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SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

AJT

israel

Israeli Pride

GOOD NEWS MADE IN THE JEWISH STATE THIS PAST WEEK SPEEDING UP STEM CELLS. Weizmann scientists have discovered that removal of the protein MBD3 from cells reprograms them into stem cells within eight days —much more efficient than the current four week waiting period. Stem cells now have the potential to become any cell in the body and are able to regenerate damaged tissue and organs.

WORLD BANK INVESTS IN ANOTHER ISRAELI COMPANY. The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) has just invested $5 million in Tel Aviv-based DiViNetworks, a supplier of cloud-based solutions to the world’s least developed countries.

Two weeks ago, the World Bank also invested in the Israeli seed company Kaiima.

HANDWRITING TEST DETECTS PARKINSON’S. The University of Haifa and Rambam Medical developed a handwriting analysis technique that can detect the onset of Parkinson’s disease. Changes in handwriting occur years before a clinical diagnosis can be made and this noninvasive exam is much safer than current tests.

RUINED OTTOMAN PALACES RESTORED. Two abandoned Ottoman palaces in Acre have been reconstructed and converted into a beautiful boutique hotel. This new addition to Israeli culture, The Efendi Hotel, even has a Turkish bathhouse.

SHOULD YOU TRUST THE TIPSTERS? Tel Aviv’s TipRanks, a financial start-up that aggregates and ranks stock recommendations, was one of the winners at this year’s Finovate competition in New York. TipRanks measures how well analysts’ stock tips have generally performed.

RE-CHARGETHROUGH THIN AIR. Israel’s Wi-Charge can now recharge mobile devices via a power transmitter suspended from a high point in the room. The transmitter, connected to an existing electrical outlet, generates a narrow beam of infrared light to a receiver that can be installed onto your mobile device.

TYPING NOW FITS YOUR FINGERS. Israel’s revolutionary “invisible touchscreen” maker SnapKeys has updated its latest keyboard app to allow you to position the keys anywhere on the screen. Say goodbye to the QWERTY keyboard. One-finger typing just got even more user-friendly.

tion Israel for Africa (IFA) to promote better sustainable agriculture in Kenya. IFA uses the knowledge and technological advances achieved in Israel to help and agriculturally empower the people of Kenya.

BRAINSWAY TREATMENT IMPROVES OCD PATIENTS. Test trials of the new Deep TMS treatment by the Sheba Medical Center have shown a 27 percent improvement in patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

These OCD patients had previously failed to respond to both pharmacological and psychological therapy.

TECHNOLOGY BROUGHT TO KENYAN FARMING. Israeli brothers Gilad and Yonatan Shilo founded the organiza-

THE LARGEST SUKKAH DECORATION. Youth groups from Haifa hope to qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records with the world’s longest paper chain. It’s 88 kilometers, consisting of pieces of recycled paper folded and stapled together; decorated paper chains are a popular feature of the booths built for the Jewish festival of Sukkot, though never as long as this one.

SAMSUNG TVS GETTTING CLEVERER. As of July 2013, the world’s top “smart TV” manufacturer, Samsung, has bought Israel’s Boxee. The Israeli technology will help Samsung integrate cable, satellite, and terrestrial TV with Internet streaming services and both record and playback capability.

NEVER LOST WITH INDOOR GPS. There are now at least four Israeli start-up companies offering custom-

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

FUEL FROM CASTOR BEAN SEEDS. After years of testing in Brazil, Israel’s Evogene has successfully learned how to develop castor bean into biodiesel and other industrial uses.

The crop is sown after the soybean harvest, when rainfall is insufficient for other crops, so it provides farmers with a high crop value and vital extra revenue.

THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS VISIT. The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) will be hosting their annual Feast of Tabernacles this week for over 5,000 Christian pilgrims from over 100 nations. This festival is the largest annual tourist event in Israel.

ers free applications to help them find their way around giant shopping malls. WiseSec’s product Wiseby came out in March; now Mally from GeniusMatcher has hit Spain and both NavIn and IndoorGo are beginning to move in.

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AJT

CHANA’s CORNER

The Musician

Earning what you want before you get it

By Chana Shapiro AJT COLUMNIST

W

hen I was a senior in high school, I got to know a young man named Jon. Jon was a cousin of one of my close friends, who didn’t like him very much. I, however, found Jon to be fascinating.

Jon was different from anyone I knew. He and his mother, who had recently moved to town, lived in a rundown section of the city with which I was totally unfamiliar, an area in which Jon and his mother were surely the only Jewish family.

His mother, who supported them with her earnings as a waitress in two restaurants, was seldom home. Jon, generally left to his own devices, had decided that he wasn’t interested in going to school. He didn’t waste his

days, however, instead devoting all his time to practicing the stand-up bass. In fact, I learned that his worldly possessions consisted of his treasured bass, boxes of bass sheet music, string quartet and jazz records and a beat-up briefcase.

Neither Jon nor his mother had a car, and Jon never had any money, so time spent with him consisted of long walks, listening to music on my family’s record player, hours poking through bookstores and reading in the public library.

There were plenty of arguments between us about the merits of attending school. I suspected that he was self-conscious about his terrible clothes, but Jon was adamant that his days were best spent reading and playing music.

One day Jon surprised me. He had

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come to meet me after school, and we walked and talked on our way to the library. This time he had brought his brief case along. Naturally, I always wondered what was in it, but I had never peeked or even asked about it, supposing that it held something very private.

“I sort of picked it up. My mother bought my bass—the one I still have—in a pawn shop when I was 10 years old. It was huge, but all the guys at the club helped me get better.

It was the same at every club where my mother worked.”

There might be photographs or letters relating to his deceased and/or departed father or even an estranged sibling, perhaps a treasured stuffed animal or blanket from childhood, or even more likely, stolen property.

“It was our last year in New York, just before we moved here. The bass player liked me. He took me to the Village and told me he wanted to buy me a present, so I could remember him. It was the shirt.”

“You’re my best friend,” Jon announced. “I trust you. So I’ve decided to show you what I have here.” We sat together on a bench in the library’s garden. Jon placed the brief case between us and opened it. He took out a single item, a black turtleneck Tshirt.

Then, right there in the library garden, Jon took off his old jacket and shirt and pulled on the long-sleeved, black turtleneck.

“This is my T-shirt,” he declared, with a trace of profundity. I knew something significant had just occurred, but I didn’t have a clue what it was.

In those days boys wore striped T-shirts and girls wore pastel ones.

Teenagers didn’t wear them to school.

They were worn in the back yard, at camp and when doing chores, and they weren’t variants of white undershirts.

Mothers bought T-shirts on sale, irrespective of whether they “went with” anything else. T-shirts were cheap and they didn’t have ironic sayings or trendy logos.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Most important, they were never solid black. The only people who wore solid black T-shirts when I was a senior in high school were artists and jazz musicians. Honestly, I had never seen a black T-shirt in the possession of a regular person until I met Jon.

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Anna Hirsch, Patty Hirsch Berkovitz and Kayla Freedman Eliesen

Friends and Neighbors of Patty Berkovitz

“I got this shirt in New York,” Jon explained. “A guy at a club where my mother was a waitress gave it to me.

I used to watch the band rehearse every afternoon, and even though I was a kid, they used to let me sit backstage at night when they played.

That’s how I decided to play the bass.”

“But who taught you?” I asked, fully aware and awed by the fact that his musical education was quite different from my own weekly uninspiring piano lessons.

“But what about the T-shirt?”

“You should wear that all the time!”

I exclaimed. He looked completely different, really cool and worlds better than in his worn-out shirt and jacket.

“I can’t wear it yet,” Jon told me.

“Not until I’m a real musician. I’m working on it. Every day.” He took the T-shirt off, returned it to the briefcase, and put on his other clothes.

A few months later Jon and his mother left town, and I never heard from him again. I don’t know if he ever became a real jazz musician, and I don’t know who else got to see how handsome he looked in the black turtleneck. But he taught me something, and it could change the world.

What if little girls waited until they were real women before wearing spandex and high heels? What if selfcentered, immature men and women waited until they were caring and selfless before marrying and having children? What if semi-literate individuals waited until they were truly learned and articulate before accepting honorary doctorates?

Believe me, if Jon is wearing a black turtleneck today, you can be one hundred percent sure that he’s playing some fine music.

About the Author Arlene Appelrouth earned a degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Florida and her career as a writer and journalist spans a 50-year period; she currently studies memoir writing while working on her first book.

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Jaffe’s Jewish Jive

Movies and Mahjong and Meals – oh my!

LIVING A REALLY GRAND LIFE IN OUR OWN LITTLE JEWISH COMMUNITY

BY MARCIA CALLER JAFFE AJT COLUMNIST

Y

ou have probably driven by the unusual complex of buildings just inside I-285 and I-75 at the Powers Ferry exit adjacent to Ray’s on the River.

Atlanta is dotted with nicely appointed residential developments; but what about One River Place attracts such a high preponderance of Jews of all ages?

In the 1990s, at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, we hired a marketing sociologist consultant who hammered home the old adage: “birds of a feather flock together.”

He went on to say that “affluent retirees from Pittsburgh didn’t just move to Del Ray, Fla.; they clustered together along Jog and Atlantic Roads.”

Many of us want to be where other Jews are.

Having a spa, lavish pools with water falls back dropped against elevated hard-wooded hills, vibrating couples massage chairs, outdoor kick boxing classes, bikes on loan, jazz concerts, 24-7 state of the gym, and lawn yoga don’t hurt either.

Manhattan type flat rooftops), 245 condos, and 38 luxury onelevel sanctuary units overlooking an Italian Piazza.

“Atypical Jewish activities like trout fishing and beer brewing were dropped early on,” says resident Steve Funk. I know there are two Jews in outerspace who like these activities, so please do not write to me about this.

A few single family homes are currently under construction and start at $600,000.

The buzz is they already have a waiting list.

Nestled along the Chattahoochee River, with the back side gated to Whitewater Creek Park, and a couple of hops to Cochran Shoals, which we call “The River,” this development hit the jackpot with a total sell out; though it didn’t start that way.

The place is luxurious; and certainly doesn’t have a cookiecutter vibe. The feel of the community meeting house is that of the Ritz Carlton at Reynolds Plantation: rustic, but modern and well appointed.

The development boasts 103 multilevel town homes (some with elevators, Juliet balconies, and / or fourth-floor

Judy Funk, a Harry Norman Realtor and one of the early residents, calls it “polish.” She has sold over 15 units and feels that Jewish buyers are looking for security, amenities, and location – it’s close to two Costcos!

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

“Although there is privacy if you want it, I like the village feeling of walking outside and chatting with neighbors,” says Judy, who also states that being in the Riverwood School district attracts younger Jewish families along with the migration of empty nesters who want to be near extended families.

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The enclosed dog park on the property and winding paths are how we all get to know each other – that is, how our dogs relate … or don’t. The concierges give out doggie treats, so the pups make a beeline for the designated jars.

When I grew up, Jews weren’t so crazy about dogs.

My father, may he rest in peace, wouldn’t allow it. Here we have ‘Yappy Hour’ with gourmet treats for humans and canines, ‘Puppy Proms’, and an inhouse service that will walk your dog when you are away too long.

I read that the number one way New Yorkers meet new people is walking their dogs in Central Park. Yes, we too are just that civilized.

Judy’s husband, Steve Funk, a retired Turner executive, earns kudos for keeping the Jewish heart in our community. The Funks communicate with the approximately 80 Jewish residents in the development, about half of whom attend High Holiday services and meals that they coordinate on site.

If New York has any more congenial, smart and hard-working couples like Susan and Michael Kaye, please send them down South. The Kayes moved to Atlanta to be close to their married daughter and grandchild whom they check on daily at daycare a few blocks away.

