Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCI No. 27, July 15, 2016

AND SAVE

File Name: 15AQUA1247_ATLJewishTimesTeaser Client: Ga Aquarium Desc.: ATL Jewish Times Teaser Ad

November 9, 2015 12:00

Live: NA Trim: 2.12”W x 3.18”H Bleed: NA

Color: 4C Process Built @: 100% Printed @: 100%

BUY ONLINE

Atlanta VOL. XCI NO. 27

WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM

Book Festival Gets Toobin, Yael Dayan

GeorgiaAquarium.org

INSIDE Calendar �����������������������������������4 Candle Lighting ����������������������4 Israel News ������������������������������ 5 Opinion ���������������������������������� 10 Education ������������������������������� 21 Sports �������������������������������������� 21 Business ���������������������������������22 Food ��������������������������������������� 24 Arts ������������������������������������������26 Marketplace ��������������������������28 Obituaries ������������������������������29 Crossword ������������������������������ 31

EAGLE SOARS

Temple Sinai member Ethan Hartz makes Eagle Scout with three years to spare. Page 7

RACING FOR 3RD

Republicans Mike Crane and Drew Ferguson discuss the issues before their congressional runoff. Page 8

HONORING WIESEL

Eugen Schoenfeld and Livia Sklar share their thoughts on the Nobel laureate. Page 12

CLEAN SWEEP

Azi and Emily Zimmerman add a personal touch to dry cleaning with free pickup and delivery. Page 22

JULY 15, 2016 | 9 TAMMUZ 5776

Doing Nonprofit Good Photo by Emma Anderson

Matilda (left) and Ruby Mundell help their mother, Sally Mundell, cut the ribbon outside her nonprofit store, the Packaged Good, on July 2. The operation is a way to honor Mundell’s late husband, Grover, by teaching children how to give back to others.

Story, Page 15. And check out our directory of Atlanta’s Jewish nonprofits, Pages 16-17.

Two CNN analysts, a best-selling novelist and the daughter of an Israeli legend are among the authors coming to the 25th Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center.

The festival runs from Nov. 5 to 20.

The Marcus JCC has announced that the festival will include: • Jeffrey Toobin, CNN’s senior legal analyst, whose latest book is “American Heiress,” about Patty Hearst.

• Peter Bergen, a CNN national security analyst and the author of “United States of Jihad: Investigating America’s Homegrown Terrorists.”

• Alice Hoffman, the New York Times best-selling author of such novels as “Here on Earth,” “Practical Magic” and “The Dovekeepers.” Her next novel, “Faithful,” is about a woman overcoming survivor’s guilt from an accident as a teen.

• Yael Dayan, an Israeli politician, a women’s rights and peace activist, and the daughter of Six-Day War hero Moshe Dayan. Her memoir, “Transitions,” is coming out in English in the fall, and her appearance gives her a chance to respond to 2015 festival book “An Improbable Friendship,” which features Dayan’s mother, Ruth, and is critical of her father.

Dozens of additional authors will be part of the lineup. Tickets go on sale Sept.

1 at www.atlantajcc.org/bookfestival. ■

Black Lives Lead to Palestinian Lies The police killings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota this month have revived an ugly smear against Israel: that such shootings result from Israeli training of American law enforcement.

“We must remember that many US police departments train with the #IsraeliDefenseForces. The same forces behind the genocide of black people in America are behind the genocide of Palestinians,” New York University’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter wrote in a widely shared Facebook post.

After the killings of five police officers in Dallas, the NYU SJP chapter clarified that it did not mean to imply an Israeli conspiracy to kill black Americans, but “the IDF assists the NYPD and other American police departments in their oppression and murder of black people.”

Pro-Palestinian groups often seek to tie their cause to groups such as Black Lives Matter. Palestinian activist Nada Elia, for example, declared at the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation conference in Atlanta in September that

Israel’s training leads American police to kill unarmed black men.

“This constitutes the worst kind of a blood libel in modern history,” said Robbie Friedmann, the founding director of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, whose Israeli training exchanges have graduated more than 1,350 public safety and law enforcement officials worldwide over a quarter-century.

He called the SJP statements “ludicrous” and “wrong on all counts.” ■ • Latest GILEE mission, Page 6

AJT

2

JULY 15 â–ª 2016

MA TOVU

Finding Strength to Bear The World’s Weight After a week of interactions and unkind words from people left me feeling vulnerable and naive, I realized how many others suffer daily with challenges large and small. It is a crazy time, and though I try to distance myself from headlines as much as possible to reserve my energy for my

Hand of Hashem

By Mindy Rubenstein editor@nishei.org

family, I know about the craziness. I sometimes feel helpless against the weight of the negativity, the darkness.

And so I wept. From the depths of my soul, in the darkness of night, tears poured down my face.

Then I prayed. In quiet, tearful words, as my family slept, I beseeched Hashem for His help and kindness. I opened a book of Tehillim, reading one poetic psalm, stumbling through the Hebrew letters I learned so long ago and continue to relearn, because the best way to fight darkness is with light, with prayer and kindness and mitzvot.

I thought of my children and how I want to protect them and nurture them and be kinder to them.

I thought of how distant and insensitive I can be.

I thought of how I could be a better wife, mother, daughter and friend.

I prayed for help, for me and my family and for all those suffering in the darkness. And I fell into a peaceful sleep that lasted until well after dawn — another blessing of summer vacations and not having to rush out of the house for school or camp.

As I woke up, I felt more peaceful than usual. I made coffee and said the daily Modeh Ani prayer with my daughter as I held her in my lap.

“Thank you, Hashem, for returning my soul to me. Your faithfulness is great.”

Then I started a new day, ready for life and its decisions, large or small. ■ Mindy Rubenstein is the founder and editorial director of Nishei, the magazine for Atlanta’s Jewish women.

She lives in Toco Hills with her husband and four children. Send Hand of Hashem moments — stories in which G-d’s presence was evident — to editor@nishei.org.

Summer Sale!

LeeBrant's Exclusive Hammered Gold Designer Cuff Bracelets, Earrings, Rings, and Pendants 20% Off Through Aug 31st

127 Perimeter Center W • Dunwoody

770-551-8850 www.LeeBrant.com

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

My husband and I are facing huge life decisions, including our children’s schooling and where to live. They have gnawed away at me for months, the pressure hovering behind nearly every breath, every thought.

Add the everyday stress of my four children being home for the summer — and all of the daily, seemingly insignificant decisions — and I feel like my mommy senses are on overload. They are doing activities here and there, such as karate and aerial silks classes, but mostly we are at home doing art projects, playing in the back yard, visiting the store, and trying to arrange play dates, though most of their friends are at camps.

I try to be aware of the way they (we) are speaking to one another — being respectful and kind, saying please and thank you and I’m sorry.

I’m working with my younger two on their reading and writing skills and driving my older two to evening classes, though most of our summertime break is not structured. I try to limit their screen time with guidelines that are not always easy to enforce.

When one of my children was moping around the house, saying he was bored, my instinct was to try to fill the gap in his time. But I realized that the boredom could lead to creativity.

He ended up creating some sort of chipmunk trap (we have chipmunk holes all over our yard) with a bucket, a garbage can, peanut butter, and some other odds and ends he found around the house. It didn’t attract any animals except for ants, but he worked hard at it and cleaned up after himself, which I considered a success.

We do have meltdowns, and occasionally I feel as if I’m failing. And sometimes I feel as if maybe I’m not — in those sweet moments when I see my oldest and youngest sitting together eating pretzels or the kids playing blissfully in the hose’s sprinkler attachment I got half-price online.

At night, after the kids are asleep and the house is quiet, my husband and I sit down to our discussions of daily life and our decisions. We have consulted various “experts,” from counselors to rabbis to educators. But no one knows our family as well as we do, and the decisions, for better or for worse, are on our shoulders.

AJT 3

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

CALENDAR Atlanta

THURSDAY, JULY 14

PUBLISHER

MICHAEL A. MORRIS

michael@atljewishtimes.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER KAYLENE LADINSKY

kaylene@atljewishtimes.com

ADVERTISING

Senior Account Manager

JULIE BENVENISTE julie@atljewishtimes.com Senior Account Manager

BRENDA GELFAND

brenda@atljewishtimes.com Account Manager

SARAH MOOSAZADEH sarah@atljewishtimes.com Sales Assistant

SARAH SKINNER

sskinner@atljewishtimes.com

MARKETING

Marketing & Communications Director

STACY LAVICTOIRE stacy@atljewishtimes.com

EDITORIAL

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Teen summer stock. The comedy “Urinetown: The Musical” premieres at 8 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Shows also are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 16, and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, July 17.

Tickets are $15 for students, $22 for adult JCC members and $28 for others; www.atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4002.

Chukat Friday, July 15, light candles at 8:31 p.m.

Saturday, July 16, Shabbat ends at 9:31 p.m.

Balak Friday, July 22, light candles at 8:27 p.m.

Saturday, July 23, Shabbat ends at 9:26 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 18

Monster art. The Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown, welcomes children ages 3 to 6 for a series of openhouse art lessons between 10 a.m. and noon in the “Where the Wild Things Are” exhibit. This week’s lesson is about drawing monsters with fur and scales. Free for Breman members. For nonmembers, two children are free with each paid $12 adult admission; www.thebreman.org or 678-222-3700.

Editor

MICHAEL JACOBS

mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com Associate Editor

DAVID R. COHEN

david@atljewishtimes.com

Contributors This Week PAULA BAROFF

DAVID COVELL • YONI GLATT JORDAN GORFINKEL R.M. GROSSBLATT LEAH R. HARRISON ZACH ITZKOVITZ VICKI LEOPOLD MINDY RUBENSTEIN EDDIE SAMUELS DAVE SCHECHTER SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER EUGEN SCHOENFELD CADY SCHULMAN LIVIA SKLAR

CREATIVE SERVICES Creative Design

DARA DRAWDY

CIRCULATION

Circulation Coordinator

ELIZABETH FRIEDLY

efriedly@atljewishtimes.com

CONTACT INFORMATION GENERAL OFFICE 404.883.2130 KAYLENE@ATLJEWISHTIMES.COM The Atlanta Jewish Times is printed in Georgia and is an equal opportunity employer. The opinions expressed in the Atlanta Jewish Times do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta, Ga.

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

POSTMASTER send address changes to The Atlanta Jewish Times 270 Carpenter Drive Suite 320, Atlanta Ga 30328.

Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com

AJT 4

THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2016 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

TUESDAY, JULY 19

Decatur school history. Tom Keating, a member of The Temple, discusses the Decatur school system and how it held school on Saturdays instead of Mondays from 1902 to 1932 to keep out Jewish students, the topic of his 1998 book, “Saturday School,” at a lunchand-learn session at noon at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur. Free (bring your own lunch); www.dekalbhistory.org.

Dinner and learning. Rabbi Karmi Ing­ ber discusses “The Summer Sun and the Cycle of Jewish History” at a Kabbalah & Cocktails event at The Kehilla, 5075 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs.

Admission is $15 for members, $18 for others; www.thekehilla.org/kabblahand-cocktails.

Eizenstat Lecture. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a conversation with lecture sponsor Stuart

Eizenstat at 7:30 p.m. at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead. Free; aaysnagogue.org.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 Book talk. Lauren Weisberger talks about her new novel, “The Singles Game,” at 7:30 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $10 for JCC members, $15 for nonmembers; www.atlantajcc.org/ bookfestival or 678-812-4002.

FRIDAY, JULY 22 Pool party. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, invites the community to welcome Shabbat at the swimming pool and splash park at 5 p.m., with blessings at 6. Free; www. atlantajcc.org or rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc.org.

SUNDAY, JULY 24

Rummage sale. Congregation Ner Tamid, 1349 Old Highway 41, Suite 220, Marietta, holds its annual sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with an open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information at 678264-8575 or mynertamid.info.

Israeli artisans. The Sisterhood at Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, holds an exhibition and sale of work by jewelry makers, weavers and others from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free; bethshalomatlanta.org.

Interfaith workshop. InterfaithFamily/Atlanta Director Rabbi Malka Packer leads “Love and Religion” for couples at 7 p.m. today, July 31, Aug. 7 and Aug. 12. The series is $18; www.interfaithfamily.com/elgg/pg/groups/52068/atlanta or atlanta@interfaithfamily.com.

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

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

Remember When

10 years ago July 14, 2006 ■ DeKalb County Commissioner Hank Johnson is challenging Rep. Cynthia McKinney in the Democratic primary July 18 because of his frustration with the congresswoman.

“She’s done a fine job of exploiting her problems for her own personal and political gain,” he said. McKinney is known for conspiracy theories and anti-Jewish sentiments.

■ The bat mitzvah ceremony of Elizabeth Ashley Goodgame of Marietta, daughter of Kenneth and Susan Goodgame, was held Saturday, May 20, at Temple Kol Emeth.

25 Years Ago July 19, 1991 ■ The Atlanta Jewish Federation has changed the way it allocates money to its constituent agencies. The more than

$4.5 million distributed locally is now distributed directly to programs, not to agencies. Previously, Federation gave money to the 14 agencies based on their expected shortfalls.

■ Karen and Stuart Adler announce the birth of their son, Aaron Joseph, on June 9.

50 Years Ago July 15, 1966 ■ The state of Israel this week has a new representative in Atlanta. He is the energetic and friendly Zeev Boneh, who has become the consul general of the Israeli General Consulate for the Southeast States. The Tel Aviv native is the first Sabra assigned to Atlanta, which has enjoyed the official presence of Nahum Astar, Moshe Leshem, Zeev Dover and Shimon Yallon as consuls general.

■ Mr. and Mrs. Bernard S. Fleischman of Columbia, S.C., announce the engagement of their daughter, Lynn Daniel, formerly of Atlanta, to Marvyn A. Milman, son of Mrs. Ella Milman and the late David Milman of Baltimore.

ISRAEL NEWS

Meet the Philistines

Photo by Tsafrir Abayov/Leon Levy Expedition

Anthropologist Sherry Fox examines a burial from the 10th or ninth century B.C.E. in the Philistine cemetery at Ashkelon. The Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon announced Sunday, July 10, that in its 30th and final excavation season, it made the groundbreaking discovery of the first Philistine cemetery ever excavated. The pottery and the burial customs revealed at the site, dated to the 11th through eighth centuries B.C.E., support the theory that the Philistines arrived from the Aegean area after the collapse of Greece’s Mycenaean civilization at the end of the Bronze Age. Bone samples are undergoing DNA and radiocarbon testing for confirmation of the Philistines’ origins.

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home

Studying cancer in space. SpacePharma, whose research and development operation is in Herzliya, is working with bioscience engineering faculty and students at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in a $1.75 million project that will use research in space to find cancer cures. They will launch a “lab on a chip” containing cancer cells inside a microsatellite that will orbit Earth and will study how cancer cells behave in zero gravity and microgravity.

Rail link for Arab trade. Israel is due to open in October a 40-mile rail line between Haifa and a terminal five miles from the Jordanian border. Trade between Israel and Jordan increased 65 percent between 2010 and 2015 as trucks with European goods travel on to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the Persian Gulf states.

Tanzania to open embassy in Israel. The Tanzanian government has said it will open an embassy in Israel to promote economic diplomacy and in response to “the economic development Israel has made in agriculture, science and technology.” Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu is just back from a visit to Africa that included a regional counterterrorism summit with the leaders of Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zambia, South Sudan and Uganda.

Purifying water using plants. Ayala Water & Ecology in Moshav Zippori provides a solution to water purification from nature itself. Its flagship product, Natural Biological System, uses containers full of plants to act as biological filters for wastewater treatment.

Olympic security from space. Israeli high-resolution-imaging satellite Eros-B will strengthen security during the Rio Olympics. Brazilian Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said, “This is an Israeli satellite at a low-Earth-orbit altitude capable of capturing high-resolution images of up to 50 centimeters in an area of 450 kilometers.”

Music to your ears. Tel Aviv-based startup MeQ Inc. has developed earphones that adapt to your unique hearing condition. The Even headphones (www.geteven.co) incorporate an “earprint” that compensates for your hearing deficiencies and enables you to lower the volume, protecting against further hearing problems caused by overexposure to loud music.

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

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

When you can’t eat. Many sufferers from cancer, stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s cannot take food orally. Fidmi Medical in Misgav is developing an innovative enteral feeding device that is secure, reliable, painless and discreet. It is unlikely to get clogged or be dislodged by an accident.

AJT 5

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ISRAEL NEWS

GILEE Trains 11 Atlanta-Area Officials in Israel Police leaders, sheriff’s officers and a commissioner representing 11 Atlanta-area public safety and law enforcement agencies recently spent two weeks in Israel to train in the latest counterterrorism techniques and technologies with that nation’s top police professionals.

They were among 19 delegates, 15 of them from Georgia, who attended the 24th annual peer-to-peer public safety training program organized by the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange. The involved local departments included the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Brookhaven Police Department and the Gwinnett County Police Department. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation also

participated.

Non-Georgia participants came from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, and police departments in Alabama and Washington.

“As the world gets ever smaller, GILEE’s focus on international public safety partnerships is critically important,” said GILEE Founding Director Robert Friedmann, a professor emeritus of criminal justice at Georgia State University. “Our delegates are trained to recognize the challenges and deal with them in accordance with the best practices in 21st century policing.”

GILEE hosts public safety exchanges, conferences and expert speakers to

introduce best practices in law enforcement to police and other public and private safety professionals to enhance their capabilities to serve and protect citizens. Among other honors, GILEE received the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police President’s Special Service Award in 2014.

“The training received in Israel and their ability to deal with highpressure situations will be valuable to day-to-day situations in Georgia,” Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said.

“There is so much we can learn to be that beacon on the hill again.”

Georgia Public Safety Commissioner Mark McDonough, the colonel of the Georgia State Patrol, is a GILEE alumnus who recently described the

The GILEE delegation meets with Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh (seventh from right) beneath the start of Deuteronomy 16:18 (“You shall appoint judges and law enforcement officials …”).

program’s peer-to-peer training as the professional chance of a lifetime for law enforcement officials. “GILEE had a profound impact on the law enforcement community in Georgia and beyond.”

Since its founding, GILEE has graduated more than 1,350 public safety and law enforcement officials from more than 380 training exchange programs.

About half those officials are from the United States, mostly from Georgia, but others come from around the world.

In addition, more than 25,000 public and private safety leaders have attended GILEE’s special briefings, seminars and workshops. ■

The GILEE delegation visits the Knesset.

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav is flanked by Christopher Wigginton (left), the director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, and Georgia State Patrol Capt. Mark Hambert behind the Georgia flag.

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Above: Georgia State Patrol Capt.

