Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIX NO. 9, May 15, 2023

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A welcome so big, it takes up 14 acres.

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Midtown Shooting at Jewish Doctor’s Office

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

While Northside Medical Midtown officially reopened on Monday, May 8, the Laureate Medical Group offices at the location where the May 3 deadly shooting occurred was still closed “while Laureate finalizes preparations to resume patient care.”

It was in the offices of Dr. Scott Kleber, a Jewish internist, where the shooting took place. One person was killed and four injured in the shooting. According to Northside Hospital, two of the shooting victims being treated at Grady Memorial Hospital are Northside employees who work at the Laureate Medical Group. According to news reports, one is Jazzmin Daniel, who worked in Dr. Kleber’s reception office for about six months and is recovering from gunshot wounds in the abdomen. She was reportedly due to be transferred to another location soon.

The Fulton County Medical Examiners’ Office identified the deceased victim as 38-year-old Amy St. Pierre, an employ-

ee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The other shooting victims were identified by authorities

say Glynn was shot in the abdomen,

as Lisa Glynn, Georgette Whitlow, and Alesha Hollinger – all women. The police

while Whitlow was shot in the arm and Hollinger was shot in the face. Northside’s media and marketing

This screenshot, taken from a CNN telecast and posted to Twitter, shows the crime scene outside of Dr. Scott Kleber’s medical office in Midtown.

team were not responding to inquiries, referring only to “updates” on its website. Dr. Kleber did tell AJT that “both employees and patients were affected” by the shooting, but he referred all questions to Northside. According to his website, Kleber, a graduate of the Emory University School of Medicine, has been involved with sports medicine for the Atlanta Hawks and with Georgia State University sports teams.

In its statement, Northside reported that returning employees and physicians were “being greeted” back to the hospital’s Midtown location by uniformed security officers, Northside spiritual leaders, human resources representatives, and behavioral and spiritual health counselors.” In addition, physicians were “encouraged to participate in a peer-topeer support service, also being provided at Northside Midtown. The Caring for the Caregiver Support Group will be onsite and activated Wednesday, May 10.”

Patients of Laureate were being updated throughout the weekend following the shooting. According to that update, even Laureate offices in other parts of the city were closed following the attack. Other than Midtown, the other offices were to open at noon on Monday, May 8.

Nearly a week after the shooting, the entire metropolitan Atlanta area was still recovering from the trauma of the shooting and police chase that started in Midtown on May 3. Atlanta Chief of Police Darin Schierbaum identified the alleged shooter as Deion Patterson, 24. According to news reports, his mother had taken

him to a doctor at North side Midtown to try to obtain a prescription for a drug to handle his anxiety. He had been a member of the U.S. Coast Guard until earlier this year and had previously sought care through Veterans Affairs.

After the shooting, which prompted a neigh borhood lockdown, ac cording to police, the alleged shooter stole a vehicle and drove to Cobb County. It was about eight hours after the shooting that Patterson was finally apprehended at a condo minium in Cobb. He was charged with murder and four counts of aggravated assault.

Outside Grady Memo rial Hospital, where the wounded were taken after the shooting, Chief Medi cal Officer Dr. Robert Jansen reported that the patients were physically pro gressing but cited the longer-term emo tional struggles in their future. North side’s Spiritual Health team has been at Grady to provide counseling to the vic tims’ families.

The shooting victims range in age from 25 to 71. The Northside Hospital Foundation has established a fund to support those affected by the shooting. Mass shootings are defined as at least four people shot. The Midtown Atlanta shooting was only one of several mass shootings in the U.S. recently. Just days later, a shooter killed eight people shop ping at an outlet mall in a suburb of Dal las, Texas, and wounded several others.

A day after the Atlanta shooting, U.S. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to express both sorrow and anger at the federal gov ernment for not taking action to halt the growing threat of gun violence. Noting that his own two children were in Atlanta schools on lockdown during the shooting in Midtown, Warnock stated, “I rise to day in shock and sorrow and in grief for my home state and, if I am honest, I rise really with a deep sense of anger about what is happening in our country in the area of gun violence and death.”

Warnock added that prayers are not enough, but that action is required. Congress had recently passed some gun safety legislation, but Warnock said it did not go far enough. “Shame on us if we al low this to happen and we do absolutely nothing,” he said. ì

The shooter has been identified as Deion Patterson, 24.

Antisemitic and Transphobic Flyers Target East Atlanta

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

Just a few months after antisemitic flyers were distributed in driveways in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, in late April more antisemitic flyers were strewn in the Atlanta neighborhoods of Lake Claire, Candler Park and Kirkwood, near Murray Hill Avenue. This time the flyers were also transphobic.

“These flyers were pushing the narratives that Jews are responsible for turning kids into transgender youth,” Rose Kantorczyk, communications associate for SOJOURN: The Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity, told the AJT.

In a press release citing the Goyim Defense League as responsible for the flyers, Kantorczyk said, “The flyers make the claim that Jews are responsible for the rise in ‘transgenderism’ in the United States and highlight several Jewish leaders of national trans and LGBTQ+ nonprofits.

“The flyers are grounded in two abhorrent ideas: that being transgender is something negative and dangerous that children should be protected from, and that

Jews have undue influence in our country’s seats of power. Neither of those theories is true. The flyers highlight members of the Jewish community who work to ensure

health, dignity, and equality for all. We believe that Judaism affirms the existence of transgender people, and that a Jewish response to the recent legislative attacks against the trans community is one that affirms trans lives.”

According to Kantorczyk, Georgia State Sen. Elena Parent alerted the community on Twitter, after which 11 Alive News reported on the hateful messages spread in the East Atlanta neighborhoods. Interestingly, it was Georgia House Member Esther Panitch, who first reported, on Twitter, that her husband had found several plastic bags with antisemitic flyers in their Sandy Springs driveway earlier this year.

Parent said she learned about the flyers from a constituent who received a flyer. “We have plenty of LGBTQ members in this neighborhood,” she said. Her district also includes the heavily Jewish area of Toco Hills, although there have been no reports of antisemitic or transphobic flyers in that area. According to Parent, “this is the first time my district has been targeted.”

The constituent who brought the flyers to Parent’s attention is Jeffrey Fisher, an attorney at Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton LLP. Fisher, who is Jewish, told the AJT that early one Sunday morning, he went to have coffee with his family when he saw the flyers “all over. We collected them from our street and threw them away because they are trash. It is really sad, but not a surprise. What they are doing is sad, but legal. They sow hate, but the First Amendment protects them as long as they are not violent.”

He added that he lives in a “wonder-

ful community and is not surprised by the outpouring of support and sympathy” he has received, calling his neighborhood, “liberal.”

After the Sandy Springs incident, Panitch, who is Jewish, posted “Welcome to being a Jew in Georgia – my driveway this morning. @SandySprings_PD came and took for testing. Govern yourselves accordingly, GDL and Anti-Semites who seek to harm/intimidate Jews in Georgia. I’m coming for you with the weight of the State behind me.”

In the last year, similar flyers have been distributed in Cobb, Bartow, Muscogee, and Paulding counties. The AntiDefamation League describes the Goyim Defense League as “a loose network of individuals connected by their virulent antisemitism.”

The Atlanta Police Department was made aware of the latest flyers and released a statement saying that “our Homeland Security Unit was quickly notified and is investigating. At this time, we are not aware of any criminal acts related to the flyers. However, their distribution has led to a heightened level of awareness throughout our department, and we have increased patrols around where the flyers were found. Anyone who may have observed or received one of these flyers is asked to notify us. You can report it by contacting your local precinct, calling our non-emergency line at 404-658-6666, by calling 922 or by calling Crime Stoppers. Information can be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org.

Rose Kantorczyk states that the best response to such material is to “continue to stand unwaveringly behind trans.”

Jeffrey Fisher and neighbors placed the antisemitic and transphobic flyers in the trash.

The people pictured and identified in the flyers are national heads of nonprofits “that happen to be Jewish,” said Kantorczyk. The flyers were adorned with Stars of David in the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ+ community.

Kantorczyk contended that “folks who are antisemitic are also transphobic and those who are transphobic are also antisemitic.” The two examples of bigotry are “inextricably linked and all part of Christian nationalists. We want to urge the Jewish community” to stand up for the trans community as there are more attacks around the country and a surge of antitrans legislation introduced and passed in state legislatures. “When bigoted material is distributed, the group that is targeted” defensively says, but “we’re not doing that,” meaning encouraging transgender people to influence the youth. But Kantorczyk states that the best response to such mate-

rial is to “continue to stand unwaveringly behind trans.”

Blaming Jews for controversial issues in the U.S. is not new. The trial of the alleged shooter of 11 Jews in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 – the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history – just began last month. The alleged shooter reportedly attacked that congregation because it had been involved in helping immigrants come to the country.

Kantorczyk said that the flyers reflect ideas that are based in truth. “Jews are inspired by our values and our teachings and what our religion tells us to do, such as look out for our neighbors and our values.” So yes, the flyers note that the people pictured are leaders in trans nonprofits, but the “ideologues” behind the flyers contend that trans people are dangerous, and that Jews have an undue influence in the country, and “both are untrue.”ì

Antisemitic and transphobic flyers were distributed in East Atlanta neighborhoods late last month.

Dignitaries Join Atlanta Community to Salute Israel

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The Woodruff Arts Center lobby could have been mistaken as Machane Yehuda marketplace in Jerusalem on Wednesday night, April 26, with rows of salatina, falafel, shawarma and spices greeting the likes of Gov. Brian Kemp and a “who’s who” throng who came to celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday, Atlanta style. Delilah Cohen worked tirelessly for months with our community to make her vision of Jewish Atlanta's celebration come true.

Ever gracious, global speaker and CNN producer Nadia Bilchik walked through the lively program of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Consul General of Israel to the Southeast Anat Sultan-Dadon, Governor Kemp, performances by The Epstein School and The Davis Academy school choirs, Luma Dance Company, Lapidus & Myles, and Yinon Sahar & Chen Cohen Exit 10 Atlanta.

Bilchik spoke of the diversity of the crowd as a testament to Israel’s broad base of support. In between, the Light for Israel Awards were presented to Georgia State Sen. Tonya Anderson, Krystal Bracy, Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter, Sr., Dr. Robbie Friedmann, Darius Jones, Gov. Kemp, Michael Morris, Doug Ross, Samantha Strelzer, and Helen Zalik.

After a rousing “Star-Spangled Banner” and Hatikvah, various videos were shown about faith and strength in Israel, and later, videos from dignitaries who were unable to attend: Sen. Jon Ossoff, Sen. Raphael Warnock, and Mayor Andre Dickens. Rabbi Daniel Dorsch started with a Shecheyanu about the variety of rabbis present and how we are all the flowers as the result of the roots planted by our ancestors as, “There is no greater tefillah than this great miracle of Israel at 75 and our connection to it.”

Sultan-Dadon shared that a new study showed that Israeli citizens scored as the happiest in the world. She shared that the population 75 years ago was 800,000 and now totals 9.7 million. In 1948, Israel held five percent of the world’s Jews vs now 46 percent.

“We are here to stay. That’s the eternal truth.” She touted Israel’s role as a world leader in technology and innovation. Teen performers clad in blue and white waved flags and sang and danced from the balcony and center stage.

Keynote speaker Kemp, with wife, Marty, was generous early on with his time chatting and posing for photos with

admirers. His formal remarks were riveting about the state’s unwavering support of Israel with $1.2 billion in trade between Georgia and Israel while exports increased 213 percent over 20 years. He went back to early Georgia history where 50 Jewish families came over with Oglethorpe. He was also proud of the new nonstop AtlantaTel Aviv Delta flight. He ended by quoting

Isaiah, about Israel’s “calling as a righteous people and light unto the nations.” He vowed to continue to fight antisemitism. He ended with the announcement of his family’s upcoming trip to Israel.

During the reception, minglers chatted with the AJT.

Honoree Doug Ross said, “I’m here to celebrate the miracle of Israel with this

pro-Israel constituency.”

Honoree Dr Lawrence Carter, Sr., founding dean of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel, stated, “As a history buff, I am delighted to witness our Judeo-Christian faiths, and note that there are certain aspects of history that we don’t want repeated.”

Pastor Patrick Penn drove in from

CNN producer Nadia Bilchik led the crowd through the program // Photo by Howard Mendel

Gov. Brian Kemp spoke of the strong bond between Israel and the state of Georgia // Photo by Howard Mendel

Anat Sultan-Dadon emphasized Israel’s role as a leader in innovation and technology // Photo by Howard Mendel

Pictured are the recipients of the Light for Israel awards // Photo by Howard Mendel

Kaylene Ladinsky and Delilah Cohen worked hand in hand to produce the celebration of Delilah's dreams.

Huntsville, Ala., with the second vice chief of the Cherokee Nation, Larry Smith, and was proud of his own role as a political advocate for Israel.

CEO and founder of Honeymoon for Israel, Mike Wise, stated that he has been to Israel five times in 12 months. Secretary of State Raffensperger shared that he values his role as a unifier in Georgia simply by telling the truth, in reference

Light for Israel Awards Recipients

• Georgia State Sen. Tonya Anderson

• Krystal Bracy

• Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter, Sr.

• Dr. Robbie Friedmann

• Darius Jones

• Gov. Brian Kemp

• Michael Morris

• Doug Ross

• Samantha Strelzer

• Helen Zalik

Guest Speakers and Presenters

• Nadia Bilchik, Global Speaker and CNN Producer

• Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State

• Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeast U.S.

• Gov. Brian Kemp, 83rd Governor of Georgia

• Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, Congregation Etz Chaim

Volunteers:

Amy Fox | Amy Rosenberg | Andrea Lipman | Beth Harber | Brian Gordon | Caryn Berzak | Elana Yoels | Jodi Halpert | Karen Walsh | Kyle Simon | Lauren Sturisky | Libby Hertz | Lindsey Lewis | Lizette Dunay | Lucy Turkienicz | Lynn Gordon | Merav Balazs | Michelle Simon | Miriam Haviv | Paola Epstein | Romi Elkounovitch | Sandi Feinstein | Sandra Craine | Sharon Wolf | Shelley Shapiro | Stacey Kaye | Stacy Tovin | Susie Lazega | Tracey Grant

Partner Organizations:

to the infamous legal case where President Donald Trump was asking for votes.

Community leader and CPA Arian Grant summed it up: “Next to my family, Israel is the most important thing in my life.”

A meat and parve menu was provided by E.B. Caterers. A shuk in the lobby allowed guests to package and take home colorful Israeli spices like z’atar, sesame seeds, and turmeric.ì

Anti-Defamation League (Southeast Region) | Ahavath Achim Synagogue | AIPAC (Southeast Region) | Am Yisrael Chai | America Israel Business Connector | American Jewish Committee | Atlanta Israel Coalition | Atlanta Jewish Academy | Atlanta Jewish Film Festival | Atlanta Jewish Foundation | Atlanta Jewish Times | Atlanta Jews of Color Council | Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival | B’nai B’rith International | Achim/Gate City Lodge | Birthright Israel Foundation | Breman Jewish Heritage Museum | Camp Judaea | Camp Ramah Dorom | Six Points Academy | Center for Israel Education | Chabad Israel Center Atlanta | Christians United for Israel | City of Sandy Springs | Congregation B’nai Torah | Congregation Beth Shalom | Congregation Beth Tefillah | Congregation Dor Tamid | Congregation Etz Chaim | Congregation Gesher L’Torah | Congregation Ner Tamid | Congregation Ohr HaTorah | Congregation Or Hadash | Congregation Or VeShalom | Congregation Rodeph Sholom | Congregation Shearith Israel | Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta | Discover DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau | Emory University Institute for the Study of Modern Israel | Eternal Life Hemshech | Friends of the IDF | GILEE | Hadassah Greater Atlanta | Hebrew Order of David | Hillels of Georgia | In the City Camps | International Christian Embassy Jerusalem-USA| Israel Bonds | Israel Ministry of Tourism | Israel ParaSport Center | Israeli Scouts-ATL | Israeli-American Council | Jewish Education Loan Fund | Jewish Family & Career Services | Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta | Jewish Fertility Foundation | Jewish Future Pledge | Jewish HomeLife | Jewish Kids Groups | Jewish Interest-Free Loans of Atlanta | Jewish National Fund-USA | Jewish War Veterans | Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta | JScreen | JuLuv Atlanta | Kesher Torah (The Kehilla of Sandy Springs) | Kibbitz & Konnect | Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah | MJCCA | National Black Empowerment Council | Neranenah | ORT Atlanta | Philos Black | Schoenbaum | Shinshinim Atlanta | Southern Jewish Life, the South’s Jewish magazine | Temple Beth Tikvah | Temple Emanu-El | Temple Kol Emeth | Temple Sinai | The Alfred & Adele Davis Academy | The Atlanta Opera | The Epstein School | The Jewish Agency for Israel | The Temple | The Weber School | Torah Day School of Atlanta | Troop 1818 Scouts BSA | World Jewish Congress | Zachor Shoah

EB Caterers laid out an Israeli “mile-long” spread // Photo by Howard Mendel

An estimated 800 guests attended the Israel at 75 celebration at The Woodruff Arts Center // Photo by Howard Mendel

Guests were invited to sample and take home a selection of spices // Photo by Howard Mendel

FIDF’s Upbeat Annual Celebration

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Friends of the Israel Defense Force experienced a well-timed, well-attended, upbeat, flag-waving program at their annual celebration on May 1 at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North.

The evening began in the pre-function VIP room, where Seth Baron, vice president of the FIDF Georgia & Southeast States, welcomed Israel Consul General to the Southeast, Anat Sultan-Dadon, and Rabbi Steve Weil, FIDF’s CEO. Highly decorated U.S. military personnel mingled with attendees.

After an Israeli-themed, mega-stationed buffet, catered by A Kosher Touch, 350-plus attendees were seated in the Grand Ballroom with dessert amid vertical blow-up photos of IDF personnel and flags.

Baron commanded the podium by sharing that the most frequent question he fields is, “How much difference are we really making?” He answered, “An incredible amount! twelve years in Atlanta raising $26 million, and 2022 ending in a record year of $3.3 million,” with confidence that the impact will continue.”

Current FIDF Southeast States Chair Karen Shulman began with naming former IDF soldiers who made their world mark -- from astronauts, scientists, and celebrities like Gal Gadot, to local leaders like Rabbi Natan Trief and Julie Silverman.

Shulman said, “Although I have no family or direct ties to Israel, I see how hard-fought and transformative the IDF is, and choose it to be my ‘calling.’” Shulman has a special interest in helping soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and visited Israeli bases with her family in December.

The highlight of the program was when three brave soldiers, whose stories were told first in video, were introduced, respectively, by local FIDF board members, Justine Cohen, Tracy Seitz, and Garry Sobel, national board member and chairman emeritus, Georgia & Southeast States.

Lt. Barr, of the Search and Rescue Unit, Operation Olive Branch, relayed the dramatic IDF humanitarian effort “as a force for good in the world” by being on-site in the recent Turkey earthquake. A young boy was rescued by Barr’s team and reunited with his sister, who was rescued one-week prior, by a different IDF rescue team. During seven days of tireless efforts, this Olive Branch delegation treated 470 injured civilians including 150 children and saved 19 lives.

Sgt Gila, Lavi HaBik’a, patrols the Jericho area on multi-cultural soil where she foiled a potentially massive terrorist attack. She recounted, “We thought we had neutralized them, then five to eight more came out burning tires and packed with weapons. My instincts kicked in and we acted with no doubt. Yes, women can serve in combat shoulder to shoulder with the men.”

She then mentioned how much she appreciated the FIDF dining lounge on her base and valuing the idea of feeling appreciated.

Sgt Rose, Magav Border Police, explained her role guarding the Muslim Quarter in the Old City. “Here I am at the Villa De la Rosa checking IDs for 8-13 hours at a time having just slept with my body cam and M5.”

She ended on a lighter note, “If you ever stroll through the Damascus Gate, toss me a high five and I will welcome you.” Her extended family includes the Lubin, Halpern, Hirsch and Oppenheimer families, with more than 40 members joining this event.

Sobel delivered the final words explaining that defense comes at a tremendous cost.

Active FIDF supporters (from left) Andre and Justine Cohen, Delilah Cohen, Israel Consul General to the Southeast Anat Sultan-Dadon, and Steven Cohen // Photo by Jon Marks Photography

Karen Shulman and Seth Baron addressed FIDF’s many successes and its mission.

