Atlanta Jewish Times, XCIV No. 01, January 4, 2019

NEXT WEEK: EDUCATION

VOL. XCIV NO. 01 YEAR IN REVIEW

2018: Jewish Atlanta's Entrepreneur of the Year ARTHUR M. BLANK

AJT'S TOP 2018 STORIES LOOKING BACK ON SOME OF OUR MAJOR HEADLINES FROM LAST YEAR.

AT THE BORDER

RABBIS KNOW NO BOUNDS, SEEING HUMAN SIDE AT THE BORDER WITH MEXICO.

THE LOWDOWN

ATLANTA UNITED OWNER ARTHUR M. BLANK IN AJT'S "I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW..." COLUMN.

JANUARY 4, 2019 | 27 TEVET 5779

2 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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Contributors This Week ALLEN H. LIPIS BOB BAHR BREANNA WEST DAVE SCHECHTER JAN JABEN-EILON KEVIN MADIGAN MARCIA CALLER JAFFE RABBI DAVID GEFFEN RABBI JOAB EICHENBERG-EILON RACHEL FAYNE RACHEL STEIN

Rewind and Remind Just days after 2018, we take a look back at the news that made headlines and captured your attention in the Atlanta Jewish Times. Between the contentious governor’s race – among other political battles – and mass shootings in Parkland and Pittsburgh, it was a year of major news in our city, world and community.

There were anti-Semitic incidents in a few Atlanta-area schools. Kosher food was added at Georgia Tech while being removed from a major grocery store in Sandy Springs. The Orthodox community confronted sexual harassment and measles. A new rabbi, a new CEO, milestones, trend-setting, record-breaking achievements and a national soccer championship were among the pieces we covered this past year.

Our year in review went beyond innovation, arts, culture, and high drama.

We take you on a timeline through 2018, revisiting and updating, rewinding and reminding about the incidents in Atlanta’s Jewish community that caught your eye.

A few of those stories focused on Arthur Blank and his Championship Atlanta United FC. Not to mention his involvement with the Super Bowl set to unite the city again next month. As a result of his continued contribution to our city and community, the AJT named Blank Jewish Atlanta’s 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year.

He’s also our featured mover and shaker in The Lowdown.

Our spiritual leaders are also making news this week. We cover the changing of lead rabbis at Ahavath Achim Synagogue and what a few of our clergy witnessed at the Mexican border last month.

And what would a New Year’s issue be without inspiration for setting health and fitness goals? Read advice from experts at the Marcus JCC and tips from a weight loss counselor to help get your year off on the right foot. So Happy New Year, and here’s to more entertaining, enlightening, motivational coverage in 2019! ■

THIS WEEK Corrections and clarifications: In the Dec. 21 story, “Community Circles Shark Tank Innovators,” a quote attributed to Brad Ruffkess was said during a panel discussion

by Garrett Van de Grift, and Mark Silberman’s name was incorrect in a cutline.

Also, in “AJA Gets New Gym,” the scores of boys and girls basketball teams were reversed.

CONTENTS REFLECTIONS ��������������������������������� 4 LOCAL NEWS ���������������������������������� 5 ISRAEL NEWS ��������������������������������� 8 OPINION ����������������������������������������� 10 COVER STORY ������������������������������ 12 RESOLUTIONS ������������������������������ 28 COMMUNITY ��������������������������������� 30 CALENDAR ������������������������������������� 32 BRAIN FOOD ���������������������������������� 34 OBITUARIES ���������������������������������� 36 CLOSING THOUGHTS ����������������� 38 MARKETPLACE ���������������������������� 39

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REFLECTIONS Enter 2019 With Resolve and Resolutions For most of us, including myThe count of days foreself, we had never excitedly tells the counting of the last met the rising of the sun. few seconds before the “ball” Where the strength to keep falls and it is 2019. We should awake came from I do not seek to turn our blessing of know, but I did it along with life into a life of action and my classmates. activity as we dream of what Is “staying up all night” we hope to accomplish in the a sign of our maturity? I recoming year and all the years ally do not know. Now after to come. As we do all of this all these years, what it does to our best ability, we say Rabbi David mean for me and hopefully “shehecheyanu, vekimanu ve- Geffen for you is that whatever you higianu lazman hazeh.” resolve – you can accomplish. For some, A poem by D. Simone struck me: it meant going to college and becoming “Take the time to enjoy those near you a professional in the field you chose. For Always stay positive never be blue, The important things in life are never some today, it means traveling around the world, expanding your vision for all of theirs It is the relationship we have and the your years to come. In Israel, it means entering the Army, “Tzahal,” (Israel Defense love they bring.”

On the night of my graduation from Forces) to be schooled in the ability to proHenry Grady High School, I participated tect your nation.

Whatever road you take, you should in a ritual which was in vogue then in 1955 in Atlanta. After all the ceremonies in- develop the passion to make all the days cluding the singing of “You’ll Never Walk of your life meaningful, and also raise up Alone,” we all went to the Graduation Ball. your children so they, too, can have their The “ritual” I mentioned was staying own path to tread.

The noted author, Ellen Goodman, up all night and watching the dawn break.

wrote the words that follow: “We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives ... not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

Another author, Mehmet Murat İldan, makes the following suggestion for the new year: “Never forget to thank your past years because they have enabled you to arrive at this junction. Without the stairs of the past, you cannot arrive at the future.

What does each of us need in the New Year? You need a dream. Try to transform that dream into reality.”

Here in Israel are three Americans by birth, friends for more than 50 years, and a relative for that same period of time. In the past few years they have accomplished what few other immigrants (olim) have.

One, Judge Steve Adler, married to our cousin Ruth Ziff Adler, made aliyah to Israel in the late 1960s. Over the period of years, he rose to be the first AmericanIsraeli to be chosen the president judge of the National Labor Court of Israel.

A second, professor Shamma Friedman, is a native of Philadelphia, the cradle of Liberty. Through his studies and ingenuity, he has developed a high-tech program to place all versions of the Talmud, side-by-side, so that they can be studied to weave together a much more accurate text of the human-made code of the basis of Jewish law. For his achievement, he was awarded the highest honor of our nation, the Israel Prize. Now many study the Talmudic text which he developed.

The third, who just celebrated his 80th birthday, is professor Aaron Demsky, a historian of the Biblical period. When

we were in school together at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in the 1960s, I witnessed him first honing his Biblical and Hebraic skills. After graduation, he and his wife moved to Israel in 1965. He earned his doctorate and then began to teach at Bar-Ilan University. He was a most prolific author in Hebrew and English. A few years ago, he was awarded the Bialik Prize of Tel Aviv, the highest honor given for a volume in Hebrew.

Few of us know the background of these individuals, unless we Google them.

What we can see is how they matured.

They grew and grew. All of us and generations to come can benefit from what they have given to us. Early in their lives, they committed themselves to succeed and be “ground-breakers.” How fortunate that they live in our age, and so we are living witnesses to their achievements.

Every new year in the civil calendar, as every Rosh Hashanah in our Jewish calendar, calls out to us – “make this year a most fruitful one.” The dictionary tells us that “fruitful” has a variety of meanings.

The best one known is “producing much fruit, being fertile.”

Another is “producing good results, productive.” Also, in more human terms, it means “producing offspring.” Then, there is seeing “the result or reward of work or activity.” Surely, all know that fruitful means “the result of work or activity.”

God said to our ancestors “pru urevu,” “be fruitful and multiply.” What a great moment it is for us as we open the door to 2019. Whatever happens, and a great deal should, it is up to us. May all of you have Hashem’s blessings in the year to come.

I have been blessed that my wife Rita and I have had a beautiful life in Israel and the United States. On Shabbat, December 29, we will celebrate our 56th anniversary. ■

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The Dawn of a New Day at AA

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Changing of the guard, passing the torch and l’dor v’dor are all visualizations of the cresting wave as Ahavath Achim Synagogue, one of Atlanta’s oldest congregations, transitions its lead clergy position from Rabbi Neil Sandler to Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal. Rosenthal, who served as the assistant and co-rabbi for the past decade, is slated to imprint his vision, vitality and creativity on the membership of more than 800 families pending a congregational vote this spring. Brimming with geniality, the musician and father of four listened, observed and questioned before taking on his new position. Below, he shares his thoughts on how the congregation can further establish connectivity through communal life and spirituality by “breaking through the noise.”

Jaffe: Two other Conservative synagogues in Atlanta also recently changed over to “younger” head rabbis. Have you formed some cadre with them?

Rosenthal: Rabbi Ari Kaiman and I have a close relationship from attending rabbinical school together. Rabbi Daniel Dorsch and I met during our time together in Atlanta. They are both bringing amazing energy and creativity to their congregations and the Jewish community. As vice president of the Atlanta Rabbinical Assembly, I have the opportunity to work closely with many community rabbis. We are blessed to have incredible Jewish spiritual leadership in Atlanta, and as the president-elect of the ARA, I look forward to continuing this collaborative work.

Jaffe: Historically, you are the only head rabbi at AA who first served the congregation as the assistant rabbi.

Rosenthal: Over the past decade, I have fallen in love with the congregation. The people are really the core of the Ahavath Achim experience. I know many families intimately, as I have been with them through joy, sorrow, pain and triumph. I am humbled and honored the congregation is looking to me to lead them forward at this time.

Jaffe: Noting the changes you implemented for this past High Holiday season: the Torah procession through the building; blending the tent and sanctuary services; offering a pre-service meetand-greet reception on Rosh Hashanah, what other changes are you considering?

Rosenthal: I am focusing on finding meaningful ways to engage in our

LOCAL NEWS

spiritual tradition, it’s not always easy! spent with my kids: carpooling, kung fu ritual and prayer. This However, by listening practice, homework. requires a lot of liscarefully, we are better Jaffe: What do you consider your tening, observing and able to see the world biggest strengths? questioning. We are through their eyes Rosenthal: I did not grow up as an now asking, “Why are and to be challenged observant Jew. When I was really young, we doing this? What and enriched by their I remember having Friday night dinis the core purpose of spiritual acumen and ner at home. However, after my parents this practice?” Then, depth of soul. separated, Shabbat dinner became sushi we attempt to infuse a Jaffe: You’re a at a local restaurant. We would show up meaningful, conscious great dad and musi- to High Holiday services late and leave approach to it all. cian. What’s your idea early. No youth group, no Jewish camp or For instance, when of spending a cool day day school. looking closely at our I found my way back to my Jewish away from the pulpit?

Saturday morning Rosenthal: My heritage with the guidance of loving, Shabbat service, the day off is usually spent caring and patient rabbis from the local Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal is slated crowd always arrives doing yoga, playing Los Angeles Kollel network. I vividly reto replace Rabbi Neil Sandler at closer to 10 a.m. So, we Ahavath Achim Synagogue after a tennis and playing member what those first steps back into are shifting the start congregational vote this spring. through the “Jazz Fake religious, spiritual community felt like – time from 9 to 9:45 Book” with friends. At AA, I found an scary, foreign, judgmental and ignorant. a.m. and ending at noon. We’ll spend the My strength lies in remembering incredible cadre of musicians who are morning in prayer and engaged in the synagogue members. We put together a what it was like to live differently. What spirituality of reading from the Torah. group and are performing a combination we all have in common is our search for Then, a Rabbi’s Tisch (table) will take of my original compositions and tradi- new ways to connect with each other, our place during Kiddush lunch to hear a tional guitar blues at the Jan. 13 Atlanta tradition, our heritage and ourselves. My sermon, offer blessings for our weekly Jewish Life Festival at the Georgia Aquar- job is to help them find and to cultivate celebrants, and to share in song and caium. Additionally, part of my day off is those meaningful connections. ■ maraderie.

In an effort to continue processing these experiments and changes, the Rabbi’s Tisch is also going to be a time for us to hear from our congregants. It’s not about me … it’s about us. The future of the congregation is about our collective journey and each of us owning our part of the Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Internationally Certified Negotiator, spirituality.

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Jaffe: Do you think synagogue membership in Atlanta is overly fragmented with so many new intown congregations? What is AA’s niche vis-a-vis the regentrification of the center city?

Rosenthal: Many people are moving back to the city’s core to find meaningful, communal living experiences and are searching for personal and purposeful community connections. The synagogue has a special place in this landscape.

Regarding other synagogues and their place in the landscape, I don’t see them as competition. One of the lasting legacies of Rabbi Sandler is to see the community as working together rather than apart. As he taught me, “Rising waters lift all ships.”

Jaffe: What advice would you give to parents rearing young children?

Rosenthal: I am blessed with a very special partner, Brooke, in my life. For me, my parenting starts by respecting and honoring that relationship. Together, we turn to our children and make sure we are listening to them. With four children — 12, 10, 8 and 6 — you can imagine

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LOCAL NEWS

Rabbis Witness Realities of Life on Mexico Border

By Eddie Samuels

Just days before the federal government partially shut down as a result of President Donald Trump’s demands for more than $5 billion in funding for a Mexican border wall, four members of the Atlanta Jewish community visited the site of contention.

The U.S.-based group that visited the border at Nogales in Sonora, Mexico Dec. 16-20 included Atlanta-area Rabbis Michael Bernstein, Pamela Gottfried and Joshua Lesser, along with Olivia Rocamora, Spanish department head of The Weber School. The trip was coordinated with Rabbis Without Borders and the Kino Border Initiative.

The goal of the trip, according to Lesser, was to see a human side of immigration debates, which too often take the form of demonizing and “otherizing” people.

The four spent time in the comedor, or dining room, where they served food to migrants and spoke to those who wanted to share their stories. Bernstein explained the importance of human interaction and entertainment.

Photo courtesy of Joshua Lesser // Members of the Rabbis Without Borders trip pose for a photo.

“We had a rabbi with us, who I knew from other conferences we’d been to, who could juggle,” Bernstein said. “He would juggle and again, you’d think why would they want to see somebody juggle?

But adults and kids totally got into it, and

you realize how starving they are for that kind of fun.”

Rocamora described what it was like seeing the number of Americans and Mexicans working to ensure there was a dignity and humanity to the experience, even in difficult circumstances. She said that her ability to speak a common language with many of the migrants allowed her to connect in distinct ways.

“When you speak someone else’s language, it’s like having a key to their house; you gain access to rooms others can’t see from the outside,” Rocamora said. “My Spanish allowed me to understand the details of migrants’ stories and be an accurate witness. I was also able to express my confusion, grief, and hope

along with them, reminding them of a larger family we are all a part of.”

Underscoring the lessons of this trip are recent political decisions in the United States, such as President Trump’s attempts to restrict the asylum process or his calls for a border wall.

“What saddened me most was discovering that the United States defines asylum as religious or political persecution, and though the mafia governs areas by bribing local authorities to do nothing, that doesn’t count as political persecution,” Rocamora said.

Bernstein said that the attitudes surrounding many of the president’s immigration policies could be as damaging as the policies themselves.

Photo courtesy of Michael Bernstein // Many parts of the border

fence are painted with messages and murals. This section reads: Our dreams of freedom cannot be stopped by any wall.

Photo courtesy of Olivia Rocamora //

A cross bearing the words, You Matter, sits on one portion of the border fence as a message to the thousands of migrants at the border.

6 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

LOCAL NEWS

Photo courtesy of Michael Bernstein // Victor works

at the comedor and has some Jewish heritage.

He was given a kippah by one of the rabbis.

“The wall itself comes along with an attitude of xenophobia. … A strong presence on the border could be helpful if there was a commitment to migration and letting people in, at the very least whose lives are threatened, but also who are looking for economic opportunity like every other migrant group have come.”

Both Rocamora and Lesser emphasized that education about the human side of the border, as well as the issues themselves, were vital to a true understanding of the situation. “[In my classes] I’m always pushing kids to see immigration as a personal issue, not just a political issue, helping them foster empathy for immigrants,” Rocamora said.

Lesser said that while the Mexican border is far away, Congregation Bet Haverim supports detainees closer to home at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga., about 140 miles south of Atlanta.

“There are a number of detention centers in Georgia. From a very deeply Jewish place, calling on our family stories, we need to be able to speak to our legislators and say, this is not acceptable,” Lesser said. “The myths and lies about the people at the border must stop.” ■

Photo courtesy of Olivia Rocamora // One of the migrants seeking asylum, Felix, was awaiting his hearing during the trip to the border. His son, pictured, learned to juggle from one of the rabbis and can be seen practicing the craft.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 7

ISRAEL PRIDE

News From Our Jewish Home Congress Passes Bill Condemning Use of Civilians as Human Shields Last month, the U.S. House adopted Senate amendments to H.R. 3342, Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act. Sponsored by Rep. Mark Gallagher (R-WI), the bill passed Dec. 11 officially condemns the use of civilians as human shields and imposes sanctions on each person that is a member of or acting on behalf of Hamas or Hezbollah that is complicit in the use of civilians as human shields and any other person engaged with or supporting Hamas or Hezbollah.

Gallagher and Foundation for Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz wrote in The Wall Street Journal last year: “For its use of civilians as human shields, Hezbollah and its Iranian patron should be sanctioned by the U.S. and Europe for committing massive humanrights abuses amounting to war crimes.”

Passed by both houses of Congress, the bill now awaits the president’s signature before becoming law.

ArtBnB is a residential festival in which artists lived and created art in one of three cultural centers in the heart of Jerusalem: HaMiffal, Beita, and the Muslala Terrace in the Clal Building. The Israeli artists worked alongside the visitors, accompanying and collaborating with them.

The participating artists were from such cities as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boulder, Lisbon, Krakow, Moscow, Vienna, Barcelona, Zurich, London, Nairobi, and Amsterdam.

The project is an initiative and collaboration of HaMiffal, the Jerusalem Municipality Youth Authority, the Jerusalem Development Authority and Eden JDC.

Rona Ramon, surviving spouse of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, died Dec. 17 at 54.

World Artists Come to Jerusalem

Rona Ramon, Wife of Deceased Columbia Astronaut, Dies at 54

Twenty artists, chosen from around the world, came to Jerusalem for two weeks of around-the-clock art last month at ArtBnB. They joined 21 local Israeli artists Dec. 9-20 to create works in the public space, and for meetings, workshops and a wandering exhibition that ended the project and displayed the products from the event.

