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It has been a busy few months as we have been restructuring. Our extensive coverage of the war against Hamas has taken a lot of reporting time and energy. There’s a lot of coverage on our website that we don’t have print space for, so go to sjlmag.com to catch up. Over the next couple months, our print editions — which we will be tweaking and freshening — will have many local stories we had been working on but which were delayed.

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Members of the Partnership2Gether team from Rosh HaAyin spent several days in New Orleans and Birmingham in January, making plans to further the partnership among the communities, and to feel the love and support toward Israel from America. Here, they visited the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans.

Holy Crepe kosher food truck debuts in Birmingham

Birmingham now has a kosher dining option, as Knesseth Israel has debuting its new food truck.

Holy Crepe held a Chanukah event on Dec. 13 at the Shell station on Overton Road, and is there every Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nathan Lichtenstein, who was born and raised in a Hasidic community in Williamsburg, N.Y., is the chef behind Holy Crepe. The plan is also to have the cart at different area hospitals on a rotating basis, and there will also be availability for catering and other events.

Beth Smokey said that after the congregation moved out of its building, they wanted to do something to maintain a community presence, and provide “something innovative and different, something that would be well received by the Jewish and non-Jewish community.”

They did not want to compete with existing food trucks in the area, and theming to crepes would be unique and something that a kosher cart could do and remain competitive. “If we did meat, it would be more expensive,” she said.

Because the congregation is housed in the rabbi’s residence, there isn’t a commercial kitchen available, which is a requirement for food trucks. There aren’t many kosher kitchens in town to serve as the cart’s commissary, but Smokey said the Levite Jewish Community Center agreed to allow KI to use their kitchen to fill that role.

“Without the JCC, there would be no kosher food cart,” Smokey said. Savory crepes include plant-based chicken parmesan, Philly cheesesteak, pizza, veggie or smoked salmon.

Sweet crepes include Nutella, Dulce de Leche, Funky French Monkey of peanut butter and bananas, and German apple strudel. Smoothies include strawberry banana; pineapple banana; strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry; and guava, mango and banana.

Lichtenstein started the first glatt-kosher food truck in Brooklyn in 2007 after closing a sit-down restaurant in Monsey. He also headed the big kosher kitchen in Uman, in central Ukraine, 15 years ago. Every year

Partnership communities holding joint Shabbat candle lighting Observance on International Women’s Day

The Partnership communities will unite on March 8 for a virtual Shabbat candlelighting, on International Women’s Day. Birmingham and New Orleans will take part with women from sister city Rosh Ha’Ayin at 8:30 a.m. Central time, due to the time difference with Israel.

The candle lighting is dedicated to the 14 women currently held captive in Gaza, the women who have tragically lost their lives since Oct. 7, the women of the IDF, and all women who need healing.

Registration is available through the Birmingham and New Orleans Federations, and a Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

around Rosh Hashanah, tens of thousands of Jews from Israel and around the world make a pilgrimage to the town, to visit the grave of Reb Nachman of Breslov, and there has to be kosher food available for all the visitors.

He said a friend had recently mentioned that KI was looking for a chef to run a food truck, so he examined the opportunity, and the rest is history.

“I really enjoy it” in Birmingham, he said. “The people are really very nice,” and services at KI “are beautiful.”

Lichtenstein prepares Shabbat luncheons for after services, and every month to six weeks there is a Shabbat dinner that attracts at least 30 people.

Aside from Bo’s Kosher Café, housed at the LJCC, the most recent attempt at a kosher restaurant in Birmingham was the short-lived Sababa, in 2012.

The cart’s schedule will be on the Holy Crepe Facebook and Instagram pages.

Foundation has idea for tribute honoring Saban’s retirement

While Nick Saban and his wife Terry been active philanthropically, especially through their Nick’s Kids and with Catholic causes in Tuscaloosa, including the University of Alabama student Catholic Center being named for them, what does the retirement of arguably the greatest coach in college football history have to do with Jewish philanthropy?

The Birmingham Jewish Foundation, well aware of the number of passionate Bama fans in the local Jewish community, is suggesting donations in honor of Saban to the Maurine and Leroy Monsky Scholarship Fund at the Foundation. The Monsky fund grants need-based scholarships to Jewish students from the greater Birmingham area who attend Alabama.

But football is not necessarily a unifying force in the state, and there are also many in the Jewish community who pull for Auburn and are happy to see Saban retire. There are also many Bama fans who have been known to give a quiet “War Eagle” regarding outspokenly-Jewish Auburn Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl.

For the Auburn fans, the Foundation has a need-based Auburn Jewish Scholarship Fund, for Jewish students who are incoming freshmen at Auburn and will join the Hillel on campus.

For those who are agnostic or atheist when it comes to the state’s religion of football, the Foundation suggests supporting Jewish youth through the Sally Friedman Jewish Youth Fund, which honors the recently-retired Foundation director.

Mobile holding community awards dinner

Reservations are open for the Jewish Mobile Awards Dinner, March 9 at 7 p.m. at the Country Club of Mobile, coordinated by the Mobile Area Jewish Federation. Honorees will be recognized for their contributions to the community.

For Ahavas Chesed, honorees are Herbert Meisler, Abe Mitchell and Arlene Mitchell. Springhill Avenue Temple is recognizing Lowell Friedman and Ralph G. Holberg, III. The Mobile Area Jewish Federation will honor Elliot Maisel. Jewish Family Services of Mobile’s honoree is Priscilla Gold-Darby, and Chabad of Mobile will honor Bina Goldwasser.

Tickets are $75. Sponsorships are $1,000 and $3,000. Honoree program messages range from $50 to $200.

Miles College choir taking part in Civil Rights Experience Shabbat

Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El will celebrate its Civil Rights Experience with a CRE Shabbat, March 15 and 16. The weekend will honor the donors, docents, committee members and others who worked to establish the center, which offers tours and programs about the city’s civil rights history and the Jewish community’s role.

On March 15 there will be a musical workshop at 4:30 p.m., featuring members of the Miles College Golden Voices Choir. The workshop will be followed by the 5:45 p.m. service, where the choir will sing selections from their repertoire, along with “Shalom Aleichem.” A chicken pot pie dinner will follow, reservations are required for dinner. Two out-of-state groups visiting the Experience will also be at the event.

At the 9:30 a.m. service on March 16, docent Michael Sznjaderman will speak and a lunch will follow.

AHEC offering all-day teacher workshop

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center is hosting a teacher workshop, “The Holocaust and the Human Spirit Within It,” April 4 from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

The interdisciplinary workshop is free for all Alabama educators, and includes four hours of PowerSchool professional development credit, a certificate of completion, and lunch. The first 45 educators to register will also receive a $100 substitute teacher reimbursement credit.

The workshop will be facilitated by Sheryl Ochayon, a leader in the field of Holocaust education from Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. Broken into four distinct sessions, this workshop will explore the Final Solution through a variety of different lenses, as well as the spirit of human resilience during atrocity.

Registration with AHEC is free, but required.

El Al adds Fort Lauderdale flights

El Al will launch a new direct route, Fort Lauderdale to Tel Aviv, on April 15. The twice-weekly flights will be on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and are in addition to the five weekly flights between Miami and Tel Aviv that were recently announced.

Florida to Tel Aviv will be on Mondays at 2 p.m., arriving 9:05 a.m. on Tuesday, or Saturday at 11:55 p.m., arriving at 7 p.m. Sunday. The return flights are Monday and Friday, departing at 12:05 a.m. and arriving at 6:35 a.m.

