Atlanta Jewish Times, Vol. XCI No. 37, September 23, 2016 by Atlanta Jewish Times

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INSIDE: CELEBRATE SIMCHAS, PAGES 17-41 FOCUSED

PEACEFUL

At age 10, Jordan Tibor makes it his business to make b’nai mitzvah events special. Page 20

EVENTFUL

Amit Rau’s bat mitzvah project creates interfaith ties here and in Israel. Page 22

Some of Atlanta’s top tourist attractions also can be special simcha venues. Page 26

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INSIDE Calendar ��4 Candle Lighting �� 5 Israel News ��8 Opinion �� 12 Health & Wellness �� 16 Simchas �� 17 Business �� 46 Education ��47 Home ��48 Obituaries ��50 Marketplace ��52 Crossword ��54

VOL. XCI NO. 37

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | 20 ELUL 5776

Get Fired Up For Kosher Barbecue

BATTLING BDS

While welcoming a Western Galilee delegation, Sandy Springs takes a stand against boycotters of Israel. Page 12

HOME AT LAST

Shaarei Shamayim moves into its permanent Toco Hills home and helps a displaced church find a new place. Page 42

OUR REFUGEE PAST

A century ago, the United States tried its best to make Jews feel unwanted. Page 45

BUSINESS MISSION

Conexx is organizing a November trip to Israel that will race around the country and across industries. Page 46

Jewsic Midtown

While last year’s Music Midtown featured a bevy of Jewish headliners in Drake, Lenny Kravitz and David Lee Roth of Van Halen, Music Midtown 2016 on Sept. 17 and 18 also boasted a few kosher acts. Balkan Beat Box, Beck and the Shadowboxers were among the artists with Jewish ties. Jewish Atlanta podiatrist and rock photographer Perry Julien snapped this shot of Israeli group Balkan Beat Box, led by Ori Kaplan on sax.

A Dog Named Hitler In a reminder that anti-Semitism remains in Georgia, Coweta County Animal Control listed a white pit bull named Hitler for adoption Wednesday, Sept. 14. It turns out that the shelter in New nan was not the source of the name: The 3-year-old was put up for adoption after his owner was arrested, and it is Coweta Animal Control’s policy not to change the names of dogs it takes in. The reader who let us know about the listing was baffled the offensive name was not changed. By Monday, Sept. 19, when the dog was expected to be

The listing for the pit bull on petharbor. com says he was found as a stray; the shelter says the dog was brought in after his owner was arrested in Coweta County.

available for adoption, he didn’t turn up under any name in a search of the Coweta County section on petharbor.com. ■

More than 5,000 people are expected at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody on Sunday, Sept. 25, for the fourth annual Atlanta Kosher BBQ Competition & Festival. The 27 registered teams, including the AJT’s Meat the Press, will be up much of the night preparing 500 pounds of brisket, 600 pounds of beef ribs, 600 pounds of chicken and 40 gallons of baked beans in a bid to be recognized by the judges and public as the best kosher ’cuers in town. In addition to the general competition, the event includes the Servicemen’s Cup among fire and police teams. The DeKalb County Fire Department will try to defend its title against the Dunwoody Police Department and a newcomer, the Cobb County Police Department K-9 unit. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is organized by the four local lodges of the Hebrew Order of David. Admission is free. Tasting tickets are $1 apiece, and vendors will sell additional food in case the team samples whet your appetite for more meat. The Atlanta Jewish Music Festival is organizing live music from Nick and the Grooves; Hello, Goodbye, Peace; David Sirull the Redneck Rabbi; and Adam Klein and the Wild Fires. There also will be an area for children’s activities. Amid the fun, the serious purpose is to raise money for charity. The beneficiaries, chosen by the HOD lodges, are I Care Atlanta, Weinstein Hospice, the Cobb police K-9 unit, Gift of Life and JScreen. Visit theatlantakosherbbq.com for more information. ■

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MA TOVU

Beyond Hypochondria I do not remember a time when I was not a hypochondriac. Actually, I think it started at age 3, when I tipped the scale at 60 pounds. My mother shook her head and warned me that if I gained any more weight, I’d “have a heart attack and die.” Nice. Fifteen years later I lost 60 pounds, then gained back 70, but no heart attack. The only lingering curse was chronic hypochondria. Every morning I awoke knowing I had a dread illness. When my mother would call Dad’s regimental doctor, he would pronounce me OK and tell my mom to “clean me out,” a gnarly euphemism for “administering an enema.” I would get petrified and run off to school, still sure that I had some horrible disease. Maladies plagued me through adulthood. I coped with some of them in squeamish denial. One doc was certain that it was “mild depression” and prescribed a teeny dose of Paxil. Then my hypochondria finally paid off: In quick succession, Dr.

Bornstein rattled off the news of Type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, elevated triglycerides and inexplicable numbness on my right side. But Bornstein miraculously held

The Greenviller Rebbe By Rabbi Marc Wilson

my hypochondria at bay. I conveniently overlooked the attentiveness of my doctors, so I trivialized the help they provided. Diabetes, hah, was just a pill or shot. Triglycerides, another pill. For blockages, uh-huh, just an hour to slip in a couple of stents. Another hour for a pacemaker. Numbness, watchful waiting. Even when I got really sick with sepsis, wise doctors shot me up with antibiotic cocktails, and in a few days I was back whizzing my kids with dumb puns. So you see, even with lifelong hypochondria, I fortified myself with the

axiom of “Hey, I feel OK. I have great docs. No one is saying anything about death. Let’s get checkups a little more often and move on!” But what about the prescription of “watchful waiting”? Eventually the numbness increased, and my gait became loopier. I would stumble and fall, sleep for hours each day, get helplessly tongue-tied. “Helpless” became part of the vocabulary. As far as the docs, it was a spate of misdiagnoses from small transitory strokes to “all in my imagination.” After watching me, my daughter the doc announced, “This sure looks neuromuscular to me.” “Meaning what?” I asked. “Well, probably like multiple sclerosis.” So off to a new cavalcade of neuromuscular specialists. They confirmed Dr. Chanie’s diagnosis. Today, a terrifying reality has set in: MS. It is not going away. It will likely get worse. It may level off or get better. It may be fatal. The episodes might be forestalled by shots at a co-pay of $1,800 a month. Now some of the episodes come on

day by day, but the rest never go away. I walk with a cane. I need help getting out of my chair or being picked up from a fall on Court Street. I use a great gizmo to pull up my socks. I struggle to tie my signature bowties. I cannot sign my name legibly. Linda? Now, as I chant Proverbs 31 — “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all” — I am not sure she sees me weeping. How can one be a lover and a caregiver all at once? I dread my kids seeing me deteriorating and my grandchildren not understanding why Zayde needs a cane to walk. Of course, humor is still intact. I tell dumb puns. I can hold cogent conversations and learn my beloved Torah and Talmud. I ask your prayers and Psalms, as I have always wished them on you. But now, thank G-d, it’s farewell to hypochondria. Now it’s just my strongest will to live, whatever blessings the Lord pitches my way. ■ Former Atlantan Rabbi Marc Wilson is a community organizer and Bible teacher in Greenville, S.C.

Atlanta Kosher BBQ Competition

Sunday, September 25, 2016 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Brook Run Park – 4770 N Peachtree Rd Dunwoody, GA 30338

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

BBQ with the Atlanta Jewish Times!

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We plan to bring lots of extras, giveaways and to have lots of fun MEATING YOU!

atlanta jewish times

So COME and MEAT the PRESS!

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MA TOVU

Lanterns Illuminate Atlanta-Style Innovation to engage the unaffiliated. Access is essential. The barriers to entrance and participation cannot be too high or complex. As one well versed in Judaism, I am well aware that a deep understanding of Jewish text and Hebrew can be

Taking Root By Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder rabbiruth@gmail.com

real assets to enjoying Jewish life. But let’s face it: If that is what it takes to be involved or be “a good Jew,” the future will be quite dim. Providing many modes for participation while not expecting everyone to have the same level of commitment or engagement is another takeaway. Sure, there are some for whom paying for tickets, fasting and praying all day really work, but that takes a certain level of commitment and dedication that not everyone is willing to make. What would happen if we created new forms that allowed for different levels and methods of participation? The Lantern Parade on the surface looks like a one-off, a simple evening of fun. But in truth, behind it lies the BeltLine and a whole infrastructure that supports the success of the event. We need not see innovation as at odds with the established institutions of the Jewish community, but instead as complimentary with the potential to move us all forward. The most essential ingredient? Fun. The parade is a good time. The framework of obligation is fundamental to Judaism, but it is no longer compelling in and of itself for the majority of Jews. Judaism, however, has much to offer in terms of fun and even more so in terms of meaning. If we are open to new forms of expression and engagement, the historic content and ancient wisdom of Judaism have the potential to be relevant and useful for generations to come. It may not look the same, as Liebenson and Rofes argue, but Judaism will endure. Innovations will not always work, and they will not be without their faults and limitations. But they have the potential to engage and strengthen community and connection. ■

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

I was planning on a night out, not a night of inspiration. It turned out to be both. Only 6 years old, the Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade is an outgrowth of the BeltLine project. Both are innovations that were barely imaginable before they came into being but have already become fixtures of our community. I did not want to miss out. In their podcast series, “Judaism Unbound,” Dan Liebenson and Lex Rofes are exploring how we might reimagine what we already know about Jewish life, culture and institutions to create new, compelling ways of being Jewish. They are interviewing Jewish leaders and thinkers for inspiration. But that night as we walked the BeltLine with thousands of others, many of whom were just as new to this tradition as I was, I realized that the Lantern Parade offers us a model for Jewish life as well. Innovations take imagination and an ability to see beyond what is already present and accepted. In envisioning the BeltLine Lantern Parade, Chantelle Rytter drew on her experience living in New Orleans and a vision for community in Atlanta. The first year, only a few hundred people came; this year, there were estimated to be over 60,000. Many elements have come together to make this a successful happening. By design, participation is open. Atlantans of all ages, genders, races and ethnicities take part — a possibility enabled by the combination of a low barrier to participation and a variety of modes for getting involved. Some come to watch for five minutes, while others camp out with picnics. Anyone with a lantern can march, again for as long or as short as they like. There are people who take the parade very seriously and spend much time and effort on getting prepped. Others just bring glow sticks. No matter the investment, all marchers are equally involved. Like many, we went with friends, which not only meant that we had someone to show us the ropes, but also that we had time to catch up and hang out. In the organized Jewish world we often talk in vague terms about how

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CALENDAR Atlanta

THROUGH FRIDAY, SEPT. 30

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MICHAEL A. MORRIS

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MARKETING

Marketing & Communications Director

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EDITORIAL Editor

MICHAEL JACOBS

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Contributors This Week

RABBI RUTH ABUSCH-MAGDER RABBI DAVID GEFFEN YONI GLATT • JORDAN GORFINKEL R.M. GROSSBLATT • LEAH R. HARRISON MARCIA CALLER JAFFE BEVERLY LEVITT • KEVIN MADIGAN ARIEL PINSKY • LOGAN C. RITCHIE TED ROBERTS • DAVE SCHECHTER SHAINDLE SCHMUCKLER EUGEN SCHOENFELD AL SHAMS • KEN STEIN RICH WALTER RABBI MARC WILSON PATRICE WORTHY

CREATIVE SERVICES Creative Design

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CIRCULATION

Circulation Coordinator

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CONTACT INFORMATION GENERAL OFFICE 404.883.2130 KAYLENE@ATLJEWISHTIMES.COM

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

The Atlanta Jewish Times is printed in Georgia and is an equal opportunity employer. The opinions expressed in the Atlanta Jewish Times do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta, Ga.

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POSTMASTER send address changes to The Atlanta Jewish Times 270 Carpenter Drive Suite 320, Atlanta Ga 30328. Established 1925 as The Southern Israelite Phone: (404) 883-2130 www.atlantajewishtimes.com THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES (ISSN# 0892-33451) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY SOUTHERN ISRAELITE, LLC 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 320, Atlanta, GA 30328 © 2016 ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES Printed by Walton Press Inc. MEMBER Conexx: America Israel Business Connector American Jewish Press Association Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Please send all photos, stories and editorial content to: submissions@atljewishtimes.com

Daily shofar blast. Rabbi Brian Glusman sounds the shofar at 11 each week morning on Main Street in the Marcus JCC’s Zaban-Blank Building, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, to wake people up to Rosh Hashanah’s approach. Free and open to the community; 678-8124161 or rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc.org.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 22

Lunch and learn. Rabbi Joshua Heller is the presenter at noon at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Bring a lunch or buy food at the Healthy Touch kosher cafe. Free; www. atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161. Tailgating for trees. Trees Atlanta and the Nature Conservancy of Georgia kick off the tree-planting season with a fundraising party featuring music, food, and beverages from Red Hare Brewing and the Wine Group from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Venkman’s, 740 Ralph McGill Blvd., Atlanta. Tickets are $40; treesatlanta.org/tailgatefortrees. Legal lecture. Don Burris, the senior plaintiffs’ attorney in the “Woman in Gold” Nazi looting case before the U.S. Supreme Court, speaks at 7 p.m. at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, 441 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta. Free; www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov. Dinner and a mitzvah. The Marcus JCC and the Sixth Point invite adults in their 20s and 30s to prepare and eat breakfast for dinner at 7 p.m., then assemble hygiene kits and make sandwiches for the homeless at the Kuniansky Family Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. The cost is $15, with advance registration required; atlantajcc. org/mitzvahdinner or 678-812-3972. Book event. “Razor Girl” author Carl Hiaasen discusses the novel in a Prologue to the Book Festival event at 7:30

Corrections & Clarifications

• The time of the 10th anniversary Shabbat celebration at Moishe House in Toco Hills was incorrect in the Sept. 16 issue. The event will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23. • In the Sept. 16 Remember When, the items reported as coming from the Sept. 15, 2006, issue actually came from the Sept. 22, 2006, issue. p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for others; 678-812-4005 or www.atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.

Temple Beth Tikvah, 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell, at 9 p.m. Free; www. bethtikvah.com or 770-642-0647.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 23

Kosher barbecue. The Atlanta Kosher BBQ Competition & Festival is 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. Admission is free; food and drinks are for sale; www.theatlantakosherbbq.com.

Shabbat, Me and Rabbi G. A story, an activity, songs and blessings with Rabbi Brian Glusman prepare children and parents for Shabbat at 5 p.m. in the Sophie Hirsh Srochi Discovery Center at Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Free and open to the community; www.atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161. Bluegrass Shabbat. Nefesh Mountain brings its blend of bluegrass and Jewish musical traditions to Temple Beth Tikvah, 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell, for Shabbat services at 6:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. Free; www. bethtikvah.com or 770-642-0647. Acoustic Shabbat. The Marcus JCC’s Rabbi Brian Glusman and guest musicians welcome Shabbat with adults and older children at 7 p.m. at Crema Espresso Gourmet, 2458 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody. Free admission; rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc.org or 678812-4161. Moishe House celebration. Residents of Atlanta’s two Moishe Houses mark a decade of the organization with a Shabbat service at 8 p.m. at the Toco Hills location on Biltmore Drive. Free; RSVP and get the exact address at lander@moishehouse.org or 202-779-9190.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 24

Bluegrass Selichot. Nefesh Mountain participates in a Selichot program at

Remember When

10 years ago Sept. 22, 2006 ■ The Brandeis University National Women’s Committee is ending its live book sale after 40 years and shifting online. The costs of continuing the tent sale have risen too high as the corps of volunteers has declined. ■ The bat mitzvah ceremony of Hayley Michelle Perlis of Atlanta was held Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006, at Temple Sinai. Hayley is the daughter of David and Robin Perlis. 25 Years Ago Sept. 27, 1991 ■ Dr. Harry J. Heiman has been appointed chief of the department of medicine at Kennestone at Windy Hill Hospital. He joined Urban Family Practice Associates in October 1989. He practiced in Chicago before moving to Atlanta.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25

B’nai mitzvah expo. The Mazel Tov Atlanta expo showcases simcha vendors from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Emory Conference Center Hotel, 1615 Clifton Road, Atlanta. Free with the donation of a food item for the JF&CS Kosher Food Pantry; www.MazelTovAtlanta.com. Creating a capsule wardrobe. Chabad of North Fulton and Chabad of Gwinnett hold “Evening at the Loft” for women to learn how to put together a small collection of mix-and-match clothing at 6 p.m. at the Loft at the Forum, 5145 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 410, Norcross. The cost is $10; admin@chabadnf.org or 770-410-9000, ext. 1. Or VeShalom benefit. Jonathan Wolff, who created the music for 75 primetime TV series, including “Seinfeld,” performs and speaks at 7 p.m. at the Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St., Atlanta, in a benefit for Congregation Or VeShalom. Tickets are $41, $63 or $112; bit.ly/2aJB10Q or 404-413-9849. VIP tickets, including a reception and parking, are $350 for two; 404-633-1737 or Adam.Kofinas@orveshalom.org. Teshuvah program. The Neshama

■ Carol and Dan Jacobs of Roswell announce the birth of a son, Joshua Louis, on Aug. 20. Grandparents are Dr. Morris and Jackie Jacobs of Atlanta and Peter and Ellen Stovin of San Diego. 50 Years Ago Sept. 23, 1966 ■ Capt. Sol Ratner, son of Mrs. Rae Ratner of Savannah, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster for service in Southeast Asia. He is a pilot at George Air Force Base, Calif., where he commands an F-4C Phantom II fighter. ■ Mr. and Mrs. Elliot Alter of Atlanta announce the engagement of her daughter, Jill Lyn Toran, to Joseph Nathan Segal, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mendel Segal of Atlanta. Miss Toran is also the daughter of the late William Toran. The wedding will take place Nov. 27 at Ahavath Achim Synagogue.

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CALENDAR

Book event. “The Nightingale” author Kristin Hannah talks with Greg Changnon at 7:30 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for others; 678812-4005 or www.atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 27

Pre-Rosh Hashanah lecture. Rabbi Eliezer Cohen, the rosh kollel of Kollel Ner Hamizrach, addresses “Ambassadors of a Nation: How to Proudly Represent Judaism in Today’s World” at 8 p.m. at Congregation Bet Yitzchak, 6030 Goodwood Blvd., Norcross. Free; kollelnh.org or 404-594-5999.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28

Two-kollel event. Kollel Ner Hamizrach and the Atlanta Scholars Kollel present a communitywide pre-Rosh Hashanah program on “Days of Majesty: Introducing G-d’s Grandeur Into Our Lives,” featuring Rabbis Eliezer Cohen and Doniel Pransky, at 8 p.m. at the ASK Beis Midrash, 1855 LaVista Road, Toco Hills. Free; atlantakollel.org.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29

High Holiday workout. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, gets blood pumping with a low-impact dance/fitness class and spirits soaring with insights from Rabbi Brian Glusman at 7 p.m. Free to all; 678-812-4022 or rachael.rinehart@atlantajcc.org. Holiday cuisine. “A Healthy Taste of Rosh Hashanah” at the Marcus JCC’s Kuniansky Family Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, helps prepare for Rosh Hashanah with Ashkenazi and Sephardi recipes at 7 p.m. The cost is $50 for JCC members, $65 for others, with advance registration required; 678-812-3971 or atlantajcc.org. History course. Congregation B’nai Israel, 1633 Highway 54, Fayetteville, covers 4,000 years of Jewish history and philosophy over 12 nights, starting tonight at 7 and running through Jan. 26. For fees and more details, cbiadmin@

bnai-israel.net or 678-817-7162. Financial talk. Atlanta Falcons minority owner Ed Mendel addresses “Don’t Obsess About the Election: Focus on Your Personal Financial Future” at 7:30 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Free to all but advance registration required; atlantajcc.org/financialfuture or 678-812-3981. Send questions for Mendel to answer to financialfuture@atlantajcc.org.

