SJL New Orleans, February 2015

Southern Jewish Life NEW ORLEANS EDITION

NOW INSIDE:

MAGGIE ANTON ON THE ROLE OF MAGIC IN JEWISH LIFE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE TAKES TO THE STREETS “ABOVE AND BEYOND” TRIBUTE “SHAYA” NEW ISRAELI RESTAURANT LOCALS ON WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS ELECTION SLATES MISSISSIPPI-ISRAEL BUSINESS TIES NEW LEADERSHIP AT JFS

February 2015 Volume 25 Issue 2

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shalom y’all shalom y’all A great deal has been written in the Theater of the Absurd aftermath that was the Paris terror attacks last month. Much of it has to do with freedom of speech and in the center of this issue where boundaries should exist. of Southern Jewish Life As a participant in the arena of free expression, I lean On the cover: Incantation bowl with an Aramaic inscription toward allowing freedom of expression with the acknowledgement that others are free to express their dis- around a demon, from Nippur, Mesopotamia. Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art,Image: lent by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Cover Courtesy Haspel pleasure.

Archaeology and Anthropology, used under Creative Commons.

It was absurd, for example, that a Brandeis student Cover Image: Courtesy Haspel Read SJL leader who tweeted that she had “no sympathy” for New Anywhere York police officers who were gunned down recently and Read SJL used vile language to call for an “intifada” against America Our digital Anywhere should think that she’d be exempt from criticism. editions are always available A lot of that criticism, much of it vulgar and threatening, did cross the line — even Daniel Our digital at sjlmag.com. editions are Mael, the student who brought those tweets to the attention of a wider audience, was horrified You may also always available at some of the responses and threats against that student. He also was targeted for daring to to go atchoose sjlmag.com. simply mention what she said and has been warned that he should never walk alone on campus. paperless and You may also Committing violence as a response to speech should be beyond the pale, but much of the have each choose to gomonth’s criticism of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons that “led to” the massacre at their office has been along magazineand delivered paperless to your the lines of “they deserved it because they went too far.” have eachinbox. month’s magazine delivered Nonsense. Nobody deserves what happened there. to your inbox.

Is it wise to mock or caricature Mohammed? Perhaps not, especially in today’s highly-charged atmosphere. Simply in the name of civility, one should not go around gratuitously mocking others. But this was a satirical publication, pointing out absurdities in society. And the periodical, which almost nobody had ever heard of before, was an equal opportunity offender.

It is offensive to Muslims to have their prophet depicted, as they have a strict boundary on /sjlmag @sjlmag /southern /sjlmag the definition of idolatry. That is why you won’t see portraits in mosques.

sjlmag.com sjlmag.com

But not everyone holds to those standards, and the Muslim world can’t expect everyone

/sjlmag

jewish life @sjlmag /southern /sjlmag jewish life

Larry Brook EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Larry Brook

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February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 3

commentary else to follow their restrictions. For many in the Jewish community, it is wrong to write out a divine name, so euphemisms like “G-d” are used. Having it spelled out and thrown around casually is seen as taking the holy name in vain. It’s splashed all over our money, for example — how much more mundane can one get?

But do we expect our non-Jewish neighbors to follow that example out of sensitivity to us?

Hardly — let alone the notion that anyone in the Jewish world would deem it an offense deserving of death. Do we tell non-Jews that they can’t have their bacon or oysters?

There have been many artistic works in recent years that the Christian world found highly offensive. The reaction has often been fierce, but violent?

Shortly after the Paris attacks, the International Union of Muslim Scholars, led by the spiritual leader of Egypt’s banned Muslim Brotherhood, met in Qatar and urged the United Nations to draft a law prohibiting the defamation of religions, a direct challenge to Western notions of free expression.

In all this, there is one aspect that has been overlooked in the deadly Islamic extremist reaction to cartoons.

What is missing? A mirror.

Anyone who follows the Middle East closely can’t help but feel a complete lack of empathy when Muslim figures complain about how Islam is portrayed in cartoons, or chuckle at their assertion that it’s wrong to defame religions.

The Muslim Scholars aren’t interested in stopping the defamation of religions. They are interested in stopping the defamation of religion. Theirs.

It takes almost no time to find examples of the most vile anti-Jewish and anti-Christian rhetoric and cartoons in Middle East publications. Palestinian publications are filled with cartoons about Israel and Jews (they really don’t distinguish between the two) that would make the Nazi publication Der Sturmer blush.

Emergency response personnel were still responding to the stabbing of a dozen people on a Tel Aviv bus by a Palestinian when a supportive hashtag that translates to “I am the knife” started trending, and within an hour a cartoon celebrating the knife attack was circulating.

A couple of months ago, when several Palestinians rammed their cars into crowds in central Israel in an attempt to kill as many as possible, cartoons urged more such attacks, with drawings of car interiors where the gas pedal was replaced by an ammunition clip.

In much of the Muslim world, cartoons are filled with anti-Jewish invective, calls to vio4 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

February 2015 lence and the celebration of dead Jews. And we’re supposed to have sympathy for them because of hurt feelings over depictions of the prophet?

We can’t insult them but they can insult us tenfold.

And that is part of the bigger problem, which is what many people miss in discussing the Middle East. In many parts of the Muslim world, the belief persists that Islam is the one true faith, and while Jews and Christians are People of the Book and are to be protected (we see how well that is working out these days in Syria, Iraq and so forth), we are still on a lower rung — and must be kept there.

That is why in Muslim-ruled areas one can’t build a church or synagogue that is as tall or taller than mosques, for example.

To borrow a concept from local history, as long as we “know our place,” everything is fine.

But if we get uppity and assert ourselves, such as having Jewish sovereignty in a place that they see as part of the Muslim world, that impertinence can’t be allowed.

This is indeed a clash of civilizations and world-views. Of course, we need to have the obligatory “not all Muslims” here. It was great to see the honor bestowed upon the Muslim employee at the Paris kosher supermarket who was credited with saving at least six lives.

Recently there was an article about the very friendly relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, a Muslim nation, and there are many groups like the Kurds who are not hostile to Israel.

But in terms of taming the extremist elements, that is something that has to come from within Islam. It wasn’t the Jewish community that stopped the theological anti-Semitism in the church, it came from within, culminating in Vatican II. The speech given by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Jan. 1, where he went to the same venue as President Obama’s 2009 speech on Islam, needs to be more widely heard. In the speech, before a large group of Egyptian clerics, he decried how the forces of radical Islam have made Islam a “source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction for the rest of the world” and called for a “religious revolution” to prevent the Islamic world’s self-destruction.

We will see if the events in Paris were a wake-up call that will prompt changes in attitudes, or if it is just the next in a long list of horrible events continuing the downward spiral.

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com WEB EDITOR Eugene Walter Katz eugene@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITER Doug Brook brookwrite.com

shalom y’a

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agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events

Tulane Hillel held a Big Issue panel on companies like Airbnb on Jan. 15. For more, see the Federation insert.

Special meeting called for Federation membership change March 16 vote for proposal

In this month’s Jewish Newsletter (in the center of this issue of Southern Jewish Life), the Jewish Federation formally announced a special meeting of the membership on March 16 at the Goldring-Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus in Metairie at 7 p.m.

The meeting is to consider a revision to the definition of Federation membership, allowing non-Jewish spouses or domestic partners of Federation members should be allowed to be considered members of Federation if they support the Federation’s mission and contribute to the agency.

While non-Jews would be eligible to serve on the board, which happens in some communities, they would still go through the nomination process like anyone else and have to be voted upon by the membership at the annual meeting.

The change came after Tulane Hillel expressed an interest in allowing non-Jewish supporters onto its board. Currently, the Federation requires all constituent agencies to have an entirely-Jewish board.

It was also noted that there are two interfaith couples in the current Lemann-Stern class.

The proposal was first discussed at the Federation’s annual meeting in September, where input was solicited toward what would become the proposal that is being sent to the community.

The Federation Board approved the proposal on Jan. 22, thus sending it to the membership.

The special meeting will be 10 days before the Federation’s campaign celebration, which will be on March 26 at The Cannery, featuring pianist David Torkanowsky.

Teamwork for a Super Sunday Under the banner of “One Community, One Goal” and a sports theme, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans held its Super Sunday on Jan. 25.

The phone-a-thon raised $136,194 toward this year’s Annual Campaign. Last year’s campaign raised $2.7 million, which goes to local agencies and organizations, and to assist Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

Last year, the Federation announced a total of $138,000 at the conclusion of Super Sunday but revised it to just over $149,000 two days later.

That was the highest total since 2002.

Pictured here are Joshua Force and Cathy Glaser, 2015 Annual Campaign co-chairs; Hal and Kathy Shepard, Michael Dodd (Tracey Dodd not pictured) and Jorie Kirschbaum, Super Sunday Co-Chairs.

NOLA

February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 5

agenda Tulane Jewish Studies continues speaker series On Feb. 24, the Tulane Jewish Studies Department will host Antony Polonsky of Brandeis University for a talk on “Writing the History of the Jews of Poland and Russia.” Polonksy, a native of South Africa, is the Albert Abramson Professor of Holocaust Studies at Brandeis, and is the founder and editor of the only scholarly publication devoted entirely to Polish Jewish history. The 7 p.m. talk will be in the Jewish Studies conference room.

On March 12, Zachary Lazar of Tulane will give a reading and discussion of “I Pity the Poor Immigrant” at 7 p.m. in the Jewish Studies conference room. The “novelistic consideration of Jewish identity” starts with U.S. gangster Meyer Lansky trying to become a citizen of Israel in 1972, but he was denied and sent to the U.S. for trial. In 2009, an American journalist traveled to Israel to investigate the death of an Israeli writer, soon finding herself in a web that includes the American and Israeli mafias, Lansky, Lansky’s mistress in Tel Aviv and her own father.

For those who cannot attend, the program offers Front Row Seat, online videos of selected lectures. It is available through the department’s website and Facebook page.

Photo courtesy JNOLA

Bacchus Bash 2014 outside Touro Synagogue

Congregations work around Mardi Gras mayhem Touro’s Bacchus Bash on Feb. 15

Touro Synagogue will have its Seventh Annual Bacchus Bash on Feb. 15 starting at 3 p.m., with prime viewing spots for the Bacchus parade.

This year, the menu is Mexican, with unlimited tacos, margaritas and keg beer.

Another welcome convenience for watching the parade is access to restrooms.

Tickets are $30 for members, ages 3 and up, and $40 for non-members in advance. Tickets at the door are $50.

On Feb. 6 and 13, Touro will have an abbreviated casual Shabbat service at 5 p.m., followed by parade viewing and dinner in the Bowsky Garden.

With parades on Veterans Boulevard, Gates of Prayer in Metairie will have short Shabbat evening services on Feb. 6 and 13, starting at 6:15 p.m.

6 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

NOLA

agenda CAMERA to honor UNO’s Valdary CAMERA: The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America announced that Chloe Valdary will be honored at the annual CAMERA Gala on May 3 at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

Valdary, a senior at the University of New Orleans, will receive the David Bar-Ilan Award for Outstanding Student Leadership. She founded Allies for Israel at UNO, co-founded the Declare Your Freedom pro-Israel festival and has written numerous articles that have been published worldwide. Her “Letter from an Angry Black Woman” to Students for Justice in Palestine became the most widely-read piece on Tablet magazine, with over half a million views.

She has initiated the “This is What a Zionist Looks Like” and “Zionism First” campaigns to instill pride and reclaim the term from detractors.

Justin Hayet of SUNY Binghamton will receive the campus activism award.

Jacobs Camp hosting family weekend The Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica will have a Family Camp the weekend of March 27. The weekend is tailored for grades 1 to 5, but students in grades 6 to 8 will be participating in the NFTY Junior weekend, which will be at the camp the same weekend.

The weekend is open to veteran camp families and newcomers. Registration begins at 5 p.m. on March 27, followed by Kabbalat Shabbat, dinner and a song session, mixers and programs.

On March 28 there will be family activities, Shabbat services, camp tours, a kids versus parents kickball game, Havdalah, an evening program and Havdalah. The weekend will end on March 29 at 10 a.m.

Boating and the climbing tower will be available, as will the pool, weather permitting.

Registration information is available on the Jacobs Camp website.

Expanding Kash-ROOT in Metairie The Kash-ROOT Kitchen is a program that was recently introduced by the Parent Association of Jewish Community Day School in Metairie.

Five days a week, Chef Andy Adelman serves up nutritious, from-scratch hot kosher lunches for JCDS students and the Goldring/Woldenberg Campus community.

“Serving as the chef for the Jewish Community Day School, in addition to my community kosher catering business, has been a privilege and an honor. Serving up meals every day for these smart, fun loving and appreciative students is truly a labor of love,” Adelman.

The menu has been expanded to include fresh-baked challah on Friday and kosher pizza on Thursdays. A 16-inch cheese pizza is $15.

Challah and pizza can be ordered by calling (504) 343-9498 or emailing andeezacatering@gmail.com.

Adelman is contributing 5 percent of sales to the school.

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February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 7

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Carol Good, Lou and Susan Good and Rabbi Alexis Berk at the Touro Synagogue L’Chayim Awards dinner on Jan. 25. Lou and Susan Good were this year’s honorees.

