Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCII No. 42, October 27, 2017 by Atlanta Jewish Times

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Celebration Of Education

The long-awaited day arrived for Atlanta Jewish Academy on Oct. 17: move-in for the new Upper School building. “I walked from my office and headed down to what used to be the ‘hard hat zone.’ All that covered my head this Tuesday was my kippah,” AJA’s head of school, Rabbi Ari Leubitz, wrote in his weekly message to the school. “As I approached the Upper School, I almost expected to hear the sounds of hammers, drills, saws and machines — but they were now thankfully replaced with an (equally as noisy, but much more pleasant!) orchestra of voices in our Student Commons.” You can see the joy of the students and staff at the academy’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/AtlJewishAcademy. AJA is dedicating the building at its L’Chaim event Sunday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m.; tickets are $100 at bit.ly/2xjENXo. If you miss that chance, the school is holding a ribbon-cutting at noon Sunday, Nov. 12, at the start of its Jaguar Games. Read more about education in this week’s special section, Pages 17-30: • Former Consul General Reda Mansour is back to teach at Emory, Page 17. • Protests are supposed to spark anger, a 1960s Freedom Rider tells Weber School students, Page 22. • Opening the Boy Scouts to girls draws criticism, Page 28. ■

Top photo by Eric Bern

Jewish Atlanta’s BBQ Paradise

The fifth annual Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival drew more than 5,500 people to Dunwoody’s Liane Levetan Park at Brook Run on Sunday, Oct. 22, to enjoy some of the finest kosher barbecue the South has to offer. Twenty-three teams fired up the grills to see who could make the best brisket, ribs, chicken and beans at the Hebrew Order of David-organized event. Shiksa Q & Stu was declared the grand champion with a first-place score in brisket and fourth in ribs. Blue Crew BBQ, the team from the Cobb County Police Department, took first in ribs and won the Servicemen’s Cup, a prize for the top team among fire and police teams. Oseh Shalow & Slow captured first place in beans, and the BBQ’N Hebrew Hillbillies got first in chicken, team name and booth. Chick-Oy-Vey won the Marvin Rembo People’s Choice Award. Although the AJT’s Meat the Press team did not finish first in any category, AJT Publisher Michael Morris was awarded the Enoch Goodfriend Mensch of the Meat Award. Visit atlantajewishtimes.com for more BBQ photos.

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INSIDE Candle Lighting �� 4 Israel News ��6 Politics ��10 Sports �� 11 Opinion ��12 Book Festival ��32 Obituaries ��36 Crossword ��38 Marketplace ��39

FOR ALL AGES

What do a 79-year-old Supreme Court justice and a 9-year-old schoolgirl have in common? Both are Jewish authors speaking at the Book Festival, and both talked to us first. Pages 32-34

OCTOBER 27 â&#x2013;ª 2017

MA TOVU

Tomatoes and Fries

hefty abdomen, I turned the knob and my eyes widened in shock. Could there be two Meira Fishbergs? “Oh, sorry,” I stuttered, backing out. “I must have the wrong office.” An attractive, very overweight woman ambled forward, hand out. “Chani Hoffman?” she asked with a broad, welcoming smile. “Uh, y-yes,” I said. “I guess I’m in

Shared Spirit Moderated By Rachel Stein rachels83@gmail.com

the right place after all.” “Why don’t you come in and have a seat?” Meira said. “Th-thanks,” I said, heaving my bulk into a leather armchair. “What brings you here?” Meira said. “How can I help?” Well, Chani, you’re here. May as well give it a shot. I left the office an hour later, clutching my food plan like a lifeline in a raging sea while hope swished inside. Could I triumph this time? Was there a finish line I could cross? I envisioned attending my nephew’s wedding in six months clad in a sleek, svelte dress, and a small smile hovered on my lips. “Chani,” my elegant sister-in-law, who never gained an ounce, would beam at me, her mouth agape. “Is it really you? You’re half a lady!” After seeing Meira for a few months and following her plan, I began to see results. Dr. Wein was thrilled, and my family and friends, especially Lori, admired my progress and dedication. For the first time in years, I anticipated a family simcha. Had I known from the get-go that Meira Fishberg was obese, I would never have considered using her for help in achieving my weight goals. But, to my incredulity, Meira is a competent nutritionist. So here is the dilemma: Would you use a professional who has the same problem you’re struggling with? Would you seek help from a child psychologist who has rebellious children, a marriage therapist who is divorced or an addiction counselor who is a former addict? I’d love to hear your opinion! ■ Please send responses to rachels83@ gmail.com by Monday, Oct. 30.

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OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Streams of people surrounded us, making their orders and enjoying camaraderie over lunch. Bursts of laughter filled the restaurant as frazzled waitresses bustled back and forth. Yet I was practically oblivious. “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” I said, spearing a tomato smothered in ranch dressing. “My doctor told me I’m at risk for diabetes and heart problems, but I just can’t seem to take on the diet thing. Every time I start, a significant reason pops up and entices me to indulge in that brownie or hot fudge sundae.” Lori put up her hand, and I intuited what she was going to say. “I know, I know,” I said. “Diet is a bad word. It’s called a lifestyle change. Call it what you want; it amounts to the same asceticism.” Dipping her spoon into her steaming broccoli soup, Lori sipped, smiled and nodded. “I have just the person for you,” she said. “Meira Fishberg is a nutritionist I started seeing a year ago. She’s not cheap, but she really helped me chart a path.” I studied Lori. She had dropped a size or two and seemed to glow with good health. Maybe it was worth a shot. But then cynicism raised its head. “How?” I lifted my hands in despair. “I’ve tried every plan on the planet. Sure, the weight starts slipping off, and I begin entertaining dreams. But inevitably something happens to disrupt the flow, like the holidays or a family simcha. And once I’m off, it is such a struggle to climb back on.” “I’m telling you, Chani, Meira can help. I am an avowed chocoholic. If she can help me, she can help anyone.” I gazed enviously at Lori’s Size-6 physique and sighed. Could I? Should I? More time, more money, more failure? But what choice did I have? Dr. Wein warned me I’m a walking time bomb if I don’t change my habits. “OK, OK,” I acquiesced, waving down our waitress. “A double order of french fries, please.” Lori narrowed her eyes. “It’s my last fling, OK?” Lori handed me Meira’s card, and I dialed the number, feeling like an alcoholic guzzling his last drink. “Before I change my mind,” I whispered, smiling as the waitress plunked down the plate of fries. The next day I knocked hesitantly when I arrived at Meira’s office. “Come in,” a cheerful voice called. Sucking in my breath and my

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CALENDAR THURSDAY, OCT. 26

Current events. National Council for Jewish Women Atlanta, 6303 Roswell 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. Listening forum. The Jewish Federation holds a discussion (targeting LGBTQ+people) on the needs in Jewish Atlanta as part of its Front Porch initiative at 7 p.m. at SOJOURN, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Suite A, Atlanta. Free; RSVP to thefront-porch@jewishatlanta.org or 404870-1617. Being mindful. Rabbi Laibl Wolf speaks on “Mindfulness & Jewish Meditation” at 7:30 p.m. at the Intown Jewish Academy, 928 Ponce de Leon Ave., PonceyHighland. Tickets are $18; 404-898-0434 or www.intownjewishacademy.org.

FRIDAY, OCT. 27

Acoustic Shabbat. The Marcus JCC, Atlanta Jewish Music Festival and Weber School sponsor a coffee-house welcoming of Shabbat with music at 7 p.m. at Java Monkey, 425 Church St., Decatur. Free (food and drink available for purchase); www.facebook.com/ events/137518623542027.

SATURDAY, OCT. 28

Shabbat block party. Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855 LaVista Road, Toco Hills, hosts the world’s largest community Shabbat Project Kiddush luncheon, co-sponsored by Young Israel of Toco Hills, New Toco Shul, Congregation Netzach Israel, Chevra Ahavas

Yisrael, Atlanta Scholars Kollel, and several day schools and other educational groups, at 11:45 a.m. Free; www. shabbatblockparty.com. Havdalah concert. Atlanta Jewish Academy, 5200 Northland Drive, Sandy Springs, hosts a concert with Eitan Katz and Sammy K, including a kosher buffet and an open bar, to conclude the 2017 Shabbat Project at 9 p.m. Free but limited space; reserve seats at bit.ly/ Havdallah_Concert_RSVP.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29

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. Admission 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. Book event. Local author Steven Cooper holds a reading of his new mystery, “Desert Remains,” at 2 p.m. at Tall Tales, 2105 LaVista Road, No. 108, Toco Hills. Free; stevencooperbooks.com.

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. Mikvah education. Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta and MACoM, 700-

Remember When

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

10 Years Ago Oct. 26, 2007 ■ Jewish troops serving in Afghanistan, in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, received New Year’s cards created by fourth- and fifth-graders at Greenfield Hebrew Academy, thanks to the idea of 9-year-old Adele Stolovitz. Her anesthesiologist father, Gary, is serving in Iraq, and Adele expanded her initial plan to create a “get well soon” poster for his hospital. ■ The bat mitzvah of Rebecca Edison Taylor-Klaus 4 of Atlanta, daughter of David and Elaine Taylor-

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Lech Lecha Friday, Oct. 27, light candles at 6:31 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, Shabbat ends at 7:26 p.m. Vayeira Friday, Nov. 3, light candles at 6:25 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, Shabbat ends at 7:20 p.m.

Corrections & Clarifications

• Because of a production error on the part of the AJT, the wrong ad for Liquid X Cream, referring to Passover, appeared in the Oct. 13 issue. • Joy Mangano has sold more than $3 billion worth of products. The figure was incorrect in a book review Oct. 20. • “Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire)” author Jen Glantz’s blog is The Things I Learned From (thethingsilearnedfrom.com). The name was incorrect in an interview Oct. 20. A Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, hold a lunch-and-learn session on “Demystifying Mikvah: Claiming This Traditional Women’s Ritual as Our Own” for women at noon. Free; jwfatlanta.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. Listening forum. The Jewish Federation holds an open forum on the needs in Jewish Atlanta as part of its Front Porch initiative at 6:30 p.m. at Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway, East Cobb. Free; RSVP to thefront-porch@jewishatlanta.org or 404870-1617. 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.

Kosher dinner. Le Marais, a kosher steakhouse in New York, brings its cookbook tour and dinner to Congregation Beth Tefillah, 5065 High Point Road, Sandy Springs, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100 until Oct. 18, then $125; congregationbethtefillah.shulcloud.com/ form/LeMarais.html.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1

Mommy & Me/Babyccino. Chabad of North Fulton, 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta, holds a class for children up to 2½ years old and their mothers at 10:30 a.m. Details by contacting hs@ chabadnf.com or 770-410-9000. Listening forum. The Jewish Federation holds an open forum on the needs in Jewish Atlanta (targeting emptynesters) as part of its Front Porch initiative at 6:30 p.m. at Jewish Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Free; RSVP to the-front-porch@jewishatlanta.org or 404-870-1617. Holocaust discussion. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum sponsors a discussion on “Americans and the Nazi Threat: What Did Atlantans Know?” at 7 p.m. at The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St., Midtown. Free; www.ushmm.org/ events/nazi-threat-atlanta.

Send items for the calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes.com. Find more events at atlantajewishtimes.com/events-calendar.

Klaus, took place Saturday, Aug. 25, at Camp Barney Medintz. 25 Years Ago Oct. 23, 1992 ■ British historian David Irving told a Smyrna audience this week that no gas chambers existed at Nazi concentration camps and that “there’s not a shred of evidence that Hitler order the death of 6 million Jews.” Twenty placard-carrying demonstrators repeatedly shouted “Nazi” and “you lie” before being removed from the lecture. ■ Dr. Kathryn Spahr and Dr. Michael Reznik of Atlanta announce the birth of a son, Jordan Alexander, on Sept. 27.

50 Years Ago Oct. 27, 1967 ■ Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek has chosen Atlanta to start his three-city tour of the United States next month. The mayor will speak about the city’s conditions and the plans for the administration of a united Jerusalem during an address to the annual donor dinner of the Atlanta chapter of Hadassah on Nov. 5 at the Regency Hyatt House. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Arnold D. Ellison of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Paula Marjorie Ellison, to Richard Alan Woolf, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Woolf of Miami Beach. A Dec. 17 wedding is planned at Beth Jacob Synagogue.

