Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCVII NO. 4, February 28, 2021 by Atlanta Jewish Times

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tage of the man at the helm of Pfizer, producing lifesaving vaccines. Read about the status of vaccinations in Georgia from various sources. The Home Depot co-founders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus team up with “Lt. Dan” (actor Gary Sinise) from “Forrest Gump,” donating $40 million to help veterans and first responders. We offer a perspective from Jewish Atlantans on the recent impeachment proceedings against former president Donald Trump, represented by Orthodox Jewish lawyer David Schoen. The AJT also recounts a tense situation during online Shabbat services for Congregation Etz Chaim when Zoombombers spewed hateful anti-Semitic and racial slurs and we report how The Davis Academy is coping with a COVID outbreak. In lighter news, an Orthodox couple shares how they are exploring the country during COVID. Our Roving Reporter asks Atlanta Jews to name their favorite movie, and our annual Purim spiel will leave you in stitches. Next issue we start preparing for Passover with holiday recipes along with stories about home and garden, because we definitely have spent more time confined to those realms this past year. ì

Cover image: The Arthur B. Blank Hospital at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is taking shape in this rendering, as a result of Blank’s $200 million donation. He also recently donated $20 million to help veterans and first responders.

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NEWS Schoen Reflects on His Trump Impeachment Role By Dave Schechter David Schoen provided the most Jewish moment of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump, though at the time he was too engrossed in the task at hand to recognize or appreciate its impact. The attorney from Atlanta was telling a jury comprised of 100 senators that the House had denied Trump due process in a “rushed” impeachment, that Trump’s remarks to a Jan. 6 rally constituted speech protected under the First Amendment, and that the Constitution did not give the Senate the right to try a president no longer in office. Several times during his opening statement on Feb. 9, Schoen paused to sip from a water bottle. Each time, Schoen — an Orthodox Jew who was not wearing his kippah — placed a hand on his head and quickly recited a prayer said by the religiously observant when drinking or eating. Across social media, Jews discussed religious practices, while non-Jews expressed curiosity, some, ignorantly, finding humor in the gesture. “I was not at all aware at the time that

it would be an issue at all, but I soon learned how widespread the discussion was,” Schoen told the AJT. “I was really heartened to hear from Jews and Jewish leaders from around the world that the kippah and Shabbat issue inspired discussions.” (Schoen wore his kippah at several points during the trial.) “I was very moved by emails I received from people who had struggled with finding the right accommodation in their own lives between wanting to wear a kippah and workplace concerns. I cannot describe in my own words the impact some of the emails have had on me. It was never my intention to make any sort of statement, and I am not learned enough to inspire in any other way, but if this experience and the discussion that flowed from it had any positive impact in any way, then I am really honored to have been a part of that, even if unwittingly.” The case that brought Schoen to the Senate floor was based on events of Jan. 6. That morning, Trump had told thousands gathered at The Ellipse to “fight like hell” and to protest “peacefully and patriotically” in support of his claims that he won the presi-

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6 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s impeachment lawyer David Schoen covering his hand with his head before drinking water during a Senate hearing in Washington, DC, Feb. 9. (Screen Capture from CNN live broadcast via JTA)

dential election. The mob that marched to witness might elicit. It was more like giving the Capitol clashed with police outside and a speech,” he said. The five-day trial ended on Feb. 13 with inside, ransacked the offices and desks of members of the House and Senate, and sent the anticipated result: Acquittal, as a majorthe vice president and members of both ity — but not the two-thirds required by the chambers into hiding. Ratification of the Constitution — voted to convict Trump. The Electoral College vote confirming Joe Biden vote was 57 to convict and 43 to acquit, “so in as 46th president of the United States was this political theater, that was good enough interrupted. Five people, including a Capitol and at the end of the day, this was the most Police officer, died in the riot. Two officers later committed suicide. Trump was impeached Jan. 13 by the House by a vote of 232-197. Senate leaders initially granted a request by Schoen, who worships at Congregation Beth Jacob and Ohr HaTorah, to pause the trial during Shabbat. A few days later, Schoen withdrew that request, writing to the leadership, “I very much appreciate The Pro-Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol, Washington your decision; but I remained DC on Jan. 6. (Lloyd Wolf via Times of Israel) concerned about the delay in the proceedings in a process that I recognize is important to bring to a important factor,” Schoen said. Democrat Jon Ossoff, who had been conclusion for all involved and for the counsworn in the month before, voted to convict. try.” Schoen has argued cases in many The Jewish senator from Georgia later iscourtrooms, but this was different. “It was sued a statement that said, “Trump attempta very interesting experience and unlike ed to seize the Presidency despite electoral any other I have had. I found the setting re- defeat. He intimidated election officials, proally awe-inspiring and much more intimate voked a violent assault on the Capitol, and than I had envisioned. I felt that it was a left Congress and the Vice President to the tremendous honor to address the whole mob. His disgrace is total and his apologists Senate. It was really nothing like a trial in in Congress are marked by history.” Schoen said that Trump had called any way. From a speaker’s perspective, it was much easier than at a trial in the sense weeks earlier, asking him to lead a defense that there were no interruptions and no team. Five other attorneys, most from South concern about what answer a question to a Carolina, backed out a week before the trial.

NEWS While he welcomed the support of Trump’s supporters and Republican senators, “I think the whole process was bad for the country and never should have happened,” Schoen said. “I say that for many reasons, not the least of which is that all recognize that we simply still do not have the facts surrounding what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6, what level of pre-planning there was, who was involved, what was their agenda, etc. I don’t believe any fair-minded American believes there should ever be a trial in this country Former President Donald Trump's attorneys, including in which life or liberty is Bruce Castor Jr. (left) and David Schoen, offered at stake when all acknowltheir impeachment case defense on Feb. 12. edge, as here, that we just don’t have all the relevant it would have been far too big and serious facts.” Schoen left the Senate mid-afternoon an undertaking for me, especially with the week left to prepare,” Schoen said. He de- on Friday, Feb. 12, a few hours before Shabscribes himself as “a solo practitioner, with bat, walking with one of his sons from the no assistants or office staff, with a small- Trump International Hotel to “a great shul time practice based in Montgomery, Ala.” in D.C.” and to visit family nearby in MaryTwo attorneys from Philadelphia, along land, putting in 10 to 12 miles, all told. “Only with their aides, came on board. Schoen ac- one son made the trip with me, as the other kids had school commitknowledged tensions withments, but one of the most in the trio, but said his conmeaningful aspects of this cern was on their client. experience is that we ap“I spoke with Presiproached the case as a famdent Trump a few times a ily,” he said. day before and throughout “My wife and each of the trial and I have to say our children had an imthat he was extraordinarily portant role in formulating gracious and supportive in the defense theories and in each conversation. From gathering materials to supthe evening he called perport it. This family experisonally to ask me if I would ence drove my work from consider representing him, After Watergate, historians start to finish and anything through the end of the triconcluded that the "system good that I did in my preal, he made me feel as if it worked," but that was not sentation was prompted were an honor for him to the case with Trump, said by an idea or material speak to me, rather than Ellen Rafshoon, chair of the history department at from one or more family for me to be hearing from Georgia Gwinnett College. members as we sat and disa president of the United cussed the constitutional States. During the trial he issues involved and the apmade me feel great with his words of gratitude and appreciation proach to make them understandable and after each of my presentations, and he con- impactful.” Political divisions over the trial were stantly emphasized the confidence he had placed in me. That is a great thing to hear evident in reaction from others in Atlanta’s from any client, especially in the middle of a Jewish community. Ellen Rafshoon, chair of the history dehigh stakes proceeding,” Schoen said. During closing arguments Friday, partment at Georgia Gwinnett College, harFeb. 12, Schoen presented a video montage kened back to 1974 and President Richard of Democrats and media using the word Nixon’s resignation before the House could “fight.” He told the House prosecution team, vote on three articles of impeachment. “Af“Please stop the hypocrisy,” accusing them ter Watergate, historians concluded that the of presenting “manipulated evidence and ‘system worked,’” said Rafshoon, whose exselectively edited footage” that took Trump’s pertise is American history. But that would not be the case in 2021, she said. words out of context. “When they parted ways, President Trump asked me just to handle the case myself and I declined, recognizing immediately that

“First, no force could convince Trump that I saw prior to this was terrible and only to resign, despite the enormity of his crimes: confirmed to me that the Democrats and refusing to transfer power and instigating some Republicans want to try and do anythe violent attack on Congress. Trump was thing to ruin President Trump’s legacy as a also incapable of acknowledging wrongdo- great president. The Democrats with Nancy ing; he even denigrated his vice president Pelosi in charge brought forth an unconstifor abiding the Constitution on Jan. 6,” she tutional impeachment of a man who already was removed by a peaceful transition to the said. “Second, the institutions that rid America of Nixon back in 1974 were weak in 2020. The rightwing media fomented the ‘stolen election’ myth and cheered the Capitol riot. Law enforcement agencies were compromised or hollowed out by Trump. Most significantly, a majority of Republican senators voted to acquit Trump, even Betsy Kramer and her husband Steve Kramer though [minority] leader are active in the Republican Jewish Coalition Mitch McConnell acknowland the Fulton County Republican Party. edged he was responsible for the insurrection.” Betsy Kramer, who is active in the Re- next president. When the [Supreme Court] publican Jewish Coalition and the Fulton chief justice didn’t preside over the impeachCounty Republican Party, saw events other- ment, just further confirmed to me that this wise. “The process that we just went through was a kangaroo court,” Kramer said. ì was a terrible exercise in politics. The hate

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 7

NEWS

Pfizer CEO’s Jewish Past Inspired Vaccine Work By Bob Bahr Albert Bourla, who as chairman and CEO of Pfizer pharmaceutical company helped develop the lifesaving COVID vaccine, owes much to the valiant efforts of others to save the lives of Greek Jews during the Holocaust. During an online discussion Feb. 18 sponsored by The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, Bourla described how his mother and father were among the very few to survive the Nazi occupation of Salonika, the ancient Greek city where he was born. Of the more than 50,000 Jews who lived in Salonika, only about 2,000 survived World War II. Speaking to interviewer Robert Krulwich, a former NPR radio journalist, Bourla said that his father and uncle – two brothers – escaped the initial roundup in the Greek city and escaped to Athens. The police chief in Athens, Angelos Evert, they learned, was clandestinely issuing fake IDs with nonJewish names to thousands who were

desperate to escape the transports to Auschwitz. It was a moral act rooted in the efforts of the Greek Orthodox Church leaders to protect the Jews of the country. Not only did the two men get new papers, but they each got a job and worked for two years in a city that was filled with Nazi soldiers. “The people that gave them the fake ID,” Boula related, “they also found them a job in the Red Cross warehouse. That was a full-time job. But they were not getting paid. But

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is generally credited with driving the company to develop its COVID vaccine in record time.

they had access to food.” The woman who was later to be-

come Bourla’s mother was also saved in miraculous circumstances. Ac-

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NEWS

The parents of Pfizer executive Albert Bourla were among only 2,000 of Salonika’s once-thriving Jewish community to survive the Holocaust.

cording to Bourla, she was about to be executed by the Nazis along with a number of other Salonika Jews. She was lined up against a brick wall facing a machine gun just a few feet away when she and another woman were picked up by two Nazi soldiers with an order for her release, and put on a truck. “And as the truck was leaving the place,” Bourla said, “they heard the sound of the machine guns. And it was, for me, unreal. But everybody else was dying and they were sitting there just three minutes ago.” Her freedom had been bought by a bribe paid by her wealthy non-

will come back. Unfortunately, they didn’t. But we were already an extremely lucky family to have three of the family members that went to Auschwitz Archbishop Damaskinos Papandreou, leader of the Greek Orthodox Church seen on this Greek stamp, led the efforts to save Greek Jews from the Holocaust. c o m i n g back.” A c Jewish brother-in-law who had percording to Bourla, many of those who sonally followed up with Salonika’s survived went to Palestine or Amertop Nazi SS officer to make sure she ica or to Athens, Greece, to begin a would survive. Beginning in 1943, most of the new life. Bourla’s father at one point community’s Jews were transported showed his son a visa that he had reto the death camps in Poland. Despite ceived to immigrate to America, but the brave efforts by the Greek Or- he stayed in Salonika, met and marthodox archbishop in Athens to save ried his mother Sara and raised his them, the community that had existed family there. Bourla was educated at the unifor over 2,000 years largely came to versity in Salonika and after graduaan end. Three of Bourla’s brothers miraculously survived, and one-by-one they found each other in the old city. The reunion began with a scribbled note to one of the men, according to Bourla. “They gave him an address. When he rang the bell, they opened the door and suddenly they see the brother that they thought is dead. And of course, they hug and kiss and he says, ‘I’m the only one. Everybody’s dead.’ And then a third one came back. That gave them hope that maybe others

tion, joined Pfizer in Greece to begin his steady climb through the executive ranks of the multinational corporation. He is generally credited with driving the company to develop the twoshot COVID vaccine in record time. During last week’s interview he said he owed his many accomplishments and his recent success to the lesson he learned from his parents. They emphasized the importance of living a positive life even if the past is filled with so much darkness. “But they never spoke to me about revenge. They never told us that you should hate those that did that to us. The way that their stories were always ended were a celebration of life. ‘Look at us. We’re alive. We were almost dead and now we are alive. Life is wonderful.’” Bourla, who could have dwelled only on his Jewish past, said he has always looked to his Jewish future. “What is important is that we move on. We feel proud for our heritage. We demand the respect of the ‘other,’ but we are moving on.” ì

This year’s virtual lighting of the Chanukah candles at Israel’s embassy in Washington, D.C., was led by Albert Bourla. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 9

NEWS

Vaccination Shortages Hit Home By Nathan Posner Even as the coronavirus has come under more control in Georgia, which has seen a drastic decrease in cases compared to last month, those who are eligible for the vaccine and attempting to get appointments are still finding difficulty. Some Jewish Atlantans who have received their first dose of the vaccine told the AJT they had their second dose appointments canceled. Others were unable to rebook to get their second dosage before reaching the sixweek period recommended to get the vaccine’s maximum efficiency. Ellen Malka of Dunwoody said she has had multiple issues receiving her vaccine at scheduled appointments. Malka told the AJT last week, “I am disappointed; I want to see my family.” While vaccine shortages continue to hamper Georgia’s vaccine effort, the state is preparing for a time when the supply is more adequately able to meet the demand. Gov. Brian Kemp toured a mass vaccination site at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park Feb. 17. The governor said at a press conference following the tour that the site was administering about 500 vaccines a day, but that is well below the capacity the facility can handle. Gov. Kemp remarked, “I wish we had the supply to send them more, and as soon as we do, we will. I think that … a great thing for the people of our state to realize is that there is a lot of infrastructure just like this, not only at this site but at two other sites in Fulton County and all over the state, where there is availability to give more vaccines right now, if we had more supply, and we know that day is coming.” Dr. Lynn Paxton, the Fulton County district health director, told media: “We are totally confident that we could, at minimum, do 2,000 a day here.” The next day at the Capitol, the governor held another press conference giving an update on vaccine distribution, highlighting the state’s efforts to prepare infrastructure for the future. While four state-operated vaccine sites will be coming online next week, Kemp said, “That list of sites can and will expand as we receive more doses and expand the available supply. ... These four sites will serve as a first step in a vaccination effort, that we 10 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Gov. Brian Kemp hosts a press conference at the Georgia International Convention Center vaccination site in College Park Feb. 17.

Above, The inside of the Georgia International Convention Center is being used as a vaccination facility. Below, shots containing the vaccine and bandages are shown in the Georgia International Convention Center.

hope will dramatically ramp up over the next few months. This setup would allow us to work out the issues that arise and to scale up at a moment’s notice as more vaccines are on the way.” One of the problems the state has faced in recent weeks has been the inability to accurately project incoming vaccine supplies, creating a host of issues as vaccine distributors received less doses than they expected. It appears that issue is starting to be resolved, as Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey announced in the Feb. 18 press conference. “We have been seeing a steady, small increase in supply. More importantly, that supply can be projected out for at least three weeks, and that is a difference from before. We couldn’t actually plan vaccination sites because the number of vaccines we were told we would receive might change overnight or by the time we receive them. You wouldn’t know until you opened the box,” she said. “That has improved considerably.” While the issue of canceled appointments for those needing a second dose is still present today, Dr. Toomey said she believes that the six-week window, alongside increased vaccine supply and more accurate supply information, will allow for a smoother process in vaccine distribution. Toomey discussed the issue at the Feb. 18 press conference, giving a potential solution for those nearing the end of the six-week period. “We are still advising providers to order second doses after the first dose, but you still can use … if you’re running short, first doses for second doses, they are the same vaccine.” While the state’s health department officials and the governor manage the receiving side, some of Georgia’s federal officials are attempting to push relief legislation that would help with vaccine manufacturing and distribution. As part of his first tour since being elected Georgia’s first Jewish senator, Jon Ossoff is visiting facilities in the state including Grady Memorial Hospital and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Those tours focused on COVID-19 related issues, and the current legislation $1.9 trillion relief package making its way through Congress, the American Rescue Plan championed by President Joe Biden. After his tour Feb. 18 of Grady, where Ossoff’s wife works as an OB/

NEWS

Sen. Jon Ossoff arrives at a press conference after touring Grady Memorial Hospital.

GYN, the senator gave a press confer- steps on getting their second doses. ence giving updates on the legislation Malka said her first appointment and how it intends to fix some of Geor- was initially canceled for unknown gia’s vaccination issues. One of the fo- reasons, but after receiving her first cuses of the new COVID-19 relief legis- dosage, she had her second dosage aplation is the “immunization campaign pointment canceled because of shortand supporting our healthcare infraages caused by inclement weather. structure,” the senator told the media. Now approaching four weeks since Ossoff is urging his colleagues to her initial vaccine dose, she was told pass this relief, as “there is a challenge in increasing vaccine supply. This leg- that DeKalb County will reschedule the islation will include significant invest- appointment, but she has yet to hear ment in making more vaccines avail- back on a new appointment. able to the American people so that by Another Jewish Atlantan who asked mid-summer if not before, there are to remain anonymous had the same isenough doses to get everybody immu- sue, with their cancelled appointment nized.” While COVID case counts are now in the control of DeKalb County. down, and vaccine supplies are slowly While government officials remain increasing, some Georgia residents are optimistic about the path forward for still finding it difficult to receive their second dose. DeKalb County emailed those who were scheduled to get their second Moderna vaccination in the past few days, over the next few days or next week, that they will have to reschedule. Meanwhile, an additional email appears to have been autoThe entrance to the Georgia International Convention Center, a College Park vaccination site, is seen on an early morning. matically sent out reminding people to get their shots at the Georgians to receive vaccines, on the appointed time. ground the shortages continue to wreak Some vaccine recipients are now havoc on people hoping to return to a reporting being called directly by form of normal life, vaccinated. ì DeKalb County to figure out their next ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 11

NEWS

Zoombombing Disrupts Shabbat By Roni Robbins

to try to emulate that feeling of community people feel as they travel.” Congregation Etz Chaim’s lead vocalist Etz Chaim apparently was not the only Fern Meharg was finishing the Hallel prayer Atlanta synagogue to have experienced Feb. 13 welcoming the new month of Adar Zoombombing recently, according to Alliabout an hour into the Shabbat service when son Padilla-Goodman, vice president of the a cacophony of screaming young ZoomSouthern division of the Anti-Defamation bombers brought the service to a crashing League. The ADL was one of several agencies standstill. The unwelcomed band of five to 10 to which Etz Chaim’s recent Zoombombing disrupters caught the congregation of about was reported. 50 attendees by surprise, beginning with “This is the second significant zoomwhat seemed an unmuted mic – a periodic bombing incident from Atlanta area synaand predictable occurrence in the ubiquitous gogues in the past couple of weeks.” The COVID age of Zoom meetings – and developother incident was Jan. 23 during a Gesher ing into a steady barrage of anti-Semitic and Anti-Semitic comments filled the Zoom chat during Congregation Etz Chaim’s Shabbat services. L’Torah shiva call, she said. racial rants. These included some penned in Screenshot by Debbie Adelman “Unfortunately, the Jewish commuthe Zoom chat space, such as “Kill the Jews,” nity and people everywhere need to remain ed, according to those in attendance. wrote in an email. “I had previously experi“F---Jews,” “Hitler Rules,” and “Free Palestine.” highly vigilant of these types of The Feb. 13 Zoomboenced a Zoom bombing, though for that inciNot to mention a few graphic porn images. incidents. We are living in times mbing comes nearly a year dent I was not leading the service. A week later, Feb. 19, Cobb County police of high rates of antisemitism, as after Etz Chaim and other “Once I realized what was happening informed synagogue leaders the perpetrawell as an emboldened extremsynagogues worldwide [Feb. 13], my focus was on trying to help our tors were teenagers from Nevada and Euist population who is highly morope who were connected by an online video leadership get rid of the perpetrators and took their Shabbat services tivated by antisemitism.” to Zoom as result of COVID get our Service back on track. I didn’t want game and communicated through social She explained, “Unfortusafety restrictions. A simito allow the incident to ruin what we had media their interest in disrupting an unpronately, Zoom remains an easy lar incident at Etz Chaim gathered virtually to do or to overshadow the tected Zoom meeting. target for haters and hooligans rocked a musical Friday meaning of the day.” Contacted by the AJT the day after the Allison Padilla-Goodman to spread fear and cause disrupnight Shabbat service April After the offenders were barred from Feb. 13 incident, Meharg shared her reaction. said Etz Chaim was one of tion. At this point we have no 3. the gathering, a process that took about 15 “It was an incredibly upsetting incident, but two Atlanta synagogues to reason to think that a coordiIn response to the reminutes, the service continued uninterruptunfortunately, not a surprise these days,” she experience Zoombombing nated zoombombing campaign cent disruption, Executive in recent weeks. is underway, but these incidents Director Marty Gilbert sent an email to congregants after Shabbat Feb. highlight the need for communities to not 13 explaining what had transpired earlier in relax their vigilance about keeping all their the day. “Although efforts were made to mini- spaces secure.” Etz Chaim’s interim Associate Rabbi mize the disturbing comments and messages sent in the chat by the infiltrators, their hate- Albert Slomovitz, who led the recent service, ful spouting still made it through to our at- said the perpetrators did not accomplish their goal after causing what he termed a mitending congregants. Jewish National Fund’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel “Over the past year we have tried to keep nor emergency because the service continued after they were “removed.” Shabbat Morning Services welcomes students from across the U.S. excited to learn about In fact, Slomovitz said he open to all. their heritage, Israel, and their Jewish Identity, all while keeping didn’t change his intended serUnfortunately that up with their academic studies and preparing them for college. mon proposing 40 days of fundpractice will not be able to raising to feed hungry children. continue. Going forward Donate today to help our youth forge their link to the chain of Saturday was not only we will password protect Jewish continuity. Invest for a brighter tomorrow. Rosh Chodesh, the new month, Shabbat Morning Service in but Shabbat Shekalim, which the same way that we have announces that Passover arrives password protected all other in about 40 days, which is also Minyans and Services,” he Albert Slomovitz, Etz Chaim’s interim associate how long Moses was on Mount emailed. “To those of you that rabbi, said the perpetrators Sinai, Slomovitz explained. didn’t accomplish “For me it was a paradoxiwere on the Zoom Service, I their goal because the cal moment, people coming apologize for all of you being service continued. online and trying to cause dissubjected to such an upsetting situation. My hope is that it will be an ruption and we proposed to try to mend isolated incident but as we all know, hate has the destruction and go on.” At the end of the service, Slomovitz assured those gathered no limitations at times.” Gilbert also spoke to the AJT. He admit- online that while others may try to break ted that the synagogue knew it was taking down, divide and spread poison, he hopes JNF Honors Sheila and Larry Wilensky for Their Multi Year Gift the risk of being Zoombombed. Gilbert said congregants will take action for tikkun olam, Supporting Muss School and Our Children’s Educationthe synagogue was trying to make Shabbat to repair the world. “We respond not with Today and Into the Future. virtually accessible. “As Jews we can [be] any- malice, but to continue to do more for the where and attend services, and we wanted community.” ì

