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MARCH 2, 2018 | 15 ADAR 5778
Anti-Jewish Incidents Jump in SE
Determined to Celebrate Purim
Atlanta faced persistent and sometimes torrential rain Sunday, Feb. 25, but a little water couldn’t wash away the fun and tradition of the 27th annual Atlanta Purim Parade & Festival in Toco Hills. The rain might have dampened expectations, but participants like these riders on the Torah Day School of Atlanta float kept rolling merrily along LaVista Road. More photos, Page 34
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Anti-Semitic incidents surged by 32 percent in the Southeast in 2017, according to a report released Tuesday, Feb. 27, by the Anti-Defamation League. ADL’s four-state Southeast Region — Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina — reported 74 incidents in 2017, compared with 56 in 2016, according to ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents. Among those incidents were bomb threats against Jewish community centers in each state, including multiple threats against the Marcus JCC, for which an Israeli-American teen was arrested. Nationally, ADL reported almost 60 percent more anti-Semitic incidents in 2017 than in 2016, the largest single-year increase since the tracking of incident data began in 1979. Anti-Semitic incidents at schools and colleges nearly doubled for the second year in a row. The Southeast saw 53 incidents of harassment, including 13 bomb threats, up 15 percent from 2016; 20 incidents of vandalism, double the 2016 total; and one physical assault after none in 2016. About a third of the incidents occurred at Jewish institutions or Jewish schools, and a third took place at colleges or non-Jewish schools: 21 at non-Jewish schools, up from 17; five on college campuses, up from three; and 24 at Jewish institutions and schools, up from 13. “It is deeply concerning to observe the rise of anti-Semitism in places where our children should be learning how to positively impact society,” said Phil Rubin, who chairs the ADL Southeast regional board. ADL’s anti-bias training is in high demand, Southeast Regional Director Allison Padilla-Goodman said. ■
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MARCH 2 â–ª 2018
MA TOVU
What to Do When The World Is Topsy-Turvy grounds us and gives us hope and strength — a reminder that we are not alone. The tradition of giving to the poor reinforces our sense of responsibility to others and takes us out of the narrow confines of our own experience and concerns. And while self-care
Taking Root By Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder rabbiruth@gmail.com
through eating and drinking can get out of hand if done without intention, a good meal and a glass of wine shared with others can settle us. Purim as an adult will never be the pure joy and wonder it was for me as a child. I hold too much understanding of the complexities that lie behind the happy customs. I am not so foolish as to believe that the heaviness of uncertainty, the real fears we face, can be solved with mandated happiness. It cannot. But the types of happiness set by the rituals of Purim can in some cases provide us with hope and possibly help us make a plan of action. Joy is rarely top of the list when we think of tools for change, but it can be. Happiness can allow us to be in the moment and appreciate the joys that sometimes get lost when worry is all-consuming. Happiness has the potential to shift our vision of what we might think is fixed and immutable. And when our vision shifts, sometimes we can see new options and potential. Joy does not negate the uncertainty. As Muslim thinker Amanda Quraishi explains, “The world will ALWAYS be full of danger, and there will always be uncertainty that clouds our future. … But still, we must find a way to joy. That doesn’t mean burying our heads in the sand, or swimming in delusion. It means that we must do two things at once: We must celebrate life WHILE we soberly assess risk and mitigate damage.” My friend Pam is right: We crave certainty. It is a craving that is most intense when it is out of our reach, when the terrain is topsy-turvy. But we can do our best to thoughtfully and deliberately embrace joy as one of the ways to steady our footing so that we can move forward. ■
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
My friend Dr. Pamela Lyss, a psychiatrist, always reminds me that the hardest thing is living with uncertainty. However, we are rarely afforded certainty. How, then, do we navigate when things are uncertain or, worse yet, feel topsy-turvy? One answer, according to Jewish tradition: Be happy. I will forever be haunted by the nostalgia for the Purim celebrations of my childhood, in which we filled red wagons and the backs of station wagons with plates of food, dressed in costumes, and delivered and received gifts from others in the Jewish community. In synagogue, we used to tie the men’s tallisim to the banister of the bimah. There were large feasts and endless sweets. It was such a happy holiday. The laws and customs of Purim mandate happiness. All this happiness is profoundly connected with the deep uncertainty that is just as fundamental to Purim. The biblical story of Esther is filled with violence and fear. Jews and women are at the mercy of those with power. Women’s lives are lived and lost at the mercy of their willingness to give their bodies in service to the king. Victory against Haman is achieved, but the decree against the Jews is not fully revoked, just mitigated so that the Jews are allowed to defend themselves. What must it have felt like for Jews to sit and wait to be attacked? Esther used her beauty to persuade the king to come to the aid of her people this time, but she must have wondered what would happen when she lost her looks. After all, she must have known the fate of Vashti, who dared to defy the king. Even the traditional prescription to imbibe alcohol until we don’t know the difference between Mordechai and Haman points to the fragility of not knowing where things stand and the potential for reality to change at any moment, with no clear distinction between good and evil. How can we be happy when we are uncertain? When we are scared? Our tradition gives us tools. The custom of giving gifts of food reminds us to connect with others and strengthen community. Community
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THURSDAY, MARCH 1
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Festive meal. Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855 LaVista Road, Toco Hills, holds a seudah at 5 p.m. Admission is $25 for adults and $17 for ages 3 to 12 for members and $30 and $20 for others; www. bethjacobatlanta.org/purim-seudah. Purim dance-off. Meir Kay joins Congregation Beth Tefillah, 5065 High Point Road, Sandy Springs, for a dance party at 5 p.m. Admission is $25 for adults and $18 for children 3 to 11; bit. ly/2GQKoJ9.
mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com Associate Editor
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Contributors This Week RABBI RUTH ABUSCH-MAGDER JOE ALTERMAN RABBI ERIN BOXT YONI GLATT JORDAN GORFINKEL RABBI PAMELA JAY GOTTFRIED RUSSELL GOTTSCHALK LEAH R. HARRISON HAROLD KIRTZ ALLEN H. LIPIS KEVIN C. MADIGAN REBECCA MCCARTHY ERIC M. ROBBINS DAVE SCHECHTER DENA SCHUSTERMAN KEN STEIN
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MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
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Ki Tissa Friday, March 2, light candles at 6:17 p.m. Saturday, March 3, Shabbat ends at 7:13 p.m. Vayakhel-Pekudei Friday, March 9, light candles at 6:23 p.m. Saturday, March 10, Shabbat ends at 7:18 p.m.
Purim Palooza. The Kehilla in Sandy Springs, 5075 Roswell Road, holds an animal-themed celebration at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for members, $18 for others; www.thekehilla.org/purim.
Masquerade and party. Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta, holds a Purim celebration with crafts and a megillah reading at 5 p.m. Free (nominal charge for pizza); www.chabadnf.org or 770-410-9000. Pancake party. Young Israel of Toco Hills, 2056 LaVista Road, holds a Purim pancake pajama party with a pancake bar and other food, PJ Library fun, juggler Todd Key, and adult trivia at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults and $10 for kids for YITH members, $25 and $12 for nonmembers (children under 2 free); www.yith.org or 404-315-1417. Feast and comedy show. Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta, celebrates Purim with adults at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $25; www.chabadnf.org/purimadult or 770410-9000. Habima. Jerry’s Habima Theatre, a
professional theater for people with developmental disabilities, at 7:30 p.m. presents the first of eight performances of “The Addams Family” through March 11 at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children for JCC members, $35 and $15 for others; 678812-4002 or atlantajcc.org/habima.
FRIDAY, MARCH 2
Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G. Rabbi Brian Glusman leads the family celebration in the Srochi Discovery Center at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, at 5 p.m. Free; atlantajcc.org. Purim spiel. Temple Kol Emeth, 1415 Old Canton Road, East Cobb, presents a “Les Miserables”-themed show after a brief Shabbat service at 8 p.m. Free; www.kolemeth.net or 770-973-3533.
SATURDAY, MARCH 3
Divorce boot camp. Women facing divorce get professional guidance on legal, financial, emotional and other issues from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza. Free (bring a bag lunch, snack and drink); 770-377-4941 (Debbie Dorman). Bingo. Congregation Ner Tamid, 1349 Old Highway 41, Suite 220, Marietta, holds Bingo & Brownies at 6:30 p.m.
Free; mynertamid.info or 678-264-8575.
SUNDAY, MARCH 4
Purim family celebration. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, holds a carnival, a costume parade and a concert at 10 a.m. Free; bit. ly/2EmetUd or 678-812-4161. Purim spiel and carnival. Temple Emanu-El, 1580 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs, holds a spiel at 10:30 a.m. and a carnival at 11 for the community. Free admission; templeemanuelatlanta.org or 770-395-1340. Purim carnival. Temple Kol Emeth, 1415 Old Canton Road, East Cobb, holds a carnival open to the community from noon to 2:30 p.m. Free admission; www. kolemeth.net or 770-973-3533. Cookie swap. The Marcus JCC invites families to dress in costumes and bring hamantaschen with creative flavors to Candler Park, 585 Candler Park Drive, Atlanta, at 3 p.m. Free; atlantajcc.org. “Pied Piper of Hamelin.” Classical music radio host Lois Reitzes narrates the Emory Chamber Music Society’s family presentation of the story with music for viola and piano at 4 p.m. at Emory’s Carlos Museum, 571 S. Kilgo Circle, Atlanta. Free; arts.emory.edu.
Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at the Atlanta Jewish Connector, www.atlantajewishconnector.com.
Remember When
10 Years Ago Feb. 29, 2008 ■ Mort Barr is retiring as the executive director of Congregation Beth Jacob, effective July 1, the Orthodox congregation has announced. Barr, who moved to Atlanta with his wife, Edie, and his now-100-year-old mother-in-law in 2006, has held the position since Oct. 11, 2006. Barr said he and Edie plan to remain active in Beth Jacob. ■ The bat mitzvah ceremony of Audrey Nina Arogeti of Atlanta, daughter of Alice and Rick Arogeti, was held Saturday, Dec. 8, at Congregation Or VeShalom. 25 Years Ago Feb. 26, 1993 ■ Calls for a new state flag have drawn Jewish groups into the debate. To many, “the flag represents bigotry and intolerance,” said Lawrence Gold, who leads the Atlanta Jewish Federation’s community relations committee. The Atlanta Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Atlanta Rabbinical Association and National Council of Jewish Women
joined Federation in commending Gov. Zell Miller for his plan to change the flag. ■ Alice and Rick Arogeti of Atlanta announce the birth of a daughter, Sloane Danielle, on Jan. 31. 50 Years Ago March 1, 1968 Harry Golden published “A ■ Harry Golden has ceased Little Girl Is Dead” in 1965, publication of the renowned, marking the 50th anniversary 26-year-old newspaper he of Leo Frank’s lynching. founded, the Carolina Israelite. Golden has folded the paper into the political journal The Nation, for which he will write a column. Golden said he has subsidized the Carolina Israelite with royalties from his many books, which include “A Little Girl Is Dead,” about the Leo Frank case. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Blumenthal of Atlanta announce the engagement of daughter Karen Sue to Abram Jacob Serotta, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elliot C. Serotta of Augusta.
CALENDAR Dementia talk. Jewish Family & Career Services’ Aviv Older Adult Services discusses “Navigating the Dementia Maze” at 1:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs. Free; RSVP to 770-677-9365 (Maya Thomas) or bit.ly/DementiaMaze.
MONDAY, MARCH 5
Senior Day. With Jewish Family & Career Services and Jewish Home Life Communities, the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, offers seniors three activities and lunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door; atlantajcc. org/seniorday.
TUESDAY, MARCH 6
Brain training. Jewish Family & Career Services offers a weekly class to enhance brain function at 4 p.m. at IndependenceWORKS, 4549 ChambleeDunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Classes are $25 each or $200 for a semester of eight; RSVP to Georgia Gunter at 770677-9421 or ggunter@jfcsatl.org. Musical Midrash. Cantor Lauren Adesnik leads an exploration of music and art in the Bible at 6 p.m. on four consecutive Tuesdays at Temple Emanu-El, 1580 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs. Free; templeemanuelatlanta. org or 770-395-1340.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7
Book talk. Beth Schafer speaks about “Seven Sparks: Tools for Jewish Wellness” at 11 a.m. at Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs. Free; www.templesinaiatlanta.org. Infertility support. The Jewish Fertility Foundation presents “Loving Someone With Infertility” for family and friends at 7 p.m. at Jewish Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Free; bit.ly/2EV4qWe (live streaming available).
THURSDAY, MARCH 8
Edgewise. Jewish Georgian Publisher Marvin Botnick speaks to the Edgewise group at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, at 10:30 a.m. Free for members, $5 for others; atlantajcc.org/ knowledgewise or 678-812-4070. Infertility support. The Jewish Fertility Foundation holds a support group for women at 6:30 p.m. at MACoM, 700-A Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Free; bit.ly/2CL2HNd. Ethics talk. Rabbi Jonathan Crane addresses Jewish ethics in the era of self-driving cars at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 1580 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs. Free; RSVP by March 5 at 770395-1340 or templeemanuelatlanta.org.
Hadassah Greater Atlanta has added ovarian cancer research to the beneficiaries of its Breast Strokes fundraiser and changed its name in its fourth year to Best Strokes. Best Strokes, Hadassah Bares All for Awareness, Research, Treatment (A.R.T.), is being held at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at the Southern Exchange, 200 Peachtree St., downtown. The event raises money for breast and ovarian cancers and genetic research programs at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and education, advocacy and prevention in the United States. Dale Bearman As in the previous three years, the fundraiser began with Paint Day in November, when 36 survivors of breast or ovarian cancer revealed themselves from collarbone to navel for body paintings that were photographed and transferred onto canvas. Some of those artworks will be sold March 18. A male survivor was among the models for the first time. The Best Strokes event is honoring OB-GYN Dale Bearman, an Atlanta leader in promoting genetic testing to identify the risk of cancer early. “With the addition of ovarian cancer as a Best Strokes focus, Dr. Bearman is the perfect representative of our work. His focus on and advancement of genetics testing to diagnose the risks of ovarian, breast and other women’s cancers demonstrate the purpose of Hadassah and this fundraiser,” Hadassah Greater Atlanta President Sheila Dalmat said. The honorary chair for Best Strokes is oncologist Tamar Peretz, the director of the Sharett Institute of Oncology for Hadassah Medical Organization the past two decades. Her clinical work focuses on breast cancer, cancer genetics and personalized cancer therapy. Tickets are $118 and can be purchased at beststrokes18.auction-bid.org/ microsite or by making out a check to Hadassah and mailing it to Hadassah Greater Atlanta, 1050 Crown Pointe Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30338. ■
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Hadassah Expands Best Strokes
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ISRAEL NEWS
Why Not Now for a 2-State Solution?
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
The notion of a two-state solution remains front and center as the most often discussed and endorsed solution to the Palestinian-Israeli dimension of the conflict in the Middle East. So why has it not happened? For a two-state solution to unfold, it must be in the national interests of both Israelis and Palestinians. There must be the will and means to implement the two-state solution. At present, there is neither. In August 2013, I assembled a set of remarks made by dozens of international organizations and Western leaders who fervently endorsed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most of them since 2000. In keeping track of similar endorsements for a two-state solution the past five years, the number of voices, resolutions and officials from those same origins clamoring for two states has dramatically increased. Mixed into the acute demand for the two-state solution are predictions
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of the dire consequences that will befall primarily Israel if the Palestinians do not establish a state of their own and do so now. These fateful predictions include the eventual end of Israel as a Jewish state, its failure to be democratic and Jewish, and a slow
Guest Column By Ken Stein
bleeding out of support for Israel from her supporters abroad. Some say it is already too late for the two-state solution. I disagree. Researching, writing and teaching about the conflict for four decades, I understand that the conflict has festered. I can quote chapter and verse of all the proposals made since 1937 to separate the two populations and create two states. Why then is it now too late? History never ends.
