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INSIDE: CELEBRATE THE ARTS, PAGES 18-24 EXPOSED
CHAI TIME
Israeli dancers thrill the openingnight audience of a six-week festival. Page 20
‘DENIAL’
Ellen Filreis turns Jewish life into 18 assemblages of art in her new book. Page 21
The feature film of Deborah Lipstadt’s libel win is good, but reality is better. Page 24
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INSIDE Calendar �����������������������������������4 Candle Lighting ����������������������4 Israel News ������������������������������6 Opinion ���������������������������������� 10 Sukkot ������������������������������������ 13 Business ��������������������������������� 14 Food ���������������������������������������� 15 Simchas ����������������������������������25 Obituaries ������������������������������26 Marketplace ��������������������������28 Sports ��������������������������������������29 Crossword ������������������������������30
UNFORGETTABLE Mort and Edie Barr are Israelis now, but they won’t soon forget Atlanta. Page 8
UNDER THE STARS Every day of Sukkot you can find another event in another sukkah to celebrate the harvest festival. Page 13
FOOD NEWS Dreams of a schnitzel chain are fried, but kosher doughnuts are Sublime. Page 15
MR. PRESIDENT Sam Olens is poised to take over Kennesaw State, giving up any plans to run for governor in 2018. Page 16
VOL. XCI NO. 40
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OCTOBER 14, 2016 | 12 TISHREI 5777
Unity vs. Hurricane Matthew? ‘For Sure’ By R.M. Grossblatt Naftali Abramson, an Israeli singer who had flown with his family to Charleston to lead High Holiday services, found himself leading an outdoor community concert Saturday night, Oct. 8, joined by an Israeli cantor, Rabbi Meir Dorfman, who was supposed to be in Savannah. They and others who evacuated the coast to escape Hurricane Matthew found themselves singing and dancing 72 hours before Yom Kippur with members of Congregation Beth Jacob and Young Israel of Toco Hills at a unity kumzitz (outdoor gathering) in New Brittany. It was the highlight of a joint effort by the two Orthodox congregations to host Jews threatened by the hurricane. At 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, after Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Eli Lob, a teacher and director of NCSY in Savannah, called Beth Jacob Rabbi Ilan Feldman to ask whether the Atlanta community could help with a pending evacuation. “For sure,” Rabbi Feldman said. Rabbi Michael Davies of Congregation Dor Tikvah in Charleston called Rabbi Ariel and Michele Asa the next morning with the same request. “We had just hosted them in Charleston,” Rabbi Davies said. “For sure” was the response of over 90 families when Beth Jacob Executive Director Rabbi Yitzchok Tendler (along with Yonasan Gavant) and Young Israel Rabbi Adam Starr asked for hosts. Daniel and Rachel Wasserman hosted the Cohen family from Boca Raton, Fla., who came with a dog the Wassermans’ son fell in love with. Daniel Wasserman, who grew up in
Photos by R.M. Grossblatt
(From left) Rabbi Meir Dorfman of Israel via Savannah, Beth Jacob Rabbi Ilan Feldman, Young Israel Rabbi Adam Starr and Rabbi Michael Davies of Charleston dance up their own storm in response to Hurricane Matthew.
New Orleans, wasn’t there when Hurricane Katrina struck, but his parents and sister had to evacuate to Florida. He wanted to host during Matthew not just because his family had a similar experience, but also because it’s the way of the community to open homes here. Some evacuees with local ties arranged accommodations in Toco Hills, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. Traffic stopped others from reaching Atlanta. But those who arrived before Shabbat were welcomed with open arms. After Shabbat, the unity kumzitz was so powerful it threw Matthew back into the ocean. The outdoor concert was the idea of Jay Cinnamon, whose house guest was Abramson, an accomplished singer/musician who has produced several albums. Cinnamon proposed that the concert take place in the cul-de-sac on Parliament Point where he lives. “I thought he was crazy,” Rabbi Starr said, “but I went along with it.” The rabbi was glad he did, especially when all of the cantors who had led Rosh
Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael students join the kumzitz fun.
Hashanah services on the coast sang together. “All those voices from all those cities came together.” At the end of the kumzitz, which no one seemed to want to leave, Rabbi Starr shared a passage in Hebrew recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Translating in his own words, he said, “Allow us to make ourselves become one to serve You with a full heart, whether on LaVista Road or wherever we pray — in Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, Miami. We are all one family, the House of Israel.” Speaking for the evacuees, Rabbi Davies said: “We were hoping for unity. It far exceeded our expectations.” ■
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MA TOVU
Understanding at 40 Over the years, as my husband and I discover more about the Judaism of our great-grandparents and the generations before us, we realize that the Jewish calendar, framed by the cycle of holidays, places a structure and meaning within our lives. Essentially, we transcend the daily grind that could be consumed by work and football games. My family
Hand of Hashem By Mindy Rubenstein editor@nishei.org
still enjoys art, dance, sports, fishing, museums and other activities, but we are living a life of purpose. As I approach 40, it’s as if the things I have been learning are beginning to make sense, to be internalized. And, in general, I’m starting to trust myself more. Our sages say we receive the gift of binah (understanding) at 40 (Avos 5:21). The Talmud (Avodah Zarah 5b) says, “One does not come to fully comprehend the knowledge of his teacher before 40 years,” connecting age 40 with the attainment of knowledge and a new state of being. Rabbi Akiva transformed his life at age 40, going from an ignorant shepherd to one of the greatest Torah scholars and righteous men who lived. The sages indicate that at age 40, great transformation can and is supposed to occur. The number 40 is significant throughout the Torah. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, and it took 40 years of wandering and experience in the desert for the Jews to understand in an inner and profound way. At the end of those 40 years, they were finally allowed entrance to the Promised Land. The attainment of a higher level, however, can come only after fulfilling all aspects of the previous level, then making an emptiness to allow for the emergence of something entirely new. Squeezing out the sponge and allowing it to soak up a new life. As my 40th High Holiday season unfolds, it signifies both a completion and a beginning — and, with G-d’s help, the foundation of an entirely new existence. L’shana tova umetuka. May we all be blessed with a happy, healthy and sweet new year. ■ Sources: Chabad.org, Aish.com
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
We are enveloped in the Jewish High Holidays, which began with Rosh Hashanah, then Yom Kippur and eight days of Sukkot, and culminate with Simchas Torah on Tuesday, Oct. 25. It is naturally a time for introspection and elevation through prayer, repentance and giving, followed by joyful celebration. This year, my 40th birthday falls on Shemini Atzeret, a lesser-known holiday on the last day of Sukkot. While reaching this age and stage can have a bit of a sting, it helps to connect with my roots and understand the deeper significance of this number and the holidays. Though I learned about the High Holidays in Sunday school, I never fully felt they were part of me, as I was immersed in a secular American life. It’s like soaking a sponge for years — in TV commercials, public schools and universities, non-Jewish friends and neighbors — until the Jewish identity is barely felt from within or noticed from the outside. About 10 years ago, I discovered Judaism. Not the watered-down version that was altered somewhat recently, but rich, meaningful Torah Judaism based on mesorah of thousands of years. I met real people who lived it, who retained their authentic Jewish identity and lifestyle. They are intelligent, spiritual and confident, and I was hooked. I began searching for every morsel of information I could find to learn more about my faith and heritage, for myself and for my children. Hasidic teaching says that in order for a person to reach any new stage, to ascend to a higher level of insight and understanding, there first has to be a kind of self-nullification, an emptying out of oneself to make room for the new. I’m realizing that my sponge, squeezed of much of the negativity and inauthenticity, is being filled again with meaning and direction toward something greater. Something beyond myself and this world. My children learn about the holidays at school and bring home the morsels of their education: crayoncolored shofars, waterproof sukkah decorations and holiday-themed Torah thoughts for the older ones. We hosted guests for Rosh Hashanah and will celebrate in our sukkah with friends, eating together and learning about ourselves and our connection to our past and future.
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CALENDAR Atlanta
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Contributors This Week EDIE BARR MORT BARR YONI GLATT JORDAN GORFINKEL R.M. GROSSBLATT LEAH R. HARRISON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE ROBBIE MEDWED MINDY RUBENSTEIN CHANA SHAPIRO ELI SPERLING JOE STERLING PATRICE WORTHY
CREATIVE SERVICES Creative Design
Game design. A New York Code + Design Academy expert teaches game design and programming to eighth- to 11th-graders in three sessions, starting at 6:45 p.m., at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. The program continues Oct. 20 and 27. Tuition is $60 for JCC members, $80 for others; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4082.
FRIDAY, OCT. 14
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OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
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POSTMASTER send address changes to The Atlanta Jewish Times 270 Carpenter Drive Suite 320, Atlanta Ga 30328. Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2016 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com
Ha’Azinu Friday, Oct. 14, light candles at 6:46 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, Shabbat ends at 7:40 p.m. Sukkot Sunday, Oct. 16, light candles at 6:43 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, light candles after 7:38 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, holiday ends at 7:36 p.m. Shabbat Sukkot Friday, Oct. 21, light candles at 6:37 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, Shabbat ends at 7:32 p.m. Shemini Atzeret Sunday, Oct. 23, light candles at 6:35 p.m. Simchat Torah Monday, Oct. 24, light candles after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, holiday ends at 7:29 p.m. 152 Luckie St., Atlanta. Tickets are $49.50 to $79.50; www.lewisblack.com/ atlanta-ga.
new and old campers at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27.
Comedy. Jewish comedian Amy Schumer performs at 8 p.m. at Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta. Tickets are $43 to $125; www.amyschumer. com/tour.
Roll Tide. The University of Alabama holds a reception for prospective students and their parents at 7 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Free; RSVP at gobama.ua.edu/ atlanta-jcc-reception. Information at 205-348-2914.
SUNDAY, OCT. 16
Family Shabbat. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, presents a Shabbat activity, a story, songs and blessings with Rabbi Brian Glusman and the Weinstein School Shabbat Dinosaur for families with young children at 5 p.m. Free; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161.
Doubles pickleball. Sign up as doubles teams or as singles and be paired up for a tournament at 10 a.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Entry is $25 for JCC members, $35 for others, with advance registration required; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-3861.
Intown acoustic Shabbat. Drew Cohen and Rabbi Brian Glusman lead an interactive, Shabbat-themed musical experience sponsored by the Marcus JCC, the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, HAMSA and InterfaithFamily/Atlanta at 7 p.m. at San Francisco Coffee, 1192 N. Highland Ave., Virginia-Highland. Free; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161.
Annual meeting. Jewish Home Life Communities holds its 66th annual meeting, including a light lunch, at 1 p.m. at Srochi Hall, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. Free; RSVP to Candy Gittens at 404-351-8412.
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CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES
Cartooning panel. Cartooning for Peace founder Jean “Plantu” Pantureaux, Israeli cartoonist Michel Kichka (interviewed on Page 18) and Atlanta Journal-Constitution cartoonish Mike Luckovich participate in a discussion on “The Art of Democracy,” including how to balance freedom, tolerance and responsibility, as part of the Elevate arts festival. The program at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., downtown, starts at 7 p.m. after a reception at 6. Tickets are $15; www. france-atlanta.org.
SATURDAY, OCT. 15
Comedy. Jewish comedian Lewis Black performs at 8 p.m. at the Tabernacle,
Camp sign-up. Registration for campers returning to Camp Barney Medintz opens today at 10 a.m. and closes Sunday, Oct. 23, at 5 p.m., then opens for
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19
THURSDAY, OCT. 20
Learn with a rabbi. Congregation Or Hadash Rabbi Analia Bortz leads the monthly lunch-and-learn session at noon at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Bring lunch or buy food at A Healthy Touch. Free; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161.
