeland far away from their parents and family,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh.

brought those concerns into higher focus for Atlanta parents who have children serving in Israel’s army.

Aware of that anxiety, in early November, Nefesh B’Nefesh, which facilitates immigration to Israel and helps new immigrants adjust to their new lives, started a program called “Operation Hug.” In a joint effort with Jewish National Fund-USA and Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), the organization launched the program which will provide hundreds of roundtrip tickets on El Al Israel Airlines for one parent of any lone soldier serving in active combat units during the current war.

A Nefesh B’Nefesh spokeswoman said that the organization had more than 1,100 requests for tickets “and have helped book tickets for a few hundred parents to date,” as of Nov. 22. “The program came about after we saw the need for the lone soldiers to have family within reach and especially for extremely anxious parents to have the option to be closer to their children serving in combat and give them a hug,” said Yael Katsman, vice president of communications.

Several Atlanta parents have already left for Israel as part of this program. Although airfare are covered for one parent, no accommodations or ground transportation is provided, said one parent who left for Israel in mid-November. And the parents are not guaranteed that their soldier-child will be able to leave their unit to visit the parents for that hug.

According to Nefesh B’Nefesh, there are about 5,000 lone soldiers, both men

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and women, who immigrated to Israel and are currently serving in active and reserve service without any family support in Israel.

“We are deeply moved and humbled, during this challenging time, by the daily courage of all the lone soldiers who are bravely serving our Jewish homeland far away from their parents and family,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “We are extra sensitive to the concern this distance is causing the parents of these brave men and women on the front lines and have therefore established our ‘Operation Hug’ campaign to shorten the physical distances. I am proud that national institutions have come together for this beautiful project.”

“Lone Soldiers have left behind their friends, family, and support systems to serve their Jewish homeland. Now it’s our turn to serve them and offer whatever measure of comfort we can,” said Russell Robinson, CEO of Jewish National Fund-USA. “Not only will this initiative strengthen their spirits, but it will also strengthen our worldwide Jewish family in coming together to make a difference.

There is nothing like a parent’s hug in these terrifying times, and we are proud to partner with two other incredible organizations to make this possible for Israel’s Lone Soldiers.”

“We are profoundly grateful for the unwavering commitment and dedication of the hundreds of thousands of IDF soldiers who courageously defend Israel in the pursuit of peace and security,” said Steve Weil, CEO of FIDF. “Among those making the greatest contributions to the efforts are the Lone Soldiers from around the world who have left their families behind to stand on the front lines. Their valor and selflessness inspire us, and we are honored to facilitate reunions with their deserving parents.

Their service and dedication exemplify the highest ideals of commitment and courage.”

Nefesh B’Nefesh reported that one Richmond, Va., mother, Stacie Stufflebeam, did enjoy a surprise reunion with her sons, Evan, 24, and Adam, 29, who are reserve IDF soldiers. Her third son, Vered, 27, was on standby to fill in for another soldier if needed.

For more information on how to enroll in the program, go to: www.nbn.org. il/operation-hug ì

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ISRAEL

Israelis are Volunteering More than Before the War

By Jan Jaben-Eilon As International Volunteer Day was celebrated Dec. 5 to “recognize and celebrate the work and efforts of volunteers around the world,” a number of members of the Atlanta Jewish community were preparing for their missions to Israel to fill any vacancies created by the fleeing of foreign workers from Israel or the huge call-up of army reservists needed for the war against Hamas.

In December alone, the Jewish National Fund has three separate volunteer opportunities for American Jews to sign up for. The four-day trips will allow the volunteers to pick vegetables and other crops on Israeli farms or take on logistical roles on an army base to fill the void of some 350,000 Israelis now serving in the Israel Defense Forces or as reservists.

Atlantan Robin Feldman said she joined the JNF Atlanta board last year and was so “moved by the impressive work they do in support of Israel,” that she signed up for one of the December missions. “Given the opportunity to support the resilience efforts financially and also volunteer there (tikkun olam) seems like the right thing to do, especially at this time.”

Of course, JNF isn’t the only Jewish organization offering volunteer missions to Israel.

And, according to research conducted by Hebrew University in Jerusalem, there has been a “significant shift” in the nature of volunteering among Israelis since Oct. 7 when thousands of Hamas terrorists and their allies breached Israel’s defenses along the Gaza border and tortured and murdered at least 1,200 people, injured thousands and kidnapped some 240 as hostages, most of which are still held somewhere in Gaza.

The surveys were conducted by the Institute for the Study of Civil Society and Philanthropy in Israel at Hebrew University, in collaboration with the Israeli Volunteering Council and the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services. Most significantly, the surveys disclosed an extraordinarily high rate of volunteering among Israelis.

Almost every second Israeli citizen volunteered during the war, including 49 percent among the Jewish population and 28 percent among the Arab population. This was considered a higher rate than during previous crises, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, when 20.3 percent of the Israeli population reported volunteering.

“During this tumultuous time, the 10 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Volunteers are helping keep Israeli farms afloat amid a dearth of farmhands and other problems resulting from the war in Israel // Photo Courtesy of Leket Israel/JTA

surge in volunteering reflects a powerful testament to the resilience and unity of Israeli society,” said Professor Michal Almog-Bar, head of the Institute for the Study of Civil Society and Philanthropy at Hebrew University. “The emergence of diverse volunteering patterns underscores our ability to adapt and collaborate, highlighting the crucial role each individual plays in shaping a stronger, more cohesive community.”

According to the surveys, a “noteworthy proportion of volunteers (25 percent) are identified as ‘spontaneous volunteers,’ previously unengaged individuals who have stepped up during the conflict. This surge in participation marks a departure from routine volunteering trends, with only 20 percent having a history of regular volunteering.”

The surveys also noted that the majority of volunteers are from secular backgrounds (49 percent), surpassing traditional and religious segments. Prior to the war, volunteering rates among the religious and ultra-Orthodox population were higher than volunteering among the secular population. Moreover, a significant number reported above-average incomes, reflecting diverse economic backgrounds among the volunteers.

Unlike during the pandemic, the

current volunteering spans across age groups, with notable engagement from older demographics. The volunteering has also broadened – out of necessity.

The volunteers have engaged in both traditional and new realms of volunteering, such as aiding in agriculture, public relations efforts on social media, assisting security forces, and supporting vulnerable populations.

Notably, since the war started, entire communities along the Gaza border as well as along the Israeli border with Lebanon have been evacuated to safer areas such as the Dead Sea and in Eilat. Displaced from their homes – some of which no longer exist – these populations have needed various support including psychological, emotional, and material since many evacuated with only the clothes on their backs and no money.

And the survey addressed that as well. “Volunteers have shown a trend of combining hands-on activities with financial (53 percent of the volunteers) and in-kind contributions (78 percent of the volunteers), fostering a more integrated approach to support causes associated with the war.”

Most of the volunteering has occurred close to home, with 69 percent having engaged in activities within their

“During this tumultuous time, the surge in volunteering reflects a powerful testament to the resilience and unity of Israeli society,” said Professor Michal Almog-Bar, head of the Institute for the Study of Civil Society and Philanthropy at Hebrew University.

local communities.

Perhaps not surprisingly in the Start-up Nation, social media platforms and digital organizing, including WhatsApp groups, have played a pivotal role in recruiting, training and coordinating volunteers, showcasing a shift towards tech-centric volunteering methodologies.

While the Israeli government struggled to react both militarily and supportively to its population in the wake of the Hamas attack, more than 1,000 civilian initiatives sprung up across Israel, demonstrating rapid organization and engagement from diverse societal segments, including the ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations.

In addition to helping their fellow citizens, volunteers expressed high rates of satisfaction and relief through their engagements and a strong intent to continue volunteering post-war.

But that continuing effort faces challenges, according to Almog-Bar, including the need for professional oversight, support for volunteers facing secondary traumatization and preventing volunteer burnout. She emphasized the importance of ensuring proper training for volunteers, preventing exploitation and the need for effective coordination to maximize the impact of volunteering efforts. ì

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

Amir Baldiga // Photo Credit: Yosef Cohen

Entrepreneur Launches Digital Commerce Portal to Aid Israeli Economy As the Israeli economy is affected by the war against Hamas, young entrepreneur Amir Baldiga has launched a digital portal that connects Israeli businesses with consumers from around the world so individuals can support Israel’s economy at a time of war in a way that benefits both the buyer and seller.

In mere days, Ironbusinesses.com experienced an outpouring show of support with more than 1,000 transactions

Today in Israeli History Dec. 15, 2016: President-elect Donald Trump announces that he will nominate New York bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman, who advised the campaign on Israel policy, to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Eliezer BenYehuda is remembered as the father of modern Hebrew, although the language never stopped being used for religious and nonreligious purposes.

Dec. 16, 1922: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, often considered the father of modern Hebrew, dies of tuberculosis at 64 in Jerusalem. He founded the Va’ad ha-Lashon, the forerunner of the Academy of Hebrew Language, in 1890.

Dec. 17, 1993: Shlomo Goren, the first head of the IDF’s Military Rabbinate and the Ashkenazi chief rabbi from 1973 to 1983, calls for soldiers to disobey orders to remove Jewish settlers from the West Bank, Gaza Strip or Golan Heights.

Dec. 18, 1947: Gila Goldstein, among the first Israelis to have sex reassignment surgery, is born in Turin, Italy. The family immigrates to Israel, and Goldstein begins identifying as a girl by 1960. She becomes a leading LGBT activist.

to date – all from grassroots word-ofmouth outreach.

“When the war broke out, it became clear that returning to normal business operations, let alone growth, would be difficult for a long time,” Baldiga said.

“After reconnecting with my parents, who were evacuated from their home, I decided to take action! Since then, I’ve invested dozens of hours and thousands of shekels to make ironbusinesses.com a reality.”

Through ironbusinesses.com, shoppers can search through services and products from nearly 1,000 businesses and a range of categories: marketing, home products, books and toys, jewelry and gifts, graphic design, financial planning, business consulting, and more.

“Within 72 hours of launching ironbusinesses.com, I had manually registered hundreds of businesses,” Baldiga said. “These companies are not asking for donations. They are not asking for charity. They want to work. They want to take care of their families and restore our beloved State of Israel.”

Dec. 19, 1903: Max Nordau, who cofounded the World Zionist Organization, escapes unharmed when a would-be assassin, angry over the Uganda Plan, fires two shots at close range during a Chanukah party in Paris.

Dec. 20, 1976: Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s Labor-led coalition falls apart as he fires two members of the National Religious Party from his Cabinet and sees a third resign. Without NRP’s 10 Knesset members, Rabin lacks a majority.

Dec. 21, 1973: A Middle East peace conference opens in Geneva under the auspices of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Syria skips the event because Israel refuses to recognize the PLO. The conference ends Dec. 29.

The Rambam Health Care Campus opened in 1938 as the British Government Hospital of Haifa. // By Alfred Bernheim, Israel Museum

Dec. 22, 1938: The British Government Hospital of Haifa, now the Rambam Health Care Campus, opens with 225 beds at the foot of Mount Carmel. The British high commissioner says the hospital reflects Haifa’s growth and multicultural mix.

Since Nov. 6, through donations from around the world, the Global Action Institute has provided over $300,000 in critical supplies, protective equipment, and emergency gear to soldiers, first responders and civilians in Israel.

Global Action Institute is run by volunteers who do not receive any compensation for the work they are doing. This

means that 100 percent of donations are going to support our brothers and sisters in Israel. GAI’s founders have personally committed to covering all administrative costs for this project, thus ensuring each donor’s funds go further.

The co-founder of GAI has direct connections to soldiers on the ground and civilians in the affected communities, who are communicating their specific needs. GAI founders and volunteers traveled to Israel in November to handdeliver 2,000 pounds of equipment and supplies.

GAI has a network of people in Israel prepared to transport and distribute all goods when the founders are unable to hand-deliver it.

Global Action Institute Inc. (GAI) is a 501(c)3 organization, established in May 2020 in Atlanta by an IDF reservist, Ariel Siegelman, and his wife, Celia. They have a board of five members, consisting of an attorney, a community leader, and three CEOs. For more information, visit www. gaicares.org.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Count Stanislas de Claremont-Tonnerre argued that Jews as individuals but not as a people deserved the rights of French citizens. // Painting by Adolf Wurtmuller

Dec. 28, 1917: Gen. Edmund Allenby names Ronald Storrs the military governor of recently captured Jerusalem. An advocate for Arab interests and a weak Zionist, Storrs remains the governor of Jerusalem and Judaea until 1926.

The Global Action Institute has donated more than $300,000 in supplies to Israel since Nov. 6.

Global Action Institute Donates Supplies to Israel

Dec. 23, 1789: The French National Assembly spends three days debating Jewish rights without a decision. Count Stanislas de Claremont-Tonnerre says, “The Jews should be denied everything as a nation but granted everything as individuals.”

Dec. 24, 1920: Meeting in London, the World Zionist Congress launches Keren Hayesod (The Foundation Fund) to raise money for the Zionist movement and help fulfill the Balfour Declaration’s promise of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Dec. 25, 1918: Anwar Sadat, the president who leads Egypt into the 1973 Yom Kippur War and signs a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, is born in Mit Abu al-Kum, Egypt. He is assassinated during a military parade in 1981.

Dec. 26, 1864: Yehoshua Hankin, who personally buys 30% of the land owned by the State of Israel at independence in 1948, is born in Ukraine. He makes his first land buy in 1890 when he purchases a plot that becomes Rehovot.

Dec. 27, 2008: Israel launches Operation Cast Lead after Hamas breaks a six-month cease-fire. The 22-day operation aims to stop rocket fire at civilians, stop Hamas terrorism and stop weapons smuggling into Gaza.

JNF’s first chairman, Yona Krementzky, implemented the idea for the organization’s iconic blue tzedakah boxes to collect coins from families.

Dec. 29, 1901: The Jewish National Fund, known in Hebrew as Keren Kayemeth L’Israel, is launched after an impassioned speech from Theodor Herzl inspires the Fifth Zionist Congress to approve the idea on a 10582 vote.

Dec. 30, 2002: The Israeli Supreme Court rules that IDF reservists may not refuse to serve in the West Bank and Gaza because those who agree to military service give up the right to be conscientious objectors on locations.

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 11

NEWS Rabbi Berg Delivers U.S. Senate Opening Prayer

By Dave Schechter On Tuesday morning, seven hours before sunset and the lighting of the sixth candle of Chanukah, Rabbi Peter Berg, senior rabbi of The Temple, delivered the opening prayer before the U.S. Senate.

“Good morning. Eternal God, may your name be invoked only to inspire and unify our Country, but never to divide it,” Berg began.

“Tonight, Jews all around the world will light the sixth candle of Hanukkah.

We will do so in a world teaming with xenophobia and hatred. Let us never forget that this is a time of year where we all bring light and hope to despair and to darkness,” he told the Senate chamber.

“Bless, O God, the lights of this season.

May they shine their radiance in this historic chamber. They kindle within us the flame of faith and of zeal, that like the Maccabees of old, we bravely battle for Your cause. May our Senators be blessed today, to use their God-given light to chase away the darkness,” Berg said further on.

Calling the occasion "fun" and "an

Rabbi Peter Berg (center) flanked by Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

Rabbi Peter Berg and Karen Berg

honor," Berg told the AJT that while the role of guest chaplain required him to keep his remarks "parve" — a Yiddish word meaning "neutral" — regarding politics, he deliberately used the metaphors of light and darkness in reference to the antisemitism afflicting the Jewish people. According to Howard Mortman, the communications

director for C-SPAN and author of “When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill,” more than 400 rabbis have delivered an opening prayer in either the U.S. Senate or House, dating back to 1860.

Mortman posted online that Berg, senior rabbi at The Temple since July 2008,

Happy Chanukah!

12 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

was the first rabbi to serve as guest chaplain in the Senate since March 2022 and the first from Georgia since February 1966.

He also was the first Georgia rabbi to serve as guest chaplain in either chamber since October 1999 and the first from Atlanta since November 1983.

Berg, who wore a pin with U.S. and Israel flags on his left lapel, told the AJT that he had private meetings with Ossoff and Warnock, during which he was able to discuss such issues as antisemitism and Israel at greater length. He also had the opportunity to speak with "a decent number" of both Democratic and Republican senators and thank them for their public support opposing antisemitism..

“When we’re from far away, you only see people bickering, but I was actually able to see a lot of comradely and a lot of respect and it was pleasant,” Berg said, adding that his role afforded him a full day’s access to the Senate floor and a chair for his use.

Following his prayer, as Berg stood to the side with Barry Black, the full-time Senate Chaplain, as both of Georgia’s Demo-

NEWS cratic senators — first Jon Ossoff, who was Bar Mitzvah at The Temple, and then the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who is also the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta — addressed the chamber.

Berg was invited by Ossoff to deliver the opening prayer. When he was sworn into office in January 2021, Ossoff used a book of Hebrew scripture once owned by Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, who led The Temple from 1946 to 1973.

“I thank you, Rabbi Berg, for your leadership at this moment of trial for Jewish Americans in Georgia, across the country, and for Jews around the world at this moment, that frays the bonds between faith communities. I thank you for your interfaith leadership, for your consistent calls for solidarity, compassion, mutual love, and respect between all people of all faiths,” Ossoff said.

“It’s particularly fitting, Rabbi, that you joined us during Chanukah, and Mr. President, to have Rabbi Berg here as we approach the sixth night during this moment, when so many Jews feel such anxiety and fear amidst the overt expression of antisemitism such as we’ve not seen for a generation,” he continued.

With Warnock presiding as Senate president, Ossoff noted the significance of Georgia being represented, for the first time in its history, by Black and Jewish senators, and the historic role of The Temple in the civil rights movement.

“The Temple, which in 1958, as you know, Mr. President, was bombed by white supremacists, in an attempt at vengeance for Rabbi Jacob Rothschild’s alliance with civil rights leaders and Dr. King in the American South,” Ossoff said. “It’s particularly powerful to have Rabbi Berg with us here this morning.

Ossoff was followed by Warnock.

“As I often say, every Baptist preacher needs a rabbi and Peter Berg is not only the rabbi at The Temple, he’s my rabbi and he is my friend,” said Warnock, who outlined the historic relationship between Ebenezer Baptist and The Temple, dating back more than six decades, to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rothschild.

Warnock noted that Berg is the fifth senior rabbi in The Temple’s history and that he is the fifth senior pastor in the history of Ebenezer Baptist, and how they have “carried on that tradition of ecumenical, spiritual friendship and that friendship is genuine.’’

The two congregations join every January for a service to mark King’s birthday.

In March, Berg spoke as guest clergy at a service marking the 138th anniversary of Ebenezer Baptist. He and Warnock have worked together on numerous issues, including education, faith in public life, gun violence, mass incarceration, and in re-

sponse to various forms of bigotry. “Wherever hatred rears its ugly head, we have spoken time and time, again together, as one voice” Warnock said.

Following Warnock’s remarks, Berg left the Senate floor, accompanied by Ossoff, while Warnock presided as Senate president.

In October 2021, Berg led the prayers as Douglas Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, nailed a mezuzah from The Temple to a front doorpost at the vice president’s official residence, the Naval Observatory House. This marked the first time that a mezuzah — which contains a tiny scroll with texts from the Book of Deuteronomy, denoting the house as a sacred space —has hung at an American executive residence.

Berg said that he “visited” the mezuzah Sunday night, when he attended a Chanukah party at the vice president’s residence.

Berg’s prayer Tuesday to the Senate in full: “Good morning. Eternal God, may your name be invoked only to inspire and unify our Country, but never to divide it.

“We ask your blessings upon our U.S. Senators and all who serve this body.

“That today and every day, they lead wisely and with civility, working together for our common good.

“Tonight, Jews all around the world will light the sixth candle of Hanukkah. We will do so in a world teaming with xenophobia and hatred.

“Let us never forget that this is a time of year where we all bring light and hope to despair and to darkness.

“Be with us now, God. Make us strong to do Your will. Help us to understand and proclaim the truth, that not by might and not by power, but by our spirit alone can all of us prevail.

“Let injustice and oppression cease, hatred, and cruelty, and wrong pass away.

“Bless, O God, the lights of this season.

May they shine their radiance in this historic chamber.

“They kindle within us the flame of faith and of zeal, that like the Maccabees of old, we bravely battle for Your cause.

“May our Senators be blessed today, to use their God-given light to chase away the darkness.

“Let us resolve to do our share to hasten the day by taking the true measure of life, by learning to face life, to judge the challenges that are set before us, with realism, with courage, and with understanding.

“These things we ask, in Your name, O God. Until the radiance of peace and righteousness for all of God’s children shines to the ends of the earth.

“Amen.” ì

End your year by

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Empower lives.

Strengthen community. jfcsatl.org/donate

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 13

NEWS

Jewish Women Want Plan to Address Rapes of Israelis

By Jan Jaben-Eilon It had been two months since the murderous rampage in Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, when an unknown number of women were raped, sexually abused, and dismembered, along with the killing of 1,200, injuring of thousands and taking of about 240 hostages, but the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women on Dec. 4 finally addressed the atrocities targeting women in Israel that dark Saturday.

And it was nearly two weeks after the Nov. 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

In October, Hadassah Foundation, the largest Jewish women’s organization in the U.S., with signatures from a number of other local and national women’s groups, responded to the initial Oct. 13 statement by the UN women’s group which “completely ignores the horrific situation of more than 220 innocent hostages, women, men and children, from the age of nine months to 85 years old.”

UN graphic artwork shown on the screen before the Dec. 7 meeting got underway.

The Jewish women also charged the UN group with overlooking the “brutal attack and atrocities led by Hamas,”

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and said that it was “outrageous that UN Women – an organization that calls itself a ‘global champion for women’ – could

National CEO of NCJW, Sheila Katz, was one of the main speakers at the meeting of the UN Women on Dec. 7.

issue a statement following the barbaric Hamas terrorist attacks that so callously disregarded the lives and safety of Jew-

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Stacey Hader Epstein and Susan Gordon, co-presidents of the National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section, were “horrified that our partner organizations were not responding” to the increasing evidence of the weaponizing of rapes that was coming out of Israel.

ish and Israeli women.”

Several Atlanta female rabbis belong to the Women’s Rabbinic Network, which issued a statement decrying the “lack of condemnation and outrage at the Hamas terrorists’ sexual assaults of girls and women in Israel. … We call upon the United Nations to uphold Resolution 1820 adopted in June 2008, that rape as a tactic of war is a crime against humanity. They, and we, must name it and condemn it now and always.”

Even today, Jewish women’s groups locally, nationally, and in Israel continue to express outrage that non-Jewish women’s organizations that had stood alongside them in addressing other women’s or progressive issues had remained silent about this devastating attack that has shocked the Israeli and worldwide Jewish community.

In mid-November, a new hashtag was conceived in Israel: #MeToo_Unless_UR_a_Jew, a takeoff from the MeToo Movement that raised awareness around the issue of sexual harassment and abuse that gained prominence in 2017. Just days after its creation, it spread across social media and even was the subject of a website. Individual Atlanta Jewish women sent emails to their friends, underlining how “devastated” they were “by the silence of the UN and women’s organizations around the world who have turned their backs on Israeli women who were brutally and savagely attacked on Oct. 7th There are no words.” These women encouraged others to go to https://www.metoo-unlessurajew.com and add their signatures to a petition.

Stacey Hader Epstein, co-president

of the National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section along with Susan Gordon, were “horrified that our partner organizations were not responding” to the increasing evidence of the weaponizing of rapes that was coming out of Israel. The non-Jewish women’s groups were either not even acknowledging the Oct. 7 massacre or, in one case, just responded about the number of Palestinians being killed in Gaza since the Israeli Defense Forces counter-attacked against Hamas.

In an earlier statement, the two women spoke of a commitment to “bringing the brutality of these war crimes to light. We are actively working with our national office … to create awareness of this cruelty which seems to have gotten lost in the rhetoric of this heinous war.”

In fact, the national CEO of NCJW, Sheila Katz, was one of the main speakers at the meeting of the UN Women, as the committee is often called, along with Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn. Org and former top executive at Meta Platform. Sandberg stressed that “rape should never be used as an act of war.

This truth must be upheld despite the politics of our time. Because no matter what marches you are attending, what flag you are flying, what religion you practice, or if you practice none at all, there is one thing we can all agree on: there are exactly no circumstances that justify rape. None.”