Definite disconnects exist between what two-state solution advocates want and what the parties themselves, along with their allies, need or are prepared to accept. Why? Political and economic constellations for a two-state solution are not aligned. Arguing over the future of the West Bank and Jerusalem is light-years more complex and certainly more emotion-driven than Sadat and Begin quibbling at the end of the 1970s about settlements in Sinai, exchanges of ambassadors and how much oil Israel would import from Egypt. Once the details were worked out with American help, returning Sinai was relatively easy for Israel. Sadat knew he would get Sinai back and receive large amounts of American foreign aid. Both could keep the Soviets away. There were incentives and national interests to make a deal, one that lasted. Today, Abbas is no Sadat, and Netanyahu is no Begin. To negotiate, implement and uphold a two-state solution, the political systems must be strong enough to withstand the shocks of inevitable compromise. Both Netanyahu and Abbas oversee divided political communities. Both have political clouds over their heads. The Palestinian political community is as divided, dysfunctional and selfish in governance as it has ever been in its 100-year history. Would you sell or offer a piece of property to a family of a dozen siblings who cannot agree on a fair price, let alone agree on what the property’s dimensions should be? Would you provide land next door to someone who has the intention to have you go away bit by bit? If you are an Israeli decisionmaker, would you take a chance on establishing a Palestinian state in a regional setting that is being ripped apart by sectarianism and hegemonic groups that totally disrespect the sanctity of borders? Harp all you want on the Kerry/ Obama call that Jerusalem is occupied territory or the Trump decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Castigate Israel all you want for its creeping settlement enterprise as the core reason why negotiations do not unfold. Those points become irrelevant when a robust and strong Palestinian leadership decides precisely what land it does not want west of the Jordan River. And that leadership decides
unequivocally that it is willing to end the conflict once and for all without changing Israel’s Jewish majority in a final agreement. At that point, the first stage is in place to move to two states for two peoples, side by side. Israel will have to respond, as it had to respond to Sadat’s overture 40 years ago. Polling data suggest that Israel’s Jewish majority wants a two-state solution. An equal majority doubts that the Palestinians will do what it takes to initiate such negotiations. More problematic than Palestinian and Israeli leaders showing a willingness to negotiate earnestly: How might one implement a two-state solution? Unlike Western advocates for a two-state solution, Arab writers and political elites the past five years have paid minimal attention to the Palestinian quest for statehood, or even Israel for that matter. Palestinian writers habitually berate their own leadership for ineptitude. Most Arab writers are more worried about their own states imploding. They say more in their daily editorials about the carnage raging in Syria and about Syrians being gassed, displaced and murdered by their own regime than pundits do in the West. Arab writers are more concerned about Russian, Iranian and Turkish imperialism ravaging their homelands than are the two-state-solution advocates. If and when we find Arab or industrialized countries or organizations willing to provide at least $2.5 billion a year for 10 years to nurture a Palestinian state’s economy, then we have lift off. A trusteeship could be established to implement final-status issues on security, Jerusalem, settlements, borders and the prerogatives of a Palestinian state. Plans and good intentions are noble. Advocates and opponents of a two-state solution must articulate their views. But without the two parties to the conflict having the courage and willingness to confront their own realities — tachlis — and without having the funds available to make a two-state solution happen, the advocacy of a two-state solution is only a suggestion. Nothing more, and apparently not now. ■ Ken Stein is the president of the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled. org).
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ISRAEL NEWS
Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home
Heart saver. Emil Katz, the founder and CEO of Jerusalem-based Novamed, has developed SensAheart, a device that tests the blood for antibodies produced in response to proteins released after a heart attack. The test can determine within five minutes whether a patient has suffered a heart attack, compared with up to six hours for the current, less accurate test. The longer a heart attack goes untreated, the more severe the damage to the muscle. Prostate specificity. Tel Aviv-based Micromedic Technologies and Rehovot’s
Israeli soldiers fill a sandbag for use in the defensive Bar-Lev Line along the Suez Canal in 1970.
Today in Israeli History Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. March 2, 1977: Judges Miriam BenPorat and Shimon Asher are appointed to Israel’s Supreme Court by President Ephraim Katzir. Ben-Porat is the first woman on Israel’s highest court. March 3, 1939: The Mufti of Jerusalem, who has enormous power, chooses nonengagement with the British, who control Palestine, and rejects a majority-Arab Palestinian state. He does not accept any Jewish presence. March 4, 1987: Ex-U.S. intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard, convicted of spying for Israel, is sentenced to life in prison. He is released in 2015. March 5, 1891: William Blackstone, a Methodist lay leader and real estate investor, petitions President Benjamin
Kaplan Medical Center are reporting success in using Micromedic’s CellDetect to test for prostrate cancer. Using urine samples, CellDetect accurately ruled out prostate cancer more than 91 percent of the time and caught the cancer 75 percent of the time. The standard PSA test for prostate cancer is notorious for false positives. Genetically engineered rubber. Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas has turned to Ness Ziona-based genomic big data solutions company NRGene to look for useful genetic traits in rubber-producing guayule, an undomesticated plant native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. NRGene’s DeNovoMAGIC 3.0 system will crunch the genetic data and test genome assemblies to optimize plant breeding at the molecular level to improve rubber yields and produce sturdier, more disease-resistant strains. Root of solutions. Kefar Neter-based startup Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies could earn $19 million over five years through an agreement Harrison to support the creation of “a home for these wandering millions of Israel.” The Blackstone Memorial is the name of the signed petition. March 6, 1948: Clark Clifford, a top adviser to President Harry Truman, stands against the State Department and for the United States not wavering from the partition resolution the United Nations passed in November 1947, calling for the division of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. March 7, 1977: Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and President Jimmy Carter meet in Washington for the first time. The Carter administration has established that negotiating a comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict is a foreign policy priority. March 8, 1969: Egyptian forces launch a major offensive against Israeli positions on the eastern banks of the Suez Canal, starting the War of Attrition, which lasts until August 1970. The Egyptian plan was to strain Israel’s military and economy through continual fighting in the Sinai.
with another Israeli company, Dagan, to distribute its agricultural system in China. Roots’ low-energy technology cools or heats plant roots to the optimal temperature for crop growth. Visiting Old St. Nick. A gardener working in Moshav Hayogev in the Jezreel Valley found a bronze ring with the image of a bald man holding a bishop’s crook Thursday, Feb. 22, and turned it over to the Israel Antiquities Authority, which concluded that it’s a medieval ring likely bearing the image of St. Nicholas. The ring dates from the 12th to 15th centuries and likely was carried to gain the protection of Nicholas, the patron saint of travelers in the Byzantine church. Gardener Dekel Ben-Shitrit, 26, will receive a good citizenship
Photo by Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority
This ring is believed to depict the famous St. Nicholas.
certificate for turning in the ring. Seeing dollar signs. Jerusalem-based artificial vision company OrCam has achieved unicorn status, meaning that the latest investment in the business values it at more than $1 billion. OrCam’s leading product is a device that clips onto glasses and reads out loud signs, newspapers, menus and other items. The company’s founders, Ziv Aviram and Amnon Shashua, also launched Mobileye, which Intel bought last year for $15.3 billion. Averting disaster. Israeli intelligence helped Australia thwart a plot by two men linked to Islamic State to blow up an airliner flying between Sydney and Abu Dhabi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday, Feb. 22. Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the story and said Israel helped save hundreds of lives. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com, timesofisrael.com and other sources.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Golden delivery. Doctoral candidate Alona Shagan and assistant professor Boaz Mizrahi of the Technion have developed a safer way to deliver targeted drugs, such as chemotherapy. They wrap a polymer coating with nanoscale gold particles around the drug, then shine near-infrared light on the diseased part of the body. The light penetrates tissues without damaging them, then warms the polymer so it melts and releases the drug safely, with no damage to healthy tissue.
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OPINION
Israel’s Security Options
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Something very different is happening on the ground in Israel and the territories, Israeli defense correspondent Alon Ben-David explained to the 70 of us on the Federation-sponsored leadership trip to Israel. Since Rosh Hashanah 2015, 440 terrorists have attacked Israelis, mostly with knives and cars, and 230 of them have been apprehended. All came from stories of personal distress or as a response to a recent prosaic event in their lives. They have been made to feel like failures. All count on getting killed when they attack. They often think their lives will have a purpose if they can go out as heroes and get pensions for their families. Many watch the Internet and see what Israel is “doing” — these are ultraviolent materials, such as snuff films produced by Islamic State, which excite some people. There is no religious motive for these terrorists. They are mostly middle class. They live on their smartphones. They don’t respect authority, whether it is their parents or the terrorist organizations themselves. They often will say they did not act in the name of any terrorist organization and do not want the organizations to take credit for what they did. Young Palestinians are watching Israeli society and like the discourse about individual rights and other aspects of Israel. Israeli soldiers at the checkpoints are seeing a response from younger Palestinians, who challenge the soldiers and authority figures. They ask: “Who are you to ask me questions? Are you threatening me?” This kind of discourse in the West Bank results in this: “I am done with you. I will eventually vote you out.” It is creating a disturbing reality on the ground. On the other hand, Hamas has not launched a single bullet from Gaza in 41 months. It has lost its appetite to fight Israel. It is preparing for another war, but not to be fought at this time. Hamas is a genuine creation of Gaza, and to think that the people there do not support it is wrong. For now, Israel is stuck with Gaza. Egypt is not happy with Gaza and is destroying tunnels on its border with Gaza — 1,800 in a 9-mile stretch. One result of the distress in Gaza is that 8 Israel is occasionally seeing Gaza kids
crossing into Israel to get arrested and get three meals a day. Apparently, the Gaza authorities have said to Israel, “Give us a seaport, and we will sign a long-term ceasefire.” Israel is considering the offer. Israel would build and man the seaport on an island off the Gaza coast. The goods, presumably from Europe
Guest Column By Harold Kirtz
and other countries, would be carried by Israel partway on a causeway from the seaport to the Gaza Strip, then met by Gaza trucks to take goods to the Gazan people. This is one opportunity to separate Gaza and the West Bank: They are becoming two different populations. While Hamas is not in the mood to fight Israel, it does want to stay in power. This seaport may give Hamas a reason to moderate its mood toward Israel even more. Ben-David believes that Israeli politicians need to re-evaluate Israel’s position in the region. They should stop being afraid to take advantage of opportunities and to deepen the country’s roots in the region. He thinks U.S. support and help could make a difference. If President Donald Trump would show the parties what direction to go, even as just a signal, opportunities for greater regional cooperation might be created. While peace has been taken out of the language in recent years, Israel needs to secure its future, not necessarily make friends. Ben-David sees a good side to U.S. action. Nikki Haley has spoken to Israeli sentiment. He thinks that Mahmoud Abbas sincerely rejects violence. Israel has to listen to his tough talk. Israelis do not have to make him a friend, but they need him to bridge differences. It is not fair to place Israel’s young people in the perpetual position of judging others. Some progress in the conflict needs to be made, and Ben-David seems to think progress is possible. Ben-David’s comments highlight the need of Israeli politicians to take advantage of opportunities and to help change minds in the region. ■
Letters To The Editor Blame the NRA
The Feb. 23 issue had insightful commentary about gun violence, including the rabbinic response and David Geffen’s comments from Israel. But I totally disagree with your editorial (“Our View: After Parkland”) as far as not blaming the NRA. Despite what Mike Huckabee and the NRA have said about the lack of school shootings in Israel, guards at Israeli schools are not heavily armed, but the mentally ill do not have assault weapons. Significant to Americans and all Jews is that Israel has civilized gun laws, whereas our Second Amendment has been fraudulently interpreted by the NRA and Justice Antonin Scalia to establish a fundamental personal right to own a gun. Israel does not allow gun ownership before age 27 unless the person is in the military or reserves. Gun ownership is a privilege, not a right, and is limited to one gun after extensive physical and mental examinations and personal interviews. Why we as Jews cannot agree this is what we expect in the United States is beyond me. Also, the NRA and the GOP have loosened all requirements preventing the mentally ill from obtaining a gun in Georgia and nationally for individuals getting Supplemental Security Incomes so that they can easily buy any assault weapon. Where is the Jewish response to that? It is only a matter of time before Parkland will happen here in a mass shooting. It is up to us to act. Does your synagogue have a clear and posted policy on gun usage? — Leon Van Gelderen, Atlanta
Break the Chain
I enjoyed reading Dave Schechter’s Feb. 16 column (“Blessing the Memory of Immigrant Forebears”). It is easy to see that he loves his family and has an interest in the current debate on immigration. His narrative creates the welcome mental image of lawful immigrants struggling to join the American family while obeying our laws at the turn of the last century. Schechter’s great-aunt Fannie sounds like a real character: “She enjoyed drinking scotch and liked a good liverwurst or smoked fish. She smoked cigarettes for 65 years, until she was 80, when a longtime friend’s admonishment put an end to that habit, and she
lived another decade after that.” I am sorry I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting her and that my own great-aunts and grandmother didn’t get to hang out with Aunt Fannie. But I am not sure that recounting his delightful family is a convincing argument for continuing the chain migration policy that started in 1965. Chain migration dictates that immigrants select the next wave of immigrants, regardless of any benefit or improvement offered to the common needs of the nation. It certainly doesn’t create the diversity we are told is the new standard of greatness. An example: According to the Department of Homeland Security, Mexico, China and India send us the most immigrants now merely because they have sent us the most immigrants since the mid-1960s. Though we are taking in about 1 million legal immigrants every year, Aunt Fannie would have a much more difficult time migrating to New York from Poland now than she did in 1905. President Donald Trump is calling for an end to chain migration in favor of a system that admits migrants based on what they can contribute to American society. The current, broad “family reunification” policies should be updated with a system designed to admit immigrants with job skills needed in the U.S. economy, as well as the education and language ability to succeed. Only the spouse and unmarried minor children of the primary applicant would qualify as future immigrants. While politically correct, chain migration doesn’t place the interests of U.S. citizens first. Too many deserving potential immigrants are passed over in favor of the relatives of previous migrants, no matter what they bring — or don’t bring — to the table. Replacing chain migration with a merit-based system would lower the number of aliens accepted each year, promote assimilation and ensure that those accepted are able to further the economic priorities of the nation. Ending chain migration should be viewed as the pro-American update it is intended to be. And we should all note that there is no universal civil right to live in the United States. Perhaps the late Barbara Jordan said it best when she was the Bill Clinton-appointed chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform from 1994 to 1996: “It is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.” Indeed. — D.A. King, Marietta
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OPINION
Jewish Atlanta Moving Together Into Future 70 Jewish professionals representing the broad panoply of Jewish life here. The Front Porch has sent teams out on immersive learning journeys that have included discussions with other Federations and deep dives into our own Jewish ecosystem. These journeys have also taken us to unexpected places outside the Jewish community.
