Atlanta Jewish Times, VOL. XCIV NO. 47, November 29, 2019

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VOL. XCIV NO. 47 | SIMCHA CELEBRATIONS

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Party Time in Jewish Atlanta

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE SANDERS SHARES JEWISH ROOTS AND CRITICIZES ISRAEL.

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PUBLISHER

MICHAEL A. MORRIS michael@atljewishtimes.com

MANAGING PUBLISHER & EDITOR KAYLENE LADINSKY

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JODI DANIS

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PAULA BAROFF Contributors This Week BOB BAHR CHANA SHAPIRO DAVE SCHECHTER HAROLD KIRTZ JAN JABEN-EILON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE DR. MIKE GORDON SHELLY DANZ

Party Like a Rock Star Gathering with friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday starts a celebratory time for Americans of all faiths.

The AJT keeps you in a festive mood this week with our fall simcha issue.

Here you’ll gather tips from an Atlanta party planner about last-minute to-dos before the big day, learn how one Orthodox catering family marked their son’s first haircut in a deliciously splashy way and how a Conservative rabbi's family incorporated a timely rock theme into the bar mitzvah celebration.

We tell you about a company making canned cocktails in Atlanta and share with you simcha announcements from big achievements to engagements and weddings.

Our “On the Town” features a 50th birthday girls’ night out complete with Buckhead dining, dancing, a luxurious hotel stay and brunch.

You’ll also learn about the upcoming Atlanta Jewish Life Festival – one of the community’s biggest celebrations.

In other news, we help you learn about the Democratic presidential debates here last week and the candidates’ positions on topics of interest to Jewish Atlanta. Those here for the debates in-

cluded Jewish candidate Bernie Sanders, who also spoke at Morehouse College.

We share the announcement this week that another Jewish candidate entered the race: billionaire businessman and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Speaking of politics, we keep you in the loop on the indictments of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and what it means to the formation of a new Israeli government. Plus, a former U.S. ambassador here last week expressed pessimism about America’s foreign policy in the Middle East. And the Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta coordinated a panel at Morehouse College about the “The Silent Exodus” of Jews from countries across the Middle East and North Africa.

Feeling at home in their own community is the expanding Chabad Intown.

Rabbi and director Eliyahu Schusterman gives an update on the Atlanta BeltLine community center.

There’s always something to learn about in Jewish Atlanta and next week we bring you a host of educational news, views and opportunities that will surely leave you enlightened. Study up. ■

THIS WEEK

Cover photo: Rabbi Yossi New, grandfather of Efraim Brafman, blesses his grandson as he receives his first haircut, or upshirin, with an Under the Seathemed celebration.

Corrections and clarifications: On the Nov. 22, 2019, cover Itai Tsur’s last name was incorrectly spelled as Tzur. The correct spelling is Tsur.

CONTENTS LOCAL NEWS ���������������������������������� 6 ISRAEL NEWS ������������������������������� 16 OPINION ����������������������������������������� 18 SIMCHAS ���������������������������������������� 26 CALENDAR ������������������������������������� 42 COMMUNITY ��������������������������������� 44 OY VEY �������������������������������������������� 48 BRAIN FOOD ���������������������������������� 49 OBITUARIES ���������������������������������� 50 CLOSING THOUGHTS ����������������� 52

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Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite www.atlantajewishtimes.com ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC © 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

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LOCAL NEWS Atlanta Jewish Life Festival Double-Take

By Roni Robbins Hummus, Henna and Hammerheads! Bagels, Bands and Belugas! Matzah, Music and Mantas! No matter how you alliterate it, the Atlanta Jewish Life Festival is returning to the Georgia Aquarium Jan. 26 for the second year.

After a successful kickoff last year, one of the largest gatherings of Jewish Atlanta across the denominational spectrum, sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Times, is back, with even more interactive community partners, a slate of kosher vendors, and a totally new entertainment lineup to satisfy every musical taste and age group.

“The fact that 4,000 Jewish folks came out to participate last year demonstrates it is a really important program for the community,” said Michael Morris, AJLF founder and AJT publisher. “It’s important for families to learn about our community partners. It’s a fun day at the aquarium for everyone.”

Plus, a ticket to the festival includes discounted entry to the Georgia Aquarium for the entire day.

“While there are other events that

bring together Atlanta Jews over a few days or weeks, AJLF is probably the largest single-day event uniting a crosssection of the Jewish community. In that way, the festival helps the AJT fulfill its mission of keeping the community connected,” Morris said.

“One of the things I appreciate most about this festival is it brings together the secular, Israeli and Orthodox Jewish communities. That doesn’t happen often enough.”

It had been several years since an Atlanta Jewish festival had been held and Morris, who became owner and publisher of the AJT in 2014, decided to try to revive that concept. He thought it was an important way to teach the community about its partners. “It was important to help our community partners continue to thrive.”

The inaugural festival was met with great success, he said. Morris expects at least 2,000 more participants now that “people know what it is and want to come.”

The number of community partners also is expected to more than double, with over 100 this year, including Jewish organiza-

Celebrating a successful first year are Kaylene Ladinsky, festival director and managing publisher and editor of AJT, Michael Morris, festival founder and publisher of AJT, and Jen Evans, director of festival entertainment and logistics, and community relations at the AJT.

tions, artists, food vendors and musicians.

What else is different this year about this showcase of a flourishing Jewish Atlanta?

The flow of people through the event should be smoother, Morris said. “We learned from a layout standpoint where people congregate” to make it easier to eat lunch, view the displays and walk through the Aquarium “so people don’t feel crowded.”

Last year’s AJLF attracted more than 4,000 people, 83 participating organizations and over 30 sponsors.

“This year, festivalgoers can expect a variety of kosher food, foot-stomping music, tons of entertainment for kids, beautiful Judaica and the opportunity to meet the organizations and institutions that make our Jewish community great,” Morris said.

Such a festival is an ideal unifier for a community that has been booming in recent decades, according to festival organizers. The Atlanta Jewish population was about 128,000 in 2011, according to the Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. These numbers make Atlanta one of the top 10 largest Jewish communities in the U.S. The AJLF is presented by the AJT, metro Atlanta’s largest Jewish weekly newspaper, celebrating 94 years. The AJLF is a 6 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

nonprofit with the mission of promoting the bonds of community among metro Atlanta’s diverse Jewish population.

The Atlanta Jewish Life Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in the Oceans Ballroom of the Georgia Aquarium, 357 Luckie Street in Atlanta. The ticket price includes entry to the aquarium for the entire day. Tickets are: $8 for children 3 to 12 years old; $22 for those 13 and older; and $65 for a family pass (two adults and four kids). Children under 3 are free.

To buy tickets and for more information, visit www.atlantajewishlifefestival.com.

LOCAL NEWS Here is the lineup of entertainment, emceed by Steve Grossman, including rock, acoustic, theater, kids’ bands and activities. We also invite you check out the artisans in “The Shuk,” sample the kosher vittles in “The Nosh Pit,” and unite with the Community Partners. More are being added every day!

Silver Dresslers Jewish Funeral Care Woodward Academy Atlanta Scholars Kollel Dunwoody Place Mensch Hammond Glen Dunwoody Pines

Live Entertainment & Activities Steve Grossman of Steve’s Live music Amp’d Entertainment Atlanta Jewish Theatre Company Hannah Zale Friction Webster Spring Street Band Mango Zale Rabbi Jake Atlanta Jewish Boys Choir Ruby the Clown MAGIC and MIRTH with Paul Sponaugle Caricatures by Lindsay Henna Art by Enrapturing Entertainment Kool Kids Face Painting Artisans in “The Shuk” Moshe Monzon Studio Gallery Mixed Media Momma Judaica Fisher Originals Artworks by Karen Fincannon SimchaArt Judaica Corner Vendors in “The Nosh Pit” EB Catering Company Toco Grill Keith’s Corner BBQ The River Wine Cinnaholic Revolution Gelato Formaggio Mio Lakehouse Coffee For All Occasions and More Kosher Gourmet A Kosher Touch Cotton Cravings Community Partners in “The Kibbutz” AgeWell Atlanta Ahavath Achim Synagogue ALEF Fund Alpha Epsilon Pi Atlanta Israel Coalition Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Atlanta Scholars Kollel Georgia Commission on the Holocaust B’nai B’rith International Achim/Gate City Lodge (Atlanta) Camp Barney Medintz Camp Ramah Darom Center for Israel Education Chabad Intown Congregation B’nai Torah Congregation Beth Shalom Creating Connected Communities Eternal Life-Hemshech Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Hadassah Chaya Evolve Hadassah Greater Atlanta HAMSA Hebrew Order of David/ Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival In the City Camps Israel Bonds JELF - Jewish Educational Loan Fund Jewish Fertility Foundation Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta Inc. Jewish Kids Groups Jewish Student Union Jewish Family & Career Services Jewish National Fund / Alexander Muss High School in Israel JScreen at Emory University Limmud Atlanta & Southeast MJCCA Day Camps ORT America Atlanta Region Peach State Stitchers Second Helpings Atlanta Simon Wiesenthal Center Temple Beth Tikvah Temple Sinai The Berman Center The Blue Dove Foundation The Epstein School Volunteers for Israel William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum Woodward Academy Your Jewish Bridge

And a big thanks to this year’s sponsors: Platinum Georgia Aquarium Marcus Foundation Morris Family Foundation The Billi Marcus Foundation

Friends of the Festival AAA Auto Club Group Camp Ramah Darom Inspired Living Alpharetta Medical Consulting Services Warner Bates Cottages on Mountain Creek Holtz Farmers Insurance Agency Organic CBD Solutions

Gold Balloons Over Atlanta Button It Up Amp’d Entertainment Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Changers & Makers

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 7

LOCAL NEWS

Chabad Intown Soars With New Gift

By Marcia Caller Jaffe An anonymous benefactor has gifted $1 million to Chabad Intown. The generous contribution this month brings the total raised in the center’s Vision 2020 campaign to $4.4 million.

“Until now, Vision 2020 has been internal,” said Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman, director of Chabad Intown. “This monumental gift empowers our campaign to go public in January. I am grateful for the confidence the donor has placed in me and their appreciation for the importance of our work for the intown community.”

In December 2018, Chabad Intown completed the $2.9 million first phase of its move to the Atlanta BeltLine. This included purchasing, developing and dedicating Unit B, the expansive upstairs portion of a building fronting Ponce de Leon Place.

Funded by a handful of donors, Phase 1 resulted in: 1,700 square feet of sanctuary, convertible into a lecture and event hall; a state-of-the-art industrial kitchen; a community library; inviting

8 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Intown Jewish Preschool. “From art, Torah, socializing, and a co-working space, to Sunday school, business networking, women’s programming, and a New Yorkstyle kosher deli, Vision 2020 indeed realizes a dream Jewish community center in sync with the renaissance of Atlanta’s urban core,” Schusterman said.

Founded in 2007, IJP has grown to over 70 students with a long waiting list.

Its reputation among Jewish preschools for being an innovator in progressive Jewish education attracted a few foreign visitors recently.

Chinese educators visiting Atlanta for an early childhood education conference stopped by. The school also reports that Israeli and Russian schools have touted it as an example of effective early learning.

The BeltLine Chabad completed upstairs co-working and cafe spaces.

The school has outgrown the three Morningside bungalows that currently classrooms; and a modern, urban design, portunity to secure a lease/purchase on house it. The vision is to build a sustainaccented by warm wooden craftsman- Unit A, the 17,000-square-foot industrial able space and modern expanded playship to reflect the welcoming neighbor- space that fronts the BeltLine, across scapes.

The total budget for Phases 1 and 2 is from Ponce City Market. This positioned hood aesthetic.

After moving into its prominent Chabad Intown to start Phase 2: purchas- $12 million. Phase 1 raised the initial $2.9 new home, Chabad Intown had the op- ing Unit A as a bridge between its com- million. With the anonymous $1 million gift, the naming dedimunity and the pubcation of Jeff’s Place, lic. a resource for those “The growing, in recovery, plus a diverse community number of additional attracted by the Beltgifts, they now need Line development $7.6 million to reach values opportunity that total goal. and growth, and is “Vision 2020 ofsearching for ways to fers a personal inviconnect,” said Eric M. tation for every indiRobbins, CEO of the vidual to help build Jewish Federation of our collective future Greater Atlanta. “The together,” Schusterresulting influx of man said. new families into the Intown resident intown area has creand residential real ated a greater need estate broker Mitch for dynamic outRabbi Eliyahu Schusterman is Prusin eloquently arreach programs and director of Chabad Intown. ticulates the feeling. services. Our community is blessed that MJCCA Intown, “Every time I walk by the BeltLine buildsynagogues and others are offering a ing, I feel a sense of pride. This is one of host of meaningful ways to access Juda- ours!”

Naming opportunities for the Beltism Intown. Chabad has been Intown for 23 years and we are thrilled to see that Line community center and the Intown they can now offer even more opportuni- Jewish Preschool are available.

“I am confident that our fundraising ties at their new location.”

“The new BeltLine center has an- efforts will directly or indirectly produce swered a need that we’ve been yearning donors who believe in the urban core for since the JCC moved out of town in of Atlanta and the future of the Intown 1997,” said Chabad member Charna Per- Jewish community and want to dedicate these spaces for posterity,” Schusterman loe.

When Vision 2020 begins its public said.

“The current exciting project is just campaign in January, the goal will be to: complete the acquisition of Unit A the beginning. The future building opand raise funds for building the future portunities are virtually infinite.” ■

LOCAL NEWS

Morehouse Commemorates Jewish Refugees

By Paula Baroff A crowd gathered at Morehouse College Nov. 24 in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel to learn about the exodus of Jews from countries across the Middle East and North Africa.

The event, which was coordinated by the Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta, began with an exhibit in the building’s lobby and concluded with a reception, film screening and discussion panel.

The exhibit included displays with histories and narratives about Mizrahi Jews from Middle East and North African countries, describing aspects of their culture, migration and experiences in the region.

