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ON VIEW THROUGH JUNE 30, 2023
By Jan Jaben-Eilon
In mid-November, when Dr. Lisa Haddad heard the news that a Fulton County Superior Court judge had struck down Georgia’s ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, she felt that her decision to become a plaintiff in the case was validated.
“As a doctor, as a mother, as a woman and as a Jew are all why it was important to stand up to fight for what I believe,” said Haddad, medical direc tor at the Population Council Center for Biomedical Research and an Emory Uni versity adjunct associate professor. “I’m so happy and proud of many physicians and others who spoke out during the case and provided their testimony in a way that was so critical in representing their patients,” said Haddad, a mother of three.
Haddad was one of several doctors who took the case to court, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Georgia, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Par enthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Southeast, Inc., Atlanta Comprehensive Wellness Clinic, Atlanta Women’s Medical Center, and law firms on behalf of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that the six-week abortion ban, enacted in 2019, was void from the beginning because the Georgia Constitution prohibits the legislature from passing laws that violate federal constitutional precedent. At the time, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, al lowing abortions nationwide, still stood and a federal district court blocked the Georgia law.
In June, the current U.S. Supreme Court voted against the nearly 50-year precedent in the Dobbs v. Jack son Women’s Health Organization case.
Three weeks later, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a district court’s in junction against the Georgia law.
Now that the six-week ban on abortion has been overturned, women “are happy and relieved that they can get care. They were in tears when they were turned away before,” said Dr. Mimi Zieman, co-vice president of advocacy for the National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section, and an obstetrician and gynecologist.
That court also ruled that the six-week ban could go into effect im mediately, with no warning to health care pro viders and pa tients across the state and creat ing a crisis in the medical com munity. On June 26, the plaintiffs responded by filing their con stitutional chal lenge against the law, H.B. 481, commonly called “the heartbeat ban.”
Judge McBurney ruled that the Dobbs change in federal constitutional law did not re vive the Georgia ban because it was enacted and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 when it was unconstitu tional to do so. McBurney wrote in his order that if the legislature wants to ban abortion, it must pass a new law “in the sharp glare of public attention that will undoubted ly and properly attend such an important and conse quential debate.”
Cory Isaacson, ACLU legal direc
tor, pointed out that when H.B. 481 was passed, it won by only one vote and “they couldn’t even get all Republicans on board. It was pure political grandstanding” because they knew it wasn’t going to go into effect. “The peo ple who voted for it knew it was unconstitu tional.”
Georgia law reverts to a pre-existing 20week ban, she adds. The guide line provided by Roe v. Wade was based on viability, which is generally around 22 weeks, according to Isaacson.
“I was not surprised” by McBurney’s
“There’s no question that it violates, in particular, Jewish women’s rights,” said ACLU legal director Cory Isaacson, referring to abortion bans.Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that the six-week, state abortion ban, enacted in 2019, was void from the beginning because the Georgia Constitution prohibits the legislature from passing laws that violate federal constitutional precedent.
ruling, Isaacson said, “because I think that is the issue easiest for the judge to rule on. It’s pretty straightforward. This is a judge who understood the weight of the issue before him” and how people were impacted by the law.
Isaacson was surprised, at first, that the state didn’t ask for a stay of decision initially. However, the Friday before Thanksgiving, the state did make that request and the day before Thanksgiv ing, the Georgia Supreme Court granted the stay. “So the ban [against abortion] is back in effect, at least for now. I’m still hopeful that we have a chance to prevail; we still go through the full appellate pro cess. But for now, it’s very disappointing news.”
Isaacson said she is always an op timist as the case heads to the state su preme court. “I think we’re go ing to win. It’s an open and shut legal issue which the courts have reaffirmed.”
Immediate ly after McBur ney’s decision, abortion clinics were fielding dozens of calls from women ea ger to end preg nancies that they may have had to cross state lines to obtain. “They are happy and relieved that they can get care. They were in tears when they were turned away before. The women I have seen are of all ages and ethnicities,” said Dr. Mimi Zieman, co-vice president of advocacy for the Na tional Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section, and an obstetrician and gyne cologist.
least for now.”
NCJW Atlanta Section also released a statement agreeing with McBurney’s ruling, saying that the abortion ban “was clearly unconstitutional when en acted…The ban has caused irreparable harm to Georgia women. We hope that members of the new Georgia legislature understand that an abortion ban is in consistent with the wishes of a vast ma jority of Georgia’s citizens.”
And not only are Georgia’s citizens in favor of abortion rights. “We’ve seen it in races across the country,” said Dr. Zieman. The American College of Ob stetricians and Gynecologists states that “abortion care is essential health care,” as Zieman repeatedly points out. She said that carrying a pregnancy to term comes with a risk of death that can be 40 times greater than the risk associated with early legal abortion. Geor gia already has one of the high est maternal mortality rates in the country.
“As a doctor, as a mother, as a woman and as a Jew are all why it was important to stand up to fight for what I believe,” said Dr. Lisa Haddad, medical director at the Population Council Center for Biomedical Research and an Emory University adjunct associate professor.
“Women in Georgia are twice as likely to die in pregnancy than women on average in the U.S.,” said Dr. Haddad. “Poli cies that restrict abortion hurt women. This is a fact.” Focusing on the Jewish perspective, she added that “abortion access is an is sue of ‘pikuach nefesh,’” which means preservation of life, and this overrides nearly every other commandment.
Stacey Hader Epstein, co-president of the NCJW Atlanta Section, told the AJT, “Speaking on behalf of NCJW At lanta Section and our more than 40 Rab bis/Clergy for Repro across the metro Atlanta area, we are pleased with Judge McBurney’s ruling for it allows women, once again, to make their own decisions about their bodies and healthcare. We know that this struggle over women’s healthcare and abortion care is far from over, but today, we’re cautiously opti mistic that women in Georgia will con tinue to receive the care they seek, at
ACLU’s Isaacson, who describes herself as an observant woman and a member of Congregation Ohr HaTo rah, asserts that there is a “serious reli gious issue” with abortion bans as well. “There’s no question that it violates, in particular, Jewish women’s rights,” she said, noting that halacha, or Jewish law, allows abortion if continuing a pregnan cy impacts the woman’s mental health, unlike H.B. 481.
An Atlanta native, Isaacson said that ACLU is “starting to look at” the re ligious aspect of abortion restrictions. Now with the Fulton County Superior Court’s decision, “hopefully we won’t have to.” ì
By Marcia Caller Jaffe
On Nov. 14, Intown Chabad, under the leadership of Rabbi Eliyahu Schuster man, continued to establish itself as the host to top leaders in Atlanta’s real estate landscape and focused on bringing in the Jewish community to stay on top of trends amidst valuable networking.
During the pre-function hour, Eli Zandman reported that he came to “keep tabs on all things real estate.” Residential agent Alan Smirin remarked, “This is my first time attending a Jewish Business Network event, and I’m finding it to be fantastic!”
Jana Lynn was chatting up her abil ity to loan “hard money” with little wait for real estate deals, by bypassing banks. “Even if the interest rate is a little higher. We do it in-house.”
Juanita Leibu, a native Paraguayan, living and operating out of Roswell, ex ecutes real estate transactions with Uru guayans and explained that she is an architect certified at Israel’s’ Technion Institute. Anat Levinson, dual general manger at the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown, aims to get the hotel actively engaged in the community.
Intown Chabad’s Rabbi Schuster man welcomed the crowd to the Jewish Business Network Real Estate Sympo sium. He began with a relevant Torah in terpretation with the death of Sara, and Abraham pondering a piece of property to buy (for the burial site).
Schusterman explained, “Abraham did not want a hand out…he was explicit to pay top dollar in 400 silver shekels. This was significant because it was the first land transaction in Israel, a real acquisition.” He explained that owning real estate versus renting, especially in the case of a non profit, is unique and changes one’s whole relationship. He continued, “It’s an amaz ing blessing. Since the beginning of time one meaning of “mensh” is owning a home or real estate…tangible or intangible, doing good things, as life is lived here.”
Central Atlanta Progress president A.J. Robinson moderated the panel after sponsor Trey Wilder, president of The Omni Agency, spoke of his role in the night’s event.
The panel was comprised of April Stammel, senior vice president of New port RE, LP; Harvey Wadsworth, manag ing director of Portman Residential; and Aaron Goldman, president of Perennial Properties Inc. Each lent their own exper tise evaluating Atlanta’s growth markets, opportunities, and the state of the econo
my coming out of COVID, while project ing realistic optimism.
Goldman was credited with his tre mendous foresight initially in buying and building multi-family residential projects on the BeltLine, when it was just a bunch of raw railroad tracks. He con trasted, “It’s hard to afford and acquire buildings intown now,” and thus an nounced their new projects heading to the suburbs: Paulding County, Chateau Elan for 55-plus, and downtown Law renceville.
Coming down the pike is their Bag Factory project, East Lake, located near the popular golf club, consisting of four mixed-use buildings near Glenwood Av enue. Goldman was praised by Robin son for his philanthropic work feeding
the homeless. Goldman noted, “One day I was out riding my bike and saw many homeless people and wanted to do some thing, make something better in Atlanta.” His matching charity Open Doors has housed 10,000 people thus far in perma nent stable housing.
Portman’s Wadsworth then shared his thoughts on the market reset. “Costs went up with the stimulus as value de clined,” also eschewing urban develop ment in favor of the suburbs. He said, “We are excited about suburbs like Wood stock that has a walkable downtown.”
Stammel, who specializes with her German firm in the 10 blocks defined as “South Downtown,” explained that Ger many was ahead of the U.S. in sustain ability. “Post-COVID, we are looking at
more outdoor space and extra room in residential for co-working space/desks.”
Robinson noted that to get some thing done expeditiously in the public domain, “We have to have a crisis like the Olympics coming. The World Cup is next, so a lot could get done.”
Rabbi Schusterman recognized E.B. Catering for producing such an awesome buffet with carving stations as “a real taste of New York.” The lineup included grilled vegetables, two colorful seasonal salads, carved turkey, and magnificent cuts of beef. After the program, E.B. daz zled again with fresh carved fruit, mel ons and berries, apple tart a la mode, and deep dark chocolate “dirt” parfaits. Ev eryone was full, literally, and figuratively, with insight. ì
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Paul Root Wolpe, the director of Emo ry University’s Center for Ethics, and one of America’s most distinguished bioethi cists, is taking a new direction in his pro fessional life.
He announced on Nov. 20 that he is working to establish at Emory University a new center dedicated to peace in the Middle East and support for a heightened sense of civic dialogue in America and the world.
The announcement came as Wolpe received the 2022 Tsedek Award from the New Israel Fund in Atlanta. The decision to change course, he said, was hastened re cently when he was asked by his wife what was the one thing he wanted more than anything to do with his life. Wolpe told the audience at the New Israel Fund event that he answered her without even giving it a second thought.
“It felt like a very natural answer to me. I have this deep desire to bring peace and I have a professional life where I teach and understand ethics. And what ties these things together for me is a deeper sense of
justice. I have a strong, perhaps overdevel oped sense of justice,” Wolpe said.
Wolpe disclosed that he has already had discussions about the new center with other formidable Atlanta institutions that are committed to a more just and peaceful world.
Included in that influential group is The Carter Center, which already has a working relationship with Emory, The
King Center for Non-Violent Social Change and the National Center for Civil and Hu man Rights. Wolpe said Emory has agreed to support the new project with a major fundraising effort over the next several years. Wolpe sees his new center as being grounded in Judaism’s sacred calling.
“G-d declared to Jerusalem that Israel will be redeemed only through peace, which of course, means all of us will be redeemed through peace. What loftier ambition could one hope for then to engage in peace build ing, whether it’s one’s home, one’s family, one’s community, or whether it’s peace in the Middle East?”
The question of how to achieve peace between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors was some thing that preoccupied Wolpe in a conversation with the AJT just a few days before his announcement. He de scribed what he has accomplished over the past 14 years at Emory’s Center for Ethics, as more important than ever.
“What the center tries to do domes tically is to broker dialogue, to try to be a safe place for exchanging ideas, whether they’re political or religious or racial or whenever they are. We want to be the place that people can come and speak honestly and freely,” he said.
The new center he is starting could be a way to carry this mission over to the international arena. He mentioned that while, in some respects, Israel, socially and economically, is a model for the world, when it comes to the question of peace there is still much to do.
“I think within the question of Israel-
Palestine relations, there’s a mixed story there. The fundamental question is of jus tice for Palestinians and, by the way, for truly equal treatment of Arab citizens in Israel, of Israeli citizens who happen to be Arab. I think Israel still has a way to go with that.”
Wolpe has been a longtime supporter of the New Israel Fund, which works with over 70 organizations in Israel to build a stronger dialogue with Palestinians and to improve political and cul tural contacts in the region.
The Tsedek Award ceremony was held in the sanctuary of Congrega tion Shearith Israel, where Wolpe is a congregant. Among the speakers honor ing the Emory ethicist was the president of Yale Uni versity, Peter Solovey, and Wolpe’s brother, Rabbi Da vid Wolpe, of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, whom Newsweek Maga zine has called the most influential rabbi in America.
The evening was capped by A.J. Robin son, the Atlanta civic leader who is presi dent of Central Atlanta Progress, vice chair of the National Center for Civil and Hu man Rights, and a member of the board of the Atlanta Council of the New Israel Fund.
In presenting the Tsedek Award, Rob inson described Wolpe as a candidate for what the Talmud described as the “Lamed Vavnick,” the Hidden 36 righteous individ uals whose secret existence guarantees the balance for good in the world and human ity’s continued existence.
“Paul Wolpe’s work and his dedication to so many causes,” Robinson said, “is the closest thing to a ‘Lamed Vavnik’ among us.” ì
By Bob Bahr
The Zalik Foundation, founded four years ago by high tech entrepreneur David Zalik and his wife, Helen, has donated a 10-acre site near the new hospi tal being constructed by Children’s Health Care of Atlanta.
The site, which is val ued at over $34 million, is alongside the northbound I-85 access road adjacent to the billion-dollar main campus that Children’s Healthcare is building on North Druid Hills Road. The Zalik gift, which in cludes two existing office buildings, will be devoted exclusively to the psychological needs of children. The plan is for the health care provider to build what it calls “a transformative cen ter that will innovate the way behavioral and mental health care is delivered in Georgia.”
The Zalik’s bequest was announced just two months after Children’s announced the hiring of Dr. John Constantino as its new director. He is ex pected to oversee the ex pansion of the health care system efforts to increase its psychological services program.
Dr. Constantino, a child psychiatrist, came from St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the Wash ington University School of Medicine’s program in Child and Ado lescent Psychiatry, which he headed. He praised the generosity of the Zaliks for helping to lay the foundation of Children’s new commitment to expanding pediatric mental health.
“With the Zalik’s gift and Children’s deep commitment to impacting the prob lem, our expanding corps of mental health professionals will have a venue in which to meet the community’s ever-increasing needs for child mental health care, in a space that supports recovery and is con ducive to coordinated delivery of the latest innovations in clinical practice.”
Constantino pointed out that, in the last seven years, the number of children needing medical care for behavioral or mental health issues has more than dou bled. The average age of patients is now only 9 years old.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the suicide rate for children increased 60 percent in the state last year. For children between the ages of 10 and 14, it is now the second lead ing cause of death.
It’s statistics like these that gained the attention of Helen Zalik who, in an nouncing the gift, said that the mental health of chil dren is “something that affects everyone, and the crisis is growing exponen tially.”
“We are humbled by this unique opportunity to provide tzedakah to help Children’s further enhance its standing as a healthcare provider at the forefront of an swering the call for help,” Helen Zalik said, “and for it to become a leading model for other children’s hospitals working to ad dress the mental health crisis.”
This is the second large grant that the Zalik Foundation has made this year. In June, they gave The Weber School a $19 million grant to expand its facilities. The new funding will help the school to build an Is rael and Global Education Academy and a Music and Performing Arts Academy that will include a theater building with studios for dance and recorded music.
Last year, David Zalik sold the financial services company he founded, GreenSky, to Goldman Sachs, for $2.24 billion. In October, Bernie Marcus, the co-founder of The Home Depot, declassed that he was helping to mentor the couple as they have expanded their giving.
Marcus told an online audience at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Com munity Center that he was working with the Zaliks to help them master the process of philanthropy that he has practiced over the last 20 years. The goal, according to Marcus, is to make sure that a philanthrop ic gift achieves the outcomes that have been set by the donor.
“The process of giving away money is easy. You write a check. But being involved with it and making sure that it works properly is where the challenge is. I think what he did with Children’s Healthcare was great, a wonderful gift. And I think that’s going to help them a lot. They have the leadership, fortunately. So, when you
give them money, you spell out what you want them to do with that money, and you make sure they do the things you agreed to. That’s the follow up,” Marcus said.
The Zaliks' gift joins a significant proj ect that Marcus funds through his founda tion to support the Marcus Autism Center of Children’s, one of the nation’s most am bitious research and treatment center for the full spectrum of autism disorders in children.
In addition, three years ago, Chil dren’s opened an outpatient clinic to work with youngsters who are experienc ing anxiety, depression, sleeping prob lems, medical adherence, and conduct and behavior challenges. This additional location, funded by the Zalik donation, will help them to expand capacity for treatment and to provide a center for the 200 professionals there for research with community partners. ì
In November 2019, Karen Schatten Shmerling was diagnosed with BRCA 2 at age 61, much to her surprise. She related, “Only because my daugh ter, Michelle, volunteered for a BRCA study held by JSCREEN. JSCREEN has literally saved my life and Michelle’s.”
Michelle is a physi cian’s assistant in oncol ogy at Emory University, the location of JSCREEN. She met all qualifications for the study, no BRCA, no ovarian or breast cancer in the family. So, she said, “Why not take the test?”
After a saliva test three weeks later her results came back, BRCA 2. Michelle will, at some point, prophylactically have her breasts removed and have a hysterec tomy.
BRCA1 (Breast Cancer gene 1) and
BRCA2 (Breast Cancer gene 2) produce proteins that help repair damaged DNA. Everyone has two copies of each of these genes—one copy inherited from each parent.
While the prevalence in the general population is about 0.2 to 0.3 percent (or about 1 in 400), about 2 percent of people of Ash kenazi Jewish descent carry a harmful variant in one of these two genes, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Initially not believing Michelle’s results, Karen and husband, Dr. Ricky Shmerling, anesthesiolo gist, both tested to find that Karen also had the gene. Af ter talking with her breast surgeon and genetic counselor, she chose to have a double mastectomy in 2020. She relayed, “G-d was giving me a second chance to live with the BRCA mutation, as I need ed a hysterectomy after my third child,
Elena, was born. Thirty years ago, BRCA could not be detected so I had no idea this hysterectomy would be saving my life! Elena tested negative for BRCA, thank G-d!”
Surgery is not the only answer. If someone has the gene without cancer, there could be other options. Monitoring every six months, alternat ing between a mammo gram/sonogram and MRI is one course of action. Shmerling added, “Per sonally, I didn’t want that worry every day, so I chose the right decision for me. Recovering from any sur gery is hard, but persis tence for recovery and PT for my upper body gave me the strength I needed to do everything again in three months, including my dancing.” Shmerling is the coach for the WNBA Senior Dream Supreme Dance team. “Thankfully, no more mammograms are needed, and I’m just being monitored for the other things, like the higher incidence of mela noma and pancreatic cancer, that come with this BRCA gene. There are a few lucky people who have BRCA and can go a lifetime without those cancers. I did not want to find out!”
Now, at 64, she is still dancing her team into the 12th year. She concluded, “I encourage everyone, male or female, to do genetic testing. If something comes up, you have the choice before cancer de cides for you.”
JSCREEN can help with ReproGen,
preconception genetic testing and Can cerGen, cancer genetic test for 63 cancers, including BRCA. Contact Karen Grinzaid, (KGrinza@emory.edu), the Executive Di rector/Genetic Counselor for JSCREEN.
(National Cancer In stitute)
* A woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is markedly increased if she inherits a harmful variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2, but the degree of increase varies depending on the muta tion.
* Breast cancer: About 13 percent of women in the general population will develop breast cancer dur ing their lives. By contrast, 55 percent to 72 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 variant and 45 percent to 69 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 variant will develop breast cancer by age 70–80. The risk for any one woman depends on several factors, some of which have not been fully characterized.
* Ovarian cancer: About 1.2 percent of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer sometime during their lives. By contrast, 39 percent to 44 percent of women who inherit a harm ful BRCA1 variant and 11 percent to 17 percent of women who inherit a harm ful BRCA2 variant will develop ovarian cancer by age 70–80. ì
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By Nathan Posner
Only a week and a half after the midterm elections, Republican politi cians flocked to Las Vegas as the Repub lican Jewish Coalition (RJC) held its an nual meeting. With the Georgia runoff still weeks away, the focus was not on winning the last remaining election for many speakers but on arguing for their vision of the future of the Republican party; with a second focus on combatting antisemitism and supporting Israel.
The meeting, seen by some as the first step towards the 2024 presidential primary, provided Republican politicians with a supportive crowd that emulates the crowds necessary to win early pri mary states; although Iowa isn’t quite as Jewish as the Venetian hotel was for the event. With speakers ranging from former President Donald Trump to Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the speakers cov ered the right-wing range of Jewish poli tics in America.
Beginning on Friday night, a Shabbat dinner included several potential candidates for the 2024 race, including for mer Secretary of State Mike Pom peo and former Vice President Mike Pence. The tension eased from the room as Pompeo joked about the up coming prima ries, with Trump being the only announced can didate, saying, “Who knows, the next time we are together we could be on a stage, multiple podiums, who knows…Who knows what nicknames we may have.”
Emulating what would be the energy for the rest of the weekend, as many can didates alluded to what may lie ahead in the coming months while centering their speeches on the issues facing the Jewish community. The main issue of the week end, besides the disappointing recent midterm results, was how to build on the accomplishments of the Trump adminis tration and, as Pompeo said, “reserve the things that are happening to our nation
today.”
Pompeo, along with Pence and Gov. Hogan, on Friday night seemed to lay out versions of what voters in Iowa and New Hampshire may expect to hear in the coming months and years. Almost all the potential 2024 candidates, which also in cluded Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sen. Ted Cruz (RTX), who spoke on Saturday, emulated similar levels of pride in the Trump ad ministration’s accomplish ments while laying out their own visions for the Republican party.
Some of those visions, such as former Gov. Chris Christie’s, more directly lam basted Trump for the party’s disappoint ing election results. Christie directly blamed Trump for the party’s electoral results over the past couple of years, say ing, “Since that night in 2016, politically, as a party, we have done nothing but lose.” He continued, attacking Trump’s picks for candidates to applause at the RJC, saying, “Donald Trump picked can didates with one criterion, only one, not electability, not experience, not wisdom, not charisma, not the ability to govern, but do you believe the 2020 election
was stolen or not.” It was not a shocker to those in the room when, on Saturday afternoon, just prior to President Trump speaking, when a group of podcasters asked for those in the room to cheer for their supported candidate for 2024, that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received the largest cheer.
Trump’s virtual remarks Saturday afternoon were greeted by the crowd with loud applause, as many in the crowd wore Trump branded-yarmulkes and other paraphernalia. Trump’s remarks heavily focused on his administration’s successful efforts to move the Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as well as his with drawal from the Iran nuclear deal. The room was less supportive when Trump repeated one of his favorite claims around Jewish support for Israel, saying that “in the United States, Jewish people don’t ap preciate Israel the way they should. And I’ll tell you who does appreciate Israel very much are the evangelicals because evangelicals are on your side.”