Guest Column By Eric M. Robbins
We’ve learned from evangelical churches, our local Community Foundation, a waste removal company, the Atlanta Hawks, the Woodruff Arts Center, Sephora and a public radio station, to mention only a few. What we’ve discerned is yielding important insights and clues about how to become the most vibrant and innovative Jewish community that we can be. From Day 1 in Israel, it was apparent that we have much to learn from Israelis. They’ve found solutions to disabilities, aging and everyday social problems that challenge our people. We were also reminded how outdated and destructive our narrative of Jewish crisis and obligation can be. Our youth must understand the challenges we have had as a people, but they need to be turned on to the vibrancy of Jewish life and how meaningful it can be for them. If we don’t offer a new vision of Israel and the power of Jewish values to make the world better, they won’t choose to join us. Israel is confident and prosperous and an inspiring center of innovation. When we visited our partner region in Yokneam and Meggido, it was not to see the philanthropic projects we have funded there to help renew that community. We’re proud of those efforts, but this visit was to build one-on-one relationships and bridges so we can better understand each other and help each other be more connected. As peers and as friends we can build a far more durable and effective partnership. This trip was a living experience in pluralism. Our delegation included Orthodox and Chabad rabbis, liberal, gay and female rabbis, and everything in between. We studied at a secular yeshiva and an Orthodox yeshiva. We had the courage and strength to recover from conversations and
exchanges that some felt were unbalanced. And we remained true to our American and Southern traditions by modeling how to have a tachlis conversation without everyone shouting. I was blown away by the female leaders we met in Israel: women addressing poverty in Lod, leading yeshivas in Tel Aviv, advocating for pluralism in the Knesset and at the Kotel. We met women making significant changes in the LGBTQ, Haredi and aging communities. They are building bridges to Arabs, standing up for the rights of African refugees and spearheading urban renewal. As we bring our insights back to the Front Porch, I am especially proud of the important agreements we reached to leverage the relationships we made into new partnerships. As co-creators of the Jewish Atlanta we want to become, we have committed to never speaking unkindly of each other or assuming malintent. We have agreed that we will devote time and energy to nurturing a relationship with Israel that ensures this miraculous nation remains compelling and relevant to the next generation.
How perfect that our experience coincided with Tu B’Shevat. Together, we planted fruit trees in the Negev, knowing that this was fertile soil and that our saplings were the perfect metaphor for how we could strengthen our community for generations. I cannot shake the words of Avraham Infeld, a sage of the Jewish people who, like the zayde of a large and complex family, reminded us on the first day of the trip that Jews are a people and not just a religion. Moreover, we are a people animated by collective memory, and today we are a people with something new — power. Infeld also articulated what I believe to be our mission: to be a blessing to all the people of the world. I am confident that if we could get our community to sing together, debate together, break bread together and pray together, as we did in Israel, we have a great shot at rebuilding our Jewish ecosystem into something new, with opportunities for every Jew and points of connection that have never existed. And when we do, I know that the funding, the inspiration and the energy will flow like milk and honey. ■
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Allow this Pittsburgh boy to kvell about his adopted city, Atlanta. Atlanta just made the short list for the second Amazon headquarters. We’re a hot location in Georgia’s booming TV and movie industry. The Super Bowl is coming here in 2019. Yes, Atlanta is having a moment. It’s also having a Jewish moment. With 120,000 Jews (and still growing), 40-plus synagogues, eight Jewish day schools, Jewish camps, and a full spectrum of legacy and innovative organizations, metro Atlanta has become an exceptionally good Jewish place to live. We really do have it all. Jewish museum, check. Jewish Film Festival, check. Jewish Music Festival, check. AIPAC, AJC, ADL, JNF, ORT, Friends of the IDF — they’re here too. Young adult Jews also have good reasons to choose or stay in Atlanta. We’ve established three vibrant Moishe Houses to engage the critical post-college generation. We have outreach programs like OneTable, Honeymoon Israel, Limmud Atlanta + Southeast, InterfaithFamily, a pluralistic mikvah, SOJOURN, which supports LGBTQ Jews, and an annual kosher barbecue festival. We’re a Jewish innovation hub that has piloted groundbreaking programs such as Jewish Kids Groups, In the City Camp and a multimillion-dollar initiative to engage teens. In 2019 we’re hosting the JCC Maccabi Games. As CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, it is my singular mission to take Atlanta from good to great, to become a thriving 21st century Jewish community. My first-year priority was to start discussions to unlock our incredible potential and help us envision a framework to carry our community forward. It was important to challenge old assumptions and create a process that was broad and inclusive, with intentional outreach to every corner of Jewish life. We call our effort the Front Porch, evoking a deeply held Southern tradition of reflection, of hospitality and of connecting with neighbors and community. The Front Porch has brought us into one another’s homes and community institutions. It also brought us on an extraordinary learning journey to Israel in February. With the support of a visionary donor, we’ve returned from an ambitious working trip that drew together
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OPINION
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Our View
To Jerusalem
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
We planned to use this space to illuminate troubling developments for Jews in Europe, from a proposed ban on infant circumcision in Iceland to a legislative assault on kosher slaughter in Poland. Then President Donald Trump surprised us. The State Department announced Friday, Feb. 23, that the U.S. Embassy in Israel will move from Tel Aviv to Israel’s actual capital, Jerusalem, not at some indeterminate time in the future, but on May 14, less than three months away, as Israel celebrates its 70th birthday on the non-Jewish calendar. The United States hasn’t picked a place for its embassy, but it will temporarily make space in the consulate in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona — not coincidentally on land that has been part of the Jewish state since 1948. “We are excited about taking this historic step and look forward … to the May opening,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. The plan is for Ambassador David Friedman and a small staff to start working in the consulate, then to move into a new embassy annex in the Arnona complex by the end of 2019 — the most optimistic timeline we had envisioned for a Jerusalem embassy to open. The search goes on for the permanent location. We had doubts that Trump would move the embassy before the next presidential election in 2020 — not because his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December was insincere, but because the relocation seemed a low priority on an agenda that gets more crowded all the time. Needless to say, Israeli officials are ecstatic. “On behalf of the entire government and people, I would like to thank President Trump for both his leadership and his friendship. President Trump, you are a great friend of the state of Israel, and we all thank you,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, citing “significant and historic long-range implications.” U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said the move “is a testament to the unbreakable alliance and true friendship between the U.S. and Israel,” and he called for all nations to follow the U.S. lead and recognize Jerusalem as the capital and the place for embassies. We don’t expect many European nations to follow soon, although it’s the least some of them could do as penance for making Jews less welcome. Iceland’s proposal on circumcision — supposedly because it’s a human rights violation to cause infant boys a few moments of pain — and Poland’s latest move against kosher butchering — fresh off its passage of an onhold law denying any Polish responsibility for Jewish suffering in the Holocaust and a series of official statements instead blaming the Jewish victims — are the less vicious but no less anti-Semitic companions to violence and vandalism against Jews in France, Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, etc. It is a sad commentary on the direction of Europe little more than 70 years after the Holocaust that at the same time its nations are making Jewish life increasingly difficult, they show ever less willingness to accord Israel the privileges granted every other country. Trump deserves praise for giving Israel the sim10 ple respect due a sovereign nation. ■
Cartoon by Tom Janssen, The Netherlands
Abrams Reveals Party’s Israel Split The gubernatorial forum held by the Jewish What flabbergasted me was that Abrams Democratic Women’s Salon in Sandy Springs was in- thought such a statement was necessary — and so formative but largely unremarkable — as unremark- important that she made it twice. In 2018, a leading able as possible in a contest between two women candidate for Georgia governor sees Israel’s right to seeking a job no woman has ever held. exist as an issue for debate, not an accepted reality. Qualifying to run “I unequivocally for Georgia governor believe in the right of doesn’t open until Monday, Israel to exist” should be Editor’s Notebook March 5, but Democrats equivalent to “I unequivoStacey Abrams and Stacey cally believe that the sun By Michael Jacobs Evans have given enough will rise tomorrow” on the mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com speeches and answered controversy scale. enough questions to speak I don’t think Abrams for each other. has any doubts about Their appearance before Jewish voters ThursIsrael’s existence, but her need to say it means she day, Feb. 22, came exactly three months before the expects others in her wing of the Democratic Party primary. The two Staceys do have differences, so it’s to disagree. That, in turn, is further evidence of what worth reading what they had to say on Page 30 and surveys and observation have told us: Support for watching them on video at atlantajewishtimes.com Israel is no longer a given among Democrats. or www.youtube.com/user/atlantajewishtimes. Israel isn’t safe among Republicans, either, not Most of the questions were generic enough when neo-Nazis can emerge from the muck of the that they could have been asked at a forum held by far right to run for office as members of the GOP. a Rotary Club or a PTA instead of a Jewish women’s But Israel’s problem is wider and more fundagroup, but when Lois Frank asked about their votes mental in the Democratic Party, which remains the on anti-BDS legislation in 2016, she elicited what preferred political home for two-thirds to threestruck me as a stunning statement from Abrams. quarters of American Jews. Those on the right who “I unequivocally believe in the right of Israel to hate Israel usually don’t care for the Palestinians exist,” the former House minority leader said. She either, but the anti-Israel left is motivated by visions repeated that sentence before she finished her twoof justice for Palestinians that are too myopic to see minute answer (the only difference being that she a place for a Jewish homeland and instead focus on reversed the order of “unequivocally believe”). one Arab state from the river to the sea. The sentiment itself was not surprising, and I The 1,000-plus members of the Jewish Demowas glad to see Abrams be so clear and forceful in cratic Women’s Salon no doubt have run into too her support of Israel and her condemnation of the many fellow political activists who align with them boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. on almost every issue, only to veer away on Israel. How much her words matter if she doesn’t back Abrams was smart enough about the fault lines them up with votes and if she stands with a pro-BDS, in her party to recognize the need to deliver reasanti-Israel leader such as Linda Sarsour is a question surance about which side she’s on, but the festering for another day (look for interviews with Abrams, Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a political infection Evans and other candidates before May 22). that is only going to spread. ■
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OPINION
Protesting Hate Speech at UT-Knoxville When I decided to ask my daughter to join me in the protest, I was sure this was the right thing to do. And, yes, I am glad she joined me. I believe it
The Traditionalist Worker Party doesn’t hide its Nazi aspirations on its website.
Guest Column By Rabbi Erin Boxt
was a learning experience for her and for me. This was her second protest: She joined me at the Atlanta airport in January 2017 to protest a proposed travel ban. But this was different. This was someone coming to our town, to our home, and preaching hatred against not just “the other,” but against us. So it was personal. While I wanted her to learn, I did not want to put her in any danger or for her to feel unsafe at any time. After parking at Temple Beth El, Carlie and I, along with our friend Stacy Beyer, walked to the university campus and found where the protest was stationed. When we arrived at the location, we were greeted with a heavily guarded security checkpoint. We emptied our pockets, were checked for weapons and then were allowed to cross to the protest area. What we saw was a sectionedoff area with local and state police stationed every 3 to 5 feet. We were surrounded, and we were protected. We were there to protest peacefully while being protected. We stood in the cold and rain for several hours. Across the street and about half a block away in a parking garage, about 30 members of the TWP, including Heimbach, gathered. There was intense anticipation from the protesters as we anxiously awaited our opportunity to loudly and clearly protest their hate speech and ideology. After about 30 minutes, a much larger group of students (probably around 200) marched in from the opposite direction. Armed with signs and bullhorns, the students made their presence known, even if from afar. They wound up gathering across the street from us about half a block away in the other direction from the TWP crowd. Once the TWP group started to cross the bridge to the building where they were meeting, both protest groups raised their voices as we
chanted against the hate of the TWP. “We will win,” “Hate speech is not free speech” and “You are not wanted here” were a few of the chants. After another hour, the rain picked up, and it was time to go home. The TWP was still meeting, but the group across the street was getting a bit rowdy, and my daughter became a little nervous and scared. On our way back to our car, we passed four or five protesters who were being arrested for stationing themselves in the middle of the street. One of these brave souls was singing “Shalom Aleichem” (“Peace be upon you”). Stacy and I stopped and sang with her. She looked at us with a smile and tears streaming down her face as she
felt the connection with us. At that point my daughter, no doubt intimated by the overwhelming presence of police and loud protesters, said she wanted to go home. I am very proud of my 12-year-old daughter and her desire to live in a better world, a world in which all of us can truly be equals. She has only one voice, but a strong one. Standing up against those who hate us and in support of others is important to me, my family and my congregation. It is about loving your neighbor — no matter who your neighbor is. ■ Rabbi Erin Boxt, who formerly served at Temple Kol Emeth, is the senior rabbi at Temple Beth El in Knoxville.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
My 12-year-old daughter, Carlie, and I joined hundreds of others to protest the lecture of a well-known anti-Semitic white supremacist, Matthew Heimbach of the Traditionalist Worker Party, Saturday, Feb. 17, on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. One core part of my rabbinate is the concept of v’ahavta lereiacha kamocha, “love your neighbor as yourself.” This quote may sound familiar, as it comes from Leviticus 19:18. I have always tried to live my life by this important ideal. I was raised to treat everyone with respect and love, so I expect to be treated the same by everyone else. When I heard that a member of the TWP was coming to the University of Tennessee campus, I jumped to action. After a meeting with Vice Chancellor for Communications Ryan Robinson and about 15 professors, I was encouraged and challenged at the same time. I was encouraged because it was clear the university would not accept or support any kind of hate speech. I was challenged because, with the First Amendment ensuring free speech, I knew there was a lot of work to do to educate students and protest the TWP hate speech. I took these responsibilities personally. As a leader in the Jewish community, I knew I needed to act. As a father, I wanted to make my daughters and son proud of me. One of my congregants, a professor at the university, asked me a simple question. She wondered whether anyone had reached out to Heimbach and invited him to have a conversation. Perhaps he had never met a Jewish person before, she said. She was challenging me to see what I perhaps had not seen: the humanity of someone who despises or hates me. While I was intent on educating the students at the University of Tennessee and was set on teaching my children right from wrong, was I not seeing that those on the other side are humans too? I had to think about that a bit. You see, I believe it is OK to detest the ideas of another person; however, it is not right to detest the other person. We must find a way to love them, looking beyond the hate speech. So after some deep reflection, I decided to reach out to Heimbach. Unfortunately, I did not hear back from him or the TWP.
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OPINION
Catalyst for Change or Bucket of Cold Water? The prevailing sentiment on a network conference call after the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary was that revulsion at this slaughter of innocents — the dead included 20 boys and girls ages 6 and 7 — would compel Congress to pass legislation to restrict Americans’ access to guns. The bucket of cold water was thrown by the Washington bureau chief, who said, “Folks, that’s just not going to happen.” He was right. In time, the public fervor faded and — impassioned advocates aside — the nation moved on, as it has after every mass casualty shooting. Will the bloodshed at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., be a catalyst for change? If the faces of those slain firstgraders in Connecticut didn’t move the needle, I’m not sure what will. The number of guns in this country approaches (and by some estimates exceeds) the U.S. population, currently pegged at 323 million. Countless millions of words have been written in the aftermath of Park-
land. I expect to read many of them again because, as sure as I write this column, another school and another community will be added to the roll.