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12 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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CDC Director Offers Latest Vaccine Advice By Bob Bahr

peak times. Still, the vaccine program is generally seen to have suffered from a slow start One of the top medical officers of the and widespread confusion by the public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nonetheless, the CDC doctor who has in Atlanta predicted that it may take until been involved in implementing the immuniSeptember before most Americans who zation program most of her 16-year career at want the COVID-19 vaccine will get it. the agency does not minimize the difficulty Dr. Amanda Cohn told a conference call of vaccinating the hundreds of millions of of the Maimonides Americans who Society of healthcare are eligible for the professionals at the shots. Jewish Federation “This rollout of Greater Atlanta was unprecedentFeb. 3 that even that ed. They were new distant target date vaccines. We didn’t would depend on know how many the availability of an doses we were goadequate supply of ing to have or even vaccine and keeping how the vaccines up the present pace were going to work of inoculation. until really quickly, Cohn is a mediup until a couple cal director of the of weeks before we government agency rolled them out. and heads up the The storage and CDC’s advisory comhandling of these mittee on immuvaccines is complinization practices. cated, so we can’t She pointed out that use our normal syswhile late summer tems. And most imis the vaccination portantly, we built goal public health ofthis vaccine out in Dr. Amanda Cohn, a leading official ficials have in mind, the middle of the of the CDC predicted most Americans the timetable could will not be vaccinated for the COVID biggest surge that speed up if two vacvirus before September. we’ve had in this cines from Johnson pandemic. It was & Johnson and Noincredibly challenging at the local and state vavax are approved soon. level to get vaccines in arms.” “If we have these additional two vacAs of the third week in February, stacines come on board and we have more dostistics compiled by the CDC show that over es and one of them is the Johnson & Johnson 11 percent of Georgia residents have had at vaccine, which is a single dose, then we actuleast one dose of the two-dose regiment and over 5 percent two doses, which puts the state 47th on a state-by-state ranking. Cohn said that getting vaccinated, even if you are in a priority group, is not easy in Georgia. She counseled that the best advice at present is to sign up on the Georgia Department of Public Health website, https://dph.georgia.gov/ covid-vaccine. “The wait list is overwhelming. It is. There’s well over a million people on the wait list in Georgia to get vaccinated. But more vaccines are coming. I know that it’s hard to Dr. Cohn cautioned that even after being fully be patient. People are scared. They want to vaccinated, we should still observe common get the vaccine. They want to get protected. preventative strategies for the disease. But put yourself on the wait list and then try ally would have enough to get most people to be patient.” Cohn also is concerned about the virus vaccinated before the beginning of the sumvariants that have developed in the United mer.” Kingdom and South Africa. Research on Latest CDC figures show that Americans the medical website, medRxiv, released Feb. are being vaccinated at the rate of about 1.5 7 looked at the spread of the U.K. variant million daily with over 3 million a day at known as B.1.1.7 between December and

January. The research maintained that the variant is roughly 35 percent to 45 percent more contagious, and that new cases of the mutation in the United States are doubling every 10 days. The authors of the study urged public health officials to speed up vaccinations to confront the variant. They predicted that it could be the most common strain of the COVID-19 virus by late March. That’s part of the reason Cohn urged everyone to continue to wear their masks, maintain social distancing and wash their hands, even if they have been fully vaccinated. “I think that what we need is to slow the spread so that we can vaccinate more people,” she said. “Even if these variants escape, it doesn’t mean that the vaccines won’t be protective. It means that they may not be as highly effective. So what we need to do is slow the spread until we can get people vaccinated. And frankly, the more time a virus spreads, the more opportunities it has to mutate, so the less it spreads, the better off we are.” ì

Recent research indicates that the more contagious U.K. variant of the COVID virus may be most common by late March.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 13

NEWS

Jewish Leaders Remember George Shultz By Jan Jaben-Eilon

distinguished career in public service, he expressed his enduring commitment to Calling him a “good friend,” Bernie Israel by readily agreeing to help establish a Marcus said former U.S. Secretary of State ‘think-and-do tank,’ as he called it, dedicated George P. Shultz, has “got to be celebrated to preserving and strengthening Israel’s emnot mourned.” battled democracy. Never losing sight of the Speaking to the AJT Feb. 8, just two days fragility of our country’s fledgling democraafter the death of Shultz at 100, Marcus told cy, Secretary Shultz foresaw the need for an how the two had met decades ago. Shultz independent, non-partisan think-tank that served as co-chair, along with Marcus, of the would provide Israeli decisionmakers with Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute, policy proposals based on data, research and which they co-founded in 1991. expertise.” “He was a true friend of Israel and Plesner went on to say that Shultz the Jewish community all the years of his “provided the Institute’s leadership with life,” said Marcus, co-founder of The Home sage advice over the three decades of his Depot and a philanthropist of Jewish causes. involvement. He was a great man, but also “There was no better champion,” noting how a mensch. Every hour in his presence was Shultz served Republican presidents since simultaneously a seminar in world history Dwight D. Eisenhower. According to Marcus, and a practical course in leadership.” Shultz helped free Jewish refuseniks from According to Marcus, Shultz was Russia. drawn to Israel when he was teaching in “He was the most honorable man I’ve Chicago. He had a promising economics ever met, and as smart as anyone I ever met,” student who suddenly said he had to leave Marcus said. “He was a personal adviser to school to go back to Israel, his home, to fight me and a true diplomat.” in one of the wars. “George asked him how a Shultz co-founded young man with ambition the IDI not long after stepcould give it all up for his ping down as secretary country.” In fact, the stuof state. According to the dent was killed in the war. IDI, Shultz eventually Marcus recalled being established the Institute’s with Schultz when he met International Advisory the student’s mother. The Council and served as its Atlanta philanthropist honorary chairman until remembered another time he died. in Israel when former “Secretary Shultz President of the Soviet was not only a great Union Mikhail Gorbachev statesman, economist, was honored there. It businessman and had been years since academic, but also a “He was the most honorable Gorbachev and Shultz stalwart friend of Israel,” man I’ve ever met, and as had met, and the two smart as anyone I ever met,” according to IDI President men hugged each other, said Bernie Marcus of his Yohanan Plesner. “After Marcus said. “They had late friend George Shultz. retiring from a long and

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George Shultz, former U.S. secretary of state, died at 100 earlier this month.

Israel of any secretary of state,” Eizenstat changed the history of the world together.” said. “He understood that Israel was an In fact, according to Stuart Eizenstat, important ally in the Cold War.” former U.S. ambassador to the European Marcus admitted that Shultz was Union, Shultz was the one who “convinced one of the few people to intimidate him. “I [President Ronald] Reagan that Gorbachev learned so much from him. He was active was a different kind of leader. Reagan was up to his death,” writing articles and books. very hard-lined on the Soviet Union, but Marcus recalled staying in Shultz’s house. Shultz understood that there was a prospect for moving forward on arms control.” Although Eizenstat never worked directly with Shultz, he knew the secretary’s reputation while he was an under-secretary of state. He told the AJT that Shultz respected the foreign career officers Israel Democracy Institute Stuart Eizenstat said of Shultz, and they, in turn, President Yohanan Plesner “He understood that there “widely revered” said Shultz “provided the was a prospect for moving him. Institute’s leadership with forward on arms control.” sage advice over the three What was decades of his involvement.” most surprising, Eizenstat said, was the “great initial skepti“George would make breakfast for me,” after cism” about Shultz within the organized previous nights of meeting with top U.S. Jewish community because he had been the generals, Marcus said. CEO of the engineering company, Bechtel, “We spent a lot of time together. We which had “enormous investments” in Arab shared our philosophies. We didn’t always countries. agree, but I will miss him terribly. He was a “They thought he would be anti-Israel, proud American and lived a full life.” ì but he was one of the firmest supporters of

NEWS

Blank Names CHOA ‘Construction Managers’ By Anna Levy

continues to work hard at physical therapy to improve his body’s balance, strength and function. Ariella-Faith came to CHOA when she was less than 2 years old with a mystery illness. She began several rounds of chemotherapy and had several stays in the ICU to treat liver failure, hyperbilirubinemia (too much bilirubin in the blood), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (excess immune system cells) failure to thrive, bleeding gums and more. In 2017, she underwent a liver transplant. Since then, Ariella-Faith has brought joy to her care team with her cheerful personality and dance moves. Lex was diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (cancer in the blood and bone marrow) in September 2019 after experiencing loss of appetite, fatigue and body aches. He received chemotherapy sessions once a week and celebrated his cancer going into remission in October 2019. Now in sixth grade, Lex has returned to the activities he loves, such as participating in his school play and attending Atlanta United games with his friends. “I am so grateful to Arthur Blank for caring so much for the kids in Atlanta,” Lex said. “I hope to one day be able to make a difference like he has!” ì

In October, Arthur Blank announced a $200 million donation to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for its new Arthur M. Blank Hospital. It was considered the largest naming gift to a freestanding children’s hospital. Now, as construction continues, Blank has named three patients of CHOA honorary construction managers to oversee the process. “When you are building a new project, one of the things you need is eyes on the job,” Blank said. “It will be an honor for these children to be able to help supervise this magnificent facility and be able to put their own stamp of ‘I was involved with this’ directly on the building.” The three construction managers, Joseph “Jojo” Alonge, Ariella-Faith Damisa, and Lex Stolle, are tasked with helping supervise the construction of the hospital to make sure everything is “kid-friendly.” They will be working closely with Chris Chelette, CHOA’s vice president of planning, design and construction. “One of our values at Children’s is to be passionate about kids, so we strive to keep their unique needs at the center of everything we do,” Chelette said. “Having Lex, Ariella-Faith and Jojo involved during the construction process and hearing what matters most to them is living that value.” The trio will be sharing regular updates with Blank and behind-the-scenes previews on CHOA’s YouTube channel and at choa.org/constructionkids. “I’m excited to work with Lex, Ariella-Faith and Jojo to provide Arthur Blank and our community with the latest construction updates over the next four years,” Chelette added. “When we open the doors in 2025, Arthur M. Blank Hospital will be a beacon for the state of Georgia allowing us to expand our reach, support our research and propel the future of pediatric medicine.” Each of the construction managers has a story to tell about how CHOA was there for them in their time of need. Jojo was diagnosed with a spinal tumor only days shy of his second birthday. A week after his diagnosis, CHOA sprang into action, removing as much of the tumor as possible and beginning Lex recovered from high-risk acute chemotherapy treatments. lymphoblastic leukemia in October Today, at 7 years old, Jojo 2019 with the help of CHOA.

Photo courtesy of CHOA // Above, artist rendering of Arthur M. Blank Hospital, now under construction. Right, Arthur Blank speaks about appointment of three honorary construction managers in a video released by CHOA.

Ariella-Faith is well known around CHOA for her positive attitude and dance moves.

Jojo recovered from a spinal tumor that was discovered right before his second birthday. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 15

NEWS

Blank, Marcus and ‘Lt. Dan’ to Aid Veterans By Dave Schechter Few civilians are as revered by the military community as actor Gary Sinise. Well known from his portrayal of Lieutenant Dan in the 1994 film “Forrest Gump,” Sinise credits his initial awareness of the psychic and physical trauma experienced in combat to the Vietnam veteran brother of his then-future wife. Though not one himself, Sinise’s efforts on behalf of veterans have earned him plaudits. In a partnership announced Feb. 16, Sinise is teaming up with Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank – The Home Depot co-founders who both have made hundreds of millions in philanthropic donations over the years — to care for veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and substance abuse. The billionaires are contributing $20 million each from their personal foundations to support the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network, which will build on work done by the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Healing Heroes) program, to establish 20 sites nationwide to serve veterans,

Actor Gary Sinise, who played a wounded soldier in “Forrest Gump,” supports veterans in real life.

first responders and their families. The name Avalon is a reference to the island where the legendary British King Arthur was taken to heal after his final battle. Marcus said of Sinise, “He’s been a great and enthusiastic supporter of these people, who put their lives on the line, and he recognizes, along with us, that this invisible demon of post-traumatic stress and brain injury has one in three [veterans] suffering this malady, along with first responders. I can’t think of a

Arthur Blank is a big supporter of the military.

better person to have out front” on this issue, Marcus said. The Veterans Administration reports that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are responsible for increased numbers of traumatic brain injuries. The U.S. Defense Department estimates that 22 percent of all combat wounds from those conflicts are brain injuries, compared with 12 percent of combat wounds from the Vietnam War. This is first time that Marcus and Blank

have partnered since they co-founded The Home Depot. “He’s kind of gone his way. I’ve kind of gone my way,” Marcus said. “On this we are on the same page. We have the same thought, the same desires, the same beliefs. It’s great to be back together. The two of us leverage each other. With Sinise, we can get the best out of this,” he continued. “Arthur and I, together at Home Depot, we recognized how important the military was to us,” Marcus said. He expressed pride

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Actor Gary Sinise poses with Bernie Marcus.

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The Avalon Network is to include 20 sites nationwide to serve veterans, first responders and their families.

in the company’s efforts, then and now, to employ veterans and aid their transition from military to civilian life. In the announcement last week about the Avalon project, Blank said, “I couldn’t be more pleased to partner with Bernie Marcus again to support a cause that’s important to both of us, the well-being of the individuals in our armed forces and our first responders. We’ve found the perfect partner in the Gary Sinise Foundation to scale this idea into a national network that will provide cuttingedge care and improve the quality of life for our nation’s heroes in one of the most critical times in our history.” The 20 centers include the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in Colorado. Its website states that it cares for veterans and retired athletes “struggling with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (including concussion) and changes in psychological health.” Another center is the SHARE Military Initiative at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a program established in 2008 by a grant through The Marcus Foundation. That program provides a range of therapies and counseling at no cost to the veterans and their families, which Marcus said will be the case at all of the Avalon Network sites. Marcus added that sites connected to Tulane University in New Orleans, the University of Florida in Jacksonville, and the Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia will open this year, with potentially two more during 2021. The existing programs at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and at

Boulder Crest have proven track records, he said. “We’re hoping that in five years . . . we’ll be able to take care of 10,000 veterans a day.” Marcus served four years in the Air National Guard in the period of the Korean War in the early 1950s. “I appreciate the military,” he said. “These young people have put their lives on the line and, frankly, when they leave the service, they’re not getting the support they need.” He noted that the estimate of nearly 20 veterans a day committing suicide is a figure that has not changed over the past two decades. Sinise’s foundation previously joined with the Marcus and Home Depot foundations to build smart homes for catastrophically wounded veterans. In a 2015 speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Sinise said: “As a young teenager in high school, I was not paying much attention to what our Vietnam veterans, many just slightly older than I, were going through. But listening to them, I felt a sense of guilt at having been so unaware. So, in the mid-80s, I began supporting local Vietnam veterans’ groups in the Chicago area, and, over the years, have tried to do my best to welcome them home as our country had neglected to do that at the conclusion of the war.” Sinise’s efforts on behalf of first responders stem from his friendships with members of the Fire Department of New York he met after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York City. ì

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Davis Academy Coping with COVID Outbreak By Dave Schechter The Davis Academy is coping with a COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined roughly 20 percent of its faculty and forced changes in the schedules for the K-8 school. The language in communications from school administrators to families during February suggested that some parents have not been truthful in reporting exposure to COVID-19 or in following the school’s protocols to prevent exposure and spread of the virus. As of Feb. 19, the Jewish day school reported 14 new COVID-19 cases, 12 among middle school students and one in the lower grades – the sibling of a positive middle school student – and one new teacher testing positive. At the beginning of last week, the school reported three positive cases among

18 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

“The pandemic is challenging for all of us, and we are doing our very best in a very difficult situation,” Davis Academy Head of School Amy Shafron said in a Feb. 8 video.

students and five among teachers, with an additional 12 teachers in quarantine. “Data collection and contact tracing indicate in the past 10-14 days that many individuals in the Davis community participated in social gatherings including group meals, celebrations, sleepovers, and/ or sports activities which has resulted in increased cases especially among Middle

School students,” according to a Feb. 19 statement addressed to “Davis Academy Families” by Amy Shafron, the head of school, and Drew Frank, the associate head of school and principal. The plan for the week beginning Feb. 22 had all students at home for distance learning on Monday. Students in the third through eighth grades were to remain at

home throughout the week. Students in the lower grades were scheduled to be oncampus, except for those with a sibling in middle school, who studied from home. To bring all students back on-campus, “… all students and faculty should NOT participate in any social gatherings or travel including group dinners, celebrations, sleepovers, and sports activities,” while also

NEWS continuing “extensive risk mitigation protocols” that have been in effect since school resumed last fall, according to the Feb. 19 statement. Addressing compliance with the school’s protocols, a Feb. 2 statement by Shafron and Frank said: “The circumstances surrounding the most recent positive cases reported to the school confirm continuing activity and exposure outside of school as well as unreliably reported information provided to the school that is, quite honestly, concerning to us and to the members of our Health & Safety Committee. . . We rely on the honesty and integrity of our families to help us stay in school, yet we have indications that some parents may not be tracking and reporting accurately and honestly.” That statement also said: “Our contact tracing and tracking have revealed that student risk is clearly greatest from participating in extra-curricular activities outside of school or household transmission. We ask you again to please not have your children participate in extracurricular activities such as dance classes, sports programs, and birthday parties, over the next eight weeks. Even with prior reminders and requests, it is clear that some Davis families are not adhering to the request, placing themselves—and others—at risk.” In a similar vein, a statement Feb. 15 from Shafron and Frank said: “We are aware of a lot of travel by families this past weekend, of Super Bowl and celebratory gatherings, and of continued sleepovers amongst our students, activities which continue to contribute to the need for us all to pull together and sacrifice so we can remain together on campus.” The AJT continues to seek additional information and comment from Davis Academy administrators. All Davis Academy students were off Feb. 16 and home for distance learning Feb. 17-19, because “ . . . we simply do not have enough teachers who will be in school this week to provide enough instruction and coverage to ensure a safe, in-person learning environment,” according to the Feb. 15 statement. “While we hired additional staff members this year to assist with new responsi-

bilities and occasional teacher absences, our policy continues to be that we do not utilize outside substitute teachers who also work in other schools for health and safety reasons. It is understandable and at the same time truly unfortunate that the pandemic is now impacting many of our dedicated and beloved faculty members. As they look out for our children each and every day, we now need to focus our love and respect on them.” The Davis Academy, billed as the largest Reform Jewish day school in the country, was founded in 1992 and is located north of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody along U.S. 19/Georgia 400. Its website says that the school averages 560 students. In a video posted Feb. 8, Shafron said that The Davis Academy had experienced 18 positive COVID-19 cases among

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students, faculty and staff during the previous six months of the academic calendar. That included the relatively sudden onset in early February of 11 positive cases among students and one among faculty in a first grade cohort. That cohort’s families were notified Jan. 31 of the teacher’s positive case. When the first positive student case was identified the next day, the entire cohort was sent home to begin distance learn-

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ing, as were the siblings of those first graders, as a further precaution. “Certain cases appear to have been the result of specific interactions outside of school, including group activities, while others are suspected to have been from in-school transmission,” Shafron said in the video. In the video, Shafron lauded the doc-

WWW.A JC .O R G /ATL ANTA/H O RW I TZ For questions or to join the Host Committee, please contact Jennifer Pardee 404.233.5501 ext. 5031 or pardeej@ajc.org

tors and public health experts, some of whom are parents of Davis Academy students, who make up the school’s health and safety committee and have been advising the school’s administrators. “The pandemic is challenging for all of us, and we are doing our very best in a very difficult situation,” Shafron said. She acknowledged that differences exist among Davis Academy parents on the best approach and what steps should be taken. “The challenges from this pandemic one day will be over. Our Davis kehillah and values are everlasting,” Shafron said near the end of the video. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 19

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NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

Photo courtesy of ITEC // Mika Dagan-Fruchtman

competed in a tennis tournament in Dubai.

Tennis-Education Centers Helps Israelis During Crisis

The Israel Tennis & Education Centers, a nonprofit organization based in Israel that focuses on helping Israeli children, has stepped up its efforts in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. As Israel continues to battle the pandemic, recently experiencing its third lockdown, ITEC has provided critical services to underserved children by distributing over 500 tablets; providing food for

Today in Israeli History Feb. 28, 1955: Some 50 Israeli paratroopers attack an Egyptian military camp in Gaza as a reprisal for repeated raids on Israeli civilians. Eight Israeli soldiers and 39 Egyptians are killed in Operation Black Arrow. March 1, 1922: Yitzhak Rabin is born in Jerusalem. A Palmach member before Israel’s independence, he leads the defense of Jerusalem in 1948, is the military chief of staff during the June 1967 war and twice serves as prime minister.

children and their families; holding over 100 virtual mental health sessions for both children and parents; and awarding 5,400 scholarships to children due to the loss of their parents’ job or income. Since starting the Children’s Emergency Relief Fund last March, ITEC has served over 8,000 children and families in Israel. It has also created safe, street tennis practices for children to continue playing and helped young athletes compete on the international stage. An example is 17-year-old tennis player Mika DaganFruchtman. Mika was the first Israeli to play in the United Arab Emirates after the diplomatic normalization between the UAE and Israel last year. Mika was also able to participate in a ranking tournament in Dubai in December.

tions, the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv is reopening. The 42-year-old museum recently unveiled its new inter-

active 72,000- square-foot permanent exhibition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum hosted its opening gala online Feb.21, celebrating the completion of the major renovation project. The gala honored members of the Nevzlin family, who spearheaded the revitalization and rebuilding of the museum. The online gala gave viewers the opportunity to tour the museum virtually.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, was awarded the Dan David

March 3, 1939: Opposing any permanent Jewish presence, the mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husayni, rejects a British proposal to severely limit Jewish immigration while working to establish a majority-Arab Palestine. March 4, 1987: Jonathan Pollard, who in June 1986 pleaded guilty to spying on the United States for Israel while serving as a Naval Intelligence Service analyst, is sentenced to life in prison. He is paroled in November 2015.

Miriam Ben-Porat completed her term on the Supreme Court with her mandatory retirement in 1988.

March 2, 1977: President Ephraim Katzir appoints Miriam Ben-Porat and Shimon Asher to the Supreme Court. Ben-Porat

March 7, 1977: Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and President Jimmy Carter meet in Washington. Rabin suggests that Israel could

Dr. Anthony Fauci is shown in a graphic announcing he won the Dan David Prize.

combating the COVID-19 pandemic, but also for his longtime leadership in the fight against AIDS, including his role in creating the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

or who has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member of another religion.”

is the first woman to serve on the highest court of Israel or any other nation with a common law system.

March 6, 1948: Truman adviser Clark Clifford writes two detailed memoranda in which he argues for U.S. support of the partition of Palestine, setting him in opposition to the policy staff and leadership of the State Department.

20 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot logo.

Museum of the Jewish People Dr. Anthony Fauci Receives to Unveil New Exhibitions Israeli Award After four years of major renova-

March 5, 1891: William Blackstone, an American Methodist lay leader, submits a petition to President Benjamin Harrison that calls for creating “a home for these wandering millions of Israel” in Palestine.

