Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCV NO. 5, February 15, 2020

NEXT ISSUE: HEALTH & WELLNESS AND ARTS & CULTURE

VOL. XCV NO. 5

CAMP & EDUCATION

Planting Seeds for Our Future REPAIRING THE WORLD 500 RABBIS FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE.

AT THE BORDER JEWISH ATLANTA ADDRESSES IMMIGRATION.

SUMMER LOVE JEWISH CAMP ROMANCES CAN LAST A LIFETIME.

FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 20 SHEVAT 5780

Nominate Jewish Atlanta’s 18 Under 18!

We invite members of the community to nominate those under the age of 18 who they believe are Jewish Atlanta’s rising leaders in academics, religious and family life, as well as community action.

A nominee must be Jewish, at least 10 years old and must not have turned 18 before March 15, 2020.

You can nominate yourself, a friend, student or your child - anyone who meets the criteria. Nominees are judged on their academic and community achievements as an active member of Jewish Atlanta.

The deadline for nominations is March 1, 2020.

Please visit atlantajewishtimes.com/18-under-18-2020/ for more information

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MICHAEL A. MORRIS michael@atljewishtimes.com

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Books ‘n Bonfires When it comes to changing the world, Jewish Atlanta can be proud of the seeds it is planting through its children and involvement in major social causes to keep the community strong. In keeping with Tu B’Shevat, celebrated this week, we’ll focus on the children at the heart of our community’s growth.

Our first combined semi-monthly issue features relevant stories about kids involved with camp and education.

In these pages you will find articles about summer camp romances that led to marriage and second-generation campers who follow their parents’ paths to camp.

We explore the Jewish value of sports at camp and talk about Camp Barney’s focus in its culinary classes on farm-to-table healthy eating.

In our education section, there are stories about a Jewish Middle Schoolers club in North Fulton, among other new outreach programs in that area. We tell you about a new teen engagement fellowship and The Davis Academy’s own record label. If you’re headed to college, you’ll want to study education consultant Mark Fisher’s tips for avoiding application mistakes.

A college student recalls her exploration of our rich Southern history. A new permanent exhibition at the state Capitol honors

Georgians with connections to the Holocaust.

Babies are matched with Holocaust survivors at Berman Commons and artist Adam Podber talks about the murals he’s painted after his time as a student at The Epstein School. Plus, columnist Shaindle Schmuckler, a teacher and former camp director, shares a few of the songs she’s written.

Probably the most exciting part of our new production schedule is having more time to delve deeper into weighty topics such as how Jewish Atlanta is addressing such social issues as climate change and immigration.

In our news section, Rabbi Analia Bortz shares her experience in Guatemala on a mission supporting human rights and efforts to fight poverty there. The AJT also covers the retirement of former Atlanta mayor Sam Massell as longtime Buckhead Coalition president.

Art stories include a documentary about Pauline Kael, known for her controversial film reviews, and we discuss a new book by Rabbi Albert Slomovitz about the Jewish roots of Christianity. We also spotlight the weekly Jewish services at Fort Benning. The big draw is the bagel spread.

Plenty to feast your eyes and mind upon, as there will be next week when we bring you a combined health & wellness and arts & culture issue. ì

THIS WEEK

Cover art: Like trees honored this week with Tu B’Shevat, children grow through camp and educational experiences, preparing them to care for our world.

CONTENTS LOCAL NEWS ���������������������������������� 6 OPINION ����������������������������������������� 16 ISRAEL NEWS ������������������������������� 20 CAMP ����������������������������������������������� 22 EDUCATION ����������������������������������� 30 ART ��������������������������������������������������� 40 DINING �������������������������������������������� 42 COMMUNITY ��������������������������������� 44 CALENDAR ������������������������������������� 52 KEEPING IT KOSHER ������������������ 56 BRAIN FOOD ���������������������������������� 57 OBITUARIES ���������������������������������� 58 CLOSING THOUGHTS ����������������� 60

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 5

LOCAL NEWS AJFF Spotlights Our Shared Heritage

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

ers Monday night was a large family contingency who came from MichPersistent rain did igan and Florida. At the not deter culture lovers gala reception, glamorand movie aficionados ous mother Barbara RogMonday night from ers Wildstein donned a walking the red carpet bold animal print jacket. at the Cobb Energy PerRoger’s cousins and sibforming Arts Centre lings lined the photo for the Atlanta Jewish booths.

Film Festival opening Gail Goldstein Heynight. The 20th anniThe room design by Jim White evoked Nadia Bilchik, in St. John, AJT owner-publisher Michael Morris man brought Teresa versary of the festival the glamour of old Hollywood. interviews gala chair Martha with actor Louis Gossett Jr. and Westbrooks, FBI outgave reason to celebrate Jo Katz, who bought her festival director Kenny Blank.

Italian outfit in France. reach coordinator for the theme “Magnificent community affairs. “I Movies Make Magical Memories.” Opening night décor by Jim The African-American Jewish Civil Rights ed after its premiere Monday in a panel have always followed the AJFF’s emails, White Designs transformed the ballroom Alliance.” Appearing in the movie, Rabbi with civil rights icons, some of whom are but never attended until I saw the subject of this film.” Dr. Stan into monochromatic ivory, crystals and Alvin Sugarman chatted during the re- also in the movie. They Fineman mentioned gauzed drapes, hanging floral baskets, ception with Don Rivers, representing included the children that he is participatand palm fronds reflecting old Holly- civil rights icon Dr. C. T. Vivian, 95, also of major leaders of the ing in a racial justice wood glamour. in the movie. Sugarman said, “Vivian did time, Martin Luther seminar and that this Most poignant was the variety of pa- more than we can imagine, participating King III and Dr. Sumovie will “open good trons and guests who socialized to affirm in the first sit-in long before MLK.” sannah Heschel; along dialogue.” the positivity of black-Jewish cooperation Meanwhile, fans gathered around with Rabbi Alvin SugSeveral of those in the decades prior to the world premier actor and social activist Louis Gossett Jr., arman of The Temple in attendance exof the documentary “Shared Legacies: who appeared in the film and participat- and Sherry Frank, pressed excitement who founded AJC AtDon Rivers, Rabbi Alvin Sugarman about the larger film lanta’s Black-Jewish and Barbara Sugarman chat about festival, which runs Coalition. civil rights icon Rev. C.T. Vivian. through Feb. 27. BarA musical celebrity also in the film was opening act Peter bara Abend accompanied Carol Nemo, Yarrow, who, as part of the folk group Pe- who celebrated her 20th anniversary as ter, Paul and Mary, participated in Mar- an AJFF sponsor. Nemo was most anticipating “Crescendo,” a tin Luther King Jr.’s narrative about an or1963 March on Washchestra of Israeli and ington. Before the Palestinian youths. To film showing, he told celebrate the 20 years, stories and performed Nemo had tickets to 20 his classic “Blowing in movies. Producer level the Wind” for an estimember Marc Adler, mated 2500 in attenwhose parents Gail dance, accompanied and Lewis flew in from by choirs from King’s Barbara Abend and Carol Houston, said, “After Nemo picked 20 films for spiritual home, Ebthe 20th anniversary.

20 years, it’s hard to enezer Baptist Church, and The Temple, known for its support of imagine this can keep getting bigger and better every year.” the black freedom fight.

Matthew BernIn a surprise renstein, chair of Emory dition, some of the University’s film and choir members sang media studies, chatted part of the song in Heup his much anticipatbrew. ed faves. “I think this The film itself, year has a particularly showing the deep reimpressive list of doclationships between Photo by Roni Robbins // The panel umentaries like ‘Golblack and Jewish leadincluded civil rights and religious leaders. Among them, actor Louis da,’ and ‘Oliver Sacks: ers, showcased the Gossett Jr., Sherry Frank, Martin His Own Life.’ Also, names and faces who fought and remain Luther King III, Susannah Herschel I’m looking forward to and Rabbi Alvin Sugarman.

‘Standing Up, Falling active in the human Down,’ ‘Black Mercedes’ and ‘Those Who rights battle.

Supporting filmmaker Shari Rog- Remained’ – a very strong lineup.”

6 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

LOCAL NEWS

The crew from Aziza served a tasty herring baguette with tomato jus and spicy pickles.

Michael Wildstein and Barbara Rogers Wildstein, mother of director Shari Rogers, and Simma Rogers flew in to celebrate the movie premiere.

Dr. Stan Fineman shares details of his class about racial justice with Alan and Carol Grodin.

Photo by Donald Felice and AJFF // Folk musician

Tax attorney Jeffrey Kess concurred that he is drawn to documentaries and also those films reflecting conflict such as “Incitement.” He added, “What I really like is the community coming together like this for opening night.”

Steve Linowes has a traditional method for selecting films just after opening night. “I sit down with my kids, and we all take a look.”

The reception, open to patrons and sponsors, featured individual tables of gourmet offerings. Tal Baum’s Aziza served an unusual herring baguette with

spicy pickles and tomato jus. Star newcomer Le Colonial general manager Jake Guyette, in a celery Hermes scarf, joked, “I’m a nice Jewish boy from Brookline, Massachusetts, and this is my first time seeing this. We really want to meet new people since we’ve been open only seven months.”

The sole kosher vendor E.B. Catering featured lamb areyas with tahini drizzle. Returning participant Davio’s loaded up with hand-rolled gnocchi.

Sandy Springs favorite Il Giallo owner Jamie Adams served butternut squash

tortellini with browned butter, sage and almonds.

Other restaurants and food vendors were Bistro Niko, Café Sunflower, C & S Seafood, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, DaVinci’s Donuts, Fifth Group, Grand China, Nakato, Popcorn Palooza, The Select, and 2B Whole Gluten Free Bakery.

Gala event chair and event site consultant Martha Jo Katz, dressed in a French ensemble, credited those who put it all together. “Steven Eisenstein is an important part of the evening with

his assistance from Classic Tents and Events. Button it Up brings guests memories through their photo booth. We have many celebrities attending and a special area for media interviews and photos.

Longtime supporters of AJFF, Edwina and Tom Johnson (former president of CNN) escorted Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, eldest daughter of former president Lyndon Johnson. Rex Garrett did an amazing job in lighting, gobos, and AV. Movies light up our hearts, but Rex lights up our venue!”

The evening was definitely “lit” in hearts, minds and appetites! ì

Peter Yarrow is opening act, performing “Blowin’ in the Wind” with choirs from Ebenezer Baptist Church and The Temple.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 7

LOCAL NEWS

Massell Announces Retirement With Berg Tribute

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

with local officials from the Atlanta School Board, Atlanta City Council, Neighborhood Planning Unit, judges, the Fulton County Commissioner, The prestigious 31st annual Buckhead Coalithe District Attorney’s office, Georgia House of tion meeting Jan. 29 at 103 West shook the powerRepresentatives, and the Fulton County Sheriff. house crowd with the emotional announcement Massell, seated, gave his remarks starting that former Atlanta mayor and Coalition presiwith a history of his own 90 “plus” years. He remdent Sam Massell was retiring. inisced, “I have seen a lot. Fifty years ago, I rented Some of the city’s top leaders and businessa brand-new quality place near Lindbergh for people who either live, work or have a keen in$50 a month, and today condos there go for terest in Buckhead got a dose of heartfelt Juda$500,000. Time marches on, but I most value the ism with Massell’s blessing on all present and a success of Buckhead and the friendships in this touching tribute by his rabbi, Peter Berg of The room.” He acknowledged Charles Loudermilk’s Temple. foresight in starting the Buckhead Coalition “to Massell joked, “Usually you leave this meetprotect and preserve the community. Things ing with a goody bag of gift certificates and such. that we cannot take for granted.” He added that Today you will leave with a mezuzah with my the luncheon is free and not about selling tickets blessing upon you.” Berg quipped, “You don’t All attendees left but bringing people together. “We sat business have to be Jewish to place this on your doorpost. with this keepsake That way I will know whom to ask for donations mezuzah. The crowd leaders, elected officials and journalists together.

That way we can build anything. That is a forfor The Temple.” was delighted with Rabbi Peter Berg’s mula for making Buckhead successful.” Massell The crowd was abuzz as the scheduled keytribute to Massell explained further about the significance of the note speaker was slated to be U.S. Senator Kelly and its religious mezuzah. “We imported them from Israel. Kiss it Loeffler, who was absent to attend the impeachsignificance. and relate it to today.” ment hearings in D.C. She sent a message relaySam enjoyed the crowd giving wife Sandra a standing ing that since she is now seeing the government from the inside out, she values the importance of community organi- ovation for her love and care.

Joe Evans, chairman of the Coalition, charmed the zations for the betterment of Georgia, such as the Coalition.

Diplomats from Belgium, the Philippines, Germany, crowd by saying, “Now I know how the Israelites felt when Norway and Austria were recognized at the luncheon along Moses stepped down.” Evans listed some of Massell’s ac-

An emotional Massell accepts the special tribute and blessing bestowed by Peter Berg, his rabbi at The Temple.

Massell greets long-standing restaurateur Pano Karatassos of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group.

complishments, which include getting approval for the construction of Georgia 400, incentives for police officers to live in Buckhead, park benches, security cameras, freestanding phones, helping with the Carl Sanders Family YMCA, the Shepherd Center, and placing well-needed defibrillators.

“He was a true public servant, even fixing potholes and removing dead trees.”

Rabbi Berg gave the benediction, recalling that Massell “defined the generational shifts with impeccable decency and sagacity.” He ended by quoting Deuteronomy with a man leaving the fruit and water of an oasis, “How shall I bless thee [since you have food and drink]?”

Berg’s answer, “May your saplings be like you. You have given your heart openly to the next generation.”

The cocktail hour was a cross between media, city hall, a bespoke atelier, and top-notch board rooms. Among the notables were: Jay Davis, CEO of National Distributing Co.; attorney Eric Tanenblatt; David Rubinger, publisher of the Atlanta Business Chronicle; Lauren Ball, a new inductee; and Alana Shepherd, the first female chairman of the Coalition. Attorney Linda Klein, who has been a Coalition member about 10 years, said, “I reside and work in Buckhead and like feeling that we members contribute to the community’s positivity in making a difference.” Incoming president of the Buckhead Business Association, attorney Matt Thiry, commented, “I will be an ex-officio member of the Coalition board. I have gained so much from participating in these organizations.”

The Buckhead Coalition is by invitation only and has a limit of 100 members and yearly dues of $9,000. Massell has been president since 1988. A succession committee is in place to search for his replacement. ì 8 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

LOCAL NEWS

500 Rabbis Fight Climate Change

By Eddie Samuels and Brooke Rosenthal Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Atlanta rabbis are among those Haverim. “I really appreciate his work and want to amplify it, leading the charge in a particularly in places like petition to fight climate the South. “ change also signed by canFour Atlanta rabbis tors and spiritual leaders signed the petition as of from across the U.S. and press time: Lesser; Pamela beyond.

Gottfried, also of CongrePut together by The gation Bet Haverim; AlShalom Center in Philaexandria Shuval-Weiner delphia, the rabbinic call of Temple Beth Tikvah; to action has amassed 500 Rabbi Pamela Gottfried believes climate change and Laurence Rosenthal signatures is among, if not the most, of Ahavath Achim SynaThe petition, titled important issues facing gogue.

“Elijah’s Covenant Bethe world today.

The petition itself is tween the Generations not short, including prayers, calls to to Heal Our Endanaction, and references to proposed gered Earth,” was climate legislation. It opens: ”We authored by Rabbis, Cantors, and other Rabbi Arthur Jewish leaders and teachers, Wa s kow, see ourselves as the heirs of founder and the ancient Hebrew Prophdirector of ets, including the last, whose The Shalom words echo through the ages: Center, and ‘I [YHWH] will send you the a well-known Prophet Elijah to turn the hearts activist. Most of parents to children and the recently, in adhearts of children to parents, lest dition to the peI come and utterly destroy tition, Waksow the Earth.’ was arrested at (Malachi 3: the “Friday Fire 2324).”

Drill” climate proShutests in Washington, val-WeinD.C., alongside other er said she rabbis and Jane Fonwas enthusiastic da. about signing the “I consider Rabbi petition in DecemWaskow to be one of ber, when it first beour rabbinic Jewish gan accepting support. elders, who has been “I believe deeply that the a leader in fighting world and everything in it is safor civil rights and envicred and interconnected. When we ronmental justice,” said

gogues. do not respect and care Beth Tikvah initiafor our earth, we dimintives, for instance, have ish God’s presence in the included reducing singleworld,” Shuval-Weiner use plastic, increasing ensaid. “As rabbi I feel that ergy-efficiency and reducit is my religious duty to ing meat consumption at raise awareness of our events, Shuval-Weiner said.

Jewish imperative of bal Lesser explained that tashchit (do not destroy) Rabbi Arthur Waskow, a environmental activism is [in] a more earnest and well-known activist, started not new to his congregation. urgent manner by sharing the rabbinical call to action “We were the first conJewish teachings and chalto fight climate change. gregation to join Georgia lenging behavioral shifts.”

Gottfried emphasized that she be- Interfaith Power & Light,” he said, referlieved climate action among, if not the encing the faith-based environmental most, important issues facing the world nonprofit. “We were also one of the first recipients of their award today. for educating our congrega“It’s something that, tions about sustainability as a human, personand responsibility.” ally and professionally, I Lesser noted that didn’t even think about it. while not every rabbi or Of course I signed the letcongregation’s name apter,” she said. pears on the petition, the Lesser explained that numbers were promising he believes the idea of proand were just the tip of the tecting the earth is one Rabbi Alexandria Shuvalthat can appeal to Jews of Weiner said it’s her religious iceberg.

“It helps us underany denomination, from duty to raise awareness about not destroying the world. stand that this may be the Orthodox to secular.

“You don’t have to stretch. Once you beginnings of a movement and not just look at the Torah through the lens of rev- something that’s a one-off,” he said. “The erence for the land and creation, so many kind of things that I talk about may be specific to Bet Haverim, but things begin to emerge,” he there are a lot of congregasaid. “What might have tions that aren’t signing seemed to be the backonto a petition, but they ground is really the foreare creating their own covground.” enants.” ì Both Lesser and Shuval-Weiner noted that their To learn more about the congregations have also rabbinical effort, visit https:// been very active in reductheshalomcenter.org/content/ ing their footprints, mixing Rabbi Joshua Lesser said words with actions, includ- protecting the earth appeals elijahs-covenant-new-rabbining within their own syna- to Jews of any denomination. ic-statement-climate-crisis.

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 9

LOCAL NEWS

Jewish Atlanta Tackles Immigration

By Paula Baroff

lows you to expand the knowledge,” she said.

Menis and other congreWith Jewish values in gants galvanized community mind, congregants from Temple partners, joining with Saint Emanu-El are part of a commuLuke’s Presbyterian Church a nity-wide effort to affect change few miles down the road, to hold in the immigration system. the forum and resource fair Jan. They held an event Jan. 26, 26. The event was co-sponsored “Bearing Witness – a Humaniby multiple synagogues and tarian Crisis,” that discussed Jewish organizations, such as immigration with other Jewish Photos by Michael Menis // El Refugio provides information Speakers Ariel Prado, Traci Feit Love, Charles Kuck, and the Anti-Defamation League and Atlanta organizations at the during the resource fair at Temple Emanu-El. Amilcar Valencia take questions from the audience. and the American Jewish Comsynagogue. mittee, and a number of immigration rights groups in Temple Emanu-El and partner groups are focused on gregation said many were in tears. nonpartisan social action to change the immigration sysIn a conversation with the AJT, Anderson described the area. Speakers included Traci Feit Love, the founder tem while others in Jewish Atlanta grapple with the com- his experience with the massive bureaucracy of the im- of Lawyers for Good Government; and Charles Kuck, a plexity of the issue. migration system on the border and the poor treatment prominent immigration lawyer in Atlanta. Also speaking “This is certainly an emotional issue as we all recog- of immigrants he witnessed. He also spoke about other ef- was Ariel Prado of the Innovation Law Lab, and Amilcar nize our own immigrant origins in America and sympa- forts, such as an Arizona Jewish group “Arizona Jews for Valencia, executive director of El Refugio.