SATURDAY, OCT. 1

Jazz show. Pianist Joe Alterman, newly returned from New York, performs a night of jazz, blues and funk with Jazz Orchestra Atlanta at 8 p.m. at Oglethorpe University’s Conant Performing Arts Center, 4484 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven. Tickets are $20; oglethorpeuniversity.thundertix.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5

College advice. The Center for Israel Education and the Institute for the Study of Modern Israel kick off a seminar series for 11th- and 12th-graders on “Choosing a College: Atmosphere & Jewish Engagement” with a community forum about the questions to consider when applying to college at 7 p.m. at the Weber School, 6751 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. The series continues in February and March. Free, but advance registration required; www. israeled.org/rsvp. Life skills for teens. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, launches a four-week workshop on “adulting” for eighth- to 10th-graders at 7:15 p.m. The other classes are Oct. 19 and 26 and Nov. 2. Admission is $50 for JCC members, $65 for others; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4082.

SATURDAY, OCT. 8

Wine tasting. The Ketura Group of Hadassah Greater Atlanta holds a tasting of five wines with hors d’oeuvres and desserts at 7:30 p.m. in East Cobb. Admission is $22; RSVP and pay by Sept. 30. Details from Harriet Trackman, h.trackman@yahoo.com.

SUNDAY, OCT. 9

B’nai mitzvah dress sale. A pop-up sale of used dresses for bar and bat mitzvah parties, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, benefits Federation’s Holocaust Survivor Support Fund. Each dress is $10 or $20. Admission is free; popupdressshop@gmail.com.

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

CANDLE-LIGHTING TIMES

Ki Tavo Friday, Sept. 23, light candles at 7:14 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, Shabbat ends at 8:07 p.m. Nitzavim Friday, Sept. 30, light candles at 7:04 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, Shabbat ends at 7:58 p.m. Rosh Hashanah Sunday, Oct. 2, light candles at 7:01 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, light candles after 7:55 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, holiday ends at 7:54 p.m. Tashlich. Rabbi Brian Glusman leads a Tashlich program at 12:15 p.m. at the Marcus JCC’s Lake RB, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, followed by a shofar blowing contest and other activities. Free; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161. How the Nazis did it. The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust screens the documentary “The Path to Nazi Genocide” at 1 p.m. at the “Anne Frank in the World” exhibit, 5920 Roswell Road, Suite A-209, Sandy Springs. Free; holocaust.georgia.gov.

THURSDAY, OCT. 13

Game design. The New York Code + Design Academy teaches computer game design and programming to eighth- to 11th-graders in three sessions, starting at 6:45 p.m., at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Til-

ly Mill Road, Dunwoody. The program continues Oct. 20 and 27. Tuition is $60 for JCC members, $80 for others; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4082.

FRIDAY, OCT. 14

Family Shabbat. The Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, presents a Shabbat-related activity, a story, songs and blessings at 5 p.m. Free; atlantajcc. org or 678-812-4161. Intown acoustic Shabbat. Drew Cohen and Rabbi Brian Glusman lead an interactive, Shabbat-themed musical experience sponsored by the Marcus JCC, the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, HAMSA and InterfaithFamily/Atlanta at 7 p.m. at San Francisco Coffee, 1192 N. Highland Ave., Virginia-Highland. Free; atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161.

Sunday, September 25, 2016 1:00 - 5:00 Emory Conference Center

Showcase of Atlanta's Bar & Bat Mitzvah event pros! • Simplify your event planning by attending Mazel Tov Atlanta • Create a Spectacular Event...add more Sparkle, Glamour, Elegance, Memorable Touches, Organization, Music & WOW!

Pre-Register to double your door prize chances www.MazelTovAtlanta.com

The Atlanta Mitzvah Project

• Bring a donated kosher food item in lieu of an entry fee • Conduct a kosher food drive - bring collected items to EXPO

Food collection in support of the

KOSHER FOOD PANTRY

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Interfaith Center and Congregation Gesher L’Torah, 4320 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, hold an atonement discussion titled “Through the Looking Glass: The World Reflected in Ourselves” with Rabbis Michael Bern stein and Pamela Gottfried at 7 p.m. Free; neshamainterfaithcenter.org/ specialevents/#tshuvah or sue@neshamainterfaithcenter.org.

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Options for the High Holidays

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Here are some opportunities for people who are unaffiliated or just looking for something different for the High Holidays. If you don’t see the congregation that interests you, call or check out its website (we have links at atlantajewishtimes.com). • Chabad of Atlanta at Congregation Beth Tefillah, 5065 High Point Road, Sandy Springs, offers educational services led by Rabbi Isser New from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 for Rosh Hashanah and Oct. 12 for Yom Kippur. Children are welcome. A donation of $72 is suggested. Advance registration is required; 404-843-2464, ext. 104, or www.bethtefillah.org. • Chabad of Cobb, 4450 Lower Ros well Road, East Cobb, offers traditional services blended with contemporary insights, with children’s services and babysitting available by reservation. Open seating is available on a firstcome, first-served basis, or you can purchase seats at 770-565-4412, ext. 300, or www.chabadofcobb.com. Rosh Hashanah services are at 7 p.m. Oct. 2, 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 4. For Yom Kippur, Kol Nidre is at 7 p.m. Oct. 11, and Oct. 12 services are at 9:30 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. • Call Temple Beth Tikvah (bethtikvah.com), 9955 Coleman Road, Roswell, at 770-642-0434 for nonmember tickets. No tickets are required for the tot family service at 2:30 p.m. and Tashlich at 4 p.m. Oct. 3 and for the tot family service at 2:30 p.m. and the final Yom Kippur services starting at 4 p.m. Oct. 12. • Guardians of the Torah under Rabbi Richard Baroff holds free services at Northminster Presbyterian

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Church, 2400 Old Alabama Road, Ros well, at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 3 and Oct. 12. Donations are appreciated. • The Kehilla in Sandy Springs (www.thekehilla.org), 5075 Roswell Road, offers free High Holiday services with no reservations. Rosh Hashanah services are at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 (Tashlich at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3). For Yom Kippur, Kol Nidre is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11, and services are at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Oct. 12. • Congregation Shaarei Shamayim welcomes all for any services at 1600 Mount Mariah Road, Toco Hills. A donation of $100 is recommended but not required for High Holiday tickets; www.shaareishamayim.com. • Services are always free at Chabad of Peachtree City, 632 Dogwood Trail, Tyrone, where the morning services are at 9:30 and the evening services are at 7:30 during the High Holidays. A festive Rosh Hashanah meal is at 8 p.m. Oct. 2. For more information, call Rabbi Yossi Lew at 678-595-0199, or visit www.chabadsouthside.com. • Congregation B’nai Israel (bnaiisrael.net), 1633 Highway 54 East, Jonesboro, welcomes all to its services at no charge. Call 678-817-7162 for tickets. Services are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2, 10 a.m. Oct. 3 (followed by a luncheon), 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 10 a.m. Oct. 12. • Chabad Intown is offering free services, including learners and children’s services both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur and a young professionals slackers service the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The full schedule is at chabadintown.org/ high-holidays-schedule. Reservations

and donations are appreciated. • Congregation Bet Haverim (www.congregationbethaverim.org) is holding free services with no tickets at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 1790 LaVista Road, Toco Hills. Seats fill up, however, so early arrival is advised. Services are at 8 p.m. Oct. 2 (with sign language interpretation), 10 a.m. Oct. 3 and 4, 6 and 8 p.m. for Kol Nidre Oct. 11 (the latter with sign language), and 10 a.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Oct. 12. • Chabad of Forsyth and Congregation Beth Israel offer services at the Collection, Suite 208, 410 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, with no charge but donations welcome. Make reservations at jewishforsyth.org/highholidays. Services include 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2, 3 and 11 and 9 a.m. Oct. 3, 4 and 12. A children’s holiday adventure is at 10 a.m. during the morning services. A Rosh Hashanah dinner at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 is $36 for adults and $15 for children. • Congregation Kehillat HaShem (www.rabbiatlanta.com), 640 Stone House Lane, Marietta, offers free services under Rabbi Jeffery Feinstein at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2, 10 a.m. Oct. 3, 7 p.m. Oct. 11, and 10 a.m. and 3, 4:30 and 5 p.m. Oct. 12. Reserve seats at 770-218-8094. • Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855 LaVista Road, Toco Hills, offers free educational services at 10 a.m. Oct. 3 and 4 and 11 a.m. Oct. 12. Child care can be reserved; www.highholidaysATL.com. • All services are free at Young Israel of Toco Hills, 2056 LaVista Road. Email office manager Leslie Mallard at leslie@yith.org to attend. See the service schedule at www.yith.org. • Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600

Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, wants to give all nonmembers a home for the High Holidays. To get details or purchase tickets, visit www.aasynagogue. org, or call 404-355-5222. • The Atlanta Scholars Kollel (www.atlantakollel.org) is offering services with a suggested donation of $18 at the Kollel Dome at Congregation Ariel, 5237 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, under Rabbi Daniel Freitag and at Congregation Anshi S’fard, 1324 N. Highland Ave., Virginia-Highland, under Rabbi Mayer Freedman. Call 404-321-4085 or email ask@atlantakollel.org for tickets. Anshi S’fard also has a full schedule of free family services. • Congregation Beth Shalom (bethshalomatlanta.org), 5303 Winters Chapel Road, Dunwoody, sells High Holiday guest tickets to Atlanta-area residents for $180. Services at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 4 are free to all, and college students are welcome free at all services by showing a college ID at the door. • Temple Kol Emeth (kolemeth. net), 1415 Old Canton Road, East Cobb, offers family services at 3:45 p.m. Oct. 3 and 12, a tot service at 3 p.m. Oct. 12, Tashlich at East Cobb Park at 5 p.m. Oct. 3, second-day Rosh Hashanah services at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 4, and all services from 4:30 p.m. through Havdalah Oct. 12 at no charge. • All services are free on a firstcome, first-served basis at Chabad of North Fulton (www.chabadnf.org), 10180 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta, or you can reserve seats for $100 by calling 770-410-9000 by Sept. 25. Inspirational and children’s services are options at 10 a.m. Oct. 3, 4 and 12. ■

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SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016

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ISRAEL NEWS

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home Huntington’s breakthrough. Petach Tikvah-based Teva Pharmaceutical has reported success at slowing the progress of Huntington’s disease in a Phase 2 trial of pridopidine. Until now, nothing has worked against the fatal genetic disease, which breaks down nerve cells in the brain. Waze for walkers. The Israeli app Waze took the world by storm, making it easier for drivers to bypass traffic and reach their destinations quickly; it was bought by Google. Now there’s Sidekix, a navigation app geared to people walking in cities. The app shows walkers the best on-foot routes, even orienting the map as you move so you always know which way is forward. Sidekix works in more than 60 cities worldwide, including New York, London and San Francisco, but not yet in Atlanta. Paralympic glory. After winning two bronze medals in judo at the Rio Olympics, Israel surpassed that total at the Paralympic Games with three bronze medals. Rower Moran Samuel won bronze in the women’s single sculls.

Shooter Doron Shaziri won bronze in the men’s 50-meter rifle. Swimmer Inbal Pezaro took bronze in the women’s 200-meter individual medley. The final day of the Rio Paralympics was Sunday, Sept. 18. One of the world’s best hotels. The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem was recently ranked the seventh best hotel in the world and the best in the Middle East in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. The travel magazine gave the 226-room hotel a score of 97.5 out of 100. Out of the 15 hotels in the Middle East appearing on the list of the 100 bests hotels, seven are in Israel. Supporting single moms. The Knesset has passed a bill to help single parents join the workforce. Now those on income support or child maintenance assistance are taxed only at the basic rate, no matter how much they earn. The measure should help them pay for day care for their children. Boosting ties with Togo. Togo is one of Israel’s strongest friends in Africa. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told

his counterpart from Togo that Israel’s abilities in agriculture, together with technological capabilities, will be shared with the West African nation. Top global innovators. Israeli startups won first and second place at the Global Innovation Awards 2016 in August in Beijing. Haifa-based NiNiSpeech’s digital platform for speech disorder treatment won first place, and Or Akiva-based AerialGuard’s autonomous navigation system for unmanned aircraft came in second. Each company receives $200,000. A master’s in wine cultivation. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is launching an international master of science program in viticulture and oenology. The first of its kind in Israel, the program aims to provide professional training in the growth, production, analysis and management of wine. Scores of fruit. Israel grows more than 40 types of fruit and is one of the world’s leading fresh citrus producers and exporters, including oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and the pomelit,

a hybrid of a grapefruit and a pomelo, developed in Israel. Israel is also one of the world’s top two exporters of olives. Ancient frescoes in the Galilee. Frescoes dating back 1,900 years have been unearthed at Zippori, which was the Jewish capital of the Galilee during the Roman period. The frescoes are the earliest evidence of figurative images in wall paintings at the site. Getting Smart with Socks. Seeing a huge unmet need in the area of medical compression stockings, Israeli electrical engineer and self-described tech junkie Omer Zelka jumped in to fill it. Zelka’s startup, ElastiMed, has developed a “smart” medical compression stocking made from a low-cost polymer that stretches and contracts to stimulate blood flow via an electric pulse generated by a 3V battery. Compression stockings are usually prescribed to improve circulation, reduce swelling and prevent blood clotting. Compiled courtesy of verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com, Israel21c.org and other news sources.

Today in Israeli History

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

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Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org), where you can find more details. Sept. 23, 2003: Simcha Dinitz, a longtime Israeli diplomat who served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States from 1973 to 1978, passes away at the age of 74. Sept. 24, 1950: Between June 1949 and this date in 1950, Operation Magic Carpet secretly brings nearly 50,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel. Sept. 25, 1917: Amir Gilboa, who becomes one of Israel’s leading poets, is born Berl Feldmann in Ukraine. He is known for drawing on his military experiences and biblical issues of morality to write contemplative poems. Sept. 26, 2002: Rabbi Zerach Warhaftig, a founder of Israel’s National Religious Party and a signatory of Israel’s Declaration of Independence who persuaded Japanese Vice Consul Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania to sign exit visas for thousands of Jews during World War II, dies at age 96 in Jerusalem. Sept. 27, 1950: The Third Maccabiah Games open in the 50,000-seat stadium in Ramat Gan. Sept. 28, 1995: The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, sometimes referred to as Oslo II, is signed by Prime

Rabbi Zerach Warhaftig

Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat in a ceremony at the White House. Sept. 29, 1923: In border designations drawn up primarily by Britain and France after World War I, the Golan Heights are put under the control of the new state of Syria.

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ISRAEL NEWS

Divided Israel Wins German Holocaust Reparations The idea of the Jewish people being compensated for the devastating losses suffered in the Holocaust emerged shortly after the end of World War II. In 1945, Chaim Weizmann, then serving as the president of the World Zionist Organization, submitted a memorandum to the victorious powers from the war, asserting that “in view of the mass murder, the human suffering, the annihilation of spiritual, intellectual, and creative forces, which are without parallel in the history of mankind,” the Germans should make “restitution of property including buildings, installations, equipment, funds, bonds, stocks and shares, and valuables, as well as cultural, literary, and artistic treasures.” Weizmann’s request was not part of the Allied negotiations with Germany, and in March 1951, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett submitted a request to the Allies for $1.5 billion to be paid by the West German government. The amount was based on the cost that Israel calculated it would take to absorb 500,000 Holocaust survivors. After a series of back-channel, secret negotiations, West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer announced a willingness to negotiate with Israel and representatives of Diaspora Jewry to compensate the Nazis’ Jewish victims for material damages. In January 1952, the matter was put to the Knesset, and the contentious debate gripped the nation. For two days, emotional speeches and personal verbal attacks were delivered in the Israeli parliament while demonstrators threw stones and tangled with police. On Jan. 9, the Knesset voted 61-50 with five abstentions and four members absent to enter into negotiations with West Germany. During the ensuing months, more demonstrations against the negotiations occurred across Israel. Menachem Begin, the leader of the opposition Herut Party, who staunchly opposed accepting any German reparations, led many of the mass protests. Addressing the Knesset during the debate, Begin declared: “The fact that West Germany is a democracy nowadays does not exonerate it from its Nazi past. … Half of the employees at Adenauer’s Foreign Office are members of the Nazi Party. And with these people you are going to negotiate — with the

on the deaths of Jews. Nonetheless, on Sept. 10, 1952, Sharett and Adenauer signed an agreement in Luxembourg, calling for West Germany to pay $845 million to Israel in annual installments over 14 years. Coming during the Photo by Bundesbildstelle, Bonn country’s first five years, German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett sign the Luxembourg when Israel experienced Agreement on reparations on Sept. 10, 1952. economic stress from the murderers who laid down the ground need to grow its infrastrucfor the annihilation of millions of our ture and absorb hundreds of thoubrethren while telling the whole world sands of Jews, the capital infusion was that the persecution of Jews is ‘horren- welcome. dous propaganda’?” Over the next decade, reparation Begin did not want to put a price funds represented approximately 20

percent of the country’s development budget. Israel used the term reparations, while West Germany used the term “Wiedergutmachung,” literally translated as to “make whole,” which for many Israelis had the offensive meaning of making things equal. Up to 2002, West Germany paid more than 100 billion marks to victims who survived Nazi crimes. The 2002 American Jewish Yearbook has a detailed article about Holocaust reparations at www.bjpa.org/Publications/ details.cfm?PublicationID=14734. ■

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

By Rich Walter and Ken Stein Center for Israel Education (www.israeled.org)

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ISRAEL NEWS

My Summer Supporting Israeli Diplomacy

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

As summer drew to a close, I completed my last remaining tasks as an intern in Israel and experienced a cacophony of feelings and emotions. This summer I was afforded a rare opportunity to receive class credit from the University of Georgia to intern in Tel Aviv with an international organization called the Ambassadors’ Club of Israel. Yitzhak Eldan, a former Israeli ambassador and chief of protocol for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, founded the ACI five years ago with the goal of connecting ambassadors and consuls general in Israel to one another and to distinguished Israelis in each sector of society: the economy, academia, technology, entertainment, communication, medicine and the arts. The nonprofit, independent organization is an extension of the second portion of the ministry’s general mission statement: “To implement Israel’s foreign policy and to promote economic, cultural, and scientific relations with other countries” (emphasis added). Most of all, I felt incredibly gratified to work with such outstanding people on the ACI board in the country I consider my second home. I expected my internship to be heavily research-based, with an emphasis on reporting on international affairs and Israeli politics, working with embassies to plan and organize diplomatic events, and discussing topics for diplomatic conferences. While those elements were present, I did not foresee just how hands-on my tasks would be — calling embassies and government ministers, representing the club at formal diplomatic functions and receptions, and engaging in multiple conversations, in Hebrew and in English, with a diverse array of business and government professionals (including Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and high-tech mogul Yossi Vardi). I also was unprepared for the sheer amount of administrative work I was responsible for, from interpreting web analytics to updating hundreds of contact lists. I adapted to working on Sundays, navigating the bus and train system, keeping up with the fast-paced Israeli lifestyle, and going along with the aggressive (though friendly) personalities. 10 I felt my skin grow thicker and

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stronger with the insults and the compliments, the derision and the praise I received daily — every detail and every mannerism faced scrutiny, and one step out of line was grounds for a harsh reprimand by club President Eldan. The club’s CEO, Itsik Kamilian, often jokes that Eldan runs his organi-

Guest Column By Ariel Pinsky University of Georgia student and former AJT intern Ariel Pinsky socializes with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, fellow Ambassadors’ Club of Israel intern Julia Barakowa and ACI founder Yitzhak Eldan this summer.

