The Observer Vol. 87 No. 8 – August 2022

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Vol. 87 No. 8 • August 2022

www.jewishobservernashville.org

4 Av-4 Elul 5782

Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, What’s Next for Jews in Tennessee?

By BARBARA DAB

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Scott O’Neal is The Jewish Federation’s new Financial Resource Development Director

Jewish Federation Hires Financial Resource Development Director

he United States Supreme Court made the unprecedented move in late June to take away the federal right to abortion granted 50 years ago in Roe v.

Wade. In its majority opinion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Justice Samuel Alito said, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives…The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision.” The functional result of the Dobbs decision will be to place the legislation of abortion squarely in the hands of the states. And while some states will continue to keep abortion legal, others, including Tennessee, have trigger laws that will quickly make abortion illegal in any case.

The decision was not unexpected, following in the wake of an historic leak to Politico in early May, but it has left much of the country, and much of the Jewish community, reeling. A recent event in Nashville, hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), highlighted the grief, anger,

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he Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is pleased to announce the hiring of Scott O’Neal as the new (FRD) Financial Resource Development Director. In this role, Scott will be a member of the Federation’s senior management team and will supervise the FRD staff and direct the Jewish Foundation.

Scott is a seasoned fundraising professional whose positions have included serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Director of Advancement for the Roots of Reform Judaism, and Director of Alumni & Development for Montgomery Bell Academy, among other roles in business and non-profit organizations. Scott has also been an active volunteer lay leader with Congregation Micah and the start of Get Connected. •

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and confusion being felt locally. Dr. Nancy Lipsitz, an obstetrician/gynecologist in private practice in Nashville, says the Dobbs ruling saddles her and other practitioners with the additional task of interpreting the nuances of law, “I have spent hours reading the bill, attending webinars, and discussing issues with attorneys. There are many gray areas and neither attorneys nor I have all the answers. The bill is vague and leaves much to speculation.” Lipsitz adds that Tennessee’s “trigger ban,” which restricts abortions almost entirely, will be effective in mid-August. This measure will make performing an abortion a felony and subject doctors to up to 15 years in prison. “Once the trigger ban goes into effect, all abortion is criminalized,” says Lipsitz, “There are no exceptions. Rape, incest, children who are pregnant after rape or incest, victims of sex trafficking, a woman carrying a fetus with severe physical anomalies that will not survive after birth, and mental health disorders.”

Despite what Lipsitz says is little guidance for doctors, on the issue of mental health, the legislature in Tennessee was very clear. “If a woman is so desperate for an abortion that she might kill herself, she is still not allowed to obtain an abortion in Tennessee. If a woman was raped and

suffers from trauma by having to carry the pregnancy to term, she cannot obtain an abortion. The legislature thought about this, considered it, and wrote this extra clause down. An affirmative defense cannot be made for mental health reasons.

A person’s brain, considered by science to be a body organ susceptible to organic illness, is not included in the category of impairment of major bodily function.”

An Affirmative Defense of Prosecution, according to Lipsitz, is a process whereby a doctor can document breaking the law for very specific reasons, and hope to evade prosecution. “I have now learned that this means that I need to clearly document and state that I am indeed breaking the law, and why I am breaking the law. I need to report the pregnancy termination to the office of vital records at the state level.

And even in these conditions, I might still be prosecuted.” She is also concerned for her nursing staff, medical assistants, nurse anesthetists, and anyone else who assists in an abortion.

Jews view abortion from the perspective of the mother, and therefore total bans like the one in Tennessee are in direct violation of Jewish law. According to Rabbi Jessica Shimberg, who was an organizer of the NCJW event, there are Continued on page 4

Opinion Am I still a citizen?

By DEBORAH OLESHANSKY

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n June 24, 2022, the National Council for Jewish Women (NCJW) issued the following statement: “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a moral failure. It will put lives at risk. By overturning 50 years of precedent, safe and vital abortion care is now virtually inaccessible to millions of people who need it. In the weeks and months ahead, we will see the devastating impact this ruling will have on human lives. “ It did not take long for us to begin witnessing the chaos, fear, confusion, pain, and horrific repercussions predicted

by NCJW in states across the country.

Camp Davis Summer 2022 was a BLAST!, page 10

In the decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case, the conservative U.S. Supreme Court chose a radical approach. Rather than ruling specifically on the Dobbs v. Jackson Health case, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its wisdom, chose to overturn Roe v. Wade, causing an immediate public health emergency.

After learning about the Dobbs decision, and overturn of Roe v. Wade, my daughter called me and asked, “Mom, am I still a citizen?” The sad reality is that I truly did not know how to answer her.

As a resident of Tennessee, she is about to be denied the fullness of her right to self-determination, personal freedom, and unobstructed access to healthcare Nashville’s award-winning Jewish newspaper, page 4

in potentially life-threatening situations.

How can you feel like a full citizen without these basic rights?

And while this attack on all people, including children, who can become pregnant, it is particularly crushing for Jewish women and girls since laws being promulgated in some states amount to a complete ban on abortion from the moment of conception with no exceptions. The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance wrote the following about the ruling: “The Supreme Court’s ruling, which overturns federal constitutional protections of privacy and abortion rights that have Continued on page 7 All Things Seniors Section, page 21

Letter for the Jewish Community of Nashville

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hree years ago, I left everything I knew and went on a plane to Nashville. Never imagined that I would stay here for 3 incredible years, meet the most amazing people, and have the most meaningful time of my life!

There were a lot of ups and downs, unexpected challenges we all had to face.

Even though I didn’t see a lot of you in person for so long, I felt this difficult time brought us together, and it was the

best to finally give hugs and see everyone again.

I came here on a mission to share my story and talk about Israel, and I am so thankful for your curiosity, questions, and the discussions we had. I learned so much from each and everyone of you. Thank you for attending and collaborating on my programs, it meant the world!

Now I’m here in Nashville, 3 years later, looking back on my Shlichut.

I am so grateful for all the people I met and the experiences I had, proud of myself for giving 100% even when times were hard, and I absolutely feel the luckiest Shlicha in the world to be a part of this community.

Thank you for everything Much love Noam Harari Nashville Shlicha 2019-2022

The Temple Welcomes Rabbi Michael Danziger as Senior Rabbi

By BARBARA DAB

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ongregants at The Temple were eager to welcome their new senior Rabbi, Michael Danziger, to town. They had to wait a couple of weeks, though, because Danziger and his entire family all tested positive for Covid19 soon after their arrival. Despite the rocky beginning, Danziger reports they are all healthy and he was present at his first Lunch with the Rabbi last month and is conducting regular Shabbat services. “It was a bit rough at first, but we’re doing fine and I’m happy to be here,” he says. Danziger’s first few weeks are being met with excitement.

Judy Lefkovitz, President of the Board, says, “. As president, sitting on the Bima and looking out at the congregation, it is enlightening to see so many smiling and engaged faces and then hearing so many complimentary remarks about Rabbi Danziger and from people of all ages and segments of our congregation.” She says the rabbi is a welcoming presence, “As much as our congregants are smiling, just

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as important is Rabbi Danziger smiling at them during the entire service. He welcomes everyone and Shabbat in such

August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

an uplifting way. Already we have new faces at Temple who have chosen to join The Temple.”

Danziger is a native of Memphis where his father was also a rabbi. “It’s Continued on page 3

The Consequences of Failing to Plan for Dementia

By BARBARA MOSS

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ur firm, which practices Elder Law, is about so much more than planning for what happens to your “stuff.” We work to help our clients live their best lives.

Dementia is the third most frequent cause of death after heart disease and cancer. That ranking for dementia seems to be climbing over time. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease; but other types include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and fronto-temporal dementia. Dementia is not a part of normal aging. The risk factors for dementia are age, family history, race/ethnicity, poor heart health, and traumatic brain injury.

Age is the biggest risk factor.

Age Percentage of Americans with Alzheimer’s 64-74 3% 75-84 17% 85 and older 32%

People younger than 65 can develop Alzheimer’s, but it is much less common, and the prevalence is uncertain.

Accordingly, an estimated 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer’s today and that number is projected to grow to 13.8 million by 2050. Realistically, therefore, you should take dementia into account when making long term plans for yourself and your family.

There are planning documents that will help you deal with the possibility of dementia, and other illnesses. They are called “powers of attorney,” and they appoint someone, your “agent,” to make decisions about healthcare and financial matters when you are unable to make those decisions for yourself. They are sometimes called “durable” powers of attorney because they are effective even if you are mentally incapacitated—exactly the point when they are needed.

What happens if you fail to put these documents into place and you have dementia? If you have assets in your name alone,

Federation to Send Second Delegation on Mission to Poland

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he Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee announces a second delegation of community members will make a journey to Poland. The group will leave on August 24th and, once again visit Warsaw and Krakow Jewish Community c

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Publisher Eric Stillman Editor Barbara Dab Advertising Manager Carrie Mills Layout and Production Tim Gregory Editorial Board Frank Boehm (chair), Teena Cohen, Laura Thompson, Scott Rosenberg, Liz Feinberg Telephone 615/356-3242 Fax 615/352-0056 E-mail barbaradab@jewishnashville.org ‘The Jewish Observer’ (ISSN 23315334) is published monthly for $25 per year by the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, 801 Percy Warner Blvd., Nashville, TN 37205-4009.

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Center, provide continuing humanitarian support and relief for Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion. The group will return on August 29th. •

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

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

Editorial Submissions Policy and Deadlines The Jewish Observer welcomes the submission of information, news items, feature stories and photos about events relevant to the Jewish community of Greater Nashville. We prefer e-mailed submissions, which should be sent as Word documents to Editor Barbara Dab at barbaradab@jewishnashville.org.

Photos must be high resolution (at least 300 dpi) and should be attached as jpegs to the e-mail with the related news item or story. For material that cannot be e-mailed, submissions should be sent to Barbara Dab, The Jewish Observer, 801 Percy Warner Blvd., Suite 102, Nashville TN 37205. Photos and copy sent by regular mail will not be returned unless prior arrangement is made. Publication is at the discretion of The Observer, which reserves the right to edit submissions.

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your family members will not be able to access them. Banks and financial institutions may refuse to let your family even know the amount in your accounts. Healthcare providers may refuse your loved ones access to your medical records. Medical decisions may be delayed. Someone that you might not have chosen may be appointed by the hospital as your surrogate to make healthcare decisions for you.

The legal consequences for your family could be extremely burdensome. Your family may have to hire a lawyer to understand the situation and to file a petition for a “conservator” to be appointed for you. Once the petition is filed, the court appoints another lawyer called the “guardian-ad-litem.” The task of the guardian-ad-litem will be to interview family members, doctors and other witnesses to learn whether you need a conservator and, if so, who should serve.

The guardian-ad-litem is impartial and investigates as the “eyes and ears of the court.” After completing the investigation, he or she prepares a report and files it.

But if you have the capacity to say: “I don’t need a conservator” (even if you do) a third lawyer will be appointed to serve as attorney-ad-litem to present your side of the case to the judge. After all, the law can’t take away your rights to control your property and your health care without due process and a hearing. In order to appoint a conservator, the judge must find at the hearing by “clear and convincing evidence” that you are disabled and in need of assistance from the court.

I hope you can see the lawyers, the dollars, and the stress on your family adding up!

If you have any trustworthy family or friends there is no reason to hesitate in creating a plan that will protect you and them from hassle and expense. A part of that plan should be to appoint agents to make decisions about you healthcare and your property if you cannot. • Barbara Moss is a member of the Federation’s Professional Advisory Council (PAC).

Rabbi Danziger

choice to lead The Temple into a new direction. Lefkovitz says, “He has an extraordinary, almost supernatural sense of relatability, I think partially because he has come from an unconventional path that included working with children, families, and people of all ages. His prior management work in commercial real estate taught him business skills that will help him with the administrative and leadership side of his role. His time at Wise Temple in Cincinnati and at Temple Israel at Memphis gives him the opportunity to bring with him experiences and training from top notch strong large Temples.”

A lesser-known fact about Rabbi Danziger is that he also has performed as a stand-up comedian. He credits his older brothers with giving him a humorous perspective on life. “Being the younger brother, I was exposed to things at a younger age than most.” He says performing comedy was a natural outgrowth of his personality. “I was the guy people always said was just funny. So, in my twenties I wrote comedy and performed in clubs. In Memphis it was easier to get noticed.” He says that since he became a rabbi, most of his gigs are in the Jewish realm, but he admits he does have another, more adult, side to his comedy. He hopes to someday find time to return to occasional performing but remains wholly dedicated to his rabbinic career.

In in limited spare time, Danziger plays basketball, guitar, enjoys going to the movies, and rooting for his Texas Longhorns. His wife, Lindsay, is also a rabbi and currently works for the Union of Reform Congregations. Together they are raising three small children, something that surely provides a lot of comedy material. As for the congregation, Lefkovitz says, “Having co-chaired the Search Committee with Ralph Levy, I can honestly say that we feel grateful to Rabbi Danziger for his having chosen us and for us having chosen him. Rarely a day goes by when I don’t hear from someone how much they like him. Many of the compliments I hear from our members are the same ones I heard from his references during the search process. On behalf of the Temple, I am proud of not only how our Temple family has begun to embrace him and his family, but how much the wider Jewish community in Nashville has welcomed him and his family.” •

Continued from page 2 been fun to meet people who knew my dad,” he says. Most recently, he was an assistant and associate rabbi at Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati. When the position at The Temple became available, he jumped at the chance to return to Tennessee. “It was a good combination of being closer to my family, and Nashville itself. The community here is growing, and we really like it here.” He says a right now he is focused is getting to know his staff and working to build strong relationships with them, as well as the rest of the congregation. Lefkovitz says that is something the Board is also eager to see, “The Board’s main priority is that Rabbi Danziger be a strong leader for the Temple clergy, staff and members in the transition from Rabbi Schiftan to him and that he puts forth every effort to get to know our congregants and help us get to know him.”

Transition can often be difficult, particularly for a religious community.

Danziger’s philosophy starts with the awareness that he needs to meet the congregation where it is right now. “I serve the congregation,” he says, “My goal is for us to live our Jewish life together in a vibrant way.” He says he wants to make sure The Temple remains a warm and inviting place. “I want to continue to be a place that inspires goodness and mercy.