SUNDAY, OCT. 23
Individual Israeli independence. Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs, hosts an event, including breakfast and a film screening, about the Bridge to Independence program of Israeli nonprofit Yeladim: Fair Chance for Children at 10:30 a.m. Free; www.or-hadash.org.
Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com. Find more events at atlantajewishtimes.com/events-calendar.
Remember When
10 years ago Oct. 13, 2006 ■ Torah Day School of Atlanta counselor Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield has used a centennial grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta to create the Atlanta Jewish Parenting Initiative. The initiative began Sept. 13 with a program on making children into mensches and will continue with three three-part series from October to February. ■ The bar mitzvah ceremony of Andrew Reid Weprinsky of Atlanta was held Saturday, May 6, 2006, at Temple Kehillat Chaim. He is the son of Peter and DeeAnn Weprinsky. 25 Years Ago Oct. 18, 1991 ■ The sharp divisions among American Jews over the future of the West Bank and Gaza Strip hit Congregation
Beth Shalom with full force this past Sunday. While polite in tone, the exchanges between a “greater Israel” supporter, Yehuda Mor, and a “land for peace” advocate, Shai Robkin, were anything but complimentary. ■ Alan and Jo Ellen Levy of Roswell announce the birth of a daughter, Erica Hope, on Sept. 18. 50 Years Ago Oct. 14, 1966 ■ Actress Ann Marisse, the wife of a rabbi, has been dismissed from the Broadway cast of “Fiddler on the Roof” after missing shows to observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. She had played the role of Tzeitel, Tevye’s oldest daughter, for two years. Producer Harold Prince said actors were allowed to take off one of the holidays but not both. ■ Barbara Ann Toback, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Toback of Coral Gables, Fla., and Arthur Ellis Melich, son of Dr. and Mrs. Edward J. Melich of Treasure Island, Fla., were married Aug. 20 on Miami Beach.
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CALENDAR Just the worst. Former newspaperman Robert Strauss discusses his book, “Worst. President. Ever.,” about James Buchanan and our obsession with ranking presidents, at 7 p.m. at the Carter Presidential Library, 441 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta. Free; www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/events.
THURSDAY, OCT. 27
Camp open house. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, holds an open house for families to learn about Camp Barney Medintz from 7 to 8 p.m. on the first day of registration for new campers. Free; summer@ campbarney.org or 678-812-3844.
vis Academy Lower School, 8105 Roberts Drive, Sandy Springs. Register for a 2½-hour shift at jewishatlanta.org/ event/super-sunday-7, or contact Joel Abramson at jabramson@jewishatlanta.org or 678-222-3718. Pet blessing. The Marcus JCC holds a blessing of the pets, along with a 2-mile walk, a vendor fair and entertainment, at noon at Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. Free; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161. Registration for the dog walk, to fight canine cancer, is $20 for adults and/or a fundraising commitment; tinyurl.com/z89stno.
FRIDAY, OCT. 28
Camp open house. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, holds an open house about Camp Barney Medintz from 1 to 2 p.m. Free; summer@campbarney.org or 678-812-3844.
SUNDAY, OCT. 30
ADL reception. The Anti-Defamation League holds a dessert reception and its Community of Respect Briefing with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg and The Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens at 7 p.m. at the St. Regis Hotel, 88 W. Paces Ferry Road, Buckhead. Attendance is open to donors of at least $100 to the annual campaign; contact Jacki Beres
Comedy. “Old Jews Telling Jokes” opens at 7:30 p.m. at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre, 117 N. Park Square, Marietta, and continues at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Tickets start at $39.95; www.playhouseinfo.com or 844-448-7469.
Super Sunday. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s key phone-a-thon of the 100-day community campaign runs from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Da-
THURSDAY, NOV. 3
at jberes@adl.org or 404-262-3470.
MONDAY, NOV. 7
Israel Bonds gala. Norman Radow receives the Star of David Award and Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon speaks at Israel Bonds Atlanta’s dinner at 6 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt, 3300 Peachtree Road, Buckhead. Tickets are $160 (people 35 and under may make a $100 bond investment instead); conta.cc/2dWMQQp or 404-857-1063.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9
JBC lunch edition. Bernie Marcus is the speaker at a lunch session of the Jewish Breakfast Club the day after Election Day at 11:30 a.m. at Greenberg Traurig, 3333 Piedmont Road, Suite 2500, Buckhead. Admission is $20 and is limited to AJT subscribers (atlantajewishtimes. com.subscription); registration is due by Nov. 4 at www.atlantajewishtimes. com/event/jbc-berniemarcus. For Sukkot events, see Page 13.
Hadassah Centennial Nears
Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Centennial Gala Celebration on Sunday, Oct. 30, aims to capture how the Women’s Zionist Organization is making an impact not only in Atlanta, but throughout the world with groundbreaking medical research. The gala’s three honorees represent Hadassah Atlanta’s past, present and future: the late Rae Frank (represented by Lois and Larry Frank), who was a devoted leader and mentor to generations; Virginia Saul, a dedicated and dynamic past president who has continued serving Hadassah for decades; and Renée Rosenheck, a young Hadassah leadership fellow who inspires her contemporaries. The gala co-chairs, Martha Jo Katz and Linda M. Hakerem, and the centennial chair, Phyllis M. Cohen, are planning a memorable night. The festivities at the Grand Hyatt, 3300 Peachtree Road, Buckhead, will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, followed by a kosher seated dinner. Entertainment includes dance troupe Ingrid’s La Fuega, featuring Cynthia Good, and music by Jeni Michelson. Button It Up will offer a photo booth that will take guests to Israel with Hadassah Medical Center as the backdrop. Tickets are $200 if you’re 40 and under or 80 and over and $225 if you’re in between. Visit www.hadassah.org/events/gala, or call 678-443-2961. ■
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26
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ISRAEL NEWS
Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Gene that protects against ALS. Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have discovered that the gene MIF stops the protein superoxide dismutase from misfolding and killing motor neurons, leading to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Successful treatment for tennis elbow. Ness Ziona-based CollPlant has reported positive results of trials of its Vergenix STR treatment for inflammation of the elbow tendon, commonly referred to as tennis elbow. Most of the 40 patients reported less pain and disability, far better results than achieved by patients treated with just steroids. Connecting cancer sufferers by app. Mobile app Belong was developed by Israeli entrepreneurs who lost family members to cancer. The app, available for iOS and Android, allows patients to share vital information while reducing their feelings of loneliness and anxiety. It also provides tips and information on medical procedures. Soccer for peace. A soccer camp for Israeli children (50 Jews and 50 Arabs) featured a tournament in which the kids were split into six teams, each representing a World Cup country. The tournament was more unusual because it was held in the Israeli Arab town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye.
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
Honduras to fight crime with Israeli tech. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said his country has signed an agreement with Israel for cutting-edge technology to help his army fight organized crime. Hernandez said the technology will be used to battle “the highest levels of crime in the last 15 years.”
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U.S.-Israeli energy center. The U.S. Department of Energy plans to establish a joint U.S.-Israeli energy research center in 2017. Jonathan Elkind, a DOE official, said the center will build on the “extensive engagement that already exists between our two countries through the U.S.–Israel Energy Dialogue.” A smart app for learning English. Rosh Ha’Ayin-based startup LinguisTech Solutions has launched EZSpeak, which helps users learn to speak English quickly and pronounce it correctly. EZSpeak analyzes the user’s speech and
creates a personalized learning program. LinguisTech is targeting the Chinese- and Spanish-speaking markets. A prompt to boost iPhone security. Apple has fixed a security weakness in its mobile operating system, iOS 9.3.5, that was revealed by Herzliya-based NSO Group. The flaw allowed malicious software to track calls and contacts, collect passwords, read texts and emails, record calls, and trace the location of the user. Always on the move. A record 3,623,800 Israelis traveled abroad between January and July, 14.6 percent more than in the same period of 2015. A record 3,350,400 traveled through Ben Gurion Airport, 15 percent more than in 2015. Booming trade with Japan. Bilateral trade in goods between Israel and Japan in the first seven months of 2016 rose to $1.4 billion from $1.1 billion in 2015. Japan is Israel’s fourth-largest market in Asia. Digital Barbie. Toy manufacturing giant Mattel has teamed up with startup StartApp to help bring the iconic Barbie doll to an everyday digital “Barbie world.” StartApp will develop emojis, stickers, wallpapers, avatars, memes and other mobile app themes for the app, which is available to download. Globetrotters returning to Israel. After successful tours in 2012 and 2014, the Harlem Globetrotters are playing four games in Tel Aviv, Be’er Sheva, Haifa and Jerusalem from Oct. 18 to 22. The valley of David and Goliath. The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem is displaying artifacts from a 3,000-year-old, two-gated city in an exhibit called “In the Valley of David and Goliath.” Archaeologists say it may be Sha’arayim (“two gates” in Hebrew), mentioned in the story of David and Goliath. Ancient stone factory. Archaeologists from Israel and Malta have unearthed a workshop from the first century CE in the Galilee that produced stone vessels. The site is evidence of Jewish communities that used vessels made of stone to avoid religious restrictions associated with using pottery. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael. blogspot.com and other sources.
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ISRAEL NEWS
Diplomatic Standing Takes Positive Turn Upon returning from the United States in late September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported to his Cabinet, “Israel is in better diplomatic shape than ever.” In light of his tenuous relationship with President Barack Obama, a growing international boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, and the extensive list of U.N. resolutions against the Jewish state, what led Netanyahu to make such a claim? To start, on Sept. 14 the Obama administration promised Israel 10 more years of military assistance worth
Today in Israeli History Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. Oct. 14, 1994: Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s prime minister, and Shimon Peres, the foreign minister, are named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. Oct. 15, 1894: Moshe Sharett, Israel’s second prime minister, is born Moshe Shertok in Kherson, Ukraine.
some $38 billion, an $8 billion increase in U.S. military aid from the current agreement, signed in 2007. This commitment bolsters Israel’s position as the leading recipient of U.S. foreign military assistance. During his Sept. 22 address to the U.N. General Assembly, Netanyahu said, “More and more nations in Asia, in Africa, in Latin America, more and more nations see Israel as a potent partner — a partner in fighting the terrorism of today, a partner in developing the technology of tomorrow.” It is a laundry list of excellence for 2016: Over $500 million of Chinese capital investments were made in Israeli
tech companies; a $4.5 billion defense agreement was inked with India; a reconciliation agreement with Turkey was implemented; a trilateral energy agreement with Greece and Cyprus was signed; energy agreements were penned between African nations and Israeli companies while diplomatic relations between Israel and African states were renewed; more regular communication between Moscow and Jerusalem was spawned; and previously improbable alignments between Israel and many of its moderate Sunni neighbors in the Middle East were quietly acknowledged. Netanyahu’s claim that he has “to-
tal confidence that in the years ahead the revolution in Israel’s standing among the nations will finally penetrate this hall of nations” might appear to be wishful dreaming. But while loud BDS noises are heard and anti-Semitic incidents continue, Israel is diplomatically tolerated in what used to be staunchly hostile capitals, and Israel’s strategic-value presence and business acumen grow. It was a good year. Shana tova. ■
His parents got involved with Zionism’s BILU movement in the early 1880s. Oct. 16, 1981: Moshe Dayan, Israel’s iconic military leader, dies of a heart attack in a Tel Aviv hospital at 66. Oct. 17, 1880: Ze’ev Vladimir Jabotinsky is born in Odessa, Ukraine. Jabotinsky becomes the leader of a revisionist camp calling for a more militaristic approach to creating a Jewish state. Oct. 18, 1991: Israel and the Soviet Union resume formal diplomatic rela-
tions two months after the failed coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who has gradually improved relations Ze’ev Vladimir with Israel. In 1987 Jabotinsky the countries established consular ties. Oct. 19, 1948: During the fourth day of Operation Yoav, a weeklong military operation targeting the Negev, the
Israeli navy engages in its first major
Eli Sperling is an Israel specialist and the assistant program coordinator at the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org).
battle off the coast of Ashkelon. Oct. 20, 1952: Dalia Itzik is born in Jerusalem to Iraqi immigrants. In the 17th Knesset, she becomes the first female speaker of the Israeli parliament.