At the Dec. 4 special UN session, titled “Hear Our Voices,” several Israeli officials who identified and prepared the bodies of deceased females for burial in Israel presented evidence of the rapes and molestation. There was never a lack of evidence. But the actual number of

Speaking at the U.N. Women’s hearing, Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn. Org, stressed that “rape should never be used as an act of war. This truth must be upheld despite the politics of our time.”

women raped is still unclear because the Israeli authorities were faced with the unbelievable challenge of finding hundreds of bodies, some mutilated, some burned beyond recognition. The evidence included actual videos taken

by Hamas at the time of the attack and taped admissions by Hamas terrorists caught and questioned by Israel afterwards. Eyewitnesses during the attacks and by the Israeli medics who went to the scenes afterwards spoke at the UN meeting. “One body was turned over and they couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman,” noted Epstein.

According to Epstein, representatives from 41 countries attended the meeting. “The room was packed. They could have filled four more rooms,” she said, pointedly stating that the meeting “should have been held weeks ago.”

Other local and national Jewish women’s groups had already expressed their outrage, along with support for their “Israeli sisters” before the early December UN meeting.

In its statement, the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta noted the “facts about these war crimes and their aftermath have been thoroughly documented by our own current Grantee Partners – Association of Rape Crisis Centers Israel, Itach Ma’aki Women Lawyers for Social Justice, Physicians for Human Rights, Israel Coalition for Reproductive Rights, WePower and Women’s Spirit – whose work in real time, 24x7, on the ground in Israel bear irrefutable witness.”

At the UN Women’s hearing, NCJW’s Katz referred to a ripple effect created as a result of the meeting, with increasing awareness of what happened, specifical-

ly to women, on Oct. 7. “I’ve already seen it,” said Epstein, “coming across social media and on TV.” In an effort to expand on that ripple effect, on Dec. 7, Epstein’s organization initiated a small roundtable meeting of fewer than a dozen Jewish women leaders in Atlanta to come up with an action plan going forward. “Then we’ll bring in more Jewish women, non-Jewish women and women from other cultures” to address not only what happened on Oct. 7, but the distress Jewish women felt at the issue being ignored.

In its invitation to the women leaders, NCJW explained that the purpose of the Dec. 7 meeting was “to brainstorm messaging and action in response to this lack of condemnation. We see this as a starting point, with the potential to enlarge our group to include our friends from other faiths who stand with us in our horror. The hideous stories from Oct. 7 have been blatantly disregarded and it is our moral imperative to make sure these women are not forgotten.”

As she told the AJT, “We are shining a light, a major big spotlight” on the issue, “for our sisters in Israel. We can hope and pray to open up the conversation for all women.”

In fact, as a result of the Dec. 7 roundtable, NCJW – along with JWFA, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta, Temple Sinai, Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon and Hadassah – scheduled a menorah-lighting ceremony, titled “Shine the Light,” on Friday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. at The Temple “in solidarity with Jewish and non-Jewish community partners.”

Epstein said her group was “delighted that our non-Jewish partners and friends are stepping up in solidarity.

Their support is a hopeful sign for our future work together.”

Several Jewish organizations, including JWFA and led by the Hadassah Foundation, also have scheduled a virtual program entitled “The War’s Impact on Women in Israel: Responding to Emergency Needs & Speaking Up on Gender-Based Violence,” on Dec. 19.

Among the speakers is Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, who heads the Civil Commission of Oct. 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children.

Epstein acknowledged that rapes have been a weapon of war for centuries, but in the past, in many countries, women were too ashamed to draw attention to the fact. “Jewish women have found the gumption to speak up. We’ve spoken up for others and now we’re speaking up for ourselves.” ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 15

NEWS

Weber Dedicates New Tzadik Performing Arts Center

Entrance at new Tzadik Performing Arts Center

By Debbie Diamond The Weber School officially dedicated its new Tzadik Performing Arts Center (PAC) this month at the new theater before an assembled group of supporters, faculty, and friends.

This new state-of-the-art facility was

16 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Cast of “Rock of Ages” at The Weber School // Photos by Art of Life Photography

made possible by The Zalik Foundation as a core component of its $19 million grant to Weber in 2022. The grant supports several initiatives that will serve the school’s growing student enrollment and provide a vital resource for educational innovation and collaboration within the broader Atlanta Jewish community.

Featuring what is known as a threequarter thrust stage, audience members surround its three sides and are closer to the action on stage. The Tzadik PAC also includes two music studios, a dance studio, two dressing rooms, a technologically advanced control booth, and top-level equipment for lighting, sound, set design,

Paul Ginburg, Associate Head of School

and video presentation.

The dedication ceremony featured performances and presentations from Weber student musicians, actors, and technical specialists in sound, lighting, and set design. Each area of the PAC was introduced by the respective program leader, including remarks from Director

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NO ONE SAVES MORE LIVES IN ISRAEL IN TIMES OF CRISIS. Helen Zalik, co-founder of The Zalik Foundation

Rabbi Ed Harwitz, Head of School

of Music Drew Cohen; Director of Theater Brad Bass; Technical Director Scott Leaderman; and Sound Engineering Director Michael Levine. The event also included remarks from Helen Zalik on behalf of The Zalik Foundation, a welcome from Weber’s Associate Head of School, Paul Ginburg, and a formal dedication of the Tzadik PAC by Head of School Rabbi Ed Harwitz.

“A flourishing arts program is an intrinsic part of developing well-rounded students who are prepared to tackle the challenges facing our Jewish community and the broader world,” said Zalik, cofounder of The Zalik Foundation. “It is our great pleasure to support advancing performing arts programming for Weber students and the Jewish community. The experience gained performing on-stage provides lifelong skills these students will use to advocate and lead in the future.”

With the opening of the PAC at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, Weber expanded its jazz, rock, and vocal ensembles, while offering new courses in music theory and composition, electronic music, and sound engineering. In addition, Musical Director Cohen plans to add a series of visiting performance artists to the current music lineup. The interactions will provide students with opportunities to learn from the top working musicians in the Jewish and broader communities.

Weber’s theater program has also added additional classes this year in theatrical direction, short-form theater, and collaborative dramatic performance, all instructed by Director of Theater Bass.

In November, Weber offered its first-ever dramatic and musical theater production centered upon material written, directed, and performed by students. In addition,

guided by Technical Director Leaderman (who also teaches a new course in set and light design) and Sound Engineering Director Levine, a growing team of Weber students are learning to master the skills of lighting, set design, and sound engineering, as well as managing traditional and high-tech equipment during each performance.

“We continue to be grateful to The Zalik Foundation for its investment that, while providing new resources for Weber to meet its mission and serve our Jewish community, also provides students, faculty, staff, and parents with a one-ofa-kind performing arts space that has given rise to new levels of artistic creativity and innovation,” said Rabbi Harwitz.

“Weber’s commitment to advancing the performing arts extends well beyond our campus, and the Tzadik PAC provides us with enhanced opportunities to partner with Jewish organizations.”

Rabbi Harwitz also recognized Associate Head of School Ginburg during the dedication ceremony. “Paul has put his skills and wisdom, along with his heart and soul, into bringing this vision to life. With his direction over the entire construction project, our innovative new facilities are being delivered on time and budget in a way that serves the faculty, students, and the broader Jewish community,” emphasized Rabbi Harwitz.

Following the dedication ceremony, attendees were joined by Weber students, parents, faculty, and the community at a sold-out performance of Weber’s fall musical production, “Rock of Ages.” The new Tzadik PAC is already being recognized as an arts destination, with scheduled performances by regional and national musical acts as well as the Georgia High School Association’s One Act Play Regional Competition. ì

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 17

NEWS

FIDF’s Night of Emotion and Empowerment

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Approximately 600 friends and supporters of the Israel Defense Forces gathered on Dec. 4 at City Springs to show solidarity for soldiers risking their lives to restore security and peace to Israel following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was guest speaker at the event, which also honored Sgt. Rose Lubin z”l, a fallen Lone Soldier from Dunwoody who was murdered in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem on Nov. 6. Her mother, Robin Lubin; father, David Lubin; stepmom, Stephanie Lubin; and siblings, Alec, Joseph, Lily, and Isaac were present.

Sivan Sisay, a former Lone Soldier from Ethiopia, recognized the Lubin family and told of her own personal journey -- tragedy upon tragedy -- for her to arrive now as a journalist before serving in communications in the IDF. At 13, she was left on her own after her father went to prison for killing her mother, and her brother committed suicide. Early on in her job as a press attaché for the IDF, she met Atlantan Garry Sobel, FIDF national

Karen Shulman (right) welcomes new FIDF board members (from left) Wendi Aspes and Samantha Schoenbaum.

board member, who reached out to her with assurance and kindness “as family.”

Vice President, FIDF Georgia and

(Left) Nathan Lubin, grandfather of Rose Lubin, was on a Rotary mission en route to Mongolia when he heard of Rose’s death and headed back though Hong Kong and San Francisco to attend the funeral. Lubin is pictured with Steve Oppenheimer.

Southeast States, Seth Baron was emotional when he reminisced about his own motivation relating back to the massacre

of Israelis in the Munich Olympics, and his father’s explanation. “You don’t necessarily have to wear your Judaism on your

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Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul chats with Steven Candranel. During the formal program, Paul received the largest applause of appreciation based on his support of Jewish causes and his relationship with Israel.

Seth Baron and Naftali Bennett were both passionate, topical, and informative speakers // Photo Credit: Jon Marks

sleeve, but there are times when we have to stand up and be counted!’ Oct. 7 was our Kristallnacht … we have to root out blood thirsty terrorists … there is no context or excuse for the murders, raping, etc. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, the murder of Rose Lubin.”

Baron, who flew to Israel for Lubin’s funeral, recounted that she was recently featured in the May 2023 FIDF event. He concluded, “We will not let our country or birthright down. We will not be driven into the sea!”

Karen Shulman, Chair FIDF Georgia and Southeast States, expressed her panic beginning Oct. 7. She shared a video memorial of Israel’s fallen soldiers featuring Rose, who chose to serve in the Magan border patrol usually composed of men.

“Although she perished on Nov. 6 at her post in the Old City, days before she would not stay in a ‘safe house’ and chose to root out terrorists. Rose was a lioness with humility and decided at a young age that, at age 18, Israel would be her home.”

The full screen videos of Lubin at the

podium just months before were riveting.

Sobel recounted his recent visit with Rose in Israel where they exchanged “hi fives,” and said, “Rose is buried on Mt. Hertzl with other legends and heroes and died living her dream.”

He also talked of his shock of hearing about the Yom Kippur War as a child, which informs him now of what is at stake and where his leadership in FIDF has the greatest meaning. Sobel, who is in constant contact with Israel’s minister of defense, spoke of supplying plasma resources, new field hospitals, DNA analysis technology, hygiene kits, and over $26 million in medical supplies. He added, “These needs will continue long after the war ends … think of PTSD -- these soldiers have negotiated tunnel systems more complex than in the New York City subway. We are Zionists. We must stand as One!” Native Atlanta George Birnbaum, who consulted on elections for previous prime ministers, including Benjamin Netanyahu and Bennett, quoted “Brigade”

This group of shinshinim will go to the IDF after serving a year abroad as volunteers in Atlanta.

Garry Sobel is known for decades of devoted service to FIDF // Photo Credit: Jon Marks

Ethiopian-born Sivan Sisay told of her own hardships as a child in Israel. Now, she is a journalist and came up through the IDF ranks as a press attaché // Photo Credit: Jon Marks

by Harold Blum, and explained how Holocaust survivors related to IDF solders as “angels” as a segue into introducing Bennett, who had spent time that day with the Lubin family. He recalled that Bennett asked him, “If Israel was ready for a PM who wears a kippah.”

Bennett spoke of answering Hineni as a motivation for Moses to lead and Rose’s part in a chain of Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Esther, and a more recent paratrooper who lost her life during World War II. He urged the Lubin family to write a book. He personally had to be held back by Shin Bet from going to the frontlines to fight post-Oct 7. He still goes to combat areas to assess soldiers’ needs.

Bennett was critical of the delayed response on Oct. 7. He said, “There was no need to take hours to load tanks … Go, go, go! Forget the food … it was so frustrating.”

On a more positive note, Bennett has confidence in the current generation of heroism. He said, “Don’t mistakenly think that this new generation is too soft.” He told of soldiers, even reservists,

with only pistols, going house to house, back and forth, to save lives and sacrifice their own.

He said, “Israel, still the best nation on Earth, took this hit, maybe we had it coming. And it’s time to wake up. We are not going to change opinions with social media. We don’t want pity. Like Rose, be strong and stand up to friends trashing Israel. We will win. We have to win!”

He closed by noting that he surveyed soldiers in Gaza on their needs: “That Jews stay united, and we finish the job” was the answer.

Of note, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered several hundred feet away from the Byers Theatre/City Springs entrance, but their perceived impact to the event was minimal.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event, and donations to FIDF since Oct. 7 will go towards the emergency humanitarian needs of IDF soldiers. So far, more than $49 million has been transferred to the IDF to meet their requests. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 19

NEWS

JELF Extends Education Through Service

By Marcia Caller Jaffe In the 147th Annual Jewish Education Loan Fund meeting, members saluted the volunteers and officers who have advanced access to education in record numbers. On Dec. 6, the Jewish Educational Loan Fund confirmed their new slate of 2024 officers and extended a hearty “mazel tov” to their long-standing volunteers. The focus was on the good works of JELF in tune with its annual meeting at Temple Sinai.

Outgoing Board Chair Rob Rickles, a previous JELF recipient, kicked off with record-breaking statistics for the year end 2023, reporting that a total $2,025,261 was loaned to 438 students. He also spoke of the newly re-imagined JELF website and post-Oct. 7 constructive tools.

Rabbi Dr. Brad Levenberg, of Temple Sinai, focused on a bright future now that students are back on campus, and the fact that Jews continue to assemble in today’s dark times. He said, “I am saddened by the suffering in the Middle East and recall Russian dissident Natan Sharansky seeing one tiny flame during

Andy Gross (left), who received the Koonin Family Service Award, and Jeff Alperin, recipient of the Garber Family Award, chat with Ilana Lind, a newer board member and former JELF recipient.

Stan Lowenstein (left), past President, Judy Wolman, past board chair, pose with Glen Nadel, past board member.

JELF CEO Jenna Shulman stands by Rob Rickles, outgoing board chair.

his imprisonment which gave him hope.”

JELF CEO Jenna Shulman, who began JELF as a life changing cause, introduced Judy Wolman, “who was a JELF re-

cipient and never really left,” serving as recent past board chair and ushering in the new slate of officers.

Incoming CEO Emily Sauerteig

started by acknowledging the large shoes left for her to fill beginning with a coffee date with Jane Aronoff, past board chair, and spoke of the recent numerous board

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Incoming board chair Emily Sauerteig appreciated the support of her family, husband, Rene, mother, Barbara Klawans, who flew in from Chicago, children, Hannah, and R.J.

Current JELF recipient Eli Benveniste spoke of the help he has and is receiving through times of family hardship.

JELF’s 2023 statistics are record setting: $2,025,261 loaned to 438 students.

review sessions and support at both “the micro and macro” levels.

She continued, “This year has been one of intense heartbreak which makes our mission more important than ever as policy shaping agents in the face on antisemitism where Jews need to be there to support other Jews.”

JELF is not only there financially, but also with other resources. She complimented Shulman, who initially started with $800,000 worth of loans, now heading into her tenth year at the helm. She said, “We have to keep up with the soaring costs of higher education, and this year saw a million-dollar gap. There are other changes like the consideration of part-time students. We are stronger because JELF lends money and creates connections.”

Featured speaker, Richard Peretz, former CFO of UPS and JELF Executive Board member, recalled the indelible impact the Jewish community had on him as a young man growing up in San Antonio, Texas. He said, “There I was in a commuter school with no JELF, while the Jewish community was there to help. Education is the great equalizer and allows

students to make dreams into reality and lifelong successes. I would not have traded my path.”

Current JELF recipient Eli Benveniste spoke about his attendance now as a UGA college junior where AEPi fraternity enriches his life, and concluded, "Thank you for believing in the underdog."

Marianne Garber, past board chair, presented the Garber Family Honor Roll Award to Jeff Alperin noting his 28 years of persistence, attention to detail, and ability to see the big picture.

The Steve and Edyie Koonin Service Award was given by Jane Aronoff to Greg Gaylis and Andy Gross. The former for his work as an attorney, focusing on JELF employee benefits, and the latter for his fundraising, streamlining the infrastructure, and serving on three committees concurrently.

A lively video was shown of the three winners explaining that education is paramount and the tenant upon which everything is built with their intent to go forth and find more students. Shulman concluded by recognizing Rickles for his loyal service. ì

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Chanin, Cherry Street set to ‘Energize’ Temple Sinai

By Marcia Caller Jaffe As the world places innovating new sources of energy as a top tier priority, Macon native Michael Chanin is doing something about it.

With his background in structured financial products and growth-oriented businesses, and with a passion to “Do Good and Do Well,” he founded Cherry Street Energy (named after Cherry Street in Macon where his grandparents had a clothing store). With the initial vision to build a renewable power company capable of driving the inevitable transition to a low-carbon future, Cherry now serves as Georgia’s foremost non-utility provider of renewable power.

In Chanin’s pledge of action to tikkun olam, Temple Sinai will begin incorporating Cherry’s renewable power into its operations this month, when the crews will begin a solar power plant on the temple’s roof, providing ~30 percent of its electricity. The temple will become one of the first communities of faith in Georgia to incorporate renewable energy, leading by example.

22 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Cherry Street’s renewable power plant was installed in 2023 at Moses Jackson Center in Savannah.

“Temple Sinai has made climate change in our community a priority and we have a dedicated committee that works to address this through a variety of ways,” said Temple Sinai Rabbi Brad

Cherry Street’s solar parking canopy protects from rain, provides shade, and acts as part of a renewable power micro-grid at Porsche Cars North American Headquarters.

Levenberg. “We have implemented many important initiatives including composting, building enhancements to reduce energy use, educational campaigns to our members and more over the past sev-

eral years. We are now in the process of installing solar panels on our building that will continue to help lower our overall carbon footprint."

After attending Congregation

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Michael Chanin, founder and CEO of Cherry Street Energy, who believes in tikkun olam as part of his business model.

The future is renewable energy, generated on-site. This solar power plant provides a Macon-Bibb recreation center with reliable, renewable energy // Photo Credit: Cherry Street Energy

Sha’arey Israel in Macon, Chanin went on to Northwestern University, majoring in American studies and history. After that, he went on to Cambridge University and received a Master of Philosophy focused on economics and the developing world. He then worked in banking for 10 years at Goldman Sachs in the Special Situations Group, followed by SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, providing capital to technology and media companies.

Cherry Street Energy currently operates more than 100 solar facilities in Georgia. Chanin said, “We pride ourselves on an innovative business model that eliminates upfront costs, incremental fees, and ongoing maintenance costs for our customers. Our competitive edge lies in offering predictably priced clean energy and preparing for enhancements to our solar installations with increased capacity, energy storage and electric vehicle charging options.”

Servicing Georgia as the largest and only provider of renewable energy solutions on a portfolio basis, his customers include local governments such as the cities of Atlanta and Savannah, counties of Athens-Clarke, Fulton, and MaconBibb, and major institutions like Emory University, Emory Healthcare, Porsche Cars, and Gulfstream Aviation.

As Cherry Street Energy’s CEO, he leads a team of builders who develop, construct, operate, and maintain critical infrastructure, powering the communities they serve. He maintained, “Together, we develop a meaningful platform to lead the necessary and inevitable transition to a 100 percent renewable power future.

Our focus is on establishing a repeatable and scalable process to rapidly acceler-

ate the adoption of renewable energy. I prioritize equipping each team member with the necessary tools and resources for success. My role involves shaping our strategy and vision to establish the most impactful path for our business. It’s an opportunity to effectuate change in our community and lead the future of sustainable energy.”

Working in a cutting-edge field requires kindness and curiosity. Many challenges he faces in building the business require collaboration with stakeholders who are not familiar with the product or the technology for solar power. He continued, “Teaching new technology to those unfamiliar requires a measured and compassionate approach.”

As a power company, Cherry Street will sell electricity to Temple Sinai at rates less expensive than the utility company. Cherry Street was the first company with this business model (no upfront cost, lower electricity bill, achieve sustainability goals) in the state of Georgia. Temple Sinai will purchase electricity through a solar energy procurement agreement; and Cherry Street installs solar arrays that it owns, operates, and maintains for its customers.

“We believe in tikkun olam, repairing our world, and we are doing as much as we can to make an impact in our local community and the world,” Rabbi Levenberg said.

Cherry Street’s service removes the typically large upfront investment involved, as well as the ongoing maintenance costs after incorporating solar power. Their customers pay only a monthly power bill for the electricity they use, which is competitively priced with the utility. ì

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NEWS

Project Aims to Revive Small Town Jewish Life

By Bob Bahr After Perry Brickman’s parents married in Chattanooga in August of 1931, they went into business together. Despite the fact that it was one of the worst years of the Great Depression, they started the Dixie Coal Company in the small Tennessee city. His mother kept the books, his father was the salesman. Even in the dark years of the economic downturn, people needed coal to stay warm.

“My dad was a natural on the telephone,” Brickman remembered, “calling people to purchase their coal before the cold winter. He was a friend to many peddlers who filled up their wheelbarrows in the coal yard and sold the coal in the nearby neighborhood.”

Brickman, who was born in December of 1932, grew up in the neighborhood a few blocks from Chattanooga’s B’nai Zion synagogue. It was a small, closely knit Jewish community.

In many ways, it was not unlike Jewish life in small towns all over the South, It was similar to the Jewish experience

Small towns in the South offered success for early Jewish merchants.

in the European shtetls where many had first honed the social and commercial skills.

About 200 of those whose Jewish parents and grandparents were pioneers

in the South and elsewhere got together earlier this month at a program jointly sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Foundation and the Jewish Community Legacy Project. In the Sunday afternoon pro-

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gram at another sponsor, The Breman Museum, they heard their lifestyle in these often-isolated communities celebrated and lovingly recalled.

Emory University historian Eric

NEWS

Emory University historian Eric Goldstein was one of the featured speakers at The Breman Museum program.

Goldstein, who spoke at the event on Dec. 3, described the small-town experience of Jews in America as historically important.

“Even though only a minority ended up settling in small towns in the United States,” Goldstein said, “they were really carrying on the tradition and lifestyle that in some ways was more typical of the lifestyle that most of their ancestors in Europe had lived. So, anyone that tells you that, you know, New York is the only authentic Jewish experience and you’re somehow marginal if you come from a small town, just remind them that this was the history and background of most Jewish immigrants to the United States.”

There were about 45 communities from 17 states represented at the event.

They grew up in places in the South like Waycross, Ga., and Kingbury. S.C., as well as towns like Caribou, Maine, and Topeka, Kan. Many of their early family members started out as peddlers going door to door in their small communities selling all sorts of household goods.

In Europe, life as a peddler was a dead-end job, but in America, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when many Jews left Europe for this country, humble beginnings carrying goods on a small wagon or even on your back could quickly lead to bigger and better things. The United States was still expanding, railroads were being built and new towns were blossoming, particularly in the South in the decades following the Civil War. “Being a peddler was a job that could lead to great economic success and mo-

bility,” according to Emory historian Goldstein. “And many of these peddlers could then end up very quickly opening a small shop in a small town and then expanding the business, ultimately having a very successful business.”

It happened in Hattiesburg, Miss., where Joel Adler’s grandfather and father became important small-town merchants and business leaders. They were part of a small, but thriving Jewish community, that grew increasingly prosperous particularly during World War II, when a large military base was opened just outside town.

But success in one generation led to burgeoning ambition in the next. Adler went off to the University of Maryland Dental School and instead of going back to Mississippi, he joined the Army.

“The army sent me to Germany, and I got my start doing oral surgery at a base there,” Adler said. “When I came back to the States, it helped me jump start my career and I opened a practice in Atlanta.”

It was a story, often repeated by those who gathered at the Breman for the program. Many who grew up in small towns, who could have had a comfortable life if they stayed there, sought their future in big cities like Atlanta.

