The Observer Vol. 87 No. 1 – January 2022

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Vol. 87 No. 1 • January 2022

www.jewishobservernashville.org

28 Tevet - 29 Sh’vat 5782

Nashville Joins Together to Shine a Light on Antisemitism

By BARBARA DAB

A Jewish community volunteers learn to cook authentic Afghan food for families arriving in Nashville.

Update on Community Wide Efforts for Afghan Allies

By BARBARA DAB

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he Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is coordinating community wide efforts to support newly arriving families of allies from Afghanistan. To date, approximately 100 volunteers are involved in trainings and planning for the new arrivals and each volunteer will be matched with a family the week of January 17th. The first training for Jewish community volunteers was conducted by Hangama Wahidi, from the Nashville Afghan Association (NAA). She is educating the volunteers about the new neighbors and the obstacles they are facing in their early days in Nashville. Two additional trainings are scheduled with the next one in early January, to be conducted

by Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE).

Food is a key part of many cultures, and Afghanistan is no exception. The NAA is planning to provide each family with an authentic Afghan meal on their first night in Nashville. Jewish community volunteers on December 19th participated in a cooking class to learn about Afghan cooking and will prepare food for several families. A volunteer “SOS” team was also created to address any immediate needs. And finally, volunteers are creating fun, Continued on page 8 A Publication of the

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midst rising antisemitism and antisemitic rhetoric in the news and online, The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is harnessing the power of the collective. On January 27th, neighbors from throughout Nashville, including business, academic, education, faith, and elected leaders, are joining together to send the message that there can be “No Hate in Our State.” Federation CEO Eric Stillman says, “We are bringing together the broader, general community to shine a light on antisemitism.” The event is the result of the work of The Federation’s Task Force on Israel and Domestic Antisemitism. Leslie Kirby is the task force’s Chair. She says it is important for everyone to join together to stop hatred in

all its forms, “We are asking our neighbors to be upstanders, rather than bystanders.

To learn to recognize antisemitism, to not use antisemitic tropes themselves, and to call out those who do.”

Particularly alarming, according to Kirby, is the rising number of antisemitic incidents in the local schools. Dr. Greg Jones, President of Belmont University, says schools, and school districts, have a unique opportunity to reach young people during their formative years. “We need to emphasize the importance of civic virtue and the importance of inclusion, embrace, and welcome in all they do” he says.

Belmont University has long worked to build bridges with Nashville’s local Jewish Community, and Jones says it is time to go even further. “We aim to be a leader in helping to re-weave our social fabric, and this event is a wonderful opportunity to

contribute toward that re-weaving.”

The last few years have seen violent antisemitsm playing out nationwide.

Against the backdrop of the COVID19 pandemic, many incidents have been carried out digitally. According to the AntiDefamation League, reports of online harassment have remained roughly the same for the last three years, despite promises of self-regulation by technology companies. Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN), who will be speaking at the January 27th event, says hatred in any form is its own type of virus. “The worst virus is antisemitism, and if we don’t disinfect our society, it will spread.” He attributes the rise in antisemitism, and other forms of hatred, to demagogues in America and around the world. “When we objectify and de-humanize the other, Continued on page 3

Local High School Students Create Positive Response to Antisemitism

By BARBARA DAB

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abby Sandberg relocated to Middle Tennessee with her family from California just after the COVID19 pandemic began. She is a senior at Brentwood High School and soon after starting school, began noticing antisemitic behaviors among her classmates.

“I was excited to make the move, but I did start experiencing antisemitism,” she says. She describes subtle comments, jokes, and not so subtle things, such as someone drawing a swastika. She tried to rationalize these incidents in her mind as coming from a place of ignorance. As she shared it with her family, she realized it was time to do something. “My family discussed it and I just couldn’t normalize it anymore.” She had been Vice-President of the Jewish Club at her school in California and decided to create a similar club at Brentwood.

After asking a lacrosse teammate if she knew anyone who might be interested, she connected with a few other Jewish students, and they started planning. The club kicked off during the Fall semester Ethiopian National Project is Making an Impact from Israel to Nashville, page 2

Brentwood High School Jewish Club leaders (l. to r.), Gabby Sandberg, Maia Prichard, Mya Schwartz, Morgan Kornblit, Kayla Liebeskind

with about 30 students in attendance, and most recently, 60 students showed up. According to Gabby, 80% of those are not Jewish. “Our goal is to teach people about Judaism so they can better NowGen’s Hanukkah Party Was an “Ugly,” but Beautiful Celebration, page 10

understand what it’s all about and what our traditions and practices are,” she says.

Gabby was joined in leading the fledgling Jewish Club by Kayla Liebeskind, Continued on page 8

Back To School

Simchas & Celebrations Section, page 25

Ethiopian National Project is Making an Impact from Israel to Nashville

By BARBARA DAB

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mmigration, racism, and diversity.

These issues and values are currently capturing headlines in the national news cycle. They are also issues being discussed in Israel as the country comes to terms with what it means to be Jewish, and what it means to be Israeli. A recent visit to Nashville from Orli Wube, a participant in Israel’s Ethiopian National Project, funded by the Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, revealed a growing awareness of the challenges faced by Jews of color in Israel. “I felt different from a young age,” says Orli, “And the fact that I’m different helps me better understand others in Israel and Palestinians who also have different backgrounds. I can look at the other side.”

Orli’s parents emigrated after each received special permission from the Ethiopian government to study in Israel, something not typically done. In fact, most Jews in the villages of Ethiopia do not finish high school. “My parents dreamed about being able to be fully Jewish,” she says. After finishing their studies, they settled in Israel to work and raise their family. Acculturating to life in the country can be difficult, so they sought help from the Ethiopian National Project (ENP), an organization that provides support for children and families that is funded in part by a grant from The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

According to Grace Rodnitzki, Director of International Relations at ENP, “The best way to break down barriers is to enable the Ethiopian community to realize its potential. Through a focus on education, intensive support, and a drive for excellence, young people can dream big and go far.” The ENP also works with parents to help them better understand the Israeli culture, language, and social systems. Orli says the program helped fill in the gaps between both cultures.

After high school, she was able to join the Israeli Army as an officer, a posi-

Students at Fisk University meet Orli.

Students at TSU visit with Ethiopian Israeli medical student, Orli Wube, center photo. Pictured in the pink is Khenedi Wright, pictured in the rear center is Jordan Riche

tion not typically offered to Ethiopian immigrants. It was during her time in the Army that she recognized her dream of becoming a doctor, and she is currently in medical school.

The road has not been an easy one for Orli, who says there are tensions even within the immigrant community in Israel. “The Ethiopian Israeli community is also not homogenous. People come from different regions. There are gaps between the generations who grew up in Israel and their immigrant parents.” During her time in Nashville, Orli visited with students at Tennessee State University, one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) located in Nashvillee. Students there echoed the notion that minority communities are also layered and not homogenous.

Jordan Riche, a freshman majoring in Political Science, says it was enlightening to learn about racial divisions within the Jewish community. “I didn’t even know it was a thing,” she says, “I was surprised to learn that even though she is Jewish, she still faces racism and discrimination at times because she is a minority.” Jordan, who grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and

attended predominantly white schools, says she experienced resistance toward her efforts to become a leader at her school. “I had the opportunity to run for and become school President. But there were a lot of micro-aggressions, because of my skin color, around what I might accomplish.” Khenedi Wright, also a freshman political science major, is from Birmingham, Alabama. Raised by a single mother in a predominantly Black community, she was also surprised to learn about the diversity that exists among Jews. “It was eye opening to me. Everyone here is Christian and the fact that she is Jewish was surprising.”

Khenedi says her experience around skin color centers around her lighter skin.

“Because I have lighter skin and blonde hair, I get treated differently. People assume I’m not one hundred percent Black, and I am. Both my parents are dark skinned,” she says. She echoed Orli’s observations about internal racism in the Black community.

Orli’s time in Nashville included a visit with 5th graders at The Temple’s religious school. And while there was less emphasis on racism and skin color, teacher Danielle Bernstein says for many of her students it was their first experience meeting a Jew of color. “Most of the Jews my students know here are Ashkenazi. It was important for them to learn that just because someone doesn’t look traditionally Jewish, doesn’t mean they aren’t,” she says. Fifth grader Rena Zagnoev was surprised to learn the Ethiopian Israeli community even exists. According to her mother, Erin, “Rena loved meeting someone from Israel, and was interested

Students in the 5th grade religious school class at The Temple learn from Orli’s life experiences

to learn Israelis don’t all look alike.”

Danielle Bernstein says there was discussion around the different opportunities available to white Israelis, versus those, like Orli, who are not white. Danielle says human nature often leads people to label, “the other,” even within Israel and the Jewish world. But her student, Ruth Boehler, was surprised to hear about Jews of color being treated differently. “We’re all Jews, we’re all human,” she says, “What matters most is what is inside of us.” Ruth was impressed to learn about the ENP ‘s assistance and focus on education, “We have so many more opportunities. It’s sad when people can’t make their dreams come true. Humans should be able to fulfil their potential.”

Although there was much discussion around racism and division, there was also exploration into Orli’s heritage.

Because her family is from a small, isolated village in the mountains of Ethiopia, it is important to know their lineage.

Orli can trace her family’s heritage back many generations, something surprising to both Jordan Riche and Khenedi Wright. Khenedi says, “My favorite thing was learning that people in Ethiopia can know so much about their lineage. Black people in America only know what our parents tell us, which often doesn’t go very far back. It makes me want to get more in touch with my African heritage.”

Visits like Orli’s create connections and build bridges between cultures, even when the underlying faith background is the same. ENP’s Grace Rodnitzki says, Continued on page 8

Community Relations Committee Combatting Antisemitism with Bipartisan Efforts

By DEBORAH OLESHANSKY, DIRECTOR OF THE JCRC

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n August 2017, many of us watched in horror as people with tiki torches chanting, “Jews will not replace us,” marched through Charlottesville, VA at the Unite the Right Rally. In October 2017, the group Integrity First for America (IFA) filed a lawsuit against the organizers of the rally, specifically Jason Kessler and Richard Spencer. We learned about these efforts during a JCRC virtual program with IFA Executive Director, Amy Spitalnick, last year. On November 23, 2021, following a month-long trial in the Western District of Virginia, a jury decided that the defendants had engaged in a conspiracy to commit violence and intimidation that was illegal. The verdict held the defendants liable for the violent

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hate that deprived minorities and their supporters of their civil rights and led to the murder of Heather Heyer.

This case is a dramatic example of the rise in violent antisemitism occurring not only at the rally in Charlottesville, but across the country. Jews being attacked on the streets of New York, New Jersey, and California is a terrifying reminder of the work still necessary toward ending antisemitism.

Addressing antisemitism is an enormous endeavor and must include efforts not only by the Jewish community, but by all elected officials, and civic and faith leaders. This must be bipartisan in nature, with both parties standing up unequivocally against bigotry and discrimination in all forms.

Bipartisanship requires agreement or cooperation between two political parties

January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

that usually oppose each other’s policies.

Members of both parties must condemn antisemitism not only in the other party, but within their own. There are examples of elected leaders in both parties engaging in damaging and dangerous antisemitic rhetoric. Often, elected officials are quick to condemn the other party for engaging in this way, but hesitant to address it withing their own party.

Recently, Michael Bloomberg gave a speech to the Jewish community of New York. He called upon Jews and leaders in both parties to call out antisemitism, and to make it a truly bipartisan effort.

“Fragmenting the Jewish community along partisan lines only serves antisemites. This is a tactic designed to keep Jews in both parties quiet and force us to tolerate what they deem to be acceptable levels of antisemitism. We need to make

clear: There is no acceptable level of antisemitism – just as there is not acceptable form of racism, ethnic hatred, or religious intolerance, towards any group.”

On January 27th, the No Hate in Our State event will challenge elected officials in both parties to act against antisemitism and the racism and bigotry that grows from it and damages us all. This begins by standing against it in all forms and calling it out within their own parities and constituencies. This event will be a continuation of the Shine a Light initiative designed by the Jewish Federations of North America to highlight how modern forms of antisemitism persist all around us, to spotlight it, and to take steps to respond, no matter where we are: at work, in school, or online.

It will be an opportunity to stand with and for each other in this work, and to show that we are stronger together. •

Let’s Talk About an On Faith and Science Uncomfortable Topic

By RABBI JOSHUA KULLOCK

By RABBI YITZCHOK TIECHTEL

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here are many conversations that people are comfortable to talk about. There are those conversations that people shy away from. Today, let’s have a conversation about an uncomfortable topic: dying.

But wait: what is it about dying that makes many of us uncomfortable? Some will argue it’s because we are scared of the unknown. But I am not convinced.

Look, no one is uncomfortable guessing who will be the winner of the next Superbowl, who will win the next election, and what is going to happen next in the stock market. And it’s not only about areas that we are familiar with; try talking about UFOs or humans settling on Mars, and you will find an engaging audience.

Dying, however, is still taboo. I wonder if it’s because death feels like the opposite of ourselves. It’s the end of our existence. And since we very much like to exist, speaking about the end doesn’t feel good. Thinking about this topic can also make us question our self-worth: if it’s going to be over at some point, does it even have any value?

In Judaism, death is not viewed as an end. It is not the last stop of the journey, rather one more stop in the journey. According to the Torah, when a person dies, they only change form: instead of a soul-plus-body, they are now soul only. Even after death, neither our identity or our relationships are lost.

The soul is very much alive and is still in touch with its loved ones on earth, c

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aware of their pains and rejoicing in their moments of celebrations. This is why in Judaism there are many laws and traditions concerning the afterlife, from the way the body is prepared for burial (the “Tahara” purification process), to the funeral, burial and the grave.

These traditions and laws have a dual purpose. First, they provide the body the dignity it deserves. After all, it was the body that enabled the soul to fulfill so many Mitzvot during its lifetime. Second, they are designed to ease the soul’s pain. Because although the soul enjoys being in heaven, it does mourn the separation from the body.

Through these traditions, the soul is being comforted as it embarks on its spiritual journey in heaven.

Thank G-d, more and more Jews are starting to appreciate the beauty in the traditional Jewish custom and choose a Jewish burial over cremation. Recently I was called to Vanderbilt hospital at midnight, to recite prayers and share words of comfort for a victim of a plane accident, whose body was ninety five percent burned. It was an emotional moment for the family, as we were standing around the patient’s bed reciting the Shema Yisrael prayer and sang the Adon Olam. I shared with them about the importance of a proper Jewish burial, and that life goes on despite the separation of the soul in the body. These were the words of comfort they needed to hear that moment.

