The Observer Vol. 88 No. 6 – June 2023

Vol. 88 No. 6 • June 2023

www.jewishobservernashville.org

Becca Groner to Receive 2023 Sandy Averbuch Young Leadership Award

By ZOE BELL

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ecca Groner moved to Nashville to pursue her dream of working in health care. In the six years since, she started the Nashville Moishe House, served as a leader for LGBTQ+ health at Vanderbilt Medical Center, helped children and their families access mental health care, Becca Groner is taught Hebrew this year’s Sandy school for two Averbuch Young years at West Leadership award winner End Synagogue and strengthened the local Jewish community.

Originally from Westchester, New York, Becca earned her bachelor’s degree in public health at Brandeis University. She became involved with Venture for America, a nonprofit organization that matches recent college graduates with startups, which brought her to Nashville.

“I wasn’t sure where I’d move after college, but I knew I wanted, in general, a smaller city…” Becca said.

“I knew I wanted to be in health care and Nashville had a lot of health care opportunities, and it just so happened that this job worked out in Nashville.”

Becca is now the product lead for a telehealth platform called Little Otter, which provides therapy for children up to age 14 and their families.

“I’ve always been really interested in [mental health] actually,” Becca said, adding that she has helped thousands of families. “...It’s really exciting to get to help other people work on problems that they’re going through through technology and making mental health more accessible.”

The Little Otter team, based in San Francisco, offers services other than therapy as well: parenting supContinued on page 20 A Publication of the

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Dan Horwitz Named CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville

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he Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville announces that Rabbi Dan Horwitz will be its next CEO, beginning August 1, 2023. Dan brings extensive experience as a leader in innovative Jewish engagement, and as a charismatic Jewish educator, fundraiser, and non-profit executive.

“Dan’s professional background, skills, and energy make him an outstanding choice to lead the Jewish community of Nashville,” said Leslie Kirby, the Federation’s president and chair of the Search Committee. “The Nashville Jewish community has grown tremendously in recent years and will continue to evolve rapidly. Dan has a proven record of innovation and driving engagement based on Jewish values. We are thrilled that Dan will bring his creativity and energy to Nashville.”

“Nashville is primed for explosive growth in Jewish engagement,” said Horwitz. “I am excited to build upon the beautiful foundation already established in Nashville and to help take the Jewish Federation to the next level. I love weaving people into community and together making an impact.”

With years of Jewish Communal leadership experience, Horwitz comes to the Nashville Federation from metro

Rabbi Dan Horwitz will be the next CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville

Detroit where he most recently served as a rabbi of a 900+ family synagogue, and before that was the CEO of the Alper JCC in Miami. Horwitz was the Founding Director and Rabbi of The Well, a Jewish outreach organization geared to the needs of Millennials which was repeatedly recognized as one of the most innovative Jewish organizations in North America.

He also previously served as the organi-

zational Rabbi and Director of Immersive Learning for Moishe House, the global leader in Jewish young adult engagement and education.

“We considered not only how the Jewish community in Nashville has changed, but how we want it to change”, said Search Committee co-Chair Fred Zimmerman. “Our search committee reflected the demographic and geographic history and evolution of our community. We are all excited about what Dan will bring to Nashville and the developments to come.”

Horwitz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from Brandeis University, along with a JD and a Masters in sport management from the University of Michigan. He also holds Masters degrees in Jewish Studies and in Jewish Education from Gratz College and Hebrew College, respectively, and is an ordained rabbi.

Dan will be joined in Nashville by his wife Miriam and their three schoolaged children. “Southern hospitality is real and special, as I have been privileged to experience in past professional and personal roles. Miriam and I are looking forward to raising our children in what is clearly a warm, welcoming, and engaged community.” •

Legislative Update: Jewish Federations in Tennessee to Receive Beefed up Security Funding and Improved Hate Crime Statute

By BARBARA DAB

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ennessee’s state legislature passed two bills this year that will help make the state’s Jewish communities safer. The success is the result of a joint effort by the four Jewish Federations representing Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga and the relationships the groups fostered with the state’s legislators. “We would not have seen these results without the combined efforts of all the Jewish Federations in the state,” says Leslie Kirby, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville.

The nationwide rise in antisemitism is showing itself in Tennessee, and synagogues, schools, Jewish Community President’s Report: Mission to Israel Part 1, page 4

Centers, and other Jewish buildings are finding it necessary to beef up security measures. In acknowledgement of the need for increased funding for these efforts, the legislature approved $750,000 to cover the cost of security personnel for these locations. Steve Hirsch, chair of the Jewish Federation’s security committee, is pleased the House of Worship security grand funding was incorporated into the state budget for a second year.

“This year’s funding represents a substantial increase over last year. This funding represents an important supplement to the federal Department of Homeland Security’s Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which monies can be utilized strictly for capital equipment.”

Jewish Federation Commemorates Yom Hashoah, page 10

One of the co-sponsors of the budget amendment was Representative Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville). Williams is chair of the appropriations subcommittee and says legislation like this will go a long way to helping keep the Jewish community safe. “In a small community like mine, people really rely on this type of legislation.” He says the relationships between the legislature and the Federations is also a key component of helping to secure the additional funding.

“The Federations have been great about helping to advocate and educate the legislature about the need in the community. With the growth in antisemitism in Tennessee, it is important we work Continued on page 20 Coupon Special Section page 21

Community Relations Committee Jewish Proudly

By DEBORAH OLESHANSKY

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ara Horn, author of the book, “People Love Dead Jews,” joined us in Nashville for an energetic, incredibly engaging, and highly researched program in which she shared her vast experience reviewing Holocaust education and how it impacts current issues of antisemitism. Her thought-provoking perspective opened the door to a new way of looking at antisemitism. She shattered some myths and pushed us to think differently.

One change in perspective she encourages is to move from trying to make Judaism “normal” and to instead be proud of how we bring a different perspective, using the tag line, “Fighting conformity for over 3000 years.”

She encouraged us to be proud of our remarkable culture and heritage, and to learn more and celebrate the beauty and values of our tradition. As an example, she shared the historic context of Shabbat as an early form of social justice.

Shabbat allows, actually it commands, rest not only for the wealthy, but for everyone, including beasts of burden.

Shabbat offers an opportunity for phys-

ical rest each week to provide time and space for us to focus on our spiritual health and well-being. In ancient Rome, the observance of Shabbat lead to antisemitic tropes that Jews are lazy – how else can working class people have a day of rest? Only the wealthy should have the option for leisure. The essential quality of Shabbat to us as a people is something to be shared and celebrated, regardless of our individual levels of observance. The gift of Shabbat to the world is something that can be a tremendous source of pride.

Horn sees moving the conversation around how to address antisemitism away from fear and toward pride and closer connection with the values and meaning inherent in Jewish life and culture. We will continue to explore, discuss, and embrace some of the wisdom Horn shared with us as we plan for the coming year.

Her perspective will inform our outlook as we move from fear to pride. Together we will create meaningful opportunities to be both Proudly Jewish and Jewish Proudly.

UPCOMING EVENTS: June 7: At this year’s annual meeting, we will thank the outgoing Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville board and welcome new members and leaders.

I would like to express my huge gratitude to our outgoing JCRC Chair, Steven Remer. Steven is an earnest, thoughtful, and dedicated community leader, and we have been well served by his steady and balanced perspective. Kol HaKavod to Steven and all our outgoing leaders. May we all go from strength to strength.

June 21: Ethiopian Israeli Singer, Aveva, in concert at the Analog inside Hutton Hotel This will be the final in our threepart series celebrating Israel at 75 Aveva Dese, is an Ethiopian-Israeli singer-songwriter who fuses traditional Ethiopian sounds & grooves with her soul-pop melodies, producing a unique style with universal appeal As a first-generation immigrant from

Ethiopia, Aveva brings a fascinating life story into her music. She sings about society, freedom, and love, creating an inspiring and empowering experience.

Her songs, many in English, have universal appeal.

Aveva’s 2nd album - “In My Thoughts”, was released in March 2019 and has received great reviews in the Israeli music scene. AvevA brings her own unique cultural flare to the table with her own style: a mix of powerful texts (in both English and Amharic) and traditional Ethiopian sounds.

Originally discovered on the Israeli version of The Voice, Aveva has displayed her universal appeal on tours with Idan Raichel and with her original music at festival across Israel, Europe and North America.

Tickets are on sale now with two options: VIP Tickets: $50/ticket includes a full Mediterranean style dinner and VIP seating.

Concert only Tickets: $15 open seating AvEvA Concert | Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville (jewishnashville.org) •

Gun Control and Nashville’s Jewish Community: Where We Are and Where We Hope to Be

By BARBARA DAB

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ccording to Everytown Research and Policy institute’s website, every year 1,385 people in Tennessee are killed by guns, with the state ranking number 29th in the country for gun law strength. They also report that the gun homicide rate in the U. S. is 26 times higher than in other developed countries. As of February, 59 percent of adults or someone they know has experienced gun violence. That statistic in Nashville is likely higher, in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in March when an emotionally disturbed former student killed six people with an automatic firearm, one of five purchased legally prior to the murders.

The mass murder escalated calls for sensible gun control laws, and cast three members of the Tennessee state legislature into the national spotlight for using a bullhorn in the front of the chamber as protesters filed in. Two of the lawmakers, who are Black and represent predominantly Black districts, were expelled. The three, dubbed the Tennessee Three, were invited to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House. And Vice President Kamala Harris paid a special visit to Nashville to meet the three at an event at Fisk University.

The Jewish community is no stranger to gun violence, either. Jason Sparks is a member of West End Synagogue and incoming board member of the Jewish Federation. His younger brother Chris was killed by a gun in a road rage incident seven years ago. According to Sparks, the case quickly became one of 800 cold murder cases in Nashville. “It was the worst night of my life,” he says, “I floundered a bit, thought we’d catch who did it.” The personal tragedy changed Jason’s philosophy around guns and activated him politically. He frequently attends

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legislative sessions and has provided testimony to the legislature. “I grew up with guns and rifles, knew how to use them the right way. My brother felt the same way,” he says, “It’s heartbreaking to have to go and testify for something like this.”

Sparks and his family continue to offer a $25 thousand reward for information leading to the capture of the person who committed his brother’s murder.

The notion that gun control is used today as a political cudgel is shared by Rabbi Joshua Kullock, of West End Synagogue. Kullock was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and prior to coming to Nashville he lived and worked in Guadalajara, Mexico. “This country has a fixation with guns and it’s a problem that you don’t see in the rest of the world,” he says. Further, he says the American Jewish community is no stranger to the debate. “Now that politics are the religion of the Jews, your opinion on how to deal with it depends on where you fall.”

Still, statistics show the majority of American Jews, regardless of political affiliation, want more restrictive gun control laws. Pamela Nadell is a professor of Women’s and Gender History and director of the Jewish Studies Program at American University. She says a 2022 National Survey of Jewish Voters by the Jewish Electorate Institute found that 96 percent of Jewish voters support requiring comprehensive background checks for all gun purchases and 91 percent support raising the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21. “We are a county of mass shootings almost on a daily basis.”

Nadell cites an article in the City Journal from December 2022 that states simply, “American Jews are feeling vulnerable.” The article, by Tevi Troy, attributes this growing unease to the synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Poway, California; growing street vio-

lence against Jews, and the antisemitic statements by high profile celebrities like Kanye West. Nadell says there are many Jews who now carry guns into synagogue services because they believe it is the best way to be safe. “There are people who know how to use a gun and are responsible who want to carry in services.

And who’s really thinking about Isaiah’s swords into ploughshares when they bring a gun into a synagogue?”

There are Jewish lessons to be found for dealing with the tension between managing fear and living Jewish values.

Kullock says, “You can always make a case for guns. There is text to support both sides. But how do you balance preservation of life with the right to self-defense? It comes back to your moral compass.” Rabbi Saul Strosberg of Sherith Israel, says a major tenet of Torah is maintaining the sanctity of life, a concept that runs through many areas of Jewish law. There is also the idea that freedoms left unchecked is not the idea, either. “While I don’t know of a direct correlation to gun control per se, there is a well-known admonition to not place a stumbling block before the blind, which is used in all sorts of halachic matters, and I think would pertain to not allowing people to own guns who are likely to hurt themselves or others,” he says.

The shooter in the Covenant murders was a former student who was being treated for an emotional disorder. At the time of publication of this article, it is still unknown what the motive was, and a judge will be hearing arguments over whether writings left behind by the shooter, which could provide a motive, should be released. What is known is that the shooter had legally purchased seven firearms, the parents did not know about them, and they believed their child should not possess weapons.

What transpired on that day is well documented. What unfolded since is something Sparks is hoping will lead to meaningful change in the laws. “This was a wakeup call. To be blunt, it activated a lot of people with agency,” he says. He finds support in Moms Demand Action, an advocacy organization fighting for stronger gun laws. “They have been incredibly inclusive. Linda McFadyenKetchum [Tennessee chapter leader] is an amazing woman. She believes this is not inevitable. We made the situation, and we can unmake it. We can de-normalize walking with AR-15s in the streets.”

Progress on the state level is proving to be elusive, according to John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville). He is both a lawmaker, and a member of Congregation Micah. “Some of my Republican colleagues understand the gravity of this issue, but I can count on one hand the number who will vote for meaningful change,” he says.

Last month, Lee issued a formal call for a “public safety” special session of the legislature on August 21 and is seeking feedback from Tennesseans. In a statement on his website, Lee says, “There is broad agreement that action is needed, and in the weeks ahead, we’ll continue to listen to Tennesseans and pursue thoughtful, practical measures that strengthen the safety of Tennesseans, preserve Second Amendment rights, prioritize due process protections, support law enforcement and address mental health.” But according to Clemmons, there is opposition within the legislature on some key points of Lee’s proposed bill, particularly around temporary removal, or “red flag” laws. “There are other conservative states that have passed temporary removal laws,” he says, “There are some here who are willing to discuss it.

Continued on page 20

Author and Scholar Dara Horn Discussed Antisemitism, Jewish Heritage, and Holocaust Education

By BARBARA DAB

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hat is Judaism? How is antisemitism expressed in modern times?

Does Holocaust education help combat antisemitism? Those are just a few of the topics author and scholar Dara Horn addressed when she visited Nashville last month. The latest in the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville’s Shine a Light on Antisemitism series featured Horn’s discussion of her latest book, “People Love Dead Jews,” a series of essays that laments both the commercialization of Jewish tragedy, and the dearth of information about the vibrancy of Jewish culture as it is lived in today’s world. And while the book’s title is provocative, Horn said that is the point.

“If the title makes you uncomfortable, what’s in the book will make you even more uncomfortable.”

Horn’s theory is that by reducing Jewish history to stories about the Holocaust, Anne Frank, and the destruction of Jewish communities throughout the ages, it ignores the deeper truths about Judaism and Jewish life. “Jews in non-Jewish societies often feel the need to erase themselves in order to make other people feel comfortable.”

The origin of the book stems from a request she received from National Geographic to write about Anne Frank.

At first reluctant, she eventually decided to write the piece after learning about an employee of the Anne Frank Museum who was not allowed to wear his yarmulke during work. After a four-month deliberation, the museum’s board relented. “Four months is a really, really long time,” said Horn, “And the irony escaped c

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Attendees of the book club reception enjoyed light snacks and the opportunity to meet with Dara Horn.

