Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCII No. 3, January 20, 2017

CHABAD EFFECT

Involvement with Chabad during college leads to Jewish engagement later. Page 22

EDUCATION, PAGES 20-26 YIDDISH LIT NEXT PHASE Emory Yiddish scholar Miriam Udel wins a Jewish Book Award for her debut. Page 23

After 15 years, the American Hebrew Academy is preparing to expand. Page 26

Atlanta VOL. XCII NO. 3

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JANUARY 20, 2017 | 22 TEVET 5777

Ebenezer Pastor: Promised Land Lies Ahead Progress in this world comes from moving ahead, not looking back, the Rev. Raphael Warnock warned a combined congregation of The Temple and Ebenezer Baptist Church at Friday night services Jan. 13.

Delivering the sermon at The Temple on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday weekend for the eighth year, the senior pastor of King’s historic church said, “People of faith above all should be suspicious of any mantra that says, ‘Let us take our country back.’ ” Neither Warnock nor Rabbi Peter Berg mentioned President-elect Donald Trump, due to be inaugurated one week later, but uncertainty about what his administration will do under the motto of “make America great again” was implied throughout the service.

“My friend, I think we’ll be working a little harder in the years to come,” Rabbi Berg said after listing the many social justice issues that have brought him and Warnock together.

The service, which Temple President Lauren Grien said may have been the best version yet of the highly anticipated annual event, took place the night before Trump criticized Rep. John Lewis, a colleague of King’s, and his 5th District, which includes The Temple and Ebenezer Baptist.

But Warnock found humor in the political moment. He said he’ll be happy

Photo by Arlene Appelrouth

(From left) Rabbis Shmuel Herzfeld, Adam Starr and Uri Topolosky, who once worked together in Riverdale, N.Y., reunite in Selma, Ala., on Friday, Jan. 13, during a civil rights trip for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Read about Young Israel of Toco Hills’ participation in the Washington-area congregations’ visit, Page 17.

to see President Barack Obama leave the White House “because that’s one less brother I’ll have to worry about suffering racial profiling while living in public

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housing.”

For the rest of us, Warnock said people of faith, whether walking into the wilderness with Moses or confronting

INSIDE Calendar ��������������������������������������� 4 Candle Lighting �������������������������� 4 Israel News �����������������������������������5 Opinion ���������������������������������������10 Arts ����������������������������������������������� 13 Education ����������������������������������� 20 Obituaries ���������������������������������� 27 Marketplace ������������������������������ 28 Crossword ���������������������������������� 30

political vitriol in America today, must resist the desire to go back and accept a flawed world — a place with “no freedom, but fried chicken; no rights, but rice.”

“America, has G-d brought us this far to leave us?” Warnock asked. “The question is not ‘Is G-d with us?’ The question is ‘Are we with G-d?’ ” Pharaoh is not a person, he said, but the comfort we have with the bad things we know. So instead of persuading Pharaoh to let the people go, “often you have to convince the people to let Pharaoh go.”

Warnock questioned the “againness” of making America great again, wondering exactly how far back we’re meant to go in a nation only half a century removed from King’s civil rights marches alongside Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Like those greats of the civil rights movement, people today must stand tall and pray with their feet, Warnock said.

“Every now and then, glance in the rearview mirror, but don’t stare in the rearview mirror.”

Rabbi David Spinrad, who like Warnock spoke about lessons from Exodus, listed five steps to redemption: Do not run away from your fear; stand strong; see the situation; be calm; and move forward to do whatever the next moment requires.

“March on,” Warnock said. “We’ll get to the promised land.” ■

STOPPING SLAVERY

One event at North Springs High to make parents aware of the risks and another that’s upcoming at Congrgation Etz Chaim to promote activism emphasize the urgency of saving youths from sex trafficking. Pages 18-19

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JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

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Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2017 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

MA TOVU

Gut-Wrenching Choice car. Tears dripped from my eyes, and I slid into my car and stared vacantly through my windshield.

I don’t think I can handle this, I sobbed. It’s just too much. Let’s just get rid of it and start fresh. We’re still young. We can have another child.

Normal. Healthy. It’s not even a baby yet, for G-d’s sake!

Shared Spirit Moderated By Rachel Stein rachels83@gmail.com

At that moment I felt a fluttery sensation. Strong, insistent. The baby kicking. It’s alive.

Dragging myself home, I hoisted the packages out of the car.

“Hi, Lauren.”

Oh, no, G-d, please no.

Stephanie wheedled up beside me wearing a broad smile. She was pushing her daughter in the stroller.

“Lisa, say hi to Mommy’s friend,” she cooed to the child.

I pushed a smile onto my lips and bent toward Lisa. Yes, there were the almond eyes and the larger-than-normal head. Had they known beforehand? Did they regret their decision?

Suddenly, there was a moment of magic, like a rainbow stretched across an azure sky. The little girl’s hazel eyes met mine, and she treated me to a face-splitting smile. When I smiled back, it was real.

“How are you feeling?” Stephanie asked, glancing at my stomach.

“You know,” I said, shrugging, “the usual.”

“Hang in there,” Stephanie said.

I gazed after Stephanie. She seemed to be managing, smiling and acting normally, as if her life hadn’t been upended by her special child.

I carried her words with my groceries. Hang in there? Was that a hidden message? If G-d entrusted me with a child, is it my right to decide whether it should live? Who said life is supposed to proceed along a straight path? Perhaps this is my destiny.

Rob said the decision is mine. Ultimately the care for this child would fall on my shoulders.

Have any of you had to make this heart-wrenching decision? Please help me; a life is at stake. ■ Respond to rachels83@gmail.com.

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

The phone call precipitating the life-changing meeting is seared into my mind and heart.

“Mrs. Black? This is Dr. Ross’ office calling. Can you come in to discuss the results of your amniocentesis?”

Icy fear wrapped itself around me.

Discuss? If everything is normal, that shouldn’t precipitate a discussion.

My husband, Rob, and I positioned ourselves across from Dr. Ross, his mahogany desk between us. He cleared his throat, looked everywhere but into our eyes, and began.

“I’m afraid I have bad news for you,” he said.

This can’t be happening. Someone wake me up, please.

“Your baby shows signs of Down syndrome,” he said.

I wanted to scream, to jump out of the chair and run as fast and as far away as I could. Instead, I glanced at Rob’s pasty face, turned back to the doctor and whispered, “Are you sure?”

He steepled his fingers and locked eyes with me, radiating compassion.

“There is always a faint possibility that the results are inconclusive or even incorrect. However, typically in this situation, with the results that came back, there is very little room for doubt.”

“So where do we go from here?”

Rob asked, his fingers clutching the arms of his chair.

“The two of you need to make a decision. If you decide to keep the pregnancy, I suggest you read up as much as you can about Down syndrome so you will know what to expect. If you decide to terminate, I can set up an appointment for you as early as tomorrow.”

My mouth opened and closed soundlessly, like a fish. Terminate? Get rid of my baby? A living person growing inside me who has the same right to exist as every other person on the planet? Could I live with myself?

But could I live with myself and the script awaiting me if we kept and raised this child?

From that moment, I began seeing these types of people all over, from the baggers in Kroger to people walking down the street, with their differently shaped eyes, unsteady gait, slurred speech, erratic behavior.

When I left Kroger one afternoon, such a young man accompanied me, serenading me with his off-key voice as he pushed my shopping cart to my

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CALENDAR THURSDAY, JAN. 19

Hunger exhibit. Mazon’s “This Is Hunger” traveling, interactive, 45-minute experience stops at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, for programs at 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Free; register at least 24 hours in advance at bit.ly/2i1qYVZ. Fashion history. In connection with the exhibit “Fashioning a Nation: German Identity and Industry, 1914-1945,” a panel discusses wearable technology and wellness at 6 p.m. at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, 201 17th St., Suite 1700, Midtown. The fee is $30; www.goethe.de/ins/us/atl/ver/ en16084150v.htm or 404-892-2388.

Israeli innovation. JANVEST managing partner Daniel Finkelstein addresses Israeli innovation at 7 p.m. after a 6 p.m. reception at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, in a program co-sponsored by AIPAC and Congregation B’nai Torah. Free; www. aipac.org/AtlantaSyn or 678-254-2627.

Cooking workshop. Leah Sollish teaches “The Delightful Dishes of Shabbat” at 8 p.m., with additional sessions Feb. 2 and 9, at the Intown Jewish Academy, 928 Ponce de Leon Ave., Midtown. The course is $25; intownjewishacademy. org/product/delightful-dishes.

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

Hadassah installation.

Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Ketura Group installs the 2017 board and thanks the outgoing board over lunch at noon at Zafron Restaurant, 236 Johnson Ferry Road, Sandy Springs. The cost is $25; RSVP to Marcy Caras at mslcaras@comcast.net.

Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series.

The three-concert series begins with Liz Callaway performing “The Carole King Songbook” at 5 p.m. (after a 4 p.m. reception) at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Tickets are $49 for Breman members and $59 for others, with series passes for $117 and $147; thebreman.org or 678-222-3700.

Teen film. Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, shows “Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age,” followed by a panel discussion, at 5 p.m.

Free; register at tinyurl.com/tsscreenagers. For information, contact Marisa Kaiser at 404-252-3073 or mkaiser@ templesinaiatlanta.org.

Havinagala. The fundraiser for Jewish Family & Career Services’ PAL program offers an open bar, desserts and a silent auction at 8 p.m. at Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., Midtown. Tickets are $60 in advance, $70 at the door or $100 for VIPs; www.havinagala.org.

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

MONDAY, JAN. 23

Patriotic event. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Laurie Lans talks about her service in Iraq and Afghanistan at 7:15 p.m. at Congregation Beth Tefillah, 5065 High Point Road, Sandy Springs. The cost is $12 in advance or $18 at the door; 404-8432464 or www.bethtefillah.org.

Remember When

25 Years Ago Jan. 17, 1992 ■ Israel has little hope of obtaining the $10 billion loan guarantee it had requested from the United States to help absorb the influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Instead, President George Bush is expected to offer $2 billion — minus $1 billion, the amount the United States believes that Israel spent on settlement construction in the territories in the past year.

■ While Jews from the former Soviet Union continue to arrive in Atlanta, the volunteer force assisting the newcomers has dwindled. Jewish Family Services therefore is looking for fresh volunteers, including families to “adopt” 25 immigrant families and help them settle in.

4 ■ The bat mitzvah of Jennifer Anne Babbit of Atlanta, daughter of Barbara and

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Shemot Friday, Jan. 20, light candles at 5:39 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21, Shabbat ends at 6:37 p.m.

Vayeira Friday, Jan. 27, light candles at 5:46 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 28, Shabbat ends at 6:44 p.m.

Anti-Semitism discussion. The AntiDefamation League presents “Words to Action” to train fifth- to 12th-graders and their parents on how to respond to anti-Semitism at 4 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.

Free; RSVP as soon as possible to sweiss@adl.org or atlanta.adl.org/wta.

Holocaust remembrance. Survivor Magda Herzberger speaks at Am Yisrael Chai’s annual observance at 7 p.m. at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North, 7 Concourse Parkway, Sandy Springs.

An exhibit opens at 6:30. Free; RSVP at www.2017remember.eventbrite.com or amyisraelchaiatlanta@gmail.com.

Hunger exhibit. Mazon’s “This Is Hunger” traveling, interactive, 45-minute experience stops at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs, for programs at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Free; register at least 24 hours in advance at bit.ly/2iYewKM.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Achievement. At a program of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel and Jewish Women’s Connection of Atlanta, social entrepreneur Charlie Harary speaks about tapping into inner greatness at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Ariel, 5237 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Admission is $10; www.atlantakollel.org/events.php.

TUESDAY, JAN. 24

Opening night. The 17th Atlanta Jewish Film Festival begins with a screening of “Alone in Berlin” at 7:30 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Cumberland area. Admission to the film and discussion is $18 plus a $3 facility fee; ajff.org or 678-701-6104.

THURSDAY, JAN. 26

Political economy. Glenn Abney, a retired Georgia State professor, speaks on the topic “It’s the Economy, Stupid,” at 10:30 a.m. as part of the Edgewise Speaker Series at the Marcus JCC, 5342

Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Free for JCC members, $5 for others; matureadults@ atlantajcc.org or 678-812-3861.