They hosted a Seder in the Pavilion and included non-Jewish residents as guests. They head a Shiva committee and can round up 10-plus people for a minyan should the need arise. The goal in 2014 is to build a sukkah. Not funny, but I told them to wait a few years on the Chevra Kadisha.

Michael, a retired accountant, is the “go to” guy for questions about property tax, who does what for whom and what gets appropriated for repairs.

In addition to serving as Treasurer of the HOA, he heads a 7:30 a.m. jogging group – 5 miles a day. That’s not bad for folks in their 60s.

IT’S A ‘RUFF’ LIFE

Susan, meanwhile, has her hands in “running” things also: the book club, organizing trivia, and teaching mahjong. We take trivia seriously here and strategically form balanced teams to have young people who may know about rap artists, current junk TV shows, and cult movies.

There are dogs everywhere; fountains, green space, a thriving ecological pond with cattails, frogs, tortoises and profusions of roses. Bear claw grass paves the way to outdoor night “Movies on the Green” with a gazunta sized blow up screen. Everyone is comfy in Adirondack chairs with popcorn machines pinging in the background and dogs at their owner’s feet!

Science, geography, the arts, and history, we “alta cockers” have cov-

Opposite Page: Special gathering place at One River Place.

Far Column, Top down: It’s a Kodak moment! Longtime One River Place residents, Judy and Steve Funk.; Michael Kaye does a little stretching before heading off on a daily 5-mile jog.; Wonder who Diana and Rich Furman are pulling for this football season?; Left: Susan Kaye and a few of her Mahjong pals.

They were motivated to shed the upkeep of a house when they chose the flat Sanctuary; and are enjoying their first granddaughter. Interestingly, their son just opened a casual tropical family restaurant called “Hurricane Grill and Wings” in Johns Creek.

The bottom line is we really enjoy mingling with everyone here, but end up aligning along lifestyle and activities, then culturally gravitate towards people we have things in common with.

ing.

She says “there are scads of young people in the condos.”

I call it “tattoos at the pool.”

The couple who gets the most out of One River Place living is Diana and Rich Furman, recent transplants from Miami by way of Boston and Wichita. Their daughter, Michele, lives in the adjoining building so they can co-parent Gigi the labra-doodle and be on call for attending son Jeremy’s new baby.

That said, our group still ended up with 10 Cohens, including Debbie who is the accounts receivable manager at JFS; Renae and Eddie Goldberg and Lori Simon. We even occasionally get a glimpse of Bruce Turry, chairman of the board of Akerman Security Systems, going for his 4-mile hike.

and unhappily said: “I hear it’s another Jewish family coming in.”

Also, someone dropped out of a weekly class because she said. “There were too many Jews.”

Well, now I’m off to a tailgate party – I’ve never been to one and don’t even know what teams are playing. But, well, there a really long buffet with vegan options, so I’m game!

About the writer After 35 years with the Atlanta Newspapers, Marcia currently serves as Retail VP for the Buckhead Business Association where she delivers news and trends(laced with a little gossip).

On the side, Marcia is Captain of the Senior Cheerleaders for the WNBA at Philips Arena.

As my Bubbie, MamaRebecca, used to say, “Life is not without some rain.”

I was conversing with an unknowing neighbor who saw a moving truck

When I first met Michele, she said, “Wait until you meet my mother. She is a mega work-out animal”.

Diana, with flaxen-blond hair and huge blue eyes, like you’d expect a gal from Kansas to look, power walks, jogs, hikes with me in between and works out in the gym. Then we meet back for laps in the pool.

Later with Rich, a chemical engineer, she goes kayaking from their backyard and cycling.

THIS IS DOWNSIZING?

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“Living here is Heaven times two; and we should have moved sooner; but was I reluctant to give up my lifestyle in Miami,” Diana says.

ered; also some sports, if it’s about Sandy Koufax or Mark Spitz.

One of our most delightful young residents is aspiring dental student Jenny Leighton, 22. Jenny likes interacting with folks of all ages and the feeling of security here since she walks both her poodles at 5:30 in the morn-

Hard to call it downsizing when their all-on-one-floor unit is 3,170 square feet that has a media room and features custom aqua granite and a fabulous ocher and turquoise interior.

The Goldmans, world travelers, hike miles at Cochran Shoals, and show up at wine tasting events with their own bottle to satisfy their oenophilic tastes. I always stand near Murray because he shares.

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SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Marcia and Murray Goldman downsized from their home in Dunwoody.

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AJT

community

Finding G-d Again

DESPITE DISAPPOINTMENT, DEVASTATION AND DENIAL, COMMUNITY LEADS TO DISCOVERY

BY Stephen Klee President, congregation gesher L’TOrah

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

M

y story begins as a young man, going to Hebrew school three days per week. Yes kids, believe it, plus wrapping tefillin in Minyonnaires on Sunday mornings before Hebrew school. I complained about going as much as today’s kids.

I was the youngest of three boys.

My oldest brother Marty was recognized as the most outstanding leader among teenagers. Eight years older than me, Marty was immensely talented in the arts, a great actor who had a flair for the dramatic, and was often encouraged to consider becoming a Cantor.

Mom and Dad worked extremely hard. Dad worked a full time job with

the Neilsen Ratings, then at nights would head to work his second job at Sears in Customer Service. Mom was a teacher here in Atlanta and eventually became an elementary school Principal, and at nights, she was very often at meetings having served for many years on the Boards of the Jewish Community Center, Camp Barney Medintz, and the Davis Academy.

With Mom and Dad working hard into the nights, who was there to feed me when I was young, read me stories at bedtime, and assist me with homework when I was older? Marty! A very nurturing person. In many ways, he raised me.

As for my other brother Robert, seven years older than me, he was less nurturing. As a teenager, he was very social, very popular, and a great athlete. He played basketball with me every day, he picked on me like big

Stephen, Robert and Marty Klee, circa 1976

brothers are known to do, and when he wasn’t out chasing girls, he tried to teach me a lot about life.

Marty was the kind of teenager that adults and grandparents respected, Robert was the kind of teenager that other teenagers wanted to be around. So, you ask, Stephen, where are you going with all of this?

Well, fast forward to a day in 11th grade when one of my very best friends in high school drives me home from school for some reason, which wasn’t a normal thing for her to do. She drops me off at home and in my driveway is parked the car of my Aunt Gloria, which is definitely not a normal thing.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

I wave goodbye to my friend and enter to find Aunt Gloria alone at my kitchen table with the announcement that my parents are on a flight to California.

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Marty was on the passenger side of a car that hydroplaned across a wet mountain road in front of an oncoming truck. While Aunt Gloria tried to be optimistic, I knew what was later confirmed….without a scratch on his very fit body, the trauma to his brain was overwhelming, and on Friday the 13th, 1987, Marty was dead at the age of 24.

The shock and grief were overwhelming for our family. For those unfortunate parents who have had to bury a child, you know what I’m talking about. The fact is, I was a pissed off teenager, looking for answers, an-

gry at G-d, blaming him completely.

My brother Robert, only 13 months younger than Marty, started spiraling out of control. More than 25 years ago he came to be diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, something none of us had ever before heard. The most popular guy in high school could no longer keep any of his friendships. Nobody could stand to be around him as he was having conversations with the voices in his head.

For over 10 years, Robert battled manic depression, schizophrenia, and bi-polar. Lots of doctors, different drugs, in and out of hospitals, severe mood swings, and there were also violent threats to hurt the people he loved.

While his friends didn’t have to put up with his illness, our family always stayed strong, supporting him, helping him, believing that we would get the old Robert back, the one that everyone longed to be around. Alas, it never happened.

And 3 months after he stood under the chuppah as my best man when I married Pam, Robert couldn’t take the inner turmoil that plagued him anymore. With gun in hand, Robert took his own life at age 32. I was the youngest of three boys, and then at age 25 I was suddenly an only child.

So we’re sitting shiva at my house, plenty of support from friends and the community, and I find myself in the buffet line next to the rabbi. This was a pretty young rabbi, not the head rab-

I can remember a comment coming up at a Board Meeting maybe six years ago along the lines of “Well, so and so person, or so and so group of people don’t even believe in G-d.”

“How can Stephen and daughter Marissa Klee, a benevolent with Rabbi Bernstein G-d allow something like this to happen to such good spirits I sat there quietly, just thinking to as my brothers, and to such great par- myself, “neither do I.” ents? TWICE!!”

Later, in 2007 or 2008, after get His answer was merely something I’d expect to hear from a neighbor, “Well, sometimes there just are no answers.”

I was completely dissatisfied with this answer, and off we parted to go eat our bagels in different directions at the Shiva. I never heard from him again.

Well 8 ½ years after Marty died, I now was no longer mad at G-d. In that week, it became clear to me….THERE WAS NO G-D. I had lost all faith!

Yeah, I continued going with my parents to High Holiday services, but that was just to be supportive of them.

I felt extreme guilt and was hollow inside. And the fact that I no longer believed in G-d was something that I’ve never even told my parents before this very moment.

Several months later, I was sitting in the movie theater with my friend Manny, 20 minutes before a movie was to start. We were having a deep conversation when I confessed to him that after everything that has happened, I didn’t believe in G-d anymore.

Manny said to me, “When you see your first child born, you will look into their eyes and you will believe again.”

Nope! It didn’t happen. I was perfectly content with science as my explanation for the beautiful creation of Marissa.

So, my story continues 11 years later. Now I found myself on the Board of Trustees at Gesher L’Torah, willing to help the community, wanting to make my parents proud, wanting to set the right example for my children.

ting more involved, more inspired by the people around me, excited about building a new synagogue, growing a congregation, I began hoping that one day, somehow I would believe again.

I mean, really, how can an Atheist be the Treasurer of a Synagogue?

So, it gives me great pleasure to tell you that somewhere along the way, during the past few years, I have finally come home again to believe in G-d; still with questions, but no longer angry and no longer with any doubt.

I do not yet attend services as much as I hope to, but when I do come and hear the words spoken by Rabbi Michael Bernstein, our Rabbi, whether they be interpretations of the Torah, or his general perspective on how Judaism can allow us to weave beliefs in both G-d and science together, those words have led me back to where I once was. In some ways, I am an even stronger believer.

I say....G-d being there to heal my wounds.

Congregation Gesher L’Torah here in Alpharetta, GA is a fixture in our

lives when joy fills our hearts or when tragedy strikes like battles with illnesses, and we are literally going out of our minds, like I was.

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I honestly believe that if I had found myself deeply involved in a place like Gesher L’Torah 18 years ago, or if Michael Bernstein had been in that buffet line 18 years ago, I would not have disappeared into such a deep, vacant anti-religious hole.

I wish GLT existed for me in 1995.

That was a period in my life where my family once again got smaller. Now I’ve found a place in my life where my family grows and grows, and I love everyone there.

They say time heals all wounds.

But I think this rabbi and this synagogue healed my wounds, along with having a loving supportive mom and dad, and wife and kids, and dare

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bi, but nonetheless a rabbi. He asked how I was coping. I told him “terribly.” I was so confused and simply asked the standard question.

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AJT

EDUCATION

The Epstein School’s Community Wide Sukkot A NEW VISION FOR SUKKOT

BY Rabbi Scott Shafrin SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

O

This year, the holiday of Sukkot was transformed by a unique partnership between area congregations and The Epstein School in which school took place at shul.

Planners took a calculated risked in attempting something never done before on such a massive level with one goal in mind: for students and families to have a hands-on experience in the joy of living Jewishly for the often overlooked festival of Sukkot.