A crowd of both the Jewish community and students from Morehouse and other colleges screened 17 minutes of the hour-long documentary, “The Silent Exodus,” which discussed the departure of about 850,000 Jews from countries across the Middle East and North Africa beginning in the late 1940s. The clips focused on the stories of the Egyptian Jewish community, who described growing persecution and fear leading to their

Photos by Paula Baroff // The audience listens

as the panel discusses Jewish refugees.

mass emigration to the new State of Israel and other countries, and their continued sadness and longing for their life in Egypt.

Both Israel Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon and Deputy Consul General Alex Gandler were panelists, along with Morehouse professor Harold V. Bennett and Spelman College student Amber Booker. They each began by discussing their personal stories.

Gandler, who was born in Russia and emigrated to Israel with his family, related the experiences of Mizrahi Jews to those of of Jews under the Soviet Union. Booker told the harrowing tale of

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Dadon said. She was challenged on this point as the discussion was opened for questions.

“You said something very early on that I was never able to process. … Is there a slippery slope with comparing the Jewish community’s ability to integrate with different communities around the world with other refugee experiences?” one audience member asked. Sultan-Dadon responded by saying she didn’t understand what he meant Event coordinators from the Israeli by a “slippery slope” and discussed Israel’s Consulate and Morehouse College faculty. relationship with different populations.

Another audience member said she her grandmother, who was a Holocaust was an Orthodox Jew originally from survivor.

Sultan-Dadon’s family were victims New York and challenged the panel on of the exodus of Jews from Egypt. “This was racism within Israeli society. “I’ve spent a prosperous community, she said. When years living in Israel and in Nigeria her father was 11, her grandfather decided working with people, … Jews, refugees who have been for the last that Egypt was no longer 15 years hoping to gain safe following heightened asylum in Israel and have violence and persecution, so repeatedly been denied,” they moved to the new State she said. “I’ve also worked of Israel. “They were made extensively with Ethiopian to feel less and less welcome Jews who still today are [in Arab countries and Iran] attempting to gain equal until many were simply exstatus.” She directed a quespelled.” tion to Bennett, inquirShe continued, deing what efforts are being scribing the community’s Consul General Anat made by Morehouse and determination to move forSultan-Dadon speaks Spelman to engage Jews of ward with their lives in new about her family history.

African descent, like hercountries and to stop being refugees. “That does lie in very sharp con- self, and to educate the Israeli Consulate trast to the situation with the Palestinian about their situation.

Bennett philosophized about Jewish refugees, who at a similar time became refugees and the choice was different,” identity and mentioned that Morehouse, she said. There are currently 1.5 million which includes black Jewish students, Palestinian refugees from 1948 and 1967 has plans to address this topic, saying, conflicts, about one-third of Palestinian “We’re moving in the direction of bringrefugees, living in recognized camps, ac- ing the larger community on board. cording to the United Nations Relief and There are some initiatives planned.”

The woman countered, “Dr. Bennett, Works Agency.

“The choice from their part … was to there better be Jews of color on this stage perpetuate the status of refugee,” Sultan- the next time.” ■

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LOCAL NEWS

Democratic Hopefuls Debate, Bloomberg Enters Race

By Paula Baroff On the heels of the Democratic debate in Atlanta last week, several candidates stayed an extra day and held campaign rallies in the city in the hopes of securing a base to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

Here, the AJT focuses on the lone Jewish candidate in attendance, Bernie Sanders, issues of particular importance to the Jewish community, and the entrance of another Jewish candidate this weekend: former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Ten Democratic candidates took the stage at the primary debate at Tyler Perry Studios Nov. 20, discussing issues such as foreign policy, economic inequality and immigration, and taking jabs at U.S. President Donald Trump and Republicans.

Bernie Sanders was the only candidate to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “It is no longer simply good enough for us to be pro-Israel. I’m proIsrael, but we must treat the Palestinian people as well with the respect and dignity that they deserve,” he said, winning applause from the audience. He raised

12 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Front-runners in the race include former Vice President Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.

criticism of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling it “unsustainable” and citing high levels of unemployment.

Sanders was also critical of other aspects of current American foreign policy.

“Saudi Arabia is not a reliable ally,” he said. He addressed Saudi Arabia’s lack of democracy and treatment of women, as

well as the death of The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was allegedly killed and dismembered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

“We have got to bring Iran and Saudi Arabia together in a room under American leadership,” Sanders said. He was referring to the ongoing conflict between

the two countries having violent consequences on many other nations in the region.

Former Vice President Joe Biden was critical of Saudi Arabia as well, saying he would “make them pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are.”

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris also addressed foreign policy and criticized President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, saying, “Donald Trump is the greatest threat to the national security of our nation at this moment.”

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known colloquially as the Iran nuclear deal, has widespread support from the international community as a framework for oversight of Iran’s nuclear program. However, it was opposed by the Israeli government, which has stated publicly that it doesn’t believe it will stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lobbied for U.S. withdrawal of support for the deal, The New York Times reported earlier this month. Trump’s subsequent decision to do so has since been highly

LOCAL NEWS criticized by leaders of other countries for his moderate economic positions, but involved, including the United Kingdom, faces criticism for his handling of crimiFrance and Germany.Candidates Andrew nal justice as mayor of New York City.

Yang and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard were Critics say the policy of “stop and frisk,” directed a question on the issue of white which gave New York City police the supremacist violence. A debate modera- ability to stop and search people on the tor cited FBI Director Christopher Wray street, was racist as it unfairly targeted as saying that this violence makes up the black men. Bloomberg apologized for the majority of domestic terrorism cases. policy earlier in November.

He is also criticized by other canNeither candidate brought up anti-Sedidates for entering mitic violence spethe race. “We do not cifically. believe that billionGabbard reaires have the right to sponded to the buy elections. … Multiquestion of how to billionaires like Mr. deal with white suBloomberg are not gopremacist violence ing to get very far in by promising to this election,” Bernie overhaul the crimiSanders said at a camnal justice system paign event followand address racial ing Bloomberg’s anbigotry. “The most nouncement. important thing here Bernie Sanders spoke at Morehouse Many of the canis that we recognize College Nov. 21, a day after the debate. didates held rallies the that we have to treat each other with respect, regardless of day after the debate in Atlanta attemptrace, religion, ethnicity, gender, orien- ing to appeal to black voters, who make tation and our politics,” she said. “That up an important Democratic voting bloc. kind of leadership starts at the top.”

Sanders spoke to a diverse crowd at Yang, who is a philanthropist and entrepreneur, said white supremacist ter- a Morehouse College rally, announcing rorism should be designated as domestic his plan to make historically black colterrorism so it can be measured by the leges and universities tuition-free and decrease the funding Department of Justice. gap between them Young men are drawn and white-majority into hate groups beschools. cause they’re “falling The Jewish canthrough the cracks,” didate discussed his Yang said, and the family’s history with country needs to find oppression in Europe ways to integrate and related the antiyoung men into the Semitism experienced economy. at the hands of the NaSeveral days after zis to the racism black the debate in Atlanta, people face in AmeriBloomberg entered Michael Bloomberg announced ca. He described the the race as well. The his candidacy Nov. 24. fate of his family Bloomberg News members in the Holocaust and promised owner and multi-billionaire launched to take concrete steps to change discrimihis campaign Nov. 24. “We cannot afford nation in the United States, according to four more years of President Trump’s the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. reckless and unethical actions,” he said, Five other candidates participated according to Reuters. in an event with civil rights leader Rev. With a net worth of $54.1 billion, acAl Sharpton, who has stirred controvercording to Forbes, Bloomberg has the adsy in the past with comments about varvantage of being able to finance his own ious groups, including Jews. Democratic campaign. He has already put $31 million hopefuls Yang, U.S. Sens.

Cory Booker into television ads, his campaign said, and Amy Klobuchar, Mayor Pete Buttiand will spend $100 million on an online gieg and billionaire Tom Steyer all spoke campaign. at a breakfast organized by Sharpton’s His campaign will reportedly skip the first four early voting states to focus National Action Network, discussing civil rights, diversity and racism. The on later battleground states.

Bloomberg, a former Republican, event, which took place at Paschal’s reshas support for his progressive stances taurant in Atlanta, included a number on gun control and climate change and of other clergy from NAN. ■

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LOCAL NEWS

Diplomacy Expert Sees Little Hope in Middle East

By Bob Bahr One of America’s top diplomats during the latter decades of the 20th century visited Atlanta last week and offered a generally gloomy assessment of America’s foreign policy in the Middle East.

Thomas Pickering served as the U.S. ambassador in such places as India, Russia, Jordan and Nigeria. He was also the U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Reagan administration from 1985 to 1988.

Pickering described the diplomatic standoff between Israel and the Palestinians as “a mess.”

Speaking to the World Affairs Council of Atlanta Nov. 18, he said he didn’t have much hope that either of the leaders of the United States and Russia could do much about it. Neither, he believes, has any idea of how to solve the situation.

“I don’t think President Putin has an answer to that, nor do I think does President Trump. And so that is and will continue to be one of the hardest situations to deal with, but perhaps still one of the most important ones in unlocking long-term conflict among the nations of the Middle East.”

14 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Thomas Pickering (in raincoat) in Israel in 1986 with Rabbi Alvin Sugarman of The Temple, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek.

Pickering was also critical of the Trump administration’s recent actions to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, to recognize Israel sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and to reverse America’s

long-standing policy and declare that Israel’s settlements on the West Bank did not violate international law.

“I do not and did not believe we should move our embassy to Jerusalem until such time as Jerusalem is settled. The notion that we should suddenly make a statement when Israel had never claimed that the Golan Heights were part of Israel, that the Golan Heights were now part of Israel, it was getting ahead of the Pope and the Vatican, so to speak. And so, in whatever way that that took place, for whatever lunatic reason, it isn’t adding to the capacity to resolve the problem. It’s adding to the capacity to be divisive.”

Nor does he believe that the United Nations have much influence over international trouble spots. He described the situation in the United Nations Security Council, where the United States, China and Russia are permanent members, as almost in “a Cold War posture.”

Pickering, who served as America’s ambassador to the United Nations under President H. W. Bush, was deeply involved in marshaling support there for the Gulf War in 1991. He worked to create a broad international consensus against Iraq’s decision under Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait. Today he believes such action would be nearly impossible.

“We are stuck on almost every important issue,” Pickering maintains. “We do not share a common vision of how to proceed.”

He believes it’s not easy to change that. In part it is only because of the hostility between the U.S. and those who have never been its friends, China and

Thomas Pickering was interviewed by Charles Shapiro, former ambassador to Venezuela and president of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.

Russia. Today it is also because of the divide between the U.S. and those who have been its friends in the past, in Europe and Asia.

“Were we more interested in continuing to have strong relations with our allies and partners rather than being America alone, I think we would do better in the United Nations. Because it’s the strength that we had in the U.N. with strong sets of allies and friends that made a real difference when push came to shove on critical issues.”

Pickering ended his career as President Clinton’s Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, the third most important official at the State Department from 1997 to 2001. It was generally believed in that period, despite the assassination of Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 and the apparent failure of the Oslo Accord, that there was still some hope that peace might be achieved.

Today Israel has apparently shown little interest in reaching out to the Palestinians, and the Palestinians have indicated that they have no interest in negotiations. If that should ever change Pickering sees only two possibilities for a solution, and he doesn’t believe that either has much chance of success.

The first, the single state solution he argues is impossible because it would mean the end of the Jewish state. The other solution, the creation of two states is not much better, particularly because the Israeli settlements that dot the West Bank make a viable Palestinian state almost impossible. That solution he believes will be “very hard.” ■

ISRAEL PRIDE

News From Our Jewish Home The trains are predicted to begin carrying passengers at the end of the year and will extend to other Tel Aviv stations and Herzliya next year.

Patients Get Artificial Meniscus

Yossi Zamir/Flash90 // A view of the

Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train seen near Jerusalem last year.

Fast Train to Begin Service at Year End

After 11 years of delays, shutdowns, and malfunctions, Israel Railways began twice-hourly trial runs of the direct Jerusalem-Tel Aviv fast train Nov. 16. It is finally expected to launch at the end of the year, according to The Times of Israel.

The line will run between Jerusalem’s Navon station and the Tel Aviv Hahagana station in 28 minutes. The trial runs will go in both directions without carrying passengers. The train currently only runs between Jerusalem and Ben Gurion airport because of many delays in electrifying the section of track between Tel Aviv and the airport.

Today in Israeli History Nov. 29, 1928: Shulamit Aloni, a civil rights activist and politician who starts the left-wing Meretz party, is born in Tel Aviv (some sources say she is born in December 1927 or 1928). She starts working with David Ben-Gurion’s Mapai party in 1959 and is first elected to the Knesset in 1965. She leaves Mapai’s successor, Labor, to start Ratz in 1973, then merges Ratz with Mapam and Shinui to form Meretz in 1992. She dies in January 2014.

Israeli surgeons implanted two patients with an artificial meniscus, which has just been approved in Israel for commercial use after more than 10 years of clinical trials, The Times of Israel reported.

Dr. Gabriel Agar of the Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center completed the first case in a public hospital on Nov. 11, and the next day, Dr. Ron Arbel of the Ramat Aviv Medical Center completed the procedure in Active Implants LLC, a private clinic.

The product, called NUsurface implant, was developed by a U.S. research firm in Netanya, Israel.

“Filling the gap in treatment options between minimally invasive meniscus repair and total knee replacement is a large unmet need in the orthopedic market,” Ted Davis, president and CEO of Active Implants, said in a statement. “The NUsurface implant was invented and developed in our R&D center in Israel, so for us it is very exciting to finally bring the device to people in Israel.” ture project first discussed during the British Mandate. Because of bureaucratic delays, they aren’t completed until 13 years after a groundbreaking ceremony, although actual construction takes about three years and costs $420 million.

Dec. 1, 1973: Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, dies at the Tel HaShomer-Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv at age 87 a few weeks after suffering a stroke. Born David Gruen, he made aliyah from Poland in 1906 and rose to lead the Jewish Agency and the birth of the modern state of Israel.

An estimated 100,000 people visit his coffin at the Knesset before his brief funeral two days later. He is buried at Sde Boker in the Negev beside his wife, Paula.

Photo by Hanay via Wikimedia Commons // The Carmel Tunnels, seen at the

western entrance, operate on tolls.