Lt. Barr rescued Turkish earthquake victims in Operation Olive Branch.

Forty family members attended to honor Sgt. Rose, a graduate of Dunwoody High.

“Atlanta has sent an average of 35 lone soldiers (annually) over the past 10 years. 24,213 soldiers overall have paid with their lives -- the ultimate price for having a country. The children of the Diaspora are coming home to defend her. Our trips to the Kotel, tourism, hotel stays, would be out of reach without the IDF.”

Chatting earlier with the AJT, supporter Lowell Fine stated that he keeps in touch with several of the soldiers whose education (as IMPACT scholars) he supported. He said, “The FIDF helps these soldiers in so many different ways.”

Suzanne and Joel Eisenberg, whose two sons, David and Matthew, both

served as Lone Soldiers (2015-2017) also commented on the evening.

Joel Eisenberg stated, “I’m incredibly proud.” Mom, Suzanne, echoed, “Having these young boys defend Israel has increased our love and admiration for the country. Matthew was awarded the Most Outstanding Soldier in his 150-person platoon. We treasure his photo in this special green beret.”

Atlanta Lone Soldier Lt. Rose explained that she graduated Dunwoody High School and has served 16 months with 14 more remaining. She said, “I may sign up for more IDF roles or seek higher education in exercise science.”ì

Sgt. Rose, an Atlanta Lone Soldier, guards the Muslim Quarter in the Old City.

A full soldier salute with FIDF leader Garry Sobel in center.

Sgt. Gila stood shoulder to shoulder with her male counterparts to neutralize a terrorist attack.

JF&CS Tasting Sells Out for Good Cause

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

The annual Tasting event returned May 4 to the spacious Stave Room. Now in its 23rd year, the event benefits the Zimmerman-Horowitz Independent Living Program of Jewish Family & Career Services.

The Z-H ILP is an individualized, nonsectarian, supportive living program that enables those with disabilities to live as independently as possible. JF&CS CEO Terri Bonoff officially began the event by

toasting the Horowitz’s continued commitment to the program over its evolution and in special memory of Jerry Horowitz.

Honorary chair Pearlann Horowitz welcomed the sponsors and said, “We are seeing the sunlight after COVID. Our residents have traveled to beaches, Charleston, Israel, and sometimes they took vans or buses. Life is thriving. And this is a long goodbye, as we age, they age. Jerry (who passed away last year) and I started this program and need new people to take the reins under this umbrella that involves so

many functions like shopping and cooking and health care. One of the reasons Jerry and I endowed this program was in consideration of our daughter, Michelle, who has developmental disabilities. So, let’s toast Jerry, L-dor va-dor.”

As more than 600 guests mingled in the main room, many commented on how easy it was to get to the food based on the layout of the cavernous room. In addition to the rectangle set up of alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages, 20 restaurants, caterers and their managers were on hand

to greet tasters and explain their concepts. Art and fun experiences were available by silent auction to benefit the program.

Les Retter, of High Roller Sushi, said, “We have supported this meaningful cause over four years. It’s a wonderful organization. I’m happy to contribute, and people really love our sushi.”

Supporter Sara Kogon frequented The Select’s ceviche and declared, “This is the best dish here!”

Many of the program’s residents, clad in their “party best,” danced and

mingled.

(Left) Terri Bonoff, CEO of JF&CS toasted the late Jerry Horowitz, along with Pearlann Horowitz and Michelle (right).

Ross Kogon, “dressed for success,” posed with Vanessa and Isaac Frank, event co-chairs. Isabelle Gouldin chatted with Michael and Caren Merlin, honorary co-chairs.

Sara Kogon’s fav was the ceviche from The Select.

Clients of the JF&CS independent living program had fun mingling and dancing. (Left) Sister Laurie Besmertnik, mother, Bonnie, came to support Todd (right) a happy program participant.

Libations Chair Mark Brown is flanked by his parents, Joan and Donald Brown, who were among the original founders.

Les Retter, of High Roller Sushi, was a popular choice table choice.

Bonnie Besmertnik, mother of Todd, said, “He had done so well after four years in independent living. He loves it and prefers it to coming home.”

The Tasting heralds back 21 years to where it began at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta with Joan and Donald Brown organizing a low-key wine tasting for 130 guests. Son, Mark Brown, still the libations chair, worked with distributors and vendors to provide a vast array of beverages. He said, “This event benefits so many people in allowing them independence in living on their own versus another scenario.”

Longtime supporter Sandra Bank, president of Added Touch Catering, shared, “I started my career in Jerry and Pearlann’s home cooking for them and recall how he was so generous and handsome, always wearing a bow tie, hence my staff tonight is wearing them. I’ve par-

ticipated way back to the beginning hotel venues.”

Fifth Group/Alma Cocina executive Stuart Fierman stated, “We have known the Horowitzes forever and grew up with Michelle who was our sister’s dear friend. She is dear to our heart.”

Longtime participant Todd Ginsburg, of General Muir, was especially motivated to support older adults with disabilities. He served a cuisine of dill, mascarpone, and pickled Napa cabbage.

Bonoff later told the AJT, “The Tasting reflected the heart and soul of Jewish Atlanta - the warmth, vitality and intergenerational spirit coming together to honor the legacy of Jerry Horowitz and commit to the spirit of serving those in our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities for generations to come - L'ador v'dor.” ì

Participating Restaurants

Added Touch’s Sandra Bank asked her staff to wear bowties to honor Jerry Horowitz.

Columbus Reunion is Back

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Like the eclipse of a heavenly body in a rare and special event, the Columbus Jewish community has experienced three reunions over the past 30 years. The driving force behind this year’s reunion, on April 23 at Pickneyville Park, was Linda Satlof, chief organizer.

Attendee Barbara Sherman Mendel exclaimed, “All this is because of Linda, who did a fantastic job putting it together.”

On this gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon, Satlof welcomed the crowd of 130 adults, two rabbis, six children, and one dog, by thanking each of the committee members who worked as a team with the outcome of this flawless event. She said, “Today’s event is based on the impact that growing up in Columbus had on our lives, full of love and caring. And this is not our last hurrah!”

Local Rabbi Brian Glusman, who has served for a decade as rabbi of Columbus’s Shearith Israel Synagogue, commutes there for weekends and lifecycle events.

He noted, “Columbus is just special. Do we see this for Savannah or Augusta? Columbus here today is about connections and even transcends synagogue membership choices.”

Columbus, about an hour and a half drive from Atlanta in the western part of the state, has a population of 197,000, and is known for its Fort Benning Army base, and is set along the Chattahoochee River on the border with Alabama.

As Southern towns go, it also has a pull from even smaller communities, like local Judge Gary Jackson who stated that he commuted there as a child from his parents’ home in Pine Mountain, Ga. This AJT writer’s parents met in Columbus and moved the young family to LaGrange.

The reunion’s history began 30 years ago, when three Jewish Columbusites, Linda Satlof, Gail Cohn, and Esther Gerson Levine, were gathered at a Yom Kippur Break Fast and decided to create a picnic designed to gather the alumni of the Columbus Jewish community who resided in Atlanta.

Lynne Rabinowitz joined the trio “as she was the only computer-savvy person from Columbus the coordinators knew in Atlanta at the time,” recalled Satlof. After several months, the picnic was a reality in an undeveloped pasture with a covered pavilion in Conyers in 1993. More than 180 attended then, ranging in

ages from 25 to 108.

Twenty-five years later, in 2018, one of the founders was at a shiva minyan where she reunited with six former Columbusites and remarked how great it was they had all stayed in touch over the years. However, she was corrected by the six, because this was their first time together in more than 30 years, as they didn’t “meet the age requirement” to attend the 1993 event. It was 25 years to the date from the first one, and these six were challenged to coordinate a second picnic on April 22, 2018. With computers available then, three weeks later, 203 Columbusites, from five different states, as far as Oregon, gathered for another reunion.

This year, with the help of a 20-person alumni committee, multiple triboards, posters and decorations, past memories were brought to life. Table decorations included copies of Columbus newspaper advertisements of Jewish merchants from the 1930s through 2010. An original brass threshold plate from Kiralfy’s, a Jewish-owned dress store, was displayed.

Eric Singer, who stated that he lived in Columbus until age 11, said, “I consider myself a native and have seen people here I didn’t know.”

David Moskowitz, who was on the set-up committee, spoke of his teenage memories, “My 1957 ‘baby boomer’ bar mitzvah class of 15 was the largest in his-

tory. Columbus is where it all began. Lots of good memories.”

Reunion co-founder Esther Gerson Levine was impressed with the memorabilia that Satlof had prominently displayed on tables designed with artist Joan Weiss. Levine said, “Columbus has influenced us all in a big way. I’m so excited after so many years.”

Pediatrician Pip Spandorfer, who said that he treated half the grandchildren of the people at the picnic, chatted alongside his mother, Rochelle, who raised a large family in Columbus.

Sherman Mendel, who had to cut short a trip to make it to the picnic, summed it up, “And everyone looks exactly the same!”ì

Rabbi Brian Glusman commutes to serve Columbus for weekends and lifestyle events.

Dr. Pip Spandorfer poses with his mother, Rochelle

Event chairperson Linda Satlof (right) posed with Joan Weiss, the artist who created the displays.

The April 23 reunion drew a crowd of 130 adults at Pickneyville Park.

Early organizer Gail Cohn pointed to a photo of herself as AZA sweetheart, 1959-60.

Judge Gary Jackson chats with Eric Singer The reunion was a committee team effort. (From left) Esther Levine, Bobby Miller, Linda Satlof, Gail Cohn, Lee Greenberg, Alan Cohn, Gloria Miller, Harvey Spiegel, Brenda Segall, Bella Smith. (not pictured, Joan Weiss)

Atlanta Opera Production Spotlights Wagner’s Antisemitism

By Bob Bahr

The Atlanta Opera, under its artistic and executive director, Tomar Zvulun, took a mighty step forward with their production of “Das Rhinegold,” the first opera in Richard Wagner’s four operas that comprise his mythical “Ring of the Nebelung.”

The monumental performance, which was sung in German, with English supertitles above the stage, covers almost three hours and was done without an intermission. The production, which debuted earlier this year at the Dallas Opera, was a first for any opera company in the Southeast. A second opera in the series, “Die Walkure,” is scheduled next spring.

“The Ring Cycle,” which runs more than 15 hours when produced in its entirety, is a dramatic, musical work that stands at the very pinnacle of artistic creation. However, as a statement of Wagner’s social and political views, with its strongly antisemitic overtones, it is considerably less impressive.

Because Wagner’s strident views about Jews were incorporated into Nazi ideology, orchestras and opera companies in Israel have observed an informal ban on Wagner’s music. There have been heated discussions about that ban in the music world both within Israel and abroad, but the ban has remained in place. That, despite a test case that was brought before the Israel’s Supreme Court that ruled a boycott of Wagner could not be legally enforced.

It was to Tomar’s Zvulun’s credit that he initiated a lively discussion about Wagner's antisemitism at The Breman Museum on April 30, a day after the first performance of “Das Rhinegold.” Zvulun told the Sunday afternoon gathering that he believes that presenting Wagner’s work is an opportunity to examine his controversial ideas.

“As general director of the Atlanta Opera, and as somebody who deeply cares about the art form, I believe that programing something that is problematic and controversial is an opportunity to have those

discussions. And I think it’s very important that we recognize that in our culture.”

Still, it is hard to ignore the Nazi legacy attached to Wagner’s music. Although Wagner died five years before Hitler was born, he was the German dictator’s favorite composer. Hitler spent each summer during the Beyareth Festival as an honored guest, some say lover, of Winifred Wagner. She was the wife of Wagner’s grandson and the woman who ran the festival during the dozen years in which the Nazis dominated German life. He was deeply impressed not only by Wagner’s music but by the composer’s antisemitic screed, first published in 1850, called “Jewishness in Music” that called for the elimination of Jews from German society.

In terms that sound shocking today, he charged that Jews were cultural parasites, feeding off the artistic creations of non-Jews. He wrote that “The Jew has never had an art of his own.”

Much of his music provided a soundtrack to accompany those murderous years and it was said that it was played for the enjoyment of SS officers by orchestras composed of inmates in the German death camps.

In a Wagner family history published in 2013, “Twilight of the Wagners,” Wagner's great-grandson, Gottfried Wagner, questioned just how much distance the family had put between themselves and their Nazi past. He charged that his family has failed to fully separate themselves from Wagner’s antisemitic ideas and the family’s “dark past.”

“The book is an attempt by a German and a member of the Wagner family,” the great-grandson said in a radio interview, “to reflect on the individual responsibility themselves, and of my generation and future generations after Hitler.”

For the Israeli-born Zvulun, the Wagner productions caps a decade of determination to raise the sights for the local opera company. He would not have been able to mount such an ambitious production if it had not first put in place a strong commer-

cial and artistic structure to support it.

In “Das Rhinegold,” he has assembled a large and strong cast, led by the veteran bass-baritone Greer Grimsley as Wotan, the ruler of the gods of Valhalla. For the colorful, dramatic staging, he has called upon his frequent production collaborator, Erhard Rom, whose imaginative electronic projections mostly stand in for the more elaborate scenery of traditional productions, such as the one done at The Metropolitan Opera four years ago and at the Wagner’s 19th Cen-

tury Bayreuth Festival Theater.

Despite his accomplishments in this landmark production, Tomer Zvulun still has an ambitious relationship with the composer.

“Every time that I listen to his music, it strikes me with that complexity, that ambiguity of somebody who could understand human nature in such a profound way. How does somebody like that be so myopic, be such a misanthrope and such a genius at the same time?”ì

Greer Grimsby, left, starred as Wotan in “Das Rhinegold" // Photo Credit: Atlanta Opera

The Atlanta Opera’s staging of Wagner’s “Das Rhinegold” // Photo Credit: Atlanta Opera The Breman Museum hosted a discussion with Tomer Zvulun (right) of The Atlanta Opera // Photo Credit: Breman Museum

Heyman Receives National Matan Leadership Award

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

Atlanta native Gail Heyman is the deserving recipient of the Matan Leadership Award presented at an upcoming celebratory event on May 30 in New York City. Matan (the Hebrew word for “gift”) focuses on helping communities understand their inclusion needs, enabling them to meet goals and train Jewish communal leaders and educators in inclusive practices, a mission that Heyman understands and passionately embraces.

Executive director of Matan, Dori Kirschner, said, “Gail Heyman chose to use her voice not just to create opportunities for her son, but she lent time, energy, and other resources so that the Jewish community of Atlanta could say yes! Yes, to individuals with disabilities and yes to their families as well. Matan edifies communities’ ability to ‘get to yes’ through coaching and consultations, which is how we met Gail. Our inclusion audit was conducted in 2020; it involved over 40 hours of meetings with over 100 stakeholders. At the end, Matan provided Federation with an Inclusion Strategic Plan, which Jewish

Best

Abilities Atlanta is implementing.”

With decades of advocacy work, Heyman has become a leading voice for

parents advocating for inclusion around the country. She joined forces with scientists, researchers, and the medical community along with schools, teachers, and more, in accelerating awareness, diagnosis and education. Devoted to the Atlanta Jewish community, she is co-founder and president of the Fragile X Association of Georgia, which she (and her sister, Janet Schatten,) created to help other families connect, served on the task force of Jewish Abilities Atlanta and is a JScreen ambassador.

The Heyman family has received the National Daily Point of Light Award, and Gail, herself, works closely with programs at Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Camp Barney Mednitz and the Anti-Defamation League.

Currently the chair of the NCOV at University of California at Davis MIND Institute, she passionately speaks on the importance of including individuals with developmental disabilities in a caring community and serves on numerous task forces for developmental disabilities with Matan at Jewish day schools, Federation, synagogues, and the Marcus Jewish Community Center. A recently retired registered dental hygienist from Goldstein, Garber and Salama in Atlanta, Heyman, and her husband, Lyons, of 49 years, are equally proud of their three adult children, Jared, Scott, and Carly, and Carly wrote a book about her very special brother, Scott.

True to the philanthropic legacy of her beloved community-service-minded

grandfathers, Abe Goldstein and Morris Cohen, Heyman began her advocacy early in her life, aware of the importance of giving back. When the Heymans got the diagnosis of Fragile X syndrome for their now 42-year-old remarkable son, Scott, it had just been discovered at Emory University by Dr. Stephen Warren in 1991.

Scott is a Special Olympics Georgia Champion in power lifting and has received gold medals in golf and basketball. An amazing young man with a work ethic that would impress anyone, to know Scott Heyman is to love him. To know his family is a privilege, as Scott is truly a light in their lives.

Heyman shared, “I remember once hearing that G-d gives special parents a child with special needs, but I believe that a child with special needs makes a parent special. I can truly say that Scott has made me a better person. I wholeheartedly believe my family has become more compassionate and understanding of individual needs. We are blessed. My advocacy is just a byproduct of my passion to help others. There is something very pure about Scott’s wants, needs and desires. He makes others feel special with just a simple hello. I felt deep in my heart if he needed a program or an activity for his ability, so did others. I am fortunate that there are many families like ours that just need a champion for their causes.”

She added, “Even the language for special needs has evolved in the last 40 years from mentally impaired, developmentally disabled, special needs, to neurodiverse. They are individuals with the same thoughts, feelings, and dreams as others. Our society is working on inclusion, however, it’s a work in process with the goal of accepting the various needs of people who are different and give them opportunities to be included in their communities.”

Heyman’s award and message supports the type of giving that emphatically reminds the world that children who learn differently are merely gifted in ways that our society must value. They have the same hopes, feelings and dreams we all have.

Heyman adds, “They want what everyone else wants – to be accepted.”ì

Gail Heyman (middle, white shirt) to receive prestigious award from Matan for decades of advocacy service work.

NCJW Honors Local Sheroes

Robbins dared to infuse Judaism into the after-school childcare that families rely upon every weekday, making it fun, experiential, educational…and Jewish.

Louza, who spent a career working as an administrative judge with the federal government, currently volunteers with organizations that battle food insecurity and the homeless. She created The Sandwich Project, an effort that provides thousands of sandwiches and fruits and snacks to those in need. Louza dared to challenge a diverse group of people to come together to help eradicate food insecurity in the community.

Robbins is the founder of Jewish Kids Groups, which serves around 200 students each year in Morningside, Decatur, Brookhaven, and Sandy Springs. Under Robbins’ leadership, JKG was named one of North America’s most innovative Jewish organizations, and Robbins has been recognized for her work efforts in the Jewish community innovation sector, by Upstart, the Shusterman Family Philanthropies, and other Jewish social accelerators in New York and Jerusalem.

Savitt, president and CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, is a human rights advocate with expertise in genocide and atrocity prevention. In 2007, Savitt founded and directed Dream for Darfur, a high-profile advocacy campaign that pressed the Chinese government to take specific actions regarding the genocide in Darfur in the lead up to the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing. Savitt dared to tell the truth of history, even as powerful voices sought to deny it.ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

The National Council of Jewish Women-Atlanta Section, on April 28, hosted its fourth annual fundraising luncheon honoring local women who have made a significant impact on the community. The four “Sheroes” celebrated at the luncheon are: Susie Greenberg, Marcy Louza, Ana Robbins, and Jill Savitt.

“This year’s Sheroes event far exceeded our expectations,” said Stacey Hader Epstein, co-president of NCJA Atlanta Section. “We received record-setting registrations, attendance, and donations, which demonstrate the support for our amazing honorees and of the work NCJW Atlanta Section

continues to do in our community.”

Greenberg, an advocate and volunteer in the fields of education and social justice, is also a licensed attorney and serves as a court-appointed special advocate for foster children. She also chairs Temple Sinai’s Civil Rights and Human Rights committee and helped create programming in LGBTQ+ awareness, human and sex trafficking, voter rights and suppression, and women’s reproductive health and rights. Greenberg dares to live by the credo, “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” by advocating for social justice issues that reflect core Jewish values.

Sheroes honorees with their Women Who Dare Miriam’s Cups: (from left) Susie Greenberg, Marcy Louza, Ana Robbins, Jill Savitt

NCJW Atlanta’s Sheroes co-chairs, Diana Silverman and Rachel Silverman, preside over the sold-out luncheon.

Guests learned more about each honoree in a series of personalized videos.