To help support Israel during the war, El Al is also offering travel vouchers for future visits to Israel, with 10 percent of the purchase price going to Friends of the IDF and organizations that help Israelis who have been evacuated from border towns.

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Temple Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach announced the hiring of Rabbi Michael Schadick, who will begin on July 1. A New Hampshire native, Schadick was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1994 and has been rabbi of Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids, Mich., since 2000. Before that, he served congregations in Orlando and Plantation, Fla.

Beth Israel in Jackson announced that Rabbi Joseph Rosen will be leaving this summer to become the associate rabbi at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston, S.C. This year is KKBE’s 275th anniversary celebration. Rosen has been in Jackson since 2019. The congregation is planning to find an interim rabbi for the coming year, with the goal of hiring a full-time rabbi in 2025.

Beth Israel in Meridian announced that Rabbi Barry Altman, who has served as visiting rabbi for the past eight years, will retire from the position. He is also rabbi emeritus of Beth-El in Ormond Beach, Fla., where he served for 38 years. He has been flying into Meridian monthly to lead services, and his final services will be at 6 p.m. on March 8 and April 12, and he will also do the High Holy Days. After the March 8 service, there will be a farewell dinner at the Northwood Country Club.

Hebrew Union Temple in Greenville will have its annual Old Fashioned Corned Beef Deli Lunch on March 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $15.

There will be a special briefing, “Israel at War: Its implications for our local Birmingham community,” March 3 at 3 p.m. at the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School in Birmingham, co-hosted by the Levite Jewish Community Center. Speakers are Richard Friedman, former executive director of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, and LJCC Director of Jewish Life Tzlil McDonald.

On March 4, there will be “An Insider’s Account of Israel After Oct. 7” with Julian Resnick. The Birmingham Jewish Federation is hosting the program at the Alabama Holocaust Education Center at noon, participants are encouraged to bring a lunch. Resnick has been the guide for numerous Birmingham group trips to Israel, including all of the Friendship Journeys since 2008.

Temple Beth Or in Montgomery will have its annual Huntingdon College Night on March 8, with a reception following the service.

Entries are being accepted for the annual Holocaust Remembrance Literary and Arts Competition for middle and high school students in the Shreveport area. The deadline is March 1. Details are at holocaustremembranceservice.org. The 41st annual Holocaust Remembrance Service of Northwest Louisiana will be held on May 5 at LSUS.

Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center is debuting Questions with the Rabbi, with Rabbi Yossi Friedman, to explore whatever participants want to know. The series begins on March 12 at 12:30 p.m. and includes a complimentary lunch. Future sessions are April 2 and May 6.

B’nai Israel in Tupelo will have a community Shabbat dinner on March 1 at 6 p.m., with pareve potluck sides.

For the second year, First Horizon Bank will be sponsoring field trips to the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans for local students from Louisiana and Mississippi schools. Last year, hundreds of students explored the museum through this scholarship opportunity.

Temple Beth El Sisterhood in Pensacola will host a Jewish Antiques

Unified Baton Rouge congregation set to dedicate building

The Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge will take the next big step since the merger with the dedication of their unified building the weekend of March 22.

The congregation is a product of the merger between B’nai Israel and Beth Shalom, which was approved in August 2021 and formally began in January 2022.

For the two Reform congregations, it was a reunion, as they had split in 1945 after B’nai Israel instituted an anti-Zionist pledge for its leadership. A group of 29 families broke away and started Liberal Synagogue, which later was renamed Beth Shalom.

While the idea of reuniting had occasionally come up, discussions took off in the late 2010s, leading to the formation of a Joint Synagogue Exploratory Committee. Both congregations hired interim rabbis to help with the transition, and then after the merger was finalized, brought in a new rabbi, Sarah Smiley.

The reunited and renamed congregation decided to use the Kleinert Avenue location of B’nai Israel as its joint home, but with a major addition including a new sanctuary, so everyone would start anew in a new

worship space.

During construction, the congregation has been meeting at Beth Shalom’s building on Jefferson Highway. That building will be desanctified in a March 2 ceremony and sold, with proceeds going toward the renovations at Kleinert.

The addition, which was scheduled to be completed at the end of February, includes flexible space off the sanctuary that can be used as an expansion for big events, or as a social hall. There is also a new kitchen and adult education space.

The existing building has been renovated for the religious school and the Rayner Center, the preschool run by Beth Shalom. The preschool will remain at the Beth Shalom building through May, in an agreement with parents of enrolled children.

The previous sanctuary on Kleinert has been transformed into office space and a community living room.

In addition to interior corridors between the old and new buildings, covered walkways have been added outside.

During the transition in location, the congregation has been referring

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to the buildings by the street name, rather than the previous congregational names.

On Feb. 18, the first “packing day” was held, with the final religious school classes on Jefferson on Feb. 25. The desanctification on March 2 is at 5:30 p.m.

The building dedication is centered around Purim. There will be an erev Shabbat dedication service on March 22 at 6 p.m., with an oneg afterwards.

On March 23, the Shabbat service will be at 10 a.m., followed by a luncheon. There will be a Purim carnival at 4 p.m., followed by Havdalah and a Purim dedication costume party at 5:30 p.m.

JCRS celebrating Jewish Roots’ B’nai Mitzvah Gala will honor legacy of Ned Goldberg

On March 2, there will be a different kind of Bar Mitzvah party in New Orleans.

The Jewish Roots Gala, a series of annual events raising money for the Jewish Children’s Regional Service, celebrates 13 years with the Jewish Roots’ B’nai Mitzvah. The gala will be at the Higgins Hotel, starting at 6:30 p.m.

With inspiration and leadership from Ned Goldberg, the Jewish Roots galas started in 2012 with the Jewish Roots of Jazz, featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Each subsequent year has celebrated a new theme connected to the Jewish community, including past Jewish Roots celebrations of Broadway, Comedy, Fashion, Sports and Summer Camp.

This year’s event will honor the galas of the past while raising crucial funds to support the futures of Jewish children in need. It will also honor the life and work of Goldberg, JCRS’ executive director emeritus, who recently passed away after retiring from over 30 years of running the organization (see page 16).

The galas have been responsible for over $2 million in donor support. The agency provides needs-based scholarships for summer camp experiences, college aid and assistance to children with special needs. Additional outreach programs include the Oscar J. Tolmas Chanukah Gift Program and the PJ Library program for Jewish children ages 11 and under.

In 2023, JCRS awarded college scholarships totaling more than $390,000 to 129 Jewish students from across its seven-state region, and 435 youth received scholarship aid to attend 51 different Jewish overnight camps. Additionally, 708 Louisiana children received free monthly books through PJ Library and PJ Our Way, 268 children and special needs adults received Chanukah gift packages, and 76 children with special needs or dependency received financial assistance and/or casework management.

MSJE hosting “Kugels and Collards” authors

New series highlights Jewish and New Orleans cuisine

The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans is inaugurating its Jewish and New Orleans Cuisine and Heritage Series on March 14 with Lyssa Harvey and Rachel Barnett, authors of “Kugels and Collards.”

Through recipes and stories, the two authors will explore the food history, traditions and memories of South Carolina Jewry. This in-person event will take place at the Museum at 6 p.m. Central, and will be streamed on Zoom. A book signing and small reception will follow the discussion.

The new series is a collaborative project by the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, and the Tulane Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience, delves into the totally unique Southern Jewish food landscape through history, storytelling, and hands-on cooking workshops.

“You Need a Schoolhouse” discussion at MSJE

Author Stephanie Deutsch will give a talk about her book, “You Need a Schoolhouse,” on March 7 at 6 p.m., in person and virtually from the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans. The book dives into the historical partnership between Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, two dynamos who shared an ethos of pragmatism and a progressive vision that led to the Rosenwald schools and ultimately changed the fate of thousands of Black students across the South in the Jim Crow era.