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Walt Handelsman will be the guest for Purim at Gates of Prayer in Metairie, on March 4 at 6:30 p.m.

Touro Synagogue will have a Beatles Purimspiel on March 1 at 10 a.m.

Chabad of Louisiana’s Purim celebrations on March 5 will have the theme “Je Suis Purim.”

JewCCY, the combined youth group for New Orleans’ Reform congregations, will have a fifth anniversary celebration on Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Sector6 Extreme Air Sports. Students in grades 6 to 12 are welcome.

“A Rabbi’s Appreciation of World Religions” continues at Touro Synagogue this month. On Feb. 18, Rabbi Gary Gerson will discuss Hinduism and Buddhism. On Feb. 25, he will discuss Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism; Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto Native American Religion, Wicca and Scientology. The classes are at 7 p.m. in the Mautner Learning Center.

Beth Shalom Sisterhood in Baton Rouge is holding a PJ Library Havdalah concert on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., featuring Rabbi Judy Caplan Ginsburgh of Alexandria. The evening is for all ages, including those who do not have children, and will also include a craft project. Pajamas are encouraged.

Baton Rouge Hadassah is going on a pilgrimage to Natchez in March.

On March 21 there will be a carpool to Natchez from Beth Shalom, for a tour of Natchez’s Jewish roots. There will be a tour of Temple B’nai Israel, dinner and Shabbat services. There will be an option on whether to return to Baton Rouge or stay overnight. Those who stay will participate in the Natchez Spring Pilgrimage on March 22, touring three historic homes and plantations, then returning to Baton Rouge that evening. For more information, contact Marilyn Martell, (609) 315-2264.

At the Feb. 27 Shabbat service, Beth Israel in Metairie will have a program on Italy in its International Shabbat Series. Alessandro Steinhaus and Daniela Piperno will be preparing a Shabbat meal based on Italian cuisine. Steinhaus will share history and stories from the Jewish experience in Italy.

original local Southern Jewish Life 8 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

NOLA

agenda Several in region on ballots for World Zionist Congress election Voting is now open for the 37th World Zionist Congress, which will be held in Jerusalem in October, and there are several candidates from the region on the slates.

Representation in the U.S. delegation is proportional to votes received, and the U.S. has 145 delegates out of a worldwide total of 500. The Congress meets every five years to discuss issues of vital importance to the global Jewish community and set policy for the World Zionist Organization.

Issues of religious pluralism and funding priorities have often been debated at the Congress.

In the last election, only 80,000 American Jews voted. The Association of Reform Zionists of America received 56 delegate slots, the Religious Zionists of America received 35 and the Conservative movement’s Mercaz USA had 33 delegates.

Voter turnout was much higher in the 1990s when contentious religious pluralism issues were high on the American delegation’s agenda.

Any Jewish citizen of the U.S. who is age 18 or above and did not vote in the last Israeli parliamentary election is eligible to vote for one of the 11 slates. One may register online and vote, or one may go through an organizational website.

The processing fee for voting is $10, $5 for those under age 30. By registering and voting, one also affirms acceptance of the Jerusalem Program, which “views a Jewish, Zionist, democratic and secure State of Israel to be the expression of the common responsibility of the Jewish people for its continuity and future.”

The 11 organizations put forth a slate of delegates. Often, if a group

receives 10 slots, many more from the organization actually attend the Congress but only 10 are able to vote on policies at any given time.

Birmingham has three entries on the Mercaz slate — Julian Brook, Rabbi Randall Konigsburg and J.B. Mazer.

William Hess and Susan Hess of New Orleans are on the ARZA slate.

Julie Wise Oreck of New Orleans and Andy Groveman of Memphis are on the Zionist Spring slate, which is “dedicated to restoring the greatness and vitality of the Zionist movement… a voice of the Jewish people demanding that Zionism become once again relevant in our daily lives.”

Tulane student Maor Shapira is on the Alliance for New Zionist Vision slate, which is a group of grassroots movements, especially on college campuses.

The list of organizations and slates is available at myvoteourisrael.com, which is also the registration and voting site. Voting began on Jan. 13 and runs through April 30.

Matisyahu to headline DYF3.0

Matisyahu will be one of the performers at Declare Your Freedom 3.0, an annual celebration of Israel in New Orleans. The pro-Israel campus event is organized by Maor Shapira of Tulane and Chloe Valdary of the University of New Orleans.

This year’s event will be on April 12, and similar events are being planned at American University, Penn State and the University of Central Florida. The events feature musical acts and speakers, and has been endorsed by Alan Dershowitz as an antidote to anti-Israel activities on campus.

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February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 9

agenda Roselle Ungar named new NOLA JFS executive director Roselle Ungar has been hired as the new executive director of Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans, starting her new position on Jan. 28.

A New Orleans native, Ungar was approved at a board vote on Jan. 21. She had been serving as president of the agency, and as a result of the vote, Julie Wise Oreck became the new president.

In recent months, Executive Director Michael Steiner was on leave due to medical reasons. He had been hired by the agency to succeed Deena Gerber, who reRoselle Ungar tired in June 2013 after 19 years of leading the social-service agency.

“We formed a committee to conduct a search, but then received a resume from a candidate who was so exceptionally qualified and surpassed the credentials of anyone we could have potentially recruited,” said Oreck.

“We are thrilled with this selection and know that Roselle will be a superlative leader for the agency.”

Ungar was assistant executive director at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans from 1997 to 2006. Most recently, she has been the owner of Strategic Nonprofit Consulting, speaking and training across the country. She has also been the director of community and philanthropic affairs at Crescent Bank and Trust.

Ungar graduated as an R.N. from the Touro Infirmary School of Nursing. In 2008, she received her Certified Fundraising Executive designa-

10 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

tion and is one of only 4,127 individuals in the United States to hold this credential.

Ungar is also a former national vice president and current national board member of Hadassah, and co-chaired the 2014 national convention in Las Vegas. She also is a past president of Beth Israel Congregation.

“It is such an honor for me to take on this role,” Ungar said. “JFS is an agency that changes people’s lives and I look forward to being a part of making a difference through this organization’s great work.”

Jewish Family Service provides a wide range of programs to the Jewish and greater communities, including counseling, homemaker services, the Lifeline emergency response service, a Teen Life Counts suicide prevention program in schools, case management and adoption home studies.

Annual benefit concert for Monroe community’s cemetery on Feb. 28 B’nai Israel in Monroe will have its annual “Tribute to Jewish American Composers” benefit concert on Feb. 28.

This is the ninth year that the congregation has held the event, with proceeds going toward the maintenance and restoration of Monroe’s historic Jewish cemetery.

Featured artists are Rod Allen Payne and Carvel Avis, guitar; Lawrence Gibbs, saxophone and clarinet; with vocalists G. G. Shinn, Corey Trahan, Lisa Lee Pheifer, Zelia Logan and Lisa Spann.

The program begins at 7 p.m. and a reception will follow. Tickets are $20. Patron tickets, which include two admissions, are $60. Sponsorship levels are also available.

Nancy Spielberg chats with Rickie Voit and Barry Silverman at a reception for the Mobile Jewish Film Festival

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Reita Franco tribute in Mobile goes “Above and Beyond” original plan Film to screen at National WWII Museum in April

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When the organizers of the Mobile Jewish Film Festival decided to have Nancy Spielberg’s documentary, “Above and Beyond: The Birth of the Israeli Air Force” as the first Reita Franco Memorial Film, they had no idea just how fitting that choice would be.

Reita Franco, who died last April, was a driving force behind the festival since its inception 14 years ago. She often would speak of the festival becoming big enough to draw a visit from Steven Spielberg — but that quip aside, there was a much bigger connection between the Spielbergs and the Franco family, especially on this film.

Nancy, who is Steven’s sister, was in Mobile for the Jan. 18 screening and a patron’s reception at the Fort Conde Inn, where she spoke of her connection with Alan Franco of New Orleans, one of Reita’s three sons.

Through his work with the D-Day Museum, now the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Alan Franco got to know Steven and his father, Arnold. Steven dedicated a wing at the museum in honor of Arnold.

During World War II, Arnold was communications chief of the 490th “Skull and Wings” Bombardment Squadron, known as the “Burma Bridge Busters.”

After the war, he helped design and build the first business computer.

He also invented and patented the first electronic library system and designed the first electronic cash register.

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks headlined the museum’s dedication in June 2000, and at the event Arnold called Nancy over to “meet my friend Alan.”

“That’s when I met Alan and that’s when we became friends,” she said.

Nancy said the only other time she had been to Mobile was in 1977, when Steven was filming “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” She spent a hot August day in the huge airplane hangar there, “the worst mistake of my life.”

Nancy was inspired to produce “Above and Beyond” after reading a 2011 obituary for Al Schwimmer, who was credited with being a founder of the Israeli Air Force. She researched the story of U.S. and Canadian pilots, World War II veterans, who were inspired to fight for Israel’s independence despite the risk of losing their U.S. citizenship because of an administration embargo through the U.S. Neutrality Act. The pilots — both Jews and non-Jews — trained and coordinated in secret to stay ahead of the FBI and played a critical role in repelling five invading Arab armies in 1948 after Israel declared independence. Some of them wound up flying repurposed Nazi planes, which had been abandoned in Czechoslovakia, that they had tried to shoot down a few years earlier.

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Those Messerschmitts were able to best the Spitfires that had been flown by the Allies during the war for the first time, when flown by American pilots for the IDF, she noted.

Nancy said for most of the fighters, it wasn’t necessarily a strong sense of Zionism that motivated them. “They felt it was their duty to help someone who needed help.”

When she started telling people about her project, the reaction was mostly an astonished “that’s a great story.” But Alan “was the only guy who knew what I was talking about,” having read about it some years earlier.

She said he would send her articles and email her with bits of historical information, saying “did you know this?” She said she had to learn quickly so she could say yes to him.

Roberta Grossman was the film’s director. Because archival footage from 1948 was scarce, a lot of scenes had to be re-created. And with a small budget, that was a challenge — for one dogfight scene they needed to show 12 Spitfires. There was just one available, and doing quality CGI is expensive.

Nevertheless, Nancy contacted George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic and they agreed to do it pro bono, creating 11 more Spitfires for the scene.

She wanted to finish the film as quickly as possible, because of the age of the pilots. Already, two of the film’s subjects have died.

“Above and Beyond” had its debut last summer at the Jerusalem Film Festival, including a private screening for Israeli Air Force members. Arnold was in attendance for the screening.

The U.S. debut was two weeks later at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival — during the height of the Gaza operation.

In Jerusalem, her concern was whether the film got everything right in front of an audience of “family,” while her concern in San Francisco had more to do with reaction to the film with the backdrop of the war in Gaza.

In California “they took the film as it should be taken — celebrating those guys and not trying to twist it into a political agenda.”

A major event is planned around the film for April 22 at the World War II Museum in New Orleans. The Jewish community will have an Israel Independence Day event with a 5:30 p.m. reception, followed by a talk by Nancy at 6:30 p.m., and the film will be screened at 7 p.m., followed by a question and answer session.

The Greater New Orleans Rabbinic Council will have a Memorial Day service as part of the evening.

Seating is extremely limited, and reservations are required. The cost to attend is $18, $10 for students and adults under age 30. Reservations can be made through the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.

The film is also schedule to be screened at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference in Washington in March.

At the reception before the Mobile screening, Barry Silverman paid tribute to Reita and Edward Franco, saying that after they arrived in Mobile in 1976, “each of them gave so much of their energy to the Jewish community.”

When the festival began as a program of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, she traveled to Jackson each year to view and select films. “Her sense of what people wanted to see was an inspiration,” Silverman said. Though she did not like fundraising, she took the lead each year, later insisting — for several years — that it would be her last year.

Silverman said they hope the Reita Franco Memorial Film would be a big event each year, and “she would be very excited to welcome Nancy Spielberg today.”

Alan said the film festival “was her baby. She truly loved the idea of a Jewish film festival in Mobile.”

Silverman also announced that the Franco sons are setting up the Reita Franco Mobile Jewish Film Festival Endowment. “This is going to enable us to really expand the film festival with exhibits, musical performances and speakers that will honor Reita’s memory.”

February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 13

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Opening night at the Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival on Jan. 14 included pickled herring on rye with a chilled vodka shot.

“The Sturgeon Queens” opened the four-day festival, which drew over 700 fans to the Manship Theatre.

SOJOURN launches Birmingham programs with “Straightlaced” SOJOURN, the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity, will have its first Birmingham program this month.

The Atlanta-based organization was recently included in the annual Slingshot Guide of “the most innovative and effective Jewish organizations, programs and projects in North America.”

On Feb. 23, SOJOURN and the Levite Jewish Community Center are partnering for a screening of Groundspark’s “Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up.” The film’s creators will lead a discussion after the screening.

“Straightlaced” is directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, and is part of Groundspark’s acclaimed Respect for All project. It is accompanied by an educational curriculum and professional development series.

The program was made possible by a $20,000 grant from the Mandel Foundation to bring educational programming to the Southeast in partnership with GroundSpark. Other programs will be in Atlanta, Blue Ridge, N.C. and Asheville.

Chasnoff said “There is exciting work happening now in Georgia, North Carolina and Alabama to support all students to be their best, fullest selves. We are honored that our films, curricula and professional development programs will be utilized to expand that work even further.”