The Jewish Community Legacy Project is attempting to partially reverse the trend by supporting synagogues in more than 200 small communities around the country, including an effort to reinvigorate small town Jewish life in six states in the South. The recent event at The Breman is the first event of its kind in support of this program. ì

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NEWS

Keep Spreading the News

By Sasha Heller

ADVERTISEMENT - Paid for by BBYO

Bob’s Broadway Chorus wrapped another season of nostalgia-filled performances for Atlanta-area senior living communities with its Dec. 3 performance at The Jewish Home for an enthusiastic and engaged audience.

The group will begin rehearsing in January for its Spring season, running from mid-March through early June.

Program spokesperson Sandy Ferko explained how music therapy can be impactful for the elderly and those with disabilities.

“We all have stories about the effect of music on the residents. I have watched couples reach for each other’s hand. Perhaps the most touching happened years ago at The Jewish Home. A young woman wheeled her mother in and told us her mom had not spoken for more than six months, a long time not to hear your mother’s voice. But during one song, her mother started singing. The daughter was crying and, when I looked in their direction and saw what was happening,

BBYO offers an incredible range of travel opportunities for Jewish teens to explore the world together. Each of BBYO’s 30+ travel and camp-based leadership programs is designed to foster tight-knit community building, encouraging teens to form bonds that last long after summer comes to a close. These experiences also give teens the chance to explore Jewish traditions, make cross-cultural connections, and immerse themselves in different communities across the globe. Find program options at bbyo. org/ajt.

One of BBYO’s Atlanta-area teen members, Leo S., traveled to Ecuador in 2023.

The program he attended focuses on integrating teens into daily community life through a variety of service projects. Along the way, participants also experience thrilling activities such as riding the swing “at the end of the world,” hiking to hidden waterfalls in the rainforest, and climbing to the top of mountains for panoramic views. Leo’s experience illustrates the profound bonds teens form on these Summer Experiences: Over the summer I had the amazing opportunity to join BBYO on their volunteer program called Stand UP Adventure Ecuador. It was an incredible experience that al-

26 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Bob’s Broadway Chorus wrapped another season of songs, dancing, and nostalgia in Atlanta-area senior living communities.

I teared up and couldn’t sing.”

Ferko continued about her experiences with the chorus and the effect it can have on the audience.

“Science tells us that music activates a part of the brain … I’m not a doc, but over the 15-plus years I’ve been in the chorus, I’ve seen things like this so of-

ten. Elderly residents can’t find the right word, but they remember lyrics from years ago. And they join in on the songs they remember from years ago. Most of

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lowed me to explore a whole new culture while discovering important aspects of Judaism in my life. I worked in a school and on a farm throughout the three-week adventure to earn 30 hours of service. Going abroad, I was able to see how much a person can learn and grow in such a short period of time.

While the trip went by fast, the memories will last me years and I met people who I now call my best friends.

Traveling with BBYO to Ecuador opened my eyes to the different ways of living and culture in different parts of the world. On my trip, we got to hike, explore, and sightsee in five different locations spanning the Cotopaxi Volcano in the Andes to the Amazon Rainforest. The moment that sticks out to me the most was the last Shabbat we spent together as a group. We were given the day to explore the city of Baños

and rejoined with each other at dinner to share stories and prayers.

I would recommend a summer with BBYO because they provide an amazing opportunity to see a new and unique location while embracing your Jewish values and expanding your Jewish geography. They are all-inclusive programs and once-in-a-lifetime trips! If I could give any teen interested in the Ecuador program advice, I would tell them they should go for it! When will you have to opportunity to go to Ecuador on a fully programmed trip again? You will get to meet new people, see incredible places, and experience all four seasons of the year in one summer.

BBYO has been providing meaningful experiences to Jewish teens for 100 years, and seeks to welcome as many teens as possible for their Centennial Celebration Sum-

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BBYO’s professional staff love connecting with families and answering their questions about Summer Experiences. The goal is simple: finding the right program for your teen! You can always email bbyosummer@ bbyo.org; they also offer information sessions throughout the year designed to help families learn about the different types of programs offered. Find registration information at bbyo.org/ajt.

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NEWS

Bob’s Broadway Chorus will return for its new season in mid-March.

our music is Broadway related, but we also include some songs that they would remember from years ago from singers like Andy Williams or The Fifth Dimension, among others.”

Each of the chorus’ programs, including the sing-along portion where the residents are given the lyrics and asked to join, lasts about an hour.

Highlights from this past season included: • Medleys from “Singin’ In The Rain” • Men singing “Nothing Like a Dame” • “Impossible Dream” • “Somewhere” and “Officer Krupke” from “West Side Story” “A highlight occurs during ‘Singing In The Rain’ when Lee Katz dons a blue cap and opens a big blue umbrella and does his perfect imitation of Gene Kelly, dancing in the aisles, charming the residents,” Ferko said.

Ferko explained that all of the group members are volunteers who live across the North Atlanta area. The Broadway Chorus was started by the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta around 20 years ago.

“But when George Fox staged ‘Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat’ at the JCC and asked Bob Schultz to be the music director, the JCC learned Broadway was Bob’s hobby,” said Ferko. “He knew every show and all of its songs. So, Kim Goodfriend asked Bob to take over the chorus and many of the show’s cast members joined the group. We’ve enjoyed singing and getting to know each other for about 17 years. When Bob passed away almost six years ago, members decided to add his name to the title, hence ‘Bob’s Broadway Chorus.’”

Barry Levin is the chorus leader and Richard Siegel serves as the pianist. To book Bob’s Broadway Chorus at a senior living community or to audition for the chorus, please contact Ferko at sandyzferko@gmail.com. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 27

NEWS

Alsher Retires After Five Decades

By Marcia Caller Jaffe This December, Bennet Alsher announced his retirement after a 50-year career in labor law.

Growing up in Elkins Park, Penn., a suburb of Philadelphia, he graduated from Cheltenham High School, which is the same high school that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended two years prior. He then graduated from the University of Rochester (1973) with a double major in history and political science. After working different jobs and traveling, including two months on a kibbutz in Israel in 1974, he went onto Emory School of Law, graduating in 1978.

Alsher came to labor law “by osmosis” because his father worked for the National Labor Relations Board, in various cities, but mostly in Philadelphia.

“Labor law seemed like an interesting and dynamic area of law,” he recalled. After a year at a general practice firm, he began his career at Elarbee Clark & Paul, a boutique management-side labor law firm. In 1982, that firm split, and Bennett became a partner at Clark Paul

Bennet Alsher, after 50 years, will retire from his career in labor law.

Hoover & Mallard, also a managementside labor law firm. In 1995, CPH&M merged into Ford & Harrison, where he practiced labor and employment law through 2023. When he joined Ford & Harrison in 1995, the firm had three offices and approximately 40 lawyers. Today, the firm has about 200 lawyers and

more than 25 offices throughout the U.S. His job involved a great deal of traveling, particularly early in his career. This work took him all over the U.S. and into Canada handling cases and matters in over 40 states.

Over the years, his practice evolved from traditional (arbitrations, collective

bargaining with unions) to employment law on the management side. He credits a mentor for advising him that “management-side attorneys could do more good for employees than any union ever did.”

Today, unions represent fewer than 10 percent of private sector employees.

How will such a diligent focused work horse spend his newfound free time? Alsher said, “I have time to pursue other interests: travel, reading, enjoying my very patient wife, Paula, our children, and grandchildren, spending more time doing volunteer work. Effective 1-1-2024, I’ll be fully retired.”

Looking back at what sustained his values and practice, Bennett advises the following for new attorneys: * Treat your colleagues, your clients, and your opposing counsel with respect and consideration. * Never compromise your ethics or your integrity. * Don’t discuss sex, religion, or politics with your clients (unless relevant to your case). * Be on time. * Under promise; over deliver. ì

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BUSINESS Backpack Project Hosts Homeless Heroes Day Georgia student-run nonprofit The Backpack Project hosted its annual Homeless Heroes Day (HHD) event in Atlanta on Nov. 17.

Now in its sixth year, Homeless Heroes Day serves as the largest annual fundraiser for The Backpack Project, a charitable organization that provides necessities to the unhoused community.

The Homeless Heroes Day initiative focuses on offering support to the local veteran population that are without permanent homes to reside in.

During the event, The Backpack Project brings together its numerous corporate partners under one roof to put together backpacks full of food, toiletries, and other items.

Once prepared, the local nonprofit then hand-delivers the bags to veterans and other Atlanta residents that are inneed. This year, The Backpack Project planned on packing and distributing around 900 bags to individuals in the community.

Since it was established in 2015, The Backpack Project has delivered over

Since it was established in 2015, The Backpack Project has delivered over 13,500 necessityfilled backpacks to residents located throughout the Southeast.

13,500 necessity-filled backpacks to residents located throughout the Southeast.

Among the communities the non-

profit serves include Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Gainesville and Savannah.

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Project and its initiatives, visit thebackpackproject.ngo.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Hadassah in Action Addresses Bill Defining Antisemitism Concerned with the threatening rise in antisemitism, Hadassah Greater Atlanta leaders Phyllis M. Cohen, Esther Panitch, and Simone Wilker brought together a group of members on Nov. 19 for “Hadassah in Action.” They focused on how to succeed in getting a bill passed to adopt the IHRA definition to define antisemitism in Georgia. State Rep. Panitch, Georgia House of Representatives for District 51, was a co-sponsor of the original HB30 bill.

In order to create a Hadassah video to educate and inspire grassroots advocacy in Georgia and across the country, the videography team of Meaningful Media captured questions raised and concerns voiced in a round table discussion with Panitch.

Phyllis Cohen, HGA dvisor and the discussion chair, noted, “Jews all over and many students on campuses no longer feel safe. Misunderstanding and misinformation are a big part of the problem, and defining antisemitism can be a big part of the solution. We must define it so that we can identify it and call it out whenever it rears its ugly head!”

Simone Wilker, HGA Zionist Affairs Chair, encouraged the group to invite others to join her in the meaningful ex30 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

(Front row, from left) Mindy Cohen, Nancy Schwartz, Jodi Mekyten, Phyllis M. Cohen, State Rep. Esther Panitch, Linda Goldstein, Michele Weiner-Merbaum; (back row, from left) Talia Segal, Rosalie Agrow, Mechal Perl, Holly Kurtz, Terry Nordin, Julie Jacobson, Betty Fendrick, Robin Hyman, Simone Wilker

perience of speaking with legislators and attending sessions at the State Capitol.

She emphasized, “We must speak up, counteract misinformation, and show the support and importance of this bill to get it passed.”

Panitch answered a question from Talia Segal, President of Hillel at Georgia

Tech, by first thanking her for her advocacy on the front lines countering antisemitism on campus – and then responding, “The way we defend our position in defining antisemitism is to inform that while criticism of Israel is protected under free speech, when that criticism escalates to stating that Israel doesn’t have

the right to exist – that is antisemitic.”

They focused on how to succeed in getting a bill passed to adopt the IHRA definition to define antisemitism in Georgia.

More on Hadassah’s advocacy can be found at www.hadassah.org.

Compiled by AJT Staff

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SPORTS Versatile Walman Becoming an Asset for Red Wings For the past decade, something has been off in the NHL. The Detroit Red Wings, the oldtimey Original Six franchise David Ostrowsky with 11 Stanley Cup titles and whose hometown is dubbed “Hockeytown,” have largely been an afterthought since the mid-2010s.

As Sunbelt franchises with far less decorated histories (Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings) have hoisted the Cup at the conclusion of recent seasons, Detroit’s unfathomable 25-year playoff streak (1991-2016) that included four championships has become more and more of a fleeting memory for a Red Wings fan base wondering when the current rebuilding process will come to fruition.

As the first couple months of this NHL season suggest, it may be in the not-so-distant future. The Red Wings, atop the Atlantic Division leaders and firmly in the mix for an Eastern Conference playoff berth, have a nucleus of promising young players, one of whom is 27-year-old Jewish defenseman Jake Walman, who hails from just-over-the-border Toronto. A few years removed from seeing meager playing time for the St. Louis Blues, Walman is coming into his own as a rock-steady blueliner for a Red Wings team eyeing its first playoff series victory since spring 2013.

“It’s been a treat playing for these guys,” said Walman when speaking to the AJT last month. “It’s close to home – Detroit’s close to Toronto. I just think that I’ve gotten a pretty good opportunity here to show what I can do and prepare for moments like this to take advantage of. All the adversity that I’ve gone through in my pro career, at the beginning, has kind of tested me for moments like this and I’m ready to show it.”

Although he’s been saddled with a litany of nagging ailments in his young NHL career, getting shortchanged by St. Louis, at least from Walman’s perspective, is the true culprit behind his relatively limited production in the early going.

“I wouldn’t say adversity was injuries,” noted Walman, who’s on pace for his first-ever double-digit goals season – on Dec. 2 against the Montreal 32 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Currently in his fifth season in the NHL, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman is one of many Jewish players having a profound impact on the league this winter // Photo Credit: Allison Farrand/Detroit Red Wings

Canadiens he potted the game-winner in overtime before busting out his nowcustomary Griddy dance -- and well on his way toward eclipsing his career-high in points (coincidentally, 18). “I mean that by playing behind guys in St. Louis where I was before and not getting any trust from those guys there in St. Louis.

I got an opportunity where Steve [Yzerman] saw something in me. I kind of owe it to these guys to prove that I can do it.

They have the trust in me so it makes me feel good. That’s the type of team that you want to play for.”

Detroit’s also the type of team that has been synonymous with NHL royalty for nearly a century. Some of hockey’s towering legends – Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov – have enjoyed their glory years in the Motor City, while elevating the Red Wings to the gold standard of the NHL for generations.

“There’s a huge history being an Original Six team,” acknowledged Walman, who came of age in the shadow of a Canadian Original Six team (Toronto Maple Leafs), but has dual American-Canadian citizenship and actually skated for his mother’s hometown college (Providence) before embarking on his stateside NHL career. “Every night it’s fun to put the jersey on. All the alumni there are,

we see it every day in the room. The guys that have been playing for the Red Wings before. It’s just good to represent that and keep that going.”

While he may never be in the same conversation as Howe, Yzerman, or Fedorov, Walman, whose off-ice passions include Fortnite and hearty Texas Roadhouse meals, is representing the Jewish athletic community by being one of the many Jewish skaters making significant contributions to NHL rosters this decade.

The Toronto native, who last February signed a three-year contract extension with Detroit, has proven he can be a shutdown defender against the rush, leveraging his tree trunk legs and overall litheness to kill plays and help shuffle the puck the other way. To that end, Walman has cultivated a league-wide reputation for devoting his summers toward getting in ship shape condition. After all, the next few years are his window to make his mark on the game, and there’s no telling when it will close.

“Opportunity is a huge thing,” he added. “I’m in a fortunate position where I have the trust of the coaches and teammates. I just want to try to prove to everybody, including them and the city of Detroit, that I can help us be a really good team. And I want to be a huge part of

that. It’s exciting times.”

Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde, who refers to Walman as an “unbelievable human,” had the following to share: “He’s been a really good player over the last two years. He’s got a great skill set.

I know it’s a little bit of a cliché, but he can do it all. He can skate, he’s got a great stick, he can shoot it. I just think he’s put it all together.”

That he is one of many current Jewish NHL players is not lost on Walman.

Last year, when the Detroit Free Press was polling the Red Wings’ locker room about their holiday rituals, Walman opened up a little about his background by explaining, “My mom grew up Christian, Catholic, and my dad’s side of the family grew up Jewish. I consider myself Jewish, but our Christmas tree is like a leaf-less birch tree with lights, so it’s pretty cool. Then we have eight days of Hanukkah, and you are supposed to open up a present every day.

We light one candle every night, so that’s pretty much what we do with the family.”

As it turns out, when Walman is toward the end of his current three-year pact with Detroit, he may not be the only Jewish Red Wing: in 2021, the franchise drafted Israeli-American defenseman Shai Buium, who will soon be joining the organization when his college days are over. ì

SPORTS

Rabinovitch Reveres His Holy Cross Experience

By David Ostrowsky The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., is one of the country’s most renowned liberal arts schools. It’s also one of America’s foremost Jesuit educational institutions, meaning there is a habitually miniscule Jewish population on campus. From an athletic standpoint, Holy Cross, whose men’s basketball team used to be a powerhouse with the likes of Bob Cousy and Tommy Heinsohn starring in the mid-20th century, can go semesters, even years without any Jewish athletes on their rosters.

Not this decade, however.

The Crusaders’ towering 6’10” senior forward, Michael Rabinovich, a gold medal recipient for Team USA at the 2022 Maccabiah Games, is proudly representing the Jewish community this winter at Holy Cross. While his playing time has been sparse throughout parts of his college career – largely due to injuries – Rabinovitch is an esteemed veteran leader who’s injected some unexpected diversity into the school’s hoops team.

“I would say that the experience has been extremely rewarding,” Rabinovitch told the AJT last month. “Everybody at Holy Cross is extremely accepting and it’s a really tight-knit community. I’ve had a lot of really positive discussions. I’ve actually taken a Judaism class. There’s also been different opportunities here to exercise my faith as well. Being at a Jesuit institution as a Jew has been interesting, but also rewarding at the same time.”

For Rabinovitch, coming out of Worcester Academy where he captained the basketball team as a senior, Holy Cross was the great unknown. How would he be received? How much of a factor, if at all, would his religion be in terms of having a great college experience?

“I had no expectations,” explained the Holy Cross senior who’s majoring in economics and psychology. “Obviously, I knew that the school was a religious school, but it’s really up to the individual as far as how far they want to take it.

There are a lot of different opportunities to exercise your personal religion, but at the same time, it’s all about choice and the school, while giving you a wellrounded education, leaves it up to you how far you want to take it.”

Unlike the seamless transition Rabinovitch has made in meshing with the predominantly Christian student body, his often injury-riddled career as a Division I athlete has been rocky at times. It started three years ago during the pan-

Holy Cross senior forward Michael Rabinovitch is one of the acclaimed Jesuit school’s very few Jewish student-athletes in its decades-long history // Photo Credit: Holy Cross Athletics

demic winter of 2020-21 when, as a freshman, Rabinovitch was elbowed in the eye during a practice two weeks before the season opener, his first-ever college basketball game.

But it wasn’t until merely a couple days before the season kicked off that his vision took a turn for the worse – even the bright orange rim was fuzzy – and he was subsequently diagnosed with a detached retina necessitating emergency surgery.

After being restricted to four games as a freshman, the big man’s sophomore year got off to an inauspicious start: in the second game of the year against Quinnipiac, he went up for a rebound and came down awkwardly on an opponent’s foot, leaving him with a gimpy ankle. Rabinovitch returned in a week – in hindsight, it was way too soon – while the injury lingered throughout the season and by mid-February, he had to shut it down for good.

Less than a year later – five games into the 2022-23 season – it became rather apparent that surgery was in order … and that his junior year would be wiped out.

As the years have gone by, and the injuries have taken their toll and new recruits have been brought in, Rabinovitch

has seen limited playing time (he did get to see the court in a nationally-televised showdown against a Rick Pitino-coached St. John’s Red Storm team on Nov. 25), with his primary role being that of a supportive teammate who can live vicariously through the other guys on the roster.

“I like to think of it [role on team] as doing whatever it takes to win,” said Rabinovitch. “Being older and going through some of the history that I have, I’m really focused on the off-the-court stuff, as well as on-the-court stuff, like mentoring younger players, taking on a leadership role. My perspective and my experience over the past four years is something that I really feel I can bring to the table.”

One of those experiences was indeed helping the U.S. win gold at the 2022 Maccabiah Games, a feat even more impressive considering he underwent ankle surgery a few months later. Truthfully, such rigorous competition may have exacerbated the bum ankle, but he has no regrets in his decision to join 10,000 other athletes across 80 countries in partaking in the world’s second largest Olympic Games while visiting the Western Wall and touring Tel Aviv during off-days, activities about which Rabinovitch re-

marks, “those are things that I hold very near and dear to my heart, especially in these times when there is uncertainty within the region.”

Rabinovitch had Maccabiah teammates who remained in Israel after the Games to pursue their professional careers – a seemingly dreamy scenario at the time -- before ultimately returning to the States amidst the current war against Hamas.

“I really hope for their sake that they can get back there [Israel] on a short turnaround,” he added. “I would also love to get back there, whether it’s playing, coaching, or just in my personal life. I can definitely envision myself playing there one day. The injury history is pretty rich, but at the same time I’m feeling great and I’m making strides every day. Playing there would be a childhood dream come true. Israel holds a very special place in my heart.”

Apparently so does Holy Cross, even given its dramatically different religious landscape.

“Being at Holy Cross, there are so many different avenues to explore and so many different passions that you can really, really pursue, that I am really grateful to be at a place like this.” ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 33

OPINION Jewish Atlanta’s Big Tent Closed to Anti-Israel Left

Dave Schechter From Where I Sit

Back in February, as I interviewed Jewish activists opposing the planned Atlanta Public Safety Center — derisively referred to as “Cop City” — the conversa-

tion turned to Israel.

A young man said: “Anti-Zionism was a major part of what brought us together in the first place, even before the forest movement, and kind of a big part of what leads us to feel alienated from most mainstream Jewish communities.”

A Georgia Tech graduate recalled a controversy pitting the Hillel chapter against campus socialists who hosted a pro-Palestine event. The implicit message, she said, was: “If you are anti-Zionist, you can’t be Jewish. That’s the entire thing. And it’s infuriating.”

34 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Their opinions about Israel were, they said, in accord with their Jewish beliefs and the Judaism they practice.

The Jewish community may think of itself as a large tent, capable of accommodating a range of viewpoints, but Israel is where a line is drawn.

Self-described “pro-Israel, propeace” J Street is inside the tent. The Atlanta chapter co-sponsored a pro-Israel rally after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks and a vigil for Israelis held hostage in Gaza, and took part in the Washington, D.C., rally for Israel.

Groups further to the left are considered beyond the pale. The tent flaps are closed to Jewish Voices for Peace and IfNotNow. JVP calls itself “the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world . . . organizing a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews into solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle . . .”

IfNotNow is “a movement of American Jews organizing our community to

end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid system and demand equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Palestinians and Israelis.”

While a substantial majority of Jewish Atlanta supports — albeit to varying degrees — Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, a Jewish anti-Zionist/anti-Israel minority appears to be growing, particularly among young adults.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta was concerned enough in midOctober, when an anti-Israel protest was advertised online, to advise local news media that the Federation “ . . . wishes to make this very clear: The event planned

by Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now in Atlanta does not have the support of and does not represent the overwhelming majority of Atlanta’s Jewish Community. These organizations challenge Israel’s very right to exist.”

Another statement has been prepared, to be released should it be considered necessary.

A couple of weeks before war paused and Palestinians jailed by Israel were exchanged for (most but not all) Israeli women and children held hostage, a Jewish anti-Zionist activist emailed me: “Honestly, what would be amazing is seeing Jewish institutions and community spaces in Atlanta really wrestling with how to include and support community members who range from anti-Zionist to liberal Zionist. What would be even more amazing is seeing our communities wrestle with why so many Jews are cheering on a literal genocide (and then vehemently opposing those who don’t share this stand), and also believe this genocide [will] make us safer.”

A liberal Zionist differs from an anti-Zionist, as Sara Yael Hirschhorn explained in an op-ed published by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: “A liberal Zionist can hold two ideas in their head at the same time in this historical moment: both that Israel can and must do what is necessary to defend herself and that a diplomatic solution to the Palestinian is-

sue is the only way to avoid permanent war. Liberal Zionists can see merit in the Palestinian cause but full-throatedly declare that liberation cannot come by raining rockets over coastal Israel, murdering families in their homes or taking grandmothers and babies captive.”

Most of what I have heard from Jewish Atlantans has been less “cheering on a literal genocide” than regarding the Palestinian death toll as the regrettable cost of fighting Hamas, mixed with concern about how the war will end and what will come after.

Jewish Democratic State Rep. Esther Panitch told the online news site, State Affairs, that “outlying groups” like JVP and IfNotNow are being used as tokens by anti-Zionist/anti-Israel groups to claim Jewish support. “And don’t forget, there were Jews who supported the Nazi party before they were killed. So, I put those in the same category” she said.

JVP, which opposes Panitch’s (thus far unsuccessful) effort to see the state adopt a definition of antisemitism, responded on “X” (formerly Twitter): “The reality is this: There is a sea change happening within the Jewish community, and it is terrifying to Zionists like Rep. Panitch. A growing movement of Jews is no longer willing to unquestionably pledge their allegiance to Israel . . . As Jews, we are awakening from the lies we have been told about Israel; we are seeing with our own eyes the terror and deprivation that the occupation of Palestine has wrought, and we refuse to accept —much less justify — this deplorable state of affairs . . .

