HEALTH & WELLNESS
woodruffcreateATL.org
MOM’S TEARS
Heroin killed her daughter; now a Jewish mother seeks a better community. Page 28
MOMS’ HOPE
Women have a proactive way to protect fertility while delaying childbirth. Page 32
HIGH NOTES
Emory’s Herbert Karp was much more than a doctor and a fan of music. Page 33
Atlanta VOL. XCI NO. 45
WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM NOVEMBER 18, 2016 | 17 CHESHVAN 5777
Birthright Excites Ross
Photo by Allan Regenbaum
More than double the crowd from last year attends the Great Big Challah Bake on Nov. 10.
Photo by Eli Gray
Yehonasan Lipshutz plays the violin during Simply Tsfat’s post-Havdalah performance at Congregation Ariel.
Shabbat Provides Much-Needed Respite The third annual Shabbat Project came just in time for many in Jewish Atlanta, providing a way to go forth from the bitterness of the election Nov. 8 into the promised land of spirituality, celebration and global fellowship. Unaffiliated with any stream of Judaism and welcoming all, the Shabbat Project had an estimated 1 million participants in 1,150 cities across 94 countries. In Atlanta, one of 543 U.S. cities involved, the festivities started Thursday night, Nov. 10, with about 1,500 women
ABOUT THAT NIGHT
Like the rest of America, Jewish Atlanta can’t stop talking about the election, with six columns, a letter to the editor and the AJT’s own view weighing in on what was and what will be. Pages 10-14
and girls preparing challah at the Cobb Galleria. The fun continued with events such as a special edition of Anshi’s “Good Shabbos, Atlanta” and a block party Kiddush lunch outside Congregation Beth Jacob on Saturday, then concluded with a Havdalah concert featuring IsraeliAmerican hasidic band Simply Tsfat at Congregation Ariel. “We’ve witnessed an outpouring of emotion across the Jewish world as Jews from all walks of life have embraced the Shabbat Project, putting aside their
ISRAEL TEACHING
Four high-level Georgia State faculty members didn’t know what to expect when they joined a Conexx mission for their first Israel trip, but they learned lessons on university-led innovation. Page 26
differences and gathering together in a spirit of love and unity,” said South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, the founder and director of the project. “There is a real thirst worldwide for true Jewish unity and for a genuine connection to Judaism. And people really resonate with the way Shabbat carves out a sacred space of tranquility and togetherness amidst the frenzy of modern life.” Look for more about the Shabbat (or Shabbos) Project and its local success in next week’s AJT. ■
INSIDE
Calendar ��������������������������������������� 4 Candle Lighting �������������������������� 4 Israel News �����������������������������������6 Opinion ���������������������������������������10 Education ����������������������������������� 24 Obituaries �����������������������������������34 Marketplace �������������������������������36 Arts �����������������������������������������������37 Crossword �����������������������������������38
Dennis Ross was invited to a Birthright Israel Foundation event Thursday night, Nov. 10, to help draw donors, not to address the value of Birthright. He did so anyway, explaining that he couldn’t resist after hearing the story of one of the more than half a million Birthright alumni, Stephanie Neville. Neville, a Michigan native who moved to Georgia after graduating from Michigan State, was raised by her Christian father after her mother died in a car accident when Neville was young. She had little contact with her Jewish relatives until she got to college, when her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother were close by. After settling in Georgia with few connections, she went on an Atlanta community Birthright trip in January 2013. “Those 10 days … were some of the best of my life,” she said. The trip cemented her connections to the Atlanta Jewish community and to Israel. “Generous people like you have changed my life,” she told the roughly 90 people at the donor event. Ross called her testimonial amazing and said that if her story didn’t persuade people to give to Birthright, nothing would. “There is no single program that has had a bigger effect on Jewish identity than Birthright.” He added that he hears “Birthright changed my life” from program alumni all the time, including from a nephew who grew up in a secular home. There are many worthy causes, Ross said, but “I don’t know of any other program that has this kind of impact you can measure” at a cost of $3,000 per traveler. He said 80 percent of Birthright alumni marry Jews; the 20 percent who don’t still raise their children Jewish. ■ • Ross’ advice for Trump, Page 9