Although the room gave President Trump numerous standing ovations, particularly for leaving the Iran deal and moving the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, Gov. DeSantis also received some of the largest applauses later in the evening for laying out his conservative agenda, which he has enacted in Florida. DeSan tis ingratiated the room early on in his speech, telling a story of how he visited Israel and collected water from the Sea of Galilee which was used to baptize all his children. He also boasted of Republican victories in Florida, particularly amongst Jewish voters, as he noted, “We won the highest share of the Jewish vote for any
Republican candidate in Florida history.”
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, also seen as a potential 2024 can didate, received applause during her speech both for her conservative lead ership in South Carolina as governor as well as for supporting Israel at the United Nations. Haley rebutted Christie, and argued for herself as a potential 2024 candidate, telling the crowd, “I disagree we had weak candidates…I disagree our losses were due to one person…There is a self-loathing sweeping across America… if Biden succeeds in getting the Iran Deal passed, the next president will shred it her first day in office.” Even with some di vision over Trump’s recently announced candidacy
elections, the Republican Jewish Coali tion did bring together a wide variety of conservatives as they prepare for the up coming Georgia runoff and beyond.
Elan Carr, former Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating antisemi tism under President Donald Trump, told the AJT that the event was inspiring, and would help energize the Republican group to galvanize Jewish support for candidates in upcoming elections, say ing, “It’s inspiring, it’s energizing for all of us, you feel the energy in the room, and look, after a conference like this, we’re ready to go forth and, and affect our country and make America stronger and make Israel stronger.”
Even though the coalition is based around supporting Re publican can didates, issues that go beyond the division of party lines like combatting an tisemitism were discussed heav ily at the event, as Carr said, “It’s very easy to find Jewish unity in a conference of a Republican Jew ish Coalition. Of course, the Jew ish community is a lot broader than this…I think it’s very, very important that we do our part, not preaching to the choir or going out and winning converts…the fact is, no matter what party you’re in, no matter what kind of ideological worldview you subscribe to, the Jewish people have to unite around basic principles of Jewish safety, and fighting antisemitism, and standing against the new anti-Israel, the
vicious hostility and hatred of the State of Israel, and of Zionism, and even of Jew ish people.”
Although it only supports Republican candidates, the RJC conference showed that there is no shortage of support for the Jewish people amongst many of the Republican party’s top politicians, even as some in the party have come under fire for antisemitic remarks, such as Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Matt Brooks, executive director of the RJC, explained that the RJC is already in the process of “redeploying our entire field staff” to Georgia, as they prepare for the upcoming runoff. Sam Markstein, RJC’s national political direc tor, laid out the RJC’s efforts in Georgia even further, saying, “RJC volunteers are already on the ground con ducting extensive Jewish grassroots outreach efforts, with an empha sis on the week of Nov. 28, when early voting be gins. RJC will be working hard through Dec. 6 to elect Herschel Walker to the Senate.”
This year’s conference, ef fectively dubbed the “Kosher cattle call” by former White House Communications Director Ari Fleischer, cemented the fact that the Re publican party is heavily courting the traditionally Democratic-leaning base of Jewish voters, as the party’s top brass attempted to get support from the coali tion’s members ahead of the ever-ap proaching 2024 primary. ì
Georgia is rarely mentioned among the states where the Jewish vote can in fluence a statewide election.
That said, Jewish Georgians could play an out-sized role in the Dec. 6 U.S. Senate runoff between incumbent Dem ocrat Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
The general election vote was close, with roughly 37,600 votes — out of 3.93 million cast — separating Warnock’s 49.44 percent from Walker’s 48.49. It was the 2.07 percent garnered by Libertarian Chase Oliver that prevented either from reaching the majority necessary to win under Georgia law. Voters registered by Nov. 7 are eligible to cast ballots in the runoff.
Early voting statewide began Mon day, Nov. 28 and ends Friday, Dec. 2. The deadline for requesting an absentee or mail-in ballot was Nov. 28 and those bal lots must be received by county election offices by 7 p.m. on Dec. 6. Polls open at 7 a.m. on Dec. 6 and close at 7 p.m.
Unofficial results already give Democrats 50 seats in the Senate when the 118th Congress convenes in January, with Vice President Kamala Harris hold ing the tie-breaking vote. A Warnock victory would add a 51st, a cushion if a Democrat breaks ranks and votes with Republicans. A Walker victory would maintain the current party balance.
The Georgia secretary of state reported that 57 percent of 7 mil lion active eli gible voters cast ballots on Nov. 8. In a similarly close runoff, the votes of even a small segment of the population could prove criti cal.
Georgia’s Jewish popula tion usually is estimated at about 130,000 — 1.2 percent of the state’s population — though the American Jewish Year Book pegs the figure at 141,000 for 2022.
Using the 130,000 figure, Census data suggests that nearly 92,000 are of
voting age. Researchers say that Jews vote in presidential elections in the range of 80 percent. If all Jewish adults in Georgia were registered and if — for argument’s sake — two-thirds voted in the runoff, that would yield 60,700 po tential Jewish votes, a figure far in excess of the margin separating Warnock and Walker.
National surveys find that upwards of 70 percent of Jewish Americans sup port Democratic candidates, but con versations with politically engaged members of the community suggest that that split in Georgia may be closer to 60 percent.
Whatever the balance, Jewish votes are votes that Warnock and Walker will want.
Michael Rosenzweig, an Atlanta attorney and a national vice president of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, remained optimistic about Warnock’s chances of winning a full, six-year term in the Senate. “I think there’s good reason to believe that War nock will do even better with the Jewish vote than he did in the general election,” Rosenzweig said.
That belief stems in large measure from results of the general election. In winning a second term as governor, Re publican Brian Kemp outpolled Walker by more than 203,000 votes, suggesting that a significant number of Repub licans may have voted for Warnock.
“We aim to reach out to all of the Democrats and independents and some Republicans, particularly Re publican women,” Rosenzweig said, citing Warnock’s appeal on such is sues as safeguard ing democracy, abortion rights, and responding to antisemitism and extremism.
Republicans recognize the need to identify and contact voters who voted for Kemp and Warnock. “We are trying to figure that out and those are the people that we are going to talk to,” said Betsy Kramer, a long-time member of the Republican Jewish Committee and
a former vice-chair of the Fulton County Republican Party.
Chuck Berk, co-chair of the Repub lican Jewish Coalition chapter in Atlan ta, said, “Jews are concerned about the same issues as the general public. If you are concerned with higher prices for food, heating your home, gas prices and general inflation, then you need to vote for Walker, who will stop all the reck less spending in Washington, tril lions of dollars.” He added migrants en tering the country illegally and drug trafficking to the list.
“If you are con cerned about Is rael, then you need to support Walker, who agrees with the Abraham Accords and will fight for all of the pro-Israel policies of the pre vious administration,” Berk said. “War nock supports Biden’s efforts to broker a new Iran deal and loosen sanctions on
Iran, a country that is supplying drones and military equipment to the Russians in their fight with Ukraine.”
Rosenzweig said of Warnock, “He’s had a very strong record on being proIsrael. He’s really kept that prom ise.”
A full-page advertisement placed in the Nov. 15 edition of the AJT by the Democratic Ma jority for Israel’s political action committee called Warnock “a proIsrael champion in Congress.” The ad stated that Warnock “Fought to en sure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weap on” and “Worked to expand the historic Abra ham Accords,” while also supporting $3.8 billion in annual U.S. aid to Israel; opposing the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, and speaking out against acts of antisemitism. ì
Dave Chappelle’s recent comedy routine on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) about Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, the Jewish community and Hollywood power brokers has been criti cized by many since Chapelle’s appear ance on the NBC late night show.
Jonathan Green blatt, chief executive officer of the Anti-Defa mation League tweeted, “We shouldn’t expect @ DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral com pass but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popular ize #antisemitism. Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”
Dov Wilker, the regional director for American Jewish Committee Atlanta, acknowledged comedians have greater leeway in what they can say, though he understands the concern in the Jewish community, particularly during a time when antisemitism is on the rise.
Wilker pointed to three key take aways he found from Chappelle’s mono logue. First, he challenged Chappelle’s claim that Jews blame antisemitism on Black Americans. “Particu larly at a time when both groups should be united, this statement is simply false and divi sive,” Wilker said. Sec ond, Chappelle’s con tention about Jewish control of Hollywood plays into the centuriesold trope about Jews. “While many Jews are in prominent positions, they are not all sitting in a room controlling what happens,” said Wilker. Third and prob ably most important, he added, “The im pact of social media should not be taken lightly.” The posts and comments about Chappelle’s stand-up routine are the most concerning, according to Wilker.
Longtime Atlanta funnyman Jerry Farber believes that Chappelle went too
far; yet at the same time, he believes some in the Jewish community need to be con scious of their own words. Now living in Columbus, Farber hopes to organize a town hall gathering for “people of good faith” to have discussions of substance about topics that matter regarding reli gion and race.
“Isn’t it ironic 60 million casualties happened in World War II and now we are allies with Japan and Ger many? My hope is that if we can have more conversations instead of just shutting down people like Chappelle, it can be more produc tive long-term,” shared Farber.
A political activist for many years, Farber does not believe Chap pelle is antisemitic, but that his stand-up routine, while inappro priate, may have been created to provoke a reaction, much like Lenny Bruce did in the 1960s. “Chappelle is at the top of his game and maybe want ed to do some saber rattling,” said Farber.
Cheryl Feingold Dorchinsky, execu tive director of the Atlanta Israel Coali tion, a non-partisan organization formed to combat antisemitism and anti-Zion ism, said, “The truth is Chappelle may be right. If Ye had apolo gized, there would have been less of an impact on his career. Instead, he continued, causing many to question his mental health. It is not acceptable, however, to normalize hate toward the Jewish people, as Chappelle did in his monologue. He crossed the line.”
Feingold Dorchin sky, who said she does not support cancel cul ture, does not endorse hate speech either. She recognized the fine line comedians must walk and mentioned that Jews are not the first and probably will not be the last minority group Chap pelle insults. Her recommendation is that people write and call “SNL” with their comments and concerns. Page Six reported that a source at the late-night
show indicated that Chappelle did a fake monologue during the dress rehearsal because he did not want Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, or anyone else to know what his real monologue would be for the live perfor mance.
On the national front, comedian Jon Stewart, a good friend of Chappelle’s, encour aged a productive con versation and further dialogue during his ap pearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Col bert.” Elaborating on his point of view, Stew art said, “I don’t believe that censorship and penalties are the way to end antisemitism or to gain understanding. I don’t believe in that. I think it’s the wrong way to approach it.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote his upcoming book, “The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book” (Simon & Schuster), Jerry Sein feld responded to questions about Chap pelle’s routine. “I did think the comedy
was well-executed, but I think the sub ject matter calls for a conversation that I don’t think I’d want to have in this venue. It provokes a conversation which hope fully is productive,” said Seinfeld. When asked if he would have that conversation with Chappelle personally, as a friend, he replied, “I don’t have a close relationship with him. We’re friends and it’s not a close relation ship.”
During the 15-min ute monologue, Chap pelle specifically touched on a myriad of subjects, including Donald Trump, privi lege, Ye’s tweet about going Def Con3 on the Jews, Adidas dropping Ye as a result of his words, Kyrie Irving and, toward the end, mentioned, “It shouldn’t be this scary to talk about anything.”
Chappelle’s full stand-up routine can be seen at https://www.nbc.com/sat urday-night-live/video/dave-chappellestand-up-monologue/NBCE388613516. ì
During his April 2007 bar mitzvah at Congrega tion Albert in Albuquerque, N.M., Alex Bregman had just finished reciting his To rah portion known as “Tazria-Metzora” and was diving into his speech. About halfway through the six-page, double-spaced document, he took a slight pause and slowly articulated his core message.
“When I think about the future and how I can make a difference in the world, I want to be able to use my love of the game of baseball to be a good exam ple and a good person,” the 13-year-old, decked in a snazzy pin-striped suit, de clared. “I want to be a professional ath lete who plays for the love of the game, never quits trying to give my best and is a good role model for all of the kids who look up to baseball players.”
A decade and a half later, a 28-yearold Bregman, now a two-time World Se ries champion for the dynastic Houston Astros, who prevailed over the Philadel phia Phillies in this year’s Series, has established himself as the premier Jew ish slugger of his generation, one whom countless young ball players of all faiths look up to. Not to mention, some of his very own teammates.
“He [Bregman] is one of the leaders on our team,” said Houston outfielder Chas McCormick. “I think a lot of people look up to him as a leader. It’s hard not to. He works super hard. He cares so much. He loves the game. He loves working hard. He comes to the ballpark everyday [think ing of] how can he find a way to be a better player, be a better teammate. He’s always doing his homework after the game, be fore the game. How he controls the zone, plate discipline wise, how smart he is up there—you try to learn off of him.
“He’s had such a good year. He struggled a little bit maybe in the begin ning of the season, but after that he just caught fire and has been so consistent.
He’s played almost every game this year. It was cool to see him really want to play every single day. And there were times where coaches wanted to give him an off day and he’s like, ‘No, I want to play. I don’t want an off day.’ I have enjoyed watching him want to play every single night.”
The two-time All-Star third base man—and new dad to his adorable son, Knox—is not even 30 (he turns 29 in March) and has already played in four World Series and six American League Championship Series (ALCS). Calling Bregman a modern-day Al Rosen, the highly productive third baseman who anchored Cleveland Indians’ lineups in the mid-20th century, seems reasonable.
Perhaps if he stays in good health— something that eluded him in 2021 when a strained left quadriceps cut short his regular season by two months and may have contributed to a subpar World Se ries performance against the Atlanta Braves—and continues to play in the postseason on an annual basis, his Hall of Fame candidacy could one day be a topic of conversation.
“Well, he [Bregman] didn’t have a very good October last year,” admitted Astros manager Dusty Baker, who is like ly bound for Cooperstown himself one day. “But last year he was hurt on and off most of the season, and I was always told that when you start off hurt or you’re hurt during the course of the season, you’re playing catchup most of the time. This year I think the fact that he played 150-something games and he was in the lineup every day and healthy and his legs were good. Alex Bregman lives for this.
I mean he expects it from himself. He expects it from his teammates. He loves being in this position. He expects us and expects himself to win.”
During Game 2 of the ALCS against the Yankees last month, Bregman launched a three-run blast, setting the record for most postseason home runs by a third baseman. A few nights later, he cracked a go-ahead single in the seventh inning of an ALCS-clinching, 6-5, Game 4 win. All told, no other third baseman in MLB history, not even Chipper Jones, has driven in more runs in October than Bregman’s grand total of 47.
Although his career postseason aver age only stands at .237, he is signed to a long-term contract with the perennially contending Astros, a club that has found worthy replacements for erstwhile fran chise cornerstones Carlos Correa and George Springer with Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez, respectively, and should have more and more opportunities to pad his postseason power stats.
Following Houston’s 5-2 win in Game 2 of the World Series to avoid go ing down 2-0 to Philadelphia, Bregman, who had smoked a clutch two-run fifthinning homer, acknowledged what many baseball fans were surely thinking: this was, quite simply, as good as it gets. After all, his Astros were three wins away from a second world championship in five years, and one that, at least in the eyes of many fans, would be their first legitimate title untarnished by the infamous signstealing scandal.
“Yeah, in all honesty though,” he said, “this is probably the most fun I ever had playing baseball.” ì
Chanukah is right around the corner, so gift giving is likely at the top of mind for many AJT readers. Read on to find a selec tion of sports-themed books written by Jewish authors that could make for great gifts this season for the sports enthusiast in your family.
on Ted Williams, including one about his favorite passion—fishing), he doesn’t over look the modern-day legacy players such as Derek Jeter, Frank Thomas, Mariano Ri vera, Greg Maddux, and Cal Ripken Jr., to name a few.
"Baseball’s Best Ever" is not for statobsessed fans looking for more insight into the profound impact data analytics has had on the sport. There is relatively little space devoted to chronicling statistical achievements. Rather, Berkow, a master in narrative nonfiction, has selected columns that bring to life his morally complex char acters, who, for better or worse in some cases, have left their imprint on main stream culture.
Readers are reminded of how slugger Frank Thomas wasn’t satisfied making $7 million per year for the Chicago White Sox while his contemporary and divisional op ponent, Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins, graciously accepted that his teamfriendly contract was never commensu rate with his tremendous production. Did you know that Hall of Fame catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez was called up to the big leagues on the day he was supposed to get married and had to postpone the wedding? You will after reading Berkow’s latest book, the 26th of his prolific writing career.
est work, “The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson.” Indeed, readers of this wildly entertaining Bo Jackson biography will be thankful that The New York Times bestselling author conducted such dogged research, as is his wont.
indeed.
Pearlman, a former Sports Illustrated scribe hailed as a “master storyteller” by NPR.org, also gets waist-deep into the sig nificant challenges Jackson endured grow ing up in an impoverished, single-parent Alabama household. While nearly every thing on the athletic fields was a breeze, the same couldn’t be said for the classroom, where Jackson struggled with a stutter that was largely ignored by teachers. Years lat er, as an undergrad at Auburn University, Jackson faced intense racism from coaches and fellow students—even while he was es tablishing himself as arguably the school’s most accomplished athlete. And then as a budding two-sport professional, Bo was of ten ridiculed by journalists and fans alike who thought a dual MLB and NFL career was merely a fantasy.
“Big-league baseball is subtle; cloaked in summer languor, moving with the slow, supple grace of a ballerina practicing back stage, yet taut and technical in its skills. To view a baseball game and appreciate it takes concentration.”
And thus begins Ira Berkow’s “Base ball’s Best Ever: A Half Century of Cover ing Hall of Famers,” a collection of articles and feature stories by the longtime New York Times sports columnist and former Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. “In Base ball’s Best Ever,” Berkow, however, does more than wax poetic about America’s pastime. The legacy sportswriter provides readers with some of his most memorable baseball articles that graced the pages of the national feature syndicate Newspaper Enterprise Association and, later, The New York Times.
That the stories actually encompass more than a half century of spectatorship (1967 to 2022) means readers of multiple generations can relate to the tales. While Berkow includes stories on long-deceased Hall of Famers (there are several pieces
As a decades-long scribe for the Times and current NYC resident, Berkow may be a New Yorker through and through, but his latest book covers all corners of America with colorful vignettes on dozens of Hall of Famers, including the likes of Harmon Kil lebrew, Al Kaline, Rod Carew, Nolan Ryan, and Johnny Bench. Of course, Berkow also pays homage to the recently departed Hank Aaron and Phil Niekro by inserting past feature stories on their respective ca reers. Clearly, Berkow has gone to his fair share of Cooperstown Induction Week ends as he shares many anecdotes on being around the game’s titanic figures.
For a sport that is evolving fast—next summer we can no longer say “there’s no clock in baseball” —"Baseball’s Best Ever" provides a sweet look-back at how the national pastime continued to captivate America through decades of war, political turmoil, economic uncertainty, and natu ral disasters.
Jeff Pearlman, the author of "Show time," the genesis for HBO’s show, ‘Win ning Time’ on the 1980s Lakers dynasty, conducted over 700 interviews for his lat
For all of Jackson’s otherworldly ath letic exploits—and there were quite a few for the Auburn Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Raid ers—his multi-sport career was truncated early due to a devastating hip injury in curred during a January 1991 AFC division al playoff game against the Cincinnati Ben gals. Such transient professional stardom, according to Pearlman, accounts for many a sport historian and fan overlooking his immense impact on the playing fields. But it is important they don’t. In fact, there is a compelling case to be made that Jackson, an NFL Pro Bowler, MLB All-Star, Heisman Trophy winner, and high school track and field legend, is the greatest athlete who ever roamed the Earth. Put another way, who else could leap over a parked Volkswagen and run a 4.13 second, 40-yard dash?
Though Jackson was a superhero streaking across the landscape of Ameri can sports and popular culture as the first athlete to concurrently star in two major American pro sports leagues, relatively little of his private life was ever chronicled. Further complicating matters, because he assumed this larger-than-life Paul Bunyan persona, there’s an untold number of tall tales about Bo Jackson (Pearlman confirms some while debunking others), including the story that during the 1991 flight that nearly killed every member of the Chicago White Sox, he was in the cockpit trying to help land the aircraft safely. A “folk hero”
For younger readers who never saw Jackson bolt across the gridiron or scale outfield fences, “The Last Folk Hero” is an important sports biography that pays hom age to a former celebrity athlete who, since retiring from the California Angels after the 1994 season, has largely eschewed pub lic attention. Meanwhile, even the most die hard Bo Jackson fans will learn new things about the book’s mythical subject — who knew Jackson had a bit part as a prison guard in the 1994 flick "The Chamber"? — after reading over 400 pages of endlessly fascinating anecdotes.
By David Maraniss (Publisher: Simon & Schuster)
David Maraniss, associate editor at The Washington Post, has authored some
magnificent biographies, most notably those of Bill Clinton, Vince Lombardi, and Roberto Clem ente. His latest biographical masterpiece, “Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe,” recounts the heroic, and at times tragic, story of an American icon often criminally overlooked in the annals of sports history.
Born in 1887, in the Indian Territory of what later became Oklahoma, Thorpe emerged as the world’s most versatile athlete by earning gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics; becoming an All-Amer ican football player at the Carlisle Indian School en route to headlining the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; and playing in the major leagues for John McGraw’s New York Giants. For good measure, he was also a supremely talented ballroom dancer, swimmer, and ice skater.
Yet, as Maraniss deftly illustrates in this ex haustively researched tome, Thorpe’s life wasn’t only one marked by glory and adulation. His twin brother, Charlie, died of typhoid at age nine. As a proud member of the Sac and Fox nation, Thorpe was, for many years as a student at Carlisle, the victim of the racist assimilationist ideology, “Kill the Indian, save the man.”
Later, as a young man, he was eventually stripped of the aforementioned Olympic gold med als when it was revealed that he had competed in the Olympics while playing minor league baseball; his longtime Carlisle football coach, the legendary Pop Warner, notoriously refused to come to his de fense. In Thorpe’s day, star athletes did not make a fortune and he was certainly no exception. In his later years, Thorpe was at times destitute while battling alcoholism and going through failed mar riages before ultimately succumbing to a heart at tack at the age of 64 in his trailer home in Lomita, Calif.
Maraniss’s masterful storytelling skills not only manifest themselves in his riveting descrip tions of Thorpe’s athletic feats, whether they be on the gridiron, ballfield, or track, but also in his vivid account of the federal government forcefully relo cating members of the Sac and Fox community to accommodate the white Oklahoma frontiers men’s insatiable quest for geographical expan sion. Even though Thorpe entered adulthood over a century ago, Maraniss unearthed never-beforeseen primary sources to poignantly chronicle the injustices faced by Thorpe and his people.
Undoubtedly, “Path Lit by Lightning” high lights some uncomfortable truths about turn-ofthe-century America, particularly in the section on Thorpe’s stay at the Carlisle Indian School, where, according to Maraniss, “the focus was more on forced acculturation than on education and the methods were crude, cruel, and dehuman izing.”
Because it tackles such a wide range of weighty subjects, “Path Lit by Lightning” is not a sports biography in the traditional sense. Surely, it contains an in-depth narrative detailing Thorpe’s unparalleled athleticism but perhaps more impor tantly, a brutally honest account of how a comingof-age America was often much less noble than the book’s protagonist. ì
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Israel’s largest hospital has signed a strategic cooperation deal to develop new health technology with scientists in the United Arab Emirates.
Sheba Medical Center officials rati fied a memorandum of understanding with G42 Healthcare, a large Abu Dhabibased health-tech company focused on artificial intelligence-based innovations.
Speaking from a signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Yoel Har Even, direc tor of Sheba’s international department, said that the agreement is one of the biggest steps to advance medicine since Israel and the UAE normalized their ties through the 2020 Abraham Accords.
