Book Festival 2017
WWW.ATLANTAJEWISHTIMES.COM
Book Festival 2017
VOL. XCII NO. 41
Book Festival 2017
Prepare for the Marcus JCC’s Nov. 4-20 celebration of books by Jews, about Jews and of interest to Jews with a 28-page pullout section, Pages 11-38.
OCTOBER 20, 2017 | 30 TISHREI 5778
TikkunATL Builds On Campaign
Happy Pride SOJOURN organized the participation of 54 synagogues and other Jewish agencies and groups in the 47th Atlanta Pride Festival, including the parade through Midtown to Piedmont Park on Sunday, Oct. 15. The SOJOURN banner led the way for the Jewish community, followed by hundreds of marchers and ending in a float featuring cutouts of people’s hands bearing messages of inclusion. For more, read the Editor’s Notebook on Page 8, and visit our photo gallery at atlantajewishtimes.com.
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INSIDE Candle Lighting �������������������������� 4 Israel News �����������������������������������6 Opinion �����������������������������������������8 Book Festival ������������������������������ 11 Local News ����������������������������������39 Obituaries �����������������������������������43 Marketplace ������������������������������ 44 Cartoon ����������������������������������������45 Crossword ���������������������������������� 46
Federation’s Super Sunday is upon us, but more super and less Sunday. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta has traditionally used one Sunday during the period when its community partners avoid competing in fundraising to hold a big phone-athon and give the annual Community Campaign a boost. Oct. 22 is that day for the 100-day 2018 campaign, which is nearing its halfway point. But in the midst of reimagining the entire organization and the community it serves, Federation is rolling out a new vision for Super Sunday. Instead of gathering hundreds of volunteers in one place for an all-day marathon of fundraising calls, Federation is spreading the calls over five days and multiple locations, with an added dash of tikkun olam (repairing the world). Your options for TikkunATL: • Sunday, Oct. 22, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead — Have brunch, make calls, and donate toiletries to two shelters, the Zaban Paradies Center and Rebecca’s Tent. • Monday, Oct. 23, all day, anywhere — Call your contacts on your own phone. • Tuesday, Oct. 24, 6:45 to 8 p.m. at Berman Commons — Make calls and make crafts with the residents. • Wednesday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Selig Center — Have lunch and tour the Breman Museum after calling. • Thursday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El — Make calls and work in Garden Isaiah, which grows food for the needy. You can register at jewishatlanta. org/tikkunatl. Contact Randy Gorod at 678-222-3723 or rgorod@jewishatlanta. org with any questions. ■
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OCTOBER 20 â–ª 2017
CALENDAR
4,000-Plus Expected At Kosher BBQ Festival The fifth Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival will draw kosher connoisseurs, barbecue enthusiasts, families out for fun and other members of the Atlanta Jewish community to Dunwoody’s Liane Levetan Park at Brook Run on Sunday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Presented by the Hebrew Order of David, the festival formerly known as the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Competition remains focused on the competition among at least 23 teams, who will send their best beans, beef ribs, chicken and brisket before a panel of Kansas City Barbeque Society judges. After prepping their meat Thursday night, Oct. 19, at Congregation B’nai Torah, the mix of serious chefs and backyard smokers will start barbecuing Saturday night on Weber kettle grills under the supervision of the Atlanta Kosher Commission. Sunday’s crowd of more than 4,000 people can look forward to being greeted by the scent of slow-cooked beef and chicken wafting from the grills along the driveway of the park at 4770 N. Peachtree Road. The temperature is expected to be in the low 70s, although the early forecast includes a chance of morning rain. The public can get bite-size samples of the competitors’ culinary creations for tickets that cost $1 apiece. Admission to the festival is free, although attendees are asked to bring nonperishable food donations for Jewish Family & Career Services’ Kosher Food Pantry. Donate two food items to get a free tasting ticket. The dining choices are not limited to what the competitors cook up. A Kosher Touch, For All Occasions and More, Griller’s Pride, Kosher Gourmet, Keith’s Corner BBQ, Cinnaholic and Revolution Gelato will be selling kosher food, and Peachtree Growlers will offer beer to wash it all down. “Since we’ve started at Brook Run Park, our festival has grown tremendously,” said Ian Platt, a festival co-
Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival
A long night of slow cooking leads to the moment of brisket truth.
director. “This year we have more food vendors, a larger Kids Zone and dozens of organizations taking part.” The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival is organizing the live music from Ian’s Friends Band, Nick and the Grooves, Big Daddy Whiskey, and No Solution. Besides their food, the teams are competing for trophies for their names and booth decorations, to be judged by a panel of celebrities including WSBTV sports director Zach Klein and comedian Jerry Farber. Under the auspices of the nonprofit HOD, the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival benefits community organizations in addition to supplying fun. This year’s beneficiaries are the Jewish Educational Loan Fund, I Care Atlanta, the JF&CS Kosher Food Pantry, Helping Feed Atlanta, Weinstein Hospice and the Cobb County police K9 unit. “Hebrew Order of David’s function is community service and to do things where the community as a whole benefits,” festival Executive Director Jody Pollack said. “The BBQ Festival really epitomizes what HOD stands for: bringing the community together for all groups — secular, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Chabad and nonJews. Everyone comes to enjoy the barbecue, and that’s our goal.” The festival (theatlantakosherbbq. com) is completely funded by sponsors and donations. ■
• Barbecue competition among 23 teams, with tastes available for $1. • Judges certified by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. • Vendors selling kosher meals and desserts. • A Peachtree Growler Co. beer garden. • Live entertainment sponsored by the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. • A Kids Zone packed with activities.
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
What You’ll Find
• Booths for dozens of organizations and retailers. • A kosher food drive for JF&CS.
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CALENDAR FRIDAY, OCT. 20
Reinventing life through art. Holocaust survivor Henry Friedman talks about his postwar experiences as a street artist in Italy at noon at the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St., Midtown, in the latest Lunchtime Culture program with the Breman Museum and the Center for Puppetry Arts. Free; www.thebreman.org/Events/1020-2017-Lunchtime-Culture. Taste of Atlanta. The food celebration kicks off with a party at 7:30 p.m. and continues Saturday and Sunday at Historic Fourth Ward Park, 680 Dallas St., Old Fourth Ward. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $75 for the grand tasting experience and $85 for the kickoff party; www.tasteofatlanta.com.
SUNDAY, OCT. 22
Social action. Temple Emanu-El, 1580 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs, holds a social action mini-conference with panel discussions on hunger and poverty, hate and anti-Semitism, and addiction and mental illness at 9:30 a.m. Free; bit.ly/2kDAWCx. JWV meeting. Former KGB operative Jack Barsky speaks at the monthly breakfast meeting of Jewish War Veterans Post 112 at 10 a.m. at Berman Commons, 2026 Womack Road, Dunwoody, with a special presentation of the post’s annual donation to the USO at the Atlanta airport. Admission (open to all) is $10; robertjmax@gmail.com, facebook. com/jwvpost112 or 770-403-4278. Teen initiative kickoff. The Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative kicks off its efforts with ninth- to 12th-graders by attending Atlanta United’s regular-season finale at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with pre-game activities at 1:30 p.m. and bus transportation provided from East Cobb, Dunwoody/Sandy Springs and intown. Free; atlantajewishteens. wufoo.com/forms/qhhs95518tomgo. Organ donation. Rabbi Josh Sturm
of Jewish transplant organization Renewal, speaks on “The Jewish Response to Organ Donation & Transplants” at 2 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, sponsored by Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Metulla Group and the Beth Shalom Sisterhood. Free; 914-602-8998. Genealogy. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Georgia watches a video about Jewish family research at 2 p.m. at the Breman Museum, 1440 Spring St., Midtown. Free for society members, included with museum admission for others; www.thebreman.org/ Events/10-22-2017-Jewish-Genealogical-Society-of-Georgia-Meeting.
TUESDAY, OCT. 24
Segregation talk. Law professor Richard Rothstein speaks about his book “The Color of Law,” which shows how local, state and federal laws and policies produced persistent segregation in American cities, at 7 p.m. at the Carter Presidential Library & Museum, 441 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta. Free; www. jimmycarterlibrary.gov/events.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25
Terrorism talk. GILEE Founding Director Robbie Friedmann speaks at 5 p.m. on “Incitement and Terrorism: Challenges and Responses” in the Paul and Beverly Radow Lecture at Kennesaw State’s Social Sciences Building, 402 Bartow Ave., Kennesaw. Free; mhhe@ kennesaw.edu or 470-578-2083.
THURSDAY, OCT. 26
Romantic music. Georgia State music history professor Marie Sumner Lott speaks about her book, “The Social Worlds of Nineteenth-Century Chamber Music,” to the Edgewise group at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Free for members, $5 for others; atlantajcc.org/knowledgewise or 678-812-4070. Current events. National Council for Jewish Women Atlanta, 6303 Roswell
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Remember When
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10 Years Ago Oct. 19, 2007 ■ Ruth Bader Ginsburg will deliver the 20th Leo and Berry Eizenstat Memorial Lecture at Ahavath Achim Synagogue on Oct. 21, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the first Supreme Court justice in the series’ history doesn’t rank among the top 10 speakers. After all, the 74-year-old follows two U.S. presidents, two Israeli presidents, two Israeli prime ministers, two secretaries of state and four Nobel laureates. ■ Brad and Terri Young of Dunwoody announce the
CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES
Noach Friday, Oct. 20, light candles at 6:39 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, Shabbat ends at 7:34 p.m. Lech Lecha Friday, Oct. 27, light candles at 6:31 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, Shabbat ends at 7:26 p.m.
Corrections & Clarifications
The synagogue where Evan Zisholtz dedicated a supersize tallis crafted by Barbara Ladin Fisher for Simchat Torah is Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, N.J. The location was wrong Oct. 13. Road, Sandy Springs, holds its monthly “Frankly Speaking With Sherry Frank” brown-bag discussion at noon. Free with beverages provided; ncjwatlanta. org or 404-834-9600. Catholic-Jewish relations. “Repairing the World: Understanding Our Shared Responsibility,” the annual program organized by American Jewish Committee and the Catholic Archdiocese, starts with a reception at 6 p.m. at The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St., Midtown. Free; global.ajc.org/secure/atlanta/3rdannual-catholic-jewish-program.
SUNDAY, OCT. 29
Mah-jongg. ORT Atlanta and Congregation Beth Shalom, 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, sponsor an American-rules tournament at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $36; RSVP by Oct. 20 to Carol Millman, 770-403-0443, or Helene Urbaitel, 770-399-5300. Infertility support. The Jewish Fertility Foundation, 60 Lenox Pointe, Buckhead, holds training for its Fertility Buddies peer support program at noon. Free; RSVP to www.jewishfertilityfoundation.org/fertilitybuddies. Music. Congregation Shearith Israel, 1180 University Drive, Morningside, hosts Tennessee Schmaltz, combining klezmer, bluegrass, jazz, classical and Appalachian folk music, at 2 p.m. Ad-
mission is $5; shearithisrael.com. Genes and cancer. A Northside Hospital genetics counselor speaks at 2 p.m. at the Cohen Home, 10485 Jones Bridge Road, Johns Creek, in a program cosponsored by Chabad of North Fulton. Free; RSVP to Kim Urbach at admin@ chabadnf.org or 770-410-9000.
MONDAY, OCT. 30
Golf tournament. The fourth annual golf tournament for Conexx: America Israel Business Connector honors Adrian Grant at 11:30 am. At the Standard Club, 6230 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek. Entry is $275 ($175 under age 35); www.conexx.org/events. Women’s trivia battle. The Cohen Home, 10485 Jones Bridge Road, Johns Creek, hosts a trivia battle at 6:30 p.m. among women from Chabad of North Fulton, Congregation Dor Tamid, Congregation Gesher L’Torah, Temple Kehillat Chaim, Temple Beth Tikvah and Temple Emanu-El. Free, but you must RSVP at www.cohenhome.org. AJC dinner. AJC Atlanta presents the National Human Relations Award to Cousins Properties Chairman and CEO Larry Gellerstedt III during a 7 p.m. dinner after cocktails at 6 p.m. at the Loews Atlanta Hotel, 1065 Peachtree St., Midtown. Tickets are $300; global. ajc.org/secure/atlanta/NHRA2017.
Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com. Find more events at atlantajewishtimes.com/events-calendar.
birth of a daughter, Anna Bethany, on June 22, 2007. 25 Years Ago Oct. 16, 1992 ■ Texas billionaire Ross Perot has lost the support of one leading Atlanta Jewish supporter but maintained the backing of another through his indecisive summer, in which he first announced that he wouldn’t run for president, then decided that he would. Ruth Rubin, who worked to get him on the Georgia ballot, has lost faith in Perot, but Larry Miller remains committed to a man he calls “the Picasso of politics.” ■ The bar mitzvah of Adam Merlin of Atlanta, son of Steve and Judy Merlin, took place Saturday, Oct. 10, at Shearith Israel Synagogue.
50 Years Ago Oct. 20, 1967 ■ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, has denounced black separatism and anti-Semitism and repudiated the anti-Israel position taken by the New Politics Convention in Chicago, where King was the opening speaker last month. King was responding to a letter from the presidents of the American Jewish Committee and nine other Jewish organizations. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Samuel P. Piassick of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Donna, to Cary M. Rosenthal, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Rosenthal of Miami Beach.
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ISRAEL NEWS
Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Best bar. Tel Aviv’s Imperial Craft cocktail bar won a spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars 2017 list, organized by William Reed Business Media, and earned the Best Bar in the Middle East & Africa Award, sponsored by Asahi. The Imperial, founded in 2013, won the Asahi award twice before and placed 17th on the top 50 list in 2015. This year it was No. 50. The World’s Best Bars list is based on the votes of more than 500 bartenders, writers, consultants and cocktail specialists. The judges said: “Should you be in Tel Aviv any time soon, be thankful for the team behind Imperial Craft Bar Shira, Dror Alterovich and Gilad Livnat are a large part of why the Israeli city boasts one of the world’s most exciting cocktail scenes right now.” Ex-soldiers volunteering in Mumbai. India is a popular destination for young Israelis traveling after their mandatory military service, but before dispersing for fun, 23 ex-soldiers recently renovated and taught at a school in Mumbai. The two-week mission was organized by the Heroes for Life non-
Photo by Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority
Israel Photo of the Week When Rome Ruled Jerusalem Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Tehillah Lieberman examines portions of a 1,700-year-old, 200-seat Roman theater uncovered during excavations in the Western Wall Tunnels near Wilson’s Arch. The digging also found eight stone courses of the Western Wall buried under 25 feet of dirt. The discoveries were announced at a news conference Monday, Oct. 16.
governmental organization. Judo gold. Judokas Ori Sasson (heavyweight), Sagi Muki (lightweight) and Betina Temelkova (half-lightweight) won first place in their respective weight classes at the Tashkent Judo Grand Prix from Oct. 6 to 8 in Uzbekistan. Israel was the only country to win
more than one gold medal. Sasson, 27, won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Characterizing TV success. Israeli TV series such as “In Treatment,” “Homeland” and “Fauda” succeed in the United States because of the characters, said Adam Berkowitz, co-head
More than 4,500 people attend the treaty signing between Israel and Jordan on Oct. 26, 1994.
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Today in Israeli History
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Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. Oct. 20, 1952: Dalia Itzik is born in Jerusalem to a family of Iraqi immigrants. In the 17th Knesset in 2006, she becomes the first woman to serve as the speaker of the Knesset. Oct. 21, 1949: Benjamin Netanyahu, the ninth and current prime minister of Israel, is born in Tel Aviv. Although he spends a good portion of his childhood in Philadelphia, Netanyahu returns to Israel in 1967 to fulfill his service in the Israel Defense Forces. Oct. 22, 1952: Eliahu Elath presents his diplomatic credentials to Queen Elizabeth II and becomes Israel’s first ambassador to the United Kingdom (officially called the ambassador to the Court of St. James’s). Oct. 23, 1868: An early Zionist supporter in England, Alfred Mond,
of the television department at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles and the president of the International TV Formats Conference held Sept. 12 to 14 in Tel Aviv. “In Israel there isn’t a lot of money to do expensive action or adventure shows, so instead there is a focus on characters, and it’s the compelling characters that draw you,” Berkowitz told ISRAEL21c. Among other deals, Berkowitz sold “Fauda,” about an undercover counterterrorism unit, to Netflix, which has shown the series since November in the original Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. New medical center. Jewish National Fund, with support from the Hemsley Trust, has built a medical facility in Halutza in southwest Israel. Halutza was established in 2005 by Israelis evacuated from Gaza. The desert city has grown into a vibrant community and has been recognized at JNF Atlanta’s Jack Hirsch Memorial Breakfast. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com, israel21c.org and other sources. who would later become the first Lord Melchett, as well as a major philanthropist, is born in England. Although his parents are Jewish, Mond is not raised as a Jew. He marries in the Anglican Church and raises his children as Christians. Oct. 24, 1915: Correspondence commences between Sherif of Mecca Husayn Ibn Ali and Sir Henry McMahon, the British high commissioner in Cairo, about Arab cooperation in the British war effort against the Ottoman Empire in return for British backing for the sherif’s restoration of the caliphate. Oct. 25, 1895: Levi Eshkol, Israel’s third prime minister, is born Levi Shkolnik into a Hasidic family near Kiev, Ukraine. Eshkol leads Israel through the victorious war in 1967. Oct. 26, 1994: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordanian King Hussein sign a peace treaty at the Wadi Arava border crossing between Eilat, Israel, and Aqaba, Jordan.
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ISRAEL NEWS
Facts Don’t Shake Fixed Views on Israel’s Birth 1949-Reasoned-Views-for-PalestinianArabs-dysfunctional-condition2.pdf). Supposing you hold the belief, as many do, that Israel came into being
Guest Column By Ken Stein
primarily because of what happened in Europe from 1939 to 1945. The Egyptian president’s special adviser Usamah al-Baz said in 2002, “Had not the Nazi crimes been commit-
ted against Jews during WWII, the Jewish state would never have come true.” Amira Hass wrote in Haaretz in 2001, “Had it not been for the Holocaust, the founding of a state for the Jewish people” wouldn’t have occurred. What if al-Baz and Hass were exposed to the same documentary source data as the Israeli educators were about the 30 years before 1948? Would they change their views about what happened to Palestine or the Palestinians? Would they acknowledge any accountability or responsibility for the demise of Palestinian Arab society? Scientific evidence and scholarship show that before the age of the
Internet, videos and infographics, the human condition did not want to let the facts get in the way of beliefs. Add to this fake news, apathy and daily promotion of parochial political outlooks. Unless we all take steps to remedy a distrust of history and evidence, the forecast for learning about Israel’s origins does not appear to be a good one. A prescription for those interested in sustaining Israel’s future lies in knowing and owning Israel’s story — not the one on the left or the right, but the story. ■ Ken Stein is the president of the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org).