The event is part of an ongoing series centered around “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America,” which is on display at the museum until April 21.

Deutsch married Rosenwald’s great-grandson, propelling her on an odyssey to research the Rosenwald schools and African American history. She is currently working on a new book about the 1,000 recipients of Rosenwald Fund scholarships.

For those attending in person, there will be a reception and book signing following the presentation. Registration for the Zoom link is available at msje.org.

World War II Museum offering online classroom Holocaust education

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans is hosting a Holocaust electronic field trip, designed for grades 5 to 12. Through this program, students will discover the broader context of the Holocaust by understanding how it happened and recognizing its tragic legacy.

Students participating in this program will have the opportunity to explore the newest Liberation Pavilion galleries at the museum, as well as Holocaust sites across the Atlantic. The first part will be available on demand starting on March 18. The second part will be broadcast live on March 26, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Entire classrooms can get involved in the live broadcast of Part 2 by submitting questions in real time to the educators and experts.

Hosted by student reporters, Electronic Field Trips are free programs streamed directly to classrooms, no special technology required. The trips include tours of historic sites and artifacts and exhibits at the museum.

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N.O. teacher union trashes Israel in call for ceasefire

United Teachers of New Orleans, the union of teachers and school employees in New Orleans, issued a statement on Jan. 10 calling for a cease fire in Gaza, putting the entire blame for the conflict on Israel and justifying Palestinian violence.

The statement bemoaned the destruction of schools in Gaza, saying the Palestinian “liberation movement” has the right of “armed struggle” against “colonizing occupier” Israel, which it referred to as committing genocide.

An earlier statement by the union’s executive council, released on Jan. 5, did condemn the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, mentioning the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis, mainly civilians, and called for the release of Israeli hostages and the cessation of Hamas rocket fire into Israel. It also rejected “all forms of hate, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.”

All those sections were removed in the revised statement by the general membership, leaving a statement that condemns Israel’s existence and justifies Palestinian attacks.

In announcing the revised statement, the union said “we prioritize democratic decision making and member leadership,” and the statement was revised to remove anything sympathetic to Israel “following further discussion at our general membership meeting.”

The revised statement was announced online with a graphic of a watermelon, which has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Since the watermelon shares the colors of the Palestinian flag, it is said to have become a Palestinian symbol when the display of Palestinian flags was banned.

The revised statement does not name Hamas at all. The Hamas attack of Oct. 7 is unmentioned, and reference to Oct. 7 is in the context of how that date wasn’t the beginning of the conflict, but that it goes back to the 19th century “inception of the right-wing ideology of Zionism.”

Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people have a right to self-determination in their historic homeland. References to colonialism, occupation or, as the statement claims, “Western Imperialism,” erases Jewish historic ties to and presence in the land and casts Israel as a foreign presence in a land to which it has no claim.

The statement begins with a call for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza, and to allow for peace talks for a permanent ceasefire. Though unmentioned in the statement, that would leave Hamas in power, and Hamas has vowed to repeat the Oct. 7 attack as

IDF Twitter

Weapons found by the Israel Defense Forces at a Kindergarten in Gaza on Dec. 23.

often as needed to drive the Israelis out of the region.

Currently, hundreds of aid trucks are making it into Gaza daily, and Israel is pausing all military operations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily to facilitate the movement of aid. There is plenty of video of armed Hamas operatives commandeering aid trucks as they arrive, and a lot of the humanitarian aid that is supposed to be distributed for free has been seen for sale in Gaza markets at inflated prices. That also includes tents sent as humanitarian aid being sold to refugees.

The statement makes no mention of releasing the Israeli hostages, either before or as part of a ceasefire.

The statement also asserts that 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, citing United Nations figures — which come from Hamas ministries and do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

According to the union, the 625,000 students in Gaza have no access to education, since 70 percent of school buildings have been damaged or destroyed. “As educators, we are deeply troubled by these attacks against schools, which U.N. human rights experts have described as crimes against humanity.”

Unmentioned is how the schools, run by the United Nations, were often storage centers for weapons, itself a war crime, making them a legitimate military target. Rockets have been routinely fired into Israel from school property, and Israel has released a lot of video showing United Nations duffle bags filled with Hamas weapons.

One soldier stated that every school building they entered in Gaza had a weapons cache.

A youth scouting building was recently discovered to have a battery of rocket launchers. Many of the Hamas “terror tunnels” have openings inside schools — though not for student safety, as the tunnels are forbidden to those who are not Hamas fighters.

Gaza schools have also come under international criticism for a curriculum teaching that martyrdom is the students’ highest aspiration, and that Israel is a foreign entity that needs to be removed from the region. Numerous countries have pulled funding because of textbooks that teach war against Israel and Jews, instead of coexistence. School skits routinely show students as young as Kindergarten with weapons, play-acting the abduction of Israelis.

This should not be a surprise. A Telegram group of 3,000 U.N. teachers in Gaza was filled with posts celebrating the Oct. 7 massacres and hoping for more.

The union’s statement says that through the establishment of Israel, which it referred to using the Arabic word for “disaster,” Palestinians “have suffered the full brunt of Western Impe-

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rialism” and “hundreds of thousands of families were forcibly expelled from their homes to make way for settlers.”

In 1948 the entire Arab population in what became Israel had been around 900,000, of whom over 150,000 remained and became citizens of Israel. While technically 750,000 individuals could be seen as “hundreds of thousands of families,” that phrasing evokes a much larger number of individuals than existed in the area, especially given average family sizes.

Claiming that the displaced Arabs were removed “to make way for settlers” is not only inaccurate as the land was sparsely settled, but it also labels all Israelis going back to 1948 as “settlers.” That is part of a current attempt to delegitimize Israel in its entirety, going back to its founding, not just criticize Israeli control of the post-1967 territories.

It also ignores that studies have shown most Arabs who left in 1948 never encountered a single Israeli soldier — immediately after the war, most blame by refugees for their plight was given not to the Jews but to the Arab armies who told their brethren to get out of their way, so they could get rid of the Zionists and allow the Arabs to return in a few weeks not only to their homes, but to the property of the Jews.

The statement also ignores that at the same time, roughly 190,000 Jews were expelled from Gaza and the soon to be renamed West Bank by Egypt and Jordan when they occupied those territories in 1948, leaving the Jewish population in those areas at zero. Additionally, up to 1 million Jews were uprooted by the Arab countries where they had lived for as much as two millennia, forced to leave at a moment’s notice and abandon their property. Most were absorbed by Israel.

The Arab refugees, though, were placed in amber, forbidden to resettle elsewhere and build a normal life, and fed a steady diet of being able to return after Israel is destroyed. Improving their situation would be seen as a betrayal of that Quixotic goal, and avoiding another displacement is an excuse for why Arab countries refuse to accept Gaza refugees. That’s how there can still be Palestinian refugee camps inside areas adminis-

ADL responds to UTNO’s “extreme and dangerous” statement

The Anti-Defamation League’s South Central regional office in New Orleans was “shocked and profoundly disappointed” by the United Teachers of New Orleans’ statement “weighing in on a war nearly 7,000 miles away.”

The union demanded a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Lindsay Baach Friedman, ADL regional director, said the union had an initial version of the statement that was “nuanced, carefully constructed and thoughtful – the sort of message to be expected from New Orleans educators.” While calling for a ceasefire, it “also condemned Hamas, demanded the release of hostages and denounced acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia.”