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
By Eli Sperling
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ISRAEL NEWS
Olim Know What They Left in Atlanta By Mort and Edie Barr
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
Mort and Edie Barr, who made aliyah from Atlanta, continue the story they began in the AJT in June. We accomplished all our bureaucratic goals in Israel within three months of making aliyah in March: We received our identity papers (teudat zehut), aliyah document (teudat oleh), Israeli driver’s licenses, health insurance, senior ID cards, senior bus passes and homeowner’s insurance; transferred all utility bills into our name; opened an Israeli checking and savings account; received a Visa Card; and purchased a car. The first stage was done. Next we had to return to Atlanta to pack and supervise our shipment and dispose of the belongings that we decided to leave behind. The movers came in late July to pack the 450 cubic feet of personal possessions we chose to ship to our home in Ramat Beit Shemesh, meaning we would be able to enter the Jewish new year with our furnished Israeli home complete. As olim (new immigrants), we would have our favorite pictures star-
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ing at us from the walls, our favorite books perched on our shelves and our Atlanta clothes in our closets alongside our Israeli clothes. At long last, we are fully in our birthright, our homeland, the land of our forefathers, the land the good Lord promised to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob and to their descendants as a heritage, the land our ancestors came from. We have moved many times. During our married life, we have moved from our origins in New York to Waltham, Mass., to Lowell, Mass., to South Walpole, Mass., to East Brunswick, N.J., to Be’er Sheva, Israel, for two years, then to Rockaway Township, N.J., back to East Brunswick, and lastly to Atlanta, where we spent 10 productive years. The one household plant we should have nurtured in our homes but never did was the wandering Jew. The wandering Jew is a unique plant that, when given minimal sustenance, will nevertheless spread and grow. If you dig up its roots and replant it, it will regenerate itself and start anew. Wandering is what Jewish history
Mort and Edie Barr’s ties to Atlanta include daughter Rebekah Barr and grandchildren Ari Feingold (left) and Gedalya Feingold.
has been all about. Our patriarchs and matriarchs were nomads. The Jewish nation itself developed in Egypt and through our wandering in the wilderness of Sinai. We are the only nation ever to establish its identity while wandering outside its homeland. For the past 2,000 years we have been wandering the world. Of all the places in which we have lived, no place has nourished us more than our Atlanta community, and in no place have we felt more deeply rooted than in Atlanta. We do not believe we would ever have planned to leave if it were not for the magnet of aliyah and our dream of active fulfillment of biblical prophecy in our promised land. As Joni Mitchell wrote in her 1970 hit “Big Yellow Taxi”: They paved paradise and put up a parking lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin’ hot spot. Don’t it always seem to go That you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone. While we now live in a special place, the Jewish homeland, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Jerusalem, we will never forget the special qualities of the Atlanta Jewish community, the broader community, the people, our friends. Each place we lived manifested beauty and unique qualities, but Atlanta has no match. To say that we will miss Atlanta is an enormous understatement. What makes Atlanta so special? The foundation of Atlanta’s exceptionalism is it’s cultural, ethnic, religious and racial diversity, which we have seen nowhere else. It’s something we will miss dearly. The mutual respect and accep-
tance of diversity are striking and a model for other cities. Atlanta creates endless opportunities for actualization of the Jewish value of being a light unto the nations through a life based on Torah values and halachic principles. We believe that Jews were not meant to live in isolation and manifest the “circle the wagon” mentality of 18th and 19th century Eastern Europe, when Jews in the shtetl were at risk of pogroms. On a global scale, we see Israel manifesting its beacon of light by sending its medical rapid-deployment teams and technologies to the ends of the world to aid earthquake victims and exporting its irrigation and desalination technologies to droughtstricken areas in Africa and California. It is the “Start-Up Nation” that has improved the world by creating medical, computer, automotive and security technologies. Those who live in the Diaspora have an opportunity to interact with other cultures, ethnicities, races and religions to make the world a better place — to live together in peace and harmony. On a personal level, nowhere is this opportunity to add value more accessible than in Atlanta because of its tolerance for diversity. But as much as we Jews have something to offer others, others have much to offer and teach us. Just as the Jews wandering through Sinai learned from Jethro, the Midianite priest, we have gained by living among other nations throughout our history. Several short vignettes describing our personal experiences are testimonies to this opportunity: • As CEO of the Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta, Mort found himself
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ISRAEL NEWS
hosting in his office a Baptist pastor from southwest Atlanta who sought help in establishing a related organization for his church. • When helping a Jamaican student at Clark Atlanta University’s graduate education leadership program, Mort spent countless hours interacting with the student, faculty and staff, discovering more that unites than divides. It became clear that it is extraordinary and of enormous value to step outside one’s boundaries to help someone dramatically different from oneself and help that person to help others. It is a Kiddush Hashem. • When exiting the escalator at the
Merchandise Mart for the annual gift show, we were greeted by a total stranger with the words “G-d bless you” only because we appeared as religious Jews. This experience was repeated multiple times over 10 years as we exited physicians’ offices or shopping malls. • In Mort’s first few months as executive director at Congregation Beth Jacob, the kitchen grease trap clogged, and the backup was, to be polite, rather ghastly. Armed with the synagogue checkbook to pay when the job was done, Mort waited for the plumber outside the synagogue side entrance at 8:30 p.m. After about an hour, as the plumber emerged from the stink
power failure that causes all the traffic lights to fail? We will especially miss all the wonderful friends who have enriched our lives so much. People who will be our lifelong friends. We encountered many special souls who each helped us grow in our Yiddishkeit and helped us through many personal challenges. Our years in Atlanta were truly meant to be. They prepared us well for our next phase of life.
Mort retired as director of technology at Colgate Palmolive and was the executive director of Congregation Beth Jacob. He is the founder and former CEO of the Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta. Edie retired from a career as activities director in assisted living and volunteered at NORC, Berman Commons, and at the Carlton, formerly Eden Brook. She was president of the Mount Scopus Group of Hadassah Greater Atlanta and served on the Hadassah Greater Atlanta board.
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
The Barrs unveil their Israeli car, a Toyota Prius, whose randomly assigned license plate number, 2226137, echoes their Georgia license plate of ABA-7613: ABA is 222 on the telephone, and both plates feature 613, the number of mitzvot, beside a 7.
hole in the middle of the parking lot, his reply to the question “How much do I owe you?” was astonishing: “I do not charge houses of worship.” This reverence for religion, any religion, is an attribute of the South and in particular Atlanta and is remarkable and positive. • Then there was the Within three months of making aliyah, Mort Barr lawn-mowing contrachad his teudat zehut, his Israeli identity card. tor who refused payment We look forward to sharing our for services over a three-month period continuing adventure with y’all and during one of our extended visits to plan to maintain a connection to the Ramat Beit Shemesh when he learned people who hold a special place in our where we were going. • Where else in the United States hearts. May we all be privileged to grow is there perfect traffic order during a from strength to strength. ■
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OPINION
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Our View
President Olens
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
By the time we break our Yom Kippur fasts, Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens will likely have been named the next president of Kennesaw State University by the regents of the University System of Georgia. But the official board vote isn’t likely to silence the protests of some faculty, students and alumni. Professors are unhappy that Olens was picked without a national search befitting a research university on the rise. They’re also less than pleased that the job is going to someone from outside academia. Thousands of LGBTQ students and alumni and their allies, meanwhile, have signed a petition and staged protests in the belief that Olens is their enemy and is a threat to create a hostile environment at the university’s two Cobb County campuses. That concern has arisen largely because as attorney general Olens defended Georgia’s ban on same-sex marriage and challenged the Obama administration’s directive on transgender bathrooms. The wording of Olens’ legal briefs seems innocuous to many but sets off trigger warnings for others. We won’t lecture any minority community about how to respond to a perceived threat. We have no special insight into Olens’ views toward LGBTQ people. But on same-sex marriage, he was doing the job for which he was elected when he defended the state law. He also made sure the state could comply as soon as the Supreme Court ruled the ban unconstitutional. The transgender bathroom issue is more complicated, both because of the question of federal power — the basis of the legal action Olens joined on Georgia’s behalf — and because, unlike marriage, other people are affected by who uses a public bathroom. Regardless of whether Olens was right in the bathroom case, we find no reason in his actions or his statements to believe that he is prejudiced against anyone or would create a dangerous environment. University president is a job that defies a standard definition. Not only do the requirements vary from school to school, but the same university could have different needs from president to president. Yeshiva University, for example, has narrowed its presidential search to a scholar with some administrative experience, Rabbi Ari Berman. Unfortunately, YU is in a financial mess and perhaps more than anything needs someone who can clean up the books. Kennesaw State has gone through a decade of dramatic growth in student body, academic mission, profile and reputation. It also has suffered growing pains as a lack of procedures enabled financial improprieties among senior administrators. Like Yeshiva, KSU doesn’t need someone to boost its academics. It needs someone to clean up the university’s image and establish the systems and staff structure to support more than 33,000 students. Olens oversaw a public operation much larger than Kennesaw State as the elected head of the Cobb County government. As Cobb chairman and as Georgia attorney general, he kept things running smoothly. There’s every reason to think he’ll enhance KSU’s reputation as a well-run, clean operation, which should help faculty pursuing grants and should boost the value of a Kennesaw degree. 10 We hope his critics will give him a chance. ■
AJT
Cartoon by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com
