Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIX NO. 4, February 28, 2023

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Jimmy Carter’s Jewish Legacy

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Jimmy Carter’s Jewish Legacy

By Dave Schechter

Editor’s Note: To read an extended version of this story and view an exclusive photo gallery, please visit AtlantaJewishTimes.com.

Paige Alexander first met Jimmy Carter on a cold day in December 1979 as the president welcomed British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to the White House.

The 13-year-old Alexander was visiting Washington, D.C., with her mother, Elaine. A Georgian working in the White House protocol office arranged for the Jewish Atlantans to attend the South Lawn ceremony.

After Carter (and, less memorably, Thatcher) shook her hand, “I went around Washington the rest of the trip saying, ‘I wasn’t going to wash my hand,’” Alexander told the AJT.

Alexander and Carter have shared many more handshakes, particularly since June 2020, when she became CEO of The Carter Center, the institution entrusted with continuing his decades of humanitarian, conflict resolution, and pro-democracy work.

The legacy of the 39th president of

the United States has been the subject of much discussion since the 98-yearold entered hospice care at his home in Plains, Ga.

The devout Baptist built ties within Atlanta’s Jewish community that contributed to his election as governor in 1970 and as president in 1976.

Carter is remembered for the Camp David Accords that produced a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, and for books and statements critical of Israeli policies regarding the Palestinian Arabs.

He advocated for the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate, promoted increased testing for Tay-Sachs disease, established the President’s Commission on the Holocaust (which led to construction of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) and, during the Iran hostage crisis, enabled Jews and other religious minorities leaving that country to enter the U.S.

Despite Jewish opposition, he pushed through the sale of F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia (in a package deal with fighter jets for Israel and Egypt), and his ambassador to the United Nations, Atlantan Andrew Young, resigned after misleading the State Department about an unauthorized meeting with an official

of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Carter is revered for the work of the Atlanta-based center that bears his name (receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002) and for his (and his wife, Rosalynn’s) stamina building houses with Habitat for Humanity.

Rabbi Emeritus Alvin Sugarman of The Temple was introduced to Carter at a Shabbat dinner hosted by Atlanta attorney Robert Lipshutz, who would serve as national campaign treasurer in 1976 and, later, as White House counsel. “I think his life has been a reflection of the highest ideals of the Judeo-Christian understanding of what it means to be a child of G-d. His life was rooted in a prophetic understanding of looking at the world through G-d’s eyes and what the prophets yearned for, a world of justice,” Sugarman said.

In the 1976 presidential election, Carter received an estimated 71 percent of the Jewish vote in defeating Republican Vice President Gerald Ford.

At his inauguration, on Jan. 20, 1977, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was sung by Cantor Isaac Goodfriend of the Ahavath Achim Synagogue, who called it “one of the highlights of my life,” in an interview for the Georgia World War II Oral History Project.

The Jewish members of the “Georgia mafia” in the Carter White House, included Lipshutz; Stuart Eizenstat, chief White House domestic policy adviser, Steve Selig, deputy assistant to the president and chief liaison with the business com-

munity; and Gerald Rafshoon, assistant to the president for communications. The four had worked on Carter’s gubernatorial and/or presidential campaigns.

“No American President has done more to advance the security of the state of Israel, champion the rights of the Jewish people around the world, memorialize the victims of the Holocaust and honor its survivors, and embody the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, repairing the world, than Jimmy Carter, a devout Southern Baptist from the tiny hamlet of Plains, Georgia. And none were less rewarded politically by the American Jewish community for doing so,” Eizenstat wrote in an op-ed published Feb. 23 in the Forward.

Selig recalled going with his father to the Commerce Club to have lunch with presidential hopeful Carter. They had not supported his 1970 gubernatorial run and knew little about him.

“I’ve never been more impressed with anyone in my life than I was with Jimmy Carter that day. He had this knowledge, and continued to have this knowledge, on every single subject, including when I worked with him in the White House,” said Selig, who served as deputy campaign director in 1976 and chair of the 1980 re-election campaign.

Selig, the president and chair of Selig Enterprises, Inc., told the AJT that no matter what business group that he brought into the White House, Carter made himself available and “had knowledge of the subject matter…that would be

Passover in April 1977, with Robert Lipshutz (at far end of table), President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, and others // Photo Courtesy of Robert Lipshutz

Atlantan Steve Selig held prominent positions with President Carter’s election campaigns and administration // Photo Courtesy of Steve Selig

everybody from motion picture executives to retailers to truck stop operators.”

The high points of Carter’s presidency were reached in September 1978 with the Camp David Accords and, in March 1979 (after months of negotiating the details), with the peace treaty signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at a White House ceremony.

Rafshoon recounted the moment credited with changing the course of the Camp David negotiations. Susan Clough, Carter’s personal assistant and White House secretary, brought her boss photographs of Carter with Sadat and Begin and of Carter with Begin.

“He grabbed the pictures. I followed him up to Begin’s cabin,” where, Rafshoon said, Begin told Carter, “I’m sorry, it’s not going to work out.”

Rafshoon said that Carter replied, “It’s okay, I brought you these pictures for your grandchildren.”

As Begin recited their names, Carter signed the photographs. “He says, ‘I was hoping to be able to write that this is when your grandfather and I brought peace to the Middle East,’” Rafshoon said. “Begin burst into tears.” One more, ultimately successful, effort was made. “I was the only person besides Jimmy in the room.”

Mired in the Iranian hostage crisis and a slumping economy, Carter lost his November 1980 re-election bid to Republican Ronald Reagan, receiving the lowest percentage of Jewish votes by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1920.

Carter’s post-White House criticism of Israel brought him a stinging dose of criticism from much of the Jewish community, including from previous supporters and associates. [Compared with the Southern Israelite’s 1976 endorsement, an April 2015 AJT editor’s notebook labeled him a “parasite.”

The title of his 2006 book — “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid” — prompted comparisons of Israel to South Africa’s

pre-1994 racial separation laws. His comments during a book tour, that the “proIsrael” lobby had impeded pursuit of an even-handed U.S. policy in the Middle East, added to the upset.

Saying that he felt “betrayed,” Emory University Prof. Kenneth Stein, executive director of the Carter Center from 1984-86 and an adviser on Middle East affairs, resigned as Middle East Fellow at the Center in December 2006, ending his association with the institution.

In January 2007, 14 Atlanta Jewish business and civic leaders resigned from the Center’s Board of Councilors, an advisory body of some 200 people. “It seems you have turned to a world of advocacy, even malicious advocacy,” they wrote in a letter. “We can no longer endorse your strident and uncompromising position. This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support. Therefore, it is with sadness and regret that we hereby tender our resignation from the Board of Councilors of the Carter Center effective immediately.”

Among those who resigned was Selig, who received a handwritten letter in which Carter said, “I’m sorry you felt like you had to resign. I understand why you did it. You’ll always be my friend.”

“I think Jimmy Carter was absolutely, totally, 100 percent not antisemitic or anti-Israel. I think he was doing what he thought was best to bring peace to the Middle East. It was one of the great honors of my life to work in his administration,” said Selig, who used the words “honesty and integrity” to describe Carter.

Carter sought a measure of forgiveness in December 2009, referencing a Yom Kippur prayer. “We must recognize Israel’s achievements under difficult circumstances, even as we strive in a positive way to help Israel continue to improve its relations with its Arab populations, but we must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel,” he wrote in an open letter. “As I would have noted

at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so.”

Alexander said that in a September 2021 phone conversation, Israeli President Isaac Herzog “thanked Carter for his key role in Israel’s first peace agreement with an Arab county. The fact that President Herzog was able to look back at what President Carter did for the state of Israel, and the safety and security that Israel has had for the 40 years, I think that this is President Carter’s lasting legacy with Israel.”

In a memorandum that Lipshutz dictated on March 13, 1979, as Air Force One returned from Israel and Egypt, he said, “Perhaps incorrectly, I feel that one of the reasons which has made Jimmy Carter so tenacious in his efforts to bring about this peace in the Middle East, even though probably subconsciously, is his relationship with me, personally,” he wrote. “Obviously there are even more compelling reasons for him to have done so, but it is a source of tremendous satisfaction to me that I have this particular feeling and it makes a lot of the effort of the past four or five years worthwhile.” ì

Carter CEO Paige Alexander with former President Jimmy Carter in July 2021 at his home in Plains, Ga.

White House signing ceremony March 26, 1979 // Photo Courtesy of Carter Center

National ‘Day of Hate’ Turns Into ‘Day of Unity’

By AJT Staff

According to the Secure Communities Network (an initiative of the Jewish Federations of North America): “Since early January 2023, a small neo-Nazi group began advertising on a Telegram channel a ‘day of Mass Antisemitic Action,’ referred to as the ‘National Day of Hate,’” to take place on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The threat reportedly originated with a group in Iowa called “Crew-319,” 319 being the area code in eastern Iowa. Oren Segal, vice president of the ADL’s Center on Extremism, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Crew-319 is a “tiny Iowa-based neo-Nazi crew that distributes propaganda and engages in antisemitic stunts.”

Another of the groups behind the threat is the “Goyim Defense League,” whose followers recently distributed hundreds of plastic bags containing antiJewish messages in driveways in Fulton and DeKalb counties, as well as in other metro Atlanta counties, and elsewhere in Georgia, in recent months.

Also identified by authorities as be-

hind the threat was the National Socialist Movement.

A bulletin sent by SCN said: “Historically, white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and other extremist groups have promoted these events online, encouraging mass participation in an effort to conflate and amplify their minimal reach and impact. It should be noted, online chatter surrounding the campaign has remained limited and we assess, as in the past, this will not likely be a widespread event. Given that this is not a centrally organized event, specific locations or times have not been advertised.

On Feb. 24, Neil Rabinovitz, com-

The Best STEM

munity security director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, in anticipation of the event, told the AJT: “Federation’s community-wide security program has been monitoring this event since it was publicized, and we continue to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement. We have no indication at this time of any planned violence associated with this campaign in the greater Atlanta area. It’s possible that we may see additional flyer drops in the area. As we always stress, members of the community should be vigilant, aware of their

“Do not confront individuals engaged in any activities related to these events.”

The Anti-Defamation League posted on Twitter: “We are closely monitoring tomorrow’s anticipated “Day of Hate” campaign and are in touch with local law enforcement agencies. As always, please report any bias or hate incidents to ADL at adl.org/incident and please join us in celebrating a #ShabbatOfPeaceNotHate.”

After the "Day of Hate" the ADL reported that while white supremacists had held protests and propaganda was distributed in Texas, California, Florida, and Arizona,

surroundings and immediately notify law enforcement of any suspicious or concerning activity.”

A congregation located on Lavista Road, in Atlanta’s Toco Hills neighborhood, sent a notice to its members that said: “These groups are calling for their followers to distribute hateful stickers and flyers, and to produce graffiti while videoing their actions for social media.” That congregation said that it was in touch with DeKalb County police and the SCN.

“SCN is coordinating with relevant Jewish communal security partners, including the ADL, regarding the content of this report. Based on previous campaigns, SCN assesses that the ‘Day of Hate’ will likely be limited to non-violent activity such as flyering and banner drops; these tactics are unlikely to impact any operations,” the bulletin said.

Media outlets, congregations, local authorities, and newspaper publications, including the AJT, cautioned Jewish communities in Atlanta and around the nation to remain vigilant. In addition to the vigilance already commonplace in Jewish communities, SCN urged that any incidents be reported to law enforcement and recommended:

that it had constituted a “pretty typical Saturday in America.”

“We know that the threat does not magically disappear as the sun sets on this so-called ‘day of hate.’ We know that vigilance is part of being Jewish in America in 2023. And we take great comfort in knowing we do not face this darkness alone,” the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement.

Temple Emamu-el in Sandy Springs already had planned an event titled “Georgia’s Fight Against Antisemitism,” on Sunday, Feb. 26, with speakers including Georgia House Reps. Esther Panitch, from north Fulton County, and Long Tran, whose district includes most of Dunwoody and part of Chamblee. Also speaking will be local officials and the Anti-Defamation League.

As of going to press there has been no reports of antisemitic activity in and around the city of Atlanta. Ultimately, the hate-filled hype had an unintended effect of bringing the local Jewish community, and its neighbors, together in a sign of unity. ì

Editor's Note: Most of the content was compiled from Dave Schechter's "Vigilance Urged for Saturday’s Anti-Jewish ‘Day of Hate.’"

The Anti-Defamation League posted this message to its social media platforms in anticipation of the planned “National Day of Hate.”

A solidarity sign with the Jewish community, ahead of a planned white supremacist 'day of hate' in the US, February 25, 2023.

Israel’s Turkish Aid Operation Deemed a Success

By Bob Bahr

In a video call from Turkey, organized by the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Col. Elad Edri, who commanded an IDF humanitarian medical and search and rescue operation in Turkey, gave a personal appraisal of its success.

The Israeli team he commanded was responsible for re-equipping a local hospital with six intensive care units as well as surgical suites and other medical facilities in the city of Marash. It provided care for both survivors of the earthquake and those needing regular medical treatment in the devastated city. And did it, according to Col. Edri, without regular electrical service, without a functional water supply system, and in the freezing temperatures of the Turkish mountains.

“We treated, in the week that we have been here, about 400 patients in all the departments of the hospital. That means,” Col. Edri said, “the emergency medical department and wards in the intensive care unit where we admitted 26 patients, 17 of those were patients who were pulled out of the rubble.”

During the chaotic first days of the rescue effort, the Israelis were often confronted with the difficulty of deciding how to proceed. Whether to conduct the search systematically on building-bybuilding basis or to follow local residents who pleaded for help. Still, they man-

aged, according to Edri, to pull 33 survivors alive from the rubble.

“Our rescuers needed to run, actually, to run between buildings and try to locate life signs. And, in a lot of cases, including two cases that I experienced myself, people that were in the street actu-

ally grabbed our hands and tried to take us by the hand to this house or that house to look for family members And we had this great dilemma whether to do it or to skip to the next building because we knew that in some of the buildings there were people trapped that we could save.”

In Turkey, Col. Elad Edri commanded more than 400 medical and search and rescue personnel from the Israel Defense Force.

Israeli IDF medical personnel re-equipped a local hospital in southern Turkey with the latest medical equipment.

In one instance, the Israeli rescuers debated whether to send a team of about 20 persons to a small village near the Syrian border to attempt to rescue an elderly Jewish couple trapped there and who might still be alive.

“We went to that village without any guidance, any professional help, any Turkish local forces, police or army. The team there worked for 32 hours without sleeping, without resting. And they eventually found these two people.”

Unfortunately, the couple did not survive but the rescue team was able to hand over the bodies to the family for burial. According to Col. Edri, it was yet another example of the dedication that the Israel’s armed forces has to Jews wherever they may live.

During the operation, Edri was particularly grateful for the support he received from the Friends of the IDF. The organization, which has a regional office in Atlanta, has organized a fundraising program to help supply medical equipment to support the ongoing efforts to treat victims of the earthquake. According to the Israeli military officer, the FIDF provided continuous support while he and his team were in Turkey.

“Every day the FIDF asked if we needed something,” Edri commented. “They said they will bring it here to Turkey. The bond between the IDF delegation and the FIDF organization and the fact that they thought about our needs, it’s something

SUNDAY,

Hands-on

that is extraordinary for me.”

More than 400 members of the Israel Defense Force were sent to the area immediately after two massive earthquakes on Feb. 6 toppled tens of thousands of structures and had killed more than 43,000 residents.

After more than a week in Turkey, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted the first of the participants who returned home in what was called Operation Olive Branch. He congratulated the search and rescue team for a job well done.

“You went on behalf of the country, and you brought great honor to the State of Israel. We saw you in action in the cold, in difficult conditions around the clock in the most sacred work a person can do—saving the lives of others.”

Not everything went smoothly for Israelis in Turkey. The Turkish government reportedly refused to allow the IDF to provide security for the operation. There was concern in Israel that in an area where so many Syrian refugees are housed that there could be a threat of violence. The IDF was not allowed to bring in its own weapons and Turkish officials provided security.

A team of about two dozen aid workers from the privately funded United Hatzalah were evacuated soon after their arrival, when what was described as a “concrete and immediate threat” was made against them. ì

Israeli Defense Forces’ search and rescue teams pulled 33 survivors from the rubble in southern Turkey // Photo Courtesy of Israel Defense Forces

New Book by Andy Lipman Recounts Stories of Courage

By Debbie Diamond

At the February book release party for “The CF Warrior Project, Volume 2: Celebrating Our Cystic Fibrosis Community,” author Andy Lipman shared his own inspirational story as a son, husband, father, and friend who has battled cystic fibrosis for 49 years, as well as those of others, including spouses, parents, researchers and physicians who continue to champion for those with the condition.

The book was described by the event’s emcee, actor and sportscaster Dave Cohen, as a “love story to people who live with the life-changing diagnosis of CF and those who advocate for them.” With 65 stories, “The CF Warrior Project, Volume 2” is a series of memoirs about people from around the globe who now live into their 50s, 60s, and 70s, due, in large part, to: scientific breakthroughs and new medications; parents who have turned dire circumstances into impactful legacies; geneticists responsible for discovering the CF gene, which has led to many treatments and medications that slow the progression of the disease; and celebrities who have used their influence to bring awareness to the disease and hope to a community determined to find a cure.

Selecting 65 stories was intentional, according to Lipman; the number 65 is significant in the CF community. Back in 1965, four-year-old Ricky Weiss told his mother she was working for “65 roses” when he heard her on the phone fundraising for CF research. Today, even 58 years later, the term is revered in CF circles and often used by young children with CF to pronounce the name of their disease.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, keeping them clogged with thick, sticky mucus. Those with the condition deal with breathing and digestion issues. Over many years, the lungs become increasingly damaged and may eventually stop working properly. There is no cure, although scientific breakthroughs in recent years and new medications have significantly extended the lives of those with the disease.

One in 29 Caucasian people carry the CF gene. There is a higher proportion of CF chromosomes in Ashkenazi Jews and Jews originating from Tunisia, Libya, Turkey, and the country of Georgia than in the general population.

Lipman was diagnosed with CF as

an infant in 1973, during a time when the average life expectancy for those with CF was 16. Today, the life expectancy has increased for many living with the condition. There are those who are now living into their 70s, and the oldest survivor today is 86.

Lipman stays in optimal health through a daily regimen that includes 40 to 50 pills, including vitamins and digestive enzymes, taken at various times throughout the day. He adheres to a rigorous workout routine every day that includes weight training and running. In fact, he has run the Peachtree Road Race since 1997, participated in a triathlon, and continues to set strenuous goals for himself.

As part of his treatment plan, Lipman wears a specially designed vest twice each day to break up the mucus in his lungs and uses a nebulizer several times a day. But the game changer for

Lipman came in 2019 when the FDA approved Trikafta, part of a class of drugs known as CFTR modulators. These drugs work by targeting the defective protein on a specific CF gene mutation that some individuals with CF have. Lipman remembers the day he learned that the drug had been approved.

“I had just appeared on the Today Show, and my mother called me, over the moon ecstatic. ‘They just approved Trikafta – and you fit,’ she said. One month later, I was on Trikafta. For the first time ever, I took a deep breath. Now I know how that feels,” he exclaimed.

Lipman’s exuberance for life was clear for all to see at the book release party. The large crowd was filled with fans, friends, supporters, and many in the CF community. According to his wife, Andrea, “Andy is dedicated to living. From the moment we met, I could see that he was nothing but goodness. Deciding to

marry someone with cystic fibrosis is a big decision, but Andy is such a positive force for all of us.”

And it was Andrea who encouraged Lipman to write this book, the second in the series on CF warriors. Lipman conducted all the interviews himself, transposed the notes and spent 2 ½ years writing the stories. The sagas are riveting, and include chapters about: Dr. Joshua Sonett, chief of general thoracic surgery and director of Columbia University Medical Center, who conducted a double lung transplant on a CF patient and challenged him to cross the finish line at the New York City Marathon together –which they did less than a year later to the cheers and admiration of onlookers; Lap-Chee Tsui, a geneticist and research lead at Hospital for Sick Children in Canada, who, along with his team, identified the defective gene that causes CF; and Doris Tulcin, the dedicated co-founder of

Author Andy Lipman Thoracic surgeon Dr. Josh Sonett finished the New York City marathon with his transplant patient whose story is recounted in the book, “The CF Warrior Project, Volume 2: Celebrating Our Cystic Fibrosis Community.”

Lap-Chee Tsui, whose work led to the identification of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis, is featured in the book.

Eva Lipman, mother of Andy, was active in the cystic fibrosis community and her son’s greatest cheerleader and advocate.

Andy Lipman with his wife, Andrea, whom he credits with inspiring him to write this book.

the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, whose determination to find a cure for her infant daughter led her to start a national organization, raise millions, and who continues to support the organization, even today at 93 years old.

Perhaps one of the most touching chapters in the book is the one Lipman wrote about his own mother, Eva Lipman, born in a displaced persons camp in Germany shortly after the end of World War II, and who he called “his greatest champion.” Eva immigrated to the United States at the age of three and, following her graduation from the University of Florida, moved to Atlanta where she met and married her husband, Charles. A member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority, she was active in collecting donations for the chapter’s philanthropy, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – never imagining the role the foundation would play in her own family’s life years later.

The couple’s first child, Wendy, was born with CF and lived for 16 days. Andy did not know that his sister had died from CF until he was 25 because his mother did not want him to become discouraged about his own life. Instead, she encouraged him all along the way, even pointing out a poster with a body builder and fibbing as she told her young son that the man had CF. While not true, Lipman admits her story gave him the added resolve he needed to build his stamina.

“I hope that readers can see all the progress that is being made regarding cystic fibrosis research,” said Lipman. “This book is about warriors who persevere and live life to the fullest every day even though they have a terminal, invisible disease. They have made their lives purposeful and, against all odds, continue to fight!”

CF advocate Celine Dion concurs with Lipman and said, “I stand by Andy and all the CF Warriors worldwide as we continue to search for a cure for this dis-

ease that so desperately needs one.”

“The CF Warrior Project, Volume 2: Celebrating Our Cystic Fibrosis Community,” is the follow-up to “The CF Warrior Project,” which was released in 2019. The author of five books, all related to cystic fibrosis, Lipman has been featured on the Today Show, NBC Atlanta, CBS Atlanta, and CNN. Dedicated to finding a cure, Lipman works tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for cystic fibrosis. The Wish for Wendy Foundation, created in memory of his older sister, has raised more than $4.5 million to help generate awareness for cystic fibrosis and fund research for a cure.

“My main goal in publishing this book is to continue the momentum of hope that has been brought on by all the new breakout drugs. The CF Warrior Project movement will also make people aware that some patients aren’t able to take the CFTR modulators, and none of us have the fortune of a cure,” said Lipman.

“The CF Warrior Project, Volume 2: Celebrating Our Cystic Fibrosis Community” was released earlier this month and is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and everywhere books are sold. Profits from the book will go to CFrelated charities, which will include the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. ì

“The CF Warrior Project, Volume 2: Celebrating Our Cystic Fibrosis Community” is described as a love story to people who live with cystic fibrosis and their advocates.

Atlanta Welcomes Acclaimed Actor, Director Shai Ferdo

By Debbie Diamond

Shai Ferdo, who played the role of Kassa Kabede in the critically acclaimed Israeli movie, “Exodus ‘91,” will be the artist-in-residence this semester at Clark Atlanta University. Those who attended the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival earlier this month will likely remember Ferdo’s riveting performance as the Ethiopian government’s special envoy during emigration talks with Israel.

