BRICK BY BRICK
A bar mitzvah is collecting Lego kits for Camp Kudzu and kids with diabetes. Page 14
VOL. XCIII NO. 1
CAMPS, PAGES 14-17 ISRAEL LINKS
A summer program at Yale seeks non-day-school students from Atlanta. Page 15
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WINTER SPARK
Looking ahead to summer, a Chanukah expo showcases camp programs. Page 17
JANUARY 5, 2018 | 18 TEVET 5778
Hate-Crimes Sammy Davis Jr. to Open Film Festival Bill Proposed Rep. Meagan Hanson (R-Brookhaven) plans to pre-file hate-crimes legislation for this year’s General Assembly session, which opens Monday, Jan. 8. She was scheduled to hold a Capitol press conference about the bill Wednesday morning, Jan. 3, with Anti-Defamation League Southeast Regional Director Allison Padilla-Goodman. ADL National Director Jonathan Greenblatt launched the organization’s 50 States Against Hate initiative to promote hate-crimes laws in Atlanta in August 2015 at an event marking the centennial of the lynching of Leo Frank. Georgia is one of five states without a hate-crimes law, a situation that has emerged as a priority for the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism. Georgia enacted such a law in 2000 with strong support from the Jewish community, but the state Supreme Court threw it out in 2004 for being too vague in defining a hate crime. Subsequent efforts to pass a hatecrimes bill foundered over protections for LGBTQ people. Hanson told the Reporter Newspapers that her bill will include sexual orientation and gender identity. The Jan. 3 press conference unveiling the legislation was due to include law enforcement officials. ■
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival will open Jan. 24 with Sammy Davis Jr. and close Feb. 15 with the story of an elderly Holocaust survivor searching for the person who saved his life, both at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The festival announced the films for its opening, closing and young professionals nights Dec. 28, raising to 11 the number of feature films revealed for the 18th annual festival. The full lineup of more than 50 features and more than 20 shorts will be announced Friday, Jan. 5. The festival will begin with the documentary “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me,” a tribute to the Jewish entertainer in all his complexities and contradictions. The film uses performance clips, photographs, and interviews with such celebrities as Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear and Jerry Lewis. Filmmaker Sam Pollard will participate in a discussion after the 7:30 p.m. screening Jan. 24. Admission to the screening, including parking, costs $36. The festival will close with “The Last Suit” at 7 p.m. Feb. 15. An 88-year-old tailor leaves his home in Argentina to visit Poland in the hope of finding the man who saved him during the Holocaust. The $36 ticket to closing night includes a discussion with writer-director Pablo Solarz and a dessert reception. Midway through the 23-day festival,
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Screen grab from the “Sammy Davis Jr.” trailer
Sammy Davis Jr. is remembered for his exploits as part of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack.
American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS presents young professionals night Feb. 3 at the Woodruff Arts Center with “The Boy Downstairs,” a romantic comedy in which a young woman unknowingly moves into an ex-boyfriend’s building in Brooklyn. The $36 ticket includes a 7 p.m. party before the 8:30 screening. Aside from the three special nights, tickets for the festival are $12 for matinees, $15 for general admission, and $13 for seniors, students and children. Tickets go on sale at ajff.org Wednesday, Jan. 17. The world’s second-largest Jewish film festival has announced eight of the other movies for the 2018 lineup: documentaries “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr
INSIDE Candle Lighting �������������������������� 4 Israel News �����������������������������������5 Opinion ���������������������������������������10 Business ��������������������������������������18 Arts �����������������������������������������������23 Simchas �������������������������������������� 27 Obituaries ���������������������������������� 28 Crossword ���������������������������������� 30 Marketplace ������������������������������� 31
Story,” “Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas,” “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel” and “Itzhak”; new features “The Cakemaker,” “Bye Bye Germany” and “Act of Defiance”; and a 25th anniversary presentation of “Schindler’s List.” “These are not your typical Hollywood films, where many times you have a predictable ending or know the director,” AJFF Executive Director Kenny Blank said. “Part of the delight of AJFF is the unexpected, the surprise elements, and buying into an experience and enduring this journey not knowing exactly where it will take you.” Visit atlantajewishtimes.com for details and the full lineup Jan. 5. ■
ISRAEL AT U.N.
The U.N. General Assembly condemns U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a day before a special U.N. Security Council session highlights Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza. Page 8
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JANUARY 5 â–ª 2018
MA TOVU
Jews Must Break Through False Racial Dichotomy sional and working class, spiritual and agnostic, just as are white Jews. What connects them are the challenges they face when it comes to assumptions that are made about who they are. In the broader secular world,
Taking Root By Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder rabbiruth@gmail.com
their Judaism often goes unnoticed or ignored, even if they are devoted in their practice. In the broader world, they face the racism that is woven into the fabric of so much of American life. In the Jewish world, their presence is not always welcome. And even in the most welcoming Jewish spaces, it is not uncommon for Jews of color to find themselves asked intrusive questions about their Jewish status or to be assumed to be the hired help and not members of the minyan. But these Jews are also so much more than their negative experiences. They are creative and thoughtful. Their passion for Torah, Jewish tradition, culture and ritual outweigh the discomfort they encounter in Jewish spaces. Their tenacity and faith inspire me. Often their experiences, some of which are based on a racialized encounter with the world, provide me with new perspectives and insights into our traditions and culture. The insights into African-American slave kitchen culture offered by culinary historian Michael “Kosher/ Soul” Twitty, for example, have helped shape my understanding of Jewish food. Rabbinical student Sandra Lawson’s takes on traditional texts add doses of Torah wisdom to my daily life. Local singer-songwriter Prodezra Beats has expanded my understanding of Jewish music. So this year, as we celebrate Martin Luther King’s legacy and its meaning for contemporary Jewish life, I hope we go beyond the black/ Christian-Jewish/white dichotomy to embrace the rich complexity of our community and the Jews of color who have the potential to enrich us all. ■
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JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
The first week of my job at a Jewish nonprofit in San Francisco coincided with the summer session of our residential camp in the hills north of the city. As I pulled into the ranch where we as well as another group rented space, I realized I had no idea how to find our group. Driving around the property, it became clear I need not have worried. One look at the gaggles of kids and it was easy to spot the Jews: As opposed to the choir camp kids who were white, the Jewish kids were predominantly kids of color. Soon we will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day and recall the legacy of this great man and what he symbolizes for American life. Throughout the country, black church choirs will grace the bimot of synagogues. White rabbis will trade pulpits with black pastors. We will look back on the time when Dr. King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched hand in hand. These sorts of celebrations and historical thinking represented most of what I knew about race and Jewish life when I began working at Be’chol Lashon seven years ago. Through my extensive Jewish education and professional training, I had only rarely considered how race and Judaism might come together for Jews of color. From that first day at Camp Be’chol Lashon in Sonoma, engaging with Jews of color and working to promote and celebrate the diversity of the Jewish community have challenged me to grow and expand my understanding and appreciation of Jewishness. Far too often in the Jewish world, the way we celebrate the King holiday solidifies the false dichotomy that pits blackness and Jewishness one against the other, obscuring the complexity and diversity that exist within our community, where there are Jews of color, some of whom are converts, some of whom were born Jewish, some of whom were adopted into Jewish families. There is no singular narrative of African-American Jewish life. My experiences in Atlanta mirror those I have had nationally. There are black Jews in every denomination. They vary in their political affiliations and in their connection to Israel, just as white Jews do. They are young and old, profes-
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Contributors This Week RABBI RUTH ABUSCH-MAGDER RACHEL FAYNE RABBI DAVID GEFFEN YONI GLATT JORDAN GORFINKEL LEAH R. HARRISON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE ALLEN H. LIPIS RABBI NEIL SANDLER DAVE SCHECHTER AL SHAMS JEFFREY SILVERSTEIN RICH WALTER
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JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
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THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2018 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com
CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES
Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G. Rabbi Brian Glusman and the Weinstein School Shabbat Dinosaur lead a celebration at 5 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road. Free; www.atlantajcc.org. Scholar in residence. Rabbi Ezra Schwartz, the rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University, spends Shabbat at Young Israel of Toco Hills, 2056 LaVista Road, speaking after a communal meal at 8 p.m. Friday, about 10:45 a.m. Saturday at services, before Mincha at 4:15 p.m. Saturday and at 5:45 p.m. Saturday. Free; www.yith.org.
SUNDAY, JAN. 7
Genetic screening. JScreen holds a screening event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. The test is $49; register in advance at jscreen.org (coupon code MJCCA18). Barney info. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, holds an information session for Camp Barney Medintz at 1 p.m. Free; www.campbarney. org/open-houses. Film fest planning. Bob Bahr presents some of the top picks for the 2018 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival at 2:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs. Free; www.templesinaiatlanta.org. Film fest planning. Matthew Bernstein and Bob Bahr offer Atlanta Jewish Film Festival guidance to the Kulanu group of empty-nesters at The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St., Midtown, at 6 p.m. Free; RSVP to srgordon60@gmail.com. Bowling. The co-ed Atlanta Jewish Bowling League kicks off its winter season at 6:45 p.m. at Bowlero Spalding, 6345 Spalding Drive, Norcross. The fee is $15; call Alex Schulman at 404-6677752 or Pauline Weiss at 404-514-9036.
Shemot Friday, Jan. 5, light candles at 5:25 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, Shabbat ends at 6:24 p.m. Va’eira Friday, Jan. 12, light candles at 5:31 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, Shabbat ends at 6:30 p.m.
Corrections & Clarifications
The name of Arnold Heller, who chairs the Atlanta-Ra’anana Sister Cities Committee, was incorrect in an article in the Dec. 22 issue.
CERT Training at Beth Jacob
Congregation Beth Jacob is playing host to an accelerated version of the DeKalb Emergency Management Agency’s Community Emergency Response Team training. The free training will be offered in five four-hour Sunday sessions Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28 and Feb. 11, starting at 2:30 p.m. each day. Normally, the 10 modules of the CERT training are spread across nine sessions. If you miss any of the Sunday sessions, you can make them up during the regular CERT training DeKalb is offering in Tucker on Thursday nights, starting Jan. 4, and Tuesday nights, starting Jan. 9. The training covers issues such as disaster preparedness, fire suppression, medical triage, evacuation, search and rescue, and terrorism awareness. Each participant who completes at least eight of the 10 modules graduates and earns a certificate, a T-shirt and a CERT emergency kit backpack. You must submit a notarized application and a background check to take the training. Space is limited, however, so you can sign up first at www.marketpoweronline.com/cert-tocohills, then take care of the application and background check. You can get the application notarized at Beth Jacob before the first class. The background check can be completed at a police station in five to 10 minutes at a cost of $5. ■
MONDAY, JAN. 8
Shabbaton info. SOJOURN at 7 p.m. at the Phillip Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, tells eighth- to 12th-graders about April’s LGBTQ and Ally Teen Shabbaton in Clayton. The info session is free; www.sojourngsd.org.
THURSDAY, JAN. 11
Infertility advice. The Jewish Fertility Foundation offers “What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting” for couples at 7 p.m. at MACoM, 700-A Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Free; www.jewishfertilityfoundation.org.
SATURDAY, JAN. 13
Sushi and comedy. Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz delivers kosher stand-up comedy and all-you-can-eat sushi after Havdalah at 8 p.m. at Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Johns Creek. Tickets are $15; www.chabadnf. org or 770-410-9000.
SUNDAY, JAN. 14
Bearing Witness. Ukrainian Holocaust survivor Hershel Greenblat tells his story at 2 p.m. at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Free; www. thebreman.org.
Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at the Atlanta Jewish Connector, www.atlantajewishconnector.com.
Remember When
10 Years Ago Jan. 4, 2008 ■ Atlanta native and Congregation Beth Jacob member Michael Cenker is being inducted into NCSY’s Ben Zakkai Honor Society on Jan. 6, showing that concerns about his decision almost 40 years ago to attend Georgia Tech instead of Yeshiva University did not indicate that the Orthodox youth group’s lessons had been lost on him. ■ The bar mitzvah ceremony of Andrew Greenberg of Alpharetta, son of Todd and Laurie Greenberg, was held Saturday, Sept. 29, at Congregation Dor Tamid. 25 Years Ago Jan. 1, 1993 ■ A debate at the Westminster Schools over a Christian-only
hiring policy could put Jews, who historically make up 8 percent to 10 percent of the student body, in the middle of a battle between liberal and fundamentalist Christians. ■ Susan and Bobby Kahn announce the birth of a son, Kevin Joel, on Nov. 16. 50 Years Ago Jan. 5, 1968 ■ Push-button grocery shopping — a 1980 dream available in 1968 — has come to Cheshire Bridge Road with the grand opening of the Bread Basket convenience store at the Sinclair gas station. While the attendant is filling your tank, just reach out your window and select up to 50 convenience grocery items, which the attendant will bring to you. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Louis Siegel of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Judy Irma Siegel, to Alan Robert Schulman, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Schulman.
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ISRAEL NEWS
‘Fauda’ Star Helps FIDF Close Record Year had another record year, raising over $1.3 million, and have raised over $1 million four years in a row. The Impact Scholarship Program has supported
Photo by Bonnie Linton Solloway
Michael and Marla Chaliff went on an FIDF mission to Israel last year.
Jaffe's Jewish Jive By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com Photo by Bonnie Linton Solloway
over 9,000 students, who have done their part with a graduation rate of 98 percent … and given back over 5 million hours of community service to their communities.” Sobel, whom Baron joked is six years into a two-year term as the Southeast chairman, urged attendees to “make 2018 the year of plus-one — one more dollar and involve one more friend for our 70th anniversary.” In the pre-function hour, FIDF supporter and lawyer Lowell Fine described his visit to the student supported by his Impact Scholarship donation. She is studying law in Israel. “I am glad to be able to help her;
FIDF Southeast Region Chairman Garry Sobel welcomes “Fauda” cocreator Lior Raz to Atlanta.
and she was appreciative when we met,” Lowell said. Marla and Michael Chaliff went on an FIDF tour of Israel last year and said, “It’s amazing how these young people serve for Jews all over. Aren’t we fortunate to be in America?” Robert Levy said, “I am proud of the IDF. … They protect the rest of the world, not just Jews.” Angel and Aaron Goldman said, “It’s phenomenal how the FIDF fills in the gaps that Israeli government is not able to cover. We are proud to support those who have served.” ■
Smile
Photo by Bonnie Linton Solloway
FIDF young leaders at the Dec. 13 annual event include (from left) Tamar Gez, Ben Levy, Jason Chaliff and David Tillem.
Photo by Jon Marks Photography
IDF Maj. Ran Tinichigiu speaks at the Dec. 13 FIDF event at Mason Fine Art.
