Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIX NO. 13, JULY 15, 2023

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CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

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CHANA SHAPIRO

DAVE SCHECHTER

DAVID OSTROWSKY

DEBBIE DIAMOND

JAN JABEN-EILON

MARCIA CALLER JAFFE

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Cover Photo: Lindsay Fried's 6-yearold pitbull, Harper Fried, was the flower girl at her parents wedding.

Uniting Against Rampant Local Antisemitism

On June 24, a group of neo-Nazi demonstrators who called themselves members of the Goyim Defense League stood on the sidewalk in front of an Orthodox synagogue, Chabad of Cobb on Lower Roswell Road, with bright red flags emblazoned with the Nazi swastika. The group, purportedly from Florida, has been demonstrating in cities having Jewish communities. They had been in Macon prior to coming to Cobb County.

Following this demonstration, news spread quickly to concerned members of two other nearby Jewish congregations as well as police, county officials, neighbors, and friends in Cobb County.

In very short order the Rev. Kristin Lee, senior pastor of East Cobb United Methodist Church, and Mechel McKinley-Hoffman, a member of Marietta First United Methodist Church, had a conversation about the demonstration and immediately began organizing another kind of demonstration. Their next step was reaching out to Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, senior rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim, to see how they could support the Jewish community. He said this was the first

time in seven years that he did not have to organize a response to an antisemitic incident.

The result was an event scheduled for June 28 at East Cobb UMC.

It is apparent that this church is not

a mega-church with a congregational membership in the thousands. All 300 seats were filled with members and visi-

(From left) State Rep. Esther Panitch, Consul-General of Israel to the Southeast Anat Sultan-Dadon, Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, and Rabbi Mark Goldfeder // Photo by Mike Weinroth

tors, as well as attendees standing on the sides of the pews and in the back of the sanctuary. Small but mighty came immediately to mind. There were greeters at the doors passing out copies of the evening’s program. There was a genuine feeling of warmth and welcome.

The program, entitled “A Time of Prayer and Action,” was introduced by McKinley-Hoffman. As the Rev. Lee came to the dais, she quipped that “this crowd doesn’t look like our turn out of Sunday morning regulars.” Her first remark lightened the mood. "There is always a time for personal and group prayer. Everyone in the sanctuary, regardless of denomination, has that right and opportunity. The demonstrators wanted to divide the community, but their actions clearly united the residents of Cobb County."

Rabbi Dorsch also read a message from Rabbi Ephraim Silverman, Rabbi of Chabad of Cobb, “that we will not allow this small group to taint the way we see our neighbors.”

A larger piece of the program was focused on action, and to that end, Cobb Faith Communities have gone on record to support the Georgia Legislature to pass House Bill 30. This bill would officially identify what antisemitism is. The definition is aligned with that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. “A Time of Prayer and Action” is for Georgia to join with the other 46 states in the U.S. that have adopted this specific definition.

State Reps. Esther Panitch of Sandy Springs (the only Jewish member of the Georgia House of Representatives), and John Carson of the 46th district of Cobb County, are doggedly determined that this bill will pass in the next session of the Georgia Legislature. And should it fail, says representative Carson, “we will return the following year until this legislation is finally passed.”

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution condemning the June 24 Goyim Defense League protest. Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson read the resolution and stated that “we want our community to feel loved and empowered.” Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Eytan Davidson also made remarks. ConsulGeneral of Israel to the Southeast Anat Sultan-Dadon was recognized.

Leaving the gathering, Rabbi Dorsch said, “I was left bursting with appreciation that this event was largely organized by the non-Jewish community. I share in the overwhelming gratitude of my colleagues locally that we were included in helping to craft and participate in this outstanding program. Pirkei Avot teaches that ‘in a place where there are no worthy persons, one should strive to be a worthy person.’ Never doubt the strength of a few, brave individuals to bring light to the world.” ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

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More than 300 community members of various faith groups attended the “A Time of Prayer and Action” meeting // Photo by Mike Weinroth

Donor Makes Free Mezuzahs Available in East Cobb

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

An anonymous donor has offered to actualize Rabbi Ephraim Silverman’s wish to “transform darkness into light” by contributing 100 mezuzahs to Jewish homes and businesses in East Cobb lacking the holy scrolls and cases on their doorposts. The donor offered his gift just about a week after Silverman’s Chabad of Cobb synagogue, and its East Cobb community, were shocked by approximately a dozen antisemites who demonstrated in front of the synagogue with their hateful messages during a Shabbat service.

The offer to donate the expensive kosher parchment-filled ornaments reflect Silverman’s repeated pleas to, in effect, find the bright side to the horrendous display that prompted the non-Jewish East Cobb community to hold a supportive interfaith service at a church just days after the event.

“We want to encourage a positive message here,” Silverman told the AJT. “I think we too often have a kneejerk reaction to antisemitism” that is full of outrage and condemnation. He said he prefers that the responding message be more empowering and uplifting. “The non-Jewish media has picked up on the message.”

Silverman said he reached out to the other East Cobb congregations of Etz Chaim and Kol Emeth to spread the news of the mezuzah offer. The only condition for someone procuring a free mezuzah from Chabad of Cobb is to give it to someone else who doesn’t have one. “You need to share light with other people,” he said.

As focused as Silverman is about spreading the light, he doesn’t ignore the darkness of the past. In an article he authored for Israeli website Ynetnews.com, he wrote, “Many of my relatives were gassed and burned in the Nazi death camps and seeing this despicable rally outside a Jewish house of worship in 2023 was extremely disturbing.”

But when he was talking about the mezuzah project, he noted, “There’s so much less antisemitism now than in the 1960s, and if someone attacked Jews in the shtetl 150 years ago, no non-Jews came” to show support.

Yet, in the wake of the late June display of Nazi flags, Silverman pointed out that he had received “thousands” of emails, cards, letters, phone calls, and donations expressing support from the non-Jewish community, some of which he shared on social media.

“I am heartbroken at the antisemitic

actions taken in your front yard, and in my own driveway. We in Cobb will not tolerate this. We have your back! Thank you for everything you do for our community.”

“I am so sorry about how many at Chabad were pressured, harassed, and/ or made to feel unsafe on Saturday. I just heard about it, and I feel sick, not only that people feel such hatred today, but that they are comfortable with targeting anyone as they did you. Please use this donation for whatever purpose you wish and know that your goyish neighbors in East Cobb are outraged on your behalf.”

“Keep up the good work and know your neighbors in East Cobb support you. I hate what I’ve been seeing on the news. We stand with you.”

“I’m so sorry about the antisemitic protest. Thank you for all you do for the Jews of Marietta and Cobb.”

“I’ve never written anything like this before. I feel awkward, actually. But I guess I just want to say, I’m a Christian and you’re Jewish, and I don’t care.”

“It is with great sadness that I read of the protest outside your synagogue. It is sad to see that people still hold these views in 2023. Please realize that there are many of us who are not Jewish and yet stand by you completely.”

“I’ve seen the videos of people protesting outside today. Please know that you have neighbors in East Cobb stand with

you, against hate and extremism.”

Moreover, Silverman said, several Christians have volunteered their services, including ex-military civilians who have offered to stand outside the synagogue to protect the worshipers on Saturdays. “Ninety-nine percent of our population are respectful, loving, kind and want only the best,” he said, pointing to the fact that it was the Christian community that immediately offered to organize the supportive services for the East Cobb Jewish community. “The message was positive from the beginning.”

He added that although he was unable to attend that service, he sent a statement to be read there and he met with the pastor of the East Cobb United Methodist Church where the interfaith service was held just days after the handful of hateful antisemites paraded in front of the Chabad of Cobb.

Places to Purchase Mezuzahs for Donation

Free mezuzahs are available thanks to an anonymous donor.

“Ninety-nine percent of our population are respectful, loving, kind and want only the best,” said Chabad of Cobb Rabbi Ephraim Silverman

Silverman also noted that in addition to the messages he received from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia’s U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and many state officials, he also received

a note from a member of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset.

Likud Party Knesset Member Dan Illouz wrote, “Antisemitism is a terrible prejudice that has persisted for far too

long, and it is essential that we stand together to combat it. I believe it is vital to speak out against any form of discrimination, including antisemitism.”

The mezuzahs are “in hand and

ready to be picked up,” Silverman said. A rabbi will be available to help post the mezuzahs and perform the blessing on them, he added, suggesting that people call the Chabad office at 770-565-4412. ì

Signs of support from non-Jewish community sprouted in front of the Chabad of Cobb the day after the antisemites gathered.

Winship Cancer Institute Collaborates in Israel

By Robyn Spizman

Dr. Jonathon Cohen, co-director of Emory's Winship Cancer Institute's lymphoma program, recently embarked, along with three dedicated colleagues, on an important medical research mission to Israel. Their timely focus was designed to build clinical and research collaborations between the hematology program at Winship Cancer Institute and three Israeli hematology teams.

The team’s plan also includes an ongoing relationship with annual meetings alternating between Israel and Atlanta to leverage the expertise of both sites to improve outcomes for patients with hematologic cancers. The Winship doctors are extremely hopeful that this meaningful trip to Israel will make a difference in the lives of blood cancer patients.

Cohen stated, “In regard to the importance of this program, Winship’s mission is to improve outcomes for patients with cancer. The technology and expertise developed in Israel, coupled with our shared expertise in blood cancers, will lead to innovations in cancer care in both sites and hopefully beyond. Israel’s contributions to medical science are well-known and have led to critical developments in the management of blood cancers. This is also a great opportunity to strengthen the scientific relationship between Israel and Atlanta.”

Regarding the mission, Dr. David Frank, director of the division of hematology, Winship Cancer Institute and Emory University School of Medicine, said, “Both the Winship Cancer Institute and the Davidoff Center share an international reputation for excellence in the treatment of blood cancers. In addition

to providing the best care to patients every day, we are continually looking to develop new cutting-edge therapies for these diseases. This symposium is a wonderful opportunity for us to exchange knowledge and research ideas in this

area. The ultimate goal will be to provide even more outstanding care for our patients with hematologic malignancies and to develop new research approaches that will benefit our patients now and in the future.”

The team of Winship colleagues who accompanied Cohen include Dr. Jonathan Kaufman, David Bankes Glass professor of multiple myeloma. Dr. William Blum, director of leukemia program, and Dr. Jean Koff, director of cellular therapy clinical trials. These leading experts in related hematology fields are devoted to advancing the complicated understanding of blood cancers and how they can be better understood and treated.

This first meeting was designed to allow the teams to meet each other, identify areas of common ground, and hopefully identify research projects that can be initiated and strategically worked together on. The Winship physicians met with two hematology teams in Tel Aviv and also spent a day in Afula, located near the Yokneam-Megiddo region, At-

lanta’s partnership region. They are inviting the participants they met with in this meeting back to Atlanta next year and may potentially have a larger contingent visit Israel in 2025. Eventually, their goal is to develop a program where trainees can spend time at each site and where they can potentially expand this collaboration beyond hematology, which is critical to the advancement of better understanding the future of cancer.

Cohen supports the relevance of this mission; and what makes it important to Winship is the groundbreaking technology developed in Israel that has significantly impacted lives and improved outcomes for patients. He added, “A particular, ground-breaking example is the recently developed immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, that were initially developed in Israel. This research has now revolutionized the treatment of lymphomas and other blood disorders. Israel also has a robust clinical database which will allow us to collaborate with them to answer key questions

(From left) Drs. Jonathan Kaufman, William Blum, Jean Koff and Jonathon Cohen visiting Jerusalem.

Drs. Jonathon Cohen and Jean Koff visiting the hematology unit at HaEmek Hospital in Afula, Israel. Unit led by Dr. Ariel Aviv, pictured in the center.

Dr. Jonathon Cohen and Dr. Hanna Rosenbaum, hematologist in North Israel.

regarding management and outcomes of patients with blood cancers.”

Regarding what’s related to being Jewish in terms of cancer, according to Cohen, “While not necessarily connected to this specific project, I think with Atlanta’s growing Jewish population and the re-establishment of a direct flight between Atlanta and Tel Aviv, this is a fantastic opportunity to increase Atlanta’s

profile as a global leader and collaborator for work being done in Israel. Additionally, these relationships will foster future work in other cancers where there is a Jewish predisposition.”

Cohen also shared, “My personal connection with Israel has also been strengthened this year when my family had the opportunity to host a participant in the Schoenbaum Shinshinim pro-

gram in the fall.  In discussions with our guest and in getting to know her family, I learned more about the potential opportunities that an Israel collaboration would bring to Emory and to Atlanta.”

To Winship and this mission’s credit, it’s clear that sharing research like this could impact the future of cancer and blood disorders. This meaningful alliance of experts is confident that collabo-

ration is the key to ongoing innovation in the management of blood cancers and all cancers.

Cohen praises Israeli researchers, who he agrees, “are at the forefront of technological advances, and their researchers will be able to provide clinical expertise that will complement their work discovering important advancements in the treatment of cancer.” ì

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Building a Brighter Future

Based in one of the world’s most ancient and holiest cities, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) shines brighter than ever as Israel's precious jewel of academia, research, and innovation.

Home to the oldest of six campuses, Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus is a great place to get a firsthand look at HU's academic leadership and innovative research that strengthen the State of Israel and benefit people around the globe.

Founded nearly a century ago by renowned intellectuals and innovators, including Albert Einstein, Martin Buber, and Sigmund Freud, Hebrew University is Israel’s premier institution of higher learning, and consistently ranks among the top 5% of the world’s universities.

While Jerusalem is well known for its ancient heritage, it is also a technological incubator, anchored by the university and its worldrenowned, Nobel prize winning achievements. Home to increasing numbers of high-tech and biomedical start-ups and rated among the top 28 best tech ecosystems in the world (Startup Compass), HU is the locus of innovation for myriad sectors working to strengthen Israel and positively impact the world.

Widely regarded as Israel's intellectual powerhouse, HU generates breakthrough research discoveries, provides new Jewish history insights, trains medical professionals, and develops alternative food sources to feed the world. One shining example is Believer® Meats, founded by Prof. Yaakov Nahmias, which will soon complete construction of the world's largest cultivated meat facility in North Carolina.

Innovation Today and in the Future

Discoveries in nano drug delivery, water reclamation, cybersecurity, quantum-secured communications, and research into therapeutic drugs derived from cannabis and psychedelics are just a few of the outstanding research initiatives currently underway in HU laboratories.

Advancements in healthcare have a long history at HU, and this tradition continues today. Computational medicine—the marriage of big data with a patient’s individual history— promises great improvements in healthcare. Hebrew University is leading this movement

with its plans to build a new Center for Computational Medicine on its Ein Kerem Jerusalem campus.

With nearly a century of service to Israel and the world, HU remains at the forefront of research and advancement, and the university is still experiencing significant growth. On the Safra Campus, a new Center for Sustainability is being built to help to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. Quantum information, nanoscience, and nanotechnology will be combined under one roof and HUJI-TECH, Jerusalem’s new home for cutting-edge high-tech development will be located there. Construction of a new Center for Advanced Legal Studies, as well as major renovations to the archaeology building are taking place on the Mt. Scopus Campus, along with new faculty and student housing to accommodate continuing growth.

The university's success can be attributed in part to its commitment to interdisciplinary research. At HU, academics are encouraged to interact with their colleagues from various disciplines as well academics throughout the world, thereby breaking down the silos that can obscure the big picture and inhibit innovation.

This cooperative ethos is visible in the Center for Sustainability, where academics and the HU community work together to build a greener, sustainable future; the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), where a thriving interface between theory and experimentation leads to exciting new discoveries in brain research; and the Institute of Archaeology, where excavations at sites rich in Jewish history are coupled with a computational archaeology lab and a laboratory for ancient technologies.

Under the auspices of American Friends of the University (AFHU), U.S. donors, both large and small, have supported the research and innovation that makes Hebrew University such a valued part of Israel’s reputation for cutting-edge breakthroughs of global importance. In addition to raising awareness and funds for the university, AFHU helps it attract and retain outstanding faculty, build teaching, and research facilities, and provide scholarships and fellowships to Israel’s next generation of leaders. For more information, please contact AFHU National Director of Development at southeast@afhu.org or 561.948.3342.

Paid Content by American Friends of the Hebrew University

Dr. Jonathon Cohen and Jean Koff visiting BioSense Webster in the HiTech Park in Yokneam. Also pictured: Eliad Eliyahu Ben-Shushan, director of partnership program between Atlanta and Yokneam-Megiddo.

The Winship team and the Davidoff team (from left): Drs. Daniel Goldstein, Moshe Yeshurun, Ofir Wolach, Pia Raanani (leader of the hematology program), Jean Koff, Jonathon Cohen, William Blum, Jonathan Kaufman, Adi Shacham-Abulafia, and Ronit Gurion

Posner’s BBQ was Grillin’ and Chillin’ Fun

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

What event would bring together a local meteorologist, a wealth advisor from Macon, an attorney from Miami, and 162 other guests? On Saturday, June 24, two blocks from Oakland Cemetery, Ana and Ryan Posner’s seventh annual BBQ blazed for mostly cousins and a gaggle of friends.

Posner, a multi-generational Atlanta “Mendel,” who is also related to the plentiful Goldsteins, invested weeks in planning his “welcome summer” feast. In a labyrinth of relationships that even they don’t fully understand, cousins, some newfound, told stories of their Jewish relatives, and just how exactly they might be connected. Third cousin Glenn Rosen laughed, “I had to actually move to Macon to find a wife to assure I wouldn’t marry a cousin here. Somehow, my great-grandmother is Ryan’s greatgrandfather’s sister…This is my first BBQ, but I’ll keep coming back.”

The true stars and gracious hosts, Ana and Ryan Posner, who posted themselves on Facebook days before at Costco gathering vittles, went to great lengths to attend to the smallest details. Weeks before, Ana traveled to Austin, Texas, to load her suitcase with samples for Ryan. When asked, “Ryan, how much did you sleep the night before?”… “About 90 minutes,” he said, still smiling.

Ever since Ryan and Ana settled into their Victorian Grant Park bungalow, they have been lighting up the neighborhood with a love for hosting and a newfound interest in barbecuing. There, a seed was planted that blossomed into the heartwarming tradition – Posner’s annual BBQ.

Ryan Posner said, “My interest in barbequing sparked in 2016, and grew, bolstered by warm memories of mom, Bonnie’s home cooking. I invested in a traditional offset smoker, echoing a commitment to authenticity of which the Ewings (from my favorite show, “Dallas”) would certainly approve. Because of YouTube, I have learned about eight years of technique in months versus my own trial and error.”

The annual BBQ revolves around a tantalizing trio: brisket, Brunswick stew, and bourbon, reminiscent of the grand “Dallas” Ewings - minus the drama. Posner’s pragmatic approach balances grandeur with the potluck tradition, inviting guests to bring a side dish or dessert. Ana Posner said, “This practice not only light-

ens the load, but also enriches the sense of community.”

Ryan Posner rang a triangle bell at 6 p.m. to signal the start of the meat line. The nonmeat/kosher types, like this writer, headed for yards of salads, sides and grilled steak-like, herbed Portobello

mushrooms. The length of Posner’s ice blue Lincoln Continental, with its “Ewing” license plate, occupied the entire driveway.

Cousin Howard Mendel said, if readers dare follow, “My great-grandfather, Hyman Mendel, moved here in 1890

- one of the first members of Ahavath Achim (where Ryan is a new board member). That makes me a fourth-generation Mendel at the AA.  My grandchildren now make that six generations. Ryan’s father is my third cousin, but we only met a year ago. Glenn Rosen, and Lynne Green-

Hilton and Janet Kupshik chatted with Lynne and Tom Greenfield.

Cousin Howard Mendel (left) compliments Ryan Posner and Ana on their feast.

Cousin Glenn and Christina Rosen drove in from Macon for the BBQ.

Helpers Bob and Jeannie Tepper, Celia Gilner, Nikki Novotny, and Marcia Spielberger are fans of Ryan from Ahavath Achim Synagogue.

Sara, Micah and Mark Papier share a broad smile and are not related to Ryan Posner.

Former Ahavath Achim president Mark Cohen gave Ryan Posner a hand in the serving line.

field, via their great-grandfathers, are third cousins.”

Howard himself coordinated the Hyman Mendel family reunion with 200-plus relatives for Thanksgiving 2007 in the Dominican Republic. Greenfield, who had attended last year’s BBQ, stated, “Ryan is my third cousin on the Mendel side, and we happily reconnected about two years ago. He is a multi-talented young man and a truly gifted host.”

Friends Jeannie and Bob Tepper came hours earlier to make the mai tai mix, split firewood, and do assorted tasks. Jeannie Tepper laughed and said, “I have grease stains on my white pants to show for my efforts tending the smoker. It was certainly worth it.”

Ryan Posner recalled the day’s

events, saying, “We prepared ample brisket and stew, but we could’ve used eight more pounds of chicken wings to meet demand. The post-BBQ blues are indeed real, but seeing the smiles on guests’ faces, and the satisfaction of pulling off another successful event, provide a rush of dopamine that fuels our cleanup endeavors. Above all, thanks to all those who lent a helping hand!”

When he’s not grilling, Posner is employed overseeing technical project initiatives that support peer-to-peer medical education programs for health care providers in hematology and oncology. He grew up in Marietta, graduated from Walton High School, then marched and played trumpet in the University of Georgia’s Redcoat Band. ì

Ryan’s blue Lincoln with the Ewing license plate channels his love for the TV show, “Dallas.”

Cousin Gail Goldstein Heyman and Lyons Heyman welcome cousin Rich Werblow, who flew in from Miami for the event.

SOJOURN Raises More than $16K with Give OUT Day

By Sasha Heller

The Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity (SOJOURN), the premiere resource for Jewish and LGBTQ+ programming, education, and advocacy in the Southern U.S., exceeded their goal to raise $15,000 through Give OUT Day, the only national day of giving for the LGBTQ+ community.

In addition to raising just under $17,000, SOJOURN placed third nationwide for unique donors in the category of medium-sized nonprofits, earning an additional prize of $2,500 supported by the Horizons Foundation. SOJOURN also received a generous matching contribution from The Zaban Foundation, doubling donor impact.

Rose Kantorczyk, SOJOURN’s communications associate, explained the work that the organization does and how their services impact the community.

“SOJOURN’s programs aim to provide Jewish communities in the South the tools that they need to empower and support the LGBTQ+ community, which is especially important given the current legislative environment in our states. Queer and trans youth are seeing their states attacking their rights to access medical care, see themselves reflected in their school curriculum, or even be acknowledged as themselves. Jewish communities have a role to play in supporting the LGBTQ+ members of their community amid this hostile environment but might face opposition or just not know where to start.”

Kantorczyk then shared about how the funds that were raised will be utilized.

“Some of SOJOURN’s programs include GSD 101, a one-session program that teaches about gender and sexual diversity through a Jewish lens; Welcoming Communities, a 12-18 month program where our staff works in-depth with Jewish organizations on their policies, programs, and culture for LGBTQ+ welcoming and celebration; and Early Development for Gender Equity, a program about gender norms and inclusive expressions of identity for Jewish professionals who work with young children. The Give OUT Day funds will go towards bringing these programs to more places across the South and allow us to offer them at accessible price points for the Jewish communities that want and need them.”

Since 2013, Give OUT Day has helped hundreds of grassroots nonprofits raise

“LGBTQ+ people need to be able to picture a full, joyful, Jewish future for themselves, and Jewish community leaders need the logistical and spiritual tools to help them do that. At its core, that’s what SOJOURN’s programming is all about,” said Rose Kantorczyk, communications associate for SOJOURN.

millions of dollars from tens of thousands of individual donors. Spanning all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, these organizations support all facets of the LGBTQ community — from groups specifically supporting LGBTQ mental health care and people of color,

to those focused on legal rights and the arts.

“LGBTQ+ people need to be able to picture a full, joyful, Jewish future for themselves, and Jewish community leaders need the logistical and spiritual tools to help them do that. At its core, that’s

what SOJOURN’s programming is all about,” Kantorczyk said.

Give OUT Day is organized by Horizons Foundation, which provides the technology platform, training, and resources to participating organizations at no cost. ì

SOJOURN’s programs aim to provide Jewish communities in the South the tools that they need to empower and support the LGBTQ+ community.

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Meet Your New Community Security Director

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, and the Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, announced the hiring of Brian Davis as the new community security director. Davis will continue to grow the existing community security program in Atlanta, which is one of the two original security initiatives created by the Jewish Federation.

Since 2019, the program has been directly supported by SCN. The security program is designed to increase safety and security for all those who participate in synagogues, day schools, museums, service organizations, and other centers of Jewish life.

“The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is excited to continue its partnership with SCN and formally welcome Brian to our team,” said Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta CEO Eric Robbins. “As America faces dramatic increases in antisemitic threats and incidents, Jewish communal security has never been more important. Brian has extensive experience and knowledge of safety and securi-

ty issues, making him an enormous asset to our community.”

“SCN is proud of our partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and excited to announce Brian as its new community security director,” said Michael Masters, national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network. “Our goal is to ensure the safety, security, and resiliency of all Jewish communities, and this partnership, and hire, is helping to do just that.”

SCN partnered with The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta in 2019; the Federation program is part of the growing network of Jewish Federations and communities that have partnered with SCN to launch community-wide security programs designed around an “all threats, all hazards” approach to preparedness, safety, security, and resiliency. Each program is connected to SCN’s national operations, providing direct access to SCN’s National Jewish Security Operations Command Center and Duty Desk, as well as best practice security resources and support related to policies, procedures, physical security, facility

assessments, training, and incident response, in addition to law enforcement coordination, community outreach, incident response, and NSGP grant funding assistance.

The Atlanta security initiative is being made possible through professional support from the Federation and SCN; funding through the collaborative efforts of the Federation local donors; community partner organizations, and national donor support from LiveSecure, the historic partnership between The Jewish Federations of North America and SCN to fund and create a collective security framework for every Jewish community across North America.

“In our journey to ensure that every Jewish community has a strong security initiative necessary for flourishing Jewish life, we’re thrilled to see that Atlanta is taking steps to strengthen its security program. I look forward to working with the community to raise the necessary matching funds as it continues on its journey to secure the Jewish community,” said Jewish Federations of North America Chair Julie Platt.

Prior to joining SCN, Davis spent 29 years in law enforcement. Located in Atlanta, Davis served as the supervisory special agent over the Transnational Organized Crimes Unit of the Western Hemisphere. He also served as supervi-

sory special agent in Washington, D.C. as the program manager for the Public Corruption Unit.

As an FBI special agent, Davis worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement to investigate and solve a range of high-profile and complex criminal cases such as hate crimes, civil rights violations, public corruption, violent crimes, bank robberies, kidnappings, and fugitives.

Prior to his 21 years with the FBI, Davis was the lead investigator for the Narcotics Unit of the Gaston County Police in North Carolina for 8 years.

“It is an honor for me to work with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and SCN and use my experience to contribute to the safety and security of the Jewish community in Greater Atlanta,” said Davis. “I look forward to building on the strong security program here led by Neil Rabinovitz, and to help this Jewish community thrive.”

Davis will succeed former community security director Neil Rabinovitz, who was hired in 2019 by SCN to launch the security program and will now be overseeing it as the regional security director, covering the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Secure Community Network announce hiring of former FBI supervisory special agent Brian Davis to bolster community safety and security.

NCJW Launches Teen Contraceptive Initiative

By Sasha Heller

The National Council of Jewish Women-Atlanta has launched an initiative targeting female teens that focuses on contraception, health, and wellness.

The new initiative, Teen Leaders 4 Repro Health, runs the length of the school year and empowers female-identifying high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to be “positive change agents in the area of reproductive health,” and help mentor their peers and community.

“After the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision last summer, our section’s chair of the Reproductive Health and Justice Committee, Dr. Mimi Zieman, wanted to inform people that now with abortion access restrictions, the stakes for understanding contraceptive use would increase dramatically,” said Stacey Hader Epstein, co-president of NCJW-Atlanta Section. “She wanted to find a way to teach more young people about the increased need for contraceptive education.”

Epstein added that NCJW-Atlanta applied for a grant from JumpSpark Atlanta, the teen initiative at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, to develop the program.

Program manager Catherine Goodman also shared about where the inspiration for the program came from.

“I was approached by NCJWAtlanta Section after the idea for the program was created,” Goodman said. She added that since the initiative was targeting teens, NCJW officials wanted a younger voice to serve as the program’s

mediator.

“My role so far has been to create a curriculum that will make teenagers feel excited, comfortable, and empowered,” Goodman said. “Since the initiative is modeled on a ‘by teens, for teens’ approach, we are also going to be discussing mature topics such as healthy sexuality and contraception.”

Goodman explained that topics such as these can be awkward for teens to discuss with their parents or other adults in their lives and that participation in this program could make it easier for the teens to express their feelings.

“NCJW-Atlanta Section wanted a young voice that would help the teen participants feel comfortable and be able to ask questions without shame or embarrassment,” Goodman said.

According to a news release, participants will learn verified information regarding reproductive health and contraception from medical professionals. The teens will then utilize the information they have learned to revise the booklet, “Choices,” which is an educational resource for teens that covers the effectiveness of various birth control options.

“The ‘Choices’ booklet is an educational pamphlet for teenagers that takes a deep dive into the multitude of contraceptive options,” Goodman said. “The booklet covers everything from abstinence to birth control pills, to copper IUD’s. The current booklet is 35 pages long, so the students will be revising and streaming it as part of the program.”

Goodman added that the program organizers want the revised

booklet to be “easily digestible, honest, and essentially the go-to for teenagers who are ready to be sexually active and are looking for the best contraceptive choice for them.”

Goodman added, “We hope our teenagers will absorb this information to use in their own lives as well as to educate their friends and family on reproductive health and contraceptive choices.”

As part of the program, teens will gain experience and skills in team collaboration, editing, event planning, pre-

sentation, and marketing. Program materials suggest the teens will complete the program with the “knowledge and confidence to talk to their peers as an advocate for reproductive rights and contraception choices.”

Applications are due by Aug. 15, 2023. There is no cost to participate. To apply, visit www.ncjwatlanta. org/Advocacy. For more information, contact program manager Catherine Goodman at ncjwteensatl@gmail. com. ì

Laura Kurlander-Nagel, chairperson for the Teen Leaders 4 Repro Health Initiative

Dr. Mimi Zieman, NCJW-Atlanta Section co-vice president of advocacy and the section’s chair of Reproductive Health and Justice Committee

Program manager Catherine Goodman

Researchers Induce Cancer Cells to ‘Commit Suicide’

For the first time in the world: researchers at Tel Aviv University encoded a toxin produced by bacteria into mRNA (messenger RNA) molecules and delivered these particles directly to cancer cells, causing the cells to produce the toxin – which eventually killed them with a success rate of 50 percent. The groundbreaking study was led by PhD student Yasmin Granot-Matok and Prof. Dan Peer, a pioneer in the development of RNA therapeutics and head of the Nanomedicine Laboratory at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, also

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME ISRAEL PRIDE

serving as TAU’s VP of research and development. The study’s results were published in Theranostics.

Prof. Peer explains: “Many bacteria secrete toxins. The most famous of these is probably the botulinum toxin injected in Botox treatments. Another classic treatment technique is chemotherapy, involving the delivery of small molecules through the bloodstream to effectively kill cancer cells. However, chemotherapy has a major downside: it is not selective, and also kills healthy cells. Our idea was to deliver safe mRNA molecules encoded for a bacterial toxin directly to the cancer cells – inducing these cells to actually produce the toxic protein that would later kill them. It’s like placing a Trojan horse inside the cancer cell."

Other contributors to the study included: Dr. Assaf Ezra, Dr. Srinivas Ramishetti, Dr. Preeti Sharma Dr. Gonna Somu Naidu and Prof. Itai Benhar, head of the Antibody Engineering Lab at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at TAU. The study was funded by the Shmunis Family Foundation for Biomedicine and Cancer Research.

Tel Aviv recently celebrated “White Night.”

Tel Aviv Celebrates ‘White Night’

Tel Aviv’s “White Night” is regarded as one of the city’s largest cultural events. The all-night celebration features live music, cultural performances, overnight museum access, sunrise yoga, and more.

The annual “White Night” celebrates UNESCO’s July 2003 designation of the “White City” of Tel Aviv as a World Heritage Site, recognizing both its historical significance and architectural uniqueness. The term “White City” references the collection of Bauhaus architecture in Tel Aviv’s city

the Bronx to Orthodox Jewish immigrants. She gains experience for a career in politics by lecturing about Zionism at subway stops as a teen.

July 25, 1992: Aris San, who helped popularize the Greek sound in Israeli music, dies in Budapest at age 52. The Greek native’s hybrid music, known as laika, set the stage for the rise of Mizrahi music in the 1970s.

center and acknowledges the city’s influence in the world of modern architecture. This heritage distinction, paired with Tel Aviv’s reputation as the “Non-Stop City,” gave rise to “White Night,” an event that honors both the city’s artistic stature and bustling culture.

Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, said : “White Night,” a long-standing Tel Aviv tradition, is a joyful and celebratory event. The event is an expression of our commitment to preserving and nurturing the city’s creative culture. This commitment is illustrated year-round through investment in creative resources and infrastructure, the presentation of a diverse array of accessible cultural events, the intentional cultivation of the artistic community, and the careful preservation and facilitation of complete artistic freedom within our city. Don’t miss this event, make the most of the variety of shows and experiences available! Have a great time!”

This year, to commemorate the 20th year anniversary of Tel Aviv being named as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, “White Night” will take place on June 29th.

Compiled by AJT Staff

July 15, 1908: Max Fisher is born to Russian Jewish immigrants in Pittsburgh. His Detroit-based Aurora Gasoline grows to have more than 700 gas stations. He devotes his charity to Jewish causes, Israel and Detroit.

July 16, 1948: Grammy-winning classical musician and conductor Pinchas Zukerman is born in Tel Aviv. He begins playing the violin by age 8, and by 14 he is studying in New York under the sponsorship of violinist Isaac Stern.

July 17, 1888: Author Shmuel Yosef “Shai” Agnon is born in Buczacz, Galicia. He makes aliyah in 1907. He receives the Nobel Prize in literature in 1966 for a body of work commemorating Eastern Europe shtetl life.

July 18, 1290: King Edward I orders the expulsion of England’s 4,000 Jews, who had settled there in significant numbers only in the 11th century. Most move to France or Germany. Jews are not allowed back until 1656.

July 19, 1940: Max Bodenheimer, the first Jewish National Fund chairman, dies five years after immigrating to Jerusalem. A native of Germany, he attended the First Zi-

July 20, 1949: Israel signs an armistice with Syria, the last of four Arab nations to sign such agreements in 1949. The pact creates demilitarized zones between the countries and a U.N.-staffed buffer zone.

July 21, 1973: In Lillehammer, Norway, a Mossad team targeting the terrorists behind the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre fatally shoots a Moroccan waiter, Ahmed Bouchiki, mistaking him for PLO official Ali Hassan Salameh.

July 22, 1939: Gila Almagor, the “queen of the Israeli cinema and theater,” is born in Haifa. She makes her debut for Habima at 17 and establishes herself as a leading lady at Tel Aviv’s Cameri Theatre beginning in 1958.

July 23, 1984: Israel holds the election for the 11th Knesset. Shimon Peres, whose Labor-led Alignment wins 44 of the 120 seats, and Yitzhak Shamir, whose ruling Likud receives 41, agree to create a national unity government.

July 24, 1920: Bella Abzug, the first Jewish woman elected to Congress, is born in

A map from Time magazine details the Allon Plan.

July 26, 1967: Yigal Allon, a member of the government and a retired general, presents a strategic proposal for Israel’s retention of the Jordan Valley with settlements and military bases as part of an Arab-Israeli peace.

July 27, 1656: The Amsterdam Jewish community excommunicates Baruch Spinoza, who becomes one of the leading Enlightenment philosophers, after he refuses to take a payment to be silent about his views

on Judaism.

July 28, 1923: Mordechai Golinkin’s production of “La Traviata” marks the beginning of opera in the Land of Israel. His Palestine Opera stages 16 productions by 1945, including “Dan Hashomer,” the first opera written in Hebrew.

July 29, 1891: OB-GYN Bernhard Zondek is born in Wronke, Germany, now in Poland. He and Jewish colleague Selmar Aschheim develop the A-Z pregnancy test in 1928. Zondek moves to Mandatory Palestine in 1934.

July 30, 1980: The Knesset passes the Basic Law: Jerusalem, enshrining the official Israeli position that a united Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The U.N. Security Council rejects the law with Resolution 476 on Aug. 20.

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

Professor Dan Peer // Photo Courtesy of Tel Aviv University

Today in Israeli History onist Congress and became close to Theodor Herzl.

Max Fisher meets with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem in 2001.

Two Syrian and two Israeli police officers are stationed outside the armistice signing in 1949.

Shimon Peres (left) and Abba Eban vote in favor of the Basic Law: Jerusalem.

Israel Faces Opioid Crisis

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

There’s been a mixed bag of news coming out of Israel as far as the opioid crisis is concerned. Three years ago, Israel won the dubious distinction of being named No. 1 in the world in opioid consumption, defined as pain narcotics, including fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. The Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel recently issued a report warning that Israel is on the verge of an opioid epidemic.

On the other hand, scientists at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences say research has revealed new understandings of the brain’s potential ability to regulate the urge to consume fentanyl. This could suggest hope in the continuing worldwide battle against opioid addiction.

In research on mice, the scientists learned that by changing a certain type of brain cells, they could shift the amount of fentanyl consumed, demonstrating their influence on opioid consumption. The study also presented a method for studying opioid intake that more closely mirrored the reality in which humans take opioids.

Professor Ami Citri, who led the research, stated, “Our findings shed light on the intricate relationship between the brain and fentanyl consumption.” He suggested that the research indicates “a new avenue for interventions aimed at curbing addiction.”

The research conclusions could have a huge impact not only in Israel, but in the U.S. where opioid consumption has reached epidemic proportions. In 2021, the U.S. reported 80,000 deaths from opioid overdoses. International studies indicate that outpatient opioid consumption largely stems from fentanyl consumption by non-elderly and non-malignant patients and among patients of low socioeconomic status.

According to the Taub Center report, in the first half of the last decade, there was an increase in the use of oxycodone and fentanyl in Israel. Between 2012 and 2015, the rate of opioid consumption was the highest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The International Narcotics Control Board said Israel surpassed the U.S. with the highest prescription narcotics consumption in the world in 2020.

The latest news out of Israel follows the U.S. federal appeals court ruling in

May that stated that the owners of Purdue Pharma, which made drugs such as OxyContin and is blamed for fueling the opioid epidemic, would be protected from civil lawsuits linked to the opioid crisis in exchange for a $6 billion settlement. Pharma was owned by the Jewish Sackler family. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2019, after reportedly earning the Sackler family billions of dollars. The $6 billion settlement is to be given to states, cities and individuals harmed by opioid addiction and overdoses. The ruling also required that the Sacklers give up control of Purdue Pharma.

After years of controversy and the May ruling, finally in June, Tel Aviv University took the name Sackler off its medical school, in an agreement with the Sackler family. Sackler, however, still adorns the Faculty of Exact Sciences at Tel Aviv University which has received large donations from the Sackler family for years.

In a statement from both the university and the Sackler family, they stated, “For the last 50 years, the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University has proudly borne the Sackler family name. In a continuing desire and commitment to assist the university and the faculty to raise funds for medical research, the Sackler family has kindly agreed to remove their name from the Faculty of Medicine.”

As reported in Israeli media, the ethics committee director at Physicians for Human Rights stated, “After years of struggle, the name of the Sackler family is finally being removed from the institution that educates the doctors of the future. I hope that this courageous move will also lead to decisive actions in the

fight against the opioid epidemic, as well as to curbing the influence of the pharmaceutical companies on the heath community and its considerations.”

institutions around the world

Other

have removed the Sackler name from their facilities, including Oxford University, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also in New York City. ì

Tel Aviv University removed the Sackler name from its medical school in response to the opioid crisis in Israel.

Former Olympian, Holocaust Survivor Helfgott Dies at 93

Ben Helfgott, a Polishborn Holocaust survivor, who was emancipated from the Theresienstadt labor camp and ghetto in Czechoslovakia in 1945 before immigrating to Britain where he became an Olympic weightlifter and, ultimately, an unflagging advocate for Holocaust survivors, died on June 16 at his home in London.

David Ostrowsky

Helfgott, one of two known Holocaust survivors to go on to compete in the Olympics, was 93 and is survived by his wife, Arza (Gordon) Helfgott; three sons, Maurice, Michael, and Nathan; sister, Mala Tribich; and nine grandchildren. Maurice was the first to confirm his father’s death, but did not mention a cause.

Helfgott’s rise to athletic stardom was just as improbable as it was remarkable. In 1948 – merely three years after being freed from Nazi imprisonment with an 80-pound skeletal frame – a 19-year-old Helfgott was walking around a London park when he passed by some weightlifters pumping iron. Intrigued, Helfgott asked if he could try lifting the 180-pound barbell over his head. He did so effortlessly, immediately realizing his boundless potential as a weightlifter. Soon thereafter, he committed himself to training three nights a week after school and embarking on what turned out to be a phenomenal amateur weightlifting career.

For it was less than a decade later, at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, during which the Opening Ceremony coincided with his 27th birthday, that he finished 13th in his weight class. Melbourne wouldn’t be his only Olympics. Four years later during the Summer Games in Rome, Helfgott once again captained the British weightlifting team, this time finishing 18th in his class.

When reflecting on his Olympic glory to The Times of London in 2021, Helfgott, who also captured four British weightlifting titles and the gold medal in the lightweight class thrice at the Maccabiah Games, which earned him induction into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, said, “I felt like I was representing all the talent that was unable to reach its potential because of the Nazi horror.”

Tragically, many members of Helf-

gott’s family did not reach their full potential because of the Nazis. Both his parents, one of his two sisters, and 21 of his 24 cousins perished in the Holocaust. Painful, yet bittersweet memories of his late family manifested themselves sharply during the aforementioned opening to the Melbourne Games that segued into his first taste of Olympic competition.

“I thought of my parents and of how proud they would have been of me,” Helfgott also shared with The Times of London. “I was at the point of death, but here I was alive and kicking, representing my adopted country. There was sadness but also exhilaration.”

Helfgott was born in Pabianice, a Polish city near Lodz, on Nov. 22, 1929, and raised in Piotrkow. Shortly before his 10th birthday, the Nazis stormed into Poland, effectively initiating World War II and forcing Ben and his family to flee their home village and find refuge in a forest. They weren’t there long. Along with other Jewish families, the Helfgotts were soon forced into the Piotrkow ghetto, where nearly 20,000 Jews languished in pitiful conditions.

Several months after, Ben, who worked as an adolescent at a glass factory in the ghetto, and his family, eluded a mass deportation in late 1942, as his mother and one of his sisters were rounded up along with hundreds of other detainees and murdered in a nearby forest. In 1944, Ben and his father were deported to Buchenwald in Germany; while Ben was then transferred to a subcamp,

Schlieben, and later, to Theresienstadt, his father stayed at Buchenwald and ultimately perished days before what would have been his liberation as he was caught trying to bolt from a death march.

An emaciated teenager at the conclusion of the war, Helfgott was one of 732 orphaned camp survivors, all under 16 and mostly boys, who were transported to England by the Central British Fund, a relief agency for Jewish refugees, where they enjoyed classes and outings that instilled a sense of normalcy back into their lives.

“During the day, anybody who observed us would never have believed what we went through,” Helfgott told the BBC in a 2007 interview about his post-war experience with his fellow young survivors. “But there was another story when we went to sleep. That’s when things happened because most of us were still living with the trauma. And I was living with a terrible trauma because I kept thinking about my father.”

Helfgott urged many of the “Boys” to share their similarly harrowing experiences with the pre-eminent British historian Martin Gilbert, who eventually chronicled their stories in his noted book, “The Boys: The Untold Story of 732 Young Concentration Camp Survivors,” published in 1997.

“There is something different about them from older survivors,” Gilbert told The New York Times when his tome came out that year. “The older survivors came out of the camps as individuals. This

group stayed together for three, four, five years. It seemed to have given them a sort of collective strength. They were never without someone who understood.”

Later in life, while working as a clothing manufacturer, Helfgott dedicated his post-Olympic career toward making sure more people understood about the horrors that he and his contemporaries experienced under the Nazis. To do so, he founded and later became chairman of the ’45 Aid Society – comprised of other members of “The Boys” – whose primary mission was to enlighten the masses about the atrocities committed and emphasize that such a genocide must never be permitted to happen again to any group, anywhere on the planet.

In August 2005, Poland’s highest civilian award, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit, was bestowed on Helfgott for his tireless efforts in promoting Holocaust education and easing Polish-Jewish relations. The following decade, in 2018, he was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Place.

“Sir Ben Helfgott was one of the most inspirational people I have known,” said Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis upon learning of Helfgott’s passing, according to London’s Jewish News. “He was a charismatic and passionate leader, who promoted the values of compassion, understanding, love and peaceful coexistence. His own horrific experiences inspired him to work tirelessly for a more peaceful and unified world and he inspired us to do likewise.” ì

Once his amateur weightlifting career ended, Ben Helfgott (center, foreground) dedicated his life to spreading awareness of the nightmarish childhood he endured at the hands of the Nazis.

On June 16, two-time Olympian Ben Helfgott passed away at the age of 93. It was a crushing blow for the sports world, but an even greater loss for humanity.

Plotkin & Schnall Purchase Charlotte Hornets

By David Ostrowsky

Ever since Michael Jordan became principal owner of the then-Charlotte Bobcats back in 2010, it has been rather apparent that MJ’s transcendent brilliance on the court wouldn’t necessarily transfer over to executive management.

After being acquired by Jordan for approximately $275 million in 2010, the Charlotte franchise (the Bobcats were rebranded as the Hornets in 2014) went 423-600 over 13 seasons, the 26th-best record over that span, while never winning a playoff series. And now – the six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP who’s widely considered the greatest player of all time – is relinquishing control of the Charlotte Hornets, having recently agreed in principle to sell his majority stake to a group of investors led by two Jewish businessmen, Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.

Schnall, in addition to being an influential minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks and an alternate governor on the NBA Board of Governors since 2015, serves as co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a New York City-based private equity firm, where he has worked for the past 27 years following his time in the investment banking divisions of Smith Barney & Co. and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Schnall, a 53-year-old New York City resident and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and Harvard Business School, leads CD&R’s financial services and technology verticals and chairs the healthcare vertical, which he launched in 2003. He is in the process of selling his investment in the Hawks, which is expected to be completed in the next several weeks. Aside from his work in finance and the NBA, Schnall serves as a board member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Plotkin, meanwhile, has been a Hornets minority owner and alternate governor on the NBA Board of Governors since 2019. A native of Portland, Maine, who received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University, Plotkin is the founder of investment management firm Melvin Capital, which was involved in the 2021 GameStop short squeeze before closing last year. It was also in 2022 that Plotkin founded Tallwoods Capital LLC, a Miami Beach-based firm focusing on long-term investments, for which he serves as its chief investment officer.

Plotkin and his wife, Yaara BankPlotkin, who was born and raised in

Queens, N.Y., have been honored by the Chabad Israel Center of the Upper East Side for their philanthropic efforts supporting Israeli wounded soldiers and terror victims. Plotkin has also contributed to the Young Jewish Professionals networking group by leading mentorship sessions via Zoom during the pandemic.

Schnall and Plotkin take over a Hornets franchise that many around the NBA predicted would experience a change in ownership given how it has skyrocketed in value since Jordan purchased it more than a decade ago. Additionally, it was only three years ago that Jordan hinted his days as a principal NBA owner were numbered when he sold a significant minority stake in the Hornets to Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim, founder and chief investment officer of D1 Capital, who will remain part of the new Hornets ownership group.

“In the same way that it’s wonderful that one of our greatest, Michael Jordan, could become the principal governor of a team, he has the absolute right to sell at the same time,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at a press conference held during the NBA Finals in June. “Values have gone up a lot since he bought that team, so that is his decision.”

The price of the Hornets sale was not immediately announced, however, ESPN, citing sources, reported that the franchise was being valued at approximately $3 billion. Prior to the Hornets changing ownership, the most recent sale of an NBA team occurred when Mat Ishbia, the CEO and chairman of United Wholesale Mortgage, who also represents the Jewish community, purchased a majority stake of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mer-

cury for $4 billion back in December.

Jordan’s impending departure as principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets leaves the 30-team NBA without any Black majority ownership – a matter of concern to league commissioner Adam Silver, who, during that very same news

conference, added, “I would love to have better representation in terms of principal governors. ... It’s a marketplace. It’s something that if we were expanding that the league would be in a position to focus directly on that, but in individual team transactions, the market takes us where we are.”

Jordan declined comment on the impending sale through his spokesperson, Estee Portnoy, while Plotkin and Schnall have yet to make public comments.

In addition to presiding over basketball operations during last month’s NBA Draft, in which the Hornets drafted Alabama forward Brandon Miller with the second overall pick before selecting Jewish guard Amari Bailey out of UCLA in the second round, and the start of free agency on July 1, Jordan will still maintain a

nority stake in the Hornets – the only NBA team in his home state of North Carolina – following the official completion of the sale, which is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors. It is not definitively known how long the process of selling will take to be finalized by the NBA Board of Governors. ì

mi-

Joining Gabe Plotkin in assuming principal ownership of the Charlotte Hornets is Rick Schnall, co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC and soon-to-be former minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks // Photo Credit: Atlanta Hawks

A minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets for the past few years, Gabe Plotkin recently agreed in principle to acquire a majority stake in the rebuilding franchise // Photo Credit: Charlotte Hornets

NCJW Celebrate Past Presidents' Achievements

‘Hands of Gold’ Wins Award Among Thousands

Enjoying the company of others—with their presidential tenures—are: (from left, standing) Beth Sugarman (1981-83), Nancy Hamburger (1987-88), Marilyn Shubin (1967-69), Susan Amsler (2000-01), Sherry Frank (1973-75, 2018-23), Holly Strelzik (2001-03), Diana Silverman (1977-79), Susan Gordon (2023-25), Stacey Hader Epstein (2021-24); (from left, seated): Judy Musicer (2010-14), Rachel Rosner (2014-18), Terry Epstein (1988-90), Luci Sunshine (1998-2000); Not shown: Nancy Levine (1985-87).

National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)Atlanta Section recently held a past presidents’ luncheon at the home of past president Marilyn Shubin to honor the organization’s efforts and accomplishments over the decades. Many of the women hadn’t seen each other in years, making the event a merry reunion for many.

Since its founding in 1895, NCJW Atlanta Section has worked to turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families in our community and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Author Roni Robbins’ first novel, “Hands of Gold” is the winner of the 2023 International Book Awards in the category of multicultural fiction.

The novel is loosely based on an inspiring true story. Using literary license, Robbins pulls from the original cassette tapes left by her maternal grandfather, Sam, who survived TB, a workplace shooting and an accidental killing, and walked thousands of miles across several countries to flee antisemitism in pre-Nazi Europe.

This prestigious book award is one of the world’s largest international book award programs for mainstream, indie, and self-published titles. More than 500 winners and finalists in over 100 categories were selected from thousands of

Robbins’ debut novel, “Hands of Gold,” has won the AMERICAN BOOK FEST 2023 International Book Awards in the category of multicultural fiction. entries from around the world. Winners and finalists of this year’s contest join a prestigious group of past laureates, including Pope Francis, Amy Tan, George Sanders, Julie Andrews, Clive Barker, Vanessa Williams, Kitty Kelley, among others.

“Hands of Gold” debuted in February 2022 and quickly garnered attention as an American Fiction Awards finalist in the family saga category. The novel also was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award quarterfinalist for historical fiction.

“Hands of Gold” was published by Amsterdam Publishers, Visit online: www.ronirobbins.com.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Roni Robbins

Delta, El Al to Launch Strategic Partnership

Delta Air Lines and El Al Israel Airlines have signed an agreement to launch a strategic partnership that will offer more convenient connections for customers flying between the United States and Israel. The airlines will implement reciprocal codeshare and frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across both carriers.

Initially, customers connecting onto Delta or El Al’s services will be able to check

in for their entire journey, with boarding passes issued and bags checked through to their destination. Delta offers up to 200 same-day connections from Tel Aviv via its U.S. gateways Atlanta, Boston, and New York-JFK while El Al offers customers additional nonstop service to Tel Aviv from Boston and New York-JFK, and unique Los Angeles, Miami, and Newark service. In due course, both carriers will add their respective codes on each other’s operated flights.

Delta Airlines has launched a strategic partnership with El Al Airlines out of Israel.

“Working closely with El Al will further strengthen Delta’s connection to Israel by offering more customers unrivalled access to destinations across the U.S.,” said Matteo Curcio, Delta’s senior vice president for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India. “Enhanced partnerships are integral to our long-term strategy to better connect Delta customers around the world.”

Shlomi Zafrany, El Al’s vice president of commercial and industry affairs, said:

“We are delighted to offer our customers new ways to discover exciting destinations on both sides of the Atlantic through our partnership with Delta.”

Highlighting the value of the partnership with Delta, he added: “This partnership marks another important milestone in our long-term strategy and offers our customers unparalleled service.”

Compiled by AJT Staff

El Al Israel Airlines has partnered with Delta Airlines to launch a strategic partnership to offer more resources to prospective passengers.

BUTTERFLY ENCOUNTER

OPINION Back in the Garden

yielded a couple of pieces of fruit.

I have returned to the garden for short periods of time daily, with pruning shears and trowel in hand — I have to work my way back up to larger implements — attempting to bring some order to the chaos.

Dave Schechter

From Where I Sit

In recent years, this column has regaled (or bored) readers with tales from our garden, reports on the planting, growing, harvesting, and eating of home-grown fruits and vegetables.

This year — until now — readers have been spared such updates, as for more than two months my health did not permit the exertion necessary to tend the garden.

The perennials and new plantings were left to their own devices, unimpeded by efforts to rein them in. The result was unbridled growth contrary to my more orderly inclinations.

The monstrosity that I call “the kiwi plant from hell” celebrated my absence by extending its already overgrown tentacles by several feet in all directions.

The raspberry vines suffered more than usual, as the kiwi’s green canopy blocked the sun’s rays and, without photosynthesis, there were barely a handful of berries worth collecting.

The adjacent blueberry bushes, which I neglected to trim during the winter months, mounted their own assault on the raspberries, while also producing a diminished crop because of the kiwi’s shading.

Along a side fence, the blackberry canes aimed themselves in various directions, but the pickings have been satisfactory.

In the garden box, weeds claimed victory over the beets and cilantro. The basil held its own. The tomato plants breached the confines of their cages, stretching out willy-nilly. The cherry tomato harvest has been steady. I hold out hope that the larger varieties will ripen and make it to our table.

Colorful red and orange marigolds over-flowed the stone border of a circular area in the center of the garden box. So long as they repel insect pests, they are welcomed beyond that boundary.

We never got around to planting one side of the garden box, so there is space available for other herbs and vegetables.

Nearby, the plum tree that was a gift two years ago after the death of my father-in-law continues to grow and has

I was pleased to find, on the website of an Australian hospital, assurance that my gardening activities are appropriate for someone three to four weeks out from my particular heart surgery. No matter how much or how little I do in the garden, that time is as much a part of my recovery as my daily walk or my return to writing.

Numerous studies and reports testify to the benefits of gardening for physical and mental health. An article posted by the Mayo Clinic explained that gardening can moderate levels of a hormone triggered by stress. And stress reduction is good for the heart.

Elsewhere, the elephant ears at the end of the driveway and in front of the house have grown large and sway in a strong breeze.

In the front, a young horticulturist moved a fig tree that I planted a few years ago to a sunnier location where, lo and behold, small fig-lets have appeared.

That tree has prompted more than one Jewish friend to note the words of Micah 4:4, famously quoted by President George Washington in his 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, R.I., in which he affirmed religious liberty for those who fled tyranny: “Every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig-tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

As for the yard itself, I’m hardly bothered that our grass more often resembles the rough found at the fringes of a golf course than the groomed fairways modeled elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Despite the impression I may have left in this column, I am not obsessive about the fruit and vegetable garden. I chalk up any success growing produce that we eat to good fortune rather than my attentions. Particularly this year, nature has proven itself superior to nurture.

As with other aspects of life during the past few months, the garden has offered broader lessons of its own. A steady hand is nice, but not always necessary. Not everything requires constant attention. Sometimes it helps to understand that life goes on, whether or not you are present or able to influence a situation. ì

Neo-Nazis’ Demonstration Backfired

For over 20 years, my community and I have gathered every Saturday morning to celebrate Shabbat services with singing, prayer, dancing, and meaningful conversation. This past week was different. It was as I walked to Chabad for prayers that I first saw the horrific sight of the massive swastika flags. Instead of having a peaceful time to pray, we were disturbed by a group of agitators shouting antisemitic taunts and holding signs that promoted nasty antiJewish conspiracy theories.

Rabbi Ephraim Silverman Guest Contributor

I cannot begin to describe the feelings of anger and outrage that this vile antisemitic hate evoked within me. Many of my relatives were gassed and burned in the Nazi death camps and seeing this despicable group rally outside a Jewish house of worship in 2023 was extremely disturbing. Thankfully, I was familiar with this particular group – which came from out of town – and their tactics of provoking the Jewish community into being their unwitting megaphone. I was able to compose myself and instead focused on leading the Shabbat prayers and Torah class.

In the hours after the protest, I began to formulate a response. I am aware of the traditional response of expressing outrage, condemnation and hand-wringing statements about rising antisemitism. However, I am also aware that these statements leave the Jewish community feeling scared, vulnerable and in dread of the future. Experience has taught me that there is a better approach - one I had experimented with previously.

My teacher and mentor were the Rebbe – Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. He taught that the most effective response to darkness is to transform it into light. To use the experiences of hatred and negativity as opportunities to inspire more positivity.

Last March, photos circulated of East Cobb middle school students wearing swastika armbands and giving the Nazi salute. There was plenty of condemnation and handwringing, but after the initial outrage I wanted to transform this dark incident to a teachable moment which could spread light.

So, I sat down with these middle school students and their parents to educate them about antisemitism. l shared the story of my grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, and showed them a Holocaust documentary. I helped them understand that the genocide of 6 million people is not a matter that anyone should make a mockery of. There were plenty of tears and remorse, but I knew that we also needed to find a way to transform their ugly actions into something positive.

After learning that some of these kids were musicians, united by their shared love of music and their newfound appreciation of the sensitivities of the Holocaust, the kids joined five Jewish classmates to form a band. This group performed at an assisted-living facility and brought tremendous joy to the seniors who lived there. They were able to turn an instance of hate and darkness into an opportunity to spread light.

In a similar vein, I wanted to issue a response to the antisemitic incident that took place in front of our Chabad last week.

There needed to be condemnation – which I received plenty of help from thousands of people on social media – but there also needed to be a message of hope

and positivity, and one of transforming this darkness into opportunities for light.

First, we focused our messaging on the following three points:

1. The vast majority of our country is loving, kind and respectful of the Jewish people. This is a small fringe group, and their hatred should not taint the way we see our neighbors, our East Cobb community and humanity in general.

2. The response of the wider community needs to be to combat the hate with more acts of love and kindness

3. The response of the Jewish community to this darkness needs to be lighter in the form of even greater Jewish pride and engagement

The results of this approach have been remarkable. The message has left our Chabad community feeling proud, empowered and optimistic. However, beyond our own community, the positive nature of our message has also led to a greater response from the wider non-Jewish community. In the words of one of my colleagues: “This is the first time I can remember that the Jewish community has not needed to form its own response to an antisemitic incident.”

Following last Saturday’s incident, I saw an unbelievable outpouring of love

and support. Lawmakers condemned the hateful actions and proposed bills combating antisemitism. I received over 1,000 emails and phone calls from across Georgia and the U.S. expressing love, solidarity and support. Residents from our neighborhood decorated the area outside our synagogue with signs bearing the sentiments: “We love you,” “No to Antisemitism” and “God Loves You.”

In contrast to the tiny minority of people espousing hate, we were warmly embraced by 99%. Georgia State Rep. Brent Cox, a personal friend and Evangelical Christian, said of the incident: “How could they do this to my synagogue?” This showed what I believe to be America’s true colors – that the majority of people have love and respect for our community and aren’t afraid to come to our side when we need them.

The neo-Nazis thought that their demonstration would rouse hatred among their fellows, and fear among the Jewish community. Instead, they have found themselves increasingly condemned and ostracized, while the Jewish community feels empowered, optimistic and inspired. When confronted with hate, we are doubling down on acts of kindness, love and Jewish pride.ì

Rabbi Ephraim Silverman is the director Chabad of Cobb

Goyim Defense League protests Chabad of Cobb in Georgia with Nazi flags // Screenshot, YouTube

"A Novel Response to Hate"

OPINION

Letters to the Editor

The AJT welcomes your letters. If you would like your letter to be published, please write 200 words or less, include your name, phone number and email, and send it to kaylene@atljewishtimes.com.

Letter to the editor,

Dear Rabbi Ephraim Silverman and Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar,

The Socialist Workers Party in Atlanta extends our solidarity to Chabad House in Marietta and Temple Beth Israel in Macon. The outpourings of those standing with the Jewish community showed how small and isolated these pro-Nazi outfits are currently.

Antisemitism has greatly declined amongst working people. The worldwide capitalist crisis and instability today underlies the increase in acts of Jew-hatred in recent years. History teaches that as these crises become acute in coming years, the capitalist rulers will use Jew-hatred and a fascist movement to shift blame for worsening conditions away from their system, in the face of growing working-class struggles.

Working people will begin to see the need for the working class and unions to break from the two capitalist parties -- the Democrats and Republicans -- and form a politically independent labor party based on the unions. It could help mobilize against acts of Jew-hatred, as part of organizing solidarity with working class and labor struggles.

Workers and farmers in Cuba took power and made a socialist revolution, continuing to defend it today. There, Jews’ rights and institutions have been steadfastly supported from the beginning.

We must also guard against bans on freedom of speech. We should oppose piling charges of “hate crime” on top of charges of violence against those who attack Jews and synagogues. Criminalization of thought is a precedent that will inevitably be used against the working class and its organizations.

The Socialist Workers Party in Atlanta stands ready to speak out with others against acts of Jew-hatred whenever they occur.

Lisa Potash of the Socialist Workers Party, Atlanta

Disclamer to our readers:

This section of the newspaper is a forum for our community to share thoughts, concerns and opinions as open letters to the community or directly to the newspaper. As a letter to the editor, we proof for spelling and grammatical errors only. We do not edit nor vet the information the letter contains. The individual signing the letter is accountable for what they share.

Letter to the editor,

The leadership of Hadassah Greater Atlanta would like to send the following letter to the editor regarding antisemitism for inclusion in the Atlanta Jewish Times:

Hadassah Greater Atlanta stands in solidarity with our Jewish community and our allies and partners here in Georgia. Hadassah is deeply committed to combating any prejudice and bigotry, and antisemitism in all forms. As such, we are also profoundly troubled by the rise in threats and attacks targeting Jewish institutions, synagogues, and individuals in Georgia.

Keeping communities safe and building a healthier and more tolerant future requires us to stop antisemitism from taking root. We cannot eliminate antisemitism without first defining what it is - that’s why adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism is so important. The IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism is widely recognized as an essential tool in naming and fighting hatred of Jews and has been adopted by more than 1,000 global entities including 40 countries and 30 U.S. states. We must continue to urge our state legislators to recognize that Georgia needs the IHRA definition to combat antisemitism!

Nancy Schwartz, President; Simone Wilker, Zionist Affairs Chair; Natasha Dabush, Advocacy Chair -- Hadassah Greater Atlanta

Letter to the editor, An End to Jewish Independent Living?

I live in what was until recently a large Jewish-named, owned, and managed low-income independent living residence, Kavod Senior Life, in Denver, Colo., which accepts operating subsidies from HUD, the Housing and Urban Development Department of the Federal Government.

Two months ago, Kavod CEO Michael Klein signed a voluntary compliance agreement with James Whiteside, the Denver Director of HUD, to actively recruit new minority residents.

As part of this Agreement the category of Independent Living was eliminated for 375 studio and one-bedroom Kavod apartments, which can now be occupied by more than one person, including children, and will hereafter be called and considered simply generic multifamily affordable housing.

In addition, new resident screening requirements for these units have been significantly reduced, with persons with criminal convictions and evictions now eligible for admission.

One result of these changes will be that newly admitted residents, who no longer need to demonstrate that they can look after themselves as they did under the longestablished independent-living paradigm, will tend to be sicker and less capable and will require additional expensive accommodation and care.

But HUD will not be providing any additional resources to meet these new residents’ needs. That will be the responsibility of the local Jewish Community, even though the admission of new Jewish Seniors to Kavod, for which there is already a long waiting list, will be significantly reduced.

So far, as I am aware, Kavod is the only HUD subsidized senior housing in the United States so far to be threatened with the withdrawal of Federal funds and Federal Court action if it does not comply with these new HUD Directives.

However, I see no reason why HUD will not try to impose similar measures on other Jewish owned and operated Senior residences throughout the Country, including The Jewish Tower and The Zaban Tower on Howell Mill Road in Atlanta.

I will be pleased to email the actual Agreement Kavod CEO Michael Klein signed with HUD to any reader who is in a position to evaluate it and help me determine whether there are grounds to take HUD to Court, to prevent it from destroying the independent living model for senior subsidized housing, Jewish and otherwise, which has worked so well in America for the past 50 years.

Nathan Edelson, Denver

Letter to the editor,

I had been wondering how Jews should deal with the latest example of antisemitic ugliness—Nazis demonstrating in front of Chabad of Cobb—when I received an email from my congregation, Temple Sinai. “Many in our community will find it comforting to gather with others,” it said, notifying readers of an interfaith response scheduled for that evening at the East Cobb United Methodist Church in Marietta.

Apparently, I was among those who needed comforting, based on the number of times I felt farklempt (Yiddush for “choked up”), as I sat with about 200 others in the packed, unassuming church. What struck me about the event was how it focused on caring for each other—love—even as it was prompted by outrage.

The first time I felt tears welling and a catch in my throat was when Rabbi Dan Dorsch of the nearby Etz Chaim congregation noted that the East Cobb Jewish community has been dealing with occasional antisemtic acts for years. But this one felt different, he said, because “it was the first time the Jewish community didn’t have to organize its own response” to an act of antisemitism.

Hearing this, the people in the pews stood for the first of what would become many standing ovations.

The Rev. Kristin Lee, whose church hosted the event, had spent some time studying the Talmud. She emphasized that prayer is important, but so is action. She quoted the prophet Micah, “Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with G-d,” and Jewish scholars who said of justice, “You are not expected to complete the task, but neither are you free to avoid it.”

This is not a request or a suggestion, Lee added, nor should we wait until doing justice is convenient for us. She added how freeing it was to learn she didn’t have to finish the job.

Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose district had been invaded by the Nazis, talked about how she wanted people to feel “encouraged and empowered” by the event. She said when she heard of the demonstration Saturday, she went to the synagogue and was heartened by how many citizens had already shown up to support the Jews: “In the face of hatred, love won.” (Farklempt again.)

Richardson then read a resolution the Cobb County Commission passed to denounce the hate spread on Saturday. My journalist’s heart beamed hearing the denunciation include the Nazis’ “spreading false and inflammatory information.”

Democratic and Republican state legislators urged adding a definition of antisemitism to the state’s hate crimes law; the definition itself is still under debate.

Another standing ovation occurred when a speaker thanked local police officers for keeping order on Saturday and for being there this evening.

When a speaker mentioned an Anne Frank exhibit expected to open soon, I was reminded of the first episode of the miniseries “A Small Light” that I watched recently. It tells the story of the Gentile secretary trusted by the Frank family to help them as they hide in the secret annex. I recalled how scared and alone the Franks and the secretary, Miep Gies, feel in the streets of Amsterdam as the Nazis take over.

Eytan Davidson, who heads the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast office, told the audience that his grandparents survived the Holocaust, but six million other Jews did not. “They didn’t have neighbors like you,” he added.

One of those neighbors was Mechel McKinley-Hoffman, who organized the event out of her fury with how fellow Americans allied with our enemies from World War II. She ended the night by asking everyone to “be better” and “honor all persons.”

I had been wondering how we Jews should respond to the Nazis, but, fortunately, I was wrong: The event showed that entire communities are working on the problem. That makes all of the difference in the world.

Everyone who is part of a vulnerable minority should feel what Jews in that church felt last night.

Jonathan Ringel, Dunwoody

Katz Worries How Pets are Becoming Our Children

For the last 20 years, Jon Katz has written about his love of animals and his life on his rural Bedlam Farm where he lives with three dogs, two cats, chickens, a flock of sheep, and a rescue donkey.

Bob Bahr

His bestsellers have included several books about his relationships with his dogs, as well as a commonsense guide to dog training, and two children’s books. Katz is also the author of a daily blog, Bedlam Farm Journal, that claims 3 million readers and a Facebook page with 56,000 followers.

Despite his success as the author of a string of bestsellers about the animals he’s encountered over the last two decades, he believes that the relationships that we have developed in recent years with our animals are not healthy for our-

selves or our pets.

The AJT asked him, first, about what he sees as the role our pets have taken on recently.

Katz: Our society is tense and frag-

mented, and debate and politics has become a very ugly thing. And there’s a lot of hatred. I think people are turning to dogs for comfort and, you know, animals in general…people predicted back in the sixties that as we get more and more dis-

connected from religion and from community and from civic civility, we turn to dogs for companionship. And so, this is the new work of dogs. It’s the emotional lives of people. And a lot of people get love and affection from dogs, but they’re

Best-selling author Jon Katz warns about treating our pets as people in life and death. In “Going Home,” Katz writes about coping with the loss of a beloved pet.

not getting from people.

Bahr: What’s wrong with that?

Katz: It’s great that dogs are doing this work and it’s great that they’re helping people, but it’s also dangerous because a lot of people, people I see, are losing the difference between human contact and animal contact. And I think that would be a tragedy for both dogs and people.

Bahr: But shouldn’t we give back the affection that our dogs and other pets seem so willing to give us.

Katz: It seems to be out of control. Last year, we spent over $136 billion on our pets, everything from gourmet dog food to dog clothing and funerals that can cost $1,000 or more. I think we have to be careful. I love dogs very much, but I don’t want them to replace human beings in our mind. They’re not our babies or they’re not our children. I have a child and I would not assume her by comparing them to an animal. I can’t tell you how many people told me that dogs were like children to them, and that would have been startling 15 years ago to hear that. So, I think we are losing perspective on that.

Bahr: Almost half of what we spend on our animals goes to their health care, often in the last years of their life, when some people go to extraordinary lengths to keep their animals alive. What is your view of that?

Live in your element.

Katz: That’s just a loss of perspective. Veterinarians have told me again and again that the worst thing they see are people who just can’t let their dogs go when they get really sick. I heard of one woman -- a woman who spent $17,000 on her pet when it had kidney troubles and she went bankrupt and the vet was begging her not to do that because…she kept saying, “No, no, I love her too much to let her go.” What she didn’t understand is dogs can’t speak for themselves, so they can’t agree to an elaborate surgery again and again and again. It can be very confusing for them and incredibly painful as well.

Bahr: So, you wrote a book on grieving about pets called, “Going Home - Finding Peace When Pets Die,” soon after you lost a beloved border collie. What did you learn from that?

Katz: And I learned a number of things. It is very important to have conversations with your vet in advance before you have to deal with the question of death. Think about how much money you want to spend and how much you’re willing to put the dogs through. As a Jew, I have read a lot about the sanctity of animals and the value of connection and the need to treat them carefully and with mercy. I respect the fact that dogs play a very, very powerful place in our lives. It’s great that they’re helping people, but it’s also dangerous because a lot of people I see are losing the difference between human contact and animal contact. ì

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Culinar y Passpor t to Paris

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26TH • 11:30AM

Join us for an exploration of Parisian cuisine with our talented Executive Chef. Enjoy a mouthwatering menu and handpicked wines. Meet residents and take a tour of our beautiful community. To make a reservation, please call 404.496.5492.

For more than two decades, Jon Katz has been writing about his love of dogs and other animals.

Local Animal Shelters Reaches Record Levels

Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton Animal Services all report an unprecedented number of dogs and cats at the county animal shelters. According to several animal welfare volunteers and shelter representatives, the numbers have increased significantly since last year ago, putting extra strain on a system already stretched thin.

According to Steve Hammond, director of Cobb County Animal Services, “While the number of intakes has increased by 22 percent, the number of adoptions has also risen by 38 percent. That’s the good news.” Cobb is currently working to institute a foster program for stray animals, which it plans to roll out in the fall, if not sooner.

In DeKalb and Fulton counties, the situation is critical. Lifeline Animal Project is the non-profit organization that manages both shelters. According to Timyka Artist, the Lifeline spokesperson for DeKalb and Fulton Animal Services, adoptions at both shelters are down 30 percent. In DeKalb, dog intake is up 60 percent from a year ago. Ideally, the maximum number of animals at the DeKalb shelter is 470, though they are currently housing more than 700 animals. At the Fulton and Midtown shelters, the halls are lined with animals in crates, with staff taking advantage of every possible space to save the animals.

Lifeline is urging people not to bring healthy dogs they find to their Fulton and DeKalb shelters since most displaced pets are typically less than a mile away from home. Instead, they are asking finders to take at least 48 hours to try and locate the owner. Checking for a microchip and putting up large signs with the pet’s photo will aid in getting them back to their rightful owner. The “Take 48” initiative (lifelineanimal.org/found-pets) provides step-by-step instructions for anyone who has found a pet. Lifeline also has a foster program in place.

Animal advocates point to the current housing crisis as the primary reason for the steep increase in animals without homes. “Many landlords charge expensive pet fees and often restrict certain breeds of larger dogs. Many of the dogs in our shelters are medium to large size,” said Artist.

Hammond points to the number of evictions and people unable to afford the cost of higher rents as the Atlanta housing market becomes more expensive.

“Many people are not willingly leaving their pets behind. They have run out of options, and they are visibly upset, crying as they leave their beloved pets here at the shelter. Some have tried living with their pet at a friend or family member’s home. Many even live out of their cars as they try to navigate a very difficult situation,” said Hammond. Thankfully, all three counties have

minimized the number of dogs facing euthanasia. Artist pointed out DeKalb and Fulton are classified as open access, no kill shelters, in fact. Lifeline’s contracts with both counties stipulate they cannot turn animals away from the shelter. Cobb also takes in all animals and has an 89 percent live release rate. No kill shelters must meet a 90 percent live release rate to be classified as such.

Paws Between Homes hopes to fill the gap between people with pets facing displacement, homelessness, or uncertain housing circumstances. The non-

profit organization matches vetted foster homes with people who need temporary housing for their pets. Pets are able to stay in a foster home for up to 90 days, with some leeway for extensions. Launched in 2020, Paws Between Homes will provide needed veterinary care, food, and updated vaccines if necessary.

“The price of rents has skyrocketed in Atlanta, with the pool of affordable housing diminishing for many of our clients,” said Cole Thaler, co-founder and board president of Paws Between Homes. A recent report from Partners for HOME,

Chuck Norris Dorchinsky, scheduled for euthanasia earlier this year at a county shelter, was saved the day before by Cheryl and Steve Dorchinsky. He is now living his best life taking long walks in the park, riding in cars, dancing and snuggling with his beloved family.

Finley Franco was rescued by Loryn Franco and her teens, Sam and Jonah, from Adopt-a-Golden. He loves hiking with his family, playing with other dogs and catching a ball.

Pearl Schemo, adopted by Carol and Nathan Schemo in 2011, is enjoying her golden years popping bubble wrap, snuggling, and eating all the treats she is offered. Until his recent passing, Skid, her feline brother, was her confidante and best friend.

Debbie Diamond

Sophie Pierson, now queen of her castle, was rescued in 2012 by Michael and Michelle Pierson. Her hobbies include running around the family pool, playing with her neighbor and fellow rescue, Rosie, and cuddling. She is very excited to be included and advocate for pet rescue.

an organization that develops and implements strategies to end homelessness in Atlanta, found that the number of people experiencing homelessness in Atlanta has gone up by a third from 2022 to 2023.

“The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta is $1,700, making it difficult for many people to secure a place to live. Yet even with the high cost of rent, only 10 percent of people who utilize Paws Between Homes’ foster program are unable to take their pets back. In those cases, the pets are typically rehomed with their foster on a permanent basis,” Thaler added.

All fosters participate on a volunteer basis, and there is no charge to clients for the program. Donations from the community have kept the foster program going since 2020. There are currently 20 dogs and cats in the program and a waiting list of 50. The number of animals accepted is based on the availability of program fosters.

The advice from the leaders of area shelters and rescue organizations is the same -- people looking for pets should first visit their local animal shelters and rescue organizations. They advise against going to a breeder or buying from a pet store. All emphasize there are trained, loving dogs, including many who are purebred, at shelters and rescues.

During the summer, through Fulton and DeKalb’s Free Dog Friday program, families may adopt any dog over 25 pounds free of charge. Cobb also offers a similar program with free Monday parking lot adoptions. During July at the Cobb shelter, all adoptions will be $20. All animals come spay/neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated free of charge.

To volunteer, foster, transport, donate or learn more about Paws Between Homes, visit www.pawsbetweenhomes.org.

For those looking for a new canine or feline family member, visit cobbpd.policetocitizen.com/Animals/ Catalog, dekalbanimalservices.com/adopt/ or fultonanimalservices.com/adopt/. ì

Thank You

When

Annual Golf Tournament

kids then experience a memorable 4-day adventure at Camp Coleman in North Georgia.

Pet Trainer Spivak Sets Up Success

You might recognize Brooklyn-born Mark Spivak’s work from his credits working with PBS’s “Nova” series and various television news programs where he shared expert insight. He has co-authored 17 peerviewed studies in the field of canine neuroscience. Some of his projects were with the world-renowned Emory Canine Cognitive Laboratory. He has participated in or supervised the training of more than 50,000 client dogs and over 100 client cats.

Locally, Spivak serves as head trainer for Comprehensive Pet Therapy where he helps owners tackle tough issues like PTSD. Spivak noted, “The difference between the average dog trainer and an elite behaviorist is the mastery of art and

science. There’s an art to communicating with dogs and their humans…and from the scientific perspective, knowledge of canine and behavioral psychology is mandatory for achieving optimal outcomes, especially in complex behavior cases.”

Spivak was originally destined for a career in finance with his Bachelor of Science in economics from Wharton School of Finance and an MBA from the University of California Berkeley. He recalled, “I was too iconoclastic for the corporate world and realized I enjoyed training dogs more than office work. Now because of demand, I am hiring more trainers and looking for other locations in addition to Atlanta and Eugene, Ore.”

Spivak’s own pets have excelled: his German shepherd, Topper, was a regional champion and national competitor in “schutzhund,” a dog sport combining tracking, obedience, and protection. He also achieved advanced tracking titles and competed in the KNPV nationals -- a working dog sport associated with police dogs. Spivak’s other shepherd, Akbar, was

trained in tracking, protection, and agility; performed in commercials and movies; and was a certified therapy dog that frequently visited the Weinstein Center. His cat, Simba, learned several obedience commands, played hide and seek, and enjoyed playing with dogs. CPT’s Service Dog Program has been featured in the New York Times best-selling book, “Doctor Dogs,” and in People magazine.

Interestingly, Spivak has been an expert witness in national civil and criminal cases involving canine behavior and training. Civil cases may include dog bite injuries, contract issues, custody resolutions, HOA disputes, and ADA violations. Criminal cases include motions to suppress (usually evidence obtained from police K9 searches), felony cruelty to animals, and animal control violations -- and even included a murder case!

Spivak shared his insight into several topics:

AJT: Are cats trainable?

MS: Our business is 99 percent dog training and only 1 percent cat. We would

love to expand our cat clients, while resolving feline behavioral problems, including litter box issues, destructive scratching, socialization issues, cat-human aggression, cat-cat aggression, and anxiety. Cats can learn basic obedience commands -- and often enjoy learning if training is introduced during the kitten stage.”

AJT: Which are smarter -- cats or dogs?

MS: From an intellectual standpoint,

Ivy League educated Mark Spivak operates CPT, Comprehensive Pet Therapy, and is also a high-profile expert witness.

Marcia

Caller Jaffe

dogs and cats are similar, but highly dissimilar in motivation. Dogs are superior interpreters of human physical and vocal communication, more easily inspired by praise, food, and play, and more cooperative.

AJT: What to look for in adopting?

MS: A confident, secure, cooperative, appropriately social pet is far more satisfying than an anxious, stubborn, or aloof pet. We advise prospective owners to steer away from young or adult dogs or cats exhibiting anxious temperaments or that have a history of aggressive or destructive behavior. Confident animals typically become more enjoyable companions.

AJT: What about pets dealing with anxiety?

MS: The majority of anxiety cases occur amidst fellow dogs or cats, people, noises, thunderstorms, fireworks, loud vehicles, and unfamiliar objects. Some unusual cases involved dogs afraid of light penetrating through blinds, leash attachment, and humans touching certain parts of the body. When treating generalized anxiety disorder, we typically recommend a variety of holistic, homeo-

pathic, quality of life, and nutritional solutions -- and sometimes ask the client to speak to a veterinarian about anxiolytic medication.”

AJT: Any suggestions regarding administering drugs to pets?

MS: The optimal homeopathic solution depends upon the animal and issue. We don’t recommend cannabis (illegal in Georgia) but often recommend cannabidiol, or CBD, which can be a useful adjunct when treating anxious behavior in a dog or cat.

The bottom line, according to Spivak, is that problems can often occur by people progressing too quickly. When it comes to systematic desensitization, the mantra, “slow and steady wins the race,” is apropos.

CPT offers a variety of services, including group class, private instruction, in-home private instruction, remote (public access) private instruction, virtual private instruction, and board training. Programs cover basic on and offleash obedience, competition obedience, agility, housebreaking, manners, and behavior modification. For more info, call 404-236-2150. ì

Mark Spivak is an elite animal behaviorist practicing the mastery of art and science.

Jewish Atlanta Pets of 2023 Winners

Our eighth-annual pet issue is finally here. We received 77 submissions, including a wide variety of dogs and cats. The first place winner went to Mynah & Autumn Winokur. Sammy and Maggie Staley came in second place. Third place went to Finn Kashdan. Harper Fried graces our cover this week. She was flower girl in her parents wedding. Check out all of the submissions and see what’s special and unique about each one!

2nd Place

Sammy & Maggie Staley

7-year-old Rescues

Micah & Evan Staley of Brookhaven

Sammy and Maggie love their family. They run for joy when they hear the word "grandma." They love to walk with their mom and dad and then chill with a bone at night.

1st Place Mynah and WinokurAutumn

5-year-old Golden Retriever and 12-year-old Tabby Cat

Harvey Winokur of Roswell

Mynah, our golden retriever and Autumn, our tabby cat have a unique relationship. They play hide and seek around our furniture.

3rd Place Finn Kashdan

4-year-old Shihtzu/Miki

Stephanie Kashdan of Roswell

Finn enjoys traveling and treats. When he is at home, you can find him begging to play ball or snuggling!

Aleeza (Leezi) Ribner

10-year-old Mix

Barbara Ribner of Decatur

Aleeza is a gorgeous rescued mutt with a tremendous "personality" who is a certified Therapy and Read Dog. She cheers and comforts many people as we do therapy visits to colleges, schools, adult day care, etc.

COVER WINNER Harper Fried

6-year-old Pitbull

Lindsay Fried of East Lake

Harper is funny, smart, and a huge part of our family. She stole the show as flower girl at our wedding in May!

3P Pairy Levin

1.8-year-old cat

Bob Levin of East Cobb

Her presence brings me joy.

11-year-old Shetlaind Sheepdog

Dionna Jackson of Dunwoody Place

Abby lives with me at Dunwoody Place and loves on all of our residents.

Andre and Bear Sharker

9.5 & 4.5-year-old Morkie and Pomeranian

Debra Sharker of Sandy Springs

Andre and Bear are rescues. They love living in Sandy Springs with Mommy. Rescues RULE! Andre loves to give kisses! Bear loves to watch TV!

Abby Jackson

Archie Miller

3-year-old Chihuahua mix

Nancy Miller of Woodstock

Our dog Archie was rescued during the Covid-19 epidemic, and is the dog of our senior years. Fiercely loyal to his people, Archie loves his 12 canine cousins in Sandy Springs, Woodstock, Greenville and Chattanooga. He hates the car, but loves hiking in Leita Thompson Park. Archie also is fond of howling to Broadway show tunes, particularly Tonight from West Side Story.

Benji Montaigne

4.5-year-old Shitzu/Golden Retriever

Reme Montaigne of Huntley Hills

Benji is a rescue who loves everyone He enjoys going to the dog park to visit with his dog and human friends.

Boba Olens

5.5-year-old Goldendoodle

Lauren Olens of Chamblee

Loves chasing squirrels, any human food but particularly peanut butter, new parks and creeks. Dislikes mushy bananas and staying home alone.

Beau &KatzVirginia

5-year-old Black Lab and Fox Red Lab

Shelly Katz of Johns Creek

They love coffee, swimming and helping in the kitchen! They have also been known to swipe a challah (in a two minute timeframe) from the Shabbat table with no trace left behind! We love our Labs!

Bentley Friedenberg

2-year-old Toy Poodle

Sherry Friedenberg of Dunwoody

Little guy with big personality and happy always. Loves to play and loves attention but there’s no place like a lap to curl up.

Boom Boom & Murphy Arkin

8 & 14-year-old Australian Labradoodle & Goldendoodle

Marilyn Arkin of Sandy Springs

Two of the best doggies on the planet. They love us unconditionally as we do them! Boom Boom stares into your soul and gives paw paw 24/7.

BridgetSandersMargolis-

3-year-old BichonPoo

Jon Margolis & Emily Sanders of North Buckhead

Bridget is the sweetest and cutest baby who loves to curl up and cuddle with us. She “zooms” around the house in a burst of energy every day for a few minutes.

Cal Fitterman

1.5-year-old Dutch Smoushond

Geri Fitterman of Sandy Springs

Cal is an energetic, curious, happy, loving pup. He adores children and always wants to greet and meet other dogs.He loves to play and snuggle. He does a daily exercise routine without humans.

Charlie Kaplan

10-year-old Cotón du Tulears, Havanese, Lhasa Apso

Karen Kaplan of Canton/ Cherokee County

when we rescued Charlie, he was found wandering alone as a puppy in Southern Illinois. He enjoys watching wildlife, wrestling with his Dad & eating watermelon. He picked out the house we moved into! He went back up the stairs to the front door instead of to the car! He was right !

Coco Feinberg

11-year-old Shih Poo

Andrea Feinberg of East Cobb

Coco is a 12 pound bundle of love. She is 11 but acts like a puppy and she talks. Coco carries on a conversation and wakes me every morning by talking to me in dog talk.

Ditza Chedva, Gilad Renan, and MenuchaLylah

3-year-old Domestic Shorthairs

Tanya Robbins of Toco Hills

We have 3 cats ranging from 3 to almost 4 years old. Ditza (Pizza for short) loves to jump on her people to be a part of things. She has FOMO.

Chipper Jones Levy

7-year-old Miniature Poodle

Marnie Levy of Smyrna

Chip is a rescue poodle from Releash Atlanta and named after Chipper Jones. He dances for treats and kisses on command!

Doozy Katz

2-year-old Rescue Tabby / Siamese long hair

Martha Jo Katz of East Cobb

Miss Doozy girl is a rescue. She loves to get combed and brushed. Doozy is a doozy! She shakes hands for a treat, if I say "comb" she runs to her stool, brings us toys for praise!!

Einstein Geer

9-year-old Bearded Collie

Stacey Geer of Dunwoody

Almost 9 year old fluffy is a bearded collie who still thinks he is a puppy and lives for the dog park. Einstein makes a loud imitating sound whenever he hears a fire engine!

Cooper Feldman

1-year-old Goldendoodle

Tami Feldman of Roswell

Cooper is a year old Goldendoodle. He loves cucumbers and smiles whenever he gets one!

Etta Rothman

4-year-old American Stafford

Paula A Rothman of Sandy springs

Etta was a hospice dog, diagnosed with leukemia. She was given 4 months when I rescued her. She lived almost 2 years.

Finn Yoels

5-year-old Labradoodle

Elana Yoels of Sandy Springs

Finn ia an 80 pound rescue labradoodle that has the sweetest temperament and has my entire family completely smitten. Finn waits in the middle of the house until everybody is home at night, only then does he go to his bed

Georgie Erste

1.5-year-old Corgi

Michelle Erste of Johns Creek

Georgie loves to attend religious school at Temple Kehillat Chaim on Sunday mornings to help kids with Hebrew tutoring! She loves to listen to Hebrew, help kids with special needs feel safe, and get lots of treats.

Hannah Reuben

6-year-old Chihuahua Jack Russell Terrier Designer Mix

Eileen Reuben of Brookhaven

Kind, loving, loyal, mischievous, brilliant, cuddly, bossy, trusting, playful, energetic. Loves her Bubbie most but loves me too!

Indi McCullough

4-year-old Chihuahua

Isabella McCullough of Roswell

Small yet mighty, Indi radiates an enormous presence. Her charisma and antics captivate everyone she meets! Indi is the epitome of cool with her repertoire of clever tricks, chic fashion sense, and charming bilingual communication skills.

Fozzie Goldstein

2-year-old Goldendoodle

Lisa Goldstein of Old Fourth Ward

Fozzie loves being a city dog. His favorite things include walking the Beltline, Farmer's Markets, restaurant patios, and breweries. He can kiss on command and loves to jump up on any retaining wall while we walk.

Hanah Klein

7-year-old Australian Shepard

Robin and Manny Klein of East Cobb

She's our cute little foster fail. The sweetest and happiest dog. She spins when she's excited or sees a friend she likes and she opens cabinets looking for treats.

Herzl Henzel

3-year-old Cavapoo

Nicole Henzel of Old Fourth Ward

Herzl is named for Theodore Herzl to represent our love for Israel. Herzl loves to play and his favorite treat is challah on Friday nights, and was recently diagnosed with IBS (he has a Jewish tummy!). He gives high fives and kisses to his favorite people on FaceTime

Jackson Samuel Flatow

7-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix

Pam Flatow of Alpharetta

He’s a gray and white wire haired Jack Russell terrier mix rescue dog. Sits next to me on the couch with his paw on my leg til I pet him as he tools over.

Joey & HeymanBella

5-year-old King Charles Cavalier

3-year-old Feral cat

Gail & Lyons Heyman of East Cobb

We have a dog and a cat, who are best friends! They play together, eat together and sleep together, and bring us joy every day!

Kikki Tillem

7-year-old Morkie

Mitzi Sue Tillem of Sandy Springs

Kiki is sweet, loving, loves to cuddle and is mesmerized by her little Red Kong Toy. Kikki can stand on her hind legs for several minutes at a time!

Lexi Davis

3-year-old Schnoodle

Stacey Davis of Dunwoody

Lexi is our sassy schnoodle! She is very friendly and loves to take walks and play with all of her toys. She loves barking at neighbors, leaves, butterflies, birds, and other dogs. Lexi loves to help wrap Hanukkah gifts!

Luna Grossman

2-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever

Marla Grossman of Sandy Springs

Luna can hear the crack sound of opening up a banana from anywhere in the house and come running for a bite.

Junior and Benito Maslia

7 & 4-year-old rescues

Bruce Maslia of Atlanta

Junior and Benito are rescue twins.

Lily

Parris

10-year-old Toy Poodle

Leah Parris of Gainesville/ Cumming

Lily is a vivacious and affectionate toy poodle with a personality that will win anyone over! She goes for walks on the treadmill and helps her dad do yard work while sitting on the tractor.

Levi Mann

Maddie Mopper

8-year-old Jack Russell Terrier

Jenny Mopper of Dunwoody

Very active and not the best listener, but super sweet! Maddie protects the entire small dog park by barking at all the big dogs in the large dog park!

4.5-year-old Orange Tabby

Mira Bergen and Michael Mann of Toco Hills

Levi is a rescue from the Atlanta Humane Society. He is very sweet and smart and is Sabbath observant.

Mazel Katz

3-year-old Puggle

Susanne Katz Karlick of Sandy Springs

Mazel is short for MAZEL TOV! Her name is gift from Rabbi New.

Max Brandi

5-year-old Bichon Frise

Rhonna Brandi of East Cobb

Max is shown here attending his “sister’s” wedding shower! Max loves everyone. He greets everyone with enthusiasm and kisses.

Millie Cooper

7-year-old Chihuahua-Pug mix

Stacie Cooper of Dunwoody

A 10 lb princess with tan fur and greying face. Millie rolls over (kerplunk) for a belly rub any time she sees her human friends at the dog park.

Max Ertischek

3-year-old Havapoo

Ella Ertischek of East Cobb

Max is a 3 year old Havapoo. Max is a sweetheart. He has not met a stranger yet. He loves all animals, birds, and of course, people. He is the only fur baby and the light of his parents eyes. Max aka Maximus is Maximus love.

Mikey Weiner

6-year-old Shitzu mix

Susan Weiner of Woodstock

Mikey jumps up on the recliner between my legs and goes to sleep after giving me wet sloppy kisses. He came to us at a time we needed him most. And has been our Angel. Very devoted.

Milo Marks

12-year-old Pyrenees

Amanda Marks of Decatur

Milo is a gentle giant who loves everyone. His favorite thing to do is hear how handsome he is and find a cool spot underneath our fig tree. Milo knows how to open doors. I just wish he knew how to close them!

Mistee Goldenberg

4-year-old Mixed breed

8 and 9-year-old Havanese

Margie Good of Chastain Park area

They can brighten the darkest day. The most fun thing is that Peachy thinks the cat is her mom.

Donna Goldenberg of East Cobb

Mistee is so chill and relaxed all of the time while being protective of our family. Mistee will just relax with the family and let them love on her all of the time. Best rescue dog ever!

Mon-Amie Lack

6.5-year-old Siberian Husky

Nathaniel Lack of Milton

Mon-Amie is a pure-bred Siberian Husky who enjoys chasing chipmunks and digging deep holes looking for them. She can shed her entire luxurious fur coat in less than a week. Ok that's not really cool when it happens in the house, but she IS really good at it.

Oliver Alexander

4-year-old Domestic Shorthair

Sam Alexander of Sandy Springs

Ollie is a handsome, shy Tuxedo Tabby who loves to eat and cuddle with his mommy and the printer. He taps me on the shoulder at bedtime because he wants to cuddle up to me while I read.

Ollie Brandt

7-year-old Beagle/King Charles Spaniel mix

Sheryl Brandt of Buckhead

Ollie is anyone’s friend and a best friend to everyone. He was ready to lead the Seder, but was early! He’s adopted from Orphan Annie’s Rescue. I named him in honor of my 4 prior dogs (cOsmo, muLLigan, Inca, tEssa).

Nola Shoulberg

1.5-year-old Bernese-doodle

Mindy Shoulberg of Atlanta

Nola is playful, loving and very inquisitive. She has unlimited energy and every day is a joyful adventure for her. She is a snuggle bug and always knows when someone needs an extra hug!

Oscar Weiss

5-year-old Cavachon

Dani Weiss of Eastlake (Decatur)

Oscar is a 20 pound Cavachon. I adopted him when he was 1.5. He is outgoing, playful and hilarious. Easiest dog I have ever had.

Paxton Brooks

9-year-old Cavalier King Charles

Meredith Bluver of Midtown

This mench has soulful eyes, unwavering loyalty, and an adventurous spirit that draws crowds and melts hearts everywhere he goes. Leans in for a pat like a marshmallow then gives a leg hug for a lasting impression.

Ollie and Moses Hyman

2 & 8-year-old Toy Poodle and Bichonpoo

Sylvia Hyman of Sandy Springs

Two of the biggest momma's boys. They play tug of war together.

Penny Apte

3-year-old Cavalier King Charles mix

Roberta Apte of East Cobb

Rescue. Dog Park fan. Never met a dog or a child that she didn't love. Catches Hot Wheels cars going on tracks like it was a squirrel.

Phoebe and MeyerPenny

3-year-old & 8-month-old Golden Retrievers

Debra Meyer of Brookhaven

Phoebe came home right before Covid hit and has brought us so much joy. We started fostering for Adopt a Golden Atlanta and brought home this sweet puppy a few months ago! Our pups love to snuggle together and play with their human sister who is 15 months old.

Riley Simon

8-year-old Maltipoo

Kaylee Simon of Brookhaven

Riley comes to work every day with her mom as part of her therapy practice. Riley loved helping to deliver the engagement ring to her humans during their proposal.

Sammy Shenberg

6-year-old Bichon Frise

Carolyn Shenberg of Atlanta

A fantastic dog that has been through a tough year of transition. His Daddy owner passed 9 months ago and moved from the Northeast to Atlanta with his Mommy owner. Loves his "Shabbos Special" chicken.

Phoebe Sokolik

10-year-old Morkie

David Sokolik of Dunwoody

Ball catcher and cuddler extraordinaire, Phoebe fills every day with laughs, licks and love. She has probably caught a ball about 50,000 times in her lifetime.

Sammy, Jr. Breiner

11-year-old cat

Jeri Breiner of Atlanta

Sammy was adopted at 4 months and thanks mommy with cuddles everyday!

Sasha Batterman

12-year-old Schnoodle or Coton

Jyl Batterman of Alpharetta

Sasha is a sweet 7 lb rescue.

Rusty Cohen

8-year-old Standard Poodle

Rid Cohen of Sandy Springs

Rusty is a cream standard poodle. He is very protective of me. Anytime someone tries to get close to me, he parks himself right in between.

Scout Scher

5-year-old Husky,Collie, Australian Shepard mix

Ariel Scher of Roswell

From Scout’s captivating blue eyes to her loving personality and goofy demeanor she continues to have endless pets from anyone near. Scout somehow will roll down dirt hills and dig holes outside then come inside totally clean.

Shay Weiner

14-month-old Australian Labradoodle

Susan Weiner of Brookhaven

Shay is a sweet and loving floof who loves belly rubs, playing with his friends and snuggling on the sofa with his family. When Shay is tired, he will open the crate door and put himself to bed (snuggling his favorite stuffie).

Simcha Schlenker

18-month-old Australian Doodle

Kenneth Schlenker of East cobb

Simcha is a loving Australian shephard mixed with poodle. She is a service dog trained by Healing4heroes.

Teddy Banner

6-year-old Maltese

Joyce Banner of Brookhaven

Teddy is a very handsome, high-energy, smart, sweet and loving little guy who is with me almost all the time. He can dance around on his back legs, usually when he wants whatever food I am eating.

Wrigley Gold

3-year-old Golden Doodle

Marla Gold of Sandy Springs

Wrigley loves to sunbathe by the pool :)

Sidney Schwartz

3-year-old Chiweenie

Gerrie Schwartz of Dunwoody

I rescued Sidney one year ago. Sid was a stray, afraid of everyone and everything. He is now the most loving, protective, funny, smart little man who loves to play and cuddle.He has me very well trained.He went from stray to gourmet in 24 hours. Sid loves to go to Brook Run Dog Park and play with the other dogs. His best friend is Benji.

Spazz & JennisonKyya

14 & 9 year-old cats

Risa Jennison of Peachtree Corners

Spazz and Kyya are typical cats, they like to sleep and eat.

Tucker Ellin

7-year-old West Highland White Terrier

Richard Ellin of Dunwoody

Tucker is a 7 year old male from Wichita KS. We call him our “Wichita Westie!” Knows exactly what time it is. DST messes him up though!

Staff Pets

LovelyLadinskyLilly

3-year-old Imperial Shih Tzu

Mushu Morris

15.5-year-old Golden, Collie, St. Bernard Mix

Michael Morris

Owner and Publisher

Mushu loves going with daddy to the office!

Bagel Jennison

4-year-old Pure Bread Good Boy

Lilli Jennison

Creative Director

Bagel is the best snuggler! He loves running with his cousins in the back yard. He always has a bowtie to mach the season or event.

Kaylene Ladinsky

Editor & Managing Publisher

She is loved by all that meet her. Sweet, kind and very cuddly. Lilly is 6.2 lbs. and she loves to travel, watch movies and play with her sister Bella.

Challah Langfelder

14-year-old Bichon Poodle Mix

Elizabeth Langfelder

Account Manager

Challah came to us by chance as a puppy of about 3 months. While attending a Shabbat dinner at Temple Sinai we found him abandoned in the parking lot. 14 years later he is still sharing his love and happiness with all he meets.

Roxy Klein

1.5-year-old Terrier Mix

Ilyssa Klein

Account Manager

She loves digging, zooming around and throwing toys to herself. She volleys the ball with you by bouncing it off of her nose and is just a big snuggler.

Cookie Bonell

7-year-old Terrier Dachshund

Michal Bonell

Senior Account Manager & Team Leader

Adorable love bug came to us as a foster, was adopted, and returned. I guess she was meant just for us! We’re so lucky and happy to have her back!!

Psychedelics Get New Respect from Medical Researchers

By Bob Bahr

After decades of being demonized for their recreational and mind-blowing properties, psychedelics are beginning to be accepted as important medications for a number of illnesses.

In June, the Food and Drug Administration took a major step forward in their approval process for new psychedelic drugs. For the first time ever, they issued a draft of new guidelines for researchers to use in designing new trials for the mind altering substances that have shown promise in treating several conditions.

In announcing the decision, the FDA official who oversees the FDA’s evaluation of psychiatric drugs, Tiffany Farchione, described psychedelics as showing “initial promise as potential treatments for anxiety and substance use disorders.”

Researchers at Emory University Brain Health Center have worked with the FDA to evaluate a psychedelic, MDMA, or as it is more commonly known, Ecstasy. It is seen as a potential breakthrough treatment for military veterans and others with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

The encouraging results have helped to create bi-partisan support for new legislation in Washington. Texas Republican congressman Dan Crenshaw has signed up 13 co-sponsors of a bill that would provide $75 million in grants to study psychedelics as treatment for active military personnel; six of the sponsors are Democrats and seven are Republicans.

The director of Emory Healthcare’s Veterans Program, Barbara Rothbaum, who has participated in research using MDMA with veterans, has been impressed with the results she’s seen.

“MDMA helps with feelings of closeness to others. It enhances feelings of empathy and well-being by reducing activity in the amygdala, which is often where we respond to anger and fear stimuli. It reduces anxiety without inhibiting the ability to experience or reflect upon those intense emotions. So, we think that that’s a big result for those with PTSD who are dealing with the memory of their trauma.”

Atlanta is also the site of another drug trial by Compass Pathways, a $400 million mental health care company, that is designed to investigate the use of the psychedelic, psilocybin. The naturally occurring compound is found in 200 kinds of mushrooms. Compass is in the midst of

organizing a stage 3 FDA trial of the drug in Atlanta as a treatment for medicationresistant depression, on its own and with

existing anti-depression medications.

Both MDMA and psilocybin have been granted “breakthrough therapy”

status by the FDA which means that the drugs have been shown to have significant potential and are being expedited

Psilocybin, a psychedelic derived from mushrooms, is being tested in Atlanta for drug-resistant depression.

through the FDA’s bureaucratic process.

For those not willing to wait for the results of the clinical trials, Oregon this year became the first state to legalize the use of psilocybin. In Colorado, voters gave approval in 2022 to an initiative to allow for the cultivation and use of psilocybin mushrooms.

Australia just became the first major nation to legally authorize the use of psychedelics by physicians to treat a number of mental health conditions. That action took effect July 1.

The flurry of activity around the use of psychedelics was celebrated last month during a four day gathering in Denver, in what was described as the “largest psychedelic conference in history.” The organizers of the conference, which attracted more than 11,000 people, were the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS as it is more commonly known.

The non-profit organization was founded by Rick Doblin, whose family had its roots in the Jewish shtetls of Eastern Europe. Since its founding in 1986, he has taken the organization from a oneman project to an international pharmaceutical development company with nearly 200 full-time staff. MAPS has designed or sponsored psychedelic drug de-

velopment research in more than a dozen countries and has raised more than $140 million in grants and donations.

During the Denver conference, the organization announced a $5 million gift by Steve Cohen through his family foundation. The donation will support the organization’s research efforts,

Cohen, a wealthy Wall Street hedge fund manager and the owner of the New York Mets, has given over $60 million in grants to support psychedelic drug trials through his Psychedelic Research and Health Initiative. In making this latest donation, he reiterated his belief that the drugs could open up new possibilities for large numbers of people.

“Millions of Americans, including our veterans and first responders, suffer from PTSD and other mental health conditions that affect their quality of life. Psychedelic compounds represent a new opportunity to address these often treatment-resistant conditions and bring hope to patients.”

There is hope among those who support the acceptance of the first psychedelic-assisted therapies that the drugs could receive formal approval by the FDA and regulatory authorities in Canada and Israel where trials have also taken place. ì

Emory University researcher Barbara Rothbaum has been encouraged by the results of psychedelic drug trials.

Psychedelic drug MDMA has been particularly effective in treating severe PTSD in war veterans.

Banks Shares Family Anecdotes as She Turns 103

More than 60 relatives, coming from 12 states, gathered on Sunday, July 9, to celebrate the 103rd birthday of Freda Banks, the matriarch of a large, loving family with deep Atlanta roots. The celebration took place at the home of her granddaughter, Dr. Sandra Banks, the daughter of Freda’s oldest son, Dr. Samuel Banks.

While enjoying a plentiful brunch buffet, Freda’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and three generations of cousins, nieces, and nephews joined to honor a woman whose wisdom, resilience, and joie de vivre inspire them. This reporter heard family members talk about Freda’s life experiences, especially mentioning instances of skill and alacrity at Huntcliff, where she has lived for the last 17 years and where she saved another resident’s life.

Swimming in the Huntcliff pool, Freda spotted another swimmer who was struggling desperately, about to drown. Freda speedily swam to the woman, held onto her firmly, and managed to get her to the side of the pool, where Freda’s best friend, Grace Benator, helped to pull her out. Freda was in her 90s at the time.

Freda is a devoted pinochle, poker, and Rummy Cube player at the retirement facility, a testimony to her aural acuity, nimble mind, and strategic thinking. Granddaughter Sandra notes, admiringly, “My grandmother is amazing: she remembers everything!” One can understand Freda’s lifetime expertise at the game table, because most adult games have a mathematical component, require good strategy, and computational skills. At Hoke High School, she trained to be a secretary; however, after graduation, she went on to work at a variety of accounting jobs.

“I finally decided to retire,” she notes. “When I was around 80.”

Speaking of high school, a favorite family story recounts a crucial piece of Banks family lore. Freda Warshaw’s 18-year-old boyfriend, Irving Banks, was determined to marry her, to make certain that she would not fall for and marry anyone else. They were secretly married in Jonesboro, Ga., by a justice of the peace when Freda was 16, and each continued

living with their parents and kept the secret until she graduated. A year later, they had a Jewish wedding at Ahavath Achim in the old Jewish neighborhood on Gilmer Street in south Atlanta. (Ahavath Achim on Gilmer Street was known as “The Big Shul; Shearith Israel on Boulevard was known as the “Little Shul.”)

Freda speaks highly of Rabbi Harry Epstein, who married the couple, as being very kind and helpful to them.

They joined The Progressive Club, a gathering spot for Ashkenazic Jews, and raised a family of three sons and a daughter. “I started life on Washington Street,”

Freda jokes, “got married on Gilmer, and then we moved back as a couple, to live on Washington Street!”

Their early years of marriage were interrupted by the Second World War. Irving was drafted, and Freda took their baby, Sam, to New York where she lived with her older sister, Hilda, until the war ended and Irving returned, bringing his young family back to Atlanta. Irving opened a grocery store, Roy’s Food Town, and Freda did the books. Freda and Irving eventually moved to Zimmer Drive and joined Shearith Israel when it moved to its present location.

“We paid around $17,000 for that house. I can only imagine what it’s worth now,” Freda humorously muses. The couple opened a series of grocery stores, owned a furniture store, ran a salvage business, and started a property management company. Herein lies a fascinating tale of coincidence.

Many Atlanta readers will recall the Piggly Wiggly supermarket chain. Irving and Freda’s property company owned a piece of land in Little Five Points which they leased to a Piggly Wiggly grocery. Eventually, Piggly Wiggly moved out. For authenticity in the award-winning film,

Chana Shapiro

Freda Banks with granddaughter Sandra Banks and great-granddaughter Ellie Banks

Freda with her son, Roy and family--four generations

Daughter-in-law, Rayelynn Banks, reads a poem she wrote chronicling highlights of Freda’s eventful life.

Three cakes and ice cream were served. A perfect finish to the celebration.

“Driving Miss Daisy,” which covers the years 1948 to 1973 in Atlanta, the movie scouts were looking for just the right setting for one of the scenes that takes place at a Piggly Wiggly. Without knowing its history, the scouts serendipitously chose the site of the old Piggly Wiggly in Little Five Points, and the building was transformed back into a Piggly Wiggly of Miss Daisy’s time.

Freda’s early years were not easy. Her mother, Emily Domb, came to the United States from Poland when she was 17 years old to marry Harry Warshaw, who was 35 years her senior. He had a child from a previous marriage, and he and Emily subsequently had four more children together in Atlanta. Harry owned Crescent Paint Company, and Freda recalls that Harry made and sold carbonated soda in their backyard. They were very poor and rented a room of their house on Washington Street to a boarder, to help make ends meet. Emily’s children sometimes wore clothing made from flour sacks, and Emily sewed dolls for fair booth contests to bring in income. “We still had fun when we were kids,” Freda reminisced. “We rode the trolley for five cents, and we went swimming in Grant Park.”

When asked what her favorite pastime was in her youth, Freda immediately responded, “Dancing!” Her uncle, Louie Domb, taught dance and owned a dance hall next door to the Fox Theater. Freda was one of the most frequent dancers there. She quickly corrects a visitor who assumes her terpsichorean repertoire centered on ballroom dancing. “My favorite dance was the Jitterbug” she laughs.

The Warshsaw children all managed

to graduate from high school and go on to start their own families, professions, and businesses. One of these well-known businesses, Forsythe Fabrics, a major Atlanta resource for drapery and upholstery fabrics, was started and run by Freda’s sister, Lillain Warshaw Kaplan’s family.

Freda’s clan includes four children and their spouses: Sam and Dana Banks, Roy and RayeLynn Banks, Barbara and Sam Schwartz, and Arthur and Lott Banks. She was blessed with nine grandchildren: Sandra Banks, Lori Banks Ruderman, Holli Banks, Ryan Banks, Melanie Banks Metzger, Matthew Schwartz, Ricky Schwartz, Phillip Banks, Emily Banks, and nine great-grandchildren.

When a visitor asked for advice on meaningful longevity, Freda offered this life-lesson: “I always worked, and I always stayed as active as I could.” She looks forward to swimming and playing Rummy Cube and cards, “At least four times a week.” An aide from Huntcliff, at the birthday party, wanted all the relatives to know that “Everybody loves Freda!”

The Jewish people have been compared to a bird, with elders as our wings. The Torah considers old age to be a priceless resource: “Old” in Hebrew is synonymous with “wise,” affirming that the elderly, because of their many experiences and challenges, have wisdom and resilience a young person does not yet possess. Freda Banks’ mishpacha clearly appreciate the storehouse of wisdom and resilience in their midst and joyfully gathered to celebrate Freda’s remarkable life and their good fortune to be her progeny. ì

Freda with her close friend, Grace Benator, who also lives at Huntcliff.

Freda with her four children, (from left): Roy, Sam, Barbara, and Arthur

Senior Travelers are Following Their Dreams Again

By Bob Bahr

With the pandemic rapidly receding in our collective rear view mirror, seniors, who put off travel plans to distant destinations, are once again calling their travel agents.

A new survey by the American Association of Retired Persons shows that 81 percent of those over the age of 50 who plan to travel in 2023 believe it’s safe to travel now. According to AARP, 62 percent are planning at least one trip and about the same number have in mind a dream trip.

That was what led Rosthema Kastin, an Atlanta interior designer, to book a flight to the Persian Gulf for a trip to Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to join a tour sponsored by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although she was an experienced international traveler, this trip to a region she has long associated with the “Tales of The Arabian Nights” was filled with anticipation.

“I began this trip in my imagination, years ago as a child,” she recalled. “I had been raised on the tales of the thousand and one nights and Alibaba, so even before I settled into my seat on the airline, my head was filled with all these images. They were old ones from the books now mingled with new ones from the travel brochures and the internet. Even before I arrived, I thought of myself as being in a land of wonder and I wasn’t disappointed.”

The modern Arabian Nights Kastin encountered were a series of cities that rise along the Persian Gulf coast filled with soaring glass towers of steel and concrete that have seemingly risen overnight from what was, just a few years ago, a series of sleepy little fishing villages and trading centers -- the past suddenly and abruptly confronting a vision of the future.

The region is also home to some of the most extraordinary buildings in the world, created over the last 20 years by an imported labor force of thousands of guest workers from Pakistan and other Asian nations who also built the stadiums for soccer’s World Cup last year.

Financed by an almost unlimited supply of petro-dollars, these workers have built a series of truly out-of-thisworld structures that stretch the imagination of some of the most important architects in the world. What Kastin encountered in these cities was a vision of the world that none of the old storytell-

ers that had once stirred her could have imagined.

But she found she was also impressed by a starker vision. As part of the tour, she journeyed out to the Qatari desert, far from the bright lights of the city to view Richard Serra’s sculpture, “East-West/West-East.” It is an immense work of four towering steel plates standing in the middle of an ocean of sand. The sculpture is part of a collection of public art that the desert nation has committed to spending a billion dollars for each year.

The scale of the work and its dramatic location is only 600 miles or so from where Abraham began his Biblical journey from the city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia. That, too, made a great impres-

sion on Kastin.

“It was like meeting infinity. As far as you can see there was nothing. There was just sand. The desert still has hills and low areas, but it’s all sand. And the sun was setting which colors everything. Now it was all red, now golden. In the midst of this infinite desert, you’re lost in this ever-changing light. Giving yourself over to the emotion of it all.”

The region is also home to some of the most extraordinary museum buildings in the world. Among them is Jean Nouvel’s National Museum of Qatar. This sprawling structure of intersecting planes and cantilevered roofs by the famous French architect is said to resemble the blade-like petals of the desert roses that have long bloomed under the

hot Middle Eastern sun. It celebrates the nation’s Islamic heritage and culture.

Nouvel has also designed the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, created through a partnership agreement with the famous Paris museum. There are 23 permanent galleries and 620 original exhibits covered by a geometric-domed room that allows what has been described as a “rain of light” to filter through.

“When I stood under that dome, all I could do was raise my arms to it and be filled with wonderment as the sunlight fell on me,” Kastin remembers. “The whole experience in the cities, in the buildings, in the desert was as much a sensory experience as it was a physical experience. It’s an emotional thing going through that land. Beautiful.” ì

Rosthema Kastin was impressed with Qatar’s National Museum.

The intricate dome of The Louvre Abu Dhabi creates a “rain of light.”

The modern city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has risen in the desert in just 30 years.

Qatar’s National Museum was designed to resemble a desert rose.

DINING

Drift Remains Right on Course

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Seven-year-old East Cobb seafood restaurant Drift is no “flash in the pan.” Instead, it produces pan-sized delicacies freshly sizzling on and around the woodfire grill.

Opened in 2016, Drift calls itself “a lively sustainable seafood joint that’s landlocked.” Drift sails above being “a joint” with its elegant pale wood and pinpoint lighting. Preparations are simple, elegant and focus on a seasonal menu. The bar is stocked with hand crafted cocktails and “seafood friendly” sparkling, white, rose, and red wines.

Drift knows its lane and stays in it with a menu that doesn’t hop all over the universe or try to be clever with deconstructed frou frou. Interestingly though, within the seafood and salad delights are hints of the Orient-like bok choy, eggplant, ginger, miso, and sushi rice. The chef and owner is Doug Turbush, who also operates Seed in Marietta; and Sarah Berman, who grew up in Alpharetta and worked her way up into management with her full seven years at Drift, serves as general manager and captains the ship.

The layout is architecturally solid so diners can hear who’s at just their table. This is not just another place to eat. Special nod to the interior design team who produced the “wow.” Drift notches above Hilton Head-like in ambiance, with its floating oars and framed fishing lures. The “mile high” ceiling suspends the oars, some individually painted, against charcoal, blue-ish walls, clever wood slats in lighting and room separations, drapes of sails, and unusual crisscrossed ropes… are we on Onassis’ yacht? Service was polite, attentive, thoughtful, not fussy. The crowd was a combination of suburbanites, date nighters, and whoever else wandered in. Drift is special without being pretentious.

Our server stated that his roots were in bartending and suggested a seasonal whiskey, “Livin’ on a Pear”- buffalo trace, featuring St. George spiced pear, mint, lemon, angostura bitters ($14.95), which pleased the guys.

What we had:

Salads

Strawberry salad with mesclun greens, candied pecans, strawberry ricotta, balsamic Saba vinaigrette (GF) $15.

Roasted beet salad- pistachios, arugula, orange whipped goat cheese, fennel

topped with jewels of ample pomegranate seeds ($14); could add salmon to any salad for $19.

Chef Specialties

Wild caught black grouper with sushi rice, ginger, scallion. Sherry citrus, soy sauce ($42); An interesting aside, black grouper have snow white flesh,

can live up to 30 years and grow to 180 pounds. They can also begin life as a female and change to male since there are so few males. Sounds like Jdate. Nothing beats Mother Nature.

Parmesan crusted trout piccata with crispy potatoes, lemon brown butter, capers, and peppers ($30); two large pieces. Always in search of the encrusted trout

almandine from the now defunct Brickery, this still scored well. Also of note, “piccata” comes from the Italian word “larded,” but it means “sliced and sautéed in a lemon butter sauce,” thank goodness.

Grilled salmon: Who can get creative with yet another salmon dish? This one was it! What a glistened bejeweled presentation afloat in roasted tomatoes and

Drift’s coastal décor is cleverly coordinated with oars suspended from the super high ceiling.

The strawberry and roasted beet salads were large enough to share.

The Drift bar area is afloat in sails and light wood.

General manager Sarah Berman displays a popular whole branzino special.

The glazed Brussels sprouts (right) complemented the black grouper (top) and the brilliantly designed grilled salmon in a tomatoey base of feta, olives, and eggplant.

Two other well received seafood entrees were the parmesan crusted trout piccata (top) and a hearty portion of blue cod fish and chips.

DINING

peppers, eggplant, currant caper relish, feta, and olives ($34).

Beer battered fish and chips: large pieces of blue cod, tartar sauce and lemon ($29).

Side of crispy Brussels sprouts in Korean chili glaze, ginger and garlic.

Dessert was a cross between a spaceship and volcanic boomerang - molten chocolate cake with chantilly cream, dulce de leche ice cream, pistachio tuile ($10).

Next visit

Starter: Tuna tartare with avocado, peanuts, ginger apple, benne, puffed rice.

Entrees: Braised lemon sole with salsa verde, preserved lemon; seared tuna - onion soubise, parmesan couscous, English peas, pea tendrils.

Everything sounds so agreeable it seems as if preparations would be good interchangeable…for example, pairing the sole with parmesan couscous, or the salmon with preserved lemon. The sign of a competent chef!

Drift is consistent. It really works from all the angles and anglers, pun intended. We came with no expectation, and left with all party of four exclaiming, “We liked this. Easy free self-parking out front.

On Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Drift hosts POPS, serving from the outside patio, order at the bar, limited (less costly) menu, live music. Drift is closed on Mondays; opens at 5 p.m. Drift is located at The Avenue East Cobb, 4475 Roswell Road. 770635-7641. ì

The molten chocolate cake was a rich, lava-like planetary design.

By Bob Bahr

Theater audiences across the country were treated to a reminder of the innovative style of the influential Hasidic composer and performer, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, last month. Fathom Events, which delivers special programming to the nation’s leading motion picture theaters presented “Soul Doctor” in more than 600 theaters, including 11 in the metropolitan Atlanta area.

The show, one of the few Broadway productions in recent years to highlight an important American Jewish religious figure follows Carlebach’s evolution as the son of an important family of German Orthodox religious leaders to his development as an American “rock-star Rabbi” as the production describes him. To help put more soul in “Soul Doctor,” the producers have emphasized a chance meeting that occurred in 1957 between the rabbi and Nina Simone, a popular figure in midcentury American music. The production, which listed Nina Simone’s daughter as an executive producer, credits the African American performer as having played a critical role in Carlebach’s emergence as a leading voice in the post Holocaust Jewish world.

“Soul Doctor” was written and directed by Daniel Wise with lyrics to over 30 of Carlebach’s melodies by David Schecter. The recording of the stage production was originally performed in 2018 during the Israel Festival in Jerusalem. The show stars Tony nominee Josh

Young as Shlomo, Nya Trysha as Nina, and a supporting cast of veteran Broadway performers.

'Soul Doctor' Honors Legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach ANCIENT

The film won Best Picture at the New York Kwanzaa Film Festival and was the feature presentation at this year’s Bloody Sunday Bridge Crossing in Selma, Ala.

While the show pays tribute to Carlebach’s Hasidic niggunim or “wordless tunes” and Simone’s gospel melodies, in reality, Carlebach absorbed a wide range of influences. In addition to Simone, he appeared on stage with Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia, Pete Seeger, the Grateful Dead, and many others.

For seven years, he partnered with Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi, one of the founders of the Jewish Renewal movement. From 1968 to 1974, they created works in a religious commune in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury neighborhood called the House of Love and Peace. It was an ambitious attempt to reach a new generation of American Jews in search of spiritual fulfillment. Although Carlebach was born into a very traditional Jewish Orthodox family, as an adult he embraced many of the teachings of Hasidism, with its emphasis on fully serving G-d and reaching out to other Jews lovingly and joyfully.

The commune fused the many influences both men shared as survivors of the pre-Holocaust European tradition with those from a new, post-war Jewish spiritual revival in America. Although, in recent years, his legacy has been damaged by allegations of sexual misconduct, the wide-ranging influence of his work remains. It even received a re-evaluation in Atlanta during the American Jewish Historical Society’s Scholars Conference here in 2014.

A prominent observer of contemporary American Jewish life, Shaul Magid, described Carlebach’s profound influence during the latter half of the 20th century. Writing in “A New Hasidism,” a 2019 anthology, Magid credits Carlebach with reinvigorating a post-war Judaism. He wrote that he helped create new spiritual life in the Diaspora by giving Jews “their hearts back, by

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach was among the influential figures in Jewish life the last half of the 20th century.

making them feel again, walk again, pray again.”

Although he couldn’t read music, he composed an

impressive library of more than 25 recorded albums, ranging from the pair of Vanguard folk albums produced in New York to material created in Europe and Israel. Amateur recordings of many of his performances have circulated privately over the years as well. His melody “Am Yisrael Chai,” The People of Israel Live, became the anthem of the movement to free Soviet Jewry in the 1970s and 80s. In 1995, Pope John Paul II used Carlebach’s composition, “Brothers and Friends,” to open a ceremonial mass at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. His fans can be found across a broad cross section of Jewish life, from secular Jews to the most pious among the Orthodox community. It’s believed that as many as 100 synagogues based on his music and his teachings

have been established over the years around the world.

Carlebach died suddenly of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 69. At his funeral in New York, 2,500 people overflowed the streets outside his synagogue. When he was buried in Israel, the chief rabbi of the Ashkenazic community there attended.

It’s a phenomenon that impressed Ari Goldman, who wrote his obituary when he was a reporter for the New York Times.

“I’m always amazed by how much Shlomo lives,” Goldman pointed out, “and how much his music affected his time and our time. It is very much ingrained in our liturgical life, our celebratory life and our musical life.”

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The musical which ran on Broadway 10 years ago describes a chance meeting in the late 1950s with singer Nina Simone and its influence on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s subsequent career.

“Soul Doctor” was screened in 600 theaters in America, including 11 in Atlanta.

‘Parade’ Wins Tony by Focusing on Antisemitism

By Bob Bahr

The Broadway production of “Parade,” a musical drama that recounts the 1913 trial in Atlanta of Leo Frank, the young Jewish manager of a factory here and his subsequent lynching two years later, was among the winners at this year’s Tony awards in New York last month. It won Best Revival of a Musical and Best Director, Michael Arden.

Arden, in his impassioned acceptance speech on the telecast that was streamed and broadcast nationally, recalled the injustice that led to Frank’s killing and warned that it remained highly relevant more than 100 years later.

“’Parade’ tells the story of a life that was cut short at the hands of the belief that one group of people is more or less valuable than another, that they might be more deserving of justice,” Arden said in accepting his award. “This is a belief that is the core of antisemitism, of white supremacy, of homophobia, of transphobia and intolerance of any kind. We must come together. We must battle this. It is so, so important, or else we are doomed to repeat the horrors of our history.”

The original production in 1998 won Tonys for Best Book for Alfred Uhry, who grew up in Atlanta, and Best Score for Jason Robert Brown in his Broadway debut as a composer and lyricist. Brown, earlier this year, was a guest of Neranenah, the Atlanta Jewish music festival, for a question-and-answer session at the Alliance Theater.

The renewed interest in the case has led The Temple, where Frank and his wife Lucille were one-time members, to plan a trip to New York to see the production at the end of July. Uhry, the playwright, is expected at the performance to lead a discussion about the work.

The revival has won praise for its relevance to present day America with the resurgence of antisemitism in communities around the country. The AntiDefamation League, in its yearly review in March of such activity, reported the number of antisemitic incidents is at its highest level in the country since it first began keeping count in 1979. Over the last six years, it has been reported that the number of attacks has tripled.

During previews in New York, “Parade” was picketed by neo-Nazis, whose sudden appearance in front of the Broadway theater was not unlike the recent antisemitic incident prior to Shabbat services at a Chabad synagogue in Cobb County.

The recognition of “Parade” by the Tony Awards was part of a recent broadcast of “Political Rewind” on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s state-wide radio network.

The host of the program, Bill Nigut, is a former regional director of ADL who was instrumental in helping to place a historical marker at the site of the Frank lynching. Among the guests on the program was Steve Oney, the author of the book, “And The Dead Shall Rise.” The book is the authoritative account of Frank’s ordeal that was first published 20 years ago. The success of “Parade” has propelled the book to the top of Amazon’s list of true-crime nonfiction works.

The case, according to Oney, electri-

fied the Jewish community, particularly those members of The Temple who had prospered in the growth of Atlanta and had worked hard to gain acceptance by their non-Jewish neighbors.

“There was a feeling among Atlanta Jews that they were completely accepted,” Oney said, “which I think is why the Frank case was so shocking, because when Frank was lynched, Atlanta Jews had to question everything about their assumptions about the city that they loved and that they thought love them.”

Oney’s book details the meticulous planning that went into Frank’s kidnapping from the Millegeville, Ga., jail where he was kept and his subsequent hanging. Over the many years he spent researching it, he was able to determine the

names of the seven or eight prominent civic leaders of Marietta who decided to kill Frank after his death sentence was commuted by then-Gov. John Slaton. They recruited another 25 members of the community who carried out the raid on the prison presumably with the cooperation of prison authorities. He was lynched on Aug. 17, 1915.

As if to add to the outrageous nature of the crime, there was a brisk trade in souvenirs of the lynching openly for sale in stores here. Needless to say, no one was ever arrested for the murder, but the case led directly to the founding of the AntiDefamation League. There was the realization by America’s Jews that after the Frank case, antisemitism was not just a problem for Atlanta. ì

The Broadway revival this year of “Parade” has been both a commercial and artistic success.

“Parade” is the story of Leo Frank and his wife, Atlanta native Lucille Selig.

“And The Dead Shall Rise” is the definitive story of Leo Frank’s trial in 1913 and subsequent lynching two years later.

Live your dreams at Heartis Buckhead

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With our Livin’ the Dream program, we make a resident’s dream come true quarterly. Whether you’ve always wanted to go skydiving, drive a race car or throw the first pitch at a baseball game, we’ll help you live your dream.

Call (678) 870-4908 or scan this QR code to schedule a tour today!

SUNDAY, JULY 16

Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore, and journey with Intown Jewish Academy through the world of Jewish mystical teaching and learn how to apply these profound teachings to your daily life. This ongoing class probes the esoteric through a unique program of English text-based study. No prior Kabbalistic experience required. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V3sfiE.

MONDAY, JULY 17

Jeff’s Place Café – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Need a place to host your Monday-morning business meeting? Looking to meet a friend for breakfast and coffee? Craving some bagels and lox before heading into the office? Come to Chabad Intown and find out more at https:// bit.ly/3IRgve6.

Brain Health Bootcamp - 1 to 3 p.m. If you are recognizing symptoms of cognitive changes or have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, this JFCS fun and social class can help you strengthen your mind and body to stay sharp, especially during these times. Sign up by visiting https://bit. ly/3tPwMs3.

Jewish Women’s Torah and Tea – 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Join the Jewish Women’s Circle of Decatur for a weekly discussion on the Parsha and contemporary Jewish issues. Find out more at https:// bit.ly/3T8oR4B.

Kabbalah Café – 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Fuel up your week with the transformative teachings of Kabbalah as you enjoy a gourmet hot breakfast and coffee bar. You’ll study text-based spiritual wisdom that gives you practical guidance to living a healthy and empowered life. Join Beth Tefillah by visiting https://bit.ly/3Ak2BfX.

TUESDAY, JULY 18

Atlanta Summer Intern Luncheon - 12 p.m. AJC Atlanta invites you to a luncheon with interns from around the city at their Buckhead office. RSVP at https://bit.ly/3NNMzCm.

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at: www.atlantajewishconnector.com Calendar

Caregiver Support Group - Dunwoody Sandy Springs - 6 to 7 p.m. Watching those we love lose their memory or ability to live independently is difficult on all levels. Taking some time to focus on your own mental and emotional well-being will help you be a better caregiver for someone else. RSVP at Berman Commons Assisted Living & Memory Care and Jewish HomeLife, at http://bit.ly/3XuB84q.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

Torah Study - 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Join Rabbi Jordan either on Zoom or in-person at Congregation Dor Tamid and continue an in-depth look at the Book of Leviticus. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3WfabkL.

THURSDAY, JULY 20

Challah Bakes - 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Connect with old traditions and create your own new memories monthly at GLT challah bakes! Learn how or teach others!! RSVP at https://bit.ly/3i6RMIy.

Lilith Salon with WRJ - 7 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy a schmooze, a nosh, and great conversations about the Spring issue of Lilith Magazine, which includes conversations with Bridgerton author Julia Quinn and Judy Blume. RSVP is appreciated by July 19 at https://bit. ly/3JyQUqy but walk-ins are welcome.

FRIDAY,

JULY 21

SOJOURN’s Drawing from the Well12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to experience the magic of inclusive community during Drawing from the Well. Drawing from the Well is SOJOURN’s inclusive weekly meetup for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies. Find out more at https://bit.ly/3ZrKEXi.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Devarim

Friday, July 21, Av 3, 5783 Light Candles at 8:28 PM

Saturday, July 22, Av 4, 5783 Shabbat Ends 9:27 PM

Torah Reading: Va’etchanan

Friday, July 28, Av 10, 5783 Light Candles at 8:23 PM

Saturday, July 29, Av 11, 5783 Shabbat Ends 9:21 PM

MONDAY, JULY 24

22nd Annual Enrichment Workshop on Modern Israel - Educators will engage with the State of Israel’s past, present and future at the 22nd annual Enrichment Workshop on Modern Israel, held online by the Center for Israel Education and the Emory University Institute for the Study of Modern Israel. Register at https://bit. ly/43ZsoXV.

SATURDAY,

JULY 22

Tot Shabbat - 11 to 11:45 a.m. Join Rabbi Lauren from Congregation Or Hadash and other families of kids ages 0-4 for the return of Tot Shabbat, a magical, musical, playful gathering celebrating Shabbat together. We’ll tell stories, sing prayers and songs, move our bodies, and revel in the wonder of togetherness and love. Stick around for kiddush lunch to follow! RSVP at https:// bit.ly/46oh7SB.

SUNDAY, JULY 23

22nd Annual Enrichment Workshop on Modern Israel - Educators will engage with the State of Israel’s past, present and future at the 22nd annual Enrichment Workshop on Modern Israel, held online by the Center for Israel Education and the Emory University Institute for the Study of Modern Israel. Register at https://bit. ly/43ZsoXV.

Holocaust & Human Rights Teachers of America Symposium - The Annual Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium is a  3 day intense teacher-created/ teacher-led professional development symposium where the participants gain priceless knowledge pertaining to the complex history of the Holocaust, 2000 years of Antisemitism in Europe, the roles of imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, economics, and democracy on the sociopolitical changes in Europe and how individuals were affected by these changes and how to accurately and appropriately bring these lessons to the 6-12 classroom.  At the core of it all are raw historical facts, 100% applicable meaningful age-appropriate lessons, and the support of interdisciplinary team teaching. Register at https:// bit.ly/3poGPWi.

TUESDAY, JULY 25

22nd Annual Enrichment Workshop on Modern Israel - Educators will engage with the State of Israel’s past, present and future at the 22nd annual Enrichment Workshop on Modern Israel, held online by the Center for Israel Education and the Emory University Institute for the Study of Modern Israel. Register at https://bit. ly/43ZsoXV.

Holocaust & Human Rights Teachers of America Symposium - The Annual Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium is a  3 day intense teacher-created/ teacher-led professional development symposium where the participants gain priceless knowledge pertaining to the complex history of the Holocaust, 2000 years of Antisemitism in Europe, the roles of imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, economics, and democracy on

the sociopolitical changes in Europe and how individuals were affected by these changes and how to accurately and appropriately bring these lessons to the 6-12 classroom.  At the core of it all are raw historical facts, 100% applicable meaningful age-appropriate lessons, and the support of interdisciplinary team teaching. Register at https:// bit.ly/3poGPWi.

An Afternoon with Sami Steigmann4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Join Zachor Shoah Inc and Atlanta Israel Coalition as we hear from Sami Steigmann, a truly remarkable Holocaust survivor and IDF veteran. Register at https://bit.ly/3JzlaSn.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26

Holocaust & Human Rights Teachers of America Symposium - The Annual Holocaust Teachers of America Symposium is a  3 day intense teacher-created/ teacher-led professional development symposium where the participants gain priceless knowledge pertaining to the complex his-

tory of the Holocaust, 2000 years of Antisemitism in Europe, the roles of imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, economics, and democracy on the sociopolitical changes in Europe and how individuals were affected by these changes and how to accurately and appropriately bring these lessons to the 6-12 classroom.  At the core of it all are raw historical facts, 100% applicable meaningful age-appropriate lessons, and the support of interdisciplinary team teaching. Register at https://bit.ly/3poGPWi.

community. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to select what part of the dinner you will be providing. Dinner is from 6-7 PM, and we ask that you prepare enough for 60 people so that we can ensure that everyone at Covenant House can share in your meal. Register at https://bit.ly/41uXbKQ.

Symposium is a  3 day intense teacher-created/ teacher-led professional development symposium where the participants gain priceless knowledge pertaining to the complex history of the Holocaust, 2000 years of Antisemitism in Europe, the roles of imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, economics, and democracy on the sociopolitical changes in Europe and how individuals were affected by these changes and how to accurately and appropriately bring these lessons to the 6-12 classroom.  At the core of it all are raw historical facts, 100% applicable meaningful age-appropriate lessons, and the support of interdisciplinary team teaching. Register at https:// bit.ly/3poGPWi.

THURSDAY, JULY 27

Covenant House: Prepare and Share a Meal - 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity to contribute back to our metro Atlanta

Holocaust & Human Rights Teachers of America Symposium - The Annual Holocaust Teachers of America

FRIDAY, JULY 28

Dive into Shabbat - 5 to 7 p.m. All are invited to celebrate Shabbat at the MJCCA outdoor pool and splash pad! The open swim begins at 5:00 followed by Shabbat songs and blessings with Rabbi G at 6:00 pm followed by grape juice, challah, and ice pops! Bring your own dinner and purchase drinks/ treats at the snack bar. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3PfZrm1.

learn how to apply these profound teachings to your daily life. This ongoing class probes the esoteric through a unique program of English text-based study. No prior Kabbalistic experience required. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3V3sfiE.

SUNDAY, JULY 30

Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore, and journey with Intown Jewish Academy through the world of Jewish mystical teaching and

Kabbalah Café – 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Fuel up your week with the transformative teachings of Kabbalah as you enjoy a gourmet hot breakfast and coffee bar. You’ll study text-based spiritual wisdom that gives you practical guidance to living a healthy and empowered life. Join Beth Tefillah by visiting https://bit.ly/3Ak2BfX.

MONDAY, JULY

Jeff’s Place Café – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Need a place to host your Monday-morning business meeting? Looking to meet a friend for breakfast and coffee? Craving some bagels and lox before heading into the office? Come to Chabad Intown and find out more at https:// bit.ly/3IRgve6.

OY VEY! HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM���

Dear Rachel,

Thank you for your advice column, and I hope you can help me with my dilemma, too. I am an introvert and find it very difficult to attend large gatherings. Practically, that means that when there is any type of celebration or party, my heart sinks to my toes, and I am filled with dread before going. Interestingly, once I step inside, I usually enjoy socializing. Initially, I see a mass of people, and I want to run in the other direction. Once I get closer, I see one person at a time and can relate to everyone who comes my way. Although I am aware that my experience is usually positive, I still don’t like going to public events and wonder how hard I must push myself. Must I attend every assembly to show I care, or is it okay to be comfortable with the realization that this is not my forte and just stay home?

Sincerely,

Lone Wolf

Dear Lone Wolf,

You are not alone! So many people are introverts or simply prefer one-on-one communication rather than immersion in a sea of humanity.

Several years ago, one of my daughters taught me a trick. It was after a long day, and I was exhausted. That evening, a friend of mine was celebrating her daughter’s engagement, and I knew I should go. But every limb in my body was screaming to stay home, protesting the idea of dressing up and putting on a show of energy and exuberance. Shortly before the party was scheduled, I was on the phone with my daughter, and she made a wise suggestion.

“When I feel like that,” she said, “I ask myself, ‘If I don’t go, how will I feel afterward?’ If the answer is guilty, then I’d rather push myself now than endure the regret resulting from making the wrong choice.”

I have often used this tool, and it serves me well. Perhaps it can help you, too. Before each event, have a conversation with your best friend- yourself. Is the event for a close friend who will notice and appreciate your presence? And if you don’t go, will he or she feel hurt? Is your presence needed to underscore the importance of a cause? If the purpose of the gathering is to raise awareness or charity for a significant venture, then every person can and does make a difference. Every situation is different, so there is no one-sizefits-all answer to your question.

Allow me to present a Jewish perspective that can be helpful to keep in mind. We believe that G-d put us here in this world to fulfill a mission, and each one of us is given the tools we need to accomplish our job. Often, the task involves fighting our natural inclinations and breaking through barriers that impede us from achieving greatness. Armed with that viewpoint, you may find it more important to relinquish your natural penchant for comfort and decide to forge forward and do what’s right in each situation. There is something exhilarating and liberating about staying true to our morals and values and ensuring that fears and doubts aren’t impacting our decisions.

I’m not saying it’s easy. Defying your limits takes strength and courage. But imagine a trophy waiting for you at the end, the triumphant victory of achieving your goal in the face of adversity.

Do I think you should go to every single event, especially if your presence will not be so noticeable or meaningful? No. But it may be advisable to analyze each situation so that you can pat yourself on the back afterward for making the right choice.

Wishing you success as you navigate this challenging path.

Warmly, Rachel

Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column

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

The Proctologist

Hetty and Hannah hadn’t seen each other for some time when they bumped into one another at the mall.

“So, Hetty, how is your grandson, the proctologist, doing?”

“My grandson is no longer a proctologist, Hannah. He decided to become a dentist instead.”

“A dentist! Why the change in career?”

“Business is business, Hannah,” replied Hetty. “Let’s face it, everyone starts off with 32 teeth, but have you ever heard of anybody who has more than one toches.”

YIDDISH WORD

Piddle kemfer

n. A person who devotes himself or herself to minor, often ridiculous, causes.

“Max is gathering signatures for his homeless guinea pig initiative. He’s a regular piddle kemfer.”

From the Yiddish kemfer, meaning “fighter.”

Aussie Animals

By: Yoni & Sofi Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

Difficulty Level: Manageable

FOLLOW :

ACROSS

1. Priest who had four sons

6. David took Goliath’s

11. Child’s dose, maybe: Abbr.

14. Current Black Panther

15. “You’ve ___ long way!”

16. Substance in an engine

17. Spiritual Aussie animal?

19. Notable org. on strike, of late

20. “___ tag” (German greeting)

21. Stein and Stiller

22. ibn Shaprut of note

26. Monstrous Aussie animal?

29. Dante’s place?

31. Challah baker’s buys

32. Bonfire day for an Aussie animal?

35. Doc who might treat sleep

apnea

36. “Am ___ longer a part of your plans...” (Dylan line)

37. Sault ___ Marie, Mich.

40. Donating Aussie animals?

46. Nixed by Nixon, e.g.

49. Least decorated

50. Aussie animal using forbidden animals on Shabbos?

53. Like a hazardous wintry day

54. Like the first issue of “Action Comics”

55. Internet connector

57. Theft, e.g.

58. Time for an Aussie animal to find a mate?

64. Jewish hero Cohen

65. Made like Moses or Lincoln

66. Korea or Macedonia

67. ID on tax forms

68. Respects the rules

69. They may be given at bars and hospitals

DOWN

1. Shoot

2. “I see!”

3. Sprint

4. OU. follower

5. Intense Falls

6. Robert the Bruce, for one

7. Chased after with chocolates?

8. Dweller in Muscat

9. DVR button

10. “Doo” follower

11. They get wetter as they dry

12. Seal ring

13. Cell fluids

18. Experiencing regret

21. Treif animal with tusks

22. Sharp price increase

23. Before long, in a poem

24. Holy Jewish city (Var.)

25. Word with “Rio” or “Mar”

27. Steve Cohen’s team, on the scoreboard

28. ___-whiz!

30. Last bio

33. Non-specified quantity

34. “Clumsy me!”

37. Ball of arcades

38. The Binding of Isaac, e.g.

39. Nickname for Haddasah, perhaps

40. Make the Pillsbury Doughboy giggle, e.g.

41. Tennis call

42. Wood finishing tool

43. The Heat beating the Bucks this year, e.g.

44. Smoked and sockeye

45. Charlemagne realm: Abbr.

46. Exodus 3:6 and Exodus 6:3, for two

47. They can pile up without ever getting knocked over?

48. Hit the hay

51. One running a Bat Mitzvah, perhaps

52. Corny

56. Hallmark celebrates them in June

58. Big exec.

59. The moon, e.g.

60. “How fancy”

61. Dude

62. Verizon alternative

63. Old tape type

OBITUARIES Rabbi Michael Kramer

86, Atlanta

Rabbi Michael Kramer, 86, of Atlanta passed away on April 5, 2023. Rabbi Kramer was born in Bronx, N.Y. He earned Smicha from Yeshiva University and held Rabbinic posts for 40 years including Kadimah Toras Moshe, Brighton, Mass.; Sons of Israel, Allentown, Penn.; and Adath Israel of Montreal, Canada, for 35 years.

As Rabbi Emeritus at Adath Israel, he was a very modest and learned Torah scholar full of love and wisdom. His love of music was the piano, of which he could sit and play for long periods of time. He is survived by his wife, Marcia Kramer, daughters, Elizabeth (David) Shoen and Tirza (Ari) Skromne, sons, Mordechai (Sharon) Kramer and Elliot Kramer, stepchildren, Heidi (Jonathon) Klausner and Todd (Jill) Bomchel, 14 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and five step-grandchildren.

His family expresses much gratitude to his wonderful caregivers, Austin, Mallin, Lucy, and Ken. Graveside services were held April 5 at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Donations may be made to Congregation Beth Jacob, a Parkinson’s disease charity, The American Heart Association, or the charity of one’s choice. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Ruth Marcus Rados 92, Atlanta

Ruth Marcus Rados was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to parents Chana and Ezra Schwartz. She passed away peacefully at home on June 27. She lived most of her life in New Jersey. She was a teacher and, in her later years, worked in the Montclair Art Museum, in New Jersey, as well as having her own catering business.

She moved to Atlanta to be near family in 1998 but continued to read the New York Times daily. She was known for being strong and intelligent, and many who knew her described her as a fighter who lived each day fully. Her favorite verse was “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” She often signed cards “one day at a time.”

Ruth was predeceased by her husband, Walter Rados, and her daughter, Susanne Marcus Collins. She is survived by her son, Frederick Marcus, his wife, Nancy, granddaughters, Chana Marcus, Shira Goldsmith, Rachel Collins, and grandsons, Joseph Marcus, and Martin Collins, as well as nieces and nephews. She was a well-loved member of Congregation Shearith Israel. In addition to her family, she has a large circle of friends who will miss her.

A memorial service was held at Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care and a graveside service at Arlington Cemetery on Thursday, June 29. Rabbi Albert Slomovitz and Rabbi Ari Kaiman officiated. In Ruth’s memory, please make donations to the Weinstein Hospice.

Thomas Paul Sternberg

86, Atlanta

Thomas (Shlomo) Paul Sternberg’s spirit left his body on Monday evening, June 19, 2023 - after 86 years of a life of loyalty, love, and generosity. His childlike gist for life and his indomitable independence were shaped by being a child survivor of the Holocaust. For a man whose family meant everything, he arrived on the shores of New York in 1952 at the age of 15 without any.

Tom was born in 1937 in Arad, Romania. He spent his early childhood during World War II hiding in the Transylvanian mountains to avoid capture. After the war, he was reunited with his father, Simcha Sternberg, step-mother, Dahlia Sternberg and younger brother, Haim Sternberg, in Arad and together they emigrated to Israel in 1950.

In Israel, he was further reunited with his older brother, Mordecai Sternberg, and mother, Aviva Moses. He lived and went to school at Kibbutz Kfar Szold and, while playing table tennis at the YMCA in Jerusalem, he met a U.S. Navy sailor, Wallace Hudson (known later as Uncle Wally). In 1952, Uncle Wally brought Tom to the United States and eventually arranged for him to stay in Alexandria, Va.

Tom attended George Washington High School and, while trying to learn English and supporting himself, he also joined the debate team. After graduating high school in 1955, he attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) receiving a B.S. in chemical engineering. Prior to graduating from VPI, he returned to Israel to serve in the Israeli Air Force for two years.

He developed a lifetime love and fascination with statistics from his best friend at VPI, Al Romano. To pursue this calling, he attended Stanford University receiving his M.S in statistics. While at Stanford, he met and within six months married, the love of his life, Jette Ibk Jakobsen, in 1964. Their loving marriage lasted 50 years, until Jette passed away from an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis which confined her to a wheelchair for 40 years of their marriage. Despite these challenges, they had a daughter, Maya Raquel Sternberg, and together they lived in Minnesota, London, Budapest, Copenhagen and returned to the United States in 1973 to settle in Atlanta, Ga.

Tom started a travel agency which specialized in student travel and began to design a software system, the first of its kind, allowing travel agents to streamline and automate their front and back-office tasks. In 1981, he sponsored his brother, Haim, and Haim’s family to come to the United States; and together they built the company which sold the T.O.M system. After retiring from his entrepreneurial enterprises, he ended his career returning to work as a statistician at various research institutions.

Tom’s hobbies included: aviation, going to the opera and symphony, meeting new people who always became friends, debating history and current events, reading, or at least always carrying a book – often Shakespeare or a statistics book. However, his biggest joy and pride was family. Tom had an infectious eternal optimism and boyish sense of humor – he lived in the present until the moment he drew his last breath.

He is survived by his daughter Maya Raquel Sternberg (Julie) and brother, Haim (Bonnie) Sternberg, along with his nephews: Ophir (Efrat), Oded (Anat), Erez (Rebekah), Barak (Kim), and Zach and nieces: Gillat (Mike) and Kelsey (Cade), along with his grandnieces and grand-nephews, and extended family in the U.S., England, Israel, Chile, and his wife’s family in Denmark.

Memorial donations can be made to Americans for Ben-Gurion University (www. americansforbgu.org/donate/donate-now/) or Books for Africa (www.booksforafrica. org/donate.html). Arrangements by Dressler’s, 770-451-4999.

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

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CLOSING THOUGHTS It’s About Darn Time!

I grew up in New York, specifically, The Bronx. I feel compelled to ask you, have you ever noticed that the only borough in New York with the distinguished title THE before its name is The Bronx? Just sayin’!

We lived on the right side of the twin blonde brick apartment buildings. Each of the buildings boasted lovely gardens on either side of their entrance walkways. Upon entering the lobby of the buildings, one entered what we kids called “the castle.” These castles (lobby) had four steps on either side of each of the building’s lobby where maroon-ish/ red velvet ‘king and queen’ chairs sat regally, surrounding very ugly, round marble, ornate tables, on each of the landings. There were what seemed like the longest staircases known to man, women or children, located on either side of the elevator, right in the middle of the lobby, leading to the first floor of each of the two six-story apartment buildings.

As our mom and dad grew our family, from one, then two, completing us with three girls, our mom and dad, all of us sharing one bathroom I might add, we were forced to pack up and move three times, from one to two and finally three bedrooms. Never, however, leaving the safety and familiarity of our village our community,

This six-story building had enough apartments to accommodate everyone in our extended or adopted family. After all, it does take a village! So, we occupied not one, not two, not even three, but six apartments in that one building. We could have gone for seven, however, one aunt and uncle and two cousins moved to New Jersey. Unheard of in those days. Of course, us kids thought for sure we would never see them again.

My dad had a car, so we did indeed see them again and, often, they were family, after all. The rest of us occupied six apartments on four different floors. Doors unlocked for easy kid access, fire escapes in the back for creative play.

We all grew to be kind, intuitive, involved, committed, bright, funny, lov-

ing adults, building families of our own, all influenced by our loving village, our community. I always felt I had a bit of an advantage over so many of my friends, having our family so close.

And now, I do declare, it’s about darn time! I refer here to July 26, 2023, celebrating aunts and uncles and how they influenced our lives. I am particularly happy for this new holiday, it affords me the opportunity to share one of my aunts with you. My aunt, Jeanette. One of my greatest "influencers.”

This fairly new holiday, is picking up steam as more and more nieces and nephews discover Aunt and Uncle Day. July 26, 2023! In my humble opinion, it’s about darn time!

My aunt, Jeanette (O.B.M.), lived on the third floor, with my uncle and two of my cousins.

I am so joyful about this holiday. I have an opportunity to share her with you. It’s a day celebrating the aunts in your life who made a difference for you. Those loving aunts who guided us, aunts who sometimes saved us, aunts who were always honest with us, aunts who always instilled in us "you are good enough!" Aunts who always conveyed in a myriad of ways how much you were loved.

I celebrate my Aunt Jeanette, and how simple and wise she was. A true influencer in my life. Be nice, be kind, study as hard as you can. Be creative and "make do" with what you have available. New isn’t always better. Hand-medowns, of any sort, allow you to wear or use things with history. Refreshing well-used furniture can make you feel strong, confident; be creative with your life, step out of your comfort zone. And, best of all, while she braided my hair, and I would wince in pain, she brought me this little gem: “You have to suffer to be beautiful.” My aunt was famous for her chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes baking chocolate chip cookies together, always worrying if they were round enough.

I heard the sounds and actions of her influence, in both Yiddish and English. I always listened, well not always, but mostly.

When all else failed, I would run away from home in a huff. Home being on the fourth floor. I would run down the steps to the third floor into the safety of my tante (aunt) Jeanette.

July 26…celebrate your aunts who loved you unconditionally. ì

Shaindle Schmuckler Shaindle’s Shpiel

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