Author and scholar Dara pictured with Deborah Oleshansky, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville

them that they were basically forcing a Jew to hide his identity.”

The book works to dispel myths that she said also led to the erasure of Jewish identity. She said family stories of names being changed at Ellis Island simply are not true. Immigrant names came from ship’s manifests and port of origin records, much like today. Horn said there is a different and very real story behind family name changes. “What we do have are court records of American Jews after the mass migrations of the ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s going to court and changing their own names. And why were they changing their own names? Because of American antisemitism.”

The book’s essays are diverse but the thread that runs through them all is this idea of the lengths Jews go to fit into American culture and society. Attendee Amy Kammerman read the book follow-

Corrections Policy The Jewish Observer is committed to making corrections and clarifications promptly. To request a correction or clarification, call Editor Barbara Dab at (615) 354-1653 or email her at barbaradab@jewishnashville.org

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To ensure publication, submissions must arrive by the 15th of the month prior to the intended month of publication.

For advertising deadlines, contact Carrie Mills, advertising manager, at 615-354-1699, or by email at carrie@nashvillejcc.org.

Dara Horn spoke at The Temple about her latest book “People Love Dead Jews.”

ing a recommendation by The Temple’s Rabbi Michael Danziger during Yom Kippur services. She said she found the book to be heavy, but also engaging. “She is so heartfelt. I would read an essay and just be pulled into it. The whole book is intense, but everyone can find something to relate to.”

In a recent article in The Atlantic, Horn wrote about her belief that Holocaust education does little to combat antisemitism. “There is no data to support the idea that it does, and it [Holocaust education] has been going on for 50 years.” She said her approach was probably not what The Atlantic editors were expecting, “I know it made them uncomfortable, but at least we started the conversation.”

It is this notion of discomfort that drove much of the discussion. When it comes to teaching about Judaism, she says the answer is built into the tradition.

“What about looking at Shabbat as a way to combat antisemitism? Think of it as a political initiative, a form of social justice.” She said that inviting someone into the home to share a Shabbat meal or a Passover seder provides real life experiences and insights into Jewish life and community. “How about look at the seder as a liberation story and invite the Black community to participate.”

Attendees were inspired by Horn’s perspective and her ability to articulate what some people only think about.

Heidi Allen said she was moved by Horn’s depth of knowledge of Jewish history, and her ability to articulate her ideas. “She made it accessible. I started this conversation as a scared little girl in South Carolina just wanting to fit in with everyone else. But I truly looked at things a different way after reading her book.”

Horn’s focus on the uncomfortable realities of the American Jewish experience is one that for some attendees was unexpected. Teen Cohen said, “She

brings such a unique perspective to our collective history. I like the angles from which she approaches the conversation.”

Cohen also appreciated Horn’s views on Holocaust education. “She shared her perspective so well and wove in her ideas related to Holocaust education, its strengths and weaknesses.”

Horn expressed her difficulty in addressing the responses from Jewish readers who want to share their own experiences with antisemitism. “It’s like this horror story litany. And the stories they’re sharing with me are not the kind of things that would end up in an ADL [Anti-defamation League] report.” She goes on to relay incidents such as people’s treatment by their mother-in-law, their employer, their boyfriend. As she calls them, private moments, that cannot be written about but cut deeply into the psyche of the Jews who experience it.

“There are ways people compartmentalize these things to make excuses for it.

The political piece is one of those ways, there are other ways people do it, and that is simply one of those.”

The message of the evening was not completely a dark one, however. The final question asked came from a parent of young children wanting to know how to instill a strong Jewish identity in the midst of a predominantly Christian world. Horn said the answer lies in Jewish tradition itself. “The tradition is set up with the expectation that you’re going to be living in a non-Jewish society,” she said. “Your child is going to experience Shabbat, there’s a day where they’re not doing homework or school work…that child will hopefully in one form, or another be studying Torah. The Torah is the story of defeat after defeat after defeat, but it is also one of resilience after resilience after resilience…

That child will be celebrating holidays like Passover, where they’re going to be telling stories of national liberation…

They’re going to see that they’re part of this enormous 3,000 year old chain of learning what it means to be human, learning what it means to be part of a counterculture.” In short, she says, children who live a Jewish life, in whatever form their family takes, will be getting what she calls a master class in living in a pluralistic society. “When you give a child that gift, that child really is prepared.” •

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• June 2023

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President’s Report: Mission to Israel Part 1 their Resilience Garden. Not gonna lie, when she gave me a hug as I was leaving and said “Shalom, Leslie”, I kinda lost it.

By LESLIE KIRBY

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spent an amazing, intense two weeks in Israel last month. For the first week, I joined the National Leadership mission through Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), and then attended the General Assembly (GA). The second week was our Partnership Steering Committee meeting in Hadera-Eiron.

This month I’m going to focus on the mission and the GA, and then in next month’s Observer, focus on the Partnership region meeting.

The National Mission was incredible. I was honored to be representing Nashville in this group of approximately 25 professionals and lay leaders from across the US. The focus of the trip was Federation in action - visiting sites around Israel that are supported by Federations and seeing the direct collective impact of our donations.

We started off with a visit to the Eshel

Opening ceremony at the GA.

Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville president Leslie Kirby at FeelBeit in Jerusalem.

program for optimal aging. In response to a growing number of older citizens, this initiative provides courses and training to provide older adults with the tools and resources to continue enjoying their lives to the fullest. The focus is on aging in

Renee Geltzer Retires: We will miss you at The Gordon JCC

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s most of you know, after with her family, and maybe sleep many (many) years of in for an extra hour or two. wonderful service here at the – Marilyn Rubin, Gordon JCC ECLC, our fearless Assistant Administrative Assistant (and Director Renee Geltzer is Renee’s cousin!) retiring. She has been a conRenee has been a pillar of stant force through five direcexcellence that families have tors, texting parents directly appreciated for generations. She about their children’s well-begave so much of herself to raise and ing, patiently reminding them uplift the children (and parents) “don’t forget your child’s nap- Gordon JCC ECLC of our community. We wish her per,” and constantly chasing Assistant Director the best and will miss the warmth down registration forms. It is Renee Geltzer is and confidence she brought to retiring. a bittersweet feeling, knowthe JCC. – Joel Abramson, JCC ing she has put so many years of her life Board Member & ECLC Parent into our children and their families, but I have had the honor of knowing we are excited for this new chapter for Renee as a colleague, and as an ECLC her. We will miss her monograms, her parent for the last 5 years. Her care for flip flops, and most importantly, her hugs. our families never ceases to amaze me, Renee means so much to all of us here at and her attention to detail is spot on. I the J, and we wanted to compile some of am so grateful that my children were on our favorite memories and well-wishes for the receiving end of her love, and I will our favorite person. miss working with her greatly. – Rachel Renee has been so wonderful to all Clark, Gordon JCC Marketing Director three of my children during their time and ECLC Parent at the ECLC preschool. We will miss On many occasions, I believed Renee seeing her smiling face every morning could read my mind. All I had to do was and wish her the best during this next look at her and she knew. From in-serchapter. – Kelly Unger, Gordon JCC vice training to walking down the hallBoard Member & ECLC Parent ways. I could look at her and we would My favorite Renee memory is her both just laugh (I plead the fifth on what bringing me a giant bag of homemade we were laughing about.) Everyone has Chex Mix every time she made some, that one work person they can just laugh which was very often! Her caring nature with, and Renee is that person. – Kristen always made sure that I was fed and doing Brown, longtime ECLC Teacher okay. I definitely view her as my work There is no one better than Renee. mom, something I think she would be She’s bolstered an incredible program proud to be called! - Andrew Fishman, and has become an extension of our famCamp Davis Director ily. Renee is a treasure, and we love her I bet her home is the cleanest home more than words. – Rachel Abramowitz, in Nashville. This is a theory based on ECLC Parent working with her for 21 years. She also She amazes me with her never endhas elevated flip flops to a fashion must! ing attire with her monogram on it, it I will miss working with her. - Carrie even extends to her car!

Mills, Gordon JCC Senior Programs Best wishes to you, Renee, on wherCoordinator ever you land next and may you be a I will miss her beautiful personaliBubbie soon!! - Anita Howards, Gordon ty the most! Lottie Mitchell, longtime JCC Finance Director ECLC Teacher We are so grateful for the years that Renee is the most organized and dirtshe gave us here, and know we will see free human on the planet! We will miss her around the J, especially at the pool her friendly smile and her willingness to this summer! help wherever needed! I will miss seeing Join us at the pool to celebrate my dear cousin on a day-to-day basis, but her retirement on Sunday, July 9, from so happy for her to have time to spend 10am-2pm! •

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place to the extent possible and provides both tangible needs and a strong social network to fight the loneliness that older people often feel. We met with some of the program beneficiaries and got to participate in one of their programs, which included dancing - even the people with walkers or canes! Two of the participants were in Israel in 1948 when the state was founded, and their stories of listening to the radio when the Declaration of Independence was first read and dancing in the streets to celebrate were incredibly moving.

We then visited Ohel Meir school in Afula, where we learned about the Youth Futures program. Youth Futures pairs at-risk children and teens along with their families with personal mentors who teach them life/coping skills. Participants in the program have a higher graduation rate than the national average. I liked that the program focuses on the strengths of the child, rather than trying to fix what’s “wrong” with them. My partner during our visit to Ohel Meir was Talia.

She has profound social anxiety, which strikes a chord with me because my daughter does as well, and I’ve seen firsthand how debilitating it can be. Talia couldn’t even introduce herself to me at first, her mentor had to do it for her. She could barely look me in the eye. But she warmed up over the course of our visit, especially over the delicious falafel lunch they gave us. At the end of our visit, Talia and I planted a flower together in

Talia with our flower in the resilence garden at her school.

Our next stop was the “First Home in Homeland” refugee program in Merhavia, designed to help Jews from around the world make Aliyah and establish their first home in Israel. The program is specifically focused on settling immigrants in small communities in the Galilee and the Negev regions of Israel, which are often underpopulated and in need of development. Merhavia is one such community in the Lower Galilee region, and the program helps new immigrants from former Soviet countries that fled the Russian-Ukrainian war by providing support, including housing, employment assistance, language classes, and cultural activities. We heard from the coordinators of the program and three immigrant families, one from Russia, one from Belarus and one from Ukraine. The Ukrainian family crossed through Poland to get to Israel, using the same border crossing my son and I visited when we Continued on page 15

Donors Make the Difference

By NORMA SHIRK, LIFE & LEGACY COMMUNITY COORDINATOR

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hree quarters of a million dollars.

That is the amount received during the past six years by the fourteen local Jewish organizations participating in the LIFE & LEGACY™ program.

The LIFE & LEGACY™ program was created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) to support Jewish organizations across North America through partnerships with local Jewish Federations and Foundations to promote after-lifetime giving. After-lifetime giving allows donors to use their money during the donor’s lifetime while confirming they will leave a gift to the organizations of their choice.

During six years participating in the program, the Nashville Jewish community has obtained 839 letters of intent with an estimated value of $25.4 million.

About 73% of donors have formalized their gifts by updating their wills or completing a beneficiary form related to life insurance or a 401(k) plan, designating their chosen organizations as beneficia-

ries. The participating organizations have received $743,336 from donors during the past six years.

The Nashville Jewish community joined the LIFE & LEGACY™ program in 2017. During the initial four years of the program, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation provided substantial training and financial support to implement the program. Since then, their support has gradually decreased as each participating organization has been encouraged to implement a process to continue after-lifetime giving programs in the future. By the end of our tenth year in the LIFE & LEGACY™ program, the participating organizations in our community will be able to sustain their after-lifetime giving programs without the support of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

On June 7 our community will celebrate completing another year in the LIFE & LEGACY™ program with a reception at the Gordon Jewish Community Center to honor the donors. The donors are the foundation of our sustainable after-lifetime giving program which will ensure the future of the Nashville Jewish community. •

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• June 2023

5

Add Your Family’s Names to the Nashville Holocaust Memorial

By MARSHA RAIMI

Gordon Jewish Community T Center Annual Meeting Scheduled for June 4 J

oin us on June 4 at 10:30am for the 120th Annual Meeting of the Gordon JCC. We will induct a board of directors and new board members, reflect on the

last year, and look towards the year ahead. The Kehilah award winners will be announced, and a light brunch will follow.

2023-2024 Board of Directors Officers to be installed for first one-year term: President Jeremy Brook President-elect Dara Freiberg Vice President Evan Nahmias Treasurer Scott Newman Secretary Kelly Unger Past-President Cindee Gold

Jessica Roth Jeff Weiss

Nominated for a First 3-Year Term Rachel Bernstein Richard Cohen Aaron Epstein Rebecca Kaduru Amy McCoy Polly Roffwarg

Nominated for a Second 3-Year Term Beth Easter Jessica Ginsberg Continuing Elected Board Members Joel Abramson Greg Averbuch Scott Ghertner Stephanie Kirschner April Nemer Alan Perlman Laura Shmerling Greg Zagnoev Jackie Zigelsky

he Nashville Holocaust Memorial Committee is pleased to announce that it is accepting orders for new inscriptions on its Pillars of Remembrance. The Memorial, located on the grounds of the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Bellevue, is a sacred space for remembering those who suffered during the Holocaust. The twelve pillars carved from TN granite contain names of family members who perished, as well as those who survived and subsequently lived in the Nashville area. Donors can select from several inscription formats. Committee members are available to assist you.

Holocaust Memorial Committee Chair, Felicia Anchor, commented, “For many of us second- and third-generation survivors, there is no cemetery we can visit to remember and honor our loved ones lost in the Shoah. The Memorial was created for this purpose; as well as to educate future generations about the dangers of antisemitism and other forms of hatred. Recently we’ve had requests to add names to the site, and we want to make sure we reach everyone in the community who’s interested.”

Once the new inscriptions are com-

Community members are invited to order inscriptions of family members on the Pillars of Remembrance at the Nashville Holocaust Memorial.

pleted, the Committee will host a reception for all families with names on the Pillars.

The minimum inscription of two lines costs $350. One or two additional lines are available at $175 each. You can acquaint yourself with the pillars and inscription formats on the website NashvilleHolocaustMemorial.org (ignore the pricing there). The deadline to order and pay for an inscription is June 30, 2023. If you’ve previously expressed an interest, please reconfirm. To place an order or ask questions, email us at NashvilleHolocaustMemorial@gmail. com. Kindly provide your best contact information. •

Letters to the Editor

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June 2023 •

Letter to the Editor: I want to thank Deborah Oleshansky and the Community Relations Committee for their outstanding work to combat antisemitism in our community. The following projects are very impressive: the Butterfly project; teaching and preparing high school students how to deal with the antisemitism they will encounter on college campuses; the community-wide Seder that attracts so many people of different faiths and orientations; advocating for students who encounter antisemitism in private and public schools. These are just a few projects that Deborah and her Committee handle, and I am so grateful we have such a competent and effective person dealing with this ancient hatred.