Rep. Panitch is desperate to delegitimize the hard truths that are being revealed.

Attempts to silence us will only make our calls for justice louder, and our numbers grow.”

Rather than seek an invitation to join the mainstream Jewish community, the anti-Zionist/anti-Israel left is erecting its own tent. As the war continues, it bears watching whether the latter becomes more attractive to liberal and progressive Jews. ì

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 35

OPINION

Keep A Bag Packed Noticing my anxiety over the events of October 7th and subsequent worldwide antisemitic demonstrations a non-Jewish friend inquired: Steven Morris “Why are you Guest Contributor concerned, this is America, have you been the victim of antisemitism?” I realized that as a baby boomer raised in New York City the answer was no.

My neighborhoods, Bedford Stuyvesant, and Jamaica were racially and ethnically diverse. NYC public schools were even closed on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. I subsequently moved to Atlanta, married, established a medical practice and we raised our four children. Antisemitism was never an issue. The practice I built of 100 physicians was diverse, mirroring our community. Our children attended private, non-Jewish, faithbased schools, had bar and bat mitzvahs, and later were accepted at the universities of their choosing.

I identified with Israel, worked on a kibbutz near Safed and a hospital in Nahariyya, but for my generation America was the secure location Jewish people had sought for 2,500 years in exile. George Washington made a promise to the leaders of Touro Synagogue, Rhode Island in 1790 when he wrote: “The new government would not sanction bigotry.” Adding: “May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants.” A year later the First Amendment was passed. Hasn’t that promise been fulfilled?

Although Jewish settlers arrived in America 300 years ago in 1850, they numbered fewer than 50,000. Unfortunately, the antisemitic tropes from Europe followed.

On Dec. 17, 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant issued General Orders No. 11 to evict Jews from the vast war zone under his command.

His edict was described as “the most sweeping anti-Jewish regulation in all American history.” Fortunately, President Lincoln rescinded the order a month later.

Jewish immigrants began coming in large numbers from Central and Eastern Europe, between 1880 and 1920, over 2.5 mil-

lion. By the early 20th century and lasting until the end of World War II a strain of virulent antisemitism emerged in American with the culprits wide reaching. In 1915, a Jewish man, Leo Frank, was abducted from jail in Atlanta and hung by a mob. Henry Ford, a lifelong antisemite bought his own newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, and in 1920 it began publishing a weekly series: “The International Jew: The World’s Problem.” In 1925 Hitler referred to Ford as a ‘great man’ in Mein Kampf.

America also maintained highly restrictive immigration laws, denying millions of immigrants, who would later die in the Holocaust, safe haven. Father Charles Coughlin mastered the social media of his time with a popular radio show. Known for his vicious antisemitic rants he responded to the November 10, 1938, “Kristallnacht” attack on Jews in Germany by asking, “Why is there persecution in Germany today?” He went on to explain: “Jewish persecution only followed after Christians first were persecuted.”

Dara Horn, in her eerily prescient book: “People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Presence” (September 2021) relates that for generations Jews told their children

their names were changed on Ellis Island because someone wrote it incorrectly or it was hard to pronounce. In reality, most changes were after arrival in America by legal petition. The reasons proffered were: discrimination in finding employment, inability to buy a house or live in certain neighborhoods, their children were denied entrance to schools, prohibition from trades; basically all the antisemitic behavior they thought they were escaping when passing Liberty Island.

In the middle of the 20th century, after 550,000 Jews fought for America in World War II (my father and two uncles included) and the horror of the Shoah was revealed, there was a noticeable decline in antisemitism. My generation has experienced decades where overt antisemitism has not been tolerated. However, as Mark Twain famously penned: “History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”. When it comes to Jews and persecution/pogroms/exile he may have been wrong. History repeats itself, over and over.

The Jews in England before the Edict of Expulsion probably felt at home as did the Sephardic Jews in Spain during “the Golden Age’ but before the Inquisition. After 100,000

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OPINION German Jews served the Kaiser faithfully in WWI could they have imagined the fate of not the next generation but their very own?

How about Jews in France, the land of Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite, until they were rounded up on July1942, and taken to the Val D’Hiv (Velodrome) by French Gendarmes.

The Nazis requested Jews over the age of 16 but French Prime Minister Pierre Laval decided it would be ‘humanitarian’ to take children also. So, 4000 of them were arrested and later died, mostly in Auschwitz (Laval was tried and executed in 1945.)

This is America we say — it can’t happen here. The greatest Democracy ever, the place that has proven the exception to thousands of years of Jewish discrimination. Have we been lulled into a false sense of security and contentment? Is this why the vitriolic, irrational, frenzied, antisemitic scenes on our streets and campuses are so frightening.

Thousands marching to support murderous terrorists, Jihadists, committed to genocide, who intentionally torture and behead babies and children, burn them alive, rape, kill the elderly, torment civilian prisoners, and record it on their GoPro before calling their parents to brag and receive affirmation.

Those who say the demonstrations and protests are just anti-Zionism and not hatred of Jews play a fool’s game. As Michal Cottler-Wunsch, Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, pointed out so eloquently at the UN in November: This is the same virus; just a modern, social media infused, mutation.

Bret Stephens, in his NYT Column on November 7, 2023 “For American Jews, Every Day Must Be Oct. 8” wrote: “We can call out anti-Zionism for what is: a rebranded version of antisemitism, based on the same set of libels and conspiracy theories.” This week in testimony before Congress the President of Harvard could not even agree that calling for “Genocide of Jews” violated the Harvard ‘Code of Conduct’. How low is that bar? Pundits keep referring to ‘better education’ as the solution; oblivious to the fact that huge number of protesters are teachers, professors and have doctor of something before their names. A congresswoman, Pramila Jayapal, head of the Democratic Progressive caucus, when asked about the horrendous rapes and crimes against innocent Israeli women, wanted to “be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinian.” Remember she is an elected official of the US government and very powerful member of the Democratic party.

What are the reasons for this? Short memories as we are 80 years from the Holocaust? More and more people entering our society with inbred and deep-seated antisemitic indoctrination? The teaching in high school and college campuses of an agenda that is anti-White, anti-Western and anti-American? Today’s protesters see Jews

as White colonizers and oppressors; the embodiment of all that is wrong in Western Society. But Hitler saw us as non-Aryan mongrels: A German pamphlet stated: “Jewry represents not a uniform race but a race mixture. It consists of Near Eastern and Oriental race ingredients, intermingled with Negro strains.” Jew haters will see what they want to fit their agenda.

We are forced to ask: Are Jewish people safe in America or was this barely a generational respite from the ‘world’s oldest hate’? Are we complacent because Jews have marched lockstep with BLM, LBGTQ+, ProChoice, Feminists, Climate activists, MeToo movement? But where are these groups now as we see events unfolding in real time.

Jewish students barricaded into a library at Cooper Union for their safety. MIT students barred from classes on campus. A 69-yearold man at a Pro-Israel rally in LA dead; manslaughter charges pending against a college professor. A high school teacher in Jamaica, Queens under threat of harm by marauding students for the crime of attending a Pro-Israel rally. Jews in NYC afraid to wear yarmulkes. A Jewish owned falafel restaurant vandalized in Philadelphia. How many public Menorah lightings were cancelled in ‘our’ country this week?

What does the future hold for my grandchildren? Is this the America that George Washington promised? But wait — aren’t they tearing down his statues? So why should Jews feel special? There is an old Jewish custom that required people to keep a bag packed awaiting the Messiah’s arrival. Later that morphed into ‘just in case’ you had to leave your home suddenly. When Jeff Goldberg asked this question of a French Holocaust survivor in an Atlantic article in March 2015 it was intertwined with “but where would you go?” When and where will Jews ever feel safe as a small minority and what allies will be there. America is my home. I love this country and appreciate all it has given me. But if Western self-loathing endangers the values of democracy, justice, family, literacy, humanity, opportunity, and morality that Jews cherish then we will continue to be further marginalized, hated, and victimized as our society and civilization crumbles. In Israel much of the Jewish population came from nations where the choice was binary: leave or die. They have nowhere else to go if Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran are successful. This is why the survival of Israel is existential to them as it is to us. It is our indigenous, ancestral homeland and possibly our only remaining home if, God Forbid, we shall face that same binary choice.

Keep a Bag Packed. ì

NEURO CARE

Steven Morris recently retired from the practice of medicine after 45 years establishing and running Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 37

OPINION

Every Georgian Deserves to FEEL Safe and to BE Safe On October 7th, the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Hamas terrorists attacked Israel Chris Carr with the sole Guest Contributor goal of butchery to the Jewish people. This was terrorism plain and simple. In the days after, images and reports about the barbarism were unveiled in part through the videos taken by the Hamas terrorists on the victims’ phones and sent to their families. Children saw their parents murdered in cold blood, and terrorists savagely slayed infants in the largest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. Over 240 innocent civilians, including babies and the elderly were taken hostage and are being held as human shields in the Hamas tunnels of Gaza.

At home, many, myself included, took to denounce these atrocities and give full-throated support for Israel in her duty to defend her people. Anger, sadness, empathy and fear permeated throughout many parts of the globe.

I, like many Georgians, stand with Israel and the Jewish people in these darkest times.

However, others took a deeply troubling stance. One member of Congress displayed a Palestinian flag outside of her office and refused to denounce the killing of babies as terrorism- another repeated verbiage that amounts to calling for Israeli genocide. In major cities and college campuses across the country, the same or similar sentiments were repeatedly expressed. Personally, I find these comments disgusting. As Attorney General of Georgia and a defender of the First Amendment, I believe speech, even offensive speech, should be protected.

There is a bright, red line. While I will always defend one’s freedom of expression, even vile expression, and the right to peaceably assemble, we have seen disturbing activities that go beyond that which is constitutionally protected. Acts of violence are not free speech.

The Anti-Defamation League reports a 388% uptick in antisemitic incidents from last year while 70% believe antisemitism is on the rise. An individual faces federal charges for making terroristic threats against a kosher dining hall at Cornell University. Pro-Hamas activists in New York overtook Grand Central

Station causing extensive damage. In California, a pro-Israeli protestor was killed in an altercation with a pro-Palestinian protestor who now faces charges. Numerous similar scenarios have played out in recent weeks especially on college campuses around the country. On these campuses, Jewish students do not feel safe, and many are afraid to exhibit their Jewish identity.

Every Georgian deserves to feel safe. Every Georgian deserves to BE safe. This is true no matter your race, gender, faith or sexual orientation. As I talk to my friends throughout the state, I have a deep appreciation for the level of anxiety that exists in the wake of events around the world. If you see or experience activity that you feel rises to the level of criminality, please use our office as a resource. We will work with the appropriate law enforcement agencies to investigate.

Currently, Georgia does have laws against disorderly conduct, inciting a riot as well as domestic terrorism on the books.

Breaking these laws at a synagogue, on a college campus, or wherever a Georgian is criminally threatened should not be tolerated.

My office is currently analyzing ways to strengthen the laws in Georgia. For example, there is a federal statute that prohibits the

material support for terrorist organizations.

A number of states have implemented laws that mirror that same prohibition. Florida cited their state statute when they disbanded the Students for Justice in Palestine from their public universities. My colleague in Virginia is investigating student groups under their version of this law as well. Unfortunately, Georgia does not have this law on the books yet, but one of my legislative priorities is to work with our friends in the Georgia Legislature to enact a similar law.

I will never understand the reaction from those who speak in favor of the terrorism that was committed against Israel.

As long as it is protected speech, I will use my First Amendment rights to voice my disagreements. My office will keep a diligent eye open for when the red line of free speech is crossed. Any activity that amounts to terroristic threats, material support for terrorism, or other unlawful behavior should never be tolerated, and I will work with our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to help ensure it is not.

Chris Carr was re-elected as Georgia’s Attorney General in November 2022. Then-Governor Nathan Deal first appointed him to the role in 2016.

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CHANUKAH Deluxe Sufganiyot by Galit and Shilav

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Branch out of the traditional jelly sufganiyot (traditional Chanukah sweet donut-like treat) to elevated artisanal versions by local sabra mother–son team of Galit Pariente and Shilav Edri, the assistant chef and marketing arm.

From Moroccan ancestry, Pariente grew up in Israel in Ma’alot and moved to Nahariyya when Shilav was 6 years old. Both mother and son served in the Israel Defense Forces. Edri said, “Mom always had the instinct and knew how to bake and cook, and I learned from her.

I have memories of sofganiyot that my mom baked at home, and the delight that all my family was coming to celebrate.”

The team specializes in sweets, desserts, and cakes, and does year-round catering out of their East Cobb home.

Of course, they make the regular jelly sufganiyot, but they take it a “notch up” with Oreo, lotus, cookies and cream, Halva filling, pistachio, coffee, and Nutella, and white chocolate flavors.

Galit said, “I can make any sufgani-

Galit at work with Shilav assisting.

yot you wish for by request or want them for any other occasion year-round. Keep in mind that we are cooking all year for other holidays with items like sesame

chicken, vegetables and grains in a tagine, Moroccan desserts from scratch, salmon meatballs (spicy or not), and falafel and humus with olives, pickled

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Sufganiyot brings memory and traditions into a Chanukah household.

vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs. Serving the latter in a hamsah (hand) shaped dish makes it particularly appealing.”

Regular jelly (usually strawberry)

CHANUKAH

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The original traditional jelly sufganiyots are $3 each.

sufganiyot are $3 each. The specialized “bespoke” flavors are between $5-$6 each.

They are all fresh, never frozen, and it takes about three hours to make the dough, followed by frying.

Shaliv stated, “The secret for good sufganiyot is that they need to be airy and soft. We use fresh-only ingredients from scratch, starting with all-purpose flour and regular sugar. The decorations and design are equally important because people first eat with their eyes, then when they taste it, and it’s delicious to their mouths as well.”

As a fun footnote, sufganiyot in Poland is called paczki which means “flower buds.” Sufganiyot has both Hebrew and Greek roots: Greek for “fried and spongy,” and Hebrew translating to sofeg (to “absorb”).

Traditional recipes have many steps

and call for eggs, vegetable oil for frying, yeast, nutmeg, flour, and salt and butter in addition to sugar. Some chefs suggest using a wooden spoon and well floured surface to avoid sticky dough. The difference between the Chanukah treats and regular donuts is that the former are made with yeast, and the latter, bake or caked donuts, use a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda. Some identify sufganiyot as a “pillowy donut” that’s similar to a New Orleans-style beignet while using the oil to symbolize the Chanukah miracle of stretching to eight days of lights.

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CHANUKAH

L’Dor V’Dor Judaica Continues to Connect

Bob Bahr

During Chanukah this year, Emily Scheinfeld, who teaches communication studies at Kennesaw State University, was busy giving away

menorahs.

At holiday bazaars at Congregation B’nai Torah and Congregation Or Ve Shalom, and at a couple of less formal holiday Chanukah events, a long folding table was covered with them. They were composed of wood or metal, or ceramics and they were free, no questions asked.

If you saw one you liked, it was yours -courtesy of L’Dor V’dor Judaica, a 501(C)3 nonprofit she started last year.

Over 18 months, Sheinfeld has collected more than 1,200 items. Not only menorahs, but kiddish cups, Shabbat bread boards, seder plates, and mezzuzahs. Some were barely used, others were none the worse for the wear they had received in homes that, for one reason or another, were no longer able to use them.

Or, as Scheinfeld believed, were no longer able to give them the care they deserved.

“These items are a connection to our past and our heritage. And having that connection can be very meaningful to people. I grew up in a home where nothing Jewish went into a cabinet, nothing went into a drawer. It was always out on our shelves year around.”

Scheinfeld began accumulating all her religious objects soon after moving here from Texas several years ago. She found that Jewish ritual objects were often neglected to sell at the estate sales

The Chanukah bazaar at Congregation Or Ve Shalom was one venue L’dor V’dor has used to give away Judaica.

Emily Schienfeld founded L’dor V’dor Judaica as a way to pass on religious objects that were no longer being used.

L’dor V’dor has collected more than 1,200 items of Judaica to be given away free to anyone who asks.

she attended. The new stops, for many of these items, she felt, were the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores where the role they had played in family life and in the yearly holiday cycle wouldn’t be understood or appreciated. How many Shabbat dinners had begun with this silver cup? How many challahs baked by loving hands would grace this cutting board, would be sliced by this shiny blade?

These items, Sheinfeld believed, still had a lot of life left in them.

“They are pieces of art, and they allow us to be very proud of who we are, which is very important especially now and to show that pride. And it also brings a little bit of beauty into our home yearround and a lot of joy year-round. So, we pick out our Judaica carefully because they can give us so much joy.”

To help her start the project, she received an innovation grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. A local synagogue stored the items free of charge until she found a place to keep them more permanently. To date, she has given away more than 700 items. They

went to people who might not have had the extra money to buy the item, or who had found it hard to shop online, where much Judaica is sold. An item that you might want to have for holidays for many years to come had to be touched and held and looked at from many angles -- something that could not be done in the relative anonymity of cyberspace.

The gratitude of those who received items was expressed anonymously on L’dor V’dor’s Facebook page. They speak profoundly of the contribution that a well-appreciated religious item can return.

“You gave us a piece of our history back that I never thought I’d have,” one wrote. “Thank you for being the light I needed to reignite my own flame, continue to heal, and to begin paying it forward.”

Or as another wrote, also anonymously: “We are storytellers, the carrierson of our people, and the first thing I did when I got home was put my change in our tzedakah box.”

Or a third: “The package you sent

took my breath away and brought me to streaming tears. It was the first glimmer of hope and light that had come into our home.”

For Sheinfeld, objects that connect us to our past, particularly at Chanukah, gain increased importance. The menorahs that burn so brightly during the holiday reinforce the message of identity and being proud of who we are and from where we came. Sheinfeld’s grandparents were survivors of the Holocaust and her mother’s parents suffered through the programs of Eastern Europe before they fled to America. But even during those dark times, Sheinfeld can still imagine the power of our religious objects to transform our lives.

“You see those pictures in times past where people were still doing Chanukah in the ghettos or in that famous picture with the menorah in the window and the Nazi flag outdoors in the background on the street. It’s just this pride and who we are, being unapologetically proud and how we find that in all these objects that have meaning for us.” ì

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42 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

WINTER SIMCHAS 44 WEDDINGS

50 MITZVAHS

52 SIMCHAS

CONTENTS

44 Camp Strangers’ Tie the Wedding Knot

46 Chabad Wedding Extraordinaire Headlines at The Temple 48 Oakland Cemetery Comes Alive with Wedding, Circus Tent 50 At 88, Benator is Finally a Bat Mitzvah 52 Famed Dentist Breezes to 90

54 Goldschein’s Party Décor Ramps Up Creativity 56 Sweet Détente Delivers Delectable Desserts 58 Taffet Boasts Baskets in Sensational Realm 60 Simcha Announcements ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 43

Kara and dad, Alan Wexler, danced to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” // Photos by Maddie Sullivan

‘Camp Strangers’ Tie the Wedding Knot

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Kara Wexler and Eli Gruber arrived at Camp Barney Medintz in the summer of 2013 as complete strangers on the camp staff.

Eli stated, “Despite us both growing up attending Camp Barney Medintz each summer, our paths never crossed as we attended different sessions. During staff training, a mutual friend introduced us to one another, proclaiming we would be best friends in the process – lucky for us, she was right!”

Following a few days of camp flirtations, the couple stayed up the whole night talking, and sharing a first kiss just in time for the sunrise.

Fast forward to the end of the summer. Eli left home to start college at the University of Georgia, where Kara was 44 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

already in school. After a few magical years of date nights and Saturdays in Athens, Kara graduated and left for the “Big Apple.” Their long-distance relationship included two years of flights between New York and Atlanta, one year of Megabus rides between New York and Philadelphia, and concluded when Eli moved into a 3BR/1BA apartment with Kara and two other girls in New York City.

Kara added, “Following a couple great years together in the ‘City That Never Sleeps,’ our story came full circle when we moved back to Atlanta for Eli to start medical school. We feel so fortunate to have made our first home back in Atlanta, and we were so excited to share the life we’ve built in our hometown.”

The culmination of this long courtship came to full blossom on Sunday, Sept. 3, at Summerour Studio where they

“grounded themselves” and celebrated their 10-years-in-the-making love story, bringing the whole mishpocha and friends together for a fun night of dancing and reunions, honoring their Jewish heritage and ancestry, and being mindfully sustainable where possible.

In the interest of sustainability, they contracted Fauna & Fig, an eco-friendly florist, prioritizing flowers from local growers and using only eco-friendly materials, to bring their colorful and eclectic style to life. To spend more quality time with guests, they opened the weekend with a rehearsal dinner at Magnolia Hall in Piedmont Park (where the couple walks almost daily now while living in Midtown). They catered Fox Bro’s BBQ & King of Pops to show off Atlanta’s Southern food scene to out-of-town family and friends.

In terms of the ceremony, Kara said, “To make our wedding with over 200 attendees feel intimate and personal, we read public vows, and one of our closest friends, Yitzi Peetluk, officiated. We have been friends for 20 years. Among many laughs and tears, Yitzi highlighted how much we not only love our adventures and quality time together, but how important our people are to us.”

One of Kara’s favorite things she shared about Eli is the way he will spend a whole week prepping new recipes, grocery shopping, and cooking to bring together a group of friends for Shabbat dinner or Taco Tuesday. One of Eli’s favorite things about Kara is “how she lives true to herself – whether she’s working hard professionally, investing her time and energy into family and friends, or dancing (often just in the living room) during one

Eli and Kara before the ceremony. Kara wanted a modern Priscilla Presley look.

Kara’s bridesmaids were told to wear colorful gowns. Kara had one groomsman and Eli had one groomsman, both joking over the bouquet.

A special friend, Yitzi, was the officiant under the chuppah.

The proposal on Washington Square

of her many impromptu dance parties, Kara lives authentically.”

Also, during the ceremony, Eli’s grandparents -- who walked down the aisle (and later, tore up the dance floor) -- were honored. Late grandparents were displayed in photos throughout the venue and by using Kara’s grandfather’s kiddush cup while her father recited the blessings over wine and challah.

The couple’s first dance was to “I Choose You,” by The Steeldrivers, which speaks to their intentional daily love; the couple surprised guests by showing off their new dance moves, compliments of Danse L’ Amour classes. Following

Eli’s heartwarming mother-son dance to “You’ll Be In My Heart” by Phil Collins, Kara and father, Alan, warmed up the dance floor with a mashup of the proud papa’s Johnny’s Hideaway greatest hits – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and “Boogie Wonderland.”

From there, Big Bling & Funk Machine kept the energy high and the dance floor full.

Kara concluded, “As an homage to our time in Athens, we brought in our favorite dessert - white chocolate cheesecake from Last Resort, complete with a bowl of Lactaid for our dairy-sensitive peers.” ì

Adam Wexler with Kara’s parents, Alan Wexler & Barbara Wexler

Event Vendors:

Wedding planner: Sydney Kohn Photographer: Maddie Sullivan Videographer: Alaina Booth

Florist: Fauna & Fig Flower Co.

Wedding Dress: Truvelle via The Sentimentalist Catering: Three Sisters

Hair & Makeup Artist: Chelsea J. Augustine Groom’s Tux: Suit Supply

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 45

The expanded family came from far and wide. There was no shortage of rabbis.

Chabad Wedding Extraordinaire Headlines at The Temple

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

When Rabbi Eliyahu and Dena Schusterman offered their daughter, Sara’s, hand in marriage to Berri Dworcan, they did it with élan, heart, and a great dash of glamour.

On Aug. 30, around 500 guests watched Schusterman, of Chabad Intown, perform the ceremony and proclaim, “Marrying off my daughter was a most joyous experience, sending her off with a wonderful husband and filled with future hope. This joy is wrapped up in a type of sadness, the end of an era. Letting go of my little girl. ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ comes to mind as bittersweet.”

In terms of selecting The Temple, a 46 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Reform congregation venue, Dena said, “We attended a friend’s wedding there, loved the space and its history with regards to Jewish Atlanta and the Civil Rights movement.”

Backing up, Sara and Berri dated for two months. They were set up by mutual friends and family (shadchan = matchmaker). Berri proposed to Sara in Piedmont Park under the gazebo. There was no ring because Chabad custom is to wait until after the chuppah. Thus, Sara got a necklace in honor of her engagement.