Photo by Ya’acov Sa’ar, Israeli Government Press Office

Prize in public health for his leadership in the fight against COVID-19 and “speaking truth to power” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award, which is affiliated with Tel Aviv University, gives out three prizes of $1 million each, part of which will be set aside for scholarships. Fauci was recognized not only for his work in

March 11, 1978: Eleven Palestinians land on a beachhead north of Tel Aviv and carry out one of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel’s history, the Coastal Road Massacre. They kill 38 civilians, including 17 children. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, months from leaving office, and President Jimmy Carter, only months into office, meet at the White House on March 7, 1977.

pursue peace with Egypt and perhaps Jordan; Carter prefers steps toward a comprehensive regional peace. March 8, 1969: Egypt launches a major offensive against Israeli positions on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, starting the War of Attrition, which lasts until August 1970. Egypt aims to strain Israel’s resolve and economy. March 9, 1914: Arthur Ruppin, the head of the Palestine Office of the World Zionist Organization, purchases the estate of Sir John Gray Hill atop Mount Scopus to serve as the future campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. March 10, 1970: Israel’s Law of Return is amended to change the definition of a Jew to “a person who was born of a Jewish mother

March 12, 1947: President Harry Truman lays out the Truman Doctrine: The United States will assist any democratic nation under threat from totalitarian forces. It helps justify U.S. recognition of Israeli independence 14 months later. March 13, 1881: Czar Alexander II of Russia is assassinated in St. Petersburg. The response to the killing includes anti-Jewish pogroms. His successor, Alexander III, enacts new restrictions on Jews and sparks mass emigration. March 14, 1473: A massacre breaks out in Cordoba, Spain, against the city’s conversos — Jewish converts to Catholicism who were believed to practice Judaism in secret. The violence continues for several days. ìì Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ISRAEL NEWS JNF Plans Largest Zionist Project for Israel By Jan Jaben-Eilon Atlantans are playing pivotal roles in the newly announced World Zionist Village to be developed in Beersheva by Jewish National Fund-USA over the next few years. A design competition for the $350 million project that will include classrooms, dormitories, conference centers, cafes and houses of worship launched this month and will continue until April 15, Israel’s Independence Day. A panel of well-known architects and other public figures will judge the competition entries, including Ken Stein, president and founder of the Center for Israel Education in Atlanta. “JNF wants the campus to be a focal point for Jews around the world to learn about Israel,” Stein told the AJT. “I was delighted to be asked.” Stein will be involved in the World Zionist Village far more than just judging the architectural design competition, whose winner will be announced in June. Also founding director of the Emory University Institute for the Study of Modern Israel, Stein will be immersed in the development of curriculum for the new facility, the main focus of which will be education. About seven years ago, JNF-USA purchased the Alexander Muss High School in Israel located in Hod Hashron in the center of the country. The new 20-acre World Zionist Village will allow for an expansion of AMHSI from about 1,500 to 5,000 high school students, according to Russell F. Robinson, CEO of JNF-USA. The facility in the Negev desert will also provide educational space for a wide range of gap year programs, post-college internship programs, synagogue groups visiting Israel and adult education. “The adult learning center will focus on teaching and targeting different Jewish groups around the world,” said Stein, who will serve as chair of the education subcommittee. “They asked me to help them shape the curriculum and content provided to different kinds of targeted audiences.” Another Atlantan, Sharon Levison, is on the marketing committee for the new project. Calling the World Zionist Village the “largest Zionist venture” in Israel’s history, Robinson said, “We’re trying to do something that has never been done. This won’t be just a physical place,” although he emphasized the importance of providing dormitories for AMHSI and housing for other groups. He envisions a campus on which diverse Jews coming from “Barcelona to Birmingham, Ala.” can engage in conversations about shared Jewish values. Robinson said that the ongoing pandemic, which has required people to “meet” through Zoom calls, has “greatly escalated

Ken Stein, president and founder of the Center for Israel Education, said he is “delighted” to be asked to play a role in the development of the World Zionist Village.

An artist rendering of the $350 million World Zionist Village to be developed in Israel’s Negev city of Beersheva. Photo by JNF-USA

The new project is the “largest Zionist venture” in Israel’s history, said Russell F. Robinson, CEO of JNF-USA.

the opportunity” for Jews around the world to talk about their shared destiny. He sees the Village as the next step in that process. According to Robinson, 25 years ago, 19,300 American teens joined long-term Israel programs of at least four weeks. Now that number is down to 3,000. He partly blamed the Birthright Israel program which, as a free 10-day trip, enticed young people to Israel. Conversely, an 18-week Muss program costs $21,000. He noted, however, that Birthright trips were for college age and older youth, and he emphasized that it’s more important to attract high school students to Israel. To combat the expense of the high school programs, Robinson added that in three weeks, JNF-USA will be launching a Dream Israel Fund of some $25 million that will provide $7,500 stipends to students attending Muss or for programs offered by the Reform and Conservative movements. JNF-USA’s focus on its planned World Zionist Village comes as JNF in Israel, known in Hebrew as Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, approved a controversial change Feb. 14 in its policy to allow the organization to purchase land in the West Bank to expand settlement development there. Until now, all its involve-

ment in settlements was handled unofficially and indirectly through a subsidiary. The decision, which must be approved by its board of directors – delayed until after the March 23 Israeli elections – is running into strong opposition. Deputy chair of JNF-KKL Alon Tal, told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that it was “highly unfortunate that a proposal with such enormous implications for Israel and [its] diplomatic status has been submitted in such a hasty and inappropriate fashion.” The decision was also condemned by the Union for Reform Judaism and T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization that represents more than 2,000 rabbis and cantors. Both groups say the new policy would violate international law. The U.S. State Department also criticized the decision.

JNF-USA’s Robinson admits that JNFUSA AND JNF-KKL are sometimes conflated in people’s minds. “For the last 20 years, we’ve been separate even as far as donor dollars,” he said. JNF was founded in 1901 to acquire and develop land in pre-state Israel for Jewish use. JNF-USA has been a separate entity since it was incorporated in the United States in 1926. JNF-USA has been recognizable in the American Jewish community through its coin-accepting little blue boxes. These contributions were used in Israel for forestry and water projects in the Galilee and Negev as well as Zionist education. JNF-KKL in Israel has, however, been used for the tree-planting financed by Jews around the world to memorialize relatives and events. ì

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OPINION Georgia Says: ‘Enough Already. Look Elsewhere for News’ Can we put Georgia on pause? In all the years that I helped manage national news coverage for an Atlanta-based cable network, Dave Schechter Georgia never From Where I Sit warranted the sustained attention it has received the past year or so. State Rep. Josh McLaurin recently pleaded on Twitter: “Georgia respectfully requests a brief timeout from national attention. A few minutes will do fine.” In truth, a few minutes won’t cut it, not by a long shot. It’s exhausting just looking back. Start on Jan. 21, 2020, when the Atlantabased Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first U.S. case of COVID-19 and made itself a staple of the news since. Recognizing that older people – who are more susceptible to the virus – vote at a higher rate than other age groups, the state postponed the March 24 primary until May 19, and then until June 11. That day’s images of people waiting in hours-long lines to vote made Georgia the subject of ridicule. The primary was held amid protests downtown and throughout metro Atlanta, sparked by the deaths of African Americans in interactions with police and civilians acting extra judicially. The attendant violence and vandalism were juxtaposed with a slogan — “the city too busy to hate” — coined in the 1950s by Atlanta’s then-Mayor William B. Hartsfield. While COVID-19 took its toll in hospitalizations and deaths, opposing camps formed: Georgians who adhered to the advice of epidemiologists and public health experts and those who dismissed as tyranny any restrictions, even requirements to wear masks. The governor’s edicts on when and how schools, businesses, and other institutions could open satisfied neither camp. Synagogues, schools and communal organizations closed their doors in mid-March; some have reopened in limited fashion, while others remain in the virtual world. Summer became fall, and the national news media took up temporary residence, as Georgia offered a close presidential race and two Senate contests. Locals tutored the outof-towners on how to pronounce DeKalb, Albany and Houston, and cautioned that no one calls the city “Hot Lanta.”

On Nov. 3, the election groundhog emerged, saw a shadow and, as both Senate races headed to runoffs, cursed the state with nine more weeks of political advertising. The visitors extended their leases for two more months. But that wasn’t the headline. As Georgia’s 159 counties tallied the votes, Democrat Joe Biden overtook incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in a state that last backed the Democratic nominee in 1992. While the president and his partisans cried fraud, Georgia audited, counted and recounted the vote, with the same outcome each time. Gabriel Sterling, who administered the elections, then received his proverbial (and unsought) 15 minutes of fame. He calmly refuted claim after claim and dissected videos frame by frame, until Dec. 1, when he could take no more. Sterling publicly admonished Trump and his allies that unless they toned down their rhetoric, “Someone’s going to get hurt, someone’s going to get shot, someone’s going to get killed.” The riot at the U.S. Capitol was five weeks later. The abuse heaped on Sterling’s boss, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger culminated on Jan. 2, when Trump called, cajoled, begged and threatened Raffensperger, for the sake of finding 11,780 votes that did not exist. The ramifications of that call may provide headlines in the weeks to come. On the fifth day of the 13th month of 2020, otherwise known as Jan. 5, 2021, Georgia turned out its two Republican senators and elected two Democrats — a Black and a Jew — giving the latter party numeric control of the Senate. The Jewish press framed the election of Jon Ossoff as one end of a timeline that began with the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank and reached its mid-point with the 1958 bombing of The Temple. One month later, just when Georgia might have thought it was out of the spotlight, it was pulled back in. The House majority decided that the newly elected congresswoman from northwest Georgia had spouted one-too-many QAnon conspiracy theories and stripped Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments. For her part, Greene said she felt liberated by the rebuke. Throughout, Atlanta- and Georgiabased reporters have busted their backsides; meriting not only respect, but also paid subscriptions. Between the virus and the vaccines, the legislature and Congress, redistricting and voting rights, politics (pssst: 2022 is an election year) and whatever else develops, there will be little rest for these weary. On their behalf, and for the state in general, I ask: Can we put Georgia in time out, at least for a few minutes? ì

OPINION

Promoting Conflict Over Peace This past year, history was made with the signing of normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan Anat and Morocco. Sultan-Dadon These have joined Israel’s historic peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt, demonstrating yet again that direct negotiations are the only way to achieve peace. The recent agreements have already served as the foundation for a wide range of practical cooperation in a multitude of fields, including technology, medicine, tourism, trade and investment. Beyond the practical cooperation, these agreements, which stress the importance of interfaith dialogue, countering radicalization and promoting mutual understanding, have sent a strong message that, through dialogue and outreach, historic prejudices can be overcome and that peace is, in fact, possible.

Peace, we have witnessed yet again, is a choice to be made. Sadly, that is yet a choice to be made by the Palestinian leadership. For decades, their choice has been the perpetuation of a conflict rather than the pursuit of peace. One of the most recent and striking examples of such an attempt has been the Palestinian appeal to the International Criminal Court. The Palestinian attempt to bring Israel before the Court is an expression of a clear strategic decision to reject direct negotiations and compromise, seeking to capitalize on the anti-Israel automatic majority in the political organs of the United Nations in order to internationalize the conflict and harness judicial organs as part of a political campaign. The Palestinian leadership has never hidden this strategy. In a New York Times editorial in 2011, President Mahmoud Abbas admitted that his goal was to achieve “internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one. It would also pave the way for us to pursue claims against Israel at the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies and the International Court of Justice.” For the Palestinian leadership, such

an approach has an obvious appeal. It requires no statesmanship, no introspection and no compromise. The only thing that it is not likely to advance, as the past decades have shown, is a genuine and sustainable peace in which each side recognizes the aspirations and rights of the other. In the tragic story of the Palestinian people, this approach is yet another admission by its leadership that it has chosen to pursue illusory political gains in international forums over the practical benefits of genuine peace-making and state-building. The recent decision of the ICC PreTrial Chamber regarding the scope of the ICC’s territorial jurisdiction over issues pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a serious setback for moderates on all sides. Quite simply, The ICC has no jurisdiction over the Palestinian case. Israel is not a State Party to the ICC, and there is no Palestinian state which can grant it jurisdiction. The decision, which dismisses the relevance of the Oslo accords, the painstakingly achieved agreements which have enabled Palestinian self-governance to date, sends a troubling message to peaceadvocates that there is little value in exert-

ing the effort to reach compromise and agreement. At the same time, the Court’s reliance on non-binding, one-sided U.N. resolutions rather than a genuine impartial legal analysis, broadcasts to the Palestinian leadership that its strategy of rejectionism and reliance on U.N. politicization is effective. The ICC was established to address mass atrocities that deeply shock the conscience of humanity, not to pursue democratic states with independent and effective legal systems. If there were any doubts who is strengthened and who weakened by the Court’s misguided determinations on issues over which it has no authority, the enthusiastic praise given to the decision by the Hamas terror organization, which remains committed to Israel’s destruction and which continues to fire missiles against its citizens, leaves little room for doubt. Any decision which so weakens the power of moderates in the region, and so emboldens extremists, cannot bode well for the chances of peace. ì Anat Sultan-Dadon is the Consul General of Israel to the Southeast in Atlanta.

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OPINION

Together Yet Distanced

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I want to offer kudos to our Atlanta Jewish community. As we approach one year under the siege of a pandemic that is keeping us Michael A. humans abMorris normally social Publisher distanced, we have come a long way in being creative and inventive in order to keep us socialized. The good news is that we have learned new tricks and trades. As an example, Zoom was something almost unheard of. Now video conferencing has become the norm for business, charitable work, keeping the family in touch and bringing together old and young. We have learned that we can create face-to-face meetings in an instant for personal simchas as well as business emergencies. We can create these meetings that include people thousands of miles away with minimal invasion into people’s schedule; and we can often gain a larger audience for sharing or brainstorming than we could typically have expected for an in-person gathering. The bad news is that we are still suffering from social deprivation and most likely will for a good portion of this year. In addition, the trauma that some or many have experienced will continue for several years. It will take time for businesses and charities to recoup, for retirements and retirement savings to be replenished, and for some of us to feel comfortable in social entertainment such as eating out, going to music or sporting venues, and even just dating. But all during this time, many of our Jewish community organizations have not only persevered, but have given us outlets to celebrate, worship, socialize and give back to the people most in need. I want to take a few minutes to highlight some accomplishments. Synagogues have used both video conferencing as well as the great outdoors to continue weekly prayer, lifecycle events, educational programming and even social events. Chabad Intown was one of the synagogues that created the concept of drive-by shofar blowing during the high holidays both on the BeltLine as well as Piedmont Park. The Temple has already performed over 50 b’nai mitzvah by video conference. The Davis Academy has done a marvelous job getting kids back to school in

a very structured environment that has allowed in-person teaching while keeping the cases of COVID-19 not only a minimum but significantly below other private and public schools. Jewish Family & Career Services is not an organization that we can afford to lose, and it is not an organization that can afford to let its clients falter or suffer. During COVID-19, it has grown its Kosher Food Pantry tenfold and its Frances Bunzl Clinical Services program, which assists people with mental health services, has grown substantially during this trying time. To say that the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has pivoted would be an understatement. It is continuing to create America’s largest attended Jewish film festival through a bevy of online activity and screenings as well as opening night video conferencing socialization complete with in-person care packages for sponsors. It’s almost like being at the movies! The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum has done a yeoman’s job in providing online and video conference programs to fill the void of important, educational and timely programming and services. Most recently, Atlanta Jewish History Talks featuring “The Activism of Jewish Women,” and a continuation of the series “Jews and Jazz.” SOJOURN has also done a tremendous job in creating virtual programming, including programming during holidays like Purim off Ponce coming up in a few weeks, virtual booths for Atlanta Pride as well as OneTable, and maintaining multiple offerings on a weekly basis for the community such as Drawing from the Well. Several of our revered Jewish catering companies have also pivoted by offering special Shabbat dinners and lunches or small catering anytime of the week. This is vital for the continuity of our Jewish catering companies. Added Touch Catering is offering fully prepared Shabbat dinners for pickup. Farmers & Fishermen Purveyors have included Kosher meat into their home delivery program. EB’s Ghost Kitchen and Kosher Gourmet are both offering Shabbat-in-a-Box, among other offerings. Not every organization has had the opportunity to pivot. The Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival and the Atlanta Jewish Life Festival both will have taken a year off. I am glad to report that both will come back with a flourish in the new year. The important piece is, as a community, we have remained together yet social distanced so that we are poised to come back, together, when it is safe to do so. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 25

OPINION Letters to the Editor SIMCHA SPOTLIGHT

Have something to celebrate? Share your simchas with the

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.

Letter the editor,

On a pre-pandemic trip to London, when crossing the street, I noticed some assistance for the bewildered pedestrian. On the road surface just beyond the curb where one steps off were stenciled the words “Look to your right” or depending on the traffic pattern, “Look to your Left.” As a tourist hoping to make it across the street alive, it was a helpful reminder that the red double-deckers, the Range Rovers and the London cabs would come from unexpected directions and that we had best look to the right and to the left if we wished to survive the mean streets of Britain. When strolling through Covent Garden or staring up at Big Ben, I found the cautionary messages both charming and helpful. Thankfully, I survived the trip across the pond. But as I reflect back on that not-so-long-ago visit, I realize that it serves as a powerful exhortation to us in this most nasty of worlds in which we live. We still weep for the murdered victims of the Poway synagogue and of Squirrel Hill. Charlottesville and the chilling rants of “Jews will not replace us” still stings. Toppled gravestones, scrawled swastikas bring us sadness and alarm. We shiver as we hear the unsubtle hate-filled rhetoric of Duke. Of Spencer. Of assorted white supremacists. The insanity of Rothschild laser beams and Camp Auschwitz T-shirts proudly worn in the Capitol invasion. We look to the right. The inability of Congress to unequivocally condemn internal anti-Semitic slurs. Farrakhan celebrated by too many high profilers. Campus suppression of Israeli speakers. AOC’s praise of ousted Hamas and Hezbollah sympathizer Jeremy Corbyn. Liberation theology’s libel against Israel. Racists of color rejecting MLK’s message that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. The hypocrisy drenched BDS campaign that targets Israel relentlessly. We look to the left. Though the hard right and the hard left occupy opposite ends of the spectrum, their divergence disappears when it comes to the Jew. These odd bedfellows find common cause in their anti-Semitism. Whether goosestepping citizens of the hard right or morally bankrupt citizens of the hard left, they share an agenda of hatred. Intolerance. Ignorance. The hard right is unashamed of their violent, Aryan bigotry. Indeed, proud of it. While the hard left claims unassailable virtue in their distortion of tolerance. Liberty. Truth. We Jews have enemies banging on our front door and on our back door who wish to bring down our house. Neither are good neighbors. There is an unholy anti- Jewish alliance these polarities gleefully share. We are despised by both and we had better come to realize that sooner than later. Friends, I learned a critical lesson in London. If we wish to survive when crossing the street, we had best look to the right and to the left. Rabbi Shalom Lewis, Marietta

Letter to the editor,

Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ... Share your news with the community with free AJT simcha announcements. Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com submissions@atljewishtimes.com.. 26 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

As I was turning the pages of the catalogue in the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, seeing all of these great and intriguing movies, I came across one that is extremely disturbing: “Soros.” This “Soros” film (yes, there is another one that shows the truth about this monster) is about all the “good” things Soros has done. I’m not sure how the AJFF can put the words “tikkun olam” (repairing the world) with someone who has made his obnoxious wealth on countries' failures. I’m not too sure how on one page is “The Auschwitz Report” (which premieres on Shabbat, going against what we, as Jews, fight and live for) and on the other page, “Soros.” George Soros benefited off of Jews who were being forced to leave their homes during the 1940s. I think showing this film is an absolute disgrace to the Jewish community and Christian world. I really am so disappointed in the AJFF. How do we as Jews allow this man to be celebrated? If someone wants to see what this evil heartless person is, please watch, “Billionaire Radical: George Soros and the Scheme to Remake America” on Salemnow. I hope in the future the AJFF will not try to be so “progressive and provocative” and actually see both sides of a story and do their part in not spreading lies of a devil of a person, if they’re going to play this sort of insulting movie. Netania Cortell, Atlanta Disclamer to our readers: This section of the newspaper is a forum for our community to share thoughts, concerns and opinions as open letters to the community or directly to the newspaper. As a letter to the editor, we proof for spelling and grammatical errors only. We do not edit nor vet the information the letter contains. The individual signing the letter is accountable for what they share.

OPINION Letter to the editor,

In the second impeachment trial, Mr. [Donald] Trump’s lead lawyer barely concealed his client’s racism, sexism and anti-Semitism. He directed special vitriol toward Vice President Kamala Harris, and House Manager Jamie Raskin. Attorney [Michael] van der Veen endlessly repeated visual images of Ms. Harris, essentially depicting a Mammy gone rogue, and portrayed Mr. Raskin, a Jewish man, as morally and professionally bankrupt. The defense played Mr. Trump’s video image of Ms. Harris, encouraging partisans to “fight,” many more times than images of others. The former president’s counsel accused Mr. Raskin of being a liar, engaging in “impeachment lust,” being “intellectually dishonest,” and arguing like “a first-year law student.” Counsel denigrated him as a criminal who “manufactured and doctored evidence,” and engaged in “prosecutorial misconduct.” Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah

Letter to the editor,

The more things change, the more they remain the same. The fourth Israeli election in two years is likely to produce the same result seen in the previous three elections: no party garnering even one-third of the Knesset’s 120 seats, a mad scramble to piece a coalition together, parties shifting alliances so that the constructed government has very little resemblance to the voters’ expectations, and even parties which garnered a respectable share of the votes in one election may crumble in the next. The whole situation cries out for electoral reform. Parties should be required to publish their platforms and collect the signatures of a specified number of registered voters (on the order of hundreds of thousands of signatures) before being allowed to stand for election. The effort and expense needed to get the party’s message out to the voters would be an incentive for small parties to coalesce along ideological lines and for the party members to stick together. Pre-election debates should be held and only parties which receive a specified level of support in polls of registered voters should be allowed to participate. New Zealand, with a population comparable in size to Israel’s, has moved from a purely Proportional Representation system (all seats in Parliament apportioned by choosing among Party Lists as is done in Israel) to a mixed system in which some seats are filled via candidates competing for seats designated to represent specific districts. In New Zealand’s most recent election, 70 members of Parliament were chosen as representatives of districts and 50 were chosen from party lists. A single party obtained a 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Parliament, something that has never happened in Israel’s Knesset. But, even if electoral reform did not eliminate the need for a coalition government to be formed, governments would be more stable if one party received a near majority of the votes. For instance, a party with 55 seats would probably be able to form a ruling coalition with only one other party. If some disagreement arose, the smaller party would be less likely to threaten to leave the coalition, necessitating early elections, because the near-majority party would be able to easily find a new partner. When the coalition must be cobbled together from essentially all the small parties willing to work together, any of those parties has the potential to bring the government down. ì Toby F. Block, Atlanta

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PURIM The Purim Gazette Welcome to our annual Purim Gazette, edited by award-winning journalist and all-round swell gal, professer Essie Fresser. Dr. Fresser, an avid shuffleboard competitor and tango enthusiast, is also the co-host of a Jewish cooking show, “Fressin’ with Essie.”

Icy Sensation Grepsicle At Last

Rickshaws Come to Atlanta

How many times have you or someone you love moaned, “Oy, if I could only stop burping!” Sufferers from this embarrassing gastric malady can Essie Fresser now find relief with a frosty treat-on-a-stick. The tasty antidote is the lastest edible invention by Hy Dare, a member of a large dyspeptic family. He was at his wit’s end trying to help his beloved paternal Bubbie, who couldn’t stop “grepsing,” after the weekly Ashkenazic Shabbat meals for which she was famous. The Grepsicle was successful in relieving the discomfort of Bubbie Dare and many other bilious kin, who urged their rescuer to get Grepsicle into commercial production. Dare’s icy anodyne will soon appear at convenient sites in Atlanta. Two Grepsicle kiosks are slated for food courts at Lenox and Perimeter malls, and a freestanding upscale Grepsicle shop is coming to the Avalon community. Additionally, a Grepsicle food truck will stop at enrolled congregations following Mens’ Club breakfasts. Dare has a background in frozen cures for other common conditions, notably the popular Zitsicle and Baldsicle. When asked about Grepsicle ingredients, Dare snappily responded, “You’re not the first person who tried to steal my ideas, and I’m not giving out samples.” Dare was equally secretive about the Zitsicle and Baldsicle, his company’s biggest sellers. Zitsicle vending machines are on back-order during the pandemic, but are slated to be installed in movie theaters and high school cafeterias nationwide.

Spoke-and-wheel dealer and spin class aficionado O.K. Bymey represented Atlanta Jewry when he participated in the 2010 Tour de France by wearing a Camp Barney Medintz jersey and vintage crocheted Coca-Cola Tab kippah throughout the race. A cycling enthusiast, Bymey purchased several classic rickshaws on eBay when his teenage children repeatedly failed their driving tests. The Bymeys’ three-wheeled open-air vehicles were so popular with teens and adults alike during the pandemic that Bymey approached Mayor Kiester Bottoms with a novel idea. Using his cycling expertise, Bymey offered to train unemployed individuals with hefty leg muscles to master rickshaw driving and expand Atlanta’s hire-to-ride options. The far-thinking mayor, after taking a spin in one of the rickshaws, loved the virally resistant fresh air ride and calculated the long-term benefit of a rickshaw corps on the city’s environment. In a secretly taped discussion with deputy mayor Clay Feete, Bottoms grumbled, “Let’s see if those clean-air fanatics who dumped scooters all over the place will transition to become rickshaw riders. I’ve had it with those kvetchers.” The City of Atlanta authorized Bymey to purchase a dozen rickshaws from Indonesia and start on-site training of quick-witted operators on I-285 between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. Bymie expressed his delight, “I’m proud that my children’s poor driving scores will help global warming.”