Jewish Future Pledge Spawns Youth Pledge Initiative

By Fran Putney

A new initiative of the Jewish Future Pledge involving Jewish youth organizations takes an innovative approach to the challenge of keeping teens and young adults connected to Judaism and fostering a lasting commitment to Jewish values and community.

The Jewish Future Pledge is a global movement which asks Jews and Jewish allies to make the moral commitment to include Jewish causes or the state of Israel in their estate planning. Jewish Youth Pledge was created to further the goals of the Jewish Future Pledge by inspiring and educating the next generation of Jewish community members.

The Jewish Youth Pledge asks Jewish teens and young adults from around the world to commit to being active, contributing members of the Jewish community. As part of JYP, Jewish youth and college organizations run a program in which youth, aged 13-24, write self-reflective letters to their future selves, envisioning the role of Jewish values in their lives. Stored

in the Jewish Youth Pledge Time Capsule, participants receive a text reminder every two years and a letter copy at the fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth anniversaries, revisiting their values and commitments to the Jewish world.

With the official launch of the Jewish Youth Pledge, JFP’s mission is to redefine how Jewish youth and alums connect,

engaging them in meaningful conversations and inspiring a renewed dedication to their shared heritage. The effort also strengthens ties between Jewish youth organizations and their alums.

Letters start out with the powerful prompt: I hereby pledge to act today and throughout my lifetime to strengthen the Jewish people and Israel. I make this commitment because I have a responsibility to ensure that my generation writes the next chapter of the Jewish story and remains a strong link in the chain of generations.

According to Jewish Future Pledge founder Mike Leven: “The Jewish Youth Pledge is a powerful vehicle for equipping our next generation with the essential tools and resources to nurture their Jewish identity and actively shape the community’s future. By taking the pledge, Jewish youth can embrace the rich history and values and unite with a vibrant community of like-minded individuals who share the same commitment to the continuity of the Jewish people.”

During its soft launch, JYP has met with great success from both participants and partner organizations, securing more than 13,200 pledges to date, and forging partnerships with more than 45 youth programs across the United States, Canada, and Israel.

“We’ve seen a profound effect of the participants as evidenced by their letters,” added Leven. “Participants write to remind themselves of the strong sense of comfort that Judaism has brought to their lives. They write committing themselves to attend synagogue, make time for Shabbat dinners, and devote themselves to making the world a better place. In the midst of the rise of antisemitism and assimilation, their pledges bring hope to the continuation of our way of life.”

The Jewish Youth Pledge has gained support from prominent Jewish organizations, including Taglit-Birthright Israel, BBYO, NCSY, Masa Israel Journey, JNF, Young Judaea, AEPi, BU Hillel, and the Union of Reform Judaism. Leven says the initiative welcomes new partners now that it has launched.

“The Jewish Youth Pledge and digital time capsule are powerful tools to remind people that the profound Jewish moments of their youth can be guideposts for their adult lives,” stated BBYO CEO Matt Grossman. “Organizations like BBYO stay relevant in their memories as we encourage them to build meaningful Jewish lives.”

Eli West recently took the Jewish Youth Pledge citing the desire to hone his pride and the responsibility he feels for the Jewish world and Israel.

“I grew up with immense Jewish pride, and this has profoundly shaped the way I embrace the responsibility I have to my people and my land, Eretz Yisrael,” West shared. “As I’ve gotten older, my focus has shifted from Israeli history to the Jewish youth, American Jewry, and our Diaspora identity. I’m passionate about educating the next generation, preparing them to live proud Jewish lives in a secular world, and equipping them with the skills to combat antisemitism. The Jewish Youth Pledge inspires us to grow and evolve, continually reconnecting with our mission. Reading my letter two years later reminds me of my purpose and drive, continuing to fuel my dedication to making a difference in the Jewish world.”

For more information about The Jewish Youth Pledge and to take the pledge, visit, www.jewishyouthpledge. org. ì

The Jewish Future Pledge asks Jewish teens and young adults to commit to being active, contributing members of the Jewish community // Photo Credit: Times of Israel

Jewish Federation Fan Giveaway

With support from a donor-advised fund through the Atlanta Jewish Foundation at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, an anonymous donor has given The Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta funds to distribute 1,500 free box fans to help those in need beat the summer heat this summer. This generous gift has been happening for more than 30 years.

Summers in Atlanta average between the high 80s and mid-90s with the heat index even higher. Extreme temperatures can be deadly, and due to financial barriers, many people do not have the ability to pay for repairs to their air conditioners if needed or live in homes or apartments that don’t have adequate or any air conditioning. Our neighbors in need are also being impacted by the rising cost of electricity and gas as well as groceries and other essentials due to inflation, adding to financial hardship.

Many of the fans were distributed on May 4 at 15 Salvation Army locations

Heller Promoted to Associate Editor

Atlanta Jewish Times announced this week that Sasha Heller has been promoted to associate editor, while continuing to retain his web editor title.

Heller’s role inside the AJT newsroom continues to expand after joining the paper in February 2022. Heller was initially hired as an online content coordinator, and later, assumed the duties of copy editor after the previous editor's departure.

Heller was also promoted last fall from online content coordinator to web editor.

nalism, and I am privileged to be a part of it.”

Heller’s role in the newsroom is essentially split into two halves. One objective is to edit the copy that makes it to print, including promotional materials, and coordinating assignments with the writing staff. The other half of Heller’s role involves managing the AJT website, including uploading all of the printed content to the paper’s Wordpress site, sharing the links on the AJT’s social media platforms, and creating the AJT newsletters.

throughout metro Atlanta.

"We are grateful for this continued support from this anonymous donor from the Atlanta Jewish Community," said a Salvation Army spokesperson.

Temple Kol Emeth Observes Yom HaShoah

Temple Kol Emeth commemorated

Yom HaShoah – the solemn observance of Holocaust Survivor Day – with a special Shabbat Services on Friday, April 14, and participation in the Parade of Scrolls in Savannah on Sunday, April 16.

The events preceded the international day of observance from the evening of Monday, April 17, to the evening of Tuesday, April 18, that is dedicated to services, ceremonies, educational programs, testimonials from survivors and the lighting of yahrzeit (memorial) candles.

At the Shabbat services on April 14, congregants Nikki Goodstein and her mother, Vera Javor, a Holocaust survivor, spoke to the congregation. Goodstein announced the development of The Vera Javor Holocaust Education Fund, which was established to fund education both within the TKE community and the larger Cobb County community to ensure ongoing education and awareness of the Holocaust.

The Parade of Scrolls, hosted by Congregation Mickve Israel in Savannah, was a somber, poignant event marked with music and an address by Trustee of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, Lois Roman. The Memorial Scrolls were of Czechoslovakian origin and were rescued and restored after being warehoused in an abandoned synagogue where they suffered extensive damage.

TKE representatives Nikki and Roger Goodstein, Vera Javor, and Tim and Jodi Roberts brought TKE’s Torah, originally from Lostice, Czechoslovakia, to the event.

“As fewer survivors remain, the congregation at Temple Kol Emeth feels it is more important than ever to remind the next generations about the atrocities of the Holocaust so that it may never happen again,” said Temple Kol Emeth President Jodi Roberts. “In a time in history when we recognize the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Yom HaShoah calls upon all of us – Jews and non-Jews – to remember the six million Jewish victims and their efforts to resist the Nazi forces. Holocaust Survivor Day reminds us to fight antisemitism and other prejudices in order to be the upstanders the world needs.”

“I am truly grateful for being a part of this news team,” Heller said. “In my 13 years of journalism, I have never felt so appreciated as an employee or member of a newsroom. The AJT organization values its employees and values excellent local jour-

Over his career, Heller has managed weekly and daily newsrooms in the Mississippi Delta, Texas Panhandle, Port Isabel, Texas, and Denver, and led a national design team in Austin with GateHouse Media’s Center for News & Design.

Unto Every Person There is a Name

This year marked the 34th anniversary of the global Shoah memorial initiative, “Unto Every Person There is a Name.” This public recitation of names of Holocaust victims was held around the world on Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes Remembrance Day.

This extremely moving program took place in Atlanta on April 28 in the rotunda of the Georgia State Capitol Building. The Achim/Gate City (Atlanta) Lodge of B’nai B’rith International invited the community to join in marking Holocaust Remembrance Day either at the Georgia State Capitol or virtually from their homes, offices, and schools.

The “Unto Every Person

There is a Name” ceremony provides the opportunity to remember the victims of the Holocaust, six million Jews, among them -- one and a half million children, and as the names of victims are read aloud, they are remembered. The annual recitation of the names of victims is one way of posthumously restoring the victims’ names, of commemorating them as individuals. According to organizers, this honors the memory of the victims, grapples with the enormity of the murder, and seeks to combat Holocaust denial and distortion.

Helen Scherrer-Diamond, president

of Atlanta’s B’nai B’rith lodge commented, “For many on these lists, it is the only time their name will be said aloud as their entire family was murdered or there is no one left to remember them. It is important that the Atlanta community join this global effort to memorialize the six million individuals we lost in the Holocaust.”

The project is coordinated by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in consultation with the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and enjoys the official auspices of the president of the state of Israel, the Hon. Isaac Herzog. The program is coordinated by Yad Vashem through the efforts of four major Jewish organizations – B’nai B’rith International, Nativ, World Jewish Congress, and World Zionist Organization.

Harry Lutz, the local coordinator of this program for many years for the Atlanta B’nai B’rith lodge says, “the Unto Every Person There is a Name remembrance ceremony is always an incredibly moving experience for me, both hearing names being read and reading aloud the names of victims myself. I am constantly picturing in my mind that there are more than six million of these names.”

Compiled by AJT Staff

The Atlanta Jewish Foundation at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta distributed 1,500 box fans to those who need help beating the heat this summer.

Nikki Goodstein and her mother, Vera Javor, a Holocaust survivor, spoke to the Temple Kol Emeth congregation during a special Shabbat service in observance of Holocaust Survivor Day.

Harry Lutz, Achim Gate City Lodge of B’nai B’rith International, at the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony on April 28.

Hawks Show Pride in Series Loss to Celtics

At times, it felt like there could be a repeat of 2008.

It was 15 years ago this month that the Joe Johnson and Josh Smith-led Hawks illogically pushed the eventual world champion Boston Celtics to a seventh game in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs.

David Ostrowsky

So, when the Hawks, down 0-2 in this year’s Eastern Conference quarterfinals, rode a franchise-record 74-point first half to pull off a gritty 130-122 home win over the Celtics in Game 3 to get back in the series, which preceded a most improbable 13-point fourth quarter comeback win in Game 5 in Boston, there was hope that the first postseason victories of the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray era could extend the series to a winner-takeall Game 7, where, as sports fans know, anything can happen.

But ultimately, there would be no such unexpected drama this year as Marietta native Jaylen Brown and the rest of the heavily favored Celtics held off the Hawks, 128-120, in Game 6 to take the series 4-2, ushering in an off-season full of great uncertainty for the locals.

Following the season-ending loss in Game 6, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, who back in February was on a family vacation in South America when he was asked to take over the team for the stretch run after the departure of Nate McMillan, remarked, “Our goal was to be the best version of ourselves at the end of the year. I thought that continued from the regular season through the playoffs. You saw a group that was connected. Different guys came up big in different games. For the most part, I thought we executed. What I told them was that I am proud to have the opportunity to coach them and we talked about communicating, being competitive, and being connected. And I thought we were all three of those things.”

The Hawks, who earned the seventh seed by virtue of upsetting the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament, didn’t go quietly in the series finale. Game 6 was one that featured 22 lead changes and 15 ties, the last of which (113-113) occurred with under five minutes remaining before Boston, whose key contributors that

evening were Brown (32 points) and fellow Atlanta native, and Sixth Man of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon (17), took over down the stretch.

But the lasting memory of a more compelling-than-expected playoff-opening series was Game 5, what goes down as one of the most iconic postseason wins in franchise history. Without arguably their best two-way player in Dejounte Murray (suspension following his altercation with an official at the conclusion of Game 4), the Hawks, with Young scoring their final 14 points, edged Boston, 119117, to force the aforementioned Game 6 and subsequent postponement of a Janet Jackson concert at State Farm Arena.

“I’ve been owning the moment my whole life. That’s what I do,” Young said after his statement performance to seal the win in Boston that instilled a glimmer of hope in an often-overlooked Atlanta team. “I’m not afraid of it; I’ve worked too hard to be afraid of the moment.

“It’s really just the time and situation that shows itself. We’re down and it’s late in the game, I’m sitting on the line, and I know I’ve got to be more aggressive.”

After struggling to find his groove in Games 1 and 2 at Boston’s TD Garden, during which his coach urged him to, in fact, be more aggressive, Young was absolutely brilliant in engineering the Hawks’ stirring Game 5 comeback, looking very

much like the superstar who dropped 32, 30, and 36 points against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden during Games 1, 2, and 5, respectively, of the 2021 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Which meant that, naturally, he was once again serenaded with unprintable jeers in clutch time.

“When people do that, I just think that’s total respect,” said Young after an instant classic Game 5. “They ain’t doing it to everybody. It didn’t feel like the Knicks series. The Knicks series, [the chants] probably started with 10 minutes in the first quarter.”

Unfortunately, for Young and his many younger teammates, their play in the early part of the series did little to get the Celtics faithful worked up. While the Hawks made things interesting by stealing Games 3 and 5, and in doing so rekindling memories of the 2008 iteration, one that had current Celtics big man Al Horford, Boston established its dominance from the jump by taking a commanding 2-0 series lead after Games 1 and 2.

In the series opener, Boston raced out to a 74-44 halftime lead on its way to a 112-99 win. The main culprit behind the deflating loss: the Hawks struggled mightily from behind the arc, connecting on only 5 of 29 attempts from three-point land.

A few nights later, following the

city’s much celebrated annual midspring marathon, of which longtime Hawks equipment manager Zac Walsh was a proud participant, Game 2 followed a similar script as Boston went into the second half with another sizable lead (61-49), and one it wouldn’t relinquish on the way to another 13-point victory (119-106). Although Young once again had an off-night shooting (9-22 with only a couple treys), his backcourt mate, Murray, poured in a career postseason high 29 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists to give Atlanta some momentum heading back home.

But as the rest of the series unfolded, it was not enough as a deeper, more defensive-minded Celtics team took two out of three in Atlanta over the following week to avoid following in the footsteps of the Milwaukee Bucks in getting upset by a scrappy underdog in the playoffs’ opening round.

“Everybody wants instant results, but it takes time,” said Hawks power forward John Collins after the series finale against Boston. “We added a lot into our rotation, into our roster, obviously we’re extremely talented and young as well. It’s not as easy as it might look on paper, but we do our best to compete. The entire team, I feel like we have an ecosystem that wants to get better.”

Although it was an at times frustrating season in which the Hawks were constantly hovering around .500 and seemingly a far cry from their 2021 version that marched to the Eastern Conference Finals, this spring was indeed the third consecutive one in which they played postseason basketball. And they did so not just with veterans Young, Murray, and Clint Capela, but also with exciting up-and-comers such as De’Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson, and A.J. Griffin, who are bound to stay in the ATL for the foreseeable future.

Of course, going into this summer, the big question is, will Young? Although rumors abound of potential suitors for his services, he did drop a soundbite in his end-of-season press conference that sounds as though he feels comfortable with Snyder as his coach—something that wasn’t always the case with Snyder’s predecessors in Lloyd Pierce and McMillan.

“Quin is the future,” Young said. “I believe as we’re sitting here, this city is going to win a championship. It’s just about bringing in the right pieces for him.” ì

In his first postseason for Atlanta, Trae Young’s backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, paced his team in scoring during the series’ first two games // Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks

While questions about his future in Atlanta persist, point guard Trae Young’s moments of brilliance in the latter part of the firstround series reminded fans of his superstar potential // Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks

Emory’s Cohen Stars as Two-Way Softball Phenom

By David Ostrowsky

In college softball, the two-way player is not the unicorn like it is in baseball (Shohei Ohtani). Some of the sport’s alltime greats—Jennie Finch, Lisa Fernandez—have been position players who also excelled on the mound, while NCAA softball rosters remain dotted with such versatile ballplayers.

Yet the trend, at least in recent years, has been for many amateur softball players to specialize in either pitching or hitting/fielding, rendering the two-way contributor more and more of an anomaly.

“It’s not as common anymore because of the time you have to put in to be really good in multiple areas,” noted Emory University softball head coach Adrianna Baggetta, who previously served on the coaching staff of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes softball team.

“I think when they’re younger, a lot of people migrate them to one way or the other and a lot of coaches are very, very selfish in not allowing or wanting pitchers to get injured or maybe fatigued.”

Clearly, Baggetta is not of that mindset as one of her pitchers, southpaw Isabel Cohen, is coming off a freshman season in which she started nine games for the Eagles while also manning first base every time she wasn’t trying to flummox hitters with her crafty array of off-speed pitches. Although Cohen, a native of Weston, Fla., who was recently accepted into Emory’s Goizueta Business School where she intends to concentrate in finance and ISOM (Information Systems & Operations Management), was recruited exclusively as a pitcher by Baggetta after the veteran coach first saw her in action during a summer tournament in Rockville, S.C., she soon emerged as a reliable option for getting plugged into the everyday lineup for a freshman-laden Emory team (18-20) that flirted with .500 all spring.

“I’m very grateful that my coach at Emory has given me the opportunity to play as a position player, since it’s not super common to see pitchers playing other positions and hitting in college,” explained Cohen, who last summer played for Team Israel in a heritage tournament in Colorado and is anticipating to return this summer as a volunteer coach when she’s not working out with her former high school teammates, who are returning from their respective freshman seasons.

Cohen started playing softball when

she was seven and, two years later, was making the rounds on the local club travel team. At the uber-competitive St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Cohen spent four seasons as a  pitcher and first baseman for the school’s varsity softball team, during which she garnered the Broward County Athletic Association Scholar Athlete Award. Still, the transition to playing Division III softball, while balancing a hefty course load at one of the country’s more rigorous academic institutions, one in which Baggetta made clear “we go by grades and test scores before we even start the recruiting process,” was a tall order.

“The transition to college softball from high school was difficult,” acknowledged Cohen, a very accomplished young woman whose high school activities away from the diamond included serving as a teacher’s assistant at Temple Dor Dorim religious school and engaging in multiple community service projects, while also playing a little recreational

soccer on the side

“Even though I knew coming in that it would be much harder than any softball I had played, I really had no idea how hard it really is. At this level, growth requires sacrifices and really wanting to get better, no matter what. College softball is a grind, and it makes you appreciate the opportunity to play in college, but also makes you realize why it’s such an accomplishment to earn a spot in the lineup. The biggest adjustment for me has been understanding that everyone that plays sports in college works hard, so your definition of ‘hard work’ changes. However hard you think you’re working, you must work harder to be successful.”

Success on the ballfield can be measured in multiple ways—irrespective of the final numbers in the box score. That Cohen was available to hold down multiple positions in all 38 of Emory’s games this spring, whether she was battling an illness or late-season hand injury, made her a valuable asset to Baggetta’s squad,

one that is poised to return eight of nine starters next season.

“Her willingness and ability to step in and play day-to-day was amazing,” raved Baggetta. “Her understanding of the game just grew throughout the year. I was very, very pleased with her ability to come out and just compete every day. No matter the highs or lows, you didn’t know if she was riding a high and maybe was 2-2 in a game or 0-3 with an error. That, to me, is a mature player.”

During an age in which it has become increasingly popular for many college athletes to transfer, Cohen appears to be nicely settled in at Emory, poised to build on a solid freshman season after weathering the dual in-season challenges of intensive academia and heightened softball competition.

“She is a big-time, die-hard Emory Eagle,” said Baggetta. “She has so much pride in being part of this program. You want to be around people that are that passionate about what they are doing.” ì

Looking ahead to her sophomore campaign, Isabel Cohen promises to be one of the anchors of the Emory University pitching staff next spring // Emory University Athletics

Isabel Cohen was one of several freshmen on the Emory University softball team who helped the program stay competitive in the University Athletic Association this spring // Emory University Athletics

Reut Amichai, a senior at Midreshet AMIT Kama in Yeruham, was honored with lighting a torch at this year’s Israeli 75th Anniversary ceremony.

AMIT Student Amichai Honored

AMIT student Reut Amichai, 17, was honored with lighting a torch at this year’s Israeli 75th Anniversary Independence Day Opening Ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on the eve of April 25. She did so in honor of Shomer HaChadash, an organization she has volunteered with for more than three years and whose mission is to protect state-owned lands.