And I want us to make a big impact in the greater community to address social justice issues.” He is aware of The Temple’s long relationship with its neighbors, namely Belmont University, and is looking forward to continuing that involvement.

“This is a great moment for Belmont. I want us to be fully integrated in the community with our partners of other faiths. It is important for the Jewish community to have friends in our neighbors.”

Rabbi Danziger’s path to the rabbinate is somewhat unusual. After college, he spent several years working in the Jewish camping business, including at URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Mississippi. He also worked under Rabbi Micah Greenstein at Temple Israel of Memphis as Youth and Family Director and continued to develop professionally working in the field of Real Estate and Property Management. And it this non-traditional path that made him an appealing candidate, and the ultimate

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The Observer Wins 2022 Simon Rockower Award

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he Jewish Observer is now an award-winning newspaper. At this year’s annual American Jewish Press Association conference, Observer Editor Barbara Dab won Second Place in the prestigious Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Journalism. The recognition was in the category of Interfaith Relations Reporting for her article titled: “Circle of Friends Unites Jews and Muslims for the Holidays and Beyond.”

The article first appeared in the January, 2021 issue of The Observer which can be found online at www.jewishobservernashville.org on the Archives page. We thank the community for continuing to support local Jewish journalism in Nashville. •

Continued from page 1 three main values to consider: when life begins, how decisions around healthcare are made, and abortion itself. “As to the first idea, when life begins, Jewish law says that a fetus is part of a woman’s body and does not have the status of ‘personhood.’

Life begins with a viable birth. When the head emerges and a first breath is taken,” she says. When making health decisions, Shimberg says again, the decision should support the mother’s physical and emotional health. “Adding to suffering and emotional pain is not where we want to go.” And since Jewish law assigns personhood at the moment of the first breath, she says, “That makes abortion a health issue, not something for social policy making.”

Groups like NCJW are working to ensure Jewish values are represented in the debate around reproductive freedom.

Erin Coleman is Co-President of NCJW Nashville Section, and she is also a criminal defense attorney. She says “We, as Jews, are taught to treat every human with dignity. This decision takes away that humanity and shows a lack of respect for a woman’s ability to make decisions for herself.” And as Jews, she says we have a responsibility to treat our neighbors with the same dignity and respect. But those most likely to suffer under the rollback of Roe, she says, are the underserved people in the community. “I work with people who are the most vulnerable in Nashville, and the impact is something we can’t even calculate at this point,” she says, “This will perpetuate continuing poverty for women who can’t climb out of poverty. There is no social safety net in place to support the children who are being forced into life.”

Coleman says the Dobbs decision also flies in the face of the concept of “stare decisis,” or settled legal precedent. “So much of what affects our lives comes from elected officials, many of whom have no understanding of the finer points of law,” she says, “In the legal system, we look to the judiciary to interpret and make sense of the laws. The one thing we rely on is past precedence, and the Court completely threw it out.” She says it is imperative organizations like NCJW work to help people in Tennessee gain access to safe, legal abortion. NCJW has created a fund to assist with expenses for people who must travel to neighboring states.

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Horror. Pain. Grief. Outrage.

By RABBI YITZCHOK TIECHTEL

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Observer Editor Barbara Dab wins a 2022 Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Journalism

Supreme Court

Commentary

The Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is also providing programming to educate about the Jewish approach to abortion. Deborah Oleshansky, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Committee, says, “The JCRC will make this issue a top priority. The state’s total ban on abortion is a complete violation of Jewish law and is a government over reach to control our lives. Why should the government get in the middle of the most personal family issues?” JCRC programs will delve into the various aspects of the abortion issue over the next several months and features experts from health care, law, and public policy to help the Jewish community understand the impact and, according to Oleshansky, hopefully become activated.

As the impact of the Dobbs decision continues to evolve, doctors like Nancy Lipsitz must make decisions in real time, often with little to spare. She says she seriously considered moving to a state where abortion is legal and she could practice medicine the way she believes it should be practiced, but decided to remain in Tennessee, committed to caring for her current and future patients. Her routine now includes weekly consultations with attorneys to understand the nuances of the law. She says she draws strength from the lessons taught by her grandmother, and the fight of previous generations of women, “All my life, I have benefited from the prior generations of women who have fought for women’s reproductive and civil rights. I’m here today because of the struggle and hardships they endured and did overcome. My grandmother Deena Lipsitz fought for suffrage in St. Louis in 1919, attending conventions and speaking up. And showing up. Now it’s our turn to secure the necessary rights for our daughters and for the generations that come after us.” And she is worried. “I am worried about access to medication for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, I am worried about women who don’t have the means to travel out of state even if they wanted to. I am worried about women trying at-home abortions and the grave and sometimes fatal consequences than might ensue. Women no longer have agency over their reproductive health and unfortunately, restrictions may change over time. An attorney in Knoxville flat out declared: No one is coming to save us.” •

August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

he horrific murder of 19 beautiful children and 2 innocent adults rocked our nation-and the entire world, a short while ago in Uvalde, Texas.

Senseless other shootings have happened since then. Our hearts are heavy, our eyes filled with tears. We cry for the Uvalde community and pray for the comfort and healing of all the families, of this and other recent shootings.

This massacre, perhaps more than any other, has hit home. We’ve all been students. We all know teachers. Many of us are parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We know the purity of children and absolute ferocity of parental love.

We’re all deeply shaken from the horrific massacre at Uvalde, Texas.

We have no words to express the grief, no thoughts to put this into perspective, no way to process such tragedy.

How is this possible in G-d’s world?

Allow me to share with you a story from my hometown of Brooklyn, New York: It happened once in my neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, when the entire community was shaken up by the tragic death of a young man.

Lazer Mangel, who lived in our community, was tragically killed in a car accident in the prime of his life, leaving behind a young wife and an unborn child.

Everyone attended the shiva to show support and try to give a measure of comfort to Lazer’s family.

On the final day of Shiva, Lazer’s father asked to say a few words to the visitors. He recalled that many years before, when Lazer was 5 years old, the family had a private audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. At one point in the meeting, the Rebbe turned to young Lazer and asked him to recite the SHEMA prayer. Lazer proudly proceeded to do just that. Suddenly, the Rebbe’s smiling face turned intensely serious and he turned to the boy’s father, saying, “You should teach your son that when one recites the SHEMA, he should close his eyes and

cover them with his hand.”

Said Rabbi Mangel, “I never understood what the Rebbe was trying to tell me. Why the sudden serious tone? What was the point of the message he was trying to convey? I think I now understand.

The Rebbe was telling me, prophetically, how to deal with the tragedy of Lazer’s death, so many years later. The SHEMA is the basic statement of Jewish faith, proclaiming our complete trust in G-d as the Creator and sole director of the world. When tragedy strikes, we cannot ‘say the SHEMA’ with our eyes open.

When we look around, what we see challenges the notion that there is a G-d who is intimately involved with the world all the time, minute by minute. Our limited human minds cannot fathom or reconcile this. So, we need to close our eyes, even cover them with our hand, to proclaim our complete trust that G-d is running the show.”

When the news reported that the surviving children at Robb Elementary School were instructed to close their eyes as they were being led out of the building, I thought of these words of the Rebbe.

We simply have no answers. We just need to let go.

Dear friends, to honor the souls of those lost in this tragedy, I suggest each of us take upon ourselves to say the SHEMA twice daily, morning upon arising and evening before retiring for bed. Close your eyes, cover them with your right hand, recite the sacred 6 words: SHEMA YISROEL ADONOI ELOHEINU ADONOI ECHAD - Here ‘o Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is the only One. Then offer up your own silent prayer, in your own words.

Dear friends, we have no answers.

We cry out to our Father in Heaven for comfort. And we pray for the day when goodness will prevail forever and “G-d will permanently wipe away the tears from every face.” May the families of the victims be blessed with comfort, and may we be blessed with peace. •

Open Audtions August 14: JCC Mazel Tov Players T he JCC Mazel Tov Players are holding open auditions for their next production, Beau Jest, a funny, fast-paced Jewish comedy that will be produced in October. There are parts for two women and four men. Auditions will be at the JCC on August 14th at 1:00 PM. Rehearsals will be on Saturday mornings and Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Please contact Suzanne Burns, director, at 615 373-1614 with any questions. •

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

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The Jewish Observer • August 2022

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Rabbi Fred Guttman Receives Award from International Civil Rights Museum

By BARBARA DAB

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ashville native, and civil rights leader, Rabbi Fred Guttman was honored by the International Civil Rights Museum with the 2022 Lifetime Community Service Award. The award was presented last month at the museum’s annual gala. Guttman does indeed have a lifetime of involvement in the civil rights movement, and was honored alongside Rev. James Lawson, United States Vice President Kamala Harris, Ben Crump, Bakari Sellers, and Judge Marilyn Mackel. “I am honored to be recognized.

My activism began with my childhood growing up at The Temple, and learning from Rabbi Randall Fallk,” he says. He also attended Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt University.

The recently retired Guttman does indeed have a lifelong history of involvement in the civil rights movement.

Following his ordination from Hebrew Union College in New York City, Rabbi Guttman spent the next 27 years living in Israel where he worked for the Union for Reform Judaism and was an educator and principal at Alexander Muss High School. He eventually returned to the United States, spending some time in Jacksonville, Florida and settling in Greensboro, North Carolina where he become rabbi at Temple Emanuel.

During those years, Rabbi Guttman led missions to Poland, Moldova, and Israel.

While at Temple Emanuel, Guttman became deeply involved in interfaith relations. He assisted in improving relationships between the Jewish community and the various Christian communities. He also worked to raise both funds and awareness of people with Down Syndrome, spearheaded a fundraising run for his county’s “10-Year Project to end Homelessness,” and organized participation in “The Feast of Caring,” for the Greensboro Urban Ministry, among many others.

Eventually, Guttman became involved in the International Civil

Rabbi Fred Guttman with President Barack Obama

Rabbi Fred Guttman with Rep. John Lewis outside the home of Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi

Rights Museum. The museum’s history began with the first lunch counter sitin in 1960. It was then a Woolworth’s Department Store, and the sit-in was followed one week later by a similar action in Nashville. The museum opened on February 1, 2010, on the 50th anniversary of the sit-in. In 2014 Guttman was invited to participate in a pilgrimage to Selma, Alabama, led by Rep. John Lewis.

At a rest stop at the border between Mississippi and Alabama, Guttman spotted Nazi graffiti on a bathroom door.

“I mentioned what I’d seen to a worker at the rest stop and was told the graffiti showed up every day there,” he says. The incident stayed with him, and a year later, as the 50th anniversary of Selma

approached, he began to think about suggesting Jewish participation in the commemoration. “I wondered, ‘Where is the Jewish participation?’” he says. There was a temple in Selma with only six families left. “Organizers were afraid the families wouldn’t want to participate, but they were wrong. Everyone wanted to help.”

The event was held on a Sunday morning and over 400 people came, about 20 percent were African American, and musician Peter Yarrow performed.

Today, the museum is an affiliate of The Smithsonian Museum. Rabbi Guttman is dedicated to the museum, “I am honored to receive this award and plan to continue my work in the museum and the community.” •

Images of Nazi graffiti on the back of a restroom door at the Mississippi/ Alabama border

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615.549.5430

August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

elieve it or not, Fall is right around the corner, and that means Under One Roof is coming soon. Now in its sixth year, the JCC’s collaborative art exhibit brings together local organizations in Nashville to create artwork around a chosen theme to be exhibited in our sukkah during Sukkot. Sukkot is a happy, week-long Jewish fall harvest festival. Participants will be tasked with designing a 30”x48” stretched canvas based on the theme to hang in our sukkah, a temporary structure constructed during Sukkot. The sukkah reminds us of the fragility and temporary nature of life and helps us focus on what is most important.

The theme for this year’s Under One

Roof is Kehillah: Community. The Hebrew word Kehillah may be defined as community. A community need not be limited merely by the geographical setting in which people reside. Rather, the concept of Kehillah evokes the value of supporting its members’ physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs by promoting shared values and finding common purpose.

This year’s Under One Roof theme of Kehillah encourages us to find common purpose to relieve people’s suffering, to fight for social justice and together, build a more resilient Nashville community.

Thirty organizations have already committed to this wonderful project, and we’d love to add more to our list!

Any interested organizations may reach out directly to Sharon Benus, Adult and Community Wide Programs Director at sharonb@nashvillejcc.org.

Nashville Teens Participate in Partnership2Gether Trip to Israel T his year, three local teens participated in The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Southeastern Consortium Partnership2Gether trip to Israel. This is the first time the annual trip included

teens from Nashville. Pictured below are Noah Spigel, Benjamin Yazdian, and Jonah Hirt. Next month, we’ll hear from them directly as they share their trip of a lifetime. •

Celebrate Congregation Micah and be part of The Letter Project - The Ties that Bind

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ongregation Micah was founded in 1992, and by the Fall of 1997 it built a new building and opened its new doors to congregants. Part of the celebration at that time was The Letter Project - The Ties that Bind. This project asked congregants, students, Rabbis, and staff to write a letter that would be read 25 years later by their current counterpart. The letters were placed in a box made by artist Rob Ogilvie with porcelain scrolls made by the late artist Sylvia Hyman. This beautiful box became a time capsule of sorts to be opened and added to every 25 years. When opened, first graders would read letters from earlier first graders, congregants from congregants, administrators from administrators, teachers from teachers and Rabbis from Rabbis and so on! With each opening the current Micah family would write their own letters that would be added to the box connecting to those of the past and future creating another tie that binds our Micah community together.

This year marks 25 years! So, the box will be opened at the Shabbat Service on August 26th. The letters will be made available for the congregation to read and for them to write a letter either at Congregation Micah or to drop off by October 2nd. All letters will be placed in

Opinion Continued from page 1 stood since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, will devastate the lives of women across the United States who will lose personal agency over their lives and bodies… it violates the religious liberty of the Jewish community by undermining women’s ability to follow halakha (traditional Jewish law), which permits and even requires, abortion in certain circumstances, particularly when the life or health of the woman is at stake.”