May G-d bless us all with a long, healthy, meaningful, and impactful life! •

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ot every Sunday a Rabbi walks into a church, let alone to get his third shot of the vaccine against Covid-19.

However that is exactly what happened a few weeks ago when I walked the few blocks from home to Blakemore United Methodist Church to get my booster. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to this whole situation. But after talking with a dear scientist, we realized how seemingly paradoxical and yet, at the same time, amazing it was for a Rabbi to express his support for science at a church.

There is a trend here in the United States (and abroad as well) trying to present faith and science as opposite ends of a spectrum. If you are for science, then there’s no room for faith and, if you are religious, then you can’t possibly embrace what the scientific developments have to offer. In this zero-sum game, vaccines and churches (or synagogues) cannot go hand in hand. You are forced to choose one or the other. The problem is, unfortunately, that when faith and science are presented as opposites, both lose. Every time we tend to the extremes, we all lose.

[2] The Talmud is very fond of the use of metaphors while speaking about Torah. Different Talmudic texts will compare Torah to water, fire, oil, milk, and a gazillion other images. Perhaps one of the most intriguing metaphors used by the Talmud to speak about Torah, occurs in the tractate that I’ve been reading for the last couple of weeks. Tractate Ta’anit is one of my favorites and it deals with what used to happen in Israel during times of drought. As the Rabbis discuss the relationship between fasting and rain, Rabbi Bena’a proposes that Torah should be understood as a drug. Yes, you heard it right. A drug. In this context, then, when studied for its own sake, Torah is a drug that gives you life (sam chayim), but when used not for its own sake, Torah is a drug that brings you death (sam mavet).

The fact that one Rabbi thinks that the Torah can bring life or death depending on the use we make of it is almost as radical as it sounds. We would probably tend to believe that the Rabbis will say that there’s always more room for Torah, and that there could not be an intoxication of Torah. And yet, the Talmud actually believes that the opposite is true, and that although Torah could be extremely beneficial for our lives, its abuse can be detrimental to our spiritual health as well. In that case, what needs to be considered is not only the properties of Torah per se, but also the ways in which we engage with her on a daily basis.

Perhaps, not by chance, in ancient

Antisemitism Continued from page 1 that’s when hatred spreads.” He says political polarization, particularly around COVID19 and COVID19 vaccines, is stirring people up, leading to increased acts of hate. He believes Nashville coming together for events like this upcoming one on January 27th is what is needed, “All of America needs to work to stop it.”

At press time, Governor Bill Lee is confirmed to speak at the event, along with Rabbi Joshua Kullock from West End Synagogue and Seth Bernstein, CEO of Alliance Bernstein, and there

Greek, the word Pharmakon meant remedy and poison at the same time. In that spirit, we can conclude that all sorts of things can be used and misused in many different ways. Torah can open for us the gates of wisdom and can guide us to an uplifting and meaningful spiritual life, but it can also be abused to preclude women from praying in the Western Wall in Jerusalem or to ban the recognition of the different streams of Judaism in Israel and abroad, just to name a few. Faith can certainly be distorted to the point of creating a lot of unnecessary pain. It can blind people and ignite the fires of mistrust between different groups. It can lead to a lot of nonsense.

And, in its more extreme iterations, an exploited faith can push people against science and also, against vaccines.

As with science, Torah can also be abused. In one of the most interesting books that I read this past year, When we Cease to Understand the World, the Chilean author Benjamin Labatut shows us how all throughout the previous century the mix between scientific knowledge and hubris gave us very troubling results.

But as with Torah, that is not a reflection on science per se but on the uses or misuses of science. It brings the conversation back to us, to what we do with the powerful tools that we have at hand. Are we going to use them to create a kinder and more just world or are we going to exploit them to enlarge the gap between those who are comfortable and those who are struggling the most? Are we going to use them to procure a healthier society that doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor or, to the contrary, are we going to hide behind them to maintain a very unequal status quo? Sam Chayim or Sam Mavet? Remedy or Poison?

[3] The same conversations that we can have on the realm of the big ideas can certainly be brought down to our daily lives. The tensions between living a balanced life and the allure of the extremes can be felt all around us. Whether it is in the current state of our partisan politics or in the abuses that we may do to our diets or exercise regimes (or their lack thereof), it’s all there. So, as we are now beginning with a new calendar year, I think that it might be beneficial for us to think about some of these questions.

As we are now reflecting about our New Year resolutions, what I hope for this 2022 is that we will achieve some inner balance, that we will find ways to make positive changes in our lives without falling into unhelpful excesses and that we will be able to embrace what Torah and Science have to offer us. Both, I believe, can be the remedies that we deeply need to amend this broken world.

Happy New Year and L’Chaim! • are others from faith communities, and social justice organizations who will be in attendance. Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones, says it is important to have the support of the non-Jewish community in the fight against antisemitism, “We need to have a clear voice about the power of love, and we need to model that whenever we have the opportunity to do so.”

The event begins at 5:00pm at War Memorial Auditorium in downtown Nashville and follows with a candlelight vigil at 5:45 at Legislative Plaza. WKRN News Channel 2 will broadcast live from the event. For information, contact Eric Stillman at eric@jewishnashville.org. •

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

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Federation’s Inclusion Workshop to Focus on Ability and Belonging

By BARBARA DAB

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hen a young child at the Revere Montessori Preschool needed special materials to accommodate his severe vision problems, the school’s Director Esther Tiechtel knew just where to go for help. She turned to the Lori Ann Fishel Special Needs Fund at The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. “It was a very straight forward and streamlined process to request funds for some reading materials,” says Tiechtel, “We want to ensure that all our children have the resources necessary to meet their needs and to make each one feel cared for as an important member of the community.” And while this particular grant was not a big one, the impact and significance looms large for The Federation’s Inclusion Committee as it plans for the 2022 Inclusion Workshop. Sandy Cohen, Chair of the committee, says, “It is time to reflect on what is being done and what is not being done within our community to help everyone feel like they belong, are welcomed, and cared for.”

This year’s Inclusion Workshop will

explore the concept of “ability rather than disability,” and seek to create a long-term shift in the local Jewish community’s narrative around inclusion. The keynote speaker is Erik W. Carter PhD, a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center member, and Professor of Special Education. According to Sandy Cohen, there will be discussion of the Dimensions of Belonging, a concept identified by Carter, “We will use his ideas to explore ways to think about belonging as it applies to faith communities.” She adds that it is important to anticipate what might be needed at a particular event, for example, and figure out in advance ways to meet those needs.

“Everyone has some sort of need, so our goal is to create a culture where accommodating people is natural and expected.

It will take a while to move the needle, but it’s time we got started.”

One local organization already making strides is Vanderbilt Hillel. Brian Small, Assistant Director of Hillel, recently applied for a Lori Ann Fishel Special Needs Fund grant that enabled Hillel to purchase large print prayer books. “I am a big fan of being proactive so our organization can be more inclu-

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Esther Tiechtel, Director of the Revere Montessori Preschool applied for and received a grant from the Lori Ann Fishel Special Needs Fund to provide reading materials for a student with severe vision difficulties.

sive” he says, “When someone asks for the larger print, we already have it, and everyone has access to it.” In addition, Hillel has posted a sign at the front desk requesting suggestions for creating a more inclusive environment. He echoes the grant application experience of Esther Tiechtel as being easy and streamlined.

Most important, though, is the message

being sent. “There should be a certain level of expectation that is the common denominator between all of our community’s institutions.” Additionally, those interviewed all agree that everyone benefits from the accommodations, often in unexpected ways. Tiechtel says the special reading materials she received are available to all the children in the preschool. “This gives teachers another tool to measure when children reach developmental milestones. When they have what they need, the whole school benefits. And the children are learning compassion and to celebrate each other’s successes.”

This year’s Inclusion Workshop is scheduled for January 26th and, as last year, will take place virtually. There will again be breakout groups to explore topics such as hearing and vision issues, physical access, and the Autism spectrum. And, equally important to creating a cultural shift, is a focus on advocacy.

Brian Small says he thinks about Moses, who had a speech disability, and yet that is not the focus of his story. “The work we need to do is like the work of Aaron.

He helped his brother and elevated him so he could do great things. We need to focus on ways to advocate for and help each other focus on our abilities.”

For more information on the 2022 Inclusion Workshop, or to sign up, contact Adam Bronstone at adam@ jewishnashville.org. •

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Mission Possible 2022 Takes Flight!

By BARBARA DAB

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ission Possible, one of the signature programs of The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, is ready for takeoff on zoom at 11:00 am on Sunday, February 6th. The mission is designed to introduce Nashville Jewish community members to the service providers and recipients of Federation funding. For participants who register in advance, you will receive a gift bag with specially curated treats and trinkets from the countries we will be visiting online. The typical bus tour of Jewish Nashville went virtual during the COVID19 pandemic, providing the opportunity to focus on the overseas programs and services of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and programs funded directly by the Federation. JAFI and the JDC are the two largest Israel and Overseas partners of The Jewish Federation. Batia Karabel, Chair of Mission Possible, says, “This virtual program is so important because it highlights the important work our Federation is doing overseas.”

This year’s overseas component will allow mission passengers first to have the option of exploring the amazing Jewish communities of India and Morocco. One breakout room will explore the rich history of Jews in Morocco and hear about the Joint Distribution Committee’s humanitarian work in the local Jewish community.

Simultaneously, another breakout room will go to India for an insider’s look at Jewish life in India and the JDC’s work in welfare and Jewish education.

Mission passengers next will choose one of four Israel-based programs to visit.

A first option includes the work of the Fund for the Victims of Terror, which brings comfort to the loved ones of those who are injured or killed by terror or rocket fire and, since 2002, has helped improve the lives of eight thousand households across Israel. A second option for mission travelers is the Jewish Agency’s Pre-Army preparation “Walking the Distance” program, which is exclusively for young women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

A top priority for The Jewish Agency is fostering and developing female leaders.

The Walking the Distance “Mechinah” for Female Leadership, as well as the Alma

“Mechinah,” are programs exclusively for young women. The programs provide opportunities for participants to engage with influential female leaders and other opportunities to help young women realize their potential for leadership. The Walking the Distance “Mechinah” is specifically focused on empowering young women from vulnerable backgrounds.

The program utilizes wilderness therapy to provide the tools they need to change their lives and discover their own paths to leadership.

The third and fourth breakout room options for mission participants when experiencing Israel will include the Maksam program and the Partnership2Gether (P2G) program Leadership2Gether (L2G). Immigrant communities in Israel, much like those in the United States, face special challenges integrating into the local national culture. The Maksam network of neighborhood centers works to improve the prospects of Hadera’s children of Ethiopian origin and those from other immigrant communities. Maksam delivers educational reinforcement and enrichment to elementary-aged children, providing them with the skills needed

to gain confidence and ambition.

Finally, the Partnership2Gether (P2G) program Leadership2Gether (L2G) brings together young professional adults from the Hadera-Eiron Region and the communities in the southeastern US, including Nashville. Using current communication technology, the program engages Israelis and Americans, paired for one-on-one sessions that use text study to share their Jewish heritage and identity, and their responsibilities as Jews to their own community and the worldwide Jewish community.

Mission Possible is a unique opportunity for the local Jewish community, says Carolyn Hecklin Hyatt, Financial Resource Development Assistant Director and Campaign Director. “The Mission is a virtual opportunity for members of our community to gain greater insight into the overseas programs of The Jewish Federation. The work we do globally is an important part of our mission to enrich the lives of Jews around the world.”

To learn more about Mission Possible, or to book your ticket, contact carolynh@jewishnashville.org •

“Wow, you can make a lot of money in the stock market.

Should I be investing?”

By ADAM DRETLER

H

istory shows that the modern investment structure can be

traced all the way back to Amsterdam in the 1600’s, with the formation of the Amsterdam Stock exchange. Some argue, however, that we can look even

Subsidized Opportunities Available for Jewish Teens & College Students to Visit Israel Through Mary and Harry Zimmerman Youth Exchange Endowment Fund High School and College Age Student Incentive Grants

The next generation's commitment to the Jewish people can be greatly affected by the experience of being in Israel as a teen.

An experience in Israel builds Jewish Identity that lasts a lifetime.

Programs that may qualify for partial scholarship grants include March of the Living, JCC Maccabi Xperience, NFTY, Ramah, USY, Volunteers for Israel, High School in Israel and BBYO. For more information contact Tania Bukengolts, at tania@jewishnashville.org.

6

January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

further back in history, to which leads to the question 1700 BC (!) where The of whether investing in the Code of Hammurabi actustock market is the right ally shows a legal framedecision for you and your work for investing. Here family. The answer to this in the United States, the question is…IT DEPENDS! first stock exchange was The stock market has the Philadelphia Stock proven to be a great vehicle Exchange, founded in to provide strong investment 1790. Two years later, returns over long periods of New York Stock Exchange Adam Dretler, principal time – but there are many Diversified Trust is (abbreviated as NYSE) fol- with factors that need to be taken a member of the PAC of lowed, and quickly rose to The Jewish Federation, into consideration before prominence. Needless to and serves as Chair of The investing. These include say, individuals and fami- Federation’s Investment your time horizon, your appelies have been investing for Committee tite for risk, the purpose of centuries, and stocks have been a great the capital you invest, the need for the source of financial growth. However, funds in the near term, as well as a handthe stock market is not for everyone, ful of other topics to consider. It is also which is the topic we will discuss below. important to understand the concept The US stock market broadly refers of diversification. Diversification is the to the collection of exchanges and other practice of spreading your investments venues where the trading of shares of across multiple asset classes so that your publicly held companies takes place. exposure to any one type of asset is limitEach market has a different purpose, ed. This concept of Diversification is also and before one decides if investing in true when investing in the stock market, stocks is right for them, it is important where there are many options. This is a to understand all the different markets great way to balance the risk and reward one can access, as well as the risks assoin your portfolio. ciated with each. The most prominent There is likely a place in your investvenue that garners the most attention ment portfolio for the stock market, and is the S&P 500. This index tracks the these assets should grow over a long period performance of 500 (actually 505) large of time. The key however is to have a companies listed on stock exchanges in sound plan. The personal financial goals of the United States, across 11 different your family need to first be memorialized, sectors. Some of these sectors include and it is only then that you should begin Information Technology, Healthcare, to explore the stock market and decide if Financials, Industrials, as well as a handit is the right investment for you. • ful of others. When you “buy” the S&P 500, you are getting a very good repreAdam Dretler is a member of the sentation of the entire US economy and Jewish Federation of Nashville Professional over the past 50 years, the average annual Advisory Council (PAC). He can be return for the S&P 500 has been 10.83%. reached at Diversified Trust, adretler@ It is important to note, however, that diversifiedtrust.com, 917-613-0768 For only a handful of years came within a few more information about the PAC members percentage points of that actual average. or the upcoming seminars, please contact There have been many ups and many Shannon Small, Assistant FRD Director downs in the stock market. Some of these and Foundation Director at shannon@ down periods have been very significant, jewishnashville.org.