Amichai is the youngest person to have been awarded such an honor. This year, there was a particularly large pool of candidates

Today in Israeli History

May 15, 1967: Naomi Shemer’s “Jerusalem of Gold” is one of five Jerusalem-themed songs unveiled at the Voice of Israel Song Festival. The song is an instant hit. Shemer adds a stanza after Israel unites Jerusalem the next month.

The original map included in the Sykes-Picot Agreement assigns Area A to France and Area B to Britain, with the yellow area to be an international zone.

May 16, 1916: Britain’s Mark Sykes and France’s Charles Georges Picot complete a secret agreement to divide the former Ottoman territories in the Middle East after World War I. Palestine falls under British control.

May 17, 1939: A British government White Paper enacts extreme restrictions on Jewish immigration and land purchases in Palestine and signals the British willingness to make Jews a minority in an Arab-controlled state.

May 18, 1965: Syria hangs Israeli spy Eli Cohen in a public square in Damascus. Cohen, who had infiltrated the highest levels of Syrian society and government as businessman Kamel Amin Thaabet, was arrested in January.

NEWS FROM OUR JEWISH HOME ISRAEL PRIDE

recommended for their contributions to Israeli society. Only 30 candidates from 1,600 applicants were chosen by a special committee. Minister Miri Regev and the prime minister’s office made the final choices for those to light the 12 torches, of which Amichai was one.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected to be part of the monumental ceremony and only hope I can live up to my expectations to support my country and inspire other young people,” said Amichai.

Amichai is a senior at Midreshet AMIT Kama in Yeruham. She resides with her family in the settlement of Neta in the Lakish region. This community was founded by the displaced individuals from Gush Katif along with families who joined subsequently, including Amichai’s parents. In addition to her involvement as a Madricha in Bnei Akiva, she also volunteers for the Shomer HaChadash. When asked about her motivation to join, Amichai explained, “I aspired to make a difference and contribute, while being surrounded by good people.”

Compiled by AJT Staff

May 19, 1966: President Lyndon Johnson’s administration announces the first U.S. sale of warplanes to Israel. The A-4 Skyhawk light bomber enters service in Israel in 1968. Israel becomes the plane’s top export customer.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/Times of Israel)

Sheba Medical Center Celebrates Lifetime Work of Dr. Fauci

Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest medical center and a Newsweek ranked world’s best hospital for the last five years, announced the recognition of Dr. Anthony Fauci by presenting him with the Sheba

May 23, 1420: Archduke Albert V issues the Wiener Gesera (Viennese Decree), ordering all Austrian Jews to be imprisoned and their possessions to be confiscated, amid religious fanaticism sweeping the region.

Champion of Global Health. The award recognizes Fauci’s lifetime work as the director of the National Allergy & Infectious Diseases department and contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award, presented to Fauci at a private ceremony in Washington, D.C, celebrated the cooperation between Sheba Medical Center and the U.S. government during the COVID-19 pandemic, including sharing of data on infections, vaccinations, and boosters which guided U.S. policy decisions. The event also previewed the work of the Sheba Pandemic Research Institute, a collaboration between the NIH and Sheba and the last official collaboration signed by Fauci prior to his retirement.

“This award is particularly meaningful to me due to the respect I have for Israel and my Israeli colleagues who I have enjoyed successful collaborative work with for many years,” said Fauci. “Our work with Sheba during the COVID19 pandemic has been one of the most productive interactions between our two nations, thanks to Sheba’s real time data, we were able to make key, informed policy decisions.”

May 27, 1911: Teddy Kollek, Jerusalem’s mayor from 1965 to 1993, is born near Budapest. He is named after Theodor Herzl. He grows up in Vienna and moves to Palestine in 1934 to escape Nazism. David Ben-Gurion mentors him.

is one of the founders of the Dada movement.

// National Photo Collection of Israel

May 20, 2011: Arieh Handler dies in Jerusalem a week shy of his 96th birthday. He led religious aliyah after attending the 1935 Zionist Congress and helped found the B’nei Akiva youth movement before moving to Israel in 1948.

May 21, 1967: Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser mobilizes his military reserves and moves troops into the Sinai after booting out U.N. peacekeepers May 19 and closing the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping.

May 22, 1970: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorists attack an Israeli school bus with a bazooka and small arms close to Lebanon, killing eight children and four adults. More than 20 others are wounded.

May 24, 1895: Marcel Janco, a multimedia artist and major influence on Israeli art after making aliyah in 1941, is born in Romania. He helps launch the Dada movement with costumes, sets and masks for the Cabaret Voltaire.

May 25, 1991: Using brief permission from a new Ethiopian government, Operation Solomon flies more than 14,000 Jews to Israel in 36 hours, almost twice as many as during Operations Moses and Joshua in 1984 and 1985.

May 26, 1958: Gunfire from Jordan’s side of the Jerusalem demilitarized zone on Mount Scopus kills four Israeli police officers and the Canadian head of the United Nations’ Israel-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission.

May 28, 1964: A 400-delegate council convened by Jordan establishes the Palestine Liberation Organization. Ahmad Shuqayri, a former lawyer from Acre who represented Syria at the United Nations, is elected the chairman.

May 29, 1911: Poet Leah Goldberg is born in Königsberg, Prussia, now Kaliningrad, Russia. She begins writing poetry in Hebrew and Russian around age 12 and is a published writer before she moves to Tel Aviv in 1935.

May 30, 1972: Contracted by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, three Japanese Red Army terrorists kill 26 people at the Lod airport. Two terrorists die in the attack; the third is captured, tried and convicted.

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

B’nei Akiva youths from England visit Arieh Handler at his home in Jerusalem. // Jewish Chronicle photo

Artist Marcel Janco, pictured in the mid-1950s,

Ahmad Shuqayri was elected the first chairman of the PLO.

Descendants of Declaration Signatories Interviewed

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

Months before Israel’s Declaration of Independence became one of the key symbols of the anti-government protest movement in Israel, Israel Story podcast founder Mishy Harman started thinking about how his group, launched in 2011, could celebrate the country’s 75th anniversary.

Along with childhood friends, Yochai Maital, Shai Satran and Ro’ee Gilron, Harman had founded an apolitical way to explore the diversity of Israel by telling stories about its people. The idea of focusing on the descendants of the 37 signers of the Israeli Declaration of Independence popped into his head a month before the last elections which brought to power the most religious and right-wing government in Israel’s history.

The result is “Signed, Sealed, Delivered?” series, which brings alive both the signatories of the Declaration of Independence and their closest relatives.

As Israel Story, supported by Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Foundation, notes in its introduction to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered?,” those who signed the Declaration, known as Megillat Ha’Atzmaut, included a vast array of representatives of the Jewish population. Among them were revisionists and Labor Party idealogues; capitalists and communists and socialists; members of kibbutzim and moshavim as well as city residents; ultra-Orthodox rabbis and atheists. However, there were no Arabs or any non-Jews who signed the Declaration.

Among the Israel Story staff that participated in this project is former Atlantan Adina Karpuj, daughter of former Atlanta Rabbis Analia Bortz and Mario Karpuj, who were the founding rabbis at Congregation Or Hadash.

Karpuj told the AJT that Mishy Harman, who hosts the podcast, pointed out that this was the “last time 37 Jews agreed on something.” Israel Story worked on the podcast for months. But meanwhile, the protest against the government’s proposed overhaul of the country’s judicial system suddenly took the Declaration as its symbol. “Suddenly it became so relevant,” Karpuj said. “There are copies of the Declaration on street corners during the protests.”

The project itself took time to put together. The staff had to research to find the closest living relative to each signatory, then schedule the interview which included 25 questions asked of each, plus occa-

sional follow-up questions. Each segment includes archival tape and background.

According to Israel Story, the staff talked to the descendants “about the promise of the Declaration, the places in which we delivered on that promise, the places in which we exceeded our wildest dreams, and also about the places where we fell short.” The result is a sociological study of Israel in 2023, they said. “But it’s also an immensely intimate document. People remembering their parents, their grandparents, their uncles.”

In some cases, the podcasts are also controversial. Israel Story interviewed Yariv Ben-Eliezer, the grandson of founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. In his interview, Ben-Eliezer said the Declaration was “a vision that went down the drain.” He said Israel turned out to be not a dream, but a nightmare. “I’m so proud for my grandfather,” but he also

said he was sad. If his grandfather could have seen the country it became, it would have killed him, Ben-Eliezer said. He also called Israel an apartheid state, which brought condemnation from some fellow Israelis. However, according to Karpuj, Ben-Eliezer, now in his 80s, said he would never leave Israel.

Not all of the podcasts, which are still being released, are as controversial as Ben-Gurion’s grandson. Of the 37 descendants, 34 still live in Israel, Karpuj said. As a producer, she interviewed BenEliezer but also edited and helped market the project.

One of those she narrated was the son of Zorach Warhaftig, once leader of the National Religious Party and Minister of Religious Affairs for 12 years. He died in 2002 at the age of 96. [Full disclosure: This writer interviewed him just a few years before he died.] Emanuel War-

haftig spoke warmly about his father and indicated how his father would have supported some aspects of the current government’s plans, but not all.

Karpuj said she learned a lot from being involved in this project. A Weber High School graduate, Karpuj made Aliyah in 2015 and served in the Israel Defense Forces from 2016 to 2018.

“What was most meaningful for me was turning these historical figures into real people,” she said, hearing the stories of who these people were when they got home from work. “It brings the story alive and gives me hope. These people lived in difficult times, under siege and they still could make their dream come alive.”

According to Karpuj, at the beginning of the project, they were unsure of which descendants they would find. “We’ve been surprised at what we found. Most span the center to center-left and extreme left,” politically.

As the Israel Story staff began their research, they also learned that the word G-d was never mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. Neither was democracy. “It was so obvious that it would be democratic that they didn’t need to add it,” she said.

In terms of the timing, with the podcasts coming out during the ongoing, at least weekly protests, Karpuj finds it interesting that the people are reclaiming the national symbols.

“You go to the protests and see [Israeli] flags and the Declaration of Independence everywhere.”

To listen to the podcasts, go to www. israelstory.org/episodes/ ì

Yariv Ben-Eliezer, grandson of founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, said if his grandfather could have seen the country Israel became, it would have killed him.

Emanuel Warhaftig was interviewed about his father, Zorach Warhaftig, who died in 2002.

“IRRESISTIBLE!”

-The New York Times

YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT

My Heart Attack Has a Nickname

In technical terms, what I suffered on the next-to-last Friday in April was a STEMI, a ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

This type of heart attack, defined by blockage of a major artery and dying heart muscle, has a nickname: “The widowmaker.”

I knew I was in trouble when I woke that Friday with intense pain across my chest and between my shoulder blades.

A couple of days earlier, I had felt something similar, but less severe, after working in the yard on a day when the pollen count was extremely high. On that occasion, I took an ibuprofen and soon felt fine.

Working in the yard had caused lesser moments of discomfort the previous three weeks. I would come inside and, within minutes, feel better.

Prior to this, I had no hint of anything troublesome. But on that Friday morning, ibuprofen was ineffective, and I clearly needed medical attention.

Given where we live and the routes to local hospitals, and the prospect of morning rush hour traffic, we decided to avoid the highway and head down a local road to Emory University Hospital. As my wife drove, I felt every bump and crack in the pavement acutely. [Yes, we could have/should have called 911, but chose not to wait. We were fortunate.]

I walked into the emergency room under my own power. In the equivalent of catching a series of green lights, the ER waiting room was empty. Despite searing pain, I was able to converse with the emergency room staff.

BROADWAY’S TONY AWARD®-WINNING BEST MUSICAL IS BACK MAY

I was wired up for an electrocardiogram, my oxygen saturation level was checked, and my blood pressure taken. I was given nitroglycerin tablets and a morphine drip.

Within minutes, I was wheeled to the cardiac catheterization lab, where I shed my clothes in favor of a gown, and was hoisted onto an operating table, surrounded by doctors, nurses, and technicians.

Things got a little fuzzy after that.

My left anterior descending artery — which carries almost half the blood that courses through the body — was clogged. The other arteries in my heart had com-

pensated, until they could not compensate further.

I wasn’t knocked out, but was sedated enough that when the fog lifted, I thought that the procedure to implant a stent in my LAD was just beginning, when, in fact, it was finished. My next stop was the cardiac intensive care unit.

From my perspective, all of this happened seamlessly.

The pain in my chest was gone. Glancing at the monitors over my right shoulder, my pulse and oxygen level were good, and my blood pressure was significantly lower than when I walked into the emergency room.

The reality check came in successive visits from cardiologists. Each bluntly delivered the same message (including mention of the aforementioned “widowmaker”): I was lucky to be alive.

To prevent another heart attack, which might well kill me, some things needed to change — immediately.

I now have a daily regimen of six drugs, some that I will take for months and others for years to come.

My diet has improved, primarily by the elimination and reduction of some items and increases in others. The least healthy items — the deep-dish pizza I enjoy in Chicago, Southern favorites such as fried green tomatoes and fried okra, and some of the special dishes at my favorite neighborhood eatery — will be remembered fondly.

I am walking, a little more each day. I will do cardio rehab. I plan to be a regular at the neighborhood pool.

Presuming that the stent keeps open the previously blocked artery and, if the combination of drugs, diet, and exercise restores some function to a muscle at the base of my heart, then I should have years ahead of me, I’m told.

The heart attack scared me. I’ve also scared my wife (about whom I cannot say enough), my children, and my family.

Without putting too crude a point on it, a shiva was a possible outcome. It is preferable to hear in the present from friends that they are thinking of you than to think of them speaking about you in past tense.

I am thankful for advances in the technology and the pharmacology to treat heart attacks. I am beholden to the skills of the cardiologists and the care that I received from the nurses.

I am aware of the reprieve I have been granted. The road ahead will be long and slow, requiring patience and perseverance.

It beats the alternative. ì

Dave Schechter From Where I Sit

Israeli Democracy – What’s an American Jew to Do?

Shai Robkin Guest Contributor

On Feb. 2, a Times of Israel op-ed appeared under the title, “An open letter to Israel’s friends in North America.” Its subtitle read, “Diaspora Jews have both the right and the responsibility to speak out against a government that is undermining our society’s cohesion and its democratic ethos.”

The letter read, in part, as follows:

“We are taking the unusual step of directly addressing you at a moment of acute crisis in Israel. We write with a sense of anguish and anxiety for the future of our country…We have explained and defended Israel against the campaign of distortions that seeks to turn the Jewish state into a pariah and will proudly continue to do so…Today, though, protecting Israel also means defending it from a political leadership that is undermining our society’s cohesion and its democratic ethos, the foundations of the Israeli success story…It will also threaten Israeli-American relations, and it will do grave damage to our relations with you, our sisters and brothers in the Diaspora… Israel belongs, first of all, to its citizens, and they have the final word. But Israel also matters to the entire Jewish people. When an Israeli government strays beyond what your commitments to liberal democracy can abide, you have both the right and the responsibility to speak up…Israeli leaders need to hear where you stand. North American Jews and their leaders must make clear to this government that if it continues on the path to transforming Israel into a country of which Diaspora Jews can no longer be proud, there will be no business as usual.”

This letter was not signed by anyone identified with the Israeli left. On the contrary, the authors –Matti Friedman, Daniel Gordis and Yossi Klein-Halevi - are well known centrists and on some issues, even right leaning. The authors make it clear that, for them, asking American Jews to involve themselves in an internal Israel political issue would have been, until now, unthinkable. It is only now, with the state of Israeli democracy hanging in the balance that they want Israeli leaders to hear where American Jews stand.

Some American Jewish organizations have indeed issued public statements to that effect. But what exactly are you and I, American Jews who care deeply about Israel but do not own powerful organizational credentials, supposed to do? Some go out to the street to make their voices heard, including here in Atlanta where pro-democracy demonstrators have gathered regularly on Sunday afternoons in front of the Israeli consulate. Others sign petitions and write letters. But let’s be honest. “Business as usual” in terms of American Jewry’s relationship with Israel has always been defined by financial support more than anything else.

Throughout Israel’s history, American Jews and Jewish organizations have, primarily through their

financial contributions, involved themselves in matters that many, including the authors of the letter, believed should be determined by Israeli citizens alone without any outside influence. In fact, American charitable donations, whether the donors themselves are aware of it or not, have been instrumental in the current government’s drive to overhaul Israel’s judicial system. The right-leaning, New York-based Tikvah Fund has traditionally underwritten educational projects that few, if any, would consider controversial. However, it has recently turned its attention to supporting groups, such as the Kohelet Policy Forum, that want to revamp society by way of implanting American-style conservatism into Israel. Six months ago, few Israelis had ever heard of the low profile Kohelet Policy Forum, the thinktank that has been instrumental in writing the judicial overhaul proposals and that is closely aligned with those in power pushing them. The Tikvah Fund also helped in 2019 to establish the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, created in the image of the American Federalist Society, an organization that has been working for 40 years now to attract and cultivate right-wing candidates for the bench.

On the other hand, we have watched with awe and admiration the hundreds of thousands of Israelis, who have come together organically to oppose the proposed judicial overhaul. And, for decades, there

have been Israeli NGOs that have worked tirelessly to advance democracy and human rights. Among them is the Israel Democracy Institute, the existence of which is owed to the largesse of our own hometown philanthropic hero, Bernie Marcus. The non-partisan IDI thinktank was founded in 1991 as a “center of research and action dedicated to strengthening the foundations of Israeli democracy.”

As we try to answer the call to action from Friedman, Gordis and Klein-Halevi, we should remind ourselves that while recent events have put Israeli democracy onto the front pages of newspapers around the world for the moment, the struggle for democracy requires not only immediate action but constant vigilance year after year and decade after decade. The current crisis calls for us to write letters, sign petitions, demonstrate and donate to organizations that are leading the protests in Israel. But regardless of how the immediate issue resolves or does not resolve itself, if we are truly committed to Israel, we must invest for the long run. In his creation of and support for the Israel Democracy Institute, Bernie Marcus has provided us with a roadmap that we can all follow to do just that. ì

Shai Robkin is the president of Robkin Behavioral Economics.

OPINION

Letters to the Editor

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

Letter to the editor,

I agree with William Daroff. The Law of Return is a bedrock of Zionism which means Israel must welcome all people who have suffered discrimination because of their connections to Judaism. That must include people who are not Jewish according to Halakha (Jewish law). Unfortunately, Israel does not have a good track record in dealing with people who have become Israeli citizens, legally, under the Law of Return, although they cannot prove that they were born to Jewish mothers.

Consider the fate of many immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union, a significant number of whom are the children of Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers. Although this fact was surely well-known before the immigrants had finally succeeded in making it to Israel, there were no plans made for dealing with the problem. Instead of organizing outreach to the “Russians,” the State Rabbinate actually put obstacles in the path of those seeking to convert, demanding that they convince their entire families to convert with them and that they promise to become completely observant Jews as soon as they converted. As a result, there are hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens whom the Rabbinate does not consider Jewish, meaning that they are denied permission to marry Jews in Israel. However, being unable to marry legally will not stop many of these people from entering into relationships and building families of sabras who won’t be considered Jewish according to Halakha. This is a tragedy not only for immigrants but for the State as well. The nation-state of the Jews needs to maintain its Jewish majority population!

Of course, no one should be forced to convert, but the state should define the requirements that must be met by prospective converts, as well as establishing criteria for certifying who can offer classes on the basics of Judaism and certify that the would-be converts have met the requirements. In fact, in the interest of ensuring that the Jewish citizens of Israel are knowledgeable about Judaism, classes should be offered not only to non-Halakhically Jewish descendants of Jews, but also to children of Jewish mothers who were denied Jewish education by virulently anti-Jewish governments, ardently secular parents, or intermarried parents who chose not to educate their children in either parent’s faith.

Toby F. Block, Atlanta

Disclamer to our readers:

This section of the newspaper is a forum for our community to share thoughts, concerns and opinions as open letters to the community or directly to the newspaper.

As a letter to the editor, we proof for spelling and grammatical errors only. We do not edit nor vet the information the letter contains. The individual signing the letter is accountable for what they share.