Son of Rabbi Ari and Raizy Dworcan, Berri is from Montreal, got his rabbinic ordination in Hevron, and now works in online commerce. Sara spent time in Israel and

Australia and earned a BA in business and now works for Chabad Intown on special projects. The couple resides in Jerusalem.

In more traditional weddings, the parents take on a greater role. Dena arranged the whole event in the Chabad tradition where the bride and groom focus on their self-work before the wedding and aren’t burdened with making decisions or stressed out by details. The couple weighs in on music (Choni Milecki as DJ, and Mendy Shapiro, singer), color scheme, and what matters to them, but generally, it’s viewed “as a party thrown by parents in honor of their children’s marriage.”

The event was replete with tradition. The Chupah is when parents offer

gratitude for having arrived at this moment. Schusterman shared that the Torah portion spoke about the mitzvah of offering the First Fruit and the obligation to offer gratitude in the idea that one can only truly be grateful “after doing the hard field work,” which produces the fruit for which we offer thanks to Hashem. She said, “Marriage, too, requires hard work, and only after the hard work, do we produce the fruit of an accomplished and truly loving marriage. Then and only then, can we offer thanks and true gratitude.”

The groom wore a kittel made from a piece of fabric of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and the bride wore a covering under the veil from fabric owned by the Lubavitcher Rebetzin.

The Schusterman’s chose The Temple for its space and historical importance to the Atlanta Jewish community. Berri and Sara stand in front of the iconic red doors // Photos by John Solano

Sara’s dress and veil were custom-made by Fraidy Reitzes (Crown Heights).

Chuppah florals were in lush pink and scarlet.

Jim White provided the show stopping magical décor.

Schusterman Wedding Menu Mom, Dena, pops in pre wedding to see Sara’s hair and makeup prep.

The happy couple, Sara Shusterman and Berri Dworcan.

Berri told the AJT, “Sara is a joyful light, and hardworking, would never hurt anyone - always going out of her way to be kind. She is witty with one-liners that can completely catch you off guard.”

Sara recounted, “Berri is easy with a ‘yes, sure and how can I help?’ He makes a wicked good steak. He’s his own person and doesn’t fit neatly into anyone’s box of what’s expected.”

Mega planner Dena said, “When I plan events, which I have done two weddings, two bar mitzvahs and four bat mitzvahs, and many Chabad events, I start with a vision and then work the details in. No fret-

ting about who will and won’t come. I don’t make certain ways to impress certain people.

I think about my and my husband’s vision for expressing our simcha in a tangible way, and then work from there.”

Although the wedding was prior to Oct. 7, Dena later added, “Sad and tragic events don’t cancel out the good ones. The good ones become a source of empowerment to help us through down times.

We feel grateful that we’ve been blessed with this wonderful couple, it’s one of our (personal and collective for our People) blessings; and we use that to buoy us during these difficult times.” ì

Knowing his way around expert food preparation, Eli Brafman, E.B. Caterers, produced a “famsmagorical” menu, enough to make New Yorkers blush. He’s also an expert at kosher catering in non-kosher venues, and sometimes that includes using a blow torch. In this case, he executed it all using field kitchens.

Eli said, “For the kabalat ponim, we had a beautiful grazing table with tri-colored homemade chips, salsa, guacamole dips, crudité, and fruit grazing table. Following the chuppah, we had a cocktail hour with four carving stations with smoked meats, turkey, a gravlax carving station with house cured salmon crostinis, roasted Japanese sweet potato, in addition to appetizers.”

Main course: Stuffed chicken roulade, tri-colored quinoa, pumpkin puree, fennel slaw, red wine reduction Dessert: Popcorn display with toppings, dirt pudding, s’more shooters, lemon tarts, truffles, pecan pie, French mini pastries, vanilla glazed donut holes, and churros with hot Mexican chocolate.

Piece de Resistance: Hot heimesh babka with (parve) ice cream station.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 47

Oakland Cemetery Comes Alive with Wedding, Circus Tent The bride and groom hired Jimmy Eldorado to drive them from the wedding to the after party in Underground Atlanta.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

We’ve covered weddings on beaches, mountaintops, and even rooftops, but not much on cemetery grounds, which was just perfect for Erin Krinsky and Kevin Ross.

Erin Krinsky and Kevin Ross met during COVID on a dating app in Atlanta. After Erin had been staying an extended amount of time in Savannah with her family, they both felt they were in the right place in life to meet their “life” partners and did. Their first date was at the Righteous Room on Ponce.

Erin is exactly one day older than Kevin. She grew up in Atlanta, and Kevin grew up in Marietta. They both attended the University of Georgia at the same time and most likely had been in the same rooms as each other on many occasions, but never met. Erin is a labor attorney and Kevin is an insurance executive.

48 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Like a good Jew, Kevin proposed to Erin after her family on Passover Seder in Savannah in the Spring of 2023. The wedding was planned in less than six months, because they wanted to get married in Atlanta during autumn, so that her grandmother, Barbara, who is 93, could attend.

Based on various “musts,” like being able to bring their own alcohol and vendors, the couple landed at Oakland Cemetery which is less than a mile from their house in Old Fourth Ward. They sentimentally loved the idea because they go there often on walks with their dogs. And who could resist the idea of a big outdoor wedding with a circus tent?

Historic Oakland Cemetery is Atlanta’s oldest public park and the final resting place of many of the city’s most noted citizens. Less than a mile from downtown, it has 48 acres known for its ancient magnolias and oaks.

On Oct. 7, 250 guests celebrated with parents Lois and Curt Ross and Rita and Fred Krinsky; Barbara Krinsky was the only grandparent in attendance. Dave Poe’s of Marietta, the Ross family’s favorite restaurant, was the caterer. Flowers were by Chattahoochee Queen and were incorporated in the chuppah made by Erin’s friends. The bride’s bouquet was tailor made by Erin’s younger brother, Jules Krinsky.

Guests were dancing (but not on graves) to the music of live band Bonnie Blue - a Southern rock jam band from Jacksonville, whom Erin and Kevin have seen numerous times over the course of their courtship. The First Dance was to “Caravan,” by Van Morrison. The cake was from Publix topped by the Atlanta Braves OutKast Bobblehead - just the touch that this fun couple would select.

It was important to Erin to have a Jewish ceremony performed by her childhood rabbi, Philip Krantz, Rabbi Emeri-

tus, Temple Sinai. Through the decades, he was close to the Krinsky family, which was very meaningful. His comments included Erin being “a memorable person, even at a young age,” which resonated with Kevin because when he first met her, he thought, “Wow, she is unlike any person I have ever met before!”

There were sentimental family heirlooms under the chuppah for the ceremony, including Erin’s grandfather, Moe’s, tallis and Kiddish cup, and grandmother Barbara’s parent’s wine decanter.

No formal lacy flowing cathedral train and veil for this au courant attorney.

Erin wore a short white dress by Staud, and Kevin wore a linen J Crew suit with a button-down shirt. Attendants wore party attire.

“We really encouraged people to wear bright, colorful festive outfits!” said Erin.

Nia Thompson was the super wedding planner. Erin said, “We knew there

Erin and Kevin opted for a colorful pomegranate ketuba.

The couple wanted a local wedding so grandmother, Barbara (red hair) could attend.

Erin and Kevin bounced around on the traditional chair lift, but their first dance was “Caravan” by Van Morrison.

Groom Kevin stated that the minute he met Erin he was “wowed.”

Erin Krinsky and Kevin Ross were wrapped in family tallit under the chuppah.

were a lot of moving parts with an outdoor wedding, so we definitely needed a coordinator to help execute on the wedding day so we could really just be guests. I did most of the planning, but Kevin, as incredibly supportive, typically approved of all the decisions. “ Steven Eisenstein, of Classic Tents and Events out of Norcross, provided the 60-foot by 100-foot tent. Erin extolled, “They were one of the only companies that promoted using a pole tent, circus tent, which visually was so fun. Steve was a pro and made everything easy. Considering the Atlanta weather, which can be hot in October, we just felt like our plan B, for rain or intense heat, needed to be our plan A. We had the ceremony outside in

front of a great oak tree, and then had the party and band under the tent.”

Thompson added, “Erin hired all vendors, while I stepped in the final couple of months to tie up loose ends and coordinate all logistical details like scheduling the tent inspection, communicating with vendors, editing timelines and diagrams, and being on site for all vendor load in. I enjoyed being a part of a unique wedding, and handling a different set of challenges than I am used to.”

Erin concluded, “The favorite thing we did was get picked up in a Cadillac by Jimmy Eldorado and driven to our after party at Underground Atlanta.

An early summer honeymoon to Sicily is planned. ì

Erin was walked down the aisle by parents, Rita and Fred Krinsky.

Erin and Kevin share a private toast // Photos by Bewitched and Brewed Photo Co. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 49

At 88, Benator is Finally a Bat Mitzvah

Grace Benator (left) is among the women who show up each Tuesday at Congregation Or Ve Shalom to make Sephardic pastries called bourekas for the synagogue’s annual fundraiser.

By Bob Bahr

For most Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, the coming-of-age ceremony is a partial introduction to service in the Jewish philanthropic community. There is usually a project that the young person creates that is tied to bettering the world in some way.

But, for Grace Benator, who recently celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at the age of 88, the ceremony at Sunrise at Huntcliff Summit in Sandy Springs was a reversal of the process. For Benator, the religious service at the senior community on Roswell Road came as the crowning achievement of decades of service and philanthropy.

She grew up in the Sephardic congregation, Or Ve Shalom, which is now located in the Druid Hills neighborhood, just west of the massive new Emory Children’s Hospital and health campus 50 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

off I-85. But when she was born in the 1930s, it was still the center of a community in the south end of the city by Jews who, like her parents, were mostly immigrants from Turkey and the Isle of Rhodes in the Mediterranean.

She spent a dozen years in the synagogue’s Sunday School but had only two years of Hebrew school. Until about 20 years ago, the traditional congregation didn’t allow young women to become Bat Mitzvahs.

But this year on Oct. 20, she stood before a standing room only audience at a Friday night service that included about 20 of her own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She spoke about her own interpretation of the spiritually righteous life of Noah and about her lifelong desire to celebrate her spiritual coming of age after all these years.

“I have always wanted to be a Bat Mitzvah,” she said, “not because of the many presents you receive, but so I could be a greater participant in the service.”

As Grace Levy, an 18-year-old slender, blonde beauty, she caught the eye of Asher Benator, a smart, ambitious young entrepreneur, who like herself was Sephardic, and had a deep commitment to the Atlanta Jewish community.

He later became president of Congregation Or Ve Shalom and was always on call to work on the latest project at the congregation. He was largely responsible for raising the money to build the synagogue’s present, handsome sanctuary.

Asher Benator also led the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta; and a few years before he passed in 2013, his name went up on the large plaque in the

Federation Spring Street lobby honoring him as one of the community’s most important benefactors.

Grace was president of the Sisterhood and has remained active over the years in the group. She and her husband’s names stretch across one wall near the entrance to the synagogue to honor them for a fundraiser that led to the donation of a new Torah scroll. Their names are also on a performing arts building at the MJCCA’s Camp Barney Medintz.

When the famous Sephardic anthropologist, Ruth Behar, visited Atlanta several years ago Grace was one of her tour guides at the synagogue. Today, Grace serves as president of the Huntcliff Summit Jewish Residents Association.

She is also still very much a presence in the life of the synagogue. Each Tuesday, she drives herself to the religious center’s kitchen

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Above: Grace Benator celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Huntcliff Summit on Oct. 20.

Left: When famed Sephardic anthropologist Ruth Behar visited Congregation Or Ve Shalom, Grace Benator was one of the tour guides.

to join the “boureka ladies.” It’s a dedicated group of volunteers who meet each week to create the thousands of sweet and savory Sephardic pastries that are sold at the synagogue’s annual Chanukah bazaar.

During the bazaar earlier this month, she was volunteering once again, collecting raffle tickets at the fundraiser, which

attracted one of its largest crowds ever.

In standing before all her friends and family to observe the religious ritual, she reminded them that in the last two years she has been called to the Torah twice.

“Along with this Bat Mitzvah I now feel, finally, a part of these religious services. I also want to reaffirm my commitment to Judaism."

But she also pointed out it was not just for herself that she was doing this. It was also for her daughter, Michelle, one of the twins that were her first born but who stood apart and separate from her twin brother when, like so many men in the congregation, he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah many years ago. To ease her disappointment at the time, her parents, Grace and Asher, bought her a beagle puppy. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 51

Famed Dentist Breezes to 90 Dr. Ronald Goldstein and Judy, the “happy wife” // Photos by Kimberly Evans

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Known worldwide as the father of aesthetic dentistry, Dr. Ronald Goldstein celebrated his 90th birthday at The Estate on Nov. 4, and showed that he is a father to much more: a successful family and holding the key to the fountain of youth.

Around 135 friends, patients, Goldstein, Garber & Salama dental staff, and family gathered to experience Dr. Ron’s favorite foods, power cake and white, gold, and purple ballooned décor. Music was by one of America’s leading jazz pianists, Joe Alterman and his trio.

52 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Son, Dr. Ken Goldstein, endodontist, told the AJT, “I sincerely believe that dad is proud of raising three dentists and a physician. For a bit, he suggested that I look into a law degree … he would say ‘we need an attorney in the family,’ but never pushed that thought.”

Goldstein wanted no formal program or speeches, and beamed, “After giving 735 presentations on cosmetic dentistry worldwide, I thought I had spoken enough! And I didn’t want to interrupt the great music and conversation. No speeches or toasts … just a fun party with great food.”

In terms of gifts, Goldstein laughed that patient Bobby Ezor gave him a pair of leather gloves to protect his hands in recognition of many years of those hands taking care of his smile.

A busy Goldstein still sees patients two afternoons weekly but will retire on Dec. 31. He will continue his artistic hobby and said, “Two years ago, I produced 30 paintings as a holiday present so that each one of our staff members could choose one, with the requirement that they had to take a photo with their chosen painting so I could better visualize their personality."

Goldstein credits his good health to Resveratrol, Tai Chi, his Japanese/Chinese/ Mediterranean diet (most of the time), and especially, “happy wife, happy life with a great family that I love very much.”

Goldstein stays current on contemporary culture, reading Nelson DeMille’s, “The Maze,” and streaming, “Lessons in Chemistry.” His favorite comedians are Sebastian Maniscalco, Nate Bargatze, Tom Segura, and Judy Gold.

The bottom line to live to 120 per Dr. Ron, “Pray pray pray, exercise and limit your ice cream, chocolate cake and donuts!”

Goldstein with Joe Alterman, whose trio entertained. Judy and Ron chose the dinner music and the last hour Joe played Ron’s favorites.

Dr. Ron Goldstein with his custom-made birthday cake depicting his family and his activities. He still maintains his ideal “college weight.”

Dr. Ron’s entire family celebrated his 90th birthday and retirement from 66 years of dental practice.

That night, each guest left with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Surrounded by party admirers, Ron opted for Legendary Event’s menu of his favs: sushi, sashimi, pasta, mushroom risotto, beef tenderloin, and double fudge chocolate cake and ice cream bar.

Son, Ken, recalled, “Dad taught the four of us the finer things in life … nice restaurants, cruises, first class flights, and staying in finest hotels … that was definitely a perk being a Ronald Goldstein kid, but remembering this wouldn’t be possible with out the hard work ethic.”

Cary Goldstein noted, “It was great growing up in a house with four kids and at least four animals! My dad and grandfather worked a lot and showed us their

love for family, art, dentistry, and travel.

Combining art and dentistry is what shaped my career. Now I’m a lot like my dad! Hope to look that good at 90!”

Cathy Goldstein Schwartz said, “Dad has always had a love of photography, and I remember as a kid (and the only girl) having to pose for him. He would tell me how to stand and wanted me to be natural. I was the lucky one because my brothers had to carry his camera equipment, and it was heavy back then! Dad would take us to the office on weekends when we were young, and we would act out a dental scene as he was filming. So, he started us thinking ‘dentistry’! Every summer was a different job at the office.” ì

Boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts were for guests to enjoy on the way home, as a thank you for celebrating.

Local glitterati came out to tribute Ron: Alex Taylor, Greer Taylor, Ron, Rutherford Seydel, Laura Seydel.

Goldstein’s Guideposts to Healthy Living:

• A great sense of humor

• Dieting when necessary

• Exercise: stretching and walking 8,000 steps on the treadmill while watching TV programs Judy eschews • No smoking

• Nighly glass of wine - red or Sauvignon Blanc

• Keeping busy: practicing dentistry, writing articles, books, mentoring and lecturing • Picking the right woman to marry

• Goldstein’s other comments about longevity: “I have a weakness for sweets … Nevertheless, I lost weight until l reached my college weight of 160 pounds. I do some yoga. I help my Doberman exercise by playing ball. I had a personal trainer, after a year of exercising correctly and videotaping, I’m on my own.”

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 53

Goldschein’s Party Décor Ramps Up Creativity The Pac-Man, Rubik’s cube, and Slinky theme // Photo Credit: Scensations/Patti Covert

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

After 18 short months, Rachel Goldschein’s Gold Events by Rachel was named 2023 Best Party Planner by the readers of The Atlanta Jewish Times.

After working in the corporate world for 25 years in marketing and multifamily property management, Goldschein took her skills in building and nurturing relationships, decorating homes, coordinating, and hosting events and parties, and solving problems into the entrepreneurial 54 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

realm with her budget-conscious party planning and decorating business.

She said, “While I first started as a ‘Day Of’ person, a few of my friends asked if I could help them with décor just shortly thereafter, since they knew I had a passion for creating, and knew I could help them ‘on a budget.’ That is when things really took off, and the word was out that I could help with planning and décor while keeping client’s costs in mind.”

Some of the recent mitzvahs and venues Gold Events executed include:

* A 1980s-theme Bat Mitzvah with iconic Pac-Man, MTV Moon Man and coiled Slinky décor; * A Krispy Kreme donut wall and opposite side candy station with nostalgic candy at The Chattahoochee Nature Center; * A glow in the dark-themed Bat Mitzvah with LED cubes, uplighting, glow in the dark vases and neon-colored florals at Golf Club of Georgia; * A sports-themed Bar Mitzvah at Top Golf featuring tennis, football, soc-

cer and basketball, incorporating a green grass backdrop for décor and a photo-op tying it all together; * A pink and purple-themed Bat Mitzvah at Fairway Social with LED hearts and flowers combined with real flowers and heart pillows, followed by a dessert table with pink and purple chocolate covered deserts and candy.

The process of planning an event might work like this. For example, Goldschein was asked to plan a University of Florida-themed Bar Mitzvah at a Jewish

The University of Florida-themed Bar Mitzvah was one of Rachel’s favorites.

Rachel Goldschein is known for her ability to be cost conscious while also being creative.

camp outside of Atlanta - which took some efficiency being off-site. As a South Florida native, Rachel was stoked to celebrate her home state. She started by meeting with the mother and son so that all their wishes were included, starting with the college’s colors of blue and orange while incorporating the son’s wish for a full range of UF Sports teams.

The variety of centerpieces had elements of UF basketball, baseball, and football teams. Rachel then sent the client pictures and choices of them displayed differently to get feedback to mix and match, pick, and choose, to bring the Bar Mitzvah boy in as part of the process.

Goldschein noted, “The collaboration came out so great and it is something of which I am proud. They really wanted wheatgrass and some décor accessories one would see at real sporting events.

Since they really liked the idea of incorporating LED (more natural, flexible and

“Let’s Glow Crazy” sets the stage for a fun event // Photo Credit: Scensations/Patti Covert

Broadway at Times Square pleased this New York fan’s party // Photo Credit: Rachel Goldschein

These personalized pillows were cherished by the Bat Mitzvah girl // Photo Credit: Rachel Goldschein

brighter lights than regular bulbs), I took the boy’s name also as a logo and applied it to LED lighting stands that were incorporated into centerpieces of foam fingers, sports player silhouettes and balls with freshly grown wheatgrass (to replicate grass one would see on a field) … [it] really helped bring the theme to life.”

Orange and blue linens with coordinating napkins as the backdrop accentuated the centerpieces and were key to achieving the desired look.

“The best part was when the Bar Mitzvah boy came up to me at the end of the night with a hug, and thanked me for such an amazing party,” gushed Goldschein. “This is why I do it. To me, that is everything.

I feel so grateful that I get to do what I love, so that my clients can enjoy their simcha without stress with the ones they love.”

For more information, call 954-9133636 or check out Gold Events by Rachel on Facebook and Instagram. ì

Goldschein is known for her outrageous rack displays like this “Treat Yourself” festive donut racks // Photo Credit: Rachel Goldschein ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 55

Sweet Détente Delivers Delectable Desserts Sweet Détente’s dove cookies are customizable and can be set on sticks.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Robin Schwartz’s internationally designed and flavored desserts take “sophisticated sweet tooth” to an all-new level.

Schwartz, who grew up watching Julia Child shows, had a passion for baking.

Always searching for new challenging recipes and ways to recreate them, she hatched Sweet Détente which brings the cultures of the world together, as she prepares exotic desserts from Australia, China, Italy, Russia, Lebanon, Sweden, and more.

Originally from New York City, Schwartz also lived in Europe before moving to Atlanta three years ago. She explained, “Détente means ‘a coming together of nations through agreement’ and the ‘sweet’ part is through dessert. So, it seemed like a perfect fit. Short and sweet!

We started with eight desserts from seven different countries, each with various flavor varieties.”

56 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Those original eight desserts -- Argentinean Alfajores, Australian Lamingtons, English Bakewell Tarts, French Macaron, French Sablé, Italian Panforte, Lebanese Ma’amoul and Russian Kartoshka -- have grown along with Brazilian Brigadeiros, American Divinity Fudge, Chinese Mooncakes, Italian Cream Cake, and Swedish Princess Cake.

Schwartz receives special requests like Danish Flodeboller which can be accommodated with advance notice. Her artisanal desserts are handmade from scratch with quality organic and natural ingredients made in small batches.

French Macarons, English Bakewell Tarts, and Australian Lamingtons are very popular, according to Schwartz. “They’re easily relatable, and everyone knows about French Macarons, and Brazilian Brigadeiros are also very popular. I didn’t realize when I moved to Georgia how strong the South American population

was here. There’s something about these desserts that capture the imagination and the tastebuds. I’m known for my complex, fresh flavors (not artificial), balance, ‘mouthfeel,’ keeping the sugars lower and having the flavors linger on your tongue long after the dessert is gone.”

Another popular treat is the light and airy English Bakewell Tart or Bakewell Pudding, a delicate, buttery short-crust pastry lined with delicate fresh jam and filled with frangipane, an Italian almond custard. Schwartz gets feedback about how much customers love the flavors, textures, and balance in addition to the beauty of a perfect little mini pie. They come in flavors including the traditional cherry, raspberry, blueberry, lemon, and more.

Then there’s the Australian Lamington, in a cube shape as a genoise or sponge cake, filled with jam or curd then iced in an infused coconut cream, then

rolled in desiccated coconut. Schwartz likes the lemon and coconut combination.

She exclaimed, “Customers compare it to a summer day!”

Their signature desserts are “Dove Cookies,” a French Sablé or shortbread.

It’s prepared as plain or chocolate-dipped.

They are dipped in high quality dark chocolate, or milk or white chocolate. For special orders, they are mounted on lollipop sticks and wrapped in cellophane tied with ribbon. Schwartz customizes shapes like grapes for wineries. The standard one dozen box: plain off stick ($30), chocolate dipped off stick ($36), plain on stick ($33), or chocolate dipped on stick ($42).

Sweet Détente’s logo is two doves extending an olive branch in a peace offering or “détente.” Schwartz is into branding and creating names, logos, and graphics that match her concepts. Sweet Détente offers dessert histories with each order

The Lebanese Ma’amoul is an exotic choice.

Argentinian Alfajores appeal to Hispanic tastes.

Australian Lamingtons are a popular item.

Orders come with explanations about the origin country and dessert history; for example, the English Bakewell Tart.

as a marketing/conversation piece with a story about the dessert and its history.

Also, Schwartz suggests wine pairings from a given region with dessert by region or flavor profile.