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If there is ever a time to get excited, it is during Sukkot, which is also referred to as z’man simchateinu, the “Season of Our Joy.” Many people eat and even sleep in fragile dwellings (sukkot) much like those the Israelites dwelt in during their 40 years of wandering through the wilderness.

The sukkah is both a practical and a spiritually meaningful way of reaching out and connecting with people. These ties are what form a community that supports the Jewish people in times of need, elevates the happiest occasions, serves as a connection to history, and provides multiple opportunities to discover more about oneself on as an individual and how one fits into the surrounding world.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

In that same wonderful spirit of community, hundreds of Epstein students attended six local synagogues on the first day of Sukkot to commemorate the holiday. At Congregation B’nai Torah, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Temple Sinai, Congregation Etz Chaim, Congregation Or Hadash, and Congregation Beth Shalom, students dove headfirst into Sukkot.

DEADLINE: JANUARY 27, 2014 www.indiana.edu

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They learned about the meaning of the holiday, shook the lulav and etrog, sang songs in the sukkah, performed Sukkot-themed skits, and helped lead services. Any student, regardless of school affiliation attending services that morning was invited to participate in the programs.

Rabbi Joshua Heller, the Spiri-

tual Leader of Congregation B’nai Torah, commented, “What an amazing morning! The students I talked to enjoyed having the opportunity to implement the skills and knowledge that they have built up in the classroom, and our ‘regulars’ were impressed seeing these young people as active and enthusiastic participants in the service.”

This amazing learning opportunity was made possible by the tireless efforts of faculty, as well as area rabbis, education directors and the many synagogue staff members who all helped create, plan, lead, and coordinate the various parts of the day.

The idea was conceived through a partnership between The Epstein School and a group of local Conservative rabbis last spring. Because Epstein serves the broader Jewish community, Temple Sinai was asked to participate as well.

Students and staff were also given the option to attend Sukkot services at their own congregations if they chose.

Comments from students, parents, staff, and congregants alike were overwhelmingly positive. While new endeavors are often fraught with pitfalls and perils, everyone involved, including the students, helped make things run smoothly.

Jared Rakussin, a seventh grader, said, “This was really good and I think we should do this for other holidays. I would love to do something for Passover.”

The students, parents, and staff, as well as other families simply attending Sukkot services, had a new experience in connecting with the message of the holiday. We were tied not only to our individual communities, but to the thousands of people who were also involved on the same morning.

Parents were also impressed by the unique way that the school community combined each synagogue community to create a wonderful experience.

Tricia Katz, who has two daughters at The Epstein School, one in third and one in fifth grade, com-

25 r e ob Oct

13 , 20 3 r e emb v o N

Rabbi Scott Shafrin, Epstein School Rabbi, commented, “For me, the most incredible part of this effort was watching cooperation that

flourished as the event unfolded. The holiday of Sukkot reminds us that we were once a disjointed collection of tribes and families that worked to become a real community, a nation of people linked to one another through bonds of care and compassion.

More than anything, this program shows the amazing power that we

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have, as a community, to create wonderful moments and grow together.”

Rabbi Shafrin concluded, “I pray that we are able to take this marvelous collegiality and continue to build bridges between different parts of the greater Atlanta Jewish community.”

About the Author Scott Shafrin Rabbi in residence at the Epstein School

Left: Lindsey Gelernter, Rebecca Glassman, Will Gamson

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SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

mented on the experience, “I thought it was a great opportunity to be able to expose children to something that they might not normally have experienced.”

11

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AJT

education

Special Instruction for Special Youngsters

GHA’S MATTHEW BLUMENTHAL M’SILOT PROGRAM CREATES LIFELONG LEARNERS

BY LEAH BRAUNSTEIN LEVY SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

G

reenfield Hebrew Academy’s first grade M’silot class is lined up on the rug, expectant and eager. They’re a small group, but they have lots of energy.

“Ready?” teacher Gail Skolsky asks.

“The parents of our first eight students were really pioneers,” Rosenthal says. “The program didn’t exist; there was no one for them to observe, no experienced parents to meet.

They are more than ready. They are about to turn math into a songand-dance number.

Rosenthal adds that the first teachers in the program worked with her to invent entirely new curricula.

They want to demonstrate how they do “double stacks.”

atlantaspeechschool.org

“Zero plus zero is zero, oh!

One plus one is two, oooh!= Two plus two is four, more!

Three plus three is six, kicks!”

And so it goes, up to “10 plus 10 is 20, that’s plenty!”

Then they take out their needlepoint – that’s right, needlepoint – because “the whole first grade is studying Colonial America and needlepoint is amazing for coordinating fine motor skills,” Skolsky says.

The children aren’t interested in educational technique; all they know is that they love to learn in Gail Skolsky’s class.

Fourteen years ago, Phyllis Rosenthal, a director at GHA, wondered where children with learning differences could find a program tailored to their individual needs while maintaining their Jewish culture.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

With the support of GHA administrators, Rosenthal traveled around the country, observing programs aimed at children who learn differently. She and her staff searched for the best methods to teach such students.

12

was a GHA alumnus. In 1999, Matthew’s grandparents, Saul and Adele Blumenthal, z”l, donated the seed money to fund the M’silot program in his memory. In 2011, Matthew’s parents, Elaine and Jerry Blumenthal, continued the work that their family started with a sustaining gift.

They would eventually develop their own programs to apply what they learned to core curriculum subjects as well as Judaic and Hebrew language studies. After a year of exhaustive preparation, GHA’s Matthew Blumenthal M’silot program became a reality with its first eight students in 1999.

M’silot is the Hebrew word for “pathways” and Matthew Blumenthal

”When I was developing the program,” she says, “there was nothing out there like us . . . so I guess I was a pioneer, too!”

Today, the Matthew Blumenthal M’silot program reaches from kindergarten through eighth grade, teaching students with learning differences who need a specialized learning environment.

“Our students have average to above-average intelligence, but before they come to M’silot, they find that they are not responding to traditional instruction. They’re just not making the progress that they should,” Rosenthal says.

“These are children who need specialized instruction to succeed. They may have deficits in language, in visual processing, in auditory processing, in memory. They may have issues with motor skills. They need extra support, or just different techniques to become the lifelong learners we know they can be.”

To this end, every student in M’silot has their own customized Individual Education Plan (IEP). There are small classes, to enable students to get individual attention; all their teachers have expertise in the field of learning disabilities, including the Judaics teachers.

The Orton-Gillingham method to reading is one of the approaches M’silot uses for instruction, and teachers stay up-to-date on the latest thinking in education. First-rate technology is available for students, with literacy support software, a “SMART Board” in

Speech and language specialists are a built-in part of the program, including the recent addition of a Social Thinking counselor to coach students in social communication, known to be linked to language skills.

There is also an occupational therapist with a state-of-the-art occupational therapy gym on site. All these people, programs and material are just a few of the reasons the Matthew Blumenthal M’silot program has been so successful.

Of course, as part of the Greenfield Hebrew Academy, M’silot students also learn to embrace their Jewish heritage with the study of Torah and Jewish customs. GHA’s love for Israel is a vital part of its mission, and children in M’silot learn reading, writing, and conversational Hebrew using differentiated instruction.

One of the unique characteristics of the Matthew Blumenthal program is that although it is a school within a school, M’silot students are also very much a part of GHA. For everything other than their specific classroom lessons, the M’silot students are completely integrated with the rest of their grade.

or in the M’silot first grade, or they might attend a year of mainstream kindergarten,” Rosenthal says. “We use that year as a diagnostic tool, and work with parents to determine the best path for each child.”

Several schools have come to observe GHA’s M’silot program, which is nationally known for its excellence. Most recently, a day school in California and a New York school for students with language differences have consulted with Rosenthal, planning to use M’silot as a model for their own programs.

“Here at GHA, we believe that every child is capable of learning,” says GHA Princiapal Leah Summers. “We actualize the adage Chanoch hana’ar al pi darko, (Teach each student in his or her own way.) It is our job as educators to figure out the best way for them to learn.”

Graduates of the programs are grateful for the support, the skills, and the nurturing they found at GHA. “I was always determined to do as much as I can and reach for the highest goals,” one graduate says. “M’silot gave me the tools to do that.”

Another graduate rattles off the names of colleges that accepted her.

“Had I not been in a program like M’silot, I might not have made it into schools like this,” she says.

Her father agrees, and credits the foundation she received from M’silot for making her an organized, efficient learner.

“M’silot is the Hebrew word for ‘pathways,’” Rosenthal says, “and we have always stressed that, although different children take different pathways to learning, they arrive at the same place in the end.”

About the writer Leah Braunstein Levy is a paraprofessional at GHA and the author of “The Waiting Wall”, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for 2010. Her work appears in a new collection of essays, “Kaddish, Women’s Voices”, available from Urim Publications.

Rosenthal stresses that one of the most important things the Matthew Blumenthal M’silot program does is teach their students that there are “All Kinds of Minds.”

Because of the individual attention, M’silot students are evaluated and considered for transition every year. This support continues throughout their years at GHA. To smooth the entry to high school, a M’silot team even visits all the local high schools to evaluate their suitability for individual students.

The program also offers the Running Start kindergarten, a program designed to boost at-risk learners.

With early intervention, by teaching techniques for each learning style, certain issues can be addressed before they become problematic.

“Our Running Start kindergarteners might start first grade in the mainstream class, with or without support,

Top Right: Second grade students, Alon Kochav and Natalie Grosswald, help decorate the GHA sukkah.

Above: Micah Kraitzick, a student in GHA’s Running Start Kindergarten, has a little fun with a math lesson.

Children’s

Students learn to identify their own learning styles, their own strengths and weaknesses, and identify strategies and techniques to help them achieve their goals. This makes their transitions back into mainstream education much smoother.

“A child who knows what he needs is a child prepared to ask and to become successful,” Rosenthal says.

Top Left: The M’silot program at GHA is named in memory of Matthew Blumenthal, z”l, who suffered with muscular dystrophy. He attended Greenfield Hebrew Academy when he was a youngster and today his family generously supports the school and M’silot program.

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every classroom, and a laptop for every student in the third grade and above.

13

AJT

EDUCATION

A Helping Hand for Those in Need

‘AUTISM SPEAKS’ OFFERS INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AID AND SUPPORT

BY PAIGE TANAKA

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

F

ifty years ago, there was little information about autism.

Today, doctors know a great deal about the health and psychological problem that is now the fastest growing developmental disorder in the U.S. Fortunately, there are support and advocacy groups, like Autism Speaks, helping families understand the challenges and issues that arise when dealing with an autistic person.

Bob and Suzanne Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism, founded Autism Speaks in 2005 with the help of Bernie Marcus, a longtime friend. Marcus donated $25 million to help launch the organization.

mission includes helping families and those affected by the disorder through scientific study, family services, advocacy and awareness programs.

Autism is a complex brain disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and both verbal and nonverbal communication. Signs of the disorder start to emerge early on in a child’s development, generally before the age of three.

There are now different types of autism that are grouped under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Experts believe that one in every 88 children in the U.S. suffers with some form of the disorder and that about 2 million people are affected.

Research suggests there are multiple factors leading to autistic behavior, including gene mutations and Since then, Autism Speaks has environmental factors. While sciengrown into the world’s leading autism tists are still researching the cause science and advocacy organization. Its 4662 AJT ad_4662 AJT ad 8/12/13 1:22 PMfor Page 1 further evidence, Autism Speaks

is focused on aiding individuals and their families dealing with the problem.

Autism Speaks major fundraising event, “Walk Now For Autism Speaks,” is held each year in more than 100 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

The local Georgia “Walk Now for Autism Speaks” is held in partnership with the Marcus Autism Center.