“Israel has a lot to offer the region, including our entrepreneurship and in novative approach, and we can learn and benefit from the UAE, who are lead ers in AI and tech production,” Har Even told The Times of Israel. “This agree ment is all about two-way collaboration.
“The Abraham Accords presented a new paradigm for Sheba to implement its vision of providing ‘hope without borders.’ This agreement realizes our
Nov. 30, 1947: The U.N. partition vote the previous day not only sparks violence between Jews and Arabs in Palestine, but also leads to riots against Jews in such cities as Aleppo, Damascus, Cairo, Beirut and Aden.
commitment to both support and learn from our neighbors in the Middle East.”
Masa Israel Journey — the global leader in facilitating long-term pro grams in Israel for Jewish young adults, founded in 2004 by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and The Jewish Agen cy — hosted their “Live Your Journey” opening year event for Masa Fellows, alumni, partners and community mem
bers in Holon, Israel on Nov. 7. The event celebrated the start of the 2022-2023 programming year and Masa’s 19th year of programming.
More than 3,000 attendees en joyed a special performance by Israeli rock band Full Trunk and heard from Chairman of the Executive at The Jew ish Agency for Israel, Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, Director General of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs Tziona Koenig-Yair, and Masa’s CEO Ofer Gut man. The Board of Governors of the Jew ish Agency and Israeli government rep resentatives were among the audience.
The “Live Your Journey” themed event exposed new fellows to different aspects of Israeli culture that will be a significant part of their lives during their Masa program.
Chairman of the Executive at The Jewish Agency for Israel Major General (Res.) Doron Almog said: “At this time in history – where the challenges of our time tend to blind us to the great accomplishments and opportunities – I see you, Masa Fellows, as being that op portunity to bring Israel closer to the Jewish people and to pass on the deep connection you have with your Judaism
Dec. 8, 1885: Joseph Sprinzak, the first speaker of the Knesset and an interim presi dent, is born in Moscow. He helps establish many institutions that form the state’s foun dation, such as the Histadrut labor federa tion.
and the Jewish people to your peers and greater social circles. And mostly, I hope you will use this profound connection to lead your communities into a thriving Jewish future.”
Dec. 1, 1973: Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, dies at the Tel HaShomerSheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv at age 87 a few weeks after suffering a stroke. He is bur ied at Sde Boker beside his wife, Paula.
Dec. 2, 2001: During the Second Intifa da, a plumber from Nablus detonates an ex plosive device on a No. 16 Egged bus in Haifa, killing himself and 15 other passengers and injuring 35 others.
Dec. 3, 1969: Hebrew University archae ologist Nahman Avigad announces the re sults of his excavation of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, shedding light on nine stages of the city’s history.
Dec. 4, 2004: Prime Minister Ariel Sha ron dismisses five members of Tommy La pid’s Shinui from the Cabinet because of the secular party’s opposition to a budget that Lapid says underfunds basic needs to boost Haredi education.
Dec. 5, 1949: Prime Minister David BenGurion declares in a Knesset speech that “Jewish Jerusalem is an organic, inseparable part of the State of Israel” and that Israel will not give up sovereignty over its “eternal capi tal.”
Dec. 6, 2007: An Israeli excavation dis covers the remains of a 2,000-year-old man sion in the Old City of Jerusalem that is be lieved to have belonged to Queen Helene of Adiabene, who died in Jerusalem around 55 C.E.
Dec. 7, 1953: Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, announces his resignation and retirement to Kibbutz Sde Boker in the Negev. He is succeeded by fellow Mapai member Moshe Sharett, the foreign minister.
Dec. 9, 1987: Riots erupt in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in response to a fatal army truck crash the previous day, marking the start of the First Intifada. The violence kills 900 Palestinians and 100 Israelis by the end of 1991.
Dec. 10, 2000: Prime Minister Ehud Barak submits his resignation and calls for a special election as the Second Intifada flares. He hopes for a national vote of confidence in a direct election against Ariel Sharon but wins only 37% of the votes.
Dec. 12, 1920: The General Federation of Jewish Labor, known as the Histadrut, is founded in Haifa to serve as an independent trade union for Jewish workers in Palestine. David Ben-Gurion is elected secretary-gener al in 1921.
Dec. 13, 1949: Reuven Shiloah, a For eign Ministry special operations officer, is assigned the task of launching and leading the Institute for Collating and Coordinating Intelligence Operations, commonly known as the Mossad.
Dec. 11, 1947: Arthur Creech Jones, the British colonial secretary, opens a Commons debate about Palestine by revealing that the British Mandate will end May 15, 1948, and that all British troops will be withdrawn by Aug. 1.
Dec. 14, 1981: The Knesset votes 63-21 in favor of surprise legislation to annex the Go lan Heights — captured in 1967 — and apply Israeli law there in place of military admin istration. The Labor Party boycotts the vote.
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Educa tion (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
By Jan Jaben-Eilon
In a surprisingly candid conversation, the outgoing Israeli Minister of Diaspora Af fairs Nachman Shai expressed fear for the relationship between his country and the American Jewish community in the wake of Israel’s recent election.
Speaking from Israel in a webinar sponsored by the Department of Interna tional Affairs at the University of Georgia (UGA), Shai told a group of students and a few dozen virtual participants that some of the statements by Knesset members who are expected to join the governing coalition government “scare” him.
“I’m awfully concerned about Israel and its relationship with the American Jewish community,” Shai said in response to a question from Eli Sperling, the Israel Institute Teaching Fellow at UGA. Shai and Sperling once taught alongside each other at Emory University. Shai said that Israel is “recovering from this election” that was held Nov. 1 that, he said, would “affect Israel/ world, Israel/U.S. and Israel/Jewish Diaspo ra relations.”
Of the two parties considered on the left of the political spectrum, only one re mains, Shai’s Labor Party, and it will have only four members sitting in the Knesset. Shai won’t be a member of the next Knesset. This once governing party, the movement of David Ben Gurion, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin, held as many as 50 of the 120 Knesset seats at one point.
“My personal challenge is to try and help form a new political movement based on the remnants of the left-leaning parties,” Shai said during the discussion entitled, “What is going on in Israeli politics?” He said it is necessary to “fill the void,” result ing in one-third of the Israeli population no longer being represented in the Knesset. His dream, which he called realistic, is for the 300,000 Israelis who voted for the leftwing parties to create a new party that, along with other smaller parties, would then rep resent as many as 400,000 Israelis, equally approximately 10 to 12 Knesset seats.
The former brigadier general of the Israel Defense Forces cited two particular concerns about the anticipated makeup of the next coalition government. The Reli gious Zionism slate garnered 14 seats in the recent election and is expected to partner with former Prime Minister Benjamin Ne tanyahu’s Likud Party with 32 seats and two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, which held a combined 18 seats. Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Netanyahu with establishing the next gov ernment on Nov. 13. He has 28 days to suc
ceed at that endeavor.
Two members of Religious Zionism, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, are especially concerning, indicated Shai. The former hopes to become the next public security minister, responsible for the police who more than once investigated him, and eventually convicted him of incitement. Smotrich, who wants to become the next defense minister, had also been arrested of a charge of terrorism.
Ben-Gvir split his Otzma Yehudit, Jew ish Power, Party from the Religious Zionism bloc on Nov. 18.
According to Shai, the U.S. government has indicated that it won’t cooperate with the two potential ministers. “They don’t trust them very much,” he said.
The other issue that Shai said may come between Israel and American Jews is the fact that “the majority of the next coali tion will be ultra-Orthodox or Orthodox” which don’t respect the Reform and Conser vative Jewish denominations, comprising the majority of American Jews. He referred to the fact that in a previous Netanyahu government, an agreement was reached to allow egalitarian prayers at the Kotel, or Western Wall, then was reversed by the Or thodox parties in the coalition.
American Jews, Shai said “felt betrayed by the government of Israel.” While the Ko tel is “just a symbol” to most Israeli Jews, it is the “center of Jewish life for many of you,” he said, speaking to the American Jewish community. “Already there’s a divide be tween you and us. We are getting farther apart from each other.” He called it a poten tial “tragedy.”
Shai did not mention that future coali tion partners have stated that they want to override the Supreme Court’s ruling that recognized Reform and Conservative con versions to Judaism and possibly cancel the “grandchild clause” that allows a grandchild of a Jew to immigrate to Israel.
In answer to questions from his audi ence, the former Israeli Institute Visiting Professor at Emory also spoke about the potential “end of the Zionist dream.” He believes that Israel must separate from the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank for the country to remain a Jewish and demo cratic state. “We should find the framework in which they will live their lives and we live ours” with security, he said.
Between the Jordan River and the Med iterranean Sea, there are already an equal number of Jews and Arabs. If the two peo ples aren’t separated, Shai said, Israel would no longer be a Zionist, Jewish or democratic state. In response to a student’s question, he added, “I don’t see any chance” of Netanya
“We are getting farther apart from each other,” said Nachman Shai, Israel’s outgoing Minister of Diaspora Affairs, warning of the divides between Israel and American Jews.
hu doing anything to change that possible outcome.
In the waning days of the current Is raeli government, reflecting Shai’s concern about Israel’s relationship with the Ameri can Jewish community, his ministry signed a $2.3 million partnership with the Reform Movement to focus on pro-Israel advocacy among high school students in the U.S. “We feel there’s a lack of knowledge” among the
younger generation, he said.
Answering a question from the AJT about the project, Shai said the Conservative Movement will soon join that agreement. He doesn’t expect the change of governing coalitions to impact this ambitious initia tive.
“The money is there, and I hope it will be implemented. In principle, it is irrevers ible.” ì
I remem ber two things from a dinner not long after my 60th birth day.
counted a former co-worker’s lament “that in our lifetimes the average Ameri can would not experience spaceflight,” a prospect that fueled the imagination of countless children in the 1960s.
Dave Schechter
My wife was out of town, so I was solo with three other couples. As the meal progressed, the hostess and I, without paying too much attention, bit by bit, nibbled our way through a choco late babka.
The other memory relates to emo tional distress I was feeling about that milestone birthday. Internally, I was hearing alarm bells, warnings about time expended and time remaining.
I quietly mentioned this to the man seated to my right, who was several years older. He acknowledged hearing similar bells when he turned 60; it’s nat ural, he said.
These events came to mind during a friend’s 60th birthday party.
This is a guy who does not fit my notion of what 60 looks like. Of course, what 60 is supposed to look like changes as you age. As a teen, 60-years-old seems ancient. It steady becomes less so as you pass 30 or 45.
I remember looking carefully at my father on his 60th birthday, less than three weeks before my 21st. Thinking back, he looked older than I remember feeling when I reached 60. I can only imagine what my children have thought as I’ve aged.
Something my mother-in-law, then in her early- to mid-70s, said a dozen or so years ago has stuck with me, a com ment that I think was prompted by an article she read about the future of hy personic air travel.
Oh, the things you’ll see in your life time, she said.
As I approached and marked my 60th birthday, I remembered her words and found myself considering the tech nological advances during my life and envisioning those that my children and perhaps their children will behold.
That can make you a bit wistful.
My first column for the AJT, in Feb ruary 2015, was titled, “Not in My Life time.” Though it dealt primarily with the chances for a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, I also re
Not long ago, I empathized when a younger friend admitted feeling a de gree of sorrow at the realization that he now was older than the athletes he watches on television. It happens to all of us, I chuckled, remembering that mo ment in my life and thinking it a note worthy marker on my timeline.
More difficult is accepting that there are subjects about which you not only know little but also are unlikely to devote the time necessary to learn, that there are books you are unlikely to read, trips you’re unlikely to take, and experi ences you’re unlikely to have.
On the other hand, there are sub jects you will study, books you will read, trips you will take, and experiences that you will have.
Aging teaches the importance of focusing on what you will do and can do and can accomplish, rather than succumbing to dejection over what you will not or cannot do. Along with that comes an awareness that it is important to invest your time and energy in areas where you can be effective and an un derstanding that some issues will not be solved today, but in a tomorrow possibly beyond your horizon.
At my friend’s 60th birthday party, he was roasted, gently, by friends of several decades standing and one made more recently. Long-term friends come with a common base of reference, of shared experiences and memories. A friend of only a couple years spoke in heartfelt tones about how fortunate he felt to form a such a friendship at this stage of life. In a restaurant full of men and women of roughly the same vintage many heads nodded in agreement.
And the eyes of more than one per son in the room moistened when the guest of honor was overcome by emo tion as he thanked everyone for coming. I have the best seat in the house, and everyone should get to experience that feeling, he said.
When we next get together, I’ll ask if he’s heard any of those alarm bells and, if he has, assure him that the feel ing is natural and provides a valuable opportunity to assess, to gain the kind of perspective that simply is not possible when you’re younger. ì
The AJT welcomes your letters. If you would like your letter to be published, please write 200 words or less, include your name, phone number and email, and send it to editor@atljewishtimes.com.
The more things change, the more things remain the same. While the expected 64-seat, four-party coalition that’s expected to emerge from the Nov. 1 election seems likely to be more stable than the 61-seat, eight-party coalition of the previous Knesset, it is still in danger of col lapse. News reports indicate that discussions have not proceeded smoothly and that members of the 32-seat Likud party are unhappy that the most important ministries are being given to members of the three smaller parties which, between them, hold the other 32 seats. And with all due respect to outgoing Minister for Diaspora Affairs Nachman Shai, I don’t think creating a new left-wing party, with a goal of gaining 14 seats in a future Knesset, will do anything to reverse Israel’s electoral problems.
What Israel really needs to do is to decrease the number of parties (forty stood for elec tion in the most recent voting, but only eight passed the election threshold) and take steps to ensure that the composition of the elected government will reflect the wishes of the voters. Small factions sharing similar political views should be encouraged to coalesce into larger parties. Each party should be required to publish its platform and obtain a specified number of signatures of registered voters before it is allowed to stand for election. Once in office, par ties should strive to serve their constituents’ needs (at least partly because voters will abandon those which fail to live up to their promises). Parties should be required to participate in public debates, to be followed by polling of Israel’s citizens. Parties judged unlikely to pass the election threshold should be required to sit out the current election.
Toby F. Block, AtlantaThis section of the newspaper is a forum for our community to share thoughts, concerns and opinions as open letters to the community or directly to the newspaper.
As a letter to the editor, we proof for spelling and grammatical errors only. We do not edit nor vet the information the letter contains. The individual signing the letter is accountable for what they share.
Congratulations Bibi. You have again been elected, for an unprecedented fourth term, as Prime Minister of Israel. And will again have the honor and the headache of managing our little shtetle.
Bibi. You were an inspirational leader for many years. A graduate of Harvard and MIT, bas tions of western education and free-world thinking democracy. As a bright, charismatic, ambi tious, rising star in the foreign ministry, representing Israel at the United Nations. As a finance ministerwhodemonopolizedindustries,privatizedmajorstate-ownedcompanies,reformedthe pension and welfare systems and transformed the economy ushering in first world GDP levels. And as Prime Minister, you navigated our economy to dizzying ‘start up nation’ heights. You desalinized our water. You cheered the landing of a blue and white rocket on the moon (which unfortunately crashed at the last moment). You confidently stood up to the Ayatollahs, both on their own turf, with many covert and overt intelligence feats, and in the U.S. Congress. You developed offshore gas resources so that Israel became a natural gas superpower. You led multi-billion-dollar infrastructural upgrades of our roads and rail links. And you ushered in long-awaited peace treaties, including the Abraham Accords.
But then, after many years at the helm of the Jewish state, something went wrong. As Sir John Dalberg-Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolute ly.” As brilliant a leader as you were, power got the best of you. Not so much the court cases accusing you of bribery and breach of trust. I want to believe much of that ruckus is nothing more than a ‘storm in a teacup.’ But you created an aura of corruption. Of Infallibility. That some are above the law. The ‘let them eat cake’ attitude coming from Balfour Street was deafening. And it was this Marie Antoinette-monarchist frame of mind that characterized your failure.
With the 2021 election, the fourth in three years, you were exiled to the opposition. A hum
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bling experience for the political magician who, to paraphrase the poet Robert Frost, ‘walked with Kings but lost the common touch.’ Now, as you plan your triumphant return to Balfour Street, as you continue building your coalition, apply your famous Machiavellian skills, criti cal for navigating the minefields of Israeli politics, to unite the nation. To become the leader of all Israelis. Of the right and the left. Of the religious and the secular. Of the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim and the Ethiopians. Of the Jews and the Arabs. Of the country’s geographic center and its periphery. Of the rich and the poor. Of the immigrant and the Sabra.
And no less important, to avoid encroaching extremism from your right. Reach out to the middle. You have more in common with the centrist parties of Benny Gantz’s National Unity and Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid. Then with the ultra-nationalist and ultra-religious elements ema nating from parties to your hard right; the Religious Zionist, Shas and United Torah Judaism. At least keep the major ministries: finance, defense, foreign, within the Lukid. Also education and interior. Keep them away from the likes of Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Aryeh Deri and Yitzchak Godknopf.
Bibi. For the sake of Israel’s future. You must balance Israel’s heavy tilt rightward. To avoid a potential ultra-nationalist theocracy. And, as the prophet Isaiah admonished, to per petuate Israel in its rightful place as a light unto the nations.
Bruce Brown, Rehovot,Israel
At some point in the last ten years American Jewish support and importance of Israel fell from the top three or four concerns to number seven or eight. Now we have a chance to rid ourselves of Senator Warnock who supports BLM and is friends with Farrakhan and in the past has made anti semitic statements which he never fully resolved.
This is not the man of action we need as our representative. In the past week three Israelis were murdered on the streets of Israel by Palestinian terrorists. Why should you know? It did not make the news nor did Biden or Warnock condemn this action. Instead the families of these three murderers will live years of luxury at our expense since Biden without a protest from Warnock has decided not to enforce the Taylor Force Act which was passed in 2018. It specifically says no funding of Palestinians if they use the money to reward the families of ter rorists. I guess Warnock did want to offend his BLM supporters who have a large anti Israel and anti Jewish statements in their mission statement. Also we have stopped censoring and overseeing UN support of Palestinian school books which Biden with the help of Warnock reinitiated. In the prior administration this funding stopped until the books put Israel as a legitimate state on the maps and antisemitic lessons were removed. We are back at square 1.
We all were amazed at the Abraham Accords which were the first bilateral peace agree ments after 60 years between Arab and Jewish states. Biden has done all he can to downgrade these accords trying to revive a two state solution rejected by both Hamas and the PLO. Also Biden has forced Israel to supply oil discovered by Israel and developed by Israel to Lebanon. This goes to Hezbollah to buy more Iranian rockets aimed at Tel Aviv. Biden also wants to put the PLO representative to the US in the embassy in Jerusalem over Israel protests. If you heard any comments by Warnock, please respond to this but this is not a bold man of vision and peace. He is not a friend of the Jews. He is supporting the failed Iran nuclear deal. Walker is in opposition. Say what you will about Walker but he wants to fight inflation by restarting our energy independence and by closing open borders which lowers our costs for education and medical support for the illegal aliens over 2.2 million released into the US since Biden took power.
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By Sasha Heller
Atlanta Jewish Times editor and man aging publisher Kaylene Ladinsky was recently honored by Marquis’ Who’s Who of Professional Women and Who’s Who Women of Influence for her dedicated ser vice to community journalism. These hon ors are in addition to her recent induction into the Who’s Who of America.
A proud Zionist who believes ada mantly in the right of Israel to exist as a sovereign nation, Ladinsky uses her plat form with the AJT to help keep the Atlanta Jewish community connected, both locally
In her efforts to promote Jewish com munity and a vibrant and safe Israel, La dinsky founded Americans United with Israel in response to the conflicts that have plagued Israel since its inception in 1948. Through this organization, Ladinsky promotes democracy and freedom in the Middle East and, today, Americans United with Israel is the largest pro-Israel nonprof it organization in the United States, with roughly 8 million members. She has also lobbied in the state of Tennessee for a joint resolution of pro-Israel support, which was voted on by the Senate, and obtained a proclamation of pro-Israel support from
ents of three children, Carlie, Benjamin, and Bradley. Carlie and Benjamin are both at tending college, and Bradley is currently a pre-med student. In her free time, Ladin sky enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. ì
Atlanta Jewish Times’ Creative Direc tor Lilli Jennison was honored by Editor & Publisher Magazine as part of the pub lication’s Creative Visionaries of 2022 for her exemplary work in print production design and layout.
Editor & Publisher Magazine launched its Creative Visionaries pro gram this year and chose Jennison, along with nine other creative directors, graph ic artists, and multimedia designers. This is out of a national pool of thousands of others.
Robin Blinder, E&P’s associate pub lisher and vice president of content, wrote in her article announcing the program, “Their talents for communicat ing the news in visually intriguing ways helps our readers better understand and fully experience our stories.”
The following are excerpts taken from Jennison’s interview with E&P Magazine:
How long have you been in cre ative/visual journalism, and how did you get your start?
A: I started as an intern at Atlanta Jewish Times in 2018 and have been with the company since.
What gets (and keeps) your creative juices flowing?
A: Music! When I feel like I need a pump in creativity, I put on some music. Music helps me get out of my head and just be creative.
What advice do you have for young professionals starting out in the field?
A: Keep learning every day. I con stantly look at other magazines, bill
boards, and social media for ideas. I follow some really cool social media ac counts that post design hacks and differ ent ways to create things using the cre ative suite.
What do you see as the most impor tant trend or facet of visual journalism/ media creative today?
A: Be bold and colorful! We just put out our annual Guide to Jewish Atlanta and the theme this year was “back to business.” I took that to visualize as neon signs. The book is full of bright, colorful neon signs.
Editor and managing publisher of the AJT, Kaylene Ladinsky reported that she believes that Jennison's talent and teamwork has been a big contribution to excel the newspaper and for the AJT be ing recognized nationally as Best Jewish Newspaper and second Best Jewish web site in the country and this award reaf irms that:
"Lilli deserves to be recognized na tionally for her creativity and efforts that she pours on to each page that we pub lish. We are the best and that's because we have the best working together for our community."ì
The AJT’s annual “Guide to Jewish Atlanta” had the 2022 theme of “back to business.”
Jennison visualized neon signs and filled the guide with bright, colorful neon signs.
Congratulations to Lilli Jennison for being recognized as a 2022
“Creative Visionary” of the year! – Atlanta Jewish Times
Lilli is an exemplary team player. No matter the stress level and amount of work at hand, Lilli keeps her cool and continues to produce quality work and design, always with a smile and a positive attitude. –Michal Bonell
Congratulations, Lilli, on this well-deserved recognition! Your creativity and ability to think outside the box have truly helped make our publications stand out among the rest.
– Jodi Danis
CongratulationsLilli. Iam veryproudofyouforthis recognition,andIappreciate allthehardwork,creativity, anddedicationyouhave shown to the AJT to attain this award! – Michael Morris
CongratulationsLilli! Whatan“amazing” honor and so well deserved! –BrendaGelfand
Lilli is the most amazing creative director. She is a fantastic designer with a full plate, but somehow always finds time to include the community with art contests and creative engagements. You are so deserving of this award and many more to come. – Kaylene Ladinsky
Lilli has a keen eye for elegant, clean designs and her layouts regularly feature a solid mix of illustrative and informative content. Mazels! – Sasha Heller
It's a pleasure to work with Lilli for each Atlanta Jewish Times issue. She's talented, cooperative, and always calm. Congratulations Lilli! – Fran Putney
These are women and men helping make the Atlanta Jewish community a positive, prosperous and rewarding place to live.