Grepsicle Oy, what a relief!

Lastest edible inv ent by Hy Dar ion e, the makers o f the popular Z itsicle and Baldsicle!

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Researchers Collaborate on ‘Thinq Tanq’ Neurology researcher Pauline Pippick and master plumber Brad Matrix met as students on a Birthright Israel trip five years ago. As their relationship deepened, they considered collaborative projects, and Pippick secured a joint National Institutes of Health grant to develop the Thinq Tanq. The first Atlanta model, for participants in an anxiety study, has been installed in an undisclosed secluded location. The Thinq Tanq consists of an enormous, sanitized steamship water heater in which users may sit in silence to cogitate. External interference is offset by a white noise machine or banal Yanni recording. The goal of the Thinq Tanq is to provide sanctuary to individuals who are desperate for isolation. This underserved and growing group has suffered greatly during the pandemic, enduring involuntary interaction with gregarious family members. In a terse phone interview, Thinq Tanq subject Flo Freely explained, “How would you feel if your family played Twenty Questions and Twister all day long? Dr. Pippik and Mr. Matrix are my heroes.”

PURIM World’s Oldest Gum Found on Ancient Sandal

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOMELAND Disturbance at the Kotel Riots broke out when workers cordoned off the Kotel area in the Old City of Jerusalem before daybreak last week, preparing to pressure-wash the Western Wall. For decades folded paper entreaties stuffed in the wall’s crevices have been surreptitiously removed from the Kotel, reportedly to preserve the stability of the ancient stones. Now the Israel Ministry of Tourism, fearing adverse economic impact of further deterioration of the major Holy Land attraction, boldly ordered the overall cleansing. The Ministry cited evidence that salt from human tears and stains from hands that recently held shwarma wraps are deleterious to the limestone structure. Word leaked out about the planned cleansing, and at the crack of dawn, Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians got there first to form a human chain barring the workers from modifying the holy site. Their strategic Kotel protection effort was bolstered by verbal support from red-string sellers, whose daily livelihood is directly linked to a steady supply of superstitious Kotel visitors. Soon, groups of Yeshiva students raced from their breakfast tables and pelted the pressure washers with hard boiled eggs and sardines. Within minutes, crew manager Ahmad bin Jamal and his workers grabbed their equipment and ran, dodging bags of Krembo and Bissli the Evangelicals hurled at them from wellstocked bible tote bags. On the evening news, outgoing Knesset member Tsippi Sodeh was sanguine about the incident. “Coalition governments are used to balancing religion and economics. We acknowledge the sanctity of the Kotel and just wanted to spiff it up a bit. Let the next government worry about it.” She was quick to add, “The Pressure Washers Union has been assured that workers will receive a full day’s pay and lunch money, and all eggshells and food wrappers will be removed from damaged equipment.”

A group of archaeology students, excavating in the Sinai Desert with professor Ben Dover of the Jerusalem Archeological Museum, unearthed a cache of tattered leather items, likely dating from the 13th century B.C.E. Among the artifacts was the sole of a sandal, possibly discarded during the exodus from Egypt. This amazing discovery answered a question that has confounded scholars for centuries: Did the Jewish people have snacks, anxiety reducers or palate cleansers during their 40 years of nomadic life? The small, wadded substance, resembling dried Silly Putty, adhering to the sandal sole, may answer that timeless conundrum. The discovery led to gossip in archeological circles that certain unclassified wadded relics stuck under ancient desks may finally have been identified. A number of experts from the Cairo Museum and the Rockefeller Archeological Museum were invited to weigh in on the discovery, and they came to a consensus opinion. Speaking for the multi-national group, Ben Dover had this to say, “We have no choice but to assume that ancient Hebrews chewed gum. Whether this was a substance carried out of Egypt or part of the daily manna remains unclear.”

Pandemic Jewish Studies Brothers Sam and Solly Schvitzbud from the Leibedick Kollel in Mississippi heard that Atlanta, usually a citadel of dynamic Jewish learning, has seen classes become tedious and mind-numbing during the shift from live to virtual. To that end, they sent the following suggestions to their Melton-teacher cousin Leah Nagelvasser: Purge to a Psalm: Get rid of all the junk in your basement while listening to King David’s poetry. Waiting One-on-One: Bring your study partner with you as you sit in your car before your vaccination. Balloon Bible: Soar with your pod in a hot-air balloon while reviewing the weekly Torah portion. Rake with Rashi: Enhance your lawn maintenance time by contemplating commentary by the medieval scholar. Cook and Conjugate: Practice Hebrew verbs while preparing Shabbat meals. Wash and Dry Deliberation: Ponder hamantashen fillings while doing laundry. ì

Counting the Omers Israel’s Ministry of Religion, in response to the never-ending hostility and frequent conflicts among religious groups, came up with a plan intended to promote amity among the factions. The ministry proposed a public observance of the Omer period, the seven weeks during which each day between Passover and Shavuoth is scrupulously counted. This year, in an unprecedented show of unity, the chief Ashkenaki and Sephardi rabbinate agreed: all Israelis with the name of Omer will be invited to post a photo on a special social media site, and Amir Tsarfati the number of participants will be tallied. At the time, the counting of the Omers seemed to be a good way to educate and include more Israelis in the religious practice. When the call for photos came out, a group of Israelis with names similar to Omer demanded inclusion. The dissonance was led by popular journalist Amir Tsarfati and classics professor Homer Ratz. A group of librarians demanded a posthumous inclusion of the Muslim philosopher and poet Omar Khayyam, and selfies arrived from the Emirs of Qatar and Kuwait. A menacing unsigned letter from Sicily warned that a possible misapplication of the omerta code will have dire consequences. Will the counting of the Omers proceed as planned? The conflict has reached the chambers of Israel’s Supreme Court, with time running out for a ruling.

Thinq Tanq Desperate for “Me Time”? Do You Remember Yanni? Comfort pets welcome (no peacocks, please) Contact tanq@neur.edu to schedule a trial visit. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 29

EDUCATION Keeping Students Connected on Campus COVID-19 has changed the way college students go about dayto-day life, having to attend classes online and being unable Nathan Posner to see many of their friends in person in the typical social settings that college experiences are made of. Jewish students, often away from their hometowns and synagogues, turn to Jewish on-campus organizations to help connect with peers and maintain their Jewish identity. In the face of the pandemic, with the standard in-person events at campus Hillels and Chabads now unsafe, these groups have adapted to provide students with the community they need more than ever. The AJT spoke with three on-campus Jewish organizations about how they have adapted to the pandemic.

Students participate at an outdoor Shabbat event hosted by UGA Hillel.

Roey Shoshan, executive director of UGA Hillel, hands out meals to students for Shabbat.

Shabbat meals and services are typically the foundational events of on-campus Jewish life, but with COVID-19, that has changed. Many of the organizations contacted have found that they have been able to expand their outreach to

students during this time with drive-thru and online Shabbat events. Elliot Karp, CEO of Hillels of Georgia, told the AJT, “Normally, at Emory Hillel, we may attract 60 to 75 students for Friday night services and a Shabbat

meal, but on average we were distributing 100 to 130 Shabbat meals in a box every week [during the pandemic], where students picked up meals to go.” It isn’t just at Emory where Shabbat meal programs are helping more students connect with Judaism. “We have now recognized that Shabbat has to keep going; Judaism doesn’t stop,” said Shifra Sharfstein, co-director of the Chabad at Georgia Tech and Georgia State. “There always has to be something that is accessible and available for Jewish students to do” for the holidays, and Chabad makes that possible, she said. It also is trying to continue providing accommodations, from food to learning opportunities, Sharfstein added. “We used to have 120 students packed inside for a beautiful dinner together, [and] we didn’t just want people to take food and go. We wanted them to have a little bit of a safe social experience, which is something the university felt was very important, that students should have a little bit of social interaction, but in a safe way.”

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EDUCATION

Shifra Sharfstein, co-director of the Georgia Tech Chabad, shows students how to bake challah via Zoom.

In combination with Georgia Tech Hillel, Chabad has found ways to offer students a safe social experience while helping students connect with Judaism. “We help to plan an activity with them that fits into our theme, and they have some kind of Jewish activity. Like this past week for Tu B’ Shevat they were planting succulents, and the Shabbat To Go food was the seven different fruits of Israel. There is always something for students to do at the same time, so students can afterwards be outside and socialize with each other, and there is a reason for them to socialize, but in a safe way.” Organizations have had to find ways to meet the growing needs of students, stretched by Zoom classes and isolation, as at the University of Georgia, where Hillel has tried to stay connected with students. UGA Hillel Director Roey Shoshan said, “The biggest adjustment we made is before the pandemic, we had people at our house for Shabbat dinner. … We get close to a hundred people. “Instead of giving up on that, we have a system where students can get a Shabbat box, basically a Shabbat dinner; in addition to the meal you also get a bag with challah, grape juice and dessert. We utilized a parking lot to basically do a drive by Shabbat meal pick up, which has been super successful. We can serve so many more students that way,” Shoshan said. “We are able to check in on them, see their face, and say ‘hi.’” Hillel at UGA also moved many of its meetings online, including two fellowships and weekly policy meetings. Even while continuing events held before the pandemic, Jewish campus organizations have found new ways to engage students. “Things we never thought were possible, like doing things for alumni; we now have weekly alumni classes” at the Chabad house at Georgia Tech, Sharfstein said. “Doing things for students who otherwise would be too busy to come for a class, Zoom is easy for them to come to.” While some Jewish groups have tried to hold inperson programs when possible, online programming has become a valuable alternative. For Emory’s Hillel, this was particularly useful when it came to maintaining programs involving Israel. “Obviously all trips to Israel have been suspended, but one of our more important trips is the Maccabee Task Force, wherein we take Jewish student leaders and

Photos courtesy of Shifra Sharfstein//

Students bake challah in person and virtually at Georgia Tech’s Chabad.

non-Jewish student government leaders to Israel on a fact-finding mission,” Karp said. “My staff said why can’t we do a virtual tour … They organized a five-day, virtual tour to Israel; they met for two hours a day for five days.” Students have found their own ways to connect with each other through these organizations, but also helped one another during the pandemic. At Georgia Tech’s Chabad, “Students have created a COVID relief committee, where students will deliver Shabbat food to those who have tested positive or are in quarantine,” Sharfstein said. At Emory’s Hillel, when a student’s fam-

The Tech Ramblin’ Wreck mascot gives rides to students to enjoy Shabbat To Go.

ily couldn’t care for them after they had contact with someone who was COVID-positive or had COVID themselves, Karp said that “Our staff was attentive, providing them with contact, and more importantly, if a parent wanted to send them something, instead of buying it on Amazon, we can go out and get it for them.” Lauren Blazofsky, associate director of Emory University Hillel, told the AJT that, “At the end of the day, all of our students want to connect and be a part of something and we’ve done just that. For now, we are lucky to be able to see students in person and adjust to this new norm.” ì

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EDUCATION

Melton Class Modified for Diverse Abilities G o o d old-fashioned teamwork in the Atlanta Jewish community may result in it becoming a model for educational Jan Jaben-Eilon inclusion, with adult classes being modified for students with disabilities, expanded and offered around the world. This new initiative is appropriately timed during February, the Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning was seeking to do something special in the community, said director Talya Gorsetman. “We always partner with synagogues and schools in Atlanta. We’re the only Melton school in town,” she said, referring to the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, which

“We can be a model for other communities, which is very exciting,” said Annie Garrett, Jewish Abilities Alliance manager.

“This is starting in Atlanta and is going to be international,” said Talya Gorsetman, director of the MJCCA’s Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning.

Rabbi Steven Rau helped modify the Melton curriculum and is now beginning to work with Melton on a broader curriculum designed specifically for adults with diverse abilities.

engages adult learners in the study of Jewish texts and ideas. The Greater Atlanta Jewish Abilities Alliance’s Lisa Houben, who is the community inclusion and training coordina-

tor, came up with the idea of modifying a Melton course for adults with developmental disabilities. “In a real team effort, we asked what parts of the Melton class could be tweaked” for this community, said Annie Garrett, the JAA manager. At the same time, the class had to be virtual due to the pandemic, which actually made it “more accessible” for this group of students who might not drive or have independent mobility. Garrett introduced Gorsetman to Jay Kessler, a community donor and JAA volunteer, who not only contributed funds to make the class affordable for these students, but also helped to reach out to potential students. The result was an initial class last fall that included four students with diverse abilities and three other participants who were either parents or caregivers, Gorset-

man explained. Entitled “Members of the Tribe: A Virtual Melton Class,” the course offered a modified curriculum designed to include adults of all abilities. The Temple’s Rabbi Steven Rau taught the first class. The second part of the class, which started in late January, is being taught by Devorah Lowenstein, director of Atlanta Education Associates and a longtime Melton teacher. According to Gorsetman, the class includes 13 students with diverse abilities and four adults without disabilities. The students range in age from 18 to 45. Rau helped modify the Melton curriculum and is now beginning to work with Melton on a broader curriculum designed specifically for this group of adults. “We are so lucky to have Rabbi Rau as a resource in our community,” Garrett said. “It’s pure luck. He literally wrote a book about Jewish inclusion. He’s a huge key to

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EDUCATION the success of this.” Indeed, according to students, the class has been a success. “Taking my first [Melton] class amid the COVID pandemic has been an unexpected highlight during this unique time,” Michelle Simon said in a press release. “I had been interested in taking a Melton class and I’m so glad this opportunity arose where I could take one with my son Kyle. Learning from the diverse members of the class, led by the wonderful Rabbi Rau, has been an unbelievably satisfying experience. My classmates are just so insightful and inspiring. I cannot wait to sign up for the next class.” Kyle apparently felt similarly. “I think the class is great and so meaningful. I have never done a class like this before and honestly it’s amazing and a great experience.” Gorsetman said the MJCCA’s Brill institute is now “at the beginning stages of a partnership with the Florence Melton School [at Hebrew University in Jerusalem] to create a curriculum specifically for adults with diverse abilities. The Melton curriculum must be university approved.” Once it is, the specialized curriculum will be marketed worldwide, she added. A faculty guide for the curriculum, on how to teach the class, will also be developed. “This is starting in Atlanta and is going to be international,” Gorsetman said. “We can be a model for other communities, which is very exciting,” Garrett said. She also noted that “We’ve all learned more about inclusion” while developing the new educational initiative. Garrett pointed out that JAA is not a programmatic entity. “We don’t offer direct programs,” she said. “We support our partner agencies.” However, because of JDAIM, it promoted a film screening Feb. 24 of “6,000 Waiting,” which told the stories of three Georgians with developmental disabilities whose lives have been impacted by the lack and complexity of the state’s Medicaid waiver funding. Hosted by JAA, the screening was targeted primarily toward parents and caregivers. A question-andanswer panel was to follow the event. A week earlier, on Feb. 18, there was to be a panel discussion via Zoom entitled “Israeli Influence on Disability Inclusion and Awareness.” According to Sierra Weiss, director of academic affairs and Jewish community relations at the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast, “We will discuss how to make disability accessibility a priority and how we can look to success in Israel for guidance for inclusion practices.” According to Garrett, “Our goal is to educate and empower our community to speak up.” ì

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EDUCATION

Story Intelligence “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” — Socrates From the beginning of time humans Flora Rosefsky have been telling stories. The evidence spans from cave drawings of hunters and animals to oral traditions retelling events transposed onto scrolls or books. In all its expressions, storytelling formed roadmaps for how people thought and behaved. Fast forward to the 21st century. Films, photography, TED Talks, YouTube videos, art projects, memoir writing and fictional books are all manifestations of contemporary storytelling. But storytelling is not just about entertainment. Telling our stories and listening to others’ points of view enriches the meaning of our lives. Using his experience as a writer, artist and storyteller, Richard Stone of Atlanta, along with Scott Livengood of North

34 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Richard Stone is a pioneer in developing the concept of story intelligence.

Carolina, former CEO of Krispy Kreme, developed an emerging concept called story intelligence to explain the multiple ways

storytelling impacts our lives. Having met while serving on the board of the Tennessee-based International Storytelling Center, they recently co-authored a new book, “Story Intelligence: Master Story, Master Life,” coming out next month. The AJT asked those familiar with the concept to explain how stories can reinforce or change one’s beliefs and thinking, as well as how they impact education and business. “One of the keys to facilitating learning rests in story’s power to evoke new perspectives and insight,” Stone writes in his new book. Stone, who earned a master of science degree in clinical psychology from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, further observed that most instructional settings have moved away from narrative approaches to teaching. “Instead, classrooms have become places to train minds and exact conformity and understanding. If we want to fix education, we must return to using storytelling as an integral ingredient in learning environments,” he said. “This is true because storytelling plays such an integral role in language acquisition and human development. Telling or reading stories to young children such as ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ or ‘The Giving Tree’ enables children’s brains to make important connections.” More importantly, Stone said, children learn their actions have consequences, just as a book’s characters had to make the right decisions to get good outcomes. By seeing how a character in a story postpones gratification, children in turn can learn how to develop impulsecontrol, he said. Marshall P. Duke, a professor of psychology at Emory University, referred to story intelligence “as an emerging concept, which may parallel creative and speculative concepts like emotional intelligence or personal intelligence in the spirit of Howard Gardner’s theories about multiple intelligences.” Gardner is a Harvard University psychologist. In an email to the AJT, Duke emphasized the important role that story intelligence can play in education and how the more that children know about their family stories, the more resilient they appear to be. “If this finding is corroborated and extended to people of all ages and across different cultures AND if knowledge of family stories can be reframed as story intelligence, then SI will rise to a much higher level of interest and impact,” he stated. Duke suggested that psychologists take story intelligence seriously, just as other con-

Sketch for book Where the Wild Things Are “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak is an example of a book that can change a reader’s viewpoint.

cepts that start out with a proposition such as Stone’s. Self-esteem started out this way and became a major force. Even the term intelligence itself was once just a proposed idea in the early 20th century, he wrote. Seth Kahan owns a business strategy company, Visionary Leadership, in Bethesda, Md. He worked with Stone in the 1990s to bring business leaders together to learn how to use the “power of story” in organizations. Kahan emphasized that storytelling is more than a children’s activity. He was introduced to storytelling in the 1980s and has found that teachers, thought leaders and politicians have been using story intel-

Passing down stories to children activates their brains to make connections in how to perceive the world.

ligence for centuries. “Stories are a primary tool to satisfy our desire to grasp meaning or create it, and to collectively understand our world,” Kahan said. “It’s about time we started using storytelling intentionally and teaching it as an effective communication tool.” Stone hopes his upcoming book will initiate a conversation around the concept of story intelligence to engage more research and theoretical development around the idea. ìì “Story Intelligence” will be available on Amazon March 18 with a local book launch on Zoom at 7 p.m. March 29 at A Cappella Books. For more information, visit www.storyintelligence.com.

EDUCATION

Seniors Find Solace in Online Learning During the pandemic, Jewish Atlanta seniors have chosen to attend virtual classes to enjoy new educational experiences. A range of classes have Susanne Katz been offered, including such topics as Kabbalah, Jewish spirituality, character education and ethical behavior. Hungry for Knowledge Rabbi Judy Beiner, community chaplain with Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta has brought a group of adult learners together during the pandemic for a women’s history class. Beiner discusses the origins of the group. Rabbi Judith Beiner “Miriam Saul leads an adult was in a Melton education class as class I taught community chaplain in 2019 to 2020. for Jewish Family & When that class Career Services. was over, she approached me about teaching this group.” Saul said of her motivation. “As the pandemic lingered and I realized that life was not returning to normal any time soon, I started turning inwards. Looking at my totally blank daily calendar that was previously filled with social dates, family gatherings, afternoons with grandchildren and work endeavors, I realized that I had to do something to maintain my sense of self and purpose,” she explained. “I am very blessed that during these isolating times, I found myself in a community of friends who were as hungry for knowledge-based interactions as I was. We started Miriam Saul studies a group of 18 and participates in ‘mature learners’ Rabbi Judy Beiner’s women’s history class. who meet weekly. We began these classes last August and have enjoyed it so much that we decided to continue for another semester. Our hopes are that when the virtual meetings end, we will be able to continue our stimulating and lively classes and discussions.”

Susan Sommer agreed. “As the months have gone by, I have found a stimulating outlet in the virtual Zoom class I attend. Not only do I find myself actively involved in what we are discussing, but I actually feel my mind activated to a much greater extent than has been the case,” Sommer said. “In class we offer questions and feedback to one another and feel a sense of much needed community in the process. The passive state of mind that I have felt for many days has been awakened again if only for a couple of hours weekly. Although many of us had not known each other previously, I think we all feel a sense of gratitude that we have this reunion each week and it is truly appreciated,” she said. “It feels good to be an active part of an educational community. … and the virtual Zoom interactive classroom seems to help satisfy my social appetite in these difficult times.” Jewish Character Dr. Steve Chervin, a Jewish educator and former Atlantan, is a certified instructor of The Mussar Institute who has been practicing and teaching Mussar for more than 15 years. Now living in Philadelphia, Pa., he presents classes on Zoom and encourages participants to continue the conversation in Dr. Steve Chervin, small groups. a Jewish educator Mussar is a and former Atlantan, character eduteaches classes via Zoom in Mussar, a cation program character education rooted in Jewish program. tradition, which examines the human capacity for patience, loving kindness, humility, compassion, moderation and moral responsibility. The series of classes focus on ethical behavior and asks participants to examine their successes and imbalances. “I have wanted to take Mussar with Steve for a long time and was disappointed when he moved,” Atlantan Terri Hyman said. “The pandemic has opened us to the idea of studying virtually. I love the opportunity to focus on a midRabbi Or Zohar dot (soul trait) is a reform rabbi, each week, examine how it ap- musician and teacher of Kabbalah and plies to me and

Zoom classes are held every Tuesday through the Hibura School for Kabbalah & Jewish Spirituality.

become closer with classmates, including meeting new people.” Simie Faskowitz said, “In this year of COVID, and all in this together, I am loving the Zoom aspect of these classes. … I was curious to learn about the Jewish perspective on how to be a better person and live a more fulfilled life. The study of Mussar identifies those characteristics that will open us up and lead us to becoming better versions of ourselves.” Spiritual Meditation Atlanta educator Shaindle Schmuckler attends Hibura School of Kabbalah and Jewish Spirituality classes each Tuesday on Zoom led by Rabbi Or Zohar, a Reform Israeli rabbi, Kabbalistic scholar and musician who founded the school.

Sessions include Kabbalistic meditation, sacred chants, textual study and group discussion. “My dad studied Kabbalah,” Schmuckler said of her motivation. “He would, on occaSimie Faskowitz sion, share what studies Mussar with he learned in Steve Chervin. the class discussion. I was fascinated. However, I was a very busy mom with no time for adult learning. And then miracle of all miracles, a Kabbalah class was offered at a time I could attend. Much of the time I am overwhelmed, but if I breathe and slow down, I understand in its most simplistic form. And after it is reviewed once or twice, that in the most beautiful moving language I can gently touch God’s wishes of why we are here.” ì

Jewish spirituality.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 35

EDUCATION

Jewish Kids Go Big with Lego In 1932, a Danish toy inventor introduced his “play well” (translated Lego) to generations of popular culture, ancient landmarks, and monopolistic reMarcia tail sales. Think Caller Jaffe of the Millennium Falcon, which once sold for $3,400 plus (and still re markets with Star Wars movies) 14 karat gold brick collectors’ items, and the Taj Mahal. Mother of two avid Lego-loving daughters, Inna Boyd said, “As parents, we love Legos because it builds skills, creativity and patience. For more challenging sets, the girls have to focus and not give up when a step presents a challenge. After the sets are completed, they encourage imaginative play as they create scenes with sets and mini figures. When they work together, they use teamwork to help each other.” Elizabeth, 14, and Alexis, 11, have been “Legoing” since preschool. They occasionally work on larger sets together, but usually work independently. Alexis says her most difficult was Lego Friends Amusement Park. It was one of the biggest sets she completed on her own. For Elizabeth, it was Lego Harry Potter’s Burrow, with many challenging steps. Elizabeth is looking forward to working on Avengers, and Alexis continues working on Lego Friends. They construct much larger sets as a family such as the Disney Cinderella Castle. Inna muses, “The time it takes to complete the set depends on level of difficulty and size. For Elizabeth, that can mean between two and six hours, sometimes over two days for a larger set. Alexis will spend two days on a set taking breaks. Cost varies, $30 to $100 for individual sets, more for larger family sets. Sets are often given as birthday or Chanukah gifts.” Alexis is fascinated with how the tiny bricks form a whole set. Elizabeth says her favorite is recreating Harry Potter set scenes from the movie. After completion, the sets aren’t dismantled, but stored on shelves in the playroom for future play. They also “free build” with Legos not part of a set, creating their own designs and ideas. Jordan Keilin, 12, started his Lego enthusiasm at 2. “At first my mother [Candice Keilin] helped me count studs to find the perfect piece placement and pay attention to the details. My first real Lego set was Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (4,867 pieces) rated for ages 7 to 14. I finished it at 3.” 36 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Alexis (left) and Elizabeth (top) Boyd’s faves are Harry Potter’s Great Hall and Disney Princess Lego sets. Isaac Molinari shows off his family’s penchant for exotic automobile Legos.