Jewish law provides basic guidelines for us. Abortion is not murder. Abortion is healthcare.

By August, Tennessee is scheduled to enact what will effectively be a total ban on abortion from the time of conception. NO. EXCEPTIONS. No exception for rape victims. No exception for incest victims. Only an “affirmative defense” clause for medical providers in the case of risk to the life of the mother based on convoluted legal and bureaucratic maneuvering which must be proven by “a preponderance of evidence.” If the state determines that the doctor performed the procedure without what the state deems as preponderance of evidence, the doctor will be charged with a Class C felony, carrying a possible sentence of 3-15 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. As we are already seeing, this “affirmative defense” has not protected doctors in other states from investigation and defamation.

And it is unclear how these abortions bans will affect medical training.

Some fear that in states with bans, medical students will not receive training on how to perform end of pregnancy procedures. The treatment for a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy is abortion. A woman who suffers a spontaneous mis-

This letter box is part of a time capsule project, to be opened soon, at Congregation Micah.

the box when it is closed on October 5th.

The box will not be opened until 2047 when the project is repeated.

Maybe you were a Micah member 25 years ago and your letter will be read!

Please be part of this new Micah tradition. More details will be coming soon! • carriage during a wanted pregnancy may need an abortion. What happens when doctors are not trained to provide that treatment? Think about that.

Jewish law provides wisdom and guidance to assist us in balancing the competing needs of the life of the mother with the life of the fetus before birth. We invite you to join local Rabbis to study these texts, and to learn and struggle together in the first of three sessions to help deal with the new realities we face.

After consulting Jewish law, upcoming sessions will include health care professionals and legal professionals: 1. August 11: Jewish Law and Abortion 2. September 15: Abortion is Healthcare 3. TBD: Tennessee Law and reproductive health The Dobbs decision strikes at the heart of our privacy, agency, and religious freedom.

As I write this my hope is that by the time you read this our Tennessee elected officials will have taken heed from the tragedies we are witnessing in Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, and other states implementing total bans, turning access to healthcare into a criminal justice issue and determine that we can do better for the people in Tennessee.

In the coming months, we will support each other as we rise to protect the lives and health of women and girls in our community and our state. We will study our traditional texts and wisdom on the issue. We will listen to health care providers determined to provide urgently needed health care to patients. We will review current and proposed state law and determine the best approach to mitigate the authority being wielded exclusively by government legislators threatening criminal prosecution, and back to the hands of healthcare providers and patients more suited to making these critical and personal decisions. •

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

7

Newcomer’s Column

By EITAN SNYDER, NEWCOMER ENGAGEMENT ASSOCIATE

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n my work as the Federation’s Newcomer Engagement Associate, I meet so many Jews who are moving or want to be moving to Nashville. They come from all sorts of places for all sorts of reasons, and we bring them into Nashville’s Jewish community through our monthly Newcomer Shabbat Dinners, our quarterly Newcomer Welcome Receptions, and by connecting them with community members and organizations who can help them find what they are looking for. One of my favorite parts of this job is getting to hear these newcomers’ dynamic, engaging stories, so we are starting this new monthly feature in the Observer so you can get to know some of them and their stories too. We hope you enjoy reading these and hope you will give every newcomer you meet a smile and a warm Nashville welcome!

This month, we are featuring the Koplin Family. If you see them around town, make sure to say, “Hi,” and let them know you read about her in The Observer.

Tell us your story. Where are you from? How did you end up in Nashville?

Seth and I grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and our families met when we were babies. We grew up in play groups when we were little, as well as attending a temple preschool together. Seth’s father went to rabbinical school but did not practice as a rabbi right away. After

Seth’s Bar Mitzvah, Seth’s dad decided he wanted to pursue working as a rabbi.

The Koplins then moved to Richmond, Virginia where Seth went to high school and attended college in Kentucky. While Seth and I were in college, The Koplins moved back to Sarasota when a rabbinic position became available. Seth and I had not been in touch at all during those years his family was away from Sarasota.

Seth and I “re-met” each other during our sophomore year of college. To be honest, it was an immediate connection, and we were married four and half years later at my temple, by Seth’s father, on December 30, 1995.

In 1994, after college, Seth and I moved to Nashville because Seth was offered a job at Outback Steakhouse as a kitchen manager. His degree was in Hotel/Restaurant Management, while I am an elementary school teacher. After a stint at Outback, Seth decided that this was not the field that he wanted

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August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

to pursue. After two and half years in Nashville, we decided that in the summer of 1997, we wanted to raise our future family in Sarasota where both sets of our parents were living.

We went on to have one child who was raised in Sarasota surrounded by family. Our son, Eli, is now 21 years old and is a senior in college in Florida. He will graduate in April and is hoping to attend law school next year.

Over the last several years, Seth and I have been talking about the idea of moving from Florida. Ironically, in November of 2020, a position in the company Seth works for became available in Nashville, and we jumped at the chance to move back! Seth is the managing partner for a commercial flooring company named Bonitz. In January of 2021, Seth moved to Nashville, and I joined him in June of 2021. I currently teach for Metro Schools at Waverly Belmont Elementary.

This has been a terrific move our family! Our son was on board right away, as he plans to leave Florida after he graduates from his under-graduate work.

What has your Jewish story been like up to this point? How did you get involved with Nashville’s Jewish community?

Seth was always raised in a Reform, observant, Jewish home. His family especially celebrated Shabbat every Friday night. As a child, I have very vivid memories of always being at the Keplin’s annual Sukkah party that they hosted!

My parents did not come from very observant Jewish homes. However, when they moved from New York City to Sarasota in the early 1970’s, they became introduced to a Jewish circle of friends who had all also moved from mostly the northeast to Florida, who quickly became their family. My parents wanted to give my brother and me a Jewish home, and they joined the Conservative temple to which their new friends belonged. I had a Jewish education and became a Bat Mitzvah on the same bima as my brother and then eventually our son Eli! Seth and I were married on this same bima, too!

Since I arrived in Nashville last June, Seth and I have been very busy fixing up our home, getting settled, creating routines, attaining my job, and flying back to Florida every few months.

Finally in March, we were ready to start meeting people. Seth reached out to the Federation, and they have been wonderful in connecting us with empty nesters who we would have things in common with! We attended a Shabbat dinner for newcomers, and we also recently joined in on a Sunday newcomer gathering as well. These opportunities have been terrific as we have now made many new friends in the Nashville Jewish community. We are always though looking to be introduced to people of a similar age and season of life.

How has your experience been in Nashville so far? Any notable memories or experiences?

We are having so much fun in Nashville! We are BIG Tampa Bay

Lightning hockey fans and have enjoyed going to Predators games. We of course also love our Tampa Bay Buccaneers and have also happily attended a few Titans games as well. We are always glad to root for the Predators and the Titans when they are not playing the Lightning or the Bucs!! Seth’s company has tickets for soccer games, and that has been enjoyable as well. Cheekwood has also become a favorite place that we enjoy going to on the weekends.

Our son Eli turned 21 this past January 1st, and three of his friends came to Nashville for a four-day birthday bash!

We are thrilled that our son loves it here so much and enjoys coming to visit whenever he has the chance!

We are also thoroughly enjoying the four seasons that Nashville experiences.

This was also another factor in our decision to move away from Florida.

What do you love about being Jewish?

We love that whenever we meet other Jewish people, there is an instant connection that just makes us feel comfortable right away. There is a shared background and an ability to connect on many different levels.

We also truly look forward to the Jewish holidays and the traditions that we have been able to pass down to our son.

Watching Eli become the president of his Jewish fraternity has been a highlight for Seth and me. We are proud that our son has a strong Jewish identity as well.

What do you love about being Jewish in Nashville?

We love that we are meeting many Jewish people who have lived in Nashville for many decades, and other Jews who have moved here for varying reasons after spending decades elsewhere!

It is interesting hearing people’s stories as they are heading into the next chapters of their lives.

We also have cousins in Nashville who we have been able to reconnect with. It is terrific to have some family nearby. Finally, we have also been back in touch with a Jewish couple that we were friendly with when we first lived in Nashville in the mid-nineties. We have picked right back up with them and are enjoying our relationship again after all these years!

So far, Nashville Part 2 has been a success!

What does the next year look like for you? Is there anything that you are still looking to do or experience in Nashville?

Are you kidding? We have only experienced a small fraction of all the awesome things there are to do in Nashville! We have a running list!!!

Seth and I are also looking forward to long weekend road trips to many different places close by. One of the reasons we wanted to move from Florida was the ability to be elsewhere in three hours or so. In Florida, you can drive for so many hours and still be in Florida! We love to travel and see new places and experience different areas. •

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

Congregation Micah’s New Cantor Josh Goldberg Finds a Home for His Voice and Talents

By BARBARA DAB

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here is a new voice on the bimah and ringing in the halls at Congregation Micah. Cantor Josh Goldberg and his wife Andrea made the move from Los Angeles to Nashville last month so he could become the congregation’s new cantor. Goldberg joins Rabbis Laurie and Philip Rice and follows in the footsteps of the recently retired cantorial soloist Lisa Silver. “It is exciting to have a new team member,” says Rabbi Laurie Rice, “Lisa left a lovely legacy, and we know Josh will build on that.” Goldberg echoes Rabbi Rice’s thoughts about Lisa Silver, and says, “I’m very excited to be here, and for now I will be learning what this community is all about.”

Originally hailing from Dallas, Texas, Goldberg spent his childhood participating in theater, while also studying guitar, piano, and participating in band and vocal groups. After high school he moved to L.A. to attend college at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. There he studied popular music and film scoring and became a song leader on Sundays at a local congregation.

His mentors from those early days are two legends in their fields. “At USC, I

Cantor Josh Goldberg joins Congregation Micah

was lucky to have Melissa Manchester as a voice teacher. And Cantor Nate Lam at Stephen S. Wise Temple was my other mentor.” He attended Rick Recht’s Songleader Boot Camp, followed by a stint touring with Recht. “I had no aspi-

rations of Jewish music as a career at that point, but after graduating USC I wasn’t sure what to do.”

Following graduation Goldberg connected with Jewish musical artist Craig Taubman and began performing and writing. Their professional relationship blossomed, and as one song led to another, he soon had composed an entire album of Jewish songs, titled “One.” “It was all very unexpected,” says Goldberg.

Soon he found himself being asked to produce songs for other artists, including Nashville singer/songwriter Ellie Flier, and eventually was asked to produce an entire album. The label, “Kosher Style Records,” was born. In all, Goldberg produced eight albums for various artists before finally deciding to pursue Jewish music a career. “I was already working in synagogues, so I figured, why not go further,” he says, “I wanted something more in my life and had fond memories of the cantors I knew growing up.”

Goldberg began attending the Academy for Jewish Religion and will receive his cantorial ordination next May. He believes becoming a cantor is the right blend of music and spirituality. “It’s all part of the same goal, to elevate the art form of worship music in general and Jewish

music in particular.” He relies on what he calls “multiple M’s” to define his cantorial philosophy. “There’s meeting, which is participation. Majesty, which is the awe of hazzanut. And there’s memory, which is the feeling of nostalgia you get from familiar melodies. Most people want all three.”

Goldberg’s taste in music is eclectic, and includes Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Stephen Sondheim, and Pink Floyd, among others. In addition to music, he enjoys biking, tennis, and pickle ball.

And most of all, he is looking forward to the upcoming holidays. “I’m excited for the High Holidays when we will have a choir and the majority of the congregation will be here.” He is also looking forward to working with the greater Jewish community in Nashville, something Rabbi Laurie Rice is happy about. “We have enjoyed such a lovely relationship with the other congregations, like West End Synagogue, for example. I’m excited to bring him into those relationships.”

Eventually, Goldberg hopes to revisit his record label, but for now he is focused on his new life and new congregation.

To learn more about Cantor Josh Goldberg, visit www.congregationmicah. org, and to hear more of his music, visit www.joshgoldbergmusic.com. •

Joe Buchanan to Share his Musical Jewish Journey in Weekend of Concerts and Services

By BARBARA DAB

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rowing up in West Texas and Houston, Joe Buchanan listened to mostly classic rock and traditional country music. “I didn’t listen to anything even remotely Jewish,” he says. But he always felt something was missing spiritually, despite believing in God. “I was told there was something wrong with me and so I didn’t like myself very much,” he says. After a youth spent searching for answers in all the wrong places, Joe eventually met his wife, April and soon after, their son was born. He continued his spiritual journey in various churches, but nothing clicked. Eventually, their travels took them to Washington, DC, and the National Holocaust Memorial Museum. “After we visited the museum, April said she wanted to learn more about her people,” he says, “When I asked her what she meant, she said that she was born Jewish, with a Jewish mother, and that our son is also Jewish. That really blew my mind.” So off they went, as a family, to learn more about Judaism.

The Buchanan’s journey led them to a rabbi in Houston’s Conservative Congregation Shaar Ha’Shalom. “I told him I wasn’t Jewish, but my family is, and I didn’t know anything about Judaism,” says Joe, “The rabbi said, ‘You want me to tell you what this is all about? There is one God and there is nothing wrong with you.’

I felt like I was finally hearing the truth.”

It was then that Joe began writing music, mostly as a hobby. “I just picked up my guitar and starting writing country songs about Judaism. It was a way to connect to prayer and praying out loud,” he says.

Without any Jewish musical influence, what evolved was a unique style that combines country, Americana, and Jewish prayer tunes. “Country music at its best is a story telling art,” says Joe, “And we have

so many stories that still need to be told.”

What emerged from all his exploration was a conversion to Judaism for Joe, a deeper connection for his wife and son, and a remarriage under the chuppah for their 18th wedding anniversary. A new career path led him to create Shabbat services, record an album, and embark on a touring schedule that takes him around the country. Here in Nashville later this month, Joe will be leading Kabbalat Shabbat services for Jewsic City in partnership with East Side Tribe, and Moishe House, followed by Havdalah and a concert at The Temple. Ellie Flier is Chair of Jewsic City. She first met Joe at Rick Recht’s Songleader Boot Camp a few years ago. “I’ve always been a big fan of his. His songs are amazing,” she says. Joe’s upcoming visit to Nashville is part of Jewsic City’s long-range plans to bring more musical guests. “Joe’s story is so incredible.