Campus Politics and Student Life Last spring when my younger son was picktower can make a real difference, for good or bad. So ing a college, we went to a gathering in Decatur for it makes sense that Kennesaw State students would students accepted to the University of Alabama in view with apprehension the appointment of a lawHuntsville. yer immersed in electoral politics the past 18 years Caleb found himself chatting with a friendly with no college administrative experience. man who talked about the strong academics, the If I were part of the LGBTQ community, I would internship opportunities, the campus construction be fearful that Olens’ legal actions as attorney genand more. After perhaps 15 minutes, Caleb asked the eral reflected his personal beliefs rather than his job man what he does at UAH. responsibilities. But “I’m the president,” Robert I have never heard Altenkirch said. anything from Olens Editor’s Notebook As interactions with univerto indicate he is an By Michael Jacobs sity presidents go, it was about LGBTQ foe. mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com as positive as they get. It’s not the It would have reason Caleb chose UAH, but it been politically didn’t hurt. smart for Olens to It’s also a dramatic contrast have dragged his to the presidential interactions at my alma mater. feet on complying with the Supreme Court’s ruling During my sophomore year at Tulane, we at the on same-sex marriage last year and to have aligned student newspaper waged a sustained campaign himself with people like state Sen. Josh McKoon who against President Eamon Kelly over $75. Every fullwere pushing for legalized discrimination under the time student was charged that amount as a fee for banner of religious liberty. using the new student recreation center in the fall By doing so, Olens would have solidified his supsemester, but, other than a swimming pool, the rec port among the dominant conservatives in Georgia’s center didn’t actually open until the spring. Republican Party and improved his chances of winThings got ugly: ning the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2018 and • Kelly mocked the demands for a refund. of becoming this state’s first Jewish governor. • I wrote an editorial calling him a thief. Instead, Olens ensured that all Georgia public • He called the newspaper office and unleashed officials involved with marriage knew that if the his fury on my future wife in a way no administracourt overturned the marriage ban, they should tor should ever speak to a 19-year-old student. follow the ruling immediately. And I have to believe • I fell in love with poking at those in power with that when Gov. Nathan Deal was criticizing and ultia purpose and decided to become a newspaperman. mately vetoing the religious liberty legislation, Olens The punchline: We were devoted, donating was providing advice strengthening Deal’s resolve. alumni until Kelly’s successor, Scott Cowen, killed The irony of Olens’ being under LGBTQ attack is our love for Tulane in a dispute in which Kelly’s wife that his choice to become Kennesaw State president and my wife worked together. means he’s giving up on becoming governor — perThe point is that, despite my idea of a university haps because he has judged that he has little hope president as someone far removed from the lives of after rejecting the religious liberty Republicans who mere students, the man or woman in the high ivory are the real threat to LGBTQ rights. ■
AJT
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AJT 12
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OPINION
Letters To The Editor
Brevity Key to Best Services
“I wish that service had been a little longer,” said no one ever. Most modern-day Jews attend synagogue twice a year, on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Unfortunately, these are by far the longest services of the year. Many worshippers enjoy and embrace the traditions of Judaism but attend services on the High Holidays only from a sense of obligation. Making these worship sessions so lengthy no doubt discourages some from attending other services during the year. In today’s fast-paced world, where the text message reigns supreme, it is disingenuous to think that young Jews will embrace a two-hour worship session. I would think it obvious to the rabbi on the pulpit that after 45 minutes much of the congregation is paying little attention, if not nodding off. Perhaps there was a time when these marathon services were well received, but that time has clearly passed. Religion should not be a test of endurance, but rather an experience that one can enjoy and appreciate. If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought. For me to ramble on would be hypocritical, so I will end here with one final thought: Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening. — Robbie Levin, Atlanta
Good Message, Bad Delivery
Thank you for filling your L’Shana Tova 5777 issue of the Atlanta Jewish Times (Sept. 30) with amazing insight and optimism. I especially loved the article by Shifra Sharfsein, “This Year, Don’t Pray.” Her comforting words on self-prayer were empowering. I believe that guest columnist Michelle Krebs Levy also intended to provide inspiration with “Who’s a Bad Jew?” but she missed the mark. I agree that people should not be labeled. Yet Levy boasts, “I’ve never killed anyone. I don’t worship idols, and I don’t have any tattoos. Also, I don’t have sex with animals.” How can a seemingly open-minded person pile tattoo wearers into a group with murderers and people practicing bestiality? Frankly, if you are going to nibble on crab cakes and shrimp, why not innocently worship idols? In theory, Levy shared a welcome message. Her delivery was off. — Beth Berger, Sandy Springs
Hoping for the Best
As always, I looked forward to the New Year’s issue arriving at our home. It was informative and enjoyable. I most liked the column by Michael Jacobs (“Roll Out the Red Carpet for 5777”) — thought-provoking — and the opinion article by Janice Rothschild Blumberg (“Observing Hillary’s Softer, Warmer Side”) — outstanding! Mr. Jacobs’ column was very interesting and well-written, hitting upon this “unprecedented election” and his view of what the new year means to him. I could relate to what he said. I hope the coming year is a challenging and good one for you and for the AJT. I think the paper continues to get better and better. As for Mrs. Blumberg’s opinion, I enjoyed hearing her comments regarding Hillary Clinton’s “softer, warmer side.” I believe that is the issue, perhaps. Most people do not directly realize what type of a person Hillary really is; they only hear all the rhetoric from certain sources. It was touching what she stated regarding Sen. Clinton, especially about her eulogy at the funeral. I hope more people before Election Day will think long and hard about what the results could mean to our country. As Mr. Jacobs brought out, the next election is only four years away, but if the president does not work for the good of our nation, four years is going to be a very long time. Hopefully, much harm will not occur during that time. May the new year be only healthy, happy and peaceful for our country and the world. — Judy Bernhardt Glatzer, Bethlehem, Ga.
Lesser of 2 Evils?
Hillary Clinton can stack up her ill-chosen and regretful misuse of email devices and her imperfections as an individual any day against Donald Trump’s high-handed business conduct; incessant whining about the unfairness of the media; meanness toward women, minorities, the disabled, POWs and those fleeing terror; admiration for domestic and foreign bullies; unbridled egoism; branding all opponents as liars, which reflects a mental imbalance or a dangerous familiarity with lying; shameless inexperience with the arts of governing and of ensuring our fundamental security; taking struggling taxpayers for fools; and inability to admit mistakes. Moreover, his offensive stereotyping of my fellow Jews and his chumminess with those who don’t think well of us is, yes, “deplorable.” — Rabbi Scott Saulson, Chamblee
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SUKKOT
Celebrate Sukkot Under the Open Skies Sukkot starts Sunday night, Oct. 16, inviting us all to dine and even sleep in a sukkah for the next week. The AJT invites you to send photos of your sukkah to share with the community. Email high-resolution photos to submissions@atljewishtimes.com by Thursday night, Oct. 27, and we’ll publish a gallery in our Nov. 4 issue. Meanwhile, the area is full of fun ways to celebrate our harvest holiday.
SATURDAY, OCT. 15
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive, downtown, honors the holiday today and Sunday. Today, enjoy a telling of “Sammy Spider’s First Sukkot” at noon, learn simple dance steps to klezmer music at 2 p.m., and create paper flowers to decorate a sukkah or build a miniature sukkah from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It’s all part of the regular admission of $14.95; childrensmuseumatlanta.org. The same options are available Sunday, except that the museum closes at 4 p.m., the “Sammy Spider” story is at 2, and the klezmer dancing is at 3.
Temple Sinai goes Italian with a dinner for adults at 6 p.m. in the courtyard at 5645 Dupree Drive, Sandy Springs. The cost is $18; templesinai. wufoo.com/forms/z1dm5gpi18oae6j. Chabad Intown keeps it causal with an open house in the sukkah. Have some sushi under the stars. Email Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman at rabbi@ chabadintown.org for details.
TUESDAY, OCT. 18
The Temple’s Women of the Well travel across Atlanta to Barcelona Vino Teca at 299 N. Highland Ave. for a Sukkot wine tasting. The cost is $25, paid online in advance at the-temple.org.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19
Chabad of Cobb is catering to the
ladies with a screening of the Israeli etrog comedy “Ushpizin” at 6:30 p.m., along with sushi and soup. The fee is $14; visit www.chabadofcobb.com to reserve your place. It’s also a night for the ladies at Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road in Alpharetta, where women can partake of a soup bar in the sukkah at 7:30. Email admin@chabadnf. org, or call 770-410-9000 for details.
THURSDAY, OCT. 20
Chabad of North Fulton then celebrates Sukkot the Southern way with barbecue and family fun (crafts, inflatables and more) at 5 p.m. It’s $5 to get in, and food is extra. Visit www. chabadnf.org, or call 770-410-9000.
Chabad Intown’s YJP group jazzes things up with an open bar, sushi, socializing and the 4th Ward AfroKlezmer Band at 8 p.m. in the sukkah at the home of Rabbi Eliyahu and Dena Schusterman, 990 St. Charles Ave., Virginia-Highland. Register in advance and it’s $10; at the door it’s $15. Visit www.yjpatlanta.org/#events.
FRIDAY, OCT. 21
SOJOURN holds a breakfast program about its work in the Southeast at 7:30 a.m. in the sukkah at Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Morningside. Tickets are $18; www. sojourngsd.org/calendar/sukkah. Visit atlantajewishtimes.com to find more Sukkot events.
Jewish Kids Groups gets a jump on the holiday with a picnic, face painting and other activities, including a camp fair, at noon at its Old Fourth Ward site, 386 Pine St. It’s free; www.jewishkidsgroups.com/sukkot-parties.html. One sukkah just isn’t enough for Ahavath Achim Synagogue, which is building a village of seven minisukkot at 4:45 p.m. at 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. in Buckhead. When the construction is done, a potluck dairy dinner starts at 6, with the traditional blessings at 6:45. It’s free; facebook. com/events/1251837784836988 or lgrossman@aasynagogue.org. Temple Kol Emeth turns to the Old World folk tale of Stone Soup with a competitive twist: Families not only bring fresh items for the soup pot and canned food to donate, but also choose teams or form their own to make the best soup. Sign up by Oct. 14, and it’s free. After that, it’s $5 per person or $15 per family; bit.ly/2dIeTnQ. The Atlanta Scholars Kollel and Anshi celebrate the first night with a festive meal at 6:30 in the sukkah at 1324 N. Highland Ave., Morningside. The fee is $18; info@anshisfard.org or www.anshisfard.org. Chabad of Cobb offers an elegant dinner at 7:15 in its sukkah at 4450 Lower Roswell Road, East Cobb. Reservations are $30 for adults, $19 for ages 7 to 12, and $13 for ages 3 to 6; www. chabadofcobb.com/sukkahdinner.
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
SUNDAY, OCT. 16
AJT 13
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
BUSINESS
Mendel: Diversify and Defend Yourself The annual Mendel Lecture at the Marcus Jewish Community Center brought out the interesting and the interested Thursday, Sept. 29, for financial guru Ed Mendel’s topic, “Don’t Obsess About the Election: Focus on Your Financial Future.” Eddie, co-founder of Ned Davis Research and David, Mendel & Regenstein, one of the biggest research firms in the world, is also a minority owner of the Falcons and a life trustee of the Marcus JCC and Pace Academy. What makes him famous are his periodic lectures to the community about protecting assets in our uncertain world. He is not selling anything or anybody, so we know his advice is not from any contrived point of view. He also parses out “Eddieisms” and medical advice throughout his presentation.
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
Eddie’s Observations • Israel is at the dawn of a new era, with 117 countries (including some Arab nations) coming to Israel for
AJT 14
cybersecurity, recycling of water, and advice on terrorism and technology. • The Federal Reserve has done more harm than good. The Fed is like a heroin junkie, and it will take a crisis before real change occurs.
Jaffe’s Jewish Jive By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com
• We are borrowing $70 billion a year for the Social Security system to make payments. The crisis is here and now and provides a great example of the unintended consequences of zero interest rates: The trust fund is not earning enough money to make distributions. Read Page 163 of the Social Security annual report. • Don’t believe the polls. Many people will not admit they are voting for Trump, but whoever wins in November will have to deal with the aftermath of all the bubbles the Fed has created.
Photos by Marcia Caller Jaffe
Ed Mendel (right) catches up with Bruce Weinstein while mingling with the audience before his presentation Sept. 29.
