The Observer Vol. 78 No. 4 – April 2012

the bserver inside: Jewish

Nashville celebrates Israel@65 with music, comedy, family fun

J-Serve gives teens chance to help

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Jerusalem Post journalist explains Knesset vote

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Remembering those slain in the Holocaust

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Gorenberg: Israel faces crisis as a democracy

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Sections Lifecycles Around the town

Home and Garden issue

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s the frost slowly wears off and the 52-acre campus of the Gordon Jewish Community Center blossoms into springtime, a full weekend of festivities is being planned to bring Israel to Nashville.

The Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee and the GJCC partner once again to celebrate Israel’s statehood, but this year things are a little different.

“Israel@65” isn’t just a party in the name of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s national Independence Day – it’s a full weekend of one-of-a-kind cultural events that begins with dinner and cocktails and concludes in a community-wide picnic.

The event kicks off at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at the GJCC with performances by Israeli comedian and writer Benji Lovitt and Israeli recording artist Daddo.

Lovitt’s lifelong involvement with Jewish education combined with his unique perspective towards Israel create a wealth of humor.

Major Jewish organizations call on

Nashville's John Ford Coley (left) and Israeli recording artist Daddo will be featured in separate performances for Israel@65.

him regularly to engage their members about Israel and Jewish identity.

Drawing from his own experiences as an American living in Israel, Benji’s background in informal Jewish education, summer camps, and Israel programs lets him easily connect with all audiences, regardless of age or background.

His standup comedy has been seen in person and online by viewers in Israel, the US, and around the world, and his improvised videos and blog entries have been featured in publications such as the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem Post, Ynet,

PresenTense Magazine, the Jewish Daily Forward and Israel21c.

Singer and star of the Israeli National Theatre, Habima, Daddo frequently appears on theatrical and musical stages as well as on TV. Winner of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship for 1999-2000, Daddo is constantly crossing the globe for tours. Her music has garnered rave reviews worldwide, and significant airtime on Israel’s radio.

Born in the small Israeli town of Acre (Akko), near the Lebanese Continued on page 16

Humanitarian mission builds bridges with Cuban Jews

By MARK S. FREEDMAN Executive Director Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee

A www.jewishobservernashville.org

A Publication of

www.jewishnashville.org VOL.78 NO. 4 April 2013 21 Nissan - 20 Iyar 5773

41-member delegation representing the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee recently returned from a sixday humanitarian mission to Cuba.

The primary purpose of the mission was to visit with Cuba’s Jewish community, which numbers about 1,500.

Most Cuban Jews live in Havana but smaller Jewish communities exist in other parts of the island, including the town of Santa Clara, which the Nashville delegation also visited.

Mission participants met with officials of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a beneficiary of the Federation’s annual campaign. The JDC supports a variety of programs for Cuba’s Jewish community including Jewish education initiatives, transportation services, Jewish

Federation Executive Director Mark S. Freedman with David Prinstein Senorans, first vice president of the Patronato Jewish Community Center in Havana.

Rabbi Mark Schiftan holding the Torah at Congregation Beth Sholom in Havana.

identity-building summer camps, youth programs and health services.

The Nashville delegation traveled to Cuba with a variety of supplies urgently needed by the Cuban Jewish community. Items included clothing, school supplies, religious materials and medical supplies. More than $30,000 of donated over-thecounter and prescription medicines

were brought to Cuba by the delegation. These items were distributed to the Patronato Jewish Center, to the Sephardic congregation in Havana and to the Jewish community in Santa Clara.

Members of the delegation also celebrated Kabbalat Shabbat services and joined in a community-wide Continued on page 2

Nashville humanitarian mission builds bridges to Cuba Continued from page 1 Shabbat dinner at Patronato and visited Jewish cemeteries in Havana and Santa Clara. All members of the Nashville contingent contributed to a special fund and during the mission determined that the funds will be used to support three programs operated by the JDC in Havana and Santa Clara including transportation services, home repair projects and the summer camp Jewish identity program.

This is just a sampling of the mission highlights and experiences. More personal accounts and photographs from the mission will be included in the May issue of the Observer.

Federation Executive Director Mark S. Freedman, who led the mission along with Federation Campaign Director Naomi Limor Sedek, said, “I want to thank all of the mission members for their participation and their generosity.

Jimmy Schulman offers a reading during a service at the Holocaust Memorial in Santa Clara, Cuba.

Members of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee delegation at Revolution Square in Havana.

Their willingness to secure supplies for the Cuban Jewish community and to bring them to Cuba and their outreach

to the members of the Cuban Jewish community is vitally important in preserving and strengthening Jewish life in Cuba. It represents an act of deep compassion and caring for our Jewish brethren in Cuba. I also want to add special words of thanks to St. Thomas Hospital, Kingsway Charities, and the Dispensary of Hope for their generous donations of medical supplies and prescription drugs.” c

Jewish teens can help community with J-Serve 2013

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& Jewish Foundation

OF NASHVILLE AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE

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April 2013 The Observer

ike to cook, garden or spiff up a room with a fresh coat of paint? Then J-Serve 2013 has something for you.

J-Serve is a community day of service that takes place on Sunday, April 14. If you’re Jewish and in high school or middle school (6th grade through 12th grade), there’s time to sign up to participate.

There’s no cost to attend the program and you need not be a BBYO member to participate, but you must register

by Friday, April 5. Lunch will be provided. J-Serve is sponsored in Nashville by BBYO, the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Congregation Micah, Congregation Sherith Israel, The Temple and West End Synagogue.

Participants can choose from five activities: • Ronald McDonald House – help prepare meals at the Gordon Jewish Community Center, deliver them to the facility and get a tour; • Jewish Family Service – sort food for families in need, learn what JFS does, make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that will be donated to the Nashville Rescue Mission; • Blakeford (senior living apartments) – talk and play games with people from a different generation; • Renewal House – help plant in their garden and clean up around the property; and • Shelby Park Community Center – help clean up and paint different areas For registration forms and information, contact Sheri Rosenberg, program associate, Nashville BBYO, at sherirosenberg@bbyo.org, or at (615) 354-1659. c

Jerusalem Post journalist explains why center gained in Knesset vote

By KATHY CARLSON

United States and Israel. “Israel is praying for Obama’s success and that Obama and Bibi start out on the right foot.”

The two leaders “have no choice (but to get along); they’re stuck together for another four years,” Hoffman said.

“For the United States and Israel to thrive together the key is for the two of them to get along. Both need to swallow their pride and get along.” c

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anuary’s Knesset elections signaled a fundamental change in Israeli politics because voters followed their economic rather than national security interests, The Jerusalem Post’s chief political correspondent told a Nashville audience.