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JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
“Legends and Heroes” of the Israel Defense Forces roused a loyal crowd at the Friends of the IDF’s annual donor appreciation event Wednesday, Dec. 13, at Mason Fine Art in Buckhead. The featured guest was Lior Raz, co-writer and lead actor in the Israeli TV series “Fauda” and a former IDF special forces soldier. Raz, whose show streams on Netflix, mingled with FIDF supporters before his presentation. Raz described his humble upbringing in a Sephardic area where he became fluent in Arabic, often used in “Fauda,” which is televised in 192 countries. It is the biggest TV deal in Israel’s history. A self-described adrenaline addict, Raz said fauda is Arabic for “chaos.” He spoke about a girlfriend who was stabbed to death and another friend who was killed by terrorists. He said he had to neutralize two terrorists in his first four months in the IDF. That all contributed to his posttraumatic stress disorder. He connected his work with “Fauda” to his recovery from PTSD, as he is talking about these issues for the first time in 20 years. During the FIDF program, Seth Baron, the executive director of the FIDF Southeast Region, emphasized the importance of fulfilling promises to the IDF. “Our work at FIDF is centered around the soldiers,” he said. “Note that Atlanta now has approximately 30 lone soldiers serving in the IDF.” He pointed out several IDF soldiers in attendance who are stationed at Fort Benning or Lockheed Martin. Baron also noted recent heroic work the IDF performed in response to disasters in areas such as Mexico, and a video showed the IDF helping Syrian refugees, including a young girl who thanked an army doctor for saving her life. One IDF soldier who spoke was Maj. Ran Tinichigiu, a commander in the Golani Brigade who fought inside Gaza during Operation Protective Edge and recently signed on for an additional eight years in the army. “We are proud to be able to look after him and his fellow soldiers serving in the IDF,” Baron said. Garry Sobel, an FIDF national board member and the chairman of the Southeast Region, said, “We’ve
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ISRAEL NEWS
Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Live long and prosper. Arab Israelis have a higher life expectancy than the populations of 21 Muslim- and Arabmajority countries in the Middle East, the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel found in a recent study. In 2015, the life expectancy for Israeli Arabs was 79 years, higher than countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and equal to the general U.S. population. Coding course to go global. The British Embassy in Israel is seeking to expand an intensive coding and programming course to other nations after introducing the program to the Israeli city of Nazareth to support economic development and improve the integration of the Arab community into the Israeli high-tech industry. The UK Israel Tech Hub connects British companies to the best of Israeli innovation. The UK Israel Tech Hub model is being replicated in Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa. Supporting friends of Israel. According to Hadashot TV news, Israel has established a fund, dubbed 50 on 50,
which will distribute $50 million in government money among 50 countries that support Israel on the international stage. Each country will receive an aid package based on its needs in areas including technology, water desalination, agriculture and leadership development. Water training for Swaziland. Ayellet Black, Israel’s deputy ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho, Mauritius and Swaziland, and two Israeli experts led a course on drip irrigation and crop management for 19 agricultural trainers in Swaziland in early December. Severe drought almost crippled Swaziland last year.
stages over three years. The 150-megawatt capacity is equivalent to a small coal-fired plant. A 10-megawatt system will be operational within six months. More Christmas pilgrims. Israel was set to end 2017 with 3.6 million foreign tourists for the year, half a million more than the previous record. That number includes a 20 percent increase over the 120,000 Christian pilgrims who visited in December 2016. Big upgrade for Ben Gurion. The Israel Airports Authority has announced a $1.43 billion plan to upgrade Ben Gurion Airport to cope with an anticipated 50 percent increase in passenger turnover within five years. The airport ex-
ceeded 20 million passengers in 2017, an 18 percent increase from 2016. The authority forecasts that total to grow to 30 million annual passengers in the next five years. The busiest airport in the world is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which served over 104 million passengers in 2016. Connecting more countries. New direct air service is planned in 2018 to link Israel with Chile and Brazil, and more flights are being launched to Russia, Ukraine, Jordan, Canada, China and other nations, Globes reports. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com, timesofisrael.com and other sources.
Wave energy for Ghana. Kfar Sababased energy company Yam Pro will build a $180 million, 150-megawatt wave energy power station along a 6-mile stretch of coastline near Accra, the capital of Ghana. Yam Pro’s system captures the energy from breaking waves by converting it into hydraulic pressure, which is then turned into electricity. The system will be built in
Photos by Clara Amit and Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, holding the clay artifact, says, “It is very overwhelming to receive greetings from First Templeperiod Jerusalem. This shows that already 2,700 years ago, Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was a strong and central city.”
Israel Photos of the Week
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Jerusalem’s Ancient Governor
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A stamped, fired piece of clay from 2,700 years ago provides archaeological evidence that the office of governor of Jerusalem existed during biblical times. The clay seal was found during the Israel Antiquities Authority’s excavations at the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem at a layer dating to the sixth or seventh century B.C.E. (the First Temple period) and was presented to Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat during a ceremony in the last week of 2017. The upper part of the seal, which is a little more than half an inch in diameter, depicts two figures facing each other, and the lower part contains an inscription in ancient Hebrew script that has been translated as “belonging to the governor of the city.” The office of the governor of Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, the excavator of the site, said the seal was “attached to an important transport and served as some sort of logo or as a tiny souvenir which was sent on behalf of the governor of the city.” She said one of the buildings in the excavation site probably was the destination of the transport sent by the governor. “The finding of the sealing with this high-rank title, in addition to the large assemblage of actual seals found in the building in the past, supports the assumption that this area, located on the western slopes of the western hill of ancient Jerusalem, some 100 meters west of the Temple Mount, was inhabited by highly ranked officials during the First Temple period.” ■
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ISRAEL NEWS
Israelis Like Life, not Government
Today in Israeli History
Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. Jan. 5, 1930: The Mapai party is founded in Tel Aviv after David BenGurion of Ahdut Ha’avodah and Joseph Sprinzak of Hapoel Hatzair recognize that their parties have more in common with each other than they have differences and move toward a merger. Jan. 6, 1942: Jacob Toledano, a native of Tiberias who was expelled by the Ottomans at the start of World War I and has been serving in posts in North Africa, is installed as the Sephardic chief rabbi of Tel Aviv and Jaffa after returning to the land of Israel at the start of the year. Jan. 7, 2010: University of Haifa professor Gershon Galil announces that he has deciphered a Hebrew inscription from the time of King David’s reign in the 10th century B.C.E. Written in a proto-Canaanite script, it addresses the protection of slaves, widows and orphans, rehabilitation of the poor, and support for strangers. Jan. 8, 1978: American Zionist leader Rose Luria Halprin, who served twice as the national president of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, dies at age 83 in New York. Jan. 9, 1837: Hayim Nahman Bialik, who becomes a famous Zionist poet, is born in the village of Radi, near Zhitomir, in Volhynia (northwestern Ukraine). Jan. 10, 2000: Held under the auspices of the Clinton administration, seven days of peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk alShara in Shepherdstown, W.Va., close without any resolution. Jan. 11, 1961: The Egoz, a ship making its 12th mission to bring Moroccan Jews to Israel, sinks, drowning 44 immigrants, half of whom are children.
from Jews who are secular or occupy the political center or left, said Tamar Hermann, the academic director of the IDI’s Guttmann Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, who briefed members of the American Jewish Press Association on the index Dec. 11. Arabs, who make up about 16 percent of Israel’s adult population, had less trust in Israeli institutions: 59 percent for the Islamic courts, 54 percent for the Supreme Court, 41 percent for the IDF, 34 percent for the president, 29 percent for the police, 22.5 percent for the government, 19 percent for the Knesset, 18 percent for the media and 16 percent for the political parties. Still, both Jews and Arabs think
that Israel is a good place to live: 86 percent of Jews and 73 percent of Arabs strongly or somewhat agreed with that sentiment in the survey. “With all the complaints that Israelis are complaining about, they think that life here is good,” Hermann said. She said family ties are an important factor: People are confident that they won’t be neglected if times are tough, even though they don’t expect any help from the government. Sixty-three percent of Jewish respondents and 76 percent of Arabs said politicians are disconnected from the public’s real problems, but Hermann said those numbers are similar to most democratic countries. ■
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Rabbi Jacob Toledano (left) meets with a Brazilian delegation in 1960.
Israelis generally lack trust in the institutions of their democracy but believe that Israel is a good place to live, according to the 2017 Israeli Democracy Index, released in mid-December by the Israel Democracy Institute. Among the Jewish respondents, 42 percent expressed trust in the police, 30 percent in the government and the media, 27 percent in the Knesset, 20 percent in the Chief Rabbinate, and 15 percent in Israel’s political parties. The Israel Defense Forces (88 percent), President Reuven Rivlin (71 percent) and Supreme Court (57 percent) are the only Israeli institutions that have the trust of most Israeli Jews, and most of the court’s support comes
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ISRAEL NEWS
U.N. Vote on Jerusalem Exposes Bias Every country in the world has the right to designate its own capital. Thus, recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel should not be controversial. Yet, since Israel declared independence in 1948, the international community has denied the Jewish state the same privilege that all other U.N. member states enjoy. President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 declaration that the United States does indeed recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital acknowledged the reality that Israel’s government is there and the historical truth of the connection between Jews and Jerusalem for more than 3,000 years. Importantly, for those who listened carefully to the entirety of the president’s remarks or read the text, such recognition did not in any way preclude resolving the final borders of Jerusalem or achieving a negotiated two-state solution. And when the U.S. Embassy does move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, it will be in western Jerusalem, which always has been under Israeli sovereignty. But the reaction, first by Palestinian leadership, then by much of the international community, raises questions about the legitimacy of Palestinian claims of wanting peace.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas deliberately distanced Palestinians from the United States.
Guest Column By Jeffrey Silverstein
“Jerusalem is and will forever be the capital of the Palestinian state. We do not accept any role of the United States in the political process from now on because it is completely biased towards Israel,” Abbas said in reaction to the Trump declaration. Rather than use the change in the state of affairs as an opportunity to promote peace, Abbas has chosen to push that prospect further away. Trying to sideline the United States, which historically has been key to facilitating Arab-Israeli negotiations, is irresponsible and mirrors a historical unwillingness on the part of the Palestinian leadership to negotiate in good faith. In 2000, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (with the support of President Bill Clinton) offered a two-state solution to Yasser Arafat, including a compromise on Jerusalem. Arafat summarily rejected the offer, told Clinton that there was no historical connec-
tion between Judaism and Jerusalem, and soon thereafter launched the Second Intifada. In 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered another two-state solution to the Palestinian Authority. His proposal received no formal response from Abbas. In 2010, in conjunction with the Obama administration, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a 10-month settlement freeze to bring the Palestinians back to the table. Once again, the PA failed to show up. So I ask: Where is the Palestinian plan for peace? Let’s recall that the first two-state solution was approved by the U.N. General Assembly on Nov. 29, 1947, when the world body adopted a resolution to partition the British-governed territory of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. The Jews accepted and created Israel, while the Palestinians, and the Arab world, firmly rejected the proposal. The General Assembly voted 128-9 on Thursday, Dec. 21, to condemn Trump’s decision to recognize the reality of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This body did not take action to encourage a resumption of bilateral peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. Eight countries, including Guatemala and Honduras, voted no with the United States. Additionally, 35 member states abstained, including Canada
and Uganda. And 23 did not even vote. The vote, however, was not surprising. The anti-Israel bias that prevails among U.N. member states breeds hypocrisy time and time again. European nations that are witness to the contemporary resurgence of anti-Semitism within their borders voted to condemn Trump’s decision. South American, African and Asian nations that are guilty of reprehensible human rights violations voted to condemn the decision. Perhaps most egregious yet unsurprising, Arab nations that could have prevented the situation from ever reaching this point voted to condemn this decision. These same Arab nations must be willing to stand on the side of progress and stability. The opportunity to make peace will rise again and must come soon. When it does, Israel’s Arab neighbors must play an active role in pushing Palestinian leaders to return to the negotiating table to achieve, with Israel, a comprehensive and sustainable peace. At that point the false controversy of a recognized Israeli capital in Jerusalem will cease, and the flowering of our shared redemption will begin. ■ Jeffrey Silverstein is the ACCESS associate in the American Jewish Committee Atlanta office.
U.N. Meeting on Hostages Decries Hamas Cruelty
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
U.N. Security Council members criticized Hamas on Dec. 22 for violating international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by withholding the bodies of two Israeli soldiers and by holding two Israeli civilians hostage without releasing any information about their condition. Avera Mengistu, an Israeli Jew from Ethiopia, wandered into the Gaza Strip in September 2014. Hisham alSayed, an Israeli Bedouin, crossed the same border the next year. Both suffer from mental health problems; neither has been seen by family members or by representatives of nongovernmental organizations such as the Red Cross since being taken by Hamas. One of the two dead soldiers, Oron Shaul, was killed during the Gaza war in July 2014; the other, Hadar Goldin, was the victim of a tunnel-launched raid into Israel two hours after a U.N.brokered cease-fire went into effect 8 Aug. 1 that year.