Schwartz addresses quality, “We use organic and natural ingredients and try to keep sugar down and use low-sugar ingredients. Salt minimally used. We have some gluten-free and nut-free options. Using ‘organic’ means higher prices, but it’s well worth it! Everything tastes fresh, not artificial. We use trusted suppliers for my ingredients and try to be consistent across my offerings. I’m known for my complex and balanced flavors.”

Desserts are synonymous with special occasions, weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, corporate events, wine festivals, events, and private parties. Sweet Détente works with caterers on the sweet part; for example, with charcuterie board companies whose main focus is the savory flank.

Schwartz said, “I try to use domestic products as much as possible. Some ingredients are unique to other countries and are imported. My goal is to be authentic while keeping in mind the American palate.”

Sweet Détente ships throughout the U.S. Orders detail which desserts ship best and if refrigeration is required. Sweet Détente is located at 6687 Bells Ferry Road – Suite E in Woodstock. For more information, contact 310-729-3723 or robin@sweetdetente.com or visit www. sweetdetente.com. ì

Colorful pumpkin macaroons are for a special occasion.

Italian Panforte featured with that country’s flag.

French Macarons are tasty and stylish.

Robin Schwartz, originally from New York, also lived in Europe. She grew up watching Julia Child and determined that her own passion was baking.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 57

Helen Applebaum Taffet (wearing a pink flower) received the ACVB Award for her impact on Atlanta in the Southern hospitality sector and volunteering in that industry.

Taffet Boasts Baskets in Sensational Realm

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Chicago-born Helen Applebaum Taffet started a career in technology, marketing, and public relations to ultimately land in her unique, local, and award-winning space in the personalized gift and basket business.

Now, Helen’s Sensational Baskets offers delicious and creativity packaged gourmet treats, landing her as the recipient of the 2023 Spurgeon Richardson Member of the Year Award from the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau based on her distinguished career in hospitality and the impact she has made on the industry vis-a-vis her reputation for customer service.

Helen’s Sensational Baskets designs fun to elegant gifts from Bar Mitzvahs to grandmother recognition, and top tier 58 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

corporate clients. Helen also thinks outside the box with ideas like a “stuck in traffic gift” that would elicit an expressway smile.

Taffet, who started the business in her home, now has a showroom, office, and warehouse space in the Roswell-Alpharetta area. In terms of getting started, she recalled, “In 1988, I had a colleague who worked in apartment leasing, and I began to create Sensational Gifts for new apartment residents and referrals to apartments. And since I was always involved in marketing, I knew there was a need for quality corporate gifts to be delivered to clients.”

Now, the ideas are flowing from Helen’s sketch pad, as she employs a staff (many of whom are Jewish) of eight yearround employees and growing to 20-plus

at peak periods.

Taffet has created thousands of corporate gifts, especially in the law firm space where she supplies 1,200 for an attorney group for their Sensational Holiday Gifts. Plus, she even subspecializes for law firms when they reach out to their associates for the bar exam, final exams, and virtual meetings. She also creates Sensational Tax Season Survival Gifts for wealth management companies, accounting firms, and the like.

How about her Sensational Traffic Survival Kit (featured on WSB Radio when the Buford Highway bridge caught on fire) featuring a bottle of Dasani water, stress ball, pistachios, Advil, granola bar, M&Ms, pretzels, AlkaSeltzer, Sweet and Salty Snack Mix, Chex Mix, and Skittles?

Yes, Taffet does “dish” about celeb-

rity clients as she said, “When Tom Cruise was filming in Atlanta a few years ago, we created four Sensational birthday gifts for him. We have been working with the staff of Lego Masters and have been executing Sensational Gifts for Will Arnett, Amy Corbett, and Jamie Berard. One of our most popular gifts is the Sensational CocaCola Wedding Welcome Gift which blends the best of everything from the South.”

Helen is known for her aesthetic presentations, and said, “We are always shopping at The Fancy Food Show, AmericasMart, and our current vendors for the newest in gourmet treats, so our Sensational Gifts are all beautifully presented.

Since my background is in marketing, I know how important branding is, thus we offer custom gift tags and labels. We carry beautiful, patterned cellophane and ribbons in every color! We also have won-

ATL A NTA

The Grandmother Basket includes the book, “When a Baby is Born, so is a Grandmother,” and a onesie that reads, “I’m not spoiled, my grandmother just loves me.”

Taffet did these gifts for “Lego Masters” celebrities.

Great gifts for all occasions!

5135 Peachtree Pkwy #930, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (770) 817-8118 | forum@peterbrooke.com

Taffet is proud that Delta Airlines is a client.

Evan’s Bar Mitzvah got all done up in blue.

derful baskets and exquisite metal containers in which we hand pick and package each gift.”

When the pandemic put the kibosh on Honeymoon Israel’s trips, Taffet created Sensational Gifts for them as an outreach project to maintain optimistic feelings. Mike Wise, founder and CEO of Honeymoon Israel , a large national organization that sends community-based groups of young couples to Israel, stated, “When COVID hit in 2020 and we had to cancel two years of trips, we turned to

Sensational Baskets to create meaningful gift boxes to send to all of our canceled groups to help them feel cared for and as support for their Jewish journey as couples. Helen built creative boxes to send to over 500 couples who were overwhelmed by the baskets and the meaning they provided.”

Helen’s Sensational Gifts are priced from $10-$500. For more information, call 770-587-5593, visit www.SensationalBaskets.com, or email helen@sensationalbaskets.com. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 59

Simcha Announcements Have something to celebrate?

Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ...

Share it with your community with free AJT simcha announcements.

Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

Bat Mitzvah Announcement Sydney Kramer

Sydney Kramer celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday morning, Sept. 30, 2023, at Congregation B’nai Torah (Sukkot Shabbat). We danced the night away with a party under the stars at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Sydney is in eighth grade at The Davis Academy. She volunteered at The Jewish Home for her Mitzvah Project. She enjoys horseback riding, playing volleyball, basketball, and summer camp at Blue Star. Her parents, Elyssa and Adam Kramer, and younger brother Dylan, are overjoyed along with grandparents, Allyson and Barry Newman, and Cheryl and Russell Kramer.

60 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Engagement Announcement Morris – Foust

Belinda Morris and Michael Morris happily announce the engagement of their daughter, Catherine “Lydia” Morris, to Christopher Joseph Foust, Jr., son of Cynthia and Christopher Foust, Sr. of Richmond, Va. Lydia is the granddaughter of the late Lewis Morris, Billi and Bernie Marcus of Atlanta, and Barbara and the late Harold Ward of Corpus Christi, Texas. Chris is the grandson of the late Evelyn Esposito and Frederick Esposito of Richmond, Va., and the late Nancy Foust and Earl Foust of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lydia graduated from Furman University with a bachelor’s in health science and from Northwestern University with a master’s in orthotics and prosthetics. She is currently employed by Advanced Prosthetics. Chris graduated from The University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in human resource management. He currently works in Global Assignments for BMW. They reside in Greenville, S.C.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 61

HEALTH & WELLNESS New Meds Offer Hope for Weight Loss Atlantans are hungry for the new medications prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Debbie Diamond and now Zepbound, which was approved by the FDA just last month.

The challenge for many seeking the drugs, however, is a lack of availability at area pharmacies or an unwillingness by insurance companies to cover the cost, often upwards of $1,300. Ozempic and Mounjaro are intended for use by people with diabetes, while Wegovy and Zepbound are the higher dose versions intended for weight loss. Many physicians, however, are prescribing Ozempic and Mounjaro off-label for weight loss.

Most insurance companies deny coverage unless the patient has full-

blown diabetes or a BMI of at least 27 and comorbidities like high blood pressure or a significantly elevated cholesterol level.

Individuals with pre-diabetes are typically turned down by their insurance companies – even with a prescription from their physician -- until their condition worsens and progresses to diabetes.

These medications work by mimicking the natural hormones that regulate hunger. They delay gastric emptying, which in turn reduces the appetite and, as a result, food intake. All four of the drugs contain an active ingredient that lowers blood sugar levels by helping the pancreas produce more insulin, which prevents the liver from releasing too much sugar.

Mounjaro and Zepbound also decrease blood sugar by reducing glucagon, a hormone that increases blood sugar levels and keeps them from becoming too low.

Into the gap between demand and accessibility, a number of online pharmacies, medical spas and physician practices have entered, offering a less expensive, compounded version of the popular

Zepbound is the most recent medication approved by the FDA for adults with obesity or who are overweight with other health conditions.

“Slim Cooking the Sheryl Westerman Way” offers tasty and nutritional recipes for a wide variety of meals and occasions.

weight loss medications. The conundrum for many, however, is finding a provider who ensures that the compounded versions of the medicine they prescribe are both safe and effective.

According to Diane, despite her prediabetes and an excess 20 pounds that she has been unable to lose for nine years, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia refused to cover Ozempic and Wegovy.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Dana Neascu, MD, internist and owner of Medical Creations Integrative Medicine.

Sheryl Westerman, nutritional and weight loss coach

Because of another health condition, she was unable to take Metformin, an oral medication often prescribed for pre-diabetes. Her physician prescribed Ozempic, and when her insurance company denied coverage for the medication, the medical practice submitted another prescription for Wegovy, as well as the required documentation for coverage. After being turned down a second time by Anthem and exploring a few options, a friend recommended Medical Creations Integrative Medicine and Sheryl Westerman Nutrition Weight Loss and Consulting.

Dr. Dana Neacsu, the physician/ owner of Medical Creations, is board-certified in internal medicine and on staff at Piedmont Hospital. She also completed a fellowship at the University of Arizona Integrative Medicine, one of the oldest and most respected programs of its kind, founded and taught by renowned physician Andrew Weil, MD. Sheryl Westerman has been a nutritionist for 40 years, training in South Africa under a prominent clinician and practicing here in Atlanta since 1993. Together, the two professionals compose what one of their clients calls “the dream team” of weight loss.

“I trust this team immensely,” said Susan, a client who is currently on a generic form of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and working with both Westerman and Dr. Neacsu. “I wanted to do the nutritional counseling in tandem with the injections so I could make smart food choices and maintain the weight loss long-term. Dr. Neacsu checks in with me about how I’m feeling every week at my appointments, and Sheryl has really gotten to know me in order to create a customized, extensive food plan tailored to my likes and eating style,” she said.

Susan has been on the program for seven weeks and has lost 12 pounds so far. She attributes her success to being held accountable by both professionals.

According to Susan, “The key to success is having both a nutritional plan and the weekly injections. I also follow many of the recipes in ‘Slim Cooking,’ a book written by Sheryl that has delicious recipes that go way beyond the usual grilled chicken and steamed broccoli.”

For Rachel, who has diabetes and an Ozempic prescription covered by her health insurance, she attributes her successful weight loss to not feeling as hungry as she once did. “With Ozempic, my A1C has been lowered by at least a point, and I am eating half of what I used to. I just don’t feel as hungry, and I have been able to cut out any emotional eating, too.

I feel full and eat three healthy, portioncontrolled meals a day. To be honest, eating less has been effortless,” she said.

Rachel indicated she was morbidly obese until she started Ozempic two years ago. She has lost 30 pounds thus far. Her decision to turn around her health came after a consultation with a cardiologist who spoke with her in detail about making important lifestyle changes. Despite changing her eating habits, her A1C remained high. Since starting the weekly injections of Ozempic, she is not only much healthier, but her weight loss has also continued.

Dr. Neacsu understands the challenges facing many women as they try to lose weight and become healthier. Hormonal imbalances, menopause, hypothyroidism, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are just a few of the obstacles hindering weight loss. She has seen firsthand the impact of tirzepatide (generic Mounjaro and Zepbound) and semaglutide (generic Ozempic and Wegovy) not only on weight loss, but also in turning around diabetes, pre-diabetes, sleep apnea and high blood pressure, all illnesses impacted by excess weight.

During weekly appointments with each patient, Dr. Neacsu assesses their progress and discusses how to move for-

ward in a safe and effective manner. She reviews water intake, weight loss, general health, and eating habits. Each person is weighed and then receives an injection based on their progress and health. Blood tests are taken every six months to a year.

Dr. Neacsu also believes that many of her patients will be able to go off the weight loss medications, although there is an ongoing debate in the medical community about whether or not a person can stop these medications and maintain the weight loss long-term.

“Once a patient has reached their health and weight loss goals, my approach is to gradually lower the dose in between visits or increase the time between visits,” she said. “Losing weight is a major life change, and I look at each person individually. Some patients are able to maintain the weight loss with good food choices and a solid plan. For others, I may recommend bioidentical hormones, natural supplements or even an elimination diet to see if certain foods need to be taken out of a person’s diet.”

The value of a solid nutritional plan, such as the individualized ones created

by Westerman, cannot be minimized.

Learning to make nutritious food choices is important in losing weight, and staying healthy and on track after weight loss, according to experts. “I recommend Dr. Neacsu for many of my clients so they can have a lift-off, so to speak, especially for those who have more weight to lose.

Seeing the initial weight loss motivates many people to continue,” said Westerman. “Many patients hope to come off the weight loss medication at some point.

It’s important they understand the essential food groups, portion control and how

to eat for optimum health while they’re losing weight and for maintenance. Dr. Neacsu and I have found a seamless approach to helping people lose weight and stay healthy long-term,” she added.

To ensure safety and efficacy, Dr. Neacsu obtains all of her compounded weight-loss medications from an FDAcleared, 503B pharmacy here in Georgia.

The 503B designation was created by the FDA to establish an elevated level of patient care and safety. To obtain the status, an outsourcing facility must comply with strict cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) guidelines, which duplicate the same standards that pharmaceutical manufacturers must follow.

For help in weeding out unscrupulous pharmacies, The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy maintains a list of websites that sell fraudulent and unsafe medications. In addition, it is illegal for any online services to sell prescription medications without a physician consultation.

While these drugs have proven to be effective for weight loss, the medical community advises anyone considering use to consult with their primary care physician first to see if the medications are appropriate for them. People with a history of pancreatitis or other gastrointestinal issues, in fact, should discuss the safety of these medications with their physician. Likewise, those who have or have a family history of a rare thyroid cancer (medullary thyroid carcinoma) should not use these medications.

For more information or to reach the office, please contact Westerman at 404-257-9001 or email sherwesterman@ aol.com. ì

Sheryl Westerman’s Tips for Weight Loss & Maintenance: • Every day is a new day to be motivated. Don’t let one bad day impact your commitment.

• Keep a food journal to monitor choices.

• Eat slowly and do not read, multi-task or watch television while eating.

• Be patient with weight loss and know the results will come if the plan is followed.

• Get active. Physical activity is important to overall health, well-being and longterm weight maintenance.

• For people on one of the weight loss medication, 60 to 90 grams of protein is needed each day. Protein shakes and bars can help with reaching that goal.

• Portion control and consistency are the keys to success.

• Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day.

• Understand your trigger foods and stay away from them.

• The ultimate goal is not only reaching a goal weight but maintaining it throughout life.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 63

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Respiratory Diseases are on the Rise Again

By Bob Bahr Heading into the winter flu season experts are divided about how much of a problem respiratory infection will be this year.

At the end of November, Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, told a House Subcommittee in Washington that so far, the flu season has not seen any extraordinary developments. Infections, she testified, are quickly rising and levels of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, another common winter virus, are also increasing. Still, the rates of hospitalizations for the flu, RSV and COVID, she said, are below what they have been for the past two years.

Cohen told House members that monitor the CDC that RSV levels, however, are “near peak,” and the highest they’ve been since 2020. She said that the flu season is “accelerating fast.” So far, hospitalizations for the flu are the highest they’ve been in the last six years, with the exception that at this time last year

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CDC studies indicate that respiratory infections are rising fast around the country and hospitalizations for these conditions could reach 15,000 persons a week.

they were higher.

Dr. Cohen told the House Subcommittee that COVID is “still the respiratory virus putting the greatest number

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of folks in the hospital and taking lives.”

She estimated that the virus could push the number of hospitalizations during the winter to 15,000 admissions a week.

Experts at Johns Hopkins Canter for Health Security, which has one of the nation’s most extensive monitoring programs for respiratory infections, expects

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JOYFUL LIVING!

CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen still sees the COVID virus as a major culprit in driving respiratory disease this winter.

this year to be a more normal season, with the exception that the COVID-19 virus will have a major impact on hospitalizations and mortality.

While doctors recommend the most recent versions of the COVID booster, acceptance of the shots has been low. According to the CDC, only about 16 percent of adults and 7 percent of children have been vaccinated.

Carlos Del Rio, a leading authority on epidemiology and global health and the interim chief academic officer at Emory Healthcare, emphasizes the importance of getting the shot, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with immunity issues.

“This vaccine is not a booster. This is updating your immunity to a new variant,” says Del Rio. “These vaccines are really good at protecting you against severe disease, death and hospitalization, especially people with higher risks.”

Masking, which has largely been abandoned except by those who most feel at risk, also may be warranted, particularly when we are with others for an extended period in close quarter, such as on airline flights or in a crowded synagogue event.

Seema Lakdawala, an Emory medical researcher, believes that masks can work, and that one of the most important lessons of the pandemic is that they can be an effective barrier to disease.

“I advocate for everyone to wear masks during flu season,” she says. “I think we should normalize masking if you’re at a higher risk for infection from respiratory viruses, if you’re immunocompromised, or you’re elderly. And, also, if you’re not feeling well. Masking allows us a way to come back into society and not feel like we have to quarantine

every time we have a respiratory illness.”

A recent article in the British Medical Journal suggested that the COVID virus may have also contributed to the surge in RSV cases last year and may have contributed to the long-term effect on the immune and respiratory systems.

Patients with the lingering effects of a COVID infection have complained of joint pain, extreme fatigue, and neurological disorders such as brain fog and depression.

Scientists are still trying to understand why some patients who have been infected with the COVID virus struggle with conditions that affect their mood and memory, energy levels and functioning of their nervous system. But recent studies indicate that those who already suffer from conditions that affect their heart and bodily metabolism, like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure may be at greater risk for the lingering effects of the COVID virus.

A study in the British medical journal, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, of more than 1,300 patients in China concluded that over half of them still had at least one symptom of the disease three years after contracting the virus.

Researchers at a hospital in Beijing also discovered that patients who had long COVID were at a higher risk for pneumonia and repeat cases of COVID. Other studies have shown that long COVID occurs in 5 percent to 30 percent of people who have had the virus.

The December holidays are a prime time for respiratory infections to occur.

Not only is there more social interaction, but we mingle more with those from other parts of the country, which, according to the experts, may make for more infections. ì

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 65

HEALTH & WELLNESS

New Psychedelic Revolution Leader Contemplates Success

By Bob Bahr Rick Doblin, the psychologist and educator who has been a powerful advocate for the medical use of psychedelic drugs, missed much of the original excitement over the mind-altering treatments.

Doblin, who just celebrated his 70th birthday, was just a child when medical researchers in the 1950s began studies about the benefits of drugs like LSD and the “magic mushroom,” psilocybin.

By the time Doblin had his Bar Mitzvah in suburban Chicago in the mid-1960s, there were more than a thousand published studies about the drugs.

Tens of thousands of patients had taken the drugs as treatments for their depression and to relieve their psychological trauma. They were used to relieve psychiatric disorders and alcoholism.

A half dozen international conferences were organized around the possibilities the drugs offered. Then, when Doblin was only 16, during the Nixon Administration, Congress passed Title 2 of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 outlawing all psychedelic drugs.

66 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Psychedelics like MDMA have been used successfully at Emory University to treat service personnel with PTSD.

Emory University researcher Barbara Rothbaum has pioneered the development of psychedelics as treatments for serious mental disorders.

Rick Doblin has spent his entire adult life working to restore the scientific reputation of psychedelics.

Just as Doblin was reaching young adulthood, medical research abruptly ended.

Overnight, what had once been such a promising new frontier for medicine,

dried up.

It was shortly thereafter that Doblin decided to spend the rest of his life restoring psychedelics to what he considered

their rightful place in an arsenal of psycho-pharmaceutical medications.

“I had done a lot of LSD and mescaline, and I went to the guidance coun-

HEALTH & WELLNESS selor at college and asked for help. And he actually did help me. He gave me a book by the psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, who was among the world’s leading LSD researchers. I read it in 1972 when I was 18 years old, and that’s when I decided to focus my life on psychedelics and try to bring back psychedelic research.”

And that’s just what he’s been doing for over 50 years now, a dogged singleminded quest to convince the Food and Drug Administration, which approves the use of new drugs, to reinstate psychedelics as the wonder substances that Doblin believes them to be.

“The whole attitude has changed.

There’s more psychedelic research now than at any time since the 60s. It’s widespread all over the world. There’s hundreds of psychedelic pharmaceutical companies that are for profit. Billions of dollars have been raised from capital markets and philanthropy. We’re in the midst of a renaissance of psychedelic research.”

Some of the most dramatic work has been done at Emory University Brain Health Center where Barbara Rothbaum has pioneered the use of MDMA, more commonly known as the party drug, Ecstasy, to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. As director of the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, she has demonstrated the effectiveness of the drug as an important aid to therapy, particularly for veterans who are recovering from psychological trauma.

“It helps with feelings of closeness to others, empathy, insight, and wellbeing. It reduces activity in the amygdala in the structure of the brain which is often where we respond to anger and fear stimuli. It reduces anxiety without inhibiting the ability to experience or reflect upon those intense emotions. So, we think that

that’s a big one for PTSD in dealing with the memory of the trauma.”

Israel has also been a center for the clinical trials for psychedelics and there has been some thought given in recent weeks to allow the drug to be used to treat some of the survivors of the Oct. 7 attacks in Southern Israel. Rothbaum has high hopes that the FDA will give final approval to MDMA by mid-2024.

Additionally, Emory has founded a Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, which it describes as the world’s first center to fully integrate clinical work with psychedelics and research to explore new mental health treatments.

Although MDMA, psilocybin, and LSD are still considered dangerous drugs under Federal law, both Oregon and Colorado have liberalized the use of psychedelics. At least 10 states are considering the abandonment of restrictions on the substances.

To do the research to rehabilitate the promise of psychedelic drugs has been extraordinarily expensive. In 1986, Doblin established MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, to fund education about psychedelics and to help encourage research.

Doblin estimates that the organization has raised more than $145 million from foundations and individual donors and a similar amount from investors. In June of this year, MAPS sponsored the largest scientific conference ever on the use of psychedelics in health care. The meeting in Denver attracted over 12,000 people.

For Doblin, these are exhilarating times that he fully credits to his lifelong love affair with mind expanding drugs.

“Psychedelics have helped give me a sense of purpose,” he said, “they’ve helped give me clarity and confidence.” ì

Here’s to lots of reasons to SMILE in 2023!!

We are honored to care for so many of yours!

Harris B. Siegel, DMD, FAGO Arthur H. "Skip" Dolt, Ill, DDS, FAGO Marc “Chas” Plaisance, Jr., DMD BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Caregiver Husband Writes His Poignant Book

By Marcia Caller Jaffe For Atlanta lawyer Matt Ames and his family, July 2, 2019, began as a normal day … until a phone call changed everything. His irrepressible wife, Liz, was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of high grade appendiceal cancer.

And with that, their life was upended. Now four years later, Matt‘s book, “Through the Impossible-Lessons in Caregiving,” is available to help others.

In an instant, Matt and Liz were in the daunting maze of cancer care, which included nonstop tests, conflicting medical opinions, worst-case-scenarios, invasive treatments, and a 13-hour surgery that took Liz to the brink and back. All followed by a three-week hospitalization and brutal recovery.

Matt Ames is from North Miami, and Liz is from Newnan. They met as young attorneys. Until that phone call, they were living their dream life of travel and adventure, enjoying time with their two young boys. With the diagnosis, Matt Ames found himself thrust into a role he

Attorney Matt Ames intends to help others navigate the stressful cancer journey.

“Through the Impossible” details Ames’ male role as caregiver for his wife after her rare cancer diagnosis.

never could have imagined: caregiver to his wife -- while also trying to care for their kids and continue his law practice.

The Ames’s quickly decided that for the wellbeing of their boys, they would keep things at home as normal as possible.

“Even though I was being pulled in several directions, I always found a way to spend real time with them. We prioritized making them feel safe and loved,” recalled Matt.

Although Liz’s surgery was a success, once they returned home, they quickly realized their journey wasn’t over. Liz would face additional chemotherapy, treatments and ongoing monitoring, numerous scans, and bloodwork.

The overhang of cancer remained.