zation like a high-level training facility for infantry officers. But when you consider what is on the line — Israel’s international reputation — it seems appropriate to do so. Working in this incredibly tense environment was absolutely worth it because my accomplishments at the ACI will stay with me forever. One particular exchange I am proud of is the discussion I had with Palestinian envoys invited to the Swiss National Day reception at the beginning of August. The group I spoke with runs an elementary and middle school called the Hope Flower School in Al Khader, Bethlehem. Together we came up with the idea to organize a program with students from Hope Flower and Eldan’s Young Ambassadors’ School that would allow the Palestinian and Israeli children to interact and visit each other’s school in an organized trip. I learned over the summer that one of the biggest issues regarding the youths on both sides of the conflict is the figurative and literal walls around Palestinians and Israelis that block almost any physical interaction, contributing to the seeds of resentment that develop throughout their teen years as they become increasingly politicized. Changing gears, I did not expect to work with a board so well connected and integrated into the upper ranks of Israeli society and politics. In this socialist-style economy, power and influence seem to trump wealth, and one is not necessarily the key to the other. Perhaps it is easier to be well connected to major politicians and government officials in a smaller nation like Israel, but I was still impressed by the level of influence that the board members, who enjoy successful ca-

Ariel Pinsky represents the ACI at a French Bastille Day reception.

reers outside their consular positions, hold within different sectors of Israeli society. I also learned that public events in Israel, perhaps unsurprisingly, are often permeated with an array of political attitudes. For example, gay rights activists interrupted a rooftop lecture on success I attended by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. The protesters were upset that Barkat announced he would not attend the annual Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade despite the fatal stabbing of teenager Shira Banki a year earlier by a Hasidic Jew during the same parade. Barkat explained that he would lay a flower on Banki’s gravesite to show his support of her family, then stay home out of respect for Jerusalem’s ultraOrthodox community. At receptions hosted by the French and Swiss embassies, I met several prominent, outspoken BDS fighters. They believe the struggle against the boycott, divestment and sanctions

Ariel Pinsky attends a rooftop lecture by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.

movement is Israel’s most dangerous looming war, a war threatening to disrupt Israel’s true lifeline — the economy. If the Israeli economy were to be crippled by BDS, not only would Israel’s citizens suffer, but also the state’s vulnerability to attacks from within and from neighboring states would exponentially increase. Part of the mission of the Ambassadors’ Club is to promote increased business between Israelis and foreigners by connecting foreign diplomats to prominent Israelis who operate successful companies. Any effort to further weave the international community into Israel’s diverse economic fabric is a crucial step toward securing Israel’s survival as a Jewish state. By that reasoning, I sincerely believe I contributed to Israel’s economic and thus political security on some level, however minuscule, through my work at the ACI this summer. ■

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ISRAEL NEWS

IDF Lieutenant Shares Hardships, Triumph immediately to meet one soldier and saw our money at work,” Sobel said. “I was able to freely roam her camp base to see how Ethiopians are integrated into the IDF.” Sisay, 21, a petite, pleasant soldier

Jaffe’s Jewish Jive By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com

who was born in Israel to Ethiopian immigrants, then told her story. It took the audience a few minutes to absorb the hardships that she recalled with such calmness. After making aliyah in 1991 by walking from Ethiopia to Sudan, then flying from Sudan to Israel, her family was placed in the Kiryat Gan Absorption Center and had to adjust to modern life. When she was 11, her father killed her mother. He died of cancer. Sisay served in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, arranging visits of important military delegations.

Welcoming guest speaker Lt. Sivan Sisay are former lone soldier Kim Hertz, David Greene and IDF veteran Roey Shoshan (right).

Photos by Marcia Caller Jaffe

Leigh (left) and Mark Olstein, whose son is in Israel preparing for a stint as a lone soldier, attend the FIDF reception with Zev Fine, Sandy Bailey and Francine Lowe (right).

During her military service, her brother committed suicide, but she soldiered on in his memory. She has two sisters who are married. Her story is one of triumph. “On Israel’s Independence Day, I was lucky to be one of the 120 soldiers who received the President’s Excellence Award. None of this would have been possible without the support I had as an Ethiopian and lone soldier from the FIDF.” During a reception, Mark Olstein, whose son Zach is preparing for his stint in Garin Tzabar as a lone soldier, said: “Zach was inspired by the Weber School’s trip to Poland. I know he will

stay safe and am delighted that his kibbutz family has already adopted him on weekends and Shabbat dinners.” David Greene, whose son Avi, 18, just entered a pre-IDF yeshiva in Keshet, said: “In a way, he is living a dream of mine to serve, though I never directly stated that to him. I know the FIDF will take good care of him.” Toba Kippen said: “My son Joseph completed three years as a lone soldier. I feel like these soldiers are all my own kids.” Visit www.fidf.org/Southeast for more information, including an FIDF mission to Israel from Nov. 11 to 18. ■

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Congregation B’nai Torah was the venue for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces’ presentation on “How Our Community Embraces Our Soldiers” on Monday, Sept. 12. Seth Baron, the FIDF’s Southeast director, outlined the three major forms of embrace of soldiers, including Atlanta’s 30 lone soldiers now serving in the Israeli military: • Provide Impact college scholarships for former soldiers at $4,000 each per year. Atlanta currently pays for 35 ex-soldiers, and the goal by year’s end is to add two more. • Adopt a combat brigade. Atlanta has raised $925,000 toward a goal of $1 million by the end of 2016. • Support lone soldiers. “They should never feel alone,” Baron said. “There is no better investment than in these brave men and women.” Garry Sobel, who chairs the FIDF’s Southeast Region, spoke about going to Israel on 72 hours’ notice to meet with the night’s guest speaker, Lt. Sivan Sisay. “I cleared my calendar and flew

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OPINION

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Our View

A Good Deal

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

President Barack Obama has only four months left in office, but he has ensured that his legacy will long influence U.S.-Israel relations. Tuesday, Sept. 20, Obama delivered his final address to the U.N. General Assembly. The speech provided one last public push for fellow world leaders to adopt the president’s vision of a world in which we’re able to talk through our differences and leave troops and tanks (if not drone strikes) behind. Sure enough, Obama turned to a conflict where words seem to fuel rather than defuse violence. Shortly after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon warned that anything other than a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians would mean doom for both, the president scolded them for not doing much of anything to achieve such a solution. “Surely Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject incitement and recognize the legitimacy of Israel. But Israel must recognize that it cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land,” Obama said. “We all have to do better.” It was hardly the focus of his speech, but it encapsulated his policy: Reiterate the obvious goals without providing much guidance on how to achieve them. It appears that Obama will let those who view the Middle East through the lens of Israel judge his legacy on two things: the Iran nuclear deal and the new 10-year memorandum of under-standing on U.S. military aid to Israel. It’s probably coincidental that we’ll be able to judge both deals around 2027. Obama is confident that the Iran deal is a gamechanger, but it’s far too soon to tell whether Iran truly will abandon its quest for nuclear weapons and stop being the No. 1 supporter of terrorism in the world. Likewise, we can’t know whether the military aid agreement will make Israel stronger or weaker. The $38 billion total, starting Oct. 1, 2017, represents an increase of about $700 million a year, but it also closes off the opportunity for supplemental aid. Congress has almost routinely appropriated extra money for Israel’s missile defenses in recent years, so the actual increase is about $400 million a year. The total is not indexed to inflation, and it’s unlikely that $3.8 billion in 2027 will buy as many spare F-35 parts and anti-missile projectiles as it does today. Most important, the deal requires Israel by the end of the agreement to spend all that aid with U.S. contractors. Now, Israel may direct 26.3 percent of U.S. military aid to Israeli companies. Most likely, because Israeli contractors operate on the cutting edge, the result will be more U.S.-Israeli corporate partnerships and U.S. subsidiaries operating in Israel, so the loss of jobs and expertise in Israel will be minimal. It’s not a great deal, not after some members of Congress, such as Georgia’s David Scott, floated the idea of up to $5 billion a year in aid. And we’re leery of any boost in aid, which will give critics a bigger excuse to single out Israel for groundless allegations. Still, given the realities of budgets and politics, it’s a deal both sides should be satisfied with. It even gives us more hope that the Iran deal will turn out well because the best guarantor of that agreement is 12 an Israeli military with a quantitative edge. ■

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Cartoon by John Cole, The Scranton Times-Tribune

Sandy Springs Stands Against BDS In an era in which Israel faces almost no exisShorer offered heartfelt thanks to Paul and the tential military threats, it’s natural that fears for the city for their support at a reception she hosted at her future focus on diplomatic, political and especially Buckhead home Wednesday, Sept. 14, for the Westeconomic battlefields. That’s why the boycott, divestern Galilee visitors and their Sandy Springs hosts. ment and sanctions movement has become an obsesThe words of mutual support are important. sion for Israel and its sup-porters. Even more important, however, are the actions beMany of us worry about hind the occasion. waking up in five or 10 years to The partnerfind that we’ve lost a generation ship between Sandy Editor’s Notebook of Jews who have been conSprings and the By Michael Jacobs fronted by the BDS movement in municipalities of its most virulent form on college the Western Galilee mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com campuses. Ken Stein and his staff is not just symbolic. at the Center for Israel Education We’ll be writing (supporting by the AJT and many more, but both sides other organizations) are responding to that threat are approaching the Sister City relationship as an with a series of three workshops aimed at highopportunity to learn and to do business. schoolers making college plans. Those kinds of grass-roots connections are ultiThe first session, focusing on the application mately what will defeat BDS and any other efforts to process, is Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the Weber School. undermine Israel and its enduring friendship with Register in advance at www.israeled.org/rsvp. the United States. The political fight against BDS is being waged Final note: Two weeks ago I wrote about another in statehouses across the country. Georgia has a law, visit to the consul general’s home for a dinner with championed by state Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta), black and Jewish community leaders. I mentioned that requires would-be state government contractors that Shorer received a positive response to her conto attest that they are not boycotting Israel. cerns about the anti-Israel streak in the Movement Sandy Springs, to its credit, has joined the antifor Black Lives platform, but I also suggested that BDS trend. During the visit of a delegation from the the people eating with us that night weren’t necescity’s Israeli Sister City, the Western Galilee Cluster, sarily the people who needed to hear the message Mayor Rusty Paul presented a resolution declaring that black-white relations in the United States are far BDS to be an obstacle to regional peace and a promo- different from Palestinian-Israeli relations. tion of bigotry and discrimination. That note of pessimism was not meant as a It’s a simple, brief statement expressing support criticism of the consulate, but as a worry that the for Israel and opposition to any BDS initiative motiestablished black leadership might be disconnected vated by hostility or anti-Semitism. from Black Lives Matter activists and thus unable to Paul plans to present the resolution to Israeli convey the message to the right people. Consul General Judith Varnai Shorer during the City Unfortunately, we can only talk to the people in Council meeting Tuesday night, Oct. 4. front of us and hope for the best. ■

OPINION

This was the first year that the fig tree produced fruit that neared maturity. Unfortunately, disease split the tree at its base, and it had to be removed. The raspberries and blackberries were plentiful for several weeks. The blueberries suffered in the heat. Tomatoes and banana peppers were the prize crops in the garden box. The broccoli and eggplant were not. The sunflowers never showed. As for the kiwi, I expect to harvest buckets full, unless I’m entangled in the vines. Even as summer resists autumn’s advance, the sun sets earlier, and there are hints of fall early in the morning. The days and nights will cool (eventually). The Jewish calendar says this is the season of introspection and renewal. The year 5777 will begin with Rosh Hashanah eve at sunset Sunday, Oct. 2. The chanting of Kol Nidre at sunset on Tuesday, Oct. 11, will herald Yom Kippur observance. So where are we as 5776 closes its book? In Israel, familiar issues will see out yet another year, among them a sometimes troubled relationship between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora in the United States. There seems little reason for optimism about what used to be known as “the peace process.” My sense is that many American Jews either see no reason to change the status quo between Israel and the Palestinians or have given up hope that those in power on both sides are capable of effecting change. Israel, as recipient, and the United States, as benefactor (or investor), have inked a 10-year aid agreement valued at $3.8 billion a year. The reported details suggest that while the amount of money allocated by the United States has increased, the terms reduce Israel’s flexibility in spending those funds. On another front, Israel continues to seek political support and financial contributions from American Jews, while its government accords (or tolerates) a lesser status to the Judaism practiced by the vast majority of American Jews. As our co-religionists in Europe ask themselves, “Should I stay, or should I go?” we are thankful to live in America, where Jews are relatively well regarded. Still, there are concerns

about anti-Israel fervor on some college campuses and the prevalence of Jew hatred online, the latter taking license from the divisiveness surrounding our election of a new president in barely eight weeks. The metro Atlanta Jewish community continues to grow in number and diversity. Results pending from the community survey conducted in June by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta may confirm greater Jewish

From Where I Sit By Dave Schechter dschechter@atljewishtimes.com

life south of the city and in the center of Atlanta as urban-oriented millennials inexorably eclipse their more suburban elders. Federation is among the communal institutions displaying an “under new management” sign, signaling a generational shift with its hiring of a new chief executive. The film, music and book festivals continue to expand avenues for Jewish connection. The number of Israelis in the Atlanta area has grown to maybe 12,000 or more, and the (thankfully still open) consulate is working to increase their interaction with the wider community. Meanwhile, as local Jewish organizations and individuals devote themselves to building bridges (and a Habitat for Humanity house) with other faiths, we Jews seem incapable of discussing politics without questioning or demeaning one another’s patriotism as Americans, feelings for Israel or definitions of Jewish values. Rabbis who might be tempted to take advantage of full houses during the High Holidays tread at their own risk if they venture beyond urging congregants to exercise their right to vote by discussing either candidates or issues on the ballot. These are the weeks when Judaism tasks us to consider where we’ve been, seek forgiveness from those we have wronged, forgive those who have wronged us, and, just as important, forgive ourselves for succumbing to human frailties. That should keep all of us busy for a while. As the seasons change and I consider fall plantings for the garden, I wish you a healthy, productive and sweet year. L’shanah tovah tikatevu. ■

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SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Reason for the Season

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SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Rosh Hashanah Menu

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OPINION

Mankind’s 2 Worlds For the Coming Year We are nearly through the month of Elul, when our emphasis shifts to reflection as we approach the new year after the condolences and hope for redemption of Av. One of the essential ideas that we should contemplate is posed in the preliminary morning prayers: “What are we, and what is our life?” In Elul, by tradition, we should think about existential issues regarding the man-G-d relationship, including questions of life’s purpose and how we fulfill that purpose. Existential questions have preoccupied mankind almost since a certain species transcended biological limits, developed consciousness and thus entered a different world: the world of mankind. Whereas the first world, the biological world, imposed its force on living entities through genetics, the human world was more fluid and was subject to learning, teaching, evaluation and transformation. From the time we developed the written language, we have evidence of a constant concern with existential issues such as were posed by the authors of Ecclesiastes, Job and Proverbs. It seems that as I am growing older and living by myself, I tend to think more about my past than about my future. This is quite natural: I am no longer in a position to make longrange plans. Just the other day I waxed nostalgic, and somehow I was reminded of an experience that I shared with my father. It was one experience that forced me, even at a young age, to think about the meaning of life. And, of course, I cannot think about my Holocaust experiences without asking myself: Is there a purpose to life? If so, what is it? I would like to challenge my readers with their comments and views as their exercise for facing the oncoming Days of Awe. My first experience that led me to ask myself the meaning of life occurred in 1934 (I guess). It was early morning on a spring day when I joined my father as he went to open the store while I was on my way to school. When we arrived at the main street, right across from the City Hall, where my father’s store was located, the merchants and their employees were all outside with shovels and

brooms, clearing the sidewalk, which was covered with about a 2-inch layer of dead small moths, with their white bodies and lacelike wings resembling a snowy scene. “What are these?” I asked of my father.

One Man’s Opinion By Eugen Schoenfeld

“These are Dennyks,” my father said. In Czech, the name Dennyk is derived from the word den, meaning day, reflecting the length of the adult moth life. The males of the species, after five years underground as larvae, rise to mate and die. The females live a little longer. They need a little more time to form their eggs and deposit them underground. But as they complete their life’s mission, they die. Does life, including human life, have the same purpose and meaning? Is that all there is to life: to be born, to reproduce and to die? If human life has no purpose other than maintenance of the species, then, quoting the rabbis, “the pre-eminence of man over the beast is naught.” If this is the case, then maybe Kohelet is right: Life has no meaning, and human struggle for knowledge and intellectual wealth is nothing but vanity. Even earliest man recognized that human life differs from all other species. Human beings exist in two worlds: the biological and the human. The first was created by G-d or by nature, as some see it. Man for a while existed in paradise, an existence sans consciousness, and to that extent this humanoid was subject only to the biological world and to its forces just like all other biological species. But then this conscious human was created. He acquired freedom from the biological world, and he acquired a new character based on knowledge and reason, and it was then when he was named human. His existence now was based on consciousness and awareness of self. “Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I exist),” Descartes declared.

This change, this liberation from paradise, where we existed without consciousness and responded only to built-in biological forces, was considered by some as our alienation from G-d. The biblical story that depicts this change toward independence from biology is Adam and Eve’s following of the serpent to acquire knowledge and consciousness and thus elevate themselves above and separate themselves from the animal kingdom. This view is reintroduced in the Babel story, and we are there told that it is contrary to G-d’s will. Or perhaps it is contrary to the will of those who falsely speak in the name of G-d. Unfortunately, sometimes the remnant of the biological world stands in direct opposition to the demands and needs arising out of the human world. Such is the case in our struggle between the biblical perspective of procreation and the human world of love, between biological sexual responses and sex as an expression of love. We have entered into a dialectical world where we propose that G-d has expressed His will that we procreate, but this stands in direct opposition to human and social needs based on observation and knowledge. And although mankind is the creator of the human world, its rationally derived laws do not have the charismatic power of G-d’s decrees. Thus we have a problem of veracity: Shall we follow the laws of the human world or those supposedly decreed by a deity? This is a choice and a dilemma that we have to solve. One of the first issues separating G-d’s world from the human world regards procreation: Do we follow the command to be fruitful, or follow a strictly controlled birthrate? As we keep enhancing technology, the demand to adhere to G-d’s ancient laws becomes more problematic. The importance of self-governance becomes evident when we examine the consequences of the problems that were created by changes in birthrate. I need not enter into a long discussion to point out that 3,000 years ago, because of a high infant mortality rate, high female death rate at child birth and the low life expectancy (about 28 years in the Roman world), a high birthrate was a necessity to keep the status quo ante. But this has changed. In the last century alone the world’s population increased from 1.5 billion to 6.1 billion, and it continues to increase at an exponential rate. This extraordinary rate of population increase led Robert

Malthus to propose that the greatest scourge to human existence is excessive population growth. Increased population and the resultant increased demand for scarce resources, be it food or other natural resources, is the most significant reason for wars. The world today is not the product of biological forces alone, nor is it the world that G-d created. Instead, it is a world that we created, so both the good and the bad of the modern world are our creation, and we no longer can ask for G-d’s help to avert the great problems we face in the world. We must accept the fact that we and we alone have violated the fundamental laws of equilibrium and with it brought on the calamities we face. Ask yourself: Who is responsible for the flood that destroyed a great part of Noah’s world? It was, the Bible tells us, the result of human activities — of human beings becoming evil through avarice, jealousy and coveting a world of excessive capitalism. This is a central tenet in the Torah principle of al-tashchit. We cannot ask G-d to condone our evil or to give us a better world when we systematically ruin it. No amount of Avinu Malkeinus and no beating on our chests and declaration of al cheyt will change the world for the better unless we do it ourselves. Forty years ago I was invited to speak at a national meeting of Mensa that was held in Atlanta. I chose to speak on the issue of quality of life vs. longevity. I proposed then, as I do now, that we began with our desire to conquer death and human pain. We have done admirably in this respect. The death rate has drastically declined; we live much longer than did our ancestors. But while we are able to reduce pain and heal the sick, we refuse to share this knowledge, this scarce resource, with all humanity. The Torah I learned clearly tells us that all human lives have equal value, and the corollary also holds true: All human beings are entitled to both longevity and a quality life regardless of whether the success is derived from economic or psychological sources. This is the essence of tzedakah and gemilut chassadim. Hence health and quality of life, in the human world, should be the sine qua non right of all. I derive this moral principle from the rabbinic teaching that all Jews are responsible for one another. It is time that we expand this dictum to state that all human beings are responsible for one another. ■

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Yom Kippur Menu

OPINION

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HEALTH & WELLNESS IFF Gala to Honor Marcuses

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Ian’s Friends Foundation’s ninth annual Evening of Inspiration fundraiser will honor Billi and Bernie Marcus at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Intercontinental Buckhead. Money raised at the gala will support the foundation’s research initiatives to develop methodologies to treat pediatric brain tumors, including the Ian’s Friends Foundation Brain Tumor Biorepository at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which provides the technology to grow and store cancer cells for use in brain tumor research. More than 40,000 U.S. children live with brain and spinal cord tumors. Brain tumors are the most common form of cancer for children under the age of 14 and are the No. 1 cause of cancer-related deaths in children. Last year’s gala raised more than $1.2 million through ticket sales, auctions and sponsorships. This year’s goal is $1.5 million. “We won’t stop until there’s a cure,” said Phil Yagoda, co-founder of Ian’s Friends Foundation and father of Ian, who was diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor 10 years ago at age 2. Tickets start at $250. Visit www. iansfriendsfoundation.com for more information.

