the
bserver
Jewish
www.jewishobservernashville.org
Vol. 80 No. 9 • September 2015
17 Elul 5775-17 Tishrei 5776
Shana Tova 5776
New Year Greetings, page 12
2016 annual campaign begins; aims to raise $2.5 million to sustain Jewish communities here and around the globe By CHARLES BERNSEN
T
here were plenty of stalwart veterans among the volunteers who gathered last month for the launch of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s 2016 annual campaign. But there also were some eager young rookies. Andrea and Kevin Falik, both 29, are co-captains of a team of volunteers who will focus on engaging young adults in the annual campaign, which is seeking to raise $2.5 million that will be distributed to 77 institutions and programs in Nashville, Israel and Jewish communities around the world. “Andrea and I look at this as an opportunity to help build a community of young Jewish adults who are involved and committed,” said Kevin, the senior director of BBYO’s Cotton States Region, which includes Nashville. Andrea is a native of Nashville and Kevin of Houston, TX. While new to the
Andrea and Kevin Falik (on right) are co-captains of a team that will focus on engaging young adults in the 2016 annual campaign of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Here they are talking with Batia and Aron Karabel, co-chairs of the philanthropic arm of NowGen Nashville.
campaign, both are continuing long family traditions of involvement in their Jewish communities. In fact, Andrea’s aunt is Federation Campaign Chairman Lisa Perlen.
“We’re here together as a team with the goal of having Jewish conversations and building the commitment that will continue to sustain our Jewish community,” Perlen told the volunteers gathered in
Meryl Kraft grew up at JCC and has “always kept coming back”
the meeting room of the Gordon Jewish Community Center for an initial hourlong workshop. This marks the fourth year in which campaign volunteers have been divided into teams for a friendly competition called the Kehillah Cup Challenge. For the 2016 campaign there are eight teams, each with a captain and between five and eleven members who have been assigned to solicit up to half a dozen members of the Bonim Society, whose previous annual gifts range from $1,000 to $100,000. The “players” score points not just for the donations they secure but also for arranging face-to-face conversations with prospective donors and taking photos with them. The team with the most points wins the opportunity to assign an Continued on page 3
The Deli Man
Sept. 24 tribute planned for retiring adult programming director By CHARLES BERNSEN
M
eryl Kraft’s first job at the Jewish Community Center was as counselor in training for the summer camp program. That was back in 1967 when she was 13 – and she’s been working there in some capacity pretty much ever since. Kraft will retire at the end of this month after holding a remarkable variety of positions at the center, including stints as public relations director, summer camp Continued on page 3
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Meryl Kraft makes announcements at a recent TGIT luncheon for seniors. “Meryl is like the den mother of the seniors,” says Joel Mazor, a TGIT regular.
Pardes scholar to be in Nashville for Global Day of Jewish Learning on Nov. 15. page 4
David “Ziggy Gruber,” owner of Kenny and Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Restaurant in Houston, Texas, will be on hand for the screening of Deli Man at the Nashville Jewish Film Festival, which begins next month. Gruber is the central figure in director Erik Greenberg’s documentary on kosher Jewish delicatessens, the final installment of his trilogy on American Jewish culture. A full story is on Page 10 and schedule is on Page 11. (Photo courtesy of Cohen Media Group)
Federation Board opposes Iran nuclear deal; readers and columnists express their views, pro and con. pages 29 and 30
Partnership 2Gether projects will pair visual artists, young adults. page 9