Ferdo is here as part of the Visiting Israeli Artists Program of BAMAH, a nonprofit organization that helps communities throughout North America design meaningful experiences that harness the power of Israeli arts and culture to inspire and connect people of all ages, genders, racial identities, and backgrounds. Through semester-long, full-credit academic arts courses, the program enables students and members of the larger community to engage in complex, meaningful, in-depth discussions on Israeli society and culture.

“We are so happy about Shai’s resi-

dency at Clark Atlanta University,” said Flo Low, the founding executive director at BAMAH. These creative partnerships enable us to harness Israeli arts and culture to inspire communities and students throughout the country, as well as build relationships between the Israeli artists and the people they meet.” To date, BAMAH has had artists-in-residence throughout the United States, and in dance and film at Emory University and Kennesaw State University.

At Clark Atlanta, Ferdo will lecture and teach classes in the Department of Theatre and Communication Studies, including Ethiopian dance and movement, as well as theatre. University administrators were so impressed with his background and credentials that he has been asked to lecture in other departments such as history, art, and political science, sharing his wealth of knowledge and background as a Jewish Ethiopian Israeli. And he will organize and lead an Ethiopian cultural festival on behalf of the school, to be held sometime in April.

“We consider this a unique and

groundbreaking

University,”

experience for Clark Atlanta

said Eve Graves, Ph.D., chairperson of the Department of Theatre and Communication Studies. “He

Shai Ferdo is the first artist-in-residence at Clark Atlanta University. Ferdo is also the artistic director and cofounder of Natella Theatre, the first Ethiopian theatre in Israel.

will broaden our students’ experience of the world as he lectures about Israel, Ethiopia, the exodus of Ethiopian Jews and their cultural contributions to the world. Because of his varied experiences, we thought it would be advantageous to work with him to create a variety of lectures and programs that extend beyond the theatre department and benefit both our students and the larger community. Seen through an artistic lens, our students’ focus will be broadened exponentially. Our students are incredibly excited about having him here,” she added.

Ferdo was born in the village of Matcha, in the mountains of northern Ethiopia and began his journey to Israel in 1983 at the age of seven as part of the Operation Moses airlift. His family had long dreamed of making Aliyah and frequently spoke of Jerusalem as the destination they yearned for after thousands of years in the diaspora. Ferdo was told only two hours in advance that his family and the other 400 Jewish people in his village would be leaving.

The decision was made quickly when his parents learned the border with Sudan was open as a result of the Ethiopian border patrol being away to fight Eritrean rebels.

The trek was dangerous, and Ferdo left behind his home, cornfields where he played with his friends, a farm, and his beloved dog. His group traveled by foot

the long distance from Ethiopia to Sudan. Along the way, they were robbed at least three times as they encountered Ethiopian rebels, most of whom were ex-soldiers. They were robbed of money, food, jewelry, donkeys, and horses. At last, they arrived at the Sudanese refugee camp.

What Ferdo thought would be a few days at the camp turned into close to a year of hardship. Food was scarce and the housing primitive. His group had to hide that they were Jewish and pretended to be Muslim to enter the camp and avoid problems. Officials at the camp would regularly open the bags of flour intended for the 1.5 million refugees, steal half of it, and mix what was left with sand. As a result, the bread and other products made with the flour caused many people to become deathly ill. Ferdo lost his grandfather and several friends before they made it to Israel.

Yet, the group never lost hope that they would one day reach Jerusalem and fulfill their dream. He remembers the time period leading up to their journey and the night they loaded buses to reach the plane that would take them to Israel, their final destination.

“We had a feeling that Mossad agents who were originally from Ethiopia had entered the camp because they began speaking words that only other Jewish Ethiopians would know. They eventually told us, ‘Tonight will be the night.’ We loaded up buses and headed for the desert. We were stopped at one point by soldiers, but we pressed on. Then, we saw the plane landing in the desert, and we knew we would be on our way soon. When the plane landed in Israel, I stepped out on the soil and just felt different,” Ferdo said.

He continued, “My real-life experience as part of Operation Moses helped prepare me for my role in ‘Exodus ‘91,’ even though the movie focuses specifically on Operation Solomon, the third major effort to airlift Jewish Ethiopians to Israel. What some people may not realize is that there are still 6,000 to 8,000 Jewish people left in Ethiopia.”

Ferdo has played dozens of roles in theater, film and on television in Israel. He was the co-founder of Natella, the first Ethiopian theatre in Israel. He is also the producer and artistic director of Sigdiyada, the largest Jewish, Black and Ethiopian cultural festival in Israel. Ferdo studied at The Visual Theatre School in Jerusalem and the prestigious Nissan Nativ Actors Studio in Tel Aviv, graduating with honors. He hopes to make a film about his own journey to Israel and is currently working on the script. ì

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Shai Ferdo starred as the Ethiopian special envoy, Kassa Kabede, in the Israeli movie, “Exodus ‘91,” that played to stellar reviews at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

Halpern Rescues Tara Theatre with ‘Win-Win’ Deal

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Atlanta moviegoers were saddened and just plain outraged at the announcement, in winter of 2022 that the Tara Theatre, at the corner of Cheshire Bridge and LaVista Road, would close.

Those more professionally tuned in to the theatre business were perhaps not so shocked as parent company Regal Cinemas had filed for bankruptcy, simply unable to dig out of COVID’s years of devastation of staying home with Netflix. In past years, Tara had served as one of the screens for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival which was somewhat relieved this year with the addition of the Landmark Theatre and historic Plaza Theatre.

At the closing night of the AJFF on Feb. 21 at City Springs, Chris Escobar announced that he would reopen the beloved Tara Theatre and would still cater to foreign, art house and indie film fans, in addition to 35mm and 70mm formats.

Escobar stated, “Just like Atlanta, the Tara will rise again.” Escobar, who wears two hats, has been executive director of the nonprofit Atlanta Film Society for the

past 12 years. Six years ago, he formed a new company to purchase the historic Plaza Theatre on Ponce DeLeon Avenue; and now, as an owner in the new Tara Theatre.

He told the AJT, “I had been tracking Regal’s publicly known problems worldwide and knew just a few days prior, in November, that they would close Tara,

having rejected new leases. We are just so lucky to have made a new lease deal with the local Halpern family…who cares about the community, not just treated [Tara] as a dollars and cents bottom line ledger. After all, rent is a sizeable item.”

Escobar hinted that Jewish ties worked in this case: Kenny Blank, executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, and chairman and CEO of Halpern Enterprises Jack Halpern had pivotal conversations which resulted in the new workable situation.

Halpern Enterprises owns the entire Cheshire Square Shopping Center, including Tara and all the store fronts, as well as Publix, but excluding the Wells Fargo branch. Halpern has also managed the property for the past 50-plus years.

Halpern said, “When Regal Cinemas never recovered from the impact of COVID-19 and filed for bankruptcy, we began to look seriously for plan B to take advantage of the property’s prime location. The theater industry in Atlanta is a relatively small community, and word travels quickly. We heard from several prospective users once Regal decided to close its doors.”

John Brozovic, who leases Cheshire Square for Halpern Enterprises, received a call from Escobar. Brozovic said, “I contacted Kenny Blank at the Jewish Film Festival to let him know that we now had possession of the Tara and could make it available to the festival this year if they needed any additional screens. Kenny encouraged us to consider Chris as a potential tenant for the Tara; based on

Kenny’s endorsement and Chris’s track record at his other theatres, we ended up making a deal with him.”

Halpern expects that there will be enhancements to the interior, ultimately leaving it up to the new operator to design and implement any changes, and that more formal plans will soon be forthcoming.

Escobar added, “Contrary to the past, we will be serving Coke!”

In terms of the overall desirability of the center, located not far from the intensely Jewish Toco Hills neighborhood, Halpern said, “We’ve been able to attract a good balance of daytime and nighttime users to this location which helps provide adequate parking for all our tenants and their customers at different times of the day and night.”

The center is also within walking distance of thousands of nearby residents, which further reduces the potential demand for parking. In response to the growing popularity of electric cars, several charging stations have recently been installed as an amenity for customers and employees at Cheshire Square.

Ever modest, Halpern said, “The bottom line is important to us, too, but our goal with Escobar (and any negotiation) was to end up with a ‘win-win’ result -which I think we were able to achieve.”

To get fans more involved, Escobar has established a goal of raising $50,000 in future tickets and vouchers available for public support ahead of the opening. Go to taraatlanta.com to purchase and/or donate. See you at the movies! ì

Chairman and CEO of Halpern Enterprises Jack Halpern

Chris Escobar is the new Tara Theatre owner and remains executive director of the Atlanta Film Society.

The Tara Theatre will rise again thanks to productive local negotiations.

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Heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, honored guests, and a chance to hear from Bernie Marcus and Dr. Catherine Lewis on their new book, Kick Up Some Dust, Lessons on Thinking Big, Giving Back and Doing It Yourself and the power of philanthropy.

Atlanta Jews of Color Council Seeks to Promote Inclusion

By Debbie Diamond

February is Black History Month, and here in Atlanta, the Atlanta Jews of Color Council kicked off the month by offering two different types of programs to the community, the first a cultural event at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, and the second, a series of webinars focusing on different aspects of racial justice and Jewish Equity Diversity & Inclusion.

AJOCC will welcome Ethiopian-Israeli film directors and producers during their teaching residences in Atlanta. The program is sponsored by the independent arts and cultural exchange platform, BAMAH, and was made possible by a grant from the Molly Blank Fund. The first up is actor, writer, and community activist Shai Ferdo, one of the lead actors in the movie, “Exodus 91,” shown at this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

Ferdo will teach as the artist-in-residence at Clark Atlanta University. AJOCC president Victoria Raggs moderated the panel discussion with the film’s director, Micah Smith, and Ferdo following the movie’s showing in Sandy Springs.

The organization also offered free tickets to their members at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema Atlanta premiere.

As part of Black History Month, AJOCC members and other Atlantans participated in the JFNA weekly series of

webinars: “Unsung Heroes, Black and African American LGBTQ+ Leaders,” “Combatting Racism & Antisemitism in the

Former Fulton County Board of Commissioners chairperson John Eaves (left) and Victoria Raggs (right) join “Exodus 91” lead Shai Ferdo and his wife, Nofar Moshe Fredo, at the film’s Atlanta premeire at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

21st Century,” and “Resistance - Civil Rights Movement of Today and the Jewish Community.” The webinars ran once a week from Feb. 8 to Feb. 22.

“Our goal is to elevate the voices of the most marginalized members of our community by offering programming that drives cultural change through arts-based strategies. We want to design and sustain collective experiences and creative processes that lead to expansive thinking, dialogue and community belonging,” said Raggs.

Raggs pointed out that, to date, only two Jews of color are in leadership roles at Jewish organizations in Atlanta, but that she hopes that all Jews, regardless of identity, can be represented in communal leadership roles throughout the city in the near future. As a member of the selection committee for the AJFF, Raggs said she wanted to help ensure there was a diverse movie lineup that would represent a multiplicity of Jewish people, which she believes was achieved.

On its website, www.reformjudaism.org, The Union for Reform Judaism has created a series of podcasts, videos and essays about inclusion and racial justice that can be accessed by visiting http://bit.ly/3xXqAjK.

On its website, the group states, “It is not enough to listen to the voices of Jews of color; our communities must also commit to taking decisive steps to build a more equitable future. Indeed, a key component of the pursuit of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion is action.”

AJOCC advocates for Jews of color in Atlanta and seeks to ensure opportunities for access and representation in a variety of Jewish communal spaces, including synagogues, Jewish day schools and Jewish summer camps. To celebrate Black History Month and donate to AJOCC, please visit www.ajocc.org. ì

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Victoria Raggs is president of Atlanta Jews of Color Council.

AJFF Winds Up 2023 Edition on Positive Notes

By Bob Bahr

There was plenty to celebrate as the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival wound up its 23rd annual season with a closing night performance on Feb. 21 at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. The featured film was “Killing Mw Softly With His Songs,” a documentary about the extraordinarily successful career of Hollywood composer, Charles Fox.

The film follows Fox from his childhood home on Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx to his long-running success as a composer in Hollywood. The nearly twohour-long documentary chronicles a 65-year career in which the son of immigrant parents, one of whom was an early sabra in Israel and another from the Orthodox shtetls of Poland, finds fame and fortune in the world of music. “Killing Me Softly With His Songs” could well have been subtitled, “Sixty-Five Years of Charles Fox’s Greatest Hits.”

His long career, which he narrates for the film, includes scores for more than 100 feature films, another 100 or so themes and background music for

television sit-coms and game shows and the melodies for some of the biggest pop hits of the past century. Most notably is his 1973 hit by Roberta Flack, which is reflected in the film’s title, “Killing Me Softly.” It was written with lyrics by Norman Gimbel.

In an interview prior to the screening, Fox told me that music is always in

his mind. That in his earlier days he could sometimes write for 36 hours at a stretch to meet the voracious appetite of the entertainment industry for new melodies.

“In my mind, I am always hearing music,” Fox said. “In my mind, I can hear an orchestra play. So, if I want a melody, I can hear a trumpet with a sax. I can hear a flute and a piccolo, an oboe, two bas-

soons. I just hear it.”

So it was only natural then, that the AJFF brought their annual festival to a close with a musical performance by the famed composer who charmed his Sandy Springs audience. With the backing of a local quartet and two vocalists, he recreated for the enthusiastic audience his most popular numbers.

Kenny Blank, the executive and artistic director of the AJFF, was strongly encouraged by the return of theater audiences this year.

Closing night at the AJFF featured a live performance by composer Charles Fox, the subject of the documentary, “Killing Me Softly With His Songs.”

The lengthy standing ovation by the closing night crowd helped to propel the lavishly produced and edited film to a win as the festival’s most popular documentary.

The enthusiasm for the evening’s entertainment could also be one indication of the resurgence of this year’s AJFF, which has struggled to maintain the attention of the film-going public during the pandemic. For the last two years, it has been forced to shift its programs from theater screens to home screens, from live audience participation to a mostly virtual schedule of showings.

To be sure, this year’s festival still offered 22 of its 40 feature films and documentaries for viewing at home. Still, there was a concerted effort to bring audiences back, not only in Sandy Springs, but at four other theaters in Midtown, Virginia-Highland, and East Cobb.

And, if the closing night was not a complete sell out, the healthy response by ticket buyers to the 13-day event was enough to convince Kenny Blank, the long-time executive director, and artistic head of the AJFF, that the festival had come through the pandemic in good health.

”The gratifying news is that the fes-

BE MORE YOU.

tival is still beloved. People love this festival and still have a strong connection and want to be engaged, and to look forward to it. And we’re thrilled with the programing offerings, the films and the conversations that happened around those films that that we were really most interested in.”

As if to underscore the AJFF’s return to traditional theater screenings, Blank used closing night to announce the rescue of the Tara Theatre on LaVista Road in Atlanta. It was closed last November when Cineworld Group LLC, a British company that owns Regal Theaters, the previous operator, declared bankruptcy.

Going forward, Chris Escobar, who, in recent years, also saved the old Plaza Theatre on Ponce De Leon Ave., will attempt to work his magic on the Tara.

Escobar is picking up the Tara at a time when the film theater industry is just beginning to emerge from a catastrophic period. Last month, Regal announced it was closing another 39 theaters as part of its bankruptcy reorganization.

Blank, however, said the initial response from local audiences in support of the Tara’s reopening has been strongly positive. ì

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The audience for the AJFF final festival performance enjoyed a generous dessert buffet.

Robert Flack’s 1973 recording of “Killing Me Softly” was a smash hit for Charles Fox.

Israel Wins Big with Critics at AJFF

By Bob Bahr

A filmed drama told against the backdrop of Israel’s 1962 execution of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann and a documentary about one of Israel’s most famous photojournalists have captured two of the top prizes at this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Both were part of a nearly clean sweep of best film awards from Israel’s burgeoning film industry this year.

The winner of the best fictional narrative film went to Israel’s “June Zero,” a look at the impact of Adolf Eichmann’s execution in 1961 after his monumental trial in Jerusalem and his execution the following year.

“June Zero” is about the impact of the trial on three diverse characters, all immigrants to the young Jewish state. The film is the first foreign language production directed by Jake Paltrow, who also co-wrote the script. He grew up in a prominent Hollywood film family. His father, Bruce Paltrow, was an important producer and director before his death in 2002, and his mother is the actress Blythe Danner. Paltrow’s sister is the Academy Award winner and internet entrepreneur, Gwyneth Paltrow.

The jury prize for best documentary went to “1341 Frames of Love and War,” which is also an Israeli production by the veteran director Ran Tal. The film is based on the life work of Israeli photojournalist Micha Bar-Am who gave Tal full run of her vast archive that spans over half a century. The film, which is made up entirely of images culled from Bar-Am’s long career as a photographer of war and violence, has been described as “a complex love letter to the power, beauty, and horror of photographic imagery.”

Tal has been a frequent contributor to the AJFF. His film about former Israeli

prime minister, “What If? Ehud Barak on War and Peace” was seen during last year’s festival and “The Museum,” a look behind the scenes at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem which was programmed in 2019.

When the AJT interviewed him about “The Museum” film, he commented that what drew him to the project was the Jewish search for identity. Once again, in 2023, that same question is at the heart of his “1341 Frames of Love and War.”

In balloting by the judges for the other major Jury prizes, it was almost a clean sweep for the Israelis. To almost no one’s surprise, “Cinema Sabaya,” which won Best Film and a number of other awards at the most recent Ophir Awards in Israel, was the film that best fostered “understanding among diverse religions, ethnicities and culture.” The documentary was, in large part, made up of the videos that a group of Israeli and Palestinian women created about their daily lives.

The Human Rights Award was presented to “Exodus ‘91,” directed by the American-born Israeli filmmaker, Micah Smith, who made Aliyah in 2004. It documented Operation Solomon, the dramatic airlift in 1991 of 15,000 Jews from Ethiopia’s Beta Israel community. This AJT writer was privileged to conduct a post-screening interview with Smith. He described the difficulties that still face those Ethiopian Jews who immigrated more than 30 years ago.

He was a guest of the festival, along with Shai Fredo, who plays the role of an important Ethiopian government official, in the recreation of the negotiations to allow the Ethiopians to leave. Fredo was part of the original airlift of Ethiopians from refugee camps in Sudan in 1982. Like Smith, he described the hard road Ethiopians have faced in becoming a part of the modern Israel.

Immigrants to Israel were also the subject of the jury award for Best Short Film. It went to “Fledge,” a 15-minute, Israeli stopmotion animation production directed by Hani Dombe and Tom Kouris.

The only exceptions to the Israeli sweep was Ady Walter, a French filmmaker, who was recognized for the Emerging Filmmaker honor. His Yiddish language film “SHTTL” was a tense drama set in a Jewish village, or shtetl, in World War II Ukraine.

The audience awards, which were selected on the basis of voting by ticket holders, was a complete shut out for the Israelis. The audience choice for narrative film went to “Farewell Mr. Haffmann,” a French production set in Paris during the Nazi occupation of the city. The film was driven by

an outstanding performance by the great French actor Daniel Auteuil.

The audience choice for best documentary “Killing Me Softly With His Songs,” produced in Los Angeles, got a strong boost from its subject, the Hollywood composer,Charles Fox. He charmed the closing night audience with an interview and a generous musical performance of some of his greatest hits.

Finally, the audience choice for best short was the southeastern premiere of German filmmaker Roland Puknat’s, “The Caretaker.” Based on a true story, it was about how a museum caretaker in Hamburg frustrated the Nazi plan to seize modern masterpieces they considered as degenerative art.

ì

The Jury Award for Best Documentary went to “1341 Frames of Love and War.”

The 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann was the focus of “June Zero,” which was the Jury choice for Best Narrative Film.

The American documentary, “Killing Me Softly With His Songs,” was chosen by audiences as the Best Non-fiction Film.

“Farewell, Mr. Haffmann” was the audience choice for Best Narrative Film.

Braves Ink Jewish Veteran Kevin Pillar

For the 22,691 in attendance at Truist Park on the evening of Monday, May 17, 2021, it was a ghastly sight, one that served as a stark reminder of the game’s inherently grave dangers.

one direction or another, it could have struck one of his eyes or temples. Instead, the shellshocked journeyman, left with a swollen and deformed nose and bruising under his eyes, was diagnosed with multiple nasal fractures, which would subsequently require plastic surgery. Impressively, Pillar returned to the Mets lineup by month’s end.

David Ostrowsky

In the top of the seventh inning of an eventual 3-1 New York Mets win over a slow-starting Braves team, one that would, of course, ultimately be crowned world champs, reliever Jacob Webb drilled Mets right fielder Kevin Pillar in the face with a 94-mph fastball. In a nanosecond, the veteran outfielder hit the deck, rivulets of blood spilling from his bludgeoned face for all the world to see.

Ultimately, the Truist Park grounds crew had to rush on the field and clean up the pool of crimson before play resumed. Had the pitch landed a couple inches in

Now, nearly two years removed from the gruesome injury and months removed from an injury-riddled 2022 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers that was spent primarily with their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, the 34-yearold Pillar is trying to revive his big league career for the Braves, whom he joined on a minor league deal back in January, immediately after which he tweeted, “Can’t wait to join such a historic franchise and help these guys get back on top!”

For the Braves to win a second World Series in three years, they will surely need some help rounding out the outfield. While the club is set in center field (reigning NL Rookie of the Year Mi-

chael Harris II) and right (a healthy Ronald Acuña Jr.), left field is up for grabs as both Marcell Ozuna and Eddie Rosario are coming off underwhelming seasons.

If Pillar has a solid spring training and is able to crack Atlanta’s opening-day roster, which could also mean snagging a spot on the bench, he would reportedly

After a brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar is vying to prolong his big-league career with Atlanta this spring // Photo Courtesy of Los Angeles Dodgers

be in line for a $3 million salary—and a chance to continue cementing his legacy as one of the premier Jewish ballplayers of the 21st century.

Raised in the well-to-do San Fernando Valley neighborhood of West Hills, Calif., Pillar, whose mother, Wendy, is an observant Jew, had a Jewish upbringing and was bar mitzvahed to pay homage to his maternal grandmother. Although he did not maintain particularly close ties to Judaism as a teenager, by the time he blossomed into an everyday big leaguer for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2010s, Pillar embraced his heritage, speaking in front of hundreds at a 2016 Maccabi Canada event and engaging in open dialogue with his teammates about his Judaic background.

And after establishing himself as an elite center fielder and solid contact hitter for Toronto, Pillar was abruptly traded to the San Francisco Giants a week into the 2019 season en route to joining a passel of other clubs (Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Mets, Dodgers) before landing with the Braves organization.

After the signing in January, Braves skipper Brian Snitker remarked, “I always have been an admirer of his [Pillar]. He’s one of them gamer-type guys that plays the game the right way.”

He’s undeniably a gamer. Literally days after the horrific incident at Truist, Pillar, appearing like a bruised and defeated boxer, fortified his Iron Man image when he delivered the following remarks to the media via a Zoom call: “I pride myself on being available so I think my immediate reaction was sadness that I don’t know what the extent of what just happened was and I know that I’m leaving a game. And I know we’ve already been shorthanded with injuries. It was frustrating. My initial reaction was to get up and go to first base.

“I don’t always enjoy the results of going out there every single day, but I do enjoy the challenge of being available every day and I enjoy playing and that’s the thing that hurts the most. My face will heal but my heart’s broken right now.”