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
In two books written 60 years apart, “When Prophecy Fails” (1957, Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken and Stanley Schachter) and “The Influential Mind” (2017, Tali Sharot, an Israeli neuroscientist), the conclusions are the same. A composite of their findings: Facts and evidence don’t matter if you believe something deeply enough. Show people facts and figures, and they will question your sources. Present undeniable and unequivocal evidence that goes against someone’s deeply held beliefs, and what will happen? Often, the smarter the person is, the greater his or her ability to rationalize discordant information will be. In other words, the person will question your facts and sources, emerging unshaken and even more convinced of the truth of his or her beliefs. How might this apply to the future of learning about Israel’s origins? Some years ago, I presented to a group of two dozen educators at a conference on Israel education. I offered evidence, facts and figures that pertained to the 30 years before Israel was established in 1948. The items, from census reports and various Arabic, Hebrew and English documents, provided overwhelming conclusions: The Jewish and Arab communities in Palestine were radically different in sociological makeup, financial solvency, political organization and concern for each other. The audience unfurled the meaning of the evidence before them; the gap on many socio-economic-political categories between the communities was huge. An organizational, demographic and physical outline for a Jewish state was rapidly evolving before Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. The Palestinian Arab political community was dysfunctional, and the rural economy was collapsing. Arab sources acknowledged those realities. However, those were not the conclusions that one leading teacher in Israel education made. According to him and others in the room, the evidence still made Israel primarily responsible for Palestinian social disintegration from 1947 to 1949. This teacher and others were not persuaded by conclusions written by well-known Palestinian Arab historians that suggested internal Palestinian social disintegration was self-inflicted (israeled.org/ wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1945-
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OPINION
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Our View
Adieu, UNESCO
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is not unique among U.N. agencies in having strayed far from its purpose to become a political playground — the U.N. Human Rights Council tops that list — but it deserves to be the testing ground for the Trump administration’s policy of pressing the United Nations for change. UNESCO’s oft-cited hostility toward Israel is only one reason. UNESCO is supposed to be a stalwart in the fight to preserve cultural heritage and spread education, science and free expression. But it has an ugly history of promoting an agenda opposing American values. President Ronald Reagan pulled the United States out of UNESCO in 1984 because of the Soviet dominance of its educational programs. It wasn’t until George W. Bush’s first administration that the United States rejoined in 2002. Under President Barack Obama, the United States stopped paying its UNESCO assessment (more than $70 million in 2016) because of a law passed under President Bill Clinton that bars funding to any U.N. agency that admits “Palestine” as a nation, something UNESCO did in 2011. That action occurred on the watch of the current UNESCO director-general, Irina Bokova, an alumna of the Bulgarian Communist Party who is reported to be a favorite of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s. She knew the consequences of admitting the Palestinians and did so anyway. UNESCO says the United States owes more than $550 million in unpaid assessments. Those arrears are the first reason the State Department offered its withdrawal announcement Thursday, Oct. 12. The second reason, the need for fundamental reform at UNESCO, could apply to most arms of the bureaucracy-laden United Nations. But the position of Bashar Assad’s Syria on the UNESCO human rights committee during its brutal civil war and the election of Sudan’s genocidal regime to the executive board in 2015 reflect how far the agency has wandered from its declared mission to help build peace, eradicate poverty and promote intercultural dialogue. It’s no surprise that an agency with Syria and Sudan in leadership positions would rather pass resolutions criticizing Israel than protect heritage sites, and UNESCO’s blatant anti-Israel bias is the third reason the United States cited for its withdrawal. From 2009 to 2014, UNESCO passed 46 anti-Israel resolutions, one critical of Syria and none against any other nation. Those resolutions don’t include the measures enacted last year that seek to sever any link between Jewish history and the land of Israel. While the United States had ample justification to exit UNESCO beyond Israel, the U.S. government deserves praise for standing up for an ally and remaining true to its principles — and those of UNESCO — by refusing to go along with the weaponization of an agency dedicated to peace and international cooperation. Crucially, the decision is not irrevocable. The United States has asked for observer status and could return to full membership, just as it did 15 years ago. We’re hopeful that Bokova’s newly elected successor, Audrey Azoulay, who is French and Jewish, will guide 8 the agency back toward its intended path. ■
Cartoon by Jos Collignon, CagleCartoons.com
Pride’s Respect, Love, Peace, Fun The Atlanta Pride Festival is in part about break- Dyke March. ing down prejudices, but working the Jewish comThat Chicago event in June, during which three munity’s booth Sunday, Oct. 15, in Piedmont Park women carrying a rainbow flag with a Jewish star in confirmed some things for me: the middle were kicked out, was the most publicized • SOJOURN has earned wide respect. of several examples in recent months of progressive The Southern Jewish Resource Network for Zionists being made to feel unwelcome at LGBTQ Gender and Sexual Diverrallies and marches that sity is, of course, the lead embraced the Palestinian agency in Jewish commucause in the name of internal participation in Pride, sectionality. Editor’s Notebook so its name and banner But Atlanta is not By Michael Jacobs were front and center at Chicago, and the Pride mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com the booth. Many people Parade, part of Atlanta’s walking by signaled their 47th annual Pride Festival, approval of SOJOURN’s is a mainstream, incluefforts, and several non-Jews stopped to praise the sive celebration of love much more than a place nonprofit’s work. At least one mentioned Executive for radical politics. The parade wasn’t particularly Director Rebecca Stapel-Wax by name. welcoming for President Donald Trump’s support• Visible, broad Jewish LGBTQ support is crucial. ers, but the presence of countless politicians running Throughout the pre-parade morning at the next month and next year showed that this wasn’t a booth, teens through seniors lighted up and said, revival of August’s Netroots Nation conference. “My people!” as they stopped by. Others who took I didn’t catch all the three-hour parade, but copies of the LGBT Guide to Jewish Atlanta said they what I saw didn’t include any anti-Israel signs, even were bringing them to newly out Jewish friends. among the Democratic Socialists of Atlanta. • You’re never too old to play with construction In my three hours at the booth, no one stopped paper. to criticize Israel. One woman wore a Code Pink In addition to offering the guides, “safe space” shirt, declaring her support for Palestinian rights, stickers, hold-the-date cards for Purim off Ponce on but she stopped at the booth, grabbed a copy of the March 3 (honoring Judy Marx and Billy Planer) and guide, nodded and walked on without a word. other information, the booth drew the attention of A more gregarious visitor who took a copy of passers-by with the chance to trace their hands and the guide said he’s Muslim, and Jews and Muslims write messages to decorate the space, just as parade need to spend more time together. participants were doing for the Jewish float. All that said, while rainbow Jewish stars were • The Front Porch needs continual publicity. plentiful Sunday, I didn’t notice any Pride flags with SOJOURN is hosting a listening forum at 7 p.m. a Jewish star in the center, the ones that supposedly Thursday, Oct. 26, for LGBTQ people to talk about made Palestinian activists feel unsafe in Chicago. their issues and interests as part of the Jewish Fed• We’re going to need a bigger banner. eration of Greater Atlanta’s reimagining process. It’s SOJOURN had the sponsorship of 54 Jewish one of 13 opportunities for Atlanta Jews to guide the organizations this year, including the AJT. There’s crucial work, which was news to booth visitors. always room for more LGBTQ allies, but not on the • Atlanta Pride is a world away from the Chicago existing 6-foot Pride booth banner. ■
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OCTOBER 20 â–ª 2017
OPINION
Which Comes First, Jewish or American?
d or w is the Bringing lots of swag to giveaway and planning to have fun MEATING YOU!
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
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Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival Sunday, October 22, 2017 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM BROOK RUN PARK • DUNWOODY
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The conversation at a Rosh Hashanah brunch turned to selfidentification, to issues of race, gender, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation and which of these held primacy for the individual. That prompted my return to a question I had considered asking around the Fourth of July: Do you think of yourself as an American Jew or as a Jewish-American? This is a touchy subject. Jews in this country are sensitive to accusations of dual loyalty, to suggestions of a greater allegiance to religion than nationality, based in part on whether “Jew” is the noun or adjective. I put the question to a couple of dozen Atlanta-area Jews on my email contact list. A woman who converted to Judaism more than 30 years ago said, “So how can I answer your question? By struggling with it — so Jewish, right! Yet identity politics can be dividing. I am an American, drawn to America’s founding principles and bound by her laws. I am a Jewess, drawn to a community that studies, celebrates and honors ethical action.” A rabbi avoided a Solomonic judgment. “I see both terms as identical, compatible because neither identity contradicts the other. I daven and pledge allegiance with equal passion and loyalty. Abraham and Moshe are my ancestors, as are Washington and Lincoln. Pesach and the Fourth of July are my holidays. Apple pie and cholent are my diet. To be Jewish and American demands no abdication of the other. Those who believe in either one or the other do not understand the majesty of both.” Recent events affected this response: “I identify as an American Jew. Prior to the election cycle, I identified as a Jewish-American. With what I perceive as an increase in hatred in general and anti-Semitism specifically, I have changed how I self-identify. I went from feeling fully acclimated into the larger society in which I live to feeling separate in my Jewishness, suddenly part of those minorities hated for nothing but their skin color or religion. … “As Jews, we blend in physically, and anti-Semitism was something I
never considered a problem. I now am Jewish first.” “My initial response is that basically I dislike the question,” another reply said. “Why? Because it implies a difference where I do not find one in my
From Where I Sit By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com
own self-identity. My answer would depend on the context of the question. If the conversation deals with the mosaic of American culture, I am a Jewish-American. If it has to do with world Jewry or identity within Israel, I am an American Jew. “My nationality as an American and my ethnicity as a Jew are two different aspects of my being, each vitally and equally important to me. Fortunately neither forces me to deny or reduce the other.” A college student answered this way: “I grew up in a time where events like the Holocaust felt historical. In light of recent political changes, though, those events don’t feel so long ago. But in this journey, there is always hope, always faith, always pride. There are few things I am more proud of in my life than being Jewish.” The issue was addressed in a New York Times Sunday Magazine article about novelists who are American and Jewish setting their stories in Israel. “Jews in America are always being called upon to declare their loyalties — which of our identifiers do we put before the hyphen, and which do we put after: ‘Jewish’ or ‘American’? This recurrent query — which Jews in America ask themselves with all the breeziness of an online test, and anti-Semites in America ask with all the gravity of an Ellis Island examination — is inevitable but pointless. Jews are more secure in contemporary America than they have been in any other country in Jewish history. This is because America is a country in which the citizens define the ideologies, not the other way around,” said Joshua Cohen, author of “Moving Kings.” So, if given that choice, do you identify as a Jewish-American or an American Jew? ■
Book Festival 2017
A 28-page pullout to guide you through the 26th Book Festival of the Marcus JCC from Nov. 4 to 20
OCTOBER 20 â–ª 2017
r o f d a e R od o G A 6 2 e m u l o V
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Justice to Open Festival By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com Jews compose about 2 percent of America’s population but make up one-third of the Supreme Court of the United States. Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, one of three Jews on the nine-member court, will open the 26th edition of the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 4. Breyer will speak at 8:15 p.m. in a conversation with Gail Evans, a bestselling author and former executive vice president of CNN. The discussion will center on Breyer’s most recent book, “The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities,” which was published two years ago. Breyer’s view that the U.S. Constitution, which dates to 1789, is a living document, subject to interpretation as the country changes over the years, is opposed by originalists, who hold that the Constitution must be interpreted as the Framers intended it. In “The Court and the World,” Breyer makes the case that, as the
Photo by Steve Petteway
Justice Stephen Breyer argues that the U.S. judiciary must pay more attention to foreign court rulings.
world becomes increasingly interconnected, the high court’s work will require an understanding of jurisprudence beyond the nation’s borders. President Bill Clinton’s nomination of Breyer to the high court in 1994 (and his subsequent confirmation by the U.S. Senate) elevated the Harvard Law School-educated jurist from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, where he had served since his 1980 appointment by President Jimmy Carter. The 79-year-old Breyer is the fourth-longest serving of the current justices. The other two Jewish justices are Ruth Bader Ginsburg, nominated by Clinton in 1993, and Elana Kagan, nom-
inated by President Barack Obama in 2010. Eight Jews have served on the Supreme Court, the first being Louis D. Brandeis, nominated in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. Breyer was raised in a middle-class Jewish family in San Francisco. His father, Irving Gerald Breyer, was a lawyer and legal counsel for the San Francisco Board of Education, and his mother, Ann Roberts Breyer, was an active volunteer for the Democratic Party and the League of Women Voters. Breyer became a bar mitzvah at Congregation Emanu-El (Reform) in San Francisco, which was founded in 1850 as a synagogue for those who followed the worship practices of German Jews. When Emanu-El Rabbi Alvin I. Fine celebrated his 80th birthday in 1996, Breyer sent a letter that read, “How I wish I could be with you on this happy day. You left upon my life an indelible mark.” Breyer’s academic career took him from Stanford University to graduate studies at Oxford University and then to Harvard, where he edited the Har-
vard Law Review and graduated with honors. After law school, Breyer clerked for Justice Arthur Goldberg, another of the eight Jews to have served on the high court. Breyer has been married since 1967 to Joanna Hare, the daughter of a British lord. They have three children. They were married in an Anglican ceremony in England, in which references to Jesus Christ were edited out because of Breyer’s Jewish faith. Speaking in November 2014 to the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly, meeting in Washington, Breyer said of the Torah’s emphasis on justice (tzedek), “There is a message, and the message has something to do with tzedek, and it has something to do with tzedakah, and it has something to do with social justice, and the law should work out so there is not too much injustice in the way in which it does work out.” ■ The Court and the World By Stephen Breyer Knopf, 400 pages, $27.95
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BOOK FESTIVAL
‘Bridesmaid’ Revisited: More Walks Down the Aisle Jen Glantz’s self-revealing, comedic memoir, “Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire),” is more than just wedding cake sweets and drivel. She is a breath of fresh air, albeit unorthodox, in her approach to becoming an entrepreneur and companion for young adult women feeling their way in a complex world. Jen moves to New York from Boca Raton to pursue her dream of writing. In addition to “misshaped” Sunday brunches on JDate, what she got were phone calls that began with “I’d be honored if you would be my bridesmaid.” With too many assets invested in frilly dresses, Jen placed an ad on Craigslist offering her services as a professional bridesmaid, and the ad went viral. Her lifetime of adventure expanded into a consultancy business and ultimately a way to help others. “The book is about finding one’s self,” said Glantz, who’s appearing at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 14 in a special program at the Woodruff Arts
Center. “It’s about my awkward, weird career, being lost, questioning and laughing along the way.” Jaffe: So you literally go to different cities and appear in a stranger’s wedding? Glantz: Yes, but it’s much more than that. I get to know the bride prior to the event and serve as a guidepost and stress reliever at the event. … Much more than me walking down the aisle, though I do that too. Jaffe: Can you really make a living doing this (fees are in the range of $1,000 to $2,000) and maintain a residence in New York City? Glantz: I have different jobs. In this modern world, like many, I multitask. I teach classes, write for websites, have a blog. I have written for or appeared on the “Today” Show, Glamour, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and Huffington Post. My blog (What I’ve Learned Since 2010) is about careers, getting laid off, moving to NYC, getting stronger, making mistakes. … With thousands of articles, I formed a platform which enabled me to approach
publishers about doing a book. Jaffe: Was it easy to get the backing of a publisher? Glantz: Actually, yes. I had several from which to choose. This is my second book. The first was “All My Friends Are Engaged,” and I’m working on a third. My audience is 20- and 30-yearolds. Everyone is either going to a wedding or annoyed by weddings. I do my own writing. That’s my profession. Jaffe: How do you help others? Glantz: I have 20,000 applications of people wanting to work for me. I want to share how to get started and create your own businesses. I get most excited about benefiting others. Note that we are not a model service. I do not take requests to send a bridesmaid by hair color or height. This is about support. Jaffe: Are Jewish weddings more stressful than others? Glantz: Hmmm, sometimes it’s about traditions and those complexities, or pressure from parents to make them do things a certain way.
Jaffe: Do you have any advice for us Jewish mothers, as you talk about yours in the book? Glantz: We know you are right. It’s hard to admit it sometimes. We know you are coming from the right place. Just walk us through it. We may make mistakes, but it should all gel in the right place eventually. Jaffe: Have you found your Prince Charming after so many bad dates that you describe in the book? Glantz: Yes, I have been dating the same man for two years. There’s a great story there. … I promised myself I would go on 14 blind dates (from JDate and apps), and it was a flop. But the 15th date worked like a charm. ■ Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) By Jen Glantz Atria Books, 320 pages, $24
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Sharing the Gifts of ‘Different Wiring’ By Michele Alperin Symptom clusters in people who struggle with mental health issues or learning differences can also be a source of strength — or even genius — psychiatrist Gail Saltz details in her new book, “The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder and Genius.” Saltz will discuss the book Nov. 5 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center. In her book, Saltz — a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell Medical College and a psychoanalyst with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute — focuses on symptoms rather than diagnostic labels that stigmatize difference. A diagnosis, she said in an interview, “can be really traumatic because you have a whole set of beliefs that go along with it.” Labels are “devoid of the full picture of what it means to have different wiring.” Achieving a more realistic and complete picture of a mental health issue or learning disability, she said, requires an exploration of the strengths that can grow out of the same neurological differences that cause symptoms such as distractibility, anxiety, melancholy and divergent thinking. In her chapter on distractibility, which is central to an attention deficit
Dylan Dickson — the 9-year-old author of “Why Can’t I Read?” — meets her hero, fellow author and fellow person with dyslexia, Henry Winkler, at the Decatur Book Festival, where he was signing copies of one of his “Hank” series of books. Dylan, who wore a Winkler mask to the event, will join Gail Saltz at her appearance at the Book Festival of the Marcus JCC on Nov. 5.
disorder diagnosis, Saltz describes how it can be a source of creativity. “An exciting amount of research,” she writes, “now suggests that uncontrolled wavering of attention (and the lapses into freethinking that occur simultaneously) is also the key to the exceptional originality and creativity exhibited by many of those with ADD.” People with autism spectrum disorders, Saltz said, have difficulty with social relations but often are skilled in classifying objects, recognizing patterns, identifying the rules that govern a system, paying greater attention to detail and finding comfort in repetition. These strengths can make a person stand out in areas such as computer science and mathematics. “People that have great social skills may not be able to digest and excel in areas like computer science because they are so bored by the repetition, and are not attuned to tiny detail, to the ability to understand pattern and systematize at that high level,” Saltz said.
The idea for this book grew out of her experiences with people in her practice who “do have a mental health diagnosis but in many ways have exhibited and played to the strengths they have and have been successful.” She noticed the same thing in two series she hosts at the 92nd Street Y, one interviewing celebrities, the other exploring historical icons. “Almost every iconic figure also struggled either with a mental health issue or learning disability and repetitively had specific strengths connected to their illness or disability,” she wrote in a blog on the book’s development. For “The Power of Different,” Saltz interviewed successful adults and high school students to learn about “their symptoms, their trajectory, what they might identify as a strength, what the experience has been like and their general thought processes.” Saltz graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1988. After a residency in internal
medicine at Cornell-Weill, she changed course. “I found that for me, it was people’s minds that interested me the most,” she said, “and ultimately it was the way people think and how that affects their overall well-being.” Saltz started speaking at public venues when her hospital asked her to answer media calls. “I really felt like it was a way to reach much bigger numbers of people with really important mental health information that they otherwise wouldn’t get.” Her research and the neuroscience she has explored confirm her observation that an unusual number of geniuses have a mental health diagnosis. “It made it much clearer to me that evolutionarily, all these things have hung on,” she said. “If they were only to the detriment, that would be far less likely.” Educators, Saltz said, need to change course. “Rather than telling all students what their strengths should be and having them jump through the same hoops, we need to take in this information and help children who are struggling to spend a good amount of time uncovering what their strength is and working on that.” ■ The Power of Different By Gail Saltz Flatiron Books, 256 pages, $25.99
The Most Interesting Memoir in the World By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
At first glance, a memoir about Jonathan Goldsmith, the actor most famous for his role as a Dos Equis pitchman, would seem unnecessary. Aside from his breakout role as the most interesting man in the world, which he didn’t land until he was 69, Goldsmith had few leading roles. So any real-life memoir would surely fall short of the imagined life of the most interesting man. But Goldsmith’s doesn’t. His charming memoir, which is a collection of episodic stories about his life, begins with Goldsmith’s childhood in the Bronx, runs through his lengthy career as a struggling Hollywood actor and concludes with the story of how he landed his most famous role. In the book, Goldsmith recalls countless interesting tales, including 14 competing with Dustin Hoffman for
roles in New York, rescuing a man from a frozen mountain in the Sierra Madre and secretly bedding Ginger (Tina Louise) from “Gilligan’s Island” multiple times during his first marriage. On the topic of Goldsmith’s sexual conquests, there are many. He claims to have slept with two congressmen’s wives, six vegetarians, nine Buddhists, 18 nurses, 16 teachers, 11 subs, countless receptionists and one Miss Florida runnerup, as well as many movie extras and one Academy Award winner. Goldsmith writes that some of the women he pursued were married, and sometimes one woman would refer him to another. After so many years, he says, many are still friends. In his acting career, Goldsmith appeared in hundreds of films and television shows, usually as an antagonist on shows such as “MacGyver,” “Knight Rider,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Charlie’s Angels.” He was killed on screen by John Wayne in “The Shootist,” the
Duke’s final role. When he wasn’t acting in his early Hollywood days, he was driving a garbage truck. That’s partly why the memoir is so appealing. Despite his many accomplishments, Goldsmith remains humble while imparting life lessons. Of Jewish moments, there are a few. Goldsmith refers to himself as a Jewish atheist toward the start of the book and tells a story of escaping from a boys boarding school with the only other Jewish student because they were afraid of a young neo-Nazi named Fritz. Later, while struggling for money as a young actor in Hollywood, Goldsmith is tempted to steal a large diamond ring from an older woman who is interested in him, but he talks himself out of it by remembering that his great-grandfather founded a yeshiva. By the time the book reaches the story of how he landed his most interesting role, Goldsmith satisfies readers with a hilarious casting tale.
In his late 60s and sleeping in the back of his pickup truck after falling on hard times, he lands an audition for a beer company looking for a young, Latino type. Out of around 500 actors, he secures the role by doing his best impression of close friend and fellow actor Fernando Lamas. The full story isn’t appropriate for the pages of a family newspaper, but you can read it and more in the pages of Goldsmith’s book. He is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Rich Theatre as part of the book festival of the Marcus JCC. I don’t always read memoirs about the man who played the most interesting man in the world, but when I do, they are well worth the read. ■ Stay Interesting By Jonathan Goldsmith with Geoffrey Gray Dutton, 303 pages, $27
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OCTOBER 20 â–ª 2017
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Holocaust Lens Provides Refugee Focus By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com The fate of over 900 passengers was sealed when the MS St. Louis steamed from Europe toward Cuba with refugees escaping Hitler just before World War II. The passengers included Henry Gallant and his parents, who sold their business and personal possessions to purchase tickets for their journey, only for the ship to be turned away by Cuba, then the United States, and forced to return to Europe. The story of Henry Gallant, the St. Louis and what happened after the voyage is told in “No Reply: A Jewish Child Aboard the MS St. Louis and the Ordeal That Followed.” Author Pamela Sampson and Gallant will discuss the book at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 13. Sampson spoke to the AJT about what inspired her to write “No Reply” and what readers can take away. AJT: What led you to uncover Henry Gallant’s story? Sampson: I was attending a Bearing Witness program at the Breman Museum, and Henry Gallant was one of the speakers. I listened to his lecture and was so struck by the story, Henry himself, his eloquence and how he was able to convey his story. Although I had already heard about the St. Louis, as we all hear about the saga growing up, listening to his story unveiled many
new details, the intricacies of what happened and how he managed to survive. After Henry completed his talk, I approached him and asked, “Have you ever written your memoirs?” and thought if he had, I would love to read the book. However, in the back of my mind I was also thinking if he hasn’t, I would love to do it for him as his story is just so interesting. AJT: Why compose a book on the Holocaust? Sampson: When I was in school and a teenager, my teacher said we were going to watch a movie on the Holocaust, and although I knew about the subject, I was shocked by what I saw. It affected me deeply. I was about 16 at the time, and I have never stopped thinking about the Holocaust and what it did to our people and what it meant for others. I think the story is just as important for non-Jews as it is for Jews. I’ve always had an intense interest in the Holocaust but never thought about writing something until very recently. I thought, “It’s getting very late in the game, and Holocaust survivors are dying. However, if I want to make a contribution with the skills that I have, I need to do it now.” AJT: How long did it take you to compose the book? Sampson: Henry and I met once a week, and I would go to his house, where he would bring out documents and start to talk. It was fascinating.