Investing in Israel. JANVEST managing partner Brian Rosenzweig speaks about opportunities in the Startup Nation at the Conexx Professional & Business Seminar at 11:45 a.m. at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, 1230 Peachtree St., Suite 3100, Midtown. Admission, including lunch, is $35 for Conexx members, $50 for others; www.conexx.org/ events or bswartz@conexx.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 27

Balser Symposium. Raj Raghunathan discusses happiness and philanthropy at 8 a.m. after breakfast and networking at 7:30 at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center, 84 Fifth St., Midtown.

Registration, including parking and the professor’s book, is $75; jewishatlanta.org/event/11th-annual-balsersymposium-2017 or 404-870-1873.

Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

Find more events at atlantajewishtimes.com/events-calendar.

Joel Babbit, will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Ahavath Achim Synagogue.

■ Lauren and Michael Parker of East Cobb announce the birth of a son, Jason Meyer, on Dec. 9.

50 Years Ago Jan. 20, 1967 ■ The latest word from the tense border is that Israel and Syria have agreed to U.N. Secretary-General U Thant’s plea for an emergency meeting of the two nations with the Israel-Syria Mixed Armistice Commission to ward off the largescale combat that has seemed increasingly likely. While agreeing to meet, Israel also made clear that it will accept no further Syrian aggression.

■ Mr. and Mrs. Eli Sotto of Atlanta announce the marriage of their daughter, Rachel, to Don Upchurch, a recent graduate of Georgia Tech.

■ Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer Wolff of Atlanta invite friends to the bat mitzvah of their daughter, Shella Wolff, at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at Shearith Israel Synagogue.

ISRAEL NEWS

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Jan. 20, 1942: Nazi leaders draw up a plan for the “Final Solution” of European Jewry in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee at a conference convened

by Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the Gestapo. The meeting leads to the construction of death and labor camps.

Jan. 21, 1882: The groundwork for the First Aliyah is laid with the formation of the BILU group at a meeting in the home of Israel Belkind in Kharkov, Ukraine. BILU is founded by 30 students responding to the waves of pogroms that swept through Russia beginning in April 1881.

Jan. 22, 2013: Early elections are held for the 19th Knesset after the October 2012 dissolution of the Israeli parliament because of an impasse over the state budget. A combined Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu wins the most seats with 31, but those parties had 42 seats in the 18th Knesset.

Jan. 23, 1950: By a vote of 60-2, with members of Mapam and Herut abstaining, the Knesset adopts a proclamation declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The no votes come from Communists, who support the U.N. proposal to place Jerusalem under an international trusteeship.

Jan. 24, 1964: Syrian police raid the home of Damascus businessman Kamel Amin Tha’abet, who is in fact a Mossad spy named Eli Cohen, and arrest him on charges of espionage. He is publicly hanged in May 1965.

Jan. 25, 1904: During a two-week trip to Italy, Theodor Herzl meets with Pope Pius X to gain his support for the Zionist cause.

Jan. 26, 1919: Chaim Weizmann warns that unless world Jewry secures a place of its own, the Jewish people will face a catastrophe.

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ISRAEL NEWS

Obama’s Exit Offers Israel Fresh Hope

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

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Israel was unhappy with the U.S. approach to the Middle East throughout Barack Obama’s presidency, Gil Hoffman told a gathering at Chabad of Cobb on Wednesday night, Jan. 11.

“Obama mishandled the Palestinian situation from the beginning,” said Hoffman, the chief political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, who shared his insights on Israel’s future.

“We have a deep connection to the land of Israel,” said Rabbi Ephraim Silverman, Chabad of Cobb’s director.

“Even after not living there for 2,000 years, we are still the children of Israel, and that’s why we say b’nai Israel.”

Hoffman said Obama visited Israel during his re-election campaign and said he would never allow an anti-Israel resolution to pass the U.N. Security Council. But he revealed his obsession with the West Bank settlements once he returned home.

That focus won’t produce peace talks, Hoffman said. “There are three things that will encourage negotiations: a desire to withdraw unilaterally, an Arab leader who Israelis trust and an American president they revere.”

He said the Palestinians are not in favor of a two-state solution, and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is serving the 13th year of a four-year term.

“Whatever conventional weapons our enemies have tried to defeat us with have failed,” Hoffman said. “The BDS movement, stabbings and terror attacks have all failed against Israel.”

The Palestinians aren’t the only problem for Israel.

Syria’s civil war crossed the border in late November when Islamic State forces fired at Israeli troops in the Golan Heights and Israel responded with deadly airstrikes.

“ISIS controls land 20 times the size of Israel and continues to pose a threat, but there are no operational plans to attack Israel since ISIS is busy killing their Muslim brothers,” Hoffman said.

The Iran nuclear deal raised security concerns for Israel, Hoffman said.

“Lebanon possesses 130,000 missiles and rockets provided by Iran for retaliation, but no one will attack Iran as Europeans continue to fight each other for business in Iran, despite hangings and human rights violations.”

Photo by Sarah Moosazadeh

Gil Hoffman puts Israel’s position in the Middle East in perspective during an appearance at Chabad of Cobb on Jan. 11.

Since the nuclear deal was reached in July 2015, Iran has kept quiet and has advised its proxies and Hamas to do the same as money pours into the country.

The rising threat from Iran has allowed Israel to become closer to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates through unpublicized security cooperation, though Israel’s relations with the United States are worse.

The faltering U.S.-Israeli relationship could improve under President Donald Trump, who has a Jewish daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.

“Chances for peace rise exponentially when you have a president on Israel’s side,” Hoffman said.

A recent poll by The Jerusalem Post found that 65 percent of Israelis think Obama is pro-Palestinian, compared with 3 percent for Trump.

“Israelis don’t understand American politics,” Hoffman said. “They liked Bush, and they liked Clinton, but when asked who is better for Israel, Republicans or Democrats, Israelis claim they don’t know.”

Moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem remains Trump’s top priority for Israel, Hoffman said. “The world can’t decide where to put each country’s embassy. Why should it be any different for Israel? Why shouldn’t the embassy be in Jerusalem, and why should it entice violence if it is?”

The biggest challenge Israel faces today is younger Jews’ stance on being pro-Israel, Hoffman said. “I always feel like I’m walking on eggshells when speaking to Birthright groups, but we need to continue to educate, spread advocacy and stand in solidarity.”

He encouraged people to visit Israel and maintain activism on social media. “The best thing you can do for Israel is to be a mensch,” Hoffman said.

“If you see a Facebook post for the IDF, like it. If you see a Twitter feed supporting Israel, retweet it. Israel needs your support.” ■

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home

Bracelet for battlefield care. Cadets in the Israel Defense Forces Technological Officers Training Course have developed a digital bracelet that medics attach to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Sensors monitor pulse, blood pressure and body temperature. A chip tracks medication and procedures for the handover to a hospital.

An electric bike and a baby’s life. United Hatzalah paramedic Yehuda Fachima recently rode his electric bike through the narrow alleys of Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood just in time to save the life of a 5-month-old girl choking on fluids trapped in her

airway. An ambulance arrived seven minutes later to take the infant to a hospital.

Free-trade zone. Construction has begun in the Beit Shean Valley on what in 18 months will be an industrial and business enclave shared by Israel and Jordan. There will be no passport control within the zone, covering almost 240 acres on both banks of the Jordan River. It will combine Jordanian factories and Israeli logistics, all developed at Israeli expense, including about $15 million for a bridge across the river.

Ethiopian holiday present. Israel’s Science, Technology and Space Ministry has recognized the Ethiopian Jewish holiday of Sigd for the first time by allocating scholarships totaling 1.8 million shekels ($470,000) to Ethiopian Israelis.

A guide dog’s life. The Israel Guide Dog Center in Beit Oved marked its 25th anniversary by publishing the stories of people whose lives were changed by guide dogs. Those people include Gadi

Yarkoni, who ran in the Rio Paralympics; Orit Ray, who pulls her daughter in an accessible buggy; and Saleem Sharif, who is doing national service at a health clinic.

PayPal’s Negev partner. Online payment processor PayPal has established its first partnership with Israeli academia. It has joined with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be’er Sheva to develop big data, machine learning and cybersecurity solutions that will make payment transactions safer for PayPal’s 192 million customers.

Sex screening for chicks. TeraEgg from Herzliya-based Novatrans uses terahertz spectroscopy on gasses that leak from the pores of an egg to determine whether the egg will hatch into a male or a female. The method is used to prevent the hatching of unwanted male chicks. The poultry industry kills up to 7 billion male chicks each year because they do not produce enough meat or eggs to justify raising to adulthood.

Record year in high tech. Private high-

tech companies, which are major drivers of Israel’s economy, raised an alltime high of $4.8 billion in 2016, up 11 percent from 2015. The ability to raise money has enabled Israeli startups to grow to market viability and reduced the number of early exits.

An Israeli supermarket in New York.

Supermarket chain Osher Ad has opened its first New York branch, named Bingo, in Brooklyn. If successful, more stores could be opened in cities with large Jewish communities. Osher Ad is Israel’s fourth-largest supermarket chain with 15 stores.

Athlete of the Year from NASCAR. Alon Day, the first Israeli to compete in a national NASCAR racing circuit, was recognized by Israel’s Ministry of Culture and Sports as the Jewish state’s Athlete of the Year for 2016. Day competed full time in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, and then made several starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com and other sources.

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Medical scan from home. Zebra Medical Vision, based at Kibbutz Shefayim, has launched Profound, a fast, accurate medical image analysis over the web. People can upload their medical imaging scans, such as CTs and mammograms, to Zebra’s online service (profound.zebra-med.com) and receive an automated analysis for key clinical conditions. The service is not yet available in the United States.

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LOCAL NEWS

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JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

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Israeli President Reuven Rivlin welcomed 40 Israeli descendants of Rabbi Tobias (Tuvia) Geffen and his wife, Sara Hene Geffen, to the presidential residence Wednesday, Jan. 4, for a ceremony honoring their memory and making a presentation to the president.

Rabbi Geffen, who immigrated to the United States from Lithuania in 1903, arrived in Atlanta in 1910 and served as the spiritual leader of Congregation Shearith Israel for 60 years.

Among his other legacies, he persuaded Emory University to accept his sons as the school’s first Jewish undergraduates, and he certified Coca-Cola as kosher after seeing the secret formula, studying the production process and persuading the company to change to a vegetable-based glycerin.

Rabbi Geffen’s interpretations of Jewish law and scientific approach to accommodate modern food production set a standard for kosher supervision.

Thus, one of the two books the Geffen descendants presented to Rivlin was Roger Horowitz’s “Kosher USA,” which explains how and why Rabbi Geffen tackled the issue of Coke’s kosher status.

The other book was “Lev Tuviah,” a collection of Rabbi Geffen’s writings, including the Coca-Cola ruling in Hebrew and English. Joel Ziff, one of Rabbi Geffen’s grandsons, edited the book, which also includes the sermon the rabbi delivered at Shearith Israel on May 15, 1948, after Israel declared independence.

Rabbi David Geffen, one of Rabbi Tobias Geffen’s grandsons, spoke during the formal presentation of the books.

“Why do their descendants take such pride in Rav Tuvia and Sara Hene?

Because of their values, including helping others, hachnassat orchim, Jewish learning, love of Am Yisrael, and Medinat Yisrael and Zionut,” the rabbi said.

He said his grandfather, whose scholarly writings in Hebrew appeared in Jerusalem as early as 1909, also “was a man of action: He freed an innocent Jewish man from a Georgia chain gang. He set standards for Jewish education for Atlanta and the South.

Twelve rabbis were his students. He maintained the authenticity of kosher slaughterers by checking their knives.

He pursued and caught husbands who had abandoned their wives, making sure they requested a get to be written

Photos by Tuvia Geffen

Some of the 84 great-great-children of Rabbi Tuvia and Sara Geffen present flowers to President Reuven Rivlin on Jan. 4. Rabbi David Geffen is on the left.

Rabbi David Geffen presents two books to President Reuven Rivlin.

so that their wives would not be agunot.”

He taught his four sons and four daughters Yiddish as well as Torah and Talmud, and he collected letters written in Yiddish from correspondents as close as Spartanburg, S.C., and as far away as Japan.

“President Rivlin, you honor us all by accepting these books,” Rabbi David Geffen said.

The great-great-grandchildren of Rabbi Tuvia Geffen, ranging in age from 5 to 27, presented flowers to Rivlin, who shook hands with everyone present.

Working closely with Rivlin to plan the event was lawyer Harel Toubi, the head of the president’s office. Toubi is married to a great-granddaughter of Rabbi Tuvia Geffen’s, Sharone Wilensky.

David Wilensky, who was born in New Orleans and made aliyah 38 years ago, emceed the ceremony.