Letter to the editor,

As we write this, we are deeply disturbed by the rise of antisemitism in our society. It is a cancer that eats away at the very fabric of our communities and threatens the well-being of everyone. This insidious hatred must be opposed by all people of goodwill. Antisemitism has a long and dark history, and it is disheartening to see it rearing its ugly head once again. From hateful rhetoric to violent attacks, Jewish communities are facing a barrage of antisemitic acts that are deeply troubling. It is important to understand that antisemitism is not just an attack on Jewish people, but an attack on the very values that we hold dear as a society. It is a rejection of the principles of equality, tolerance, and respect for diversity that are essential to a healthy and prosperous society.

The rise of antisemitism is a call to action for all of us to oppose and end it. We must stand up against this hatred, and we must do so together. It is not enough to simply condemn antisemitism; we must actively work to eradicate it from our society. This means taking concrete actions to counter antisemitic rhetoric and to protect Jewish communities from violence and harassment. It means educating ourselves and others about the dangers of antisemitism and its historical roots. It means promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation to build bridges of understanding and respect. We must also recognize that the fight against antisemitism is not just the responsibility of Jewish people, but of all people who value human rights and dignity. It is up to all of us to create a society that is free from hate and discrimination. In the face of rising antisemitism, we cannot afford to remain silent. We must speak out loudly and clearly against this hatred, and we must work tirelessly to build a world that is just, equitable, and inclusive for all. Antisemitism must be attacked whenever it occurs in whatever firm it takes.

A lawsuit on behalf of a conservative Jewish journalist filed by us for damages as the result of the journalist being refused service at a Williamsburg Brooklyn bar because of his Zionist views is an example of how we as lawyers can attack antisemitism.

Sanford Rubenstein, Esq. and Mar Shirian, Esq of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Letter to the editor,

Australia is seriously considering leaving the monarchy and becoming a democracy. America is seriously considering the opposite.

For some 100 years, our presidents have gradually been usurping the powers of Congress and becoming more king-like. Donald Trump’s attempt to dump a presidential election and install himself as a long-term occupant of the White House brought us very close to this future.

Mr. Trump invites his followers to participate in the glitter of Mar-a-Lago, the glory of untrammeled power, and the majesty of his infallibility and closeness to God, just as the British monarch does with Buckingham, the scepter, and his anointing as King.

The former president achieves all this outside of law through constant flattery of his base, much like his flattery of women. But after the flattery subsides, our would-be king then proceeds to take away the dignity of his admirers.

I’m sticking with democracy. How about you?

Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah

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Tanenbaum Master Gardener & Master Communicator

The crowd of gardeners and would-be gardeners began lining up early on the last Saturday in April in Wills Park in Alpharetta for what is called, “Garden Faire.”

The annual event, which is put on by volunteers for Master Gardeners of North Fulton, attracted about 1,700 guests. Most of them had either received an email from the organization, or read about it on Facebook or Linktree, or the organization’s website, or seen it on Instagram. Behind the comprehensive program to get the word out is Lee Tanenbaum, who, for the last dozen years or so, has combined her interest in gardening with a talent for communication.

Since retiring from a career in public health with the Georgia state government and as a speech pathologist in the public school system, Tanenbaum has

worked to learn the ins-and-outs of mostly web-based communications programs. For someone who’s been retired for more than a dozen years now, she considers her volunteer work almost like a new career. Over the last three years, she has

accumulated 1,500 hours of volunteer service to the gardening program.

“It makes me feel good,” she says.

“Knowing that I’m giving back. I mean, at this point in my life, I don’t need a paying job. So, working with other people is a

social activity and I just love promotion.”

It’s also been a way to keep supporters of the organization connected during the past several years of the pandemic, when face-to-face programming has been limited. Her work includes over-

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Getting a Head Start on Advancing Medicine

Dementia has been described as the silent epidemic of the 21st century, a degenerative illness which directly affects individuals and families around the world. A better understanding of this condition, which manifests itself in a wide range of debilitating symptoms, has become a major focus for researchers across the medical, bioscience, and public healthcare departments at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU).

The university’s dementia research encompasses a wide range of activities, including clinical and lab-based studies aimed at deciphering the complex molecular and cellular pathologies that lead to the onset of diseases related to memory loss and cognition. HU is also focused on training the next generation of medical professionals, teaching them how to treat dementia patients with compassion while integrating the latest pharmaceutical methodologies.

But attention is increasingly being paid to achievements advanced by HU computer scientists, acting at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) development, with tools that may improve the diagnosis and treatment of disease, including dementia. When it comes to the successful implementation of AI, particularly in the medical field, where proving the effectiveness of this technology lies at the center of hoped-for diagnostic and therapeutic advancements,

the critical tool is access to an immense amount of patient information, known in the field as ‘big data.’ Harnessing decades of academic and professional collaboration with key players in Israeli medicine, specifically hospitals, health funds, and the IDF, researchers at Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine have established the Center for Computational Medicine, whose dynamism depends upon the millions of data markers made possible through access to information provided by those partners.

But access to data is only the first, albeit critical, step in a deeply complex, and always evolving, process.

The next challenge requires building the computer science infrastructure that can effectively mine massive troves of data to create models that may change the very future of healthcare.

Dr. Shahar Arzy, a senior lecturer in the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and the Cognitive Science Program at HU has identified this task as one of his principal goals.

“Our Computational Neuropsychiatry lab aims to close the gaps between clinical practice [patient care] and research, neurology, psychiatry, and psychology in order to reformulate our understanding of the human self and its pathologies,” he said. “To this end, we use newly developed computational methods of machine-learning algorithms and analyses applied directly to patients’ data.” Using these approaches, Dr. Arzy and his team are working to develop clinical tools that will enable medical professionals to diagnose, monitor, and treat neuropsychiatric disorders.

Recognizing the immense potential that exists through the application of AI, much of Dr. Arzy’s attention has been focused on integrating the tools for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. His specific goal is to develop computational methods to analyze Alzheimer’s symptoms and changes in the patient’s brain during the early stages of the disease. By developing and applying these tools on the clinical level, researchers significantly enhance their ability to identify and diagnose the condition in patients who are at risk, potentially well before the disease manifests itself through symptoms.

Dr. Arzy’s tool is called ‘Clara,’ a hint towards the concept of ‘clarity of mind.’ “Early diagnosis is critical in changing the trajectory of dementia and, with the

current delayed diagnosis, the impact of existing tools is low, and the ability to develop new therapies is limited,” he said. “Clara is a highly engaging, predictive, and data driven chat app that uses self-referenced estimations of people, events, and places to easily and precisely identify early-stage mild cognitive impairment through remote screening and ongoing monitoring.”

Through approaches like Dr. Arzy’s and myriad tools under development at the Center for Computational Medicine and ELSC, Hebrew University stands at the forefront of maximizing the power of AI – which many experts see as the most important technological advancement of our time. By harnessing the power of data and utilizing advanced analytical tools to implement findings, we are on the cusp of a new era that has the potential to revolutionize medicine as well as many other aspects of daily life–with Hebrew University of Jerusalem uniquely positioned to play a central role in this dramatic process. To learn more, please contact Monica Loebl, AFHU National Director of Development at southeast@ afhu.org or 561.750.8585.

Bob Bahr

The Atlanta Israel Coalition was a project Lee Tenenbaum helped create five years ago.

hauling the Master Gardeners education program, which was originally set up for small groups in a classroom setting. Her work in revamping it as a YouTube channel won her an award two years ago from the national master gardening organization.

Over the last several years, the statistics that Tanenbaum keeps paint an impressive picture. Since May of 2020, she has coordinated 46 virtual classes with 26 presenters. They’ve had 6,238 participants on Zoom and another 6,600 on Facebook Live. On YouTube, she counts almost 17,000 people that have viewed the classes.

“All together,” Tanenbaum says, “we’ve had 32,822 people who’ve participated. And we do surveys afterwards, and about 40 percent of the people that turn out for the classes are Master Gardeners from throughout Georgia, the Southeast. I think we’ve hit around 36 states and Canada…with social media you get people come from all over.”

For someone like Tanenbaum, who grew up in an era of manual typewriters, mimeograph machines and dial telephones, using social media as a communication tool has been a rewarding learning experience.

You get some idea of the potential that these new tools offer when you go to the website that Tanenbaum oversees. There, you’ll find links to the organization’s online newsletter, a way to get regular emailed updates of the group’s activities, and articles on gardening that have been written for the Appen Media publications in North Fulton, South Forsyth and Dekalb counties.

Computer-based communication has been crucial to amplifying the message of the nonprofit group. You can connect with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages and make a tax-deductible donation through PayPal. There’s also information about tickets for the organization’s next big event, its Celebration Garden Tour of five home gardens of Master Gardeners in Sandy Springs on June 3.

Tanenbaum had done some communication projects when she worked for the state in public health programs, but her interest really grew when she became a volunteer. She did projects for the local Hadassah organization, and for B’nai B’rith, for which she recently helped promote a Holocaust remembrance project at the Georgia Capitol building.

Five years ago, she worked behind the scenes to help start the Atlanta Israel Coalition. The group is a non-partisan, multi-faith effort to promote support for Israel in the local community. One of the highlights of the program is a tour of Israel that includes stops in Judaea and Samaria. The next one is set for this fall.

The founder of the coalition, Cheryl Dorchinsky, is an admirer of Tanenbaum’s communications skills and her passion for the cause of Israel. She credits Tanenbaum with helping to bring a diverse community of supporters that now reach far beyond Atlanta. She finds herself amazed at Tanenbaum’s wide-ranging knowledge of programs like Zoom and various email platforms.

“What she does is magic,” Dorchinsky says, “She has the experience and knowledge to get it all done, It’s almost like it’s effortless.” ì

Lee Tannebaum is an avid gardener as well as a master of electronic communication media.

Shiva: The Stages and Practices of Jewish Mourning

mourned, but the observance of shiva does not apply,

Chana Shapiro

Note: The author of this column has gathered information from Aish.com and My Jewish Learning. com, as well as Maurice Lamm’s classic, “The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning.” Mourning observances and customs may vary among Jewish congregations, respectively.

Judaism offers a structured path of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing for mourners. In this way, Judaism prescribes a pathway for mourners to gradually re-enter normal life. Judaism emphasizes that life is for the living, and, while Jews are given a way to honor the dead, we are not meant to be perpetual mourners.

A person sits shiva after losing a mother, father, spouse, brother, sister, daughter, or son. All other loved ones are

“Shiva” literally means “seven,” referring to the first seven days following burial: the first day of the week of shiva starts immediately after the burial. After burial, mourners return to the “shiva house,” where they will sit together and be cared for by others who perform tasks and fulfill commitments for them. This week allows mourners to withdraw from worldly demands and offers time to start dealing with their loss. During this week, the mourners are treated with care, and their needs are met by friends and nonmourners in the family.

Most synagogues provide a seudah hevra’ah, a meal which the bereaved will eat upon returning from the burial. Often, a “meal train” will be established, through which all meals during shiva will be provided by others.

The object of visiting a shiva house is not to create a joyful atmosphere of laughter, casual socializing, and lots of eating. The shiva visit is designed to show concern for mourners. Some mourners

want to share anecdotes and talk about the deceased. Sometimes, sitting in companionable silence with a mourner will be just the right way to visit. Visitors pay

a “shiva call” to comfort mourners, but mourners are not hosts -- they do not answer the door, rise to greet visitors, or lay out food or drinks for them.

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“Shiva,” literally means “seven,” referring to the first seven days following burial. // Images created by Lilli Jennison using Artificial Intelligence technology.

Judaism offers a structured path of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing for mourners

During this week, mourners remain at home, and religious services come to them, so that the mourners can say the “mourner’s kaddish” prayer within a minyan. Visiting during the shiva period and joining in the daily prayers with mourners who are reciting mourner’s kaddish –these acts surround mourners with members of the community, so that mourners will not grieve in isolation.

Traditional shiva practices amplify the state of mourning. Mirrors are covered in the shiva house as a reminder that the focus is on mourning, not appearance. Other admonitions include not wearing leather shoes, not purchasing new clothing, not washing clothes, nor bathing for pleasure (other than for hygienic purposes), and physical relations between a man and wife are suspended.

During the week of shiva, mourners wear a piece of clothing which has been torn or cut during the funeral, a symbol of the end of the physical relationship between the mourner and the deceased. A seven-day candle burns in the shiva home, representing the hovering soul of the deceased, and mourners sit on low chairs or chairs without cushions. On the morning of the seventh day of shiva, mourners rise from their low chairs and are accompanied to take a short walk outside. Thus, the mourner physically reenters the everyday world, and the sevenday confinement ends.

The next stage of mourning is “Sheloshim,” which means “thirty.” This transitional period consists of 30 days, which includes the first week of shiva. Mourners do not shave or cut their hair, and

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social engagements -- especially events where music is played--are avoided; however, mourners return to work or school, and housekeeping chores, like meal preparation, may be resumed. At the end of Sheloshim, all restrictions end, except for individuals who are mourning parents.

Mourning one’s parents is a special obligation. This is an additional 11-month commitment. While returning to everyday life of work and household activities, certain prohibitions extend the state of honoring and mourning the people who gave one life. Over this period, one recites kaddish daily and refrains from large social gatherings, especially ones with live music. During this time, one does not buy or wear new clothes, and there are those who do not enter major business deals or attend simchas. After these 11 months, a person who has buried a parent is now ready to fully resume life.

It is customary to give tzedakah (charity) on the parent’s annual yahrzeit (date of death). A candle, which burns for 24 hours on the annual date of death, is lit for everyone for whom one sits shiva (parents, siblings, children), and one recites the Yizkor prayers (“Yiskor” means “remembrance”) for them and other deceased relatives four times a year during the memorial service on the Jewish holy days. In many congregations, Yizkor is recited communally in memory of Holocaust victims, and fallen Israeli soldiers.

The insight of Jewish sages about human nature and our needs is remarkable. The laws of mourning, when observed within a compassionate community, are ideal in moving a mourner back to a full life. ì

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SENIOR LIVING A Model Retirement

Marcia

Caller Jaffe

When Frank Rindsberg retired, other than playing a highlevel game of pickleball, he didn’t have far to look for a fascinating hobby. Based on elaborate, authentic prepackaged kits, Rindsberg spends up to 18 months intricately constructing replicas of some of the world’s most iconic ships.

He has built 12 model ships, over 14 years, which are displayed on glass shelves in his basement. Each one has name plates and photographs of the original. Most models are still in existence; the WASA – Sweden, the U.S. Constitution – Boston, the H.M.S. Victory -England, and the Fairmount Alpine Tugboat – Canada.

He said, “At present, I am building the Bismarck, which consists of 2,800 pieces just for the upper deck. This model is definitely one of my greatest challenges and is designed for advanced model ship builders.”

Purchased from Spanish and Italian manufacturers, Rindsberg’s kits are 100 percent authentic to the original ship, costing between $500 to $900 each, respectively. They are designed in metric measurements and have bounteous pages of blueprints, which he must study carefully prior to starting construction.

The hull shape of each ship consists of double wall planking. Each piece of wood is made of different thickness and sizes, and needs to be steamed, molded and placed into position with tiny nails. It takes between 15 to 17 coats of paint for the hull to get the perfect result and can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months to construct.

Rindsberg works on the models for between 10 minutes and three to four hours at a time, depending on the intricacy. The scale of most model ships is between 1:125 to 1:200.

Special equipment is required in the assembly of tiny pieces which could be as small as a pinhead. He once lost a piece that was so small, he found it lodged under his thumb nail.

As a backdrop, Frank and Denise Rindsberg, together with three young sons, immigrated from South Africa to Atlanta in 1983 to start a new life in America. He is a qualified electrician whose

attention to detail, manual dexterity and spatial thinking blended well with his interest in model ship building.

He recalled, “In those days (1974), South Africa didn’t have television, which led to a great opportunity to pursue ship building. At that time, XActo knives and super glue weren’t avail-

able, and I had to improvise using dermatologists’ equipment to cut pieces. Now, I use a magnifying Loupe Jewelry headgear, together with miniature drill bits, the size of a pin. An extremely steady hand is the key to delicate construction.

His first ship, the Rotterdam, was successfully launched on the water, being re-

motely controlled, then carefully packed up in crates, and shipped directly to Atlanta.

During construction, Rindsberg learns about the ships, including facts, like how the fourth chimney on the Titanic is a façade and not functional. It was designed to make the ship appear

Frank Rindsberg is now constructing the Bismark, which may be his biggest challenge to date.

The WASA is on display in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Rindsbergs visited and met with the staff there.

Rindsberg and the H.M.S. Victory.

more symmetrical. Most of his sailing ships incorporate rope ladders which are hand-tied. There are approximately 5,000 knots on each sailboat, which are identical to the original ship. On certain models, he has incorporated and wired LED lighting, which he conceals in these designs.

Rindsberg’s favorite ship is the  WASA, which is currently on display in a museum in Sweden. The Rindsbergs visited the WASA, and he recognized the complete construction and rigging to match his own model. He showed photos of his model to the museum administrator, who was very impressed by its accuracy.

The next exciting adventure was when Rindsberg discovered the NORDKAP 476 in a museum in Iceland. The staff

of the museum rallied around Rindsberg when he showed them his exact model of this fishing trawler. He has also built tugboats, steamboats, and World War II navy ships. Most of his models range from three to five feet in length with the Titanic being the largest at over six feet.

Rindsberg concluded, “One of the main challenges in assembling these designs is to study the blueprints carefully for hours on end, so that the pieces can be cut and painted prior to final installation. The assembly of pieces must be exact, alignment is critical! Sometimes, during the course of building these intricate models, I will take a break and hand paint acrylic landscape scenes, which are displayed at local festivals in Atlanta.” ì

This is Frank’s Gorch Fock replica. Note how each sail is precisely done.

This is the S.M. Rotterdam. Rindsberg’s ships are on display in his house’s lower level.

JF&CS Aging Specialists Brings Netherlands' Lessons

Deborah Zisholtz, director of Aviv Older Adult Services, and Georgia Gunter, geriatric care manager at Jewish Family & Career Services recently traveled to The Netherlands to learn about the latest in caring for adults with dementia at the Hogeweyk Dementia Village. JF&CS Atlanta representatives were provided this professional development opportunity through the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies.

The idea for the reconnaissance trip was to research the practices in place at Hogeweyk and then apply those practices to how facilities in America treat patients dealing with memory impairment issues.

The Hogeweyk Dementia Village takes a unique approach to care for patients living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementias. Visionaries

Yvonne van Amerongen, Eloy Van Hal and Jannette Spiering started dreaming up Hogeweyk in the early 90s when working for a traditional skilled care nursing home. At the time, they questioned their facility’s hospital-like approach to care and began exploring the idea of a more comfortable and familiar experience for their residents. In December 2009, they transitioned their facility into what today is the Hogeweyk Dementia Village.

Situated on four acres of land in Weesp, Netherlands, the village reminded Zisholtz of a college campus.

“The space was beautiful with a park and shops and things you would see in a town center. There are 27 homes in the village with six to seven residents living in each home. Two dedicated staff work in each household and report to the same household. This arrangement helps staff get to know the residents’ likes and dislikes, as well as the group’s dynamics,” she said.

The village has 188 residents, cared for by 280 full-time and part-time staff and a large group of volunteers. Hogeweyk is funded by the Dutch government. According to the staff, their budget is no greater than that of other traditional skilled nursing homes in the Netherlands. On average, residents live in the Hogeweyk for 2 1/2 years and can get end of life care without leaving the village.

There are four distinct lifestyles in Hogeweyk (traditional, urban, cosmopolitan, and formal). Their homes are decorated to reflect the environment that most closely matches the environments residents lived in previously. Residents share the home with other people who have similar likes and interests. There are more than 30 clubs and opportuni-

ties to participate in a range of activities.

“Residents were happy and joyful, and there was so much engagement. We are so task-oriented in the United States, whereas there, we saw more of a focus on supporting residents’ social and emotional needs,” said Gunter.

Zisholtz also shared about her visit to the facility.

“People are human beings first and have dementia second. And when communities focus on what they can still do, that leads to the greatest quality of life possible for these residents,” said Zisholtz.

Unlike many traditional medical dementia settings, the patients aren’t sitting a lot, they’re up and moving around. Residents help staff with cooking and cleaning and setting up activities. They are free to walk around the community during the day and are as active as they wish to be. With so much engagement during the day, residents sleep better at night.

“There is, of course, concern for in-

dividuals living with dementia when it comes to moving around, with fall risk and wandering to be considered,” said Gunter. “But at some point, it becomes a cost/benefit analysis: risk can be nearly negated by keeping people quiet in their bedrooms or sitting in front of a nursing station, but at what cost to their quality of life?”