Mark Hambert observes crime lab operations in Israel.

Below: Delegates check out Israeli monitoring technology.

AJT 6

Above: Israeli traffic officers offer a demonstration to members of the GILEE delegation.

Below: GILEE delegates are briefed on Haifa emergency management procedures.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Achieving Eagle Scout rank at 14 gives Ethan Hartz three more years to mentor fellow Scouts and pile up more merit badges.

Ethan Hartz is the son of Eric and Jennifer Hartz.

For his Eagle Scout project, Ethan Hartz built and installed raised garden beds at the fields of Dunwoody Senior Baseball.

Sinai Member Hits Scouting’s Peak at 14 Being only 14 didn’t stop Ethan Hartz from becoming Boy Scout Troop 467’s newest Eagle Scout in a ceremony May 29 at Temple Sinai, where Ethan is a member.

Obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout is no easy feat. Ethan, now 15, said he was expected to obtain 21 required merit badges and several more optional merit badges (he has a total of 45), complete a large community service project, serve as a leader and role model, and take on a specific role within the troop.

Ethan chose to serve as the scribe of the Patrol Leadership Council, which involved his taking and maintaining notes of the weekly meetings for the troop. Eagle Scouts also are expected to live by the codes and laws of the Boy Scouts of America, codes Ethan believes share a great deal with the values and practices of Judaism.

“I think Judaism shares a lot with Scouting,” said Ethan, the son of Jennifer and Eric Hartz and a rising sophomore at the Galloway School. “Community service is very important in both.

The Scout laws share a lot with the expectations in Judaism: trustworthiness, kindness, helpfulness. There are a lot of parallels.”

Aside from those values, Ethan went out of his way to meld his Judaism into his Scouting, obtaining two of the three available Jewish merit badges.

“In Cub Scouts I earned the Alef badge; it’s the first one you can earn for familiarizing yourself with the religion and taking part in Jewish education,” he said. “I also earned the Ner Tamid,

the eternal light badge. It was similar but much more rigorous. I had to write multiple essays, study famous Jews and their contributions to their communities, and read from the Torah.”

Ethan started in Cub Scouts at the age of 8 and worked his way up through the ranks. Each rank requires a time commitment; for Eagle Scout, Ethan was required to be active for six months as a Life Scout, the secondhighest level.

“I’ve been in Scouts since Aug. 1, 2012,” Ethan said. “That’s when I moved from Cub Scouts up into the Boy Scouts. We have hour-and-a-half-long meetings on Tuesday nights, and I’ve shown up to almost of those meetings throughout my years in the troop.”

Tracy Techau, the Scout executive and CEO of the Boy Scouts’ Atlanta Area Council, said 672 Atlanta-area boys made Eagle Scout in the past year.

“The honor and distinction of the Eagle Scout rank represents a great deal of hard work, strength of character and persistence. To reach this great achievement at the age of 14 is another illustration of its own,” Techau said.

“We are proud of Ethan and all of the young men on the Eagle trail.”

One of the marquee elements of obtaining the highest honor in Boy Scouts is the Eagle Scout community service project.

Ethan chose to build raised garden beds for installation at the Dunwoody Senior Baseball fields because of his love of baseball and his desire to do something outside for the community.

“Completing my Eagle Scout was a really big deal to me,” Ethan said. “I’ve been so committed to it over the last

five years, but it’s like weight is added to my shoulders rather than being lifted. There are higher expectations for Eagle Scouts; I’ve always tried to not just meet those expectations, but surpass them.”

Becoming an Eagle Scout is not the end of Scouting for Ethan; if anything,

it means he will serve a larger role in leading Troop 467 in the coming years.

Ethan said he plans to earn the final Jewish merit badge, the Etz Chaim badge, and to make a run at the troop merit badge record of 55, held by Michael Hartshorn, over the next three years before college. ■

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

By Eddie Samuels

AJT 7

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Conservative Showdown for Congress 3rd District runoff pits Crane against Ferguson

By Vicki Leopold The seven-man Republican primary in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District on May 24 left two candidates standing for a runoff Tuesday, July 26: state Sen. Mike Crane of Newnan and West Point Mayor Drew Ferguson.

The winner will face Democrat Angela Pendley in November’s election to replace retiring Republican Lynn Westmoreland in the 3rd District, composed of 13 western counties stretching from Peachtree City to Columbus.

Pendley defeated Tamarkus Cook by 51 votes out of almost 13,000 cast in the Democratic primary.

Reflecting the district’s political tilt, nearly 58,000 people voted in the Republican primary in May. Crane was the top vote-getter with 15,584 (26.9 percent), but Ferguson was a close second with 15,491 (26.8 percent). Jim Pace, who got 23 percent, was the only candidate close to the top two.

Both Crane and Ferguson are running as conservative outsiders, although both are political veterans.

Both also are small-business owners.

Crane has represented the 28th District in the state Senate since 2011.

He was a leader in this year’s fight for House Bill 757, the religious liberty legislation that opponents said would legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people. Crane called for a special legislative session in May to override Republican Gov. Nathan Deal’s veto of the bill.

In 2015 he led opposition to a proposed tax increase that eventually was cut in half.

Crane, a general contractor and Georgia Tech alum, is running on family values, opposition to abortion, support for traditional marriage and the Second Amendment, and the establishment of a smaller, more accountable federal government.

Ferguson, who was first elected mayor of West Point in 2008 after serving on the Board of Aldermen, helped revitalize the small city by landing the Kia Motors plant and related businesses. He was appointed by Deal to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Serving Atlanta for Over 65 Years!

• Enjoy the Lowest Prices Around!

• Incredible Selection, including those Hard to Find Items • Expertise in Wine Selection and Pairing • Party and Event Planning

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

• Good Old Fashioned Customer Service

AJT 8

BUCKHEAD: 2161 Piedmont Road Atlanta, GA 30324 | 404-881-0902

DORAVILLE: 5877 Buford Hwy Doraville, GA 30340 | 770-458-3272

in 2012.

A graduate of the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia who has his own family dental practice, Ferguson is running on securing the borders, destroying Islamic State, strengthening the military, replacing the current income tax with a flat tax, repealing Obamacare, and supporting a constitutional amendment for congressional term limits.

The candidates individually spoke with the AJT in late June. The following answers are paraphrases of what they said, except where quotation marks are used.

AJT: Why should voters select you over your opponent?

Crane: If people want to see a continuation of what they have, I am not their candidate. I want to go to Washington to fix a broken system, and I represent change. Sen. Ted Cruz has endorsed me. I describe myself as a “freedom-loving constitutional conservative.”

Ferguson: People should look at my record over the last eight years. My community had fallen on really hard times economically, and as mayor I was able to create 15,000 jobs by building relationships with the state and private sectors. I have been endorsed

by Congressman Lynn Westmoreland and former presidential candidate Herman Cain.

AJT: What do you see as the primary domestic policy challenges of the next decade?

Crane: The primary role of government is to protect us and our unalienable rights from intrusion from the government and from others. This requires a careful balance. The primary challenges facing us are our fiscal irresponsibility, reforming our tax policy, restoring limited government and limiting bureaucratic intervention in the marketplace.

Ferguson: We have to revive our economy, keep Americans safe and develop a working immigration policy that serves America’s interests. We need to once again have a vibrant economy. We also must protect ourselves with a vibrant economy, and we need not be apologetic about it.

AJT: What do you see as the primary foreign policy challenge over the next decade?

Crane: We need to re-establish

Drew Ferguson is the mayor of West Point, a dentist and the father of four.

amongst our allies and our enemies America’s credibility, our integrity and our military.

Ferguson: Our foreign policy should promote democracy around the world, especially in the wake of Islamic terrorism. We need to protect our allies and American interests around the globe.

AJT: The presidential primaries have revealed a lot of anger at the political establishment. Why do you think people are so angry?

Crane: I don’t think it’s about anger, but the desire to fix a broken system. I have the desire to fix things.

I represent limited government and protecting our G-d-given, unalienable rights.

Ferguson: The American people have lost all confidence in the federal government to do the things that need to be done and then get out of the way and allow people to live healthy, successful and safe lives.

AJT: What is your understanding of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and what do you see as the obstacles to peace? What can the U.S. do to help?

Crane: I am not educated enough to make blanket statements. After being elected, I will educate myself on the background. It does seem that “the whole world wants to tell Israel how to do their business.”

Ferguson: Israel is a democracy there, and we should do everything we can to support them. Palestinians are coming to the table with preconditions, and that doesn’t work for successful negotiations.

AJT: What are your thoughts about the divest and boycott movement toward Israel, which especially is gaining ground in universities?

Crane: There are a lot of ungrounded ideas coming from academia. I fought for the religious liberty bill because it helps and protects all

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Mike Crane is a state senator, a general contractor and the father of two.

faiths from adverse government action. Some companies stated that they would leave Georgia if House Bill 757 became law, but those same companies have no qualms doing business with corrupt regimes in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Ferguson: The movement is misguided and misinformed, and I am disgusted by it. We need to strengthen our economic relationship with Israel with additional bilateral trade deals.

A strong Israel is important for our homeland as well.

AJT: What are your thoughts

about the Iran deal, and if elected, would you favor scrapping the deal or enforcing it?

Crane: I don’t have all the knowledge about the deal and would first want to see if the actual deal is constitutional. If it is not, the deal would invalidate itself. The deal is based on 100 percent cooperation on Iran’s side, and, based on their past behavior, we could not expect that cooperation in their future behavior. “On the surface it looks like a terrible deal and has freed up money to support terrorists.”

Ferguson: The deal is bad. I don’t see how this is an enforceable deal as it has too many loopholes. If our goal is to prevent a nuclear Iran and protect Israel, the deal would need to be scrapped. I doubt that Iran will meet all the conditions of the deal.

AJT: What are your views on Syrian refugee immigration? Is it a privilege or is it morally required of us to take in the Syrian refugees?

Crane: Immigration is not an obligation, and we have the right to be selective and look at the potential of people and their feelings about the United States before we allow them to immigrate. All immigration ought to be legal, as undocumented people

in the country are at an all-time high and represent a security issue. “We have no idea who is here, and we can’t keep track of them. This interferes with our pursuit of safety.” Safety measures need to be in place, and we need to secure our borders.

Ferguson: I don’t believe that we have a responsibility to allow Syrian refugees into America. We have an immigration policy that is failing us miserably. We have no vetting process, and we can inadvertently allow in those that want to do us harm. We can’t always be reactionary and then try to get rid of the bad guys that we have let in.

We can help Syrians be safer in their own land.

AJT: What are your thoughts about fighting Islamic State? Are we doing enough, or do we need to change our strategy?

Crane: I would like a deeper briefing before I comment, but it seems like we could do more to degrade their capacities.

Ferguson: It is a fantasy that our policy fighting ISIS is working. We need to clearly focus on naming and destroying the enemy. To help make our country safer, I would allow intelligence to do what it needs to do and

have the resources that they need. I don’t understand why the current administration is not in favor of giving intelligence the ability and resources to identify and stop the enemy. This struggle is personal to me, as my 19-year-old daughter has joined the Navy and is working in intelligence. I want her to have every tool she needs to do her job.

I think we can find a balance between safety and personal liberty and privacy, but we need to name the enemy as radical Islamic terrorists.

AJT: In light of the recent terror attacks in Orlando and around the world, how do you suggest you might keep Americans safer?

Crane: Safety measures need to be in balance with our security, but securing our border will help us know who is here. Additionally, we need to identify our enemy, which is not as hard as we make it. “We are at war against an ideology that hates the concept of American liberty.”

Ferguson: To help make our country safe, I would allow intelligence to do what it needs to do and have the resources and tools that they need. We can find a balance between being safe and maintaining privacy. We need to identify our enemy. ■

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

LOCAL NEWS

AJT 9

OPINION

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Our View

Egyptian Peace

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

One of the toxic myths blocking Israeli-Palestinian peace is the claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making no effort toward a resolution, despite his repeated claims to be ready to sit down with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at any time without preconditions.

The visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to Jerusalem on Sunday, July 10, exposed the truth about Israel’s commitment to pursuing peace under Netanyahu.

No Egyptian foreign minister had visited Israel since 2007, and Shoukry’s trip reflected a thaw in the long cold peace between Israel and Egypt. It also represented the genuine trust Netanyahu has in Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Like the new detente between Israel and Turkey, the warmth between Israel and Egypt isn’t about liking each other but about recognizing shared concerns and security needs. Sisi’s chief domestic foe is the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent of Israel’s chief Palestinian enemy, Hamas. Egypt and Israel share an interest in combating terrorism in the Sinai and in suppressing Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Sisi’s push for a peace process that would bring Israel to the table with the Palestinians and other Arabs thus starts by addressing Israel’s security needs.

It also should give Abbas the confidence that any deal would have the support of the key Arab nations against the opposition of Hamas and others.

“I call again on the Palestinians to follow the greatest example of Egypt and Jordan and join us for direct negotiations,” Netanyahu said in welcoming Shoukry.

“This is the only way we can address all the outstanding problems between us and turn the vision of peace based on two states for two peoples into a reality.”

Shoukry responded by emphasizing the desires of Palestinians and Israelis — the former to have a state based on the pre-1967 lines with a capital in East Jerusalem, the latter to live in peace and security.

“We greatly value the trust of both sides and the international community in our commitment to peace, stability and justice,” he said.

“The vision of the two-state solution is not farfetched,” Shoukry added, offering many ideas, including the Arab peace initiative, to make it a reality.

“I would like to assure that Egypt’s commitment to supporting a just, comprehensive and sustainable resolution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and to supporting peace and security in the Middle East is a steadfast and unwavering commitment and that the Egyptian leadership is serious in its determination to provide all possible forms of support in order to achieve this noble goal,” he said.

Netanyahu did not blanch at the mention of the borders before the 1967 war or a sharing of Jerusalem.

He didn’t say anything to counter or weaken what Shoukry said. He’s willing to talk about anything and everything, perhaps with the Egyptians as mediators, to make real progress toward a comprehensive peace.

Israel’s in. Egypt’s in. Now it’s up to Abbas to decide whether he wants to be bold and try to establish a legacy as a peacemaker or he wants to continue to cling to power, slander Israel, and wait for European 10 Union or United Nations help that will never come. ■

AJT

Cartoon by Yaakov Kirschen, Jerusalem Post

Black-and-White Questions My last car had a broken left headlight, and escalate confrontations and forget that their job is to whenever it rained enough, the bulb blew out. I kept protect and serve. In a nation of 320 million people, changing the bulb, but I’m sure I drove for thouthe numbers reflect a problem, not a crisis. sands of hours at night with one headlight dark.

According to The Washington Post, 987 people My current car has a taillight problem. I don’t were killed by police gunfire in 2015. About half were know how often I’ve driven with one or the other whites (62 percent of the population), and a quarter light malfunctioning, but at least half the time when were blacks (13 percent of the population). The Post I get an oil change, the technician notifies me that I counted 38 unarmed blacks and 32 unarmed whites have a burned-out taillight. among those killed, No police officer has pulled although, as the me over for having a bad headnonprofit Marshall Editor’s Notebook light or taillight.

Project reported,

By Michael Jacobs By contrast, police around “unarmed” doesn’t mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com Minneapolis and St. Paul pulled necessarily mean over Philando Castile 52 times they weren’t endanfrom 2002 until this year. The gering officers.

53rd stop, reportedly for a broken Regardless, the taillight in Falcon Heights, Minn., ended with a black community has a common perception of being police officer fatally shooting Castile. targeted by police, and that concern deserves to be Was Castile stopped so often because he’s black? answered without a debate over which lives matter.

Did police let me slide because I’m white?

Arguing over slogans just creates more noise.

When I was in high school, my friends and I Doing nothing feels wrong, but doing someplayed a war game at night in a townhouse developthing just to make yourself feel good isn’t right. We ment. We were armed with various toy guns. Someshould start with the legal system, which gives too one called the cops, and two police officers corralled much of a benefit of the doubt to officers who kill. four or five of my buddies.

It’s important to remember — to believe — that One of the officers saw what was going on and we all want the same thing. We want a nation where calmly talked to the respectful, obedient teenagers. we can trust our police and where our police don’t The other officer seemed tense and kept a handgun fear that every public disturbance will turn into a trained on one of my friends for several minutes. life-or-death situation. Where our children can play If that officer’s finger had slipped, if my friend outside safely and where a broken taillight isn’t fatal. had made a sudden move, an unarmed teenager As President Barack Obama said, it was a tough could have been shot. It ended peacefully, but what if week for America, but 2016 isn’t 1968. We’re not we had been black? What if we had been a couple of seeing political assassinations. Protests actually are miles away in a subsidized housing project? peaceful, and police aren’t treating them like (and There’s no way to know. Each interaction turning them into) riots. between a police officer and a citizen is unique and The shootings in Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights should be judged individually. and Dallas were terrible. As is so often the case these Black people are not alone in falling victim days, we can respond by playing politics, or we can to the small percentage of bad police officers who work together to try to make our country better. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Jewish History as Family History The upcoming Hadassah convention in Atlanta and a recent Midwest road trip have reminded me of why we say l’dor vador, from generation to generation.

Hadassah, the Zionist Women’s Organization of America, will hold its 98th national convention in Buckhead from July 25 to 28. The host chapter, Greater Atlanta Hadassah, is marking its centennial this year. (Look for a special AJT convention/centennial issue July 22.)

The founding meeting of Hadassah was held after Shabbat on Feb. 24, 1912, in the vestry room of Temple Emanu-El in New York.

“The undersigned have decided that the time is ripe for a large organization of women Zionists,” reads the invitation bearing seven names. The undersigned included Henrietta Szold, the driving force behind Hadassah, and her friend Mathilde Schechter, my paternal great-grandmother.

Hadassah, the Hebrew name of Queen Esther, was chosen because the meeting was held one week before Purim.

As president, Szold presided at Hadassah’s first board meeting April

4, 1912. Mathilde, who became its national chairwoman for education,

From Where I Sit

By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com

hosted that gathering at her home in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

What began as three dozen members of the Hadassah chapter of the National Daughters of Zion has grown to 330,000 members nationally, supporting projects in Israel and the United States. The Atlanta chapter, founded Nov. 2, 1916, with 18 members, today has more than 3,600.

The road trip further reminded me of how families become linked over time.

More than 30 years ago I married into a family with its own history, its own family tree to learn, and its own stories passed from one generation to the next.

The first time we met, my wife’s paternal grandmother, Rose Galex, insisted that I call her “Sugie.”

A small woman with silver hair whose fortitude was not to be underestimated, Sugie had immigrated to the United States as a girl from Ukraine, from the town of Narodychi. Sugie and her husband, Wilbur, built a mattress company that moved west from Chicago to Rock Island, Ill., along the Mississippi River.