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Alzheimer’s Study Sign-Up

The Medical Research & Health Education Foundation in Columbus is enrolling participants in a national Alzheimer’s prevention study to determine whether two investigational antiamyloid compounds — an active immunotherapy and an oral medication — can prevent or delay the emergence of symptoms of Alzheimer’s in people identified by genetic markers as being at higher risk for the disease. The number of people in Georgia age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase by 46 percent by 2025 to 190,000. The Medical Research & Health Education Foundation is one of approximately 90 sites in North America, Europe and Australia participating in the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative (API) Generation Study. The five-year study will involve more than 1,300 cognitively healthy people ages 60 to 75 who are at high risk of developing symptoms of Alzheimer’s because they inherited two copies of the e4 type of the apolipoprotein (APOE) gene — one from each parent. About 2 percent of the world’s population carries two copies. For more information visit www. generationstudy.com.

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SIMCHAS

Making the Most of Mitzvah Expos By Logan C. Ritchie lritchie@atljewishtimes.com Dodging raging hormones, talking about the birds and bees, and navigating online activity for tweens? They’re nothing compared with planning a bar or bat mitzvah celebration. Imagine family arriving from near and far, celebrations from Friday to Sunday, music, centerpieces, kosher meals, and more. It’s enough to make you hop a plane to Israel. Before you call El Al, take some advice from two of Atlanta’s mitzvah expo mavens. Shelly Danz of Atlanta Party Connection is a party planning connoisseur. She hosts the largest mitzvah expo in Georgia, bringing more than 70 vendors to Atlanta’s northern suburbs twice a year. Jill Waddell of Mazel Tov Atlanta is bringing her first mitzvah expo intown Sunday, Sept. 25, to the Emory Conference Center Hotel from 1 to 5 p.m. Danz and Waddell let the AJT in on some of their party planning tips and expertise to make the most of expos: • Visit the expo more than once.

Shelly Danz makes Atlanta Party Connection’s semiannual mitzvah fairs into family affairs.

Danz said most families attend at least twice, sometimes more. Once the bar or bat mitzvah student receives a date, all systems are go. Families first attend an expo to get ideas and figure out a budget. The expo is the ideal place to wander the aisle, look at pictures from other parties and talk to vendors. The second visit is for engaging vendors and putting on the finishing touches to the weekend. • Every expo hosts new vendors. At the August Atlanta Party Connection expo, desserts were a big deal, from a create-your-own-cupcake bar to an ice cream bar with liquid nitrogen. In

spring Danz will feature a bat mitzvah dress resale shop. • It’s all in the details. Vendors go out of the way to make beautiful presentations and talk to families. “It’s like camp with kids there,” Danz said. “The whole day is very social. Kids are having fun, and they’re safe. They can run around and check everything out from the green screen to DJs’ games.” • Doing a mitzvah is part of the deal. In partnership with Jewish Family & Career Services’ Kosher Food Pantry, the Atlanta Mitzvah Expo is requesting a kosher food item instead of an entry fee. “We want to encourage

kids to use community service in their bar mitzvah projects, to practice giving it forward,” Waddell said. Camp counselors from Camp Oasis at Twin Lakes will run a bowling activity at the conference center’s Wisteria Lanes. • Alternative celebrations are represented. Want something different from a traditional black-tie evening celebration? Unconventional venues represented at expos include Stars and Strikes, Andretti Indoor Karting and Gaming, and Top Golf. Families will still need music, a photographer, invitations and religious items to make the celebration. • Take all the help you can get. Danz’s website features a detailed, time-scaled to-do list. She also provides party-planning services, offering services from consulting (looking over a family’s plan) to hands-on planning (booking vendors and attending the event). Atlanta Party Connection is online at www.atlantapartyconnection.com. Mitzvah Expo launches its first event Sept. 25; details can be found at www. mazeltovatlanta.com. ■

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SIMCHAS

CCC Guides B’nai Mitzvah on Mensch Path By Logan C. Ritchie lritchie@atljewishtimes.com

Known in Jewish circles for Amy’s Holiday Party, an annual celebration benefiting underserved children in Atlanta, Amy Zeide is also responsible for introducing Jewish teens to tikkun olam. Zeide’s nonprofit organization, Creating Connected Communities, hosts eight events and festivals throughout the year. CCC partners with 60 local organizations and schools to serve refugees, children in foster homes and children experiencing homelessness. More than 700 volunteer opportunities, most filled by teens, are available each year. “So many organizations have age restrictions for direct outreach work, like hospitals. We start in seventh grade with the mitzvah program. Kids come to serve directly and create a connection,” Zeide said. The entry point for volunteering is the Mitzvah Sponsor program. B’nai mitzvah students contact Zeide to brainstorm ideas for their projects up to 12 months before the service. The student, parents and Zeide set up a call

His idea included five stations of drills, games and activities. Zeide helped the student create a supply list for sports equipment, a timeline in which to secure donations, and a letter soliciting friends and family to doCreating Connected Communities’ Amy Zeide accepts the nate. Mary and Max London People Power Award from Howard The student set Feinsand and Sandy London at the annual meeting of up the stations and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta in June. ran the activities to discuss the details. with other volunteers. He did it all, she Busy parents appreciate that most said. of the organizing is via calls and email Some mitzvah sponsors are not as rather than in-person meetings. outgoing, and that’s OK by Zeide’s stan“The focus is teen empowerment. dards. While one student loves to prep, We want the project to feel meaning- plan and execute a large-scale project, ful,” said Zeide, who launched Amy’s another is happy collecting and handHoliday Party as her own bat mitzvah ing out gifts at Amy’s Holiday Party. project. “Mitzvah project ideas and opZeide stressed that if the project is portunities are variable. It’s all about not meaningful, the student is less likecreating a project that benefits (CCC) ly to return as a volunteer. “The whole and is meaningful to the teen.” point is to embark on the next stage, Zeide recalled one mitzvah spon- and that means philanthropic efforts sor with a passion for sports. He cre- as Jewish adults.” After the Mitzvah Sponsor proated field day activities for an event.

gram, students can follow two paths: attending the Leadership Training Program or volunteering at CCC events. The one-year leadership program is time-intensive for 65 chosen students. An application is required and reviewed by the LTP Teen Board. Meeting in Sandy Springs, students learn about what it means to be nonprofit members and community leaders. Zeide said the teen leaders gain skills in project management, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, public speaking and needs assessment. Teens learn about the needs of different populations and think outside their own interests. “Just because we think something is fun doesn’t mean the community can benefit. For example, you love baseball and want to hand out balls and bats. But there is nowhere to play that sport in some communities,” Zeide said. The goal is for teens to leave with a sense of making an impact, with skills that an organization can use, and with a desire to be an engaged community leader, whether through Hillel or another college campus group. “As a high-schooler still unsure of my career path, LTP opened up many doors; the program taught me to be a leader among my peers, gave me a glimpse into the behind the scenes of nonprofit operations and really made me feel like I had agency in something much greater than myself,” Leadership Training Program graduate Stefanie Pous said. “It gave me something to be passionate about and gave me the resources to bring my passion to action.” Zeide said the program is all about creating leaders for the Jewish community. “Whether you directly serve other Jewish people or, like JF&CS, benefit the larger community, you have something to offer. You do not have to have money or be a certain age. You need awareness, compassion and the motivation to make a difference.” ■

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Becoming a Leader

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Teens in Creating Connected Communities’ Leadership Training Program have gone on to participate in community service clubs, fraternities and sororities. Several have been awarded scholarship money based on their experiences. Two graduates of LTP now run sessions as mentors for CCC. After graduation, they secured jobs in Atlanta and returned to CCC. For more on becoming a mitzvah sponsor or applying for leadership training, contact Amy Zeide at amy@ cccprojects.org.

AJT

SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016

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SIMCHAS

Focus Produces Action for Montage Master, 10 By Patrice Worthy

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

While most 10-year-old boys are busy playing video games or sports, Jordan Tibor is building an empire. Jordan is the creative director of Montage Mania (www.montagemania. net), a photo and video montage production service for b’nai mitzvah celebrations, weddings and other parties. Jordan created a name for himself after presenting a few montages for his Cub Scout pack. Now he and his mother, Allyson, the owner of Montage Mania, are operating a business that has expanded to include DJ services. Montage Mania gained clients with a booth at the Bar and Bat Mitzvah Expo at the Westin Perimeter in late August and will have a booth Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Mazel Tov Atlanta expo at the Emory Conference Center. Jordan has business savvy many adults would envy while facing tough challenges for any elementary school student. He is a student at Wilson Creek Elementary School in Johns Creek. His mother said he struggles with learning

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Not many 10-year-olds have their own business cards.

Ten-year-old Jordan Tibor is the picture of professionalism at the Bar and Bat Mitzvah Expo at the Westin Perimeter in August.

difficulties and has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. It’s a gift and a curse. Jordan’s disabilities may make him a little awkward in social settings, but they fuel his work outside the classroom and connect him with such high-tech entre-

preneurial role models as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. He is known near his home for selling things. At 6 years old he cut up a birthday cake, put the pieces in a wagon and sold them around the neighborhood. At 8 he blanketed the

Jordan’s mom says that some of the learning difficulties that make school challenging for him help him focus on the tasks involved in being the creative director of Montage Mania.

neighborhood with fliers advertising his gardening skills. “The neighbors didn’t even have to ask,” Allyson said. “They already knew who it was.” His childhood is colored with stories of his entrepreneurial spirit getting

the best of him, and his mother said his enterprising attributes get more dominant with age. “He has always been one of the kids who just can’t let things go. He searched for patio furniture for us forever,” Allyson said. “Kids like that get hooked on something and don’t let it go. He’s always been into making money.” Jordan’s quest for success enables him to channel his energy and his focus in productive ways. He spends hours on the computer researching and honing his skills. He began making montages on Movie Maker and has upgraded to Animoto. “Home Depot and Lowes are my playground,” he said. “I am more organized with my business than my schoolwork. I feel like I’m better with my business than school, but I don’t really know. I like both.” Allyson said his grades suggest he’s better at business than school. Though math is his favorite subject, he sometimes forgets to write down his homework. On the flipside, when Jordan got his first paying montage gig, when was hired to create a montage for the bar mitzvah luncheon for Jodi Rogoff’s son, he provided excellent service. Rogoff requested two songs in the video, and Jordan researched for hours to complete the project. His ability to focus on small details has been key to his success. “He does most of the research for the business. He went online, where he learned the difference between a corporation and an LLC,” Allyson said. “When we went to get the business license, he knew exactly what he wanted to file under.” Rogoff said she was impressed with Jordan’s skills and the fact that he went above and beyond to provide excellent customer service during the party. Jordan’s montage was only a part of his services. He took the time to contact the Standard Club, the party’s venue, and set up the night before. He helped with cleanup, and when Rogoff’s son requested a DJ at the last minute, Jordan stepped in. “Honestly, I hired him for several personal reasons,” Rogoff said. “At the last minute I said to a friend I wish I’d done a montage, and she said to hire him. We were beyond thrilled. The montage was incredible. I admired the extra steps, and people were amazed.” Stories like Rogoff’s are getting Jordan the exposure he needs, and he said he plans to grow his business. “It’s the best product and best service,” he said with a smile. ■

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

SIMCHAS

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SIMCHAS

Amit Rau works on a friendship bracelet Sunday, Sept. 18, at Crema.

Bracelets for Peace participants show some of their work from the afternoon.

Amit Rau welcomes people to her mitzvah project/fundraiser.

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Davis Academy seventh-grader Amit Rau gathered an interfaith group of friends old and new Sunday, Sept. 18, at Crema Espresso Gourmet in Dunwoody to create friendship bracelets and raise money to benefit the ArabJewish Community Center in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality. Amit wanted to do something more than donate money in honor of her bat mitzvah celebration, scheduled for Dec. 17. She was moved by Israeli singer David Broza’s documentary “East Jerusalem West Jerusalem,” screened this year at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, to try to help Muslim and Jewish kids. She contacted Broza and learned that he doesn’t have his own organization working on Jewish-Muslim cooperation, but she found the right nonprofit partner in the Arab-Jewish Community Center, which offers inter-

faith programs and classes focused on peace, coexistence and mutual respect. The AJCC opened in 1993. Taking a cue from the integrated AJCC programming aimed at increasing interfaith cooperation, Amit contacted Muslim schools and organizations and invited them to join her in creating friendship bracelets, which will be sent to the AJCC before her bat mitzvah celebration to be distributed to Jewish and Muslim kids. “I wanted kids my age from different backgrounds to come together and make something for others,” Amit said. “I thought about friendship bracelets because of their symbolism and because I know that kids all over the world like them.” In addition to producing friendship bracelets, the afternoon event raised more than $400 for the community center (ajccjaffa.weebly.com). ■

AJT

SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016

SIMCHAS

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

A Wedding History

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I wonder when the wedding ceremony was mandated as the official seal of marriage. Don’t laugh and call me uncivilized. You can open your Bible and wade through all of Adam and Eve’s courtship and find not a single word of wedding ceremony. Same for Abe and Sarah and Isaac and Becky. You won’t see a single word about a rabbi, the wedding meal or raspberry sorbet. Only the bare necessities are mentioned. “And he went into her, and she conceived” — Jacob or Simon or whoever. What a commendable, simple system. A masculine delight, as I pointed out to my rabbi. Let’s revive the good ol’ days when — The rabbi left the room, slamming the door on his way out. Parents, especially the bride’s folks, would save a fortune. I’m sure they’d vote my way. Think of it: no thank-you notes. My lovely wife still claims the Rosenfelds hate us because I’m 30 years late on a thank-you note. I say a Walmart salt-and-pepper shaker doesn’t deserve a thank-you note. But to be serious, which I am one hour of the 24, where are our historians when we need them? Who was the chochem (genius) who obviously worked for the bride’s family and somehow introduced all this wedding mishigas as a prerequisite to the simple “And he went into her, and they conceived”? What wedding planner in Solomon’s Temple elaborated on this neat formula? Though my own wedding was a few weeks after Abraham’s, I negotiated madly with my in-laws. “Look, I’ll run off with Gwendolyn, thereby economizing on the 150-person seated dinner, an out-of-tune band and a couple of gardens’ worth of calla lilies. And we’ll split the savings.” Everybody nodded agreement. All was going well. The wife-tobe and I were in the car, bound for the Honeymoon Hotel, until my wife asked, “Where are we going?” “To our wedding,” I replied matter-of-factly. The bride, however, immediately noted the lack of 12 bridesmaids and a 12-piece band and only an assistant associate student rabbi in the back seat — I thought it’d be romantic to do the short, simple ceremony at the Honeymoon Hotel (a

sheet makes a fine chuppah). Her nuptial instinct began ringing like a bookcase-size cellphone. “This is no wedding,” she bristled. “This is a ‘He went into her and conceived!’ ” Minimally, she insisted on a neutral third-party observer, what our Christian friends call a qualified preacher, and we call a rabbi.

Scribbler on the Roof By Ted Roberts

No, of course I’m kidding. Well before my own imprisonment — sometime after Bible time and before Las Vegas wedding chapels — problems arose. “What do ya mean we’re just great pals?” said some marriage partner. “Not true. We are married. There’s a ceremony and contracts, stuff like that.” Clearly, a sober third party, an objective witness, was required. Furthermore, there are biblical scholars who connect this witnessing trend with the popularity of the prophets. It was their time. And renowned for their honesty, it was a perfect sideline to preaching for copper coins on dusty crossroads. If the prophet attended the service and said you were married, well, that settled it. And like all human affairs, the service grew from a six-word ceremony — “OK, I guess you’re married now” — to various costuming, ceremonial marching around the groom, lacy veils so the groom wouldn’t be constantly reminded that the bride had a bad wart two inches southeast of her right eye, and stomping glassware before dining on plastic chicken and green peas. And you don’t think lawyers were going to miss a payday, do you? Some legal genius offered the bride a legal certificate proving beyond all doubt that the groom, the party of the first part, was committed to certain obligations. Again, like all the affairs of humanity, marriage grew from the simple to the complex. Nobody walked into the bridal chamber without a blindfolded lawyer and a ketubbah in triplicate. Nothing stays simple. Ted Roberts lives and writes in Huntsville, Ala. ■

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SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016

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SIMCHAS

Make Your Event An Atlanta Attraction By Leah R. Harrison lharrison@atljewishtimes.com

With all of the tourist attractions in metro Atlanta, why not hold your simcha at a place that truly reflects your personality? Here are 10 venues that are as individual as the people doing the planning.

• Very competitive pricing • Huge diverse selection of Bourbons, Scotch, Tequila and more. • Expansive wine department from collectible to daily drinkers • Phenomenal service and knowledgeable staff • Clean, safe, and fun shopping experience

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404-843-1050

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

LOCATED NEXT TO SPROUTS IN THE GATEWAY SHOPPING CENTER

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The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Rose Garden provides an elegant, intimate setting for a wedding.

Atlanta Botanical Garden 1345 Piedmont Ave., Midtown atlantabg.org A lush oasis within the refuge of Midtown’s Piedmont Park, the Atlanta Botanical Garden never disappoints. With 16 individual venues available for rental, here are the larger choices: • Day Hall offers the biggest event space in the garden, with room for 300 seated or 500 standing. Newly renovated, the hall has modern cork floors, organic lighting and floor-to-ceiling windows opening to Cox Courtyard on one side and Lanier Terrace, a nice option for open-air mingling, on the other. • Bordered by the Parterre Garden and Chihuly Fountain, the Rose Garden is an aromatic and scenic setting for your outdoor ceremony. It seats 200. • Linton’s in the Garden provides the option of indoor dining on the first level or rooftop service with skyline views and a fireplace above. Featuring the food stylings of chef Linton Hopkins (Restaurant Eugene), the restaurant seats 220. • Fronted by the gorgeous Chihuly Fountain, Mershon Hall has a beautiful Greek revival façade, plus bamboo floors, tasteful lighting and Craftsman accents within. With capacity for 70 seated or 90 standing, the hall is ideal for more intimate gatherings and ceremonies. Other striking and verdant entertaining options include the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen (70 seated, 100 standing), Sourwood Terrace & Can-

opy Walk (40/100), Cascades Garden (50/100), Alston Overlook (60/75), and the Fragrance and Trustees Gardens. Also available are the Hardin Visitors Center (100/300) and the Fuqua Orchid Center. Choose from a list of approved caterer or ask for kosher options. Call Atlanta Special Events at 404591-1585, or email specialevents@atlantabg.org.