However, she noted, “the updated version from UTNO reflects a marked and extreme change of tone that is deeply troubling.

“It is one-sided and spews anti-Israel and even antisemitic propaganda,” the ADL statement said. “It goes so far as to justify terrorism and suggest that the Hamas massacre on October 7 and violence against Israelis in general is warranted, blaming ‘Zionism’ for the murder of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of another 240 people. This hateful assertion – which attributes the Oct. 7 atrocities to the Jewish desire to escape rampant antisemitism and self-determine in their ancestral homeland – is horrific, alarming and downright antisemitic.

“This statement threatens Jews, the majority of whom have a connection to Israel, and the well-being and security of community members this union serves. Children deserve teachers who are committed to being positive role models. In this case, it is clear that UTNO educators have a lot to learn.”

tered by a Palestinian government for the past three decades, and a whole United Nations agency devoted to maintaining the Palestinians as perpetual refugees, while all other refugees around the world are served by one UN agency that focuses on resettlement and solving refugee crises as quickly as possible.

But the union has an answer to all of the objections listed above: To deny the “facts” put forth in their statement “would be ahistorical and disingenuous to the current resistance and the struggle being waged in Gaza.”

Trust us. We have The Truth, don’t listen to anyone else.

Justifying violence

The statement continues with a paragraph not in the executive council’s original statement, “Indigenous peoples experiencing the violence of occupation have the right to armed struggle,” citing a 1982 United Nations declaration justifying the struggle for independence “by all available means, including armed struggle.” Thus, the union is stating the actions of Hamas on Oct. 7 are justified.

Jews are clearly not considered by the union to be indigenous to their historical homeland, as the statement concludes with a condemnation of “genocide being perpetuated by the Israeli regime, a colonizing occupier, and affirm(s) support for the Palestinian liberation movement.”

While South Africa has filed suit in the International Court of Justice alleging Israel is perpetrating a genocide in Gaza, many nations have rejected that, with Germany recently announcing it has a special moral obligation to defend Israel from that spurious charge.

Despite Hamas using Gaza’s citizens as human shields in an urban warfare environment, and despite all neighboring countries refusing to allow Gazans to escape the area as is routine in time of war, the civilian to combatant ratio of deaths in Gaza during Israel’s military campaign has been roughly 1.5 to 1, which is seen as remarkably low even under ideal circumstances. By comparison, the Iraq war was 4.5 to 1, and the United Nations says the typical rate in the 20th century was 9 to 1.

Conversely, the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel was launched with the express purpose of killing as many Israeli civilians as possible, and the Hamas charter calls for the eradication of Israel and the Jewish people, a clear call for genocide.

Hamas knows full well that Israel does not target civilians, and uses that to their advantage. Likewise, the rules of war do not forbid civilian casualties as a blanket rule, understanding that there are times when collateral damage is unavoidable when going after a significant military target.

The union’s original statement had called on “all parties involved to cease all hostilities and come to the negotiation table so that a lasting peace may be achieved.” That conclusion was rejected by the membership, in favor of the statement urging Palestinian liberation, not peace.

Based on Facebook and union website searches, this is the first time in at least five years that the union has issued an opinion on an overseas issue.

Dave Cash, president of the union, was said to be working on a response to inquiries from this publication, but after four days no response had been received.

On Jan. 31, the union had a “special meeting” to discuss the ceasefire statement, “open only to dues-paying members and authorization card signers.” Nothing from that meeting has been posted, and additional requests for comment were not answered.

The anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace New Orleans commented that they stood in solidarity with the union’s statement.

The UTNO is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO. On Oct. 9, the AFT issued a statement condemning the Hamas attack and standing with the people of Israel. The AFL-CIO on Oct. 11 urged a swift resolution to the conflict, condemning the Hamas attacks and “all terrorism” while expressing concern for the then-“emerging humanitarian crisis.”

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In 2018, Ned Goldberg (left) was honored at the JCRS annual Jewish Roots gala for his then-30 years of service to the agency.

Longtime JCRS head Ned Goldberg dies

Ned Goldberg, who was the face of the Jewish Children’s Regional Service for over three decades before stepping down as executive director in early 2022, died on Dec. 25. He was 72, and had been battling prostate cancer.

In an email to JCRS board members and supporters, his successor, Mark Rubin, and JCRS President Michael Goldman said “Ned led an exemplary life and cemented JCRS’s legacy as an impactful and respected agency. His life will be a guiding light for us at JCRS.”

JCRS was founded as a home in New Orleans for Jewish widows and orphans, and when the home closed in the 1940s, it evolved into a regional agency that now funds or serves over 1800 Jewish youth each year in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma.

The agency offers “needs-based” scholarship aid for Jewish overnight camp and undergraduate education, as well as subsidies for the care and treatment of dependent and special needs Jewish youth.

Under Goldberg’s leadership, additional programs were added, including “outreach” services to families that are isolated or inactive within the Jewish community. There are also programs that provide outreach over Jewish holidays, including Chanukah gifts for children from families that are suffering from economic distress, or are victims of natural disasters.

In 2008, JCRS started regionally administering the PJ Library program of free Judaic books for children.

Goldberg graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1973, earning his Masters in Social Work from Case Western Reserve in 1975.

Prior to moving to New Orleans to lead JCRS in 1988, he served in professional capacities with three Jewish Family Service agencies, or their spin-off projects, in Florida and Ohio.

When Goldberg moved to New Orleans, he was single, but upon his arrival, he met the woman he was soon to marry, Wendy Diamond, an employee of the New Orleans Jewish Community Center.

In 2018, the agency honored him on the 30th anniversary of his tenure, at that year’s Jewish Roots gala, which was unofficially renamed “Grateful Ned,” especially since the Grateful Dead were in concert elsewhere in the city that night.

Upon his retirement last year, he said his long tenure and the growth of JCRS was due to a “number of factors.”

“First of all, you have incredible dedication from the JCRS board, staff, volunteers and donors,” he explained. “When you have them behind you, you can respond quickly to emergencies, as JCRS did during hurricanes and floods that have repeatedly hit East Texas and Louisiana over the last five years.”

Goldberg said having “wonderful services, hardworking and talented staff, and dedicated and generous board and volunteers are the reasons JCRS endures, and explains why I have tried to stay a few years beyond a typical retirement age.”

He is survived by Wendy, his wife of 34 years, and was a proud father to daughter Jodie Goldberg (Edwin Partovi), son Adam Goldberg (Rachel Hirschhorn), mother Joyce Goldberg, and siblings Elaine Brown (Richard) and Brian Goldberg (Robin), and many close nieces and nephews. The funeral was held at Weil Kahn Funeral Home in Cincinnati on Dec. 28, and a New Orleans memorial service was held on Jan. 4 at Shir Chadash in Metairie.

“Center rat” and artist Garth Potts remembered for LJCC leadership

Garth Potts, who led Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center for 23 years as executive director, died on Dec. 25 in Las Vegas. He was 76.

Born in Newport News, Va., Potts and his family moved to Buffalo when he was a child, and he grew up as a “Center rat,” always at the local JCC, where he began working as a teen.

Potts began creating art at age four, often combining his love of sports with his drawing, such as making his own baseball cards. Since his father was a doctor, he considered becoming a medical illustrator, but one biology class assured him that would not be his path.

He earned a master’s in social work at SUNY Buffalo and a master’s of fine arts at the University of Oklahoma, thinking he would be a college art instructor or sports cartoonist. In a 2005 interview with this publication, he said that he “enjoyed life’s simple pleasures — eating, raising a family, paying a mortgage or two,” and pursued his other passion, Jewish communal service. He worked at JCCs in Buffalo, El Paso, Portland, Vancouver and Oklahoma City.