Love spoke about Lawyers for Good Government’s thize with the plight of people who just want a chance at Justice” run by Orthodox Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz helpa better life,” said Jon Barry, veteran of commercial real es- ing asylum seekers just released from detention with noth- Project Corazon, responding to the U.S. government’s Migrant Protection Protocols, known as the “Remain in Mextate in Atlanta and current AIPAC liaison for Temple Sinai. ing, not even shoelaces in their shoes.

“We need to balance well-intentioned efforts with “Once you add the Jewish story to the mix, we have ico” program, which sends asylum seekers back to Mexico practicality,” Barry said. “Our first responsibility should our own immigration story. Our narrative is those who to wait months for their hearing.

“This is the bottom line,” she said. “MPP is a cruel and be to protect the rights and welfare of American citizens, didn’t take us in are on the wrong side of history. ... It’s hard dangerous program.” Love explained that the conditions including those that immigrated legally and are now pro- to look somebody in the eye and dismiss them.” ductive members of our society.”

Lauren Menis, a Temple Emanu-El congregant, is part are so bad that children have been crossing by themselves.

When Rabbi Spike Anderson of Temple Emanu-El of the synagogue’s steering committee addressing immi- “Their parents say goodbye, walk them to the bridge, and spoke emotionally on the High Holy Days about his trip gration and social justice issues. “For me, working together the kids walk across themselves. And the kids walk away. with his wife to the Southern border, members of the con- as a whole community rather than one temple really al- You have to imagine as a parent how dangerous the conditions are and how terrified you are for your children in order to have them do that,” she said. “But from their perspective, it was either that their kids live, or that they stay together. And not both.”

Kuck described the details of the immigration system with regard to asylum seekers, explaining that asking for asylum is following U.S. law. He said that in Georgia, the vast majority of asylum cases – over 90 percent – are denied.

“There’s just lots of negative stuff out there that people tend to believe because they’re told it enough without really trying to get the facts about what really is,” Kuck said In October 2019, 28 detainees filed a formal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security regarding the conditions at Stewart, claiming the facility was abusive, according to WABE. In a statement to the AJT, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement said: “ICE provides safe, humane and appropriate conditions of confinement for individuals in its custody. ICE has a series of detention standards that ensure that individuals with medical conditions or other specific needs receive exceptional care while in our custody, which exceed the standards of most local jails and prisons.

Individuals in our custody are also provided access to legal representation, translation services, recreation, and a multitude of other offerings.”

Chuck Berk, chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said: “The U.S. has a very proud heritage and leadership on immigration with more support for refugees than any other country. We should have compassion for people escaping persecution, but we have to be smart about it. We can’t just let anyone in.

“Last year the numbers got larger than our ability to absorb them; the borders were overwhelmed. As a result, 10 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

LOCAL NEWS the immigration system was badly broken.

Since then, the U.S. has ended the policy of catch and release, thereby reducing the number of illegal people allowed into the country. And the U.S. has entered into cooperation agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, which has reduced illegal crossings by 75 percent. This had never been done before, and these new policies have vastly improved conditions at the border.”

The two synagogues and St. Luke’s groups that visited Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga. and El Refugio drove three hours each way to meet for an hour with detained immigrants behind a window. Temple Emanu-El congregant Susan Goldman met with a man from Liberia whose four children live in Virginia, she said. He had been in Stewart since July. “His face showed anger, his face showed sadness and frustration. Just sadness,” she said. “We were the only people who came to see him. There’s no one to talk to, no one to support him.”

Goldman had spoken with other congregants who had visited Stewart and heard news reports about detained children and wanted to see the situation for herself. Asked whether the conditions were what she expected, she said, “I think they were worse. I didn’t realize it was a prison.

… I didn’t realize they would have razor turn a blind eye and that we are responsible blade-sharp fences around. It was a very for this,” she said. She and her husband said humbling experience. [The Liberian man] they understand the complexity of border said that they’re treated as if they weren’t security and empathize with Border Patrol human. They’re nobody. They’re only a agents who deal with human and drug trafficking, but said society can do number.” much better than this.

Each person who visited Baron built a close conStewart described that there nection with a 26-year-old was very little transparency. asylum seeker from Cuba. “We “You go through these locked spoke every bit of that hour. It doors. They don’t want anyjust went on and on,” she said. body here to see anything,” “My husband has very broken Emanu-El congregant Karen Spanish; they laughed at each Baron said. “[The detainees] other.” The Barons were the can only get one visitor a week. man’s only visitors since he They’re far away from family, Rabbi Spike Anderson they don’t even know where speaks to the crowd about arrived at Stewart in February. his experiences at the “He’s the most appreciative – they are, to be quite honest.”

Menis said of her visit to border and his friendship boy. I have children that are with Saint Luke’s pastor a little older than him. To me, Stewart, “It seems like you’re Rev. David Lower. he’s a boy,” Baron said. walking into a high-security She and her husband put money in his prison. These are just people who want a better life. Many of them have walked commissary every month and send books many miles from violence, with their Stewart accepts from Amazon. A former kids in their hands … It’s horrific actually. art teacher in Cuba, the man bought some They’re piled into rooms. I feel like it’s my art supplies and an English book with the money they sent. He has formed an English responsibility to bear witness.”

Marita Anderson, wife of Rabbi Ander- learning group in Stewart. “I’d do anything son, led one of the trips to Stewart. “We’re for him,” she said. “He’s so appreciative, so morally and ethically obligated to keep pay- needy, and so lost. He doesn’t understand. ing attention. Our Jewish ethics tell us to not It’s heartbreaking.”

Marita Anderson emphasized the importance of human contact with immigrants and asylum seekers, describing visits as a “lifeline.” She met with a man who was sent to Ecuador. He had walked to Nigeria from his home country that is suffering a civil war. Then he walked from Ecuador all the way to the U.S. border with Mexico. “These are people who are survivors of violence and survivors of a major trek. And then when they present themselves to the border asking for asylum, we put them in prison,” Anderson said.

After the visit, the group was emotionally exhausted. “These people are trapped, and they’re frustrated and helpless and no one’s doing anything about it. It’s horrific. It’s horrific,” Goldman said. “I’m just distraught about it. It’s heartbreaking. It’s selfish of me to say I don’t want to go back.”

Rabbi Anderson said of his experience that there was “a lot of tears, a lot of anger. I think there was a good amount of shame or shock that we are part of the system that’s doing this.” He knows coming up with solutions is difficult but worries about the lack of oversight and the treatment of immigrants in these detention centers. “It seems the antithesis of the American ideal that we hold ourselves to and I think the Jewish ideal as well.” ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 11

LOCAL NEWS

Rabbi Bortz Reflects on Guatemala Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz of Congrega- Congress and other officials. tion Or Hadash is among 14 influential The fellows arrived as Guatemala Jewish leaders who traveled through faced widespread condemnation for Guatemala for a week as part of the pres- clamping down on the human rights of tigious Global Justice Fellowship run by indigenous people and rural farmers.

American Jewish World Service, an orThe fellows spent a week in the counganization supporting try meeting with advohuman rights and efcates in favor of legal forts to fight poverty in protections for human developing countries. rights activists who Bortz returned face violence; forensic to the U.S. last week anthropologists workafter meeting leaders ing to identify remains of nonprofit groups from the decades of inworking to advance ternal armed conflict; a human rights in Guacouncil of indigenous temala, one of the elders; and an artists’ Central American collective that uses countries residents are street performance to fleeing to seek asylum reintegrate indigenous in the United States. cultures into public As part of the felspaces and help comRabbi Analia Bortz of Congregation Or Hadash met with Guatemalans lowship, she will dismunities heal from deas a Global Justice Fellow. cuss her experience cades of trauma. with community members and reflect on The clergy learned from local huGuatemala’s human rights history before man rights advocates about working heading to Washington, D.C., in March to to improve life in Guatemala and how address her experience with members of American Jews and others can support

Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz (center) listens to a member of Nuevo Horizonte, a coalition of Mayan women fighting for their rights in Guatemala.

Rabbi Bortz speaks with a Mayan religious leader.

this effort.

The fellows, who were joined on the trip by AJWS Global Ambassador Ruth Messinger, also met with top leadership at the U.S. Embassy.

In addition to traveling to Guatemala, each participant in AJWS’s Global Justice Fellowship engages in six months of human rights education and action, including training with AJWS staff in the

United States.

As Guatemala’s new president negotiates the Trump administration’s demand to accept asylum seekers who are being deported to Guatemala, the fellows will play a key role in educating the Jewish community and the public more broadly about the importance of U.S. leadership on the global stage in standing up for human rights and ending poverty.

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LOCAL NEWS

Rabbi Bortz in Guatemala with the AJWS Global Justice Fellowship.

Years after its internal armed conflict concluded, Guatemala still grapples with tensions over land, ethnicity and economic inequality. Indigenous communities make up over half of the country, yet they have little power in government or in shaping decisions that affect their lives.

“These influential Jewish leaders are witnesses to the fact that human rights in Guatemala are under siege, in some cases forcing people to make the arduous journey to seek a new life in the U.S.,” said Robert Bank, president and CEO of AJWS. “Our fellows share what they learn when they go into their communities and to the halls of Congress. Together, the fellows are issuing a powerful call to Americans to support human rights and end poverty in Guatemala and the rest of the developing world.”

Of her trip, Bortz wrote to the AJT: Life presents us with transformative and meaningful experiences that shape who we truly are and craft the journey and purpose for our existence.

I stared at the natural beauty of this country from my window seat 33,000 feet above. Mountains and lakes adorn God’s blessings onto this land but I did not know that those mountains and lakes, farms and villages are impregnated with the blood and bones of the excruciating pain of genocide,

rapes, dispossessed Mayan culture. I did not know that until I met, face to face, the people who claim their rights.

My week in Guatemala with the American Jewish World Service refocused the purpose of leadership as a rabbi. During my participation as a Global Justice Fellow, I was blessed to meet men and women who struggle with their everyday needs, who carry with them moral courage, who speak up in times of adversity and claim justice and respect for their human rights and civil rights. Women and men who do not remain silent. Men, women, elderly, children that through resilience create ways to honor their memories and plan for a better future.

The Mayan-Guatemalan people are present in this land, they have a voice and their cry became my cry.

What was Jewish about this trip? EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. And let me repeat it again EVERYTHING. “Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed” (Leviticus 19:16).

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Micah have accompanied us through this journey, whispering the words of justice, commitment, humanity, resilience and strength to fight for what is right when we look at the eyes of our fellow human beings made in God’s image. ì

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LOCAL NEWS

Holocaust Exhibit Honors Six Georgians Six Georgians with connections to the Holocaust are honored in a newly installed permanent exhibition at the Georgia State Capitol. The exhibit was unveiled in a ceremony Jan. 27 coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The unveiling followed a resolution read during the morning’s state House session recognizing the significance of the date, which Photos by Duane Stork // Holocaust survivors also marked the 75th anniversaand liberators honored in the new exhibit ry of the liberation of Auschwitz. were, back row, Fred Schneider, Manuela At the infamous concentration Mendels Bornstein and Murray Lynn; front camp in Poland, more than 1 milrow: Tosia Schneider and Henry Birnbrey. lion prisoners, primarily Jews, perished at the hands of the Nazis.

The panels honor the following indiThe stories told in the exhibit, en- viduals and their stories: titled “Georgia’s Connection to the HoloLife changed dramatically for Manucaust,” relate accounts of both Holocaust ela Mandels Bornstein’s family after the survivors and those who were witnesses German invasion of France in 1940. The to liberation and the remarkable ways in family managed to escape Paris and miwhich these individuals rebuilt or car- raculously avoided the fate of deportaried on with their lives. tion and murder that befell over 13,000 At some point, each also made a con- Jews who were rounded up and left for scious decision to share their personal days in the July heat in the Velodrome stories so that the experiences and les- d’Hiver. Despite the constant danger, sons of this history are never forgotten.

Bornstein’s family managed to survive

14 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

from Horodenka, Poland, never learned exactly what happened to Schneider’s father, who was taken by the Gestapo and never seen again. After her mother succumbed to typhus in the Tluste Ghetto, Schneider, then just 14, and her older brother lied about their ages and became forced labor farm workers. This at least kept them out of the death camps.

In yet another blow, her brother Israel Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon was shot, and Tosia was the only speaks alongside Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Sen. member of her immediate family Kaye Kirkpatrick and Rep. Deborah Silcox. to survive the war.

Henry Birnbrey is both a survivor and a witness to liberation. Born in Dortmund, Germany, the war in the south of France.

After his father was taken and killed in 1923, Birnbrey was sent to America by the Nazi-aligned Hungarian police in alone in 1938. He later learned that both 1942, Murray Lynn, along with his three his parents had died after the terror of brothers and mother, were deported to Kristallnacht. Five years after arriving in Auschwitz. Lynn, who barely survived the United States, Birnbrey joined the U.S. the horrific conditions of forced labor, Army and participated in the Normandy was the only survivor of his immediate invasion in 1944. As his unit advanced family and was just 15 years old when at through Europe, he saw first-hand the last liberated by American troops in 1945. horrors that European Jews had endured.

William Alexander Scott III, a Like so many, Tosia Szechter Schneider suffered unbearable loss. The family, young African American soldier serving

LOCAL NEWS

Sally Levine, executive director of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, addresses the crowd.

in a segregated unit, was ill-prepared for what he and his comrades saw when they entered the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany on April 11, 1945. As a photographer, it was Scott’s job to document what they saw. He recalled: “You have to witness it to even begin to believe it…” Impacted by his experiences, Scott later served as member of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and was appointed by President George Bush to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

In the spring of 1945, John Yates, born in 1921 in Griffin, Ga., was sent as a military observer during the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. The horrors he saw there, where nearly 200,000 victims had been imprisoned between 1933 and 1945, had a profound effect on him. Yates, who later served 20 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, believes that Holocaust education could prevent such tragedy from ever happening again.

The four survivors – Schneider, Lynn, Bornstein and Birnbrey -- attended the unveiling ceremony along with dignitaries from international consulates and a number of elected Georgia officials. Those who made remarks included Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Israel Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon, Rabbi Peter Berg, and Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and Rep. Deborah Silcox, who are the two appointed state legislative liaisons to the Georgia Holocaust commission.

In her remarks, Sally Levine, director of the commission, said, “We are the messengers to a time our precious survivors and witnesses will not see. They are emissaries of Holocaust memory. Their determination to tell their stories and the stories of those who did not survive, serves as a testament to their dedication and courage. They have spoken to students and our communities, they have written memoirs, and they have recorded their testimonies. They have done this, no matter the pain it causes, because they understand the consequences of unchecked hate, anti-Semitism and racism.

They have spoken out to fight the silence, the silence of ordinary people, who, during the Holocaust, abdicated their responsibility to protect their neighbors, classmates, co-workers and friends. They remind us that we need to be guardians of justice, freedom and humanity.”

“Georgia’s Connection to the Holocaust” is installed on the first floor of the Capitol building. As part of the Capitol tour, it is expected that tens of thousands of Georgians, including students, will view the exhibition annually.

The Georgia Holocaust commission is a secular, non-partisan state agency. The commission provides Holocaust programming, resources, exhibitions and workshops for teachers, students, law enforcement, the military and religious and community organizations throughout Georgia. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 15

OPINION A Proven Antidote to Holocaust Ignorance Pe r h a p s the least surprising item in a recent Pew Research Center study was that Americans who had visited a Holocaust memoriDave Schechter al or museum From Where I Sit knew significantly more about the Holocaust than those who had not. So did those who “personally know someone who is Jewish” and those with a college education.

Americans’ general lack of Holocaust knowledge is “not a reflection of attitudes toward Jews, but a reflection of how history has declined as a subject of interest in America,” Kenneth Jacobson, deputy national director for the AntiDefamation League, told Religion News Service.

Cue the George Santayana quote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The Pew findings validate the efforts of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, and the Museum of History and Holocaust Education at Kennesaw State University.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, the Holocaust commission unveiled a display at the state capital honoring survivors and concentration camp liberators.

Elsewhere under the gold dome, the members of the General Assembly were applying the proverbial fine-tooth comb to Gov. Brian Kemp’s $28.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2021, which begins July 1.

Tax collections are down and Kemp has ordered most state agencies to spend 4 percent less than was budgeted this year and to expect a 6 percent cut for fiscal 2021.

That includes the taxpayer dollars earmarked for the Holocaust commission, accounting for roughly 0.001 percent of the budget, $320,857 in the current fiscal year and $267,912 in the next.

The year-to-year decrease is to be achieved by the budget cuts and by shifting administrative services for the commission to the university system’s Board of Regents from the Department of Community Affairs. According to the budget, that move will “leverage operational efficiencies and eliminate duplicative services,” with the KSU museum.

Asked to explain, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget told the AJT: “The Commission will still have complete autonomy to decide where it wishes to locate its offices and exhibits. As they have a number of items that they use for traveling exhibits, our hope would be that they could possibly work with the museum to rotate items between both of their permanent exhibits and traveling exhibits. The museum could also provide an opportunity to highlight the work of the Commission for its visitors. The governor’s recommendation does not seek to usurp the autonomy or authority of the Commission, but instead to provide more opportunities to promote the work and efforts of both the Commission and the KSU museum with lower administrative costs.”

Sally Levine, executive director of the Holocaust commission, said that any comment would be “premature” because “We anticipate that the proposed budget and associated recommendations will be reviewed and revised.”

Indeed, House and Senate members already are trying to mitigate the effects of the budget cuts on their constituents.

Whether they reconsider funding levels for the Holocaust commission before the legislature adjourns remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, the Holocaust commis-

sion continues to raise money for an upgrade from the Sandy Springs shopping strip that houses its offices and the “Anne Frank in the World: 1929-1945” exhibit.

The commission is a partner in Sandy Springs’ plans to build a cultural center, presumably close to the City Springs complex. A city spokeswoman said the commission was expected to contribute about $3 million of the anticipated $8.6 million cost. To that end, the commission created the Friends of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, a nonprofit so new that it has yet to file a tax return.

The AJT reported last June that the commission and Anne Frank exhibit might occupy 7,000 square feet in the projected 20,000-square-foot cultural center. Chuck Berk, secretary of the commission, said that the exhibit could be enhanced with the materials from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, but also might expand to feature histories of Georgians in the Holocaust, a display of newspapers and magazine reporting from that period, artifacts related to the Holocaust, and a look at current genocides in the world.

Overlap in the work done by the Holocaust commission, The Breman Museum and the KSU museum is inevitable.

The Pew study shows that their efforts – individually, or even more so, when they take advantage of opportunities to collaborate – are an antidote to Santayana’s warning. ì [Columnist's note: AJT owner-publisher Michael Morris serves on the Holocaust commission board. The reporting and perspective in this column are the author’s.]