Another descendant, Rabbi Etan Geffen, elaborated on the handwritten sermon Rabbi Tuvia Geffen delivered in 1914 at Shearith Israel’s rededication after a fatal fire in the fall of 1913. Those remarks, delivered in front of prominent rabbis, emphasized small cities’ need for scholars to speak, teach, study and write and thus reflected his understanding of the important role Orthodox rabbis could play in the United States. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

‘Kosher USA’: A Soda Fountain of Knowledge One of the great stories in Jewish Atlanta history tells how Congregation Shearith Israel Rabbi Tobias Geffen, responding to concerns about drinking Coca-Cola at Passover and year-round, gained access to the top-secret recipe and provided his hechsher.

Thereafter, observant Jews could trust Coke was kosher, and each year we get the special yellow-capped, kosher-for-Passover version.

But, as Roger Horowitz shows in “Kosher USA: How Coke Became Kosher and Other Tales of Modern Food,” the story is far more complicated.

Rabbi Geffen didn’t just look at a recipe and offer his certification. He studied the manufacturing process, learned the chemistry, and delved into kashrut.

The biggest issue with Coke was the use of glycerin. Rabbi Geffen first determined that Coke’s glycerin supply was treif because it was derived from animals at plants that did not separate kosher and nonkosher sources. Based on rulings from the 12th and 16th centuries, he then decided that the concept of bitul b’shishim (one-sixtieth nullification), which allows food to remain kosher despite trace contamination, did not apply to Coke because the glycerin was not an accidental addition.

Coke changed to a vegetable source for the glycerin and earned the rabbi’s approval, but Horowitz argues that Rabbi Geffen did far more than bring a taste of Atlanta to Jews worldwide. That scientific application of Jewish law, along with the refusal to let industrial food processes slip through loopholes, became the standard approach for kosher certification.

In an interview, Horowitz said he will go beyond the book in talking about Rabbi Geffen during an appearance at Shearith Israel on Wednesday, Jan. 25, because the rabbi’s longtime pulpit is hallowed ground.

“He is a pioneer,” Horowitz said. “I want to really stress that to people.”

“Kosher USA” is about much more than Rabbi Geffen and Coke, of course.

Horowitz explores how kosher consumers adapted to mass-produced food and beverages and how companies and non-Jews embraced kosher items.

“It’s a testament to the adaptability Kosher USA

and flexibility of Jewish law that industrial food production could be certified kosher,” Horowitz said.

“Jewish law is debate. Ultimately, it’s practical. It’s Roger Horowitz has won a National about the world Jewish Book Award around us, and the for “Kosher USA.” world changes.”

One of the heroes Horowitz highlights is Abraham Goldstein, a chemist and Orthodox Jew who produced the quarterly Kosher Food Guide with an entertaining if re-

petitive question-and-answer column.

Goldstein was tireless in advocating scientific rigor to support religious strictness. He was also inflexible and was not himself a rabbi, and after he battled too many rabbis who seemed willing to let standards slide for the right price, he was ousted from the Orthodox Union and its kosher history.

Horowitz consistently succeeds in putting human faces on trends and milestones in American kashrut.

He traces the ups and downs of kosher meat processors and butchers from several perspectives, including Temple Grandin, who brought more humane practices to slaughterhouses;

Harry Kassel, who had a knack for connecting the beef supply to the demand; and the Rubashkin family, whose Agriprocessors collapsed as ethical, financial and legal problems mounted.

Horowitz’s ability to serve the facts with gourmet flavor helped him win the National Jewish Book Awards’ Celebrate 350 Award in American Jewish studies, announced Jan. 11. ■ Who: Roger Horowitz Where: Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Morningside When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25 Admission: Free; www.rogerhorowitz. com or www.shearithisrael.com

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

By Roger Horowitz Columbia University Press, 320 pages, $35

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Our View

Trump vs. Lewis

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Rep. John Lewis is a civil rights icon, a man who almost gave his life to make this a better, more equitable country. He has been a leader in strengthening black-Jewish relations for decades, and he has been a strong advocate for Atlanta in general and his 5th District in particular.

He’s also human and has his flaws. We were disappointed when he skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress about Iran’s nuclear program in March 2015, just as we disagreed with his vote this month against a nonbinding House resolution criticizing U.N. Resolution 2334.

Lewis was wrong to declare that he doesn’t consider Donald Trump a “legitimate president” in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” a week before Trump’s inauguration, just as it would have been wrong for Trump to refuse to accept the election’s outcome if he had lost. Besides, it’s demeaning to American voters and gives the Russians too much credit to argue that Trump won the electoral vote because of Russian interference.

We also wish Lewis had chosen to attend the inauguration. As of Friday, Jan. 20, Trump is our president. If he stumbles, we all will suffer.

But Lewis is well within his rights to skip the inauguration and to refuse to work with the administration. If his actions don’t reflect the will of his district, his constituents will have the opportunity to let him know in 2018. That’s representative democracy in action.

Similarly, Trump was within his rights to unleash a Twitter storm on Lewis and Atlanta in response to the congressman, but Trump’s action was much worse. While Lewis is just one of 435 members of the House, Trump’s actions reflect on all of us.

First, Trump was wrong to label Lewis “all talk, talk, talk — no action or results.” As a member of Congress, Lewis’ job largely is to talk, but he walked the walk in the 1960s, embodying the principles of nonviolence as a Freedom Rider and as a marcher on that bridge in Selma. We wish Trump had a record of self-sacrifice equal to one-tenth of Lewis’.

Second, Trump showed a frightening ignorance about Atlanta and Lewis’ district, a diverse, thriving area that, in addition to including most of Atlanta, incorporates Toco Hills, Emory University, Georgia Tech and the world’s busiest airport. Our new president hasn’t shown the most commitment to accuracy in his tweets, but dismissing the value of one of America’s great cities on the weekend when the nation marks the birthday of its greatest native son, Martin Luther King Jr., is just, as Trump would say, sad.

Atlanta will be fine no matter how many nasty tweets Trump sends our way, however. What’s most alarming about Trump’s Twitter tantrum is that, even two months after winning election to the most important job in the world, he still shows no interest or ability to rein himself in.

Here’s how he responded to wide-ranging criticism of his attack on Lewis: “Congressman John Lewis should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. I can use all the help I can get!”

Atlanta isn’t burning or crime-infested. But, yes, 10 the new president can use all the help he can get. ■

Cartoon by Bob Englehart, CagleCartoons.com

Slicing Up the Festival Films The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival does everyone a service in its program guide by breaking its movies into categories, from the broad (funny stories) to the specific (Hispanic life). Just in case, here are a few more themes among the 55 features and 20 shorts.

manipulative) to see his visiting son.

The title character in “Moos” is so stifled by life with her widower father that she clips his fingernails for him, yet she still has a hard time seeing him fall for another woman.

“Family Commitments” stretches the Jewish Not-So-Fine Dining mother stereotype to It’s not surprising that extremes, fueled by mother meals play a crucial part in Lea’s key to son David’s Editor’s Notebook several films. But a unifyapartment and her refusal ing theme this year is food to recognize any boundarBy Michael Jacobs played for laughs. ies, even in the bathroom. mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com The main courses on The fascist-turned-Jew the menu are “The Pickle in “Keep Quiet” can blame Recipe,” a comedy about his life reversal on the a deli, and the fourth of the four shorts programs, truth his mother and grandmother kept from him. which includes “The Last Blintz,” a documentary The fictional “Past Life” and documentary about the closing of an iconic Times Square eatery, “Aida’s Secrets” explore the pain of adult children as and “The Chop,” a comedy about a kosher butcher they unravel parents’ Holocaust-era secrets. who works at a halal meat shop.

Substantial appetizers include “The Women’s Toughest Loss Balcony,” in which fundraising and food go hand It’s said nothing is harder to handle than the in hand and in which a seder confrontation proves death of a child, and several films make that point. pivotal; “Moos,” which uses a seder to establish the The motivation to spread anti-Hitler postcards characters, then largely takes place in an arts school in “Alone in Berlin” is the killing of a son during cafe and a kosher deli; “The Tenth Man,” which obGermany’s conquest of France in 1940. sesses over food, from its distribution to Jews in need A son’s death turns a man into a pothead in in Buenos Aires to the grudges of a kosher butcher “One Week and a Day.” to the main character’s favorite childhood snack; After a car accident kills their older son, the “Radio Days,” which serves all the fish you could ever parents in “Abulele” are too stricken by grief to meet want; and “The Green Park,” in which kosher food the needs of their surviving child, who finds a friend provides a reason for British Jews to gather. in the title creature.

For a non-Jewish palate cleanser, add “Family One cop is pushed to the edge after a terrorist Commitments,” featuring a Muslim restaurant. bomb kills his son, while another officer desperately For dessert, you can’t beat “My Favorite Year” searches for his missing boy in “Wounded Land.” and the Filipino-tinged dinner prepared by Benjy Stone’s ex-boxer stepfather, Rookie Carroca.

Cross Purposes If you enjoy a good giggle related to a crucifix Bad Parenting — not a big deal in a festival screening “The Last The festival offers several films that prove father Laugh,” about Holocaust humor — you shouldn’t (or mother) doesn’t always know best. miss “The Jews,” in which Mossad agent Norbert Protagonist Ariel spends most of “The Tenth replaces Jesus on the cross, or “In Between,” whose Man” wandering around Buenos Aires, running title takes on an unexpected meaning involving the errands for his father, Usher, who is too busy (or too cross a Palestinian Christian wears. ■

OPINION

Yes, Under Trump, Things Will Be Different The West Bank — religious nationalists use the biblical names of Judaea and Samaria — is home to more than 400,000 Israelis (another 180,000 live in East Jerusalem). Their backers consider the settlements, which range from collections of trailers to apart-

From Where I Sit

By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com

ment blocs to developed suburbs, to be justifiable construction on land steeped in Jewish history.

The prevailing international stance — including U.S. policy, preTrump — is that the settlements and the security apparatus protecting them impede negotiations that might yield a Palestinian nation — the two-state solution, an idea that appears to be dying.

The Israeli government contends that the Palestinians favor rhetoric to negotiation, reward and glorify terrorism, promote campaigns to delegitimize Israel, and refuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland (albeit one in which one-quarter of its citizens are not Jewish).

As for the United Nations, Israelis and many American Jews feel that the world body focuses disproportionately on Israel (whatever its faults) relative to human rights crises and offenders elsewhere in the world.

Over 40-plus years the United States has vetoed more than three dozen resolutions referring to “occupied Arab territories” and “the Palestinian question.” The United States has abstained on numerous Israel-related resolutions on other subjects. This was the first abstention under Obama of a resolution targeting Israel.

American Jews generally are of two minds about Obama. One sees him as anti-Israel (even anti-Semitic) and his administration as bunglers in the Middle East. The other regards him as the kind of friend willing to warn Israel that its current path will not lead to the peace it wants and needs.

From where I sit, there are occasions when the perspective from Washington should differ from that in Jerusalem. But after Jan. 20, the perspective that matters most will belong to the Oval Office’s new occupant. ■

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

A friend asked for my reaction to the U.S. abstention on U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 and the speech

by Secretary of State John Kerry.

The abstention was surprising, if only for the U.S. history of vetoes. The tone of the speech was as expected.

The abstention can be viewed as President Barack Obama delivering a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Something like: “Our eight years of frustration with you are ending. I tell you, as a friend (and the president who backed a $38 billion, 10year military aid plan), your status quo with the Palestinians cannot hold, no matter how politically advantageous you may find it.”

That said, if we take Donald Trump at his word (or tweet), “things will be different” when he is sworn in Friday, Jan. 20, as the 45th president.

Trump was referring to the United Nations, but IF his campaign promises become policy, the U.S.-Israel status quo also will change.

Trump has pledged that there will be “no daylight” between the United States and Israel. He has promised to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the seat of Israel’s government (every six months his predecessors have waived compliance with a 1995 law). His choice for ambassador to Israel has raised money for a Jewish community in the West Bank and written dismissively of the two-state plan.

U.S. policy has been that the status of Jerusalem and borders should be negotiated by Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel complains that Resolution 2334 prejudges negotiations by referencing lines that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War. The resolution reiterates that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have “no legal validity.”

That geography includes the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jewish prayer is permitted. Both were in Arab hands and inaccessible to Jews after Israel’s 1948 War of Independence until 1967.

Israel’s image in many quarters has changed since 1967, from that of a post-Holocaust nation of Jews making a desert bloom into a muscular occupier of territory seized in war.

