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Kennesaw Chabad Finds Place
Photo by Michael Jacobs
A Generational Celebration
Followed closely by Rabbi David Silverman of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel and past Congregation Beth Jacob President Bob Maran, Rabbi Emeritus Emanuel Feldman leads the dancing in Beth Jacob’s Heritage Hall to celebrate the arrival of a new Torah before the dedication of the Orthodox congregation’s renovated sanctuary Sunday, July 9. Story, Page 4
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INSIDE Israel News �����������������������������������6 Opinion ���������������������������������������10 Calendar �������������������������������������� 13 Candle Lighting ������������������������� 13 Sports �������������������������������������������25 Obituaries ���������������������������������� 26 Marketplace ������������������������������ 28 Education ����������������������������������� 30 Crossword ����������������������������������� 31
The Kennesaw Chabad Jewish Center has found a piece of property adjacent to Kennesaw State University, giving it a chance to establish the first permanent home for a Jewish congregation in metro Atlanta west of Interstate 75. “To know that there is a permanent home for Jewish people right in the heart of Kennesaw is a huge milestone for the community and the university,” said Nechami Charytan, who directs the decadeold Chabad center with her husband, Rabbi Zalman Charytan. They have maxed out the space in their home for Friday night meals serving the growing Jewish student body at Georgia’s third-largest university, as well as the surrounding Jewish population. Since the Charytans arrived, KSU has nearly doubled in size to 35,000 students, including what was Southern Polytechnic University in Marietta. “We have approximately 300 organizations to support our students. Few accomplish as much as Chabad,” KSU President Sam Olens said. “The rabbi and his wife are very supportive of the students and the Jewish life.” The Charytans aren’t revealing the location until the deal closes. They expect it to cost $600,000, half of which an anonymous donor has pledged as long as they raise the other $300,000. Donations can be made by visiting www.ChabadKennesaw.org/Partner or calling 770-870-4447. “Having a property and a building will increase students’ sense of Jewish identity and give them a safe place to explore who they are,” said Erick Mulicandov, Chabad’s student president. “The Jewish people are all one big family, and this will bring us all together.” ■
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JULY 14 â–ª 2017
MA TOVU
Family Resolutions
Reason to Give
My mother always said that the Jewish way of giving is with an outstretched hand. You give because it’s a mitzvah, not for any other reason. Ideally, if the identities of the giver and recipient are unknown to each other, the deed becomes that much greater. So, in answer to your question, Debbie, give because it’s the right thing to do. Not to get something in return. — Zhenia Greszes
Be Transparent
Being on the giving end all the time is draining. When you opened your home to your nephew, you weren’t looking for a return on your investment. But once the opportunity arose for your brother and sister-inlaw to give back, it was natural to hope they would step up. Lisa and Bob’s flamboyant manner and failure to make a real effort to spend time with Shoshana seem surprising and disappointing. I would advocate sitting down with Lisa for a good, heart-to-heart conversation. Schedule your session so that neither of you feels pressured by other responsibilities, and diplomatically communicate your feelings. The conversation could proceed as follows. Debbie: Lisa, I want to talk about what happened in Israel. Lisa: Sure. I’m listening. Debbie: When you called the night before you were leaving Israel to get Shoshana’s number, it seemed like she wasn’t high on your priority list. I felt hurt and disappointed. Can you explain what happened, please? If Lisa reacts maturely, she will respond with sensitivity. Lisa: I’m so sorry it looked like that. Every day we were planning to reach out to her, and somehow things kept happening and getting in the way. You know how it is when everything takes longer than you plan. Not only that, but we kept getting lost. I almost don’t know how it happened that we waited until our last day. We literally
had about 10 minutes with her before rushing off to the airport. I felt terrible. Debbie: I sort of get it. You got busy and overwhelmed, and you were in a foreign country. But a part of me feels that if she had been important to you, you would have made sure to spend time with her earlier.
Shared Spirit Moderated By Rachel Stein rachels83@gmail.com
Lisa: I’m really sorry. (If you’re lucky, she will be sincere.) Debbie: Yeah, well, thanks. It’s OK. We all make mistakes, right? Um, since we’re talking, do you mind if I add just one more thing? Lisa: I’m all ears. Throw it at me. Debbie: When I think about all those summers we opened our home to Steve, and it was always our pleasure, I really hoped you would want to be there for Shoshana. When you weren’t, I found it painful. Lisa: You’re right. I goofed. You guys have been amazing for Steve, and we really appreciate it. Please forgive me. I hope to have another opportunity to show how much I care — about Shoshana and all of you. If Lisa reacts defensively, effective communication will be shut down, and your relationship could be irreparably damaged. Expect to feel more frustrated if her response is along those lines. My modus operandi is to first attempt honest and caring communication. Transparency, when applied in a sensitive manner, enhances relationships; locking a burning issue inside can irrevocably harm relationships. What do you have to lose? You could improve your relationship by sharing honest feelings. If baring your heart leads to discord, perhaps there wasn’t much of a relationship from the get-go, and you won’t have lost much. At least you will know that you tried. Warning: Honest communication is not for the cowardly. It takes courage to step up to a loved one or friend and make yourself vulnerable. But the dividends of increased harmony and deeper understanding will provide their own reward. — Carrie, a devoted wife, mother and friend
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
Recap: Debbie has opened her home to her nephew three consecutive summers for months at a time. When her daughter, Shoshana, goes to Israel for a year and her brother and sisterin-law travel there for vacation, is it unreasonable to expect them to give her daughter a little attention?
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LOCAL NEWS
Photos by Michael Jacobs
Speaking in front of Rabbi Emanuel Feldman, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau notes that more than 3,000 Jews were killed during Kristallnacht in 1938.
Rabbi Emanuel Feldman reminisces about the history of Beth Jacob.
Mike Cenker, the project manager for the renovations, ignites the ner tamid in the main sanctuary on behalf of Rabbi Emanuel Feldman.
The new Beth Jacob Torah, dedicated in memory of Edward Kesten by the Schloss and Reznick families, parades along Breezy Lane beneath a chuppah.
Musicians lead the way during the Torah parade from the Schloss home down Breezy Lane to Beth Jacob.
Rabbi Ilan Feldman explains the importance of the shul. For more photos, visit atlantajewishtimes.com.
The Atlanta Scholars Kollel’s Rabbi David Silverman is at the center of the Torah dancing before the sanctuary dedication.
Beth Jacob Celebrates Renewal With Renovation By Patrice Worthy
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
A synagogue is a house of prayer, a place to learn to Torah and a place of gathering, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau told Congregation Beth Jacob members and guests Sunday afternoon, July 9. The former Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel was the keynote speaker at the dedication of the Orthodox congregation’s main sanctuary after the first phase of extensive renovations aimed at enhancing comfort and spirit. The shul moved to Toco Hills in 1962 from a downtown location on Boulevard. The redesign took about 5½ years and involved input from the board, clergy and congregants. The result is amazing, Rabbi Lau said. “The renovation of such a sanctuary is very rare. I didn’t expect to see such a beautiful building,” he said during the dedication, the first time all but a handful of Beth Jacob members got to see the renovated sanctuary. Architect Sandy Cooper said the shul was built in the 1960s with an inverted design, giving a feeling of being enclosed. When he began the redesign, he wanted to update the atmosphere. 4 The wood paneling above the sanc-
tuary houses 12 stained-glass windows, each with a symbol representing one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The wood extends to a vaulted ceiling leading to a central stained-glass Magen David. Glass windows in the bottom half of the walls open up the sanctuary to the outside world. “It has a bigger feel. All of the windows were covered up. It was a beautiful design, but we replaced the windows to let people see inside and outside,” Cooper said. Rabbi Lau spoke to the packed room about the importance of continuing the practice of Judaism. He emphasized the role of the synagogue in Jewish life and referred to Kristallnacht, when Nazis burned 1,046 synagogues and killed about 3,880 Jews. The Nazis targeted synagogues because they understood that “Jewish existence, Jewish survival, is because of the shul. The shul is the heart of the Jewish people,” Rabbi Lau said. “If it is full of life, we are alive. If it is full of morality, we are here forever.” The renovated sanctuary is dedicated to Rabbi Emanuel Feldman and his wife, Estelle, who joined the congregation as the rabbi and rebbetzin in
1952. Rabbi Feldman, who, like Rabbi Lau, flew in from Israel for the celebration, said the honor was a kind gesture, but the true dedication belongs to G-d, “who since its humble beginnings on Boulevard has provided us with hidden miracles.” Rabbi Feldman credited Beth Jacob’s founders for taking a chance on a young, inexperienced man who had a vision for a shul that would revive the Orthodox community in Atlanta. “We’ve grown up together. When I came here, I was 24 years old. My beard was not yet black, much less white,” he said, laughing. Though they didn’t always know or agree with where Rabbi Feldman was going, the members stayed the course, eventually supporting his decision to install a full mechitzah despite criticism from the board. Almost 65 years later, a new, hightech mechitzah stands as a part of the renovation. Rabbi Feldman said it is one of the most creative mechitzahs he has seen. “It’s the only one where the women can see everything and the men can see nothing, which is a paradigm for real life,” the rabbi said. “There’s only one
other being who can see everything but can’t be seen. What’s that say about our women … that they are G-dly?” The women’s section cheered the suggestion. The mechitzah, which sits on the right side of the sanctuary when facing the bimah, still needs to have its lighting fine-tuned to complete the effect of one-way visibility. Rabbi Ilan Feldman, who succeeded his father as Beth Jacob’s senior rabbi 25 years ago and marked his 63rd birthday July 9 while the congregation celebrated its renovations and a new Torah donated in memory of Edward Kesten, said the sanctuary design is symbolic of the mission of the shul: “To bring the word of G-d to the entire world. We share it with others because we know if they don’t have it, we don’t have it.” Cooper took the vision and dreams of the congregation to create a beautiful space that is both a modern and ancient representation of the Jewish people, the younger Rabbi Feldman said. “It’s a perfect match for the spiritual characteristics of life,” the rabbi said. “It represents the spiritual energy and grace of the community.” ■
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ISRAEL NEWS
Photo by Snir Kazir
Israel Photo of the Week
A Fourth in Jerusalem
Some of the 47 U.S.-based participants among the 150 Jewish innovators at the 2017 ROI Summit in Jerusalem take time to show they’re thinking of America on the Fourth of July. The ROI Summit is the flagship program of ROI Community, an initiative of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation that focuses on reshaping the Jewish future. Besides the United States and Israel, the summit participants are from Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Uganda, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.
Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Respect for MDA. The family of British actor-comedian Sacha Baron Cohen (also known as Ali G) has donated two medicycles ($17,000 each) to emergency service Magen David Adom. Daniella Baron Cohen dedicated the vehicles to her late husband, Gerald (Sacha’s father). On the back of one of the vehicles is Ali G’s famous slogan, “Respect!”
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Dehydration check. Dehydration can be formally identified in a hospital only by using blood tests or urinalysis. But a noninvasive device from startup sZone can measure hydration levels at home or even while running. The device could be beneficial for athletes, the elderly, children and the chronically ill. Marathon record for amputee. Eitan Hermon set a world record of 2 hours, 56 minutes, 53 seconds in the marathon for single-leg amputee runners in Vienna. Hermon is supported by Tikvot, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that uses sports to rehabilitate victims of terror and wounded soldiers. U.S. carrier in Haifa. The USS George H.W. Bush, the largest U.S. aircraft carrier, made a port call in Haifa to enhance U.S.-Israel relations. It was the first visit of a U.S. aircraft carrier to an Israeli port since 2000. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu landed by helicopter on the ship and hailed it as a symbol of freedom. Texas-size welcome for water innovators. The first Israel-Texas Water Conference in Austin, Texas, was attended by 200 key players from the Texas water industry and government. It featured five innovative Israeli companies: Haifa-based Elbit Systems, Galilee-based Amiad Water Systems, Petah Tikva-based BioPetroClean, Master Meter (a subsidiary of Yokneam’s Arad Group) and Tel Aviv-based Netafim. All-vegan supermarket. Israel’s first 100 percent vegan supermarket, HaGal HaYarok, has opened in Tel Aviv’s Shuk HaCarmel. Besides well-known vegan brands, it stocks baked goods of all kinds, plus hard-to-find and exotic ingredients. It also sells its own HaGal HaYarok private-label products. Britney’s big night. Pop star Britney Spears gave her first concert in Israel, performing in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park on an 82-degree night. With 60,000 tickets sold, it was the largest concert ever for a female artist in Israel. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com and other sources.
ISRAEL NEWS
Two Syrian police officers (left) and two of their Israeli counterparts provide security at the site of the armistice signing July 20, 1949.
Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. July 14, 1555: Pope Paul IV issues the papal decree Cum Nimis Absurdum, which subjects Jews within his dominion in Rome and other parts of Italy to a myriad of restrictions and humiliations, most notably forcing them to live in ghettos. July 15, 1908: American Jewish leader Max Fisher is born in Pittsburgh to Russian Jewish immigrants. He dedicates much of his life to Israel, raising hundreds of millions of dollars through his career as a leader in nearly every major Jewish organization in North America. July 16, 1926: Stef Wertheimer is born in Kippenheim, Germany. He immigrates to Mandatory Palestine in 1937. A philanthropist and ardent peace activist, Wertheimer has dedicated more than $100 million of his own money to build industrial parks in the Galilee. July 17, 1888: Nobel Prize-winning author Shmuel Yosef Agnon is born in Buczacz, Galicia (later part of Ukraine). Agnon becomes the first Israeli to win a Nobel Prize in 1966 and remains the only Hebrew writer to receive the award in literature. July 18, 1290: After decades of exploitation and persecution of Jews, including heavy taxation and attempts at forced conversion, King Edward I of England issues an order for the expulsion of all Jews from his kingdom. July 19, 1940: Zionist leader Max Bodenheimer dies in Jerusalem. He was a close associate of Theodor Herzl’s, the first president of the Zionist Federation of Germany and a leader in the establishment of the Jewish National Fund. July 20, 1949: Israel’s War of Independence ends with the signing of an armistice with Syria, the last of four Arab states to sign such agreements with Israel.
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
Today in Israeli History
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ISRAEL NEWS
Haredim Are Defeated
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
On Friday, June 30, six days after Benjamin Netanyahu caved in to Haredim, The Jerusalem Post ran a six-column headline at the top of the first page: “A people divided: IsraelDiaspora rift widens.” The Post had been working harder than the English-language version of Haaretz to underline the basic problem in this clash, a real rift. When that edition of the paper and headline appeared, the Post editor did not know that the prime minister had already decided the Haredim would not rule over him. His Cabinet, including the Haredi members, met that Friday morning, and Netanyahu presented a document for approval: the conversion law unchanged and six more months to discuss the status of the Kotel. Approval came quickly, but the Haredim, after one negative comment, stormed out. You should have seen their faces on TV as they left the meeting to get into their chauffeured cars. On Saturday night, July 1, even though the decision had been announced, 2,000 people gathered outside Netanyahu’s residence to continue the protests. The organizers were the Masorti (Conservative) movement, the Reform movement and the Women of the Wall. They wanted to make sure the PM knew that he could not back down on the Kotel and conversion issues, as he had a week earlier. Rabbi Andrew Sacks, the director of the Israeli branch of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Conservative rabbis group, made clear what was involved. “We have spent almost 70 years building the state of Israel, and the next 70 years has to ensure that we endow it with Zionism as we understand it, and that includes democratic values, not the views of a single group.” Let me review the steps leading to Netanyahu’s action. The first was the cancellation by the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency of a dinner with the PM at the Knesset. The next day, Tuesday, June 27, the Board of Governors had arranged a meeting at the Knesset with lawmakers who wanted to see a change made. Twenty Knesset members attended, but something else occurred in that building. Jewish Agency governors know Knesset members personally. Almost 30 governors met with Knesset members in their offices. Lobbying was 8 heavy and another step in the process.
Next, AIPAC announced that leaders were flying in to meet with Netanyahu. I’m not sure how many came, but it was a high-level delegation. They put it on the line with him: You are destroying the Israeli-U.S. Jewry bond. The prime minister told them, “It was either the Kotel or my government.” They laughed because they knew he had exaggerated the situation
Guest Column By Rabbi David Geffen
and what might happen to him. The Haredim will not pull out of the government and force elections because a percentage of their own party members would not vote for them. No one wants elections now; Israel is rolling along too well. Then came the news that Federations were reconsidering the amount of money they would send to Israel. For Netanyahu, that was scary. Then President Donald Trump announced that he wanted “a resolution to a growing crisis over the status of prayer at the Western Wall.” Federations also were livid that Netanyahu had the Foreign Ministry send emissaries a directive to blame American Jews for the crisis. He denied that such an order was sent, but documents from Jerusalem were viewed in various embassies and consulates. There were other steps and other people involved, clearly more American Jews than Israelis, but in my mind the final blow fell when Sheldon Adelson and his wife arrived in Israel in their private plane. They came to testify in the ongoing investigation of Netanyahu and for the dedication of the medical school at Ariel University. He gave at least $1 billion toward its construction. Netanyahu was one of the speakers. Because the PM has benefited from millions of dollars from Adelson, I am sure he told Netanyahu that he better get his act together. Less than 48 hours later, the decisions the Cabinet made Sunday, June 25, were overturned. On the way to the Fourth of July, the spirit of Jewish patriotism was shown in the United States and Israel. Former Atlantan David Geffen, a Conservative rabbi, lives in Jerusalem. See more about the Wall on Page 10.
Wall a Religious Shrine Or National Monument? “It is the right of our Orthodox brethren to pour their hearts out in prayer at the Western Wall. But it is no less the right of other people to come and meditate in silence at the age-old wall.” These are the words of Meyer J. Perath in a letter to the editor of The Jerusalem Post that was published July 2, 1967. With many American Jews focused on the recent decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to renege on a deal regarding egalitarian prayer at the Kotel, it’s fitting to look at the issue with some broader context. Israel gained control over new territory 50 years ago in the stunning victory of the June 1967 war. That territory included the Old City of Jerusalem and the holy places there (the Western Wall among them). The capture of the Old City from Jordan and, with it, access to the Wall was a euphoric moment in Israel’s brief history — a moment preserved by the iconic photo of the three IDF paratroopers gazing at the Kotel. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis streamed into Jerusalem to visit the Wall. According to press accounts, between June 14 (which was Shavuot) and June 17, 1967, 350,000 people made a modern-day pilgrimage to the Kotel and Mount of Olives. The large crowds prompted public debate over issues of decorum, access and even appropriate dress. The Knesset deliberated over the issue of Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem and the status of the holy sites under Israeli control, passing the Protection of Holy Places Law on June 27, 1967. The law states, “The holy places shall be protected from desecration and any other violation and from anything likely to violate the freedom of the members of different religions to the places sacred to them or their feelings with regard to those places.” An incident in July 1967 further highlights that the controversy over rights at the Kotel is not a new phenomenon. Dr. Rom Moav, a leader in the League for the Prevention of Religious Coercion, arrived at the Wall with his wife and children on July 19. Moav refused to cover his head, and his wife and daughter tried to accompany him and his son to the Wall, bypassing the
separate section for women. A crowd of worshippers attempted to block their access. The family was taken into police custody and later released. In response to the Moav event, another letter to the editor of The Jerusalem Post on Aug. 20 said: “The
Guest Column By Rich Walter
Western Wall is our Wall. … How arrogant it is to say that the experience of being at the Wall must be enjoyed by men and women separately; when many of us with roots in the American Liberal Jewish tradition would argue precisely the opposite; that the separation of sexes at prayer is … actually a degrading and harmful custom.” When, in August 1967, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol remarked in an interview that he was opposed to the separation of men and women at the Kotel, the National Religious Party (one of the parties in Eshkol’s coalition) rebuked him. Only the Chief Rabbinate was authorized to make those decisions, according to the party. Shlomo Israel Ben-Meir, the deputy minister of the interior and a member of the NRP, asked the press, “Why is the premier ready to confer control of Christian and Muslim holy places on their respective religious authorities but not those of Judaism on the Chief Rabbinate?” As you can see, the controversy regarding control over prayer and decorum at the Kotel has existed almost from the moment that the Old City was captured from Jordan during the June 1967 war. At the heart of the issue are questions over the separation of religion and state in Israel (which dates to a 1947 agreement between David BenGurion and the Agudat Israel religious Zionist faction), the Israel-Diaspora relationship, and the inner workings of the political system in Israel. To truly understand the complexities of Netanyahu’s recent decision, one must explore all three. ■ Rich Walter is the associate director for Israel education at the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org).
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ISRAEL NEWS
Bonds Show Value in Infrastructure Projects The Development Corporation of Israel/Israel Bonds, a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority member broker-dealer that underwrites securities issued by the state of Israel in the United States, ranks among Israel’s most valued economic and strategic resources, with a record of proven success spanning over 66 years. Praised for its dependability, the bonds organization has helped build every sector of Israel’s economy. Why do we invest in Israel Bonds? Israel Bonds embodies the security of the Jewish people. I want to bond with Israel and play a part in the Diaspora of helping Jews worldwide in any way I can. We are fortunate to have the state of Israel during our lifetime, knowing that we always can turn to Israel in times of trouble or joy. My husband, Steve, and I are both proud to advocate investment in Israel Bonds because the program is global in scope. Proceeds from Israel Bonds
have played a decisive role in Israel’s rapid evolution as a groundbreaking global leader in high tech, green tech and biotech. Our way of helping the state of Israel is by investing in Israel Bonds. Investments can be made at many
Guest Column By Arlene Marcus
levels. Israel has never defaulted on any bond investment. The bonds are issued by the state of Israel. By investing in a bond, you become a partner with the state of Israel. My husband and I were fortunate to be part of a leadership delegation to Israel to see our investments at work. We saw the roads, bridges, schools and housing as part of our investment for our children, grandchildren and generations thereafter. Israel’s neighbors on all sides of
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JULY 14 ▪ 2017
More than 200 Americans and Canadians landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, July 4, on a Nefesh B’Nefesh charter aliyah flight. The olim (immigrants) traveled with the support of the Israeli Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA. The new Israelis came from 16 states and three Canadian provinces, although no one from Georgia was on the flight. The olim include 14 soon-to-be Israel Defense Forces soldiers, five sets of twins, 34 families, 78 children, 51 singles and 47 people moving to the periphery in the north or south. A festive welcoming ceremony at the airport included Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart. “These modern-day pioneers … are not only fulfilling their personal dreams, but the dreams of the Jewish nation as a whole,” Rabbi Fass said. More than 2,000 immigrants from North America are scheduled to arrive in Israel this summer. ■
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OPINION
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
Our View
Diaspora Ties
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
From the Kotel to conversions, conflict too often seems to be the standard state between Israel and the Diaspora recently, and that’s without delving into rifts over the Palestinians. So the joy of Congregation Beth Jacob’s sanctuary unveiling Sunday, July 9, was lifted even higher by the unrestrained celebration of Israel-Diaspora connections and coexistence. The ceremony dedicating the renovated sanctuary featured two Israeli rabbis: Emanuel Feldman, the spiritual leader of Beth Jacob for 40 years until making aliyah a quarter-century ago, and Israel Meir Lau, the former Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel. They brought warmth, wisdom and, above all, love from the Jewish homeland to one of the outstanding outposts of Orthodoxy in America — one that wouldn’t exist without the work Rabbi Feldman began 65 years ago when he arrived in Atlanta at age 24 or without the strong ties Beth Jacob has maintained to Israel over the decades. Both Rabbi Feldman and Rabbi Lau are treasures, and the turnout reflected the recognition that getting to see and hear them together was a special treat for Jewish Atlanta, regardless of the occasion. But we are also grateful to Rabbi Feldman’s son and successor, Rabbi Ilan Feldman, for emphasizing the importance of the Diaspora in his remarks. Rabbi Feldman told of a conversation with a couple during the capital campaign for Beth Jacob’s upgrades. The couple questioned the wisdom of pouring money into a building in Atlanta when our hope, prayer and expectation is that the Messiah will lead us all back to Israel. If we’re sincere in our beliefs, isn’t shul beautification a waste of resources? Rabbi Feldman explained that we Jews weren’t scattered to every corner of the world just as a punishment or as a way to bide our time while awaiting the Messiah. Instead, we’re on a mission to make the world a better, holier, more just place. It’s a mission we tried to carry out by setting an isolated example, but that approach didn’t work. So we’ve spent the past 2,000 years bringing our example and the Torah’s lessons to people where they live. Thus, we in the Diaspora play a vital role in conjunction with our fellow Jews in Israel in uplifting the world to prepare for the messianic age. It’s a spiritual message that has echoes throughout the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. In a world in which anti-Semitism has found an acceptable outlet as hatred of Israel, the Jewish state needs Jews around the world to challenge unfair, disproportionate criticism. If America had no Jews to educate them, would friends such as Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, be as vocal in their defense of Israel? At the same time, where would we be in the struggle for Jewish continuity in most of the Diaspora without Israel as a place for our children to develop a sense of peoplehood and without the assistance of Israel’s emissaries and funding. The bottom line: Israel needs the Diaspora as surely as the Diaspora needs Israel. Either might be able to survive without the other, but both are stron10 ger and more successful together. ■
Cartoon by Paul Zanetti, Australia