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Committed to Fulton I am running to be a Fulton County Superior Court Judge because I believe Fulton County residents deserve to have fair, efficient, effective and excellent judges, who have a deep commitment to serving this County and its residents. My husband and I decided to make Fulton County our home fourteen years ago, and I am committed to making my community proud.

I have dedicated my legal career to the service of Fulton County residents and organizations. I have served as legal counsel to several of Fulton County’s bedrock institutions, including Grady Memorial Hospital, MARTA and the Atlanta Housing Authority. In 2017, I was honored to be appointed as the 1st Chief Judge of the City of South Fulton’s Municipal Court, and efficiently and effectively built the judicial system for the third largest city in Fulton County in record-time, 40 days! While there, I developed effective programs, such as the “Be What You Can See” youth shadowing/ mentorship program, which allowed middle and high school students an opportunity to shadow Court officers during Court sessions in order to expose them to careers in the justice system. Currently, I serve as a Pro Tem Judge in Union City’s Municipal Court. My commitment to Fulton County and its judicial system is unwavering, and if elected, I will work every day to make you proud.

I humbly ask for your support in my endeavor to become the next Fulton County Superior Court Judge.

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Education

South Carolina State University, B.A. Political Science, summa cum laude, 2003 University of Georgia School of Law, J.D. cum laude, 2006

Judicial Appointments

Chief Judge, South Fulton Municipal Court (20172019) Pro Tem Municipal Court Judge- Union City, Forest Park and Riverdale (2019-present)

Awards

POLITICO’s 2018 Woman of Impact 2018-2019 Law and Justice Woman of the Year, Georgia’s Most Powerful and Influential Attorneys 2018 Atlanta Women of Distinction Finalist

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District Five Representative, Council of Municipal Court Judges Executive Committee Member, Atlanta Bar Association Judicial Section Member, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys Member, Gate City Bar Association Member, Elizabeth Baptist Church Member, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

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Honorable Debra Bazemore GA House of Representatives District 63

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OPINION Letter to the editor, It was inspiring to see so many Jews from so many different back grounds come to the Atlanta Jewish Life Festival this past Sunday. Throughout the year there are all kinds of communal gatherings: for political reasons, to stand up for ourselves, to protest something. Yet this touched a chord in me because it was just because we are Jewish and loving it! The array of what Jewish Atlanta has to offer is staggering and the talent and pride is palpable. Thank you for hosting and coordinating all the details and opening up the only aquarium in the world with a mezuzah to our Jewish community. I want to make special mention of the fact that the food court was totally kosher so that everyone could feel comfortable sharing in the delicious tastes. May you continue to help enthuse our Jewish community for years to come Rabbi Dave Silverman, Atlanta

Letter to the editor, Hi! My name is Rachel Cohen and I am a junior at The Weber School in Atlanta. I just read your article on “Georgia Camps to Address Mental Health, Disabilities” and I am very pleased and satisfied with what I have read. As a young child who goes to summer camp and finds so much happiness there along with knowing lots of kids my age who struggle daily with mental health issues, I think it is very important and practical to have a safe space on camp for kids who cannot fully function at the same rate as others. This addition to camps, I believe, will give many parents of children who suffer a way to know that their children are safe and well taken care of while away from home. I hope this makes a big change for many families in the future.

Rachel Cohen, 11th grader at The Weber School

Letter to the editor, I strongly agree with the fact that lifelong relationships are made at summer camp. Being a Jewish teenager myself, I have experienced this indescribable bond.

Thanks to Camp Barney Medintz, I have made lifelong friends with Jewish people from Atlanta and other states. Similar to what Eric Robbins said, that by spending 24/7 with people it does create a close bond that no other place but summer camp can give. Camp has given me amazing friends that will always be there for me through thick and thin. In addition to incredible friendships, every year at camp I learn more about myself and continue to step out of my comfort zone. I have also overcome many fears at camp, which has helped shape me into the person I am today. Every summer I come home with a feeling of accomplishment because I know that the past 25 days pushed me to be a better person. Going away every summer for the past six years has allowed me to be the best and most real version of myself, along with creating longlasting friendships and learning important life lessons.

Molly Grosswald, 9th grader at The Weber School

Letter to the editor, After reading Justin Milrad’s article “Struggling with Drug or Alcohol Abuse,” it has come to my attention that many individuals are struggling with these issues yet are not fully aware of the dangers that these drugs can bring to them. It has become very apparent, especially in college life, to drink and smoke while under all of life’s pressures. As a current junior in high school, I have also started to become more exposed to this type of atmosphere and take note on certain social situations I am in and how I would typically respond to them. I found it interesting that you highlighted 10 major warning signs to look out for in a college student, for this can potentially help others notice if an individual is dealing with a drug problem.

Oftentimes people become oblivious to the dangers that come out of these activities. It is very helpful to acknowledge how one can point out certain behaviors that help to identify ongoing problems, as these behaviors can be easily missed within the midst of high school and college life. Along with these factors, it is important to acknowledge certain causes of this abuse and try to eliminate situations such as peer pressure. I truly admire the article, especially because I am currently living in an age where these types of problems first come into play.

Talia Neufeld, 11th grader at The Weber School

18 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

OPINION Letter to the editor, I have submitted a couple of letters to the AJT, which you’ve published. I appreciate that and I am convinced of your openness to publishing divergent points of view.

This brief letter concerns the importance of facts, more particularly the assault on the truth that has become pervasive through social media, Russian disinformation campaigns or otherwise … which brings me to Jay Starkman’s letter in the Jan. 31 issue of the AJT. Starkman identifies George Soros and Hannah Arendt in his letter and claims that Soros was a Nazi collaborator and that Arendt was the paramour of a Nazi. I read these claims with skepticism, so I decided to do some fact checking.

As to Arendt, I consulted “Love and Reconciliation: The Case of Hannah Arendt and Martin Heidegger,” Harvard Review No. 32 (2007) for information about their relationship. Arendt began an affair with married Heidegger in 1925 while she was his student. That affair lasted around a year, although they continued to communicate by letter and periodically see one another until winter 1932. In a 1932 letter from her to Heidegger, she asked him about rumors of him dabbling in anti-Semitism. He replied that he wasn’t, but the denial consisted of protestations about how helpful he was to demanding Jewish university students. Following the 1932 letter, Arendt and Heidegger were estranged, with no communication at all until 1950.

In this instance, Jay Starkman’s comments about Arendt lacked context because Arendt and Heidegger were completely estranged between 1932 and 1934, the time period during which Heidegger was an active Nazi.

Heidegger’s intellectualism and lack of virulent racism limited his ascendance in the Nazi party and by 1934, he returned to being a university professor. It’s certainly fair to claim that Heidegger dabbled in Nazism, but Starkman’s comments suggested that Arendt cavorted with a card-carrying Nazi. The Harvard Review article debunks any such suggestion. Arendt is, of course, well known for chronicling Adolph Eichmann’s trial in Jerusalem for the New Yorker.

Starkman’s claims about Soros as a Nazi collaborator are much easier to debunk.

George Soros was a 14-year-old boy who hid from Nazis and survived the Holocaust.

This Avi Selk article appearing in The Washington Post in 2018 demonstrates that the lies about Soros emanate from the likes of Sandy Hook denier Alex Jones, Glenn Beck and Roseanne Barr https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/ wp/2018/05/30/unpacking-the-george-soros-was-a-jew-killing-nazi-conspiracy-theory-that-roseanne-barr-spreads/. It is not necessary to defend Soros from such attacks when ADL Director Abe Foxman does so with great eloquence.

The AJT provides an invaluable forum for our community and I offer criticism of its editorial choices out of a desire for it to be a credible Jewish voice when letters such as Starkman’s are published without any clarification, explanation or context.

More so than at any time in our recent national history, the truth is under assault.

Facebook is among the most insidious culprits, “leaning in” to its policy of publishing political ads that contain falsehoods. The free press has never been more important to our democracy than it is today. I urge you to incorporate fact-checking into these letters to the editor to ensure that AJT does not unwittingly spread disinformation that is harmful to our community.

Ed Rappaport, Atlanta

The AJT welcomes your letters. We want our readers to have an opportunity to engage with our community in constructive dialogue. If you would like your letter to be published, please write 200 words or less, include your name, phone number and email, and send it to editor@atljewishtimes.com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 19

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

Michael Fichtenberg gives solar lanterns to 100 families in the village of Mubuga, Burundi.

Israel Solar Firm Brings Light to Burundi

Construction on a solar energy project meant to supply electricity to 87,000 homes and businesses in Burundi was set to begin the last week of January, according to The Times of Israel. The project is run by Dutch company Gigawatt Global, which has offices in Israel.

The solar panel project will add 15

percent to Burundi’s generation capacity and is the biggest private-sector investment in their energy sector in 30 years.

The project is estimated to be over $10 million though the company wouldn’t give an exact amount, The Times of Israel reported.

“We hope this historic solar project will further warm our bilateral relations and shine a light in Africa on practical solutions to both economic development and the climate crisis,” said Raphael Morav, Israel’s ambassador to Burundi.

Gigawatt Global is also developing a solar-based rural electrification minigrid and solar street lighting pilot project in Burundi.

“Bringing clean energy to one of the world’s least developed countries fulfills Gigawatt Global’s mission to be a premier impact platform of choice for renewables in Africa,” said Michael Fichtenberg, managing director of Gigawatt Global Burundi SA and the lead project director.

Yosef Abramowitz, CEO of Gigawatt Global, said, “It takes a global village to bring utility-scale green energy to where it is needed most in Africa.”

Today in Israeli History Feb. 15, 2017: President Donald Trump plays host to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his first trip to Washington since his speech to Congress against the Iran nuclear deal in March 2015.

Feb. 16, 1910: Miriam Roth, who elevates children’s literature in Israel, is born in Slovakia. She makes aliyah in 1931 but doesn’t begin writing her 23 children’s books until the 1970s.

Feb. 17, 2013: Shmulik Kraus, one of Israel’s most influential musicians, dies of swine flu in Tel Aviv at age 77. Beyond a solo career, his collaborators included Esther and Avi Ofarim, Arik Einstein, and Josie Katz.

Feb. 18, 1947: The British government asks the United Nations to decide the future of Palestine, leading to the partition plan the U.N. General Assembly approves Nov. 29, 1947.

Feb. 19, 2009: Facing terrorist threats, 10 of the fewer than 300 Jews remaining in Yemen are secretly airlifted to Israel. Most of Yemen’s Jews left during Operation Magic Carpet in 1949 and 1950.

20 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Dani Machlis/BGU // Professor Itzik Mizrahi

of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Israeli Researchers Awarded Environmental Research Grants

The Mizrahi Laboratory at BenGurion University of the Negev has been awarded two prestigious grants totaling $4.4 million to promote its groundbreaktake power in a coup against Syria’s Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party. Hafez alAssad is named the defense minister, putting him in charge of the military in the June 1967 war.

Photo by Moshe Milner, Israeli Government Press Office // President Shimon Peres meets

with Kadima leader Tzipi Livni on Feb. 20, 2009, before giving the mandate to form a government to Benjamin Netanyahu instead.

Feb. 20, 2009: Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud finished second in the Knesset election, is given the opportunity to form a government and invites Tzipi Livni of Kadima and Ehud Barak of Labor to join a centrist coalition.

Feb. 24, 1874: Moshe Smilansky, an early Zionist leader whose influence ranges from the military to literature, is born in Ukraine. A delegate to the Seventh Zionist Congress, he advocates peaceful coexistence with the Arabs.

Feb. 25, 1928: Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv hold the first match in the city’s oldest soccer rivalry, a 3-0 home victory for Maccabi. Maccabi wins the rematch on Hapoel’s field a week later, 2-1.

Feb. 21, 1955: David Ben-Gurion, in political semiretirement since December 1953, joins Prime Minister Moshe Sharett’s Cabinet as defense minister.

He replaces Pinhas Lavon, who resigned over a botched covert operation.

Feb. 22, 1948: Arabs disguised as British troops and two British deserters detonate several truck bombs along Ben Yehuda Street’s shopping district in downtown Jerusalem, killing as many as 58 people.

Feb. 23, 1966: Young army officers

ing research into reducing damage to the planet using microbes.

Professor Itzik Mizrahi studies how microbes interact with and influence the environment, according to The Times of Israel. His goal is engineering communities of microbes to reduce methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. He also wants to find methods of creating energy and dealing with waste in sustainable ways.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which aims to strengthen German-Israeli research cooperation, awarded Mizrahi a five-year grant of about $1.7 million last month.

He will be collaborating with German researcher professor William F. Martin of Heinrich-Heine-University in Dusseldorf.

He will additionally be receiving about $2.8 million beginning in 2021 from the European Research Council.

“We hope that we can use this funding to actually make a change by harnessing microbial activities to benefit humanity and decrease its harmful impact on our planet,” Mizrahi said. ì Minsk. He becomes Israel’s first agriculture minister in 1948.

Feb. 27, 1974: Secretary of State Henry Kissinger arrives in Israel from Damascus with a list of 65 Israeli POWs held by Syria since the Yom Kippur War, meeting a condition for Israel to negotiate disengagement in the Golan Heights.

Photo by Avi Ohayon, Israeli Government Press Office // Justice Dorit Beinisch speaks

at her swearing-in ceremony as the Supreme Court president Sept. 14, 2006.

Photo by Zoltan Kluger, National Photo Collection // Aharon Zisling (left) meets with newly

arrived immigrants in Haifa in July 1946.

Feb. 26, 1901: Aharon Zisling, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a leader in Jewish labor politics from the 1920s through 1955, is born in

Feb. 28, 1942: Dorit Beinisch, who in 2006 becomes the ninth president of Israel’s Supreme Court and the first woman in the post, is born in Tel Aviv.

She also becomes Israel’s first female state attorney in 1989. ì Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ISRAEL NEWS Trump Proposal Follows Failed Peace Plans

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

to the Palestinians that time isn’t on their side.” He pointed out that Oslo would have Despite some confusion and contra- netted the Palestinians 97 to 100 percent of dictory concerns about President Donald the West Bank with land swaps, while the Trump’s “Vision to Improve the Lives of the latest plan might result in 70 percent of the Palestinian and Israeli People,” territory going to a potential it’s clear that the plan “fits into Palestinian state. the trajectory” of previous “The starting point for this plans. That’s the observation plan flows from making sure no of Eli Sperling, senior acasettlers get moved” from their demic research coordinator homes in the West Bank, Maand lecturer at the Institute for kovsky said. The Palestinians, the Study of Modern Israel at he said, may just give up and ask Emory University. for the right to vote, resulting Eli Sperling said previous peace plans Starting with the Novemin Israel becoming a binational have ended up in the ber 1947 U.N. Resolution 181, state. “I’m a skeptic, given the “trash bin of history.” known as the Partition Plan, gaps” between the two sides. and continuing with Camp David in 1978, Likewise, Nachman Shai, visiting prothe 1993 Oslo Accords, the 2000 Clinton Pa- fessor at ISMI and former member of the rameters, the Bush Road Map of 2003, the Israeli legislature or Knesset, believes there’s Annapolis Conference in 2007 and the 2014 a “small chance” the latest plan will be imKerry Initiative, this latest plan “fits into plemented “because the Palestinians will the two-state solution. That’s been in all the not enter negotiations and the Arab states frameworks for negotiation,” Sperling said. won’t push the Palestinians to negotiate.”

With each plan, however, implementa- Shai contends that the Palestinians should tion would result in the Palesrespond to Trump’s proposal tinians receiving less territory by saying, “yes, but.” He acfor their state, he said. knowledged that it “wouldn’t In 2000, the Clinton pabe a strong state.” rameters that were negotiated Shai explained, “From the between then President Bill perspective of the Palestinians, Clinton, then Israeli Prime they are losing. While they’ve Minister Ehud Barak and the been saying ‘no,’ a half million late Palestinian leader Yassir Former Knesset member Jews have moved to the West Nachman Shai said he Arafat, “were a pretty good Bank. It’s easy, comfortable continues to believe in deal, but not as good as 1947. and not expensive to live there, the two-state solution.

Still, 2000 would have been and once there, they have bea great opportunity to get a good piece of come right wing. There are now facts on the land,” Sperling stated. ground. The Palestinians should recognize But he’s not optimistic that the Trump things have changed.” plan will move forward any more than the Shai told the AJT that he’s long been others that have landed in the “trash bin of a supporter of two states for two peoples. history.”

“There’s no other way for Israel as a JewDavid Makovsky, director of the Proj- ish and democratic state. Even this [Trump] ect on Arab-Israel Relations administration supports it. It’s at The Washington Institute, the only viable solution. I don’t compared the latest vision see how Israel can continue to plan for the Middle East to its control millions of people. This predecessors. “Ma Nishtana,” was and is my political view.” he said, paraphrasing the From 2009 to April 2019, “Four Questions” reading from Shai served in the Knesset, the Passover hagaddah, as if to representing the Kadima, Lasay, why is this plan different bor and Zionist Union parties.

Dov Wilker, regional from all other plans? director of the American As an observer now, he doesn’t Jewish Committee, Makovsky would know. think Trump’s proposal will charges that American He was in Atlanta earlier this have any effect on Israeli votJews are not looking month to speak to Emory stuers as they head to the polls at the bigger picture. dents and promote his latest March 2, the third attempt in book on Israel, co-authored with American less than one year to conclude with a majordiplomat Dennis Ross. Makovsky worked ity government. “There’s no change in the closely on the peace initiative of former Sec- division between left and right,” Shai said. retary of State John Kerry. He suggested that “We may be heading for a fourth run.”

Trump’s plan “may be an effort to signal According to the Israeli Voice Index for

Photo by ISMI // David Makovsky at a breakfast presentation at the ISMI Feb. 4. The map behind him overlays the 1949 Green Line, the separation barrier and areas of West Bank atop the two states envisioned by the Trump peace plan.

January 2020, published in early February by the Israel Democracy Institute, half of the Israeli public believes that by announcing the plan when it did, the United States meddled in the Israeli elections to assist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chances of forming a government after the elections.

However, the intervention might not help Netanyahu, according to the monthly survey conducted by IDI’s Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research.

Rather, the fact that Netanyahu was formal-

ly indicted last month in three corruption cases is expected to have the greatest impact on voters in the March election – despite the fact that a trial date may not be set until after the election.

Indeed, a third of Israelis believe Netanyahu’s legal issues will most influence the vote, according to the IDI, followed by 21 percent who believe the main issue will be the cost of living and housing, followed by security at 18 percent, religion and state issues at 10 percent and Jewish-Arab relations at only 7 percent. By contrast, 1 ½ months before the April 2019 elections, security concerns are expected to have the greatest impact on the vote.

The reaction to the Trump proposal in the American Jewish community, is “unfortunately falling along party lines,” said Dov Wilker, regional director of the American Jewish Committee. “Unfortunately, the American Jewish community is missing the bigger picture and not seeing it through the realities of the Israeli political system.” He suggested that it should be viewed through a Middle East regional lens in which this plan may bring Israel closer to some of its Arab neighbors. ì

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CAMP ‘Summer of Love’: Jewish Camp Romances

Paula Baroff

Jewish summer camp can be a time of personal growth, intense friendships and Jewish exploration. It can also be a time for romance, and many couples in Atlanta have

that story to tell.

Philip and Amy Rubin met at camp as counselors back when the Marcus JCC’s Camp Isidore Alterman was called Camp AJECOMCE. “Immediately when I met her, I literally felt I’m going to marry her or someone like her,” Philip said. “She thought I was a snob,” he added.