Vanderbilt Hillel Announces Staff Changes, Says Goodbye to Longtime Colleagues A

s Vanderbilt Hillel looks forward to an exciting semester, it is preparing for several staffing changes. Hillel’s longtime and dedicated Assistant Director Brian Small and Director of Operations Debby Wiston are both leaving to pursue new opportunities. Executive Director Ari Dubin said, “They have worked tirelessly on behalf of our students and community for years, and we are deeply grateful to each of them for all they have done to make us the success we are today.”

Brian Small moved to Nashville with his wife Shannon and their two children in 2017 to join Hillel, and during his time at Vanderbilt he revolutionized many aspects of Hillel’s programs and student outreach. Dubin said, “Brian successfully created many new ways for students to connect to

Notes from Noam

By NOAM HARARI COMMUNITY SHLICHA

L

ast May with everything that happened in Israel, I started to meet with our community one on one and in small groups. We talked about Israel or just shared our feelings about the news and social media.

I really enjoyed getting to know you and chat, virtually and in person. I received so many complex and interesting questions about Israel. And it was a learning experience for me.

I watched an interesting TED Talk on how to listen, and I resonated with it immediately because of all the conversations about Israel. Listening is hard, especially when people share a different perspective to yours. The speaker, Julian Treasure said, “A world where we don’t listen to each other at all is a very scary place indeed.” I stand by this statement.

Therefore, I am here to listen.

There is so much happening in terms of social media and news about Israel.

It can be very intimidating, and I am from there. I want to be someone you feel comfortable to talk to and share your thoughts. Mainly, I want us to learn together about Israel.

I am here! Please feel free to reach out!!!

Email: noam@jewishnashville.org Facebook: Noam Harari Shlicha Instagram: Noam Nashville I can’t believe it’s my third New Years’ Eve here in Nashville. We have been through so much and, speaking for myself, I feel like a new fresh start is all we need.

Wishing you a happy and healthy year!

Noam

Please support the businesses that advertise in the Observer and help support our community in all ways! Make sure to let them know... you saw their ad here!

the Jewish community, most notably starting Hillel’s pre-orientation program for incoming first-year students.” Brian has accepted a remote position with the Gift of Life as their Jewish Community Engagement Recruitment Manager.

Since she began working at Hillel in 2013, Debby Wiston’s many roles over the years reflect both the diversity of her talents and her deep commitment to Hillel’s success. In reflecting on Wiston’s time at Hillel, Dubin remarked, “Debby’s leadership and steady hand led us through

many campaigns, fundraisers, and student events. Whether she was leading a student trip to Panama or pulling off an incredible 100th birthday celebration for our namesake Ben Schulman, Debby made it look easy. We are going to miss both Debby and Brian, and we will continue to celebrate them as we move from strength to strength.”

Hillel’s current Engagement and Social Justice Coordinator, Veronica Grady, is moving into the role of Program Director for Vanderbilt

Hillel. In her new role, Grady will be responsible for implementing Hillel’s programmatic vision and ensuring it maintains its consistent success. Grady said, “I am thrilled to continue growing with Vanderbilt Hillel in this new role.

Our students are truly amazing and inspire me to reach new heights in Jewish programing and engagement.”

Hillel has initiated a national search for a Development Director and looks forward to announcing the new hire in the future. •

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The Jewish Observer • January 2022

7

Jewish Club Continued from page 1 Mya Schwartz and Morgan Kornblit, all seniors. Kayla, who also moved to Brentwood last year from her native New York, agrees with Gabby that the culture is very different from what she was used to. “People are basically curious about Judaism. I like being able to tell friends about it, but there’s a lot of forcing Christianity on me,” she says. Mya says during middle school, a classmate signed her yearbook with a swastika in red pen.

And Morgan says she’s been asked to describe the difference between Jewish people and “normal,” people. All believe education is the key to building better understanding about Judaism.

So far, the Club’s activities are taking place during the school day, which all agree is helping with attendance. There have been meetings to share about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Havdalah and Shabbat, and of course, a Hanukkah party. Gabby says she believes the club is slowly making a difference.

“It’s a ripple effect that’s spreading out among the school,” she says. And Maya says it has been gratifying for her to share the reality of Jewish life in a joyous way.

“This is a concrete way to bring Judaism into other people’s lives. It’s a fun way to merge education with socialization.” And Kayla says she’s proud to share her Jewish heritage with others. Morgan says a highlight, of course, is the food. “People are having fun trying new foods. Someone even asked for a kugel recipe.”

The Club’s faculty advisor, Jerry Stelmaszak, who teaches math and statistics, works with the leaders in the planning phase, but remains largely in the background during meetings. When Gabby Sandberg first approached him for assistance, he was happy to help. “This is something that had not been done in the past at Brentwood High School.

It’s important to bring a level of Jewish awareness to a school that is rich in cultural diversity,” he says. He notes he is not aware of any antisemitic instances at the school, but says the Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior.

Coming up in the Spring, the Club is planning events around Purim and Passover, as well as bringing in a

Jewish Club members sample apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah

Jewish Club members blowing a Shofar

demonstrate

discussion about the Holocaust. Jerry Stelmaszak is the son of a Holocaust survivor and believes this type of education is crucial to developing greater understanding among the students. “My mother escaped Nazi Germany. Her family feared for their lives and moved to Michigan. If we don’t remember the past and what has happened to the Jewish people, it will be lost on future generations.” Morgan Kornblit says she is looking forward to listening to Jerry’s story.

“It will be interesting to hear him open up about his personal life.” And Mya says while the meeting may be a tough one, “I’m excited to see where it takes us. For people to see how big, how tragic, the Holocaust really was.”

The Spring semester will also bring a “Judaism 101,” event to be led by Deborah Oleshansky, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Committee of The Jewish Federation. She says the Club’s leaders are modeling behavior that will go a long way toward moving the needle at the school. “This is a perfect example of kids using their own positive initiative to solve problems,” she says.

In fact, The Federation provided some funding to help the club with its programming and is including the current and future club leaders in a “Student-to-

Student,” training in the Spring. And Noam Harari, the Community Shlicha, will be leading an “Israel 101,” program.

The training is a key component that will help ensure the club has a future at the school.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, last year was the third highest for incidents of antisemitism against American Jews since reporting began in 1979. And even as schools transitioned to remote learning, there were a reported 196 incidents of videoconferencing attacks, or “Zoombombing,” and 114 of those in institutions like schools, universities, and synagogues. Now that schools have resumed in-person learning, the ADL says the number could rise. And The Federation’s Deborah Oleshansky says The Federation continues to receive incident reports from parents and students. Some reports are merely for data

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January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

gathering, and some ask for assistance.

She says what the leaders of the Jewish Club are doing is a significant sign that students are learning to be proactive.

“These kids took it upon themselves to do something positive. And it’s obviously working.” Advisor Jerry Stelmaszak says he is both proud and surprised by the popularity of the Club, and he is inspired by the new generation stepping forward.

“We are a small minority in this country, and yet there is bigotry all around us. It’s inspiring that a young person is willing to discuss her faith with the student body.”

Next year, Gabby Sandberg and her fellow leaders will be off at colleges around the country. Following in their footsteps are younger siblings and friends. • The reporting for is available on the Jewish Federation website, www.jewishnashville.org

Afgan Allies Continued from page 1 kid-friendly activities to keep youngsters busy while their parents are being oriented and becoming more comfortable with their new lives. If you are interested in volunteering to be part of this unique opportunity, contact Michal Becker, michal@jewishnashville.org •

Ethiopia REALTORS® who: • Act fast • Lead with honesty and integrity • Give to the community • Keep your best interests at heart

Brentwood High Jewish Club is attracting more participants than most other clubs at the school

Continued from page 2 “If someone is actually racist, it’s hard to change their mind. The real challenge is changing prejudicial behavior. And that can be done through creating relationships.” She says through the opportunities created because of the ENP’s support, Ethiopian Israelis are reaching deeper into Israeli society, business, and academia.

For example, the Jewish Federation in Nashville helps by providing funding for an after-school mentoring program for Ethiopian teens in our Israel Partnership Hadera-Eiron Region. In addition to enriching the lives of those who ENP

supports, Rodnitzki says the benefits can reach clear to Nashville. “Our work here can be so important for North American Jewry. By sending people like Orli to share their experiences, it helps create positive relationships with Israelis and Israel and the immigrant communities in Middle Tennessee.” Adam Bronstone, Director of Planning and Israel Partnerships for The Federation, agrees. “Our goal was to do exactly this, show our Jewish community and the broader general community that the Jewish world is full of diversity and richness. If we can build connections to groups such as TSU and Fisk through our relationship with ENP, then the story gets told, which is a total win-win.” •

Inclusive Gym Focuses on Play for Kids of All Abilities

By BARBARA DAB

T

he past couple of generations have seen the rise in popularity of indoor play gyms for children. Touting the virtues of safe, fun, interactive play and socialization, the gyms offer everything from brightly colored equipment to classes featuring music, dance, and drama. What has been left out, according to some parents, is a focus on the needs of children with disabilities and special needs. Steven and Samantha Komarnitzy were challenged to find such a place for their now eight-year-old son, Nash who was diagnosed with autism at age four. “Typical gyms and playgrounds are overwhelming for him,” says Samantha.

“Sometimes he has meltdowns. Making social connections is also often difficult.”

So, the couple began researching some place that could fit their son’s needs in their home town of Los Angeles. What they found was We Rock the Spectrum (WRTS), a gym designed for children of all ages and abilities. Steven says the

gym had just what they were looking for.

“It really caters to kids on the spectrum and those with other disabilities, and typical kids. It’s a completely inclusive environment.”

The family, which includes five-yearold daughter, Coco, found themselves hanging out at WRTS several times a week. It was an opportunity for all of them to find some much needed recreation in an inclusive environment.

Steven says, “Everyone there was so open and accepting. Coco had friends she never really realized were different in any way. All the kids were able to play together.” And then, the COVID19 pandemic happened and brought with it additional challenges for the family.

Samantha says, “Remote school was very hard for Nash. Much of the progress he’d made was lost.” So, the couple, who each had a job that could transition to remote work, decided the time had come to leave California. “We had been looking to open a WRTS location in California, but we realized we wanted a better quality

We Rock the Spectrum gym offers a safe, inclusive environment.

Samantha and Steven Komarnitzky, pictured with their children Nash and Coco, are owners of We Rock the Spectrum gym for kids of all abilities.

of life,” says Steven. “When you have a child on the spectrum, you really have to think about the future.”

The family eventually settled in Franklin and began looking for a place to realize their dream of owning their own WRTS gym. Their new facility is currently under construction and is set to open on January 29th. The inclusive recreational space has something for everyone, says Steven, “We will have offerings for all ages of kids, up to young adults. Parents of all abilities will also feel welcome.” The jam-packed schedule includes structured classes, open play times, and drop-off service. Their inclusive approach extends to staffing, too. “We are looking for neuro-diverse trainers, trainers on the autism spectrum,

really anyone who is qualified, who has the interest.” The Komarnitskys are also partnering with a local ride sharing company that is specifically focused on accessible transportation. “Often the biggest barrier to participation is getting there,” says Steven.

Programs like WRTS can be out of budget for many families. To add to the inclusive philosophy, is My Brother Rocks the Spectrum, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the WRTS experience and resources to all families. “We want to be a resource for the whole community,” says Steven. For information about We Rock the Spectrum visit www.werockthespectrumfranklintn. com or follow on social media @ wrtsfranklintn. •

Akiva Engages Grandparents with Visit to Israeli Museum

By ELLY EBIN

E

very November Akiva hosts its annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day, welcoming grandparents, and special friends into the school for specialized programming and a chance to see what their grandchild’s Akiva experience is all about. This year’s virtual program found grandparents and students staring into the eyes of a lizard perched on a docent’s head, watching a Burmese python wrap itself around its handler, getting an up-close look at tiny stickbugs hardly visible in their camouflaged state, and hearing the sharp snap of a scorpion’s pincer. The global move to virtual programming and communication has many discernable downsides, but it has also offered an important upside.

Our access to people and places is no longer limited by distance and time. We now have the opportunity and ability to meet people and explore places that were previously inaccessible. For Akiva students and their grandparents, this year’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a chance to make the most of this opportuneness and visit The Biblical Museum of Natural History in Bet Shemesh, Israel.

The Biblical Museum of Natural

History was established in 2014 to give visitors a window into the beauty and natural world of the Torah. Through its collection of live and non-live exhibits, the museum provides an experience that is both exciting and educational.

During Akiva’s virtual tour, students and grandparents were given an up-close look at reptiles and insects found in Israel and the Torah. They learned how these creatures, despite seeming so lowly and mundane, can be a great source of inspiration.

Susan Cohen, grandmother to fifth grader Lyla and first grader Abby, expressed the enjoyment she and her granddaughters had being able to, “tour the wildlife at the Biblical Museum of Natural History. It was a great and informative way to celebrate Akvia’s Grandparents Day.” Cohen’s granddaughter Lyla said she, “really enjoyed watching the program along with my Baba. Both of our favorite parts were seeing and learning about the animals in the Torah like the tarantula.

I loved that I got to enjoy this with my Baba and all the other people there too.”

Akiva appreciates the critical role that grandparents play in the health and wellbeing of children and works hard to support and foster these strong

intergenerational relationships. Vicki Jacobs, grandmother to Leah in second grade, reflects on Akiva’s unique ability to welcome and engage grandparents into the school. Jacobs says that while most schools emphasize parent communication and engagement, at Akiva, “The buck doesn’t stop there. We as grandparents have the same interest in the students’ progression and comfort. Akiva offers us the same opportunity and journey.

I get to witness that my granddaughter

is learning and feeling safe, heard, respected, and loved.”