Photo courtesy of Israeli Mission to United Nations
Leah Goldin (second from left) and Simcha Goldin (right), the parents of slain Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, visit with Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, and Michele Sison, the United States’ deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
“It was a cynical and coldblooded violation of all the principles that this institution holds dear,” Leah Goldin, the mother of Hadar Goldin, told the Security Council session. “Our son was not a victim of the war, but a victim of the cease-fire.” Goldin complained that the Palestinian violation has not produced an expression of collective U.N. outrage or
any efforts by countries other than Israel to bring her son’s body home. Still, the informal session represented a rare public occasion of broad U.N. support for Israel even though it was held the day after the U.N. General Assembly voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions to condemn U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Among the dozen speakers at a session attended by representatives of more than 35 nations, only the Swedish delegate deflected some of the scorn aimed at Hamas back toward Israel. He blamed Israel’s closure of Gaza Strip access points for blocking humanitarian groups from visiting the Israeli civilian hostages, and he said the bigger picture of Gaza’s horrible humanitarian situation shouldn’t be ignored. Ukraine and the United States organized the special session, chaired by Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, who said, “We will do all it takes again and again until justice pre-
vails and Hadar and the others taken are returned home to their families.” Michele Sison, the deputy U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, called it an “ongoing tragedy” that Hamas holds the bodies and the hostages. She noted that the White House welcomed the Mengistu family in November. The family met with several U.N. delegations during the same visit to the United States. Ethiopia’s representative called Mengistu “a young man of disabilities who didn’t know where he was.” He called on Hamas to provide access to an organization such as the Red Cross to ensure Mengistu is being treated humanely. “We are witnessing a critical mass of violations of international humanitarian law,” former Canadian Attorney General Irwin Cotler said, adding that the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority shares responsibility since its reconciliation with Hamas in October. ■
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ISRAEL NEWS
What We Should Aim for in 2018 sometimes permitted to lie fallow.” Rabbi Adler writes that “man is never to be defined exclusively in terms of his present stature and attainments. There is more to him/her than what he is at any given moment. Within him are possibilities unrevealed by his current posture. If he wills,” which for the rabbi is so important, “he can
Guest Column By Rabbi David Geffen
move upward from level to level. He never arrives — and this applies to the greatest geniuses, the greatest leaders. The full realization of all of his powers will never occur.” Then Rabbi Adler shares a most significant insight: “Man need not be a prisoner of his physical nature nor the victim of external pressures and circumstances. In all of us there is a dimension of ‘menschlichkeit’ which is not encompassed by a physiological and sociological study of the individual. What we should do with our greatest possession called life is to make our goal an adventure and its fulfillment an accomplishment which fashions us into a ‘mensch.’” Striving to climb to this level of humanity is something we must never forget. In Am Yisrael we see instances of this when people take on the protection of battered wives and sexually harassed women, work to establish special schooling of people who are not on the same plane as all their contemporaries, provide food for those who have none, assist Holocaust survivors who are practically starving
and confined to tiny dwellings, work to find housing for those who are disabled and homeless, offer aid to people of all faiths and color, and travel to help refugees who are just blowing in the wind. What we want to see happen in 2018 is for each of us to continue to learn from the difficult experiences we continue to face. Ernest Hemmingway offers a powerful insight in one of his many great novels: “The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong in the broken places.” Rabbi Sidney Greenberg writes: “Two truths in Hemmingway’s statement. The first is that sooner or later we are all broken. Defeat, disappointment, sorrow and tragedy are the common lot of all people.” What happens then? “Hemmingway,” Greenberg continues, “talks not only of our common vulnerability to being broken; he reminds us that we can become strong in the broken places. Where trouble
and suffering are concerned, you and I have the power not only to confront and endure them; we can use them constructively and creatively.” This has indeed been the signpost of the nation of Israel these 70 years and of the Jewish people throughout our history. What we have endured, no other people — no other country — ever has. What we have done is invent the cellphone, Mobileye and Waze, and hundreds of other devices to make life constantly better for everyone on the planet. Our scholars and writers have composed informative and inspiring texts. No matter at what level we are, we try to climb higher. Those triumphs are fine but too mechanical. What we must strive for as Jews are kindness and caring. ■
What we want to see happen in 2018 is for each of us to continue to learn from the difficult experiences we continue to face.
Rabbi David Geffen, an Atlanta native, made aliyah 40 years ago.
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Those of us in our seventh, eighth and ninth decades are blessed to see 2018 open when many of us never expected to be here. We are the last of those who knew Eretz Yisrael before it was the state of Israel. We have had the merit of watching Israel grow and succeed in a multitude of ways. The Jewish mind combine in Israel has made it possible for our scientists and computer experts to reach new peaks that the next generation can climb. The activation in Israel of the Jewish mind has branched out far beyond its expected potential. The discoveries are the work of individuals in their second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth decades. So here we are entering a special year, approaching Israel’s 70th birthday. April 18 will bring a Yom HaAtzmaut with great splendor in which this country’s pioneers in spirit are honored for their determination and Israelis of today continue to thrill the world with their outstanding innovations. This is science — the thrill of discovery. But what about the other characteristics that we should be concerned about because they are what made us the people who we are and lifted us even higher? In the essay “On Being a Mensch,” Rabbi Morris Adler, the only rabbi assassinated while he was on the pulpit, offers an important challenge for us. “The apologetic line ‘after all I am only human’ is a denial we should never make. Indeed, the single small word ‘only’ is a denial of our humanity. Being ‘human’ represents a goal and an achievement; being a ‘mensch’ means calling upon capacities which are
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OPINION
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Our View
Eye on Iran
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
The protests that broke out in Iran in the final days of 2017 were slow to gain notice in the United States and Europe, in part because of the sense that we’ve been down this path before. In 2011 the world was excited about the Arab Spring. Seven years later, only Tunisia seems to have made true advances toward democracy and freedom. The popular political uprisings have produced refugees, coups, frustrated hopes and terrorism across the Middle East, and as many as half a million Syrians have been killed in the civil war Bashar al-Assad unleashed in response to peaceful protests. Iran went through the abortive Green Movement in 2009 in response to the suspicious re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president, but dozens of protesters died in vain. Nothing appeared to change. At this writing, we’re a week into protests that have drawn thousands at a time in cities across Iran, and more than 20 Iranians have been killed as the government tries to suppress the demonstrations. It’s hard to be sure what’s happening behind the Islamic republic’s veil. Citizens have spread videos and commentary despite the government’s efforts to cut off online communications. But government-controlled media aren’t trustworthy, and independent professional journalists aren’t reporting from Iran. We might be seeing a positive, unintended consequence of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which rolled back crippling economic sanctions. Iranian people had hopes of better living conditions, but they haven’t benefited from the tens of billions of dollars freed up under the agreement. Instead, they’ve seen what critics of the nuclear deal feared: The Iranian government has increased spending on efforts to extend its military influence across the Middle East and to undermine its rivals, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, but has done little to improve domestic conditions. Some observers say the anti-government demonstrations are just an expression of the resulting economic frustrations. Others believe that broader grievances are being unleashed. Unlike 2009, the protests lack a central leadership. Also unlike 2009, violent militias and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have not been turned loose to crush the protests. It’s clear what would be best for Iran, the Middle East and the world: a change from an oppressive, aggressive, religious regime to a democratic government that frees an educated population to pursue its potential and cuts off support for the likes of Hezbollah. We wish we knew how to help get there from here. What we don’t need now is to keep fighting old political battles. It doesn’t matter who was right or wrong about the nuclear deal, and we shouldn’t waste time viewing what’s happening now through the lens of that agreement. We need statements from the European Union, the United Nations and the U.S. president warning Iran’s leaders that they’re being watched closely and will be held accountable for their treatment of peaceful protesters. But we don’t need threats and bombast. Above all, we need policymakers to listen to the Iranian people and trust them to let us know what if 10 anything they need from us. ■
Cartoon by Rick McKee, The Augusta Chronicle
Redemption in Red and Black Less than a year ago Atlanta football fans went professional championship (the 1995 Braves). After through the exhilarating highs and excruciating Super Bowl LI, Atlanta has never needed an athletic lows that will forever be encapsulated as “28-3,” the lift so badly. lead the Falcons failed to hold in the Super Bowl on It’s a shame to put any of that on this Dawgs Feb. 3. Who would have thought redemption could team, though. At the start of the season, few fans exbe so close only 11 months later? pected UGA to play for the championship, especially I’m not talking about the Falcons themselves, with freshman Jake Fromm at quarterback. although congratulations to Arthur Blank’s team for Already in Kirby Smart’s second year as coach, winning its way back into Georgia has won an SEC the playoffs. I don’t think title, embarrassed rivals they’ll go much farther Florida and Georgia Tech, Editor’s Notebook than the Los Angeles and pulled off the biggest By Michael Jacobs Coliseum, where they’ll comeback in the highestmjacobs@atljewishtimes.com play the Rams on Saturscoring Rose Bowl in day night, Jan. 6, but I’m a history. If ever second-best lousy prognosticator. shouldn’t be a disappointThat’s pro football ment, it’s now. But after that amazing 54-48, doubleanyway. We flirt with it every weekend, but for most overtime victory on New Year’s Day, anything less of us in the South, college football has our hearts. than a championship will feel like another crushing Monday night, Jan. 8, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Atlanta failure. Stadium will play host to a game that means more to Within the Jewish community, we can be thankmany of us than next month’s Super Bowl: the Colful that the championship game is on a Monday lege Football Playoff national championship game night and not college football’s traditional Saturday between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama afternoon. I imagine that one of the toughest parts Crimson Tide. of becoming shomer Shabbos in the Southeast would Both teams are playing for more than a national be the loss of college football Saturdays. title. It’s a big enough deal that in 2005 an effort was The Tide seeks redemption for last year’s lastmade to enable observant UGA students to attend second championship loss to Clemson. Alabama got Saturday games without carrying tickets. Monday revenge with its semifinal win against Clemson in night, anyone who cares to spend $2,000 or so per the Sugar Bowl, but nothing less than finishing No. 1 ticket can go to the game, free of religious concerns. when the season ends is acceptable for Bama. There’s one interesting Jewish twist on the Georgia doesn’t have the burden of such championship involving a team that won’t be repperennial expectations. Alabama claims 16 football resented in the big game: the University of Central national championships, most recently winning Florida, which probably has the largest Jewish two years ago; Georgia has two, in the 1942 and 1980 student population in America. The Knights came to seasons. Atlanta on New Year’s Day for the Peach Bowl and Georgia isn’t technically an Atlanta team, completed a perfect 13-0 year by beating Auburn, the but this is where its fan base lives. This is where it only team that beat Alabama or Georgia this season. will play for the championship. And this is where Who could blame 6,000-plus Jewish underit runs into the specter of a city’s sorry history of graduates in Orlando for declaring their team the near-misses, not-so-near-misses and only one major unofficial national champion? ■
OPINION
Your Community, Your Newspaper gusta. It proved popular and expanded to become a monthly newspaper. In the late 1920s, Straus sold the paper to Herman Dessauer and Sara B. Simmons, who moved it to Atlanta and extended circulation throughout Georgia and into the Southeast. In 1930, Stephen Schiffer, a for-
From Where I Sit By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com
mer employee of the Atlanta Georgian, became the sole owner. In 1934, he added a four-page weekly edition to go along with the monthly. A corporation, headed by Adolph Rosenberg as editor and publisher, took control of The Southern Israelite in 1951. Atlanta’s Jewish community was growing, and in 1973 the monthly was dropped in favor of the weekly. Rosenberg died in 1977, and two years later Vida Goldgar, who had been its assistant editor, bought it. The next ownership group changed the name to the Atlanta Jewish Times in 1987. The paper changed hands a few times the past couple of decades. Michael Morris’ purchase three years ago brought a needed measure of stability. He and the full-time staff (and the freelancers as well) are “inheritors of a legacy,” in Morris’ words. If this legacy is to have a future, it needs readers. Not just readers, but readers who pay. Those of you already paying the $65 annual subscription fee are, to borrow Morris’ words again, helping to “perpetuate a community asset.” My guess is that few of you reading online pay for a subscription. If you’re not a subscriber and can afford the $65, support the newspaper that has invested in this community for nearly a century. If you operate a business, consider buying advertising. A community this size has a lot of potential customers. A Jewish community of this size deserves — indeed, needs — a newspaper that covers its breadth and depth, that highlights its successes, and that does not shy from controversies. Sure, you can read the Atlanta Jewish Times free, but this community asset is worthy of your financial support. ■
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If you find this column akin to the schnoor delivered during High Holiday services at many congregations, that’s by design. This is that potentially uncomfortable reminder that your dues and donations pay the staff and keep the lights on at your synagogue. Just substitute “newspaper” for synagogue. “Keeping Jewish Atlanta Connected” is the slogan on the Atlanta Jewish Times mug on my desk at home. In a metro area with some 140,000 Jews, there’s plenty of news for the AJT to report. Some of it is basic: graduations, marriages, honors, deaths, clergy members coming and going, the community calendar, the standings in the congregational softball league. Some of it has more depth: the toll the opioid crisis has taken, the positions of political candidates on issues of interest to the community, the demographics challenging the Reform and Conservative movements. As a freelancer, I write this biweekly column and long-form articles on topics ranging from a world without Holocaust survivors to the future of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta to what separates the local Israeli community (numbering perhaps 15,000) from the American Jews. Readers should appreciate that the Atlanta Jewish Times is independently owned and not beholden to any community organization. Such independence allows the AJT to publish both straight news reports on important issues and opinion pieces from a range of voices, as it did in advance of the November 2016 election. Several months ago, a caller complained that the newspaper had become too conservative and asked to have a subscription canceled. Not 10 minutes later, another caller threatened to cancel a subscription, complaining that the paper had become too liberal. A newspaper serves its readers best by offering diverse viewpoints in its opinion section. This newspaper has been part of Atlanta’s Jewish community longer than most of its congregations and organizations. What you read today as the Atlanta Jewish Times began as The Southern Israelite, created in 1925 by Rabbi H. Cerf Straus as a temple bulletin in Au-
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OPINION
Letters To The Editor
Handel Should Cut Politics
Must everything be political? Karen Handel writes (“Why I Helped Pass Taylor Force Act,” Dec. 15) about her admirable stand, voting for the proposed Taylor Force Act in congress, along with almost all her congressional colleagues. Why must she write her column as if it were a campaign piece, denigrating past administrations and patting herself on the back? She already won her election. It’s time to do the work, and this law is one of the important jobs. — Ed Jacobson, Decatur
NIF, Israel Not on Same Side
Local New Israel Fund leaders (Steve Berman, Shai Robkin, Lois Frank, Leah Fuhr, Jan Jaben-Eilon, Robin Kramarow, Judy Lipshutz, Charles Miller, David Minkin, Glenda Minkin, A.J. Robinson, Harry Stern and Charles Taylor) should be commended for admitting they stand with Adalah, Breaking the Silence and many other toxic recipients of NIF funds that work to criminalize Israel Defense Forces soldiers and attempt to delegitimize, ostracize and promote international pressure on Israel (“We Stand With NIF,” Dec. 15). No matter how hard they try to defend the indefensible, these locals cannot defend the grants made by NIF. As Shakespeare wrote in “Hamlet,” they “doth protest too much, methinks.” In following the money, many NIF recipients also receive funding from the Israel-haters like George Soros and European NGOs. It may not be their intent, but they are giving aid and comfort to groups that want to harm Jews and Israelis wherever we are found. Space does not permit me to refute all their disinformation, diversions and
lies; I do point out that my reference to BDS (“BDS, NIF and the Race for Governor,” Dec. 1) was related to Rep. Stacey Abrams’ vote in the Georgia House on specific legislation. Most Jewish groups welcomed with enthusiasm our president’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and beginning efforts to move our embassy. These included AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Hadassah, the Jewish Federations of North America and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Their glowing terms included “important and long overdue” and “historic step for which we are grateful.” It is no surprise that NIF instead called Donald Trump’s actions on Jerusalem “a dangerous, reckless and irresponsible move.” In these pages Michael Jacobs opined that anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour is not our community’s most dangerous enemy (“Sarsour Isn’t the Real Threat,” Dec. 1) because one would expect her to have positions hostile to Israel, given her Palestinian background and life experiences. It is our Jewish brethren who claim to be well intentioned who pose the greatest danger. The airing of opposing views is healthy for our community, and other voices are encouraged to participate. Local NIF leaders should be respected for the courage to publicize their stand, no matter how unpopular. I stand on the other side with our ally Israel, whose capital is Jerusalem, and with our brave brothers and sisters in the IDF. — Mitchell Kaye, Marietta
No Perfect Time To Recognize Jerusalem
Harold Kirtz apparently did not proofread his own column (“U.S. Recognition of Israel’s Capital Ill-Timed,” Dec. 15). He states that Palestinians “understand among themselves that peace means their control of all land between
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the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.” That being said, he claims that President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move the embassy there is “illtimed, misinformed and boneheaded.” Kirtz is evidently not misinformed, having stated the Palestinian position very clearly. There is hardly any chance, if any, that the Palestinians will ever change their position. Accordingly, it is without any logic to assume that the decision was ill-timed. There can never be an optimal time to change Jerusalem’s status. Now is as good a time as any. It is rather Kirtz who is “boneheaded.” — David Westerman, Atlanta
Inclusion Has Limits
I was perplexed by Michael Jacobs’ column stating that Bill Rothschild’s speech was the most important of the talks at The Temple’s social justice luncheon (“Social Action on Political Inclusion,” Dec. 15). I understand that we need to respect differing political points of view and be inclusive of all party affiliates. But where do we draw the line when a political leader defines a movement in opposition to social justice? I do not mean that conservatism is in opposition to the principles of caring for the poor, lifting the oppressed and maintaining the rule of law. There are different approaches to the same end. But President Donald Trump advocates for none of those principles, nor does he represent the traditions of his party. Do we need to respect advocates of a president who demonstrates a complete absence of compassion for immigrants, refugees, minorities, the poor and the rule of law — in other words, the components of social justice? Trump is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. He is not really a populist. He is leading us toward authoritarianism by continually lying, trying to rid us of a free press, and dividing the people into two factions, loyal to him or disloyal. Does “inclusive” include this point of view, or does advocating for social justice require conscious resistance? — Nancy Weisman, Sandy Springs
U.N. Vote Violates International Law
As far as the United Nations and international law are concerned, it was observed long ago that if the General Assembly drafted a resolution that Earth is flat, the resolution would pass and thus be granted the hallowed status of “international law.”