It was a different time back then, Philip said. The teenagers spent all day with each other in the “day camp pretending to be a sleepaway camp” outdoors surrounded by woods, and then would go out together at night. The atmosphere was friendly and flirty. “We even had a summer called ‘the summer of love,’” he said.

22 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Pictured here is the Rubin family. Philip and Amy Rubin met at camp as counselors when the Marcus JCC’s Camp Isidore Alterman was called Camp AJECOMCE.

Anat Granath met her husband Brian when she was a camp shlicha. They are pictured here with their resulting family.

Amy said they ended up working as counselors in the same age group and were friends throughout the summer as part of a big group. “It was very social because it was set up like everyone was kind of around the same central area. So you saw everybody all the time,” she described the campgrounds.

Amy said she met friends working there that she wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise, and this casual social environ-

ment extended beyond camp. “They became your summer everything. We would come early and stay late,” she said. “It was a great summer experience – not just a job, but an experience for sure.”

Philip described Amy as never having any drama, and even cooler than she was beautiful. “I was definitely the pursuer. I was definitely trying my best to get this girl to like me. I always thought she was beauti-

ful inside and out,” Philip said. “I kept saying ‘we might as well make out and get this over with,’ and she’d look at me and laugh.”

By the end of the summer, they started dating. They dated long distance for five years and ended up getting married in 1996.

“And I would still want to marry her today. Glad it was her!” Philip said.

Anat Granath also met her husband, Brian, when she was working at Camp AJECOMCE in 1994. That first year Brian, who had a long background of working at the camp, was probably up at Camp Barney Medintz, Anat said. She met him through other people at camp while she was staying with her aunt and uncle. “He has such an amazing passion for camp, being a camper and counselor,” she said of her husband.

Anat had come that summer as a shlicha, an Israeli visitor who grows bonds between Israel and the diaspora community.

“It’s funny. The thing that hit me first was the first Shabbat at camp,” Anat said.

“That was so beautiful for me to see. ... It was my first experience with a diaspora Jewish community, and realizing, maybe we grew up in different places and speak different

CAMP

Ilana and Greg Schlam’s daughter will be going to Camp Judaea for the first time this summer.

The Zeligman family visited camp this past summer.

languages, but knowing we have that string of commonality, of Jewishness.”

Brian and Anat married in 1998.

Though it took place in Jerusalem, about 50 people from Atlanta and other parts of the United States traveled to attend their wedding, including two of Brian’s very close camp friends. Now their own children go to Camp Barney, and the Granaths host shlichim from Barney and URJ Camp Coleman, which Anat describes as a “phenomenal” experience. “By 2000 we immediately started hosting shlichim and we’ve hosted every year since.”

Growing up, Ilana and Greg Schlam were both involved in Young Judaea, the youth movement affiliated with the camp.

“He was older than me, so I only really knew him as one of those older guys who staffed conventions,” she said. Ilana went to a YMCA camp and didn’t become involved in Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, N.C., until her friends convinced her to work there in college.

The Schlams knew each other in college but didn’t have a relationship until they were working together at Camp Judaea. “It was only once we started working together in that camp environment, we realized we were meant to be,” Ilana said. She became the assistant director while he was working there year-round doing logistics. “That’s when we were really able to spend a lot of time together,” Ilana said.

She describes Jewish camp as an intense environment where you truly get to know people, which fosters more meaningful relationships. “Regardless of my husband, my closest friends are still camp friends,” she said. “I honestly think that it’s a Jewish camp thing. For whatever reason I just feel like it was an environment where people really wanted to make those deep connections, … you delve a lot more into

people’s personalities and opinions than you would in other places.”

The Schlams are part of a big Camp Judaea friend group that includes several people that worked together around the same time. Though she no longer works there, her daughter is going to Camp Judaea for the first time this summer as a camper, and Ilana is still a Jewish camp professional, now working at the MJCCA camps. “I’m just a huge proponent of Jewish camping. I really think it’s one of the more meaningful things you can do in your life.”

Another Camp Judaea couple, Lori and Michael Zeligman actually met when she was a camper and he was a staff member.

When they met, she was around 15 and he was 18. At first they became friends, then reconnected years later when she was in her late 20s. “It made it so easy and natural because we’d been friends for so long through the camp system. Camp changed my life, it just made it so much stronger for us that we both loved the same place,” Lori said.

Both Lori and Michael worked at camp together for many years. She now works at Camp Judaea in a professional capacity as assistant director. “It’s fun for Michael and I and what makes my career a lot easier is Michael gets it. He knows camp; he loves camp,” she said. “Luckily he’s my biggest supporter.”

They also shared that same group of camp friends, which made it even easier for them to date and get married.

“What I try to tell people is that when you walk into a room and you see another person who went to the same camp as you, there’s an instant connection. At camp, it’s an emotional investment,” she said. “When there’s romantic feeling and involvement there, it just makes it more intense.” ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 23

CAMP

Georgia’s Camps Span Generations Georgia’s three Jewish sleepaway camps, Camp Barney Medintz, URJ Camp Coleman and Camp Ramah Darom, each have their Eddie Samuels own history, and with that comes campers whose parents have also attended the camps. The AJT spoke to parents from each about their camp experience, why they sent their kids to the same camp as they attended and what’s changed since then.

Ramah is the youngest of the three camps at just 24 years old, and director Geoff Menkowitz noted that their initial second-generation campers are just now hitting camp-going age.

Rachel Miller attended Camp Ramah in New England, in Massachusetts, and later worked at Ramah Darom, where she met her husband when they were both counselors. Their daughter Dana attended Ramah Darom for the first time

24 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Junior-in-Training (JIT) staff in 1996 at Camp Barney and again in 2016. D’Agostino is in the back row, on the right, in both photos.

last summer.

“She went for two weeks for their taste of camp program, and this summer she’s planning to go for the full four weeks,” Miller said. “She had a great experience. She peripherally knew a few girls who were going to be in her cabin, but game back with a bunch of great friends and didn’t want to leave after

Camp Barney Director Jim Mittenthal with Mira, Elena and Sari D’Agostino.

Rachel and Ben Miller first met at Camp Ramah in 2000.

They are pictured here that year at a staff bonfire.

experience [at camp] is still present as a those two weeks.

Josh D’Agostino spent three years result.

“There are not a ton of Jewish kids at Barney as a camper and five as a staff member, and now his three daughters, 14, there day in and day out, but we are members of The Temple and they see 12 and 10, are all campers there as well.

“I knew how much fun I had there camp friends through Sunday school and and how much I connected with those Hebrew school, but camp is such a differpeople. And we live in Atlanta, but they ent place,” she said. “It’s not even really go to public school, so there’s rarely a a thought that you’re Jewish when you’re time outside of synagogue or services there; you’re just living it every day and it that they are surrounded by people who becomes a part of you.”

All three were are all Jewish,” he asked whether they said. ever looked at other Jackie Dalton camp options when spent eight sumconsidering where mers at Coleman to send their kids, both as a camper but their answers and a counselor were eerily similar. while growing up in “It was always South Florida.

Coleman, if I’m hon“My sisters and est,” Dalton said. “I I were really the never looked at othonly Jewish kids in er places.” our school until we D’Agostino got to high school, said, “It was all Barwhich sounds crazy ney the whole time.” when talking about Dalton’s children see their cousins And Miller said, South Florida,” she at camp each year: Gabbi Dalton, “Yeah, we didn’t said. “Camp was reMason Cooperman, Stella look at any other ally a place that reCooperman and Spencer Dalton. camps. It has always ally gave me a Jewish identity and gave me a sense of who been an important part of my life, … so we didn’t look anywhere else.”

I am to this day.”

As for what’s changed since they Now Dalton’s two children, Gabbi and Spencer, are both Coleman campers. were campers, Miller explained that “My husband converted when we got technology has enabled communication married, so camp was kind of foreign to with the outside world in new ways.

“The quickness of email and being him, but he would ask me, ‘What if they don’t like camp?’” she said. “I would say, able to know within a day what’s going ‘It’s not an option; they’re going to love it,’ on with your kids. We definitely didn’t have that as campers, and as a staff memand thankfully they do.”

Much like D’Agostino’s, Dalton’s ber we were using faxes,” she said. “It’s inkids attend public school, and she be- teresting from my perspective as a parent lieves that some of the magic of her own — you’re not waiting by your mailbox,

CAMP

Rachel Miller and daughter Dana on drop-off day last year at Camp Ramah Darom.

With that demand, he also noted instead you’re refreshing your email. I more diverse acdon’t know that it tivities to provide feels any different options to a larger to the kids.” group, but on the D’Agostino notwhole, all three ined that the biggest terviewed said that change he sees at the most important Barney is in the size. aspects of camp, the “There are environment and many more kids friendships, were going each session unchanged, and than even 10, 15 or memories created 20 years ago,” he there could last forsaid. “So there are ever. more and bigger “I spent 10 facilities, more cabmonths there over ins, but also some of the old facilities are Jackie Dalton and sister Rebecca Cooperman eight years, but at Camp Ramah Darom a few years ago. rarely does a day still there, and the pass by that I don’t think about it.” ì layout of the camp is still the same.”

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CAMP

Ramah Darom Stresses Jewish Value of Sports At Camp Ramah Darom, waterskiing lessons are preceded by morning prayers, often on the waterfront and sometimes even on the Roni Robbins boat. Athletic sessions begin with an emphasis on gratitude over cutthroat competition. There’s a focus on leadership and respect for fellow players.

And the same cool coach who ties campers into the harness for rock climbing helps them strap on tefillin.

“There’s a very distinctive Jewish experience” that emerges from following the Hebrew signs to the archery range, hearing Hebrew phrases sprinkled into the instruction, which adds texture and framework to the activity,” said camp director Geoff Menkowitz.

He stressed that Ramah Darom’s emphasis on athletic excellence is instrumental in advancing its mission “to foster and nurture Jewish identity and build

26 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

the next generation of Jewish leaders.”

The process of acquiring skills and the resulting boost in self-esteem teaches children how to persevere through challenges and find fulfillment in hard work, Menkowitz said.

“Archery is one of our signature programs,” he said. Campers can learn from the sport to “stand still, grounded and in control.” It’s a positive experience to” focus on a special goal. It all translates into leadership.”

Reiterating that sentiment is Yale Nogin, archery range master and sports coach for the past five summers. “We begin each session of archery at Ramah Darom by thanking G-d for the ability to be strong and focused and allowing us to go straight at our goals and targets in life.

We give ourselves a moment to connect to G-d’s strength within us and recite an ‘Archers Prayer’ together.”

In addition to the sport itself, Menkowitz said, “all the coaches and specialists are dynamic Jewish role models who inspire kids” with the thrill of Shabbat or a love of Israel, Menkowitz said.

Take Rabbi Jonathan Berkun. In addition to being the rabbi of a large Conser-

Soccer at Ramah Darom has a Jewish component, teaching values and leadership skills.

Lessons about waterskiing start with Hebrew prayers.

vative synagogue in Miami, he’s a certified to Jewish life and leadership was apparwaterskiing coach who led that activity at ent last summer when the camp piloted Ramah Darom last summer. Having a rab- its four-week Athletic Edge lacrosse and bi as an instructor shows that Judaism is rowing camp, providing the same comnot only expressed in a certain place and petitive athletic preparation as other sectime, but should be fully integrated into a ular sports camps, but in a Jewish setting. fulfilling life, Berkun said.

“Many play soccer on traveling teams.

“I help campers develop waterskiing When they experience soccer [at Ramah skills in an environDarom] it nourishes ment filled with Jewthem Jewishly and ish values, Jewish teach values and learning and Jewish leadership skills they celebrations. It’s also don’t get in other a very spiritual expeplaces they are playrience just being in ing soccer,” Menthe beauty of nature kowitz said. out in the water.”

“What’s unique Water, itself, has about Ramah Darom many biblical referis that we use sport ences, and there is instruction to inspire a standard blessing kids to be able to lead for a new experitheir communities.” ence and milestone, While campers the “Shehechiyanu,” in the Athletic Edge that thanks G-d “who program may continhas kept us alive, ue their athletic trainHebrew sign points the way to sustained us and ening, other sports ofarchery at Ramah Darom. abled us to reach this ferings at camp don’t moment,” Berkun said. Whether campers necessarily translate into year-round activity. are learning a new skill or advancing their “What I have really seen is that kids abilities, waterskiing instills euphoria, joy participating in our high level of archery and the pride of accomplishing a new goal, program are not necessarily motivated to he said. shoot arrows when they’re home or conAnother Jewish life lesson that comes tinue visiting the range, but it is definitely into play in sports is missing the mark inspiring them to celebrate Jewish life but succeeding after a string of failures, throughout the year,” Menkowitz said. he said. It’s one of the prevalent concepts “What is powerful is that we leverof the High Holy Days, when “we stress age sports instruction with the outcome that life is not measured by the number really being kids who are launched into of times you fall down, but in the number a Jewish life filled with meaning and purof times you get up and try again.” pose. … In this way, Ramah Darom hits The focus on sports as an avenue the bullseye of Jewish education.” ì

CAMP

Camp Barney Brings Farm to Table

By Roni Robbins

utensils or other kitchen equipment, Fox said. “They [campers] do all the steps, not Campers today know the buzz-words just watch. They need to see and touch. It’s of healthy eating. So camps such as Barney not like a demonstration; it’s a do.”

Medintz, trying to keep up with the times, For instance, campers learn to meaare now teaching about reading labels and sure wet and dry ingredients. “My motto is knowing where food comes from. “Our kids cooking is chemistry.” After the preparation, have educated palates. We “we all clean up and then we talk about things they talk all eat.” about,” said Wendy Fox, who Last year a chef helped manages Camp Barney’s Old campers make their own orCity Kitchen. It’s an elective ganic mozzarella from farmculinary program that focusfresh milk. They conducted es on farm-to-table concepts. a taste test comparing storeCampers are planting bought to fresh wheat, “actheir own gardens, eating the tual wheat you can hold in food they grow at camp, and your hand, grown organicalmaking their own healthy ly. We ground it ourselves,” meals from scratch, Fox said. At Barney’s Old City Kitchen, Fox said. They tasted organic “A lot of healthy options they and non-organic bread. campers make baked goods from scratch using have to be able to do themself.

Campers enjoyed cookfresh ingredients, some They don’t come out of a box.” ing with the fresh herbs they grown or ground on site.

New chefs visit each grew. “We pulled the herbs year from around the Southeast. For in- out of the [CBM organic] garden and showed stance, last year a barbecue chef came from the kids. They could touch it and taste it and Charlotte, N.C., and a chef from Louisiana, smell it.” helped campers make vegetarian gumbo.

Camp Barney has chickens on the When visiting chefs come to camp, property, producing fresh eggs. “We feed they don’t just showcase their talents, they leftover scraps to the chickens. “Kids see help campers learn how to use cooking where food comes from and it doesn’t al-

sought-after electives, she said. “It’s absoways come from Publix.”

From one visiting chef, campers lutely a top activity at camp,” Fox said.

When preparing dishes, there are learned how to processes skins from onions and pits from avocado to make dye for tie- always options to accommodate dietary needs, such as having all the proper ingredye, Fox said.

Among the interesting culinary classes dients to make recipes vegan or gluten-free at camp, “We do a cool program: things your alongside the traditional recipes. “We do accommodate everybubbe would make,” one’s allergies and let learning about family others taste gluten-free customs. Some of the re[for instance] to see sulting creations were what it tastes like.” rugalach, babka, homeNew kitchen equipmade pareve matzah ment added in recent ball soup and different years includes a tabletop flavors of matzot. convection oven, which Howard Schrieber, cuts by 30 percent the culinary coordinator of time it takes for baking. the Marcus JCC, comes to A commercial dishwacamp to make a kosher CBM campers celebrate ter allows the kitchen version of sushi, a popuIsrael Day with falafel. to clean dishes in under lar treat, Fox said. A Flying Biscuit chef comes every year to make five minutes. With only 15 minutes between classes, the new dishwasher helps to speed homemade pasta from scratch.

If campers choose the camper kitchen turnaround time.

Fox hopes campers take the skills they option as an elective, they do a more in-depth cumulative project, Fox said. If they’re baking learn at camp home to teach and prepare challah, they learn to make different kinds of for their families. Cooking is a skill that challah. If the theme is Mexican, they’ll pre- will carry them through life, she said. “Food brings people together. It’s why these propare five or six days of Mexican foods.

Cooking classes are among the most grams are so popular.” ì

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CAMP

Western Wall Comes to Isidore Alterman

New performing arts offerings are part of the MJCCA Summer Camps lineup this year.

Camp BeeJay, Oh, The Places You’ll Go… June 8-July 29

28 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

New this year at the Marcus JCC’s “We know that camp can provide a main summer day camp in Dunwoody is welcome alternative from screens and a replica of the Western Wall in Jerusa- social media. When our campers unplug, lem. Campers of all ages and backgrounds this translates to boating, swimming and from Camp Isidore Alterman can leave playing in nature; cooking, climbing, or notes in cracks of the camp’s new Western trying a new sport; strengthening social Wall, an opportunity skills; and building to engage with Israeli self-confidence and inculture at camp. dependence,” explains Then, when the MJCCA Day Camps MJCCA Day Camp’s Director Jodi SonenShlichim (emissaries) shine. return to Israel afFree bus transporThe new Camp Isidore ter the season, they’ll tation to the MJCCA at Alterman Western Wall teaches place the notes in the Zaban Park is offered Israeli culture at camp. real Western Wall. to campers and staff There are about 26 other new offer- from various locations in Sandy Springs, ings this year at MJCCA camps including Brookhaven, Norcross, Dunwoody, AlAmerican Ninja Warrior for teens; Con- pharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Intown, corde Fire Soccer; Bring the Hype Dance; Toco Hills, Midtown and East Cobb.

Elite Skills Training: Basketball; Girls And multi-week discounts are availVolleyball; Pokemon, LEGO, and STEAM able for those who come for more than camps. The MJCCA three weeks. Save day camps are ofon every week, startfered at three locaing with the fourth tions: Dunwoody, week of camp. Before Intown and East Camp Care and AfCobb. Camps run ter Camp Care, from from May 26 to Aug. 4 to 6 p.m., are also 14 for rising pre-K available at the three to 10th graders. For camp locations. those who are inter“MJCCA day ested, the camps are campers gain on so offering an extra many fronts when Among the new offerings at week this year, from they are part of our the MJCCA Summer Camps are STEAM-themed options.

Aug. 10-14 for rising day camp family,” K-6. Campers can choose from options Sonenshine said. “From their ability to such as Camp Isidore Alterman, edible socialize with their summer friends, to art, and coding camp. In addition, camp- giving them the opportunity to use their ers can now get ahead on their summer senses in nature, MJCCA day camps reading in the new Before Camp Care: provide the opportunity to build sumReading Program. Participants can work mer camp memories and lasting friendon summer reading and other school as- ships.” ì signments from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. in a desigFor more information, visit www.mjccanated reading room. daycamps.org or call 678-812-4004.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 29

EDUCATION Reaching Jewish Middle Schoolers, Teens in North Fulton A new pilot club for Jewish middle schoolers in North Fulton County is one of four programs for teens and young famiRoni Robbins lies in the Alpharetta-Johns Creek area that received a new grant for “Making Jewish Places.”