The film, which is appropriate for all ages, explores the pressures, stereotypes and “rigid gender policing” American teens face around questions of gender and sexuality, including perspectives from over 50 teens who self-identify as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning. The film demonstrates that much of teen life requires thinking about gender and sexuality, from girls who “dumb down” so they do not intimidate boys, to boys who are sexually active to “prove” that they are not gay, to non-conforming teens facing relentless bullying.

SOJOURN collaborates with religious and secular institutions to promote “equality and inclusion for gender- and sexually-diverse people from a Jewish perspective.” In addition to running inclusion training workshops for Jewish organizations throughout the South, SOJOURN has also contracted with the state of Georgia to train clergy of all faiths to address these issues in their communities.

The Feb. 23 program kicks off the Welcoming Communities program in Birmingham. The 7 p.m. screening at the LJCC is open to the community.

community

Friendship Circle is off and running Birmingham Circle approaching third year, plans in the works for New Orleans On Feb. 22, thousands of runners will take to the streets of Birmingham for the Mercedes Marathon. Among them will be a few dozen members of Team Friendship, including Rabbi Yossi “The Runnin’ Rabbi” Friedman.

Team Friendship is participating as a way to raise a goal of $60,000 to support the Friendship Circle, which brings together teenage volunteers and children with special needs for fun, friendship and socialization.

Rabbi Levi Weinbaum, who is co-director of Friendship Circle Alabama with wife Mushka, said participation in the race has two goals.

First, the circle is growing but there isn’t much awareness about the circle in the broader community, and “as we were getting bigger we needed to find a way of supporting the Friendship Circle and hopefully this will be an annual fundraiser.”

The Friendship Circle began in Detroit in 1994. The Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan asked Rabbi Levi Shemtov and his wife, Bassie, to start an organization that would bring friendship to those who need friends.

The idea came from a grant from a family where there was a special friendship between a Chabad rabbi and their son, who had passed away.

Weinbaum said the Shemtovs started sending their teenage children to visit special needs children in the community, and found that their teens were getting as much of a benefit, if not more, as the special needs children.

By 2003, the Detroit circle had 350 teen volunteers serving 150 children with special needs. The success there inspired establishment of circles across the country, then around the world. Today there are around 80 locations with 5,000 children and 11,000 volunteers.

In 2004, the Friendship Circle built the Meer Family Friendship Center in the Detroit area, a hands-on area where the children and their friends can practice life skills.

The Birmingham circle started in the summer of 2013 through the Bais Ariel Chabad Center. Before long there were three volunteers visiting two children. At the end of the year there was a dinner honoring the teen volunteers, with 45 in attendance.

Entirely through word-of-mouth, the circle soon grew to seven children and 13 volunteers, and now the program serves 12 children with 23 volunteers. More growth is certainly possible, Weinbaum said, “we have people waiting for visits, we just need more teens.”

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin of Chabad of Louisiana said they are in the planning stages of bringing Friendship Circle to New Orleans. The closest Friendship Circles otherwise are in Atlanta and Houston.

The program’s cornerstone is Friends at Home. Pairs of teen volunteers visit children with special needs in the place where they are most comfortable — their home. The Sunday visits are for them to simply do

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whatever interests them.

At the first meeting, there are games that are brought along as icebreakers, but they haven’t been needed as the volunteers and the children hit it off immediately.

Weinbaum said they are now planning at least two programs or events per trimester, and special needs teens are also invited to attend Chabad’s teen programs with their Friendship Circle buddies.

One program starting up for older participants is Chef Academy, where those in Friendship Circle can cook meals that they can then bring home.

Another aspect of the program is Mom’s Night Out, where the mothers of special-needs children can have “time to get out, relax and mingle with friends and get support that they are not in it by themselves.”

Each year, Weinbaum explained, “we add to the program. We’re not trying to explode overnight.” Right now almost all of the participants are in the Jewish community and they are looking for more Jewish teens to volunteer. Weinbaum hopes to eventually have a facility like the one near Detroit that would be open to the broader community.

Weinbaum notes that the visits are not therapy sessions, as the volunteers are not trained to be therapists. “They are there to be friends.”

The program’s philosophy comes from the command “v’ahavta l’re-echa kamocha,” to love your neighbor as yourself. “Anyone is eligible for a friend,” Weinbaum said. “Anyone who is not making that connection, we try to make that connection.”

The circle works with “every single type of kid, whatever the reason may be… and make sure they have friends coming over.”

The program cites Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s unconditional love for everyone and desire that every person should feel that they belong.

Among those participating are children with autism, cerebral palsy, ADD/ADHD, aspergers and other conditions that make it difficult to form friendships or socialize.

Some of the kids in the program are popular in school but “nobody hangs out with them” otherwise and they never go out with peers. For some of the participants, being in Friendship Circle has been the first time they have been “a normal teen.”

The framework is that Sunday visits are to be at least 45 minutes twice a month, but Weinbaum said he doesn’t know of any that have been for less than an hour. As a friendship grows and the families get more comfortable, the visits can expand.

Weinbaum noted that some teens have reported that their friends rely on the visits and

community “how can we do it just twice a month?”

The volunteers say that working in the Circle has affected their outlook toward others and sensitized them toward those who are alone.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi said simply, “I love the program.” Mizrahi was the founder and director of The Israel Project before becoming president of RespectAbilityUSA, a non-profit group in Washington advocating for greater inclusion for people with disabilities.

Friendship Circle “is really well-respected nationally because they fill a lot of gaps that exist in the system.”

Mizrahi noted that “this is a real issue “ in the Jewish community, because Jews are more likely to have children with disabilities. There is a greater chance because of generations of in-marriage and the tendency among Jewish families to start having children at a later age. “There is a correlation between the age of the parents” and many disorders.

“We have to understand this is part of our population,” she said. And “for every child with a disability there are two parents and siblings.” If the special-needs child can be fully welcomed by the Jewish community, “then you can increase engagement of the whole family.”

And generally, “it is pretty easy to accommodate kids with disabilities.

You just have to ask parents what they need.”

For some parents, that need is anonymity. For many there is a fear of having a child labeled as special-need or having a child with a mild disability compared to those with more serious cases, and in school there may not be any outward sign of the special need. Weinbaum said the program is designed to help keep participants as mainstream as possible and they do not label. Privacy requests are respected.

Even the display of Friendship Circle magnets, which have proliferated on local cars, “doesn’t mean anything” specific as it could denote a participant, a volunteer, a supporter or a donor.

As a way of thanking the volunteers there is a special dinner each year, and in March Weinbaum plans to take some of the older volunteers to a Chabad Teen Shabbaton in New York, where one of the highlights will be Havdalah in Times Square, with the group taking over most of the large screens in the square.

The circle’s programs run entirely on donations, and there is no cost to the families. Weinbaum explained, “You are taking a child to therapy, to a specialist. You are paying a lot of money. Every single one of our programs is 100 percent free for the families.”

About 45 runners have signed up on Team Friendship in the Mercedes Marathon. While some may run the entire marathon, there are slots set up for non-profits where relay teams can be formed and the runners seek sponsors.

Weinbaum, who moved to Birmingham in early 2013, grew up in a community where there were two children with special needs who were “always part of our lives. We went to their houses, they came to our home.”

While studying, he volunteered with Friendship Circle in New York and knew that wherever he ultimately was sent as a Chabad emissary, he wanted there to be a Friendship Circle. “It’s needed in every community, it’s just a question of someone working to find the people and getting all the teens,” he said.

When he brought up the idea after arriving in Birmingham, there was some skepticism as to whether the community really needed a program like that, but the numbers have demonstrated the need. Weinbaum noted that a couple of the participating families had been going to churches because there was nothing available in the Jewish community.

Several of the special-needs children “would never have been involved with the Jewish community if not for Friendship Circle,” Weinbaum noted, and one who did not have a Bar Mitzvah was thinking of having one.

“It does not matter where you are on the circle,” Weinbaum said. “You feel incredible.”

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After exercising his passion for Italian food all this amazing food, walked through the marfor several years, Alon Shaya is looking to his kets and saw all this really great stuff, and when I roots in his new venture, Shaya, which will open came back it influenced my cooking right away.” in New Orleans in the next month or so. An He started adding Israeli influences to his opening date was not certain at press time. menus, but the dream grew stronger.

The restaurant will have traditional and mod“We have such a strong team of people who ern Israeli cuisine, influenced by his past and his were ready for a bigger opportunity” at his recent visits to Israel. restaurants, and in opening Shaya nine of them He and his family moved are being promoted. Also, to Philadelphia from Isra“this space came up that we el when he was four, and are excited about,” so “all he spent a lot of time in the those stars aligned.” kitchen with his mother and That space, at 4213 Maggrandmother. azine Street, is the former The restaurant’s name and Dominique’s on Magazine. cuisine are a nod to his herShaya said the art deco vibe itage. “I wanted to celebrate already was reminiscent of my family’s lineage through Tel Aviv. not only Israel, where I was “We thought it was the born, but my father is Hunright time for New Orleans, garian, my grandparents are the right space… and this Bulgarian, their grandparteam is unstoppable,” he said. ents came up through Spain, The new restaurant is almy father’s family came up ready creating a lot of buzz. through Persia.” He wanted Southern Living named the menu to “reflect that stoShaya one of the 50 people ry and pull some influences Photo by Graham Blackall changing the South in 2015, from Israel but also places saying that he “shows off the like Eastern Europe, Spain, Morocco, Greece.” foods of his native country and fills underrepIt will show that influence through a “beau- resented space in the South’s rich dining scene” tiful combination of flavors, ingredients and with the new place. techniques.”

Eater National featured the restaurant in its Shaya started his culinary career at a Las Ve- 33 most anticipated restaurant openings of early gas casino but was “lured” to New Orleans in 2015.

2001 and became Chef de Cuisine at Besh Steak.

He has been assembling a team of chefs and In 2009, Shay and John Besh partnered to managers running the day-to-day operations open Domenica in the Roosevelt Hotel. “I’ve “and I will be overseeing all three operations.” had a chance to cook Italian for people for most Shaya will have a wood-burning oven in the of my career and that has always been one of dining room to make pita bread, “so we will be my huge passions,” Shaya said. “I even moved to constantly making fresh pita bread to order” Italy and lived there for a while.” throughout service.

In 2012 Shaya was New Orleans Magazine For those who have had home hospitality in Chef of the Year, and he has been a finalist Rosh Ha’Ayin, he has been working on Yemenite for Best Chef in the South at the James Beard kubana bread. “I’m not sure if it will be on the Awards for the last three years. opening menu, but it will make an appearance,” Last Spring, he and Besh opened Pizza Do- Shaya said. menica, a casual offshoot.

A section of the menu will elevate regular Still, “people are always saying, when are you hummus with seasonal toppings. Among the going to cook some Middle Eastern?” he said. ones he has been working on are curried cauliHe would answer “eventually, I really want to.” flower and onion, roasted tomato and fried eggTrips to Israel furthered that dream. In 2011, plant, seared duck breast with buttered leeks. he and Besh were part of a delegation of chefs The restaurant will also feature “all the beautisent by the Jewish Federation of Greater New ful salads and spreads that come out to the table Orleans to the community’s Partnership2Geth- when you sit down to eat in Israel.” er community in Israel, Rosh Ha’Ayin. “Going Small plates will include items like stuffed on trips to Israel over the last few years has in- grape leaves stuffed with slow-roasted brisspired me to want to start cooking this food for ket and shiitake mushrooms, a saffron roastour customers,” he said. ed chicken salad, French avocado toast with The visit to Rosh Ha’Ayin “really kicked off continued on page 21 what was inside,” he said. “I went there and ate

community

“Enchantress” a trip through the world of Jewish magic Anton concluding book tour in New Orleans For Maggie Anton, writing “Rav Hisda’s Daughter” and “Enchantress” was an unexpected magical experience, and she will finish her current book tour in a city known for magic, New Orleans.

The author of the successful Rashi’s Daughters trilogy, Anton set out to explore Talmudic times as the background for her next two books. She was surprised to find that it launched her into the little-known world of Jewish magic — a world that many find difficult to believe existed, though much of current Jewish practice has echoes of it.

Anton spoke about “Rav Hisda’s Daughter” in Birmingham and Montgomery in May 2013. “Enchantress” was published in September 2014, and she will speak at Shir Chadash in Metairie on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., and at a New Orleans Hadassah Keepers of the Gate luncheon on Feb. 6 at the home of Stan and Ellen Kessler.

Anton said she has never been to New Orleans, and “To wind up there on a speaking gig just before Mardi Gras is so beshert.” She admitted she knows little about Mardi Gras “other than figuring that it clearly has something to do with Purim.”

When she found out about the timing, her husband “who never goes on book tours with me… has agreed that he will fly out and we will spend six days in New Orleans.”

After doing the Rashi’s Daughters books set in 11th-century France, Anton looked for a different era to explore.

She discovered Rav Hisda’s daughter after seeing a story about her in the Talmud. While she was still very young, her father brought his two best students to her and asked her which one she wanted to marry. She answered, “both of them” — and that is what happened, though in succession after the first one died.