Nov. 30, 2010: Haifa’s Carmel Tunnels open to traffic, enabling drivers to get from Carmel Beach in the west to the Check Post on the eastern side of Mount Carmel in eight minutes. The toll tunnels, the longest in Israel, are an infrastruc16 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

A hot easterly wind stokes the Carmel forest fire in 2010.

Dec. 2, 2010: Israel’s deadliest forest fire begins in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa when a teenager discards a piece of charcoal from a water pipe outside the

The product is a medical meniscus replacement implant designed “for patients who still have persistent knee pain following a meniscus surgery, and it is ideal for those who have exhausted other treatment options but are too young for total knee replacement,” Agar said. “Continued pain after repairing meniscus tears is a very common orthopedic problem, and until now, we have not had effective treatment options.”

Once done, patients can start “walking on the same day,” said Eran Ganz, vice president of R&D and the head of the U.S. firm’s Israel operations.

Med-Tech Industry Captured on Film

A documentary series on the medical device industry in Israel is being filmed by an American production team, showcasing the people and technologies behind life-saving products.

“We highlight emerging technologies and get into the lives, culture and community,” series host Joe Mullings told The Times of Israel earlier this month as the film crew was winding down operations. Mullings is financing and producing the show, “TrueFuture.”

Israel has a “very strong emerging” medical and healthcare technology Druze village of Usfiyye. The fire consumes more than 8,000 acres and 5 million trees in four days and kills 44 people, including 37 prison service officers dispatched to help evacuate Damon prisoners. Israel receives firefighters, aircraft and fire suppressant from 24 nations to stop the blaze.

Matityahu Shmulevitz (left, with beard) and fellow Lehi leader David Yellin stand outside the Acre prison after their pardon in February 1949.

Dec. 3, 1995: Matityahu Shmulevitz, who was a member of the underground Lehi (the Stern Gang) in the 1940s and served as the director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office under Menachem Begin in the late 1970s, dies at age 75 one day after collapsing during a chess game in Tel Aviv. Born in Lodz, Poland, he made aliyah with the Beitar youth group at age 17 in 1938. He was arrested multiple times while fighting the British Mandate and once was sentenced to death.

Paige Marogil // The TrueFeatures team filming

in Caesarea National Park with Joe Mullings, left, and Harel Gadot, executive chairman and president of XACT Robotics Ltd.

scene, he said.

Israeli culture is active in New York and he loves Israelis and “the passion, the drive and the chip on the shoulder they have,” with the attitude that they “can do anything, there is nothing we can’t do.”

Though he’s visited Israel before, this is the first time Mullings has undertaken such a project, and he is doing it because “the medical device industry is a $500 billion annual global industry, and nobody is telling stories out of it, but everyone has had a family member that has had some medical intervention that has saved their lives.”

Mullings said he was in talks with “a number of networks” to air the show. ■ Dec. 4, 2004: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon dismisses five Shinui lawmakers from his Cabinet because of the secular party’s opposition to his proposed budget, which includes 290 million shekels for ultra-Orthodox education but, according to Shinui leader Tommy Lapid, lacks money for basic needs. Shinui, whose name means “change,” is the Knesset’s thirdlargest party with 15 seats and supports Sharon’s plan to disengage from Gaza.

Dec. 5, 1897: Gershom (Gerhard) Scholem is born in Berlin to an assimilated Jewish family. A Zionist from a young age, he makes aliyah in 1923, teaches at Hebrew University and becomes the pre-eminent scholar of Jewish mysticism, a modern academic discipline he is credited with creating. He publishes the groundbreaking book “Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism” in 1941 and later writes a seminal work on the false Messiah Shabbetai Tzvi. ■ Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details.

ISRAEL NEWS Netanyahu Charges Complicate Government Creation

By Jan Jaben-Eilon After dropping a bombshell last week with his announced indictments against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit this week could conceivably make another earth-shattering ruling: Whether or not the indictment rendered Netanyahu ineligible to form a new government.

After all, the unprecedented indictments of a sitting prime minister came during the historic instability of the Israeli government after two inconclusive elections – in April and in September – and the likelihood of a third election by March.

If Netanyahu is not allowed to lead his Likud party in establishing a coalition government, the party and the entire coalition-building process is thrown up in the air.

As it is, the Knesset is about a week into a mandated three-week period during which any Knesset member receiving a majority 61 votes can be chosen to try to put together a ruling government. That is, every Knesset member other than Netanyahu, if that’s what Mandelblit rules. The deadline for the Knesset to choose a candidate is 5 p.m. Atlanta time, Dec. 11.

Asked to comment about the political chaos in Israel, former Atlantan Rachel Broyde, who served as spokesperson for the Likud party during the elections this year, passed. “I am still figuring out my thoughts, so I think it’s best if I hold off on commenting for now,” she told the AJT. Israeli TV station Channel 13 surveyed citizens immediately after the indictments were announced Nov. 21. Fifty-six percent said Netanyahu should resign, 35 percent said he should not, and 9 percent said they didn’t know.

Indeed, because the situation is so unprecedented, no one knows for sure what will unfold over the next few weeks or months. Already the Movement for Quality Government in Israel filed a petition with the Israeli High Court of Justice seeking Netanyahu’s removal from office.

But the court rejected the petition on the grounds that the organization should have first asked the prime minister how he planned to respond to the corruption charges.

When this article was written, Netanyahu had not yet announced whether he intends to request immunity from the Knesset. That, in itself, is complicated because the request needs to go to a committee that has not even been created as no new government has been established since the election process started early this year.

Richard S. Walter, vice president of curriculum and outreach at the Center for Israel Education, hesitated to predict what will happen next because “the situation is still evolving. There is no doubt that the indictment announcement has weakened Netanyahu politically. Both public opinion polls and comments on and off the record by members of the Likud party show that the prime minister’s hold on both the country and his party are showing significant cracks. It’s still too early to know how this will play out.”

In fact, just three days after the indictments were announced, the Likud party agreed to hold primaries within six weeks, during which a new party leader may be chosen. At least one Likud member will run against Netanyahu for that leadership after the prime minister

tried and failed to put together a government following “However, there is no precedent regarding a prime minister.” He speculated that Israel’s supreme court may yet two elections he instigated.

Walter pointed out that Netanyahu’s main com- decide to weigh in on Netanyahu’s ability to lead while petitor to lead the country, Blue and White party head under indictment.

Moreover, if Netanyahu does relinquish those minisBenny Gantz, has questioned Netanyahu’s ability to lead terial posts, it’s unclear who will head the country while defending himself them. Some Knesset members have in court. expressed hesitation about accepting Mandelblit announced this week such a job in an interim government that Netanyahu was not legally refrom a prime minister tainted by corquired to resign from leading the curruption charges. At least in the case of rent "interim government." the health ministry, that doesn’t seem “The next few weeks will be into be a problem. Yaakov Litzman of teresting,” Walter told the AJT. “Will the United Torah Judaism party has Netanyahu be able to fend off the inbeen deputy head of the health ministernal challenges from within his party try. However, he may soon face chargand survive both the 21-day period, and es that include bribery as well, with more importantly, remain head of the Mandelblit expected to announce that Likud for a still likely third election decision in the coming weeks. in March? Will the indictment force a According to Walter, “the big change in Likud leadership, and could Richard Walter says the indictment winner for now, perhaps in addition that break the deadlock between Likud has weakened Netanyahu politically. to Gantz, is Naftali Bennett [New and Blue and White with the Knesset designating Gantz or a new Likud leader with creating a Right party] who was recently appointed defense minister in the caretaker government, largely as a political government, and can they be successful in doing so?”

Almost certainly this week, Netanyahu will be re- move. Now with the potential that he will remain in that quired to give up holding his extra ministries of health, post until new elections, and Israel dealing with threats agriculture, Diaspora affairs and social affairs. “In past emanating from both Gaza and Iran in Syria, Bennett is governments, ministers under indictment have been suddenly in an important position and could boost his expected to step down from their posts,” Walter said. own profile ahead of the next election.” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 17

OPINION Pushing Back on the BDS Movement The Jewish community has an obligation to push back on the arguments and actions made by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement as it opposes Israel. The supporters of the BDS movement claim that Israel has denied Palestinians their fundamental rights and has Harold refused to comply with in- Kirtz ternational law. How should each of us answer these claims?

The arguments made by BDS supporters should be met with a few facts.

First, the originator of the BDS movement is Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian who opposes “a Jewish state in any part of Palestine.” Anyone adopting the goals or activities of BDS must understand that the true goal of the founders of the movement is to eliminate Israel as a Jewish state.

Second, one of the supporters is an organization called Jewish Voice for Peace. It is also a supporter of the call for a single binational state between

18 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Such a call is the equivalent to the eventual elimination of Israel as a Jewish state. If the Palestinians are eventually a majority of residents in the area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, and there is not a structure set up for there to be a Jewish state, there will be a vote to replace Jewish control of Israel with Arab control of Israel. In combining all of the residents of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, the numbers are close to parity now.

Third, another goal of BDS is the return of Arabs to their homes in Israel. In some cases, Arabs were forced to leave by the Israelis during the 1948-49 War for Independence when five Arab countries attacked the new state of Israel. In other cases, Arabs left voluntarily based on the calls of the Arab nations to do so, expecting to return once the Arab armies won. The important fact to remember is that the Arabs attacked Israel in 1948. It

is NOT the case that Israel simply forced all of the Arabs out for no reason, which is what the supporters of BDS want to argue.

Regarding the Palestinian state, that should have been decided in 1947 when the United Nations created a partition plan with one Jewish state and one Arab state between the Jordan and the Mediterranean. When the United Nations proposed the partition, Jewish leaders decided to accept it; the Arab leaders did not. Instead, they started a war once the Jews announced the State of Israel. In fact, if the Arabs had accepted the plan, they would have ended up with more land than they will now have if they form a Palestinian state today in a two-state solution.

Those who argue that Israel is a colonist state that continues the European model of settlement and exploitation in other parts of the world are wrong. Jews have lived in some numbers in the area for 3,000 years. They were not inserted into the Middle East by Europe, as the BDS supporters have claimed. While the number of Arabs at times was greater,

the land of Israel has always had Jews and has been an integral part of Jewish history, heritage and memory.

Moreover, it was not just Jews from Europe that came in the 20th century; it was also Jews from other Middle Eastern countries. An important fact to remember is that Arab countries forced out 800,000 Jews from what had been their home countries after 1948.

That 800,000 is also the number of Arabs who left Israel proper during Israel’s War for Independence. The 800,000 Jews were assimilated into Israel, often not very easily, but they were. The Arabs who left, now called Palestinians, were often left in refugee camps by their Arab neighbors – and some still are there today. Many of the Arab countries do not allow the Palestinians to become citizens or do not allow them to even engage in various occupations.

The most important statistic to remember is this: there are 22 Arab states.

There is only one Jewish state. ■ Harold Kirtz is president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta.

Jewish Breakfast Club

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Find out the challenges and goals our very own Jewish 40 under 40 is facing.

The Jewish Breakfast Club luncheon on December 11, 2019 will be dedicated to honoring the recent winners of the Atlanta Jewish Times’ “40 under 40”. Everyone attending will have an opportunity to meet these leaders and participate in a panel discussion.

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Past speakers include Bernie Marcus, Georgia Tech men’s basketbnall coach Josh Pastner, Atlanta Falcons minority owner Ed Mendel, Doug Ross chairman of Birthright Israel’s Atlanta Regional Council and former CEO of Caribou Coffee Michael Coles and many more.

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OPINION

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Oy, oy, oy, shikker is a goy!

Or so I was led to believe as a child, when I heard my mother sing this little jingle. At the time I heard this, my dear father, may he rest in peace, was an active alcoholic. Since that time, I also became an alcoholic, but have been fortunate to have been in recovery for over 36 Dr. Mike Gordon years.

In his stories of shtetl life among the Eastern European Jews, Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote of Jewish alcoholics. My great uncle Ezekiel Cowl, who emigrated to America in 1902, told me of a rabbi in Lithuania who was an alcoholic. Our patriarch Abraham’s nephew, Lot, must have been an alcoholic. Otherwise, how could his daughters have known that they could get him so drunk that he would black out, and they could have their way with him?

There is no credible evidence that Jewish people are less likely than the general population to be affected by a substance use disorder, or for that matter, from any other mental health disorder. In my family, we have numerous people who are affected to a greater or lesser degree with autism. I, myself, suffered from severe depression when I was in my 20s.

We Jews don’t like to talk about these things. But if we don’t, we put ourselves at risk, for no problem can be solved if it goes unrecognized. Denial, as we have learned, is more than a river in Egypt. It is a way of dealing with painful reality by not seeing what is in plain sight.

According to carefully collected government statistics, in 2018, 19 percent of persons in the United States had a mental health disorder. This included an estimated 20 million people with alcohol use disorder, 2 million with opioid use disorder, and 8.1 million with any illicit drug use disorder.

Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, 14.4 percent (3.5 million) suffered from a major depressive episode last year.

Among young adults aged 18 to 25, the percentage was similar at 13.8 percent (4.6 million). If the current population of the U.S. is 330 million people, and the percentage of Jews is about 2 percent, then there are about 6.6 million Jews residing in the U.S. Using the 19 percent figure, if Jews

are, in fact, no more or less susceptible to mental health disorders than the general population, then there are about 1.25 million Jewish people in our country at any given time suffering from a mental health disorder. This could include an estimated 400,000 alcoholics, 40,000 opioid addicts, and 160,000 persons addicted to other substances. We should, by no means, fail to mention the approximately 100,000 Jewish gambling addicts.

As a physician who has devoted his professional life to treating people with addictions and other mental health disorders, I have seen my share of both tragedy and recovery. The key to which outcome people experience is whether they get to a point at which they are willing to be honest with themselves about their situation, whatever it might be. It is a great challenge to be able to admit to having an addiction or other mental health disorder. Shame has to be overcome in order to take the necessary steps to get help. For Jews, an additional obstacle in this process is the myth within our communities that we don’t have these problems. Fortunately, there is a lot of energy at work to break down the myth. We have The Berman Center, an intensive outpatient program in Atlanta developed through a Jewish lens, www.bermancenteratl. com. We have Jewish social service agencies such as HAMSA, www.hamsahelps.org, which are able to address these issues. We have agencies devoted to outreach and awareness, such as the Jewish Addiction Awareness Network, www.jaanetwork.org, at the national level, and The Blue Dove Foundation, www.thebluedovefoundation.org, in Atlanta, which is committed to “Quieting the Silence.”