He took over the JCC in Birmingham in January 1991, just as the Gulf War was breaking out. At his introductory annual dinner, the proceedings were interrupted by a talk by President George Bush, which was streamed into the room. When Potts took the podium, he simply tore up his prepared remarks.

Potts arrived in Birmingham as the community was undertaking a major needs survey that led to a major renovation and expansion of the Montclair Road facility, following a community debate on whether the institution should move over the mountain. The expansion included a new outdoor pool, the expanded fitness center and the new building for the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, which had also explored an off-campus site.

During his tenure, the JCC was also renamed in honor of longtime supporter Ted Levite.

He never lost sight of his art, though, creating several series at the LJCC, with several formal shows over the years and his work often displayed in the hallways.

In late 1991 he started a Judaica series, with many items and symbols from Birmingham’s synagogues. The Judaic still-lifes were done with a pointillism technique, small market dots blending together to make the image.

A series of Hebrew letter drawings with animals whose names started with those letters was commissioned for the preschool, and he also did a series of caricatures of over 50 Jewish celebrities.

Another series was the Ten Commandments of Health and Fitness, based on a list by the national JCC Association. He also illustrated the children’s book “Humongous Pushka in the Sky” by Danny Siegel.

Potts retired from the LJCC in January 2013, moving to Las Vegas, where he taught Drawing 101 at the College of Southern Nevada.

Photo courtesy LJCC Facebook

Garth Potts, second from left, visited the LJCC in February 2022, and is pictured here with son Gabe Potts (center), and (left to right) Kirsten “Coach K” Thomas, Barbara Traweek and Ruth Nomberg.

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From Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s tweet commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27.

Ala. Dems respond to governor’s Holocaust remembrance with death penalty protest

The Alabama Democratic Party is facing calls to remove a sarcastic tweet in response to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s tweet marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Ivey, a Republican, tweeted on Jan 27 that “today, we remember the millions of lives lost to unfathomable hatred — mindful that antisemitism still tries to resurface in our world. To never again see such evil carry out, we will always continue to preserve the memory of this painful history.”

The Democratic tweet read “A man was gassed to death for 22 minutes Thursday with your permission but yes, tell us more about ‘never again seeing such evil carried out’.”

The state’s Democratic party was referring to the controversial execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, who was convicted of killing Elizabeth Sennett, 45, in 1988. The victim’s son noted that Smith “had been incarcerated almost twice as long as I knew my mom,” the Associated Press reported.

Smith was executed on Jan. 25 using nitrogen gas “a first-of-its-kind method that once again placed the U.S. at the forefront of the debate over capital punishment,” the AP reported. “The state said the method would be humane, but critics called it cruel and experimental.”

Smith was one of two men convicted of the murder-for-hire of Sennett, who was stabbed 10 times. Her husband, a pastor, paid the two men $1,000 each, and killed himself when the investigation pointed in his direction. The other man convicted in the case was executed in 2010.

A 2022 attempt to execute Smith by lethal injection was called off because officials could not connect an IV line.

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center posted that it was “saddened” by the Alabama Democratic Party’s post in response to Ivey, “which draws a comparison between the execution of a convicted criminal and the Holocaust.”

The statement noted that it is increasingly popular to draw parallels between political or social opponents and institutions of Nazi Germany. “This trend is dangerous and disrespectful,” and “risks diminishing the historical reality of the Holocaust.”

The AHEC urged “thoughtful consideration when making historical comparisons, especially regarding the Holocaust” and “respectfully request” that the Democratic Party take down the post. As of Feb. 14, it was still on their timeline.

Dan Puckett, chair of the Alabama Holocaust Commission and author of “In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama’s Jews, the Second World War, and the Holocaust,” said “No matter your position on the death penalty, comparing the execution of a convicted murderer with the mass murder of millions of innocence victims of the Holocaust is a breathtakingly bad take. Leave politics out of this and delete your tweet.”

Conversely, L’Chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty, which had been actively protesting the execution and noting the timing of gassing an inmate close to Holocaust Remembrance Day, responded to the Democrat-

ic post with “Amein!”

“The Alabama Democrats’ social media has a history of trying to compare Republicans to Nazis,” reported the Alabama-based Yellowhammer News. “Late last year they tried to say U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) was acting like a Nazi.”

Last November, the Alabama Democrats posted that Tuberville was speaking in code, that “‘Wokeness’ refers to a military that has black, brown, red, yellow, and female leaders. He prefers his military to look like Nazi Germany’s Third Reich. Say what you mean.”

The Anti-Defamation League criticized Alabama Democrats at the time for the comparison. “Say what you will about another person’s politics, but drawing Hitler and Nazi comparisons – thereby trivializing the

AHEC continues Taking Action Together virtual series

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center’s Taking Action Together series of virtual lunch programs continues on March 6 with “Drawing Strength from the Past,” with Ann Arnold, a second-generation Holocaust survivor. She and her sister created the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation in honor of their father. Since 2019, she has shared his story of survival with adults and students all across the United States.

Her book, “Together: A Journey for Survival” is a biography of her father and grandmother’s survival in the Polish countryside, and a lesson plan is being debuted for the book, which is used in many schools.

On March 20, Vlad Khaykin of the Anti-Defamation League will lead “Antisemitism in the Algorithm,” about how extremists use online methods to spread hate, and how social media giants contribute to the problem — and how to be part of the solution.

“Trauma and Atrocity: The Boundaries of Understanding and Emotion” will be on April 3, with Danny Cohen, a professor of instruction at Northwestern University in the School of Education and Social Policy and The Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. Cohen specializes in Holocaust memory and the design of human rights education. He will discuss how to process major world events in real time, navigating one’s emotions and reactions to the responses of others.

John Silva of the News Literacy Project will lead the April 16 session, “What does it mean to be news literate?”

Holocaust – is not the answer.”

On Dec. 19, the Democrats posted a Rolling Stone article about Trump saying that immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of America, and stated the criticism of their tweet about Tuberville was “ironic… We sleepwalk into authoritarianism by being afraid to call this othering rhetoric what it is.”

In addition to the Democratic Party tweet Ivey’s post drew a wide range of responses. One came from Jill Friedman, who says she is a native New Yorker who moved to Oakland, Calif, then to Montgomery. She stated that “Alabama carries out such evil just 2 nights ago. Remember? Y’all gassed a man to death. Never Again except in Alabama. And Palestine.”

The responses also included predictable antisemitic posts. One tweet read “Jewish power rules over us, working hard every day to White Erase us. We need White Identity Politics in order to save us.”

Another post read “You know as well as the rest of us that they brought the antisemitism on themselves! Every country they have been in, they have all but destroyed as they are doing to the USA as we type. You know they are all dual citizens.”

One charged that Alabama is “currently funding genocide with Alabama tax dollars through Israeli bonds. Signed Israel ‘oath’ pledge, which is treason. Allowing Chemtrails over Alabama poisoning the air, water, land. Staunchly supporting the colonization of the only nation that allowed the Zionist state in.”

(From SJL and JNS reports)

Film series continues with “One Life”

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center’s Holocaust in Film series continues on March 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Sidewalk Cinema in Birmingham.

Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, “One Life” tells the story of Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, a young London stockbroker, who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued 669 children from the Nazis. Nicky visited Prague in December 1938 and found families who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria, living in desperate conditions with little or no shelter and food, and under threat of Nazi invasion. He immediately realized it was a race against time, and for years he was haunted by those he was not able to rescue.