As a child survivor of the Shoah, I stress in my presentations that antisemitism has nothing to do with what Jews do but everything to do with the hatred of others. Blaming Jews for antisemitism is like blaming rape victims for being raped. It is difficult enough to deal with my mother being gassed at Auschwitz. I find it very upsetting when anyone suggests it was the fault of the Jews for not being sufficiently pious/observant.

Such thinking is very dangerous, because it does not promote actions to combat antisemitism, such as education, butterfly projects, trips to Israel, welcoming the stranger, connecting with other faith communities –actions promoted

by Deborah, the Community Relations Committee, the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, and many others.

Sincerely, Frances Cutler Hahn

To the Editor, After reading the Commentary regarding “Antisemitism in our Backyards” in the April edition of The Jewish Observer, I feel compelled to write the first letter to an editor that I’ve ever written. The viewpoint expressed is that the “true cause for antisemitism” is a spiritual one - Jews not being religiously observant enough or respecting ourselves.

This is unabashed victim blaming and it truly is antisemitism in our own backyard - it’s a prime example of antisemitism spouted not by Nazis or white supremacists, but by Jews themselves.

While I can understand calling on Jews to be more spiritual and observant, linking that in any way as a cause of or solution for antisemitism is offensive and dangerously misleading. My grandmother and her siblings weren’t murdered by Nazis because they didn’t want to pay for kosher meat or buy new Tefillin. If someone hurls an antisemitic slur at me, a secular Jew, it’s not because I don’t regularly light Shabbat candles and it’s certainly not because I have a lack of respect for myself.

Part of combating hate of all kinds includes education and calling out hate speech and antisemitic rhetoric whenever it occurs. Antisemitism in Nazi Germany or Nashville in 2023 has nothing to do with any Jew’s faith or observance, but everything to do with the mindset of the perpetrators -- rooted in fear, a desire for power, or other motives that will never have any connection to my spirituality. Any suggestion otherwise is making excuses for hate groups and cannot go unchallenged.

Respectfully, Cynthia Moon

West End Synagogue Honors Students & Teachers I

n a cheerful and enthusiastic End of the Year Closing Ceremony on Sunday, May 7th West End Synagogue’s Beit Miriam student, Abi Kullock was presented with the 2023 Simon and Alven Ghertner Award for Excellence in Hebrew.

2023 Simon and Alven Ghertner Award Winner Abi Kullock, daughter of Rabbi Joshua and Jessica Kullock was chosen as the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Simon and Alven Ghertner Award for excellence in Hebrew, now in its 78th consecutive year. Sharon Paz, West End Synagogue Director of Lifelong Learning, presented the award on behalf of Frank Ghertner, grandson of Simon Ghertner and son of Alven Ghertner, zichronam l’vracha, who was unable to attend. The Ghertner Award is a distinct award presented to the outstanding seventh grader each year and recognizes the importance of Hebrew reading proficiency for every generation of Jewish students. Paz noted, “Among Jewish teens nations wide, so few excel in Hebrew to the extent that our students do. We are so fortunate to have young people, like Abi in our school and congregation who have ability and who work hard to excel in Hebrew, both as a modern language and in prayer, reading Torah, Haftarah, and leading services for us.”

Sharon Paz shared the following remarks from the presentation, “I think Abi would say that her Hebrew skills were more a product of Akiva School than Beit Miriam, but she implemented them here every time she helped lead a Shabbat service over the years, from Havdalah, to Kabbalat Shabbat to the Torah service to the Musaf service. She also learned an additional Torah reading for the Thursday morning minyan of her Bat Mitzvah weekend. And I know she knows most, if not all, of Shacharit.

Abi comes to the Synagogue every Shabbat. This past year, I noticed she sat up front near her father observing, listening, and occasionally leading parts of the service. Abi does not enjoy the limelight. That is not her comfort zone.

But she is a leader. Joseph Weil told me that when he needed a student to lead minyan for the 6th & 7 graders on Sunday mornings, he asked Abi to step up and she did. When I asked her to help Abby Sparks lead teen minyan, she said “sure.” Mazal Tov Abi. We are proud of all your Hebrew skills and look forward to having you on the bimah as a Baalat T’filah, a T’filah leader, as often as you would like. You have “Protexia!” Have a

Abi Kullock received the 2023 Simon and Alven Ghertner Award

Leo Wiston received the 2023 Anna Eisenstein Award

wonderful time at Camp Ramah Darom this summer and put your skills to use!

This award places emphasis on the effort and skills mastered in preparation for becoming B’nai Mitzvah and takes into account Hebrew language skills.

It comes with a gift from the Ghertner Family and, the honor of chanting the Haftarah on Rosh HaShanah.

Many thanks to Frank Ghertner and Dorothy Ghertner Miller who oversee this award on an annual basis.

The closing Ceremony included a shout out to all the teachers, a video of the year’s programs—a salute to Israel’s 75th Birthday and a delicious Israeli lunch for all of the Beit Miriam families and faculty.

the classroom. The award recognizes a unique aide who exhibits the attributes the teachers need the most and models the behaviors parents respect the most, dependability, attentiveness, friendliness, and initiative. The award has grown steadily since its inception to $1000.00.

Linda Nathenson wrote: “This year’s aide was exceptional in many ways. He received recommendations not only from the teachers he directly worked with in the classroom but also from the art teacher, the music teacher, and from the teacher he worked with last year.

Leo was consistently punctual, and typically arrived at Sunday School before the lead teacher. He has a kind and silly personality, which the children greatly

2023 Anna Isenstein Teacher Aide Award Winner West End Synagogue’s Beit Miriam high school senior, Leo Wiston, son of Stuart and Debby Wiston was honored with the 2023 Anna Isenstein Teacher Aide Appreciation Award. This award directs cash toward a college-bound teacher’s aide to assist in their continuing education. Linda Nathenson and Joel Isenstein established the Anna Isenstein Teacher Aide Award Fund in memory of their daughter, Anna Michelle Isenstein in 2003 to encourage teens to guide younger students as teachers’ aides after completing their formal religious school education at West End Synagogue.

During Anna’s short life, they learned that sometimes the most help for a student comes directly from another student.

The aides in the religious school classroom serve many roles. Not only do they assist the teacher in a variety of tasks, they also, serve as role models in

enjoy. He put in great effort to engage with the kids in a patient and respectful manner. Leo was always willing to lend a helping hand, wherever necessary, a valuable asset in the classroom. Leo has an ability to remain calm and collected when faced with challenging situations and builds positive relationships with the children. Additionally, he was tremendously flexible and great at adapting to change.”

Sharon Paz, Director of Lifelong learning shared her thoughts about Leo. “We had 25 three and four-year-olds this year. Leo, who worked as an aide last year, was able to move from one classroom to the other as needed. When the lead teacher was out during the year, it was wonderful to be able to count on Leo’s consistency and maturity. Leo helped during carpool and walked our youngest children to their classrooms.

He was very patient with the children who were often squiggly and wiggly!

He helped students with tasks in the classroom and reinforced the Hebrew they were learning in a kind and caring manner. We will all miss him next year.

We salute all our 2023 high school teacher aides/teachers: Ethan Bengelsdorf, Sadye Prebus, and Celia Wiston and our ninth and 10th graders who helped out first period before their classes: Jaxon and Tommy Buchanan, Lilly Lapidus, Ari Lowen, Jacob MacBrair, and Esther Nissenson.

Many thanks to Joel Isenstein and Linda Nathenson for creating this special recognition award and opportunity for our Teacher Aides. •

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• June 2023

7

Get Outside: Finding Awe

By MELISSA SOSTRIN

I

think I raised my sons right: on Mother’s Day one of them called and wished me a “Happy Hallmark holiday.” I know, I know, the holiday preceded the company by a few years. However, I’ve downplayed the calendar event telling them we could celebrate all year if they honored and loved me the other 364 days. I often think of my mother, and not just on Mother’s Day and what a profound effect she had on my love of nature.

The first time she went to camp she dropped and rolled with abandon in the grass, and when the director asked what she was doing she replied that her mother never let her get dirty. And so, we were allowed to get dirty, to play for hours in the empty lot next door, and often, fortunately, farther afield.

The camp I attended when I was 10 had a radical, for that time, nature program. Instead of a typical program of bug and flower collecting and learning then forgetting their names, its aim was for campers to become part of nature. In the photo from the National Geographic story about it, we were hooded to heighten our sense of touch, and crawled through the shallows of a lake bottom pretending to be raccoons searching for food. I’m that first camper and still have awe for raccoons, the state mammal of Tennessee. Their highly specialized front paws have hairs that enable them to find and identify what they touch and are more sensitive when wet more easily.

In William Blake’s poem, “Auguries of Innocence” he begins, To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour The first time I held infinity I was

Melissa Sostrin, r, as a child, participated in a unique nature program at summer camp.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.

about nine years old. It was a cool, early morning as I walked to observe an ornithologist and his helpers catching and banding birds at the place we were vacationing. I saw a hummingbird alighting on flowers and because of the cold, it was moving much slower than the average 61 miles per hour. I reached out and gently closed my hands around it, feeling its fluttering as I carried it to be banded.

Decades later I still thrill to the sight of hummingbirds in my yard.

There are eight hummingbird species in Tennessee, and you can attract them with a feeder, or more naturally, by planting native jewel weed or trumpet creepers or perennials such as purple cone flowers and bee balm. They also feed on insects so minimizing pesticide use would be good for the birds and the earth. For more information, check out the University of Tennessee Cooperative Extension Service document on hummingbird gardening.

One of the young people banding

birds that day was Michael Fay, a biology student at the University of Arizona. My mom invited him to accompany us on a camping trip to Alaska, and bravely, he said yes to a summer with six kids ages 11 to three, and my mom. I’d like to think that those weeks in the wild, including a bear sighting along the Teklanika River (when Michael tucked my youngest brother under his arm like a football and ran) contributed to his career as a

passionate conservationist. He has spent most of the last few decades in Africa completing a mega-transect and running national parks in Gabon. My brother attended a speaking event when Fay was state side some years ago and introduced himself. He said, “Your mother was a wild woman,” which is somewhat accurate and a beautiful compliment to her.

My mother found holiness in the world around her and took photos of flowers and mushrooms, and mountains and sunsets, to remind her what was out there when she was back in suburbia running for the school board, chauffeuring us around, making dinner or doing any one of a thousand mundane tasks.

While many of us can’t travel or don’t have the time or resources, we can find the beauty of nature in our own backyard. Rachel Bluwstein, considered the founding mother of modern Hebrew poetry did, and wrote about it in the poem “Pear Tree.”

Spring had a hand in this: a person wakes up and through the window he sees a flowering pear tree and all at once this mountain that weighed on his heart crumbles and ceases to be. •

Kehillah Award Finalists Announced

By REBECCA MORIARTY

T

he Kehillah Award, formerly known as the Ralph Shepard Award, is given annually to a Jewish Nashville high school senior who exemplifies the characteristics of outstanding Jewish youth. This year’s finalists are Andrew Biller, son of Daniel and Tara and Biller, and Lily Marger, daughter of Brian and Victoria Marger.

The Kehillah Award nominations are for teens who have shown great dedication and motivation both in the Jewish community as well as the greater Nashville community. These seniors are enthusiastic about making the world a better place. The winners receive a $500 gift, provided by Doyne Family Fund at the Jewish Foundation, to be used toward their education.

The teens are nominated by their

Top row: L to R: Boaz Woolf, Olivia Schwartz, Patricia Froshin, Hannah Froshin, Emma Goldberg, Andrew Biller, Bottom row L to R: Lilly Lapidus, Gavin Schwartz, Max Mittelberg, Alexander Averbuch

Lily Marger

Andrew Biller

synagogue, educational director, rabbi, or youth group advisor. Nominated teens are asked to complete an application with two essays. The completed applications are then redacted to keep them anonymous and sent to all past Kehillah/Ralph Shepard Award winners, who review the applications and cast their vote.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced at the Gordon JCC Annual Meeting on June 4th. •

Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville at www.jewishnashville.org

8

June 2023 •

Nashville BBYO Wins Big at Convention

By REBECCA MORIARTY

N

ashville BBYO teens attended the Delta Region Spring Convention in Memphis April 21-23. The teens enjoyed a Friday night Shabbat service, a speaker series featuring Orthodox Jewish rapper, Yitz Jordan, and a sports day at Temple Israel. Members also participated in a J-Serve activity led by Adina Lichman who runs the non-profit, Knock Knock Give a Sock. Many teens contributed to planning convention and led programming throughout the weekend. Andrew Biller and Alexander Averbuch were both on the steering committee and helped with various logistical and programming needs during the convention.

On Saturday evening, a banquet was held, and several teens were honored with awards. Athens of the South AZA a gadol

(president), Andrew Biller, won “AZA of Year” which is a prestigious award bestowed upon a member who upholds the values and ideals of Aleph Zadik Aleph.

The banquet Saturday evening was followed by a Block Party that included a silent disco, NBA watch party, karaoke, and special programming for seniors.

Regional elections took place Sunday where Nashville natives, Max Lapidus and Max Mittelberg, were elected to the regional board. Max Lapidus will serve Delta Region as Gadol and Max Mittelberg will serve as Shaliach for the 2023-2024 term. Additionally, Nashville is also home to both the Regional Sweetheart, Lilly Lapidus, and the Regional Beau, Gavin Schwartz.

For more information on joining BBYO (grades 8-12), please contact Rebecca Moriarty at RMoriarty@bbyo.org

Commentary

By FRANK H. BOEHM MD

I

have often pondered the question of what constitutes a religious person and have never felt satisfied with the responses I have heard others give when asked this very personal question. This question usually comes up when someone inquiries about another’s religius affiliation and the response is frequently, “I am Jewish and a member of our Temple, but I really do not believe I am a religious person.” Other common responses include, “I am more of a spiritual person than a religious one,” and, “I am more a secular Jew than a religious one.” So, the big question, is what exactly one has to do to consider themselves a religious person.

The famous German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated that, “God has given everyone a conscience and

Are You Religious?

with this conscience they are God.” A person is religious when one listens to this still small voice within each of us and is guided in a direction of being a good and thoughtful person who believes in equal justice, is empathetic, peaceful, and loving when dealing with others.

That can all be summarized by what is quoted in Leviticus, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” I believe following the Golden Rule is all one really needs to do to be a religious person.

In his book on Abraham Lincoln entitled, “And There Was Light,” historical writer Jon Meacham writes that, “To Lincoln, God whispered His will through conscience calling humankind to live in accord with the laws of love.”

That was Lincoln’s description of religion. Deed was more important to him than creed. Lincoln had more to say on this subject. Responding to a Tennessee

woman whose husband was a Union prisoner and who she described to Lincoln as a religious man, Lincoln told her, “In my opinion, the religion that sets men to rebel and fight against their government because, as they think, that government does not sufficiently help some men to eat their bread on the sweat of other men’s faces, is not the sort of religion upon which people can get to heaven”.

In 1930, Rabbi Julius Mark of the Vine Street Temple in Nashville, gave a talk to a group of assembled Jews and Christians at the Ryman Auditorium and stated, “Whether a man belongs of a Synagogue or Church or Mosque or no church at all, he needn’t worry about his soul, provided he lives a righteous life on earth and if he belonged to every church in the world and went to one every day of his life and prayed with all his being,

I shouldn’t give a rap for his soul if at the same time he was dishonorable, unjust, unkind, a cheat, and a liar or a hypocrite.”