Photo courtesy Craig Warga Photography

The modern Atlanta History Center Atrium provides a great atmosphere for a traditional wedding.

Atlanta History Center 130 W. Paces Ferry Road, Buckhead www.atlantahistorycenter.com With many venues that can be combined for just the right touch, the Atlanta History Center can accommodate a wide variety of events. The Atlanta History Atrium and Museum are ideal for cocktail hours and mingling while adding a “historic backdrop and an edutainment element as well.” They can accommodate 130 seated or 500 standing. The Museum Terraces, with beautiful outdoor views, can be added for your ceremony. Overlooking the lighted Quarry Garden, the renowned Grand Overlook Ballroom adds breathtaking drama and scale to your event with an expansive barrel-vaulted ceiling, Brazilian cherrywood floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. The ballroom accommodates up to 500 for seated dinner and dancing and 750 reception style. The Swan House Gardens, with fountains and the Boxwood Garden, offer a lovely private venue for a ceremony and party of 50 to 750 people.

Photo courtesy Craig Warga Photography

The Swan House Gardens lend elegance, beauty and Southern charm to a simcha.

SIMCHAS Guests can tour the historic 1928 mansion during the event. A sky-lighted atrium leads to the Members Room of McElreath Hall, where 120 of your guests can enjoy an elegant seated dinner outside the versatile Woodruff Auditorium, with fixed seating for 400. The most rustic and charming option, the Smith Family Farm offers al fresco entertaining outside the 1860s farmhouse, outbuildings and gardens. Costumed interpreters and free-roaming sheep, as well as tours of the historic home, can be added for an injection of fun and authenticity to your event. Choose from an approved list of caterers (including a kosher option), audio-visual, equipment rental and tenting vendors. Call 404-814-4090, or email specialevents@atlantahistorycenter.com.

Center for Civil and Human Rights 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Downtown www.civilandhumanrights.org Established in 2007 and built on land donated by Coca-Cola, this innovative 43,000-square-foot building was designed by Phil Freelon, architect of the recently opened Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. In an effort to portray the center’s vision, “The curving walls embrace the interior exhibits and supporting program spaces in a manner that suggests the joining of hands.” The center offers an array of galleries and spaces for events. With sleek and contemporary design throughout, options range from seated dinner for 15 to 250 or cocktail receptions for up to 500. Combinations to add lecture and theater space for up to 215 are available, and, to keep you aware of your surroundings, pre-function space and the MLK Papers Gallery are available as add-ons.

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A powerful mural dominates the lobby atrium at the Center for Human and Civil Rights.

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

SIMCHAS In-house catering is provided exclusively by Wolfgang Puck, with an extensive kosher menu available. The center has audio-visual and parking partners as well. Call 404-835-4286, or email events@civilandhumanrights.org. College Football Hall of Fame 250 Marietta St., Downtown www.cfbhall.com Game on! Offering the option of a sit-down meal for up to 900 on a 45yard indoor playing field with a highdefinition video screen, this fun and creative new venue will make your event stand out from the crowd. The new College Football Hall of Fame has 50,000 square feet of event space overall and can house 3,500 people. Using all-access passes that customize their experiences to a particular team, your guests can interact

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

A 45-yard indoor playing field makes a great place for a party.

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with more than 40 state-of-the-art experiences and exhibits. With college football as the underlying theme, the facility has teamed up with the Omni Hotel at CNN Center and Classic Party Rentals to make your event into the most memorable game day. Kosher-style options are available. Call 404-880-4840, or email events@cfbhall.com.

Your guests can dine with the dinosaurs at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta www.fernbankmuseum.org With a vast array of options, the Fernbank Museum brings your guests the wonders of our planet and enables you to plan an event of prehistoric proportions. Front and center, the museum’s necessarily expansive Great Hall puts

you in the middle of the Giants of the Mesozoic exhibit, where the massive argentinosaurus is on the lookout for prey. With an 86-foot-high glass ceiling above and dramatic lighting below, the hall can accommodate 400 of your guests for seated dining or 600 for mingling and dancing among the world’s largest dinosaurs for an awe-inspiring evening. The Lobby, which can accommodate 350, and Terrace are at your disposal as well. The Outdoor Terrace, with space for up to 250, overlooks the lush Fernbank Forest and is an ideal setting for a ceremony or other al fresco event. Fernbank Cafe, with elegant décor, stately columns, a Steinway piano and seating for 100, provides a more intimate entertaining option. With its oval shape and dramatic night lighting, the Star Gallery seats up to 100 under a fiber-optic ceiling portraying the star constellations, providing your guests a surreal evening. For a celebration that will live on through history, go the VIP route: Show your video in the 178-seat auditorium, give your guests access to all the Fernbank exhibitions, and top it off with an IMAX movie experience. Choose from a list of Fernbank

preferred caterers for your event, or inquire for kosher options. Call 404-929-6390, or email sarah. parris@fernbankmuseum.org.

Photo courtesy of PWP Studio

The Fox Theatre’s Grand Terrace provides fresh air and a view for guests.

Fox Theatre 660 Peachtree St., Midtown foxtheatre.org Named as one of Bride.com’s 50 Best Wedding Venues in America in 2015, the fabulous Fox Theatre has two lush offerings for your next memorable event. The grand arcade entrance and lighted front marquee can add to the drama of a special occasion. The Grand Salon features Arabian atrium windows, and 3,350 Square feet. of richly decorated space including Moroccan tile, mosaics and a breathtaking stained glass skylight. It accom-

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SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016

SIMCHAS

Photo courtesy of PWP Studio

um galleries to their hearts’ content. Wolfgang Puck Catering at the Aquarium offers an expansive kosher catering menu. Access the menu from the aquarium event planning page under Wolfgang Puck Catering. Call 404-581-4126, or email booking@georgiaaquarium.org.

The majesty of the Fox Theatre’s Egyptian Ballroom is unrivaled.

modates 200 seated or 300 standing, and has an attached Grand Terrace for an additional 1200+ square feet of outdoor entertaining with delightful breezes and a Midtown view. The Egyptian Ballroom is the theater’s piece de resistance. With lavish finishes harkening back to the time of the Pharaohs, the sweeping ballroom features massive columns, dramatic uplighting and architectural accents fit for a prince, princess or royal couple. Suitable for 480 seated or 800 standing guests. Affairs to Remember is the preferred caterer and manager of sales for Fox private events, or you may choose from a list of venue-approved caterers and vendors. Kosher options are available. Call Nancy Lutz, special events director, at 404-881-2062, or email nancy. fox@affairs.com.

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SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

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Atlanta Perimeter Center For Rates & Availability Contact:

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www.AtlantaPerimeter.HGI.com • 1501 Lake Hearn Dr., Atlanta, 30319

Georgia Aquarium 225 Baker St., Downtown‬‬ www.georgiaaquarium.org A renowned beacon in downtown Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium offers many splashy venues and options, whether you’re hosting a smaller group (school) of 50 or a crowd (shoal) of 5,000. The 23,000-square-foot Oceans Ballroom can accommodate 800 to 1,200 guests or can be configured into the smaller Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic Rooms, based on your needs. With easy access to the Antarctic Pre-Function space for meeting and greeting, the Atlantic Room can seat 180 for dinner and hold 400 for a ceremony. The Pacific Room is the center and largest section. It offers the Indian PreFunction space with a floor-to-ceiling aquatic viewing window that puts you at eye level with large, unusual and amazing creatures of the sea. The private underwater view of the beluga whales makes the Arctic Room highest in demand. It accommodates 150 for dinner or 250 reception style. Be a big fish and include All-Access, VIP or Behind-the-Seas Tours, or add aquarium admission and allow up to 5,000 guests to navigate all aquari-

The majestic entrance to the Carlos Museum is off Kilgo Circle on Emory campus.

Michael C. Carlos Museum Emory University 571 S. Kilgo Circle, Atlanta www.carlos.emory.edu Customize your distinctive event by choosing any of three rental spaces in this sleek museum designed by architect Michael Graves. Options include seated dining in the elegantly appointed Ackerman Hall for up to 120 and standing receptions for 300. Add the galleries, featuring ancient Egyptian, Nubian to sub-Saharan and African art, and give up to 600 of your guests the rare opportunity to mingle among the mummies and sarcophagi. This is an event planning opportunity not to be missed. Rental fees include security, tables, chairs, audio-visual equipment, setup, breakdown, on-site event supervision and free after-hours parking. Select from a list of 10 preferred caterers “who all have a history of creating memorable events at the Carlos Museum,” or pay an upcharge to use an approved caterer of your own choosing. Call 404-727-0516, or email jwarre2@emory.edu. Piedmont Park North of 10th Street between Piedmont and Monroe drives, Midtown www.piedmontpark.org Often regarded as the Central Park

terfront event space, the majestic Greystone has the namesake granite walls and 9,000 square feet for hosting up to 400 of your guests in a variety of ways. With state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment available, the South Wing has a catering kitchen and seats up to 220. Add the Main Hall for buffet or drink service, dancing, or seating for an additional 50 guests. The Terrace overlooks the Piedmont Park Pool and Lake Clara Meer. It seats up to 120 at tables, is a charming add-on for dancing or mingling with a view, and seats 150-180 theater-style for a romantic ceremony. Dockside near the 12th Street gate has a dock and lawn area and the historic Visitor Center Building. The dock, directly on the west end of Lake Clara Meer, can be tented and is an idyllic place for an outdoor ceremony for up to 120 guests. The lawn offers seating for 200. With a mural-painted, barrelvaulted ceiling, the Visitor Center Building can seat up to 60 of your guests. Choose from a list Piedmont Park’s Greystone overlooks Lake Clara Meer. of preferred caterers

of Atlanta, Piedmont Park is the intown place to congregate and celebrate. The park features granite staircases dating back to the late 1800s, as well as three distinctive options for holding your event. Built as a blacksmith’s forge in 1945, Magnolia Hall has a capacity of 200 with mission-style décor featuring lantern lighting, exposed rafters and vintage oak paneling. Four sets of French doors lead to a beautifully landscaped 3,000-square-foot stone courtyard, which can be tented, and is perfect for pre-dining cocktails and conversation. Just off the courtyard, the Magnolia Hall Lawn is a beautiful place for a ceremony. Touted as Midtown’s only wa-

www.atlantajewishtimes.com favorite video. Or you can choose from seven outdoor venues of varying sizes, many of which can be tented, for your untamed experience. They range from the Chinese Plaza and Panda Veranda, complete with a panda viewing room, to Flamingo Plaza, which is ideal for big bird watching during your Chinese-themed dining is popular at Zoo Atlanta’s Panda Veranda. reception and dining events. Tenting and and vendors. For an additional fee, approved outside caterers may be used. string lighting are included. Package availability and add-ons, All proceeds benefit the Piedmont Park such as Wild Encounters and behindConservancy. the-scenes access, differ with each Call Jane Rollo at 404-875-7275, space. ext. 230, or email jrollo@piedmontRenting the whole zoo gives you park.org. and up to 4,999 of your friends the run of the place and includes access to the Zoo Atlanta Ford Pavilion and private elephant, 800 Cherokee Ave., Atlanta gorilla and orangutan feedings after www.zooatlanta.org One of only four zoos in the United dark. Customized menus are created States currently housing giant pandas, Zoo Atlanta provides a vast number of through the zoo’s preferred caterer, Nourish Events, and kosher dining acchoices for hosting a wild event. Four indoor spaces are available commodations can be made. Call 404-624-5650, or email speciaat the zoo, including the 257-seat CocaCola World Studio for showing your levents@zooatlanta.org.

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

SIMCHAS

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SIMCHAS

Sunrise Celebration Sets Bar Mitzvah Spirit

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

By Beverly Levitt

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We believe ice cream should never be sitting in a freezer waiting to be served. Our ice cream is made-to-order, freshly prepared and frozen, right in front of the guest. We start our process by combining the highest quality cream base with the finest ingredients. We use Liquid Nitrogen, which is -320 degrees Fahrenheit, to flash freeze your ice cream creation right before your eyes.

Kosher Dairy • Chalav Yisrael • Kosher Parev

Darryl Lewis • 678.733.0084 www.liquidXcream.com

Jerusalem at the crack of dawn on Mondays and Thursdays sees dozens of bar mitzvah boys davening by the Western Wall and being taught to wrap tefillin. Many families include a morning prayer service and breakfast for close family and friends. Isn’t an early morning gathering in a beautiful spot at sunrise a lovely way to start the sacred day of a bar mitzvah celebration? “In our morning service we recognize the glory of the sunrise and the announcement of it by the rooster, who was given the intelligence to distinguish between night and day,” Rabbi Emeritus Matthew Simon of B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, Md., said about the spirituality of a sunrise celebration. “That’s not to say we don’t necessarily appreciate that he awakens us with his cock-a-doodle-doo.” Pressed about the idea of hosting such a gathering on the morning of the bar mitzvah ceremony, Rabbi Simon said it might be easier on the nerves of the boy and his mother to greet the sunrise Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday before the big event. Ask 10 rabbis and get 11 answers. Rabbi Lauren Grabelle-Herrmann of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism on Manhattan’s Upper West Side loved that the bar mitzvah would wake at daybreak on Saturday and recite the first blessing of his big day with an intimate gathering of family and friends. “Arising early to do this mitzvah would show his zeal,” she said, suggesting inviting everyone to a beautiful park or other location meaningful to the family. If it’s a chilly morning, the gathering could take place indoors, and everyone could step outside just at the moment of sunrise. Rabbi Grabelle-Herrmann compared this ritual to the tish, a part of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony in which all the men gather around the groom making jokes to alleviate the tension before the marriage. “This translates perfectly to the bar mitzvah, where the young man would be encircled by the love and community of his parents, siblings and friends,” the rabbi said. “Because of the intimate setting, he would feel their encouragement and excitement more acutely. Besides, what else does a 13-year-old boy have to do at 5 a.m. on the morning of his bar mitzvah?”

Because all celebrations deserve sustenance, here’s a light repast to sweeten the experience. Assemble all the ingredients in a few wicker picnic baskets, separating the hot foods from the cold. Bring plates, napkins, silverware (including extra serving pieces) and a tablecloth. Fruit Salad With Tangerine Juice and Fresh Mint Makes 6 servings 1 pint blackberries, blueberries or raspberries 2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced 1 medium honeydew, cut into balls 1 ripe mango or papaya, diced ½ cup fresh tangerine juice 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped ¼ cup slivered almonds Gently mix the fruits and juices in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with mint and almonds. Chill. Victorian Currant Scones From “Monet’s Table” by Claire Joyes Makes 12 scones 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt About 5 ounces milk 4 tablespoons butter ½ cup currants Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter. Stir in the currants and enough milk to make a rather soft dough. Roll out to a ½ inch thick. Cut out 2-inch circles with a biscuit cutter or glass and place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until well risen. Best served hot with butter and jam. Clementine Marmalade From cooking teacher Jean Brady 1 pound clementines, left whole 2 cups sugar If clementines aren’t in season, use the best-quality seedless tangerines or Mandarin oranges. In a 3-quart saucepan, cover the fruit with water. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain off the water. When the tangerines are cool, cut them into ¼-inch crosswise slices and place the slices and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the juice thickens and the rind looks candied, about 15 minutes. Pour into a sterilized jar. When cool, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. ■

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SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016

SIMCHAS

Simcha Resource Guide Catering

Everyone wants something different and memorable. Let 7th Wave Pictures produce a unique and unforgettable personal documentary for your next Simcha!

Please visit our website to see our short documentaries.

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Alon’s Bakery, 1394 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, www.alons.com, 678-397-1781 Bagel Boys Cafe, 6355 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Sandy Springs, www.bagelboyscafe. com, 678-585-3435 Bagelicious, 1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 37, Marietta, 770-509-9505 Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, 265 Pharr Road, Atlanta, www.buckheadrestaurants.com, 404-237-2060 Cafe Vendome, 4969 Roswell Road, Suite 155, Atlanta, www.cafevendome.com, 404551-5163 Corks & Caps, 4600 Roswell Road, Suite D-110, Atlanta, 404-483-1050 Create Your Cupcake, 203 Hilderbrand Drive, Sandy Springs, www.createyourcupcake.com, 844-354-7487 Cuzin’s Duzin, 2121 Windy Hill Road, Suite 128, Marietta, www.sweetdreamsminidonuts.com, 347-724-6200 For All Occasions and More, 5200 Northland Drive, Sandy Springs, www.foralloccasionsandmore.com, 404-953-8157 The General Muir, 1540 Avenue Place, Suite B-230, Atlanta, www.thegeneralmuir.com, 678-927-9131 Goldbergs Group, 4385 Roswell Road, Atlanta, www.goldbergbagel.com, 404-477-1110 The Kosher Gourmet, 2153 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, www.kgatl.com, 404-636-1114 Liquid Ice Cream, www.liquidxcream.com, 678-733-0084 Madras Mantra, 2179 Lawrenceville Highway, Suite A, Decatur, www.mandrasmantra.com, 404-636-4400 Maggiano’s, 4400 Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, www.maggianos.com, 770-804-8898 The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., 2955 Cobb Parkway, Cumberland, www. brooklynwaterbagels.com, 770-988-9991 Pita by the Beirut, 4709-B Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, www.pitabythebeirut.com, 404-392-7070 Rumi’s Kitchen Persian Cuisine, 6112 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, www.rumiskitchen.com, 404-477-2100 The Spicy Peach, 2887 North Druid Hills Road, Toco Hills, www.thespicypeach.com, 404-334-7200 Sufi’s Atlanta Persian Cuisine, 1814 Peachtree St, Atlanta, www.sufisatlanta. com, 404-888-9699 Tower Beer & Wine, 2161 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, www.towerwinespirits.com, 404881-0902 Yum Boutique Catering, 678-592-1783

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Décor

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Balloons and Events Over Atlanta, 1231 Collier Road, Atlanta, www.balloonsover.com, 404-231-3090 Encore Events & Entertainment, 253 Swanson Drive, Lawrenceville, www.encoreevents.com, 678-427-0028 EventScapes, 1484 Atlanta Industrial Way, Suite B, Atlanta, eventscapesatlanta.com, 404-472-9233 Jim White Designs, 2922 Marlan Drive, Atlanta, www.jimwhitedesigns.com, 404-5994731 Kagan Entertainment, 10270 Piney Ridge Walk, Alpharetta, www.kaganentertainment.com, 770-826-8263 Village Green Flowers & Gifts, 3246 Atlanta

Road, Smyrna, www.villiageflowersandgifts.com, 770-435-9393

Entertainment Bodyworks Atlanta, 600 Garson Drive, Suite 7304, Atlanta, www.makeupartistryatlanta.com, 404-816-0989 Caricatures by Tony, 130 Canal Place, Fayetteville, www.caricaturesofatlanta.com, 678-817-0169 Encore Events & Entertainment, 253 Swanson Drive, Lawrenceville, www.encoreevents.com, 678-427-0028 FlipnPics, 901 Gemtry’s Walk, Atlanta, www.flipnpics.com, 770-742-8910 Game Truck, 50 Barrett Parkway, Suite 3005-137, Marietta, www.gametruck.com, 770-755-5100 Liquid Ice Cream, www.liquidxcream.com, 678-733-0084 Premium Corporate Entertainment Group, 2981 N. Tower Way, Conyers, 678-663-7096 Rock Steady Ballroom, 270 Carpenter Drive, Suite 120, Sandy Springs, www.rocksteadyballroom.com, 404-254-1491