Then, the BBC show “That’s Life” surprised him at a show recounting his story by having audi-ence members that owed their lives to his actions stand. It was dozens, in several entire rows be-hind him.

Michele Forman will facilitate a discussion following the screening.

Nola teen killed in territories spoke of “martyrdom,” apparently involved in stone throwing

From SJL and JNS reports

A Palestinian teen from the New Orleans area who was killed in the territories on Jan. 19 was reported to have been involved in rock throwing incidents at motorists on Route 60, and his mother told Arab media that he had always talked about “martyrdom.”

Leaders of the Masjid Omar Mosque in Harvey, across the river from New Orleans, issued a statement on Jan. 19 identifying the teen as Tawfik Abdeljabbar, 17, of Gretna. Media reports in the Middle East referred to him as Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, as there are different spellings and name usages between Arab countries and the U.S.

Jabbar had been a student at the Muslim Academy in Gretna, and last summer he relocated to the territory to finish high school.

In a statement shared with JNS on Jan. 23, the Israel Police acknowledged reports of the “firearm discharge, ostensibly involving an off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier, and a civilian.”

The statement did not say who opened fire, but police said the shooting “was directed towards a perceived threat, individuals purportedly engaged in rock-throwing activities along Route 60,” the main north-south highway in Judea and Samaria.

“Additional information indicated the potential fatality of a 17-yearold Palestinian due to gunfire. A comprehensive investigation has been launched by law enforcement to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the statement concluded.

Earlier Arabic media reports, including in the London-based outlet Al-Araby Al Jadeed and Palestinian website Ultrapal, cited eyewitnesses who confirmed Jabbar had been part of a group throwing rocks at passing cars on Route 60 near Ofra, just south of Jabbar’s hometown. Ofra is about 20 miles north of Jerusalem.

An Israel soldier or civilian opened fire in self-defense, the reports suggested. When the terrorists tried to flee by car, Jabbar was reportedly hit by a bullet, causing the escape vehicle to overturn. WAFA reported that Jabbar was critically wounded and died at the Palestine Medical Complex

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Photo by Flash90

The funeral of Palestinian-American Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, who was killed during a clash in Samaria, in Al-Mazra’a Ash-Sharqiya near Ramallah, Jan. 20.

Tawfik Abdeljabbar

Ramallah.

Jabbar’s uncle told Reuters that he had been participating in stone throwing. Such incidents have led to deaths and injuries among Israeli motorists and passengers, and are regarded by Israel as terrorist incidents.

By contrast, the mosque’s statement relayed that Jabbar was shot in the head while he was riding in a car. Another relative told the Associated Press that Jabbar and a friend were having a barbecue in a field near their village when he was shot by Israelis.

That friend, Mohammed Salameh 16, denied that they had been throwing rocks, and Jabbar’s father said the two were “ambushed” as they were driving.

Jabbar’s mother, Mona Ajaq, told Al-Araby Al Jadeed on Jan. 22 that her son was “always talking about martyrdom.” Since the family returned to Samaria from the U.S. a year and a half ago, he regularly attacked Jewish drivers in the area of Wadi Haramiya, she noted.

“Tawfic was an outstanding student in school, and he hoped to become an engineer, but he obtained the greatest certificate in the world by his martyrdom,” Ajaq said.

Video footage of the funeral procession in Al-Mazra’a Ash-Sharqiya showed armed terrorists carrying automatic rifles, as well as a Kalashnikov rifle placed on Jabbar’s body.

“The door of Al-Aqsa is made of iron — only a martyr can open it,” mourners can be heard chanting in videos posted online, in addition to chants in favor of Hamas‘s Al-Qassam Brigades “military” wing, responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 people in the northwestern Negev.

Hamas mourned Jabbar’s death, although the terrorist organization did not explicitly claim him as a member or operative.

Hafez Ajaq, Jabbar’s father, said at the Jan. 20 funeral that Israeli forces are “killer machines” that are “using our tax dollars in the U.S. to support the weapons to kill our own children.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called Jabbar’s death a “murder,” which “shows that President Biden’s unwillingness to call for an end to the ongoing Israeli genocide and ethnic cleansing is resulting in the deaths of American citizens and their relatives.”

Islam Elrabieey, a visiting scholar in MENA studies at Tulane, posted about the vigil at Masjid Omar, asking why no senators or representatives have spoken out. “Is it because they see Palestinians as human animals, as Israeli Defense Minister Yauv Galant stated? Or is it because they see Tawfik Abdeljabbar as one of the children of darkness, as the Israeli Prime Minister described them?”

In both cases, Galant and Netanyahu were speaking of the Hamas attackers of Oct. 7, not Palestinians in general.

The anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace New Orleans said “We demand accountability & justice. We demand an end to Israeli impunity & U.S. complicity.”

New Orleans Health Care Workers for Palestine posted “Israel murders New Orleanian,” saying it is “despicable” that the U.S. does not stand up against Israel.

Numerous Muslim and anti-Israel groups in New Orleans held A Ride for Tawfic, a memorial motorcade starting at Masjid Omar on Jan. 28, proceeding to Veterans Boulevard. The ride was to “show Tawfic and

his family our love, from the Mississippi to the Mediterranean.”

The New York Times profiled Jabbar on Jan. 21, describing his basketball skills and outgoing personality, saying the details of his death were “unclear” but “Tawfic’s family said he was hit after an off-duty Israeli soldier and Israeli settlers targeted the vehicle he was driving.” The Jan. 19 Reuters articles and others in the region mentioned stone throwing, which was not mentioned by the Times.

U.S. National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby extended Washington’s “deepest condolences” to Jabbar’s family on Jan. 22.

“Certainly a tragic killing by all accounts that we’ve been able to glean so far,” Kirby said.

“Our deepest condolences go to the family. He was 17 years old, just a teenager, so our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the family,” Kirby continued, demanding a “full, thorough, transparent investigation.

The Biden administration has “every expectation that those responsible for it will be held properly accountable,” Kirby added.

On Jan. 20, the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs, whose offices are located at the American Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem but which is a

separate institution, said it was “devastated” to hear about Jabbar’s death. Its head, George Noll, visited the family to offer his condolences.

“We call for an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of his death,” tweeted the Palestinian Affairs office on Jan. 20.

When JNS presented the evidence of Jabbar’s alleged terrorist activities, the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs did not immediately offer comment.

As of Feb. 14, no additional information had been released about the case.

PBS News Hour conducted an interview with Jabbar’s father, and has posted a classroom exercise based on the story.

Between Oct. 7 and Jan. 15 alone, the Hatzalah Judea and Samaria rescue group recorded more than 2,600 terrorist attacks against Israelis in the area, including 760 cases of rock-throwing, 551 fire bombings, 12 attempted or successful stabbings and nine vehicular assaults. In such clashes and raids against terrorism strongholds, around 357 Palestinians have been killed, according to the United Nations.

From SJL reports and JNS reporting by Akiva Van Koningsveld.

APRIL 14

Show about Heschel’s friendship with Martin Luther King comes to Alabama

The Birmingham Jewish community will host a performance on April 11 of a new one-man show about the close relationship between Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the 20th century’s leading Jewish thinkers, part of which played out in Alabama.

“Heschel’s Passover Eve” portrays Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel a few days before the beginning of Passover in 1968, and the Seder to which he invited King. The preparations for the Seder include reflections on the universal drive for freedom, and the call to “let my people go,” and the show is a window into Heschel’s complex character.

The play was commissioned by the World Zionist Organization to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Heschel’s death, December 2022. A professor at the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, Heschel authored numerous influential works on Jewish philosophy, including “Man Is Not Alone,” “God in Search of Man” and “The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man.”