He is finding such intense and wonderful meaning in Judaism through music. He was a the top of our list,” says Ellie.

Joe is pleased to be bringing his spiritual and his musical journey, to the Nashville Jewish community. “Each of my services is original. I modify them for each community,” he says. One of the biggest messages Joe likes to share is that of being inclusive of all genres of music, and all types of people. “There will always be haters. But I want to build a bigger table for understanding,” he says. And while it may be surprising for some people to hear country music playing inside a Jewish sanctuary, for Joe, it is the best way he knows to inspire and uplift. “We have people come who have drifted away and want to reconnect, and those who have always been involved. I’ve never felt like a stranger in the Jewish community.”

That sentiment of belonging and feeling at home in Judaism is one Cantor Tracy Fishbein of The Temple says is why she

was excited to bring Joe to The Temple.

“He is a Jew by choice and bases his music around his Jewish journey. For others also exploring their Judaism that message really helps them not feel alone.” Cantor Fishbein says Joe’s exploration of Judaism through music is also emblematic of traditional Jewish life. “Joe’s music speaks to the entire canon of Jewish music which reflects the community in which it is made. People like Joe remind us about the richness of our own story.” She describes Joe as, “A true mensch in every sense of the word. So gracious, kind, and giving.

And nowadays, we all need some of that.”

Joe Buchanan will be in Nashville the weekend of August 26-27th. For more information or to rsvp for Jewsic City, email jewsiccity@gmail.com. For information about his concert at The Temple, contact Cantor Tracy Fishbein at cantorfishbein@templenashville.org and for more information about Joe Buchanan, visit www.joebuchananmusic.com. •

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

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

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Camp Davis Summer 2022 was a BLAST!

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amp Davis summer 2022 has come to an end. It was most successful summer yet, with over 200 campers attending each week! Camp is still winding down from their busy schedule, so a full recap of the summer will be coming soon. For now, enjoy these highlights!

Campers enjoyed meeting new friends, human and reptile alike, learning cheers and dances, swimming to beat the heat, and performing science experiments.

Sports specialty camps played tennis, basketball, soccer, and more. Photography camp captured many memories, and GaGa Ball was of course, a favorite activity!

Thank you to all the Camp Davis staff and counselors for their hard work on making this summer the best one yet and helping to continue the motto, “Getting Kids Dirty Since 1930!” •

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10 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

It might be 100-degree weather, and the heat is on, yet the children at the Revere Montessori Preschool are staying cool and wet with lots of fun water sports and swimming activities. To register your child for the fall semester at the RJMP please contact the preschool office at 615-646-5750. Only a few spots left.

Jewish Community Relations Committee and Partners presents

Abortion & Jewish Law

SERIES OF 3 EVENTS

1. 8/11: Jewish Law Regarding Abortion 2. 9/15: Abortion is Healthcare 3. TBA: Tennessee Law & Abortion Bans

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Jewish Law Regarding Abortion: August 11th, 7:00 - 8:30pm

Abortion is Healthcare: September 15th, 7:00 - 8:30pm

Tennessee Law & Abortion Bans:

Local rabbis lead an interactive Jewish text study on Jewish law regarding abortion.

Healthcare professionals lead an interactive discussion about abortion and reproductive health.

Date and Time TBD Legal experts will provide an overview of the Tennessee abortion ban and how the law affects access to healthcare.

Location of sessions will be disclosed after registration.

RSVP: jewishnashville.org/JCRC

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

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Pride Festival and Parade 2022 Was a Huge Hit

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ashville’s Jewish community was ablaze in hamsas and rainbows at the annual Pride Festival and Parade.

Revelers marched down Broadway along with thousands of people from the greater Nashville area, and volunteers staffed The

Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s booth together with the agencies and congregations. Jewish Family Service Executive Director Pam Kelner was honored with this year’s Ally Award. •

Nashville Holocaust Memorial Needs 4-6 Volunteer Docents

Holocaust Memorial Seeks Docents

By MARSHA RAIMI, DOCENT CHAIR

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• Will lead tours for the public at the Memorial site on the grounds of the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Bellevue • Time commitment is flexible • Only requirement is an interest in sharing the stories and lessons of the Holocaust, to a wide variety of audiences • Training will occur primarily in October

If interested, email either Felicia Anchor fanchor@aol.com or Marsha Raimi raimim1101@gmail.com

12 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

ashville’s Holocaust Memorial is redeveloping its docent program and is looking for volunteers. The Memorial, located on the grounds of the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Bellevue, is seeking four to six volunteer docents to provide guided tours of the site. Memorial Committee Chair, Felicia Anchor, and Docent Chair, Marsha Raimi, are looking not just for individuals with a personal connection to the Holocaust, but anyone who cares about imparting the crucial history and lessons of the Holocaust to visitors. Anchor mentioned, “We’re hoping that, in addition to second and third generation ancestors of survivors, concerned community members will pick up the torch and light the way with knowledge of this special memorial site. It is up to all of us to keep this memory alive.”

Throughout the pandemic, requests for tours were minimal, so Anchor and local artist Alex Limor, a survivor’s son, were able to lead most tours. Recently, two significant projects at the Memorial were announced at the Yom HaShoah ceremony (see “The 2022 Yom Hashoah Service Remembers the Children of the Shoah”, June issue) which Anchor believes will increase visit requests substantially.

A tree sculpture was added to the Holocaust Memorial grounds. It was

designed Limor, who also created the other sculptures in the Memorial. The tree will be the focal point for the Butterfly Project during the upcoming school year.

The project is a call to action using arts education. While students create ceramic butterflies to commemorate the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust, they’ll learn about the dangers of hatred and bigotry that led to the tragic loss of these young lives. They’ll be encouraged to cultivate empathy and social responsibility and to seek social justice.

The Butterfly Project will be funded in part through the “adoption” by donors of a grove of thirty living trees planted at the site to create a more private atmosphere for reflection. A garden to attract butterflies and pollinators will weave through the adopted trees and ceramic butterflies from the student project.

Anchor says it is not necessary to be a historian or scholar, “The only real qualification for a docent is a desire to educate and share the story of the Holocaust and how our memorial honors the memory of Nashville victims and survivors. We’ll provide all the training you need, mostly during October. The time commitment for leading tours will be flexible.” To volunteer or ask questions, email Felicia Anchor at fanchor@aol. com or Marsha Raimi at raimim1101@ gmail.com. •

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

Can you Supply Missing Data on the Jewish Merchants of Franklin, TN? T

he Williamson County Historical Society based in Franklin, TN, is asking you, readers of The Jewish Observer and the Greater Nashville Jewish community, to fill in missing details for an upcoming in-depth publication by author Ruth Lebovitz and County Historian, Rick Warwick. “The History of the Jewish Merchants of Franklin, TN mid-19th century to mid-20th century,” is a compilation of stories including more than two dozen merchants and their stores.

The purpose of this historic text is to share, and bring to life the major contributions that Jews had in the development of Franklin, Tennessee, and the Greater Nashville area, and the legacy they left behind.

Warwick accumulated a sizable amount of local newspaper clippings including advertisements, notices, and Jewish obituaries that span about a hundred years, starting in the mid-1800s. Did you know: • The first Jew lynched in America happened in Franklin, TN? • A Jewish peddler is buried in the Carnton Confederate Cemetery?

• The story of a dozen Jews who moved from Chicago, IL, to establish a community named Jew Town near Franklin?

Some of the details uncovered so far: “During WW II an American soldier in Europe opened a can of tomatoes and said, “Hey these are Tohrner tomatoes, canned in Franklin, TN That’s where I’m from.”

“Although many people in the Nashville area are familiar with Zager’s Deli which used to be a favorite spot to eat and shop, most do not know that there was also a Zager’s Dry Goods Store

1.

The Williamson County Historical Society is seeking missing information on Franklin, Tennessee Jewish merchants

on Main Street in Franklin.”

— Much historical information still lays dormant in the minds and hearts of many in the Greater Nashville Jewish community. Despite three years of research by the historic society’s researcher and writer Ruth Lebovitz, large holes remain in family stories and missing facts and details about the 26 names below.

Do you recognize any of the names listed below, or know of others, and do you have the who, what, when, where, and how to complete their stories?

Please contact Ruthphoto49@gmail. com if you have information and/or to include your name on a pre-order copy of the upcoming publication. •

Ruth W. Lebovitz, B.A., M.Ed., J.D., is a writer and researcher who has lived in Franklin, TN, for 38 years. She has stories published in the anthology, “By Blood or By Marriage,” and was previously a feature writer for The Williamson Herald.

Williamson County Historical Society’s mission: We preserve history through research, publication, and outreach. More info is available at the website: Williamson County Historical Society Williamson County History.

Seeking Information on these Jewish Merchants of Franklin, TN

Adel, Isaac. G. (Adels Clothing & Dry Goods Store) 2. Bierfield, Samuel 3. Brodsky, Louis (Brodsky and Raskin Dry Goods) 4. Bryan, Ike (Bryan’s Dry Goods Store) 5. Cohen, Abe 6. Cohen, Harry L. 7. Cohen’s Furniture Store 8. Cohen, Reuben & Alex 9. Edgeman, Harry (Edgeman’s Dry Goods Store) 10. Frankland, Louis (Louis Frankland & Co) 11. Ginsberg, Ike also spelled Ginsburg (Ginsberg’s Ladies Ready-to-Wear Shop) 12. Goldberg, S. 13. Gutman or Guttman (Guttman & Cohen, Toy Store) 14. M Guttman’s Store (could be Max) 15. Jacobs, M. L. (Jacobs Department Store) 16. Katzman, Dave (Gent’s Furnishing Store) 17. Kaufman, Louis 18. Lapidus, Leon (Seligman’s nephew store operator) 19. Lipsheets, Joseph (Civil War peddler buried at Carnton) 20. Mendelsohn, Joe & Abe 21. Posnack, Joe (Kiddie Store) 22. Raskin, Jake (nephew of Isaac and Frank Brodsky) 23. Seligman, Harry (purchased Zager’s) 24. Tohrner, Martin (variety of businesses) 25. Weiner, Charles (CPS Industry) 26. Zager Nathan (Zager’s Dry Good Store)

Raoul Wallenberg: Introducing Mari-Lynn Wilson, The Gordon JCC’s a Living Legacy New Aquatics Director

“He who saves one life is considered to have saved the entire world.”

Sanhedrin 37a

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he Gordon JCC is excited to introduce Mari-Lynn Wilson as our new Aquatics Director! Mari-Lynn graduated from MTSU with a degree in Exercise Science and is currently pursuing her Masters in Exercise Science: Wellness and Nutrition from Liberty University. When she’s not at work, you can often find her and her son on a trail somewhere hiking or camping. She also enjoys rock climbing and teaching fitness classes/training in her spare time. Her certifications include being an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, IBBFA Level 3 Barre Instructor, 200-hour Certified Yoga teacher, Pound Fitness Instructor, and she holds certificates in several Silver Sneakers formats.

Her pride and joy, however, is aquatics where she is an American Red Cross certified Lifeguard Instructor/ Instructor Trainer, and Water Safety Instructor. She has been a National Swimming Pool Foundation Certified Pool Operator for seven years and really loves the mechanics of pools. She is also a certified paddleboard instructor and Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga teacher.

Mari-Lynn Wilson is the new Aquatics Director at the Gordon JCC

She has a passion for swim lessons and believes every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim and prides herself on educating the public about water safety and the benefits of water safety programming. We welcome MariLynn and are honored to have her bring her expertise and passion for aquatics to the J. •

n July 1944, the young Swedish diplomat Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg was appointed by both the Swedish government and the U.S. government’s War Refugee Board to rescue as many of the remaining 230,000 Jews in Hungary as possible. August 4th will mark the 110th birthday of Wallenberg now known as a Holocaust hero “non pareil.”

In only 6 months, with untold courage, moral conviction and unmitigated audacity, Raoul Wallenberg rescued tens of thousands of Jews in Hungary. Along with the Swedish Legation and fellow diplomats in Budapest, Wallenberg dragged many off trains bound for Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps, set up several safe houses, granted Schutzpasses to thousands of Jews for protection and safe passage, faced off the fascist Hungarian Arrow Cross, and stood against the tyranny of infamous Nazi Adolph Eichmann.

Wallenberg risked his life to save lives, possibly as many as 100,000, yet tragically on January 17, 1945, he was arrested and imprisoned by Soviet authorities, never to be seen again publically. His so-called “official” date of death was declared 71 years later as July

17, 1947, but his exact fate and burial location are still unknown. Historian Dr. Yoav Tennenbaum aptly described Wallenberg as, “a Hero without a grave.”

Raoul Wallenberg has been honored worldwide posthumously for decades by public monuments, educational institutions, commemorative coins, feature films, and awards – receiving the title Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, honorary U.S. citizenship, and so much more.

In our time, may the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg live on and continue to inspire many for generations to come both Jews and Righteous Gentiles. As Wallenberg once declared to Swedish attaché Per Anger: “To me there is no other choice.

I’ve accepted this assignment and I could never return to Sweden without the knowledge that I’d done everything within my human power to save as many Jews as possible.” • The author, who wishes to remain anonymous for security reason, currently lives in Middle Tennessee and has researched the fate of Raoul Wallenberg and served for years as media advisor to the founder/chairman of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation based in New York, Buenos Aires and Jerusalem.

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

13

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

By LORETTA SAFF

O

k, let’s see by a show of hands, how many of you know someone who has retired and after a while found that it just didn’t live up to expectations? Now, how many of you have watched that person(s) spiral down to being glued to the tv all day and often complaining of feeling useless, bored, and even depressed?

Yeah, that’s too many.

Of course, many people do adjust quite easily to being retired. In fact, I’ve heard some people say retirement is simply one of life’s transitions, like starting a new job/getting married/becoming a parent/divorcing/becoming an empty nester and so on. But the transition from a daily job to retirement is actually quite different. When you stop working full time: a) You will need a new identity b) You will have all day every day to fill c) You will long for a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning d) You will wish you had planned ahead regarding how to spend this newfound free time.