Members of the community submitted 104 nominations. To be eli gible, a nominee had to be Jewish, at least 25 years old, and must not have turned 40 before September 23, 2022. Atlanta Jewish Times judged the winning nominees on their success and achievements as active members of Jewish Atlanta. Ultimately, we went for an overall feeling that the winner makes Jewish Atlanta a better place.
By Jack Linder
Marni Bekerman is married to Daniel and they have two children Micah (4) and Noa (2). They are active mem bers at B’nai Torah and JF&CS.
She has a bachelor’s degree in child and family de velopment and attended Epstein as a student, gradu ated in 2004 and have been working at The Epstein School for 7 years. In her role as Middle School Pro gram manager, she plans school overnight trips, cre ates schedules for students and teachers and interacts daily with students, parents and teachers. Both of her children attend Early Childhood Program at Epstein. “I can’t say enough about how wonderful their teachers and staff are,” touted Bekerman.
On top of being a mom and wife and working at Epstein, Bekerman helped start The Sandwich Project. TSP is a nonprofit all volunteer led organization that partners with several dozen groups across metro Atlanta to address the issue of food insecurity. Since mid-2020, they have served almost 700,000 sandwiches and thousands of protein bars and fruit.
She serves on the board of TSP and B’nai Torah membership committee. Has been a PAL with JF&CS for 6 years, in addition has chaired Havingala for several years. Before Epstein, she worked at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta as an engage ment associate and with young adults. She staffed the Atlanta community Birthright trip four times and worked on various projects such as the Hunger Walk and oth ers.
“I am beyond honored to be recognized and am happy to be making a difference in the greater Atlanta Jewish community. It is extremely important to me that my chil dren learn how to be mensches and learn the importance of Jewish values and beliefs. I want them to be proud of who they are and be proud to be Jewish,” said Bekerman.
Zach Bernath has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from University of Arizona. He is involved in politics, ac tivism, and the Jewish community. Recently served as the political director and deputy finance director for Charlie Bailey’s campaign for Lt. Governor. He is look ing to continue his work in Atlanta’s city politics as Atlanta positions itself for an exciting future.
He’s involved at The Temple and taught for over 5 years, working with teens, and adults. He has also worked at the American Jewish Committee and over saw and directed ACCESS, their young professional’s division for 3 years.
“Building ACCESS Atlanta which has been around for over 30 years, under my leadership ACCESS became the larg est chapter and board and the most diverse. We have represen tation from the Latino, Black, Asian communities which is very important. I think this represents what I’m most proud of which is the relationships I’ve built within and outside of the Jewish community and throughout Atlanta.
“It’s a great honor [to be a 40 Under 40]. I’m a third generation Atlantan on both sides of my family and Jewish involvement and Jewish activism has been something that has been passed down to me from my grandmother, Janice Ghertner. My grand parents were great friends with the Rothschild’s during the Civil Rights era, and she was involved with leadership of youth and women’s divisions at the synagogue. So, for me this is somewhat full circle to be recognized for my work in a community that I love, and I will continue to strengthen as antisemitism continues to rise, “said Ber nath.
Bernath added that he is currently looking to volunteer and join a board of a local Jewish group.
PAL Program and Young Professional Manager.
Sarah Bernstein has a one child, Harper, age 11 and they attend The Temple. She attended Eastern Michigan Uni versity.
You will find Bernstein working on the PAL pro gram, Atlanta’s only Jewish Big Brother/ Big sisters’ organization. She helps to match Bigs (young profes sionals) and Littles (kids 5-16) and oversee the rela tionships. She helps create events such as Mitzvah Day and Havinagala, a fundraiser that supports the PAL Program. Most recently she helped launch a Fam ily Volunteer Program at JF&CS that brings families with young children together to work on volunteer proj ects that support JF&CS programs.
When Bernstein is not working, you can find her on the BeltLine with her daughter, who is most certainly her number one volunteer.
“I’m very lucky that I get to give my daughter a front row seat of what volunteer ing looks like.
“One of my favorite things about my job is helping people get connected with Jew ish Atlanta. I love watching young professionals start their Jewish volunteer journey with JF&CS and other amazing organizations in Atlanta. … I take great pride in all the things we have to offer for those looking to do good in the community.
“I’m very honored to be part of the 2022 40 Under 40. I look forward to this ar ticle each year. It’s very exciting to always read about all the wonderful people in our community and now I get to be on the list! I truly love the work I do and can’t wait to continue to make more of an impact in Atlanta. This recognition has inspired me to do even greater things for our wonderful city and the Atlanta Jewish community,” said Bernstein.
Domestic Allocations Manager, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.
Heather Blake is married is Justin Blake and they have one child, Shira, that is three years old. She is an active member at Congregation Etz Chaim and Limmud South east.
Blake attended Florida State University and ob tained a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and continued her education at Brandeis University where she obtained a Master of Arts in Jewish Profes sional Leadership and Master of Arts in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. As well as The Center for Israel Ed ucation in May 2015, when she also earned a master’s Concentration in Israel Education.
Blake is the Domestic Allocations manager at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta where she gets to work with a committee to learn more about fourteen Jewish organizations/ initiatives and allocate funds to these organizations. She has also worked as the Direc tor of Engagement at Congregation Etz Chaim for six years. Additionally, she worked with Catholic Church of St. Ann and Etz Chaim Men’s Club to create a Holocaust teen fellowship where teens from both congregations learned about the Holocaust over several months, attended the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C in Spring, cul minating in them leading a Yom HaShoah program for Etz Chaim and St. Ann’s com munity.
She currently attends retreats at Camp Ramah Darom such as LimmudFest and has been a volunteer chair for Limmud Southeast since 2018, holding various posi tions from marketing co-chair to overall co-chair in 2022. Blake was the co-musician for Book it to Sukkot retreat at Ramah Darom organized by PJ Library Atlanta in Oc tober 2022. She is passionate about Jewish education.
“Being a Jewish professional and volunteer fulfills me and fuels me. Being recog nized as AJT’s 40 under 40 is a dream come true.”
Cary Blumenfeld is married to Leann Blumenfeld, and they have three children, Jaxon (8), Harrison (5), Cameron (2). They belong to Gesher l’Torah in Johns Creek, where his older boys attend Hebrew school. He coaches Jax on’s baseball team and helps coach Harrison’s soccer team and Cameron is always there fighting to get on the field. A big part of Blumenfeld’s life is playing ice hockey in the Atlanta Amateur Hockey League.
He received his Bachelor’s in economics from Georgia State University.
He currently manages over 50 real estate agents between Atlanta offices, Birmingham and Charlotte fo cusing on residential real estate, specifically homes in the 500k and up range. They build and sell custom luxury homes as well as have a massive condo project that was featured in the AJT last month. He works with multiple strategic partnerships with developers and builders in the Sandy Springs area.
Blumenfeld heavily supports North Fulton community charity coat and food pantry drives and is a donor and supporter of Hillside Atlanta Foundation that fo cuses on mental health and treatment for children and families in the Atlanta area.
“Both of my sisters passed due to mental illness, so this is something that hits close to home, and is empowering to support a wonderful foundation like Hillside. As we continue to grow our real estate business throughout the region, I continue to look for areas and organizations within the city to support and lift up,” said Blumenfeld.
Associate Rabbi of Ahavath Achim Synagogue
Prior to moving to Atlanta, Rabbi Sam Blustin studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he specialized in prayer and ritual. He lives with his fiancé, Allison Goldman, and their adorable terrier, Smoosh.
Blustin has been in Atlanta for a little over two years, serving as the associate rabbi of Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Buckhead. One of Blustin’s big gest passions is building meaningful and uplifting prayer experiences, and he has focused on supporting his community to lift their voices as a mode of deep connection.
Blustin is a musician and songwriter and has been working to transform the prayer experience at Ahavath Achim into one where congregants can feel free to bring their full selves and participate fully within the service. As well as bringing in contempo rary Jewish musicians from across the country, Blustin is set to record an album of original music for prayer through the congregation this winter.
Together, Blustin and Goldstein hope to create a powerful community of young Jews in Atlanta. They frequently host events, such as holiday hangouts, singing circles and shabbat dinners through OneTable, so look them up! Blustin is deeply honored to be chosen as one of this year’s 40 under 40, and he looks forward to many more years as a part of this Atlanta community.
“To be a rabbi is to support and serve our community by lending and translating our Jewish heritage to our daily lives,” he said. “Being recognized in this way means that the work we’re doing is resonating with a lot of folks, and I look forward to build ing on that momentum.”
Benjamin Bornstein has Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications and a master’s in marketing.
His day-to-day activities include managing the JF GA’s website, overseeing digital strategy, and ideating social media content and strategy. This includes ev erything on the JFGA’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. He is also an active member of JFGA.
He is heavily involved at the MJCCA through coaching as well as donating time when possible. Ev ery year, he participates in the J Ball for All Tourna ment, that helps fund the MJCCA Day Camps Inclusion Program for people with special needs. It allows kids to go to JCC camps who may not have a chance to go to camps oth erwise.
Bornstein told the AJT what being a 40 Under 40 meant to him, “My contribution to the Jewish community and shaping young people’s lives through coaching basket ball. It’s a huge honor that I will always remember, and I hope to encourage people to nominate other people worthy of this award.”
Avital Cohen and husband, Michael Cohen, have three children: Gabriella, 9; Maya, 7; and Ariel, 5.
Cohen earned her bachelor of arts in psychology (with minors in English and Judaic Studies) from the University of Maryland, College Park; Master of Art and Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from The Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University.
Dr. Cohen is a clinical psychologist who focuses on testing and evaluation services for children. She has been in practice at Peachtree Pediatric Psychology for about five years.
“I’ve always loved working with children and when I discovered assessment in graduate school, I immediately felt like I had found my passion. I look at the testing process as getting all the pieces of a puzzle and my job is to figure out how it all fits together.”
Dr. Cohen specializes in autism across the lifespan (from toddlers to adults), and sees children and adolescents for ADHD, psychoeducational, and other types of evalu ations. Her goal is for families to get information that helps them put an action plan in place for their child and to also make sure they learn about their child’s strengths in addition to growth areas.
“We work with the Georgia Autism Assessment Collaborative (GAAC) through Emory Autism Center, which provides ongoing training and consultation for cohorts of psychologists specializing in autism assessment to help make sure we are provid ing consistent, research-based services,” she said. “Another area that is important to me is training the next generation of psychologists. I am a practicum site for both Mercer University and Georgia State.”
Adam Cohen is married to Herchelle Cohen; they have two children, twins Elyssa and Joey, 8.
He graduated from Indiana University.
“Since 2016, I have worked at Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research where I am current ly the Director of Events and oversee fundraising events across the country,” he said. “Forty-seven kids are diagnosed with cancer every day. I go into work knowing that what I do makes a profound impact in the lives of the kids and families we serve. No child should have to battle cancer, much less die from it. It is an honor and a privilege to know them and to fight for them. Just this past month, our annual Benefit Bash held at the Georgia Aquarium raised a record $3.3 million!”
“When I am not working, I love spending time with my wife, Herchelle, and our twins, Elyssa and Joey. We love to travel, tailgate at football games, watch movies, and entertain friends and family.
"I love volunteering in the Jewish community. I am the Chair of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) Day Camps committee as well as the Chair of the Camp Barney Medintz Alumni Committee.
“Of all my Jewish experiences, my 12 summers at Camp Barney Medintz played the most significant role in making me who I am today as a professional, a commu nity builder, and a father.
“Personally, my children make me the proudest every day! Professionally, our Benefit Bash fundraiser earlier this month raised a record $3.3 million for childhood cancer research and I am beyond thrilled and proud to have led that event.
“Growing up in Montgomery, Ala., Atlanta was always a short drive over. It did not take me long to realize there was something special about the Atlanta Jewish com munity. I knew I wanted to be a part of it, impact it, and raise a family in it. It is truly an honor to be recognized by this community!”
She has served in several leadership positions at her synagogue, Ahavath Achim, including co-chair of the Arnovitz Leadership Institute, and several positions within the Sisterhood board.
Dr. Cohen also recently began volunteering with Bosley’s Place, a rescue organi zation for neonatal puppies.
Rabbi Daniel Dorsch is married to wife, Amy; they have two children, Zev, 9, and Haley, 5.
Dorsch earned his bachelor’s from Columbia Uni versity and Jewish Theological Seminary, master’s in Jewish Education, Davidson School, JTS, Rabbinical Ordination, JTS.
Rabbi Dorsch loves being a congregational rabbi and wouldn’t have it any other way. An average day involves teaching a Jewish Ethics class, schmoozing with congregants, taking a new member out for cof fee (he’ll have the iced tea) and spending time working with Etz Chaim’s growing number of preschool and reli gious school students.
On an equally busy day, he may attend morning min yan, discuss antisemitism with local government officials, and speak at a grade milestone celebration at The Epstein School. When not shuffling his children back and forth from their many activities, Dorsch can be found golfing, studying Daf Yomi, and visiting national parks with his family.
Rabbi Dorsch’s professional affiliations include: Congregation Etz Chaim, Board Member and Co-Chair of Inter-religious Dialogue, AJC-Atlanta, Mercaz-USA, National Teen Engagement Committee for USY, Secretary of the Atlanta Rabbinical Associa tion, board member of JNF Atlanta.
“A career highlight for me was having the honor to address the Georgia State Sen ate in the months following the shootings at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Penn.”
A proud Philadelphia Phillies fan, he feels even prouder that his children have adopted loyalty to local Atlanta sports teams.
“I’ve been in Marietta for six years, during which, Atlanta has become home for our family. I feel so grateful to have worked with such extraordinary professionals, lay leadership, and congregants who have made this professional and personal suc cess possible.”
Attorney, currently a Judicial Law Clerk at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Alex Estroff attended the University of Georgia as an undergrade, and Georgia State University College of Law, where he received his law degree.
As a law clerk for a federal judge, he assists with legal writing and research for the cases in Northern District of Georgia court. This means helping the judge for whom he works prepare for trials and hear ings and helping draft the many written orders the judge issues in their cases.
The cases he deals with can involve important constitutional questions and novel issues arising un der federal law. He finds the work endlessly fascinating and deeply rewarding. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the public in this way,” said Estroff.
He previously worked at the law firm Alston & Bird, and before law school, and had the privilege of being a legislative intern for the late Con gressman John Lewis.
He is involved with AJC ACCESS, the Southern Center for Human Rights, and in law school, volunteered with various legal aid organizations across Georgia.
Estroff told the AJT that he is an ardent Atlanta sports fan (even during the rough years) and enjoys checking out Atlanta’s vibrant food, drink, and music scenes.
“I’m extremely grateful to be recognized in this year’s 40 under 40. I’m also grate ful for the close-knit Atlanta Jewish community I grew up in, and I hope to be able to give back as much as I can as I progress through my career,” said Estroff.
Rabbi at Congregation Etz
Ethan Fialkow earned a Bachelor of Science in Com merce and Business Administration at the University of Alabama in 2018; and he is currently working on a mas ter’s of business administration.
“I work with non-profits in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi on every aspect of their Hu man Capital Management strategy. I engage and col laborate with my clients to understand their strate gic goals for HR transformation and future state,” he said. “The goal for each and every one of my clients is to find streamlined processes to help reduce total costs that allow these organizations to better serve their com munities and causes.
“I currently serve as a co-chair for JF&CS’s Havinagala event which benefits the PAL program. I participated in Aha vath Achim’s Arnovitz Leadership Institute, which is a cultural program that provides unique training in the areas of leadership skills, ritual, marketing, branding, and re lational Judaism. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, playing golf, and watching football.”
Danielle Kerker Goldstein is married to husband, Brad Goldstein; they have a daughter, Kira, nine months old.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from the Univer sity of Pennsylvania, and a Master’s from Emory Uni versity. Goldstein graduated from Emory University with a JD/MBA and finished first in law school class.
At Emory, she served as the editor in chief of Emory Law Journal and worked as a student attorney for the Juvenile Defender Clinic, where students represent child clients in juvenile court and provide legal advo cacy in areas such as special education, mental health, and public benefits. She recently started working at Alston & Bird in their litigation group and will clerk with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals starting summer 2023.
Danielle enjoys hiking on weekends and watching her baby girl, born this past March, grow up.
“It is an honor to be recognized as a Jewish Atlanta 2022 40 Under 40,” she said. “My siblings — Jared, Zach, and Eden — and I grew up here in the Atlanta Jewish com munity. I have always felt supported by this strong community and am excited to be part of its future.”
Rebecca Good earned her bachelor’s from Agnes Scott College, and her master of Jewish Education from Hebrew College.
“My day-to-day is very dynamic, which I love! On any given day, my activities can range from writing curriculum, tutoring Hebrew, advancing teacher edu cation and implementation of SEL (social-emotional learning), to song sessions and planning tefillot with our music and tefillah specialist,” she said.
“When I’m not at work, I spend time with my family and close friends. Also, as an avid animal lov er, I make sure my Havanese, Mink, lives her best life which means car rides, park walks, and short hikes. The causes that I am currently most connected to are the AntiDefamation League, working on the board of Hillels of Geor gia, and American Jewish Committee.
“I am most proud of my students, past and present; watching them grow as young leaders and living Torah every day. Being recognized means a great deal to me. I am honored and humbled to learn from and with so many amazing educators and clergy in the Atlanta Jewish community.”
Craig Habif is married to Julie Habif; they have three children: twin boys, Sam and Jacob, 11, and a daughter, Lily, 8.
Habif graduated in May 2005 from Tulane Univer sity in New Orleans. Craig has been a licensed real es tate agent in Georgia since 2006. In 2013, he received the Real Property Administrator (RPA) designation from BOMI International. In 2018, he received the High-Performance Sustainable Buildings (BOMI-HP) designation from BOMI International.
“Something I love about real estate is how diversi fied it is.,” Habif said. “After work, there are usually vari ous real estate and communal organizations with which I am involved, including the Jewish Commercial Real Estate Network (J-CREN), Marietta Street Artery Association and the Stonecrest Industrial Council.
“I have volunteered with various causes in Atlanta, including the Jewish Federa tion of Greater Atlanta, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) and B’nai Torah, and, most recently, served on the Host Committee for the MJCCA Topgolf Tournament in 2021 and 2022. Lastly, I play roller hockey a few evenings a week.”
At Farmers & Fishermen, Ben Halpern’s day starts early in the waking hours of the morning, often around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m., depending on the needs of the business. He said he enjoys wearing many ‘hats’ encompassing everything from sales to marketing to operations.
“Our dedicated team works hard to chase perfection in supplying our valued food service and home delivery customers with the highest quality meat, seafood, and specialty products available,” he said. “Involved in the com munity, I value playing a role in helping to distribute food to those in need. I’m also honored to serve on the Board of Trustees at Temple Emanu-El and help foster a community of inclusion by working with people with special needs. In my free time, I enjoy cooking for my family and rollerblading around this city I grew up in that I’m proud to forever call, ‘Home.’”
“I’m most proud in our ability to align our great privilege of servicing the community with wholesome meat and seafood with the positive impact we’re making on the lives of small farmers, small fishermen, our employee partners, and their families,” Halpern said.
“I’m incredibly humbled to be recognized as one of this year’s Jewish Atlanta 40 Under 40 honorees. Growing up in the Atlanta Jewish scene, I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for those within the community who have a commitment to leadership and giving back. It’s an honor to share this recognition with such an unbelievable group of young Jewish professionals. I look forward to learning from and celebrating their many successes in addi tion to others’. I am truly grateful to The Atlanta Jewish Times for selecting me among such an outstanding group.”
Halpern has earned bachelor’s degrees in business management and marketing from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. Halpern is engaged to fiancé, Carlin Barnes.
Handel earned her bachelor’s from SUNY Cortland, second ary social studies education, and master’s from Stony Brook University Liberal Arts.
Having arrived in Atlanta in January 2022 from Long Island, N.Y., Jenn has had the privilege of working with Atlanta’s Schoenbaum Shinshinim. These 18-year-old Israelis are recent high school grads volunteering in the Jewish community for a year before returning home for their military service. The shinshinim volunteer in over 30 Jewish organizations around Atlanta and Jenn has had the opportunity to explore and get to know the Jewish commu nity through their eyes. From synagogues to Jewish clubs, day schools to Hillel, Jenn has loved meeting so many people and set tling in to make Atlanta home. She’s had the opportunity to volun teer at LimmudFest 2022 and go back to camp at Trybal Gatherings Southeast this past May.
When not playing mom, or cool aunt to the Shinshinim, Jenn can be found hanging out with her awesome four-legged side kick, Bamba. He’s become the apple of Jenn’s eye and the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a former Hillel professional, Jenn has loved meet ing former colleagues and new ones across the Atlanta community and is proud to continue representing bacon-cheeseburger Jews and the power of embracing one’s own authentic Juda ism. “Having spent the last decade working in the Jewish world through Hillel, Birthright and now Federation, I’m incredibly proud of the journey that has given me the chance to recognize and embrace my authentic Judaism,” she said. “Having grown up unaffiliated and leaning more into my Judaism in my early 20’s, I’ve battled the feeling of being ‘not enough’ when it comes to Jewish spaces. Now, I am proud to be exactly the Jewish adult I am and being able to help my students embrace their own authentic Judaism.
“Being recognized in this way is empowering that Judaism is more than observant, more than day school and synagogue, more than Jewish sleepaway…it’s an opportunity to elevate the journey that Judaism is for so many of us and recognizing that Judaism is a beautiful spec trum of diversity, both in opinion and belief. It means that I am Jewish enough exactly as I am.”
Handel has a 10-pound mini poodle named “Bamba”.
Physical therapist, and Atlanta manager for the Jewish Fertility Foundation
Kayla Heering is married to Eitan Heering; they have three children: twins, Ezra, and Lia, 3, and Aviv, seven months old.
Heering earned a B.S. in kinesiology and B.A. in Jew ish Studies from the University of Maryland, and a doc torate of physical therapy from George Washington University.
Day-to-day activities for Heering working for the Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF) include helping to organize all the programming in Atlanta for JFF, in cluding support groups, educational programs, and community events.
“I also help run their grant program in Atlanta,” she said. “My family time is spent outdoors as much as possible, including going for walks, hikes, and exploring local parks. My family also enjoys being members of Ohr Hatorah synagogue and spending our weekends participat ing in their youth programs. My hobbies are spending time with family, hiking, and drinking coffee.”
Rabbi Helfand earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies from American Jewish University Los Angeles; Rabbinical ordination from Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies; mas ter’s in Jewish Education from School for Jewish Educa tion and Leadership at AJU; and Master of Arts in Rab binic Studies.
The rabbi’s day-to-day responsibilities include engaging in the greater Jewish world in partnership with the intent to promote Jewish content and work with a network of Jewish leaders. He also works with OneTable Atlanta Kitchen Cabinet to share Shabbat meals. Rabbi Helfand’s passions include pastoral and end of life care.
"There is no greater gift than waking up each morn ing to a job you love and going out and building meaningful relationships that allow others to feel loved and find their own path into the Jewish tradition. Each day and relationship is different and allows for creativity and authenticity. That is the beauty of Shearith Israel and the Greater At lanta community," said Helfand.
Rabbi Helfand is engaged to fiancée, Rebekah Johnston.
Associate attorney, Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske, LLP
Alex Joseph and her husband, David Martin. are foster parents with DeKalb County Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), Joseph is an attorney currently practicing law at Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske, LLP in Atlan ta. Previously, she served as assistant district attorney in South Carolina and as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Georgia. A native Atlantan, Alex received her bachelor’s degree in history from Wellesley College and her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law.