According to Article 2(7) of the U.N. Charter, “Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state.” This means Israel can decide what its capital is, and the United States can decide where to place its embassy. That actually is international law. The General Assembly vote Dec. 21 condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, based on the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, is therefore virulently political and, per the U.N. Charter, extra-legal. Why do we fund an organization that so predictably promotes — the kindest designation that comes to mind — instability in the world? — Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif.
From the Blogs
The community conversation is always active at the AJT’s blog page, blogs.timesofisrael.com/atlanta-jewish-times. Visit the blogs to sign up for your own AJT blog or to add your comments to posts. Recent excerpts: • Wendy Kalman, “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?” — “When my two older sons approached college, I told them I wished for them two things — that they try their hardest and that they figure out what they want to do before graduation. … They seem to be happy where they have landed, and my youngest, most wonderfully, knows what field he wants to go into.” • Darren Tobin, “Forgiveness Heals” — “In the cases where my clients start to feel less anger, they slowly begin to feel better. As they begin to forgive, they begin to heal. In some way, letting go of the anger opens many of them to a better recovery.” • Bonnie Levine, “Nationalism’s Deceptive Glow” — “The Maccabees’ goal was to protect their right to observe their own traditions, yes; but they also fought to insist that other Jews conform to their interpretations. And once they prevailed, what did they do? They recognized the need for pragmatism. They abandoned zealotry for diplomacy.”
Write to Us
The AJT welcomes letters and guest columns from our readers. Letters should be 400 or fewer words; guest columns are up to 700 words. Send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com. Include your name, your town and a phone number for verification. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length.
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OPINION
Act – When It’s Clear It’s Time to Act Helping professionals urge us to be proactive in our lives. “Don’t wait until you have to react,” they insist. “Act now while you can shape and even determine the nature of your actions as you choose.” Sometimes, however, we have little choice but to react rather than be proactive. Life doesn’t always allow us to anticipate situations. Sometimes we just have to respond — and sometimes it can be quite difficult to respond. Imagine how unsettling and unnerving it can be to react to conditions that haven’t yet occurred but that one imminently anticipates. Such was the situation that Amram and Yocheved, Moses’ parents, confronted, according to a midrash based on this week’s parshah, Shemot. The rabbis imagine that Moses’ parents were married at the time Pharaoh gave instruction to the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn Israelite male (Exodus 1:15-16). Only after this encounter between Pharaoh
and the midwives does the Torah explicitly inform us of the marriage of Amram (“a certain man of the house of Levi”) and Yocheved (“a Levite woman”) (Exodus 2:1).
Guest Column By Rabbi Neil Sandler
With this background in mind, the rabbis imagine that, in the wake of Pharaoh’s instruction to kill newborn males, Amram and Yocheved separate to preclude the birth of any sons. Miriam, their daughter, “comes to the rescue” to ensure the eventual birth of her brother Moses. “Rabbi Judah ben Zevina said that Amram followed the counsel of his daughter. A Tanna taught: Amram was the greatest man of his generation. When Amram saw that the wicked Pharaoh had decreed, ‘If it is a boy, kill him (Exodus 1:16),’ he said: In vain do we labor. He arose and divorced his
wife. All of the Israelite men followed suit and divorced their wives. Miriam said to her father: Father, your decree is more severe than Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh decreed only against the males, whereas you have decreed against the males and females. … In the case of the wicked Pharaoh there is doubt as to whether his decree will be fulfilled or not, whereas in your case, though you are righteous, it is certain that your decree will be fulfilled. … (In response to what Miriam had said) Amram arose and took his wife back, and they all arose and took their wives back.” (Talmud Sotah 12a) What was Miriam saying to her father? In effect, she said: By divorcing my mother, you, Father, are acting definitively for all time on the basis of just a possibility. Perhaps the possibility is a probability, but you have no control over Pharaoh’s actions. You can only control your own actions.
You have acted to end the possibility of new Israelite life — a decree even harsher than the one Pharaoh offered! Who knows? Pharaoh’s decree might never be fulfilled! Of course, none of us will ever face circumstances remotely resembling the ones put forth in our parshah and in this midrash, which seeks to shape our understanding of the story. Nonetheless, the lessons of this midrash may speak to us even when the particular circumstances described in it do not. We ought to strive to act in proactive ways. But when that is not possible and we must react, before we act, we had best stop for a moment, think and ask ourselves, “Am I responding to a real situation, one that has actually occurred, or am I responding only to a possibility?” If the answer is the latter, you should resist your desire to act, take some time to think and reflect before moving forward. Shabbat shalom. ■ Rabbi Neil Sandler is the senior rabbi of Ahavath Achim Synagogue.
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CAMPS
Bar Mitzvah Benefits Kudzu, Brick by Brick By Rachel Fayne Henry Banner is determined to make sure the kids of Camp Kudzu have some fun when they’re stuck inside on rainy days. Inspired by 8-year-old cousin Andrew Connelly’s battle with diabetes, Henry decided to do something for the camp, which serves children and teens who have Type 1 diabetes. For the mitzvah project leading to his bar mitzvah Saturday, Jan. 6, at The Temple, Henry decided to collect Lego sets for Camp Kudzu. Giving to others has always been a
part of Henry’s life. The Banner family works with the Zaban Paradies Center and brings Chanukah decorations to the Ronald McDonald House each year to help Jewish families there celebrate the holiday. After learning about Andrew’s recent diabetes diagnosis, Henry thought back to the fun they had together while playing with Legos, and the Legos for a Rainy Day project was born. Henry contacted the Legoland Discovery Center and Camp Kudzu, and both agreed to participate in the mitzvah project. Camp Kudzu asked for 500 sets of
the toy bricks, so Henry made the toys part of his bar mitzvah invitation and asked each guest to bring a set to the event. Legoland set up a toy drive in which visitors could donate money or Lego sets to the camp. Henry and his family also set up an Amazon wish list for anyone who wanted to donate to the camp. About his mitzvah project, Henry said, “I hope it raises awareness for Type 1 diabetes and Camp Kudzu and at the same time allows the campers to have fun building Lego sets just like my cousin Andrew and I do when we are together.” ■
Henry Banner’s mitzvah project was inspired by the diabetes diagnosis of his cousin Andrew Connelly (right).
Summertime Perfect for Israel Learning that can be unique to each camping environment. Most of all, however, Jewish kids at summer camp learn from the counselors and staff who organize programs, teach classes and serve as role models. This May, CIE is partnering with six locally based camps for a program that will provide valuable resources about Israel’s history, politics and
culture. Camps Barney Medintz, Coleman, Ramah Darom and Judaea, Blue Star Camps, and In the City Camp will each select key staff members to participate in the two-day seminar. In addition to enhancing participants’ knowledge of Israel and Zionism, special sessions will explore the application of content in the context of summer camp. According to the Foundation for Jewish Camp, most summer staffers are college students, with nearly 11,000 working at Jewish summer camps last summer. An added value to our approach is that these camp staffers will benefit from enhanced Israel knowledge as they confront issues related to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement on campus. CIE will deepen the staff mem-
Guest Column By Rich Walter
bers’ personal knowledge, guide them in planning projects that will teach others and provide them with tools that will serve them when they return to campus. After the initial seminar in May, CIE is planning seminars for camp staffs in 2019 and 2020. For more information about this project or to connect us with summer camps to participate in the program, contact me at rich.walter@israeled. org. ■ Rich Walter is the associate director for Israel education at the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org).
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Recognizing the unique way that youths learn at summer camp, the Center for Israel Education is putting renewed energy toward providing resources that will enhance the way that Jewish kids know about Israel. Jewish camp is a place of immersive learning. Campers learn by living together, playing together and eating together and from the cultural values
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Staff members can help campers understand Israel and Zionism and can better prepare themselves for challenges on college campuses.
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CAMPS
2-Week Institute Preps Students for College, Beyond The Tikvah Fund is looking for several dozen high school seniors and juniors who want to dive deep into how their Judaism relates to the modern world before they get to college. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, the Tikvah Institute for High School Students’ dean and founder, said he hopes some of them come from Atlanta. “We’d love to see more students from the Atlanta area,” he said. “It has such a rich Jewish culture and intellectual life.” Tikvah has run an intensive summer program for eight or nine years and mostly drawn students from day schools, including one from the Weber School. Now, with funding from the Maimonides Fund, Tikvah is launching the parallel Maimonides Scholars Program, a two-week, immersive institute for 60 Jewish students from public and non-Jewish private schools. “The Maimonides Scholars Program is training the next generation of Jewish thought leaders through this program, which will offer dialogue and debate around key issues facing our students and young adults today,” Rabbi Gottlieb said. “The goal of our program is to train these students to take on leadership positions in the Jewish community on campus and beyond. In order for them to be leaders, we’re teaching them a broader base of knowledge and wisdom through history, politics and philosophy.” The program runs from June 24 to July 8 at Yale University and features lecturers such as Daniel Gordis, Rabbi Jacob Schacter, Ronna Burger and Shuli Taubes. It is available to boys and girls who love open discussion about all kinds of issues, including Israel. Students “will be introduced to a robust version of the Zionist narrative,” Rabbi Gottlieb said, “but we love when students challenge positions.” Students do not need a specific Jewish education or any formal Jewish education to succeed in the program, he said. “If you love reading, whether heavy philosophy or a daily newspaper, if you like ideas expressed in words in written form, you have a high chance of success in the program.” Maimonides scholars should take ideas seriously and think about the world in a broader sense, he said, and not just try to tick off boxes on their college applications. “They know they’re Jewish, and they’re curious about what that means
in their life,” Rabbi Gottlieb said. Applications, available at www. MaimonidesScholars.org, are due Feb. 16. The cost of the Rabbi Mark program, includGottlieb ing books, food and housing, is $400, and need-based aid is available. In addition, the program is running an essay contest on the what it means to be American and Jewish. The 750-word responses are due Jan. 22. The winners get scholarships to the Maimonides Scholars Program, plus
The methodology of the Maimonides Scholars Program follows the successful approach of rigorous study and debate used for nearly a decade by the Tikvah Institute.
$5,000 for first place, $3,000 each for three runners-up, and a travel stipend for anyone given an honorable mention. The program will be a success if the students who participate go on to
become leaders in their Jewish communities on campus and beyond, and Tikvah has resources, programs and connections with college organizations to help the students find places as contributors to the flourishing Jewish people, he said. To achieve those returns, Tikvah and the Maimonides Fund are ready to make a long-term commitment to the new institute, although this summer is a pilot project. “We don’t see this as a one-shot deal,” Rabbi Gottlieb said. “We want to deepen understanding until our students have a good sense of what our tradition is teaching.” ■
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
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CAMPS
JCC Adds Travel, Make-Believe to Day Camps
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Online registration for Marcus JCC day camps opens at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, for returning families and exactly one week later for new families at mjccadaycamps.org. This summer’s camps, open to JCC members and nonmembers, run from Tuesday, May 29, to Friday, Aug. 10. Campers attending five or more weeks are eligible for a discount of $25 per week. The Marcus JCC offers free bus transportation from 23 locations to the Zaban Park campus in Dunwoody, where most of the camps are based. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended care available starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. In addition to Zaban Park, specialty and performing arts camps are being held at Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb and at Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts and Rich Building. Many new options are available this summer: • Roadtrippin’ Savannah, for rising third- to fifth-graders, offers a week of sleep-away camp in Savannah, in-
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Sunday, Jan. 7, is the first day parents can book their children’s spots in Marcus JCC day camps for the summer.