Welcome to my monthly column for the Observer, “LET’S TALK RETIREMENT, because it’s not just about the money,” written especially for you. Some of you may be thinking, “I don’t have to read this because Retirement is far into my future.”

Let me say that regardless of where you are in your career, I urge you to take a few minutes to read on. In this column I’ll be sharing some of my coaching secrets, the ‘tricks of the trade,’ if you

will, for you to adopt now so that you can plan for THE NON-FINANCIAL side of retirement as well as enjoy yourself more as you build your career.

If you don’t start early, it’s really a good idea to focus on the road ahead when you are 5-10 years away from leaving the workforce. Of course, if you’ve already retired (and even though you’ll wish you had started earlier!), the tools will offer a way to get back on track after the honeymoon of “no schedule” and “doing what I want to do” is over.

I won’t talk about your 401K or your financial advisor or even your bank balance, except to say that planning for that side of retirement should not be neglected. However, when it comes to the non-financial aspects of retirement, I will firmly say planning for that side should not be neglected becaus,… it’s not just about the money!

For a little fun, I decided to launch this column by sharing with you challenges from some clients I’ve encountered as a retirement coach. Here, in letter form, are a couple of examples that may or may not be real: Dear Loretta First let me say that I’m smart, good looking and fun to be with. I usually have all the answers. Let’s just say you can “see” me in the C-suite.

But this time I’m a little stumped. Since I’ve heard you are all about retirement, maybe you can help. When should I do it?

How should I do it? What if I make a mistake? (BTW, I rarely make mistakes)

Signed, Sometimes My Britches Are Tight Dear Britches, Thanks for your note. Let me just say that I’m glad you contacted me. I don’t have the answers, but I’ll bet you do.

To answer the “when?” first ask yourself “why?” Why do you want to retire? You don’t mention how old you are or if you like your job.

People really do know what is right for themselves. Think carefully about the questions, “Who am I now” and “What do I want?” We can talk about it. Those questions will bring you closer to your answers and help your pants fit a lot better.

Dear Loretta, My wife and I are on different pages when picturing retirement. She thinks I’m going to work in the garden and sing in the local choir. I hate dirt and I’d much rather listen to Toby Keith and Queen. In fact, I like to play the guitar and would love the challenge of a half marathon.

How to let her know without hurting her feelings and hearing, ‘happy wife, happy life’?

Signed, I May Have to Work Forever Dear Forever, No, you won’t have to keep working.

The answer is simple. Sit down and have a conversation with your partner and remind her of the quote, “Happy guy tells no lie.” Come up with an actual plan for your interest in music in retirement and start working on a song for her.

Thanks for joining me as you navigate your journey towards retirement.

If you have retirement questions, please send me a note c/or The Observer Editor, Barbara Dab, at barbaradab@jewishnashville.org. Otherwise, I look forward to sharing some important tools with you to help you plan ahead for a successful retirement.

Loretta Saff

to your family, friends and the entire community in the September Observer

Consider this discussion: “I Hear You Just Retired.

So, …, what will you do now?”

Some people facing retirement say: • “Ah, – time to do what I want, when I want.”

• “I’m going to get up late and enjoy my coffee and the newspaper.”

• “Travel! I am going to travel!”

• “Well, I’ll probably start another company or get a paying job.”

All these may sound great and interesting – on the surface. But let’s look at them more carefully.

“Ah, time to do what I want when I want.” Ok, but what do you want? And in what order do you want it? There may be a lot of choices and a lot of opportunities for you and your time. Thinking about it and planning ahead can make a huge difference and help avoid disappointment.

“I’m going to get up late and enjoy my coffee and the newspaper.” Ok, so assuming you don’t sleep later than 8:00, that brings us to around 10 a.m. Good for you! You are caught up on what is happening in the world. Now what? (And, by the way, if you’re only having coffee and you use a Keurig, you will be done by 9:30!)

“Travel! I am going to travel!” Yes! Plan those trips to your dream cities. And go. But remember, travel is getting harder and harder. Planes are cancelled; security causes long lines; prices are through the roof. And what if your knee starts hurting again? Just like you spend time planning the details of a trip, you need to have a plan for all those other weeks when you are not traveling!

“Well, I’ll probably start another company or get another job.” But wait, why did you retire in the first place? Will you make sure that you won’t face the difficulties and stressors that made you leave?

Don’t get me wrong – any of these are a good starting point for some real thinking and self-assessment. Start early to create the kind of retirement where YOU are in control and make smart choices that allow you to find peace and fulfillment.

Use the same effort you put towards creating your financial “nest egg” to come up with a plan for your Retirement.

After all, 65 is the new 50!

Hello Loretta, Yeah, I’m a widow and I’m retiring in January. My kids are wanting me to move near them. I like my life where I am. I can come and go as I please – especially with the ladies. How do I gently tell them that their Dad still has a lot of livin’ to do?

Signed, I May be Retired but I’m Still Alive Dear Still Alive, Simply speaking, telling the truth is the way to handle your kids. Tell them that you have built a life where you live.

Explain that just because you’ve stopped working, it does not mean you give up your friends and your freedom.

Be careful with those ladies. Have you thought about a vasectomy? •

Ad Deadline - August 15 Visit The Jewish Observer’s website www.jewishobservernashville.org

14 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

August in the Gordon JCC Galleries: Aaron Grayum, John Cranshaw, and Aaron Vucsko

T

he Janet Levine March Gallery will feature the work of Aaron Grayum.

He received his BFA from Middle Tennessee State University in 1999 and has been painting professionally since 2005. Born in Ravenna, Ohio in 1977, Aaron has called Tennessee home since he was 4 years old. His work has been published in The New England Review, Bartleby Snopes, Nashville Voyager, Artists & Art Galleries of the South, The Saturday Evening Post, as well as featured on the hit television show Nashville. Aaron won first place in the Nashville Arts & Business Council’s Periscope Pitch competition in 2018. In 2020 he was named one of the top three Art Creators of the Year by Nashville Lifestyles magazine, and for the 2021-22 school year, he was a resident artist for Metro Public Schools. He currently lives and works with his wife and son in Fairview, Tennessee.

The JLMG2 Gallery will feature the work of Nashville artist John Cranshaw.

A native Floridian, John was involved in art, photography, and film from an early age. He graduated from the University of Miami with a minor in Fine Art. Relocating to New Orleans, he attended Tulane University and continued his pursuit of Art in the New Orleans community. After a career in the healthcare industry, John decided it was time to make Art his main career and accepted the Executive Director position with the Tennessee Art League. He then formed his own Art Company, “Just Art by John,” in 2013 which is still active today.

John has owned a gallery in downtown Nashville within the Tennessee Art League and sponsored a Pop-up gallery in East Nashville called “Art Muz.” He will be exhibiting with ADC Fine Art in several 2022 exhibitions throughout the US. His current series is a new modern acrylic paint he calls, “Art Sculpture.” The paint comes off Birch Board and presents a new

Trilogy, by John Cranshaw

House, by Aaron Vuckso

perspective in Art. Over the years John has studied art history with an emphasis on the late 1800 French impressionists and Van Gogh.

The Sig Held Gallery will feature the art of Aaron Vucsko. Born in downtown Chicago in 1983, Aaron has since resided in Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee. A self-taught artist, Aaron has been creating art since he was old enough to hold a pencil. He is inspired and informed by the work of Salvador Dali and David Cho.

King Me, by Aaron Grayum

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

The Art Reception will be Wednesday, August 10th from 6 – 8pm.

The Exhibition Dates are August 1st – August 30th.

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

Writers of the Lost Ark Hadassah Happenings Writers of the Lost Ark will be holding a public showcase on Wednesday, August 3 at 7PM on Zoom. The event will feature songs, stories, prose, and poems about peace and renewal in preparation for the High Holy Days. Please look for the link on www.thetemplehub.org, and join us for this very special evening of creativity. In the meantime, enjoy this poem by WOTLA writer Ruth Thomas inspired by the upcoming showcase theme.

KOANS FOR COHANES The water evaporated in the July heat So hot it boiled away and shrunk the lakes.

The geese quietly resting in the center of the pond Did not need lots of water, just enough.

And they were at peace with it.

So were the turtles because no one was there To ripple the water and send them scurrying.

Looking straight ahead enjoying the setting sun I realized; all points are straight ahead if you are looking that way.

Infinite points, infinite possibilities.

The limits, we create.

The fireflies blinking on the forest floor sparkle here, pop up there, constantly moving.

Predict where they will glow next, and you will miss where they are.

Peace is appreciation of realization, And knowing where the realization comes from.

A breeze surrounds you when you are parched Like breath of the Holy it lifts sweat from your brow.

Peace is quenching your thirst with cold water.

Greater peace is sharing it with someone who is thirstier.

H

avdalah candle making event on Sunday, August 7 at 3pm with Rabbi Jessica Shimberg. Make your own candles and participate in a Havdalah Service and Tisha B’av observance led by Rabbi Jessica. Event fee is $20. RSVP Natalie Hochman:hochmannatalie@gmail.com for location, On Wednesday, August 17, 6:308pm, please join Hadassah, CRC and the West End Methodist Church for a dialogue on antisemitism based on the Deborah Lipstadt book, “AntisemitismHere and Now.” The program will be moderated by Deborah Oleshansky and Rabbi Joshua Kullock with support from Rev. Brandon Baxter. This program will be in person at West End Methodist Church, 2200 West End Ave, and is open to all. RSVP to Deana Goldstein at deanaegoldstein@gmail.com. A limited number of books are available for free from the CRC, contact deborah@jewish-

nashville.org and at a 10% discount at Parnassus Books.

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

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

© 2022 Ruth Thomas

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

15

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

@ 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!

Weekly Events

@ Chabad /Congregation Beit Tefilah Meet in Person for Prayer and Cholent Chabad of Nashville is a happening place on Shabbat mornings for friends, Shabbat morning services, replete with joyful prayer, kavanah, simcha and great energy.

Join Chabad on Shabbat mornings at 10:00 AM for prayer and Torah reading, inspiring learning and a weekly sermon, followed by a hot cholent, freshly baked Challah, a gourmet buffet lunch, and a weekly farbrengen with some friendly L’Chaim.

Chabad to host two TGIS celebration in August 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 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, August 12 and 26, 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

Congregation Beit Tefilah to hold Tisha B’Av Memorial Service The Jewish Memorial Day, The Fast of the Ninth of the Jewish month of Av, Tisha b’Av, marks the end of a three-week period of mourning during which our people remember the series of events that led to the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of our people’s first Temple on that date in the year 586 BCE. Tisha B’Av is on Shabbat this year, and the fast is therefore postponed for Sunday, the tenth of Av. The fast starts at sundown on Shabbat, the ninth of Av, August 6, 7:47 PM, and lasts until the following nightfall, Sunday, August 7, 8:15 PM. During this time-period we fast, eschew pleasurable activities, and lament the destruction of the Holy Temple and our nation’s exile.

On the eve of Tisha B’Av, we gather in the synagogue to read the Book of Lamentations.

Tallit and Tefillin are not worn during the morning prayers. After the morning prayers we recite Kinot (elegies). We put on the Tallit and Tefillin for the afternoon prayers.

To commemorate this day, Congregation Beit Tefilah will hold a Tisha B’Av Memorial Service with the reading of the Book of Lamentations, known as the Book of Eicha by candlelight. This will take place on Saturday night, August 6, at 8:45 PM. On Sunday, August 7, Congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad will have a Tisha B’Av Mincha Service and Torah reading at 6:45 PM and will be followed by a light break fast after dark. For more information or to learn more about Tisha B’Av go to chabadnashville.com.

Torah and Tea - for Women by Women Join an all-woman Torah and Tea leadership study group every Shabbat, following the sit down lunch, at congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad, at 1:00 PM. The study group is led by Rebetzen Esther Tiechtel, who teaches with wisdom and wit, and embraces each participant with warmth and friendship.

Torah and Tea will bring you this tradition of classical Jewish learning in a series of clear and engaging weekly classes. Probing the ideas and issues related to the modern Jewish woman, these classes will offer timely lessons -from the most timeless of all texts.

Join with fellow women from the Nashville community, for inspiring Torah study, warm camaraderie, hot tea and delicious refreshments!

Looking for a Chavrutah study Partner?

Looking for a study partner? Wanted to learn with someone but don’t know where to turn? Call Chabad of Nashville and we will set you up with your own personal study partner, where you choose the topic and text, and reach great heights in your spiritual journey of life.

Email ChabadNashville@gmail.com, with your name and email address, and include the topics and text that you would like to study, and we will set you up with a study partner, that will add to your purpose and meaning in life.

16 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

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.

Saturday Morning Torah Study: Saturdays at 9 AM on Zoom

Deep conversations about the text with thoughtful and caring people led by Rabbi Flip.

Sanctuary Shabbat Services: Fridays at 6 PM

At Micah, we approach God in many ways: the inspiration of words, the beauty of sacred space, and the authenticity of our intention, and through the power of music and song. This summer, come hear our new Cantor Josh Goldberg! 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 5:15! Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

August Events Micah Reads: Monday, August 1st, at 7 PM on Zoom and In-Person

All are welcome for a Zoom discussion on the book Florence Adler Swims Forever

by Rachel Beanland. Education Director Julie Greenberg leads the conversation for this community-wide event. Kindly RSVP at congregationmicah.shulcloud.com/form/ micahreads.

Sports Trivia: Tuesday, August 9th, 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

@ Sherith Israel Join us for these and other fall events at Sherith Israel: August 28 Family fun day at Beech Bend Amusement Park September 9-10 Fall Shabbaton with Rabbi Yissoschor Katz September 17 Evening of Music October 1 Jewish Bluegrass Concert: Kol Kahal

Visit www.sherithisrael.com for more information

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

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

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

Available in person at The Temple and via zoom.