Born in Poland, Heschel studied in Berlin, becoming a rabbi. In 1938 he was arrested by the Gestapo, and managed to flee Poland six weeks before Germany’s invasion, leaving for London before making his way to the United States. He lost sisters and his mother in the Holocaust, and never went back to the lands of his childhood.

Heschel represented American Jewry at the Second Vatican Council, which led to the elimination of references in Catholic liturgy that demeaned Jews.

In January 1963, King and Heschel met at an interfaith conference on religion and race in Chicago, organized by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, with Heschel as a keynote speaker. Heschel’s book, “The Prophets,” was adopted by civil rights leaders for its message of being religious warriors for morality.

Heschel received a standing ovation for his speech, where he said being religious and being racist were mutually exclusive.

He became close friends with King, who referred to Heschel as “a truly great prophet,” and Heschel continued to participate in the Civil Rights movement. In 1965, he famously marched with King and John Lewis in the Third Selma to Montgomery March, just days after Heschel led a protest about Selma in front of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York.

Through his friendship with Heschel, King became involved in the causes of Soviet Jewry and Israel. Heschel also got King to finally speak out against the war in Vietnam in early 1967, and they linked arms in a Vietnam protest at Arlington Cemetery in February 1968.

Ten days before he was assassinated, King delivered the keynote at a Rabbinical Assembly event celebrating Heschel’s birthday. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The first Seder that year was on April 12.

Yizhar Hess, vice chairman of the World Zionist Organization, had the original idea for the show. He said that outside the U.S., Heschel is not well known, and the play was intended as a way to introduce Israelis to a towering figure in Diaspora Jewry. The show was originally written in Hebrew and performed several times in Israel last year. The show was also performed in Buenos Aires and the United Kingdom.

The first English performance was on Nov. 30 in Baltimore. Eric Berger

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stars as Heschel.

The Birmingham performance is presented by the Levite Jewish Community Center, in partnership with Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish Community Relations Council.

There will be a pre-show reception at 6:30 p.m. at the LJCC. The play will be at 7 p.m., followed by a talkback. Adult tickets are $10, child tickets to age 18 are $5. The show was rescheduled for April 11 after threatening weather on the original date, Jan. 16.

Son of Holocaust survivor meets daughter of his liberator

Program to be held in Montgomery

A conversation between an orthopedist and one of his patients in 2012 turned out to be life changing, and they will talk about it at an event in Montgomery.

“Corresponding Angles” is the story of a survivor’s son and a liberator’s daughter, featuring Atlanta orthopedist Reuben Sloan and Gail Cohn.

They will speak at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Festival Theatre on March 25 at 1 p.m. Organized by the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama, the event is free and open to the community, but tickets need to be secured at the Festival website.

This is a return visit to Montgomery, as they were in town for the Federation’s annual event in January. This will enable those who missed the previous performance, as well as students, an opportunity to see it.

They also recently appeared at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans as an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event, and the program is now viewable online.

Cohn is the daughter of Judge Aaron Cohn, who was a liberator from the Columbus, Ga., area, and Sloan is the son of Holocaust survivor Itzik Slodowski. Sloan decided to emulate his mentor by getting to know his patients on a more personal level, and in 2012, Sloan was having a discussion with Cohn when they realized they had a much deeper relationship than doctor and patient. Judge Cohn had been part of General George S Patton’s 3rd Calvary Regiment, which had liberated the Mauthausen concentration camp— where Slodowski was imprisoned. Slodowski was the only member of his family to survive.

Since then, Sloan and Cohn have traveled around the country sharing their story, and how both men were shaped by their experiences during World War II.

From Ala. to Germany: Fighting Extremism

The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York is hosting a discussion between an Alabama civil rights leader and a German activist, March 3 at 2 p.m. Central.

“Building Bridges Against Hate: How German and American Activists Fight Against Extremism” will feature Evan Milligan and Raimund Grafe.

Milligan is the executive director of Alabama Forward, a statewide civic engagement table advancing efforts of nonpartisan organizations throughout Alabama to expand the voter base, protect voting rights, and make election systems as accessible as possible.

Grafe works in the German state of Saxony. They met through the International Bridge Building initiative of Widen the Circle.

They will be joined by Widen the Circle founder Joel Obermayer, discussing their important collaboration, and the insights and inspiration that German and American activists have gained from each other in the fight to counter extremism and promote democracy. The conversation will be moderated by Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs and a fellow of Widen the Circle’s bridge-building program.

The free program will be in person and online. Registration is available through the museum website, mjhnyc.org.

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“Antisemite of the

Week” John

John Cusack, who became a famous actor with several films in the 1980s, will be in Birmingham on March 10 for “An Evening with John Cusack,” an event hosted by the Alys Stevens Center.

But in some circles, Cusack is now known as a Hamas apologist and antisemite, actively tweeting invective against “Zionists,” who he claims are not real Jews. He tweets and retweets dozens of times daily, mainly regarding Gaza and condemning Israeli actions there.

On Jan. 26, the advocacy group stopantisemitism.org named Cusack their Antisemite of the Week, stating it was “long overdue.” This came five days after Jewish News Syndicate, to which Southern Jewish Life is an affiliate, posted an article about how, in pro-Israel circles, being blocked on X, formerly Twitter, by Cusack is a badge of honor.

In the 1980s, Cusack appeared in “Sixteen Candles,” “The Sure Thing,” “Better Off Dead” and “Say Anything.” His film career has continued since then, including “Being John Malkovich,” “High Fidelity,” for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe, and “Love and Mercy,” a biopic where he portrayed Brian Wilson of The

Cusack appearing in Birmingham

Beach Boys.

The March 10 event, which was announced as part of the year’s lineup last summer, will include a special screening of “Love and Mercy” in the Jemison Concert Hall, with a live question and answer session following. A VIP experience is available, with choice seats and a photo opportunity with Cusack following the event.

While almost exclusively condemning Israel, Cusack has stated that he wants peace for Palestinians and Israelis. “Let’s stop the rhetoric and choosing sides. Instead we must recognize that we are all on the side of the fight against terrorism. Choose humanity over violence.”

A member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, Cusack supported Senator Bernie Sanders, also a vocal critic of Israel, in his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids, applauding Sanders for calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a racist during a Democratic presidential debate.

Cusack has a history of criticizing Israeli defensive measures. As early as 2012, David Lange of Israellycool had him in a list of anti-Israel celebrities.

Cusack tweeted in 2014 during the Israel-Ga-

za conflict that bombing people who cannot escape is not defense, and it “does not mean one supports Hamas means to be against murder as solution to political problem.” That year, he also criticized Israel’s “apartheid wall,” the security barrier that Israel built around the West Bank in response to Palestinian terror attacks in the

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early 2000s, saying instead it was imprisoning the people of Gaza, dozens of miles away.

The best-known incident involving Cusack was in 2019, when he retweeted an antisemitic meme, depicting a giant hand with a blue Star of David crushing a group of people, with the quote “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”

The meme erroneously credits the quote to Voltaire, but it is actually from a 1993 essay by Kevin Strom, an American neo-Nazi.

Cusack urged readers to “follow the money” in retweeting the meme, and defended the post because Israel was “committing atrocities against Palestinians.” After a backlash, though, he apologized, deleted the post and said a bot had tweeted it on his account.

In 2018, when Lorde bowed to pressure from boycott-Israel activists and cancelled performances in Israel, Cusack defended her freedom of conscience.

He has been particularly active since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacres, denying Hamas atrocities and saying that Hamas was an Israeli creation “in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority.”