Our interviews went on for about a year and a half, and the truth is the writing was the hardest part because even though Henry had his wits about him and was very clear at his late age, there was a lot he didn’t know because he and his mother didn’t talk about it much. So a lot of the story died with his mother, and the difficult part was filling in the blanks to create a book that flowed from beginning to end. AJT: What was something new you learned? Sampson: I learned that America’s response to the Holocaust is probably best described as too little, too late. However, after conducting further research, I also discovered what the political forces were at the time. The United States was very reluctant to enter the war, and Congress did not support entry. Similarly, President Roosevelt was unsure whether to intervene because he did not want to appear he was going out of his way to help Jews, as that in and of itself would not do much for his idea behind entering the war. There was anti-Semitism and a lot of anti-immigration, and I think what I learned from writing this book is that the deck was stacked against the Jews. I also learned that, unfortunately, the French have quite a mixed record when it comes to the Second World War, which I think they have only recently come to acknowledge. AJT: What is the title’s signifi-
Former foreign correspondent Pamela Sampson will speak about her first book, “No Reply,” with Henry Gallant on Nov. 13 at the Book Festival of the Marcus JCC.
cance? Sampson: The title was one of the hardest things I had to come up with, but I wanted one that would speak to at least one of the major themes of the book, which is when someone is asking you for help to not reply, especially when the person asking is so helpless. The help that the U.S. government could have given to the passengers on the MS St. Louis was so minuscule, allowing 900 people to come in, and something I find worth examining and re-examining in future generations. AJT: What would you like readers to take away from the story? Sampson: When a foreigner asks us for help, let’s listen. We can’t let everyone in and fit them all in the United States, but we must think about the cost of rejecting them because there is a cost to the U.S. for shutting its doors. We want to set an example for humanity and other democracies. I hope that readers learn about this episode and decide what we want to be as a country. Do we want to offer no reply or continue to make the Statue of Liberty relevant? ■
A Survivor’s Odyssey By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljeishtimes.com
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
More than 900 passengers, mostly Jewish refugees escaping Hitler, boarded the MS St. Louis ocean liner May 13, 1939, bound for Cuba. Among the travelers was 10-year-old Henry Gallant, born Heinz Goldstein in Berlin, who recounts his story in Pamela Sampson’s first publication, “No Reply: A Jewish Child Aboard the MS St. Louis and the Ordeal That Followed.” Passengers aboard the St. Louis rejoiced as they began their voyage toward Cuba, but they were prohibited from disembarking at the island because of worthless visas sold to them. In a final attempt to go ashore, the passengers sought U.S. asylum with the help of humanitarian organiza16 tions such as the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. They never received a reply, however, because President Franklin Roosevelt was wary of anti-Semitic and anti-immigration attitudes in America. The St. Louis had to return to Europe with the passengers on board. German refugees on the St. Louis asked to relocate to countries outside Hitler’s control, which then included France. Henry’s parents, Herman and Rita Goldstein, took the family to Paris and ran a small business, but the Nazis marched in the next year. Herman Goldstein was interned and eventually sent to Auschwitz. Henry and his mother tried to escape Nazi attention, and Henry wound up in a children’s home outside Paris. An only child, Henry describes his time at the home as miserable. He of-
ten spent his time at the theater or as a tour guide to German soldiers to raise pocket money. Henry and Rita fled to southern France, and, unable to cope with the thought of being captured, Rita obtained fake documents and escaped to neutral Switzerland with Henry in 1942. In Switzerland, Henry learned cooking and hospitality skills at the Ecole d’humanite, then immigrated to the United States in 1947. Although he faced anti-Semitism in the United States, Henry put those Swiss-taught skills to use at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. He worked his way up until he became the maître d’hôtel at the Empire Room, a nightclub at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. After the nightclub closed, Henry
and his wife moved to Atlanta, where they used their experience in hospitality to establish a kosher catering company. Sampson’s book is a story of will and survival. She also highlights the political situation in America during the ’30s and ’40s and the ongoing issue of immigration, which for Sampson serves as a reminder of what can happen when a country shuts its doors to refugees. ■ No Reply By Henry Gallant as told to Pamela Sampson Pamela Sampson, 118 pages, $8.95
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OCTOBER 20 â–ª 2017
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BOOK FESTIVAL
From Money to Life, Rossen Rescues All By Lou Ladinsky The very first thing I did after finishing “Rossen to the Rescue” was to check exactly where the fire extinguisher was in my kitchen. I am proud to say I knew where it was, right behind the cabinet door where the pots and pans are stored. I can also proudly say I know where the defibrillator is at my place of work. It is right next to the elevator on the second floor where I exit the building every day. Jeff Rossen, who heads an NBC News investigative team that produces reports for “Today,” “Dateline” and other shows, has written a book that not only is protecting consumers from ripoffs and scams, but also is keeping us safe and sound. Better yet, he is looking to keep us alive by providing useful advice for catastrophic situations, such
as a tornado, a train crash, a home invasion or even a stranding in the ocean. Granted, I probably will not encounter every scenario Rossen covers, especially how to walk through fire — that is not on my bucket list. I thought I knew much of what he writes about. After all, a lot is common sense, or at least we think it is. It never hurts to reiterate some of this common sense, then introduce tips and tricks. I found several of the topics discussed in the book enlightening and will put them into practice in my life. Like Jeff, I tend to be on the frugal side, carefully watching the money I spend. My wife, like Jeff’s wife, is the spender in the family, and I can relate to the part of the book where he comes home to new Amazon boxes every day. Thankfully, my wife is a great negotiator and always finds values — at least, that is what she tells me.
His exposé on the SPF in sunscreen is interesting. Human nature tells us that the higher the number of the SPF, the better protection it will offer by the pool or on the beach. Wrong: People are wasting precious dollars on SPFs higher than 50, which cost more but yield little gain in protection. I will put that advice back into my wallet. As an investigative journalist, Rossen can provide empirical evidence for all the consumer advice and survival tips he writes about, many of which he has experienced, such as surviving an earthquake. He and his staff put themselves in harm’s way to prove many of his points, from confronting scam artists and dishonest employees trying to rip us off to having themselves buried alive, experiencing a raging flood or parasailing with less-than-safe equipment.
You may find some of the topics downright frightening, such as dealing with bed bugs and wondering whether the hotel maids are actually changing the sheets you sleep on and the towels you dry yourself with. What if the underwear you buy has been used or the doctor you see is drunk? You get the point. I have only scratched the surface of the examples provided by Rossen. Much of the book is written with a great sense of humor, making it a joy to read. We are never too old to learn new ways to deal with life situations, especially when they could save you money or even save your life. ■ Rossen to the Rescue By Jeff Rossen Flatiron Books, 256 pages, $24.99
The Secrets and Sacrifices Testing the Limits Many Women Share Of Ethical Science By Marita Anderson
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
“The Weight of Ink” is a work of historical fiction by Rachel Kadish who braids multiple story lines, melding each narrative into a common theme of exile, love and desire for knowledge. To read this book is to lose yourself in the changing landscape and geography of the Jewish community, skipping through time over several centuries and various continents. Kadish, who is appearing Nov. 16 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, unravels the lives of two female characters whose lives are separated by more than 300 years. What these women have in common is an unwavering passion for scholarship. Esther, living in the 17th century, asks: Must a woman’s mind wither in the prison of her body? Helen, in contemporary times, asks: How much must a woman sacrifice to reconcile the heart and mind? The two characters live out the answers by facing the challenges of the particular times they are born into. The narratives are woven together through letters written by Esther and buried in a geniza (storage area) in London, to be found by Helen in the year 2000. In a midrashlike commentary, Kadish fills her readers in on the history, philosophy and geography around 18 the actual words of the documents.
The letters discovered in the geniza are treated as precious heirlooms awaiting discovery, as if Esther, forced to stifle her mind by the circumstance of her time, finally found an air hole through which to breathe. The exchange of email correspondence between contemporary characters seems so inconsequential in comparison with the weight of “gall ink” used in the 17th century, making letter writing both expensive and precious. One cannot help but wonder what kind of narrative we are leaving to the scholars of the 24th century, for example. What will they deem important or precious from our abundance of words electronically exchanged and indexed? “The Weight of Ink” is a fantastic book-club book, as it offers so much material for every kind of reader. How much of her desire must a woman sacrifice to have her voice heard and her mind taken seriously? Do we have the will to live beyond our traumas and retain our passions? And what does it take for a woman to persist growing when everything around her tells her to make herself smaller and shut up? ■ The Weight of Ink By Rachel Kadish Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 576 pages, $28
By Sierra Weiss A baby reaches for a multicolored DNA mobile on the cover of “The Gene Machine” by Bonnie Rochman — complementary imagery to the complicated discussion presented inside about the effects of genetic screening on parents, decisions and children. Providing a comprehensive look at the history and debate surrounding genetic technologies, Rochman highlights a diverse array of personal narratives from families and doctors who have received or given the results of genetic testing. Rochman, who is speaking Nov. 6 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, recognizes the dark history with which genetic screening sometimes is associated. She points to eugenics as a difficult measure to which genetic testing is compared. She grapples with the “slippery slope” argument that often arises in discussions of genetic screening and ponders where the line should be drawn. Further, Rochman acknowledges the relevance and progress of the disability rights movement. She offers cases in which contradictory information has been offered about the love for a child with disabilities vs. the desire to have aborted that child had the parents been warned about the disabilities. At the heart of this issue, abortion,
while given a whole chapter, perhaps does not receive the philosophical attention it deserves. Abortion remains one of the prevailing issues underlying debates about genetic screening. Down syndrome, the primary example of a genetic abnormality that can be screened for and avoided, is misleadingly compared to much more severe and life-threatening genetic abnormalities discussed in other areas of the book. While many believe that terminating a pregnancy is better than bringing to term certain pregnancies resulting in painful and short lives, this issue is much more highly debated than Rochman writes about. She concludes that parents are just hoping to have healthy children, no matter how drastically technologies to determine health change. Where we draw the line of what is normal and what is abnormal, what we can choose for and what we should not, and many other debates are still up in the air. Overall, “The Gene Machine” is an important read for prospective parents and anyone interested in ethical dilemmas and discourse. ■ The Gene Machine By Bonnie Rochman Scientific America/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 288 pages, $26
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OCTOBER 20 â–ª 2017
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Maziar Selling Guide ‘Black Boychik’ Battles To Happiness, Fulfillment Addiction With Comedy
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
By Leah R. Harrison lharrison@atljewishtimes.com In the best possible sense of the word, Harry Maziar is the consummate salesman. Not only is he charming and charismatic, but he is also kind, funny, interested, interesting and engaging. He treats others as he believes you should and as he would like to be treated himself. In the form of a compliment, he made note of my timeliness for our interview. I suspected he would. A native Atlantan, Maziar has been making sales, acquaintances and friends for over 60 years, and, although completely responsible for his own success, he considers himself lucky, and he lives his life with gratitude. That is one of the reasons he plans to contribute all proceeds from his new book, “Story Selling,” to charity. He regards it as a form of recompense because he has “benefited from so many people over the years.” For the book, he culled a lifetime of experiences and stories, pulling largely from the weekly sales letter he wrote during his long tenure with ZEP Manufacturing. (ZEP stands for Zaban, Eplan and Powell, the founders of the company.) He started as a city salesman and rose to president, leading the company for 27 years. Each letter, distributed to his sales force of over 2,000 people worldwide, typically had a story or sales subject, a “Whisperings in ZEPland” section, and a box at the end containing “Harry’s Hint,” a life lesson, “pithy statement or axiom.” In “Story Selling,” Maziar stresses the importance of relating to people through stories, which he says are more effective and tend to be remembered far better than basic facts and figures. About one-third of the stories in the book are “pure Harry stories,” one-third he does his best to accurately attribute to others, and the other third, “who the hell knows?” He said he “went through reams of information” and chose 50 of his favorite items for the book, some with a specific sales focus and some containing general, useful, resonant truisms. “It’s really about life’s lessons and being the best you can be,” Maziar said. Although he compiled the book in about six months, Maziar said it took him over 60 years to write. At the frequent urging of friends and former 20 employees, he “finally got around to it.”
Maziar sent an advance copy to a friend in Israel, Ahavath Achim Synagogue Rabbi Emeritus Arnold Goodman, an author himself, who replied, Harry Maziar jokes “Shalom, Harry. that it has taken him 60 years to It’s an amazing write his book. book! Easy to read. Chock-full of lessons for life. More than a manual for would-be successful salespeople, it’s a guide for anyone whose goal is to serve the public. This would include clergy, lawyers, doctors, accountants and maybe even Indian chiefs. As I read on, I marveled how pertinent your stories, hints and observations are to a pulpit rabbi. Rabbis in their wisdom teach that a mitzvah that can be performed today should never be delayed until tomorrow. You captured this very succinctly: The best time to plan for your future is between yesterday and tomorrow. The book is full of wisdom that succinctly captures many of our traditions. Lessons for life.” In what promises to be a delightful evening, Maziar will present his book at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center in conversation with center CEO Jared Powers on Nov. 7. At the publisher’s estimate of 76 minutes of read time, “Story Selling” is a gift you can give to yourself. It is definitely one I will give to others. “Is it going to change the world? No,” Maziar said. “Is it better than ‘War and Peace’? Oh, it’s better than ‘War and Peace.’ ” ■
By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com A musical child prodigy, Steve Pickman was born to an Orthodox Jewish woman and a black man in 1961. Adopted by a white Jewish couple from Long Island, Sarge (his professional stage name) saw his way through the ups and downs of exciting jobs in sports and the high fashion industry with his gift of gab — all while using drugs and alcohol. After hitting rock bottom, Pickman got sober and rose through the competitive stand-up comedy business. Today he is a husband, father and mentor to thousands. I read his book, “Black Boychik,” in two days. He is real. He is hilarious. And he’s coming to the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 12. Jaffe: I expected you to be all giggles and am jarred by how intense you are. Sarge: I am constantly in the mode to help others and still deal with my own addiction. I am funny when it’s time to be … like at night. I am not on all the time. I have a calling to be useful. I am a confluence of professional substance abuse clinician and comedian. My view of life is to use humor. Jaffe: What can you uniquely share about overcoming addiction? Sarge: It’s like overcoming cancer in many ways. Addiction tendency is in some people’s DNA. It is not cultural. It strikes all economic strata. I use mentorship and peer counseling to be most effective. My unique approach is using humor to gain trust. I go into prisons, make documentaries, read, consult with doctors and mental health commissions, speak at events as a keynoter. I am feverishly in the business of helping those with substance abuse. Jaffe: How do you approach working with today’s youth?
Photo by Yissachar Ruas
Sarge (Steve Pickman) says about 70 percent of his work is Jewish-related.
Sarge: Very tough, entitled generation. They have no fear or respect for authority figures. They have an F-you attitude toward a cop, a judge, a policeman. They are riddled with anxiety, addiction towards technology and cellphones. I have to use a newer approach, that’s for sure. It’s healthy to have authority figures. Jaffe: You went to Emory University in Atlanta. How did that work out? Sarge: I had never been to a cold climate but was struck with Atlanta’s beauty. I had also been only exposed previously to an all-boys prep school environment. Looking through my experienced adult lens now, Emory was where I began drinking. It helped me with my social fear. I was thinking about being an artist or performer when everyone else was pre-law, premed. There were a lot of suicides, pressure, tests and the Olympic bombing. Jaffe: How do you practice Judaism now? Sarge: I am spiritual and cultural. I appear for Hadassah, many Jewish Federations, Chabad recovery centers, philanthropic appearances like bond dinners and galas. About 70 percent of what I do is Jewish-related. I just came from a seven-city whirlwind tour of Israel. ■ Black Boychik By Sarge Zanboban Publishing, 236 pages, $19.99
Laughing With Sarge Here’s a sample of the humor you can expect when Sarge (Steve Pickman) appears at the Book Festival of the Marcus JCC: • “The Jewish part of me doesn’t work on Shabbos, and the black part tries not to work the other six days.” Story Selling By Harry Maziar
• “I went to visit my Jewish parents the other day. I do this whenever my self-esteem is too high.”
Morgan James Publishing, 182 pages, $14.95
• “I’m black and Jewish. I hire myself to clean my own house. … I’m a criminal and my own defense attorney.”
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Gift of Music Keeps on Giving to UGA Alum By Kevin C. Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com Prolific composer Steve Dorff will appear at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 6 to discuss his autobiography, “I Wrote That One Too … A Life in Songwriting From Willie to Whitney.” Dorff spoke to the AJT from his home in Los Angeles. AJT: Your musical career began in Atlanta. Tell us about that. Dorff: I went to the University of Georgia and spent my last two years there cutting classes, writing songs for my first publisher in Atlanta, Bill Lowery. It was a great experience, and when I graduated, I ended up spending four years in Atlanta. I grew up in New York, dabbling in music there, but Atlanta was really the first professional melting pot for me. AJT: You had no formal training as such. Dorff: None. It’s pretty crazy. I knew I had this gift, or whatever you
want to call it. As I got older, I thought, “This is what I do better than anything else, so how do I make it happen and make a career out of it?” Even as a young kid, I manifested my dreams without training. I went on to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra without any training at all, and it sounded fantastic. I would wonder how in the world I pulled this off, like I’d been pulling the wool over people’s eyes, because I didn’t go to music school or conservatory, didn’t practice piano three hours a day. I don’t know how I’ve done it. I just know that I have, so that’s good enough for me, I guess. AJT: You’ve been described as an enigma. Dorff: Who taught Michael Jordan how to throw a basketball better than anyone? Certain people just have a talent. You dedicate yourself and work hard at it because it is hard work. I’ve never gotten a free pass. I’m always thinking how to come up with something new and fresh and innovative. I feel obligated to whatever talent I have been given, and working hard at it is
what makes success pay off. AJT: You listened to The Beatles a lot when you were growing up. Dorff: I used to get records of the whole British Invasion. I loved that period. I would go into my room and play them until they were worn out. That was my passion. AJT: Then you got to work with Ringo Starr years later. Dorff: I did. It was surreal, incredible, something I’ll never forget, one of those great “pinch me” moments. I worked with George Martin too. He was just lovely and so amazing. Such a nice man. I met George Harrison at a Grammy party once, briefly, but I never met John or Paul.