Joseph is active in her community and is honored to serve the people of DeKalb County as the Chair of its Board of Ethics, having been appointed by the DeKalb County State House of Representatives delegation. In this role, she is respon sible for providing oversight and governance for the body that considers complaints of wrongdoings against county officials and employees. She is passionate about men tal health and serves on the Board of NAMI Georgia and as an advisory board mem ber of Out of Hand Theatre Company. She is also a graduate of the LEAD Atlanta Class of 2022.
Joseph currently lives with her husband, Dave, and dog, Cornelius, in East Lake. In her spare time, enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and the arts. She is also an avid runner and is currently training for her second marathon. She is active in the local Wellesley College alumnae association, serves as a mentor to aspiring attorneys and supports various political and social justice candidates and causes.”
“I feel so honored to be recognized as a Jewish Atlanta 2022 40 under 40 recipi ent,” she said.
Quinton Katler earned his bachelor’s from Vanderbilt University; graduated from American Medical Program at Tel Aviv University; performed his residency (OB/ GYN) at George Washington University; and served his fellowship (REI) atEmory University
Katler is proud to serve as an advocate for those facing infertility. He has conducted advocacy efforts on a local level by improving access to care for Jew ish couples in Atlanta, as well as on a national level through research efforts for gender/sexual and racial/ ethnic minorities. Additionally, he is a medical advisory board member for the Atlanta Jewish Fertility Founda tion (JFF) and Gift of Surrogacy Foundation, as well as an active member of the American Society of Reproductive Medi cine (ASRM) LGBTQ Special Interest Group.
As an avid researcher, he has contributed to numerous publications, presenta tions, and committees exploring such topics as LGBTQIA+ family-building, recur rent pregnancy loss, egg freezing, and infertility care for marginalized communities, among others. He is a member of several professional organizations, including ASRM, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Society of Re productive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI).
Katler enjoys going on hikes and local adventures with his husband, Benjamin Gluck and two dogs.
Jessica Katz, an Atlanta native, earned her bachelor’s in psychology at the University of Georgia and MSW at Yeshiva University along with a Certificate in Jewish Communal Service.
She has a 5-year-old daughter named Miriam.
“Early on, I knew I wanted to work in the Jewish community and dedicate my life to this work,” said Katz. She has spent her career working at Jewish nonprofits and spent time living and working in Israel.
For the past three years, Katz has served as Direc tor of Development at Jewish Family & Career Services. Her responsibilities consist of overseeing agency fun draising efforts, including annual campaign and events. When speaking about her position, Katz says she is “honored to work for JF&CS because I know we make a difference in the community every day. As a mom to a young child, I am proud that we offer services through the Horwitz-Zusman Child & Family Center, helping support the entire fam ily. I am a part of building a strong community for my daughter.” JF&CS offers a wide array of programs and services including Frances Bunzl Clinical Services, Aviv Older Adult Services, and Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Services. “In my role, I get to share the impact of our work and ensure community members know resources are available to them.”
Jared earned a bachelor of science in business adminis tration from the University of Florida.
He and wife, Hannah Kaye, have three children: Ca leb (4); Ari (3); and Maren (newborn).
“Professionally, I focus on the acquisitions and dispositions of single-tenant net leased assets, retail shopping centers and development capital facilita tion for properties located throughout the southeast. I lead a team at Marcus & Millichap that includes three agents and support staff. I was actively involved in JF&CS’s PAL program for four years. Unfortunate ly, my formal involvement in that program had to end shortly after the birth of Caleb as my responsibilities shift ed to parenthood. Currently, I am actively involved in our synagogue, Chabad of North Fulton. As a parent of three young children, my time is very limited; however, I still prioritize giving back to the Atlanta community as much as I am able. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family including our dog, playing golf, and cheering on the Florida Gators.
“This is truly a humbling honor,” Kaye said. “As someone who has lived in Atlanta my entire life (less college years), it is a true blessing to be part of such a growing and vibrant Jewish community. I look forward to continuing to give back to the Atlanta Jewish community as I deepen my family roots here as I raise my children here.”
Lisa Lebovitz Schnaubelt earned her bachelor’s in hos pitality management from the University of South Caro lina; MBA, University of Georgia, MA, Jewish Commu nal Service, Gratz College. Schnaubelt is married to husband, Jon.
“I have called Atlanta home since 2013 and am active in several nonprofits,” she said. “I currently serve as the AJC ACCESS Atlanta Co-Chair, am a mem ber of the AJC Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition and am the ACCESS Global Board Development Chair. I’m also a member of the Atlanta Advisory Board for the Jewish Fertility Foundation and a former Community Represen tative for JDC Entwine.”
Professionally, Schnaubelt is the Director of Development for CHRIS 180, a locally-based nonprofit providing traumainformed mental health services to at-risk youth and their families, meeting them where they are and helping them change the direction of their lives.
“In my downtime, I am an avid reader of fiction, love to bake for others, take my high-energy dog on hikes with my husband, and binge-watch reruns of ‘The West Wing.’”
Benjamin is married to Nehama Schondorf; they have two children: Leah 10, and Levi, 7.
“On a daily basis, I work as CEO of Viral Solutions and First-Class Healthcare (a correctional medicine group). I perform both administrative and patientcare duties in this course of work. I try to keep a fairly regimented morning: every day I drop my kids at school and go straight to the gym. This prepares me for the day ahead. Typically, I will work until 5-7 p.m. My hobbies include exercise and woodworking. I coach Little League baseball as well at Medlock Park, which I really enjoy.
“I am proud of the business we’ve built and the good we’ve been able to foster in the community,” he said. “And though it is a very recent development, I’m already proud of the work we are doing in the correctional medicine space to provide humane, equi table care to incarcerated people.
“This is a great honor, and I think if you asked my mother, perhaps the greatest honor. I am thankful for the recognition, though recognition is not why I do what I do. I wish for continued blessing for the Atlanta Jewish community.”
Rebecca Leslie earned a bachelor’s in psychology mas ter’s in psychology, and a doctorate in Psychology.
“I started Best Within You Therapy & Wellness one year ago as a solo practitioner,” she said. “Today, we have grown to a group practice with six psychologists and a dietitian. I spend a great deal of my time pro viding therapy to my patients and specialize in help ing people improve their relationship with food and their bodies.
“My time is also filled with managing the new company, from marketing to social media to hiring and onboarding. I also am a board member of the Atlanta In ternational Association of Eating Disorder Professionals and on the Committee of Independent Practice for the Geor gia Psychological Association. While my days tend to be very busy, I make sure to always incorporate some form of self-care (e.g. exercise, yoga, walks with our dog, Aubie, or calls with friends). In my free time I also enjoy hiking, exploring new areas of the city, and watching the Atlanta Falcons!”
Leslie recently attended her first Jewish Federation Women’s Philanthropy event and is excited for the opportunity to get more involved this upcoming year.
“I am proud of creating a group therapy practice that provides mental health and nutrition counseling services to individuals in the community. We have been able to help so many individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, insomnia, eating disor ders, body image, or trauma this year. I feel incredibly grateful and honored.”
Most of MrGrath’s day spent is auditioning, writing scripts, and planning for when they film the production. She spends spend a lot of time riding her bike through out the city, which she states help to get her creativity going.
MrGrath is married to Indi Robbins and is active with Birthright to Israel.
She spends a lot of time reading, “It’s something that I enjoy but it also helps me stay grounded in my writing style. I also write stand up and am creating finishing an album for a music project at this time, so some mornings are spent with the guitar and a cup of tea.”
“It’s an absolute honor, I honestly thought it was a scam at first because it was such a lovely surprise. I love this com munity and am grateful to be a part of it and represent it in the best way possible. It’s hard to find a community that is as supportive and open hearted, I feel very blessed,” said McGrath.
Nir Levy earned his bachelor’s in business administra tion from Emory University Goizueta Business School in 2013
“Outside of working for a Jewish nonprofit, where I am responsible for leadership engagement and our strategic dashboard, I enjoy traveling, gardening, tak ing care of our three fostered cats and advocating for southwest Atlanta as a member of the Westview Com munity Organization.”
“I co-founded a business that sponsored an indi vidual’s work visa to immigrate to the United States from Ukraine. Today, he is a Chief Technology Officer at a local tech company and lives in Atlanta with his fam ily.
“I am a ninth-generation, Jerusalem-born immigrant to Atlanta. I paid my way through college by working as a nightlife photographer and website developer. I fell in love with my wife the moment she arrived at our first date."
Levy is in a relationship with significant other, Kaleigh Levy.
Levy said, “I am grateful for the honor (as it will make my grandmother proud), I feel humbled to share the recognition with so many tremendous leaders and hope this 40 under 40 list inspires young adults to be true to who they are and share their voice with the world. This is an opportunity to double down on my opportunities to continue to build upon Atlanta’s legacy of hospitality, diversity, and culture.”
to the Jewish Fertility Foundation - Atlanta’s Manager
for being honored as Jewish Atlanta's 40 Under 40 by the AJT! We feel so proud and honored to have you in the JFF family.
Chava Neiditch is married to Rabbi Chaim Neiditch; they have four children: Yaakov, 14; Miriam Bayla, 12; Moshe, 9; Sarah, 6.
Neiditch earned her bachelor’s in Humanities and Religious Studies, and her BS/MS in Occupational Therapy
“Professionally, I’m an occupational therapist. I work in a clinic and school, helping kids strengthen their skills for success. I see adult clients privately, helping people overcome their organizing challenges by establishing systems that work for their styles. I work as an educator for Jewish Women’s Connection (JWC) of Atlanta, to create and build a spiritual community that connects women through friendship, learning, and Jew ish values.
“I’ve volunteered for my husband’s organization, the Jewish Student Union (JSU), for 16 years, helping them connect 4,000 Atlanta teens annually with free Jewish edu cation and experiences in public high schools. We reach unaffiliated teens and opens a doorway into the community, inclusive of interfaith, disabilities, Jews of all back grounds, etc.
“I was actively involved in creating the JSU GO pilot program, taking Atlanta teens to Israel in the summer of 2018. The JSU GO trip has grown exponentially since that pilot trip. I’ve served as a trip leader and social media manager for JSU GO every year since and look forward to summer 2023. We help teens connect to Israel and their Jewish heritage. We teach and reinforce Jewish pride so teens will be strong in their identities and better prepared for the antisemitism and anti-Zionism they will face on college campuses.
“I’m particularly proud of the work I did on the Atlanta Kosher Food Box pro gram. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and many people couldn’t go to work or lost their jobs, the USDA offered funding for free food distribution programs to ensure food security to families with children under 18. Many food distributions were local, but none contained kosher offerings. Together, with two other volunteers, we created the only kosher food distribution in Georgia. With the logistical support of Congrega tion Beth Jacob and our vendor, Kosher Gourmet, we distributed more than 250,000 kosher meals to families across the greater Atlanta area, providing our community with a combined economic boost of approximately $750,000 when it was very badly needed.
“I currently serve as VP of the executive board of Congregation Beth Jacob, af ter serving as youth trustee for many years. I’m also a member of the OU’s Women’s Initiative, working with Jewish female lay leaders around the world to impact our communities.
“Everything I do is made possible by endless support of my husband, Rabbi Chaim Neiditch, who always believes in me and encourages me in every way. It is his devo tion to me and to our kids that allows me to do what I do. And, of course, all of my accomplishments belong first and foremost to G-d, for putting these opportunities in my path and helping me navigate each one.
“The achievement of which I am most proud is when I hear that my children acted with kindness toward someone else. In changing the world for the better, we must begin at home. I can’t control what my kids do, I control only my own behaviors and choices. But when I hear that my children are making choices to heal the world one action at a time, it brings me a tremendous amount of joy.
“It is an honor to be recognized among such a distinguished group of devoted people in my community.”
Congrats to these incredible Jewish professionals, and to all the other recipients!Atlanta Jewish Times has recognized five of our team members for the their 40 Under 40! Heather Blake Ben Bornstein Jenn Handel Arielle Orlansky Jessica Schwartzman
Associate Director Chabad of GA, Executive Director CMCH
Rabbi Isser New is married to Smicha Musha New. The couple has six children: Chana (13), Yaakov (12), Devorah (9), Meir (8), Zevi (6), and Dovber (3).
In his work with CMCH, (a Jewish day school of 250 children), New oversees the strategic decisions and growth of the school. He assists his father, Rabbi Yossi New (Regional Director of Chabad of GA), in the growth of Chabad centers in GA and is one of the assistant rabbis at Congregation Beth Tefillah. He is also active with the JCC.
Born in Atlanta, New moved away for Yeshiva, got married and now lives one mile from his childhood home. “Being from Atlanta makes working here so much more personal and meaningful,” he says. “I enjoy studying To rah with members of the community and discussing growth opportunities with the CMCH educational staff board members and supporters,” says New, who adds he feels fortunate to be colleagues “with the most incredible group of Rabbis and Rebbetzins.”
On the recognition of being named in AJT’s Top 40 Under 40, New says, “It is a testament to the work of Chabad in the state of GA."
Matthew Oppenheimer received his Bachelor of Sci ence in Business from Indiana University and Master of Science in Real Estate from Georgia State University.
As President of Halpern Enterprises, Oppen heimer helps create and implement strategies that enhance the value of the company’s existing real es tate portfolio. He works with the development and acquisitions teams to achieve growth goals through new investments, and he works to maintain a strong financial and organizational foundation.
Married to Andrea Oppenheimer, the couple have two children, Davis (5 ) and Levi (2 ).
“I am incredibly proud to be part of the 3rd genera tion working in our family’s business, and to be continuing the legacy that was started by my grandparents (Bernard and Shirley Halpern) and was built upon by my uncle (Jack Halpern) and mother (Carolyn Oppenheimer). I feel very fortunate to be carrying this torch alongside my cousins Benjamin Halpern, Cary Halpern, Chris Hoffmeister, and my brother Brad Oppen heimer,” he says.
Outside of work Oppenheimer serves as secretary and treasurer for the Cham blee Doraville Community Improvement District, and also holds (or have recently held) board and committee positions with The Epstein School, Marcus Jewish Com munity Center of Atlanta, Hillels of Georgia, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, and Birthright Israel Foundation. He also participated in the ADL Glass Leadership Insti tute and the AJC Black/Jewish Coalition retreat.
When not spending free time with his family, Matthew enjoys golfing, fishing, hiking, reading, and traveling. “I am also an avid sports fan and love rooting on the Braves, Hawks, Falcons, and Buckeyes,” he says.
“I’m very honored to be considered for a recognition like this and am grateful to have been chosen,” says Oppenheimer. “Many of the people who I look up to in the Atlanta Jewish community have previously received this recognition, and I hope to continue following in their footsteps.”
“The team at Federation is committed, supportive, and awesome. I am very proud to receive this award alongside my colleagues,” said Orlansky, who recently joined Jew ish Kids Groups’ Board, an organization which she says is very near and dear to her heart. “JKG anchored me in Atlanta after college and I grew up with the organi zation for nearly ten years,” she says.
Orlansky received her Bachelor’s degree in so ciology and education from Georgia State University and her Master’s degree, also from Georgia State, in creative and innovative education. Married to Alex Or lansky, she says she and her husband support the Belt Line project and recently purchased their first home on the BeltLine in Grant Park.
“I love this vibrant, diverse city, which has become home after thirteen years. The warmth of the Atlanta Jewish community is unmatched. I feel fortunate to work alongside so many champions for Jewish Atlanta. Receiving this award is a true honor,” said Orlansky.
Jacob Ross is a self-employed filmmaker specializing in documentaries, commercials and videos for nonprofits. As newlyweds, married to Chani Kavka.
After living in Jerusalem for five years after col lege working on documentary filmmaking, Ross moved back home to Atlanta and started working in film production here. Three years ago, he started his own film production company, Diamond Sky Produc tions LLC. Over the past few years, he has directed/ edited several award-winning documentaries about the Atlanta Jewish Community (“No Pork on The Fork,” “Atlanta: The City Too Busy To Wait”) that have been shown around the world in various film festivals, stream ing platforms and PBS.
“I love working and collaborating with the various Jew ish organizations in Atlanta and find the work very rewarding and am constantly amazed at all the incredible people in my network here. There is certainly something very special about our Jewish Community, and I am always so delighted to have the opportunity to create content that shows the incredible work that is being done here,” says Ross.
Ross holds a Bachelor’s degree in business and music from American Univer sity. He is also the editor of the upcoming feature length documentary, “Rhino Man,” which is about the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa and has been highlighted recently by Prince William.
Volunteering in the community Ross serves on the Steering Committee of the American Jewish Committee and is involved with Chabad Intown/YJP. Hobbies in clude mountain biking, collecting and listening to jazz vinyl records, painting, Yid dish poetry, playing guitar, photography and enjoying a daily sauna.
He credits moving to Israel after college for giving him important life skills. “I am proud of the person that I became from my experiences living in Israel, which has played a big part in my support of Israel now and work within the Jewish community here in Atlanta and around the world.”
Ross added: “It is a great honor to be recognized as a 40 under 40 in Jewish At lanta because I truly love our community here and feel so fortunate for all of the op portunities Jewish Atlanta has provided me. As a native Atlantan, it is even sweeter to be recognized and to see 3 of my grandparents kvell.”
Jessie Schwartzman received her Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and arrived in Atlanta in August of 2019. At JumpSpark, she works with the Atlan ta Jewish teen ecosystem on innovative programming, leadership development, and social media/communi cations.
Schwartzman says she is proud of all the rela tionships she has been able to cultivate since work ing in Jewish Atlanta. “Since I started this role back in the summer of 2019, I have been able to get to know so many Jewish professionals and really maintain those relationships. I have worked hard to understand how unique this city is and how everyone’s role truly impact’s the greater good. It is the people in this community that will allow me to continue to grow myself and my career.”
As one who grew up attending and worked at URJ Camp Coleman, she is also a frequent Moishe House attendee and is involved in ATL Social Sport Leagues and en joys hiking and exploring the Atlanta food scene.
Of her AJT 40 Under 40 recognition, Schwartzman says: “I am honored to be with this group of people. Really shows how much I have grown since starting in this field 3 1/2 years ago. Proud of the community I have been able to build for myself and excited for what’s to come for my career and the relationships I am able to cultivate. Honored to be with a group of people who have such an impact in the community.”
Associate, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Joshua Spielman received a bachelor’s from Rutgers University; J.D., Georgetown University Law Center. Spielman is a member of the corporate practice arm of Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta office. His practice focuses in the areas of corporate and business law, mergers and acquisitions, emerging growth compa nies, venture capital financing and private equity. He is married to wife, Dani; they have a son, Ari, 9 months old
He was raised in a family that believes communities need to be actively built and continuously sustained and supported. His family has always been committed to Jewish life and have actively supported the Jewish day school, youth group and summer camping movements. Josh himself is an alumnus of the Solomon Schechter Day School system, where he met his wife, United Synagogue Youth (USY), Ramah Nyack, Ramah Poconos and Ramah Darom.
His family are members of two metro Atlanta synagogues, Congregation B’nai Torah and Temple Sinai. He recently began a term as President of the board of Ner anenah Arts and Culture Series, recently renamed from the Atlanta Jewish Music Fes tival, to honor the spirit of ‘come together and sing’. Josh is also a second-generation supporter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and has served on the board for the Southeast Region for the past three years.
In addition to these board memberships, Josh uses his background to provide pro bono legal services to several organizations around Atlanta, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Hillels of Georgia, The Epstein School, and other lo cal Jewish organizations. He has extended his non-profit legal work to include other faith-based organization around Georgia, including a recent tribute event for Arch bishop Desmond Tutu and has often been asked to serve in these roles to lend a Jewish perspective where one may or may not otherwise already ex ist. Part of Josh’s philosophy of Jewish community building is rooted in creating opportunities to offer this perspective and for engagement and education across all communities in and around Atlanta.
Bee At Peace is another organization where Spielman serves as a board member and pro-bono counsel. Bee At Peace is a nonprofit that works to help fight the stigmas surrounding the topic of mental health for women of color through faithbased retreats and educational opportunities.
When Spielman was asked what it means to him to be named as a 40 Under 40, he said, “I have been so fortunate to have an incredible family, as well as mentors at Greenberg Traurig, who led by example. These are individuals who are committed to their Jewish identity, actively supporting Jewish communal organizations and deeply believe in the need to support the larger communities in which we live. These relationships have given me a plat form to serve, and I feel particularly fortunate to work at a firm that values and rewards this type of commitment and passion.
“Community means everything to me. The communities in which I was raised and which I have been fortunate to be a part of throughout my life have shaped who I am. I feel particularly honored to be included on [Atlanta Jewish Times’ 2022 40 Under 40] a list recognizing those who are helping to build, sustain, and shape our commu nity.”
Tenanbaum holds a B.A. in Jewish Studies and a Mas ters in Jewish Education and has combined her love of serving and helping others by being the Youth Direc tor of Temple Sinai, Community Camp Ambassador at Jewish Federation and now Director of Camp and Year-Round Programs at Aurora Day Camp, a free 6-week day camp for children with cancer and their siblings. Tenanbaum says that camp is truly her hap py place but volunteering at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta during the year when camp is not in session is a close second!
When not doing any of those things, she enjoys go ing to craft fairs, dancing, traveling, trying new restau rants, and spending time with friends and family. She lives in Dunwoody with her husband Jason, two kids Paxton and Lilly, dog Penny, and cat Tutti.
Tanenbaum is also an active participant in both her children’s schools, includ ing being a cheerleader at dance, gymnastics, basketball, soccer and music events for her children. She also volunteers at the Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta providing home checks to adoptable dogs, serves on the board of the Jewish Family Career Ser vices Family Volunteer Committee, and organizes neighborhood events.
Says Tenanbaum: “This is a huge honor for me. When I found out that I was a recipient of the Jewish Atlanta 2022 40 Under 40 I initially thought it was spam! I don’t think of myself as worthy since there are so many people in our community who are trailblazers, creating innovative and impactful programs. To be considered one these esteemed and talented individuals is a humbling and surreal experience for me. I truly feel grateful to live in the Atlanta community and to live my life doing what I love most, helping an extremely deserving demographic of families.”
Managing Partner of Michael S. Wilensky LLC and Georgia State Representative, House District 79
Michael Wilensky is a graduate of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications of the University of Georgia and holds a Juris Doctor University of Maryland School of Law.
His practice focuses on personal injury and wrongful death law since 2011
As a state representative, Wilensky led creation of the Georgia-Israel legislative caucus to promote and show to state representatives and senators the mutual benefits of a relationship between Georgia and Israel. He is also a member of the Rotary Club, is active on the Civil Rights committee of the Anti-Defa mation League and is a serving member of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. He also helped to enact the Anti-Hate crimes legislation as an ADL board member.
Wilensky has two daughters, Grace and Lyla.
Commercial real estate broker with Skyline Seven Real Estate.
Josh Wulz attended Kennesaw State University. He is married to Avital (Tali) Wulz. They have one child, Zeke, who is 10 months old and their dog, Mia.
As a commercial real estate broker, Wulz is fo cused on representing retail landlords across the southeast. He is a four-time Costar Power Broker and as partner, assists with managing the leasing depart ment, new business development, marketing, and client relations. He is on the planning committee for ICSC Southeast and is also the Community Advance ment Chair for ICSC for the state of Georgia.
Beyond work, Wulz says he has always been inti mately connected to the Atlanta Jewish Community. He attended The Epstein School during elementary school and says that while that it laid an important Jewish foundation in his life, along with the influence of his parents, Bryan and Nancy. Wulz helped cre ate multiple adult recreational basketball leagues at the Atlanta JCC which still exist today. He also met his wife (and best friend) Tali at the Atlanta JCC. Wulz says that several of those older connections he made as a child have become friends over time, which include a three-time city champ A-level ALTA team composed of several JCC basketball players.