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

Shabbat Schedule for August

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

At Our Congregations…

Friday, August 5th~ 6:00 PM –TRIBE LEADER SHABBAT-OUR TRIBE LEADERS WILL BE HONORED FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP. Friday, August 12th~ 6:00 PM Friday, August 19th~6:00 PM- CAMP SHABBAT WITH S’MORES AND CAMP SHABBAT TUNES Friday, August 26th ~ 6:00 PM –BLUE JEAN SHABBAT

Chevrah Torah Study 9:30a.m. on Saturdays

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

Shabbat Morning Service August 6th at 11:00AM

Join our clergy for a peaceful Shabbat Morning Service on Saturday, August 6th at 11:00AM in the Chapel. Challah and Wine/Grape juice will be served upon the conclusion of services.

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

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 Thursdays, August 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th Lunch at 11:30AM Program12:00-1:00 PM $15 per person for lunch

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

Golden Lunch Bunch Will meet at Temple from 11:30-1:00pm on

August 2nd & August 16th August 2nd- Meet and Greet with Rabbi Danziger August 16th – Bill Sleeter RSVP to Jamie Maresca at 615-354-1686 or via email at helpinghands@jfsnashville.org

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

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

Dear Esther Dear Esther, My family did pretty well during the last two years of the pandemic, and we are now trying to get back to our normal way of life again. Despite being fully vaccinated, a few of us had Covid recently. Since they were mild cases, it has caused us to become more relaxed and take greater risks in a pandemic. This is working out just fine for us but not everyone in our extended family feels the same way.

I tried to plan a family gathering but some of the family members do not feel comfortable attending. I am trying to be patient but enough is enough. I am tired of living my life in fear of a virus and so desperately want to get back to a typical lifestyle complete with family gatherings. How do I get my family back together?

– Judy Dear Judy, You are not alone in feeling frustrated and fatigued by the pandemic and your feelings are valid. However, the feelings of your relatives who do not

want to attend family gatherings are also valid. Each person will gain the confidence they need to move towards getting back to their norm at their own pace.

Family gatherings and friendship circles may not be complete, but it should not prevent you from moving forward with your plans.

Have you thought about allowing family members to “zoom in” to the family event? Or changing the venue to create more personal space? You may have to look at family gatherings differently. Instead of getting together at one time, it might have to be a series of smaller events. Although it’s nice to have everyone under the same roof, it might be an unrealistic expectation at this time. Go visit that aunt who is uncomfortable attending for a one-onone visit in her home or yard. Keep your eye on the goal: having and maintaining a connection with your tribe. It may not look or feel the same but that doesn’t mean it is all bad.

It is obvious that family relationships are important to you. Keep in mind that even though you do not agree with some-

Wednesday, August 3rd- 7:00-8:00 pm For more information, please contact ninapacent@bellsouth.net.

Go to thetemplehub.org for Zoom info.

Next Dor Potluck Picnic in the Park Saturday, August 27th at Centennial Park

Bring a snack or drink to share.

Email Sheri at sheri@templenashville.org with any questions.

Jewish Country Artist Joe Buchanan Havdalah Concert August 27th at 4:30pm at The Temple

The Temple is thrilled to welcome musical artist Joe Buchanan for a Havdallah concert!

Learn more about Joe at joebuchananmusic.com See thetemplehub.org for more information.

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

Shacharit

Join us for in-person morning minyan!

Sunday services will be at 9 a.m. and Monday-Friday will be at 7 a.m.

Daily Mincha service depending on Daylight savings times

Join us for daily Mincha, Monday – Friday and Sunday on Zoom only.

Kabbalat Shabbat

You are invited to join us for Kabbalat Shabbat on Fridays in person or on the West End Live YouTube Channel at 6:00 p.m.

Morning Shabbat services.

You are invited to join us Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in person or on the West End Live YouTube Channel

Join us for a Special Screening of the Documentary “UPHEAVAL: THE JOURNEY OF MENACHEM BEGIN” Saturday Night, September 17 @7:35 pm Maariv & Havdalah Followed by dessert and the Documentary “Upheaval” @8:00 pm Selichot Services will begin at 9:30 pm RSVP to spaz@westendsyn.org

one’s way of handling a situation (in this case, a pandemic), the most important thing is to preserve the relationship.

Some of the keys to having a successful family include feeling loved and cared for, having a sense of safety, and belonging, and everyone in the family feeling valued and respected. So be mindful when you are communicating with family members who are reluctant to attend and let their decisions be okay. Be flexible when it comes to interacting with your family and your definition of getting the family back together.

I can tell you love your family very much. With time and patience, this too shall pass. Be gentle with yourself and only focus on your successes. If you get half the family under one roof, you did

good! I wish you good health and lots of fun family times ahead.

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

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

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

Visit The Jewish Observer’s website www.jewishobservernashville.org The Jewish Observer • August 2022

17

Health and Wellness Corner

By SHERRI HOLZER

M

y two favorite words: LET’S EAT! A long rectangular wooden board rests on my kitchen island. It looks like it’s floating on a white ocean with the uneven gray striations of marble waves surrounding my creation. Summer cherry red tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and garlic cloves and dusted with sea salt were roasted until the tomatoes burst at the edges. Placed as if floating in the center of the board, they are surrounded by my crisp artisan bread crostini toasts smothered with honey goat cheese. An offset small white ramekin holds sliced mushrooms lightly sauteed in ghee. Vibrant green basil leaves are tucked delicately yet with intention alongside the corners of the board—simplicity and deliciousness — ready in 20 minutes.

“Wow Sherri,” my girlfriend said, “this is incredible.” She was playing with a piece of fusilli that had fallen from the box when I poured it into the water. She was smiling so broad that she looked like a 5-year-old holding steady after the training wheels had just come off. She wore a blue shirt that made her eyes look the color of the water along the Santorini

coastline. She went on to say….“I never make anything like this.”

I remember cracking up to myself after hearing that. While I know the board looks ready to be on an Instagram post, I’m also very aware that about an hour ago, when I realized I had friends stopping for a drink and a quick visit, I hadn’t even had a plan. What I did have was my newly developed attitude toward entertaining. I’ve heard my friends get completely freaked out when they know they have company coming with two weeks to prepare. The anxiety starts early. Here’s what is happening in their minds. What should I serve? I want to make an impression. How can I make something that tastes and looks like Martha Stewart helped me? I don’t have time. Hedi, Allison, and Jodi’s creations are perfect - I just can’t!

But if I can, you can too.

I decided to change my attitude, care more about the experience and joy of getting together with others, and let go of the idea of comparison and perfection.

Easier said than done, most would agree.

But I decided not to let fear of judgment stand in my way anymore.

When I teach my cooking classes, I first review the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Then, after explaining the benefits of whole foods, grains, plant-forward eating, and limited meat and fish, I get excited to share my favorite part. “Ok, everyone, listen up. For me, this is the most important takeaway,” and my students can see my

enormous smile and my hands gesturing as if somehow it helps to put power into my words, “Eat meals with others. Have company. Share your food, have a conversation, and make a toast to each other.”

At the end of our lives, no one wants to look back and say, boy, I’m so glad I didn’t have people over because I wasn’t the greatest cook, and I didn’t know how to make everything look picture worthy.

I know that I will be able to look back with the fondest memories of celebrations in my home. So, please enjoy this recipe for a delicious summer roasted eggplant Caprese.

drizzled) • Salt And Fresh Ground Black Pepper • 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (to drizzle) INSTRUCTIONS 1. Drizzle and rub zucchini halves with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

2. Preheat the grill or grill pan on the stove to medium-high and grill the zucchini covered for 3-5 minutes per side or just until knife tender.

3. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar!

4. Remove the grilled zucchini to a serving platter cut side up. Season evenly with garlic salt. Top each half with mozzarella cheese and sliced tomatoes in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil.

Season with additional salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed.

5. Serve immediately or at room temperature. It also tastes good chilled the next day. Serves 6-8 as a side.

INGREDIENTS • 3 Zucchini (Medium; cut lengthwise) • 5 Cocktail Tomatoes (Sliced 1/2 inch thick) • 8 ozs Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (Presliced or slice 1/2” thick) • 1/4 tsp Garlic Salt • 1 Handful Fresh Basil Leaves (Julienned) • 2 tbsp Olive Oil (more or less when

NOTES Cocktail tomatoes and pre-sliced mozzarella cheese are a perfect size here.

You can use any other sort of tomatoes but may have to cut them down to fit.

Same with pre-sliced mozzarella – they are the perfect little circles for the zucchini here.

Click on the blog in the menu tab of my website. www.iamsimplysherri@ gmail.com •

ago when I started working at the J and remembered she was one of the few people in Nashville who was knowledgeable about Feng Shui, as it was something I too was interested in and had studied on my own. This past month when she came to speak to the group, I realized then and there I needed her to come to my home. You see, I’ve been feeling stuck, and no, not just about dating as you may have surmised if you’ve been reading this column on a regular basis. I’ve been feeling stuck in my thinking along with this transition that I am in surely in from moving from a certain time of life into another, age wise. And while my home, to me at least, has always been a source of comfort, I knew there is stuff going on energy wise that may be keeping me feeling in an internal rut.

So, in came Holly. She asked me to be clear about my intentions before she came over, because she said, as that old cliché goes, be careful what you wish for, you just may get it. First order of business apparently, was to take down my makeshift vision board, looking at all the things I don’t have in my life, but want.

How depressing is that she pointed out.

Daily looking at pictures of things you want but don’t currently have. Instead, she asked me to approach things I may be desiring by imagining what it would feel like to have what I desire.

Next up was cutting back my jungle

of plants in my living room. It seems my green thumb and a very sunny living room was creating super-sized monster plants taking over the room. That’s all well and good until you can’t walk into certain corners to get books or sit on the couch without getting whacked by palm leaves in your face.

We went through each room and by the time she left I was a bit overwhelmed, though every excited for the “be careful what you ask for” part to come true.

Being the type A personality that I apparently am, I was on a mission as we said our goodbyes and I shut the door behind her.

Fast forward to two weeks later, house plants surgically cut back to reasonable heights, rooms rearranged, six pieces of furniture at Goodwill or the junk yard, and I can clearly say, not only can I get around my house way easier, but every room also feels more alive with intention and energy. I noticed immediately feeling more relaxed. My little nest on this swirling planet in space feels a bit more hopeful. Who knew it was that easy.

I have to say, not turning on the news for a few days did a lot for my mental health.

And heck, maybe the problems of the world could be solved by each of us moving our personal energy around in a positive way…along with a few pieces of furniture.

Kvetch in the City

By CARRIE MILLS

Who needs all those streaming services when we’ve got a real life drama series to watch every day, “As the World Burns,” a new global series presented by man and planet earth. It’s ongoing. Until it’s not.

On more days than not, on every level, it feels like the world is in utter chaos and despair.

If someone would have told me that it is actually possible to start to feel numb to mass shootings, I would have thought that person is nuts and yet after each shock wave and outrage from what seems like weekly if not daily mass shootings, I feel myself looking for ways to tune out and shut down because it’s too much to R

absorb that reality.

The only good news to me of late has been watching the astounding discoveries revealed by the new telescope reaching lightyears across time to our planetary beginnings. And as one scientist explained with awe, that all those swirling gases and energy, billions of light years away, are made up of the same swirling gases and energy as our planet and mankind are made of. So, back here on planet Earth I decided the best way for me to deal with the anxiety of daily news consumption and human stupidity, was to move some energy of my own. I’m talking furniture energy. Well, sort of, let me explain.

Recently, I invited Holly Tashian to come speak at our Gordon JCC Thursday senior luncheon. She is a Feng Shui expert. I met Holly almost twenty years

Carrie Mills Pet Paintings 615-210-5044 csmills4@hotmail.com www.carriemills.com

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

18 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

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Lifecycles Birth Tracy and Michael Beckman welcomed their son. Davis West, on June 22. He grandparents are Robbie and Ron Lustig and Karen and James Beckman.

His great grandparents are Hedy Lustig and Len and Carol Harlig.

B’nai Mitzvah Mei Ritchart

Mei Ritchart will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, August 3, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah.

Mei is the child of Amy and Michael Ritchart, the sibling of Emily and Jacob Ritchart, and the grandchild of Victoria Applebaum and the late William Applebaum (z’l) of Nashville, and Helen and Michael Manbeck of Fremont, Oh..

A seventh grader at Northridge Middle School in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Mei enjoys math, cheerleading, softball and point classes. For a Mitzvah project, Mei is supporting Planet Bee Foundation, an organization that fosters green-minded youth by teaching environmental literacy, conservation, stewardship, and

Obituaries William “Bill” Drongowski

Condolences to the family of William “Bill” Drongowski, who died on June 25. He is survived by his wife, Amy Drongowski; son, Mike Drongowski (Mindy); and grandchildren, Avery Markel (Jacob) and Emma Kamrass (Jared).

Donations may be made in Bill’s memory to the South Lyon, Mich., Public Library or to Congregation Micah.

Shelia Jacobs

Condolences to the family of Shelia Jacobs who died on July 8.

Leslie Pearlstein

Condolences to the family of Leslie Pearlstein, who died on July 7. He is survived by his wife, Reva Pearlstein; daughters, Jody Rapport (Yoav) and Jessica Averbuch (Sam); grandchildren, Ilan and Naomi Rapaport and Toby Rose and Dustin Averbuch.

Susan Ruchman

Condolences to the family of Susan Ruchman. who died on June 18. She is survived by her son, Jonathan Ruchman (Eileen); granddaughter, Maya Ruchman; and grandson, Ari Ruchman.

Donations may be made in Susan’s memory to theGrossmont Hospital Foundation or to Congregation Micah.

Revold Shinarev

Condolences to the family of Revold Shinarev, 93, of Nashville, who died on July 11. He was born on May 15, 1929.

Bryan Stein

Condolences to the family of Bryan Stein, 48, who died from cancer on July 10, after fighting valiantly for two years against doctors’ initial diagnosis.

pathways to studying science, technology, engineering and math through the importance of bees.

Grant Alpert

Grant Alpert will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, August 22, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah.

Grant is the child of Scott and Shannon Alpert.

A sixth grader at Harding Academy, Grant enjoys spending time in nature, fishing, pottery and sports. For a Mitzvah project, Grant is caring for wildlife by cleaning and filling the bird feeders at Warner Park.

John Clemmons

John Clemmons will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, August 27, at Congregation Micah.