This is the second year of Creating In September the Jewish Federation Connected Communities’ Leadership of Greater Atlanta gave four, one-year Development Program North Fulton grants, each ranging from $15,000 to at Congregation at Gesher L’ Torah. $20,000, to help foster a sense of Jewish identity and communal growth in that large-scale macro grant recipients area. were: In the City Camp for a three-week The new Jewish Middle Schoolers’ K-6 camp at The Standard Club; the Atclubs known as JMS, like the other grant lanta Jewish Film Festival North this recipients, fill a need in the area that was summer; the Israeli American Counnot being met. “We cil’s Eitanim teen realized this was “Shark Tank” enone age group that trepreneur initiawas not serviced tive; and Creating much with Jewish Connected Comprogramming inmunities’ teen side and outside of Leadership Develschool,” said Rabbi opment Program.

Hirshy Minkowicz The need for of Chabad of North grants came from Fulton. “There was the 2016 #IamJewa lot for teens and ishATL Commuhigh schoolers and nity Study, the first toddlers, but not consumer behavStudents at East Cobb Middle School for middle schoolior study of Jewish participate in a Shabbat art project. ers.”

Atlanta, and “lisThe club, which began in August tening” forums through the Federation’s 2018, expanded in its two years to seven Front Porch initiative. The study found area middle schools, with plans to grow that people outside the perimeter had further. limited ability to participate in activities The other Making Jewish Places largely organized about an hour away in

30 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

The North Fulton Team works hard on pitches for Demo Day.

Autrey Mill students sample donuts they created for Chanukah with sweet fillings of their choice.

the central Jewish community inside the munity members to help shape their ideal community and elevate opportunities perimeter.

“Part of metro Atlanta [North Ful- in Alpharetta-Johns Creek.”

With the new programming closer ton] felt underserved and wanted more engagement opportunities,” said Carla to home, Birnbaum and others don’t have to feel disconBirnbaum, the nected from that Federation’s new Jewish community. community im“Now it doesn’t pact associate for seem so far anyAlpharetta/Johns more.”

Creek.

Take the AJFF. The goal of “To go to a film in Making Jewish the intown Jewish Places is to make community, it can Judaism “more reltake 45 minutes evant and vibrant to an hour to get in the 21st century there. It makes it Jewish communigeographically alty,” said Birnbaum, Eitanim demonstrate creativity and most impossible who lives in North innovation at its first Demo Day. to do during the Fulton. While there may have been other community pro- week. It’s really exciting that the Film gramming in North Fulton or opportuni- Festival is going to bring a diverse lineup ties to be bussed to programs inside the of films up here.”

The Federation will be awarding its perimeter, the grants show a stronger financial investment in the North Fulton first of three rounds of smaller grants ranging from $500 to $2,500 on Feb. 25 Jewish community, she said. for other commu“The Federanity initiatives. tion recognizes Unlike the larger that authentic grants, which are communal growth for organized nonand strengthening profits, these micro can only happen grants are meant when community for grass-roots ormembers are inganizations such as volved in the develhomeowners assoopment, planning ciations, mahjong and execution of clubs and individuprograms for themals, Birnbaum said. selves,” said DanProposals are beniell Nadiv, FederaStudents of East Cobb Middle School ing accepted on a tion senior director craft twisted Havdalah candles. rolling basis. of Jewish Journeys, So far, grant applicants include: an Places and Welcoming. “Through the grant process, the Federation wants com- all-camp Shabbat Jan. 31; a North Fulton

EDUCATION

Teens pack 200 Smile Bags with dental supplies as part of a recent LDP North Fulton activity.

Taylor Road Middle School students create charity boxes to learn about the power of giving.

Young Professionals event, a HebrewEnglish PJ Library challah bake for young families, and an eSports teen gaming Purim event.

As far as the JMS clubs, they’re in their second year and learning from the first one. Rabbi Gedalya Hertz of Chabad of North Fulton directs JMS, but it is independent of any organization or synagogue and is student-led, he said.

“We provide a safe place where they can feel proud of what they are as Jews, which leads to a strong foundation to be involved in their teens and later on as an adult,” said Hertz, who is assistant rabbi and youth director of Chabad of North Fulton. The JMS club is to middle school what the Jewish Student Union is for high schoolers, and the hope is that JMS feeds into the JSU program, the Chabad rabbis say.

Minkowicz said the leaders of JMS are in touch with Chaim Neiditch, director of JSU, to discuss ideas. Having the JMS club should make recruitment by JSU easier and continue what the students learn in JMS in high school, he said.

“Middle schoolers may not be as vulnerable as high schoolers, but they are still struggling,” Rabbi Minkowicz said.

“This is a great way to strengthen Judaism in a nonthreatening way, … strengthen Jewish identity and pride.”

Sixth-grader Bram Fages is a good example. “It gives us a chance to become closer with fellow Jewish students and get to know more people. This is an awesome opportunity to feel like you’re not the only Jewish person. It helps connect everyone together.”

Bram, 12, attends Sunday School at Congregation Gesher L’Torah and URJ Camp Coleman, but this is his first school-related Jewish activity. He said he enjoys the snacks and learning how other Jewish students celebrate holidays with their families.

His mother, Susie, said JMS brings Jewish students together in a diverse population. “It creates their own sense of community in school.” ì For more information about the Federation Making Jewish Places grants, visit www.jewishatlanta.org/jewishlifemicrogrants.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 31

EDUCATION

Kesher Fellowship Trains Jewish Teens in Leadership

Paula Baroff

With the objective of transforming the way Jewish teens can engage each other in the Jewish community, an exciting new program launched in Atlanta called the Atlanta Kesher Teen Engagement Fellowship. The program is run by the Union for Reform Judaism and funded in part by a JumpSpark grant through the Jewish Federa-

tion of Greater Atlanta.

The fellowship is based on the peer-to-peer engagement method that began in the Northeast and has been scaled to the Atlanta community. It emphasizes the impact Jewish teens can have on each other through faceto-face interaction.

“I think this program is a great example of having an inner circle of teens that are getting a huge amount of leadership training and mentorship and strengthening their own Jewish identities, and then impacting a much wider circle of teens throughout the community,” said Adam Griff, Kesher Teen Engagement Fellowship director. “They’re being empowered to co-create with their network these new events.”

The teens will develop social and leadership skills and receive mentoring from experts in peer-to-peer engagement. The program is designed to allow busy teens

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Adam Griff and Jessie Schwartzman with the Kesher fellows

to participate by managing their own time and at the end, each fellow receives a $200 stipend.

“This model is unique in the Jewish teen landscape,” Bobby Harris, director of URJ Camp Coleman said in a press release. “The teen fellows are creating experiences that are fun and meaningful for them and their friends, instead of just trying to bring them to large-scale programming. Like the chavurah or ‘small circle’ model, this is about friends connecting to friends and building circles of peers living Jewish lives.”

The teens chosen through the application process range from 12 different high schools and six synagogues across metro Atlanta. The fellowship chose applicants who already have a strong Jewish identity and are in-

volved and engaged in Jewish youth groups such as BBYO and NFTY or other high school clubs. “Not only do they represent a diverse range of Atlanta congregations, schools and neighborhoods, they are smart, passionate, and excited to be part of this endeavor,” Griff said in the release. “We know that building relationships is the key to increasing engagement. I feel confident that this group of teens will help us push the needle and reach teens that until now have stayed on the sidelines of Jewish life.”

The fellows are required to execute three pop-up events throughout the program that involve Jewish content, but the teens have some room to get creative.

“This fellowship gives these teens the opportunity to think outside of the box; they are planning really unique programs for teens all around the metro Atlanta area,” said Jessie Schwartzman, Kesher Teen Fellowship engagement coordinator. She described one fellow who planned a Chanukah party at which the students made Chanukah cookies together. “We want their Jewish identity to translate on unengaged teens in Atlanta,” Schwartzman said. “We’re just really looking for ways to connect with teens on a different level.”

The program is having a positive impact on the teens involved, according to Schwartzman. “The fellows themselves who are part of this experience have really started to learn the value of leading a program – how to delegate tasks, what it means to share their Jewish story with others,” she said. “This type of training is not common in this generation; they’re so used to using their phones. [The fellows are] really learning the value of face-to-face communication.” This extends to a wider circle of Jewish teens who are being engaged by the fellows and growing in their Jewish connection.

The fellowship kickoff was Nov. 17. “I am excited to be a Kesher Fellow because I believe Jewish Atlanta is relying on today’s Jewish teens to ensure a strong Jewish Atlanta in the future,” Sophie Kieffer from Temple Sinai said in the release.

Schwartzman said that Atlanta is one of the few cities around the United States that’s participating in peerto-peer training and they hope to expand their reach across the city. There are a growing number of organizations, such as OneTable, that are promoting this form of engagement with young adults, but it’s fairly new with teens, Griff said. “I think it’s exciting that Atlanta’s on the forefront of this.”ì

EDUCATION

Davis Academy Launches Record Label

Music producer Will Robertson, Janice Durden and Rabbi Micah Lapidus in the studio.

Young Davis students recording music together.

By Paula Baroff

The album includes: Hebrew songs “Or Zarua” (light is sown), “El Na R’fa Na The Davis Academy has announced La (A Prayer for Healing),” and “L’Chu the official launch of their own record la- N’Ran’na” (come let us sing to the Lord); bel, #DavisLoveRecords. A collaborative English songs “Everything Has a Time of Breaking” and “Walk process with the goal of Before Me;” as well as niuniting the entire comgunim, or tunes. munity, the new label is The Davis Academy committed to adding to is able to accomplish the songbook of the Jewthis new endeavor with ish people with original its state-of-the-art recompositions as well as cording studio, where recording new versions skilled musicians are of traditional Jewish able to record and prosongs and prayers. duce high-quality music. #DavisLoveRecords People who have recordreleased a rock Shabed music in their studio bat “Hello, Goodbye & Student Elli Russotto recording include students, teachPeace” last year, which music in the studio. ers and visiting artists. added 18 original com“The Davis Academy has always had positions written by Rabbi Micah Lapidus, Davis Academy’s rabbi and director a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurof Jewish and Hebrew studies. The school ship,” Lapidus said. “Because of that, the produced three other albums before the idea of recording and producing profesrecord label launched. “Be a Blessing” sional quality original Jewish music was (2013), “A Palace in Time” (2015), and greeted with an enthusiastic ‘yes’ when “Menschology” (2017). The albums total the idea was first presented in 2011.”

The official record label is the culmore than 70 compositions.

“The original idea was that this mination of years of music production would be a wonderful way of honor- at the school. Since The Davis Academy’s ing the creative impulse that has always first album “Be a Blessing” was released been at the heart of Jewish tradition,” in 2013, the school community has come Lapidus said. “Judaism asks us to be cre- together to participate in the initiative, ative. Judaism invites us to view our lives Lapidus said. “Whether in the form of as works of art. To be Jewish is to create ‘crowd vocals’ or as featured soloists, beauty and meaning and goodness. The students have a chance to get in the reidea of creating original Jewish music is cording studio and share their voices.” one example of how The Davis Academy The Davis Academy has also produced music videos of some of their songs, honors this Jewish ethic.”

The rock Shabbat album includes giving students the chance to appear both new recordings of traditional on screen. Many of their songs are also prayers and totally original composi- performed at community events around tions “built on the timeless themes of Atlanta, featuring students, Lapidus said. being a mensch, living a life of purpose, “The creative bug is infectious and many and connecting with things greater than of our students have also been inspired ourselves,” The Davis Academy said in to write lyrics and create songs of their a press release. There is a wide range of own.” ì Music produced by #DavisLoveRecords musical styles spanning zydeco, disco, campfire songs, alternative rock and is available on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/2UScXySb1xInzIfropqozH blues.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 33

EDUCATION

New Epstein Murals Part of Podber’s Journey

The first of Podber’s new series of murals for Epstein features oversized flowers inspired by “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.”

By Eddie Samuels Adam Podber’s murals have graced the walls of Chabad Intown, Camp Twin Lakes and several other locations, but his first work was at The Epstein School when he was in fourth grade. Now, he’s returning to the school to paint a series of murals for the Early Childhood Program.

“I had always been into art and had an amazing teacher named Ms. Clark,” Podber said. “When I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma it really picked up. … I really like to keep things in perspective, and I see that first mural as a very dramatic example of how far I’ve come.”

That mural was designed and painted with another student, Jamie Sichel, while Podber was undergoing treatment.

One of Epstein’s nurses, Joyce Tritt, was at the school when Podber painted that first mural.

“Seeing this mural he painted when he was 8 years old and then the one he painted [recently] downstairs really shows how much he’s grown,” she said. “He’s really gained so much ability, and he was always an incredibly sweet boy.”

ECP principal Stephanie Wachtel explained the thought process behind adding new murals to the school.

“Our walls were very plain down here, and we wanted halls that looked like a preschool, but also that struck families when they walked by, and helped them create memories,” she said. “I met with my entire preschool staff and we came up with some ideas to pitch to Adam, and he ran with it from there.”

Podber, who painted the first mural last summer before school started, reflected on what it was like to walk back into Epstein’s halls.

“Going back there really put things drastically in perspective for me,” Podber said. “I used it as a hobby and a passion and now it’s a full-time profession.”

He noted that his vision for the piece, enormous flowers, came from a favorite 34 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

childhood movie.

“Some of it came from the movie, ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids,’” he said. “I tried to play up the idea of having these towering flowers, where for an adult, it may not be as dramatic, but for these kids these 7-foot-tall flowers are three times the size of them.”

Wachtel shared what she sees when she passes the flowers.

“To me it really speaks all about the journey,” she said. “Our children are only here in the preschool for three or four years and then they continue to grow. It’s really all about creating these memories for them in their early childhood years.”

Memories aren’t exclusive to the children, as Tritt herself is reminded each time she passes the mural.

“It really brings back sweet memories of that kid who was in my office,” she said. “I’m so glad that he’s happy and accomplished. It’s amazing.”

The flowers were the first of three murals Podber is working on for the school; he is starting the second this week.

“It is a similar theme – oversized, dramatic objects – but we’re focusing on playfulness,” he said. “I like to keep things specific and keep my audience in mind and make sure it’s digestible for very young kids.”

Wachtel explained that the next mural will tie in very closely with themes emphasized in the everyday lives of these students.

“We’re always focusing on, especially in the preschool, learning through play using imagination,” she said. “We want their imagination to go wild and [for them to] be creative thinkers, … so hopefully the symbols of this next mural will spark that in them.” Unlike the first mural, school will be in session while the second is in progress. Podber said he saw a handful of students’ reactions to the first mural and hopes to see more.

“It was what I was hoping for, surprise, amazement and intrigue,” he said, “but for most, they left for the summer with a blank wall and came back to these towering flowers, so I hope that excited them to come back to school.” ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 35

EDUCATION

My Journey Across the Historic South

Zoe Kurtz

Guest Columnist

My name is Zoe Kurtz, and I am currently a sophomore at Elon University. I recently returned from a nine-day class trip around Atlanta and Alabama. I wrote this piece after I was inspired to spread the word on what I had seen and heard on my journey. I think that it speaks to Jewish values and where we are as a society.

It only seems fitting that as I conclude my journey across the South, delving deep into the history of civil rights, leadership and non-violent protest, it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For the past nine days, I have heard from those who marched by Dr. King, grew up with him and were inspired by him. I have heard firsthand the struggles, the persecution and the heartbreaking stories that have changed my life forever.

Through my winter term course, Disarming Injustice, I have been motivated to create positive change, fight for those who do not have a voice, and find hidden love wherever I go. My eyes have been opened to how much we as a society have overcome, but how we still have so much to battle. I have learned that there is a difference between equal and equality, and that talking about the uncomfortable things is the only way we, as a

society, can grow and come together at the same time.

But, most importantly, I have been surrounded by more love than I have ever seen before.

In these past days, my group of 30 students traveled throughout Birmingham, Ala.; Selma; Montgomery; and Atlanta. We visited the churches where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his first and last sermons. We saw the true faces of the civil rights movement when we met those who never got acknowledgement for risking their lives, who shared with us their families’ stories.

I have come to learn that it is the people we see every day, behind the scenes, that have perhaps the most profound impact. From teachers, nurses, workers and drivers, we could not get to where we are without them.

Each of us has a responsibility to make the world a better place than how we found it. This is a Jewish value I hold close to my heart, tikkun olam, to repair the world.

Each of us are guilty for taking for granted the privileges we have, and the struggles people have fought and died for. We must work together as a collective, instead of living and assuming we are all better off separate. We must remember the pillars upon which this country is based, We the People.

Throughout my entire journey, I continually asked myself if there was anything or anyone that I would be willing to risk my life for. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many of the other courageous leaders of the movement were around our age.

They were college students. Teenagers. Young adults. All passionate and willing to risk everything, as

This exhibit on voting rights is part of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

many of them did.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

On this trip, I was lucky enough to meet Joyce O’Neil, one of the most powerful and inspirational women I have ever encountered. We met at Brown Chapel, one of the important meeting grounds during the civil rights movement. Mass meetings during this time were jubilant, full of life and filled with songs, and inspired a feeling of hope and love that many struggled to find anywhere else. Bloody Sunday began from the steps of the Brown Chapel, and Joyce O’Neil herself was there that day. She spoke to our group, and her words about finding one’s truth, no matter your age, resonated in my ears and my soul.

She said, “Don’t let anyone ever tell you you are too young or that you do not have anything to contribute.

Find a cause. When you speak your truth, make sure you do not accept the things people tell you that you know are wrong. Always speak truth to power.” One of her favorite memories was when people who did not look like her came to help. It gave her hope in humanity, making her believe that there are people that do care.

In the past nine days, I have cried from sadness, and cried from joy. I have frowned from dismay and smiled from hope. I have been exposed to the past, the present, and the future. I have seen where we have been, and where we need to go.

There were many nights where I was so emotionally exhausted and upset from what we had seen and heard, but when I remembered the stories of hope, I was lifted up. I have never felt more accepted from people whom I have never met before. People who had no reason to show me love but gave it to me anyway. People who hugged me, held my hand, and told me they were so happy to have me in their home.

The only way up is to come together, to understand that people are people, and to celebrate love. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” ì Zoe Kurtz is a strategic communications major minoring in leadership and political science at Elon University in North Carolina, where she’s from. She is public relations chair of Hillel and treasurer of the Israel Education club on campus.

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 37

EDUCATION

College Bound Students: Mistakes to Avoid For many high school students, applying to college is an arduous task.

After all, there are so many steps in the college application process.

Mark Fisher From searching for colleges and visiting institutions, to the application process with that essay and possible interviews, to really researching those institutions, sending your best scores, asking teachers for recommendations and much more, you and your family have many college working days ahead.

Will you be mistake-free? It isn’t that easy to be perfect. Allow me to help you avoid those mistakes.

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Please visit morahcarolsplace.com for more information.

38 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Cost of College a. Time and time again, parents will let their child know that private colleges are out of the running for applications. That reminds me of a true story several years ago. The student from a local high school wanted to be in or near Atlanta. She was accepted at Georgia State University and Oglethorpe University. Of course, the printed sticker price would favor GSU. The student desired a small school environment.

But she realized the wide monetary difference between the two colleges. Bottom line: Oglethorpe was going to cost only $1,000 more than GSU when the final figures arrived after financial aid. The private college became a reality. b. Lesson: The sticker price may not be the final cost. This counselor has visited hundreds of colleges. After interviewing an admissions officer in his office, I realized the cost of the college was enormous and let the officer know how I felt. He quickly let me know that the printed cost was double what the cost would really be in the end. What a difference between the sticker price and the real cost to a student.