“Community is very important to me,” says Wulz. “The surrounding neighbor hoods of the BeltLine where I live never have a dull moment but also getting involved with local causes such as The Nicholas House, Compassionate Atlanta, or something as simple as handing out hot meals to unhoused persons within my community.”
Josh and Tali enjoy weekend hikes or taking a simple walk in the neighborhood. He enjoys food, both restaurants and cooking, playing sports, mainly basketball, golf and tennis, and is an overly passionate supporter, and shareholder, of the Green Bay Packers.
Program
Directorat Congregation Gesher L’Torah and Musician.
Program Director by day and Rockstar. Hannah Zale has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communica tion (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Geor gia. Emphasis in Social Media Theory. Music Business Certificate also from the University of Georgia.
Zale's partner is Jared Schmit, they have a malti poo named Tikvah and a pretty mix named Barley. She enjoys jamming with her nephew, Samuel.
Zale has helped thousands of Jewish children, teens, and adults in Atlanta discover their identity and find connection since joining the community in 2013. She has brought her own unique brand of Joyful Judaism to 11 synagogues, 4 preschools, 2 after school programs, 2 youth group organizations, 5 camps, and every Jewish day school in the city. Zale creates and facilitates innovative and experiential programs for every age and stage – focusing on the surprisingly inspi rational.
Zale is also in a band called “The Pussywillows” with her best friend, Carly Gib son. The band can best be described as a harmony power duo - a la Heart or The Indigo Girls. Good ole rock n roll with a modern edge of moxie and mania.
In addition to being a Jewish educator and culture creator in Atlanta, she is dedi cated to service. Zale leads the GLT Hunger Walk Team, leads monthly "Hikes for a Cause” in North Fulton, and partners with Nerananah and Cafe Europa to provide music to underserved communities and Holocaust survivors.
She has the honor of speaking as a passionate Birthright Alumni at events across the Southeast and has also been chosen as a Teen’s #1 Jewish Mentor for the Teen Ha dassah awards. Zale also facilitates weekly BINGO at The Cohen Home.
“Although I competed in Miss Teen Georgia as a kid and released 5 rock albums in my career, this will be the first official recognition of hard work in almost a decade of service to the Atlanta Jewish Community. I am truly honored to receive this recog nition and want to thank my family and friends, Jared, the SS Squad, and the entire Gesher L’Torah Family,” said Zale.
Zeligman is married to Michael Zeligman, they have two children Molly (6) and Bram (4). They are members of the MJCCA and Temple Emanu-el, and she is also a Hadassah member.
She has an undergraduate degree in Judaic Stud ies from the American Jewish University in Califor nia; Master’s degree in Jewish Education from Siegal College; Certificate in HR Management from the Uni versity of Georgia.
She enjoys her work at Camp Judaea, explaining that it provides campers the opportunity to explore and try new things, see what they like, and make their own choices, that’s how they start to form who they are while also in a Jewish environment and therefore, shaping their Jewish Identity. The memories and friendships created at camp are lifelong; not much can compare.
“I’m proud of my career and the work that I am a part of. I have always been a “learning-by-doing” type of person and that is what I love the most about camp – ex periential education. Camp provides a sense of community, a sense of Jewish connec tion, and a sense of adventure.
“I am honored to be recognized as a Jewish Atlanta 40 under 40. There are so many talented Jewish young professionals in Atlanta, and I am grateful to work in our thriving community,” said Zeligman.
Atlanta Jewish Times Staff contributed to this feature.
The At lanta-based Jewish Fertility Foundation is expanding to the Washing ton, D.C. met ropolitan area.
According to Elana Frank, founder and chief executive officer of the organization, the new office will serve a community that is said to be the third-largest Jewish population center in the country.
According to a survey by Brandeis University taken in 2018, approximately 300,000 Jews live in a community which includes areas of northern Virginia and Maryland, in addition to the city of Wash ington, D.C. That’s a 37 percent increase in just 15 years. What is particularly sig nificant, according to Frank, is that the community includes an unusually large number of national opinion makers in government and philanthropy and many of them are under the age 40.
She sees the expansion as a big step
The Jewish Fertility Foundation has provided $1.2 million in interest-free loans for medical fertility treatments.
forward both for her organization and for those in the Washington Jewish com munity who expect to have the new office open by the beginning of January.
“Members of the D.C. Jewish commu
According to a 2018 study, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area has the third-largest Jewish community in America.
nity first reached out to us several years ago,” Frank says, “and this past year they were able to complete raising their initial capital, which essentially pays for a local staff person and an office for two years.
So, we’ve had almost 200 donors and vol unteers engaged in D.C. before we even of ficially open up the office.”
The organization, which now num bers programs in five cities, plus Atlanta,
has provided $1.2 million in interest-free loans to help finance fertility treatments and facilitate discounts for medical ser vices that are usually not covered by in surance. The cost of such services can run $25,000 and more for each pregnancy.
It also facilitates support groups and a one-on-one buddy system to ease the emotional pain of infertility. It is some thing that Frank knows firsthand. Her three children were all born as the result of medical treatments she received. The last of which was conceived over four years ago after she started the organiza tion. It’s a process she describes as like being on an emotional roller coaster that takes its toll on women, both physically and emotionally.
“It’s isolating, you know, when you’re going through this process, especially in the Jewish community, which values fam ily more than anything,” Frank says. “The major holidays are a particularly difficult time. And how do you go to a bris of a friend of yours without feeling really bad for yourself? You can also be really happy for somebody else, but it’s really, really, re ally isolating.”
The chairperson of the Washington organizing committee also has three chil dren, all born after fertility treatments. Amy Forseter’s children are 14, 11 and 7, now, respectively, but when she first start ed trying to get pregnant 20 years ago, information was not always readily avail able and navigating a network of medical providers was not easy. Even today, she says, for many women, it can be a very lonely experience.
“You feel like you’re the only one in it. Why isn’t this happening to me? What’s wrong with me? You have a lot of selfdoubt. You question your own identity and your own self-worth. And what I love
about the programs of the Jewish Fertility Foundation is you get to come together with other people who are feeling the same way. And there’s strength in that. You know, you have your community, you have support. Even if no one knows what to say, you’re in it together and it’s beauti ful,” Forseter said.
Forseter describes the reaction in Washington as very welcoming or, as she put it, “people wanting to support and people wanting support.” The Jewish Federation in Washington provided an important matching grant to get the orga nization started there.
In a time when issues surrounding reproductive health are front and center on the national political agenda, Forseter feels that the work of the Fertility Foun dation is finally getting the attention it deserves.
“For the Foundation to be able to make an impact in such a large city with such large numbers and with so many people that are going to be using our ser vices, it’s a great opportunity. And I do think it will be a game changer because in places like New York and L.A. and other important communities they are going to say, why aren’t we doing these kinds of things? Why isn’t it on our radar?”
In Atlanta, Elana Frank feels the momentum building. Next month, she is bringing the Foundation’s message to an important national meeting of women who are big donors at local federations around the country. She also has a pend ing request for a large grant from a major foundation that she says “would change everything” for her organization.
“Oh, my G-d, I wish. Every night when I go to bed, I dream about it,” she says, “And I believe that dreams can sometimes come true.” ì
Ukrainian-born, Israeli Nir Valtman raised $8 mil lion to herald in his cybersecurity software startup, Arni ca, to Alpharetta. Worldwide eyes and the most brilliant of minds are searching for security protection as govern ments, hospitals, cities, investment firms, ad infinitum worry about what evil player might seize their data.
Valtman gained traction as an expert after serving in the Israeli Air Force in a role that combined informa tion technology (IT) and cybersecurity. He said, “It was a natural progression to move into the tech industry af ter the army. I was fortunate to have the time to work full-time as a cybersecurity consultant while getting my bachelor’s degree in computer science. Actually, much before then, I started to write code (more like instruc tions in specific order) when I was eight, and then, at
the age of 13, my parents enrolled me into a Visual Basic course in the Tel Aviv University, which kicked me out after I ruined their computer lab with a piece of code that would be considered as malicious, nowadays only a prank that went wrong. This is when ‘hacking’ became my passion.”
Valtman, who moved from Ukraine to Israel at age four, came to Atlanta as the chief security officer at Re talix, a tech company in the retail software space. It was acquired by NCR, headquartered in Atlanta. Before tak ing the leap to his startup, he worked at both Kabbage and Finastra.
Demand for Arnica’s services stems from a rise in attacks on software development which increased by 650 percent, according to SONATYPE, a supply chain management platform. The increase is related to devel opers downloading software like Java and Python.
Explaining the process in lay terms, Valtman stated, “The adoption of cloud-native technologies created much more mature application delivery and security processes for companies. Cyber criminals are continuously looking for creative ways to take over sensitive data and systems, hence one of the most common ways is by targeting de velopers, who have access to their company’s source code. Without the proper controls to prevent attacks through the source code, the risk of changing the source code is equivalent to the risk of changing your production cloud systems, which is to say, ‘very high.’”
Valtman describes his best customers as the ones providing the most active feedback, regardless of size or industry. Their target market is wide because Arnica re duces risk, operational overhead, and costs while secur ing companies that are building software. He explained, “Arnica will be most immediately relevant to compa nies that are beholden to compliance requirements like SOC2, Sarbanes-Oxley, or Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). For example, Arnica is particularly relevant for financial institutions because we help them accomplish specific requirements set out by the FFIEC guidelines they have to adhere to.”
Arnica has 15 full-time employees based out of a 600-square-foot office. Weighing office versus remote operations, Valtman said, “Arnica is a remote-first com pany, which means that no one needs to come to the office. Fortunately, all employees that live up to 30 min utes away from the office come every day. It builds the culture, people are open to talk about anything, every one eats lunch together and sometimes it is just having fun, playing darts or PlayStation. Most of the team in Atlanta is focused on product, engineering, and security research.”
Valtman modestly assesses his strength as sur rounding himself with people who are “smarter than he is.” His long game is, “Our goal is to shape a world in which software development is unimpeded by risk. As long as we are moving the needle in this direction, Arnica will be the best-in-class solution to secure the software supply chain.”
In terms of competition, Valtman remarked, “The software supply chain security space has become quite noisy in the last year. Arnica differentiates itself by miti gating risks, as opposed to many products that provide visibility only. We went one step further and offered full visibility for free for unlimited users, forever.”
As a footnote, “arnica” is a plant used as a natural balm for healing and bruising. Valtman took that into account when he named his company.
Valtman has three children, a supportive wife, and a mixed breed rescue pup. ì
By Marcia Caller Jaffe
Chess has long been valued as an “intellectually stretching” tactical game dating back to the 15th century, some say even 900 years earlier. During COVID, chess saw a resurgence in tandem with the popularity of the Netflix series, “The Queen’s Gambit,” which registered a 96 percent Rotten Tomatoes approval rat ing. Also, the pandemic opened doors for online playing and instruction with other games like canasta and mahjong.
Shavi Bash, 26, with Israeli and Ar gentinean roots, combined his chess acu men and charisma to teach chess online. He said, “The series is the whole reason chess suddenly became cool again, and everyone was watching the show. That’s exactly when I launched my business in November 2020, alongside ‘The Queen’s Gambit.’”
Backing up to his original passion for the game, Bash recalled, “My back ground affords a lovely perspective as far as culture is concerned. We are Jew ish and my abba (father) taught me chess with an adventure story about kings, quests, large battles, queens, dragons, and gold. He would come up with fasci nating and engaging stories that I still re member.”
Originally from Texas, Bash moved to Roswell when he was four, and later graduated from Roswell High School, then played Division I football in college while he studied sports management with a focus on coaching, thus encom passing his talent for nurturing and en couraging, especially with youth.
Bash went to Israel on Birthright Taglit in May 2022 and continues to play in chess tournaments. He recently spent three months in Israel teaching chess classes for kids in the U.S., Europe, South America, U.K., and Africa. Three years since the pandemic launch, he stated, “This is my ambition and passion: to teach youth, and chess is the perfect medium on which to expand that. I have truly found my passion in teaching and shown year after year that my students love chess and have stuck around the whole time.”
Bash reflects that he inspires trust in others. He continued, “Families trust that I will deliver quality, fun, challenging virtual chess classes and keep adding cu riosity, perspective, balance and wisdom with group and individual virtual chess classes. Trust also is that I create a safe, authentic learning environment that is inclusive to all.”
A self-described world traveler/ nature/fitness/chess enthusiast, Bash expanded his Zoom adventure chess con cept by incorporating engaging videos, puzzles, mini-games, and scenarios. He created his own style of virtual chess les sons using 3-D animation, annotations with drawing tools and breaking down gameplay components like opening, midgame, and endgame in chess. He meets a child’s skill level and guides them from “beginner to winner.”
Bash offers online chess course cur riculum lessons in both private lessons and group formats as well as a custom izable, thinking/life coaching and vir tual strategy classes. The lessons are for children as young as four years old, teenagers, adults and seniors, men, and women, in English or Spanish. With over 50-plus virtual students from all over the world, there is an opportunity to socially connect groups of kids with lessons. Stu dents are invited to build their own Leg end Character and gain armor/skills/ pieces for their own castle.
Bash has flexible price options. All classes are 60-minute sessions. $35 for one-on-one lessons, $25 for group lessons of two-three students, and $20 for slight ly larger group of four-five students. In group lessons, he encourages students to invite friends and family to build one’s own team, but that’s optional. The intro ductory lesson is free where Bash has a demo session to tailor the learning expe rience to each student. For more informa tion, email shavibashchess@gmail.com.
The benefits of playing chess have long been known, as Bass sums it up.
“I believe chess builds character, im proves academic performance and adds perspective to daily decisions to keep
your brain sharp! Chess is known for its ability to develop many skills in children like decision-making, problem solving and creative thinking. Many studies even show that chess raises the IQ level in chil dren, improves memory and concentra
tion, language acquisition and more. My virtual community aims to create a safe, authentic, fun, and challenging virtual platform for students to connect and play, socialize and learn how to think through the context and medium of chess.” ì
Temple Beth Tikvah will host a concert featuring Anthony Russell and Dmitri Gas kin in a presentation of “Tsvey Brider” on Sat urday evening, Dec. 10. Many components come into play as to why this will be a special event. Russell, a San Francisco native, is a for mally trained lyric basso profundo, who just happens to be African American and mar ried to Rabbi Mike Rothbaum.
Nancy Kassel, cantor of Beth Tikvah stated, “Russell performed in Atlanta once be fore, pre-pandemic, now that he lives here… he is considering this concert more of his Atlanta premiere. Younger generations may know short Yiddish expressions that have become part of a broad Jewish/non-Jewish lingo, but they rarely have exposure to the beauty and expressiveness of Yiddish song. The language and songs of Yiddish deserve to be kept alive and evolve into newer expres sion.”
Russell received his music degree from Holy Names University in Oakland, Calif. He and Mike moved to Atlanta from Mas sachusetts. He appeared in 2016 in a concert of European Jewish music at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., performing also with Gaskin. Then, in the Radical Jewish Cul ture Festival in Berlin, Germany, in 2017, after which they toured Poland, and performed in Carnegie Hall’s Migrations Festival in New York City, and the Yiddish Summer Weimar Festival in Germany.
In terms of amazement by some of this particular talent based on Russell’s back ground, he said, “I was raised Christian, and it’s to that I attribute, in part, my initial cleaving to Torah and facility with Chumash. I am often asked what the reaction of my family was to my decision to become Jewish, the assumption being that it was negative or hostile. Had they witnessed my mother and grandmother, z”l, dancing with challahs at
my wedding (a custom signifying wishes for abundance on the couple), I’m sure they would come to different conclusions.”
His two albums are: “Convergence,” with klezmer trio Veretski Pass, an exploration of 100 years of Ashkenazi and African Ameri can music. “Kosmopolitin” is a collection of original songs composed and arranged with Gaskin, set to modernist Yiddish poetry, for his Bay Area string ensemble, Baymele. Avail able on bandcamp.com.
Backing up to his marriage, after some
initial internet correspondence, Russell met Rabbi Rothbaum in 2007 while visiting New York as a performer in a summer opera pro gram. Their first date was a New York Mets game; the rest, “is history.”
He said, “I think we complement each other intellectually in many different ways: we’re both creatively inspired by Jewish text in ways that have led us to embody it in our own respective fashions—him from the pul pit and I from the concert stage.”
Tickets are $18 for nonmembers, free to Temple Beth Tikvah members. 9955 Coleman Road.
Russell, in conversation with the AJT, ex presses his motivations:
AJT: How did you select your Hebrew name?
AR: Megilas Esther being one of my favorite stories as a child—it’s rather oper atic—the choice of Mordechai was a given; Tzvi was an allusion to my favorite psukim Tehillim, 42:1. Little did I know at the time that Mordechai Tzvi was an old-fashioned combination, germane to my future as a Yid dish singer.
AJT: Do you get reactions like “YOU know Yiddish?”
AR: I do; I often reply in Yiddish, at
which point, usually, the questioner admits to not knowing much of it themselves; per haps this exchange will reevaluate assump tions as to who has access to the 1,000-yearold tongue of Ashkenazi Jewry…but one can never tell.
AJT: Your favorite Yiddish runes:
AR: “Kinder Yorn” is a classic that has long been in my repertoire. Who hasn’t looked back on one’s childhood with wist fulness? “Dos lid fun Bessarabia” is a great song of lyrical homesickness; “S’iz nishto keyn nekhtn” has the curious fate of being a rousing drinking song of Lubavitcher niggun origin.
AJT: What about Yiddish appeals to you?
AR: The history of Ashkenazi Jewry is in the Yiddish language, the geographic sprawl of its linguistic borrowings and tenses em braces almost every challenge the world has thrown up until today, shifting and changing to mold itself around the unfolding worlds of its speakers. What’s not to love?
AJT: Any Chanukah songs at the con cert?
AR: I haven’t decided just yet, but…‘tis the season, eh? ì
Atlanta’s Selig Enterprises announced plans to build a pedestrian bridge enhancing direct access to the Atlanta BeltLine’s Northeast Trail for Ansley Park, Pied mont Heights neighborhoods adjacent to Ansley Mall. Some suggest improved access for as many as 45 neigh borhoods as Midtown Atlanta is continuing in a rapid growth phase.
Selig acquired Ansley Mall in 1972 as a well-known, well-positioned asset in its portfolio. Mindy Selig, senior vice president of Selig Enterprises, stated, “Our family has owned Ansley Mall for over 50 years, and it has been one of the ‘jewel box’ properties in our portfolio. Our vi sion is to create an enhanced experience with the new Atlanta BeltLine connection. Our customers and the surrounding communities will have direct access to many of Atlanta’s unique neighborhoods through the
trail network.”
Selig Enterprises, one of the largest privately-owned real estate companies in the Southeast, announced on Nov. 2 this plan to undertake the addition of a pedes trian bridge to link Ansley Mall to the forthcoming At lanta BeltLine’s Northeast Trail that will run adjacent to the property. The new BeltLine link is part of a larger capital improvement plan for the 16-acre, open-air shop ping center to enhance the destination and provide the surrounding community with a useful and fun retail and restaurant mix, improved connectivity, elevated programming and new activated outdoor space as the “front door” to the BeltLine.
The second phase of the Atlanta BeltLine Northeast Trail will include 1.2 miles of paved trail, lighting, and security cameras. The pedestrian bridge will allow Ans ley Park and Piedmont Heights residents direct access to the multi-use trail. The bridge will span 105 feet and will avoid any environmental impact to the surrounding nature. Selig is in the conceptual stage of determining capital improvements to enhance what is now the rear of the property to create a warm and inviting sense of arrival to the property. The Ansley Mall BeltLine bridge is slated to open in late 2023.
Ansley is known as a neighborhood hub, home to local shops like The Cook’s Warehouse, Ansley Wine Merchants, Phidippides, Brooklyn Bagel, Intaglia Home Collection, Publix, CVS and many more. Ansley is lo cated at the corner of Piedmont and Monroe drives, a stone’s throw from The Atlanta Botanical Garden, Pied mont Park and the prestigious Piedmont Driving Club. Ansley originally opened in 1964 and was anchored by Woolworth’s, Colonial Food Store, and a movie theatre. It was renovated in 2010.
Selig’s retail portfolio spans approximately 4 mil lion square feet across the Southeast, with key centers in the Midtown, Upper Westside and Buckhead markets, including Buckhead Triangle, Brookwood Place, Buck head Square I and II, The Shops of Buckhead, Buckhead Commons and Peachtree Plaza. Selig also led the devel opment of The Works, its 80-acre, adaptive reuse mixeduse development, on Atlanta’s Upper Westside as well as 1105 West Peachtree in Midtown. ì
By Bob Bahr
The Arthur Blank Family Founda tion has announced a new strategic plan and philanthropic grants for the Westside neighborhoods adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The foundation is giv ing an additional $2.4 million to encourage home ownership and economic opportu nity in both the Vine City and English Ave nue communities that have, over the years, been economically depressed.
In announcing the grant on Nov. 17, Blank reiterated his support for the area’s residents, many of whom have struggled to remain in their homes since the opening of the stadium in 2017.
“When we decided to build MercedesBenz Stadium, it was imperative that the stadium catalyze revitalization in the West side,” Blank said earlier this month. “We view the stadium as an anchor institution and a citizen of the neighborhood with an opportunity and a responsibility to con tribute to meaningful, positive change.”
The new grants are said to be the re sult of a comprehensive review of the Foun dation’s support for the work it has done in the diverse neighborhood of the West side, which, in recent years, has seen a considerable amount of redevelopment and an influx of young and often financially mobile new residents. Over the years, the Blank Foundation has spent $59 million to improve life in these areas of the city. Now, it is hoping to do more to keep longtime residents there.
The architect of the plan is Danny Shoy, the Blank Foundation director of their efforts on the Westside of Atlanta. Eight months ago, he was brought back to the Foundation, where he originally worked for 12 years before leaving to serve as the head of At lanta’s East Lake Foundation. His mandate from Blank and Fay Twersky, who came to the Blank Family charity as president in February 2021, was to reappraise the Foundation’s work on the Westside. The announcement earlier this month was, ac cording to Shoy, part of that mandate.
“The foundation’s work on the West side of Atlanta, specifically in Vine City and English Avenue, is to increase the economic mobility for our legacy residents living in these mostly minority neighborhoods. As the neighborhoods on the Westside, inclu sive of those two communities, continue to rapidly change they have choices for viable options to remain in the neighborhood.”
Complicating efforts to shore up the stability of the two neighborhoods is the fact that of the 7,000 residents there, only about 350 or about 5 percent own their own homes. The rest are renters, living in homes and apartments that are owned by investors and absentee landlords, with little incentive to improve the aging prop erties. Often, their interest in the area is fueled by its ac cess to adjacent areas of the rapidly gentrifying Westside, the central business district and Blank’s billion-dollar stadium.
Although he admits it’s a difficult job, Shoy says the fight to improve the econom ic security of the residents in Vine City and English Av enue is not just a local issue but affects the entire city.
“We could not be ask ing for a better time to be fo cused ourselves on affordable housing and financial security. I also think if we don’t do this, the consequence of not being focused in this way is that the market will continue to do what it will do. And Atlanta will, un fortunately, across many of its neighbor hoods, continue to become increasingly unaffordable.”
Blank has had personal experience with the importance of encouraging af fordable housing. Growing up in a single parent home, as a teen, after the death of his father, the family lived in a onebedroom apartment in Queens, N.Y., with a sofa bed in the living room. As part of the new direction, he has pledged that his Foundation will spend at least $5 million each year on the Westside project for the foreseeable future.
“We’re committed to continuing our investment in the Westside community,”
Blank said, “and partnering with the resi dents and businesses there.”