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OPINION

Bibi and Golda Agree on Direct Talks Reacting to the Jan. 15 Paris Middle East foreign ministers gaggle, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scathingly remarked: “The conference [was] useless … coordinated between the French and the Palestinians to try and force terms on Israel that conflict with our national needs. … It pushes them away from direct negotiations without preconditions.”

Four decades ago, Henry Kissinger flew from Moscow to Israel after negotiating a U.N. cease-fire resolution with the Russians to end the October 1973 Middle East war. Immediately when she saw him, Prime Minister Golda Meir asked the U.S. secretary of state: “Was there a secret U.S.-Soviet deal to impose the 1967 borders? Was there any deal to impose other frontiers?”

Kissinger replied forcefully to a passionately disbelieving Meir, “No.” In his memoir, Kissinger recalled that Meir “explored all possible

permutations of American duplicity.”

She knew that the Soviet Union and its Arab allies wanted total Israeli withdrawal from all the territories gained

Guest Column

By Ken Stein

in the June 1967 war. She was not sure about the Americans.

Meir and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had privately told Kissinger before he went to Moscow that both wanted to see the parties negotiate an agreement with each other; they wanted Kissinger to “pre-cook” an agreement with their input.

A week later, Egyptian and Israeli generals negotiated directly for 10 days at a base camp 101 kilometers (62 miles) from Cairo.

Kissinger put the detail of that negotiation in his pocket, while for

public consumption, with the United Nations sending invitations, Washington and Moscow convened the December 1973 Middle East Conference.

Kissinger gave Moscow a public forum for “negotiations” but, with Sadat and Meir’s instructions and consent, privately choreographed the diplomatic outcome.

Nothing substantive came out of that “conference”; the detail and maps for the January 1974 Egyptian-Israeli military disengagement agreement came from the earlier base camp talks.

Kissinger would dominate Arab-Israeli diplomacy for the next two years, leaving Moscow and Europe on the outside looking in.

Again, late in 1977, with the possibility of an international conference likely to stymie a bilateral EgyptianIsraeli agreement and with the Carter administration “getting all wrapped up in the (planning) papers” for a diplomatic effort at a comprehensive peace, Egyptian and Israeli diplomats secretly met in Morocco, setting the stage for Sadat’s trip to Jerusalem in

November 1977.

Sadat would have preferred a comprehensive peace and Israeli withdrawal from all territories gained in the June 1967 war. In the end, he received his bottom-line demand: Israeli withdrawal from Sinai. For that, Israel gained a strategic peace treaty with Egypt — land for peace on Israel’s terms.

U.N. Resolution 2334 in December and the final communique of the January Middle East gaggle aim to dictate what items should be negotiated.

For decades Israel has always wanted “negotiation between the parties.” That phrase was stated explicitly in U.N. Resolution 338, the October 1973 cease-fire agreement — the same one Kissinger shared with Golda Meir.

Bibi wants the same negotiating process for Israel that Golda wanted: no imposed solutions and direct negotiations between the parties. ■ Emory University historian Ken Stein is the president of the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org).

Paris Conference Drives Away Peace Hopes

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Another spectacle. Another photo op to say “I care” and to feel like “I’m doing something.” But the cause of peace was set back.

How do you encourage peoples to make peace? You help them sit and talk so they can reconcile and resolve their differences. You prepare them for the need to make painful sacrifices because the prize of peace is worth it.

The Jan. 15 French-Palestinian conference in Paris did just the opposite. Instead of urging the Palestinian leadership to return to the negotiating table with Israel, it reinforced that leadership’s serial determination to avoid negotiating at any cost.

Peace between Israelis and Palestinians does not need bombastic conferences with dozens of participants, complete with empty declarations.

To promote peace, the nations of the world need simply to tell Palestinian leaders the truth: Peace requires reconciliation with Israel, and the only way to achieve it is through direct negotiations. Tell them Israel is a partner for peace and is ready to make painful sacrifices, as indeed it did in the past.

Tell the Palestinians they will have to 12 accept difficult compromises on bor-

ders, refugees, security and Jerusalem.

Tell them that this is the only way to

Guest Column

By Judith Varnai Shorer

bring hope and a better future to their children and the generations to come.

The road to peace between Jerusalem and Ramallah passes through just those places: Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Not New York. Not Paris. Not resolutions or futile conferences. Peace is paved with bilateral negotiations, with leaders meeting face to face, ready and willing to work with each other.

That was the case with the IsraelEgypt peace in 1979 and the IsraelJordan peace in 1994. From Northern Ireland to South Sudan, direct peace talks alone brought real solutions.

After the one-sided U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which designates Judaism’s holiest sites in Jerusalem as “occupied Palestinian territory,” the Paris conference served as yet another platform for deliberately selective censure of Israel and another

grandiose failure to place responsibility in the hands of Palestinian leaders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly entreated Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to meet him, yet instead of endorsing those entreaties, the international community incentivized Abbas’ avoidance of direct contact.

Why should Abbas negotiate with Israel when he can have the international community lay the blame on Israel while turning a blind eye to the culture of hate and violence frothing under his nose in Palestinian society?

Israel continues to say yes to any opportunity, any time, any place, to have direct negotiations with the Palestinian leadership without preconditions. But the Palestinians have run away time and again, from Camp David in 2000, Ehud Olmert in 2008, and Paris and Washington in 2014.

By cherry-picking issues to appease the Palestinians, the conference in Paris only entrenched Palestinian intransigence and perpetuated the conflict, thus hurting the Palestinian people rather than helping them.

The Palestinian attempt to internationalize the conflict, enabled by world leaders, allows the Palestinian leadership to avoid a final-status resolution. It

also proves that this conflict has never been about a Palestinian state. It is, and has always been, about Israel’s right to exist within any borders.

The solution requires the Palestinians to be willing to live alongside Israel rather than seeking to replace it.

Israel remains committed to two states for two peoples in peace. The conflict can be resolved if the Palestinian leaders wish to end it — by meeting and resolving the issues together.

If other nations seek to advance peace, they should send an unequivocal message to Abbas: Stop encouraging violence and terrorism, stop promoting hate speech, and stop educating children to kill Israelis. Teach them that Israel is here to stay and that peaceful relations with Israel must be the foundation of a Palestinian state.

Amid a bloodbath in Syria, world leaders made a show of misguided hubris and demanded nothing from the Palestinians. As such, the Paris conference was anti-Israeli and anti-Palestinian, anti-peace and counterproductive.

It was illogical and unjust.

The international community can, and must, do better. ■ Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer is Israel’s consul general to the Southeast.

ARTS

‘It’s All About the Music’ For Israeli in U.S. Debut

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

AJT: So this will be one of your first performances in the United States?

Haviv: Yes, and this will be my first time in Atlanta. I’m excited. The office that arranged the concert picked Atlanta. I think they thought it would be a good place to begin my first tour in the United States after I play in Los Angeles the day before.

AJT: So this tour is kind of a way to test the waters a bit?

Haviv: Well, I’ve been doing concerts here in Israel for the last seven years, and I’ve never had a concert outside of the country. I know a lot of people have listened to my music around the world, but I don’t know if people abroad are interested in coming to see me in concert. It’s a big challenge for me.

AJT: How would you describe your music?

Haviv: I don’t like to define it. I just listen to it, and if I love it and get excited about it, then it works. I think the music that happens today is who I am today, but two years from now I’m

Singer-songwriter Idan Rafael Haviv

going to do something else because we are changing all the time.

AJT: You’re an artist as well as a musician. How do you balance those pursuits?

Haviv: The music comes first. I first have to write music and get excited about it, and then I get my inspiration to make a video clip. The music is the center, and everything is supposed to support it.

AJT: Do you have a special message that you like to pass on when you perform?

Haviv: It’s all about the music. It’s an opportunity for Israeli people or those that live in Atlanta to come and listen to the music. At the end of the concert, people can also take my CDs. I believe that art is available for everyone. It started in Israel, where some soldiers came to my concert and at the end they didn’t have the money to buy my CDs, so I decided that everyone who comes to my concerts can put in whatever they want to and just take the music with them. I just hope that the music will treat them nice. ■

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JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Musician and artist Idan Rafael Haviv is well known in his native Israel and has fans around the world but has never performed in the United States.

That will change Monday, Jan. 23, when the 36-year-old makes his U.S. debut in Los Angeles. The next night he will play at City Winery Atlanta, the second stop on a short tour that also includes New York.

Haviv spoke with the AJT from Israel.

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LOCAL NEWS

Berlin Fashion Industry Another Victim of Nazis

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

“Berlin has a distinct flavor and offers a lot of opportunities to diverse groups,” German Consul General Det­ lev Ruenger said at the opening of the exhibition “Fashioning a Nation: German Identity and Industry 1914-1945.”

The opening was one of three panel discussions planned around the exhibit, hosted by the Goethe Zentrum Atlanta – German Cultural Center.

The second, “Creativity vs. Commerce: What Shapes the Face of Fashion?” was held Jan. 12, and the third, “Fashioning Wellness: How Wearable Technology Improves Personalized Wellness,” was scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Atlantic Station offices of law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.

By displaying dresses from the period, the exhibit offers a glimpse into Germany’s fashion industry before World War II, when it was dominated

by Jews, and after the war.

The opening night discussion focused on the Jewish role in German fashion. It featured Uwe Westphal, the author of “Ehrenfried & Cohn: Goodbye

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Berlin — The Last Fashion Show”; Dina Gold, senior editor at Moment Magazine and author of “Stolen Legacy,” about the Nazi theft of the Berlin building where her great-grandfather established a fashion house in 1850; Sarah Phillips Collins, the associate chair of fashion at the Savannah College of Art and Design; Christopher Charlton, a descendant of the Jewish family who owned the department store S. Adam in Berlin; and moderator Sally Levine, the executive director of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust.

“We wanted to bring the authors, the exhibit and history together and decided to create the panel,” German Cultural Center program assistant Michaela Schulze said. “The younger generation thinks fashion is creative and fun, but they have little knowledge about the history of fashion.”

Clark Atlanta University lecturer and fashion designer Cynthanie Sumpter presented a dress she and her students designed in memory of Kristallnacht and the Jewish designers killed in the Holocaust.

The bodice is woven from strips of craft paper, to symbolize the mix of

Photo by Sarah Moosazadeh

Clark Atlanta fashion designer Cynthanie Sumpter (left) and one of her students, senior LeNora Clarice, flank the memorial dress they fashioned to commemorate Kristallnacht.

fabrics available to Jewish-German designers.

Thirty shards of glass, made of acrylic, are embedded in the woven strips and contain the names of 10 Jewish designers and 20 Jewish-owned stores lost during the war.

“I learned so much about Jewish history after watching ‘Schindler’s List’ and thought I would tell a story through design,” Sumpter said.

Levine set the tone for the discussion by quoting fashion designer Coco Chanel as saying, “Fashion is always in the time which you live. It is not something standing alone.”

“This couldn’t be truer about Jewish-German fashion in Germany after World War I and II,” Levine said.

Berlin underwent mass industrialization early in the 20th century, and as women joined men in the workforce, Jewish tailors created ready-towear clothes, or Konfektion.

After couture fashion houses closed in Paris, Berlin became more independent stylistically and started its own trends.

“Fashion and art suddenly became one,” Westphal said. “Creative and innovative fashion by Jewish-German designers created the Roaring Twenties.”

Charlton’s family established S. Adam in 1863 and succeeded in selling men’s and women’s fashion. After the sons took over the business, they expanded S. Adam to retail stores and distributed raincoats.

They represented the British company Burberry and sold to affluent clients in Germany and Asia.

The department store survived the Great Depression but crashed in 1938 because of Nazi anti-Semitism. The Gestapo arrested Charlton’s grandfather before he immigrated to London and was released with help.

“My grandfather came out of London a broken man,” Charlton said. “He considered himself German, of the Jew-

ish faith, and never believed what happened would happen.”

Between 1933, when Hitler won political power, and 1939, the Nazis collected all Jewish businesses, Westphal said.

“They did it all legally, and even if it wasn’t legal, the government changed it to become legal,” Levine said.

Westphal cited one example of the industry’s change: “Hugo Boss designed SS uniforms, but the company has never taken responsibility. The fashion industry has never said, ‘We will cough up money.’ ” After the Holocaust, Jewish-German tailors who survived re-established themselves in New York and London, but they found their new environments difficult.

“Today, Berlin only teaches fashion as far back to the 1950s; they don’t go further back,” Westphal said.

“Talent is lost from the 1920s and ’30s, and when you don’t pick up on that, you lose a new generation of designers,” he added.