The Occupiers of the Wall For once, we should be thankful for UNESCO. resolutions, some U.S. Jews might agree with the characterization of the Kotel as occupied by the Just as global Jewry was tearing itself apart over Israeli government in denial of the site’s history. the Western Wall, the U.N. Educational, Scientific National sovereignty is the primary argument and Cultural Organization did what it does best: Let I’ve heard from Israelis in defense of Prime Minanti-Israel, if not anti-Semitic, sentiments drive it to ister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to delay the deny history. institution of a permanent By pretending that egalitarian section and Jerusalem and Hebron pluralistic Wall oversight. are endangered PalestinEditor’s Notebook The Wall is Israel’s, the ian cultural sites without By Michael Jacobs argument goes, so Israelis historical ties to the Jewish mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com get to decide how to manpeople, UNESCO enabled age it. If non-Orthodox us to unite in righteous Jews want to change the indignation and pretend status quo, they should make aliyah, but they’re not we’re not at our own throats over our shared legacy. true lovers of Israel if their financial and political The two latest resolutions from UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee are so routinely offensive support comes with strings meant to treat the prime minister as a puppet of Diaspora pluralism. as to be almost unworthy of response. That attitude ignores the fact that the Wall is The second resolution, enacted Friday, July 7, the heritage of all the Jewish people. It ignores that at least marks a new target. It declares the city of mixed-sex prayer has a long tradition at the Wall, Hebron and the Tomb of the Patriarchs — the Cave albeit under foreign rule. It ignores that diversity in of Machpelah purchased by Abraham in Genesis 23 Jewish practice existed even when the Second Temple — to be endangered Palestinian world heritage sites. towered above the Wall and that infighting cleared Even Palestinian Muslims who want to deny the way for the Romans to destroy Jerusalem and the the overwhelming evidence of a destroyed Jewish Temple 1,947 years ago — a three-week period of devTemple in Jerusalem, such as that Western Wall astation we began commemorating Tuesday, July 11. we’re bickering over, revere the Tomb of the PatriBut the Wall dispute itself bothers me far less archs as the burial place of Abraham and his family. than its foundation: a dismissal of non-Orthodox Jews Apparently, UNESCO recognizes Abraham as the by many Orthodox Israelis. Our opinions don’t matter ancestor of the Arabs but not of the Jews. not only because we live 6,400 miles from Jerusalem, Three days earlier, the World Heritage Commitbut also because we’re inauthentic in our Judaism. tee again criticized Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem We who participate in progressive streams of and endangerment of its holy sites through such heiJudaism may be misguided in our attempts to adapt nous practices as conducting scientific excavations to modern times (an effort also undertaken by the and protecting the rights of people of all religions to Orthodox). But it is a mistake, one that endangers worship as they see fit. the unity of the Jewish people, to equate level of traWell, all religions except Judaism. Jews aren’t ditional observance with level of religious belief. allowed to pray atop the Temple Mount. And, of We can disagree and debate without disrespect course, there’s that dispute about the Western Wall. and without deceiving ourselves that we somehow Sadly, if we weren’t so busy being outraged by can see into the hearts and minds of others. ■ UNESCO’s pro-Arab, anti-Jewish, counterfactual
OPINION
Decision-Making Is One Of First Casualties of War Jordanian and Syrian forces. The surprising pace of battlefield successes made political debate something of an afterthought. “Perhaps the single most important decision in millennia — that the Jews should rule in Jerusalem — was probably made early on June 7 by Moshe Dayan (the former Israel De-
From Where I Sit By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com
fense Forces chief of staff, named defense minister as the war began), not by Israel’s government. Because the IDF was already advancing deep into the West Bank, the government simply OK’d an advance that had already happened in the heat of battle. The most portentous decision in Israel’s history, to control the entire Land of Israel and its Arab population, was made almost in a fit of absent-mindedness,” Lozowick wrote. On June 15, the Cabinet began discussing a previously unimaginable future, starting with the fate of Arabs living in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City since 1948. “By meeting’s end, it was decided to reunite Jerusalem and to prepare a plan for the removal of the Arabs in the Jewish Quarter to alternative homes in Jerusalem or its vicinity. Even before beginning the discussion about the territories, the future of Jerusalem had been decided,” Lozowick wrote. “Just as Israel’s Cabinet ministers never foresaw their crushing military victory, so they never foresaw the decades we’ve been living in since. As they convened for their first postwar discussion, it never crossed their minds they were forging a conundrum that would remain unsolved for generations,” the archivist wrote. Now that the 50th anniversary of the war has passed, Israel looks to its 70th birthday next year. The issues on Israel’s front burner in 1967 remain on the front burner today and have become no less vexing. No crystal ball can predict whether, 50 years in the future, this conundrum will have been solved. What will remain constant is the struggle by decision-makers to avoid being overtaken by events. ■
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
“Overtaken by Events” was the title a professor in graduate school gave a memoir of his years as a U.S. diplomat. That phrase aptly describes the difficulty of staying well-informed these days, and I say this as someone who spent many years relatively close to the center of a large news-gathering operation. Technological advances have increased the volume of news generated worldwide and the speed at which it’s transmitted. Unfortunately, technology cannot produce more time to evaluate that enhanced flow. Evidence that keeping up with and assessing critical information were no less a challenge 50 years ago can be found in the deliberations of Israel’s government before, during and after the June 1967 Six-Day War. The online magazine Tablet has published reviews by Israel’s state archivist of hundreds of pages of transcripts from within the inner circle of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol’s government from January to July 1967. “The very point of their committee (the Security Cabinet) was to manage Israel’s military challenges. Yet none of the ministers saw the approaching war until it was almost upon them; not a single one of them foresaw its outcome,” Yaakov Lozowick wrote. By the night of Saturday, May 27, “key world leaders were all demanding Israel not attack; the ministers all knew war was inevitable but couldn’t agree on a course of action. If we attack first, what will the international cost be? If we’re hit first, how many lives will we pay with? (Many thousands, they expected.) If we wait, what do we gain? At what cost? If we don’t wait — at what cost?” On Sunday, June 4, “one after another, each of the ministers had his say. All agreed war was inevitable. Most tried to justify the waiting period, hoping Israel had gained credibility in the eyes of the world. Haim Gvati gently mocked his hesitant colleagues: ‘I’m surprised by those who think the great powers will ever, ever say to us that the time has come and we can attack our enemies. They never will.’ ” Israel launched a pre-emptive strike the next day, decimating Egypt’s air force, then responded to attacks by
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com
OPINION
Letters To The Editor
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
North Springs Maligned
Your article “Slurs, Swastikas Target Jewish Students” (June 23) presented a myopic view of North Springs High School. As actively involved parents of students at the school, we write to share our experiences. We are proud that North Springs represents Fulton County’s diversity; that is one reason our families chose to send our children to the school. Jewish students and parents thrive at North Springs High School and are active in all aspects of school life. We are proud that the school is supportive of the activities of the Jewish Culture Club, the largest club at the school. In fact, your publication wrote an article about our Jewish Culture Club, highlighting how safe students felt on the campus, bolstered by the empowerment of the club. While there are isolated incidents of anti-Semitism or racism, our school is known throughout the community as a place where cultural diversity is embraced. Sadly, this article inaccurately portrays our principal as complacent in the face of these events. To the contrary, he has addressed these issues with thoughtfulness and seriousness. This year our principal established the Principal’s Student Council on Diversity and brought students to the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate Summit on Martin Luther King Day to learn techniques to share with their peers. Our principal has established a strong partnership with the ADL, which held a series of assemblies for all North Springs students and is planning a teacher training. Moreover, a group of parents established a speaker series for the community on issues of race and other forms of discrimination. Had you given the principal a chance to comment for this article, he might have shared these facts, but he was never interviewed. We believe that our community must be diligent in its response to anti-Semitism, racism and bullying in our schools. We are proud that North Springs is a place where diversity is celebrated in a climate where students can learn and thrive. — Mindy K. Binderman and Marcy Louza, Sandy Springs
Don’t Give Up on Peace
In response to “Our View: Forget
12 Peace” (June 23), the article deals with
the Israeli-Palestinian debacle. It signifies an appeal to the baser instincts of people, hateful, pessimistic, mired in the mud of 50 years, like listening to a broken record. How little the AJT thinks of humanity, compassion, empathy, compromise, cooperation and the tremendous capacity of people for creativity. Send me over there to mediate with the parties. I believe that Israel should be an eternal homeland for Jews the world over, secure in the fact that America has their back and the average person dreams of peace, family, work and religion (or not). The Arabs want a peace based on justice. They want out of the yoke of occupation, which they perceive to be demeaning. If both sides listen to each other and empathize and work really hard to dispel the myths and prejudices of each other, there could be an amelioration of the hate and eventual cooperation, which could lead to trust and confidence in each other. And if Israel could show some genuine concern for the Arab people, it would work wonders and would be the best security Israel could have. — Irwin Levine, Dunwoody
Votes, Not Rallies, Matter
The article by Eli Sperling on the rally in Brooklyn is deceiving (“Brooklyn Protest Reflects Israel-Haredi Tensions,” June 30). You would think from the way it is written that such a rally, a protest about Haredim being drafted, would influence Israeli policy. Because only an infinitesimal number of the participants will make aliyah, their rally is meaningless and only a big PR act. In 1988 the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory, paid for thousands of his followers in the United States who had Israeli citizenship to fly to Israel for the elections. He also suggested to the Lubavitchers in Israel to print a card with his picture and a blessing. A million were printed and distributed throughout Israel. The Haredim won two extra seats in that election. Votes talk. — Rabbi David Geffen, Jerusalem
A Disappointing Opening
I was both overjoyed Thursday, July 6, and extremely disappointed in the same event. For the first time, my daughter is competing in the Maccabiah Games in Israel, for which the opening ceremonies were held July 6. I watched as delegation after delegation entered Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem for the 20th games. I know that this is not a big deal to most of the world, but it is the third-largest
sporting event in the world, behind the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. As I watched each country enter the stadium, I noticed that the larger delegations, such as Great Britain, Germany, France, Canada and Mexico, just to name a few, included a message from the head of state or government, whether the prime minister or president, depending on the country. But when the United States, with the second-largest delegation (behind Israel) entered, it was greeted by a message from Mark Spitz. While I appreciate that Spitz is a highly decorated Jewish American athlete who has competed both in the Maccabiah Games and the Olympics, I would think a message from President Donald Trump would have been more appropriate. Our country has sent over a thousand athletes to compete at these games, and the president could not take five minutes to record a message to his delegation, which after all is representing the United States. This is the same president who has a son-in-law who is considered an observant Jew. I think it is shameful and shows a lot to the world community. While I know he is the president and a very busy man, I find it a little ironic that he can meet with professional sports teams that have won their respective championships, whether football or any other sport, but cannot take the time to wish the best to athletes who are wearing the U.S. flag and “USA” on their uniforms and clothing. These athletes are not representing a city or a state; they are representing our country. I am very proud to support these games and would hope that the country supports these competitors as well. — Jonathon Goodman, Fairfield Glade, Tenn.
Climate Just 1 Trump Error
I am responding to Chuck Berk’s letter (“Bad Deal on Climate Change,” June 30) regarding my column (“Paris Decision Is Making America Irrelevant Again,” June 16). I appreciate Chuck’s nod to our friendship, which I reciprocate. While I will get to Chuck’s comments about the Paris climate accord in a moment, the main thrust of my article had to do with President Donald Trump making America irrelevant in world politics and being at odds with the values of our country. The climate accord is but one example. Trump has a seemingly inherent hostility to American principles, including a free press and appropriate treatment of our own intelligence agencies. The recent European trip
continued to show that hostility. He derided the free press of America in front of a Polish president who has been vastly restricting the press in his own country. Trump was agreeing with him on fake news. Why is the American president not defending a free press instead of constantly attacking it? His approach restricts our ability to criticize other nations in their treatment of the right of a free press. He has also derided our intelligence agencies. In noting that 17 agencies had concluded that Russia interfered in our electoral process, he said he had done “much research” and found that there were only three or four agencies. But he has done no research, just like his claim that he sent investigators to Hawaii and found some amazing things about President Barack Obama’s birth certificate. Why does he continue to lie? If we Jews have learned nothing else, it is that leaders hostile to us will lie about us and many other things. One example is the Dreyfus affair. Spreading lies created one of most egregious anti-Semitic episodes. On the Paris climate accord, the statistics in Chuck’s letter come from a model by NERA Economic Consulting, which tends to result in higher costs than other economic models. The study assumes certain hypothetical regulations, but one could easily model other actions with much lower costs. It also ignores the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, like avoiding the negative effects of climate change. Moreover, the statistics used span 20 years. The type of climate change technologies that will develop over that time will create many jobs. As Jews, we are charged with being stewards of the earth and its resources. The obligation to champion the poor and vulnerable worldwide, to be seekers of justice, is fundamental to our Judaism. Low-lying areas and small-island developing states already see their very existence threatened by sea level rise. We will all soon feel the impacts of climate refugees and displacement. The Jewish community understands the need for a quick transition to a clean energy economy. The United States must be a world leader because we live in a global community. It’s time for our president to act like we do. — Harold Kirtz, Sandy Springs
Write to Us
The AJT welcomes letters and guest columns. Send your submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com. Include your name, the town you live in, and a phone number for verification.
CALENDAR CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES
Pinchas Friday, July 14, light candles at 8:32 p.m. Saturday, July 15, Shabbat ends at 9:32 p.m. Matot-Massei Friday, July 21, light candles at 8:28 p.m. Saturday, July 22, Shabbat ends at 9:27 p.m.
SUNDAY, JULY 16
Lox ’N Learning. Discuss Torah over bagels at 9:30 a.m. at Anshi, 1324 N. Highland Ave., Virginia-Highland. Free; anshisfard.org or 404-969-6763. Generational exhibit. “Curating Your Family Story: Next Dor” closes at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Museum admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students and educators, and $4 for children 3 to 6; thebreman.org or 678-222-3700. Game day. Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Mount Scopus Group plays mah-jongg, bridge, Scrabble, Rummy Q and other games and sells donated jewelry and other accessories from 1 to 4 p.m. at Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Morningside. Admission, including sangria, is $7; RSVPs appreciated to mperling@aol.com.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19
Book event. Author Dan Silva talks about his latest Gabriel Allon spy thriller, “House of Spies,” at 7:30 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets, including a signed copy of the book, are $30 for JCC members and $36 for others; www.atlantajcc. org/bookfestival or 678-812-4002.
THURSDAY, JULY 20
Songwriter showcase. With support
from the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, plays host to “Songs & Stories: A Night With Local Jewish Songwriters” at 7 p.m. Donation of $5 to $10 suggested; hzalet@ gmail.com.