“The survivor and caregivers can’t just pick things up and continue on the tried-and-true path,” said Liz. “No – they are released into the wild. Everything is unfamiliar, and questions abound.”

Through painful lessons of trial and error and leaning heavily on his Jewish faith, Matt found his way. The life hacks

Mishpacha

and lessons he was using to guide his family through a crisis became the blueprint for a more authentic, fulfilling life -even in the face of uncertainty. And now, more than four years after that phone call, their journey continues.

“We now live with a sense of urgency to make lasting memories with our kids and each other,” he said. “It can be frightening and stressful at times, but there is a certain beauty to it as well.” Another thing Matt Ames has learned is that caregivers can be an overlooked bunch. While there are abundant resources available for the patient, Matt found very little that spoke to his vantage point. Also, more than half of all caregivers are women. As a young father serving as caregiver to a patient with an exceedingly rare disease, Matt found himself in a lonely minority.

In the wee hours, Matt began journaling as a form of therapy and stress relief. What emerged is a raw and heartfelt telling of their story with tips and strategies for caregiving from a husband who’s been through it.

Then there is tikkun olam. Since her diagnosis, Liz has served on cancer-related boards and mentored other appendix cancer patients. She and Matt are currently raising money to fund a rooftop garden at the newly constructed Emory Winship Cancer Institute building in Midtown to provide daylight and comfort for the next generation of patients -- and their caregivers.

With this book, Matt hopes to provide guidance to other caregivers. Because, as Matt says, “It is an underserved bunch that deserves a voice.” He plans to tour the Southeast, with a focus on synagogues, independent bookstores, and cancer-related events.

Ames’ book, “Through the Impossible-Lessons in Caregiving,” is available on Amazon or through Ibis Books at www. ibis-books.com/b/n0CJU. ì

Matt’s Tips:

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1. Take care of yourself! Even if it’s only 15 minutes a day, clear out space just for you. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help and lean into your support network.

2. Declutter your life. Pay attention to your allocation of time and eliminate the timewasters. Be intentional.

3. Stay thankful! Hopelessness and despair can take you to the bottom quickly if you don’t fight it. After we light candles and say blessings, our Shabbat ritual involves all of us talking about what we are thankful for.

4. Have faith. Science doesn’t always have the answers, so sometimes you just have to make your peace with the unknowns.

JOB OPENINGS VOTED BEST NEWSPAPER & BEST WEBSITE BY THE AMERICAN JEWISH PRESS ASSOCIATION 2022 AND 2023

Want to Serve our Community in a Career that is Rewarding in More Ways than Your Bank Account?

We are looking for YOU to fill one of these positions. We offer competitive salaries, benefits, PTO and both national and Jewish holiday time off.

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Atlanta Jewish Times has an immediate opening for an experienced administrative professional with office bookkeeping skills. Must be a quick learner who is highly organized, able to multitask in a fast-paced environment, and provide support at the executive level. Duties include creating and managing invoices; processing payments; day-to-day bookkeeping; reconciling monthly statements; maintaining calendars and scheduling appointments; handling phone calls and correspondence; and assisting in various projects and community events as needed.

Requirements: Work experience as an Executive Assistant, bookkeeper, or similar role; strong MS Word and Excel skills; experience with QuickBooks; ability to work independently; familiarity with database management; outstanding organizational and time management skills; excellent verbal and written communications skills; discretion and confidentiality. Salary is negotiable.

The Atlanta Jewish Times has an immediate full-time opening for a dependable and organized individual to assist with front office tasks including circulation and subscription development.

Responsibilities include customer service; answering phone calls and greeting visitors; handling subscription renewals and development; compiling and posting events online and in print; generating Excel reports; assisting in community engagement projects; and supporting staff with misc. tasks as needed. Direct knowledge of the Atlanta Jewish community a plus. $15-$20 per hour.

As an Account Manager, you will work with market leaders and trailblazers who know and trust us to deliver news and information that impacts their business. You will have a seat at the table with the business community’s most influential and affluent professionals.

We are looking for select individuals who are driven to succeed and value high expectations. Qualified candidates thrive in a dynamic, challenging, and hard-charging environment. They are confident selfstarters with a results-focused orientation and a proven track record of exceeding expectations. With a strong desire to represent the best of the communities that we serve, AJT enthusiastically invites diversity, thought and experience.

Salary plus commission: $50k-$125k annually.

WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT COORDINATOR The web and social media author / content coordinator is responsible for the content and images used on a website. You will coordinate planning, research, write copy and edit the content as posted on the website and social media platforms. Responsible for growing audiences on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Along with maintaining a posting schedule, you will regularly create platform-specific content including text posts, videos, and graphics. You must have a good eye for trends and an understanding of social media metrics, WordPress, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, and Search Engine Optimization, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram required. The ideal candidate possesses strong writing skills and a drive to jump into our fast-paced and friendly office. A knowledge of Judaism and the Atlanta Jewish community preferred. $28k-$45k annually.

We are looking to fill all positions as soon as possible.

Send your resume to kaylene@atljewishtimes.com to schedule a Zoom or in office interview.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 69

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Weinstein Recognized for Service and Expertise

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Dr. David H. Weinstein, a gastroenterologist with Metro Atlanta Gastroenterology and the Gastroenterologist of the Atlanta Braves, was honored as the Premier Adult Healthcare Professional of the Year on Nov. 4, at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s 33rd Annual Torch Gala at the Intercontinental Hotel for his work with irritable bowel disease patients.

Weinstein said, “I am invested in my commitment to my patients who have Crohn’s disease and colitis, which can be both painful and debilitating. I have worked with patients who lost 30-40 pounds through illness whom I thought would surely have to undergo major surgery to improve. But the right treatments and therapies can bring about long-term remission and many of those same patients are now thriving.”

An Atlanta native, Dr. Weinstein trained at the Emory University School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina. He has volunteered with the Georgia Chapter of the Crohn’s &

Dr. David H. Weinstein was recently honored by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s 33rd Annual Torch Gala as the Premier Adult Healthcare Professional of the Year.

Colitis Foundation for more than a decade. During that time, he helped plan and present at education programs and support groups for IBD patients, facilitated continuing education seminars for professionals, and volunteered as a camp

Happy Chanukah!

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doctor at Camp Oasis, a summer camp exclusively for children with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, where they can learn, play, and heal.

In terms of his role with the Braves in general gastroenterology, he works with the coaches, trainers, front office, and players. Here, Weinstein weighs in on his area of expertise: AJT: What do the statistics say about Jews having more Crohn’s and colitis issues?

Weinstein: A Jewish child is more likely to develop Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis (together dubbed inflammatory bowel disease or IBD) than other populations, and a Jewish child born of a parent with IBD is more likely than a Jewish child born by parents without IBD to develop Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis (UC).

Still—and this is what I focus on in the clinic—it’s unlikely that a child, regardless of the medical history of the parents, will develop either Crohn’s or UC. How we are raised is likely more influential than genetics—whether we smoke or not, what foods we eat, whether we avoid taking medicines readily available and overprescribed, like non-steroidal (Aleve, Ibuprofen, etc.) or antibiotics, respectively, where we live—IBD is more prevalent in the north than in the south—and a multitude of other learned behaviors that influence who we become, medically speaking.

AJT: Has genetic testing helped?

Weinstein: Genetic testing has helped our understanding of IBD, particularly how Crohn’s or UC may manifest itself, but it’s never a 1:1, singular expres-

sion. One person’s IBD is not another’s just because they share the diagnostic name or the genetic variation.

AJT: What are the more modern treatments?

Weinstein: We have a multitude of drugs with different mechanisms of action - a broad category of advanced therapies. They first debuted around the turn of the century, and I believe these medications have the potential to alter the course of IBD along paths that, if not a cure, will run a very tangential course to a cure.

AJT: Do people develop IBD later in life?

Weinstein: There is a well-known bimodal distribution. In my experience, the late onset IBD happens in the late fifties or early sixties. Still, I wonder if in many of these later onset cases the disease was present early in life, perhaps in a mild expression where the symptoms were so benign, they simply became part of daily living, or absent.

Weinstein’s recently published book, “A Doctor’s Life,” was written to be helpful to those interested in medicine, and especially anyone entertaining a career in medicine. Weinstein has been voted by his peers repeatedly as a “Top Doctor” and he has worked with WebMD to create educational videos for Crohn’s disease patients.

Weinstein enjoys spending his free time with his wife, two children, and two dogs. He is the son of Dr. Alan and Renie Weinstein and a member of Congregation Beth Tefillah. ì

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ARTS & CULTURE ‘You’re So Not Invited’ Writer Visits Temple Sinai

Adam Sandler produced and starred in the film and included three family members in the cast.

By Bob Bahr

and then stayed on for another half hour for questions from the audience.

In the 90-minute Q and A, Peck generously treated the crowd to some of the highlights from the long journey she has made from undergraduate in the Univer-

sity of Southern California’s screen writing program to years of laboring on the production side of the business. There is a lot of work, she reminded her audience, in becoming the proverbial overnight success in Hollywood and not a little bit of luck.

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Photos by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.

Screenwriter Alison Peck, whose script for the Netflix late summer release, “You Are Not So Invited to My Bat Mitzvah,” helped to make the film one of the

most popular releases of the year for the streaming service.

Peck was a recent Sunday morning guest at Temple Sinai in Sandy Springs where she graciously answered questions by the temple’s two senior rabbis

Screenwriter Alison Peck was interviewed by Temple Sinai Rabbi Brad Leventhal.

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72 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

ARTS & CULTURE

Celebrate at Sinai Sandler’s daughter, Sunny, plays his daughter in the film.

Interestingly, the story she has penned is not one she ever personally experienced. It is about how the central character, Stacy Friedman, played by Adam Sandler’s daughter, Sunny, contends with all the problems created by her impending, over-the-top Bat Mitzvah and along the way learns some lessons about life and has a few laughs as well.

Although for Peck, growing up Jewish meant attending plenty of friends’ celebrations, she didn’t have a Bat Mitzvah.

Still, for the film, she did her homework for this script and as a portrait of the life of teens precariously balanced between childhood and rapidly approaching adolescence it has a certain charm.

In fact, as she pointed out to her listeners at Temple Sinai, the middle schoolers she writes about had little interest in how life was developing, they were more interested in what was facing them only on each given day.

“I found it really fascinating that this period is the most confusing time when you are growing up. You’re like a kid, but kind of stepping into adulthood. And maybe not everyone in your class is sort of hitting those things at the same time.

And then you have this Bar or Bat Mitzvah where they’re telling you, you’re an adult now. And that’s why the 13-year-old has no business being considered an adult.”

The Adam Sandler production for Netflix was not only a popular choice for those who subscribe to the streaming service, but it was an even bigger hit with critics. On the Rotten Tomatoes review site, the film got a stellar 95 percent approval rating from several dozen critics. It was the highest approval rating ever for a Sandler film, even edging out his masterful Oscar-worthy acting job in “Uncut Gems,” his 2019 film for Josh and

Ben Safdie.

This time out, he was the producer, star, and it would seem, the casting director as well. Joining him in this pleasant, coming of age film are his two daughters, and his wife, Jackie. It’s probably the largest gathering of acting talent from a single family since the early sound films of the five Marx Brothers in the late 1920s.

But despite it being such a family affair, the film works because Peck has created a story that seemingly has broad appeal, for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike, even though she admits she didn’t consciously set out to write it that way.

“I was pleasantly surprised that it was so relatable to so many different people. I didn’t really have it in my mind that I wanted to appeal to this age and that age. Of course, Netflix would have wanted me to do that, but I really was just like, you know, I’m going to write a teen sort of thing. Hopefully, adults will watch it because of Adam Sandler. Hopefully they can relate to it because they have kids.

But for the most part, I just wanted it to feel cool.”

Perhaps the most valuable quality Peck brought to the film is the nature of the comedy she has created about modern day living. Although the film is not without its critics in the way it describes both the social and religious values of a carefully selected slice of Jewish life, Peck shows a certain restraint in portraying what could have gone wild off the rails.

“I think it has been really great to remind people of the joy of being Jewish, the community of it. People just being happy and having this fun movie to watch together, Hopefully, teens can watch with their parents and not feel too embarrassed or too weird And each person can take something from that.” ì

Consider Temple Sinai as a location for your future celebrations and events. Our beautiful building was recently renovated and has both indoor and outdoor spaces that offer an ideal setting for weddings, corporate events, cocktail receptions, lectures, showers, parties and more.

Contact us and start planning today 404.252.3073 www.templesinaiatlanta.org

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 73

CALENDAR

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Various Dates and Times This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble from Stage Door Theatre that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. Find dates, times, and tickets at https://bit. ly/3Szbvk0.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 SOJOURN’s Drawing from the Well -12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to experience the magic of inclusive community during Drawing from the Well. Drawing from the Well is SOJOURN’s inclusive weekly meetup for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies. Find out more at https://bit.ly/3ZrKEXi.

DECEMBER 15-29

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore, and journey with Intown Jewish Academy through the world of Jewish mystical teaching and learn how to apply these profound teachings to your daily life. This ongoing class probes the esoteric through a unique program of English text-based study. No prior Kabbalistic experience required. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V3sfiE.

Kabbalah Café – 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Fuel up your week with the transformative teachings of Kabbalah as you enjoy a gourmet hot breakfast and coffee bar. You’ll study text-based spiritual wisdom that gives you practical guidance to living a healthy and empowered life. Join Beth Tefillah by visiting https://bit.ly/3Ak2BfX.

Paintfest - 2 to 4 p.m. Join Atlanta Israel Coalition as we partner with the Foundation for Hospital Art to paint murals for the Hospital. The Murals are designed as pre-dawn paint by colors for all skill levels. RSVP at https://bit. ly/3RCPEHD.

Jewish War Veterans Post 112 Hannukah Party – 5 to 7 p.m. Join in for a belated Channukah Celebration. How many ways can you spell Hanukkah? Appetizers on JWV, but the bar is CASH!! We’d love to see you and sing a few songs. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3GhqPug.

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at:

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. In order to be considered for the print edition, please submit events three to four weeks in advance. Contact Diana Cole for more information at Diana@atljewishtimes.com.

74 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Musical Intersections - An Exploration of the Black/Jewish Experience - 6 to 9 p.m. Dara Starr Tucker & Joe Alterman explore the Black/Jewish Experience through music, storytelling, provocative discussion and more. Get tickets at https://bit.ly/3t5ygBO.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18 Jeff’s Place Café – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Need a place to host your Monday-morning business meeting? Looking to meet a friend for breakfast and coffee? Craving some bagels and lox before heading into the office? Come to Chabad Intown and find out more at https:// bit.ly/3IRgve6.

Canasta and Mah Jongg at Etz Chaim 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. AgeWell Atlanta East Cobb/Roswell and Congregation Etz Chaim host a weekly morning of canasta and mah jongg. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3RsalGu.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19 Caregiver Support Group - Dunwoody Sandy Springs - 6 to 7 p.m. Watching those we love to lose their memory or ability to live independently is difficult on all levels. Taking some time to focus on your own mental and emotional well-being will help you be a better caregiver for someone else. RSVP at Bermans Common Assisted Living & Memory Care and Jewish HomeLife, at http://bit.ly/3XuB84q.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES Torah Reading: Vayigash

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20 Jewish Women’s Torah and Tea - 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Join the Jewish Women’s Circle of Decatur for a weekly discussion on the Parsha and contemporary Jewish issues. Find out more at https:// bit.ly/3T8oR4B.

Friday, December 22, Tevet 10, 5784 Light Shabbat Candles at 5:14 PM Saturday, December 23, Tevet 11, 5784 Shabbat Ends 6:13 PM Torah Reading: Vayechi Friday, December 29, Tevet 17, 5784 Light Candles at 5:18 PM Saturday, December 30, Tevet 18, 5784 Shabbat Ends 6:17 PM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21 Brain Health Bootcamp – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join a Fun, Social Class to Strengthen Your Mind and Body to Stay Sharp! With age serving as the greatest risk factor for cognitive impairment or memory loss, JF&CS is taking action with the Brain Health Bootcamp. The first of its kind in Atlanta, it is designed to provide memory enhancement techniques through cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, education, and socialization. Join by visiting https://bit.ly/3tPwMs3.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 SOJOURN’s Drawing from the Well -12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to experience the magic of inclusive community during Drawing from the Well. Drawing from the Well is SOJOURN’s inclusive weekly meetup for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies. Find out more at https://bit.ly/3ZrKEXi.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23 31st Annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Live-Streamed – 9 and 11:30 p.m. Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ returns to its pre-pandemic format over the course

of 3 days, with 2 shows a day in a Chinese restaurant banquet room with family-style dining at tables of 10 (appropriately named Barbra Streisand, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers, Kvetch…) with Lazy Susans. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/4a4jOuu.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore, and journey with Intown Jewish Academy through the world of Jewish mystical teaching and learn how to apply these profound teachings to your daily life. This ongoing class probes the esoteric through a unique program of English text-based study. No prior Kabbalistic experience required. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V3sfiE. Kabbalah Café – 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Fuel up your week with the transformative teachings of Kabbalah as you enjoy a gourmet hot breakfast and coffee bar. You’ll study text-based spiritual wisdom that gives you practical guidance to living a healthy and empowered life. Join Beth Tefillah by visiting https://bit.ly/3Ak2BfX.

JAN 5–JAN 7 On the Coca-Cola Stage

Following acclaimed engagements on Broadway and around the globe, Award–winning writer and performer Alex Edelman brings his solo show to Atlanta.

“CRITIC’S PICK! A CULTURAL PHENOMENON. A brisk, smart provocation… and a belly laugh funny show!”

– The New York Times

Tickets at alliancetheatre.org/justforus 1280 PEACHTREE ST NE // ATLANTA, GA 30309

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 75

taking action with the Brain Health Bootcamp. The first of its kind in Atlanta, it is designed to provide memory enhancement techniques through cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, education, and socialization. Join by visiting https://bit.ly/3tPwMs3.

our Christian brethren can spend the holiday at home with their families. In past years, hundreds of volunteers like you helped make our Pinch Hitter Program better and better. This year, we are staffing a slate of seven hospitals and assisted living facilities, and we need your help. Register at https://bit. ly/46NKMU6.

31st Annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Live-Streamed – 9 and 11:30 p.m. Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ returns to its pre-pandemic format over the course of 3 days, with 2 shows a day in a Chinese restaurant banquet room with family-style dining at tables of 10 (appropriately named Barbra Streisand, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers, Kvetch…) with Lazy Susans. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/4a4jOuu.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 Be A 2023 Pinch Hitter on December 25th - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pinch Hitters is B’nai B’rith’s annual community service project where volunteers from the Atlanta Jewish Community “go to bat” for non-medical hospital personnel on Christmas Day. This is so

Family Fun Day - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join the MJCCA for Family Fun Day! We will have a variety of activities available for children and families including inflatables, open basketball play, an indoor gaga pit, arts and crafts, a meaningful community service project and more. This event is free and open to the community. Find out more at https://bit.ly/47WQPr7.

31st Annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Live-Streamed – 9 and 11:30 p.m. Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ returns to its pre-pandemic format over the course of 3 days, with 2 shows a day in a Chinese restaurant banquet room with family-style dining at tables of 10 (appropriately named Barbra Streisand, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers, Kvetch…) with Lazy Susans. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/4a4jOuu.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 Brain Health Bootcamp – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join a Fun, Social Class to Strengthen Your Mind and Body to Stay Sharp! With age serving as the greatest risk factor for cognitive impairment or memory loss, JF&CS is

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29 SOJOURN’s Drawing from the Well -12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to experience the magic of inclusive community during Drawing from the Well. Drawing from the Well is SOJOURN’s inclusive weekly meetup for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies. Find out more at https://bit.ly/3ZrKEXi.

Celebrate in Sandy Springs Life is filled with moments that become lasting memories, and there’s no better place for a memorable simcha than Sandy Springs.

Let us be the full service connection between you and your event. With over 20 hotels and nearly 3000 rooms, we can provide customized and complimentary assistance to make sure you find the perfect hotel for your guests, as well as recommendations for venues, catering and more.

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76 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

W NO E N OP

We’ve expanded our warm welcome.

C

anterbury Court, Atlanta’s original Life Plan community, has expanded its already vibrant neighborhood. Now open,

our new Garden Tower features 105 spacious and elegantly finished independent senior living apartment homes, enhanced amenities and services, and more. A 14-acre oasis in the heart of Buckhead, you’ll be surrounded by friendly faces and the peace of mind of a continuum of care, if ever needed.

To learn more and to schedule a personal tour, contact us today at (404) 201-6988, CanterburyCourt.org/Welcome, or scan the QR code.

3750 Peachtree Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30319 CanterburyCourt.org ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 77

KEEPING IT KOSHER

JEWISH JOKE

Precipizi (Fried Honey Balls) Fried honey balls, or precipizi, are a classic Italian Chanukah dish. This dessert is made of a dough that consists of egg, sugar, flour and rum or rum extract (or apple juice). The dough is rolled into a rope, cut into small pieces, fried, and then dipped in honey. The final products are dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Makes approximately 6 dozen

Ingredients Dough 2 cups Mishpacha Flour pinch of salt 3 tablespoons sugar 2 eggs 2 tablespoons Tuscanini Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 3 tablespoons rum (can substitute with Kedem Apple or orange juice) zest of 1 lemon vegetable oil for frying

Coating Manischewitz Honey Gefen Confectioners’ Sugar, for sprinkling

Directions Prepare the Precipizi 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and lemon zest. Mix until well-combined.

2. Divide dough in four parts. Roll out one part of dough to form a rope. Break off hazelnut-sized pieces and roll into tiny balls.

3. Heat oil in a pan on medium-high. Drop balls in hot oil and cook around 20 to 30 seconds until light golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side, around 15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel-lined dish to absorb extra oil.

4. Repeat with the remaining dough.

For Coating 1. Heat honey in a pan on the lowest flame. Add all the cooked balls of dough. Toss in pan to coat completely with the honey.

2. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Recipe by Rebbetzin Shachar Banin Photography by Sina Mizrahi Source: Kosher.com 78 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Sleeping Congregant The new rabbi was in the middle of a sermon when he suddenly beckoned to the shammes to come over.

The rabbi said to him, “That man in the third row is asleep. Wake him up.”

The shammes replied, “You put him to sleep. You wake him up.”

YIDDISH WORD Umglick Shammer n. A person who pretends to have bad luck in order to elicit pity and win favors.

“What an umglick shammer that Milton is. He’s told me three times now that his bubbe passed away, when we all know she’s the picture of health in Boca.”

From the Yiddish umglick, meaning “an unlucky person.”

BRAIN FOOD

Maccabee Games

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22. Notable Jr. in politics 23. Radio host Shapiro 24. Nickname for the Maccabee who sprinted?

30. Rancher’s foe 31. “Friendly” introduction?

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43. “Fit to” conclusion 44. She was strong in the Force 45. “Say again?” to Noa 47. Important hosp. personnel 49. Ammonia or fertilizer (compound) 52. Nickname for the Maccabee who did pole vault?

57. “Read Across America” org.

58. “...___ quit!”

59. MSG team 60. Nickname for the Maccabee who ran marathons?

65. Commentator Coulter 68. One way to shop 69. Dog in the funny papers 70. “Cinderella” opener?

71. Grants right of way 72. ___-do-well 73. Store-window posting: Abbr.

24. Author Tolkien 25. Avodah Zarah board, some say 26. Flanders and Ryerson 27. Rock great Dave 28. Legal defense org.

29. Open or pigeon follower 34. He stole Homer’s Flaming drink 35. “Goosebumps” author R. L. 37. Edot ___ 38. Words that start a classic Chanukah song 40. “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin 41. Michael of the “Ant-Man” movies 42. Joseph spent some time here 46. Opposite of 64-Down 48. Foundation and Rosetta 50. Bill with Hamilton on it, in slang 51. Manta, for one 52. Find pleasure in 53. Téa of “Jurassic Park III” 54. Bald all-American?

55. A bit of a joule 56. Kind of mustard 61. “The Simpsons” nebuch Gunderson 62. Rep. or Dem. alternative 63. Literary salute 64. “Giddyup!”

66. Chanukah need 67. ___ gadol hayah....

DOWN

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 79

OBITUARIES

Iren Heller Gerstl

Joanne Kahn

Iren Heller Gerstl was born in Bodrogkisfalud, Hungary, on Dec. 23, 1921, died in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 29, 2023.