Hogeweyk’s research shows the rate of falls in this community to be no higher than in traditional nursing home settings.

Another difference of Hogeweyk when compared to other senior living communities is that residents of their town, Weesp, are encouraged to come inside, and not just to visit someone they know. There is a fully functioning restaurant, a pub, a grocery store, hair salon, and theater. School groups come to visit and eat lunch alongside the residents in the restaurants as well.

“It feels strange to think of someone in the United States going to a nursing home to eat lunch on their break or get a

gallon of milk, or a beer after work,” said Gunter, “but at Hogeweyk, it’s welcomed.”

It took 17 years for Hogeweyk to go from an idea to a reality, and the model has inspired people in the healthcare and aging industry worldwide. Large-scale change takes time and finding ways to improve the quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementias is a priority at JF&CS, according to a news release. The agency is currently seeking funding to increase in-home coaching for people living with dementia and their care partner, a service currently offered as a private pay option, and to match One Good Deed volunteers with individuals living with dementia.

Aviv Older Adult Services offer several memory care services including Brain Health Boot Camp, the Music & Memory Program, MemoryLane TV and the use of therapeutic pets. To learn more, visit jfcsatl.org/memory.

Compiled by AJT Staff

Georgia Gunter and Deborah Zisholtz, pictured with representatives from the Hogeweyk Dementia Village in The Netherlands.

(From left) Georgia Gunter, geriatric care manager at JF&CS, and Deborah Zisholtz, director of Aviv Older Adult Services in The Netherlands.

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Monument Honors Holocaust Women and Children

Growing up, Debra Weiner Cohen heard the harrowing stories about her mother’s life during the Holocaust. Hidden away among the straw and hay in the attic of a farmer’s shed for most of the war, Shelly Weiner, along with her mother, aunt and first cousin, survived despite unbelievable odds and a few near captures.

Debbie Diamond

Cohen, who has lived in Atlanta for almost 40 years, and her sister, Donna Freedman, an Atlanta resident since 1982, know that their mother was one of the more “fortunate” ones. She survived. Their great uncle, other great aunts, cousins, a great-grandfather, and a great uncle were among their relatives murdered during the Holocaust simply because they were Jewish.

“We didn’t know the details until we were older, but we knew my grandmother and great aunt fought the Nazis in their own way. Prior to hiding, my great aunt, Soma, would sneak out of the Rivne, Poland ghetto to get food for others. My grandmother was shot in the hand, in fact, as she tried to stop a Nazi from shooting a man trying to bury his twin sons. In an act of defiance, my grandmother held up her hand and said, ‘No,’ right when the Nazis were seconds away from shooting him. They shot right through her hand, but the man lived and was able to bury his sons, thanks to my grandmother’s courage,” Cohen said.

On April 18, during the commemoration of Yom Hashoah, Weiner exhibited the same determination and grit as her late mother, Eva Weiner, and aunt, Sofia (Soma) Guralnik, when she spoke at the dedication ceremony of “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots,” a monument and memorial to honor the memory of her mother and great aunt. There, she was joined by her cousin, Rachel Kizhnerman, who was in hiding with her throughout the Holocaust.

Prominently located within Carolyn’s Garden in Greensboro, N.C.’s LeBauer Park, the 7-foot bronze sculpture is the first Holocaust memorial created specifically to honor the memory of the women and children of the Holocaust. Weiner and Kizhnerman hid most of the war in the farmer’s cramped attic, with food brought to them

by members of his family; in a nearby forest with partisan fighters; and, later, in an underground hole dug by the farmer to protect all of them and his daughter. Most vividly, Weiner remembers the intense heat and cold, the dreadful living conditions in a space filled with lice and rats and feeling hungry most of the time. Yet, despite the harsh conditions, she and Kizhnerman are most thankful they evaded the Nazis for more than two years and escaped with their lives.

Weiner – strong, humble, and gracious to the core -- has never forgotten her experience and remains active in several Jewish organizations in Greensboro and internationally. Her pet projects have included Russian resettlement efforts, as well as fundraising and outreach to provide Moldovan teens and young adults with mitzvahs and weddings. She and her late husband, Frank Cohen, also sponsored Moldovan youth so they could come to the United States for an education at a Jewish boarding school. She regularly speaks about the horrors of the Holocaust to groups of students at schools throughout the Southeast, including in Atlanta, and she is a tireless fundraiser for the many causes near and dear to her heart. In fact, she contributed the lead gift that made “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots” possible.

“When I was asked to get involved with this project, focused on the brave women of the Holocaust, I met with the incredibly talented artist and sculptor, Victoria Milstein, and offered a gift to get the work started. When Victoria saw

my hands, she said she’d love to use my hands as the prototype for the women. I told her my hands are my mother’s hands, which made it all the more special. And then I got started calling my friends, neighbors, and family to contribute. The state of North Carolina and the Federation here have also been an integral part of getting this project off the ground,” said Weiner.

Milstein, a renowned artist and sculptor who currently lives in Greensboro, had a longtime vision for a Holocaust memorial dedicated to the women and children of the Holocaust. Her inspiration was found in a photograph she saw when it accompanied “Tell them I was not afraid,” a New York Times op-ed by Bret Stephens about Holocaust survivor Raya Mazin, his maternal grandmother’s first cousin. Milstein had been mulling over the idea of creating a piece of art about the Holocaust, and the photo she saw that day moved her to begin her work.

The photo, taken by a Nazi photographer, shows four Jewish women and a child moments before they were murdered. The group was part of a mass execution of thousands of Jews in Liepāja, Latvia, on Dec. 15, 1941. On that day, the women and children were taken to the women’s prison where they were forced to strip to their underclothes and shot dead in groups of 10.

“In this photo, I saw generations of women whose clothes had been taken away from them, right before they were brutally killed in the most savage of

ways. Here was a matriarch who would not take off her boots and a family who was trying to maintain some measure of their dignity. Her gaze directly into the camera and the boots in particular strike me as an act of defiance that I wanted to capture,” said Milstein.

Milstein said the original impetus to create a piece that would memorialize the millions brutalized and killed during the Holocaust came to her during a trip with “March of the Living” to Auschwitz in 2018. March of the Living is an educational program that brings students from around the world to Poland where they explore remnants of the Holocaust.

“During my time at Auschwitz, I heard the voices of the women calling out to me, imploring me to share their stories. Most of the women during the war were completely powerless since the Nazis had taken away their husbands and fathers much earlier. They were left to protect and shelter the children, which they did to the best of their abilities,” said Milstein.

Attempting to capture their stories in “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots” was a humbling experience, said Milstein, who sees artists as the proverbial ‘canaries in the coal mine,’ often serving as the storytellers for society. “I want to teach a wide audience about the dangers of hatred, which can impact any community and is as important today as it ever was,” Milstein emphasized.

Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. rose 36 percent in 2022, according to the

”She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots” is based on a photo of four Jewish women and a child moments before they were murdered as part of a mass execution of thousands of Jews in Liepāja, Latvia, in 1941.

Artist and sculptor Victoria Milstein created the sculpture to depict the strength and resolve of women and children during the Holocaust.

most recent audit by the Anti-Defamation League. There were 3,697 tracked incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault targeting Jewish people and communities, the highest number ever recorded since the ADL first began collecting data in 1979.

Women of the Shoah, the non-profit organization (www.womenoftheshoahjp. org) that planned and coordinated all as-

pects of the project, had several notable speakers and attendees at the opening ceremony and via Zoom, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog; Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.); the CEO of the International Civil Rights Center; City Council representatives; and rabbis. The organization’s goal is that the monument will serve as an educational and interactive experience so the public will remember

the atrocities of the Holocaust. Honoring the strength and resilience of women and making a definitive statement against antisemitism, genocide and all forms of racism and hate are equally important, said Milstein.

So, the legacy of the women murdered and left voiceless, depicted in the photo, lives on through this powerful monument. The marker next to the

sculpture is a poignant reminder of what Milstein saw so vividly in the eyes of these women:

We will put our boots on. We will resist. We will be the witness, Arm in arm. We will build a more just society for all communities. ì

Shelly Weiner speaks about the bravery of her mother, Eva Weiner, and great aunt, Sofia Guralnik, with whom she and her cousin, Rachel Kizhnerman, hid during the Holocaust.

Shelly Weiner, Victoria Milstein and Rachel Kizhnerman pause for a moment of reflection at the monument during Yom Hashoah event.

Daughters Donna Freedman and Debra Cohen, both residents of Atlanta, stand beside their mother Shelly Weiner, at the dedication ceremony in Greensboro.

Neranenah, Breman Museum Present Gershwin

By Bob Bahr

Atlanta music audiences received a rare treat during the weekend of April 2223…back to back concerts that featured the music of George and Ira Gershwin. On Saturday evening, April 22, Naranenah, the Atlanta Jewish music festival, presented Hershey Felder’s one-man show, “George Gershwin Alone,” about the legendary composer, whose brother, Ira, wrote most of the lyrics to the team’s Broadway productions and film music.

The following day, The Breman Museum presented “The Gershwins - Who could Ask For Anything More,” Adam Koplan’s Flying Carpet Theatre Company’s production. It’s another in the Molly Blank Concert Series, which honors the mother of Arthur Blank, the prominent Atlanta philanthropist and co-founder of The Home Depot.

Koplan, who also chairs The Breman’s board, has been a frequent contributor to the series, which often highlights the contributions that Jewish American composers have made to America’s musical heritage.

All of the Gershwins’ biggest hits, which were composed between 1921 and 1937, got polished performances in the two programs. American popular music does not get much better than such songs as “Fascinating Rhythm.” It was an early Gershwin hit for the song and dance team of Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele, in their 1924 success, “Lady Be Good,” or “I Got Rhythm,” originally sung by Ethel Merman in the 1930 hit, “Girl Crazy,” or another standard from the same show, “But Not For Me.”

All the clever lyrics and toe-tapping melodies were here in both performances. There was “S’Wonderful” from “Funny Face” in 1927, and “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off,” one of the last things the Gershwin’s wrote together. It was done for a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers number done on roller skates for the film, “Shall We Dance,” shortly before George Gershwin’s early death in 1937.

Felder has racked up 3,000 performances over the last 30 years of his one-man show. He also brought to life George Gershwin’s showy piano stylings and hard-hitting attack on the keyboard. Felder gave a particularly impressive rendition of “Rhapsody In Blue,” which George composed for Paul Whiteman and his orchestra’s landmark concert in 1924 in New York’s Aeolian Hall. The 25-year-old Gershwin aimed to blend Whiteman's popular jazz style with Gershwin’s interest in classical music stylings.

Before his early success as a song writer made him instantly wealthy, Gershwin briefly considered devoting himself exclusively to classical music. The story was told that he had approached the French composer, Maurice Ravel, for lessons in classical composition. The French master was said to have replied, “Why should you be a second-rate Ravel when you can be a first- rate Gershwin.”

In addition to his “Rhapsody In Blue,” which has become a standard in the modern symphonic repertory, he wrote “Concerto in F, three Preludes for Piano,” his impressionistic suite, “An American in Paris,” and his ambitious attempt to master opera, “Porgy and Bess.” This 1935 work was, initially, rejected by the Metropolitan Opera.

The Met didn’t get around to pro-

ducing it until 1985, by which time it had become among the most popular American operas. It was revived by The Met in a stunning sold-out production during the 2019-2020 season. The work had lyrics by his brother, Ira, and a libretto by the Charleston, S.C., native, DuBose Heyward, who also wrote the book upon which the opera was based.

Both Felder in his evening performance and soloist Kate Guyton Morgens on Sunday brought a depth and warmth to the beautiful “Summertime” from Gershwin’s opera.

The partnership between the two Gershwin’s came to a sudden and tragic end in 1937, when George was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The delicate surgery which was done in Los Angeles was unsuccessful. He died at the age of 38. The

West Coast in the 1930s was not the prestigious center for medicine that it was later to become and there has been criticism over the years that Gershwin might have survived if the operation had been performed in the east.

Among the tunes that George Gershwin left unfinished was “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” which was included in both the Breman and Neranenah performances. After his death, Ira added the lyrics, which take on an unmistakable poignancy, as a farewell to the loving relationship the two brothers had developed. While Ira went on to work with other great composers like Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen, his passion for lyric writing was said to have never been the same after his brother’s passing. Ira died in 1983 at the age of 86. ì

Hershey Felder as George Gershwin with a French taxi horn that George Gershwin incorporated into his music for “An American In Paris” // Photo Credit: Hershey Felder

Adam Koplan Flying Carpet Theatre Company presented “The Gershwin’s” at The Breman Museum // Photo Credit: Breman Museum

George, left, and Ira Gershwin were among the most successful song writing teams in American musical history.

Fry’s Long Overdue Recognition in ‘Transatlantic’

By Bob Bahr

“Transatlantic” is the dull uninspired title of a new Netflix dramatic series based on one of the lesser known, but key figures, in the campaign to save prominent Jewish artists and writers during the Holocaust. The series is the latest project of Anna LeVine Winger, who is best known for “Unorthodox,” also on Netflix, and Daniel Hendler. It’s based on Julie Orringer’s novel, “The Flight Portfolio,” that came out four years ago.

The sumptuous series is set in Marseilles in the early 1940s, before America entered World War II but after the Nazi victory in France that led to the division of France into a Northern French nation and a Southern zone, known as Vichy France, and administered by a government of French Nazi collaborators. It was said to have been inspired by the classic motion picture, “Casablanca,” which was about the early years of World War II in Morocco, a country that was also part of Vichy France.

The quick victory by the Nazis trapped a large number of prominent Jews. Screenwriters Winger and Handler, who set up the story in early episodes of the series, lay out in straight forward terms the mission of Fry, played by Corey Michael Smith. As a journalist, who observed the rise of Hitler as a foreign correspondent in Berlin in 1933, he journeys to Marseille as part of an effort by an organization he had started in New York known as the European Rescue Committee. The goal of the organization was to help all those anti-Nazi writers and artists, as well as prominent Jews, to escape France.

Prior to arriving in Marseilles, he met with Eleanor Roosevelt, the president’s wife, who obtained a number of American visas that granted a refuge, on an urgency basis, to those intellectuals and artists who were stranded in the south of France. From an office in Marseille and the help of American diplomat Harry Bingham IV, the Jewish refugee Alfred Hirschmann, and an expatriate American heiress, Mary Jayne Gold, he helped many important refugees to escape.

In just a year of work, he and those he had recruited around him saved prominent figures and artists like Marc Chagall, Andre Breton, Max Ernst, and Jacques Lipschitz, harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, and writers like Hannah Arendt and Lion Feuchwanger, and Otto Meyerhof, a biochemist who later won a

Nobel Prize, and according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, some 2,000 others.

His work often conflicted with the State Department in Washington, D.C., where Secretary of State Cordell Hull and his assistant secretary, Breckinridge Long, supervised a concerted effort to deny visas to Jews trying to escape the Nazis, particularly in places like Marseilles.

Long had been ambassador to Mussolini’s Italy in the 1930s and had admired the fascist government. In 1938, after reading Hitler’s antisemitic manifesto, “Mein Kampf,” he wrote in his diary that “it is eloquent in opposition to Jewry and to Jews as exponents of Communism & chaos…My estimate of Hitler as a man rises with the reading of his book.”

Under Hull and Long’s leadership, the State Department denied 90 percent

of the visas that were available to help those trapped in fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. While Fry’s work in the Netflix series is portrayed in glowing terms, the true dimensions of America’s failure to act in the year before World War II prevented visas from being issued to 190,000 persons desperate to escape.

Reviews of the series, posted to the Rotten Tomatoes website, have the program rated at 94 percent as being overwhelmingly positive. But there has been criticism that, to score dramatic points, the writers and producers have fictionalized or exaggerated some of the incidents that occurred during Fry’s stay in Marseilles.

What they did not fictionalize was the heartbreaking decision that Fry faced, as he turned down an almost endless series of appeals for help from those not deemed famous enough to be saved.

That fact, which emerges in stark reality from these years, is what sets this series apart from its inspiration, the 1942 production of “Casablanca.”

Fry was finally arrested in August 1941 by the Vichy French police and given two hours to leave Marseilles. He became an outspoken critic of the State Department, and, in December 1942, he wrote an early article in The New Republic magazine entitled, “The Massacre of the Jews.” In it, he called the early evidence of what was happening in Europe “the most appalling picture of mass murder in all human history.”

Before he died in 1967, the French government awarded Fry its Legion of Honor, its highest civilian decoration. In 1994, he became the first American to be honored by Yad Vashem as a “Righteous Among The Nations.” ì

Corey Mitchell Smith (second from right) stars in “Transatlantic” // Photo Credit: Netflix

Varian Fry was the first American to be recognized by Yad Vashem for saving Jews from the Holocaust.

“Transatlantic” is a fictionalized and richly detailed account of Varian Fry’s work in Marseilles, France in the early 1940s // Photo Credit: Netflix

Grilled Cheeses for the Peoples

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

A young man with vision and heart, Andy Bibliowicz was recently recognized for his contribution to Chabad Intown using his real estate savvy. Running his own Air BnB business is just a part of Bibliowicz’s eye toward developing parts of South Atlanta in his own “hood.”

Recently up for Bibliowicz is the opening of Peoples Town Coffee Bar (serving up much more than coffee). He recalled, “In the fall of 2021, I began looking for retail property in my neighborhood to open a bicycle shop. I wanted to find something specifically in South Atlanta/ Peoplestown/ Lakewood Heights because the current shop had closed. A new development opened up in my neighborhood with a retail space at the bottom. That same week, I met with the developer, I met my partners, Zach (Thoren) and Alex (Brigham). After a few COVID outdoor dinners and ‘hangs,’ they expressed their passion to open a coffee shop. In that moment, everything clicked, and Peoples Town Coffee Bar was born.”

From start to finish, the coffee shop took just over 18 months to open.

The main hurdles were money and permitting. Bibliowicz expressed, “Like any three normal people, with ‘normal’ people money -- we spent much of the first few months trying to find a way to fund the shop. Most banks or small business associations don’t provide funding to new businesses. It was a roadblock that we took with stride and confidence. Permitting, what a mess! I can’t describe how many documents we had trouble simply finding, to then complete, and find out that it required three more documents.”

The coffee shop’s menu highlights begin with coffee. They dove deep when first deciding which roasters to select. With a focus on quality, shared philosophy, and goals -- Portrait Coffee in Atlanta and Methodical Coffee out of Greenville were chosen. Highlights include the Espresso Tonic, a.k.a. “SproTonic”- espresso, tonic water, and orange bitters. With a new menu coming in May, they are set to show off new healthy and also indulgent items. Grilled cheese stays on the menu -- the favorite being “The Grant,” filled with mozzarella, provolone, and brie with apple slices and honey.

Bibliowicz embellished, “We try to keep it simple and delicious. For breakfast and brunch, we will have toast, yogurt bowls, Emerald City bagels, and pas-

tries from HodgePodge Bakery, Monday to Sunday, with breakfast biscuits specials on the weekends.

For lunch and an early dinner, our new menu will focus around sandwiches. We will complement that with salads, and a few shareables like a baked brie with honey, cranberries, and walnuts.” Core beverages are coffee, tea, beer, and wine chosen based on quality, philosophy, and innovation.

As of week 13, they keep a staff lean, with a seventh hire onboarding. They practice what works best for the staff, providing flexibility that also allows the founders to provide more hours than normal -- the partners themselves fitting

around others’ hours, each working 35-50 hours a week.

Bibliowicz concluded, “Hardest part of this type of ownership is change. While we welcome the change in our lives, it makes finding free time between work and our second jobs, keeping a hobby, meet ups with friends, more difficult. It’s a sacrifice we knew before opening the shop and also know the value of that sacrifice seen in happy customers sipping a delicious cortado, biting into a gooey grilled cheese, and meeting their friends for a happy hour glass of wine.”

Bibliowicz moved from Ecuador to Atlanta at age 5 and considers himself “an Atlanta man.”

He said, “I was bar mitzvahed at Ahavath Achim and have invested my life and career into Atlanta and its growth. I have been short term renting for 11 years now with a focus on providing affordable rentals to large families and groups. My homes allow for up to 16 people at a price point that competes with single room hotel prices. While I have taken a break from my graduate studies at Georgia Tech, I hope to continue soon to complete a master’s in real estate development.”