That still small voice that resides in all of us is what should help us know how to act in this world. It is the same conscience that Lincoln speaks of, and it is the voice of God speaking to us.

Being religious is to listen to that voice and treat our fellow human beings with kindness, fairness and understanding. It is not how often we attend religious services or practice the laws and rules of our religion. It is the deed and not the creed that makes one a religious person. • Dr. Frank H. Boehm is professor emeritus in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and can be reached at frank.boehm@vumc.org

MY REBBE, YOUR REBBE, OUR REBBE

By RABBI YITZCHOK TIECHTEL

I

magine if we could carry out the following experiment.

We take a soul, put it under a microscope and separate her elements. We divide all the positive elements from all the negative elements.

We separate out the baseless fear.

We exclude unfounded hatred. We exclude wild anger. We exclude jealousy, resentment, and intolerance. We exclude senseless impulses and the appetite for mundane pleasure. We set aside laziness and complacency. Cynicism, arrogance, and selfishness - out.

Next, we extract a small measure of every positive element. We take a bit of courage, a bit of love and respect. We take some patience, dignity, and tolerance. We extract a little bit of forgiveness, self-control, and a pleasure in helping others. We take some industriousness, a lot of energy, and heaping measures of aspiration and will-power. Then we take some faith in G-d, some humility, and some selflessness, and we’re done.

Then, we proceed to do the same procedure with the souls of everyone we know.

Now, using all these positive elements, we assemble a soul. This would not be an individual soul, but a composite soul, comprised of all the good from the souls of all the people we know.

It would result in four main results.

1. Since the composite soul is made of all good elements and no negative ones, and those good elements are G-dly, the person with this composite soul would feel a natural attachment to G-d, and he would be wonderfully, impossibly, unimaginably good.

2. Since this person’s soul has an element from everyone else’s soul, he would feel strongly connected to everyone he met, and everyone would feel a strong connection to him.

3. Since this person has an element of everyone’s soul in his, he would not only make people feel a connection to him, but also to one another.

4. Since all the good elements in the soul are G-dly, this person, sensing such a palpable attachment to G-d, would make everyone else feel that attachment too.

thing else a viable option.

We need not wonder It was the kind of devotion what this would be like, people usually reserve for because we already know. themselves, which made one G-d did create a composite wonder if the Rebbe didn’t soul, and we know him as have a spark of each of us the Rebbe. It wasn’t just that in his soul. What else would the Rebbe believed in G-d compel a person to work for and served Him faithfully others like the Rebbe did, and tirelessly; the Rebbe’s without a letup, without a only reality was G-d and day’s vacation, without a sick anything connected to G-d. day, without a Sabbatical, It wasn’t just that the Rebbe worked his whole life, every This month is the 29th without a moment of “me Yartzeit of the Rebbe time?” day, all the time, without a The Rebbe didn’t look at people with break, on behalf of the Jewish People; the sympathy. Sympathy is like emotional Rebbe was the Jewish People. tourism; it’s nice, but it’s from a distance.

No wonder, then, how the Rebbe’s The Rebbe looked at people as a person influence grows with every passing year would look at a part of himself. When a and how his presence becomes increasingperson’s back hurts, he doesn’t sympathize ly impactful with every passing Yartzeit. with his back. He doesn’t even “go the The Rebbe triggered - and continues extra mile” and empathize with his back. to trigger - something in people that is He just simply suffers. It’s his back, his nothing other than the core-essence of pain, his problem. their own soul. And that isn’t something The way normal people feel about that wears off - it’s a part of you, it’s who their back, their hand, their eyes - that’s you are. how the Rebbe seemed to feel about othThe original Hebrew word “Rebbe” ers. Naturally, it didn’t take long before - pronounced “Rebbi” - literally means others felt the same way about him. “my teacher.” And the Rebbe certainly Judaism, too, was to the Rebbe never was the most wonderful teacher. something “very important” or “someBut the Yiddish word “Rebbe” - prothing to be valued.” It was who he was. nounced “Rebbeh” - carries infinitely Inseparable. A person with a G-dly soul more weight. Because the Rebbe was much more than just a wonderful teacher. He didn’t just share wisdom with us.

He shared himself with us. He didn’t just offer us insights. He offered us himself.

And since his soul was made up of all of ours, is that surprising?

Please support the The Rebbe didn’t care for people’s businesses problems like a kind bystander or a that advertise in the caring outsider. The Rebbe saw people’s problems as his problems. And people felt Observer and help that and appreciated that. support In the Parshah, the week of the our community in all Rebbe’s Yartzeit, we read the story of how Moshe chose to remain with his ways! people in the barren desert, abandoning his cherished dream of seeing the Make sure to let them Promised Land, so that his people would not remain alone. Almost as if he saw no know...you saw alternative; what option is there other their ad here! than to be of service to others?

The Rebbe, too, displayed a kind of devotion to public service that made you wonder if he even considered any-

cannot separate from G-d, or from Torah, or from the Mitzvot, plain and simple.

It didn’t take long before others began to feel the same way about Judaism.

As people got to know the Rebbe, to love and respect him, their acquired defensiveness when it came to Judaism melted away, and the Mitzvot came to feel so normal, so natural.

What the Rebbe had that made him the Rebbe, we all have to a humbler degree, in quality, if not in quantity or intensity. But a spark of it is there.

In other communities, Rebbes allowed their followers the luxury of just being followers. The Chabad Rebbes tolerated no such luxury. They wanted partners in their work, not just followers of their faith.

Now, as the Rebbe’s 29th Yartzeit arrives we owe it to him and to each other to intensify that partnership. By adding intensity to our attachment to G-d and our loving observance of His Torah and Mitzvot, and by upgrading the quality of our love and respect for one another, we’ll be doing our part to perfect this imperfect world, to warm and illuminate a cold and confused society, to bring Moshiach to a world that is ready, and to give Nachas to the lofty, loving soul of the Jewish People’s dearest friend and greatest defender, the Rebbe. •

• June 2023

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Jewish Federation Commemorates Yom Hashoah

By BARBARA DAB

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his year’s Yom Hashoah event featured music, speeches, and candle lighting to remember the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.

The event included memorial certificates from Remember Us, a Holocaust B’nai Mitzvah project that invites children preparing for Bar or Bat Mitzvah to remem-

ber a child who was lost in the Holocaust.

There was also artwork from the Butterfly Project. Through the painting of ceramic butterflies, described as a symbol of hope and resilience, people will remember the 1.5 million children who also died.

To learn more about the Butterfly Project, visit www.thebutterflyprojectnow. org, and to learn more about Remember Us, visit www.remember-us.org •

West End Synagogue’s “Not Your Father’s Klezmer Band” Brings Down the House

By BARBARA DAB

D

or L’Dor, the Knoxville based klezmer band, had people dancing, clapping, cheering, and singing along at West End Synagogue’s celebration of Israel’s 75th birthday. The band, headed by clarinetist Ken Brown, and backed by wife Susan and daughter Rachel, also includes a diverse array of musicians and singers, all of whom perform traditional, and very untraditional klezmer music.

The motto, “Not your father’s klezmer

Dor L’Dor’s brass section

band,” proved true as the band performed classics such as “Oyf’n Pripachik,” alongside mashups of Elvis Presley and Naomi Shemer. The rousing concert wrapped up more than 90 minutes Concert co-chair of performing with Anita Rich enjoy- their unique version ing the event. of HaTikvah, the Israeli national anthem. •

Dor L’Dor klezmer band, with Carol Brown on keyboard, Ken Brown with clarinet, Rachel Brown, at the microphone, joined by a diverse array of Jewish and non-Jewish musicians and vocalists.

The Jewish Federation’s Community Engagement Associate Eitan Snyder, participates in Nashville’s Young Leader’s Council

Young Leaders Council Provides Tools for Success in the Nonprofit World

By EITAN SNYDER

West End Synagogue president and concert co-chair Barry Allen introduces Dor L’Dor

W Attendees enjoyed an Israeli buffet, during the concert.

Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville at www.jewishnashville.org

10 June 2023 •

orking in the Jewish community, just like working in the world of nonprofits, involves living with a certain state of tension. On one hand, the Jewish community expects and deserves a certain standard of excellence, competence, and relevance in its organizations’ operations. On the other hand, a Jewish communal non-profit, like all non-profits, is meant to serve the needs of its target audience, which sometimes (read: most of the time) can be messy, complicated, and unpredictable.

Over my 11 weeks of training with Young Leaders Council (YLC) on everything from communication to fundraising

to managing conflict, I acquired amazing tools and philosophies that I and my cohort of up-and-coming non-profit board and staff leaders in Nashville, can apply to wade through that tension. As I go into the year-long board internship that is part of the program, I would encourage anyone in their 20s and 30s in Jewish Nashville to apply for the chance to join YLC. Through this program, Jews in our community will have the opportunity to learn some best practices for effective non-profit management that we can bring back to our community and to be the “Or La’goyim,” light unto the nations, sharing the beauty and wisdom that our people has to offer to our city and its leadership.•

Chabad of Nashville celebrates Lag B’Omer

F

riends of the Chabad of Nashville community celebrated Lag B’Omer with a beautiful outdoor celebration for children and adults from all walks of

Nashville community. It was an event of true Jewish pride, celebrated in the spirit of Lag B’Omer camaraderie and friendship. •

Tennessee’s Hospice & Palliative Care Leader Shalom Hospice is certified by the National Institute of Jewish Hospice. Proudly serving Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson Counties. Our Mission is to ensure that no Jewish patient or family faces a life limiting illness alone or without care. Shalom Hospice helps to ensure access to resources compatible with their own Jewish practices and beliefs.

Join Us for an Evening of Hospice Education Tuesday, June 6, 2023 Chabad of Nashville 95 Bellevue Rd. Nashville, TN 37221 RSVP: Leslie Baker-Smith lbaker-smith@shalomtn.com or Phone: (615) 623-8900 5409 Maryland Ave Ste 212 • Brentwood, TN 37027-5068 Phone: (615) 623-8900 • info@shalomtn.com

www.shalomtn.com

• June 2023

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Mazel Tov to the Akiva Class of 2023!

By ELLY EBIN

A

kiva School celebrated its 2023 Graduation Ceremony on May 24, honoring eight graduates and their families. As they prepared to leave Akiva, the graduating class could not help but feel a bittersweet sense of farewell as they stood ready to embark on the next phase of their educational journey. Looking back on their time at Akiva, graduate Lyla Banish reflected that, “One of the best things about being at Akiva is how I’ve made awesome friendships with my classmates, teachers, and even students from other grades. At Akiva, it’s really like everyone is part of a big family, your grade or age doesn’t matter.” Her fellow graduates unanimously share this

sentiment, adding that “we will miss the strong friends we have made here, but know those friendships will continue to grow and be strong.”

The Graduating Class of 2023 is leaving Akiva with a strong foundation, grateful hearts, and ready to embrace the challenges and adventures that await them. We wish them only the best for their future!

Mazal Tov to Lyla Banish (Jewish Middle School), Eli Cheng (Jewish Middle School), Yael Cohen (Harding Academy), Hirsch Coleman (Jewish Middle School), Zevi Ebin (Jewish Middle School)), Camden Greenspan (Woodland Middle), Sylvia Mackler (University School of Nashville), River Rijke-Epstein (Jewish Middle School).•

Legend Wright explains some of the artwork on the walls to family and friends.

Lyla Banish

Eli Cheng

Yael Cohen

Hirsch Coleman

Zevi Ebin

Camden Greenspan

Sylvia Mackler

River Rijke-Epstein

The JMS Mural was designed and created by the entire school, as a capstone project for the art show.

Amalia Strosbreg, Emma Block, and Gabe Burgess perform a violin piece to open the evening.

JMS Caps Off Incredible Year with Community Art Show JMS congratulates its graduating class, and wishes them well on the next step of their educational journey. Mazel Tov to Ivy Jaqua (Kehilla High School),

By ELLY EBIN

T

he Jewish Middle School’s Art Among Us lived up to its billing, showcasing visual arts, music, digital music, and performing arts to the over 100 visitors in attendance. Participants enjoyed a musical performance, a presentation of spoken word poetry, installations of visual art around the school, exhibits including digital music and sculpture, and Hebrewlanguage performances.

The evening was spearheaded by JMS Co-Head of School Alene Arnold and Annette Calloway, JMS Art and ELA teacher. Arnold is an ardent supporter of arts integration and explains that at JMS, “Art is a kinesthetic way of reinforcing learning and an avenue through which our students can apply and connect to what they are learning.”

Art Among Us was an opportunity for JMS to demonstrate this commitment to the arts and magnify the benefit of its integration into the classroom.

The evening culminated with a gathering in front of a spectacular mural created by the entire JMS student body, in honor of the event. For those poised to graduate from the Jewish Middle School in the coming days Art Among Us was a final chance to show their parents and the greater community the hard-earned results of their learning and work at JMS.

Mah Jongg Tournament Raises Funds for Alzheimer’s

A Harper Finley reads her poem, Winter.

Dylan Ringel is an eighth-grade student at JMS. Dylan reflected that Art Among Us was “A chance to think about how much we have been able to do, and it was a process where everyone was involved. It took a lot of thinking and hard work, but the result was something spectacular.”

It was indeed a spectacular evening for the Jewish Middle School, and one Arnold expects to see again in the coming year. “Our students were so proud of seeing their work displayed so prominently and celebrated so fully by their friends and family. We look forward to building on this success and creating many more opportunities to showcase JMS talent and work within the community.”

As the school year comes to a close,

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

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

12 June 2023 •

Dylan Ringel (Kehilla High School), Leah Henley (Nashville Big Picture High School) and Thomas Bishop (James Lawson High School). •

recent Mah Jongg tournament raised much needed funds for the Alzheimer’s Association of Middle Tennessee. Forty players participated in the tournament at the Gordon Jewish Community Center. Alongside the 39 women players was Howard Pink, the lone gentleman, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the tournament. During the lunch, catered by Goldie Shepard, tournament organizer Michelle Tishler presented Pink with a celebratory cookie cake. This year’s event also showcased Pink’s progress in the game over the last 17 years. Tishler says, “Howard participated in my very first tournament in 2006, where he placed last. I honored him with a prize of a ‘Crying Towel.’ In this tour-

Forty people participated in this year’s Mah Jongg tournament, which raised funds for the Alzheimer’s Association of Middle Tennessee.

nament, he placed first in his division.”

During the fun filled afternoon, participants boned in the “tossing of the tiles,” meeting new players and enjoying the game of Mah Jongg. •

Michelle Tishler presents Howard Pink with a cake for his 80th birthday.

Winners Advanced Division: Dorothy Hirschberg 3rd place, Paula Kirwan standing in for Sandy Goldstein 2nd place, Nancy Richardson 1st place

Sheila Greenbaum won a prize for a special hand.