From Where I Sit By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com
At Stoneman Douglas, five of the 17 killed — four students and a teacher — were Jewish. “I think you can say that the whole area is like one big shiva house right now,” a local rabbi said at the start of his sermon. That feeling extended beyond Florida. My brother the rabbi reports that turnout for the Friday night service at his Conservative congregation in New Jersey was larger than usual and that, especially among the parents of school-age children, the Parkland tragedy was the subject of conversation before and after worship. The grief is acute for the Camp Coleman community, as 14-year-old
Alyssa Alhadeff had attended the camp in Cleveland, Ga., last summer and planned to return this year. Every conceivable measure of pain and anguish was visible and audible in an interview Alyssa’s mother, Lori Alhadeff, gave to CNN. “President Trump, you say what can you do. You can stop the guns from getting into these children’s hands! Put metal detectors at every entrance to the schools!” Alhadeff pleaded. “This is not fair to our families when our children go to school and have to get killed. I just spent the last two hours (making) the burial arrangements for my daughter’s funeral, who’s 14! President Trump, please do something. Do something! Action! We need it now. These kids need safety now.” I reached out to Michael Balaban, the former chief development officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, who has been the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County for two years. “It’s too soon to respond to the question of how the community is faring,” Balaban said midway through a weekend of funerals. “It is heartbreaking. While the community is providing
counseling and tending to the grieving, perhaps the best therapy is converting the anger we feel into action. The loudest voices are coming from the survivors — the students who were witness to this horror. Our generation — our politicians, community leaders and each of us — have failed them. We failed to keep them safe, and they rightfully won’t stand for it anymore. They are standing up and demanding justice for the victims. They are demanding that their school won’t be known as a statistic but as the place where we moved from words like hope and prayers to actions that finally put an end to these horrific tragedies.” Having seen their classmates gunned down and watched them die, the survivors at Stoneman Douglas have no patience for the “thoughts and prayers” of the drive-by political class. In that vein, numerous people online have cited a New Testament verse from James 2:17, to the effect that faith, without works, is dead. Maybe the teens in Parkland — and their peers around the country — can move the needle. But history suggests that they watch out for that bucket of cold water. ■
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Adoption Discrimination Demands Rabbinic Voice
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Less than a year after my ordination, I accept a job working as a rabbi in a Jewish day school in New York. There is no job description, and the head of school is eager to see how the role develops. “I’m not concerned about specific tasks I want you to do,” he says. “Instead, I want you to be.” In the first 20 years of my rabbinate, I learn that my calling is educational and pastoral and that school is a comfortable place from which I can foster growth in my community. Having spent time in the pulpit, I know how to speak in the prophetic voice of the rabbi but don’t feel particularly called to do so. Until I did. I was called — literally — by leaders of SOJOURN and Georgia Equality, by community activists and clergy I admire, to stand against discrimination and to fight for equal protection under the law for LGBT citizens during the 2015 and 2016 legislative sessions. There were rallies in Liberty Plaza and press conferences on the steps of the Georgia Capitol to oppose the so-
called religious freedom laws. On one occasion, our bipartisan, interfaith, multigenerational coalition delivered thousands of letters to Gov.
From the ARA By Rabbi Pamela Jay Gottfried
Nathan Deal’s office, encouraging him to veto a discriminatory law. I rested my prophetic voice in 2017 while I marched with others who took the microphone to decry travel bans and deportations. As the 2018 Georgia legislative session progressed, I was optimistic when House Bill 159, which enjoyed bipartisan support for comprehensive reform of adoption and foster care laws, passed in early February. But the situation changed when SB 375, the Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act, was pushed through the Senate Judiciary Committee and sent to a vote with hardly any debate. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle promised to support this license to discriminate, de-
spite outspoken opposition by constituents and businesses across the state. For the more than 12,000 children in need of loving families, letting taxpayer-funded agencies deny service to same-sex couples would be devastating. My state representative, Deborah Silcox, assured me she is “not interested in a bill that discriminates against anyone” and “will vote ‘no’ for SB 375.” Still, I’m going to remind her of her promise, just as I gently remind my students who assure me they will submit assignments after class, while I attend Georgia Equality’s training session and LGBT Lobby Day on Purim, accompanied by a few Weber School seniors. This seems like an appropriate educational activity for the holiday; we will follow in the footsteps of Esther and Mordechai, who influenced King Achashverosh to enact fair laws regarding the treatment of a vulnerable, minority population under his rule.
After my students and I persuade our lawmakers inside the Capitol building, I’ll cross the street to Central Presbyterian Church to meet my colleagues and friends from all faith traditions at a rally to stop SB 375 from becoming law in Georgia. I’m prepared to yell in a voice I’d never use with students in my classroom or under the Gold Dome to protest discrimination being perpetrated under the guise of religious values. This is a fight against what our biblical prophets and spiritual leaders would call a desecration of G-d’s name. My faith demands that we treat orphans, our most vulnerable children, with the utmost care. Any person who claims to represent me and seeks to protect my religious freedom will hear me speak my truth in whatever rabbinic voice the situation requires: educational, pastoral or prophetic. Shema kolenu: Hear our voices cry out on behalf of those whose voices may not be heard. ■ Rabbi Pamela Jay Gottfried is the Weber School dean of Jewish studies and a Rabbis Without Borders fellow.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
This year’s festival lets you get nostalgic, so you can walk in Memphis and spend time with a familiar “Stranger.” You can leap to the future with a robot creating its own genres of music. Or you can see how contemporary Jewish artists are fusing Eastern European and Yemenite roots into something new. Find all that and more in this special 16-page pullout preview section.
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AJMF 9
Sample the Featured Artists By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com Get to know some of the featured artists of the ninth Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, which includes 32 events over three weekends at venues across the city.
views on YouTube, Tel Aviv-based indie pop band Lola Marsh might be the most popular band at AJMF9. Catch the show if you like infectiously catchy pop sing-along beats and deep, warm, nostalgic vocals. Marc Cohn Performing: March 10 and 11 at City Winery Atlanta Sounds like: The ’90s Why you should go: I could suggest going to hear Marc Cohn’s powerful vocals, which blend perfectly with his soulful, piano-driven soft rock, but most people will want to see him just because they’re fans of his 1991 smash hit, “Walking in Memphis.” Though the 58-year-old singer-songwriter never matched the success of his Grammy-winning debut album, he has recorded and performed for more than 30 years and collected countless stories and songs along the way.
TSVEY BRIDER
Tsvey Brider and Beyond the Pale Performing: March 8 at City Winery Atlanta Sounds like: Jerry Garcia’s klezmer fever dream Why you should go: Seeing Torontobased euro folk fusion group Beyond the Pale live is one of the best ways to experience the wide-open genre that is new acoustic music. Catch the show to explore jazz, bluegrass and European folk through a lens of upbeat klezmer music. If you’re searching for something more classic, Tsvey Brider delivers contemporary and original takes on traditional Yiddish music.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
LOLA MARSH
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Lola Marsh Performing: March 8 at Aisle 5 Sounds like: Indie pop from Tel Aviv Why you should go: With more than 55,000 followers combined on Facebook and Instagram and millions of
Yemen Blues Performing: March 11 at the Breman Museum Sounds like: Heady, Yemenite-inspired world music Why you should go: Israeli Ravid Kahalani brings together traditional Yemenite chants and prayers, African world music, and a dash of classic American blues for his Yemen Blues project. Performed mostly in Yemenite Arabic, the result is a journey through Kahalani’s diverse influences from his Jewish Yemenite upbringing in Israel to his discovery of North and West African music and its connection to the roots of blues music in America. Bint El Funk Performing: March 18 at Orpheus Brewery Sounds like: Earth, Wind and Falafel Why you should go: Bint El Funk isn’t a funk band. Instead, it takes elements of funk, ska and jam band music and applies them to Middle Eastern world music. The result is a contemporary, playful and sexy sound that will get you on your feet and dancing to the
MARC COHN beat. Tickets to the Sunday afternoon performance to include 4 pints of icecold, microbrewed brilliance from Orpheus. Joshua Radin Performing: March 15 at City Winery Atlanta Sounds like: James Taylor meets John Mayer Why you should go: Singer-songwriter Joshua Radin was one of the many acts following in the footsteps of John Mayer after he gained massive popularity for his sensitive acoustic music in the early 2000s. Radin’s songs were featured on a number of television shows, and his 2008 album, “Simple Times,” hit No. 1 on the iTunes overall chart back when that meant something. Show up to see the 43-year-old songster spin some heartfelt tunes in an intimate setting.
BINT EL FUNK
Jacob Jeffries Performing: March 24 at City Winery Atlanta Sounds like: Ben Folds Five Why you should go: Fort Lauderdale-based pianist Jacob Jeffries is the featured artist when ATL Collective re-creates Billy Joel’s album “The Stranger” for two shows. Besides the immense talent of Jeffries, the only reason you should need to attend this show is to get an evening of dynamic Billy Joel covers produced by the always impressive ATL Collective.
YEMEN BLUES
AJMF 9
JACOB JEFFRIES
JOSHUA RADIN
Locals Only As always, the AJMF is helping local artists share the spotlight. • Sammy Rosenbaum — Former local, now-Florida-based purveyor of catchy and soulful Judaic music. • Zale — Edgy and energetic singer-songwriter/rocker. • Joe Alterman — Instrumentally and immensely talented jazz pianist, back from a period based in New York. • Matt Citron — Fast-flowing and lyrical hip-hop artist. • Sammy K — Toco Hills-bred trap artist with serious bars. • Prodezra — Savannah-born, Atlanta-based hip-hop artist. • Sunmoon Pie — Spiritual and sensitive duo with songs based in Kabbalistic and Jewish themes. • Beth Schafer — Soulful song leader extraordinaire serving as Temple Sinai’s cantorial chair. • Flavia & Gershone — Ancient, healing Hebrew chant duo from Athens.
SAMMY ROSENBAUM 2018 WOMEN IN THE ARTS PANEL LUNCHEON
BETH SCHAFER
LOUDERMILK CONFERENCE CENTER APRIL 25, 2018 | 11:30A - 1:30P This year’s theme, Defying Gravity: Women Rising explores how women leaders in our community bring dynamic and unique ideas to the world of business and the arts. Individual Tickets: $85 • Non-Profit Rate: $65
CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT SYNCHROTHEATRE.COM OR BY CALLING 404-484-8636.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
This popular luncheon fundraiser joins together business leaders and performing artists for an informative and lively dialogue, great networking and a gourmet lunch. Panelists discuss relevant issues in the arts, philanthropy and economic development of Atlanta. Each year, we also honor two Atlantans who are making a valuable impact on our community.
MATT CITRON
One Peachtree Pointe • 1545 Peachtree St. NE #102, Atlanta
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AJMF 9
2 New Acoustic Spins on Yiddish, Klezmer Music By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com The ninth Atlanta Jewish Music Festival is kicking it old school for opening night with two groups that take traditional Eastern European music with roots in the 19th century and update it for the 21st. Genre-defying new acoustic fusion group Beyond the Pale and contemporary Yiddish duo Tsvey Brider will open AJMF9 at City Winery on Thursday, March 8. The ninth edition of the AJMF will start with a set from Tsvey Brider, followed by a set from Beyond the Pale. The groups then will share the stage for a few tunes.
Not Exactly Brothers
Beyond Euro/Folk Fusion
What started in 1998 as an ambi-
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
The band name Tsvey Brider means “two brothers” in Yiddish, but Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell and Dmitri Gaskin don’t have any familial ties. Instead, the musical duo’s name springs from the intrepid musical connection they share. “It reflects our working relationship,” Gaskin said. “On a spiritual level we have a musical connection that’s very deep and hard to describe. We approach this music in some sense in very similar ways and in some sense in very different ways.” From a young age, Gaskin, 22, was introduced to traditional Yiddish music. He started playing piano when he was young and received his first accordion as a bar mitzvah present. Russell, 38, a vocalist, got into the genre much later after converting to Judaism. The two have been making music for six years, but they only recently started using the Tsvey Brider moniker. Together, they are creating contemporary interpretations of music in Yid-
dish. Gaskin described it as “cultural fusion with Yiddish inspiration.” “It’s not your grandmother’s Yiddish music,” he said. “We perform Yiddish art in a modern cultural context. The music is super-exciting, and I don’t think folks in Atlanta will have heard music like this before.” Gaskin and Russell draw inspiration from a wide range of genres, both contemporary and traditional. They have performed and recorded with noted klezmer and Yiddish artists Anthony Coleman, Daniel Kahn, Michael Winograd, Michael Alpert and Veretski Pass. A classically trained opera singer, Russell is a vocalist, composer and arranger specializing in Yiddish art and folk song, chazones, and Hasidic nigunim. He is married to Rabbi Michael Rothbaum of Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton, Mass. Gaskin, who lives in Oakland, Calif., said he has been hooked on klezmer since playing in his first group in the genre at the age of 13. In 2009 he won the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award, and he is the proud owner of three accordions. “Yiddish music is not the most complicated type of music by far, but it’s a very emotional type of music,” he said. “So it’s a very good way for me as a means of self-expression. It comes off in a way where it’s less about the amount of notes you can play but more about the emotions that you can affect in people.” Tsvey Brider’s performance at AJMF9 will be the duo’s first since a five-date European tour in November. They also will perform in July at Yidstock 2018 in Amherst, Mass.
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Dmitri Gaskin (left) and Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell aren’t brothers, but they are Tsvey Brider.
Beyond the Pale has only two original members but has kept the same lineup for 16 years.
tious experiment in the new acoustic genre has evolved into Beyond the Pale, an acoustic fusion group specializing in contemporary klezmer and Eastern European music. In the beginning, the group would play everything from bluegrass and jazz to reggae and funk but soon realized that what connected the most with fans was the fusion material involving klezmer and other Eastern European sounds. “When we first got together, there was a broader concept,” said Eric Stein, a mandolinist and founding member of the group. “It was still an acoustic concept, but the palette of sounds was a lot wider. So instead of being a band that was a chameleon from song to song, we took those styles that we were interested in, like jazz and bluegrass, and integrated them as influences that would shape our approach to the Eastern European and klezmer music.” The band soon adopted the name Beyond the Pale as a nod to the Russian Empire’s Jewish Pale of Settlement, from where their music is partially derived. Twenty years and four albums later, the Toronto-based band has performed at festivals and venues around the world and continues to break ground in the new acoustic genre with a blend of musical styles. “There’s only two kinds of music,” Stein said. “Good and bad. So there’s really very eclectic tastes and musical tastes among all the members of the band.” In the early years, the band went through a few personnel changes, leaving Stein and bassist Bret Higgins as the only original members of the band. For the past 16 years, though, the group has remarkably maintained the same lineup.
Stein said familiarity with his bandmates has led to a fluidity and comfort onstage that audiences can connect with. “I think that our music has generally broad appeal,” he said. “It’s very accessible. I think what people connect with in our music is the sincerity with which it’s made and also the personal connections between us as musicians onstage. It’s something that I think people find very compelling.” Originally a bassist, Stein picked up the mandolin after hearing the music of influential, genre-bending Jewish mandolinist David Grisman. After honing his chops playing bluegrass, Grisman created his own style of new acoustic music later dubbed “Dawg music.” “That style of music was rooted in bluegrass but influenced by jazz, Latin, world music and Eastern European folk music,” Stein said. “He really sort of created his own sound.” Stein got into klezmer music after taking Jewish history courses while in college and learning about his own Jewish history as the grandson of immigrants from Poland. He later visited the country to get a taste of where he came from and became enamored with the culture and music. “Jewish music was the furthest thing in my universe until the mid-90s when the klezmer revival started taking off,” Stein said. “The music started speaking to me. The fact that it gave me a connection to my identity and my heritage made it that much more compelling to immerse in it.” The group’s stop in Atlanta on March 8 for AJMF9 is part of a ninecity tour of the South from March 2 to 12 that includes Charlottesville, Nashville, Huntsville and Lexington. ■
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AJMF 9
Chana Rothman Plays Festival’s Iron Woman By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com Chana Rothman is not just another singer and songwriter; she is also a musical community organizer, educator, activist and mentor. Her music is described as a mix of folk, world beat and hip-hop that aims “to break down barriers toward consciousness and change.” She is playing more gigs at this year’s Atlanta Jewish Music Festival than any other artist. She will have a show at Venkman’s in conjunction with the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative, a Shabbat service at Temple Sinai and a youth show with InterfaithFamily/ Atlanta at Industrious at Ponce City Market, among other performances and workshops. AJT: It sounds like you’re always busy. What keeps you motivated? Rothman: I’m a Gemini, so we always have multiple activities going on. There are so many things I care about in the world, and so many of them truly can be addressed through music.
family programs that are fulfilling is very meaningful and relevant for me because that’s what I want for my own family.