“Manufacturing plays a big role,” Collins said. “Especially in the U.S., we don’t see how it relates to other countries that have lost that knowledge and talent and have no new designers. Students need to learn about ownership within the fashion industry — this means at a personal level and understanding history.”

Fashion Week has become relevant again in Berlin since 2007, in part because of a major influx of talent from Israel, Westphal said.

Ruenger said the numbers illustrate how Berlin has never fully recovered from World War II. It had 3.9 million residents, including 170,000 Jews, in 1920. Now the city has 3.5 million people, including Germany’s largest Jewish community: 10,000 people.

Now, more than 70 years after the war, Berlin continues to search for new designers. ■

LOCAL NEWS

Frank Mission Project Benefits Survivors The Frank Leadership Mission alumni and the Holocaust Survivor Support Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta held a family event Dec. 11 to make fleece blankets as presents for Holocaust survivors.

The Frank family and Federation created the Frank Leadership Mission to engage the next generation of community leaders.

HSSF is a community partnership created to meet the financial, health and social service needs of local Holocaust survivors. The initiative engages volunteers in social activities on behalf of survivors.

Sixty people, more than half of them children, participated in the fleece blanket event Dec. 11.

Survivor Helen Weingarten greeted volunteers. She said she survived after the Holocaust because Americans were so good to her.

“It was amazing to watch all the kids’ faces as they paid close attention to everything Helen said,” said Craig

Kornblum, a Frank Mission alumnus.

“It was lovely to get the Frank group together in this meaningful way.”

Paul Nozick added, “This was an incredible opportunity to introduce my children to Holocaust survivors and then be able to help them with a tangible project.”

While the families made 120 cozy fleece blankets in 90 minutes, younger children made Chanukah cards to include with the blankets.

“The event made my day,” teenager Sabrina Leftoff said. “This was something special for me to be part of.”

Isaac Frank said that making the blankets was fun, “but knowing who they were going to really warmed my soul. This engagement opportunity created by HSSF for the Frank family was a wonderful partnership opportunity that all participants treasured.”

The blankets were delivered to Jewish Family & Career Services to distribute to survivors at a Chanukah program and to hand out to other survivors served by JF&CS and Jewish Home Life Communities. ■

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

By Cherie Aviv

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Meet the French Jew Who Spied on Retreating Nazis

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com Marthe Cohn was born less than two years after the end of World War I and grew up only 36 miles from Germany in the city of Metz, France.

She was 19 when World War II broke out with Germany’s invasion of France in September 1939. By the time the Nazi troops rolled into France in May 1940, Cohn had marked her 20th birthday and fled with her family to Poitiers.

That young woman not only survived the war, but struck her own blow against the Nazi military machine as a spy for the resurgent French army.

Now 96, she will recount her story of courage, faith, survival and espionage Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Buckhead Theatre during an event organized by Chabad Intown and the Intown Jewish Academy. She also will sign copies of her memoir, “Behind Enemy Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany.”

Cohn provided a preview by discussing her life during the Nazi years in a phone interview with the AJT.

Marthe Cohn will sign copies of her book at the Buckhead Theatre.

Cohn’s family, the Hoffnungs, recognized the danger before the war. The day after Kristallnacht in November 1938, her older brother, Fred, who was part of the underground resistance during the war, and her older sister, Cecile, traveled to Dusseldorf, Germany, to rescue two younger cousins, Jackie and Gosie, who both survived the war.

Jackie is an engineering professor in Israel; Gosie was killed in the SixDay War. The family’s safety didn’t last long after the German invasion of France in May 1940. Cohn worked as a translator

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in the Poitiers City Hall until she was thrown out by the invaders.

“Three German military police came with rifles and bayonets and said, ‘Jews out!’ We only had an hour to leave,” she said.

Cohn then attended a Red Cross nursing school, though it was forbidden to Jews. She faced continual danger, however, as German officers often visited her hospital to see patients. To elude the Nazis, the nuns would hide Cohn in a small office until the soldiers left.

Later, when French Jews were obligated to wear a Jewish star, the director of the hospital acted on his opposition to the Germans by asking her not to do so.

“You have no idea what was going on in Poitiers and how many people helped us,” Cohn said.

During the war, her family rescued hundreds of others by transporting them to safety with the help of Noel Degout, a farmer in Dienne, France.

“We didn’t know who they were.

We didn’t know who gave them our address. But they rang our bell and asked us to help them,” Cohn said. Degout and her sister Stephanie were later arrested by Nazi Security Police.

Cohn’s father was taken into custody for a time to apply further pressure to Stephanie, but he was released because the Germans were not yet rounding up French Jews. Stephanie remained in custody.

She was sent to Lemoge, a camp for foreign Jews, where she provided medical care to children. “I visited her one day and told her we had two French guardians who would help her escape, but she refused,” Cohn said. “ ‘Who will take care of the children if I leave?’ was Stephanie’s response. I reminded her to think of her mother, who also needed her back home, but Stephanie replied that they would all be arrested if she left, and staying with the children was important to her.”

Stephanie was later deported to Drancy, then to Pithivier. On Sept. 21, 1942, Yom Kippur, she wrote to a friend in Poitiers to say she was leaving for Metz to work.

“That was the last letter she ever wrote, because years later we found out she was deported to Auschwitz, and she never came back,” Cohn said.

Cohn and her family escaped Poitiers in 1942 to unoccupied, Vichyruled France, where Jews still were forbidden to work. But through the help of a friend, she finished her nursing stud-

ies with the French Red Cross in Marseilles, then took a train to Paris.

Several weeks before Stephanie was arrested, Cohn had met a man who worked with her at City Hall. He provided identity papers that didn’t label her a Jew. “I told him, ‘You can’t do that.

You will risk your life and that of your wife and little boy,’ but he responded by stating, ‘If I didn’t help you, I could not live with myself.’ I asked him how much it was to make these identity cards, and he started crying.

“We wouldn’t have been able to escape without those cards.”

Once Paris was liberated in 1944, Cohn wanted to join the French army, but she had to prove that she had not collaborated with the Germans. She was joined in Paris and vouched for in November by the mother of her fiancé, who had been tried and executed two years earlier.

Cohn worked as a social worker in an infantry regiment until she met Col. Tierre Fabien, who discovered that she could speak German as well as French fluently.

Fabien said all the men in Germany were wearing uniforms, and any man caught wearing civilian clothes would be immediately arrested. He therefore needed a woman to gather intelligence for the French army. Cohn accepted before realizing what she had gotten herself into.

“I thought to myself, ‘What trouble did I get myself involved in?’ but it was already too late,” she said.

Three weeks later she underwent intensive training with two intelligence officers before launching her career as a spy.

During her service, Cohn received important information from prisoners of war she helped interrogate. She also reported on the German army’s plan of retreat from the Siegfried Line. “That was my first achievement in the army,” she said.

“There were times I was scared, and times I was not,” Cohn said. “You know, I was trying to do a job, and that was very important to me.” ■ Who: Marthe Cohn What: “Behind Enemy Lines,” a project of Chabad Intown and the Intown Jewish Preschool Where: Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, Buckhead When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 Tickets: $20 general admission, $180 VIP seating, $360 private dinner and book signing; www.jewishspy.org or 404-898-0434

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Young Israel Joins Civil Rights Journey

Sandy Springs Honors Humanitarian Segal

By Arlene Appelrouth aappelrouth@atljewishtimes.com

The city of Sandy Springs presented its Humanitarian Award to Temple Sinai Senior Rabbi Ron Segal during the city’s Martin Luther King Day celebration Monday morning, Jan. 16.

The award recognizes people who live or work within Sandy Springs and have made significant contributions in community service.

Like King, the city said in announcing the award, Rabbi Segal is “an inspiring spiritual leader whose thoughtful and compelling speeches and presentations motivate others from complacency.”

Rabbi Segal has worked at Temple Sinai, on Dupree Drive in western Sandy Springs, since 1996 and became the senior rabbi in 2006, less than a year after Sandy Springs was incorporated.

He is the city’s senior clergy member.

He was involved in the founding of the Sandy Springs Community Assistance Center, food rescue organization Second Helpings Atlanta and Family Promise of North Fulton/DeKalb, and he has used his pulpit to raise aware-

When Young Israel of Toco Hills Rabbi Adam Starr found out that more than 100 Washington-area Jews were coming south to learn about civil rights, he wanted to join them.

After some quick arrangements, about 20 Young Israel members drove to Alabama on Friday, Jan. 13, to join the first leg of the civil rights tour. Rabbi Starr assured them they would be back in Atlanta before Shabbat.

The D.C. group’s trip, arranged for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, included the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Ala., and Shabbat in Selma, where the group visited the Center for Nonviolent Social Change. The travelers came to Atlanta on Sunday, meeting more than 40 Young Israel members at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.

The group stood arm in arm by King’s grave and sang the 23rd Psalm.

Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld’s Facebook

page (bit.ly/2jXWRmQ) has a video.

For Rabbi Starr, the trip provided the opportunity for a reunion with the Washington-area rabbis: Rabbi Herz­ feld from Ohev Sholom — The National Synagogue and Rabbi Uri Topolosky from Beth Joshua Congregation.

“We all worked together when we were assistant rabbis,” Rabbi Starr said, referring to his tenure at a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Riverdale, N.Y. “I thought it was amazing they were coming south for this trip.”

The three were students of Rabbi Avi Weiss’. “This trip is his kind of activity,” Rabbi Starr said. “He was our rebbe for spiritual activism.”

Rabbi Starr found the trip educational. “Learning about the heroes of the civil rights movement in Montgomery, Ala., was meaningful and a great way to kick off the MLK weekend.”

Rabbi Herzfeld wrote that the weekend exceeded his expectations. “It was so much more intense, uplifting, raw, emotional and inspiring than anything I could have possibly imagined.” ■

Rabbi Ron Segal

Mayor Rusty Paul

ness of community problems and to mobilize the congregation to action.

Rabbi Segal founded and for many years chaired the Sandy Springs Interfaith Clergy Association, and he remains a committee member.

He is a vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the national organization for Reform rabbis, and serves on American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta board.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, who is the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s lobbyist in the Georgia General Assembly, presented the award to Rabbi Segal. The King Day event also included remarks by Congregation Or Hadash Rabbi Analia Bortz and a keynote address by Xernona Clayton. ■

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

LOCAL NEWS

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LOCAL NEWS

Safe Harbor Just 1 Step In Stopping Sex Trade

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com Sex trafficking is one of leading industries in the United States, and the target age of victims is 12 to 14, said Sharon Lightstone, an educator in Cobb County who is organizing an event on the subject Thursday, Jan. 26, at Congregation Etz Chaim in East Cobb.

The event is part of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Lightstone, a counselor at Rocky Mount Elementary School, said the problem of child slavery is particularly bad in Atlanta.

“We live in a major city that has conventions, national sports teams, trade, an international airport — all that makes us a primary target,” she said.

“Research says that north of I-285 there are thousands of people who purchase,” Lightstone said. “It’s just unacceptable to me that slavery is going on, and it’s happening over and over again. The first step in any situation is education, and that’s what this panel is about.”

Sex trafficking happens in many ways, Lightstone said. “Middle school children are prime targets. They are put into this business through induction, social media contacts. It doesn’t matter what culture they come from or their socio-economic status. The traffickers don’t particularly care if you have money or not.”

Susan Norris, who will be a panelist at the event, is the author of “Rescuing Hope: A Story of Sex Trafficking in America.” She said in a phone interview that Georgia’s new Safe Harbor Act regards a minor being sold for sex acts as a victim, not a perpetrator.

Amendment 2 to the Georgia Constitution, approved in November’s elections, dedicates the money raised from fines against pimps, johns and other sex trade criminals and from a new fee on strip clubs to pay for the intensive, long-term restorative services needed by child victims of sex trafficking to lead normal lives.

But the safe harbor measures are not enough, Norris said. “We can’t fix

Active in the fight against sex trafficking are (from left) Sharon Lightstone of Congregation Etz Chaim, Cindy Getty of Temple Beth Tikvah, Karyn Parker or Temple Kol Emeth, Jane Weiss of Congregation Etz Chaim and Rachel Gouin of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.

the problem if people don’t know it exists. Even though we are in one of the hubs, as identified by the FBI, there are still a lot of people here who have no concept of the magnitude of the problem.”

Norris runs an organization called Rescuing Hope, which she said focuses on enlightenment, education and empowerment. “We educate the public as to the existence of the problem. We educate teachers, counselors, educators, students. We train law enforcement, medical staff in hospitals, and we help the general public to find their place in the fight.”