A year later, in 2022, there was the need for further healing. On June 1, four games into his call-up with the Dodgers, Pillar fractured his left shoulder on an awkward slide into third base and was slated for (presumably) season-ending surgery. However, Pillar was not shelved for the entire 2022 season as after three months of rehab, he returned for the final week of Triple-A action. His final stat line at Oklahoma City (.315, 10 homers, 40 RBIs), coupled with his well-established durability, made Atlanta inclined to take a flier on him this offseason. In the weeks ahead, as a non-roster invitee to Braves spring training camp, Pillar hopes to stand out among a crowded field of candidates (Sam Hilliard, Eli White, Jordan Luplow) jockeying to be the defending NL East champion’s starting left fielder.

As Pillar told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution a few weeks ago at the onset of spring training: “I wanted to be a superstar. That never happened. But I always tell people there’s nothing wrong with being a good bigleague baseball player. It pays well, you can do it for a long time, you earn the respect of your teammates and the fans that watch this game.

“Still feel like I could be an All-Star if everything clicks but, at the end of the day, I do enjoy being a guy that plays the game the right way, that his organization and teammates value.” ì

Israeli-Born Garzon Shines for IU Hoops Team

By David Ostrowsky

Ra’anana, Israel, and Bloomington, Ind., both have a population that hovers around 80,000 but otherwise share very little in common. One’s a verdant, bustling city just north of Tel Aviv while the other’s nestled in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, primarily functioning as the home of Indiana University’s flagship campus. Further, with the two cities having vastly different demographic characteristics and cultural vibes, transitioning from one locale to the other makes for a drastic lifestyle change.

But whatever cultural shock Indiana freshman guard Yarden Garzon may have experienced in making said transition surely hasn’t carried over to the basketball court, where she’s been a seasonlong starter for a Hoosiers team that’s in the running for the Division I women’s basketball national championship. Playing more than 6,000 miles away from her native land, the 6’3” Israeli shooting guard has scored in double figures night in and night out this winter, establishing herself as one of the top players (not just

freshmen) in the Big Ten and one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the entire country.

Certainly, the comfort zone of the gym has served as a sanctuary while she’s been navigating the new cultural landscape of America’s heartland.

“I think everything is really different than home,” acknowledged Garzon, whose older sister, Lior, is a junior for-

ward for Oklahoma State University. “I think it’s really different because I’m living in a city in Israel. Bloomington is a small college town. The culture is really different than in Israel. Israel is smaller. It’s a lot to adjust to.”

Back home, most vibrant urban centers are within a one-hour drive; in Bloomington, the nearest major city, Indianapolis, is a solid 75-minute ride away. But such geographical and cultural disparities haven’t dimmed her love for the basketball-crazed college town that’s home to two teams with designs on capturing a national title this spring. As of press time, the Lady Hoosiers sported a 26-1 record and No.2 national ranking while the men have been in the AP Top 25 for much of the winter.

“I like Bloomington. I love the people here,” Garzon was quick to point out in her conversation with the Atlanta Jewish Times. “The fans are incredible. I didn’t even imagine how good the fans are.”

During last year’s recruiting trip, Garzon attended a game at Indiana’s Assembly Hall. Kentucky was in town and there were more than 7,000 fans in attendance at the renowned facility. That, in itself, was impressive, but this year, with the Hoosiers consistently atop the national rankings, it has become customary for fans to not only occupy most of the arena but for many to line up hours before tip-off in anticipation of the night’s action. Perhaps the capstone moment of the season occurred on Feb. 19 when the Hoosiers knocked off Purdue, 83-60, to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title for the first time since 1983 in front of a program-first, sold-out Assembly Hall.

“It [the support of the home crowds] has definitely surprised me,” reiterated Garzon. “I can’t even describe how helpful it is. It’s more than anything I expected.”

She heaps similarly effusive praise

on Indiana’s coaching staff, one spearheaded by revered head coach Teri Moren.

“We have a really good staff. We feel ready before every game,” Garzon noted when asked how the Hoosiers have gone undefeated against AP Top 25 teams this winter. “We know what we want to accomplish every game. I think our preparation is the best it can be.”

For Garzon, the support from Indiana’s rabid fan base and dedicated coaching staff has provided tremendous motivation, but it hasn’t filled the void left by no longer being immersed in Judaic culture, on a daily basis, like she was back home in Israel. To that end, Garzon has taken the initiative to be an engaged member of the school’s Chabad and has since become a regular for Friday night Shabbat dinners—when she’s not hitting the road for games across the Midwest, that is.

“I feel like they understand me a little bit more in terms of what it’s like being an Israeli here,” she added. “It’s made me feel a little bit better about it and not alone here. It’s made it a little bit easier for me.”

With February coming to a close, Garzon is about to get her first taste of March Madness and all the accompanying hoopla, including playing in front of millions on national television. While she’s no stranger to competing on the big stage, having played at the 2021 U20 European Challengers and EuroBasket 2023 qualifiers, what lies ahead in the coming weeks is of a far greater magnitude.

“I want to see how it feels, the first time I play in March Madness,” said Indiana’s prized rookie. “I really want to see how it feels to be in it.”

With the Hoosiers a shoo-in for a spot in this year’s tourney, she will find out soon enough. ì

Only a freshman, Yarden Garzon has already established herself as one of the top perimeter shooters in the Big Ten this season // Photos Courtesy of Indiana University Athletics

Showing great maturity both on and off the court, Israel’s Yarden Garzon appears poised to continue her phenomenal freshman season during the upcoming March Madness.

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Environmental Benefits of a Food-Sharing Economy

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Ben Gurion University explored the true benefit of the digital food sharing economy (when people advertise and pass on surplus food items to others instead of throwing them away). Is this indeed a recommended environmentally-friendly practice that saves resources and significantly reduces harm to the environment?

To answer this question, the researchers focused on the effectiveness of food sharing according to three environmental indicators: water depletion, land use, and global warming. They found that a significant proportion of the benefit to the environment is offset when the money saved as a result of sharing is used for purposes that have a negative environmental impact.

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Meshulam explains: “Food waste is a critical environmental problem. We all throw away food, from the farmer in the field to the consumer at home. In total, about a third of the food produced in the world is lost or wasted. This wasted food is responsible for

Vera Hotel First to Ban SingleUse Plastic

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ogy and sustainability in both material and ethos: the hotel is dressed from floor to ceiling with works and creations of both budding and well-known Israeli designers and creators, in addition to undertaking sustainability programming.

“The elimination of singleuse plastics is an obvious decision and a forward step for the hotel industry,” says Danny Tamari, CEO and founder of The Vera. “We continually strive to build an environmentally conscious society, and The Vera’s action reflects our vision of what a modern hospitality experience should be."

The Vera Hotel offers plush rooms with oak-wooden parquet floors and stylish furniture, complimentary boutique wines on tap, an intimate spa, two-level rooftop sundeck, hyper-local concierge and an all-around personalized service for business, solo and leisure-driven arriving in Tel Aviv, a modern

Compiled by AJT Staff

The Vera Hotel has become the first hotel in Tel Aviv to ban single-use plastic.

Dr. Vered Blass of the Porter School of Environment and Earth Sciences at Tel Aviv University

Dr. Tamar Makov of Ben-Gurion University

Israeli Efforts Rescue 19 Turkish Earthquake Survivors

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

It was all hands on deck for Israelis as soon as they heard about – and perhaps felt – the 7.8 earthquake in Turkey on Feb. 6, followed soon after by a 7.5 quake. The Israeli Foreign Ministry and groups like United Hatzalah, the Israel Defense Forces, the Ministry of Health and Hadassah scrambled to send teams of search and rescue personnel to the sites most devasted by the historic quake. Eventually, some 500 Israelis participated in the rescue and medical efforts.

The Israeli military dubbed the aid operation, “Olive Branches.”

“The Turkey Ministry of Interior called for international help,” said Israeli Ambassador to Turkey Irit Lillian. “The Israeli Foreign Minister decided within an hour to send help. We know that the first few hours are crucial.” Lillian, speaking from Turkey on a Zoom call, said “the damage is beyond words. Thousands of people have died.”

In fact, since that Feb. 8 international conference call, just two days after the quake struck southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria, more than 45,000 bodies have been recovered, along with several survivors. The Israeli rescue teams were able to rescue 19 survivors from collapsed buildings.

Nearly 500 people were treated in the field hospital that was established by the IDF and civilian medical personnel from various hospitals across Israel, who had volunteered to join the delegation.

late December, and now she has been overseeing Israel’s desperate efforts to help the beleaguered country. During the call, when asked whether Israel was also assisting Syria in its rescue and relief efforts, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to answer.

However, David Saranga, who arrived with the Israeli rescue team just hours after the quake said it had already felt like “we’ve been here for weeks.”

zalah Dov Maisel. “The amount of damage wrought by the earthquakes is enormous. We are bringing all of our knowledge and manpower from previous experiences responding to disasters to assist in the rescue efforts currently taking place in Turkey.”

the earthquake.

Ambassador Irit Lillian had only been credentialed in Turkey since late December after a four-year hiatus in diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Among the 470 people treated at the hospital, there were also injured Syrian refugees, who have been living in the area since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, according to the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast U.S.

In addition, MASHAV, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s international aid agency, supplied more than 60 tons of humanitarian aid to those affected by the earthquakes. The humanitarian aid was comprised of winter clothes, medical equipment and water filtering units which do not require an energy source and operate off-grid. This system was specifically requested by Turkish authorities. The Consulate General of Israel emphasizes that Israel continues to stand by Turkey at this difficult time and will continue to offer assistance as needed.

It had been four years since Israel and Turkey had reestablished diplomatic ties last August. Lillian only presented her credentials to the Turkish government in

He said it took the 150-member rescue team consisting of Home Front Command, the Foreign Ministry and IDF five hours “to reach the areas assigned to us. I was walking in neighborhoods in which buildings were totally collapsed, listening for voices.”

He explained that the Israeli rescue team were assigned specific buildings in which to search for survivors.

“After we rescued someone, the loved ones from other families approached us to help them find their family members,” he recalled.

As has happened in other international tragedies, Israel sent a field hospital to Turkey to help take care of survivors injured in the quake. Indeed, just three days after the quake along the Turkish-Syrian border, a team of IDF and Ministry of Health medical personnel arrived in Turkey to help. In addition, United Hatzalah of Israel sent a group of 25 first responders and experts in search and rescue operations along with at least 10 tons of supplies and humanitarian aid on a charter flight to Turkey.

“As soon as we heard about the scale of the tragedy unfolding in Turkey, it was clear to us that we would send a team there in order to contribute to the relief effort,” said Vice President of Operations for United Hat-

Unfortunately, United Hatzalah and teams from countries like Austria and Germany had to cut short their efforts in Turkey because of security concerns. The delegation had been scheduled to return after 10 days but decided to come back to Israel early because of a “concrete and immediate threat.”

A spokesperson for United Hatzalah told Times of Israel that there were two main concerns driving the decision: proximity to the Syrian border and the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which has seen Islamic State activity over the years, and growing unrest among Turkish citizens over their government’s poor response to

“We knew that there was a certain level of risk in sending our team to this area of Turkey, which is close to the Syrian border, but we took the necessary steps in order to mitigate the threat for the sake of our lifesaving mission. Unfortunately, we have just received intelligence of a concrete and immediate threat on the Israeli delegation, and we have to put the security of our personnel first,” said Maisel.

Alex Gandler, deputy consul general of Israel to the southeastern USA, stated, “Israel stands by Turkey and the Turkish people at their time of hardship, and sees great importance in offering a helping hand following the devastating earthquake. The State of Israel has gained significant experience in responding to catastrophes and saving lives and is always willing to offer its assistance and experience wherever needed.” ì

Hundreds of Israelis helped in the rescue of Turkish survivors // Photo Credit: IDF spokesperson, Consulate General of Israel Atlanta.

Alex Gandler, deputy consul general of Israel to the southeastern USA

IDF medical officers treat wounded Turkish civilians at a field hospital near Kahramanmaraş, Feb. 10, 2023. (Credit: Israel Defense Forces)

Kaye, Lembeck Among Top 50 Women Super Lawyers

Amy Kaye and Alyson Lembeck of Kaye, Lembeck, Hitt & French Family Law, were recently named to the 2023 Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Georgia by Super Lawyers, a Thompson Reuters rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Kaye was also named 2023 Top 100 Super Lawyers in Georgia.

Kaye, Lembeck, Hitt & French Family Law specializes in all aspects of family law including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, spousal support, equitable division of assets and liabilities, modification, marital agreements including prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity actions, grandparents’ rights, separation agreements, mediation and arbitration. Additionally, they serve as court-appointed guardian ad litem in custody matters, to look out for the interests of the children and be their voice in court. Clients have included professional athletes and entertainers.

Kaye received a B.A. cum laude in economics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a J.D. cum laude from

Repair the World Atlanta Receives Grant

Repair the World Atlanta, part of the national organization

partners.”

the University of Georgia College of Law. She is married to former State Rep. Mitchell Kaye and together they have three married children and three grandchildren and are members of Chabad of Cobb. In her spare time, Kaye can often be found on the golf course or tennis court.

Lembeck received a B.A. (valedictorian) from the University of Florida and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She is married to Gabe Lembeck and together they have three children and two rescued basset hounds and are members of Congregation Ariel.  Lembeck is an avid Peloton rider and loves to spend time outdoors during her spare time.

Repair the World that engages Jews and their communities to serve at the intersection of Jewish values and social change, has received a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to expand this important work locally.

“The generosity of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta will fuel essential efforts to further ignite and inspire young adults to serve, take action to pursue a just world, and build bridges across lines of difference,” said Samantha Berinsky, city director, Repair the World Atlanta. “We are grateful for the Foundation’s investment in Atlanta Repair that enables us to expand our impact in our Atlanta communities as we serve to meet the needs of our local nonprofit

Emma Burns, a Fellow with Atlanta Repair from 2021-2022, said, “I serve because it honors and celebrates our innate interconnectedness. I think without Repair I wouldn’t have the resources or people to really delve into the communities I’m in and learn as much as I have learned.”

“Engaged communities are thriving communities,” said Ayana Gabriel, vice president of community impact for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. “At its core, Repair the World is committed to igniting a passion for education, service, and social change within the Jewish community, and we are pleased to be able to provide resources, through this generous gift from the Shulman family, to support their efforts.”

Compiled by AJT Staff

Shuman & Shuman, P.C. is a family law practice committed exclusively to guiding clients through matters of divorce and family law, custody, child support, alimony, division of property, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, post-divorce issues and a variety of other family related situations.

Attorney Eileen J. Shuman provides dedicated legal support for clients both in the courtroom and through alternative dispute resolution including mediation and collaborative divorce.

Eileen represents clients who have cases in Metro Atlanta and the surrounding counties.

Amy Kaye Alyson Lembeck

The Laughter Habit

By Chana Shapiro

Let’s Laugh Day is March 19 and World Laughter Day falls on the first Sunday of May. Atlantan Rachael Siegelman, founder of The Laughter Habit, is ready to enable you to celebrate both occasions. “My mission,” Siegelman asserts, “is to show people how purposeful, playful laughter helps transform stress and negativity into energy and positivity.”

Siegelman began her laughter journey because she wanted to become happier, more positive, and playful, and she asked herself, “Who doesn’t want more zest and liveliness in their life?” She created The Laughter Habit, a program designed to empower people to laugh regularly on purpose and thereby reap all laughter’s benefits.

Inspired by Norman Cousins’ famous book, “Anatomy of an Illness,” in which he cured himself of a debilitating illness with lots of laughter, and by cardiologist Dr. Michael Miller, who, in his book, “Heal Your Heart,” prescribed 15 minutes of daily belly laughs to his coronary patients, Siegelman challenged herself to laugh for at least one minute a day for 40 days. She laughed on camera and posted her progress on social media, inviting others to join her.

Understanding the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of purposeful, lively laughter stimulated Siegelman to learn as much as she could about laughter. She shares that laughing releases “feel good” endorphins in your body that help relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your mood.

Siegelman currently leads a free, 15-minute Zoom laughter program on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m., in which participants do warm-up exercises and

23Up Motor Club Opens on Zonolite

The Druid Hills neighborhood is known for its historic homes and parks, not ample garage spaces, but in 2021, Joel Fullerton met fellow car enthusiast Paul Faletti at an old warehouse on nearby Zonolite Road. The question on their minds was: Can we turn this 10,000 square-foot space into a club for auto enthusiasts?

enjoy laughter games designed to trigger contagious laughter. (She has a You Tube channel where a viewer can see several laughter posts.)

Siegelman says, “A person can learn to laugh on cue from a self-directed prompt. Laughter has the power to impact everyday life, maintain an elevated mood, and put you in the driver’s seat of your response to stressors.”

Siegelman assisted her twin sister, Sarah Routman, an established laughter leader and trainer, to create The Laughter Lab at IMEX 2019, the largest eventplanning event in North America. Purposeful group laughter is already being employed in select West Coast corporations to build employee camaraderie and boost workers’ moods; plus, making eye contact, smiling, and laughing have the power to change the ambience of potentially uncomfortable one-on-one situations. Siegelman affirms, “There’s a bonus. Laughter is contagious, and others will catch it from you!”

Siegelman can be reached at rachaelsiegelman@gmail.com or 678.707.2526.

Today, the 23Up Motor Club is housed in an old brick building newly painted charcoal grey, with a sleek wooden facade. The inside, however, is a vast open space built to showcase collectors’ cars and serve as a social club – the first and only space of its kind inside Atlanta’s perimeter.

Already open for car storage and detailing, 23Up has begun accepting early nominations and requests for membership - which will begin March 2023. Members will have access to the club lounges, exterior deck, and fire pit. They’ll get together for cruises, meets, and outings. They’ll gather to watch live races and get to practice in a SimCraft simulator on site, complete with a live professional instructor.

The business is a dream come true for Fullerton, whose passion for cars ignited before he could drive one. At 13, he was sweeping the floors at a classic car restoration shop. By his late teens, he was detailing at a Porsche dealership. And by his early twenties, he was modifying custom car parts out of his parents’ driveway—often at it in the middle of the night with a flashlight. Though his professional career led him into aviation, the love of the wheel in his hands never left him.

“When I was younger, even a park-

ing lot could feel like home when I was talking cars with others who loved them. There was community sitting on that curb,” says Fullerton. It’s a community that he looks forward to rekindling here in Atlanta. He describes it as the true purpose of 23Up Motor Club. “This club is about bringing people together over a shared passion, over the love of the ride, and in lifting others along the way.”

Fullerton and his wife, Andra London, live in Druid Hills with their young family. To learn more and take a tour of the space email joel@23up.com.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Rachael Siegelman is the founder of The Laughter Habit.

Joel Fullerton (pictured) joined fellow car enthusiast Paul Faletti to start the 23Up Motor Club on Zonolite Road near Druid Hills.

balance of power. Opponents fear that the result will be reduced judicial independence, increased government overreach, and damage to Israel as a democracy.

Those marching in the street find it less than coincidental that this is happening as Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases, charged with fraud and breach of trust, along with bribery in one case. He claims that the charges are fabricated, labeling them an attempted coup by police, prosecutors, the media, and left-wing rivals.

To form a government that would hold a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Netanyahu brought into his coalition right-wing parties whose leaders have expressed ideas that many Jewish Americans find repugnant.

Some, with histories of racist and virulently anti-Arab behavior, want to supplant the military and civil authority in the West Bank (also known by the Biblical names, Judea and Samaria), and spur even greater

“Deeply troubled” is language intended to convey a sterner message. Religious and communal organizations, including the Jewish Federations of North America and the major non-Orthodox movements, have said similar things, and in stronger language.

I’m not betting any shekels that these objections will have much of an impact. An open letter may weigh less than an envelope without a check in it.

There also seems to be concern about airing Jewish laundry in public. “We implore all parties to exert responsible leadership and avoid incendiary rhetoric,” the ADL said. “At a time of rising antisemitism worldwide, the Jewish people cannot afford such acrimony and division. We urge all sides in Israel and the Diaspora to remain committed to reasonable compromise and constructive discourse.”

I’m not putting any shekels on that happening, either. ì

The 5783 Purim Gazette

Welcome to the 2023 Purim Gazette. Once again, Professor Essie Fresser, host of the podcast, “I Got Here First,” joins our staff as Acting Editor-in-Chief, while our permanent editorial team spends the next six months sitting idly by and tweeting friends. Questions and comments for Professor Fresser may be directed to this publication, but do us a favor: make your letter to the editor brief and positive, or just keep your opinion to yourself.

New Party Venues

The Atlanta Jewish Times frequently is asked to recommend novel party sites in which to celebrate family simchas. As a community service, our intrepid reporters have identified the following unique celebration venues. Home Depot—Hankering for a rustic, all-American event? Home Depot fills all your needs. Food stations are arranged at display BBQ grills and portable fire pits, and you may take advantage of Home Depot’s all-new gardening-glove catering. Invitees will frolic on wide, sawdusty floors among the fragrant lumber or do the Hora in the loading area. Sales staff will entertain by duplicating a house key for guest families and demonstrating hand tools and home appliances (bring your own laundry). A complimentary can of “oops” paint will be given to attendees upon departure.

Public Library—This venue is perfect for the singles literary crowd, many of whom prefer reading to rock ‘n’ roll (who doesn’t?). Trained librarians tend the bar at the check-out counter, and the periodicals section provides comfortable seating for discriminating guests who may not wish to mix and mingle in the stacks. Note to party planners: no food may be served in this venue.

AAA Automotive Service Center—Have your oil changed or tires rotated while dancing in our spacious, well-oiled garage. This informal venue is a welcoming site for casual fetes, and all ages will enjoy riding up and down the lifts (not recommended for individuals with inner ear conditions). Nattily-uniformed mechanics serve dinner in the homey waiting areas, where free serve-yourself coffee is available throughout the celebration.

Goodwill Thrift Store —This site is perfect for Sweet Sixteen and Quinceanera celebrations. Photographers capture special moments while teens and their parents have fun trying on gently-used clothing and checking for cushion stains on furniture in our popular, fully-stocked facility. Enter through the convenient receiving dock, and spend an enjoyable evening dancing and dining while sorting through linens, glassware, and vintage computer manuals during band breaks.

Center for World Jewelry Antisemitism Probe

Gemologists at The Center for World Jewelry were confounded when monetary donations began to pour into their southern branch office in Atlanta. The gifts, in multiples of $18, seemed clearly unconnected to the Center’s mission of buying and selling bracelets and brooches. Seymour Cleerly, senior ruby appraiser, was puzzled until he figured out that CWJ’s ad, reading ‘Center for World Jewry’ in the neighborhood papers, had not been vetted. “This misleading ad is clearly intentional, an open-and-shut act of journalistic antisemitism,” Cleerly declared definitively to the reporters he had summoned. Presently, a special state investigation has been launched to determine whether the ad, if intentional, falls under the category of “a hate crime.”

Three-bedroom Treehouses in Johns Creek

The Johns Creek City Council, seeking to alleviate the futile search for affordable housing in north Atlanta, has come up with a unique solution. A commission, appointed by Mayor Barry Berrybush, approved the construction of two dozen threebedroom family-size treehouses in the leafy back yards of Johns Creek private homes. These treehouses will be designated as the trendy ADUs (accessory dwelling units) being built throughout Atlanta.

“Approved private homeowners who open their verdant yards to treehouse construction will receive a considerable tax reduction, and I mean considerable,” averred Mayor Berrybush, who has led the way with a Colonial-style treehouse in his favorite elm tree. Construction of Johns Creek treehouses by Portmanteau Enterprises is slated to begin on March 7, 2023. “I anticipate that the treehouses will attract athletic young families for whom the twenty- to thirty-step tree ladders will be an enticement," added the mayor. “Think of all the money these folks will save from monthly fees at the gym.”