That piqued Anton’s interest, but there was one issue that was a major problem for a writer — the daughter’s name is never given. Looking for authentic women’s names from the period, she found out about recently-discovered Babylonian incantation bowls Until recently, scholars have been reluctant to look into the parts of Talmud that have to do with magic. Archaeologists unearthing incantation bowls “didn’t want to admit how many people were doing it, that it was some weird sect.”

After 1990 Iraq War “with no government control, the archaeologists and looters started digging up like crazy” and that is when a lot of material has been found. Thousands of these bowls have been unearthed in ancient Jewish villages in Iraq, and the archaeologists were finding them under just about every house.

“Each bowl is unique to the client,” Anton said, mostly for benign purposes, such as healing, protecting children and pregnant women, avert-

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February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 19

community ing the Evil Eye. In the first book, she had bowls, amulets and incantations, all of which can be explained away. “I didn’t cross over into full-out fantasy where there was magic and it worked, but in ‘Enchantress’ I crossed that line.”

The summoning of demons and rabbis talking to birds “crosses into the fantasy world,” as does Rava creating a man out of nothing. “It is in the Talmud, how could I write a book and not put it in there?” she asked.

For some that was controversial, ascribing such things to revered historical Maggie Anton figures, “even if they did, in the Talmud, what I write about.”

Anton did not invent any of the magic in the book. “The spells I used in the book are all authentic, they are either from the Talmud itself ” or magic manuals that come from that period. And the characters who cast the spells (in the book) are the ones who cast them in the Talmud.”

There was a wealth of material, and she figured, “Why should I make up stuff when I have the real thing?”

That did not go over well in certain parts of the Orthodox community. One Long Island newspaper that had done reviews on her previous books refused to run one on “Enchantress.” The paper “refused to take my ad because I showed these historic great Talmudic sages doing magic, and magic is against Jewish law.”

Though the subject makes many uncomfortable based on the notion that Jews don’t “do” magic, she said that magic and sorcery were common and taken for granted in Talmudic times.

11:22:58 AM First of all, the Biblical prohibition against sorceresses was interpreted to refer to non-Jewish ones, unlike Jewish ones whose magic calls upon God. Another rationale was pikuach nefesh, which states that one may violate almost any law to save a life. “They absolutely believed magic worked and that these incantations and spells were protective.”

Throughout the Talmud, sorceresses “are never condemned” by the rabbis and it is regarded as the sole province of women.

Still, it was regarded as necessary for the rabbis to know sorcery, especially in the Sanhedrin. “What if there is a sorceress in court?” Anton asked. The rabbis have to be able to detect one and be knowledgeable enough to counteract her. Especially, she noted, because in most magic books from that time “one of the first spells… was to influence an important person in your direction,” advantageous in a legal proceeding.

Several pages in the Talmud detail how to be sure that a healer is authentic and provides proven amulets and spells.

There is also a reference to a rabbi consulting the Head Sorceress.

“How do you get to be the Head Sorceress? Is there Hogwarts in Babylonia?” she asked. And she added that implies an organization of sorceresses existed. “I was so flabbergasted at seeing that.”

She did limit her use of the magic in the book. When writing about curse spells or conjuring demons, “I didn’t give the whole incantation…

I didn’t want to give anybody ideas.”

About 90 percent of Jewish magic has to do with healing anyway, she noted. “Everybody wore amulets because either you were sick or you were going to get sick or you were worried about getting sick.”

She noted that some prayers and practices today are based on ancient Jewish incantations. The mishebeirach, said for those who are ill, is traditionally said using the person’s mother’s name. That goes back to the incantation bowls, which had the mother’s name — which is how Anton came up with the authentic female names for her books.

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February 2015 • The Jewish Newsletter 1

2 The Jewish Newsletter • February 2015

From the New Orleans Jewish Community Center Adloyadah

Babysitting services are offered in the mornings and evenings, making it easier than ever for busy parents to work out.

It’s almost carnival time at the JCC! The 46th annual This offer ends February 14, and applies to all new Gold community-wide Purim celebration will be held on Sunday, memberships.

Stop by the JCC today, or contact Ava (UpMarch 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Uptown JCC. town, (504) 897-0143) and Stephanie (Metairie, (504) 887Bring the entire family for a fun-filled afternoon of food, mu5158) to learn more about our joining special. sic, games and activities for all ages.

Everyone’s favorite inflatables are back, along with new ones like the “Wrecking Ball” and “World of Sports.” The “Human Hamster Balls” should prove to be a hysterically funny and popular addition, as well. Come enjoy delicious Middle Eastern delicacies and nosh on New York-style deli items.

Grab a snowball or popcorn, and do not forget to take home a bag of the homemade hamantashen, generously baked by the Young Women of Hadassah in the tradition of the New American Social Club.

Admission to the carnival is free and open to the community. A children’s All Day Play Pass is $12, or $10 with a donation of nonperishable items for the Broadmoor Food Pantry.

Kicking for Kids Start forming your teams because kickball is coming! The JCC’s annual kickball tournament, Kicking for Kids, will be held March 29. Just 12 teams can compete in this double-elimination tournament which benefits children and teen programming at the JCC. It is a fun day of sometimes fierce competition, and the winning team receives a pool party for 50 at the Uptown JCC. Entry fees include meals, snacks, beer and water, as well as an official 2015 Kicking for Kids t-shirt.

JCC Summer Camp2015 Registration for JCC Summer Day Camps is now open to the community. Located at both the Uptown and Metairie campuses, the JCC Summer Day Camps have enriched the lives of children and teens for decades, providing a chance to make memories that can last a lifetime as campers have fun, explore their interests and make new friends. Tailoring programs to match the changing needs of children from toddlers to preteens, the JCC packs summer days with a variety of games and activities including sports, art, drama, music, cooking, science, Israeli culture and swimming.

Campers ages 3 and up receive swim instruction from American Red Cross certified swim instructors. Older campers enjoy weekly field trips, Do not miss out! Teams can register online at www.nojcc. overnights at the JCC, and day trips to Blue Bayou and Stenorg. As an added bonus, the first teams to register get to pick nis Space Center. A separate Sports Camp is offered to campers entering grades 3 to 5. These campers focus on sports but their t-shirt colors. also swim each day, participate in Oneg Shabbat performances, and join the main camp for the day trips and overnights.

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Camp runs June 8 to July 31, and is offered in 4, 6 and 8 Start the year on the right track with the JCC’s 2015 Mem- week sessions so that camp fun can fit with family schedules. bership Special. Join today for $0 initiation fee and just $15 Weekly offerings are available for teens entering grades 6 to first month dues, a savings of over $210.

8 and include the following topics: Tennis, Adventure Trips, Experience the difference certified trainers, top-of-the- Filmmaking, Culinary Sweets, Strength and Conditioning, line equipment, and a supportive environment can make Color War, Portraits, Caricatures and Masks, and It’s Not in achieving fitness and wellness goals.Members enjoy more All Rocket Science! Early morning and afternoon care is also than 75 free group exercise classes each week and gain access available for campers. to the day spa, massage services, registered dieticians, sports This year, applications and deposits will be accepted onleagues, and an array of specialty classes including boot camps, line. Visit www.nojcc.org to learn more about all of the fun indoor cycling, TRX, Zumba, yoga, mat and reformer pilates. that awaits campers during a summer at the J!

February 2015 • The Jewish Newsletter 3

From Tulane Hillel Exploring The Big Issue On Jan. 15, Tulane Hillel opened its doors to all interested community members for a Big Issue panel focused on a phenomenon central to the hospitality and tourism sector: the addition of Airbnb and other short-term rental options to the landscape of lodging options in New Orleans.

Airbnb and other informal vacation rental options are proclaimed by supporters as offering options that meet market demand for off-the-beaten-path lodging options that offer a • Mavis Early, Executive Director of the Greater New glimpse into the vibrant neighborhood life in our city; furOrleans Hotel and Lodging Association nish additional rooms during high-traffic events; and provide • Eric Bay, Property owner and Airbnb proponent an avenue for mortgage payment assistance. Opponents decry Airbnb and its like as undermining the fabric of neigh- The differences among their views were amplified by the borhoods, increasing rents and operating outside of public strongly divergent opinions held in the audience of more than 100 people. The goal of the gathering was to keep the health and safety regulation. conversation going, but people on both sides of the debate This panel, hosted by City Business editor Greg LaRose, ex- are waiting hear more from city leaders about how best to plored all of the diverse angles that supporters and opponents regulate the industry. “I’m looking to regulation, legislation, of Airbnb and other vacation rental sites have cited as reasons taxation and really to come together to a happy medium,” for their stances. Panelists included: Bay said.

• Polly Hardie, President of the Alliance for Neighborhood Prosperity • Bonnie Rabe, Innkeeper at Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast and president of the Professional Innkeepers Association of New Orleans (PIANO) • Lisa Suarez, president of the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association • Rafe Rabalais, Project Manager with Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, Inc.

About The Big Issue: The Big Issue brings together a wide range of civic-minded New Orleanians and activists to make connections between culture and politics, arts and economics, the unique history of New Orleans and where we imagine our community in the future. The Big Issue addresses issues of national importance and features panelists who are involved in issues that are defining our life and times. Stay tuned for the dates of the next panel in the series!

From Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans Rhythm & Soul 2015 Fundraiser is Moving!

Orleans-area Jewish agencies and dedicated volunteers who provide over 100 baskets of Passover food and ritual objects to individuals in need in our community. Many of the recipients are elderly or people with disabilities, and for some it is the only contact that they have all year with other members of the Jewish community. For more information, please call (504) 831-8475.

Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans is pleased to announce co-honorees Marjorie Bissinger and Nancy Timm for its annual fundraiser. Historically held during the fall, Rhythm & Soul 2015 is making a permanent move to the early summer. The date for this year’s gala is Sunday, May 31 at the Audubon Tea Room and will include a Patron Recep- Welcoming a Counselor Intern tion from 5 to 6 p.m. followed by dinner from 6 to 8 p.m.

We are pleased to welcome Megan Loos, M.S., to our staff Brook Bissinger, Ashley Merlin and Julie Weiner will co-chair as a counselor student intern through the end of July. Megan the event. More details will be announced soon! is originally from Chicago, Ill. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Sociology from Bradley University in 2010 and Passover Basket Distribution Program obtained her first masters in Clinical Psychology at NorthJFS is preparing for our 30th Annual Passover Food Distri- western State University in 2012. Currently, she is working bution, which will take place on two dates: Sunday, March towards her M.S. in clinical mental health counseling from 29 and Wednesday, April 1. This program, co-chaired this Loyola University, and expects to graduate in July. Megan will year by Betsy Threefoot Kaston and Corey Rittvo, is a collab- see clients and work with groups of children and adolescents oration of donors, staff, board members, synagogues, New through JFS. 4 The Jewish Newsletter • February 2015

From the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana Sandy Heller Creates an Intergenerational Gift at JEF Sandy Heller has been involved in the Jewish community “This is one of the best ways of passing on the values of the in New Orleans since she married Edward Heller in 1953. Heller family,” said Sandy. “I am delighted to be able to give Edward’s parents, Mildred and Isaac Heller, were to non-profits that are important to me and very active in the Jewish comto allow my daughters to become the next munity and Federation camgeneration of the family to be involved in paigns and Sandy learned earphilanthropic giving.” ly on how important giving Richard Cahn, president of the Jewish back was in the community.

Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, says She has been involved in the “We are fortunate to have Sandy as one National Council of Jewish of our donors. The establishment of her Women, the Jewish CommuCharitable Lead Trust is very generous and nity Center, the Jewish Federa true leadership gift.” ation of Greater New Orleans Left to right: Milly Heller Denegre, Barbara Heller, and the Jewish Endowment Sandy Heller, Sally Heller. Not pictured: Karen Heller.

Foundation of Louisiana.

Photo by Max Cohen Sandy served as Older Adult Director of the Jewish Community Center for 15 years. She says this job gave her great satisfaction, as she was helping the senior citizens while learning so much from them. It was a winwin situation.

Sandy and Edward have a long history with JEF. In 1995, they established the Sandra and Edward M. Heller Donor Advised Fund at JEF. In 2011, in memory of Sandy’s aunt and uncle, they established the Josephine Blooston and Benjamin Cohen Fund. After Edward’s death, Sandy established a Charitable Lead Trust at JEF in 2014. The trust was designed in part to support donor advised funds for her four daughters. Each year money will be distributed to these donor advised funds so that her daughters can make distributions to non-profit organizations that they care about and want to see succeed.

What is a Donor Advised Fund?

A donor advised fund is a convenient, versatile tool that many individuals and organizations use to effectively plan and manage charitable gifts. It’s a great choice if you have a broad range of community interests in the Greater New Orleans region, or other areas close to your heart.

Appreciated stock and cash are two of the most commonly used assets to establish these funds. Contributions can be made at any time and are tax-deductible in the year the gift is made. Recommendations for distributions to the charities you choose can be made on your time frame. A donor advised fund offers great flexibility and makes it easy to support the non-profit organizations that are important to you.

A donor advised fund can be opened at the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana with a contribution of as little as $500. Once the fund reaches $10,000, distributions can be made from the fund. For more information about how you can establish a donor advised fund at JEF, please contact Sandy Levy at (504) 524-4559 or sandy@jefno.org.

Jewish Family Service Spring 2015 Continuing Education Workshops Register today for Continuing Education workshops offered through JFS. Each session will take place at Shir Chadash Synagogue, 3737 West Esplanade Avenue, Metairie, and on-site parking is available to all registrants. The first workshop was held on January 30.