Early in my courtship I was amazed to learn that the first time my future father-in-law made a solo truck delivery to Des Moines, Iowa, it was to a furniture store operated by Uncle Harry, my maternal grandfather’s twin brother.

Sugie passed away in January 1998, 10 months before our youngest was born. That boy is now 17 and a high school senior.

He and I recently drove from Atlanta to Iowa so that he could tour my alma mater. From there we headed east to Rock Island. My wife flew in to show him the sights and tastes of her hometown.

On a warm day, with few clouds in the sky, we went to the Hebrew Cemetery.

My wife sat for a while next to Sugie’s grave. Later, as we walked in the cemetery and she pointed out the markers of people she knew as a child,

our son stood for a long time before the grave of the great-grandmother he never knew.

My wife returned to Atlanta, and my son and I drove to Chicago to visit my mother. An unplanned addition there would be the funeral of my sister’s father-in-law.

When your siblings marry, other families come into your orbit. Pete Schmelkin was my brother-in-law’s father. Pete was proud of his service with the U.S. Army in Germany in the early 1950s, and his funeral included a ceremony conducted by his comrades from Jewish War Veterans Post 153.

My brother-in-law spoke, as did Pete’s four grandchildren. The religious service was officiated by the oldest grandchild’s wife, who recently was ordained as a rabbi, and by my brother, a rabbi of many years, who flew in at our sister’s request.

As my father used to say, we are a full-service family.

The legacies of Mathilde, Rose and Pete extend well beyond organizations and businesses to families that have become linked, with children benefiting today from the foundations they laid many years ago.

L’dor vador, from generation to generation. ■

My Safari to a Truly Engaged Community est synagogue in Cape Town, Gardens Shul. Clearly the congregation, which

Publisher’s Letter

By Michael A. Morris michael@atljewishtimes.com

predates its synagogue, built in 1906, by more than 60 years, did not begin as Chabad; however, the congregants chose a Chabad rabbi about 10 years ago to be their chief spiritual leader.

In another coincidence — something Rabbi Minkowicz does not believe in; rather, he sees the hand of G-d at work — I had met the rabbi’s wife, Sarah, a native of Johannesburg, some 10 years ago when she was working for Rabbi Minkowicz’s summer camp.

Rabbi Feldman, when visiting the United States, was set up on a date with her in Atlanta that summer. They ultimately married and moved to Cape Town as new shluchim.

Now that we know it is a small

world after all, let me share with you what I learned. Rabbi Feldman believes that about 16,000 Jews live in Cape Town and that they represent a little over 5,000 family units.

Cape Town has eight synagogues.

I asked what percentage of the Jews there belong to one of these shuls.

That is when he explained to me that engagement in South Africa is different from engagement in America.

Virtually all 16,000 Jews in Cape Town belong to one of the synagogues. He guessed that over 95 percent of all Jewish children go to Jewish day school, and virtually all Jewish children celebrate becoming b’nai mitzvah.

The same is true of belonging to the Jewish Community Center, engaging with the Jewish Federation and, of course, attending summer camp. Now this is an attribute to be commended.

Being Jewish in South Africa is not a question up for discussion.

There are questions as to how engaged each person is in the community. And while most of the synagogues are Orthodox, the majority of Cape Town’s Jews do not keep kosher, nor do

they fully observe Shabbat.

Religious observance is open to individual interpretation, but being a Jew is not a choice. It is woven into the nishama of society, an attribute to aspire to.

My last question about the Jewish community was whether it has a newspaper. The answer is yes. What percentage of the community receives the paper? As you might surmise, 100 percent. What admirable engagement.

For me, for the AJT, it’s an attribute to strive for.

Just think: A community oneeighth the size of our Jewish community in Atlanta has a newspaper with a readership loosely approximating our readership.

In truth, it is not just our readership that disheartens me. Atlanta has eight times as many Jews as Cape Town, but we might have only two or three times as many people who are truly engaged with the community.

Spend a few moments thinking about what our community would look like if we even had 50 percent 11 engagement. ■ JULY 15 ▪ 2016

In May, two of my daughters had graduation milestones. My oldest, Jacqueline, graduated from Washington University, and Lydia finished Woodward Academy High School.

(I must make a quick interjection and note that Jacqueline, several of her friends and half a dozen other adult children I know who graduated from university this May are still searching for jobs. Jobs for graduates are scarce, regardless of any economic statistics.)

I took some of my children on safari in the southern part of Africa for their accolades — certainly a very different vacation.

Whenever I travel to another country, I text Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz of Chabad of North Fulton and ask him whether there is a Chabad rabbi I can visit. When I was in Cape Town, South Africa, I sent my usual text. As always, the response was “Of course!”

Two days later I met with Rabbi Osher Feldman, who, as it turns out, is the chief rabbi of the oldest and larg-

AJT

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Wiesel a Champion in the Cause of Humanity Saturday, July 2, marked the passing of a human being who was revered not only by Jews, but also by Christians and people of conscience throughout the world, Elie Wiesel.

Much has been much said and written about Wiesel, including a message about him from the president of Hadassah, Ellen Hershkin. I will quote from that message in a moment, but first I want to share with you something actually a bit funny.

Wiesel spent the early years of his life in the same small town as my mom and her family: Sighet in what is now Romania. Of course, most of the Jews in such a small town knew one another, so my mom knew Elie when he was a young boy, although she was about 10 years older than he was. In fact, Elie’s family used to buy groceries from my grandparents, who ran a provisions store in town.

This past year my mom, who is now almost 97 years old, was interviewed by someone who is assembling testimony about the Holocaust from those who survived it. This person interviewed my mom for several hours about what life was like in her town of Sighet before and during the Holocaust.

My mom recalled many interesting details of her life in Sighet, and she specifically recalled the Wiesel family and how they used to buy groceries in her parents’ store. When the interviewer asked her what she remembered about them, she replied that she

Guest Column

By Livia Sklar

didn’t like them because they were always late in paying their bills.

I had to laugh when I heard this because it was the only negative thing I’ve ever heard about the Wiesel family.

In fact, Elie Wiesel, if he were Catholic, would probably have been nominated for sainthood years ago.

In the course of his life, he wrote books about the Holocaust, spoke out for many humanitarian causes and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

With respect to Hadassah, Wiesel was a contributor to our magazine and one of the judges for the prize it awards for outstanding Jewish fiction.

He was also a recipient of the Henrietta Szold Award for his generosity of spirit, his faith in humanity and his

Cartoon by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com

overall involvement with Hadassah.

This is what Wiesel said about Hadassah: “Hadassah is more than an organization; it’s a family — a family that loves and is loved. It loves to help those in need, the weak and the ill — in short, those who need help. And it is a family that is loved because it does these things with as much devotion as competence. … The women of Hadassah know what they want to do, and they do it well.”

What can we do to honor the memory of Elie Wiesel? For one thing, we can try to follow his example in

speaking the truth. As he said, “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”

And as Ellen Hershkin wrote, “We can honor his memory, his bravery and his love of humanity with our deeds.”

Which is exactly what our Metulla group is all about. ■ Alpharetta resident Livia Sklar is the education vice president of Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Metulla group.

Social Justice in Memory of Elie Wiesel

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

The philosopher Isaiah Berlin quotes historian Lewis Namier’s response to an English peer’s query.

The peer asked why Namier, a Jew, researched and wrote only about English history and not about the history of his own people. Namier’s reply: “There is no modern Jewish history. There is only a Jewish martyrology, and that is not amusing enough for me.”

To a great extent we Jews have been preoccupied with our martyrs who died al kiddush Hashem — to sanctify G-d’s name. As a result, we have developed a view that proposes a relationship between our belief in being “chosen people” and anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Yitzchak Lev, the Berdichiver rebbe, in a discourse with G-d, asked whether it was perhaps time for G-d to elevate another people to chosen status so that we no longer should suffer.

During memorial services we 12 offer a prayer for those killed in the

AJT

Holocaust because of their loyalty to G-d — in short, that the members of my family died martyrs’ deaths.

One Man’s Opinion

By Eugen Schoenfeld

That is not so. Martyrs are given a choice. They can renounce their faith and live. None of us who died or survived the Holocaust had a choice.

It is time that we accept reality: Genocide and all forms of holocausts are the result of the absence of personal virtues and social justice.

The Holocaust was not a unique event in Jewish history. It was the consequence of a nearly 2-millennia-old perspective that began when Christianity became Rome’s official religion.

Roman laws were designed to separate Christianity from Judaism

and Christian supersession. This separation was achieved by Paul’s rejection of the two fundamental moral ideals in Judaism: the command to become a holy people and to live in a just society.

How do people become holy? By adding “e” to “human.”

We are born human, but our task is to evolve to a higher moral state to become humane beings.

That is the part Hillel referred to as the fundamental human character that encompasses the virtues of loving, caring and empathy and thus makes us capable to perform gemilath chassodim, the practice of kindness.

But the elevation of the individual’s character without a just society is an act that is nullified — that is, without the elevation of society to become just, humanity doesn’t gain anything.

Many Germans were caring people, but their quality was obfuscated by their evil and unjust society.

Elie Wiesel was depicted as the conscience of the world. His Holocaust experience led him to conclude, as I

did in my books, that Jewish experiences were not so much the result of evil individuals, although such people exacerbated them. Instead, like Sodom, they were the consequence of selfish and unjust societies.

He saw the European world as Abraham saw Sodom and Gomorrah: as the epitome of unjust societies. Like the ancient prophets, he sought to implement justice.

The Jewish tragedy, as Wiesel saw it, was the consequence of injustice, which often resulted from wrongly treated historical memories and immoral conceptions in religion. It is time that we the Jewish people reject the ideals of an unforgiving historical memory and renounce any form of genocide and any justification for it.

Let us remember that there should be but one law governing the stranger, the temporary residents and the citizens. We must remember, just as Wiesel would have declared, that we must strive to establish a world governed by the principles of justice. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Letters to the Editor Not With Trump

In response to Bernie Marcus (“Why I’m With Trump,” June 10), here’s why I’m not with Trump: 1. His Supreme Court nominees do not provide balance. These Scalia-type nominees take our country backward.

2. His positions on many women’s legal family planning and health care choices are punitive.

3. His complete lack of common sense in being open to restricting or controlling the sale of certain assault firearms shows no concern for the violence that is occurring far too often in our communities.

4. Coarseness, vulgarity and total self-promotion are not welcome virtues. This is not the direction I would take, and I am not a member of the media or academia.

— Livvy Kazer Lipson, Atlanta

Nor Crooked Hillary

Elliot Levitas’ guest column (“Reject Vile Trump; Make America Greater,” July 1) has many questionable statements that describe Donald Trump as some sort of really bad person.

The writer has the right to share his words in our wonderful country with freedom of expression. However, he left out any description of Hillary Clinton’s history of political actions and failures, the words of multiple writers who have published books on the Clintons’ personal forays, the FBI’s investigation of her personal server, which could have been hacked, her proposed spending plans that would increase our national debt to $30 trillion or more, her desire to kill our own energy industry, her support for trade plans that will keep jobs out of America, and much more that would hurt average Americans and their families.

The rest of us don’t get the same opportunity for getting our politicians

to listen to us and do what they were elected for. So if we keep going in the Obama direction, as Clinton wants to do with vigor, how can you call America great as it is when there are ways to make America great(er) again?

What we need to do is elect Donald Trump our next president so he can fix the leaks in America’s lifestyle and economy. We have all had enough lies and know that we’re tired of “hope and change.”

— Don Memberg, Sandy Springs

J Street’s Approach Wrong

Daniel Arnon wrote about the difficult choices facing Israel (“2-State Solution: A Fantasy Worth Pursuing,” June 3). He lamented perceived racism in Israeli society and Israel’s apparent failure to take bold moves for peace. He concluded that this situation leads him to support J Street leader Jeremy Ben Ami’s vision for change.

Those who want Israel to survive, and those who want a two-state solution, should not be backing J Street. It calls for one-sided pressure on Israel and more aid to Palestinians while ignoring unwavering Palestinian rejection of a permanent Israel of any size.

A two-state solution in that tiny area can only come about when Palestinian desire for statehood replaces the obsession with destroying Israel.

Advances in peace have been driven by Arab leaders such as President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, who was actually prepared to make peace. Israeli leaders of every stripe have taken courageous and risky initiatives when there actually is a peace partner. Mahmoud Abbas has shown that he is not a peace partner, and his likely successors could be worse. Palestinian leaders are given a free pass for racism and incitement to violence that would be the target of immediate international excoriation if

uttered by any Israeli leader.

One-sided “bold moves” such as the Gaza handover led to the election of Hamas and thousands of rocket attacks. The handover of much of the West Bank to Fatah led to more attacks, combined with more demands and intensified political warfare.

Faced with an implacable foe, Israel has very limited options. It cannot survive the West Bank becoming a base for rocket launchers as did Gaza.

Rather than call for pressure on Israel, those who want peace should call for Palestinian leaders to be held responsible for their actions. Aid should be made contingent on ending incitement and replacing indoctrination for endless conflict with education for peace. In addition, there has to be a realization that it will take decades to resolve the conflict, and “bold moves” could well make things far worse.

— Doron Lubinsky, Sandy Springs

Arab Steps Toward Peace

That Mahmoud Abbas asserted that the “only solution is the 2002 Arab peace plan with no changes” is convincing evidence that he does not seek peace with Israel (“EU Opening,” Our View, July 1).

Even the Saudis have realized that

Israel must have some say in the numbers of Palestinian refugees (mostly grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Arabs who fled the 1948 Arabinitiated war against Israel) whom Israel will allow to move into Israel. This is especially true given that the Palestinians have been raised on a constant diet of anti-Jewish invective and taught that Israel’s rebirth was the cause of all of the Palestinians’ problems.

The truth is that real negotiations are a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for achieving peace. Israel cannot be expected to withdraw from territory and dismantle Jewish communities for the promise of recognition by the Arab nations of the Middle East. The Arab nations need to admit, openly, that they are willing to ally with Israel against Iran’s threats toward both Israel and themselves; they need to cease anti-Jewish incitement and stop funding Islamist terrorism.

They also need to repeal their laws that deny Palestinians citizenship and economic opportunity, and they must institute programs to guarantee that aid to the Palestinians is used to build the infrastructure required for a viable state willing to live, peaceably, beside the nation-state of the Jews.

— Toby F. Block, Atlanta

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

OPINION

AJT 13

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Positive Message Starts With Gratitude

By R.M. Grossblatt

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

I once thought that Modeh Ani, the 12-word prayer recited upon waking up, was just for children. When I became observant, I found out differently. Since then, I recite Modeh Ani as soon as I open my eyes in the morning, but I’m not always focused on what I’m saying.

After attending Chabad Intown’s gratitude seminar, “Waking Up to Life,” on Thursday, June 23, I’m concentrating more on Modeh Ani, thanking G-d for giving me another precious day of life.

Streaming live on Facebook, Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, the director of Chabad Intown, addressed an in-person crowd of about 30 people, who discussed being thankful, watched video clips and filled in a booklet of learning exercises.

The message of the first exercise, “How to Be Happy,” permeated the seminar. The basic premise was to choose between green and red pills that could solve our problems. The green pill could provide whatever people desired.

With the red pill, people would never

AJT 14

get anything else for the rest of their lives but would be happy with whatever they had.

“It’s essentially a choice between being happy with little or being happy with everything,” the text read. “Which would you choose and why?”

Rabbi Schusterman played a video clip about the rising rates of depression all over the world. Bar graphs showed that as levels of material prosperity have risen, so has depression.

“If we’re so rich, why aren’t we happy?” the Chabad rabbi asked.

“Material things are finite,” he said, “and the eternal drive isn’t satisfied with the finite.”

Often, it’s the journey to achieve something that’s exciting; once that thing is achieved, a new bar is raised.

“We’re never going to find happiness in the attainment of goals,” Rabbi Schusterman said. “Nobody in life says, ‘I’ve got enough.’ ” How to achieve and sustain happiness from within is the challenge.

We’re often distracted from that internal focus, the rabbi said. Plus, it’s human nature to dwell on the negative.

If we do nine positive things and one

Photos by R.M. Grossblatt

Above: A teacher from Torah Day School, Rosita Lew, shows gratitude to Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman after his presentation on the value of being grateful.

Below: The “Waking Up to Life” seminar concludes with some suggested takeaways.

negative in a day, we stay up at night thinking about the negative.

“The world has tapped into this negativity,” Rabbi Schusterman said.

TV news, newspapers and news websites often follow the saying “If it bleeds, it leads.” Happiness researcher and GoodThink founder Shawn Achor has said our negativity bias has some benefits, such as helping us avoid danger, but being absorbed in negativity makes it hard to maintain a positive attitude.

Still, the world is not all doom and gloom, the rabbi said. He said Brian Tracy in the book “Getting Rich Your Own Way” writes that we can rewire our minds by reading something passionate and investing in ourselves before we go negative.

Rabbi Schusterman offered four Torah suggestions on how to invest in a positive outlook: • List your blessings.

• Dwell on one or two.

• Thank your benefactors.

• Thank G-d.

“The brain has unbelievable power to rewire itself,” said Rabbi Schusterman, who suggested that the best times to make the effort are before we fall asleep at night and when we wake up.

Meditating on two or three of the day’s successes at night can help us wake with positive feelings.

The rabbi called the moment when we awake an “alpha wave moment,” a good time to be thankful.

That’s where Modeh Ani comes in. Recited in Hebrew or English, the prayer thanks G-d for His great compassion in believing in us.

“Articulating kindness done for us, whether to G-d or others, makes it real,” Rabbi Schusterman said. If we want to develop a positive attitude, we can start by being grateful to G-d: “Look who’s giving me these blessings. There’s someone who values me, who finds me important.”

For me, the most meaningful experience of the seminar came near the end when we watched a video of a robust 13-year-old giving his bar mitzvah speech. The boy implored everyone to recite Modeh Ani in the morning and be thankful to G-d for another day of life.

To look at and listen to him, you wouldn’t know the daily struggles the boy had endured from birth. Every four hours, around the clock, he had to be injected with something his body needed to stay alive. The video showed him in the hospital, at a skating rink, at simcha celebrations with his family, and he was always smiling.

Rabbi Schusterman said the boy died shortly after celebrating his bar mitzvah.

The “Waking Up to Life” booklet is “dedicated in loving memory of Menachem Mendel Cotlar … a master of gratitude … who inspired hundreds to count and cherish the blessings in their own lives.” I’m one of them. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Photos by Emma Anderson

The Packaged Good is at 5517 ChambleeDunwoody Road in Dunwoody.