Gil Hoffman spoke to about 100 people at the Gordon Jewish Community Center on March 14 as part of the “Increase Your Israel IQ” speaker series sponsored by the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Nashville.

His talk covered not only the Israeli elections, but also trends in Israeli society and the evolving relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama. Hoffman was raised in Chicago and now lives in Jerusalem with his wife and two children.

Before the Jan. 22 Knesset elections, he said, many in the international press expected Israeli voters to move to the right. At the time of the election, 65 Knesset members were considered on the political right and 55 on the left. When the polls closed, there were 61 on the right and 59 leaning left. The result didn’t surprise Hoffman.

“It happened in part because our election was different than elections we’ve had before in Israel. Two issues the election wasn’t about (were) war and peace. … Israel is so much more than war and peace,” he said.

Three trends in Israeli society help explain the election.

Socioeconomic trends moved to the top of most Israeli voters’ concerns, he said, pointing to 2011’s protests over social justice issues, high prices and a large gap between rich and poor (third in the world, he said, after Mexico and the United States). In prior elections, he said, Israelis “were voting the opposite of what was economically beneficial for them,” with the rich voting for the left and the poor voting for the right.

“This election was different,” he said. Voters “held their nose and voted for a party they disagreed with on the Palestinian issue but made more sense for their wallets.”

Matters of religion and state also played a role. Nine percent of Israelis identify themselves as ultra-Orthodox, he said, and the 91 percent who don’t identify that way wanted the ultraOrthodox to contribute more to society. Consequently, the government is more likely to deal with issues of election reform and religious pluralism.

Israeli voters demonstrated their frustration with politicians, a third trend. The surprise runner-up in the January elections, the Yesh Atid party, had no career politicians on its list of candidates, he continued. “This government will be very different from the government we had before.”

Netanyahu’s old coalition included five in the center-left, but the new government will include more.

The new government will be in a better position to move toward peace with the Palestinians in part because Tzipi Livni, of the Hatnuah party, joined Netanyahu’s coalition government. She

Gil Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post chats with Reva Heller after speaking at the GJCC.

has been a behind-the-scenes negotiator with Palestinians, Hoffman said. Livni will serve as Minister of Justice and will be Israel’s lead negotiator with the

Gil Hoffman uses the map to make a point after talking at the GJCC about the recent Knesset elections.

Palestinians if talks resume.

Hoffman said he hoped Obama’s visit to Israel and with Netanyahu goes well. “We appreciate the unprecedented security cooperation” between the

Additional coverage from Jewish news organizations of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition government and President Obama’s visit to Israel is available online, jewishobservernashville.org.

See what’s happening in the community.

Go to www.jewishnashville.org The Observer April 2013

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JFS Chesed Dinner marks agency’s 160th birthday, tells story of service

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n 1853, Jewish Family Service began serving the Nashville as a Hebrew/Jewish relief society, distributing clothing and assisting in rent payments. Fast forward 160 years and Jewish Family Service today continues to meet the needs of our community as well as to grow in the services and programs it provides. The agency celebrates its 160th birthday during the annual Jewish Family Service Chesed Dinner on Thursday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gordon Jewish Community Center. JFS welcomes the community to join in celebrating this milestone.

At the dinner, community members Toni Heller and Steve Lapidus will be

honored for their years of volunteer service to JFS with the Chesed Award.

The evening will also feature musicians who will describe some of JFS’ services through song. Lisa Silver, cantorial soloist of Congregation Micah, will perform a song she wrote about adoption.

Additionally, musicians James Haymer and Carrie Mills, who visit with Jewish individuals living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, will debut a song they co-wrote for the Chesed Dinner about their experiences in these visits.

Pam Kelner, director of JFS, says, “This is such a big anniversary year, and we want to show not only how over the past 160 years we have evolved, but we

have also remained committed to our mission of serving every generation through life’s transitions – from birth through end of life. I am very excited to share this multimedia experience with the community. We promise you will be moved and inspired to support the crucial programs and service that the agency provides for the community.”

From building families through adoption to providing counseling, emergency financial assistance, information and referral services, support groups, older-adult services including a volunteer match initiative, Jewish family life programming, kosher food boxes, Chanukah gift program and

more, Jewish Family Service has helped thousands since its establishment in 1853. This year alone, JFS served more than 1,700 persons. The Chesed Dinner is a critical funding tool to enable Jewish Family Service to provide social services from Jewish perspectives for families and individuals.

This year’s Chesed Dinner chairs are Erin Coleman and Karen Weil. They are working diligently with their committees to ensure a meaningful and celebratory event. For more information about the Chesed Dinner or one of the many programs or services of JFS, please call Pam Kelner at (615) 354-1644 or visit www.jfsnashville.org. c

community. Nashville J Street recently sponsored an event that featured Gershom Gorenberg. He presented himself as a “scholar” representing neither left nor right.

Gorenberg blames the entire con-

flict on the post 1967 settlements; and the reign of Benjamin Netanyahu. Agree with him or not, his views are clearly far left of center with regards to any conversation about Israel.

According to the speaker, three things must occur to solve the conflict that has been thus far insolvable: First, he says, Israel must separate “state and synagogue.” Israel's status as a Jewish State means “it’s OK to be Jewish.” There is no requirement to be Jewish to be a citizen. Contrast this to the treatment of non-Muslims in lands controlled by Islamists.

It is ironic that Gorenberg ignores

the absence of such a separation on the part of the Islamists. The institutional, faith based Jew hatred espoused by Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Islamists predates the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948; and certainly predates any post-1967 settlements.

The second requirement is for Israel to give up land for peace.

We have all heard this one before. If and when negotiations do come about, Israel must be assured they are not duped into a deal that leads to her destruction.

Gorenberg’s third point is establishing a policy aimed at a two state solution.

Benjamin Netanyahu has articulated a willingness to discuss a two state solution since 2009. The major obstacle to a two state solution today is the lack of a Palestinian partner; a reality Gorenberg dismisses as ignorance about “today’s PA”.

Our community has decided to welcome diverse viewpoints in discussing this difficult issue. It is only natural that such a policy will invite respectful criticism as well.

letter To the editor: It’s not enough we have to put up with Israel bashing in the international, national, and local media; one sided criticism of Israel has invaded our own

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STAFF

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Publisher Mark S. Freedman Editor Kathy Carlson Advertising Manager Carrie Mills Layout and Production Tim Gregory Editorial Board Frank Boehm, Chair; Barbara Dab, Greg Goldberg, Scott Rosenberg, Bill Snyder

Michael Dobrin NCJA Nashville

Telephone 615/356-3242 Fax 615/352-0056 E-mail kathy@jewishnashville.org ‘The Observer’ (ISSN 8750-5290) 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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Nashville remembers, honors those slain in the Holocaust

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his year’s commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, includes events at the State Capitol as well as a communitywide service to be held at Congregation Micah. Yom HaShoah begins this year on the evening of Sunday, April 7, and concludes on the evening of Monday, April 8.