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Contributors This Week ARLENE APPELROUTH PAULA BAROFF YONI GLATT JORDAN GORFINKEL LEAH R. HARRISON KEVIN C. MADIGAN LOGAN C. RITCHIE CADY SCHULMAN TERRY SEGAL RACHEL STEIN RICH WALTER PATRICE WORTHY MCKENZIE WREN

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OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Spaced out. Israel has been elected to a leadership position with the U.N. Space Committee. On Tuesday, Oct. 17, Keren Shahar, the director of the treaties department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was chosen by the United Nations to serve on the steering bureau of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The appointment had the support of 124 countries, including the United States. Brazil, Mexico, Poland, South Africa and Indonesia were also elected to lead the 84-member organization. COPUOS is responsible for “governing the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity, reviewing international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, encouraging space research, and studying legal problems arising from the exploration of outer space.” Israel has been a member of COPUOS since 2015. HydroCamel ready. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has developed Israel’s first autonomous underwater vehicle. The robotic HydroCamel II will be sold for use in the military, security, and the oil and gas sectors, as

well as in environmental applications and marine research. The underwater drone market is projected to reach $1.2 billion by 2023, increasing annually by 22 percent because of the growing importance of security measures worldwide and expanding offshore oil and gas production. The 8-foot-long HydroCamel II AUV combines full autonomy and maneuverability while enabling quick integration of specialized payloads such as sonar, cameras, sensors and a specimen collection arm. Hi, robot. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers have begun to discover preferences in human-robot interactions and the need to personalize those encounters to fit the human’s preferences and the designated task. According to a study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, the researchers tested user preferences when interacting with a robot on a joint movement task as a first step toward developing an interactive movement protocol for rehabilitation. In the study, 22 college-age participants played a leader-follower mirror game

with a robotic arm, in which a person and a robot took turns following each other’s joint movements. When the robotic arm was leading, it performed movements that were sharp, like dribbling a ball, or smooth, like tracing a circle. The study found that the person tends to imitate the robot’s movements. Aid for romance. Premature ejaculation is the most common male sexual dysfunction, affecting an estimated 20 percent to 30 percent of men. Nazarethbased Virility Medical, a medical devices startup, has successfully completed a hospital-based trial of its high-tech solution: a single-use, disposable patch placed on the skin. The patch, controlled by a smartphone app, relies on a low-frequency electrical current and has the potential to be as life-changing as Viagra was 20 years ago. 50 for 50. Gil Hoffman, the chief political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post, believes he’ll set a record when he speaks in Honolulu on Sunday, Nov. 5: He’ll become the first person to deliver a paid lecture on Israel in all 50 states.

Some of the members of the Hadera Commune are shown before settling in Degania in 1910.

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Today in Israeli History

Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. Oct. 27, 1978: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin are announced as joint winners of the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to bring about peace between Israel and Egypt. Oct. 28, 1910: Degania Alef is established along the Sea of Galilee as the first kibbutz in Israel. The idea for a communally operated agricultural settlement in the land of Israel went back to the roots of Zionism in the 19th century, but members of a group called the Hadera Commune are the first to succeed with the concept. Oct. 29, 1973: At the end of the October 1973 war, after several miscommunications, the first Egyptian-Israeli

“I have made it a point to reach out to smaller communities and inform them about what is going on behind the scenes in Israel,” Hoffman said. Falling hotel prices. Before Itai Marcipar got married three years ago, he researched and booked hotels online for a romantic honeymoon in the south of Spain. A few days later, he decided to upgrade one of the rooms, but he noticed that the rate had fallen 30 percent. Marcipar rebooked the room and later launched Pruvo, a website that automates the process he went through manually to help travelers avoid overpaying hotels. Email a copy of your hotel reservation to Pruvo, and the site tracks price drops. You’re given the option to cancel and rebook, as long as the reservation is cancellable. A Pruvo extension for the Google Chrome browser saves you from sending out emails for each hotel you’ve booked. Savings can be as high as 67 percent off the original price. Compiled courtesy of timesofisrael.com, israel21c.org and other sources. military talks are held between generals in Israeli-controlled territory 101 kilometers (63 miles) from Cairo. Oct. 30, 1991: The Soviet Union and the United States convene the three-day Madrid Middle East Peace Conference, based on a two-track approach for bilateral as well as multilateral talks. Israel and all contiguous Arab states, as well as the Palestine Liberation Organization, send delegates. Oct. 31, 1917: As part of the British campaign during World War I, the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade overtakes the Turkish defenders and captures Be’er Sheva. Nov. 1, 1965: The elections for the sixth Knesset are held in Israel. The preparations began in June 1963 when David Ben-Gurion resigned as prime minister for the second time. Nov. 2, 1917: Seeking official government endorsement for the Zionist cause from a great power, the leadership of the Zionist Organization obtains British support by way of the Balfour Declaration.

ISRAEL NEWS

Oft-Forgotten Eshkol especially aircraft, tanks and naval vessels. After becoming the first Israeli prime minister to be invited for an official state visit to Washington, he developed a strong relationship with President Lyndon Johnson. This connection led to advanced weapons purchases from America in 1965.

Guest Column By Rich Walter

Finally, Eshkol played a prominent role in moving Israel forward domestically and politically. In 1966, he ended the military administration of Israel’s Arab citizens, which had restricted their movement, imposed curfews and enacted other restrictions. Politically, in 1964, he agreed to the re-interment of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the founder of Revisionist Zionism and the spiritual father of the Israeli right, on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. In the days leading to the June 1967 war, he created Israel’s first national unity government, bringing on opposition leader Menachem Begin as a minister without portfolio. In 2016, President Reuven Rivlin said Eshkol’s decision “gave legitimacy to Herut (the precursor to Likud) when he established a national unity government. … He understood the true meaning of democracy when he made Menachem Begin a minister in his government.” For many, the lasting legacy of Eshkol was his stuttering radio address on May 28, 1967, which caused anxiety among the Israeli public in the face of an impending war, but Eshkol’s contributions to Israel were impressive. His former speechwriter Avraham Avi-Hai said: “Levi Eshkol was the land-builder and people-builder. No single Israeli had more to do with every aspect of creating a viable country, people and economy than this seemingly buff Ukrainian-born pioneer. His Atlas-like strength and his broad shoulders carried a penniless new state, licking wounds of war and the loss of 10,000 women, men and children.” ■ Rich Walter is the associate director for Israel education at the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org).

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

On Oct. 25, 1895, 120 years ago this week, Levi Shkolnik was born near Kiev. After finishing high school in Vilna, he made aliyah at age 19. Upon arriving in the land of Israel, Levi lived in a variety of agricultural settlements, working as a pipe layer and picking olives and grapes. As a result of his work in the vineyard, he chose a new, Hebrew last name, Eshkol, meaning “cluster of grapes.” According to his daughter, he declined his parents’ offer of financial help for aliyah, answering, “Only if I come emptyhanded will these hands be ready to work.” Eshkol earned a reputation as a hard worker who combined physical labor with a knack for economics. According to a biographer, in his early years in the land of Israel he was called a macher, Yiddish for a doer. During World War I, Eshkol served in the Jewish Legion and soon after was involved in establishing agricultural settlements throughout the land of Israel. His gift for organization and finance shaped his contributions to Israel’s development. In the 1920s and 1930s, he became a leader in the Histadrut, the Jewish labor union, and was among the founders of the Mapai Party. While best known for being Israel’s prime minister during the June 1967 Six-Day War, the 50th anniversary of which has been commemorated this year, Eshkol played a major role in Israel’s state-building and political culture. Three examples that highlight his importance to Israel and are often overlooked are presented below. In 1937, recognizing the need for greater independence in providing water resources to Jewish communities, Eshkol coordinated the creation of Mekorot (sources). Under Eshkol’s direction, the new water corporation planned and fulfilled the water supply needs of the Yishuv. One of Eshkol’s great contributions was to devise projects whereby water was brought from its sources to areas where it was not as plentiful. This was achieved using a variety of measures, including reservoirs, pipelines and diversion projects directed by Eshkol. In 1963, after he became Israel’s third prime minister as well as its defense minister, one of Eshkol’s first priorities was to modernize the Israel Defense Forces with new weapons,

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HOLIDAYS

Shake-Shake-Shaking in the Fresh Air We invite you to share your sukkah photos with the AJT to show the many ways Jewish Atlanta decorates and celebrates for Sukkot. On this page and the facing page are examples of what can happen when you combine a fun holiday with generally beautiful fall weather. Thank you to all who contributed photos, and look for us to do it again next Sukkot. Meanwhile, it’s time for all you eager young artists out there to get working on your entries for the annual AJT Chanukah Art Contest. This year’s best artwork will be on the cover of the

Dec. 8 Chanukah issue of the AJT, and we’ll also recognize the finest submissions in three age groups: 6 and under; 7 to 10; and 11 to 13. You can create your artwork on a standard 8½-by11-inch piece of paper using paint, crayons, markers — whatever helps you bring your imagination to life. Just remember that we’re looking for something that will be eye-catching on the front of the newspaper, so try to use bright colors and lots of creativity. Look for more details and an entry form in the Nov. 3 AJT and online at www.atlantajewishtimes.com. ■

Continuing a 15-year tradition, the Siegel family sukkah includes the handiwork of Lou Schloss, now 92.

Preschool and kindergarten pupils with their families and teachers pack into the Davis Academy sukkah for a Sukkot lunch and some lulav and etrog shaking amid the decorations made by their fellow students.

Cory Shaw’s sukkah on Dartford Drive in Dunwoody is roomy and hospitable enough for an elephant to feel at home.

Enjoying Jeanine and Zvi Bekerman’s sukkah in Dunwoody are (from left) Rose Sowadsky, Renee Weiss, Phyllis Grocoff, Leila Sultzer and Shelly Lawrence.

As Mara Block’s sukkah photo shows, you can’t go wrong with construction-paper chains for decorations.

The Levy family sukkah is all fun and games for The Sixth Point’s young-professional crowd.

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

It takes a communal effort across the generations to raise the sukkah at Congregation Gesher L’Torah.

The Poncey-Highland sukkah of Sandrine Simons and her family displays a classic, rustic look.

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HOLIDAYS The children of Rabbi Laurence and Brooke Rosenthal enjoy their sukkah’s eclectic style.

Sarah Zaglin Rivera’s sukkah becomes at least a temporary home for a fourlegged stranger. Night time is the right time for a sukkah meal in this photo sent by Elizabeth Rowland.

Rabbi Judith Beiner stands in her and husband Stan’s sukkah, which highlights the theme of “United States of Sukkah.”

Inspirational speaker Yossi Goodman is joining Congregation Beth Tefillah’s fourth annual participation in the international Shabbat Project on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28. The project includes events at many synagogues in an effort to have one Shabbat all Jews can share. At Beth Tefillah, 5065 High Point Road in Sandy Springs, where project participation is led by Brian Gordon and co-chair Bobbi Livnat, a Friday night dinner with Goodman speaking about beating the odds is sold out. But Goodman is also scheduled to speak about divine providence during Saturday morning services around 10:15, to address teens at 11 and to talk around 1 p.m. after a free Kiddush lunch. Communal events in Atlanta include the sold-out Great Big Challah Bake with some 850 women making bread Thursday night, Oct. 26, at the Marcus Jewish Community Center; a Kiddush block party outside Congregation Beth Jacob in Toco Hills midday Saturday that is expected to draw 500 people, making it the largest lunch associated with the Shabbat Project in the world; and a free Havdalah concert at Atlanta Jewish Academy at 9 p.m. Saturday. ■

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Shabbat at Beth Tefillah

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POLITICS

Eichenblatt Offers Business Sense to Voters By Logan C. Ritchie lritchie@atljewishtimes.com

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Jewish Republican Kathy Eichenblatt is one of eight candidates running Nov. 7 in a special election for the Georgia Senate District 6 seat, which Republican Hunter Hill gave up to focus on his campaign for governor. The former Fortune 500 executive and her husband of 33 years, David, have been members of Ahavath Achim Synagogue for more than 25 years. Growing up as a military brat, Eichenblatt spent her formative years in St. Petersburg, Fla., where her mother taught preschool at Temple Beth-El. Eichenblatt converted to Judaism before marrying David. They have three daughters and a son, ages 24 to 29. “What you experience growing up in the military is an adaption to change. I developed an empathetic, approachable, curious personality. It gave me listening skills. And I appreciate the definition of military service and what it feels like to not know when your parent is going to serve or when they are coming back,” she said. “Camaraderie is important.”

Kathy Eichenblatt is a longtime member of Ahavath Achim Synagogue.