• Don’t believe that this election will decide the Supreme Court for generations. If the Republicans hold the Senate, no Democratic nominee will get a hearing, just as the present nominee, Merrick Garland, hasn’t gotten a hearing since March this year. • Japan is a great example of the system not working. It went to negative interest rates, but instead of consumers spending more, banks are lending more. Instead of the currency weakening to help exports, exactly the opposite has occurred. • Most of the banks in Europe are weaker than in 2008. Many will have to be nationalized in the next crisis. • Bernie Sanders’ supporters are not going away. They hear the promise of free college and relief of their student debt, which totals $1.4 trillion and is a big reason why 30 percent of millennials are living with their parents. • Diversify with real estate, bonds, securities and gold. Real assets are how Jews survived over the decades. • Do not stretch for a high yield now. The best idea is to hire a distress manager to take advantage of opportunities in all the reorganizations that will inevitably happen in the credit markets. Do not confuse distress managers with junk bond managers, who are creating the bubble in bad debt. Remember that people made fortunes on buying bankrupt railroad bonds in the Great Depression at a penny to a nickel on the dollar. • Do not blindly believe your advisers about the stability of their companies. Do your own research. • Gold will fluctuate, and it is a currency. It has no Federal Reserve debasing it by printing trillions of paper dollars every year. It is a store of value that is real and tangible. • Keep some stock certificates in a safe-deposit box at home or at a bank. • Diversify your brokers to Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab, companies that have no counterparty risk or
Ed Mendel outlines what investors should do to protect themselves in uncertain times.
derivatives. • Read Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Tipping Point.” All bubbles end in tipping points. • Follow the analysis website of Jeff Gundlach, the “smartest investor on the planet.” Sign up for his webcasts at www.DoublelineFunds.com. Eddie’s Medical Lesson Ed Mendel always has a health lesson in his talks. If you suspect that you are having a heart attack, do not lie down. Take noncoated aspirin, drink a lot of water, and sit at the front door to wait for emergency medical services. Do not have a family member drive you to the ER or drive yourself. At the hospital, request a cardiologist, who should be on call and be there within 15 minutes. You have the right to be seen by an M.D. when entering the emergency room. Audience Response “Mendel’s presentation was very informative and helped paint a picture about how global trends will impact the United States and other world markets,” said Jacob Ginsberg, 23. “Having listened to a well-respected business leader will certainly go a long way as I begin to think about investment opportunities and retirement funds. While some of his conclusions reflected a less-than-optimistic outlook, I agree with his opinion that the U.S. is a resilient country, and I know that the sky is the limit when it comes to opportunities in business.” Lawyer Steve Labovitz said: “This was rather depressing, but it’s smart to listen and gain knowledge, since the facts are there. It’s uplifting to be reassured that America is still the best place to be.” Eddie ended with a round of resounding applause by saying, “America is still the best-looking horse in the glue factory.” ■
FOOD
Michael Gurevich’s schnitzel concept apparently failed to take off.
Seven Hens Closes Chicken schnitzel restaurant Seven Hens, a concept launched by Israeli Michael Gurevich in 2012, has closed both of its locations. The Decatur space at 2140 N. Decatur Road will be replaced by a Korean street food restaurant. The location in Sandy Springs at 6615 Roswell Road will become Poke Bar, a Los Angeles fast-casual seafood concept. Gurevich declined to comment about the closings. Seven Hens featured multiple versions of chicken schnitzel, a dish that is popular globally but has yet to catch on in America. Gurevich, who lacked experience in the restaurant business, had hoped the South would embrace schnitzel and enable him to franchise. After Gurevich opened his Sandy
Springs location in 2015, he told the AJT: “The original schnitzel is not as popular here as it is around the world. I thought this would be a big opportunity to bring something from my own culture here because chicken schnitzel is a staple food item in Israel.”
Sublime Kosher Addition
Sublime Doughnuts has gained Atlanta Kosher Commission certification for its North Druid Hills shop om Briarcliff Road. The AKC announced Thursday, Oct. 6, that “all doughnuts, toppings, sauces, ice creams, and flavored coffees are kosher and dairy” at that location of Sublime, a local chain founded and led by Navy veteran Kamal Grant. “We look forward to better serving our community,” Sublime said in its own announcement on Facebook. The Sublime location near Georgia Tech in Midtown is not kosher. For what it’s worth, October is National Doughnut Month.
Sublime Doughnuts’ location near Toco Hills is now under AKC supervision.
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LOCAL NEWS
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
Olens to KSU
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The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents was expected to vote Wednesday, Oct. 12, during Yom Kippur, to name Attorney General Sam Olens the president of Kennesaw State University. If the full board follows the recommendation of its Executive and Compensation Committee to hire Olens, a move backed by Gov. Nathan Deal, Olens will give up any chance of running in 2018 to become Georgia’s first Jewish governor. Olens’ potential move from attorney general with more than two years left in his second term has been rumored for months, but the first official explanation of his interest in the post came Tuesday, Oct. 4, when University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby released a Sept. 28 letter from Olens and the Executive and Compensation Committee interviewed him for the job. “As Attorney General, I have had the honor and responsibility to serve ten million Georgians,” Olens wrote. “I would humbly welcome the opportunity and honor to continue my career of service to the community that has been my home for over three decades.” As an East Cobb resident, Olens would face a much shorter commute to Kennesaw than he has going downtown. And the previous KSU president, Daniel Papp, was paid more than 2½ times as much as the attorney general gets, so a nice pay raise awaits Olens. But his 18-year climb from county commissioner to county chairman to attorney general apparently won’t go any higher, at least not in 2018. Faculty members have complained that Olens does not have any experience in academic administration and was selected without a formal search. An online petition started by one student and one alum opposes the hiring on the basis of Olens’ positions in legal cases affecting the LGBTQ community, and it has garnered nearly 10,000 e-signatures. A campus protest was held on Rosh Hashanah, Monday, Oct. 3. But in sharing Olens’ letter, Huckaby urged everyone to keep an open mind. In that letter, Olens said he offers Kennesaw State experience in government management, consensus building and strategic partnerships, as well as deep community ties and an understanding “of the broader context in which KSU exists.” He said the university needs administrative accountability to match its rapid growth of recent years, and it must refocus on the needs of students,
especially improved affordability and graduation rates.
Bernie and Billi Marcus stand between son Fred Marcus (left) and Grady Memorial Health Chairman Frank Blake outside the Marcus Trauma & Emergency Center.
Grady Dedicates Expansion
Grady Memorial Hospital honored Bernie and Billi Marcus while officially dedicating the Marcus Trauma & Emergency Center on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The ceremony, which included the unveiling of signage visible from the Downtown Connector, marked a key point in the construction project, which is expanding the emergency department’s space and improving the patient experience. A contribution from Bernie Marcus paid for a significant portion of the expansion. “Billi and I take great pride in contributing to the success of places that really matter,” he said. “Grady is one of those places, and it continues to improve and save lives every day. I feel positive that the investment we made, along with other key partners, will allow Grady to continue to serve as the state’s leading provider of emergency care while setting new national standards for treatment, and I look forward to following its incredible progress.” An earlier donation created Grady’s Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center. “Bernie and Billi Marcus have made an indelible mark on this institution. Today, patients in both areas benefit from high-quality, leading-edge technology and care that can be received few places in the Southeast, if not the nation,” said Pete Correll, the chair-elect of the Grady Health Foundation. “We are incredibly grateful for their commitment to Grady and their understanding of the critical role this health system plays in our community.” Construction on the expanded and renovated Marcus Trauma & Emergency Center began in 2014. The project includes individual triage rooms, subwaiting areas, flexible treatment rooms and centralized nursing stations and complements Grady’s Rapid Medical Evaluation Care Delivery Model, through which physicians are the first caregivers to see a patient.
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OCTOBER 14 â–ª 2016
www.atlantajewishtimes.com
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Kichka Wields Pencil for Peace By Patrice Worthy
Armed with a pencil, Michel Kichka has influenced political thought all over the world. The Israeli caricaturist has received the Chevalier Des Arts Et Des Lettres from the French Culture Ministry and heads the Israeli Cartoonists Guild. An editorial cartoonist for Israeli and French TV networks, Kichka crosses cultural barriers with his criticism to expose the humanity in political issues. No one is immune from Kichka’s darts, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Catholic Church and Secretary of State John Kerry. Kichka joined Cartooning for Peace, an organization of 140 press cartoonists dedicated to promoting freedom, tolerance, justice, and respect for people of different cultures and religions. His work is part of the Cartooning for Peace exhibit “The Art of Democracy,” which is in Atlanta during Elevate Atlanta from Oct. 13 to 21. “The Art of Democracy” will be on free display at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Peachtree Street from 6 to 9 p.m. daily from Oct. 14 to 20 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 21.
AJT: You moved from Belgium to Israel in 1974. How has that experience influenced your work? Kichka: I would not define this as an experience but as a personal, crucial choice in my life as a young adult to set my future in Israel forever. I could keep my Belgian nationality, but today, after 42 years in Israel, I feel 100 percent Israeli. Anyhow, it has influenced every single detail in my life and even more my work. I’m lucky to have a double culture together with a deep understanding of both mentalities, the Western European and the Middle East Israeli. As a lover of my country, I have the legitimacy to criticize it strongly. AJT: Does cartooning give criticism or satire a level of power or expression that would otherwise be lost using other forms of media? Kichka: Cartoon is a very powerful form of art because of its immediate visual impact on the eye of the reader/ surfer. It has the ability to condense complex situations in one single, sophisticated frame. It has the courage to tease the so-called red lines, to overpass limits, to ignore political correctness, to express strong opinions, to make
Photo by Elie Max Kichka
Michel Kichka says the January 2015 attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was a terrible shock because he knew four of the five slain cartoonists.
people react, smile, laugh, get angry and pissed off. AJT: Were you ever afraid to criticize the Israeli government and its leaders? Or any other leader? Kichka: Never! I began my career as a cartoonist drawing live in a very popular morning TV show. I had no chief editor who could see my cartoons before they were shown on screen, and I learned to draw my limits by myself, which I can call “loving criticism.” AJT: Tell me why Israel identifying as a democracy and a Jewish state is important to Israel and its citizens — and why you chose to address this issue. Kichka: Israel has been conceived and created as a Jewish state, the only country on Earth where Jews would be able to live freely as Jews, not persecuted, not exterminated, not suffering of anti-Semitism, not having to live as inferior citizens. Israel is an emigration land, as the States were at the beginning. A young country with big achievements and even bigger future when peace will come.
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AJT: Did you ever think your honesty would get you as far as it has? Kichka: No! Frankly, no. The experience of cartooning built me as someone who had to express freely his ideas, opinions, points of view, and the reactions around gave me the courage to put my truth on the paper with no fear.
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AJT: Why did you decide to join Cartooning for Peace? Kichka: I was invited by Plantu to take part in the first Cartooning for Peace seminar at the U.N. in New York (2006), and I became naturally a foot soldier armed with a pencil and a profound humanity. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I saw that as a mission.