be anything much, but I was excited to work with him, and it just wasn’t fun. He was coming off something or was hopped up. For me, though, having the opportunity to work with some of my heroes is the real icing on the cake. AJT: What are you working on now? Dorff: I just finished a movie with Ray Liotta that will be out in the spring. I wrote a song that — keeping my fingers crossed — will be on Barbra Streisand’s next album. I’m working with a couple of new, younger acts that I’m producing, and we’re optioning a new property for a Broadway musical. ■
AJT: Apparently Ray Charles was not easy to work with. Dorff: Ray was pretty old at the time, and the song wasn’t great. I think Ray was just there for the payday. He was doing a song for a Clint Eastwood movie, and I got to arrange and produce and co-write it. I didn’t think it would
By Kevin C. Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com “The heart of this business is the marriage of talent and relationships,” Steve Dorff writes in his new memoir, “I Wrote That Too … A Life in Songwriting From Willie to Whitney.” The book, written with playwright and novelist Colette Freedman, details Dorff’s collaborations and adventures along the path of his career and doesn’t shy away from some setbacks and “that fine line between glorious success and dismal failure that we songwriters experience all too often.” He cites a recording session with Dusty Springfield, whom he much admired, as the longest night of his life, and he writes of the disappointment he felt when Bette Midler’s version of “I Cross My Heart” failed. He touches on personal troubles as well, such as the loss of his first wife, his mother and one of his sons. Dorff is known for writing and producing dozens of hits for the likes of Kenny Rogers, Celine Dion, Anne Murray, Smokey Robinson and Barbra Streisand. He has been nominated for three Grammy and five Emmy Awards
and also scores movies, television shows and Broadway productions. As a child, he would hide in his room and play records loudly enough to block the sound of his alcoholic parents arguing. He also developed the rather useful ability to musicalize just about anything, turning a random sound such as a car’s windshield wipers or rain falling down onto a roof into an epic opus in his head. Later in life, a psychologist told him he had synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon that occurs in only 5 percent of the population. Much given to superlatives and a fair amount of repetition, and despite a penchant for insider jargon that will likely confuse a few readers, the book flows engagingly through a series of encounters with stars of varying celebrity status and doesn’t take itself too seriously. He concludes, “What it boils down to is I just try to write a good song with an honest message.” ■ I Wrote That One Too
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Dorff Hits Right Notes
By Steve Dorff with Colette Freedman Backbeat Books, 328 pages, $29.99
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Passover Haggadah Gets a Comedic Makeover By Patrice Worthy In the tradition of painfully long and drawn-out Passover seders, Dave Barry, Alan Zweibel and Adam Mansbach wrote a haggadah that, despite not having divine origins, brings to the table some of the most profound questions we have all asked ourselves at one time or another. “For This We Left Egypt?” is a frank, humorous approach to the holiday that throws sacred text into the trio’s comedic line of fire. The title, of course, is a play on the constant kvetching and Jewish dissatisfaction, and the book begins with an explanation of a haggadah that one would assume was written for Barry, the token non-Jew and only Pulitzer Prize winner among the authors. I wonder what the mothers of Mansbach and Zweibel had to say about that little tidbit of gentile trivia, which sets the sarcastic tone for the rest of the book. Immediately they attack Reform Judaism, the topic of Jewish jokes for years. “The book you hold before you contains the liturgy for Seder service on this festival of Passover — or, as Reform Jews call it, Chanukah.” The book is laugh-out-loud funny from beginning to end with its explanations of the afikomen, five glasses of wine and the Ten Commandments. The tongue-in-cheek retelling of the supernatural way Jews were given the law adds 21st century humor to the age-old tale. “Then G-d spoke from inside the cloud. At least he said he was G-d, there’s no way to tell for sure because of the cloud.” There are numerous holes in the biblical Passover story, as pointed out by the writers, but it’s how the holes are punched that earns the chuckles. Their ability to insert Jewish schtick and logic into stories we’ve heard our
Photo by Michelle Kaufman
Dave Barry
Photo by Matthew L. Kaplan
Adam Mansbach
entire lives without coming off as outdated slapstick makes “For This We Left Egypt?” a fun read. Barry, Zweibel and Mansbach ask the hard questions, such as “Where the hell did the Israelites get enough gold for a Golden Calf?” and “How come the Angel of Death needed lamb’s blood to know which house the Israelites lived in? … Also does it seem weird that slaves would live in a house next to the people enslaving them?” The “discussion” topics spark an internal dialogue that leads to even more questions, such as “What have we been reading this entire time?” The three authors of “For This We Left Egypt?” outlined the process of their collaborative effort for the AJT. They are appearing at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in a session sponsored by the AJT. AJT: Is this a book you always wanted to do, and why? Barry: I have always, all my life, wanted to write a haggadah. The weird thing is, I was raised Episcopalian/ Presbyterian, and I had no idea what a haggadah was. But I STILL wanted to write one. It might be a chemical imbalance. Mansbach: In the sense that I have always dreamed of collaborating with Alan and Dave, no. Not at all. In the sense that I’ve always wanted to get paid for making a bunch of semi-risqué
Alan Zweibel
jokes about grain storage, also no. Zweibel: “Do” a haggadah? Never. Write one? Yes, since the first time a band of angry gentiles beat me up on my way home from Hebrew school. AJT: Are there particular, personal Passover anecdotes that stood out while you were working on the book? Barry: Well, we were all pretty surprised when Elijah actually showed up and drank from his cup. We thought he was a mythical figure, like Batman. Mansbach: The fact that when the Israelites initially sent spies into Canaan, the spies returned and reported that the land was occupied by giants came as a surprise to me. Also, somehow the issue of giants never came up again. Zweibel: I had totally forgotten that it was Abraham Lincoln, and not Moses, who freed the slaves from Egypt. AJT: “For This We Left Egypt?” falls into a tradition of taking the sacred and adding profane logic. How do you think this has helped Jews navigate the Jewish experience? Barry: A lot. Mandel: I’m going to say somewhat. Zweibel: I’m saying not at all. AJT: Why do you think the holiday of Passover is at the heart of Jewish humor?
Barry: I would have to give credit here to the plagues. I mean, frogs! Mansbach: When you get that many Jews around a table and then deny them food, all that’s left is jokes. Zweibel: Because Chanukah is the lung and Simchat Torah is the spleen of Jewish humor, the heart was the only vital organ that was left. AJT: Who are some comics and writers who inspire you? Barry: Robert Benchley and Woody Allen. Mansbach: Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel. Not my co-authors — I happen to know another Dave Barry and another Alan Zweibel, both of whom are very funny. Zweibel: Dave and Adam. They said my name, too, right? AJT: The discussion questions poke fun at Jewish stereotypes as well as offer satirical insights into the evolution of Judaism. For example, “Should Bruce Willis play Elijah, or can you think of someone better? … Make a friendship bracelet to answer the question.” Why is that important to include? Barry: “Important” is not a word I would use in connection with any part of this book. Mansbach: I see nothing amusing about the question of who should play Elijah, and I say that not only as the author of a haggadah, but also as someone who recently optioned the film rights to the Torah from G-d. For a very reasonable fee, I might add. Zweibel: I’d have Elijah Wood play Elijah because that would be one less thing he would have to memorize. ■ For This We Left Egypt? By Dave Barry, Alan Zweibel and Adam Mansbach Flatiron Books, 144 pages, $19.99
An Unleavened Cookbook By Rena Gray
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Matzo has remained a well-known Jewish symbol through the ages. Associated with Passover but eaten all year, it has more or less undergone the same few transformations by Jews seeking a bit of variety: matzo brei, matzo balls, and, if you’re feeling adventurous, matzo pizza. Michele Streit Heilbrun, part of 22 the Streit matzo dynasty, shares inven-
tive recipes for the Jewish staple in her new cookbook, “Matzo: 35 Recipes for Passover and All Year Long.” With the collaboration of Michelin-trained chef David Kirschner, Heilbrun has brought matzo to a new level of sophistication and modern cooking with recipes such as spanakopita, panzanella salad and matzo tiramisu. Heilbrun shares a bit of her family’s matzo-making history in her in-
troduction and peppers the subsequent pages with common Yiddish words and their definitions for added personality. The book is laced with original advertisements and product labels, as well as photographs of Mikie’s family members and company workers at the factory. With the look and feel of an actual matzo as the front cover, this innovative volume brings history and tradition into the 21st century. So whether
you’re planning next year’s Passover menu or still wondering what to do with boxes left from the spring, “Matzo” offers plenty of ideas you’ll want to try. ■ Matzo By Michele Streit Heilbrun Clarkson Potter, 112 pages, $14.99
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BOOK FESTIVAL
The Broken Relationship After His Midlife Crisis In Einstein’s Relativity By Vicki Leopold Using research gathered from love letters, friendly letters and published works, Marie Benedict writes a story about a brilliant young woman, Mileva Maric, a gifted physics student whose ambitions were never realized, in “The Other Einstein.” Born with a limp, Mileva comes to believe that no man will find her desirable as a wife. She is encouraged by her father, who sees her early brilliance, to be independent and pursue a career. She meets young Albert Einstein at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic, a male-dominated, prestigious university in Zurich, and is pursued endlessly by him. Albert is amazed and awed by her mathematical abilities and passion for science. They have an affair, and a young girl is born from this union. Albert initially turns his back on Mileva and their young daughter because he believes them to be a liability toward obtaining a job. Later, when he is more secure in his career, he proposes marriage. Entering into a marriage based on love with the promise of scientific collaboration and research, Mileva leaves their young daughter with her parents. Distraught when the little girl dies from scarlet fever, Mileva, not Albert, develops the original theory of relativity in response to her grief, according to Benedict’s novel. Mileva works alongside Albert to develop the mathematical formulas to support the theory, but, to her amazement and disappointment, her name is left off the published papers. Mileva meets young Marie Curie, a woman she admires who is able to pursue both her scientific dreams and her family. Marie questions why Mileva has not pursued her scientific passions. “I have no idea how the division of labor works between you and Albert,” Marie says, “but my husband fostered my career.” Author Benedict, who will be at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 10, writes a fast-paced novel with believable characters while claiming to stay as close to history as possible. Certainly Mileva — hungry for love, flattered by brilliant young Albert’s attention, devastated by the loss of their daughter and reflective of the times — is presented as a woman of
such unfulfilled promise and potential. It is easy to believe that self-absorbed Albert, trying to change the world’s understanding of scientific law and gain fame, might seek other women. This is a new angle on the Einsteins, and one wonders how different Mileva’s path might have been if she had been born a century later. ■ The Other Einstein By Marie Benedict Sourcebooks Landmark, 304 pages, $25.99 ($16.99 paperback)
The title of “Lift and Separate” is a double entendre. The images of bras on the novel’s cover reference the business of the protagonist’s husband, brassiere company Bountiful Bosom, but the title also refers to how the protagonist, a woman in her late 50s, must deal with crises by lifting herself up. Although chick-lit is not a genre I generally read or enjoy, I found myself turning the pages of this book, feeling interested in the story and connected to the characters. At its core, it is the cliched tale of man who, after more than 30 years of
marriage, cheats on his unsuspecting wife. However, in the hands of adept author Marilyn Simon Rothstein, who is speaking at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 7, this debut novel also explores female friendships and bosom buddies (pun intended), parent-child relationships, and the pressures faced by the sandwich generation. A literary classic this isn’t, but “Lift and Separate” is worth your time. ■ Lift and Separate By Marilyn Simon Rothstein Lake Union Publishing, 304 pages, $14.95
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
By Janice Convoy-Hellmann
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BOOK FESTIVAL Being Festive, Day by Day
The 26th edition of the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center starts and ends with powerful Jewish men who find themselves in the minority in Washington: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and Sen. Al Franken. Between the opening and closing nights are 32 other sessions featuring 40 books, including five produced by Jewish Atlantans: Dylan Dickson, “Why Can’t I Read?”; Harry Maziar, “Story Selling”; Sam Massell, “Play It Again, Sam” (an authorized bio by Charles McNair); Pamela Sampson, “No Reply” (Henry Gallant’s Holocaust memoir); and Donnie Kanter Winokur, “Chancer.” The festival is so packed that we couldn’t fit everything into this issue; look for interviews with Dylan Dickson, Sam Massell and Donnie Winokur online and in a forthcoming issue of the AJT. Tickets are on sale atatlantajcc. org/bookfestival, although the closing night with Franken is sold out. Series passes are available for $110 for JCC members and $135 for others. All programs are at Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, except for the Nov. 14 program with Jen Glantz and Jonathan Goldsmith, which is at the Rich Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St., Midtown, and includes a dessert reception and cash bar.
SATURDAY, NOV. 4
8:15 p.m. — Justice Stephen Breyer
(“The Court and the World”) speaks with former CNN Executive Vice President Gail Evans about the global influences on the legal system. Tickets: $30 members, $35 others; includes a paperback copy of the book.
SUNDAY, NOV. 5
Noon — Historian and journalist Glenn Frankel (“High Noon”) speaks with Bob Bahr about the making of the iconic Gary Cooper Western and the undertext about the Hollywood blacklist of the era. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 3 p.m. — Psychiatrist Gail Saltz (“The Power of Different”) speaks with CNN’s Nadia Bilchik and makes time for a special guest, 9-year-old local author Dylan Dickson (“Why Can’t I Read?”), who discusses her experience with dyslexia. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 7:30 p.m. — Former CNN Chairman and Time Editor Walter Isaacson (“Leonardo da Vinci”), now the CEO of The Aspen Institute, picks up on the afternoon’s theme of genius and difference in discussing one of history’s most unusual geniuses. Tickets: $18 members, $25 others.
MONDAY, NOV. 6
Noon — Science writers Adam Piore (“The Body Builders”) and Bonnie Rochman (“The Gene Machine”) bring news and controversy from the cutting edge of medicine, where the line blurs between repairing or preventing problems and altering the human species. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 7:30 p.m. — Songwriter and UGA alum
Steve Dorff (“I Wrote That One, Too”) — if you’ve listened to pop or country music or watched TV or movies the past 25 years, you’ve heard his work — brings live music to his discussion about his life in entertainment. Tickets: $15 members, $20 others.
TUESDAY, NOV. 7
Noon — Novelists Jamie Brenner (“The Forever Summer”) and Marilyn Simon Rothstein (“Lift and Separate”) share their stories of resilient women with author Joshilyn Jackson. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 7:30 p.m. — One of Jewish Atlanta’s legendary business and communal leaders, Harry Maziar (“Story Selling”), chats with JCC CEO Jared Powers about the community and success in life. Free.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8
Noon — The creator of the Hungry Girl empire, Lisa Lillien (“Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry Obsessed!”), talks with “Atlanta Eats” host Mara Davis about her tricks for making comfort food almost healthy. Tickets: $15 members, $20 others. 7:30 p.m. — NBC investigative reporter Jeff Rossen (“Rossen to the Rescue”) speaks with TV host Tom Sullivan about how to avoid the pitfalls of life. Tickets: $15 members, $20 others.
THURSDAY, NOV. 9
10 a.m. — The only Jewish mayor in Atlanta history, native son Sam Massell, and his selected biographer, Charles McNair (“Play It Again, Sam”), speak
with Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Jim Galloway about Massell’s extraordinary public life. Free. 12:30 p.m. — Patricia Bernstein (“Ten Dollars to Hate”) talks about the origins of the revived Klan and a Texas prosecutor’s successful anti-KKK campaign. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 7 p.m. — The JCC commemorates Kristallnacht at the Besser Holocaust Memorial Garden with speaker Alexandra Zapruder. 7:30 p.m. — Abraham Zapruder’s granddaughter, Alexandra Zapruder (“Twenty-Six Seconds,” the Esther G. Levine Community Read), speaks with CNN’s Nadia Bilchik about her grandfather’s famous film of the JFK assassination and its effect on her family. Tickets: $15 members, $10 others.
FRIDAY, NOV. 10
Noon — Novelists Marie Benedict (“The Other Einstein”) and Jane Healey (“The Saturday Evening Girls Club”) explore the historical struggles of women with CARE USA writer Theresa Weaver.
SATURDAY, NOV. 11
8 p.m. — Scholar and former CNN commentator Reza Aslan (“G-d: A Human History”) delves deeper into his exploration of religion. Tickets: $18 members, $25 others.
SUNDAY, NOV. 12
Noon — Historian Steven J. Ross (“Hitler in Los Angeles”) and foreign correspondent Peter Eisner (“MacArthur’s Spies”) share their World War II spy
‘Phoenix’ Rises With Rebirth of Peres, Israel By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Shimon Peres’ life remains an enigma for many, but those who knew him well would describe him as a staunch Zionist and builder of Israel’s military might. After Peres’ death last year, Michael Bar-Zohar released a special edition of his book “Phoenix: Shimon Peres and the Secret History of Israel,” which recounts Peres’ struggles, triumphs and defeats in his personal and political lives. Bar-Zohar takes readers on a journey that starts with Peres as a young immigrant and continues through his days working alongside David Ben-Gurion while striving to build up Israel’s military. As readers plow through the 24 chapters, they will receive a behind-
the-scenes look at a man who reshaped Israeli history and diplomacy. As a child, Peres grew up in a mostly Jewish community and spent his time learning from the Torah. Although he was considered gifted by his teachers and excelled in school, he was also often bullied as a know-it-all. Nevertheless, he enjoyed delving into philosophical arguments with his friends and considered himself well versed in Russian literature from Dostoevsky to Tolstoy. Peres’ world was turned upside down when he saw a photo of two Jews murdered by gentiles outside his community. The image horrified Peres, who had lived in a bubble regarding hatred of Jews. As pogroms spread through Europe, Peres’ father decided to make aliyah, promising to call for Peres’ mother
as soon as he could provide for the family. Three years passed before Peres embarked on his own journey to Israel and said his goodbye to his grandparents, who would die in the Holocaust. He recalled the last phrase he heard from his grandfather: “Always remain Jewish.” Upon arriving in Israel, Peres was sent to a kibbutz, where he learned what it took to be an Israeli. He also began getting into political debates with classmates and used his knowledge to rally youths to embark on secret trip to Masada, discuss the dangers of communism and assume leadership roles, which helped elevate his stature within the kibbutz. Not long after, Peres moved to Tel Aviv and began working for Ben-Gurion in the Haganah, tasked with purchasing weapons for Israel’s defense.
Thus, Peres was on the path to serving as prime minister twice, as president, and as a promoter of peace who also advocated Israel’s right to defend itself. Bar-Zohar has captured Israel’s history through Peres’ lens of hope, fear and faith in the Jewish state. ■
Phoenix By Michael Bar-Zohar West 26th Street Press, 576 pages, $19.50
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BOOK FESTIVAL
If you enjoy this year’s Book Festival, be sure to thank co-chairs Dee Kline and Bea Grossman.
stories. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 3:30 p.m. — Israeli historian Michael Bar-Zohar (“Phoenix”) revisits the life of Shimon Peres. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 7:30 p.m. — Comedian Sarge, aka Steven Pickman (“Black Boychik”), gets down and dirty to tell his humorous life story. Tickets: $15 members, $20 others.
MONDAY, NOV. 13
10 a.m. — First-time author and former Associated Press reporter Pamela Sampson (“No Reply”) and Holocaust survivor Henry Gallant speak about his journey on and after the MS St. Louis with AP reporter Marina Kolbe Hutchinson. Free. 12:30 p.m. — Veteran novelists Pam Jenoff (“The Orphan’s Tale”) and Mark Sullivan (“Beneath a Scarlet Sky”) speak with media host John Lemley about their Nazi-resistance stories. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others.
7:30 p.m. — Inventor and TV pitchwoman Joy Mangano (“Inventing Joy”) speaks with radio host Dana Barrett about her entrepreneurial life. Tickets: $18 members, $15 others.
of affliction. Tickets: $5 members, $10 others. 7:30 p.m. — Comedian and actress Annabelle Gurwitch (“Wherever You Go, There They Are”) speaks with CNN contributor Holly Firfer about the fun and follies of family life. Tickets: $15 members, $20 others.
TUESDAY, NOV. 14
10 a.m. — The rebbetzin of Temple Kehillat Chaim, Donnie Kanter Winokur (“Chancer”), and her family’s service dog, Quinn, share with Gail Cohn the power of the connection between a boy with hidden disabilities and his welltrained dog. Free. 12:30 p.m. — Novelists Lauren Belfer (“And After the Fire”) and Rachel Kadish (“The Weight of Ink”) walk people through their time-jumping stories with the help of former Atlanta Journal-Constitution book columnist Greg Changnon. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 7:30 p.m. — Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist Dave Barry, Alan Zweibel and Adam Mansbach (“For This We Left Egypt?”) talk with radio and TV host Mara Davis about that most vital of additions to the Jewish bookshelf, a funny Passover haggadah, in the Eva and George Stern Lecture. Tickets: $18 members, $25 others.
Noon — Best-selling novelist Nicole Krauss (“Forest Dark”) talks with former Atlanta Journal-Constitution book columnist Greg Changnon about her first book in seven years, covering two parallel but apparently unconnected lives. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 7:30 p.m. — The former most interesting man in the world, Jonathan Goldsmith (“Stay Interesting”), and the most in-demand bridesmaid in New York, Jen Glatz (“Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire)”), share the Rich Theatre stage for a night of socializing. Tickets: $18 members, $25 others.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15
10 a.m. — The documentary “Streit’s Matzo and the American Dream” screens as a warm-up to the day’s first book talk. Tickets: $5. Noon — Born into a famous matzo family, Michele Streit Heilbrun (“Matzo”) provides recipes on how to do more than butter or fry the bread
THURSDAY, NOV. 16
SATURDAY, NOV. 18
8 p.m. — Former first daughters Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush
(“Sisters First”) speak with best-selling Atlanta novelist Emily Giffin about their lives in and out of the political spotlight. Tickets: $18 members, $75 premier (includes book), $25 others.
SUNDAY, NOV. 19 Noon — New York Yankees fan Rafi Kohan (“The Arena”) and former ESPN the Magazine Editor in Chief Gary Belsky (“Up Your Game”) share their insights into sports and how and where we play them. Tickets: $10 members, $15 others. 3:30 p.m. — Washington Post reporter Souad Mekhennet (“I Was Told to Come Alone”), who was born in Germany, grew up in North Africa, and mixes Western and Muslim cultures, speaks with CNN’s Gail Evans about some dangerous parts of the world. Free. 7:30 p.m. — Longtime CBS News anchor Dan Rather (“What Unites Us”) speaks with Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Greg Bluestein about patriotism and the state of America. Tickets: $30 members, $35 others (includes book).
MONDAY, NOV. 20 7:30 p.m. — Sen. Al Franken (“Al Franken, Giant of the Senate”), the Minnesota Democrat and former “Saturday Night Live” writer who won the closest Senate election in U.S. history in 2008, talks about the interesting times in Washington. Sold out.