Eichenblatt, who believes politics is the backbone of community, has not held elected office. Her experience lies in attending political forums and hosting candidates’ open houses, ensuring she is an informed voter. “We need a leader who will lead the way to common-sense, businessminded solutions. I know how to listen to people from stockroom to boardroom. If you listen and participate, you know what you need to do and how to get it done,” she said. Eichenblatt’s platform focuses on transportation, taxes and health care. Transportation Since Eichenblatt made District 6

her home 28 years ago, she has watched traffic around her grow to debilitating levels. In the General Assembly, she wants to petition for federal money, review revenue streams from all existing commuter taxes to ensure that the appropriate amounts are being committed to transit, ensure that all businesses attracting and relying on commuters are contributing their fair share, and work with Atlanta’s tech community to harness such innovations as autonomous vehicles. “We need to pursue workable solutions, using the technology of tomorrow for solutions today, not in 20 years and not with tax increases,” she said. She said MARTA, Cobb Community Transit and other systems feed ideas into a regional transportation committee, which guides the planning, funding and governing of a transit plan for the region. A comprehensive plan for the region, adopted in 2008, needs to be executed and completed, she said, adding that the General Assembly should better use current revenue and redirect some funding. “What is being funded that isn’t constitutionally mandated that we could redirect to transportation solutions? That is the question we should be asking to help find the resources we need to move solutions and projects forward,” she said. Taxes Eichenblatt wants Georgia’s tax code to compete with surrounding states. She pointed out that Tennessee and Florida do not collect state income tax, and North Carolina is stepping away from state income tax. (Note: Tennessee collects a hall tax of 6 percent on dividends and investments, and North Carolina collects a flat tax at 5.57 percent.) “We are losing to other states. We want and need growth in north and south Georgia. When we think about how to continue to be relevant and important, we need to start a discussion about state income tax regarding lowering and capping taxes,” she said. Eichenblatt wants a shift in property taxes as well. She said approximately 10 counties, including Gwinnett and Cobb, offer school tax exemptions to people 62 and older, drawing them away from other counties. “In Fulton County, when we see taxes are going to continue to increase, retirees move from Fulton. We are missing out on an affluent tax base.

You don’t decide when you’re 65 that you want to move; that happens at 50. It is a shame to lose the diversity that contributes to arts, and important members of our community are leaving,” she said. “We must attract people to Atlanta. Property tax is everyone’s problem. It doesn’t matter socio-economically where you live; every senior is at risk.” Health Care According to her website (www. kathycanfor.us), Eichenblatt plans to engage in “health care reform that is Georgia-focused, and not D.C.-manipulated, and based in the private sector, not politics.” She said: “At this junction (health care) is a national issue. It will quickly turn to states to manage what health care looks like to them.” According to a 2016 report from Kaiser Family Foundation, 49 percent of Georgians are insured through work, 12 percent are uninsured, and the remainder have coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or the military. “Right now in Georgia we are accountable for 51 percent of health care. The majority of what will affect Georgians happens at the national level,” such as any changes to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), she said. “The state legislature has the most influence on Medicare, Medicaid, individual policyholders and the uninsured.” Eichenblatt believes that legislators can influence the population to gain health coverage despite circumstances. “When I think about my past experience, one thing I know about a budget is that before you ask for money, you need to look for savings or investments to save money,” she said. “Do our software systems for maintaining health insurance need an overhaul? We know there is fraud in the system. We need to make sure we employ effective systems and don’t leave any money on the table.” Eichenblatt also suggested ideas about how to change Grady Memorial Hospital’s triage format. Unsatisfied with the current system, she said emergency room trips for uninsured patients will not end, but change “will save the taxpayers millions in ER fees. It can be five times more expensive to treat someone in the ER than in an urgent care clinic. This is part of a broader, Georgia-focused solution to reducing insurance costs and saving taxpayer dollars.” ■

8 for 6th

Republican Kathy Eichenblatt (www.kathycanfor.us) joins four other Republicans and three Democrats, none of whom has held political office, on a single ballot in the 6th District special election for the state Senate: • Leah Aldridge, Republican, lawyer and breast-feeding consultant, leahforgeorgia.com — She and her husband, Gee, have three children and attend Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Addressing soaring property tax bills is her priority. • Matt Bentley, Republican, lawyer, www.votemattbentley.com — He and his wife, Kelsey, have two dogs and attend the Church of the Apostles, and he works in a Marietta law firm with his father and grandfather. He wants to eliminate the state income tax. • Charlie Fiveash, Republican, real estate developer, www.charliefiveash. com — He and his wife, Lang, have three children, and he has been a Sunday school teacher at Northside Methodist Church and a vestry member at the Church of the Apostles. He wants to cut taxes and regulations. • Jaha Howard, Democrat, pediatric dentist, www.jahahoward.com — The owner of A+ Pediatric Dentistry and his wife, Vanessa, have three children and worship at West End Church of Christ. He received more than 48 percent of the votes against 6th District Sen. Hunter Hill in 2016. • Jen Jordan, Democrat, lawyer, jen4ga.com — She and her husband, Lawton, have two children. After bringing a data-breach suit against Secretary of State Brian Kemp in 2015, she vows to stand up to President Donald Trump. • Leo Smith, Republican, business and political consultant, leosmithforsenate.com — He and his wife, Andrea, have two children and attend Mount Paran Church. He wants to eliminate the state income tax and increase teacher pay and school choice. • Taos Wynn, Democrat, nonprofit executive, www.taoswynn.com — After working in the nonprofit sector, he founded his own nonprofit, the Perfect Love Foundation. He wants to lower taxes, raise teacher pay and increase bipartisan cooperation. If no one wins a majority Tuesday, Nov. 7, the top two finishers, regardless of party, will run off four weeks later. In addition to their websites, a good source for information about most of the candidates is Reporter Newspapers’ voters guide (bit.ly/2h4NmPv). Ballotpedia has details on the district, which crosses Buckhead, Sandy Springs and Cobb County (ballotpedia.org/Georgia_ State_Senate_District_6). ■

SPORTS

MLS All-Stars Coming to Atlanta By Patrice Worthy Photo by Itoro Umontuen

Before Atlanta United even opened the playoffs, owner Arthur Blank and the city of Atlanta received the first award for a successful debut season: Major League Soccer will play its 2018 All-Star Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The league and city made the announcement Monday, Oct. 23, the day after United drew 2-2 at home with first-place Toronto FC to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference. United played in front of another record breaking crowd, 71,874. United will play the Columbus Crew at home to open the playoffs Thursday, Oct. 26. The 2018 MLS All-Star Game was on outgoing Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s list of events to be held at the new retractable-roof stadium, which will host the college football championship game in January and Super Bowl LIII in 2019. Reed said he looks forward to the week of soccer festivities, including concerts, community initiatives, play-

ESPN soccer analyst and former U.S. national team player Taylor Twellman gets a smile out of Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank at the Oct. 23 news conference announcing that MLS is bringing its All-Star Game to MercedesBenz Stadium next year.

er appearances and exhibition youth matches. “When I got that call, I smiled in a fashion you rarely see me smile,” Reed said. “When I look back at it now, I realize how lucky we are to have a man like Arthur Blank, who looked around the corner and saw there was a need and, indeed, a passion for a sport that has literally woven our city together in a way that I haven’t seen it done before.” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the stadium has “set the bar for stadiums across the globe” and “will be a great gathering place for the North American soccer community.” Garber thanked Blank, who first presented the idea of a Southern expansion team and spearheaded Mer-

Smile

MORE MORE REASONS REASONS TO TO

cedes-Benz Stadium. Hosting the MLS All-Star Game is part of a long-term vision. “We look forward to being a host here in 2018 and fulfilling all of the dreams we have for the stadium,” Blank said. “I don’t think we have to worry about selling out the stadium since we sold out again last night. … Our Atlanta United franchise has done a wonderful job at supporting our fan base here.” The exact date and format of the 2018 All-Star Game will be announced. In this year’s game, an MLS AllStar team that included Atlanta United forward Miguel Almiron, defender Greg Garza and team captain Michael Parkhurst lost in penalty kicks to Real Madrid at Chicago’s Soldier Field. ■

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OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

POLITICS

OPINION

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Our View

Facing Iran

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Iran is the biggest force of instability in the everdangerous, never-stable Middle East, so it’s not surprising that many political leaders and other observers obsess over Iran. Unfortunately, that obsession is misdirected when it focuses on the 2015 nuclear deal. We think the deal was a mistake for several reasons — the acceptance of a nuclear Iran in a decade and the refusal to address Iran’s range of bad behaviors being the biggest. President Barack Obama negotiated from a position of weakness by making it clear he wanted this deal as his signature foreign policy achievement, and he was wrong that the only options were the agreement his team negotiated and war. But we can’t turn back the clock. U.S. foreign policy must work with the reality that a 2-year-old deal is in place, that neither our allies (Europe) nor our rivals (China and Russia) are going to reinstitute meaningful sanctions against Iran for anything short of a mushroom cloud, and that President Donald Trump’s propensity for throwing out his predecessors’ deals torpedoes hopes for negotiations from Pyongyang to Mexico City. Rather than move toward breaking the deal, as Trump did by declaring it not in the nation’s best interest while questioning Iranian compliance, the United States needs to focus on handling Iran as the provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action expire beginning in 2023. A crucial part of that policy toward Iran must involve reversing the growth in its area of influence. Iran doesn’t need nuclear weapons to undermine governments across the Middle East. It doesn’t need nuclear weapons to strengthen Hezbollah and other terrorist groups. It doesn’t need nuclear weapons to kill Jews and pose an existential threat to Israel. While Trump was correctly criticizing the nuclear deal and mistakenly pushing the Republican-led Congress to end U.S. participation in the accord, he was too busy celebrating what we hope will be the final days of the Islamic State caliphate in Iraq and Syria to focus on the future. Iranian troops, in addition to Iranian missiles and other weapons, are based in Syria and, with the assent of Bashar Assad and Russia, appear determined to stay there. Iranian fighters also are in Iraq. In effect, the world seems happy to trade a vicious terrorist organization operating as a nation (Islamic State) for a nation operating as a vicious terrorist organization (Iran). We were encouraged by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s tougher talk about Iran’s non-nuclear military adventurism during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Oct. 22. He urged Iranians and other foreign fighters who have battled Islamic State in Iraq to go home, and he warned businesses and nations not to work with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. “Those who conduct business with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, any of their entities — European companies or other companies around the globe — really do so at great risk,” he said. That approach toward the conventional Iranian threat — lining up Arab allies and deterring European business opportunities — should take priority 12 over fussing about the nuclear pact. ■

Cartoon by Yaakov Kirschen, Dry Bones

A Thank-You 30 Years Overdue

It’s a sign of how rarely this OTPer walks bar mitzvah or wedding gift knows, thank-you notes around Midtown that I noticed the Norfolk Southaren’t my writing specialty. ern building on Peachtree Street just south of 14th Many times in the spring of 1987 I meant to Street for the first time Sunday, Oct. 15, while makwrite that note, but it never happened. ing my way from the Arts Center MARTA station to I figured after the first semester at college, then Piedmont Park. the second, I could write a note not only thanking If the stoplights hadn’t the good people at Norfolk turned at just the right Southern, but also explaintime, I would have kept ing how their contribuEditor’s Notebook walking up 14th instead of tion to my education had By Michael Jacobs turning onto Peachtree. I helped me learn about the mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com guess that’s a nonromantic history of Southern music example of something beor ancient Greece. Again, it ing beshert (destined). never happened. It just happened that my 30th high school So there I was, standing outside the company’s reunion came and went without me the night before. Atlanta offices the weekend of my 30th high school That made me a perfect zero-for-three in reuniting reunion, and it hit me again that I still owed a thankwith the South Lakes High School Class of 1987, you to Norfolk Southern for paying for my books thanks to previous conflicts with a friend’s wedding and a few pitchers of beer over my four years in (a fellow member of the class) and my first son’s bar college. mitzvah celebration. We’re a few weeks past Yom Kippur’s urgent reThe big change since the 10th and 20th reunions minder of the need to seek forgiveness from people, is that almost everybody is on Facebook now, so not and I still haven’t put pen to paper and dropped a only did the organizing, connecting and recruiting note in the mail. But I’m sure someone at Norfolk occur through a private Facebook group, but video Southern is monitoring media mentions of the comand photos were posted and shared as the festivities pany, so I hope this message makes it up the chain of were happening. No one can accuse us Gen Xers of command. being social media Luddites. Thank you, Norfolk Southern, for making So I had high school in mind when the Norfolk college expenses a little easier for hardworking Southern horse-head logo rose in front of me that students to handle. It took 30 years longer than it Sunday morning, and I was reminded of a longshould have, but that doesn’t mean this thank-you overdue debt. is any less sincere. In fact, with time and with the When I was a senior in high school, I won a expense of sending my own sons to college, I appre$2,000 National Merit Scholarship (I was good at ciate your gift even more. multiple-choice tests). The scholarship was funded It probably wasn’t your goal to help produce a by Norfolk Southern. newspaperman, but that’s what happened. I hope The National Merit people asked that I write a that the AJT every week justifies your investment thank-you note to Norfolk Southern, no doubt as a and that you continue to contribute to the National way to ensure the railroad company kept contributMerit program and the futures of its beneficiaries ing to scholarships. But, as anyone who gave me a and this country. ■

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OPINION

Claim Your Spot on Our Communal Front Porch

Write to Us

CBH serves an increasing number of people, from gender-non-conforming individuals and families to straight individuals and families and everyone in between. We updated our mission to reflect our expanded vision. People are drawn to us because

Guest Column By McKenzie Wren

we are lesbian-and-gay-founded, or Reconstructionist, or progressive, or because of our music, or because of our mission, or because of our emphasis on social justice. The point is, people come to CBH for different reasons, and we at CBH have to continually look within to see who we are and how we are serving the disparate members of our community. Though our work may look a little different from other agencies and synagogues, the reality is that synagogues and agencies all over Atlanta are asking themselves these same questions in the face of a changing world and changing expressions of Judaism. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta had the courage to look at itself and see that a change was needed. But instead of just engaging in an internal strategic plan, it had the courage to look at the bigger picture and really ask what Jewish Atlanta looks like. Not only did Federation ask what Jewish Atlanta looks like, but it also is asking what Jewish Atlanta wants and how, ultimately, Federation can serve this changing community. It’s a bold move. Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” The planners of The Front Porch are asking everyone to step up and make their voices heard, especially those traditionally on the fringes. Over the course of nine months, we will listen deeply to people, visit different parts of the community, share perspectives and explore different ways to stimulate innovation and strengthen impact.