DJ & Live Music Big Band Contractors, www.bigband.band, 770-998-8888 Krazy Boys, Kagan Entertainment, 10270 Piney Ridge Walk, Alpharetta, www.kaganentertainment.com, 770-826-8263 Party Express by Tevyeh, 2823 Arabian Trail, Marietta, www.tevyeh.com, 404-9393813 Richard Siegal, Pianist, 404-994-7507 Sephinta Zarka Music, 141 Meriwether Circle, Milledgeville, www.sephintazarka.com, 404-479-1719 Vibe Entertainment, 2080 Peachtree Industrial Court, Suite 107, Atlanta, www.vibeentertainmentinc.com, 404-257-0206

Event Venues & Hotels Alpharetta Convention and Visitor Bureau, 178 S. Main Street, #200, Alpharetta, www. awesomealpharetta.com, 678-297-2811 Andretti Entertainment, 1255 Roswell Road, Marietta, www.andrettikarting.com, 678-496-9530 Atlanta Events Center, 1150 Peachtree St., Atlanta, www.atlantaeventcenter.com, 678793-0030 Café Intermezzo, Midtown, Dunwoody, coming soon to Avalon in Alpharetta, www. cafeintermezzo.com, 770-396-1344 Defoor Centre, 1710 Defoor Ave., Atlanta, www.defoorcentre.com, 404-591-3809 Embassy Suites-Perimeter, 1030 Crown Pointe Parkway, Sandy Springs, www.embassysuites3.hilton.com, 770-394-5454 Fernbank Museum, 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta, www.fernbankmuseum.org, 404-9296339 Game X, 275 Baker St., Suite B, Atlanta, www.gamexatl.com, 404-525-0728 The General Muir, 1540 Avenue Place, Suite B-230, Atlanta, www.thegeneralmuir.com, 678-927-9131 Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker St., Atlanta, www.georgiaaquarium.org, 404-581-4000 Georgia Freight Depot, 65 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta, www.dceatlanta. com, 404-656-3850 The Georgian Club, 100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1700, Cumberland, www.georgian-

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SIMCHAS club.com, 770-952-6000 Hilton Garden Inn-Perimeter Center, 1501 Lake Hearn Drive, Sandy Springs, www.hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com, 404-459-0500 Hyatt Atlanta Perimeter at Villa Christina, 4000 Summit Blvd., Brookhaven, atlantaperimeter.regency.hyatt.com, 404-303-7700 Lake Lanier Islands, 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford, www.lanierislands.com, 770-945-8787 Omni Hotel CNN Center, 100 CNN Center, Atlanta, www.omnihotels.com/hotels/ atlanta-cnn-center, 404-659-0000 Rumi’s Kitchen Persian Cuisine, 6112 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, www. rumiskitchen.com, 404-477-2100 Sage Perimeter/Sage Woodfire Tavern, 4505 Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, www.sagewoodfiretavern.com, 770-8048880 Sherwood Event Hall, 8610 Roswell Road, #200, Sandy Springs, www.sherwoodevent. com, 678-643-9324 SlingShot Entertainment, 6344 Cash Court, Peachtree Corners, www.slingshotplay.com, 678-585-2268 Spring Hall, 7130 Buford Highway, Suite A-100, www.spring-hall.com, 770-613-9973 Stars and Strikes Sandy Springs, 8767 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, www.starsandstrikes.com, 678-965-5707 Sufi’s Atlanta Persian Cuisine, 1814 Peachtree St, Atlanta, www.sufisatlanta. com, 404-888-9699 Three Sheets, 6017 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs, www.threesheetsatlanta. com, 404-303-8423 Tongue & Groove, Lindbergh City Center, 565 Main St., Atlanta, www.tandgonline. com, 404-261-2325 Twelve Hotel Centennial Park, 400 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta, www.twelvehotels. com/centennialpark, 404-418-1212 Westin Atlanta North, 7 Concourse Parkway, Sandy Springs, www.westinatlantanorth.com, 770-395-3900 Wyndham Atlanta Galleria, 6345 Powers Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, www.wyndhamatlantahotel.com, 770-955-1700

Michael Rosser Photography, 3905 Remington Way, Marietta, www.michaelrosserphotography.com, 770-516-4332 Montage Mania, www.montagemania.net, 404-444-5999 Paula Gould Photography, www.pmgphoto. com, 404-310-2094 RMB Studios, rmbstudios.zenfolio.com, 410-804-6408

Beauty For the Sole Foot Spa, 6690 Roswell Road, #550, Sandy Springs, www.ftsole.com, 404254-3758 Keri Gold Salon, 1258 W. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, www.kerigoldsalon.com, 404-9903200 Premier Image Cosmetic & Laser Surgery, 4553 N. Shallowford Road, Suite 20B, Atlanta, www.picosmeticsurgery.com, 770457-6303 Sweet Peach Wax & Sugaring Studio, 206-A Johnson Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, www.

sweetpeachwax.com, 404-481-5488

Event Planners Atlanta Party Connection, 330 Highlands Court, Alpharetta, www.atlantapartyconnection.com, 770-744-5750 Balloons and Events Over Atlanta, 1231 Collier Road, Atlanta, www.balloonsover.com, 404-231-3090 Mazel Tov Atlanta, www.mazeltovatlanta. com, 770-312-9722

Clothing & Accessories Chic Occasions, P.O. Box 144, Marietta, www.chicoccasions.com, 770-257-9007 Le Dress Boutique, 205 Johnson Ferry Road, Sandy Springs, www.ledressboutique.com, 404-842-1955 Nina McLemore, 110 E. Andrews Drive, Suite 3, Atlanta, www.ninamclemore.com, 404-841-8111 Ticknors, 3500 Peachtree Road, Suite 2012A,

Atlanta, www.ticknors.com, 404-946-5808 Under the Pecan Tree, 5482 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, www.underthepecantree.net, 678-694-8704 Zimm’s Dry Cleaning, www.zimmsdrycleaning.com, 404-227-4426

Jewelers D. Geller and Son, 2955 Cobb Parkway, Suite 230, Cumberland, www.dgeller.com, 770955-5995 LeeBrant Jewelers, 127 Perimeter Center West, Sandy Springs, www.leebrant.com, 770-551-8850 Solomon Brothers Fine Jewelry, 3340 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, www.solomonbrothers.com, 404-266-0266

Invitations EventPrints, www.eventprints.com, 404745-9590

7th Wave Pictures, 750 Ponce de Leon Place, Atlanta, www.7thwavepictures.com, 404246-9674 Affordable Photography, 3000 Old Alabama Road, Suite 119-195, Alpharetta, www. affordablephoto.com, 770-992-1529 Blue Orchid Productions, 2184 Zelda Drive, www.blueorchidproductions.com, 404-2752290 Chuck Wolf Photo Design Bar, 3763 Roswell Road, Atlanta, www.photodesignbar.com, 404-709-2981 Current Pixel, 5975 Roswell Road, Suite A125, Sandy Springs, www.currentpixel. com, 404-256-4108 Eric Bern Studio, 400 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, www.ericbernstudio. com, 404-252-0209 Gray Imaging Photo, www.grayimagingphoto.com, 770-284-0395 The Great Frame Up, 1432 Dresden Drive, Suite 400, Brookhaven, brookhaven. thegreatframeup.com, 404-464-5972 Harold Alan Photographers, P.O. Box 88744, Atlanta, www.haroldalan.com, 770-730-8911 Kissed With Light Photography, 655 Huntwick Place, Roswell, www.kissedwithlight. com, 404-538-4977

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

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It’s a cliché that a bride will remember every detail of her wedding. So why is my bridal shower a blur? Aside from receiving some Baccarat crystal I registered for, it wasn’t a life-altering event. Fast-forward to 2000, when I stayed up all night with my religious sister-in-law while she explained the concept of mikvah, the pool of living water in which a woman submerges to cleanse herself spiritually and physically. Since ancient times brides have observed this purifying ritual before getting married. The ritual is illustrated in Anita Diamant’s “The Red Tent,” which demystifies the female heroes of the Bible and illuminates the beauty of their rituals and the power of their camaraderie. I have often thought how meaningful it would be to host a wedding shower in a mikvah, such as the yearold Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah, which took inspiration from Boston’s Mayyim Hayyim, a mikvah Diamant helped found. In a phone call from her office in Boston, Diamant said women are holding such showers. “The mikvah is being reclaimed and reinvented,” she said. “Nonaffiliated, nondenominational mikvahs are being built all over the country, but women are also seeking out bridal shower settings in nature — next to a river, a lake, an ocean — and in more accessible places — health spas, swimming pools or hot tubs.” In Diamant’s book “The New Jewish Wedding,” the author describes how the Sephardic custom of turning mikvah into a joyful party has inspired new rituals and celebrations. “One bride arrived at the mikvah with five friends and a basket of food and wine, and while she immersed in the water, they waited in the foyer,” Diamant writes. “When she appeared they greeted her with songs, champagne and her favorite sweets. … Another group of women gathered in a swimming hole, made a circle around the bride, and then all immersed themselves. When they came up for air, they wished that the water would wash away her self-doubts. They finished by praising her abilities, talents, and her beauty. At another gathering, shower guests anointed their ‘wedding queen’

with gifts of scents such as lavender and myrrh.” “There are many ways to bestow a bride with blessings,” Diamant said. “You can give her favorite recipes, share advice and stories about marriage. Some women might want to write stories for the bride or even create a memory book.” Diamant likes reinventing the established practice for a wedding shower because it creates an opportunity for greater meaning. “Entering the water is a reference to birth,” she said, “and coming out new or cleansed is a rebirth, getting ready for a new cycle of your life. It’s a moment of transcendence.” Because the wedding shower honors the cycles of life and the holy concept of no beginning and no end, our menu and our floral decorations and gift suggestions will be round, signifying that a husband and a wife are two parts of one soul. The perfect circle appears over and over in nature, from the seed, which is the beginning of life, to many of the most beautiful flowers, fruits and vegetables. Gifts can be round soaps, sponges, candles, crystals and rocks, and, to heighten the mood, round DVDs of beautiful music. Edible round gifts include chocolate truffles, cookies, cakes, biscuits, muffins and breads, cheeses and cheese balls, and fresh and dried fruits, such as apples, oranges and pomegranates. For beautiful circular floral decorations, start with roses, peonies, dahlias, daisies, camellias, chrysanthemums and gardenias — the list is endless. To honor the cycles of life, we offer a menu of round food. Roasted whole fish is presented head to tail, as in the sign of Pisces, signifying long life. Fish is a token of wisdom, fortune and fertility. Serving a whole fish exemplifies righteousness, and the garnish of ruby-red pomegranate seeds and syrup is a wish for a sweet marriage filled with fertility. We’ve included leeks for luck and opulence. The fish is complemented by baby potatoes, beets and a fennel bulb. A cheese ball is encrusted with round hazelnuts. Angel eggs are stuffed with truffles and caviar. Eggs are a symbol of birth and potential. The M’hancha pastry, which is formed out of phyllo dough and coiled

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SIMCHAS around and around like a snake, is a symbol of spiritual power and the awakened self that originated in North Africa. It also represents sexual energy. The best part of hosting a wedding shower that honors but reinvents ancient rituals and is filled with the camaraderie of women is that it can’t help but be a life-altering event, even if the bride doesn’t receive all her Baccarat.

Angel Eggs With Truffle Oil and Caviar

Serves 12 1 dozen pasture-raised eggs with dark-orange yolks 1-2 drops white truffle oil 1 tablespoon fresh dil, chopped 1 teaspoon curry powder Salt and cracked pepper to taste Golden caviar for garnish Hard-boil the eggs and let cool for 20 minutes. Halve the eggs and remove the yolks to a mixing bowl. Using a wire whisk, whip the yolks with truffle oil, dill, curry powder, salt and pepper. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the egg halves. Top with caviar. Adapted from Terry McNally, coowner of London Grill in Philadelphia.

1 cup water Pinch of sea salt In a medium saucepan over low heat, mix the pomegranate syrup or molasses, lemon juice, water, and salt. Simmer until a syrupy sauce develops, 8 to 10 minutes. Add a bit of sugar if too sour or more lemon if too sweet. Drizzle the sauce over the fish. Adapted from Terry McNally.

Salad of Roasted Beets, Multicolored Baby Potatoes And Watercress Makes 6 servings For the dressing: ¼ cup good sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard Sea salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup hazelnut oil ¼ cup good olive oil For the salad: 12 multicolored baby potatoes 12 baby beets Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an oiled baking pan, roast the potatoes and beets for 30 to 40 minutes until soft. Remove the peels from the beets. Whisk together the vinegar, shallots, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a slow stream, add the oils, whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified. Place the watercress on a platter. Arrange the beets and potatoes into a circular design in the middle of the platter. Sprinkle hazelnuts over the

salad, then drizzle with the dressing. Adapted from Terry McNally.

Blue Cheese Ball Encrusted With Hazelnuts

Makes about 2 cups 8-ounce package cream cheese or cashew cheese, room temperature 8 ounces blue cheese such as Blue Costello 1 tablespoon heavy cream 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon 2-3 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts In a medium bowl mash together the cream cheese, blue cheese and cream. Fold in the chives and tarragon. Chill in the refrigerator until the mix-

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Serves 10 2 whole branzino, salmon or steel trout, head and tail intact 1/3 cup white wine or water ¼ cup thinly sliced onions or leeks 1 whole fennel bulb, including fronds 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon dried herbs, such as tarragon, rosemary or thyme Fresh leaves or sprigs of tarragon, rosemary or thyme for stuffing 2 lemons, sliced into wedges for stuffing and garnish ½ cup pomegranate seeds Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the fish in roasting pan with wine or water. Place the fennel fronds, herbs, leeks and lemon slices inside the fish. Add dried herbs to the olive oil and brush over the fish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the skin is crispy and the meat is opaque. Leaving the herbs, leek and lemons intact, place the fish on a serving platter, head to tail. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges and pomegranate sauce.

Pomegranate Sauce

Makes 1 cup ½ cup pomegranate syrup or molasses Squeeze of lemon juice

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Cycles of Life Branzino

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SIMCHAS ture begins to firm, about 30 minutes. Using your hands, shape the mixture into a ball. Artfully place hazelnuts on the ball to coat completely. Refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

M’hancha: The Serpent

The Temple Kol Emeth Family wishes the entire Atlanta Community a Healthy and Happy New Year.

Serves 12 For the almond-pistachio filling: 1 cup cold blanched almonds 1½ cups cold pistachios, peels removed ¾ cup sugar 2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon rosewater or orange blossom water Egg whites from 2 large eggs 6 ounces almond paste For the pastry: ½ pound phyllo pastry leaves (if frozen, defrost overnight in the refrigerator) ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled Powdered sugar for garnish In a food processor, chop the almonds and pistachios until finely ground but not oily. Transfer the mixture to the work bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Add the sugar, butter, rose or orange blossom water, egg whites, and almond paste. Beat until well combined, 2 to 3

minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured board, make a long, snakelike roll out of the almondpistachio paste, about 1 inch in diameter and 3½ feet long, or make 2 shorter rolls. Place a 4-foot strip of wax paper on a long table. Brush lightly with the butter. Lay sheets of phyllo dough going the long way, overlapping by 2 inches, to make a strip about 4 feet long. Brush each layer lightly with the butter. Repeat, starting in the opposite direction, until all the phyllo has been used. Place the nut roll about 1 inch from the front edge of the paper. Fold the ends of the phyllo over the nut roll, then roll up tightly to form the snake shape. Gently form the snake into a coil, working from the outside in. Transfer to a buttered, 9-inch cake pan. Bake roll for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the pastry from the oven and flip it onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake again until well browned, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then dust with the powdered sugar. May be stored at room temperature for three to four days. From award winning cookbook author Aliza Green. ■

Come Celebrate the high holy Days at temple Kol emeth.

There will be a new contemporary service with the sounds of Nefesh Mountain.

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

For more information please call Denise at 770-973-3533.

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Celebrating UGA Success

Meredith Forrester, who graduated from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business in 1999 with a bachelor of business administration, is recognized as one of the UGA Alumni Association’s 40 Under 40 at a ceremony at Flourish in Buckhead on Thursday, Sept. 8. Forrester, daughter of Loretta Fine, is a senior vice president at SunTrust Bank. Presenting her award is UGA senior honor student Reed Harris Turry, an AEPi member and the vice president of the Student Alumni Council, as well as the grandson of proud grandmother Martha Jo Katz. More about the 40 Under 40 can be found at alumni.uga.edu/40u40.

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SIMCHAS

Creativity Made Kotel, Arch Work for All In Israel one of the places where many b’nai mitzvah are held is the Kotel. For Israelis there is a basic fact of the society: A large majority of Israelis are not affiliated with synagogues, but they want their children to have the bar or bat mitzvah experience. For many years it was possible to have only the boys celebrate at the Kotel. Now there is an area — archaeological garden, south wall — where women and men can be together for a service and clearly for a bat mitzvah. Personally, I was involved in this entire process for girls and boys because I officiated at over 40 b’nai mitzvah ceremonies for families from abroad at the Kotel between 1979 and 1992. For me, it was a way to earn extra money, which I needed to support my family, and, from a spiritual point of view, I found it most meaningful. One story defines what I tried to do at these services. First, this is a description of one

bar mitzvah. My name was known to an American rabbi who made aliyah right after the Six-Day War. His entire career in Israel for almost 50 years was conducting a Bar Mitzvahs for a young men from outside Israel whose

Guest Column By Rabbi David Geffen

families was brought them to the country for their 13th birthdays. The rabbi who was the professional in the field called me up one day: “David, are you free both on Thursday and Shabbat for a bar mitzvah? This is unusual: These are triplets whose parents want them to experience the Kotel and Mount Scopus.” When he suggested the idea, I was readily agreeable. At the Kotel, I arrived at 6 in the morning to make sure my table for the service was right in the back corner of the Kotel plaza.