Before you eliminate any college only because of the sticker price, carefully study the amount of money awarded to students.

Range of Colleges a. Only having a list of schools that contain the most competitive colleges is a mistake. A student once told me about his friend who only applied to the most competitive colleges. The friend was an excellent student both in course grades and SAT and or ACT scores. The applicant thought he would at least get into one of those col-

leges. The outcome was no acceptances.

Didn’t the friend know that thousands of students were rejected by those competitive colleges, not because they weren’t excellent students, but because the college could only accept a specific number of them? b. Lesson: There are many fine colleges to which a student could apply. In fact, some would have been even better choices.

Moral of the story is to apply in at least three categories: very difficult; somewhat difficult but more of a chance for acceptance, although not guaranteed; and safety.

There are times when some schools on the safety list are just better for that student.

That includes a better financial aid package. Yet, your safety schools must be reasonable, fine schools that you would enjoy.

If you don’t like a safety, why is it on your list? Secret is that a safety school may be, for someone else, a difficult school.

Know Why You’re Applying a. Why do you want to apply to a college? My friend likes the school. Is your friend a clone of you? I am going to college to only get a job. How about becoming an educated human being? The college has great athletic teams even though I’m not an athlete. Better be able to get tickets, or the cost for five to six home games paying $40,000 per year in tuition makes those games quite expensive. b. Lesson: Ask yourself questions such as: Does the college meet my academic interests? Is the learning environment one that would suit me? How much academic pressure could I endure? Will my extra-curricular interests be met?

How will the career office help me? Geographically, how far do I want to travel?

Will my Jewish religious preferences be satisfied? Is there anti-Semitism on campus? Are Jewish students upset with how the college handles anti-Semitic incidents? Will there be chances for participating in class because discussion is important to me? How good is the college with need-based and merit aid? Will I get to know a few professors well? What are the research possibilities? What about internships? These are just some questions to ask yourself and discuss with your parents. Don’t leave parents out of the picture. ì Dr. Mark Fisher is a college and career consultant at Fisher Educational Consultants, www.fishereducationalconsultants.com, and a consultant for the College Planning Institute, www.GotoCPI.com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 39

ART Pauline Kael’s Work on Display in New Film During much of the latter half of the 20th century, Pauline Kael’s film reviews in The New Yorker could stir Hollywood moBob Bahr guls to unadulterated rage or cooing self-satisfied acceptance. During her two decades with the magazine, this daughter of Russian Jewish immigrant chicken farmers in Petaluma, Calif., was among the most influential critical voices in the country.

Now a recently produced documentary, “What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael,” which opens this week in Atlanta, casts an admiring eye on her contribution to film criticism. The film’s creator, Rob Garver, argues, however, that she was more than a reviewer of movies.

“She wasn’t really a film critic,” he said. “She was a writer whose subject was movies. Her reviews weren’t reviews;

they were essays. She would go into such depth. She was so definite in her voice, very honest and often rude and very insightful.”

Part of the reason for her success was the vast knowledge of film and literature that she brought to her writing. Growing up Jewish in a small community that didn’t have much to offer in the way of cultural excitement, she immersed herself in books, reading all the great authors with a passion and a focus that later enhanced her critical voice. When her family moved to San Francisco, she brought the same wide-ranging interest in film.

“She came from a lower middle-class Jewish family, not a religious Jewish family,” Garver pointed out. “Her mother was much more interested in culture and academics and really pushed that on her kids. Pauline was the youngest of six and by the time she got to movies, which was later in life, she had this great foundation of literature that made her a great writer.”

But as the film points out, she was not an overnight success. She struggled to make a career as a writer, while, as a

Pauline Kael film bio features numerous interviews with many who knew her well.

Time has not treated well Kael’s enthusiastic review of Marlon Brando’s controversial film, “Last Tango in Paris.”

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single parent, she raised her daughter.

Kael was almost 50 before she made a name for herself.

“Pauline was able to put everything she had experienced in life into her writing at The New Yorker,” Garver maintained. “She was like a spigot that opened

up and it all came out.”

Her first great success was a 7,000word defense of the 1967 film “Bonnie and Clyde” starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, and directed by Arthur Penn, who, like Kael, had Jewish parents who had immigrated from Russia. She

ART

Kael’s spirited defense of “Bonnie and Clyde” launched a critical reappraisal of the 1967 film.

defended the film’s graphic scenes at a time when the violence of the Vietnam War was a nightly topic on network news programs.

But more than that, she quickly allied herself with a new generation of bold, creative filmmakers who were putting their stamp on Hollywood with films like “Easy Rider,” which was also a big hit in 1969. According to Garver she had worked hard to get where she did, and she made the most of it.

“When she hit The New Yorker, it was the late 1960s and the American New Wave was coming.

‘Easy Rider’ opened just a few months after she got there. She hit right at the perfect moment for her.”

Not only did she become one of the most influential critics of her era, the four books that she wrote became bestsellers. Her 1973 work “Deeper Into Movies” won a National Book Award.

She detested such popular hits as “The Sound of Music” and “Lawrence of Arabia,” and tore apart highbrow, art house features of the era such as “Hiroshima Mon Amour” and “Last Year at Marienbad.” Still, she could fall for such doubtful artsy films as “Last Tango in Paris,” a 1972 Marlon Brando film that skirted the edges of soft porn.

They are also represented in this documentary, a veritable cornucopia of dozens of classic film clips that film buffs will find fascinating in their representation of a particularly rich period of film history.

She was part of a time in which critical voices carried considerable weight. There was Judith Crist, who was a pioneering female film critic at the New York Herald Tribune and later, the Today show; Joe Morgenstern at Newsweek; Manny Farber at The Nation and Stanley Kauffmann at The New Republic.

But none of them could command the authority and strong belief in her every critical word as Pauline Kael. According to Garver, one of the stories he left out of his film involved an argument she had with Sidney Lumet, who directed 44 films over a distinguished career that stretched over 50 years. Garver said Kael was asked in Lumet’s presence what she thought her job as a film critic should be.

“My job,” she said to this director of such films as “Serpico,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” and “12 Angry Men,” “is to tell him what to do.” ì “What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael” opens Feb. 14 at the Landmark Theatres Midtown Art Cinema.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 41

DINING Personality Aplenty in Wood-Fire Grilled Fia Here is a bundle of con- and Bacchanalia to the forefront. Checkerboard woodcepts to wrap around. And blocked tables are graced appropriately with Rosenthal Buckhead is the right place to Brilliance premier bone china, Fleurs des Alpes. pull it off. Just weeks ago, The We dove into the Wedge Salad ($12) with tomato Burgess Hotel, formerly a Wing- puree, blue cheese mousse and cracked coriander. The ate by Wyndham, morphed into creamy ribboned mousse was a nice departure from the a magnificent butterfly with traditional bleu cheese crumbles. The Field Greens Mix spectacular interior design and salad was a standout with dilly beans, golden and red the culinary beets, large shaved radishes, cardamom talent of expeand a zingy tingly local honey vinaiMarcia rienced chef grette.

Caller Jaffe Daniel PoruFor entrees we had the highly touted biansky.

Grilled Whole Branzino ($28) with soft The hotel, with 102 rooms and herbs and artistically shaved fennel citthemed suites, owned by Burges and rus salad. It was properly deboned, but Freny Jokhi, went for top notch interior the head and tail were intact as well they design with an Asian flare, found obshould be. The other entrée, slightly out jects and uniqueness that could be from of the box, was Blue Ridge Farm Caua movie set in Thailand or Namibia that liflower Steak ($18). There it was: the ended up in Nepal. Thus, the backdrop is whole snow-white head grilled just like a display of photos, artifacts as a tribute it was sirloin, sitting atop a rich saffron to Freny’s father, who led the first Indian risotto and micro amaranth, reddish elHotel manager Gerson Velasquez brought out the expedition to Mount Everest. liptical greens known for being mild and field greens salad with dilly But ahhh, the food inside. Fia (Latin sweet. The cauliflower was firm enough beans, colorful radishes for low fire), seats 68 and focuses on the to be called “meaty.” and beets. The local honey open kitchen and wood-fired grill. Billed as A real plate-stealer was a shareable vinaigrette dressing was coastal Mediterranean, Fia is open seven side of crispy Brussels sprouts with chili among the most memorable. days a week and serves three meals a day. and maple pear gastrique (caramelized Chef Porubiansky brought his experience from Seeger’s sugar deglazed with vinegar used for flavoring sauces).

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The busy grill and open kitchen keep the service smooth and timely.

Brussels sprouts find themselves roasted, seared or steamed on everyone’s nouveau menu; this preparation was especially full-flavored and speckled with croutons.

Plenty for two, with leftovers.

The other shareable sides all screamed “yum:” grilled mushrooms with herbs and lemon, heirloom carrots with Georgia honey, fingerling potatoes with melted leeks, chives and grated parmesan. The citrus broccolini looked mighty fine.

Desserts were Cream Caramel with strawberry compote and candied orange zest, which was light, but not memorable. The raspberry and chocolate of the Gelato Sorbet Tasting stood out. Next time, we would opt for the Toffee Trifle mint sponge cake with blood orange jam and An unusual entree is Blue the Milk Chocolate Cream Ridge Farm Cauliflower Puff with hazelnut and suSteak over saffron risotto mac. All desserts are $10. and micro amaranth, also Also next visit to Fia: prepared on the grill.

Wood-fired Hummus charred with sweet onion and toasted pine nuts, Ahi Tuna Tartare with trout row, avocado, chili oil, followed

by Pan Seared Gnocchi, white truffles and loud mouth mushrooms, and Faroe Island Salmon over sweet potato puree. The Faroe Islands are known for their pristine archipelago waters off Denmark.

Bottom line: Atlantans are not known for loyalty for source dining at hotels. This should be the exception: easy to access (free valet just feet from the lobby), and the hotel is a National Geographic staycation.

The regular hotel rooms have a lush royal blue velvet seating entry area and fine appointments. Ask for a tour of the themed suites with curated natural surfaces such as wood grains, exotic tile patterns, elaborate brocades and hissing dragons. Conjure up a dream sitting in the library. The Mr. B. Bar, which seats 60 and serves the same menu as Fia is making a mark with its creative cocktails. (So named for Freny’s father, the mountain climber Keki Bunshah). A special venue not to be missed. A fun twist is that hotel General Manager Gerson Velasquez and owner Burges Jokhi were on hand Saturday night when we visited waiting tables! ì Fia Restaurant in The Burgess Hotel is located at 3600 Piedmont Road near the intersection of Roswell Road.

DINING

Le Colonial Elevates Atlanta’s Cuisine Scene

By Marcia Caller Jaffe When Jewish Atlantans “glom” onto a new restaurant, it can be intense. That’s the case with The Shops of Buckhead’s Le Colonial, sister restaurant to the well established Le Bilboquet just feet away. With locations in many major U.S. cities, Le Colonial was a fast hit here. Local manager Neal Alvez, with experience at other Buckhead landmarks The bustling interior captures another Bones and Chops, said, “We were busy right place and time with Asian art, lowout of the gate. Finding a table can often be hanging fans and huge palm plants. difficult.”

The inviting interior design of Le Co- warm Valrhona chocolate sauce, citrus and lonial has low hanging black fans, table vanilla chantilly. orchids, huge palm fronds, charcoal shuttered walls, It was a bit off-putting mahogany millwork, a large to charge for rice, but who’s lounge, veranda, and black counting? Next time, we’d and white photos reminisorder the Signature crispy cent of 1920s Vietnam street red snapper. scenes. French influence in Vietnam was primarily I got the chance to talk in Saigon, where diplomats to Nicole Routhier, Le Coloroamed until 1954, when nial partner, culinary direcThe winning starter was the French rule ended. Le Colotor, and French Vietnamese shredded green papaya salad. nial is a modern interpretacookbook author. She is a Enough for table sharing. tion of classic Vietnamese Coconut with a zing! native of Saigon and James cuisine.

Beard Award nominee whose mother is On our Sunday night visit, the ultra-vi- Vietnamese and her father, French. olet blue elevator up landed into a transformational scene. The food was so exceptional AJT: Any local Georgian influences in that we were “rocked.”

Le Colonial’s menu?

What we went crazy over: Spicy tuna tartare ($18) over avocado, sweet chili, soy caviar (not too salty but full of bounce).

Goi du du – Green papaya salad – a huge shredded mound to share. Pickled carrots, shallots, peanuts, Thai basil. Nuoc cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce. Didn’t expect to like it. AMAZING!!

would be dumplings, curries, stir-fries, noodle bowls, etc.

AJT: Are we hitching onto a trend where Vietnamese food is soaring in popularity? How would you assess the Atlanta dining scene in terms of sophistication?

NR: Remember that Le Colonial opened in New York, Chicago and San Francisco in the 90s, along with other highprofile restaurants such as New York’s Taro chips accompany the tuna tartare Indochine, San Francisco’s Slanted Door, over avocado, bounding with flavor.

Sacramento’s Lemon Grass, Connecticut’s and Florida’s Truc Orient Express serving refined Vietnamese cuisine. The real trend by hand.

AJT: Describe some dishes that are in my opinion is Western chefs borrowing from Vietnamese cuiFrench in origin versus sine for their own menu traditionally Asian. inspirations.

NR: Banh mi (VietAs far as the Atlannamese sandwich) is ta dining scene goes, I a good example. The have been impressed by French introduced the the variety, sophisticabaguette, pâte, and tion and quality of resmayonnaise, and the taurants I have dined in Vietnamese took it during my visits here. from there. Another The Poire Belle Helene dessert is quite Le Colonial is loexample is Vietnamese delicate with a surprise inside . cated at 3035 Peachtree coffee (ca phe sua da) Road.

Valet parking is out front. Up to three which has its origin in café filtre. hours free parking is below and easy to access.

Dishes that are traditionally Asian

NR: When starting a restaurant in a new location, our culinary approach was to maintain Le Colonial’s unique identity in the first year without too many menu changes. However, we search for and use as many locally sourced items as possible.

We use olive oil from Georgia Olive Farms, chicken from Joyce Farms, and organic eggs from Greenway Farms. As the seasons change, we source local produce and herbs at their peak flavor.

Ca Hoi Nuong – Miso glazed roasted salmon($28) over bok choy, shiitakes, annato oil. We deleted the lobster sauce.

AJT: Authentic Vietnamese food is…

NR: Although Vietnamese shares similarities with and has been influenced by other Southeast Asian Crispy Brussels cuisines, it should not sprouts – caramelbe confused with them. ized fish sauce, lemon, Much of its unique toasted peanuts ($10) taste and delicate comIndescribably tasty. plexity come from the use of fresh herbs and Tim Nuong – aromatic spices. One A favorite dish was the side ($10) Japanese eggplant, scalcharming characterof peppers and Japanese eggplant. lion oil, shallots, spicy istic of Vietnamese Note the stems are left on. basil-lime fish sauce. cuisine is the way we Very cool that the stems were on. enjoy serving food at the table: we wrap or roll morsels of cooked food in rice paper or Elegant dessert – Poire Belle Helene – fresh lettuce, along with cooling herbs, then cinnamon poached pear, toasted almonds, dip the bundle in spicy sauces and eat them ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 43

COMMUNITY Holocaust Survivor Meets Her Legacy: Jewish Babies

Photos by Beth Intro // Rose, an 83-year-old resident of Berman

Commons, with her great-grandson, a “JFF baby.”

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Hannah Pullman is a product of the Jewish Fertility Foundation.

Phyllis Rubi gets a visit from baby Levi Gluck.

On the heels of National Holocaust Remembrance Day, an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor recently met the babies that are her legacy.

Rose Sowadsky will introduce her Jewish friends and neighbors at Berman Commons in Dunwoody Feb. 2 to some of the 32 infants and babies – and 17 on the way – that were created with the help of her granddaughter’s foundation.

Sowadsky’s granddaughter is Elana Frank, a 40-year-old Atlanta native who created the Jewish Fertility Foundation in 2015 after battling years of infertility.

JFF provides financial assistance, educational awareness and emotional support to Atlantans who have medical fertility challenges.

The inaugural JFF Baby Photoshoot at Berman Commons photographed 10 of its residents who are Holocaust survivors with 14 of the Jewish babies that are carrying on their legacy.

“I fled Nazi Germany in 1938 and my husband, Kurt Felsberg, tragically lost his parents in Auschwitz,” Sowadsky explained in a press release. “We eventually came to settle in Atlanta because my husband, a butcher, got a position at Arthur’s Kosher meat. We raised our children here in Atlanta. Turning struggle into triumph is a value you will find in many Holocaust survivor families, and it’s amazing to watch my granddaughter do exactly that.

Because of her difficulties, she has brought 32 babies into the world – and counting.”

COMMUNITY

JFF babies and their moms visit Holocaust survivors at Berman Commons.

Baby Oliver Anklowitz with mom Sarah Ashton inspires smiles from senior Robert Weiss.

Robert Weiss enjoys his visit with JFF founder Elana Frank and baby Matan.

Lee Grogin is entertained by baby Hannah Pullman.

Rose Sowadsky, grandmother of JFF founder Elana Frank, and Jean Resnick welcome their young visitors.

Babies Matan Frank and Hannah Pullman visit seniors Bernie Gross, Jean Resnick, Erika Lauten and Lee Grogin.

Of the photo shoot, Frank said, “Berman Commons is an ideal location to build an intergenerational community. Not only are some of the residents at Berman Commons Holocaust survivors, but many are the pioneers who contributed to the establishment and growth of Atlanta’s Jewish community.

We feel that this photoshoot is symbolic of the continuity of the Jewish community of Atlanta, but also a symbolic stare-down of the persecution of the past.”

The event included snacks and PJ Library reading time between the children and the Berman Commons residents. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 45

COMMUNITY

New Book Examines Christianity’s Jewish Roots The striking image that Rabbi Albert Slomovitz has chosen for the cover of his new book about the Jewish roots of Christianity is Bob Bahr direct and dramatic. It shows a young bearded Jesus not with the familiar crown of thorns on his head but with a blue and white Jewish prayer shawl draped over his brow.

The young man’s arms are outstretched as if they were imploring the viewer to thoughtfully consider the title of the book “A New Look at Rabbi Jesus.”

The book carries the subtitle of “Jews and Christians Finally Reconnected.” It is part of an ambitious effort by Slomovitz to emphasize the important debt that Christianity owes to Judaism. It takes as its point of departure the Book of Matthew, one of the four foundational Gospels of the Christian Bible.

Matthew was a Jew and his work is

46 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

generally considered to be the most generous of the Gospels to Jewish tradition. It contains over 50 references to texts from the Hebrew Bible. But there are many instances where the Jewish ideas that were important to early Christianity, in Slomovitz’s view, are not fully explained.

“The whole gist of my book, in a nutshell, is educating Christians about the Jewish religion,” he said. “I do believe that many Christians are unaware of the connections.”

Slomovitz, who was a Navy chaplain for two decades and has written a history of Jewish chaplains in the military, credits his military service to awakening his interest in developing stronger ties between the two faiths.

“What I’ve found is that most people are open to conversation and that they are open to education and they’re open to dialogue and we, as Jews, don’t do enough of that. There are many churches and synagogues that never get together.”