The AJT welcomes letters and guest columns from our readers. Letters should be 400 or fewer words; guest columns are up to 700 words. Send submissions to editor@atljewishtimes.com. Include your name, your town and a phone number for verification. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length.

The key to it all is listening and asking questions — listening from a place where we suspend our own judgment and being open to really hearing. We know as Jews that we have opinions and aren’t afraid to share them. That part is easy. The hard part is suspending our own perspective just for a moment to hear: • What does an Orthodox mom want and need? • What does a gay senior want and need? • What does a gender-non-conforming teenager want and need? • What does an interfaith family want and need? • What does someone with disabilities want and need? In other words, what does a mixed multitude of people need from their Jewish institutions? There are as many ways of being Jewish as there are Jews, and so the challenge of our time is to have an array of options where everyone can find home. Some things have to change as we evolve into what needs to be. Some things will never change. We want to remain a community that never turns

its back on those in need. But we also want to be a community that is welcoming no matter where and how you live and that makes space for the next generation of leaders to innovate and create their own meaningful Jewish experiences. Change can be scary. But if there is one thing I know, it is that a people with a history as long as ours has been through changes too numerous to recount. And it is up to us to look with clear eyes at our situation and claim and create the changes we need. I hope you will join with us over the next months and make your voices heard. It’s your Jewish Atlanta, after all. For more information, please reach out to The Front Porch’s project manager, Ligi George, at 404-870-1617 or lgeorge@jewishatlanta.org. You can also go to jewishatlanta.org/the-frontporch for a list of listening forums and updates on The Front Porch. ■ McKenzie Wren is a facilitator who specializes in equity and inclusion work. She is the first vice president of Congregation Bet Haverim.

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

I am participating in The Front Porch, a Federation-initiated exploration of our community and how to unlock the incredible potential of Jewish Atlanta. I am one of 100-plus people who represent Jewish agencies large and small, synagogues, interest groups, community members, parents, seniors, LGBTQ folks, interfaith, Jews of color, Jews by choice and much more. In short, we look like Jewish Atlanta — an incredibly diverse group of people who care about the future of Judaism in Atlanta. For me as a board member (and incoming president) of Congregation Bet Haverim, the opportunity to participate in an initiative such as this one could not have come at a better time. We at CBH are aware of the changing ways that people interact with and express their Judaism. Though declining membership is not an issue for us, we are nonetheless aware of the need to stay relevant and offer our wildly diverse membership a multitude of ways to engage. At 30 years of age, CBH looks very different than it did when it was founded. Thirty years ago, gay and lesbian Jews did not feel welcome in other synagogues, and so a bold group of men and women decided to form their own synagogue. Their vision was to create a space where they could feel free to express all aspects of their persons and not hide any aspect. A key expression was the creation of the “Prayer for the End of Hiding,” which concludes, “Creator of the Universe, we ask that our hiding draw to an end, that we no longer feel we have to pretend, to promise falsely, to renounce ourselves, and that our fullest creative expression as Jews and as gay people be among the blessings you bestow upon us. Amen.” Thirty years later, 54 Jewish organizations participated in Pride. Many gay and lesbian Jews now have options to worship in a variety of synagogues that meet their spiritual and religious needs. CBH is, thankfully, no longer the only option.

LOCAL NEWS

Friendliness and Fretting On Toco Hills Front Porch By Arlene Appelrouth aappelrouth@atljewishtimes.com

When the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta came to Toco Hills to listen and learn about its residents’ concerns about the future, the participants, who ranged in age from 30s to 80s, brought up topics ranging from the expense of day school tuition to the search for suitable housing for seniors who walk to synagogue. The session Wednesday, Oct. 18, was one of the first of a series of 13 open listening forums scheduled over four weeks in the discovery phase of Federation’s Front Porch: Unlocking the (Incredible) Potential of Jewish Atlanta initiative. More than 100 community representatives are working to learn the needs and develop strategies for Jewish Atlanta to achieve its potential in the years ahead. Federation also is trying to discover the roles the community needs it to fill. Congregation Bet Haverim officer and Front Porch participant McKenzie Wren (see her column on Page 13) was the Federation volunteer running the meeting at Young Israel of Toco Hills. She began by asking the attendees, who were sitting in a circle, what they would like to do on a front porch. One man said he would write songs and play his mandolin. Someone else said he would drink bourbon, while a woman said she would drink iced tea. Someone else would peoplewatch. By the time everyone had answered, the group was warmed up for the nontraditional approach to gathering information. Wren emphasized the importance of “being mindful and sharing deeply” when she asked all 25 people there to say what they need to live more meaningful Jewish lives. One man expressed a need for the Jewish community to have programming that appeals to young professionals. A middle-aged woman wants forums to talk about the political situation. The cost of Jewish day school tuition was on the minds of parents of elementary-school-age children.

Programming for empty-nesters was another subject. When people are young and raising children, it’s easy to meet other parents and create a social network, one woman said, but it’s difficult to meet people later in life. (A Front Porch forum at Jewish Family & Career Services at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, is targeting empty-nester participants.) A subsequent discussion about the needs of empty-nesters produced objections about the term itself in reference to people 50 and older because “empty” has negative connotations. The phenomenon, at least a decade old, of older parents moving to Atlanta to be near their adult children and their grandchildren is attracting Jewish seniors who have particular social needs. But not everyone focused on social needs. One man wanted to know what could be done to encourage younger people to be more charitable and support Atlanta’s Jewish institutions. Someone else seeks encouragement for the Orthodox community to be more active in the greater Atlanta Jewish community. Reducing the likelihood of intermarriage is a concern for several who attended the meeting. Table discussions were held on the topics that had the most interest, including the importance of a Jewish communal infrastructure. If people found one conversation uninteresting, they could walk over to another topic table and join in. Wren called it “openspace technology.” People could talk about whatever was on their minds because the Front Porch forums lack fixed agendas. The discussions are driven by the interests of the participants, so each gathering should be different. Amy Glass, a Federation staff member, encouraged people to attend more than one. The meetings continue through Nov. 14. You can find the schedule at jewishatlanta.org/the-front-porch. If you can’t make any of the sessions, the Front Porch team (reachable through the same website) will try to make other arrangements to hear what you have to say. ■

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

One man said he would write songs and play his mandolin. Someone else said he would drink bourbon, while a woman said she would drink iced tea.

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OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

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The Jewish Moms of Atlanta Facebook group is trying to give women a break from motherhood to spend time with friends with its first MOMProm, being held Saturday night, Nov. 4, at Spring Hall. While mom proms — women-only events with a school formal feel — have been held for around 10 years, this is the first one sponsored by JMOA. The group’s idea was born after a group of Jewish moms saw the movie “Bad Moms,” said Nicole Weisen from Jewish Moms of Atlanta. “People were saying how much they liked the movie and how we needed an event to hang out, let loose and have fun with our mom friends,” she said. “We’re having a prom just for the moms. It’s a moms night out celebrating motherhood, womanhood and girlfriends.” The inaugural event will feature dancing, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a 10-minute comedy show and door prizes. There will be a photo booth, a photographer taking candid photos and a videographer. Most services have been donated. “We’re very lucky that we have a community of women who support our cause,” Weisen said. Proceeds will benefit the Jewish Fertility Foundation, which gives grants to Jewish couples turning to in vitro fertilization to become parents. This is the first time another organization has thrown a fundraiser for the 2-year-old nonprofit group. “We’re really lucky,” said Elana Frank, JFF’s executive director and founder. “It’s kind of an ironic title for a group like ours. Moms are coming together and saying, ‘What is more important than being a mom? Can we help people who are struggling?’” JFF so far has given grants to six couples to pursue IVF, and one child has been born. “I always, always try to remind people that a child is a great blessing, but it’s not the end result that always happens,” Frank said.

Elana Frank emphasizes that IVF doesn’t always produce a child.

In addition to giving grants for IVF, the foundation offers support groups and a buddy program that matches people who went through fertility treatments with those going through the process. JFF is “part of the entire fertility journey,” Frank said. “When you’re doing treatments, you’re not successful all the time. We offer emotional support along the way.” The organization also offers infertility sensitivity training for Jewish professionals and plans to expand those training sessions to include families and friends of people struggling with infertility. “It’s such a hard topic, and a lot of times people have no clue” what to say, Frank said. “We’re trying to bring awareness.” Tables of 10 for the MOMProm are available for purchase, as are single tickets, at momprom2017.com. “Buy a ticket, and come with your girlfriend and have a great time,” Weisen said. Planning has begun for next year’s MOMProm, and JMOA members are choosing the recipient of the 2018 proceeds. “We definitely have our sights on someone who does an amazing job in our community,” Weisen said. ■

What: MOMProm Where: Spring Hall, 7130 Buford Highway, No. 100, Doraville When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 Tickets: $50 each or $450 per table of 10 in advance, $60 each at the door; momprom2017.com (click on “Tickets on sale now!”)

EDUCATION

Emory Classroom Lures Envoy Back to Atlanta By Paula Baroff

Since leaving Atlanta in August 2010, Reda Mansour has taught at the University of Haifa, served as ambassador to Brazil and been a special envoy for African-American affairs.

Mansour has a particular interest in, and firsthand knowledge of, minorities within Israeli society. Israel has many different groups with different ways of life, he said, and there are divisions within those groups. To understand problems occurring worldwide, he said, the issue of minority identity needs to be addressed. “If we want to manage this chaotic issue, we need to study it more. … We’re seeing a rise in anti-Semitism, white supremacy. … We need to study this issue and manage it in a more successful way.” That’s why in class he focuses on minorities in Israel. Similar issues can be seen around the world as minority ethnic groups desire national independence. “We even now see it in Europe,” he said, referencing the escalating political conflict between the independence-minded region of Catalonia and the national government of Spain. “What you’re seeing in Spain might become the Basque issue. Then it will be France and Spain. That could spread to England and become the Scottish issue.” Mansour is a strong advocate for increased cooperation between academia and diplomacy. He said the academic world mainly deals with theory, and the diplomatic world deals with on-the-ground international relations. Though there is always some crossover, for the most part they stay in their bubbles. “I would like to see ambassadors teaching,” he said, “and I would like to see professors taking up diplomatic jobs.” Mansour’s position at Emory is for a year but could be renewed for another year. He said he is pleased to be back in Atlanta with his family, seeing the changes in the city and reconnecting with the community. “It’s a homecoming.” ■

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Ambassador Reda Mansour, who served as Israel’s consul general to the Southeast from 2006 to 2010 and was the dean of Atlanta’s consular corps, is back in town as a visiting professor this academic year at Emory University. He chose to return to Atlanta to teach through the Israel Institute because his longest diplomatic mission was here, and he has a network of friends and contacts in place. “This is a new experience. This is the first time I have built entire courses, new courses, for a foreign university,” he said. Mansour is teaching three courses about Israeli history, society and politics this year. His diplomatic experience has prepared him for teaching, he said. “I probably spoke at 50 to 100 universities as a diplomat. Everywhere from Washington State in the West to Florida on the other side of the country.” Mansour said not all universities foster the academic environment he was looking for. “Emory is a very positive campus. It’s an open place,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that everyone agrees. Some people are more favorable to Israel, and some are more favorable to the Palestinians or the Arab countries, but at least they’re willing to have that dialogue.” He said he is saddened by what he sees as intolerant campuses. “The academic environment should be an open place where people can say their opinion freely and comfortably and gain the benefit of hearing the other side. Maybe that will make you stronger in your opinions or change your mind.” In his classroom, he tries to create that sort of open dialogue. He begins courses with news from Israel and invites his class to ask questions about the headlines. “We are a country that provides a lot of headlines,” he said with a smile. He likes to contextualize the news for his students, as they tend to have less knowledge of the Middle East than students closer to the scene, such as Europe. This is especially true, he said, regarding Israeli society. “The politicaldiplomatic side may be in the news, but when you get into Israeli society, people are completely out of context. … Israel is such a nuanced country.” Being Druze in a Jewish-majority country — he was a trailblazer as a non-Jewish career diplomat in Israel —