Thousands of people gather each year for “Walk Now for Autism Speaks”, the organization’s annual fundraiser held in 100 cities across the U.S.

Walkers and volunteers come from all over Georgia and, remarkably, the 2013 Atlanta walk raised over $600,000. The 2014 Walk is tentative-

The Epstein Difference

ly scheduled for Sun., May 18th.

Later this year, on Nov. 9, Autism Speaks will be hosting a 5K run. The event, set to begin at 7 a.m. at Piedmont Park, will also include a onemile walk.

Autism Speaks supports the autism community by providing a number of grants – community, summer camp and post-secondary education – through its Family Services program.

The Georgia chapter also backs Ava’s Law, support for autism insurance coverage in the state.

The cost of taking care of a child with autism averages in the area of $60,000 a year and, unfortunately, there is a diagnostic exclusion not covered by many insurance companies. Ava’s law would provide stateregulated coverage that would include diagnosis, pharmacy care, psychological care, and behavioral health treatment.

Academics | Character | Community |

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL OPEN HOuSE

14

For 18 months–8th Grade Tuesday, November 5, 2013 from 9:45 am–11:30 am. rsVP required as space is limited.

Contact 404-250-5607 or admissions@epsteinatlanta.org.

335 Colewood Way, nW | sandy springs, Ga 30328

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Autism Speaks also favors lowering the age when children are diagnosed with the disorder, a measure that would, hopefully, lead to early access to care and intervention.

Need help?

Autism Speaks has a response team in place that can help you with questions about the disorder. Team members are available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at (888) 288-4762 or by email at familyserviceds@autismspeaks.org. For additional information about Autism Spectrum Disorder and Autism Speaks Georgia community, visit www.communities.autismspeaks.org/ga or call (770) 451-0570. And for additional information about Autism Speaks 5K race in November or to register for the event, visit www.events.autismspeaks. org/georgia5k

AJT

education

Eye to Eye Changing the ‘View’

YOUTH MENTORING FOCUS OF INNOVATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM

T

hrough the oversight of Georgia Tech’s ADAPTS Disability Services Programs, the local Eye to Eye chapter is changing the view of learning disabilities (LD), one student mentorship at a time.

Founded in 1998 by Brown University students labeled as LD / ADHD, the focus of the Eye to Eye organization has been on pairing students in college and high school with other similarly labeled students in middle and elementary school.

while learning about their abilities and building life skills and self esteem.

By sharing time with their peers, younger kids see firsthand the successes of their older counterparts and are inspired to continue their academic journey through and beyond high school.

David Flink, Eye to Eye’s co-founder and Chief Empowerment Officer.

The connection to Georgia Eye to Eye that co-founder and Chief Empowerment Officer David Flink has is a deeply personal one: he attended Greenfield Hebrew Academy in Sandy Springs, Ga., where his mother, Vicki Flink, still teaches.

To prepare to lead the Georgia Tech and other Eye to Eye local chapters across the U.S. for the year, over 150 students spent a week at Brown University at Eye to Eye’s biggest annual event, the Young Leaders Organizing Institute.

In the company of others who share their labels, young leaders found out more about what a “Shoulder to Learn On” represents and heard from national leaders including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet.

Flink is very excited to bring the national program to Atlanta.

Actor Alan Alda also became involved this year, through his interest in his grandchild’s dyslexia.

“Eye to Eye activity, beginning with a mentor, creates a ripple,” Flink said. “Young leaders grow to serve as Think Different Diplomats, and then go on to impact broader layers of the community, over time reaching into the highest levels of government and corporations.

Widespread public attention was drawn to the organization this year by a group of five college students who literally drove cross-country with the LD / ADHD STRIKE OUT STIGMA NATIONAL TOUR from San Francisco to Providence, R.I., with hosted stops in key cities.

“As we celebrate 15 years this year, we can see remarkable things have happened. Even other people who haven’t experienced different ways of learning themselves know someone who has struggled because of these labels. We are firmly committed to our role in changing the conversation about learning differently.”

Eye to Eye features a speakers’ bureau – Think Different Diplomats – with current mentors, recent graduates and the organization’s executive team who visit schools, universities and conferences to share their individual stories and change minds about what is possible with LD / ADHD.

In Atlanta, the Georgia Tech Eye to Eye chapter is partnered with The Howard School at 1192 Foster Street.

Through art projects, weekly meetings are hosted in a special space – a comfortable, safe environment where youth can freely share their stories,

At a glance Eye to Eye helps students in the over 50 chapters throughout the U.S. find support and encouragement to pursue the path they choose. For additional details and information, visit www. eyetoeyenational.org.

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Step up the pace.

Online student

Lindsay Little enrolled in an accounting class while studying abroad.

Be Fearless.

Are you juggling work and family and just need one class to graduate? Or maybe you want to start college by taking just an art or history class? In any case, GPC offers eight-week fall courses to fit your busy schedule. Second-half registration* is now open for classes starting October 14! *Future student applications must be completed and evaluated on or before Sept. 29.

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SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

15

your chores will disappear.

More fun will appear.

Dance the day away or scrub the day away? Hmmmm.

When you live at the Renaissance on Peachtree Retirement Community you can spend your time however you wish.

Call now to schedule your complimentary lunch and tour.

And get ready to look at your day in a whole new way.

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AJT

education

Children Special Services, LLC UNIQUE PROGRAM OFFERS ROAD TO SUCCESS – AND ‘HAPPINESS’

BY SUSAN N. SCHRIBER ORLOFF SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

E

very parent wants their child to be “happy,” that’s their bottom line; therapy, academics, home life, whatever, “just makes my child happy.”

Those of us who are parents and those of us who have worked with children have heard this lament and, in fact, have said it ourselves many times.

Happiness is a big-ticket item.

It’s ingrained in the American psyche. Our Declaration of Independence tells us we have the “right to pursue happiness.” But what is happiness and how do we get it.

Come explore our challenging academic environment rooted in Christian values.

We’d love to meet you.

Open House Dates:

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Lower School (Pre-First - 5th) Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 | 10:30 a.m. – Noon Middle School (6th - 8th) Friday, Dec. 6, 2013 | 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 10, 2014 | 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Upper School (9th - 12th) Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 | 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

The Westminster Schools | www.westminster.net | 404-609-6202

The Westminster Schools celebrates diversity and practices a nondiscriminatory admission policy.

16

For Happiness we have to achieve something.

We learn how to ride a bike, roller skate, shoot a basketball or pass a test. We here at Children’s Special Services, LLC are totally dedicated to your child’s Happiness by increasing achievement and self-esteem.

Children’s Special Services, LLC offers unique year-round services evaluations, screenings, treatment, and fun filled summer camps to assist your child achieve their highest potential.

“Happiness … is at the end of action,” Aristotle wrote. Happiness, therefore is in doing. And so helping children is all about doing in the pursuit of happiness.

Utilizing sensory, thought and movement, your child will learn valuable skills: academic, personal, and self-regulation of their own actions and reactions. They’ll also learn to write, socialize and problem-solve; also simply how to sit, organize and absorb critical information.

Occupational therapy is all about doing: activities that challenge the body and the mind while increasing levels of competence; activities that increase motor skills so that the doing of schoolwork gets easier.

We treat and deal with handwriting issues, ADD, ADHD, Autism, Developmental Delays, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Performance Anxiety, Processing issues, sensory issues, social skills and more.

And, more importantly, how do we help our children find happiness?

Vibrant. Personal. Captivating.

and we want them to achieve happiness. Happiness is much more than Fun. For Fun the only thing we have to do is “show up” – at the movies, the amusement park, a party, whatever.

The pursuit of happiness – happiness derived from increased skills – takes a lot of effort. New skills are often not achieved easily. Think about losing weight: decision to try, determination, frustration, set backs, continued effort and then hopefully, reaching your goal.

It’s the same process your child goes through to achieve and learn.

Partnering with your therapist through the processes involved with change is crucial.

Children’s Special Services, LLC wants your child to enjoy the process of learning. We are here for both child and parent and consider therapy to be a 3-way connection: OT, child, parent.

We want your child to have fun,

At a glance CSS, LLC is the only OT service in Atlanta providing the US Trademarked WIN ® (Write Incredibly Now®) and POP® (Personal Options and Preferences® Sensory social skills group).

Susan Orloff, OTR/L, FAOTA is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, the highest honor for a practicing therapist. Summer camps are small group, ensuring maximum attention. Summer 2014 camp enrollment is open now. For additional information, or to reserve a spot for your child, call (770) 3949791.

AJT

education

‘Jerusalem U Helped Me understand … Who I Am as a Jew’ ONLINE PROGRAM CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH JUDAISM, ISRAEL

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

Habits of Happiness

arnessing the power of film and some of today’s greatest Jewish minds, Jerusalem U, an organization committed to teaching and inspiring young Jews about Judaism and Israel, has launched four online college-level series.

Join renowned Positive Psychology expert Dr. Tal BenShahar in a stimulating discourse combining modern psychology with ancient Jewish wisdom. Explore the secrets to leading a happier, more fulfilling life.

Topics range from Cinema through a Jewish perspective and Israel Advocacy to Basic Judaism and Psychology.

The online courses address the growing need to reach out, engage and educate young Jewish adults about Israel and Judaism in a creative way that speaks to them.

Eligible college students, 18-26, can earn a stipend of $100 for completing one of the courses.

Want to know more?

Judaism 101 Israel Inside/Out Discover the fascinating history of the State of Israel. An interdisciplinary approach provides an unparalleled view of both ancient and modern day Israel.

Explore religious, spiritual and historical perspectives on Judaism and learn how to apply 3,500 years of wisdom to your daily life.

“Jerusalem U helped me understand more about my people and who I am as a Jew,” said Russell Levine, a student at Northeastern University.

“I now feel prouder than ever before of being Jewish.”

Sarah Hall, a student at Bloomsburg University, said the program changed her life.

“The Israel Inside / Out course completely and totally changed what I thought I knew,” she said. “I literally went from an ‘End the Occupation’ supporter to a ‘Speak Up for Israel’ supporter.”

Katherine and Jacob Greenfield Hebrew Academy

‫ש גרינפילד‬,,‫בית הספר היהודי ע‬ www.ghacademy.org http://www.facebook.com/ghacademy

Current courses include: Cinema: The Jewish Lens Go behind the scenes and meet Hollywood stars, film critics, screen writers, professors, rabbis and Biblical scholars who shed light on the ancient wisdom and Jewish traditions that find expression in Hollywood, today.

For more information please contact: Bonnie Cook, Director of Admissions 678.298.5377 cookb@ghacademy.org

Students interested in taking a course may view a sample class before filling out an application. Sample classes are available for every course and may be watched as many times as you’d like.

For additional information, visit www.

JerusalemU.org

Learning styles vary, but at GHA, we keep it personal.

Check out our initiatives: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Blended Learning Developmental Design Drama Workshops Middle School Electives ETGAR: Challenge for All Matthew Blumenthal M'silot “No Place for Hate” Peer Mediation Reggio Emilia Inspired ECD Hebrew Immersion Responsive Classroom Read, Write, Gold Thinking Maps

Curiosity • Community • Commitment

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

H

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AJT

new moon meditations

‘Enchanted Key to Altered Perceptions’

CHESHVAN MEDITATION: FOCUS ON KEEPING YOUR ‘GLASS’ HALF-FULL

BY TERRY SEGAL

Key No. 2, for Altered Perceptions.

free.” That’s good.

R

The magic of this key lets you turn sour lemons into sweet lemonade.

“The plants are waterlogged.”

That’s bad.

Journey Guide, Philip Rice, researcher in the field of stress management, discovered that our perceptions of situations, communications, relationships and events have an impact on our experiences of them.