SUNDAY, JULY 23
Comedy show. Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, serves a deli dinner with live comedy by Jerry Farber and videos of other Jewish comedians at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 (RSVP by July 19); www.bethshalomatlanta.org or 770-399-5300.
MONDAY, JULY 24
Kitchen shower. Chabad of Peachtree City, 632 Dogwood Trail, Tyrone, holds a night out for girls and women at 7 p.m. to help stock its kitchen. Free (choose an item for the kitchen at www.myregistry.com/public/chabadofpeachtreecity); www.chabadsouthside.com.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26
Kabbalah and conflicting allegiances. Kabbalah & Cocktails at The Kehilla in Sandy Springs, 5075 Roswell Road, addresses “Israel and the American Jew: Dual Loyalty, Single Vision” at 7 p.m. Admission, including dinner and an open bar, is $15 for members, $18 for nonmembers; www.thekehilla.org/ kabbalah-and-cocktails.
Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com. Find more events at atlantajewishtimes.com/events-calendar.
25 Years Ago July 10, 1992 ■ Longtime readers of the Atlanta Jewish Times or The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suffer from withdrawal during the rare periods when 83-year-old Atlantan Max Robkin doesn’t find something to write a letter to the editor about. Robkin, whose missives also have appeared in such publications as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, figures he has written 500 letters the past 20 years. ■ Melissa Fay Greene and Donald F. Samuel of Atlanta announce the birth of a daughter, Lily Gabrielle Samuel, on June 1. 50 Years Ago July 14, 1967 ■ Marvin C. Goldstein, the general chairman of the 1967 Jewish Welfare Fund campaign, announced this week that contributions to the annual drive had set a record with pledges totaling $1,003,193, topping the old mark of $1,002,581, set in 1948. Including the money contributed to the Israel Emergency Fund, Atlanta has raised $2.564,513 from a community of approximately 5,000 families. ■ Brenda Marilyn Sugarman of Atlanta, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Marvin M. Sugarman, married David Goldberg of Shaker Heights, Ohio, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Goldberg, on July 9.
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
Remember When
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LOCAL NEWS
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
Jewish Atlanta’s 40 Under 40
Meet 20 women and 20 men helping make our community better Jewish Atlanta has no shortage of young, successful and engaged people, so when it came time to choose this year’s 40 Under 40 — our first such list since 2014 — we had a difficult time limiting ourselves to that number out of upward of 80 nominees. Under different circumstances, we would have been proud to include the 40 who just missed the cut in place of the actual 40 on this list. That’s how strong the nominees were. We looked for members of the community who had demonstrated professional success, leadership, volunteer work and Jewish involvement. Ultimately, we went for an overall feeling that they make Jewish Atlanta a better place. The resulting list is made up of 20 women and 20 men. Six are in their 20s, while 34 are in their 30s. About half of them work in some capacity in the Jewish community, and all are active in at least one Jewish organization. Five are repeat members of the 40 Under 40 from 2014, but we left off some obvious choices to repeat, such as the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival’s Russell Gottschalk, American Jewish Committee’s Dov Wilker and Jewish Educational Loan Fund’s Jenna Shulman, to highlight others they nominated. Our 2017 40 Under 40 includes a rapper, a U.S. Marine, an international trade commissioner, a tequila baron, a camp director, an audiologist and two people working to bring equality to Atlanta’s farm-to-table movement. Our list does not include any congregational rabbis or rebbetzins, but not because Atlanta lacks worthy under-40 people in those roles. As we did in 2014, we decided their total commitment to and all-consuming involve-
ment in the community put them on a different playing field from their peers, but we intend to highlight them in the near future. As an under-40 member of Jewish Atlanta myself, I feel this list highlights the bright future we have ahead and some of the young leaders who will light the way. — David R. Cohen Capsule profiles compiled by David R. Cohen, Sarah Moosazadeh, Rachel Fayne and Patrice Worthy. Amanda Abrams, 37 Chief programming and innovation officer, Marcus JCC Amanda Abrams oversees all the Marcus Jewish Community Center’s programming, including fitness, membership, arts and culture, outreach, and engagement. Formerly part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s leadership team, she has worked in the Jewish community since 2003 and finds it fulfilling. “It’s a labor of love,” Abrams said. “What I do in the Jewish community doesn’t feel like work.” Her secret is hiring a great team and viewing Jewish Atlanta as a microcosm of society. “I try to look at it through a lens of marketing trends going on in the world. I ask myself, ‘What are the baby boomers and millennials becoming parents interested in, and what motivates people who work in the Jewish community?’ ” Abrams, who lives in Brookhaven, hopes to have an executive position
within the Jewish community in the next 20 years, but “the world changes so fast.” She said it’s an excellent time to be under 40 in Jewish Atlanta because longtime stakeholders, funders and volunteers value the presence of young Jews. “We are at the table as their equals. Our voices and perspectives are valued.” Robby Astrove, 38 Natural resource manager, DeKalb County Known as the Johnny Appleseed of Atlanta, Robby Astrove uses his passion for nature to make a difference in the Atlanta community. Managing 2,500 acres of wetlands and leading hikes and restoration efforts at Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve constitute a dream come true for Astrove. “It’s spiritual, mental and physical.” In addition to his work for DeKalb County, he runs Fruit Forward, an urban agriculture nonprofit through which he has planted about 60 orchards throughout Atlanta to bring sustenance to urban food deserts. “My thought is that fruit trees are a better investment and require the least amount of effort to maintain.” His vision is an Atlanta where homeless and low-income people can pick fresh fruit for nutrition. He’s addicted to his work, and he sees himself continuing to do much of the same thing from his East Atlanta neighborhood with his wife, Danielle Arellano. It’s an exciting time to be under 40 because the social and civil rights movements
in Atlanta are being led by the younger demographic, Astrove said. “There is a wisdom that comes with age, but I also look up to people that are younger than me. These are the current and future movers and shakers in the city.” Sivan Mazal Ben-Moshe, 35 Assistant professor of medicine, internal medicine and geriatrics department, Emory University School of Medicine Living in Decatur, Sivan Mazal BenMoshe practices geriatric medicine in an outpatient clinic at Emory and provides palliative care services. During a fellowship at Mount Sinai in New York, she was invited to HaEmek Medical Center in Afula to help establish Israel’s first pilot program in palliative medicine for an underserved population under the national organization Clalit. The project remains close to her heart. Every year during Yom Kippur we say a phrase that roughly translates to “Do not cast me off in old age,” Ben-Moshe said. “It is a reminder of our need to respect and take care of our older adult population.” A member of Congregation Shearith Israel, she hopes to continue her work in palliative care while serving the community. Originally from Dunwoody, she attended middle school and high school in Israel. She then served as an Israel Defense Forces instructor in the Sar-El volunteer program. Now she is raising two children with husband
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
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LOCAL NEWS
Greg Bluestein, 35 Political reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution A former Associated Press reporter, Greg Bluestein covers federal, state and local politics for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution with the objective of a more enlightened and knowledgeable community. The University of Georgia graduate traveled widely to cover the 2016 presidential election and most recently spent four months focused on the 6th Congressional District election. “I’ve always had a passion for news and the process,” he said. “I wanted to help people be informed about the meaning behind what is being said.” Originally from Sandy Springs, Bluestein grew up at Congregation B’nai Torah and Camp Barney Medintz. He is raising two daughters, ages 6 and 3, with his wife, Sheryl, in Dunwoody. They are members of B’nai Torah and “are very proud to be part of the Jewish community.” He said it’s an optimistic time to be a young Jew in Atlanta, and he couldn’t think of a better place to raise his daughters. “We’re in walking distance of the JCC and synagogue. There are so many amenities for young adults and those with children.” In 20 years he sees himself continuing his work in metro Atlanta by “holding political leaders accountable and making Georgians aware of where money is being spent.” Nathan Brodsky, 26 PJ Library and engagement associate, Jewish Federation Nathan Brodsky is passionate about Jewish community building, making him a good fit for the engagement department of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. His role includes leading PJ Library, which gives books to Jewish children each month. It’s a
nonintimidating way to get people involved, Brodsky said. “What I like about it is it teaches people about the religion and Jewish values. You learn about more than just Passover and Chanukah. You learn about Shavuot and Lag B’Omer.” Giving kids books to be a part of the community inspires him to extend his work in Jewish Atlanta, where he hopes to continue to make a difference the next 20 years. Originally from Sarasota, Fla., Brodsky lives in the Lindridge/Martin Manor neighborhood and has been in Atlanta for two years. He serves on the boards of Moishe House in Virginia-Highland and of Limmud Atlanta + Southeast. He said it’s a great time to be under 40 in Jewish Atlanta because some 30 organizations cater to young adults and young families. “There’s Jewish innovation occurring and change occurring, and when there’s change, people are excited.” Maddie Cook, 27 International trade commissioner, Consulate General of Canada As an arm of the Canadian Consulate to the Southeast, Maddie Cook connects Canadian businesses with businesses across six states. She also connects people in the Southeast with Jewish Canada, which is fulfilling for Cook. She recently connected with Birthright Israel co-founder Charles Bronfman to share the importance of philanthropy with those in Jewish Atlanta. “Philanthropy is a pillar of the Jewish community and also makes it a warm, welcoming community for other religions.” The Midtown resident has been a member of the American Jewish Committee ACCESS steering committee for three years, helping engage the Jewish community in cross-cultural and cross-religious events. What she sees in Jewish Atlanta is an optimism when connecting with young people from other cultures. “There’s an openness and willingness to cooperate.” Over the next 20 years she plans to expand her involvement in the Jewish community with more of a focus on world affairs. She is a member of the World Affairs Council Young Leaders Program and is moving toward working in international affairs with the Canadian government.
Continued on the next page
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JULY 14 ▪ 2017
Zachary Bercu. Ben-Moshe said she is impressed by the dynamic expansion and culture of the Atlanta Jewish community. “From PJ Library events to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, there is no shortage of Jewish culture and life in Atlanta.”
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LOCAL NEWS Reuben “Prodezra Beats” Formey, 35 Rapper Reuben Formey serves as the gabbai, the person who calls on congregants for aliyot, during services at Chevra Ahavas Yisrael (Chabad of Toco Hills), but he is best known for the music he performs under the name Prodezra Beats. He moved to Toco Hills from Alpharetta and became one of the founding members of his shul. When a woman approached him about her daughter, who was becoming more observant but still wanted to listen to hip-hop, he began to understand his role in the Jewish community. “She said my music was a really great transition with something positive to say,” Formey said. “I think people like because it’s not corny and it has the same style as regular hip-hop.” In 20 years he hopes the Messiah will have arrived, but at least he hopes to have greater success musically. “I want to be able to touch people’s lives and possibly be playing with my grandchildren.” For now, he’s happy to be considered a young, vibrant part of the community. “There’s a lot of things we can do to inspire each other. It’s a positive sign that people are inspired. Being under 40 is great, and we should take advantage of every moment.”
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
Elana Frank, 37 Executive director and founder, Jewish Fertility Foundation After dealing with the stress of infertility, Elana Frank is helping other
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com couples through the process of bringing Jewish children into the world. Her nonprofit organization, founded in late 2015, serves the community by offering support groups, peer-to-peer mentoring and financial help for in-vitro fertilization. Frank went through two rounds of IVF in Israel before becoming pregnant. Now she and husband Jason, who live in Toco Hills, are the parents of Levi, 5, and Avidan, 4. IVF is only $200 in Israel, but couples in the United States experience infertility differently, Frank said, including a financial strain. “It’s a burden in the U.S. When you go through this, you feel isolated.” She left her communications position with the Weber School to become the first employee of the nonprofit, and, as the executive director, Frank is using Atlanta as a pilot city before national expansion. In 20 years she hopes her work includes helping families find alternative ways of growing their tribes. “I hope to see more colorful families and figure out how we make children who don’t look like us feel welcome.” Atlanta is changing, and the old guard is finally ready to support the doers and movers under 40, Frank said. “They’re open and not intimidated to meeting the needs of those who don’t necessarily work for big organizations.”
New Israel Fund, J Street and American Jewish World Service, spent the largest chunk of her time this year working on Jon Ossoff’s congressional campaign as the political affairs manager. She maximized outreach efforts with Democratic stakeholders and with religious minorities, including Jews, Muslims and Hindus. Her experience within the Atlanta Jewish community translated well into a role in which she leveraged the power of her relationships. “The Jewish community is very powerful because we have the bandwidth to volunteer, hold signs, stand on corners and get people elected.” Fuhr said she enjoys pushing boundaries by giving all Jews a platform, even those with whom she disagrees. “I love to be welcoming to all opinions and viewpoints and allowing the conversation to happen.” Younger Jews in Atlanta are spearheading many social movements, she said, and people are realizing they can make an impact. “Young people are doing really great things in the community.” In 20 years the Old Fourth Ward resident hopes to be on the right side of history, working to bridge the gap between social justice movements and Jewish Atlanta. “I hope to be able to have impacted the Atlanta community and the world in a dynamic way.”