Above, Jordan Keilin’s collection also includes many castle projects like Hogwarts shown here.

Max Molinari sorts his pieces in plates to categorize complex projects.

One of his most difficult was Pirates of the Caribbean Silent Mary. This was particularly complex because of its floating parts that needed to be pieced together. Jordan described, “It was a ghost ship so there wasn’t a structure holding it together.” He likes Legos because the pieces are unique. He recently began Lego’s new The Beatles iconic portraits, which was a Chanukah gift. There are multiple mosaic pieces using tiny flat studs creating portraits of the rock stars. Jordan concludes, “When I was younger, my family took me to Legoland in Florida and Phipps Mall Lego[land Discovery Center] which had great exhibits especially of cities. I’ve always liked the detail in moving pieces. The Lego Store in London was incredible with a life-sized underground tube shuttle and a two-story Big Ben. What I love about Lego is it doesn’t matter how old you are, seeing these life-size creations is impressive.” Mother of sons Luca 14, Max 11, and Isaac 6, Ronni Molinari remarked, “Throughout the pandemic, Lego has been a great activity. We had previously collected a few complex sets: supercars, a pneumatic crane and the Stars Wars Millennium Falcon, which sat in storage. Stuck at home for spring break, Lego became the perfect activity. The dining room was transformed into a Lego workshop.” Max selected a GT3 Porsche and sorted pieces onto plates and progressed independently through several instruction booklets. Isaac built a Lego technic monster truck with battery-operated tow hook. He sorted pieces and did smaller assemblies, which attached to the main unit. Mom was pretty much the driving force to complete sets, but it was a special bonding activity for them. Luca has never much liked following instruction booklets and prefers a more freestyle approach. He pops in and out to see the progress. Ronni explained, “After an outdoororiented summer, this fall, the Lego room returned as a refuge from Zoom classes and escaping the screen. Isaac, inspired by his brother’s Porsche, selected Bugatti Chiron, indicated for 16 [and older] and shocked us when he completed it with only an occasional parental fix. He also constructed a Lego Nintendo console and TV set. Max has been immersed in the Millennium Falcon, the largest Lego with 7,541 pieces. I’ll just keep working on finding shelf space to display the finished works.” Lego projects that could enrich children’s view of the world include a 9,036-piece Roman Colosseum (a whooping $549) with detailed arches and tiers, Statue of Liberty, Trafalgar Square, Empire State Building, and the Golden Gate Bridge, just to name few. ì

EDUCATION

Keeping Underclassmen Moving in Right Direction S o m e students just want to be in the school building, and some are content staying at home and viewing class via the comMark Fisher puter screen. Zooming is not for everyone’s taste and there are students who detest that type of learning. When thinking about your future colleges, take your preferred type of learning into consideration when you research colleges. Some of the higher education institutions have already declared that they are test optional for the class of 2022 and beyond. It is no different than the business world reviewing their future possibilities. Nevertheless, students need to address several elements during the second semester. If you don’t submit your scores when applying to a college that is test-optional, your performance in and out of the classroom becomes much more important. Become Involved Explore extra-curricular activities and join those you like. It is much harder now to explore activities because of the virus. However, explore what is possible. You are just beginning your activity in high school. Another possibility is to become involved in a community endeavor. Think about community or synagogue youth groups. Remember, colleges are not looking at the quantity of your engagement, but the quality of your participation. The important factor is your accomplishments in those activities. Do you or will you have a leadership position? Colleges desire leaders. You can be a leader in community activities as well. Plus, try to chair a committee or have a board position. Course Selection Reviewing your courses, how are your grades this year? With your counselor, and perhaps teachers, arrange your courses for next year. Remember, college admissions personnel are looking for rigor in your courses. Examples include AP, IB, Honors or Accelerated courses. Of course, if your high school does not offer any of the above examples, you should

not be penalized. However, use your best judgment in what you can handle academically. If needed, obtain assistance in any subject with which you’re struggling. Go to your teacher for help. Some students may need a tutor. Whatever you do, take care to obtain the best grade possible. Standardized Testing Hopefully, you have taken a PSAT examination at your school. Otherwise, seek a mock PSAT test. Absolutely, analyze your score report. Your results are not a piece of paper to hide in a drawer. Take a practice SAT and/or ACT. Carefully review the results. Do you prefer one test over the other? In your junior year, you should be registering for the SAT and/or ACT exams. College Fairs Attend college fairs and/or virtual college fairs. Colleges are continually updating their websites. Jot down pros and cons of the colleges you visited or watched. Some tours are informative, and you get a decent view of the school. For those colleges that interest you, review their websites. What do you like about the college? How could that school meet your interests and values? Using the Hillel International website, how could that school meet your Jewish expectations?

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University Visits If possible, visit colleges of different sizes. That includes at least one exceptionally large university, one large university, one medium size and one small college. Admission Requirements Check out the website of a few “dream” colleges you are considering and study their admission requirements. Are you in line with their prerequisites or with a particular major? Summer Plans Plan for a summer activity, such as volunteering, academics or a job. Perhaps, summer camp. Hopefully, camps will reopen. ìì 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. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 37

CAMP Barney Medintz To Open ‘The Den’ W h e n Camp Barney Medintz reopens this summer, campers will undoubtedly be excited to return to their summer Robyn home-awaySpizman Gerson from-home after it was closed during the 2020 pandemic. The changes they will notice upon returning include a new 400 square-foot sensory cabin known as The Den, donated in large part by Atlantans Gail and Lyons Heyman. “The Den is designed to provide proven sensory soothing methods for campers of all backgrounds who need various levels of support to feel cared for during their time at camp and help campers get the most out of the camp experience,” said Camp Director Jim Mittenthal. “We are so grateful to those who have provided very thoughtful and generous resources to us to construct and provide

Scott Heyman and Jim Mittenthal at Camp Barney Medintz.

The Heyman family includes Scott, Roy, Gail, Lyons, Carly and Jared.

this very cool and meaningful new space at Camp Barney,” Mittenthal added. “Perched on a hilltop overlooking one of our Camp lakes, The Den is intended as a warm and comfortable place for campers and staff to engage with or receive support from our professional Camp Barney Medintz Camper Care staff or simply to get a respite from the ‘noise’ of camp life,” he said.

Emily Shapiro, CBM inclusion direc- pists and mental health professionals is ontor and Camper Care team member, ex- site all summer to provide mental health plained further. “For some campers, going support for campers and staff. Camp from the isolation and quiet of the past Barney is proud to now have this support year to the highly stimulating overnight network in place every summer, and parcamp environment could bring some chal- ticularly this summer to help kids work through any stress and anxiety associated lenges.” In addition to the Heymans’ donation, with living through a global pandemic.” The Den includes two 8-by-10 rooms The Den was made possible with the support of a $55,000 Yashar (level, integrity) Initiative matching grant from the Foundation for Jewish Camp, in partnership with The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The establishment of The Den is part of a larger initiative by Camp Barney Medintz, which received a Yedid Nefesh (beloved soul) grant from the FJC along with The Marcus FounThe Den at Camp Barney Medintz will provide dation and the Ron & a soothing space for campers. Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust to address mental, emotional and with a Camper Care team office in between social health (MESH) needs in the camp them and a 170-square-foot covered deck with outside seating for a peaceful outdoor community. “The Den is the ideal space for camp- view. Gail Goldstein Heyman attended Barers to process emotions, take needed breaks, interact with therapists, and escape ney from 1964 to 1971 as a camper and counthe bustle that sometimes accompanies an selor and later became a camp parent. “The overnight camping environment,” Mitten- Den will be a meaningful resource for many individuals. As we know, camp is a lot of fun, thal said. “The Den is comprised of two sensory but life in general and especially while being rooms – one for younger campers and one away from home at sleepaway camp can be for teens. The rooms are equipped with a challenge. “Our vision is The Den will give campers sensory equipment, visual aids, a LEGO wall, musical instruments, calming art and and staff a place to chill out and learn coping skills. It is our hope that The Den provides more. “The Den will also be home to Camp a source of calm and lessens unnecessary Barney’s Community Care team. Intro- stressors in life to contribute to a happy and duced in 2019, this team of licensed thera- positive experience at Camp Barney.” ì

2021 SUMMER SESSIONS JUNE 14 - 18 JUNE 21 - 25 JULY 12 - 16 JULY 19 - 23 held at

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ATLANTA’S ATLANTA’S PREMIER PREMIER MUSIC MUSIC CAMP CAMP

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Students learn from Atlanta’s top music talent! Grouped into bands, campers craft 4 song set list with some help from the pros. At the end of the week it all comes together when the bands get ready for a live Thursday night rehearsal at The Tin Roof Cantina and then wow everyone at the highly anticipated Friday night show. Don’t miss out on this incredible experience!

38 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Check out the performance mash-up from 2019 and get registration information at www.rockandbluescamp.com ph: 404-202-6044 info@rockandbluescamp.com

CAMP

Meet Ramah Darom’s New Director Anna Serviansky, a Camp Ramah Darom alum, was recently named the camp’s new director and head of education. She brings to the new roles she began in December professional experience, personal passion, a history with the camp, and a background in law and JewAnna Levy ish education. “I went to law school at Georgetown University, but discovered my heart wasn’t in it,” Serviansky said. “I kept thinking about Ramah Darom and how it was my dream. It isn’t uncommon for lawyers to decide to quit law and pursue something they are more passionate about.” Serviansky worked as the associate dean of List College and the Kekst Graduate School at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York for the past five years. At List College, she worked closely with students and oversaw several key initiatives, including the JustCity summer programs and an annual teen summit. Serviansky was at Ramah Darom from 2000 to 2004 and worked for two years at the National Ramah Commission and Ramah Nyack in New York as a yearround staff member and Rosh Aidah (unit head). “Something that was maybe going to be a one summer thing for me turned into five summers,” she said. “During my time at Ramah, I figured out how much I loved experiential education. If it weren’t for Ramah, I might have never figured out my passion for education.” After leaving law, Serviansky got a master’s degree in Jewish education from JTS with a focus on experiential education. She describes experiential education as “learning by doing,” and as a teaching method Ramah Darom already incorporates into its Jewish curriculum. “Experiential education aims to create an environment where learners can be exposed to new ideas and learn it in a way that sticks, without traditional methods like reading or lectures,” Serviansky said. “This already exists in Ramah’s existing programs, such as our Havdalah service. We learn about Shabbat by lighting the candles, singing the songs, and having fun with other people.” Serviansky said her background in law has helped contribute to her success in the field of education and camp. “The lawyer in me is always troubleshooting and looking for what can go wrong, of course,” she explained. “But another part of the lawyer in me is always striving for excellence, which I bring to my work with Ramah Darom.” Camp CEO Wally Levitt said of the new director, “We’re thrilled to welcome Anna back to the Ramah Darom community. Anna has an impressive background as an innovative Jewish educator, and she has brought a fantastic new energy and creativity. And we love that our new camp director is both an alumna of Camp Ramah Darom and a camp parent herself.” As far as plans for her new role, Serviansky said she is spending much of this time settling into her role and learning as much as she can about the camp.

Anna Serviansky, Ramah Darom’s new camp director and head of education, brings professional history and personal passion to the role.

“It’s my first year, so I am still learning,” Serviansky said. “But my plan for now is to improve upon successful programs we already have, with a special emphasis on the arts. I’m hoping to have some fun surprises planned for the camp’s upcoming summer and am so excited to be a part of the camp’s next chapter.” Serviansky stepped into the shoes of longtime Ramah camp director Geoffrey Menkowitz. “Being a camp director is one of the most thrilling,

Serviansky with her friends at camp during her first summer there.

but demanding jobs you can have,” Anna said. “From what I understand, he was ready for his next professional opportunity after 13 years. He served Ramah Darom so well and I am honored to be able to continue his work.” Menkowitz plans to finish his dissertation for his Ph.D., according to Serviansky. Ramah Darom has constructed a trail in his honor called the Menkowitz Trail. ì

H IGH MUSE UM OF AR T AT L ANT A

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 39

CAMP

Atlanta Jewish Times Advertisers Camp Directory The AJT thanks all of our advertisers and ask Jewish Atlantans to patronize these businesses. 6 Points Creative Arts Academy West Chester, PA 410-609-9870 www.6pointscreativearts.org Session 1: June 29-July 11 Session 2: July 13-July 25 Session 3: July 27-August 8 $3,495 per session

6 Points Sci-Tech Academy Lyndhurst, NJ 857-246-8677 www.6pointsscitech.org Session 1: June 29-July 11 Session 2: July 13-July 25 Session 3: July 27-August 8 $3,595 per session

6 Points Sports Academy Asheville, NC 561-208-1650 www.6pointssports.org June 22- July 4 July 6- July 18 July 20- August 1 $3,250 per session

Atlanta Workshop Players – Performing Arts Camps Atlanta, GA 770-998-8111, 770-366-6888 www.AtlantaWorkshopPlayers.com/ camp2021 June 7 - June 26 $450, $695, $1,275, $2,175

At 6 Points Creative Arts, participants in grades three to 11 are drawn together in a dynamic artistic community to experience camp, explore their passions and improve their skills. With guidance from mentors within the field, compelling role models who weave Jewish values, ethics and tradition into their arts disciplines, campers challenge themselves to continue their development as artists, refining their natural abilities and acquiring new skills. Summer 2021 arts majors are creative writing, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, classical/contemporary theater, musical theater, photography and visual arts.

URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, a Jewish science and technology camp, welcomes young Jewish scientists and innovators entering grades five to 11. Each day, campers are immersed in an exciting environment that nurtures their passion for exploration and discovery through hands-on projects and activities, all within the familiar traditions and welcoming community of a Reform Jewish summer camp. Campers can attend for two, four or six weeks, choosing from a variety of workshops and electives. Sci-Tech is located 45 minutes north of Boston, on The Governor's Academy campus.

Do you have a passion for sports? At 6 Points Sports Academy in Asheville, N.C., campers receive individual, skill development training from professional coaches and are part of a warm, welcoming community of Jewish athletes. Participants are rising fourth through 11th graders and can choose from the following sports majors: baseball, basketball, cheer and dance, golf, gymnastics, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and girls volleyball.

“Imagine You on the Big Screen.” Work with top industry pros to make movies, walk the red carpet, earn IMDB credits, audition for agents and network. Build confidence and friendships while taking classes in improv, acting, musical theater, physical comedy, dance and circus arts, all in a joyful, non-competitive atmosphere. See shows, perform and enjoy COVID-safe social events. Your creative adventure awaits with the Atlanta Workshop Players’ Performing Arts Camps in June!

FIND YOUR SUMMER HOME Cryptology, Digital Art, Digital Film Production, Food Science, LARP, Marine Science, Python Programming, Robotics, and Video Game Design BYFIELD, MA

Baseball, Basketball, Cheer & Dance, Golf, Gymnastics, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, and Girls Volleyball ASHEVILLE, NC

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40 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Classical/Contemporary Theatre, Musical Theatre, Photography, and Visual Arts WEST CHESTER, PA 6POINTSCREATIVEARTS.ORG

CAMP Atlanta’s Rock N Blues Camp Atlanta, GA 404-202-6044 www.RockandBluesCamp.com June 14 – 18, 21 – 25; July 12 – 16, 19 – 23 $550 one session, $1,050 for two.

Camp Gan Israel North Fulton Alpharetta, GA 770-410-9000 www.CGINF.com June 28 – July 30 Subsidized rate at $220 per week

Atlanta Rock ‘n Blues Camp is a music camp where students learn from the city’s top musical talent. Grouped into bands, campers craft a four-song set with some help from the pros. At the end of the week it all comes together when the bands get ready for a live Thursday night rehearsal at a local venue and then wow everyone at the highly anticipated Friday night show. We include drums, bass, guitar, keys, singers, saxophone, trumpet and trombone. Don’t miss out on this incredible experience!

CGI North Fulton offers one of the most exciting and fulfilling camp experiences you can find for your child in the North Fulton area. We are located in Johns Creek/Alpharetta on a beautiful seven-acre campus, which includes an exquisite new 23,000-square-foot building, outdoor sports facilities, a swimming pool and a kiddie pool. The camp is located at 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Johns Creek.

Brandeis University Precollege Programs Virtual Online 781-736-8416 www.brandeis.edu/precollege/programs/genesis/index.html July 12 - 31, 2021 $1,250, scholarships available Join a unique Jewish learning and community-building program that leverages the exceptional assets of Brandeis University and gives you the opportunity to learn, create and grow both academically and Jewishly. Students choose one course among those available for study: creative writing, theater arts, global religions and gender, Judaism and justice. Connect with motivated students from around the globe and learn with professionals in their fields for a life-changing summer of intensive study, informal learning and a vibrant Jewish community of friends.

Camp Judaea Hendersonville, NC 404-634-7883 www.campjudaea.org June 11-July 5, July 8- Aug. 1 Special 10-day programs available for second through fourth graders. Firsttime campers might be eligible for up to $1,000 off their first summer! Camp Judaea offers a variety of activities in a loving family atmosphere where campers explore, learn and grow while developing lifelong friendships. Located on 158 acres in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Western North Carolina, our setting inspires campers to embrace nature, take positive risks and become more independent.

GET OUTSIDE AND UNPLUGGED Camp Kingfisher Summer Camp SIGN UP YOUR CAMPER TODAY!

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9135 Willeo Road | Roswell, GA 30075 chattnaturecenter.org | 770.992.2055

Camp Barney Medintz - MJCCA Cleveland, GA 678-812-3844 www.campbarney.org June 7 – July 31 Rates vary Camp Barney Medintz is the MJCCA’s Jewish summer overnight camp located in the North Georgia mountains on more than 500 spectacular acres. Offering the most meaningful and transformational overnight camp experience, boys and girls completing first through 11th grades build lifelong friendships, gain confidence and independence, challenge themselves and strengthen their Jewish identities. For more information about our two-week and four-week sessions and to register, visit campbarney.org.

Camp Kef at AJA Atlanta, GA 404-843-9900 www.aja.fyi/SummerCamp Weekly June 7 - July 2 $330 per week Camp Kef is an AJA camp for ages four through 10 years old. We provide funfilled themes (including crafts, cooking, music, nature, sports and science ) and daily water activities. Space is limited! ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 41

CAMP Camp Kingfisher at the Chattahoochee Nature Center Roswell, GA 770-992-2055 x222 www.chattnaturecenter.org/education/camp June 1-Aug. 6 Rates vary, check website for details

EXCITING SUMMER ADVENTURES June 7–July 2, 2021 Preschool Camp (2s–PK must be two by June 1) Adventure Camp (K–6th)

ESA CAMP

• All Covid Safety protocols in place

• Lunches available for purchase

• Returning favorites include Art, Drama, Sports, Circus Arts, StemQuest, Musical Theater, and more!

• Multi-week discount • Camp hours from 9 am– 3:30 pm (Preschool 1:30 pm option)

• New (future favorites) include Challenge Island, Little Medical School, Magic, and more!

Registration now open at epsteinatlanta.org/esa SDC21_Ad_AJT_4.66x5.7_RegNow 021721 ol.pdf

5389 epst ESA21 AJT ad_f.indd 1

2/17/21

Sandy Springs, GA 3:46 PM

1/28/21 2:26 PM

Rising kindergarteners through seventh graders can connect with nature this summer, build lasting friendships and have all the fun of a traditional summer camp at Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Camp Kingfisher. Since 1993, Camp Kingfisher has provided an unforgettable camp experience to thousands of children and young adults. Campers can explore 127 acres of woodlands, three ponds and the Chattahoochee River for a unique summer experience that encourages personal growth, teamwork and environmental stewardship in campers. Certified counselors lead hikes, animal encounters, science explorations, canoeing, swimming, arts, archery and more. One-week and two-week sessions available. Get outside and unplugged! Camp Minimac at The Temple Atlanta, GA 404-872-8668 www.the-temple.org/camps June 1 - July 30 $290 per week for half day or $565 per week for full day with additional options Play and learn with Camp Minimac’s Adventure Camp. Each week we will go on a new adventure to exciting places from the jungle to space. We will explore each location through activities, including special in-house field trips, art, music, science, games, cooking, and of course, playing in our splash pad! We offer flexible half-day and full-day options for kids ages 12 months to 5 years olds.

Camp Ruach! at Congregation Etz Chaim Marietta, GA 770-977-3384 www.etzchaim.net/campruach June 7-July 30 Camp Ruach! at Congregation Etz Chaim offers a fun and interactive camp experience for preschoolaged children. From water play to nature activities, from crafts to cooking, your child will be busy at Camp Ruach. Flexible scheduling. Choose the weeks and days that that are best for your camper.

CMY

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campMODA Summer Camps Online Summer Camp 404-979-6455 www.museumofdesign.org/camps May 26 - August 6 $180 to $300 At campMODA, our camps and educational programs teach young designers, ages 8 to 18, to think creatively while using STEM tools, and to innovate as they take on real-world challenges. Helping today’s young designers become the changemakers of the future. At present, we are only scheduling online summer camps due to the current public health crisis. Epstein Summer Camp Atlanta, GA 404-250-5606 www.epsteinatlanta.org/esa June 7-July 2 Epstein Summer Adventure Camp is located at The Epstein School and open to the public for four weeks in June for 2 year olds through eighth grade. With new and exciting adventures each week, we are your Sandy Springs headquarters for summertime fun! Please check out our camp options and register early to ensure your child has a spot. With over 40 different weeklong camp options, there is something for everyone. Multi-week discounts are available. High Meadows Camp Roswell, GA 770-993-7975 www.highmeadowscamp.org Sessions: June 7 – June 18, June 21 – July 2, July 5 – July 16, July 19 – July 30 $900 per two-week session A relaxed and caring atmosphere set on 40 acres of farm and woodland in Roswell. Children in rising first grade through rising ninth grade have opportunities for self-discovery through age-appropriate activities directed at personal improvement, environmental awareness and noncompetitive achievement. Activities include archery, animal encounters, woodworking, canoeing, crafts, swimming, drama, nature and sports. Providing outstanding traditional outdoor experiences enriching lives in a caring, nurturing, child-centered setting, since 1973.

Color Eddie, take a photo, and share on Instagram @WACamps

Woodward Academy Summer Camps offer enrichment, academic, athletic, and activity camps that are open to all kids ages 5 and up and accessible through our exceptional bus system. Your child will be immersed in a one-of-a-kind summer experience from the moment they arrive. Explore our full camp offerings and register today!

Main Campus in College Park from May 24 - July 23 North Campus in Johns Creek from May 24 - June 25 woodward.edu/camps

STAGE DOOR ACADEMY IS LAUNCHING MARCH 1ST

Enrollment for the Summer one week and two week camps begin March 1st for students ages 10-18 with class sizes limited and Covid safety procedures in place.

Two – 2 week Show Intensive camps. Additional camps offered will be Musical Theatre, Acting, and Technical Theatre.

Our two-week Show Intensives will culminate in a full show produced and performed by students enrolled in the camp!