Professor Essie Fresser

Seymore Cleerly identified an act of journalistic antisemitism.

Unsolicited Advice TikTok Influencer

Fanny Paque, a TikTok influencer for this paper, spent a week surreptitiously recording her mother’s ongoing attempts to control her and her brother. Here, in order to help mothers avoid causing their children to roll their eyes obsessively or run away for good, Fanny cautions parents by sharing one week of aggravating nuggets of her mother’s counsel:

• Have another slice of cheesecake. A few extra calories won’t hurt you.

• You’re going to fall if you wear those high heels. So what if they make your legs look thinner.

• Why don’t you take that nice girl down the block to the prom?

• I could have gotten it cheaper. You should have asked me.

• Why would you share an apartment with three other people when you could live in Grandma’s basement for free?

Weary eye-rolling progeny are invited to contact Ms. Paque with their suggestions for her popular “Mother’s Helper” TikTok account.

Shoelace Collection at High Museum of Art

A new exhibit of shoelaces from around the world will open at the High Museum of Art on April 1, 2023. The laces will be on display in the second floor gallery until Dec. 31. “We are a non-discriminatory institution,” declared the High Museum’s director, Random Suffolk. ”It was time for us to mount an excessively inclusive show.” To that end, one room is devoted entirely to displaying laces of famous individuals with big feet, including Dwight Howard, Andre the Giant, and Mickey Mouse.

For years, couture fashion houses in France and Italy have created bespoke shoelaces for celebrities around the world, and an opening night wine auction and disco will stream films of famous people tying their shoes. In the outdoor plaza, in spite of threats from pro-velcro shoe-closure picketers, volunteer pre-school teachers and patient grandparents will demonstrate shoelace tying for children whose parents have given up.

On the High’s first floor, a slotted receptacle will be available for monetary donations to help men and women who have sprained their ankles while wearing flip flops, and museum patrons can drop used shoelaces that still have aglets into a nearby collection box. Donors are asked to please remove the laces from shoes before making the drop.

No-Kvetch Powder

It’s understandable that you may lose your cool these days, but complaining seems to do no good. Have your friends and family had enough of your bellyaching?

• Are you easily angered by everyday airline cancellations or the invasion of fruit flies?

• Are you about to sever ties with your hairdresser?

• Are you tempted to see the glass half-empty?

• Are you bummed by being passed over for the shul baseball team?

• Are you disheartened by receiving a self-help tome from the book-a-month club?

Fret no more. Scientists at Murk Laboratories have come up with an antidote to your irritations and sense that nobody wants to hear about your tsuris anymore. Murk’s revolutionary No-Kvetch products are guaranteed to finally ease your need for sympathy. Turn your frown upside down and restore your youthful cheerfulness with only one teaspoon of tasty No-Kvetch Powder or one application of soothing gel. No-Kvetch products are brought to you by the friendly folks who invite you to start the day in a relaxing shower with a bar of No-Kvetch soap and a hearty breakfast of No-Kvetch Krispies, the “look at the bright side” breakfast cereal.

No-Kvetch Powder

Scientists at Murk Laboratories have come up with an antidote to your irritations and sense that nobody wants to hear about your tsuris anymore.

Turn your frown upside down and restore your youthful cheerfulness with only one teaspoon of tasty No-Kvetch Powder!

No-Kvetch powder has changed my life!

And it’s tasty, too!

Thirty-First Purim Parade and Festival, Adar 5783

By Chana Shapiro

On Sunday, Feb. 26, floats from synagogues, Jewish schools and youth groups, a preschool train, and costumed marchers paraded jubilantly down LaVista Road, to the delight of cheering spectators along the Purim Parade route.

The 31st annual parade and festival, organized by Congregation Beth Jacob, has become a signature Atlanta Jewish event, attracting crowds from Atlanta and throughout the Southeast who cheered and sang along.

Winners of the float contest were: first place, Torah Day School; second

place, the Eidex family; third place, Beth Jacob. The parade, which started from the Toco Hill Shopping Center, culminated at Beth Jacob with games for all ages (including soft-ax throwing contests and bouncing- horse derby races), entertainers, pony rides, train rides, a cyclone swing, face painting, a petting

zoo, bounce houses, and kosher food trucks.

Well-known DJ, Zach Givarz, provided music from the stage throughout the festival, sustaining the festive ambience all afternoon. Co-chairs of the parade and festival were Sarah Faygie Berkowitz, Melanie Frank, and Sara Davis.

STYLE

Jewish Atlanta ’ s Stylish Simchas and Celebrations

New Year’s Eve Wedding with Georgia Win

They had a few weeks of normalcy before the world changed in March 2020. Liz recalled, “Quarantining together gave us tons of uninterrupted quality time at the beginning of our relationship. It was evident to us that we wanted to spend our lives together.” Darren proposed in April 2022, on the BeltLine, followed by a huge surprise party, one that Darren spent months coordinating, with all of the family and best friends.

it, which made for a great story! In addition to our dad/daughter and mother/son dances, we did a special dance with our grandparents – Liz’s grandfather and Darren’s grandmother.”

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Elizabeth (Liz) and Darren Gillman brought their dream wedding to life on New Year’s Eve at the Intercontinental Hotel.

“Gator” Liz, originally from Tallahassee, then the University of Florida, is a global integration lead for Accenture. Born and raised in Atlanta, before attending the University of Georgia, Darren is a sales manager with Athena. Their favorite couple interests are “travel, trying new restaurants, any and all games, Liz watching Darren sleep, and Darren eating Liz’s leftovers.”

Liz and Darren were set up on a blind date in January 2020 by one of Liz’s best friends who was a co-worker of Darren’s.

Fashion-wise, Liz wore two dresses. One was Anne’s (her mother-in-law’s) wedding gown from 37 years ago, which Liz wore for the ceremony. Her reception dress was by Allison Webb, coincidentally a UGA graduate, in nodding to Darren’s love for the Bulldogs. Darren’s tux had cuff links that Liz gave him and custom tuxedo shoes with a logo of the progressive rock band, Phish.

First dance was “Everlasting Love,” for which they spent months getting dance lessons and practicing with Dance With Me Buckhead on a choreographed dance routine.

Liz laughed and shared, “Announcing us to the reception room for our first dance, Darren accidentally stepped on my dress, breaking the bustle, and making it impossible to do the choreographed dance. We laughed it off and ended up winging

In tandem with New Year’s Eve, the décor was gold, silver, white and black. Flowers were white with greenery in a variety of champagne and creamy white flowers. The florals were loose and airy, with varying heights of seasonal flowers with white anemone with black center, white roses, white peonies, white veronica, lisianthus, snapdragons, and tulips. The couple wanted “elegant, old-world glamour yet fun vibe because it was New Years Eve after all! Jwilbur Smith and his team captured it perfectly – our ceremony was spiritual and meaningful, followed by an incredible cocktail hour and reception where we rang in the new year,” said Darren.

Temple Rabbi Lydia Medwin led Liz’s conversion for the past year, where they got to know her in preparation for married life. Liz said, “She began our ceremony singing Havdalah prayers, a meaningful way to usher in the new week and usher us into the next chapter of our lives.”

Treasured family heirlooms were incorporated into the ceremony. Liz’s engagement ring belonged to Darren’s pa-

ternal great-grandmother, Dorothy, for whom he was named. Liz’s aquamarine ring belonged to her maternal grandmother, Carol, and the gold wedding band Liz wore to exchange vows is the same ring Darren’s maternal grandmother, Arline, received during her wedding ceremony 75 years ago. The tallit woven into the chuppah belonged to Darren’s maternal grandfather, Milton Swartz.

The couple enjoyed a ‘mini-moon” in St. Lucia and will head to Israel in March and Europe in June.

Vendors included: Event planner, Terry Saxe, partnered with Brian Ettleman and Lisa Wetherald at The Intercontinetal; Jwilbur Smith (Event Scapes Atlanta), Laura Stone Photography, and Daneman Video Productions.

Recounting what they like about each other:

Darren: I love Liz’s zest for life, her smile, infectious positivity, spunky attitude, adventurous spirit, radiant energy and ability to be my ‘heat rock’. So smart, too!

Liz: Darren makes life so fun! I love how much he values family and what an incredible friend he is. I love how passionate he is about Georgia and live music. He is always the happiest person in the room, kind to all. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a creative cook!ì

Chairs held high for the Hora.

Above: Second kiss as husband and wife.

Right: Darren and Liz Gillman’s first walk as husband and wife.

Below: Darren Gillman places a gold ring on Liz’s finger – the same ring received by her maternal grandmother, Arline, during her wedding ceremony 75 years ago.

Liz and Darren Gillman ring in 2023, covered in confetti, with extra smiles for the UGA win!

Love in the Time of COVID

expectedly similar tastes in science fiction movies, love of all kinds of music (“we sing together a lot!,” says Kessler) , mutually-appreciated senses of humor, and shared Jewish values and practices.

Their January wedding at Congregation Beth Jacob united families from Atlanta and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, who unanimously claim that the union was clearly bashert (destined) for these two, who had not met before they became online friends, and who subsequently discovered that they were destined to be together.

Destiny stepped in. Another member of the class, Arielle Lasary, after another of the Rebbetzin’s classes, asked the teacher if she could recommend someone her cousin, Jonathan Roytenberg, in Ottawa, Toronto, Canada, might want to meet, and the teacher, having been impressed with Kessler’s kindness and upbeat personality, immediately responded, “How about Adira Kessler?”

they announced their engagement. It was October of 2021, more than a year from their first Zoom conversation in July of 2020.

A long-distance Zoom friendship turned into long-distance love, amid COVID restrictions that limited travel and forced isolating at home.

Owing to a chance act of kindness in Atlanta, Adira Kessler and Jonathan Roytenberg got to know one another remotely. They explored and soon enjoyed their un-

The couple would never have met if not for Kessler’s natural generosity, which impressed Chabad teacher, Rebbetzin Nomi Freeman, in 2020. After class one day, Mrs. Freeman asked if anyone was driving to her destination in Sandy Springs. Class attendee Kessler, who lived in the Toco Hills neighborhood, had not initially planned to drive to Sandy Springs, but she immediately offered to give Mrs. Freeman a ride, going well out of her way to help.

Her suggestion, despite the obvious geographical distance between Jonathan and Adira, didn’t faze Lasary, who became an incidental matchmaker, and the two soon met online.

A Zoom friendship between Kessler and Roytenberg developed, and even before they met in person, they were already compatibly talking to each other every day. Sometimes, they watched movies together and ate dinner together, albeit from their homes far apart. They were physically sharing their lives, but remotely! After only a few meetings in person, when Jonathan came to Atlanta and stayed with his cousin, Arielle,

Kessler was adopted at the age of 2 ½ by Judy and Jay Kessler (a story in the Atlanta Jewish times in 1992 documented the foreign adoption). She works at Best Buy, creates and edits videos (she graduated with honors from The Art Institute of Atlanta), has composed a few songs, and she has written two books of original poetry. She is a graduate of the Temima High School for Girls and Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., where she became close with Chabad Rebbitzen Shifra Liberow and her family. Roytenberg, who is a music therapist and cantor, following meaningful experiences at Jewish summer camp, decided to explore Judaism more deeply by spending a year at an Israeli yeshiva. He subsequently graduated from Yeshiva University in New York. Both Kessler and Roytenberg follow the practices of Orthodox Judaism, which

Adira Kessler and Jonathan Roytenberg in a quiet moment // Photos Courtesy of Leora Siegelman of Moments of Now Photography

Chana Shapiro

Top Right: Bride and groom strike a winsome pose.

Bottom Right: A fire eater entertains at the reception

helped to strengthen their connection to each other, and clearly boded well for their eventual marriage.

Because the couple’s courtship was carried out remotely and somewhat clandestinely, the announcement of their engagement came as a joyous surprise to many friends and relatives of both families; however, at a vort (pre-wedding celebration) held in Atlanta, where Roytenberg made a live appearance, and, during which, Jay Kessler and both Adira and Jonathan spoke candidly and emotionally (his parents watched remotely from Canada), it was clear that the couple were meant to be together.

Kessler and Roytenberg now live in the Toco Hills neighborhood and enjoy attending services in area synagogues, where Jonathan occasionally is called upon to serve as cantor.

This is part of the poem Kessler wrote for Roytenberg, which she read in its entirety at the Vort:

There’s a moment when you find a song

That fits perfectly and fills the moment. And when you find that song, You know that it’s the right song… Jonno, you are my song…”

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, of Intown Chabad, officiated at the ceremony, and Rabbi Ilan Feldman read the ketuba at the Beth Jacob wedding, under a live flower chuppah by Jim White. White arranged all wedding flowers and stunning décor for the event, happily acceding to the bride’s request for “fire, lots of fairy lights, and fireworks” during the evening’s exuberant simcha dancing. A lavish smorgasbord and multi-course meal by E.B. Catering served the guests. Wedding planner, Martine Gershon, supervised the celebration, assuring that every detail was executed to perfection.

The wedding took place on a rainy day in January. A popular traditional claim of Judaism calls rain a “good sign,” and predicts that a wedding on a rainy day foretells much happiness for the couple. Who would ever doubt such a wonderful omen? ì

Top Left: Jonathan and Adira share a movie joke

Flashback of Hybrid Ashkenazi/ Sephardic Military Wedding

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Nine years ago in March, swords flashed, and Elisa Iteld was carried into the room on a palanquin on the shoulders of three men to say, “I do,” to Maj. Gavin Ellman, whom she met “the new old-fashioned way” on JDate.

In three diverse traditions, the wedding was emotional as well as a spectacle to behold. Around 300 people attended to witness Rabbi Adam Starr make it all blend in.

Iteld said,” It was important to us to ring each of our traditions into our wedding, since we would be incorporating them into our new life together.”

Rabbi Starr reminded the couple to stop at points in the evening, look around, take it all in and remember the joy and love felt in that moment… and to make sure there was food in the yichud room.”

Iteld was born and raised in Atlanta, and is a graduate of The Epstein School (1993) and Yeshiva Atlanta/Atlanta Jewish Academy (2002). Parents were Simone and Julius Iteld zl’b. Iteld attended Boston University and graduated with a bachelor’s in communications, moved to New York City and worked for the national office of the Jewish National Fund. She moved back to Atlanta in 2010 to work in the family’s property management real estate investment

firm. Ellman was born in Norwalk, Conn., and raised in New Jersey, Atlanta, and San Diego. He joined the Army in 2005 after graduating from the University of Chicago. Stationed in Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alaska, and New York with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he moved to Fort Benning, then met Iteld. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and now works in corporate strategy at Cox Automotive, while still serving in the National Guard for one weekend a month.

For the Moroccan flank, the wedding weekend started with a traditional Henna Ceremony with traditional Moroccan food

– beef and chicken tangines, couscous, vegetables, and Moroccan desserts. A Moroccan band was clad in traditional Moroccan Henna outfits that had been sent from Montreal. Iteld was carried into the room on a palanquin on the shoulders of a few strong men. Her best friends and female cousins carried baskets of gifts wrapped by her mom.

Ellman was dressed in Blue Mess Uniform, complete with an officer’s saber. Before walking up the stairs to the chuppah, he handed it off to his brother. Prior to breaking the glass, Rabbi Starr instructed everyone that they could shout “mazal tov,” but then had to be silent for the military saber arch.

The exiting saber arch leaving the chuppah.

After breaking the glass, six of Ellman’s Army officer friends marched to the chuppah, raising sabers in an arch, which the couple walked through. In military tradition, the last soldier took his saber and hit Iteld on the “tush,” and said, “Welcome to the Army!” Ellman then dipped Iteld and gave her a kiss, and the band played music.

On the Ashkenazi flank, the wedding ended with the custom of Mezinkah where the last child of the house gets swept out – Iteld is an only child and her mom had the decorated broom for this custom. They also followed traditional Ashkenazi customs of a public bedeken and all the brachot under the chuppah.

For the party room, 200 Peachtree was a wonderland. Iteld wore a traditional gown, with her great-grandmother’s earrings with a handkerchief and a dad’s cufflink around her bouquet. Ellman wore his Army blue Mess Uniform.

Flowers by Yona used accented white and light pink flowers for understated elegance. A Kosher Touch had a schmorg between the chuppah and reception with Moroccan and Indian stations (Ellman’s fa-

vorite). Dinner was choice of beef, chicken or fish. Next was dessert by Ali’s Cookies with cake pops and a croquembouche. The night ended with sliders and snow cones on the dance floor.

Teveya’s band was led by Hillel Glazer and Jed Lindsider, and had three sets of Jewish music with separate male/female dancing. Then, Sheva Brachot and mixed dancing. An idyllic honeymoon included Paris, Venice, a Greek Isle cruise, and Rome.

Four children later here’s what each has to say:

Ellman: The difference is between the love you feel during emotional highs of getting to know each other vs. the love that comes from building a home and family.

Iteld: Sleep deprivation is real and makes emotions high. Having someone who can find their way through the noise and understand you better than you understand yourself is so important.

Ellman: She throws the best kid’s birthday parties.

Iteld: His thirst for knowledge and adventure teaches us something new every day. ì

The chuppah was constructed from Elisa’s late father’s tallit.

Top: Cutting the cake Army style with a saber

Bottom: Ellman and Rabbi Adam Starr at the tisch

Iteld with her late mother and mother-in-law at the Bedeken ceremony.

An ‘Over-the-Top’ Bar Mitzvah in Cologne

each invited a non-Jewish friend to attend the bar mitzvah.

That was the first of many surprises. We checked into the hotel in Cologne expecting to present a credit card for the room, but the clerk at the counter said we could pay when we leave. It was another surprise as we later found out.

My wife and I attended a bar mitzvah in Cologne, Germany, for Ari Levy, who is a member of our extended family. We flew to Berlin, arrived on a Wednesday, stayed for a day, and flew to Cologne on Thursday with our son and his three teenage children, who

We drove to Bettina’s home, the mother of the bar mitzvah boy, for a catered dinner for all of the 20 or so out-of-town guests. We presented a tallis bag to the bar mitzvah boy, a spectacular needlepoint bag in blue and white that our daughter, in Atlanta, had made but was unable to attend the bar mitzvah. The tallis bag had an intricate design that took several months to make and featured a velvet back that could be zipped to close. It was a first-class piece of work. The boy used the bag with his beautiful new tallis for Shabbos the next day.

On Friday afternoon, we drove to the shul, an enormous building that had been damaged during World War II but had since been completely restored. The outside of the facility had metal barriers to protect the building; the police were present and we had to identify ourselves to a person at the front door who checked our names on a list before we could enter the building. We entered first into a security area and waited for the front door to lock behind us, and then a second secure door opened to let us into the building. The shul was much more secure than any similar synagogue in Atlanta.

A professional photographer took several pictures of family and friends until it was time to light candles in the downstairs floor of building. There was a large area for the women to light candles for the beginning of Shabbos, and it was very emotional to watch so many women doing it.

You had to walk upstairs to the second floor for the main men’s section of the building. The women had to walk another two flights up to the fourth-floor balcony. The overall size of the shul was as large as the Ahavath Achim synagogue in Atlanta, a huge building that could host several thousand people.

As the service began, five Israeli men joined the cantor in leading the service. Bettina had hired this chorus from Israel and the men singing in a capella were flawless, beautifully matched voices that lit up the service in coordination with the Hazzan. It is hard to image what a treat it was for me and all of us to hear the service so beautifully sung. The men were professionally trained, carried different parts of the melody, and made everyone feel the emotion in bringing Shabbos in so beautifully. The chorus sang the next morning for the Shabbos ser-

The reception was held at a private harbor club located along the Rhine River.

Allen H. Lipis

vice and also sang Saturday night at the bar mitzvah party. They were a major addition to the event, and added a great deal of joy, passion, and emotion to the entire weekend.

The dinner that night was held on the first floor banquet hall for about 250 people. Two of the banquet walls held 20 oversized pictures that the Levy family displayed, showing different times in their son’s and their family’s life. The lunch the next day was very special, and it was kosher from a caterer in Berlin, because the caterer in Cologne could not handle a group that size, as well as the party that evening for about another 250 people. As a result, they prepared the food in Berlin on a Thursday, then drove four hours by truck to Cologne, and then stored the food for a day.

Bettina had honored me with giving a D’Var Torah near the end of the meal. I began by speaking a few sentences in German that my children prepared. After that, I said, “This is the longest sentence I have ever given in German, and it is my terrible German to say, “I am honored to give this D’Var Torah, especially for this wonderful bar mitzvah. I will continue in English.”

The audience then applauded, so I knew I had their attention. I reminded the audience, “This week’s Torah reading is Shemos, the beginning of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon in the Torah."

Near the end of my talk, I said, “Earlier in the Torah, G-d said, ‘Avraham, Avraham.’ Avraham replied, ‘Here I am.’ Then later in the Torah, G-d said, ‘Yaacov, Yaacov,’ and Yaacov replied, ‘Here I am.’ And when G-d said, ‘Moshe, Moshe,’ in this week’s parsha, Moshe also replied, ‘Here I am.’

“So, when your mother or your father, your grandmother or grandfather, your aunts, or your uncles, call your name twice in a row -- Ari, Ari, your response is one word, and only one word -- and that word is ‘Henayni’ – ‘Here I am.’ What it means is that you will listen, and you will do, you are ready to serve. If you remember one thing from this D’Var Torah, it should be the one word –’Henayni.’ Remember the word, ‘Henayni,’ I am here ready to help.”

Shortly after I spoke, Ari’s grandfather spoke lovingly about his grandson and announced that he was buying a seat in the synagogue for his grandson, since the shul sells seats in the men’s section and puts their name on it. Then, Ari gave his bar mitzvah speech with great presence. I was impressed with his entire presentation, not only for his speech, but for reading two sections of the Torah as he was called up during the Shabbos service for his Aliyah. He was totally prepared for everything he did. I thought about how confident he seemed compared to what I was like at his age.

That night, the party commenced at a private harbor club located along the Rhine River. The men’s chorus sang with the band, the children released balloons to the high ceiling, the food was delicious, tasty, and dairy from a local caterer, the bar was opened all night, there were games for the children, a photo booth to take private pictures, kids food for the children, a special balancing event by two men using a soccer ball with their head, shoulder, neck, and feet that was mesmerizing, and a large open area outside of the dining room for schmoozing. At the end of the evening, there was an outsized buffet of desserts, pies, ice cream, and fruit for all, with a massive vanilla cake featuring a large letter “A” on it for Aaron.

Germany has a formal Jewish Board for the entire country, and the second highest member of that board attended with his own group of bodyguards. He was well known by the attendees, and I had a chance to meet him. He left in two black sedans with his bodyguards, and I was impressed with the security provided to such an important Jew.

As we were leaving the party, we were given a doggy bag that contained new challah covers as a memory of the event, still another surprise. The next day, when we checked out of the hotel, the clerk told us that the room we already paid for.

The last event was a Sunday lunch at the hotel that included much of the desserts left over from the party. It was a fitting end to an amazing weekend. A bar mitzvah in Germany is an equal match to anything we have attended in the U.S. ì

Above: The bar mitzvah family, featuring the bar mitzah boy, Ari Levy (front and center).

Below: More than 250 guests gathered at Ari Levy’s bar mitzvah party in Cologne, Germany.

The dessert spread at the bar mitzvah reception was delectable.