Rona Ramon, widow of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, died Dec. 17 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to The Times of Israel.

Rona Ramon stayed out of the spotlight following her husband’s death aboard the Columbia shuttle in 2003. He was Israel’s first astronaut and a former Israel Defense Forces pilot, participating

Today in Israeli History

The western terminus of the Mosul-Haifa pipeline is seen at Haifa’s harbor in 1938.

Jan. 4, 1935: A pipeline spanning 590 miles from Kirkuk, Iraq, to Haifa begins operating to carry oil from the Mosul fields to the Mediterranean Sea. Crude oil takes about 10 days to travel the full route through the 12-inch-diameter pipe, then is refined and stored in Haifa until it can be shipped to Europe. The pipeline remains in operation until Israel’s independence in 1948.

Jan. 5, 1930: Two socialist-leaning political movements in the Land of Israel, David Ben-Gurion’s Ahdut Ha’avodah (La8 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

in the 1981 bombing of Iraq’s nuclear facilities.

Rona Ramon earned her master’s degree from Lesley University and established the Ramon Foundation, which encourages excellence through science, technology, space exploration and flight.

She gave speeches throughout Israel and is mourned by citizens and politicians across the political spectrum.

“Time is tricky. Over time, you lose objectivity,” she told the Associated Press in 2013. “Sometimes, it feels like it happened ages ago, and sometimes it feels like it just happened.”

bor Unity) and Joseph Sprinzak’s Hapoel Hatzair (Young Worker Party), merge into Mapai, which quickly becomes the dominant political party in the Yishuv (area of Jewish settlement). The party provides Israel’s first four prime ministers and is the Knesset’s largest until 1968, when it merges into the Labor Party.

Jan. 6, 1942: Rabbi Jacob Moshe Toledano, the chief rabbi of Alexandria, Egypt, returns to the Land of Israel to assume the post of the Sephardic chief rabbi of Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Born in Tiberias in 1880, Toledano comes from a long line of rabbis and traces his family back to Toledo, Spain. His experience includes three years as the chief rabbi of Tangiers, Morocco, in the late 1920s.

Jan. 7, 2010: University of Haifa professor Gershon Galil announces that he has deciphered an inscription found at Khirbet Qeiyafa in 2008 on a pottery shard from the 10th century B.C.E. Written in ink in a proto-Canaanite script, the inscription is the earliest-known Hebrew writing yet discovered. The text calls for

The Weizmann Institute establishes institute in memory of Barry Sherman, found murdered last year in Toronto with his wife, Honey.

Weizmann Creates Medicinal Chemistry Institute for Dr. Barry Sherman In an effort to advance basic research insights into therapeutic discoveries, the Weizmann Institute of Science is establishing the Dr. Barry Sherman

Institute for Medicinal Chemistry. The institute is the result of a major gift from the Sherman family in memory of the doctor, who was found murdered with his wife, Honey, in their Toronto home a year ago, Dec. 15, 2017.

The Sherman Institute for Medicinal Chemistry will fund innovative research on compounds that hold promise for becoming therapies for a range of human diseases and disorders, including autoimmune diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and infectious diseases.

Among the investigations that are expected to take place at the Sherman Institute are: • Efforts to develop new antibiotics to overcome the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance • Harnessing plant metabolites for potential drugs, including an unprecedented method of bioengineering plants to generate L-DOPA, the leading drug for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, and • Advancing a promising, effective, and inexpensive anti-malaria potential drug compound.

“This visionary gift comes at an important moment, when new, sophisticated evaluation and screening tools make it possible to take promising molecules to the next level for the benefit of human health,” says professor Daniel Zajfman, president of the Weizmann Institute. ■

the protection of slaves, widows and orphans, the rehabilitation of the poor, and the support of strangers.

Jan. 8, 1978: Rose Luria Halprin, a two-time national president of Hadassah who held numerous leadership positions in the Jewish Agency during the British Mandate, dies in New York at age 83. A New York native, she led Hadassah from 1932 to 1934 and from 1947 to 1952, and served as a liaison to the Hadassah Medical Organization while living in Jerusalem in the late 1930s.

Jan. 9, 1873: Hayim Nahman Bialik, who becomes Israel’s national poet, is born in Radi in the region of Volhynia in northwestern Ukraine. He gets involved with Zionism while studying at a yeshiva in Lithuania and falls under the influence of the writing of Ahad Ha’am and his call for cultural Zionism. After going to Kishinev to cover the aftermath of the 1903 pogrom, he writes the poem “In the City of Slaughter.” He makes aliyah in 1924 and plays an important part in the cultural development of Tel Aviv.

Photo by Avi Ohayon, Government Press Office

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, U.S. President Bill Clinton and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara talk during a walk in Shepherdstown, W.Va., on Jan. 3, 2000.

Jan. 10, 2000: Seven days of peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara, focusing on trading all or part of the Golan Heights for peace, conclude without any resolution in Shepherdstown, W.Va. Facilitated by U.S. President Bill Clinton, the talks are supposed to resume Jan. 19, but they never restart. ■ Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (www. israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 9

OPINION Letter to the editor:

Letter to the editor: Two Bananas

Stanford student Hamzeh Daoud posted on Facebook that he would “physically fight” Zionists, but later amended his post to read that he would “intellectually,” not “physically,” attack them.

Dr. Lara Kollab tweeted: “hahha ewww… ill purposely give all the yahood [Jews] the wrong meds …” Will she likewise claim that she, too, only intended an “intellectual” attack?

In another post, Kollab wrote in Arabic, “May Allah take back [end the lives of] the Jews so we stop being forced to go to those unclean ones.” Is this invocation of Allah in keeping with Muslim teachings?

Patients must be able to trust doctors without fear that medical decisions will ever be politically influenced.

Lara Kollab apparently feels that “First, do no harm...” in the Hippocratic Oath can be ignored. No amount of “mentoring” can assure anyone that Dr. Kollab can be trusted. Dr. Kollab has demonstrated that she is not morally fit to hold a medical license.

Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif.

I was standing in a checkout line at a Kroger store in Gwinnett County. I watched an elderly woman in front of me fumbling in her pocket. She looked frail. I heard her tell the cashier that she had some loose change.

After some delay she told the cashier that she couldn’t buy the bananas because she didn’t have enough money. I stepped forward.

“How much is she short?” I guessed the woman’s age close to mine. I noticed four bananas in her cart. “$1.20,” the cashier said, embarrassed for the customer.

“Put the bananas in her bag,” I said. I handed the cashier $2.00.

“Oh, no sir,” the lady said. “You don’t have to do that. I’m a little short this week. I can get the bananas next week when my check comes.”

She was close to tears. You shouldn’t have to wait for a banana.

I smiled. “I think we dated when we were young.”

I often say that in jest. When you can no longer climb mountains, it’s a source of entertainment.

“Oh no, I’m not from here,” she said, her eyes squinting.

“From where?”

“I was born in Henderson, Kentucky.”

“I knew it. I lived in Evansville. I swam the Ohio River to see you.”

“You’re funny.” She smiled a little.

“I’ll bet 26 cents I’m older than you,” I said.

“I don’t bet,” she said. “Besides, you know I don’t have change.”

Her eyes looked tired. I guess if you can’t afford bananas, you can feel bad.

“Want some coffee?” I said. I sensed she was alone.

The market had Starbucks. I brought coffee.

Her hand shook as she raised her cup. She needed serious perking up.

“So, could we have dated?” I asked.

“You were too young.” Her eyes twinkled.

“So, I would have lost the bet, huh?”

“I think so; I’m 91.”

“I’m 89. But I lusted for mature girls in high school,” I said. She perked up a little.

“My husband was much like you, amusing.” Her chin trembled. “I see your Navy ring. He was a Seabee.

They built bridges and airport runways. He died last year.” Her lips quivered. Tears tracked down her cheeks.

I handed her a napkin. She really needed a friend.

“Got any relatives, Sugar?”

“My daughter’s in California, but I don’t see her very often,” she said. “I try to keep my home up, but we had a lot of expenses those last months. I worry a lot.

Living alone, I can’t even afford to have my yard cut and my gutters cleaned.”

One social security check gone; CD rates anemic; prescription prices up; politicians hustling more taxes, talking penalties for not having health insurance; house break-ins increasing; utility prices up; rapes; murders; seniors being ripped off. It’s no wonder she was shop-worn.

It’s scary when you’re 91, and all alone. It’s scary at 89, and I’m in good shape.

I carried her bag to her car. I noticed her license. I figured I could cut her grass and clean her gutters. She would find $50 when she ate a banana. The lady died four months later. Her gutters were clean, grass mowed, and she had two bananas on the countertop.

Bill York, Atlanta ■

Cleveland Clinic Doctor Fired After Making Anti-Semitic Statements Online Updated Dec. 31 at 4:33 PM | www.cleveland19.com

By Amber Cole CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - The Cleveland Clinic released a statement Monday after reports began circulating online that a doctor at the hospital had been posting anti-Semitic sentiments on social media.

The doctor, who has been identified as Lara Kollab, 27, of Westlake, was a supervised resident. We’re told she is no longer employed by the clinic.

We reached out to the Cleveland Clinic and received the following statement: “This individual was employed as a supervised resident at our hospital from July to September 2018. She is no longer working at Cleveland Clinic. In no way do these beliefs reflect those of our organization. We fully embrace diversity, inclusion and a culture of safety and respect across our entire health system.”

Kollab is no longer employed at the clinic, but her medical license remains active. Issued in Cuyahoga County in July 2018, it is valid until June 2021.

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

Above: Marion with her parents and brother, 1942.

Left: Marion, age 7

www.amyisraelchaiatlanta.org www.daffodilproject.net 10 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

OPINION

An Ominous Forecast to Begin a New Year

We begin 2019 by looking amation League Southeast back at the worst Jewish moregional director, monitors ment of 2018. these trends. “Anti-Semitism Without minimizing the is entering the mainstream in discomfort of hearing the ways that we haven’t seen bealt-right chant “Jews will not fore, whether it be openly antireplace us” in Charlottesville, Semitic candidates running Va., the murder of 11 worshipfor public office, anti-Semitic pers at the Tree of Life-Or white supremacists moving L’Simcha Congregation in into public spaces, or frequent Pittsburgh on Shabbat morn- Dave anti-Semitic incidents in ing Oct. 26 terrified American Schechter schools,” she said.

From Where I Sit Jewry.

If the far right doesn’t like That is where CBS “SunJews and the far left doesn’t day Morning” began its Dec. 9 report titled like Israel – and seemingly cannot under“The longest hatred: Anti-Semitism on the stand how anti-Zionism can drift into anrise.” ti-Semitism – and both feel emboldened, The last sound bite in the piece, from must we contemplate what “worse” might Deborah Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of entail?

Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Lauren Menis, a co-founder of the AtStudies at Emory University, grabbed my lanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism, sees attention. no leveling off of anti-Semitism, “So we “I never thought I would live to see the must assume that things are going to get day where I’d be protected in a synagogue worse and act accordingly. We must stand in America. And it’s gonna get worse; it’s up to hate and make it known that it’s not gonna get worse,” Lipstadt said. okay in our neighborhood, city or state,” The sight of police stationed outside Menis said. synagogues had ceased to surprise me long “We must be as loud as they are, and before Pittsburgh. Their presence, a sad we must stand as one community. And yes, commentary in itself, is nonetheless reas- this probably sounds idealistic, but it’s the suring. only way I can see to stop this. Because Still, “worse”? somehow it’s become acceptable to spout “I don’t like to predict,” Lipstadt said, hate, and I believe once people feel that responding to a query. “So my statement their positions are somehow acceptable, about it getting ‘worse’ is generalized. How- our society’s moral compass shifts and ever, I think that there are many people then you start to see things like the Pittsin the U.S., particularly groups on the far burgh shootings.” right, that feel emboldened and free to The shootings at Tree of Life were a act in an anti-Semitic manner. Maybe not personal tragedy for Eric Robbins, the presshooting up a shul, but still … And on the ident and CEO of the Jewish Federation of left, the BDS [boycott, divest, sanctions] ‘Is- Greater Atlanta, who grew up in the Squirrael is always wrong group’ also feels more rel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. emboldened. They are pushing their agen“We clearly need to continue to make da in a far stronger fashion than we had security the priority but stay optimistic seen previously.” that the U.S. is an incredible place to live Lipstadt explores these issues and oth- as a practicing Jew and somehow find the ers, including the role played by those who balance between being secure and being enable exponents of Jew hatred, in “Anti- welcoming. The Pittsburgh tragedy should Semitism: Here and Now,” her latest book, make us stronger and more resilient and scheduled for release in January. prouder,” Robbins said.

“I don’t believe the absolute numbers Coming from a scholar with Lipstadt’s of anti-Semites are rising at any major rate credentials, even a generalized forecast of in the U.S., but I believe that the current “worse” is an ominous way to begin the climate gives existing anti-Semites a sense year. ■ of permission to express it,” said Paul Root Wolpe, director of the Emory Center for AP Photo/Gene Ethics.

J. Puskar // In Wolpe suggested that the BDS movethis Oct. 28, 2018, photo, a ment “contributes to an anti-Israel climate Pittsburgh Police that bleeds over into the far right in a genofficer walks eralized sense of grievance and permission past the Tree of to attack and denigrate Jews.”

Life Synagogue Allison Padilla-Goodman, Anti-Defand memorial.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 11

YEAR IN REVIEW Blank Steps onto the Field as Mega Performer for Atlanta “Arthur Blank The Atlanta Falcons, to make it a better In business and politics, too, became more valuable has raised the bar for place to live and visthe question is often posed: in 2018, according to Forbes' sports and hospitalit. I hope the work Is it the times that make the rankings released Sept. 20. ity in Atlanta. From of our Foundation, man, or the man who makes The team was the 13th most bringing home the especially on the the times? Very rarely is it the valuable franchise in the MLS Cup to bringWestside, inspires latter. The galaxies aligned National Football League, an ing the Super Bowl others to join the efwhen native New Yorker Arimprovement from the previ- to Atlanta, Arthur fort to improve lives thur M. Blank settled here ous two years. Its valuation deserves all the accoin any way they can. in 1978 to revolutionize the was reported as $2.6 billion, lades possible,” said home improvement industry a 5 percent increase over the Atlanta Hawks CEO Jaffe: What into The Home Depot’s ware- Marcia previous year, according to Steve Koonin. tips on civility can house concept and make “the Caller Jaffe the Forbes ranking. you give to others? times” much of what is good Home Depot The stadium’s first year “was a hit for co-founder agrees.

Blank: The esabout modern Atlanta today. sence of communiWhat you may not know is that he the Falcons," with local NFL revenue up 70 “Arthur was a true ty is that everyone graduated from Babson College and was percent by Forbes’ count. The team also partner, and the matters; everyone an accountant, then a drug store chain made news with its reduced-price con- success of Home has a place. If we president before the good fortune of being cessions, cut 50 percent over the previous Depot was due to Arthur M. Blank, Jewish Atlanta's could see every indi“fired” by a regional hardware chain. Talk year, Forbes stated. the strength of our 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year.

The publication also offered these partnership. I am vidual as a human about bouncing back!

From co-founding The Home Depot statistics about the team: Blank paid $545 proud to witness his ongoing success, and being with the right to life, happiness and with Bernie Marcus, Blank has amassed million for the team in 2002. It earned he deserves to be recognized for his valu- safety, our behaviors would reflect that, a powerful lineup of business and philan- $451 million in revenue last season ($34 able contributions to our community,” and civility would be something requiring per fan) and had $113 million in operat- said Bernie Marcus. no effort. It would just happen. thropic successes.

The Blank Family of Businesses port- ing income. It received $74 million in gate Even the name of Blank’s soccer Jaffe: What is left to achieve on your folio currently includes the PGA TOUR receipts. team is an indication of his far-reaching Blank’s impact on tourism and the influence. While looking back on Blank’s bucket list?

Superstore; The Arthur M. Blank Family Blank: Hoping for good physical and Foundation; Mountain Sky Guest Ranch; city go way beyond sporting events and past year – from financial to infrastrucWest Creek Ranch; and AMB Group, the structures. Giving back, the Blank Fam- ture – the city that includes our Jewish mental health with lots of quality time parent company of his for-profit busi- ily Foundation along with the Atlanta community is poised for the ripple effect with my family and close friends. nesses. Blank also serves on the board of Super Bowl Host Committee and NFL and continued prosperity expected from Jaffe: What other organizations or trustees for Emory University and The Foundation are funding a major capital the Super Bowl and beyond. To see the Carter Center and is the director of several improvement project for Atlanta. The $2 banners and cheering crowds lining the companies do you most admire? million investment and renovation of downtown streets following Atlanta UnitBlank: The Home Depot and nonprofits.

But Blank is probably best known John F. Kennedy Park on the city’s West- ed’s recent MLS win is an indication that Walmart, as well as all of our businesses, lately for his record-setting sports tri- side is part of the Legacy 53 initiative Blank has successfully unified the city which are based on core values that stand the test of time and have leadership that umphs, which gained international atten- that broke ground in August and will be with more than just team spirit. unveiled during Super Bowl week next tion and united the city in 2018.

Our exclusive interview with Blank believes in those values and demonstrates Blank and the Falcons, in partner- month. reveals other little-knowns about the man how important taking care of the customIn the catbird seat, or suite, in this behind the unifying force … ers and communities they serve is to busiship with the city of Atlanta and the state ness success. of Georgia, are the funders of the $1.5 bil- case, Blank is poised to enjoy the Super lion Mercedes-Benz Stadium that opened Bowl in a few short weeks looking out on Jaffe: You have done so much for AtJaffe: Whom do you consider your in 2017 and is slated to host the 2019 Super his home turf. lanta, what do you want your main legacy For all the talents and contributions to be? greatest business mentor or role model?

Bowl.

Blank: I’ve said many times that BerIn the past year, the Atlanta Jewish to Atlanta and the state, we at the AJT saBlank: Well, Atlanta has done so Times has written about Blank, his teams lute him as Jewish Atlanta’s 2018 Entre- much for me and my family. I love this nie Marcus, my partner in founding The or the new stadium 11 times. Among the preneur of the Year. community and have tried to do my part Home Depot, was like a father figure to me personally; but he also was a great mentor headlines was Atlanta United becoming and visionary from a business perspecthe Major League Soccer champion Dec. 8, tive. Everyone should have a mentor like in only its second year of existence. It was him that they are able to not only cherish a rare achievement for Atlanta, winning as a mentor, but as a dear friend, as I do a professional sports championship. A with Bernie. record crowd of 73,019 filled the stadium.