Head of School Rabba Daniella Pressner said, “This year’s Grandparents and Special Friends Day program was designed to provide students and grandparents with a shared and unique experience. You can never underestimate the impact that a grandparent or special friend has on a child, and at Akiva, we always want to encourage these impactful and meaningful relationships.” •

Hadassah Happenings January 10th Zoom board meeting 7pm Members welcome to attend January 23rd Advocacy 101 Workshop 10:30am Contact Erin Coleman erin.d.coleman@gmail.com

January 30th Zoom Bookclub 4pm The Nesting Dolls

by Alina Adams Author will be in attendance RSVP to Sarah Motis Ruden spm5222@gmail.com

Learn more about the Jewish community at www.jewishnashville.org

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

9

NowGen’s Hanukkah Party Was an “Ugly,” but Beautiful Celebration

By MARISA RUBIN

F

or the first time since 2019, NowGen was able to finally celebrate Hanukkah together again. Over 100 NowGen members gathered at Fat Bottom Brewing in The Nations for a night to celebrate and be festive. Julia Motis, NowGen Jewish Life Committee

Chair, spearheaded the idea of making this year’s party an official ugly sweater party. In previous years, people came dressed for the season, but this year everyone came out in their ugliest of ugly holiday sweaters. This was the largest attended NowGen event since the pandemic and we’re hoping to only go up from here. •

NowGen Jewish Life Committee Chair, Julia Motis, and The Jewish Federation’s Marisa Rubin enjoying the festivities.

Beit Miriam students bring lights of Hanukkah to Park Manor

By JUDITH SAKS

S

ixth and seventh grade students at West End Synagogue’s Beit Miriam School brought Hanukkah lights and cheer to the residents of Park Manor in December. Accompanied by Cantor Sara Levine on guitar, the students sang Hanukkah and other songs along with the residents.

“They were so overjoyed to hear young voices,” Levine said. Several West End Synagogue members live at Park Manor.

Maytal Wiston, a sixth grader, said, “The residents were really sweet, watching us and applauded after each song. As we got to the second and third songs, more people came, and not all of them were Jewish.”

“It was a good experience to get out and do a mitzvah,” said Sammy Sparks, “to do a good deed for the elderly.”

The students and Jewish residents shared their Hanukkah memories and traditions and lit a menorah. •

Beit Miriam students celebrate Hanukkah with residents of Park Manor

Please support the businesses that advertise in the Observer and help support our community in all ways!

Learn more about the Jewish community at www.jewishnashville.org

10 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee at www.jewishnashville.org

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

11

h

With Pride, w welcomes Consecration Class of 2020/5781 Eden Clarke

Raegan Pounds

child of Clare & Robin Clarke

child of Bridget & Zachary Pounds

Benjamin Dowell

Josephine Sacks

child of Shana & Jon Dowell

child of Susie & Scott Sacks

Wyatt Gichner

Chloe Salvado

child of Jessica & Jason Gichner

child of Lauren & Chris Salvado

Thomas Glicken

Noelle Slowey

child of Sarah & Stephen Glicken

child of Rachel & John Slowey

Vivian Goldberg

Ari Small

child of Tara & Benjamin Goldberg

child of Shannon & Brian Small

Spencer Katz

Hudson Unger

child of Amy & Brian Katz

child of Kelly & Jacob Unger

Rae Lasher

William Varrin

child of Melissa & Stephen Lasher

child of Stephanie & Jason Varrin

Adrienne Levy

Charlotte Wachsman

child of Lisa Zuckerwise & Brian Levy

child of Lauren & David Wachsman

David Perry

Sari Zagnoev

child of Mollie & Bobby Perry

child of Erin & Greg Zagnoev

For information about Religious School for your children please con The Temple - 5015 Harding Pike

12 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

with Joy and with Gratitude, The Temple s its newest Religious School students Consecration Class of 2021/5782 Josephine Berneman

Matthew Pinsly

child of Kristin & Steve Berneman

child of Jessica & Elliot Pinsly

Cece Brook

Monica Reichstein

child of Jamie & Jeremy Brook

child of Caitlin Stone & David Reichstein

Raleigh Corts

Dustin Romain

child of Jennifer & Andrew Corts

child of Amy & Jeremy Romain

Jakob Fleischer

Guston Saterstrom

child of Jennifer & Braden Fleischer

child of Julia & Noah Saterstrom

Cormac Fleischman

Alexis Small

child of Becca Jensen & Ryan Fleischman

child of Ashley & Adam Small

Samantha Kirschner

Maxwell Spilkin

child of Stephanie & Austin Kirschner

child of Kendra & Simon Spilkin

Jeriah Kraft

Hal Sprouse

child of Rae & Jacob Kraft

child of Caroline & Lee Sprouse

Jackson Miller

Charlotte Wolf

child of Megan & Michael Miller

child of Sarah & Matthew Wolf

Jonathan Perry

Ian Wolf

child of Mollie & Bobby Perry

child of Elizabeth & Jason Wolf

ntact Rabbi Michael Shulman (rabbishulman@templenashville.org) e - Nashville, TN - (615)352-7620

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

13

Gordon JCC’s Camp Davis Welcomes a New Leadership Team

By LESLIE SAX, GORDON JCC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

T

he Gordon JCC is pleased to announce our new Camp Davis Leadership Team! Director Andrew Fishman, Assistant Director Max O’Dell, and Inclusion Director Abby Pierron are excitedly preparing for the 2022 summer, our 92nd year of giving your children the best summer of their lives.

In addition to their own personal experience, our team joins an extensive professional network of over 60 Jewish day camps as part of the Jewish Day Camp Network. The JDCN connects camps across North America, enabling peer to peer support, access to expertise and the ability to leverage the member benefits of a large association - without sacrificing their autonomy and unique Jewish mission.

Though this will be Andrew and Max’s first summer with Camp Davis, they have learned all about what makes Camp Davis so special – from Maccabiah games to the amazing Friday Shabbat celebration, and of course the incredible ruach of it all! The team is excited to bring their expertise to Camp Davis and help elevate the experience we’ve always offered. Camp Davis has grown tremendously in the last five years, and we are now planning for camp with at least 200 campers each week! This requires careful attention to detail without losing even a little bit of fun.

Our incredible traditional camp model that has brought Nashville kids joy for over 90 years will mostly remain the same; one of the larger areas of focus for this summer will be revamping our specialty camp offerings. Campers can still choose from three specialty tracks – Sports, Art, and STEM (renamed from Brain Builders), but these camps will now be taught by professionals in their fields from the Nashville community

Assistant Director Max Director Andrew Fishman

O’Dell

&

with clearer learning objectives and an enhanced level of fun and structure. You can see all these new camps and specialists in our 2022 Camp Guide, which should be in families’ homes soon or on our website www.campdavisnashville.com.

Additionally, this team knows the benefits that the brand-new Madeline Pargh Arts and Craft Center will bring to camp! This space will serve as a beautiful home base for campers and staff while also creating incredible opportunities for allcamp engagement and events throughout the summer and year. This camp home will also provide the first step in our pursuit of accreditation through the American Camp Association.

With all this careful planning and energy, we are confident that Summer 2022 will be the best Camp Davis yet!

Read on to learn more about this amazing team, and about how this summer will be our best yet!

Andrew Fishman Director of Camp Davis and Children’s Services Andrew Fishman is beyond thrilled to serve as the new Director of Camp Davis! He brings a myriad of unique

Inclusion Director Abby Pierron (AP)

experience within education to the role, including teaching preschool, tutoring writing, teaching high school English, and serving as the Curriculum and Operations Coordinator of the Gordon JCC’s ECLC. Most notably, Andrew worked at the prestigious Elmwood Day Camp in White Plains, New York over five formative summers in a variety of roles from counselor to Operations Manager. He was also a camper at Camp Kinder Ring (Hopewell Junction, NY) and Ardsley Day Camp (Ardsley, NY) as a boy, which helped instill a love of the outdoors and the world of camp in general. “In terms of activities, my favorites are Gaga and the ropes course, but my favorite parts of this new job are inspiring young people to have a similar appreciation for camp and fostering an environment that is a fun and safe place to be one’s self.”

Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and his Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Virginia.

Aside from camp, Andrew loves cheering on his alma maters and other favorite New York sports teams, trying new recipes in his air fryer or cast-iron skillet, and hiking the many parks of Tennessee and beyond.

Max O’Dell Assistant Director of Camp Davis and Children’s Services Max grew up here in Nashville and has been working in the camping world since he was sixteen. Those years including working at Whippoorwill Farm Day Camp where he spent five amazing summers.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and Entrepreneurship, Max returned to camping, working at Tim Horton Camp Kentahten for the past two years. Max loves Camp because, “It provides a unique environment where people of all ages from our kindergarten age campers to our staff get to be themselves, sing songs, play, and enjoy the simple moments in life.

It’s a place where we aren’t distracted by Twitter or TikTok and get to appreciate the amazing people we have around us.

Best of all, it’s FUN!” When he’s not at camp, Max can be found wandering the isles of Trader Joe’s or hiking in the woods.

Abby Pierron (AP) Camp Davis Inclusion Director Abby Pierron, (also known as AP) grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but loves living here in Nashville with her husband, Chad, and their giant dogs, Bear and Goose! She attended Lipscomb University and completed a B.S. in K-8 Special Education Intervention.

This is her 5th year teaching in the Comprehensive Disabilities classroom at West End Middle School. This year will be her 3rd summer at Camp Davis. “I love that Camp is a place where anyone and everyone can show up and be fully themselves. Such fun, genuine childhood experiences are fostered at camp, and I love the opportunity to get to be a piece of that!” AP states.

For more information, contact Andrew Fishman at andrew@nashvillejcc.org or visit our website campdavisnashville.com. •

In Conversation with JMS Co-Head of School Alene Arnold

By ELLY EBIN

S

chool leadership is one of the most meaningful variables that impacts learning. A school leader can develop instruction and curriculum, cultivate leadership, shape a school’s environment, and foster a vision of success for all students.

One of the driving forces behind the Jewish Middle School’s growth and success is Co-Head of School Alene Arnold. We caught up with Arnold to find out what motivates her leadership of JMS, and what she sees in the school’s future.

What made you want to become an educator? I’ve wanted to become a teacher ever since I was a little girl. I had a fairly easy time in most subjects as a

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child but struggled with math. I once had a geometry teacher who went ahead and allowed me to pass the class despite not understanding the material. While he meant well, in the long run it didn’t do me any good. When I look back, I wish he had taken the time to see me, help me work through the material, and push me to succeed. I managed to eventually teach myself the material and realized that all I needed was that extra push. Part of why I became a teacher was to make sure kids don’t remain hidden. I want every student to feel seen and be pushed in the direction they need to achieve all they can.

What about JMS attracted you to join the faculty? I have graduate degrees in both Theological Studies as well as Education, so the idea of teaching at a school so deeply rooted in religious values, but at the same time committed to diversity, was a dream come true.

What is the most significant change you have seen in the school over the last six years? I have been so lucky to get a front row seat in watching the development of JMS. What has struck me the most over these years is the increasing faith - by teachers, students, and parents - that high quality education

serves all kids, regardless of background, socio-economics, or academic ability.

We have grown and developed our curriculum with the understanding that exposing kids to the highest possible level of pedagogy leads to success- both academically and in social and emotional well-being.

You spent many years outside the classroom, working in education policy.

How do you think this experience helps you in your role as a teacher and Head of School? If my years in education policy taught me one thing, it’s that the most significant factors in student success are the teachers and what’s going on in the classroom. There are so many kinds of teachers and different styles of teaching, and they can all be good. But an educator needs to be flexible and recognize that there is no singular approach to teaching.

At the same time, a head of school needs to give teachers the autonomy and creative space to develop their own curriculum and teach in a way that meets the needs of their students. At JMS, our small class sizes allow teachers the flexibility to provide diverse educational experiences to students, all while ensuring they continue to meet and exceed required benchmarks. As a result,

Learn more about the Jewish community at www.jewishnashville.org

14 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

Alene Arnold, Co-Head of Jewish Middle School

our students learn to be independent thinkers and learners.

What is your vision for the future of JMS? When students graduate from JMS, they should be able to choose and pursue any future they want.

This means wholly preparing a child academically, developmentally, socially, and emotionally. I believe the best way to achieve this is to continue promoting our values and mission. JMS stands out as a middle school constantly in conscious academic pursuit of bettering ourselves.

This is our now, and this is our future. •

An Unexpected Spy Visits Nashville for Women’s Event

By BARBARA DAB

A

uthor Tracy Walder peeled back the curtain on the CIA and FBI at this year’s first Women’s Jewish Philanthropy Event, sponsored by The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. A former operative in counter intelligence, Walder discussed her experiences as a young, Jewish woman during the tumultuous pre- and post-9/11 period, all detailed in her book An Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of The World’s Most Notorious Terrorists. She spoke about the people and events that influenced her decision to join first the CIA and later the FBI. “It was my high school history teacher who inspired and encouraged me to pursue history at University of Southern California,” she says. Her initial plan was to become a teacher, but her advisor in college, who also happened to be the Dean, opened her eyes to the wide variety of applications for the subject. And later, a televised interview with Osama bin Laden, conducted by CNN’s Peter Arnett, led her to consider the world of international intelligence gathering. “During the interview, I heard bin Laden declare war, not only on the United States, but also on the Jews. I felt I had to take this further,” says Walder.

The group of close to 100 women who attended both in-person and virtually, was riveted as Walder shared details of the job that took her to 11 countries across Africa, the Middle East and Europe in search of Abu Musad al Zaqarwi, one of the most dangerous men in the early days of bin Laden’s reign of terror. She spent time living in Afghanistan where she says

About 100 people attended the event both in person and virtually

Author and former spy Tracy Walder discusses her life as an operative

she met with and interviewed terrorists.

“I was curious why they hated Americans so much,” says Walder, “I learned it was because they hate America’s support of Jews and Israel.”

After spending so much time living and traveling overseas, Walder eventually made the difficult decision to leave the agency in favor of a more stable life closer to family. She joined the FBI and was eventually assigned a position in her home town in Orange County, California. That experience was a very different one from what she’d known with the CIA. Her time with the FBI was marked by bullying, harassment, and the constant message that she did not belong there. “For some reason, I didn’t fit the narrative of what they thought I should be,” says the tall, slim, blonde Walder. “I realize I was sexually harassed the whole time I was there, but I became numb to it.” And in fact, she said she had not planned to write about the experience in her new book, but in 2019, 16 women came forward to file a discrimination

Tracy Walder signs copies of her book, An Unexpected Spy

lawsuit against the FBI. Walder decided it was important to add her voice to the narrative. “I had a lot of embarrassment that I let this happen to me. But the lawsuit made me see I was not alone, and this all must come out,” she says.