Congregation Micah On April 7 from 3-4:30 p.m., the community will gather at Congregation Micah for a service with the theme Light out of Darkness. The afternoon will encompass testimony, music and readings and will include a time of reflection in the Memorial Garden. Those leading

the service will be accompanied by Michael Samis on cello. Local rabbinic and cantorial leaders will join in the commemoration as we honor the past and elevate the present, to pull the light out of darkness.

Tennessee Holocaust Commission ceremony The Tennessee Holocaust Commission will host the annual Day of Remembrance Ceremony to commemorate the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, as well as the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution. The ceremony will take place at the Legislative Plaza in the Capitol in downtown Nashville, Room LP12, on April 8 at 3 p.m.

This year’s theme, Never Again: Heeding The Warning Signs, will include recitation of the traditional Jewish prayer of remembrance for those who died, and reflections from Tennessee students from Dyersburg Middle School, Middle Tennessee State University, and Cleveland High School. Winners of the 2013 BelzLipman Holocaust Educator of the Year Award will be recognized. They are: Anita Puckett, DeKalb Middle School, Smithville; Julie Kinder, Robertsville Middle School, Oak Ridge; Noelle Smith, South Greene High School, Greeneville; and Rebecca Hasselle, Dyersburg Middle School, Dyersburg.

The observance will conclude with

the lighting of the six memorial candles.

Images from the Tennessee Holocaust Commission’s Living On exhibit will be shown in the main hallway of the State Legislature from April 8-12. The ceremony is open to the public.

The Tennessee Holocaust Commission in cooperation with the State Legislature, holds an annual Day of Remembrance, which remains a testament to the commitment of all Tennesseans to “never forget� those who perished in the Holocaust.

For more information, please contact Danielle Kahane-Kaminsky at The Tennessee Holocaust Commission, (615) 343-1171; cell, (615) 499-0047; and email, danielle.kahane-kaminsky@vanderbilt.edu . c

JFS honors Elaine Parker as its volunteer of the year

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ewish Family Service of Nashville recognized its many volunteers with a Volunteer Appreciation Lunch on March 3.

Over the past two years, 125 persons have volunteered to help JFS serve the community. In the last year alone, JFS has served more than 1,700 persons through 17 different programs and services.

At the luncheon, Volunteer Coordinator Anna Sir thanked the volunteers for their contributions, including, â€œâ€Śvisiting with an isolated senior adult to play cards, stuffing envelopes for our Chesed dinner, assembling kosher food boxes, serving on our Board, organizing our first fundraiser in the LGBT community.â€? There are many other volunteer opportunities as well, with varying volunteer commitments. What each of them does call for, Sir reminded the group, “is a generous spirit – and that is what we recognize in all of you. It would simply be impossible for us to serve the community without your assistance.â€?

for Jewish seniors. The program provides low-vision aids to seniors so they can maintain their independence. It is a partnership between JFS and B’nai B’rith Maimonides Lodge #46, which provides funding for these aids. Without Elaine’s initiative and dedication, this program would not exist.

JFS also recognized Elaine’s long history of involvement with the agency going back to the 1980s, when she started classes for Jewish Russian families who immigrated to Nashville. She taught many practical skills including how to interview, write resumes and apply for jobs. Elaine also accompanied the new families to supermarkets to help them learn about American foods and

how to read instructions.

Elaine earned a master’s degree in education for the blind from Harvard Graduate School, and Helen Keller presented her diploma to her with an instruction to “not let this go to waste.�

Elaine has taken this instruction to heart and has worked tirelessly for over 60 years supporting programs for the blind.

JFS was honored to set aside an afternoon to acknowledge the many accomplishments of its volunteers and was grateful to have an opportunity to simply say thank you.

There are many ways to volunteer your time with JFS. Please contact Anna Sir at 354-1686 or helpinghands@jfsnashville.org to find out more. c

Toni Jacobsen (left), JFS Volunteer of the Year Elaine Parker and Pam Kelner

JFS also presented this year’s Volunteer of the Year Award to Elaine Parker. Elaine approached JFS with the idea of creating a Low-Vision Aid Closet

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The Observer April 2013

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Temple Arts Festival to be held on April 20-21

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he community is invited to the 9th annual Temple Arts Festival (TAF), an exhibition and sale of original fine art, on Saturday, April 20, from 5 to 10 p.m. and Sunday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At this gallery-style show are original works of glass, ceramic, wood and metal sculpture, paintings, photography, fiber and jewelry made by over 50 master artists and craftsmen from 22 states. Art is available in a broad range of prices. Highlighted artists this year include Nashville’s own Hunter Armistead, John Guider, Myles Maillie, and Rusty Wolfe as well as such widely recognized talents as

Thomas Hoadley and Duncan McClellan.

You can be among the first to browse the exhibit on Saturday and enjoy drinks, hors d'oeuvres and dinner at a pre-opening party by buying advance purchase certificates. All certificates include the dinner party and may be applied wholly to purchases; a percentage of the purchase price may qualify as a charitable contribution on your tax return. (Please consult your tax advisor.) The deadline for purchasing a certificate is Thursday, April 18. Contact Mitzi at 352-7620 for information and/or an invitation.

A gallery-opening late party with elegant desserts and drinks begins at

8 p.m. on Saturday; there’s a charge to attend.

On Sunday, the show opens at 10 a.m. with a host of activities and there’s no charge for admission.

Beginning at 11 a.m., food trucks including the Grilled Cheeserie, Hot Spot, and Hit and Miss Ice Cream will be on site. A fourth truck will be announced later.

Attendees also can collaborate on the Myles Maillie art project. The noted Nashville artist will create the outlines of a 3D art piece that community members, artists and aspiring or wannabe artists can complete under his guidance.

And beginning at noon on Sunday, Betsy Hoffman will supervise

K-4 art activities for drop-ins while parents and grandparents browse the show. No advance reservations necessary but there’s a maximum of 30 children at any one time.

As a juried show, prizes will be awarded for Best of Show, 1st Place in 2-Dimensional Art and 1st Place in 3Dimensional Art. The prizes will be named in memory of world-renowned ceramist Sylvia Hyman to honor her longtime participation and commitment to the show. This year’s judge will be Jochen Wierich, curator of art for Cheekwood Museum of Art. For more information, check out our website, www.templeartsfestival.com, phone the Temple at (615) 352-7620 or email us at taf@templenashville.org. c

April showers community with GJCC adult classes

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he Gordon Jewish Community Center will offer a variety of adult classes in April, from opera to current events to fashion and nature. The classes are open to the community.