Leah Fuhr, 34 Activist Leah Fuhr, who in recent years helped Ahavath Achim Synagogue build its programming for young adults while serving on the local boards of the
Mark Goldfeder, 31 Senior lecturer, Emory University School of Law; Spruill Family senior fellow, Center for the Study of Law and Religion; director, Restoring Religious Freedom: Education, Outreach and Good
Citizenship When Mark Goldfeder isn’t teaching war and religion at the Emory University School of Law, he is traveling internationally to handle religious freedom cases that affect anyone from Muslims in prison to Jews in Georgia. His Restoring Religious Freedom project received a $1 million gift to pay for training in religious freedom for law students. Within the Jewish community, he has been an adviser to the United Nations on Israel, and he runs an Israel fellowship program for freshmen at Emory. Originally from Flatbush in Brooklyn, N.Y., Goldfeder lives in Toco Hills and strives to be actively engaged in the Jewish community. “The Jewish community is as strong as its participation,” he said. “We come from a long tradition of those who gave back, and I want to continue to contribute.” In 20 years he hopes to continue fighting for the state of Israel and the Jewish community. The professor sees a lot of potential for Jews under 40 in Atlanta compared with larger cities. “Atlanta is a community on the rise. There’s an influx of young families, and there’s a great opportunity for young people to make a difference.” Nathaniel Goldman, 29 CPA, PricewaterhouseCoopers A certified public accountant, Nathaniel Goldman received his B.S. in accounting at Oglethorpe University, where he served as the student body president from 2009 to 2011. Since graduating, Goldman has been active in leadership roles across Jewish At-
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Becky Herring, 30 Associate director, InterfaithFamily/Atlanta Becky Herring is the new associate director of InterfaithFamily/Atlanta and is using her position to engage people from various religions in the area. Herring serves as a board member for the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival and has been influential in the festival’s growth in the area of educational outreach. She also has participated in programming for Birthright Israel NEXT and volunteered with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. While Herring is deeply involved in Jewish Atlanta, she hopes collaborations among community organizations will increase. “I’d love to see an arts and culture festival that combines all we have to offer artistically in one place, like a South by Southwest. Chances are, however, if the thing you are looking for doesn’t exist, you can find the support you need to start it yourself,” said Herring, who lives in Vinings and is engaged. “With the rise of smaller nonprofits based on niche markets, like Honeymoon Israel, InterfaithFamily, OneTable and Jewish Kids Groups, combined with staples such as the AJMF, AJFF and JCC sports
leagues, everybody can find a community with new possibilities.” Corby Herschman, 27 Director of development, Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta Corby Herschman moved to Atlanta in 2013 and has entrenched herself in the nonprofit community. From 2013 to 2014 she worked with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits as a development manager, and since 2014 she has been the director of development for Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta. Hersch man, who recently completed her M.B.A. at Emory’s Goizueta School of Business, is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Young Nonprofit Professional Network of Atlanta. An active part of Jewish Atlanta, Herschman was a member of the American Jewish Committee ACCESS steering committee from 2013 to 2016, including serving as the vice chair of membership in 2014-15. She was a member of the AntiDefamation League’s Glass Leadership Institute Class of 2016 and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Jacobson Leadership Institute Class of 2015. Herschman, who lives in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, is an avid traveler and recently returned from visiting her 30th country. “Thanks to generous support from previous generations, we have a solid foundation to grow, innovate and further develop our own Jewish identities,” she said. “There is so much potential in this generation, and I believe we will see a lot of social issues solved by Jewish organizations and young social entrepreneurs.” Adam Hirsch, 35 Managing partner and creative director, Goza Tequila Adam Hirsch is the managing partner and creative director at Goza Tequila, which he co-founded. The University of Georgia graduate and Nashville native previously worked as a production assistant for Turner Sports and an associate producer for Fox Sports. Hirsch has lived in Atlanta the past decade and was a 2014 member of the AJT 40 Under 40. Since then, he has remained involved in the Jewish community, including being a member of the Jewish
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lanta. He has been a member of the Black-Jewish Coalition since 2013, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival film evaluation and speaker committees since 2015, and the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2016. He is serving a two-year term as a board co-chair of the American Jewish Committee ACCESS young leadership division in Atlanta. Nathaniel is the founder and principal of the Business Leaders Development Fellowship and Mentoring Program at Oglethorpe, which offers support and one-on-one mentoring for undergraduates. In 2015, Goldman was awarded the Oglethorpe University Alumni of the Year award, and in 2016 he was named to the CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 Future Leaders of Profession list. “Now is a great time to be a young Jewish professional in Atlanta,” he said. “Atlanta’s Jewish organizations are welcoming us with open arms and encouraging us to take leadership roles in the community. Any young professional will be able to find a place here.”
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LOCAL NEWS Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Young Leadership Council and a former chair of the Marcus JCC’s Young Angels committee. He also is active with Jewish Family & Career Services, ORT Atlanta and Jewish National Fund’s Southeast Region. He won an Emmy for best sports director in short form and is a member of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s selection committee. Hirsch, a filmmaker, has directed two short films that screened at the AJFF, one of which won an audience award for best short film. Since 2015, Hirsch and Goza Tequila partner Jacob Gluck have spearheaded Gozapalooza, a Christmas Eve party for young Jews in Atlanta. Hirsch married fellow Jewish Atlantan Mandy Rich in June, and the two are expecting a baby girl. “We are currently living in the best time to be a young Jewish professional in Atlanta,” he said. “There are opportunities to volunteer, get involved and create a community, regardless of where you live. As Jews in Atlanta continue to spread out, it is important to work hard to create a Jewish identity in all of the diverse neighborhoods.” Joshua Jarmin, 33 Founder, Blueprint Fitness Joshua Jarmin is a U.S. Marine sergeant who served in Iraq and came back to Atlanta after his military service in 2012 to open a fitness studio. Before his service, the Northern Virginia native taught at a charter school in East Atlanta for atrisk children. Five years ago, Jarmin opened Blueprint Fitness in West Midtown as a studio offering small-group personal training. He is an active volunteer in the Atlanta community, regularly assisting with Habitat for Hu-
www.atlantajewishtimes.com manity builds and holding fundraisers for charities such as the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Jarmin also volunteers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he dons a Superman costume and visits patients. The Buckhead resident was named to Jezebel magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful Atlantans list in 2012 and attends services at The Temple. Jeremy Katz, 29 Archives director, Breman Museum Jeremy Katz is in charge of a crucial piece of Jewish Atlanta history, the archives at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, where he has worked since 2013. Katz has also been a resident of the Virginia-Highland Moishe House since 2016. The Dayton, Ohio, native and 2010 Ohio State graduate moved to Atlanta in 2013 after gaining his master of arts in history (archival science) from Wright State University and has since immersed himself in Jewish Atlanta. From planning events at Moishe House to attending events hosted by other organizations, the Ahavath Achim Synagogue member is an active part of the Jewish community. Katz serves as a section editor for the academic journal Southern Jewish History and published an article in the 2016 edition profiling two Jewish Atlantans who served in the Israeli air force during the 1948-49 War of Independence. “I expect the Atlanta Jewish community to continue to grow and diversify over the next 20 years,” Katz said. “Just look at Atlanta 20 years ago and all the incredible growth that has taken place: Fortune 500 companies bringing new jobs, the development of the BeltLine revitalizing the inner city and the proliferation of Jewish organizations that cater to young adults. These forces
tion to a new, green building on LaVista Road. A 2009 graduate of the University of Maryland, Leader is a past chair of Limmud Atlanta + Southeast’s Limmudfest and a former program director for the organization’s YAD young leadership cohort. She is a delegate representing North America for Limmud International. After she got a certificate of experiential Jewish education from Yeshiva University, Leader worked with Jewish Kids Groups from 2012 to 2014 and Birthright Israel NEXT from 2011 to 2012. This summer she is receiving the Abe Schwartz Young Leadership Award from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. The Atlanta native lives in Toco Hills with husband Yoni Kaplan and daughters Aria and Solelle. “Just like in other areas of 21st century life, I think we will see greater and greater opportunities and desires in customization for individuals’ Jewish community participation and experiences,” Leader said. “The idea of buying into a membership will radically change. More and more, you will see people individually investing in meaningful experiences and less on identifying with one group or denomination. The idea of community will become more fluid as people seek to connect their Judaism with other personal passions and interests.”
will only continue to compound as the community grows alongside the city.” Whitney Kweskin, 32 Immigration lawyer, New American Pathways Whitney Kweskin is an immigration specialist at refugee resettlement agency New American Pathways, where she assists new immigrants across Georgia with legal issues. Since 2015, she has chaired the annual Limmudfest program at Camp Ramah Darom over Labor Day weekend while serving as a member of the Limmud Atlanta + Southeast board of directors. Through Limmud, Kweskin participated in the YAD young leadership cohort both as a member of the training group and as a mentor. From 2006 to 2008, Kweskin served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. She lives in Stone Mountain with her husband, Ben, and their 1-year-old son. “I think this is an excellent time to be young and Jewish in Atlanta,” she said. “There are so many different ways to participate in the Jewish community as an activist, socially and religiously outside the traditional synagogue setting. It’s refreshing to see so many different, small communities joyfully taking part in ancient traditions by choice rather than solely through a sense of obligation.”
Gabrielle Leon, 32 Program associate, Schusterman Foundation Gabby Leon has been a program associate at the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation at Atlantic Station since 2016. A 2007 graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in business administration, Leon moved to Atlanta in
Eliana Leader, 31 Retreat center director, Ramah Darom Eliana Leader oversees the retreat center at Ramah Darom, a position she took after serving as the executive director of Young Israel of Toco Hills during its transi-
Mazel Tov to
Nathan Brodsky and
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
Roey Shoshan
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on their recognition among Jewish Atlanta’s 40 Under 40. It’s an honor to work with you every day to build our community.