The Foundation’s lead in the effort, Shoy, who is an African American but had a godfather who was Jewish, said that the job is too big even for the Blank Founda tion. He said the most recent grant comes with an open invitation to other philan thropic organizations in the Jewish com
munity in Atlanta to join in the effort.
“I know so many members of the Jew ish community who have partnered with Arthur and the Family Foundation since its inception. But we’re inviting new donors to help us with this work, while at the same time we’re also thankful in this season of giving thanks for those who have been, part of this work.” ì
Chanukah is brightened this year by togetherness, sim ply put, the best gift of all. Thoughtful gifts are also the icing on the cake. With a little creativity, there are endless ways to make Chanukah memorable. Here are some assorted gifts that will make gift giving fun and festive. Add a fam ily game of dreidel with chocolate gelt, a theme each night (book night, donate to a good cause or even gifts for your pet night) for some added fun. May the lights of Chanukah rekindle your spirit and be a reminder of those you love, ap preciate, and cherish. After all, they are our most priceless and precious gifts.
The 8 Nights of Hanukkah: For openers, each night reveal one part of the artful Star of David to discover a delectable treat inside. With eight surprises, you’ll enjoy a delicious, dried fruit, rich rugelach, indulgent brownies and blondies, Jordan almonds, chocolate gelt coins, tasty chocolate-covered pret zels, and more. www.harryanddavid. com
For The Handy Helper: The Home Depot gift card makes holiday shopping easy with gift cards in a variety of designs and E-Gift Card options for instant or a scheduled delivery date. All this from the world’s largest home improvement retail er. Redeem in store or online. No fees, no expiration. www.homedepot.com
Smart Cookies Love Levain: Sweet en the holiday with cookies from Levain Bakery, the iconic, award-winning bak ery known for its decadent, award-win ning six-ounce cookies that are baked fresh daily, crispy on the outside, and ooey-gooey on the inside. Check out five classic flavors plus blueberry muffins, chocolate chip brioche and sour cream coffee cakes. DoorDash National Ship ping. www.levainbakery.com
A Menorah to Go Wild Over: Check out Jonathan Adler’s Elephant Menorah and other stylish Chanukah gifts for a timeless treasure. Everything Jonathan Adler is a special gift year-round. www. jonathanadler.com
It’s Magnetic: Magna-Tiles created by CreateOn, a finalist in Toy Founda tion’s Toy of The Year 2022, are magnetic tiles that click together. New collections include The Beatles Yellow Submarine Magna-Tiles and photo buffs can create photo tiles. Grownups upload their pics for double-sided tiles compatible with all Magna-Tiles to keep you connected. www.magnatiles.com
Dear Diary: “Just Between Us” is a beautiful back-and-forth diary inspired by mother daughter team Meredith and Sofie Jacobs. This one-of-a-kind series of journals shares a special space for advice, dreams, and bonding. Available for moth ers and daughters and more at Amazon, Target and Chronicle.com. https://www. dropbox.com/sh/znelm3ed25ydjhw/ AADtTU-cGNXhSEVme3vjf3-xa?dl=0 https://www.justbetweenusjournals. com/books
A Taste of America: “The Taste of America” is a compendium of delicious foods made in the USA. Written by James Beard-award winning food writer Colman Andrews, the book features 250 artisanal products. Add a certified kosher gift for potato chip lovers with a crunchy suitcase from The G.O.A.T. brand, a family business that crafts chef inspired potato chips from Idaho russets. www.buythegoat.com and https://www. phaidon.com/store/food-cook/the-tasteof-america-9780714865829/
A Book of Kindness: Meet the Mitz vah Fairy in this adorable tale of “Hanuk kah Veronica” as she brightens Hanuk kah. Check out the gift book and doll set by Julie Anne Cooper and Wendy Brant for a wonderful gift. Readers learn how kindness is a special gift that needs no reason for giving. www.bontafriends. com
Super Small Stuff: Kids will love the Paint Your Own Menorah and deco rate it for the perfect creative activity on Chanukah. Small Stuff presents kits that will brighten the holiday and let your pint-sized Picasso add their own colorful touch. www.supersmall.com
Chanukah Gifts from PJ LIBRARY: Check out picture book “Hanukkah at Monica’s” at the PJ Library Amazon store https://www.amazon.com/pjli brar. Kids will enjoy award-winning podcasts - the new ‘Kiddo Lights the Ha nukkah Candles’ and for holiday fun, access the Hanukkah Hub with free activities and recipes to celebrate the eight-day Festival of Lights. Enjoy yearround free monthly books and sign-up kids at https://pjlibrary.org/enroll-in-acommunity
Lev Baby: Lev Baby has adorable Cha nukah pajamas that are irresistible. It’s a photo opp that’s picture perfect. Cuddle up in the warmth of holiday gatherings with these soft, hypoallergenic bamboo fashions that make memorable gifts for the entire family from infants to toddlers and beyond. www.levbaby.com https:// drive.google.com/file/d/1MAl5_Jg__Rpj RiTkbI2zrAdCGuNTy10/view
Chanukah Cheer: Keep calm and latke on! Celebrate Chanukah with a mug that will make you smile. Candleschtick’s collection highlights a fun design—then kitsches it up a notch. Check out holidayinspired designs at www.candleschtick. com
Learning Express: The toys are fabulous at Learning Express! Check out The Toniebox, a popular imaginationbuilding, screen-free digital listening system and experience for kids ages 3 and up that plays stories, songs, and more. Add additional themes to match your child’s interests. For dreidel fun and party favors, check out their playtime to bath time toy selection including Bath Beans, a onetime surprise that magically unfolds in water. www.learningexpress/ buckhead
Marble Genuis: Kids can create their own marble tower. Plus, keep the fun alive at home with the free Marble Genius app. It includes step-by-step in structions, creative projects and chal lenges, plus a STEM Lab for interactive learning. Amazon, Walmart, CreativeQT. com and more.
A Dino-mite Gift: Dinosaur plate and utensils offers your little bubbula a dino spoon, fork, and pusher, that will make little ones happy to clean their plates. These imaginative utensils fea ture textured, easy-to-grip handles and are made in the US. Plate and utensils are available separately or as a set. www.un commongoods.com
A Recipe for Gifting: Add your personal touch and create a family recipe book at Mixbook which is a fun way to preserve Chanukah traditions. Check out the personal ized gifts, book ideas and let your recipes and photos tell a story as you bring them to life in creative ways Mixbook.com
The Power Pony: Saddle up on the Power Pony, a powered rideable pony, that will ride into the hearts of kids who will love taking it for a spin. Champ and Hero, along with unicorns, Crystal and Princess, are powered by a patented foot controlled ZüME engine, the ponies are iOS connected, fully interactive and fea ture three preset speeds (Trot, Gallop or Race). Kids can customize their pony via smart app integration. www.powerpony. com
How Charming! Atlanta’s Dora Rae Boutique presents a collection of stun ning charms and jewelry for the fashion forward gal on your list. These pendants and gems will brighten the holidays and add a memorable gift that will be trea sured for years to come. Dora Rae is lo cated at 5299 Roswell Road #108.
Scrunchies By Ava: Budding entrepreneur 8-year-old Ava hand makes scrunchies from colorful scraps with the help of her grandmother who owns Alex andra’s Alterations Shop. A percentage of these handmade scrunchies helps to support Ukrainian families in need. Mt. Paran Walk at 5290 Roswell Rd , Sandy Springs.
Personalized Books: For big sister, check out “What Big Sister Does Best Book” ($40) written by Laura Numeroff. The book explains all the loving, helpful things a big sister can do for their little siblings. Big sis will love her name on the cover, in the story, and a special dedica tion message from you. www.uncom mongoods.com
By Marcia Caller Jaffe
One doesn’t have to travel uptown to have a fine dining experience. Free, easy parking out front is also a boon. Mari etta’s Seed Kitchen & Bar is located in a popular strip center alongside Whole Foods, and just yards from Merchants Walk Stadium Cinemas and Home De pot, for that matter.
This East Cobb neighborhood dining scene labels itself “inventive American cuisine with Asian and Latin accents in a sleek high design space.”
The main room is divided into a bar area with regular seating and the more decorative dining room with art and bottle storage racks. As a sign of fun, but maybe not so much a nod to acoustics, there’s a fairly noisy buzz on a weekend night. Total seating capacity is 125 with an airy outdoor patio. The décor is white, bold, and clean with contemporary lines, if not Nordic.
Actually, the Seed menu is true to its wave to seasonality, mixed with some playfulness. But we found ourselves searching for the name tie-in. The Sea sonal Regional Vegetable Plate ($24.95) is served with chef’s selection of grains. The Roasted Beet Salad ($14.95) came with “seed brittle” which was reminiscent of old-fashioned Passover candy in mini molasses/toffee crunched rectangles hardened over sesame seeds, and equally as sweet. The aforementioned beet salad is bursting with “purpleness” over Tucker Farm arugula, fennel, pecorino fresco (on the mild side) dressed with Green God dess.
The Baby Farm Lettuce Salad ($13.95) was tossed with gorgonzola, north Geor gia apples, spiced walnuts, and white balsamic dressing. The Bay of Fundy salmon was served over mashed pota toes, truffle vinaigrette and melted leeks that made for an elaborate presentation, with layers of artfully arranged purees. The fish was “jumping into the net” fresh. Bay of Fundy is known for its thousands of years of hosting salmon in its bay, con necting the forests and ocean between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Can ada. The salmon is known for its texture and juiciness because of these extreme bay tides.
The other fish entrée, Pan Roasted Blue Cod ($32.95), was as thick as it was alabaster white, maybe a tad too salty, served proudly over caramelized Brus sels sprouts and cauliflower in a subtle Thai herb vinaigrette.
The Seed interior is modern, clean, and white.
Our Bulgarian server was on the at tentive side and explained that he had “waited” for years on the Queen Mary, then in Dubai, and on river cruises. He was proud that he had just earned his U.S. citizenship. Anyone who can please cruise ship diners would find East Cobb suburbanites to be a cake walk.
Seed proprietor/chef Doug Turbish, who lived and worked in Asia prior to set tling in Atlanta, reaches back for menu accents like Korean ribs, Thai herbs, and braised local greens with soy and chile.
Many of the touches are Southern like pimento cheese crostini, deviled eggs, white corn grit fritters, iron skillet corn bread; but then there’s snitzel, smoked chicken tacos, hummus, marinated ol ives, and feta. Enough variety to please but not to overwhelm. Next visit try: Sweet potato ravioli with mushrooms, toasted pepitos, sage brown butter and grana padano ($27.95).
A lifetime in the restaurant busi ness, Seed is celebrating its 11th anniver sary which is an indication that they are
doing some things right. During early November, they celebrated with a weeklong prix fixe menu/chef’s tasking menu. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit organi zation which provides emergency assis tance to food service workers.
Cheers to 11 years in business! Seed is located at 1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Mari etta 30068. (678-214-6888) Hours: Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. ì
During the COVID pandemic, while many teens were working on their Ins tagram profiles or tweeting with friends, Jack Wagreich was organizing his Inter national Youth Film Festival.
Starting almost four years ago, the 18-year-old senior at Pace Academy be gan building a full featured website. Just a little over a year after his bar mitzvah at The Temple in Atlanta, he scoured the globe for quality entries from smart young filmmakers around the world, lined up support from key players in the international documentary market, and mounted an effective marketing and public relations campaign. He did it all by himself without a professional staff and without a complex organization struc ture. It was just him after school and alone with his computer in his Atlanta bedroom reaching out to the world with no money and no employees but loads of ambition and a vision.
“During the pandemic, maintaining
social connection was really, really dif ficult for people, especially for students my age. And I was thinking I might find a creative way to connect kids and at the same time to unite filmmakers across the world,” he said.
It was slow going at first. He had never made a film himself and knew few
who did, but with his perseverance and belief in his idea, he began to make con tacts in the worldwide network of young, film enthusiasts, who, like himself, had little more than their talent, their initia tive, and their story.
“Everyone has a different story, and you really just have to listen. And I think film is an unparalleled medium for that. I think it has grown into being this incred ible storytelling device that really cannot be matched. I feel like what you see on a screen and seeing someone personally speak about something is an experience that you won’t get from a book or a dif ferent medi um,” he said.
Eventu ally, Wagreich found Holly Carter, who, for the past 15 years, has been encouraging young people to tell their personal stories with a simple home video camera. Today, her project, ByKids, is a public television success story that’s beginning its fourth year of production. She has a YouTube channel, a distribution agreement with Discovery Education, an online learning platform that is available to at least half the schools in America, and an audience of young people who understand and ap preciate the power of moving images.
“That’s the way the kids relate to the world. That’s the way they express themselves. They’re on their phones and they’re watching Tik Tok and they’re en gaged in a world of moving images. And so, our belief is to speak to kids in the language that they know and give them just enough scaffolding to be able to find
their own voice and use it in an artistic way,” Carter said.
With the help of ByKids and an in ternational network of young people like himself, in January of this year, Wagreich was able to mount his first virtual festi val. Last month, at an event co-sponsored by the National Center for Civil and Hu man Rights, he went live. Working with what he called his video “ambassadors,” he created a program of films about so cial justice, recruited a keynote speaker and screened several films, including a presentation from Germany on the re surgence of Jewish life there in recent years, and moderated a panel discussion of local teens.
In the audience was Carter, who came down from her office in Manhat tan to finally meet, in person, the young film festival impresario and to have a close look at the event that Wagreich had largely created on his own.
“It was amazing,” Carter said, “I mean, it is what all our work is about us ing film for social justice. And there were several kids there in a discussion being led by a kid. We were surrounded by kids who are all passionate about this. And to have it in that space at the National Cen ter for Civil and Human Rights, which was so mean ingful with a full crowd. It was just in credible.”
Wagreich is already at work on his next virtual festival in the spring. Still working on his computer, from his bedroom and with the help of his teen ambassadors, he’s so far lined up screenings from Nepal, Norway, Scot land, India and Argentina.
“We’re really expanding our interna tional network this year, reaching more continents and more students and more stories,” he said with considerable en thusiasm. “And I hope to continue both my virtual events and the social justice theme of our films. I think that’s going to be a new pivotal message that we carry forward, discussing how communities and how individuals can tell their stories using video, and especially how youth can do that as well.”
More information can be found at www. internationalyouthfilmfestival. org and ByKids at https://www.pbs.org/ show/films-bykids/ ì
Jaffe: Why did you select a Peachtree Road high rise?
Marcia Caller Jaffe
Lucky is the guest who will be enter tained at Jona than Shapero’s Buckhead condo cum salon or his Buckhead sa lon cum liv ing room. The artsy entrepre neur who grew up in South Bend, Ind., first established himself in the Atlanta design culture in 1995 where he still operates at the Scott Antique Market, as well as his very pri vate, by appointment only, jewelry space on Miami Circle.
Here we are invited into his gracious Buckhead condominium among his well curated mid-century pieces, which he terms, “art and furniture collected over a lifetime.”
Grab a look into Shapero’s rarefied air.
Shapero: I like the safety and secu rity of the 39th floor. I have 1,850 square feet with views facing east-to-west, 180 degrees. On a clear day, you can see Big Canoe. Breathtaking at every window. I bought this in 2001 and gutted it, which took a year, literally took out the walls, ceiling, and floor, now honed travertine extending out to the balconies.
Jaffe: How did you get started in the jewelry business?
Shapero: I was in Sarasota (1987) working for friends who needed help with their growing jewelry business. Then, later while living in Tampa, in 1995, I started commuting, doing business at Scott Market before moving here, “lock stock and barrel.”
Jaffe: What are your most treasured furnishings?
Shapero: I inherited my parents’ white sofa, Paul Frankel cocktail table,
and black lacquer side tables. The side board was my first real investment piece at age 26. There is also art glass and a col lection of Judaica. I collect American and Murano art glass. In the entrance is a sol id brass torchiere from the Guggenheim family. The bedroom is done in charcoal also with an amazing view to the west. The side table and lamps were my par ents’, who in 1959, hired a designer from Columbus, Ohio, Sam Schwartz, who loaded them up with incredible furnish ings. I like classic pieces, like my mother’s English Sheffield silver tea service.
Jaffe: When asked what you like about your art, your reply was, “All of it.”
Shapero: Everything here was se lected by me over 40 years. Back of the great room, the very unusual and vi brant “Lucky Frog” is by Scott Causey, of Sarasota. It’s really the most colorful art I have. Causey builds the piece out of clay then breaks it with a rubber mallet and reassembles after glazing each piece as a patchwork of color and design. By
the TV is a Jennifer McCurdy unglazed natural white porcelain bowl from Mar tha’s Vineyard. French artist J Boulage created the painting, which is actually made with markers, bought at auction. Parts from different life segments come into play here: My dad liked Al Capp and read “Li’l Abner” to me, so when I found this 1974 original story board, I thought it was very sentimental.
On top of the sideboard is a pair of Mercury art deco glass lamps, a find at Scott Antique Market.
Jaffe: There are some well posi tioned pieces in your foyer.
Shapero: The 6-foot-tall steel and glass sculpture, “Caduceus,” is one of a kind by Virginia Hoffman. It was very challenging shipping it up here. The nine squares were the result of a sculpture art ist putting a canvas on the floor which had remnants of melted bronze, which later he stretched over wood. It’s from former Woody Woodward Gallery done by a SCAD student.
This Ben Smith wood block is “Man Playing the Lyre” (1966) and this unusual wood block also by Smith is “ Jester” (1971) with a touch of red
Near the entrance are two Ben Smith wood blocks acquired at auction. He is re ally my only Atlanta artist. “Man Playing a Lyre” (1966) and “Jester” (1971) wood block is well known.
The wood secretary dates to 1870 in Fitzgerald, Ga.
Jaffe: Some edgy original artsy posters?
Shapero: Kurt Cobain and Court ney Love were clients and gifted me this signed poster. My company was the first corporate sponsor of the Sarasota Film Festival, thus the poster of old Hol lywood, Danny Kaye, Bridgette Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, et al. Then there’s the
Joan Altabe (Sarasota, 1985) “Man on a Surfboard” near the living room window, outdoor art made from marine plywood.
Jaffe: How do you use your kitchen?
Shapero: I have hosted many fun draisers for charities and art organiza tions. The open kitchen works well for that. But my favorite evening is dinner for four and a game of hand and foot ca nasta. My family recipes include sweet and sour baked chicken, meat loaf and baked salmon. The secret is to not over cooking fish. Eight minutes max. When I renovated the kitchen in 2002, for six months, I lived with a small refrigera
Left: In Shapero’s foyer is this wood secretary (1890) from Fitzgerald, Ga. The nine canvas squares were originally a sculptor’s floor cloth
Right: Rocker Kurt Cobain was a client of Shapero’s and gifted him this poster. Below is an ochre glass piece by American glass artist Katz
tor and microwave in the bedroom, but it was worth it. The Italian Bisazza glass tiles are varying brown, black and silver forming a mosaic backsplash. Appliances are GE Monogram. I have several pieces by Alice Sanders, of Sarasota. She weaves her own fabric of wool, then applies multiple layers of house paint resulting in unique art. Occhi Blue (“Blue Eyes” in Italian); below that is her representation of trying to remember phone numbers.
Shapero: I was in Cates Center for 20 years, then last year moved to Miami Circle in the same building as Interiors Market. The goal was a French style salon in black and white. It’s European flavored with black walls and mir rored furniture, an old English library table, black velvet Lucite legged chairs, all very eclectic. Catherine Deneuve’s champagne poster (1980) is on the wall. I specialize in diamonds, custom new and estate jewelry, and all things in fine jew elry. After 35 years, I’ve seen it all with clients from Audrey Hepburn to Jacque line Onasis. Many Jewish families and their children! ì
This 6-foot-tall steel and glass sculpture, “Caduceus,” one of a kind by Virginia Hoffman
The north side of the great room has a Jennifer McCurdy unglazed natural white porcelain bowl from Martha’s Vineyard. J Boulage did the painting from magic markers; Close up of Causey’s vibrant “Lucky Frog” which was constructed then crushed to rebuild
The dinette area has art by Alice Sanders. Top -Ochi Blue (“Blue Eyes”) Below is her representation of trying to remember phone numbers
Everyone, at some point in time, has faced a life-altering event like the death of a fam ily member, a loss of a job, a divorce, and countless other heartbreaking incidents. If you believe in G-d, our natu ral instinct at these times is to not only express an ger towards G-d, but also to ask G-d why he could let this happen.
Anger precipitates the “Why.” In his first book, “Why God Why,” Rabbi Gershon Schuster man explores the ratio nale as to why these events can occur. He ties in his real-life experience when, at age 38, his wife’s sudden death, at age 36, left him a widow with 11 children to raise, along with being a director of a day school, the Hebrew Academy of Hunting
ton Beach in Southern California.
This left him seeking the answers to questions he so often counseled others on.
In 1981, Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a very popular book called, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” to help people deal with tragic events. On the surface, this sounds very similar to the book Rabbi Schusterman has just writ ten exploring why bad things happen when they do. However, Rabbi Schuster man takes it to the next level explaining that Kushner’s philosophy is at odds with the Judaism that our Torah teaches and what our rabbis have understood and ex plained for thousands of years.
Unlike Kushner, who minimizes the power of G-d, Rabbi Schusterman sees G-d as an all-powerful being who directs or allows all outcomes that we do not elect to choose. In under standing tragedy, Kushner ties the events to bad luck while Rabbi Schusterman
meticulously ties tragedy to G-d’s will and explains his teachings throughout every chapter in the book citing several examples from To rah.
One of the cen tral themes of the book is the concept of theodicy which, thankfully, the book really clarified. In simple words, theo dicy is an attempt to justify or defend G-d in the face of evil by answering the follow ing problem, which, in its most basic form, involves these assumptions: G-d is all good and all pow erful (and, therefore, all knowing). The uni verse/creation was made by G-d and/or exists in a contingent relationship to G-d.
In terms of tragic events and evil, nothing could have been more horrific than the Holocaust where six million Jews were killed. I was intrigued with this chapter in the book to see if there really was an answer to G-d’s role in the Holo caust. Rabbi Schusterman referred to this as the “tragedy of tragedies,” an event so terrible that ended up turning many people off from G-d. Rabbi Schusterman tells us that G-d created evil to ultimately foster good and drive our motivation to make moral choices. Without the dark ness of evil, we could never appreciate the light and goodness to come from it. Only G-d knows the real reasons for the events he orchestrates in our lifetime.
Unfortunately, as humans, we will never know the answer to why there was a Holocaust. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson conceded that there are things that lie beyond humanity’s finite understanding. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson would say, “It is not our task to justify G-d on this. Only G-d himself can answer for what He allowed to happen.”
This is a book not just about hav ing faith but about living in faith. Rabbi Schusterman makes a poignant statement in Chapter 7 regard ing faith and how we must constantly nurture it to bridge the gap between just having faith and actual ly living by faith. Faith helps us deal with the anger up front from a tragic event and then how to move past the suffering we endure. We may never know the exact reasons why G-d directs things to hap pen, but we do know he has his reasons for everything that occurs.
Something tragic or life-altering could just be a course correction G-d is providing to an individual, groups of peo ple or even a country itself. We can’t see the big picture, only G-d can. This book will not only challenge your personal faith in G-d but will hopefully open your mind to truly understanding his pres ence in all our lives and to foster a deeper relationship with G-d.
ì
Holiday Toy Drive through Dec. 11: Con gregation Ner Tamid is partnering with JF&CS and BMDC to provide Holiday Gifts for children. Wouldn’t it be great to see a look of joy on a child’s face this holiday season? Please bring donations of NEW stuffed animals, toys, Legos, and art sup plies and place them in the designated ar eas in the entryway & community room. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3ApSsi6.