By April Basler abasler@atljewishtimes.com “Whoever finds a friend finds a treasure.” — Italian proverb Jane Healey’s “The Saturday Evening Girls Club” is a story of unbreakable friendship among four young women in Boston in the early 1900s. The main character and narrator, Caprice, an American-born Italian Catholic who excels at hat making, met Maria, Ada and Thea seven years earlier at a group called the Saturday Evening Girls Club, which meets at a pottery shop in the North End of Boston. Maria, also an Italian Catholic, is a blond beauty who enthralls every man she meets. Ada and Thea are from Jewish families who came to America from a shtetl in Russia. Ada is brilliant and excels in science, while Thea is shy and strives to please her parents. All four are first-generation Americans and live in crowded buildings in
a poor area of town where everyone knows everyone and families keep their front doors open. Their club is funded by a benefactor named Mrs. Storrow, who lives in the wealthy area of town, and is run by Mrs. Guerrier, who also runs the pottery shop. These two older women tremendously influence the lives of Caprice and her friends. This book, based on true events, takes place one week at a time, following the women as they face challenges, fall in love, deal with tragedy, overcome hardship and become successful. Caprice’s father wants her to meet a Sicilian man for an arranged marriage, but she wants nothing to do with it. He invites his friends’ sons over for dessert to meet her, while she considers herself a new American woman who can pick her husband for herself. Arranged marriage is a central theme in this book. Some women embrace it, while others, like Caprice,
want to make their own choices. Other prevalent themes in “The Saturday Evening Girls Club” include gender inequality, forbidden love across religions and cultures, the struggle between the working class and the wealthy, cultural prejudices, and parents’ expectations of their children, especially their daughters. Our society is still struggling with many of those themes a century later. I learned a lot about Italian culture from this book, and I realized that it is similar to Jewish culture but also wildly different. Boston Jews and Italians in the early 1900s put family first, valued tradition and wanted their children to marry within their faith to someone from the same “old country.” I thoroughly enjoyed “The Saturday Evening Girls Club” and found the main character to be credible. I admire Caprice’s ability to stand up for herself and the fact that she is a hard worker who doesn’t give up on her dreams.
The friendship among these four is something many women strive for all their lives and are lucky to attain. Healey’s novel, which she will discuss Nov. 10 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, is hard to put down. I found myself transported to this period with great interest in what would become of these four friends. Healey’s words paint a picture of life in the North End of Boston in 1908 and 1909, and I could imagine each scene through her descriptive writing. I liked that each chapter begins with a Jewish or Italian proverb, like the one at the top of this article, coinciding with what each chapter is about. I highly recommend “The Saturday Evening Girls Club” to anyone, but especially to women. ■ The Saturday Evening Girls Club
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Friendship Brings to Life Immigrant Experience
By Jane Healey Lake Union, 250 pages, $14.99
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Midday Silence Echoes From Midcentury
A Half-Minute Film, A Half-Century Saga
By Bob Bahr
By Barry G. Jacobs
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Silence. As the clock ticks toward the climax of “High Noon,” the classic 1952 Western starring Gary Cooper, there is only silence on the main street of the backwater where Cooper is the marshal. All the townspeople who should be joining him to shoot it out with a gang of outlaws remain safely behind the drawn curtains in their homes. But as Glenn Frankel points out in his new book, “High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic,” silence also afflicted another small Western town — Hollywood — during a frightening period in American history 65 years ago. When “High Noon” was in production, the Red Scare was in full swing, and Hollywood was under attack. Congressional committees, beginning in 1947, had forced a long list of Hollywood writers, directors and stars, many of them Jews, to testify about their political beliefs and the beliefs of their relatives, friends and co-workers. Eventually the Supreme Court would curb Congress’ power to conduct such investigations, but for many it meant the end of their creative lives and years on a blacklist. Hollywood, as Frankel makes clear, greeted this attack on civil liberties with silence. The comparison between one town in the Old West and another in the mid-20th century is not accidental. As the director of the film, Fred Zinnemann, put it, “‘High Noon’ is not a Western as far as I’m concerned. It is just set in the Old West.” For Zinnemann and the other key members of the production team, it was meant to be a metaphor for the paralysis and failure of will when the creative freedom of the industry was threatened by political forces. Zinnemann, whose Viennese parents died in the Holocaust, and every other key creative figure on the film, with the major exception of its stars, were Jews, with a finely honed appreciation of the importance of the Jewish prophetic tradition of social justice. For the executive producer, Stanley Kramer, whose father was a Zionist and trade union activist, and even the film’s composer, Dimitri Tiomkin, a Jewish refugee from Soviet Russia, the film made a political statement. But it was the film’s script writer 26 and associate producer, Carl Foreman,
who was the most instrumental in shaping the uncompromising message. He wrote the film as he came under attack by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1951. As Frankel pointed out recently, “The marshal was now Carl himself; the gunmen coming to kill him were now the committee.” “It was insane,” Frankel quotes Foreman as saying. “As I was writing the screenplay, art was mirroring life, and life was mirroring art. … I became that Gary Cooper character.” Ultimately, the political pressure became too much. Just before the completion of the movie, Foreman was forced out and, with much bitterness, went into creative exile in London. A formidable political coalition was determined, as Frankel said recently, “to take America back from socalled usurpers.” “Back in those days it was liberals and Jews and Communists who were the enemy. Now it’s Muslims, refugees and undocumented immigrants, and the self-appointed guardians of American values were determined to get their country back,” he said. “I guess,” Frankel concluded, “they wanted to make America great again.” Despite the political background to the production, the film was a runaway hit, to the surprise of almost everyone. For many filmgoers, the taut narrative, strong performances, and incisive editing and direction of “High Noon” were more important than any political messages that might have been buried in the story. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including best actor for Cooper and best original song for Tiomkin and Ned Washington for “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’),” performed by Western balladeer Tex Ritter. “High Noon” was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1989, among the initial choices of American films that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” ■ Bob Bahr will interview Glenn Frankel and discuss “High Noon” at noon Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center. High Noon By Glenn Frankel Bloomsbury, 400 pages, $28
The starting point for most investigations, explanations and speculations about the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy is a home movie taken by Dallas dressmaker Abraham Zapruder that provides a graphic view of the fatal motorcade through Dealey Plaza. In “Twenty-Six Seconds” — the length of the film — Alexandra Zapruder, Abraham’s granddaughter, tells the decades-long, multigenerational account of the relationship between the family and the film. The book is the Esther G. Levine Community Read at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, where Alexandra Zapruder will speak at the annual Kristallnacht commemoration before discussing her memoir Nov. 9. For Alexandra, the story is bound up in the admiration her grandfather, who died when she was an infant, felt for the Kennedy family and the responsibility her father felt as the representative of the family and steward of the film. While virtually everyone reading this book will know about the existence of the Zapruder film, many will be unfamiliar with the twists and turns of its ownership over the years, beginning in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Rejecting bids from other media outlets, Abraham sold the original film to Life Magazine after having copies made and giving two to the Secret Service. (Surprisingly, as Alexandra notes, the government didn’t insist on taking possession of the original.) After dealing with ownership questions involving bootleggers, researchers and other requests to use the film for over 11 years, Life sold the film back to the Zapruder family for $1 in 1975, and Abraham’s son Henry (Alexandra’s father) dealt with many of the same issues for many more years. The ownership question came to a head after Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, which created the Assassination Records Review Board to manage the assassination records held by the government. The act raised questions about the status of the Zapruder film, which was still owned by the family but had been deposited for safekeeping in the National Archives.
Photo by Linda Fittante
Alexandra Zapruder is the featured speaker at the Marcus JCC’s Kristallnacht commemoration before her book discussion Nov. 9.
The ARRB’s determination that the film was an assassination record meant that the government had in effect taken the film, entitling the family to just compensation under the Fifth Amendment. Alexandra contends that her family’s primary concern was always the preservation and proper use of the film, rather than making money from it. But her father refused the ARRB’s request to donate the film to the government, though she says he was willing to take far less than fair market value as just compensation. Ultimately, an arbitration panel awarded the family $16 million for the film — an amount that Alexandra defends but that many saw as excessive. In fact, Alexandra appears to struggle to balance her father’s commitment to government possession of the film with his refusal to simply donate it. Her explanation — once the government decided to take the film, his reverence for the law meant he could not ignore the requirement for just compensation — is not entirely convincing. The book provides no new information about the Kennedy assassination itself; Alexandra Zapruder is a supporter of the Warren Commission’s conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin. Still, it provides an account of the iconic film that assassination students may find worth reading. ■ Twenty-Six Seconds By Alexandra Zapruder Twelve, 480 pages, $27
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Bush Sisters Find Unexpected Normalcy Like any two sisters, the Bush Twins, as Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush are lovingly known in pop culture, grew up with a relatively normal childhood. Despite having to figure out the hard way that her name was famous when pizza delivery establishments hung up on her as a kid when she tried do something as simple as order food, Barbara Bush and her sister slowly learned the ropes of being in a family of famous politicians. “Sisters First: Stories From Our Wild and Wonderful Life,” the new book from the daughters of the 43rd president, George W. Bush, and his wife, Laura, shows that they were shielded quite a bit from the spotlight. True, the grandfather they lovingly refer to throughout the book as “Gampy” was the 41st president of the United States during their summers in Kennebunkport, Maine, with “Ganny,” First Lady Barbara Bush. But the girls played like any other children and went boating with Gampy.
Now, as adults who are scheduled to speak Nov. 18 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, they write about their free-spirited summers on the water, summer camps and wild paparazzi rumors from their days in the White House. Later-in-life adventures are revealed through stories of college, work and relationships. For 20-year-old Barbara, life at Yale University was difficult. After receiving mediocre grade after mediocre grade on papers in one course, she went to office hours with the teaching assistant in the hope of learning why her attempts to turn in great work weren’t succeeding. She was told she would receive an A if she could persuade her father not to go to war in Iraq. Not exactly the answer she was hoping for, but the story illustrates the ludicrous expectations others had of her influence as the daughter of a president. Other difficulties included stares, the heartbreak of the infamous 2000 election recount and hearing peers talk horribly about the man she calls Dad. The book also recounts Barbara’s loss of
a dear friend in high school to suicide. She supplies many personal and dear moments, including sweet elements that only a sister can share about her “other half.” Such stories make the book a sentimental piece that provides a glimpse inside the personal lives of one of the most talked-about families in American political history. For the parts Jenna writes, one early chapter titled “Accidentally Famous” begins, “Our lives were not dysfunctional, but they were at times strange.” Aside from their POTUS lineage, the twins write about experiences common to many girls. Their father had a conversation with the girls about alcoholism during a sunny walk, for example, and Jenna received a text after mispronouncing a movie title on the red carpet on NBC. “It’s a pretty well-known fact that I come from a line of people for whom pronunciation isn’t always a strong suit,” Jenna writes. But her father texted her a sweet reminder of her family’s love, which mattered more than one slip on TV, and advised her to “let it go.” The girls emphasize the values by
which they were raised, the love and support of their parents, and the role of communication and conversation in their home growing up. The book is far from what I expected. It is far more homespun and down to earth. The book is a little confusing as it flips between Jenna’s narration and Barbara’s, but overall it is a great, fast read about the life of the Bush daughters. It provides a sweet peek into both Presidents Bushes that, regardless of political affiliation, is worth picking up. ■
Sisters First By Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush Grand Central Publishing, 256 pages, $28
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
By Marcy Levinson
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Food Mad Scientist Cleans Up the Junk By April Basler abasler@atljewishtimes.com Lisa Lillien, better known as Hungry Girl, has a passion for food and is known for taking the junk foods we crave and making healthier swaps. She created the Hungry Girl brand in 2004, sends out daily email blasts filled with recipes and food news, has written 12 cookbooks, has starred in cooking TV shows, and has done much more. Lillien is not a nutritionist but considers herself a foodologist or a mad scientist for food. Lately, her books have been about all-natural recipes. As a big Hungry Girl fan, I was excited to interview Lillien about her 12th book, “Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry Obsessed!” Lillien, who will appear at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 8, explained what her second all-natural foods book is all about. “This one in particular focuses on foods that we are obsessed with and things that we think we can’t eat if we’re trying to be healthy and make smarter food choices,” Lillien said. She writes about lean and clean foods because all-natural foods are becoming the American norm, and Lillien is paying attention. “I started Hungry Girl in 2004, so
I’ve been around for a while, and I like to follow food trends. Back then, a lot of people were using packaged foods and a lot of things that were more processed,” she said. “But over the years, we as Americans have evolved and have started to really look at what’s in the foods. People are turning over boxes and packages and checking out the ingredients. So I thought it would be great to start focusing on more allnatural foods for the books, and that’s really where I landed.” I’ve read both all-natural books, and “Clean & Hungry Obsessed!” is very different. “It is all about the food obsessions, and I really wanted to focus on the things that we think we shouldn’t be eating. I always do that in the Hungry Girl world, but the last book was a little more about clean entrees, beautiful foods,” Lillien said. “This book has a lot more of what people consider more as junky foods or obsession foods, comfort foods — lots and lots of comfort foods.” With so many delicious recipes in her cookbook, I asked Lillien which one is her favorite. “That is a really tough question. I have too many,” she said. “I really love the Z’paghetti Bolognese. I love the Mexican street corn obsession. I love the peanut butter pie. I love
Chicken Pot Pie Soup (GF)
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Makes 6 servings 4 cups roughly chopped cauliflower 10 ounces raw boneless, skinless chicken breast ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 cups fat-free milk ½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese 1 cup chopped onion 2 cups frozen petite mixed vegetables 1 cup chicken broth 1½ tablespoons chopped garlic 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme Dash ground sage Optional seasonings: additional salt and black pepper 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook cauliflower until very tender, about 15 minutes. 2. Pound chicken to a ½-inch thickness. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Cook chicken for about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through. 3. Transfer cauliflower to a strain28 er to drain.
all the french fries. The pizzas are all outstanding. The squash-crust pizza is phenomenal. The little eggplant Greek pizzas are amazing, so there are probably too many to name. It’s like saying who’s your favorite child.” In previous books, Lillien made desserts with nontraditional ingredients, such as brownies with pumpkin. In “Clean & Hungry Obsessed!,” she uses zucchini and black beans as well as pumpkin in desserts. It’s not all about desserts, though; she also swaps out potatoes in fries for turnips and other vegetables. She swaps out pasta for zucchini noodles and creates many other healthy swaps. “I want to think of those things so that people at home don’t have to,” Lillien said. “A lot of people are too busy to realize that you can make brownies with zucchini or black beans, or that if you put cauliflower in a blender, it can act as mashed potatoes or rice, and you can make biscuits out of it or pizza crust. I want to do the hard work so that people don’t have to.” Many of the chapter titles and recipe names use puns. “I always wanted to keep everything lighthearted when it came to Hungry Girl, especially back in 2004 when I started. This was a topic that people were too serious about. People
Lisa Lillien tries to keep Hungry Girl aligned with food trends.
were afraid to have fun with it. My goal was to keep it a little lighthearted and fun, so that’s why I write the cute recipe names,” Lillien said. She said recipe ideas and inspiration come from many sources, such as dishes she eats in restaurants, suggestions from her subscribers and brainstorming sessions with her staff. Lillien said the Hungry Girl headquarters, also known as Hungryland, is a fun, brightly colored place with two test kitchens and a staff of 10. “It’s like a cross between a kitchen and a newsroom because we are always creating content.” She said she’s sure another Hungry Girl book is in her future, although she doesn’t know what it will be. In the meantime, she’s excited to visit Atlanta. “I think this book is really fantastic, and I’m really proud of it,” Lillien said. “If people want more Hungry Girl on a regular basis, then people can sign up (at www.Hungry-Girl.com) for the daily emails that I’ve been sending since 2004, and they go out Monday through Friday.” ■
Z’paghetti Bolognese
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
4. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. 5. Place drained cauliflower in a blender or food processor. Add milk and cheese, and puree until mostly smooth and uniform. 6. Spray the (empty) pot with nonstick spray, and bring to medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion until mostly softened, about 4 minutes. 7. Add cauliflower puree, chopped chicken and remaining ingredients, including ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir until frozen veggies have thawed and soup is hot and well mixed, about 5 minutes. 1/6 of recipe (about 1 cup): 172 calories, 3.5 grams total fat (1.5 grams saturated fat), 597 milligrams sodium, 16 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 8.5 grams sugars, 18.5 grams protein
Makes 4 servings 2 pounds spiralized zucchini 1¾ cups canned crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1½ teaspoons white wine vinegar ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning ¾ teaspoon garlic powder ¾ teaspoon onion powder 1½ teaspoons olive oil ¼ cup chopped celery ¼ cup chopped onion ¼ cup chopped carrots 8 ounces raw, extra-lean ground beef ½ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper Optional: grated Parmesan cheese 1. Bring an extra-large skillet with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Cook and stir zucchini until hot and slightly softened, about 3 minutes. 2. Transfer zucchini to a strainer, and thoroughly drain excess liquid. 3. In a medium-large bowl, combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar and Italian seasoning. Add ½ teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder, and mix well. 4. Drizzle oil in the skillet, and re-
Z’paghetti Bolognese
turn to medium-high heat. Add celery, onion and carrots. Cook and stir until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. 5. Reduce heat to medium. Add beef, and season with salt, pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder. Cook, stir and crumble until veggies have softened and beef is fully cooked, about 5 minutes. 6. Add tomato mixture to the skillet. Cook and stir until hot and well mixed, about 1 minute. 7. Add drained zucchini, and cook and stir until hot and well mixed, about 2 minutes. ¼ of recipe (about 1¾ cups): 181 calories, 5 grams total fat (1.5 grams saturated fat), 579 milligrams sodium, 18.5 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber, 11 grams sugars, 17 grams protein
BOOK FESTIVAL
Clean Cooking With Ease Lisa Lillien’s “Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry Obsessed!” includes a wide variety of all-natural recipes for all the foods you crave. The book is easy to read, eye-catching and filled with colorful photos of every recipe. Lillien includes an introduction to her 12th cookbook in which she describes her obsession with food from an early age. She remembers the taste and texture of the chocolate-chip cookies she ate as a child, and, growing up, she read the packages of food in every vending machine she saw. She describes a love of comfort foods that are typically not good for you and a desire to transform them into healthier options. The chapters are organized by type of food, and chapters and recipe names are clever, such as You Wanna Pizza Me?, Welcome to Goodburger, Love Me Tender Pot Roast, Trop ’Til You Drop Island Salsa and Mom’s the Word (comfort food). She includes recipes for breakfast items, main dishes, soups, appetizers and desserts. Every recipe has large portions, is low in calories and starchy carbs, has ingredients that are easy to find, avoids processed foods, has little or no added sugar, and is often high in protein and fiber. It is a “delicious and satisfying, real-world approach to eating clean and staying lean.” Lillien includes icons for recipes that are five or fewer ingredients, are quick to make, or are gluten-free or vegetarian. Calories are in large print
at the top of each recipe, and full nutritional values are included. Many recipes include fun facts with the heading “Chew on This.” Lillien often references other chapters, sections or pages for similar recipes or other uses of the same ingredients. For example, if you like peanut butter, she lists all the recipes with peanut butter. In the back are recipes for such staples as salsa and ranch dressing, techniques such as spiralizing zucchini and cooking spaghetti squash, and a shopping guide and ingredient FAQs to help for trips to the grocery store. Overall, I was impressed with “Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry Obsessed!” The layout of one recipe per page and the organization of the book make the recipes easy to find and follow. Every detail is given a great deal of thought, and everything is explained thoroughly. I thought that adding a recipe skill level for beginner cooks would improve the book until I realized that every recipe is explained so well that it works for any skill level. I tried a few of the recipes, and everything smelled and tasted delicious. The Z’paghetti Bolognese was easy to make, tasted great and was filling. The Totally Turnip Home Fries turned out better than I expected and had the consistency of potatoes. I highly recommend this book to any food lover, especially those who are trying to eat lean and clean. ■ Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry Obsessed! By Lisa Lillien St. Martin’s Griffin, 400 pages, $21.99
Zucchini-Bottomed Pizza Bites
Makes 1 serving 8 ounces (about 1 medium) zucchini 3 tablespoons canned crushed tomatoes 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning Dash each salt and black pepper 3 tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese Optional toppings: red pepper flakes, fresh basil 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. 2. Slice off and discard the stem ends of the zucchini. Slice into ½-inch rounds and place on the baking sheet.
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Bake for 5 minutes. 3. Flip zucchini. Bake until mostly softened and lightly browned, about 5 more minutes. 4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine crushed tomatoes with seasonings. Mix well. 5. Blot excess moisture from zucchini. Top with seasoned tomatoes, and sprinkle with both types of cheese. 6. Bake until tomatoes are hot and mozzarella has melted, about 3 minutes.