2014 to work as an assistant to Spanx founder Sara Blakely and quickly became active in the Jewish community. She was a co-chair of American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS young leadership division board from 2014 to 2016 and was a member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Jacobson Leadership Institute Class of 2015. In 2016 she received the AJC Atlanta ACCESS Award, a volunteer honor given annually to an AJC Atlanta member who goes above and beyond her role. She lives in Buckhead with her fiancé, fellow 40 Under 40 member Mark Spatt. “Today, Atlanta is thinking very differently about what it means to be Jewish and to be part of a community,” Leon said. “The Atlanta Jewish community is constantly investing in young people in addition to creating new and innovative Jewish programs to provide opportunities for individuals to engage in Jewish culture, values and religion in a way that is meaningful to each individual.” Michelle Krebs Levy, 37 CEO, The Sixth Point Michelle Krebs Levy is the founder and CEO of The Sixth Point, an independent, nondenominational Atlanta Jewish community for young professionals. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 2002 with a degree in psychology, Levy worked as program director for Hillel at the University of North Carolina, then as the marketing and events manager for the nonprofit Camp Twin Lakes. In 2010 she earned her M.B.A. from Georgia State University. An Atlanta native, she spent 15 summers at Camp Barney Medintz and was involved in BBYO growing up. She became a BBG chapter adviser in 2012, earning the international David Bitker Unsung Hero BBG Adviser of the Year Award at the BBYO International Convention in Atlanta in 2015. A member of 2014’s 40 Under 40, Levy lives in Brookhaven with her husband, Rich, son, Dylan, and dog, Max. “It can be difficult to be a young professional in Atlanta these days,” she said. “The city is so spread out, traffic is a nightmare, and, therefore, many of our neighborhoods have become insular. It is often challenging to make new friends, especially if you are single and/ or new to Atlanta. That’s one of many reasons why The Sixth Point exists, to help build a community for those who
don’t feel a part of one.” Lindy Miller, 38 Associate director, Deloitte Global Lindy Miller is the associate director of public policy at Deloitte Global in Atlanta. She has a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School and lives in Decatur with her husband, Jonathan, and their three children. As a board member at large at Congregation Shearith Israel and a member of the Board of Governors of the Decatur Education Foundation, Miller is involved in a range of activities and has received a number of honors. She was awarded the Jewish Renaissance Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania for her commitment to Jewish life, served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in New York, and was recognized with the Roy Family Environmental Fellowship at the Kennedy School. While working full time at Deloitte and serving as a class mom at the Intown Jewish Preschool, Miller founded a renewable energy business, Cherry Street Energy, using her background as a strategist. Born and raised in Georgia, Miller is interested in using Cherry Street Energy as a consistent way of engaging with the world and as a force for good in Atlanta and the business community beyond. As a young business owner, busy mom and active member of the Jewish community, Miller is thoughtful about the future. “This is a time of experimentation and innovation in Atlanta, and the Jewish community is emblematic of this transformation. It is a great time to be under 40 in Jewish Atlanta as we work to expand and refine what Jewish community, Jewish learning and Jewish practice look like.” Alyza Berman Milrad, 37 Psychotherapist and founder, The Berman Center Alyza Berman Milrad of Dunwoody, a member of Temple Sinai, is a psychotherapist and the owner and founder of The Berman Center, a new treatment center specializing in Jewish clients. It is only the second intensive outpatient addiction treatment center serving the Jewish population in the country. Berman Milrad serves on a number of boards and host committees around Atlanta. She’s active in fundraising
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LOCAL NEWS with the Epstein School, American Jewish Committee and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and is regularly on call for her patients. She and husband Justin Milrad are raising two girls and one boy. Seeing the fruits of her labor within her family and the larger Jewish community is a priority. “I hope that in the next 40 years we will be able to see the effect that our investment in Jewish education has made in the continuity of Jewish life,” she said. “I hope that this will result in a more caring, selfless and kinder generation of Jewish adults.” Sally Mundell, 39 CEO, Mundell Consulting Services Sally Mundell is the CEO of her own business, Mundell Consulting Services, and the founder and president of the Packaged Good, which encourages volunteerism among children. Mundell, a former Spanx executive, launched the nonprofit organization in Dunwoody in 2016 because her husband, Grover, sought to instill in their two daughters the importance of giving back shortly before his death in 2013. Mundell, who lives in Brookhaven, uses the Packaged Good as a platform to partner with many organizations and has helped distribute thousands of care packages to soldiers, the elderly and others in need for the charities the Packaged Good works with. More than 90 events have taken place at the nonprofit since last August. Mundell also serves on the social action committee for Temple Emanu-El and is on the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Front Porch team. “It’s a transformational time in Jewish Atlanta and what it means to be Jewish,” Mundell said. “I look forward to sharing my voice and ideas to help
www.atlantajewishtimes.com shape the future of Jewish Atlanta in the next 20 years and hope to see the community increase its self-awareness while focusing on tikkun olam.” Bobby Nooromid, 35 Account director, The Painting Co. Although Bobby Nooromid grew up in Atlanta, he relocated to the North, obtaining his bachelor’s from the University of Michigan and serving as the governing board chair for the university’s Hillel chapter. He is a graduate of the Anti-Defamation League’s Glass Leadership Institute, a nine-month education in fighting anti-Semitism, and volunteered as a founding program committee member for Chabad Young Professionals. He served as the senior program manager for the National Young Leadership division of Jewish Federations of North America. He lives in Buckhead with his wife, Naz, and 1-year-old daughter, Bella, and works as an account director at The Painting Co. “As one of the fastest-growing cities and Jewish communities in the country, this is an excellent time to be under 40 in Jewish Atlanta,” Nooromid said. “There are countless opportunities in various professional, social, cultural and philanthropic areas to be a part of, and I hope and expect Jewish Atlanta remains one of the most desired places to live as well as standard-bearer for Jewish engagement.” Noah Pawliger, 37 Director, Camp Living Wonders Noah Pawliger is the co-founder and director of Camp Living Wonders, a special-needs Jewish summer camp he started and runs with his wife, Chanie. As a member of Chabad and the Friend-
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ship Circle, he has assisted many youths with special needs outside the camp and led a Birthright Israel group of people with disabilities. He hopes to launch a program in the fall that would employ adults with special needs. “There are many avenues to inclusion, and I hope the community embraces a more individualized approach and becomes even more inclusive of individuals with disabilities,” Pawliger said. Before Camp Living Wonders, he co-founded and co-directed the Friendship Circle in Atlanta to support families with special needs. He and his wife and their three children live in East Cobb, where they remain deeply involved in the Jewish community. “Atlanta has a ton of heart and is a big Jewish camp and Birthright town with potential for young Jews to tap into their energy, innovation, idealism and strengths to boost our community,” Pawliger said. “I hope to see a new wave of involvement in Jewish education, not from the school perspective per se, but where every family makes a point of learning and sharing together.” Jamie Perry, 30 Development director, FIDF Jamie Perry, who lives in Brookhaven, is the director of development for the Southeast Region of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Since 2014, she has helped coordinate and organize galas for the organization while connecting numerous young professionals to the nonprofit’s national young
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leadership initiative. In addition to increasing fundraising and event participation, Perry has strengthened fundraising for the FIDF Atlanta Young Leadership division, which includes Atlanta’s first young leadership board. Perry previously served as program and volunteer coordinator and mature adults coordinator at the Marcus JCC and used her passion for FIDF to staff a national leadership mission to Israel. She also chaired Jewish Family & Career Services’ Havinagala party and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s signature event and became a BBYO adviser. “It’s a great time to be under 40 in Atlanta’s Jewish community because there are constantly new opportunities focused on various interests for people to get involved in,” Perry said. “I hope to see the community grow even larger in the next 20 years while continuing to offer multiple programs which appeal to various masses.” Ana Robbins, 34 Executive director, Jewish Kids Groups Ana Robbins is the founder and executive director of Jewish Kids Groups and lives in Virg i n i a -H i g h l a n d with her husband, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta CEO Eric Robbins, and a daughter. Since 2007, JKG has assisted affiliated and unaffiliated members of the community by incorporating them into learning programs. Before Jewish Kids Groups, Robbins was a volunteer at Camp Twin Lakes and Limmud Atlanta + Southeast, and she is a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters. JKG was selected for the Upstart Accelerator in 2015 and was named one of the most innovative Jewish organizations in North America by Slingshot in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Robbins was a member of the 40 Under
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Josh Schaier, 32 Development director, JELF Josh Schaier serves as the director of development for Jewish Educational Loan Fund and has helped connect countless people to the organization since arriving in late 2015. He has proved to be a go-getter while implementing ideas that meet JELF’s goals and increase fundraising. Previously, Schaier served as a litigation paralegal for Simpson Thacher and Bartlett, an individual giving associate for New York’s 92nd Street Y and a program administrator for the Center for Global Affairs at New York University. In addition to volunteering with the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta and Atlanta BeltLine, Schaier is a SUNY-Binghamton alumni ambassador and member of The Temple. He was a research fellow in graduate school at NYU. Schaier lives in Kirkwood with his wife, Dara, the founder of BOOP (Built out of Paper). “Atlanta’s Jewish community is a vibrant and enthusiastic group of professionals, and I am certain it will continue to influence the growing sectors in this city within the next 20 years,” Schaier said. Marissa Shams, 34 Allergist and assistant professor, Emory School of Medicine Marissa Shams has taken on numerous roles within the medical field. She teaches at the Emory University School of Medicine as an assistant professor, is the secretary for Allergists for Israel and is an executive board member for the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s Advocacy Council. Shams has served as a doctor at Camp Ramah Darom and as an American Jewish Committee ACCESS steering board member. She was a member of the AJT 40 Under 40 in 2014. Shams lives in Brookhaven with husband Bradley Wilkins and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including NPR, NBC, Fox and CBS Ra-
dio. “As a native from Atlanta, I have seen the city change in so many fantastic ways,” Shams said. “I hope that Atlanta’s Jewish community continues to grow in the next 20 years and our leaders and innovators gain national and international recognition, as this is a great time to be under 40 due to the city’s array of talented and unique leaders in various fields.” Roey Shoshan, 35 Israel and overseas director, Jewish Federation While serving as the young adult director at the Marcus JCC, Roey Shoshan organized multiple networking events, happy hours and simchas, bringing young professionals together. His current position as the director of Israel and overseas at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta has enabled him to continue his passion of bringing people together through partnerships between Atlanta and communities in Israel through the Partnership2Gether program. Shoshan has work experience at Camp Barney Medintz and has spearheaded Supper With Survivors, gathering community volunteers for an evening with Holocaust survivors. He is a past recipient of AIPAC’s Israel Advocacy Award, volunteers with the JCC as a Maccabi basketball coach, is active with Friends of the Israel Defense Forces young leadership and American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS, and is involved with Save a Child’s Heart. “These are exciting yet challenging times for our generation as our world is rapidly changing and the need for emerging leaders is pronounced,” Shoshan said. “We still have a lot of work to do in order to reach out to different demographics, but we also should be very proud that Atlanta is a place where so many organizations want to be represented. Personally, I would love to see an improved interface between the American and the Israeli Jewish community. It is one of my goals to foster an improved interaction between these two groups.” Mark Spatt, 33 Financial analyst, Cornerstone Investment Partners Mark Spatt is a chartered financial analyst and investment analyst for Cornerstone Investment Partners. The past few years Spatt has assisted multiple com-
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LOCAL NEWS panies in financial matters using his investment skills and ethical integrity. He lives in Buckhead and is engaged to fellow 40 Under 40 member Gabby Leon. He is active in American Jewish Committee, is the vice chair of the AJC ACCESS board and is involved in the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Innovation Fund allocation. Spatt has served on the film evaluation committee for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and coaches prospective Shabbat hosts for OneTable. “With well-established national organizations like the Federation and AJC and growing, innovative programs like OneTable, I have found Atlanta’s Jewish community to be warm and welcoming,” he said. “Atlanta is doing a great job of attracting young, educated, ambitious people to the city, which should continue to foster further development in the community. Our generation has played an influential role in this endeavor; however, it also requires continued efforts within commercial, educational, political and social spheres to create an environment that draws people to Atlanta.” Eli Sperling, 33 Israel specialist, Center for Israel Education Eli Sperling is the Israel specialist and assistant program coordinator at the nonprofit Center for Israel Education at Emory University. He regularly writes about Israel and CIE programs for the AJT and other media outlets. Sperling’s education in Israel and extensive travels throughout the Middle East have led him to coordinate numerous workshops and conferences and lead countless student groups and delegations to Israel. “Atlanta’s Jewish community has some of the most robust Jewish cultural festivals and opportunities for intellectual and spiritual engagement of any community in the U.S., providing an endless array of opportunities for anyone in my generation to get involved, regardless of their political, religious or institutional affiliations,” Sperling said. “As Atlanta progresses as a major international city, our Jewish community has an opportunity to be center stage in defining how to approach Jewish communal life. Already a trendsetter in Jewish organizational, congregational and cultural models, I hope to see Atlanta continue to be a beacon of cutting-edge approaches to American Judaism.”
Jonathan Tescher, 37 Director, food and farm tech incubator, Clark Atlanta University Jonathan Tescher works at Clark Atlanta University, where he is developing and running an incubator for Southwest Atlantans to start food and farm technology businesses. The Miami native moved to Atlanta in 2003 and is a veteran of Atlanta’s Jewish farming space. He started the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market and is the co-founder of Sparta Imperial Mushrooms. In 2016, Tescher hosted the first Sukkot Farm-to-Table Festival at Aluma Farm in Adair Park, and he is organizing the 2017 edition of the festival, scheduled for Oct. 8 at the Marcus JCC. Tescher earned his master’s in business from Georgia State University in 2009 and lives in East Atlanta with his partner, Robin Chanin. He is an avid rock climber, cyclist and gardener. “In 20 years I expect the Atlanta Jewish community’s food ethic to be more reflective of the realities in our current food system, which includes the way in which animals are raised becoming as important as how they are slaughtered,” he said. “In addition, our sense of tikkun olam will have us actively engaged in closing the persistent social and economic gaps institutionalized by slavery, Jim Crow, redlining and mass incarceration.” Darren Tobin, 34 Lawyer, Butler Tobin Darren Tobin is a personal-injury trial lawyer and founding co-partner at the law firm Butler Tobin, as well as a father of two boys with his wife, Lana. A member of Congregation Beth Tefillah and Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, Tobin is active with the Atlanta Bar Association and the American Association for Justice, and he was recognized as Georgia’s Legal Elite by Georgia Trend magazine. His children attend Jewish day school, and, based on the tradition of tzedakah, Tobin periodically takes cases on a pro bono basis and advises synagogues and Jewish community members on legal matters. Since his move to Atlanta 24 years ago, he has seen the city grow, and he is excited about Atlanta’s future. “There are now so many synagogues and Jewish organizations to get involved in. … The Jewish day schools are all excellent, and building a business, as a Jewish owner,
LOCAL NEWS
Mamie Dayan Vogel, 29 Founder, Constructive Kidicisms Mamie Dayan Vogel is a senior manager of strategy and insights at the Home Depot. She and her husband, Steven, live in Chastain Park, and as a seventh-generation Georgian on her mother’s side, Vogel is an active part of Jewish Atlanta. In addition to her role at the Home Depot, she recently launched a children’s clothing business called Constructive Kidicisms, designed to challenge traditional gender roles. She is an active volunteer with the Atlanta chapter of American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS, the Atlanta Regional Commission and Jewish Family & Career Services, among others. She received the 2014 Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Award, was a member of the GALEO Institute of Leadership, and participated in a mobility, diversity and inclusion think tank challenge. Vogel is Middle Eastern on her father’s side, and she credits her ethnic background with contributing to her desire to understand what a wonderfully culturally diverse place Atlanta can be. “This is an ideal time to be Jewish in Atlanta,” Vogel said. “Atlanta has grown with Southern Jews and transient Jews all relocating alongside other transplants to Atlanta, and thus we have been afforded the opportunity to develop new relationships with other levels of Jewish religiosity and forced to develop a dialogue with one another, as well as with non-Jewish communities.” Rachel Wasserman, 36 Executive director, Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta Rachel Wasserman of Toco Hills is the first full-time executive director of the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, the only organization in Atlanta focused entirely on change and empowerment for Jewish girls. She frequently is asked to speak as an expert on wom-
en’s philanthropy, giving circles and young women’s leadership, and she has written several columns for the Atlanta Jewish Times and eJewish Philanthropy. Wasserman and her husband, Danny, have four children, and she serves as the director of the search committee and as a class mom at the Beth Jacob Preschool and a class mom at Torah Day School of Atlanta. Wasserman was featured in the AJT as one of 25 nonprofit innovators in 2015 and was part of the 40 Under 40 in 2014. “It is a great time to be under 40 in Jewish Atlanta,” she said. “The community is rife with innovation, and there are endless opportunities for young leaders to shake things up, think outside the box and make an impact.” Matthew Weiss, 34 Lawyer, Freeman Mathis & Gary Matt Weiss is an associate at the law firm of Freeman Mathis & Gary, where he focuses on the defense of local governments as well as commercial litigation. As a global co-chair of American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS and former cochair of the Atlanta branch, as well as co-chair of several other organizations, Weiss is implementing a new strategy that will affect how ACCESS grows across the United States and beyond. His work ideally will help ACCESS open branches in Britain and Brazil. Weiss is active in Democratic politics, working with candidates and grassroots efforts. He lives with his wife, Stephanie, and their puppy, Emmy, in Brookhaven and has enjoyed seeing Atlanta grow the past decade. “In the nine years since I’ve moved back to Atlanta after law school, I’ve seen the number of Jewish organizations catering to young professionals flourish,” he said. “Atlanta is a unique Jewish community because there’s a large Jewish population, but opportunities in leadership positions are very accessible, and there are few barriers for entry for those who want to become involved.” Melissa Wikoff, 33 Audiologist, Peachtree Hearing Melissa Wikoff of Sandy Springs is the director of audiology at Peachtree Hearing, her private practice, and recently
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is easier now than it once was decades ago. As a father, husband and business owner, I feel like the opportunities here in Atlanta that await my children are endless. I am excited about what the future holds for my family, and I feel blessed to be here in this community.”