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT osh Chodesh Cheshvan begins Friday, October 4th.

Cheshvan always has a two-day Rosh Chodesh and is linked to the great Flood in Noah’s time, which began on the 17th of Cheshvan and ended on the 27th, the following year.

On the 28th, Noah brought his sacrifice to G-d and G-d said there would never be another flood upon the earth that would destroy mankind. The sign of G-d’s covenant is the rainbow.

The Georgia rains this past summer felt like the great flood and people complained, yet there were many beautiful rainbows and our grasses are lush and green. During this new moon, I invite you to earn Enchanted

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He defined perception as “the interpretation and organization of all information provided to the brain by the senses.” We assign meaning to the information received and then make value judgments about it.

We tend to divide everything into two categories, good and bad.

“It’s raining.” That’s good.

“It’s flooding.” That’s bad.

“The landscape gets watered for

JAZZ JCC at the

series

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE ATLANTA JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Joe Alterman October 27

5:00 pm & 7:00 pm

Jazz at the JCC kicks off with pianist Joe Alterman, performing with a top-notch quartet for one night only! Joe has performed at venues around the world, including the Blue Note Jazz Club in Milan, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and Preservation Hall in New Orleans.

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the series continues

The UpBeatniks

January 26, 7:30 pm

Enjoy a Beatles tribute concert from this unique, Atlanta-based group that draws from the sounds of The Beat Generation.

Member: $10 Community: $15

Michael Feinberg

February 15, 7:30 pm

Hailed as a “musical prodigy turned evil genius,” bassist and composer Michael Feinberg has made his name known throughout the jazz world.

Member: $17 Community: $24 A Page from the Book Festival Event

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Ben Sidran

April 10, 7:30 pm

Ben Sidran performs live and discusses his latest book, There Was a Fire: Jews, Music, and the American Dream.

Member: $10 Community: $15

4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra

May 4, 7:30 pm

This nine-piece klezmer-funk-rock-jazz ensemble performs original compositions and arrangements, which combine West African rhythms with Eastern European klezmer melodies.

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“There’s no drought.” That’s good.

The first step toward earning the Enchanted Key to Altered Perceptions is to remove the stress in judgments of “good” and “bad” and replace them with “just is.” When we experience an event we can train ourselves to be neutral and observe our thoughts about it.

“What does this show me about myself/others? What are my previous beliefs and given my current information, thoughts and feelings, how would I like to respond?”

The next step can be an entertaining challenge to then consciously choose a positive outlook about it.

Here’s a story that happened to me in my 20s, when I lived in New York City, that altered my perceptions about weather; rain in particular.

One Friday evening, as I walked briskly down Manhattan’s sidewalks, I encountered a vibrant, elderly woman with thin, white hair that fell past her shoulders. Her Alabaster skin reflected the light from the street lamp.

She sat in a wheelchair, her body twisted and contorted, I learned, from a bone deformity at birth.

A native New Yorker, she said, “Dahling, I’m not selling any pencils but if you’d like to help me, you could give my arms a rest by pushing me a few blocks.”

It turned out that we were headed to the same place, a synagogue I’d never been to before. We sat together and after services I pushed her wheelchair along the bumpy cracks in the sidewalk.

A sudden thunderstorm appeared and showered down rain. Startled, I let out a scream and sprinted behind her, gripping the handles of her wheelchair. I draped my upper body over her to keep her dry.

Amused, she informed me that rain is wet and that it doesn’t matter whether you’re moving quickly or slowly, if you’re out in it, you get wet. We dissolved in laughter until another clap of thunder sobered us.

We continued on and she told me of her long year in the hospital, several years prior, following a sudden illness. She’d been placed in an interior room without windows. She used to “annoy the nurses,” asking several times a day for the weather report.

One nurse snapped at her. “Why are you so concerned with the weather? You’re not going anywhere!”

“I go outside in my mind,” she replied, and “I’ll stay in if the weather is bad.”

She realized, then, that there is no bad weather. There’s just weather and people decide whether it’s good or bad.

After several months, a kind nurse moved her to a room with a window.

She cried with joy to see the sun rise and set, to watch the rain come down and the tops of the trees blow in the wind.

She vowed that if she ever got out of the hospital, she would love what was given to her each day, beginning with the weather. She couldn’t wait to lift her face to the warm sun or have her hair washed in rainwater.

I had been forever changed by this woman and told her so that night.

The following Friday I looked for her, and for several months after that, but I never saw her again. All these years later, however, I still feel her spirit, especially, when it rains.

Meditation Focus Enchantment occurs when you look at life through a fresh and positive lens. Things are not always as they seem. Often, they are better. During the month of Cheshvan, catch some opportunities to alter your perceptions.

About the Author Dr. Terry Segal is a licensed marriage & family therapist, Ph.D. in energy medicine, hypnotherapist and author of “The Enchanted Journey: Finding the Key that Unlocks You.”

AJT

IN THE MOMENT

Wild Ride after Yom Kippur

IT’S THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO RECONNECT WITH JUDAISM

AJT COLUMNIST

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hat do Dave Matthews Band and Yom Kippur have in common? My rabbi’s sermon.

A huge win for the assimilation of new and old Jewish cultures, for the mix of music and prayer, and the joining of secular and non-secular thought together as one.

He based his Yom Kippur sermon around the lyric “We gotta do much more than believe if we really wanna change things” from the song “Gaucho” on Dave’s latest studio album, “Away From the World.”

It’s not my favorite DMB tune; in fact I’ve never listened to it until now or any DMB record since “Everyday.”

But, as always, Dave’s lyrics are impactful and chock full of meaning.

Never have I heard a rabbi start a sermon by mentioning a pop culture icon, so naturally I skipped my usual service nap to give this one a listen.

The rest of the sermon was about getting off your tuchas and make something happen.

For far too long now it has become acceptable for Jews to open their pocket book, write a check and call it support. And thanks to their tzedakah, our buildings stay open, our children get some level of Jewish education but the culture is still dying.

Why? Because in order for a culture to remain relevant, it requires participation to stay alive. That’s why I sit on the board of the AJMF and play any musical event when called upon by any congregation in the community.

I often wonder why every Sunday morning temple parking lots are filled with cars and alive with children attending Sunday school. But Friday nights and Saturday mornings there is barely anyone there accept for the usual core crowd and occasional Bar Mitzvah attendees.

Perhaps this is the reason why many Jewish kids feel their Bar Mitzvah is more of a graduation from Judaism rather than the true beginning of their adult life as a Jew. Instead of treating it like a chore to an end goal, if we all participated more, the culture would be nurtured instead of dying on the vine.

This is why I love the holidays so much and why this time of year is the best time to be Jewish.

The holidays roll in one after another and they are all highly interactive and tons of fun.

If Yom Kippur is the slow and purposefully painful tow up the rollercoaster, then Sukkot is the first drop and Simcha Torah is the wild ride.

Our Chavera had a Sukkah party this past weekend and it was a blast.

I have heard over and over again from those who build a Sukkah that it was a therapeutic exercise that actually got them reconnected with Judaism – again participation.

The kids did arts and crafts, we ate, drank and socialized under the Sukkah’s semi-thatched roof and all had a great time. I highly recommend you give the Lulav a quick shake, too.

Smell the Etrog and say the prayer; this is a ritual that is so unique that many who see you do it would be amazed in wonderment as to what it is all about.

It’s about participation, or at least the coming together of the different types of Jews so the sum is greater than its parts – the kind of terminology I use to describe a great band.

Each part of the Lulav and Etrog represent a different Jewish personality: Those who study Torah and perform Mitzvoth; those who study but do not perform Mitzvoth; those who perform good deeds but do not study Torah (most likely me) and those who do neither.

All four are needed by the Jewish community and further the cause of Am Yisrael – the people of Israel.

The Sukkah calls for all of us to reunite as one and move forward.

We’ve got to do more than believe, we need to get active. And this doesn’t mean attend more services, but it means more than sending in a check.

each column of the Torah starts with the letter ‘vav’, which means ‘and’, the letter of connection, hinting that we are all be connected by Torah and no culture can be sustained without connection.

You can read more about the mitzvah of unity by checking out this website: www.judaism.com/resources/lulav.asp

I bet your kids will have a different outlook on Torah if they experience it in this light. Which reminds me, when I attended High Holiday services at my folk’s temple in Memphis last year at Temple Israel, the cantor actually stopped between lines of the Torah to translate their meaning in real time.

So, start your path to being more active by attending Simcha Torah services, by far my most favorite holiday, beating out Chanukah and many others by a landslide.

There is no better holiday to connect with the Torah than this one.

Most everyone gets a turn to hold and dance with a Torah during the seven Hakafot (circuits). If you have nowhere to go, than I personally invite you to join us at Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell. And since this article will most likely be published after the holiday, this is your invitation for next year.

One of the coolest things that happens in my temple during the holiday is that we unravel the full length of the Torah around the sanctuary by resting the edge of the parchment across everyone’s fingertips so all can see the scripture in a new perspective. There are many hidden things inside the Torah that can only be appreciated this way.

It brings a whole new meaning to Gematria and Kabbalah that would keep even the most agnostic person engaged. For me, the coolest part is when we get to Exodus and the scripture is in the shape of bricks where “The Song of the Sea” (Shirat Hayam) is inscribed.

This portion is where we celebrate the crossing of the red sea and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army – no one ever gets to see this stuff and if they did, I bet we would all be inclined to learn more about it.

Rabbi Green spends time explaining other cool facts like why some letters are larger than others and why

It so happened that the section was about Abraham’s commandment to sacrifice his son Isaac and the translation made the reading much more meaningful, to the point that I actually shed a tear in thought of myself having to go through that with my own child.

Not to mention that I was holding my little one in my arms on the Bimah when this all went down.

I challenge more of our clergy to do this in services. I guarantee it will help all of us connect to the Torah more, bring out more participation and revive our culture.

Here’s to a new year where we all go out of our way to make an impact on the local, national and global culture of Judaism – whether it is religious, musical, personal or social, get off your tuchas and go do something Jewish.

About the Author Follow Bram’s experiences on, off and backstage @bram_rocks. Interact with him at #InItForTheMoment and share thoughts, comments and ideas about this column.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

BY BRAM BESSOFF

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AJT

SPORTS

The State of Atlanta Sports

GOOD NEWS FOR SOME, BAD NEWS FOR OTHERS

BY JEFF ZELL

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

T

he Atlanta Braves have won their division for the first time since 2005. Now the question is whether they can win their first playoff series since 2001.

That’s right the Braves have not won a playoff series since the season of 9/11-almost 12 years ago. With three quality starting pitchers, a fantastic bullpen and an even better closer (sublime comes to mind, Mr. Kimbrel) I think the Braves should definitely win one playoff series.

But, the next question becomes whether they can win the NLCS and make their first World Series since

losing to the juggernaut that the New York Yankees were in 1999? The answer to that will come down to the offense.

The Braves have only two starting players hitting .260 or higherChris Johnson and Freddie Freeman.

Though Atlanta ranks first in the National League in home runs, the team is ninth in batting average. A few other everyday players will need to be more consistent and get on base if the Braves are to go deep into the playoffs.

If nobody steps up, teams will just pitch around Freeman and understand Atlanta might hit a few solo homers. The key for the Braves will be having guys on base when they launch the long ball.

L’Shana Tovah, from ORT America!

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Some history is worth repeating.

Come join our family tree.

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ORT educates over 300,000 students around the world every day.

To learn more about ORT’s mission to educate and elevate at home and around the globe, please visit us at www.ORTamerica.org. Connect with ORT in the Atlanta region!