People crowd into the Packaged Good to prepare bags with supplies for the needy.

Elana Satisky helps two girls make care packages for homeless people.

Nonprofit Store Packages Lessons in Good When Sally Mundell’s husband, Grover, died 3½ years ago, she wanted to honor his last wish to teach children to give back to others.

Mundell, a veteran of Spanx and a member of Temple Emanu-El, saw that dream realized with the grand opening of the Packaged Good, a not-for-profit store in Dunwoody where children and adults can color tote bags that are filled with toiletries and school supplies for people in need.

“We talked about what he would want me to teach (our) girls,” Mundell said of her last days with her husband.

“The main thing he kept talking about was if he had a second chance with his lungs, he would give back more to the world. He would focus on the children and teach them to give back.”

After Mundell saw charity incorporated into birthday parties, the idea for the Packaged Good was born. She said everything she needed just fell into place.

A test run out of her house was successful. The storefront of an art studio where she once took daughters Ruby and Matilda was vacant. Friends with careers in consulting volunteered to help.

“Dreams just work out,” Mundell said. “It was perfect timing for everything. It just all came together.”

The Packaged Good’s concept is simple: using art to bring a smile to someone’s face while also giving that person necessities. The store, at 5517 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road in Dunwoody, is set up with four pods, one for

each featured recipient group: soldiers; senior citizens and lower-income nursing home residents; homeless adults; and children.

A visitor to the Packaged Good colors a designed bag, then fills it with one of each item designated for the targeted group — toiletries for adults and back-to-school supplies for children.

The bags are placed in a drop-off zone, where a volunteer network picks them up for delivery — except for the bags going to nursing homes. Those are delivered by children, who take the bags to each room and greet each resident.

Visitors can make as many bags as they want, and when they’re done, they get a wall card that reads, “I did good.”

“I had a girl here who spent four hours making bags,” Mundell said. “It was just great. We’re trying to create a whole giving experience, a positive giving experience. They’re helping others.”

The Packaged Good completed 1,000 bags in the first month after its soft opening June 1, and an additional 600 bags were decorated and filled at the store’s grand opening Saturday, July 2. Mundell said she expects to exceed this year’s goal of 16,000 bags.

Drop-in hours, when anyone may stop by to create a bag, are Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The organization also hosts special events for birthday parties, corporate volunteer days and moms’ nights out and for other organizations such as the Boy Scouts.

“The kids are really engaged and excited,” Mundell said. “It’s really great to see the conversations and the questions they’re asking: Why don’t people

have toothpaste? They’re very curious.

They’re loving it. They love to color and be creative, and they’re really enjoying that.”

One girl comes almost every weekend and hands out fliers to get the word out about the nonprofit organization.

“You’ll see pockets of that, people who are really passionate and engaged,” Mundell said. “We have Boy Scouts who have really enjoyed coming in and doing this too. It’s fun to watch the boys do it as well and wanting to come back again.” ■

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com

AJT 15

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Your Guide To Atlanta’s Jewish Nonprofits

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

With this issue we offer a brief directory to help you navigate through Atlanta’s wealth of worthwhile nonprofit organizations.

For each organization, we tried to offer a website and, when available, a phone number, as well as professional and lay leadership.

We contacted the organizations and asked them to verify their information and to provide us with a brief summary of what they do. In some cases, we had to create those summaries ourselves based on our dealings with the organizations and their available online materials.

We did not include day schools, religious schools, camps, synagogues and synagogue-type organizations, simply because we provide issues devoted to those nonprofits at other times of the year. For example, our annual synagogue issue, including coverage of religious schools, is coming out Aug. 19.

We do hope that all of Atlanta’s Jewish organizations will take advantage of the opportunity to send the community New Year’s messages in our Rosh Hashanah issue Sept. 30.

We also did not include the many family foundations and other philanthropic organizations that often operate behind the scenes to fund the many nonprofit groups that provide services to the community. That’s perhaps a guide for another day.

As always, we did our best to be as complete and accurate as possible with this directory, and we apologize for any errors or omissions. Send any corrections or suggested additions to mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com. For the most current version of this directory, including photos of many of the leaders listed here, visit our website, atlantajewishtimes.com.

AJT 16

ALEF Fund www.aleffund.org, 678-222-3739 Coordinator Karen Campbell Board Chair Mitchell Kopelman The ALEF Fund offers Georgia taxpayers a simple way to redirect a portion of their state income taxes to be used for scholarships at any of 16 participating Jewish preschools and day schools.

American Israel Public Affairs Committee Southeast Region www.aipac.org, 770-541-7610 Southeast Regional Director Elliot Mendes

Atlanta Chair Fred Shaftman AIPAC aims to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of both nations.

American Jewish Committee Atlanta Chapter www.ajcatlanta.org, 404-233-5501 Regional Director Dov Wilker Regional President Greg Averbuch AJC’s Atlanta Regional Office works to bridge the gap between the Atlanta Jewish community and other ethnic and faith communities. AJC Atlanta also works with the diplomatic corps representing foreign governments across the Southeast.

Americans United With Israel americaunitedwithisrael.org, 404-563-2227 President Kaylene Ladinsky Americans United with Israel provides awareness of the value of democracy in the Middle East and Israel, encourages and facilitates Israel education programs for children and the general public, and improves the lives of underprivileged Israelis.

Anti-Defamation League Southeast Region atlanta.adl.org, 404-262-3470 Regional Interim Director Shelley Rose Regional Board Chair Steve Pepper For over 100 years, ADL has led the fight against racism, bigotry, intolerance and anti-Semitism and is the leader in providing diversity education in schools, communities and workplaces.

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival ajff.org, 404-528-2614 Executive Director Kenny Blank Board President Steve Labovitz AJFF, with its year-round programming, including the largest Jewish film festival in the world, seeks to inspire communities to new levels of social and cultural understanding by entertaining diverse audiences with film through a Jewish lens.

Atlanta Jewish Music Festival www.atlantajmf.org Executive Director Russell Gottschalk President Becky Herring AJMF uses music year-round, including a signature spring festival of world music, to grow the Jewish community and celebrate our heritage.

Atlanta Kosher Commission kosheratlanta.org, 404-634-4063 Director of Supervision Rabbi Reuven Stein An Orthodox, community-based kosher supervision agency, the AKC certifies over 150 companies in the Southeast and beyond, including manufacturing facilities, bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and caterers.

Atlanta Scholars Kollel www.atlantakollel.org, 404-321-4085 Dean Rabbi David Silverman Board Co-Presidents Eric Bern and Raanon Gal The Atlanta Scholars Kollel is a group of rabbis and families dedicated to engaging high school and college students and adults in the beauty of our heritage by imparting Jewish knowledge through text learning and discussions, as well as spirituality through Jewish experiences such as Shabbat and holiday programs and meals.

Birthright Israel Atlanta www.jewishatlanta.org/what-we-do/israeloverseas/birthright, 678-222-3746 Engagement and Leadership Development Manager Jessica Segal National board member Doug Ross Three Birthright Israel Atlanta community trips each year bring a total of 120 people ages 22 to 26 to Israel for 10 days. The Atlanta community trips are organized by Israel Outdoors, the largest Birthright provider. Birthright Israel Atlanta also offers events to Birthright alumni and the Atlanta Jewish young adult community.

B’nai B’rith International Achim/Gate City Lodge pinchhitters.org, 770-645-1239 President Karen Weinberg B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. The Pinch Hitters Program provides volunteer replacements for hospital workers so Christians can have Christmas off.

Breman Jewish Heritage Museum www.thebreman.org, 678-222-3700 Executive Director Aaron Berger Board Chair Craig Frankel The Breman, Atlanta’s Jewish museum, celebrating its 20th year, offers exhibitions, events and programs covering Jewish culture, art and history. The museum also is home to the Weinberg Center for Holocaust Education and the Cuba Family Archives for Southern Jewish History.

Camp Living Wonders www.camplivingwonders.org, 678-888-2259 Directors Noah and Chanie Pawliger Camp Living Wonders is the Southeast’s only Jewish residential summer camp built to empower people 7 and older with special needs — including autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Fragile X, PDD and LD/ADD/ADHD/NODD — and their families to integrate into the community with confidence and independence.

Conexx: America Israel Business Connector www.conexx.org, 404-843-9426 President Guy Tessler Board Chairman Ben Fink Conexx creates business opportunities for Israelis looking to expand in the U.S. and Americans looking for entry into Israel.

The business connector provides access to groundbreaking technologies and to partners in the Southeast, Israel and beyond through exchanges, networking and corporate business missions to Israel.

Etgar 36 www.etgar.org, 404-456-6605 Executive Director Billy Planer Etgar 36 is a Jewish educational institute devoted to using group journeys to cultivate American and Jewish identities in a manner that sharpens social and political awareness, critical thinking skills, and a sense of how to create change in the world.

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Southeast Region www.fidf.org/Southeast, 678-250-9030 Executive Director Seth Baron Regional Chairman Garry Sobel FIDF offers educational, cultural, recre-

ational and social service programs and facilities to support the well-being of the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide, as well as their families.

Friendship Circle of Atlanta www.fcatlanta.org, 404 205-5994 Executive Director Rabbi Yale New Director Rickelle New Friendship Circle of Atlanta addresses the challenges facing families of individuals with special needs. Innovative programming and volunteers create friendships and inclusion, bridging the gap between the typical and special needs communities and giving people with special needs the opportunity to celebrate and learn about their Jewish heritage.

Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange www2.gsu.edu/~crirxf/gilee.htm, 404-413-1035 Founding Director Robbie Friedmann GILEE, a research unit of Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, improves public safety by enhancing interagency cooperation and educational training among law enforcement communities by offering best practices and sources of excellence in a peer-to-peer environment.

Hadassah Greater Atlanta www.hadassah.org/atlanta, 678-443-2961 Super South Hub Managing Director Crystal Anderson President Paula Zucker Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, inspires a passion for and commitment to the land and people of Israel. It enhances the health of people worldwide through the Hadassah Medical Organization. It empowers members and supporters through opportunities for personal growth, education, advocacy and Jewish continuity.

Hebrew Order of David www.hodnorthamerica.org North American Governing Lodge President David Joss HOD is an international fraternity of Jewish men dedicated to the continuity of the Jewish people and performing acts of charity to enhance the lives of HOD brethren and the community at large. Atlanta has four lodges: Carmel (Sandy Springs), Bezalel (Cobb), Magen David (Toco Hills/intown) and Shimshon (Johns Creek/Alpharetta).

Hillels of Georgia hillelsofgeorgia.org, 404-963-2548 Executive Director Rabbi Russ Shulkes President Michael Coles Hillels of Georgia serves more than 5,000 students across the state through Jewish programming, leadership training and advocacy to ensure that the next generation of Jews will be ready to carry the Jewish torch.

Ian’s Friends Foundation www.iansfriendsfoundation.com, 404-9660752 Executive Director Amy Kane Co-founders Cheryl and Phil Yagoda IFF’s mission is to undertake and support initiatives at research institutions around the country that focus on developing therapeutic methodologies for the treatment of pediatric brain tumors, for which, historically, little research had been done.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

InterfaithFamily/Atlanta www.interfaithfamily.com/atlanta, 404-991-2238 Director Rabbi Malka Packer IFF/Atlanta offers programs, from “Love and Religion” workshops to holiday parties and Shabbat gatherings, and strives to be as welcoming and inclusive as possible to support and empower interfaith couples and families.

Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation jajf.org, 404-537-5253 Operations Director Lindsey King President Jon Albert JAJF provides memorable experiences to children facing the imminent loss of a young mom or dad to cancer. Oncologists prescribe JAJF as part of the treatment protocol for the patient, the spouse and their children.

What began as the William Breman Jewish Home has expanded to become a comprehensive system of life care communities and services to meet the many needs of seniors and their families. Jewish Home Life Communities combines the Breman Home, Aviv Rehabilitation Center, Zaban Tower, Cohen Home, Berman Commons, One Group, Meyer Balser NORC and Weinstein Hospice.

Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta jifla.org, 470-268-5665 Executive Director Nancy Weissmann President Laura Kahn Travis JIFLA provides interest-free loans to help fellow Jews in the Atlanta area maintain financial stability through periods of financial distress with an alternative to high-interest-rate debt.

Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta jcrcatlanta.wordpress.com, 678-222-3740 Administrator Noah Appley President Harvey Rickles JCRC Atlanta educates and advocates on vital issues and provides a common table for Atlanta’s Jewish community. The organization provides textbooks about Israel and Judaism to teachers and sponsors programs such as Georgia legislative activism, the Holocaust Community Council, lectures and town hall meetings.

Jewish Kids Groups www.jewishkidsgroups.com, 404-913-9554 Executive Director Ana Robbins Board President Susan Levitas JKG is an independent network of Jewish supplementary schools that educate and inspire children in a way that feels like summer camp, engendering positive Jewish learning, identity and friendships. Locations in Morningside, the Old 4th Ward and Congregation Or VeShalom in Brookhaven serve students in preschool through seventh grade.

Jewish Educational Loan Fund jelf.org, 770-396-3080 CEO Jenna Shulman President Marianne Daniels Garber JELF grants interest-free, last-dollar loans for higher education to Jewish students in need. Since 1961, JELF has granted over $10 million to 4,000-plus students in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia and has a 99 percent repayment rate.

Jewish National Fund Southeast Region www.jnf.org/about-jnf/in-your-area/southernzone/southeast, 404-236-8990 Southeast Executive Director Beth Gluck Southeast Board Co-Presidents Alan Wolk and Howard Wexler JNF, which helped re-establish a Jewish homeland in Israel, is following its “$1 Billion Roadmap for the Next Decade,” an innovative plan for Israel’s future.

Its Blueprint Negev program has made the Negev Desert an attractive place to live and work, and Go North is growing tourism and increasing employment in northern Israel.

Jewish Family & Career Services www.JFCSatl.org, 770-677-9300 CEO Rick Aranson President John Perlman JF&CS improves the quality of life and builds self-sufficiency for individuals and families in greater Atlanta through counseling, career support, addiction programs, dental care, and services for older adults and for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The agency serves more than 30,000 people a year regardless of age, race, religion, national origin or ability to pay.

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta www.jewishatlanta.org, 404-873-1661 CEO Eric Robbins (as of August) Chairman Joel Marks Federation provides opportunities, care, connection, support and strength for the greater Atlanta Jewish community, for Israel and for Jews globally. The vision is for a thriving, inclusive Atlanta community with healthy organizations that engage every generation to secure our Jewish future.

Federation values compassion, diversity, generosity and commitment to Jewish values and to our people worldwide.

Jewish Home Life Communities www.jewishhomelife.org, 404-351-8410 CEO Harley Tabak Board Chair H. Stephen Merlin

Jewish Student Union of Atlanta jewishstudentunion.com, 678-666-5678 Director Rabbi Chaim Neiditch JSU supports Jewish clubs at public and non-Jewish private high schools and offers activities outside school to give thousands of students the chance to do something Jewish.

Jewish War Veterans Post 112 www.jwv.org, robertjmax@gmail.com Post Commander Robert Max JWV Atlanta Post 112 supports military veterans and active-duty personnel. The post raises funds for and volunteers at the VA hospital and nursing homes, Operation Homefront, blood drives, and the USO. Monthly meetings feature interesting speakers. Membership is open to veterans and nonveterans.

Jewish Women’s Connection of Atlanta www.jwcatlanta.org Co-Directors Julie Silverman and Batsheva Gelbtuch Co-Presidents Helen Zalik and Bev Lewyn JWCAtlanta connects women through friendship, learning and Jewish values that transform and impact them, their families and the community. Free trips to Israel,

inspiring classes, and interactive, dynamic programming create a unity among Jewish women that transcends all barriers.

Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta www.jwfatlanta.org, 678-222-3716 Executive Director Rachel Wasserman Board Chair Lisa Haynor Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta expands opportunities in the lives of Jewish women and girls via grants, advocacy and education through a gender lens. The grants provide sustainable benefits. Jewish Women’s Fund empowers women to be leaders, philanthropists and decision-makers.

JScreen jscreen.org, 404-778-8640 Senior Director Karen Arnovitz Grinzaid Board Chairman Larry Smith JScreen is a Jewish genetic screening program for anyone planning to start or expand a family. JScreen provides affordable, at-home saliva testing for over 100 diseases, including those most common in people with Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrahi ancestry. JScreen has become the national resource for Jewish genetic screening.

Kollel Ner Hamizrach kollelnh.org, 404-594-5999 Executive Director Rabbi David Kapenstein Kollel Ner Hamizrach’s 10 young rabbis, who study Talmud under Rabbi Eliezer Cohen, teach and tutor in the evenings throughout Jewish Atlanta. Kollel Ner Hamizrach aims to create a bastion of Torah scholarship, serve as a catalyst to encourage young couples to move here, and share Torah knowledge and traditions with Jews of all affiliations.

Limmud Atlanta + Southeast www.limmudse.org, 404-507-6322 Staff member Leslie Mallard Board Chair Nina Rubin Limmud Atlanta + Southeast is a Jewish learning and leadership organization whose mission is to celebrate Jewish life and learning by bringing together Jews of all backgrounds, affiliations and ages.

Limmud is committed to diversity, learning in its broadest sense, and volunteerism. The capstone event, LimmudFest, is held over Labor Day weekend at the Ramah Darom Retreat Center.

Marcus Jewish Community Center www.atlantajcc.org, 678-812-4000 CEO Jared Powers Board Chair Joel Arogeti The Marcus JCC is committed to strengthening the quality of life throughout metro Atlanta. From preschoolers and adolescents to young adults and active seniors, the center offers engaging programs, events and services for every member of the Jewish community.

Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah www.atlantamikvah.org, 404-549-9679 Executive Director Barbara LeNoble Board Chair Caryn Hanrahan In addition to its traditional uses, mikvah has been used in recent years for creative expressions that acknowledge personal milestones and journeys. MACoM takes a unique view of the time-held traditions we Jews observe year after year. The interdenominational mikvah is a one-of-a-kind Georgia facility where all are welcome.

National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section www.ncjwatlanta.org, 404-843-9600 President Rachel Rosner National Council of Jewish Women tutors students and provides supplies and coats for Title I schools. NCJW raises money with the Bargainata store at 6600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special sales are planned for the Georgia sales tax holiday.

ORT Atlanta www.ortatlanta.org, 404-327-5266 Regional Director Jay Tenenbaum Board President Harvey Spiegel ORT America promotes the understanding and appreciation of Jewish values through a network of schools and training programs in 63 countries. The cutting-edge educational skills acquired at ORT schools, colleges and international programs provide marketable skills that enable 300,000 students and beneficiaries annually to attain successful careers, become community leaders and live independently.