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BOOK FESTIVAL
‘Workhorse With a Sense of Humor’ Wants to Help By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com Minnesota Democrat Al Franken is in his second term as a U.S. senator after a comedy career that carried him from “Saturday Night Live” to Air America radio, with stops in Hollywood and on book best-seller lists along the way. With memoir “Al Franken, Giant of the Senate,” he’s the closing-night speaker of the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 20. He spoke to the AJT on Oct. 16. AJT: Looking back, is being a senator what you expected it to be, and did you think you would get here, given everything stacked against you? Franken: In the book I write about how I didn’t understand the “De-humorizer.” I thought the campaign would be about issues and my opponent’s record or lack of it, George W. Bush, and the Iraq war. Since he didn’t have anything really to point to in terms of achievements, it became a very negative campaign. A lot of it was taking the comedy that had been my career and putting certain jokes through the Dehumorizer, which was a $15 machine they bought using Israeli technology. It was a pretty ugly campaign, and it was touch and go. It was the closest Senate campaign in history. AJT: What have you enjoyed the most about being a senator? Franken: The part I enjoy the most is when I get something done that
Photo by Owen Franken
Al Franken takes his day job seriously but can’t help approaching it with humor.
helps people. Paul Wellstone, who held my seat and is a hero of mine, said that politics is about improving people’s lives. And that’s what I enjoy — when I get things done and people are better off for it. AJT: Do you think people were afraid you wouldn’t take the job seriously, given your background in comedy? Franken: That was the message that my opponent tried to send to the voters. I spent the first term completely just being a workhorse and not a show horse. I continue to be a workhorse, but now I’m a workhorse with a sense of humor. AJT: You have a quote in your book from Paul Wellstone that says that politics is about the improvement of people’s lives. I think many, myself included, don’t feel like their legislators care about that or what their constituents want and are instead just looking out for their own best interests. What would you say to that? Franken: That’s certainly not true in my case. I don’t think that’s true in
many senators’ cases. If I do a meeting on the farm bill that I’m writing, I’m trying to help farmers in Minnesota make their operations more efficient. Police officers don’t know how to question someone who’s been raped. There are forensic nurses who do know how to do it. I am introducing a bill to train first responders to talk to a victim. Those are the kinds of things I do, I think are going to make things better. AJT: What were you thinking when Donald Trump was elected? Franken: It was a whole bunch of things. One, that it was going to be a lot harder to get the right kinds of things done over the next four years. I had only been here in the Senate with a Democratic president, and I knew the Cabinet secretaries very well. I knew, to get things done, it was helpful to be able to call them. I was looking at someone I didn’t think had the qualities you want as a president. I was concerned for the country. Nothing has changed in that regard. It’s only gotten worse as I can see it. He certainly isn’t someone who seemed interested in public policy, was a serious person, someone who was dignified and someone who was intelligent. I was concerned on a whole bunch of levels. Nothing he’s done yet has (changed that). AJT: What are your concerns about the current climate with North Korea? Franken: The president’s language concerns me. Forgetting the nuclear weapons, you have North Korea’s artil-
lery pointed across the DMZ at Seoul. Any kind of war here is going to mean probably lives of millions of people. It’s very frightening. His language has only escalated the tensions and the possibility of some kind of war. AJT: What qualities does the next Democratic nominee need to have to lead the party? Franken: We want someone who is going to be a strong, articulate candidate who can communicate to the American people that we all do better when we all do better, that the economy grows through the middle out. AJT: There’s nothing anyone can do to change your mind about running for president? Franken: I’ll run for re-election. AJT: How hard is it to keep your humor in check when your staff tells you to do so? Franken: When you’ve done comedy for 40 years, you think a different way. All my colleagues in comedy — it’s a different way of thinking. The example I use is, as a senator, you write notes to people. My first note was to (a woman) who was turning 110. I was to write a congratulatory note to her. I wrote, “Dear Ruth, you have a bright future.” My chief of staff came into my office and said, “What is this?” I said, “It’s a joke. I thought she would enjoy it.” My natural tendencies are to write something that I think someone will enjoy, but I had never been a politician before. I had been a comedian. ■
Tiny Touch of Humor Helps ‘Giant’ Stand Tall By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
The 2008 Minnesota election for the U.S. Senate, pitting comedian and Democrat Al Franken against incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, was the closest election in U.S. history. In his new book, “Al Franken, Giant of the Senate,” Franken gives all the nittygritty details about his campaign, his opponent’s acceptance speech and the eight-month ordeal before Franken took his seat in Washington. The campaign was nasty, with Coleman’s team taking the humor out of jokes from Franken’s comedy career, a process Franken dubbed the “De-humorizer.” 30 The Democratic Senatorial Cam-
paign Committee gave Franken a 40 percent chance of winning. By the end of the night Nov. 4, 2008, the candidates were separated by 0.04 percent. Any difference of 0.5 percent or less automatically triggered a recount. Franken was certified as the winner Jan. 5 despite being behind on Election Night after the public canvassing of more than 1,325 disputed ballots and the counting of 933 absentee ballots that a judge deemed wrongly rejected. But it didn’t end there. It took six more months, a hearing before a three-judge panel and the case being taken to the Minnesota Supreme Court before all legal remedies were resolved and Franken could be sworn in as the state’s new senator. Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer later told Franken that his wife’s commercial, in which she opened up about her alcoholism and told voters how her husband had stood with her through thick and thin, won the election for him. “There is no question I would have lost the election if Franni had not made that spot,” Franken writes. While every issue in Franken’s book, from stories he heard on the campaign trail to bills he has worked on as a senator, is serious, he uses his comedic talent to make the book humorous. The subtle humor is the perfect fit for politics today, and I laughed constantly as I read it. I also learned a lot, such as how a filibuster doesn’t have to be senators
talking for hours on end. All the minority leader needs to do is say “I object” when the majority leader asks for unanimous consent to go to a vote. I was impressed at how Franken knew certain things would not happen by the time his book came out at the end of May, such as Republicans repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and President Donald Trump being removed from office. Overall, it’s clear to readers how much Franken cares about his constituents and wants to do whatever he can to benefit the residents of Minnesota. ■ Al Franken, Giant of the Senate By Al Franken Twelve, 416 pages, $28
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Let Mangano Explain the Keys to a Joyful Life By Jason Adler Hollywood is known for buying the rights to a book, then making a movie that is either not as good as the book or does not tell the same story. In this instance, however, the order is reversed, with much better results. If you have seen the 2015 movie “Joy,” starring Jennifer Lawrence, you have a good idea of some of the struggles and successes Joy Mangano has experienced in her life and career. The movie is only half-accurate in telling a Hollywood story of inspiration. The new book “Inventing Joy” is like sitting down and enjoying a coffee with the entrepreneur. Writing in the first person, Joy tells her story in her words and in her way. The book is part autobiography, part self-help book and part business success book. The story is fascinating. As a self-described insecure, studious young girl, she didn’t have many outlets other than skiing. Joy was a very good snow skier. Being able to rocket down mountains at 60 mph on skis helps make any other life task less
Joy Mangano tells her life story better than Hollywood did.
scary, and she has used that fact to her advantage. Courage is not a lack of fear. Courage is acknowledging your fear, then doing something in spite of it. Joy has had many fearful moments and conquered them all. She was creative and inventive from a young age. As a 9-year-old, she designed a treehouse with seven levels. In high school she invented a glow-inthe-dark flea collar for dogs, only to see Hartz beat her to market with the same product. As a married young woman, she began selling wreaths for doors. Such experiences helped her when her next big product was to be launched. From the time her Miracle Mop
premiered on QVC, Joy had the ability to take control of her future. She changed the way QVC sold products by being herself. Throughout the book, Joy points out different light-bulb moments in her life. She takes time to tell you her life’s guiding principles and how they shaped her success. The most important of the 25 principles is that when you get an answer of no, it doesn’t really mean no. The Miracle Mop flopped on its first airing on QVC. Executives told her it was over, and she was done. They were going to return 4,500 of the 5,000 mops ordered from her. That would have ruined her. Instead of accepting that fate, Joy was relentless in getting one more shot. The rest of the story is about Joy’s stickto-itiveness and her determination to be a success no matter what obstacles lay ahead of her. Joy Mangano, who will appear at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 13, has sold over $3 million worth of products over her lifetime. The most interest-
ing story in the entire book, however, is how a studious, play-by-the-rules, not-popular girl (Joy) skipped a college exam to go to a bar with someone she just met. Joy credits that one spur-ofthe-moment decision with changing the direction of her life forever. If you want to have an interesting conversation with this incredibly successful, self-made woman, pick up her book and start reading. She talks directly to you. Enjoy your time with her, and don’t forget the coffee. ■
Inventing Joy By Joy Mangano Simon & Schuster, 304 pages, $26
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OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
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BOOK FESTIVAL
‘MacArthur’s Spies’: A Song of Bravery
Father’s WWII Stories Led Writer to Manila Spy
By Joe Sterling
By Joe Sterling
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
The Japanese occupation of the Philippines isn’t the first topic that comes to mind when many of us think of World War II. But Peter Eisner’s well-researched and compelling “Mac Arthur’s Spies: The Soldier, the Singer and the Spymaster Who Defied the Japanese in World War II” reminds us of that cruel clampdown and shines a light on an unheralded guerrilla battle against the occupiers. The title refers to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the American commander who pulled out of the Philippines after the Japanese onslaught but vowed, “I shall return.” And he did so victoriously, thanks in part to daring and resilient American and Filipino guerrillas and spies who worked to undermine an imperial Japan big-footing its way through Asia. “MacArthur’s Spies,” which Eisner will discuss Nov. 12 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, contains vivid vignettes throughout. Descriptions of Japanese brutality hit you like a slap in the face from start to finish. The colorful personalities of the grassroots resistance come to life. The spymaster is businessman Chick Parsons. The soldier is guerrilla leader Col. John Boone. The singer is Claire Phillips, an American spy who ran a Manila spot called the Tsubaki Club. The story of this “valiant but not angelic” woman, the book’s major character, is a hymn of bravery. Known as Madame Tsubaki, Phillips and other club hostesses teased, tantalized, cooed and in one case ginned up a Sally Rand-style fan dance for loose-lipped and inebriated Japanese officers kicking back in the club.
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The result? Nuggets of intelligence passed along by the officers found their way to U.S. guerrillas based in Bataan. Also known by a nom de guerre, High Pockets, Phillips helped get medicine, food and clothing to prisoners of war in the Philippines. The woman garnered some postwar fame with a 1947 memoir, “Manila Espionage,” and a portrayal of her in a 1951 movie, “I Was an American Spy.” But her image was weak, vague and in many cases fictional. Eisner, who saw a mention of her in a book about the rescue of Bataan march prisoners called “Ghost Soldiers,” set out to find more about the mysterious High Pockets. He used intelligence files, guerrilla operational reports and military histories. He retrieved depositions, court filings and sworn testimony from a court case for a claim of restitution she made “for the money she spent feeding guerrillas and prisoners of war.” “It was a gold mine of information about the anti-Japanese underground and about how Claire and her allies supported both guerrillas in the mountains and prisoners of war who were starving in camps,” Eisner writes. Her war diary, found in the court case folder, depicts “the life and times of a woman who maneuvered her way through Japanese occupation in the Philippines, suffering through deadly disease, indignities and imprisonment.” This laudable legwork is a lesson on getting a great story. The story is a tribute to the people who took it upon themselves to thwart a ruthless enemy. ■ MacArthur’s Spies By Peter Eisner Viking, 368 pages, $28
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The Atlanta Jewish Times interviewed Peter Eisner about “MacArthur’s Spies: The Soldier, the Singer and the Spymaster Who Defied the Japanese in World War II.” AJT: What compelled you to write this story? Eisner: I wrote several books and one long article about World War II in Europe. But my dad was a Navy officer in the South Pacific, and I wanted to find out what it was like for him. My dad was just a common man who joined the fight against fascism and Nazis. As I was researching, I found the deck logs of his ship. I was able to confirm the few stories he told me. I was able to read the day-by-day progress. It was very emotional for me. I wanted to go further. AJT: How did you discover the tale of Claire Phillips, an American spy in Manila? Eisner: One of my colleagues gave me a book called “Ghost Soldiers.” It was about the rescue of the men who were survivors of the Bataan death march. There was a chapter about this mysterious woman named Claire Phillips. I found her wartime diary at the National Archives. I was blown over. She vividly told the story of what it was like being in Manila during Japanese occupation. AJT: Why have other events in World War II, such as D-Day, overshadowed the war in the Philippines? Eisner: The United States, especially from the early summer to the end of 1944, was preoccupied and rightfully so with D-Day. It was easier to cover for journalists. The reporting was easier to receive. In the Philippines, the vast expanses of fighting from island to island made the logistics of covering this more difficult. The fascination with D-Day covered over the Battle of Leyte, the largest naval battle of World War II. AJT: Should there be a remake of the 1951 film about Claire Phillips, “I Was an American Spy”? Eisner: The movie is more fictionalized and more trite than the story of Claire Phillips should be. It’s even further from reality than her memoir, “Manila Espionage.” It was also the era of backlot quick shots. This was done
Peter Eisner says his search for people reaching a point of moral clarity reflects his Jewish perspective.
on a shoestring with everything but potted plants instead of a real jungle. I think her story deserves a better version of that, and it’s very cinematic. AJT: Are there any trends or facts in this story that correspond with the Jewish experience? Eisner: Philippines President Manuel Quezon rescued 1,200 Jews escaping Nazi Germany; Yad Vashem recognized him as a righteous gentile. My entire search for how people reach a moment of moral clarity and have a decision they have to make. My interest in that, my desire to talk about that, talks to who I am. It has everything to do with my background I bring to it, which has to do with a Jewish perspective. AJT: What can the events you describe teach us about today? Eisner: In World War II, there was a moment when there was no such thing as a red state and a blue state. There was unity among Americans to fight fascism and fight the Nazis. There were American ideas and values at stake, democracy and decency. My dad used to talk about the men he shared the ship with. He was working with a Southern guy who might not have had a high education. They were fighting together, though, the decent fight against evil. My readers are from both sides of the street. This is about all of us. AJT: Any surprises or insights during research? Eisner: Heroes come in all different sizes, forms. That was one of the great lessons I took from this. That for me made the story. During war, unassuming people have moments of moral clarity. I looked for a character like that and found one: Claire Phillips. She was a revelation. ■
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When Hitler Sent His Minions to L.A. By Rich Tenorio Reprinted by permission of The Times of Israel
It reads like a nightmare Hollywood script: Nazis in Los Angeles plan to kill some of the most beloved names in show business, including Charlie Chaplin and Busby Berkeley, and use the mass execution to launch pogroms against Jews in the United States. But this nefarious scheme and others like it were all too real in Los Angeles during the 1930s and 1940s. And they were all thwarted by a spy ring run by Leon Lewis, a founder of the Anti-Defamation League. Lewis and his network are the subjects of “Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America,” a new book by University of Southern California history professor Steven J. Ross, who will speak at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 12. The book illustrates how Nazi agents operated in L.A., beginning shortly after Hitler became chancellor in January 1933 and continuing through World War II. The agents’ goal in the early 1930s was chillingly clear. “Hitler and the brown shirts in the 1920s got disgruntled veterans of World War I to join their organization,” Ross said. “If they could get Americans who could attract other Americans, all military men, they would train other Americans for the day there would be a putsch in America.” Nazi agents arrived in L.A. in March 1933 and created Friends of New Germany, a lobbying and recruitment group for Nazis in the United States. (After 1936, the group was called the German-American Bund.) The first Nazi meeting in L.A. took place in July. From the start, Lewis was watching, Ross said. “They called him ‘the
most dangerous Jew in L.A.’ ” A World War I veteran and a founding executive secretary of the ADL, Lewis had seen enough in war of the evils men could do. In the fall he learned of a plot to seize the armories in San Francisco, L.A. and San Diego. “In a couple of days, all three would be taken over and Jews executed,” Ross said. Lewis shared the plot with L.A. Police Chief James Davis. But two minutes in, Ross said, the chief told Lewis: “Stop. You don’t get it. Hitler’s doing the right thing. The real danger is all the Jews in Boyle Heights, where all the Communists are.” In 1936, Lewis became a target of a Nazi plot. “They would ignite the Nazi Party in early 1936 by killing 20 men in teams of four,” Ross said. “It would be like Kristallnacht.” The targets included Busby Berkeley, Lewis and Mendel Silberberg, “the most powerful entertainment attorney in the U.S.” “They would be hung and shot, their bodies riddled in what was described as a hail of lead,” Ross said. “They fully expected, once this happened, to have pogroms throughout America and the beginning of mass violence against Jews.” The chief plotter, Ingram Hughes, had written anti-Semitic tracts for the American Nationalist Party “calling upon fellow Christians to create a Final Solution in 1935 for Jews,” Ross said. “Nobody was paying attention. Officers were too busy looking for Reds. They never considered that Nazis or Silver Shirts (an American fascist group) were a danger to them.” Hughes called off the plot, afraid his group had been infiltrated. One year later, former British military officer Leopold MacLaglen conceived a scheme to kill 24 Hollywood
stars and producers, including Charlie Chaplin and James Cagney. Ross described the premise: “When you hang Louis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn and the most famous man in the world, Charlie Chaplin, and they’re shot, like Hughes (had planned), it will start pogroms throughout America and lead to the mass extermination of American Jews.” MacLaglen was unaware that his right-hand man and one of his three American cohorts, Charles Slocombe, was a spy for Lewis. Slocombe, like many of Lewis’ spies, was Christian. He was also a member of the Ku Klux Klan and the American Silver Shirts. “He rose up to a very high (position) within the California Klan,” Ross said. “He was (Lewis’) highest-placed spy for 12 years.” MacLaglen was arrested and eventually deported. But the charge was extortion for blackmailing the millionaire. The plot was never mentioned. “In this plot, Leon Lewis covered up police involvement,” Ross said. “He did not want to embarrass them.” After Kristallnacht in 1938 and the Nazi buildup to World War II, the plots “became more and more espionage or sabotage,” Ross said. After the war began Sept. 1, 1939, “the Nazi secret agents were Gestapo agents who not even the German diplomats knew about.” Lewis’ spy network was inside the port of Los Angeles at the Deutsche Haus, where the Nazis met, Ross said. “They got names of potential fifth columnists from surveillance from within. They were sending all these names. The FBI was doing nothing. They sent them to the FBI, to Army military intelligence, naval intelligence and the FBI in the hope that one day someone would use them.” Ross credited Gen. George Mar-
shall with using material Lewis’ ring compiled. After the United States entered the war, the FBI used Lewis’ lists. Lewis worked as a spymaster through the end of the war. “Anti-Semitism, much to my surprise, went up after Pearl Harbor went down,” Ross said. “The America Firsters, the nationalists, who said that Jews were trying to get us into war, said when we get into war, we’ll get these Jews. Lewis kept his spies going after December 1941 till the end of the war. Jews in L.A. were still under threat.” He and his children were targeted by Nazi agents, and three of his spies died suspiciously, Ross said. After the war, Lewis left L.A. He remained active in Jewish affairs. In 1965, he died of a heart attack at age 54. His spy ring showed that Jews and Christians could unite to stop hate. “It was never presented as an opportunity on behalf of Jews. it was an American cause against hate groups in America calling for the death of certain people — whether Jewish-American or African-American or even, later on, Catholic-American,” Ross said. “All these first parts (before the) hyphen were the adjective. What mattered was the noun — the American.” ■
Hitler in Los Angeles By Stephen J. Ross Bloomsbury, 432 pages, $30
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
BOOK FESTIVAL
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BOOK FESTIVAL
They Are Family
Beach Read Worth Its Salt
By Alisa Haber
By Alisa Haber
Part memoir, part stand-up comedy routine, Annabelle Gurwitch’s “Wherever You Go, There They Are” delivers a witty portrayal of her oddball, largely dysfunctional family. You might know Gurwitch, who is speaking Nov. 15 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, from her long stint on TBS’ “Dinner and a Movie” or as Marisa Tomei’s friend Katy in the two-part “Cadillac” “Seinfeld” episode. But after reading “Wherever You Go, There They Are,” you will feel like part of Gurwitch’s family. From the imaginary friend who persuades a young Gurwitch to do her homework and brush her teeth to the make-believe younger sister who is conveniently always away at boarding school in Canada, you realize all the world’s a stage for this eccentric group. But it doesn’t matter if you remember which side of the family Uncle Sam is on, or how the Mobile, Ala., cousins are related. It’s all one big, happy (if not meshuga) mess of Southern Jews who love gumbo as much as gefilte fish. I have to admit that Gurwitch’s seemingly abusive use of the asterisk had me shaking my head, wondering
why these constant notations weren’t part of the main story or just left out altogether. An ah-ha moment comes on page 202 when the author acknowledges that her note “has nothing to do with this story.” So I decided to take the asterisks for what they are (the parenthetical whispers of an overly enthusiastic dinner date who wants you to know EVERYTHING there is to know but doesn’t want the whole restaurant to hear). After a while, you are glad you are being let in on the secret. Asterisks aside, by the end you will clearly be rooting for Gurwitch as she undertakes the task of trying to find the right place for her aging parents, who would be more comfortable in a casino than a caregiving facility. In the words of one of the residents at the Miami rest home where they end up, “love wins,” and so does this memoir. ■ Wherever You Go, There They Are By Annabelle Gurwitch Blue Rider Press, 296 pages, $26
Aerial Act Falls Flat By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Pam Jenoff deserves praise for delivering an original addition to Holocaust literature with “The Orphan’s Tale,” but her novel falls short of its potential. Jenoff, who is speaking at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 13, tells the story of a German circus struggling to survive in World War II while serving as a refuge for several people sheltering from the Nazis. The two main characters are hiding in plain sight as trapeze artists. Thanks to a pre-war marriage to an SS officer that took her to Berlin, Astrid is likely the last survivor of a Jewish circus family — a harsh discovery she makes when she goes home after her husband dumps her without warning in 1942. She’s a lifelong aerialist, so the head of a rival circus offers her a job, where she finds unlikely romance with a Russian clown. Noa, a Dutch teenager thrown 34 out by her parents after a German sol-
dier gets her pregnant, winds up with the same circus at its winter quarters in Darmstadt more than a year later. She is carrying a Jewish newborn she rescued from a train car full of infants bound for death, and she is tossed into Astrid’s act. Jenoff alternates between the viewpoints of Astrid and Noa to tell the tale. But the writer fails to give them distinct voices, instead achieving a generic, literary tone that rings false for both. “I inhale the air, which is choked with the fetid smell of decay” is not the voice of an unwed, undereducated teen mom who recently worked as a cleaning woman in a train depot. That failure of language is frustrating for two reasons: It turns a story with an interesting setup and a dramatic climax into a slog in the middle, and Jenoff, a literature professor with half a dozen novels to her credit, should know better. ■ The Orphan’s Tale By Pam Jenoff Mira, 368 pages, $15.99
Yes, Jamie Brenner’s “The Forever Summer” is chick-lit, but it is not a cliched Cape Cod summer romance novel. It’s true that waspy New Yorker Marin Bishop seems to take pride in her Anglican features and hardy work ethic, inherited from her driven Protestant father. But all that starts to unravel when the astute young lawyer is presented with undeniable DNA evidence by her heretofore unknown, Bohemian younger half-sister, Rachel Moscowitz. This revelation sparks a journey to visit Amelia, a woman believed to be both girls’ biological paternal grandmother. The timing is perfect, as Amelia, who runs a well-loved bed and breakfast in Provincetown, has recently decided to hang up the shutters. So there is plenty of room at the proverbial inn to host the eccentric characters who converge to help the two young women, and the older generation, find the peace that has eluded them. What was going to be just one
week turns into a “forever summer” as the two sisters keep finding reasons to extend their stay. Marin discovers her artistic side when Amelia’s wife begins to teach her the fine craft of mosaics. Rachel uncovers her own culinary talents as Amelia shares her great-grandmother’s recipes from Portugal. Of course, Brenner, who is speaking at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 7, provides the requisite handsome and aloof lover and the equally handsome “almost boyfriend” to keep both sisters swimming against the tide. But there is also the coming together of generations and the healing of old wounds as secrets are revealed and defeated. You don’t have to wait for summer to book your own stay at the Beach Rose Inn. Wrap yourself in this exquisite quilt of a beach read any season. ■ The Forever Summer By Jamie Brenner Little, Brown, 368 pages, $26
2 for the Price of 1 By Alisa Haber
In her long-awaited and newest novel, Nicole Krauss has written two books in one. In alternating chapters she tells the story of two unrelated people who have become lost and run away to Israel in the hope of finding themselves or possibly of losing themselves even more. The only connections seem to be the Tel Aviv Hilton and the Israeli desert, although they don’t cross paths in either place, or anywhere else, in this rich double tale. We learn first about Jules Epstein, a dynamic and successful lawyer in Manhattan who begins to shed his wealth, his family and ultimately his desire to live. Using the third-person narrative, Krauss, who appears Nov. 14 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, paints a vivid picture of a man who has become unattached to the material world by force (he is mugged) and by choice (donating his vast fortune in memory of parents who might not be deserving). In stark contrast, the parallel story of a writer named Nicole (no last name is given) is told in the first person, which raises a question: How autobiographical is this novel?