Contact Jenna Shulman at 404-327-5266 or jshulman@ORTamerica.org

The Atlanta Falcons have started the season 1-2 and some people are very worried. No one could have foreseen this rash of injuries, and because of them, fans have every right to be worried.

However, I still think the team is quite good and can make the playoffs and advance far. Two close road losses to good teams like New Orleans and Miami certainly should not make fans think this is not a playoff team.

I am most concerned with the number of points the Falcons “leave on the table” this year. In six scoring opportunities against Miami the team scored just two touchdowns and kicked three of four field goals. Any time a team is within field goal range, the goal should be seven points.

What’s even more disturbing is Atlanta’s play in the red zone (inside the 20 yard line). Last year, the Falcons ranked 10th in the league in scoring efficiency inside the red zone.

As head coach Mike Smith told the media, “I’ll do the research for you, we are 24th in the league in red zone scoring this year.”

Not good, especially when this high-powered offense has been set up to cover for a less-than-great defense.

The other concern here is the team’s inability to put marginal teams away. Atlanta played an incredible first half against a Rams before playing a mediocre third quarter.

Once they take a commanding lead against an opponent, they should not take “the foot off the gas pedal” as Atlanta often does.

The Atlanta Hawks no longer have Josh Smith and Joe Johnson, and I think these were the right moves.

Obviously the Hawks were almost as good a team without Johnson, so his “max” salary just didn’t make sense.

As for Josh Smith, it is still hard for me to believe this Atlanta native did not do more during his time in his home city. In nine years he did not make one All-Star team and the

sad reality is that Mr. Smith just wouldn’t stop taking ridiculous long jump shots.

He just would not listen to a head coach, be it Mike Woodson or Larry Drew. I thought it was apropos that Josh’s last shot as a Hawk was an absurd 20-foot jump shot.

The Atlanta Thrashers have only been gone for a few years, but I actually miss the Atlanta Flames more.

Though it’s been over 30 years since the Flames called Atlanta home, they put a quality team on the ice every year they were here, having made the playoffs in six of their eight years in Atlanta. The Thrashers rarely put a quality team on the ice.

Though it can be debated as to what the fate of this franchise might have been had Dany Heatley not driven reckless and under the influence of alcohol, killing a teammate and close friend and essentially ending his career in Atlanta, it is clear that General Manager Don Waddell just did not know how to put together a winning NHL team.

To think he lasted over a decade and was the team’s only GM ever is hard to fathom. Once the team got to Winnipeg it immediately decided to change not only its nickname, but its general manager as well.

About the Author Jeff Zell has covered Atlanta sports since 1987 and currently reports on the city’s sport scene for CBS Sports Radio, Yahoo Sports Radio and WFAN in New York. He has written about Atlanta’s Jewish community since 2000.

AJT

COMMUNITY

Memorial Garden in Blue Ridge

DAFFODILS POIGNANT REMINDER OF CHILDREN LOST IN THE HOLOCAUST

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new children’s memorial garden, filled with 600 daffodils to honor the memory of the 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust, is being planned for Blue Ridge, Ga. and will be dedicated during a ceremony in early November.

The garden is part of a project, Am Yisrael Chai!, a non-profit Holocaust and Awareness Organization.

So far, over 25,000 bulbs have been planted in the U.S. and Canada, including recent plantings at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Kennesaw State University and The William Breman Jewish Heritage Musuem.

In Blue Ridge, a cross-section of community leaders and residents will take part in the upcoming planting, including David Ralston, speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives; Donna Whitener, the mayor of Blue Ridge and representatives of the city council.

The ceremony and planting, set for Nov. 10 at 3 p.m., will feature comments from Jaap Groen, a Holocaust survivor originally from Holland; the Fannin County High School Chorus; and the support of many others – including clergy and representatives from several churches – who have been instrumental in planning the event.

In addition to daffodils, the memorial garden will also include a granite stone, laser etched with a brief de-

The new children’s memorial garden in Blue Ridge, Ga. is just one spot across the U.S. and Canada where daffodils are being planted to recall and honor the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.

scription of the garden and bonded to a larger irregular stone; and a 3 to 4-foot original metal sculpture with daffodil blooms by local sculptress Marsha Murphy.

Am Yisrael Chai!, the sponsoring organization, chose daffodils for its project because the flower’s shape and color is a poignant reminder of the yellow stars worn by Jews during the Holocaust.

Organization representatives point out the flowers are resilient and return with a burst of color each spring, a fitting plant to also honor the thousands of Jews and others who survived the Holocaust and went on to build new and successful lives.

The 411 For additional information about the upcoming event in Blue Ridge or more details about Am Yisrael Chai!, contact Michael Weinroth at mikeweinroth@aol.com or at (404) 375-1188.

Share your Celebrations with Your Atlanta Jewish Community for Free • • • • •

Birth Announcements Weddings Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Celebrations of all types Anniversaries

Send your story, announcements and celebrations with pictures today to Kaylene Rudy, krudy@atljewishtimes.com or call 404-883-2130 x100.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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AJT

community

The Epidemic of and the Solution to Loneliness Beyond pop psychology RABBI PAUL KERBEL

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

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hat do we do when we see someone crying in a public space. A girl was crying into her phone in a public park early in the morning and she said, “I know, I know, I know,” over and over. What did she know? Had she done something wrong?

Was she being comforted? And then she said, “Mama, I know” and her tears came even harder.

Here is the question for us: do we get involved? Do we run over to ask what is wrong? Or, do we mind our own business? Does she need attention or should we keep scrolling through our list of contacts on our i-phone or watch a movie with our ear phones on.

I did not hear this conversation.

The writer, Jonathan Safran Foer did. In a beautiful essay in the New York Times in June, entitled “How Not To Be Alone,” Foer tells the story above and uses the story to test our ability to be attentive to our family, friends and strangers, to recognize how even faster technology has actually made us less sensitive, less attentive, less able to respond.

Each step “forward” has made it easier, just a little, to avoid the emotional work of being present, to convey information rather than humanity.”

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

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I am not sure if you agree with

me, but our world is changing, and for the most part, I am not sure it is for the better. I have served in four congregations over the last 28 years totaling approximately 1800 – 2000 families. There were people who I was close to that I have lost touch with, and I am disappointed with some people who stopped being in touch with me.

In many cases, it is no one’s fault.

Can any of us have a list of 2,000 people that we speak to, catch up with, keep in touch with? It is the nature of our world. We all feel a little disconnected.

I believe that one of the greatest problems we face as individuals, and, as a society is the plague of loneliness. All of us have felt loneliness in our lives. The first days and months after we move to a new city; starting a new school; losing friends and loved ones to moves and time and distance, to family dynamics, to death.

Many of us have heard of the French social philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville. He wrote a widely quoted and known book entitled, “Democracy in America.” In his penetrating and comprehensive analysis of American society, de Toqueville wrote that Americans have “habits of the heart” and those habits helped to form ‘the American character.’

So it is not surprising that the year I became a rabbi, Robert Bellah of Harvard, utilizing deTocqueville’s phrase “habits of the heart” as the title for his brilliant analysis of

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American society, suggested that the individualism may have grown “cancerous” and therefore threaten the freedoms of American society. In the end their study concludes that many Americans, largely confined to a vocabulary of individualism, find it hard to make commitments to others- and, that in the end, many of us allow ourselves to be alone and therefore only answer to ourselves and our individual needs.

Chancellor Arnold Eisen and Professor Steven Cohen came to similar conclusions right before the end of the 20th century in their work, “The Jew Within.” Eisen and Cohen write that: “‘Community’ is a second language, subordinate to the first. The decline of communal obligations, the rise of sovereign individuals… nowhere have these processes been more evident than among Jews… our concern was to find out what affiliated Jews make of their own Jewishness and how they calculate their responsibility to other Jews.”

In the 1980s we called it “the me generation.” But it seems that the term “the me generation” could apply to much of American history. The ‘individualism’ of DeToqueville has became the loneliness in American society today.

In a new study published in England, one in ten Britons reports being lonely.

Loneliness is related to the fact that many people lack a sense of purpose or any connection to community. Loneliness is a state of mind.

It causes people to feel empty, alone and unwanted. While loneliness often leads us to crave human contact, the state of mind often makes it more difficult to form connections with other people.

So what can we do? Political scientists and philosophers, social scientists and psychologists have many responses to my question. But today I want to share with you what our Jewish tradition has to say about loneliness. Is there a solution? Judaism says: “yes, there is.”

I would like to suggest three strategies. The first two are contradictory

to each other. One way of overcoming our loneliness is not to be alone less, but to be alone more. We have to be able cultivate the art of being by ourselves more and with other people less.

The Rabbi of Sassov urged: “A human being who does not have an hour for himself each day is not a human being. We need to learn how to get to know our true selves and be comfortable with and enjoy time with ourselves.”

It is no accident that some of the greatest stories of the Torah occur in solitude. Abraham alone in Mesopotamia leaves everything behind to take possession of the Land of Israel and create a new people with a new religion; Moses, alone in the Sinai Desert, discovers G-d. We need to be able to teach ourselves to be alone, but not be lonely.

Our second strategy is found in two simple sentences in the rabbinic tradition: The Ethics of the Fathers teaches a message simply in five words: Kol Yisrael Arayvim Zeh La Zeh – all Jews are responsible for one another.

Another proverb from Pirke Avot: “Al Tifrosh Min HaTzibor” - Do Not Separate Yourself From Your Community.” Judaism requires us to care about other people.

Our tradition teaches us the idea of ahavat habriyot – to love our fellow human beings – v’ahavta lereyecha comacha – to love our neighbors as ourselves…I believe that it is part of the DNA of our people to care about others.

When our people have crises around the world – or here in America, we need to be there for them.

When the State of Israel faces enemies that seek to destroy her – we need to be there for Israel- when there are so many unmet needs in our community – in education, funding for trips to Israel, taking care of our elderly in their homes and in larger facilities – we need to help and do our part.

So to be clear – to shake the disease of loneliness from our lives, we both need to be comfortable with ourselves, take time for ourselves,

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enjoy the simple pleasures of life by sometimes doing them alone and at the same time relish, enjoy, seek out opportunities to live life as part of a sacred community.

and, in the words of Aleynu– bayom hahoo, yehiyeh ado-nai echad u’schemo echad -we all serve to hasten to bring the spirit of G-d to our world.

And the third strategy, I think you already know. It is suggested by the title of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s seminal work entitled: “Man is Not Alone.” Man is not alonebecause we have G-d. We have all experienced loss.

Amen.

And by living, and caring, and participating we will please our G-d,

PORCELAIN

CERAMIC

About the Author

congregation provides thousands of meals SPECIAL FOR THE AJT

C

ongregation Beth Shalom participated in the food drive for the Atlanta Community Food Bank named “Operation Isaiah” which follows the words of Isaiah, “share your bread with the hungry.” First, they held a food collection drive. Then, about 35 adults and children went to the food bank on Sun., Sept. 15 and sorted over 8000 lbs of food which will provide over 7,000 meals for those in need.

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Rabbi Paul Kerbel is a rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim and devotes a great deal of time to building community in Atlanta and religious pluralism in Israel through his Involvement in the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel.

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Below: A group of children sorting food, from L to R, Ezra Mahle, age 9, Noah Covey, age 13, and Sam Mahle, age 12.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

The destiny of the world is in our hands. With G-d’s blessing and our hard work, we can create caring communities that would virtually eliminate loneliness. Action – giving- tzedakah – involvement, volunteerism – and faith in G-d these are the best cures for loneliness.

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Rabbi Jack Riemer wrote a prayer: “We cannot merely pray to you.” The responsive reading lists many things we can do to help our society and our world.