Dor Tamid Celebrates Adult B’nai Mitzvah

By Ethan Cole

Shabbat Yitro, earlier this month, marked an historic day for Congregation Dor Tamid and eight of its members. After nearly a year of study with Rabbi Jordan Ottenstein and cantorial soloist Mike Zuspan, these eight adults, ranging in age from early 30s to mid-70s, stood in front of the community, led the congregation of almost 300 in prayer, and read from the Torah.

“Participating in the adult b’nai mitz-

vah was a dream come true for me,” said Leslie Fox, president of CDT and one of the eight called to the Torah. “Taking the time to do this for myself, having the support of my clergy when times got tough, and having my family and CDT community for support and celebration made for one of my best days ever.”

The group of eight came from different parts of the CDT community. Some were founding members and some brand new. Three serve on the board of directors, one teaches in the religious school (a

position she began after learning Hebrew for her bat mitzvah), and five of the class had their own children celebrate their b’nai mitzvah at CDT as well in previous years.

This writer felt a great sense of pride when his father, Eric, was standing on the bimah reading the Torah, knowing how hard he worked for this moment.

The class was made up of Leslie Fox, Lauren Green, Michelle Hall, Michelle Pomerantz, Janice Rappaport, Eric Cole, Ashley Chenault, and Debbie Rubin.

Rabbi Ottenstein remarked, “It was

such a privilege to work with this amazing group of adult learners over the past year. Each one of them came to this program and this moment with different goals and motivations, and each one of our eight b’nai mitzvah was extraordinarily successful. Seeing not only each of them lead us in prayer and read Torah, but also the entire community’s outpouring of love and support, was so inspiring. In fact, we already have a number of people asking us when the next adult b’nai mitzvah will be!” ì

Michelle Hall reading a prayer at the adult b’nai mitzvah at Congregation Dor Tamid.

Three generations of the Cole men: Ethan, Eric, and Dean Cole

Manisa Bradberry, Khalia Chenault, and Ashley Chenault getting ready to celebrate.

After practicing for about a year, Eric Cole reads his Torah portion with his grandfather’s talis.

Debbie Rubin along with Rabbi Jordan Ottenstein reciting a prayer.

DJ Darryl Jacobsen and kids at the party.

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Local Educator Runs ‘Moments of Wow’ Photography Biz

By Chana Shapiro

Leora Siegelman Sowell, owner of Moments of Now Photography, has been taking pictures for as long as she can remember. She laughs when asked of her picture-taking start-date, claiming, “I took pictures whenever I could get my hands on a camera!”

While she is adept at posed portrait shots, she is becoming well-known for her ‘catch the right moment’ candids, which are meant to be photographs that, in themselves, tell a story - -ideal for weddings, birthdays, and other simchas.

One of her favorite pictures she has taken was when she snapped an 18-month old child’s first encounter with a live horse. The setting of the unconventional photo shoot was her idea, and she personally arranged the boy-meets-horse visit, which took place on the property of a friend in North Georgia. She had the idea for arranging the meeting, in which both boy and horse got acquainted, by thinking out-of-the-box, thereby capturing an unanticipated, fleeting moment that the family now treasures.

Thinking outside-of-the-box has be-

come Sowell’s signature style ever since, upon the urging of friends who had benefitted from her unique picture-taking technique. She turned a beloved hobby into a business a few years ago. Purchasing expensive professional photography equipment was a necessary big step, and engaging clients through social media came next. Her web page garners first-time clients, yet most of her work has come from satisfied clients who want to share their positive experiences.

“I try to capture special unplanned moments and settings they might have missed,” Sowell notes, alluding to her clever juxtapositions of subject and setting. A unique portrait of a happy one-year old playing in mud, seconds before the mother could whisk the baby away for a bath, is priceless. Other caught candids of people and animals are featured on the reverse sides of her business cards, reflecting the diversity of her subjects.

In addition to posed portraits, candid pictures, and video production, Sowell produces “art pieces” of scenes she comes upon on her frequent three-to-five-mile walks with her husband, Kevin, and their

two dogs. These beautiful scenic photos are a testimony to her keen eye and desire to showcase flora and fauna in their natural beauty.

Sowell is currently completing her student teaching in a first-grade class at the Atlanta Jewish Academy, in fulfillment of a Bachelor of Science in elementary education and special education. The teacher-in-training previously received a degree in applied science from Gwinnett Technical College, and she plans to manage two co-existing, fulfilling careers of teaching children and growing her photography business.

Using her photographic skills philanthropically, Sowell has developed a selffunded photo project that honors service women and men, including police officers, military personnel and EMTs. She takes their individual pictures and records, and videos of them telling their story. For every

group of eight to12 interviewees, she has a keepsake book of these photos and stories published as a gift, along with the personal video, for every participant.

Sowell and her siblings studied circus arts when they were young, and Sowell and her brother, Levi, got together with their former coach and performed an original routine at their sister, Rina’s, wedding reception. Who knows if her acrobatic acumen will come in handy in a future classroom or help her to get an especially difficult, but meaningful, shot as a photographer?

Sowell can be reached at 404-969-9973 or www.momentsofwowphotography.com. ì

Sowell creates books as gifts for “Heroes”

Candid photo of “Boy Meets Horse”

Photographer Leora Siegelman Sowell

Igniting Judaism Through Small Gatherings

ments, no programmatic rules (although to the writer, it would be difficult not to offer a meal or at least a nosh for a Shabbos program?)

Once Pamela was approved, she got in touch with her niece, Bari Beilinson, a member of Moishe House in VirginiaHighland. She asked her to invite some of her friends to the gathering and to make this an official Moishe House event. This allowed for additional funding (from Moishe House), and Bari invited friends to the gathering.

At the event, which was a beautiful Shabbat dinner for 11, Galinsky prepared Mexican food in buffet-style, so everyone could eat as much as they wanted. There was, of course, plenty of food left over, and it was offered to the guests to take home if they were interested.

By Allen H Lipis

The Galinsky family was delighted to host a Shabbat dinner in early February. This beautiful multi-generational gathering was funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and their community partners, Moishe House Virginia Highland, and Jewish Women’s Connection of Atlanta. In attendance were three generations of Jews, and there was a lively discussion based on the Parsha of the week.

The Federation initiated the concept of a Gather Grant to bring new possibilities to life and awaken the potential in Atlanta’s Jewish community to celebrate Jewish ATL. A Gather Grant is a joint initiative between Making Jewish Places, Next Gen, and PJ Library Atlanta. The program provides $180 microgrants to individuals in the Atlanta metro area to host a gathering in their community around a designated holiday or program and to celebrate the event in a way that is meaningful to them. Federation is able offer this opportunity to the community through the generosity of the Helen Marie Stern Fund. More than 300 Gather Grants have been infused into the community.

When Pamela Galinsky heard about the Gather Grant in January, she decided to submit an application. The grant was approved with simple requirements: hold a Shabbat gathering for a minimum of 10 people. No ritual or ceremonial require-

As part of the Gathering, the Federation offered a wooden board in the shape of the State of Georgia. They suggested the cutting board could be used as a challah board, and guests could sign the back as a keepsake of the gathering; it could be hung on the wall or used as a prop for picnics for family and friends. Galinsky decided to raffle the board to her guests. Everyone signed the back of the board, and one of the young professionals won the coveted keepsake.

Also, as part of the evening event, a D’var Torah was given on the Parsha of the week, which covered the giving of the 10 Commandments. With such a great topic, this made for a lively discussion on each of the commandments.

Galinsky loved hosting and, at the end of the evening, said, “It was a wonderful initiative started by Federation, and a great way to bring family and friends together. I hope to continue these grants so I can apply and host more gatherings.”

In discussing the concept of the Gathering with Carla Birnbaum from the Federation, she said, “We are thrilled that the Gather Grants are continuing to resonate with our community, and that we are reaching more individuals where they are.” Birnbaum continued, “Our most recent Gather Grant cycle was open to individuals across the Atlanta area to celebrate Shabbat in a way that is both comfortable and meaningful. The warmth and friendliness of these events engaged people of all ages, and 96 percent of participants reported they felt a stronger connection to the Jewish community after attending them. We awarded over 160 Gather Grants this cycle. The next round of Gather Grants will be around Yom Ha’atzmaut, celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday. We can’t wait to see how the community celebrates Israel!” ì

The Gathering at Pamela Galinsky’s home. Note the table’s cutting board in the shape of the State of Georgia.

The gathering at the Galinsky home as Shabbos was about to begin.

Janice Rothschild Blumberg Celebrates 99th Birthday

By Bob Bahr

There was a long line of well-wishers on Feb. 11 to wish Janice Rothschild Blumberg “happy birthday” on her 99th birthday. Some were well known, like Jocelyn Dorsey, the first African American reporter at WSB-TV in Atlanta, and later, the station’s long-time director of editorials and public affairs, or Yoel Levi, the music director of the Atlanta Symphony for 12 years beginning in the late 1980s.

But most were just old friends who had known her since the days when she was the wife of Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, the senior rabbi of The Temple in Atlanta. He was a close friend of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and, from his arrival in Atlanta in

1946 until his untimely death in 1973, was a leading voice for civil and human rights in the American South.

Most of her contemporaries have passed on or were too frail to attend, but just a year shy of the century mark, she remains clear eyed and upright, with a strong articulate voice and a nimble intellect, a natural wonder. She is able to rattle off the names of friends and family members from the 1930s as if it were yesterday and recall, in detail, many of the historical moments of which she has been a part.

In 2021, she published a critically noted memoir of her long life, entitled, appropriately enough, “What’s Next?” The book is subtitled, “Southern Dreams, Jewish Deeds and the Challenge of Looking Back While Moving Forward.” She is thought to be one of few living Americans in recent memory to publish a historical work at her age with such an attention to detail and nuance.

The rabbi who succeeded her husband at The Temple in 1974 was also at the party. Alvin Sugarman, who is 85, came to pronounce a rabbinic blessing for her many years as an important member of the community. For her part, Rothschild felt she had a lot more to do.

“If I have my druthers, I’ll be around a

while longer,” she said, “I come from a longlived family, so I do have hope. I might even make it to 120.”

Few who came for the party doubted her.

The day after her birthday, she was a guest of The Breman Jewish Heritage Museum for a program in their Bagels and Books Series. Her son, William Rothschild, is 74 and, like his father, a Reform rabbi. Unlike his father, however, he is also a graduate of Harvard Law school and a practicing attorney. With a jaunty irreverence and affection that only a son nearing the three-quartersof-a-century mark can muster, he led his mother through a series of memories and observations that led to her marriage to the young Rabbi Rothschild in 1947.

It was a time after World War II, as she recounted, when the memory of the lynching in 1915 of Atlanta business executive Leo Frank by a mob of Southern vigilantes hung over the Jewish community here like a dark cloud. Right up through the first years of her husband’s rabbinate at The Temple, she said, “Some people were scared stiff.”

But it didn’t prevent her husband from speaking up about the need for America to come to terms with racial inequality. He started with his first High Holy Days sermon in September of 1947. More than a

decade later, it all came to a head when The Temple was bombed during the early hours of Oct. 12, 1958.

Although the blast blew a big hole in the north wall of the building, a large steel safe behind that wall, she remembers, minimized the damage to the rabbi’s office and the sanctuary inside. But the civic shock of the bombing brought the city together, she told her son, in her Breman conversation, in a way that many had not thought possible, since the Frank lynching 43 years before.

“I thought of it as a bookend to the Frank case. The community was brought together, starting with Mayor Hartsfield, who got there right away. He was dressed for church, but he turned his car around and he came to the chapel. One of the pictures that morning went all the way around the world. It was of the rabbi and the mayor together, squatting down outside in the rubble.”

For the rabbi’s wife, who admitted in the Breman program that she grew up always “looking for adventure,” life with her husband on the front lines of the civil rights battle was not what she had originally envisioned. Nor did Janice Rothschild Blumberg have any reason to believe then that she would still be recalling it almost 65 years later. ì

Janice Rothschild Blumberg (left) is welcomed at her 99th birthday party by the hostess for the celebration, Mindy Boggs.

Janice Rothschild Blumberg’s memoir, published in 2021, figured prominently in the two-day celebration of her birthday.

William Rothschild interviews his mother at The Breman Jewish Heritage Museum on the day after her 99th birthday.

Simcha Announcements

Have something to celebrate? Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ... Share it with your community with free AJT simcha announcements. Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

Engagements

Lieberbaum-Bersano

Jenifer and William Lieberbaum, of Marietta, announce the engagement of their son, Mark Louis Lieberbaum, to Isabelle Lauren Bersano, daughter of Tricia and David Bersano of Richmond, Va.

Mark graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in aerospace engineering and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Purdue University. He works for Northrop Grumman in northern Virginia. Isabelle graduated from University of Virginia with a degree in computer engineering and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in engineering management at Johns Hopkins University. She is a software engineer for Microsoft.

A fall 2023 wedding is planned in North Carolina.

Zipperman-Esguerra

Ashley Zipperman and Andre Esguerra are happy to announce their engagement on Oct. 1, 2022.

Proud parents are Andy and Marie Zipperman, of Burbank, Calif., and Jorge Esguerra and Becky Outten, of Leesburg, Va. Proud grandparents are Arnold and Esther Zipperman, and Jorge and Connie Esguerra of North Carolina.

Wolkin-Port

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Wolkin of Brookhaven and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Port of Dunwoody, announce the engagement of their children, Paige Jenna Wolkin and David Benjamin Port.

Paige earned a bachelor’s and master’s in teacher education with a concentration in special education from the University of Tennessee in 2012/2013 and is working to obtain an additional masters in speech-language pathology from Tennessee State University. In addition, she currently works part-time as itinerant teacher serving students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

David earned a bachelor’s in graphic arts and imaging technology from Appalachian State University in 2011, and his master’s in educational media in 2012, with a concentration in media production. David is currently the Creative Director at LEARFIELD, a leading media and technology services company in intercollegiate athletics.

A New Year’s Eve 2023 wedding in Atlanta is in the works.

Wedding

Cohen-Litzky Wedding

The wedding of Sarah Jennifer Cohen and Michael Robert Litzky was held Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, at Temple Sinai, Sandy Springs, Ga. Parents of the bride are Diane (Feldman) and Harold Cohen, Sandy Springs. Parents of the groom are Harriet and Richard (Rick) Litzky, Marietta, Ga. Sisters are Andrea Cohen Fineman and Sharon Litzky. Grandmothers are Muriel (Mickey) Feldman, Atlanta, Ga., and Brenda Litzky of Patchogue, N.Y. The couple will live in Dunwoody, Ga.

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EDUCATION & CAMP Denker Tackles Mental Health With FiveStar Comeback

Landon Denker, a junior at The Lovett School, understands first-hand not only how an injury can sideline an athlete, but also how their mental state is affected. He launched his successful website, FiveStar Comeback (www.fivestarcomeback.com), at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year to provide mental health resources and stories of inspiration to high school student-athletes recovering from an injury.

In addition to providing direct links to the 988 national suicide and crisis hotline, a national network of sports psychologists, and an opioid treatment program directory, the website has a matching service that aims to connect student-athletes who have experienced similar injuries so peers can share what to expect during the comeback process and know that they are

not alone.

“I injured my thumb at one of Lovett’s lacrosse games last year, and I missed the last two games. Sitting on the sidelines

and not playing the game caused a lot of anxiety, so I understand how these players must feel. Many injured high school athletes try to seem tough and think that it’s

weak to share their mental health struggles, but I believe that the toughest thing you can do is ask for help,” said Denker, a young man wise beyond his years.

Landon Denker, founder of FiveStar Comeback, and a junior at The Lovett School.

Home page of www.fivestarcomeback.com, created to help student athletes maintain their mental health as they recover from injuries.

Debbie Diamond

Denker, who has played football for seven years and lacrosse for 10, has seen his teammates struggle with mental health issues. He mentioned that one of the reasons he created FiveStar Comeback was because many high school athletes start playing sports at a very young age and become consumed by the sport they love, either playing or watching it all the time.

“Many student-athletes believe their entire self-worth is based on their sport. When they become injured, it becomes devastating for their mental health because their dreams could be in jeopardy. I want them to believe they can turn a setback into a comeback,” he emphasized.

Denker was moved to take action as he witnessed the anxiety and depression his teammates experienced when they were forced to miss practices, games, or an entire season of a sport they love because of an injury.

“I started doing research to gather information on the number of high school athletes injured each year and how many become depressed or anxious as a result. The numbers were astonishing,” Denker shared.

EDUCATION & CAMP

many different sports including football, track, basketball, and soccer. Several of Denker’s teammates have told him how much these pieces have motivated them. Denker himself and several of his friends at Lovett have volunteered to participate in the “Athlete Exchange,” a program that helps injured athletes find their footing again after an injury that has affected them psychologically.

To generate awareness of FiveStar Comeback, Denker has utilized social media, including his Twitter account, @5StarComeback; reached out to the Georgia High School Sports Association, which represents more than 600 schools across Georgia; and emailed media throughout the state. He was recently named one of “20 under 20” by Neighborhood Newspapers for giving back to the community in a significant and meaningful way.

Looking ahead, Denker plans to launch a portal on FiveStar Comeback to educate coaches, trainers, and teammates on how to facilitate the mental and physical comeback of athletes on their teams. The portal will be launched in fall 2023, in time for the next school year.

Landon is the son of Karen and Steve

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Academics Address Growing Antisemitism in America

No one is questioning that there is an increase in antisemitism in the United States and that it has become more dangerous. Perhaps the most im-

portant question is, how do American Jews combat that rise?

The Network for Responsible Public Policy posed that question recently in a 90-minute Zoom panel that included several educators who research and try to answer that question.

Leading and moderating the discussion was Roger Berkowitz, founder and academic director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities and professor of politics, philosophy, and human rights at Bard College. Berkowitz and his three fellow panelists agreed that antisemitism has transformed over the years, becoming more amorphous and, as Jeffrey Herbst, president of American Jewish University, underlined, more difficult to understand and deal with. Affiliated with several universities over the years, including Miami University in Ohio and Princeton Univer-

sity, he particularly noted the “chilling atmosphere” of antisemitism on college campuses.

The rise in antisemitism, Herbst pointed out, is “just one manifestation” of the increase in hate and polarization in the country the last few years, along with racism, bigotry, and Islamophobia. He noted that there is a large array of organizations responding to this phenomenon, covering “every niche of the ideological spectrum, right to left.” He added that there’s no lack of funding or awareness, but a variety of tactics that include education and shaming.

“But [we have] failed to stem the increase in antisemitism,” he said, adding, “why have we failed? We don’t need an antisemitism czar.”

According to research conducted by Kurt Braddock, assistant professor in the School of Communication at American University, it is not just outright antisemitic language that is the problem. Braddock said he’s interested in subtext such as dog whistles. Also a faculty fellow at the Center for Media and Social Impact, Braddock’s research focuses on understanding the psychological effects of extremist communication, as well as how those effects can be undermined to prevent violence.

Braddock spoke about the growing antisemitism among elected officials, not just far-right officials, and referred to the

great replacement theory that was brandished in the Charlottesville white supremist rally in 2017.

“Jews will not replace us,” was the battle cry then, followed by then-President Donald Trump’s contention that there were “good people on both sides” of the protest.

“Words have meaning,” Braddock emphasized. His research points to three outcomes of exposure to those kinds of messages. One, people develop beliefs similar to those messages. Two, the use of this kind of language by political pundits, such as Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones, “normalizes the language,” followed by behavior. And three, “individuals come to believe they have the power to effect change.” There, he pointed to the massacre of 11 lives at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

“My research focuses on how to understand these messages and undermine the behavior,” said Braddock.

speech as direct responses to hateful or harmful speech so as to undermine it.

Counter speakers try to reach both si lent readers and the original speakers of an tisemitism. Among silent readers, the focus is primarily on the “moveable middle,” or

the increase in hate and polarization in the country the last few years

Cathy Buerger, director of research at the Dangerous Speech Project, and research affiliate at the University of Connecticut’s Economic and Social Rights Research Group, studies the relationship between speech and intergroup violence. She cited research on countering online antisemitism. She defined counter

as direct responses to hateful or harmful speech so as to undermine it.

of groups that coordinate their “likes” in support of good comments against hate speech.

“It’s hard to change the minds” of original speakers, “but the number of counter speakers matters. So does the tone and personal characteristics of the counter speakers.”

Buerger acknowledges that counter speech isn’t a full solution to antisemitism, but it “upholds discourse norms against hateful speech. It is not easy to be a first counter speaker, but it gets easier for the second, the third, the fourth.” And it decreases the burden placed on the target of hate speech to respond and lessens the power of speech against targets.

“More speech is the answer,” she stated. ì

Panelists suggest ways to minimize antisemitism in a program hosted by the Network for Responsible Public Policy.

“Words have meaning,” emphasized Kurt Braddock, assistant professor in the School of Communication at American University.

Roger Berkowitz, founder and academic director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities, spoke about the “chilling atmosphere” of antisemitism on college campuses.

According to Jeffrey Herbst, president of American Jewish University, the rise in antisemitism is “just one manifestation” of

Cathy Buerger, director of research at the Dangerous Speech Project, encourages counter speech, which she defined

Jan Jaben-Eilon

Woodward’s Schiff is Committed to Making a Difference

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was built on the vision of a better world – one without blood cancers. With the help of high school students across the country, including Woodward Academy freshman Eden Schiff, their impact is significant.

Student Visionaries of the Year is a philanthropic leadership program with a seven-week journey and the goal for teens to raise important funds while earning the Student Visionary of the Year title.

Schiff was grateful to be nominated for this leadership award by a friend of her mother’s and her mission is close to her heart. She shared, “My co-candidate and friend, Alexander Chalk, was directly affected at an early age, when his mother died in 2010 when he was only 2 ½ years old. Alexander’s mother, Jenny, was one of my mother and father’s (Leigh and Michael Schiff’s) closest friends. Alexander and I grew up at The Temple together and have known each other our entire lives. Both of us are raising money in her honor. Alexander and I have created a team of teens from a variety of different schools, so that we can raise the most money possible.”

Schiff explained what interested her in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“Prior to being contacted by LLS, I didn’t know too much about the organization and its mission: to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients

and their families. Once I learned how many people and families are affected by blood diseases, I wanted to get behind this cause dedicated to finding a cure. I love to raise money for meaningful causes and a seven-week competition adds to the fun and challenge of it.”

She added, “Being a student visionary is important and makes me feel proud and honored that someone thought that I had the leadership skills to be a student visionary. This program is giving me the opportunity to work on necessary life skills at a very young age. I want to make an impact in the world and through our team’s fundraising efforts, the hope is that LLS will help to support a cure. I have enjoyed working with so many people at

LLS and companies in Atlanta to pitch my campaign to.”

When asked who motivates Schiff in her life to make a difference, she replied, “In my life, I am inspired by my mom because she never quits and always pushes me the farthest. I would be nowhere close to where I am today academically, athletically, or socially without her. I also thank my dad because he has encouraged me so far in this campaign and helped me get out of my comfort zone.”

Schiff continued, “My team is a group of girls primarily; they are mostly at schools here in Atlanta and in Florida. From this experience, I have learned so many skills, such as advanced email writing, public speaking, not being afraid to

ask for something, being persistent even if people say ‘No’ and the ability to create, lead and work on a strong team. I have also made many friends with peers and the leadership team at LLS, which means a lot to me.

“For me to be able to contribute to families and patients that need support makes me feel really good inside. I’m fortunate to have my family’s support, and any dollar we can raise can help families with the very expensive, intense process to go through cancer treatment. While I might never meet the people that our fundraising efforts go towards, just knowing that the donations can contribute to making a huge difference in the lives of others puts a smile on my face.” ì

The Schiff family supports Eden’s visionary leadership.