The narration may seem at first to be more intimate, but it also is bogged down by the philosophical meanderings of the novelist. While the story of Jules is physical and raw, the story of Nicole is a Kafkaesque journey into her thoughtful and probing mind. If you are not already a Kafka expert, you will want to Google him, especially the recently settled lawsuit about his personal papers, which takes center stage in Nicole’s drama. Still, the writing is beautiful with so many standout lines that my copy is dogeared and covered in highlighter. About motherhood: “No she had not been a calming force, his mother. … She had brought him to a state of vibrancy by means of provocation.” About children: “Every day they were replacing the atoms they were born with with those absorbed from their surroundings. Childhood is a process of slowly re-composing oneself out of the borrowed materials of the world.” While the themes of the lives of Epstein and Nicole are intertwined, ultimately their stories are unique and each their own. ■ Forest Dark By Nicole Krauss Harper Collins, 290 pages, $27.99
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Exploring the Houses That Sports Built Author Rafi Kohan’s entertaining new book, “The Arena,” explores the behind-the-scenes world of sporting events. “Everything but the game,” as he explains. What he’s after is how humans experience the venues where they watch their favorite athletes and teams compete and the ways in which those buildings reflect the larger society around them. “Stadiums are a metaphor for a wider way of life,” Kohan, a Brooklynbased writer who’s scheduled to appear at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 19, said in an interview. “The places take on an incredible meaning. A lot of this is about America — how we come together and what we are saying about ourselves.” As a longtime New York Yankees fan, Kohan is appalled at the new Yankee Stadium, which in 2009 replaced the original, the 1923 “House That Ruth Built.” While the name is the same, the fan experience is quite different. “It’s terrible,” Kohan said of the new place, which he visits several times a season because, after all, he remains a fan. And yet, “it’s the worst place to watch a game. It doesn’t feel like you’re a fan.” While the amenities are extravagant (reflected in significantly higher ticket and concession prices, even for New York), the sight lines aren’t as good, and the divide between the cheap seats and those behind home plate for the wealthy (and often unoccupied) is cavernous. “As much as in private memory, tradition wraps itself in physical spaces, seeping into the walls, the cracks in the concrete,” Kohan writes. “In a new home, there are no ghosts. It is easier to turn away.” He confesses his favorite ballpark is that of the Yankees’ biggest rival, the Boston Red Sox: the 105-year-old Fenway Park. Fenway, the Chicago Cubs’ aging Wrigley Field and the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field form the starting points of Kohan’s travelogue to some of the most iconic cathedrals of American sports. He sticks to baseball and professional and college football venues, talking to tailgaters, ticket scalpers, concession managers and security personnel. He meets with survivors of Hurricane Katrina who camped out in the Louisiana Superdome for days in degrad-
ing conditions in 2005, then cheered on the New Orleans Saints when they made their triumphant football return in 2006 (over the Atlanta Falcons on “Monday Night Football”) to help lift a suffering city, if only a little. “This escapism was part of the gift the Saints gave to the city,” Kohan writes. “But while the Superdome has been reclaimed, those stories of trauma remain, and some roil pretty close to the surface.” The trauma of one of college football’s most passionate fan bases is less about the venue than the haunting memories of the sex abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, which brought down legendary coach Joe Paterno. Kohan visits the Penn State campus — aka Happy Valley — and talks to Nittany Lions fans conflicted and arguing about the legacy of the late “Joe Pa,” a major benefactor on a campus that still hasn’t figured out how to recognize him after the scandal. “It surprised me, the extent to which it pervades the fan base, the legacy fan base,” Kohan said. “It is a real
divide, but it’s also amazing how winning can paper over the divide.” Another surprise for Kohan was his visit to Atlanta’s Turner Field, where he profiled Ed Mangan, the Braves’ respected groundskeeper, who is as secretive about his methods as he is meticulous and is somewhat fear-inducing for an author trying to learn the inner details of sod and grass. Groundskeepers are like fans, Kohan theorizes, in that “they’re all tilling fields in such a way. It sort of makes sense. I didn’t know he was going to be so prickly.” Kohan said he took in a game at the Braves’ new Cobb County home, SunTrust Park, during the 2017 season, and his worst fears about the new wave of ballparks were realized. While SunTrust provides a great fan experience, “it could be anywhere,” Kohan said. “It’s such a bummer. These are our own civic buildings. The idea that they’re built with a planned obsolescence in mind kind of sucks. There’s no legacy, so it’s disposable. There’s nothing good about it.” Kohan’s final trips are to the de-
serted Astrodome in Houston, where historic preservation efforts aim to reuse it, and the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., with its inflated roof fallen in years ago and the vast hulk of its metal frame decaying because of civic neglect and squabbling. While trying to remain optimistic, Kohan acknowledges that “when a stadium dies, that mark can feel more like a wound.” ■
The Arena By Rafi Kohan Liveright, 416 pages, $27.95
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
By Wendy Parker
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Reporter Is a Light Unto the Nations By Marita Anderson “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is the motto that began to appear on the masthead of The Washington Post in February. It is a short sentence that carries a lot of weight and tells volumes about the role of journalism in the complexity of today’s world. One of the newspaper industry’s brightest lights is Souad Mekhennet, a female Muslim journalist who travels to the depths of some of the darkest places on Earth — jihadi outposts — to get the stories of those who radicalize Islam for political gain. In her new book, “I Was Told to Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad,” Mekhennet describes her pursuit of truth as she interviews Islamic State operatives who are notorious for kidnapping, holding and executing journalists. Her sacrifices and courage in navigating this dangerous work are unparalleled. Her ability to bring insight and understanding to her readers about jihadi ideology directly from the sources has been recognized as invaluable, and she is slated to be the first Muslim journalist to receive the Daniel Pearl Award from the Chicago Journalists Association on Nov. 10, nine days before she speaks at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center. Mekhennet is the product of what Thomas Friedman called the “World Is
Photo by Ben Klib
Souad Mekhennet is due Nov. 10 to receive the Daniel Pearl Award, named for the Jewish Wall Street Journal reporter beheaded by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002.
Flat” generation. Born in 1978 in West Germany to a father from Morocco and a mother from Turkey, both migrant workers invited to help rebuild the German economy and fill blue-collar jobs, she is an amalgamation of cultures, languages, dialects and religions. Her mother is Shia, while her father is Sunni, and the family’s migrantworker status in Germany shaped their lives in a way that has allowed Mekhennet to understand the vulnerabilities of the radicalization of Muslim youth in Europe. Raised by her grandmother in Morocco because her parents worked too much to take care of a small child, Mekhennet learned the Koran and soaked up the North African culture. Back in Germany, she had to adapt to the realities of being “other.” While
she talks about the prejudice against Muslim and non-European migrant workers in Europe, she also describes her childhood encounters with Germans who became like family and a relationship with Jewish neighbors who were Holocaust survivors and influenced the trajectory of her life choices. She remembers that when neo-Nazis brutally murdered a Turkish grandmother and two children in 1992, the Jewish community was the most outspoken against the hate crime, while German politicians stayed silent. While other German teenagers might have had posters of pop stars on their walls, Mekhennet pinned a picture of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post journalists famous for their investigative reporting on Watergate. She believed from a young age that journalism can change lives. But in Germany the profession was reserved for “German Germans,” not children of blue-collar migrant workers. Sept. 11 was a pivotal moment for Mekhennet, as her ability to speak Arabic and her tenacious will to get the story were met with sudden interest in understanding the mindset of jihadis. In her book, she describes meeting a 9/11 widow who expressed her anger that the media had failed the American people by not talking about people around the world who hated us. She was invited to work for The
Washington Post, where she followed her intuition and knowledge with laser focus while making connections and staying culturally adaptive as she encountered treacherous situations in war zones. On multiple occasions, she documents confrontations that could have ended in her imprisonment or death. Mekhennet is soft-spoken and bright. She does not possess superhuman powers, but when reading her story or listening to her, you find yourself in awe of this extraordinary human being. Her message is simple: Build bridges, and you could change the course of history. ■
I Was Told to Come Alone By Souad Mekhennet Henry Holt & Co., 368 pages, $30
Rather Optimistic Amid American Crisis By Arlene Caplan Appelrouth aappelrouth@atljewishtimes.com
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Television journalist Dan Rather is patriotic, optimistic and eloquent. His new book, “What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism,” is easy to read. It consists of 15 essays that chronicle his more than 60 years as a journalist. The essays are part memoir and part American history. Rather’s love for America is evident in most of the essays. He writes that America at its best is a wonderful, diverse and spirited chorus infused with the joy of our glories and the pain of our failures. While conceding there has always been friction between politicians and journalists, he believes that the free press is in a state of crisis, which is a test for journalists and the nation. Presidents usually believe they 36 are being treated unfairly by the press.
George Washington complained about the press, and Rather speculates that each president since has echoed the complaint. He calls President Donald Trump’s repeated anti-press phrase “fake news” a “ludicrous mantra.” Rather’s opinion of the 45th president is clear. “Mr. Trump will be seen as a loser, and so will his new cheerleader Speaker of the House Paul Ryan,” he recently posted on Facebook. The iconic journalist, who is speaking at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 19, writes that every journalist he has ever met is patriotic and wishes fellow Americans well. “We hope our government leads with moral clarity and wisdom,” and, as a group, journalists’ “goal is to make America more peaceful, prosperous and just.” Rather writes that his biggest jour-
nalistic failure was not revealing that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no links to Al-Qaeda while President George W. Bush was running a “brilliant marketing campaign of subtle propaganda” leading to war in 2003. Rather, who grew up in Texas as the son of an oil worker, was born in 1936. It was 26 years before he first met a Jew after he moved to New York to work for CBS. “I had never heard of kosher food,” he writes, but his first Jewish friend took him to the Carnegie Deli for Jewish food. Rather’s essays deal with freedom, character, exploration and other topics he believes make America what is. Freedom of expression, in the press and in the arts, is central to democracy, he writes. He cites the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” which “echoes the narrative of the founders of our nation. It is the ultimate story of freedom, a vi-
tal part of what unites us.” Although Rather writes that our nation is in an existential crisis, his optimism is clear: “I marvel at the resilience of the human spirit.” ■
What Unites Us By Dan Rather Algonquin Books, 288 pages, $22.95
BOOK FESTIVAL
Leonardo Guides All of Us To Strive for Genius Western civilization likely has never produced a more creative genius or a more challenging subject for a biography than Leonardo da Vinci. Some know him for his detailed studies of human anatomy, exemplified by the Vitruvian Man drawing of a man in various poses within a circle. Others focus on his engineering ideas, from massive war machines to aircraft, all centuries ahead of their time. No one can overlook the artist who gave us the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.” Leonardo died 498 years ago at age 67, and he still has a hold on popular imagination, from the conspiracy theories of Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” to the flights of fancy of the Starz TV series “Da Vinci’s Demons.” The challenge for Walter Isaacson, who closes the opening weekend of the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center on Nov. 5, is to replace the Leonardo fantasies — he never built any of the machines he drew — with wonder at Leonardo’s limitless scientific, artistic and intellectual explorations without exhausting the reader who tries to follow wherever genius might wander. As a biographer, Isaacson has chased creative genius from Benjamin Franklin to Albert Einstein to Steve Jobs, and he said in an interview that Leonardo represents the culmination of those books. “Whether you’re a kid or a grownup, you could relate to the passion of his curiosity,” Isaacson said. “He wants to be able to build portable bridges, and he wants to be able to describe the tongue of a woodpecker.” That Leonardo did the latter but not the former makes him more human, Isaacson said. He pursued pure knowledge and perfection. Sometimes he made mistakes or lacked the math skills or simply couldn’t achieve the impossible, and he moved on to other challenges. Sometimes perfection was so close, as with the “Mona Lisa,” that he never could stop tinkering and improving. That refusal to settle for less than his best and to be known as a craftsman who gets things done rather than an unsurpassed genius gained Isaacson’s admiration and led him to recognize 20 lessons from Leonardo. Often counterintuitive — procrastinate, get
distracted, let the perfect be the enemy of the good — those lessons offer a way any of us can live more meaningfully and creatively. That is, more like the master. “Studying Leonardo inspires us to be more creative, more observant,” Isaacson said. His passion for Leonardo sometimes comes through more clearly than the Renaissance man’s passions, in part because it’s so difficult to conceive of anyone being as obsessive about as many things as Leonardo was. But Isaacson wants to convey the way Leonardo’s mind leapt about so readers can see the world the way he did, full of patterns, connections, beauty and possibilities. “I think that it’s a shame that he never published his notebooks and treatises because the printing press had already come along. He could have added to the spread of knowledge,” Isaacson said. “But it made it possible for me to go around the world and look at all these notebooks and pull them together.” This is not a book to plow through; it’s one to be savored and consumed in small bites like a gourmet tasting menu. Leonardo rewards patience and contemplation. Fortunately, Isaacson and publisher Simon & Schuster have delivered a coffee-table-quality book at a standard book price. You can tell the difference from the book’s weight before you open it and see the difference heavystock, coated paper can make in reproducing nearly 150 images. Isaacson said he pushed for the finest paper at a publisher’s meeting, and no one pushed back. “It’s Leonardo. He would want us to do that,” the writer said. “I think they realized this is a book people want to keep. … There’s something that’s bad karma if you print a Leonardo masterpiece on lowquality paper.” ■
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OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com
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OCTOBER 20 â–ª 2017
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LOCAL NEWS
The Cohen Brothers Band entertain festival attendees.
The weather makes for a quieter afternoon for the Ivy Rose Farm petting zoo.
Steven Goyne of Mercier Orchards poses with some favorite apple varieties.
Children find plenty of activities safe from the rain.
Sukkot Festival Draws Crowd Despite Rain Atlantans came to the Marcus Jewish Community Center by the hundreds for the Sukkot Farm-to-Table Festival despite rain related to the remnants of Hurricane Nate on Sunday, Oct. 8. The vendors kept selling their products, and the cooking demonstrations continued, while activities for children and families were moved to pavilions. About half the scheduled 600 peo-
ple attended, but many vendors still saw a surge in sales. Yalla and Souper Jenny were among the first food vendors to sell out, and the Keith’s Corner BBQ food truck was one of the last to leave with only a few items left. Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge and Atlanta’s Alumna Farm had booths near the cooking demonstrations throughout the festival. The culinary director of PeachDish, Seth Freedman, cooked for the crowd, and Kimball House’s Alex Lampert demonstrated
her pastry-making skills. Book Club’s lead singer, Robbie Horlick, provided music for the first part of the festival, and Atlanta’s Cohen Brothers Band, who performed at last year’s farm-to-table Sukkot dinner at Aluma Farm in Adair Park played bluegrass to close out the music for the afternoon. Children’s activities included a petting zoo provided by Ivy Rose Farm, art tables and games, as well as a singalong, an all-ages garden planting and
the Ladybug Events Garden Variety Show. JCC Rabbi Brian Glusman, who helped organize the event, was energized by the community celebration and expressed excitement about continuing the festival in future years. “The Farm-to-Table Festival is the perfect way to celebrate Sukkot,” he said. “Sukkot is a holiday that focuses on harvest and gratitude, and a program like this brings the community together to celebrate the concept.” ■
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
By Rachel Fayne
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BOOK FESTIVAL
Visiting Rabbi Teaches Value of Mindfulness By Sarah Moosazadeh sarah@atljewishtimes.com How to reduce anxiety and worry is among the subjects Rabbi Laibl Wolf plans to discuss during his lecture on “Mindfulness and Jewish Meditation: Living Consciously in the Now” at Chabad Intown’s Intown Jewish Academy on Thursday, Oct. 26. The lecture is part of a series of Atlanta-area Chabad appearances for Rabbi Wolf, including a class for Cobb Jewish Academy’s “Transform Negative Thoughts and Emotions” series at Chabad of Cobb on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and a lecture about positive thinking at a Milton home for Chabad of North Fulton on Wednesday, Oct. 25. With a background in law and psychology, Rabbi Wolf uses his training to teach people the importance of positive thinking through Hasidic teachings and Kabbalah. He has traveled across the world and spoken to groups from Buddhist monks to a Fortune 500 convention. The AJT spoke with Rabbi Wolf about his lectures. AJT: What interested you in becoming a spiritual teacher? Wolf: I found out early on in my career there were four specific areas that people were gravitating towards. The four areas included health and wellness, personal and time management, relationship enrichment, and spirituality, which encompassed anything from green ecological consideration, the environment and nonanimal testing to anything that had to do with the sensitivity of the planet. These were also the four areas which I noticed a lot of Jewish people were gravitating towards but not in a Jewish context. Nevertheless, I knew from my studies that Jewish spirituality possessed a tremendous amount to offer by way of mastery and began to develop programs which took those four areas and applied Jewish spiritual teachings.
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
AJT: How has your training in law and psychology influenced your teachings? Wolf: I am not sure there is a direct correlation; however, I have no doubt that it provided a base from which I learned how to view society and contemporary situations from an academic light and also from the light of those two disciplines. At the same time, however, I also saw the shortcomings within each of them. I saw lawyers 40 going into practice and lose their ideals
cial enjoyment, and, as a consequence of that, true depth of life’s meaning tends to elude most people.