A month earlier, the AJT reported Jaffe: As a Jewish entrepreneur in how, in 2018 alone, more than 1 million 2018, what are you most thankful for? soccer fans swarmed the stadium to atBlank: I’m always thankful for the tend Atlanta United FC games, making love and support of my family, and that it the most valuable team in the MLS, has been very true this year. I’m also worth $330 million, according to Forbes thankful to the leadership teams and asmagazine. A record-breaking 70,526 fans sociates in all of our businesses. We’ve watched the Audi MLS Cup on Nov. 12 had an incredible year across the board in Atlanta. It was recorded as the largest because of them and because of our fans, Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin Home Depot co-founders Bernie Marcus and crowd ever gathered for an MLS playoff also speaks highly of Blank.

Arthur Blank in a "throwback photo." customers, guests and grantees. ■ game.

12 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

The Lowdown I Bet You Didn’t Know …

Arthur M. Blank Our readers have enjoyed The Lowdown column we rolled out in 2018 spotlighting local “movers and shakers” — some bent on creativity, empire building, activism and/or just celebrating what it’s like to live the good life. Lean in to hear some off-the-cuff remarks about what makes Arthur Blank tick.

Best known as a co-founder of The Home Depot, Arthur Blank is now recognized for his diverse businesses. He was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the World’s 100 Greatest Living Business Minds in 2017, SportsBusiness Journal’s 2017 Executive of the Year and one of its 50 Most Influential People in Sports in 2016.

Atlantans know him for his sports teams: the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the MLS champion Atlanta United FC. He seems to have the golden touch when it comes to sports and business.

And more importantly, he gives so much back to the community to make long-lasting improvements, many of which are done behind the scenes. And did you know he has six children?

Get to know him better right here.

What was your very first job?

I began working at my father’s pharmacy in Queens, N.Y., in my early teens. I helped out wherever needed.

What advice would you give a 20-year-old Arthur Blank?

Never compromise your core values.

What’s your go-to snack?

Pretzels, probably.

If they made a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?

My first choice would’ve been Clark Gable, but now I’m thinking Matthew McConaughey!

Last time I danced …

Was when Atlanta United won the 2018 MLS Cup Championship.

Reported by Marcia Caller Jaffe

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 13

JANUARY 12

19

Year in Review

2018 was an exciting year for Jewish Atlanta. Join us in remembering a few of the top stories that captivated our readers. The following timeline includes stories with higher than average online traffic or overall community buzz. Several that are highlighted include updates or new information indicated by a diamond:

Atlanta Could Lose Israeli Consulate

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

A year after the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta was again spared the ax by the State of Israel, a spokesman told the Atlanta Jewish Times that there are no plans to close the Midtown office, which represents Israel and serves Israelis in seven states.

In January 2018, the Atlanta Consulate was on a list of seven of Israel’s 103 diplomatic missions scheduled to be closed by 2022 under a budget agreement that included nearly $12 million in pay raises for the Foreign Ministry staff.

“We are staying open indefinitely,” said Lucas Dear, director of public affairs for the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast.

However, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported that the workers’ committee representing Foreign Ministry staff is threatening to impose labor sanctions to “head off new budget cuts at the ministry.”

This would include the reduction in the salaries paid to Israeli ambassadors.

Reportedly, the Finance Ministry has once again suggested consolidating diplomatic offices in the United States to save on rent and security expenses. Each mission costs between $2.1 million and $4 million a year to run, the newspaper also noted.

By Eddie Samuels

Billed as a fundraiser for the Jewish Fertility Foundation, the MomProm on Nov. 4, 2017, looked like it would be a night of fancy fun for a fantastic foundation. To this day, however, the charity has yet to see a penny of the proceeds, according to JFF Executive Director Elana Frank.

Figures on the net proceeds from the event, organized by Nicole Wiesen of Jewish Moms of Atlanta, differ with each telling, from as little as $68 to as much as $15,000, according to a cease and desist letter from Secretary of State Brian Kemp's office on July 31, 2018. The letter was directed to Wiesel and her company, Jewish Women Incorporated, operating as Jewish Moms of Atlanta.

Findings from the investigation of the secretary of state’s office indicated that Wiesel misled donors into making checks out to JMOA rather than to the JFF and told those donors that such contributions would be taxdeductible. The donations were not deductible, however, because JWI, unlike JFF, is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a fact Wi-

14 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer

So, while the long-term future of Atlanta's Israeli Consulate is uncertain, Dear told the AJT that Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer’s post as consul general will end in June 2019 when she will return to Israel. And the incoming Consul, Anat SultanDadon, will arrive to take the post in July 2019. ■

26 DeKalb Teacher Accused of Abuse, Anti-Semitism ♦

By Rachel Fayne

The DeKalb teacher accused in January 2018 of abuse and anti-Semitism remains employed by the district, according to the DeKalb County School District.

The January accusations were made at Peachtree Charter Middle School, when a young student reported that the teacher had stuck out his foot to trip her causing her lunch to fly everywhere, then didn’t offer to help and instead laughed at her. This incident came after the student had already told her mother of other events, including the teacher saying to her daughter that he “would have known you were a Jew just by looking at you.” The same day as the tripping incident, a different student reported that the same teacher had pushed a small boy out of his seat, held him down, and yelled in his face with a megaphone.

The mother of the student who was tripped sent an email to the principal and vice principal once she learned about the incident. Although she was told the teacher would be removed from the classroom, he was not suspended or put on leave during the inquiry. The teacher was switched to a different classroom eventually, but he was not placed on leave until WSB-TV caught wind of the story and began investigating on Jan. 24, 2018.

According to a statement released Dec. 17, 2018 by the DeKalb County School District, “an investigation was conducted, and the teacher was appropriately disciplined

MomProm Fails to Fund Nonprofit ♦

Nicole Wiesen (left) and Keri Kaufmann are shown in 2015 when they were both administrators of the Jewish Moms of Atlanta Facebook group, which Kaufmann co-founded. Wiesen has been removed from the group.

esel was warned about on multiple occasions.

While a check was made out to JFF for $4,503 on Nov. 17, 2017, the check was returned because of insufficient funds in JMOA’s business account, and previously advertised $5,000 contributions from private businesses were nowhere to be found.

Wiesel explained that the check was reissued, but, according to the cease and desist

letter, the reissued check was never received.

In addition to JFF, the caterer of the event, For All Occasions and More, was not paid on time. Owner Jodie Sturgeon explained at the time that she had received $2,000 of the $5,100 for the event and her attorney had received an additional $777.32.

But in a recent follow-up conversation, she said she received full payment by the end of

The teacher accused of anti-Semitism remains employed in the DeKalb County School District.

and assigned to another position within the district.”

This was not the first time an incident of faith-based bullying occurred at Peachtree Charter. In 2013, DeKalb County School District entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at reducing bullying at the school.The terms of the agreement ended in 2015, but many critics of the school district have called for a need to step in once again to prevent incidents at the school. The agreement was initially signed after another former student was allegedly targeted with verbal and physical harassment because of his religion.

Lauren Menis, founder of the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism, said the teacher should not have remained in the classroom after the most recent anti-Semitic incident. “If a teacher accused of something like this is still in a class teaching, that’s not good,” she said. “This appears to go beyond hate to actual assault.” ■

February.

Wiesen has twice pled guilty to fraudulent activities, first in 2010, when she pled guilty to theft by conversion in Fulton County, and then in 2015 in Gwinnett County for identity theft. She received one year of probation for the first charge, and five years of probation for the second, a felony.

The AJT obtained what appeared to be a forged Internal Revenue Service letter dated Aug. 31, 2016, declaring that JMOA is a 501(c)(3). But a concerned community member contacted the IRS about the organization’s status and received a letter clearly stating that it was not a nonprofit.

The cease and desist letter directed that JWI/JMOA stop all illegal activity relating to its false representation of itself as a charitable organization in accordance with the Georgia Charitable Solicitations Act of 1988.

JWI is still listed as an active corporation, according to the secretary of state’s database. The status of any other legal proceedings involving JWI or any individuals associated with the organization remains unclear. ■

FEBRUARY 16

23

Staceys Seek Jewish Democratic Support

Orthodox Community Confronts Sexual Harassment ♦

By Eddie Samuels

Former Reps. Stacey Evans (left) and Stacey Abrams listen to a question from the audience at the Jewish Democratic Women's Salon forum held Thursday, Feb. 22, in Sandy Springs.

In the leadup to what would become one of the most contentious and competitive governor’s races in Georgia’s history, former state Reps. Stacey Abrams and Stacey Evans answered questions as part of a forum put on by the Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon on Feb. 22, 2018, at Heritage Sandy Springs.

While most questions were more general, the one issue specific to the Jewish community involved the 2016 bill barring Georgia vendors and contractors from boycotting Israel, which was in line with the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.

By Rachel Fayne

The Parkland massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 took 17 people, five whom were Jewish. Students Alyssa Alhadeff, 14; Jaime Guttenberg, 14; Meadow Pollack, 18; and Alex Schachter, 14; as well as geography teacher Scott Beigel, 35, were among those killed.

Since the shooting, parents, Parkland residents, neighbors, alumni, and MSD students themselves have made headlines across the world for their activism and show of support.

Jamie Guttenberg’s family has been one of the first families of the deceased to continuously speak out. Her mother, Jennifer, gained attention for a piece she penned for Newsweek in which she criticized elected officials for their gun violence policies, saying, “We are currently living in a country where these things occur way too often, and our leaders simply do not care.” Jamie’s father, Fred, has been equally active, attending and participating in Town Hall meetings across the country.

In the wake of the tragedy, two MSD drama students channeled their frustrations

Both candidates for the democratic nomination served in the state legislature at the time, Abrams as minority leader. While Evans voted in the 96-70 majority, Abrams voted against the bill.

At the forum, Abrams explained that she condemned the BDS movement, and that her vote was protecting the ability of others to voice their opinion through boycott.

The two also debated student scholarship organizations such as the ALEF Fund and HOPE Scholarship, and strategies for a democratic victory in the general election. ■

Sexual harassment within a community is a difficult topic no matter the context, but within religious communities it’s a topic that isn’t commonly discussed. Dr. Linda Freedman, a psychotherapist, spoke at New Toco Shul on Feb. 14, 2018 with the hopes of shedding light on the value of these conversations.

Her workshop, in particular, focused on sexual harassment within the Orthodox community, citing a New York study of 360 married Orthodox women between 19 and 58. One quarter of those surveyed said they had experienced some form of sexual assault by age 24, with most saying it took place by the time they were 13.

The study can’t be generalized to the whole community, but Freeman emphasized that 360 is a strong sample size. She also discussed the rationalizations that take place in the way perpetrators convince themselves that the attention is wanted instead of discomforting.

Since that February event, Freedman has given additional thought to the topic of sexual harassment in the Orthodox community.

She specifically discussed the textual origins of the concept of women as property, suggesting that it served initially to protect women and to deter others from sexual assault and other wrongdoing. She also points

Psychotherapist Linda Freedman discusses sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement in the Orthodox community Feb. 14 at New Toco Shul.

out that women needing the protection of men is dangerous because this puts them at the mercy of the protector, a male.

“Men, even fathers and husbands, are not always benevolent,” Freedman said.

She emphasized that interdisciplinary study finds traditional patriarchal roles associated with sexual harassment.

“The Orthodox community is still very traditional. A woman will joke that her spouse thinks he’s making the big decisions, but that she is behind all of them,” Freedman said. “That she feels she has to make her spouse feel he has more power than he has really might indicate that this traditional dynamic still plays out today … Patriarchy disturbs us because of that word, power.” ■

5 of 17 Killed in Parkland Were Jewish ♦

MSD students Michael Catapano, Arianna Otero, Maria Lugo, and Iliana Waitze Zuckerman perform the student-composed “Shine,” written to channel the frustration many students felt after the shooting.

into writing “Shine,” an original song, just days after the shooting. The song has since been performed across the country, includ-

ing at a CNN town hall. Fourteen-year-old MSD student Iliana Waitze Zuckerman, who is also Jewish, recently traveled with three

classmates to perform at the annual Ad Council Public Service Award Dinner.

There has also been support from the Jewish community close to Parkland. The Hebrew Academy, an Orthodox Jewish day school in Miami, honored the victims of the shooting with a student-run solidarity program. The program ran for 17 minutes, one minute for each of the victims. Students gave speeches, read poems, lit candles, and many bought “HA is Douglas Strong” T-shirts.

The proceeds were donated to Chabad of Parkland. Part of the event was Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed at MSD. He told to the students on FaceTime about the importance of speaking out and fighting for safety at school.

Dara Lieber, Hebrew Academy’s high school assistant principal, explained the importance of the school’s support. “We need to make the world a better place, and we need to make the world a safer place,” she said. “These children are going to make this world a better and safer place for all of us in the future, so I think this goes hand in hand with Jewish values.” ■ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 15

MARCH 16

23

Hadassah Crowd High on Medical Marijuana

30 Welcome to Jewish Atlanta’s Back Porch ♦

Physician Zachary Cohen spoke about medical marijuana to a crowd of Hadassah members.

Hadassah members were treated to a lesson on the complex question that is cannabis on Feb. 18. Integrative physician Zachary Cohen of Oak Grove Family Medicine gave the blunt facts on medical marijuana, including the risks and benefits being examined.

The event was sponsored by Hadassah Greater Atlanta and was organized by Marsha Hildebrand, a registered nurse, and Ellen Sichel, co-president of Hadassah’s Health Professionals Group.

Cohen explained the new and developing status of medical marijuana in Georgia, thanks to a law that allowed medical uses of CBD oil with less than 5 percent THC (the psychoactive component that causes the high).

While the law only allows for very limited uses, among them treating Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and AIDS, new applications are being studied and developed constantly.

Cohen also described the myriad risks of using even a low-THC oil, such as potential rejection from federal jobs and lack of insurance coverage.

He also described the benefits of CBD-based treatments, such as their tendency not to interact with other prescription medications and topical applications treating neck and back pain. ■

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman and Chabad Intown have implemented big plans to benefit the entire community.

The Atlanta BeltLine is among the fastest-growing and most trafficked areas of Atlanta, and Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman saw an opportunity to connect with intown Jews. As Chabad Intown outgrew its old location on Ponce de Leon Avenue, an anonymous donation of $1 million enabled the purchase of a new space at 730 Ponce de Leon Place for $1.7 million.

The new, 4,000-square-foot top floor space held its grand opening Dec. 9, just months after the deal was closed.

A synagogue, grand lobby, co-working spaces and a café are already among the many offerings the new space provides.

The event also marked the kickoff of a two-year $8.5 million fundraising campaign to purchase the 17,000 square-foot bottom floor of the two-story building. Currently under contract, the bottom floor houses space for Chabad Intown preschool and Hebrew school as well as offices and room for other organizations.

Chabad Intown aims to be a welcoming environment for Jews from all walks of life and the new space helps to achieve that goal, according to Schusterman. ■

AJA Students Walk Out Later for Jewish Values

Atlanta Jewish Academy (AJA) upper school students were among thousands nationwide who walked out of class on March 14, 2018 to remember the 14 teens and three adults killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. While most protests throughout the nation took place at 10 a.m., AJA’s took place later, at 1:20 p.m., citing a desire to distance itself from the national protest because of anti-Semitic views expressed by some of its leaders.

Students lit candles for each of the 16 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Students’ faces reflect their anguish at the loss of lives to gun violence as the names of the Parkland victims are called out.

victims’ names as they were read aloud, and Rabbi Adam Starr of Young Israel of Toco Hills recited Psalm 20 to memorialize the tragedy.

The students then marched for 17 minutes around the school campus and to High Point Road, some wearing T-shirts or holding signs with slogans like “Enough,” referring to the disturbing trend of school shootings in the U.S. The students ended the demonstration with a moment of silence for the victims. ■

Israeli Innovation Shines at Conexx Gala

Jeff Goldberg of Amaryllis, Conexx President Guy Tessler and Tarianna Stewart of the Smith Temple Law Firm network before the program.

Seventy years of Israeli ingenuity were on display at the 2018 Conexx Gala at the Atlanta History Center on March 22, 2018. The event highlighted partnerships throughout the Southeast and recognized deals and the dealmakers who orchestrated them.

Conexx: American Israel Business Connector’s dinner served as a celebration of seven decades of history, but also as an opportunity for new connections to be made, as Atlanta-area businesspeople schmoozed with Israeli counterparts.

Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer, Israel’s consul general to the Southeast, bragged that Israel has the third most companies on the NASDAQ, behind only the U.S. and China. Then-new Conexx chairman Randall Foster added that Israel is home to 7,000 startups, 1,000 of which were less than a year old.

Gene Gurevich, Mobileye’s director of government affairs and public policy, took home the deal of the year award for the largest acquisition in Israel’s history, Intel’s $15.3 billion purchase of the automobile collision avoidance company. ■

Student: Why I Didn’t March with AJA’s Walkout

While students across the country marched in memory of those who died in Parkland, Fla., and for stricter gun laws, one Atlanta Jewish Academy student didn’t join in.

Eliana Goldin was a sophomore at AJA at the time of the walkout. She attended the portion of the event remembering the victims, including Rabbi Adam Starr reciting perek of Tehillim (a chapter of Psalms).

When the time came in the program to discuss stricter gun laws, however, Goldin didn’t feel comfortable participating. In her March 16 piece for the AJT, she explained some of the reasons.

She argued that stricter gun laws would not necessarily reduce the rate of shootings in the United States as criminals would still be able to find ways around the laws to obtain firearms. She also focused not on the guns, but on the people pulling the trigger.

“We live in a society that is devoid of love and acceptance,” Goldin wrote. “We are plagued with depression and anxiety — mental diseases that are so often disregarded as teens just being teens. We call each other bad names, bully one another in person and

AJA Student Eliana Goldin

online, and brush it all aside as if bullying is something regular and normal.”