cluding a dolphin tour, a visit to Tybee Island and a ghost tour. • 3D Modeling, for rising third- to eighth-graders, teaches how to create simple 3D models and characters like those in cartoons and animated movies. • Angelina Ballerina, for rising kindergarteners, is a dance camp that brings to life the adventures of mooseling Angelina Ballerina. • Ultimate Frisbee Madness, for rising third- to eighth-graders, teaches
the fundamentals of the fast-paced sport. • Drone Camp, for rising third- to eighth-graders, is designed to help novice and experienced drone enthusiasts master drone obstacle racing. • Little Medical School, for rising kindergartners to second-graders, brings medicine and science to campers, who dress up like doctors, learn how to use instruments, and make brain and bone molds. • Little Vet School, for rising kindergartners to second-graders, uses interactive demonstrations, crafts and games to teach about the world of veterinarians, and each camper takes home an adopted stuffed dog. • Georgia Trailblazers, for rising sixth- to eighth-graders, is a travel camp in which teens trek across Georgia, hike to waterfalls, visit a beach and explore creeks. • Hip-Hop Dance Camp, for rising first- to sixth-graders, is a high-energy week of letting loose to hip-hop beats with dance moves, break dancing, tumbling, dance battles and games. • CAMP INC, for rising sixth- to eighth-graders, teaches such business skills as creating a company name and logo, building a prototype, surveying potential customers, and developing a startup pitch for real investors. • Coding Camp, for rising third- to fifth-graders, enables campers to design their own video games, including characters, backgrounds and stories. • Dance Video Production, for rising third- to eighth-graders, teaches choreography and camera work as campers star in, film and edit their own dance videos. • Disney Princess Dance Camp, for rising kindergartners, transforms campers into princesses from their favorite Disney movies. • Tinker Workshop, for rising kindergartners to second-graders, is for budding inventors who want to build items from spare parts by using STEMbased principles to create marble mazes, straw roller coasters and more. • Pop Star Dance Camp, for rising first- to fifth-graders, teaches how to dance like pop stars through choreography and various techniques. • Art Craze, for rising kindergartners to fifth-graders, explores a myriad of art styles, including mosaics, paintings, illustrations, printings, rubbings and mixed media. • Theater Slam, for rising third- to eighth-graders, is for stage performers who want to learn various theater
techniques, including improv, stage combat, acting and stage presence. • Upcycling Art, for rising thirdto fifth-graders, explores the reuse of items such as clothes, jewelry and recyclables to create items of higher quality. Those camps join a range of popular returning camps, including: • Camp Isidore Alterman traditional camps, where the activities include swimming, tennis, horseback riding, rock wall climbing, outdoor cooking, arts and crafts, drama, music, laser tag, karate and bumper boats. • Barbara & Sanford Orkin teen camps, which include Chopping Block, Intro to Improv, Teen Tour Travel, Restaurant Wars and Design on a Dime. • Performing arts camps, where one highlight is Atlanta Hawks Dance, led by Atlanta Hawks cheerleaders. • Lynne & Howard Halpern drama camps, which include Stagecraft and Broadway Bootcamp and lead to performances of Disney’s “Jungle Book Kids” and “High School Musical Jr.” • Sherry & Harry Maziar sports camps, including tennis, cheerleading, golf, soccer, Atlanta Hawks basketball, and a combination of dance and gymnastics. • Specialty camps, such as American Ninja Warrior, Discover Disney, Lego Robotics, Welcome to Hogwarts and Director’s Cut. • Gesher Hebrew Immersion Camp, offering four- and eight-week sessions. The Marcus JCC is one of the few locations in the country to offer this fun-filled camp experience. • Youth Sports Academy, a weeklong, overnight sports camp that incorporates athletic development and character building and is powered by the Atlanta Hawks. Campers sharpen their athletic skills under professional coaches at Kennesaw State University’s Marietta campus and compete in a state-of-the-art sports complex under the supervision of the Sherry & Harry Maziar camp staff. • Huntsville Space Camp, an overnight camp that sends rising fourth- to eighth-graders to the moon and back. The weeklong camp begins with an exploration of the space realm at the Marcus JCC, then visits the Huntsville Space Camp in Alabama for two nights. • Camp Barney Medintz Experience, for rising second- to fifth-graders, provides a three-night taste of what Camp Barney is all about. Visit mjccadaycamps.org or call 678-812-4004 for more information on these camps and other options. ■
CAMPS Camp Winter Wonderland
Congregation B’nai Torah played host to a combined camp expo and Chanukah celebration Sunday night, Dec. 17. Organizations such as In the City Camp, Camp Judaea, Camp Ramah Darom, Camp Barney Medintz, PJ Library, the Marcus JCC day camps and B’nai Torah’s preschool camp participated. ■
Photos by Rachel Fayne
Max (left), 14, and Manny Pargman, 11, organize donations for Lake Forest Elementary School. Congregation B’nai Torah participates in projects each year to provide holiday gifts to needy children at the public school in Sandy Springs.
Parents Heather and Jeremiah Jarmin enjoy the camp expo while getting playful in costumes with children Ariella, 6, Zipporah, 4, and Davinah, 15 months.
Maya Israel (left) and Abigail Richman, both 10, show off lanyards they made with Camp Judaea counselors.
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Addison Gehram (left) and Lexie Halpern make looms at the booth representing In the City Camp, a Jewish day camp entering its sixth summer.
Scott Cohen and son Isaac, 16 months, get creative with markers at the booth for Marcus JCC day camps.
Stephanie Zaidel and daughter Sophia, 10, play with balloon animals while checking out camps.
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BUSINESS
Valuable Advice From Famous Investors I do not believe that anyone can live or invest successfully with clichés or platitudes. But I believe that you can learn much from well-known investors and that they can guide your thoughts and actions. Here are some interesting thoughts. Be Patient • “The stock market is a device to transfer money from the impatient to the patient.” — Warren Buffett • “Waiting helps you as an investor, and a lot of people just can’t stand to wait. If you didn’t get the deferredgratification gene, you’ve got to work very hard to overcome that.” — Charlie Munger (Buffett’s partner) • “Invest for the long haul. Don’t get too greedy, and don’t get too scared.” — Shelby M.C. Davis (founder of Davis Funds) Stay the Course • “History provides a crucial insight regarding market crises: They are inevitable, painful and ultimately surmountable.” — Shelby M.C. Davis • “In the short run, the market is a voting machine. In the long run, it
Kaye Honored By Family Law Institute The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys has named Ellis Funk shareholder Amy Lind Kaye one of the 10 best family law attorneys for client satisfaction in Georgia for 2017. Kaye has practiced law for 30 years and has been with Ellis Funk since 2005. The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys is a third-party rating organization that publishes an annual
Rose
is a weighing machine.” — Benjamin Graham (Buffett’s mentor) • “A 10% decline in the market is fairly common — it happens about once a year. Investors who realize this
Business Sense By Al Shams
are less likely to sell in a panic and more likely to remain invested, benefiting from the wealth-building power of stocks.” — Christopher Davis Opportunity in Correction • “A market downturn doesn’t bother us. It is an opportunity to increase our ownership of great companies with great management at good prices.” — Buffett • “The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimists.” — Graham • “You make most of your money in a bear market. You just don’t realize it at the time.” — Shelby Cullom Davis (meaning that a bear market allows you to buy good companies at good list of the top 10 family law lawyers in each state. Lawyers are selected based on client or peer nominations, thorough research, and independent evaluations.
Joel Mann Joins Stantec
Stantec’s Atlanta office has added to its transportation team with the hire of Joel Mann as a principal in the Urban Places Group. Mann will provide the Atlanta area with inventive and safe plans for transit and multimodal projects.
Anne Schulman “Rose Anne Brings You Home!”
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
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Check Your Emotions • “The investor’s chief problem — and his worst enemy — is likely to be himself. In the end, how your investments behave is much less important than how you behave.” — Graham • “A lot of people with high IQs are terrible investors because they’ve got terrible temperaments. You need to keep raw, irrational emotion under control.” — Munger • “Your success in investing will depend in part on your character and guts and in part on your ability to realize, at the height of ebullience and the depth of despair alike, that this too shall pass.” — Jack Bogle Disregard Forecasts • “Thousands of experts study overbought indicators, head-andshoulder patterns, put-call ratios, the Fed’s policy on money supply … and they can’t predict markets with any useful consistency, any more than the gizzard squeezers could tell the Roman emperors when the Huns would attack.” — Peter Lynch (famous fund manager with Fidelity) • “I make no attempt to forecast Mann helps cities and businesses navigate the shift from the simple movement of cars to balanced systems that keep everyone moving. Joel Mann Having developed plans for cities across the Southeast, he’s working on a new walkable downtown district in Florida, Water Street Tampa. Stantec’s Urban Places Group leads transformative urban developments with a network of experts in mobility, planning, urban design, mixeduse architecture, resilience, real estate feasibility, smart cities and brownfield redevelopment.
Kosher Krispy Kreme
The Krispy Kreme Doughnuts location in Woodstock has been certified as kosher, the Atlanta Kosher Commission announced in mid-December. The store is at 9420 Highway 92. It joins four other Krispy Kreme stores certified by the AKC: at 295 Ponce de Leon Ave. in Atlanta, at 199 Cobb Parkway in Marietta, at 6689 Highway 85 in Riverdale and at the Mall of Georgia in Buford.
the market. My efforts are devoted to finding undervalued securities.” — Buffett • “The function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” — John Kenneth Galbraith Additional Quotes • “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody is not thinking.” — Gen. George Patton • “When there is blood in the streets, I am buying.” — Baron Rothschild • “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” — Albert Einstein • “Our intuition about the future is linear. But the reality of technology is exponential, and that makes a profound difference. If I take 30 steps linearly, I get to 30. If I take 30 steps exponentially, I get to a billion.” — Ray Kurzweil These quotes do not constitute an investment strategy but can serve as guidelines for a successful strategy. ■ Al Shams is a Sandy Springs resident, an ex-CPA and an investment professional with more than 35 years of industry experience.
Georgia Trend Honors Pair at MendenFreiman
MendenFreiman lawyers Larry H. Freiman and Max R. Lafer are included in Georgia Trend magazine’s 2017 Legal Elite. Freiman, a partner in the firm, was recognized in the taxes/ estates/trusts practice area, and Lafer, an associate, was recognized in the corporate law practice area. Larry H. This is the 15th Freiman year Georgia Trend has published a list of the top lawyers in the state. Each year, the publication asks lawyers to nominate their peers. MendenFreiman is a boutique law firm Max R. Lafer in Atlanta with a focus on business law, estate planning and estate administration. Founded in 1997 by Freiman and George D. Menden, the firm’s lawyers have strong tax, accounting and financial backgrounds. MendenFreiman’s mission is to help businesses and people identify and simplify complex business, wealth and life-planning issues.
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LOCAL NEWS
Weather Channel’s Elliot Brings the Sunshine
Jaffe: As a child, were you fascinated with weather? Elliot: Yes, I remember playing in the sandbox (in New Jersey), telling my oldest friend about the weather forecast. Then around age 7, a giant tree fell, and I was hooked. My father traveled to various VA hospitals for his job, and I followed his travels and studied various natural disasters. Jaffe: I wonder if on-air meteorologists really know the science or are just performing a script. Elliot: Oh, believe me, we know the science. Today’s computing speed is very rapid. There are instruments on every airplane that test the atmosphere for us to weigh averages, etc. Most of the Weather Channel data is from the National Weather Service and the European model. Note that the European model is superior to
America’s. They have more computing power and pay in more vs. the U.S., who relies on tax dollars. Jaffe: So you have the science part down. How do you become an on-air performer? Elliot: Growing up, I was into theater and performed in “Bye Bye
Jaffe's Jewish Jive By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com
Birdie,” “Pippin” and “The Pirates of Penzance.” I did alter my New Jersey accent to not say “You guys!” A big challenge on air is correctly pronouncing some of the names of the smaller cities … understanding both the coasts and the mountains. I had to get used to all soft drinks in Atlanta being referred to as Coke (laughing). Jaffe: Speaking on air for four hours at a time without stammering seems daunting. Are you ever at a loss for words? Elliot: Having been a radio broadcaster in college (Rutgers), there was no map, and I had to learn to talk to paint a picture with my words. Currently, I might be on air from 11 to 3 and have four hours pre-work with graphics, producers and teamwork. You know people need to see the storm on air to take it seriously.
On-air meteorologists aren’t just talking head, Mark Elliot says. Meteorologist Mark Elliot has an affinity for snazzy footwear, something he shared with his mentor, the late Dave Schwartz.
no clean water. I was there five days eating canned tuna and peanut butter. We actually stayed in Miami and commuted to recharge our batteries at night. It’s scary if you think taking a shower might give you dysentery. On the opposite end, I drove from Denver to Wyoming to see the eclipse. Jaffe: Now that we all have cellphones, are we better positioned to predict the weather ourselves? Elliot: Not necessarily. Not all sources are the same. It’s really not accurate to inquire about the weather four days out online. The probability of precipitation is not very accurate either. By the time you consider various factors, accuracy is statistically
worsened and not correct science. Jaffe: You and your wife are frequent Torah readers at Shabbat services. How do you blend Judaism with meteorology? Elliot: I care for the environment and respect G-d’s creations and Jewish justice in the eyes of Judaism. I think there is no doubt about man’s influence on global warming. We will continue to see bigger droughts, more severe tropical storms, losing coral reefs and sea ice. He exited our meeting and said, “In the next eight minutes you’ll have clear skies, but in an hour you will see rain.” And he was right. ■
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Jaffe: What are some of the dangerous places you’ve been? Elliot: Most recently I went to the Florida Keys post-Irma. It was like a war zone … with a curfew, no power,
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JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
“The trouble with weather forecasting is that it’s right too often to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it,” financial technology entrepreneur Patrick Young has said. Come under the umbrella as Jewish meteorologist Mark Elliot shares how he covered the severe weather of 2017, how technology is changing and how he is passionate for the science of it all. (Elliot is his on-air name at the Cobb County-based Weather Channel, not his real name.) Elliot has undergraduate degrees in environmental science/physics and meteorology and a master’s from Georgia Tech in earth and atmospheric sciences. A husband and father, he is active at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, where he co-chairs the membership committee.