Novice Division Winners: Howard Pink, pictured with his “Crying Towel,” from his first tournament, 1st place, Simone Meyerowitz 2nd place (not pictured)

Jumpstart Your Child’s Writers of the Lost Ark Jewish Life with a free “B gift from Chabad eing faced with the reality of the horrific actions of the human species to each other and the earth, alongside our admirable advances in civilization over the centuries, I chose to express my personal notion of G*d in a poem, in hopes of expanding an optimistic perspective that does not preclude doubts or disasters.” Richard R. Forberg

A

s expectant women approach their due dates, a variety of emotions tend to surface. Some women are filled with excitement, anxiously anticipating the day that they will meet their baby face to face. Others get the jitters, nervous about the upcoming hours of labor. All women pray to G-d for a healthy baby. Many Jewish women would be thrilled to know that there is one special prayer that has been customary for centuries in our tradition to safeguard both the mother and the baby. This prayer is the Shir Hamalot (Song of Ascents, Psalms: 121). The verses of this psalm declare our dependence upon the Creator for our safety and wellbeing and His commitment to guard us at all times.

These holy words contain the power to protect the mother and baby throughout the birthing process and the recovery period that follows. That is why it is so imperative that, as an expectant mother packs up her overnight bag with all of the items she plans to take to the hospital, she not forget the Shir Hamalot. Just having this prayer by her side throughout the delivery provides that extra dose of protection that any woman in labor would welcome!

Once the baby is born, it is customary to place the Shir Hamalot on the baby’s cradle; this is a great way to safeguard your new little bundle. It is also the custom to hang the Shir Hamalot in the doorways of your home, especially in the doorway of the baby’s room, before entering with the baby. It is important to realize that everything that surrounds a newborn has a spiritual effect. The Torah teaches us that what a baby sees and hears, even during the first day of life, will have an influence on the child for many years to come. Jewish parents are encouraged to expose their children to holy images as soon as they are born. The Shir Hamalot is a wonderful way to begin.

If you are expecting a child or know someone who is, Chabad of Nashville is offering a free, beautiful, full-color Shir Hamalot prayer card for any family in Middle Tennessee that requests one.

They come in slightly different colors for boys and girls, designed with gorgeous artwork in pastel pink and baby blue.

There is no greater gift to give yourself or your loved one at this precious time.

To receive your free Shir Hamalot blessing card, kindly email chabadnashville@gmail.com or call 615-646-5750 •

Registration is open at the Chabad Hebrew School T

he Bertram and Beatrice King Chabad Hebrew School (CHS) has opened registration for the coming school year.

Directed by Mrs. Esther Tiechtel, CHS has earned a 25-year reputation of being an innovative program in which students excel in their Hebrew reading, Jewish knowledge, and pride for their heritage.

Located at the Genesis Campus for Jewish Life, CHS meets weekly, and caters to students ages 5 through 13.

The new academic year will begin in August with a special program introducing this year’s theme, “Living Jewishly as a Community of One.” “The Bertram and Beatrice King Chabad Hebrew School emphasizes exploring the Jewish heritage is a creative and fun way, putting the FUN in FUNdamentals, with special focus on not only accumulating knowledge, but applying those lessons to our everyday life,” said Tiechtel. She adds that,“Through art, drama, songs, contests, and interactive activities, Judaism become real and alive to the students.”

CHS prides itself on developing a community among its students, staff and parents. The Hebrew School’s most important message is embedded in the culture and relationships it fosters, taking the time to build a community that

attends to the needs of individual children, embracing them in an environment where their classmates become their good friends. The school is connected to congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad, sharing a feeling of warmth and hospitality, establishing values and morals that are at the core of our Jewish heritage.

During classes on Jewish values and holidays, children engage their minds of through peer discussions and handson experiences, and are challenged to analyze, evaluate, and compare texts, ideas, and ethical dilemmas. The cohesive, whole-school curriculum focuses on developing Emunah- Faith as the cornerstone in our lives. Children learn through stories of our heroes and heroines, illustrating how they used faith and connection to keep them grounded and strong.

CHS creates confident Jewish learners by giving them the tools to read Hebrew and participate in the davening/prayer services. The Alef Champ Program is famous for instilling a love as well as fluency in Hebrew reading. This year, students will enjoy centers on Hebrew writing and language as well as interactive vocabulary.

For more information and to request registration forms, contact Chabad at 615-646-5750, or email rabbi@chabadnashville.com •

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

G*D is in the Wisdom G*d is in the wisdom of the elders passed down over the millennia remembered and told repeatedly in spoken languages created for the purpose then written in letters on lasting substance.

G*d is in the love of the parents conceiving and nurturing their children living and sharing the values of community with the benefits of respect and peaceful exchange among the families, tribes, cities and nations.

G*d is in the actions of the children innate and learned, born and unborn, so full-of-self as they grow, then suffering the pains of self-fullness they may struggle and so find the wisdom.

G*d is in the searching of scientists when careful, honest and enlightened and only then, able to see and know what was never seen or known before about the creation of it all.

G*d is in the busy-ness of the people all intuitive inventors of their world, failing and finding better ways to live for themselves and others as they seek to barely survive or stumble on riches.

G*d is in the messengers and prophets but also in the false prophets, who painfully teach us to think for ourselves and learn who to trust among those promising easy answers and unearned results.

G*d is our ability to know and speak, to fail and learn, to teach and prosper then expand and pass that wisdom through endless generations of imperfect people.

Teen people of color are finding, and building, their own spaces in Jewish life

By ISABELLE MONDSCHEIN

This article was produced as part of JTA’s Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with Jewish teens around the world to report on issues that affect their lives.

(JTA) — As a young Black Jewish adoptee, Lindsey Newman felt close to the Jewish community on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where she grew up. Then adolescence hit and she started to feel like an outsider, struggling to find acceptance and independence at her synagogue.

It wasn’t until the end of high school that she began connecting on social media to organizations like the Jewish Multiracial Network and Be’chol Lashon to build her own connection to other Jews of color and find a sense of belonging.

Now, as the director of community engagement at Be’chol Lashon, an organization that supports Jewish diversity, Newman works to make sure other Jews of color like her feel welcomed and included in Judaism.

“Diversity is one of Judaism’s greatest assets,” said Newman. “When we even unintentionally leave out or marginalize parts of our community, we all lose.”

A 2020 study by the Pew Research Center found that 8% of American Jews said they are Black, Hispanic, Asian, other minority races or multiracial, and that 17% of U.S. Jews live in households in which at least one child or adult is Black, Hispanic, Asian, multiracial or some other non-white race or ethnicity.

But, as the Jews of Color Initiative found in its own study, only 18% out of the 1,118 Jews of color it surveyed belong to a synagogue — compared, according to another Pew study, to the 35% of all

U.S. Jews who are synagogue members or have someone in their household who is a member. To address this gap, organizations and synagogues are developing programs to help Jewish teens of color feel at home.

For BBYO member Micah Pierandri, 17, the experience of being part of her local chapter in Tulsa, Oklahoma has been great. For example, she loved meeting Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas at the youth group’s International Convention. However, Pierandri, who is African American, wanted to connect more with JOCs, so she started the Members of Color Alliance through BBYO late last fall.

The club came about after she was called slurs at a BBYO summer camp in Pennsylvania by, according to Pierandri, participants who were “a mix of people of color and not.” BBYO did not respond to requests about the incident. Pierandri said the staff handled it well enough, but that she wanted to build on her experience. “I knew that if someone wasn’t going to stand up for other MOCs within BBYO I knew I could make that change,” she said. “I fought and fought until I did and here we are.”

The 12-member group provides a space specifically for teens of color to come together and connect with others similar to them, something Pierandri didn’t see existing before. MOCA members usually meet online through Zoom to discuss racial justice, learn from speakers, play games and provide cultural exchanges. Sometimes, members just get to chill with each other. “While the club is more racial justice-based I try my best to make sure it’s still fun and Continued on page 15

• June 2023

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14 June 2023 •

President’s Report

we visited FeelBeit, a cultural center that offers a wide range of programs and activities aimed at promoting arts, culture, and education, and serves as a hub for creative expression and community engagement. The historic building has been renovated to include performance spaces, art galleries, classrooms, and event spaces. At FeelBeit we joined with JFNA’s JEDI mission (Jewish Equity Diversity and Inclusion). It was a fabulous group and we enjoyed lively discussions with local Israelis about the complexity of contemporary life in Jerusalem.

Next stop was the Kotel, where we met with Rakefet Ginsberg, CEO & Executive director of the Masorti Movement in Israel, for a discussion about the situation today at the Kotel regarding prayer for non-orthodox Jews.

We had lunch in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and had time for a bit of retail therapy before heading back to Tel Aviv. We joined congregation Beit Tefila for their beautiful, moving Kabbalat Shabbat at the beach and then had a delicious Shabbat dinner, again with the JEDI group. We also had our first real direct contact with protesters. They were handing out flyers when we went to Shabbat services. Very low key, they were all friendly, their flyers were aimed at Americans and trying to educate us about what’s going on with the attempted judicial reforms. There’s even a QR code on the flyers where you can make an appointment to “talk to an Israeli about democracy”.

Shabbat brought some much-needed rest and relaxation – and beach time! On Sunday we spent the morning working at Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank. Leket is the leading food rescue organization in the country. Their sole focus is rescuing healthy, surplus food and delivering it to those in need through partner nonprofit organizations.

After working (hard!) packing food boxes, we had a short graffiti tour in the Florentin neighborhood of Tel Aviv, before visiting Battae, an Ethiopian cultural center. We had a magnificent Ethiopian meal, heard stories of an Ethiopian oleh and how her family was rescued from Ethiopia, and then one of our mission co-chairs interviewed Micha Feldmann (known as Abba Micha in the Ethiopian community), the director of Project Moses and Project Solomon, which together brought over 22,000 Jewish Ethiopians to Israel.

After that, the GA began. GA stands for General Assembly, JFNA’s annual conference. Every five years the GA is held in Israel, and this year we were there to celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday. JFNA always invites both the Prime Minister of Israel and the leader of the opposition to speak at the conference. So, we were scheduled to hear from Netanyahu and Lapid, as well as President Herzog. But in the end, Netanyahu decided last minute not to attend the GA, citing “scheduling issues.” President Herzog gave a very moving speech and announced a major new national dialogue initiative. The GA was a flurry of panels and sessions – including the infamous session with MK Simcha Rothman, one of the primary authors of the proposed judicial reform plan. During that session five people got thrown out by security for protesting.

But, like the National Mission, the GA also did a great job of taking people around Israel to see hands-on the work JFNA and our partners are doing.

We were there for both Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. On Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Memorial Day) we attended a memorial service at Latrun, with over 7000 attendees. The service at Latrun is the largest Englishlanguage Remembrance Day ceremony in

Israel. The theme this year was “Forever Connected,” a powerful reminder of the deep and enduring bonds that connect Jewish people worldwide. On the morning of Yom Hazikaron, a siren sounds for two minutes at 11:00am. During the siren, everything – literally everything – stops. People driving stop their cars and get out and stand in silence beside them. People swimming at the beach stop swimming and stand silently in the water. It was remarkable to see such unity and respect for fallen soldiers and victims of terror.

At sundown, remembrance transitions into festivity, as Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) begins. With this year being Israel’s 75th birthday, the celebrations were especially festive, but also tinged with anxiety about the future.

Many Israelis are worried that Israel is headed for a civil war (which, as a point of comparison, the US experienced not long after our own 75th birthday). JFNA did a good job focusing on the accomplishments of Israel, and reminding all of us that we have remained one people both when enduring tragedies and witnessing miracles throughout our 3000+ year history. We continue to share a common heritage and a common future.

During the day on Yom Ha’atzmaut we visited Neot Kedumim, a beautiful biblical nature reserve, and had a traditional Israel barbecue - SO MUCH FOOD! It was the perfect end to the week and offered time for reflection and plans for the future.

Jewish Federations focus on protecting the most vulnerable - in the US and around the world. Spending two weeks in Israel seeing – and participating in – that work firsthand was an experience I will not forget.

Check back next month for the second part of the trip, our Partnership steering committee meeting! •

People of Color

dence for LUNAR and the first Philipina rabbi to be ordained at the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary, said that when she joined synagogues after she was married, she struggled to find others to unite with. “The people I saw who looked like me were the ones I wasn’t supposed to talk to because they didn’t want to be outed [as converts] or they were the caregivers of members,” she said.

Other institutions have introduced initiatives over the past few years to engage Jewish teens of color in their community.

Be’chol Lashon, founded in San Francisco, started a Teen Tzedek fellowship during COVID. It provides mentorship for teens who are ethnically diverse, a multicultural summer camp and an online publication, Jewish&, that allows people of all ages to express their beliefs and stories through personal articles.

“Many young JOCS not only wanted and needed a peer network of other JOCs that looked like them, that had similar experiences, but also wanted and needed role models that reflected their experience,” said Be’chol Lashon’s Newman about Camp Be’chol Lashon.

The North American Federation of Temple Youth plans to create a fellowship for Reform Jewish teens of color, according to Kelly Whitehead, a rabbinic intern there.

This would be a welcome step for NFTY member Ben Smulewitz, 15, a Jewish teen of color living in San Rafael, California. “I’ve found a whole new Jewish community, and I’ve really enjoyed finding those people because there’s not that many of us out here,”

said Smulewitz. “It’s nice to have Jewish friends because then you can relate on different levels about things.”

Last summer, Camp Newman in Virginia Beach organized a mediation after a few white teens made a game out of trying to stick pencils in a Black camper’s hair without her noticing, according to Smulewitz. JOCs shared their personal stories, which included programming that he helped lead.

When asked about the incident, URJ’s Executive Director of Strategic Innovation and Program, Michelle Shapiro Abraham, declined to disclose any specific information. In an email she wrote that: “We understand and embrace the diversity of our Jewish community and are very focused on making sure everyone feels like they belong.”

Another thing that helped Smulewitz feel more comfortable at NFTY was the affinity groups he joined at L’Taken, a social justice seminar held in Washington DC. It was, however, to acknowledge that you are a “minority within the minority.”

“It makes me sad to know that there are people that are scared to come out and say that they are a Jew of color instead of just blending in with everyone else.”

Synagogues are also striving to include teen JOCs in their programming Although Romemu and Central Synagogue, both in New York, don’t currently have programming specifically tailored for teens, they are making efforts to expand and include more teens of color.

Romemu is working with IKAR, a synagogue in Los Angeles that helps orga-

nizations and synagogues introduce more strategies to enhance their inclusivity.

According to Susan Brooks, human resources and operations manager at IKAR, “a lot of Jews of color are not affiliated with synagogues or Jewish organizations because in the past, they have not necessarily felt welcome,” making it difficult to get a good turnout. Being welcoming is the first step, Brooks said, to attracting a diverse group.

Gulienne Rollins-Rishon, racial justice specialist at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, said that within programming, JOCs sometimes “end up feeling like collectors’ items,” because they are often treated as tokens by organizations that want to demonstrate their diversity: “Like, how many Jews of color [do] we have here?” Rollins-Rishon said that people, especially teens, need to be able to define and own their identities.

“We need to create not only the space for Jewish teens of color to come and see that they’re being represented and reflected, but also [for them to think], I’m so glad that’s there because it means that I know I’m welcome here and I’m included here,” she said.

As a Black Jew, Rollins-Rishon has dealt with jarring experiences, such as when she was refused access to a Hanukkah party during her freshman year of college because the Hillel liaisons told her the room was reserved. They “literally tried to turn me away,” she said.