Slomovitz was the founding rabbi of Congregation Gesher L’Torah, a Conservative synagogue in Alpharetta for 10 years. He has created a new interfaith center. Part of the mission of his JewishChristian Discovery Center is to create

Rabbi Albert Slomovitz, left, partnered with Rev. Raymond Cadran of the Catholic Church of St. Ann to include a Star of David ornament with every Christmas tree the church sold.

programs that emphasize the important “He was born with tremendously deep relationships that Jews and Christians Jewish roots and what we were celebrating at this time was the could have. The Marcus feast of Chanukah that Foundation has contribhad roots in Jesus’ life. uted $100,000 to help The stars were put on the establish the center and trees with an explanation fund its initial projects. card about what the conIn December, Slonection was.” movitz partnered with In addition to the Catholic Church of St new book, which comAnn in East Cobb to esbines the Christian text tablish the J Star Project with source material as a new holiday tradifrom the Hebrew Bible tion. Each person who and the direct contacts bought a Christmas tree with Christian churches, from the church received “A New Look At Rabbi Jesus” Rabbi Slomovitz has crea six-pointed Star of Dais published by Covenant ated a website for the Disvid, which were made by Books and is available as an covery Center, where the members of the nearby e-book and in print editions. emphasis is on the belief Congregation Etz Chaim, where Slomovitz is a member. Over 700 that both Christian and Jews are what the of the stars were given away along with rabbi described as covenanted people.

“This is of enormous significance,” information about the center’s work.

Church members were asked to he maintained. “It means that Christianity does not replace place the stars on their Judaism, but rather trees in honor of the that Christianity is a Jewish birth of Jesus. representation of a Jews, in turn, were holy connection with asked to light the canG-d as is Judaism and, dle on the eight day of one could argue, other Chanukah in honor faiths as well. of righteous gentiles For so long, who aided Jews during countless conversathe Holocaust and at tions have focused on other times in history. which faith has the The pastor of the primary relationship Catholic church, Rev. with the Almighty. It Raymond Cadran, seems appropriate to believes the program say that G-d is certainhelped to underline ly capable of having the importance of the “A New Look At Rabbi Jesus” was written by Rabbi Slomovitz, who different believers at Jewish foundations of holds a doctorate from Loyola the same time. By beChristianity.

University and teaches history ginning to articulate “When we added at Kennesaw State University. an idea of differing the Star of David it became basically clearer that Jesus wasn’t covenants we open ourselves to a totally born a Catholic,” Cadran pointed out. different spiritual worldview.” ì

COMMUNITY

Rabbi Winston Shares Message of Redemption

At the Ner Hamizrach event were: Ahava and Rabbi Pinchas Winston, Sheila Bleich, Gail Ripans, Dr. Allan Bleich and Jackie Dimont

An Israeli rabbi and author who re- sources, and the direction of history at cently visited Atlanta’s Orthodox com- this time, there is no reason to assume munity is known for writing the ultimate that it will now. And, as this book will manual proposing the need to usher in make clear, the main difference between the messianic era. a peaceful redempRabbi Pinchas tion and one that Winston spoke Jan. has been described 30 to Feb. 1 to Ner in frightening detail Hamizrach, Torah in the Book of the Day School, the AtlanProphets, may simta Scholars Kollel and ply be a change of Beth Jacob in Atlanta. heart.”

The visit was sponAt the Shabbat sored by Ner Hamizdinner Jan. 31, Winrach, Beth Jacob and ston said, “‘Shema:’ Gail and the late Allan Hear O’ Israel the Ripans in memory of Lord is Our God, the Gail’s sister, Eilene Lord is One” will be Cummins. universally acceptRabbi David Siled, bringing peace verman of Atlanta and unity to the enScholars Kollel rectire world. ommended Winston’s The culmina“Geulah b’Rachmim,” tion was a melava Rabbi Winston addresses about 150 published in 2008 malka (“accompastudents at Torah Day School. and reprinted 10 nying the Shabbat years later, as a study guide of 60 les- queen” meal) after Shabbat at the Risons postulating that the Jewish people pans’ home, where discussion among can bring about a “merciful redemp- the 32 in attendance centered on the role tion.” Winston dedicated the latest re- of divine providence in Jewish history print of the book to Cummins. and the mission of the Jewish people to On the back cover of the book, Rab- bring peace and unity to the world. bi Winston asserts, “In the past, the pasRabbi Winston was accompanied sive approach to redemption has never by his wife Ahava, director of Nitza, The served us well. Based upon many crucial Israel Center for Maternal Health. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 47

COMMUNITY

Services and a Schmear at Fort Benning U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Doug Mendelsohn grew up at Temple Beth Israel in Pomona, Calif. He was an officer in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, Dave Schechter and today is stationed at Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga. Mendelsohn not only attends the weekly Jewish service on Sunday morning at the base, but he and recently promoted 1st Lt. Anna Menser have been trained by Rabbi Karen Berger, serving as a chaplain at Fort Benning, to lead services.

Periodically, members of Atlanta’s Jewish War Veterans Post 112 drive down to Fort Benning to participate in the service and help with the post-service oneg sponsored

by Temple Israel of Columbus.

Most of the 500 to 600 soldiers who attend the Jewish services are new recruits going through combat arms training. Relatively few, maybe two or three dozen, are Jewish.

The oneg, particularly the bagels, are a draw.

Photos courtesy of Jewish War Veterans Post 112 //

Attending a Jewish service at Fort Benning Dec. 15 were Robert Max, Southeast regional commander of the Jewish War Veterans; Army 2nd Lt. Doug Mendelsohn; retired Navy officer Neil Block, and 1st Lt. Anna Menser.

“It is a privilege to be part of such a unique Jewish service,” Mendelsohn told the AJT, in a telephone conversation that included Robert Max, Southeast regional commander of JWV. It is rewarding, Mendelsohn said, “to be able to be the face of Judaism and one of the officers they interact with during basic training. … One of the best things we can do to fight anti-Semitism is to educate and show people that we’re not that different.”

Jewish services at Fort Benning were started 18 years ago by U.S. Navy Capt. Neil Block, a 1961 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., who retired from active

Several hundred U.S. Army personnel attend the weekly Sunday morning Jewish worship service at Fort Benning.

duty as a lieutenant commander in the Seabees, the Navy’s construction battalion, and also retired as a captain in the Naval Reserve.

In an article two years ago, the AJT reported that “Block has been known to warn that the failure to shmear a bagel with cream cheese is an automatic Article 15 (a crime against the Uniform Code of Military Justice).”

According to the Defense Department, there are 1.3 million men and women serving in the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines). As of 2017, the military

recognized 221 different faith groups. There is no accurate count on the number of Jews serving in the military, only estimates based on surveys involving self-identification.

A paper published in March 2010 by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute estimated that about 1 percent of the uniformed military were Jewish. A Defense Manpower Data Center estimate in January 2015 put the figure at 0.4 percent. The Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers said that Defense Department data, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, put the figure at 0.34 percent. ì

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COMMUNITY SIMCHA SPOTLIGHT

Wedding Announcement Abramson – Bearman WWW.ATLANTAMITZVAHCONNECTION.COM

Wendy and Dale Bearman are happy to announce the marriage of their son, Jacob Samuel Bearman, to Erin Rachael Abramson, daughter of Sheri and Mike Abramson of Omaha, Neb. The wedding took place at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha Nov. 16, 2019, and was co-officiated

by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel of Omaha and Rabbi Donald Tam of Atlanta.

The newlyweds live in Chicago, Ill.

FEBRUARY 23 • 1:30-4:00 pm The Hotel at Avalon 9000 Avalon Blvd Alpharetta

Bat Mitzvah Notice Hannah Buxbaum, daughter of Lisa and Adam Buxbaum, became a bat mitzvah Feb. 1 at Congregation Etz Chaim.

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50 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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 submissions@atljewishtimes.com..

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 51

CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 15-27 CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Enchanted Woodland Trail: Featuring Fairy Houses – Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell, daily through Feb. 29.

Hike CNC’s Woodland Trails to find fairy houses and gnome homes.

Miniature abodes made of natural objects and tiny treasures line the trails. Try making your own house from found natural objects in the free play area. Included with general admission, $6 per child, $10 per adult, $7 for seniors 65 and up, $7 for students 13 to 18, free for CNC members and children 2 and under. For tickets and more information, www.bit.ly/2uIVxuB.

Casino Night – Win a Trip to Costa Rica – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 7 to 11 p.m. Food, fun and chances to win trips and amazing raffle items. $50 to $150 per adult. For more information, www.bit.ly/37IDiE4.

rah reading, consider joining this new class by Rabbi Gedalya Hertz on the weekly parsha. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/34E5JS1.

Yitro Friday, February 14, 2020, light candles at 6:02 p.m.

Saturday, Febuary 15, 2020, Shabbat ends at 6:59 p.m.

Mishpatim Friday, February 21, 2020, light candles at 6:09 p.m.

Saturday, February 22, 2020, Shabbat ends at 7:05 p.m.

Terumah Friday, February 28, 2020, light candles at 6:15 p.m.

Saturday, February 29, 2020, Shabbat ends at 7:11 p.m.

cal 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. Free. For more information, www.chabadintown.org.

Chanting Trope Course with Miriam Rosenbaum, Instructor and Congregant – Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway NE, Marietta, from 10 to 11 a.m. Miriam introduces you to various tropes for reading Torah and provides some background history on the how’s and why’s of using trope. The best way to learn how to read Torah is to learn the trope and then start applying it to the actual readings as soon as possible. Therefore, we will be singing and chanting trope from the very first day. While this class is offered in conjunction with the adult b’nai mitzvah class, you don’t have to be enrolled to attend. $25 for members, $36 for nonmembers. For more information, www. etzchaim.net/event/trope.

American Songbook. Hear songs from Frank Sinatra, Nancy Wilson, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald.

Presented with the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. $50 for members, $60 nonmembers. For more information, www.bit.ly/36D2vyL. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Wants You! – Bowlero Spalding, 6345 Spalding Drive, Norcross, weekly through April 19 at 6:45 p.m. The 64-year-old Atlanta Jewish Bowling League, established in 1956, is looking for a few bowlers to join their Sunday night league. All skill levels accepted. They are a co-ed social league that likes to have fun. $17 per night for 3 games.

To register and for more information, www.bit.ly/2U5twIk.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17 Divorce & Separation Support Group – Jewish Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, from 6 to 8 p.m. Join this biweekly support group facilitated

by Helen Kotler Ph.D., LPC. $25 per session. To join the group, hkotler@ jfcsatl.org or call 404-210-9571.

Monday Night Parsha – Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta, from 7 to 8 p.m. weekly. As Chabad of North Fulton begins the new annual cycle of To-

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Boomer Speaker Series – Congregation B’nai Torah, 700 Mount Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. On the third Tuesday of each month, join fellow Boomers for an inspirational, educational and meaningful discussion as part of their Boomers Speaker Series. Each month, they will feature a new speaker and topic. Snacks will be provided. $5 per person. For more information, www.bnaitorah.org/boomers.

JLI Judaism’s Gifts to the World – Presented by Chabad Intown on the BeltLine, Tuesdays through March 3 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. or Wednesdays through March 4 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Join them for this groundbreaking new course that explores six of Judaism’s most cherished values and learn how Judaism continues to serve as a beacon of light and wisdom for all humanity.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 NCJW Advocacy Action Series Part 2: Hot Topics at the 2020 Georgia General Assembly – National Council of Jewish Women, 6303 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Please join them for their Advocacy Series part 2, with special guest Christopher Bruce, political

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at:

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Kabbalah and Coffee – Chabad Intown on the BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore and journey through the world of Jewish mysti-

Molly Blank Concert Series: “Let’s Fall in Love” – The Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, from 4 to 7 p.m. Join the Joe Alterman Trio with special guest Lena Seikaly for a sweet afternoon filled with music and romance. Enjoy love-themed songs from the Great

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 community relations director, Jen Evans, for more information at jen@atljewishtimes.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Bringing the Golan Heights to the USA – Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones

Bridge Road, Alpharetta, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Field commander, strategic affairs expert and IDF motivational speaker, Capt. (Res.) Yaakov Selavan will provide his perspective on Israel’s security challenges. Captain Selavan founded Slingshot Israel in 2016 after serving nearly a decade as an Armored Corps combat commander. He is a Golan resident and an IDF Tactical Command College alumnus. Captain Selavan is an experienced lecturer in Israel and abroad. He seeks to educate and inspire people through Slingshot’s innovative programs. Captain Selavan’s areas of expertise include leadership and motivation building, IDF core values: human dignity, comradeship, overcoming challenges and more — Israel’s public diplomacy, military briefings and analysis. $5 per person. For more information, www.chabadnf.org.

themed experience is sponsored by the MJCCA, Atlanta Jewish Music Festival and The Weber School.

Free. For more information, www. bit.ly/2nVTxbJ.

director of ACLU of Georgia. A light lunch will be served. Free. RSVP to christineh@ncjwatlanta.org. or call 404 843-9600.

Chabad of Georgia Presents Kosher Food & Wine Atlanta – Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE, Atlanta, from 5 to 9 p.m. Join them at the zoo for an evening of fun. For more information, www.chabadga.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Acoustic Shabbat Café @ Alon’s Bakery & Market – 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, from 7 to 9 p.m. Join Rabbi Brian Glusman, Drew Cohen and teen musicians from The Weber School for an evening of music and Shabbat prayers.

Food and wine available for purchase. This interactive Shabbat-

Friday Night Live – Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Shearith Israel’s monthly, spirited, song-filled Friday evening service followed by a lovely oneg and socializing. It’s a wonderful way to welcome Shabbat. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2Gp5SRI. Shabbat Sasson – The Monthly Musical Friday Night Service – Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway NE, Marietta, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Come be part of their Friday night musical service. They are looking for musicians of all ages, so if you play an instrument that enhances the ruach of Shabbat, join them. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2KGOyGZ.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Kiddush Levenah- New Moon Wisdom Circle – Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway NE,

Marietta, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. For centuries, Jews have gathered under the light and darkness of the moon to create community, deepen the connection to nature and her cycles, plant new visions and harmonize with Mother Earth. Please join them for this new monthly gathering to experience this ancient practice in community through niggun, mindfulness practice, guided meditation, intention setting and supportive discussion regarding lunar and seasonal wisdom. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2GKqpOl.

Fertility Buddy Veteran Training – Jewish Fertility Foundation, 60 Lenox Pointe NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. In the Fertility Buddies peer support program, they practice relationship-based support.

The emphasis is on building a secure and trusting relationship. Confidentiality is an important part of this relationship. For more information, www.bit.ly/31615LG.

product designer, and of course janitor. Some companies were solo ventures; others had partners. Each company was bootstrapped, to success or failure. Along the way, much was learned about technology, business, people, organizations and himself. Enjoy a gourmet breakfast spread. $25 per ticket. For more information, www.bit.ly/2uIfj9A. Open Play Games – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Open play tables are set up every week on MJCCA’s Main Street on Mondays and Wednesdays for you to enjoy popular strategy and skill games while making new friends. Free for members, $5 for the community. For more information, www.bit.ly/2H6mYRt.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23 “No Pork on the Fork” – Regal Perimeter Pointe, 1155 Mount Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This short film is a mouthwatering, often humorous behind-the-scenes look at the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival. It shows how it connects people from various walks of life through great food and friendly competition among culinary artisans. For tickets and more information, www.bit.ly/2RXwdsJ.

Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Program: “Rescue: Stories of Courage” – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 7 to 9 p.m. Profiles presented by Judy Schancupp and Dan O’Lone. Join them at 7 p.m. in the Katz Social Hall for this interesting program relating stories of courage during the Holocaust. Free and open to the community. For more information, www.bit.ly/2REzLRY.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24 Change the Culture: City-Wide Forum on Safety & Respect – Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, 1440 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. A citywide forum on safety and respect. Please join them in their commitment to making our Jewish communal workplaces and communal spaces safe, respectful, equitable places where we can all thrive. Join them us as they begin this work together as one united community. For more information, www.conta.cc/2vyCS5h.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Achieving Work Life Balance: Focusing on Your Family Relationship – Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway NE, Marietta, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This session will be taught by experts in the field of professional organizing and family therapy and will examine these subjects through a Jewish lens with instructor Rabbi Daniel Dorsch.

Free. For more information, www. bit.ly/2RWZiol.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 JBN Breakfast Series with Alan Pinstein – Chabad Intown on The BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 7 to 9 a.m. Alan Pinstein is a serial entrepreneur in the software space across industries as varied as mobile computing (Synergy Solutions), real estate (Tourbuzz and Showcase IDX), and e-commerce (Game X Change).

When he wasn’t working on his own tech company, he was working at someone else’s (Barpoint, Reflex Security, MediaBin/Interwoven).

He has served the companies he started in various capacities, as technical founder, CEO, CTO, coder,

Torah Studies –Chabad Intown on the BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Their Torah Studies program brings you the tradition of classical Jewish learning in a series of inspiring and engaging weekly classes.

The lessons probe the depths of contemporary Torah thought, with a special focus on issues surrounding spirituality, the human psyche, love and relationships. Every experience offers meaningful and timely lessons, from the most timeless of texts. For more information, www. bit.ly/2SfnVPV. Synagogue Scholars & Authors Series – Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Atlanta, from 7;30 to 9 p.m. Daniel S. Wechsler, professor of pediatrics and director of pediatric oncology, Thomas R. Giddens chair, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Emory University School of Medicine. “The ABCDs of Pediatric Cancer: Amazing Breakthroughs & Challenging Dilemmas”. Free. For more information and to register, www.bit.ly/34aiCTm.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Frankly Speaking with Sherry Frank – National Council of Jewish Women - Atlanta Section, 6303 Roswell Road NE, Sandy Springs, noon to 1:30 p.m.

NCJW Atlanta continues its women’s discussion group for members and friends. Moderated by noted Atlanta advocate Sherry Frank, this monthly luncheon meeting focuses on current events through a Jewish lens. Bring your lunch, they will provide beverages. Free. RSVP before the meeting to christineh@ncjwatlanta.org or call 404-843-9600.

Jewish Black History Programs at the MJCCA: A Select History of Black and Jewish Relations in Savannah, GA with Speaker Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from noon to 1 p.m. Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins was taught to read at 4 years old by his Jewish neighbors, the Rubins, in Savannah. The Rubins were the first Jewish family Jeffrey knew, and they became his great friends and influenced his life in many significant ways. In 1976, Jeffrey was the first graduate from Savannah State College to earn a Ph.D. He went on to teach, and later retired from a beloved position as a professor of American history and economics at Savannah State at the age of 52. For the next eight years, he worked as an administrator for the Savannah library system and for a local nursing home. Jeffrey also worked for the Jewish Educational Alliance for 10 years, and most recently decided to return to those roots by taking a support services position at the MJCCA. He believes Jewish people set an example for the world, valuing a good education, love and family as most important. For more information, www.atlantajcc.org/blackhistory or 678-812-4070.

Connector Chatter Welcome New Directory Member Chattahoochee Nature Center: In conversation with Jon Copsey, CNC communications specialist How long has your organization been in Atlanta?

44 years.

What is unique about your organization?

We connect people to nature and the Chattahoochee River through wild animal encounters, educational activities and exciting programming. We are one of the South’s oldest and largest nature centers, both in terms of size and programming offered.

Do you have a volunteer and/or intern program?

Yes, many. We have volunteers help in our gardens, greenhouses, and events and grounds. Internships are available for most departments throughout the year. To learn more, visit: www.bit.ly/38bm9n4.