Looking ahead, he said, “One day at a time. We have seen success early on because it’s to our community that we have made this commitment, and I believe our customers and community see that.”

Andy Bibliowicz is hands-on in food and beverage prep.

Expect to see creative beverages on the bill of fare.

Quality coffee and teas complement the comfort food.

Dig into this apple, brie, walnut and cranberry plate with fresh bread.

Andy Bibliowicz (right) partnered with Alex Brigham and Zach Thoren to open Peoples Town Coffee Bar.

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‘Days of Remembrance’ Honors Anne Frank Story

The State of Georgia’s 2023 official Holocaust commemoration program, Days of Remembrance, held April 28 at the Georgia State Capitol, in the stately House of Representatives Chambers, was a solemn and emotional tribute.

The annual observance is a program of The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, a non-partisan, non-religious state agency dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and promoting public understanding of the history.

This year’s theme, “Anne Frank: One Story Among Millions,” used the example of the well-known teenage Holocaust diarist to illustrate that each person who experienced the Holocaust had their own unique experience and story. Speaking to that point were special guest Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and keynote speaker, Dr. Doyle Stevick, executive director of the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina.

Commenting on the program’s theme, GCH executive director Sally Levine said, “Not all hiding places remained safe or available for the duration of the Holocaust. Some children were moved from place to place, forcing them to adapt -- again and again -- to strange surroundings. Some found sanctuary in dangerous or inhospitable locations: closets, barns, sewers. In some cases, children who had been abandoned by their rescuers or had become orphaned, were left without protection, relying on their own abilities, to survive.”

Levine added, referring to some Holocaust survivors in attendance, “We are blessed, here in Georgia, to be among some of these hidden children today, and to have preserved the stories of those who have passed away. These incredible stories of survival, of resourcefulness, of courage, are the stories of the hidden children. They are the last, precious witnesses of the Holocaust.”

The program opened with the presentation of colors by the Lovejoy High School Junior ROTC from Hampton, Ga. and the Pledge of Allegiance led by 99-year-old World War II veteran and liberator Hibby Margol, accompanied by Department of Veteran Services Chief Operations Officer Kerry Dyer, followed by video-recorded greetings from Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, who emphasized the importance of observing the memory of the Holocaust.

Georgia State Attorney General Chris Carr read the official state Days

of Remembrance Proclamation. Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer of the Georgia Secretary of State office spoke about the concern of antisemitism today, and Alex Gandler, deputy consul general of Israel to the Southeast U.S., addressed the importance of Israel at its 75th anniversary this year.

Georgia Schools superintendent Richard Woods presented JoAnn Wood with the 2023 Distinguished Educator Award. Over her career, Wood spent 40 years as a classroom teacher, then served as social studies supervisor at the district level and finally, social studies program specialist with the Georgia Department of Education.

During the candle lighting ceremony, the centerpiece of the program, six candles were lit: for all the Holocaust victims, including political dissidents, the disabled and those whom today we call members of the LGBTQ+ community; for the 1.5 million children who perished; for the liberators; for the survivors who continue to bear witness; and for the second and third generation who now are the ones who share their family’s stories and legacies. Finally, the sixth candle was lit in memory of the survivors and liberators who are no longer with us. A sixminute video montage was presented in their memory. The link to this moving video can be found on the Commission’s website at holocaust.georgia.gov.

Eight countries were represented from the international consular corps based in Atlanta including Argentina, Belgium, Britain, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Rabbi Peter Berg, senior rabbi at The Temple, recited the El Maleh Rachamim prayer in Hebrew and English for the

souls of those who have died. The program concluded with the Hymn of the Jewish Partisans, an uplifting song noting the bravery and courage of the Jewish

resistance fighters, sung by the Atlanta Young Singers. ì

Compiled by AJT Staff

Holocaust survivors Manuela Bornstein and Barry Seidel

(From left) Keynote speaker Doyle Stevick, executive director of the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina; special guest speaker, Ron Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam; Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Board Chair, Chuck Berk; GCH Legislative Liaison, Rep. Sharon Cooper; and GCH Executive Director Sally Levine. // Photos by Patti Covert

World War II veteran and liberator Hilbert (Hibby) Margol (right) leads the Pledge of Allegiance with Director of Veteran Services, Kerry Kyer

Eight countries were represented by the Atlanta Consular Corps at the 2023 Days of Remembrance program at the Georgia State Capitol.

Anita Lynn and Louise Baum light the sixth candle to remember all the Georgia survivors and their families who are no longer with us.

Stones of Remembrance

The Stones of Remembrance Project is an annual activity that memorializes the one and a half million Jewish children who were killed in the Holocaust. Students from public or private elementary, middle, and high schools are invited to participate.

Each student is given an actual child’s first and last name, the date and place of birth, and the date and place of death. They write this information on a specially prepared stone and decorate it as they like. The stone then becomes a unique memorial to that child’s life.

The stones are then either displayed as a Holocaust memorial on their school grounds, taken home by students and placed in a special location in their yard, or picked up by a program volunteer to be used in the annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration at Greenwood Cemetery.

Students are encouraged to write a short essay on their participation in the project which can be found on the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum website at thebreman.org.

Stones of Remembrance laid on the crypt at the Memorial to the Six Million at Greenwood Cemetery. The plaque says, “On Sunday, April 25, 1965, were saved here for eternal rest ashes from the mass-grave in Dachau of the Jewish victims of the Nazi-Holocaust in Europe 1939-1945. May their memory be enshrined forever.”

Irene Yabrow keeps the Stones of Remembrance path tidy at Jewish Family & Career Services.

MaPa Sells Fluffy Matzoh Balls and More

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Marci Alt grew up in Williamsville, N.Y., a small suburb outside of Buffalo, in a family that focused on cooking and spending quality cooking time together. She recalls her great grandma, “Bubbie,” teaching her the mother’s and grandmother’s recipes while she stood on a step stool stirring soup at age four.

MaPa’s company name, “MaPa’s Nosh,” was coined by her children. Alt said, “I am a single mom by choice so I am both Ma and Pa. When we were trying to name our company, my nine-year-old (at the time) said to call it ‘MaPa’s Matzoh Ball Soup because you’re my MaPa and you make the best soup.’”

Alt continued, “My favorite pastime is cooking Jewish cuisine whether I am making brisket or soup. Knowing that all my recipes are handed down from generations past really puts a smile on my face. I love the time it takes to perfect my cooking, and I always am thinking about my Bubbie who inspired me. Knowing that hundreds of people are enjoying my soup would have made her very proud.”

Alt started selling at farmers markets because the demand for good matzoh ball soup was overwhelming. Three years ago, she placed her first ad in the Atlanta Jewish Times and immediately received more than 100 orders. Then came the temples, like Congregation Dor Tamid, which orders monthly. The Temple on Peachtree sends her soup to sick congregants.

Alt still sells at farmers markets and supplies/delivers to temples, and Fridays at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta She sells all products yearround including Jewish holidays and delivers to consumers’ homes. This includes

spinach and potato knishes and different flavored sweet kugels. Her soup comes in both vegetarian and kosher chicken base. She uses all kosher products in soups. Her knishes and challah are kosher as she works with local kosher markets.

Alt’s secret to great matzoh balls soup is “don’t rush it.” Her soup takes over 20 hours to cook so the flavor is bountiful. Her secret to floaters (balls) is crushing in gluten-free matzoh that produces fluffier balls.

Soups come in quart sizes with about three to four large fluffy balls and about two bowls ($16 plus tax). Other offerings include:

• Knishes: two per order ($11 plus tax)

• Kugel - large cut ($11 plus tax)

• Latkes- four per order ($11 plus tax)

Regarding her food, Alt embellished, “Soup may be my passion; however, the right knish is my favorite. We use garlic mashed potatoes with an onion puree and wrap in a puff pastry. I swear if you add hot mustard, you will think you are sitting in Jersey eating this delicious knish.”

Alt wears another part-time hat having invented the Gay Yellow Pages. Thirty-two years ago, and (14 years ago with the invention of smartphones), she came out with the first app specifically

designed for the LGBTQ+ community, called Gayborhood.

She explained, “Gayborhood works like Yelp. The LGBTQ+ community uses Gayborhood as a resource so we can feel safe and comfortable when purchasing goods and services. Whether someone is searching for a veterinarian or an accountant, our directory is filled with all nondiscriminatory businesses welcoming the LGBTQ+ communities. One can buy an ad package.”

Also, Gbaequality.org is a nonprofit that Alt helped start for LGBTQ+ college kids on their journey to get to the best careers and not let their sexuality impede them.

What’s next for Alt?

“Jewish cooking has always been my passion; and one day, I will have a Jewish food truck filled with many of our traditional foods to buy to eat on the spot.”

To place an order, text (404) 8227789 for pick up at a market or home delivery for a small fee. ì

MaPa’s knishes contain garlic mashed potatoes and onion puree.

Marci Alt’s matzoh ball soup comes with three to four fluffy balls. Marci Alt’s clients like her melt-in-the-mouth kugel.

Latkes come four per order for $11.

The Lowdown I Bet You Didn’t Know … Helen Zalik

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

Helen Zalik is a social entrepreneur, attorney, and philanthropist. In 2018, Helen co-founded The Zalik Foundation, which has granted over $100 million to date for education, children and families in need, behavioral mental health, and Jewish communities in the U.S and Israel.

Helen immigrated to the United States from Ukraine at age 11. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University School of Law. Zalik began her career as a corporate attorney at Powell Goldstein, LLP, and eventually served as general counsel of a privately held healthcare management company.

Zalik is a strong believer in the value of Jewish education and community, serving as the immediate past board president of Momentum Unlimited. She also co-founded Jewish Women’s Connection of Atlanta and currently serves on the boards of Jewish Federations of North America and Jewish Agency for Israel.

Helen Zalik resides in Atlanta with her husband, David, and their three daughters. Read on to learn what’s in the eponymous “Helen” cocktail.

The most useful thing I learned in law school was…

Speed reading! I learned how to quickly discern the heart of the matter, as well as the benefit of a well-articulated, clear bottom line.

One fun thing people don’t know about me is…

I was a competitive ballroom dancer in college – I placed in competitions, and Latin dances like salsa, samba, and merengue were my favorite.

My kids would say I am too…

Nice and too mean, too busy, and too around, too serious and too silly – basically, that I am an (oxy)moron.

You will not find me…

Too far away from my pickleball racquet. I am a little bit obsessed.

I’m streaming…

Several Jewish podcasts at all times. Top on my list is Rise & Shine with Adrienne Gold Davis, anything by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Charlie Harary, and many more.

My latest fashion disaster was…

Yesterday, last week, and honestly, pretty much every day. I deeply admire my friends who have impeccable taste, but sadly, I did not inherent that gene.

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

Keep up the hard work. It’s all worth it!

The last time I cried…

While visiting an orphanage called Leiladeinu in Buenos Aires. They work to heal and restore the rights of Jewish children and teens dealing with abusive situations at home. I saw children filled with joy, being treated with the love and dignity they deserve. It was emotional and inspiring.

My idea of a fun night out is…

Anywhere with family, friends, great food, and dance music and involving my favorite signature drink, which I have called “The Helen” (tequila, Fresca, and bourbon-soaked cherries …). L’chaim!

Best advice you received…

Was in high school, from my mock trial coach: “If you don’t know, bluff…and bluff with confidence.”

Favorite vacation destination?

It’s always the next one! Exploring, learning, disconnecting from technology, and creating special memories with my family and friends – simply the best!

Reported by Marcia Caller Jaffe

MONDAY, MAY 15

Davis Academy Annual Golf Tournament – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Davis Academy 24th Annual Community Golf Tournament In Memory of Jon Barkan z”l. Steeped in tradition and nestled in Alpharetta, The Golf Club of Georgia provides a standard of excellence enjoyed by few private clubs. Established in 1990, the Club has made an impressive statement both competitively and through its course conditions, consistently recognized as one of the finest 36-hole golf clubs in the country. Register at https://bit. ly/3H8YOG9.

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

Yoga and Meditation - 7 to 9 p.m. Join Congregation Gesher L’Torah for Yoga and Meditation. Ages 13+. Please bring your own mat if you have! Register at https://bit. ly/3WE3wkH.

THURSDAY, MAY 18

Caregiver Support Group Johns Creek Alpharetta - 6 to 7 p.m. Watching those we love lose their memory or ability to live independently is difficult on all levels. Taking some time to focus on your own mental and emotional wellbeing will help you be a better caregiver for someone else. RSVP to the Cohen Home and Jewish HomeLife, at http://bit.ly/3keoS9T.

TUESDAY, MAY 16

Global Connections with Robert Siegel: How Old is Too Old to Work and to Lead? - 4 p.m. Robert Siegel

(former senior host of NPR’s All Things Considered for 31 years) interviews: Dr. Felix Benninger, M.D., Professor Laura L. Carstensen, and Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld. Get the Zoom link by visiting https://bit. ly/3nme1gk.

Jewpernatural with Mrs. Chaya Rose - 8 to 9 p.m. As we understand the natural world better, we have only grown more fascinated by mysterious topics like the meaning of dreams; the existence of angels, demons, and extraterrestrials; and the power of the evil eye. With record interest inspiring curiosity, dread, and mockery, this course probes the Talmud, Jewish philosophy, and kabbalah to provide Jewish perspectives and guidance for those curious about these perennial questions. Join Intown Jewish Academy. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3LovXQs.

Jewpernatural - 7:30 to 9 p.m. Jewpernatural is a fascinating new course that explores mysterious topics such as dreams, supernatural beings, and extraterrestrials from a Jewish perspective. This course draws on the wisdom of the Talmud, Jewish philosophy, and Kabbalah to provide illuminating insights and practical guidance for navigating these mysteries. Join the Torah Center Atlanta now on this unforgettable exploration and expand your understanding of the unknown! Register at https://bit. ly/3mTrE6u.

Hillels of Georgia Annual Meeting –6 to 7:30 p.m. Hillels of Georgia has decided to combine the celebration of 20 years of Hillels Heroes of Georgia with the business of our Annual Meeting. This promises to be a fantastic event where you can learn more about Hillels of Georgia’s work fighting antisemitism on campus, celebrate Jewish life, and hear our exciting plans for the future at https://bit.ly/3L1aM5I.

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Torah Reading: Bamidbar

Friday, May 19: Iyar 28, 5783 Light Candles at 8:16 PM

Saturday, May 20: Iyar 29, 5783 Shabbat Ends 9:17 PM

Let’s Bayit: Buying a House, Creating a Home - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “Let’s Bayit: buying a house, creating a home” is an interactive evening from JILFA and 18 Doors designed to help homebuyers: individuals, couples, and growing families, in Atlanta, navigate the homebuying process and make your house a home. (And, if you were wondering, Bayit means “house” in Hebrew!). Register at https://bit.ly/3p49dN7.

Sisterhood Book Club - 8 to 9 p.m. Carrie Hearshen will lead the Congregation Or Ve Shalom Sisterhood Book Club discussion on Zoom. The featured book is "The Color of Water" by James McBride. Find the Zoom Link by visiting https://bit. ly/3H4Ff1u.

GLT Game Night (Poker - Sponsored by Men’s Club) - 8 to 10 p.m. Join Gesher for Poker Night. Visit https://bit.ly/3L3jIay to learn more.

FRIDAY, MAY 19

Tot Shabbat with Hannah Zale – 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Interactive joyful Judaism. Sing Dance Pray at Gesher with Hannah Zale. RSVP at https:// bit.ly/3G9Bbfd

Shavuot

Thursday, May 25: Sivan 5, 5783 Light Holiday Candles at 8:20 PM

Friday, May 26: Sivan 6, 5783 Light Shabbat / Holiday Candles at 8:21 PM from a pre-existing flame.

Saturday, May 27: Sivan 7, 5783 Shabbat / Holiday Ends 9:22 PM

MONDAY, MAY 22

Kabbalat Panim and Kabbalat Shabbat - 5:45 p.m. Once a month Congregation Dor Tamid will gather for a Kabbalat Panim, an Oneg Shabbat before services. Then will move into the sanctuary to welcome Shabbat together. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3Zt9YvN.

SUNDAY, MAY 21

Pre-Shavuot Kids Cupcake Decorating! - 10:30 a.m. Get into the Shavuot zone with cupcake decorating by Ali’s cookies, an ice cream bar, and a hands-on workshop with a Torah scribe. RSVP at https://bit. ly/3oZEPU4.

SATURDAY, MAY 20

Historic Westside Gardens – Volunteer Day – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Farm Crew supports our local growers by volunteering at gardens and farms around Atlanta. Projects may include harvesting produce, planting, weeding, and hoop house construction. Please wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty, bring water, sunscreen and bug-spray. Find out more with Repair the World by visiting http:// bit.ly/3K9Kyyt.

A Trip Back into

Blooms of Dunwoody Flower Workshop! - 7:30 p.m. Join Chabad of Dunwoody for a pre-Shavuot flower arrangement workshop led by the Blooms of Dunwoody team! Take home a beautiful bouquet with a custom vase. Plus, delicious cheesecake tasting to get into the holiday zone. RSVP at https://bit. ly/3LHyju2.

Hidden

History with Mike Weinroth – 12 to 6 p.m. Join Mike Weinroth and Congregation Etz Chaim to Noble Hill School in Cassville, Ga., where you take a memorable look back at the legacy of Booker T. Washington, founder of the Tuskegee Institute. Registration is required at https://bit. ly/3Lqr3mf.

Resin & Rose - 7:30 p.m. Join Chabad of North Fulton for a creative, relaxing and enjoyable evening! Register at https://bit.ly/3HsDXgR.

Turning Inward: A Path To A Peaceful Heart: New Series - 8 to 9:15 p.m. SVIVAH is excited to share this series taught by the incredible Naama Sadan. This series is a journey through the four gates of inner understanding as taught by the famous spiritual scholar, Yemima Avital, offering a deep exploration into our spiritual selves and connections to the divine. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3H8NmtR.

TUESDAY, MAY 23

2023 Distinguished Advocate Award Celebration - 6 to 9 p.m. American Jewish Committee (AJC) proudly presents the 2023 Distinguished Advocate Award to Peter Berg, Senior Rabbi of The Temple. Please join us to celebrate Rabbi Berg’s incredible contributions to AJC and the greater Atlanta community. Purchase tickets at https://bit. ly/3AkxJfg.

Jewpernatural with Mrs. Chaya Rose - 8 to 9 p.m. As we understand the natural world better, we have only grown more fascinated by mysterious topics like the meaning of dreams; the existence of angels, demons, and extraterrestrials; and the power of the evil eye. With record interest inspiring curiosity, dread, and mockery, this course probes the Talmud, Jewish philosophy, and kabbalah to provide Jewish perspectives and guidance for those curious about these perennial questions. Join Intown Jewish Academy. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3LovXQs.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

Covenant House: Prepare and Share a Meal - 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity to contribute back to our metro Atlanta community. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to select what part of the dinner you will be providing. Dinner is from 6-7 p.m., and we ask that you prepare enough for 60 people so that we can ensure that everyone at Covenant House can share in your meal. Register at https://bit.ly/41uXbKQ.

FRIDAY, MAY 26

Healthy Living - 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Congregation Or Ve Shalom’s own Dr. Neil Cooper will share scientific strategies proven to improve health at any age. Feel better now and continue to thrive at 85. Get the Zoom Link by visiting https:// bit.ly/440P1vE.

SOJOURN’s Drawing from the Well – 12:30 th 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to experience the magic of inclusive community during Drawing from the Well. Drawing from the Well is SOJOURN’s inclusive weekly meetup for LGBTQ+ Jews and allies. Participants gather in community to discuss and connect around resources from Torah Queeries, Mussar teachings, holidays and happenings in the world. Find more at https://bit. ly/3ZrKEXi.

Brunch it cuz it’s Shavuot! - 1 p.m. Celebrate the giving of the Torah over a spread of mouth-watering dairy dishes, including blintzes and cheesecake. Wash it down with some wine and ice cream. Hear the ten commandments, rejoice with the people, and wish Rabbi Zalmy HAPPY 30th! Register at https://bit. ly/42cbiEP.

SATURDAY, MAY 27

Tot Shabbat and Kiddush Lunch11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Congregation Beth Shalom every Shabbat at 11 a m for an interactive Tot Shabbat where we sing, play, and engage in fun activities, followed by a wonderful Shabbat Kiddush lunch together. Learn more at https://bit. ly/3PMct7u.