Chana Rothman likes to bounce music off her kids to test it out.
I also believe in a holistic, integrative approach to music, which can be intertwined with all the different things we’re doing. That’s how I came to my Rainbow Train project about freedom of gender expression; it’s what is going in my family and in my life and in the larger community. I tried to find some songs about it, and I couldn’t, so why not write some? The thing that’s true about all these endeavors, whether it’s classroom teaching or experiencing spirituality, music is woven into all the facets of my life. I have young kids, so doing
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AJT: What effect has motherhood had on your work? Rothman: It has had a deep impact. My kids are like my petri dishes in a way; they’re my sounding board. If I’m doing a family concert or a kids show, I’ll bounce a song off them. The other day I was facilitating an assembly on African-American music for Black History Month. My younger two came along, and we’re singing a Kenyan song and “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” and it just makes things a little more seamless. AJT: What are the obstacles kids in general are facing now? Rothman: We’re seeing it with the response to the Parkland shooting. Young adults are saying, “You’re not keeping us safe, and you’re not listening to us.” Kids in high school are taking things into their own hands, which is unprecedented. The closest echo to
Jewish Breakfast Club
this would be the anti-war movement in the ’70s. It’s unfortunate that the voting age doesn’t reflect that. I think the overarching thing is that younger people don’t get to have the voice they deserve. If kids learn early that their sense of justice doesn’t matter and is not worth pursuing, they will come up against those barriers again and again. Their minds are good, and their thoughts are worth sharing, so that is how we create a stronger future. AJT: Back to music. What do you like listening to? Rothman: My good friends Nefesh Mountain, a Jewish bluegrass band, I really like their music. We’ve been doing some some Eastern and Western African music at the school where I teach. That’s really fun and inspiring me lately. I always love reggae music, Israeli music too. AJT: I hope you get to catch some music while you’re here at the festival, but your schedule looks pretty full. Rothman: Oh, my G-d, it’s so full. ■
Luncheon
Thursday, March 8 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Greenberg Traurig LLP 3333 Piedmont Rd NE #2500 • Atlanta
The JBC is also an opportunity to network and connect with fellow business leaders in the community before and after the program.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Find out the challenges and goals our very own Jewish Millennials are facing.
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(Millennials are the rising generation born from 1978-1998).
The Jewish Breakfast Club luncheon on March 8, 2018 will be dedicated to honoring the recent winners of the Atlanta Jewish Times’ “40 under 40”. Everyone attending will have an opportunity to meet these leaders and participate in a panel discussion.
Register at: https://atlantajewishtimes.com/jbc-40-leaders/
Past speakers include Bernie Marcus, Georgia Tech men’s basketball coach Josh Pastner, Atlanta Falcons minority owner Ed Mendel, Doug Ross chairman of Birthright Israel’s Atlanta Regional Council and former CEO of Caribou Coffee Michael Coles and many more.
JBC
Jewish Breakfast Club
All food and drinks are AKC certified kosher.
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
AJMF 9
This Is How We Did It mentioned at the top is preceded in Jay-Z’s verse with “You wanna know what’s more important than throwing away money at the strip club?” Like any good piece of art, this song has received a range of reactions
Guest Column By Russell Gottschalk
from its audience. And I personally have felt both sides. When I first heard the track, I had to skip back to make sure I heard what I thought I did. After a few listens (along with the album in its entirety), I’ve come to appreciate and embrace that type of lyrical creativity. Because a lot of truth is said in jest. Jews do work together to achieve things bigger than the individual, and as minority groups go, American Jewish communities are some of the most competent and productive collectives around. We achieve things greater
than we maybe should (given our numbers), and that success is in large part the result of many generations sharing the responsibility of and the opportunities from the community. I’m walking proof as the founding director of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, which has become a bigger and more joyous festival than I ever could have dreamed. So I felt compelled to respond to this artistic statement from Jay-Z, both as a leader of AJMF and as a lover of hip-hop. Last fall I worked with members of the AJMF team to create a “Story of AJMF” song that ends with a twist on the same refrain: “That’s how we did it!” I connected with local rapper Sammy K to add some talent and depth to the track. We teamed up with Sammy Rosenbaum for much-needed live music support and met at Michael Levine’s home studio to record. It’s a project by Jewish Atlanta musicians celebrating what this community and its supporters have built together. This video took weeks to produce for a festival that takes months
to plan and execute. I’m so excited to share the “Story of AJMF” at bit.ly/ Story_of_AJMF. This marketing piece for AJMF9 (March 8 to 25) also provides an opportunity to participate in a greater conversation about identity, culture and representation. Will this video get a response from the ADL and/or a famous music celebrity? Probably not. But this project has opened conversations among the AJMF family as we’ve developed the idea. It has us thinking about our role in the community, in the many ways that word is defined. In the coming weeks we’ll have the opportunity to continue the conversation. We’ll take in thoughtprovoking music and self-expression. And like any good Jewish crowd, we’ll likely take that opportunity to disagree about what the performance means. That’s just fine. We’ll see ya at AJMF9! ■ Russell Gottschalk is the founder and director of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival.
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Credit. You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? That’s how they did it. Jay-Z rapped those lines in a song called the “Story of OJ” last summer as part of his most recent album, “4:44.” It’s a song and music video that contain numerous exaggerations and stretches of the imagination. When the song and album made their debut, the ADL responded to this shout-out of our people by saying, “The idea that Jews ‘own all the property’ in this country and have used credit to financially get ahead are odious and false.” The ADL fell short of accusing JayZ of promoting anti-Semitism, but the response was swift and concerned. The counterpoint came shortly after from prominent Israeli music manager Guy Oseary (Madonna and U2), who believes that Jay-Z is exaggerating the Jewish experience as an example to his black community about “what is possible and achievable.” It’s worth noting the “credit” line
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AJMF 9
Three Weeks of Jewish Music The ninth edition of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival will feature 25 public performances and seven private events over three weekends in March from an eclectic mix of local, national and international talent at venues across the city. To purchase tickets, visit atlantajmf.org/ajmf9-line-up.
THURSDAY, MARCH 8
Opening night featuring Tsvey Brider and Beyond the Pale New acoustic fusion groups Tsvey Brider and Beyond the Pale bring their contemporary, Eastern European-influenced tunes to Atlanta. Time: 7:30 p.m. Cost: $20 to $36; open to all Location: City Winery Atlanta Lola Marsh Israeli indie pop-folk band Lola Marsh was one of the pop sensations of 20162017 with the catchy hit “You’re Mine.” The duo of Gil Landau and Yael Shoshana Cohen performs in Little Five Points in a follow-up to the opening night concert at Ponce City Market. Time: 9:30 p.m. Cost: $12; open to all Location: Aisle 5
FRIDAY, MARCH 9
Shimon Robot at Atlanta Science Festival opening night Shimon, Georgia Tech professor Gil Weinberg’s musical robot, uses artificial intelligence and deep learning to create compositions, a technological breakthrough. Time: 7 p.m. Cost: $15; open to all Location: Ferst Center for the Arts
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Shabbat service featuring Tsvey Brider Contemporary Yiddish duo Tsvey Brider participates in a musical service. Time: 7:30 p.m. Cost: Free; open to all Location: Congregation Bet Haverim The Well featuring Rabbi David Spinrad and Sammy Rosenbaum Let the spirit of Judaism touch your soul during The Temple’s young-adultfocused The Well with Rabbi Spinrad, who’s leaving The Temple this summer, and Rosenbaum, the former Jewish Atlanta musical mainstay who is now based in Florida. Time: 8 p.m. Cost: Free; open to all Location: The Temple
SATURDAY, MARCH 10
Shabbark Shalom 20 Join AJMF, Furkids and the Marcus JCC
on the BeltLine for music and fun with furry friends. Dogs are available for adoption. Time: 1 p.m. Cost: Free; open to all Location: The Icebox on the BeltLine Marc Cohn Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Marc Cohn of “Walking in Memphis” fame performs shows on consecutive nights. Time: 8 p.m. Cost: $40 to $55; open to all Location: City Winery Atlanta
SUNDAY, MARCH 11
Cantor’s Couch featuring Cantor Jack Mendelson Journey back to the 1950s through Cantor Jack Mendelson’s stories of growing up in Borough Park, Brooklyn. He paints a picture of a bygone day when Jews would flock to synagogues to hear the golden voices of cantors as if they were concert halls. Time: 1 p.m. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door; open to all Location: Temple Beth Tikvah Marc Cohn Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Marc Cohn of “Walking in Memphis” fame performs shows on consecutive nights. Time: 8 p.m. Cost: $40 to $55; open to all Location: City Winery Atlanta Yemen Blues The 2018 Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series kicks off with a performance by Yemen Blues, Israeli Ravid Kahalani’s original music project mixing Yemeni and West African influences with contemporary grooves, from funk to mambo, and the deep soul of old Mizrachi chants. Time: 5 p.m. Cost: $50 for Breman members, $60 for others (promo code AJMF1 for $20 tickets); open to all Location: Breman Museum
THURSDAY, MARCH 15
Chana Rothman and Zale Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Chana Rothman takes the stage with Atlanta’s own boundary-pushing alternative rock five-piece band Zale. The event concludes JumpSpark Music, a multiday intensive music program for high-schoolers created in collaboration with the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative. Time: 7 p.m. Cost: Free; open to all Location: Venkman’s
Joshua Radin Indie singer-songwriter Joshua Radin performs an intimate set at City Winery. The Ohio native has recorded seven studio albums, and his songs have been used in numerous films and TV series. Time: 8 p.m. Cost: $45 to $55; open to all Location: City Winery Atlanta
FRIDAY, MARCH 16
Tot Shabbat service with Chana Rothman Musical community organizer and educator Chana Rothman leads a fun and energetic tot service. Time: 6 p.m. Cost: Free; open to all Location: Temple Sinai Acoustic Shabbat featuring Rabbi Brian Glusman and Drew Cohen Rabbi Glusman and Drew Cohen lead a special AJMF service. Time: 7 p.m. Cost: Free; open to all Location: Alon’s Bakery & Market
SATURDAY, MARCH 17
Young families show with InterfaithFamily/Atlanta Chana Rothman performs a familyfriendly show. Time: 5 p.m. Cost: $5 in advance, $10 at the door or $20 per family Location: Industrious at Ponce City Market Flavia & Gershone’s Hebrew chants Athens-based chanting/singing duo Flavia & Gershone facilitate sound healing experiences through sacred sounds chanted and sung in Sanskrit, English, Portuguese, Hebrew and Spanish. Time: 7:30 p.m. Cost: $20; open to all Location: Vista Yoga
SUNDAY, MARCH 18
Bint El Funk Pioneering Israeli groove band Bint El Funk performs an original blend of Yemenite funk. Tickets include 4 microbrew pints. Time: 1 p.m. Cost: $20; 21 and over Location: Orpheus Brewery Joe Alterman Atlanta native Joe Alterman performs two shows of his upbeat blend of instrumental jazz piano covers and original tunes in the Morris & Rae Frank Theatre. Time: 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Cost: $20 for members, $25 for others;
open to all Location: Marcus JCC
THURSDAY, MARCH 22
Matt Citron, Sammy K and Prodezra A night of local Jewish hip-hop features Matt Citron, Sammy K and Prodezra. Time: 9 p.m. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door; 21 and older Location: Music Room
FRIDAY, MARCH 23
Kirtan Shabbat A moving service features sacred Hebrew chant and original melodies from Flavia & Gershone and local duo Sunmoon Pie. Time: 6:30 p.m. Cost: Free; open to all Location: Ahavath Achim Synagogue
SATURDAY, MARCH 24
ATL Collective presents Billy Joel’s “The Stranger” Jacob Jeffries and ATL Collective musicians re-create Billy Joel’s 1977 album for two shows. Time: 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Cost: $20 to $25; open to all Location: City Winery Atlanta
SUNDAY, MARCH 25
Teen battle of the bands AJMF’s annual teen battle of the bands returns. Eligible bands have at least two performers, at least one of whom is Jewish. The winner receives $500; the runner-up gets $250. Time: 1:30 p.m. Cost: $5 in advance, $10 at the door; open to all Location: Smith’s Olde Bar Beth Schafer and friends Temple Sinai Cantorial Chair Beth Schafer leads a benefit show for the Sandy Springs Community Assistance Center. Time: 4 p.m. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door; open to all Location: Temple Sinai
Limited Engagements THURSDAY, MARCH 8
Tsvey Brider Time: 11 a.m. Location: William Breman Jewish Home Open to residents and their families and friends
FRIDAY, MARCH 9
Tsvey Brider and Beyond the Pale Time: 9 a.m. Location: The Weber School Performance and lecture/demonstra-
AJMF 9 tion; open to students and faculty
SUNDAY, MARCH 11THURSDAY, MARCH 15
JumpSpark Music Sammy Rosenbaum leads the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative’s JumpSpark intensive on music. Time: Sunday afternoon, then 6 each evening Cost: $199; open to ninth- to 12th-graders bit.ly/2BUTh5g
THURSDAY, MARCH 15
Chana Rothman Time: 10 a.m. Location: Marcus JCC’s Weinstein Preschool Open to pupils and their families
FRIDAY, MARCH 16 Nefesh Mountain Time: 8:30 a.m. Location: The Davis Academy Open to students and staff and their families Chana Rothman Time: 11 a.m. Location: The Epstein School Open to students and staff
SATURDAY, MARCH 17 Chana Rothman Time: 11 a.m. Location: NFTY Hatikvah Kallah, Temple Beth Tikvah Workshop open to kallah participants
Ahavath Achim Synagogue 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. Buckhead www.aasynagogue.org
Marcus JCC 5342 Tilly Mill Road Dunwoody www.atlantajcc.org
Aisle 5 1123 Euclid Ave. Little Five Points www.aisle5atl.com
Music Room 327 Edgewood Ave. Sweet Auburn District www.atlmusicroom.com
Alon’s Bakery & Market 4505 Ashford-Dunwoody Road Dunwoody alons.com
Orpheus Brewery 1440 Dutch Valley Place Midtown www.orpheusbrewing.com
Breman Museum 1440 Spring St. Midtown www.thebreman.org City Winery Atlanta 650 North Ave. Old Fourth Ward www.citywinery.com/atlanta Congregation Bet Haverim 2074 LaVista Road Toco Hills www.congregationbethaverim.org Ferst Center for the Arts 349 Ferst Drive Georgia Tech campus, Midtown arts.gatech.edu The Icebox on the BeltLine 700 Lake Ave. Across from Krog Street Market, Inman Park www.iceboxcoolstuff.com Industrious at Ponce City Market Eighth floor 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. Old Fourth Ward www.industriousoffice.com/locations/ atlantaponce
Smith’s Olde Bar 1578 Piedmont Ave. Midtown www.smithsoldebar.com The Temple 1589 Peachtree St. Midtown www.the-temple.org Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Road Roswell www.bethtikvah.com Temple Sinai 5645 Dupree Drive Sandy Springs www.templesinaiatlanta.org Venkman’s 740 Ralph McGill Blvd. Old Fourth Ward venkmans.com Vista Yoga 2836 LaVista Road Rear Suite D Northeast Atlanta vistayoga.com
Come see our new PERIMETER MALL location!! (404) 946-5808 ticknors.com
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Venues
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AJMF 9
Lola Marsh Connects Fantasy to Indie Pop By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com Imagine a world of fantasy — that’s what audiences experience at Lola Marsh concerts, said vocalist Yael Shoshana Cohen, who joins drummer Gil Landau in the Tel Aviv-based duo. Lola Marsh is a late addition to the ninth annual Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, performing at Aisle 5 on Thursday, March 8, as an after-party to the opening night concert that evening. After Cohen attended a birthday party for Landau in Tel Aviv, the pair hosted frequent jam sessions until they formed a unique chemistry. “It was magical,” Cohen said in an interview from Germany, where Lola Marsh was touring. “We started playing some songs, and after Gil asked me if I wanted to be in a band, I immediately said yes.” The two have composed countless songs together and been inseparable. Lola Marsh’s second single, “You’re Mine,” has garnered 8 million plays on Spotify and has landed among the service’s three most viral tracks and has
Yael Shoshana Cohen and Gil Landau make up Lola Marsh, which mixes fantasy and indie pop for a special experience. The duo will appear March 8 at AJMF9.