Eden Schiff and Jeremy Chalk, as childhood friends, now team up for fundraising efforts.

Eden Schiff, teen volunteer, makes a difference in the fight against leukemia and lymphoma.

DVIS, we believe in preparing our students for a successful future by developing high-value skills such as emotional intelligence, adaptability, and critical thinking. We provide a trilingual environment that supports diversity, equity, justice, and belonging, allowing our students to become global citizens who can thrive in an ever-changing world. Contact us today

Robyn Spizman Gerson

AJA Welcomes New Head of School

With every season, turn… turn…turn…

The Atlanta Jewish Academy recently announced the appointment of its new head of school, Rabbi Avi Levitt, who joins the local Jewish institution after serving as head of school for Katz Yeshiva High School in Boca Raton, Fla.

Rabbi Levitt’s appointment officially begins July 1, 2023. Outgoing head of school Franeen Sarif will continue to lead the academy through June 30, at which time she will transition back into her role as executive director.

“It is an honor to have been selected as AJA’s incoming head of school,” Levitt said in a recent school newsletter sent to the extended AJA community. “I am excited to join a team of thoughtful and compassionate educators who care about each and every individual child in the program. AJA’s lay leadership and the administrative team dem-

onstrate dedication and love for the school, and the warmth with which everyone has greeted me is simply infectious.”

Rabbi Levitt brings a wealth of experience to his new position at AJA, having previ-

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ously held several administrative positions in education, including: principal of Magen David Yeshiva High School, an EC-12th grade modern Orthodox day school in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and upper school principal of Berman Hebrew Academy, an EC-12th modern Orthodox day school in

culture and its history “quickly enough to make wise decisions in the early going.”

He continued, ‘The bottom line is that trust takes time, and there is not yet a time dilation machine that helps new leaders condense the trust-building phase. What I am trying to do is use these months before the summer to begin relationship building and I am learning as much as I can quickly so that when the curtain opens, we aren’t first figuring out the nuances of the script.”

Leanna Kaplan, AJA Board of Trustees president, shared her excitement on the school’s new hire and some encouragement for the community.

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“Hiring Rabbi Levitt is a momentous and exciting moment for our school,” she said. “We are confident that with all of our support and enthusiasm, Rabbi Levitt will help usher in a new era for our school that will bring us to even greater levels of success, achievement, and excellence.”

Rabbi Levitt earned a bachelor’s in mathematics from Harvard University, a master’s in mathematics education from Teachers’ College at Columbia University, a master’s in Bible studies from Yeshiva University, and Semicha from Rabbi Aharon Ziegler at Kollel Agudath Achim in Brooklyn. Levitt and wife, Debby, have four children: Sammy, Saadya, Nesya and Yamin. ì

The Atlanta Jewish Academy has appointed as the new head of school. Levitt will begin his tenure on July 1, 2023.

Rabbi Avi Levitt (third from right) is pictured at a staff meeting at Katz Yeshiva High School in Boca Raton, Fla. Levitt has been hired as the Atlanta Jewish Academy’s head of school and will begin his tenure in July.

Sasha Heller

30years

Education Lawyer Helps Wrongly Accused Students

Over her career, Atlanta attorney Alexa Ross has helped build two successful law firms and a law firm consulting business designed to make her clients more successful overall and profitable. Additionally, she has a unique practice that accounts for some of the work she’s most proud of and passionate about: Righting the wrong when a student is falsely accused of misconduct or crimes by schools or universities.

It’s work she’s been doing for nearly two decades and is especially good at it, she says, because many of her clients have been academic institutions, giving her the advantage of knowing how the systems work.

The problems typically arise from two types of situations. The first is when a student is flat out wrongly accused of something such as drug use, rape, or cheating. The

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university or school has an obligation to take action to protect all students, and Ross sees to it that the accused student is protected while the institution investigates. For example, stamping “involuntary withdrawal” on a student’s public record will strip the student of his or her life goals. Ross has been able to change university policy so that a student who is only accused has a clean record.

The second situation is when the student inadvertently breaks a rule or just takes a risky chance. As Ross put it, it’ll be some-

thing the parent can’t believe their kid did, such as cheating on an exam or smoking pot in the dorm, but nothing, she insists, that indicates they are bad people or incidents that should adversely affect their future.

In one of the first such cases she took, Ross recounted how she received a call one day from a young man attending a prestigious university who had just been expelled from his doctoral program for failure to make academic progress, despite a 3.9 grade point average. She soon learned that prior to entering the program, he had just recovered from a year-long coma after a car accident, resulting in minor disabilities.

Recalled Ross, “He had just learned how to walk again, how to talk again. He had to rebuild his life, and he was making a 3.9. The program said he ‘just didn’t fit in.’ Something didn’t sound right, and something wasn’t right. He was the only Iranian and only Jew in the program. So, we had this IranianJewish kid who had disabilities, but he was making a 3.9. This kid’s situation broke my heart. It took a couple of years, but we got the exact result we wanted. He got to walk out of school with a clean record because that’s what he deserved.”

partner since she founded it in 2008 with Richard Robbins and joined a partnership with Marc Taylor of Taylor English. The two created a firm called RossTaylor which is doing business as Alexa Ross Consulting and specializes in making law firms of any type, but especially education law firms, more profitable and better places to work.

“We get rid of attrition. We make them A-plus top to bottom because he [Marc] and I have both built law firms and done this,” she said.” Law firms are notoriously stress laden places to work, but they don’t need to be. They can be great environments, and the bonus is they’re more profitable when they’re great environments.”

Ross, who graduated first in her law school class at the University of Florida in 1990, is excited about her new business with Taylor, but says she will always make time to help students in need of legal support, who find her strictly by word of mouth.

“Regardless of what other business I’m doing, I’ll continue to do this practice because I love this. It’s fulfilling. It keeps these things out of court usually, which is great for everybody.” ì

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She continued, “I have represented private schools, universities, and public schools – so I know things other attorneys have no way of knowing. I know how it works from the inside. You have to be able to protect the student from having something false travel with him or her and ruin that person’s life. But you have to realize,” she added, “that the institution has to have a way of knowing what truly happened because it has to protect itself and other stu dents, too. I am very lucky to have the respect of leaders of educational institutions and universities because they’ve worked with me. It’s about do ing what’s right for the student and the institution.”

A few months ago, Ross left Robbins, Ross, Alloy, Belinfante, Littlefield, where she had been a

Atlanta attorney an impressive career helping her clients stay informed and out of legal troubles.

The Offi cial School of Atlanta Ballet

Photo by Kim Kenney

Fran Putney

A Spectacular Time

RootOne Expanding Teen Trips to Israel This Year

RootOne, the Marcus Foundation’s summer educational program for American Jewish teens, expects to help bring 7,000 young people to Israel this summer. That figure is up from 5,000 last summer.

The program, which also has the support of The Jewish Educational Project, provides participants with what the foundation describes as “travel with a purpose,” an in-depth understanding of contemporary Israel, combined with a pre-trip learning experience that complements each teen’s interests.

For all those 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade high school students who qualify, RootOne provides a $3000 grant to one of what is now 48 different RootOne affiliated trip providers. Last year, 129 teens from Atlanta went on the three-week RootOne trips to Israel.

For Rabbi Yoni Kaiser-Bluth, who is responsible for overseeing the Marcus Foundation’s participation in the project, the need for RootOne has continued to grow. Particularly, as Jewish teens encounter rising antisemitism in their

communities and anti-Israel activists in educational institutions.

“Antisemitism is rising, not just the rhetoric, but the explicit actions against Jewish people across our country. This is the intervention that we need. The more

we can expose our teens before they get to college and engage them, to have them go to Israel, they’re going to come back better educated with more confidence. And that’s both in the real world, but also online…where a lot of the younger

RootOne works with 48 Jewish organizations to fund trips to Israel for 10th-, 11th-, and 12th- graders.

Rabbi Yoni Kaiser-Bluth, who developed the RootOne program, is Jewish Projects director for the Marcus Foundation.

Bob Bahr

generation is.”

This year, RootOne participants will not only experience a deep dive into everyday life in Israel, but they are likely to encounter firsthand the contentious nature of Israel’s present political situation. Last Saturday, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which represents American Reform rabbis that met in Israel last week, spoke to thousands of protesters in Tel Aviv.

Rabbi Kaiser-Bluth was an international Hillel executive and the leader of George Washington University’s Hillel program before coming to the Marcus Foundation. He’s confident that participants in RootOne’s program this summer will come away with a better appreciation of how Israel confronts political decisions.

“We’re not afraid of the tough conversations. That’s a lot of what we’ve been set up to try to accomplish It’s all in the avenues and approaches that we do from an educational standpoint. It’s about confronting these questions head on and being present with both talented staff speakers and those we bring in from the outside who present an honest, sober account of what’s happening.”

The 2023 program intends to repeat last summer's RootOne’s Big Tent experience, which brought together all of the 2,300 teens who were on RootOne trips at the time. A massive celebration of music, performances and inspiring speeches was held in Rishon LeZion, Israel’s

fourth largest city, south of Tel Aviv, and was meant to further inspire participants before they return home.

Last year, Mosaic United, a partnership between the Israeli government and world Jewry, announced an $8 million program over the next three years to double the number of teens who come to Israel each year. As the challenges posed by the pandemic recede, Rabbi Kaiser-Bluth sees a considerable effort to expand the program. The Marcus Foundation projects RootOne to grow over the next few years from 7,500 in 2023 to about 12,000 teens.

Although what has been accomplished so far gets high marks from those who have worked to design the program, in terms of what might be accomplished, the Marcus Foundation still sees RootOne as still very much in start-up mode.

It’s an expansion that, according to Rabbi Kaiser-Bluth, is designed to not only ramp up the numbers, but reach out to those young people who have not been active in their engagement in the Jewish community.

“One of the wonderful things about working for Bernie Marcus is he’s never satisfied. He’s always wondering, okay, what’s next? So, we’re starting to think about how to engage those who are not as connected to the Jewish community and offering trips that would resonate with them. But it will be a heavy lift. Offering trips that would resonate with them is going to take a lot of creativity, a lot of innovation.” ì

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RootOne brought together 2,300 of its summer participants in 2022 in a Big Tent celebration in Rishon LeZion, Israel.

RootOne hopes to boost participation in its trips to 12,000 high school students over the next several years.

URJ’s Science & Tech Camp Emphasizes Jewish Values

By Bob Bahr

For campers who want to spend part of their summer exploring the world of science, the Reform movement offers a two-week program just outside the science and technology hub near Boston. The 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, sponsored by the Union for Reform Judaism, offers students, grades 4 through 11, the opportunity to learn alongside science experts about such subjects as video game design, coding, robotics, and environmental science.

At the same time, the program works to put the latest advances in scientific understanding in a Jewish content. Not only do campers learn about the historical role that Jewish scientists have played in the development of technology, but they study the recent advances that Israel has made as an incubator of innovation. Each year, the camp hosts 10 to 15 counselors from Israel with extensive experience on the cutting edge of science.

According to Dan Medwin, an Atlanta-based rabbi who co-directs the sum-

mer program, the goal is to encourage an interest in science with an appreciation for Jewish technological advances.

“Last summer we had our drone instructor who flew drones for the Israeli army,” Rabbi Medwin said. “We have

EXPLORE. CONNECT. ACHIEVE.

several computer programmers who’ve done that work in Israel’s army. So, we have the personal connections of Israelis who actually work in the tech fields in Israel.”

Bringing the recent development of

Israel as a world leader in both applied and theoretical science is just one way that Medwin believes campers can learn how our knowledge of the physical world can complement our spiritual understanding of the universe. What Medwin

Session

Session

Session 3: July 10 – July 28

Atlanta’s Rabbi Dan Medwin is the co-director of Reform Judaism Science and Technology Camp.

The URJ’s 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy combines a hands-on approach to science with an understanding of important Jewish history, practice and values.

mentions as Judaism’s core beliefs can also be integrated into a deeper understanding of how science and technology work.

In addition to patience, the core values that the program encourages are, kavod (respect), kesher (connection), taglit (discovery) and sakranut (curiosity). Rabbi Medwin believes that science and religion can be seen as complementing on another.

“Science asks the ‘how’ and Judaism asks the ‘why.’ The religion of Judaism and science are both heavily built on asking questions and curiosity. We don’t think that they’re opposites to one another. So, for example, we find, you know, we can think about G-d as a kind of wifi. It’s everywhere. We don’t see it unless we have the right tools. But when we can connect, we connect with a world and an infinite knowledge. And so, they really do inform each other.”

Science and spirituality have played a strong role in Rabbi Medwin’s life as well. He is married to Lydia Medwin, an associate rabbi at The Temple in Atlanta. His mother is also a rabbi. He has found that his job with the Sci-Tech Academy has brought these personal connections into sharper focus.

“When I was 13, a freshman in high school, and my mother started rabbinical school, I befriended her classmates and really fell in love with the idea of being a rabbi,” Medwin pointed out. “But I also found a strong draw to technology and computers. Although I started col-

lege as a computer science major, I didn’t really want to spend my life in front of a computer screen. I wanted to be helping people and working with them and teaching. Two summers ago, when I was working at the camp, I realized that this work really was such an ideal merging of my love of science and technology and my passion for Judaism.”

Registration for the program began last October and interest in attending has been strong. Already one of the three two-week summer sessions has been filled. The program draws participants from all over the country, including a number from communities where there are few Jewish residents, so while the program teaches science it also can help to strengthen Jewish identity as well.

“Sometimes, our campers are the only Jewish kid in their area. Sometimes, they’re the only one really into math or science or technology. So, we often provide a space where they can find their people, they can find others who are both Jewish and into science and technology. On a personal level, it fills them with a sense of warmth and connection and community that they may not otherwise have.”

So far, there is a significant delegation of campers from Atlanta who have signed up for the Massachusetts program. For others who might want to connect with Rabbi Medwin personally, the URJ’s 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy will be an exhibitor at the Atlanta Jewish Life Festival at the Georgia Aquarium on March 5. ì

The science and technology camp in Massachusetts helps to bring Jewish values into focus.

EDUCATION & CAMP

Camp Twin Lakes Expansion Boosts Community Impact

By Fran M. Putney

For so many kids, a week or a month away at summer camp is a rite of passage. As a retreat where kids connect with friends, camp is also an environment that offers new experiences and a safe place for just plain fun and making memories. Yet, for kids who live with medical conditions or physical or emotional challenges, summer camp can be out of reach because their special needs cannot be accommodated in typical camps.

Serving those children is exactly why Camp Twin Lakes, now celebrating its 30th year, was created. Located on 500 acres in Rutledge, Ga. (east of Atlanta), the Rutledge camp, along with a second campus, Camp Will-A-Way, at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, host 10,000 attendees annually with 10 weeks during the summer, as well as 32 weekends throughout the year, including family camps, teen retreats and even events for some adult populations. Each week or weekend of camp is staffed by therapists, medical staff, and other adult volunteers who are provided by the community partner organization to deliver the camp they are hosting.

Now in celebration of its 30th anniversary, Camp Twin Lakes is expanding with a third campus on 100 acres of the Rutledge property, enabling the camp to serve 3,500 more people each year, according to Camp Twin Lakes CEO Jill Morrisey. The new campus will serve its first campers the weekend of April 14 with a new partner, Skyland Trail, a nonprofit that focuses on adolescents with mental health challenges.

“So, at 13,500 [people served annually], Camp Twin Lakes will be the largest camp of our type in the country, which is pretty incredible,” Morrisey said, adding, “and it means that we are also a resource for camps like this around the country to learn from.”

When it opened in the summer of 1993, Camp Twin Lakes partnered with seven community organizations to host 1,000 campers – children living with cancer, sickle cell disease, diabetes, asthma, and other medical diagnoses. Three decades later, the expansion will now enable 80 community partners, each serving different camper populations, to host children and families across the three campuses.

In addition to those with medical conditions, Morrisey explained that the fastest growing segment is kids who have life or mental health challenges such as

being in foster care and separated from siblings who they can reunite with at camp. Likewise, children who have an incarcerated parent can meet with their mentors and benefit from adult role models at camp, as well as just experience some of the joys of childhood at camp.

The $25 million expansion will add 20 cabins, a dining hall, gymnasium, medical lodge, activity spaces, such as an arts and crafts building, as well as all the recreational amenities that kids go to camp for, such as a swimming pool, fishing dock, zip line, and ropes and archery courses. Everything is adapted and fully accessible, according to Morrisey, including low grade, paved trails so that kids who use wheelchairs or prosthetics can get around easily.

The camp serves everyone, but it has special connections to the Jewish community, including its founder, Doug Hertz, chairman and CEO of United Distributors. At the time, Hertz was a board member for a camp for kids with cancer that was having difficulty finding camp locations that had the right accommodations for medical treatment that these children would need, germinating the idea to build such a camp.

According to Hertz, the Jewish community specifically played a major role in original board leadership and funding the initial capital and operating needs of the organization. “The Marcus Foun-

dation, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, The Rich Foundation, and the Hertz, Reid, Selig, Zaban, and Montag families were all instrumental in the establishment and success of Camp Twin Lakes,” he said.

Today, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Eric Robbins, led Camp Twin Lakes as CEO for nearly 11 years from 2005–2016, before joining Federation.

“Repairing the world is a core value of Judaism,” Robbins said. “Camp Twin Lakes is an embodiment of that value and does so much good for so many individuals and families. The Atlanta Jewish community is so proud of its involvement and helping Camp Twin Lakes be the incredible place that it is.”

Morrisey says that when people ask how they can help, she emphasizes that, to support the camp’s growth, not only are financial contributions necessary and appreciated for the scholarships that every child receives to attend camp, but the need for volunteers is essential.

“One of the things that is most im-

portant right now for our growth is for people to understand the service opportunities available, including serving as a cabin counselor for a week and bringing a team to camp for a workday to help get the camps ready for the summer,” said Morrisey.

In summing up the camp’s impact since its opening, camp founder Hertz said: “Camp has created life changing experiences to build confidence, create leaders, encourage dreams, and ultimately transform lives. Now, 30 years later, I am proud of the camp’s growth and the incredible impact we have made on nearly 150,000 children and families. Our success has been possible thanks to the leadership and support we have received from the entire Atlanta community.” ì

Archery is just one of the many activities that make summer at Camp Twin Lakes a fun experience for special needs children.

With the new expansion, Camp Twin Lakes will be able to serve 13,500 children with medical, emotional, and other life challenges annually.

Doug Hertz, founder of Camp Twin Lakes, is one of the many Jewish organizers and supporters of the camp.

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ATLANTA’S PREMIER PERFORMANCE CAMP

held at rehearse live, atlanta’s COOLEST music facility

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!

Check out the performance mash-up from 2022 and get registration information at www.rockandbluescamp.com

ph: 404-202-6044 info@rockandbluescamp.com

through 12th grade, creating opportunities for each child to thrive is

From

WOODWARD WAY THE

100% of our students earn acceptances to four-year colleges and universities.

woodward.edu/visit

VOCALS • GUITAR • BASS • DRUMS • KEYBOARD • SAX • TRUMPET • TROMBONE

ROCK, BLUES & EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN

REGGAE, JAZZ

GENRES INCLUDE:

Camp Gan Israel: A North Fulton Sensation

By Shaindle Schmuckler

The year 1999 was notable for the Jewish children and their parents living in north Fulton County. It was the year Camp Gan Israel in north Fulton was born. In its inaugural year, Camp Gan Israel accommodated a mere six children in Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz’s living room. Twenty-five years later, it is the premier Jewish camp in north Fulton for campers, ages 2-11.

Camp Gan Israel is expanding its facilities in order to welcome every camper who wishes to attend. From the initial six children in the rabbi’s living room, to the hundreds of campers who will wallow in summer fun, all will help in the inauguration of the two new sports fields – baseball and soccer, a basketball court, and a kiddie play area currently under construction.

Camp Gan Israel recently received zoning approval to expand even further, with plans in the works for an indoor gym and play center.

Camp Gan Israel, in north Fulton County, is expanding its facilities this year, including new baseball and soccer fields, a basketball court, and a kiddie play area.

The counselors and head counselors come from out of town. They are Chabad high school graduates from other cities, bringing with them their love of Judaism and camping. These counselors work alongside local teens who serve as cocounselors and JC’s. The older staff also serve as inspiration and mentors to the local teens who work in partnership with them. ì

Chai Style Home

The House That Larry Built

Thousands of Americans build their own homes, but retired residential contractor Larry Pett built his own mid-century modern house in Virginia-Highland. He also designed and built much of the wood furniture inside.

using blades and whirring machines…a few inches lost there, a wonky corner here.”

To Larry, the texture of an unrefined plank is an unknown challenge and a tactile experience.

tograph.

Marcia: What are some special midcentury modern touches you incorporated?

Marcia Caller Jaffe

With wife, Adele, they scoured world artist markets and the internet to select “just so” fabrics and trimmings to evoke the 1950s in melon tones with amber accents. Self-deprecating and a no-frills type of guy, Larry tells a story with each plank of wood, matching and contrasting the lustrous grains. In one table, he incorporates six types of wood with symmetry, using his head and hands in one of the most primitive forms of art.

He said, “Wood crafting is honest and forgiving, where perfect is the enemy of good.” Architectural Digest (April, 2020) expounded on re-creating the lost art of making one’s own wood furniture that “lasts longer and gives the artist an adrenaline rush,

New Yorker Larry met Adele Cohen, from Murfreesboro, Tenn., in Atlanta, where they both worked in public health. Larry retired in 2015 after running Housewright, a residential remodeling firm. Adele laughed, “Growing up in Murfreesboro was not so bad, as we attended services in Nashville.”

Marcia: Explain how you “hands-on” build the furniture.

Larry: The wood is already rough-sawn when I get it. I make a rough design, then plane, cut, join, sand, shape, and finish…I’m at my happiest creating. The kitchen table is cherry wood, dining table is mahogany, the den coffee table is a mixture of wood I had from leftovers.

Adele: It’s fascinating. He often starts with not much of a plan. He’s just creative and a problem solver combined…talented in that way. He even made the picture frames in here.

About the only wood structure here that Larry did not build is the twisted oak pedestal with the canary glass sculpture under the Yayoi Kusama, “Pumpkin,” pho-

Larry: The three levels of hickory wood open stairs have glass panels and stainlesssteel handrails (southern staircase). As an afterthought, we fitted the elevator into the plan.

Furniture-wise, we ordered these custom ultra suede chairs by Joybird, in lime and salmon sherbet hues. We framed the fireplace with ochre porcelain tiles, then mirrored that in the kitchen backsplash.

The soffit fireplace hearth is raised from the floor and finished with cement panels. The fireplace “surround” is forged black sheet metal. Flooring throughout is bamboo. Dining and a few accent seats are from By Design for their clean lines. It sort of all fits together.

The upper level is not mid-century, but rather, prairie style with antique craftsman furniture.

Adele: Funny story about rugs. We were in Turkey, and undecided about whether to buy rugs which might not have worked in our house. Surprisingly, six months later, the rug dealer from Istanbul showed up here with a variety of rugs, so we

made a deal and purchased two.

Marcia: What kind of art do you collect?

Adele: I am self-appointed “chief of arts festivals.” I’ve been to almost every local festival over the past 20 years. We have this Jules Burt original, “Six Painted Ladies,” from when Jules had a shop in Virginia Highlands. The steel guitar in the kitchen is by Kathy Walter from Marietta.

I collect snake and shark sculptures, Larry acquired masks from Indonesia, Guam, Mexico, Micronesia and South America.