AJT: How did Charlie Hebdo change your perspective or work? Kichka: Charlie Hebdo was a terrible personal shock to me. I knew four of the five cartoonists who were shot. My understanding is that their legacy and their message to us, cartoonists, is “Don’t give up! Don’t be afraid to express yourself!” I felt like I have an extra mission: not giving the terrorists, wherever they are, the feeling that they succeed to terrorize the free world. AJT: Recently you’ve criticized American police brutality against black Americans by using a scene from the cover of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” What were you trying to convey? Kichka: I did it several times when it was needed and when the media were putting these acts of violence in the heart of their news. Quoting the “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” cover illustration in a cartoon where Obama himself was the slave was a way to oblige people to think of what has been achieved since the abolition of slavery in the U.S. and what is still to be done. AJT: Your “Second Generation” graphic novel is being adapted into an animated feature. How important was it to share that unique perspective on the Holocaust? Kichka: I was deeply convinced that it was important to deliver my story to the world because I felt its message was universal. My family story is the story of a whole generation of children of Holocaust survivors, not only mine. Doing it with humor but also with some criticism toward my father was a real challenge, and I was glad and happy to see that it has touched so many people, including survivors — including my father himself (who is 90), who learned to appreciate and to love it. ■
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No Pride in ‘These Things’ After attempting suicide at 15, Steven Gaines agreed to be committed to a mental hospital — but not just any hospital. He demanded the “fabled and fashionable” Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, where he could wander halls once walked by Marilyn Monroe, William S. Burroughs and other legends. Gaines tells the story in “One of These Things First.” The memoir, set in 1960s Borough Park, follows this Jewish young man through his exploits hiding in the changing rooms of his grandparents’ bra and girdle shop, his suicide attempt and his hospitalization, with a glimpse into the decades after. His story flips back and forth between sessions with a psychologist who attempts to “cure” him of homosexuality and his antagonistic friendship with Richard Halliday, husband of the original Peter Pan, Mary Martin. In what seems to be an attempt to match his writing style to his maturity, Gaines begins with run-on sentences that ramble and meander through character descriptions and anecdotes of the employees in his grandparents’ store
and their dysfunctional interactions. The wandering prose distracts from the character exposition. I found myself looking for the end of sentences rather than connecting with Gaines. The story becomes more cohesive at Payne Whitney, but except for Halliday, Gaines doesn’t dig beneath the surface in discussing the people at the clinic. I would have loved a closer look into the personalities he encountered. There are heartwarming moments, as when Gaines and his fellow patients break the rules and explore New York while on leave from the hospital and when Gaines learns about women’s “plumbing” from another patient. Gaines ends with a troubling admission. The psychologist who tried to cure him of his homosexuality apologizes. But Gaines is angry and unsympathetic, delving into an almost-celebration of internalized homophobia. I understand I am from a different generation with different experiences, but I couldn’t get past this moment. ■ One of These Things First By Steven Gaines Delphinium, 272 pages, $24.95
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
By Robbie Medwed
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www.atlantajewishtimes.com
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Exposed Opens Eyes on Opening Night By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
Two experimental dance performances Wednesday night, Oct. 5, launched a cultural experiment in metro Atlanta: a six-week festival of Israeli modern dance and performance art in shows, workshops and classes spread across three universities and multiple stages. “These next six weeks are really transformational for the city,” Kennesaw State University dance program director Ivan Pulinkala said at the opening night of Exposed (www. exposedfestivalatl.com) at Decatur Square’s CORE theater. CORE’s artistic director, Sue Schroeder, is the director of the Exposed festival, which she has pulled together with the Israeli Consulate General and its cultural affairs director, Yonit Stern, as well as 7 Stages, Emory University’s dance program, Kennesaw State’s dance and theater programs, and Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Arts. In addition to being a high-tech and military power, Israel is a world leader in modern dance, and Schroeder said the idea to make that artistic talent accessible to as much of the metro area as possible was born three years ago when she met Stern and was invited to visit Israel on an artistic exposure tour. Stern, who attended opening night with the consul general, Ambassador Judith Varnai Shorer, and deputy consul general, Anat Fisher-Tsin, played a key role in inspiring and connecting the Atlanta and Israeli talent. Pulinkala said Stern introduced him to Israel four years ago, and he has since visited six times. “Sue Schroeder, she’s really the unsung hero tonight,” he said. “This really is an amazing feat to bring all these
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Photos by Michael Jacobs
Ido Tadmor elevates the puppet during the world premiere of “2.0.”
incredible artists from Israel.” Those artists are the key, Schroeder said. “This festival is artist-driven, where the artists make choices.” The logistics, especially arranging visas for the artists, were daunting, but Schroeder anticipates that the lasting impact on the Atlanta cultural scene will be more than worth the effort. She’s right if the response of the audience to the first two pieces at the packed CORE theater was any indication. The first piece, “You Make (Me) Sense,” featured Ella Ben-Aharon, who is an artist in residence at Kennesaw State this semester, playing with light and dark while executing her own choreography. She distributed tiny lights to audience members seated in a circle, then allowed those lights to provide most of the illumination as she moved around the room. Sometimes she was face to face with a member of the crowd; sometimes she was moving in unexpected ways in the middle. She wound up exchanging places with one seated audience member in the interactive performance.
Ella Ben-Aharon interacts with the crowd during “You Make (Me) Sense.”
Ben-Aharon said improvisation played an important part in the piece. She decided where to go and what to do in response to the reactions she saw in the faces around her. Rather than confine herself to a traditional eight-beat movement, BenAharon said, her choreography reflected the body’s natural internal rhythms. The second performance, the world premiere of “2.0,” externalized the soul through the use of a puppet. “One of the most difficult things about this piece is learning to manipulate the puppet so that it has life and then it doesn’t have life, so it has both extremes,” said Ido Tadmor, who performed Pulinkala’s choreography. It’s a piece in development. Tadmor said Pulinkala worked with him for six days on tour in Amsterdam six months ago, then they returned to the work a week before the premiere. “You’re going to see the piece as it’s being born in the same way that the puppet is being born,” Tadmor said. “We started with the idea of the puppet being a representation of the person’s soul,” Pulinkala said. “Sometimes it’s outside the body; sometimes
it’s inside.” Tadmor uses the Kabbalistic prayer Ana B’Koach as a mantra with the puppet for much of the piece, emphasizing the idea of connecting the performance to G-d and the spiritual world, while moving much of the time as a living puppet would. “I’m not a young dancer anymore. I’m going to be 53 soon,” Tadmor said. “I couldn’t see myself dancing with the puppet just like a kid. … We found a way to overcome this idea of a dancer with a puppet.” The work is representative of the entire festival as a collaboration between Israel and Atlanta involving a serious conversation about art and exposing the process to the public. Composer Paul Stevens said his music developed through a continual conversation with Pulinkala over months. Then, three days before the performance, he saw during a dry run that the music didn’t fit one section, so he rewrote it for the premiere. “An artist should never be completely in love with his own work,” Tadmor said in praising Stevens’ flexibility. “He should be open-minded.” ■
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ARTS
Art Book Brings Jewish World to Life Ellen Filreis is producing a fun book of art and educational poetry to spark memories and interest in Judaism for Jewish families from interfaith through Orthodox: “Chai Spy: A Visual Journey Through Jewish Life.” In gematria (setting numerical values for Hebrew words), chai (life) is 18. Therefore, Filreis’ book contains 18 pages of her Jewish art accompanied by 18 poems written by her daughter, Ayelet, a teacher in Baltimore. Each page depicts miniatures assembled on various themes, including Shabbat, Jewish holidays, synagogue, the alefbet, food, New York and Israel. Ellen, a self-taught mixed-media artist, was born into the Orthodox community of Newport News, Va., and raised in Virginia, New York and New Jersey. As a child she loved art and won several contests. In first grade, her teacher would slap her left hand until she became right-handed. “I’m always joking that I’m not sure if I’m left-brained or rightbrained,” she said, noting that for years she didn’t pursue art. Instead, she used a degree in finance from the University of Virginia to work in personal and corporate trust in the United States and Europe. In late 1990 she moved back to Atlanta with her children and husband Steve, who worked for Coca-Cola. Ellen sold residential real estate, then became a “full-time mom.” In 2005, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her husband told her that life is short, so “go nurture your creative side. Go follow your dreams.” “I don’t draw or paint,” Ellen said. “I put stuff together.” She always has been fascinated by dollhouses, and her miniatures, Petits Trésors, as her online shop is called, come from suppliers all over the world. Using found objects and other embellishments, she creates collages (flat pictures) and assemblages (threedimensional works). Ellen, whose work is known for its color and texture, is a member of the American Guild of Judaic Art and served as treasurer on its national board of directors. She’s also a member of the Atlanta Collage Society, the National Collage Society, and the International Society of Assemblage and Collage Artists. Her work has appeared in juried art shows, and her shadow boxes are
Images courtesy of Ellen Filreis from “Chai Spy”
Assemblages representing Rosh Hashanah, Passover and New York are among the 18 images created by Ellen Filreis for her new book of Jewish life.
commissioned by organizations and individuals. She donated a shadow box to the Children’s Holocaust Memorial (the result of the Paper Clips Project) in Whitwell, Tenn., where it is on permanent display. “Chai Spy” took five years to complete. “Ayelet and I lovingly collaborated on this project,” Ellen said. “She did the educational text, and I did the art.” Hal Schroeder of Harold Alan Photographers took photos of the art, and graphic designer Chava Goldberger did the layout.
Besides discovering a chai on each page (a suggestion by her artist friend Barbara Fisher), someone viewing the page is not asked to find anything specific. “Every time you look at a page,” Ellen said, “I hope you will see something you didn’t see the last time you looked.” Creative and surprisingly humorous, “Chai Spy” is for children and parents to share. But there’s a second market as well. Several years ago, at a workshop for Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients that Ellen led at the
William Breman Jewish Home, a man in his 80s who rarely spoke spotted something from a beach collage he was making and started talking about the time his mother took his family on an outing to Miami when he was young. “It was incredible,” said Ellen, who sees the book as a way to spark memory for those who need it. “It’s for anybody who’s Jewish.” Eventually, Ellen would like to have an electronic version for Jewish schools to use on iPads or computers and perhaps be part of an exhibit at the Breman Museum. She would also like to take the 18 art pieces on a national tour. “I want to leave something behind that’s good and rich in Judaism to help people grow,” she said. Her business website, www. MYPetitsTresors.com, tells more about “Chai Spy,” which is self-published (print on demand) and will be available from Lulu.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Also available are holiday cards made from images in the book, such as an $18 Rosh Hashanah package carried by Judaica Corner. ■
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
By R.M. Grossblatt
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At Least 2016 Isn’t 1856 By Joe Sterling In the midst of a presidential election featuring two of the least liked major-party nominees in history, former newspaperman Robert Strauss has delivered some historical perspective with his new book, “Worst. President. Ever.” Strauss will talk about the book and the president he identifies as the worst, James Buchanan (elected in 1856), in a free appearance at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the Carter Presidential Library, 441 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta. In advance of his visit, Strauss answered some questions from the AJT. AJT: Any major lessons we citizens can learn from the life and the presidency of James Buchanan? Strauss: It’s what not to do. What you can be is not James Buchanan. If you are a leader, you’ve got to lead. His inaction causes chaos and leads to the Civil War. At every major turn — Dred Scott case, the Panic of 1857, Kansas, secessions, John Brown, Stephen Douglas — he makes the wrong move. We can learn from negative history.
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
AJT: How does the 1856 presidential race compare with this year’s? Strauss: It was a crazy election, crazier than this one. Three parties. Democrats, Republicans, and the American or Know-Nothings. The KnowNothings’ big platform is anti-immigration. Sound familiar? They don’t want to build a wall, but they hate Catholics. Out of the ashes of the Whig Party is the Republican Party. They nominate a celebrity, a guy named John Fremont. He led all the expeditions with Kit Carson to map the West. He marries Jessie Benton, daughter of the longest-standing senator. The Democrats turn to James Buchanan, a guy who is around a long time. People like him personally. Longest government résumé.
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AJT: Does Buchanan share any traits and talents with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? Strauss: He’s not vile like Trump. He says nothing bad about anybody through his life, at least publicly. I ascribe his great failure to his experience. It was not presidential. Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. Donald Trump ran businesses. Buchanan didn’t run anything and waffled all the time. AJT: What is your standard for ranking presidents?
Robert Strauss expects Barack Obama to rank in the top 25 percent of presidents.