ranked among Hype Machine’s three most popular tracks. Along with its music, the band’s name has garnered attention. The name came about when a group of musicians began calling out names as possibilities until someone suggested Lola Marsh. “We always wanted to create something of our own and liked its sound, so we just stuck with it,” Cohen said. Lola Marsh is generally described as an indie pop band, but the group prefers descriptive words such as nos-
talgic and romantic. “I think our music is very cinematic,” Cohen said. “Gil and I enjoy soundtracks, and when we write our music, we sometimes imagine the scenes in our mind.” Lola Marsh is influenced by such musical acts as Pink Floyd and Elvis Presley and by films such as “The Never Ending Story” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” “I think we draw our inspiration from everything,” Landau said, “and when we don’t have any ideas, we try to find it from each other, our in-
struments or experiences we’ve been through.” Lola Marsh’s members are Jewish, but Landau said they don’t think about their Judaism. “When we meet people in the street, we really don’t care who or what they are. They can be Jewish, Muslim or Christian. We just want to bring people together and play music.” Cohen added, “Music is a universal language, and now that we are on tour, it’s amazing to see how everyone connects with it.” The two are excited to play in Atlanta at the Jewish Music Festival, which Cohen said offers a different experience and atmosphere. She recounted a concert in Krakow, Poland. “I can’t explain how or why, but it felt like home,” she said. “People treated us so well and asked us so many questions about Israel. I hope it will be similar in Atlanta.” Landau added: “We are looking forward to it because we really enjoy playing in front of people who understand our music and are coming from the same roots. There is something special about it.” ■
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AJMF 9
2 Flavors of Yemenite Influence Fuse Into Festival By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com Ravid Kahalani grew up singing traditional Jewish Yemenite songs in synagogues. The experience led him to create Yemen Blues, which is scheduled to perform Sunday, March 11, at the Breman Museum as part of the Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series and the ninth annual Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. Yemen Blues is one of two Yemenite bands at AJMF9, joining Bint El Funk. Both are following in the footsteps of three-sister Israeli Yemenite group A-WA, which performed at AJMF7, providing a fusion of Yemenite funk and electronic dance at Terminal West. Before Kahalani formed Yemen Blues, he collaborated with musicians Omer Avital and Debka Fantasia. They held frequent jam sessions in New York and Tel Aviv until Rony Iwryn, Itamar Doari and Itamar Borchov joined the band and brought their own cultural experiences. Musicians Galia Hai, Hadar Noiberg (who also played AJMF7), Avi Lebovich and Hilla Epstein later joined the group. After recording a few songs, Kahalani sent a copy of the band’s music to Israeli journalist Dubi Lentz, who distributed it at the Babel Med Music Festival in Marseille. That decision led to the band’s first show and inevitable success. “We became popular overnight and have booked hundreds of shows since then,” Kahalani said. He described his music as new age and cultural but said it’s hard to place it in a specific genre. “There are lots of cultures infused within the music, but I think the way we worked on it was very organic and natural,” he said. “When you listen to Yemen Blues, you
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Vocalist Ravid Kahalani of Yemen Blues will perform March 11 as part of the Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series at the Breman.
hear layers of different cultures which actually influenced each other if you go back in time.” Traditional Jewish Yemenite melodies, blues and jazz are some of many genres that influence Yemen Blues, said Kahalani, who grew up listening to Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and a lot of African-American music, which led him to rediscover Africa. “African music is the source of almost everything that we have today,” he said. In addition to Yemenite and African influences, Kahalani said the band members influence the group by incorporating their own cultures. “I like countless types of music, and my goal is to just keep evolving and connecting the dots between different cultures which influenced each other,” he said. In his early 20s, Kahalani listened
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Vocalist Shiran Karni and Bint El Funk will perform March 18 at Orpheus Brewery. The group fuses traditional Jewish Yemenite melodies and funk.
to artists such as Miles Davis, Blind Willie Johnson and Big Mama Thornton. “The singers really inspired me and influenced me as a performer.” Most of Yemen Blues’ songs are in Hebrew or Arabic. Kahalani said he writes the lyrics based on how he feels about the melody. Born and raised in Israel, Kahalani seldom spoke Arabic with his father, but he sought to preserve the family’s traditional language. “Yemenite prayers are very similar to Arabic conversations,” he said. “I feel that language can be used as a tool to express certain things better.” Kahalani doesn’t recall visiting Atlanta before but has always been fascinated by the South’s gospel music. He is working on a gospel project after reuniting with Omer Avital and hopes to learn more during his visit. “I know Atlanta possesses a strong gospel community, which is very much connected to my culture,” he said. Yemen Blues will be touring the United States in the weeks ahead, including Florida, New York and Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest. Kahalani said, “I’m coming with some amazing musicians and believe people should leave their expectations behind and come ready to dance and experience some good music.” Similar to Yemen Blues, Bint El Funk, which means “daughter of funk,” infuses traditional Jewish Yemenite music with funk. The group is scheduled to perform at AJMF9 on Sunday, March 18, at Orpheus Brewery. After vocalist Shiran Karni asked
some classmates whether they would like to create some Yemenite funk with her, she received a resounding yes and inevitably created her own band. African genres, soul and funk, and Turkish and Arabic melodies influence Bint El Funk’s music today. “Yemenite funk is a mix of everything,” Karni said. “You can infuse it with jazz or some African beats.” Drummer Regev Baruch added, “Some of the songs are traditional Jewish Yemenite melodies, and some have been rearranged into funk, but we try to keep the same sound.” Like Yemen Blues, Karni said Bint El Funk’s members influence the group’s music. “Everyone has a different story,” Baruch said. “Some people work together during rehearsal. Some compose the rhythm and the structure. But it eventually comes together.” When she is not performing, Karni listens to Yemenite, Turkish, funk and Middle Eastern music. “There is a lot of traditional Jewish Yemenite music in Israel, which traces its roots back to Yemenite women’s chants,” she said. Baruch said he knew Kahalani when he was young and is happy that Yemen Blues is also performing at the Atlanta festival. Bint El Funk is eager to learn more about Atlanta because this will be the group’s first visit. The group also is appearing in New York and Boston. “We are excited to come to Atlanta and can’t wait to meet everyone,” Karni said. ■
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AJMF 9
Festival, Federation Help Hunger Walk Succeed Atlanta’s Hunger Walk/Run often falls during one of the weekends of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, but even when it doesn’t, AJMF helps provide entertainment even while finalizing preparations for the spring festival. This year’s 34th Hunger Walk was no exception, although the rain Sunday, Feb. 25, did cause a change of plans. Tony Levitas and the Levitations were supposed to represent AJMF at Georgia State Stadium during the afternoon festivities, including a 5K walk and a fun run, but festival Director Russell Gottschalk said there was too much rain to stage a band. Instead, AJMF provided music with a DJ. Some 7,000 people signed up for teams to raise money for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and other nonprofits that support food pantries, community kitchens and other programs for people in need of food assistance. Despite the rain, teams from companies such as Souper Jenny and a variety of religious organizations were represented hours before the gates opened at 2 p.m., including the Jewish Federa-
Photo by John Boydston
Thousands of Hunger Walk/Run participants make it to Georgia State Stadium despite the bad weather Feb. 25.
tion of Greater Atlanta. The Jewish community had 38 teams registered a few days before the walk, and teams were still signing up. The Hunger Walk in its history has raised over $9 million for hunger relief, enough to provide 36 million meals. Forty percent of the money raised by teams under the umbrella of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta goes to the food bank. The rest is dis-
tributed to hunger-based organizations chosen by the Federation. Last year, 14 organizations split that 60 percent share. “We’re so excited to have joined with the Atlanta Community Food Bank in this incredible community event,” said Stephanie Wyatt, the vice president of engagement and leadership development for Federation. “Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is
proud to be one of the five faith-based partners helping to end hunger in Atlanta.” Last year’s Hunger Walk raised more than $900,000; as of Tuesday afternoon, as donations were still coming in and numbers still being tallied, the total was about $578,000. Of that amount, just below $70,000 had been credited to teams that signed up under Federation’s umbrella. As usual, the top team this year is Sally’s Friends, led by Sally Kaplan, who typically brings in $35,000 to $45,000 per year and is the biggest individual fundraiser in Hunger Walk history. Her mother began raising money for the food bank, then Kaplan followed her lead, and now her daughter Rebecca serves as a co-chair of the event and makes it a priority for herself. A few days before the event, Kaplan had raised $25,000. Regardless of whether the rain kept you away from the Hunger Walk, you can still donate to help the food bank meet its goals at engage.acfb.org/ site/TR/2018HungerWalk/General?fr_ id=1854&pg=entry. ■
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By Rachel Fayne
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AJMF 9
Robotic Musician Does More Than Keep the Beat By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Georgia Tech’s Gil Weinberg contemplated ways to program machines to produce acoustic sounds and improvise and play music, then combined his background in computer science with his passion for music to create a robotic musician, Shimon. Shimon’s improvisational skills will be featured Friday, March 9, at the Atlanta Science Festival’s opening night, an event incorporated into the ninth Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. The evening will showcase Shimon’s first performance with a rock band, which will include a drummer, a guitar player and Weinberg on bass. “I really like the fact that the festival is expanding its arts and music and think it’s great to feature the program at Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology,” said Weinberg, who serves as the center’s founding director. As a musician, Weinberg detected that his music was missing acoustic sounds. To fill the void, he began ex-
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Shimon, Gil Weinberg’s musical robot, uses various algorithms to help it create new genres of music.
perimenting with different algorithms until he came across body cognition. The program enables robots to generate acoustic sounds fabricated from body movements and appear as if they feel and connect with the music. Weinberg’s first prototype, Haile, plays various percussion instruments, such as the power drum, and recognizes rhythm, tempo, beat and synco-
pation. After he posted a video of Haile online, the National Science Foundation reached out to Weinberg to submit a proposal to develop a robot to help people appreciate and understand robotics. The proposal led to the creation of Shimon, which is an extension of Haile with the ability to recognize melodies, harmonies and visual cues. Weinberg began developing Shimon in 2008. He added arms in 2009 and a bobbing head with a camera inside in 2010, enabling Shimon to recognize human movements. Even after 10 years, Shimon remains a work in progress, Weinberg said. Mechanical challenges such as programing the machine to do things that humans can’t were among the biggest hurdles. “Identifying where we can create something unique, where we can’t compete with humans and where we will have robots that inspire and push us to uncharted territories is tricky because we don’t want people to think
we are replacing musicians,” Weinberg said. To update Shimon’s programs, Weinberg invites students every year to create algorithms for him and program different ways the robot can interact with people. Shimon has several demos that portray his abilities, such as his responses to human movements through physical cues. For example, if Weinberg raises his arm high, Shimon expects that a loud noise is imminent. Based on the analysis of improvisations by jazz musicians such as Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, Shimon can generate a sequence of notes that jazz musicians play in a particular style. The improvisations are built on rules but also on data, Weinberg said, which is known as “style modeling.” “I can tell Shimon to play me something that is 30 percent Monk, 40 percent Coltrane, 10 percent Miles and maybe 20 percent my own music, and Shimon will respond and create a mash-up that is very interesting and unique,” Weinberg said. “This is really exciting for me because we can play and create genres that have never been created before.” Weinberg does not focus on concerns either that machines could be a threat to humans in the future or that increasingly intelligent and aware machines could be treated unethically by people. “I know some people say that artificial intelligence will take jobs and that it is dangerous, but whenever I think of different sciences, I focus on whether a human is capable of performing a certain act, and if not, can they be surprised, inspired and learn from it?” he said. “This is the most interesting aspect of robotics for me and the direction I choose to follow.” ■
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AJMF 9
ATL Collective’s ‘Stranger’ Take on Billy Joel about introducing some of the elements where Joel hints at R&B grooves to kind of capitalize on those moments a bit more.” Which is one of the things that got me further excited. Hints of groove were one of the most satisfying surprises I discovered on my long walks. No matter how much we enjoy
Guest Column By Joe Alterman
cover bands, both the reason that artist is now being covered and the reason we enjoy the music are that the artist, by being true to himself or herself, tapped into something unique, something that only he/she has. By encouraging members to be creative individuals and not simply musicians playing a part, ATL Collective pays tribute to these artists in a way that honors the spirit, mindset and approach of the artists. I sadly wasn’t familiar with the music of Jacob Jeffries during my period of long New York walks, but I wish I had been. After spending time with his music, which strikes me as wonderful, feel-good and melodic pop music, I’m convinced that it would easily fit into my walking soundtrack, subconsciously encouraging me to look up and out, reminding me of the beauty of everything around me. Another reason to be excited about this performance is that Jeffries himself may be treating this show with just a little extra care. “My early memory of this record is my uncle had the album,” Jeffries told me. “I picture looking at this album cover and thinking, ‘Oh, this looks cool,’ and then never really listening to it. You just picture album covers in your head and wonder what they sound like. Then I grew up, and the record speaks for itself. There’s a heavy respect that permeates from my family for Billy Joel. My cousin, my uncle’s daughter, named her first-born Vienna last year after Billy Joel’s tune from the album. ‘Vienna’ is an incredible arrangement.” ■ Joe Alterman is an Atlanta-based jazz pianist and a project coordinator for AJMF9. He is performing Sunday, March 18, at the Marcus JCC as part of the festival. Visit joealtermanmusic.com.
AJMF9 will hit a crescendo March 24 with an ATL Collective-produced, track-by-track re-creation of Billy Joel’s “The Stranger,” featuring Jacob Jeffries, at City Winery Atlanta.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
As a music major in college, there were times when a full day of intense music study would leave me feeling drained. At the end of the day, I mentally couldn’t take in any more. Still, I always wanted to listen to something on my walks home, and in those moments I yearned for music that was just as beautiful as what I’d studied all day — music I instinctively would relax to instead of analyzing. Upon reflection, these long walks home from New York University were nearly as important to my musical development as classes themselves. I found that some music drew me deeper into my thoughts, while other music made me want to look up and around, accentuating the beauty of my surroundings. I found what I was looking for in Billy Joel’s 1977 album, “The Stranger,” filled with memorable, hummable (and deceptively simple) melodies, yet deeply musical, complicated and involved ideas and arrangements. It became one of those albums I could count on not only to soothe and relax, but also to surprise. Upon each listen, I’d find something that I hadn’t heard previously, something that would make me smile in delight. Which is one of the reasons I’m so excited that ATL Collective will be reimagining this classic album on Saturday, March 24, as a part of AJMF9. “We are essentially music scene gardeners,” said Micah Dalton, a founding member of ATL Collective. “Our goal is to think about each show like we’re making our own record of a record. “We like to take the songs that aren’t hits and make them hits. We give those songs to people who we feel are really suited to take a song on, and, not that it would be better than the original version, we’re not saying that, but giving them the agency to make it their own and add just another dimension.” Not giving away too much, he added: “The goal is to do that with a little bit of the album. The rest of the album is not necessarily note for note. There is some of that, but it’s a little more true to form.” Speaking specifically about “The Stranger,” Dalton said: “This is one of those records I’m excited to do because if you take away every single production element on most of these songs, they are just monster songs. Everybody knows them. We’re also excited
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LIFESTYLE
Philips Arena Scores With Courtside Club We started with vodka cranberry drinks with a twist of lime, then headed for the food (albeit not kosher). We noshed on executive chef Joe Schafer’s smoked trout, organic salads and butternut squash. The cheese and meat station included an array of crackers, fresh and dried fruits, and
Photos by Jen Evans and Michal Bonell
The top-shelf liquor goes on and on at the Courtside Club, open to the 590 people in the first four rows at Hawks games. Executive chef Joe Schafer speaks about the menu for the Courtside Club.
