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BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA
VOL. XCIII NO. 7
WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM
FEBRUARY 16, 2018 | 1 ADAR 5778
Education, Pages 16-28 See Page 2 for more information. Voting closes on March 1, 2018.
This week’s special focus on education includes STAR students, a dip into coexistence with the Arava Institute, a program in Israel literacy for high-schoolers, Four Questions with ORT Atlanta’s Veronica Beskin, Temple Emanu-El’s Backpack
Buddies, Atlanta Jewish Academy’s play by and for women and girls, the Walker School’s Holocaust exhibit, the individuality of Jewish education, a BBYOer’s mission to Ukraine, and Temple Sinai’s Kabbalah scholar in residence.
Survivor Ben Hirsch Dies
Benjamin Hirsch, who escaped Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport after Kristallnacht and played a crucial role in ensuring that his adopted home of Atlanta would never forget the Holocaust, died Sunday, Feb. 11, at age 85. Hirsch was 6 years old when he and four siblings fled Germany for France in 1938 and was 9 when the five of them arrived in Atlanta in 1941. As an adult, he was a stalwart of the Orthodox community in the Toco Hills area, serving as the president of Congregation Beth Jacob and Yeshiva Atlanta High School. But he acknowledged in the first of two memoirs he published, “Hearing a Different Drummer,” that he fell away from the practice of Judaism in his post-bar-mitzvah years, only to realize what he was losing while he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His return to the faith proved crucial to Jewish Atlanta as well as him personally. Hirsch designed the Memorial to the Six Million, paid for, built and maintained at Greenwood Cemetery by the Holocaust survivor organization EternalLife Hemshech. Some 30 years later, he designed the Holocaust exhibit at the Breman Museum. ■ • Full obituary, Page 34
Davis Dog-Day Afternoon
Storytime with Davis Academy kindergartners proves relaxing for Gloria, a Canine Assistants dog in training at roughly 2 years old. The children read to the dogs, helping the canines learn to stay calm in public situations, during a schoolwide celebration of menschlichkeit to help mark Davis’ 25th anniversary Monday, Feb. 5. See the story and more photos, Page 16.
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INSIDE Candle Lighting �������������������������� 4 Purim ���������������������������������������������6 Israel News �����������������������������������7 Opinion ���������������������������������������10 Arts ���������������������������������������������� 30 Obituaries �����������������������������������34 Marketplace �������������������������������36 Sports �������������������������������������������37 Crossword �����������������������������������39
DEVASTATION
Volunteers back from Puerto Rico describe the destruction and the ongoing recovery needs almost five months after Hurricane Maria left most of the U.S. island without power, food or water. Pages 14-15