Strauss: You’ve got to look at them during their term and then look at the residue of what they did. After Washington, Buchanan was the most consequential American. Without Buchanan there would be no Lincoln. AJT: Which popular president is overrated? Strauss: Ronald Reagan. One thing you can attribute to his term is the dissolution of the Soviet Union. I don’t know how much of it was really him. He had scandals, and his advisers weren’t the greatest. His personality and is what made him. AJT: Who is underrated? Strauss: LBJ. He’s definitely a consequential president. He stands up to his enemies. As much as he hated Kennedy, he gets Kennedy’s legislation passed. Johnson’s huge mistake? Vietnam. Ends his presidency. Many major things he did stand: Medicare, civil rights legislation. AJT: How about Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama? How will they rank 20 years from now? Strauss: President Obama favorably. Obama will be in the top echelon. From one to 43, Obama will be in the eight-to-12 range. President Bush less unfavorably. AJT: Who is going to win this November? Strauss: Clinton. Will be a repeat of the last eight years. The country will be significantly changed in the next four years mostly because liberals will be appointed to the Supreme Court. But this presidency will be just another presidency. The president after this president will be some dynamic person, like Obama, like Reagan. Not like the Bushes. ■
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James Buchanan? #Fail Ranking presidents is one of America’s favorite parlor games, and we all have our own personal lists. Our favorites are eligible for sainthood, many are just plain old mediocrities, and the worst of them are destined to be eternal piñatas. Some make our best/worst lists even before they get elected. Robert Strauss’ enjoyable pageturner, “Worst. President. Ever.,” makes the case that James Buchanan, our 15th president, who served from 1857 to 1861, was the worst commander in chief. Buchanan toiled in law and politics and diplomacy for decades, with modest strides here and there. Then he assumed the presidency and proved to be the “W.P.E.” This plodding “doughface,” the term for Northerners who sympathized with the South over slavery, waffled and dithered as our country hurtled toward its Worst. Crisis. Ever: the Civil War. Normally, a history about one of the lesser-known presidents, bookended by Franklin Pierce and Abraham Lincoln, isn’t going to be on your nightstand or bookmarked on your iPad. But Buchanan’s lowlights? The SMH moments rouse you from nodding off: • “His backroom deal to influence the Supreme Court to make the Dred Scott decision.” That sealed the division of the Union. • “He equivocated back and forth over what the disposition of slavery in Kansas would be.” This paved the way for John Brown’s insurrection at Harpers Ferry, Va. • He “presided over the Panic of 1857” and “decided to do nothing to have the government mitigate the crisis.”
Strauss intersperses the story of Buchanan with his insights on presidential rankings and descriptions of his own family’s historical obsessions. He explores the speculation that Buchanan, a bachelor, might have been gay, a separate parlor game altogether. One takeaway from this book is that it might be too soon to rank our most recent presidents, Barack Obama and George W. Bush. As time goes on, perspective will become clearer. Take the yin-and-yang presidencies of Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. Triumphs and setbacks. One local anecdote: The book recounts how historian Julian Zelizer was doing research at the Carter Presidential Library. In a cafeteria line, he turned around, and there was Jimmy Carter. Zelizer, Strauss says, clearly thinks Carter is a “mensch.” “He sat at one of the little round tables bothering no one, as humble as you can imagine,” Zelizer said. “That captured what Jimmy Carter was.” “Which was clearly not,” the author says in his amusing style, “the notorious W.P.E.” ■
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One Peachtree Pointe • 1545 Peachtree St. NE #102, Atlanta
Worst. President. Ever. By Robert Strauss Lyons Press, 304 pages, $26.95
Come see us at Ticknors Men’s Clothiers, Atlanta’s newest spot for high end casual, sportswear, and quality men’s tailored. Located on the upper level (next to Mayor’s jewelers) Ticknors carries finer brands such as Robert Graham, Bugatchi, Tommy Bahama, and Coppley clothing. Ticknors Men’s Clothier • Phipps Plaza 3500 Peachtree Rd. NE #2012A
Atlanta, GA 30326-1222 (404) 946-5808
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
By Joe Sterling
UP NEXT: Mr. Popper’s Penguins, a cool musical for the whole family, opening December 9!
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Photo by Liam Daniel
Rachel Weisz (left) plays Deborah Lipstadt in “Denial.”
Accept Limits of ‘Denial’ By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
Share your Simchas with Your Atlanta Jewish Community for Free
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
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Visit www.atlantajewishtimes.com/simchas to submit your announcement and photos or call 404-883-2130
We in Jewish Atlanta want “Denial” to be great. After all, the movie is about one of our own, Emory professor Deborah Lipstadt, confronting a manifestation of evil, Holocaust denier David Irving, in a landmark libel defense largely financed by members of our community. It’s an important, well-made, entertaining and educational film. But it’s not great. It is good, starting with strong performances by the main actors: Rachel Weisz as Lipstadt, Timothy Spall as Irving, Andrew Scott as solicitor Anthony Julius and, especially, Tom Wilkinson as barrister Richard Rampton. Haris Zambarloukos’ cinematography is just as strong as the acting. The visuals are best when Lipstadt’s team visits Auschwitz, where a gray palette features details such as raindrops dripping off barbed wire like tears. The story alone is worth 110 minutes and the price of admission. It’s based on Lipstadt’s book “History on Trial: My Day in Court With a Holocaust Denier.” The title of the film references Irving’s denial of the Holocaust and Lipstadt’s denial of her desire to take the stand in her own defense. In case you miss that second part, David Hare’s script includes a scene that smacks you in the head by mentioning Lipstadt’s “self-denial,” then repeatedly shows how big a struggle it is for her to stay silent through the trial. That script fails to rise to the importance and drama of the 2000 case, largely because it struggles to focus on what makes the trial important and where the drama arises. The differences in the American and English legal systems are one source of trouble. An American audience has to be told that the burden of proof in a libel case is on the defense, that a solicitor
takes the case while a barrister argues it, and that everyone wears goofy wigs and starts court by bowing. It all could have been handled in five minutes. Instead, Hare makes Lipstadt’s bewilderment and eventual embrace of the British system a major theme, even trying to milk drama out of the 24-hour delay between the release of the judge’s decision to the lawyers and the announcement in court. The focus on procedure means less time for testimony. In an eightweek trial, we see Irving poke holes in the testimony of an Auschwitz expert (but not the expert’s response), and we get a couple of Irving’s embarrassing moments. Almost as much time is devoted to Team Lipstadt’s struggles over whether to call survivors to testify (and submit them to certain ridicule under Irving’s questioning) as is given to events inside the courtroom. Hare and director Mick Jackson also are inconsistent. For the most part, we see a courtroom drama of manners, but twice, at Auschwitz and during testimony about a gas chamber, Lipstadt has a ghostly vision of the camp’s horrors. Showing us those nightmares through her eyes could be an effective approach if done throughout the film; using the trick twice for a total of about five seconds just pulls the viewer out of the reality of the situation. The film also strays from the Holocaust and Irving’s anti-Semitism and racism to explore his sexism. That appears to be the reason Lipstadt twice ponders London’s statue of Boadicea, an obscure figure for American audiences. Irving may very well be a sexist, but the trial is about Holocaust denial. Sadly, it appears that the filmmakers weren’t confident enough in the appeal of a Holocaust courtroom drama in 2016, and their effort to broaden the appeal of “Denial” weakens the movie. But Lipstadt is still a hero, and her story is worth seeing. ■
SIMCHAS
Birth Leah Freedman
With much thanks to G-d, Shani and Rabbi Mayer Freedman of Morningside announce the birth of their daughter, Leah, in August. The proud grandparents are Zipporah and Rabbi Mendel Freedman and Nechy and Rabbi Menachem Zehnwirth of Baltimore. Leah’s adoring older siblings, Aryeh Yehuda, Sara, Rachel and Yehudis, are excited to welcome the newest addition to their family. Leah is named after Mayer’s great-grandmother, who was murdered in the concentration camps. Leah will have a babynaming/Kiddush ceremony at Anshi, 1324 N. Highland Ave., on the Shabbat of Sukkot, Oct. 22, at 10:45 a.m. The entire community is invited to join the Freedmans in celebrating their little miracle. ■
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OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
Fabulous Renovated Home in Oxford Chase!
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OBITUARIES
Adam Greenberg 36, Marietta
Adam Greenberg, age 36, of Marietta died Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. Adam was born on Long Island, N.Y., and grew up in Savannah. He graduated from the University of Georgia, where he was actively involved in Tau Epsilon Phi. His life was devoted to serving the people he loved and volunteering with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and countless others. He was a loving, loyal and kind husband, father and friend and was a blessing to all who knew him. Survivors include his wife, Jennifer Greenberg; his children, Ethan and Layla; his parents, Gail and Mark Greenberg; a sister, Rebecca Greenberg; and his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Maxine and Paul Shilling. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org/georgia) or the Wounded Warriors Project (woundedwarriorproject.org). A graveside service was held Sunday, Oct. 9, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Daniel Dorsch and Rabbi Shalom Lewis officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Leonard Meyer 91, Atlanta
Leonard Arthur Meyer, born in Atlanta on Feb. 18, 1925, passed Saturday afternoon, Oct. 8, 2016, at age 91. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Ray Levinsohn and David N. Meyer, who moved to Atlanta in 1920 from Baltimore; his brother and sister-in-law, Sylvan H. and Anne Meyer of Gainesville, Ga., and Miami; and daughter-in-law Sherrie Dee Miller Meyer of Stateline, Nev. His beloved wife of 70 years, Janet Eleanor Meyer, passed one year ago at age 90. He is survived by his three sons, Robert Scott
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Meyer of Stateline, Dr. Roger P. Meyer (Cathy Meyer) of Carson City, Nev., and Richard C. Meyer (Donna E. Meyer) of Alpharetta; four grandchildren, Dr. Seth E. Meyer (Shinobu Meyer) of San Diego, Hilary Meyer Pine (Kris Pine) of Vancouver, Wash., Annie M. Meyer of Asheville, N.C., and Max D. Meyer of Alpharetta; two great-grandchildren, Ben Pine of Vancouver and Remy Meyer of San Diego; and a niece, Erica Rauzin, and a nephew, David N. Meyer II, both of Miami. Lennie graduated from Boys’ High in Atlanta in 1942, then entered college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a member of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity while attending UNC. He was drafted in 1943 to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces and served in New Guinea and the Philippines until the war in the Pacific ended. He was awarded five Battle Stars and the World War II Victory Medal. He graduated from Atlanta Law School in 1948 but never practiced, instead entering the family wholesale wine and spirits business, State Wholesalers Inc., with his father. He became the president of State Wholesalers in 1966 and the chairman of the board in 1976 upon the retirement of his father. He served twice as the president of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Georgia and many years on its board of directors. He also served for many years on the board of directors of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. In 1988, State Wholesalers merged with Empire Distributors, and Lennie served there as executive vice president until retiring in 2008. Lennie Meyer pioneered the fine wine business in Georgia, traveling to Europe in the early ’60s to begin importing the great wines of France, Germany, Italy and Spain. He was also one of the first to start distributing the boutique wines of California in Georgia. He was a member of Knights of the Vine, Les Amis du Vin, and other wine societies of Europe and America. In 1984 he was selected by Time magazine as the Distinguished Alcohol Beverage Wholesaler of the Year at the annual Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America convention. Community involvement included his memberships in B’nai B’rith, Jewish War Veterans, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, the Marcus Jewish Community Center, the Standard Club and the board of directors of the William Breman Jewish Home. He also served on the board at Ahavath Achim Synagogue for many years. He rarely missed a performance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Jewish Breakfast Club Featured Speaker
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
BERNIE MARCUS
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Bernard Marcus is co-founder of The Home Depot, Inc., the world’s largest home improvement retailer. His company revolutionized the home improvement business with its warehouse concept. He served as chairman of the board until his retirement in 2002. He remains director emeritus and Home Depot’s largest single stockholder. From 1972 to 1978, Marcus was Chairman of the Board and President of Handy Dan Improvement Centers, Inc., a home center retail chain. Marcus’s personal civic involvement has been translated into the creation of The Marcus Foundation where he serves as chairman of the board. His areas of focus include Jewish causes, children, medical research, free enterprise and the community. A centerpiece of his desire to give back to the community is Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. Among his important philanthropies is the founding of the Israel Democracy Institute located in Jerusalem. This non-partisan and nonpolitical think tank serves as an important resource and change agent, dealing with the complex issues facing Israeli democratic society. Marcus serves in numerous leadership roles including The Shepherd Spinal Center, The City of Hope, The Marcus Jewish Community Center, and Business Executives for National Security.