Now as an adult, her mission is for this not to happen to others. She said, “Now it’s my torch to carry to make sure that kids don’t have to run up against that wall as much.” •

Continued from page 4 were in Poland working with Ukranian refugees last summer.

We visited Jaljulia, a city in the central district of Israel, east of Tel Aviv, to learn about the social-economic circumstances of Arab communities. The city has a population of around 11,000 people and is predominantly made up of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel.

Jaljulia faces many socioeconomic and infrastructure challenges. Despite these challenges, the city has a strong sense of community and a rich cultural heritage. Many of Jaljulia’s residents are involved in local organizations and activities that promote social and cultural development. We toured the village, saw the “peace” graffiti wall on the local police station and visited the Al Rawda Mosque. The mosque serves as an important religious and social center for the city’s Muslim community, hosting daily and weekly prayers, religious ceremonies during major Islamic holidays.

It also serves as a hub for educational cultural and charitable activities, providing social service support to the local community, including food and clothing donations. The Al Rawda Mosque remains a source of strength and unity for the local community and its leaders and members are committed to promoting interfaith understanding and dialogue, and to working towards a more peaceful and prosperous future for all residents of the city. Afterward, our host kindly invited all of us to his home, where his wife and children had prepared an iftar (meal to break the fast) for us. It was the last night of Ramadan, so it was especially festive. An incredible experience, it left me feeling a lot of hope.

And that was all one day! The next day we headed to Jerusalem, where

Continued from page 13 everyone has an amazing time,” said Pierandri.

Pierandri was able to form MOCA through On Demand, a virtual platform of BBYO. Late last year, the youth group released a new form for BBYO members to create any type of club that they desired. “Almost within less than 24 hours I had texts from all sorts of BBYO staff telling me they have my back for MOCA and want to help me make it a reality,” Pierandri said.

One MOCA member, Morgan Rodriguez, 16, felt turned off by other organizations’ JOC groups until she found the club within BBYO. As a Latino Jew, she felt she didn’t fit the stereotype of what a JOC should look like. “It was almost disheartening to find out that an organization wouldn’t want somebody because they’re mixed [race],” said Rodriguez, who lives in Delray Beach, Florida and is a mix of Ashkenazi and Ethiopian Jewish, Liberian, Cuban, Irish and Dutch ancestry.

Fortunately, Rodriguez sees the conversation changing, something she credits to social media. As a bonus, being able to see Jews who looked like her online made her feel more comfortable in her Jewishness.

The LUNAR Collective is trying to create this same space for teen Asian American Jews. The Bay Area-based group, which started as a film project, holds events to encourage pride in Asian Americans’ identities.

Rabbi Mira Rivera, rabbi-in-resi-

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Jewish Community Celebrates Israel at 75 with Community Sing!

T

he Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville hosted its first ever “Community Sing!” last month in celebration of Israel’s 75th birthday.

Participants from all walks of life and all ages gathered to learn a special song composed by Israeli artist Matisyahu. The result is a planned music video recording of the event, to be streamed soon. •

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16 June 2023 •

Live in Concert AN EVENT PRESENTED BY

JUNE 21

ST AT

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• June 2023

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 tribute to the Rebbe On June 24, Chabad of Nashville will host a tribute lunch in honor of the Rebbe, Rabbi M. M. Schneerson of blessed memory, in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of his passing.

For more than 40 years, the Rebbe led the Jewish people towards a spiritual renaissance out of the ashes of the Holocaust and the specter of assimilation. The Rebbe revolutionized the way we think of ourselves as people. He taught us to think of the Jewish people as a single whole, as a community, in which every individual is irreplaceable, and to embrace every Jew with the same concern and devotion.

More than 29 years after the Rebbe’s passing, his presence is felt stronger than ever. His teachings continue to inspire and guide us, and his insights remains as fresh and relevant as if it were given today. Each of us is a beneficiary of the Rebbe’s inspiration in one way or another, and our lives are affected by his visionary leadership.

On the anniversary of his passing, let’s honor his life’s mission to bring goodness and kindness into this world.

We invite you to join us for Shabbat lunch, on June 24, at 12:30 PM, as we celebrate the Rebbe’s life and vision. The event will include a beautiful sit down lunch replete with Shabbat delicacies, L’Chaim, Chasidic melodies and words of inspiration, with stories and insights about the Rebbe and his inspiration and impact on our lives.

Shabbat morning services are at 10:00 and will be followed at 12:15 by a Kiddush lunch and Farbengen in honor of this occasion.

Chabad to host two TGIS celebration in June 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 evening, June 9 and 23, 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

Meet in Person for Prayer and Cholent Chabad of Nashville is in full swing with Shabbat morning services, replete with joyful prayer, kavanah, simcha and great energy. Join us on Shabbat morning at 10:00 AM for prayer and Torah reading followed by a hot cholent, freshly baked Challah and some friendly L’Chaim.

Jewish Women’s Roundtable Join Rebitzen Esther Tiechtel on Shabbat afternoons for the popular Jewish Women’s Circle that features discussions on values and ethics. This will take place on Shabbat day, at 12:30 PM, following a communal Shabbat lunch. This is a learning opportunity for women to gather with friends, share their wisdom, and learn from one another pearls of wisdom, based on the teachings of the Torah.

Weekly Events Sanctuary Shabbat Services: Fridays at 6 PM

At Micah, we approach God in many ways: the inspiration of words, the beauty of sacred space, the authenticity of our intentions, and through the power of music and song. Join us in-person or virtually for services this month that will be as diverse as they are engaging, as moving as they are participatory. Come early and schmooze with us starting at 5:30 PM! Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments are served.

Saturday Morning Torah Study: Saturdays at 9 AM on Zoom

Deep conversations about the text with thoughtful and caring people led by the clergy. Prerequisites: an open mind and an internet connection.

Mah Jongg: Tuesdays from 12:30 PM- 3:30 PM

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

Schmooze & Views: Thursdays from 10:30 AM- 11:30 AM In-Person

At Micah, we keep politics off the pulpit but not out of the building. Share your views in a round-table discussion on current events facilitated by Rabbi Flip and Dr. Bob Smith.

June Events: Holy Questions with Rabbi Joshua Hoffman, President of the Academy for Jewish Religion California: Thursday, June 1 at 10:30 AM In-Person

In our days, there are more than enough answers to respond to every challenge or curiosity. But knowing how to ask great questions is an art that the Jewish tradition has treasured for generations. Join Rabbi Joshua Hoffman to learn from the great questions of the Torah and to learn more about the Academy for Jewish Religion California, Cantor Josh Goldberg’s seminary!

Shirat Hanefesh - Cantor Josh Goldberg’s Installation: Friday, June 2, at 6PM In-Person Congregation Micah invites you to celebrate the installation of Cantor Josh Goldberg. Please join us for an evening of joyous song and community on this special Shabbat service and installation of Cantor Josh Goldberg. Celebratory dinner to follow the service. Registration ended May 29, but if you’re interested in attending and missed the deadline reach out to office@congregationmicah.org.

Micah Reads: Monday, June 5 and Monday, July 10, at 7 PM on Zoom

Education Director Julie Greenberg leads the discussion on the book The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman in June and Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris in July.

Micah Minis: Saturday, June 10 at 9:30 AM In-Person

Sing and Dance with our clergy here at Congregation Micah! This family friendly Shabbat experience is aimed for ages 7 and younger, but all are welcome.

Sports Trivia: Tuesday, June 13, at 10:30 AM In-Person

Have you ever wondered 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 in 1951? Find out the answer to this question and many more when you join Martin Light and other Micah members for an hour of sports trivia on the second Tuesday of every month. Questions? Contact Martin at martylight@aol.com.

Jewish Songwriter’s in the Round: June 29, 7 PM In-Person

Three of Music City’s most talented Jewish songwriters - Cantor Josh Goldberg, Dov Rosenblatt, and Ellie Flier - perform captivating and spiritual melodies for your enjoyment.

@ Sherith Israel This year, the Shul had more adult programming, including scholars in residence, tefillah workshops, and Beit Midrash, than any other year in recent memory. To add some balance, this summer, we are rolling out some family programming to help keep our kids engaged in Jewish activities and connected to the community.

JUNE 1 - Thursday night - 5:30 - 7:00pm Open Mic night, featuring incredible talent from our community!

JUNE 2 - Friday - 5:00 - 6:00pm

@ Micah Congregation Micah - an inclusive, innovative synagogue exploring and celebrating Jewish life - is committed to building community and repairing the world! We offer creative and diverse ways to live a Jewish life in Tennessee and beyond, using the rich beliefs and practices of Progressive Judaism as our foundation. Visit our 30+ acre campus or access our virtual programs from our website, www.congregationmicah.org.

Like us on socials: Facebook, Twitter, and 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!

18 June 2023 •

Family Kabbalat Shabbat with music and food!

We’ll meet at Elmington Park, near the picnic tables across from Shul.

Kiddush, Challah, light refreshments, and a rockin’ Kabbalat Shabbat with Cantor Dov and Moreh Nechemya. Bring your own instruments!

Please RSVP to office@sherithIsrael.com

JUNE 4 - Sunday - 9:30 - 11:00am Tefillah Workshop with Cantor Dov Dive into a deeper understanding of our daily prayers, through the lens of songwriting. Begin by learning about the meaning and context of the prayer and then turn it into a song, together with the group. Daveners of all levels are welcome. Cake and coffee will be served.

Continued on page 19

At Our Congregations…

Continued from page 18

JUNE 21 - Wednesday - 5:00 - 6:00pm Parsha & Pizza For kids ages 5 and up, in the Social Hall. RSVP with the Shul office.

long you’ve been writing. Those curious to find their creative side are welcome as well.

For more information, please contact ninapacent@bellsouth.net.

Movies in the Park with your Temple Family @ Elmington Park June 1: Minions Movie: The Rise of Gru June 22: Lightyear

@ The Temple

The films start at sundown (typically around 8:00pm).

Find our balloon and spread out your picnic blanket for a FREE movie night! There are games and food trucks to enjoy before the movie starts. Films are family-friendly and will be shown in open caption, so everyone can enjoy the show!

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

Temple Together (Jewish adults 35-50) are going to the Nashville Sounds game.

Saturday, June 17 at 6:35pm.

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.

Available in person at The Temple and via zoom.

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

Tickets are $15. RSVP to Sheri (sheri@templenashville.org)

We bring the bagels, you bring the fun! LGBTQIA+ Pot Luck Brunch Sunday, June 11 at 10:00am.

Location provided upon RSVP. RSVP to Sheri (sheri@templenashville.org)

Shabbat Schedule for June

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

Friday, June 2 ~ 6:00 PM TRIBE LEADER SHABBAT Friday, June 9 ~ 6:00 PM Friday, June 16 ~ 6:00 PM-SHA-BONNAROO SHABBAT, FAMILY SERVICE WITH BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS Friday, June 23 ~ 6:00 PM – PRIDE & BLUE JEAN SHABBAT Friday, June 30 ~ 6:00 PM – BLUE JEAN SHABBAT

Sha-Bonnaroo- Shabbat Service and Music Experience June 16 at 6:00pm

Did you miss out on buying your ticket to this year’s sold-out Bonnaroo music festival?! Never fear, because The Temple is bringing Sha-Bonnaroo to you! Now in its 8th year, Sha-Bonaroo has become one of our favorite Shabbat services of the year! On Friday, June 16, we’ll join together for a groovy Shabbat experience featuring upbeat, contemporary music, and some of our Temple’s own musical rock stars. Come dressed in tie-dye and prepare for a rockin’ good time! You can join us in person or via zoom from thetemplehub.org

Golden Lunch Bunch

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

Beit Miriam Graduation

Friday, June 2 at 5:30 p.m.

Presentation of the Nathan Davis Award for the Outstanding Student Presentation of the Sandi and Bernie Goldstein Award for Community Service

Bar Mitzvah of Lucas MacBrair Saturday Morning, June 3.

Birthday Shabbat

Will meet at Temple from 11:30-1:00pm on June 6 with entertainment by Nancy & Larry Mechem June 20 with entertainment by John England RSVP to Jamie Maresca at 615-354-1686 or via email at helpinghands@ jfsnashville.org

Join us on Shabbat morning, June 24, for a special celebration of our June birthdays. The main service begins at 9:30 a.m. and a kiddush sponsored by the synagogue will follow. Everyone is welcome.

Chevrah Torah Study 9:30AM on Saturdays

Sunday, June 11, at 3:30 p.m. For parents with infants and/or toddlers. Join us for an afternoon of music and movement with song leader Hera Lynn Scher Zagier. Email spaz@westendsyn.org by Friday, June 9 to RSVP.

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

You can join us in person at The Temple or via zoom from thetemplehub.org

Women’s Torah Study June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:30 AM

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

Available in person at The Temple and via zoom through thetemplehub.org

Lunch with the Rabbi June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Lunch at 11:30AM Program12:00-1:00 PM $15 per person for lunch

Music and Me

Sisterhood Challah Sales made by Melissa Sostrin

Sign up on the Google form linked below or text Jessica Kullock at 615-881-4455 by WEDNESDAY AT 9:00 p.m. each week to pre-order for pickup Friday during synagogue office hours.

Flavors: Plain, chocolate, cinnamon, cinnamon raisin, zaatar, poppy seeds, sesame, bag of 8 challah rolls. Plain is $7/each, the rest are $8/each. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhQUa6iflZvg8gP-sOaREXK8JNGloMceEBkuvUynahkVdt8A/viewform?fbclid=IwAR1jz_oKOT8Df3E82W7iNu8TX_ G70Nc3bOXOEJ25r73efxnvQT3ATFijvC0

Shacharit (in person)

Engage with Rabbi Danziger and guests in a discussion of current and important issues from a Jewish perspective.

RSVP on thetemplehub.org or by calling the Temple at 615-352-7620 Available in person and via zoom.

Zoom Room: thetemplehub.org

Our minyanaires are always looking for more people to strengthen the only egalitarian minyan in town! Sunday services will be at 9:00 a.m. and Monday-Friday will be at 7:00 a.m.

Monday Mah Jongg with Canasta

Kabbalat Shabbat

Join Us for MAH JONGG Mondays at The Temple!

1:00pm June 5, 12, 19, 26 from 10:00 AM - Noon+ Drop in for Mah Jongg. We’ll have coffee and water. Bring your friends, a card, and a set and have some fun. Mah Jongg cards and sets are available for purchase in The Temple Gift Shop.

Writers of the Lost Ark First Wednesday of the Month June 7 7:00-8:00 PM

Are you looking for a creative outlet? Writers of the Lost Ark, our Temple writer’s group, 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 praise. The group is open to all regardless of how little or how

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 in person (or on Zoom) at 9:30 a.m.

Great davening, insightful learning of the Torah portion and a yummy (and nutritious!) kiddush lunch once services are over!

Torah study

Join us for breakfast and study of the weekly parasha with Nechemya Rosenfeld every Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. following morning minyan at 7:00 a.m.

• June 2023

19

Legislative Update

Continued from page 1 alongside the Jewish communities and help support them.”