PJ Library in Atlanta www.jewishatlanta.org/what-we-do/ensuringthe-jewish-future/welcome-to-pj-library-inatlanta, 404-870-1870 PJ Library and Engagement Associate Nathan Brodsky PJ Library in Atlanta, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation powered by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, gives age-appropriate, Jewish-themed books and CDs, along with diverse programming, to children ages 6 months to 8 years old in Jewish homes.

Second Helpings Atlanta www.secondhelpingsatlanta.org, 678-894-9761 Executive Director Joe Labriola Board representative from Temple Sinai Myron Smith Second Helpings Atlanta is a food rescue organization dedicated to fighting hunger and reducing food waste in metro Atlanta.

SHA’s 500 volunteer drivers rescue excess nutritious food daily from over 60 food donors and deliver it to over 30 partner agencies that serve people in need.

The Sixth Point thesixthpoint.org, 470-210-6847 CEO Michelle Krebs Levy The Sixth Point is an independent, nondenominational Jewish community in Atlanta for adults in their 20s and 30s (ish). Events once or twice a month range from social to cultural, spiritual to intellectual, and everything in between. There’s a little something for everyone.

SOJOURN www.sojourngsd.org, 404-275-4637 Executive Director Rebecca Stapel-Wax Board President Leanne Rubenstein SOJOURN: The Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity advances lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer affirmation and acceptance across the South. SOJOURN works with faith leaders and local communities to increase education and understanding of gender and sexual diversity through safe space education, the Welcoming Communities Project and suicide prevention programs.

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

LOCAL NEWS

AJT 17

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Marathon Run to Rabbinate Leads to Sinai

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

The best way to get to know the new rabbi at Temple Sinai might be to don a pair of running shoes and hit the road. After all, it worked for her husband.

Rabbi Sam Shabman, who was ordained at Hebrew Union College in New York in May and started at Sinai at the beginning of July, married her rabbinic classmate, Andrew (Natan) Trief, at the end of September in what proved to be a match made in the seminary and sealed in marathons from New York to Jerusalem.

“Natan was just getting into running, and we kind of got into it together,” Rabbi Shabman said.

The two rabbis-to-be met at a mixer for their class in 2011, became friends during their first year of studies in Jerusalem, developed a romance back in New York in 2012 and got engaged just before the finish line of the Paris Marathon last year.

Rabbi Shabman said she grew up in a marathon culture in Westchester, N.Y. Her father ran the New York City Marathon every year, and “I always used to say that my favorite holiday was Marathon Sunday, which was the first Sunday in November.”

Now the 27-year-old and her husband, a veteran of Wall Street and of the Israel Defense Forces, are running south just in time to experience their first Atlanta summer.

“I just love to explore the world and be outside and hike and try new kinds of food and walk with friends,” she said. “I just like to squeeze every drop out of life that I can.”

While Rabbi Shabman joins the

Rabbi Sam Shabman doesn’t have family or close friends in Atlanta but says it’s a place she could see planting deep roots. “I feel like I have million friends and family in Atlanta now because everyone in the temple has been so warm and reaching out to me.”

clergy at Sinai, replacing Rabbi Elana Perry, who moved to Cincinnati, Rabbi Trief is getting ready to take the pulpit at Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge, La. He’ll be on site at the synagogue 10 days a month, plus special events and holidays, and in Atlanta the rest of the time.

“One of the exciting things about the placement process is that we just met the most incredible people everywhere we went, and it really gave us a renewed sense of purpose and a sense of, like, the world needs rabbis, and Baton Rouge really needed a rabbi, and he’s going to fill that need,” Rabbi Shabman said.

Meanwhile, Sinai felt like the right fit for her, not least because of its running group.

“It seems like a place where people are really authentic and really care

about one another, and a lot of interesting and exciting things are going on there that I hadn’t really seen anywhere else, and a place where I could really be myself,” Rabbi Shabman said in an interview after her hiring in April.

She was attracted by the congregation’s Imagine Sinai initiative, which she said shows a commitment to the future of synagogue life and to innovation, and she loved the variety of groups and programming and the opportunity to developing programs for people in their 20s and 30s.

“But really it was about the people that I met and the feeling I got when I was there,” she said. “I didn’t really feel that in other places.”

She found that her vision for a Jewish future aligned with Sinai’s.

“It’s really important, I think, for congregants to feel known and loved.

It’s not about feeling known, and it’s not about feeling loved. It’s about both.

And I think that Sinai really works to do that, and I didn’t find that at a lot of temples I went to,” Rabbi Shabman said. “At the end of day, it’s really about people, and their vision is very relational, and I think that fits with who I am and what I dream about.”

She has dreamed about being a rabbi most of her life. She mentioned a photo of her holding a stuffed Torah around age 4. “It’s something that’s just always been very ingrained in my heart. … It was always a goal of mine, so it’s really powerful that this vision that was kind of this distant, far-off dream is actually becoming reality.”

She said she draws inspiration from the positive Jewish experience she had as a child at the Westchester Temple and the strong Jewish upbringing

she had with her small-business owner father and nonprofit attorney mother.

“I knew that it wasn’t the same for all my friends and all my peers, so I wanted to pay it forward and help other people find their place in Judaism, find their Jewish voice and have positive experiences in the Jewish world.”

Except for her time earning a bachelor’s in international affairs at George Washington University, she has lived her entire life in the New York metro area or Israel, so Atlanta might be a different Jewish world. But “I don’t feel like I’m moving to Idaho,” Rabbi Shabman said. “I think that Atlanta is definitely a place where Judaism is prevalent and strong and thriving, which is really exciting.”

She brings a commitment to the pursuit of justice instilled by her mother — “We were really taught from a young age that we were put on this earth to make the world a better place” — but while she considers it a duty to bring more compassion to the world, she shies away from being categorized as a “social justice rabbi.”

“We are excited about the energy and spark of joy that she’s bringing to the congregation,” Sinai Senior Rabbi Ron Segal said, citing her passion for Israel through her time as an AIPAC rabbinic fellow the past two years and her involvement with other pro-Israel initiatives.

“I feel really lucky and really blessed,” Rabbi Shabman said. “We’re going to develop a great team. I think the future is bright at Sinai, and I’m just so excited to build on what’s already been established.” ■ Zach Itzkovitz contributed to this report.

Perry Carries Sinai Lessons to Cincinnati

By Zach Itzkovitz

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Temple Sinai hired Rabbi Sam Shabman after Rabbi Elana Perry announced this winter that she was leaving for Cincinnati, where her husband, Craig, has taken a position as assistant professor of Judaic studies at the University of Cincinnati.

“The congregation has been immeasurably impacted by her,” Temple Sinai Senior Rabbi Ron Segal said.

“She’s opened up a whole new world of women’s programming within the life of the community that is just vibrant and dynamic right now.”

18 Like Rabbi Shabman, Rabbi Per-

AJT

ry found her first job out of Hebrew Union College at Sinai.

“I’ve learned how to be a rabbi and what it means to be a rabbi,” Rabbi Perry said about her nine years at the Reform congregation in western Sandy Springs. “Every experience that I’ve had here has taught me something new, about comforting people, about celebrating with people, learning from people, as well as teaching at the same time.”

Beyond the walls of Temple Sinai, Rabbi Perry’s presence has been felt across Jewish Atlanta and in the community at large.

She served on the board and on

the clergy advisory group for the new Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah and on the advisory board for the Marcus Jewish Community Center. She was the president of the Greater Atlanta Reform Clergy Association and was active with the Wo/Men’s Infertility Support Havurah.

She also was on the steering committee for Outcry: Interfaith Voices Against Gun Violence, a pluralistic group of Georgia clergy.

In Cincinnati, Rabbi Perry is taking a position as the director of family engagement at Wise Temple, a congregation with around 1,150 member families.

Rabbi Elana Perry speaks during the opening ceremony at the Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah.

“It’s also a large Reform synagogue and a very historic one in Cincinnati,” Rabbi Perry said. “I will be the first person to have this position — it’s a new position — and I will be doing community building, engagement and informal education for families in the community.” ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

‘Right Time to Leave’ for Liebschutz Ner Tamid rabbi retires for second time

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

Ner Tamid will soon celebrate the second anniversary of its first permanent space, located in an office park in West Cobb.

mid has had 15 adults who became b’nai mitzvah, five conversions and three confirmation classes, and the congregation started a book club.

In a few months the congregation will celebrate the second anniversary of its home.

“The congregation has enabled me to have a resurgence after I retired from the rabbinate after 40 years,” the rabbi said. “You turn the Torah, and you keep on turning it, so it’s been a tree of life for me.”

The Liebschutzes have four grown children, Philip, Ruth, Joshua and Rachel. The couple moved to Atlanta to be closer to Ruth and grandchildren Ben, Jake and Sam, who live in East Cobb.

Rabbi Liebschutz, who is also a member of Congregation Etz Chaim and lives in East Cobb, said he will remain here to be close to family but also will spend more time in Florida, where he and Marilyn have owned a condo since 1988.

Still, the decision to retire for the second time wasn’t easy for the rabbi, who has forged a strong connection with his congregation the past seven years.

“My favorite memory of Ner Tamid has to be from a few years ago at the end of a religious school day,” he said. “The parents had started to gather in the main room, and I was talking to the entire class when a young student stood up, gave me a hug, and she said, ‘We want you to know, rabbi, that we are all your family. We are all your grandchildren.’

“It was a wow moment for me in front of about 50 parents and religious school students.”

Ner Tamid is searching for a rabbi

Rabbi Tom Liebschutz and one of his final b’nai mitzvah students, Morgan Kohler, stand in front of the ark at Congregation Ner Tamid. Morgan will celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah Aug. 20.

to lead the congregation. Candidates who have led services recently include Rabbi Lauren Cohn, formerly the director of lifelong learning at Congregation Dor Tamid, and Rabbi Joseph Prass, the Holocaust educator at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.

Rabbi Liebschutz said the West Cobb synagogue is on firm footing. Last

year it added five families to the religious school, and he said he hopes that it continues to grow.

“We are truly a growing synagogue,” Berenson said. “Other than Chabad, we are the only synagogue in our area. For people in Paulding, Douglas and Cherokee counties, we’re the only synagogue in reach.” ■

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Tom Liebschutz has been a rabbi for 51 years and says he could easily continue even as he approaches 80 years old, but the time was right for him to step down June 30.

He leaves a strong and growing Congregation Ner Tamid in West Cobb, which was a fledgling Reform synagogue when he became its spiritual leader in 2009.

Although he had a year left on his contract, Rabbi Liebschutz and his wife, Marilyn, chose to retire now while they are in good health. After presiding over two b’nai mitzvah ceremonies this summer, his time at the congregation will be complete.

“You get to be my age, and you want to go out with grace,” the rabbi said. “In the last book of Deuteronomy, it says Moses retires at the age of 120, his eye not dimmed and his strength unabated. I want to go out in that sense too.”

Rabbi Liebschutz’s career includes eight years as community rabbi/chaplain for the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, 10 years at Temple Tifereth Israel in Malden, Mass., and volunteer work at Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell. He taught Jewish studies at Tufts University, Wake Forest University, Salem College and Wichita State University.

In 2006 he came out of his first retirement to assist Ner Tamid with High Holiday services. At that time, the congregation met at Christ Lutheran Church in Marietta. Since then, Ner Tamid has secured its own location in an office park down the street from Kennesaw Mountain and has grown to around 60 member families.

In May 2015, to commemorate Rabbi Liebschutz’s 50th year in the rabbinate, Ner Tamid hosted a celebration and extended his contract for two years.

“He provided spiritual guidance for our congregation when we were just getting started,” said Matt Berenson, Ner Tamid’s former president.

“The rabbi presided over the bat mitzvah of not only my daughter, but also my wife as part of our first adult b’nai mitzvah class. We hate to see him retire, but I think he was ready. I’ve had a fantastic relationship with him, and I’m looking forward to seeing where we go next.”

Under Rabbi Liebschutz, Ner Ta-

AJT 19

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Being sworn in as officers of the Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia in June are (from left) Rashida Oliver of East Point, secretary; LaTisha Dear Jackson of Stone Mountain, vice president; John Clay Davis of Stockbridge, treasurer; Gary E. Jackson of Atlanta, president; John Roberts of Lithonia, president-elect; and Leslie Spornberger-Jones of AthensClarke County, outgoing president.

Photo by Marcia Caller Jaffe

MACoM’s First Year The Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah’s first board chairwoman, Alice Wertheim (left), turns over the board leadership to Caryn Hanrahan at MACoM’s annual meeting Tuesday, June 28, marking the start of the nonprofit organization’s second year. By that date, the mikvah itself had operated for seven months and been the scene of 195 immersions of women and men across denominational lines.

AA Member Leads Municipal Judges

The Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia on June 23 selected Atlanta Judge Gary E. Jackson to be its president for a one-year term.

The council, which met at Sea

Island, is composed of all municipal judges in Georgia.

Jackson is an associate judge on the Atlanta Municipal Court. As council president, he will continue to serve on the Judicial Council of Georgia, which establishes the policies and procedures for Georgia’s courts.

Jackson was appointed to the City Court of Atlanta in 2000, and Mayor Shirley Franklin named him to the Municipal Court in 2005.

Jackson is a native Atlantan and lifelong member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue and is married to Jean Saul Jackson. A 1968 graduate of Northside High School (now North Atlanta High), he received a bachelor’s degree in 1972

from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree in 1975 from the University of Georgia School of Law. Jackson served as an assistant legislative counsel to the General Assembly in 1975 and 1976 and was legal aide to Lt. Gov. Zell Miller in 1978 and 1979.

Etz Chaim Hires Program Director

Congregation Etz Chaim has hired Heather Blake as program director, effective July 25.

Blake grew up in Charlotte, where she was involved with the Union for Reform Judaism’s NFTY youth movement and camps. After being active in Hillel at FloriHeather Blake da State University, she spent five years as the program director at Temple Israel in Tallahassee, where she developed innovative programs for all ages and often led services as a cantorial soloist.

She received dual master’s degrees in Jewish professional leadership and Near Eastern and Judaic studies from Brandeis University in May 2015 and became the director of Jewish innovation and engagement at the Memphis Jewish Community Center.

She is married to Justin Blake, the former youth and family education director at Temple Kol Emeth who recently became executive assistant and marketing coordinator at Congregation Shearith Israel.

Fitness Challenge at JCC

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Buy 6 GET 6 Bagels FREE

AJT 20

10% off

Catered Kiddush Lunches Over 50 People Booked

6355 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd., Sandy Springs, GA – 678.585.3445 “New Store across from Costco” 11770 Haynes Bridge Rd., Alpharetta, GA – 770.569.1009 4620 Kimball Bridge Rd., Alpharetta, GA – 678.240.0205 www.bagelboyscafe.com

The Marcus Jewish Community Center is offering the community free access to its fitness center, tennis courts, swimming pools, running trail and fitness classes from Monday to Sunday, July 25 to 31.

The week of free access coincides with the release of new moves, music and routines for the center’s Les Mills program, said DeAnne Jacobson, the JCC’s group fitness director. “It is a great time to welcome the community to experience the quality of our classes, our exceptional instructors and the scope of our fitness amenities.”

In addition to Les Mills, fitness classes during the free week include H.E.A.T, FitLine Functional Fitness, TRX, indoor cycling and coreBarre.

At the same time, the Marcus JCC is holding a Beat the Heat Fitness Challenge to encourage people to incorporate new activities and use all of the fitness programs at Zaban Park at 5342

You might have to go to fitness extremes to win prizes in the Marcus JCC’s free fitness challenge, Beat the Heat.

Tilly Mill Road in Dunwoody.

“We are promoting wellness-related activities that improve health, mood, balance and teamwork,” said Tina Luftig, the director of membership and fitness. “We want people to venture outside their comfort zones and have fun competing to earn daily points and prizes.”

The challenge is free and open to people of all fitness levels in the community. Daily winners will get prizes.

You must register to participate in the challenge at www.atlantajcc. org/WorkoutForFree. You’ll then be assigned to a team captain, who will contact you within 24 hours and will provide you an activity card.

Earn points for yourself and your team by completing activities on the card and posting your activity on a Marcus JCC Facebook page.

For more information on the free week or the fitness challenge, email the Marcus JCC’s fitness staff at fitness@atlantajcc.org, visit www.atlantajcc.org/ WorkoutForFree, or call 678-812-4060.

AIPAC Seeks Nominations

Aug. 5 is the deadline for nominations for AIPAC’s annual Jonathan R. Barkan Israel Advocacy Award, given to someone in the Atlanta area who is under age 40 and has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to Israel through leadership or involvement in organizations or activities that strengthen the bonds between Israel and Atlanta-area Jews.

The local leadership of AIPAC will select the winner, who does not have to be affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The award will be presented at an Atlanta AIPAC event Sept. 8, and the winner will receive a $1,000 stipend to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington from March 26 to 28.

Email AIPAC’s Southeast director, Elliot Mendes, at emendes@aipac.org to get details or submit a nomination.

The award was established in 2008 in memory of Barkan, who inspired many with his passion for Israel.

EDUCATION

SPORTS

Walton Grad Taking 2 Patents to College When Avery Kress graduated from Walton High School in May, he left with more than a diploma and handful of stories.

The 18-year-old, bound for the Univer- Avery Kress sity of Michigan this fall, holds two patents.

One is for the application of nonNewtonian fluids as ultra-high acceleration shock absorbers and G-force dissipaters. The patent also covers space launches with a toroidal mass driver.

The other patent covers a design for an ionocraft, “a small hovercraft that flies by forcing electrons through a copper wire and over a gradient of tinfoil,” Kress said.

Non-Newtonian fluids differ from other fluids in that their thickness depends on forces applied to them.

“I come up with ideas like that actually relatively often,” Kress said.

“I knew that submerging things could protect them from shock, but I didn’t know if you could protect them over a long period of time, so I decided to test it. I did several centrifuge tests to prove the hypothesis, and it works.”

Hertz to Head Tulane Board

United Distributors CEO and President Doug Hertz was named chairelect of the board of Tulane University in June.

The Temple member’s threeyear term will begin July 1, 2017.

Hertz earned his undergraduate degree and masDoug Hertz has ter of business adplayed a key role ministration from in keeping Tulane Tulane and served athletics in the top 12 years on the leavel of the NCAA. Tulane board. His wife, Lila, also graduated from Tulane, as did their children.