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LOCAL NEWS
Lessons From Belarus Help Trace Genealogy By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com Gary Palgon has worked on genealogy since he was 13 and traced his family to the 1600s in Lyakhovichi, Belarus. He expanded on his findings and offered the Jewish Genealogical Society of Georgia some techniques to create, access and analyze records Dec. 3 at the Breman Museum. Palgon said amateur genealogists should first investigate what exists about the towns that interest them. “You’re going to contact anybody and everybody to see if they have done any research on the foreign place, if they have a list of available records that exist, and if they know of any records or of any researchers,” he said. “I know this sounds obvious, but people often forget this step.” Palgon uses websites such as Jewishgen.org. “Before I scour for anything, I first put a list of people together who could potentially feed me knowledge
Gary Palgon offers some genealogical techniques to the Jewish Genealogical Society of Georgia on Dec. 3.
and find information about my family.” Palgon created a group of people interested in Lyakhovichi and retrieved some family trees and a photo of a Jewish burial procession. He said, “All of a sudden, you are building more than a family tree of just names and dates, but begining to retrieve a story of how the people lived because that’s really what our personal history is.” Palgon and his father traveled to Minsk in 1994 but never made it to
Lyakhovichi because some people tried to steal money and passports from him. Palgon did, however, visit the national archives. He said the process can be sketchy, but you can hire someone to conduct research for you. Having a list of available records and creating a catalog of existing documents are helpful, Palgon said. “You are just trying to create a catalog that will be of use. Having a list in place allows you to double-check anything you missed when forwarding it to other researchers.” He said people should gather donations to hire a researcher or put together a group for projects. “The researchers are going through the records page by page, so wouldn’t it be easier on the wallet if you gathered your researchers and asked them to fund an effort which will help look for 10 family names instead of two?” Through his research, Palgon retrieved an innkeeper’s census that told him about the people passing through
the town, as well as a tax list from 1862 that mentioned a direct ancestor. Palgon also found some court records from 1864 that revealed that one family member’s request to move to Minsk was denied. “While we first think of these documents in terms of birth, marriage, death, place and date, there is a story behind them which tells what was going on in that town at that time,” he said. Once Palgon accessed the records, he worked with Neville Lamdan, the author of “Avotayno,” to index the information, and created a list of entries based on his surname. Palgon said Lamdan then compiled all the information and wrote a paper on what it was like living in Lyakhovichi as a Jew at that time. “We have to look and dig into history to understand what those records look like,” Palgon said. “It takes a little bit of time and energy, but that’s your family history.” ■
Southern Co. Sees Microgrids on the Rise By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com The electric power grid will gain resiliency the next two decades through the rise of microgrids, which produce electricity and sometimes heat in small areas through some combination of renewable energy and energy storage, Southern Co. Vice President of Corporate Security J. Britt Johnson said at the Marcus JCC on Dec. 7. A subdivision might have its own microgrid and include the cost of power in homeowner association dues, Johnson said. Microgrids also are widely used at military bases, where the electric supply needs to be self-con-
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J. Britt Johnson, the vice president of corporate security at Southern Co., shares the company’s threat landscape graph.
tained so it isn’t vulnerable to attack. It was the former FBI special agent’s second appearance at the JCC’s Edgewise Speaker Series; he spoke to the group in 2015 about leading the FBI’s Atlanta Division, as he did from
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2014 to 2016. This time Johnson, who has been with Southern Co. since September 2016, spoke about the electric grid’s resiliency in Georgia and the Southeast. Southern Co. uses a threat landscape graph to categorize potential dangers. The Y axis shows the likelihood of an event to occur, and the X axis reflects the potential consequences. The likelihood of a squirrel chewing through a power line is high, for example, but the consequences are low. On the flip side, a nuclear electromagnetic pulse would be devastating to the power grid but is not likely. Asked about the threat of a nuclear EMP, Johnson said Southern Co. is
somewhat prepared, but a lack of solid information on the effects of such an attack is keeping the company from being fully ready. In addition, he said complete preparations for an EMP attack would be prohibitively expensive. Johnson said events that are likely and have big consequences, such as natural disasters, are what Southern Co. prepares for most. Asked why power companies trim or chop down trees that threaten power lines instead of burying cables, Johnson said burying cables is more expensive. He also said that the method of power transmission could be different in a few years and might not use power lines at all. ■
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LOCAL NEWS
Bransk Book of Memories Records What Was Lost South Africa native Rubin Roy Cobb remembers when the Bransk Book of Memories was published in Yiddish in Johannesburg in 1947 when he was 11 years old. The yizkor book, which Atlanta resident Cobb finished translating into English last year, describes many aspects of Jewish life in the Polish village of Bransk, along with events, customs and family histories. It includes photos and documents and was compiled by volunteers from many sources, including family records, synagogue documents, municipal records, oral histories and cemetery visits. The book has about 50 chapters, each running two to eight pages and describing an event, family, person or custom. Much of it covers the first half of the 20th century, through the destruction of the village’s Jewish population of about 3,000 (from a total of about 5,000 people) during World War II. Bransk is in the northeastern corner of Poland, close to Lithuania. The first evidence of a Jewish presence in the poor farming enclave dates to the start of the 19th century. The town was quickly occupied during World War II, first by the Germans, then by the Russians. Within 15 months of the Nazi occupation, most of the Jewish residents were sent to Treblinka, and the Jewish community never recovered. The book was published by Jewish Gen Inc., a nonprofit organization that serves as a clearinghouse for people researching Jewish families worldwide. Cobb had a passion for stamp collecting while growing up in South Africa, and the international stamps sparked his interest in Poland, from which his parents emigrated in 1929. Just as his parents decided it was better to go too soon than too late and left Bransk a decade before the Nazis got there, Cobb and his wife, Renee, decided in 1977 that the United States was more promising for a young family than apartheid South Africa. He retained an interest in Bransk and its Jewish community, and after years of research and several visits he was able to obtain and translate the yizkor book he had seen as a boy. A lawyer, he first visited their old village, Bransk, in 1974 during a trip to Warsaw to settle an estate. He spent several hours in the village, visited sites
and met an elderly couple who told him about the Jewish community. He returned to Bransk in 1991 with an older cousin from Baltimore who remembered the village before the war. Cobb also met a Polish historian from the village who had conducted research on the Jewish community. He made contact with Bransk societies in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Tel Aviv and Johannesburg. Mindle Gross began the translation of the yizkor book, then Cobb spent several years completing the work, including making corrections and filling in missing information. He dedicated the finished book to his wife and other family members, including 17 relatives who were killed at Treblinka. The transport of the bulk of most of the Bransk Jewish community to the Nazi camp Nov. 2, 1942, is one of the chilling chapters of the “Book of Memories.” People were awakened at 4 a.m. to make the journey to Treblinka; 1,800 of them didn’t survive the war. Several chapters describe other events during World War II, including the actions of partisans and service with the advancing Soviet army. The rich, granular detail of the book is what makes it so valuable in understanding a lost way of Jewish life in a small Eastern European town. Among the interesting tidbits: • The birth of the Jewish community. The first record of Jews in Bransk comes from 1808; by 1820, the community bought land for a cemetery. • The synagogues. The first Jewish house of worship opened in 1821. • The rabbinate. The book briefly describes nine rabbis, including Rabbi Shimon Yehudah Shkop, who became the Bransk rabbi in 1907, founded a yeshiva there, moved to the United States between the wars and served as the head of the seminary at Yeshiva University, then returned to Europe, where he died during World War II. • The meat tax. The community’s only source of revenue was a tax on meat and fowl. • Aid to the poor. The community provided hospitality to visitors, made no-interest loans and gave aid to poor brides. Bransk’s Jews wanted to be sure every bride had a memorable wedding. • A view of the beginning of the end of Czar Nicholas II during the 1905 uprising in Russia. • A letter Albert Einstein wrote to a Bransk resident in 1923. ■
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LOCAL NEWS Federation Expands Senior Leadership
Joseph Goldstein takes the Marietta City Council oath of office Dec. 18, administered by Senior Superior Court Judge Adele Grubbs. Holding the Tanakh are his father, outgoing council member Philip Goldstein; his brother, David Goldstein; and his mother, Elise Goldstein.
Goldstein Succeeds Father
Joseph Goldstein took office Monday, Jan. 1, as the Ward 7 representative on the Marietta City Council. The 24-year-old, elected without opposition at age 23 on Nov. 7, succeeded his father, Philip, who held the seat for more than 37 years. Goldstein was sworn in Monday, Dec. 18, in a ceremony at which Congregation Etz Chaim Rabbi Daniel Dorsch gave the invocation. Goldstein, a lifelong resident of Ward 7 and 2011 graduate of Marietta High School, earned a business degree from the University of Georgia in 2014 and a law degree from UGA in 2017. He owns and runs JRG 30 Whitlock Avenue LLC, following the family tradition of property management.
Jewish Women’s Fund To Honor Founders
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
The Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta will honor its three founders, Carol Cooper, Ilene Engel and Sara Franco, and celebrate its first five years at a community luncheon at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, at The Temple. “JWFA Ignites: Five Years, Three Founders, One Mission” promises to be a showcase of the fund’s efforts by featuring representatives of grantees, including Rabba Sara Hurwitz of Yeshivat Maharat in New York and Eliza Abusch-Magder, a junior at the Weber School and a participant in two JWFAfunded programs: jGirls Magazine and Weber’s Respect My Red violence-prevention program. The Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta uses a Jewish and gender lens to delve into topics such as addiction, leadership and sexual assault and elevates Jewish women’s and girls’ issues to the forefront of the community’s conversation. The luncheon is chaired by Martha Berlin, Lisa Greenberg and Laura Soshnik and is being catered by Sandra Bank’s A Kosher Touch. Tickets are $72 and are available at 22 www.jwfatlanta.org/ignite.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta has named two new members of its senior staff. Marcie Beskind is the new chief financial officer/chief administrative officer, moving to Federation from the nonprofit Frazer Center, and Beth Warner has been promoted from director of Women’s Philanthropy and vice president of the 2018 campaign to chief philanthropy officer, effective Tuesday, Jan. 2. “It is especially Marcie Beskind satisfying when an organization recognizes outstanding talent and promotes from within,” Federation CEO Eric Robbins said. Warner joined Federation in 2016 after Beth Warner serving as a major gifts officer at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, where she exceeded annual revenue targets by more than 20 percent year over year. As Federation’s director of Women’s Philanthropy, she quickly demonstrated her ability to develop relationships, motivate volunteers and lead her division as Women’s Philanthropy raised $4.8 million, a third of Federation’s annual campaign, in her first four months on the job. Warner served on the Davis Academy board, graduated from Federation’s Jacobson Leadership Institute and was in Temple Emanu-El’s Darchai Saarim leadership initiative. She is participating in the Jewish Federations of North America Fundraising University. Beskind moves to Federation after helping develop and implement a strategic plan for the Frazer Center, an Atlanta nonprofit with a mission to support inclusion and provide vocational training and therapeutic intervention for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Before the Frazer Center, Beskind had her own firm providing CFO and controller services to nonprofit organizations and small businesses. She previously was the business manager at Atlanta Montessori International School and the director of finance and development at Cliff Valley School, and she held financial management positions with Turner Broadcasting at Cartoon Network and Hanna-Barbera Enterprises. An Emory University graduate, she serves as the treasurer of National Families in Action.
Women of the Wall Head Coming to Atlanta
Women of the Wall Executive Director Lesley Sachs will speak at Congregation Shearith Israel on Wednesday, Jan. 31, and at Congregation Etz Chaim on Thursday, Feb. 1. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, The Temple, the Center for Israel Education, Honeymoon Israel, InterfaithFamily/Atlanta and Atlanta’s three Moishe Houses are joining in hosting Sachs, who will speak about the work of Women of the Wall to promote women’s rights and pluralism at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Both events are free, and Sachs will speak at 7:30 each night. For additional information, visit www.shearithisrael.com or www. etzchaim.net/wow.
Tickets for Purim off Ponce
The new year brought the start of sales of general-admission tickets to SOJOURN’s 12th annual Purim off Ponce fundraising costume party. Judy Marx of Interfaith Community Initiatives and Billy Planer of Etgar 36 are the honorees at the event, set for 7:30 p.m. March 3 in SchwartzGoldstein Hall at The Temple. Purim off Ponce’s proceeds support SOJOURN’s education and training on LGBTQ issues. Because of a strong response from sponsors, only a limited number of $100 tickets are available at www. sojourngsd.org/poptickets.
Hadassah’s New Leaders
Hadassah Greater Atlanta (www. hadassah.org/atlanta) held its 2017 Centennial Leadership Institute graduation and installed its 2018 officers at Café Intermezzo in Dunwoody on Dec. 10. Linda Hakerem and Michele Weiner-Merbaum, Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s leadership vice presidents, officiated at the graduation and the installation. They were the 2017 facilitators for CLI, which is designed to bring knowledge, leadership skills and passion to Hadassah.
Graduating from the Centennial Leadership Institute on Dec. 10 are (from left) Sara Meyers, Anita Walters, Linda Lieberman, Nancy Schwartz, Vivian Gerow and Ellen Weinstein with facilitators Linda Hakerem and Michele Weiner-Merbaum. Not shown is graduate Marni Hoffman.
The 2018 Hadassah Greater Atlanta board includes (sitting, from left) Malka Shulman, Judy Bart, Annie Loventhal and Lee Tanenbaum and (standing, from left) Linda Hakerem, Michele WeinerMerbaum and Sheila Dalmat. Not shown are Marni Hoffman, Marci AbramsFeinstein and Cheryl Feingold Dorchinsky.
Sheila Dalmat, who was installed as the Atlanta president for a second term, explained why each attendee was given a rose: “Roses are beautiful, fragrant and remind us of celebrations of life and love. Roses also have thorns, need care (pruning/cutting) and feeding (water and food) to achieve their full beauty. Let’s always nurture our souls and care for our needs and the needs of others so that we can celebrate with full, beautiful roses.” Sybil Ginsburg, Annie Loventhal and Robin Hyman made arrangements for the event.
Hadassah Evolves For Younger Women
Hadassah Greater Atlanta is holding a women’s self-defense/krav maga class on Sunday, Jan. 28, as part of its rollout of Evolve, Hadassah’s Young Women’s Network. Evolve is about smart, savvy, younger Jewish women making a difference in women’s health, volunteerism and Jewish continuity. The self-defense event will be held with Joe Corley at Atlanta Extreme Warrior at 3000 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 210, in East Cobb. Evolve took part in the Shabbat Project’s Great Big Challah Bake in late October and holds hiking events. For more information about Evolve events, email Hadassahevolve@ gmail.com, or contact Cheryl Feingold Dorchinsky at cherylfeingold@gmail. com or 404-226-9271.
Participating in the Great Big Challah Bake are (from left) Joanna Shuman, Tovah Shraga, Lisa Morchower, Robyn Senoff, Lisa Goldstein, Cheryl Feingold Dorchinsky, Patricia Johnson, Molly Antebi, Kim Green and Judy Antebi Chyatte.
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ARTS
Get Out of Your Musical Comfort Zone soul and hip-hop to Smith’s Olde Bar, 1578 Piedmont Ave., Midtown, for an album release show. Goldberg’s sound has been called “electric soul.” Tickets are $8; smithsoldebar.com. Yurie Tago shows her poster design for 2018’s Atlanta Jewish Music Festival.
Music Calendar Saturday, Jan. 6 Goldberg. Macon native Daniel Aaron Goldberg brings his blend of
Thursday, Jan. 11 Adam Klein & the Wild Fires. Athens singer-songwriter Adam Klein performs at The Foundry, 295 E. Dougherty St., Athens. Fans of Americana will enjoy his happy blend of rustic country folk music. Klein is wrapping up his newest album, “Low Flyin’ Planes.” Tickets are $5; thefoundryathens.com.
Jewish Music Scene By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com
Saturday, Jan. 20 Zale. Atlantan Hannah Zale performs at Aisle 5, 1123 Euclid Ave., Little 5 Points, for her “Eye See You” single release. Zale is a boundary-pushing, alternative rock five-piece band. Tickets are $12; www.aisle5atl.com. ■ Email david@atljewishtimes.com with music news and calendar items.
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JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Poster for AJMF9 Georgia State University graduate student Yurie Tago has designed the winning poster for the ninth annual Atlanta Jewish Music Festival spring fest, which will be March 8 to 25. The AJMF9 lineup will be announced Jan. 30.
Tago’s poster design was selected from a group of student concepts as part of a collaboration between the festival and Georgia State. Her design features a theme of peace with a white dove in flight over an olive branch.