Anyone interested in getting an inside view of an opera performance will want to attend The Magic Flute, a Nashville Opera Dress Rehearsal and

Talk on Wednesday, April 3, at the Noah Liff Opera Center. There will be a presentation on the Mozart opera as well as a dress rehearsal performance for the Nashville Opera production that will be held at The Tennessee Performing Arts Center on April 11 and 13.

Fashionistas will have two classes to address their interests. On Friday, April 5, Kara Meyer, author of two fashion blogs, will present The History of

Fashion from 11 a.m. to noon at the GJCC. She will offer a retrospective on what makes fashion. This class will be held during Nashville Fashion Week.

Follow Meyer’s blogs at www.frockpaperscissors.blogspot.com and www.thefrenchteacup.blogspot.com. There is a small charge for non-GJCC members.

The second fashion-forward class is Shoe Decorating on Tuesday, April 23, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the GJCC.

ISRAEL: Birthright Israel Partnership 2Gether w/Hadera-Eiron

SERVICES FOR SENIORS:

JEWISH IDENTITY BUILDING:

As of March 31, the 2013 Campaign needs

Hot Kosher Meals Companionship

our goal of $2.35 million.

Summer Camp Scholarships BBYO Connect Get Connected

TOGETHER WE DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS

Exercise

MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY TODAY OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT:

Please pledge online today at www.jewishnashville.org or call 354-1642.

BBYO Hillel

Community Holocaust Remembrance

JEWISH EDUCATION:

& Jewish Foundation

OF NASHVILLE AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE

NowGen Programming

PJ Library

FAMILIES IN CRISIS: JFS Relief Services on a Sliding Scale Emergency Financial Assistance Kosher Food Boxes

Rhonda Wernick, a professional artist, will show participants how to turn an old pair of shoes into shoes that will make other people green with envy.

There is a fee for supplies. For more information, e-mail Wernick at Rhonda@dancingart.com.

On Earth Day, Monday, April 22, nature reigns during the Nashville Greenway Walk and Talk, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at a local greenway to be announced. Participants will learn about the greenway expansion on the 1.5-mile stroll. There is a small charge for non-GJCC members. Learn more about the greenways at www.greenwaysfornashville.org.

Current Events: What’s Happening in Israel? on Wednesday, April 24, from noon to 1 p.m., will keep news buffs up to date. Hadar Moskovitz, Israel Shlicha (representative) with the Jewish Federation of Nashville, will present the most recent facts and information about events in Israel. There is a small charge for lunch.

For a complete list of adult classes that are open to the public, go to www.nashvillejcc.org or call (615) 3541623. Most classes take place, unless otherwise noted, at the Gordon Jewish Community Center located near Bellevue at 801 Percy Warner Blvd.

GJCC classes are underwritten by the Sol Stern & Rose Stern Adult Fund, the Jewish Federation, the Leah Rose Werthan Designated Fund of the Jewish Foundation, the Meryl Kraft Discretionary Fund and the GJCC. c

Ehud Barak at VU on April 7

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ormer Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak will speak at Vanderbilt University on Sunday, April 7 at 7 p.m. His talk, part of Vanderbilt’s 2013 Impact Symposium, will be held in Langford Auditorium. Barak originally was to speak on March 18 but had to postpone his appearance. Patrons should retain their ticket stubs from the March 18 event to gain admittance to Barak’s lecture. c

See what’s happening in the community.

Go to www.jewishnashville.org

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April 2013 The Observer

The Observer April 2013

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April 2013 The Observer

OSHi’s Crutcher blends floral elements from around the world

To revitalize cabinets, counters and more, turn to E-Z Kitchens

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e comes by his soulfulness naturally as the son of Stax Records songwriter Bettye Crutcher.

Perri Crutcher of OSHi Flowers has been designing for many years all over the world. He returned home to Tennessee after decorating from such diverse locations as New York, London, Paris, Istanbul and Asheville, North Carolina.

To understand the unique quality of Japanese floral décor, Perri studied under the watchful eye of Setuo Kitono, Master of Ikebana and tea flower design. Along with Setuo, Perri’s creative design instincts were honed under the tutelage of other top international floral design-

ers, including Ronaldo Maia, Robert Isabel and Christian Tortu.

Perri has cultivated a unique style of design, tradition and purpose using natural materials, creating a fusion of craft and cultivated treasures. He specializes in the creation of client-specific original floral compositions and the planning and installation of corporate and event décor.

With two studio locations in the heart of downtown Nashville, Perri and his extraordinary team work well into the night to create his brilliant cultivated treasures. OSHi ... A sure place for healing, forgiveness and dreams. c

Wells Design Associates brings special touch to homes, gardens

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tephen Wells talks about the perspectives he brings to projects: My design experiences are wide-ranging. I lived in New York City and the Hudson Valley for many years.

While in the city I designed custom furniture and interiors for multinational corporations. On the weekends in the Hudson Valley, I restored 19th century houses for myself and for clients. It was also in that beautiful setting that I became interested in the relationship between architecture and the supporting landscape.

After moving home to Nashville I opened a boutique garden store, Botanica, and began providing garden

design services. As that client base grew, I slowly began to provide architectural design services again.

In the recent past, we have designed a sculpture garden, redesigned a sprawling 1955 ranch house, completed a 9,000square-foot family house along with numerous gardens and several other renovations. Today we are working on three new family houses and a renovation of a 190-year-old Greek revival farmhouse that began life as a two-room log cabin.

The goal for me has always been to understand the context of a project and design something that is appropriate.

This frees me from “style,” per se, and allows every project to be unique. c

arl Zei of E-Z Kitchens talks about his company: E-Z Kitchens has been turning old kitchens into dream kitchens for over 25 years in the Nashville area. We have completed over 2,300 jobs. We do total cabinet replacement with both custom and stock cabinets, custom cabinet refacing, entertainment centers, home offices, built-ins, custom closets, butler’s pantries and more! We also install countertops, offering laminate, granite, quartz, solid surface and concrete.

I started out working in cabinet shops in the Chicago area and wound up being a finish carpenter and eventually a refacing installer. Friends in Nashville kept telling us what a great city it is, and how much building and remodeling was

going on. After visiting and discovering that there was no one doing refacing, we decided to start our own shop and moved here in 1987.

I worked out of our Inglewood home for the first year until finding the shop in Madison that we are still in to this day.

My wife, Gayle, joined the team and has been our designer and consultant for over 20 years. Her official title is “Problem Solver” – it’s actually on her card!

We build our cabinets out of solid woods and plywoods (no particleboard) and do beautiful custom finishes – truly custom whether all new or a reface.