Another of the champions of the increased security funding was Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville). He points to the synagogue shootings that have occurred over the last several years as an example of why it is important to expand on the current Federal security funding. “The Federal funding doesn’t go far enough. In this state we place a lot of importance on being able to worship safely, and to go to school safely.”

Michael Dzik, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, says the funding increase means his community will be able to access much needed dollars. “We are thrilled that the State of Tennessee has again included increased security funding that our Jewish community can apply for through their grant process. It has become an unfortunate necessity that the Jewish community harden our facilities further. Equally, this funding allows for personnel costs, which is a huge asset for our Jewish community.”

Another focus for the Jewish com-

Becca Groner

Continued from page 1 port, psychiatry, psychiatric medicine and management, Becca said. Outside of her professional career, Becca strives to build Jewish community. In 2021, she was among the three women who started Nashville Moishe House, a peer-led organization that serves as a hub for young Jewish adults. “[Moishe House] is a co-op to encourage Jewish living and gather 20-somethings in Nashville who are in the Jewish community,” Becca said, adding that she organized five events per month as a community leader. “I really got to know people in the community that I hadn’t met yet and bring people into our community.”

The Moishe House organization aims to bridge the gap between college life and traditional, family-based Jewish customs. Becca was initially involved in Moishe House Without Walls, which is a similar concept, but events are held in different locations. The creation of a physical Moishe House, located in Cleveland Park in East Nashville, was especially impactful due to the smaller Jewish presence in the city’s eastern region, she said.

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munities this year was the passage of HB1193/SB848, which amends the statutory language for what constitutes a hate crime. The change broadens the nature of a hate crime from, “intentionally to recklessly or knowingly desecrating a place of worship or burial or a state or national flag.” Williams was the prime sponsor of the House bill. He says the change to the statute shows the House’s continuing support of the Jewish community. “The new policy is really a deterrent. Any time we can create that for the Jewish community, it’s a good thing.”

This year the state legislature faced some tough obstacles, as Briggs was quick to admit. “It was on the House side that things were challenging. But we are delighted we could show support for the Jewish community through the increased funding and the change to the hate crime statute.” And Dzik says, “Although a challenging process, our work with the legislature has been statewide and it warms my heart that Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis are all working together, in partnership, for the common good of our communities.

I personally appreciate the work we are doing collectively. The impact is exponential as we work together.” • “Becca earned the [Sandy Averbuch young leadership] award through her efforts to establish our local Moishe,” said Deborah Oleshansky, the community relations director at Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville. “Moishe House Nashville would not exist without her commitment, dedication and perseverance.”

In addition to her involvement in the Jewish community, Becca has spoken at the Nashville city council to advocate for a more walkable and accessible city. She also serves as community advisor on the Vanderbilt Medical Center’s LGBT health board, pushing for equity in health care, informing members of the LGBTQ+ community about where they can receive care and providing resources to transgender folks about gender-affirming care.

“I bring a perspective of being a queer person to make sure that my voice and the voice of my fellow community members is heard so they are getting care with dignity and respect,” Becca said.

Looking forward, Becca said she wants to continue to make progress in her product management career and help families through technology. She does not envision slowing down anytime soon.

“I want to keep being engaged in all the communities now,” Becca said.

“I just want to support every group I can by showing up and giving my continued support as a community member.”

The Sandy Averbuch young leadership award will be presented at the 87th annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville on June 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Gordon Jewish Community Center Pargh Auditorium. • zoe@jewishnashville.org

… because your memories matter 479 Myatt Drive, Madison, TN 37115-3024 615-712-9521 • rdschultz@schultzmonument.com

20 June 2023 •

Community Listings East Side Tribe Join us for a Shabbat on June 30 in midtown from 6:30 to 8:30 to meet new people and relax after a long week. RSVP on Eventbrite by Tues. June 27th to receive the location. Email us if you’d like to be a future host, you don’t need to live on the East Side! We provide the food, wine and dessert and you provide the space! Our Shabbats are the last Friday of the month, and we look forward to meeting you! Check us out on Instagram @eastsidetribenashville

Hadassah Hadassah is wishing everyone a great summer! Our next book club is in August.

We are reading The Girl From San-Daniele by IIan Bahar. It is available for purchase at Parnassus Books in Greenhills. Book club date and time to be announced. Happy reading!

Gun Control

Continued from page 2 The challenge is getting leaders across the aisle to whom others will listen.”

Nashville Vice-Mayor Jim Shulman agrees with Clemmons on the need to dig deeper into issues dealing with mental health and gun ownership, “There is, for example, a history behind red flag laws. Let’s bring in the individuals that monitor and measure this effort and let’s review the results. I think that the majority of people believe in more substantive mental health resources. We should bring in the experts on that, as well.”

Shulman says the Covenant shooting should finally provide impetus for more meaningful conversations, starting at the top, “People seemed to be locked down in their positions on gun control. But with the seriousness of the issue, people have to be willing to listen to others, understand other points of views, and then be willing to work towards sound compromises. The tragic events surrounding The Covenant School have led to specific attention on this issue, including the convening of a Special Session called by the Governor.

I am hopeful that everyone, including our elected members of the House and Senate, come ready to listen and learn from experts on this subject and then work to find ways to better protect the public, especially our children.”

Meanwhile, the rising antisemitism nationally is hitting closer to home for Nashville’s Jewish community. Recent hate incidents include distribution of antisemitic literature throughout the city’s residential neighborhoods, spray-painting swastikas and other racist and antisemitic rhetoric on homes in the Sylvan Park neighborhood, and numerous incidents of bullying and threats of violence against Jewish students in local schools. The community relies on its relationships with local law enforcement to provide protection and information. The Secure Community Network (SCN) is a nonprofit founded in 2004 under the auspices of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. SCN works on behalf of Jewish communities around the country and serves as liaison with local and federal law enforcement agencies.

According to a January 2020 white paper entitled, “Firearms and the Faithful,” the SCN convened a group of security experts and law enforcement professionals in 2019 to determine best practices for Jewish communities.

Among the top recommendations is the employment of armed security for synagogues, schools, JCCs, and other Jewish community buildings. The state legislature’s recent approval to the state budget to provide $750,000 in security funding for houses of worship is designed to help

in this effort.

Despite the debate and argument on both sides of the political spectrum on how best to keep the community safe moving forward, victims of gun violence continue to struggle picking up the pieces.

Jessica Cohen Banish will never forget the frantic call she received from her close friend and Covenant School parent, Becky Hansen asking for a ride to the school on that terrible day in March. And as more violence rages on nationwide and news focuses on political debate over the issue, for Cohen Banish and her friend, the pain is ever present. “This is not old news for Becky,” says Cohen Banish, “This won’t fade away with another news cycle because the problem still exists.” She describes the ongoing trauma for Hansen’s five-year-old son who on a recent trip to the zoo could not enjoy himself. “He couldn’t have fun like a normal child because he’s always looking for a bad guy with a gun,” she says.

While those in a position to enact legislation continue the dance of negotiation, the Jewish community, much like every other, tries to maintain balance between gun ownership, safety, and protection. Rabbi Michael Danziger of The Temple, says, “Our tradition is very clear about the responsibility to prevent harm where we know there is danger. The Prophet, Isaiah said, ‘You shall beat your swords into ploughshares and your spears into pruning hooks,’ a verse the Rabbis quote in calling weapons reprehensible and bound for elimination. Do we really think that in our day, he’d have said, ‘but the assault weapons, you shall leave untouched?”

The one thing folks seem to agree on is the need to keep talking. Clemmons continues to talk to his colleagues on the hill, “Our plan is to sit down, talk things through. Try to decide what is a non-starter, and what can be discussed?”

Cohen Banish says, “We have to talk to each other. It doesn’t have to be a black and white issue. Every little law is a step in the right direction.” Sparks believes change is afoot. “I hate that tragedy gives me hope, but I think people are tired of this. It’s in the zeitgeist of the country, not just Nashville.”

Kullock says from a practical perspective legislation needs to be the driver, “Do you need semi-automatic [assault] weapons? No, we need thoughtful legislation regarding what is okay and what is beyond reasonable. But he believes the key to real change is to dig even deeper to uncover a fundamental truth in Judaism. “You have to balance where you are going with where you are now. The vision of the prophets was for a redeemed world, one where people exchange guns for working tools. A world that needs guns is a world that is unredeemed.”

To provide feedback to the Governor’s office, visit: www.tn.gov/governor. •

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• June 2023

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22 June 2023 •

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23

TALK RETIREMENT! Kvetch in the City LET’S (…because it’s not just about the money!)

By CARRIE MILLS

A

bout two weeks ago friends of mine invited me to their home to meet a local political candidate running for office. It was a low key, event, with two dozen or so people of all ages. Before the candidate was to talk, our friend asked each of us present to introduce ourselves and tell a little about what we do. Well, you can imagine when it got to me, the list was pretty long concerning all the jobs I do for a living. Just as I was wrapping it up, a woman a bit older than me interjected that she loved my last Kvetch column.

“Oh,” I said, “the one about senior sex.”

Everyone laughed. People tend to do that when you throw the word sex out at an unsuspecting moment, laughing from either nervousness or just the randomness of it. And let’s face it those two words together, senior sex, well, that’s always quite an image.

First, let me just say, this was not a Jewish community party, so the fact that someone outside the community is reading the Jewish paper and following my column in itself was quite a little surprise at that moment.

What followed was actually pretty funny, because after I finished up, every person following me, young or old, made some kind of comment referring to senior sex. It’s quite the hot topic apparently and I suggest to any reader out there, at your next party, just randomly throw those two words out there and see what ensues. I guarantee based on my experience, it’s an ice-breaker and good for a laugh if nothing else.

Which somehow brings me to my love of words and my quest for love. Words in and of themselves are fascinating to me.

Especially the words within words.

From the conception of this column

and for the length of all mankind it seems, I told myself, and believed, I wanted a boyfriend. I do realize the title “boyfriend” sounds quite juvenile considering my age. However, what I realized I want, “What I really, really want,” to quote the Spice Girls, is a husband. Because, let’s face it, as far as words go, at least the word husband contains the word “us” pretty much smack in the middle of the word itself. And husband also contains and ends with the word “band”. And who doesn’t want to be in a band?! Husband is just a great relationship word!

The word partner works okay too, though for something not fully committed since it starts with the word “part”, but it also contains the word “art” in it and that lends itself to a more creative union, at least in my mind.

The word boyfriend is by far the worst of the three. Just take off the b and look at it. An OY-friend. Any sentence or word that starts with Oy is going to cancel out anything positive proceeding it. In this case…”friend.”

Having a supposed boyfriend, at this age at least, is truly like having an Oy-friend. Oy, his back hurts. Oy, he doesn’t want to talk about “it”. Oy, he’s tired. Oy, he hates to travel. Oy, this. Oy, that. What’s a woman to do?

I say, let’s take labels off relationships altogether, or go completely in the opposite direction as the younger generation has gone and create new words and or new pronouns to describe older single people dating and trying to define the relationship…for instance, He’s my “I-can’t-understand-why-his-adult-kidswon’t-talk-to-me-but-we-like-to-go-outto-dinner-once-a-week-person” or he’s my “this-can-never-go-anywhere-butwe-like-to-walk-around-the-mall-together-person.” And if you really want to throw a firecracker into the conversation next time you are asked to define your over sixty relationship just casually say “He’s my senior sex person”. I dare you. •

People of the Books

Zangwill, Israel. The Melting-Pot (1909).

Available free via The Gutenberg Project at gutenberg.org.

Reviews by ELYCE RAE HELFORD

F

irst performed in 1908 and published a year later, British Jewish author Israel Zangwill’s play The Melting-Pot is probably best known today for popularizing its titular metaphor for the United States as a place where a variety of peoples, cultures, and individuals assimilate into a cohesive whole.

The term is out of date but still familiar to multiple living generations. In the twenty-first century, we are far more likely to describe our nation through the metaphor of the salad bowl, where peoples, cultures, and individuals contribute to a distinct nation while maintaining their own cultural identities. We can debate just how much distinct identity this nation tolerates – or, better yet, respects – in its inhabitants, but the general emphasis in public education and popular discourse has shifted from the language of melting-pot assimilation to salad-bowl multiculturalism.

Looking back at the concept through

24 June 2023 •

Zangwill’s writing encourages us to recall the era of immigration academics often call the “Great Tide.” For Jewish Americans, this references the flood of nearly 2.5 million Eastern European Jews into the United States through Ellis Island between 1880-1924. People fleeing pogroms or looking for greater equality and freedom accepted the idea that they would have to fit into their new nation, for there was no going back for the vast majority. Adaptation to capitalist demands, above all, drove a deemphasis on God’s commandments, from Sabbath practices to kashrut. In turn, Jews would bring Yiddish, the Vaudeville stage, and other gifts to their new nation.

Such a description, however, is not what Zangwill meant by the melting-pot, nor what he hoped for in his vision of an ideal nation. His image was one of alchemy. As the play’s protagonist declares: “America is God’s Crucible, the great Melting-Pot where all the races of Europe are melting and reforming... Germans and Frenchmen, Irishmen and Englishmen, Jews and Russians – into the Crucible with you all! God is making the American.”

All (white) people from all (European) nations were fusing through what Zangwill envisioned as a divine “purging flame.”

To bring forth this message, the play tells the story of young David Quixano, who emigrates to America in the wake

A VOCABULARY LESSON

By LORETTA SAFF

T

oday’s column features a vocabulary lesson. Wait! Don’t close the paper or move on to the next article because I think you will find this very interesting – and useful.

I’ve always said that in life one thing we can surely count on is change. Sometimes we can plan for it and sometimes it is thrust upon us. Sometimes we’ve grown older and wiser, and sometimes we’ve simply become bored. Consider RELATIONSHIPS COLLEGE MARRIAGE PARENTING EMPTY NESTERS CHANGING JOBS RETIREMENT! When facing a change, we often say, “Well, it’s a transition. Change offers challenges, adventure, and an opportunity to grow.” All that is true, but the words ‘change’ and ‘transition’ have two different meanings. Here’s the difference: • Change refers to the need to move away from the way things used to be to the way they are now.

• Transition is the psychological process we go through to adapt to the change.

To quote the author William Bridges, “Without transition, change is just a rearrangement of the furniture.”

Think about that for a moment. Now, think about how it relates to Retirement.

Transition requires a psychological process to have a successful change. There are three stages to TRANSITION: • Stage 1 : Accepting the Ending – Long Goodbye Ok, so you have left work. You must accept the fact that your days will be

of the 1903 Kishinev pogrom, in which his entire family was killed. He labors as an impoverished musician and would-be composer who longs to see the world united, all ethnic and cultural differences melted away. His talent is appreciated

by Vera, a Russian Christian immigrant, whose family has the money and social standing to help David. All is well until we learn her father is the very Russian officer responsible for the destruction of

different. You will no longer have the structure, calendar, and organization you had before. Where you spend your day, and who you will be with will change.

• Stage 2 : Living in the Neutral Zone – Messy Middle Yes, you read that correctly. Accepting a Messy Middle is an important mindset to have. Realizing that things really are different and that it will take time to figure out what you really want and how you will find your purpose to feel satisfied can be a bit uncomfortable (and messy) in the short term.