While students marched for 17 minutes in memory of the 17 victims of the crime and demanding new restrictions, Goldin and freshman Shayna Shapiro chose to learn Torah.

“I chose to stay true to my ideals and beliefs regarding the Second Amendment, and every day I continue to stay true to the idea that we can diminish violence by creating an environment of love,” Goldin wrote. ■

APRIL

12

15

Atlanta Reflects on Israel@70

By Bob Bahr

Photo by Jacob Ross // A rainbow extends over Jerusalem.

The joyful, upbeat community celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday last spring was a brief respite from the growing division and unease over the recent political decisions by the Jewish state. Whether it was the controversial passage of the nation state law, the lack of movement toward healing the relationship with diaspora Jews, particularly in the United States or the attempted crackdown on the liberal-leaning Israeli film industry, many Jews in Atlanta had reason for concern.

In February, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta sponsored a high-profile trip to Israel that brought together a broad lineup of 70 community leaders, including many rabbis, that was intended to “build bridges” in the community. But despite an upbeat Federation-produced video of the trip and generally good reviews by the participants, results, so far, have not produced much reason for optimism.

One of the consultants for the trip, Avraham Infeld, the well-regarded Israeli expert on the diaspora, is convinced, that, “Israel has become the most disunifying force in the Jewish community today.”

By Jodi Danis

Since an anti-Semitic incident last spring involving students, Milton High School has actively participated in a school program designed to help combat bias and bullying and stop the escalation of hate.

On April 9, Milton resident Hilary Karp opened her garage door to find antiSemitic graffiti on her driveway. Vandals had used shaving cream to write “F*** you” as well as “Jew” in the middle of a blue-glittered Star of David. At the time, Karp’s son was a Milton High School senior who had been offered some college baseball opportunities because he is Jewish; Karp suspected that may have motivated the incident.

Five Milton students were implicated in the case: 17-year-olds McKenna Blaine and Katherine Stein were treated as adults and charged with vandalism, while three younger teens were charged with criminal

Infeld, scholar-in-residence earlier this year at Conservative Congregation Shearith Israel, traces some of the discord to last year’s decision to shelve plans for nonOrthodox Jews to have more access to the Western Wall.

“What people have been telling me since is that it’s obvious to them Israel doesn’t give a damn about them, and all it cares about are Orthodox Jews and evangelical Christians," he told the Israel newspaper Haaretz.

Nevertheless, big national Jewish organizations with strong ties to Israel continue to rack up strong financial support here and across the nation. The Friends of the Israel Defense Force, which has a robust fundraising operation in the Southeast, raised $32 million in a single October evening in New York.

During Giving Tuesday, the international social media fundraising event last month, the Jewish National Fund brought in more than $3 million in one day, and the Israel American Public Affairs Committee, which raises tens of millions each year for its lobbying campaigns, accomplished most of its ambitious goals in Congress in 2018 with strong bipartisan support. ■

19 Red Pepper Off to Sizzling Start in Brookhaven

Red Pepper Taqueria opened its third location in Town Brookhaven in March, following the closing of Chef Mimmo Alboumeh’s Maya Steaks & Seafood just six months earlier.

The local chain experienced an immediate boom, appealing to young professionals and families alike. Alboumeh gave some credit to the Brookhaven area and it’s growth for the success, but at the core of the excitement was certainly his fresh and fiery food.

One key to Red Pepper’s success has been the handmade approach Alboumeh takes to every aspect, from his exciting brunch menus and mimosas to his margaritas and Mexican delights.

Alboumeh, originally from Lebanon, moved to Spain at a young age with his father who was attending medical school. The combination of Mediterranean, Mexican and European defines his style in the kitchen.

While not Jewish, Alboumeh is a partner of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and a supporter of Second Helpings Atlanta, which began at Temple Sinai. He also served as one of the community chef judges at Hadassah’s “Almost Chopped” competition. ■

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5 Students Blamed for Anti-Semitic Graffiti

Photo courtesy of Hilary Karp // This is what

trespass through the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.

Shaken by the incident, Karp posted on social media afterwards in hopes of sparing neighbors from a similar experience.

“Whether they are Hindu, Muslim, black, Jewish, Christian, I don’t care. I don’t want anyone to experience it,” she told the AJT

Chef Mimmo Alboumeh says customers keep coming back because he uses the highest-quality ingredients to prepare his Mexican dishes.

Hilary Karp found on the driveway of her Milton home Monday morning, April 9. The AJT has covered up the curse word for publication.

at the time.

Support of the Karp family was farreaching, and condemnation was swift.

Milton police were praised for their rapid response, issuing a statement soon after the incident and making sure the students involved understood the severity of their actions. The students all expressed remorse for

their behavior. Community groups such as the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism and the Anti-Defamation League Southeast spoke out about the impact of anti-Semitism on the larger community, as well as the need for more anti-bias education and conversation about hatred and bigotry.

Milton High School stepped up to address that need. The ADL’s No Place for Hate Initiative helps create a safe, bully-free learning environment and fosters a culture of respect. Shelley Rose, deputy regional director for the ADL Southeast, confirmed that MHS is working to achieve the No Place for Hate designation this school year. Certification requirements include conducting a needs assessment; forming a committee to oversee anti-bias school activities; and completing at least three school-wide activities consistent with the program’s mission. ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 17

MAY

11

Lindy Miller Campaigns to Make Georgia History ♦

By Dave Schechter

An article written in May about Lindy Miller and her quest to become the first Jewish woman to win a statewide partisan election was the second most-viewed piece on the Atlanta Jewish Times website for 2018.

Miller ran as a Democrat representing District 3 on the Public Service Commission, which sets rates for electricity, natural gas and telecommunications.

After handily winning a three-candidate Democratic primary in May, Miller finished second to Republican incumbent Chuck Eaton in the Nov. 6 general election.

Because the votes garnered by a Libertarian candidate prevented either Miller or Eaton from winning a majority of the ballots cast, they advanced to a Dec. 4 runoff, where Eaton defeated Miller, 51.75 percent to 48.25 percent.

Miller, a member of Congregation Shearith Israel and an AJT 2017 “40-Under-40” selection, came to the race having worked for 13 years at Deloitte, a global business consulting firm, where she rose to associate director of public policy. She also co-founded a solar energy company, Cherry

Street Energy.

Miller connected Jewish values to her campaign.

“This is a seat about social justice.

When we think about how we grow the state, is our growth inclusive, or is it leaving people behind? That’s a Jewish value. When we think about the burdens people bear to meet their everyday needs, we have many ethics in Judaism and many commandments that require us to think about the vulnerable. And this is a seat that shapes our energy policy and therefore impacts our environment. And when you think about tikkun olam, of repairing the world, this is a seat that matters,” she said. ■

Maqueline Weiss receives her diploma at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School’s graduation.

ments, Weiss raised $300,000 for Type 1 diabetes in the 11 years since she was diagnosed with the disease at just 7 years old. The three words she chose to describe herself seem ever fitting, “determined, motivated and curious.” ■

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6th District Abel Meets Voters in Middle ♦

Shearith Israel board member and AJT 40 Under 40 honoree, Lindy Miller

Jewish Voice Speaks Up at Presbyterian School

Maqueline Weiss now attends Elon University, but as a member of the class of 2018 of Mount Vernon Presbyterian School, she left a unique Jewish mark on her school.

A granddaughter of Isidore Alterman, Weiss viewed herself as the face of Mount Vernon because of her role as an ambassador prefect, speaking to parents and training student tour guides, among other activities.

Weiss planned two of the schools’ weekly chapel assemblies, for Rosh Hashanah and Passover, and brought in a rabbi to discuss the passages. She was one of three Jewish students in her class.

One of many impressive accomplish-

25

By Bob Bahr

Temple Sinai member, Kevin Abel

When Kevin Abel ran in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District race last summer he hoped to become the first Jewish Congressman from the Atlanta area since Elliott Levitas represented the 4th Congressional District in the decade between 1975 and 1985.

But the successful software entrepreneur and South African native who created an energetic, well organized and well financed campaign lost a runoff election in July to Lucy McBath. She went onto narrowly defeat incumbent Karen Handel and flip the longtime Republican stronghold.

McBath, whose teenage son, Jordan Davis, was killed in a shooting incident several years ago, was actively supported by Everytown For Gun Safety, a gun control group in Washington started by Michael Bloomberg.

She also received an additional boost from Hillary Clinton, who recorded a last-minute robocall for her.

When she takes office this month, McBath will be one of a record-setting 25

Democratic women elected last fall for the first time. Her election was part of what CNN has called the “Year of the Women” in American politics. A total of 117 women will take their seats in the new Congress.

Abel, who says he has no plans to challenge McBath in 2020, ran on a campaign platform that called for an end to the deep partisan divide in Congress and more cooperation between Republicans and Democrats.

“There’s a tremendous desire for change,” he maintains, “and for a better way of doing government and a better way of finding solutions for the problems that face our country” He described the support he received during the election as part of a “call for a more civilized and workable government.”

Abel, who is on the board of several organizations working for social change, says he remains interested in public policy and political reform and plans to stay active in the community. ■

Why I Walked Out on My Graduation

Morin Zaray was as proud as anyone could be walking into her master’s graduation from Hebrew Union College at the Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles. When commencement speaker Michael Chabon took the stage, however, Zaray’s attitude quickly changed.

Condemning Israel’s security wall and demonizing the Israeli Jews in Hebron, Chabon carried on about what he viewed as the atrocities committed in Israel. Having grown up in Israel herself, Zaray described his views on Israel as existing only in “blackand-white,” terms.

Zaray left her seat in the front row, walked to her family and asked her mother if not seeing her graduate would be a disappointment. Her mother’s response: “That

Morin Zaray, Hebrew Union College graduate.

she would feel ashamed to see me walk on that stage after what had been said.”

In June, Zaray began her career in the Jewish nonprofit field remembering the danger that black-and-white approaches to Israel, like Chabon’s. ■

JUNE

8 Atlanta Makes the Cookie Crumble

Photo courtesy of Cookies for Israel // It takes a community to

15 Families Find Judaism, Then Sephardic Ancestry

Paul Stanley’s Art Was Made for Lovin’

Vinício and Rosaura Álvarez Sierra, Juan and Katia Rivera Romo, and Rodolfo Romo Garcia and Rina Hernández Romo converted to Judaism with their children.

Paul Stanley took up painting 16 or 17 years ago.

break a world record with over 100,000 cookies.

By Kevin Madigan

Two volunteers from the Gateway Center collect boxes of donated cookies to distribute to those who are hungry.

The mat on the floor shows where to put the blue cookies for the star and stripes.

A 3,224-foot long Israeli flag is impressive enough, but one made of cookies was sufficient to get the Atlanta Jewish community in the record books on June 3, 2018.

With Guinness World Record adjudicators watching, volunteers carefully placed 117,00 cookies across the floor of Congregation Beth Jacob’s Heritage Hall. Celebrating Israel’s 70th birthday, the mosaic flag was 32 percent larger than the previous record flag in Pakistan – also celebrating that country’s 70th in 2017.

Costs for the record setting were covered by donors, while cookies were ceremonially sponsored for $10 each, raising $103,000 at the time of the assembly. The money was split between three organizations in Israel: United Hatzalah, the emergency medical service; OneFamilyFund, supporting victims of terrorism; and the Jewish Agency’s Partnership2Gether, helping immigrant communities in the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s sister region in Yokneam.

Fear not, the thousands of cookies didn’t go to waste either, as volunteers stood ready to deliver boxes upon boxes to food banks, shelters and community centers throughout Atlanta.

The State of Israel is listed alongside the Atlanta Jewish community as an official record holder. ■

MAZEL TOV!

4 hours, scores of volunteers and 117,000 cookies later, Atlanta flags a sweet world record.

This summer we wrote about a small group of people of Hispanic descent who undertook a lengthy conversion process to become Jews and are now regular attendees at Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs.

During the transition, the 13 Mexicans and one Honduran researched their ancestry and discovered that some of them, surprisingly, possess Sephardic roots. Since we published the article, one of them, Katia Rivera Romo, discovered that she is of Ashkenazi origin. The group’s numbers are growing, too. Rina and Rodolfo Romo recently announced the birth of their daughter Natalia, and Rosaura Alvarez Sierra told us last week, “Hopefully in a month or so, we will have another member of the Jewish-Mexican community. The birth of a boy is expected in January.”

It is likely that the majority of this group descended from Jews who were banished from Spain following a decree by Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.

Sierra, 34, said she was first attracted to Judaism by her now-husband, Vinicio Sierra, while they worked in a carpet factory.

“He kept telling me Saturday was the day we are supposed to rest, and I was saying that wasn’t right, but he insisted. … But then I began to realize he might be right.”

Long before converting, Vinicio recalled he would sometimes follow Jewish teachings without realizing what they were. “There were small things we kept doing, not knowing they were originally commandments of Hashem.

For example, we show respect to a woman after giving birth by not touching her for 40 days.”

The Sierras were welcomed into Or Hadash with their children during a special Kiddush in May, along with the families of two brothers, Juan and Rodolfo Romo Garcia.

They previously went to the mikvah for conversion in February.

“They became, little by little, much more, I would say, ritually observant,” said Or Hadash’s Rabbi Analia Bortz, who is from Argentina. “Some of them are going to be rabbis. They just don’t know it yet.” ■ Rabbi Analia Bortz holds a young member of the three families during their visit to the Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah for the required immersions.

By Kevin Madigan

Paul Stanley is not content to rest on his laurels as a founder of the band Kiss. He has become an accomplished painter and this year mounted a national tour to show off his artwork.

Kiss is launching its farewell world tour, and Stanley is also finding time to play with his other band – a soul and Motown revue. As if that wasn’t enough, Stanley has teamed up with footwear retailer Puma to present some snazzy designer sneakers to the public.

Ahead of his Atlanta appearance at the Wentworth Gallery in June, Stanley spoke to the AJT about “punk impressionism,” his advocacy of wounded veterans, his acting chops, and completing the second volume of his autobiography.

Stanley, 66, went to the High School of Music & Art in New York, but failed art. He only started painting 17 years ago, “and that was all on my initiative and without any guidance.”

He was raised Jewish by a mother who escaped Germany, and then the family made its way from Amsterdam to America.

His early acting work involved performing in “Phantom of the Opera.”

“I was asked to audition in New York, and they sent me to Toronto, where I played the final Phantom of the 10-year run. … They put me there because they felt I belonged and standing ovations every night must have agreed.”

Stanley wrote an autobiography, a New York Times best-seller translated into six languages, and is expected to release a second book soon.

In addition to the arts, he is passionate about wounded vets. “We sometimes forget that freedom is only free for those who don’t have to pay the price,” he told the AJT in June.

“We tend to take for granted that this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but it’s the brave who keep us free. So, I think it’s very important for all of us in any capacity to support our miliStanley depicts a blues guitarist. tary.” ■ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 19

JULY

13 A Stolen Son

In July, Dr. Steven Waronker shared the story and lessons of the tragic loss of his son, one of many victims of the opioid crisis. As a father and a doctor, Waronker explained a number of the causes and dangers of opioid prescription.

He recounted his son Brian’s battle with addiction, which began after surgery his junior year of high school. While the family didn’t learn about it until his freshman year at the University of Georgia, Brian received help and was successful for more than five years.

He graduated from college and had a good job, but ultimately, on Dec. 27, 2017, while preparing to fly to see UGA in the Rose Bowl, Brian took multiple OxyContin and never awoke.

At the funeral, when asked by the rabbi how much to share, Waronker told him to share the whole story. Waronker explained the importance of shining a light on the opioid crisis and making as much information

20 One Man’s Effort to Tame the Opioid Crisis ♦

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The late Brian Waronker, pictured with his memaw, Mary Lou.

public as possible, in the hopes that such information can sway the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services and Drug Enforcement Administration to change their stances on opioids. ■

Temple Kehillat Chaim Welcomes New Rabbi

We touched based with Ira Katz, the Little Five Points pharmacist who was spreading the word in his industry and among private citizens that the Narcan (naloxone) device could be purchased without a prescription to reverse drug overdoses and save lives. “We are continuing to dispense it at no charge, and the word is out that it is readily available,” he said.

According to Katz, another positive factor based on heightened media awareness is that addicts themselves have become more vigilant and more carefully screen whom they buy from and what the ingredients are.

Katz says that his pharmacy gives out between 15 and 20 units a month and more to nurses, bars and restaurants. “I don’t have statistics; but I surmise that this drug has made a huge difference in deaths. It’s out there, and that’s a good thing! People know that they can help rescue friends and loved

Ira Katz set up a pharmacy in Little Five Points 37 years ago.

ones. Since the Atlanta Jewish Times story this past July, I have not had to save anyone.”

On CBS “This Morning” Dec. 17, a county in Ohio reported that since the recent uptick in the use of Narcan, overdose deaths are down 31 percent. ■

Federation Weighs Home Renovation Ideas ♦

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta

Emeritus Rabbi Harvey Winokur (left) passes a Czech Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust to Rabbi Jason Holtz.

Forty-two years since the founding of Temple Kehillat Chaim, Rabbi Harvey Winokur assumed an emeritus status and welcomed his replacement, Rabbi Jason Holtz.

The new rabbi grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he attended Temple Beth El, but he didn’t feel very connected to the community until he joined the youth group.

Holtz love of being Jewish was ignited, and while he didn’t immediately decide he wanted to become a rabbi, he was drawn to constantly learn more. He went on Birthright Israel while in college and studied abroad at Tel Aviv University. Following his graduation, he attended rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and Cincinnati.

20 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

He served initially as an assistant rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Tucson, Ariz., starting in 2010. Crossing the pond in 2013, Holtz moved to London to be the rabbi at Bromley Reform Synagogue, where he was intrigued by both similarities and differences between European and American Jewry.

After five years in London, Holtz and his family were looking to return to America, and he was already familiar with TKC. The Roswell synagogue and Bromley each have scrolls from Bzenec in the Czech Republic. Those same scrolls that initially connected Holtz to TKC served as the ceremonial torch, handed down by Winokur on July 6. ■

By Dave Schechter

Having decided to stay at its current Midtown home, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta this summer began consideration of how to redevelop its three-acre site at 18th and Spring streets.