As the son of Polish Holocaust survivors, Rabbi Laibl Wolf teaches the importance of meditation and mindfulness through ancient Hasidic teachings and contemporary psychology.
and sense of truth in lieu of protecting their client, just as I’ve found numerous contrary arguments and attitudes in psychology. From Freudian to nonFreudian and contemporary positive psychology, I recognized early on there wasn’t one true approach. That’s when I decided to jump back into Jewish spiritual teachings and found a match. So I guess they have influenced me, but in an indirect way. AJT: What are your lectures on mindfulness and Jewish meditation about? Wolf: If you Google the terms mindfulness and meditation today, you are going to get hundreds of different variations on the theme. I don’t think either of those words mean any one thing, as each of them has different meanings and are often substituted for one another. My point of view from a Jewish spiritual stance on mindfulness, for example, which is the more contemporary trend, is the use of focus-based techniques in order to be truly present in whatever is on one’s mind — that means thoughts, speech and behavior — and to be able to honor the object of that focus. That may be a person from a relationship context or one’s analytical process. In today’s world we have so many competing interests, we tend to have a very small or narrow span of focus, and I think we are losing a lot of richness of life as a consequence. That’s where meditation comes into play. It includes so many weird and wonderful things for people, and it ranges from many different approaches, probably
made popular from Indian gurus. However, for me this includes teachings in wisdom for long periods of time, which one takes and focuses on it to the point it becomes internalized within us and becomes an embodiment of one’s behavior and expression. AJT: What are some challenges people face regarding mindfulness? Wolf: I think there are two factors. One is mostly background, and the other is more concrete. I think the background factor is insecurity. We are living in a world when we are all plugged into each other politically and economically, and that tends to unsettle us because there are always issues, wars and horrific human behaviors in place, and although we were once distant from it, we are now constantly being assailed by media, which creates a sense of insecurity and tends to produce a negative mind. However, the more direct factor is that we are being raised to have much shorter and focused time spans and expect change quickly, which carries over into our adulthood. Life thus becomes an expectation of constant change and gives us a sense of superfi-
AJT: How can meditation or becoming mindful help people? Wolf: One has to adopt a philosophy of life that will guide them. Today most people don’t have them and will change as the media, fashion and trends evolve. So one has to be earthed and grounded in Judaism and that we are reincarnated in this world because we are individually unique and have something to offer. We all have to realize our unique gifts and make a contribution. We also have the Torah as a manual, which helps guide us and express that into the world. One also has to train their mind to become much more elastic and capable of seeking out that which is important vs. that which is not and place a greater capacity of spending more focused time on things that are right at hand and in front of us. AJT: What would you like guests to take away from your classes? Wolf: I’d like them to take away that the 3,700-year-old Jewish spiritual tradition, the longest span of tradition in the history of civilization, possesses intrinsic value and success through experimentation. So Jewish people would do well to at least look into their own backyard in order to gain life’s wisdoms and adopt a Kabbalah-like posture in everything that they do. I’d also like them to take away that each person in the audience has been brought into being because they have something to offer. There is no such thing as a redundant human being. Everything is perfectly constructed from above to play a significant role, which lends itself selfesteem and self-worth, which is one of the things people in today’s world are often in short supply of. I want them to walk out of the room taking on a posture of leadership and being able to be curious and open enough to discover the Jewish approach and share their gift with the rest of the world. ■
Who: Rabbi Laibl Wolf Where: Chabad of Cobb, 4450 Lower Roswell Road, East Cobb When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 Where: 10945 East Bluff Drive, Milton When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25 Where: Chabad Intown, 928 Ponce de Leon Ave., Poncey-Highland When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 Cost: $10 to $180; www.cobbjewishacademy.org, www.chabadnf.org or www. intownjewishacademy.org
LOCAL NEWS
Free Havdalah Show To Close Shabbat Project Atlanta last year was one of 1,150 cities worldwide to participate in the third annual Shabbat Project, which attracted an estimated 1 million participants. This year’s festivities are scheduled for the final weekend of October and include a Kiddush block party in Toco Hills, the Great Big Challah Bake at the Marcus Jewish Community Center and a large Havdalah concert at Atlanta Jewish Academy with music by the Eitan Katz Band and local hip-hop artist Sammy K. The Great Big Challah Bake will kick off the celebration Thursday night, Oct. 26. More than 800 women from metro Atlanta are expected to participate in the mitzvah of making challah together. The cost is $18. On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 28, Toco Hills congregations and other organizations are joining to host a free Shabbat block party Kiddush luncheon outside Congregation Beth Jacob. Young Israel of Toco Hills, Torah Day
School of Atlanta, Atlanta Jewish Academy, Congregation Netzach Israel and the Atlanta Scholars Kollel are among the gold-level sponsors. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. That Saturday night the Shabbat Project will conclude with a free concert that will include a kosher nosh buffet and an open bar, thanks to event sponsors A Plus, Jimmy Baron and Associates, Business CFO for Hire, Cotton Cravings, and Federal Savings Bank and Physician Loans. The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival is producing the concert. The Shabbos Project started in South Africa. Rabbi Warren Goldstein, the current chief rabbi of South Africa, asked South African Jews to observe Shabbat in the traditional sense for one week, all together, during Parshat Lech Lecha. Atlanta has participated the past few years in the global event, which is unaffiliated with any stream of Judaism. For more information on the Shabbat Project in Atlanta, visit atlanta.theshabbosprojectusa.org. ■
Deezer Streaming Service Discovers Sammy K Jewish Atlanta hip-hop artist Sammy K has teamed up with music streaming service Deezer on its new Dare to Discover campaign. The campaign, which encourages people to celebrate their differences and embrace change through music, features a series of videos. Sammy K’s is the second installment in the minidocumentary series. The film explores his life in Atlanta and his inspiration in music. “Deezer encourages people to discover and celebrate their differences and to challenge the status quo through music,” said Sammy K, who grew up in Toco Hills. “Discovery feeds my passion for music, so I couldn’t think of a better partner to share my musical flow, uncover my inspiration and honor my heritage through my #DaretoDiscover film.” The short film highlights Sammy K’s recent viral video success rapping on the streets of New York dressed in Hasidic garb. It also covers how he was inspired by the death of a close friend in a terror attack.
Deezer has 12 million active users around the world and features more than 43 million tracks. It has a free option and a premium, ad-free option for $9.99 per month. “We are excited to be bringing the Dare to Discover campaign to life through unearthing artists who have been challenged in some way while simultaneously driving home the message that music should have no barriers,” said Julia Herd, Deezer’s global vice president of communications. “We are delighted to be working with another musical inspiration, Sammy K, and look forward to expanding this further over the coming months.” Samuel Kalnitz, known as Sammy K, performs music influenced by the rappers and hip-hop artists he listened to growing up in what is now the rap capital of the United States. His beats have the familiar sound of trap music, a form of rap rooted in Atlanta. Watch Sammy K’s Dare to Discover video at youtube.com/watch?v=bLU58asAdA. ■
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SIMCHAS
Wedding Menkin-Joseph Harlyn and Michael Joseph of Sandy Springs announce the marriage of their son, Benjamin Joseph, to Jessica Menkin, daughter of Randi Menkin of Marietta. The ceremony and reception were held Sept. 10 at the Peachtree Club in Buckhead, with childhood friend and Davis Academy classmate Rabbi Max Miller of Temple Emanu-El officiating. The groom has a B.B.A. in managerial sciences from Georgia State University and works at VMware in Atlanta. The bride is a graduate of the University of Georgia and works for Travelers Insurance. After a honeymoon in Greece, the couple lives in Atlanta. ■
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OBITUARIES
Martin Arlook 85, Sandy Springs
Martin M. Arlook, age 85, passed away peacefully Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, at his home in Sandy Springs in presence of his loving wife, Elinor, his son, Richard, and his grandchildren. Marty was a native of Jersey City, N.J., and served in various senior executive service positions for more than 50 years with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the nation’s premier law enforcement agency in the protection of the labor rights of private-sector employees. He retired as regional director of the NLRB in Atlanta in 2011. At the time of his retirement from the Atlanta Region, where he supervised all agency operations in Georgia, northern Alabama and eastern Tennessee, he was the longest-serving active regional director in the country. He also served the NLRB in Puerto Rico, first as regional attorney and then as regional director (from 1969 to 1982). He began his NLRB career in the Manhattan Regional Office in 1960. He was a member of the Bars of New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. Arlook graduated with honors from the Milford Preparatory School in Connecticut and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago. He received his law degree from Rutgers University, where he served as an editor of the law review, and, from 1956 until 1959, served as an assistant staff judge advocate at 3rd Army headquarters in Atlanta. He retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. After active military service, Marty attended New York University, where he received his master of laws degree in labor law. Marty’s first and most enduring love was his family. He is survived by beloved wife Elinor, to whom he was married for more than 57 years. Son Richard (Nicole) heads The Arlook Group, a personal management, production and consulting firm in the entertainment industry in Beverly Hills, Calif. Marty adored his five grandchildren, Rachel, Emily, Ethan, Dylan and Romy, and was devoted to sister Florence. The Arlooks’ younger son, Edward, required and received specialized health care and passed away in 2006. Marty loved the law and felt privileged to devote his career to public service. At the time of his retirement in 2011, he said, “I shall miss doing the good work we do and, of course, those with whom it is done.” He mentored scores, if not hundreds, of labor lawyers, whom he loved and respected and who loved and respected him in return. He was widely admired by those who knew him for his knowledge, his love of work, his love of music, his sense of humor (and ability to terrifically tell a hilarious, and at times bawdy, joke) and his pursuit of life to the fullest. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. The funeral was held Monday, Oct. 16, at Bernheim Apter Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel in Livingston, N.J., with Rabbi Matthew Gerwitz officiating; burial followed in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Fairview, N.J. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327, www.weinsteinhospice.com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
and he loved to entertain people with his singing. He was preceded in death by a brother, Solomon Beton, and a sister, Sue Hanan. He is survived by a brother, Morris Beton, and nephews R. Robert Beton and A. Vic Beton. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Funeral services were held Tuesday, Oct. 17, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Hayyim Kassorla officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Congregation Or VeShalom, 1681 N. Druid Hills Road NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319, www.orveshalom.org, or to the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Dorothy Holzer 96, Sandy Springs
Dorothy Zofia Holzer, 96, of Sandy Springs died Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Gilbert and Gail Holzer; her grandchildren, Corey and Talya Holzer, Tara and Ryan Goldstein, Kenneth and Caron Holzer, and Ryan and Vicki Holzer; and her great-grandchildren, Jaron, Jordy and Ella Holzer, Kaden, Lindsay, Brady and Cameron Goldstein, and Khloe and Cole Holzer. Dorothy was born in 1921 to Sima and Gedalye Rosenberg in Rozwadow, Poland. She survived the Holocaust while hiding in Poland throughout the war with her husband of 58 years, Marian Holzer, of blessed memory. After living in Israel from 1949 to 1952, they immigrated to Montreal, where they resided until 1995, then moved to Atlanta to be closer to family. Her husband predeceased her in 1998, and she became an active member of their synagogue, Congregation B’nai Torah, of which she was always very proud. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice. The graveside funeral was held Sunday, Oct. 8, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Joshua Heller officiating.
Continued on the next page
Isaac Beton Isaac Robert Beton of Tucker passed away Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. He was 94 years old. He was born in Atlanta on April 3, 1923, the son of Ralph Beton and Mary Piha Beton. He served honorably in World War II in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a member of the courageous 417th Night Fighter Squadron. After the war he moved to Los Angeles, where he attended the University of Southern California and stayed almost 50 years before moving back to the Atlanta area. While in Los Angeles he became a CPA and later an attorney. He worked for the IRS and then in private practice, specializing in tax law. His profession in Los Angeles saw him meet and cross paths with many of the stars of that era, such as Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield, Jane Wyman, Edward G. Robinson and Frank Sinatra. He loved music, art, the opera and travel. He visited all continents and over 100 countries, Obituaries in the AJT are written and paid for by the families; contact Associate Publisher Kaylene Ladinsky at kaylene@atljewishtimes.com or 404-883-2130, ext. 100, for details about submission, rates and payments. Death notices, which provide basic details, are free and run as space is available; send submissions to editor@ atljewishtimes.com.
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
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OBITUARIES Continued from page 43
Evelyn Lefkoff 83, Atlanta
Evelyn Teskey Lefkoff passed away at home peacefully Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, at the age of 83 after a heroic battle with amyloidosis. Diagnosed five years ago, she searched the Internet for support and treatment. She discovered a support group and received treatment from the Mayo Clinic. The treatment delayed the progression of the disease, giving her five more years of life. Evelyn was born and raised in Augusta, the daughter of Jennie Teskey and Julius Teskey, of blessed memory. An only child, Evelyn bonded with her many cousins, and they remained like siblings throughout her life. She was always social and outgoing and was the AZA sweetheart of the Augusta chapter. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Harold, whom she met in Augusta in 1950 during his medical school years. They moved to Atlanta, where she devoted her life to her husband and her family. Her marriage with Harold was the selfless embodiment of love, honor, trust and devotion. Evelyn was a devoted mother and grandmother. She provided her family with energy, a zest for life and guidance. She is survived by her children, Helen Lefkoff (Robert Faulk), Larry (Bundi) Lefkoff and Craig (Faye) Lefkoff. She cherished her seven grandchildren, Alexis (Andy), Missy (Mechel), Steven (Anna), Ryan (Meredith), Julie (Bradley), Jenna and Blake. Evelyn was blessed with seven great-grandchildren as well. Evelyn invested her life in the nurturing, love and support of her children. She raised them in a home where they could explore life confidently and have their own successes, and she leaves them very close-knit. Evelyn had a flair for entertaining and hosted family and friends at dinner parties, cocktail parties and all holidays. She loved to plan every detail, and her family relished meals that she lovingly made. She filled her home with many friends, family and guests, bringing joy to everyone. Evelyn was an ardent tennis player and enjoyed tennis with Harold, her children and her friends. She played competitively with ALTA. She was a challenging competitor at canasta and mah-jongg. She was a creative talent. She wrote shows and musicals for sisterhood groups and charity functions. She arrived at every lifecycle event with a personalized tribute poem that she had written. She was an expert shopper and navigated every mall and store with precision and skill. She was always perfectly dressed and entered every room vibrant and glowing.
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She had a huge heart of gold, caring most about others and their needs and happiness. She had a tremendous faith in G-d. Her influence, her zest and enthusiasm for life, and her faith will be passed for generations through the lives of her children and grandchildren. She will be deeply missed. Donations may be made to Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327, www.weinsteinhospice.com, to Amyloidosis Support Groups, 232 Orchard Drive, Wood Dale, IL 60191, amyloidosissupport.org, or to Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Atlanta, GA 30327, www.aasynagogue.org. The graveside funeral service took place Sunday, Oct. 15, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.
Death Notices
Ruth Aronson, 98, of Dunwoody, mother of Temple Kol Emeth member Wayne Aronson, on Oct. 12. Martin Berman of Atlanta on Sept. 29. Yelena Berman of Atlanta on Sept. 23. Rabbi Yehudah Dickstein, 98, of Dunwoody, Holocaust survivor and father of Dena Friedman, Rivka Lipschutz and Rabbi Mendel Dickstein, on Oct. 15. Beverly Feifer, 82, of Marietta, a Temple Sinai member and mother of Allan Feifer, on Oct. 3. Sylvia Gordon of Marietta on Sept. 24. Nonnette Gottlieb, 95, of Sandy Springs, mother of Joseph Gottlieb and Linda Gottlieb, on Sept. 26. Rose Joseph, 92, of Delray Beach, Fla., a Holocaust survivor, wife of Rudolph Joseph, and mother of Temple Sinai member William Joseph and Steven Joseph, on Sept. 21. Mary Kelley, 62, mother of Temple Sinai member Erin Brachman, on Sept. 23. Harold Landey, 74, of Winter Springs, Fla., brother of Temple Sinai member Ben Landey, on Oct. 5. James Mattox, 58, of Marietta, son of Josephine Mattox and brother of Suzanne Atterbury, Annette Stroud, Paul Mattox and Josephine Lucas, on Oct. 8. Marianne Nieman, 97, of Atlanta, mother of Susan Nieman Winner and sister of Donald Goldstein, on Oct. 16. Betty Robinson, 87, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., mother of Temple Sinai member Stacey Wypyski, Golden Bearman and Richard Robinson, on Oct. 2. Sarra Shaulova of Atlanta on Oct. 12. Sidney Weiner of Roswell on Oct. 2. Marcia Zarett of Alpharetta on Oct. 13. Merrill Zinder of Albany, N.Y., on Sept. 28.
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
Becoming a Goat Herder
OCTOBER 20 ▪ 2017
Sure, I had dreams when I was young. I dreamed of being an actress (for Universal Studios, with Edith Head as my designer). I dreamed of saving children. I had lots of dreams. My dad and I were not on the same page: “A secretary is what you will be!” Neither of us dreamed I’d be a goat herder. When goats escape, whom do you call? Goat herders! Within a year of my arrival in Atlanta, I was offered a dream position as director of Camp AJECOMCE at the Atlanta Jewish Community Center. I was lucky enough to recruit the most extraordinary staff, who returned year after year and helped build a first-class Jewish summer camp experience. Unbeknownst to me, one of these staff members told his mom: “You and Shaindle should meet. You will love her, and you will become friends.” He was right. Gail and I became fast friends, a friendship that continues to evolve and deepen and is a treasured gift. The camp had grown to nearly 1,000 campers for the summer. We needed a full-time assistant director. As soon as Gail mentioned she was thinking of going back to work, I offered her the position. Camp offered a myriad of activities, including a huge vegetable garden and a farm with animals. Horses were housed in our beautifully maintained stables. We had rabbits, chickens with a rooster, a pig, goats and sheep, to name a few. For the most part, all our animals got along. For the most part. The animals were safe and secure behind gated and locked fencing, so we never anticipated an escape. It all began with the sheep. Gail, who lived closest to the camp, received the 2 a.m. emergency call. The sheep had broken free. While her oldest son sang, “Baaa, baaa,” the rest of her family followed the sounds of the sheep’s urgent “baaa, baaa” replies and herded them back where they belonged. The morning the sheep escaped, word spread like wildfire throughout our animal farm. Given that each animal spoke its own language, our hope was they could not communicate how wonderful an escape can be. 46 We were wrong. The goats de-
cided it was their turn and hatched an escape plan. (Please do not send me emails that goats don’t hatch.) Our goats roamed around Dunwoody, searching for something delicious to eat, like tin cans or paper plates. Kosher was not one of their dietary concerns. When their escape was discovered, Gail and I jumped into action.
CROSSWORD
By Shaindle Schmuckler shaindle@atljewishtimes.com
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We turned over the camp’s opening ceremonies to our valued staff and went off on a search we prayed would end well for the goats and for us. We took a right out of Zaban Park and ran down Tilly Mill Road while shouting for the unnamed goats. When we turned to be sure they were not in back of us, we saw, to our horror, a MARTA bus following us down Tilly Mill Road. Passengers gravitated to the front of the bus where they and the bus driver had a first-class look at these two crazy ladies shouting and waving their hands. As I recall, we heard someone shout that the goats were spotted in the cul-de-sac down the street. The bus driver returned to getting his riders to their destinations, and we were on our own. As we turned into the cul-de-sac, we spotted the goats climbing the steps to a front door. Wait, is that today’s paper they are munching on? Either the owners thought it was a hallucination, or they were too dumbfounded to open the door. Just think about what could have happened had they opened the door. That hand-carved dining table that cost a month’s salary would have been devoured in minutes. Finally, one of our staff drove up in his jeep. We coaxed the nameless goats into the vehicle and returned them to the farm. The campers and staff greeted us with resounding cheers. Gail and I suddenly realized what we had just endured. We could not stop laughing — or was it crying? We reassured each other that, while we were good at other things, there was no shame in realizing that goat herding was not in our future. Is there even a school for this? ■
“Channel Into”
By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Medium
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Lubitsch 36. Companion of Thummim 39. Comprehend 41. Speak to the congregation 44. Shaded, like some ’50s DOWN cars 1. One of many needed to 46. “For sure” print the Talmud 47. Activity for one going 2. Kind of sax through this puzzle’s theme 3. “Frozen” animal 49. 1950 Asimov classic 4. Class on the Maccabean 51. Dessert that sounds revolt like dirt 5. Recite, as a psalm 54. Gaseous element No. 6. One of valor or courage 18 7. Horowitz who directed the 55. One of 16 in a cup; documentary “U.N. ME” abbr. 8. TV Friend 56. Ahava ingredient 9. ___ Titus 57. Shofar sound 10. Many who made aliyah 58. Like the Sinai in the ’90s 60. Put on board, as cargo 11. Small, brown bird 61. Licorice-flavored liqueur 12. It’s also spelled Akko of Spain 13. Giant of a Giant 62. Yom Kippur animal 19. The sacrifice of Isaac, 64. Driver in “Star Wars” e.g. movies 21. Some questions 24. Bud Selig’s former org. 26. Bombards with cybertreif 27. Judaism source 28. One who has never won a championship in 24-Down LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 30. Fisher in J A K E S A B B A I N K S “Now You See A D E L E S E E P S E R A Me” C A R L R E I N E R R I A L 31. Jerusalem O R E E L M E R C A L V E B I T S I O S S U E S hotel once E R E V A I R L I N E called The A I M E E O L D T I M E R LaRome S S E S T A N L E E O R A 32. “With A L L O C A T E S A N D S Reagan: The S A B R I N A A M T S Inside Story” R A N K A L A H A M M author Edwin A B O N D P A U S E D O E 33. “Heaven S N O G H E R M A N W O U K C A K E A S O N V E R N E Can Wait” H I S S Y O N I Y E N T L director 1
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