Iren was a loving and devoted wife to Paul Gerstl, loving and devoted mother to Peter Gordon and Edith Gerstl Ermann, loving and devoted grandmother to Dalia Ermann and Erica Solove.

Iren bravely survived the horrors of Nazi death camp Ravensbruck, loss of her entire family in the Holocaust, the 1968 Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia and the immigration to the USA. Iren preserved her mental and spiritual freedom and was emboldened by the tragedies in her life.

Iren was a survivor with an indomitable optimism and strength of character.

In her professional life, Iren was a monumentally successful artiste couturier extraordinaire, with hundreds of adoring, admiring and grateful clients in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Atlanta, and Columbus.

Iren is missed with the deepest love, sorrow, and pain.

May her memory be a blessing.

It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of Joanne Kahn, 86, Atlanta, on Dec. 4, 2023. Joanne was the daughter of Rueben and Betty Kohn, wife of Dr. Eric Kahn, and sister of Alan Kohn. She is survived by her daughter, Shari Kahn-Sanchez (Dr. Ramon Sanchez) Atlanta, and sons, Michael Kahn (Pamela), San Diego and Louis Kahn (Casey Brown) Seattle; and beloved grandchildren, EricaMarie Sanchez and Catherine-Anne Sanchez (Matthew Spencer), Atlanta and Joseph Daniel Kahn, Phoenix.

Joanne was born in Philadelphia, Penn., where she graduated from Temple University and went on to be a teacher. She moved to Atlanta in the 1960s where she was active in promoting civil rights and volunteered her time at the CDC while continuing to teach. By the late 70’s she found a new career as a successful real estate agent for several decades with Coldwell Banker and Remax.

She had a larger-than-life personality, always encouraging people to be their best.

She had a big heart and would always say what was on her mind. She traveled the world and enjoyed caring for animals and nature (real green thumb). She was an exceptional chef and enjoyed cooking family meals. She was a devoted mother and grandmother; she always taught compassion and felt strongly about education. We will miss our beloved Joanne very much. She was an amazing lady who left a rich legacy of family to carry on her teachings.

A graveside funeral was held Dec. 5 at Arlington Memorial Park. Donations in her memory may be made to Atlanta Humane Society or Peace Corps. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

102, Columbus, Ohio

Fred Glusman 91, Atlanta

Fred Glusman, 91, of Atlanta, Ga., died on Dec. 8, 2023.

He was born in Mannheim, Germany, to Anna and Bernard Glusman, of blessed memory, and immigrated to the United States as a young child in 1937. In addition to his beloved wife, Gloria, he is survived by his brother and sister-in-law Marvin and Jane Glusman of Sarasota, Fla., and sister-inlaw Bonnie Starkand Weiner, his children Rabbi Brian (Laurie) Glusman, Alison Rosengarten, and Danny (Florie) Glusman, and his grandchildren, Adam (Emily), Lauren, Nathan, Rebecca, Deena, Eliana, Rael, Mira, and Kemp.

Fred and Gloria were married for 63 years and raised their family in Atlanta. Fred always considered himself to be very lucky and grateful for the many blessings in his life. He was an active and beloved member of the Jewish community. Fred attended a yeshiva in New York as a child before moving to Nashville where his father served as Cantor at the West End Synagogue. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Fred served in the US Army at Fort Richardson in Alaska and was appointed as acting chaplain. He remained an active participant in the local Jewish War Veterans organization.

Fred met his bride, Gloria Tunkle, in Huntsville Ala., where they became founding members of Congregation Etz Chayim. He served as lay rabbi and was the state president of B’nai Brith. Following a move to Atlanta, Fred became the first Executive Director of Congregation Beth Jacob, a position he held for 26 years. During that time, Fred had many accomplishments and helped facilitate the growth of the congregation.

He established a city-wide Chevra Kedisha (burial society) dinner which includes synagogues representing all denominations and an annual Passover campaign to collect funds to support those in need. Fred was also instrumental in the creation of the Annual Beth Jacob Purim Parade. He served as Treasurer of the Beth Jacob Men’s Club and was a member of the Men’s Choir for many years. Fred was active in Hemshech, a local organization of Holocaust survivors, and chanted the memorial prayer at the annual Yom HaShoah commemoration. Upon his retirement from Beth Jacob, a Torah scroll was dedicated in his honor. Fred continued to volunteer for many years at the synagogue and worked at Berman Commons Assisted Living and Memory Care in Dunwoody as chaplain, teacher, kashruth supervisor, and community liaison.

Fred was a kind, enthusiastic, gentle, and giving man who always maintained a positive and youthful spirit. He was a true mensch, always willing to help anyone in need. Fred had a great sense of humor and made friends with everyone he met. He was well-regarded throughout the Atlanta community. Fred was cherished by his family, friends, and all who knew him.

Contributions in honor of Fred’s life may be made to Congregation Beth Jacob, a Jewish school, or a charity of your choice.

80 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

86, Atlanta

Arthur Kurtz 76, Atlanta

Arthur Kurtz, 76, passed away Nov. 27, 2023. He was the patriarch of his family, a devoted father who lived for his children and his religion, and a gifted writer and devout teacher of Jewish religion. He taught young adults through his position as the first principal of the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. Arthur was a beacon of love and kindness. He touched the lives of everyone he encountered with his joyous smile, unwavering compassion, and kind words. Arthur wanted to have a positive impact on those in the community. He valued togetherness and was actively involved in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Arthur was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States after our parents survived the holocaust.

He came to Erie, Penn., and later Miami, Fla., where he attended Yeshiva and later Coral Gables High School. He attended Georgia Tech and graduated from the University of Miami in accounting, which he practiced for over forty years. Survivors include his children; Risa Kurtz, Joshua (Chau Bui) Kurtz, and Lauren (Adam) Schwartz, sisters, Susie (Henry) Dufour and Becky (Randy) Califf; and grandchildren, Sydney, Zoey, and Max. Graveside services were held on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs, Ga. Donations may be made to Congregation Beth Tefillah www.bethtefillah.org/payment.php and Chabad of Georgia www.chabadga.com/donate. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

OBITUARIES

Robyn Faye Levine 64, Atlanta

Robyn Faye Levine, born on May 23, 1959, peacefully passed away at the age of 64.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Neil Schlossberg, and her cherished children: Aaron Benjamin & wife, Mariana Benjamin, along with their adored daughters, Alice and Lilith; daughter, Mollie Benjamin; and son, Max Benjamin. She is also survived by her bonus children, Chelsea and Ryan Schlossberg, and her beloved bonus grandchildren, Kaydence, and Charlie.

Robyn was born and raised in Atlanta, Ga., to parents Marilyn and Daniel Levine, and was a loving sister to Jodie Koretz, Sharon Kraun, Donna Cohen, and Alan Levine.

The unexpected loss of their mother in 1972 forged a unique bond among the siblings.

Robyn’s artistic talents shone brightly throughout her life. From a young age, she demonstrated her musical prowess, playing the clarinet in elementary school and later mastering the saxophone, flute, and various other instruments during her high school and college years at the University of Georgia. Following graduation, Robyn continued her musical journey by actively participating in the Atlanta Concert Band for nearly three decades.

In addition to her musical talents, Robyn was a gifted baker, bringing joy to her family and community with her delectable creations. This passion evolved into her successful side venture, “Robyn’s Killer Cakes.”

Robyn also expressed her creativity through visual arts, passionately indulging in drawing and painting. Her artistic endeavors adorned walls, from simple home décor to the expansive canvas of Primary Colors, the preschool she founded. Children and education held a special place in her heart. Robyn dedicated over 30 years of her life as a special education teacher in Fulton County and Atlanta City schools. Her commitment to education extended to teaching Sunday school at Temple Kol Emeth.

Robyn was undeniably a force of nature. Her unwavering determination and strong convictions were unmistakable, often resulting in things being done Robyn’s way. Her vibrant spirit touched the lives of many, and her absence leaves a void that will be deeply felt.

A memorial service to celebrate Robyn’s life was held at Congregation Temple Kol Emeth on Thursday Nov. 30, 2023. Following the service, a brief graveside ceremony took place at Crestlawn Cemetery.

May the memory of Robyn Levine provide comfort and inspiration to all who knew her. In lieu of flowers, we kindly request that you honor Robyn’s memory by making a donation to an autism research charity of your choice.

Brook Bolton Owner 770.757.0330 office 770.289.0982 cell brook@rmemorials.com www.rmemorials.com

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OBITUARIES

Lawrence Rosenbluth

Susan Sachs Schlansky

Lawrence “Larry” Rosenbluth born on Jan 3, 1967, passed away in Nov. 20, 2023. He is survived by his children, Tyler and Logan Rosenbluth, his mother, Joan Rosenbluth of Atlanta, Ga. He is also survived by his sister, Amy Frank (Aaron) and his nephew and niece, Lily and Noah Frank.

Larry grew up in Atlanta and went to Lovett for high school. He attended Franklin & Marshall for his undergraduate degree and The University of Mississippi for law school. Larry returned to Atlanta where he practiced law.

He loved the outdoors whether it was hunting, fishing or boating. He was grateful for his friends and family and was so proud of his children’s accomplishments.

There will be a memorial service that will be announced at a later date. Donations can be made to The Jaffa Institute in Israel or The National Audubon Society. Arrangements by Dressler’s, 770-451-4999.

Susan Sachs Schlansky, 79 years old, passed away on Sept. 5, 2023. She is survived

by Stuart, her loving husband of 53 years, her daughters Debra Siegel (Philip) and Rachel Katz (Benjamin), and grandchildren Zoe Siegel, Zack Siegel, and Jacob Katz. Susan possessed a deep and abiding love of her Jewish faith. Her passion for Judaism influenced and informed her lifelong career as an educator, her commitment to the Atlanta Jewish community, and most of all to loving and caring for her family.

Susan was born in Braddock, Penn. A first generation American, and the only daughter of B. Louis (Z”L) and Ethel Sachs (Z”L), Susan’s parents fled Lithuania in the 1930s with her older brothers Hillel (Z”L) and Murray Sachs (Z”L). Surrounded by many cousins, aunts, and uncles, Susan was raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Penn., where she was embraced by and flourished in that thriving Jewish community.

Susan graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and attended the Ohio State University. Returning to Pittsburgh following college, she obtained a master’s degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh and embarked on her career as a teacher.

Susan first taught in the Pittsburgh public schools. As opportunities brought Susan’s family to Detroit, she then taught in the public schools there. But it was in Atlanta where Susan and Stuart ultimately settled. There, Susan would spend the rest of her career as an educator, serving as a kindergarten teacher at the Atlanta JCC, an elementary education teacher at The Davis Academy, and a religious school instructor at Congregation Etz Chaim. Throughout, Susan found a calling in shaping the minds of generations of young Atlantans and inspiring them in their Jewish faith and identity.

Susan also found great purpose in dedicating her time to volunteer in support of causes on behalf of the Atlanta Jewish Community. An active congregant of Ahavath Achim synagogue, Susan took much pleasure from attending services and served for many years as the head of the synagogue’s usher committee. In addition, Susan was a lifetime member of Hadassah Atlanta, serving a term as that organization’s president.

Moreover, Susan was a survivor of breast cancer. Believing strongly in the preventive value of education, Susan frequently spoke to groups of young Jewish women regarding the importance of early detection and her own personal experience in combating and overcoming cancer.

Susan’s love of learning extended not only to teaching others; she embraced a lifelong desire to add to her own knowledge. Susan possessed an insatiable curiosity about the world around her, and greatly enjoyed traveling to new countries, exposing herself to the history, culture, and sights of exotic locales. She and Stuart shared this passion for travel, and together they devoted their retirement years to exploring the world.

Of all her accomplishments and pursuits, nothing gave Susan greater pleasure than loving and being loved by her family. Susan reveled in being “Bubbe” to Zoe, Zack, and Jacob. Every Friday, Susan would greet the entire family with wishes of “Shabbat Shalom.” Susan cherished moments of catching up with every family member, speaking by telephone, inquiring about their comings and goings, and supporting everyone with words of love and encouragement through all of life’s trials. Susan, a true matriarch of her family, will be sorely missed, but there is great comfort in knowing that she lives on through the lives she touched and through the loving example she set for her daughters and grandchildren.

A graveside service was held Sept. 8 at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements were made by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to organizations and causes that were close to Susan’s heart: Ahavath Achim Synagogue; The Davis Academy; The Epstein School; Hadassah Atlanta; Atlanta Hope Lodge; and Camouflage.

56, Atlanta

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Editor and Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com.

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82 | DECEMBER 15, 2023 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

79, Atlanta

OBITUARIES

William Paul Shields

Morris Isadore Zoblotsky

William “Will” Paul Shields passed away with his family by his side on Dec. 8, 2023, at the age of 51.

Will was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. A native Atlantan, he attended North Springs High School and graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Journalism. As a TEP fraternity pledge, he took a date to the Auburn football game that changed his life forever. That day, the Bulldogs won but Will lost his heart to Susan, his wife of 25 years. Will’s career in media sales included working with prominent companies including Comcast, ClearChannel, and iHeart Media. At the time of his passing, he was National Sales Manager at Effectv. Will was a twenty-year-old member of Temple Beth Tikvah where he served on the Board and led Backpack Buddies.

Will had a rare understanding of the importance of relationships and invested his whole heart into his family and friends. His children Margot and Brody were his priority, pride, and joy. He was a tireless host and grill master who was the first to crack a joke and share a toast. He will be fondly remembered and deeply missed for his humility, his devotion to family and friends and his steadfast kindness to all. In keeping with his generous spirit, his final act of caring was his choice to be a multiple organ donor.

Will is survived by his loving wife, Susan, children, Margot and Brody, sister, Rachel (Adam) Printz of Marietta, sister-in-law, Kris (Tom) Batchelor of Kannapolis, N.C., and five nephews: Jake, Ben, and Sam Batchelor, and Connor and Hayden Printz, as well as countless relatives and cherished friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Shields, and Dale (Jacobs) Shields.

A celebration of Will’s life was held at the graveside at Arlington Memorial Park on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Dressler’s Funeral Care assisted the family with arrangements.

In honor of Will’s memory, the family asks that you call friends to remind them you care and don’t worry about the small stuff. In lieu of flowers, donations to a future nonprofit to be created in William’s honor may be made as follows: https://gofund.me/a8da9fec.

Morris Isadore Zoblotsky, 88, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away Dec. 5, 2023. He was born in Taylor, Texas, on May 10, 1935, to Bessie and Joe Zoblotsky, of blessed memory. In addition to his beloved wife Beverly, he is survived by his sister Margie Glazer of Dallas, Texas, his children, Michelle (Evan) Bruck, Melinda (Gavin) Cobb, and Mark (Emi) Zoblotsky, and his grandchildren, Jenna, Justin, Ben, Nicole, Jonah, and Isabelle. Morris is also survived by his niece Nanci Gay and his nephew Michael (Arlene) Glazer.

Morris and Beverly were married for 56 years and raised their family in Atlanta. He was a devoted husband, and a doting father and grandfather, often telling his kids that in his opinion, net worth should not be measured by the size of people’s bank accounts, but by how proud their children make them. He would then say that by that standard, he was the wealthiest man in the world. Morris would end every conversation with his children by telling them how proud he was of them and how much he loved them.

Morris learned the value of hard work early in life, helping his parents run their shoe store after a long day of school at age 12. He earned a college degree from the University of Texas and spent many years working in the shoe business. Upon retirement, Morris discovered a second career and loved every minute of it assisting his son-inlaw Gavin with his property management business. Morris was forced into retirement by his family at the young age of 85. His warmth, sincerity, wisdom, gentle spirit, and love of telling jokes and stories won the hearts of many, many friends, and colleagues throughout his life.

Morris was cherished not only by his family, but by all who knew him. Contributions in honor of his life may be made to the Temple Sinai or to a charity of your choice.

Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

51, Atlanta

88, Atlanta

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 83

CLOSING THOUGHTS The Oct. 7 Pogrom Will Change Everything The term pogrom as an act of organized violence, usually against Jews, bringing death and destruction to them where they live, was a Yiddish word first used about 1890. This was largely after the first surge of the antiJewish riots taking place in the Czarist Russian imperial Rabbi Richard state, but certainly not the Baroff DD last. The word “pogrom” was taken from the Russian word for destruction, related to the Russian word grom for thunder. For the Jews at that time, it was the antisemitic thunder of the mobs, manipulated often by Czarist government officials, to attack Jews in many towns and villages, and occasionally in cities.

By 1890, many such acts of butchery and plunder at the hands of Russian citizens would have already been experienced, especially following the assassination of Czar Alexander II almost a decade before. Alexander II had, at times, been a reform-minded monarch, but had developed many enemies on both the left and the right.

When a radical group killed the czar in 1881, a wave of anti-Jewish violence came in the wake of the crime, as

hundreds of Jewish communities were set upon. The Jews were falsely blamed for the leftist violence generally, and specifically for the murder of Alexander. The Jewish Enlightenment -the Haskalah - which had called inter alia for Russian Jews to embrace the host country’s culture and language, was largely replaced overnight by other ideologies. Zionism became a much more attractive political philosophy for Jews living in the Pale of Settlement - the area at the western edge of the Russian Empire to which the Jews were confined.

After the first wave of Russian riots against the Jews, mostly living in the Pale, Jews began to leave the Russian Empire in large numbers. Some went to the Land of Israel, others went to central and western Europe, many made their way to the Americas, and especially to the United States. The immigrants would keep coming in waves over the decades, to Eretz Yisroel, to America and to other places. The pogroms in imperial Russia themselves would surge and recede all the way to the Russian Revolution of 1917. The most infamous attack would be in Kishenev on Passover in 1903. Far more deadly was the 1905 massacre in Odessa, in which hundreds were murdered. But the most devastating attacks claiming tens of thousands of lives would take place in Ukraine during the civil war period of 1917-21. In this conflict, Jews were attacked by Ukrainian and Russian

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nationalist and royalist soldiers, and at times by the Bolshevik Red Army, with enormous savagery.

The Nazi Regime in Germany sometimes supported pogroms. The Night of the Broken Glass (Kristallnacht) took place in Germany, Austria, and parts of Czechoslovakia in 1938. Over 90 Jews were murdered, tens of thousands of Jewish men arrested and sent to prison and concentration camps. Hundreds of synagogues burned down, thousands of businesses decimated, enormous amount of assets stolen. The Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) would occasionally encourage riots against Jews in Ukraine in 1941. The Germans encouraged and took part in pogroms in Romania and Poland also in 1941 as part of their genocidal program. In 1946, over 40 Holocaust survivors who were trying to return home were murdered in Kielce, Poland. Largely, at this point, any surviving Polish Jews gave up on returning to their towns and left the country.

There has been a long history of Arab and Muslim violent mob actions against the Jewish communities of those countries. In Iran (Persia) there were murderous riots in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. In the British Mandate of Palestine, there were a series of anti-Jewish attacks in 1929. Algerian Arabs plundered their Jewish citizens in the next decade. In the 1940s alone, there were outbreaks of mass looting, killing, and burning of property in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Morocco. Many of the citizens of Israel are the refugees of these pogroms, or their descendants.

Of course, long before 1881 in Russia there have been many terrible pogrom-like massacres of Jews throughout history. The Jews of Alexandria, Egypt, were set upon in 66 CE by the Romans with enormous devastation. The Jews of York and other towns in England were exterminated by mob violence in 1190 CE. Jews were slaughtered by the thousands in the Rhineland during the First Crusade in the 1090s. Throughout Europe, and especially in Germany, rampaging hordes destroyed hundreds of Jewish communities during the Black Death moral panic of 1348-49. A national wave of anti-Jewish riots convulsed Spain in 1391. The Cossack carnage in Ukraine in 164849 claimed tens of thousands of Jewish lives. There are many more examples of this type of brutality in the long and tragic history of the Jewish people.

One of the reasons there is a State of Israel was so that its Jewish citizens might be safe from pogroms. The fear of this kind of devastation, where Jews are murdered, tortured, and plundered where they live, is many centuries old. Of all the different types of oppression suffered by the Jewish people, this type of collective violence - sometimes committed by peasants, townspeople, armies, criminals, or a combination of all groups - may be our most persistent ancestral fear.

That such an attack took place in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, at the hands of Hamas, will change Israeli politics and culture forever in ways we cannot now envision.

Fortunately, the Israeli public, including Arab citizens, is largely united in the difficult effort to crush Hamas.

What we can do is support the Jewish State politically, financially, and through our prayers. ì

YOUR TAXES YOUR CHOICE Support Jewish Day Schools in Atlanta with your Tax Dollars

Now more than ever, we must invest in helping Jewish children build strong Jewish identities.

WHO

Any Georgia taxpayer can apply for an education tax credit.

WHY

At virtually no cost to you, you can simply redirect a portion of the tax you’d pay anyway to be an education scholarship at Greater Atlanta Jewish Schools.

HOW

Set up an account online, and reserve your 2024 tax credit at aleffund.org.

DEADLINE

Taxpayers MUST apply by Dec 31, 2023.

Scan code or visit aleffund.org

APPLY TODAY aleffund.org

The Alef Fund is powered by Georgia Goal, the largest student scholarship organization in the state to administer the Education Expense Tax Credit.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2023 | 85

Marketplace COLLECTIBLES

PHOTOGRAPHY

THE DUSTY COIN

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c @DaniWeissPhoto

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TECHNOLOGY

COMPUTER

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COMPUER HOUSE CALLS

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Take the Trauma Out of the Process

Atlanta Divorce Mediation Services Call 678-985-8858 To set up your FREE 30 MINUTE CONSULTATION 275 Carpenter Drive, Suite 303 Atlanta, GA 30328

As Seen On

Dr. Jeri Breiner Mediator

www.AtlantaDivorceMediationServices.com Dr. Breiner, a Neutral Mediator, provides both parties with the tools needed to execute an equitable divorce agreement unique to their family’s circumstances. After hundreds of mediations, the goal remains the same: to help spouses avoid the pitfalls, trauma, and expense of litigating their divorce in court.

Dr. Breiner is a Clinical Psychologist and a registered Divorce Mediator with the State of Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution.

The Atlanta Group Home for developmentally disabled adults has immediate openings for 2 residents, and are now accepting applications from eligible and qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, national origin, familial status or disability.

AGH is located in the NW Atlanta, Buckhead area and operates under the guidelines of the HUD Section 202/8 program. This is an all expenses included group home and a portion of the rent is subsidized.

To receive an application or request more information, email your name and mailing address to aghapplication@yahoo.com

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w w w. At l a n ta J e w i s hTi m e s.c o m F O R M O R E O F W H AT YO U N E E D NEXT ISSUE: HEALTH

SUMMER 2021

STYLE Jewish Atlanta ’

s Stylish Simchas

OCTOBER 31, 2021

VOL. XCVII NO. 20

Atlanta Then & Now

and Celebra tions

& WELLNESS, GIFT

GUIDE & HOLIDAY FLAVORS

| 25 HESHVAN 5782

and Senior Living

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INSURANCE

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thehandymancanatlanta@gmail.com

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Visit Web Above & Call or Email for Free Consultation Residential — Commercial — Rental Properties

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Everyone Knows Someone Who Loves Their SUBARU

Winner of Salesman of the Year Award 6 out of the past 7 years!

exceptional care When you can't be there

Ralph Kurland Sales Representative 905 Ernest Barrett Pkwy, NW Kennesaw, GA 30144

Call me to test drive any of our new or used cars!

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We sell, rent, and service: Mobility Scooters Wheelchair Ramps Stair Lifts Walkers & Rollators Hospital Beds & Other Home Health Items

cell: 678-665-1024 dealership: 770-419-9800 ext. 3312 rkurland@subaruofkennesaw.com www.subaruofkennesaw.com Just bought Subaru #3 from Ralph. By far the best car buying experiences I’ve ever had. He’s a pro, and made the entire process an absolute pleasure! Call Ralph if you’re in the market for a new or used car. You won’t be sorry!

Jack Feldman, Temple Sinai

404.401.4859

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Your Community Mobility Partner!

DISCOVER THE GLOW OF NATURE AT NIGHT

Select Evenings, Limited Time Only

A great alternative to holiday lights

Tickets also include current Special Exhibit(s) and a Giant Screen Film.

A WORLD OF WOW Get tickets at FernbankMuseum.org/AGLOW