©Disney
The other day I was browsing Spotify when I got a notification for a playlist called “Your Top Songs of 2017,” but I was surprised when I opened it. The playlist was made up of my most listened to songs of the year but didn’t have one artist I hadn’t heard of before 2017. It was jarring because I consider myself in the know about new music. This year I’m not letting that happen. My musical New Year’s resolution is to go out of my way to listen to new artists in genres familiar and foreign. Why are we afraid to get out of our musical comfort zone? Listening to a familiar song is like spending time with an old friend. Listening to a new artist can be stressful. Also, with so many choices, from iTunes and Spotify to YouTube and Pandora, we retreat to the relative comfort of familiar tunes. A great way to get to know new artists is to listen to live music. My big critique of the music scene in Jewish Atlanta is that people aren’t willing to give a chance to artists they haven’t heard of. If people don’t know you, they won’t go to your show. In June, a show at Terminal West with Israeli trio A-WA was canceled because of low ticket sales. Later that month, longtime Letterman sidekick Paul Shaffer canceled his show at Center Stage for the same reason. In September, Hurricane Irma hit Atlanta on the day of Israeli piano man Rami Kleinstein’s scheduled show at City Winery, but because of low interest it wasn’t rescheduled. In March, I watched as the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, in collaboration with ATL Collective, brought in three of the biggest names in Israeli hip-hop for a performance that was sparsely attended. We are lucky to see some of the world’s best Jewish musicians stop in Atlanta, thanks the AJMF, ATL Collective, City Winery Atlanta and others, but if we stay in our musical comfort zone and don’t support them, they will eventually stop coming. My New Year’s challenge to you is to go to at least one show with an artist you haven’t heard. A great place to start is this column’s concert calendar.
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ARTS
Iranian Jewish painter Dana Nehdaran believes that painting serves as a platform to connect the past and present.
“Esther’s Children” is a series of renditions of old photographs from Houman Sarshar’s collection also titled “Esther’s Children.” The painting depicts the Kahan family from the small province of Golpayman.
Dana Nehdaran often blurs the lines between past and present in his paintings by composing an eerie scene portraying a family from Hamedan.
Persian Artist Preserves Jewish Heritage By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Art is an addiction for Jewish Persian painter Dana Nehdaran as it is a platform to share his culture and connect the past and present. His latest series, “Esther’s Children,” uses contemporary art to showcase people and faces highlighting his heritage. Although Jews have a rich history in Iran reaching back into the Persian Empire, many people know no more than the story of Queen Esther, who delivered her people from Haman’s plot, a role celebrated by Jewish children and adults alike every Purim. The theme is also part of Jewish Iranian Houman Sarshar’s book “Esther’s Children,” which captures a collection of manuscripts, objects and portraits documenting Iranian Jews from their earliest settlement through the 20th century. Nehdaran stumbled on the collection after his brother, Dariush, another family artist and noted photographer, brought the book home while studying
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for his thesis about Jewish symbolism in Iran. “I was fascinated by the photos and wanted to learn more about the author and why Iran’s Jewish population has dissipated,” Nehdaran said. He drew inspiration from the old photographs to create oil paintings in a series also titled “Esther’s Children.” One of the fundamentals of contemporary art, Nehdaran said, is the ability to showcase a relationship connecting past, present and future. While working on his series, Nehdaran often felt that he was a part of the families he was painting and subconsciously substituted modern objects or faces into the canvases. In Isfahan, Nehdaran frequently visited his grandparents’ home, adorned with antique portraits and gems that created his affinity toward art. But it was not until Nehdaran turned 9 that his mother discovered his innate talent and enrolled him in private classes under the tutelage of wellknown artist Hassanpour. After he graduated from high school, Nehdaran was accepted to
Soureh Art University in Shiraz, where he studied rug designs and painting. He later moved to Tehran, where he painted full time and opened a series of solo and group exhibitions. “I wanted to let people know that Jews and Muslims have been living alongside each other for centuries in Iran,” Nehdaran said. “You can’t distinguish an Iranian Jew from an Iranian Muslim walking down the street, and I thought it fit the series’ title well.” Since its debut, “Esther’s Children” has traveled to Tehran, Dubai, Los Angeles and New York, drawing praise and debate from gallery owners and viewers. In Tehran, Radio Israel (Sedayeh Iran) initially announced that it was thankful to have a young artist open a gallery reflecting his Jewish heritage, but the series received a backlash when rumors spread of a police raid after the gallery’s opening. Nehdaran said the raid never occurred, however, and the book “Esther’s Children” has been published twice in Iran, albeit illegally. Nehdaran’s exhibition went
through a different experience in Dubai. The gallery’s owner requested that he omit the word “Jewish” when describing the tribe that immigrated to Iran during Darius’ reign over the Persian Empire. “There were no other tribes which immigrated to Iran, however, other than Jews,” Nehdaran said. He added that the show sold out, including two paintings purchased by the Salsali Private Museum in Dubai. Nehdaran’s latest project, a series called “Fe26,” portrays rustic buildings and subway terminals in New York. He uses real rust, water and art products to create a realistic look at the sites and their evolution when exposed to various conditions. “The paintings are almost lifelike for me because I have to water and nurture them to help them come to life,” Nehdaran said. “Painting eventually becomes one’s profession, but for me it’s an addiction,” he said. “I feel lost if I don’t paint. … Some of my best days are when my paintings are going the way I want … even if the process is a struggle.” ■
Coke Adds Life to Chanukah
Coca-Cola added a 9-foot-tall menorah to the holiday display in the lobby of its Atlanta headquarters in December. In response to requests from Jewish employees, the new chanukiah was installed a year after Coke employee Evan Charles brought in his own menorah for display in the lobby. The official Coca-Cola menorah used electric bulbs that came on automatically at the right time each night of the festival. Coke also held a lighting ceremony Dec. 13, the second night of the festival, with Chabad Intown Rabbi Ari Sollish that included latkes, sufganiyot, gelt and holiday songs. “Throughout the history of Coca-Cola, we have stood for optimism, diversity and inclusion, and deep in our heritage is a commitment to bringing people and communities together,” a Coca-Cola representative said in a written statement. “At Coca-Cola we want to be a place where people can bring the best of their selves to work. We listen to and learn from our employees, and many people across the company help us advance in our diversity journey and build our practices. This holiday season, we’re proud to display a new 9-foot menorah as well as a new Christmas tree in the recently remodeled Main Street Lobby. Employees at the Atlanta Office Complex have helped to shape this year’s new display, and we look forward to building on it and continuing to expand our holiday Rabbi Ari Sollish (left) joins Coca-Cola celebrations next year and thereemployees at a Chanukah celebration. after.” ■
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Promukkah Proves Fabulous Again
InterfaithFamily/Atlanta hosted its second annual Promukkah to celebrate Chanukah at its Ponce City Market office Dec. 16. The prom-themed party was the social event of the festival season. The evening was a blast with hip dance music spun by DJ Awesome (Gabe) of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, a latke tasting station, a community candle lighting, a corsage/ boutonniere-making station, a Mag-nificent photo booth with take-home photo magnets, vintage prom-themed movies and a fabulous performance by Roxie Roz gang. We celebrated the Festival of Lights with amazing members of the greater Atlanta community, including co-sponsors SOJOURN, Limmud Atlanta + Southeast, Be’chol Lashon, JScreen, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Second Self Beer, King of Pops and Honeymoon Israel. Plans for next year’s Photo by Mag-nificent gathering have begun. Rabbi Malka Packer-Monroe, the director of InterfaithFamily/Atlanta, and her wife, Mercy, — Rabbi Malka celebrate Chanukah at Promukkah on Dec. 16. Packer-Monroe
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
CHANUKAH
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EDUCATION
AJA Visits 100-Acre Wood Atlanta Jewish Academy visited the house at Pooh Corner for the Lower School’s performance of “Winnie the Pooh Kids.” AJA first- through fourth-graders put on the show twice, on Sunday, Dec. 17, and Thursday, Dec 21. ■ Above: Atlanta Jewish Academy Lower School students put their special chanukiot on display. Below: Atlanta Jewish Academy Upper School students participate in a dreidel competition.
Above: Davis Academy sixthgraders play a dreidel variation called Rabbi of the Spinogogue. Below: The Davis Academy Magical Melodies sing “Mi Yimaleil” at Town Brookhaven before a menorah lighting with The Temple.
Photos by Sarah Moosazadeh
Christopher Robin (third-grader Odeya Lerer) visits his friends Owl (fourth-grader Amara Najmaister), Rabbit (fourth-grader Avi Yaschik), Piglet, Winnie the Pooh (fourth-grader Rebecca Hatami), Roo (firstgrader Rahm Regev) and Kanga (third-grader Shira Lowenstein).
Winnie the Pooh (fourth-grader Rebecca Hatami) asks Rabbit (fourthgrader Avi Yaschik) if he can help him read a note from Christopher Robin.
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
Piglet and Pooh (fourth-grader Rebecca Hatami) decide to ask for help finding Christopher Robin.
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The Davis Academy and Atlanta Jewish Academy shared some images from their observances of Chanukah during December. For Davis, the activities included menorah lightings at the school and at Town Brookhaven, games and crafts, and a party for faculty and staff. AJA had celebrations that ranged from latke making in the preschool to art projects in the younger grades, games for the middle-schoolers and a dreidel competition for the high-schoolers.
Transitional Kindergarten Coming to Marcus JCC
Winnie the Pooh (fourthgrader Rebecca Hatami) asks Owl (fourth-grader Amara Najmaister) to help decipher a note from Christopher Robin in which he says he will be “back soon.” His friends mistakenly interpret it as “Backson,” a creature they think has kidnapped Christopher.
Girl Skunk (first-grader Lily Tritt), Girl Monkey (firstgrader Gavi Silverman), Ladybug (first-grader Meital Bernstein), Gold Snail (first-grader Tirza Monheit), Raccoon (first-grader Amalia Gellis) and Boy Monkey (first-grader Jordan Koransky) look for honey.
Chanukah Highlights
The Marcus JCC’s Weinstein School is adding transitional kindergarten for the 2018-19 school year. “Transitional kindergarten is ideal for children with late birthdays or children who, after completing preK, may benefit from a small class size and a progressive curriculum, which can strengthen emotional, social and/ or physical development,” said Kim Sucan, the Marcus JCC’s director of preschools. “Our transitional K program is the perfect combination of progressive academic learning and a warm, nurturing environment.” Open enrollment begins Sunday, Jan. 7, and classes start Aug. 6 at the preschool at the Zaban Park campus in Dunwoody. According to a study by the American Institutes for Research, children who attend transitional kindergarten before kindergarten are more advanced than their peers in language, reading and math and gain as much as a fivemonth head start in kindergarten. The Weinstein School’s transitional kindergarten curriculum includes Zoophonics to develop reading and lit-
eracy skills, Everyday Math, Handwriting Without Tears, science, social studies and enrichment activities. Contact Sucan at 678-812-3834 or kim.sucan@atlantajcc.org for more information.
Brill Institute Registering
Some classes are beginning this month for the spring semester of the Marcus JCC’s Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning. The Brill Institute, Atlanta’s largest adult Jewish education program, offers classes to more than 450 students at 12 locations, including Zaban Park. Course instructors include Jewish scholars, rabbis and Emory professors. “We are thrilled to provide an array of courses with gifted teachers and presenters for people of all ages and denominations looking to study Jewish topics,” said Talya Gorsetman, the director of the Brill Institute. “Our classes positively and inclusively enlighten people who are interested in exploring their Judaism.” Spring courses include “The Star and the Crescent: Into the Modern World” about Judaism and Islam; “Loving Yiddish Through Song”; “Techinot: The Power of Women’s Personal Prayer”; “The Cairo Geniza”; and such basics as conversational Hebrew, an introduction to Judaism, “The Meaning of the Bible” and “Foundations of Jewish Living.” “Whether you are just beginning to delve into Judaism or simply want to deepen your knowledge, we have a class for you,” Gorsetman said. The Brill Institute offers day and evening schedules. Fees vary by class. For more information, visit www. atlantajcc.org/brill, or contact Laurie Rose at 678-812-3723 or laurie.rose@ atlantajcc.org.
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SIMCHAS
Rose Schwinder Turns 100 in Alpharetta Rose Schwinder celebrated her 100th birthday in November at Charter Senior Living, now Alto Senior Living of Alpharetta. A party Nov. 11 honored the facility’s oldest resident, who was born to Gussie and Joseph Kraft on Nov. 15, 1917, in New York. She lived most of her life in Fair Lawn, N.J., until moving to Bickford Assisted Living, which became Charter and then Alto, at age 95 to be near her daughter, Gail Heller. The entire staff joined in celebrating the milestone for Rose, who is adored for her loving nature, beautiful smile, wonderful sense of humor and signature red hair. Her family attributes her longevity to her sweet disposition, her refusal to discuss her age, and her enjoyment of ice cream and chocolate candy whenever possible. Her family includes son Gary and his wife, Idelle; daughter Gail; grandchildren Eric and his wife, Amanda, Ethan and his wife, Becky, Meredith and her fiancé, David, and Jared; and great-grandchildren Henry and Gwen.
Left: Twice-widowed Rose Schwinder, who lived more than half her life in a house in Fair Lawn, N.J., has maintained her sweet disposition and signature red hair. Above: Family surrounds Rose Schwinder at her birthday party at Charter Senior Living in Alpharetta in November.