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By living as part of a vibrant community – at your synagogue, the Metro Atlanta area, our State, our Country, and our Jewish people wherever they are, we can support each other to be the best that we can be.

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Far from being a threat, the happiness of acquaintances, friends and relatives form a supportive environment in which each of us can blossom.

Arrogance isolates, not the sharing of skills and talents. Ruthlessness, not drive, leads to loneliness.

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The Book of Psalms seeks to comfort us: “Though my father and my mother leave me, G-d gathers me in.”

We are not alone. G-d is with us. G-d gives us strength, courage and vision.

G-d and our Jewish faith can enrich our spiritual life only if we are willing to work hard and invest in our relationship with G-d. Our relationship with G-d can touch us, enrich us, help us transcend to a new level of spirituality.

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AJT

community

Jerusalem Festival 2013

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

SUKKAH, SONG AND CELEBRATION!

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tlanta’s Inaugural Jerusalem Festival at Emory University brought in people from around the City and around the Southeast to celebrate Sukkot and show concern for, and solidarity with, Jerusalem. With huge support from its diverse sponsors, great kosher food, and wonderful entertainment, the Festival was a triumph.

There were many vendors and sponsors in tents scattered around Emory’s McDonough Field, providing food, publications, games, services, and information. There was even a mobile sukkah! There was much to see and learn about Jerusalem.

The entertainment included The Cohen Brothers, Chai Tunes, Aviva and the Flying Penguins, UGA Hillel Band, Jerry Farber, and the headlining act – The Shadowboxers. There was also a special appearance by Opher Aviran, Consulate General of Israel.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Festival Founder, Kaylene Rudy, was pleased to have been able to put this important event together, and is already looking forward to next year.

Rudy thanked G-d for the success of the Festival, as well as giving special thanks to all of the sponsors for their support and said “This was a fantastic start to what will be a great annual event, uniting people from all over town.” Rudy continued, “next year will be even bigger and better as we learn from this year and continue to build momentum!”

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AJT

Arts & Life

JEWS MAKING NEWS COMPILED BY ELIZABETH FRIEDLY

Larry David Tells You a Joke

A

slew of reputable comedians are coming together October 23 for National “Tell a Joke for Parkinson’s Day” for the Shaking with Laughter fundraiser.

Larry David joins the event’s roundup of Seinfeld pedigree, including

Buy Early & Save

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, along with many others, to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. David and others will be offering “Calls from Comedians!” for which they will deliver a personalized joke to the highest bidder.

David recently premiered, “Clear History,” his first full-length film since 2005, on HBO. The film was written by David and his colleagues Alex Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Shaffer of the TV series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Much like the series, “History” is an exercise in improve with an ensemble cast, including Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton, and Jon Hamm.

The film follows a marketing executive whose life has gone to pieces after impulsively throwing away his shares in a soon-to-be profitable company.

Born Lawrence Gene David, the comedian is the son of Rose and Morty David, both of whom are Jewish. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in History, although it wasn’t long after graduation that he turned his sights to comedy. David briefly worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live, before creating “Seinfeld.”

Drake Gives Back After Tragedy

A

“Vera Stark is a fabulous force of nature!”

– Pearl Cleage

An aspiring actress breaks the mold of stereotypical African American film roles of the 1930s.

By Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage Directed by Leah Gardiner

October 16–November 10 SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Tickets @ 404.733.5000

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alliancetheatre.org/verastark | Groups 404.733.4690

Series on the Alliance Stage

ctor and rapper Drake joined fellow musician The Game (Jayceon Taylor), in an unforeseen act of charity, after an Ohio woman lost her family in a house fire. Each artist has pledged to donate $10,000 to the victim, Anna Angel, and her funeral costs. Angel’s five children and boyfriend were killed in the incident while she was at work.

Admits the turmoil, Drake’s new album, “Nothing Was the Same,” was released Sept. 24 after being leaked online several days earlier. In honor of the release, the rapper took his clothing brand, OVO, on the road to offer “one day only” pop up shops in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto. Drake has also begun gearing up for a tour in October of 2013.

Birth name Aubrey Drake Graham, Drake was born to Sandi Sher and Dennis Graham in Toronto, Ontario. After his parents divorce, he was largely raised by his mother in a Jewish household. Drake attended Jewish day school and became a Bar Mitzvah. Drake’s career began when he was cast in the Canadian television show, “Degrassi: The Next Generation” as a teenager.

Birth Announcement

Jonathan Frank Spector Announcing Jonathan Frank Spector, Hebrew name Yonatan Chaim, born March 4th, 2013 to parents Michael and Chantal Spector of Dunwoody. He measured in at 20 inches, weighing 8 lbs., 1 oz. Grandparents Rael and Dominique Levin of Sandy Springs and Stephen and Ellen Spector of Vancouver, Canada celebrated his birth. He was also welcomed by great grandparents Janine Storch of Sandy Springs and Shirely Spector of Montreal, Canada. His name honors Chantal’s maternal grandfather, Jack Storch, Michael’s maternal grandfather, Frank Weiner and Chantal’s paternal grandfather, Hyman Louis Levin. His bris was held March 11, 2013 at the home of Rael and Dominique Levin, officiated by Rabbi Joshua Heller. Jonathan has one sibling, his sister Charlotte, who is 3 years old.

AJT

MATZAH BALL SOUP FOR THE SOUL

‘The Joy of Torah’

HOLIDAY OFFERS IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT CYCLICAL NATURE OF LIFE

AJT Columnist

S

o, I say with a heavy sigh, let’s talk about work.

On a college campus, it’s one of the most common conversation topics – how much we have, how long it takes, which major has the most. The discussion and complaints are endless.

In recent weeks, I think the most frequently voiced frustration is something along the lines of this: “I literally spent hours in the library today working, but I still feel like I’ve gotten absolutely nothing done.”

Simchat Torah is the holiday we celebrate as we finish reading the Torah. We sing and dance hafakot (literally meaning “circles”) at both evening and morning services; we cease from all work; and we read the final verses in the book of Deuteronomy that praises Moses, “whom the Lord knew face to face.”

But to say that Simchat Torah is just a celebration of the end would be wrong as it is also a celebration of the beginning.

We’ve all experienced such aggravation.

Immediately after reading the final verse in Deuteronomy, we start the process of reading the Torah again with the first verse of Genesis.

It’s a fluid motion from end to beginning.

We start the day or the week with some sort of objective: do some paper work, maybe read a chapter in our textbook chapter. But we underestimate the amount of time it takes to do whatever it is we wanted to do; then, before we know it, our time is up and our task is left unfinished.

In fact, I remember very clearly the Simchat Torah celebration from elementary school: we would congregate in the gym for Kabbalat Shabbat just as we would on any given Friday, but when it came time to remove the Torah from the Ark, the adults were all asked to help with its unraveling.

It’s extremely disappointing, because at the end of the day, even if you feel like you’ve given it your all, you’ve got nothing to show for it – absolutely nothing.

Rabbi Ballaban would hand one of the scroll’s wooden rods to a teacher, and walk a lap around the gym, surrounding the sea of students with the words of the Torah until he finally found his way back to that first teacher. It was then that he would read aloud the final verses of Deuteronomy and the beginning words of Genesis.

Now, I’d be lying if I said I’ve never felt this way. It’s something I deal with on an almost-daily basis.

Or rather, something I dealt with on a daily basis because now, after a great deal of thought, I’ve decided to change my way of thinking.

This week, we celebrate Simchat Torah, “The Joy of the Torah.”

I remember the year he told us about the lev that comes from reading the Torah in this way; lev, the Hebrew word for heart is spelled ‫בל‬. The

last word of Deuteronomy is Yisrael and the first of Genesis is Bereshit, so when the Torah comes together, end to beginning, we get lev because the Hebrew letter ‫ ב‬that starts Bereshit can be pronounced as either a b or a v.

When we recognize the lev, we are recognizing the unbroken nature of the Torah, that it truly is a cycle.

This is the same reason we dance in circles and the same reason Rabbi Balliban encompassed his students in a physical circle. It’s because we don’t ever stop, we don’t ever finish.

This same idea is in the text itself.

In the final verses of Deuteronomy, we read:

It’s this idea that changed the way I see my work.

I read a textbook to learn and I do problem sets to practice. I may finish chapter one or problem set No. 1, but there will always be something else to do afterwards because learning is continuous.

Sure, we break it into bits and pieces in order to make it less overwhelming, but the truth is that we’ll be learning and studying and practicing for the rest of our lives.

In truth, we rarely finish anything: bills, paperwork, homework, projects, anything else you’ve ever started. Have these things not always led you to start something else?

“And there was no other prophet who arose in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, as manifested by all the signs and wonders, which the Lord had sent him to preform in the land of Egypt… and to all his land, and all the strong hand, and all the great awes, which Moses performed before the eyes of Israel.”

– Deuteronomy 34:10-12

There’s no need to get frustrated over an “incomplete” task because even upon completion, or at least what you may see as completion, there’s still plenty to do and to learn and to experience.

It’s said in the Talmud that the phrase, “before the eyes of all Israel,” is actually a reference to the story of the Golden Calf, in which Moses smashes the Ten Commandments, destroying them out of fury.

Rachel LaVictoire (rlavictoire@wustl. edu) is a graduate of the Davis Academy and Westminster High School, recipient of the prestigious Nemerov Writing and Thomas H. Elliott Merit scholarships at Washington University of St. Louis and an active member of Temple Emanu-El and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

She was recently named to the board of St. Louis Hillel.

The allusion isn’t meant to remind us of destruction, though. Rather, it’s a reminder of the subsequent rebuilding of the tablets, and of our ability to destroy and remake things in such a cyclical nature.

And that’s something we should embrace. We should recognize the lev, and the continuity in our lives.

About the writer

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

BY RACHEL LAVICTOIRE

27

AJT

what’s happening

Sat., Sept. 28 Anniversary Shabbat & Luncheon, in honor of B’nai Zion’s 125th anniversary a kiddush luncheon will be held after Shabbat services in a conclusion of a year-long simcha. Sat., Sept. 28, 9:45 a.m. Free. Congregation B’nai Zion. RSVP, (423) 8948900.

Mix & Mingle, a fun cocktail party with a prize for the guest who travels the farthest. A Jewish singles event.

Appetizers included. Ages 35 and up.

Sat., Sept. 28, 10 p.m. $18/person (cash only). Alma Cocina, Atlanta.

Aga (The Dog Whisper). Food available for purchase. Sun., Oct. 6, 12:15 p.m. Congregation Beth Shalom.

Info, www.bethshalomatlanta.org

Tues., Oct. 8 “Why and How To Talk With Your Children About Gun Safety,” (Even If You Don’t Own Guns). Join parent and volunteer certified firearms safety instructor Matt Podowitz for a 30 min multimedia presentation.

Childcare available. Tues., Oct. 8, 7 p.m. Free. Epstein School. RSVP, melanie.mailman@epsteinatlanta. org or (404) 250-5770.

Thurs., Oct. 3 Edgewise Speaker Series: Allen Stein, A restaurateur with 35 years in the industry, Allen Stein will discuss how he went from being a bus boy at a pizza parlor to a successful owner of several restaurants. He will also take us “behind the scenes” of the restaurant business. Thurs., Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m. Zaban Park. Info, lily. mahana@atlantajcc.org or (678) 8124064.

Lunch ‘N Learn: Rabbi Brad Levenberg, join Rabbi Levenberg from Temple Sinai for a lively class and discussion. Bring a diary lunch or purchase a kosher lunch from Goodfriend’s Grill. Thurs., Oct. 3, 12 p.m.