EDUCATION

Black and White Just Start of Social Action By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

A conversation about racism, antiSemitism and hate Sunday morning, Oct. 22, at Temple Emanu-El chipped away at the concept of white privilege. “My generation is the first generation of Jews in America to be white, and we’re not good at it,” said Judy Marx, the executive director of Interfaith Community Initiatives. Marx, whose father is a Holocaust survivor, was part of a panel with distinct viewpoints on oppression: Lauren Menis, a founder of the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism, experienced apartheid while living in South Africa until she was 9; Chianti Harris, the outreach pastor at Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, is a college-educated mother and wife who is afraid to go certain places at night; and facilitator Marita Anderson grew up in the Soviet Union, where Jews were not considered white and had no privilege. Their discussion was part of Temple Emanu-El’s first Social Action, Local

Action mini-conference. Sally Mundell, the founder of The Packaged Good and the co-chair of Emanu-El’s social action committee, said the Reform congregation in the past year has served more than 500 dinners at Mary Hall Freedom House, donated 1,283 pounds of produce harvested from Garden Isaiah, collected more than 5,000 pounds of nonperishable food during the High Holidays’ Operation Isaiah and worked more than 2,000 volunteer hours. But the conference reflected a desire to do more with people outside Emanu-El, especially in mental health and addiction, hunger and poverty, and hate and anti-Semitism. “Hate is hate,” Menis said, explaining that AIAAS is trying to connect with other communities in metro Atlanta by emphasizing that when one group is targeted, all are affected. Aside from the ability of most Jews in Atlanta to pass as part of the white mainstream, Marx said the Jewish community has one big advantage in a multicultural society: 2,000 years of Diaspora experience. Koreans, for example, have never had organized communities outside Korea, she said, and they want to know how Jews have survived and even thrived all this time. Harris said it’s important to maintain real-world connections and conversations, not just interact through social media while watching the shouting on 24-hour news channels. People need to get involved in their circles — places such as houses of worship, PTAs and neighborhood associations. “Race is probably our biggest problem, and we’re terrible at it,” Marx said. “But we are good at faith.” Emanu-El Rabbi Spike Anderson emphasized from the start, however, that although the mini-conference was about discussing policy, “conversation cannot be the end.” Noting that everything we do in Judaism is followed by an action — say the Motzi, eat the bread — Rabbi Anderson said the challenge for everyone is to do something with the lessons of the morning. “The world is sick, and we are empowered to be its healer,” he said. One-time-only events aren’t enough, Marx said. To make a difference, reduce mistrust and boost understanding, people need to be intentional with ongoing efforts. ■

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EDUCATION

At KSU, Olens Embraces His Most Challenging Job

Early Life Sam was born in Miami. His mother died when he was 5, and his father died a few months before Sam’s bar mitzvah. He and his older brother moved to New Jersey to live with an aunt and uncle, the latter of whom died two years later. While living with their relatives, the boys learned the value and necessity of hard work, perseverance and sharing even modest resources with those less fortunate. The family ran a small bakery and regularly donated food to nonprofits and the needy. Sam attended American University in Washington, then came to Atlanta to attend Emory Law School, where he earned a J.D. Sam met his future wife, Lisa, while in law school, where she was also enrolled. They decided to stay in Atlanta when Lisa got a job with Georgia Power around 1984, and Sam joined a local law firm. Politics In the early 1990s he got involved in a neighborhood zoning dispute. He gradually became more involved in Cobb County activities, and in 1998 he was elected to the Cobb Board of Commissioners. He later was elected chairman, a position he held until he ran for state attorney general in 2010. Sam is the first Jewish Georgian elected attorney general. His accomplishments during nearly six years as attorney general include the following items of which he is especially proud: • Led efforts to stem the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. • Established the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, which collected over 5 million pounds of food for youths. • Worked to strengthen the penalties for sex traffickers. Early in his political life, Sam had a chance meeting with now-Sen. Johnny Isakson, who was friendly and gracious. That left a lasting impression. Academia The Georgia Board of Regents last Nov. 1 appointed Sam KSU’s fourth president since its founding in 1963.

The university is Georgia’s thirdlargest in terms of student population. It has 13 colleges on two campus-

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es, in Kennesaw and Marietta, offering more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. It ranks in the top two in the state for engineering, biology and accounting. Most KSU graduates remain in Georgia, benefiting the state economy.

Sam said this position is his most challenging. A large number of students have limited financial resources and must hold part-time jobs, many come from difficult family circumstances, and, being young adults, they make poor, impulsive decisions. Being a good role model is an important part of president’s job. Sam said he is in effect the “mayor of a small town.” Thoughts From Sam • Family, friends and community are essential in making anyone’s life journey meaningful. • Whenever possible, exhaust all options to work with people of differ-

ing views. Conflict causes all to lose. • Truly try to listen, comprehend and empathize with different views. • Truth, honesty, hard work, confidence in the future, vision and sharing are important concepts in his success. My Final Thought Sam Olens is a wonderful human being and a dedicated public servant. We are blessed by his presence in our community. His primary motivation now is to do all he can to improve and enhance the lives of KSU’s students. I believe that Sam will be a highly effective university president and a good role model and will help enhance and transform many lives. ■

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

I recently met with Sam Olens in his office at Kennesaw State University, where he was formally installed as the fourth president Thursday, Oct. 19. We discussed his early life, college, entry into politics and new role as a university president.

EDUCATION

Photos courtesy of the Davis Academy

Giselle Gryngarten and second-grader Luana Etchechoury share Shabbat customs from Argentina, including alfjores de maicena, a cookie sandwich filled with dulce de leche and covered with shredded coconut or sprinkles.

Kindergartner Michael Manoloche, wearing an outfit customary to Romania, practices the universal Jewish Sukkot custom of shaking the lulav and etrog.

Challah making is one of the attractions at the Israel table, facilitated by the Lazarian family.

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Davis Takes Preschoolers On a Jewish World Tour The Davis Academy recently celebrated its cultural diversity when its Cub Club for preschoolers enjoyed Li’l Shabbat in the Garden: Around the World. With Davis passports in hand, participants traveled the world by rotating among country-themed stations staffed by school families representing their origins. Travelers could experience Jewish activities in such nations as Belarus, Romania, India, Yugoslavia, Argentina and Israel. “There is a richness that comes

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from families working side by side with others in our community who are not of the same background,” Director of Admissions Lisa Mirsky said. “The Davis Academy is an extraordinary school full of remarkable people, and I am grateful to these families for sharing their diverse backgrounds and raising awareness about diversity within our unique community.” The family-facilitated stations included food, traditional clothing, special customs and photos from the countries. ■

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EDUCATION

Freedom Rider: Anthem Fight Misses Protest’s Point By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

Atlanta native Charles Person was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders and is a Vietnam War combat veteran. So when he was asked by a Weber School student to give his thoughts on Colin Kaepernick and the recent anthem protests in the NFL, he provided an interesting perspective. “When Colin Kaepernick first articulated what he was protesting, he said nothing about being disrespectful to the flag or the military. They changed the narrative,” Person told students and parents gathered at Weber on Wednesday, Oct. 18. “Now it’s not about the kids that were shot unarmed. So let’s get it back to where it was, and we can solve it. The purpose of a protest is to get people angry and get their attention. He has done that. A protest is not a march down the street with signs. If we had done that, we’d still be carrying signs today, trying to accomplish things we did in the ’60s.” Person was speaking to teacher Mitch White’s “From Topeka to Chicago” class, which explores the civil

Photos by David R. Cohen

Charles Person, speaking at the Weber School on Oct. 18, says a protest is supposed to make people angry.

Camp Coleman Director Bobby Harris asks Charles Person a question after his presentation to Weber’s civil rights class.

rights movement through a Jewish lens. Because the elective class meets at the end of Weber’s school day, parents and faculty were invited to hear Person. One of three surviving Freedom Riders — Atlanta Congressman John Lewis is another — Person, who is now 68, was active in 1960s sit-ins as well as Freedom Rides, in which activists rode interstate buses throughout the South to highlight the fact that bus lines and bus stations were still segregated. Oftentimes, the riders met violent resistance from white mobs. “Our attackers were smart,” Person said. “They would go after the media first and try to destroy the evidence.” A famous photo of a white mob beating a Freedom Rider in Birming-

ham was reclaimed from a journalist who was beaten and whose camera was smashed, Person told the group. After the Freedom Rides, Person enlisted in the Marines and spent nine months in Vietnam, where his weapon of choice was a shotgun. He was one of the best marksmen in his unit and had the highest IQ, but he said he was denied entrance into the officer training program because of his race. He tearfully recounted his disappointment that when he returned to Atlanta after serving his country, there were still diners where he couldn’t eat. Person gave the students some final wisdom. “My advice to you is this: Never let anyone else define who you are.” Weber senior Becca Frenkel con-

tacted Person last year and invited him to speak at the school. The feedback from last year’s visit was so positive that Person was invited back this year, and parents were invited as well. White’s class is one of more than a dozen new courses being offered at Weber this year, thanks in part to an expanded student body. “This makes it more real,” said White, who is also the dean of academic planning at the school. “I can teach it, and I can show them pictures of what happened, but seeing somebody who is very articulate talk about it makes it very real. It’s not unlike having a Holocaust survivor speak. Meeting someone who lived through something like this, there’s nothing that beats that.” ■

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EDUCATION

Zionist Arab Shares Revelation About Israel’s Good Israeli Arabi Yahya Mahamed calls himself a Zionist Muslim, two words that rarely go together but are vital parts of who Mahamed is. The 20-year-old grew up in Umm el-Fahm, the third-largest Arab city in Israel, and he was raised to perceive Israel as an oppressive, evil regime. But after finding a job as a busboy in a Tel Aviv hotel and befriending the manager, he gradually changed his point of view. “My experiences directly contradicted everything I had learned my whole life,” Mahamed told The Jerusalem Post in April. “I’d been told that Jews think they are G-d’s chosen people and better than everyone else. But bit by bit, I realized that what I had been taught simply wasn’t true.” Mahamed now works with Israeli advocacy organization StandWithUs and travels to tell his story. He has had speaking engagements in London, Helsinki and South Africa, as well as Dallas, Miami and New York. On Monday, Oct. 30, Mahamed

Zionist Arab Yahya Mahamed is speaking in Athens on Oct. 30 and in Sandy Springs and College Park on Nov. 1. All three presentations are at schools.

will speak to students at the University of Georgia for an event put together by campus group Dawgs for Israel. Two days later, he will speak to students at the Weber School and Woodward Academy. It will be Mahamed’s first time in Atlanta. “If you had told me a few years ago that I would be doing this, I would have laughed,” he said in a phone interview from Canada. “But there is a lot of misinformation circling Israel, and we have to spread education to counter the lies. The situation must change, and that’s what StandWithUs is doing.”