She added, “We work with survivors and help them go from victim to survivor to thriver to lifelong friend.”

Other panelists at the Etz Chaim discussion are scheduled to include Kennesaw State University President Sam Olens, an Etz Chaim member who worked to toughen Georgia’s laws against sex trafficking when he was the state attorney general; prosecutor Camila Wright; and representatives from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Cares, Out of Darkness, Rescuing Hope, Street Grace and Wellspring.

Norris said the goal of the event is to raise awareness. “I’m hoping to activate people by partnering with one of the front-line organizations. It’s going take all of us working together to make a dent.” ■

What: East Cobb Consortium for Ending Child Slavery When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 Where: Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway, East Cobb

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Admission: Free. Please RSVP to Sharon Lightstone at 404-457-4543 or spricelight32@ gmail.com for parking and refreshment purposes.

LOCAL NEWS

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Child Sex Trafficking Is Epidemic in Georgia Child sex trafficking is happening all around us, according to a panel of law enforcement officials who spoke at a forum convened by several Rotary clubs at North Springs Charter High School on Thursday night, Jan. 12.

Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan said his city freed five juveniles being sold for sex the past two years.

Alia El-Sawi, a Sandy Springs resident who is a victim assistance specialist with Homeland Security Investigations, said she recently saw a man using a series of suggestive questions to recruit a teenage girl at a gas station across the street from North Springs.

“These victims are our own children,” not slaves smuggled in from others countries, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan said.

The more the GBI and other agencies focus on stopping child sex trafficking, “the more cases we uncover.”

“This is obviously an epidemic here in the state of Georgia,” said Dahlia Racine, who as the deputy chief assistant district attorney in DeKalb County is part of a special sex trafficking unit with a 100 percent conviction rate.

Atlanta might not have the worst sex trafficking problem in the country, but because of the airport and the major highways, it’s close. (Reports that Atlanta was No. 1 came from an alphabetical list of the 14 worst metro areas.)

Still, Eric Pauley, the supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, said his office’s task force on human trafficking is the largest out of 75 such task forces across the nation.

The Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and North Atlanta Rotary clubs organized the Jan. 12 event to raise awareness of child sex trafficking during January, which by presidential proclamation is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

The event included the screening of a movie called “8 Days,” about a high school student in a good family in Texas who is abducted from a party and sold into prostitution. Although such cases occur, most child sex slaves are runaways trying to escape broken or abusive homes, Racine said, and the victims tend to be younger, often in middle school, when they’re recruited.

Girls being sold typically are 12 to 14 years old when they first are forced into prostitution, Racine said, and at least 70 percent were sexually abused before they became sex slaves.

Lisa Cohen, a North Springs mother and CNN International producer, says CNN thought it would do a few reports and be done with the CNN Freedom Project in a month or so; five years later, it keeps uncovering stories to tell about the world’s 46 million slaves.

For boys, the typical age of entry is 11 to 13, and violence and drug abuse are more common, she said. It’s be-

lieved that just as many boys as girls are being forced into prostitution, but Racine said 99 percent of her cases involve girls. That means the techniques, such as undercover stings, used to find girls don’t work for boys.

There was good news from the forum. Lisa Cohen, the CNN International producer and North Springs mother who moderated the discussion, said the CNN Freedom Project is leading a global day of action against modern slavery of all types March 14. Schools can find ideas for #MyFreedomDay starting Jan. 30 at www.cnn.com/myfreedom.

After hard work in recent years by people such as state Sen. Renee Unter-

man (R-Buford) and former Attorney General Sam Olens, Georgia has some of the nation’s toughest laws against people buying and selling children, Keenan said. It also has dedicated funding sources to support the long-term, intensive restorative services victims need to have a chance at normal lives.

Still, parents expressed frustration at not knowing how to keep their own children safe or to help others. The advice is the same as for terrorism: If you see something, say something.

Don’t worry about learning specific signs of a child being victimized, Racine said. “When you see it, you know it.” ■

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION JKG Adds JCC

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Jewish Kids Groups, the independent Sunday and Hebrew school founded by Ana Robbins, is opening its fourth location on Sunday, Jan. 22: the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Dunwoody campus.

JKG will take the place of the JCC’s Camp Sunday program.

“We are thrilled to open a location that will be convenient to more families in the northern suburbs, and we believe our relationship with the MJCCA will help strengthen the Atlanta Jewish community,” said Robbins, JKG’s executive director. “We’ve seen incredible growth in our programs over the past two years and can’t wait for even more families to experience our fun, summer-camp-like program.”

JKG’s Sunday program also has sites in the Old Fourth Ward and at Congregation Or VeShalom in Brookhaven.

The program meets from 9:30 a.m. to noon 26 Sundays a year.

During its first spring in Dunwoody, JKG will serve pre-kindergartners through second-graders. In the fall, the program will range from preschool through sixth grade.

JKG also runs an after-school program for kindergartners through fifth-

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raffle for a week of Alefbet camp and other prizes.

RSVP to risa@bshalom.net for double the raffle chances, or just walk in.

graders five days a week from 2:30 to 6 p.m. in Morningside.

To get more information about JKG or schedule a trial day, visit www. jewishkidsgroups.com, or call 404-8500681.

Senior Nathan Glusman sings with the second band.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival

The first of two bands to perform at the Weber winter concert includes senior Izzi Ariail on violin, junior Zach Negin on drums and sophomore Jack Tresh on guitar.

Weber Showcases Music Weber School parents, teachers and students gathered at Heritage Sandy Springs in December for a winter concert featuring music performed by the Weber chorus, two bands and a guitar ensemble.

Weber’s music director, Drew Cohen, said the evening was a great success and showcased the growth of the school’s music program. “We’ve gone

from a school that offered one music course to a school with four performance ensembles for beginners to advanced students. We work hand in hand with the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival on cutting-edge teen music programming, and with visits and opportunities to perform with international recording artists as well as guest teachers and clinicians who perform regularly around Atlanta, Weber music students perform all over the Atlanta Jewish community.”

Preschool Fun Day

Congregation Beth Shalom’s Alefbet Preschool at 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, is holding a fun day Sunday, Jan. 29, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Families can participate in arts and crafts and other activities, meet teachers, have snacks, and enter a

JCC Preschool Adds Transitional Kindergarten

The Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Weinstein School is adding transitional kindergarten to its curriculum, beginning Aug. 7.

Classes will meet weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing pupils to participate in the Marcus JCC’s afterschool program, Club J. “Transitional kindergarten is ideal for children who are young 5-year-olds or children who, after completing preK, may benefit from another year to develop emotionally, socially and/or physically before progressing to a public or private kindergarten program,” said Kim Sucan, the director of the Weinstein School.

“Parents have expressed a desire for a transitional kindergarten program, and we are very excited to meet their needs and add a fabulous new offering to our preschool.”

According to a study by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), stu-

EDUCATION dents who attend transitional kindergarten before kindergarten are more advanced than their peers in language, reading and math by as much as five months.

For more information, contact Sucan at 678-812-3834 or kim.sucan@ atlantajcc.org.

Martha Burdette is the head of school at Ben Franklin Academy.

Ben Franklin Head Honored

Martha Burdette, the head of school at Ben Franklin Academy, received one of the Emory University School of Medicine Dean’s Teaching Awards on Dec. 1 in recognition of “superior teaching of medical and allied health professions students” for years.

Burdette works with medical school students, residents and fellows referred by Emory as part of Ben Franklin’s clinic work for the community.

Jonathan Lewin, Emory’s executive vice president for health affairs and the president, CEO and chairman of the board of Emory Healthcare, joined the School of Medicine’s interim dean, David Stephens, and executive associate dean, William Eley, in presenting the award to Burdette.

Israeli writer David Grossman will address questions about the meaning of the Holocaust today, the ways to preserve its memory, and the place of art in that effort during the annual Tenenbaum Family Lecture in Judaic Studies.

Presented by Emory’s Tam Institute for Jewish Studies, the lecture, “The Holocaust’s Carrier Pigeon: Reflections on Writing and Memory,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Room 208 of White Hall and will be followed by a reception and book sale.

Grossman has written eight novels and several nonfiction and children’s books. He has received Israel’s most prestigious literary awards, the Sapir Prize and the Bialik Prize, and many international honors. His writing has examined such difficult aspects of Israeli and Jewish identity as the struggle with Holocaust memory and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The lecture is free, as is parking.

Visit www.js.emory.edu for more.

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Tenenbaum Lecture Focuses On Holocaust Memory

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

Chabad on Campus Has Lasting Effect on Students

By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

A wide-ranging study has found that Chabad centers on campuses increase the post-college Jewish involvement of students regardless of their previous Jewish engagement.

The Hertog Study of Chabad on Campus, produced by social scientists Mark Rosen and Steven M. Cohen and released in September, was initiated to find out who attends Chabad centers, what Chabad does to engage undergraduates and how Chabad involvement affects young Jewish adults later.

Researchers from the Hertog Foundation investigated 22 of Chabad’s nearly 200 college locations, including Emory, and analyzed survey data from 2,400 alumni under age 30 to gauge the impact on 18 measures of Jewish engagement. The research included interviews and focus groups with parents, faculty, university officials and others.

“It’s a good opportunity to take a broad look at Chabad on Campus’ rapid growth over the last 15 years,” Chabad spokesman Rabbi Chaim Landa said.

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Chabad on Campus spread from fewer than 30 colleges in 2000 to 198 by the start of the 2016-17 academic year.

“We are here for every single Jew,” said Rabbi Zalman Charytan, who leads the Chabad center at Kennesaw State University. “That is our main goal.”

The study found that Chabad overcomes denominational divides, attracting students from the full range of Jewish backgrounds, 88 percent of whom were not raised Orthodox.

“Chabad centers strive to welcome all Jewish students regardless of their Jewish upbringing or sensibilities. The couples work to create welcoming, attractive, and fun Jewish social environments. … They seek to create a ‘home away from home’ and to ‘ensure that students graduate as stronger and more empowered Jews than when they entered,’ ” the report reads.

While Chabad rabbis and rebbetzins model scrupulous observance, they do not expect students to do the same and do not view students as any less Jewish if they are not observant.

That approach has long-term benefits. Those who were raised Reform

and were active in Chabad in college later had a 113 percent higher overall Jewish engagement level than Reform Jews who did not get involved with Chabad, the study concluded. For those raised with no denomination, post-college Jewish engagement increased 107 percent, and the increase was 63 percent for Conservative-raised students.

“Post-college impact of involvement with Chabad during college is pervasive, affecting a broad range of Jewish attitudes and behaviors,” the study reads. “These include religious beliefs and practices, Jewish friendships, Jewish community involvement, Jewish learning, dating and marriage, emotional attachment to Israel, and the importance of being Jewish.”

The authors noted that three-quarters of Chabad participants went to Hillel activities at some point; both organizations are active on all 22 campuses studied. While Hillel also has a positive post-college effect on Jewish engagement, the study did not quantify that result, instead isolating Chabad’s benefits.

The increase in Jewish engagement did not lead to a change in the

level of observance, the study found, and there was no connection between involvement with Chabad on Campus and post-college identification with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

While in college, Rabbi Landa said, Chabad attendees receive numerous benefits. “From the totality of the authors’ data, conclusions and field reports, a picture emerges (of) a deeply impactful and personal experience for the individual student, one that has deep and long-lasting impact on their lives for a long, long time to come.”

Rosen found that Chabad on Campus “has a very profound effect on the students that become involved, and the Jewish world doesn’t really appreciate how profound that influence is.”

A takeaway of the study is how Chabad on Campus is perceived by the Jewish institutional world, Rosen said in a phone interview. “One of the misconceptions is if Chabad is an Orthodox organization, then of course only Orthodox kids would be attracted.

The study dispelled that perception.

Another perception was that Chabad’s goal was to make everyone who comes Orthodox. That’s not what happens.

Another misconception is that Chabad is trying to turn students into Chabadniks who recruit for various movements. That’s a complete nonissue.”

Rosen said students who become involved with Chabad tend to stay in touch with the rabbi and rebbetzin after college and are inclined to get involved with mainstream Judaism through Federation, synagogues and programs such as Moishe House. “It’s really quite remarkable that students who didn’t grow up Orthodox and aren’t interested in Orthodox Judaism are attracted to a rabbinic couple and stay in touch with them without becoming Orthodox themselves, but become more involved Jewishly in whatever way they feel most comfortable.”

Anna Streetman, a Kennesaw State grad who was active with Chabad, said she felt more connected to Jewish life because Rabbi Charytan was engaging.