Please call to set up a free consultation. Mention our ad in the Observer and enjoy a 15% discount on your project. We would love to be your cabinet company! c

www.wellsdesignassociates.com

The Observer April 2013

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Invisible Fence dealer helps keep pets happy and close to home

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fter 30 years of sales and operations management experience in corporate America, and the extensive travel that coincides, Bob Moody, owner of Invisible Fence decided it was time to get closer to home and focus his energy on a project closer to his heart.

“I was tired of traveling and wanted to enjoy being at home,” Moody said.

Moody, who is known for being an animal lover, wanted to have a business that would provide safety and security for the well-being of dogs and cats.

Moody purchased the Invisible Fence dealership in 1997. Invisible Fence Brand is the industry leader in the patented electronic containment of dogs and cats. They provide installation, service as well as training for the animals using the product.

“Our products keep dogs and cats safe

within their owner's yard, and teaches them their boundaries,” said Moody. “I was drawn to the dealership, as it has a solid, stable reputation. I’ve also spent a great deal of time developing and implementing a proactive customer follow-up program, which our customers love. It’s why we have a 99.6 percent success rate with our customers and their pets.”

That customer follow-up can mean visiting customers homes and making necessary adjustments to the system, as well as working with the owner and pet together. “I like solving problems on the front end,” Moody said. “Every customer and their pets have different needs. If a problem is every detected, a certified trainer returns to the home to correct it immediately.”

Visit us today at www.midtenn. invisiblefence.com. c

Join Arbor Day Foundation, receive trees to plant

N

ational Arbor Day is Friday, April 26 this year, and the Arbor Day Foundation is making it easy for anyone to celebrate the annual treeplanting holiday. Join the Foundation in April and receive 10 free shade trees, the organization said in a news release.

By joining the Foundation in April, new members receive the following trees: red oak, sugar maple, weeping willow, bald cypress, thornless honey locust, pin oak, river birch, tulip tree, silver maple and red maple.

The free trees are part of the Foundation’s Trees for America campaign.

“These trees provide shade in the summer and gorgeous colors throughout the fall,” said John Rosenow, founder

and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “By the simple act of planting trees, one person helps create a healthier and more beautiful planet for all of us.”

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting in April or May with enclosed planting instructions. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.

To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE SHADE TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, Neb. 68410, by April 30, or visit arborday.org/april. c

When it comes to eating local, kosher consumers are split

By CHAVIE LIEBER NEW YORK (JTA) – The sun was shining over the Union Square farmers market on a chilly morning as Chris Mitchell, a 34-year-old chef at the fashionable kosher eatery Jezebel, loomed over a table of Jerusalem artichokes. The six-foot-something Georgia native carefully inspected the exterior of the root vegetable before buying a handful to serve as dried chips.

Mitchell comes to the Manhattan market every morning to buy Jezebel’s produce as part of the restaurant’s commitment to purchase locally produced food.

“If you care about what you’re eating, and who you are feeding your food to, you’ll want to know where it comes from,” said Mitchell. “That’s the beauty of buying locally.”

The locavore movement has become one of the hottest food trends in recent years, propelled by advocates who see it as a conscientious and environmentally friendly alternative to industrial food trucked in over long distances. Produce from local sources often keeps longer and helps keep dollars in the local economy.

But for many kosher consumers, both individuals and restaurants, limiting themselves to local food makes neither practical nor financial sense.

“It seems to me like another layer of worry I have to tack onto my food shopping,” said Erin Reichner, a Brooklyn mother of seven. “The price of keeping kosher means I want to pay less for my produce. I buy plenty of fruit for my children, and I don’t care where it comes from.”

Such declarations aside, interest in local food has exploded in recent years.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets in the country has more than quadrupled since 1994 and grew by nearly 10 percent in 2012 alone. That's in addition to the growth of Community Supported Agriculture programs, or CSAs, in which consumers purchase a farm share for a fixed price in the spring and receive a weekly box of produce during the season. Practically none of these existed in the United States in the early 1980s; today there are estimated to be more than 6,000.

“The best way to cook is to have the farm dictate what your menu should be

by buying local produce that’s in season,” said Gabriel Garcia, the chef at Tierra Sur, a renowned kosher restaraunt at the Herzog Winery in California that purchases all its produce and meat from local sources.

Garcia said his restaurant’s New Year’s resolution is to procure all its food from suppliers within 200 miles.

“Food tastes better if it’s naturally available,” he said. “Why would you eat berries in the winter from a grocery store when they are not in season if the winter veggies are hearty, delicious and available?”

In the Jewish world, the trend is manifest in the growth of Jewish CSAs over the past eight years, 58 of which had sprung up across the country as of late 2012, diverting $7 million in Jewish purchasing power from grocery stores to local farmers, according to the Jewish environmental group Hazon.

“Our traditional laws can inspire us to think how we want to approach agriculture,” Hazon’s Daniel Infeld said. “The root of kosher means ‘fit to eat,’ and eating locally should coincide with kashrut.”

Most kosher restaurants, however, are not on board with the move toward local suppliers. A Chicago restaurateur said he was struggling enough to cover rent, kosher certification and the premium necessary to buy organic produce that adding the additional limitation of local just wasn’t in the cards.

“I’ve been told that local produce lasts longer, but I can get a much better price if I’m buying in bulk from other countries,” said the owner, who asked that his name not be used. “Plus, I’m in that category of local businesses and I need to take care of myself. I’m not in the position to spend that extra money right now.”

Others say the issue is the hassle.

With all the additional requirements of running a kosher eatery, local food is seen as an unnecessary headache. Moreover, kosher meat from local sources isn’t readily available in many places.

“It’s just not a realistic ideal,” said Moshe Wendel, the chef at the celebrated kosher restaurant Pardes in Brooklyn.

“It’s not a feasible thing to do, and I would never recommend it to anyone who keeps kosher because it’s a hassle when you have so many other things to worry about.”

For many locavores, the impulse to shun national brands goes beyond mere environmental considerations. Consumers are increasingly conscious of their food's provenance and knowing the grower is often the most straightforward way to ensure that what they put in their mouths comes from a trusted source.

“If you are already keeping kosher, then you know strict discipline for dietary customs,” said Jezebel's Mitchell.

“So why not aim for the best quality? If you care about kosher and organic, you should care about local.” c

Hoffman Housework

garage, attic and basement clean up and organization

Seth Hoffman

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April 2013 The Observer

615.351.2150

CREATE A JEWISH LEGACY www.jewishnashville.org

The Observer April 2013

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Israel faces crisis as a democracy, author Gorenberg says

By KATHY CARLSON

I

srael’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, in which it gained territories that were part of Biblical Israel, has along with other social factors imperiled Israel as a democracy, historian and journalist Gershom Gorenberg said in a lecture sponsored by J Street Nashville.

