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HOME & GARDEN, PAGES 28-34 ELEGANT FUNCTION RUG FAMILY
Sustainable agriculture is bringing together chefs and nonprofit groups. Page 28
Interior designer Beth Brown puts her own swivel on her Buckhead house. Page 32
Andrea and Jason Moattar extend a half-century tradition of Persian finery. Page 34
Atlanta
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VOL. XCII NO. 19
WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM
Bennett: IDF Defends Free World By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com When Adina Karpuj Bortz made aliyah from Atlanta and joined the Israel Defense Forces in 2015, her mother, Congregation Or Hadash Rabbi Analia Bortz, learned the value of Friends of the IDF. “I was happy to see her go, as that was the goal as proud Zionist parents, yet it then dawned on me: Who will hug her and console her tears? Who would welcome her home after a long day and prepare Shabbat dinner? Yet, little did I know that FIDF would be her mom away from home,” the rabbi said Monday night, May 8, during the annual FIDF Atlanta gala at the InterContinental Buckhead. More than 750 people, including veterans of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, gathered for the fundraising dinner and heard keynote speaker Naftali Bennett, the head of the Jewish Home party and Israel’s minister of education and Diaspora affairs. “Beyond the minister of education, I am the minister of Diaspora, which means I’m your minister,” Bennett told the Atlanta crowd. He spoke about Israel’s accomplishments the past decade. In 2016, Israel raised more than $6 billion in investments into startup businesses, but strictly because of Israeli entrepreneurship, not because of advanced
Education and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the FIDF gala May 8.
degrees or technology, Bennett said. “The IDF is more than a defense force; it is an Israeli ethos. We have various Jews, Haredim, Moroccans, and the key to success is to just get in and create new bonds.” All are united in the sacrifices involved in launching and sustaining the Jewish state, he said, noting that the nation’s founders scheduled Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) right before Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) “to remember the price individuals paid to obtain Israel” and Yom HaShoah (Holo-
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caust Memorial Day) a week earlier as a reminder of what can happen if Jews ever lose Israel again. Stories of IDF service were presented by Sgt. Mauricio Glucksmann, who escaped from Venezuela to serve in the IDF and later attended college on an FIDF Impact scholarship, and by Lt. Ofir Asulin, who showed resilience in returning to serve her country after a fellow soldier risked his life to save hers. During an interview with the Atlanta Jewish Times, Bennett spoke about President Donald Trump’s plan to visit Israel on May 22, 10 days before a decision is due on whether to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. “I hope President Trump realizes that Israel is the epicenter of the free world in a very tough area,” Bennett said. “Israel is surrounded by Hezbollah, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Hamas on all our borders, yet we are a thriving democracy, and we are defending the West, the free world, there. I encourage President Trump to realize the value and to also connect on a personal level to Israelis.” Bennett thanked FIDF and Atlanta’s Jewish community for their unyielding support. “We in Israel care about every Jew in the world and hold ourselves responsible to that endeavor, and knowing you are there for us in return means everything.” ■ • More from Bennett, Page 9
INSIDE Calendar ��������������������������������������� 4 Candle Lighting �������������������������� 4 Israel News �����������������������������������6 Opinion ���������������������������������������12 Business ��������������������������������������18 Education ����������������������������������� 24 Obituaries �����������������������������������35 Marketplace �������������������������������36 Crossword �����������������������������������38
MAY 12, 2017 | 16 IYAR 5777
Maccabi Returning to Atlanta
The Marcus Jewish Community Center will be one of the hosts for the JCC Maccabi Games in the summer of 2019. It will be only the second time Atlanta has hosted since the annual North American Olympic-style games were launched in 1982 in Memphis. After serving as one of five hosts in 2001, the Marcus JCC was selected to host in 2007 but withdrew because of financial problems. “I am thrilled that we are bringing the JCC Maccabi Games back to Atlanta,” center CEO Jared Powers said. Jewish teens receive an “amazing experience where they not only compete in sports they love, but also build lifelong friendships and cultivate a deeper appreciation of Jewish values.” More than 1,000 Jewish 13- to 16-yearolds are expected to come to Atlanta for the games, which now include 15 sports. Serving as a Maccabi host site should be “a community energizer and galvanizer,” the Marcus JCC said in a statement. “This is a tremendous opportunity to bring our community together.” Hosting will involve donors, sponsors and a variety of volunteers. Amy Rubin and Libby Hertz are serving as the Maccabi Games co-chairs, with Garrett Van de Grift as the games adviser and Lisa and Ron Brill as the honorary chairs. The Marcus JCC said that after issues involving money or timing prevented the center from hosting the past decade, the stars finally aligned for 2019 with the right leadership to secure initial funding. The 2017 games are taking place in Birmingham, Miami and the Albany, N.Y., area. Orange County, Calif., is one of the 2018 sites. ■ • Two more Atlanta fencers headed for World Maccabiah, Page 37