On the Town with Jen & Michal By Jen Evans and Michal Bonell jen@atljewishtimes.com honey that enhanced the flavors. There was a great assortment of additional food items, including a brick-oven pizza station. Schafer, a Georgia native, heads the arena’s food service department. He was the executive chef at Atlanta’s fine-dining staple Bacchanalia and was named “ATL’s Hottest Chef” by Jezebel magazine in July 2013 while he was at King + Duke. You can tell Chef Joe has a love of organic, locally grown food and Southern fare. We look forward to seeing his
Look, kids, Michal and Jen are on the Philips Arena court.
seasonal menus. Not a sports fan? No problem. You can enjoy Courtside Club Live, a VIP concert package with access to a premium, all-inclusive experience. Courtside Club Live packages include: • Exclusive pre-show access to the club, with free appetizers, beer, wine and soda. • A ticket in a specially designed area. • Private parking in the arena’s
Smile
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Georgia’s Own Credit Union Deck. • Early, crowd-free access to merchandise. • A commemorative item to remember the event. It was a fun evening, and we look forward to seeing the completed venue sometime next year as the Hawks celebrate their 50th year in Atlanta. Until then, we’re planning our next outing: a pub crawl on the BeltLine or the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival at Atlantic Station on Saturday, March 3. Join us. ■
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So, you’re probably wondering who these two beautiful women are and why you should want to hang out with them. Like many of you, we are two working moms in our 40s (one married, one single) with our baby boys about to head off to college and leave us as empty nesters. Bittersweet, right? So let’s make lemonade out of lemons. Now that we have the time and the desire to reexperience all that Atlanta has to offer, why not go for it and share it with all of you who, like us, are seeing that light at the end of the helicopter parenting tunnel or are wondering what women our age do now that the kids have grown and flown? We realize that we might not be for everyone, but we will try to share information that all will find of interest. Please feel free to reach out to us at the AJT with ideas on places to visit, events that you might want reviewed or topics you’d like us to share (as moms) with our fellow readers. This column is meant to be fun for us and for you. Thank you for the positive response to our first column. Working for the Atlanta Jewish Times certainly comes with perks. As such, we were invited to attend a media tasting night at the new and exclusive Courtside Club, part of a $192.5 million renovation at Philips Arena. The beautifully designed Courtside Club offers a trendy and succulent selection of food items and a sophisticated full bar on the arena floor and is the first of its kind in the NBA. Fans with tickets in the four rows of courtside seats — a total of 590 seats — will have access to the bar and club. The goal is to make attending games a more social experience by giving fans a range of options beyond traditional seats or suites, such as a conference center, TopGolf Swing Suites, the Killer Mike’s Swag Shop barber franchise and Southern-style restaurant Zac Brown’s Social Club. Like typical middle-age women, we got our name badges and proceeded to the Hawks court to run around and take goofy photos of ourselves so we could impress our 18-year-old boys and our Facebook friends. Once our silly photo shoot was completed, we moved inside the club to the glorious stations of food and an overwhelming bar with top-shelf booze bottles lined up a mile high.
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POLITICS
2 Staceys Seek Support of Jewish Democrats By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Anti-BDS legislation enacted by the Georgia General Assembly in 2016 was one of the biggest divisions between gubernatorial candidates Stacey Evans and Stacey Abrams during a forum held by the Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon on Thursday night, Feb. 22, at Heritage Sandy Springs. Both Democratic candidates for governor were state representatives when Georgia barred its vendors and contractors from politically boycotting Israel in support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Evans joined the 96-70 majority; Abrams, the House minority leader, voted against the bill. Evans said the legislation was a chance to show that Georgia and Israel are friends and allies. Abrams said that although she supports Israel’s right to exist and condemns BDS, she did not want to undermine the ability of others to use boycotts for political expression. Abrams said she told Democrats to vote their conscience on the matter, but Evans noted that Abrams, who rarely
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spoke on the House floor as minority leader, did so to fight the anti-BDS bill. “You can that say you are against the BDS movement. When you have a chance to say it, you should do it,” Evans said. The BDS issue, raised in a question by Lois Frank, was the only matter of special Jewish interest during the 70-minute discussion, although Abrams did express opposition to student scholarship organizations. The SSO program grants $58 million a year in income tax credits to people who donate scholarship funds to private schools. Jewish day schools and some preschools rely on the program to help hundreds of students a year pay tuition. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta advocates for the program each legislative session and created a separate nonprofit, the ALEF Fund, to facilitate the donations. But in answering a question from Steve Labovitz about paying for her proposals, Abrams said the money lost to the state treasury through the SSO program could instead pay for 1 percent pay raises for public school teachers.
Former Reps. Stacey Evans (left) and Stacey Abrams face questions from the audience at the Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon forum at Heritage Sandy Springs on Feb. 22.
In speaking broadly about the need to fund public education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, Evans did not address SSOs. She instead focused on auditing out unnecessary expenditures and using excessive state reserves to pay for education and other proposals, including a restoration of free technical college for all under the HOPE Scholarship program. Although the two Democratic former state representatives named Stacey, both of whom rose from impov-
erished childhoods to become lawyers and politicians, joked about their surface similarities and emphasized that either of them would be a better successor to Gov. Nathan Deal than any of the Republican candidates, they tried to cite points of difference throughout the forum. The HOPE Scholarship was one of those areas. Evans, who said HOPE enabled her to become the first person in her family to attend college, repeatedly criticized Abrams’ support for the legislation in 2011 that ended free technical college for all. Abrams said she showed leadership by helping craft a compromise that saved the program instead of standing on principle and letting it run out of money. The candidates also disagreed on the best strategy for the first Democratic victory in a Georgia governor’s race since Roy Barnes was elected in 1998. Abrams said Georgia has enough Democrats to win the election, so the party needs to focus on inspiring them to vote instead of trying to win over Republican women in the suburbs. Evans said it’s a mistake not to show independents and moderate Republicans why they should back a progressive agenda. She cited Jon Ossoff’s near-miss in the 6th Congressional District special election last year: “We weren’t afraid to persuade.” Still, in the context of potentially the first Democratic administration in Georgia in 20 years and the likelihood of having to work with Republican majorities in both chambers of the legislature, the candidates were in broad agreement on a progressive agenda. They tried to distinguish themselves through their personal stories: Evans as the daughter of a single teenage mother in rural Georgia who now is a wife and the mother of a 6-year-old daughter, Abrams as a Mississippi native and daughter of two Methodist
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ministers who has owned small businesses and faced racial discrimination and hopes to become the nation’s first black female governor. The policy differences addressed through a series of questions from moderator Sheri Labovitz and the audience were matters of nuance open to audience interpretation — to the extent that Abrams defended her HOPE record only after saying “ditto” to Evans’ comments about the importance of vocational education and Georgia’s excellence at aligning industry needs with training programs. For example, Abrams and Evans both oppose legislation that would use religious liberty to protect businesses and nonprofit groups from discrimination claims. Evans blamed election-year politics rather than true belief for the latest recurrence of those proposals. She said she expects them to fade away in the next legislature; just to be sure, she said, she would walk around the Capitol with a veto pen tucked behind her ear. Abrams said it’s important to recognize that religious liberty bills represent the real beliefs of many Georgians and that veto threats aren’t enough. “We will never get away from people who have bigotry and discrimination and hate in their hearts,” she said. “Our responsibility is to always lift up a louder voice to demand that good people say what must be done and that there’s never a question of where the governor stands when it comes to protecting our people.” The candidates agreed on the need to spend an expected $3.6 billion state windfall from the federal tax reform law on health care and education. Both called for the state to accept the Medicaid expansion offered under the federal Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to improve access to health care, support rural hospitals, create jobs and boost economic development. Both endorsed regional public transit cooperation and the expansion of rail and other transit solutions around the state. Both called for updating and fully funding the state’s formula for public schools. Both said that landing Amazon’s HQ2 would be great but that Georgia needs to do just as much to support small-business development. Both said they’re eager to sign a repeal of Georgia’s campus-carry law, and both took shots at the National Rifle Association without offering specific responses to the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Abrams said she’s proud to be the only candidate who has
received a failing grade from the NRA every year, while Evans said she’s sure the NRA will spend millions to try to defeat whichever Stacey is on the Democratic side of the ballot. Both envisioned better times for Democrats under fairer, post-2020 legislative redistricting. Both called for lifting up all parts of Georgia, not just metro Atlanta, where they live, and both pledged Democratic unity in the general election. “We’re emboldened by the strength of your collective visions,” one of the salon’s leaders, Valerie Habif, told the candidates. “Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon does not endorse primary candidates, but know this: You are both in a room full of friends. You have inspired all of us.” ■
No Ossoff in ’18
Jon Ossoff has ended speculation about whether he’ll seek a rematch with Rep. Karen Handel in the 6th Congressional District this year, announcing on Twitter that he won’t be a candidate for any office in 2018. “I’ve decided that this is not the moment for me to run again for Congress,” the Democrat tweeted. “But I’m not going anywhere.” He said his run for Congress in 2017 “was never about me. It was fueled by the passion of so many Americans to fight back against the obscenity of this presidency and our debased political system.” In what proved to be the most expensive congressional election in American history, Ossoff fell just short of a majority in an 18-person special election in April and lost to Republican Handel two months later. Ossoff was trying to become Georgia’s first Jewish congressman in more than 30 years. For now, he’s focusing on the video journalism company he leads while vowing to support other Democratic candidates. At least two Democrats, Bobby Kaple and Temple Sinai member Kevin Abel, are running against Handel. ■
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POLITICS
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PURIM
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
Purim Celebrates Life’s Divine Lottery
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I recently gave a workshop at the Chabad women’s conference in New York. The talk was about the struggle of parenting while co-directing a Chabad center. I presented some of the paradoxes of this existence (in a fishbowl). Paradoxes such as long days and short years; all joy and no fun (just kidding); slow motion and fast speed; the big stuff when they are little and the little stuff when they are big; and when I accept who I am, then I can change. Because of this workshop, my mind has been searching for more of life’s little puzzles — then Purim popped up on my calendar, and here we are. The Purim story is full of paradoxes. A revealed miracle remains hidden. Hidden miracles are revealed. The heroine is named Esther, but the holiday is called Purim. We Jews dress up and share baskets of nosh (candy/treats), but more Jews know about and/or celebrate Halloween. We dress up to hide who we are, yet this reminds us of our true identity. Purim is celebrated in the most physical sense, with food and revelry, but we can reach the same spiritual place achieved through the holy austerity of Yom Kippur. The story behind Purim is that Esther, the simple Jewess, risked her life to save the Jewish people from annihilation. That destructive idea came from the wicked Haman with the acquiescence of King Achashverosh. The holiday gets its name from pur, an ancient Persian word for the lottery Haman drew to decide on which date he would wage a surprise war against the Jewish people. Esther begged the king to allow the Jews to defend themselves on that doomsday. Thus, the Jews were prepared, and instead of being killed, they won the war. Haman’s nefarious plan failed. It is a great celebration. In America, Purim flies under the Jewish radar. Hollywood has not caught on and inculcated it into mainstream culture as it has Chanukah and Passover and even Yom Kippur. It’s a shame. Anyone who grew up with Purim knows there is a lot of raw material at the Purim feast. In all seriousness, it is the most fun of all Jewish holidays. Dress up
and party. The story is exciting and seems natural, with no overt miracles but plenty of undercover providence creating surprising turns of fate. There is food and drink aplenty, and other than sitting down to listen to the story of Esther from the megillah (once in the evening and once during the daytime), there is no spiritual
Guest Column By Dena Schusterman
component of sitting in prayer all day. The central theme is about community and friendship — coming together for a festive meal and exchanging food and drink while remembering those who cannot afford their own meal because giving charity to the poor is a specific mitzvah on this day. Even though Purim is not as popular among American Jews, we are told that one day when there will be peace on Earth and we will live in the utopian times of Moshiach, Purim and Yom Kippur will be the only two holidays still celebrated. No more Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot, Chanukah or Sukkot. Just Purim. And, as the ancient kabbalists would say, Yom Kippur(im) (literally Day Like Purim). Seems strange that the holiest day of the year, the day we are engaged completely in the service of our Judaism and godliness, and the most raucous day of the year are juxtaposed as one day being like the other. It would seem you could not find more dissimilar ways to practice as a Jew. So what is it about these two days that share a name? In Judaism, a name is connected to essence, so we must look at the crux of these two days and find their sameness. Each holiday has pur in it. Haman drew a lot to determine on which date to kill all the Jews. The high priest drew a lot in the Holy Temple on Yom Kippur to determine which of the two goats he was standing between would be offered to G-d and which one should carry off the sins of Israel to the desert. When you rely on a lottery, you rely on fate, but this goes two ways. You rely on fate because you feel helpless.
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When you don’t know, you say, “May the best man win.” They are equal in my eyes. I have no way to differentiate or to make a judgment call. This is the pur of Yom Kippur. When we come before G-d humbled and depleted, we understand that we don’t have control over our fate (only over our choices), but we show up. We know there is an order in the world, but we are not privy to the how or why. We have done all that we know how to do. We have prayed and fasted, and now we turn to G-d for His benevolence. It is a day of supreme spirituality. We untether ourselves from the physical pleasures of our daily life and instead spend our time in prayer and introspection. Or you cast lots because life is arbitrary. Nothing matters. Whoever wins got lucky. You see disorder and assume it is because nobody is at the wheel. It’s just the luck of the draw. My actions don’t matter. That was the intent of Haman’s lot for Purim. He was trying to game the system, of which he thought there was none. Or at best, he thought he was smarter than the divine order. And herein lies the greatest paradox of it all because it was through Haman’s absolute disregard for the Jewish people and for G-d that he brought about the greatest unity between G-d and His people. The utter fear and terror Haman aroused among the Jews caused them to gather together. They prayed and fasted. Then they prepared to defend themselves. Unbeknownst to them, G-d had set the stage for their victory by placing Esther in the palace as the queen. Esther’s uncle Mordechai was now the chief of staff, and Haman the wicked vanished from the scene, hanged on the very gallows he intended for Mordechai. The horror of the mission was already mitigated without the chief terrorist. When the Jewish people won, there was intense joyfulness in the community. Nowhere else in our history is victory described in such terms as it is in Megillat Esther: LaYehudim hayta ora v’simcha v’sasson vikar (the Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor; may it be for us as well). Purim is meant to be celebrated with absolute joy and happiness. It is the realization that although it doesn’t always appear so, the world is a place of order, meaning and purpose. To be mindful of this inspires joy, which helps us reach our fullest potential as people.
Dena Schusterman (left) tosses balls to the Toco Hills crowd while walking alongside the Chabad Intown entry in the Purim parade Sunday, Feb. 25.
On Purim, through joy and celebration with mundane things like eating and drinking, we accomplish or even supersede the gravitas of Yom Kippur (remember, it’s only a day like Purim). Which tells us that what we consider basic is actually a vehicle for even greater spiritual possibility. Looking around and seeing chaos
and thinking, “Man! This is a jungle; each to their own!” — that is depressing. That is sadness. That is terror. That is Haman. When you look around and perhaps see a jungle but know He is in charge, you get that feeling of “I’ve got this.” That is comfort. That is joyful. I’ll do my job, and He does His job.