Zaban Park.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Fri., Oct. 4 Shabbat, Me & Rabbi G, bring children to this Shabbat-related activity and story followed by songs and blessings with Rabbi Glusman, plus a visit from the “Weinstein School Shabbat Dinosaur.” Challah and grape juice served. Series continues Nov. 1 and Dec. 6. Fri., Oct. 4, 5 p.m.

Free. Info, rabbi.glusman@atlantajcc.org.

Sun., Oct. 6

CBS Family Pet Day, contests, “Ask the Vet” with locator chip implants and rabies shots, adoptions, arts, crafts and appearances by Glen Co28 hen (The Reptile Man) and Susie

Thurs., Oct. 10 Edgewise Speaker Series: Howard Friedman, Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Toledo will focus on the U.S. Supreme Court with his discussion, “Be an Informed Court Watcher This Year.” An author of four books, Friedman received his JD from Harvard Law. Thurs., Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m. $5/person. Free for MJCCA members. Info, lilly.mahana@atlantajcc.org or (678) 812-4064.

Fri., Oct. 18

Sat., Nov. 2

Shabbat on the Rocks: Wine Tasting & Shabbat Networking, all adults (ages 40+) are invited to enjoy beautiful views, a wine bar, gourmet challah and vegetarian hors d’oeuvres.

Shabbat prayers by Rabbi Glusman.

Fri., Oct. 18, 6 p.m. $15/person. City Club of Buckhead.

MJCCA Book Festival Kick Off, a 15day event and one of the South’s premier literary events, the Book Festival of the MJCCA features works from more than 40 of the year’s most sought-after and talked-about authors, celebrities, and influencers.

Sat., Nov. 2. MJCCA. Tickets, www. atlantajcc.org/bookfestival

Sun., Oct. 20 Atlanta Radio Theater Company, the MJCCA is pleased to welcome the ARTC for two shows, featuring, “War of the Worlds: The Untold Story” by H.G. Wells. Audience members can watchhow the technicians craft sound effects live. Sun., Oct. 20, 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. $10-$15/person. Morris and Rae Frank Theater. www.atlantajcc. org/boxofficce

Tues., Oct. 22 Jews & Brews, join the MJCCA for a casual evening of conversation and socialization with Rabbi Karmi Ingber. A great opportunity to connect and schmooze with young Jewish adults. All are welcome. Tues., Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. Free. Neighbor’s Pub.

Sun., Nov. 3 Holiday Gift Fair, purchase gifts for family and friends from over 35 vendors. Including jewelry, handbags, art, books, Judaica, skin care and children’s clothing. Sun., Nov. 3, 8:30 a.m. Temple Kol Emeth. Info, vendorfair@kolemeth.net.

Atlanta Jewish Male Choir 10th Anniversary, celebrating a milestone, audiences are treated to a performance inspired by musical references in the Torah, primarily sung a capella. Proceeds will benefit the GHA Jewish day school. Sun., Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m. $20/person. Greenfield Hebrew Academy.

Sun., Nov. 17 Sun., Oct. 13 Blessing of the Pets, conducted by Rabbi Glusman along with memorial prayers and prayers for healing. Individual blessings will follow. Adoptions available by Angels Among Us Pet Rescue. Sun., Oct. 13, 12:30 p.m.

Free. Brook Run Dog Park, Liane Levetan park at Brook Run.

Fri., Oct. 25 Jewish National Fund 2013 Conference, national event bringing together hundreds of committed Jewish leaders from across the country. Fri., Oct 25 - 28. Grand Hyatt of Denver, Colo. Register at jnf.org.

OVS Hanukkah Bazaar, Congregation’s Or VeShalom’s 38th annual hanukkah bazaar. Make room for good eats and gifts for holiday shopping. Includes international dinners auction; a raffle for prizes; and kids’ games and activities. Sun., Nov. 17, 11 a.m. $3/person. OVS.

Ongoing Mon., Oct. 14 “Celebrating Interfaith Together,” to honor World Pilgrim Participants and others. Dinner program hosted

by Brenda Woods of WXIA, 11 Alive News. Presented by Interfaith Community Initiatives. Mon., Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m. Temple Sinai. Advance reservations at http://eventrsvp.weebly. com.

Sun., Oct. 27 Piano Concert with Joe Alterman, two jazz concerts with renowned pianist Joe Alterman to kick off the MJCCA’s new 2013-14 “Jazz at the JCC” series. In association with the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. Sun., Oct. 27, 5 p.m. $17-$22/person. Morris and Rae Frank Theater.

Volunteer tutoring opportunity with the Atlanta Jewish Coalition for Literacy. Min. 30 minutes one-on-one per week, beginning this fall. Nine metro area elementary schools. (404) 843-9600.

AJT

may their memories be a blessing

Jack Cohen

Oscar Zimmerman

Jack Cohen, 89, a native of Atlanta, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 20, 2013. Born to Rae and Abraham Cohen, of blessed memory, he graduated from Boy’s High School of Atlanta and served in the Army during WWII. A huge Braves fan and lover of golf, Jack’s greatest passion was his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 42 years, Sylvia Stein Cohen; and his step-son, Stephen.

Jack is survived by his second wife of 24 years, Sharon Polstein Cohen; his sons: Alan (Barbara), Don (Beth), and Jan (Heidi) all of Atlanta, and Roy (Connie) of Boca Raton, FL; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; his step-children: Yosef (Bracha) of Chicago, Jay (Claire) of L.A., and Sheila of Atlanta; 10 step-grandchildren; seven step-great-grandchildren; and many, many friends. An online guestbook is available at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30327, www.aasynagogue.org, or to the charity of one’s choice. Graveside services were held 3 p.m. Sun., Sept. 22 at Crest Lawn Memorial Park with Rabbi Neil Sandler officiating.

Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, (770) 451-4999.

Oscar Charles Zimmerman, 93, of Brookhaven, Ga., son of the late Usher Anschel and Leah Zimmerman, of Charlotte, N.C., died on September 18, 2013.

Mr. Zimmerman was born on October 6, 1919, in Wilmington, Del. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was the Band Drum Major and played on the Lacrosse team. Serving as a Major in the United States Marine Corp., his duty was in Samoa during World War II. Mr. Zimmerman was employed as a retail manager in North Carolina, New York, and Georgia (Lane Bryant and J.P. Allen). He also was a realtor with Coldwell Banker in Atlanta. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Shirley Sweetman Zimmerman. He is survived by his brother, Erwin Zimmerman (Ruth) of New York City. He is survived by his children, Nancy Zimmerman Gerson (Larry), and Barry Lewis Zimmerman (Cindy). His surviving grandchildren are Shanna Gerson Levy (Jared), Deanne Alyse Gerson, Zachary Eric Gerson, Bradford James Zimmerman, and Rachel Ann Zimmerman.

A graveside funeral service was held at 1 p.m., Sun., Sept. 22 at the Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to United Hospice of Brookhaven. The contact number is (770) 279-6200. Arrangements by H.M. Patterson and Son, Arlington Chapel, Sandy Springs, GA (404) 851-9900.

89, Atlanta

Judy Glassman

93, Brookhaven

65, Dunwoody

Judy Glassman, age 65, of Dunwoody, died September 19, 2013. She was a beloved and inspiring teacher who enriched the lives of nearly a thousand kindergarten and first grade students. She also worked in many positions with Girl Scouts for over 30 years. Survivors include her husband of 42 years, Bruce Glassman; daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Doug Samson, Russellville, Arkansas; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Julie Glassman, Jerusalem, Israel; brother and sister-in-law, Sam and Carol Draisen, Dunwoody; brother and sister-in-law, Barry and Ellen Draisen, Anderson, S.C.: sister and brother-in-law, Bernice and Lloyd Goldman, Beachwood, Ohio; brother and sister-in-law, David and Andrea Draisen, Anderson, S.C.; many nieces nephews and large extended family. Sign an online guestbook at www. edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to in memory of Judy Glassman to Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, 5601 N. Allen Road, Mableton, GA 30126 or National Committee on Jewish Girl Scouting, 33 Central Drive, Bronxville, NY 10708 or The ALS Association, 1275 K Street, Suite 250 Washington, DC 20005. A graveside service was held 11 a.m. Mon., Sept.

23 at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, with Rabbi Joshua Heller officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, Atlanta (770) 451-4999.

Muriel Rubin Muriel Rubin of Atlanta passed peacefully on Thursday, September 19, 2013.

She had a full, rewarding life with family and friends. Muriel touched the hearts of many. She will be remembered as a loving mother and grandmother. Muriel was preceded in death by her loving husband of 54 years, Dr. Al Rubin. She is survived by her daughter, Lynn Sussman; her son, Dr. Paul Rubin and his wife Pam; and her grandchildren: Nate Sussman, Heather and her husband Dr. Brian Pachter, Dr. Jessican Rubin, and Dr. Michael Rubin.

An online guestbook is available at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Blonder Department for Special Needs at the Marcus Jewish Community, 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338, www.atlantajcc.org. Graveside services were held at 9 a.m., Sun., Sept. 22 at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, (770) 451-4999.

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

Atlanta

29

JEWISH PUZZLER

by David Benkof

Across 1. Mossad employees (abbr.)

5. Father of Aaron and Moses 10. Fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet 13. Hadassah alt.

14. ___ script 15. Tristan Tzara’s movement 16. Brother of Er in the Bible 17. Gladstone, to Disraeli 18. Biblical dry measure 19. Light that oozes 21. “The ___” (Potok novel) 23. Mai ___ (rum drinks) 24. King of the ___ (Yehuda HaLevi character) 25. In agreement 28. Like latkes 29. Canadian filmmaker David 32. “Curious George” author H.A. ___ 35. Musical closes 36. Steinful 37. Part of a dark suit 39. “___ Dream Will Do” (“Joseph” song) 40. Michael and Dianne 42. Chelsea’s husband 44. Philosopher Arendt 45. Sadat’s successor 48. Musician Einstein 49. Talmudic tractate about

Shabbat boundaries 50. Comedian Yakov 54. Currency before the Euro 55. Fashion designer Calvin 57. Not busy 58. “___ Yankees” (Jerry Ross musical) 59. Like Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” 60. Circus stunt, e.g.

61. “Hush,” in Yiddish 62. Ad infinitum 63. “Postcards from the ___” (1990)

11. “Doe, ___...” (“The Sound of Music” lyric) 12. Tall tales 15. Humdinger 20. Highway divisions 22. “Barney Miller” star Linden 24. Publisher of Jewish holy books 25. National org. of pool-and-gym places 26. ___ Curtain (Soviet perimeter

SEPTEMBER 27 ▪ 2013

30

funnyman Al 41. Made sacred 42. Arbiter of taste 43. ___ Ben-Canaan (“Exodus” hero) 45. Mah-jongg patterns 46. Bathsheba’s husband, before David 47. Mandalay’s land 48. “Sorry, ___ your way?”

50. Desiccated 51. “The Mummy Returns” actor Fehr 52. Israel’s has two stripes and a star 53. Elaborate dinner 56. See 30-Down

Last week’s answers

Down 1. Army deserter 2. “Face/Off” actress Gershon 3. Torah portion about sacrifices 4. Short musical composition 5. Bring charges against 6. Mutilates 7. Please reply 8. N. Carolina Jewish boarding school 9. Not fleishig or pareve 10. Palm-shaped amulet

Saturday, 10/12 7:30pm

$15 for 1 $25 for 2

of influence) 27. Type of builder 30. With 56-Down, prominent German rabbi 31. Israeli master spy Cohen 32. Noah’s bane 33. Author Ferber (“So Big”) 34. ___ Atid (political party) 37. Word with way or case 38. Tool for an archaeologist 40. Minnesota Senator and

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