We have prints by Fernando Botero, a famous Colombian artist who sculpted and painted depictions of obese people. One of my favorites is an original oil painting from Cuzco, Peru, in the Inca style of building stones and regional gold flecks. We like to support the locals wherever we go.

Larry: I have panoramic photographs by the late Ray Herbert, “Panorama Ray,” of Times Square in the 1980s and “Virginia at Highland” in 1981. We have a framed collection of photos of covered bridges, taken on our trip to New England. We commissioned a painting by Marietta artist Paul Flack, when we saw his work at Paris on Ponce. Basically, we are folk-art focused and can’t

Adele and Larry Pett enjoy their kitchen. The light fixture is from Lucca, Italy. Larry made the kitchen table out of cherry wood. The ochre backsplash echoes the trim around the fireplace // Photos by Howard Mendel

The Petts' great room has carefully selected mid-century modern chairs by Joybird. Note the Pett’s preference for sconce lighting. Painting (right) is an original oil from Peru composed of gold flecks.

Above: This original Howard Finster advises, “You left your cradle on a trip through this world. Come back to that cradle.”

Left: The Pett’s entrance has this artsy table, constructed by Larry, and a rare sepia photo by the late Ray Herbert, “Panorama Ray.”

Below: Three levels of glass stairs expose a nook of family photos where Larry made the picture frames.

Right: Larry made this dining table out of mahogany. Natural light and woods pervade the home.

be put in a box.

Years ago we had a memorable visit to Summerville, Ga., and spent a few hours with Baptist minister-turned folk artist Howard Finster. We purchased a piece, which he inscribed, “You left your cradle on a trip through this world. Come back to that cradle.” While there, he happened to be conducting a wedding, and we were invited to serve as witnesses.

We buy weird stuff wherever we find it, in the U.S. or abroad. I can’t always remember where everything comes from. It’s what we enjoy.

Marcia: You have a strong opinion about lighting?

Larry: We don’t care for ceiling lighting. We prefer wall sconces and have a variety which we collected over time. We have one very authentic craftsman prairie-style table lamp. The lighting fixture in the kitchen is from Lucca, Italy. There is an “ugly” hanging light in the screen porch which most people laugh at, but which Adele and I like.

CHAI STYLE

Marcia: What tips can we glean undertaking building a home?

Larry: Plan on it costing more than you budgeted and taking more time. We figured this was our last house, so, OK. We have thicker walls than most houses with foam insulation, 22 solar panels on the roof to reduce the power bill substantially. As contractor, I subbed out the things I can’t do (plumbing, etc.) but did the interior trim and carpentry.

Finally, do it the way you want. Don’t worry about selling it years in the future. By then, everything changes anyway. ì

Above: Adele Pett admires an original Jules Burt, “Six Painted Ladies.”

Below: Larry Pett enjoys the front porch leading in to the professional touches he designed within for style and efficiency - like 22 solar panels.

Kusama’s, “Pumpkin,” is positioned atop a twisted oak pedestal and lemon glass sculpture.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

NCJW Atlanta Section Lunch ‘n Learn

– 12 to 1:30 p.m. Join National Council of Jewish Women. Bring your lunch; and they will provide dessert and beverages. Register at http://bit.ly/3I8VDz8.

Significant Others of Addicts Support Group – 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Join Sally Anderson, MS, LPC and JFCS for a weekly free support group for spouses, partners and/ or significant others of those struggling with addiction. Learn more at http://bit. ly/3hqghQs.

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

Knit and Crochet Group – 1 to 3 p.m. Join Dor Tamid and crochet and knit beanies for premature babies from home. Find the pattern by visiting http://bit.ly/3VY3R1j.

West-Eastern Divan Ensemble with Michael Barenboim – 8 to 10 p.m. Led by concertmaster Michael Barenboim, the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble is the chamber formation of the namesake orchestra founded in 1999. Listen to the orchestra at the Schwartz Center. Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3YFVdFO.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

Pasta Dinner Shabbat – 6th and 7th Class Shabbat – 6 to 8 p.m. Open to ALL! You do not need to be affiliated with Congregation Gesher L’Torah’s 6th and 7th Graders to come and enjoy. Come and enjoy a free pasta dinner, then a short service, followed by dessert Oneg RSVP at http://bit. ly/3jyKE8I.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

Or Hadash Purim Carnival - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join Congregation Or Hadash for our beloved annual Purim carnival! We’ll have games, face-painting, balloon animals, prizes, snacks, home-baked hamantaschen, and lots of fun. Costumes strongly encouraged - the lovely, the silly, and the outrageous. RSVP at http://bit.ly/3m0HefJ.

Temple Kol Emeth Purim Party – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Temple Kol Emeth for a kidfriendly Megillah reading and Costume Contest. We turn up the fun at 11:00 a.m. with a DJ Dance Party, Carnival Games, Dessert Dash, Spinning Art booth, StuffedPet-Adoption, Hamentashen, Cotton Candy, and more! RSVP at http://bit.ly/3xjrGGl.

Purim Carnival - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come join Congregation Dor Tamid for their Annual Purim Carnival. There will be fun, games, and of course Hamentashen. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3ktmqNj.

4th Annual Atlanta Jewish Life Festival -11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Atlanta Jewish Life Festival is Atlanta’s largest single day festival promoting and celebrating Jewish and Israeli arts, food, music and culture while connecting the community to local synagogues, nonprofits and social action groups with the hope to further strengthen the bonds and understanding of Jewish beliefs, traditions and family. Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3DQZttV.

Enchanted Purim Celebration – 12 to 2 p.m. Temple Kehillat Chaim is heading to Columbia for Purim 2023 Join us for food, games, prizes, a photo booth, a balloon artist, and MORE! Purchase tickets at http:// bit.ly/3Kk2C9V.

From Acceptance to Celebration -7 to 8:30 p.m. Support, education, and discussion group for parents of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive children of all ages. This group from JFCS and Sojourn is a safe space where loving caregivers can process emotions, ask questions, and learn with others. Sign up at http://bit. ly/3k83TG6.

Tot Shabbat and Kiddush Lunch – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Congregation Beth Shalom every Shabbat at 11 a m for an interactive Tot Shabbat where we sing, play, and engage in fun activities, followed by a wonderful Shabbat Kiddush lunch together. Find out more at http://bit.ly/3PMct7u.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5

Purim Carnival – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Come join Congregation Gesher L’Torah for their Purim Carnival. Learn more at http://bit. ly/3YfEJEj.

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at: www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. In order to be considered for the print edition, please submit events three to four weeks in advance. Contact Diana Cole for more information at Diana@atljewishtimes.com.

Purim PaloozAA – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This year’s Purim PaloozAA is going to be out-of-this-world! Join us for a spacethemed Purim party as we gather for a morning of games, crafts, prizes, treats, and fun. Attractions include an inflatable obstacle course, a bounce house for the five-and-under crowd, henna by the incredible Nikki Novotny, and more! Register at http://bit.ly/3XKkSMG.

Hawaiian Luau Purim Carnival – 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Festivities at Congregation Etz Chaim include a children’s costume contest with prizes, carnival games, inflatables, balloon artist, lunch for purchase, popcorn and more! Reserve your tickets at http://bit.ly/3x5XQ7W.

A Walk in the Woods with Spring Wildflowers - Observing the Beauty of Nature - 2 to 3:15 p.m. Nothing is more refreshing to the spirit than a hike through the forest on a cool spring day, breathing in the fresh air and observing the sights and sounds of the plants and animals. RSVP at http://bit. ly/40ywVPT.

Purim Carnival with a Cause – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Purim is about celebrating, and also about doing for others. In addition to fun and exciting family games and activities, Temple Emanu-El will have mitzvah stations for children of all ages to bring awareness to issues of hunger and social justice in our community. Receive more information at http://bit.ly/3REp537.

CTEEN Intown Atlanta 2023 – 5 p.m. Chabad Intown CTeen Atlanta is back and better than ever for the new year! Join fellow Intown ATL teens for these upcoming events filled with fun, friendship, food, Jewish pride and engaging torah learning! RSVP at https://bit.ly/3jN3nwO.

Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Winter Session – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League is a co-ed fun group who love to bowl and have a good time, a very social league! Dues are $18 per week. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3V9TZjV.

MONDAY, MARCH 6

Flower Power Packing Purim Party – 6 to 7 p.m. You’re invited to a special Purim Party hosted by Mitzvah House floral arranging event. Bring your creativity and enthusiasm, we need your help to create beautiful arrangements that will bring joy to the community. Come dressed in your favorite Purim costume and you could win a $25 gift card for the best get up! RSVP at http://bit.ly/41b6IXG.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Tetzaveh

Friday, March 3 Adar 10, 5783 Light Candles at 6:17 PM

Saturday, March 4, Adar 11, 5783 Shabbat Ends 7:12 PM Shabbat

Torah Reading: Ki Tisa

Friday, March 10 Adar 17, 5783 Light Candles at 6:22 PM

Saturday, March 11 Adar 18, 5783 Shabbat Ends 7:18 PM

Daylight Saving Time: In effect. Times have been adjusted accordingly Shabbat.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8

Golden Graggers - 7 p.m. Join Congregation Dor Tamid for Erev Purim. Walk down the red carpet with your best Purim Celebratory Costumes. Find out more at http://bit. ly/3EsfsPu.

Purim Megilah Reading – 7 to 9 p.m. Come join Congregation Gesher L’Torah for their Purim Megilah Reading. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3jI0ygM.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7

Bereavement Support Group – 10 to 11:30 a.m. Grief and loss of loved ones bring about complicated and mixed emotions. This Jewish Family and Career Services support group aims to foster a safe and healthy environment to process these feelings and support people in mourning. To learn more and to register visit https://bit. ly/3uBFPx2.

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Dorsch - 12 to 1 p.m. Join Congregation Etz Chaim for a monthly class on Tuesdays with the rabbi on a variety of topics and enjoy some pizza. Learn how to register at https://bit. ly/3FU00g6.

Purim in Israel @ Chabad Intown – 5 p.m. Join Chabad Intown for a Megillah Reading followed by Purim in Israel and festivities. Find out more at http://bit. ly/3IgS3mF.

Purim Celebration at the JCC – 5 to 6 p.m. All are invited to a Purim celebration in the Courtyard at the MJCCA! Program will include Purim songs with Rabbi G, games, activities, crafts, hamantaschen and more Learn more at http://bit.ly/3XcMfyz.

Purim in the Chocolate Factory! – 5:30 to 8 p.m. Come join the Chabad of Hall County for Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! What can be a better way to spend Purim this year. Come celebrate the amazing Jewish historical story of Queen Esther and Mordechai! Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3XuVM43.

Jacobson Leadership Institute -9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Jacobson Leadership Institute (JLI) has been a think tank and training ground for adaptive leadership and good governance within Atlanta’s synagogues, Jewish day schools, and Jewish agencies. In 2023, JLI will again bring in local and national experts to help facilitate discussions and training about Jewish community leadership. Register with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta at https://bit. ly/3fp2ZD7.

International Women’s Day Service Project – 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join NCJW Atlanta Section and Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta as we celebrate International Women’s Day by providing much-needed welcome baskets for new immigrant families.  Find out more at http://bit.ly/3YdCx0f.

Helping Your Children & Teens Cope with an Anxious World - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Parents and Grandparents of Children & Teens Come ask your questions at Congregation Dor Tamid & go home with resources ready to use at home Register at http://bit.ly/3YfINEQ.

From Acceptance to Celebration -7 to 8:30 p.m. Support, education, and discussion group for parents of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive children of all ages. This group from JFCS and Sojourn is a safe space where loving caregivers can process emotions, ask questions, and learn with others. Sign up at http://bit. ly/3k83TG6.

Purim Party – 6 p.m. Celebrate the “Shtetl” this Purim at Congregation Beth Israel’s blowout Purim Party! Get your tickets today at http://bit.ly/3Xd7qAK and get ready to celebrate Purim like never before!

THURSDAY, MARCH 9

Adult Purim Party – 7:30 p.m. Join the Chabad of North Fulton for an Adult Purim party with dinner, entertainment and masquerade! RSVP at http://bit.ly/3xyfe5p.

Challah Prince is coming to OVS! – 6 to 8 p.m. The Challah Prince of Instagram fame is coming to Congregation Or VeShalom!  Learn how to make spectacular works of art from the challah dough he provides. Register at http://bit.ly/3YgiXR5.

GLT Game Night (Team Trivia) - 8 to 10 p.m. Come join Congregation Gesher L’Torah for Game Night. RSVP at http://bit. ly/3RJRbtD.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10

Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G at the JCC! – 5 to 5:30 p.m. Bring your children to the JCC for a Shabbat celebration featuring fun songs and blessings with Rabbi G!  Challah and grape juice are served.  Learn more at bit. ly/3Ab1C1F.

Tot Shabbat - 5:30 Tot Shabbat is led by Rabbi Jordan from CDT. Enjoy crafts, songs, fun activities, and more. Tot Shabbat is for kids under 4 years old with their parents/guardians. RSVP by visiting http://bit. ly/3LLJakS.

Tot Shabbat with Hannah Zale – 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Interactive joyful Judaism. Sing Dance Pray at Gesher with Hannah Zale. RSVP at https://bit.ly/3G9Bbfd.

Scout Shabbat – 7:30 p.m. Boy and Girl Scouts will perform a flag ceremony at Congregation Ner Tamid and recite the scout oaths and laws. Rabbi Prass will lead a Shabbat evening prayer service. Attendees will have the opportunity to see a Torah scroll handwritten by a Hebrew scribe, and guest speakers will deliver words in honor of scouting. A Scout-themed “Oneg” reception (literally, the “sweetness” of Shabbat) will follow with treats and fellowship for all. Visit http://bit.ly/3Yg99Gy to get your questions answered.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12

Mocha Mondays – 8:30 a.m. Congregation

Etz Chaim’s Monthly Coffee and Breakfast with the Rabbi accompanied by the Talmud’s Greatest Hits. Learn more at http:// bit.ly/3hL3WX3.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

Sisterhood Healing Shabbat – 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. A Special Saturday Morning service led by Gesher Woman. Register at http://bit.ly/3x2UtyC.

Purim Off Ponce 2023 - XANADU! –7:30 to 11:30 p.m. The Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender & Sexual Diversity is proud to present PURIM OFF PONCE. Honoring & Celebrating Rebecca Stapel-Wax, Founding Executive Director of SOJOURN, for her 18 years of dedication & service to gender and sexually diverse communities. Dance the night away while raising funds to celebrate our LGBTQ+ Community! Register at http://bit. ly/3llLB4N.

Mazal Tots Baby and Me – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Mazal Tots at Temple Emanu-El is a unique and joyful “baby and me” class that combines the power of song, movement, sensory stimulation, and play to create meaningful bonding experiences between parents and their little ones. Learn more at http://bit.ly/41648SR.

Inclusive Purim Event – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Temple Kehillat Chaim was selected for a Jewish Abilities Atlanta Inclusive Microgrant, so we are hosting a Purim celebration for children with mild to moderate special needs so they can participate in this fun holiday. Activities will be designed with the attendee in mind. Register at http://bit.ly/3lCjUEH.

Growing Figs in the Southeast for the Home Gardener- 2 to 3:15 p.m. Figs have been cultivated since ancient times and are now widely grown throughout the world, whether for their “fruit”, leaves, or ornamental value. North Fulton Master Gardener Ian Matthes has over 100 varieties of edible fig trees in his home garden. RSVP at http://bit.ly/3x1Opqh.

MONDAY, MARCH 13

Our Time of Wisdom – 7 to 8:30 p.m. You are invited to join Temple Beth Tikvah members in a program designed to meet the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of those 50+. Register at https://bit. ly/3ERHfZ3.

NCJW Atlanta, Ma’alot, and Congregation Shearith Israel invite you to a

Community Women's Seder

SINGING • STUDY • DANCING

SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2023

5:30 pm

1180 University Drive NE, Atlanta

DINNER AND HAGGADAH

General reservation: $45

Under 40: $36

One reservation plus supporting guests: $100

All women and teens welcome Bring your tambourines and Miriam’s cups

REGISTER BY MONDAY, MARCH 20 online: www.ncjwatlanta.org/events-seder-registration/ or by check payable to NCJW Atlanta, PO Box 76162, Sandy Springs, GA, 30328

Molly Blank Concert Series: Joe Alterman and Houston Person Together Again - 4 to 7 p.m. Reuniting for a concert titled “Joe Alterman & Houston Person: Together Again” pianist Alterman and saxophonist Person will dig into standards of the Great American Songbook. Reserve your seats at http://bit.ly/3Knfr2Y.

Atlanta Purim Parade & Festival 2023

– 12 to 3 p.m. Join us for a parade down Lavista Road featuring local schools, businesses, organizations, and families in costume. Enjoy a festival on the Beth Jacob campus with music, festival rides, entertainment, petting zoo with pony rides, arts and crafts, food trucks, and so much more! Learn more at http://bit.ly/3HC5nQE.

A Page from the Book Fest Presents Rebecca Serle – 7:30 to 9 p.m. Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us. Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3XaXOWZ.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Winter Session – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Atlanta Jewish Bowling League is a co-ed fun group who love to bowl and have a good time, a very social league! Dues are $18 per week. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3V9TZjV.

Brain Health Bootcamp – 1 to 3 p.m. If you are recognizing symptoms of cognitive changes or have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, JFCS 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 visit http://bit. ly/3tPwMs3.

Whether you are looking to rejuvenate physically, mentally or kick-start a healthier lifestyle, the city offers a variety of ways to put wellness first in the New Year. Treat self-care like healthcare with an array of spas and wellness centers to relax and rejuvenate. Stimulate your senses and heal your mind with experiential art activities like pottery and painting or enjoy art up close with an exhibit or walking tour in downtown. For the outdoor-centric therapy, find all the gear you need from sports and fitness focussed retailers, then fuel your body at over 200 dining options to get you back to your optimum self. Don’t forget to restore your body with a good night sleep at one of our 30 modern hotels.

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Pesach Lemon Curd

Blueberry Tart

This lemon-blueberry tart is so simple to prepare in advance and assemble right before serving. Not to mention, gorgeous.

Ingredients

1 (10-oz.) container kosher for Passover graham cracker crumbs (2 and 1/3 cups)

1/3 cup melted margarine or butter

5 egg yolks (whites discarded or used for another recipe)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (from about 4–5 lemons) zest from 1 lemon

6 tablespoons margarine/butter, cold, cut into small pieces blueberries, to garnish coconut flakes, to garnish (optional)

Start Cooking

Crust

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an eight- by 12-inch rectangular tart pan or a nine-inch round tart pan with nonstick baking spray.

Crush the graham crackers if needed and place the crumbs into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl melt the margarine/butter in the microwave, and then pour it into the bowl with the crumbs. Stir to mix well, the mixture should resemble wet sand.

Press the graham cracker mixture into the tart pan all around the bottom and sides. A good trick here is to use the bottom of a measuring cup to press down the crumbs. Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool before filling.

Lemon Curd

While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon curd. Whisk egg yolks till beaten well. Add in the sugar, lemon juice, and zest, and beat again.

In a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat add in the egg mixture and stir consistently for 10 minutes. You do not want to raise the temperature or rush this process, because the eggs can curdle. You will know the mixture is ready when it has thickened up and has coated the back of the spoon without being runny. Turn the heat off and immediately add the cold margarine/butter, stir to melt.

Pour the lemon curd into a container, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a film. Then top the container with the lid and let it cool down in the fridge.

To Assemble

Once the crust and the lemon curd have cooled down, pour and spread the curd all over the crust to fill.

Top with fresh blueberries and/or coconut. Enjoy!

Source: Kosher.com

Recipe By Sam Adler

Lost Wife

Moshe goes up to a beautiful woman he sees in the supermarket and says to her, “I’ve lost my wife in here and I would be very happy if you could find some time to talk to me for a few minutes.”

She asks, “Why on earth do you want me to do that?”

Moshe replies, “Because every time I talk to a gorgeous woman, my wife always appears out of nowhere.”

YIDDISH WORD

Purimshpieler’s revenge

n. When a shmo achieves shmodom.

“We never thought Chester would amount to much, but with that viral yodeling video, he has reached the pinnacle of shmodom, his very own Purimshpieler’s revenge.

From the Yiddish Purimshpieler, meaning a “rank amateur and untalented entertainer.” The word shpieler is Yiddish for a glib speaker. Purimshpieler is derived from the skits, complete with songs and dances, that are performed on the holiday of Purim, and the events in the Book of Esther. These shpiels go back to the 15th century and, over the years, have become increasingly nudne (tedious).

Misphraseology

By: Yoni Glatt & Lisa Senzel Max

ACROSS

1. Challah maker, e.g.

6. Like a lot of rap vernacular

11. Barrett once in Pink Floyd

14. Head with eight Oscars

15. Observe the Fifth Commandment

16. Mai follower

17. “I didn’t mean to slander my dentist, all he did was ___”

19. Mama black sheep, e.g.

20. One from an extinct Jewish sect

21. Rarity in Los Angeles homes

23. J.R.R.’s series

25. And others, in shorthand

26. Mexican Mrs.: Abbr.

29. “I buy my wife an olive branch instead of flowers to maintain ___”

34. Street

36. Pro wrestler/action star John

37. Blank, as a “tabula”

38. Israel’s Magen David

39. Revealed

40. Country with a Supreme Ruler

41. Episode that ruined Luke Skywalker for many fans

42. Literary plantation that’s also an agricultural co-op in Israel

43. End of a successful war

44. “We can put cheese on this

because ___”

48. Cousin of reggae

49. Hierarchy level

50. Like Egypt before the 10th plague

52. How some celebrities get along?

56. Interruption

60. 46-Down music maker, briefly

61. “I keep the heat on in summer because ___”

63. Eat pork on Yom Kippur, e.g.

64. Esa ___

65. Kosher symbol locale

66. Creature in 23-Across

67. Where Judaism flourished a thousand years ago

68. Act stealthily

DOWN

1. “I’ve Gotta ___” (Sammy Davis Jr. hit)

2. Big deals

3. Do-it-yourself purchases

4. The Irgun

5. They might charge without taking payment?

6. “Button it!”

7. Grammy-winner Lisa

8. Queen of Arendelle

9. Viking

10. Jewish historian Heinrich

11. Old Pittsburgh work areas

12. “Bo-ring”

13. Plan for losers?

18. His parents raised Cain

22. It’s usually said when it’s

50-Across

24. Yehoshua’s wife, they say

26. Joseph, for a period

27. Angle producers

28. Ritual for Saul or David

30. Israeli girl with a “light” name

31. 2020 Pixar movie

32. “Wicked Game” rocker Chris

33. Deep Chassidic work

35. Charlie Sheen’s brother

39. X-Wing, e.g.

45. 2, 2

46. See 60-Across

47. Elegant trimmings

51. Moed or Purim

52. Don’t blow it

53. Equivalent

54. Smallville name

55. Possible days of Israel?

57. Soliloquy opener

58. Eyeball layer

59. Big vaccine name

62. California wine, for short

OBITUARIES Sylvia ‘Katchkala’ Broder

101, Atlanta

Our angel, Sylvia “Katchkala” Broder, passed on Jan. 30, 2023, two months shy of 102. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Herbert “Herby” Broder, who passed in 1991; her brother, Martin Kramer; and her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Jack and Marcy Shenk, and Selma and Joe Halperin.

Sylvia was born in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1921. She, Herby, and their son, Fred, moved to Atlanta in 1968. Sylvia and Herby owned Herbert Originals, an alterations and made-to-order clothing shop in Buckhead. Their marriage was full of love, romance, and respect for 46 years. Although legally blind for many years, Sylvia was a regular volunteer at the Breman Jewish Home. Additionally, she and Herby were Shrine Clowns, visiting hospitals and assisting with Shrine fundraisers.