The American-born Gorenberg has specialized in the politics of the Middle East and has written on the intersection of religion and politics. His most recent book, “The Unmaking of Israel,” was published in late 2011.

Gorenberg, speaking to about 100

people at the Gordon Jewish Community Center in March, told the group he tries to write an objective history – as factual an account as he’s able to write – based on documentary records and supplemented by interviews. He offered his take on the history of Israel as a democratic state, the crisis it faces as a democracy and what can be done about it.

One of Gorenberg’s main contentions is that at Israel’s birth as a modern nation, “We chose a Jewish state without all the land, not the land without a Jewish state.” When Israel’s borders were set in the spring of 1949 after an armistice, Israel deliberately chose against including the mostly Arab West Bank –

The Observer’s Annual

Biblical Judea and Samaria – and in favor of being a democratic Jewish state.

Israel chose to be a democratic Jewish state when its first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, insisted that arms obtained by the pre-statehood military group Irgun be turned over to the consolidated Israeli army, he said. The Irgun had made the deal for the arms before statehood was declared but the munitions didn’t arrive until after statehood.

The Irgun wanted the arms to go only to its division within the IDF, but BenGurion wanted them for the IDF as a whole. The action meant that the government of Israel, not factions within it, controlled the military, he said.

Israel also chose democracy when its supreme court upheld freedom of the press after the Israeli government, citing a need to maintain public order – shut down two newspapers in 1953, Gorenberg said.

Fourteen years later, in the Six-Day War, Israel unexpectedly found itself conquering Sinai, Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Gorenberg said

the Israeli government couldn’t decide what to do with the conquered territory, and the indecision emboldened some to take steps that he says undermined democracy. The green line of pre-1967 boundaries was erased from maps of Israel, he said. Israel had the legal right to establish military outposts in the conquered territories, he said, but the government covertly supported and funded a kibbutz in the Golan that it called a military outpost.

Two other developments threaten democracy, he said. Haredi Jewish males don’t have to work but receive support from the state, and ultra-Orthodox rabbis dominate a state-funded rabbinate.

For Israel to return to its democratic roots, Gorenberg recommends separation of state and synagogue, guaranteeing full equality under the law for the Arab minority, and working toward a two-state solution in which Israel gives up West Bank land.

“We need to give up land to preserve a democratic state,” he said. “We need peace to give up the land safely.” c

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make Judaism fun and cool, and children are guaranteed to keep coming and bring their friends.

CKids Nashville is led and directed by educator Mrs. Esther Tiechtel and meets every Shabbat morning at 10:45 a.m. for an hour.

Every CKids meeting includes lessons from the weekly Parsha and holidays that relate to kids’ own lives. There are exciting stories that will keep kids on the edges of their seats, fun songs and games that bring the lessons to life, and much more.

With CKids, your children will learn about their Jewish heritage in a fun and interactive way while meeting other Jewish kids like them. No background knowledge necessary to join.

Register today by sending your name and info to chabadnashville@gmail.com, and get started on an unforgettable Jewish journey. For more information please call (615) 646-5750. c

Health & Beauty CKids comes to Issue Middle Tennessee is Coming!

May 2013 We will be highlighting health, wellness and beauty issues.

We know that you will want to be included in this issue. Advertisers who contract a 1/8 page ad or larger can contact us for inclusion in articles pertaining to your business.

Deadline for ads is April 15, 2013 Contact: Carrie Mills, Advertising Manager 615-354-1699 e-mail: carrie@nashvillejcc.org fax: 615-352-0056

o you ever have the Saturday morning dilemma, what do I do with my kids today? Shopping, sports, playing video games?

Chabad of Nashville, in a news release, has described the solution, called CKids, and it’s coming to Middle Tennessee. CKids is a new international kids club that welcomes and unites Jewish children, ages 3-12.

CKids, an interactive, socially motivated educational system, ensures every Jewish child’s enthusiasm and commitment to our heritage, to our future, and to the eternal chain of Torah-true values.

CKids offers comprehensive, innovative Shabbat and holiday programs designed to attract, teach, and entertain Jewish children of diverse backgrounds and needs, while giving them a sense of belonging. Regional events, exclusive gear, and an exciting incentive system

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April 2013 The Observer

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lifecycles B’nai Mitzvah Carter Levy Koch will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah at Congregation Micah on Saturday, April 6, at 10:30 a.m.

Carter is the son of Rachel and Jack L. Koch Jr. and the brother of Eleanor. His grandparents are Sandi Carter Levy Koch and the late Jack L. Koch Sr. of Prattville, Ala., and Sarah and David Carter of Gulfport, Miss.

Carter has been assisting with Room in the Inn at various locations around Nashville, most often Congregation Micah. He helped raise several hundred dollars for the Bellevue Food Bank through a penny drive that correlated with his violin practice and Maureen Riley’s Bellevue Violin Program. One of his most meaningful mitzvot was playing the violin for Shabbat service at the Blakeford Assisted Living Home. He plans to continue with all of these programs.

A sixth-grader at Harding Academy, Carter enjoys English and mathematics and participating in Harding’s strings ensemble. An avid musician, Carter has played the violin for many years and has recently taken up guitar. He loves playing soccer as well as lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and disc golf. Carter regularly participates in the theater program as an actor, musician and/or stage crew member. He enjoys reading science fiction and dystopian literature. Carter’s longstanding passion for building, disassembling and rebuilding various items has naturally led him to be a fan of steampunk. He spends his spare time gaming and hanging out with friends and family.

Daniel Padgett Saul will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, April 27, at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah.

Daniel is the son of Laura and Andy Saul and big brother to his sister Sydney. He is the grandson of Jim and Ann Daniel Padgett Saul Padgett of Hartfield, Va., and the late Phyllis Tenenbaum Cohen and Ralph Saul of Atlanta.

Daniel is a seventh-grader at Grassland Middle School where he is an

A student and competes on the lacrosse team. Daniel has excelled at running back, receiver and safety for the last three years for the Grassland Eagles football team as well as playing Grassland Athletics basketball. Daniel also enjoys swim team, tennis, snow skiing and a variety of water sports including water skiing, wake boarding, wake surfing and fishing in addition to earning his boater’s license last year. Daniel loves spending his summers on the lake and looks forward to his time at Camp Barney Medintz with friends.

Daniel loves sports and spending time outside. For his service project, he hopes to volunteer in an after-school mentoring program to spread his enthusiasm for sports and outdoor activities with less-fortunate kids.