An important dynamic in increasing the awareness of mental health and substance abuse in our communities is self-disclosure. Once Jewish people speak out openly about their own experiences with these issues, others will have the courage to acknowledge to themselves that they also are suffering and will find the resources to be helped.

At the next Blue Dove community event, 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9 at The Temple, several members of our Jewish community

OPINION will share their stories of both tragedy and recovery. I want to encourage our community to support this outreach activity. By doing so many lives can be saved, and much suffering can be alleviated. Let’s use the light of Hanukah to see and experience hope. I hope to see many of you there. For more information, www.thebluedovefoundation.org/ qtshanukkah. ■ Dr. Mike Gordon is the medical director at The Berman Center. He specializes

in addiction medicine. He is a volunteer and contributor for The Blue Dove Foundation, the mission of which is to raise awareness of, end the stigma of, and educate people about mental health and substance abuse in the Jewish community. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and substance abuse, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org, or visit The Blue Dove Foundation’s resources page www.thebluedovefoundation.org/ nationalresources/.

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 21

OPINION

British Jews Between ‘The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’

By Dave Schechter

For a larger segment of British Jewry “Should I stay or should I go?” may mean Some readers may be fafrom the U.K. itself. miliar with the English rock The Community Secuband The Clash and the song rity Trust reported a 10 per“Should I Stay or Should I Go?” cent increase in anti-Semitic The first stanza: incidents in Britain in the first half of 2019, against the Darling, you got to let me same period last year. “The know Dave problem is spreading across Should I stay or should I go?

Schechter the country and online, it reIf you say that you are mine From Where I Sit flects deepening divisions in I’ll be here ‘til the end of time our society and it is causing So you got to let me know increasing anxiety in the Jewish commuShould I stay or should I go? nity,” David Delew, the Trust’s chief execuWhether – and, if so, how – Britain tive, told CNN. The anxiety is severe enough that 42 exits the European Union might be the ulpercent of British Jews would “seriously timate example of this question.

The next chapter in that saga may hinge consider emigrating” if a Labour Party on the Dec. 12 parliamentary elections. If poll- government led by Corbyn came to power, ing is accurate, so might the future for a sig- according to a survey conducted in Februnificant portion of the nearly 300,000 Jews in ary and March for The Jewish Chronicle the country formally called the United King- newspaper by the polling firm Survation.

That survey found that 87 percent of Jews dom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

For Jews who support the Labour Par- view Corbyn as being anti-Semitic and that 78 ty – and polling suggests that their ranks percent would prefer a “hard Brexit” (leaving are shrinking – the issue is anti-Semitism without a deal on trade and other matters) to within its ranks, starting with party leader Corbyn becoming prime minister.

“And yet many Jews also fear a hard BrexJeremy Corbyn.

22 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

it under [Conservative party leader and Prime Minister] Boris Johnson. They look at the choice confronting them and worry that they are being asked to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea,” Jonathan Freedland, a Jewish columnist for The Guardian, wrote.

The anti-Semitic bill of particulars against Corbyn includes his associations, actions and words, particularly regarding Israel and groups deemed to be terrorist organizations, as well as the atmosphere within the party.

In May, the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission opened an investigation into whether Labour “unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish.”

At the end of October, Rabbi Jonathan Romain told the 823 families in his congregation that “a Corbyn-led government would pose a danger to Jewish life as we know it.”

In a letter, he wrote, “I should stress that the problem is not the Labour Party itself, which has a long record of fighting discrimination and prejudice, but the problem is Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn-led Labour, has at best, let antiSemitism arise within its ranks, or at worst, has encouraged it,” the rabbi wrote in the letter, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

For his part, Corbyn has said that

“people who hold anti-Semitic views have no place in the Labour Party.”

Not every Jewish Labourite opposes Corbyn. “I’ve known Jeremy for over 30 years,” Jon Lansman, the Jewish leader of the Corbyn-backing Momentum campaign group within Labour, told Newsweek. “He doesn’t have an anti-Semitic bone in his body. He has dedicated his whole life to fighting all forms of oppression and prejudice.”

A paper in the journal Electoral Studies noted that as British Jews have become more middle-class and less likely to feel restrained by anti-Semitism, their allegiance to Labour has softened. “Both of these factors make Labour less appealing to Jews than is the case for other minority groups,” the paper said.

“We also find that Jeremy Corbyn is disliked

by Jews more than non-Jews, irrespective of how they feel towards Labour generally.”

Senior Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner of England referenced “Fiddler on the Roof” in an interview with Newsweek, namely the scene in which a Russian rabbi is asked: “Is there a proper blessing for the Tsar?” “A blessing for the tsar? Of course,” the rabbi responds. “May God bless and keep the tsar far away from us.”

Janner-Klausner said, “That is what people feel about Corbyn.” ■

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 23

OPINION

Letter to the editor,

When Sherry Frank mentioned her uncle, Joe I. Zimmerman (z’l), wonderful memories streamed through my mind. I have written about Josiah V. Benator and his impact on the hundreds of us who were in Boy Scout Troop 73. What is usually forgotten is that Joe I. Zimmerman was the first scoutmaster of Troop 73; Mr. Benator, assistant scoutmaster. Since the troop was a joint effort of Congregations Or VeShalom and Shearith Israel, each of their committed old-time scout leaders brought Troop 73 into being. The imposing figure of Mr. Zimmerman, dressed to “the nines” with his perfect hat, is an image I can never forget.

He and Mr. Benator called on the parents in both synagogues to encourage their sons to join the troop. In a famous picture in front of the Scout Hut on Shearith Israel property before it was torn down, there are troop members from Or VeShalom, Shearith Israel, Congregation Ahavath Achim, The Temple and one independent.

The troop grew quickly under Zimmerman and Benator. At the monthly scout assemblies for troops in Northeast Atlanta, we were inspired to bring our parents, our siblings and even grandparents, so we won the award for the most present. The winning troop received the scout flag and held it until the following month.

I have much to thank Mr. Benator for and many of you have seen my articles. Joe I. Zimmerman helped me on two levels. When I was working on the Ner Tamid award, studying with my grandfather, I got tired and stopped the meetings. Mr. Zimmerman came to our home on North Highland Avenue. In front of my parents, Anna and Louis, he addressed me powerfully, “David: no one else in the South has ever received the Ner Tamid; think more about it before you drop out.”

I started working on it again. There is somewhere a beautiful picture of Joe I. Zimmerman with me the night I received the Ner Tamid award. He also assisted me in completing my 50 nights camping out by letting me camp out in my backyard.

I am very proud that I knew Joe I. Zimmerman; may his memory be for a blessing.

Rabbi David Geffen, Jerusalem The AJT welcomes your letters. We want our readers to have an opportunity to engage with our community in constructive dialogue. 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 editor@atljewishtimes.com.

Letter to the editor,

At a recent family event, an acquaintance shared a disturbing thought. He noted that several Jewish members of his social network were planning to vote for [President Donald] Trump. Two criteria were cited: He’s good for the Jews and he’s good for Israel. Here’s another viewpoint: Israel is waking up to the notion that the Trump administration “speaks loudly and carries a small stick.” With the abandonment of the Kurds, who fought alongside American troops to weaken ISIS, America’s Trumpian isolationist policies have many in the IDF fearing that, should “push comes to shove,” Israel would be on its own. In the jumbled Middle East geopolitical arena, that’s not easy.

With America’s virtual withdrawal from Syria (perhaps 600 troops to remain), Russia is the big winner. Coming in at second place is Iran and its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas, and a distant third is a soon-to-be-resurgent ISIS. With the Kremlin now the Middle East kingpin holding the aces in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and, of course Iran, Israel faces formidable challenges. The 20-mile-wide buffer zone patrolled by the Russian and Turkish militaries; Iran’s pronouncement that it is laying the foundation for a second nuclear reactor; the infusion of precision-guided missiles into the vast inventory of rockets already possessed by Hezbollah; and the introduction of the same into Gaza, are only some examples of the warning signs to Israel of this administration’s feckless policies.

The Obama administration, no admirer of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu policies, in September 2016 concluded an extraordinary 10-year MOU with Israel in the amount of $38 billion in military aid. No other recipient of USA’s largesse came close.

The one-sided, poorly planned move of the American embassy to Jerusalem (Israel needed Trump to remind it that Jerusalem was its capital?) without some dialogue with the other side — whoever they may be — weakened America as a convener of peace negotiations.

Should you have an opportunity to discuss IDF’s outlook with a knowledgeable representative, ask how secure Israel feels now that the Trump doctrine of plenty of bluster with vanilla support is painfully clear. Think the rise in global anti-Semitism is serendipitous? Think that this administration’s “talk big and tough then find ways to backtrack” hasn’t aided and abetted those with evil intent? Think again.

Dr. Harry Stern, Atlanta

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SIMCHAS Ephraim Turns Three Under the Sea

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

hibiting weddings.”

Yiddish for “shear off,” upsherin is a joyous occasion when a 3-year-old boy has his first haircut in a traditional ceremony. In this case, it was the lucky Efraim Brafman, son of Eli and Sarel Brafman and grandson of Rabbi Yossi and Dassi New and Leo and Faige Brafman. For Efraim, Nov. 21 marked perhaps one of most celebrated such occasions in Atlanta.

Under Sarel’s creativity, Congregation Beth Tefillah was designed in an elaborate under-the-sea venue with sea life décor and food abounding. Father, Eli, head of certified kosher E.B. Catering, said, “Our blessing for Efraim is that he should be healthy and multiply like a throng of fish.”

About 250 friends and family came to cut a lock of Efraim’s brown hair in anticipation of his entry to formal education – the start of wearing tzitzit and a yarmulke.

Traditionally, the upsherin is initiation into first mitzvahs and training to recite blessings, according to online sources. “The world now begins to benefit from the Torah study and mitzvot of this young child,” Chabad.org reports. “At the age of three, children’s education takes a leap; they are now ready to produce and share their unique gifts.”

The Event Beginning at 4:30 p.m., Congregation Beth Tefillah’s social hall was transformed into an undersea wonderland.

Translucent white balloons floated like bubbles. Serving stations were designed around nautical themes of anchors, shells, starfish, whole fish on ice, and a swirling ocean “mazel tov” layer cake.

Music filled the room, and some guests commented that it was more like a bar mitzvah than an upsherin. Tables were draped in turquoise satin and topped with delicate sea-hued hydrangeas.

Since Efraim’s father Eli is a caterer, he delivered a fabulous array of specialties. In addition to a carving station, among the favorites were gravlax with vodka and beets, green goddess hearts of palm salad, kombucha butternut squash soup and Szechuan chicken chili oil pasta.

The children rallied around the dessert station with cascades of candy and blue-hued cupcakes, which left a sapphire residue on lips and chins.

Eli’s parents were on hand from Brooklyn. Mom Faige, when complimented on the

Photo by Sarah Slavik Photography // Three generations:

Grandfather Leo and dad Eli cut a lock of hair.

Popular with Chasidic and Charedi communities dating back to the 17th century, the upsherin is related to the “laws of orlah.”

According to proud zayde Rabbi Yossi New, “A boy under 3 is like a tree, symbolically, in that one cannot touch the fruit until the third birthday. A child under three is ‘hands off.’ Just like the fruit trees on a farm, the produce cannot be consumed until the fourth year, literally he belongs to G-d. A boy is like a tree in these early years.”

According to Deuteronomy 20:19: a person is like a tree of Afula. And in Leviticus 19:23: For the fourth year, farmers would bring the fruit to Jerusalem to the Temple to be consumed, symbolic of the child whose hair is left untouched. We keep our hands off him for the first three years, Rabbi New said.

He told the AJT, “Since haircuts are associated with festivity, an upsherin cannot take place during certain times like the counting of the omer, similar to pro-

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SIMCHAS

Photo by Sarah Slavik Photography // Proud grandfather Rabbi Yossi

New wishes Efraim a life of success without compromising his values.

Photo by Marcia Caller Jaffe //

Dassi with her parents.

Efriam to be G-d-fearing, gourmet bill of fare, said, learned and successful in “Eli was always a doer. this art of compromise, He never sat still for one but never at the expense minute. He always had a of our core values.” vision.”

As guests came Dad Leo echoed, “I up to cut a lock of hair, consider Eli lucky for Efraim was given a coin being able to turn his to drop in a tzedakah passion for gourmet box to begin his life in food preparation into a acts of charity. profession and do what The Under the Sea he loves.”

Food Stations included: Among other distinguished guests were DasPhoto by Marcia Caller Jaffe Fish Bar si New’s parents, Mirel // The seared tuna is one of Seared Pepperand Shmuel Spalter, Brafman’s favorite offerings.

Crusted Tuna (raw) – originally from New raw, crusted ahi stick, soy sauce, wasabi York, now living in Miami Beach. sauce and pickled ginger Beet Gravlox/Vodka Dill Gravlox – The Ceremony During L’chaims from parents and rela- pickled red beets and micro cilantro garnish Salmon Arayes – salmon, cilantro, tives, a poised Efraim sat atop his “throne chair” in front of an elaborate seascape garlic, parsley, tahini and amba. backdrop. Uncle Yaacov Brafman from Miami Beach explained the derivation of Soups Kabocha Butternut – Kabocha, butEfraim Fishel’s name after his own father (Efraim’s great grandfather) who was in- ternut, shallots and potato in squash strumental in developing Chabad in Miami bowls.