Camp classes include dance, voice, film, acting, Improv, set design, costuming and so much more! Ages will vary by camp. Visit our website for further details at stagedoorplayers.org/education For questions, you may call 770-396-1726 X3 and speak to the Academy Director, Grace VandeWaa. Stage Door Players is located in the DeKalb Cultural Arts Building 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody GA 30338 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 43

CAMP High Touch High Tech Science/Stem Camp Metro Atlanta and surrounding areas, GA 770-667-9443 www.sciencemadefunatl.net Each day during X-treme Science Camp, campers will enjoy 270 minutes of degreed-professional instructor-led hands-on science and STEM activities, including a visit to Tech Lab. Science, technology, and engineering come alive as we excite your child with our unique form of “edutainment.” Eight metro locations. Serving Atlanta since 1994.

MJCCA Day Camps Dunwoody, GA 678-812-4004 www.mjccadaycamps.org June 1-Aug. 13 Rates vary by camp At MJCCA Day Camps, rising pre-K through 10th graders make lifelong friendships, try new things and explore their every interest, all while having the best summer ever! With Summer Days @ the J Camp Isidore Alterman (where campers put down their electronics and play in nature) and specialty camps, which focus on performing arts, sports, theme and teen options, the possibilities for an amazing summer are endless. For more information and to register, visit mjccadaycamps.org. Morah Carol's Place Atlanta, GA 617-275-3021 www.morahcarolsplace.com June 8 – July 31 Rates vary with early drop off and extended day

Intown Jewish Preschool Summer Camp Atlanta, GA 404-898-0438 www.intownjewishpreschool.org June 7-July 30 All the great quality you’ve come to expect from the Intown Jewish Preschool in a summer camp setting. Warm, nurturing and filled with hands-on learning excitement. Our staff is comprised of our trained teachers from the school year plus additional special summer staffing. The teacher acts as a guide and facilitator to ensure that each child experiences a variety of challenging and enjoyable activities. Summer activities will include enrichment activities in art, music, science, water play and special visitors. Camp is open to preschool children from 18 months to 6 years old. Register for a full session before April 15 and we’ll discount one session of your tuition by 10 percent.

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Lots of outdoor fun in the sun. Two large separate play areas. Water play, arts and crafts, sports, science, dance, creative play and more. Each week with a theme of its own. For more information, please see our website or contact Morah Carol at Morahcarol@ Morahcarolsplace.com National Computer Camp Virtual and In-Person Summer Camp 203-710-5771 www.nccamp.com June and July $495 per week An original computer camp since 1977. The focus is coding, 2D and 3D video game design, Android App programming, web page design and software applications. We offer all levels of programming, beginner to advanced in Python, Basic, C++, Java, Assembler, HTML and JavaScript. What distinguishes NCC from other computer camps is that NCC aims to teach youngsters ages 6 to 18 lifelong computer skills by providing a solid foundation in programming. Visit us and join us.

Pace Academy-Camp Atlanta, GA 404-240-9130 www.paceacademy.org/programs/ summer-programs June 1 – July 30 $205 to $425

Summer Art Camp at The High Museum Atlanta, GA 470-370-2032 www.high.org/Camp Weekly June 7 – July 30 Members, $350, not-yet-members, $450

With over 50 different types of camps during the summer, there is the perfect camp for every child! We offer academic, athletic, specialty and art/theater camps for campers of rising kindergarten to eighth grades. Driver's Education is also offered at Pace for high school students.

Young artists will explore the museum’s galleries, create original artworks and showcase their masterpieces in a special exhibition each week. Campers will learn about the museum’s collection and special exhibitions while honing their skills in drawing, painting and design. Professional teaching artists will inspire your child to look closely, experiment with materials and try new techniques. Serving rising first through eighth graders.

Ramah Darom Clayton, GA 404-531-0801 www.ramahdarom.org June 16-Aug. 8 $2,795-$9,875 (Scholarships available) Outdoor adventure, non-stop fun, lifelong friendships, joyful Judaism and so much more. A fantastic, safe and transformative experience awaits your child at Camp Ramah Darom this summer! Offering two, four and eight-week sessions on our breathtaking, 185-acre North Georgia mountain campus, just two hours from Atlanta. Stage Door Players Camp Dunwoody, GA 770-396-1726 ext 3 www.stagedoorplayers.org June 1 - July 31 Stage Door is a professional theater hosting world-class talent in front of and behind the curtain, and that will continue into the future. As we expand our professional productions and programming to the community throughout the year, we will be offering a much more diverse slate that will include Performing Arts Camps and much more.

Summer at Galloway Atlanta, GA 770-252-8389 x140 www.gallowayschool.org/summer June 7 - July 30 $195-$350 This year Summer at Galloway is proud to offer half- and full-day programs for campers in metro Atlanta! Students ages 3 to 7 are invited to join us for Camp Galloway. This full-day offering features a new theme each week with hands-on games, art-making, indoor/ outdoor play, and theme immersed activities. Rising third through seventh grade students can join us for STEAMcation, our half-day science, technology, engineering and art programs. All camps are 100 percent refundable through May 1.

Georgia Cyber Academy is a tuition-free, online, public charter school serving students in grades K-12 throughout the state of Georgia. Enjoy everything you love about traditional brick and mortar education, from the comfort of your own home! GCA’s faculty and staff are eager to support your student on their journey to academic excellence and reach their personal goals. Our programs serve a diverse range of students who seek a structured online school experience, with access to the same school services offered in a traditional brick-andmortar setting: clubs, social events, counseling services, college advising, student support services, and more. Some of the programs and services we provide include an Advanced & Gifted Program, English Learner Program, Special Education Services, Counseling, AP Courses, Dual Enrollment and many more. Once partnered with one of our certified teachers, your student will participate in live interactive classes and an engaging curriculum that supports their individualized learning path. Students access lessons and live classes via an online learning management system, and laptops are provided to qualifying families. During the school day, a parent or guardian acts as a Learning Coach to provide support and guidance to the student while in the safety and security of the home environment.

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What does a typical class look like? Classes are conducted using a combination of online and offline components. Live sessions are conducted by the teacher at predefined times. All live sessions are recorded for students to reference as needed. Our streamlined classroom technology allows teachers to conduct multi-student discussions, space for instructional slides, video sharing, and other interactive activities.

Morah Carol’s Place SUMMER CAMP We are so excited to be offering an amazing summer camp program this year! Our camp will include ages Infant through Rising 1st Grade; see below for a complete list of camp dates. Theme Dates Week 1: Classic Children’s Stories June 8 - 12 Week 2: Summer Time Fun June 15 - 19 Week 3: Animal Adventures June 22 - 26 Week 4: Rocking in the USA June 29 - July 3 Week 5: Ocean Exploration July 6 - 10 Week 6: Science & Nature July 13 - 17 Week 7: Sports & Dance July 20 - 24 Week 8: Under the Top Circus July 27 - 31 Please note the following days: Friday, July 3 - Noon Dismissal Wednesday, July 29 - 3:00PM Dismissal Thursday, July 30 - No Camp - Tisha B'Av Friday, July 31 - Regular hours - Last day of camp For questions or to sign up, please contact Morah Carol at morahcarol@morahcarolsplace.com or 617-275-3021. Please visit morahcarolsplace.com for more information.

What is GCA’s curriculum? We are committed to providing a rigorous Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) based curriculum and system of support for all students. Students are provided with coursework in: Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. K-8th grade electives include PE/Health, Art (K-5th), Computer Science (6th-8th), optional Spanish (1st-8th), and optional Art (7th-8th). Two electives per semester are provided for grades 9-12.

What about testing? We conduct certain state-mandated assessments, including the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA), Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS), and ACCESS for ELLs. We also offer students the opportunity to participate in a number of additional assessments including Advanced Placement (AP), PSAT, CogAT, AccuPlacer, and ASVAB.

Are there social opportunities for students? Yes! Our students also have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of in-person social activities including field trips, extracurricular clubs, sports, college visits, and even an annual outing day celebration held in several different regions throughout Georgia! Parents can also be an active member of our community by joining closed Facebook groups through our Parent-Teacher-Student-Organization (PTSO) where they can organize events within their respective regions of the state.

Interested in enrolling your student at GCA? Our fall enrollment period is currently open and we would love for you and your family to join our community of Champions! Our enrollment process consists of an online lottery registration and an online application. Get started by visiting the link below:

georgiacyber.org/enrollment/get-started Do you have questions about our school or the enrollment process? Give us a call at (470) 579-4389 or send us an email at info@georgiacyber.org.

Working together, we can help your student Rise Up, Aim High, and Soar toward their bright future!

Week 1 Ocean Exploration June 7 - 11 Week 2 Flags & Dads Week June 14 - 18 Week 3 Fun in the Sun June 21 - 25 Week 4 Rocking in the USA June 28 - July 2 Week 5 Animal Adventures July 5 - 9 Week 6 Science & Nature July 12 - 16 Week 7 Jr. Culinary Week July 19 - 23 Week 8 Under the Top Circus July 26 - 30 Please note the following days: Friday, July 2 - Noon Dismissal Friday, July 30 - Regular hours Last day of camp There will be Noon dismissal on July 2 for Fourth of July. Please visit morahcarolsplace.com or call 617-275-3021 for more information Available hours Monday-Thursday, 7:30pm - 6pm Friday - 7:30 - 4pm ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 45

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■ Private non-parochial education for infants through 8th grade. ■ Now offering face-to-face instruction and real-time remote learning through ClassFusion! ■ Nurturing environment featuring outstanding teachers, small class sizes with assistants, hands-on academics, STEM, Discovery Clubs and frequent in-house field trips. ■ After school, competitive sports, Science Olympiad and Summer Camp available

5380 Faircroft Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30005 www.McGinnisWoods.org • 770-664-7764 SACS, GAC and NAEYC accredited

CAMP Summer Safari Camp at Zoo Atlanta Atlanta, GA 404-624-5822 www.zooatlanta.org/camp June 1 – July 30 Rates Vary - half day and full day available Join us at Zoo Atlanta this summer for an exploration of all things wild! Each week, campers ages 4 to 14 are engaged in different hands-on STEAM-based projects and explore how to make a difference for wildlife. Select an individual week or spend the entire summer at Zoo Atlanta. Temple Sinai Preschool Sandy Springs, GA 404-255-6200 www.templesinaipreschool.org Session 1: June 7-July 2 Session 2: July 12-Aug. 6 Rates vary dependent on age and hours Join Temple Sinai Preschool for a summer of fun! You can choose to register for one or both summer sessions for infants through rising kindergarten. Your camper can join us to explore the world of art, experiment with science, learn sports skills, and experience the best part of summer: spending time outside splashing around with friends. URJ Camp Coleman Cleveland, GA 770-671-8971 www.campcoleman.org Session 1: June 13 – July 8, Session 2: July 11 – Aug. 5, Bonim 2 Weeks: June 13 – 24 , July 11 – 22 Taste of Coleman: July 11 - 15 Four-week session: $5,195, Bonim two weeks: $2,795, Taste of Coleman: $825 For over 50 years, Camp Coleman, a program of the Union for Reform Judaism, has served campers from the Southeast United States from Tennessee and the Carolinas through Georgia and Florida. Committed to core values of respect, peace, community and kindness, we build a warm and caring community where campers have fun, make lifelong friends and learn new skills. Our mission is to inspire campers and staff to become caring, committed and connected to the Jewish community through an extraordinary camp experience.

46 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Valley View Ranch Equestrian Camp for Girls Cloudland, GA 706-862-2231 www.valleyviewranch.com June 6 – August 6 $2,050 to $3,600 Horse lovers’ paradise since 1954! Overnight camp for girls ages 8 to 17. Located on 600 acres offering riding in English, Western, Barrels, Vaulting, and Trails. CHA instructors teach beginner to advanced riders. Spend up to six hours a day riding and caring for your own camp horse. The Jones family are third generation horse lovers, camp administrators and equine educators making girls' dreams come true! Walker Summer Programs Marietta, GA 770-427-2689 www.thewalkerschool. org/summer June 7 - July 30 $150 for half-day camp to $350 for fullday camp per week Over 500 campers agree, Walker Summer Programs are the best way to spend your summer! Located just two miles from the Marietta Square, Walker offers a variety of academic, athletic and artistic opportunities for 3 to 18-year-olds in the metro Atlanta community. Choose from half-day or full-day options; early morning dropoff and late pickup is also available. Registration begins March 1. Woodward Academy Summer Camps College Park, GA 404-765-4401 www.woodward.edu/camps College Park: May 24 – July 23 Johns Creek: May 24 – June 25 $300 - $400 Woodward Academy Summer Camps offer enrichment, athletic, academic, and activity camps that are open to the public and accessible through our exceptional bus system. Your child will be immersed in a one-of-a-kind summer experience from the moment they arrive. Learn more about Woodward Academy's camp offerings and join the fun! ì

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DINING Monkey Around with Asian Cuisine By Marcia Caller Jaffe Monkey 68 Kitchen and Bar in Alpharetta is inside a quaint, historic house sharing space with a pottery workshop in an airy building with high ceilings, modern paintings, globe lights and a sleek bar. It seats 55 inside and 20 outside on the patio. The front patio is for prime “people watching,” eating and lounging by the front door adjacent to an artificial waterfall. The restaurant’s interior has a modern flair with brushed metals, retro tile and charcoal mellow gray textures that accent a central bar and a split-level dining room. Monkey 68’s original location is near bustling Canton Street in the heart of Roswell. It’s owned by Mali Hu and George Muh, serving a diverse blend of Chinese,

The front door patio is perfect for lounging and people watching.

The Ramen Salad combines almonds with edamame and loads of cabbage. The sushi is artfully arranged.

Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean-inspired dishes. In December 2019 Monkey 68 opened the Main Street spot in Alpharetta. General Manager Tay Wunn said, “Our Alpharetta location was less than a year old when the pandemic began, and we hadn’t had a chance to build our presence in the community. However, we’re thankful that we’ve had guests who recognize us from Roswell. With proper precautions and safety measures in place, we’re grateful to still welcome guests at limited capacity and offer delivery options during this time.” The menus are different at each location, so reason more to try both. Born in Korea and raised in Taiwan, Hu came to the United States as a Master of Business Administration student at Mercer University. She then worked as an accountant before making the career shift into the restaurant industry. They have opened several restaurants in the greater Atlanta area, including Ichiban in Alpharetta and Cumming, and The One Sushi+ in Brookhaven. Hu and Muh opened Monkey 68, named after Hu’s Chinese zodiac sign and birth year,

Monkey 68 in Alpharetta is in an airy building with high ceilings, modern paintings and globe lights.

in summer 2017 before taking the concept to Alpharetta. The “Refined Asian” menus draw inspiration from Hu’s heritage and emphasizes shareable dining through sushi, small plates, and chef platters. The lineup features fresh takes on classics such as sweet chili and pan-seared dumplings, and comfort dishes such as kimchi fried rice. Curious options are yellowtail jalapeno shots with cilantro, sriracha, radish, balsamic pearls and honey yuzu. A creative wordsmith would dive into signature sushi rolls with names such as One Night in Tokyo, Never Say Never Again, Chanel Replica and Rolls Royce. Monkey 68’s rotating beverage program complements its funky cuisine. Handcrafted cocktails inspired by Chinese zodiac signs showcase a range of refreshing, tropical ingredients. While the menu changes often, current favorites include Charming Snake made with mezcal, Luxardo cherry, blackberry peppercorn shrub and lime. Monkey See Monkey Drink features teainfused rum, osmanthus syrup, Amaro Meletti, Giffard banana, lemon and egg white. A specially selected assortment of Japanese sake, domestic beer and wine round out the list. What we sampled: Avocado Salad ($10): Clean, light and fresh. Doing take out, it’s important to replace the salad at home in a bowl and toss properly with tongs and dressing versus just pouring over the takeout box. Ramen Salad ($14): The mandarin oranges were a nice touch atop the generous shreds of cabbage. The ramen, edamame, almonds and green onions were highlights in proportion to the cabbage. The honey vinaigrette was delightful. Brussels sprouts ($8): Rich caramelized drenched in oil and thai chili, like eating candy. Great portion size.

48 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Poke Trio ($16): Glorious bowl of the freshest cubes of salmon, tuna and yellowtail, olive oil and kizami wasabi (chopped and marinated in soy). Sushi: Fresh ingredients subtly placed. The rice was a bit gummy that night. She-Sho Fresh ($13): salmon, red snapper, pickled shiso, cilantro and lemon juice. Picante ($14): spicy yellowtail, jalapeño and cucumber. Red Snapper Carpaccio ($18) Outstanding artistic creation where the fish resembles a hand painted rectangle aubergine, purple on one side graduated to alabaster on the other. Radish, cilantro and sweet cuke combine for the right blend. Part of the fun here are the original sauces and dressings, which can be interchanged. ì Monkey 68 Kitchen and Bar is located at 160 N. Main St., Alpharetta. It is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Rooster That Rocks is an example in the exotic list of cocktails.

The portraits command the room. (Left) Aleta as a teen sat after Hebrew School for renowned Atlanta artist Comer Jennings. (Right) Glamorous mom Rita Goldstein sat for artist Roman Chatov.

Chai Style Art

Sculptor’s Art Provokes Conversation Peek inside the private world of artist Aleta Aaron, careers as an artist and psychotherapist have evolved where everything has a story brimming with life and together.” Enter the lush bohemian Buckhead sanctuary. emotion. Inspired by faraway travel and her parents, collectors Rita and Dr. Marvin Goldstein, Aaron has an Jaffe: What are some of your collected favorites? organic assemblage of her own sculpture backdropped Aaron: My parents housed a beautiful by art. art collection along with hundreds of art “Our house is beautified by many of books. My childhood home was the first my parents’ pieces and husband Howard gallery I ever visited. I cherish having my and I have collected. Our home is our little mother’s oil portrait painted by Roman peaceful retreat where we feel at one with Chatov hanging next to mine by Comer Jennature.” nings. The Jennings portrait was won by my Among familiar artists such as Yaacov parents as a door prize. My mother chose Agam, Philip Moulthrop and Dale Chihuly, me as the subject. I didn’t know any friend how more special is a Comer Jennings porleaving Hebrew school to sit in Comer Jentrait of Aleta as a young girl alongside her nings’ living room as he painted, accompaglamorous mother’s oil by Roman Chatov. Marcia nied by a pianist playing classical music. I Then there’s the adventure of how Aleta Caller Jaffe love the meditative spirit he captured of me and Howard (partner in Goldberg’s Fine Foods) brought back life-sized South African statues at that time. A large wool rug design panel by noted Israeli arwith spears on the plane from Johannesburg. Southchitect Yaacov Agam hangs in our entrance hallway as it western pottery and paintings add another dimension. In describing her own art, Aleta Aaron states, “As hung at my parents’ home. Among other treasured items a sculptor, I seek to capture the spirit and beauty of the are a set of Chihuly nesting vessels, a Philip Moulthrop human form, relying on the simplicity of abstraction. lathed turned spalted beech bowl, an oil painting of Every sculpture reflects matters from the heart and young girl titled “Nina En Verde” by Gustavo Montoya, one’s inner dialogues. My passion to create ignited even and numerous art books from my parents’ collection. more when I became a mother, and over the years my

Aleta Aaron poses in the hallway alongside South African beaded standing figures. Left Agam mural carpet. Background peeks into the master bedroom. Photos by Duane Stork

Jaffe: Describe the emotional place from which your passion for sculpture comes. Aaron: Working in clay is as comforting as walking barefoot on a soft, sandy beach. Both provide an inner calm and hours of reflection and enjoyment. As a young child drawing, I recall commenting that art is everywhere. I’m more of an abstract thinker coming from my gut more than from my head. I often visualize what I hear or read and come away with a feeling. Working in clay and creating sculptures is so therapeutic. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 49

CHAI STYLE Chihuly vessel series purchased at the Bill Lowe Gallery.

The dining room connects the den and living room. The table is Restoration Hardware. The painting is from a Soho gallery, part of the collection of Aaron’s parents. Photos by Duane Stork

Jaffe: How did your mother’s talent influence you? Aaron: I was born into a family of artists, the most influential of whom was my mother. She exemplified beauty and grace and was an extraordinary artist. She worked in many mediums and particularly loved painting flowers and sculpting in stone and clay. I so admired watching her chipping away at the stone, seeing her excitement and later discussing the emerging image. We often attended each other’s art classes and critiques. I once asked what influenced her making a particularly primitive looking sculpture when she declared, “The stone spoke to me.” I remember feeling chills hearing that. I knew we both understood what that meant.

It’s a voice we can discern if we are quietly open to hearing it. I often feel my mother with me in my studio. Jaffe: Share your process. Aaron: I start with at least a 25-pound bag of clay and either a drawing, picture or feeling, and just start moving the clay until I see a figurative form speak to me. Typically, it takes a couple weeks to finish what I strive for and then around a week of patience for the clay to carefully dry. Some pieces stay ceramic with finishes that consist of a mixture of wax and artist’s pigment or crayons, while I have others cast in bronze with various patina finishes.

Sculptor Aleta Aaron stays busy, motivated, and creative in her lower-level studio

Aaron’s “L’Chaim” sculpture sits atop a dramatic unfinished burl base. Photos by Duane Stork

50 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

CHAI STYLE R.C. Gorman hand cast ceramic vase entitled, “Trilogy of a Navajo Woman.”

Peaceful view outside of pool and deck area. The heated pool is secluded behind the newly renovated wood fence.

Aaron’s bronze sculpture entitled “Turquoise Woman” sits on a marble base.

Painting over master bed “Nina En Verde” by Gustavo Montoya. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 51

CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 Africa, Israel & Their Descendants – 8 p.m. The Atlanta Israel Coalition is pleased to partner with the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel on this special, three-day event during Black History Month. “Combatting the Anti-Zionist Blaxploitation & How We Move Forward” with IBSI founder & Christians United For Israel diversity outreach coordinator Dumisani Washington. Register at http://bit.ly/3b9j49v.

Bill Gates, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster – 8 p.m. Join the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta welcoming Bill Gates. He sets out a plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward netzero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. To register for the Zoom link, visit https://bit.ly/3phfzmN.

FEBRUARY 24-MARCH 9, 2021 William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum and biographer David Lowe as he discusses the life and career of one of Atlanta’s most prominent and trailblazing Jewish politicians Morris Abram. The class will be moderated by Dr. Catherine Lewis, assistant vice president of Museums, Archives & Rare Books; director of the Museum of History and Holocaust Education; and professor of history at Kennesaw State University. Visit https://bit.ly/3pQOlUP for more information. Frankly Speaking with Sherry Frank – 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. The National Council of Jewish Wo m e n Atlanta is excited to continue its women’s discussion group for members and friends. Moderated by noted Atlanta advocate Sherry Frank, this monthly lunchtime meeting focuses on current events through a Jewish lens. Due to the pandemic, the meetings are held on Zoom. Contact christineh@ncjwatlanta.org for the link.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25

The Life of Jewish Politician Morris Abram – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Join the

Sober Purim Party – 6 to 8 p.m. Celebrate Purim at Jeff’s Place. According to the Talmud Megillah, one is obligated to celebrate on Purim until they don’t know the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai. Meet in the Chabad

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

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. In order to be considered for the print edition, please submit events three to four weeks in advance. Contact community relations director, Amy Seidner, for more information at amy@atljewishtimes.com. 52 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Intown parking lot. Come dressed in your costumes and listen to the megillah reading. Enjoy delicious mocktails, live music, individually packaged snacks, refreshments, and hamantashen. Family friendly! Masks are required. Make reservations at https://bit.ly/3aBbxQC.

Purim Drive-in and Megillah Reading – 6:30 p.m. Join Congregation Etz Chaim in the education parking lot to celebrate Purim and fulfill the mitzvah of hearing Megillat Esther. All in a safe way in your own car at the drive-in. Superheroes theme but all costumes and/or car costumes are welcome. Rain or shine. Zoom option also available. Visit http://bit. ly/3aGrS6A for more information.