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Directory Spotlight Chabad Intown

B'nai B'rith International - Achim/Gate City Lodge (Atlanta) In conversation with Lee Tanenbaum

In conversation with Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman How long has your organization been in Atlanta?

We have been here since 1997, when Atlanta was thinking about becoming the center of the USA. We're proud to have been a part of making the urban core a great Jewish part of the Atlanta community.

What is unique about your organization?

What makes us unique is that our doors are open to everyone, regardless of affiliation, background or spiritual inclination. To that end, we don't have a membership because every Jew is a member at Chabad Intown. Living in such a demographically and spiritually diverse community, we offer something Jewish for everyone.

Do you have a volunteer and/or intern program?

We love volunteers! We can always use a helping hand and there are always events and programs that need the love that volunteers can bring.

How long has your organization been in Atlanta?

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843.

The B’nai B’rith International - Achim/Gate City Lodge, established in 1870, is one of the oldest B’nai B’rith lodges and definitely one of the oldest Jewish organizations in Atlanta at 150 years old.

What is unique about your organization?

Our “Pinch Hitter” program (a tradition since 1980) provides hundreds of volunteers in Atlanta area hospitals and assisted living facilities to relieve Christian employees from non-technical, non-medical duties on Christmas Day so they can celebrate their holiday with their families. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush recognized this program as his 335th volunteer Point of Light.

Do you have a volunteer and/or intern program?

The B'nai B'rith International Achim/Gate City Lodge is totally a volunteer organization and we invite new members to join us in managing and promoting our volunteer community service projects.

JEWISH JOKE OF THE WEEK

KEEPING IT KOSHER

Maple Granola Fruit Cups Cooking and prep: 1 hour Servings: 6 Preference: Pareve Difficulty: Easy Diet: Vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free

First Day A proud young mother sees her son off on the first day of school.

“Be a good boy, my boobaleh! Be careful and think of mummy, sweetest! Come right home on the bus, honey! Mummy loves you very much, baby!

At the end of the day, she’s waiting for the bus and sweeps him into her arms. “And what did my love learn on his first day at school?”

“I learned that my name is David.”

Joke provided by David Minkoff www.awordinyoureye.com

YIDDISH WORD OF THE WEEK Glitch

‫גליטש‬ A minor malfunction glitsh, from ‫גליטשן‬‎, glitshn, 'slide'; cf. German: glitschen, 'slither'; AHD)

56 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

One year I made this for mishloach manos as a breakfast treat for everyone. So many people called up offering thanks for the refreshing and filling breakfast. They also wanted to know if this was what breakfast looked like every day around here.

Truth be told, it can! These can be prepped and kept in the fridge. Use them within two or three days as a great breakfast-to-go.

I usually store the granola in a bubble cap on top of the cup and add it when I’m ready to eat so it will stay crisp.

Granola 5 cups oats (use gluten-free if needed) 2 cups slivered almonds 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/3 cup brown sugar ½ cup oil ½ teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup chopped apricot or dried mango Yogurt of your choice Fresh fruit of your choice Preheat oven to 325 F. Add almonds and oats to a lined baking sheet. Bake for seven minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, salt and vanilla. Add toasted almonds and oats and mix well. Spread mixture on baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cool to room temperature and break into chunks.

Add dried fruit and store in airtight container for up to two weeks To assemble, layer fruit and yogurt and top with granola. To make ahead, keep the granola separate until ready to enjoy.

Recipe By: Nechama Norman Source: Whisk by Ami Magazine as reprinted in kosher.com

BRAIN FOOD

Spiritual Scotch

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1. Astin and Penn 6. Moshava and Harlam 11. Four score, often?

14. "It's ___!" ("Star Wars" line) 15. "Be-Bop-___" (1956 hit) 16. Academic web letters 17. Scotch for many a holiday?

19. Actor whose family changed their name to Roth to express solidarity with Holocaust victims 20. Hi- follower 21. Not exactly a strong supporter of Moses 22. Common crossword cookie 23. Super powered "Stranger Things" character 25. Scotch for a Genesis shepherd?

27. Some dice rolls 29. Amazon field 30. AAA part: Abbr.

33. Sheldon's friend, on TV 35. Basically useless 38. Regret 39. Scotch in response to one saying "G-d bless this scotch!"?

42. Its counterpart is the NIS in Israel 43. Toast option 45. Israel never lost one 46. Big name in talk radio 47. Big brother of David 50. Gem shape

22. Actress Lena 24. Name connection with Bismarck and Stroheim 26. Sukkot annoyance 28. Prophet who anointed Dave 30. 54-Down had an incredibly strong one 31. Litigious lady?

32. Program choice 34. Many a reader of this publication 36. Nittany Lions sch.

37. The Bengals didn't get too many of 'em this year 39. Punishment not mandated by Judaism 40. Yutz 41. Home of Crater Lake National DOWN Park 1. "Bleu" preceder, to Jean-Luc 44. Yadda 2. Merman who could belt a tune 46. Org. that has your income 3. "Shake off the dust, ___!"

48. Andean animal 4. GPS system 49. Staple in many a cholent 5. Used a certain shovel 51. Jane of literary fame 6. Luggage carrier 52. "Throw ___ From the Train" 7. "___ Shalom" (Crystal comedy) 8. Strongman of Zimbabwe Robert 53. Nadav's dad 9. One with life is exceptionally 54. Hall of Famer Ryan rare 56. Shapes, as muscle 10. Muppet monkey Minella 57. End a race, usually 11. Jelly you shouldn't eat 58. Observes the Sabbath 12. "Shalom, Jean-Luc" 61. Simba grows one 13. Starting one can ruin a reputa- 64. Show respect or appreciation tion 65. Rage 18. Day O'Connor of note

52. Scotch that falls from the sky?

55. Cult band started by three Jews with the 90's hit "Fa Fa" 59. It might be binding 60. Bits of advertising 62. Soccer match chant 63. X-ray alternative 64. Ideal scotch for a Torah reader?

66. Farm sound 67. Most of Earth 68. Build 69. Female Cape 70. Pennyworth's ward 71. Sites of an unusual mitzvah of "Shiluach Haken"

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Remember When 15 Years Ago // February 4, 2005 ì The bat mitzvah of Shelby Megan Davis was held Jan. 29, 2005, at Temple Beth Tikvah. Shelby dedicated her service to her little sister, Halle, and to the memory of her great-great-uncle, Howard Rabin. She grew her hair out to donate to Locks of Love and donated a portion of her gift dollars to various charities. ì Phillip Slotin’s TheraScapes photography was displayed at the William Breman Jewish Home. Slotin photographed calming nature scenes that he hoped would be therapeutic for patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

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ranged from 2-year-olds to seniors and chose Hebrew and Yiddish names. ì San Francisco 49ers linebacker and Atlanta native Harris Barton spoke about his Jewish identity and family ties on the heels of his Super Bowl XXIX victory. “When Joe Montana called signals from the huddle, we taught him how to count in Hebrew,” Barton said, recalling instances where he used his Jewish upbringing on the field. “It threw off the defensive line of our opposition by them hearing Hebrew instead of ‘hut-hut.’”

50 Years Ago // February 6, 1970 ì Gail Slodov, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Slodov, and Norman David Raab, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Raab, were married Dec. 31 at Beth Jacob Synagogue, officiated by Rabbi Emanuel Feldman.

The bride’s parents gave a reception dinner at the Switzerland House. ì The Atlanta chapter of Hadassah held a talk about “The Influence of our Jewish Heritage on the Arts” Feb. 14. The talk was led by Dr. 25 Years Ago // February 3, 1995 Benno Frank, director of performing arts at Atlanta University Center and the founder ì Thirty members of The Temple who hadn’t been given Hebrew names at birth of the Israeli Chamber Opera Co. gathered to cross the bimah at a Hebrew naming ceremony. The excited participants After the San Francisco 49ers won the Super Bowl, linebacker Harris Barton, from Sandy Springs, recalled how Joe Montana learned to call signals in Hebrew.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 57

OBITUARIES

Alexander Freeman 96, Marietta

Alexander Freeman, 96, of Marietta, passed away Feb. 5, 2020, after a brief illness.

He was originally from Wilmington, Del., and relocated to Atlanta in 1970 to continue his career as a chemist with Georgia Pacific.

He was an avid bridge player and enjoyed his bingo games. Alexander was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Rita. Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Joe and Lori Brickman Freeman; son and daughter-in-law, Alan and Lisa Freeman; daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Kevin Robbins; grandchildren Alisa Freeman Feldman, Sarah Freeman, Rachel Freeman, Rebecca Batterman, Jennifer Robbins and Stephanie Robbins.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Cynthia R. Freeman Endowment at Congregation Etz Chaim or the Atlanta Humane Society. We would like to thank the staff at Sunrise of East Cobb for making Alexander’s last eight months so pleasant. A graveside service was held Feb. 7 at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Daniel Dorsch officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999. Sign online guestbook at www.edressler.com.

‫זיכרונה לברכה‬ Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact 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.

58 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

OBITUARIES

Harry Gordon 96, Atlanta

Harry Gordon, 96, died peacefully Jan. 29, 2020, in Atlanta. Harry was born Aug. 8, 1923, in Cleveland, Ohio. He and his wife Charlotte were a true love story, an inspiration for 75 years.

He is also survived by his sister Alice, his three daughters Janice Sasine (Jeff), Marsha Gordon (Tom Barry), and Cathy Bouffier (Carlos), five grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren.

Harry graduated with honors from Georgia Tech as a ceramic engineer and was a meteorologist in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was dedicated to his religion and the Jewish community.

Funeral services were graveside at Greenwood Cemetery Jan. 30. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to Weinstein Hospice, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999.

Stephen Sobell 77, Roswell

Stephen Sobell, 77, of Roswell, passed away Feb. 5, 2020. He is survived by his wife Happy Sobell, son David Sobell, daughter and son-in-law Deb and Danny Pralgo, and grandsons Jake and Max Pralgo.

Stephen was born in Raleigh, N.C., and was retired from his flooring business.

He adored his grandsons and his favorite pastime was watching them play baseball.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice. A graveside service was held Feb. 7 at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Steven Lebow officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999.

Jack Zwecker 98, Atlanta

Jack Zwecker died peacefully Jan. 28, 2020. He was born in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1921.

He is the son of Samuel, an iron worker, and Ethel, immigrants from the Ukraine and Austria.

Jack was the youngest of three children. They lived in a two-bedroom, one bath, five- story walkup tenement building.

He loved collecting stamps and coins. Bright beyond his years, he entered college at 16. He attended the City College of New York and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1942.

After graduation, he worked for General Motors in New Jersey on torpedo bombers for the war. Then he returned to New York and worked as a technical writer for Jordanoff Aviation, writing maintenance manuals for the armed services. At that time, he was drafted into the Army and was assigned to Camp Lee, Virginia. After basic training, he was assigned to Air Corps engineering work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, until the war ended. After the war, Jack answered an ad in the paper to design overpasses for the Georgia State Highway Department for the south leg of I-75 and I-85 in Atlanta. The lure for going was a paycheck from $75 to $100 a week.

He met the love of his life, Sophie Goldenberg, in 1950 at a Progressive Club dance.

They were married seven months after the day they met.

In 1953, Jack started his own structural engineering company and worked for over 50 years. Jack loved animals. He was an environmentalist before it was popular.

He may have forgotten some names, but never forget an address or phone number. He was an avid news watcher and was always up on current events and sports.

His greatest love was his family and he was very proud of his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his children Mark and Lori Zwecker and Elisa and Bobby Ezor; grandchildren Haley, Lindsey and Mitchell Zwecker, and Danielle and Zachary (Lara) Ezor.

He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 70 years, Sophie Zwecker, his parents, and brother and sister. He was to turn 99 on Feb. 10. He lived his life to the fullest and we are so grateful to have had him in our lives for so long.

A memorial service was held Jan. 30 at Ahavath Achim Synagogue followed by a graveside service at Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ahava preschool at Ahavath Achim, Weinstein Hospice or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 59

CLOSING THOUGHTS With a Song in my Heart I love teaching. I love it because I learn so much every day. I learn about and from the children. So, although I am the teacher, I am afraid I Shaindle am actually a Schmuckler student in disShaindle’s Shpiel guise.

Children of all ages inspire me. (Yes, generation X and millennials included!)

Give yourself a gift. Watch children for no other reason than the pleasure of the activity. You will soon discover they are brilliant problem-solvers, (in their own ways) genuinely giving of themselves, authentic and honest, and perfect at sizing up adults, weeding out the ‘fakes.’ They derive pleasure knowing they’ve made you happy.

They do not know from chuchmas (tricks) yet.

Years ago, I taught third grade.

These beautiful children were migrant workers’ children. Many did not have shoes. When I asked a well-known discount store to donate shoes for my class, we were forced to keep them in the children’s cubbies, to insure they were not sold by their destitute parents. Some had clothes that were obviously hand-medowns from someone much larger or smaller than themselves.

These children and their families moved wherever the work took them.

Some were only in my class for as long as the picking season lasted. It was challenging for them to learn, what with attending more than two schools a year, sometimes more.

I was forced to think and create outside the elementary school box.

They loved music, loved to sing and dance. So, I taught within the treble and base notes. Think about it: 4/4 notes, ¾ notes, whole notes. Then there are the keys: A B C. Let us not ignore all those words to learn to read.

Before I got to the middle C, and without realizing what I was up to, I began my songwriting ‘career’. (Career in the broadest of terms!)

Over the years that I’ve been at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, 40 and counting, after leaving Camp Alterman (formally Camp AJECOMCE) and joining the Weinstein school at the Marcus JCC, I have once again been inspired to create songs that are informative, fun 60 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

and powerful. It is so fun – as the children would say. I would, of course, say so MUCH fun.

Sometimes while I am driving along 400, while keeping an eye out for officers of the law, I am singing into my phone my newest creation. When I get to work, I sing along with the messages I alone have sent. I will, at times, pick up my messages to find three of the four are me singing to me. Do not judge until you’ve tried it.

America’s Got Talent contestants need not worry, believe me.

With permission from the editors of our always-inspiring newspaper, the Atlanta Jewish Times, I am sharing a song or two with you. You will recognize the tunes from your childhood. Have fun, keep a song in your heart, and keep dancing.

I’m a Mitzvah Kid (To the tune of “Dayenu”) Every day I do a Mitzvah Every day I do a Mitzvah Every day I do a Mitzvah I’m a Mitzvah kid!

Being kind, sharing my toys, taking care of other people I’m a Mitzvah kid!

Hashem loves Mitzvah kids Hashem loves Mitzvah kids Hashem loves Mitzvah kids I’m a Mitzvah kid!

Copyright Schmuckler

©

2003

by

Shaindle

Our Jewish Home (To the tune of “This Old Man”) In my home I do have Lots of Jewish things to share Like a dreidel, kippah and mezuzah Lots of Jewish things to share In my home I do have Lots of Jewish things to share Like Shabbat candles and a chanukiah Lots of Jewish things to share In my home I do have Lots of Jewish things to share Like bagels, matzah and a kiddush cup Lots of Jewish things to share Copyright Schmuckler ì

©

2007

by

Shaindle

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Is your health insurance premium more than your mortgage or rent?

VOTE and WIN PRIZES!

Nominate Jewish Atlanta’s 18 Under 18!

BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA

Support Your Favorites Of Jewish Atlanta And Win Prizes

We invite members of the community to nominate those under the age of 18 who they believe are Jewish Atlanta’s rising leaders in academics, religious and family life, as well as community action.

Full Service Agency Specializing in Marketplace & Alternative Health Insurance Plans and Medicare Advantage & Medicare Supplement Plans.

SAVE UP TO 60% CALL TODAY FOR A FREE HOUSE CALL (678) 523-0759

New Nominations will close February 15, 2020 Voting closes on March 15, 2020.

NOMINATE AND VOTE FOR THE BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA TODAY!

A nominee must be Jewish, at least 10 years old and must not have turned 18 before March 15, 2020. You can nominate yourself, a friend, student or your child - anyone who meets the criteria. Nominees are judged on their academic and community achievements as an active member of Jewish Atlanta.

Stephen Weinberger Stephen@healthinsurancedoctor.net www.healthinsurancedoctor.net

VOTE AT: www.atlantajewishtimes.com/best-of-jewish-atlanta-2020

Please visit atlantajewishtimes.com/18-under-18-2020/ for more information

MOHEL

BAGELS

GENETICS

The deadline for nominations is March 1, 2020.

Navigate Genetic Counseling, LLC

Understand your genetic risk and be proactive.

Indications for Genetic Counseling Include: - Cancer genetics risk assessment - Reproductive risk counseling - Family history of genetic disease - Review of previous genetic test results - Gamete/embryo donor screening - Proactive genetic health screening Genetic counseling and test coordination services provided by

Rabbi Abi Nadoff Call: 844-MOHEL-ABI (844-664-3522)

SimpleCircumcision.com

Jamie K. Dokson, MS, LCGC, Licensed and Certified Genetic Counselor Appointments available via telephone, HIPAAcompliant video conferencing, or in person.

Contact Jamie at jamie@navigategc.com or 404.969.5590 to schedule an appointment. www.navigategc.com ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 61

MARKETPLACE COLLECTIBLES

TUTOR

THE DUSTY COIN, LLC

“Shekels For Your Collectibles”

• Coins • Bullion • Jewelry • Flatware •

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Serving students since 1986

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STANLEY PAVING

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COMPUTER

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BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA

COMPUTER

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As Seen On

Closets, pantries, garages, offices and more!

404-255-0589

Atlanta Custom Closets Rick Moore www.closetpro.net

BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA

INSURANCE

PROTECT THE THINGS YOU CHERISH THE MOST Stephanie Holtz Your Local Agent

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Specializing in driveways & small parking lots Family Owned & Operated since 1969

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It’s Time to Call for Help!

HOME

HOME

Control. Entertain. Secure.

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Call 470-246-4509 today!

For Home, Auto, Life and Business.

Restrictions apply. Discounts may vary. Not available in all states. See your agent for details. Insurance is underwritten

by Farmers Insurance Exchange and other affiliated insurance companies. Visit farmers.com for a complete listing of companies. Not all insurers are authorized to provide insurance in all states. Coverage is not available in all states.

Life Insurance by Farmers New World Life Insurance Company, 3120 139th ave. SE, Ste. 300, Bellevue, WA 98005

62 | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

B

A

Free 30 Minute In-Home Site Survey Call us Today 404-229-4180 taki@waveintegration.net

MARKETPLACE ADVERTISE WITH THE

LEARNING

Learn Canasta LEAGUE of AMERICA

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Recommended

by Jewish Times Readers

• Custom planning by land and sea • River cruise specialist • Individual and group arrangements • Escorted land vacations

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Travel Smart, Dream Big! HOME

HOME CARE

Carehelper Elise

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Being aware that many people need help as they age, and may not have family near, I can be of assistance.

Among the services I provide are: • Groceries and prescriptions pick-up • Preparation of meals • Transport to/from doctor appts • Light housekeeping & organization HOME CARE

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MAKING UGLY KITCHENS BEAUTIFUL FOR 41 YEARS!

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Before

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No Inte re 6 or 12 st months Same as Cash (if qu alified)

After We Use Real Wood!

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Extra Military & Senior Discounts Available!

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With Complete Kitchen Re-Facing Not valid with any other offers.

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Off New Cabinet Replacement

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | 63