Walder left the FBI after just one year. She found her way to what she had originally planned to do: teach history.

After earning her master’s degree, marrying, and moving to Texas, she began teaching at a girls’ high school.

Her students had so much curiosity about her former life, and she realized she had an opportunity to educate the girls about

being in law enforcement. “Only about 17% of FBI agents are women,” says Walder, “Women were only allowed to become operatives in 1972.” She created a class on national security and foreign policy, something she continues to teach, as well as being an adjunct professor in the field at a nearby college. She also is on the Board of Girl Security, a nonprofit organization that helps prepare girls for careers in the security field.

More women’s events are planned throughout the year. For more information, contact Carolyn Hecklin Hyatt at carolynh@jewishnashville.org.•

January 2022 in The GJCC Galleries: Works by Angie Howell, Brenda Butka and Jammie Williams T

he Janet Levine March Gallery will feature the work of Angie Howell.

Angie is a former Fortune 500 corporate sales-hitter and a network marketing two-percenter. She successfully reinvented herself first as a photographer, then speaker, author, transformation coach and abstract artist. She is a heartfelt communicator who personally knows how to triumph in the midst of adversity.

The JLMG2 Gallery will feature the work of Brenda Butka. Brenda was born in Mexico to missionary parents and grew up in Northern California. In mid-life she took a drawing class at Watkins College of Art and Design and has been drawing and painting ever since. She is represented

by Sunset River Marketplace in North Carolina. Her work has won awards in TAL juried shows, and is in collections across the country, including Vanderbilt.

Brenda also is a published poet, with two chapbook collections, Little Marrowbone: Altered Geography and Drawing the Resistance. She and her husband have three grown daughters, and live in the Bells Bend area of Nashville, where they have fostered an organic farm community.

The Sig Held Gallery will feature the work of Jammie Williams. Jammie is a sculptor and painter who lives in middle Tennessee. He studied art at Watkins College of Art and Design as well as Tennessee State University. He worked as a figure sculptors assistant for nine-and-a-half years studying from a live model while learning mold making, casting and bronze patina. Later, he spent three years as in-house artist for Oz Arts Nashville. While there, he created over 100 paintings and collaborated on over 400 other works with OZ Arts found-

Thunderhead, by Jammie Williams

It’s Not What You Think, by Angie Howell

Yellow, by Brenda Butka

er Cano Ozgener. Over the last seven years, Jammie has sculpted 18 reliefs for the Country Music Hall of Fame.

He has exhibited works in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Alabama where his painting, “Fool’s Cap,” was judged into the 2020 Red Clay Survey Exhibition of Contemporary Southern Art at the Huntsville Museum of Art. The House gallery features the annual Under One Roof community

wide collaborative exhibit, this year’s theme focusing on Hope and Resilience.

The Exhibition Dates are January 4 30th. The exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Any attendees will need to wear masks and sign in at the front desk. For more information, contact the GJCC at 615.354-1699, Curator Carrie Mills at carrie@nashvillejcc.org, or go to www. nashvillejcc.org. •

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

15

Jewish Bluegrass Band Gordon JCC’s Big Night Out Promises Olympic-Size Nefesh Mountain Closes out Hanukkah Tour in Nashville Fun for Everyone

By DARA FREIBERG

O

n your mark…get set…go for the gold! Tickets are now on sale for the Gordon JCC’s annual fundraiser, Big Night Out, to be held on Saturday, January 29th and chaired by Julie Galbierz and Caroline Sprouse. Get a head start and reserve your tickets for this Olympic-themed event by January 15th at the Competitor level for $150 per person or the Medalist level at $360 per person.

Ticket prices increase after the 15th.

According to Julie and Caroline, “Finding and fostering community has never meant more to us than after these past two years. That’s why we are beyond thrilled to be able to host once again safely, the Jewish Community Center’s Big Night Out, in person, on January 29th to help raise funds for our beloved JCC. Come celebrate, compete, and contribute and get a chance to go for the gold! It’s going to be medal-worthy.”

In addition to some healthy competition, the silent auction is always a favorite part of the evening, and this year includes some exciting items such as a night’s stay at both the Fairlane and

Graduate Hotels, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Nashville Zoo, attend a Taste of Goo-Goo class, and a 4-night lake house stay. Other items include restaurant gift cards to Nashville’s best restaurants, Oak

By BARBARA DAB

D

oni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg, otherwise known as Nefesh Mountain, closed out their 2021 Hanukkah Tour at City Winery in Nashville. Performing Hanukkah hits by Woody Guthrie, as well as original music, with some James

Taylor thrown in, the group played to a packed house. The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee hosted a VIP reception before the concert, which featured snacks, beverages, and a meetand-great with the band. Below are some highlights from the evening. •

Steakhouse, 360 Bistro, and Answer, just to name a few, personal training, spa services, and much, much more. Dinner will be catered by Goldie Shepard under the supervision of Rabbi Saul Strosberg.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Zander Insurance, Gold Skin Care Center, Sprintz Furniture, Argent Trust, Capstar Bank, Ghertner & Company, Hermitage Design Center, Kraft CPAs PLLC, and Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty.

In-Kind Sponsors include FLWR, Best Brands Incorporated, RED Spirits & Wine, and Tennessee Brew Works.

For more information, contact Dara Freiberg, Membership and Development Director at dara@nashvillejcc.org or 615354-1639. Buy your tickets online now at nashvillejcc.org/bignightout •

Rabbi Ilan Feldman coming to Nashville for a weekend of Learning, Meditation and Spiritual Growth at Chabad C habad of Nashville, home of Judaism done joyfully, will be hosting a weekend with scholar in residence Rabbi Ilan Feldman, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Jacob in Atlanta, a renown public speaker, and author.

Rabbi Feldman will share some of his transformational wisdom, on the weekend of January 28-29. He will address the Nashville community three times over the weekend, on a wide range of topics all relevant to our lives.

On Friday evening January 28th, guests will have the opportunity to join Rabbi Feldman for a gourmet Shabbat dinner. During the dinner Rabbi Feldman will share a most inspiring journey that he experienced as the life as a homeless man and will present a talk, “On Sunday, the Rabbi Disappeared.” The story in a nutshell: Rabbi Feldman, who is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Jacob in Atlanta and son of renowned rabbi and author Emanuel Feldman, had always lived in the public eye. What would it be like, he wondered, to shed those personas and slip off the grid? With the assistance of a friend, he decided to go to an unknown destination with nothing from his past. His whole life he had an identity assigned to him. Rabbi Feldman wanted to find out how people would relate to him and how he would relate to them if they didn’t know he was a rabbi, a rabbi’s son or that he was Jewish. This was going to be his ultimate escape. His friend booked a ticket to a destination that would be revealed to Rabbi Feldman only at the airport. Hear

the story of how he experienced the life of being a homeless man for 24 hours and learn valuable lifelong lessons. This will be a most one of the most interesting stories you ever heard, and will inspire you to think differently, and explore the nature of true happiness, plotting a course to help you invigorate your life with joy and inner peace.

Saturday morning, January 29th, Rabbi Feldman will deliver the sermon, and following the service all are invited to a beautiful sit-down lunch as Rabbi Feldman will lead a discussion on Faith, Prayer and Meditation.

Saturday night, January 29, will be the perfect evening for a night out. The evening will begin at 7:30 PM with a mystical Havdalah ceremony, followed by a melava malkah – a Mediterranean dinner to escort the Shabbat Queen for a blessed week. Rabbi Feldman will present, “The Story of the Recovery Addict and Your Life Journey.” In addressing what Judaism says about the subject, Rabbi Feldman will talk about the family as a healthy unit.

Nashville is fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a weekend with Rabbi Ilan Feldman, as he travels and inspires so many to live a life filled with meaning and purpose, said Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel with Chabad of Nashville.

The weekend is made possible through a grant from the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. All the events are free, though those who want to attend are asked to RSVP at www. chabadnashville.com. •

16 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee at www.jewishnashville.org

! s U Join • 2022 6 .

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: o t on i s s i M l , a u O t C ir C V L O a E R A R On MO IS & IA

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Choose your own destination track

and see first-hand how your generosity impacts vulnerable Jews overseas.

Via

Enjoy destination inspired treats,

Interact live

drinks, and trinkets curated for you and delivered in advance in a customized carry-on bag.

with our overseas partner agency leaders and service recipients to see the life-changing programs and services that are made possible through Federation donations.

Register by JAN. 31

to receive your carry-on bag of goodies!

Jewishnashville.org/missionpossible22

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

17

At Our Congregations…

Nashville’s congregations Here are the websites for all five Nashville Jewish congregations, with information on services, upcoming events and more: Congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad, www.chabadnashville.com Congregation Micah, www.congregationmicah.org Congregation Sherith Israel, www.sherithisrael.com The Temple – Congregation Ohabai Sholom, www.templenashville.org West End Synagogue, www.westendsyn.org

@ Chabad /Congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad to host two TGIS celebration in January Start your Shabbat off right with good friends, great conversation, and excellent kosher cuisine, all seasoned with the perfect amount of spirit and joy. TGIS is a “Club Med Shabbat: An all-inclusive Shabbat experience.” Enjoy a Friday night Shabbat dinner replete with traditional dishes. Blended with spirited singing, a Chasidic tale, and a chance to meet some wonderful new people. TGIS will be held on Friday evenings, January 14, and 28, at 6:30 PM at Chabad of Nashville.

There is no cost to attend the TGIS Shabbat experience, however we kindly request that you RSVP by letting us know you will be attending at chabadnashville@ gmail.com

BLT – BAGELS, LOX AND TORAH Join friends for a morning of bagels, lox and Tanya (Jewish mysticism) on the first Sunday of every month, beginning on Sunday, December 2, 2022, at 10:00 AM. Partake in a delicious spread of bagels, lox, cream cheese, and freshly brewed coffee as you learn the weekly Torah portion and its relevance to your personal life. There is no cost to attend, however kindly RSVP at Chabadnashville.com

The Jewish Women’s Roundtable with Torah & Tea What can be more welcoming and cozy on a cold winter day than a cup of tea, an inspiring read, and friends to socialize with?

Join Mrs. Esther Tiechtel for a Jewish Women’s Roundtable for Torah and Tea, on Shabbat afternoons at 12:30 PM, at Chabad of Nashville. At each Torah & Tea session, women will gather for group study of Talmudic Ethics, and engage in stimulating discussions around Jewish ethics, and enrich the moment with spiritual insights into life.

This women’s roundtable is an interactive spiritual journey where we study, discuss, share support, and apply these inspirational ideas and teachings to our personal lives.

A selection of tea, coffee, and homemade refreshments will be offered.

Come to one class, all classes or whenever you have a chance! No need to sign up and materials are provided. The only requirement is a desire to learn, to meet friendly Jewish women and to delight in the incredible insights in our Torah.

Chabad Chicken Soup Squad Winter 2022 All about town people suffering from the common cold, strains of flu, or maybe a strain of Covid, and are looking up and feeling a bit apprehensive.

Never fear: The Chabad Chicken Soup Squad is here to the rescue. Chabad is presenting the Winter 2022 Chicken Soup Squad, as various local chefs prepare authentic chicken soup, and a dedicated team of volunteers who deliver fresh heartwarming chicken soup to those under the weather, or are not feeling well. This chicken soup broth has earned rave reviews -it’s the original Jewish penicillin.

For anyone who would like a free quart or two of this unique chicken soup broth, or would like to volunteer with delivering this soup to those who are under the weather, please call Chabad’s Chesed desk at 615-646-5750, or email chabadnashvilleoffice@ gmail.com.

Spice It Up Tu B’Shvat Celebration Chabad of Nashville presents Spice It Up! Join us for this Tu B’shvat Seder on Sunday, January 16, at 7:00 PM. Tu B’Shvat ushers in the New Year for the tress, nature and all of G-d’s bountiful blessings with a fruity nightcap of your own design.

The evening will include a tasting of the Seven Species that the Land of Israel has been blessed with, including the pomegranate, the date and fig, the grape and olive, wheat and barley. Come enjoy a tasting of various wines from Israel and a most inspiring and rejuvenating evening.

There is no charge to attend this event, however kindly RSVP at chabadnashville.com

18 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

@ Micah Judaism at Micah continues to evolve with courage, compassion and creativity.

Stay updated! Go to www.congregationmicah.org, like us on our socials: Facebook; Instagram; @MicahNashville; sign up for our e-blasts; learn and pray with us in person or on YouTube, Zoom and our Livestream. In our tent, there is room for everyone! Access Micah’s programs – all free and open to the public - from the front page of our website.

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Apply for membership! For more information contact Mindy Drongowski at mindy@congregationmicah.org.

Programming at Micah - January 2022 Our January Social Action Drive: Virtual Toy & Supply Drive for Champ’s Toy Chest” through Amazon - More information on our Social Action page!

Sanctuary Shabbat Services - Fridays at 6:00 PM

At Micah, we approach God in many ways: through the power of music and song, the inspiration of words, the beauty of sacred space, and the authenticity of our intention. To fully realize this core Jewish value, we invite you to join us for services that are as diverse as they are engaging, as moving as they are participatory.

Micah Reads - Monday, January 3rd at 7:00 PM on Zoom

All are welcome for a Zoom discussion on the book The Book of V by Anna Solomon.

Join Education Director Julie Greenberg in conversation for this community event.

February’s book: Bluebird by Sharon Cameron (live author talk)

Sports Trivia - Tuesday, January 4th at 10:30 AM

Have you spent the last 25 years of your life wondering who was on 3rd base when Bobby Thompson of the New York Giants hit “the shot heard round the world” to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers to get into the world series in 1951? Answers to this question and many more of little importance when you join Martin Light and other Micah members for an hour of a sports trivia contest to be held in the Micah social hall on the first Tuesday of every month. All are welcome. Contact martylight@aol.com with any questions.