But speaking up for Israel has led to problems for Mahamed. A video he shot for StandWithUs was picked up by local Arabic news sources and spread around. False claims were added that Mahamed was taught English by the organization and that he was paid by the government. Umm el-Fahm became too dangerous, and he now lives in Jerusalem. He has run into opposition at many of the universities where he has spoken. At Wits University in South Africa during Israel Apartheid Week in March, Mahamed was scheduled to

speak on behalf of the South African Union of Jewish Students. The union had made an agreement with the college administration that half the piazza would be for the Jewish union and half for supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. But when Mahamed showed up, the BDS supporters had taken the entire piazza, were stealing materials and were ripping up posters. When it was his turn to speak, Mahamed told the crowd that peace is possible only through dialogue, even as BDS supporters attempted to disrupt his speech with loud chants of “free Palestine.” When he returns to Israel after this trip with StandWithUs, Mahamed will enter service in the Israel Defense Forces as a lone soldier. Because military service is voluntary for Israeli Arabs, he chose to join an elite unit, the Givati Infantry Brigade. “I’m Israeli,” he said. “I like it here. Here we enjoy full rights. I believe that Israel doesn’t only hold hope for the Jewish people; it holds hope for the entire Middle East.” ■

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

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EDUCATION

Radow Helps Connect KSU to Community By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com Little uplifting was likely to be heard at Kennesaw State University on Wednesday, Oct. 25, when Robbie Friedmann was scheduled to speak on the grim topic of “Incitement and Terrorism: Challenges and Responses.” But the fact the lecture by the founding director of the Georgia Inter-

national Law Enforcement Exchange is happening is a different matter. The latest in what is now meant to be an annual event, the Paul & Beverly Radow Lecture Series on Jewish Life, Friedmann’s presentation represents a commitment to ever-stronger ties between Georgia’s third-largest university and the Jewish community on and off campus. “I’ve been a long-term cheerleader for Kennesaw State University,” said

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real estate developer and Congregation Etz Chaim member Norman Radow, who is funding the Radow Lecture Series to honor his parents. Radow has chaired the university’s foundation and started its real estate foundation. “I’ve seen it grow from a commuter school to a major research university. I feel emotionally connected.” As someone deeply involved in the Jewish community — Radow was the honoree at the annual Israel Bonds Atlanta dinner last November, for example — he wanted to create some Jewish programming to be sure the community was aware of and benefited from Kennesaw State’s growth and maturity. He talked with Catherine Lewis, who heads the museums, archives and rare books department, Robin Dorff, the dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the university president at the time, Dan Papp, and decided to start a Jewish lecture series. “What we try to do is look at contemporary issues, what’s going on on campus,” Lewis said. Stuart Rockoff, who was with the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and now is the executive director of the Mis-

sissippi Humanities Council, launched the series with “Bagels and Grits,” a lecture on Jews in the South, in 2013. Decatur writer Robert Weintraub, author of “The Victory Season,” a book about baseball after World War II, spoke in 2014 about the Jewish involvement in baseball. The centennial of Leo Frank’s lynching took precedence in 2015. Frank died less than a mile from KSU’s Marietta campus. Radow did his part by supporting the Kennesaw State student production of “Parade,” the musical native Jewish Atlantan Alfred Uhry wrote about the Frank case, and bringing in Uhry to speak at the “raw and emotional” staging at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre at Marietta Square, a couple of miles from the lynching site. “That’s what I love,” Radow said. “We brought in someone of interest. … The whole community got involved. That’s a great return on investment.” After taking 2016 off while recovering from the Frank effort, Kennesaw State is back to the original lecture format with Friedmann and a topic, terrorism, that is all too timely, Lewis said. While the lecture’s first audience is the campus community, “we start with the idea that we want to appeal broadly to the community,” and that goes beyond the Jewish community, Cobb County or even metro Atlanta, Lewis said. Because the university is right along Interstate 75, it’s easy to get to from places like Dalton and Chattanooga. “Any program, any lecture, any exhibit opening, we try to be as welcoming as we can be” and to serve as “the front door of the university,” Lewis said, noting that her department’s programs are always free. The university staff, led by Dorff, develops the possible ideas and speakers for each year’s lecture, then talks to Radow about them. He said he is presented with five to 10 suggestions, and he loves them all and tells Kennesaw State to pick one. “I want the university to flex their muscles and be creative. I don’t want to stifle that.” Lewis and Radow said they want to see the audience and awareness of the series continue to grow. Lewis said Radow has made it clear that he won’t let a lack of money get in the way. Radow said he’s thrilled by the series and the recognition it brings Kennesaw State. “We got in at the beginning to help create a program we thought would be thought-provoking and a spark for the community.” ■

OCTOBER 27 â&#x2013;ª 2017

EDUCATION Jerusalem U Launches Online Database

Jerusalem U in September launched the Jerusalem U Media Lab (medialab.jerusalemu.org) as an online resource for Israel educators. The database provides access to all of Jerusalem U’s video classes and supplementary classroom materials. Streaming links to the video classes and PDF downloads of classroom materials are available free; digital downloads of feature films and video classes are available at a low cost. Educators can browse content through subject- and age-specific curated playlists, most popular classes, and more. “We understand that teaching the always-changing, complex topic of Israel is challenging — and possibly even scary — but we don’t believe it should be,” Jerusalem U President Dina Rabhan said. “We are a team of educators finding joy in creating ways to engage students in meaningful discussions and out-of-the-box learning through digital media. The Media Lab is the new destination for all of this learning.” The Media Lab also offers tips, experiences and professional development materials for teachers. “Films bring Israel to life,” said Lior Krinsky, the vice president of Israel education content and U.S. operations for Jerusalem U. “Our video classes and feature documentaries harness the power of authentic storytelling, multiple narratives and a wide range of topics.”

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

ADL Sending 9 to D.C.

Nine juniors from four high schools in the Atlanta area have been named Lynne & Howard Halpern Atlanta delegates for the Anti-Defamation League’s 18th annual Grosfeld Family National Youth Leadership Mission to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. “This mission encourages open communication and frank discussion so our youth can learn the benefits of diversity and be given the tools to combat bigotry,” said Shelley Rose, the senior associate regional director of the ADL Southeast Region office. The ethnically, religiously and racially diverse group will be in Washington from Nov. 5 to 8 to debate, question and wrestle with bigotry and intolerance in America. The centerpiece of the mission will be a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The museum will educate the delegates about the Holocaust and provide the opportunity to discuss current

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EDUCATION

This is the ADL Lynne & Howard Halpern Atlanta delegation to the National Youth Leadership Mission in November.

extremism and bigotry. In addition to Atlanta, Denver, Florida, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Albany, N.Y., and Santa Barbara, Calif., will be represented at the summit. Local funding for the program is provided by Atlantans Lynne and Howard Halpern. “I want to participate in this youth mission to learn how to stop hate and prejudice in my school and community,” Annie Echemendia of North Springs Charter High School said to explain her interest in the program. She and Elaine Wren will represent North Springs in Washington. “I would love to collaborate with other like-minded students to learn how we can eliminate hate,” said Sheefa Ali of Collins Hill High School. Michael Hall and Elliott Veal Jr. also will represent Collins Hill.

Stephanie Blank Honored Posse Atlanta recognized Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students founder Stephanie Blank at its Power of 10 fundraising dinner Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Four Seasons. Blank helped bring the Posse Foundation to Atlanta in 2007. Posse grants scholarships to posses, or groups of 10 students, from urban public high schools. Those 10 students attend highly selective universities together, creating a built-in support system. “Posse Atlanta is truly grateful for Stephanie’s commitment to education to ensure that every child in Georgia has the opportunity to obtain a quality education and have a pathway of success to college,” said Zenith Houston, the Posse Atlanta director. Nearly 500 Atlanta high school students have received a total of more than $73.5 million in merit-based leadership scholarships the past 10 years.

Sixty more Atlanta high school scholars will be brought into the program in December with scholarships totaling approximately $10 million. “The way Posse leverages our philanthropic gifts to bring in millions of dollars in scholarships for deserving yet often overlooked students is nothing short of amazing,” Blank said.

Brandeis, Scholar Intersect Brandeis University on Wednesday, Oct. 25, was due to present its an-

nual Gittler Prize, including $25,000, to the legal scholar who developed the concept of intersectionality, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw. That idea has become a significant tool to connect pro-Palestinian, antiIsrael activists with people in protest movements such as Black Lives Matter. “Her groundbreaking work on ‘intersectionality’ has traveled globally and was influential in the drafting of the equality clause in the South African Constitution,” Brandeis says in the online award announcement.

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“I want to learn ways to push our generation towards equality and justice for all,” said Aden Simmonds of The Galloway School. Eliza Frankel also will go from Galloway. Marist, the fourth school in the program, is sending Luis Bowen and Lauren Jennings.

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EDUCATION

Boy Scouts’ Bigger Tent Raises Girls’ Stakes By Kevin C. Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

The Boy Scouts of America caused an uproar with the announcement that girls soon will be allowed to join its Cub Scouts program and eventually could achieve the highest rank, Eagle Scout. The move to create dens for girls and packs with boys and girls, announced Oct. 11, takes effect a year from now and follows other recent decisions by the Boy Scouts that created controversy: the lifting of a ban on openly gay Scouts in 2013 and on gay adult leaders in 2015 and the allowing of transgender members this year. “We are at a time in America when more options are available to girls and to women,” Tracy Techau, the CEO of the Boy Scouts’ Atlanta Area Council, said in an interview. “It’s a highly adaptive organization. The Scout Law remains unchanged, and now girls can participate. There were times when we moved slowly, and other times when we moved in contemporary step with the needs of parents and volunteers. We’ve had a lot of input from people

Troop 73 Scout Master Josiah Benator has had more than Scouting on his mind recently. A World War II veteran, the 95-year-old on May 27 was named a knight in France’s National Order of the Legion of Honor for his service more than 70 years earlier. He received the badge in a ceremony at the Georgia Capitol on Monday, Sept. 25.

saying they’d like girls to have the same types of benefits their sons have.” But Amy Dosik, the CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, sees the situation differently. “I don’t know that they have the knowledge and skills and expertise to serve girls. Any parent will tell you that boys and girls are fundamentally different. They are motivated by different things, interested in differ-

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ent things, and so the programs that serve both have to appeal to their differences.” The Boy Scouts explained that existing packs can choose to establish parallel female packs, change to include dens for girls and dens for boys within the pack, or remain all-boy packs. In 2019, the organization will make available a program in which girls can attain the rank of Eagle Scout using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts. “It’s unethical,” said Josiah Benator, the longtime Scout master for Troop 73 at Congregation Or VeShalom. “The only reason the Boy Scout movement is encouraging girls to join is because they’ve lost a lot of boys. Enrollment has dropped off. It is a detriment to the girls’ organization that will undercut their enrollment.” Benator said the Girl Scouts “should stand up (to the BSA) on this very poor decision.” The BSA has reported that only 5 percent of Boy Scouts earn the Eagle Badge, and the Girl Scouts already have their equivalent, the Gold Award, Benator said. Dosik cited research that girls flourish in a single-sex environment. “Kids’ lives today are mostly co-ed, so we’re a little disappointed to see this decision from the BSA because we think both boys and girls need single spaces to grow and develop in a healthy way.”

Theresa Schroeder, a former Gold Girl Scout still active in the movement, told the Atlanta Jewish Times the change is unnecessary. “I’m all for girls getting an equal opportunity when it comes to any other organization. You want to play with the boys? Fine, but there’s no need to intermingle. These organizations are built the way they are for a reason, and you don’t have to join the Boy Scouts to achieve a high level in Scouting.” The inclusion of girls, however, is not unprecedented. Exploring and Venturing, both co-ed initiatives, have been offered since 1971, and the STEM Scout pilot program is available for boys and girls. “I’ve earned every badge there is, so I don’t understand what experience I would get differently if I joined the boys. It’s not sitting around sewing and baking a cake. Girl Scouts is real hard work. We don’t have boys in the organization so that girls can thrive and get their confidence,” Schroeder said. Atlanta Scout parent Mitch Leff thinks the Boy Scouts’ decision is open to interpretation. “We don’t know yet how the curriculum will differ, if at all. It’s a wait-and-see situation. They will leave some of the implementation to the local chartering organizations. Each will have the decision on how this will work for them, which to some extent is the beauty of it, in that it’s somewhat customized to the community it’s in.” ■

OVS Troop Rebounds Things are looking up for Congregation Or VeShalom’s Boy Scout Troop 73, led by Josiah Benator, 95. Last year the AJT reported that only two active members remained in the group, jeopardizing its ability to continue after decades of Scouting. Benator now has six boys under his charge, one above the minimum requirement for registration. “We’d like to get more of them, though,” he said. “We’re able to go on camping trips, and we work with our Scouts each week on advancement.”

EDUCATION

Former Miss Israel Takes Advocacy to Campuses with the West Coast this month.” She’ll appear on 12 campuses in less than two weeks: • Queens College in New York, Monday, Oct. 30. • Columbia University in New York, Oct. 30. • University of Colorado, Boulder, Oct. 31. • California Poly San Luis Obispo, Nov. 1. • UCLA, Nov. 2. • University of Southern California, Nov. 3. • Stanford University, Nov. 6. • San Jose State University, Nov. 6. • University of California, Davis, Nov. 7. • University of California, Berkley, Nov. 7. • University of Washington, Nov. 8. • Portland State University, Nov. 9. Aynaw recently founded the Titi Project, which provides extracurricular activities and enrichment to 66 Ethiopian children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Netanya. ■

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Atlantans attending college in New York, Colorado, California, Oregon or Washington state will have a chance to meet 2013 Miss Israel Titi Aynaw during her third tour of U.S. colleges, sponsored by Jewish National Fund and Media Watch International. Aynaw, the Titi Aynaw visits first Ethiopianborn Miss Israel, Harvard during a previous U.S. tour. will conclude her visit by speaking to hundreds of college students attending the JNF National Conference in Hollywood, Fla., on Nov. 11. “I am a proud Ethiopian-Israeli woman, and I am excited to go back to campus, as I’ve been waiting all summer for my speaking tour to begin,” Aynaw said. “My previous two tours to the U.S. were on the East Coast, so I am very happy to share my personal story

EDUCATION

New ORT Atlanta Head Targets Tech Industry

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

By Patrice Worthy

ORT, an organization dedicated to providing vocational training for disadvantaged Jews worldwide, is one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets, says Rachel Miller, who was hired late in the summer as the Atlanta regional director of ORT America. “It is the world’s pre-eminent Jewish educational organization with programs focused on science, technology, engineering and math,” Miller said in a recent interview. Miller brings two decades of experience in fundraising for nonprofit organizations such as the Jewish Federations of North America and American Jewish Committee. She replaced Jay Tenenbaum, who resigned in March to take a job in Florida. Her goal is to make ORT’s mission resonate in Atlanta while leveraging her relationships with donors. “Our supporters are smart, dedicated people who value education as the foundation for professional success and community development; this is the profile of donors who help further our programs,” she said. ORT was founded in Russia in 1880 to provide vocational training to impoverished Jews. The organization now operates in 37 countries and is training teachers in addition to teaching students. “ORT programs are comprehensive. They optimize learning for students and teaching for educators, making our scope multidimensional,” Miller said, highlighting the ripple effect of teaching teachers to spread ORT’s vocational training to more students. Education, women and children have always been a passion for Miller. Before ORT she was the director of philanthropy at the Global Village Project, a school for refugee girls in Decatur, where she raised more than $1 million. Now Miller’s work in Atlanta directly affects a high school for underprivileged children at Hodayot Youth Village in Israel, part of the World ORT Kadima Mada educational network. Adopted by ORT Atlanta, the school is home to more than 250 students whose families face socio-economic challenges and who have failed in traditional schools. Hodayot needs significant renovations to bring it up to 21st century standards.