Queen Esther’s Gambit – 8 to 11 p.m. Set in the '60s, join Young Jewish Professionals Atlanta at an indoor/ outdoor event space at Ponce City Market. It’s Purim and we are ready to play. Come dressed for the evening in your black and white best or in '60s regalia! Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/373BxDh.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 CommUNITY Purim Celebration – 5 to 8 p.m. Join the greater Intown Jewish community in an outdoor Purim celebration. Come by at 5 p.m. for the megillah reading and welcome Shabbat with delicious chicken soup, homemade challah

and of course, hamantaschen. Located in the Chabad Intown parking lot, the event is masked and socially distanced. Visit https://bit. ly/3cKMTjd for more information.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Return to Shushan Purim Celebration – 12 p.m. Adama kosher falafel truck, games, crafts, costume parade, hamantashen, and children’s megillah reading at Congregation Beth Shalom. Register at http://bit. ly/3tSNyFv. Purim around East Cobb – 12:15 p.m. This year Congregation Etz Chaim is bringing Purim to you. Start with a costume car contest at 12:15 p.m. in the education parking lot. Purim carnival games will be held on lawns or driveways across East Cobb and pizza lunch will be provided at different homes so we can gather in smaller groups safely. Map and locations will be provided. Free and open to the community. Masks are required. Visit https://bit.ly/2MVTKLI for more information. In case of rain, this event will be moved to Sunday, March 7.

MONDAY, MARCH 1 What Does it Mean to be a Woman of Israel? – 12 p.m. In partnership with Etz Chaim Sisterhood, join us for a lunch and learn taught by Miriam Rosenbaum as she helps us take a deeper look at three different Jewish women’s lives from our text: Tamar, Ruth and Batsheva. Each woman’s story involves sacrifice, determination and an intense desire to promote the Jewish people. Register at http://bit.ly/36KN62i.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2 Brain Health Bootcamp – 1 to 3 p.m. If you are recognizing symptoms of cognitive changes or have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, our fun and social class can help you strengthen your mind and body to stay sharp, especially during

these times. The class will combine gentle physical exercise, including yoga and exercises to help reduce stress and anxiety, along with a full hour of brain exercises done in a non-stress and engaging way of learning. To sign up, contact Georgia Gunter at 770-677-9421.

Hadassah Heralding Our Heroines – 1 to 2 p.m. Dr. Efrat Efron, professor emerita at National Louis University, spotlights the Israeli singer, songwriter and composer Naomi Shemer and the famous poet, Rachel, whose poems she set to music. All sessions will be moderated by Barbara Robbin Epstein, 2017-2020 co-chair of the Hadassah Chicago-North Shore education committee and lifelong teacher. To learn more, visit http:// bit.ly/3qn18OF.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES Tetzaveh Friday, February 26, 2021, light candles at 6:13 p.m. Saturday, February 27, 2021, Shabbat ends at 7:10 p.m. Ki Tisa Friday, March 5, 2021, light candles at 6:19 p.m. Saturday, March 6, 2021, Shabbat ends at 7:15 p.m.

Aviv? During this two-part class on Jews from the diaspora and Israel, unlock the answers to these and many other stories nearly lost to Jewish history. This course will be taught by Congregation Etz Chaim’s Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, and the second session will be guest taught by Rabbi Arie Hasit directly from Israel. Register at https://bit.ly/3a8zvnf. Reimagining Retirement – Active Adult Series – 7:30 p.m. Join Nourishing the Soul and explore the topics: Mourning the loss of my retirement; Redefining Myself: Who am I now that I am no longer working? Shalom Bayit: Peace at Home when we are never apart. Visit http://bit. ly/3t2fNBa for more information.

Atlanta Infertility Support Group – 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. Join the Jewish Fertility Foundation for a virtual infertility support group. Open to all women experiencing medical infertility. Visit https://bit.ly/3s7JXmc for information. Remembering Theodore Bikel – 5 to 6 p.m. Theodore Bikel (1924-2015) wanted to be known as “the singer of his people.” In this program of storytelling and music, his wife, along with friends, pay tribute to the legendary Academy, Emmy, Tony and GRAMMY-nominated actor and folksinger; a civil rights, peace, and Jewish activist; and a devoted labor union leader. Register at https://bit. ly/3rDNJTa.

Israeli Street Signs: Jews that Changed the World – 7 to 12 p.m. Travel to Israel and you will see signs named after many of the most famous Jews in Jewish history. Who are these people? Why do they get streets named after them? Why does Arlozorov Street end on the beach in Tel

Uncovering Antisemitism at Emory Dental School – 10:30 a.m. Join the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum and Perry Brickman, the foremost historian on “Uncovering a history Antisemitism at Emory Dental School,” as he discusses the most notorious case of anti-Semitism in America and a pivotal moment in Atlanta’s Jewish history. The class will be moderated by Dr. Eric Goldstein, a director at the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University. Visit https://bit.ly/3aBhdtU for more information.

SATURDAY, MARCH 6

Havdalah Wine and Cheese – 6 to 7:30 p.m. Join the Jewish Fertility Foundation for a virtual Wine & Cheese Tasting Event. For interfaith couples experiencing or who have experienced infertility. Wine and cheese will be delivered to your home. Open to the first 10 couple. Visit https://bit. ly/3rhGjEM for more information.

SUNDAY, MARCH 7

THURSDAY, MARCH 4

Clarinetist David Krakauer – 5 to 6 p.m. Join the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music for this Jewish music masterclass as Krakauer engages with attendees and shares the inspirations behind his compositions. With his own unique sound and approach, Krakauer has been praised internationally as a key innovator in modern klezmer as well as a major voice in classical music. Register at https://bit.ly/3rGfSJb.

– 8 to 9 p.m. Join the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in welcoming Isaacson, “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.” The best-selling author of “Leonardo da Vinci” and “Steve Jobs” returns with an account of how Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/3tFNetH.

Your Life Reimagined – 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join JF&CS Career Services as it helps you analyze your professional path and arm yourself with tools to execute change. Visualize your ideal workday while focusing on positive change. Examine career exploration tools to find work aligned with your vision. Learn how to capture your new ideas and make them stick! Visit http://bit.ly/2OkBDQw to register.

Walter Isaacson, The Code Breaker

Baby and Me Virtual Play Group – 10 a.m. Join Congregation Etz Chaim for story time and songs led by Heather Blake on guitar. Open to families with children 2 years and younger. Older siblings are welcome. RSVP at https://bit.ly/3p4AqcR.

Cub Club: International Women’s Day – 10 to 10:30 a.m. Join Davis Academy’s Cub Club as we celebrate International Women’s Day. We will explore and be inspired by iconic figures who have changed the course of women’s history through their achievements, spirit and perseverance. More information can be found at https://bit.ly/3aDl6OY. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 53

Virtual Hunger Walk Run – 2 to 4 p.m. You can make a difference for people facing hunger in our community. Register to help support the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Sixty percent of all funds raised under the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s umbrella will go toward Jewish hunger relief efforts in Atlanta. More information can be found at https://bit.ly/36IAQPI.

Mark Gerson, The Telling – 4 to 5 p.m. Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Book Fest In Your Living Room presents “The Telling: How Judaism’s Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life.” Author Mark Gerson shows how even the most familiar passages from the haggadah are sitting on top of buried treasures ready to help us live more meaningful and fulfilling lives today. Visit https://bit. ly/3oQy5BU more information.

Mitzvah for the Mikvah – 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Join MACoM for live music from Israel with violinist Ariella Zeitlin. Hosted by Nadia Bilchik, speaker, author, and former anchor and producer of CNN with special guest Anita Diamant, New York Times best-selling author. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/3tIh5Sa.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 What Does it Mean to be a Woman of Israel? 12 p.m. Join Etz Chaim Sisterhood for a lunch and learn taught by Miriam Rosenbaum as she helps us take a deeper look at three different Jewish women’s lives from our text: Tamar, Ruth and Batsheva. Each woman’s story involves sacrifice, determination and an intense desire to promote the Jewish people. Register at http://bit.ly/36KN62i. 54 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Community Services: Anti-Defamation League – The Coronavirus Surfaces Fear, Stereotypes and Scapegoating: A blog post from ADL to help provide accurate information, explore emotions and, most importantly, play a role in reducing stereotyping and scapegoating. To read more, www.bit.ly/3dp5a3t. Atlanta Community Food Bank Text for Help SMS Function –The ACFB’s mission to provide nutritious food to the people who need it has reached a major milestone toward access to food for all. The Text for Help is ‘findfood’ (no space). Responses will include a list of three different nearby pantries and their contact information. For more information, www. acfb.org.

WELL (1-866-243-9355) to find out how they can help. For more information, www.bit.ly/2wo5qzj.

a.m. Join in for weekly livestream Shabbat services. To join, www.bit. ly/3gWL02s.

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Resources – The unsettling, fast-moving and unpredictable world of life with COVID-19 is upon us. As we’re all discovering, a worldwide pandemic disrupts everyone on an unprecedented scale. For updates and more information, www. bit.ly/3ahrNVM.

Congregation Or Hadash – Shabbat services Friday at 6:30 p.m. Saturday morning services at 9:15 a.m. Minyan Sunday and Tuesday mornings. To participate and get Zoom link, www.or-hadash.org.

Please send Community Service Opportunities to diana@atljewishtimes.com.

Synagogue Livestreaming Services:

Temple Beth David — Kabbalat Shabbat services every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Shabbat morning service and Torah Study every Saturday at 11 a.m. on our YouTube channel, (https://www. youtube.com/channel/UC2GcbAI_ HdLRSG5hhpi_8Cw).

Israeli American Council – IAC @ Home brings you the most innovative content online while helping build a national community with Israel at heart. With activities for kids, teens, young professionals and adults, you can stay connected to Hebrew, Israeli and Jewish heritage, online activism and to one another. IAC @Home lets you enjoy a coastto-coast community right from your own home. For more information, www.israeliamerican.org/home.

Temple Beth Tikvah Livestreaming Services – Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays at 10 a.m. To join on Facebook, www.facebook.com/TempleBethTikvah/ or www.bit.ly/2ZlCvrr. Temple Kol Emeth Services – Shabbat services on Fridays at 8 p.m. View our services on www.kolemeth.net or www.facebook.com/Temple Kol Emeth-Marietta, GA.

JF&CS - Emergency Financial Assistance – JF&CS is here to provide emergency aid for individuals and families. Please call 770-677-9389 to get assistance. For more information, www.bit.ly/2wo5qzj.

JF&CS - Telehealth Counseling Services – Now offering telehealth options via phone or videoconference for current and new clients to help our community during this crisis. For more information about our therapy services or to make a telehealth appointment, email us at therapy@ jfcsatl.org or call 770-677-9474. JF&CS - Telehealth Older Adult Services – Aviv Older Adult staff are there to help provide resources, care plans and support for you and your family. Call AgeWell at 1-866-AGE-

Congregation Shearith Israel – Daily and Shabbat services will continue at regular times through Zoom. They are counting participants in these Zoom services as part of a minyan, allowing members to recite full prayer services including Mourner’s Kaddish. To participate via phone, dial 929-205-6099 and then enter the meeting code 404 873 1743. To be a part of services, visit the Zoom link, www.bit.ly/2wnFWlD.

Temple Sinai Livestream Services – Temple Sinai has live Shabbat services on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. For more information and to view services, www. bit.ly/2BXRfTF. Ahavath Achim Synagogue – Shabbat evening services at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat morning services at 9:30 a.m. To watch and for more information, www.bit.ly/38dS4Ed. Congregation Beth Shalom’s Virtual Services – Erev Shabbat, Fridays at 6:30 p.m., Shabbat service, Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Zoom minyan Sunday at 9:30 a.m. For more information, www.bit.ly/3gY0mUK. Congregation Etz Chaim – Erev Shabbat Musical, Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Shabbat morning services at 9:30

The Temple Livestreaming Services – Find live streaming services here, www.the-temple.org. ì Please send Synagogue and Temple Streaming Services to diana@ atljewishtimes.com. Check the Atlanta Jewish Connector for updates: www.atlantajewishconnector.com.

Connector Chatter Directory Spotlight www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Wealthy Habits/ Jonathan D. Rosen Family Foundation In conversation with Tracy Tanner, executive director. How long has your organization been in Atlanta? Wealthy Habits was founded in 2012 in Atlanta by the Jonathan D. Rosen Family Foundation, a not-for-profit organization. The mission of the JDRFF is to empower children and adults across the socioeconomic spectrum with the knowledge and skills essential for successful financial decision making. How do you cater to the younger members of the community? We very much cater to the younger members of the community, specifically students ages 11 to 19. We teach financial management skills to help them grasp how important it is to save and invest for the long term. Where do you see your organization in 10 years? Wealthy Habits isn’t even 10 years old yet, so that’s a really interesting question. Of course, we want to reach more students and expand our reach. As we grow and focus on impacting more students in other communities, valuable partnerships with organizations and businesses will be important. We hope that any group or organization that is looking for a financial literacy program that both kids and their parents love will not hesitate to reach out to us. Over the next 10 years, we will continue to offer our educational programs to those in the Atlanta area as well as nationwide through virtual learning. How does your organization help the community? Wealthy Habits helps the community by: • Providing financial skills management to all students ages 11 to 19 regardless of race, gender, economic background, and now location. • Offering quality weeklong summer camps and weekend workshops. • Bringing our courses to community organizations that work with teens. • Making program scholarships available to students who want to attend our programs but need financial support to do so. Empowering financial literacy programs can change our economy and the society we live in, and we are dedicated to doing all we can to do our part.

B’nai B’rith International Achim/ Gate City Lodge #0144 In conversation with Helen Scherrer-Diamond, president How long has your organization been in Atlanta? We have been in Atlanta for 150 years! Your bubbe knew us! Your parents grew us! How do you cater to the younger members of the community? We have our Enlighten America student essay contest for seventh, eighth and ninth graders. We ask the students to write an essay, which encourages respect and tolerance of their friends’ and neighbors’ diverse religious beliefs and racial/cultural backgrounds, promoting awareness for tolerance needed, and helping with their own self esteem. We encourage them with cash prizes of $150 to $350. We also invite younger members of the community to participate in our annual Pinch Hitters event in December and participate in our Unto Every Person There Is a Name program in April. Where do you see your organization in 10 years? We want to see children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of B’nai B’rith members participate and become more involved with new programs they suggest and learn more about our advocacy for human rights. How does your organization help the community? • Unto Every Person There is a Name: Participants read the names of Holocaust victims and where they died and their age at death. Names are obtained from Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. • Enlighten America student essay contest: Seventh through ninth graders write essays about the importance of respect and tolerance, helping [make] a positive impact on their self-confidence and self-esteem. • Pinch Hitters: We provide volunteers to work in non-medical positions in area hospitals and senior care facilities on Christmas Day to give employees the day off to spend with their families. • Senior affordable housing: B’nai B’rith International develops and builds affordable senior housing, using low-income housing tax credits.

MACoM/Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah In conversation with Jocelyn Schorvitz, executive director How long has your organization been in Atlanta? MACoM opened in November 2016. How do you cater to the younger members of the community? MACoM offers immersion ceremonies for people of all ages. We have had newborn babies come to MACoM for conversions; people come to immerse in celebration for their bar or bat mitzvah; and to mark other milestones or celebrations. We also have ceremonies to mark transitions while people go through various life challenges, such as battling addiction, fighting depression, or coming out as LGBTQ+. There are so many ways MACoM is there to support people of all ages.

Where do you see your organization in 10 years? Our goal is to have all of Jewish Atlanta know and embrace MACoM. How does your organization help the community? MACoM is the only mikvah in Atlanta open to the entire Jewish community regardless of one’s affiliation, observance level, sexual orientation, or capacity for physical mobility. The possibilities for traditional and non-traditional immersions are almost limitless. Regardless of whether one is a regular user of the mikvah or has never been before, immersion in the mikvah is a way to acknowledge a life transition in a uniquely Jewish context. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 55

COMMUNITY Orthodox Atlanta Couple Hike the U.S. Cory and Randy Shaw, members of Congregation Ariel in Dunwoody, have decided to do what many wish they could do – get away from the pandemic. Since Jan. 3, they have been traveling through the United States, visiting national parks, and spending time in nature. In doing so, they have forged closer Anna Levy relationships with G-d, nature and each other. “It’s a challenge living in suburban America to feel G-d in your everyday life,” Cory said. “Before this trip, I did my best to maintain that connection, and davened every day. Even then, though, it was a struggle at times. But this trip has inspired me to connect with G-d like never before. Every morning, I wake up inspired and open my siddur. One of our goals when we set out on this trip was to see G-d in nature, and we do.” The couple created a Facebook page to document their adventures, called “Pick Up & Go,” which is a play on words. They travel around the country in their pickup truck, fondly named “Waldo the Wonder Truck.” The Shaws share photos and videos of their adventures with 400 followers of the page. So far, they have visited places such as Saguaro National Park in Arizona and Big Bend National Park in Texas with plans to continue traveling through May. The couple’s adventure began in Vicksburg, Miss., where they spent several hours exploring the Vicksburg Civil War

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battlefields. Randy Shaw said he loves U.S. history. Then, they visited their first national park of the trip – Hot Springs, Ark. From there, they spent Shabbos in Austin, Texas, with their son Jake and his family. Cory is an active member of the Jewish community, having worked for the Weinstein Hospice and Jewish HomeLife for many years, in addition to the couple’s involvement with Ariel. While she misses her friends and Jewish community back home, Cory said that technology has played a part in helping her keep in touch. “I have a very close and tight-knit community of friends back home, and I miss them a lot. But the great thing is that with technology like WhatsApp and Facebook video, I can still talk to my friends and feel close to them.” The Shaws are shomer Shabbos, Shabbat observant, which presents a unique challenge while on the road. Randy once served as a kosher butcher at the Dunwoody Kroger, so Cory jokes they are a bit “spoiled” when it comes to having fresh, kosher meat around the house. She adds that they have not been able to find a kosher butcher on the road. Instead of chicken and beef, they settle for tuna fish and eggs, and pop into cities in search of kosher food stores and kosher prepared foods. While on the road, they find an Airbnb or other lodging to stay at every Shabbat. They look for places that have a kitchen, where they can prepare their own foods, and a washer and dryer to do their laundry. The Shaws also look for places that are “COVID safe,” which means little to no contact with the hosts and advanced cleaning procedures. When asked what her takeaway so far is from their adventure, Cory said, “Appreciation for life, especially family. After being married and having a family for so long, I realized that sometimes you can take those relationship for granted. Now Randy and I are spending every single second of every day together, and I am loving it. We feel closer than we ever have. This isn’t just a path through nature, it’s a path to appreciation and gratitude for family, friends and the world around us.” ì

The Lowdown

I Bet You Didn’t Know …

Linda Selig and Stacey Fisher Atlanta is chock full of interesting movers and shakers, some bent on creativity, empire building, activism and/or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the off the cuff remarks about what makes Hillel activists mother-daughter duo Linda Selig and Stacey Fisher tick. For Linda Selig and Stacey Fisher, philanthropy runs in the family. Together, Selig and Fisher serve on the board of Hillels Of Georgia, a student organization dedicated to creating a Jewish safe haven for over 5,000 Jewish students on 24 college campuses across Georgia. As board chair and vice board chair of development, respectively, Fisher and Selig have become critically important partners to Hillels of Georgia volunteers, fellow board members, staff and students. From leading meetings to securing donors, this team is dedicated to enriching the lives of Jewish students across Georgia so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Find out who makes the best chopped liver and which Israeli prime ministers they have met.

Marcia: What’s your latest fashion disaster? Linda: What fashion? I don’t go anywhere. I can’t wait to get back out there! Stacey: I wore PJs on a Zoom call.

Marcia: My best Jewish dish is: Linda: Chopped liver, hands down. Stacey: I’m known for my stuffed cabbage.

Marcia: By whom have you Marcia: been star struck? Linda: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Stacey: In the same vein, Shimon Perez, a living legend walked into my Wexner Foundation meeting. We all rose and sang “Hatikvah.” So moving.

Marcia: What’s on your night stand? Linda: I’m rereading “My Promised Land: The triumph and tragedy of Israel,” by Ari Shavit. A must read. Stacey: “The Henna Artist” and “On the Run in Nazi Berlin.”

Marcia: My guilty pleasure is: Linda: Playing Word Streak on the computer. Stacey: Graeter’s mocha chip ice cream in Cincy.

Marcia: She is better than me at … Linda: Staying organized and calm. Stacey: No one can top her energy!

Marcia: Hillel is important to me ... Linda: In today’s world especially, it is the frontline and safety net for this generation. Stacey: I am passionate about it because I have four children approaching adulthood and making decisions. ì Reported by Marcia Caller Jaffe ATLANTA JEWISH JULY 12, ATLANTA JEWISH TIMESTIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2019 2021 || 57 57

COMMUNITY

What’s Your Favorite Movie?

By Chana Shapiro

Michael Mann was drawn deep into the action of his favorite film.

Michael Mann Producer, former talent manager, former actor These are two of my favorite films. The first one totally overwhelmed me by its scope and magnitude, and I loved the second one for its humor and innocence. First is “Schindler’s List” (1993). When I left the theater after seeing it, I could barely walk because it so penetrated my being. Steven Spielberg was able to completely place the audience members inside the action. He made us viscerally feel the insanity and lack of human compassion for our people. My other favorite movie is “Being There” (1979). It is a film of warmth and innocence and portrays a simple human being’s journey to improve, but at the same time he is unaware of how his innocence gives others the impression 58 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

that he is brilliant. directed by JonaRosita Lew than Lynn in 1992. Teacher My parents introGoing to the movduced me to the deies is an essential part lightful film when of my life. My favorI, at around age ite films are based on 7, was probably true stories, and I love a little too young comedies that really for the crude lanmake me laugh. guage. Now, at I believe that the age of 21, I’ve the animated movie probably seen it “Coco” (2017) is imover 30 times! I alportant because it ways find ways to explains a custom quote it in converwhich is generally sations, whether misunderstood in the Rosita Lew has a knack for I’m discussing predicting Oscar winners. United States. As one torque wrenchfollows the action, es, baby deer, the film shows Latin American culture, grits, youths or courtroom etiquette. family, love and traditions, drawing the In 2019, my mother adopted a audience into the traditions of Mexico stubborn, but goofy, pit bull-mix pupon the Day of the Dead. During this py from the Atlanta Humane Society. Mexican holiday, families make spe- There was no question that his name cial altars for their beloved departed had to be Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, relatives. The altars contain favorite which of course is Vinny, for short. Vinfood and flowers and include the rela- ny is a true clown and always gets the tives’ pictures, with the belief that their best of us, just like his namesake. souls will come to visit once a year and During the pandemic, “My Cousin understand that they are remembered Vinny” has been the go-to movie option with love. for my mother and me because it never “Coco” is about a little boy who is fails to make us laugh. If there’s anyone determined to relate to his late great- reading this who hasn’t seen director grandfather. There are countless daz- Lynn’s comic achievement, I strongly zling scenes and beautiful songs, with suggest that you do! You’ll thank my the message of devoted persistence to mother and me. accomplish one’s dreams. I predicted that “Coco” was going to be an Oscar Art Saul winner in the animation category, and Actuary it was! I enjoy predicting which movies will be nominated for best picture and In the 1960s, Beatlemania brought also which will win. Once the nomina- with it an energy and excitement that tions are announced, I try to see all the swept me up and became a happy part nominees for best picture. of my youth. I am brought back to that Another of my many favorite movenergy and exies is “A Beautiful Mind” (2001). I was citement when sure it was going to be nominatwatching “A ed and more than likely be chosen as the best picture at the Oscars that year, and I was right! People who know me often ask me for recommendations, and I happily comply. Isabella Cantor Emory University student My favorite movie is “My Cousin Vinny,” Isabella Cantor has seen her favorite movie more than 30 times.