“I would say the findings in the study directly mirror my experience.”

Many at Chabad are not looking for something Jewish. “They heard it’s a fun place to be, and the food is good,” Rosen said. “The percentage who come for those reasons stick around and keep coming and eventually there’s a transformation and evolution towards a greater Jewish identity and more involvement in Jewish life and a greater appreciation of all things Jewish.” ■

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EDUCATION

Emory Professor’s 1st Book Wins National Award Yiddish isn’t what it used to be, and showing how that statement was as true a century ago as it is now helped Emory University associate professor Miriam Udel win a National Jewish Book Award with her first book, “Never Better! The Modern Jewish Picaresque.”

Udel was in New York studying in a rabbinic ordination program when the Jewish Book Council notified her Wednesday, Jan. 11, that she had won the Dorot Foundation Award in modern Jewish thought and experience. She drew gratification, relief and vindication from the unexpected win.

“I had an incredibly difficult time finding a publisher” in the shrinking realm of academic publishing, Udel said. She’s grateful the University of Michigan Press took a chance on her.

Her book beat out more experienced finalist Zev Eleff’s “Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History” for the award.

Udel didn’t follow the route of many young academics and try to turn her doctoral thesis from Harvard Uni-

versity into her first book. She said she wanted a new project, one that grew out of a course she taught on the nonheroic hero of Jewish literature, a character she calls a “slacker hero.”

A heroic main character serves as a model for readers. But if you don’t want your hero to serve as a model, Udel said, “you can write about all kinds of losers.”

She said the argument of “Never Better!” is that the rise of the slacker hero in 20th century Yiddish fiction marks the genres move into modernity.

Earlier Jewish literature, influenced by the Enlightenment, was trying to effect social change by shaming Jews and showing how they could and should be better.

The modern approach instead presented the Jews just as they were, Udel said, citing authors such as Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer.

“Jewish literature enters fullblown modernity when authors give up on the idea of fixing the Jews and decide to describe them in vivid terms without a program of repairs,” Udel said.

She said she wrote most of the

Miriam Udel, who teaches modern Jewish literature and Yiddish culture at Emory, says she needed an afternoon of research to identify the cover image used on her book after her husband found the cartoon online.

book between 2010 and 2012.

She will be honored at a gala March 7 in New York with the other 19 National Jewish Book Award winners, including Book of the Year honoree Daniel Gordis for “Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn” and Modern Literary Achievement Award recipient Michael Chabon for his overall contributions to Jewish literature.

“Miriam Udel is part of a cohort of impressive young professors at the Tam Institute of Jewish Studies who are becoming national leaders in their respective fields,” said Eric Goldstein, the Tam Institute’s director. “Her work on the picaresque genre is particularly important because it not only has implica-

Never Better! the modern jewish picaresque Miriam Udel

tions for studying the Jewish literary tradition, but also for understanding modernist literature more broadly. It’s a great example of how scholarship in Jewish studies can help us grapple with larger questions of human experience.”

Students are benefiting from the scholarship behind “Never Better!” this semester: Udel is teaching a freshman seminar on two of the authors she wrote about.

Udel said she’s proud of the cover, even though she said she had nothing to do with it other than picking the image, a cartoon Zuni Maud drew for the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute’s Kinder-Journal. “Please judge the book by the cover.” ■

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

23

EDUCATION

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

Analyze Your PSAT

24

In October, many high school underclassmen took the PSAT/NMSQT examination. For juniors, the test is all-important because it brings to life the fact that the college admissions process is right around the corner.

Which of the answers below shows how you handled your scores?

• I don’t know the results.

• How can I find my scores?

• I have the results and put them away in a drawer or other hiding place.

• I have studied my PSAT results and taken steps to improve my scores.

Students who chose the last response can be commended. Any of the other three options would make one wonder whether college is on the agenda. That should be a wake-up call.

Colleges will not see PSAT scores.

That is not the point. A student needs to take advantage of the exam to score higher.

On Dec. 12, students could see their scores online. For those unaware of that fact, go to www.psat.org/ scorereport and put in the user name and password you used to sign up for the test or your College Board account.

If you have no idea about your account, create one. Ask your counselor for assistance; most likely the school has a paper copy of your test results.

And there is always customer service at the College Board (866-433-7728).

The access code on your report is the key to your test because you can see your entire exam with the results online.

Taking the PSAT offers many benefits. It opens the door to some colleges, which can buy lists of students who scored in a certain range. The college buys your name and address, not any private information.

More important advantages include improved skills, scholarship opportunities and free practice at Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org).

Yes, there are other practice exams and preparation from SAT tutoring firms; compare the possibilities.

With access to your own exam, you will see your total score, the combination of the evidence-based reading and writing score and the math score, scaled to be comparable to the SAT. Two areas indicate whether you are on track for college readiness in both those sections. Don’t let those scores scare you. The idea is to improve. If you need to strengthen cer-

tain skills, work on them. The report lets you know the skills you should review.

Then there is the Question-Level Feedback. You will see your answers, the correct answers, the difficulty of the question (easy, medium, hard) and subscore information.

High-scoring students could qualify for the National Merit Scholar-

The Admissions Game

By Dr. Mark L. Fisher drmarkfisher@yahoo.com

ship Program. In Georgia, the qualifying score this year is 219.

Analyze your scores. Look at each question and your answer. Where you went wrong or guessed, study the correct answer and the reason for that answer. How did you score on the easy questions, the medium questions and the hard questions? Were there certain types of math questions that gave you trouble? Were you getting a lot of answers wrong at the end on either section? Were a lot of questions at the end of a section unanswered because you didn’t have time?

If you are a junior, plan to take the SAT in the spring — maybe twice — and once in your senior year. The next tests after January, whose deadlines have passed, are in March, May and June.

Make a study plan and follow it closely. After reviewing your PSAT score, you should be able to determine where you need to concentrate.

Do practice problems and study the answers and how to arrive at those correct answers.

Did you think that looking at your PSAT scores was all you needed from that October exam?

Parents, talk to your children about the results and help them get on the right track if they haven’t done that already.

Well, there is another possibility.

Help is on the way. My next article will speak about the ACT, which, like the SAT, is accepted at all colleges. ■ Dr. Mark L. Fisher is a college and career consultant at Fisher Educational Consultants (www.fishereducationalconsultants.com) and a consultant for the College Planning Institute (www.

GotoCPI.com).

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EDUCATION

Bridge to Independence Engineers a Better Future Olga Wuls, one of eight brothers and sisters in a family in Israel, knew she wanted more education after high school but didn’t know how she could pay for college while supporting herself.

That’s where the Bridge to Independence program of the Israeli nonprofit Yeladim — Fair Chance for Children made a difference in her life, providing a scholarship to attend a two-year college.

“That’s when I knew the program was real,” Wuls said. “It was all very organized. I had to provide a receipt once I enrolled in the school, and this made me want to continue learning and create a new future for myself.”

Wuls recently visited Atlanta, where she was hosted by Bernice and Jeff Savell and child development doctor Linda Lippert and her husband, Alan. Wuls spoke by phone to the AJT, which first wrote about Yeladim and Bridge to Independence in November after a Congregation Or Hadash event during Sukkot. Bridge to Independence

Olga Wuls and brother Nikita Lomov visit Bernice and Jeff Savell.

helps Israeli youths make the transition from the foster care system to the military and adulthood by providing housing and educational scholarships.

Wuls joined Yeladim and entered the Bridge to Independence program after speaking with her high school’s social worker. She graduated from the program last year and earned a certificate in engineering.

While in the program, she worked as a waitress and saved enough money to pursue her passion for travel. She has visited Thailand, China, France, Italy, Spain, Montenegro, Romania and Greece, among others, and considers Venice, Italy, her favorite.

She said the financial barrier to her continuing her education after

high school is common among Israelis.

“How could I focus on my studies with so many challenges?”

Bridge to Independence aims to improve that focus by easing the financial distractions.

“There are a lot of good people who make sure you don’t feel lonely and always ask you, ‘What do you need?

Where do you need to go?’ ” said Wuls, who helped herself by working during college. “It was very hard, to go to work and school, but I knew I wanted a better future for myself. No one cleans or cooks for you at the group homes, and there were times when I didn’t have any food, but the social worker helps and balances you emotionally.”

Elite Ben-Yosef, a college instructor and Yeladim supporter who splits her time between New York and Israel, said: “The Bridge to Independence captures youth before they end up on the streets or enter the circle of poverty. …

Olga is an outstanding citizen. She is reaching for the stars, and you can see the light in her eyes.”

Wuls wants to earn a degree in engineering and hopes to continue traveling. She has finished her military ser-

vice and is ready to get serious about work and her future.

“Olga is one of many participants who may have otherwise returned to an unstable home had it not been for Bridge to Independence,” Ben-Yosef said.

Her time in Atlanta was part of Wuls’ second visit to the United States to raise money for Yeladim. She traveled to Texas for the same purpose three years ago. “I want to become successful and give back to the program,” she said. “Bridge to Independence is my heart, and the people who work in the program are like family. They really help and are unique.”

Congregation Or Hadash is raising money for a $1,000 Yeladim scholarship. Donations can be made at www. yeladim.org.il/en or with a check to American Support for Israel (write 580109254 on the memo line), P.O. Box 3263, Washington, DC 20010.

“The program is very important for young people who don’t know where they’re going and are seeking guidance,” Wuls said. “You don’t know what $5 or $10 can do for one person’s future.” ■

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com

25

EDUCATION

It’s Never Too Early to Prepare for College.

No matter the age of your high school son or daughter, now is the time to investigate the CollegeBridge approach to college preparation, selection, and application.

Our approach will impact your child’s success in college and in life.

Take the time to explore our website.

Visit us at www.collegebridge.net

Contact Steven W. Cook, PhD swc@collegebridge.net or 404.983.4573

The 100-acre Greensboro campus of the American Hebrew Academy features an array of academic and athletic facilities.

Jewish Boarding School Ready for Growth Spurt

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com The world’s only international college preparatory Jewish boarding school is a five-hour drive from Atlanta in Greensboro, N.C., and last year celebrated its 15th anniversary.

Now with students from 26 states and 18 countries, the American Hebrew Academy, a nondenominational Jewish school founded in 2001, is looking toward the future.

“We started AHA with a totally new concept in Jewish education, which I will say most naysayers thought would never succeed,” CEO Glenn Drew said.

“It clearly has succeeded 15 years later, best measured as the only international college preparatory Jewish boarding school in the world. Enrollment over the years has now grown to 50 percent students from the U.S. and 50 percent from countries around the world.”

Sitting on a 100-acre lakefront campus, the school in Greensboro has a capacity for 400 students, but Drew said AHA is close to going forward with Phase 2 of its master plan, which will double the capacity to 800 students.

Students come from as far away as Russia, Moldova and Australia.

“International families still want access to the United States of America for their children,” Drew said. “Regardless of their success overseas, the U.S. is still a point of incredible attraction, particularly for Jewish families.”

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

JGirls Picks Abusch-Magder

26

Weber School sophomore Aliza Abusch-Magder is one of 12 Jewish teens named to the first editorial board of online magazine jGirls.

The New York-based startup publication for and by young Jewish women is a grantee of the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta.

Aliza, the 16-year-old daughter of Epstein Head of School David AbuschMagder and AJT contributor Rabbi

The school draws students from Atlanta and from the Jewish community of Greensboro.

The nondenominational school has a kosher kitchen and offers multiple options for Shabbat services.

Specialized programs in English are offered for international students, as are complete preparation and full support for admission to U.S. universities.

“Ultimately, all of our families come to the same conclusion,” Drew said, “and that is American families are seeking high-quality Jewish education that will gain their children access to the most prestigious universities in the U.S. But they also see the need for their children to be exposed to an international environment, given the economic and global reality in which we all live.”

In addition to the academic facilities, AHA has an 88,000-square-foot athletic center, a soccer stadium, baseball fields, softball fields, multiple allpurpose fields and a track. Since 2010, the grounds of the school have hosted the 6 Points Sports Academy.

The academy is also home to the nation’s largest geothermal energy facility for heating and air conditioning.

The school has a recently built center for plant science and ecology that is used for research in hydroponics, aquaculture and water conservation.

“The academy has always had a deep concern for tikkun olam,” Drew said. “Its campus was designed with an environmental focus in mind.” ■ Ruth Abusch-Magder, also is a Jewish Women’s Archive Rising Voices Fellow.