Mushroom Barley – Shiitake, portoBeach. “Efraim, at age 70, left work every day bello and barley. at 2 p.m. to learn with and from the yeshiva Salads students. He was a pilCabbage Apple lar of Judaism in that Slaw – Cabbage, apcommunity. He was ple, strawberries and a shining example of poppy seeds yearning to elevate his Crunchy Kale connection to Juda– Kale, mango, pom ism and to others.” seeds, red cabbage Always eloquent and candied pecans and inspiring, Rabbi Green Goddess New explained that Photo by Sarah Slavik Photography // – Lettuce, sugar snap hair can be removed Brafman wowed the hungry crowd peas, button shrooms, in two ways: cutting with chicken Szechuan noodles hearts of palm and and pulling. “Cutting and pasta laced with chili oil. cucumbers. has no pain and pulling the hair at its roots hurts. The symbolism here is learning the art of compromise. Hot Bar Carving station – Ribeye roast, musCut a little here, a little there. I wish for

Photo by Marcia Caller Jaffe // Efriam eats a cupcake to get ready for his haircut with mom Sarel and Dad Eli, owner of E.B. Catering.

tard and onion jam Truffle Fries – Fries, truffle oil, basil and cilantro.

Szechuan Chicken Noodles – Pappardelle pasta, ground chicken, chili oil and sauce.

Kids Fish Nuggets Fries Desserts

Photo by Sarah Slavik Photography // The colorful,

healthy kale slaw was topped with pecans.

Ocean Circle Cake Rice Crispy Treat Pops Mini Cupcakes Candy Bar Eli Brafman and his E.B Catering Co. brings dishes to private homes, simchas and events. That includes Atlanta Zoo’s Savannah Hall, opening next year.

Brafman is consulting with Proof of the Pudding on the hall’s launch as one of Atlanta’s largest kosher kitchens. ■

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SIMCHAS

Rabbi’s Son’s Bar Mitzvah a First at Ahavath Achim

The Friday night Absolut Shabbat featured Bonnie Levine’s interpretation of prayers and Queen songs. Andy Margolis was a full-ranged Freddy Mercury.

A.E. performed on bass and drums.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe On Nov. 9, Avram Eli Harvey Avram Eli Chaim ben HaRav Eliezer v’ Bonya Eita, otherwise known as A.E., became a bar mitzvah.

What is most unique about this bar mitzvah boy is that his father, newly elected Senior Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal, presided over the coming-of-age ceremony for his “first son” at the 100-plus-year-old congregation.

The weekend began Friday night with the Absolut Shabbat band’s liturgical adaptation to the music of Queen by congregants Michael and Bonnie Levine. Bonnie was on vocals and keys; Michael on vocals, guitar and bass; Mindy Margolis, vocals; Andy Margolis, vocals, bass and keys; and Larry Blewitt on drums. The group has previously “performed” Shabbat in the style of Simon and Garfunkel, U2, Motown, and The Beatles.

Bonnie Levine, who is also an attorney and A.E.’s bar mitzvah tutor, said, “The Rosenthals are so important to the community and

Photo by Scenesations Photography // In his d’var Torah, A.E. spoke lovingly of

Photo by Scenesations Photography // A.E.

Rosenthal is the first son of an Ahavath Achim rabbi to become a bar mitzvah on site.

are like family to us; being included in A.E.’s bar mitzvah was a huge honor and source of joy. A.E. was excited by the idea of a musical Shabbat. AAbsolute Shabbat has been on hiatus since we and the Margolises had babies simultaneously. This simcha was a wonderful opportunity to reconvene and showcase A.E.’s talent.” Special “rock stars” were Rabbi Rosenthal, who played guitar, and A.E., who seamlessly performed on drums and bass.

The musical prayer interpretations to Queen songs were: “Shalom Aleichem” (“Fat Bottomed Girls”) “Lecha Dodi” (“Killer Queen”) “Barchu” (“We Will Rock You”) “Hashkivenu” (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) “Mi Chamocha” (“We Are the Champions”) “Aleynu” (“Save Me”) And “Another One Bites the Dust” was reinterpreted as “Another One’s an Adult.”

The Celebration Continues Saturday morning ushered in Par-

the relationship with his siblings: Ariela, Ma’ayan, and Naftali.

shat Lech-Lecha about blessings. Rabbi and mom Brooke’s charge to A.E. explained how he was the ultimate blessing.

Brooke began, “You are the first born, the experiment. Everything we do new in parenting seems to go through you first. I call you my ‘chalutz,’ my pioneer. You have the maturity of soul to handle whatever we throw at you. You are the first child to go to sleep-away camp at Ramah Darom.

You are the first to leave AJA [Atlanta Jewish Academy] and attend public school.

“These are two of the hardest examples, the most challenging changes.

You paved the way not only for your own future, but for your siblings’ future when you have these experiences. I’m so proud of how you continue to grow and learn every single day in school and in life.”

The rabbi spoke of the tragic events prior to A.E.’s birth, when many family members had passed away. “You have come full circle and done your job in heal-

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ing us. Your birth and the other children’s subsequent births took away the dark hole, helped to heal the pain where we now experience light. [You and your siblings] made our lives whole.”

Rabbi Neil Sandler blessed A.E. and identified the “specialness” of being a “P.K.” (preacher’s kid), as his own three children experienced.

Saturday night the family went to Steve’s Live Music with relatives and saw an Italian group playing American bluegrass.

Sunday brunch and Sunday night party were hosted at a fellow AA congregant’s home.

Brooke explained the reason was “Since AA was booked and Lynn Friedman’s home is very important for A.E. as a place he’s been going to since the age of 2. He did not want a party at a strange location, preferring to be in a comfortable environment.”

When planning simchas, Brooke offered this advice: “Although the celebra-

SIMCHAS

A.E. Rosenthal sets the example for his younger siblings as the eldest of the rabbi’s children to become a bar mitzvah.

tion and hosting takes so much time and effort to plan, put as much heart and time into the ceremony itself; that is truly the most important part.”

In terms of the child’s learning style when preparing for the bar mitzvah, Brooke said, “Since A.E. was 6, we have consulted with Drs. Marianne and Steve Garber about his dyslexia. Their advice was to focus on his self-esteem, because one can feel really behind, and G-d forbid ‘stupid’ when learning differently. Although he attended AJA for 6 years, his Hebrew skills were low. Therefore, learning all that he did for the bar mitzvah was a challenge.

I think a big takeaway is that although there is a daunting task ahead, it can be accomplished!”

A.E. Speaks A.E. presented his d’var Torah clearly at the optimal speed. His relaxed, yet forceful presentation style was credited to AA President Mark Cohen’s coaching and seeing his dad speaking comfortably from the pulpit; both got him on the right tempo. In his d’var Torah, A.E. said, “Each and every journey has to start somewhere. You may think that today is the start of my journey, but actually my journey started 13 years ago when I was born into a Jewish home.

“My journey has taken many paths, twists and turns making me into the person I am today. This is often true with spiritual journeys. I went to Jewish camp at Ramah Darom, where I was honored with an aliyah for the first time. My dad bought me a tefillin set three years ago, and every weekend of my life I’ve celebrated Shabbat.

“My journey started a long time ago, like Avram’s journey started long before G-d called him.”

Later, he told the AJT, “The most emotional part of the weekend was my parents’ charge to me. The most fun was the party on Sunday.” In terms of study habits for the ceremony, A.E., whose hobbies are reading, technology and music, said, “I put the emphasis on coming to shul often and being exposed to the services.” His biggest takeaway from the experience was that he would always a have Jewish community alongside him.

When asked about his intention to follow in Dad’s footsteps in the rabbinate, he said, “50-50” – a wisely measured answer. ■ ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 29

SIMCHAS

B’nai Mitzvah Checklist: Planning Tips for the Simcha Week

By Shelly Danz It’s almost the big day. Your heart is filled with pride but your mind is crammed with every detail of the weekend to come.

You WILL sleep the night before the bar or bat mitzvah if you tackle this list of to-dos the week of your family’s simcha.

Contact all Stay in the moment of the celebration, including dancing vendors: Chances and spending time with family and friends. are you have at least a handful of vendors – photographer, caterer, decora- rival time and details they need such as tor – helping to make the weekend special the list of groups for photos and the event for family and friends. You should have a timeline. Be sure to get a cell phone numdocument or spreadsheet with all your ber for the vendor representative who vendors’ contact information handy. By will be working on your event that day. It mid-week before the big day, make sure may differ from who you’ve been speakeach of them has your venue address, ar- ing with during the planning process.

30 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

want an emergency kit that could include safety pins or fashion tape, hairspray, makeup, stain remover, pain reliever, tissues, toothbrush/toothpaste and backup copies of your montage DVD and music list, in case they’re needed.

Organize outfits: Pull all your family’s clothBy midweek before the big day, contact ing for the weekall vendors to confirm details. end from closets.

Make sure everyRound up essentials: Grab a tote or one tries on their outfits so you can be box and put in it everything you’ll need sure that you’ve got items that match and for both the service and the celebration. fit! This is an important step, especially for If you’re not sure what goes in each, I’ve the younger members of the family who got a list here: www.atlantamitzvahcon- grow out of clothes and shoes rapidly. nection.com/tips-tools/final-weekend- Once outfits are complete, sort them by list-what-am-i-forgetting/ You may also family member and bundle each event’s

SIMCHAS

Write a short speech to welcome your guests with thank yous.

ensembles together by twist-tie on hangers, including bags for jewelry and accessories such as socks and belts.

member, this should be brief, sweet and sincere, but brief! Your guests want to hit the dance floor and schmooze.

Stay in the moment: Of course, something may go amiss on the big day. When you and your child are surrounded by family and friends who came to share your joy, remember that nobody knows what was “supposed” to Review printed material such as place cards the week before the event, doublehappen except you.

Create tip enchecking them the day before.

So, choose to smile velopes: Sealed envelopes are easier to handle and are and enjoy every moment rather than quick to distribute. Designate an amount worry about what could/should be. ■ and envelope for each vendor whom you Shelly Danz is plan to tip, and then the founder and chief bring along some party officer of Atlanta extra cash in case Party Connection, someone goes above www.atlantapartyconand beyond. Not nection.com. APC helps sure who should families create the ideal be tipped? I’ve got wedding or mitzvah an easy guide here: celebration, connecting www.atlantamitzthem with top vendors, vahconnection.com/ securing exclusive deals tips-tools/bar-mitzand discounts on servah-tipping-guide/ vices, and providing planning tips and inWrite a welspiration. come: Make notes Tip envelopes are easier to handle for a celebration and quick to distribute.

APC also producwelcome so that you remember everything you want to say es four events annually to connect attendees and who you plan to thank. Acknowl- with celebration vendors in a festive party edge grandparents or family members atmosphere. The next Bridal Extravaganza who may have helped in special ways is Jan. 26 at the Southern Exchange Balland shout out to the relatives who have rooms. The next Bar & Bat Mitzvah EXPO is traveled so far to be there with you. Re- Feb. 23 at The Hotel at Avalon.

Review printed materials: You’ll have checked your place cards, signage, menus and programs for errors the week before the event. Doublecheck them the day before to make sure you have appropriate quantities.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 31

SIMCHAS

Blending a Quality Cocktail in a Can The first thing you notice about a can of Tip Top Proper Cocktails is that, at 3.4 ounces, it fits in the palm of your hand.

The typefaces on the outside of the can, a combination of print letters with serifs and fully formed script, are meant to evoke tradition. Then there’s the Dave logo, a giraffe (the world’s Schechter tallest animal) wearing a top hat.

As for what’s inside, Tip Top offers three varieties: an Old-Fashioned (whiskey, sugar and bitters), a Manhattan (rye whiskey, vermouth and bitters), and a Negroni (dry gin, vermouth and red bitters).

And they’re kosher.

Tip Top is the venture of Neal Cohen and Yoni Reisman, whose friendship dates to their days as classmates at the former Greenfield Hebrew Academy, which merged with Yeshiva Atlanta in 2014 to form the Atlanta Jewish Academy.

“We wanted to get the classics right. We didn’t want to get too fancy. We wanted drinks we know people have liked for years,” said Reisman, who turns 36 in mid-December.

Tip Top is part of the rapidly expanding readyto-drink cocktails segment of the beverage industry, which grew at more than 20 percent in 2018, according to Nielsen Scantrack.

That 3.4-ounce can is Transportation Security Administration-compliant, should you want to carry one aboard.

Otherwise, the Tip Top partners said their product is ideal for use at home – when you don’t want to mix your own – as well as picnics, camping trips, tailgating and parties.

Tip Top formed 2 ½ years ago and its products went on sale Sept. 25. “We blew through our projections,” said Cohen, who is also 36. “We did not expect to need to be in production again yet, and

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The products of Tip Top Proper Cocktails: a Negroni, a Manhattan, and an Old Fashioned.

we are.”

The initial run of more than 1,100 cases (each with 24 cans) has been sold to a distributor and almost all of that was purchased by retailers. A second, larger production run is underway at the Terressentia Corp. distillery in North Charleston, S.C., where the ingredients are blended, canned and shipped to a distributor in Atlanta.

Terressentia’s kosher certification comes into play because Cohen and Reisman wanted their cocktails to be kosher, so they found a kosher vermouth to blend in the Manhattan and Negroni formulas.

Tip Top already can be found in roughly 120 liquor stores, bars, music venues, bowling alleys, hotels, and other establishments across Georgia, in Atlanta, Macon, Savannah, Augusta, Athens, Columbus, St. Simons Island and Hiram.

“A year from now we’d like to be in a few other states. We’d like to be doing a couple of more products,” Reisman said.

Growing their business requires capital and the pair are in the market for investors. “We don’t expect to be profitable for a little while,” he said. At present, “the focus is on growth.”

Where Cohen is an Atlanta native, Reisman was transplanted as a child.

Cohen’s father, Mark Cohen, and grandfather, Gerald Cohen, both served as president of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, where Cohen is a member along with his wife Yael and their two pre-

school-age children.

Reisman moved to Atlanta from Chicago in 1989 as a 6-year-old. Reisman and his wife Katie have four children, the older two enrolled at AJA, and they are members of Congregation Shearith Israel.

After the Hebrew Academy, Reisman attended Riverwood High School and Cohen the New Atlanta Jewish Community High School, today called The Weber School.

“Music was it for us,” Cohen said. He and Reisman would attend “two, three, five shows a week” at such venues as Variety Playhouse and the Tabernacle. “We were just rabid music fans.”