What’s Jewish About Self-Care? - Thursday nights at 6:15 PM on Zoom; January 13, 20, 27; February 3, 10, 17, 244

Start off 2022 by learning how to put yourself first, through a Jewish lens! In 7 weeks, you will learn about what Judaism says about emotional, physical, mental, social, spiritual, and practical self-care, and gain tangible ways to build different practices into your every day life. By engaging in Jewish text, chevruta, and mindfulness activities, you will leave feeling inspired and grounded in your ability to show up as the best version of yourself. To register for the class, visit our Adult Education page on www. congregationmicah.org

Virtual Conversations with Rabbi Laurie Rice: A 2-Part Series 12:00 to 1:00 PM on Zoom

JANUARY 20 - Shaming, Disagreement & Purposeful Difference: A Talmudic Teaching JANUARY 27 - Liberal Zionism and the Troubled Committed: A Shifting North American Discourse Featuring Rabbi Kullock from West End; Download the readings and register for the event on our website! Reading the material in advance is strongly encouraged for robust conversation.

Shabbat service with guest Allison Schachter Friday January 21 at 6 P.M.

Rabbi Laurie Rice in conversation with the Chair of the Department of Judaic Studies at Vanderbilt University and expert in Yiddish language and literature, Allison Schacter.

Weekly Events Schmooze & Views - Thursday mornings at 10:30 AM

Keeping the politics off the pulpit but not out of the building, share your views in a round-table discussion on current events facilitated by the rabbi and Dr. Bob Smith.

Attendance includes both in-person and virtual options.

Torah Study - Saturday Mornings at 9:00 AM

Deep conversations with thoughtful and caring people. Led by the rabbi on Zoom.

Mah Jongg - Tuesday Afternoons from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM

Join our players for an afternoon of mah jongg fun in the social hall! For more information, contact Paula at pgkwn@comcast.net

Upcoming Programs Hebrew Crash Course

Coming in February! This 4-session virtual class is for those who have no prior Hebrew experience. The class will meet on February 1, 8, 15, 22 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM Central; $180 for non-members and $95 for members; We are currently limiting the course to 12 students.

To sign up, e-mail Rabbi Laurie at lrice@congregationmicah.org

At Our Congregations… @ Sherith Israel

Chevrah Torah Study* 9:30a.m. on Saturdays via thetemplehub.org

Join us for our weekly Torah study on the portion of the week, led by the clergy.

9:30 am on Saturdays.

Tot Shabbat Tu B’shvat- Birthday of the Trees Saturday, January 15th @ 10:00a.m.

(for families with children up to age 6) These opportunities offer families the chance to celebrate Shabbat with their young children in a creative way.

For more information and to join in, please visit thetemplehub.org or www.templenashville.org

Join Us in January with Community Scholar Nechemya Rosenfeld

Thursdays at 6:00 pm January 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th Mini-series about Jewish Medical Ethics Nechemya Rosenfeld hails from Jerusalem, where he taught general studies and Tanakh, Bible, at Keshet Talpaz Elementary School. A graduate of Yeshivat Har Etzion, a seminary combining advanced Talmudic studies with military service, Nechemya has a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Sciences from Ariel University and is completing a Masters of Arts in Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He became an educator through Teach First Israel, a program modeled on Teach For America to promote educational equality.

Today, he teaches in the Akiva Jewish Day School and the Jewish Middle School of Nashville. He also teaches youth and adults at Congregation Sherith Israel and West End Synagogue. An accomplished musician, Nechemya has served as a scholar in residence and cantor in Israel; Frankfurt, Germany; Sydney, Australia; and, Rhodes, Greece. He is blessed to be sharing his Tennessee adventures with his wife and fellow educator, Batya, and Shmuli, their 2-year-old son.

Check TheTempleHub.org for more information.

Are You Looking for a Creative Outlet? Join Writers of the Lost Ark!

“Writers of the Lost Ark” meets the first Wednesday of each month currently via Zoom. This is a safe, supportive, and no pressure environment to share your creative ideas whether they be stories, songs, poems, or prose. The group is open to all regardless of how little or how long you’ve been writing. Those curious to find their creative side are welcome as well.

Wednesday, January 5th ~ 7:00-8:00 pm For more information, please contact ninapacent@bellsouth.net.

Go to thetemplehub.org for Zoom info.

W.E.L.L. Women Engaged in Living & Learning Tu B’shvat, our land, our legacy January 16th at 1:00pm

Jewish Learning on Your Own Schedule

@ The Temple

Look for podcasts and videos prepared by musicians, scholars and clergy! 13 Attributes of God, Jewish Cooking Demos, Clergy Chats, Inside Israel and Jewish Music Sessions. Sessions will be posted on thetemplehub.org

All programming can be accessed via thetemplehub.org unless noted to be in person

Pirkei Avot: Jewish Wisdom for Today’s World Every Friday from 5:00-5:40 PM

Get ready for Shabbat with a little text study! Each week we will study a piece of wisdom from Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of our Ancestors, an ancient Jewish text still relevant in our own times.

Zoom Room: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81973096738

Lunch with the Rabbi Thursday, January 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th from 12:00-1:00 PM

Bring your lunch and engage with Rabbi Schiftan and guests in a discussion of currents and important issues from a Jewish perspective.

And be sure to attend Thursday, December 2nd* at Noon with Nashville Metro Police Chief John Drake Zoom Room: thetemplehub.org

Women’s Torah Study Every Thursday from 12:00-1:00 PM

Ongoing weekly women’s Torah study led by Patty Marks.

Zoom Room: thetemplehub.org

Shabbat Schedule for January

Our Shabbat Services will be held in person at The Temple. Please reserve your spot via thetemplehub.org. You can also watch via zoom from thetemplehub.org.

Friday, January 7th ~ 6:00 PM Friday, January 14th ~ 6:00 PM Friday, January 21st ~ 6:00 PM with Birthday Blessings Friday, January 28th ~ 6:00 PM Social Action Shabbat

@ West End For links to the following services or programs, please email office@westendsyn.org

Introduction to Judaism Class with Rabbi Kullock is back in person!

Join us every Sunday from January 9th - May 1st, 2022, from 9:30am – 11:00am For more information contact Linda Sisselman @ linda@westendsyn.org

Shacharit

Join us for in-person morning minyan!

Sunday services will be at 9am and Monday-Friday will be at 7am

Daily Mincha (afternoon service) or Maariv (the evening service) depending on Daylight savings times Join us for daily Mincha/Maariv in person or on Zoom at 6:00 p.m.

Kabbalat Shabbat

You are invited to join us for Kabbalat Shabbat on Fridays in person or on Zoom at 6:00 p.m.

Morning Shabbat services

You are invited to join us Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in person or by zoom.

Talmud class on Tuesdays

Rabbi Joshua Kullock teaches a Talmud class on Tuesdays at 7:30am.

Continued on page 20

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

19

Ancient Marriage Secrets Revealed at the Art of Marriage Course

T

he Art of Marriage, a provocative new course on the secrets of successful marriage is once returning to Nashville. This new course will begin on Wednesday, January 12th, at 7:00 PM, and continue for four consecutive Wednesday evenings, at Chabad of Nashville on Bellevue Road. Regardless of marital status, all are invited to attend the four-session course, presented by Nashville’s Jewish Learning Institute and taught by Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel.

The Art of Marriage will go far beyond platitudes, to cover topics at the heart of modern marriage. Does marriage still serve any purpose at all? How far should one go to make a marriage work? When is divorce the best option? Included as well are Jewish secrets, from ancient texts, on how to increase intimacy in marital relationships.

“Beautiful, inspiring, but most of all practical,” says Dr. Patricia Love, author of How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It, one of Amazon’s top two marriage books. “Whether your marriage is magical or miserable, this vital course is designed for you.”

Judaism views a loving marriage as

a spiritual as well as a human ideal.

The Art of Marriage shows students how to attain that for themselves and for their spouses, with timeless lessons from both modern and ancient Jewish texts such as the Talmud and Zohar. “Judaism venerates marriage and therefore has a long history of looking to enhance the marriage experience. The course is not only about providing techniques for success in marriage, but also about changing your attitude toward your spouse and toward marriage in general,” explains Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel.

The Art of Marriage is designed to appeal to students at all levels of Jewish knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. This course is open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.

Due to the sensitive nature of this course, this class will be in person and not on zoom. To register please go to or call 615-646-5750. If you want your marriage to become a masterpiece of art, the Art of Marriage is for you. •

At Our Congregations…

Continued on page 19

Torah class for Women

Join Rabbi Joshua on the first Wednesday of each month at 11am via Zoom (call for details)

Torah class for Men

Join Rabbi Joshua the second Thursday of each month at 12pm.

Miriam’s Torah Class:

Wednesday, November 3 at Noon

Seniors - Lunch & Learn is Back!

January 12th – Learn with Rabbi Daniel Hoffman January 26th – Learn with Sherri Holzer of Simply Sherri Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm & 12:00pm – 1:00pm for Lunch Contact Linda Sisselman @ linda@westendsyn.org

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20 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

or the past 18 years Chabad of Nashville has been lighting the Metro Menorah at Riverfront Park and then at Public Square with a sitting Nashville Mayor, starting with Mayor Purcell, then Mayor Dean, followed by Mayor Megan Barry, Mayor David Briley, and this year with Mayor John Cooper.

On the second night of Hanukkah Nashville’s Mayor, John Cooper, together with community leadership participated in a COVID safe Menorah lighting at Public Square. In attendance were a limited crowd in accordance with the covid safety rules of Metro Nashville.

The event opened with welcoming remarks by Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel from Chabad of Nashville, and Hanukkah greetings by Andy May on behalf of the Jewish Federation, and by Rabbi Michael Shulman from the Temple. Vice Mayor Jim Shulman shared greetings and welcomed Mayor John Cooper who shared a message of light and hope with all Nashvillians.

It was then followed by the lighting

of the 12-foot-tall Menorah in Public Square as Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel of Chabad of Nashville and Mayor John Cooper climbed aboard the scissor lift and rode up to the top of the 12-foot Menorah for the Metro Menorah Lighting. The event was covered by the local media and streamed on the Mayor’s Facebook page.

On the fifth night of Hanukkah, Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel together with Governor Bill Lee lit the Hanukkah Menorah in the Old Supreme Court chamber in the Tennessee State Capitol.

Governor Lee also recorded a Hanukkah greeting with Rabbi Tiechtel that was shared on his social media and was viewed by over 15,000 people.

Chabad of Nashville also placed public Menorahs around Nashville, including local supermarkets and other public venues. Chabad of Nashville also distributed hundreds of Hanukkah-ToGo kits to Jewish families across Middle Tennessee, so that no family feels alone, as No Jew Will Be Left Behind. •

Lifecycles B’nai Mitzvah Aaron Cheng

Aaron Cheng will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on January 15, 2022.

He is the son of Edward and Jenny Cheng. His grandparents are Peter and Ethel Diamond of Nashville, and Stanley and Jenny Cheng of Wayne, N.J. A homeschooled eighth grader, Aaron enjoys playing with his brothers, Isaac and Eli, and taking care of his dog.

Lily Palmer Garfinkel

Lily Palmer Garfinkel will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, January 22, 2022, at 11a.m. at The Temple. She was born December 26, 2007, in Nashville. Her parents are Louise and Scott Garfinkel. Her grandparents are the late Rita and Alvin Garfinkel, Susan and Larry Palmer of Collierville, Tenn., and Paula Morris of Southaven, Miss.

For her mitzvah project, Lilly volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank for the BackPack Program, which provides easy-to-prepare food for at-risk children on weekends and during school breaks, as well as with the Nashville Grocery Rescue Project.

An eighth grader at Harpeth Hall, she does rowing and lacrosse for her school. She enjoys water and snow skiing, playing the cello, and going to summer camp.

To access the Community Calendar, go to www.jewishnashville.org and click on “Calendar.”

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Obituaries Jay Amsel

Condolences to the family of Jay Amsel who died in New York.

Peggy Greenbaum Mazur

Condolences to the family of Peggy Greenbaum Mazur, 88, who died on November 26. She was born in Nashville on September 30, 1933, the daughter of the late Adolph and Betty. Peggy was the beloved wife of Alvin (deceased) for 61 years, the dear mother of Alicia (Brian) Berg of Chicago and the cherished sister of Ralph and Harold (deceased).

After graduating from Howard High School and the University of Tennessee, Peggy had a long career teaching elementary school starting at Case School in Akron, Ohio, then at Head and Park Avenue elementary schools in Nashville. After retiring, Peggy dedicated much of her time and energy to volunteering at the St. Thomas Hospital gift shop and the Nashville Public Library.

Peggy lived a life filled with family who she treated with her famous homemade pies, cakes, and cookies.

She was an avid reader of mysteries and Mahjong player, and an occasional bingo player at Mary Queen ofAngels where she was lovingly cared for in her final years.

Donations may be made to Congregation Sherith Israel or through www.sherithisrael. com or to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.act.alz.org).

Advisory Board of Planned Parenthood, Advisory Board of the YWCA, Family and Children’s Services, Cheekwood, Crittendon, Canby Robinson Society Board at Vanderbilt, Swan Ball Auction Committee, and the Heart Gala.

She was a staunch supporter of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

An alumna of Leadership Nashville, Heloise received the Sara Roddes Community Service Award in 1998. In 2006, she was honored by the YMCA and inducted into the Academy of Women of Achievement. In 2008, she received the Crowning Achievement Award from Senior Citizens.

Her first marriage in 1942 was to Howard Meyer Werthan of Nashville and father of her two daughters, Patricia and Joni. Mr. Werthan died in 1967.

Her second marriage was to Jack W. Kuhn Sr., who died in 1999.

Survivors include her daughters, Joni Pfeifer Werthan of Franklin, (Chris Saunders) and Patricia Werthan Uhlmann (John Uhlmann deceased) of Kansas City; two granddaughters and six great grandchildren, Kate Uhlmann Aikman (Dennis Aikman), of Marblehead Mass., and Jennifer Heloise Aikman, Taylor Elizabeth Aikman, Noa Grace Aikman and Meg Uhlmann Shaw (Justin Shaw), of Kansas City and Joshua David Shaw, Madeline Ella Shaw, and Adam Werthan Shaw.

Donations may be made to the Temple, Ohabai Shalom, The Nashville

Community Foundation’s Heloise Werthan Kuhn Scholarship Fund, the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee, the Generation’s Fund at Planned Parenthood in Nashville, Alive Hospice, or Leadership Nashville.

Gail Provizer-Simmons

Condolences to the family of Gail Provizer-Simmons, who died on November 17. Survivors include her husband, Michael, and her sister and brother-in-law, Adele Stein and Rick Stein. Memorials may be made in Gail’s name to Congregation Har Shalom and Congregation Micah.