In her mini-bio at www.jgirlsmagazine.org, Aliza says she is committed to her spirituality and to Jewish community and practice and loves spending time at camp, the gym and the coffee shop. “My passions include prayer, writing, singing and feminism. I am a TED talk addict, with an expansive sticker collection and a love for lavender ice cream.” ■

OBITUARIES

We offer freshly baked cinnamon rolls, cookies and brownies.

Sheldon Flaxman 82, Atlanta

Dr. Sheldon Flaxman passed away Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, surrounded by family loved ones.

Dr. Flaxman was born in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1934, the son of Irving and Goldie Flaxman, and grew up in Paterson, N.J. He received an undergraduate degree from Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. After serving in the U.S. Army, he graduated from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, then began a long and distinguished podiatry practice, serving the Atlanta community.

Dr. Flaxman was predeceased by his wife, June. He is survived by daughters Adrienne Warren (Steve) and Gerilyn Flaxman and son Alan Flaxman of Chicago; granddaughters Natalie and Sydney Warren; sister Carolyn Van den Berg; and two nieces.

Graveside services were held Monday, Dec. 26, at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial donation to Marietta College (www. marietta.edu/Give/memorial_honorary_gifts). Sign the online guestbook at www. edressler.com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

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Barbara Golsen 81, Sandy Springs

Barbara Frank Golsen, 81, of Sandy Springs passed peacefully Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mickey and Maurice Frank; a daughter, Mindy Golsen; a son, Carey Golsen; and a brother, Perry Leonard Frank, of blessed memory. She is survived by her loving husband, Charles Golsen; son Rick Golsen and daughter-in-law Julie; sister Helene Frank Grablowsky and her husband, Bernie; sister-in-law Sherry Zimmerman Frank; grandkids Alan Golsen and wife Sarah and Mindi Golsen Friedman and husband Howard; and greatgrandchildren Michael, Mia, Hattie and Lila. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mrs. Golsen was a native Atlantan who grew up in Morningside and attended Grady High School. She was an accomplished Realtor and bookkeeper. She was devoted to her family and loved spending time with her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Congregation Etz Chaim, the Atlanta Radio Club or the charity of your choice. A graveside service was held at Crest Lawn Memorial Park on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Pearl Zadoff Pearl Haber Zadoff, age 92, of Alpharetta passed away Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017.

Pearl was a native of Jacksonville, Fla., graduating from Lee High School, and was active in the real estate business, the Jacksonville Jewish Center and many community activities.

She was predeceased by her parents, Sam and Mollie Haber; her husband, Alvin Zadoff; a sister, Sylvia Grossman; and a grandson, Jeremy Gold, of blessed memory. Survivors include daughter and son-in-law Natalie and Ronald Pepper of Alpharetta; son and daughter-in-law Mike and Rita Zadoff of Atlanta; son and daughter-in-law Dr. Andy Zadoff and Kathryn Rawlins of Atlanta; sister Rose Glickstein; grandchildren Michael (Mindy) Gold, Jonathan (Jamie) Zadoff and Ann Zadoff; and great-grandchildren Jackson Gold and Eden and Sasha Zadoff.

Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Jacksonville Jewish Center, 3662 Crown Point Road, Jacksonville, FL 32228. A graveside service was held Wednesday, Jan. 18, at New Center Cemetery at Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notices

Charlotte Garson, 91, of Atlanta, mother of Frank Garson and Lynn Garson, on Jan. 11.

Gary Joel Levenson, 71, of Savannah, brother of Temple Sinai member Stuart Levenson, on Jan. 6.

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

92, Alpharetta

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

Under the Blankets

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

White blankets become friendly ghost costumes.

Pink blankets make elegant princess costumes.

Black blankets turn into scary evil things.

I never used blankets for those purposes. I have, however, imagined and created many other uses. For example, when curtains were needed to complete the stage my dad (z”l) built out of wooden pallets, blankets did the trick. He placed his creation in the back of our bungalow. During the summer my family left the hot, tar-coated city for the treelined, easy-to-breathe air of the mountains in upstate New York and our bungalow in Highland Mills.

Have I ever mentioned my dad and my uncle Joe owned a bungalow colony?

Before we would embark on our journey to the mountains, my mom (z”l) would cover the furniture in our Bronx apartment with sheets and blankets. This method kept the dust off the pink French provincial living room sofa and chairs, the marble French provincial coffee table, and the antique, white French provincial breakfront.

I packed a much-worn, dark-green blanket edged in light-green satin in my trunk for summer camp. I coveted this blanket and keep it close until this very day, when you can find it in an airtight plastic bag in my closet.

My camp trunk is the trunk my parents carried across the ocean from Paris to New York when Mom brought Dad to America in 1937. This trunk resides in a place of honor in my home today.

The blanket was intended to keep me warm and cozy on chilly summer nights as I slept on my bunk bed at summer camp. I naturally found other uses.

When packing for camp, it was a perfect hideaway for items on the camp forbidden list, such as chocolate and other fine candies, Wrigley’s chewing gum sticks, boxes of Chicklets, and lots of red and chocolate licorice.

What? You’re surprised?

Have you ever created forts with blankets? I have. Such a positively wonderful place to hide and read under the light of a flashlight or play pickup sticks or a hot game of jacks.

I’ve also been known to cut up an old, single-sized blanket whose fabric was covered in tiny flowers. These 30 pieces of fabric became covers for my

doll’s bed, carpeting for my dollhouse and pillows for my own bed. Cut and sewn by hand using the durable blanket stitch. A totally lost art form.

When Gene, our girls and I lived in Tampa, Fla., we loved loading into my station wagon to visit Busch Gardens. It was a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. An important bonus: It was free.

CROSSWORD

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I wonder if anyone reading this has any idea why I am telling you about our move to Tampa in the middle of my blanket story.

As Tampa grew, Busch Gardens incrementally expanded the zoo portion of the gardens as more and more visitors arrived. No fees were charged.

People flocked to this beautiful place.

One fine Sunday, we packed the girls for an outing to the Busch Gardens zoo. We had not been in a long time. We were excited to see the new animals the zoo had acquired.

To our utter shock and dismay, in our absence a new regulation had been implemented. There was now a fee per car.

We reluctantly paid for what once was free and should, in my humble opinion, always be free.

The next time I took the girls and a couple of friends to Busch Gardens, I called to be sure there weren’t any increased expenses. Yup, there sure were. Now Busch Gardens had a parking fee and a fee per person.

Here’s where the blankets I kept in my wagon found yet another important use. I followed the instructions of the police department, which strongly suggested having food, water and a blanket in your car in case of emergency. Well, this was an emergency, sort of.

Six girls — four of mine, one belonging to my friend Rene, and Lisie’s best friend, Sharon — Rene and myself headed to Busch Gardens to see all the new animals. Just around the bend of the main entrance, the girls promptly and with efficiency carried out the instructions we gave them before we left for our outing.

I drove up to the hut where fees were collected, and I paid the parking fee and the fees for Rene and myself. ■

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ACROSS 1. “ER” doctor or a Friend 5. One way to spell this northern Israeli city 9. Esau’s nation 13. Rome landmark significant to Jews 14. Reaction to Seinfeld 15. Mishloach ___ (var.)

17. The heart and soul of the Jewish people, in Yates County, N.Y. 19. Prevent (a Hamas attack) 20. King of Judah who ruled for 41 years 21. First name in scat 22. Blood condition that could prevent one from joining the IDF 23. Like a seder egg 25. Old Israel, in Columbia County, N.Y. 26. Where King Solomon imported his cedar trees from, in Madison County, N.Y. 28. Shin follower, in Israel 29. HS org. in which membership might help get one a YU scholarship 30. Good to go 31. The holiest man 33. Show featuring Rachel Berry 34. Bialystock in “The Producers” 35. “___ a job in the great north woods working” (Bob Dylan) 39. Golem tales to little kids, perhaps 42. Israel Central ___ of Statistics 44. Oohs go with, watching a David Copperfield trick 47. Started Shabbat, perhaps 48. Where it would be forbidden for a Jew to build, in Nassau County, N.Y. 49. Jacob’s dream location, in Sullivan County, N.Y. 51. Make like many a Philistine against Samson 52. Hollywood’s J.J. 53. Suffix for “din” (that works for a kitchen but not for a

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forehead or forearm 31. Word of possibility 32. Voice that might tell you it’s time to pray, et al.

34. “A-Team” actor who got an aliyah at Krusty the Clown’s Bar Mitzvah 36. Kosher mark 37. Dead Sea Spa sounds 38. Band option for a small simcha 40. Pope ___ VI, who tried to protect 14th century Jews 41. Needs a refuah 42. Girls probably considered zaftig based on their names 43. An archangel 44. Toward the rear (of Noah’s DOWN Ark) 1. Important Indian 45. Home of an ancient burial 2. Catan cards 3. Classic board game that is cave, in Washington County, N.Y. tricky to play on Shabbat 46. “My ___ of Luck” (Kirk 4. Mu ___, notable tref dish Douglas) 5. Bulb one might put in a 48. Went from New York to cholent?

6. Kind of angels some think Tel Aviv 50. Initiates, into Alpha the Nephilim were Epsilon Pi (perhaps) 7. Good way to leave an 51. Pet that might drive you a Adelson casino little meshuga?

8. Squared cracker?

55. “I’m Still ___” (Sondheim 9. Issue, as the Jordan from song) Hermon 56. Hefer or Refaim 10. Say Adon Olam, e.g.

58. It’s in the oven before a 11. Band option for a small bris? simcha 12. Sacrificial mount, in Essex 59. Hatzalah letters County, N.Y. 16. Getz and Lee 18. It runs LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 near the Grand 1 C 2 H 3 A 4 Y 5 A S A N G A M A H 14 15 16 Synagogue of H A M A S I L I A P I T A 17 18 19 Paris E L I M A N N I N G A S S I 20 21 22 22. IAF heroes R O N E A S T O T H E R 23 24 25 24. They might I S A I A H T H O M A S 29 be spring-loaded 26 27 28 R E S T E R I O W A 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 in the Negev A D U L T R O S E S B S 37 38 39 40 26. Be like the B I B L I C A L P R O P H E T 41 42 43 last Israelite I T S A N D Y F E E L A who left Egypt 44 45 46 47 C H U R M E A S L Y 27. Synagogue 48 49 50 51 52 A A R O N R O D G E R S extension 53 54 55 56 57 I D I N A B A A L A R T forming a right 58 59 60 61 R U B E D A V I D O R T I Z angle 62 63 64 E M E S O M E N G E I C O 28. Morning 65 66 67 H A N S S T E A M D A R T item near a court) 54. Cow or sow 57. Suspended, like a Leumi account 58. King David’s hometown, in Albany County, N.Y. 60. Old need for taking the train to Yeshiva University 61. David’s beautiful eye part 62. “What can ___ mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:4) 63. Locale for a mitzvah involving a bird’s eggs 64. Shearer’s Flanders and Tobolowsky’s Ryerson 65. Journey for Kirk

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The Jewish Breakfast Club Featured Speaker

STEVE KOONIN Steve Koonin was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club in April 2014. Koonin oversees all business, financial and strategic operations of the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena, and represents the owners as the head of the organization.

Under Koonin’s direction, the Hawks launched an innovative rebranding campaign and focused on a strategically established set of target audiences: millennials and next generation Atlantans; multicultural residents; and business-based consumers.

His brand-centric approach and commitment to connecting with the Atlanta market led to the addition of more than 20 new corporate partners.

Koonin, a longtime entertainment and marketing veteran, joined the Hawks after spending the previous 14 years with Turner Entertainment Networks, most recently serving as the division’s president.

Prior to his stint at Turner, Koonin was at the helmed the marketing and worldwide advertising operations at The Coca-Cola Company, where he spent over a decade. While serving as Coca-Cola’s vice president of sports and entertainment marketing, he was named Sports Executive of the Year by Sports Business Journal.

A lifelong resident of Atlanta, Koonin serves on the boards of Emory Healthcare, the Georgia Aquarium, the Fox Theatre, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and is a trustee of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. He is also on the board of GameStop, the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer.

Luncheon

Wednesday, Feb. 8 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Being held at Greenberg Traurig 3333 Piedmont Rd NE #2500

Registration is $18 per person. Limited Space Available.

Register now at atlantajewishtimes.com/event/jbc-steve-koonin To subscribe call 404-883-2130 x 121 or go to www.atlantajewishtimes.com/subscription

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Jewish Breakfast Club

JANUARY 20 ▪ 2017

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Atlanta, GA 30326-1222 (404) 946-5808

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JANUARY 20 â–ª 2017