“We are exceedingly fortunate to have Doug accept the role of chair-elect of the board,” current Chairman Darryl Berger said. “He is a renowned and very highly respected business, philanthropic and civic leader who has deep connections to Tulane and broad experience in higher education. Doug is the perfect choice to continue the univer-

The East Cobb resident said he’s “always had a really deep love of science. For many years I tinkered with and experimented on things. I just kind of decided, based on my love of space and science, that aerospace engineering or physics would be best for me.”

He said Walton chemistry teacher Jennice Ozment was an important source of support and encouragement through the patent process.

“He asked good questions. He was focused,” Ozment said. “He would take what I was talking about and apply it to other situations.”

Still, Kress almost had to repeat his freshman year. He missed nearly two months because of complications involving strep throat. He later was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.

“I was encouraged to leave, to just take the year off and start again as a freshman,” Kress said. “But I said no.”

Throughout high school, Kress struggled to catch up while learning to manage his Tourette symptoms.

“There were a number of kind of relapses with it, where it got better and worse throughout the years,” he said.

“But I’ve slowly gotten control over the Tourette syndrome and over the involuntary movements and what-not to the point where I’ll be successful again.” ■

With just one week remaining in the Atlanta Men’s Synagogue Softball league regular season, the playoff picture is starting to shape up, and ninetime defending A-league champion Congregation B’nai Torah (5-2) sits in second place in its division behind Congregation Beth Tefillah (7-0-1).

In the B-league, Temple Beth Tikvah (6-2) defeated Chabad (6-1) and Congregation Etz Chaim (2-6) on July 10 to move into second place. The Roswell congregation will face Congregation Gesher L’Torah (4-4) and Temple Emanu-El (2-5) on July 17 to try to take the top seed from Chabad.

The C-league is a tight race among Congregation Beth Shalom (5-1-1), Temple 2 (5-3) and Temple Kol Emeth (4-3).

All teams will play July 17 at Ocee, Terrell Mill and East Roswell parks.

The A, B and C playoffs have yet to be scheduled. ■

AMSSL Standings — Week 5 A Division

Wins

Losses

Beth Tefillah *

7

0

B’nai Torah

5

2

Temple

5

3

Dor Tamid

4

3

Or Veshalom

3

4

Sinai

2

5

Ahavath Achim *

1

5

Ariel

1

B Division

6 Wins

Losses

Chabad

6

1

Beth Tikvah

6

2

Young Israel

5

3

Or Hadash

4

4

Gesher L’Torah

4

4

Emanu-El

2

5

Etz Chaim

2

6

Beth Jacob

2

C Division

6 Wins

Losses

Beth Shalom *

5

1

Temple 2

5

3

Kol Emeth

4

3

Sinai 2 *

3

3

Beth Tikvah 2

3

4

Dor Tamid/ Etz Chaim 2

2

4

B’nai Torah 2

1

5

sity’s tremendous momentum in the years ahead.”

Hertz said he is flattered and humbled to be chosen as chair. “I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to lead both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, but there can be no greater honor than to be asked to lead one’s alma mater.”

ORT Plans Service Day

ORT Atlanta is working with Jewish Family & Career Services’ Volunteers in Action and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Federation Under 40 group for a beautification project at Dobbs Elementary School in South Atlanta.

The project will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, July 31.

The plan is for several groups to work in different activities inside and outside the school to make it bright and welcoming for students, who return Aug. 3. After the work, participants will go out for food and drinks nearby.

To get more information or sign up, email atlanta@ortamerica.org, or call 404-327-5266.

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

By Zach Itzkovitz

Synagogue Softball Enters Final Week

AJT 21

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

BUSINESS

Zimms Delivers Dry-Cleaning Convenience

By R.M. Grossblatt Azi and Emily Zimmerman were looking for a slower pace of life when they moved from his hometown, Passaic, N.J., to hers, Atlanta, in June 2014.

But they’re constantly on the go since opening Zimms Dry Cleaning three months ago.

Zimms combines the speed and quality of a high-end cleaner with free pickup and drop-off. The business concentrates on the North Druid Hills area but goes wherever there’s a need.

“The whole concept (of pickup and delivery) is outer space for some people,” Emily said. “Once they try it, they’re hooked.”

The way the service works is the Zimmermans get phone or email requests for pickups and contact regular customers to ask whether they need pickups on specific days. The usual pickup days are Sunday through Wednesday, but they’ll also do Thursday and Friday mornings if needed.

Customers fill bright-green laundry bags with the Zimms logo, which they get when they register at www. zimmsdrycleaning.com, and leave

Photos by R.M. Grossblatt

Emily and Azi Zimmerman spend at least four days and four nights a week making dry-cleaning pickups and deliveries.

them outside their doors for pickup.

Some customers save up their dry cleaning for a month and get it all done at once. Zimms also provides a washand-fold laundry service that Emily said is “great for camp mommies.”

Because I was writing about their work, I gave these young entrepreneurs two pieces to dry-clean: a skirt with a missing snap and a jacket that came back stained from a $1.99 cleaner, whose message was that it couldn’t

YJP Atlanta,

Atlanta’s Young Jewish Professionals Community!

Join us for these events:

Third Tuesday’s Torah on Tap at Chabad Intown July 19 at 8:00 Join us in a relaxed pub style setting to socialize and discuss a range of topics from current events to Jewish views on modern life issues. Dinner is included free of charge and our discussion topics are spontaneous and decided by you!

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Summer BBQ at Historic Fourth Ward Park July 21 at 7:30pm Join us after work Thursday for BBQ, beer, and loads of games in the green space above the amphitheater. Feel free to bring some games and yard chairs!

AJT 22

First Fridays with YJP, Atlanta August 5 at 7:00pm Israeli Style. The dinner will feature some of your favorite Israeli foods so be sure to come- no passport necessary!

All of these events at www.yjpatlanta.org.

Meet, network, and socialize with other young Jewish professionals in their 20’s and early 30’s in a welcoming, congenial, stylish, and relaxed setting with a spirited vibe.

YJP Atlanta is a program of Chabad Intown, Atlanta serving Atlanta’s Intown Communities.

The Zimmermans make their rounds in a new Ford van bearing a magnetic sign for Zimms.

be cleaned better without damaging the material.

Zimms speedily returned both items spotless. The cleaner even sewed on the missing snap without charge, something Emily said they do for small repairs.

Zimms’ competitors are other high-end cleaners, not the cheap places around the corner, and Zimms saves customers a stop, Emily said. “We’re literally offering a service that makes life easier.”

The former Emily Garber graduated from Greenfield Hebrew Academy and Yeshiva Atlanta High School (both now part of Atlanta Jewish Academy).

She attended a seminary in Israel and moved to Passaic, where she became a paralegal.

She became a frequent Shabbat guest of the Zimmermans, whose son Azi was learning in a yeshiva in Israel.

When he returned, the couple met, and they married in January 2014.

As soon as they arrived in Atlanta, Azi started working at Three Pillars Recruiting, a job agency, while Emily worked as a paralegal. Interested in branching out, Emily started a dogwalking business, Pawlanta Dogs, and a kosher food delivery service, Kosher2U. Then Azi had the idea for Zimms.

Up north, he saw this door-to-door cleaning service work well in the Jewish community. “In Passaic, there are two businesses like this,” he said, “and I wanted to try it here where the Jewish community is becoming more cosmopolitan.”

The Zimmermans are aware of the needs of the Jewish community, as when a holiday is approaching. “We have that extra added benefit of Jewish knowledge for time-sensitive issues,” Azi said. “And we don’t charge extra for

a rush job before yom tov or any other time.”

On their website, a kittel (a white garment sometimes worn by a groom at his wedding, by the leader of the Passover seder and by men on the High Holidays) is listed at the top of the price list. Emily, who designed the creative site, tried to insert the item at the bottom, but when it appeared at the top, she left it there.

“This has taken over from walking dogs,” said Emily, who included on the website a picture of the company’s mascot, Beans, the couple’s Yorkie. She has the title of CEO of cuteness.

Although their dry-cleaning plant closes at 7, the Zimmermans make deliveries at night. Azi recently gave up his day job at Three Pillars to work full time at Zimms. Before, Emily picked up the clothes during the day, and she and Azi delivered cleaned items four nights a week, which Emily called “our date nights.”

Now they’re riding side by side during the day as well.

In opening Zimms, the couple took the advice of Jewish entrepreneur Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks and star of “Shark Tank,” who stressed never to take out loans to start a business.

“We do everything ourselves,” Azi said, “and don’t pay tons of money for marketing.” They pay attention to each customer’s needs, such as honoring requests for starch and offering a choice of laundered shirts delivered on hangers or in boxes.

“And we deliver with a smile,” Azi said.

The Zimmermans hope to encourage others to create self-sustaining businesses. “People should have the ability to go after their dreams,” Emily said. ■

Photo by Michael Jacobs

Sean Banks of TTV Capital moderates a panel on investing in financial technology featuring (from left) Nelson Chu of Kinetic Ventures, Lucas Timberlake of the FinTech Ventures Fund, Brian Rosenzweig of JANVEST Capital Partners and Karin Mayer Rubinstein of Israel Advanced Technology Industries.

Human Capital Could Stem Israel’s Boom

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

The Start-Up Nation is rolling in foreign investment but risks running short of human capital, the head of Israel Advanced Technology Industries warns.

“I blame Waze for that,” IATI CEO Karin Mayer Rubinstein said during the first Atlanta-Israel FinTech Innovation Conference on Wednesday, June 29, at the Buckhead offices of Greenberg Traurig. “It’s so easy to get rich.”

That’s the attitude of too many young Israelis since Google bought the crowd-sourced mobile mapping app for $1.3 billion three years ago, said Rubinstein, who leads Israel’s umbrella organization for the high-tech and life sciences industries. Instead of core research and development, Israelis come out of the army looking to create the next hot app and cash in.

One result is an overabundance of Israeli cybersecurity companies, many of which have nothing special to set them apart, said Brian Rosenzweig, managing partner of JANVEST Capital Partners, which focuses on investment in innovative emerging technology companies in Israel.

He warned of a valuation bubble in cybersecurity and predicted that many of the “non-game-changing companies” are going to fail soon. “I think we’re going to see this cybersecurity bubble burst in the next six to nine months.”

The bigger problem is more fundamental than a price bubble, though.

While Israel has too many people in life sciences, Rubinstein said, the country faces a shortage of 10,000 engineers.

“We have a huge problem with human capital.”

But she expressed optimism that an investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education the next five years will get Israel back on track.

Meanwhile, she said, Israel remains one of the strongest high-tech ecosystems.

“It’s the world’s greatest sandbox,”

Rosenzweig said, with strengths in artificial intelligence, big data, and cyber and information security that make the country appealing for investment in innovation in financial technology, or FinTech.

FinTech was the focus of the conference, organized by Conexx: America Israel Business Connector and the Israeli Consulate General with the help of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and others. The nitty-gritty of the conference was the one-on-one meetings between Israeli FinTech companies and potential American investors and partners.

Because almost three-quarters of the world’s financial transactions pass through Atlanta, this area is the natural entry point for Israeli businesses hoping to be part of the technologyand culture-driven changes in financial services, from mobile payments to alternative lenders to replacements for national currencies. (The conference experts took it as gospel that blockchain, the distributed ledger technology behind Bitcoin, will have transformative applications throughout the financial industry, but it’s beyond my knowledge and understanding.)

During the same panel discussion on FinTech investment at which Rubinstein and Rosenzweig spoke, Kinetic Ventures’ Nelson Chu drew parallels between financial services now, from lending to payment processing to purchasing, and the telephone industry two or three decades ago. Chu said most analysts didn’t expect the telephone companies to survive, but they did. They just don’t make their money from phones plugged into outlets in homes anymore.

TTV Capital’s Sean Banks agreed that the telephone analogy works. He pointed to NCR, which started as a mechanical cash register company and now is one of the world’s top 20 software sales companies.

Banks said the underlying guts of the payment system are stable, but the front end of payments and relationships will change dramatically.

And Israeli innovation is expected to play a key part. ■

THE SONENSHINE TEAM Atlanta’s Favorite Real Estate Team

DEBBIE SONENSHINE STAR NEWMAN KATIE GALLOW Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Internationally Certified Negotiator, Luxury, New Homes and Corporate Relocation Specialist #1 Sales Associate in Sandy Springs Office Voted Favorite Jewish Realtor in AJT, Best of Jewish Atlanta

#2 Team Coldwell Banker Atlanta

Debbie Sells Houses

Country French Home Located on Over 2.5 Private Acres • Looking For a Soccer Field Backyard? This is It!!

• Custom Moldings, Heart of Pine Floors & Beams and Custom Solid Doors • Charming Chef’s Kitchen with Stainless Appliances, Huge Island, Beams & Fireplace • Gorgeous Southern Living Back Porch to Enjoy the View of Private Yard • Master on Main Suite with Study and Luxurious Bath w/ Frameless Shower

Sandy Springs $1,875,000

• Terrace Level with Bedroom, Full Bath, Playroom, Media Room, Gym, Etc. • Studio Located Over 3-Car Garage- Perfect for Artist, Office or Yoga • Gunite Pool & Large Flat Grassy Area Makes Entertaining So Easy! Room for Tennis or Soccer Field!

• Heards Ferry/ Ridgeview/Riverwood

direct 404.250.5311 office 404.252.4908

Debbie@SonenshineTeam.com | www.SonenshineTeam.com ©2014 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Operated By a Subsidiary of NRT LLC.

Come see us at Ticknors Men’s Clothiers, Atlanta’s newest spot for high end casual, sportswear, and quality men’s tailored.

Located on the upper level (next to Mayor’s jewelers) Ticknors carries finer brands such as Robert Graham, Bugatchi, Tommy Bahama, and Coppley clothing.

Ticknors Men’s Clothier • Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Rd. NE #2012A

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

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

BUSINESS

AJT 23

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

FOOD

Better Know a Bagel: Bagel Boys Cafe

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com In our July 1 issue, Bagel Boys Cafe owner-operator John Lamb, who recently opened his third location in Sandy Springs, told us his bagels can stand up to any Atlanta has to offer.

So let’s see how Bagel Boys matches up with our city’s bagel offerings.

Atmosphere Walk into the newest Bagel Boys location in Sandy Springs and you’ll be greeted by a rare sight: baskets upon baskets of fresh bagels filled to the brim, with no glass separating you and your soon-to-be-devoured delicacy.

Lamb said he designed the racks so customers could come in and grab a dozen bagels quickly without having to wait.

The rest of the shop is equally impressive, with clean, contemporary tables, chairs and couches and free WiFi, making Bagel Boys a great place for an afternoon meeting or a weekend treat.

Verdict: Bagels Rather than boiled bagels, Bagel

Juicy Jenny Closes

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Jenny Levison has closed her Buckhead juice bar, Juicy Jenny. Its final day was Friday, July 1.

In an announcement June 30, Levison blamed her difficult decision to close the 3-year-old eatery on the eco-

AJT 24

Photos by David R. Cohen

Bagel Boys’ newest location sits across Peachtree-Dunwoody Road from Costco and the Home Depot in Sandy Springs.

Boys serves light and airy steamed bagels perfect for sandwiches and openface melts. Lamb said he chose to steam his discs because boiled bagels can be heavy and hard to chew. For breakfast, you can’t go wrong with the signature lox or egg-and-cheddar bagel, and for lunch I recommend the open-face tuna melt on an everything bagel. Bagel Boys also bakes rotating specialty bagel flavors each month, such as French toast, cinnamon crunch and cheddar.

Verdict: Spreads Bagel Boys makes its cream cheese in house in a variety of flavors, includnomics of cold-pressing 5 pounds of produce into every 16-ounce serving of juice. “The costs of labor, overhead and organics was just not balancing with the price I felt we could charge and I did not want to lower the quality of what we were producing.”

Levison promised to incorporate

Shop owner John Lamb serves up steamed bagels that are perfect for lunch sandwiches such as this delicious tuna melt.

ing very berry, spinach and artichoke, and rotating specialty schmears. I found the cream cheese to be light enough for easy spreading but heavy enough to satisfy. The shop also makes tasty fruit smoothies. The signature Canyon Cooler smoothie is a delicious treat to take with you on your way out the door.

Verdict: Overall I highly recommend a Sunday stop at Bagel Boys after your weekly Costco or Home Depot run. The shop is also a great place to grab lunch or just get some work done while hooked up juice operations into one of her Souper Jenny locations, which recently won the AJT’s Best in Jewish Atlanta survey for Jewish-owned nonkosher restaurants. She said Souper Jenny also will give more consideration to its vegan and gluten-free options.

The Juicy Jenny closing continues a year of change for Levison, who also closed Cafe Jonah and moved her flagship Souper Jenny location from its original home on East Andrews Drive to the Atlanta History Center.

In announcing the Juicy Jenny closing, Levison said that spending time back in a Souper Jenny kitchen reminded her why she got into the business.

“I am extremely passionate about good food, good people and nourishing our community through

The shop’s signature lox bagel can stack up to the best Atlanta has to offer.

to the WiFi. Although I haven’t been to Bagel Boys’ two locations in Alpharetta, I think I’ll be visiting them soon.

Verdict: Next time: Bagel Palace in Toco Hills Previous Ratings • Brooklyn Bagel Bakery & Deli: 5/5 • Art’s Bagels & More: 4.5/5 • Hoboken Bread & Bagel: 4.5/5 • New Broadway Cafe: 4/5 • Bagelicious: 4/5 • Soho Bakery and Deli: 4/5 • Goldberg’s Bagel Co.: 4/5 • Sunny’s Bagel & Deli: 3.5/5 • The General Muir: 3.5/5 • Brooklyn Water Bagel: 3/5 sitting around the table and sharing an experience. I promise that we will always strive to take care of each of you as if I were receiving you in my home.”

Canteen for the General Chef Todd Ginsberg and his restaurant partners, Ben and Jennifer Johnson and Shelley Sweet, are taking over the Midtown space of the recently closed Spence, which was chef Richard Blais’ showcase for four years.

The partners behind the acclaimed General Muir plan to open a food hall called The Canteen at 75 Fifth St. in early 2017. The space will contain outlets of their Fred’s Meat & Bread and Israeli-themed Yalla, whose original locations are at Krog Street Market.

The Canteen also will offer TGM Bagel — a General Muir spinoff that should appeal to the nearby Georgia Tech crowd with its focus on breakfast items, including bagels baked on site and Batdorf & Bronson coffee — and Square Bar, which will serve juices and smoothies by day and booze by night.

In a statement published by Eater Atlanta, Ginsberg said The Canteen is meant to be a community hub with a variety of foods and price points to appeal to the various people in the neighborhood.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

FOOD

The nice thing about kosher is that many of us have our own level of acceptability at home regarding compliance to a kosher standard. This standard can vary widely, and in my little corner of catering upscale kosher events, my staff and I have heard from many clients who use language about their level of kosher at home such as modified kosher, kosher light, not kosher, kosher style and, yes, REAL kosher.