Workshop #2: Building a Suicide Safer Community Friday, March 6, 8:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. presented by Norma Rutledge, M.Ed., LPP approved for 3 CEUs (General) Workshop #3: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression Friday, May 22, 8:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. presented by Marie T. O’Neil, LCSW approved for 3 CEUs (Diagnosis)

Pre-Registration (up to 24 hours before the workshop): $60 for 1 event, $110 for 2 events ($10 discount) Day-of Registration: $70 per event

Each program has been approved for Continuing Education Hours by the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners and may be applied toward the continuing education requirements for licensure renewal. They also meet the requirements for CEUs for the Louisiana Counseling Association.

Register today by phone at (504) 831-8475, ext. 120, or online at http://www.jfsneworleans.org/spring-2015-workshops/.

February 2015 • The Jewish Newsletter 5

From the Jewish Community Day School Jewish Babies Club Sing-a-long

• Fresh, nutritious hot lunch program

Join parents and toddlers for a Shabbat Shalom Sing-a-long at the Jewish Community Day School Jewish Babies Club on Friday, February 27, 1 to 2 p.m. at 3747 West Esplanade Ave., Metairie. The sing-a-long, filled with songs, dancing, playing instruments and socializing with other families, will be led

by Deborah S. Mintz, Shir Chadash Executive Director and Jewish Community Day School Parsha Teacher.

• After school clubs from chess to crochet to study hall

• An amazing facility including the beautiful Berenson Library and the Metairie JCC, with its gym, outdoor pool and Bart Field • Kind, respectful, smart, fun friends for your children

JCDS is a nurturing school where families of all backgrounds are welcomed. Family friendships forged at JCDS are rich and long-lasting. JCDS invites families to become part JCDS Open House of its family! Enrollment is open to all qualified students Families are encouraged to see why parents and students regardless of race, gender, creed or national origin. love Jewish Community Day School. JCDS welcomes parents For additional information or a private tour, contact Directo its Prospective Parent Open House, Wednesday, February 11 at 9 a.m. JCDS provides academic excellence and Jewish tor of Admissions Deb Marsh at (504) 887-4091. values to students in grades Pre-K to 5. Here are just some aspects that make the Jewish Day School of Greater New Or- Glowing Down the Bayou leans stand out in the educational landscape: Jewish Community Day School students presented a Chanukah Musical play entitled “Glowin’ Down the Bayou.”

• High quality teachers This original production, written by JCDS Faculty members • Seamless integration of digital tools Lauren Gisclair and Aleeza Adelman, was held December 18 • Co-Curriculars including Music, P.E., Art, Science and at JCDS. The musical took place in New Orleans where the Technology children went on a journey to find the candles for the Chanukiyah. Their adventures took them to the Audubon Zoo, the • Early morning care daily from 7:15 am Superdome and Cafe du Monde in search of the candles for the first three nights of Chanukah. At Cafe du Monde: 1st graders Nathan Benjo, Vincent Dyer, Eyan Callais, Rachel, Naghi, Gianna Harris, Isaac Morales, Evellen Bruchis, and Miles Holmes. At the Audubon Zoo, 2nd graders David Benjo, Jamari Hernandez, Cori Hawkins, Demi Kilburn, Sienna Kansas, Sam Shaya, Avery Hart, Harry Hart, Emmett Cohen.

6 The Jewish Newsletter • February 2015

February 2015 • The Jewish Newsletter 7

8 The Jewish Newsletter • February 2015

community There is also a prayer said after going to the bathroom, giving thanks for the body functioning properly. Anton said the prayer still said today is “part of an incantation that a person said as they washed hands three times for protection against the demons that live in the privy.”

She added that the Talmud says if you don’t do it and then touch your nose, then the demons will get in there and respiratory problems will follow, if you touch your eyes you will go blind.

“They were absolutely correct. I worked in a hospital for 35 years. If you had to name the best prophylactic practice to avoid getting sick, wash your hands!” she said. “They considered it a magical procedure, and it did work.”

Amulets and incantations “can work, the same way any placebo can work,” she said. “We know now the placebo effect is real” even when the person knows it is a placebo.

The Traveler’s Prayer is also an ancient incantation, and “of course these are amulets. These keychains with hamsa and the traveler’s blessing? I have one in my purse,” she said.

The six-pointed star with a circle around it is also an amulet. “According to some, that design is the seal of Solomon, and when Solomon wanted to summon the demons to make them work for him, he would draw this on the ground” much like witches would draw a pentagram.

Anton said this is the final book with Rav Hisda’s daughter. Unlike the Rashi’s Daughters trilogy, which should be read in order, the two Rav Hisda books were written to be stand-alone, “like two books in a detective series.”

As for which time period is next on her literary itinerary, she plans to take some time off after two hectic years of deadlines and touring.

While she has nothing specific planned, “there is something rattling around in my head,” but “I’m not going to tempt the evil eye and say more.”

>> Shaya smoked whitefish, and tagines with braised short rib with coucous, citrus and fennel.

“There will be plenty to choose from,” he said, adding that it will range from simple meals for $10 to $15 per person, “or you can come in and make an anniversary dinner out of it and be there for hours, get some really great wine and order four courses.”

Opening Domenica “was an opportunity for me to grow and learn and do something I was passionate about,” he said, and his business partners “have made all of these dreams come true and allowed me the opportunity to truly do what I love.”

Shaya added, “we’re ready to go, we’re super-excited to be cooking Israeli cuisine.”

February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 21

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The Klein family of Louisville, Ky., is among the five honorees at the March 7 Jewish Roots of Music gala benefiting the Jewish Children’s Regional Service.

The gala, which will celebrate the agency’s 160th anniversary, will be at the New Orleans Hyatt Regency, and will coincide with the agency’s annual meeting weekend.

In 1934, brothers Elias and Ike Broniatowski, ages 10 and 11, members of a Polish-Jewish family residing in Plauen, Germany, said goodbye to their parents and seven year-old brother Sasha as they were sent for a new life in the United States. They were two of only 1,000 Jewish children permitted to enter the United States from Nazi-occupied territory in Europe between 1934 and 1939. For virtually all these children, including Elias and Ike, their departure marked the last time they would see their parents and siblings.

For the first two years, the brothers lived with two different sets of foster parents in Atlanta. Before the brothers went to a younger foster family, their first foster mother felt that the boys needed a “simpler” last name, so the Broniatowski boys became the Kleins.

In 1936, the second foster family relocated to New Orleans where the father was transferred by the company that employed him. It was soon evident that the brothers needed more nurturing care than what their current foster couple was providing. The couple that would provide a home for them over the next six years were Leslie and Lillian Greenwald, a couple who had each been widowed previously, and were together raising children from their respective first marriages.

Both of the Greenwalds understood children who were separated from their parents. They had grown up in the former Jewish Children’s Home of New Orleans, along with eight of their own siblings, and when Lillian’s first husband had died, she had to place her three children in the home for several years, until she married Leslie.

The brothers graduated Fortier High School in the early 1940s. Elias was able to attend LSU for three semesters with scholarship funds from the New Orleans Jewish Federation, but like virtually all of their peers, he and Ike soon enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces. Elias’s First Army Division landed in Normandy on D-Day and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

While in active service, or upon discharge, each brother returned to New Orleans and married his high school sweetheart. Ike married Vera Barton in 1943 and Elias married Beverly Aronowitz in 1948.

In 1950, Elias left his job as a traveling salesman and enrolled as a chemistry major at Tulane. In four years he earned his Ph.D., and then embarked on his career as an industrial and research chemist. For the next 27 years, he held executive positions in laboratory science in New Orleans and Mobile, culminating in 1981 with his appointment as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville Medical School.

Beverly and Elias raised three children in New Orleans: Jon (Laura), a Louisville nephrologist, Jerrold, a New York-based financial advisor, and Meryl (Barbara) a gerontology consultant living in Memphis. They are also the grandparents of Rachel and Sarah Klein.

In 1994, in recognition of the care and love that the Klein brothers received from the New Orleans Jewish community, Beverly and Elias created the Klein/Broniatowski College Assistance Fund for Refugee Children at JCRS. The inspiration to create a fund that would assist in higher education came from Elias’s childhood social worker, Ruth Levy, who secured his LSU scholarship. In the past 20 years, dozens of Jewish college students from Eastern European and Central and South American families have received financial aid through the fund created by the Kleins.

business After successful mission, Mississippi to host Israel business summit in April rael Homeland Security Conference. It was his first visit to Israel.

At the conference, he took part in a panel discussion regarding information management and limiting privacy breaches during emergency situations.

Ten companies took part in the November mission, along with representatives from Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Among those represented on the mission were the Mississippi Development Authority, Raytheon, General Atomics, and Huntington Ingalls. Delegation members met with 40 companies in Israel, with two Mississippi companies receiving large orders while on the trip.

He noted that this was the largest delegation he has taken on a trade mission overseas.

MDA Trade Bureau Director Rose Boxx said the April summit will be “a way to follow up and make the Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant at a Chamber of trip more productive and effective.”

Commerce meeting in Tel Aviv last November Bryant called the Israel trip a great

Following up on a “successful” trade mission to Israel in November, there will be a Governor’s Mississippi-Israel Business Summit in Jackson on April 28.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant led the Israel Multi-Sector Business Development Mission from Nov. 9 to 12 and was also the only U.S. governor to speak at the Third International Is-

success and “the best opportunity for Mississippi since we began our relationship with Japan.”

During the trip, Bryant met with Consul General Opher Aviran from Israel’s Atlanta Consulate and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro.

Aviran said Bryant “is a close friend of Israel (who) took this visit very seriously.”

An expected handshake opportunity with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned into a 45-minute conversation that included discussions on an electromagnetic railgun missile defense system built by General Atomics in Mississippi and on the Ingalls shipyard that built three ships for the Israeli Navy in the 1990s.

Bryant spoke at an event of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Israel Business Initiative in Tel Aviv, where he said “Mississippi has a lot in common with Israel,” such as world-class research institutions, innovation hubs and the defense industry. “Yet we both have challenges.

People have preconditioned ideas of who we are and what we can achieve, just like Israel.”

This was the first in a series of visits and trade missions that the U.S. Chamber will host in Israel.

Bryant told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that

February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 23

business

Happy Chanukah to our Camp Barney Medintz families

Israeli business folk remind him a lot of Mississippians and Southerners.

“A lot like Southerners, they won’t do business with someone they don’t know,” Bryant said. “The first 10 minutes of meetings are, ‘How are you? How’s your family? How was your flight?’ – almost like, how’s your mamma ‘n’ ‘em? It’s not like going to New York.”

Boxx said the April summit will be business-to-business, bringing Israeli companies in certain sectors to meet with Mississippi companies to discuss joint ventures, exports and research. The main target industries are aerospace, defense, security and agriculture.

The development office is in the process of identifying companies for the summit. “We have found it is a good match, and that is why we continue to promote trade with Israel,” she said.

Succeeding in business, career involves good coaching

by Lee J. Green The best football coaches motivate and mold leaders, getting the most out of their players by creating an environment in which they can be encouraged to succeed through hard work and positive focus.

The same can be said of a successful business coach and how that individual can empower company leaders as well as employees to win as a team.

“It’s a leader’s job not to be the best at what they do but to get the best out of the team,” said George Brockman, a Birmingham-based business coach and owner of Radiant Professional Services. “Leaders who find ways to excite and engage their employees have happier, more productive employees. It’s about creating that culture and enhancing the communication.”

Brockman, who attended UAB and graduated from Herzing College with a degree in Technology Management, spent 20 years in project management as well as process improvement in the IT industry. He said he himself benefitted from a business coach.

“He helped me to understand that yes, it’s all about the bottom line, but there are many inter-personal things that can be done that help lead to increased revenues and that don’t cost a cent to do,” said Brockman. “That really opened my eyes.”

When he was a victim of layoffs a couple years ago after serving as a vice president of IT for a company, he saw it as an opportunity to “have a career helping other peoples’ careers.” He launched Radiant Professional Services and works with businesses large and small.

“We customize a plan based on each individual business’s needs and dynamics, but there are some things that seem to work across the board,” he said.

Brockman said he works with some HR/hiring departments to help them select the best candidates. The three criteria should always be fit, attitude and aptitude, he said.

When companies call him in (he offers free consultations), he meets with company leaders, managers and employees to recommend some procedures, best practices and incentives.

“We’ve found that people are more motivated to do well for a boss they trust and believe in. That is more of a motivating factor than being offered more money but in a bad working environment,” he said. “It’s about the people, not the money.”

Brockman said his “goal is to come in to a business and help them enough so they can be self-sufficient and don’t need me anymore. It’s about creating procedures, processes and a positive work environment that is sustainable.”

He said he also leads some business success seminars on leadership and recently started a video web series along with a newsletter. For more information go to www.radproserv.com.

24 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

senior life an annual SJL special section

CJFS Cares offers caregiver respite, engages those with memory disorders The launch of CJFS Cares on Jan. 27 isn’t just the launch of a major new program for the Birmingham social service agency, it’s a new direction for the Friedman Center for Jewish Life.

CJFS Cares is a program of Collat Jewish Family Services that provides cognitive, social and physical stimulation to people with memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, or stroke.