In the summer of 2002, before Cohen headed off to the University of Michigan and Reisman to the University of Texas-Austin, they took in the first Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. The event was “an eye-opening experience” that left them thinking, “Is there anything cooler than this?”

Post-university, the paths of Cohen and Reisman criss-crossed in Atlanta and New York, as they built professional resumes that also contributed to their being board members of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival.

Reisman interned for “a bunch of companies,” in New York, including Superfly, co-producer of Bonnaroo, and worked for Relix magazine, which focuses on live music productions. He cofounded and was a partner in Civil Muse

SIMCHAS Productions in Atlanta and in Founders Entertainment in New York, creators of The Governor’s Ball Music Festival. When the entertainment company Live Nation bought Founders, Reisman returned to Atlanta and in 2016 completed an MBA program he had begun a few years earlier at Georgia State University.

Cohen worked for four years as music director at Atlanta radio station WMLB, AM 1690, which offered an eclectic collection of music and interview programming, until it went off the air in 2018. He made his way to New York, working in several positions for Superfly, including as marketing director, before returning to his hometown.

“One idea I couldn’t escape was prepared cocktails” and how that might become a business. It’s an interest he shared with Cohen, that grew from watching how beverages were prepared and served at concerts, Reisman said.

They turned to another Hebrew Academy classmate, David Stein, founder of Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens.

Stein put them in touch with Miles Macquarrie, co-owner and beverage director of Watchman’s Seafood and Spir-

Neal Cohen and Yoni Reisman at the Terressentia Corp. distillery in North Charleston, S.C., where Tip Top Proper Cocktails are blended and canned.

Yoni Reisman and Neal Cohen at one of the numerous events where they promote Tip Top Proper Cocktails, which hit the market Sept. 25.

its and Kimball House, and a finalist multiple times for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program.

Two years of research and testing

went into Tip Top’s formulas. “This was not meant to replace the experience of going to the bar and having a quality mixologist make you a drink

fresh,” Cohen said.

“I asked friends for name ideas.

Someone suggested Tip Top,” Reisman said. The can design came from Bart Sasso, whose firm, Sasso & Co., had worked with numerous hoteliers, restaurants, distillers and taverns.

When Cohen and Reisman needed legal, accounting and website design help, they turned to other friends from their Hebrew Academy days.

Because “one of our best qualities is that we’re willing to admit what we don’t know,” Cohen and Reisman brought on board as chief operating officer Paul Beaupre, a veteran of The Coca-Cola Co. and an expert in venture and merging brands.

At present, Tip Top maintains a small office in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood, though Cohen and Reisman spend much of their time on sales calls and tasting sessions with potential customers.

“One of my absolute favorite things is handing them the drink and they try it and say, ‘Wow, this is good.’ We’re trying to teach the alcohol drinking public that you can actually make a good cocktail in a can,” Reisman said. ■

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 33

SIMCHAS SIMCHA SPOTLIGHT

Bat Mitzvah Abigail Smith

Abigail Smith, the daughter of Allison and Jason Smith, was called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah Nov. 23, 2019, at Temple Sinai. She is a seventh grader at The Epstein School and loves Camp Barney Medintz. She loves her brother Jordan and two dogs Bella and Lucy. Her project was to donate much needed items to Camp Sunshine.

34 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Bar Mitzvah Ben Beck

Ben Beck, son of Jodi and Mark Beck of Johns Creek, was called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on Nov. 23 at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Ben is in the seventh grade at Taylor Road Middle School, where he is actively involved in concert band. He is a member of Boy Scout Troop 1818. Ben enjoys spending his summer breaks at Camp Ramah Darom.

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SIMCHAS

Engagements

Gelfand – Greenberg Courtney Jo Gelfand of Atlanta will marry David Michael Greenberg of Long Island, N.Y, in Nov. of 2020 in Atlanta. Rabbi Max Miller of Temple Emanu-El will officiate.

The bride, 30, is the daughter of Brenda Salzberg Gelfand and Ross Gelfand of Atlanta. She is the granddaughter of Shirley Gelfand and the late Sidney Gelfand of Florida and Joyce Salzberg and the late Leon Salzberg of Virginia.

Courtney is an award-winning Senior Integrated Marketing Partnership Manager for NBCUniversal/Bravo in New York City. She is a 2012 graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor of arts in telecommunications and marketing.

David, 31, is the son of Marcia and Alan Greenberg of Bellmore, N.Y. He is the grandson of Isabel and Elihu Greenberg of Florida and the late Naomi and Norman Forman of Brooklyn.

David is a relationship manager with IFM Investors in New York City. He is a 2010 graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor of arts in finance.

The newlyweds will live in New York City.

36 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

SIMCHAS Morris – Bull Belinda Morris and Michael Morris happily announce the engagement of their daughter Alexandra Megan Morris to David Sean Bull. David is the son of Ruth and Larry Bull, formerly of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Alexandra is the granddaughter of the late Lewis Morris, Billi and Bernie Marcus of Atlanta, and Barbara and the late Harold Ward of Corpus Christi, Texas. David is the grandson of Julie and Howard Erlick of Arcadia, Ariz., and Lauraine and the late Scott Bull of Payson, Ariz.

Alexandra graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in zoology. She is currently employed by the Denver Zoo, where she works as zoo educator. David graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, and with a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is finishing his doctorate in chemical engineering there and will graduate in the spring.

A fall 2020 wedding is planned.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 37

SIMCHAS

Weddings

Crouch - Barocas Kelsey Bryce Crouch Barocas and Harrison Michael Barocas were married Oct. 19, 2019, in North Atlanta. The ceremony and reception took place at The Reid Barn in Cumming.

The newlyweds were married by Rabbi Steven Lebow of Temple Kol Emeth. The ketubah was signed by Jake Feldman, Harrison’s cousin, and Arthur Feldman, Harrison’s grandfather.

Kelsey, a native of Atlanta, is a Realtor with The Barocas & Feldman Team. She graduated from Georgia College & State University with a bachelor’s degree in management from the College of Business. Kelsey is the daughter of Michelle and John Crouch of Atlanta.

Harrison, a native of Atlanta, works as a sales representative at Phoenix Research Industries. He attended the University of Georgia and obtained a bachelor’s degree in real estate from the Terry College of Business. Harrison is the son of Amy and Sandy Barocas, both of Atlanta.

The newlyweds enjoyed their honeymoon in Greece and have made their home in Berkeley Lake.

38 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 39

SIMCHAS Koonin – Reed Eydie and Steve Koonin are excited to announce the marriage of their son David Scott Koonin to Jessica Erin Reed, daughter of Jena and Chris Reed and Merry and Glenn Bates. Rabbi Ron Segal and Ed Berry officiated the ceremony, which took place May 18, 2019, at The St. Regis Atlanta.

David is the grandson of Carolyn Chayet, Harriet and Boris Koonin, all of Atlanta, and the late Allen E. Schwartz of Detroit, Mich. Jessica is the granddaughter of the late Robert and Phyllis Reed and the late James and Vera Bozeman.

David received his bachelor’s degree in mass media arts from the University of Georgia and his master’s in sports administration from Ohio University. He is an agent with Creative Artists Agency. Jessica received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Kennesaw State University and is a project manager for Cake & Arrow.

Following a honeymoon to Dubai and the Seychelles, the newlyweds will live in New York City.

40 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

SIMCHAS Wolf – Lieberman Karen Kleiman and Andrew Wolf are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Alexandra Leigh Wolf, to Joshua Seth Lieberman, son of Dana and Eric Lieberman of Boca Raton, Fla. Alexandra is the granddaughter of Morton Wolf, the late Marlene (Mickey) Wolf and the late Judith and Elliot Kleiman. Josh is the grandson of Barbara and Ronald Kaplan, and the late Marvin and Norma Lieberman, and is the great grandson of Trudy Berzon.

Alexandra grew up in Atlanta. She attended The Davis Academy and completed high school at University School in Davie, Fla. Alexandra received her bachelor of science from the University of Florida in 2014 followed by her master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders from New York University in 2016.

Josh attend Donna Klein Jewish Academy and Spanish River High School in Boca Raton. He received his bachelor of science from Georgia Tech in 2016 and his master of science in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech in 2019.

Alexandra works as a certified speech-language pathologist with the Palm Beach County Schools. Josh works at Pratt & Whitney as a Hot Section Engineer.

Alexandra and Josh will be married in March of 2020 in Boca Raton.

The couple lives in Jupiter, Fla.

Have something to celebrate?

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 41

CALENDAR CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Toldot Friday, November 29, 2019, light candles at 5:11 p.m.

Saturday, November 30, 2019, Shabbat ends at 6:09 p.m.

Vayeitzei Friday, December 6, 2019, light candles at 5:11 p.m.

Saturday, December 7, 2019, Shabbat ends at 6:09 p.m.

is convening a meeting of Jewish community leaders to engage in communication, cooperation and collaboration among the organizations to engage in general advocacy on the part of the Jewish community and to discuss, debate and vote on issues of new, major policy important to all or a portion of the community. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2CD5iex.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30

StarLab – Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell, at noon and 12:30 p.m. Come to CNC’s inflatable planetarium and get a sneak peek of the new fall sky with your front row seat. Learn about the constellations right before your eyes. Ages 6 and up. Note, the planetarium is completely dark inside. Included with general admission, $6 per child, $10 per adult, $7 for seniors 65 and up, $7 for students 13-18, free for CNC members and children 2 and under. For tickets and more information, www.bit.ly/34z6ziJ.

A Conversation with Dani Shapiro – Photography Tips for Taking Fabulous Photos – William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, 1440 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, from 2 to 3 p.m. Join The Breman Museum and Judith Pishnery, professional photographer, photo educator and executive director of the Atlanta Photography Group, for a hands-on workshop. Pishnery will introduce you to several tips for getting better friend and family photos, including light techniques, posing your subjects and finding a good background. Bring your favorite camera (from iPhone to DSLR) and learn a few skills to improve your friend and family photos. $14 per person. For more information, www.bit.ly/2WJVgBC.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2

Rosh Chodesh Society - Insight : Changing of the Garden – Chabad Intown on

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1

Kabbalah and Coffee – Chabad Intown on the BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Discuss, explore and journey 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. Free. For more information, www.chabadintown.org.

the BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. “Insight” is a remarkably transformative experience that unveils the purpose, beauty and power buried within ourselves, our destiny and all of existence. It does so by distilling the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s unique wisdom and infusing our lives with the ability to see things beneath the surface. Explore the Rebbe’s broad view of the world at large, personal failures, the feminine role, current trends and events, and more. $10 per class, $59 for the full series. For more information, www.bit.ly/32H8cJT.

Find more events and submit items for our online and print calendars at:

www.atlantajewishconnector.com

TUEDAY, DECEMBER 3

NCJW Lunch and Learn with Georgia Senator Jen Jordan – National Council of Jewish Women, 6303 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Georgia Sen. Jen Jordan, a Democrat, will be the guest at this lunch and learn. A light lunch will be served. Free. RSVP to the NCJW Atlanta office at 404-843-9600. Registration ends Nov. 29.

People of the Book Session 2: Book Talk and Signing – Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway NE, Marietta, from 7 to 9 p.m. Etz Chaim is excited to share the book, “A New Look at Rabbi Jesus: Jews and Christians Finally Reconnected,” written by congregant Rabbi Albert Slomovitz. Books will be available for purchase and Rabbi Slomovitz will sign them. Since the publication of his book, Rabbi Slomovitz has had several educational and personal experiences he will share. We welcome our friends from the Catholic Church of St. Ann. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2pb5XAL.

42 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Chanukah Trivia Game Night 2.0 – Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855 Lavista Road NE, Atlanta from 8 to 10 p.m. A fast-paced and competitive trivia game night with food and drinks. Assemble your own team of eight to 10 players, or simply RSVP and we’ll assign you to a group. Ages 21 and up. $28 for members, $35 for nonmembers. For more information, www.bit.ly/32FK6iz.

JELF 2019 Annual Meeting – Le Méridien Atlanta Perimeter, 111 Perimeter Center W, Atlanta, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Please join JELF to celebrate its 2019 year at this 144th annual meeting. A dairy meal will be served, which includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, pastries and beer/wine bar.

Free. To register and for more information, www.jelf.org/am2019/.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4

Calendar sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Connector, an initiative of the AJT. In order to be considered for the print edition, please submit events two weeks in advance. Contact community relations director, Jen Evans, for more information at jen@atljewishtimes.com.

Temple Sinai, 5645 Dupree Drive, Atlanta, from 7 to 8 p.m. The PNK Learning Center presents an exclusive opportunity to participate in a conversation with The New York Times best-selling author Dani Shapiro as she discusses her newest book “Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love.” Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2CD4rul.

JCRC of Atlanta Jewish Community Council Meeting – Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, 1440 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5

Navigating Parenthood: Being Engaged Post-B’nai Mitzvah – Congregation Gesher L’Torah, 4320 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, from 7 to 9 p.m. Help your teen find out more about the opportunities for teens in the North Fulton Jewish community at this panel with organizations such

NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 9

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5

Hours of Freedom – Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. NW, Atlanta, from 7 to 10 p.m. “Hours of Freedom” dramatizes music by 15 composers imprisoned in the Theresienstadt (Terezin) concentration camp during World War II. Presented as nine chapters with titles including, “Hope,” “Fate,” “Longing” and “The Eyewitness,” this concert combines music, video and narrative to showcase works by Viktor Ullmann, Gideon Klein, Zigmund Schul, Pavel Haas, Rudolf Karel and 10 others. The compositions performed portray the agony and suffering of camp life, along with the inspiration, revelation, harmony and hope that comes through music. For more information, www.bit. ly/2pWW7mH. as Creating Connected Communities, In the City Camps and more. Moderated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s new North Fulton coordinator. Free. For more information, www.bit.ly/2qdflVf.

Marietta, from 7 to 9 p.m. Put on your blue jeans for a delicious Shabbat dinner and fun musical Shabbat service. This is a multi-generational event. $10 per adult, $5 for children 12 and under. For more information, www.bit.ly/341YZx6.

DECEMBER 6 – 8

Teen Israel Leadership Institute – Emory Conference Center, 1615 Clifton Road, Atlanta, from 3 p.m. Friday to 2 p.m.