The one consistent theme amid the flurry of inconsistent kosher adherence is Jewish pride. Maybe that feeling is more important than anything else.

After all, why take the time to discuss kosher or even look for the tiny kosher symbol on the packaging in the store if not for Jewish pride?

Interestingly enough, while Avenue K is an upscale Orthodox catering brand, I can tell you that the vast majority of my clients do not keep an Orthodox standard of kosher at home (or any kosher standard at all), but they elect to host a meaningful life event, such as a wedding, by going kosher and observing the kosher rulebook without losing quality of food, service and presentation.

Many of our wedding clients the past couple of years have been interfaith couples who want to go kosher for their wedding celebration. This is a trend I see continuing, as we have several upcoming bookings with a multinational mix of individuals electing to go kosher.

So while on the surface Atlanta does not seem to have a ton of kosher retail outlets staring at us as we navigate our way home during the afternoon commute (compared with New York or Miami), dozens of establishments proudly offer kosher products

of all types under the supervision of the Atlanta Kosher Commission, the group that upholds the gold standard of kosher.

Just take a look at the AKC’s website, kosheratlanta.org, to see dozens of establishments offering everything

The Kosher King

By David S. Covell

from doughnuts to Chinese food to ice cream to five-star catering.

Most important, there is as much Jewish pride in Atlanta as there is in any other city in the United States and beyond.

One of Atlanta’s catering pioneers, Enoch Goodfriend, passed away recently after a long illness. Goodfriend’s Catering, with its corporate tagline, “making kosher cool,” was an instrumental force in forwarding kosher events and instilling Jewish pride throughout metro Atlanta. Many of us are familiar with his company, and I want to acknowledge him here as someone who paved the way for kosher catering in Atlanta and for future generations of caterers to pursue kosher throughout the Southeast.

Finally, it’s summertime, and it’s time for a Covell Cocktail Concoction.

This time of year think tequila. It’s refreshing and fun and goes great with a summer barbecue. So here is a recipe for a watermelon margarita.

First, you need some friends who like to drink. Then treat them to a good tequila. I recommend 1800 Silver.

Avoid using brown tequilas because they are usually colored with caramel food coloring (not kosher) and are designed to imply they are aged.

Watermelon Margarita Makes 5 servings 2 teaspoons sugar 3½ cups cubed, seeded Georgia watermelon 10 ounces tequila (maybe a little more for your professional friends) 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 5 ounces DeKuyper Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur) Lime wedges or watermelon balls as garnish Kosher salt Process the watermelon and sugar in a blender. Pour the blended mixture into a pitcher, then pour the tequila and triple sec into the mix. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime, and add a small pinch of kosher salt. Stir. Salt the rim (or half the rim) of a highball glass filled with ice. Pour individual portions into the glasses. Garnish with

a lime or watermelon ball. Let the party begin! ■ David S. Covell is the CEO of Saratoga Event Group, which manages multiple event facilities and operates an awardwinning catering company, Avenue Catering Concepts, and is the president of Avenue K-Glatt Kosher Events, Saratoga’s certified glatt kosher event division. He also has a background as a certified public accountant and as a consultant to the hospitality industry on food, beverage and facilities.

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

How Kosher Is Atlanta?

If you have the extra gelt, buy Patron tequilas.

They include anejo (aged), reposado and silver, and are all kosher.

AJT 25

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ARTS

Weisberger Aces Romantic Tennis Tour

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Charlotte “Charlie” Silver is one of the best professional tennis players in the world, and she’s living a good, globe-trotting life. She’s a talented girl next door with a spotless reputation and a signature ponytail, making her a role model for girls across the United States and beyond.

But when she suffers a broken wrist and a devastating ankle injury in a slip and fall at Wimbledon, she realizes that being a solid pro and America’s sweetheart isn’t enough. When she comes back from the injury, she wants to be the best, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get there, starting with hiring a sadistic but overwhelmingly successful coach who has never worked with a “girl” before, Todd Feltner.

The abusive but effective coachplayer relationship between Todd and Charlie is at the competitive core of “The Singles Game,” Lauren Weisberger’s new novel about life on the pro tennis tour. If you read or saw the film version of Weisberger’s “The Devil Wears Prada,” you’ll probably spot parallels between Charlie and Todd and that best seller’s Andy Sachs and her boss, Miranda Priestly.

That’s not a bad thing. Weisberger is excellent at telling the story of a good Jewish girl who risks losing herself personally to achieve her professional goals. “The Singles Game” works as a story of one woman’s growth, as a romance and as a sports book.

I’m not much of a tennis fan, don’t read romance novels and am not the target audience for the chick-lit genre, but I devoured “The Singles Game” be-

AJT 26

cause it’s so well written and so much fun to follow Charlie on her journey around the world and up the rankings.

I might have enjoyed the book more with less romance, but in a June interview Weisberger said it wouldn’t have been realistic to write about a 25-year-old woman who never thinks about finding love.

She’s looking forward to talking about the book Wednesday, July 20, at the Marcus Jewish Community Center in a Page From the Book Festival event with radio personality Jenn Hobby. The JCC is a regular stop on her book tours, and Weisberger said the big crowd she gets in Dunwoody is always fun. “The best part about getting on the road is meeting the readers.”

Weisberger said she has played and loved tennis since she was a little girl, and she was drawn to the opportunity to write about the women on the pro tour.

“I’m really in awe of these women,” Weisberger said, noting that we know them as one-name celebrities (Serena, Venus, Maria, Steffi, Martina, Chrissie) who are famous for their hard work, talent and dedication. “They’re not just another pretty face on the red carpet.”

To research the novel, Weisberger spoke to a range of people involved in the game, including Women’s Tennis Association officials, current and forWho: Lauren Weisberger What: Conversation with Jenn Hobby and book signing When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 Where: Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody Tickets: $10 for JCC members, $15 for nonmembers; www.atlantajcc.org/ bookfestival or 678-812-4002

Photo by Mike Cohen

Lauren Weisberger, known for “The Devil Wears Prada,” explores another devilish mentor relationship in “The Singles Game.”

mer players, and players’ hitting partners (Charlie’s hitting partner travels and practices with her and plays a key role in the book).

The writer traveled the world and said she was given amazing behindthe-scenes access at tournaments such as Key Biscayne, Fla., Charleston, S.C., Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Those tour stops show Charlie’s progress throughout the novel, especially her quest to win one of the four majors.

Weisberger offers glimpses at the glamorous but exhausting lifestyle as Charlie is transformed into the warrior princess of tennis (bringing in some of the fashion sense from “The Devil Wears Prada”), eliminates sugar and caffeine from a strictly regimented diet, builds a new level of fitness, lands endorsements, faces off against a bitter, fashion-model-beautiful professional rival, and romances the world’s top male player.

One element in the novel that Weisberger said did not come from her research on tour is drug use. “As far as recreational drug use, I saw nothing like that. I heard nothing like that.

Personally, I’d be shocked if it did occur,” she said. “This is where the fiction comes in. … I never saw anyone even take a sip of a drink.”

Like all of her protagonists, Weisberger said, Charlie is Jewish, but religion plays no part in the novel — not even to the extent that her widowed father expresses any wish for her to find a nice Jewish man.

But Charlie naturally faces obstacles off the court as well as across the net. Her transformation brings the disapproval of her club pro father and seems to create some distance between her and her brother, who is her agent and runs her finances almost as thoroughly as Todd runs her tennis life.

When I suggested that Charlie and her peers seem to be in a state of perpetual childhood — they have coaches and agents telling them where to be, what to eat and what to do; they’re on call for drug tests every day; they don’t have families until they retire; and because they’re on tour 10 months a year, they don’t own homes or do much driving — Weisberger rejected the idea and said pro tennis players are remarkable.

“These women are strong and empowered.” ■

The Singles Game

By Lauren Weisberger Simon & Schuster, 352 pages, $26

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ARTS

David Broza by Request

Israeli among first performers at City Winery Atlanta

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com Because slow construction postponed the planned May opening of City Winery Atlanta, Israeli singersongwriter David Broza was one of the first musicians to perform at the music venue Tuesday, June 28.

The brainchild of Jewish entrepreneur Michael Dorf, the 26,000-squarefoot venue officially opened at Ponce City Market on June 27, and Broza got his chance to break in the venue the next evening.

“I think I’ve been to Atlanta more over the past few months than I’ve been to Jerusalem,” Broza laughingly told the crowd at the start of his perfor-

mance.

The 60-year-old musician last visited Atlanta in April for the City Winery Freedom Seder and before that for two showings of his film “East Jerusalem West Jerusalem” at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival in January, but this was his first dedicated performance in Atlanta in more than a year.

To shake things up for the crowd at City Winery, Broza took the opportunity to put a new spin on his performance and experimented with an allrequest show.

People arriving at the venue were given two lists and a request card with two blank spaces. The first list was made up of songs that have influenced Broza in his career, and the second con-

After months of construction delays and relocated concerts, David Broza is one of the first musicians to perform at Ponce City Market’s City Winery Atlanta.

tained his original tunes.

Broza started the first set with a cover of “Moonshadow” by Cat Stevens and ran through an eclectic list of requested covers.

Broza belted out “The Boxer,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “Your Song,” “Love the One You’re With,” and a rousing, countrified version of James Taylor’s “Bartender’s Blues” for the delighted crowd.

After a short break, his second set consisted of such classic tunes as “Haifa,” “Bedouin Love Song” and “Ze Hakol O Klum (It’s All or Nothing)” and concluded with his two most requested songs of the evening, “Yihye Tov (Things Will Get Better)” and “Mitachat Lashamayim (Under the Stars).” ■

Photos by David R. Cohen

Above: Ever the showman, David Broza waves to the crowd during his last song.

Below: After each song, David Broza reaches into a basket by his side to find out which request to play next.

Your GO TO Specialists for all YOUR REAL ESTATE Needs RE/MAX AROUND ATLANTA David Shapiro Jon Shapiro DShapiro@remax.net JonShapiro@mindspring.com 404-252-7500 404-845-3065 404-845-3050 www.jonshapiro.com

City Winery Atlanta is partnering with the Marcus Jewish Community Center for Matisyahu’s two-night stand in metro Atlanta in January.

The Jewish reggae singer will perform in the Marcus JCC’s Morris & Rae Frank Theatre on Saturday night, Jan. 7, then will play City Winery the next night.

Tickets will range from $45 to $65, with a $100 VIP option including a meet-and-greet session with Matisyahu.

The singer’s two shows are part of the Marcus JCC’s recently announced 2016-17 arts and culture season, whose music shows also include Israeli folk band Baladino on Sept. 11 and Israeli saxophonist Daniel Zamir on Feb. 19.

“This is a season that I am particularly proud of, one that is comprised of classic musicals, award-winning exhibitions, jazz concerts and productions for the entire community,” said Brian Kimmel, the center’s director of arts and culture. “Through this year’s lineup, there truly will be a cultural offering for every age and interest.” ■

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Matisyahu Coming In January

AJT 27

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

MARKETPLACE FINANCIAL SERVICES

GENERATOR SERVICES

COMPUTER SERVICES

fakakta computer?

Also Lending in Florida & Southeastern States

I’ll drive to you!

When it comes to finding your perfect home, it’s important to have options. The same is true when Whenitit comes comes to finding perfect home, it’s When findingyour your perfect deciding on yourtomortgage.

That’s why wehome, offer important to have options.

The same is true iswhen it’s important to have options.

The same a wide variety of mortgage options to fit yourtrue deciding on youronmortgage.

That’s why we offer when deciding your mortgage.

That’s why particular needs: a wide varietyvariety of mortgage options options to fit yourto fit we offer a wide of mortgage yourparticular particular needs: • Purchases andneeds: Refinances • Purchases and Refinances Conventional, FHA, & VA • Purchases and Refinances •• Conventional, FHA, & VA Jumbo Loans with no Conventional, & PMI VA •• Jumbo Loans FHA, with no PMI 100% Financing Financing for Doctors •• 100% Jumbo Loans with no PMI for Doctors

→ Desktop & Laptop Repair → Home/Business Networking → Performance Upgrades → Apple Device Support → Virus/Spyware Removal Fast Appointment Scheduling Reasonable Rates All Services Guaranteed

404-954-1004

• 100% Financing for Doctors

Jay Givarz Senior Banker JayMortgage Givarz Senior Mortgage Banker

678-522-2343 jay.givarz@lionbank.com 678-522-2343 jay.givarz@lionbank.com NMLS# 203728 NMLS# 203728

RECOVERY RESOURCES

damon.carp@gmail.com

Generator Sales & Service, Inc. www.perkinselectric.com

COMPUER HOUSE CALLS

770-251-9765

24/7 Power Protection Hands Free Operation | Professional Installation

Voted #1 by Atlanta Jewish Community

770-751-5706

GENERATORS 24/7 POWER PROTECTION

VIDEO SERVICES

www.HealthyComputer.com

• • • • • • •

PC, MAC, iPhone/iPad Service Home & Commercial Service Virus/Malware Removal Laptop Screen Repair Data Recovery/Forensics Wireless Corporate Networks We beat competitor pricing!

As Seen On

It’s Time to Call for Help!

Subscribe!

1-year subscription for home delivery of the Atlanta Jewish Times: $65 in Georgia, $89 outside of state, delivery by U.S. mail.

To subscribe, go to

www.atlantajewishtimes.com/subscription.

FLOORING

CARPET • HARDWOOD LAMINATE LUXURY VINYL PLANK Beautify Your Home And We Will Donate 5% To Your Favorite Organization JULY 15 ▪ 2016

In-Home Shopping Or By Appointment At ADAC, Atlanta, Ga Or Alpharetta Showroom.

AJT 28

GARY M. ROSEN • 770-891-9252 grosen@strathmorefloors.com www.strathmorefloors.com

For more information, please call 404-883-2130.

PET SERVICES

Share your Simchas with Your Atlanta Jewish Community for Free

• • • •

Birth Announcements Weddings Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Anniversaries

Visit www.atlantajewishtimes.com/simchas to submit your announcement and photos

DIGGING IN

POWER OF ONE

SPECIAL ABILITY

Trees Atlanta gets a lot of help to celebrate Tu B’Shevat d. in Poncey-Highlan Page 32

the Federation honors many individuals who make the community more inclusive.

Page 8

won’t Nonverbal autism from stop Dalia Cheskes becoming a bat mitzvah at Beth Shalom.

Page 4

Atlanta FEBRUARY 13, 2015

OM

Inside: Celebration

A

ARTISTIC TIES

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” has nothing on the crazy fun of a double Hasidic b’nai mitzvah. Page 30

Rabbi Adam Starr sends his son an important lifelong message from his first siddur. Page 28

Atlanta

to Atlanta to Jewish teens come Nearly 3,500 leading communal paths forward. chart personal and Page 18-25

INSIDE

By Suzi Brozman es.com sbrozman@atljewishtim known as the nita Diamant, best Tent,” is comauthor of “The Red two public ing to Atlanta to make appearances this month.

Boston Girl,” Her latest book, “The her visit Feb. 23 to the will be the focus of Center. But Marcus Jewish Community will help local orgathe night before she a new project, an allnizers plunge into at Congregation denominations mikvah Springs.

B’nai Torah in Sandy State’s of reimaginKennesaw Diamant’s discussion will be free age turns modern the Sachs ritual for Daniel ing Temple in to the public at The open wedding and Jewish the Metro Atlanta Midtown to launchperson- into the into (MACoM) contractsMikvah Community Atlanta. of art. of Jewish consciousness alized works an independent nonprofit MACoM 32 is Page construction of the that plans to start in May and finish community mikvah The project will before the High Holidays. of the existing faciliinvolve a renovation has the support of ties at B’nai Torah and synagogues and other more than a dozen

of Simchas, Pages 16-40

TWIN JOY

NEW PAL

| 24 SHEVAT 5775

Diamant To Help Launch Community Mikvah

WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.C

Welcome To The Future

VOL. XC NO. 5

organizations. diverse supMACoM’s board reflects rabbis and repreport, including three Conservative and sentatives of Reform, Judaism.

Orthodox streams of

II 5776the model ADARestablish Diamant | 15helped MARCH 25, 2016 community OM INSIDE for a nondenominational Boston’s WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.C past 10 years at Education 27

Latest Shock Wave

XCI NO. 12WORLD mikvah the VOL.SCARY Local News 2 Waters). .............................

POLICY ......3 Ma Tovu Mayyim Hayyim (Living BEST simObituaries 28 the allidea of a Anti-Semitism isn’t said 4 ..... GoldIsrael 10 before. He to “People nightresponded the Tea CEO Seth .............................

Honest Calendar 29to from London that wasare “onebeautiful, from Paris welcoming safe, but and of attacks Simchas ple, which means there 12 “The chain and families staff place a message4of sad, ..................... and of thea way to died in bombbrings to Opinion to the Ivory AJC Lighting occasions 34 peoplesolutions close to one t least Candleman was for happy 29 Bernardino to Istanbul no simple Sports are our colleagues airport and a San Diamant said. and the daily of 15 as change the event.” ings at the Brussels mark life’s changes,” Euro- Arts corporations Coast and now to Brussels the ..................................10 Opinion 30 stations and witnessed problems facing morning the emer- on continuous about her thoughts Crossword See more a volunteer subway station during 16 — this is one in Israel attacks ..13 Yaakov Yeret, Calendar agents to Emory business 6. ■ PageIsrael’s Prime MinisJews. March 22, in the latmikvah onfrom peanTuesday, Education............................. modern technician on all of us,” IsraeliMarketplace 31 gency medical rush hour 26 4 est stunning 7terrorist attack on the West. assault said in a speech students.

Travel praying at the airBenjamin Netanyahu Page United Hatzalah, was Israel News ............................1 credit for the ter went cases the terrorists when the bombs Islamic State claimed Page 3 to AIPAC. “In all these .....16 as port synagogue capital, where a he said. grievances. It’s not Simchas ............................. attack on the Belgian have no resolvable off. “We felt the explosion,” to fight this .........41 suspect was arrested days earlier in con- if we could offer them Brussels or Istan“We are determined State Youth .............................

Bank.

Islamic JewWest the World even November’s defeated,” bul or California or scourge until it is ............ 42 nection with130 people in Paris. our utter destruction Ronald S. Lauder Arts ............................. slaughter of … What they seek is ish Congress President a terrorist tied to 44 against evil, Three days earlier their total domination.”

“This is a fight of good Obituaries .............................

Israelis (two of and of American said. away from it.” ■ David Harris, the CEO 46 Islamic State killed three and we must not shy citizens) and an Iraarrived in Brussels Crossword ............................. them dual American Jewish Committee, 47 nian in a tourist area of Istanbul.