Sylvia had an extremely positive and loving attitude which lifted the spirits of everyone she met. She loved music and had two theme songs which she sang with regularity: “When You’re Smiling,” and “You Are My Sunshine.” She was very generous with her love, wise advice, and gifts to her family. Sylvia will be greatly missed by her family and her friends at the Jewish Tower.

Sylvia is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Fred and Glenda Broder; sister, Jeanette Dankberg; sister-in-law, Judy Kramer; grandchildren, Eric Broder, Jordy Broder, and wife Dayna, Shira Cohen, and husband, Austin; great-grandchildren, Shylah, Presley, and Blakely Broder, and Harlow and Brody Cohen. She will be missed by her nieces and nephews, Ray and Tracy Dankberg, Iris and Sean Jackson, Mindy and Jack Hyman, Paul and Illana Shenk, Connie and Dr. Ian Pollack, Fred and Julie Halperin, Randee and Marty Berliner, Melinda and Dan Kodz, and Susan Halperin.

Special thanks to Sylvia’s wonderful team of caregivers. Thankfully, she left wonderful memories that will bring smiles to all who loved her. Donations may be made to the Jewish Tower.

Judith Gavron Cohen 83, Sandy Springs

Judith (Judy) Gavron Cohen, of Sandy Springs, Ga., died peacefully on Feb. 15, 2023. Judy was born to Herbert and Janie Gavron on June 23, 1939, and attended Clark Howell Elementary School, North Fulton High School, and the AA Synagogue Sunday School, where she earned perfect attendance annually.

Her sister, Suellen, four years younger, followed her everywhere and engaged Judy in traditional sibling rivalry, loving her despite. Suellen and Judy remained exceptionally close throughout their lives, even living around the corner from each other during most of their children’s youth and playing “maj” together for decades.

In childhood, Judy remained active in her Brownie troop and, into her teens, took dance at Jack Eppley Dance studio downtown. She even took lessons as an adult, performing when possible. During her teen years, Judy worked on the high school yearbook and dated Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology fraternity boys, serving as GT’s TEP sweetheart. Her high school senior superlative stated she was “a stylish figure on campus.” Throughout her life, she maintained fashionista status, especially at the city’s popular discounter, Lohmann’s.

Judy married Jay Senoff in 1959 and had four children within two years. Terri was her firstborn in 1963, and less than two years later, Robyn, Michael, and Joel, the first set of Jewish triplets in Atlanta. The family was a celebrity, garnering an impressive Atlanta Journal article.

Judy was incredibly creative. She had an eye for decor, a flair for flowers, and the ability to cook, especially when entertaining friends and family. She could cook and entertain and passed down her “cooking gene” to her grandson, Jonah, a professional chef. Judy put great energy into feeding the people she loved. As an artist, she possessed a natural gift for makeup application. Her granddaughters relished the drawers of eyeshadow, lipstick, and eyeliner, though they treasured the time she spent with them more. Even at her life’s end, her caregivers maintained her beauty.

As Judy’s children became more independent, she worked as a real estate agent for Harry Norman, where she was recognized as a stand-out salesperson. She had an eye for decor and could help clients reimagine spaces, excelling in the industry. Coupled with work, Judy volunteered in the Jewish and Sandy Springs communities, participating in the Atlanta Jewish Committee’s reading program at Lake Forrest Elementary and serving as an active volunteer at the Link Counseling Center.

Judy married Leon Cohen, of blessed memory, 34 years ago, establishing a home in Sandy Springs. Leon’s children: Brad, Debbie, and Michael, as well as their spouses and children, became a part of their married life, and each grandchild added joy to their extended family.

Funeral and Cemetery Pre -planning

More than any other engagement, Judy adored the time spent with her four adult children, especially when they brought their own babies into the world. She loved her seven Senoff grandchildren, one grand-dog, and Leon’s brood. She used to say that being a grandparent was the best job in the world because she could return the kids when tired. She relished every moment, taking those who wanted - shopping for clothes, running to schools to carpool or take home sick kids, babysitting when needed, and imparting in all of them, a love like no other - she had such nachas, experiencing the fruits of her labor.

Judy valued progressive education and Jewish continuity, enrolling all of her children at Galloway and Solomon Schechter in their infancy. She registered them for art classes, dance, and soccer programs, marinating them in beautiful craft while also promoting social skills. She encouraged attendance at Jewish camps, AJCC programming, Jewish education, and BBYO, growing children and grandchildren who’re also engaged.

Her spirited legacy lives on in her sister, Suellen (Richard) Katz, their sons, Andrew (Ana) and Steven, Judy’s children and their spouses, Terri (Eric) Jacobson, Robyn (Ken) Pomerantz, and Joel (Sysser) Senoff of Atlanta, Ga., and Michael (Shelley) Senoff of San Diego, Calif.; Her grandchildren, Jonah, and Hilit Jacobson, Max, Ella and Oscar Senoff, and Joseph and Alan Senoff; nieces and nephews, cousins, and extended family. Please direct donations in Judy’s memory to The Link Counseling Center. Arrangements by Dressler’s, 770-451-4999.

Helen Scherrer-Diamond Outreach Coordinator

Barbara

Stein Finocchio 84, Dunwoody

Barbara Stein Finocchio, aged 84, of Dunwoody, Ga., passed away on Feb. 17, 2023. She attended Bethany College for her bachelor’s degree in education and the University of Pittsburgh for her master’s degree in education.

Barbara worked in the Jewish Community Center field in Atlanta, Houston, and Rochester, N.Y. She served as the Program Director of Camp Barney Medintz in its early years, was the Day Camp Director at the Houston JCC and served as the Director of Camp Seneca Lake of the Rochester JCC. Barbara left this field to become an elementary school teacher in 1976 in Atlanta, Ga., and eventually became a reading specialist, retiring in 2011 having taught for 34 years. Her entire career was devoted to children. She heard from children telling her about their lives and careers until her death.

Barbara met her husband, Michael, at the AJCC in 1966 and they married in 1970. This year, they celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary.

She was an avid sports fan and always rooted for her beloved Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates. She loved to cruise and went on 20 cruises with her husband and family.

Barbara was an amazing woman who had a passion for her career. She loved children and wanted to see them succeed. She was witty, sarcastic, very smart and could charm anyone and get them to perform a task and make them believe it was their idea. She was admired by the teachers she worked with. She was the epitome of style. Although her nails, jewelry, hair, and clothes were always on point, her heart was her true beauty. Barbara had the gift of making those around her feel valued and loved. She touched so many lives.

Barbara is predeceased by her father, Leon Stein, mother, Ethel Eger, her brothers, Dr. Herbert Stein, and Dr. Jack Stein. She is survived by her husband, Michael Finocchio.

Memorial donations may be made to Camp Twin Lakes or Camp Barney Medintz in her memory. An online memorial will be held at a future date. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770451-4999.

Ted Frankel

91, Atlanta

Ted Frankel passed away on Feb. 19, 2023, in his usual low-key style. He was gracious and charming until the very end.

Ted was an adoring (and obedient) husband and a loving brother, father and grandfather who attended every school function and music, theatre, and sports event of his children and grandchildren.

If Ted were here today, he would ask whether you wanted to go bowling – which he never actually did. He would tell you that the answer to most questions was “15.” And he would ask whether you had heard one of his special stories. Of course, after you responded that indeed you had – many times – he would proceed to tell you again, almost verbatim, timed beautifully, and with no embellishment.

Ted was born on July 24, 1931. He was second-generation Atlantan, and, like his father and two of his children, and like many Jewish children of his era, he came into this world at Georgia Baptist Hospital. Ted attended Boys High and Hoke Smith High in Atlanta where, according to the newspaper of which he was editor, he was the “local Casanova, Einstein, and Bob Hope all rolled into one.”

Ted attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he remained an avid Carolina Tarheel basketball fan until the very end. (Go to hell Dook!). He was a member of ZBT fraternity, where he met many of his life-long friends. Just a few weeks after graduation, Ted married his high school sweetheart, Sidelle. From that day until Sidelle left us way too soon, they were never apart.

Ted attended Emory Law School, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Public Policy. One of Ted’s fondest memories was competing in the National Moot Court Competition in New York in 1954.

After law school, Ted served in the J.A.G. Corps at the Air Force base in Moses Lake, Wash. He and Sidelle returned to Atlanta in 1958, and Ted began his legal career. Ted was a self-described silver-tongued devil, and he loved being a lawyer. He practiced law until he was 88. For most of his career, he represented the Georgia Association of Educators and its many teachers. One of his proudest victories was a case in which he forced the Atlanta Public Schools to honor its commitment to provide life insurance to all of its retirees.

Ted was a natural leader who always remained calm and used his humor and grace to build consensus. He served on too many boards to name. But here are some of the highlights. Ted was the president of the neighborhood associations in which he lived. He was proud of being the driving force in stopping the highway through Morningside that was contemplated while Jimmy Carter was governor. Ted served as President of the Young Lawyers Division of

the Georgia Bar, where he helped lead the integration of the Georgia Bar. Ted and Sidelle were founding members of Temple Sinai in Atlanta, and Ted proudly served as its president during its transition to Rabbi Phil Kranz after the untimely death of its founding rabbi, Richard Lehrman. (Sidelle was the secretary for both rabbis).

Ted loved politics, and he was an active and lifelong yellow-dog Democrat. He was the longest serving member of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Democratic Party. And, according to Ted, he voted in every election since his first presidential election in 1952. (Yes, he voted for Adlai Stevenson, twice).

Ted was predeceased by his beautiful and steadfast best friend, Sidelle, for whom he lovingly cared during her many years struggling with cancer. He also was predeceased by his son, Kenneth, and his beloved sister, Marcia.

Ted is survived by his daughter, Jodie Leopold, and her son, Ryan; and his son and daughter-in-law, Craig Frankel, and Jana Eplan, and their children, Gil (Melanie), Tamir, and Tali.

Ted’s humor and grace will be missed but remembered forever.

His family will be forever grateful to Chantelle, Peggy, and their wonderful team of caregivers who lovingly made Ted’s final days peaceful and comfortable.

A graveside service was held at 11:00 on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at Greenwood Cemetery, 1173 Cascade Avenue, S.W., Atlanta, Ga., Rabbi Brad Levenberg officiating.

If you wish to honor Ted’s memory, please make a donation to Temple Sinai (www.templesinaiatlanta.org) or a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Rachel Benshushan Galanti 88, Atlanta

Rachel Benshushan Galanti, 88, passed away peacefully at her home, which was her castle for 55 years, after a long journey with dementia.

Born in Atlanta in 1934, Rachel was the daughter of Perla Mallel and Isaac Benshushan, who arrived in America and settled in Atlanta in 1932. Rachel was joyfully married to the love of her life, Morris Galanti, for 57 years. A doting family caretaker and cheerleader, Rachel stood steadfastly by Morris for the 10 years following his stroke until his death in 2010. Their marriage was the last Sephardic union among the Or VeShalom founding families. Rachel’s family roots in the Island of Rhodes and coast of Turkey communities remained deeply embedded throughout her lifetime, reinforced through her lifelong bonds with her Or VeShalom family, friends, and classmates and by holding on to the Ladino language of her parents and their generation.

As treasurer of her ladies’ stock club, the books were meticulous, and the stock value grew steadily. Rachel tried her hand for a while with tennis, golf, bowling, canasta, and braille, all of which she enjoyed, but nothing beat the thrill of finding the hot poker machine in Vegasexcept for her grandchildren. While Rachel was not the attend-every-sporting-or-school-event type of grandmother, she was the always welcoming voice and open arms of Mima love.

Rachel was born ahead of her time. She wanted to work outside the home, but Morris was not going to have his wife “help someone else make money.” So, together with her sisterin-law Ila, they launched the money order business at the family supermarket on Jonesboro Road. Following their success and fun managing that enterprise, Rachel and Ila joined forces again to support the launch of the accounting firm of their nephew and son, respectively. These ladies were human experts that would put voicemail, computers, and QuickBooks to shame. Rachel’s fun, independent and capable ways inspired her children to pursue their professional and personal paths with gusto and purpose.

Rachel is survived by her children, Lisa (Hal) Rabinowitz, Ronnie (Nancy) Galanti, and Irwin (Charlene) Galanti; grandchildren, Michael (Michelle), Adam (Heather), Morris Kevin (Erinn), Laura (Elad), Rachel (Daniel), Rebecca, and Meredith; and six great-grandchildren, Matthew, Sophie, Gefen, Jack, Eli, and Shai. Rachel is also survived by her dear sister-in-law, Ila Galanti, and brother-in-law, Sam Galanti, along with her many treasured nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The family is grateful to Rachel’s compassionate caregivers, Tiffany James, Alicia Orridge, Audria Davy, and Rosalee Williams during Rachel’s final years, as well as to Weinstein Hospice. Graveside services were held at Arlington Cemetery, with Rabbi Joshua Hearshen officiating. Donations may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom or your favorite charity. Arrangements by Dressler’s, 770-451-4999.

Sid Kirschner 88, Atlanta

Sid Kirschner, 88, left this world on Feb. 21, 2023. In Sid’s 88 years, he accomplished, both personally and professionally, the unfathomable for many. Sid was a tireless volunteer, successful businessman and most importantly terrific husband, father, and grandfather.

Sid was born in Canada but grew up in the Bronx. He was an avid Yankees and New York Giants fan. He attended Stuyvesant High School, where he may have spent more time throwing dice then going to class.

A set of fluke circumstances lead Sid to the New Mexico School of Mining where he earned his degree as a Mining Engineer. When Sid boarded the bus from New York City to Albuquerque, he never looked back.

After college, Sid moved to LA, where he met his late wife, Judy Fishman. They were married in 1957 and brought three beautiful children into this world. In 1964, the family relocated to New Jersey for what was just the beginning of Sid’s continual upward movement in the business world.

In 1973, Sid received a phone call from Atlanta-based National Service Industries that would re-shape his family’s life. With the unwavering support of his wife and kids, the family made the move to Atlanta and Sid went to work for NSI as a Group Vice President and eventually became the CEO of this publicly held company.

Sadly, Sid lost his wife, Judy, in 1986. Sid had a remarkable ability to always move forward, to appreciate what he had in the past, and to live in the present. With the support of his kids, Sid did exactly that.

Sid went on to find his current life partner, Carole Kelley. Carole has been a devoted wife to Sid for 35 years. Together they traveled both near and far and enjoyed everything life had to offer, always sharing in the pleasure of life with their family.

In 1991, immediately after his retirement from NSI, Sid was recruited to be the CEO of Northside Hospital. After that retirement Sid became the headmaster of The Davis Academy, then the CEO of the Piedmont Heart Institute, and lastly Head of the Piedmont Foundation.

More important to Sid than his business accomplishments was his belief in giving back to the community. Sid spent countless hours volunteering in numerous capacities at The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Jewish Family & Career Services, The Davis Academy, the William Breman Jewish Home, and many other organizations.

Sid will be missed by many, but most specifically by his family. He is survived by his wife, Carole; his three children, Ron (Lori) Kirschner, Lisa (Mark) Greenberg, and Lori Kirschner; his five grandchildren, Josh (Dana), Brad, Haley, Jamie and Noah; and his great-grandson Jordan.

There was a memorial service at The Temple at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23. Shiva was held at the home of Ron and Lori Kirschner on Thursday, Feb. 23 and on Saturday, Feb. 25 Donations may be made in Sid’s memory to the Judith L. Kirschner fund at The Temple or to Jewish HomeLife (“The Jewish Home”). Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Alice Lewin Lewinson 90, Lighthouse Point, Fla.

Alice Lewin Lewinson, 90, of Lighthouse Point, Fla., passed away peacefully on Monday, Jan. 16, after a five-week battle filled with numerous complications related to Parkinson’s. Alice was predeceased by her husband, Sam Lewinson of Boca Raton, Fla., and her parents, Kent Lewin and Jeanette Frances Guggenheim of Miami, Fla., and her brother, Jay Lewin of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Graveside services were held Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Temple Beth El Memorial Gardens in Davie, Fla. Alice was a graduate of Miami Senior High and attended the University of Miami. Alice was a talented artist. She used her talent to become a draftsman and work for the City of Miami. She was the only female employee and the most precise. Alice was chosen to design the sewer system due to her drafting precision. Alice broke through a glass ceiling when she was the first woman to climb down a manhole in Miami.

Alice had many suitors before she met her husband, Sam Lewinson in 1962. Sam courted Alice through beautiful love letters. Sam knew the moment they met that they would be married even though over 18 years in age were between them. Sam would drive to Atlanta to mail his letters as he knew a woman from Miami would never willingly want to move to a small

town in North Georgia. Sam waited until after Alice said I do to inform her that she would be living in Dalton, Ga. The standing joke between them was Alice added a ‘son’ to her last name but gave birth to two daughters.

As an artist, Alice approached life with color. All her clothing selections were vivid patterns or bright flowers. When Alice walked in a room, she dressed to stand out in the crowd. When Alice decided it was time to head back to Florida, she redecorated the family den with bright green palm tree wallpaper on a silver metallic wallpaper that spanned from floor to ceiling.

In Alice’s early years of marriage, she became an advocate and volunteered in a role with the North Georgia Commissioner, Jimmy Carter. Alice advocated for equal rights for women and established programs to protect women against abuse and rape.

Alice lost the love of her life in 2010 after 45 years of marriage when Sam suffered from a traumatic brain injury. Their relationship was magical as they were inseparable. They waited 38 years for two grandchildren who were the center of her universe.

For the last two decades, Alice struggled with a debilitating Parkinsonism known as freezing gait syndrome. It took away both her fine and gross motor skills. However, Alice through all her medical challenges still approached life with color. Her daughters would each have specific roles that she designated during her golden years. Alice with the help of one her daughters shared the story of her life. She published an almost 300-page book that was presented to her for her 90th birthday to be shared with her future generations.

Alice spoke her mind and would say anything to anyone at any time, but Alice had the biggest heart. She had so much compassion for her children and would move mountains for them. She took on the weight of the world with her zest for life. She leaves behind her daughters Nancy (Mark) Kaufman and grandson Justin Kaufman of Atlanta, Georgia; Sally (Scott) Rand and Blake Rand of Lighthouse Point, Florida.

In lieu of flower’s donations may be made to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s to continue advance research to find a cure for this disease.

Sabina Szlam 94, Atlanta

Sabina Szlam, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away Sunday morning. With her were her children and spouses, Alek, Fania, Roman, and Kyle. She is survived by her two sons, two grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and other family and many friends.

Mrs. Szlam was born in a small town outside of Warsaw, Poland, in 1929, the third of three daughters. Besides other work, her parents rented orchards in the summer to sell fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Her father was also a cobbler. He was a very devout Jewish man. Her mother was also a very dedicated homemaker.

In 1939, when the war broke out, the family were forced to flee their town eastward, eventually ending up in Vladimir, Russia. During the war, as a young girl, she suffered many hardships including hunger, frost, many escapes, being strafed, and more. After returning to Poland post-war, eventually her family settled in Kłodzko, where, at 17, she met Michal, who would be her husband from the following year until his death in 2000.

Their first son was born two years after the marriage. Sabina and Michal, and other family member couples and parents, settled to making a life for their families, and to helping rebuild Poland. In 1956, many of their family members moved to Israel. In the late 1950s, Michal was transferred to Wrocław, Poland, where their second son was born.

Sabina was a homemaker, worked part-time as a bookkeeper, and, along with Michal, completed her GED. In 1969, with the extremely high antisemitic climate in Poland, they, along with the other two remaining families, moved to the U.S., settling in Atlanta.

Mrs. Szlam, along with the other members of her family now in Atlanta, began their lives anew for the third time. She found a daytime job within walking distance of their apartment, cooked for, and took care of the family and the apartment, and helped Michal with the extra work he brought home every evening. She learned English, and how to drive, and continued this way until osteoporosis forced her to retire early. She helped Michal run his post-retirement business until he became terminally ill. She took complete care of Michal and her house until his death. She suffered his loss greatly for the rest of her life. She started volunteering and exercising, and continued thus until, again, osteoporosis, forced her to limit her activities. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren very much. She loved nature, flowers, birds, and the wide, blue, blue sky.

The family would like to acknowledge with special appreciation the kindness, help, patience, and dedication of Mrs. Szlam’s wonderful caregivers of over eight years: Amouna, Fedla, Julia, Sokhna, Mariama, Jackie, Sonia, Ndeye, and Awa, and others.

How I Met My Wife

action if I expected to build my social life quickly. I had grown in confidence throughout college life. I was ready to show some leadership in my social life.

Allen H. Lipis

The Bottom Line

After graduating from City College of New York, I went to Iowa State University for my master’s degree. There were no Jewish women on campus, so for two years I never dated, and I rarely spent time with a woman, even just to talk. It was depressing. I was studying so much more than as an undergraduate.

Given the loneliness of graduate school in Iowa for two years, I took a job after graduating in Columbus, Ohio. For the first few months, it was more of the same, a lonely existence. The only solution was to get out there. I was 24 years old and ready to meet women, Jewish women, and get back to a normal life again. However, I knew no one in Columbus, and I thought that I had to get into

My first and best idea was to go to the Jewish Community Center in Columbus to see what was available for single people. I found that there was a Singles Club, but it had fallen into disuse because there was no leadership. There was a database of names of people who were part of the Singles Club, but most of them were in college or working, and no one was actively organizing the club. This was a perfect opportunity for me— to take on the reorganizing of the Singles Club. By doing so, I would have the opportunity to call all the single people, and perhaps to meet them. It was early June, and college kids were home for the summer; it would be a perfect time to meet a whole bunch of people.

I got a list of single people from the Jewish center and started to call the names included. I introduced myself on the telephone, discussed the Singles Club,

then asked how it was run in the past, what programs it conducted, and why it was no longer active. Then I asked if the person was interested in reactivating the club, how we might go about doing it, and what the next few steps might be. I suggested that I was willing to work hard to get things started again and would they be willing to help as well. All this took several weeks, and slowly my name was being circulated around Jewish singles my age. We had several meetings at the Jewish center to get together, and out of those meetings, I actually met a few women I liked.

Judy, who was finishing her junior year at Ohio State University, told me that she heard through the grapevine that there was a new guy in town trying to reactivate the Singles Club. She was determined to meet him. We met at the Jewish center at one of those meetings during the summer of 1962, and I was immediately attracted to her. During the meeting, I asked her to have dessert with me at Emil’s, a local restaurant that everyone went to, and that was the start

of my relationship with my wife of 59 years. We hit it off right away, and we began dating on a regular basis, even after she returned to Ohio State for her senior year.

There is something to be said about being creative, about having a certain mystery about yourself because no one has met you. I knew the mystery about me would not last, and the singles group would have gotten restarted without me being involved. When you see an opening, take it, for it might not last very long. The only thing I needed was a little courage to call the numbers and start talking. You know the expression, “Strike when the iron is hot.” That’s what I did after arriving in Columbus. Creativity and mystery to meet women worked again, and that’s how I met my wife.

The solution to loneliness is to get out there and help someone. Anyone! Then go help someone else. The more you help others, the more your loneliness will disappear, and it just might lead to someone very special, as it did for me. ì

If you discover old issues of the Atlanta Jewish Times laying around, we want them.

To boost our archives, we will come pick up any AJT issues from 2014 or earlier. Please call 404-883-2130 or write kaylene@atljewishtimes.com to setup retrieval.

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