Mazel tov … to Sara Fried, owner of Fête Nashville Weddings & Events, who has been selected as a 2013 winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, in The Knot magazine and on theknot.com, an online wedding resource. It’s the second year Fête Nashville been voted Best Wedding Planner for The Knot Best of Weddings. In addition, Fête Nashville placed 2nd for the state and twelfth worldwide in the wedding planner category of the 2012 international Wedding Industry Experts Awards. … to Congregation Micah’s seventh-grade religious school class, taught

by Rachel Tawil Kenyon. Their “Fill the Backpacks” mitzvah project, stuffing backpacks with school supplies for children in need, was featured in a Tablet magazine article titled “Doing Mitzvah Projects Right.” Tablet, www.tabletmag.com, is a daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas and culture.

Sympathy … to the family of Peggy D. Smirnow, who died on March 12 at age 85. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edwin Smirnow. Survived by daughters Teri Sogol and Dana (Harold) Rubin; son Jack (Terri) Raymon; grandchildren Brian Sogol, Freda Rubin (Moshe) Sanders, Michael (Tasha) Raymon and Michelle (Chris) Johnston; and five great-grandchildren. In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions may be made to: Jewish Family Service, 801 Percy Warner Blvd., Nashville 37205; Hadassah, 1113 Chickering Park Dr., Nashville, TN 37215; or to the charity of your choice .

… Rose Parnes Goldstein, who died on March 8. Mrs. Goldstein was born in 1921 in Przemysl, Poland. She was married to the late William Goldstein for more than 50 years. She survived the Holocaust and was forever grateful to the American soldiers who rescued survivors and to her adopted country. She loved her family and sonin-law dearly. She is survived by her son, Mark; daughters Geraldine Miller and Karen Dean; son-in-law James W. Thomas, and three grandchildren. Mrs. Goldstein’s family thanks the caregivers at Belvedere Commons who cared for her with love and understanding.

Memorials may be made to the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous or a charity of your choice.

… Patricia Ann Elbaz, who died on Feb. 28 at age 63. She is survived by her grandsons, Evan and Ben Elbaz.

Learn about B’nai Tzedek program

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o a mitzvah for your B’nai Mitzvah…Join B’nai Tzedek, a program of the Jewish Foundation.

It’s the beginning of a giving future, incorporating the mitzvah of tzedakah into everyday lives through social action and giving.

For information or to join, please contact Risa Klein Herzog at 3541651 or risa@jewishnashville.org c

April features photographic and Holocaust-related art at GJCC

T

hroughout April, the Gordon Jewish Community Center will be exhibiting works from members of the Society of Nashville Artistic Photographers (SNAP), along with a Yom Hashoah exhibit commemorating the Holocaust.

It will SNAP’s third annual photographic show at the GJCC. The group began in 2004, when a small group of Nashville photographers met to start an informal group that would concentrate on the creative aspects of photography.

SNAP provides a forum for presenting and discussing members’ work.

Members foster artistic growth through an open dialogue and insightful criticism and feedback.

The works of more than 20 SNAP members will be on display in the Janet Levine March Gallery and the JLMG2 Gallery of the GJCC. The Yom HaShoah exhibit grows from a request to community artists for work relating to the Holocaust. The exhibit will be a mixed media showing in the Sig Held Gallery at the GJCC.

"Uncle Mengele's Gingerbread House," by Leslie J. Klein, is part of the Yom HaShoah exhibit.

Participants include Kaaren Engel, Leslie J. Klein, Reesha Leone, Kara Meyer, Carrie Mills, Judit Pap, Kim Phillips, Rebekah Pope and Nina Szymoszek. c

Students at the Tennessee School for the Blind participated in the sixth annual Braille Challenge, sponsored

by B’nai B’rith Maimonides Lodge #46. The event is designed to help motivate students to improve Braille reading skills essential to their future success. This year the lodge also sponsored the second Academic Challenge at the school. This event was for students who are not Braille readers, but participated in four areas of academics. In the photograph above, Academic Challenge students play a game of bingo as a reward.

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The Observer April 2013

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around the town WES Class of ’13 graduates on April 27

writer in covering the terrorist attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001 and their aftermath.

West End Synagogue will be celebrating the culmination of 13 years of Jewish learning with the graduation class of 2013 on Saturday, April 27, at 8:15 p.m. at the synagogue.

The community is invited to join us for Ma’a’riv services, Havdalah and a program written by our students: “What Being Jewish Means To Me.” The services and the program will be led by the 11th-grade students. There will be a dessert reception hosted by the parents of our graduates.

The graduates are: Benjamin Samuel Barton, son of Kirk Barton and Nancy Lipsitz; Samuel Herman, son of Sanford and Barbara Herman; Stanley Karr, son of Stephen and Carol Karr; Simon Lowen, son of Peter and Deborah Lowen; Jacob Andrew McCoy, son of Greg and Amy McCoy; Samuel Perlen, son of Joe and Maxine Perlen; Joshua Eric Rotker, son of Jonathan and Iris Rotker; Hannah Elise Stein, daughter of Richard and Renee Stein; Micah Nathaniel Stotsky, son of Linda Stotsky; and Shayna Tishler, daughter of Steven and Michelle Tishler.

Israeli folk dancing on Thursdays

J Street VP to speak at Temple April 3

Nashville Jewish Film Festival will be sponsoring the 2012 Israeli film, “The Ballad of the Weeping Spring,” during the Nashville Film Festival on Monday evening, April 22. The film, a musical, was shot in Israel and has been described as a stylized homage to spaghetti Westerns and Samurai epics. It tells the story of Josef Tawila (played by Uri Gavriel), a former band leader who has become a recluse in the wake of a terrible accident.

He brings together his old musician buddies to grant the last wishes of a dying friend while healing his own soul.

Check for more information at www.nashvillefilmfestival.org.

The Nashville Israeli Folk Dancers meet every Thursday evening at the Schulman Center for Jewish Life (across from Memorial Gym) at Vanderbilt University. Warmup and beginners dances are from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Intermediate-advanced dancing and requests are from 8:30-10 p.m.

Come join us for evenings of fun, music, great exercise and new friends!

You can stay for all or part of the time, and attend any or all of the sessions. No previous dance experience is required.

Everyone is welcome to participate.

For more information please contact: Carol Rubin 352-9447 (Carol.Rubin@ vanderbilt.edu) or Sharon Morrow 6624881 (smorrow@wswcpasnashville.com) or visit our web site at www.vanderbilt.edu/israelidance/

Israeli film at Nashville Film Fest

Alan Elsner, vice president for communications at J Street, will be the J Street speaker at Temple on Wednesday, April 3, at 7 p.m. He will speak on the topic of “Time to Lead: How American Jews Can Advance the Peace Process.”

Elsner joined J Street last December.

Before that, he had been with The Israel Project. A veteran journalist, Elsner was the State Department and later White House correspondent for Reuters News Agency. He also was Reuters’ chief

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

Every community event is listed for your convenience.