Daily. Hourly. Every minute. When we know that G-d holds the master plan, we are grateful. When you can see through the muck and with a knowing smile realize “It’s gonna be all right,” you have the confidence to move forward with great success. This is our potential. This is the paradox. Order in the chaos. This is Purim. Learn it. Live it. Enjoy it. ■ Dena Schusterman is a founder of Chabad Intown, a Jewish educator, and a founding director of both the Intown Jewish Preschool and the Intown Hebrew School. She and her husband, Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, are native Californians living in Atlanta for 20 years with their eight children.
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
PURIM
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PURIM
Gray Skies and Bright Smiles on LaVista Sunday, Feb. 25, was not the first time it rained on Toco Hills’ annual Purim Parade and Festival, but as always seems to happen, the heavy precipitation took a break as the time arrived for the parade to start rolling down LaVista Road from the Toco Hill Shopping Center to Congregation Beth Ja-
cob. The festivities began about 15 minutes late, but the fun and happiness were right on time for the people who walked or rode the route past hundreds of people dressed up and lined along the road for treats and entertainment. See our full gallery and video clips at atlantajewishtimes.com. ■
A princess is never out of place at Purim.
Photos by Michael Jacobs Teenage volunteers working one of the inflatables that stayed outside find the festivities groovy.
Rabbi Ilan Feldman reflects Beth Jacob’s military theme this year.
Young Israel of Toco Hills Rabbi Adam Starr rocks the big ’80s hair.
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The rain doesn’t stop the crowd from lining LaVista Road.
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ARTS
Athens Celebrates 10 Years of Jewish Film Once upon a time, movie buffs Abe and Carmen Tesser wondered if the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival would expand eastward and use a new art house theater in Athens, Ciné, as a venue. When the expansion didn’t happen, the Tessers and other Athens residents decided to stage a festival of their own, which they launched in 2009. “It was the right thing at the right time,” Abe Tesser said. “We wanted it to be a community event, not just something for Jews.” The Athens Jewish Film Festival in March is celebrating its 10th year of screening films that showcase new directors and that focus on Jewish life, traditions and history. The festival also has partnered with groups such as the Willson Center for Humanities & Arts at the University of Georgia to feature other events throughout the year. “We’ve lasted longer than the wellknown Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival,” said longtime board member Ron Zell, the festival’s 2018 president. He said last year was the only time the festival didn’t turn a profit, but he
isn’t sure the festival can keep operating as it has. Getting donations is becoming more difficult, Zell said. The board is made up of volunteers, none of whom is a professional salesperson. Festival volunteers work hard to keep the ticket costs low so that people won’t be priced out of attending. “The board is made up of only 13 members plus two associates doing the bulk of the work,” Zell said. “We need new blood to advance the festival.” This year’s celebration began with a free showing of “The Band’s Visit” at Ciné for more than 100 people in January. Tesser said, “It wasn’t just Jews. It was a lot of other people from the community.” Some of the events draw Jews who do not belong to Athens’ Congregation Children of Israel but want to connect with their heritage, he said. The five-day 10th anniversary festival opens with a gala at the Georgia Museum of Art on Saturday, March 24, that includes dinner, drinks and a showing of the Israeli film “The Women’s Balcony,” which closed the 2017 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Zell said the board decided to in-
crease from last year’s four screening days and not to schedule films late at night. Movies this year come from Germany, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and the United States. The last day features a series of short films — from the United States, France and Canada — the documentary “Body and Soul: An American Bridge” and a closing party at Hotel Indigo. A festival pass for all the films and the closing night party is $45. The opening night gala is $65. Individual film tickets are available at Ciné 15 minutes before show time. The closing night party alone is $10. Visit athensjff.org. The festival has become something the Athens community looks forward to and often helps with. The ushers at this year’s screenings are members of Holy Cross Lutheran Church. The Tessers remember the first year, when board members scrambled to get the word out. Now a social media presence keeps people informed. “Opportunities like the Jewish Film Festival are just one reason I love Athens,” Realtor Jane Mayer said. “I love the variety of films they present and look forward to it each year.” ■
The Festival Schedule All events are at Ciné unless otherwise noted. Saturday, March 24 Opening gala, 6 p.m., Georgia Museum of Art “The Women’s Balcony,” 8 p.m. Sunday, March 25 “Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators,” 2 p.m. “Tevye’s Daughters,” 4 p.m. “Monsieur Mayonnaise,” 6:45 p.m. Monday, March 26 “Paradise,” 5 p.m. “Rabbi Wolff,” 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 27 “Between Worlds,” 5 p.m. “90 Minute War,” 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 Closing night shorts and awards, 5 p.m. “Body and Soul: An American Bridge,” 6:15 p.m. Closing night party, 7:30 p.m., Rialto Club at Hotel Indigo
MARCH 2 ▪ 2018
By Rebecca McCarthy
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OBITUARIES
Richard “Rick” Alan Blass, age 68, of Savannah passed away peacefully Saturday morning, Feb. 24, 2018, after a long struggle with cancer. Rick was born and raised in Atlanta. He was an avid runner on the beaches of Tybee Island and a 25-year veteran of the Peachtree Road Race and especially loved climbing Mount Pisgah in North Carolina. His career began as a stockbroker, followed by many years as an entrepreneur, until he retired in 2010. He was known for his passion for food; family and friends will remember spending time together and enjoying his favorite meal, lobster, during vacations on Cape Cod, Mass. Rick and his wife, Lori, enjoyed many years as innkeepers in Savannah, greeting guests who have remained close friends still today. Rick is survived by his beloved wife, Lori Blass; daughter and son-in-law Brittany and Frank Brockway; son Brian Blass; sister and brother-in-law Susie and Jerry Warshaw; sister and brother-in-law Marty and Richard Alterman; and brother and sister-in-law David and Robin Blass. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Ava Claire Brockway, and many nieces and nephews. Sign the online guestbook at dresslerjewishfunerals.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Emory Winship Cancer Institute, designated to the Winship Multiple Myeloma Fund, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Office of Gift Records, 1762 Clifton Road, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322, 404-778-5175. Graveside services were held Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Arlington Memorial Park. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
He was born in New York City on June 19, 1936, and was the youngest of five siblings. Arthur attended high school at the Fashion Institute of New York and then joined the U.S. Army, serving in Panama. After his military service, he moved to Atlanta and worked for his uncle in the scrap metal business. While working there, he met a young woman named Claudine Cohen, who worked in the front office. Claudine had recently immigrated from Paris, where she had lived for three years after leaving her birthplace of Cairo, Egypt. Arthur and Claudine were married in 1967, and together they started and ran their own recycling company, Dynamic Metals. They had two children, Paul and Monique. Arthur and Claudine were married for 42 years until she passed away in 2009. Arthur was outgoing and had a colorful personality. He loved talking to people, and he wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind. He was also refreshingly honest, authentic, charming and entertaining. Arthur was a hard worker, and even from a young age he was a go-getter. Arthur had a deep sense of Jewish identity and pride, and he felt an obligation to support and take leadership roles in many Jewish organizations, especially ORT. He served as the Atlanta American ORT president, and in 2000 he received ORT’s Man of the Year award. Arthur genuinely enjoyed caring for and helping people. He gave jobs to people in need of work, and he quietly and privately helped many people, both friends and family. He loved dancing, the beach, traveling and horseback riding. Arthur is survived by his children, Paul and Laura Geduldig and Monique (Geduldig) and Eytan Davidson; his grandchildren, Elijah, Gabriel, Micah and Stella; brother and sister-in-law Irving and Arline Geduldig; and siblings-in-law Laurette Hanein, Phyllis M. Cohen, Annie and Maurice Cohen, and Georgette Cohen.
Arthur Geduldig
June Lewis
Richard Blass 68, Savannah
54, Chicago
81, Atlanta
Arthur Geduldig passed away in Atlanta on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018.
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June Cummins Lewis, age 54, of Chicago, a true woman of valor, succumbed to ALS Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, after a courageous battle. She is survived by her devoted husband, Jonathan Lewis; sons Jacob (Arielle), Noah and Ethan of Chicago; parents Dr. Arthur and Eilene Cummins and sister Yvonne (Rick) Venger of La Jolla, Calif.; and sister Jacqueline (Bernie) Dimont of Dallas. Her aunt and uncle Gail and Allan Ripans of Atlanta have established a fund to fight and eradicate this dreadful disease. Donations are most welcome to the June Cummins Lewis Fund for ALS Research at Hadassah, 40 Wall St., New York, NY 10005. Contact Rosemarie Torres at 212-303-4543 or ntorres@hadassah.org. June now rests in peace in Israel. May her memory be a blessing.
Death Notice
Shirley Ingber, mother of Kehilla Rabbi Karmi Ingber, on Feb. 12.
Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Associate Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@ atljewishtimes.com.
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This I Believe
I believe in the goodness of people, that people want to do the right thing. I believe that doing for others is also doing for yourself. Being selfish is useful when you are young because you need to learn how to build your own character and how to succeed in this world, but serving others is the real success in life. If you are focused only on doing for yourself, that will make you an unloving person. Until age 25, I believe, you should focus on two fundamental things: getting an outstanding education and building your own character. Education has always been the secret to survival, especially being Jewish. It is not enough to get good grades in school. That is the easy part if you are diligent, do your homework and pay attention. The hard part is to incorporate what you learn into how you live. Good grades and good schools are union cards. They will get you in the door, but what you know is what gets the job done. Learning is never done and should continue all your life. Education leads to experience, and experience leads to getting results. Above all, stay productive. I believe in finding one thing that you can do well and focusing on that instead of trying to be mediocre at many things. I believe that teaching is what we all do for those who know less than we know, and learning is one of the great excitements in life, both for the student and for the teacher. I believe that more important than a good education and excellent experience is your character. That will determine whether you are successful. School has more to offer than doing well in class. Don’t go through school; let school go through you. The best way to improve your character is to emulate the people you most admire — not for what they know, but for how they deal with other people. There is much to learn by studying people and by reading great books about the people who achieved success
CROSSWORD and failure. Above all else, speak kindly about people, and give them always the benefit of the doubt. Be optimistic about your life, about your work and about others. Learn to trust people until you know otherwise. You will be amazed at what others can accomplish if you tell them what they need to do.
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I believe we are in this world to improve it, to understand it better and to leave the world just a little better.
“At the Zoo”
By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Easy
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I believe in creating ways to benefit the world, regardless of what you create. Finding a better mousetrap is part of the secret of having a good life, and finding more efficient solutions is why we are alive. I marvel at the wheel, at chemistry, at the knowledge of mathematics and physics, at what we know about the human body and the drugs that make the body work better. I am impressed with a 300-ton plane taking off and flying 500 mph, and I believe we are in this world to improve it, to understand it better and to leave the world just a little better than when we arrived. I believe that we are copycats, so the more you do of one thing, the more it creates that same thing in others, whether hatred or love. When we do something good, others will emulate that, and when we do something bad, it gives credence for others to follow the bad. I believe that progress in this world is created by not being a copycat, but by following your own path, by believing in yourself and your own self-worth, and by being willing to risk your money, your honor and even your life in search of what you believe can contribute to humanity. There is no doubt that the minority has made the world better, not the majority, because the minority has been willing to risk being different and to think differently. The bottom line: Focus on your strengths, but remember your weaknesses, for humility is more important than arrogance. ■
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Benjamin 60. Aug. or Sept., e.g. 61. Vinyl records, for short 62. Explain the meaning of “life”? 65. Largest kosher animal 67. Those who graduated Brandeis, now 68. “I’ll take that as ___” 69. Assistant 70. Solomon acquired too many of these 71. Animal best known for being treif 72. “Swift like the ___” (Pirkei Avot 5:20)
27. “Are you ___ out?” 28. Be a nudge 29. Waze, e.g. (abbr.) 31. Installs, as a driveway 33. “Thine own ___ testify against thee” (Job 15:6) 36. Israel’s continent 38. “Drop this,” editorially 39. Diamonds and rubies 40. Fill, as a Jewish mother might stereotypically do 41. Weekly Torah reading 42. “Kapow!” 43. Bard’s “before” 47. Actress Natasha who went to the Ramaz School 48. “The King of Queens” DOWN actress Leah 1. Elm Street menace 50. Solo pic, nowadays Krueger 51. Get in the way of 2. Change the inner layer of a 52. One flipping a coin coat again 54. Travels by arm and leg 3. “Band” option for a small across the Galilee simcha 56. Lulav’s partner 4. Republican letters 59. Hawaiian necklaces 5. Duane ___ (pharmacy 62. “Yup” to Boris chain) 63. “Evil Woman” band, for 6. Will who voices “Lego short Batman” 64. 22-Across is covered in it 7. Floor for Aly Raisman 65. ___ year (spent in Israel, 8. “Religious,” in Israel for many students) 9. Baltimore baseballer 66. Fidget spinners, for one 10. Scatterbrain, to a Brit 11. “Kit ___” (chocolate snack) LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 12. Tel Aviv to R A M P S P E G G A R T S Tiberias dir. A X E L S E L L A N E A T 13. ___ M E L E E T I E R O H M Y Vashem A C R E E B B T E L (Holocaust H E S N E R D A U S S I E E M E R I L R E G G I E memorial) S P O O R C E D E E N D S 18. Bonham S T R A P I S A I S E E A Carter of the E Y E R B A S H A T E I N “Harry Potter” H E Y Y O U A C A U S E films F A R R A H P Y L E Q T R 22. “Unhand L I E P E W O L D S me!” U S P S A I L S R O M E O 25. Jordan or F L U B R T E S O R B I T Jackson F E S S T Z V I M E A N S 1
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
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Weber, AJA Announce The Top Seniors of 2018 The Weber School and Atlanta Jewish Academy have announced the valedictorians and salutatorians for the Class of 2018. The valedictorian has the best grade-point average in the class; the salutatorian is No. 2. At Weber, Sammy Weiss-Cowie is the valedictorian, and Rosa Brown is the salutatorian. Rosa also is Weber’s STAR student for having the highest SAT score among the top 10 students in the class. As part of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators program, she chose social studies teacher Kevin Goldberg as her STAR teacher, the educator most instrumental in her academic develop-
Sammy Weiss-Cowie is the Weber School valedictorian for the Class of 2018, and STAR student Rosa Brown is the salutatorian.
ment. “Dr. Goldberg is a talented, engaging educator. Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable, but, more importantly, he’s passionate about sharing that knowledge and never hesitates to go out of his way to help a student gain greater understanding,” she said.
At AJA, Torah Day School of Atlanta alumna Maayan Schoen is the valedictorian, and Nicole Dori is the salutatorian. Maayan, AJA’s STAR student, is the school’s first student to serve two terms as president on the Student Council, and she also served as secretary when she was a sophomore. She was a fundraiser and delegate for AJA’s first matzah mission to Azerbaijan, and she wrote and directed this year’s Upper School girls chagiga musical, the Holocaust story “The Might of Right,” after performing in the show the previous three years. Maayan, who owns a Hebrew metal-stamp jewelry business, is due to speak on a panel at the AIPAC Policy Conference, being held March 4 to 6, on “Amplifying High School Activism.”
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Maayan Schoen is the AJA valedictorian.
Nicole Dori is the AJA salutatorian.
Nicole is the editor of the student magazine Palette, played soccer and volleyball, and produced “The Might of Right.” She joined the school’s AIPAC and Israel advocacy clubs to expand her knowledge of Israel, attended the Saban Leadership Seminar in 2016 and plans to go to the AIPAC Policy Conference. ■
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