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Then the barrier there separating men and women was low, so I used that space opportunity for a significant purpose. The women in the family were on the women’s side right next to where the triple bar mitzvah was to be held. As each of the triplets had an aliyah, I read the portion three times so there could be numerous aliyot because the family was large. Once I had blessed each young man as he stood with his father, he then moved to where his mother could actually touch him, and I made another prayer at that wonderful moment. On Shabbat I stayed with friends near Mount Scopus. I borrowed a sefer Torah from the Conservative-Masorti synagogue in French Hill. I carried the Torah to a spot on Mount Scopus near Hebrew University. Looking out over a magnificent Jerusalem, the triplets celebrated their bar mitzvah in a setting never to be forgotten. There is also one interesting bat mitzvah tale. Over the years I officiated at a few b’not mitzvah on Masada and in other locations in the Old City where the Kotel was visible. However, I was aware that the archaeological garden surrounding Robinson’s Arch and the southern wall was still being developed. Back then there were large boulders and a few paths, but there was an open space under the arch. I developed my own plan for how to make use of the area. I first got to know the guard at the entrance to the archaeological garden, then easily accessible from the road coming from the Dung Gate into the Kotel plaza and the Kotel itself. Since the wall at Robinson’s Arch

is actually a continuation of the Kotel itself, I decided that was the place for a bat mitzvah. I informed the guard a day or two before to let him know that I was bringing a small group for a visit. From a synagogue where I was affiliated, I borrowed a sefer Torah. I also borrowed siddurim with English and Hebrew, plus folding chairs, which I gave to the family to bring. I arrived early for the bat mitzvah with a folding table, a cover for it and the Torah. I figured out a system with a wheel device for the table and covering, and I carried the scroll itself. The family brought the chairs and the siddurim and some tallesim, which I had acquired through the years. Not sure what the guard thought, but I gave him a tip on each occasion, so he was glad to assist. There under Robinson’s Arch, at one of the best-known portions of the wall but not in the actual Kotel section, we held a Shacharit service. At her home synagogue the young woman had been taught the portion of the sedra recited on the weekday. She read, and two family members were called to the Torah. Then I intoned her name for her portion. With much of the history of the Temple of old, the arch hanging over her, she recited the blessings and read her portion. For me, it was always so pleasing that families would bring their sons and daughters to Israel for the sacred celebration at the Kotel. It had great meaning for me, and I tried to convey the uniqueness of each bar and bat mitzvah in a special way. I have been blessed to live in Israel, but I also have had a chance to help others in their spiritual quests. ■

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SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Michael and Karen Himmelstein of Roswell announce the marriage of their daughter, Laura Amy, to Shaun Eric Hoffman, son of Alan and Rita Hoffman of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The wedding took place Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, at the Ramon Crater in Mitzpe Ramon, Israel. The bride is the granddaughter of Harry and Bettye Baer of Atlanta and Harold and the late Ellen Himmelstein of Boynton Beach, Fla. The bride received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in 2009 and her master’s degree from Tel Aviv University in public policy in 2011. She is employed as a product consultant for SimilarWeb in Tel Aviv. The groom is the grandson of Eva and the late David Klein and the late Irving and Sylvia Hoffman. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 2007 with a degree in international relations and Middle East studies. He earned his master’s in Jewish studies from the Spertus Institute in Chicago. He is the Entwine Israel regional manager for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Jerusalem. After a honeymoon in the Philippines, the couple will reside in Jaffa, Israel.

photography by richie arpino

Wedding Himmelstein-Hoffman

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LOCAL NEWS

Shaarei Shamayim Turns Church Into Synagogue By R.M. Grossblatt

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Rabbi Mark Kunis blew a shofar near North Druid Hills Road on Wednesday, Sept. 14, and led his congregants down a tree-lined path to their new home, a church they bought and turned into a synagogue. The closing on the property took place Monday, Sept. 12. The congregation moved in Tuesday and put up mezuzot and held the first service Wednesday at 1600 Mount Mariah Road. Since March 2002, Shaarei Shamayim had held services and events on Briarcliff Road in a studio built for a television evangelist. The studio was attached to an old mansion, the ancestral home of the Shepard family. Once occupied by Channel 46, the studio was surrounded by 11 satellite dishes, which Rabbi Kunis often said gave the traditional congregation “a direct connection to shamayim (heaven).” Still, it was leased space. Over 10 years ago, Shaarei Shamayim purchased a large, wooded lot on North Druid Hills Road in the hope of building there. In 2010, with

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Photos by R.M. Grossblatt

Rabbi Mark Kunis blows a shofar near the intersection of North Druid Hills and Mount Mariah roads Sept. 14 to announce Shaarei Shamayim’s arrival at its new home.

the downturn of the economy, the congregation sold the site to an assisted living facility. Other potential buyers alerted the congregants that behind their wooded lot was a site owned by Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, which moved to Tucker years earlier and wanted to sell the property but leased the building to some members who preferred to stay in the area. These members called their new church

Congregation Shaarei Shamayim marches to its new home while singing “Heyveinu Shalom Aleichem” and carrying its Torahs beneath a chuppah.

Mount Cavalry First Baptist Church. For more than five years, Shaarei Shamayim searched for a permanent home. “I knew that it was all in Hashem’s time, not in our time, when we would have our own home,” Rabbi Kunis said. About six months ago, the time seemed right, and he and his congregants remembered that the owners of the church behind their former lot wanted to sell.

“It wasn’t even on the market,” the rabbi said. Former congregation President Steve Brown and member and real estate agent Rose Anne Schulman represented the synagogue at the real estate closing. Then Shaarei Shamayim had 24 hours to move from its old building to its new one and turn the church into a shul. “We are elated to finally be in a home of our own,” Shulman said after

LOCAL NEWS Wednesday’s dedication. As for Mount Cavalry Baptist, which lost its rented space, Rabbi Kunis found a way to help. He called them “sweet people” who couldn’t afford an expensive lease. “It was a chesed opportunity,” said Rabbi Kunis, who negotiated to help them lease Shaarei Shamayim’s former building with the 11 satellite dishes. “I helped them switch places with us.” Two miles north of its former building and close to Holly Lane and other residential areas in Toco Hills, Shaarei Shamayim is looking forward to being a place to go for Jews in the area. “We want to welcome the Orthodox community to Friday night ser-

vices and Mincha/Shalosh Seudas on Saturday afternoon,” Rabbi Kunis said. Although the traditional synagogue, which uses an Orthodox ArtScroll siddur, will keep mixed seating on Shabbat morning, Rabbi Kunis plans to use a full mechitza (a separation for men and women during prayer) for the evening and afternoon Shabbat services to encourage all of the community to attend. On Sept. 14, as the sun was setting and the Torahs were carried under a chuppah, members of Shaarei Shamayim sang “Heyveinu Shalom Aleichem,” the traditional song of welcome. Then they walked up the steps of their new home and watched their rabbi place a mezuzah on the front door. ■

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A building that served two churches is now Congregation Shaarei Shamayim.

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The Shaarei Shamayim sefer Torahs reach their new sanctuary.

Rabbi Mark Kunis leads Mincha on Sept. 14, the first service in Shaarei Shamayim’s permanent home.

Shaarei Shamayim made this studio its home for 14 years, then facilitated its leasing by Mount Calvary Baptist Church, which had rented the congregation’s new home about two miles away.

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Rabbi Mark Kunis attaches a mezuzah to the synagogue entrance.

Under Rabbi Mark Kunis’ close watch, Jack Hyman posts a mezuzah made by artist Louis Sarkowivitz.

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LOCAL NEWS

Photo courtesy of JF&CS

Photo courtesy of Marcus JCC

PAL participants join VIA members to do community service Sept. 11 at Berman Commons, where they made 65 honey cakes with and for the residents.

A traditional circle of thanks signifies the official close of BBYO’s Leadership Training Institute at Camp Coleman on Aug. 28.

Young Generations in Action Jewish Family & Career Services’ Volunteers in Action, composed of 21- to 40-year-olds, held Mitzvah Day on Sunday, Sept. 11. More than 200 VIA volunteers participated at 11 sites during Atlanta’s largest community service day for young Jewish professionals. The event included projects for the Families Inspired to Serve and PAL programs. Besides Mitzvah Day, which started in 2002, VIA provides monthly community service opportunities for mem-

bers. Mitzvah Day occurred two weeks after 108 members of Atlanta Council BBYO, run through the Marcus Jewish Community Center, gathered at Camp Coleman for a weekend for the Leadership Training Institute. The teens learned from guest speakers Suzanne Simkin, co-founder of PeaceLoveMom; Tamar Gez, an Israeli emissary; Scott Magat, a high school engagement associate with Alpha Epsilon Pi International; Hannah Boresow,

a graphic designer with SeeMeDesign; and Michelle Krebs Levy, the founder and CEO of The Sixth Point. “It’s amazing to see what motivates these teens to do so many great things,” Magat said. “They all want to learn how to become better leaders, not just in BBYO, but in their community too.” The BBYO members voted to advocate suicide prevention and teen suicide awareness in their programming this year. ■

Photo courtesy of JF&CS

Mitzvah Day volunteers at the PAWS animal shelter in Decatur relax after cleaning 20 dog cages and water bowls and walking more than 10 dogs.

Photo courtesy of JF&CS

When the Mitzvah Day work is done, VIA volunteers have some fun at Gordon Biersch.

Photo courtesy of JF&CS

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

The Ronald McDonald House is looking clean and organized after VIA members went to work in three rooms Sept. 11.

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Photo courtesy of Marcus JCC

BBYO members attending the Leadership Training Institute celebrate Havdalah around a campfire Aug. 27.

When Jews Were America’s Undesirables By Kevin Madigan kmadigan@atljewishtimes.com

“Jews were a confusing crowd for United States officials. They came from different places, spoke different languages; they were hard to pin down,” said Libby Garland, associate professor of history at the City University of New York’s Kingsborough Community College, speaking at a forum Wednesday, Country French Home Located Sept. 14, about immigration restriction Photos by Kevin Madigan on Over 2.5 Private Acres! and American nativism. Alan Kraut says Donald Trump fits within America’s nativist tradition. Garland has focused her research on Jewish immigrants who entered the United States illegally. Laws restricting “undesirable populations” were enacted by the U.S. government in the early part of the 20th century, forcing many to circumvent them and risk arrest and deportation or imprisonment. She was one of two speakers at the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies’ eighth annual Rabbi Jacob Rothschild Memorial Lecture at Emory University, titled Libby Garland says Jews in the early “Closing the Gates, Building a Wall.” 20th century defied immigration laws. Nativism, the practice of favoring indigenous interests against outside on our southern border that it will influences, was at the core of the racprotect Americans from challenges to ism and exclusion encountered by American society and culture.” refugees in the United States from both He added, “This is hardly the first world wars. A report in 2010 from the time in our history that we’ve broadAmerican Immigration Council stated, cast this kind of dual-edged message “Nativism, xenophobia, and racism are regarding the foreign-born, denigrathardly uniquely American phenom- ing their heritage, mocking their apena. What makes them significant in pearance, religion or mannerisms.” America is that they run counter to the Kraut cited Edward Alsworth nation’s founding ideals. … To be a na- Ross, a sociologist who was fired from tivist in this country was to be in con- Stanford University for advocating the flict with its fundamental tenets.” practice of eugenics. In his 1914 book, Jews were one of the groups ex- “The Old World in the New,” Ross freely plicitly targeted, Garland argued, and expressed his hatred for certain groups they were in particularly dire straits in as biological liabilities, fearing what he Europe after World War I. “They were a called “race suicide.” thorn in the side of those who were tryEastern European Jews and the ing to enforce these new laws.” Japanese were Ross’ favorite targets, Also appearing at the forum was Kraut said. Alan Kraut, professor of history at Jews were regarded as physically American University in Washington, unacceptable to the United States, D.C., who started out pinning the mod- Kraut said, and unfit to be incorporated ern-day nativism tag squarely on Re- into the pioneering breed. “Today, as we publican presidential nominee Donald ponder the debate over immigration, Trump. we might well recall the anti-Semitic “We’re at a moment in the history nature of an earlier era and the role the of the United States when a presiden- physicality of newcomers has played tial candidate publicly lashes out at and continues to play in the imaginaethnic groups with violent language tion of immigration opponents. and transparent stereotypes, essential“Then and now, some Americans ly demanding that others be categori- tried to repel the foreign-born just as cally barred for an unspecified period others beckoned them with opportuniof time on the altar of national securi- ties. It’s a very interesting paradox in a ty,” he said. “The grandson of a German society that prides itself as a nation of immigrant, Trump wants a wall so high nations.” ■

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SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

LOCAL NEWS

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BUSINESS

Conexx to Race Around Israel in November

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Conexx: America Israel Business Connector has been taking delegations to Israel for 24 years, offering them a view into the country’s leading-edge technology and innovations. Israel has a business-friendly ecosystem that has spawned numerous startups that have become significant companies. Over the years, Conexx’s efforts have resulted in significant economic growth for Israel and the Southeast. This November, Conexx is leading a whirlwind business expedition to Israel. Industry-specific and region-specific themes characterized previous Conexx missions, but this trip from Nov. 5 to 10 will embrace different industries spread across Israel. This program also seeks to have more appeal to women. Conexx Women has planned some women-specific conferences with Israeli women who are leaders in life sciences, finance, cyber technology, and science, technology, engineering and math education. After flying to Tel Aviv, the group will spend a day in Be’er Sheva in the

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Negev. This southern city, mentioned in the book “Start Up Nation,” has become a recognized center for cybersecurity. Trip attendees will meet with officials from Cyber Spark and BenGurion University. Cyber Spark is a partnership of Jerusalem Venture Partners, Lock-

Business Sense By Al Shams

heed Martin and BGN Technology, the university’s technology transfer company, which has played a huge role in making Be’er Sheva a cyber center. Cyber Spark coordinates cyber activities with government agencies, the Israel Defense Forces, the public and academia. The women’s segment will be coordinated by Rivka Carmi, the university president. Topics for discussion will be “Women in Cyber Security,”

“Technology” and “Entrepreneurship.” Jerusalem is the next location. Attendees will meet with senior officials from the following organizations: • Yissum, the technology transfer company for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. • Our Crowd, a world-leading equity-based crowdfunding platform for accredited investors, providing venture capital funding for Israeli venture capital startups. • Jerusalem Venture Partners, a global venture capital fund based out of the JVP Media Quarter in Jerusalem and JVP Cyber Labs in Be’er Sheva. Established in 1993 as part of the Yozman program, Jerusalem Venture Partners has raised $1 billion and is ranked by Preqin as one of the top 10 consistently performing venture capital firms in the world. JVP’s innovative approach to venture capital starts with its location at the JVP Media Quarter in the renovated Mint of the British Empire. • Mobileye, a world leader in transportation technologies that recently ended a partnership with Tesla. In Tel Aviv, attendees will learn about The Bridge by Coca-Cola, a

program that guides young companies on commercializing products and services around the world. The six-month program includes marketing advice and access to senior executives. Rothschild Boulevard, also known as “Startup Nation Boulevard,” is the center of Tel Aviv’s high-tech community and is part of the trip. A visit to the Israel Stock Exchange is planned, along with meetings with exchange officials, venture capital bankers and corporate executives. Haifa is the location of Rambam Medical Center, which serves as a hospital and research center for the northern part of the country. Attendees will learn about: • Underground emergency facilities for catastrophic events. • Innovations in emergency preparedness. • A digital medical incubation center with such partners as Medtronic, IBM, and Med Tech, Rambam’s tech transfer arm. • Collaborative programs with the Technion. The northern segment of the mission will include a medical incubator in the Galilee. A women’s forum will provide an opportunity to meet with leading Israeli female venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, business owners and policymakers. Rehovot, the group’s last destination, will address Israel’s world-leading technology in treating and reusing waste water. The Shafdan-Mekorot facility will showcase its capabilities. The Weitzman Institute of Science will discuss its contributions in brain research, drugs, physics and biology. Landa-Digital Printing will showcase its nanographic technology, which enables printers to efficiently bridge the gap between offset and digital printing. The mission also offers nonbusiness excursions: • Tel Be’er Sheva is a Negev archaeological site from the 10th century B.C.E. It addresses biblical history and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. • Jerusalem provides opportunities to tour the Old City, visit the Israel Museum and sample tasty Middle Eastern cuisine. • Tel Aviv and Jaffa offer tours of unique sites, old and new. This trip should be a fantastic experience; those seeking more information should contact Conexx President Guy Tessler at gtessler@conexx.org. ■

EDUCATION Atlanta Jewish Academy is holding its second annual fun run and festival at its Northland Drive campus in Sandy Springs on Sunday morning, Sept. 25. A timed 2K (1.25 mile) run starts at 8 a.m., with registration opening at 7:30. A festival featuring rides and games starts at 9 and continues until noon. Parking is available at High Point Elementary School. Race registration, including a Tshirt, is $18. A wristband for unlimited festival rides is $10. For $25 you can register for the run and get the ride wristband. Proceeds benefit the AJA PTSA. For registration and more information, visit www.atljewishacademy. org/FollowTheLoop.

Kennesaw Hillel Grows

Kennesaw Hillel has added University of Georgia alumna Lara Schewitz as a program associate. Schewitz will oversee the programming and student outreach at Kennesaw State University, where the number of Jewish students has grown rapidly along with the overall student body, one of the three largest in Georgia. As a result, the demand for Jewish programming on campus has grown, according to Hillels of Georgia. KSU Hillel strives to create fun events to engage Jewish students and strengthen the bond among them. The organization this semester has taken students whitewater rafting down the Ocoee River and to Sky Zone and has invited students to watch the Owls play football from a box suite at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.

JELF Deadline Nears

Friday, Sept. 30, is the deadline to apply for a no-interest loan from the Jewish Educational Loan Fund for the spring and summer terms. JELF lends Jewish students in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia the final dollars they need for higher education, whether for college, graduate school or vocational programs. Visit JELF.org to apply.

Prepare for College

A forum on “College Culture and Jewish Identities” on Wednesday, Oct. 5, is launching the Center for Israel Education’s three-part series of free workshops for Jewish high school students planning for college. Emory University’s CIE and Institute for the Study of Modern Israel are targeting 11th- and 12th-graders with the series to help them choose colleges

and prepare for the atmosphere they’ll find on campus. The first session, at 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Weber School, 6751 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, will focus on questions students should consider when deciding where to apply for college. Speakers at the forum will include Emory professor Ken Stein, the head of CIE and ISMI, and a member of the Emory admissions staff. Advance registration is required at www.israeled.org/rsvp. The series will continue with a February session on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, antiSemitism, and other problems Jewish students might face on campus. The final workshop in March will focus on strategies for reacting to fellow students and faculty regarding Israel.

Epstein School Showcases Microsoft

The Epstein School has been named a Microsoft Showcase School, putting it in a group of fewer than 850 schools worldwide. “Microsoft Showcase Schools are the changemakers in education. These schools thoughtfully consider the role of technology as they explore new ways to redesign learning spaces, restructure curriculum, reinvent pedagogy, and reimagine what 21st century leading and learning looks like across diverse contexts,” Anthony Salicito, the vice president of worldwide education for Microsoft, wrote in a welcome letter to Epstein. Aaron Griffin is Epstein’s Aaron Griffin, principal of Epstein’s principal of digital learning digital learning and and technology. technology, said the school’s leadership is always working to do more for the students. “It is wonderful to talk with colleges and business people about how we have moved to cloud-based Office 365 this year and all the innovative things that we are doing with students.”

JKG Scouts Locations

Jewish Kids Groups, an innovative educational program led by Ana Robbins, is looking to expand its Sunday program next year beyond its current locations in the Old 4th Ward and Brookhaven. To facilitate the search for the best location, JKG is conducting an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/ r/3KLZ8HZ. The survey should take about two minutes.

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

AJA Fun Run Sunday

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S. American Collection Sizzles for Ecuador’s Consul Patricia Boezio (Bibliowicz), once selected as one of the five top female entrepreneurs in Atlanta Woman magazine, wears many hats. In addition to being a co-owner of Abaco Mortgage, specializing in Hispanic home buyers, she serves as Ecuador’s honorary consul general in Atlanta. A native of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Boezio has an important collection of South American art and was her own interior designer for her multilevel home, which was customized with large beams of mahogany shelving and exposed ceiling panels. Rayo, Monsalve, Kingman, Almeida, Phazan and Martinez are some of the works that line the walls and alcoves with splashes of orange, red and ochre. Above all, Boezio treasures her role representing Ecuador in an official capacity in Georgia and South Carolina, including helping get nonstop Delta flights between Atlanta and Ecuador.

bassador, Luis Gallegos, in Washington and myself in Georgia, we opened the Delta flights from Atlanta to Ecuador. It was a challenging year for me as honorary consul, but we did it.

Jaffe: How did you acquire your consul post? Boezio: In 1996 I was president of the Georgia Ecuadorian Association when we won the first gold medal in the history of Ecuador at the Atlanta Olympic Games. The government of Ecuador then appointed me honorary consul for Georgia and South Carolina. In the beginning I donated my time, office space and personnel to help my community. September 2010 we opened the General Consulate of Ecuador, and the government requested that I continue as honorary consul.

Jaffe: I see that your art collection embraces South America. Boezio: The painters that I enjoy are: • Oswaldo Guayasamin, also a sculptor, received national awards as a very young man. At 33 he claimed the Grand Award of the Biennial of Spain and later the Grand Award of the Biennial of Sao Paulo. • Victor Mideros, recognized as a master, toured Europe after he created a large painting, “Our Lady of Mercies,” and stained-glass windows for many public buildings in Quito. By 1935 Victor Mideros had created more than 150 works, with the bulk of them in private collections around Ecuador. • Gilberto Almeida Egas is a distinguished Ecuadorian artist whose works are in collections in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Israel. • Eduardo Kingman distinguished himself in the 1930s through his powerful renditions of indigenous workers depicted in a monumental style. His paintings exposed the poverty and toil of native populations around the world.