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OBITUARIES and was an accomplished pianist himself. Lennie loved the outdoors. He was an avid golfer and fly and bass fisherman and a devoted supporter of wildlife conservation organizations. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Funeral services were scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his name to one’s favorite charity. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Albert Mizell 94, Brookhaven
5 for Holocaust Council
President Barack Obama announced Thursday, Oct. 6, his intent to appoint five people to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, none of them from the South: • Susan Levine — She is the director emeritus of Hospice of the Valley in Arizona after serving as executive director from 1994 until this year. She was inducted into the National Association for Home Care & Hospice Hall of Fame in 2014. • Elliot J. Schrage — He has been the vice president of communications and public policy at Facebook since 2008 after holding a similar post at Google for three years. The San Francisco resident was first appointed to the Holocaust Memorial Council in 2012. • Irvin Shapell — He is a partner
with the law firm Cassidy, Cogan, Shapell & Voegelin in Wheeling, W.Va. He founded a publishing house for books to help parents and teachers with children who have disabilities. • Howard Unger — He is the founder and managing partner of private equity firm Saw Mill Capital outside New York after more than 30 years in merchant banking and financial markets. He was first appointed to the council in 2011. • Clemantine Wamariya — She is a human rights advocate and survivor of the Rwandan genocide who was first appointed in 2011. “I am grateful that these talented and dedicated individuals have agreed to take on these important roles and devote their talents to serving the American people,” Obama said. “I look forward to working with them.” ■
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
Albert William Mizell, 94, died Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, at his home in Brookhaven. Albert was born Dec. 27, 1921, to Nathan and Rachel Mizell. He spent most of his childhood in Atlanta and had wonderful memories of his friends at the Jewish Educational Alliance (later the Jewish Community Center). Albert enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 18 and attended radar school at North Carolina State University before being deployed in Western Europe, from the United Kingdom to Germany, as a member of General George Patton’s 3rd Army. When he returned to Atlanta after the war, he met the love of his life, Flora Bredosky, with whom he eloped on Christmas Day 1946. They were married for 59 years. Flora and Albert were longtime members of Ahavath Achim Synagogue, where Albert’s seat in the balcony gave him the best view of Flora singing in the choir. At home, they loved and sang the music of Frank Sinatra, “The King and I” and “South Pacific” to their children and grandchildren. After a first career as a grocer, Albert studied real estate in the early 1980s and began his second career at Prudential Atlanta Realty. He regarded his fellow real estate professionals as great colleagues and friends, and they reciprocated by spending time with him in his later years. A lifelong Atlantan, Albert ran the Peachtree Road Race well into his 70s, and he loved watching “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with Flora. His children are grateful to the staffs of Huntcliff Summit and Sunrise of Buckhead and especially to his special caregivers, Joyce Seals, Ruth Chanda Taylor and Gladys Davis. Albert and Flora were loving parents and fun grandparents, and they were blessed to spend many cherished years with their grandchildren. Dad/Zady is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Flora Mizell. He is survived by his children, Judy and Dan Wolbe, Lynn Mizell, and Marshall and Robyn Mizell, all of Atlanta, and his grandchildren, Morgan Wolbe of New York, Abby and Charlie Dan of London, and Amanda Mizell of Savannah. Funeral services were held Friday, Oct. 7, at Arlington Memorial Park. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (www.mskcc.org) or the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (www.jwv.org). Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
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SPORTS Israel Takes 2 in Soccer Israel won a pair of World Cup soccer qualifiers between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, topping Macedonia and Liechtenstein by identical 2-1 scores. In both games, Israel took an early 2-0 lead, then held on for wins that the team had to have to maintain any hope of qualifying for the 2018 competition in Russia. Playing in Skopje, Macedonia, on Thursday, Oct. 6, Israel got first-half goals from Tomer Hemed and Tal Ben Haim, but Ilija Nestorovski cut the lead in half with more than 30 minutes left. Goalkeeper Dudu Goresh became the hero when he saved a penalty in stoppage time after defender Eitan Tibi committed a foul and was ejected.
There was less drama three days later when Israel played host to Liechtenstein in Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium. Hemed scored twice in the opening 16 minutes, and, despite surrendering a goal shortly after halftime to Maximilian Goppel, Israel got the win against FIFA’s 182nd-ranked team. Three games into a 10-game homeand-home round robin, Israel has two wins and a loss and sits in fourth place with six points, behind Albania (also 2-1 with six points) on goal difference. Spain leads the group with 7 points; Italy is second with 7 points because of a worse goal difference. After losing its home opener to Italy, 3-1, Israel is still an extreme long shot to make it to Russia. Only the winner of its Group G of European qualifying earns a place in the World Cup,
while the second-place team likely will advance to a playoff against another group runner-up. In the FIFA rankings, Spain is 11th, and Italy is 13th. Albania is the group’s third-ranked team at 40th overall; Israel is No. 98. Israel has one more qualifier in 2016: at Albania on Nov. 12.
Jewish Baseball Power Jewish major-leaguers set a record by hitting 115 home runs this baseball season, breaking the mark of 113 set in 2012, according to Jewish Baseball News. Detroit Tiger Ian Kinsler, who had 28 home runs in 2016, hit the recordbreaking round-tripper Sept. 28 against Cleveland, less than half an hour after
Los Angeles Dodger Joc Pederson tied the record with his 25th homer of the year against San Diego. Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun was the top Jewish slugger of the season with 30 homers. Also contributing to the record season were Danny Valencia of the Oakland A’s (17), Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros (eight) and Kevin Pillar of the Toronto Blue Jays (seven). Pillar also hit one out in Game 2 of the Blue Jays’ three-game playoff sweep of the Texas Rangers on Oct. 7. Bregman hit the 3,000th Jewish home run in regular-season majorleague history Sept. 10, according to Jewish Baseball News’ count. That history goes back to 1871, the year Lip Pike hit four homers as a rookie for the Troy Haymakers.
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
Mushrooms, Hardware And Ugly Stereotypes
OCTOBER 14 ▪ 2016
My friend Viky and I decided to enjoy the cooler weather by walking on the Atlanta BeltLine. We were further entertained by meeting interesting people and trying out the interactive art installations. I was sitting on one of these creations, furiously pedaling footholds that manipulated the arms of a huge sculpture, when a man in a chef’s uniform approached us. He obviously was amused by my athletic inability, and he and Viky bonded by sharing a running commentary on my efforts. Finally, out of selfrespect, I climbed down. The man pointed toward buildings in the distance and introduced himself as “Tim, the chef in a restaurant over there.” An experienced BeltLiner, he recommended his favorite paths. He knew about BeltLine vegetation, too, and he showed us a cluster of gigantic mushrooms. “Those are the ones ancient people used as antibiotics,” he said. “Let’s take them to a lab!” I exclaimed. “They might be a breakthrough natural remedy. Maybe somebody already tried it, but it’s worth finding out. Mushrooms would be cheaper than commercial drugs.” Tim extracted the biggest mushroom with his foot and urged us to take it with us. “You’re Jewish, right?” he asked out of the blue. “What?” We were stunned. “We are, and why do you ask?” We smelled racial profiling: Viky and I are practically perfect physiognomic examples of Ashkenazim (me) and Sephardim (Viky). “You know, your mushroom idea. Jews are always the smartest people around and clever about money.” “Whoa!” we stopped him, skipping over the “smartest people around.” “You think all Jews are rich?” We weren’t going to let him get away with that, even if Tim was delivering a compliment. Tim laughed. “I’ve worked in restaurants all over the world, and I know about types of people.” He tapped his head. “I’m Greek here,” he said. “My brain knows I should eat the way they do.” Next, he patted his stomach. “I’m Indian here,” he laughed. Then he put his hands in his pock30 ets. “I’m Jewish here,” he said proudly.
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“I’m Jewish with money.” What could we say? Nothing would make anything better, and lots of things could make things worse. Tim was late for work. He told us he’d enjoyed chatting and jogged away. Viky and I spent the next hour recalling similar situations. Viky remembered being at a friend’s table. Between bites, her
CROSSWORD
By Chana Shapiro cshapiro@atljewishtimes.com
friend’s son, who was genuinely fond of her, mentioned being “Jewed down” over something. Viky didn’t let it go. This reminded me of an incident years ago in a hardware store with my daughters. It was going out of business, and all prices were greatly reduced. I was a regular customer, and Kathleen, the cashier, knew me. I found a few tools that didn’t have a sale-price sticker, brought them to the counter and pointed out that they weren’t marked. Kathleen let out a sigh. “Those are half-off, but you wouldn’t believe how many people try to Jew us down.” My daughters were beside me. I wanted to use this moment carefully. “When you say, ‘Jew us down,’ what do you mean?” I asked. “You know, try to get a lower price.” “Only Jews? Have you ever tried to get the best price on something?” Kathleen was no fool. “Are you Jewish?” she asked. “Yes, and I’m assuming that was an accidental insult, or do you really believe that all Jews are money-hungry and cheapskates?” “I never thought about it,” Kathleen said. “Did I hurt your feelings? I didn’t know you’re Jewish.” She smiled weakly at my daughters, who undoubtedly were afraid I’d start an argument but wanted to see what would happen. “Don’t be mad,” Kathleen said. “It’s just something everybody says.” “That doesn’t make it right,” I said. “And you’re too smart for that.” I paid the sale price for the tools and thanked Kathleen, and we left the store. You can believe that we had quite a discussion on our way home. ■
“Eating in a Sukkah”
By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Manageable 1
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Chana’s Corner
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28. Had, like the Temple Mount to David 29. Director Sam 30. Ruth gathered it 32. Judah ruler in 1 Kings 15 33. Stringed instrument played by Amit Peled 34. Start making challah 35. Writer R.L. 37. Ham-and-___ (Joe Schmo) 41. Mitchell Hurwitz’s “___ Development” 42. “Shalom” site 44. Like the universe, to the religious 47. Engine sump or a vessel for Chanukah candles DOWN 48. Schmatte 1. Sings like Nissim 52. Not just fat, like Eglon 2. “Step ___!” (“Maher!”) 53. King killed by Samuel 3. Drip like honey 4. Some have more of it than 54. Prime minister, familiarly 55. King grilled by Samuel others 57. Cry of woe from the Bible 5. “Sheket!” or in Shakespeare 6. Reed and Gehrig 59. Writers L. Frank or 7. Gaza violence Bernie developments of 2014 60. The Western Wall plaza 8. Bundchen married to Robert Kraft’s quarterback is about the size of one 9. Notable Jewish historian 61. Israeli dough, for short 63. Hush-hush org. that 10. Koufax had a low one assists Israel at times 11. Great rabbi 65. “___ Robinson” 12. Killed, in the Bible 13. Bass player for Haim LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 18. Schmaltz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 S A L A D A G E C S P A N Brewing 14 15 16 I R E M U L A N L I E G E 17 18 19 outputs A T O N E M E N T E N D O R 20 21 22. 1944 I N D I E G R A Ingrid Bergman 22U 23S 24E S 25U N F 26O R G I 27V 28E 29N 30 31 32 33 hit directed by S A M E M U P A Y A Y N 34 35 36 37 O B I T S G U N E L E E George Cukor 38 39 40 41 B R E A K F A S T C L U B 25. Biography 42 43 44 45 C A A N E O N A M A R E on Rabbi 46 47 48 49 50 A T T F R O I S R T O M 51 52 53 54 Menachem T H E V E R D I C T P E W S 55 56 57 Mendel A R I C E A S E 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 Schneerson A M O U R Y O M K I P P U R 65 66 67 27. Borat’s real B A V L I A M E E R O R A 68 69 70 M E N D S P I G S P A T S first name leader 62. Og, for one 64. Fitting Florida city to find 17-, 31- and 46-Across 66. Like the treatment of (Jewish) slaves 67. Purim time 68. “And I am ___ that the king of Egypt will not” (Exodus 3:19) 69. First name of a returned captive 70. Lake that might (but probably doesn’t) house a leviathan 71. ___ Refaim
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