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April 2013 The Observer

Students meet, learn online

By JENNA EGELSTON Akiva School Art Instructor

W

hat do you get when you take two classrooms that are thousands of miles apart and give them each a webcam? You get some incredible art and a few changed lives! Let me explain.

Last summer, I was asked to be a part of a collaborative art project with a group of students in Israel. I had no idea what this situation entailed but my interest had been piqued. I replied to the email with a quick and simple “Sure!” and went about my afternoon.

Now, almost a year later, I am thrilled to share with you an exciting journey of art, language, friendship, and learning.

In August, the fourth grade at Akiva School partnered with a fourthgrade group from the Central Arava area in Israel to create amazing art projects through a completely technological exchange system. I’ve dubbed it “The Arava Project.” Morah Dganit Eldar (one of Akiva’s talented Judaic Studies/Ivrit staff members) and I have come together with Arava instructor Celia Yitzhak to lead several art projects completely focused on communicating through Hebrew language skills and art.

Under the umbrella of The Arava Project, there are four projects throughout the year: two exchange writing/illustration projects, one that begins with illustration and the other with writing, and two Skype meetings.

The first project required the students to each draw a picture around the theme of “What I see outside my window.” Celia and I scanned these images into our computers and traded one group’s art for another. (We also emailed each other photos of the students so that the classes could begin getting acquainted.) The kids were so excited to see each other’s work!

Since winter break was on the horizon, Celia and I decided to skip ahead and begin preparing stories for our first Skype meeting. In art, the Akiva fourth-graders and I came up with a great story about a snake named Snow who lived in the Akiva science lab. Morah Dganit worked closely with the students to refine their writings and practice their lines while

View from Nofar's house

sharing her own stories and memories of Israel with the kids. In January, after much practice and anticipation, the Arava students and the Akiva students logged onto Skype (a computer video chat system) and met “in person” for the first time!

Since the Arava students do not speak any English, the entire meeting was conducted in Hebrew. Morah Dganit facilitated the discussion from our end and Celia on her end, while both groups listened, giggled, shared, smiled and laughed. The Arava students had written and illustrated a story about a baby bird that was blown out of its nest during a windstorm and was later rescued. Each group leaned forward towards the computer screen, watching and listening intently to their newfound friends. After a question and answer period where we talked about the weather, our favorite hobbies and vacation spots, we bid each other goodbye until next time and logged off. Morah Dganit, Ms. Pollack (4th-grade teacher) and I cheered! The kids cheered! Everyone had done their best to be a part of the conversation and each student did a beautiful job presenting their parts of the story. The kids chattered about it all day and Morah Dganit said it would be something none of us would ever forget.

The next phase of our project involves the students writing about what they love to do in their spare time. We’ll trade and each group will illustrate the writings. The anticipation will begin building soon enough for our next story and Skype meeting at the end of the school year.

This incredible project has been such a wonderful journey for everyone involved. Morah Dganit and I invite you to come to Akiva School and see the work our students have done and the work that has been shared with them. c

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The Observer April 2013

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Nashville celebrates Israel@65 with music, comedy, family fun Continued from page 1 Ford Coley a singing legend. border, Daddo was exposed to John is most revered as the rich traditions of the half of the Grammy nominatLadino language and culture. ed duo England Dan and John Together with a fruitful partFord Coley. He continues with nership with multi-talented an active roster performing the musician Yuval Keidar, platinum and gold record hits Daddo’s musical projects span for audiences around the from ethnically tinged elecworld. Classically trained on tronic dance music, to powerpiano and an avid guitarist, ful original ballads, to world John loves the craft and enjoys music recordings celebrating every audience he encounters.

Benji Lovitt the unique musical tradition of With double platinum Sephardic Jews. and gold records behind him, John has Saturday night’s event, an adultalso produced other artists. Most recentonly party, begins at 8:15 and includes ly, he co-produced several sides on Eddie dinner and cocktails. There is a charge Money. Country musician Vince Gill for tickets; to RSVP for this event, go to added vocals along with John to give the http://goo.gl/RbCvA. sessions a country feel. Additionally, Sunday, April 28, features a commuJohn has produced CD’s on country artist nity picnic and concert for the whole famTom Wurth and another talent, Lynn ily. Stretch a blanket out on the GJCC’s Bryant. lush fields and enjoy music from Daddo John also has a very strong love of and from Nashville’s own John Ford Coley.

Israel, where he has traveled on several Sunday’s event begins at 12:30 p.m. with occasions. performances beginning at 1 p.m.

In addition to musical entertainment, There are songs you hear in your life there will also be activities for kids includthat transport you to a certain time period ing a bounce house, dunk tank, henna, or give you a special feeling. You associate scavenger hunt and more. Bring your own those good times to the group that made picnic or order lunch for the family. them famous. Songs like “I’d Really Love To RSVP for Sunday and select To See You Tonight,” “Nights Are Forever lunch options, go to Without You” and “Love Is The Answer” https://goo.gl/hIZ1H. There is a suggesthave that effect on people. Those songs, ed donation for the event. For more and numerous others, have made John information, call (615) 356-7170. c

In new JLI course, ancient tales reveal answers to life’s greatest mysteries

N

ashville’s Jewish Learning Institute presents an all-new course, “Curious Tales of the Talmud: Finding Yourself in the Legends of Our Sages.” It’s a six-session spring course that will begin during the last week of April, JLI said in a news release.

Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel of Chabad of Nashville will conduct the six course sessions at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, starting April 24, at Chabad of Nashville.

“We’ll explore the mystical dimension of the Talmud called the Aggadah, to uncover profound wisdom from some of the zaniest and most epic legends you’ll ever encounter,” said Tiechtel, Nashville’s JLI instructor. “This is a chance for the public to unravel layers of personal meaning from texts not usually available to non-scholars.”

In Curious Tales of the Talmud, participants will encounter legends of gargantuan sea monsters, impossible feats, anthropomorphisms, and riddles that challenge the foundations of the Jewish

faith. In deciphering the meaning behind these strange episodes, students will discover secrets containing profound insights into the meaning of life.

“Whether you are fascinated by the Talmud and Jewish mysticism, or whether you are seeking a fun and meaningful experience, you won’t want to miss this course,” he said. “The material is as relevant as ever, promising to deepen the way we understand ourselves, our universe, and our relationships with the people we love.”

Like all JLI programs, Curious Tales of the Talmud is designed to appeal to people at all levels of Jewish knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning.

All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.

Interested students may call (615) 646-5750 or visit www.myJLI.com for registration and other course-related information. JLI courses are presented in Nashville in conjunction with Chabad of Nashville. c

Read the Observeronline at www.jewish observernashville.org

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April 2013 The Observer