Baby & Me Music Class – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Join Temple Sinai for a Baby & Me music class series–all babies and caregivers are welcome to join! The class will embrace the natural musicality we are all born with. Register at http://bit.ly/3hKFwwX.
Build your own Menorah – 12 p.m. Join Congregation Ner Tamid and build your own Menorah. Eat Donuts and Latkes. RSVP at http://bit.ly/3X9Mfk6.
Like Hell – 7 to 9:30 p.m. Rabbi Gershon Schusterman knew all the textbook answers when comfort ing bereaved community members who asked him, “Where is God? If God is lov ing, how could this happen?” But when the rabbi’s young wife died suddenly, leaving him a 38-year-old widower with eleven children to raise, he found himself reeling. Register with Chabad Intown at http://bit. ly/3ganq72.
Friday Family Shabbat Sing – 5 to 6 p.m. Another Wonderful family Tot Shabbat service together. Join us on the Alefbet Preschool playground for Pre-Shabbat snacks, drinks, schmoozing and playing with friends. Join Rabbi Mark and his famous Shabbat guitar for a Tot friendly family Shabbat Service. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3tyldFr.
Chanukah Bazaar - 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Come and shop at Gesher L›Torah with local vendors. Find out more at http:// bit.ly/3hNF3Kp.
Zoom Into Chanukah with Hadassah 4 to 5:30 p.m. Join Hadassah Greater Atlanta & Hilton Head Chapters and get a head start on your Chanukah dishes! Cook along with White House celebrity chef Susan Barocas as she prepares new, but simple, international recipes. Get the Zoom Link at http://bit.ly/3V1sKIM.
AJC’s Leaders for Tomorrow High School Program - 5 to 8 p.m. LFT enables young Jewish leaders to develop skills to advocate on behalf of the Jewish people, Israel, and human rights, and to serve as positive change agents for their peers and community. Register at http://bit. ly/3UIjOsl.
Project Launch Reunion – 6:30 to 9 p.m. Due to popular demand, JumpSpark is excited to offer a Project Launch in-person reunion. Parents will have the opportunity to come together over food and wine and receive helpful resources that will inform your parenting and support you and your students. JF&CS will be talking college so feel free to wear your or your student’s col lege shirt. Register at http://bit.ly/3EdGole.
Etz Chaim Tot Shabbat – 5 to 6:30 p.m. Join Etz Chaim for Potluck Dinner, followed by services, with crafts, songs, dances and fun! Find out more information at http:// bit.ly/3KfVpp0
Li’l Shabbat Around the World – 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Celebrating Shabbat has never been so fun! Families are invited to join Davis Academy and PJ Library for a Li’l Shabbat where we will sing, explore and enjoy a li’l nosh. Together we will experi ence a beautiful Shabbat morning filled with inspiration as we explore how fami lies around the world celebrate Shabbat. Register at http://bit.ly/3EBG80G.
Chanukah and Holiday Bazaar 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Temple Beth Tikvah for our Chanukah Bazaar! Learn more at http:// bit.ly/3EC8UOA.
Chanukah Bazaar and Food Festival - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eat, shop, and or play at Congregation Or Ve Shalom. Pre-Order Burekas at http://bit.ly/3UHANKL.
FIDF Legends & Heroes - 6:30 p.m. You are invited to an exclusive opportunity to meet and show your support for some of Israel’s finest elite special forces unit members. We invite you to join us and hear from the real “Fauda” operatives who are on the frontlines of Israel’s ongoing struggle for peace. Register at http://bit. ly/3hFATE9.
Web Talk- A Convenient Hatred: The History of Antisemitism – 2 p.m. Join the Atlanta Israel Coalition for an in formative & lively book talk facilitated by Carolina Simon, executive director of Zachor Shoah, as we explore the history of antisemitism, Judaism in an antisemitic Europe (both Ashkenaz and Sephardim), and what role America has played within the last 250 years. Register at http://bit. ly/3GjYpkp.
Light to Darkness, Maccabees to Has moneans – 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Maccabees “turned on” the lights of the Temple, but their Hasmonean descendants switched them off again. Join Congregation Etz Chaim as congregant and scholar Miriam Rosenbaum explains how that happened. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3O9vDVr.
Why God Why? How to believe in Heav en when it Hurts
Young Adult Bureka Making – 6 to 8 p.m. Are you a young adult (40 and under) in terested in making burekas but can’t make it on Tuesday mornings? No problem! If you’ve made burekas before, come and help teach your friends. Never made them before? Congregation Or Ve Shalom has got you covered; we’ll show you how these Sephardic hotpockets are created. Learn more at http://bit.ly/3UGMUYI.
146th Annual Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Join JELF for the 146th annual meeting. Special guest appearance by NY Times journalist and best-selling author of "The Price You Pay for College." Join virtually or in-person by registering at http://bit.ly/3AiVrJ2.
Torah Reading: Vayeitzei
Friday, December 2, (Kislev 8, 5783) Light candles at 5:10 p.m. Saturday, December 3, (Kislev 9, 5783) Shabbat ends at 6:09 p.m.
Torah Reading: Vayishlach Friday, December 9, (Kislev 15, 5783) Light candles at 5:11 p.m. Saturday, December 10, (Kislev 16, 5783) Shabbat ends at 6:10 p.m.
Rising Song Weekend: Shabbat Servic es, Kiddush Lunch, Text Study – 9:15 a.m. Experience a traditional Saturday morning service led by R’ Deborah Sacks Mintz. Stay for kiddush lunch at Or Ha dash. Then R’ Deborah will guide a conver sation exploring the ways Jewish music in terfaces with spirituality and prayer. RSVP at http://bit.ly/3O7TG7j.
Rising Song Weekend: Rising Song Con cert – 8 p.m. Listen, sing along, dance, and fill your spiritual cup during this inspiring participatory concert at Or Hadash. Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz, Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe and guest guitarists, drummers and vocalists breathe new life into traditional Jewish music. Purchase tickets at http://bit. ly/3g9yIbD.
Rising Song Weekend: Music in the City 7:15 p.m. Join us to sing nigunim (soulful melodies old and new) with visiting artist Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz, Rabbi Lauren Henderson of Or Hadash and Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe of Ma’a lot. Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3GfFfw5.
Tot Shabbat – 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Join Han nah Zale at Gesher L’Torah for a joyful and musical Shabbat experience for little kids and families! Learn more at http://bit. ly/3Eyv3h0.
Rising Song Weekend: Kabbalat Shab bat, Dinner, Community Shira (Song) – 6:30 p.m. The Or Hadash team will join R’ Deborah after Shabbat Dinner for this invigorating, vibrant, ruach-building, mu sical celebration of Shabbat. Expect a mix of traditional and camp songs. Purchase Shabbat Dinner at http://bit.ly/3EA0YgU.
Tot Shabbat – 10 to 11 a.m. Shabbat bless ings, singing, craft, snack & friendship at Temple Beth Tikvah! For families with children ages 5 and under; older siblings are welcome. Learn more at http://bit. ly/3GkxwwQ.
Anthony Russell & Dmitri Gaskin – 8 to 9 p.m. Experience Tsvey Brider at Temple Beth Tovah! New and traditional Jewish music of diverse genres, times and places. A musical duo you will not want to miss! Purchase tickets at http://bit.ly/3tBepHk.
Chanukah Workshop @ ACE Dun woody – 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Build your very own wooden Menorah at the ACE Hardware Menorah and Mitzvah House workshop! Enjoy music and refreshments and receive your very own apron. Register at http://bit.ly/3hKDLzQ.
Cub Club: Movers, Makers & Mensches 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Get ready for Chanu kah and join us for an illuminating morn ing of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (S.T.E.A.M.) at The Davis Acad emy. Ignite your imagination and curios ity about the science and beauty of light! RSVP at http://bit.ly/3EAyMdN.
Rising Song Weekend: Jewish Music Workshop -10:30 a.m. During this in timate group discussion, at Or Hadash, you will gain creative strategies and tools to infuse Jewish music into your commu nity in ways you may have never before considered. Purchase tickets at http://bit. ly/3AibC9D.
Chanukah Party - 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Celebrate Chanukah at Beth Shalom. En joy Hannukah relay races, dreidel games, dreidel spin art, make your own Menorah, and of course doughnuts and gelt! Register at http://bit.ly/3g3svOA.
Mark Gindick: Death Defying Schtick –2 p.m. Mark Gindick gives a highly person al lecture/demonstration at the Breman about circus and clown life. He traces how a lawyer’s kid in the NY suburbs fell in love with physical comedy and by the end of his teens was touring the country with Ringling Bros (red-nosed, face covered in red and white greasepaint). Reserve tickets at http://bit.ly/3hO32c7.
The Glorious Legacies of Sunsetting Congregations – 7 to 9 p.m. In small towns throughout the United States, where Jewish populations have dwindled significantly, congregant Noah Levine is helping synagogues face the reality of their situations. Get more information at http://bit.ly/3UWMGMI.
Mocha Mondays – 8:30 a.m. Congregation Etz Chaim’s Monthly Coffee and Breakfast with the Rabbi accompanied by the Tal mud’s Greatest Hits. Learn more at http:// bit.ly/3hL3WX3.
Menorahs & Martinis – 7 p.m. Create a beautiful granite Menorah, while sipping a Martini and getting inspired for the Festival of Lights. Register at http://bit. ly/3GgFkQd.
Shalom in the Shul Part II – 10 to 11:30 a.m. Etz Chaim’s Sisterhood hosts a bimonthly program called “Shalom in the Shul.” All are welcome to join us for lively discussions with Rabbi Shalom Lewis on his upcoming book, “Faith Without the Leap: A Modern Guide to the Perplexed.” Get the link at http://bit.ly/3X5FxeZ.
Family Estrangement Support Group –4 to 5 p.m. Being estranged from loved ones brings mixed and complicated emotions. This JFCS virtual group is intended for those experiencing longstanding estrange ments from family members. Group meet ings will focus on processing and sup porting one another. Register at http://bit. ly/3AGISHZ.
TKC Sisterhood Chanukah Cookie Decorating – 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join Temple Kehillat Chaim Sisterhood for a Chanukah cookie decorating class with Michal Brand of Brand Bakes. Purchase a spot at http:// bit.ly/3TV8mYV.
Hi, Rachel,
I work as a therapist in private practice and love what I do. It is so satisfying to walk alongside people and watch them grow and become empowered to reach their potential. From time to time, when I have a troubling issue with my clients, I turn to a respected rabbi for advice and guidance. Naturally, the confidentiality of my clients is maintained. Also, from time to time, this rabbi turns to me for therapeutic assistance in guiding his congregants- so we have established a comfortable two-way street relationship. Recently, this rabbi’s son called. I thought, “Wow, like father, like son- maybe he needs advice to help him guide one of his students.” But when he told me the reason for his call, my insides clenched, and I felt very torn. He and his wife decided they wanted to come to me for marriage counseling. Naturally, I am very interested in helping them navigate their challenges. However, I feel concerned that meeting with them will jeopardize my relationship with his father, the rabbi. A big part of marriage therapy is going back to each partner’s childhood and trying to see if there are unhealthy patterns that they may be repeating. Can I overcome the human tendency to judge and maintain my relationship with his father even if enter this therapeutic relationship with his son? Or do I tell his son that this is a conflict of interests and guide him to another therapist?
When I mentioned my reservations to the son, he was unhappy. “You mean I can’t see you because you talk to my father? But you come highly recommended, and we were told that you’re an expert in this field and can really help us!”
He sounded so upset, and I hung up feeling conflicted. How can I toss him away when he needs help?
Sincerely, Torn
You sound like a very caring, compassionate therapist who really wants to help as many people as you can. Yet, you are understandably concerned that doing therapy with this rab bi’s son and daughter-in-law can undermine your relationship with this young man’s father whom you rely on for his wise assistance in difficult situations.
My instinct is that you have answered your own question. Together with your physical reservations- “my insides clenched,” you acknowledge the human tendency towards bias. As much as we don’t want to be judgmental, we tend to formulate judgments about people and circumstances.
I think it would be appropriate for you to send this man and his wife to another com petent professional. You can certainly help them find the right person. But from an objective viewpoint, it does not sound healthy for you to work with him and delve into his history while maintaining a respectful relationship with his esteemed father.
Recently, I had a similar dilemma. I was involved in a challenging situation involv ing several people. We decided to present a united front to accomplish our objective. However, one person did not want to put his name with our group, even though he ful ly supported the cause, since he was involved as a professional, whereas we were just concerned friends. He felt it would be a conflict of interests and apologized but agreed to continue helping behind the scenes.
I wish you luck with your decision. If you decide to do therapy with this couple, may you be the right messenger to help them! If you opt to help the couple find another therapist, I hope they understand your position and accept your decision with equanimity.
Got a problem? Email Rachel Stein, a certified life coach, 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!
Hetty arrives home quite late one night and says to her worried Moshe, “Sorry I’m late. I had to come home by train, as I couldn’t get my car to start. But I’m sure I know why.”
“So, what is the problem then, my mechanical engineer of a wife?” asks Moshe.
“I think there’s water in the carburetor,” replies Hetty.
“How on Earth can you know that?” asks Moshe. “You don’t even know how to open the hood or to change the time on the car’s clock let alone know where the carburetor is.”
“Maybe so,” says Hetty, “but I still think there’s water in it.”
Moshe then says, “OK, I’ll go along with you. Let’s check it out right now. Where did you leave the car?”
Hetty replies, “In the lake.”
n. An irritating bore with a PhD; any overeducated bore
“Ever since Barney got his PhD in social psychology, he starts every sentence with the phrase ‘Existentially speaking…’ It is to “genets” (yawn), like all “phudnicks.”
From the Yiddish “nudnik,” meaning a pestering, irritating bore.
Gerson Asrael was born in Baltimore, Md. in 1934 to Samuel and Rose Asrael. He met Wilma Fisher on his first day of high school and they enjoyed a 62-year adventure after they wed in 1960. Gerson went to college at the University of Maryland, received his medical degree from University of Maryland at Baltimore, did a surgical internship at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, and completed a urology residency at Baylor in Houston.
He spent two years at the Bethesda Naval Hospital as a Navy lieutenant command er under the Berry Plan and joined the Nalle Clinic in Charlotte, N.C. Gerson practiced urology for 35 years, as he said, “fixing plumbing,” and displayed characteristic license plates such as 2PCME.
He served as the unofficial mohel of the Charlotte Jewish community, working with a rabbi on hundreds of circumcisions across multiple generations. Gerson retired in 1996, and he and Wilma spent almost 25 years traveling throughout the U.S. and the world (often with their “hiking group” of four men who had been friends since elemen tary school and their spouses).
Gerson and Wilma moved to Atlanta nine years ago to be closer to family. His Jew ish faith was always central to his life; he and Wilma were active members of Temple Israel in Charlotte, contributed to innumerable charitable organizations, and Gerson served as the president of the Charlotte Hebrew Academy. Gerson loved classical music and was quiet by nature, but when he did speak up, it was always with kindness and camaraderie, and occasionally with an absolutely hysterical anecdote delivered in clas sic deadpan style.
He enjoyed playing golf since he was a teen, with extra-long left-handed clubs, and no substantial improvement that his golf partners could discern. Gerson was most proud of the family that he and Wilma created, developing special relationships with each of his progeny and quietly kvelling over the achievements of his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. He put a priority on education, and he and Wilma provided sub stantial support for the schooling of their children and grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Wilma, sister, Bonnie Abeles; children, Michele, and her husband, Mitch Garber, Mindy Asrael, Joel, and his wife, Jill Asrael, and David, and his wife, Jill Asrael, and his grandchildren: Robert, Evan, and Samantha Garber; Daryn and Sophie Asrael; and Rose and Noah Asrael.
A funeral for Gerson was held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, at Arlington Memorial Park. Contributions can be made in his memory to Jewish charities including the Anti-Defamation League and Hillel International, or to the National Park Founda tion. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Annabelle Cohen, age 94, of Sandy Springs, died surrounded by family on Nov. 16, 2022. Beloved great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother, she is survived by daugh ters, Linda Cohen, and Eileen Mitchell, (Marc H. Wallenstein), and son, Scott Cohen, all of Atlanta; grandchildren, Melissa Mitchell (Kevin Cott), Megan Vrono (Jeremy Vrono), and Marc Mitchell; and three great-grandchildren, Claire, Benjamin, and Caroline, who were the loves of her life. She was predeceased by her husband, Morris Cohen.
A service was held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, at Arlington Memorial Park. For those who wish to do so, memorial contributions are suggested to Weinstein Hos pice (jewishhomelife.org) or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org). Ar rangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Gerald Harry Eisen, 88, of Huntsville, Ala., passed away on Nov. 18. Born in Brook lyn, N.Y. and raised in New Jersey, he lived in Sandy Springs for over 40 years. He is predeceased in death by his wife of 67 years, Dorothy (Dottie), and two grandsons, Lee Sellinger and Jacob Altschuler.
Jerry and his wife, Dottie, were members of Ahavath Achim Synagogue for many years. He attended New York University and was an executive in the furniture industry for many years. Jerry is survived by his two daughters, Nancy (Steve) Sellinger, and Ellen (Lee) Altschuler, two grandchildren, Aaron (Saadee) Sellinger, and Sarah (David) Ruh, and Erin (Lee) Sellinger. He has four great-granddaughters, Emma, Adelaide, Allie, and Laelia.
Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or The Ameri can Heart Association. The funeral was held Monday, Nov. 21 at Arlington Cemetery in Sandy Springs. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Marice Katz, 94, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away at Northside Hospital on Nov. 21, 2022, after a brief illness. She was born on Aug. 6, 1928, in Durham, N.C. She was the youngest of seven brothers and sisters and was raised by her mother as her father had died at an early age.
Her mother instilled in all of her children a strong sense of Jewishness and work ethic. Marice moved to Atlanta in 1963 to pursue a corporate career and to enjoy the hot, humid summers which she loved so much. She started at the bottom of the lad der in a secretary pool with the Robinson Humphrey Company and worked her way up while passing every securities test and, eventually, became one of the first woman financial advisors in the southeast. It was a dream job for Marice, leading to a career
which spanned around 50 years, working for the likes of Robinson Humphrey, Smith Barney, Citigroup and finally, Morgan Stanley.
Marice never married but her family was very important, and she cherished all of her nephews and nieces. She had a passion for life, a great attitude, and a willingness to try new things. She loved to dance and was taught by her brother, Gibby, and by age 9 had almost had a career as a professional dancer.
She enjoyed a good meal whether it was bagel and lox at Goldberg’s Deli or a good steak at the Palm Restaurant where she is now part of their famous mural wall along with many other celebrities.
Marice had an infectious personality that was characterized by her unique laugh, just think of a loud belly laugh. She always had a desire to dress sharp was thrifty as they come and enjoyed a good game of Scrabble. In her later years, when dining out she would share a cup of coffee with her sister, Evelyn. In addition to almost being a professional dancer, Marice authored and published a book called “Little Slices of Life,” a compilation of articles she had written for the Jewish Georgian which was her own personal “Chicken Soup of the Soul.”
Marice’s traditional Jewish upbringing in Durham continued on in Atlanta as she was very active and a devoted member at The Temple and often went to services at Ahavath Achim with friends. Marice loved to give back to the community and she loved to spend time volunteering at the Bremen Jewish Home. Special thanks to the staff and doctors at Berman Commons who went above and beyond the call making sure her time there was spent in a safe and loving environment. Also, a special thanks to her business partner and friend, Cory Marcus, who was the son she never had.
Marice was preceded in death by her father and mother, Morris and Lena Katz; three sisters, Helen Goldberg, Evelyn Lifset, and Dorothy Zuckerman; and three broth ers, Bernard Katz, Gilbert Katz and Albert Katz.
A graveside service was held on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at Arlington Memorial Park at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309; Alzheimer’s Association, 225 North Michigan Ave. Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601; or to a charity of your choice.
On a par ticularly cold, dry day, with the sun shin ing and smil ing down on us, one of my beautiful daughters (I have four, in case you for got) and my self realize it’s too early in the morning for decision making of such monumental magnitude. But alas, we must rise to the challenge.
Shaindle Schmuckler Shaindle’s Shpielexperiencing. Bob kept reminding us that he was the creative one in the room. Bob played on the computer, to show us all the available possibilities we can choose from. He insisted on letting us know which designs were the most popular. I tried to explain, more than once, I am not a “follow the crowd” kind of girl. He finally got it, the lightbulb in his brain clicked on, I could tell by the light in his eyes, and he suddenly became more open to suggestions; by that, I refer to my sug gestions. I feel I must acknowledge; the newbie did try to help me ‘get’ to him.
Folks have risen to the challenge millions of times before this day and this challenge shall continue in perpetu ity. My daughter is sitting next to me, we are offered a drink, I go for coffee black, she asks for room temperature water. On the huge, very shiny wooden table, sits a bowl of peppermint candies and a pencil holder filled with pens. I look at her with questioning eyes, hoping she does not judge me for snagging a few (OK, four) candies. I restrained myself from snag ging any pens, as they were not colorful enough to be considered for the snag.
Star of David or no Star of David? What to replace this with, is “tahkeh” (actually) a mind bender of a question. Then there is a clever, loving script. The more words, the smaller the print. So, I must decide if I want visitors to squint, or not to squint. Squinting means more verbiage; less verbiage means no squint ing necessary.
So many decisions, so much coffee is required.
Line one: English first and last name.
Line two: Hebrew first name fol lowed by haCohen.
Lines three, four, five and six are a bit more complicated. On this, a sun drenched day, and at this early hour, it is a process requiring much deliberate thought.
Sitting with us at this beautiful wooden table, and particularly uncom fortable chairs, is a newbie. By that I mean he is young, about to be mar ried, and in this industry a mere three months. The meeting is led by a more experienced member of the industry, with 13 years of experience. The newbie was assigned to bring us our drinks. Nu vuden? (of course). Let’s name him, John, and the other fella, Bob.
Both had great senses of humor, which alleviated much of the angst I was
Were you aware of the fact that headstones come in a variety of col ors? No worries, I did not know this ei ther. Once again, Bob was sure to tell us which color was the most popular color. I am not sure why he was surprised when I did not choose the most popular. Nor did I choose the most popular font. I feel certain, my dear readers, knowing me as well as you do, you would not have been surprised.
Given that I never reveal my age, (yes, I lie) and I am a bit superstitious, I chose NOT to have my name and date of birth inscribed. I chose to leave that particular line blank. When, and if, the time comes, my four daughters, 10 grandbabies, and my four sons in love, will have both the honor and grave responsibility of choice.
Bob, with a wide smile covering most of his face, declared we were just about done. I looked into his eyes and de clared “just about done?” Goodness gra cious what else could there possibly be to decide?
We were exhausted and I was on cof fee overload. He explained we just had one more form to complete. A form for what? I asked impatiently. He showed me the form, no biggie!
When Gene (for whom this meeting at the funeral home was held) and I first met with Bob in 2013, we rose to the occa sion of completing all the tasks and mak ing all the decisions for when a funeral is required. We were determined not to burden any of these tasks and decisions on our children. When the time comes, they would have so much to deal with. We both agreed their grieving process must be pure and should not include ex traneous administrative work.
And so, my dear readers, there you have it. The way I chose to spend this beautiful cold and sunshine filled morn ing.
Oh, before I end this missive, I don’t want to forget to say: Have a nourishing Thanksgiving, and a joyous Chanukah! ì
66 year old Jewish Woman looking for Jewish Female overnight CNA/Companion 8 PM-8 AM for indefinite time period. Possibly some daytime hours as well. Kind, compassionate, and empa thetic. Text Rhonda 404-317-4552.