Rose’s father was from Russia, and her mother was from Romania. She and her older brothers, Harry and Ben, lived in Brooklyn until moving to Passaic, N.J., where Rose graduated from high school. Joseph Kraft owned a movie theater, then a women’s coat factory. Rose worked as a saleswoman in a Passaic dress shop. In 1945 she met Murry Schwinder, a World War II veteran from West New
York, N.J., who had immigrated to the United States from Austria as a teenager and participated in the Normandy invasion. They married June 16, 1946, and moved into an apartment in Paterson, N.J. Their first child, Gary, was born in 1947. Second child Gail was born soon after they moved to a house they built on Fair Haven Place in Fair Lawn. Murry, who dressed windows in
retail stores and showrooms throughout New Jersey and New York City, died in 1978 after 32 years of marriage. Rose married widower Harold Taylor in August 1982, and they lived in the house on Fair Haven Place until he died of heart disease in 2006. With help from son Gary, Rose stayed in that house until she moved to Alpharetta five years ago. ■
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SIMCHAS
OBITUARIES
Engagement Kupshik-Wohl
Leon Abramson 102, Atlanta Dr. Hilton and Janet Kupshik announce the engage-
ment of their daughter, Michelle Ruth, to Ethan Farber Wohl, son of Lisa and Barry Wohl of Charlotte, N.C. Michelle is the granddaughter of the late Dr. Henry and Alice Caplan of Atlanta and the late Katie and Morris Kupshik of Johannesburg, South Africa. Ethan is the grandson of the late Olga and Israel Farber of Harrison, N.Y., and Alayne Wohl and the late Roy Wohl of St. Louis. Michelle graduated from the University of North Carolina in Asheville with a bachelor of science in biology. She earned a master of medical science from Emory University and is employed by Emory University Hospital as an anesthesia physician’s assistant. Ethan graduated from UNC Asheville with a B.S. in biology and is in his fourth year at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. A June 2018 wedding is planned. ■
Leon Abramson of Atlanta, formerly of Shreveport, La., passed away Friday, Dec. 22, 2017, at the amazing age of 102. He was predeceased by his wife of 76 years, Libbie Bliss Abramson, and is survived by his daughter and her husband, Marcia A. and Larry D. Spielberger of Atlanta; his granddaughter, Julie Korotkin, and her husband, Stephen Laughlin; and great-grandsons Syrus and Liam Laughlin of Denver. Leon also is survived by his extended Atlanta family: Lori, Robert, Carly, Julia and Marc Silverman; Lee, David, Sarah and Adam Spielberger; Lynne Spielberger; David and Daniel Maslia; and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank very special caregivers Rose Flowers, Eloise Levine, Simone Loyd, Nekeisha Miles and Sharon Stevens for their loving and tender care. Leon will be greatly missed by all who knew him and remembered for his devotion to his family and his religion and for his love of life, his wit, “Jeopardy!” and the Dallas Cowboys. Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. Graveside services were held Sunday, Dec. 24, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Temple Sinai, Weinstein Hospice or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
John Max Mehler 64, Atlanta
John Max Mehler, 64, of Atlanta passed away Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. John was born in Caracas, Venezuela, to Anita (Lustgarten) and John Carl Mehler. John is survived by his three sons, Joshua Mark, 35, Brian Seth, 34, and Joel Peter, 26; his partner of 19 years, Stephanie Steiger; his sisters, Elizabeth (Mehler) Cohen and Dorothy (Mehler) Goihman; and his brother, Robert Mehler. John moved to the United States to attend Roosevelt Military Academy and graduated from North Springs High School, Class of 1972, before matriculating at the University of Georgia, where he began his lifelong relationship with the Jewish community when he joined the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. After graduating from Oglethorpe University, he began working for the First National Bank of Atlanta and soon met Tina (Decatsky) Mehler, the mother of his three sons. John built a vast network of friends and loved ones while splitting his time between Atlanta and Birmingham. John’s favorite pastimes included spending summers swimming at the Zaban Park JCC pool with his boys, being the helpful handyman to all those in need and working on his blue-ribbon-winning orchids. Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alabama Orchid Society, c/o the John Max Mehler Memorial, 4761 Fulmar Drive, Irondale, AL 35210. Graveside services were held Wednesday, Dec. 20, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
James Paradies
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
86, Atlanta
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James Norton Paradies passed away Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. Born April 20, 1931, in Atlanta to I.J. and Sara Paradies, he grew up in Druid Hills, the youngest of five children. Jimmy attended Druid Hills High School, where he played baseball and basketball with great zeal. Always a gifted student, he began attending Washington & Lee University at the young age of 16. He relished his W&L years and the lifetime friendships he made. He was active in all aspects of student life, including his role as sports editor of the W&L Ring-tum Phi, a member of the Honor Council and the student body vice president his senior year. After graduation, Jimmy joined the Navy, then moved back to Atlanta to launch his career, joining his father, I.J., and brother, Dan, in various retail busi-
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OBITUARIES
Benjamin Wertheimer 95, Atlanta
Benjamin Wertheimer, formerly of Jericho, N.Y., passed away peacefully in his sleep Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, two weeks shy of his 96th birthday. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., he attended DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City. As part of the GI Bill, he attended Purdue University and Texas A&M University, studying engineering and accounting. He moved to Atlanta nine years ago to be closer to his children and grandchildren and created lifelong memories that will carry on from generation to generation. He was the head purchasing agent for a major New York mechanical contracting firm, Raisler Corp., for most of his career before joining H. Sand & Co. and then developer Olympia & York, where he worked on Battery Park City in New York. He was a founding member of the Jericho Jewish Center on Long Island, where he and his wife, Claire, of blessed memory (March 19, 1931-Jan. 18, 1994), raised their two children, Mindy Renee Wertheimer and Howard Seth Wertheimer. Ben was a great athlete. He excelled at basketball, softball, and, later in life, golf and swimming. An avid sports fan, he was particularly fond of the New York Yankees, New York Giants and New York Knicks. To ensure he would never miss a pitch, hit, shot or pass, he would often be seen watching multiple ball games on multiple TVs. As an Army veteran of World War II, he only recently began to share stories of his time as a soldier fighting on enemy lines in France and Germany. He was a morally good person and always possessed the important virtues of honor, kindness, loyalty and courage. He was brave, wise and fair. Brave, because he would get up every morning and wanted to be the best person he could be, no matter the physical pain, moving forward with dignity and perseverance, setting a good example for his children and grandchildren. Wise, because he kept up with current events and reminded us how his past was part of who he was. Fair, because he was honest, knew right Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Associate 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.
from wrong and had high standards for humankind. Ben loved spending holidays with his family, particularly his five grandchildren. They enjoyed listening to him as he imparted his wisdom and advice. He was excited to become a great-grandfather in just a few months and to know the Wertheimer lineage would continue to another generation. Passing away during the Jewish holiday of Chanukah gave him the opportunity to bring family and friends together one last time. Benjamin was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Claire Milefsky Wertheimer, and later by his partner, Adelia Mann. He is survived by his daughter, Dr. Mindy Wertheimer (Ira Katz); his son, Howard Wertheimer (Carla); five loving grandchildren, Jessica Katz Yonatan (Avi), Leanna Katz, Marissa Wertheimer, Alexandra Wertheimer and Cody Wertheimer; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. If so inclined, please make a donation to the charity of your choice. Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. A graveside service was held Sunday, Dec. 17, at New Montefiore Cemetery in New York. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Death Notices
Lewis Bialick, 66, on Dec. 17. Richard Cartoon, 68, of Atlanta, husband of Maureen and father of Daniel, Simon and Benjamin, on Jan. 1. Suzanne Davidson, 91, of Alpharetta, mother of Linda Padawer and Perry Davidson, on Dec. 28. Charlotte Froug, 82, of Atlanta, mother of Gary Froug, Lori White, Brenda Whitley and Karen Bonta, on Dec. 18. Marylou Norvell, 90, of Woodstock, mother of Temple Kol Emeth member Fred Baruchman and Brenda Hunt, on Dec. 25. Anne Stewart, 85, on Dec. 21. David Warga, 85, father of Avraham Warga, on Dec. 19. Brian Waronker, 24, of Atlanta, son of Temple Sinai members Mitzi and Steve Waronker and brother of Jeffrey Waronker, on Dec. 29.
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
nesses. Jimmy met the love of his life, the former Judy Friedman, in 1960, and after he declared that he was “very fond” of her, they married and embarked upon a 44-year romance. Jimmy later joined brother Dan in the startup of Paradies Airport Shops, an airport retail business, which was founded in 1960 with a toy store at the former Atlanta municipal airport. Today the business flourishes as Paradies Lagardère, which operates throughout North America. While Jimmy was the finance mastermind behind the family business, his real pride was in working alongside two of his children, Gregg and Jill Paradies, and growing the company’s strong family culture. Known as “Mr. Jimmy,” he was beloved by all who worked for him at Paradies. Above all else, Jimmy’s family was his life. He lived for his wife, Judy (deceased in 2004), children, grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Jimmy is survived by his children, Cindy Paradies and Larry Moscow, Gregg and Beth Paradies, and Jill Paradies; his grandchildren, Dorrie, Brooke, Katie, Alex, Nikki, Molly, Kelsie and Jason; and his sisters, Doris Haber and Janice Shoob. Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. The funeral was held at Ahavath Achim Synagogue on Tuesday, Dec. 26, with the burial following at Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Judy and Jimmy Paradies Fund for Childhood Enrichment at Ahavath Achim Synagogue or the James N. Paradies Scholarship Fund at Washington & Lee University. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
CROSSWORD
This I Believe I read a book written over 50 years ago titled “This I Believe,” compiled by Edward R. Murrow. In two pages, each writer laid out the principles that shaped his or her life. Some wrote about themselves, and some wrote about helping others. Their thoughts are worth repeating. This is what they wrote about themselves. Part 2 will be about helping others. Robert Allman: The hardest lesson I had to learn was to believe in myself. That belief was more than accepting my imperfections, but an assurance that I am a real, positive person. All my life I have set ahead of me a series of goals and then tried to reach them, one at a time. I had to learn my limitations. I did not try to complete something wildly out of reach, because that only invited the bitterness of failure. As I progressed, my goals grew bigger. Lionel Barrymore: The difference between whether I was going to be a really successful person and just mediocre was whether I had an aim, a focus, a model upon which I superimposed my life. I couldn’t get anywhere unless I knew where to start from and where to go. Pat Frank: I will never know how important my duty is on many things, yet I must so live as never to be ashamed of how I fulfilled it. Ina Corinne Brown: There are four values I live by. The first is “What will you think of yourself if you do this or fail to do that?” The second is that nothing is as important as the way in which you meet grief and trouble. The third is that friendship should be based on the qualities of mind and character and not on race, color or social position. And the fourth is that we honor and cherish the good when we cooperate with our fellow men to build a better world. Elmer Davis: In business, we should promote an increase in decency. Decency by showing respect for other people; of taking no advantage. Dr. Nelson Glueck: There is no sense fleeing from circumstances and conditions that cannot be avoided. I cannot wipe out the pains of existence by denying them, blaming them 30 largely or completely on others, or
“Musical Translation”
By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Easy
running away from them. John Hughes: I believe in G-d and try to be a good member of his congregation. I try to act toward others like I think G-d wants me to act. I have been trying this for a long time, and the longer I try the easier it gets. David Dallas Jones: An old professor of mine used to say, “Effort counts.” We seldom realize the sense of glow,
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ACROSS 1. “Emunah” (George Michael, 1987) 6. Son of Noah 9. “Dvash” (Bobby Goldsboro, 1968, and Mariah Carey, 1997) 14. Offspring 15. Priest who raised Samuel 16. Be a comedian 17. African soccer powerhouse 18. Lenient 19. Features for bison and lions 20. Doings of Haman and Hitler 22. “Star Wars” villain Kylo with temper issues 23. Shekel dispenser 26. BDS supporter Brian (musician) 27. “Maamin” (Cher, 1998) 31. Rules, as David 33. Former video format 34. Shtick 35. Computer or restaurant list 36. Gin’s partner, often 37. End of BBYO’s URL 38. Like each of the songs in this puzzle 42. Schmaltz, e.g. 43. Copycatting 44. Curvy HS math subject 46. 40 for Isaac when he got married 47. Saying lashon hara, worshipping idols, etc. 48. “Space ___” (David Bowie album) 50. “Kavod” (Aretha Franklin, 1967) 52. Word before Sinai or HaBayit 53. Dr. Hank ___ (the original Ant-Man) 54. Six-pack muscles
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the sense of growing self-esteem, the sense of achievement, which can come from doing a job well. No matter what else we did in life, we had to devote our best thinking and our best living to our children. Lillian Bueno McCue: Learn to pull your own weight in a boat. Kids have no use for a loafer who wants a free ride. When I can do something, and somebody wants me to do it, I have to do it. The great tragedy of life is not to be needed. I learned that anger is a waste. Forget your grievance. Keep your temper and stay in the game. Happiness is a habit. I was taught to cultivate it. I hope I never lose it. It would be like putting out the light. Richard H. McFeely: You know we can change any situation by changing our attitude toward it. Remember, my mother said, “life does not consist in holding a good hand, but in playing a bad hand well.” Joe J. Mickle: I am enthusiastic about life. Optimism and enthusiasm can be deeply rooted and continuous only if they spring from an inner sense of the presence of G-d and faith in His spirit at work in the world. Ralph Richmond: The years of my illness taught me what to value: Take time before time takes you. Each day is a precious entity. Frequently I sit back and say to myself: Let me make note of this moment I’m living right now. I’m well, happy, hard at work doing what I like best to do. It won’t always be like this, so while it is, I’ll make the most of it. The bottom line: If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. ■
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When I can do something, and somebody wants me to do it, I have to do it. The great tragedy of life is not to be needed.
JANUARY 5 ▪ 2018
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30. Some check one for blood 32. Paskez or Orbit product 33. People who are rude and crude 36. Council of ___, 1545-63 39. America’s pastime 40. Like many biblical films 41. “___ be my pleasure!” 42. Like the walk from Egypt to Jordan 45. Ball room? 48. Breakfast bit 49. “Chalomot” (Fleetwood DOWN Mac, 1977) 1. Fruit that is one of the 51. One in San Diego that seven species plays 39-Down 2. Volcanic spew 3. “Rose ___ rose” (Gertrude 52. “Sameach” (Pharrell Williams, 2013) Stein) 55. Adam was the first 4. Rabbi Carlebach wrote 56. Cookie since 1912 (and many a fine one kosher since 1998) 5. “Shamayim” (Bryan 57. Govt. property org. Adams, 1984) 58. Setting for TV’s 6. “Shalom” (Adele, 2015) “Newhart” 7. “Woe is me!” 59. Day 33 in the Omer 8. Blend together 60. Israel’s Better Place was 9. Yam ___ (the Dead Sea) a failed one (sadly) 10. Saudi neighbor 62. Mistake an Amish person 11. Letter on a dreidel 12. Tel Aviv to Jerusalem dir. for a Hasid, e.g. 63. Basic need 13. “That’s right!” 64. Hog’s home 21. Walk-___ (surprise shul attendees) 22. Knot again LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 23. Tefillin S I L K E W R A Z A R I A location A L O E N O A C O R O N A 24. Like the G A L G A D O T H O T A I R Mutant Ninja A N A D U E T S M O N G O Turtles L A R R Y E L L I S O N A S P I R E P I E S 25. There are O L S E N S H O 60 of them on a C L U E CBS news show H A R V E Y W E I N S T E I N E Y E V A N E S O G L E 27. Goodman or R I C S U S U A L S Friedman J A R E D K U S H N E R 28. Vacation for E R A S E P A S S E L E S the pompous? S E L E N A B E N P L A T T O R A A N T I 29. Main school U N L A C E S T Y L E S T S P Y E A R team 55. Matthew, in Madrid 57. Comic legend Radner 60. Kippah, essentially 61. Places 65. Warning before a bite, perhaps 66. Matterhorn, e.g. 67. Reason for a raise, maybe 68. “Malach” (Shaggy, 2000) 69. Foe of 22-Across 70. “Slicha” (Justin Bieber, 2015)
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