In July, Eric Robbins, president and CEO of JFGA, told the Atlanta Business Chronicle, “We are at a feasibility stage of looking to create a new community arts space that would house the Breman Museum, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, the Atlanta Jewish Musical Festival and other groups as well as an innovation hub.”

He told the Atlanta Jewish Times at the time, “We’re being very diligent and thoughtful on it.”

Asked for an update last month by the AJT, Robbins said, “We have a talented group of lay leaders that are continuing to explore the idea and evolve it, including engaging

with developers as partners to include housing for empty nesters and creative finance options. We are excited about rolling out a plan to move this forward in 2019.”

The Midtown location has been JFGA’s home since 1996, when the land was donated by real estate magnate Steve Selig. The Business Chronicle reported that the property was valued at $25 million.

Among the redevelopment suggestions is increasing the space allotted for the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, as well as adding more office space to house local Jewish organizations. Another was construction of a new building, combining office space with cultural and arts spaces, and a residential component.

In the year 2019, the Federation’s “diligent and thoughtful” discussion may lead to more definitive plans, though the pouring of any concrete may be further off in the future. ■

AUGUST 3

17

The Rise of Anxiety in Teens and How to Help Them

Anxiety is on the rise among teens and members of the Jewish community are concerned, including Dan Arnold, director of clinical services at Jewish Family & Career Services. About 31 percent of 13to 18-year-olds have an anxiety disorder, nearly 8 percent with a severe anxiety disorder, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates.

Arnold explains that the factors contributing to this rise are numerous and complicated, including academic and social stress and increased societal awareness thanks to technology.

Although anxiety takes many forms,

among the signs are difficulty sleeping, changes in diet, trouble focusing and irritability.

Arnold said that parents should provide their teens with coping techniques to help them learn to manage stress and model those practices in their own lives. ■

Atlanta Prepping for 2019 JCC Maccabi Games

At the 2018 Opening Ceremonies, Atlanta athletes Jake Francombe, Jordan Starr, Hailey Rubin, Jake Powers and Barri Seitz carry a banner showcasing Atlanta as the next games' host.

By Dave Schechter

The JCC Maccabi games in Atlanta are more than six months away, but planning has been underway for more than a year.

The 2019 games, from July 28 to Aug. 2, will bring 1,200 Jewish boys and girls, ages 12 to 16, to Atlanta, where they will join 400 members of Team Atlanta for five days of competition and Jewish-themed activities.

The planning checklist includes arranging for some 500 hosts families to take in the boys and girls, many in the homes of a Team Atlanta member. The hundreds of coaches and parents who come with the young people will stay in hotel rooms.

Another 1,500 volunteers will staff the five-day event.

Competitions will be held in flag football, basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, swimming, dance, golf, tennis, bowling, table tennis, and track and field. The primary venues at the Marcus JCC and the Marist School will be supplemented by other sites hosting a single sport.

A fleet of buses will transport the boys and girls from the hubs to competition venues. Planning includes timing events to avoid the worst of Atlanta’s infamous traffic.

Security will involve police and mul-

tiple levels of law enforcement.

Heading up planning for the event is Stacie Francombe, director of the Atlanta games.

Atlanta last hosted the sports festival for Jewish youth in 2001. Organizers are seeking $1.5 million in donations (financial and in-kind) to support the event.

The JCC Maccabi Games are designed to promote community involvement and pride in being Jewish. Emphasis is placed on the values of rachmanus (compassion) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), which also are central to a planned community service day for the teams.

Since the inaugural JCC Maccabi Games in Memphis in 1982, more than 120,000 Jewish teens from the United States, Israel and other nations have taken part. ■

Passing the torch during the closing ceremonies are (L-R): Stacie Francombe, 2019 Atlanta Games director; Sam Cohen, 2018 Orange County Games director; Carissa Mindt, 2019 Atlanta Games assistant director.

24 Vigil for Jenna Marks One Year Since Disappearance ♦

By Breanna West

It’s been 16 months since the disappearance of Jenna Van Gelderen, who would be 26 years old now. Her parents, Roseanne and Leon, and their adult son, Will, live each day without answers. They have not been informed of any new leads in the case.

Jenna was reported missing on Aug. 19, 2017. She was house-sitting at her parents’ home in Druid Hills while her parents were vacationing in Canada. Her brother came home to find Jenna’s 2010 blue Mazda gone, the house locked, the TV on and the cat not fed.

Since the disappearance, “the DeKalb County Police Department has conducted an extensive investigation into her whereabouts,” said Major J.A. Lewis, who is chief of staff. “Several ground searches have been conducted in metro Atlanta, with plans to conduct additional searches with the family on Jan. 3,” he said.

“Also, a number of search warrants and subpoenas have been executed, in addition to numerous interviews. Additionally, detectives are working with state agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and continue to follow up on any leads that come into the police department in hopes of uncovering potential clues into Ms. Van Gelderen’s whereabouts.”

On Aug. 19, the family held a vigil at Congregation Shearith Israel to mark the one-year anniversary of Jenna’s disappearance and around 100 people attended. “We have such support between our friends and family and synagogue and Jewish community and beyond,” Roseanne Glick said.

At the vigil, both parents made speeches at the bimah and expressed their gratitude to the community for its support in the search for their daughter.

Rabbi Ari Kaiman led the service and Rev. Markel Hutchins led a prayer.

DeKalb County Police Chief James

Jenna Van Gelderen

W. Conroy addressed the community too.

“DeKalb county police department stays committed to finding Jenna and we will exhaust every lead until she is found and until we find and determine the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.”

So far, the Van Gelderens have not been confident in that search, they said.

They think about Jenna every day, Glick said. “Jenna is an active part of our daily life — we just don’t have her.” ■

The Van Gelderens are offering a $25,000 reward for Jenna’s safe return and Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta has a reward for information set at the same amount.

Crime Stoppers tip line: 404-577-8477 Dekalb County Police Chief: 770-724-7440

For more information about the search, Facebook.com/HelpFindJennaVG

Leon Van Gelderen, Jenna’s father, speaks to the community.

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SEPTEMBER 1 Georgia Tech Goes Kosher ♦

By Roni Robbins

Eithan Martinez was successful in bringing kosher food to Georgia Tech.

Before Georgia Tech began offering kosher food this year, students such as Eithan Martinez were eating vegetarian or driving a distance to find kosher fare. Some who were keeping kosher told Chabad they stopped when it became too difficult to find appropriate options and others who considered coming to Georgia Tech changed their minds when they learned there was no kosher food, Shifra Sharfstein, co-director of Chabad of Downtown Universities, told the AJT at the time. Downtown universities also include Georgia State.

Having a selection of kosher packaged food on campus at Tech was a welcome relief for 20 students in a WhatsApp group who are actively taking advantage of kosher on-campus options. They are able to eat with their peers instead of having limited choices or having to wait until they return home if they are commuters.

A number of professors and faculty are also eating kosher on campus, Sharfstein said.

Georgia Tech has about 400 Jewish undergraduates and 100 Jewish graduate students, Hillel reported.

The Kosher Gourmet, which also delivers to Emory University, brings kosher food to the Tech student union. Since kosher food became available, the caterer has expanded its selection from boxed sandwiches and desserts to include pulled beef and chicken dinners, and “double-wrapped hot meals for kosher students to reheat in a microwave.

The meals taste great and students have told me they are very happy,” Sharfstein said.

“I have watched students who are not Jewish request the kosher food for personal reasons as well. The food has been selling out at a perfectly steady pace.”

Hillel and Chabad at Tech serve kosher food at their events, but Chabad campaigned this summer for campus dining services to make kosher food available.

When Chabad requested kosher food, it wasn’t a big stretch for the college because it was already providing Halal food for Muslim students, Sharfstein said.

“Georgia Tech continues to be helpful in responding to issues when questions arise and being very friendly at the kosher serving counter.” ■ 22 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

7

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28

New CEO Hopes to Inspire Laughter at Ramah Darom♦

Kroger Closes Kosher Kitchen, Publix Delivers♦

Fuego Takes Flight at Hartsfield

Since the Fountain Oaks Kroger closed its kosher kitchen Aug. 27, other area grocery stores carrying a large selection of kosher foods have expanded their offerings, and still another big chain store is closing.

The Kroger in City Walk Sandy Springs helped pick up the slack when the Fountain Oaks kosher department closed as part of a store renovation, said Rabbi Reuven Stein, director of supervision at the Atlanta Kosher Commission. In addition to expanding its kosher bakery, the Sandy Springs store began offering kosher sushi, fish and hot cut, fresh meat, Stein said.

Kosher shoppers also have looked toward Toco Hills, long the center of the kosher Jewish community.

After the Fountain Oaks kosher kitchen closed, we learned that Publix in Toco Hills – believed to be the only Publix in the country with kosher departments – began delivering kosher food within a 20-mile radius.

Just recently the store also introduced several new brands of packaged meats and beef hot dogs to its kosher options. “We continue to look into items to add to our kosher deli as well,” said Laya Shaikun, event planner and kosher supervisor for Toco Hills Publix’s Aprons Event Planning.

Meanwhile, nearby Whole Foods in Toco Hills is closing soon. Those who turned to the store for cage free, natural kosher meat, free of antibiotics, will have to look elsewhere now, he said.

“Stores come and go.” The benefit of having a store with a kosher department is that the manager or employee has his finger on the pulse of the kosher community and can stock or order items customers want, Stein said. ■

Kosher food landed at the world’s busiest airport with the entrance of Fuego Mundo, a popular local Latin-American woodfire grill. The restaurant, certified by the Atlanta Kosher Commission, operates at four kiosks in Concourse A of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Delta Air Lines and other major carriers use Concourse A. The restaurant has a full menu and catering business at its location at The Prado in Sandy Springs. To start, the airport kiosks offered organic hummus and chips, homemade chicken salad wraps and smoked turkey breast sandwiches that ranged at that time from $16 to $24.

Manager Sheyla Miranda told the AJT Fuego Mundo would “monitor volume and sales to be able to rotate in new items and ensure quality.”

Working closely with owner Udi Herschkovitz, Miranda said at the time, “The airport sets the prices, and we have their agreement to discard anything not sold in 24 hours. We look forward to being featured on apps that direct kosher travelers accordingly.”

Having kosher options is especially important for those on long trips making connecting flights through the airport with layovers. Kosher customers expect to pay a bit more for the convenience of having options at the airport.

Ironically, the Fuego Mundo kiosks in Concourse A are located next to Goldberg’s, a popular Jewish-style retailer, although not kosher. ■

By Roni Robbins

Walter "Wally" Levitt, Camp Ramah Darom's new CEO.

Since becoming the new CEO of Camp Ramah Darom, Walter “Wally” Levitt has spent the past few months visiting communities, camp families and supporters across the Southeast.

“My hope for this ‘listening tour’ was to better understand what makes our organization unique and special. Parents and summer campers have told me about the magic and transformative impact of our summer camp experience,” said Levitt, the first new CEO in nearly two decades. Fred Levick was CEO almost since the camp’s founding in 1997.

Their names sound similar, but their styles may be different.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the openness to the ‘new guy,’” Levitt said. He came to Ramah Darom as president and principal of a marketing consulting company in Toronto and previously, chief marketing officer for Comedy Central in New York.

“We are all indebted to Fred Levick, who led Ramah Darom for more than 18 years. As with any new CEO, I bring different perspectives and ideas that I believe can continue growing Ramah Darom. My perspective is rooted both in many years working in the corporate world, but perhaps, more importantly, as a longtime parent of Ramah campers.”

So what new programs does the camp have planned for 2019?

“This summer we are introducing Athletic Edge at Camp Ramah Darom – two specialty ‘camps within a camp’ – offering intensive lacrosse and rowing tracks.”

Throughout the year, Ramah Darom hosts retreats, including the PJ Library Weekend Levitt attended. “Over the next couple of months, I will be attending our Winter Break Family Camp, our Farm 2 Table Tu B’Shevat weekend, Pardes Beit Midrash and our amazing Passover Retreat. We plan to continue expanding our programmatic portfolio, while ensuring our existing events grow and innovate. I’m excited to work with our talented team to ensure Ramah Darom remains a destination year-round,” he said. “My job as CEO is to ensure we continue creating these exceptional experiences.” ■

By Roni Robbins

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As always, thank you for reading your Atlanta Jewish times.

OCTOBER

5

17

Atlanta Extends Lifeline to Flood Victims

Medical Marijuana

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

In October, after Hurricane Florence drenched the Carolinas in unprecedented rainfall, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta started collecting supplies to send to the water-logged communities. Then it was asked to focus on Whiteville, a town of about 5,600, nestled between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, with only four Jewish families left in what was once a relatively thriving Jewish community.

“We had been planning the logistics when this opportunity came up,” said Yisrael Frenkel, Federation vice president of donor services, who coordinated the effort.

The “ask” came from Jennifer Kamin Kulbersh, who was born in Atlanta, grew up in Whiteville, and now lives in Birmingham with her husband and three young children.

She and her sister, Heidi Kamin Enzor – who evacuated to Birmingham with her son as the storm approached – launched the collection drive.

Her stepfather, Gary Kramer, who still owns a downtown Whiteville building, re-

By Dave Schechter

The gut-wrenching realization in the wake of the massacre of 11 Jewish worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue on the morning of Oct. 27 was … it could have happened here.

It could have happened anywhere Jews gather on Shabbat morning, their doors open to worshippers.

The man charged with the wanton slaughter at the Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha Congregation had made clear on social media his hatred of Jews. Ranging in age from 54 to 97, the eight men and three women killed were members of a unique Jewish community, one still centered in the city, not the suburbs, in a neighborhood called Squirrel Hill.

Numerous Jewish Atlantans – including Eric Robbins, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta – grew up in and around Squirrel Hill, at Tree of Life or another synagogue close by. Their pain was personal and intense.

In the wider community, shock was followed by sadness and grief, which brought Jews together at vigils and memorial services, several daily for a week, at congregations throughout the Atlanta area.

The 60th anniversary of the October 12, 1958, bombing of The Temple came two weeks before the Pittsburgh shootings, and the venerable Reform synagogue was just one where the pews filled for a memorial service. At some synagogues, the overflow spilled into hallways and out of doors.

Noticeable throughout that week were

ports that the recovery in the area has been slow. “Recovery is going to be more of a marathon than a sprint,” he told the Jewish Times through Kulbersh. A slowing economy and lack of insurance have impeded the process.

But the sluggishness of the rebound was at least somewhat mitigated by the 30 boxes of baby food, cleaning supplies, diapers, toothbrushes, flashlights and water bottles that the Atlanta Jewish community collected.

Volunteers from The Weber School along with Federation staff spent a day packing the material by category at Congregation Or VeShalom. Then it was lifted into an 18-wheel truck sent from Birmingham that stopped in Atlanta on its way to Whiteville.

Frenkel told the Jewish Times that he received a handwritten thank you note from Kulbersh that read: “The impact your community has made for my hometown and surrounding areas has left me almost speechless. … It has been a journey getting all of this organized and without the Atlanta community, the impact would not have been so vast.” ■

In October, the AJT explored the use and legality of medical marijuana, both in the U.S. and Israel.

As one of the first nations to legalize medical cannabis, Israel is a global leader in research, development, and yes – pot. Israel has the highest rate of marijuana use, with 27 percent of the adult population between 18 and 65 having used marijuana in the last year, followed by Iceland (18 percent) and the U.S. (16 percent).

Despite those figures, marijuana remains illegal for recreational purposes in Israel. While it remains largely illegal in the U.S., 10 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use, and 29 permit medical prescriptions with a number of other states, including Georgia, maintaining strict restrictions on any medical applications.

Many of those restrictions focus on tetrahydrocannabinol products. THC is the component responsible for the “high,” while cannabidiol (CBD) is not as highly regulated.

With more research into medical marijuana happening each year, including stag-

28

Medical marijuana is used to treat a number of conditions.

gering amounts in Israel, the list of diseases for which medical marijuana is an approved treatment continues to grow, including cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease, among others.

For more on this subject, check out our interviews with Drs. William Silvers and Zachary Cohen. Both are experts in medical marijuana with an Atlanta Jewish connection. ■

Pittsburgh Terror Affects Atlanta

Memorial outside of the Tree of Life building.

the number of non-Jews who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish community, in the pews and on pulpits that rabbis and cantors shared with clergy of various faiths.

On the Shabbat after the tragedy, synagogues filled as greater-than-usual numbers of Jews heeded the slogan of an online campaign, #ShowUpForShabbat.

Beth Gluck, the Southeast region director of the Jewish National Fund, grew up in Squirrel Hill. News of the tragedy reached her in Phoenix, where she was attending a JNF meeting. Hours later Gluck told the Atlanta Jewish Times: “It’s really not a time to lean left or lean right. It’s a time to lean toward what’s good, toward what’s family. You don’t lean to the extremes. You lean to the healthy, vibrant center and you lean toward what you know is good.” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 23

NOVEMBER

2

16

Jewish Atlanta Ups Security After Pittsburgh

Experts Salute Stein, Emory and Israel Studies

By Dave Schechter

In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh killings, in addition to the vigils and memorial services, there were more private conversations at synagogues, schools and other institutions in the Jewish community.

The topic was security, in recent years an increasing concern for those who manage the buildings where Jews congregate.

When you ask what measures this or that institution takes and what they will be increasing, this response is not unexpected: We are doing what we believe is prudent, but we’re not discussing it publicly.

“I really don’t want to divulge security protocols,” Cathal Lucy, the 25-year Secret Service veteran who is director of community-wide security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, said in the days following Pittsburgh. “We’ve got good security measures in place that have been established for some time. Our biggest thing is making sure people are aware of that, understanding that action plans are live documents, that they change daily based upon situations that occur.”

Scott Allen, the executive director of

Congregation Or Hadash, was asked at the time whether Jewish Atlantans need to live more like Israelis, who encounter a greater degree of security in their daily lives. “I would hope not, but certainly the events in Pittsburgh on Saturday are a wake-up call,” especially for those who think “I can’t afford it; it’s never going to happen to me. You can come up with all the excuses you want in the world – until it happens,” he said.

Post-Pittsburgh, the most noticeable measure of security at synagogues was the increased presence of police. Lucy has stressed the need for Jewish institutions to have good relations with their local police – before there is an emergency.