Sunday. The Center for Israel Education and the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel invite Jewish 10th through 12th-graders to apply to attend the Teen Israel Leadership Institute, which features a series of engaging learning activities to expand students’ knowledge and understanding of Israel and Zionism while they sample Jewish life on the Emory University campus and forge friendships with peers from across the country. The weekend workshop is nonpartisan and devoted to education, not advocacy. Attendees will take what they learn during the weekend workshop and apply it to Israel learning programs back home. $100 per person includes lodging and kosher food. To register, www.bit.ly/34WvsVW.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6

Blue Jean Shabbat – Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway NE,

YJP First Friday – Viva La Shabbos – Chabad Intown on the BeltLine, 730 Ponce De Leon Place NE, Atlanta, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mingle, schmooze, and meet new people with an open bar and a delicious Shabbat dinner buffet. Bring friends and make new ones. Tickets include open bar and dinner. For tickets and more information, www.chabadintown.org.

Acoustic Shabbat Café @ Alon’s Bakery & Market – 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Join Rabbi Brian Glusman, Drew Cohen and teen musicians from The Weber School for an evening of music and Shabbat prayers.

Food and wine available for purchase. This interactive Shabbat-themed experience is sponsored by the MJCCA, Atlanta Jewish Music Festival and The Weber School.

Free. For more information, www.bit. ly/2nVTxbJ. ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 43

COMMUNITY Birthday Bash in Buckhead

Whole roasted fish with dressed greens was grilled to perfection.

Girls’ night out at Gypsy Kitchen toasting to Jen’s 50th birthday.

We began “On the food, music and being preTown” with Jen & Michal pared for a “What happens two years ago, describing at Jen’s party, stays at Jen’s ourselves as two 40-someparty” kinda night. thing moms who are becomWe knew we had to stay ing empty nesters, ready to at a W Hotel to get our party paint the town and share vibe on. They know how to our adventures with you. set the tone for a good time: Through these two The atmosphere at the W years A LOT has happened.

Atlanta-Buckhead is super One of us was diagnosed Jen Evans & modern and sexy after a $20 with breast cancer, while Michal Bonell million makeover inspired On the Town the other underwent hip by the luxe line of fashion surgery and an unexpected boutiques nearby. Hip mudeath in her family. These turbulent sic greets you in the lobby, inspiring you events were certainly to dance and have a good ground shaking, but we time from the moment you marched on enjoying evstep in. Their rooms are ery bite, every sound and spacious, contemporary, every opportunity to celand colorful, and the enerebrate life! gy elevates to their rooftop It was no surprise that pool and bar, both with exwe needed to celebrate BIG pansive views. We walked when Jen turned 50 last in to see two brides getting month. An exhilarating ready to say, ‘I Do’ and ran girls’ night was in order, into a hopeless romantic The W's delicious brioche which had to include hair, in the elevator preparing French toast with nails, dress up, drinks and to pop the question to his blueberry compote. more drinks, fantastic future bride. All Atlanta W

44 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

Roasted root vegetable paella was a colorful mixture of saffronflavored rice with vegetables.

We sampled an array of cheeses served on a platter.

Hotels offer a number of event rooms, both cow and goat’s milk. To accompany ranging in size, perfect for any mitzvah the flavors of the cheese, Izzy brought us Blistered Roulette or wedding.

Peppers and AlAfter toastmendra Spanish ing with a bottle Almonds.

Muy of bubbly bebien! tween six women To add to the we got ready for first course, we our exciting eveeach had a differning.

An Uber ent Gypsy Kitchen Lux picked us up House cocktail for a five-minute (who are we kidride to The Shops ding, we had sevBuckhead, where eral each) and had a reservation at to try everyone Gypsy Kitchen else’s as well. The awaited.

Razzi Bone, VenGypsy Kitchezuelan Sunbite, en is a stylish Izzy Mejia at Gypsy Kitchen delivering Champion Fever, modern restauan array of creative cocktails.

50 Shades of Purrant featuring shareable Spanish snacks and plates ple and the Seville Rosé were all equally with Moroccan and Indian influence. We flavorful. Of course, Rose Sangria was in were greeted by manager Ali Ebrahimi, order as well, and quite tasty!

We then moved on to course two: who sat us at a cozy booth made for six ladies dressed to the nines. We were then Charred Brussels Sprouts, Chicken Croquetas with a turned over to the lime yogurt sauce, bright and vivaPatatas Bravas cious server Izzy – crispy twice Mejia, who not fried potatoes only took care of with smoked paus but explained prika aioli – and in great detail Braised Lamb what each plate with gigante consisted of in her beans, sofrito sexy Latin accent. sauce and grilled We started with pita. Yum, yumthe A La Carte my, yum yum!

Quesos, an array More drinks were of cheeses served served to get us on a platter, each in the mood for more delicious course three: than the next. Our The W's Cook Hall’s bloody marys Gypsy Kitchen picks included, were out of this world.

Raciones, entrées Omorro Azores, a creamy cow’s milk, Manchego, a salty meant to be shared, and Platos Grandes, sheep’s milk, and Valdeón, a rich and sharing plates for the table, enough to creamy artisan blue cheese made from feed all six of us “girls.” We all dived into

COMMUNITY

Gypsy Kitchen’s braised lamb with gigante beans, sofrito and grilled pita was very tender.

the Roasted Root Vegetable Paella and Whole Roasted Fish with dressed greens and roasted fingerlings.

So much good food! This is definitely the type of place you want to spend hours at with friends chatting and celebrating as the food and drinks keep coming. You do not feel rushed here, but are encouraged to take your time, share in conversation and enjoy the food, cocktails and atmosphere.

Like their motto says, “Travel Like a Gypsy, Eat Like a King!”

Full and happy, we were ready to continue the party with music, nightcaps and dancing.

“Perched atop the W Atlanta-Buckhead, Whiskey Blue undoubtedly plays hosts to one of the best views in Atlanta,” according to the hotel’s website.

“Guests arrive to the rooftop bar from an all-glass elevator that ascends 125 feet above the city’s skyline, with Buckhead and Lenox Square to one side and Midtown to the other. Featuring two outdoor patios, a 66-foot-long art mural from local Atlanta artist Chris Veal, and a floor-to-ceiling light installation, Whiskey Blue has a vibe unlike any other.”

The cocktails are inventive and delicious with top-notch professional and attentive staff and the guests are hip and lively. A DJ spun the latest tunes into the morning hours, lulling us to sleep after a dreamy night.

To round out the great experience, The W treated us to brunch. We opted to try the Cook Hall restaurant and were not disappointed! We loved their Avocado Toast with roasted asparagus and poached eggs on top and their Brioche French Toast with blueberry compote. Bloody Marys, mimosas and cappuccino rounded out this, our second decadent meal in less than 18 hours.

We had such a great time celebrating Saturday night and Sunday morning. We highly recommend using the W Hotel Buckhead and Gypsy Kitchen for your next simcha. L’Chaim! ■ For more information about Gypsy Kitchen or W Buckhead, go to www.gk-atl.com/, and www.bit. ly/2WY1IoL. To have us review your event or restaurant, contact us at 404-883-2130, jen@atljewishtimes. com, or michal@atljewishtimes.com.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 45

COMMUNITY

Community Honors Lee Katz

By Roni Robbins

to help Jewish organizations become more financially viable.

Despite having volunteered with at He currently sits on the boards of least 17 Atlanta Jewish organizations over Jewish HomeLife and its foundation, The the past quarter-century – even serving William Breman Jewish Home Foundaon multiple boards at once – Lee Katz was tion, the Atlanta Jewish Foundation and “totally overwhelmed with the response” the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation. and “kind of blown away” by a ceremony He also chairs the Friends of the Georgia in his honor earlier this month.

Holocaust Commission in its effort to More than 300 community leaders move the Anne Frank exhibit to a new and members of Katz’s Temple Emanu-El location in Sandy Springs and the Life & attended Shabbat services Nov. 8 to honor Legacy program of the Jewish Federation him for his service. of Greater Atlanta to attract legacy “gifts “I was reluctant to have this. I usually for after-lifetime giving.” stay behind the scenes,” he told the AJT. He Katz said the latter is the culmination said he doesn’t seek out recognition but of all of his work in the Atlanta Jewish comLee Katz has provided financial Lee and Arlene Katz at a pre-service prefers to operate in the background. “I’m advice pro bono to at least 17 Jewish reception in Lee’s honor at Temple Emanu-El. munal world over the last 25 years because organizations over the past 25 years. not used to being in front of the spotlight.” the program helps ensure the community’s The reason he capitulated to being survival. If agencies don’t have 25 to 35 perhonored: “If it helps other people do something good is has worked with almost every major Jewish institution cent of their top line revenue from legacy gifts, they could why I agreed to do it.” quietly behind the scenes in their times of trouble and is struggle and disappear, he said. So far, $20 million has Emanu-El’s President Robert Wittenstein said Katz known as the person to call when there is a complex set been pledged and Katz’s goal during his four-year comwas honored as “the epitome of a community leader of issues that need careful thinking. He does all this gra- mitment to the program is to raise $75 million, he said. “It who has had a huge impact through years of service and tis, without fanfare, and with his gracious good humor.” will add to the stability of Jewish organizations.” It’s also is an example we want to hold up to encourage others to For the past 35 years Katz has operated his own a commitment to l’dor v’dor, he added. aspire to the same level of commitment.”

When asked how he juggles all of his involvements, firm, Katz Partners LLC, in which he helps turn around During a tribute to Katz, Rabbi Spike Anderson said troubled businesses. He performs similar financial Katz cited the cliché: “If you want something done, give “Honoring Lee Katz for his dedication to actively care services for the Jewish community. Katz said he was it to someone who is busy. I guess I resemble that refor the Atlanta Jewish community was long overdue. Lee pleased he’s been able to use his advisory skills pro bono mark.”

Probably his longest-serving position has been as an officer or sitting on the board of the Marcus JCC for the past 25 years.

Katz said the organizations he helps rarely schedule meetings at the same time. He divides his time between his volunteerism, his personal life and his professional responsibilities with the help of an iPad and “the cloud.”

“I’m a very mobile person,” Katz said, while speaking to the AJT in the parking lot outside Temple Emanu-El. In addition to other community volunteers who help him fulfill his commitments to Jewish organizations, Katz credited his wife, Arlene, for her support.

“She never complains when I don’t show up for dinner or have to change plans or change a vacation.” Katz has four sons and six grandchildren. His two daughter-inlaws are also involved in the Jewish community, one leading the parent-teacher organization at The Davis Academy and the other in the same position at the Atlanta Jewish Academy.

When asked about his own inspiration, he pointed to his parents. Although they didn’t have a lot of money, his birth father gave his time to Jewish organizations.

His mother drove congregants to medical appointments “way before Uber.”

After his father died, he was adopted by Israel Katz, also a philanthropist.

Katz emulated strong mentors such as Malcolm Minsk, Jerry Siegel and Sid Kirschner, and they supported him, in return, he said.

After the tribute at Emanu-El, several people asked him for advice on how to get involved. “That really made me feel good, people trying to do things to make the [community] better. I can’t do it alone. What can we do to ensure we physically keep the Jewish people around another thousand years, l’dor v’dor?” ■ 46 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

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ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 47

OY VEY OY VEY! HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM...

Dear Rachel, job. Helping peoprofession and love my ga I’m a social worker by me; I feel like I’m makin ations is exhilarating for situ g , gin ort llen eff cha of nt ate ou vig ple na a tremendous am process takes time and the , a rse is rk cou wo Of ial ce. en soc differ rall, I feel that success stories. But ove and not all my cases are work. of e teful to be in this lin Someprivilege, and I am so gra own in my community. kn am 30 years and writI’m son I’ve been in this field for rea ent call is the I get calls. The most rec se, ari of on eds ne ati oci en ass wh l es, tim with a nationa synagogue teamed up my , ago to s s fee nth d mo uce few red A y ing. free or greatl ls. Their aim is to offer na sio fes rapro the lth ord aff hea l ’t menta otherwise couldn l health services who groups clients in need of menta up these philanthropic g tin in the process of set is on ati inar in oci sem t ass is firs Th ir py. they will host the States. In a few weeks, d ite Un the t ou gh ou thr e in. nt. And that’s where I com d New York as a kickoff eve right in when I answere ed ng plu , agogue secretary ’d We r? ina sem s “Lynn?” Steph, our syn and be part of thi agree to go to New York mental the phone. “Would you ng on different areas of usi all-day workshop foc an t sen all the pre for to ost bo you e lov would be a huge such an impact, and it ke ma uld wo u Yo . lth hea participants.”

Jewish Joke of the Week

The Jewish Rules (According to Whom?)

• The female always makes the rules.

• The rules are subject to change at any time without prior notification.

• No male can possibly know all the rules.

• If the female suspects the male knows all the rules, she must immediately change some or all the rules.

expenses sation, but my travel uld not receive compen No pressure, hm? I wo would be paid. back to you?” itation,” I said. “Can I get day, wake up early “I’m honored by the inv on. Give up my entire ati situ the r ove lled hours of preparaI hung up and mu And what about all the p? ho rks wo e fre a e giv and go to sleep late, to stion of traveling? t to mention the exhau no , est inv uld work. And don’t I wo I n tio enjoy doing volunteer d an ple peo for ors s request seems a I’m happy to do fav y to give back? But thi nit mu com my d an e e consultation for a owe it to my synagogu hour workshop or a fre an e giv to ee agr uld p time? little over the top. I wo s the investment of pre on, but a whole day, plu asi occ on ed ne in nt clie say no?

Can I say no? Should I l? che Ra What do you say, Signed, Lynn

Dear Lynn, All of us have strengths and talents that can and should be used. Sometimes there is a fine line that makes it challenging to discern when to volunteer and when to charge for your services.

I think your visceral reaction may be a clue as to how you should respond in this and other similar situations. If you feel that it is an overly burdensome request, I advocate honesty.

“Steph,” you can say, “I don’t think it’s going to work for me right now. Taking a full day off from work, not to mention all the preparation time, is just not feasible. I’m sorry.”