It is housed at the Friedman Center, where it becomes the first resident program. Brenda and Fred Friedman purchased the Knesseth Israel building when the congregation was unable to financially sustain the new facility. While the congregation remains in the building, the Friedman Center will be used as a community asset, housing numerous programs.

Lauren Perlman, CJFS executive director, said this is the “first venture into making that a reality, and CJFS is thrilled to be a part of that,” and the agency has been working with the Friedmans for several months to coordinate. The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center also has a set of its Darkness Into Life exhibit on permanent display there.

Perlman noted that this is the first major program launch for CJFS since 2003.

CJFS Cares was modeled after the Adult Respite Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery. Perlman said they began the program three years ago “and were overwhelmed by the amount of need out there, and the lack of resources for families with Alzheimer’s.”

Staffed by trained professionals and volunteers, CJFS Cares will offer life-enriching activities to the program participants. It will also give family caregivers a break to focus on their own needs, with the knowledge that their loved ones are being looked after.

The program is designed to not be “just sitters” for the participants, but

to engage them in cognitive, physical and social ways.

That is important for patients, because even if one has the best caregivers, there can be a tendency to “slip into isolation,” staying at home and watching television, interacting with just one or two people on a given day. Studies have shown that “the more patients are engaged, the slower their decline,” Perlman said. ”This program is designed to engage people.”

While these conditions can’t be reversed or prevented, CJFS Cares “ will at a minimum enhance the quality of life for both the participant and the family caregiver who often just needs a break.”

For several years, the agency has run a caregivers support group, acknowledging the challenges faced by those who are called into service to take care of a loved one.

The program is being offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The agency hopes to eventually expand it to additional days.

The program is “heavily dependent” on volunteers. With CJFS staffers Pam Leonard and Amy Peetluk also on hand, they want to keep a clientstaff ratio of 2:1. They will launch with eight participants.

There have been two four-hour training sessions for volunteers, and 23 have completed the training. The volunteers commit to at least one session per month “but they are welcome to come every day.”

They have partnered with the Levite Jewish Community Center for exercise instruction and the lunch program. There are volunteers who will do pet therapy, music therapy, and arts and crafts. “Anyone who is interested in sharing their skills with our group, we’d love to have them,” Perlman said.

The fee for CJFS Cares is $40 per session, including lunch. A screening of participants is required.

February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 25

senior life

VITAS now the only certified Jewish hospice in Alabama

by Lee J. Green Recognizing that Jews have unique needs at the end of life, VITAS Healthcare in Alabama and VITAS nurse Susan Green took the initiative to obtain accreditation from the National Institute of Jewish Hospice.

As the only caregivers in the state to possess this prestigious accreditation, they are noted for their ability to provide a higher quality of customized care to terminally ill Jews and their loved ones. There currently are no accredited groups in Mississippi, Louisiana or northwest Florida.

The NIJH was established in 1985 to help alleviate suffering in serious and terminal illnesses. Established in 1978, VITAS is the nation’s largest provider of end-of-life care.

“Providing quality care to Jews at the end of life requires learning how to best understand different religious traditions, practices and cultures — it’s all about customization at a very deep level, and there are no cookie-cutter approaches,” said Green, who joined VITAS in 2014 and has 37 years of experience in nursing and home health care.

Specifically, the NIJH certification addresses the concerns, expectations and fears that Jews encounter at the end of life. It also addresses Jewish religious rituals at death and during the mourning period as well as strategies to ease the suffering and provide comfort to patients along with their loved ones. Discussion topics include the specific belief systems, customs, traditions and needs of Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular or non-practicing Jews.

To be accredited by the NIJH, a hospice must undergo in-depth, on-site training of all employees and volunteers, both Jewish as well as non-Jewish.

During her certification, Green received several days of training with NIJH. One of the speakers at the conference she attended was Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner, executive vice president and chief medical offer for VITAS and an ordained rabbi. He has been with VITAS in Florida since 1984.

“The certification enhances our knowledge of the unique requirements and needs of each person according to his or her particular sect of Judaism,” said Green. The NIJH accreditation reflects VITAS’ commitment to excellence and is an extremely important part of ensuring that the highest quality of personalized care to Jews is provided and meets their unique needs at the end of life.

For more information about VITAS, visit www.vitas.com

ComForcare helps New Orleans area seniors feel right at home

by Lee J. Green ComForcare in the New Orleans area wants to make seniors feel right at home and advises those seeking non-medical home care to make sure the provider is licensed, bonded and insured, along with its caregivers being well-trained, certified and screened.

“We’re there for whatever they need. It could be a few hours a week for errands and in-home assistance or many hours a day every day for more advanced care such as for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients,” said ComForcare Owner Lori Franzo. The company can provide care all across the New Orleans metro area as far as Picayune, Miss., and Hammond, La. Franzo said ComForcare has been providing care for those in need for more than 13 years. The company is licensed, bonded and carries all insurances, including workman’s comp. ComForcare carefully screens its employees and makes sure all are trained to meet the needs of the patients they are matched up with.

“We offer a free assessment and know all we can about someone we will be providing care to. We have the resources to not just match someone with a caregiver that is trained to do everything they need of them but also someone who provides a good personality match,” said Franzo. “That is so important to have someone that seniors not just know they can count on, but also enjoy their caregiver’s company and friendship.”

26 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

senior life

W ComForcare’s services range from bathing, dressing, hygiene, medication management, meal preparation, transportation, housekeeping and running errands. The company also has caregivers who are training in nursing assistance for those who need more advanced memory care help.

They also provide care for anyone 18 years old and up who might be disabled or needs regular ongoing care in their home.

Franzo also advises to not “wait until the need is so great” if possible. “It’s best to get someone matched with a caregiver even if they might only need help with a few things a few hours a week. Then if the need increases, they know they have someone coming to their home they trust and like,” she said.

NOLA Jewish Family Service offers array of senior programs Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans offers a number of programs and services for older adults, with an emphasis on services that can prolong the time individuals can continue to live safely and confidently at home. These include counseling for individuals, couples and families; a homemaker program that offers light housekeeping and transportation assistance; the Lifeline personal emergency response system; Bikur Chaverim (Visiting Friends) and Catch-A-Cab. As people live longer and choose to age at home, the preference for independent living is challenged by risks associated with inevitable compromises in physical abilities, mental wellness and general mobility. As individuals consider their own needs as they get older or if they are caring for an aging parent, it is important to explore the various resources available through organizations and agencies in their communities.

Homemaker has been a JFS program since 1975 and provides clients with light housekeeping and transportation. It is especially useful for clients who are capable of living alone but who require extra help with household tasks or running errands. Clients can receive services weekly or twice a month for 2-1/4 hours per visit. This is especially helpful to busy family caregivers whose loved ones may be going home after hospitalization, are struggling with routine housekeeping, are adjusting to a disability or have recently stopped driving.

Lifeline is a personal emergency response system that provides a connection to immediate assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in the event of an accident or fall. Subscribers wear a button and are able to summon help in case of an emergency. This service allows clients to live independently for as long as possible and provides the confidence to go about daily activities with the comfort of knowing help is always available if needed.

The majority of JFS services are available to anyone in the community and are provided on a sliding fee scale. Lifeline has a one-time installation fee, but both Homemaker and Lifeline are available on a month-to-month basis with no long-term commitment.

Bikur Chaverim or “Visiting Friends” is a volunteer-based program that provides visits to homebound or partially-homebound individuals. It is based on the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim, visiting the sick, and pairs Visitor-Volunteers with Friends with whom they have shared interests to facilitate conversation in order to share ideas and life experiences.

Catch-A-Cab is one of a select few of JFS’s extensive programs that are available only to members of the Jewish community. It provides transportation assistance through taxi coupons and gives individuals who are no longer able to drive the ability to attend social engagements, meetings, or other obligations at a discounted rate.

There are advantages for the entire family through participation in these various programs. Seniors especially appreciate the ability to retain a good degree of personal autonomy in the comfort of familiar surroundings. They are able to maintain connections with friends as well as community organizations and hobbies that keep them engaged and active. Meanwhile, their children feel more at ease knowing their loved one is receiving periodic attention and assistance from trained professionals. The services can also provide a break from caregiving to attend to other family or work responsibilities.

More information on all of the programs at JFS is available by calling (504) 831-8475 or visiting the agency website, www.jfsneworleans.org.

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senior life

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Senior Health: By the Numbers courtesy Touro Infirmary Living a healthy lifestyle, visiting the doctor regularly and properly managing chronic and acute health problems are all keys to living healthy and independent well into the older years.

Know Your Numbers: Regular wellness exams with a primary care physician helps one stay on top of important health readings such as blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, weight and body mass index. When these numbers are elevated and not properly controlled, a person is at greater risk for many serious health conditions including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 68 million people in the U.S. have high blood pressure, but only 1 in 2 has it under control. About 71 million U.S. adults have high cholesterol, but only 1 in 3 has it under control.

Staying informed of vital signs lets individuals and their doctors be in control and take steps to address any concerns. If one readings is elevated, the physician will suggest ways to improve the numbers including medications if needed and healthy lifestyle choices like eating well, getting regular exercise, minimizing stress and quitting smoking.

Weight Loss and Healthy Food Choices: Making healthy food choices and controlling portion sizes are important factors in weight management. If trying to lose weight, it is important to burn more calories than one takes in.

Try: Choosing more vegetables, whole grains and tree nuts

Using olive or canola oil in cooking instead of butter High-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes Skim milk and other low-fat dairy products Eating more unsaturated fats (mono/poly unsaturated) Limit: Saturated fats (and avoid trans fats); stay away from hydrogenated oils Red meat, dairy, eggs; drink alcohol in moderation Get moving! Exercise: 120 minutes of aerobic exercise per week is one of the few things proven to raise HDL (good cholesterol).

Exercise can improve your health and help you live a longer life.

It can also help prevent heart disease and other health problems.

Exercise improves energy, builds strength, and reduces stress.

If beginning a fitness routine, discuss any concerns with a physician. It may be helpful to start off with 20 minutes three or more times per week and work up to 30 to 60 minutes six times per week.

Choose an activity that is enjoyable, such as walking, swimming, biking, jogging, dancing.

For more information and health resources visit Touro Infirmary’s online health library at www.touro.com. For a referral to a Touro primary care doctor or specialist, call (504) 897-7777 or visit www.touro.com/findadoc.

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Greenbriar at the Altamont, which offers Independent Living, Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing/Short Term Rehab and Long Term Care in Birmingham, is growing with the addition of Greenbriar at Hanover, previously known as Hanover.

Greenbriar’s parent company, Noland Health Services, recently purchased the facility and it is currently undergoing enhancements. This campus is located on Hanover Circle which is near Greenbriar at the Altamont and will offer Assisted Living services as well as Specialty Care Assisted Living. It is also close to St. Vincent’s on Southside.

“This is a great asset to Greenbriar and what we can offer in continuing care,” said Greenbriar Executive Director Jennifer Shunnarah.

activities. Director of Marketing and Admissions Kelley Scott said 2014 was a great year for active seniors at the community.

Activities included a riverboat cruise in Alabama; visiting musicians ranging from jazz to mariachi; fun exercise classes; artists who came in and taught classes as well as inter-generational Skype-ing with elementary school students.

More field trips have been added to the activity calendar at Greenbriar with the addition of a handicap-accessible bus. To celebrate the Jewish holidays, Scott said, Jewish and non-Jewish residents joined together for a celebration around the menorah for Chanukah, including Jewish resident family photos in a special display, and they plan a Passover Seder this April.

SJL Online: sjlmag.com

senior life

Choose your own path.

Interim HealthCare suggests what to look for in choosing a caregiver

by Lee J. Green

Trusting the caregiver and home health care-providing company is of greatest importance to seniors in need, as well as their families.

For those in the Birmingham area, Interim HealthCare provides skilled nursing and non-skilled home care. Owners Melissa and Lloyd Ford said they can provide caregiver support whether it is for a few hours a week or many hours a day.

“When choosing a home health care provider, it is important to choose one (such as Interim) that is licensed, bonded and carries all insurances including workman’s comp,” said Melissa Ford. “When caring for loved ones, nothing should be left to chance.”

Interim was started in 1966 and the Fords have owned and run the Birmingham area location for several years. Lloyd Ford, who spent many years in hospital administration, said changes in health care and rising costs for hospitals have created a void that home health care companies can fill.

“These days you can have open-heart surgery and be home from the hospital in three days,” he said. “The goal of anyone recovering is to get well at home as soon as possible. We have caregivers who can be there for those in need or can even come to assist family members who are primary caregivers and just need some time to tend to other things.”

Melissa Ford says Interim carefully screens its caregivers, which include background checks, drug screening, testing and orientation. Those providing skilled nursing health care and even those handling some nursing assistant duties with seniors are given a wealth of information through a Delicious Flickr Twitter web-based learning center once hired.

“We’re focused on matching up caregivers who are compatible with those Delicious Flickr DeliciousFacebook Twitter Flickr MySpaceRetweet TwitterStumbleUpon they are giving care to. Those receiving care and their family members want to be assured that not only can they get the care they need, but they can Slash Dot Mixx Digg Skype Facebook MySpace StumbleUpon Facebook MySpace StumbleUpon know they have a companion to be with,” she said.