Less obvious are upgrades in communication and surveillance systems, and programs to train personnel how to respond.

“It’s important that to be effective, it needs to be concealed. If everyone were to go out and talk about their security efforts and what they’re doing, that would be, in and of itself, insecure,’ said Shelly Dresdner, the associate executive director of Temple Sinai. ■

30

By Bob Bahr

Emory University’s Institute for the Study of Modern Israel celebrated its 20th anniversary with a public lecture in November by Dr. Asher Susser, a leading Israeli academic and longtime observer of Israel’s relationship with the Arab world. He described the Arab War with Israel as over, in part a legacy of the peace treaty Israel signed with Egypt in 1979.

Then he and a distinguished group of academics and think tank experts explored what comes next for Israel and the Middle East during a thoughtful and provocative 20th anniversary weekend seminar.

The weekend was created by Dr. Ken Stein, professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science and Israeli Studies at Emory, who founded the ISMI after serving as an advisor to President Jimmy Carter and director of The Carter Center.

He played the role of a proud, if somewhat anxious, parent during the weekend.

Not only was he concerned about what’s next for Israel, but also what’s next for his institute.

Despite strong support from Emory and public statements endorsing his work, Stein underscores the continued need for financial support from the Atlanta community.

Proud sons flank Ken Stein: from left, Jason and Todd.

“If you have an institution that’s providing a voice that says we think Israel study is important to us, you need to consider how you can help us sustain this. I think that’s a serious request.”

Stein often speaks at educational and community events in Atlanta and has strived consistently over the past two decades to fund the work of the Emory institute. He hopes all his outstanding achievements over the past 20 years won’t be forgotten.

“The impact of the Institute needs to continue to be recognized,” he emphasizes.

“Because if the Institute atrophies and goes away, what could replace it? Ten years from now, could we have at Emory, an anti-Israel environment like we have now at the University of California Riverside or San Francisco State?” ■

Measles Outbreak Has Atlanta Rabbis Concerned ♦

By Dave Schechter

The number of measles cases, primarily among the “ultra-Orthodox” community, continues to rise in Israel and in the New York-New Jersey area. But no cases (at this writing) have been confirmed in Georgia.

As of mid-December, more than 2,300 cases of measles had been reported in Israel this year, while more than 120 were reported in New York and New Jersey.

Recognizing that members of the Orthodox community often travel to Israel and to the New York area, Beth Jacob Atlanta took the lead in late November, informing congregants that people who had not been vaccinated were not welcome. Torah Day School of Atlanta and Atlanta Jewish Academy issued new guidelines to ensure that children enrolled in those schools had been or immediately would be vaccinated.

While the Israel Ministry of Health said that the disease was brought to Israel, U.S. authorities suggested that it returned home with Jews who visited Israel for Sukkot.

Writing to his congregation on Nov. 16, Rabbi Ilan Feldman of Beth Jacob made clear who is responsible for the problem: “This outbreak is due primarily to a small minority of people who refuse to vaccinate their children despite the overwhelming recommendations to do so from the medical

24 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Concern among rabbis with measles cases on the rise.

community as well as halachic rulings by leading authorities that doing so is a religious obligation, and not vaccinating is a violation of several halachos.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Measles is a disease that can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and even death. It is caused by a highly contagious virus that is spread through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. Signs and symptoms of measles include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes.”

As of Dec. 1, the CDC had confirmed 292 individual cases of measles in 26 states and the District of Columbia – but not in Georgia. ■

DECEMBER

7

Community ‘Shark Tank’ Spotlights Female Innovators

Before a crowd of hundreds of prospective investors and a panel of business leaders, one could be understandably nervous pitching an innovation. That didn’t stop 11 female entrepreneurs in the Atlanta Jewish community from showing off their startup ideas on Dec. 12 at The Temple.

In a fast-paced format based on the TV show “Shark Tank,” innovators did their best to present their ideas and themselves to the crowd. Unlike the show, the panelists weren’t the ones to decide which concept wins a contract, and the audience voted for its favorite.

Pitch day was the final step of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s first-ofits-kind Women’s Accelerator Israeli-Style program. For two months, the class gathered for three-hour sessions as the women developed their business plans and learned from mentors and business leaders.

The products on display ranged from apps and activities to inventions and jewelry.

The winner of the audience vote was Rachel Gurvitch, who proposed bringing Catchball – an Israeli sport similar to volleyball – to

a wider audience following its success at the Marcus JCC. Part of her goal is to find more coaches and locations for Catchball in Atlanta.

She and the other entrepreneurs will continue to meet with their mentors and hone their business concepts. ■

Athens School District Leads State with Religious Tolerance Policy ♦

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

What is believed to be the state’s first religious tolerance policy for schools meets all the major federal standards for separation of church and state, according to the Anti-Defamation League in Atlanta.

“Overall, it’s a really good policy that incorporates the major SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) decisions on separation of church and state in schools, while providing for important religious accommodations,” said Shelley Rose, the ADL’s deputy regional director. “I am not aware of other initiatives in Georgia, but this could certainly serve as a model to other school districts.”

As expected, the Clarke County School District in Athens approved a proposed religious tolerance policy Dec. 13 that recognizes and equitably treats the religious rights of students and teachers. The policy, known as ICKA, also provides guidelines for teaching about religion, allows absences for holiday observances and accommodates dietary restrictions due to religion.

Dawn Meyers is associate superintendent of policy and school support systems in Clarke County. When tasked with creating a religious tolerance policy for the school district, Meyers looked throughout the country for a school policy on which to model Clark County’s. She didn’t find one in Georgia, but did in Pennsylvania.

The ADL’s Rose said she commends

14

By Dave Schechter

Elections Come to a Close

In Georgia, the blue wave was checked, for the most part, by a red wall. Republicans swept 10 statewide contests, including two that required a general election runoff.

At the top of the ballot, Brian Kemp defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in the race to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Nathan Deal. Had she won, Abrams would have been the nation’s first African-American female governor.

The gubernatorial race left a bad taste in the mouths of Democrats, though Republicans might suggest that it was a case of sour grapes.

Post-election, while Kemp said it was time to put aside politics, Abrams' supporters sued, alleging that Kemp – who resigned as secretary of state after Election Day – mismanaged the election through the use of faulty and non-secure voting machines. The Abrams supporters also claimed that Kemp’s campaign was aided by procedures that suppressed the voting strength of minorities.

Nearly 3.5 million Georgians (61.4 percent of the state’s estimated 6.43 million registered voters) cast ballots for the Nov. 6 general election, better than the 2014 midterm turnout, but below the 2016 presidential election.

The most notable Democratic victory in the metro area was in the 6th congressional district, a Republican bastion for 40 years.

Gun control advocate Lucy McBath unseated Republican incumbent Karen Handel, who had been elected in a June 2017 special election. The 6th is comprised of portions of DeKalb, Fulton and Cobb counties.

Democrats gained seats in the state legislature – though Republicans remain in control –and registered gains in traditionally Republican counties.

Democrat Lindy Miller fell short in her quest to become the first Jewish woman to win a statewide partisan race, losing a general election runoff for a seat on the Public Service Commission to Republican incumbent Chuck Eaton.

As of New Year’s Day, there were 672 days until the general election on Nov. 3, 2020.

By then, Georgia may have a replacement for its 16-year-old voting machines, which use an outdated operating system and do not provide a verifiable paper trail. A commission Kemp created as secretary of state meets in January and will make recommendations to the General Assembly. The state has 27,000 voting machines and estimates for the cost of their replacement range in the tens of millions of dollars. ■

Arthur Blank’s Atlanta United is MLS Champion

By Dave Schechter Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor brought the issue of religious tolerance to the attention of the Clarke County School Board to help Jewish families deal with school conflicts with the High Holidays.

“the parent who initiated this and the school district for taking this issue seriously.”

That parent was Melisa CahnmannTaylor, a professor at the University of Georgia in the Department of Language and Literacy Education. She drafted a letter along with Rabbi Eric Linder of her Reform synagogue, Congregation Children of Israel, and presented it to Clarke County School District Superintendent Demond Means.

Meyers said her school district had some general practices in place, but they weren’t clear or consistent throughout the district. That was why an actual policy was needed. She said the new policy also aligns with the district’s strategic priorities that include social/emotional growth of the students and educational equity.

The policy received only positive public comments prior to the school district vote last month. According to Meyers, it was to be updated to “active” in the school’s policy manual. ■

The success of Atlanta United FC in its first two years, highlighted by the Major League Soccer championship in the last month of 2018, was the result of a perfect storm of owner, front office staff, manager, players, stadium and fans.

At the top was owner Arthur Blank, who also owns the Atlanta Falcons football team. Then came the front office led by team president Darren Eales and technical director Carlos Bocanegra, and the manager, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who together assembled a team that plays attractive, uptempo soccer.

As for the players, the names Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron, Brad Guzan, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, and Michael Parkhurst – to name just five – are carved into the annals of Atlanta sports history.

Then there’s the combination of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a venue unequaled in this country, and the Atlanta United fans, both those who have invested years in soccer and rejoiced when Blank was awarded the franchise in 2014, and the newbies, who make up in enthusiasm what they may lack in understanding of the game’s finer points.

All were rewarded on Dec. 8 when Atlanta United defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1 to win the MLS Cup in front of a de-

Goalie Brad Guzan holds the trophy aloft to the cheers of his teammates.

lirious home crowd of 73,019, save for the disappointed Timbers fans.

The Atlanta United title is the rarest of commodities in Atlanta, a championship won by a professional sports team that calls Atlanta home. The other two (yes, just two) were the Atlanta Braves winning the World Series in 1995 and the Georgia Swarm, winners of the National Lacrosse League title in 2017.

Defending the MLS crown in 2019 will be a challenge, not only because of Atlanta’s checkered sports history. Martino announced before the playoffs that he would be leaving. At least one, and perhaps more of the championship starting 11 will not return. Perfect storms are rare events. Atlanta United fans should savor the 2018 experience. ■ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 25

YEAR IN REVIEW

Remembering Those We Lost Last Year January

Mari Borsuk Early December 2017 Benjamin Wertheimer December 15, 2017 John Max Mehler December 18, 2017 Eleanor Freemer December 20, 2017 Leon Abramson December 22, 2017 James Paradies December 22, 2017 Suzanne Davidson December 28, 2017 Brian Waronker December 29, 2017 Dell Asher December 30, 2017 Morton E. Ellin January 2, 2018 Elaine Hirsch January 2, 2018 Daniel Hirsh January 4, 2018 Herbert Gershon January 12, 2018 Rella Maier January 11, 2018 Gladys Misner January 13, 2018 Sam Glass January 18, 2018 Arthur Geduldig January 19, 2018 Herbert Ray Karp January 21, 2018 Dorothy Krakow January 20, 2018 Joy Diamond January 25, 2018 Michael Gordon January 25, 2018 Shirley Freedman January 30, 2018

February

Marvin Silver February 3, 2018 Gisela Spielberg February 4, 2018 Haskell Frostig February 4, 2018

Smile

Arnold Goldberg February 5, 2018 John Hirsch February 6, 2018 Richard Mirman February 6, 2018 Benjamin Hirsch February 11, 2018 Elaine Feig February 11, 2018 Mollie Goldberg February 14, 2018 David Rosenberg February 14, 2018 Helen Farkas February 14, 2018 Joan Bregman February 18, 2018 Eli Jacobs February 18, 2018 June Lewis February 22, 2018 Richard Blass February 24, 2018 Arthur Cohen February 26, 2018 Lenore Maslia February 26, 2018 Joseph Haas February 28, 2018

March

Sarah Smith March 1, 2018 Robert Alpern March 1, 2018 William Buchman March 2, 2018 Gilbert Bachman March 4, 2018 Bunny Daitch March 6, 2018 Sanford Baskin March 9, 2018 Hessel Sturisky March 11 2018 Betty Lee Roth Feb 12, 2018 Rachel Guillen March 14, 2018 Israel Nelkin March 16, 2018 Sarah Levin March 18, 2018

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April

Murray D. Friedman April 4, 2018 Olga Schreck April 4, 2018 Jeanne Antebi April 6, 2018 Ann Rudisch April 9, 2018 Louise Stein April 10, 2018 Richard Tauber April 10, 2018 Cindy Alberhasky April 11, 2018 Adele Burnham April 11, 2018 Eudice D. Goodman April 12, 2018 Kenneth Levenstiem April 14, 2018 Carol Bivins Gouzie April 16, 2018 Martin Seligman April 16, 2018 Robert Schultz April 20, 2018 Abraham Alhadeff April 22, 2018 Rabbi Melvin Glazer April 22, 2018 Larry Cohen April 28, 2018

May

Sonia Maziar Michael May 4, 2018 Benjamin Jacobson May 5, 2018 Rosa Lee Abraham May 8, 2018 Stuart Flome May 8, 2018 Lynne Elster May 10, 2018 Jane Zwig May 10, 2018 Sheldon Moss May 20, 2018 David Benda May 21, 2018 Jackie Gothard May 21, 2018 Lee Kaplan May 24, 2018 Idell Begner May 27, 2018 Frank Spiegel May 28, 2018 Harvey Yaschik May 30, 2018 Jerome Berman May 31, 2018

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David Neltz March 18, 2018 Connie Giniger March 19, 2018 Emily Levy March 21, 2018 Alice King March 25, 2018 Ronald Bachenheimer March 27, 2018 Martin L. Tanenbaum March 29, 2018 Penny Bowman March 30, 2018

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Alfred Haber June 3, 2018 Gertrude Krick June 3, 2018 Davee Kuniansky June 7, 2018 Paul Cohen June 10, 2018 Sarah Glustrom Shaffer June 11, 2018 Donald Appel June 12, 2018 Lynda Sherman Bloom June 12, 2018 Cheryl Goldberg Andrews June 23, 2018 Howard Stein June 28, 2018 Irving Adelman June 30, 2018

July

Cheryl Ann Scobel July 7, 2018 Laura G. Lawrence July 8, 2018 Daniel Scott Fruchtman July 8, 2018 Sharon Elizabeth Cooper July 9, 2018 Helen Scherr July 10, 2018 Elinor Angel Rosenberg Breman July 11, 2018 Raymond Tenenbaum July 11, 2018

YEAR IN REVIEW Jennifer Sue Cohen October 26, 2018 Michael Levin October 28, 2018

November

Mindy Holtz Rabinowitz July 13, 2018 Leon Sheinberg Socol July 17, 2018 Isidore Petersile July 19 2018 Walter Strauss July 25, 2018 Gerald Franklyn July 28 2018 Charles Simon Dozetos July 29, 2018

August

Samuel M. Draisen August 1, 2018 Stephen Norman Danneman August 5, 2018 Bradley David Katz August 8, 2018 Dr. Kenneth Friedberg August 9, 2018 Marilyn Taubkin Zimmer August 19, 2018 Roberta F. Schuman August 21, 2018 Annette Silverfield Shain August 22, 2018 Joe W. Gerstein August 24, 2018 David Shulman August 24, 2018 Jerry H. Love August 25, 2018 Norma Ambery August 26, 2018 Edie Fay Rubin Cohen August 27, 2018 Larry Cowen August 29, 2018 Abraham “Abe” Esral August 30, 2018

Leann Rittenbaum Ott November 1, 2018 David J. Lyons November 2, 2018 Ruth Hillman Lazarus Arnovitz November 3, 2018 Dr. Manuel Isadore Weisman November 7, 2018 Muriel “Mimi” Bernice August November 8, 2018 Rose Tucker November 10, 2018 Leon David Alexander November 14, 2018 Joseph H. “Joe” Gruenhut November 15, 2018 Allan Brezel November 17, 2018 Joel Phillip Moscow November 17, 2018 Leo Phaff November 19, 2018 Irving “Sonny” May Shlesinger November 22, 2018 Chester Rosenberg November 23, 2018 Florence Brody November 23, 2018 Edna Adler November 25, 2018 Sylvia Kaler November 26, 2018 Martin Hochdorf November 29, 2018

December

Rachel Kron December 3, 2018 Evan Benjamin Weisman December 4, 2018 Dianne Kirsch December 6, 2018 Kenneth Frankel December 11, 2018 Stephen Harris Salowitz December 12, 2018 Michele Halter December 13, 2018 ■

September

Stephen David Newfield September 1, 2018 Esther Zabiel Besser September 2, 2018 Barbara Kalin Holtz September 2, 2018 Dory Profis September 5, 2018 Irene Levinson Schwartz September 9, 2018 Harriette Gerichter Zinsenheim September 9, 2018 Eileen Joan Seidman September 10, 2018 Estelle Ezor September 19, 2018 Evelyn Silverman Taratoot September 20, 2018 Joseph Perling September 24, 2018 Ernestine Moscowitz Kasriel September 30, 2018

October

Morris Gerald “Gerry” Panovka October 2, 2018 Roslyn Silverman October 4, 2018 Sydney M. Covall October 6, 2018 Bruce R. Davis October 7, 2018 Myra Rill Fineman October 9, 2018 Gina Pearl October 9, 2018 Chana Rymberg Berman October 9, 2018 Julia Habib Soriano October 10, 2018 Ruth Magid October 11, 2018 Beryl Brown Kramer October 17, 2018 Irene Bases October 22, 2018 Sandra Roth Horowitz October 24, 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 27

RESOLUTIONS Dietician’s 10 Smart Tips for 2019

By Marcia Caller Jaffe Sheryl Westerman has 40 years of experience in weight loss counseling, coaching, research and motivational lecturing. She believes that weight loss has many different components, starting with changing the way you think.

“I was an overweight child and understand the difficulty of a weight loss journey, … Where most diet programs talk solely about food, they do not address the underlining factor, which is changing your mindset. Our bodies all have different energetic needs and need to be nourished consistently to maintain optimum levels of energy and keep our metabolisms going.”

Westerman was reared in South Africa and is constantly looking for new ideas, like the launch of her cookbook, “Cooking with Sheryl Westerman” (March 2019).

ThreeBestRated, which reviews American companies, ranked her number one among the top three hand-picked weight loss centers in Atlanta in 2018.