Marketplace .........................

Brussels Bombs Cause

A

PURIM PARTY

Beth Beautiful weather for parade Jacob’s 25th annual the holihelps Toco Hills start 8 day week right. Page

Miraculous Story After

By David R. Cohen com david@atljewishtimes.

Cobb Crash

Aaron Holder, wearing a plaid shirt, helps carry

the driver from a accident serious East Cobb traffic car crash in East at the intersecTuesday, March 15, Cobb on Tuesday, and Roswell March 15. The tion of Johnson Ferry hero in Aaron man who took roads had an unlikely this photo, Matt Holder.

Chanin, is also the nearby Sprint Holder was inside under Jewish, and after Gov. Nathan Deal is a blinding flash sharing the shot store when he witnessed deafening crash. with Holder, he pressure to veto a religious of light and heard a situations he was invited to “G-d just puts me into liberty bill. Page 9 Holder’s house for I guess,” said Holder, knows I can handle, Shabbat dinner. street to the accident who ran across the the Atlanta the passenat halftime during mov- performed found two men opening and when injuries and Night in 2014. driver, who veered risk of head or neck Hawks’ Jewish Heritage At AIPAC, Donald Trump ger door to assist the that way, and suffering a stroke. ing the driver. with “I don’t usually go into a power pole after down that busy Hillary Clinton agree go to that driver-side door, The accident shut no need for me to “I went over to the on U.N. most there was evNetanyahu including a miraleaking hours, fuel for Benjamin and Holder said. “It was intersection and there were wires crews Sprint store,” Page 14 said. “I opened up the of the afternoon rush hour, while a miracle that I was peace plans and Iran. erywhere,” Holder the cle that she survived, help of one of those cleared the power lines and repaired and a miracle that door, and with the there and able to help, of the car. It was out her to make sure that got part we pole. two guys, everyone did their a peaceful promiracle, Holder organized right. It was all a very surreal.” is to be a chiin Octo- things went At 21, Carmelle Danneman Holder, who is studying rally at the CNN Center ■ and thanks to G-d.” in Marietta, Israel cira singer-songwriter also is ropractor at Life University He making the film festival ber. to minimize the second year. Page 43 said he took precautions

LIBERTY OR ...

A

ISRAEL’S ALLIES

MOVIE STAR cuit for a

JOIN US FOR

The Jewish Breakfast Club

JBC

Jewish Breakfast Club

Wed., August 10th 7:30 am – 9 am 7:30 am Reception • 8:00 am Program

Being held at Greenberg Traurig 3333 Piedmont Rd NE #2500 Reservation Required

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OBITUARIES

Terry Barkin

Isaac Habif

77, Mobile

Terry Samuel Barkin, 77, died surrounded by his wife and family Thursday, July 7, 2016, at Mobile (Ala.) Infirmary.

He was born in Atlanta on Aug. 4, 1938, to Isadore and Jean Barkin. At an early age he developed a love for retail in his family’s store in Winter Haven, Fla. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1960 and earned a master’s from New York University’s Stern School of Business the next year. He served in the Coast Guard Reserve.

He worked for Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta from 1962 to 1984, eventually overseeing six divisions, including shoes and handbags, and becoming senior vice president and general merchandise manager. He worked out of the company’s downtown building and was instrumental in opening the Lenox Square location. In a field focused on glamour, Barkin was known for his data-driven, bottom-line approach and for having his children at the office on weekends and using them as clothes models in Rich’s ads.

He left Rich’s in 1984 to found Shoe Station in Mobile. The company, a pioneer in open-shelf, self-service shoe sales, has grown to 19 stores in five states. He established a scholarship at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell College of Business.

He is survived by his wife of nine years, Teresa; a brother, Marvin; sons James, Brent, Brad and Jordan; daughter Katherine; son-in-law Dustin; daughters-in-law Julie and Lauren; grandchildren Katherine, Walker, Barrett, Joseph and Jackson; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Services were held Tuesday, July 12, at Mobile’s Springhill Avenue Temple.

94, Atlanta

Isaac “Ike” Habif, age 94, a native of Atlanta, died Saturday, July 2, 2016.

Ike graduated from old Boys’ High School and went on to graduate from Georgia State University, Woodrow Wilson Law School and John Marshall Law School. Ike was very active in his community and volunteered for many organizations, including the Atlanta Jewish Federation (of which he was a former trustee), Jewish Family & Career Services, and the Civitan Club of Atlanta. He was past president (four terms) of both Congregation Or VeShalom and the Civitan Club of Atlanta. He was also past president of the Atlanta chapter of the Jewish National Fund. Ike was a founding partner in the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne. He also practiced law at Habif, Habif & Franco and was a veteran of World War II, during which he served in the European theater. Ike was loved by all he met. He was a beautiful soul with a giving heart and lived kindness true to the core. He was a role model for his family and many who knew him well.

Survivors include his wife, Sherry Habif; sons Lenny (Sharon) Habif and Robert (Clare) Habif; daughter Vicki (Gilbert) Rich; brothers Israel Habif and Morris Habif; sisters-in-law Regina Barron, Frances Astren and Barbara Kraselsky; brother-in-law Charles (Ann) Dozetos; grandchildren Miriam Habif, Livana (Psachya) Futterman, Yoel Habif, Jonathan (Ally) Habif, Lindsey (Eric) Bram, Michael Habif, Charlotte Gutman, Lesa Habif and Daniel Habif; stepson Adam (Allie) Jaffe; and two great-granddaughters. He was predeceased by his first wife, Louise Habif, and his son Mark Habif.

Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memo-

Continued on the next page

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

MARKETPLACE VET SERVICES

LANDSCAPING SERVICES

ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES

Dr. Mitzi Schepps, DVM

404.579.7806

Acupuncture for your pet in the comfort of your home.

Visit our website www.AtlantaJewishTimes.com for More of What You Need.

Tenth Series Jubilee Bonds ($25,000 minimum) for 10 Years

3.22

EDUCATION SERVICES

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Torah Day School of Atlanta is seeking a senior level Director of Development Learn more about this employment opportunity at http://ow.ly/H8so3028rPl or torahday.org

Tenth Series Maccabee % Bonds ($5,000 minimum) for 10 Years

3.07

Seventh Series Mazel Tov % Bonds ($100 minimum) for 5 Years

2.45%

FOLLOW THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES ONLINE.

Seventh Series eMitzvah Bonds ($36 minimum) for 5 Years

2.45%

(404) 817-3500 Atlanta@Israelbonds.com Development Corp. for Israel Member FINRA Effective through June 30, 2016

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

vet@wellwag.com • www.wellwag.com

AJT 29

OBITUARIES rial donations may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom, Ahavath Achim Synagogue or the William Breman Jewish Home. Funeral services were held Sunday, July 3, at Congregation Or VeShalom with Rabbis Hayyim Kassorla and Laurence Rosenthal officiating. Interment was at Greenwood Cemetery. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999.

Bernard E. Taranto

83, Atlanta Bernard E. Taranto, 83, of Atlanta passed away Tuesday, July 5, 2016.

He was adored by his devoted daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchild, wonderful companion, and other loving family and friends. Bernard’s passions were golfing and fishing, and his favorite times were spent on the water enjoying a beautiful day with his family. He was born on Nov. 28, 1932, the son of Victoria Terreno Taranto and Ephraim Taranto. Bernard’s mother emigrated from Turkey, and his father emigrated from the isle of Rhodes, Greece. Bernard spent his childhood in Montgomery, Ala., where he was an active member of the ROTC and president of his BBYO AZA Montgomery chapter in high school.

A member of Kappa Nu fraternity, he graduated from the University of Alabama in 1955 with a degree in business. During Bernard’s summers in college, he enjoyed being a camp counselor at Blue Star Camps in North Carolina. After college, he was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a proud member of the United States Navy. Bernard married Rosalind Pomerance, and they settled in her hometown, Columbus, where they were both active members of the civic and Jewish communities, including being Hadassah associates. Bernard began his prominent and long-term career in retail clothing at the Kiddie Shoppe and later opened the Prep Shop, which were beloved by the children and teenagers of Columbus.

Bernard is survived by his daughters, Marci Taranto Haber, Lisa Taranto Schiffer (Douglas) and Viki Taranto Stein (Eric); grandchildren Jared and Justin Haber, Austin and Alexandra Schiffer, and Emily and Amanda Stein; great-granddaughter Stella Dickson; and loving companion Leigh Wilson.

Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Graveside services were held Friday, July 8, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Greater Atlanta Hadassah/Hadassah Medical Organization for Cancer Research, Attn. Randy Gorod, 47 Perimeter Center East, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA 30346. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Death Notices

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

Eduard Akbashev of Acworth on June 25.

Mae Solomon Barkan, 86, of Atlanta, wife of Leonard Barkan and mother of Andrew Barkan, on June 27.

Samuel Gordon, 98, of Lantana, Fla., father of Sam Gordon, Jack Gordon and Peter Gordon, on June 28.

Leonard Greenstein, 79, of Chamblee, member of The Temple, husband of Barbara Greenstein, and father of Jeff Greenstein, Jill Greenstein, Steven Greenstein, Keith Greenstein, Matthew Podowitz and Seth Podowitz, on July 8.

Sol Himelhoch, 87, of Memphis, father of Jo Doris Himelhoch Schell, July 7.

Harriet Kersh of Atlanta on June 28.

Ella Kogan of Atlanta on July 6.

Max Luber, 83, of Atlanta, husband of Dorothy Luber and father of Nanci Goussak, Sally Levinson and Michael Luber, on July 6.

Markus Pechenik, 87, of Amherst, N.Y., husband of Sophia Pechenik and father of Alexander Pechenik and Boris Pechenik, on June 26.

Edward Samuels, 92, of St. Louis, husband of Katherine Rittenberg Samuels and father of Temple Sinai member Sallie Samuels, Ted Samuels, Kris Samuels Holmes and Peggy Samuels, on June 19.

Susi Schwarz, 94, of Decatur, on July 8.

Blanche Slott, 101, of Jacksonville, Fla., mother of Congregation Beth Shalom member Rene Slott Montaigne, Chuck Slott and Marvin Slott, on July 10.

Gary Stern, 74, of Gainesville, husband of Marti Stern and father of Debbie Achiron, Denise Mackey and Barb Rubin, on June 16.

Richard Stern, 91, of Atlanta, husband of Susan Greenwald Stern and father of Michael Stern, Scott Stern and John Stern, on June 29.

Joan Vogin of Philadelphia, mother of Congregation Beth Shalom member Gary Vogin, Alan Vogin and Craig Vogin, on June 30.

Naum Voloschin of Mendoza, Argentina, father of Congregation Beth Sha30 lom member Alfredo Voloschin, on June 22.

AJT

CLOSING THOUGHTS OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING

CROSSWORD

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Not what I was thinking when we relocated to Atlanta in 1980. Not what I was thinking when I accepted the position as director of Camp AJECOMCE the following year.

(Where did AMECOMCE originate? Who is the author of that name?

The answers come from Mark Benveniste: His father, Morris, combined the A from Atlanta, JE from Jewish, COM from community and CE from center.)

What I was thinking was that I was so lucky to get the position.

Don’t get me wrong: I loved my recruiting job. Yes, I was a recruiter at a time when computers ran on DOS. I learned so much from all my employers and from the brilliant engineers I was placing. I had the distinct opportunity of doing mitzvot for young computer engineers graduating from Georgia Tech by finding them their first real-life positions in the tech industry.

I kept waiting for the wink that would lead me to my true mission.

That wink came in the form of a friend who was with the United Way. He heard of the camp director’s position opening at the Jewish Community Center and called me immediately.

My Jewish camp experience was such an integral part of my development as a young girl, as a teen and as a Jewish woman. Combined with my commitment to working with children and young people to encourage them to become their best and healthiest selves, I felt as if I had won the lottery.

Of course, I didn’t. We all know nonprofit professionals do not expect lottery dollars in their paychecks. We hope but don’t expect.

My journey with the Marcus JCC allowed me to meet and learn from some of the greats: Erwin Zaban (z”l), Harry Maziar, Morris Benveniste (z”l), David Funk (z”l), Howie Hyman, Lisa Brill, Laura Dinerman, Sherie Gumer, Lowell Fine and Doug Kuniansky, just to name a few.

Supervisors and mentors Mike Lainoff and Harry Stern encouraged and believed in me, insisting I take on new challenges and guiding me to success. I believe no one could be as lucky as I am, having been given the gift of Mike and Harry.

Every time I thought, OK, I’m done, a new and fabulous opportunity would be offered. How could I say no?

It became obvious to me the center was where I belonged, where I was meant to be, where perhaps I was even needed.

Every day I meet one of my camp staff at the center or in the community. They have taken the leadership qualities they gleaned from their camp experiences and built lives filled with relevance, love and commitment to

By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Medium

1

2

3

4

5

8

9 16

17

18

19

21

20

28

29

36

24 31

30

32

33

38

37 41

34

42

55

26

27

58

61

62

51 56

59

60

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

ACROSS 1. “Rock of Ages” accompaniment 6. Yutz 9. Rebar fruit 14. Shneur Zalman of ___ 15. Daughter of Tzelafchad 16. Rental to help get stuff from Lakewood, N.J., to Lakewood, Pa. 17. Bohr bits 18. Tolkien creature that might have to observe the laws of bikkurim 19. An Israeli 20. Kosher company that makes Italian dressing 23. Major General Israel 24. 38-Across, for one 25. One in the Ark 28. Here, to Gracia Mendes Nasi 31. Chomsky banned from Israel in 2010 34. Ahava target, perhaps 36. ___ of Siddim, Genesis locale near Sodom 38. Hebrew acronym of Rav Judah Loew 40. Billy Joel’s “___ It Goes” 42. Freud topic 43. Bacteria that could ruin the Passover offering 44. 15th century Spanish Hitler 47. Sharp, like Woody Allen 48. Rosters that might include Spielberg and Abrams 49. Shiluach HaKan locale 51. Jewish school on L.I. or reggae’s cousin 52. Went for, as the Knesset 53. Disco man on Simon’s “The Simpsons” 55. ___ in Israel 57. Famous question asked

by Juliet, or another title for this puzzle 63. ___ Aviv (Bet Shemesh neighborhood) 66. Sons of Haman 67. Dudi Sela lost to him in

25

47 50

54

57 65

13

43

49

64

12

35

46

48 53

11

39

45

52

10

22

23

63

their communities.

Many of their children are in the center’s summer camps, teams or preschool.

Every day I am blessed with seeing the fruits of their labor. I refer to my staff as my princes and princesses: They were and they are true royalty.

I must digress with a funny story.

All my interviews (there were five, for goodness’ sake) took place in a building that exists only in our memories, the Peachtree building.

Some of my girls were going to attend the Yeshiva High School, which was on the top floor of the building.

How incredible would it be to drive the girls to school and go to work in the same complex? I would save gas and get to spend extra time with my girls, a shidduch (match) made in heaven.

On my first day I reported to work in anticipation of meeting colleagues and checking out my office for the purpose of redecorating (my favorite activity).

Wrong.

“What are you doing here, Shaindle? Why aren’t you at camp?” Huh? This is not where the camp is?

No one mentioned another facility, Zaban. No one mentioned the camp was at the Zaban facility. So the shidduch was not a shidduch after all.

I had no idea what a Dunwoody was, what a Zaban was or how to get there.

My bubble burst.

On the other hand, Camp AJECOMCE (now Alterman) was on 40-plus lush acres. It was just heavenly.

Folks will ask, “OMG, you are still here? You’ve been there your whole life; aren’t you bored?” A resounding no is my response.

So here I am, still here. Seriously, why wouldn’t I be? ■

7

15

44

By Shaindle Schmuckler shaindle@atljewishtimes.com

6

14

40

Shaindle’s Shpiel

“Identity Question”

30. Buzz who could have seen Israel from the moon 32. “B’vakasha” 33. Fox in Bay’s “Transformers” 35. Greinke who was like the Drysdale to Koufax’s Kershaw 37. Abbr. for Kagan and Allred 39. Airplane ___ (possible synagogue setting) 41. What virtually every DOWN younger brother will do to his 1. Tikkun follower oldest brother in the Bible 2. Female lead in Ramis’ 45. “¿Cómo ___ usted?”

“Groundhog Day” 46. What eating pork is (two 3. Notable one from Vilna words) 4. Allow into an Alex Clare 50. Esther, e.g. show 54. Say a blessing quietly 5. Car that sounds like a 56. Esau might have used month one on a hunt 6. Shomeiah K’___ 7. “Sof haderech” in America 57. Don (tzitzit) 58. Disown, like chametz 8. 1996 bin Laden declaration against America, 59. Works as a sofer 60. ___ Olam e.g.

9. Borat or Groucho feature 61. Staffs the INS Lahav 62. “Anything ___” (2003 10. Judean king who died Woody Allen film) at 36 63. Lo, to a Scot 11. Break the Eighth 64. Disney special agent Commandment voiced by Sean Astin 12. ___ Aryeh (work by 65. Swine that’s avoided by 38-Across) Jews and non-Jews alike 13. Suffix with schnozz or pay 21. The Nile certainly didn’t do it during the first plague LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 22. Big 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 H A V E R A S P S S T O P furniture store 14 15 16 R A I M I L A R A H O S E in Netanya 17 18 19 F R O G A R C O S A G E T 25. Many Stan 20 21 22 Lee characters 23 24 I T Z 25H A K P E 26R L M A N U S O A V E R S T A L 26. Zachor 27 28 29 30 31 I S A A C M I Z R A H I group 32 33 34 35 36 A N N I E Y U D C C S 27. Josh of 37 38 39 40 41 42 R E T R E A T E L I Y A H U “The West 43 44 45 46 M A S C A P E R A R E Wing” 47 48 49 50 28. 2009 sci-fi 51 52 53 Y I T Z 54H A K Y O 55S E F A G O I R S P A N A M film in which 56 57 58 59 60 K E B A R I N H O L T Z I Stephen Lang 61 62 63 64 65 plays the villain 66A R A B 67Y O N A 68U R I A H N O T E E N O S T A N Y A 29. Latke 69 70 71 S E N T E D G E R liquid, perhaps O N O R 31 the 2015 Australian Open 68. Judean animal in “The Chronicles of Narnia” 69. Kosher caribou kin 70. Prepares a shirt for Shabbat 71. “___ So Vain” 72. “Goosebumps” author, initially 73. Like many Middle East relationships

JULY 15 ▪ 2016

I’m Still Here

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

AJT

AJT

32

JULY 15 â–ª 2016