However, we can do a total 360 and look at the situation through a different lens.

Is there a possibility that this will be an opportunity you don’t want to miss? As I reread your letter expressing your love for what you do, I wondered: perhaps you would leave this workshop on a high and feel immeasurable satisfaction by sharing your wisdom with your colleagues?

Your workshop will launch a system through which untold numbers of people will be able to get the help they desperately need. Who can put a price on that? You will be a significant cog in a wheel that has the potential to turn around the lives of so many.

Perhaps this is an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and make a difference on an even larger scale?

There is only one way to know. Would you consider agreeing to this one-time request and assess how you feel after the event? Then, you can ask yourself these questions. Did you feel it was a worthwhile investment of your time and energy? Or was it simply too much? In short, did the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, or were the disadvantages overwhelming?

Good luck with your decision. If you go, have an amazing experience!

All the best, Rachel

• The female is never wrong.

• If the female is wrong, it is due to a misunderstanding, which was a direct result of something the male did or said that was wrong.

• If the above applies, the male must apologize immediately for causing the misunderstanding.

• An apology without flowers is not an apology.

Atlanta Jewish Times Advice Column Got a problem? Email Rachel Stein at oyvey@atljewishtimes. com, describing your problem in 250 words or less. We want to hear from you and get helpful suggestions for your situation at the same time!

• The female may change her mind at any time.

• The male must never change his mind at any time without the expressed consent of the female.

• The male may not point out that the woman has changed her mind.

• The female has every right to be angry or upset at any time.

• The male must remain calm at all times, unless the female wants him to be angry or upset.

• The female must, under no circumstances, let the male know whether or not she wants him to be angry or upset.

Yiddish Word of the Week Bubkes, Bupkis, Bopkes, Bobkes, Bupkes, Bubkis

‫באבקעס‬ ָ

• The female is ready when she is ready.

Something worthless, absolutely nothing.

• The male must be ready at all times.

It is considered a vulgar word, meaning goat or horse droppings. It may also be related to the Polish word for beans.

• The male may not inquire when the female will be ready.

Joke provided by David Minkoff www.awordinyoureye.com 48 | NOVEMBER 29, 2019 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

“Have you heard from Joe recently?” “No, I haven’t heard bubkis.”

BRAIN FOOD

Snap To It By: Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Manageable 1

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22. Now it's Thailand 25. Arm or leg 27. Sebastian in "The Little Mermaid," e.g.

28. Peninsula south of San Diego 29. Where the Purim story took place, as it's called today 30. Rounds before the Finals 31. Wix alternative 34. Andrew Lloyd Webber musical 36. Memphis team named after animals more likely to be seen in Western Canada 37. Ventimiglia of "This Is Us" 38. Poses 40. Wrestler Flair and rocker Ocasek 42. Looney Tunes company 45. You are, in Mexico 47. Like some criticism 50. Seer 52. Chew on a plastic ring, perhaps 53. It may be shifted or shouldered 54. Propelled a boat 55. Krispy treat that isn't actually crispy 56. Asian bear 59. Londoner, for short 60. Ladder part 62. Apple desktop that debuted in 1998 63. Receives 65. Levi, to Leah 67. An Uber, e.g.

Jump" 57. 'Curb..." main character, for 1. A bit wet short 5. Hog-like animal with a long 58. Native Israeli snout 61. Former Baseball boss Bud 10. Copy machine load 64. Warrior god 14. Actress Falco 66. Moment to be clutch...or a 15. Place of residence hint to a commonality among the 16. Living on the ___ starred clues 17. *Literally it means "almond 68. Office note bread" 69. Hamilton known for playing 19. It might be dished Sarah Connor 20. Cartoon character that's small 70. Florida team named after the and blue weather 21. He shrugged, said Miss Rand 71. Biblical paradise 23. It might be offered with scones 72. Israel's Keret 24. Muddies 73. Some PC keys 26. *AKA bowtie cookie 28. *Popular Osem snack brand 30. Avow DOWN 32. Actress Graynor or Director 1. Opponents of Reps.

Aster 2. Founding father?

33. Bar Mitzvah host 3. This: 35. Molten rock 4. Pitcher Martínez and actor 39. Hockey great Jaromir Pascal 41. *Major name in Israeli snacks 5. Dew, in Israel 43. Eighth-day rite 6. Longtime Palestinian leader 44. Musical orphan 7. Haifa has a large one 46. New York University's ___ 8. "American" singing show School of the Arts 9. Film a scene again 48. Kind 10. Color on the American flag but 49. Walk or word lead-in not Israel's 51. *They're essential to a seder 11. Archie Bunker's wife 53. *Carob...or food that sounds 12. Concur like a prize fighter 13. Heavy genre?

56. Rosie of "White Men Can't 18. One way to send in your taxes

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25 Years Ago// November 25, 1994 ■ Joseph Benkiel helped to find volunteers to fill in for non-

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medical staff at hospitals on Christmas so that the staff could spend the holiday at home with family. The event, sponsored by Achim-Gate City Lodge B’nai B’rith, generally acquires as many as 700 volunteers.

■ Jewish participants in Hunger Walk ’94 raised $14,000 to help hungry people, mostly those in the non-Jewish community. About 400 people, representing more than 20 synagogues and Jewish organizations, joined the walk in September. They raised 8 percent of the total $170,000 proceeds of the event.

Remember When 15 Years Ago// December 3, 2004 ■ Steve and Jan Ember of Alpharetta announced the marriage of their daughter Stacie Michelle and Brandon Aaron Ramo, son of Bruce and Jeri Ramo of Dunwoody. The ceremony was held May 16, 2004, at the Westin Perimeter with Rabbi Julie Schwartz officiating.

■ On a sunny Saturday in October, 10 Torah Day School students bridged the two communities by walking some five miles to attend the bar mitzvah of their classmate, Ariel Steinberg, at Chabad Intown. Ariel knew that some of his friends were planning to walk to synagogue, but he didn’t know how many people would actually make the trek. Chabad Intown’s Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman complimented the students on their gestures toward their friend and their participation in services.

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Chabad Intown Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman complimented students for walking five miles to their friend’s bar mitzvah.

50 Years Ago// December 5, 1969 ■ The discussion group of Congregation Or VeShalom met on Dec. 1 in the Congregation Hall. The guest speaker for the evening was Father John Hein, a Jesuit priest, whose topic was “Who Are the People of God?” ■ The new Evening Branch of the National Council of Jewish Women had its first meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Pershing Point office of the National Bank of Georgia. Miss Charlotte Neighbors, head counselor of the new Job Corp Center, and her co-worker, Mrs. Lillie Lewis, spoke.

ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2019 | 49

OBITUARIES

Roxane Goldstein

Helen Solarsh Lipsky

Mrs. Roxane Goldstein, 94, died peacefully in Atlanta Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. Born in Manhattan July 19, 1925, Roxane grew up in Norwalk, Conn., attended Oberlin College in Ohio and Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and lived in Merrick, N.Y., for 63 years until she moved to Atlanta in 2012.

A lifelong volunteer, she ran a thrift shop for the National Council of Jewish Women for 30 years and organized the Golden Age Club for homebound seniors at the Merrick Jewish Center. In her 70s she volunteered to drive older people to their medical appointments.

She was passionate about the arts, was an accomplished pianist, performed in musicals as a member of a community choir, and was a gold master bridge player. She also enjoyed needlepoint, and was an avid reader and gardener, and diehard New York Mets fan.

Mrs. Goldstein was predeceased by her beloved husband Dr. George Goldstein in 1975. She is survived by her loving children Ronald (Carmen) Goldstein of Syosset, N.Y., Marcia Goldstein (Fred Levick) of Atlanta, and Bruce Goldstein of West Palm Beach, Fla.; sister Abelle Mason of Washington, D.C.; grandchildren Lauren Goldstein, Joanna Levick, Michael Goldstein and Karen Goldstein; and great-grandson Chandler Parrish.

A graveside service was held Nov. 26 at Mount Ararat Cemetery in Lindenhurst, N.Y., with Cantor Henry Rosenblum officiating. The family received visitors at the home of Ronald and Carmen Goldstein of Syosset, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ramah Darom Fred Levick Campership Endowment Fund, https://www.ramahdarom.org/donate/endowments, or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Helen Solarsh Lipsky, 97, of Atlanta, died Nov. 20, 2019. She is predeceased by her parents Miriam and Louis Solarsh, her three sisters and a brother. Helen was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was with her high school sweetheart for 82 years. Helen and Irving were truly a love story. They lived in Charleston, S.C., for 58 years and were pillars of the Jewish community.

Helen worked as a bookkeeper for many years and devoted herself to her family.

She was an active member of the NCJW, Hadassah and Synagogue Emanu-El. Helen also did volunteer work in the local hospitals and The Sherman House retirement home.

Helen and Irving spent many summers in Israel on volunteer missions. She was a true woman of valor who selflessly did for others. Helen and Irving were married for 78 years.

She is survived by him and her daughters and sons-in-law Arlene (Steven) Marcus, Linda (Melvin) Wyland and Ina (Harold) Enoch. She is also survived by her six grandchildren Myra, Seth (Peggy), Jill, Amy, Jordan and Ryan (fiancée Amanda); and four great-grandchildren Michael, Ari, Molly and Annie.

The family would like to thank her wonderful caregivers who were with her for three years. They were true angels from heaven. The family would also like to thank Weinstein Hospice for their support and guidance through this difficult time. Please send donations in Helen’s name to Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327. A funeral service was held graveside at Arlington Cemetery Nov. 22.

Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

94, Atlanta

‫זיכרונה לברכה‬

97, Atlanta

Rachel Benbenisty Shemaria 93, Atlanta

Rachel Benbenisty Shemaria, 93, of Atlanta, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Nov. 21, 2019. She was born June 16, 1926, in a house on Central Avenue (the future site of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium). She was the fifth and youngest child of Matilda and Moreno Benbenisty.

Rachel was a 1944 graduate of Atlanta’s Commercial High School.

An avid reader, Rachel was an honor roll student, newspaper staff editor and spelling bee champion.

Upon graduation, she entered the workforce as an executive secretary and held positions at Maryland Baking Company and the Georgia Brewers Association.

Rachel married Jack Shemaria Nov. 11, 1951, Veterans Day, in Atlanta. Married for 63 years, she led a life full of love and mutual affection with her husband Jack, who passed away in 2015. They had three sons, a loving extended family and numerous friends at their beloved Congregation Or VeShalom. Their life together was filled with laughter, travel and social activities.

Rachel is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law Barry and Nancy Shemaria, Merrill and Carolyn Shemaria, and Mark and Gwen Shemaria; and grandchildren Brooke, Justin, Natalie, Jacqueline and Margo. She also leaves behind brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Louie and Iris Shemaria, and Hymie and Sukey Shemaria; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A graveside service was held Nov. 24 at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Bennie and Matilda Shemaria Fund at Or VeShalom or the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999. Sign online guest book at www.edressler.com. ■

Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Managing Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details.

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9

CLOSING THOUGHTS Frying Fish: A Metaphor I used to shop at a certain store on a regular basis, especially on Senior Adult Discount Days. Every visit, even though the cashiers surely knew I’d been receiving the AARP magazine for years, I was always asked to show some ID. I appreciated the charade.

Last week I went back Chana to this shop to use their se- Shapiro nior discount coupon I got in the mail, and I had a lot of shopping success. I knew the drill, and I took out my ID, so that the new cashier would apply my discount.

I come from a long line of rule-followers, so I asked, “Do you want to see my driver’s license?”

“Oh, that’s OK,” she smiled, “I can tell you’re a senior.”

On the way out, I checked my appearance in a mirror. I tried hard to remember where I had put an article I recently read explaining how a mere five minutes a day of specific facial exercises are guaranteed to smooth wrin-

kles, tighten droopy eyelids, and iron out flaccid necks.

Unfortunately, now that my memory neurons were on steady overload remembering how to deal with my cell phone apps, it was unlikely that I’d have enough left to locate that article. I walked away from the mirror feeling temporarily down, but not out. I had bigger fish to fry, as they (whoever they are) like to say.

I planned to take advantage of a free oil change for new customers of a nearby service station, and today was the last day. But before that, I had to drop something off at the house of a friend’s granddaughter.

This gal, Mona, is in her 20s. I’m possibly older than (and definitely have inferior upper arms to) her grandmother. A clue that Mona considers me to be her ultra-mega-extreme elder is that she’s annoyingly solicitous, tries to get me to talk about “the old days,” and speaks either too fast or too slow, how-

ever with both modes at the volume and tempo geared toward her grandmother’s demographic, whether we need it or not.

We had a slow, loud chat, but the above-mentioned fish had yet to be fried.

I headed out. “Careful!” Mona cautioned, reaching protectively toward me. I gave her one of my standard looks, meaning — in a nutshell – “I know you want to help me, and you’re a nice kid, but I can still handle two steps with a handrail on both sides.” She watched as I backed out of her driveway. In order to prevent undue stress on this caring youngster, I made sure she saw me check all three rearview mirrors as I backed away.

Young people already have plenty to worry about.

When I finally made it to the service station for the free oil change, I was told that they were as sorry as could be, but there was no way in the world they could fit me in. I took a minute to decide if looking desperate and shedding tears would convince them to stay late to give me the freebie while the offer was still valid, but I hate to play that power card frivolously. What else did I have in my

Get Connected!

arsenal?

Oh, yes, there was another available ploy. It was not only demeaning and went against the very fiber of my being, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Ironically, my earlier mirror-confirmed physiognomy could now be used to my advantage! I strategically tilted my head, allowing the bags under my eyes to catch the light perfectly. “A free oil change really helps at my stage of life,” I sighed. “Isn’t there something you can do for me, a senior citizen who braved dangerous traffic to get here on time?”

The two men sitting at the desk fiddled around with their computers, then one of them said (slowly and loudly), “We can treat this as a special case. We’re especially supportive of our mature customers. Can you come back next Tuesday?”

The negotiations were going well, and I wanted to close the deal fast.

“9:30?” I asked, gratefully.

“Fine,” the other fellow said. He added a note to my certificate and signed his name. They helped a senior citizen, and my fish got fried. ■

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