Here are her 10 tips for losing weight, having more energy, and being healthier in 2019: 1. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and have healthy snacks available. If 10 is full and 0 is empty, never allow yourself to go below 4. Protein bars are the new “in thing.” My favorite protein bar is NuGo. It is totally delicious, high in protein, satis-

worst thing you can do is fying, kosher and pareve. to say, “I don’t care.” We 2. To be successful, are all human. Trying to you have to set a consisbe perfect is a toxic jourtent daily routine (includney. If you have a slip up, ing weekends). Eat at the then freeze the moment. same times every day. This Tell yourself to get back on way your body will start track now and minimize recognizing your new way the damage. of eating, and it will stop 5. Exercise is very storing energy as fat. Try important to speed up to eat dinner early, as late your metabolism. If you eating is definitely a negaare a beginner, exercise tive factor in trying to lose Sheryl Westerman brings 40 years of experience to physiologists believe that weight. weight loss counseling.

15 minutes in the morn3. I do not believe in fad diets. If something is too good to be ing and 15 minutes later in the day, three true, it usually is. They are all wasted suf- to four times a week, will make a huge fering. Depriving yourself does not work difference. Exercising will reduce your in the long term. Losing weight is all about stress levels. If you exercise intensely a common-sense way of eating. I believe and don’t see the results on the scale and the biggest challenge is changing your are frustrated, it is because 80 percent of mindset. Pace yourself and be patient. weight loss is food and the other 20 perDo not jump on and off the scale every cent is exercise. You cannot “out exercise” day, it will drive you crazy. Weigh twice bad eating.

6. Drink water. Being well hydrated a week at most. If you are overwhelmed with too much information, go and see a burns more calories. Try to drink eight, nutritionist. Portion control is extremely 8-ounce glasses of water per day. If you do important. You can gain weight by eating not like drinking cold water, try herbal teas. Sparkling water is also another optoo much healthy food.

4. Nothing can ruin a diet like anxi- tion.

7. Two squares of dark chocolate a ety and stress. Anxiety makes you rush through eating, as does unconscious, day will not be the deal breaker. Weight mindless eating. Nothing you eat will loss is about moderation and self-control. take the stress away. No matter the situ- Watch your alcohol intake because alcoation, you cannot “feed a feeling.” The hol is liquid sugar. You can have a small

piece of challah and a little wine on Shabbat. I do not believe in “no carbs.” Why would you want to suffer? This has to be a soft landing. You need all your food groups: protein, starch, fats, dairy, and fruit. … A balanced diet will become a lifestyle change.

8. Cooking at home is good for your wallet, waistline and well-being. Make a resolution to not eat out so often because portions are usually bigger, have more sodium, and sauces all have hidden calories at restaurants. There is nothing like having chicken soup when you do not feel well. Kosher chickens taste better than others. (Ina Garten, the world famous “Barefoot Contessa,” also stated that in her book).

9. Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation makes you feel fatigued. This can result in needing to stay awake by needing more snack foods, junk foods and caffeine to get through the day.

10. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Make sure you buy your essential foods weekly and cook on a Sunday, prior to the week ahead. An Instapot is easy if you have nothing prepared. It is a multi-versatile cooking appliance that has enough high-power energy to cook frozen foods quickly. Never go to the supermarket hungry. Make a list and shop the outside perimeter of the grocery store.

Westerman’s motto is: “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.” ■

Stick with It: MJCCA Offers New Year’s Resolutions that Work To help you keep your New Year’s resolutions, the Marcus JCC consulted its fitness and wellness experts to come up with a handful of healthy habits for improving your outer body and inner mind in 2019.

“Resolutions that require hard work, like a resolution to lose weight, produce a lot of situations that make it easy to give up,” said MJCCA Group Fitness Director DeAnne Jacobson. “The key is to establish habits that counteract the most commonly encountered pitfalls.”

The MJCCA aims to help the community achieve its health goals by encouraging these five healthy habits: 1. Dress Out and Show Up: A critical step towards achieving your New Year’s resolutions is to be ready to do your chosen activity. “You’re not going to get anywhere with your resolution if you don’t show up,” says Valerie Chambers, MJCCA wellness coordinator. “Getting dressed and going to the gym is half the battle 28 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Knowing your equipment will help you meet your resolutions.

Take care of your mental health with mindful meditation for stress relief, the MJCCA advises.

for most people. Make it easy on yourself by setting out your clothes the night before or putting your gym bag in your car.” Structure your schedule to prevent excuses, Chambers advises, and you’ll set yourself up for success.

2. Knowledge is Power: “If you don’t know where to start, you probably won’t,” Jacobson said. Familiarize yourself with any equipment you might need

to meet your resolution. For example, if your resolution is to get fit, do some research, take stock of your equipment, and set benchmarks.

3. Find Accountability: “If you know someone is waiting for you to show up, you’re more likely to get up and go there,” Chambers said. If your resolution is to get fit, a personal trainer can provide both guidance and accountability on your fit-

ness journey. Another option is a small group class. “You get to know the other people in the class, and start being accountable to one another,” Chambers said.

4. Take Care of Yourself: “Don’t try and do too much at once,” Chambers advises. Avoiding injuries and burnout are essential to a sustainable routine, whether your resolution is to learn to code or run a marathon. Steady progress is more likely to produce the results you want.

“Don’t forget to take care of your mental and emotional health during this time of change in your life,” Chambers continues.

5. Have Fun: Celebrate your successes and enjoy your gains. “If you’ve gotten in great shape, come join in on our Heart Healthy Zumbathon and dance the night away,” Jacobson suggests. Share your success with your trainer or classmates. ■ For more information about the MJCCA, visit www.atlantajcc.org.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 29

COMMUNITY Dear Stymied, Kudos to you for being courageous and recognizing your issue! Many kids and adults, too, would probably just bite the bullet and join the herd while allowing themselves to suffer privately.

My dear boy, every single one of us is born with unique abilities, strengths, talents and deficits.

And yet, there are many jobs in life that we all must do, regardless of whether they come to us easily or with difficulty. We must go through the school system, so tortuous for many, get a job, do household chores, and be law abiding citizens. For the Orthodox, adhering to the Torah’s commandments is Dear Rachel, non-negotiable, regardless of the struggles involved. Whether it’s Passover preparations or fasting for Jewish high l ca lo e th 25 hours, observant Jewry around the world willingly comply with every nuance of these intricate laws. of e ent in on ” is an apt m I am a male stud le ob pr a In fact, we learn that our reward is commensurate with the exertion we expend. t go vey! Have I ess) prodn in (k schools, and “Oy ed es ch Helping others, however, is one of those gray areas that is not clearly defined. “And you shall w dilemma. A ne rriculum, cu r ou launcher for my of rt love your friend like yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) is clearly stated – without clear parameters. And that is pa ly initiated as d performte ar st gram was recent h ac precisely because not every chesed is designed for everyone to accomplish. Twelve tribes formed our om st point that my and it was at that nation, and each one traversed a different path. And even though each path was different, it led the ts. for an asin d lle ing acrobatic stun ca e er members of that particular tribe to fulfill its national and individual destiny. w l students ribed their sc One afternoon, al de r he ac te Some people are naturally inclined to visit the sick and the elderly, and this mitzvah gives them a principal and m. They inra og sembly, and our pr t” en great inner satisfaction.

Others may want to help the homeless, assist struggling students or harried ar pt a Grandp bi-monthes m ho vision of an “Ado g in rs mothers, run marathons for charity. Why, the opportunities for giving are endless and multi-faceted. nu e’d be visiting nts. And lisde si formed us that w re e th Why not approach the faculty member in charge of this new chesed initiative and be straight up r lanta to chee though it’s en ev , ly throughout At ry to da with your feelings?

A competent, effective educator would want to know if you don’t feel inclined an ogram is m schoolers gh hi e ten to this: the pr W s! ur or well-suited for this particular mitzvah.

Next, this teacher may ask what type of volunteer work ho during school portunity” op al ci not taking place pe “s is you enjoy doing.

If you’re not sure, perhaps that’s an area of your personality that you’ve never fully th involved in are required to be explored.

Then the two of you can navigate the journey together. our elders. ese types of th to of giving back to g in Go For the next step, I envision the educator setting you up with your own volunteer initiative and it.

I can’t do people yelle The problem is, se I n he W . allowing you to accrue your mandatory hours through the venue that you agree upon together. ill e physically lls with an ha e th facilities makes m ng ri de Then, presto – dilemma solved! an drooling or w ing this ing nonsense or handle it. Admitt Being uncomfortable in a certain milieu does not undermine you as a mentsch in any way. t n’ ca I , es ey r ei it’s a great ow kn I aimless look in th f. el ys On the contrary, your honesty and willingness to address the issue indicates a sophisticated level m t ally bad abou pe to get old ho I makes me feel re d an , le of self-awareness and an inherent desire to give in a way that best uses your individual strengths op r up these pe why can’t it, do n mitzvah to chee ca ys gu and assets. r us, if the othe myself one day. Pl I would love to know which chesed avenue you select, and eagerly anticipate hearing how I? you’re flying high from being involved in a richly rewarding and giving endeavor. ■ Wishing you the best of success, Sincerely, Rachel Stein

OY VEY! HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM...

Stymied

Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column Got a problem? Email Rachel Stein at oyvey@atljewishtimes.com, describing your problem in 250 words or less. We want to hear from you and get helpful suggestions for your situation at the same time! Identifying details will be changed upon request.

Jewish Joke of the Week Discussion Group A group of elderly Jewish men meet every Wednesday in Brent Cross for a coffee and a chat. They drink their coffee and then sit for hours discussing the world situation. Usually, their discussion is very negative.

One day, Moishe surprises his friends by announcing, loud and clear, “You know what? I’ve now become an optimist.”

Everyone is totally shocked, and all conversation dries up.

But then Sam notices something isn’t quite right, and he asks Moishe, “Hold on a minute. If you’re an optimist, why are you looking so worried?”

Moishe replies, “Oy vey! You think it’s easy being an optimist?”

Joke provided by David Minkoff www.awordinyoureye.com 30 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Yiddish Word of the Week ‘a sháayle ‘A Sháayle, Yiddish ‫( א שאלה‬sometimes misspelled ‫)אשאיילה‬, pronounced ‘a-sháay-leh; from the Hebrew noun ‫ ְׁש ֵאלָ ה‬, pronounced she’eláh, a question.

May be used literally, as in ‫‘( איך האב א שאלה‬Ikh hob ‘a sháaile = I have a question), but more likely to be used as a positive answer using a rhetorical question in the sense of “What a question?” or “Of course!”

Example: A man goes on a cruise and finds out that his table partner is a Swiss who speaks no English.

“Sprechen sie Deutsch?” (Do you speak German?) asks the Swiss, trying to be friendly. “‫’( ”!א שאלה‬A sháayle! = What a question?! = Naturally!) says the man, wondering why the Swiss is not impressed…

Rabbi Joab Eichenberg-Eilon, PhD, teaches Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic at the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies, eTeacher Group Ltd.

COMMUNITY SIMCHA SPOTLIGHT

B’nai Mitzvah Ryan Zer Hirsh, son of Marla and Daniel Hirsh, on Dec. 15. 2018 Mia Kleinman, daughter of Esti and Neer Kleinman, on Dec. 29, 2018

Birth Announcement

Lenah Yael Simons, daughter of Sandrine and Jason Simons on Dec. 27, 2018, held in Jerusalem, Israel.

Luca Wesley Owens

Geri and Andy Owens of Knoxville, Tenn., announce the birth of their son, Luca Wesley Owens, Aug. 20, 2018.

Welcoming baby Luca was big sister, Gilliann, and big brother, Oakley. Proud grandparents are Reba and Bennett Herzfeld of Dunwoody, Ga., and Gail and Donnie Owens of Powell, Tenn. Mrs. Owens is the former Geri Spindel of Augusta and Atlanta.

Have something to celebrate?

Births, B’nai Mitzvah, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, Special Birthdays and more ...

Share it with your community with free AJT simcha announcements.

Send info to submissions@atljewishtimes.com.

VOTE and WIN PRIZES! BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA

BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA

Support your favorites of Jewish Atlanta and win prizes Visa Gifts cards • Zoo Tickets • GA Aquarium Tickets Gift Certificates to Jewish ATL stores, restaurants and much more…

Your vote automatically enters you into the “2019 Readers’ Choice Drawing” Voting closes on March 1, 2019.

NOMINATE AND VOTE FOR THE BEST OF JEWISH ATLANTA TODAY! VOTE AT: www.atlantajewishtimes.com/bestofjewishatlanta2019

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 31

CALENDAR

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4

Friday Night Live – Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Shearith Israel’s monthly, spirited, song-filled Friday evening service followed by a lovely oneg and socializing. It’s a wonderful way to welcome Shabbat.

Free. For more information, www.bit. ly/2Gp5SRI.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5

Congregation Beth Shalom’s Prospective Member Shabbat – 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet Rabbi Zimmerman and other members of the kehillah. Free. For more information, www.bethshalomatlanta.net or call 770-399-5300.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Va'eira Friday, January 4, 2019, light candles at 5:24 p.m.

Saturday, January 5, 2019, Shabbat ends at 6:23 p.m.

Bo Friday, January 11, 2019, light candles at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 12, 2019, Shabbat ends at 6:29 p.m. ous questions. Presented by the ADL Southeast, Temple Sinai, JumpSpark and community partners: The Breman Museum, Bet Haverim, Or Hadash, Creating Connected Communities, The Epstein School, Hadassah, IAC, JF&CS, NFTY SAR, Beth Tikvah, The Temple and Camp Coleman. To RSVP, www. jumpsparkatl.org/program/antisemitism-summit.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 6

Men’s Club Welcomes SE Regional Political Director Darren Kendall – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Join them for brunch and listen to speaker, AIPAC Southeast Regional Political Director Darren Kendall. He will address the impact of the recent elections on the U.S.-Israel relationship, legislative priorities for the new Congress and what the 2020 electoral map portends. $7 per person. For more information, www.bit. ly/2QQ3bwO.

Spalding Drive, Norcross, from 6:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call Alex Schulman, 404-667-7752, or Pauline Weiss, 404-514-9036.

32 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

1180 University Drive, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Michael Miller, associate professor in the Practice of Information Systems & Operations Management, Goizueta Business School, Emory University. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2FUpHQM.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12

Congregation Beth Shalom’s Prospective Member Shabbat – 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet Rabbi Zimmerman and other members of the kehillah. Free. For more information, www.bethshalomatlanta.net or call 770-399-5300.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 13

Bearing Witness – William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, 1440 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, from 2 to 5 p.m. This series features Holocaust survivors, all Atlanta residents, who recall their experiences during the Holocaust.

The Breman Museum is pleased to offer free admission to the Bearing Witness series through a generous grant from the Sara Giles Moore Foundation. For more information, www.bit. ly/2CJcZmv.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10

Brain Health Boot Camp – Jewish

MONDAY, JANUARY 7

History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Get a sneak peek at this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s upcoming movies. For more information, please contact Development Director Lori Zelony, 404-528-2614 ext. 3, or lori@ajff.org.

Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Atlanta, from 3 to 6 p.m. For 6th grade and up. In response to the mass shooting in a Pittsburgh shul, Atlanta's Jewish community is coming together for an evening of learning and support for students grades 6-12 and the people who care about them. With a panel discussion and age-appropriate, facilitated breakout groups, they will explore vari-

Synagogue Scholars & Authors Series – Congregation Shearith Israel,

The Atlanta Jewish Bowling League Wants U! – Bowlero Spalding, 6345

AJFF Insider Preview Party – Atlanta

Anti-Semitism Summit: Navigate, Communicate, Advocate – Temple

ethical responsibilities. Each lesson of this course will contain an applicable, resonant, change-your-daily-life personal takeaway message for every woman who attends. For more information, www.bit.ly/2C9hMev.

meet new people with an open bar and a Shabbat dinner buffet. $25 per person.

Limited to the first 50 RSVPs. For more information, www.bit.ly/2E6BcD0.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9

Rosh Chodesh Society – Larger Than Life – Chabad Intown On the BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. For centuries, Jewish values have shaped the moral compass of Western society. “Larger Than Life” presents key Jewish values that were so influential in molding our civilization. This course focuses on areas outside the domain of the synagogue and Jewish ritual and shines a spotlight on the Torah view of social and

Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, from 3 to 5 p.m. This can help maintain and enhance your memory and brain function. $25 per class, $200 per semester. For more information, www.bit. ly/2Ob6bCB.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11

Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G @ the JCC – Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, from 5 to 6 p.m. Activities and crafts followed by songs and blessings with Rabbi Glusman, concluding with a visit from the popular “Weinstein School Shabbat Dinosaur.” Challah and grape juice will be served. Free and open to everyone. For more information and to RSVP, www.bit.ly/2BwiaoZ.

YJP 2nd Fridays Shabbat Dinner – Chabad Intown On The BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Join YJP every month for 2nd Fridays Shabbat dinner on the Atlanta BeltLine. Mingle, shmooze and

Beth Shalom Mini Movie Festival: “Exodus” – Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, from 7 to 9 p.m. Back by popular demand, inspired by Leon Uris’ bestseller, this extraordinary moving chronicle of a rebirth of a people and the establishment of a nation is the ultimate experience in human drama. $5 per adult. For more information, www. bethshalom.net.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15

The Last Jewish Mobster – Chabad Intown On The Beltline, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Myron Sugerman is a masterful storyteller, a serious historian and a communicator par excellence who will dazzle you with details of the mob’s im-

JANUARY 4-15

pact on the American Nazi Party in the 1930s and the mob’s role in supplying money and weapons to the Haganah and Irgun during Israel’s struggle for independence. $18 per ticket. For more information and to find out about sponsorships, www.bit.ly/2CaAlPC.

An Evening with Joy Laden – Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah, 700-A

Mount Vernon Hwy NE, Sandy Springs, from 8 to 9 p.m. Since coming out as transgender in 2008, she has become a nationally recognized transgender speaker. She has been featured outside academia, including delivering keynote talks at the 21st World Congress of GLBT Jews, and the 2015 Asanbe Diversity Symposium at Austin Peay State U. She has talked to dozens of Jewish communities around the country, served as scholar-in-residence at a number of synagogues, and is a member of the board of Keshet, a national organization devoted to full inclusion of LGBTQ Jews in the Jewish world. For more information, www.atlantamikvah.org. ■

SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 Atlanta Jewish Life Festival – Georgia Aquarium, ballroom entrance, 225 Baker St., Atlanta, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join all of Jewish Atlanta to celebrate its culture and Atlanta’s thriving Jewish community. Mark your calendar or register now to be part of this big event, www.atlantajewishlifefestival.com.