Toby Lee Spiegel

Condolences to the family of Toby Lee Spiegel who died on Wednesday, December 15. She is survived by her daughters, Hilary Diskin and Karen Kurokawa, and granddaughters, Hannah and Jolie. Memorials may be made in Toby’s name to Alzheimer’s Association and Congregation Micah.

Alexander Star

Condolences to the family of Alexander Star. Alexander was predeceased by his son, Eugene, and daughterin-law, Rickie Star.

He is survived by his daughter, Tish Doochin (Ben), and son, Louis (Janie) as well as eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Donations in Alex’s memory may be sent to Beth El Zedeck minyan fund

Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee at www.jewishnashville.org

Heloise Pfeifer Isacson Werthan Kuhn

Condolences to the family of Heloise Pfeifer Isacson Werthan Kuhn who died November 18. Heloise was born in Little Rock, Ark., January, 15, 1921.

She was the only child of Rosa Pfeifer Isacson and Harry E. Isaacson.

Her volunteer activities included serving on the boards of the Nashville Symphony Association, vice president of the Nashville section of the National Council of Jewish Women, the

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The Jewish Observer • January 2022

21

Dear Esther Dear Esther, I am a grandparent of 8 grandchildren and have always had a close relationship with all of them. Recently one of our grandchildren no longer wants to give hugs, sit on our laps, or have any physical affection from us. This grandchild is 8 years old and has always been a hugger. We are concerned about the recent change and not sure if we should be concerned.

– Bubbe and Zayde Dear Bubbe and Zayde, Congratulations on the large family with 8 grandchildren! I would imagine a grandchild rejecting your affection can be quite concerning and it would be difficult to not take personally. The first thing I would recommend is to speak with the parents to explore any possible reasons for this change in behavior. Hopefully this is a child asserting boundaries instead of something more serious going on, but it needs to be explored. The child’s parents can seek guidance from a therapist who works with children if needed.

Assuming nothing more serious is happening, it can be difficult when you love a person and the affection you want to give is not wanted. Feelings can get hurt but I encourage you to look at this as a learning opportunity to help this child with a necessary skill that could change the course of their lives. By accepting the boundaries, he/she has set, you are honoring that their body belongs to them and role modeling appropriate adult responses. Many parents and grandparents might be tempted to gently coax the child to give hugs anyways, but this can send an unhealthy message to the child. All of this is important because

if someday the child is faced with someone wanting to force unwanted touches, they will know it is okay to say no because they have experienced a healthy interaction before. No one should be forced to hug or touch if they don’t want to. You are now in a position to help teach appropriate boundaries with your grandchild and what a wonderful gift that is. This may go on for some time, resolve soon or be permanent but in the meantime, find ways to show your love that does not involve physical touch.

Affection comes in many forms, and it could be quite fun to show your love in creative ways. The most important thing to keep in mind as you interact with your grandchild is to show them you still love them no matter what so they will know your love is unconditional and feel safe to approach you with difficult topics throughout their lives. Your grandchildren are lucky to have you as their Bubbe and Zayde.

– Esther Esther recently migrated to Nashville from New York and will be partnering with JFS on an advice column for The Observer. Esther is a retired Psychologist, veteran grandmother who brings a lifetime of experience including dysfunctional families, raising children, relationships, kosher cooking and even interfaith families. Esther is excited to be in Nashville and promoting her famous matzo ball soup that she believes heals just about anything.

Please submit your questions to esther@jfsnashville.org on anything under the sun and watch for answers in her column. •

Visit The Jewish Observer’s new website www.jewishobservernashville.org

Kvetch in the City

By CARRIE MILLS

L

ast year, as in many years prior, I made a concerted effort to start the secular New Year off with at least an attempt at resolutions.

There’s always the required resolution of Carrie Mills losing weight. Last year, I believe, I actually made a resolution to not complain so much. What was I thinking? Joke’s on me for that one.

This year I decided, why even bother trying to stop complaining, there’s just been way too much to complain about.

Speaking of which…

I began to notice with every doctor visit this past year, and there seemed to be way too many, the first thing they seem to ask when I came in with my physical complaint, was, “On a scale of one to ten, what is your pain level?” No matter what the ailment, I noticed my answer was always, not too high, around 3 or 4. Upon examination, the doctor would usually reply, “You must have a high tolerance for pain.” I heard that so many times in the past year, it made me stop and think, “Am I numb to pain? Do I not feel pain?”

Somewhere along the way, it occurred to me, I think they’ve been asking me the wrong question. It’s not that I don’t feel pain. It’s just that what others may categorize as pain I tend to think of as annoyance. Therefore, I think the question best suited for me to answer would be, “On a scale of one to ten, how annoyed are you right now?”

That my friend, I can answer with a straight 10 almost every time! Let me start off by stating the fact that I’m annoyed to be in the doctor’s office in the first place. That is so annoying. Having something…or make that…anything wrong with me, is extremely annoying.

And then there’s that question itself.

Why do they even have to begin the question with…”On a scale…” How annoying is that? First of all, the word

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22 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

scale is triggering for me. I have never once in my life been happy with the word scale, the number on an actual scale, or having to even step on a scale in the first place. Well, maybe once in my life, after my divorce when I lost 16 pounds without actually trying. Divorce turned out to be a good diet. At least something good came out of it. Less I digress, what woman, does not have some sort of trepidation and/or repulsiveness about stepping on a scale?

The first, terribly annoying thing the doctor’s nurse makes you do the minute they take you back from the waiting room is to ask you to step on a scale, with your coat and shoes on no less. Nope.

Not happening. I flat out tell them no. I tell them my weight from my last Weight Watchers meeting minus the 2 lb allotment for clothes and shoes. Not one nurse has ever challenged me on that.

I think my screaming “No!” may scare them. All that to say, inevitably, to add insult to actual injury, the minute I walk into the doctor’s office, I’m annoyed.

Basically, I’m annoyed at almost everything anyway, if I’m going to be honest. I hate to admit it, however, more often than not, most people annoy me, the fact that I’m getting old really annoys me (and please don’t say, sure beats the alternative…that annoys me too.) Politics completely annoys me, the state of the world, well that scares me, so I’ll leave that one alone for now.

The way most people dress, that annoys me. Calling any service complaint to Comcast and diving into that Matrix is off the Richter scale as far as getting annoyed and wanting to throw the phone against the wall. I can go on and on about life’s daily annoyances, I think you get the idea.

The funny thing is though, I’m not miserable. There are actually multiple people I like, several I love, and I enjoy being alive almost all the time.

Apparently, I have discovered, as my therapist might say, there is room to hold both things at the same time.

So, while it may appear, to my doctors and many others who have told me I seem to have a high threshold for pain, I would argue, they are mistaking pain for annoyance, for which I apparently have no threshold.

So, this year, if anyone dares to ask me what my New Year’s resolution is, I may retort, just for the fun of it, “On a scale of one to ten, how annoyed would you be if I choose not to answer that question his year?”

Please support the businesses that advertise in the Observer and help support our community in all ways!

Make sure to let them know... you saw their ad here!

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DIRECTORY ACCOUNTANTS

OPTOMETRIST

CATHY WERTHAN, CPA

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DENTIST

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CARE GIVER

AROSA (formerly Family Staffing Solutions, Inc.) Integrated Care Management and Home Care Provider 2000 Glen Echo Road, Suite 104 Nashville, TN 37215 615-595-8929 208 Uptown Square Murfreesboro, TN 37129 615-848-6774 768 N. Main Street Shelbyville, TN 37160 931-680-2771

Advertise in our Professional Services Directory Reach thousands of readers in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area by taking advantage of this cost-effective way to reach a loyal repeat audience!

Call Carrie Mills, Advertising Manager, to place your professional listing.

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STEVEN R. HECKLIN DMD BRITTANY BURD, DMD Cosmetic and Family Dentistry www.drhecklin.com 5606 Brookwood Place 615-356-7500

EDUCATION SERVICES

DR. JAMES W. KIRKCONNELL Bellevue Eye Center 7640 Hwy 70 S, Ste 102 Nashville 615-662-7588 www.bec2020.com

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GLUCK ORTHODONTICS Specialists in Orthodontics Dr. Joel Gluck DDS, MS Dr. Jonathan Gluck DDS, MSD 2002 Richard Jones Road A-200 615.269.5903 drgluck.com

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY Francine Schwartz M.A. LPC NCC Independent Educational Consultant Helping students and families find, apply to and pay for the right fit college 860-460-8829 fschwartz@pathfindercounselingllc.com www.pathfindercounselingllc.com

INSURANCE JAMES A. ROTHBERG ADAM ROTHBERG James A. Rothberg & Associates Office: 615-997-1833 Fax: 615-665-1300 2000 Glen Echo, Suite 208 Nashville, TN 37215 Email: jrothberg@jarinsurance.com info@jarinsurance.com ROBINS INSURANCE Bruce Robins, CPCU, CIC, ARM; Marsha Jaffa, CIC; Van Robins, CIC Auto, Home, Life, Health, Business Insurance 30 Burton Hills, Suite 300 Ph. 615-665-9200 • www.robinsins.com

DR. TODD A. RUBIN, M.D. Specializing in Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery Hughston Clinic Orthopaedics 615-342-6300

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The Jewish Observer • January 2022

23

CAMPS COMING FEBRUARY 2022

We will be highlighting CAMPS. We know that you will want to be included in this issue.

For advertisers who contract a 1/8 page ad or larger we will be happy to contact you for articles pertaining to your business.

Deadline for ads is January 15, 2022 Contact: Carrie Mills, Advertising Manager 615-354-1699 or e-mail: carrie@nashvillejcc.org fax: 615-352-0056

24 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

ADVERTORIALS

Simchas & Celebrations I S S U E

JANUARY 2022

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

25

ADVERTORIALS

Shep’s Delicatessen Shep’s Delicatessen is an ode to traditional NYC-style Jewish deli, located in East Nashville. Open daily for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and bagel happy hour! Expect to see dishes like potato latkes, mac and cheese pancakes, homemade pastrami and corned beef, pickles, and chopped liver – but the menu will also feature delicious, traditional sandwiches and beverages like the New York Egg Cream (chocolate or vanilla syrup, milk, and seltzer water). As an ode to Nashville, you’ll also find a few Southern twists, like the loaded Rueben fries, schmear on a biscuit, or eggs with grits and smoked salmon.

Shep’s offers catering services. From small get-togethers to large celebrations, let us help make your event special. For catering information please email us at catering@ shepsdeli.com.

Rabbi Jessica K. Shimberg ~ HoldingtheFringes.com Rabbi Jessica Shimberg is a ritual artist whose greatest joys include cocreating moments of sacred connection and lifecycle transition with individuals, couples, and families. Her soul-centered artistry, deep sensitivity, and openness to each unique set of circumstances enhance her substantive knowledge of ancient and modern Jewish practices to bring a vibrancy and depth to each lifecycle event. She serves as a guide

Rabbi Jessica K. Shimberg

Holding the Fringes Gathering, Blessing & Celebrating Life’s Journey

holdingthefringes.com rabbiJshimberg@gmail.com 614-592-9593 (really, 614)

throughout the journey toward these momentous occasions, and as a pastoral presence well beyond.

Lifecycle events are filled with so many emotions, expectations, dreams and details.

Ritual provides a container to hold sacred moments. And each container deserves unique craftsmanship, whether we are welcoming new life, reaching an age of responsibility, making a commitment of sacred partnership, commemorating a death, or marking a significant transition.

Rabbi Shimberg moved to Nashville from Columbus, Ohio, in March, 2020, to marry her beloved. Relocating her passion for lifting the Sacred within the ordinary during a global pandemic is a challenge, and she continues to facilitate Jewish spiritual engagement for learners and seekers of all ages. Rabbi Shimberg delights in creative connections.

She enjoys teaching and conversation about what informs our spiritual journey, ritual, Judaism’s environmental ethics, and social justice imperatives that are foundational across wisdom traditions. Her meaningful work in Nashville includes her role with interfaith couples, exploring the ways that our traditions, values, and beliefs manifest in our relationships and families and how we can collaboratively create sacred space.

Expert Help for Simchas or Your Everyday Objectives Are you planning for a milestone event, a local or long-distance move, or just trying to organize the papers in your office? Do you live alone and feel overwhelmed running your household? Are you facing surgery with a long period of necessary rehabilitation? Jane R. Snyder might be your most valuable resource. An experienced professional, this independent personal assistant works closely with individuals, families, and business owners.

Whether her tasks include advocacy, administrative, or project management, Jane’s focus is to make your life easier, saving you time, money, or energy when your attention needs to be elsewhere. She has even done extensive event planning. For one family, Jane helped to plan three milestone birthday celebrations at three separate venues in a single weekend! And it proved to be one memorable event after another.

Her skill set is extremely broad and Jane always works confidentially with your other practitioners in medical, legal, or financial matters. Details and troubleshooting are her strengths. If you have a tough problem, or you’d just like more information, give her a call at 615-557-6277. And don’t forget to ask about her new client discount! All clients must meet COVID protocols for vaccination, booster shots, social distancing, and masking.

It’s no surprise that established clients say, “I don’t know what I would do without Jane!”

Visit The Jewish Observer’s new website www.jewishobservernashville.org

Shep’s is named after beloved grandfather, Israel “Shep” Shapiro.

He immigrated from Eastern Europe and settled in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Shep was one of thirteen children and his love of food was not only legendary in his family, but also inspiring.

OPEN DAILY CHALLAH@SHEPSDELI.COM | CATERING@SHEPSDELI.COM 1000 MAIN STREET | NASHVILLE, TN | 615.252.5700

26 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

ADVERTORIALS

The Cordelle & Saint Elle Let us host your next celebration! The Cordelle & Saint Elle offer the service and style that makes each gathering a sophisticated and seamless experience. Locally owned and operated, our luxury venues offer event concierge service designed to make your event enjoyable from planning to party!

The Cordelle & Saint Elle are both located in the heart of Nashville yet tucked away from the hustle of Broadway, each creating its very own “hidden oasis” in Music City. Our focus is hospitality and creating unforgettable events that allow you and your guests to feel taken care from “First Drink to Last Dance.”

Saint Elle is 8,000 sq ft of open venue space. The 1950’s industrial architecture is beautifully restored and absolutely unique, offering endless options for event type and design. Amenities include furnished suites, large catering kitchen, parking, feature bar, elegantly appointed restrooms and an elevated, singular design. The Saint Elle offers a truly incomparable experience.