The Fords said certain insurance policies, especially some of those under the long-term-care umbrella, continue to allow for more coverage for those Slash Dot Mixx Slash DotReddit Skype Mixx FriendFeed Technorati Skype YouTube who need home health care. Interim offers a free, in-home evaluation for any prospective client or patient.

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Vitality New Orleans wants to keep seniors active, feeling good

by Lee J. Green

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The holistic approach — including whole foods, exercise and active living, and healthy nutritional supplements customized toward each individuApp Store AmazonMobileMe Last.fm Microsoft MSN Apple Microsoft MSN Apple al patient — is a recipe Vitality New Orleans can prescribe for seniors who want to feel and look like they are younger than they are.

Qik Vimeo Mister Wong Viddler App Store Amazon Last.fm Amazon Last.fm “It’s not the approach of just give a pill to fix your problems. We want to App Store involve (adult and senior) patients in activities they like, and improve their Tumblr Viddler WordPerss Blogger Qik Vimeo Virb nutrition with natural, unprocessed foods in a holistic approach that is easy Qik Vimeo Viddler to maintain,” said Dr. Vincent Michell, who runs the Harvey, La., practice.

Michell was born and raised in Gretna. He was in residencyTumblr for neuroloBehanceBlogger Design Float Deviant Art WordPerss Posterous WordPerss Blogger gy at Tulane when Katrina hit. After he returned he spoke with a friend in Tumblr personal training/nutrition, David Ales, about holistic medicine and studBebo Design Bump Squidoo Behance Design Float Friendster Deviant Art ied some other clinics that had success employing the approach.

Behance Design Float Deviant Art He said there are no cookie cutter approaches at Vitality. Each patient’s RSS Email Share This Friendster Bebo Squidoo plan is customized to their likes and needs. But the two most important Friendster Bebo Squidoo things are “being active and good nutrition.”

“Perhaps the best medicine is free. We advise patients to be active, but RSS Email that doesn’t have to mean going to the gym every day. It could be just get- RSS Email ting up and walking around a bit after sitting for a while. We are going to recommend a plan for activity based on what a senior is comfortable with and what they enjoy,” said Michell.

As far as nutrition, eating right can at times be difficult when surrounded with great Cajun/Creole cuisine.

“It’s a balance. As we get older our metabolism slows down but you can

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February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 29

senior life have some of these (fattier, higher cholesterol) foods in moderation,” he said. “What it is really about is eating as many whole, natural, organic foods as you can. The processed, synthesized foods are what get you. Nothing is more important than what you put in your mouth.”

Michell recommends getting enough calcium and being active for seniors to improve bone health so to hopefully prevent the onset of osteoporosis.

“The risk is higher with women than men, but the risk for men is higher than most might think,” he said. “There is a 20 percent mortality rate for those 65 and older who fracture their hip. It’s some serious stuff.”

Vitality also offers some effective hormone replacement therapies for older adults. “We recommend that for some and for others we don’t,” he said.

“But across the board, everyone can benefit from living and eating healthy.”

Michell said the clinic offers a free consultation on the first visit. For more information, go to www.vitalityneworleans.com.

Tulane makes great strides in stroke treatment, prevention and education Eliminating the changeable risk factors and getting treatment as soon as possible help increase the recovery rates and lower mortality rates from strokes.

That, in addition to new research and improved procedures and medication, provides positive news for seniors at risk for a stroke, according to Tulane Stroke Program Director Sheryl Martin-Schild. Martin-Schild is a vascular neurologist and an assistant professor of neurology at the Tulane University Health Science Center.

“The biggest risk factor is age,” she said. “There is nothing we can do about that. But the number one risk factor for a stroke after that is hypertension, or high blood pressure. If blood pressure issues are effectively addressed it could reduce the number of strokes by 50 percent.” Other risk factors that can be addressed include high cholesterol, smoking and inactivity.

She said only about 15 percent of those who have suffered a stroke had Transient Ischemic Attack, a milder stroke from which people usually completely recover quickly. Warning signs for a stroke include sudden loss of vision; difficulty communicating or understanding speech; sudden weakness on one half or part of the body; loss of balance; loss of sensation, and very strong headaches.

“A stroke can strike suddenly like a bolt of lightning,” said Martin-Schild.

“It is so very important to call 9-1-1 and have them send an EMT as soon as a stroke happens. That time in the field is so very vital. Do not ever drive a patient to the hospital. The emergency response team can administer the clot-busting medication on the way to the hospital. Every minute during a stroke, two million brain cells are lost. There isn’t time to wait. Treatment should be as immediate and aggressive as possible.”

Martin-Schild is from New Orleans and specialized in stroke treatment, education and research while at medical school in Houston. She came to Tulane more than seven years ago to launch its Stroke Program. “It consists of four areas — inpatient, outpatient, research and education,” said Martin-Schild, who is also the medical director for the State of Louisiana with the Louisiana Emergency Response Network.

“We want to work with the emergency responders to help equip them with all of the skill, equipment and knowledge they need to work with stroke victims before they get to the hospital,” she said. “Before I came here, only 10 patients a year had been treated with the clot-busting medication before arriving at the hospital. Today that number is more than 100.”

She said Tulane is encouraged by a study released just last month looking at the effectiveness of inter-arteric therapy, angiogram in the brain. The study concluded that if the clot is removed from the blood vessel in the brain with this procedure during the first six hours after the stroke, the rates of survival and full recovery go up significantly.

Martin-Schild said current research is looking into how ultrasound can aid in diagnosing risk factors for stroke, as well as trials of treating stroke victims with hypothermia — lowering the body and brain temperature so the clot-busting medication can work more quickly and effectively.

Tulane has set up a website that Martin-Schild administers — www. tulanestrokesurvivors.com — that provides support and education to those who have had a stroke. They also coordinate support group meetings.

30 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

senior life Somerby offers lifestyle options in Birmingham, Mobile Somerby of Mobile’s seniors stay active with everything from Chanukah parties to educational field trips, such as to an archaeology museum, and a recent trip to the Hyundai manufacturing plant in Montgomery.

Lifestyle Director Nancy Matherne used to work at the University of South Alabama, so she uses those connections to bring in some special speakers as well as to plan some trips to the university.

“We know our community has seniors with a wide range of backgrounds and interests so we give them a lot of opportunities to get involved in things they are interested in,” said Matherne. Somerby of Mobile includes independent living, also with garden homes and villas, assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care.

In December, Somerby of Mobile hosted a Chanukah party, which was well-attended by Jewish and non-Jewish residents. Somerby served latkes with apple sauce and sour cream.

Last month, they took a group to see some films at the annual Mobile Jewish Film Festival. Once a month, Rabbi Steve Silberman comes to meet with Jewish seniors and speaks various topics.

A few times a year, as a part of a partnership with Springhill Avenue Temple, a speaker visits as a part of Somerby’s Cultural Awareness Series.

The most recent visit was by Israel-native Arad Lenor, who spoke about the “State of the State of Israel.”

“Those events too are well-attended by both Jewish and non-Jewish residents,” said Matherne. “We are pleased to have that cultural and religious diversity in our facility. Our residents enjoy learning about their friends’ beliefs, culture, traditions and things that are important to them.”

Upcoming events at Somerby include a Mobile-style Mardi Gras celebration this month and a Passover Seder in April. Other recent activities have included the addition of a line dancing class and learning about technology

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“With Google Earth, residents found their childhood homes and told stories about growing up. With Skype, they can easily stay connected with loved ones for free. They are very interested in how technology can make their lives even brighter,” added Matherne.

Somerby St. Vincent’s 119 Birmingham/Hoover Jewish and non-Jewish residents alike at Somerby St. Vincent’s 119 senior living community look forward to visits by Rabbi Barry Altmark.

“Barry always comes out to lead our Chanukah celebration and Passover Seder. He always makes it fun and interesting,” said Somerby St. Vincent’s Director of Activities Saralyn Millwee. “He came out for Chanukah recently and we had more than 25 people, most of them not Jewish.”

Millwee said residents at Somerby — which includes independent living, assisted living and memory care — love to “party and learn.” In the next three months they will celebrate Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day and Passover.

She said Somerby has what is called Masterpiece Living. This came out of a 10-year study by the McArthur Foundation that shows being active increases happiness, health and extends life.

“Our seniors take an active role not just in telling us some of the activities they would like to have at our community but also play leadership roles in organizing these activities,” said Millwee. “We’ll do anything we can to help them facilitate, whether its field trips to the planetarium or bringing in musicians to perform.” She said one Somerby resident came up with 350 hours of senior-related trivia, and teams go head-to-head regularly in trivia contests.

“They are have a keen interest in geography, health-related topics… as well as learning more about how to use social networking to keep up with friends and family,” said Millwee.

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Planting for Jacobs Camp future Tu B’Shevat, which this year falls on Feb. 4, is the birthday of trees according to Jewish tradition, marking the time when the earliest blooming trees in Israel emerge from winter sleep.

Last year, the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica partnered with Adrian Juttner of the New Orleans area to add 108 trees to the property. Juttner, who is now semi-retired, does tree pest control and consulting, and honey production.

A major focus for him has been controlling termites, a major problem in New Orleans. In 2013 he did a six-month project to try and eradicate termites infesting almost 300 trees in the Garden District.

For Jacobs Camp, the issue wasn’t termites but a desire to replace pine trees. In the late 1970s, a lot of pine trees were planted around camp, especially lining the roads.

Jonathan Cohen, who was director of the camp until last summer, said “Pine trees don’t live too long; we were losing several of those trees every year.”

Also, there was a plan to put new roofs on all shingled buildings, so removing trees that could put the new roofs at risk needed to go.

Juttner helped the camp select a variety of hardwoods, shade trees and fruit trees and oversaw the planting last January and February, around Tu B’Shevat. He also put a nursery in the back of the camp, so if any of the trees did not survive the hole could quickly be reused for a new tree.

“Planting trees is a good thing,” Cohen said. “As was beautifying the camp.”

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Members of Beth Shalom and the Fort Walton Beach Jewish community had their monthly Nite on the Town at Caffe Italia One89 on Jan. 17.

community NCJW honors Julie Schwam Harris for activism The National Council of Jewish Women’s New Orleans Section selected local community activist Julie Schwam Harris to receive its top award — the 2015 Hannah G. Solomon Award.

Schwam Harris was honored at the Hannah G. Solomon Award luncheon on Feb. 2 at the Westin Canal Place.

This award has been presented annually since 1966 to a community leader who exemplifies the qualities of Hannah G. Solomon, founder of NCJW. Past honorees, including Marjorie and Scott Cowen, Ruth Kullman, Mary Keller Zervigon, Joan Berenson, Nancy Marsiglia, Carol Wise, Phyllis Taylor, Millie Charles, Diana Lewis and Sybil Morial, have brought about important community programs and services through their leadership in a volunteer capacity.

For the past five years, Schwam Harris has been engaged in a variety of women’s issues as a volunteer. She helped to raise the necessary funding to expand Planned Parenthood’s health services. She helped to organize the Legislative Agenda for Women coalition. LAW advocates at the State Legislature for equal pay for women, Medicaid expansion to enhance implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and improved sex education. Schwam Harris also works with many organizations to ensure equal rights for all.

“Julie is being recognized not only because of her interest, activity and stand on issues with which NCJW is in sympathy,” NCJW President June Leopold said, “but also for her aspirations

and efforts to achieve a more successful, just and fair society in which people actually have a stake and the tools to participate.”

During her sixteen-year tenure spanning two administrations at City Hall from 1994 to 2010, Schwam Harris worked with partners to coordinate government services. For example, she organized city departments to perform Strategic Inspection Force clean ups in census tracts by collecting trash, removing blight and fostering better community relations between neighborhoods and law enforcement. She helped develop a plan to bring the City of New Orleans in compliance with the American Disabilities Act. Schwam Harris assisted NCJW to develop its 6 on Your Side Problem Solvers program, now known as Fox 8 Defenders, to identify pressure points in city government that could aid individuals with consumer problems. She also strengthened a former NCJW program using volunteers in government called VIGOR. “Julie is well known in our community for her advocacy inside and outside of government. Her work is always thoroughly researched, reliable and focused,” Leopold said. “Julie never backs down from doing what she believes is right.”

During Mayor Marc Morial’s administration, Schwam Harris staffed a task force on domestic violence that was charged with developing the first domestic violence policy for the police department. Before that time the police were unable to even count the number of cases of violence between intimate partners. Later the task force became a permanent advisory committee including the justice system and social services that successfully applied for federal funding for programming. Three of the many spinoffs from this work are a corps of detectives trained to handle domestic violence cases, the establishment of two permanent Family Court divisions at Civil District Court, and the New Orleans Family Justice Center.

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February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 33

On Dec. 17, the Next Hundred Years Tree was officially unveiled at a board meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. The tree, located on the second floor landing of the Goldring-Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus in Metairie, lists all contributors to a special centennial endowment campaign that took place for the Federation’s 100th anniversary.