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LOCAL NEWS
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founded the Hearing for Holocaust Survivors program in Atlanta. She donates her time, equipment and services to the program and secures donations of state-of-the-art hearing aids from a major manufacturer to assist survivors. She volunteers regularly at senior facilities such as Berman Commons, Parc at Piedmont, the William Breman Jewish Home and the Dorothy Benson Senior Center, where she provides free hearing aid cleanings, earwax checks and hearing screenings. Wikoff has included husband Josh and daughter Avital in her work, bringing Avital to meet seniors. Peachtree Hearing was named a Business to Watch by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, and Wikoff was recently honored with the American Academy of Audiology Scholar Award. She said she has been pleasantly surprised by the Jewish community’s support for her business. “My very first patient at my practice came from a conversation at a synagogue event. My next patient came from a Jewish networking meeting,” she said. “The Atlanta Jewish community has been so welcoming, supportive, and has encouraged my business to grow and thrive. We are very lucky to be part of a community that wants to help each other succeed.”
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Eliyahu Wolfe, 34 Lawyer, Wolfe Law Elie Wolfe is the principal lawyer at the firm he recently founded, Wolfe Law, as well as a board member of the Georgia Immigration Network. In his social activism, Wolfe works to develop interfaith dialogue between the Jewish and Muslim communities. He invited a Yemeni refugee who escaped al-Qaeda to speak in Atlanta and hosted the speaker in his home. He traveled to The Hague to work on appeals arising from the Bosnian and Rwandan civil wars. He has participated in several worldwide conferences to advocate for Muslim-Jewish relations. As a board member of Young Israel of Toco Hills and a leader in American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS, Wolf is deeply involved in the Jewish community. He and his wife,
Britt, recently hosted an AJC event at their Toco Hills home to foster discussion about the relationship between Atlanta’s established Jewish institutions and the Modern Orthodox community. One of his main interests lies in breaking down barriers between traditional Jewish organizations and the varied sections of the community. “Over the next 20 years, we should break down barriers between different segments of the Jewish community in Atlanta,” he said. “Ultimately, Jews living in Atlanta will improve our physical, emotional and spiritual security if we increase our appreciation for our common Jewish values and history.”
Amy Zeide, 34 Executive director, Creating Connected Communities Amy Zeide is the executive director of the nonprofit she founded, Creating Connected Communities, where she trains Jewish teens to become community leaders. She is working with 65 Jewish teenagers around Atlanta, using a curriculum she developed to target such communitywide issues as homelessness, foster care, refugees and children attending Title I schools (a mark of poverty). The organization began with Amy’s Holiday Party, which she started as her bat mitzvah project and continues to hold each December to ensure inner-city children get to celebrate Christmas. She has grown the nonprofit over two decades so that she can work full time for it and employ a seven-person part-time staff. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta presented her the Mary and Max London People Power Award in 2016. A resident of Dunwoody with her husband, Aaron, and three children, Zeide is excited about the future of Jewish Atlanta. “I think this is a great time to be under 40 in Jewish Atlanta because there’s so much innovation going on right now. Different organizations are working together to strengthen and enhance our community,” she said. “I think that’s important as young people start to take more leadership roles in that process.” ■
SPORTS AMSSL Standings — Week 4 A Division
W
L
B’nai Torah
3
0
Temple
3
1
Beth Tefillah
3
2
Dor Tamid
2
2
Sinai
2
3
Or VeShalom
1
2
Ahavath Achim
1
3
Chabad
1
B Division
1
3 W
L
Young Israel
6
0
Gesher L’Torah
3
2
Etz Chaim
3
3
Ariel
2
2
Beth Tikvah
1
2
Beth Jacob
2
4
Or Hadash
1
3
Sinai 2
1
3
C Division
T 1
W
1
1 L
Emanu-El
6
0
Beth Shalom
5
1
Dor Tamid 2
4
2
Kol Emeth
3
2
Beth Tikvah 2
2
3
Sinai 3
2
4
Temple 2
1
5
B’nai Torah 2
0
6
T
T
July 16 Softball Schedule
It’s now halfway through the 2017 Atlanta Men’s Synagogue Softball League, and three teams remain undefeated. Young Israel in the B Division and Emanu-El in the C Division each sit at 6-0, and B’nai Torah (3-0-1) in the A league is off to a strong start in its bid to reach the championship game for the 10th year in a row.
Ocee Park 9 — Temple vs. Chabad | Ahavath Achim vs. Sinai 10:15 — Temple vs. Sinai | Ahavath Achim vs. Chabad 11:30 — B’nai Torah vs. Beth Tefillah | Dor Tamid vs. Or VeShalom 12:45 — B’nai Torah vs. Or VeShalom | Dor Tamid vs. Beth Tefillah
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
East Roswell Park 12:30 — B’nai Torah 2 vs. Sinai C | Dor Tamid 2 vs. Beth Shalom 1:45 — Emanu-El vs. Kol Emeth | Temple 2 vs. Beth Tikvah 2 3 — Young Israel vs. Or Hadash | Beth Tikvah vs. Etz Chaim 4:15 — Young Israel vs. Etz Chaim | Beth Tikvah vs. Or Hadash 5:30 — Beth Jacob vs. Ariel | Sinai B vs. Gesher L’Torah 6:45 — Beth Jacob vs. Gesher L’Torah | Sinai B vs. Ariel
25
OBITUARIES
Jack Berlin 88, Atlanta
Jack Joseph Berlin, age 88, of Atlanta died Friday, June 30, 2017. A native of Atlanta, he graduated from Tech High School and obtained his bachelor of science at the University of Georgia. After college, he enlisted in the Army, joined the Chemical Corps and served in the Korean War. For more than 40 years, Jack traveled the Southeast, selling wholesale shoes. When at home, he loved spending time with his family and volunteering his time with the Shriners. Survivors include his loving wife of 49 years, Dolores Berlin; daughter and son-in-law Angie and Doug Brandenburg of Atlanta; granddaughter Holly Brandenburg; and extended family. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Weinstein Hospice, Hospice Atlanta or Ahavath Achim Synagogue. A graveside service was held Sunday, July 2, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Claire Rosenberg 63, Atlanta
Claire Rosenberg, age 63, of Atlanta died Friday, June 30, 2017. Survivors include her son, Arrie Oliver of Atlanta, and her sister and brotherin-law, Betty and Don Engelberg of Far Rockaway, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, 1600 Mount Mariah Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329. A graveside service was held Friday, June 30, at Greenwood Cemetery. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770451-4999.
Michael Bressler
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
72, Marietta
26
Michael Frederick Bressler, 72, of Marietta passed away peacefully with a smile on his face Sunday, July 2, 2017, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by his loving wife, Peggy, and his two daughters, Debra and Melissa. Michael was a kind, strong man who always put family first. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who never knew a stranger and was always devoted to his children and grandchildren, who meant the world to him. He was an avid music lover — show tunes, opera, country, you name it — and a passionate traveler who was always up for an adventure. After he married the love of his life, Peggy Freedman, in 1988, they traveled far and wide, visiting everywhere from Hawaii to South Africa, Italy, London, Paris, the Caribbean and more. Yet, to Michael, it never mattered where they were on the map as long as they were together. Michael also enjoyed an active life, playing tennis and skiing in his younger years. He was a dedicated fan of the Atlanta Hawks, attending games often. He especially loved cheering the team on with his grandson Micah. Michael was a dedicated fan of his grandchildren as well, never wanting to miss a single soccer game, tennis match or ballet recital — they were the highlights of his week. He also loved his dog, Sophie, who wouldn’t leave his side even until the end. Michael was also renowned for his fashion sense: He was able to match his ties and socks with any color shirt imaginable. Michael was born in Baltimore. He later graduated with a degree in marketing from Hartwick and a master’s in business administration from LIU Post in Brookville, Long Island, N.Y. He began his career in marketing at McCann Erickson, moving to Atlanta to service the Coca-Cola account. Michael then left the marketing industry to open Designer Wallcoverings with Linda Wand. He later started his own printing and graphic design company, Affiliated Graphics, which he then sold to join ProGraphics. His colleagues, clients and employees alike admired and respected him — he was known for having a strong opinion and his own “Mikeisms” — and he will be dearly missed by all. Survivors include his wife, Peggy Freedman; daughter and son-in-law Debra and Mark Brown of Dunwoody; son and daughter-in-law David and Monica Bressler of Orlando, Fla.; daughter and son-in-law Melissa and Shaun Bank of Dunwoody; sister Arlene Bressler of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; sister and brother-in-law
OBITUARIES Linda and Charles Idelson of Fort Myers, Fla.; sister-in-law Sandra Freedman of Atlanta; sister and brotherin-law Kathy and Herb Schwartz of Roswell; brother and sister-in-law Ken and Robyn Freedman of Marietta; grandchildren Jared, Hannah, Micah, Alexis and Ryleigh Reese; cousin Debbie Shuping and her husband, Andy; and many nieces and nephews. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Congregation B’nai Torah or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org). A graveside service was held Tuesday, July 4, at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Louis Sloan 53, Dallas
Dr. Louis Marshall Sloan was born Sept. 13, 1963, in Atlanta and departed this life Friday, June 23, 2017, in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 53. He is survived by his loving family: wife Kimberly; son Benjamin; daughter Anna Rose; sisters Holley Bricks (Mal), Jody Sloan (Dan Jacobs) and Mindy Caplan (Bob); and many loving nieces, nephews and extended family. Louis was preceded in death by his parents, Myer and Beryl Sloan. He grew up in Atlanta, went to the Hebrew Academy and graduated from Yeshiva High School in 1981. He continued his education at the University of Texas at Austin, with a residency and fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center. Louis spent his entire medical career associated with Baylor University Medical Center and North Texas Infectious Disease Consultants. Louis was a devoted father and husband. He never missed a soccer game, cheer competition or school function. He was loyal and faithful to his faith, family and friends. He was exceptionally compassionate and kind to others, particularly his patients. He was highly regarded in the medical community and frequently volunteered his services to HIV/AIDS causes. He will be missed by all.
Sara Dechert of Atlanta on June 22. James Filson of Pittsburgh, 73, husband of Cathy Filson and father of Temple Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, Jeffrey Filson, Julia Filson, Kara Krill and Erin Urban, on July 4. Sidney Kunis, the father of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis, on June 29.
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
Death Notices
27
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LOCAL NEWS NOLA ADL Director To Lead Atlanta Region
The Anti-Defamation League has filled the year-old vacancy for its Southeast regional director by choosing South Central Regional Director Allison Padilla-Goodman. Padilla-Goodman has led the South Central Region, based in her native New Orleans, since April 2014. She plans to move to the Southeast Region’s
Buckhead office in mid-August. “It’s an exciting move but certainly bittersweet to leave New Orleans,” she told Southern Jewish Life magazine, which broke the news in its June issue. Padilla-Goodman’s predecessor in Atlanta, Mark Moskowitz, resigned in mid-June 2016 to take a job with the Jewish Agency for Israel. Shelley Rose has been the interim regional director the past year but will return to the role of senior associate regional director.
Described as a veteran community organizer, educator, and voice against racism and anti-Semitism, PadillaGoodman is shifting from Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas to the more heavily populated Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama. In her three years with ADL, she has led the Greater New Orleans Civil Rights Working Group, a citywide coalition that brings community leaders and law enforcement into dialogue.