SUNDAY, MAY 28

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

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

TUESDAY, MAY 30

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31

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

OY VEY

OY VEY! HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM ���

Dear Rachel, During Passover, our two married children came to visit with their families. Overall, we enjoyed the time together and it was a beautiful opportunity for all of us to bond. However, one issue came up that was very disturbing.

Danny, my son’s eldest, bullied Josh, my daughter’s middle child. It usually happened when the adults were not present, but we found out about it when Josh came to his parents several times in tears. I want my home to be a safe place for my family to visit and enjoy being together. More importantly, I don’t want Josh to suffer. And last, though equally important, I don’t want Danny to become a mean person. What is my role in this situation?

Sincerely,

A Concerned Grandma

Dear Grandma,

Bullying is so painful, more so when it happens to someone you love. Ideally, unless you witness the situation firsthand when your adult children are not present, I recommend putting this in the parents’ hands. They should be the ones to discipline their children; that is not a grandparent’s job.

If your son wants guidance on dealing with bullying, I suggest a no-tolerance policy. Danny must know that nasty comments and exclusive behavior are wrong. If he engages in these behaviors, there will be consequences. Danny should be made to understand that this strong stance is for his own benefit. His parents must convey that they want to help him become a kind, sensitive person.

Additionally, in every relationship, communication opens doors. Can your son or daughter-in-law have an open conversation with Danny? Is there something Josh does that gets on Danny’s nerves? Can they offer him tools to deal with someone whom he finds to be annoying or different?

Now let’s move on to Josh. Your daughter and son-in-law should support Josh in his pain, and make sure he knows that he can always approach them for support. At the same time, they must also empower him. Depending on his age, which you did not mention, Josh can learn how to respond appropriately. Perhaps he can say something as simple as “I can’t hear you when you talk like that” and walk away from Danny. If it happens again, he should not respond at all; he can simply ignore the nastiness as if he really didn’t hear it.

Josh should learn to walk tall and hold his head high. This type of body language will show Danny that he’s not vulnerable, and it may also help raise his self-esteem. His parents should reinforce that he is a wonderful person, imbuing him with confidence and self-worth so that he doesn’t feel beaten down by the bullying.

I was recently speaking with a friend whose child joined a bully in shunning a classmate with special needs. She told him that people with special needs give us a very special opportunity. They give us the chance to be kind, helpful, and sensitive. They are usually very pure, innocent people with challenges. If we respond to them appropriately, we will become better people. Her child was extremely responsive and immediately started being nicer to this boy. Thanks to his wise mother, he felt like a million dollars for doing the right thing!

Bullying is a horrible thing to deal with, and no one deserves to be bullied. I wish you, your children, and your grandchildren the strength and wisdom to cope with this challenging situation.

Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column

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

The Frog

Shlomo, 75 years old, was taking a walk when he saw a frog in the gutter. He was shocked when the frog began to speak to him. The frog said, “Old man, if you kiss me, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess, I’ll be yours forever and we can make passionate love every night.”

Shlomo bent down and put the frog into his pocket and continued walking.

The frog said, “Hey, I don’t think you heard me. I said if you kiss me, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess, and we can make passionate love every night.”

Shlomo took the frog out of his pocket and said, “I heard you, but at my age, I’d rather have a talking frog.”

YIDDISH WORD

Tchotchkompulsive

n. A behavior disorder in which the afflicted person cannot resist buying any tchotchke that presents itself.

“Phyllis is such a tchotchkompulsive that she had to put an addition onto her house just to accommodate her collection. G-d forbid she should throw out a single one.”

Tchotchke is old Yiddish (via Slavic) for small, sickeningly cute, worthless, stumbled-over objects.

A Yiddishe Rhyme

By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com

Difficulty Level: Easy

ACROSS

1. Asian noodles

6. Sci. endeavor

10. Number of Seder kosot

14. Dickinson or Bronte

15. Yoni Netanyahu, Avigdor Kahalani, or Henrietta Szold, e.g.

16. “A League of Their Own”

actress Petty

17. Clip of a TV show set in Jerusalem

20. It’s put in a pot

21. They might be in cholent

22. Must, with “to”

23. Oft-stubbed digit

24. Constantly increasing number

25. “Lost” actor Daniel ___ Kim

27. Miscalculate

28. Groban’s snacks

quarters”, for short

to the Captain

51. “___ Haderech” (Israeli slang term)

52. Make an inquiry

53. Black-eyed veggie

54. 1949 UN entrant

57. Area in front of a hockey goal

60. “The Amazing Race” host

Keoghan

61. Chat on Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker

64. Farm tools

65. Elvis Presley’s middle name

66. They get scoops

67. Words before end or impasse

68. ___deals.com

69. Colgate rival

DOWN

1. Car sale offer

2. C major relative

3. Title that’s usually abbreviated

4. “... or ___!”

5. “Science guy” Bill

6. They’re in many a pocket

7. Altered mortgage, for short

8. Approximating phrase

9. Unidentified man

10. “Aladdin” alter ego

___

11. Start of the new year?

12. California’s La ___ Tar Pits

13. Doesn’t feel so great

18. Puma’s puma and Jaguar’s jaguar, e.g.

19. “May G-d bless and keep the ___... far away from us!”

24. Crawling carpenters

26. Bail out from a jet

29. Mother of Yishmael

30. Memo-opening letters

31. Sixty minutes, in Milano

32. Elevated 3-Down, perhaps

33. “Yo!”

34. Australian gemstones

37. “For shame!” sound

38. Yeshiva title

39. Rage

40. Big exec.

41. Fiber from a cocoon

43. Racing or vehicles (for that racing)

44. Moolah in Modi’in

46. “Motion” starter

47. Stone workers

48. Galaxy alternative

49. Captures

50. Most ashen

54. Holy Land woman

55. Person from Edinburgh

56. Perlman of “Cheers” and “The Bad Batch”

58. Book often combined with Nechemiah

59. “___ Flux” (1990s sci-fi series)

60. Low rating

62. Rival of AOL, once

63. Secretive email letters

OBITUARIES

Jeanette Alhadeff Arogeti 92, Atlanta

As Shabbat ended on May 6, 2023, Jeanette Arogeti left this world and went to heaven with grace, dignity, and peace. Her life was filled with much joy and little sadness. She lived her entire life with faith, grateful that G-d blessed her and her family.

Born in Atlanta to Joe and Becky Alhadeff, she was a first generation American who was privileged to be the first of many in her family to attend and graduate from college. Together, she lived a wonderful life with her parents and her two sisters, Stella Firestone, and Rachiel Berger.

She loved to travel, to cook, to dance, to spend quality time with family, to read and to provide care and comfort to those she loved. She always left an indelible impression on everyone she met because she was a caring person who always enjoyed listening and never needed to be the center of attention in a conversation. Jeanette lived her life with the lesson taught by her parents that you can learn more by listening than you can by talking. She also believed that giving her time and resources to her community was just as important as supporting her family.

Even as age began to slow her down, Jeanette was happy knowing that she nurtured and cultivated a great family of descendants, She leaves behind her eight children and their spouses (Robert and Amy Arogeti, Joel and Beth Arogeti, Jane and Mitch Durham and Barbara and Larry Perlis), 14 grandchildren and their spouses (James Arogeti and Maddie Brady, Michelle and Ian Stribling, Carly and Ilan Reisman, Jonathan Arogeti, Liza Arogeti, Sarah Arogeti, Lee and Rachel Perlis, and Gabe, Sam and Levi Durham) and five great-grandchildren (Micah and Maisie Arogeti, Evie Reisman, and Judah and Matthew Stribling).

A lifetime member of Congregation OrVe Shalom, she actively volunteered her time as a member of the Sisterhood, a regular attendee of religious services and instilled in her children the importance of a lifelong commitment to its existence.

Jeanette was predeceased by her husband, Jimmy, who passed away 15 years ago, her parents, Jimmy’s parents, Jack and Regina Arogeti, and the beloved spouses of her husband and sister, Herman Steinman, Mike Levy, Leanora Levy, Raymond Arogeti, Joe B. and Betty M. Arogeti and Hugh Berger.

In addition to her sisters, Jeanette is survived by Stanford Firestone, Leon and Sylvia Capouano, Emily Steinman, and Renee Arogeti and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Congregation OrVe Shalom, 1681 N Druid Hills Rd. Brookhaven, GA 30319 www.orveshalom.org; Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, 1440 Spring St. Atlanta, GA 30309 www.jewishatlanta.org; or a Jewish charity that is important to you.

Marshall Bloom 85, Atlanta

Marshall Bloom, 85, passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Marshall was born in Atlanta, Ga., on Feb. 26, 1938. He attended Grady (now Midtown) High School and the University of Georgia. Marshall retired as President and CEO of Bio-Lab, Inc., a company started by his beloved Uncle Leon and where he worked his entire career.

Marshall was predeceased by his parents, Marian and David Bloom. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Leslie; his children, Dan (Barry Golivesky) and Jeffrey; his very adored grandchildren, David and Elyssa; and his sister, Sheryl Adair (Mark Weinstein). Marshall is also survived by his former spouse and friend, Bitsy.

Marshall enjoyed traveling with his family, playing golf, skiing, and, in his retirement, became an avid hiker. He will be remembered for his genuine kindness and for the respect with which he treated everyone he met. Donations in his memory can be made to Weinstein Hospice, Ahavath Achim Synagogue or the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Scherrer-Diamond Outreach Coordinator

*An example of our lunch sweet and sour chicken

OBITUARIES

Barry Noel Hyman 85, Atlanta

Barry Noel Hyman, beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away on April 27, 2023, of stroke-heart syndrome. He was born June 24, 1938, in Chicago, Ill., to Annette Cooper Hyman and Irving B. Hyman. In 1945, the family moved to Miami, Fla. where Barry grew up, loving every moment. He became an Eagle Scout in 1952, an achievement of which he was always proud, and graduated from Miami High School in 1956. He then attended The University of Miami on a full scholarship.

After three years of premed studies, he attended Duke University School of Medicine from which he received his Doctor of Medicine degree. Dr. Hyman continued his medical training with an internship and residency in internal medicine at Emory University and Grady Hospital. He then served as an officer in the United States Air Force for two years. He received the Air Force Commendation Medal for outstanding service in Osan, Korea, in 1966. Upon completion of his service, he returned to Atlanta for his residency in ophthalmology at Emory University.

In 1968, during this residency, he married Ellen Balser. After the birth of their daughter, Laura, the family moved to Houston, Texas, for additional training in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. With medical boards in both internal medicine and ophthalmology, Dr. Hyman joined the staff of Baylor College of Medicine, applying his expertise in both fields.

By the time their second daughter, Karen, was born, Houston had become home. Barry carved out an amazing career combining medicine and ophthalmology. He was appointed to be a member of the Joint National Committee of the National Institute of Health which provided the guidelines for the treatment and prevention of hypertension and was one of the earliest practitioners using Doppler Sonography, a bedside noninvasive method of the assessment of carotid artery disease.

He was recognized as a specialist by the American Society of Hypertension, and was president of the American Society of Diabetes, Houston. He was published in numerous Peer Review Journals, served on many national committees, and lectured and conducted symposiums throughout the country.

All of his life, he pursued learning and remained a prolific reader. Barry served on numerous committees at Congregation Beth Israel in Houston and was a founding board member of Holocaust Museum Houston. During their marriage, Barry and Ellen enjoyed traveling to destinations all over the world. Barry sought the countries with Michelin three-starred restaurants enjoying every one he visited.

With his retirement in 2015, Barry and Ellen returned to Atlanta completing a full circle filled with happy years and wonderful memories. Dr. Hyman is survived by Ellen, his wife of 54-plus years; his children, Laura and Allen Graber, of Atlanta, Ga., and Karen and Alan Schoellkopf of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren, Finn Graber and Eloise Graber, of Atlanta, and Mary Ellen Schoellkopf, Amelia Schoellkopf and Tripp Schoellkopf of Dallas; brothers and sisters-in-law, Jack and Pat Balser, and Ron and Barbara Balser; numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and a great-great-niece; plus a number of cousins and dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Meyer and Roslyn Balser Tower of Jewish HomeLife, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30327-2108 or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s, 770-451-4999.

OBITUARIES

David Allan Lips 74, Atlanta

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of David Allan Lips, 74, after a courageous struggle with Alzheimer’s. A native Atlantan, David was the son of Helen and Jerry and predeceased by his sister, Marilyn, of blessed memory. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also earned an MBA from Georgia State University.

He was an active and proud member of multiple technical organizations. David served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged after serving during the Vietnam War. He retired after 38 years with the Southern Company.

David is survived by his wife, Susan, of 52 years, and his children, Alan (Lisa) and Gary (Renee), and seven grandchildren, Jordan, Howie, Andrew, Ryan, Katie, Marty and Heather. He is survived by his brother Harold and sisters Florence and Marcia. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Robert S. Nemo 86, Atlanta

Robert S. Nemo, beloved Atlanta Jewish community member, passed away May 6, 2023. Robert (affectionately known as “Bob”), 86, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and earned his bachelor of arts degree from The Ohio State University and his master’s degree at the University of Illinois.

Bob met his wife, Carol Breman Nemo, of Atlanta, at Ohio State, on their very first day on campus, and they got married three years later. The couple lived in Ohio for three years before moving back to Atlanta where they lived for the rest of Bob’s life. Professionally, Bob owned several Ace Hardware stores for nearly 30 years. His favorite thing was working on the floor with customers and helping them with their hardware needs. Bob especially loved the holiday season, as he loved to help people with their Christmas lights, ornaments, and decorations. Bob also loved opera: he loved listening to and attending operas, and then became an “extra” in the Atlanta Opera for many years and, ultimately, became a tour guide at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Bob and Carol loved to spend time at their pied-à-terre in New York City, taking in more opera, Broadway shows and volunteering on Tuesday mornings in Central Park.

Bob was an active community volunteer and trusted sage advisor his whole adult life. Bob served with the Red Cross for over 20 years, assisting in disasters such as Hurricane Hugo in Charleston, S.C., and many others. Closer to home, Bob served in many leadership positions at The Temple, including the Temple Night Shelter for Homeless Couples and The Temple Board of Trustees, The Breman Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

From the time he was in college, Bob collected beer bottles, ending with an impressive collection of over 3,000 bottles from all over the world. Bob had them all computerized by country and displayed on shelves all around his office. Bob also enjoyed many weekends marching with the Marching Abominables, a colorful, costumed community band, which performed at parades and festivals all over Atlanta. And finally, Bob loved all domestic pets, from dogs to parrots to monkeys and even bees!

Bob will be remembered for his kind heart, brilliant business acumen and funny one-liners. Bob will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Bob is survived by his wife, Carol; daughter, Roberta Nemo; son, Dan (Tamara) Nemo; grandchildren, Avery Nemo and Will Nemo; brother, Edward (Ann) Nemo; nephews, Benjamin (Tatiana) Nemo and Jonathan (Cynthia) Nemo; nieces, Michelle (Jimy) Salmans, Jennifer (David) Pelcyger, Sybil Breman, and nephew, Joseph (Galit) Breman; and many other relatives.

The funeral service was held Tuesday, May 9 at 12 noon at The Temple. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to The William Breman Jewish Home or The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta, 770-451-4999. Sign online guestbook: www.DresslerJewishFunerals.com

Elaine Potlock 91, Atlanta

Elaine Potlock passed away on April 22, 2023, with her children by her side, at the age of 91. Born in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 18, 1931, Elaine will be remembered by family and friends as a person who was beautiful both inside and out.

She graduated from Forest Park High School in Baltimore, where she was in the Honor Society and served as the Senior Class Treasurer. She attended secretarial school and later took classes at the local community college. She married her high school sweetheart, Barry, in 1952. Elaine put 100 percent into all her endeavors, and in her career, she held accounting and administrative positions in the places life took her: Baltimore; San Diego; while Barry was in the Navy; Miami, where they moved when they had a young family; Westchester, N.Y.; and finally settling in Atlanta by 1977. In a nod to her strength and fortitude, she worked as a secretary for three rabbis over the years.

Elaine was creative and generous to family, friends and community. She took great joy in making beautiful quilts for each of the four grandchildren and customized appliqued bags as gifts for friends. She was very involved in ORT and gave 16 years of service volunteering at the Dunwoody Medical Center, as well as working for many children’s causes, which were especially dear to her heart. Elaine never met a baby she didn’t love, including her children, grandchildren, and great-grandson – all of whom she adored.

Elaine was pre-deceased by her husband of 70 years, Barry, who passed just four months ago; father, Charles Nachman; and mother, Faye Koerin Nachman.

Elaine is survived by children, Jay Potlock (Mary Kay) and Fran Putney (Taylor), all of Atlanta; her sister, Sheila Weiss (Thomas) of Baltimore, and grandchildren, Carolyn Potlock, Kevin Potlock, Maddie Putney (Leigh Estrada) and Jordan Putney; and greatgrandson, Payton Potlock-Pizano.

Donations may be made to ORT, The Temple or any children’s cause. A graveside service took place on Tuesday, April 25, at Crest Lawn Cemetery. Funeral arrangements by Dressler’s.

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

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Why, I Ask You?

Why, I ask you, is it perfectly permissible, I might add, encouraged, that you have full on conversations with your pet?

foot floors the engine and floods said engine: “What the h--- is wrong with you? You always do this to me when I am late for work!”

No reason to tell a fib! Someone is always listening. Your Alexa, for example, does not only hear you, but if she is asked, can repeat your every word. So be careful what you say to your pet, or plant, or appliance.

ing to my fridge to wait just a minute, I hear you. If the fridge is not convinced and continues with that high-pitched scream, I shout something along the line of, “I said just a minute don’t you listen?”

Shaindle

Schmuckler

Shaindle’s Shpiel

“Good morning, Ari” (my dog’s name). I sing the same good morning song to him I sang to my four girls when they were little. They would join in, Ari does not, thank goodness.

Why, I ask you, is it perfectly permissible to find the grocery item you have been looking for, like eggs for instance, and the price gives you a severe case of agita? Do you think it’s OK to take a deep sigh of frustration, and you utter a few choice words to the innocent eggs? (I do not refer here to words of encouragement). Do you really believe no one can hear you, or give you “The Stare?”

Oh please -- don’t pretend you never speak to your car. Never shouted as your

How about your toaster oven? Never had a discussion with your car radio? I admit, I have long conversations and/or strong arguments with the folks on my NPR station.

Why, I ask you, are we encouraged to talk to our plants, who sometimes respond with beautiful flowers and healthy leaves, and, more often than not, can’t listen to that baby voice we use when talking to them, so they choose to turn brown? Green thumb vs. brown thumb. Why, I ask you, do we then feel guilty that we killed them?

What about your microwave or refrigerator? Try leaving the refrigerator doors open for more than the refrigerator determines necessary. I am constantly explain-

Well, I must admit, some of my most interesting discussions are with inanimate objects. After all, I get to express myself without fear of back talk or any sort of reprisal.

Why, I ask you, do my girls or my grans think I am going a bit overboard when I actually speak with, or scream at, the little deer and baby squirrels to get out of the middle of the road? I’m not sure, but I believe their parents thank me for saving their babies.

And, I must admit I am quite stern with the deer who insist upon eating my flowers.

Speaking of babies! Lately I have been having wonderful conversations and earsplitting duets with my baby birds who happen to hang around my property. I’m no Taylor…what’s her name, but I hold my own with my baby birds.

There are some red traffic lights, who quite deliberately turn red when they see

my car. They will hear my angry Bronx words fly out of my mouth. These words are so hot, they sting my lips. Sometimes, the lights are so taken aback, they immediately change to green and wish me goodbye and good riddance.

I was a true Bronx girl who loved horseback riding, yes, it’s true, even when I arrived home with a sore b--t. I dreamed of being Dale Evans, riding my horse, wearing my cowgirl hat and red paisley bandana. The problem was no matter which horse I was given to ride, conversations were not their forte. I never met a horse who appreciated my language of expressions. Believe me, shouting at them, trying to explain things to them, whether in English or Yiddish, had absolutely no impact on the horse. “Kick gently with the heel of your shoe.” Not on your life was I going to risk a physical altercation with this oversized and overpowering pony.

Why then, I ask you, do we act so quickly and with so much fervor to these annoyances, but are afraid to use our voices in protest to the issues that cause real and true agita? ì