The Cordelle creates effortless style for your next event. Our venue offers “Downtown Nashville’s largest private green space” complimented by a large southern style covered porch, great hall, furnished loft – all anchored by the original 1850’s Victorian, making this location a distinctive experience. This versatile venue is an award-winning Nashville favorite! Inquire today and receive more information about the Details and Amenities of Saint Elle and the Cordelle.

Lana and Franklin Pargh

home together. They love the privilege of working with couples who are trying to find the perfect home to grow their family in.

In today’s Nashville real estate market, having an expert realtor to guide you through the process is crucial. You may have interest in a home, but by the time you blink, it’s sold to someone else. With Franklin and Lana Pargh as your realtors, you can rest assured that finding your dream home will be a stress-free experience and give you another reason to celebrate!

Mazel Tov from Argent Trust Mazel Tov! Your daughter just gave birth to a healthy baby girl. You want to help her financially but are not sure of the best way to help. Outright gifts of cash for immediate needs, saving for future educational expenses through a 529 plan, creating a trust that can grow with your loved one – these are all great options but finding the right one takes planning. The staff at Argent Trust can help you decide how much to give to your children and grandchildren and when to give it to them.

Moments of joy, simchas, are to be celebrated. They are also a wonderful opportunity to review your financial plan. Argent Trust has assisted clients as they plan to celebrate a birth, bar/bat mitzvah, graduation, marriage, new home, sale of business, retirement, and more! Contact your CPA, Attorney or Argent Trust at mhirt@ argenttrust.com or (615) 385-2718 to start a conversation.

Continued on page 26

Weddings are such joyous events and marriage is truly a blessing. One of the first things newlyweds are often inspired to do is purchase a new home together. Lana and Franklin Pargh, founding agents at Compass Real Estate’s Nashville office and lead agents at The Pargh Team, remember buying their first

615.354.9555

D E S S E R T D E S I G N S BY L E L A N D.C O M

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

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ADVERTORIALS Continued from page 27

Green Hills Hampton Inn & Suites: Making your out-of-town guests feel at home

The perfect setting for your most memorable event.

Weddings | Bar/Bat Mitzvahs

Rooftop glass enclosed banquet room for up to 64 people.

Spacious suites as well as beautiful standard rooms.

Complimentary expanded breakfast | Free internet access Seasonal outdoor pool and Jacuzzi | Free parking

615-777-0001 2324 Crestmoor Road Nashville, TN 37215 Behind the Mall at Green Hills www.nashgreenhillssuites.hamptoninn.com

Complete confidence that out-of-town guests will feel “right at home” is a primary concern for every host or hostess, no matter what the social event. The fully renovated Hampton Inn & Suites-Green Hills specializes in just that: making our home their home-away-from-home while they attend your special event.

We are a boutique-style select service hotel in the heart of Green Hills’ fantastic shopping, dining and entertainment district. We can offer both comfortable standard rooms and spacious residential king suites with fully furnished kitchens.

We provide your guests with complimentary cost saving services and amenities that other hotels often add to their bills. Our rate includes free parking, internet access, local calls and our highly praised daily breakfast buffet with hot items. The facility offers a computer center, fitness facility, and laundry services for the convenience of guests during their visit.

The atrium-style sixth floor Belle Meade room offers a dynamic view of the Green Hills area, perfect for bridesmaid luncheons, rehearsal dinners, receptions and birthday parties. To keep your visitors entertained during those free times of your special event, we are in walking distance of the Mall at Green Hills, 15 restaurants and a 16-screen cinema.

Contact our sales department to learn how we can help relieve some of the responsibilities so you can better enjoy your next social event. Find out more at www. nashgreenhillssuites.hamptoninn.com .

Sperry’s Restaurant The 47 (almost 48!) year tradition of providing Nashville’s best dining experience continues! Since 1974, Sperry’s Restaurant has been serving guests with top quality steaks, seafood and much more in an old school charm. If you are celebrating a special occasion or an important event, Sperry’s Restaurant in Cool Springs is pleased to offer Nashville’s premier venue for private dining. It’s the perfect atmosphere to celebrate any occasion including wedding rehearsals, graduations, anniversary parties and business meetings. And don’t forget, Sperry’s Mercantile offers you gourmet shopping for Nashville’s highest quality meat, seafood, spices, homemade dressings and more and is located behind the Belle Meade location. So, visit Sperry’s Restaurant in Belle Meade or Cool Springs and experience Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s best dining tradition. Go to www.sperrys.com for more information on Sperry’s Restaurant and Sperry’s Mercantile. Since 1974, the tradition continues.

Continued on page 29

DUW IRU V

28 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

ADVERTORIALS

Belle Meade Cigar

Red

When considering a unique gift for a cigar aficionado, look no further than Belle Meade Premium Cigars and Gifts. This gem of a cigar shop is locally owned and sells the finest cigars, gifts, pipes, and tobacco related products in town! Swing by the Belle Meade Premium Cigars and Gift store today to purchase the finest tobacco in town… you don’t even have to leave the store to sample your purchase!

The store is complete with a smoking lounge where cigar connoisseurs relax, smoke, and enjoy themselves. Come to the Belle Meade Premium Cigars and Gifts store to enjoy the best smoking experience that Nashville has to offer! https://www. bellemeadecigars.com/about-us/

As the calendar year of 2020 has come to a close, our team at RED Spirits and Wine would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Nashville JCC and all of our guests for the wonderful support that we have received during the nine years since we first opened our doors in Bellevue. We hope that this holiday season has brough everyone in our community an opportunity to cherish special time with friends and family. Mazel Tov! Being a local business, we feel extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful support base. In fact, we like to say that the “best thing” about RED is our fabulous customers! We look forward 2021 and hope to see a lot of familiar faces, along with some new ones too! Again, we wish that everyone reading this is blessed with health, happiness, love, and peace! Shalom.

Carrie Mills Designs: Customized art for your special occasion Carrie Mills, fashion designer, illustrator, and Parson School of Design alumn, creates customized art for your special occasions.

How wonderful for a bride to own a one-of-a-kind illustration marking her once in a lifetime day, or a portrait of the happy couple who just became engaged. What about the gift of a personalized mixed media beautiful collage forever commemorating a loved one’s life or a special occasion?

Invite Carrie to create a piece of art in her unique and elegant style that will be celebrated in the moment and passed down for generations to come. Make your special day even more memorable with an original work of art highlighting your special moment or a loved ones’ life. It makes for a truly original great wedding, bar or bat mitzvah, anniversary or birthday gift. For more information please visit www.carriemills.org or call 615-210-5044.

Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty is a local, woman–owned family business with a global reach through our affiliation with Sotheby’s International Realty. Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty was founded by Shirley Zeitlin in 1979. Originally named Shirley Zeitlin & Co., Realtors, the company’s mission was to build an organization of full–time professionals providing exceptional real estate representation. Today, the firm has three offices and more than 170 Realtors with an established record of providing first–class service, by combining local expertise with a world–renowned brand. Additionally, the Sotheby’s International Realty network includes 24,000 sales associates in approximately 1,000 offices spanning 74 countries and territories with a total of $150 billion in global sales.

Deeply rooted in Middle Tennessee, Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty is committed to helping develop and sustain the city’s unique culture and sense of community. With 100% of the agents contributing to the Zeitlin Charitable Fund, support is given to non-profit organizations that assist thousands in need and those living in under-resourced areas in our region. We aim to continuously pay it forward.

Whether your definition of luxury is a beautiful view, a walkable lifestyle or the perfect entertaining space, our realtors are highly qualified to help you identify the lifestyle you desire. Equipped with a myriad of local and global resources, we provide the most current market information and prompt access to exclusive properties. When you are ready for your piece of luxury, we will help you find it.

Mazel Tov! MAY YOUR CELEBRATIONS BE FILLED WITH JOY AND HAPPINESS!

Continued on page 31

Please support the businesses that advertise in the Observer and help support our community in all ways!

Make sure to let them know...you saw their ad here!

O UT S T A N DI N G A GE N T S

DO R O T HY CURTI S 615.479.0474 dorothy.curtis@zeitlin.com

KAROL FARAGALLI 615.289.3359 karolfaragalli@gmail.com

LO R NA GRAFF 615.351.5343 lorna.graff@zeitlin.com

J AY LOWEN TH AL 615.300.3617 jay.lowenthal@zeitlin.com

NAN SPELLER 615.973.1117 nanspeller2014@gmail.com

J EN N I E Z AGN OEV 615.838.2048 jennie.zagnoev@zeitlin.com

L EA D ER S H IP TEAM

JES S IC A AV ER B U C H, C EO 615.294.9880 jessica@zeitlin.com

S AM AV ER B U C H, C O O SHELTER LENDING SERVICES MUSIC CITY TITLE & ESCROW 615.294.9887 | sam@zeitlin.com J ACKSON Z EI TLI N 615.479.6461 jackson@zeitlin.com

G REEN H ILLS 615.383.0183

S HIR LEY ZEIT LIN FO U NDER /C HAIR M AN 615.383.0183 | shirley@zeitlin.com

B E LLE ME AD E 615.202.7777

FRANK LIN 615.794.0833

zeitlin.com

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

29

The WINE Store REDEFINED

2022

7066 Hwy 70 South . Nashville, TN 37221 . (615) 646-1400 www.redspirits.com

Upcoming Issues

2022 Upcoming Issues To Advertise in one of the issues contact Carrie Mills Advertising Manager at carrie@nashvillejcc.org 615-354-1699

January Simchas & Celebrations

Deadline: January 15

Deadline: February 15

Deadline: March 15

May Health & Beauty

June Coupon

July Back to School

August All Things Seniors

December Chanukah

Deadline: December 15

February Camps

March Home & Garden

Deadline: April 15

Deadline: May 15

Deadline: June 15

September Rosh Hashanah

October Entertainment & Dining Out

November Travel & Leisure

Deadline: August 15

Deadline: September 15

Guide to 30 January 2022 • The Jewish ObserverJewish Nashville

Deadline: November 30

Deadline: October 15

April Passover

Deadline: July 15

Deadline: November 15

Contact: Carrie Mills, Advertising Manager

ADVERTORIALS Continued from page 29

Honeymoons Inc.

Katy’s

A one stop, locally owned shop, to answer all your Simcha gift giving needs, look no further then Katy’s Gifts in the heart of Belle Meade. Charlie and Sherilyn Tallent purchased Katy’s Nashville in 1998 and, at that time, owned stores in Atlanta as well. After commuting for years, they decided to sell their Georgia stores and, in 2006, moved to Tennessee full-time.

Since then, they have renovated Katy’s in Belle Meade twice and expanded the store to its current 9100 square feet, adding many new vendors, including a designer jewelry department, a candy bar, a full-service in-house embroidery department, a ladies’ accessories department and more.

In 2014, they purchased Brentwood Stationers and changed the name to Katy’s Brentwood as it is today. They enjoy contributing and being a part of both communities, and hope to continue to offer their guests a unique and welcoming place to shop for years to come! Visit the store or shop online. 615-383-1422. https://www. katysgifts.com/belle-meade.

Patricia Straus, Real Estate Broker, Compass RE A new house is always a celebration! It is also about building equity and wealth.

Because buyers are emotional about a home purchase, Patricia makes it her job to be mathematical and factual. She will evaluate how and why a home will maintain its value and potentially be worth more in the future based on location, lot, and layout.

When hiring a realtor, the business side of real estate along with sales & marketing skills, must be top of mind. With two decades of experience and over $340+ million in personal sales, Patricia has navigated countless complicated transactions. When a problem arises with a contract, you want a realtor who can get it all back on track.

Patricia learned early in her career that to be great at her work she had to have a team behind her, so she runs her business like a business with a dedicated staff: an operations manager, a marketing manager, and a closing coordinator. Patricia prides herself on being compassionate and providing her clients with the very best customer care. She is good at keeping everyone calm in the process. It is worth mentioning that Patricia has been recognized with multiple awards in her industry: The Wall Street Journal Real Trends award ranked #7 for Small Teams in Tennessee and the prestigious Greater Nashville Realtors Diamond Elite award winner for $40M+ in gross annual sales volume.

LOVE is all you need

Sandals® has created the most unforgettable Caribbean vacations for two people in love. Five-star Luxury Included® Resorts featuring more quality inclusions than any other resorts on the planet.

As a former airline employee with a passion for traveling and an incurable romantic, becoming a romance travel planner was a natural step In my career. I love helping busy clients plan their honeymoon, elopement, destination wedding, surprise wedding proposal or other romantic getaway.

I am a Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club, Best of the Best Agent as well as a Sandals Platinum Wedding Specialist – having visited all the resorts personally, I am able to help clients choose the perfect resort and room category for their vacation.

As a proud member of the Honeymoons, Inc. team- a leader in the romance travel market for many years I have helped countless clients plan their Romantic getaway an would love to help you navigate all the options available to you, saving you time, money and stress by care of all the details.

There is no fee to work with me.

! e t a r b Cele

Birthdays, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Weddings, Babies, and everything in between...

Celebrate all of life’s special occasions!

K aty’s is your destination for all things PRETT Y & PAPER.

The best selection of invitations

aty’s K Now online!

is right around the corner!

Belle Meade Plaza 4500 Harding Road Nashville, TN 37205 615.383.1422

katysgifts.com

Honeymoons Inc. Linda Dancer www.lindadancer.com linda@honeymoonsinc.com

The Jewish Observer • January 2022

31

Decades of Success SALES

$340M+ Personal Sales Volume

$40M+ Sales Volume for 2021 R ANKI N G

Top 1% Realtors in Middle Tennessee AWARDS

Wall Street Journal Ranked #7 Small Teams in Tennessee EDUCAT IO N

MBA, Marketing

Patricia Straus, Broker, MBA patricia@patriciastraus.com patriciastraus.com m. 615.305.8465 | o. 615.475.5616 +BsoWKWB /soBtp Wp B oOB_ OpsBsO _WKObpOO BT _WBsOM zWsV dalBpp . Ê B _WKObpOM oOB_ OpsBsO Jod^Oo BbM BJWMOp J| OntB_ VdtpWbU dlldostbWs| _BzpÉ 2d oOBKV sVO dalBpp . dT KOÊ KB__ É É É

32 January 2022 • The Jewish Observer

“

I’ve worked with over 10 real estate agents in both personal and rental property transactions and Patti is by far the most competent, intelligent, directed, and motivated. She has a business mind and a can-do attitude. If you have a concern, she addresses it adequately with the right experts behind her. She will be our agent for life.

- Jeffrey S., 5-Star Google Review

”