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She has trained local law enforcement on responding to hate crimes and extremism. And she has spearheaded efforts to advocate for legislation supporting LGBT rights, immigrant rights and religious freedom. “We are thrilled that Allison has agreed to lead ADL’s efforts … in the Atlanta region,” said Steve Pepper, the ADL Southeast Region board chair. “She’s clearly made an impact in her native New Orleans.” ■
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EDUCATION
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TDSA Endowment Invests in Eternity Torah Day School of Atlanta recently hosted key supporters, including endowment donors, past presidents, founders and board members, at its inaugural endowment dinner to celebrate the achievements of the TDSA Generations Endowment Program. Amid tables enhanced by the artwork of the day school’s students, the guests gathered to be inspired and encouraged to secure the future of the 32-year-old school. Attending were six past board presidents, including the founding president, Henry Falk, as well as some founding parents who have shown their dedication to Torah Day School’s sustainability with donations to the Endowment and Legacy Campaign. Marcy Kalnitz, the school’s director of finance and development, presented the program after an introduction by the current board president, Rabbi Menachem Deutsch, who stressed that Torah Day School is a cornerstone for the Atlanta Jewish community, which would look very different without the Toco Hills school. Its existence made it possible for Rabbi Deutsch’s family (and many others) to
move to Atlanta. Torah Day School seeks to shape the goals of its students in a way that, no matter their future careers, love of G-d, the Torah and observant Jewish living will be central in their lives. Rabbi Elimelech Gottlieb, who served as the acting head of school during the 2016-17 school year, presented a d’var Torah about the vision of a man who planted a tree and fell asleep, awaking 70 years later to see his grandson harvesting the fruit. His advice was to continue to dream big and plan while being sure not to sleep through the process. Avigayil Landman, who graduated from Torah Day School in June, spoke about the pride and appreciation she and her classmates feel for the school and its teachers and the foundations they have built. “At Torah Day School, I have seen so many teachers take the time and effort to connect with every student,” Avigayil said. After saying the students see Torah study as a joy, she added, “By learning Torah for so many hours every day, the lessons, values and even the tests
don’t weigh me down, but rather I feel inspired by them.” Almost all Torah Day School graduates enroll in Jewish high schools. Most continue Jewish education in college. Kalnitz noted that Torah Day School was one of seven schools selected to participate in the Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools Generations National Endowment program in fall 2015 to promote stability, facilitate innovation in programing, facilities and professional development, and support educational opportunities for students. The program, whose costs are covered by a legacy gift to the school, includes the establishment of an endowment committee, professional training, three annual Educational Leadership Institute conferences and the creation of educational giving opportunities. TDSA’s generations coach, Davida Isaacson Consulting President Davida Isaacson, who has worked with the school’s lay leadership for almost two years, praised the school for making it a priority to secure the future of Jewish education. Pesha Izenberg, who chairs the endowment committee, asked dinner
FOOD
Pesha Izenberg (left), Marcy Kalnitz and Rabbi Elchanan Schulgasser, Torah Day School’s senior development manager, present a thank-you gift to donor Gail Ripans.
attendees to hold table discussions on two questions: To what do you attribute your personal passion for Jewish day school? What would your dream be for TDSA if money were no object? Dinner guests said the questions sparked lively dialogue. Kalnitz and Izenberg presented gifts to endowment donors and outlined the generations project’s goals. The 12-member endowment committee announced that the campaign had raised $728,000 to date in legacy and cash endowment gifts toward a three-year goal of raising $1.4 million by May 2018, representing $4,000 for each of 350 students (the school’s enrollment). To be a part of the endowment initiative, contact Kalnitz at mkalnitz@ torahday.org. ■
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Barbecue Alternatives to Bubbe’s Brisket choice: a basket of tots, aka tater tots.) The one thing you can’t choose is the portion size. Any way you slice it, your
The Food Scene By Skye Estroff
brisket meal will fill you for the day. Owners/chefs Jonathan and Justin Fox are also the hosts of the Taste of Atlanta Friday night kickoff, so try their internationally known BBQ before the big event in October. DAS BBQ DAS BBQ (1203 Collier Road, Mid-
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
When it comes to brisket, we’ve all been spoiled by our moms, grandmas, great-grandmas, aunts and other kitchen-savvy relatives. The recipes are secret and passed down from generation to generation. The same care and confidentiality goes into barbecue, especially in the South. Atlanta is lucky to have several acclaimed barbecue restaurants serving crave-worthy brisket all year long. Whether you eat brisket at your family’s dining room table or on a restaurant’s outdoor patio, this food will feed a crowd and please Jewish families and Southerners alike. If you have an inkling for BBQ this summer season, look to this list for the best barbecue brisket Atlanta has to offer. Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q At Fox Bros. (1238 DeKalb Ave., near Little Five Points; www.foxbrosbbq.com), you can have your brisket your way. You pick the sides and whether you want brisket served on 30 a salad, sandwich or plate. (Side of
Das BBQ offers a selection of sauces to complement its brisket.
french fries, for the ultimate meal of Southern indulgence. Smoke from his wood fire is fueling Das BBQ’s rise on the Atlanta barbecue scene.
town; www.dasbbq.com) is the new kid on the BBQ block, but the restaurant’s reputation for stellar service and mouthwatering brisket is on the rise. Order a plate or sandwich or brisket on its own and top it off with any of the restaurant’s homemade sauces. Balance out the heaviness of the meat with a side of vinegar-style coleslaw and a cup of homemade iced tea. It’s the perfect summer bite. Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q With locations in Conyers, Hiram, Acworth, Smyrna, Snellville, Suwanee and Forsyth, Jim ’N Nick’s (www.jimnnicks.com) likely is near your neck of the woods. Jim ’N Nick’s smokes its brisket for 12 hours, then slices the meat to order. Load up the plate with some trimmings, like the fresh-cut
4Rivers Smokehouse Originating in Florida, 4Rivers (822 Marietta St., West Midtown; 4rsmokehouse.com/locations/atlantacoming-2017) is climbing up from the border for its first Atlanta brick-andmortar. The restaurant is just days away from opening. The restaurant is family-owned and specializes in 30-day-aged brisket. Rumor has it that you can smell the smoking down the street. Love this list of BBQ joints? Taste them all at Taste of Atlanta 2017 from Oct. 20 to 22 at Historic Fourth Ward Park, across from Ponce City Market. For more information or tickets, visit TasteofAtlanta.com, and follow the festival on Facebook (Taste of Atlanta), Instagram (@tasteofatlanta) and Twitter (@tasteofatlanta). ■ Skye Estroff is the marketing and media manager for Atlanta’s largest food festival, Taste of Atlanta. She is an Atlanta native, a University of Georgia grad and an expert in Atlanta’s best food.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Green, but Not With Envy CROSSWORD
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
“Getting Org.anized”
By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Manageable
poolside, working on our tans. (Yes, yes, that was a very bad idea. Blame Coppertone, not me.) Remember, now, that my mornings were spent with my head in the water. After a couple of weeks, I began to notice a change in my pristine platinum streaks. They were turning
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green. In fact, the rest of my hair was following suit. I had signed an agreement, and I was stuck. I started to wear a swimming cap during lessons to keep my peroxided hair away from the chlorine. Not attractive. Even worse, my creepy tresses elicited the opposite response from teen boys from the one I had planned. I hated my green hair. Unfortunately, I was born two generations too early. Our granddaughter, Miriam, always looks forward to summer, when she is free from school rules. She planned to spend a month at sleepaway camp with a full head of turquoise hair. Her mother, our daughter, Sara, had used Kool-Aid to dye the hair of some of her own friends with excellent results. It was time to use her skill at home. After a few preparatory steps and a false start or two, Miriam went to camp as a not-exactly-turquoisebut-more-lime-green-haired camper. In spite of my unfortunate personal experience (see above), I admit that it looks, well, Kool. On the first day, the camp posted online photos of the crowds of arriving campers, and we searched for Miriam in the gatherings. Other grandparents may have found it difficult to locate their grandchildren in the group shots, but it was a breeze for us. ■
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The time is right for a little color.
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By Chana Shapiro cshapiro@atljewishtimes.com
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Chana’s Corner
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ACROSS 1. Jewish philanthropy org. established in 1939 4. Jewish news org. established in 1917 7. Jewish diplomatic org. established in 1936 10. Jewish land developing org. established in 1901 13. Radio host Brenner whose name means “wolf” 14. Freud and Meyerhof, e.g.; abbr. 15. Hellenistic or Elizabethan 16. Witness, for a chatan 17. O.T. prophet 18. Hint at (what some rabbis say many Torah verses do) 20. A Gabor, times two 21. She had a huge hit with David Guetta’s “Titanium” 23. One who might clean up after Shabbat 24. Guevara who visited the Middle East in 1959 and “SNL” comic Michael 26. Joker, or playoff round Wilf’s Vikings played in in 2015 28. Jewish organization essentially founded in 1775 30. European country where a daily minyan cannot be found 31. Late-night host who often had Elon Gold on his program 32. Gymnast Comaneci or pianist Reisenberg 33. First name behind “The Producers” 34. WWII craft; abbr. 35. Jewish service organization founded in 1843 40. Page, in Talmud 43. Samson had a strong one, in modern slang 44. Jon on Weiner’s “Mad Men” and others 48. Jaffa fruits 51. Mashuganas 53. Jewish campus organization founded in 1923 54. Latke holiday 55. García Bernal of “Babel” and “Mozart in the Jungle” 56. Like the Temple, sadly 57. Al Franken is one; abbr.
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58. Har ___ (Jerusalem) 59. The English calendar has one; the Hebrew one does not 62. “Isn’t ___ pity?” (Gershwin) 64. Stadium call (to an animal sacrificed in the Temple) 65. ___ Chaim 66. Word before mode often after a meal 67. ___L (“Shalom” in text lingo) 68. Jewish civil rights org. established in 1913 69. Jewish ordained org. established in 1923 70. Jewish teen org. established in 1952 71. Jewish pro-Israel org. established in 1897
(Rivers in “Spaceballs”) 31. Bible book after 17-Across 33. Living legend in Jewish music, for short 36. Cain’s victim 37. System that operates the iSiddur 38. “Shalt” preceder 39. Actor who has played the most leading roles for Spielberg 40. Cry from Krusty’s (sometime) pal 41. Iconic Jeremy Piven “Entourage” role 42. Popular Israeli food 45. Parshah between Vayeshev and Vayigash 46. “It’s ___ be!” (“Bashert!”) 47. “Sheket” sound DOWN 49. Div. of Lerner’s Nationals 1. Arm of Israel 50. Ross or Monica 2. Sarah ___ Parker 51. Actor Martin of “Ed Wood” and 3. Was of service (perhaps at a “Rounders” service) 52. Stars of Bogdanovich’s “Paper 4. Degs. at the Rothenberg Law Moon” Firm 54. What some Jews do on Sukkot 5. President in 1948 or kangaroos do all the time 6. Realm Natalie Portman visits in 56. Locale that has launched “Thor: The Dark World” more rockets than NASA 7. It was decriminalized in Israel 58. Righteous daughter of this year Zelophehad or singer Achinoam 8. Uncommon namesake abbrs. Nini for Jews 60. “Yadda, yadda, yadda” 9. Like many Billy Joel tunes 61. “Mazel tov!” simply 10. Wicked queen of Israel 63. Israeli short film nominated for 11. Cars that sound like a month an Oscar in 2012 12. It has to approve a product before the OU LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 19. ___ hanasheh 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 S T E M S P A R K C A T T L E (forbidden nerve) 16 17 18 L E T I T I D E A O R C H I M 19 20 21 22. Improvise, U N M A K E O M H A A T Z M A T 22 23 24 25 like Sacha Baron F A Z E S O R E T E T G P A 26 27 28 29 Cohen O N G F R A N K E N S T E I N 30 31 25. Evil Kubrick U S A D U E T S 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 M A T T C H R I S A I N T computer 42 43 44 45 46 A R I R I P O U T E M U N A H 26. What Casspi 47 48 49 is likely to do a lot 50Y E S H I V A 51U N I V E R S 52 I T Y E N C A G E D I N E R S G A M more of with the 53 54 55 D I N G Y A O N E R A H M 56 57 58 59 60 Warriors next year A D M I N S L Y 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 27. James of “The B E N J A M I N N E T A N A H 68 69 70 71 72 Godfather” G E L A R S B A B A S C I D 73 74 75 76 28. State of Pico R E D I N K M A H A N E E H D A 77 78 79 O R A N G E S E A N R I V E R Blvd. 80 81 82 K I N N O T U R L S S N A R E 29. ___ Matrix
JULY 14 ▪ 2017
At a wedding reception, I sat next to a woman who wore a beautiful Bukhari kippah. I told Leah that I admired her head covering, but I really wanted to know about her hair, which was lavender. “I bought the kippah to go with my hair,” she said. “I’m a teacher, and my students get a kick out of the color. I change it all the time.” “What about the other teachers? What about your family?” I wondered. “My hair doesn’t affect my parenting ability or my pedagogic effectiveness. In fact, my hair probably enhances both!” she said with a laugh. I wasn’t so sure. A few months later, I attended a funeral. Among the mourners was a pretty young woman with a thick, baby-blue mane. I spent a few minutes talking with her and her parents and discovered that she had just been hired for a prestigious research position at the National Institutes of Health outside Washington. “Your hair’s pretty spectacular!” I noted. “Did you dye it before or after you got the job?” “This is nothing!” she said. “My hair was crimson red when I was hired, which was interesting because the man who interviewed me had saffron-tinged hair that was obviously not his natural color. It’s not a big deal.” Well, it was a big deal to me. A long time ago when I lived in the Old Country (St. Louis), the only way I could afford admission to the neighborhood pool was to be a day camp morning swimming instructor. I was a terrible swimmer, but in spite of my ineptitude, I was entrusted with five preschoolers. My job was to get in the water and encourage them to paddle around without fear. My reward was an all-summer swimming pass. Except for my fortunate friend Judy, whose mother dyed the hair of all the females in their family, my girlfriends and I used peroxide to lighten our hair, which was intended to emphasize our summer tans. By June, most of us had impressive platinum-blond streaks and highlights. With our hair adequately lightened, we spent every afternoon
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JULY 14 â–ª 2017