John is the child of John Ray and Tamara Baxt Clemmons, the sibling of Finn and Henry Clemmons, and the grandchild of Joy and Len Baxt of Washington, D.C., Margaret and Jeff Williams of Mount Juliet, Tenn., and John M. Clemmons of Lebanon, Tenn.

A sixth grader at JT Moore Middle School, John enjoys learning and reading about world history, as well as discussing and analyzing sports trivia. John also Born prematurely, Bryan spent his first days under a heat lamp, which may explain his preference later in life for warm weather and beach vacations. His parents impressed upon him at an early age the value of family, work ethic and a good education, as well as the joys of food and travel, all advice he heeded.

Growing up, he was close to his siblings. He and his brother Greg shared a bedroom (Bryan had the tidy side.) and did virtually everything together. Lauren relished her role as Bryan’s in-house fashion consultant. Together, the Stein kids rode bikes all over, spending much of their allowance at the comic book store, arcade or movie theater.

Bryan worked hard to maintain supreme mental and physical well-being throughout his life. He was perpetually curious and always looking for ways to improve himself. A new recipe. A fitness challenge.

A job benchmark. Bryan made it all look easy – always with a smile on his face – even as cancer made daily life more difficult.

A graduate of St. Lawrence University, he reconnected with alum Danielle Lafave, in Charlotte, N.C., where both relocated for their first jobs out of college. It didn’t take too many dates for Bryan and Danielle to realize that each was their other. Bryan married the love of his life in a beautiful ceremony months later, not far from Lake Champlain. They moved to Austin,where their daughter Sophie and son Sawyer were born.

The family of four decided to return to Nashville in 2010 at the time of the hundred-year flood, living minutes away from his parents’ and brother’s homes. They joined West End Synagogue where Bryan had become a Bar Mitzvah and where Sophie and Sawyer celebrated theirs.

Since Thanksgiving Day 2005 when he first became a father, Bryan embraced his charge and spent the 16 years since then passing down his considerable passions and gifts – among them, a love for cooking, the wonder of the outdoors and

spends a lot of free time playing baseball. For a Mitzvah project, John will be raising funds and volunteering for the Nashville Food Project, a local non-profit whose mission is to alleviate hunger and build community.

Lucy Gichner

Lucy Jane Gichner will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, August 27, at 11 a.m. at The Temple. Lucy was born August 30, 2009, in Nashville. Her parents are Jessica and Jason Gichner. Her grandparents are Randi Green of Nashville, and Richard Green of Nashville, and the late Milly and Gary Gichner of Fair Lawn, N.J. A seventh grader at Ensworth School. Lucy enjoys rock climbing, drama, surfing and travel. For Lucy’s mitzvah project, she is volunteering at The Tennessee Innocence Project coordinating the pen pal program that helps connect wrongfully convicted Tennesseans with pen pals. So far, she has drafted the proposal, written sample letters and a memo to the Board of Directors about the program.

Parker Hamaoui

Parker Hamaoui will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 3, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah.

Parker is the child of Bert and Aylene Hamaoui, the sibling of Zachary and the rewards of staying active. Just as his parents, Rob and Carol, did for him, he encouraged his kids to live life fearlessly with character and conviction.

Through family and friends, he leaves behind a legacy of people whose lives he touched and who will remember him as they knew him: large-hearted, with a radiant smile.

Bryan is survived by his wife, Danielle; daughter Sophie and son Sawyer; parents, Rob and Carol Stein; brother Greg (Jena); sister Lauren (Jeff); nephews Eli and Jake; nieces Anke and Summer; uncles Richard and Gideon; aunts Elissa and Rita; and canine sidekick Maxum.

Bryan’s family expresses profuse gratitude to the many who helped, supported and provided strength throughout his treatment, including the compassionate staff at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute

Peyton Hamaoui, and the grandchild of David and Mireille Hamaoui of Foster City, Calif., and Richard Delson of Spring Hill, Tenn.

An eighth grader at Heritage Middle School, Parker likes football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, music and theater. For a Mitzvah project, Parker helped support The Gentle Barn by providing blankets, food, and other resources for the animals there.

Gabe Newman

Gabe Newman will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 3, at 9:30 a.m. at West End Synagogue. Gabe was born August 27, 2009, in Austin, Tex., to Lisa and Simon Newman. His grandparents are Susan and Michael Clewner of Kingwood, Tex., and Linda and Fred Newman of Pittsburgh, Pa. An eight grader at J.T. Moore Middle School, Gabe enjoys drawing, playing tennis, going to Camp Ramah Darom, playing trumpet, and playing with his dog, Rosie.

For Gabe’s mitzvah project, he is collecting donations and wishlist items for families that need assistance at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. and St. Thomas Midtown Medical Center, and especially Dr. Tony Meluch for his skilled oncology treatment and the concern he showed directing Bryan’s care.

Online condolences may be offered at https://www.dignitymemorial.com.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/bryanstein and consider a donation in Bryan’s name to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Jimmy Fund, Hillsboro High School Varsity Wrestling, Nashville Humane Association or an organization of your choosing.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.marshalldonnellycombs.com for the Stein family.

Jean Wallace

Condolences to the family of Jean Wallace, who died on June 12. She is survived by her daughter, Dr. Deborah (Mark) Robin.

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PIANO FOR SALE Kohler digital piano Model: Kohler Serial: 95090378 Listed @7472E117226 Call Ella 615-480-5262 Location next to Gordon JCC $795.00 Or best offer.

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

19

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DIRECTORY ACCOUNTANTS

OPTOMETRIST

CATHY WERTHAN, CPA

DR. MICHELE SONSINO Optique Eyecare & Eyewear 2817 West End Ave., Nashville 615-321-4EYE (4393)

401 Commerce Street, Suite 1250 Nashville, TN 37219 (615) 245-4070 • marcumllp.com

APPLIANCES

Custom senior care for active, healthy lifestyles. Affordable/no minimums.

Meals, meds, transportation & outings.

Memory loss and Hospital recovery.

Professional & screened care partners.

Locally owned. Call Moises for Free assessment: 615-678-9223 www.curaforcare.com

DENTIST

ELECTRONIC EXPRESS is a leader in top quality, brand-name electronics and appliances at exceptionally low prices. Stocking the latest items, Electronic Express takes pride in providing customers with products at prices to fit any budget. From televisions, appliances, smart devices and cameras to security systems, furniture and mattresses, Electronic Express has everything to take your home to the next level. Electronic Express offers special financing, delivery and installation options. We make it happen! Visit us at any of our 18 locations or online at www. electronicexpress.com

Lighting • Appliances • Hardware Kitchen • Plumbing • Accessories 615•843•3300 www.gohermitage.com

ATTORNEY MARTIN SIR, ATTORNEY Family Law / Personal Injury / Probate Fifth Third Center 424 Church Street, Ste. 2250 Nashville, Tennessee 37219 (615) 256-5661 www.martinsirlaw.com

CARE GIVER

AROSA (formerly Family Staffing Solutions, Inc.) Integrated Care Management and Home Care Provider 2000 Glen Echo Road, Suite 104 Nashville, TN 37215 615-595-8929 143 Uptown Square Murfreesboro, TN 37129 615-848-6774 768 N. Main Street Shelbyville, TN 37160 931-680-2771

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

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

615-354-1699 carrie@nashvillejcc.org

STEVEN R. HECKLIN DMD BRITTANY L. BRADEN, DMD DAVID M. SMILEY, DMD Cosmetic and Family Dentistry www.drhecklin.com 5606 Brookwood Place 615-356-7500

GASTROENTEROLOGISTS

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

ORTHODONTISTS

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

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY DR. POINTER & DR. SHARMA Serving Hendersonville & Nashville 615-832-5530 or www.thegidocs.com

INSURANCE

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

JAMES A. ROTHBERG ADAM ROTHBERG James A. Rothberg & Associates Office: 615-997-1833 Fax: 615-665-1300 2000 Glen Echo, Suite 208 Nashville, TN 37215 Email: jrothberg@jarinsurance.com info@jarinsurance.com

GIL COHEN / PERSONAL SHOPPER Partnering with Dillards 39 years Clothing / home decor / gifts Call or text 615-568-5187

ROBINS INSURANCE Bruce Robins, CPCU, CIC, ARM; Marsha Jaffa, CIC; Van Robins, CIC Auto, Home, Life, Health, Business Insurance 30 Burton Hills, Suite 300 Ph. 615-665-9200 • www.robinsins.com

GHERTNER & COMPANY Homeowner Association and Condominium Management Full Service and Financial Management Property Management since 1968 615-255-8531 www.ghertner.com

ZANDER INSURANCE GROUP, INC. Jeffrey J. Zander, CIC Michael Weinberger Auto, Home, Life, Health, Business, Long Term Care, Identity Theft Protection 6213 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209 615-356-1700 www.zanderins.com

JACOB KUPIN C - 615.440.6673 O - 615.279.5310 Jacob@TheKupinGroup.com We’ve got your back!

www.zeitlin.com Residential & Relocation Specialists

JESSICA AVERBUCH, CEO 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

PERSONAL SHOPPER

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

PSYCHOTHERAPY & COUNSELING

Local Expertise...Global Exposure!

Jackie Roth Karr, REALTOR® www.JackieKarr.com JackieKarr@gmail.com Mobile: 615.330.9779 Office: 615.463.3333

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

TRAVEL SERVICES

IRA HELDERMAN, PhD, LPC Psychotherapy for Individuals, Adolescents, Couples and Families nashvillepsychotherapyandcounseling. com Please contact: 615-473-4815 or ira.p.helderman@vanderbilt.edu

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.

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICARE? Turning 65? Let us Assist you.

Jeffrey G. Brier CLU, ChFC, CASL jbrier@brier-brier.com. 401-751-2990 www.Brier-Brier.com

REAL ESTATE

TREE SERVICES

MOVING & STORAGE

FRANKLIN PARGH 615-351-7333 franklin.pargh@compass.com LANA PARGH 615-504-2685 lana.pargh@compass.com www.pargh.com Instagram: @theparghteam

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

INSURANCE/MEDICARE

Let us exceed your expectations!

Pre/Post Move Organizing • Move Mgrs. Packing • Unpacking • Sr. Downsizing FREE CONSULTATION – 615.415.8920 www.HomeAndOfficeTransitions.com

20 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

ADVERTORIALS

All Things Seniors ISSUE

AUGUST 2022

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

21

ADVERTORIALS

Aging in Place Services Offers Love and Support in Transitional Times As a company that helps seniors transition to new living spaces, Aging in Place Services (AIPS) comes highly recommended.

Recently the AIPS Team helped the Paul’s move to Traditions of Mill Creek Senior Living Community. They had this to say: “We hired the company based on our relator’s recommendation. Since both my husband and I were emotionally fragile, AIPS took so much stress out of what turned out to be a big endeavor for us.

The love, care, and professionalism of this company met all our every needs. They made the ‘unknown’ a pleasant and safe experience. From hanging pictures to making our bed, they continued to make our new life enjoyable. They were not only our movers, but our friends. Even after a month after the move, they continued caring for us and getting everything ‘just right’ in our new home.

We have a special red sign that reads ‘Love You More!’ That saying was proved over and over by the staff at AIPS. They not only physically moved us, but emotionally soothed us when we were overwhelmed.”

Leif Erlendsson, Director of Sales and Marketing for Vitality Senior Living for Traditions of Mill Creek Senior Living Community added: “Since working with the professionals at AIPS, all our comments from our many referrals have been full of praise and appreciation. From their detailed moves to their set up of each family once moved... every family has said that they were the best moving experience they have had.”

Life Can Be Delicious

Argent Trust Company can help you with your estate planning “to do” list When it comes to estate planning, there is a well-known adage that families and individuals should heed: By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. For most people, estate planning and preparation do not rank high on a “to do” list. Rather than think of the hard work that must be done to create an estate plan, there is a better way to look at it: Estate planning is not about you. It’s about your family, heirs and other people and organizations you want to provide for. Without an estate plan or will, the courts (state law) will decide who gets your assets, and you lose control of how your hard-earned wealth will be distributed.

Estate planning can be a challenging and emotional endeavor. But here are four tips to make it easier and to help you prepare for the future: 1| Work with an experienced estate planning attorney 2| Write a letter of instruction 3| Create an “end of life” file Continued on next page

Our culinary team makes dayto-day dining one of life’s simple pleasures for Clarendale residents.

CRAWFORD SERVICES “The Name You Can Trust” SM

A Great Place to Live and Work Clarendale senior living residents know our Culinary Services Team makes each dining experience extraordinary—from a casual snack in the bistro to a restaurantstyle meal in the dining room. In turn, our executive chef, cooks and wait staff are rewarded with competitive salary and benefits, plus the added bonus of happy, smiling faces every day!

)81(5$/ +20(

Special Thanks to Our Culinary Team Russell Ginder, Director of Culinary Services Cherokee B. / Gwen C. / Lillian C. / Taylor C. / Hope D. Antoinette F. / Boston H. / Paulette H. / Prakash J. / Judah M. Sharodana N. / Cristal R. / Elias R-H. / Zachary W. / Kelvin W.

Call 615-258-6364 or go to ClarendaleAtBellevuePlace.com for more about living or working at Clarendale.

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

INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

7632 Highway 70 South Nashville, TN 37221 2-22

22 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

Providing Funeral Services Since 1985 (615) 254-8200 www.crawfordservices.com

ADVERTORIALS 4| Review estate planning documents annually Your friends at Argent Trust are here to help and can expand on these items. So do yourself and your family a favor - don’t procrastinate. Prepare for the future by having an estate plan in place that will help you support your loved ones. Contact Argent Trust at mhirt@argenttrust.com, hsafer@argenttrust.com or (615) 385-2718 to start a conversation.

B’nai B’rith Lorna Graff, Membership VP lorna.graff@zeitlinrealtors.com 615-351-5343 “Together” is the operative word when describing who we are and what we do.

Over 30 years ago, our B’nai B’rith unit was founded as a social group for empty nesters and those who were about to become empty nesters who were interested in a social connection as well as community involvement.

Our chapter works hard to maintain its original strong sense of community, close friendship and family. Over the years, our members have attended more than 200 educational, social and cultural events together.