• Stage 3 : Reaching Your New Beginning Take a victory lap! You have figured it out, so find comfort in this new beginning. You also can relax because you realize that you can tweak it along the way as you experience the many new adventures you have been curious about.

Those are the facts. If you jump from Stage 1 directly to Stage 3, you may find yourself very unhappy. Spend some time in Stage 2 (the Messy Middle) so you can really enjoy that victory lap!

I leave you with the words of Dr. Seuss: You have brains in your head.

Your have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know.

And you are the one who’ll decide where to go…a – Dr. Seuss Let me know if you need a little help.

Loretta www.coachingwithloretta.com

David’s family. This causes a terrible rift between the lovers, even as David continues to labor on a great, transformative symphony he calls “The Crucible.” Only when Vera’s father finally admits his guilt can the symphony be performed, and the couple reunite with the promise of a welcome interfaith and interclass marriage.

When the play opened in Washington DC on October 5, 1908, President Continued on page 26

Heart of the Matter

By JAMIE MARESCA, HELPING HANDS PROGRAM COORDINATOR

I

spent my early childhood in California where Jewish culture is part of everyday life. It is all around you wherever you go.

Jewish delis and bagel stores are common fixtures. I remember in December store windows would be decorated with menorahs next to Christmas trees. I was confident and supported in my religion and never felt out of place.

My family moved to Nashville during my tween years. One of the first things I noticed, besides all the cows, was churches, practically every street corner had a

church. It was a difficult adjustment, and I felt like an outsider. I eventually met other Jewish kids and joined BBYO. I finally felt like I belonged. The thing I learned then was that Nashville has an amazing Jewish community. It may not be everywhere you turn, but it is here, it is strong and united. You just have to make a little bit of effort to seek it out.

I left Nashville after high school and returned eight years ago with my husband and two kids. I knew that I would need to seek out support for my kids for their Judaism, and I knew right where to look.

I was so excited to get a job last June with Jewish Family Service as the Helping Hands Program Coordinator. I have the privilege of connecting older adults with Continued on page 26

June in the Galleries: Works by Jennifer Hinson, Roberta Winjum, and Turnip Green Creative Reuse Collective

T

he Janet Levine March Gallery will feature the work of Jennifer Hinson.

Originally from Memphis, Hinson is a self-taught artist who paints in acrylic and chalk pastels using mark making and the intuitive painting process. She currently works as a Registered Nurse with a hospice agency to help deliver the gift of hospice to our local community.

The JLMG2 Gallery will feature the work of Roberta Winjum. Her work is based on a love of nature, often featuring trees, flowers, and water. Her traditional college-based training includes oils, representational and abstract themes, and a type of batik that uses melted colored wax in place of dyes for its colors. A candle flame melts various colors of crayons, which drip onto cloth, followed by a black dye bath. The lack of control of the dripping wax creates abstraction, but the inspiration is nature.

The Sig Held Gallery will feature the work from of Turnip Green Creative Reuse (TGCR). TGCR has served Nashville for over 11 years, by taking donated material from individuals, orga-

Woman, by Jennifer Hinson

nizations, and businesses and providing a storefront where customers “name their price” for material. TGCR believes everyone deserves access to education and materials, opportunities for creative experiences, and inspiration in a safe and welcoming community.

This exhibit features 13 artists united by their passion for sustainability.

All the artwork in this show incorporates up-cycled or repurposed material.

Sustainability, education and art are the cornerstones of TGCR, which also hosts

Health and Wellness Corner

By SHERRI HOLZER

A

s the temperature rises, it’s crucial to stay hydrated to maintain optimal health. Drinking water is essential, but did you know that some foods can also help you stay hydrated during the summer months? These foods are packed with water, electrolytes, and nutrients, making them perfect for keeping you cool and refreshed.

Watermelon is a perfect summer food.

It contains about 92 percent water, making it an excellent choice for hydration.

It’s also loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium, making it an ideal post-workout snack. Watermelon also contains lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can help protect against sun damage.

Another great summer food is cucumber. Cucumbers are about 96 percent water, making them an excellent way to hydrate. They’re also low in calories and high in fiber, making them a perfect addition to a healthy summer salad. Cucumbers also contain vitamin C and silica, which can help keep your skin looking youthful and radiant.

And finally, berries are an excellent summer food that can help you stay hydrated. Berries are packed with water, fiber, and antioxidants, making them a great choice for a refreshing snack. They also contain vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, folate, and potassium, which can help boost your immune system and keep your body functioning optimally.

As a nutrition health coach, I encourage you to consume these healthy summer foods that are not only delicious but also essential for staying hydrated and maintaining optimal health during the hot summer months. Incorporating them

into your diet will not only help you stay cool but also provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy and happy all summer long.

This healthy and refreshing salad is packed with hydrating strawberries and nutrient-rich spinach. The balsamic vinaigrette adds a tangy sweetness to the dish, while the feta cheese and walnuts provide a satisfying crunch. Add some grilled chicken or salmon for a complete meal.

It’s the perfect dish for a light lunch or a side dish at a summer BBQ. Enjoy!

Abstract, by Roberta Winjum

monthly art exhibits featuring local artists, offers free workshops to the public, and provides aftercare art programming to children at several metro public schools.

Since its inception in 2011, TGCR has diverted over a million pounds from the landfill and into the hands of creative individuals. Stop by the new location at: 1014 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN 37210 The Senior Lounge continues to feature the work of Marla Faith.

The House gallery will feature the Under One Roof collaborative exhibit.

Water Lilies, by Roberta Winjum

The Exhibition Dates are June 1 -29.

The exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the GJCC at 615.354-1699, Curator Carrie Mills at carrie@nashvillejcc.org, or go to www.nashvillejcc.org. •

Crawford Funeral Home

Chu C Ch hu hucckk & H Heid eiide eeid iid de Craw raw ra awfor ffo orrd o

Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients 2 cups fresh spinach leaves 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon local honey 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, feta cheese, and walnuts.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil until well combined.

3. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve immediately. •

2714 Grandview Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37211

(615) 254-8200

www.crawfordservices.com Learn more about the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville at www.jewishnashville.org • June 2023

25

Obituaries Ruth Gorman

Condolences to the family of Ruth Gorman, 97, who died on April 27.

She is survived by sons, Jerry and Alan (Shirley) Gorman. Ruth is predeceased by husband, Aaron Harry Gorman, and daughter, Sherry Maxine Gorman. Ruth was from Nashville and moved to Union City, Tenn., with her husband to run Libby’s Ladies dress shop.

Adam Inlander

Condolences to the family of Adam Inlander who died on April 22. He was a former executive director of The Temple - Ohabai Sholom. He is survived by his children, Josh and Becca, and their mother, Ginny.

Paul Miller

Condolences to the family of Paul Miller, who died on April 27. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Janet, sons Paul and Rick, sister, Barbara Handler, and several other family members and friends.

Ann Susan Norman

Condolences to the family of Ann Susan Norman who died on April 22.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Jack Davis Norman; daughter, Mindie Elyse Gerber (Mark); brother, Robert Kaplon (Sandra); and sister, Cookie Feinberg (David Feinberg z’’l); nephew, Robert Lipman; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Donations may be made in Ann’s memory to Congregation Micah or to Alive Hospice.

Arlene Spark

Condolences to the family of Arlene Spark who died on May 8. She is survived by her daughter, Danielle Spark; grandchildren, Justin and Harrison (Gabby Bier); three siblings, Robert (Jayne) Workman, Mark (Lynne) Workman and Barbara (Ryan) Wachs; and numerous nieces and nephews. Arlene was prede-

ceased by husband, Daniel Ochs, and is buried beside him in New Jersey.

Donations can be made to: Brain Support Network, PO Box 7264, Menlow Park, CA 94026, or to a charity of your choice.

Samuel Weise

Condolences to the family of Samuel Weise, 96, who died on April 3. Born in Nashville, his family has been part of this community since the 1870s. Sam’s father, Nathan Weise and his brothers owned Weise Brothers department store for decades.

Sam proudly served aboard the USS Hughes during World War II. He moved to California after graduating from Vanderbilt University. Sam’s career in aerospace spanned more than 40 years.

His generosity accompanied his love of learning, surpassed only by his fondness for food. Sam could fix anything, and was an avid Ham Radio Operator. Retirement left more time for friends, family and a second career as a substitute teacher for more than 25 years. Married to his cherished Marilyn for 68 years, they enjoyed travel, discussion groups and politics. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Cindy (Marc Miller), Joel (Felipa), Bill (Joan) and Brad (Deborah); grandchildren, Robin, Aaron, Nathan and Sarah. Sam was predeceased by his big sister Miriam (Mamlin). Donations may be made to Planned Parenthood.

Jim Wilkinson

Condolences to the family of Jim Wilkinson, beloved maintenance supervisor at West End Synagogue and previously at the Gordon Jewish Community Center (where he could be heard playing the piano during his downtime). He passed away after a long struggle with cancer. Jim fought after a stroke and then lasted over a year after his diagnosis of cancer when given only six weeks to live. He is survived by his sisters, Barbara Wilkinson (Delbert Develieger), Chris Wilkinson, and Pat (Ron) Thomas; brother, Steve Wilkinson; and nephews, Aaron and Clayton Grayum.

Lifecycles B’rit Mitzvah Violet Eliya Spiro

Violet Eliya Spiro will become a Brit Mitzvah on Saturday, June 10, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah.

Violet is the child of Scott and Jane Spiro, the sibling of Benjamin Spiro, and the grandchild of Bernie and Sally Spiro of Irvine, Calif.

A seventh grader at Woodland Middle School, Violet plays on the school tennis team and runs for the track team. She loves travel and has been to Australia and England so far. She looks forward to visiting Israel one day.

Violet has taken time to support Gentle Barn, with the aim of inspiring

People of the Books

Continued from page 24 Theodore Roosevelt was in attendance.

He loved it. Zangwill dedicated the first publication of the play to him, “in respectful recognition of his strenuous struggle against the forces that threaten to shipwreck the great republic which carries mankind and its fortunes.” This “Square Deal” President, we must remember, believed strongly in racial hierarchies and eugenics, where European ancestry was prized above all others and in which natural conservation included the removal of Indigenous Americans from approximately 86 million acres of tribal land.

We must also acknowledge that, while this is the era in which European immigrants were inundating the east coast, extensions of the Chinese Exclusion Act were besetting the west and Jim Crow Laws were persecuting African Americans nationwide. For Lithuanian-born British immigrant Zangwill (born in 1864), this was also a period after he had fully lost his faith in Zionism. After a close association with Theodor Herzl, he had given up on

HUNT MEMORIALS, INC 4807 GALLATIN PIKE | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

26 June 2023 •

kindness and compassion towards animals, our planet and each other.

Lana Reese Komisar

Lana Reese Komisar will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, June 24, at 11 a.m. at The Temple. She was born on July 6, 2009, in Nashville. Her parents are Bethany and Kevin Komisar.

Her grandparents are the late Linda Pounds and the late Britt Pounds; Frada Komisar and Martin Komisar, all of Nashville.

An eighth grader, Lana is homeschooled. She is a competitive gymnast and is the Level 7 Tennessee State Champion. When not doing gymnastics, Lana loves to paint, cheer on her brother, Jack, in football, hang out with friends and be with her family.

For her mitzvah project, Lana is going to donate floral arrangements and raise money for West Meade Place for taking such good care of her Nana before she passed. a Jewish homeland. Instead, he had come to feel the United States held the only real promise for Jews (and other European immigrants), if and only if they were willing to abandon entirely their ethnic and cultural differences.

The touching melodrama of “The Melting-Pot” offers an important glimpse at a historical moment that would crystalize early twentieth-century values as concerned the “Great Tide” of Jewish immigrants, those “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” as Emma Lazarus described them. We can enjoy the play both because of and in spite of its problematic solution to ethnic otherness – especially served with a fresh tossed salad. • Elyce Rae Helford, Ph.D., is a professor of English and director of the Jewish and Holocaust Studies minor at Middle Tennessee State University. Her most recent book is What Price Hollywood?: Gender and Sex in the Films of George Cukor, and she’s currently at work on a study of Jewish identity in the comedy of Sarah Silverman. Reach her at elyce.helford@mtsu.edu.

Heart of the Matter

Continued from page 24 numerous JFS volunteer programs.

One of my personal favorite JFS programs is volunteers bringing Shabbat services to assisted living facilities. Once a month, they bring challah, wine, and candles, and lead these older adults through an abbreviated, large print Shabbat service. JFS recognized the need to bring Shabbat to seniors who cannot attend synagogue, valued their ability to participate in their religion and recognized the benefit of socializing with other Jewish residents.

Although my personal experience required me to seek out ways to get involved in the Nashville Jewish community, the Jewish Family Service Shabbat Service program showed me that the Jewish community will find those who are in need and will support them, embrace them, and make them feel like a part of the Jewish community.

In addition to offering Shabbat services, the JFS Helping Hands programs provide friendly visitors, telephone reassurance, and pen pals for isolated seniors, music and art programs for older adults with dementia, tech assistance for seniors, and assistance with changing lightbulbs and batteries in smoke detectors as a means of fall prevention. For more information about our Helping Hands Programs or to volunteer, contact Jamie Maresca at jamie@jfsnashville.org or 615-354-1686. •

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www.zeitlin.com Residential & Relocation Specialists

JESSICA AVERBUCH CEO, Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty 615-383-0183 (bus.)

615-294-9880 (cell) jessica.averbuch@zeitlin.com www.jessicaaverbuch.com LORNA M. GRAFF Broker, GRI, CRS, ABR 615-794-0833 (bus.)

615-351-5343 (cell) lorna.graff@zeitlin.com www.lornagraff.com NAN SPELLER Broker, GRI, ABR 615-383-0183 (bus.)

615-973-1117 (cell) nanspeller2014@gmail.com JENNIE ZAGNOEV Affiliate Broker 615-383-0183 (bus.)

615-838-2048 (cell) jennie.zagnoev@zeitlin.com

Jackie Roth Karr, REALTOR® www.JackieKarr.com Jackie.Karr@corcorangroup.com Mobile: 615.330.9779 Office: 615.250.7880

SPORTING GOODS TEAM NASHVILLE Your Running/Walking Swimming Headquarters 3205 West End Ave. Nashville, TN 37203 615-383-0098

TRAVEL SERVICES Expredia Cruise Ship Centers A Full Service Travel Agency Alan Cooper: Office: 629-202-8945 www.cruiseshipcenters.com/AlanCooper 7081 B Hwy 70 S / Kroger Shopping Ctr.

TREE SERVICES

Preserving the Natural Beauty of Trees and Shrubs. Specializing in the care of shade and ornamental trees and shrubs for residential and commercial properties. Serving Nashville since 1978.

615-373-4342 www.druidtree.com

• June 2023

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Back To School Issue is Coming July 2023!

We will be highlighting back to school products, services and schools.

Special offer when you advertise 1/8 page ad or larger! Along with your ad, send up to 250 words highlighting your business for inclusion in the editorial section of this special issue!

Deadline for ads is June 15, 2023 Contact: Carrie Mills, Advertising Manager • 615-354-1699 e-mail: carrie@nashvillejcc.org • fax: 615-352-0056

28 June 2023 •