Celebrating Dr. King’s Legacy

Several organizations and institutions in the New Orleans Jewish Community participated in the annual Martin Luther King Day parade on Jan. 19. Anshe Sfard had a full weekend of events with First Street Peck Wesley United Methodist Church. Temple Sinai welcomed Moon Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans, and Norman Francis, president of Xavier University to Shabbat services on Jan. 16. Several community groups sponsored a screening of “Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent,” about the Jewish civil rights leader, on Jan. 11 at the Uptown JCC. 34 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

NOLA

culture art • books • apps • music • television • film • theatre

Where The Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak In His Own Words and Pictures at the Breman Museum. Images courtesy of The Maurice Sendak Archive, The Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia, PA.

MUSEUMS

Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak in His Own Words & Pictures It’s back, and better than ever! After years of travelling, the celebrated exhibition Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak in His Own Words and Pictures has returned to Atlanta with new content and a focus on literacy. It will run through July 5, 2015 at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.

The Sendak exhibition features drawings, artifacts and biographical information as well as fun, interactive activities. Upon entering the gallery visitors of all ages will be immersed into Sendak’s beloved stories. The exhibition includes interactive locations where visitors can dress up like wild things, slide into a bowl of chicken soup, and pick one of many of Sendak’s books to read on Rosie’s Stoop. Younger visitors will be introduced to Sendak’s timeless characters, while older children and pre-teens will gain an understanding of how sketches and drawings are turned into published works. Along with the exhibition there will be ongoing workshops and events for children and families.

BOOKS

My Mantelpiece: A Memoir of Survival and Social Justice

by Carolyn Goodman with Brad Herzog, Foreward by Maya Angelou (Why Not Books)

Carolyn Goodman may be best known here for the sacrifice her son, civil rights worker Andrew Goodman, made during the summer of 1964 when he was murdered in Philadelphia, Miss., along with James Cheney and Michael Schwerner. Alas, this wasn’t the only tragedy in her life, as she was molested as a child, had a brother die prematurely and experienced the loss of her father to suicide. Rather than defining herself by loss, Goodman dedicated her life by becoming an activist for social justice (including being arrested at the age of 83 at a protest in New York), organizing an anniversary Freedom Summer, producing documentary films and forming The Andrew Goodman Foundation.

At left, the Chaney, Schwerner, Goodman memorial window at Cornell University’s Sage Chapel, dedicated in 1991 by the Class of 1961. Both of Andrew Goodman’s parents graduated from Cornell. The Schwerner Chaney Goodman Memorial Project at Cornell University is currently underway, which has as its goal the building of an outdoor campus memorial to the three civil rights workers. The project is estimated to cost $500,000. To donate and learn more, visit facebook.com/schwernerchaneygoodman. Photo courtesy Daniel A. Klein.

February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 35

commentary We were hesitant to send our kids to a Day School, but are glad we did

by Jody Hart We were blessed to learn that my wife was pregnant with twins only five months after Hurricane Katrina wreaked its destruction on our city. More excitement followed shortly thereafter when we learned we were expecting a girl and a boy, whom we soon named Avery and Harry. Despite the hurricane, life was a joy. Michele and I had chosen to retire from the practice of law to raise our kids and pursue other endeavors (we have since both gone back to practicing law, but that is another story altogether) and we were able to travel and spend time with our babies for all of their first few years of life.

When it came time for nursery school, the choice was easy. The New Orleans Jewish Community Center’s program is very well-regarded and a top choice of New Orleans, Jews and non-Jews alike.

Although Michele and I are both Jewish and had every intention of raising our children with a Jewish identity, we had put little thought into the process. All we knew was that neither of us wished upon our children the experience I had, along with many of my friends, which was to stand on the Bima at age 13, trying our best to do justice to a language that we had all been taught to read phonetically, but very few of us could actually understand. But, like I said, we had no plan and the thought of sending our kids to a Jewish Day School had never crossed our minds. We were not even consciously aware that New Orleans had a Jewish Day School!

Katrina had made an already complicated and ineffective “public” school system even more complicated and, while improvements have been made, the post-Katrina schools of which we were aware did not offer what we considered to be an appropriate curriculum at any semblance of a reasonable tuition.

The options we were facing were: parochial schools, which were out of the question; Charter Schools, enrollment in which largely depended on luck in a lottery with application versus acceptance numbers that rivaled those of Harvard; and private schools with relatively unimpressive student to teacher ratios given the incredibly high tuition (times two for twins!) these schools demanded.

Fortunately, as the time approached for making a decision, we went to a school fair at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. It was at that school fair that we were introduced to Jewish Community Day School of Greater New Orleans, then known as the New Orleans Jewish Day School, and the head of school at the time, Bob Berk.

A new school was added to the list. The stereotype each of us had carried from our youth that equated Day School students with ultra-Orthodoxy, yielded to the modern reality of “Community” Day Schools that educate Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jewish children together, as a single people and religion. This open-minded approach, the incredible teacher to student ratio, the strong academics, and the hope that our children would someday stand at the Bima with knowledge, conviction, and pride, all resulted in our conclusion that the best course was to enroll Avery and Harry in the Day School for kindergarten.

I must admit that we made this choice with more relief than enthusiasm, both of us apprehensive about sending our children to a school in an adjacent parish with what we considered at the time to be a heavy religious component. Perhaps too heavy.

Those concerns soon faded. Avery, Harry, Michele, and I all found ourselves in a caring School with high academic standards. They weren’t missing out on anything in terms of secular academics; those strong academics were simply complemented with a daily dose of self — their Jewish identity. Further, because the school was and has remained small, the student body is by no means homogenous. Rather, we have the benefit of a diverse student body, with many non-Jewish students of various races and backgrounds, all of whom are certain to someday leave the school as am36 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

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Continued from page 38

it never happens again, it’ll put me out of a job.

But maybe there are better jobs to have.

And there was evening, and there was morning. One murder.

Doug Brook is a writer in Silicon Valley who directed the Kander & Ebb musical murder mystery “Curtains,” running (appropriately enough) through Valenstein’s Day. For past columns, other writings, and more, visit http:// brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/the.beholders.eye.

>> Day School

bassadors for the Jewish community as a whole.

With regard to the secular academics, we were very much encouraged by a local childhood psychologist, very highly-regarded in her field, who was not only impressed, but surprised at the high level of academics being taught at the Day School and volunteered that it compared most favorably with that of the most esteemed private schools in the area.

Avery and Harry just finished their third year at the Jewish Community Day School. There have been changes and challenges but Michele and I have never had one moment of regret as to our decision to provide our children with a daily Jewish education. It has enriched our lives in ways we had never expected, brought us closer with our community, and has provided our children with an identity that is clear and true and prideful and joyful and… beautiful.

Last spring, on the last day of school, the annual end-of the-school-year swim party was held and soon it was time to go home. The children’s joy turned to sadness. The students weren’t sad because they won’t see their school friends; they will, as the friendships made at JCDS are yearround. The students almost all said something about how they will miss their teachers. But that wasn’t why they were sad, either.

Listening to them talk, I learned the real reason many of them were sad… they love going to school at JCDS and don’t view the summer break as a “vacation.” Many wish that school didn’t end with May. I always enjoyed school and wasn’t one to have a countdown calendar looking forward to the end of the school year. But I sure didn’t mind the break!

And, frankly, I don’t believe I’ve ever met a school group that did. But we have something going at JCDS that breaks that mold. Something beautiful.

I hope and pray that others who may either be “on the fence” or may never have even considered a Jewish primary education for their children will take the time to ponder our experience.

In retrospect, we believe that sending Avery and Harry to JCDS is the best thing we have done for our children and are thankful for the opportunity. Not many Jews living in Southern cities in the United States have this wonderful opportunity. It is a true blessing and should be embraced.

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February 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 37

the beholder’s eye • doug brook

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Murder of theChai first This is Your

18

ItInwas morning like anywas othera morning, except that it wasn’t. theabeginning, there There hadn’t been that many mornings yet. And nothing like this had question. ever It happened. was a warm, sunny, summer When was a an man. Lying alone in the field, motionless.

Shabbat I arrived, morning,there when What brought me here?

His blood unsuspecting woman was was crying out from the soil. Once, he was a shepherd.

Now, he’s the murder approached in a synagogue first parking lot, victim. and asked the question that There weren’t that many suspects, but having never investigated a would launch a thousand quips. murder before because therefour hadrabbis never been one before, yet “Do you think you know who would preferI didn’t peopleknow sleeping that I was looking for any. through the sermon, rather than talking during it?” She said, “probably.”

His that father wasthe wellheadline, grounded, his mother Their records weren’t From came “Rabbis prefer lively. sleeping during sermon. ” clean — there was an earlier incident of possession of an illegal substance, In that first fateful column, 18 years ago, her innocuous “probably” which to their But they didn’t like of repeat offenders.

It was theled basis of theeviction. scientific assertion thatseem four out five rabbis prefer had been a long time since they spent their days raising Cain.

Besides, sleeping during a sermon. From where came the fifth rabbi? Simple: who would own five son?rabbis agreed on anything? Thus, four out When was kill the their last time There were no records of anyone else around, so I had to speak to the of five. only remaining person I could find: his brother,skills the farmer.

The journalistic integrity and investigative demonstrated there He was evasive at first.

I’ d ask him to provide straightforward could have easily led to a prestigious career today in covering theanswers, Middle but notmajor seem like was able. sidestepped, askinglabored if he was his Easthefordid most newsheoutlets.

ButHe instead, this column every brother’s keeper.

I answered, “if not you, whom?

And if not then, when?” month (except for the ones that were missed), and sometimes twice He saidtothat thealmost last time he saw his brother was when of them monthly, bring several laughs to its almost severalboth readers. went to offer sacrifices.

This was a compelling point: how could someone It rode the sound waves of The Southern Shofar though, despite willing to sacrifice be a murderer? contractual stipulation, never rode in the seat behind a Southern He held up under interrogation long as anyone everVoice, had before, Chauffeur. It then spoke in its ownas Deep South Jewish before which is to say not very long.

He didn’t give me the whole story chapter settling in to Southern Jewish Life‘s hind end — unless you read the and verse right — because took does less than a chapter, really just atoday few verses magazine to left, itwhich not make most of the news make — but told mesense. enough. more, or less, It became clearthe that when his sacrifice was Over the years, this column presented wisdom of the recentlynot accepted, but his brother’s was, that he HE DIDN’T GIVE discovered, long-lost Mishnah tractate Bava Gump which, among other struck his brother in the head with a rock.

He ME CHAPTER AND things, teaches how shrimp can be kosher. it was the only way to get through his VERSE, IT TOOK The column retold the claimed legendary adventures of the beloved young thick skull, but that was all he intended to do.

ONLY A FEW kabbalist, Harry Plotzer, and his adventures with The Sanhedrin’s Stone, He asked could knowofthat would through The Chamber of Shpielkis, andhow withheThe Prisoner Ashkenaz VERSES… kill his brother, or even how he could know and The Gabbai of Fire, though not yet getting to The Deadly Challahs. what killing was?

I reminded him that we are Occasionally there were guests, such as the recurring one due to a hareresponsible for our actions and their consequences, intended or not.

He brained rabbinical typo, Ask the Rabbit, as well as Gurb the Caveman asked where that was written, so I wrote it down for him.

Rabbi, and the occasional special report from The Oynion.

IExplored pointed out that he did know whatand killing was, real because brother had were calendar anomalies events, and his surreal, such as been doing it already to animals, such as when he prepared his sacrifice.

Thanksnukah, Mezuzapalooza, Kol Nidre the 13th, Purover, Chrisnukah, He claimedand he the didpirated not know same wouldand work that his Yomtober, Roshthe Hashaarrrnah Dayon of people, Aarrrtonement. brother didn’t hit animals over the head, but his argument seemed feeble.

The chorus of “Bubbe’s Been Run Over By a Reindeer” was sung, the He then claimed that, after his own sacrifice was rejected, he needed Rebbe at the Bat got his bell rung, and the Grinch who hated Jew-ville to kind of meaning for himself in sacrifice. An interesting hadfind hisanother hatred unstrung. point: if his brother’s sacrifice accepted, perhaps sacrificing his In case it wasn’t apparent, thiswas is the 18th anniversary of this space brother — the perpetuator of a successful sacrifice — would be even more not being for rent. In honor of this Chai anniversary, it would seem highly accepted, via some property. appropriate to toast it withtransitive some chai tea.

An interesting point, but it didn’t add up. There was nofor math yet, so the Except that chai tea has baffled rabbinic scholars hundreds of transitive property was inadmissible as evidence. seconds. (“Should we have seconds? Is one cup enough? Let’s drink on the end, who iselse it be? He the though first of amany things. it.”In ) After all, chai notcould pronounced likewas Chai, cup of chai The first younger brother, the first farmer, the first to have his sacrifice makes it easier to pronounce Chai. And some say that chai has properties rejected, first murder suspect the first murderer. Like his parents that helpthe to extend one’s life, one’sand Chai. once before for a seemingly lesser crime, wasIced castTea? out. Is there such a And what is chai tea’s relationship to he Thai Calling him the first something, implies there will be more as of tai them. thing as Thai Chai Tea? If there is, are its effects best described chi But was he merely the first murderer, or was this a fluke? for the digestive system?

For theare sakequestions of mankind, hopefully this will again.

After These to ponder during thisnever Highhappen Holy Day season, hearing this story, I can’t imagine how it could.

That’s why I wrote it. If though perhaps not late afternoon on Yom Kippur. This column continued on on theprevious previous page continued

38 Southern Jewish Life • February 2015

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