Rachel Miller says Atlanta and ORT can reinforce each other’s strengths.

Miller is using her background in raising major gifts to improve the infrastructure while also working on the educational component. She said some donors are stepping up to establish an empowerment center at Hodayot to give the kids psychological help and provide other types of educational support. Part of her new strategic plan is to access the burgeoning tech industry in Atlanta, which she said is the most logical approach. “We’re looking at how we might attract Atlanta business leaders and students in media and startups and technology to benefit our programs in Israel,” Miller said. “The importance of STEM education related to the demands of our 21st century is increasing rapidly, and ORT is at the forefront of that, with our initiatives in Israel, the former Soviet Union, Latin America and elsewhere geared toward preparing individuals for career success in our changing world. It’s logical for us to look among like-minded groups here for support.” The local initiative in science, technology, engineering and mathematics will affect the school in Hodayot as well as ORT globally, Miller said. “We’re going to look to see how Atlanta’s strength can add to ORT’s strength and vice versa,” she said. Miller believes that with a good education, you can do anything. “STEM education is crucial to the development of our future generations, and it offers young people necessary knowledge to become productive members of society. In Israel a good education enables high school graduates to succeed in the Israel Defense Forces before their next studies,” Miller said. “Technology makes the world more interconnected, opens possibilities for collaboration and sharing, and bridges cultures, and entrepreneurship drives new development. ORT takes this into account, and Kadima Mada helps make it happen. ORT students, in Israel and in other countries, are primed for the future.” ■

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BOOK FESTIVAL

Breyer: Rule of Law Is ‘Tremendous Asset’ to U.S. By Cady Schulman cschulman@atljewishtimes.com U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has served 23 years on the nation’s highest court, and he has seen how decisions made in other countries affect rulings in America. He addresses that international influence in his book “The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities.” Breyer, who will open the 26th Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center at 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 — tickets are $30 for JCC members and $35 for others, including a copy of the paperback of the book — spoke with the AJT on Friday, Oct. 20.

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

AJT: Why did you write this book? Breyer: I wanted to write it because the books I’ve written are to explain through example what the Supreme Court does. I was interested in showing people the way in which the globalized word, the world abroad, affects cases and what that means concretely for the Supreme Court. If you look at what we’re actually deciding, you will see there are many more cases in which you need to know foreign law to decide the American law correctly — civil liberties, terrorism, all kinds of things. I noticed when I started on the court that there a handful of cases where you really had to know what was happening abroad to get the case decided correctly; now (it’s) 20 to 25 percent of the cases, such as gay rights or death penalty. In some of those cases, sometimes authors have referred to foreign law. There’s displacement. You’re angry at A, so you blame B.

AJT: What message do you want to get to the public about the court and its role in 21st century? Breyer: I want people to just have a very basic understanding of what we do. I’m there every day, and I see it all the time. I want them to at least have a glimmer of this. We are a country of 320 million people. We’re every race and religion. Despite those differences, we’ve managed to stick together. It’s a miracle. One of the things that has held us together is the rule of law. We will accept decisions, even if we think they’re wrong. I want them to see what a great thing this is, the tradition. It’s a tremendous asset for the United States. AJT: What are some common mis-

conceptions about the court? Breyer: About half the time we’re unanimous. It’s 5-4 about 20 percent of the time, and it’s not always the same five or the same four. I went back and looked at the number of times (Justice Antonin) Scalia’s vote would have made a difference. It was about four to five out of 75. AJT: How well are the checks and balances working in Washington? Breyer: I know our court, and I hope our court is working well. We do our job. AJT: Are there concerns about the court becoming too politicized or about decisions the court has already made? Breyer: I doubt it’s any more politicized than it’s ever been. Different judges have come to different conclusions on federal law. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be hearing the case. The Constitution doesn’t give a precise meaning of the freedom of speech. So we’ll have cases from a pharmaceutical company who wants to advertise or violence on videos. It’s very hard to say from the language of the Constitution what the answer is. That’s usually true even of the precedents and historical background. If you have a judicial philosophy that puts a lot of weight on history at the time that it was written, and you think it’s less likely to answer the question, then you should answer the values that underlie the particular position. You might come to different answers. That’s not politics. AJT: What do you hope your legacy on the court will be? Breyer: I really have no idea. That’s for other people to say. I read somewhere that Thurgood Marshall, when asked this question, said that he hoped (people would say) he did his best. I think that’s a good motto. ■

The Court and the World By Stephen Breyer Vintage, 400 pages, $17 (paperback)

OCTOBER 27 â&#x2013;ª 2017

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BOOK FESTIVAL

Despite Dyslexia, Dylan Dickson Can Write By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

The first day of first grade is terrifying for Ava, but not because she doesn’t like her teachers or her school or because she lacks friends. She’s afraid the struggles she had with reading in kindergarten won’t end just because she’s a year older. When Ava writes “b” instead of “d” and “tap” instead of “cat,” she knows it will be a long year. And when the first report cards come out, she suffers a tummy ache, then breaks into tears. “Why Can’t I Read?” is the story of one bright little girl and her baffling struggles with the printed word until she gets the diagnosis of dyslexia and learns that, though it will be tough, she will be able to read. But this isn’t an adult’s perspective or an adult’s effort to present a child’s view. It’s the work of Dylan Dickson, who was 8 years old in the summer of 2016 when she worked with grandmother Phyllis Klein to share the experience of living with dyslexia. “This was her project. I would just ask her the questions and read it back

to her,” Klein said. “She knew what she wanted to say.” Now 9 and in her second year at the Schenck School, which works Dylan Dickson exclusively with children with dyslexia, Dylan is ready to talk about her book and her life in a public forum for the first time at the Book Festival of Marcus Jewish Community Center on Sunday, Nov. 5, when she’ll be a special guest at “The Power of Different” author Gail Saltz’s session. In an interview, Dylan said she’s making her author-talk debut at the JCC because she knows it so well. She went to preschool and swam there before taking her backstroke and breaststroke to the Dynamo swim club, and her mother, Jessica, teaches at the JCC. “I wanted to tell more people about dyslexia,” Dylan said. “They can do anything they want.” Dylan, a member of Congregation B’nai Torah, was attending the Epstein

School (where her brother, Spencer, is now in eighth grade) when she went through six months of testing, guessing, wondering and worrying to try to answer the question in her book title. One problem, Dylan said, is that even though her mom and her dad, Matt, remembered having reading difficulties as children, it remains a mystery whether either had dyslexia. “I figured out after I had dyslexia that a whole bunch of my friends had dyslexia, and they weren’t telling people because they thought it was bad,” Dylan said. “So I wrote the book to show them it wasn’t bad.” All the characters’ names and a few other words (racecar, for example) are palindromes because many people with dyslexia read backward. Words that are the same forward and backward avoid the problem. When the book was just a home project, it featured a special font with weighting on letters to be easier for people with dyslexia, but that commercial typeface — used in Henry Winkler’s “Hank” series, which inspired Dylan — had to be replaced once other people

wanted to buy “Why Can’t I Read?” Dylan said she not only has inspired some friends to acknowledge their reading problems, but also has made others at Epstein want to write books. She’s planning to write a sequel, “Now I Can Read,” next summer. She’s even ready for fans who want signed copies of her books. She has developed a special signature — two D’s in a circle — to save her the trouble of writing out her full name every time. Still, she doesn’t aim to be an author when she grows up. She wants to be an inventor. She imagines a device to check whether you have strep without jamming a stick down your throat. That creative problem-solving reflects the main message she wants to spread: “If you have it (dyslexia), it’s sort of like a gift, but you’ll learn differently. And if you have it, you’re better at different things. You just might struggle at some things.” ■ Why Can’t I Read? By Dylan Dickson CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 34 pages, $11

BOOK FESTIVAL

How to Up Your Game Have you ever wanted to know how to throw a perfect spiral, win at arm wrestling or get on TV at a sporting event? Gary Belsky, a former editor in chief of ESPN the Magazine, and Neil Fine, the former executive editor, have put together a guide for how to do those things and more called “Up Your Game!” Belsky is appearing Nov. 19 at the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center. “Up Your Game!” includes more than 150 quick lessons in total sports mastery. They include sinking a basketball free throw, snagging an autograph, filling out a baseball scorecard and sneaking down to better seats at a sporting event. The book boasts insights from such pros as Super Bowl-winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers on throwing a spiral, 11-time Gold Glove major-league shortstop Omar Vizquel on fielding a grounder and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson on driving 500 miles. Switching among obscure sports trivia, useful playing tips and stadium etiquette, the 280-page book is chockfull of quick, informative lessons. Some pearls of wisdom from Belsky and Fine: • How to buy a scalped ticket without overpaying — Be patient. The closer to kickoff (or tipoff or first pitch), the more desperate sellers become. Once the national anthem plays, the advantage swings to the buyer. • How to play pool in a bar — Don’t gamble with strangers. That means never offer to play pool for money with someone you don’t know, no matter how much worse at the game this person might appear. • How to propose at a sporting event — Don’t. • How to catch a foul ball — As a rule, most foul balls land in either the upper deck behind home plate or the lower deck down the baselines. Fields with more expansive foul territories offer fewer chances for the ball to reach the stands, so in such cases the upper deck behind home plate is the way to go. • How to throw a dart — Hold on loosely. There is no proper way to grip a dart. There is a proper grip pressure, however: the more relaxed, the better. Darts is a game of touch, not force. ■

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

By David R. Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com

SIMCHAS

Engagement Reisman-Lowenthal

Vickie and Bruce Reisman of Atlanta announce the engagement of their daughter, Julia Alysse Reisman, to Daniel Gary Lowenthal, son of Suzanne and Stephen Phillips of Atlanta. Julia is the granddaughter of Shirley and Donald Reisman of Atlanta and the late Lillian and Noah Ginsberg. Danny is the grandson of Shirley and Sidney Silvers of Bayside in New York. Julia holds a B.S. in nursing from the University of Texas and a master’s in nursing from Vanderbilt University. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner in San Francisco. Danny holds a B.B.A. in finance from the University of Georgia and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia. He is a cloud solution specialist at Microsoft in San Francisco.

OBITUARIES

Ruth Aronson 98, Dunwoody

Ruth Katz Aronson, age 98, of Dunwoody passed away Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, at the Berman Commons assisted-living facility in Dunwoody. She was the oldest active member of Congregation B’nai Torah from 2007 to 2017. She was born April 16, 1919, in New York City, the only daughter of the late Carl David and Nettie Schoenbach Katz. Ruth received her bachelor of arts degree from Hunter College and was a retired elementary school teacher. She and her late husband, Moses Aronson, who passed away in 2002, relocated to the Orlando, Fla., area in 1965. Ruth remained in Orlando until 2007, when she moved to Atlanta to be closer to family. In Orlando, the Aronsons were longtime members of Congregation Ohev Shalom. Ruth was very active in the Jewish community as a life member of Hadassah, life member of B’nai B’rith Women, past president of Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary 759 and ORT. She was also a member of the COS Sisterhood, the JCC 39ers and the Couples Club. In the greater Orlando community she was a member of the Friends of the Orlando Library and the Orange County Historical Society. Ruth is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Wayne and Joan Aronson and granddaughters Nicole Aronson Silverman and Lindsey Aronson of Marietta, her son and daughter-in-law Joel and Roberta Aronson and grandson Michael of Natick, Mass., and her daughter, Helene Aronson of Brookline, Mass. A funeral service was held Sunday, Oct. 15, in the Pavilion at Ohev Shalom Cemetery, Orlando, with Rabbi Arnold Siegel officiating. Burial followed in the cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, Orlando, 407-599-1180.