Jaffe: How often do you travel in your position? Boezio: At least once a year I go to Washington to meet with the ambassador of Ecuador and travel to Quito to meet with the minister of foreign affairs.

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Jaffe: Have there been any challenging times in your role? Boezio: The most difficult was when the General Consulate of Ecuador in New Orleans closed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which placed me in a position to additionally aid Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and Louisiana in their necessities and issuing passports, legal documents, powers of attorney and visas. 2005 was also the year of joy: After several years 48 of diplomatic relations under the am-

AJT

Jaffe: Your late husband, Amiel Bibliowicz (from Bogota, Colombia), was an art collector? Boezio: Yes, he really had a

Chai-Style Homes By Marcia Caller Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com

good eye for beauty and discovering important artists. From him I learned the value of art as we traveled and visited galleries. I am most proud of our original oil “Cocktail” by Carlos Monsalve, who became highly collectible after our purchase, and the flamenco dancer by my sister-in-law, Bela Bibliowicz.

Jaffe: What is the most historic painting you own? Boezio: “Eva: La Insidia” by Victor Mideros. It had to be registered with the government to take to the U.S. Note the dominant snake and her gaze

A before she seduces Adam. Jaffe: Tell us about the Martinez oil. Boezio: Its canvas is cow skin. Note the elevated detail of the rustic doors and knobs. Jaffe: Do you attend any events in the Jewish community? Boezio: The Holocaust remembrance event, Israel Independence Day, and I make a point of seeking out those where Israel is related. I enjoy official receptions at the Governor’s Mansion where we mingle with fellow diplomats. Jaffe: I was lucky to have attended that with you in 2015. What are your favorite spots in Ecuador? Boezio: Ecuador has been a worldclass travel destination, including South America’s leading venue in culinary arts, culture and “green” awards. We have the world’s highest active volcano, Cotopaxi, and the greatest concentration of species by area on the planet, covering just 0.17 percent of the Earth’s surface but possessing 10 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Quito, the capital, has the best-preserved historic district in Latin America, which is home to Casa Gangotena, the finest hotel in South

America. Due to its monumental and architectural beauty, Quito is among the 28 finalist cities in the “New 7 Wonders” competition. Ecuador is home to the Galapagos Islands, a place that has been chosen by USA Today readers as on the Ultimate Bucket List. Jaffe: What art do you treasure that is not Latin American? Boezio: My mezuzah collection, which is mostly Israeli, and upstairs I have a Japanese ivory macramé wall hanging that I wish there was wall space for on the main level. It is very peaceful. We bought a red metal outdoor sculpture from the Atlanta Olympic Games. I love the male and female wood carvings from the Senufo in Mali. Other than that, just about everything is South American, including my gold glass beads handcrafted by street artists in Cuenca, Ecuador. Jaffe: How would you describe life in the U.S.? Boezio: I enjoy my now-adult children (Andy and Sofia), fine wine, and cooking gourmet dishes like Ecuadorian ceviche, Spanish paella, French and Japanese food. Life is good. I am very fortunate! La vida es hermosa, soy una mujer muy afortunada! ■

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F Photos by Laurie Sermos

I SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

A: The most historic painting in the collection is “Eva: La Insidia” by Victor Mideros. B: Patricia Boezio, wearing beads from Ecuadorian street artists near Senufo wood carvings from Mali, is most proud of owning “Cocktail” by Carlos Monsalve. C: Patricia Boezio’s sister-in-law, Bela Bibliowicz, painted “Flamenco” in 2000. D: “El Calvario” by Jorge Martinez Garcia is an acrylic work with pencil and ink. E: The patio boasts a metal sculpture from the 1996 Olympics. F: The Colombian works in the art collection include two Omar Rayo paintings flanking a Luis Caballero work. G: Patricia Boezio uses this lowerlevel space as an office. H: Gilberto Almeida’s “Musician” contrasts with Jorge Martinez Garcia’s rustic oil painted on cow skin. I: Patricia Boezio’s dining room features work by Oswaldo Guayasamin (top left), Oscar Munoz (lower left) and Carlos Monsalve (both paintings on the right), along with a panoramic photograph of the Blue Ridge Mountains by Zandra Horkan. J: This is an example of Ecuadorian pottery by Mauro Phazan.

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OBITUARIES

Helaine Buchwald 76, Marietta

Helaine Kaufman Buchwald, 76, of Marietta passed away Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, at her home. Helaine was born at Emory Hospital on Nov. 26, 1939. She lived a beautiful life and touched countless people’s lives as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher to many children and nurturing friend to everyone she met. She was predeceased by her husband, Marvin Louis Buchwald, and is survived and lovingly remembered by her daughter, Julie; her son-in-law, Marc; her two grandchildren, Maryn and Alyssa; her brother, Kenny; her sister-in-law, Sandra; and her many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Graveside funeral services were held Thursday, Sept. 15, at Greenwood Cemetery. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial donations to the charity of one’s choice. Baruch dayan ha-emet, and may her memory be for a blessing. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Theda Seifert 82, Roswell

contact@moderntribe.com | 877-324-1818

Theda Joan Seifert, born Trommer, died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, in her home in Roswell. Theda was born on Feb. 13, 1934, in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she grew up with her older sister, Diane; her parents, Rebekah and Sam; and her extended family. She was a teacher, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and confidante to countless friends and relatives. She loved life — family trips, baseball, weather, reading The New York Times, baking and mailing much-anticipated shipments of Valentine’s Day cookies. She played tennis, bowled, played bridge and Rummikub, loved music and theater, and doted on various pets over the years. She laughed joyously. She loved nothing more than her family, which she called her treasure. Her husband, Leonard, shared with her 59 years of adventure, domestic bliss, challenges, triumphs, laughter, and, always at the center, love. Her three children, Julie, Bob and Nancy, followed her example and chose three loving and supportive partners: Bob, Jennifer and Randy. Her five grandchildren — Sarah, Natan, Ilana, Robby and Jacob ¬— all experienced the comforting shade of her love. Through her actions and with her memory, Theda leaves a legacy of love and family traditions that will long outlive her. She made the world a better place for anyone who was lucky enough to know her. Donations in Theda’s memory may be made to Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30327.

Selma Singer

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94, Dunwoody

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Selma Cohen Singer died Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, just three days shy of her 95th birthday. Born and raised in Atlanta, she lived in the Druid Hills, Briarcliff and Morningside-Wildwood sections of Atlanta until moving to Dunwoody 30 years ago. Mrs. Singer worked as a bookkeeper and sales associate at numerous showrooms in the Merchandise Mart complex. She was a life member of Hadassah and B’nai B’rith Women (now Jewish Women International). For many years she was active as a reading volunteer in the public school system. Predeceased by her husband, George, in 1996, she is survived by two daughters, Gay Gershberg (Steve) of Parsippany, N.J., and Susan Singer of Dunwoody; a son, Walter Singer of Atlanta; two grandchildren, Brian Gershberg of Chicago and Jennifer Josephson (Jeff) of Villanova, Pa.; and two great-grandsons, Jacob and Connor Josephson. A celebration of Mrs. Singer’s life was held Wednesday, Aug. 24. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the PKD Foundation, Hospice Atlanta, the Kidney Fund or your favorite charity. The family of Selma would like to thank Hospice Atlanta and Visiting Nurse Hospice Care for their loving and kind care during her last days.

OBITUARIES

Lois Speaker 81, Peachtree City

Lois M. Speaker, 81, of Peachtree City died Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016. A memorial service was held for her Sept. 11. A retired chemist and committed environmentalist, she was a trailblazer for women in the sciences. Born near Neptune, N.J., she was a graduate of Maryville (Tenn.) College and earned a master’s in chemistry from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate from Rutgers University. She was a staff scientist for Southern Research in Birmingham, Ala., for the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta, and for Eastman Kodak in Rochester, N.Y. She developed an anti-fouling compound for paint that was credited with saving the Navy millions of dollars a year in costs for scraping and repainting ships. She shared several patents. After she retired from Kodak, she moved to Peachtree City, where she tutored students in chemistry, taught at Clayton State and taught Sunday school at Congregation B’nai Israel. She was active in Fayette County environmental causes, including air quality and water purity. Survivors include her husband, Joe Gilliland; daughters Leslie Stewart, Alison Payton and Kathryn Stewart; stepdaughter Anne Gilliland; stepson Don Gilliland; sister Ruth Sloan; brother Richard Speaker; and her dog, Happy.

Bertha Weinberg 94, Dallas

Bertha “Barbara” Ray Weinberg, age 94, passed away Monday, Sept. 12, 2016. She was the daughter of the late Abram and Matilda “Motel” Fox (Faifer) and the mother of Dr. Carol Holtz and son-in-law Dr. Noel Holtz of Marietta. She was the sister of the late Frieda Lerner of Cincinnati and the late Joy Kirshenbaum of Pittsburgh. She had three grandchildren, Pam Poulos (David), Aaron Holtz and Dr. Daniel Holtz (Maggie). Her 10 great-grandchildren were Andrew, Brandon, Caroline and Ben Holtz; Sarah and Meryl Gilmore; David and Jeremy Poulos; and Eva and William Holtz. Barbara was born and raised in Cincinnati and was married to William Smith. After being widowed, she married Norman Weinberg. In 1998, after being widowed once again, she moved to Marietta to be with her children and grandchildren. She also leaves many nieces and nephews in Cincinnati, Miami Beach, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Tranquility Hospice of Kennesaw Mountain. Graveside services were held Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Shalom Lewis officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Margie Sue Chapin of Pikesville, Md., sister of Temple Kol Emeth member Ronni Udoff, David Chapin and Julie Janofsky and daughter of Pauline Chapin, on Sept. 1. Jose Estevez of Atlanta on Sept. 5. Rosalind Flax of Atlanta, Temple member, mother of Jeremy Flax and Jessica Braunstein, and sister of Joyce Wright, on Sept. 13 Solomon Gisin of Atlanta on Sept. 10. Stephen Goot, 73, of Atlanta, Temple Sinai member, husband of Debbie Goot, father of Brian Bible and Michael Goot, and brother of Joel Goot, on Sept. 13. Esther Halfon of Lake Mary, Fla., on Sept. 17. Carol Ashkinaze Kay, 71, Temple member, Pulitzer Prize winner and wife of Irving Kay, on Sept. 19. Robert Warren Levin, 81, of Atlanta, husband of Rosellen Moltack Levin, father of Arthur Levin, Eryn Levin Bennett and Sheryl Arno, and brother of Kenny Levin and Lois Gurvey, on Sept. 3. Theodore Levitas, 92, of Atlanta, Ahavath Achim Synagogue member, husband of Miriam Strickman Levitas, brother of Elliott Levitas, father of Steven Levitas, Leslie Levitas, Tony Levitas, Andrew Strickman, Brian Strickman-Levitas, Craig Strickman-Levitas and Deron-Strickman-Levitas, on Sept. 15 Louis Mandel of Atlanta on Sept. 2. David Sparer, 55, of Clarkston, son of Dot Sparer and twin brother of Lisa Sparer, on Sept. 13.

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Death Notices

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Photos by Marcia Caller Jaffe

In its tradition of comedic intros, the Atlanta Scholars Kollel rabbinic team is presented to the crowd as members of the Cabinet in this presidential election year.

Rachel Weldfeld (left) and Bracha Schulgasser network before the program.

The networking stage of the evening brings together Alan Freedman (left), Rabbi Michoel Lipschutz and Sylvia Stein.

Voting the ASK Ticket in 2016

Rabbi and comedian Antony Gordon says: “Political correctness has gone meshugge. Kennedy put a man on the moon. Obama’s legacy will be putting a man in the ladies’ bathroom.”

The Atlanta Scholars Kollel held its annual fall networking event at a new location, the renovated Congregation Or VeShalom, on Wednesday night, Sept. 14. Before a program featuring Rabbi Antony Gordon, who is a standup comedian and a financial adviser to celebrities, hundreds of members of the Jewish community networked while noshing on shreddedbeef tacos, spicy chicken wings, meatballs, guacamole, sausage bits and fruit. ■

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SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

Dr. Mitzi Schepps, DVM

AJT 53

CLOSING THOUGHTS

CROSSWORD

Just $39!

SEPTEMBER 23 ▪ 2016

The reason HMD is my favorite brand of all things is because all HMDs have stories to tell. On a recent weekend Paula (my first granddaughter and first grandchild) and Raina (my first child and the mom of my first granddaughter) were on the hunt: looking for little things that might be of interest and little ways to spend our hard-earned dollars. We had a list of a few retail establishments we planned to explore. Paula and I hit pay dirt at our first stop. A number of new items had been placed on the floor just the day before we arrived with a few precious dollars burning holes in our pockets, so to speak. We were in total awe of our luck. Two old HMD chairs, in near-perfect condition, faced us as we entered and drew us to them like bees to honey. We were mesmerized and could not find the will to walk past them. So we didn’t. We gently caressed the beautiful, original fabric. Paula was drawn to one; I was drawn to the other. Our fingers ever-so-gently caressed the gorgeous original wood, dark and lush. We checked for imperfections in the fabric or cracks in the wood to help us with the big question: Should we, or shouldn’t we? No flaws big enough to be of any help jumped out at us. Uh-oh, we silently cried, looks like these two fabulous finds have found new homes. I could only imagine the stories these chairs could tell. Who so lovingly cared for them? Who sat on them? What room did they adorn? Why were they given away? Oh, but wait just a New York minute. Having been on many hunts, we could guess the approximate year and worth of these chairs. We hesitated, slowly turned the price ticket over, and, lo and behold, these chairs were $39. Silently we communicated: I should be the one to check this out to be sure we weren’t just dreaming. I walked over to the manager of the Goodwill store and coyly asked about the price, hoping against all hope the ticket was correct but knowing it was just not possible. Yes, he said, every now and again we receive these precious antiques. 54 The chairs are indeed $39.

AJT

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“Get Reel”

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

I could hardly get the next two words out of my mouth, but I powered on and replied: thank you. I walked back to Paula. I could tell by the look on her face she was anxiously awaiting the verdict. I smiled my broadest smile and quietly told her these chairs could be ours for a mere $39.

By Shaindle Schmuckler shaindle@atljewishtimes.com

18 20

33 37

28 31

35 39

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ACROSS 1. *Pink shade of Ross’ missing shirt in one “Friends” episode 7. Scarlett Johansson film she wasn’t seen in 10. *Instrument for Mike Gordon of Phish 14. Rabbi Isaac Luria 15. Marvel bigwig Arad 16. James who had a hit with Mack Gordon’s “At Last” 17. Rockin’ like Mike Gordon 18. *“Holy ___!” 20. Put ammo in an Uzi 22. Books by Evelyn and Frank 23. Last Afghan city that housed a minyan 26. Words of agreement 28. Name derived from the first lady 29. *David’s rock hitting Goliath in the small opening of his helmet, to a skeptic 30. 10th letter 31. Nathan and others 33. Camp Moshava trainee: Abbr. 34. Abe (Vigoda) in “The Godfather” 35. Barrett who used to play with anti-Israel Waters 36. What all the starred entries of this puzzle have in common 42. Pick (a Knesset party) 43. Portman’s last “Star Wars” episode 44. Burgers ___ 46. Roundup need 49. Radcliffe’s Potter might cast one 50. Brand that uses aloe 52. Quick (like one comprehending a Talmud lesson) 53. Target competitor whose former president was Mark Schwartz 55. They are tight for drivers in the Old City 56. Make like an Iranian athlete in Rio against an Israeli

52 56

42 46

I walked back over to the manager and asked whether we could put the chairs on hold. After all, we had just begun our search, and this store was huge. Yes, just take the price ticket with you, I was told. Afraid I might drop them by accident, I gave Paula both tickets to hold in a safe place. We meandered around the store, meeting up with Raina, and, with a childlike glee, we conveyed to her that we were the luckiest shoppers ever. Finally, we schlepped the chairs to the checkout counter, while Raina went to bring the SUV to the front of the store. Suddenly, oh, no, Paula noticed that the chair I was salivating over had a tiny flaw we missed. Really and truly, a tiny flaw. Besides, the space where said chair would reside would not be seen by the public. I felt betrayed by my own eyes. Had I purchased the chair, taken it home, then noticed the flaw, my attitude would have been: “Oh, well, it was only $39.” However, given that I noticed — actually, Paula noticed — the flaw before I even got my credit card out, I determined that $39 was too much to spend on a flawed item. I can hear you snickering, but don’t tell me this experience is foreign to you. OK, now what? Now I am riddled with guilt that I did not bring that pretty baby home. I will have to persuade Raina to lead the way back to this particular Goodwill and hope that every other person who spotted the chair hated it. What are the odds, right? Lest I forget: HMD stands for hand-me-down. ■

Shaindle’s Shpiel

decayed challah 32. Jewish rights org. 34. Finished the Amidah? 35. ___-fi (genre 3-Down is known for) 37. Lo and nein 38. Like the oral Torah, once 39. Halfway point for Moses 40. Diplomat who won the Israel Prize 41. Make like Schindler 45. Stern authority figures, in the dorm (for short) 46. Shawarma options 47. Rocky’s friend, eventually 48. Boardwalk diversion DOWN 1. Queens Div. I school walking 49. Anti-Semites, e.g. distance from the Torah Center 50. Minyan ender, often 51. It’s said at least once a of Hillcrest 2. Triumphant cry or a Jewish month 54. Attributes school in N.C. 57. Lit part on Yom HaAtzmaut 3. Writer Stanislaw 4. Sultanate that ruled Israel 59. Common ancestor 61. Org. of the ordained 700 years ago 63. ___ Abner 5. Former team of Scott Feldman and Danny Valencia 64. It’s on the back of Stoudemire’s Hapoel Jerusalem 6. 1492 vessel jersey 7. Tref son of Noah? 65. Possible babka item 8. Made like one avoiding capture by the Nazis 9. Poison in a 2013 letter sent to Mayor Michael Bloomberg 10. Dancing Camel, e.g. 11. Referring to the body part studied by pioneering researcher Richard Bing LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 12. Do work on 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 the Haifa docks 1 A 2 M 3 O 4 N H A H A T W I N E 14 15 16 13. Hummus S A R A A L E C H A V E N 17 18 19 alternatives K R A V S L A N D E R E R S 20 21 22 E L L I S T R E A D S 19. Question in 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 W A S H O O T R O A R E R Gemara 30 31 32 33 U R I M S T E M W A R E 21. Six-Day War 34 35 36 37 S P R I N G P O S E D I M hero 38 39 40 L E G O J E W N I N E 23. Former 41 42 43 44 45 O D E A C D C C O H O S T eatery at the 46 47 48 B R O C C O L I P U L L Mevaseret mall 49 50 51 52 53 54 S O N I C S A J A R O L D 24. Arabic 55 56 57 58 M E T T L E S U G A R starter 59 60 61 62 63 R I D E S O L I D A R I T Y 64 65 66 25. “___ can’t I R E N E I S L E I S L A 67 68 69 help” (Elvis) O T I S S T E M P E S O S 27. More 58. Israeli singer Naim 60. *Struggle clumsily, like Curly in a “Three Stooges” bit 62. Stiller’s “There’s Something About Mary” co-star 66. Tell ___ (books often full of lashon hara) 67. Foe of Sean Astin’s Samwise 68. Prayer added on fast days 69. *The one and only 70. Org. not known to be as thorough as El Al security 71. *Former ’do for Michael Bolton and Billy Ray Cyrus

AJT

SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016

AJT

SEPTEMBER 23 â&#x2013;ª 2016