Hard Day’s Night” (1964), starring The Beatles. Movies highlighting music per-

Art Saul shares favorite facts and trivia about his favorite film.

formers tend to be silly and/or stupid (remember Elvis in “Kissin’ Cousins?”), but in “A Hard Day’s Night” the humor (should I write “humour”?) is sharp, clever, brash and irreverent. The movie shows the impact of sudden fame and acclaim, anticipating by decades our current fascination with The Fab Four. It includes the active manufacturing of an image to accompany that fame. How can I resist? (Sharing a few nuggets from the film) ■ Interviewer to Ringo: Are you a mod or a rocker? (These were groups of British youth, sometimes violent.) Ringo: Neither. I’m a mocker. ■ See Patti Boyd before she was Mrs. George Harrison or Mrs. Eric Clapton. ■ The film sports what some identify as the first modern music video. ■ See The Beatles fly away on a helicopter, just as they did when I saw them in concert. ■ Several instances of the class basis to British society can be seen. ■ The excitement and novelty of The Beatles is contrasted by the black and white photography, which accentuates a drabness of post-World War Britain. ì

Redefining Joy This Adar Rosh Chodesh Adar began at sundown Feb. 11 and ended Feb. 13. When Adar arrives, joy is increased. During these times, however, it’s a Dr. Terry Segal challenge. Our New Moon Meditations task is to seek joy, even if we must redefine it. Currently, joy has less to do with where we travel, what restaurants we try, and more to do with who we are. We’re resourceful people, innovative, creative and flexible. We seek out humor, even in the darkest of times, and can look to the ever-present gifts from Hashem. There are simple joys, like the sunrise and sunset each day, birdsong, the noticeable light that lingers, the hope of spring just around the corner, and the blessed breath that moves in and out of our bodies. Joy lives in the stars and moon, the constant changing of the seasons and in nature’s cycles that inform the trees, flowers and animals. Our part is easy, in observing and appreciating

those gifts. Let’s not leave them unopened. Purim is the star of Adar’s joy with its superheroes, laughter and merrymaking. This year offers “CARnivals” in temple parking lots and Zoom Schpiels, all in celebration of our indomitable spirit. The themes are the same, of things hidden and revealed, as Hadassah, turned Esther, announces she’s Jewish and saves our people. There’s the fasting, feasting, family and laughter. Adar’s Zodiac sign is Pisces, represented by two fish swimming in opposite directions. We can choose to follow the one who dives down deeply into the dark waters or the one who swims upward toward the surface in the direction of the sunlight. Pisceans are dreamers. Some are starry-eyed people who imagine a life but take no action toward creating it, while others are visionaries. We all have Pisces somewhere in our chart. Astrologers say, “If it’s in your heart, it’s in your chart,” and vice versa. This may be a clue to unlocking your dreams. The Hebrew letter for the month is kuf. Like the fish, it dips below the line. With the challenges we face, a deep meditative dive may be required to bubble up to the surface

NEW MOON MEDITATIONS with joy. Kuf means “monkey,” so we think of monkey’s joyful, capricious antics. Adar’s tribe is Naphtali, the 12th tribe and Jacob’s sixth son, born from his union with Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaiden. The name seems to have two opposite meanings: “sweetness is to me” and “my struggle.” Maybe there’s a struggle to find sweetness, but joy is the reward. Laughter is the attribute of the month, which increases joy. The controlling organ is the spleen, which transforms food digested in the stomach and uses it for nutrition in the body, energy, and production of quality blood, which plays a part in the immune system. Good health is joyful. Try this journaling exercise: On paper, number 1 to 29. List 29 things, one for each day of Adar, that you can experience to increase your joy. Expand the fun by challenging your family members, kids and grandkids to make a list and share it daily, with a call or text. Think about the things that bring you joy. Rather than focus on what you can’t do, imagine modifications. Maybe you had to cancel a trip to Italy. Acknowledge your

disappointment but plan an Italian night in which you make or take out Italian food and play music by Italian artists. Think back to your childhood joys of skipping rocks or using sidewalk chalk. Invite your inner child to Adar’s celebration. Celebrate Purim with a group on Zoom. Plan to show up with painted faces and guess the character of each participant. Remember the joy of giving with mishloah manot. Put one task for each day on your calendar. Here are some suggestions to get you started: plant parsley for Passover; order seeds for your summer garden; watch the sunrise/sunset; take a walk and snap photos of one thing of beauty each day; make a new dessert; read outside; observe new growth on trees; bird watch; play Israeli music; watch favorite movies; and have a candlelit meal. Meditation Focus: Close your eyes and settle. Let your body, mind and spirit recall the simple joys from your childhood when you were skipping stones or drawing with sidewalk chalk. Invite your inner child to Adar’s celebration. Challenge yourself to keep it going beyond the 29 days of Adar. ì

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 59

OY VEY

JEWISH JOKE

OY VEY! HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM... will Dear Rachel, dy? My mother-in-law ng decision. Are you rea eri alt life and a te, de sui ma le ’ve litt We have her own a few weeks. She will in me ho r ile I ou Wh o . int val g pro be movin with her ap t should actually meet tha y wa a the in th up wi it gle ed ug we’ve fix her needs, I str able to accommodate be ll wi rk we wo t I tha al. ul tic tef cri feel gra m is extremely constantly. You see, Mo d un aro kes r ma he g m vin Mo t ha idea of th and positivity. Bu my children with warm all the very hard to surround ong, no matter how sm do ything that they wr an on us foc negar to he ess d sin fin I it her bu hy for my family, ing that this is unhealt iev bel ing es om sid bec Be n. up tio infrac r diatribes, I wind y. After listening to he erg e. en lur my fai s te sap ple o als tivity , I feel like a com children and, as a result my th wi y pp sna d an tense challenging terrain? navigate this new and How do you suggest I Signed, itive Mom Trying to Remain A Pos

Dear Positive Mom, I want to acknowledge the monumental step you are taking by inviting your mother-in-law into your home. What an incredible way to model kibud av v’eim, honoring your parents, for your children! Now, let’s discuss the presenting issues. You are concerned, justifiably so, that your mother-in-law’s critical nature will harm your children. We all know that negativity can damage self-esteem and poison the home atmosphere. This is a challenging dilemma because it is highly doubtful that your mother-in-law will change her behavior. My advice is to continually build up your children as much as you can. Shower them with love and positivity. Tell them what a huge mitzvah it is to take care of an elderly parent and grandparent, and the harder it is, the stronger they will become. In the same way that exercise strengthens the body (you know what they say – no pain, no gain) struggling to do the right thing under difficult circumstances strengthens the heart and soul. In addition, please explain to them privately that this is the way Grandma is, but that they should try not to take her acidic comments to heart. They should know that whatever they are doing that causes her to come down on them is nothing major, and hopefully they will learn to brush off her acidity. Reassure them that she loves them but doesn’t always know how to express her feelings. Regarding your second concern, let’s see if we can create a plan. Your question is: How can you remain a bulwark of strength for your children without being drained from the barrage of negativity? One tool you can try is visualization. Imagine being the mother of your dreams: picture yourself as a patient, loving mother. You are remaining calm in the face of tantrums and fighting and staying serene after a particularly difficult comment aimed by your mother-in-law. Hold onto that image! Another tactic can be to tune into the advice of a wise friend or loving person in your life. How would this person direct you to handle this situation? Have an imaginary conversation with her in your mind and listen carefully to her suggestions. With her advice in mind, fortify yourself so that you can sidestep the minefield in your home and emerge unscathed. Planning ahead is a great step to take. I commend you for being proactive so that you can resolve the forthcoming issues with calm, effective deliberation. May Hashem give you strength to continue building your family within a warm, loving and vibrant atmosphere. Warm wishes, Rachel

Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column Got a problem? Email Rachel, a certified life coach, at oyvey@atljewishtimes. com describing your problem in 250 words or less. We want to hear from you and get helpful suggestions for your situation at the same time! 60 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Wisdom of a Child A child sees the bulletin of the synagogue announcing that the congregation had just hired a new rabbi, his name is Rabbi Dr. Epstein. The child is so excited that the new rabbi is also a doctor, that the next time he has a stomachache, he calls the synagogue. “I would like to speak to the rabbi doctor,” the boy says. The rabbi gets on the line and asks how he can be of help. “Well rabbi, the boy says, I have a stomachache and I was wondering what you suggest I do.” “Sorry son, I’m not a medical doctor,” replies the rabbi. “What type of doctor are you?” asks the boy. “I am a doctor of philosophy,” was the response. The child thought for a moment and then asked, “What type of sickness is that?”

Source: Chabad Lubavitch, Rochester, N.Y.

YIDDISH WORD OF THE MONTH phudnik An irritating bore with a Ph.D., an overeducated bore. From the Yiddish nudnik, meaning a pestering, irritating bore. “Ever since Barney got his Ph.D. in social psychology, he starts every sentence with the phrase, ‘existentially speaking …’” This is an example of a phudnik. Source: “Schmegoogle: Yiddish Words for Modern Times” by Daniel Klein.

BRAIN FOOD

Hidden Figures By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Challenging 1

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13. Odor 18. Tefillah some might say early in 1. Moshe of note the morning? 6. Dermatologist's removal, 19. Give a sermon perhaps 24. Rabbi Wein of note 10. North Korean rulers 25. Flight plan info: Abbr. 14. Buffet's city 26. Many a piece by Bret Stephens 15. Jewish school in CA 27. Work at the City of David, 16. Important men in Bereishit per haps 17. Fancy Hershey alternative with 29. "Bali ___ " many (but not all) kosher 30. 24-hr. hospital areas products 34. Constricting snake 20. Roads that often cross aves. 35. Evil "Star Wars" Count 21. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" 37. Fed. agent author's initials 39. On a losing streak 22. Digestive enzyme 40. Sass 23. Actor best known for portraying 41. 10th-inning counterparts, Sal Tessio and Phil Fish briefly 28. Fast food chain that had a DOWN 43. 2011 civil war setting kosher branch in the Mevaseret 1. "Family members" with extra 44. Word in a Shakespeare play Mall, once halachic stringencies about nothing? 29. Apikores on Shabbat 45. Group of key personnel 31. Peach leftover 2. Jewish measures 46. Bar code scanner, for short 32. Havdallah residue 3. The largest volunteer staff 47. Areas of land 33. Mount in Noah organization in Israel 48. Jewish cooking? 34. Israeli piece of clothing? 4. Kind of 66-Across 49. Place to get chips? 36. "Who ___ kidding?" 5. Abbr. for what Waze is 51. Little girl in a nursery rhyme 37. Hidden figure in Megillat Esther 6. In a circular pattern 54. Israel's protector and 17, 23, 53, and 61-Across 7. Queens, NY sister school of 56. Something hailed (two words) 38. Accords place MTA (and technically 15-Across) 59. Biblical hunter 42. Cousin of an alpaca 8. ___-mo replay 60. Scrawny 45. "Relax!" 9. X in a square? 62. Alt. answer to 5-Down 47. Cliffhanger letters 10. Vitamin-rich green vegetable 63. Iraqi export 50. Wyo. neighbor 11. Jared's wife 64. No. on a tire gauge 51. Centers on the bench 12. Musical themes 65. S or E: Abbr. 52. Long narrow inlet 53. Instrument for Brian Rosenworcel of Guster 55. Analyze, as metal 57. Passover mo. 58. "Family member" with extra halachic stringencies on Shabbat 61. Common order at EJ's in Skokie 66. Sashimi choice 67. Kind of tree 68. Where Judaism officially started, one could argue 69. Schlump 70. Play bass, in a way 71. Zionist activist group, once

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tacked the United Nations, Wall Street banks, the New World Order and the Department of Education.

Remember When 15 Years Ago// March 3, 2006

ì More than 100 people went to the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s ninth annual Peach Politics advocacy day at the Georgia Capitol. The biggest group was about 30 women with Hadassah, which pushed three issues: stem cell research, preventing life insurance discrimination for those who visited Israel, and opposing restrictions on reproductive rights. ì Nearly 600 BBYO members were in the North Georgia mountains over the Presidents Day weekend as the group held its international convention in the Peach State. Teens attended workshops, honed their leadership skills, and initiated several social action and charitable projects.

ì Five Reform synagogues are backing The Davis Academy as it takes out loans to build a new school in Dunwoody. The effort, spearheaded by Alvin Sugarman and Steve Selig of The Temple, guaranteeing a total of $500,000 toward the loan. The synagogues’ commitment is to reimburse the Atlanta Jewish Federation on its $1 million guarantee to pay the bank in the unlikely event the school defaults on the loan.

Mollie Aczel, The Davis Academy’s first head of school, is shown here with students at the groundbreaking of the school’s first permanent building in 1995.

25 Years Ago// March 1, 1996 ì About 35 Jews, including some Yeshiva students, protested a rally of Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan in Cobb County. Buchanan is accused of being an anti-Semite, downplaying the extent of the Holocaust, defending accused Nazis and questioning the loyalty of American Jews. The Jewish protesters were separated from Buchanan supporters by Cobb County police. Buchanan gave a speech that at-

50 Years Ago// February 26, 1971

ì A group of Siberian dancers and singers from Omsk participated in a culture exchange at the Atlanta Civic Center, while outside a group of Jewish youth and allies staged a protest against the Soviet persecution of Jews. The protestors, including two Westminster School representatives, totaled about 60 teenagers. They stood orderly and silent while holding an array of placards. ì The Atlanta Jewish Community Center is hosting new projects and classes. The English classes are meant for families recently settled in Atlanta. Both a Yiddish reading and drama circle are planned, if enough interest is shown in the programs. The reading circle would study selected writings of classic Yiddish authors. ì ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 61

OBITUARIES Gerard “Jerry” Fisher

Sherry Arlene Fried

Gerard “Jerry” Fisher of Delray Beach, Fla., passed away Feb. 21, 2021, from complications of COVID-19. Jerry, a devoted husband and proud father of five, grandfather of eight, and great-grandfather of four, was a long-time executive in the wholesale wine and liquor business. Jerry was born in Bridgeport, Conn., on Oct. 8, 1927. He joined the Navy in 1945 and, after serving, attended the University of Connecticut and graduated with a degree in business. Jerry met his late wife, Helen Berkman, in high school and they were married in 1950. They settled and raised three children, first in Fairfield, Conn., then Villanova, Pa., and finally in Atlanta. Helen passed away in 1975 after 25 years of marriage and Jerry moved to Jacksonville, Fla., where he met and married Joan Perlman in 1977. Jerry and Joan recently celebrated 43 years of marriage. Together, Jerry and his three children and Joan and her two sons, created a loving and close-knit blended family. Jerry went into the wholesale wine and liquor business in Hartford, Conn., eventually joining National Distributing Company in 1970. During the course of his 30year career at National, Jerry ran its Atlanta, North Florida and South Florida operations. At the time of his retirement, he was president/ managing director of the South Florida operation. Among his many other achievements at National, Jerry claimed responsibility for introducing his personal go-to vodka, Ketel One, into the Southeast market. Well-known for his “larger than life” personality, Jerry was loved by everyone who knew him. He was an avid golfer and always enjoyed spending time on the course with his many friends. He and Joan traveled extensively, which gave him the opportunity to play many of the great courses of the world, including St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, and TPC Sawgrass, to name a few. Dining out was one of his favorite pastimes. He prided himself on being a VIP diner at The Coach & Six when he lived in Atlanta and, until very recently, had a standing Monday evening reservation at New York Prime in Boca Raton. He was a lifelong New York Yankees fan, an avid Miami Dolphins fan, never missed a major golf championship, attended numerous Super Bowls and always looked forward to wagering on Sunday NFL games. In his later years, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren became the center of his life, and he took great pride and joy from their accomplishments. In addition to Helen, Jerry was predeceased by their eldest daughter, Dale Fisher. Jerry is survived by his beloved wife Joan; four children Scott (Marcy Bass), Lauren (Ron Eisenman) and Randy Figur (Adrienne), all of Marietta, and Lowell Figur of Brookhaven; late daughter Dale’s husband David Blumenthal of Penn Valley, Pa.; grandchildren Gregory Eisenman (Amy), Jeffrey Fisher (Jamie Cohen), Michael Fisher (Allison Book), Heather Eisenman, Julia Blumenthal, Robert Eisenman, Hailey Figur and Jordyn Figur; four great-grandchildren Dylan and Riley Eisenman and Ella and Ethan Fisher; and sister Joan Komisar, of Stoughton, Mass., as well as numerous nieces and nephews and other extended family members. Donations in Jerry’s memory can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton or a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Sherry Arlene Fried, 77, passed away Feb. 8, 2021. Sherry was born Aug. 2, 1943 in Buffalo, N.Y. She was the daughter of Henry and Jesse Schaefer, of blessed memory. In the summer of 1962, she married Sanford “Sandy” Fried, her soul mate for 58 years. After marrying, she and Sandy moved to Los Angeles, where she had her son Brad. They moved back to Buffalo in 1964 where her daughter Roberta was born. Sherry and Sandy worked together in the restaurant business in Buffalo for almost 20 years. They later moved to San Antonio, Texas, for two years before settling in Atlanta in 1985. Sherry was always a hard worker. When she moved to Atlanta, she worked in sales for 20-plus years for Computer Exchange, Ltd., a computer company co-owned by her husband. Sherry loved to travel, knit, read and entertain. Her legendary talent will always be her cooking and baking. “Nana’s Kitchen” was the best restaurant in town. She made rugelach, mandel bread, hamantaschen and countless other confectionary delights. Sherry is survived by her husband Sanford Fried; two children Brad Fried (Janet Slosberg) and Roberta Fried, all of Atlanta; two grandchildren Perry and Audrey Fried of Atlanta; her brother Edward Schaefer of Charlotte, N.C., sister Alanna Rosen of Knoxville, Tenn.; and cousins Jeffrey Axler (Helena) of Toronto, Susan (Bruce) Rubin of Toronto and Ellen Seitz (Brahm) of Toronto. Thank you to all her friends and family who loved her dearly. A funeral service was held at Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care Feb. 10 for immediate family, followed by her burial at Arlington Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

93, Delray Beach, Fla.

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Editor and Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com. 62 | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

77, Atlanta

Joanne Gold 66, Kennesaw

Joanne Gold, age 66, passed away Feb. 17, 2021, deeply mourned by her devoted husband Graham; son and daughter Alex and Rachel; grandchildren Shannon and Sammy; sister and husband Susan and Jack; sisters-in-law Anne and Stephanie; sisterin law and brother-in-law Sandra and Alan; nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives and friends. Forever in our hearts. May she rest in peace.

OBITUARIES

Carly Brooke Jackson 16, Johns Creek

Carly Brooke Jackson, 16, of Johns Creek, passed away Feb. 14, 2021. She was born March 2, 2004. Carly was a junior at Johns Creek High School and a member of the JCHS basketball cheerleading squad. She is loved by her family and friends, and most memorably for her kind heart, laugh and beautiful smile. She was a lover of fashion and makeup; enjoyed traveling to the beach; exploring N.Y.; visiting her family in South Florida; all things Disney and animals, especially her dogs Archie, Bella and Lucy. Carly is survived by her parents Robyn Jackson and partner Scott Green, Brian and Melanie Jackson; siblings Jamie, Paige, Aidan, Maura, Ryssa, Brenna, Bradley and Jack; grandparents Jan and Carole Jackson, Patti Duchan, Harvey and Judy Langberg, Art Green and Jeff Patterson, Lee and Dianne Lovenheim; great-grandmother Florence Duchan; many aunts, uncles and cousins. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the charity of your choice. Graveside services were held Feb. 19, 2021, at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Mark Douglas Sabel 63, Atlanta

Mark died Feb. 15, 2021. He was born Jan. 6, 1958, in Vincennes, Ind., to Bertha and Norman Sabel. Mark grew up in a military family and traveled the country as far as Adak, Alaska. Maj. Norman A. Sabel, Mark’s father, retired in 1967 and the family moved to Atlanta, where Mark grew up. Mark was a great brother to Alan and Sherrie Sabel. They participated in typical childhood events and enjoyed growing up together. In high school, Mark played football at Cross Keys High School and finished at Towers High School. Mark attended both DeKalb College and Emory University. Throughout Mark’s life, he loved adventure, enjoying hiking, scuba diving, hunting, fishing, motorcycle riding and traveling. Mark spent many years as a bodyguard working for many famous musicians. His last years were spent working with Walmart’s optical department. Mark will be missed but not be forgotten and is survived by his brother, Alan Sabel; sister-in-law Raye Sabel; sister Sherrie Sabel and her partner David Whitfield; nieces Brianna Shelton, Jennifer Sabel, Alana Hayut and Channing Vogl; nephews Will Shelton, Shai Hayut, Jacob and Matthew Sabel; great-nephews Brantley and Landry Shelton, Joby and Levi Sabel; great nieces Liel Hayut and Layla Vogl; cousins Nathan, David, Joel and Brian Sabel. The funeral was held Feb. 18. Donations can be made in Mark’s name to the American Heart Association. To view a livestream of the funeral and to sign the online guestbook, visit www.dresslerjewishfunerals.com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999. ì

‫זיכרונה‬ ‫לברכה‬ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES FEBRUARY 28, 2021 | 63

CLOSING THOUGHTS My Double Life I loved school. Truly I did. Why are you laughing? Most kids love school; even the ones that hate school Shaindle love school. Schmuckler It’s a perfect Shaindle’s Shpiel place to be “visiting” with friends. On one of my report cards, the teacher wrote in the behavior/conduct box, “loves to visit with friends.” I can hear you saying under your breath: why am I not surprised? I was a friendly child. I cannot refute this. I loved our neighborhood, our little village in the midst of the big city. When parents sent their children to school, their intent was giving their children the best education possible. Loving school was not particularly high up on their list of importance. My own

list was quite different. As my parents struggled with becoming Americanized, one important reason they sent me to school, aside from it was the law, was to help them and show them the way. They wanted me to speak with the same rhythm as all the “American” children on my block in the Bronx. Even as a young child, I was programmed to be on track for a good job, preferably a teacher or secretary. Steady jobs, jobs that offered paid vacation and retirement options. At this time in our country, as well as in the Bronx, these were considered high achieving, respected positions for women. These positions also allowed for marriage and family. In today’s lingo, my dad might say: “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” I am not as old as this sounds. OK, I admit, I did love learning new “stuff.” I felt so powerful. Particularly since I could teach my parents how to say said “stuff.” Here are some examples: “Foyer!”

“No mom, it’s furrier.” “Elewaiter!” “No dad, it’s elevator.” “Put up the laundry.” “No mom, do the laundry.” “Make out the lights.” “No mom, shut the lights.” Truth to power, as much as I loved school, I could not wait for June 30th. Not only my birthday, but the last day of school. It’s time for my summer self to emerge. Summer camp was sunshine. The Bronx was shadowy and grey. I am one of three sisters. When each of us finally turned summer camp age, we were all shipped off to live a privileged summer life. Of the three of us, one came home early and never went back. Unfortunately, she could not figure out what the big deal was about summer camp. She wanted to be at the bungalow colony with my mom. Two of us, however, bought into the camp concept immediately, if not sooner. Now I ask you, why do we say: “immediately, if not sooner” given it can’t be much sooner than immediately? I went to camp all my growing up years. I grew up at camp. I learned about life at camp. I learned the beauty of Judaism in camp. I learned to be a leader and about teamwork at camp. I learned about friendship at camp. I learned how to shave my legs at camp. I learned to tweeze my eyebrows at camp. I learned there are always consequences for behaviors, at camp. I learned the importance and the true meaning of mitzvot at camp. I learned the extraordinary beauty in celebrating the Shabbat, in camp. I learned about the birds and bees at camp. (Yes, I

actually learned that it is not always the birds and bees; and for goodness sakes, do not jump to any conclusions here.) I learned to love the sound of Yiddish. I must finally admit, I felt quite elitist given I was fluent in speaking Yiddish. I learned how to make egg in the hole while we were out in the woods camping, at camp. I still love egg in the hole. My girls did too. Need the recipe? Just email me; I am happy to share. Learned sharing at camp. I did not grow up, leave the Bronx and become a secretary. (Have you ever noticed the only borough with a “the” in front of it is The Bronx? Now that’s what I’m talking about). I did however, with each of my life’s growth spurts, become a teacher, children’s life coach, a therapist, and you guessed it, a camp director. Summer camp was sunshine. The Bronx was shadowy and grey. Summer camp is the place to instill the importance of Judaism, to instill its values, to expose the campers and staff to the beauty, the music, the dance and the comfort of the sounds of the Jewish culture. So, when I took the position as camp director in Tampa Florida, and at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, I knew instinctively how Jewish camping could wrap both children and staff in the comfort of a beloved blanket. I loved my neighborhood; I loved the people who made our neighborhood feel the safety of being home. But summer camp was the bomb. As I sit and write my Shaindle’s Shpiel, I can feel the warmth the blanket of Judaism offers, and the warmth of my summer camp memories. ì

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