Barry Berman

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

75, Sandy Springs

Barry Lee Berman of Sandy Springs passed away Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. He was 75 years old. Born in Baltimore on Oct. 9, 1942, Barry devoted his life to education and to his family. A graduate of Baltimore’s Polytechnic Institute in 1960 and Case Institute of Technology (which soon merged with Western Reserve University to form Case Western Reserve University) in 1964, Barry earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1969. After being a physics professor at colleges in Kentucky and New York, where his first daughter, Brenna, was born, Barry became fascinated by computers and computer software, eventually spending a yearlong sabbatical studying the fast-growing, late-1970s trend. His passion for educational and personal computing and eventually the Internet, which continued throughout his life, soon prompted him to leave teaching for educational sales. He spent more than 30 years in the industry, working for

OBITUARIES Fourier Systems, Wicat Systems, SMARTHINKING and Pearson until his retirement in 2016. Barry’s tenure at Wicat Systems brought him in 1982 to Atlanta, where he met Dr. Betsy Gard at a Jewish singles event two years later. The two were married in June 1986, and together they raised their children, Brenna, Sarah and Danny. Barry was an avid sports fan and loved watching University of Wisconsin football, the Baltimore Colts and later the Baltimore Ravens. He also enjoyed installing home electronics, as well as traveling with his wife both abroad and throughout the United States, especially to national parks. Barry is survived by his wife, Dr. Betsy (née Schlesinger) Gard; a sister, Judy (née Berman) Zimlin; daughters Brenna (née Berman) Broadnax and Sarah (née Gard) Lazarus; son Danny Berman; and four grandchildren. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the National Park Service (www.nps.gov) or the International Rescue Committee www.rescue.org). Funeral services were held at Wednesday, Oct. 18, at Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, continuing at Arlington Memorial Park, with Rabbis Analia Bortz and Mario Karpuj of Congregation Or Hadash and Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Ruth-Anne Hackner 59, Atlanta

Ruth-Anne Hackner, who died Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, was born to Joel and Lezley Goodman, of blessed memory, on July 14, 1958, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She earned an undergraduate degree and a master’s in business administration from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Having written her thesis on portfolio theory, Ruth worked as a management consultant for Deloitte in South Africa. She married and immigrated to the United States in 1984. Arriving in Chicago, Ruth worked for Mesirow Financial as the director of financial marketing, and several years later Ruth’s two children, Stacy and David, were born. Ruth was a devoted mother to her children and was very supportive in all their endeavors. After the birth of her children, Ruth’s interests moved to Jewish community service, where she volunteered for many community organizations, most recently the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and the National Jewish Book Council’s debut fiction committee. Ruth was beloved by her wide array of friends, ranging from childhood friends to those friends made during her tenures in Chicago, Tampa and Atlanta. She had many interests and hobbies, most notably world travel, yoga, the arts and graciously hosting friends in her home. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ruth’s memory can be sent to Jewish Family & Career Services, 4549 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30338, 770-6779300, www.jfcsatl.org/donate.

Barbara Rothschild Barbara Haas Rothschild, 96, native to Atlanta, passed away peacefully Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. She was born Jan. 17, 1921, to Violet and Herman Haas, both of blessed memory. Barbara graduated from Brenau University and was an avid tennis player, playing ALTA until she was 80. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 62 years, Bernard Rothschild, FAIA, FCSI. Barbara is survived by her daughter, Nancy Lyons (Ken); sons Rick (Carol) and Rob; grandchildren Richard (Martha) and Renee Rothschild and Katy Osterlund (Chad); and five great-grandchildren. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. Cryptside services were held Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, at Arlington Memorial Park with Rabbi Loren Lapidus officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999. 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 27 ▪ 2017

96, Atlanta

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Mikvah Provides A Gateway to Purity

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, spanning two days, began at sundown Thursday, Oct. 19, with the new moon in Libra. It’s in the sign of Akrav, Scorpio, whose symbol is the scorpion. During Cheshvan, the grass withers, and it’s time for plowing and planting in Israel. The earth is dry, and the focus is on prayers for water, even though this month typically has the most rainfall. It was during Cheshvan, often referred to as Mar Cheshvan, that the great flood occurred in the time of Noah. Mar means “bitter,” with no holidays to celebrate. We want to reverse mar, filled with bitterness, angst and worry, into ram, an elevated energy. Rainwater, anxiety and elation mirror my first mikvah experience just before the High Holidays. Tracie Bernstein, the wife of Rabbi Michael Bernstein, is the personification of integrity, humility and love. She suggested going to the mikvah. I’d never done it and wrongly thought being post-menopausal prohibited me. Tracie gave me explicit instructions for appropriate preparation. Halachah stipulates that one must be scrupulously clean before immersing, as pristine and unadorned as when entering this world. Beyond showering and washing hair, knots are thoroughly combed through, nail polish removed, and teeth brushed and flossed. There are no deodorants, perfumes, soaps or anything that might act as a barrier between G-d and you. Jewelry is removed, as are contact lenses. I meditated before leaving and felt prepared. The private, spalike preparation rooms are simply elegant at the Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah. They’re appointed with all the necessary amenities, including flip-flops, robes and plush towels. The tile under my bare feet helped me feel grounded as I showered and read the instructions, ritual meanings and blessings provided. When Tracie knocked on the door, I was surprised at my own heart-pounding anxiety. Opening the door to the mikvah room, I saw the aqua water with seven steps leading into the pool. What I wasn’t prepared for was the extraordinary vulnerability I felt. 38 I’m no stranger to Hashem, but the

magnitude of this sacred moment nearly blocked my ability to hear and speak. Naked underneath the robe and without the mask of makeup, jewelry or product in my hair, I trembled before my guide and my G-d. Tracie reminded me that she’d block her vision, except to witness

CROSSWORD

Dr. Terry Segal tsegal@atljewishtimes.com

that the three immersions were kosher, meaning I had fully immersed from my feet to the top strand of my untangled hair. With my back to her, I stepped out of the robe and descended the steps into the warm and gentle waters that rose to cover my chest. I was instructed to dunk with my feet lifted and not hold my nose, which would create a barrier to one of the passageways. Tucking knees to chest, I plunged beneath the surface. As I rose, emotions tightened my throat, and I gulped in some water. “Kasher,” Tracie proclaimed. Embarrassed to be choking, I forced clarity into my voice before reciting the blessing for immersion. Seemingly out of my body for the second dunking, I submerged and felt as if I were floating in the womb. “Kasher.” Reciting the Shehecheyanu brought a vision of being surrounded by my ancestors. I sobbed silently. For the third immersion, I reached my arms out, as if to embrace those who have gone before me. “Kasher.” It was complete. I felt changed, as I had while standing under the chuppah and again when I crossed the threshold into motherhood. Overcome with gratitude and pride in being a Jewish woman, I set my mindful intention for the holidays. I also asked Hashem to bless my work in the world. For those who know me, asking doesn’t come easily. The mikvah represents both the womb and the grave, as portals to life and afterlife. In each, we’re stripped of all but what we’ve arrived with in the physical form that houses the soul. It’s both powerful and humbling. I thank Tracie for encouraging me. My experience was spiritual, sacred and profound. ■

“100 Years Later”

By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Challenging 1

46 49 56

New Moon Meditations

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ACROSS 1. Observes Asara B’Tevet 6. He loved Rachel, on TV 10. Gad who voices 11Down 14. ___ Sha’alti 15. Just a smidge 16. Oscar winner Kazan 17. With 25-Down, statement made on Nov. 2, 1917 19. Jewish-Roman ___ 20. Bklyn. J with many Jewish businesses 21. It’s equal to 9 22. Sight from Venice’s Shul on the Beach 24. “The Blues Brothers” director 26. Basketball defenses 27. Napoleon relative 29. Abu follower 33. Billy Joel often covers their “Highway to Hell” 36. Agcy. for displaced persons, 1947-51 37. Neatnik’s banes 38. Disturb 39. Hebrew eyes 41. Like a pomegranate 42. Israel got a couple in Rio 44. The Holy Land; abbr. 45. Iran-set best picture winner 46. Schluff sound 47. Shemini ___ 49. Common feeling for Woody Allen 51. “Old” combination 55. Jewish areas in Rome and Venice 58. Giveret, in Madrid; abbr. 59. “Magniv” 60. Shimon’s partner in crime 61. Lord Walter who first received 17-Across and 25-

Down 64. Cookie that was once treif 65. New York county that’s home to a kosher animal city 66. Seder setting 67. Like frayed tzitzit 68. Stern’s opposite end? 69. Animal seen in Crystal’s “City Slickers”

many a Jewish name 32. Lenin’s “What ___ Be Done?” 33. Galils and Tavors 34. Ethan or Joel 35. Her biggest hit was “Thank You” 37. Reflects 40. Nahariyya to Karmiel dir. 43. Advanced 47. Arrange according to DOWN class 1. Like Ahab’s arrow wound 48. Passes, like the Knesset 2. Big name in halva 50. Makes like a bad ox 3. Sorkin wrote a lot of his 52. Naphtali, e.g. “presidential” dialogue 53. 2008 robot movie 4. How one might learn a 54. More like Neil Simon’s Piamenta song couple 5. Storm production 55. Alison Brie’s Netflix 6. There was one between show David and Absalom 56. Eli Cohen, for one 7. Winner of a kid’s game 57. Penultimate fairy tale 8. A shikur may lie in one word 9. It’s a wrap 58. Early biblical survivor 10. 17-Across and 25-Down 62. Black ___ (simcha) paved the way for it 63. Borsalino, e.g. 11. See 10-Across 12. One who can tell you when sunset is 13. Camp for children and adults with disabilities 18. Funny Jones and Nielsen LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 23. Make like R A S H I M A R A S W A M Egypt in ’67 E L V I N E M O R O R C A 25. See A T E S T D I S C O V E R Y 17-Across M O N T O Y A S H R I N E S O N E L M O D E 26. One who S T A R E S L I F E T I M E was probably P O S Y N U B S A S N E R excited by A R T F O R L O L B E N 17-Across and M A R T A I Y A R S A S S 25-Down S H O W T I M E A M U L E T 28. Rabbi O H R P A T U R Isaac Luria, T A T T O O S R E D F L A G with “The” B L O O M B E R G P I A N O S O O N O R E O I N D I A 30. Trei ___ P E T E T E N N E G E S T 31. Suffix for 1

14 17

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MARKETPLACE MendenFreiman Adds Kirschenbaum as Partner Roger A. Kirschenbaum has joined boutique Sandy Springs law firm MendenFreiman (mendenfreiman.com) as a partner in its estate planning, trust and estate administration, and business practice areas. Kirschenbaum brings more than 35 years’ experience to the firm. “Roger’s extensive experience in estate

planning, probate and estate administration, taxation, and business transactions will greatly enhance the firm’s ability to meet the needs of our growing client base,” said Lawrence H. Freiman, the firm’s managing partner. “His areas of practice precisely align with the firm’s, making him a perfect fit for MendenFreiman and our clients.” Kirschenbaum spent 22 years managing a solo practice while serving of counsel to Wagner, Johnston & Rosenthal in Sandy

Springs. He received his J.D. and LL.M. in taxation from Emory University School of Law and his bachelor’s in political science from Brown University. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association and is a past chair of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Estate Planning and Probate Section. In addition, Kirschenbaum serves on the Emory University Gift Planning Advisory Council. ■

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I’ll drive to you! → Desktop & Laptop Repair → Home/Business Networking → Performance Upgrades → Apple Device Support → Virus/Spyware Removal

GENERATORS 24/7 POWER PROTECTION

CLEANING SERVICES

Fast Appointment Scheduling Reasonable Rates All Services Guaranteed

404-954-1004

Residential & Commercial

damon.carp@gmail.com

CALL US NOW FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

HOME SERVICES

RHAYANI

LOAN SERVICES

470.443.4928

Unexpected Bills?? Call: Nancy at 470-268-5665 Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta – www.jifla.org

LEONARDO

Highly experienced woman with 25+ years in sales and relationship building looking for opportunity with local company. Call Adrienne, 954-268-5063.

Tenth Series Jubilee Bonds ($25,000 minimum) for 10 Years

3.86

HOME HEALTHCARE SERVICES CNA Home Healthcare, Run Errands, Light House Duty, Dr. Appts - If you don’t like, I don’t stay, You don’t pay Call Geraldine Downing 954-225-5288

Tenth Series Maccabee % Bonds ($5,000 minimum) for 10 Years

3.71

Seventh Series Mazel Tov % Bonds ($100 minimum) for 5 Years

3.33%

Seventh Series eMitzvah Bonds ($36 minimum) for 5 Years

3.33%

(404) 817-3500 Atlanta@Israelbonds.com Development Corp. for Israel Member FINRA Effective through October 31, 2017

OCTOBER 27 ▪ 2017

470.443.4905

POSITION WANTED

OCTOBER 27 â&#x2013;ª 2017