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

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. Please contact community liaison, Jen Evans, for more information at jen@atljewishtimes.com.

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BRAIN FOOD Jews in the News 2018 By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Challenging 1

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1. He’s often toasted?

6. Radar image 10. Remote choice 14. Blair of a famous 360 15. Lessen, as difficulties 16. Chemical suffixes 17. “The game is ___!” (Sherlock Holmes line) 18. Gelt, perhaps 19. Cathy of “East of Eden” 20. Some might consider his passing in 2018 as “inconceivable” 23. Ashdod to Chevron dir.

24. Reeves role 25. Publishes, perhaps 26. Owner whose team flew high in 2018 31. Funny ___.com 34. Blade often in crosswords 35. Cash or cop chaser?

36. Start of a famous anti-Semitic book 37. Singer who rose to world fame in 2018 39. Own (up) 40. They make Arad bearable in the Summer, for short 41. Famous Amos 42. Supplement

13. Start and end of Shabbos?

21. US fighters, in WWI 22. Auto racing great Earnhardt 26. Part of many a Korean name 27. Fix, as a shoelace 28. Brand with pluses and minuses 29. Positive vote 30. Jyn or Galen in “Star Wars: Rogue One” 31. Five-star Bradley 32. Suggest 33. Talk out of 37. Prefix with profit 38. Direction follower?

39. NYC freeway named after a NY governor 41. Checklist item 42. It may be shared on an airplane 44. Means of escape 45. Marzipan, e.g.

46. Tucked away 49. Kind of bias 50. Guitar parts 51. Say amen 53. Avodah ___ 54. Ride offerer 55. Traif chowder 56. Fringe color, in the Bible 57. Be lovey-dovey

43. Comeback star of 2017 who fell precipitously in 2018 47. Some gifts for mom 48. Bank letters 49. New School deg.

52. He lost billions (in stock) in 2018 57. Make like Egypt in ‘67 58. Competent 59. One to stand for 60. Washington bills 61. Kind of admiral 62. Hotel offering 63. 7 and 11, e.g.

64. The Israeli Defense Force, e.g.

65. Josh

DOWN

1. Wolverine’s weapons 2. ‘60s stereos 3. Chameleon’s cousin 4. See 5-Down 5. With 4-Down, old cinema star 6. ___ light 7. Rudd in “Ant-Man” 8. Analogy words 9. Skin 10. Oxford, Ohio sch. some think is much further south 11. Single 12. Most itsy-bitsy

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■ In Chile, a Jewish judge, Marcos Libedinsky, was made president of its Supreme Court on Jan. 6.

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50 Years Ago // January 3, 1969 ■ The Women’s Division of the Atlanta Jewish Welfare Federation will be well-represented in the forthcoming special flight of “Operation Israel.” Those from Atlanta participating include: Mesdames Burton Epstein, Ben Rabinowitz, Eugene Shaw and Seymour Weinberg.

■ The bar mitzvah ceremony of Eric Michael Spangler of Atlanta was held during Havdalah services on Jan. 3 at The Temple. Eric is the son of John Spangler and Lisa Menkin.

He is a seventh-grader at Howard School.

25 Years Ago // January 7, 1994

34 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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■ The bat mitzvah of Beth Halpern took place Saturday, Jan. 8 at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. She is the daughter of Lynne and Jack Halpern.

15 Years Ago // January 2, 2004

■ Dr. James A. Kaufman of Atlanta became the first Georgian to receive the Dr. Benjamin Rush Award for citizenship and community service, the highest honor of the American Medical Association.

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The Baroness Alix de Rothschild has accepted an invitation to serve as world patron of Youth Aliyah to succeed the late Eleanor Roosevelt.

■ The Baroness Alix de Rothschild has accepted an invitation from Joseph Klarman, member of the Jewish Agency, executive and Youth Aliyah head, to serve as world patron of Youth Aliyah. She succeeds the late Eleanor Roosevelt, whose post has been vacant since she died.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 35

OBITUARIES Paul Finkel

Gerald “Jerry” Kraft

Paul Finkel, 86, of Atlanta, passed away Dec. 19, 2018, surrounded by his loving family. Paul was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Beverly Finkel Schwartz; son, Jay Shapiro, twin brother, Stanley; brothers, Albert, Edward, Harvey; and sister, Shirley.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Judy; daughters, Andee Shapiro (Mark Mittenthal) and Maxine Schube (Keith); grandchildren, Rochelle Schube, Jeremy Schube (Talia), Alana Schube, Scott Shapiro (Abby), Stuart Shapiro (Michele), Max Shapiro; and great-grandchildren, Jay and Sydney Shapiro and Blair Shapiro.

Paul was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he was vice president of JFD Electronics. He established electronic manufacturing facilities in the Far East and traveled back and forth frequently. While on extended business trips overseas he made it a point to call home every Friday night for Shabbat. In 1974, he and his family relocated to Atlanta where he co-owned Binders Art Supplies with Moe Krinsky.

Paul never met a stranger and maintained friendships both old and new. He enjoyed lunches with friends at Goldbergs, and was a longtime active member at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, serving on many committees and becoming an Israel Bonds honoree. He loved to travel, with Israel being a frequent destination. A member of the Jewish War Veterans, Paul served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, and he became a Purple Heart recipient. He gave philanthropic support to many causes, one of his favorites being Hadassah Medical Center, Ein Kerem Hospital. Most of all, Paul was passionate about his family and looked forward to weekly Sunday night family dinners at his home. The Finkel family is most appreciative of his longtime caregivers, Gail, Josephine, Mellonie and Kachi, and also the staff of Weinstein Hospice for its professional and compassionate care.

Graveside services were held Dec. 21, 2018, at Arlington Memorial Park, with Rabbis Neil Sandler and Laurence Rosenthal officiating. Contributions in Paul’s memory may be made to Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30327; The Ovarian Cancer Institute, 960 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30342; or a charity of your choice. Arrangements made by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Gerald “Jerry” Kraft, 80, died Dec. 29, 2018. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Phyllis Kraft; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Kimberly Kraft, Tampa, Fla.; daughter and son-in-law, Jill and Keith Bregman, Atlanta; daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Todd Wachtel, Atlanta; sister, Sheila Sear, Chattanooga, Tenn.; and grandchildren, David and Rachel Wachtel and Staci and Allison Bregman.

A graveside service was held Dec. 31, 2018, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Weinstein Hospice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Sign online guest book at www.edressler.com.

86, Atlanta

Anna Globe 98, Atlanta

Anna Globe, 98, died Dec. 25, 2018 in Atlanta. Born in Pinsk, Poland, on Aug. 23, 1920, Anna was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust.

On April 12, 1940, she married Jonas Globe and moved to Italy. They had one daughter, Betty, and eventually settled in Tulsa, OK. Without any knowledge of the English language, but wanting to help her family, Anna used the skills she had, and spent her early career as a seamstress. With education of paramount importance, Anna later received a master’s degree, and eventually influenced hundreds of children as a Russian and German teacher for more than 40 years. Anna was an active member of her synagogue and the local Jewish community.

She was an avid reader, and cherished time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include her granddaughter, Jeannie Ullman (Rich); grandson, Dan Rimland (Allison); and great-grandchildren, Claire, Sophie, Jack, and Lucy Ullman, and Grady and Audrey Rimland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Israel Children’s Cancer Foundation, 141 Washington Ave. #205, Lawrence, NY 11559. A graveside service was held Dec. 31, 2018, at Arlington Memorial Park, with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. Arrangements made by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

36 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

80

Luna Cohen Ulman Levy 89, Atlanta

A Jewish proverb says, “G-d couldn’t be everywhere, so he created mothers.” And so it is that G-d created Luna Levy, who passed on Dec. 25, 2018, and is with him now.

Luna enjoyed serving her Jewish community as managing editor of the Southern Israelite. She took delight in writing clever headlines. When the newspaper featured a visit by Pope John II, and his smiling image, Luna wrote, “Have a Pope and a Smile,” playing off Coca-Cola advertising of the day.

Luna was born on Nov. 5, 1929, in Atlanta. Her parents were Louis and Alegra Cohen, Sephardim from Turkey. Her siblings were older brother, Victor, and younger sister, Sarah. The family lived in West End, where they owned a delicatessen. Luna displayed musical talent and excelled on clarinet (a gift from Uncle David Cohen) and piano. Luna was a loving member of her extended family of Asa, Barrocas, Bensusan, Cohen, Esbia, Hazan, and Maslia cousins, aunts and uncles.

Later moving with her family to Morningside, she graduated from Girls High School in 1947 and attended Georgia State University. She maintained an active social life, including her ladies’ card game of more than 60 years.

In 1950, she married Bernard Ulman, then gave birth to Linda, Roby and Alan.

She raised her children in her warm and loving home in Northeast Atlanta. During these years, Luna was actively involved in the women’s Zionist organization, Hadassah, and the Jewish educational advocacy organization, ORT. In addition to her years in journalism, she worked with her son-in-law, Michael Geller, at D. Geller and Son Jewelers, and her nephew, Dr. Louis Cohen, at his medical practice. In her work, she exhibited great organizational skills and efficiency, and was a supportive colleague.

In 1979, Luna married Julian Levy. They remained lovingly devoted to each other for 35 years until his passing in 2012. Survivors include children, Linda (William) Frank, Robyn (Michael) Geller, and Alan Ulman; daughter-in-law, Bonnie Ulman; grandchildren, Angela (Jim) Nothdurft, Adam Frank, Jillian (Andrea) Levy, Arielle (Chase) Peacock, Jennifer Geller, Jonathan (Kelsey) Geller, Madison Ulman, Jacob Ulman, and Wendy Ulman; great-grandchildren, Hannah, Lilly, Hailey, Kaleigh and Olivia; sister, Sarah (Max) Diamond; sister-in-law, Matilda Cohen; her children’s father, Bernard Ulman; brother-in-law, Issac (Rosemary) Levy; stepson, Jack (Esther) Levy and their family; and loving cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by parents, Louis and Alegra Cohen; brother, Victor Cohen; stepson and step daughter-in-law, Richard and Ellen Levy. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to charities of your choice. Arrangements made by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Dr. Ilana Mor Hiram

Dr. Ilana Mor passed on Dec. 22, 2018. A funeral ceremony was held Dec. 23, 2018 at H.M. Patterson & Son-Arlington Chapel. It was followed by a graveside ceremony at Arlington Memorial Park. Shiva, held Dec. 23 to 28 at Ilana’s home, was a period of mourning where friends and family came to mourn with the family. “Our family thanks you for your love, support and prayers. It certainly helps us get through this time.”

Ilana is survived by her sisters, children and grandchildren.

OBITUARIES

Saundra Friedman Russo Atlanta

Saundra Friedman Russo, a native Atlantan, born to Stanley M. and Gertrude Friedman, died Dec. 17, 2018. She was predeceased by her father, Stan; brother, Glen; and husband, Bernie Russo, all of blessed memory. She is survived by her mother, Gert; sister, Jill (Yossi) Ovadia; son, Stuart (Liza) Cristol-Deman; and grandsons, Natan and Ely. She was a dedicated aunt to appreciative nephews and nieces, Eitan (Cara) Ovadia, Tal (Jessi) Ovadia and Shanee (Josh) Kirschenbaum; and a doting great-aunt to seven.

Saundra was loved and will be missed by many. She was fortunate to have married into the Russo family, embracing Bernie’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as her own, as they did her.

In addition to her family by blood was her family by association, the women of the Or VeShalom Sisterhood, who welcomed her with open arms when she joined their ranks.

Saundra was honored to be a part of their crew and felt like they were her second family.

Saundra’s big heart that took care of so many finally gave out and couldn’t keep up with all that she did for others. Her lack of presence will leave a hole in the hearts of many.

A graveside service was held Dec. 19 at Greenwood Cemetery. Donations may be made to Or VeShalom Sisterhood, 1681 N. Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, GA 30319. Arrangements made by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Anna Roberta Teper 82, Atlanta

Anna Roberta Teper, 82, passed away in Atlanta Dec. 12, 2018. She is preceded in death by her parents, Alex and Rae Teper; siblings, Philemore, Leon (Buddy), Bernard, and Rosaline. Though challenged with cerebral palsy, Anna courageously attained her GED diploma.

Her children loved her. She taught and read to them regularly at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and other facilities. She attended Weinstein Center senior programs at MJCCA for many years. Anna was truly sweet, a most innocent and deeply beautiful soul. Anna leaves behind siblings, Anita Beckman (Zimmerman, Greenberger) and Shirley Teper; 11 nieces and nephews and their children; a treasured second family, Patsy and Jim Chapman; and other dear friends. She will be ever cherished. Arrangements made by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notice: Doug Talley, husband of Temple Sinai member Sylvia Talley, died Dec. 25, 2018. As a testament to his service to our country, a private funeral to honor his life was held at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton on Dec. 31. Shiva was observed Jan. 3 at Temple Sinai. There will also be a memorial held for Doug this month at the Woodward Academy, the exact date to be determined. ■

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

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES JANUARY 4, 2019 | 37

CLOSING THOUGHTS This Too Will Pass a bar mitzvah or a wedding. She traveled Recently, I read a story dealing with by plane in her late 70s to a simcha and inpeople’s attitudes about how they live their sisted that she had to dance at the event belives. It reminded me of my parents. cause celebrations don’t happen every day.

My parents were optimists. It was She was going to enjoy each and every one part of their DNA. They never had much of them, and shortly after that had a heart money, but they had family, lots of siblings, attack that ended her life. and plenty of cousins, and they believed in Here is a story that reminded me of the American dream. My sister and I were how quickly joy can change to sadness, and raised in that environment, so we both are vice versa: optimists. The history of Judaism is filled A king asked a goldsmith that specialwith optimism, even in the face of tragic Allen H. ized in making gold jewelry if he could events. It is a belief in a G-d that supports Lipis make a unique ring. The ring had to have us, in a faith that whatever happens is for The Bottom Line the power to change people’s moods. The the best, and a feeling that whenever bad king required that a happy man who looked at the ring happens, this too will pass.

My father fell off a ladder and broke his pelvis and would become moody and a sad man that looked at the smashed the bones in his left wrist trying to slow down ring would become happy. The man went home wonderhis fall. While he was recovering, I heard him say, “This ing whether he could ever produce such a ring.

After speaking to lots of wise people he still had not too will pass,” and it did. He lived long after the fall. He often used that expression when things didn’t go well. learned how to make such a ring. He prayed to G-d to When his business wasn’t good, I heard that expression guide him. The next man he asked thought for a long again, “This too will pass.” And it did. He gave up his while and said, “If you etch these words – THIS TOO business and went back to work for the same company WILL PASS – onto the surface of the ring it will accomplish what you want. When a happy man sees these he once worked for.

My mother never missed a simcha. She loved peo- words, he will realize that his happiness is transient, ple, especially her family, and often told me that we and his mood will change. Similarly, when a sad man should enjoy every celebration, for who knows what sees the same words, he will realize that his sadness is will happen next. Even after my father died, my mother, transient, and his mood will lift.”

The man made the ring and, much to the king’s pleawho never wanted to drive a car, learned to drive. However, she preferred to have her brothers pick her up for sure, it worked exactly as the wise man had predicted.

When I say the Kiddush prayers on Friday nights, I often think that this might be the last time I will say these prayers, so I make them as good as I can. Who knows? It could be my last time. I sing them with the thought that if this is the last time, I must give it my best effort, no less.

At a Friday night dinner one time, the rabbi asked all of us if anyone made their prayer with the thought that this could be the last time making those prayers. I was the only one raising my hand, so I made the prayers for the group that evening. I didn’t realize that this was such a unique idea.

The Bottom Line: Enjoy each and every moment, for man plans and G-d laughs. ■

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Louis DeJoseph, MD See why patients come from all over the world to experience the amazing results from Dr. DeJoseph and his highly skilled medical and aesthetics teams in Atlanta, GA.

1994

3,120

The year he received his undergraduate degree in molecular biology, graduating cum laude at King’s College.

He received his doctorate of medicine from Penn State.

DeJoseph completed his residency in otolaryngology/ head and neck surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and was one of only 38 surgeons selected worldwide to undergo further specialty training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in affiliation with Emory University.

The number of facial injectables performed at Premier Image each year.

2017

The year DeJoseph was co-chair of the national meeting for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, sharing knowledge with leaders among the most talented facial plastic surgeons from around the world.

30328

75

Percentage of patients that are referred by friends and family and other physicians.

The Atlanta ZIP code in which Premier Image recently opened their new state of the art Cosmetic and Laser Surgery Center and Med Spa (6085 Barfield Road NE, Ste. 100)

3

The number of board certifications DeJoseph holds: American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, the American Board of Otolaryngology and the American Board for Laser Surgery.

“My goal is to establish a trusting relationship from the start, allowing for better communication and better results. I feel that by helping patients feel good about themselves, I am improving their quality of life.”

10,000+

The number of facial surgeries and laser procedures DeJoseph has performed in his career.

Out of 42 Fellowship programs in the U.S. for specialized training in facial plastic & reconstructive surgery.

1

150+ The number of QT Mini face- and necklifts performed by DeJoseph each year.

7

Average amount of days it takes to recover from DeJoseph’s trademarked QT Mini face-lift and neck-lift. He’s known for delivering natural results, low downtime and minimal bruising.

1970

The year that Premier Image Cosmetic & Laser Surgery was founded. It was Georgia’s first cosmetic surgery center to specialize in complete specialty aesthetic plastic surgery for both face and body procedures. Premier Image performs procedures ranging from simple to extreme, including plastic surgery, as well as nonsurgical lowdowntime procedures.

1-888-455-FACE 6085 Barfield Rd NE, Suite 100, Atlanta GA 30328 premierimage.com | www.facebook.com/picosmeticsurgery | Twitter: @premierimageATL

40 | JANUARY 4, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES