Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. 99 NO. 12, July 15, 2024

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Jewish Atlanta Reacts to Presidential Debate

By Dave Schechter

The presidential debate in Atlanta left Jewish Democrats concerned about President Joe Biden and Jewish Republicans pleased with former President Donald Trump.

The June 27 debate, hosted by CNN at its Midtown campus, came 130 days before the Nov. 5 general election. The moderators were Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, both members of Temple Micah, a Reform congregation in Washington, D.C.

Trump’s backers contrasted the 78-year-old’s relative vigor on stage with the drawn appearance and halting delivery of the 81-year-old Biden, which the White House blamed on his suffering from a cold.

Biden’s performance unnerved some local Jewish supporters.

“We’re in a new world now,” a selfidentified Democrat and supporter of Israel said the next morning. “Joe is now a liability. Hate to say it. He’s an excellent president. But he is a poor candidate.”

Biden’s more energetic appearance

that afternoon in North Carolina provided a measure of reassurance. “But he can’t spawn another disaster. He set us back and he needs several more good days before he’s back in the saddle,” the Biden supporter, who asked not to be named, said.

Party activists from Atlanta took distinctly different views of the debate.

Chuck Berk, cochair of the Atlanta chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said, “The message from last night’s debate was clear: Joe Biden had a disastrous performance. His shaky voice, inability to make coherent points, and intermittent confusion were shocking. We should all be concerned with a leader who appears befuddled and infirm. Putin, Xi, Kim, and mullahs all watched the debate and now know how bad off the U.S. president really is. I worry what actions we may see as a result from them. Trump’s manner last night was much more reserved than previously. Besides repeatedly calling Biden the worst president ever, he stayed focused on a few key issues that are most concerning to the average American.

pressure on Israel to cease the war before Israel wins it and can effectively wipe out Hamas,” Berk said.

Michael Rosenzweig, an Atlantabased community activist who serves on the board of the Democratic Majority for Israel, commented from Israel: “Because I watched a recording two days after the debate, I had the benefit of watching it after reading and watching all of the handwringing about Biden’s performance and the calls for him to bow out. I therefore watched with trepidation, expecting to see a weak and enfeebled Biden who clearly has to go. That’s not what I saw. What I saw was Trump speaking more forcefully and with greater vitality than Biden, but he spewed nothing but lies — nothing — from start to finish. CNN’s meticulous post-debate fact check of all of Trump’s assertions, one-by-one, confirmed that.”

He rejected suggestions that Biden withdraw from the race.

“Biden, to be sure, didn’t speak with the force that Trump did. His voice was raspy and softer, and he was plagued by the stutter we all know he has. But he spoke truth, and facts . . . I think the reactions to Biden were a rush to judgment, a failure to distinguish style from substance, and will ultimately be seen as that. It appears that Biden is going to resist the calls to bow out and instead continue the fight to keep Trump from taking America to the very dark place he has promised so openly. I applaud his decision,” Rosenzweig said.

“Trump pointed out that Biden’s feckless Iran policy heightened the threat to Israel, believing that Oct. 7 would not have happened if Iran’s economy was close to bankruptcy, which would have denied Hamas the funding and support to attack Israel. As Jews, we should be concerned that Biden is putting

Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch was disappointed but unwavering. “I wish Biden’s people would have been honest enough to tell us he had a bad cold to prepare us for what we saw,” Panitch said. “While Trump looked healthier, nothing but lies came out of his mouth, and he, too, failed to meet the moment. He lied about ‘Roe,’ made awful comments about ‘Black jobs,’ negative references to Palestinians, and refused to answer multiple questions of whether he would

Chuck Berk, co-chair of the Atlanta chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition

Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch

abide by the results of this coming election. He should never have been the Republican nominee. Biden can recover — and did —from a cold, as everyone could see less than 24 hours after the debate debacle."

The debate prompted a change of thinking for Dan Israel, who has attended multiple Republican conventions as a delegate. “My original plan in November was to write in Gov. Brian Kemp. After watching the disastrous debate, I have no choice but to vote for Trump. The incapacity of Biden leaves me concerned with who will run the White House and make decisions for him? The left wing of Democratic Party represents a clearer danger to the Jewish community than Trump,” Israel said. “Moreover, I now view Trump more like Nixon in the sense that our enemies thought he was crazy and did not know how to manage relations with him. In this environment, that will serve the Jewish community and the world at large an advantage.”

ghanistan.

Their disputes included issues related to Israel, the Oct. 7 terror attacks, the war in Gaza, and Iran.

Trump asserted that, had he been in the White House, Russian President Vladimir Putin “never would have invaded Ukraine . . . Just like Israel would have never been invaded in a million years by Hamas. You know why? Because Iran was broke with me. I wouldn’t let anybody do business with them. They ran out of money. They were broke. They had no money for Hamas. They had no money for anything, no money for terror.

Biden cited support for his ceasefire plan. “The only one who wants the war to continue is Hamas, number one . . . . We’re still pushing hard from – to get them to accept.”

Betsy Kramer, former acting chair of the Fulton County Republican Party, watched with alarm. “The split screen demonstrated to the 50 million-plus viewers which candidate could withstand a 90-minute debate.

People saw that our current president is in no way leading our country. Who is actually running our country? The American people are at a loss as to whom. On the left side of the screen there was a man that was in control whereas on the right side, there was a man who showed weakness to the world,” said Kramer, who will be an at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention that begins July 15 in Milwaukee. While the technology employed for the debate prevented the candidates from interrupting each other, they took advantage of opportunities to disparage their rival’s record and character. Biden and Trump sparred over inflation and job creation, immigration and border security, abortion, COVID, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the U.S. pullout from Af-

Biden rejected Netanyahu’s accusation that he has withheld U.S.-made weaponry. “The only thing I’ve denied Israel was 2,000-pound bombs. They don’t work very well in populated areas. They kill a lot of innocent people. We’re providing Israel with all the weapons they need and when they need them,” he said. “And by the way, I’m the guy that organized the world against Iran when they had a full blown intercontinental ballistic missile attack on Israel. No one was hurt. No one Israeli was accidentally killed, and it just stopped. We saved Israel.”

In a rebuttal, Trump said, “As far as Israel and Hamas, Israel’s the one that wants to go – he said the only one who wants to keep going is Hamas. Actually, Israel is the one. And you should let them go and let them finish the job. He doesn’t want to do it. He’s become like a Palestinian. But they don’t like him, because he’s a very bad Palestinian. He’s a weak one.”

A second presidential debate, hosted by ABC, is scheduled for Sept. 10. CBS has invited both campaigns to a vice presidential debate on July 23 or Aug. 13. The Biden campaign has accepted, while Trump has yet to name a running mate. ì

Betsy Kramer, former acting chair of the Fulton County Republican Party

Former Republican convention delegate Dan Israel

Dorfman’s Bourbon Starts with Barrels

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Atlanta native Adam Dorfman, a bourbon enthusiast, pursued a new venture in 2015 with two of his closest buddies and named this new spirit, “Shortbarrel.”

Shortbarrel, one of Dorfman’s nicknames, is the first distillery outside of Kentucky to be based in Atlanta, producing this level of quality, which stems from carefully handpicked barrels that meet exacting standards. Dorfman’s team embarked on countless barrel-picking adventures, meticulously selecting more than 350 barrels and selling over 10,000 cases. During a Sunday in Louisville in 2020, after indulging in bourbons for hours, the team crossed paths with a barrel broker. In a moment of “inspired intoxication,” they decided to create their brand. Shortbarrel was born, and in early 2021, they hit shelves in home state of Georgia.

Shortbarrel is distributed in four states: Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Additionally, they offer online shipping to customers in 44 states.

Shortbarrel recently reached an agreement with the state of Kentucky to distribute within their state. This was notable as Kentucky, synonymous with good bourbon, invited the brand -- an Atlanta-born bourbon, marking the first time such an invitation has been offered.

In February 2023, Shortbarrel Bourbon acquired the renowned Old Fourth

Distillery which remained popular with connoisseurs over the last decade -- 2024 is the 10-year anniversary. The trio of entrepreneurs are credited for the revival of what was considered a “dead brand.” They also created an award-winning rye and vodka. Recently, Dorfman released a reinvigorated Lawn Dart from the Old Fourth Distillery which is a refreshing

bottled cocktail with fresh lemon and ginger ingredients that can simply freeze or pour over ice.

Dorfman was born and raised in Atlanta where he attended Woodward Academy and North Springs High School. He watched his father and stepmother, Larry and Cathy Dorfman, build a company (APCO) from the ground up;

Shortbarrel, a bourbon brand created by Adam Dorfman, Clinton Dugan, and Patrick Lemmond, is skyrocketing in distribution including Kentucky, known for its own quality whiskey.

The team is expanding production on Lawn Dart -- a refreshing lemon drink.

his childhood was filled with stories from both of his grandfathers, Bob Krasnoff, and the late Arnold Dorfman, about the ups and downs of building businesses.

After graduation, Dorfman attended Arizona State University and spent several years as a touring singer-songwriter, bartender, and even a substitute teacher. Try as he might, he couldn’t stay away from the world of business and founded his first company, DMC Atlanta, in 2003 (which he still runs).

Adam fell for collecting rare whiskey after discovering that bourbon is gluten-free (yes, he’s one of “those”). The Shortbarrel team daydreamed about growing the business for several years until a chance meeting with those bourbon barrel brokers in Louisville in 2020 turned that dream into a reality. Adam and his partners, Clinton Dugan and Patrick Lemmond, bought six barrels of whiskey and launched the Shortbarrel brand with six single barrels of bourbon.

“The thought was, we were either going to make this thing a reality, or we just wouldn’t buy bourbon for a while!” exclaimed Dorfman.

While Dorfman has a talent for building companies, he never imagined things would take off as quickly as they have. He jokes that the team is “building the plane while flying it.”

With quicker than expected growth, the three partners bootstrapped the business, taking out home equity lines on their houses to purchase barrels and equipment and working mornings, nights, and weekends on Shortbarrel while holding down full-time careers and raising young families.

When the team found out that Old Fourth Distillery, Atlanta’s oldest distillery since prohibition, was for sale, they dug in and purchased the brand and assets with the goal of growing both under one roof. Both brands currently reside in Norcross just off Jimmy Carter Boulevard.

Last year was a year of significant growth for both brands, with early 2024 pacing to be a record for Old Fourth Distillery. The brand is distributed through United Distributors.

Dorfman, Dugan, and Lemmond have their sights set on national expansion for Shortbarrel and Lawn Dart; and see Old Fourth as one of Atlanta’s premier spirit brands with a tasting room opening in Terminal E of the Atlanta Airport in early 2025.

Adam and wife, Lara Aronoff Dorfman, live with their two children by Chastain Park and are members of Temple Sinai.  ì

OF TAKE IN THE RAYS.

ENJOY A WHOLE

SUMMER NEW

The Old Fourth Ward Distillery and Shortbarrel operate out of a location on Jimmy Carter Boulevard

Preserving Leo Frank History

By Dave Schechter

Rabbi Steve Lebow has devoted three decades to seeking exoneration for Leo Frank, a Jewish man convicted and lynched for a murder that evidence suggests another man may have committed.

Over the years, Lebow has amassed “file cabinets upon file cabinets” of material relating to the case. Now 69-years-old and with an eye toward posterity, Lebow is donating his Leo Frank trove to the Atlanta Preservation Center. He already has delivered hundreds of pages, including clippings about the case and personal correspondence.

“As I get older, I worry about who’s going to want this and use it for research,” said Lebow, the rabbi emeritus at Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta, who also serves Congregation Rodeph Sholom in Rome on a part-time basis.

Lebow’s donation will include files from the late attorney Dale Schwartz, who was integral to the legal effort that resulted in the state of Georgia granting Frank a posthumous pardon in 1986.

David Y. Mitchell, executive director of

the Atlanta Preservation Center, said that the papers themselves will be housed at the Georgia State University Special Collections and Archives Department, as part of the GSU library’s digital collections, making them accessible to the public.

“You can’t do historic preservation without information,” Mitchell said. “These documents are what substantiates the conversation.”

Aug. 17 will be the 109th anniversary of the lynching of Leo Max Frank in a Marietta woods long since paved over, near Frey’s Gin Road, close to where Interstate

75 intersects Roswell Road. A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. on Aug. 18 at Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta.

Though commonly associated with hanging, by definition lynching is any extra-judicial killing by an organized group. Though Frank often is referred to as the only Jew lynched in the United States, research suggests there might have been others.

Frank, a 29-year-old Texas-born transplant from New York, was the superintendent of the National Pencil Company factory in downtown Atlanta. On April 26, 1913,

which was Confederate Memorial Day, 13-year-old Mary Phagan, an employee from Marietta, came to pick up $1.20 owed her for work done the previous week. Her body was discovered early the next morning in the factory basement. Three days later, Frank was arrested and charged with murder.

Frank’s trial in Fulton County Superior Court took place in an atmosphere of hysteria and rumor, inflamed by sensationalist newspaper coverage.

He was convicted on Aug. 25, 1913, sentenced to death, and sent to the state prison

Rabbi Steve Lebow at his desk with some of the Leo Frank materials he has amassed over the years.

David Y. Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center with some of the material donated by Rabbi Steve Lebow.

Rabbi Steve Lebow’s desk covered with materials related to the Leo Frank case.

in Milledgeville to await execution. His appeals, including to the Supreme Court of the United States, were denied.

Doubts about Frank’s guilt remained, including in the minds of the trial judge, Leonard Strickland Roan, and attorney William Smith, who came to believe that the crime was committed by his client, Jim Conley, a 27-year-old African American factory sweeper whose testimony helped convict Frank. Conley was sentenced to a year in prison as an accomplice.

On June 21, 1915, the day before Frank’s scheduled execution — and just days before his own term ended — Gov. John Marshall Slaton commuted his sentence to life imprisonment. “I can endure misconstruction, abuse and condemnation, but I cannot stand the constant companionship of an accusing conscience, which would remind me in every thought that I, as a Governor of Georgia, failed to do what I thought to be right,” Slaton wrote.

Late on the night of Aug. 16, Frank was kidnapped from the prison and driven to a farm belonging to former Cobb County Sheriff William Frey. He was hanged from a tree shortly before dawn on Aug. 17, after asking that his wedding ring be returned to his widow, Lucille Selig Frank, in Atlanta. Frank’s body was left hanging for hours as crowds gathered. Photographs were turned into postcards. Purported pieces of the rope were sold around Atlanta.

The kidnapping and lynching were organized by a cabal calling itself the Knights of Mary Phagan, organized by prominent citizens of Marietta and Cobb County. No one was prosecuted for Frank’s murder.

In 1982, 83-year-old Alonzo Mann told The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville how, as a boy working in the pencil factory, he was threatened by Conley to remain silent after seeing him carrying Phagan’s body.

Schwartz said that Mann recalled hearing anti-Jewish epithets as he entered the courthouse to testify.

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in December 1983 rejected an appeal of Frank’s conviction, saying that his innocence could not be established without doubt.

On March 11, 1986, the board granted a posthumous pardon “without attempting to address the question of guilt or innocence and in recognition of the state’s failure to protect the person of Leo M. Frank and thereby preserve his opportunity for continued legal appeal of his conviction, and in recognition of the state’s failure to bring his killers to justice, and as an effort to heal old wounds.”

Frank is buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery in the New York borough of Queens. Lucille Selig Frank died in 1957 and is bur-

ied between her parents’ graves in the Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.

Mary Phagan’s grave in the Marietta Confederate Cemetery is a little more than two miles west of the lynching site.

A marker honoring Slaton was unveiled in June 2015 at the Atlanta History Center, along Slaton Drive, just off West Paces Ferry Road, close to the Slaton family home.

In August 2018 a marker commemorating the lynching was rededicated on a strip of grass and sidewalk adjacent to the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant, just south of where Roswell Road crosses under I-75. The marker, originally erected in 2008, had been removed in 2012 by the Georgia DOT during road construction.

In December 2018, a small black slab granite monument in memory of an estimated 570-plus Georgians lynched between 1880-1946 was placed near the Frank marker.

A sign that Lebow affixed in 1995, on the 80th anniversary of the lynching, to a building near the site was removed when the building was razed and since has gone missing. That marker read: “Wrongly accused, Falsely convicted, Wantonly murdered” and noted the 1986 pardon.

A second sign, placed there in 2005, now rests near the historical marker. That plaque reads: “Am I my brother’s Keeper? On the 90th anniversary of the lynching and in memory of all victims of lynching.”

Collections of memorabilia, photographs, and papers related to the Frank case can be found at several Atlanta-area institutions, including the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum and the Atlanta History Center.

Beyond digitizing the material that Lebow is donating, Mitchell envisions tours that would encompass relevant Leo Frank sites in Marietta and Atlanta. These would be part of the Atlanta Preservation Center’s “Phoenix Flies” program, which provides tours of historic sites, structures, and neighborhoods in the metro area.

The APC and Landmark Preservation oversaw a recent renovation of the Memorial to the Six Million at Greenwood Cemetery, which was rededicated at a Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day event in May.

“My goal is historic preservation,” Mitchell said. “Sometimes the preservation arguably is sustained, supported, increased, and given significance by the information that we continue to collect.”

Lebow takes a long view: “I feel certain that he will be exonerated, someday, even if it’s during my lifetime or long after I have shuffled off this mortal coil. So the record of that exoneration will be a part of the ultimate story that needs to be preserved.” ì

Rabbi Steven Lebow | Governor Roy Barnes

The 109th Yahrzeit service for Leo Frank will be held at Temple Kol Emeth, 1415 Old Canton Road, Marietta

Holocaust Educators Convene in Atlanta

By Jessica Sinclair

How can Holocaust education confront the disturbing rise of antisemitism and other forms of hatred? Finding the answer was at the forefront of a gathering of nearly 60 Holocaust educators from across the U.S. During the week of June 16, teachers gathered at a national conference held at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, The Breman, and The Temple, where they heard from scholars, shared best practices, engaged in strategic planning, and visited Jewish and civil rights museums and heritage sites.

The teachers – middle, high school, and college educators – were brought together by The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (TOLI), a New York-based organization that focuses on providing educators with skills to teach the Holocaust and make it relevant for today’s students. These educators are TOLI’s core facilitators who are returning to their regions to lead inperson, four- and five-day seminars for teachers in California, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin. TOLI is also holding seminars in 14 countries in Europe, impacting approximately 600 teachers this summer who will join the TOLI global network of more than 4,500 alumni.

“At a time when knowledge of the Holocaust is diminishing and antisemitism, extremism, and polarization are rising, TOLI’s work could not be more important,” said Deborah Lauter, TOLI’s executive director. “The conference reenergized our dedicated TOLI educators and we are well-positioned to scale our programs and meet the new challenges.”

Teachers had the opportunity to collaborate, build community, strengthen skills with new pedagogical approaches, and share experiences and innovative models for impact. In addition to the current facilitators in attendance, the conference included a new cohort of educators who are being prepared to run TOLI programs in Kentucky, Idaho, Indiana, Ohio, and North Dakota. TOLI’s European Programs Director, Oana NestianSandu, based in Romania, also attended and provided a training workshop that she helped create for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The workshop addressed the rise of Holocaust distortion and how to combat it, which the U.S. teachers can now implement into their U.S. seminars.

Conference participant Lacy Watson

from Billings, Mont., remarked: “Being with other TOLI educators from around the country made me feel supported and more committed than ever to teach the Holocaust and human rights. This conference gave me more skills and confidence in how to navigate the subject matter and impact my students on how hate and disinformation can take hold in a democracy if good people do nothing. I am so grateful to be part of the TOLI network.”

While TOLI Leadership Conferences have traditionally been held in New York City, Lauter, who served as community relations director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta (1992-1999) and as Southeast region director for the AntiDefamation League (1999-2006), made the decision to host it in Atlanta this year. “I wanted our educators to gather in the

heart of the Civil Rights Movement and examine the history of prejudice and discrimination in this country. Too many teachers around the country are now on the frontlines of a push-back on historical truths, and TOLI provides support for how to engage students to understand their role in ensuring civil society.”

The educators toured The Breman’s Holocaust exhibitions, “The Absence of Humanity” and “History with Chutzpah: Remarkable Stories of the Southern Jewish Experience,” and heard a fascinating presentation on the history of antisemitism by Marist high school teacher, Brendan Murphy. They spent a day at The Temple where they met with Rabbi Peter Berg, who spoke with them about the synagogue’s history, including how The Temple was bombed in 1958 by extremists who objected to then-Rabbi Jacob

Rothschild’s support for integration and civil rights.

As with all TOLI seminars, the participants – most of whom are not Jewish – attended a Shabbat service and dinner, and learned about Jewish religion, customs, and history before and after the Holocaust.

The educators also experienced a powerful daytrip to Montgomery, where they toured the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, where they spent time engaged in reflective writing –one of the unique, impactful elements of TOLI’s pedagogy.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, The Breman, and The Temple provided support to help make the conference possible.  ì

TOLI educators gather at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta for a week-long seminar on Holocaust education // Photo Credit: TOLI

TOLI educators gather at the EJI Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Ala. // Photo Credit: Scott Lone

Lacy Watson from Montana and Todd Schroer from Indiana (foreground) at The Breman //Photo Credit: TOLI

TOLI Executive Director Deborah Lauter (third from right) with The Temple’s Rabbi Peter Berg and TOLI New Mexico seminar leaders // Photo Credit: TOLI

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Global Conference for Israel Slated for November

A delegation from Atlanta will join thousands of proud American Zionists at the Global Conference for Israel for a weekend filled with camaraderie, inspiration, and riveting speakers who exemplify Israel’s positive contributions to the world.

The annual multi-day spectacular event, best known for showcasing the pride and beauty of Zionism, providing attendees with practical tools to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to antisemitism, and sharing first-hand accounts about the realities on the ground in Israel, will take place Nov. 14-17 in Dallas, Texas.

Attendees will hear insights from key thought leaders, explore an interactive Israel expo, take part in one of the largest Shabbat dinners in the world, hear what’s being done to support Jewish students on college campuses, and learn about initiatives that are already rebuilding Israel’s battered north and south.

“Our world changed on Oct. 7, but if anything, we have become more resolute and more united as a people as we work to build a stronger Israel,” said Sharoni Levison, co-chair of Jewish National Fund-USA’s National Community Campaign and Atlanta board member. “It is clear that personal connections, sharing stories, and coming together are more important now than ever. If there was ever a time for supporters of Israel to gather, now is that time.”

Participants at the Global Conference will also:

• Explore the future of American Jewry with Rabbi David Wolpe

• Laugh with actor, comedian, and outspoken advo-

cate for Israel Michael Rapaport at the Saturday night gala

• Hear from Col. Richard Kemp about the Israel Defense Force's (IDF) high moral code of ethics

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• Find out how antisemitism is being combatted on college campuses from Mothers Against College Antisemitism (MACA) founder Elizabeth Rand, Columbia Professor Shai Davidai, and current students

• Enjoy jaw-dropping musical performances by Jewish National Fund-USA’s Special in Uniform Band

• Discover how the World Zionist Village will spark a new conversation and revolutionize Zionist and Jewish educational engagement for the decades ahead

• Enjoy an elegant Saturday evening gala

• Meet Jewish National Fund-USA’s affiliates, who will highlight the organization’s philanthropic investments in Israel

• Take part in exclusive briefings on thought-provoking topics

“It’s sometimes only through adversity that we realize our true strength and resilience,” added Atlanta-based Conference Co-Chair Michael Miller. “Everywhere you look, Jewish and pro-Israel communities are stepping up to celebrate everything they have achieved and how our homeland has and continues to help the world. Together, we will stand loud and proud and celebrate the people of Israel and Jewish people everywhere – their grit, determination, and ingenuity as we gather in Dallas for this historic event.”

More than 2,500 philanthropists, high school students, college students, and Israelis who manage and benefit from Jewish National Fund-USA’s philanthropic initiatives attended the organization’s 2023 Global Conference for Israel in Denver this past fall. The 2024 conference will once again welcome thousands of pro-Israel supporters and hundreds of students at the event’s high school and college summits.

For more information or to register, visit jnf.org/global, email conference@jnf.org, or call 800-JNF-0099. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

A delegation from Atlanta will join thousands of American Zionists for a weekend filled with solidarity, inspiration, and practical solutions to combat Jew hatred.

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Alembik Pledges Seven Figures at AA

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Some special news was delivered at the Ahavath Achim synagogue on Sunday, June 9, at the afternoon Annual Meeting. Attorney Judith Alembik announced a million-dollar donation to the synagogue as a tribute to her son, Gary, who took his final bow as synagogue president.

Beloved for his dedication and cordiality, Gary Alembik told the AJT, “I wasn’t surprised by my mom’s endowment … together, we identified a gift that would have meaningful impact on the shul. My parents placed great emphasis on my education, particularly Jewish education. Creating an endowment for Ahavath Achim’s youth education program was an ideal choice and aligned perfectly with my parents’ values. I hope this will inspire others to contribute to their shul’s endowment. As membership revenue declines, it’s imperative that synagogues grow their endowment, ensuring sustainable financial security for future generations. L’dor va D’or, from generation to generation.”

Judith Alembik added that her choice for supporting youth programs was linked to her values in that Jewish education holds a deep significance as it did for her late husband, Aaron.

She said, “I understand the substantial cost associated with maintaining a vibrant youth education program and the necessity for synagogues to subsidize these expenses to keep them affordable for young families. By creating an endowment, we have established a lasting income stream to support our young families, and AA’s youth education program for years to come.”

A Holocaust survivor, Aaron Alembik arrived in the U.S. after the war with little more than the clothes on his back. Through the extraordinary generosity of family members here in Georgia who sponsored Aaron and his family, they were able to rebuild their lives, pursue an education, careers, and raise families. She stated, “Aaron frequently expressed profound gratitude towards the U.S. for taking him in and for the opportunity to achieve success. He often attributed his accomplishments to “hard work and a lot of mazel.”

Judith Alembik grew up in a middleclass family in Vienna, Va., where her father was a negotiator for the American Trucking Association. She attended American University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in chemistry and biology. At the time, Aaron Alembik was an associate with Arnall Golden and Gregory and often visited Washington on business. Judith was focused on a career in medicine when Aaron’s French accent, intellect, and charm made it “impossible to refuse” his proposal. They enjoyed 54 years of marriage and later practiced law together -- he was in real estate while Judy focused on family law. Their firm lasted more than 20 years.

Another commentary on Gary’s leadership role was related in the Atlanta Jewish Times on June 14, 2022, where he mused about his being a pioneer representing the LGBTQ+ community when he said, “I am a Conservative Jew and gay. For many years, I had difficulty finding acceptance in the Conservative Jewish community. I represent a new face in the leadership at Ahavath Achim. I am the face of diversity and inclusion.”

Judith echoed this to the AJT, “I am immensely proud of Gary for serving as president and for his numerous accomplishments … I am especially impressed by the culture transformation that Gary and our rabbis have brought to AA. Through Gary’s leadership, Ahavath Achim has become a welcoming community where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”

She recalled, “I was pleasantly surprised when Gary was selected as Ahavath Achim’s president. He stands out as the most diverse president AA has ever had, bringing a unique perspective and set of experiences. This milestone is not just a personal achievement for Gary, but also a significant step forward for AA. I hope his presidency has paved the way for members of the LGBTQ+ community to assume leadership roles [in various causes].”

Judith summarized, “I’m eager to see our gift at work. I can’t wait to drop by AA on a Sunday morning to see the faces of the young people and the families benefiting from our endowment gift.”

As the summer unfolds, Judith will announce additional significant grants to benefit the Jewish community. ì

Judith Alembik announced her seven-figure donation to benefit AA’s youth programming.

(Left) Gary Alembik is credited with increasing inclusivity at the synagogue and in its leadership.

Jerusalem College of Technol-

ogy

Receives $1M Donation

The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) announced a $1 million donation from strategic philanthropists Debra and David Magerman to expand the College’s International Program for English Speakers. The program combines high-level academic degrees and rigorous Torah study, reinforces Religious Zionist values, and empowers its students to integrate quickly and successfully into Israeli society.

The Magerman grant, made in partnership with Tzemach David Foundation,

Today in Israeli History

July 15, 1965: Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin warns Lebanon and Syria they will face consequences if they move forward with an Arab League-backed effort to divert the sources of the Jordan River.

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, 1906: Yitzchak Ben-Aharon, a pioneer of the kibbutz movement, is born in Romania. He makes it to Palestine in 1928 by walking and riding a donkey. He helps found Kibbutz Givat Haim between Haifa and Tel Aviv.

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.

ISRAEL PRIDE

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME

will support a paradigm shift for the International Program. Until now, students in JCT’s International Program were offered courses and earned degrees taught fully in English. Moving forward, International Program students will spend two years in an intensive Hebrew-language ulpan, while they begin their academic studies and complete their core STEM courses in English. By their third year of study, they will transition into courses taught in Hebrew. This will equip international students with the ability to integrate into the Hebrew-speaking workforce if they opt to remain in Israel.

“We are enormously privileged that Debra and David Magerman, in partnership with Tzemach David Foundation, are choosing to invest in the future of the Jewish State by investing in the Jerusalem College of Technology. Their passion for and positive impact on Jewish education are proven. We view our partnership with them as integral to the growth of our longstanding International Program and the College as a whole,” said JCT President, Professor Chaim Sukenik.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Orthodox Hoops Star Turell Joins Israel’s Top League

Orthodox basketball player Ryan

July 23, 2002: On a 51-41 vote, the Knesset approves the Tal Law to address the issue of Haredi yeshiva students receiving exemptions from military service. The Supreme Court rules the law unconstitutional in 2012.

July 24, 1920: Bella Abzug, the first Jewish woman elected to Congress, is born in the Bronx to Orthodox Jewish immigrants. She gains experience for a career in politics by lecturing about Zionism at subway stops as a teen.

Turell has signed with Ironi Ness Ziona in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, the country’s top tier of professional basketball. Turell, who was the top scorer in the NCAA in his senior year at Yeshiva University, made history in 2022 by becoming the first Orthodox Jewish player to appear in the NBA’s minor G league. He played two seasons for the Motor City Cruise, which is affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. Now, Turell is fulfilling another goal of his: to play professional basketball in Israel.

“I’m very excited and honored to be a part of Ironi Ness Ziona and can’t wait to start playing!” Turell said in a press release from the team. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play in Israel, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do it with Ness Ziona. I can’t wait to meet all of the fans, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Brad Turell, Ryan’s father, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the move to Israel does not rule out a possible return to the G League — or even the NBA, a longtime dream of Turell’s — in the future. He said his son is keeping “all options open.”

Compiled by AJT Staff

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 19, 1999: Stella Levy, who commanded the Israel Defense Forces’ Women’s Corps from 1964 to 1970, dies. She participated in the IDF’s first officer training course for women and oversaw transit camps for new immigrants.

July 20, 1951: Palestinian nationalists assassinate Jordan’s first king, Abdullah I, at the entrance to al-Aqsa Mosque. Before Israel declared independence, Abdullah discussed peace but instead fought and captured the West Bank.

July 21, 1948: Philip Jessup writes a seven-point memo to Secretary of State George Marshall on why the United States should turn down a U.N. request to temporarily station U.S. Marines in Jerusalem as peacekeepers.

July 22, 1946: Irgun militants bomb Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, the British administrative headquarters in Palestine. Despite phoned-in warnings, the King David is not evacuated, and 91 people are killed.

Keren Leibovitch was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. // JNF

July 25, 1973: Keren Leibovitch, considered Israel’s greatest Paralympian, is born in Hod Hasharon near Tel Aviv. Leibovitch begins swimming competitively only after she is paralyzed at 18 in an IDF training accident.

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, 1955: Bulgarian fighter jets shoot down El Al Flight 402 en route from London’s Heathrow Airport to Israel.

The Lockheed Constellation veers into Bulgarian airspace between Vienna, Austria, and Istanbul, Turkey.

July 29, 1849: Max Nordau is born in Hungary. Events such as the Dreyfus Affair lead him to embrace Zionism. He drafts the Basel Plan, the blueprint for a Jewish state in Palestine, and advocates the development of a “new Jew.”

July 30, 1992: Tel Aviv native Yael Arad, 25, becomes the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal, taking a silver in judo in Barcelona. She dedicates her medal to the 11 Israelis killed at the Munich Olympics 20 years earlier.

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

The Jerusalem College of Technology has received a $1 million donation to expand the school’s international program for English speakers.

Ryan Turell played two seasons with the Motor City Cruise in the NBA’s G League // Photo Courtesy of Motor City Cruise

(From left) Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta and Isaac Stern appear together in 1980. // By Bernard Gotfryd via U.S. Library of Congress

Stella Levy, shown in 1970, commanded the IDF Women’s Corps for six years. // By Fritz Cohen, Israeli National Photo Collection, CC BY-SA 3.0

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin meets with silver medalist Yael Arad and bronze medalist Oren Smadja on Aug. 31, 1992, to celebrate their Olympic success. // By Ya’acov Sa’ar, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

Hostage Rallies Part of New Political Landscape

By Bob Bahr

Jacob Skor was among the early arrivals in Tel Aviv at a rally for the Israel hostages I attended late in June. The 23-year-old American college student was right up front standing against the barrier that separated him from the large, well-equipped stage at the Saturday night rally, which has become a regular fixture of life in the city.

In addition to the elaborate setup for the rally, the open-air setting, which has come to be called Hostage Square, is home to a number of ambitious tributes to the captives, One of the displays is an empty dinner table set for a Friday night Sabbath celebration with an empty chair for each of the 120 hostages who are still in Gaza. The space has become a mustsee attraction for visitors to the city.

For Skor, who is working in Israel this summer after finishing his first year of law school, the rally is part of his belief that public pressure is an essential part of the effort to bring the remaining hostages back to Israel alive. Despite all that Tel Aviv offers on a Saturday night in the summer, he says he’s here every week.

“I think it’s important for … people to keep the hostages in mind all the time. It’s been more than nine months now that they’ve been in Gaza’s horrible conditions. I don’t want the hostages to be pushed into the background and people for them.”

These rallies, regularly sponsored by an organization called the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, have attracted 100,000 people or more to the square and video recordings of the events can be seen online.

One of the area’s most important neighbors is Israel’s version of the Pentagon, the national headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces. For many, the square has become a focal point for a slogan that is seen all over Israel this summer, both in English and Hebrew, “Bring The Hostages Home Now.”

Skor has brought along a hastily handwritten sign in English that reads simply, “Bring Oded Lifshitz Home.” The sign reflects the unrelenting attempt to personalize the fate of those who are still held in Gaza. In Skor’s case, he learned about the hostage, who is 83, when Skor met Lifshitz’s granddaughter through his work with Birthright Onward.

The program brings graduates of the iconic Birthright program to Israel as interns in the nation’s professions and businesses. Although the Birthright

Onward program is not involved in Saturday rallies, the work they do to bring young people from around the world to work, side by side with Israelis, has helped Skor to understand his connection to Jewish life.

“It’s been an amazing experience that’s really allowed me to reconnect with my Jewish roots, something that would never have happened if I stayed in America this summer. It’s just been great.”

Among the hostages featured at the Tel Aviv rally was Naama Levi. She was a communication specialist serving with the IDF at an outpost near Israel border with Gaza. It is believed that she may have been sexually assaulted before she was taken to Gaza and for many, she has become a symbol of the violence against women that was a part of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Her father, Yoni, spoke about his daughter to the crowd on what would have been Levy’s 20th birthday.

“I remember your laughter and can hear your voice, imagining exactly what you’d be doing today. We would have prepared a table for you, full of sweets, balloons, and gifts. Like every year,” her father said. “How happy this day could have been. Instead, you’re there. In darkness. For 260 days already. And we stand here.”

Large rallies like these are part of what is seen by some as a transformation of Israel’s political life as a result of the Oct. 7 attack. The nation remains sharply divided over the political future of the country. That is seen by many as likely to grow as the war in Gaza winds down and the fate of the hostages is finally settled.

A reported survey by social research-

Large hostage rallies, which have sometimes attracted more than 100,000 protesters, have developed into an important part of Israel’s political landscape.

ers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem concluded that the continuing campaign to free the hostages has hit home with those Israelis who would like to see political change.

For Nimrod Nir, a political psychologist with the Truman Research Institute

at the university, it’s just one part of what he believes are important changes to come as Israel faces the security questions the Hamas attack has raised.

“The hostage protests,” Nir said, “are a pivotal point for other types of protests to emerge.” ì

Jacob Skor is an American law school student spending the summer as part of the Birthright Onward program // All Photos by Bob Bahr

Weinstein to Swim this Summer for Team USA

David Ostrowsky

Last month, when 17-year-old Claire Weinstein of White Plains, N.Y., secured her place on Team USA’s swim team for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris by completing the 200-meter freestyle in a tidy 1:56.18, it felt like the most daunting obstacle was now in her past.

Not because she was merely content to represent the U.S. in The City of Light in her first Olympics, irrespective of the actual results. But because no competition – even the Olympics – could match the high-octane U.S. Olympic swimming trials held over nine days in Indiana (aired on NBC during prime-time hours), with the final two events in front of record-setting crowds at Lucas Oil Stadium as the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts was metamorphosed into an enormous swimming pool.

All told, nearly 300,000 fans flocked through the turnstiles in just over a week to watch America’s elite swimmers realize their dreams. It was an unprecedented following for a swim event, but apparently Weinstein wasn’t particularly phased by the limelight as her second place 1:56.18 mark was not even a tick behind that of four-time Olympian Katie Ledecky (1:55.22), who will once again be the face of USA Swimming at this year’s Summer Games.

For Weinstein, what was perhaps even more impressive was that her day got off to a rocky start as she stumbled to a 30th place finish in the 400-freestyle before rebounding in her signature 200-meter freestyle event to post her second fastest time ever (her career personal record in the 200-meter freestyle was a 1:55.26 mark, which actually edged Ledecky in last year’s U.S. International Team Trials).

Weinstein, who was a world champion as a part of the U.S.’ winning 800 free relay at the 2022 World Championships, will be competing in the 200-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle relay when the Olympic swimming events kick off July 27.

“I think she will handle it [Olympics] really, really well,” said Ron Aitken, who as coach of the Sandpipers of Nevada, has shepherded Weinstein along since

autumn 2021. “She’s been to two world championships. One went really well for her, and the other one didn’t. Her Olympic trials were super stressful, and I don’t think it can get any more stressful than what she’s already gone through. I think she’s going to be able to enjoy the whole process. I think she will race really well because the biggest burden that she had was making the Olympic team and becoming an Olympian. Now that she’s an Olympian, she just gets to go out there and race and show everybody how good she can be.”

Weinstein, along with Team USA heavyweights Caeleb Dressel, Simone Manuel, and Ledecky, hope to make a splash later this month in France. But the pressure on the States to bring home gold is not as intense as it is for other countries, namely Australia, which is expected to build off its brilliant performance at the Tokyo Games earlier this decade.

“Team USA is the underdog,” acknowledged Aitken when speaking to the Atlanta Jewish Times earlier this month. “I think it’s a great position for Team USA to be in because they’ve always been the favorite in swimming. When America has something to chase, we usually do pretty well. It’s great to have to go after somebody instead of them coming after us. I can’t predict that the U.S. will come out on top, but they’ll be pretty damn tough.”

Likewise, Weinstein, through sheer dogged determination, ascended the ranks of USA swimming this decade. The now-teenage prodigy began swimming independently at the age of three; a few years later, she was racing in competitions for the Westchester Aquatics Club. It soon became obvious to everyone, including her Westchester coach Carle Fierro, that Weinstein flashed potential to deliver on the national stage. Thus, her decision to head westward to join the powerhouse Nevada Sandpipers club, coached by Aitken and stacked with Olympians.

“When she first got here, I didn’t think she was ready to be coached by me yet,” Aitken continued. “I gave her a three-week trial to see how it goes. Every day, she came in and proved to me that she was ready to make the changes and work as hard as she could and be able to adapt to a different style of training. Every day, she has come in and gotten better ever since. She has struggled every now and then, but overall, she’s a very committed athlete. She has a goal and an end game, and she works for it every single time.”

Aitken estimates that under his tutelage, Weinstein, who as a 13-year-old in February 2021 became one of the youngest swimmers to qualify for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials and a year later finished tenth in the 200 freestyle at the 2022

World Championships, has been swimming three times more than she was back home in Westchester. Sometimes, doing laps for hours on end is less taxing than the backbreaking strength and conditioning workouts on land. Such is the life of a competitive swimmer.

“Every day was hard,” he added. “She [Weinstein] would have days that were super hard. She had to have the mental toughness to come in and deal with that every single day. I think when people aren’t used to that, it gets hard, and they tend to give up or quit … I said as long as you don’t give up and as long as you keep coming to practice when you don’t feel like coming to practice, then we’ll be able to do this.”

Weinstein, who is committed to swimming at the University of California-Berkeley, starting in 2025, never gave up, even when the taxing workouts put her body through the ringer day after day … and even as the Israel-Hamas war has weighed on her mind for the past nineplus months.

“She loves her Jewish community as well,” her coach added. “She’s very passionate about it. With things going on overseas, she’s very conscious of what’s going on. She doesn’t like what’s happening and it affects her emotionally. You can tell how she’s passionate about that stuff and if she could do anything about it, she would.” ì

Team USA swimmer Claire Weinstein, whose specialty is the 200-meter freestyle, will be one of many Jewish athletes on hand at the Summer Games in Paris later this month // Photo Credit: USA Swimming/Mike Lewis

Local Leadership Academy Tees Off

By David Ostrowsky

Ralph Stokes has long been a trusted advisor to Atlanta Falcons principal owner Arthur Blank. Stokes was the first Black president of the Georgia State Golf Association and a former running back for the Bear Bryant-coached Alabama Crimson Tide and was among the SEC school’s first Black football players. He began spearheading the diversity and community initiatives for PGA TOUR Superstore, the golf and tennis retail behemoth acquired by Blank’s AMB Sports & Entertainment organization in 2010, and was one of Blank’s closest friends and associates.

So, when Stokes approached Blank about his vision for developing the PGA TOUR Superstore-sponsored First Tee Leadership Academy, a nearly weeklong event in Atlanta consisting of networking and relationship-building workshops for dozens of teenagers across the U.S., the Home Depot co-founder listened ever so intently.

“I have been blessed to know Arthur for over 30 years,” said Stokes, who in his earlier professional life cemented his legacy as a trailblazer in the corporate insurance industry by serving as senior vice president for CIGNA Health Care. “I’ve had a great degree of respect for him. When he bought the Superstore, it was in very poor financial shape and his money and his knowledge of retail saved the Superstore. We needed the money, but we clearly needed that knowledge of retail. His knowledge from his Home Depot days was imperative to guiding us.

“It’s been easy for me to go and have conversations with him. Like anything, a man as successful as Arthur asks you a lot of hard questions.”

The partnership between PGA TOUR Superstore/Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and First Tee, a PGA Tour-sponsored nonprofit organization that has provided educational programs to millions of youths, has existed for over a decade. But in September 2020, Blank’s PGA TOUR Superstore elevated its commitment by earmarking a new grant for First Tee to reach more at-risk youths across the country (including those in Montana where Blank has a significant footprint) and establish the First Tee Leadership Academy. Those eligible to apply for the Academy needed to participate in a five-week Leadership Series that was hosted at PGA TOUR Superstores across the country this spring. Ultimately, 48 high school students, the majority of whom are rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors, across 27 different states were selected.

As the Atlanta-based program was Stokes’ brainchild, he had designs on the First Tee Leadership Academy expanding in scope and breadth while being grounded more in team leadership lessons, as opposed to primarily individual empowerment.

“When we first created this program four years ago, it was centered on some of the things I have learned,” explained Stokes, who before smashing barriers at the University of Alabama was one of the first Black football players at Montgomery’s Robert E. Lee High School, a powerhouse program that reeled off an undefeated state championship season in 1970.

“I learned how to work as a team and at the core of all teams you have to build a great degree of respect. Especially when you bring people who don’t know each other, you have to learn how to build respect for each other. We learned how to challenge young people, how to help them build respect for each other, how to create opportunities to use your gifts and talents and the other person to use their gifts and talents as well.”

After last year’s successful launch,

the second iteration of the program, held June 17-21 this year, similarly fulfilled its mission of providing students insight into how successful teams operate by not only holding seminars but also rolling out a star-studded lineup of speakers, including WNBA legend Maya Moore – even as it encountered some logistical headwinds.

As the initial plan to house the dozens of participants at the Falcons’ training facility in Flowery Branch was eventually derailed due to ongoing construction, Stokes and the rest of First Tee’s brain trust had to quickly pivot to Georgia Tech serving as the headquarters. While perhaps not the optimal hub for the slate of activities, the urban setting was conducive to the group exploring Atlanta (for most students this was their first time in the city) and touring landmarks such as Skyline Park, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the College Football Hall of Fame.

Looking ahead to next year, the hope is to enroll 100 participants and keep a steady pipeline going through the years so that eventually alums of the program can come back and share how they benefited from the experience.

“I would love to grow this program with larger numbers,” said Stokes, who’s also currently the vice chairman for the TOUR Championship, held annually at historic East Lake Golf Club. “As Arthur always tells us, we’re not in transaction business, we’re in relationship business. We’re building those relationships. Because that’s the business we’re in.”

As one of the first Black members of Indian Hills Country Club in Marietta who made serious in-roads as an insurance executive throughout Metro Atlanta before assuming his current post for PGA TOUR Superstore, Stokes befriended innumerable members of the Jewish community, such as Blank and Bernie Marcus, through the years.

“We’ve all had a similar fight of being oppressed at times and fighting for opportunities,” noted Stokes. “I have built a lot of really good relationships with the Jewish community. I always felt comfortable working in partnership. The game of golf opened a lot of doors for me. The golf ball does not discriminate – it doesn’t matter if you’re male, female, African American, [or] white.”  ì

For the second consecutive year, leaders from the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation came together to run activity-based workshops as part of the First Tee Leadership Academy to empower dozens of teens across America // Photo Credit: First Tee/Decisive Moment Events

Talking Atlanta and Politics on Israeli TV

Dave Schechter From Where I Sit

The night before the June 27 presidential candidate debate in Atlanta, I was interviewed in my home office by Neria Kraus, the White House correspondent for Israel’s Channel 13.

Before Kraus arrived, my wife did what she could to make my workspace presentable, while I shaved and put on a clean shirt.

The interview came about when a Channel 13 producer in Israel contacted the Atlanta Jewish Times, seeking an interview via video about Atlanta and the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

As it happened, Kraus was in Atlanta and, despite the relatively late hour, came to our house. She set up one phone on a tripod and another on a bookcase. Framed newspaper pages, photographs, and other tchotchkes in my office were on display in the background.

Kraus asked about the significance of the event being held in Atlanta.

This city is hardly phased by a presidential debate, I said. In my 37 years here, Atlanta has hosted the Democratic National Convention, the summer Olympic Games, collegiate and professional sports championships, and visits by numerous presidents, prime ministers, and potentates. In two years, Atlanta will welcome the world for the men’s soccer World Cup.

I suggested that Kraus’ audience might be interested to know that Atlanta’s estimated Jewish population of 140,000 includes upwards of 15,000 Israelis.

During our 45-minute conversation, we discussed Georgia’s ascension to a place of prominence in presidential politics, the competing claims by Biden and Trump of being the better friend of Israel, the impact of the Oct. 7 terror attacks on the psyche of Jewish Americans, the public debate in the United States over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, and the protests in Israel against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I explained to Kraus that I have written several columns about the hostages in Gaza, in part out of personal interest, as three of those killed and seven of those kidnapped on Oct. 7 (including one still being held hostage) represent leaves on an Israeli branch of my family tree.

The debate was to be held on a closed set, without an audience, at the midtown campus where the Cable News Network was born in 1980 and to which it has returned after many years in downtown Atlanta. Kraus and more than 800 other journalists, representing 173 news organizations and 35 countries, were kept across the street, in McCamish Pavilion, as the home of Georgia Tech’s basketball team was transformed into a media filing center and interview “spin rooms.”

Twenty-four hours later, Biden’s poor performance had disrupted — to say the least — whatever post-debate reporting plans journalists brought with them to Atlanta.

Given the frenzied tone of coverage in the aftermath, I would not have been surprised to learn that my interview wound up on the cutting room floor, but Kraus found a minute’s worth of my comments — translated with Hebrew subtitles — worthy of inclusion in a nearly 10-minute piece she prepared.

From my past lifetime in television news I know that one minute is a significant amount of time to give any one voice. I can only wonder what the Israeli audience thought of the political punditry from a writer for the Atlanta Jewish Times.

A couple of days later, I wrote an article for the AJT surveying local Jewish reaction to the debate. Not surprisingly, the responses were divided along party lines, with an added dose of Democratic worry about their standard bearer’s well-being.

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza and an escalating conflict with Hezbollah that has forced tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in the north, as well as large demonstrations calling on him to secure a deal to release the hostages, Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on July 24 and presumably also meet with Biden.

These are consequential times for Israelis and Americans. I’ve suggested to Kraus that she return to Atlanta before Election Day on Nov. 5, to take a broader look at the Jewish community, to see how it lives, and gauge how Israel fits as a consideration when voting. Such reporting might give Israelis a more nuanced view of Jewish life in this country, something sorely needed, just as Jewish Americans would benefit from a more expansive, less black-and-white view of Israel.

I have been interviewed before and always find it strange to see my face and, in particular, hear my voice. I hope I sound reasonably intelligent. As much as I enjoyed Kraus’ visit and the invitation to talk about Jewish life and politics in Atlanta, I remain more comfortable being the interviewer than the interviewee. ì

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,

As a member of a family carrying a BRCA mutation, I appreciate the ongoing dedication of Benigno and Skolnick to finding a screening test that will detect early ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer, with 19,680 cases and 12,740 deaths predicted to occur in the U.S. in 2024 (American Cancer Society). I am glad the Jewish Times is willing to inform the public on issues like this, but the risk of misinformation needs to be addressed.

In the Jewish Times article of June 30, 2024, Drs. Skolnick and Benigno refer to their 2024 Gynecologic Oncology article, in which they report a 98% “effective” test in identifying early-stage ovarian cancer. “Effectiveness” is not generally a technical term used to define the accuracy of a blood test for ovarian cancer. Drs. Skolnick and Benigno use the more technically correct term, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), in their Gynecologic Oncology article. PPV answers the patient’s question: now that I have gotten a positive screening test result, what is the probability that I really have ovarian cancer? This question must be answered before tests are recommended by organizations that write guidelines for testing, such as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology or the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

According to Skolnick and Benigno, the PPV for their test is 93% for the sample they created for their study. In this sample, which is not representative of the population that will actually be screened, 75% of women had ovarian cancer. Fortunately, in the real world, asymptomatic ovarian cancer is not nearly present in 75% of women at any one time but is present in about 50/100,000 women, or 0.05% of women over 50, again, not 75%.

Why is this important to doctor and patients? Because a PPV of 0.05% means that out of 100 women who have a positive test result for ovarian cancer, at least 99 will be false positives. This large population of healthy women with false positives will be subjected to anxiety and, in many cases, unnecessary and invasive procedures, including surgery.

That ovarian cancer is so rare is the main obstacle to developing an acceptable screening test. All rare diseases that have serious outcomes, as does ovarian cancer, must have a high enough accuracy (PPV) to be useful. A PPV of 10% in the general population is the threshold set by oncologists for screening for this kind of cancer. This would mean that for every 100 women who test positive, ten would be found to have the disease. The remaining ninety women would be false positives. Skolnick and Benigno’s test has a PPV of less than 1%.

Karen K. Steinberg, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, retired, 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,

October 7 was a shock to Israel, one from which it has not fully recovered. While an official investigation into what went wrong has not yet begun, it seems clear that many involved in securing Israel’s safety were overly confident about the efficacy of the underground barriers which had been constructed at the Gaza border. In addition, an uptick in terror attacks in Judea and Samaria (possibly the result of a Hamas effort to deflect scrutiny from itself) contributed to Hamas’ ability to prepare for the October 7 attack. It is possible that a bit of male chauvinism led to a refusal to accept reports from female IDF soldiers, acting as border lookouts, who reported that Hamas fighters were rehearsing a major attack.

But even if those mistakes hadn’t been made, preventing the attack, or dealing with it if preventive measures failed, would have been much more difficult than minimizing damage from missile attacks (with anti-missile defense units and accustoming people to getting to shelter as soon as alarms are sounded). Certainly, advance warning of the planned attack might have saved lives. But civilians can’t remain on high alert forever nor can troops be posted to civilian areas indefinitely.

Nor is it realistic to assume that Israel could formulate plans for the “day after” before acting against Hamas to prevent future October 7’s being inflicted on Israelis. PM Netanyahu’s initial assertions that Israel would take security control over Gaza after Hamas had been defeated were met with charges that Israel wanted to “reoccupy” Gaza. Although Jordan and Egypt are signatories to the Abraham Accords, neither acted to help Israel’s efforts to get Palestinian civilians to safe zones while fighting continued.  With European nations beginning to recognize the “Palestinian state,” there was no way for Israel to quickly build the coalition needed to ensure the demilitarization of Gaza and the deradicalization of the Palestinians (many of whom participated in, or congratulated Hamas for, the October 7 atrocities, despite having benefited from permits to work in Israel or from efforts by kibbutznikim to improve the lives of Palestinians living under Hamas rule.

Toby F. Block, Atlanta

Letter to the editor,

After the huge Biden press conference, I sampled post-mortems to see if any commentator got the real takeaway. Nope.

Biden is mentally fine, even brilliant. But like any citizen well past retirement age, if you challenge his wit after a long working day and after a long work week (like at the first presidential debate), he, like me, will likely not be able to remember his own name.

However, let him get a good night’s sleep and he will slay dragons in the morning. That’s life on planet elderly, Mr. Wise Guy, and you missed it.

Supposedly loving fellow Dems and analysts, long playing nice by sticking with Biden through thick and thin, are showing their real colors. They (you) are sharks, lunging toward any blood in the water to try to advance your own personal interests.

Biden was more lucid and incisive and communicative on important issues than today’s once friendly 40 something and 50 something critics will ever be. Yup, he stumbled on a name, but his critics are stumbling on roadside IEDs in comparison.

I have no horse in this race. I am an independent so I’m merely reporting what a dispassionate voice should have seen.

Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah

Holocaust Educators Receive Lerner Fellowships

The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) selected 22 middle and high school teachers and Holocaust center staff from eight states and Poland as 2024 Alfred Lerner Fellows. The group participated in the JFR’s Summer Institute for Teachers, an intensive five-day course, delving into the complex history of the Holocaust and discussing new teaching techniques for introducing the subject of the Holocaust into their classrooms.

Education Resource Council in Tallahassee, Fla.

Judy Schancupp from Georgia Commission on the Holocaust in Sandy Springs, Ga.

The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous provides educators with instruction on teaching Holocaust education to their students.

The seminar is designed to allow participants to meet in small groups following each lecture, address the specific aspect of the Holocaust that is presented, share teaching concepts and develop approaches for introducing the subject matter to their students.

The 2024 Lerner Fellows are:

Robin Cook from Cullman High School in Cullman, Ala.

Anne Franzen from The Chadwick School in La Canada, Calif.

Christine Giles-Lefkowitz from Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington, Fla.

Darrell Schwartz from William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Lisa Brown from Lake Worth High School in Lake Worth, Fla.

Mary Ellen Richichi from Independence Middle School in Jupiter, Fla.

Sheri Crowley from Polo Park Middle School in Wellington, Fla.

Lauren Crampton from Holocaust

Brianna Doherty from New Jersey’s Department of Education Commission on Holocaust Education in Trenton, N.J.

Cara Thapa from Kean University in Union, N.J.

Keith Laviola from Forrestdale Middle School in Rumson, N.J.

Brittany Pavely from the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio

Erin Durstock from the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio

Michele Russo from Seneca Valley Intermediate School in Harmony, Penn.

Rebecca Baverso from St. Bede School in Pittsburgh, Penn.

William Penderghest from Abington Senior High School in Abington, Penn.

Heather Brougham-Cook from Cross Schools in Bluffton, S.C.

Riane (Alli) Ott from EL Wright Middle School in Columbia, S.C.

Haley Hewitt from Klein Cain High School in Klein, Texas

Kenneth Taylor from Holocaust Museum Houston in Houston, Texas

Kinga Senczyk from POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland

Compiled by AJT Staff

Lipstadt Elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters

By Bob Bahr

Deborah Lipstadt has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies. Lipstadt, who is on leave from Emory University, is currently serving as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism in the State Department, where she serves as an ambassador.

Prior to her move to Washington in 2023, she served as Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies in Emory’s Tam Institute for Jewish Studies and the Department of Religion in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences.

She is the author of the first fulllength study of those who attempt to deny that the Holocaust occurred. That book is entitled, “Denying The Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory.” The work subsequently became the basis of a libel suit that resulted in a

landmark trial in which she was sued by David Irving, British Holocaust denier. The case was in the British courts for six years and the trial lasted 10 weeks.

It later became the basis for the Hollywood production, “Denial” in 2016. Her latest book, “Anti-Semitism Here and Now,” was written in 2019. It won a National Jewish Book Award.

Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people last year. She launched the U.S. National Strategy To Counter Antisemitism on May 25, 2023. In her election to the American Academy, she joins Laura Otis, retired professor of English at Emory, and Emory Law professor John Witte, Jr.

Emory provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Ravi Bellamkonda, commented that “election to the Academy is a high honor that speaks to the powerful role academics can play in raising important questions, generating novel ideas and shining a light on challenges that face us all.”

Deborah Lipstadt has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Hadassah Focuses on Free & Fair Elections

Farmers & Fishermen Among Fastest Growing Local Companies

By Robyn Gerson

In local, state, and national elections, it is critical to ensure that all voters have access to free and fair elections. As such, Hadassah has joined the Jewish Partnership for Democracy (JPD) to share the importance of supporting election processes and voting on National Election Day. On Nov. 5, 2024, countless issues that impact voters in every state will be on the ballot, and every voice must be heard.

This year, Hadassah members across the country are taking a hands-on approach to strengthening our democracy by working as election workers in their communities. By promoting safety and accountability at the polls, election workers are powerful leaders in inspiring local participation.

Encouraging fair elections is a core value of Hadassah Greater Atlanta member Simone Wilker, advocacy chair for the Southeastern Region. “I’m proud, I feel like I’m doing my duty,” she says. “I’m representing Hadassah and the Jewish community.”

Wilker became involved as an elec-

tion worker, through the JPD and as the Hadassah representative to the Jewish Community Relations Council, after moving to Georgia and seeing the importance of strong democratic institutions.

“Free and fair elections at this time in our country are even more important than 10 years ago,” says Wilker. Her goal as an election worker is to ensure that every election is fair, no matter how people choose to vote.

Being a poll worker allows Wilker to meaningfully engage with her community and talk with people she might not otherwise meet. At the polls, she reminds each voter to review their ballot so that they can be sure the voting machines will record it correctly. “I want people to know that we are watching out for them … I want them to walk out feeling that what they vote for is going to be counted the way they want it to be.”

To learn more about Hadassah in Atlanta, go to www.hadassah.org/chapter/ greater-atlanta

Compiled by AJT Staff

The Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), a global professional organization with the mission of driving middle market growth, announced the 2024 Georgia Fast 40, recognizing the top 40 fastest-growing middle market companies in Georgia. Farmers & Fishermen Purveyors was named 11th in this prestigious list of companies who were ranked amongst the fastest growing companies in Georgia.

“The companies being honored this year exemplify ACG’s focus on driving middle-market growth and demonstrate the strength and significance of this sector in Georgia,” said Meg Williams, executive director of the Association for Corporate Growth’s Atlanta chapter.

Kirk Halpern, founder and CEO of Farmers & Fishermen Purveyors, commented, “We are proud to have earned this distinguished recognition from The ACG as one of the fastest growing foodpurveying companies in Georgia. Farmers & Fishermen is devoted to serving regional farmers and fishermen, other small businesses, the professional food service and home delivery community. As we grow and purvey the finest protein and delicacies, we lift other businesses along the way, and serve a need in the community. We are deeply committed to exceptional quality, outstanding customer service and extremely proud of our team of talented employees and all the businesses who play important roles

in our company’s growth and continued success.”

This announcement is driven by growth as applicants were required to submit three years of verifiable revenue and employment growth records, which were validated by the national accounting firm and founding Diamond sponsor, Cherry Bekaert LLP. An ACG committee evaluated each company and conducted interviews with all qualified applicants.

According to ACG all the companies on the list are for-profit and headquartered in Georgia. These firms reported 2023 year-end revenues ranging from $15 million up to $1 billion.

“These 40-plus companies represent almost 7,500 new jobs and over $2.3 billion in revenue growth over the last three years,” said Brooks Morris, chair of the Georgia Fast 40 Awards and principal with Cresa. “In speaking with many of the CEOs, the supportive business environment and accessibility of capital contribute to growth. By far the biggest challenge is the tightness of the labor market even though our honorees employ almost 17,000 people. We are proud to honor these companies and look forward to learning more insights online and at the celebration in June.”

ACG Atlanta presented the award and company rankings at the 2024 Georgia Fast 40 Celebration on June 27. More than 300 Atlanta business community members joined the revelry at Flourish Atlanta. For more information, please visit www.farmersandfishermen.com.

Lori with Kirk Halpern, CEO & Founder of Farmers & Fishermen Purveyors // Photo Courtesy of ACG

Advocacy Chair for Hadassah Southeastern, Simone Wilker, serves as a poll worker in Fulton County.

Robotic Pets Offer ‘Purr-fect’ Memory Care

This 100-year-old client lost her cat a year ago and knew she would be unable to have another cat where she lives. So, the robotic cat has taken its place and provided her comfort.

By Sasha Heller

Social engagement and emotional wellbeing are important in maintaining cognitive health. However, individuals in the moderate to later stage of Alzheimer’s Disease, or other related dementias,

often face challenges in participating meaningfully in programs designed to promote engagement.

Today, innovative solutions are offering new hope. One such initiative is the Robotic Pets program by the Aviv Older Adult Services Program at Jewish

At Atlanta Hearing Associates, we are committed to helping and guiding our patients on their Hearing Health Journey. Armed with the latest hearing technology, we will help you reconnect with the world around you so you can get back to doing what you love.

As part of the robotic pet program, clients bring home a pet to take care of just like a real pet. The therapy can help clients who are dealing with cognitive impairment and memory loss.

Family & Career Services. This program harnesses cutting-edge technology to provide pet companionship to individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia. When paired with the Music and Memory program, clients can have a multisensory experience.

To enroll in the program, clients will meet with a member of the Memory Support Services team to talk about their needs, wants and hopes for the program. After assessment, each client receives their very own robotic pet. These pets mimic the actions and responses of real

is a 98-year-old client who has had cats and dogs all her

The Robotic Pets program, offered through Aviv Older Adult Services at JF&CS, incorporates pet “ownership” and music for therapeutic memory care.

animals—they purr, bark, and even roll over, providing companionship and joy in a way that is no-risk and high reward.

The benefits of these fuzzy friends extend beyond the clients themselves.

“It’s also great for caregivers because they can take a few moments for themselves,” said Samantha Freeman, a Memory Support Case Manager at JF&CS. “Everyone needs a break in the day, and these pets let caregivers steal a few moments while the client is enjoying time with their new companion.”

Clients can choose from a dog, cat, or even a bird, and the program includes guidance on how best to use these therapeutic tools. Robotic Pets is just one of several programs Aviv Older Adult Services offers, including Brain Health Bootcamp, Memory Support Coaching, Memory Lane TV, and Music & Memory. These programs can be combined to enhance comfort, happiness, and emotional wellbeing.

Freeman shares her fulfillment in seeing the positive impact: “To see the joy in people’s faces, to see them have that spark in their eyes again, to see them connect with something again. There is nothing like it – it’s one of the many reasons I love being able to be a part of this program.”

Georgia Gunter, another team member, emphasizes the program’s value: “I am passionate about working with individuals living with dementia and I like being an ‘investigator,’ finding out what is meaningful and engaging for each individual client.”

The Robotic Pets Program and JF&CS’ other Memory Support programs are emerging as promising alternatives to traditional medication, offering benefits without adverse side effects. For more information on the Robotic Pets Program or other services offered by Aviv Older Adult Services, please visit jfcsatl.org or call 770-677-9415. ì

Here to help our community’s older adults live their best lives.

This

life. She lives alone with no family in town. She enjoys brushing her cat, who she has named Cleo, and has a special place for her to sit at her window in her apartment.

Helpful Tips for Adopting a Pet

By Sasha Heller

Studies show that people who don’t love puppies have no soul. OK, that’s not entirely true.

According to social media, 99 percent of people who adopt a pet will experience more happiness and joy in their lives than the average person. OK, the AJT can’t exactly prove that.

But what is true is that there are thousands of cute and cuddly animals just waiting to be adopted from Atlantaarea shelters.

If your family is considering bringing home a new furry friend, consider these suggestions before heading to an adoption center.

• Find the right pet for your home: Not all dogs are created equal … and that’s a good thing. Some breeds are larger than others while some may be more or less aggressive; and some breeds may be safer than others to raise around small children. Likewise, housing a large dog in a studio apartment may not be ideal – both for you and your new dog.

There are many things to consider when adopting a new pet, including the size of the animal, its attributes, and the financial commitment involved.

• Research is key: While choosing a new pet based on a gut feeling or instinct is a “romantic” idea, it’s best to learn

about the different types of breeds and what their attributes are.

• Visit your potential new pet first:

Pet experts strongly suggest meeting with your new pet while they are still in the shelter and then returning to bring

Experts universally agree that adopting a pet is more beneficial than purchasing one from a breeder.

the pet home once you are sure it’s the right choice for your family. First impressions are great but lasting impressions make the most impact.

• Get the right equipment: Owning a dog is about more than just buying the cutest Prada puppy sweaters and hoodies – it requires leashes, collars, immunization shots, and ID tags. Owning a pet is not just an emotional investment – it’s also a financial commitment. But you’re investing in the long-term happiness of your new pet and yourself.

• Training takes time: Training is a fundamental part of pet adoption and is key to developing a bond with your new four-legged family member. Different breeds have their own learning styles, so research which training style works best for your new pet.

In terms of adopting a pet vs. purchasing from a breeder, industry experts strongly recommend adopting for several reasons. According to the SPCA, “When you buy a pet, you not only deny a homeless pet a home, you are supporting an industry that thrives on short-changing the welfare of animals. Puppy and kitten mills, which sell to pet stores, are in business to make a profit, so they churn out puppies and kittens as fast as they can. These animals are often in ill health and have problems like poor socialization skills due to lack of human companionship and genetic defects due to inbreeding.”

So, if you’re going to spread the love and bring home a new furry family member, make sure to adopt but do your homework first and be prepared to invest in the well-being of your new pet. ì

Local Resources for Pet Adoption

Atlanta Humane Society: atlantahumane.org

Angels Among Us Pet Rescue: angelsrescue.org

Lifeline Animal Project: fultonanimalservices.com and lifelineanimal.org

Fur Kids Rescue Shelters: furkids.org

Paws of Brookhaven: pawsatlanta.org

Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue: www.mostlymutts.org

Best Friends Pet Adoption: bestfriends.org/locations

TEENS 4 REPRO HEALTH

is a school-year-long program that empowers female-identifying Jewish high school students to be reproductive health change agents and positive advocates for their peers and in their communities

The teens will gain experience and skills in: And they will complete the program as knowledgeable advocates for reproductive rights and contraception.

Expert Levy Keeps Pets Laughing

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Pet “whisperer” and caretaker, Karen Levy, shares her expertise on how to best understand your pet’s language, and provide for their happiness when owners are not always able to be at home.

Levy, who grew up in Columbus, Ga., and attended the University of Maryland, ultimately left a career in sales to open Laughing Pets where she manages 17 employees who offer overnight pet sitting in clients’ homes, dog walking, and cat sitting services.

Levy mused, “Dogs are always communicating with us. Their body language relates if they are happy, stressed, fearful. There’s no such thing as a ‘bad’ dog breed. Having said that, they are animals and are capable of biting if they are stressed or provoked. That’s why it’s important to understand their body language.”

Levy chose the “Laughing” name to represent her company because she wanted to convey an emotional state

and avoid the overuse of the word “happy” when it comes to pets.

Regarding felines, Levy said, “Cats

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are social animals; and if you can adopt two kittens or parent and kitten, it’s always a good idea. As far as handling, it’s best to ignore a cat (or dog) until you are sure they are ready to engage.”

She also explained that with cats, it’s best to use one or two fingers to lightly stroke the cats face or chin; and not a good idea to stroke all the way down the back, pick them up or try to rub their bellies.

When it comes to selecting a new pet to bring into the home, Levy advises listening to the adoption counselor to determine if you are a good fit for that dog’s needs. It’s important to be realistic about your own energy level and commitment to giving the dog enough exercise. If someone is a “couch potato,” there’s a “couch potato” dog for you. If you want to go running with a dog … there’s a dog for you. If you envision yourself going “here and there” with your dog, it’s important to adopt a dog that is confident in strange places.

Levy’s pet sitting and walking business has become increasingly relevant because of Atlanta’s active work force and more owners traveling. Levy stated, “Hiring the right professional is important. Before leaving, you should outline all feeding and medication instructions clearly, concisely and accurately. You should also let the sitter know how your dog interacts with other dogs, what equipment you use during walks, dietary restrictions, if they will “dart” the door, try to dig out of the yard … every-

thing they need to know to keep your dog happy, healthy, and safe.”

For travelers, she recommends a minimum of three visits per day or the best option -- someone sleeping at the home site to keep the pet’s stress level down and provide the amount of human interaction they deserve.

“Cameras are a must. A good sitter will want to be held accountable for their actions and nothing documents that better than a camera. I don’t think dogs should have access to toys and bones while they are unsupervised. There’s always a risk of choking,” she added.

Millennials are a popular market for Levy because they own more pets than any other generation. Millennials and Gen Z are attracted to companies like Laughing Pets because they like the ease of use, which includes having an app and the reliability of a company. For maximum safety, Laughing Pets only walks one household of dogs at a time. They avoid high traffic areas like the BeltLine and never go into an off-leash park unless it is completely empty.

On a fun topic, Levy thinks that dogs can be entertained by watching TV with two types of music proven to be soothing: classical and reggae. Also, YouTube has 10-hour programming just for dogs (and cats.)  She recommends turning music off overnight to give pets a break.

Levy also addressed sleeping with one's pet. “Dogs should sleep where they feel safe and comfortable, whether that’s in a crate, dog bed, or human bed.” ì

Levy poses with her “heart dog,” Diesel // Photo Credit: Leesia The

Laughing Pets has practical advice about keeping pets safe and happy.

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Jewish Atlanta Pets of 2024 Winners

Our ninth-annual pet issue is finally here. We received 82 submissions, including a wide variety of dogs and cats. The first place winner went to Abby Melnick of Atlanta. Evan Mischner of Buckhead came in second place. Third place went to Oiro Plofsky. Pickleball champ, Lexi Davis of Dunwoody, graces our cover this issue. Prizes are sponsored by Big Daddy Biscuits. Each winner's owner will be contacted about prize delivery. Check out director's Choice top 50 submissions below and all of the submissions are available online.

2nd Place

Evan

5-year-old King Charles Cav Meredith Mischner of Buckhead

1st Place

Abby

12-year-old Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie) Diane Melnick of Atlanta

3rd Place

Oiro

Evan has never met a human or dog that he doesn't love. When Evan is not strolling the BeltLine you can find him dining outside at The Streets of Buckhead or at his favorite ice cream stop, Jennie's.

Abby is my life. She is the sweetest, most beautiful, intuitive, smart dog anyone could own.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes are sponsored by Big Daddy Biscuits!

2-year-old Golden Retriever Erica Plofsky of Dunwoody

Oiro is the cuddliest, loveable, and mischievous dog you will ever meet! He thrives on treats and attention!

COVER WINNER

Lexi

4-year-old Schnoodle

Stacey and Darren Davis of Dunwoody

Lexi is very fun and adorable! She loves everyone that she meets! Look for Lexi playing pickleball on the new MJCCA pickleball courts! We bet you will spot her!

Archie

1-year-old Yorkshire Terrier

Cheryl Fur of East Cobb

Archie is a rambunctious, mischievous little guy. He thinks he’s a Rottweiler in a small body. Don't leave your socks around because he will grab them and run away.

Sandy

3.5-year-old German Shepaerd Dog (Mix)

Netta Ben-Hashal of Marietta

Sandy was adopted at two months old while I was still living in Israel. She speaks English and Hebrew!

Violet

1-year-old Tuxedo cat

Rebecca Helfman Parton of Alpharetta

“Vivers” is a rescue kitten from Forsyth County Animal Services, joining her rescue pup sister Jasmine in our family.

Teddy

7-year-old Maltese Joyce Banner of Brookhaven

Teddy is very sweet, smart, loyal, interesting, fun and handsome. He's my constant companion and loves watching me play mahjong.

Beau and Virginia

6-year-old Labs

Shelly Katz of Johns Creek

Beau and Virginia are best friends! They love swimming, running and eating! They love a good morning coffee, helping in the kitchen and their favorite snack is frozen pumpkin! Virginia loves food so much she sneaks into the pantry any chance she gets and Beau always seems to find me to let me know!

Milo

13-year-old Terrier Mix

Gail Dryburgh of Peachtree Corners

We've had many wonderful pets over the years but none as unique and extraordinary as Milo. He's extremely smart and intuitive. A cool thing he does is that he loves jumping through Hula Hoops. His mannerisms and expressions are almost human like! A few years ago Milo met with a local animal casting agency for a part in the movie but unfortunately he did not get the job. Oh well... next time Milo!

Guinness

7-year-old Miniature Poodle

Hallie Pinstein of Buckhead

Meet Guinness, the tiny titan with boundless energy and a heart of gold! Favorite pastime: fetching the ball!

Sammy & Maggie

8-year-old Mixed

Micah and Evan Staley of Brookhaven

Sammy and Maggie are smart and beautiful ladies. They love walks, swimming, and grandma!

Marco & Leo

5-year-old All black GSPs!

Natasha Dabush of North Fulton

Marco and Leo are biological brothers who do everything together! They're the best Shabbat hosts and bring double the fun and warmth to every gathering!

Hazel

12-year-old Pit Bull/Australian Cattle Dog/Beagle Mix

Michael Litzky of Dunwoody

I'm a dog trainer and she's helped me train hundreds of dogs over the years. She's great with high energy puppies!

Chuck Bubba Norris

2-year-old dog

Cheryl Dorchinsky of Alpharetta

Meet Chuck, a loyal hearted pup who adores car rides, Dunkin "pup cups" and is a Vet approved 'good dog'!

Sasha & Malcolm

18-year-old Maltese/Jack Russell Terrier

17-year-old Poodle/Bichon

Joan Borchardt of Brookhaven

My rescue dogs have always been very active - they love to hike and go to the beach. Now that they are geriatric, we have to do low-key activities like the pool in the backyard.

Molly

4-year-old Bernadoodle

Sarah Felgin of Sandy Springs

Molly is big and fluffy! She is very smart but also a goofball! She thinks she’s a human. She is a food thief.

Lily Tova

10-year-old Havanese

Cindy Zeldin of Echo Lake

Lily Tova is a certified Therapy dog and has over 500 volunteer hours of service to the community. She teaches love and kindness to others.

Benji

7-year-old Rescue -possibly Russell Terrier and Brittain

Carol Lipinsky of Alpharetta

He will snuggle on your lap and look you in the eye and say: I love you.

Legend

7-year-old Labradoodle

Stacey Apple of Buckhead

Living her best life!

Fredd

1-year-old Pyredoodle

Ross Cooper of Sandy Springs

Fredd likes to jump in people's arms and lick them …even though he weighs 80 pounds!

Hudson

8-month-old Australian Labradoodle

Alyssa Siegel of Alpharetta

Hudson has white paws and a white flash on his head. He is loving, curious, goofy, nosy, and so sweet!

Ziggy

10-year-old Collie and retriever mix

Rebecca Freedman of Sandy Springs

Ziggy can understand words likesquirrel and walk. He loves to give high fives!

Boba

6-year-old Golden doodle

Lauren Olens of Sandy Springs

Boba is skilled at finding water and making herself as wet as possible in a short period of time.

Rosie

9-year-old Chug

Donna Rothstein of Los Altos, CA

If you bend over, she will jump on your back. She can act like a weasel by curling over your shoulder.

Smokey & Speckles

1-year-old medium hair Tuxedo

1-year-old Calico

Lenny and Cheryl-Hecht

Thurschwell of East Cobb

Smokey fetches a lightweight puffball when it is tossed and Speckles jumps very high to play with a dangling string

Piper

4-year-old Miniature Schnauzer

Lindsey Rottner of Chastain Park

Piper can catch 10 balls in a row in her mouth!

Mazel

4-year-old Puggle

Susanne Katz Karlick and Philip Karlick of Sandy Springs

Mazel loves to make friends (dogs and people) every day.

Bexley

3-year-old Mutt

Danna Tresser of Peachtree Corners

Bexley is our foster fail. She's the best dog ever!!! Rescue dogs are the best!!

Hannah

8-year-old Chihuahua / Jack Russell Terrier

Eileen Reuben of Brookhaven

She sings with the Sunday Morning Show trumpets. She is Brilliant, demanding, gorgeous, the camera loves her, loves her Bubbie!

Motenyu

1-year-old Black Cat Gennady Shmukler of Johns Creek

Snuggles next to my laptop and sleeps for hours.

Crusher and Coco

4-year-old Bernedoodle

2-year-old Goldendoodle

Emily Shuster of Sandy Springs

They are sweet, full of love, and love to play. Most of all they love their family!

Oscar

6-year-old King Charles Spaniel/ Bichon otherwise known as a Cavachon

Dani Weiss of Decatur

My dog is the biggest love bug and obsesses about his toys. He carries them around whenever he gets a new one, it literally goes everywhere with him. See the giant Lamb chop. He was given this toy and won’t leave it alone. He has figured out how to get it onto the bed too even though it’s the same size as he is. I find him snuggling in his bed with it too. It’s very adorable.

Homie

6-year-old American Stafforshire Terrier

Traci Sampson of East Atlanta Village

Homie earned his Good Canine Citizen Certificate last year after passing 20 tests in one day! Plus, he loves all dogs & people!

Mia

17-year-old Shih Tzu

Judy Goldstein of Sandy Springs

Mia was rescued in a field , cold, shaking.and wet. Now she is blind and deaf, but sweet and loved.

Emma

8-year-old Boston Terrier

Mark Kline of Edgewood

Emma was the flower girl at our wedding on May 25!

Yitzi Bo Bitzi

2-year-old Domestic Shorthair/ Trash Gremlin

Jacqueline Faerman of Stone Mountain

We named him Yitzi, from the Hebrew name meaning "he will laugh," because he's a silly boy who makes us laugh and smile daily!

Milo

7-month-old Terrier mix

Rhonda Povlot of Milton

Milo eats a carrot daily as his favorite snack. Milo loves to dig and put his nose in small places and look for new toys or a tasty worm.

GiGi

13-year-old Apricot Toy Poodle

Bobbi Kornblit of Buckhead

GiGi has a personality that’s much larger than her petite 4-pound frame. She loves to play and seems human with her huge command of the English language, even though she’s French.

Candy Corn

9-year-old Street Cat

Lauren Janis of East Atlanta

Candy Corn loves to wear her jam jams in the winter time.

Ally

15-year-old Maltese

Denise Nahman of Alpharetta

Ally is blind and deaf. The cutest little Maltese loved by everyone. Especially can come from upstairs down through living area out the patio door and on to grass then reverse the process landing back in her basket despite her disabilities

Chewy and Pogo

8-year-old Beagle mix

4-year-old Jack Russell mix

Tovah Shraga of Alpharetta

They're not biological brothers and are different breeds yet they act the same, have the same manerisms, and are best friends!

Maddie

9-year-old Jack Russell Terrier

Jenny and Jonny Mopper of Dunwoody

Maddie goes to the dog park every day and now thinks she's the boss of the park!

Doozy

3-year-old very special Rescue

Martha Jo Katz of East Cobb

Doozy's DNA revealed she is a combination of many BEAUTIFUL breeds including Rag Doll, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest & more!

NOLA

13-year-old Mini Golden Doodle

Carlin and Lori Halpern of Sandy Springs

NOLA has a loving nature, boundless energy, and friendly demeanor, making her a cherished family member who adores people and dogs!

Maizee

4-year-old French Bulldog

Jen Rapowitz of Toco Hills

Maizee loves hugs and snuggles and goes ballistic if you sneeze on her.

Cocopuff

1-year-old Australian Labradoodle

Marilyn & Jonathan Arkin of Sandy Springs

Cocopuff loves car rides, belly rubs and chasing chipmunks

Teddy & Reese

9-year-old Teddy Bear breed

4-year-oldYorkshire Terrier

Lynne Shapiro Eisenstein of Sandy Springs

Teddi will tell me to wake up to feed her by sitting inches from my face while I sleep and cry. Reese has to be touching me to sleep.

Quinn

9-year-old Golden Retriever

Donnie Winokur of Roswell

Quinn was our son Iyal's second FASD Service Dog. We lost him to cancer in May.

7-year-old Pitbull Terrier Mix

Ariela Freedman of Kirkwood

Lila is a great singer. She has a music video of her singing.

Lila

Lulu

2-year-old Doberman Pincher

Dr. Ronald Goldstein of Sandy Springs

I have taught Lulu to say "Yes" if she wants any snack to eat ...she climbs on the kitchen counter and she shakes her head up and down to say 'Yes"

Bella

4-year-old Chiweenie Renee Lips of Dunwoody

Bella loves to cuddle under the blankets, sit behind you in your chair, and knows how to push the door open to come back in the house.

Frank

8-year-old Pug Sam Rapowitz of Toco Hills

Frank is a proud Jewish pug. He loves staring and always looks like he’s about to say something.

Miri

7-year-old Standard Poodle Allison Feldman of East Cobb

At seven, Miri is new to our family. She is a retired breeder dog that had a rough beginning, but is living out her golden years in style, with lots of love and Judaism.

Staff Pets

Lovely Lilly

4-year-old Imperial Shih Tzu

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.

Friday

5-year-old Street Kitty

Sasha Heller

Associate Editor & Website Editor

Friday is a feral cat that lives outside of the office building where the AJT office is located. Sasha Heller, AJT Associate Editor/Web Editor, started taking care of Friday last year, feeding her throughout the workweek and changing her water. Sasha said he named the cat Friday, as Friday is the best day of the week.

Bagel

5-year-old Pure Bred Good Boy

Lilli Jennison Creative Director

Bagel is a sweet boy. He loves to snuggle with his mama, play with toys, and run around with his cousins.

Cookie

9-year-old Dachshund mix

Michal Bonell

Senior Account Manager & Team Leader

Cookie is our failed foster. We love everything about her.

Roxy

2.5-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 her nose and is just a big snuggler.

Ollie & George

9 and 10-year-old Great Pyrenees & Yorkie Poo

Susan Minsk Account Manager

Ollie is a gentle giant & George is an adorable terror!

Boomie

2.5-year-old German Shepherd Mix

Katie Gaffin

Events & PR Coordinator

Boomie is a silly little guy who thinks he's a lap dog even though he actually weighs over 60lbs. He is the king of resting serious face.

Of Blessed Memory

Mushu

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

Chewy

5-year-old Multipoo

Jillian Gerson

Online Content Coordinator

Chewie enjoys her part time job serving as our house's second doorbell. Letting us always know when someone has come to visit us.

Yogi Berra, Odysseus Bear Judge, Findley, Daphne Aurora, & Scrappy Doo

Cats

Diana Cole

Atlanta Jewish Connector Coordinator

They all have different distinct personalities.

Michael Morris Owner and Publisher

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

-Winnie the Pooh

SENIOR LIVING

Goldman ‘Dives’ into Second Career

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Marshall Goldman swam away from a career in telecommunications and consulting to open 20,000 Leagues SCUBA and Outdoors, a full-service SCUBA shop, offering classes ranging from beginner to instructor, equipment, service – and trips to all parts of the world.

Goldman personally has traveled to the Caribbean, Pacific Rim, the Galapagos Islands, Socorro, Egypt, and more and stated, “This is the most fun part of a SCUBA retailer – helping divers to find that special place in the world where exploring brings everlasting memories. Now we are set to depart for the Philippines.”

Goldman grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs. His father coached him to swim underwater by throwing pennies in the pool. Later, after learning to snorkel in the chilly lakes of Cape Cod, he became an avid snorkeler. Alongside 30 years at MCI and then some small consulting companies, he became SCUBA-certified and advanced to instructor level. He felt

the time was right to leave that industry to pursue diving and teaching others to enjoy the underwater world.

His favorite marine life encounters

have been in the Coral Triangle, featuring the venomous blue ring octopus and sea krates (snakes), dozens of different colorful sea slugs, or “nudibranchs,” and

his favorite marine fishes -- clown triggerfish and Napoleon wrasse, a.k.a., the “hump head wrasse.”

Goldman equates the Coral Triangle

Marshall Goldman shown here in a dive near Socorro.

Goldman is pictured volunteering at the Georgia Aquarium.

to Disneyland. “The colors and diversity of marine life, including fishes, invertebrates, and corals are unlike anywhere else in the world. It’s a large area ranging from Papua New Guinea in the east, Indonesia to the west and the Philippines to the north.” More locally, he likes to take groups to the Florida Keys and study reef conservation.

Then there are his other favs, stating, “Diving the reefs of Cuba’s Garden of the Queens (Jardines de le Reina) is one of the best experiences reminiscent of what healthy reefs looked like decades ago. Divers see a range of sea life, from the smallest and some of the rarest of marine animals all the way up to goliath groupers and reef sharks on almost every dive. My favorite fish in this area is the Cuban or golden basslet – a small fish … that is endemic to Cuba. The quality of these reefs is due to the protection afforded to them by the state and reminds us as divers that we, too, are stewards of the reefs.”

Goldman has never experienced eminent danger. However, while diving in Cuba, he was approached by a baby shark who gently bopped him with its snout, then bit his camera’s flash.

“As photographic flash equipment emits a high-pitched electrical current, the shark confused the flash with a small animal! After that, he skedaddled.”

Goldman reminds readers, “While sharks have an extremely powerful bite, they often make a trial bite to determine if something is food.”

In terms of renting vs. owning equip-

ment, Goldman weighs, “Many divers find that investing in their own SCUBA equipment pays them back in familiarity and comfort. This is especially important for dive computers, which assist in controlling dive time to ensure safe dives. The main equipment that is required for most dive shops is the personal equipment of mask, snorkel, fins, and fin boots. There are other items which every diver must have in some diving situations. A trustworthy, local dive shop is the best place to help pick out equipment that fits best.”

Goldman is a volunteer diver at the Georgia Aquarium and spends about 300 hours per year maintaining the freshwater and marine habitats there. He’s an avid underwater photographer, and previously, bred fish from the brackish waters of Lakes Malawi and Tanginika.

On making a late-in-life career shift, Goldman advises, “If 18 percent of small businesses fail within one year and 50 percent fail within two years, make sure to have adequate cash reserves prior to jumping from a steady job to owning your own business. Hire the right people. Don’t look to agree with them universally – listen to their opinions on matters of customer, product, and pricing before making final decisions. If you make a life change to own your own business, assure that it’s something about which you are passionate. That will carry you through tough times.”

Goldman and wife, Roberta, are members of Temple Beth Tikvah.  ì

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(Left) Goldman enjoys teaching others about SCUBA and diving equipment.

Goldman photographed this pygmy filefish in the waters of Utila, Honduras.

SENIOR LIVING

Retiree Dips into Painting & Vibrancy

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

For her post-professional second act, Eileen Lichtenfeld retired in 2017 from careers in accounting and marketing and reached back to an artsy trip she made to Italy in 2001 to get the motivation to pursue painting.

Lichtenfeld recalled, “Prior to retirement, my art education consisted of a trip to Europe through many of the great galleries, a few “Evening at Emory” drawing classes in the '90s, and a fabulous pastel painting trip to Italy in 2001 where I tagged along with a girlfriend who is a real artist. I learned a lot from the instructor and then did nothing with it until I retired in 2017.”

Born in Chicago, Lichtenfeld was raised in Miami which contributed to her overall aesthetic and proclivity for incorporating bold colors.

Proving that one is never too old to jump into a new pond to pursue an undeveloped talent, she continued, “The painting trip to Italy showed me that I did have some innate talent and could at least learn technique. So, I checked out all the classes offered around town and signed up for Beginning Watercolor at Spruill Center in Dunwoody -- mostly because they had a class that started at 1 p.m. so I could sleep in -- I am not a morning per-

Eileen Lichtenfeld dipped into painting after retirement and an inspirational trip to Europe.

Eileen expressed this ballerina’s movement and pursuit of freedom.

Eileen captured this memory of her father’s old Chevy grill.

son.”

Lichtenfeld has a flair for whimsy and strives to convey happiness in her paintings. She shared, “I think most of my pieces have a lightness to them. Composition, I learned from an Emory photography class: rule of thirds; lead the eye; and when possible don’t put things right in the middle of the page.”

Since she considers herself still in the learning phase and sometimes crafts her compositions from photos or still life. She is a fan of Mother Nature but gets bored with the requisite flowers and landscapes. Lichtenfeld is drawn to movement and mood setting. She pokes fun at herself for being “too cheap to spend $50-60 on a brush.”

Other tools are salt, aqua Pasto medium, and palette knives. She prefers tubes of paint to hard pans and uses Arches brand watercolor paper. She experiments with alcohol inks and finds them to be full of energy. She also is working on pen and ink over watercolor.

Less fond of the result of using canvasses, she said, “I’m in the process of creating a new paint palette where I can have all my colors in one place.”

Lichtenfeld is known for her speed as most pieces take three to five hours from sketch to completion (excluding

framing). She said, “I am a fast painter. My most involved painting ("Sailboats on the Sea") took about seven hours.”

When asked what artists she favors, she holds sway for Monet and Van Gogh for their bright colors and use of movement. She recalled, “The recent Van Gogh Immersion exhibit was just amazing. I’ve been to the south of France; and it’s easy to see his inspiration. It’s very moving.”

The two pieces of which she is proudest are a couple’s portrait she painted as the wedding gift for the daughter of a close friend, and her sailboats shimmering and sparkling in the water. She also did a commission for a friend, a winter scene, which she felt was difficult to capture in watercolor.

Learning to paint later in life, Lichtenfeld has plans, “Definitely sketch it first -- unless experimenting with a more abstract approach, but I’m not really a fan of abstract as my CPA brain kicks in so it needs to make sense to me. Since I work from photos, I’ve got a whole computer folder filled that I want to try. I just got back from a wedding in Highlands, N.C., which was at this beautiful vineyard where I took a photo with the sun hitting the side of the hill just right. Can’t wait to tackle that!” ì

•

•

Eileen likes to convey a sense of happiness in her paintings.

‘Thelma’ Offers Amusing Take on Elder Fraud

By Bob Bahr

Actress June Squibb had to wait 93 years to star in a Hollywood film but finally found her leading lady role in “Thelma,” an occasionally plausible tale about how an older Jewish lady takes on the world and, in her own inimitable way, wins. In real life, Squibb has spent most of her adult life as a convert to Judaism.

“Thelma” had its Atlanta premiere at the Tara Theatre last month in a screening sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

This gentle comedy tells the story of a feisty elderly woman who loses $10,000 in a telephone scam and then tracks down the conmen to get her money back. To help, she enlists the aid of a friend, played by the venerable 81-year-old actor Richard Roundtree, who died last fall before the film was released.

The film, which is loosely based on director Josh Margolin’s grandmother, who was also called Thelma, retains some of the real-life drama that comes with growing old in America. It walks a fine line by portraying the elderly as they

“Thelma” tells the story of how a 93-year-old Jewish woman loses $10,000 to fraud and how she regains it.

navigate relationships with friends and family and life.

It was not only a first for Squibb, a talented supporting actress, who has a

long list of well-reviewed credits in film and television and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress more than a decade ago. The film

also launches Margolin’s role behind the camera. This is his first film as a writer and director in a feature film, and he even edited it.

“Thelma” stars veteran actress June Squibb and Richard Roundtree in his final role.

SENIOR LIVING

The film, from its outset, humorously explores how families relate across the generational divide when a crisis is at hand. Thelma’s daughter, Gail, played by Parker Posey, and her husband, Alan, played by Clark Greer, when they learn of Thelma’s loss begin to think that maybe it’s time to end her life of independence in her own home and move her out to a senior care facility.

Thelma’s answer to her daughter’s reluctance to take her mother seriously launches the old woman on her own search for justice. She takes off with Roundtree and his motorized scooter on a quest to get her money back.

This is Hollywood, after all, where all things, no matter how unlikely, are possible. After skillfully sketching out the relationships between young and old, the film heads off into fantasy land.

If you really believe that a 93-yearold woman and her 81-year-old friend can safely navigate the complex world that is contemporary Los Angeles on a motorized scooter and live to talk about it, then perhaps you are not living in reality.

The painful truth is all too often gullible senior citizens fall for con games on the phone and the Internet that swiftly and skillfully fleece them of their life savings. And there is often little or nothing most of them can do about it.

According to a recent study by the American Association of Retired Persons, more than $28 billion is lost each year to elder fraud. And that figure may be a conservatives estimate, since many older persons are too ashamed to report that they have been taken.

According to the FBI, many schemes that bilk Americans out of billions don’t even originate in this country. Call centers in West Africa, Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia are often the source of the fraud. The money that disappears into foreign bank accounts is mostly siphoned off in ways that make it nearly impossible to trace.

Crime targeting older Americans is up 84 percent, year to year, in the most recent report. The AARP advises that calls or texts requesting Social Security numbers or Medicare accounts are big red flags.

And it’s not just old folks who are vulnerable -- everyone who has a smartphone or a computer is a target for what has been called Scam World, where the border that separates the real world from cyberspace has disappeared.

Local law enforcement, which has had limited success in going after the fraudsters, cautions that before you do something you might later regret, that you contact someone you trust for help.

Unfortunately, over two-thirds of all the money scammed from senior citizens comes from people they know, like family members, friends, or financial advisors.

Now that would make a truly interesting film, the socially complicated and complex effort to get your life savings back from a family member who’s walked off with your money. Maybe next year at the AJFF.

Meanwhile, “Thelma, “which had a short run in area theaters last month, has just been made available for viewing on streaming services and pay-perview. ì

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Intergenerational relationships are neatly sketched in the opening scenes of “Thelma.”

Photo

Matisyahu Remains a Powerful Jewish Voice

By Bob Bahr

It was standing room only when Matisyahu played to a lively and responsive audience at the Variety Playhouse off Moreland Avenue in Little Five Points. The main sponsor of the concert was Chabad Intown, which heavily promoted the concert, just before Passover.

They handed out faux vinyl record covers with Matisyahu’s picture on the outside and shmurah matzahs on the inside. It was an apt symbol of the star who has managed to maintain his relevance as a public performer for more than two decades as well as inner life as a Jew.

The one-night stand at the East Atlanta venue was part of a grueling twomonth, cross-country tour to promote his latest EP album of five songs. It has a strongly spiritual flavor derived from his nearly 25 years of on-and-off study of Judaism, beginning with Rabbi Dov Yonah Korn of Chabad in Manhattan and later with his Jerusalem-based psychotherapist and mentor, Ephraim Rosenstein.

He discussed his recent work in a

frank and often revealing online conversation for Moment Magazine and Neranenah, the Atlanta Jewish music festival. Matisyahu told Joe Alterman, Neranenah’s executive director, that his new compositions have taken him much

THE INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

closer to his Jewish roots.

“I feel a beautiful responsibility and commitment to be a leader for the Jewish people. And that hasn’t always been so for the last 15 years. It’s come around again now, because of the circumstances

and just my authentic reaction to things.”

As part of his promotional tour, he’s made two trips to Israel. He visited the kibbutzim in the Negev in southern Israel that were attacked by Hamas and stopped at the site of the Nova Music Fes-

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Matisyahu’s latest music video, “Ascent,” is a strong statement of support for Israel.

tival where more than 300 mostly young persons were murdered on Oct. 7. He visited Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square and sang for troops from Israel’s Defense Forces.

In his new music video, “Ascent” which was released in March, there are scenes of wrecked kibbutz homes intercut with historical footage of the Holocaust.

The singer’s outspoken support for Israel and his commitment to his Judaism has made him an occasional target for Palestinian demonstrators and antisemites and he has had several concerts cancelled at the last moment by nervous promoters.

But in a post in February on X, the social media platform, he was defiant.

“The Matis tribe is unstoppable,” he wrote. I am so proud and in love with the fans right now. We will not be silenced or stopped. We will keep playing and singing and dancing.”

He told Alterman that he sings the “Ascent” song at every one of his concerts. He considers it an important and a powerful statement. It’s bold defense of Israel, he believes, is what Jews should hear now.

“Jews need right now to feel strong, and we need to feel empowered,” he said. “We don’t need to be begging for forgiveness from anyone or second guessing ourselves unsure. Now is a time … for us to stand up. So, I feel like it’s a good song for that.”

It's a message that’s getting considerable circulation in the American Jewish community. Matisyahu was the featured performer at the American Jewish Committee’s Global Forum in Washington,

ARTS & CULTURE

D.C., last month that was attended by over 150 Jewish leaders from the Southeast. He was written up in Commentary Magazine and was the cover story of the influential Jewish Journal in Los Angeles. In September, he’s doing a benefit at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York for Israel’s Ben Gurion University.

Now 44, with grey hair and beard, he looks, more than ever, like the free-thinking spiritual seeker he aspires to be. And if anything, his power to move audiences remains intact.

For his concert at the Variety Playhouse, he sat in a simple plastic chair for nearly two hours without ever rising. There was no fancy lighting or sound effects and only a single guitar as an accompaniment, but the largely Jewish crowd, old and young, frequently rose to their feet, swaying to the rhythmical, reggae-infused melodies and singing along with the often-familiar lyrics.

It was easy for them to connect with this vibrantly Jewish performer who recalls, in his best and most powerful moments, such Jewish greats as Leonard Cohen, Shlomo Carlebach, and yes even, Streisand. Out of the adversity Jews face today, his voice rings true.

“Jewish people really shine, when we’re squeezed, like when we are up against something. We’re survivors and fighters and we do our best under a little bit of pressure. Hopefully, it will bring us together and make us as Jews stronger and make Israel stronger, too.”

Matisyahu’s music video, “Ascent,” with lyrics can be viewed at www.youtube/watch?v=4_GPEHRGk8M ì

Volunteers from Chabad Intown pass out Matisyahu album covers with matzahs inside at the Variety Playhouse concert.

Neranenah’s Joe Alterman interviewed Matisyahu for Moment Magazine.

Delightful ‘Organized Chaos’ in Sandy Springs DINING

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The Baronda team deserves “props” for picking up “the tent” and moving from its established post by the busy, well-positioned Fox Theatre some 14 miles north up the same stretch of the road.

As salmon discern which direction is “upstream,” some businesses head south towards the BeltLine, while some with more level heads and older demographics head to northern suburbs where the wine and sauce equally flow. Baronda may have given up Fox Theatre proximity to gain easy advantage to City Springs and a welcoming Jewish crowd.

Upon closing the Midtown location in 2021 after 20 years, hands-on managing partner, Herculean hard worker and cordial host Alin Cruceanu dove right to find fun, exotic, and chic artwork that wasn’t too fussy with furnishings that earn the name “Baronda,” or “planned chaos.”

Hi tops and dining tables adjoin the bar side. The scene starts with this Ushaped unimposing bar area separated from the main dining room. Regulars brag about the bartender and the shape of the bar which encourages a neighborhood feel.

The real show piece is the private yet exposed banquet table/wine room on the south side of the bar. The masterpiece in the room is the wall mural, “Vogue,” of Sophia Loren by Van Gogh and Cocoa. Cruceanu sought out vintage tile, chandeliers, art, some old and “homemade” things, to build a modern, homey, relaxed California feel, “but not too elegant.”

Not much is made of old ovens and hearth stones more readily associated with old world Italian haunts. Then again, Baronda is more Italian-ish with Mediterranean strokes.

Baronda seats 90 indoor, 40 at the patio, 16 at the bar. On the Saturday night we visited, the diners were primarily Jewish. Suzanne Eisenberg stated that it was her fifth visit and she deemed Baronda as “convenient, reasonably priced with large portions.”

Dr. Mike Perkel was a fan because he finds Baronda very accommodating. The servers were attentive as one in our party was gluten-free, and others had “naggingly” Jewish requests for things to be put on or left off, or on the side.

Robyn Spizman Gerson noted that just under the table were purse hangers often seen in New York as a useful touch keeping valuables close by and not touching the floor. She also complimented the

salads as being “mini meals” and with “an accurate amount of dressing.”

What we had:

Mista Salad: mixed greens, pickled and fresh strawberries, almonds, red onions, ricotta salata, honey balsamic dressing

Arugula Salad: spiced walnuts, green apples, parmigiano, cranberries, lemon vinaigrette

Cesare: Romaine lettuce, classic egg dressing, shaved grana padana, croutons

Roasted Cauliflower: arugula roasted red peppers, black olives, pickled onion. fried capers, red wine vinaigrette. All

salads were $12.

Salmone Alla Grigle: grilled Norwegian salmon with tomato and corn succotash ($27)

Fish of the Day: Thick white fleshy halibut, capers, sliced potatoes Easy special-order, gluten-free marinara pasta.

Dessert: Tiramisu with lady fingers, coffee, marscapone, cocoa powder, eggs ($9) and Raspberry sorbet.

Baronda’s menu is extensive and complex with bread services, olives, antipasti, eggplant, bruschetta, crostini, burrata, fritto, pizza (pinsa), pastas, pollo,

veal, and sides like grilled broccolini, rosemary potatoes, spaghetti aglio e olio, and much more.

Baronda is currently open for dinner seven nights per week starting at 5 p.m. and will prepare private lunches for 25 or more. Always a plus, Baronda diners can park for free in the Adley Apartment complex and is adjacent to the Bank of America.

Happy one-year anniversary, Baronda. Now we know where to go for a pinsas and to pick up a minyon.

Baronda is located at 6075 Roswell Road. 404-282-4380. ì

Joel Eisenberg (left), Trevor Yosslowitz, Steve Kessler, Michelle Yosslowitz, Nadia Bilchik (Kelser), and Suzanne H. Eisenberg enjoyed dining in the bar area.

A colorful pasta marinara was gluten-free.

Managing Partner Alin Cruceanu poses by the mural by Van Gogh and Cocoa featuring a full lipped Sophia Loren.

All four menu salads were paired with unique vinaigrettes.

Margherita pizza (top) and the grilled salmon entree were hearty portions.

The Lowdown

I Bet You Didn’t Know …

Terri Bonoff

Atlanta is chock full of interesting “movers and shakers” - some bent on creativity, empire building, activism, the sciences, and/or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the “off the cuff” remarks as to what makes our spotlight, Terri Bonoff, tick.

Terri grew up in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, a third generation Minnesotan. She had a 20-year business career that included leadership roles in fashion retail, toy manufacturing (Tonka Toys), and software distribution.

Bonoff chose to leave the business world to stay at home with four teenagers. When three had gone off to college, Terri ran for political office. She won a State Senate seat, serving from 2005-2016, leaving office as Chair of Higher Education and Workforce Development. Terri left the Senate when her husband, Matthew Knopf, joined Delta Air Lines as Senior Vice President Deputy General Counsel and moved to Atlanta.

After leading a project for Purpose Built Schools in partnership with Georgia Tech, Terri joined Jewish Family & Career Services as CEO in June 2019. She continues to lead the non-profit whose mission is to transform lives. Terri serves on the Alliance Theatre Board and is a trustee at her alma mater, Clark University, Worcester, Mass.

Read on to see how Terri’s life parallels that of a Danish politician.

One fun thing people don’t know about me is … I was a coxswain on the women’s crew team in college.

My kids would say …

Stay in your own lane Mom!

You will not find me …

Complaining about the Atlanta heat.

Atlanta vs. Minneapolis?

Minneapolis and Atlanta are so very different! Atlanta has come through the pandemic stronger. I have loved Minneapolis, and I now love Atlanta! We have found it to be wel coming and truly a home.

I’m streaming and reading …

Streaming the original “Sex and The City” because it’s the perfect summer escape and reading whatever my book club chooses! Just finished “James” by Percival Everett.

If they made a movie of my life ________ would portray me.

I wrote a book after leaving office called, “Uniting the Middle.” My sons are in the entertainment business, and I’m encouraging them to do something with it! The Netflix series, “Borgen,” resonated with me as the story of Birgitte Nyborg, a Danish politician who faced many challenges as a result of her centrist ideology and lead ing as a woman.

I would look back and tell a 21-year-old Terri …

Trust the path—it’s all turning out the way it’s supposed to. You are going to have a great life!

My husband would say I get silly when … I’m partying with my family and closest friends, and we start dancing.

The most important thing about running a nonprofit is …

Because JF&CS is faith-based and strongly supported by the generous phil anthropic Jewish community, I hold as sacred the importance of keeping our promise to the community. The challenge is to both fulfill the mission and maintain financial sustainability.

Most exotic vacation …

Matthew and I love to explore the wonderful cities and countryside of Eu rope. Staying in a boutique hotel on the waterway in Venice felt romantically exotic to me. Truthfully, because we have kids and grandkids far flung, most of our travel is being with them.

CALENDAR

MONDAY, JULY 15

Ancient Wisdom for Your Life – 8 to 9 p.m. Join Chabad of Fulton for a weekly journey into the Torah’s relevance. Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/3vpn24m5.

TUESDAY, JULY 16

NCJW ATL Mitzvah-in-Motion 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. We will be meeting at the NCJW office to make sandwiches for The Sandwich Project and to put together Post-abortion Comfort Care Kits. Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/bd2zhx84.

WEDNESDAY JULY 17

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.

Mitzvah House Torah Class – 8 to 9 p.m. Join the Mitzvah House for a weekly Torah class for men and women. Snacks for the body and soul. Find out more at https://bit.ly/4bhIL5f.

THURSDAY, JULY 18

Stitch and Kvetch with Rabbi Adler – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Join us for a fun afternoon of schmoozing, kvetching, and fun! Bring your cross-stitch, needlepoint, and knitting for this weekly activity in Phillip’s Library at Congregation Etz Chaim. Learn more at https:// tinyurl.com/4n89rsuh.

Splatter & Schmooze - 6 to 8 p.m. Unleash your inner artist, get to know other young adults, and make a masterpiece to take home with Congregation Or VeShalom. After splatter painting, join the optional After Party at Battle & Brew next door. RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/mszyhr4c.

FRIDAY, JULY 19

Shabbat in Shorts! - 6:30 to 9 p.m. Join Gesher on the pavilion for Shabbat in shorts! We will schmooze before services, popsicles and summer treats will be served at the oneg. Get more information at https://tinyurl.com/2hrkvxch.

Shabbat Unplugged - 6:30 to 9 p.m. Step away from the week’s hustle and join Chabad Intown for an enchanting evening of music, snacks, drinks, community, and the serene ambiance of the Atlanta skyline. RSVP at https://bit. ly/3VsUt6N.

JULY

SATURDAY, JULY 20

Campfire and Movie Night - 6 to 9 p.m.  Join Congregation Dor Tamid for a Campfire and Movie Night. There will be S’mores, Ice Cream Bar, Pizza, Adult Beverages, and Popcorn. We will be watching Migration (rated PG) inside! RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/376prpxs.

SUNDAY, JULY 21

Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. NEW SERIES: Exploring the Mysteries of Kabbalah and Life. A Weekly Study Series with Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman IN PERSON ONLY and Broadcast on YouTube. Learn more at https://bit. ly/4aXgHVd.

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. Find out more at https://bit. ly/4b888GK.

MONDAY, JULY 22

Together We Stand! With Nova Festival Survivors, the Sharabi Brothers - 7 p.m. The Chabad Intown community welcomes brothers Daniel and Neria Sharabi, Nova Festival survivors and heroes. RSVP at https://tinyurl. com/ypkvx26p.

TUESDAY, JULY 23

Brain Health Bootcamp – 11 a.m.to 1 p.m. Join a fun, social class to strengthen your mind and body to stay sharp! With age serving as the greatest risk factor for cognitive impairment or memory loss, JF&CS is taking action with the Brain Health Bootcamp. The first of its kind in Atlanta, it is designed to provide memory enhancement techniques through cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, education, and socialization. Join by visiting https://bit. ly/451GNDC.

Women’s Torah and Tea - 8 to 9 p.m. Weekly women’s with Chabad of North Fulton in-depth and fascinating exploration of the chassidus book of Tanya. Find out more information at https:// bit.ly/3TK8j53.

WEDNESDAY JULY 24

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.

Mitzvah House Torah Class – 8 to 9 p.m. Join the Mitzvah House for a weekly Torah class for men and women. Snacks for the body and soul. Find out more at https://bit.ly/4bhIL5f.

THURSDAY,

JULY 25

Knit and Crochet Group - 1 to 3 p.m.

Join Dor Tamid and crochet and knit beanies for premature babies from home. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3VY3R1j.

Weekly Mah Jongg Night - 6 to 9 p.m.

Join Congregation Beth Shalom weekly to learn how to play Mah Jongg. Beginners welcome. Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/36yyt3eu.

FRIDAY, JULY

26

Dive Into Shabbat - 5 to 7 p.m. Celebrate Shabbat with family and friends at the MJCCA outdoor pool and splash pad. Bring your own picnic or purchase refreshments at the Snack Bar. Open swim begins at 5 pm followed by Shabbat songs and blessings with Rabbi Glusman at 6 pm. Free ice pops, challah, and grape juice are provided! Bring your friends and enjoy this unique Shabbat celebration. Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/3v5bdnhy.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Balak

Friday, July 19 Light Candles at: 8:29 PM

Saturday, July 20 Shabbat Ends: 9:28 PM

Torah Reading: Pinchas

Friday, July 26 Light Candles at: 8:24 PM

Saturday, July 27 Shabbat Ends: 9:23 PM

SATURDAY, JULY 27

Atlanta Day Camp - 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Get back to your roots at summer camp for adults. In the Peach State, the people are as warm as the weather and Southern hospitality greets you at the camp gate. Hosted just outside Atlanta at the Marcus JCC’s Camp Isadore Alterman, you’ll enjoy the classic camp experience alongside a brand-new aquatics center with an in-pool sundeck, a state-of-the-art pickleball stadium, a serene lake, and so much more. We’ll fuel up in the morning with a Waffle House breakfast and mimosa bar before diving into a choose-your-own adventure experience. Zipline across the lake, scale the aerial adventure course, drive a bumper boat, leave it all out on the pickleball courts, or indulge your artistic side with tie-dye, spin art, acroyoga, improv, and so much more. Join Trybal Gatherings and RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/ywmum5np.

A Night with the Dads II: The Daddening - 7:30 to 9 p.m. The Dads are back at Stage Door Theatre with their award-winning improv comedy shows. All shows contain adult language and themes. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/3sBkvtK.

SUNDAY, JULY 28

Kabbalah and Coffee - 10 to 11 a.m. NEW SERIES: Exploring the Mysteries of Kabbalah and Life. A Weekly Study Series with Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman IN PERSON ONLY and Broadcast on YouTube. Learn more at https://bit. ly/4aXgHVd.

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. Find out more at https://bit. ly/4b888GK.

MONDAY, JULY 29

Ancient Wisdom for Your Life – 8 to 9 p.m. Join Chabad of Fulton for a weekly journey into the Torah’s relevance. Learn more at https://tinyurl. com/3vpn24m5.

TUESDAY, JULY 30

Brain Health Bootcamp – 11 a.m.to 1 p.m. Join a fun, social class to strengthen your mind and body to stay sharp! With age serving as the greatest risk factor for cognitive impairment or memory loss, JF&CS is taking action with the Brain Health Bootcamp. The first of its kind in Atlanta, it is designed to provide memory enhancement techniques through cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, education, and socialization. Join by visiting https://bit. ly/451GNDC.

Women’s Torah and Tea - 8 to 9 p.m. Weekly women’s with Chabad of North Fulton in-depth and fascinating exploration of the chassidus book of Tanya. Find out more information at https:// bit.ly/3TK8j53.

WEDNESDAY,

JULY 31

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.

Mitzvah House Torah Class – 8 to 9 p.m. Join the Mitzvah House for a weekly Torah class for men and women. Snacks for the body and soul. Find out more at https://bit.ly/4bhIL5f.

KEEPING IT KOSHER

Glazed Cinnamon Danish

I tried these early in the morning on Election Day when my daughter was off of school. She stumbled out of bed to find out what was that heavenly smell wafting upstairs and literally assaulting her olfactory senses! She was thrilled to have one (or two or three) hot from the oven for breakfast. The hot coffee and maple flavor give these glazed cinnamon Danish an extra special flavor.

Ingredients

Dough

1/4 recipe challah dough

Filling

1/3 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts recommended)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons Gefen Cinnamon (or more to taste)

4–5 tablespoons oil or melted margarine

3/4 – 1 cup sugar

Glaze

1/8 heaping teaspoon coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

1 cup Gefen Confectioners’ Sugar

1/4 teaspoon maple flavor

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon (1 package) vanilla sugar

Directions

Prepare the Danish

1. Combine all filling ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Divide dough into two parts. Roll each half into a large rectangle. Brush each part with half of the oil or melted margarine. Sprinkle half of the filling over each rectangle.

3. Starting with longer side, roll up tightly (jelly-roll style). Pinch edges to seal. Cut into 12–14 slices.

4. Place the slices in two 9×13-inch (23×33-centimeter) baking pans lined with Gefen Parchment Paper. Cover and let rise in warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Halfway through rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

5. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Prepare the Glaze

6. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl; blend until smooth. Drizzle glaze over hot

Recipe Source: Kosher.com

Recipe by Brynie Greisman

Photography: Daniel Lailah Food Styling: Noa Kanarek

The First Day of School

A proud young mother sees her son off to school on the first day.

“Be a good boy, my bubbeleh! Be careful and think of mummy, sweetest! Come right home on the bus, honey! Mummy loves you very much, baby.”

At the end of the day, she’s waiting for the bus and sweeps him into her arms once he exits.

“And what did my love learn on his first day of school?”

“I learned that my name is David.”

YIDDISH WORD

Farfoilt finder

n. A person, often an older relative, who delights in rooting out spoiled items in the refrigerator, particularly the refrigerator of someone they are visiting.

“Oy veh, somebody get Aunt Sofia out of our kitchen or she’ll throw out this morning’s milk because she thinks it smells funny. She’s the family farfoilt finder.”

From the Yiddish farfoilt, meaning “spoiled” or “rotten.”

Leading Lasies

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

ACROSS

1. Straight from the factory

4. Light touch

7. Part of a Seder

13. Brew the wrong way?

14. Former intelligence org. 15. Weather report warnings 16. First woman to lead the Jewish people

18. Mini mother

19. Britain’s last King Henry

20. Magen David Adom destination, perhaps

21. Rashi says she was a judge in the days of 16-Across 22. Last (independent) Queen of the Jewish people

26. Sci-fi beings

27. Some blades

28. Finish for “court” or “her”

29. Not quite surrender

31. Acid used in antiseptics

33. Evil Queen of Judah

36. They can be pumped or bumped

39. Avoidance

43. Ben ___ Chai

44. Some baseball games end with them

46. Hebron to Jericho dir.

47. Leader of Israel

50. Husband of 55-Across

51. You might make one with an app

52. Foe of Saul

53. Where you can find 22-Across’s Street in Jerusalem

55. Evil Queen of Israel

58. Crispin of “Back to the Future”

59. Before city or state

60. Rage

61. Stephen King horror classic without supernatural or alien beings

62. Talks, colloquially

63. Org. that might confiscate a bottle

DOWN

1. Beatty or Kelly

2. Raise up

3. Most squiggly

4. A famous Amos

5. He ruled long before 33-Across

6. Sound you might hear after an aliyah

7. Short appearances

8. Give notice

9. It’s a hint

10. Head of a Canadian province

11. Georgia airport, for short

12. Haifa to Efrat dir.

17. Stuff in a drum

20. Holy Land letters

21. Slangy pronoun

22. He ran from Iran

23. ___ sore spot

24. Pro-Bowl defensive end Umenyiora

25. It’s home to 47-Across Sq.

27. French Open divisions

30. Subway resident

31. Calls from the flock

32. Circular cereal

34. 22-Across married into this tribe

35. Indie folk band Bon ___

36. One of the holier fruits

37. “Equal” prefix

38. Katz and Artzi

40. Dwell

41. Donkey relatives in Asia

42. Cornhusker St.

44. Like messed-up makeup

45. Carrier Lingus

48. Automatic transmission gear

49. Grace’s last name, on “Will & Grace”

50. Timeline unit

52. Comic Ansari

53. Grand Casino letters

54. Winner of the Thrilla in Manila

55. Where Rav Saul Lieberman taught, for short

56. Old intro to “long” or “now”

57. Sheep meadow

OBITUARIES

Susan Esta Caller

79, LaGrange

Susan Esta Caller was born in 1945 in LaGrange, Ga., as the middle child of Rosalie and Harry Caller. After growing up in Knoxville, Tenn., she graduated from Ohio State, and subsequently taught elementary grades, for 40-plus years in the Atlanta Public School System. She was beloved by generations of inner-city students.

She was a winning doubles tennis champion and volunteered for “Special Needs Wheelchair Tennis,” where she was known to show up in a nun costume.

The survivors are brother, Steve (Susan) Caller, sister, Marcia Caller Jaffe, nephews, Bret (Ali) Caller, Judd Jaffe (Estee), nieces, Jill Kapenstein (James), Dr. Avery Jaffe.

Susan lived life on her own terms and built a powerful network of friends and relatives.

The funeral was on Friday, July 3, at Crestlawn. A memorial reception was held at Ahavath Achim on Sunday, July 8.

David William Dudovitz

84, Atlanta

David William Dudovitz passed away on July 7, 2024, in Atlanta, Ga., at the age of 84. Born on April 24, 1940, in St. Paul, Minn., David grew into a man of strong principles, deeply committed to his family and his profession as an eye doctor. David was known for his corny jokes and his unwavering support at his children’s sporting events. An enthusiastic tennis player and avid fan of the Atlanta Braves, he cherished the time spent with his grandchildren, instilling in them the values of kindness and dedication that he lived by.

A graveside service was held at Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in David’s memory to Temple Sinai and the HOD. David’s legacy will live on through the many lives he touched with his care and generosity. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770.451.4999.

Annette Z. Tinter Easton 95,

Atlanta

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Annette Z. Tinter Easton, 95, on July 6, 2024, in Atlanta. Annette was born on Sept. 30, 1928, to Simon and Rae Zimmerman. Annette had two brothers, Jerome and Seymour, who predeceased her in death.

Annette attended Girl’s High School in Atlanta. After graduating, she met the love of her life, Stanley Tinter, and they were married on Dec. 1, 1948. Stanley and Annette shared 14 wonderful years together and had four sons before Stanley was diagnosed with leukemia and taken too soon. Annette’s perseverance and strength showed throughout her life as she raised her four boys, made a name for herself in residential real estate working for Harry Norman and then REMAX, and volunteered her skills and time to Congregation Shearith Israel. Her involvement with Shearith Israel included assisting in the Chevra Kadisha, becoming one of the first volunteers at their women’s shelter, acting as President of the Sisterhood, and using her expertise with needlepoint to create Torah covers. Annette planted “Bubbie’s Garden” at Marcus Jewish Community Center and Annette’s Courtyard Garden at Shearith Israel. These gardens allowed her to share another one of passions and will offer visitors solace and beauty in her memory.

She is predeceased by her first husband, Stanley Tinter, second husband, Albert Easton, and her son, Jay Tinter. Annette is survived by her sons, Steve Tinter, Ricky (Pam) Tinter, Daniel (Lynn) Tinter, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. A graveside service was held Monday, July 8, 2024, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Shalom Lewis officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Annette’s Courtyard Garden at Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Dr NE, Atlanta GA 30306 Tel: 1-404-873-1743 Web: http://shearithisrael.com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta (770) 451-4999.

OBITUARIES

William Wender

96, Atlanta

William (Bill) Wender was a true son of Atlanta. Bill was born to Freda and Max Wender in 1928. He grew up in Morningside and graduated from Boy’s High, along with his brothers, Donald and Bobby. While there, Bill and Don played together on the baseball team, as third baseman and shortstop, respectively, as part of the “clean-up crew.”

After graduation, Bill attended Vanderbilt in Nashville and the Southern School of Pharmacy in Macon. Bill joined his father and brothers in Wender and Roberts, the family drug store business, and eventually led the business through years of success and expansion in the 1960s through the 1980s, before retiring in the early 1990s.

Bill enjoyed playing golf and gin rummy for many years, watching sports of all kinds (but especially the Braves), and traveling around the world with Lois, his adored second wife of 60 years. And he cherished his multitudinous progeny. Bill had four daughters with his first wife, Helen – Leslie (Larry) Blumberg, Carol (Michael) Aarons, Lana (Myron) Golden, and Amy (John) D’Ambrosio; and two sons and a daughter with his second wife, Lois – John (Randi Risman) Wender; Paul Wender; and Valerie (Michael Katz) Wender. Bill had eight grandchildren: Carol’s sons, Kevin (Melissa) Center and Adam (Lara) Center; Amy’s children, Steven Wolff and Victoria D’Ambrosio; John’s sons, Max (Michaela Sheffield) Wender and Sam Wender; and Valerie’s children, Sarah (Phil) Cromack and Joe (Julie Barnard) Capelouto. Bill also had five great-grandchildren: David Center, Emily Center, Luke Center, Abigail Center, and Lillian Center.

In his 95 years of life, Bill’s college years were the only ones in which he did not live in Atlanta. Not long ago, his granddaughter, Sarah, asked him what his favorite city in the world was, probably thinking he might say Paris. But without hesitation, he emphatically answered “Atlanta.”

Bill passed away peacefully on July 11, 2024. Donations in his memory may be made to the Aviv Rehabilitation Center at the Breman Jewish Home. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta (770) 451-4999.

One River Place has every amenity you could ask for !

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.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There Appears to be No Famine in Gaza

Allen H. Lipis

The Associated Press recently reported that the leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises said nearly everyone in Gaza is struggling to get enough food and that more than 495,000 people, or greater than one-fifth of the population of 2.3 million, are expected to experience the highest level of starvation in the coming months.

The first warning of famine came on March 18 in a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee, which stated famine was “projected and imminent” in northern Gaza and the Gazan governorates. Based on this kind of research, the head of the United Nations World Food Program said that northern Gaza has entered “full-blown famine” after nearly

seven months of war between Israel and Hamas. The Committee stated that without a ceasefire and an immediate increase in humanitarian and commercial access to the entire population of Gaza, there would be a markedly increased “impact on mortality and the lives of Palestinians.”

However, the dire warnings from the United Nations, the U.S., EU and aid organizations of mass starvation and famine among civilians in northern Gaza are overstated. The IPC ignored so much relevant data and made bad assumptions and inferences that led them to conclude that Gazans were only getting 59-63 percent of their daily caloric needs, when in reality they were getting over 100 percent.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development, reported that it was “possible, if not likely, that all the thresholds for Famine … were met or surpassed in northern Gaza in April.”

David Adesnik, senior fellow and director of research for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News

Digital, “Leaders said that thousands of children were going to die, but it didn’t materialize, and no one seems to be trying to explain why.”

Adesnik pointed out that FEWS NET’s original assessment did not include calories obtained through World Food Program for bread or commercial and private sector foods, noting that the FRC initially found that “FEWS NET simply ignored 940 tons of sugar, flour, salt, and yeast that the World Food Program delivered to north Gaza bakeries. The tone of the FRC review was respectful, yet it exposed the extent to which FEWS NET made indefensible assumptions that all served to underestimate Israel’s efforts to help more food reach the people of northern Gaza.”

The claims, which have been widely reported in the international news media and which have been cited in cases in The Hague against the Jewish state, that rely on data from the IPC and from the warning systems, are inaccurate, according to the recent analysis by the Famine Review Committee.

Matt Lewis sent me a recent story in HonestReporting. For over 20 years, HonestReporting has been calling attention to the myths, miscalculations, and misinformation about Israel and amplified by traditional and social media. In their recent report they concluded:

There is no evidence to suggest a famine in Gaza.

Humanitarian food assistance has increased significantly and continues to do so on a month-to-month basis.

The original classification ignored a significant number of commercial and privately contracted food truck deliveries, including those tracked by UNRWA, the World Food Program. Up to 82 percent of daily calorie provisions were excluded from their original analysis.

There are additional barriers to access food including financial, social, and physical. Hamas should be held accountable for these.

Pictures taken recently in central Gaza show the Deir al Balah market full of meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables, coffee, and chocolate. ì

A

t Canterbury Court senior living community, you’ll enjoy all our expanded 14-acre campus has to offer. Like beautiful apartment homes, enhanced amenities and services, lush gardens, and the security of a continuum of care, if ever needed. And as a pet-friendly community, your four-legged loved ones will feel as welcomed as you will. So come find out why life here can be a walk in the park and a roll in the grass.

To learn more and to schedule a personal tour, contact us today at 404-905-2444, visit CanterburyCourt.org/Pets, or scan the QR code.

GET LOST, FIND FUN

JUNE 8 - SEPT. 9, 2024

Discover patterns in the world through fun and interactive experiences.

• Navigate a 1,700 square-foot mirror maze

• Find patterns using projections and a two-way mirror

• Expose the mathematical patterns in nature

• Compose your own music using symmetry