Together we adhere to the ideals of Judaism and B’nai B’rith International.

Together we support various community service projects, including delivering Meals on Wheels on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and collecting books for Book’Em, an organization that provides books to underprivileged children in the Nashville area.

Together we learn about Jewish and secular topics from community leaders such as Congressman Jim Cooper, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Metro Council member Fabian Bedne and our own Frances Cutler Hahn, all of whom have given informative and thought-provoking presentations to our members at our monthly programming events.

Together we also enjoy social events such as potluck and Shabbat dinners, hosting a screening during the Nashville Jewish Film Festival and our annual December 24th theme party. We enjoy a camaraderie that results in a healthy exchange of ideas and ideals, support in times of need, and a sense of community.

We welcome new members to our chapter whether they are new to the Nashville area or longer term residents of our community.

How to join: Contact Lorna Graff, Membership VP, lorna.graff@zeitlinrealtors.com 615-351-5343

Services for Older Adults from

Meet our new Helping Hands Coordinator

Jamie Maresca Jamie received her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy from the University of Miami in 2004, and her Master of Arts degree in Music Therapy from the University of Missouri – Kansas City in 2006.

She has worked as a music therapist in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and for hospice. She has also taught college level music therapy courses and supervised music therapy clinical students.

She’s excited to work with you!

Helping Hands: Music and Art Senior Services Directory Religious Programming Golden Lunch Bunch Helping Hands Low-Vision Aid Jacob’s Ladder Cyber Seniors Contact Jamie Maresca at

615.354.1686 jamie@jfsnashville.org or visit

jfsnashville.org 801 Percy Warner Blvd., Suite 103 Nashville, TN 37205

Blakeford at Green Hills In the more than two decades since we opened our doors, Blakeford at Green Hills has become Nashville’s senior independent living lifestyle and healthcare destination of choice for those who see life in retirement as a growth opportunity. Now, as part of its exciting expansion and enhancement project, Blakeford is adding a licensed, secured memory care neighborhood - Burton Court Memory Care at Blakeford - that is specifically designed to care for those living with dementia.

A supportive staff of specially trained caregivers and nurses work alongside the leadership team to find ways to support our residents interests and set them up for success when dementia makes everyday tasks seem impossible. Blakeford’s WellLife Activities Program provides structure to the day, allowing residents to participate in activities that help them engage with their neighbors and community groups in an intentional and purposeful way. From creative ventures such as The Apollo Project: an evidence-based poetry program, to daily physical activities, activities are adapted to Continued on page 24

We recognize that older adults are true treasures, and we strive to create and maintain a community that values and celebrates them for their wisdom, contributions, and experiences. To assist with this, we offer the following programs and services:

Navigating Life’s Transitions.

Together.

TRANSITION

SERVICES

Redefining Living Solutions for Aging

We Invite You to

JOIN US!

• Aging in Place Design and Planning Services • Move Management and Relocation Assistance

B’nai B’rith Social Unit Mature Moderns

• Downsizing, Packing and Sor ting Services

For more information, please contact Lorna at 615-351-5343

• After the Move Suppor t

• Estate Sale and Donation Coordination

www.aginginplaceservices.net

… because your memories matter

629-999-2477 Angie Durr angie@aginginplaceser vices.net

479 Myatt Drive, Madison, TN 37115-3024 615-712-9521 • rdschultz@schultzmonument.com

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

23

ADVERTORIALS

Senior Living That Speaks for Itself

Continued on page 23 meet the needs of the residents while giving them an opportunity to find purpose again.

From volunteering with local school groups to gathering to enjoy a meal with family, our residents are able to live life and continue to enjoy a level of independence.

Staff are just a phone call away to help answer questions about senior living, dementia symptoms, and the obstacles that present themselves as the disease progresses.

Contact us at 615-665-9505 and let us help support you during this journey.

The word is out. From 5-star online reviews to the community’s own resident and family surveys, Clarendale at Bellevue Place is honored people are talking about the senior living community’s gracious hospitality, caring environment and resort-style amenities.

Clarendale comments are varied and noteworthy: “The food is always good!” “I love my apartment.” “I can be as busy as I want to be.” “The staff is so caring—treating my mom like family.”

But according to Executive Director Donna Adlington, “We won’t rest on our laurels. We’re committed to continuing to make Clarendale at Bellevue Place the place to be for individuals craving exceptional senior living in Nashville.”

Between the skilled professionals and on-site amenities, health and wellness are practically guaranteed. There’s an on-site fitness center with professionally led exercise classes and the latest strength and cardio equipment, as well as a full-service salon. Plus, residents enjoy an ever-changing menu of dining options, including nutritious meals to suit any taste and diet. Plus, the Clarendale Life Enrichment team always finds ways to keep residents entertained, enlightened, and engaged. “Visit us and you’ll see the Clarendale lifestyle speaks volumes,” says Adlington.

Clarendale at Bellevue Place is conveniently located just 13 miles southwest of downtown Nashville at the intersection of I-40 and US 70 South in the exciting development of One Bellevue Place. Call 615-271-5511 or go to ClarendaleAtBellevuePlace.com to learn more about this independent living, assisted living and memory care HUNT MEMORIALS, INC community.

4807 GALLATIN PIKE | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Continued on next page

Deep Roots, New Growth.

M E M ORY

C A R E

The premier provider of solutions for seniors for over 26 years is getting even better.

Burton Court Memory Care is the newest addition to our Blakeford at Green Hills campus.

Call to schedule your personal appointment or visit us at: blakeford.com/greenhills/services/memory-care 11 Burton Hills Blvd., Nashville, TN 37215

615-665-2522

coming Soon!

24 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

ADVERTORIALS

Crawford Mortuary 2022 marks our 37th year of providing services to the families and the communities of Nashville.

Chuck and Heide Crawford were married in 1983 and started their business two years later in June of 1985. They graduated from John A. Gupton College of Mortuary Science located in Nashville and they are both licensed as a Funeral Director, Embalmer and Insurance Agent in the State of Tennessee. They decided to build their business on the “Mom & Pop,” model that was so common in the establishment of funeral services as a business. Following the Civil War, families began to trust professionals for the care that they needed. Funeral firms were small family businesses that were able to concentrate and deliver on vital and specific details. That flexibility and the ability to provide families with the specific assistance that they require is vital.

The Crawford’s will tell you that the service aspect of their work can be incredibly rewarding.

Chuck and Heide have three grown children and three granddaughters.

Raising those three children while operating a business that remains open 24 hours a day was, at times, challenging.

But the Crawford’s will tell you that the ups outnumber the downs, and they continue to dedicate themselves to answer the call to serve.

The Crawford’s commitment to higher standards and quality assurance

Integrated Care Management & Caregiving Services Personalized Care You'll Love At Arosa, we design care plans that are flexible, convenient and tailored to your circumstances.

From sophisticated health advocacy to handling day-to-day activities, we oversee it all No long-term commitments A variety of services to choose from.

Registered Nurses, Social Workers, Counselors, Physical Therapists, Care Managers and Caregivers with experience you can trust

Contact us today to see how our team can be of service to you!

Office: (615) 595-8929 2000 Glen Echo Rd. Suite 104, Nashville, TN 37215

Visit us online at: www.arosacare.com/nashville

Continued on page 26

hand rolled, kettle boiled bagels made fresh daily

breakfast, lunch, catering, dine in or pick up at The fairlane hotel The Jewish Observer • August 2022

25

ADVERTORIALS Continued on page 25 will help to ease your mind and comfort you with the knowledge that they can meet all of your needs.

Call Chuck & Heide at (615) 254-8200. You’ll notice the difference.

Hunt Memorial For over 90 years, Hunt Memorials has been the standard of excellence in Nashville for the memorial industry. We are a proud family business of four generations with an unwavering standard of quality and craftsmanship. Every family has a unique story and it is our pleasure to tell that story through our one of a kind designs and artwork.

We’ve worked with thousands of families, civic leaders, and organizations from all over the world designing custom pieces of commemorative art to help families honor and remember their loved ones. We use only the highest quality stone, ensuring the gravestone you purchase will remain beautiful for generations to come. “I believe as my dad and grandfather did, that all memoralists are storytellers. We say, let the stone speak.”

Charlie Hunt is the first recipient of the Eugene H. Faehnle Award from The American Institute of Commemorative Arts (AICA), the highest place award of its kind in the monument industry for design. Other prestigious 1st Place Awards include MBNA Biondan Award, The Harold J. Schaller, AICA Conceptual Design and Rendering Award, MBNA People’s Choice Award, MBNA Award for Outstanding Excellence in Monument Design. Hunt Memorials has placed first in every design category in the industry. We invite you to work with one of the most recognized companies in the industry. Great meaningful design is our passion.

Jewish Family Service: Sustaining Older Adults Jewish Family Service provides a myriad of continuously evolving programs to assist older adults in our community.

The Helping Hands Program serves Jewish seniors who live alone or in assisted/ nursing communities. This program utilizes volunteers to provide services such as friendly visits, telephone reassurance, pen pals, Shabbat services at local assisted living facilities and an annual Passover Seder. Jewish Family Service also facilitates the Temple’s Lunch Bunch Program on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month for a nutritious lunch, entertainment, and socialization. After a pandemic hiatus, this program looks forward to meeting again in person after the High Holidays.

Musical Helping Hands matches trained professional musicians with people living with Alzheimer’s or others with dementia for one-on-one visits in homes, assisted living communities or nursing homes. The Helping Hands Art/OMA Program matches a trained art facilitator with someone living with dementia. No art experience is needed

EVER WONDER WHERE THE PEOPLE WITH ALL THE ANSWERS, GET ALL THE ANSWERS?

Ask MARCUM

and only the space of a card table is necessary! In offering music and art options, JFS recognizes that each person responds differently and strives to offer various opportunities for meaningful engagement and positive interaction.

Cyber Seniors matches computer savvy volunteers with older adults needing basic tech assistance. Especially critical during the pandemic, this program continues to be available for increasing confidence with such things as Zoom meetings, online grocery shopping, and staying in touch virtually with family and friends.

The Jacob’s Ladder Program pairs volunteers with seniors who might need assistance with small tasks requiring the use of a ladder such as replacing batteries in smoke detectors, changing light bulbs, and setting clocks.

The Low-vision Aid Program, in partnership with B’nai Brith, serves those who find it difficult to engage in basic daily activities such as cooking, locating appropriate clothing, continuing hobbies, or reading the newspaper due to vision difficulties.

Jewish Family Service also provides information and referral services in which social workers help individuals identify services that are available in the community.

Social workers may facilitate the access to these services when necessary. The most common request for seniors is evaluating different living options such as– aging in place and evaluating independent/assisted living options.

JFS provides an ongoing caregiver support group facilitated by a licensed clinical social worker on the second and fourth Fridays of each month.

JFS social workers also provide counseling -- professional assessment and treatment for individuals, couples, families, and groups of all ages. A sliding fee scale is available for those unable to pay full fee, ensuring access to mental health for all.

To learn more about any of these programs, please contact Jewish Family Service 615-356-4234 WEBSITE?

The Kupin Group There is nothing like finally having the time to spend with family and friends in retirement, especially when you are close enough to visit easily and often! Selling your current home and purchasing a new one closer to the ones you love is something in which the incredible agents at the Kupin Group specialize. We stand at the ready to listen to your needs and wants so that your transition is a joy, whether it is here in Middle TN or using one of our wide network of agents elsewhere. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you start the next chapter on the right foot! -Jacob Kupin from The Kupin Group

Marcum LLP Marcum LLP is a national accounting and advisory services firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurial, middle-market companies and high net worth individuals achieve their goals. Since 1951, clients have chosen Marcum for our insightful guidance in helping them forge pathways to success, whatever challenges they’re facing.

Marcum offers a complete spectrum of tax, assurance and advisory services, as well as an extensive portfolio of industry-focused practices with specialized experience for both privately held and publicly registered companies, and nonprofit and social sector organizations. Through the Marcum Group, the Firm also provides a full complement of technology, wealth management, and executive search and staffing services.

Client-Driven Understanding our clients’ businesses, helping them identify their needs and meet their challenges, and uncovering opportunities that propel them towards success is Marcum’s mission. Our own success is based on our commitment to building meaningful, trusted relationships with our clients, creating positive service experiences, and delivering unexpected value wherever and whenever we can, while maintaining our professional independence and objectivity.

Commitment to Excellence From the way we service clients to the training and development of our professionals, Marcum is committed to excellence in every aspect of our operation. Our focus on client success compels us to look beyond the numbers to see the opportunities, challenges, and solutions in every engagement. Innovation, proactivity, teamwork, and open communication are the hallmarks of our approach.

Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s

marcumllp.com Cathy Werthan, CPA, Office Managing Partner

401 Commerce St., Suite 1250 • Nashville, TN 37219 615.245.4070 | cathy.werthan@marcumllp.com

26 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer

Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s will host their annual Expo Navigating the Parkinson’s Path: Insights and Information for Improved Living for the fourth time on Saturday, August 13, 2022. The half-day event, designed to educate, engage and empower the Parkinson’s community, will be held on at the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Nashville, TN. For those unable to attend the event in-person, there will be a live stream component of the event.

This year the Expo’s keynote speakers include David Kreitzman, MD; Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Long Island, Thomas Davis, MD, Vice Chair, Research; Division Chief, Movement Disorders Professor Neurology Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Britt Stone, MD, Assistant Professor, Movement Disorders Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“Not only does this annual event provide individuals living with Parkinson’s their care partners, friends and family continued education around Parkinson’s, but allows our community in Middle Tennessee to promote awareness to the public” sates Brent Peterson, Founder and Board Chair of Foundation for Parkinson’s. This event is presented to the community free of charge thanks to our sponsors. The organization does require advance registration, for more information on tickets visit www.petersonfoundationforparkinsons.org .

ADVERTORIALS

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

Make sure to let them know...you saw their ad in The Observer!

The Jewish Observer • August 2022

27

Rosh Hashanah is Coming!

A NEW YEAR! Your Ad/Greeting will reach the entire Jewish Community!

Be sure to be a part of this special annual issue.

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

28 August 2022 • The Jewish Observer