On Jan. 17, he retweeted a message that “Hamas was originally a charity organization funded and supported by Israel. You’ll have to ask Netanyahu why he funded and put Hamas in power.”

Cusack said the next day that Netanyahu backed Hamas “to ensure a two-state solution never came to pass” and to give Netanyahu “a pawn to blame.”

He also has belittled mass rapes of Israelis by Hamas on Oct. 7 and of hostages since then, retweeting articles alleging rapes by members of the Israeli Defense Forces.

Cusack also has tweeted that the U.S. government, through support of Israel, is bankrolling genocide in Gaza.

On Jan. 22, he reposted a quote by Mark Twain about reading some obituaries “with great pleasure,” with the original poster noting “How I look at Zionist obituary notices.” He also reposted a comment about X owner Elon Musk visiting Auschwitz that stated “Musk is already in the back pocket of Zionists and X has become the official pro genocide mouthpiece.”

On Jan. 24, a retweet by Cusack stated “Zionism is not Judaism. Nobody who opposes Zionist pigs like Netanyahu and his friends are antisemitic… I hate Nazis who wear the star as a badge of racist, blood thirsty terrorism.”

His retweets include calls to dismantle Israel, and accusations that Israel is looking for new ways to starve Gazans. He also has retweeted claims that Israel is planning on setting up Jewish villages in Gaza as part of a “Jewish supremacy” plan.

On Jan. 28, he retweeted and emphasized a quote said to be from a Holocaust survivor, that Judaism is highly ethical but “you can only connect the words aggressive, oppressive, stealing and robbing with Zionism. Zionism & Judaism are contrary to each other.”

On Jan. 27 he tweeted that Israel had dropped more bombs on Gaza than were dropped on Germany during World War II.

The JNS piece quoted Modern Talmud, which stated “For Jewish Twitter, getting blocked by John Cusack is the new blue check,” referring to the platform’s prior verification system for notable accounts.

Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, director of Chabad of the Bluegrass and of the University of Kentucky Jewish Student Center, was quoted saying that he has been calling Cusack out for his “unhinged antisemitism since before it was cool, and yet he hasn’t blocked me.”

“It feels antisemitic,” Litvin wrote sarcastically.

Interfaith Shabbat to be held in Birmingham

There will be an Interfaith Shabbat Weekend featuring scholar in residence Keren McGinity in Birmingham the weekend of March 8.

McGinity is United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism’s interfaith specialist, and a research associate at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University.

On March 8 at 9 a.m., there will be a breakfast meet and greet for weekend sponsors.

At noon, there will be a Lunch and Learn at Temple Emanu-El, “Sacred Grandparenting: Raising Resilient Jewish Children in Interfaith Homes.” She will discuss how grandparents are key bridges to Jewish identity for grandchildren, and give best practices and information from the National Jewish Grandparents Study and intergenerational best practices will be discussed. Lunch will be served, and reservations are requested.

At 5:45 p.m., there will be an interfaith-friendly Kabbalat Shabbat service at Temple Beth-El, featuring Dalia Abrams. A dinner featuring Warren’s Famous Fried Chicken and dialogue, “A Rabbi and a Scholar-Advocate Walk Into a Shul,” will be approximately 7 p.m, with McGinity and Beth-El Rabbi Steven Henkin highlighting various ways intermarriage is discussed in America.

During the 9:30 a.m. service at Beth-El on March 9, McGinity will speak on “Living Our Values: Torah from a Jew Named McGinity.” After lunch, she will speak on “Interfaith Matters: The New Narrative about Intermarriage and Conservative Judaism,” explaining the narrative that sees intermarriage as an opportunity, and a path to a strong Jewish future.

At 6:30 p.m., there will be an Interfaith Celebration at Monday Night Brewing, with vegetarian tacos, a cash bar and a raffle. McGinity will give a short presentation, “Faith Off: What Can We Learn from Pop Culture,” exploring how interfaith couples and parenting are omnipresent in popular culture, including “Sex and the City” and Jon Stewart.

Thank You Books will be at the evening event with McGinity’s books for sale.

The weekend is supported by the Birmingham Jewish Foundation and the Temple Beth-El Foundation. The Sacred Grandparenting event is supported by the Grafman Endowment Fund of Temple Emanu-El.

Reservations can be made for the evening events on the Beth-El website. The Shabbat dinner is $25 for adults, $12 for ages 12 and under, and the March 9 celebration is $30. Sponsorships are available.

Ala. Shakespeare Festival’s new director of production helps stars shine

By Lee J. Green

Eddie Coffield and his team don’t step in the limelight, but they are vital to ensuring that “Blues in the Night,” which runs from Feb. 8 to March 3 at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, “sings.”

Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s director of production makes “sure the shows arrive ontime and on-budget.”

“We have a remarkable team here,” said Coffield, who is originally from Midland, Texas. “There is a lot that goes into putting a show together on the production side.”

He said “Blues in the Night,” conceived by Sheldon Epps, tells the sweet, sexy, sorrowful experiences of three women with a man who has “done them wrong.” It features blues songs from legends such as famed Jewish composer Harold Arlen, Alabama’s Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington and Johnny Mercer.

“There is a long tradition of Jewish producers and composers who played significant roles in blues music and the transition to jazz,” said Coffield.

ASF will perform the show in the 200-seat Octagon Theatre. Most of the show takes place in nightclubs and hotels, with staging that brings the audience to time and space.

“We know in shows such as this, the set becomes a character,” said Coffield, adding that the production team tries to work with local vendors whenever possible.

Coffield got involved in theatre growing up in Midland and would go on to graduate from the University of Texas with a degree in Playwriting.

He met ASF Artistic Director Rick Dildine while Coffield served as the artistic director for the New Jewish Theatre at the St. Louis Jewish Community Center.

“It is a professional theatre with equity actors,” said Coffield. “Our mission was to produce plays that would create a dialogue with the Jewish community. Not just Jewish content, but Jewish playwrights. And at least one production a year focused on Tikkun Olam.”

He worked for a year teaching at a college in Cleveland, Ohio. But when the position with the ASF opened last spring, it “just felt like a perfect fit.”

“I had been following them for the past few years, especially after Rick came here and knew about the outstanding reputation they have,” he said. “I came here last May and quickly fell in love with the South — the people, the community and the food.”

Coffield said the production team is already hard at work getting everything ready for the next show — “Baskerville.” The Sherlock Holmes comedy/thriller featuring five actors who play 40 roles opens April 18.

Roadshow on March 20. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with heavy appetizers, beer, wine, soda and desserts. The roadshow begins around 6:15 p.m., and items will be appraised by Elodie Cardon Estate Sales and Appraisals. Reservations are $20.

The North Louisiana Jewish Federation will offer weekly Mah Jongg events at B’nai Zion in Shreveport, at 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, and 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays.

The Grafman Endowment Fund at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will host “Why do I need a will?” on March 10 at 11:15 a.m., with a discussion by experienced estate attorneys. Reserve by March 3.

Temple B’nai Sholom Brotherhood will host a group night to the Huntsville Havoc on March 2 at 7 p.m.

continued from page 8

Chabad of Panama City Beach will have a family hamentash bake, March 10 at noon. Reservations are required.

Or Hadash, Birmingham’s Humanistic congregation, will have a discussion on the civil rights era, and the role local Jews played in kicking Eugene “Bull” Connor out of office in 1963. T.K. Thorne, author of “Behind the Magic Curtain: Secrets, Spies, and Unsung White Allies” will lead the discussion, March 10 at noon at the Levite Jewish Community Center. Lox and bagels will be served.

Beth Wenger, the Moritz and Josephine Berg Professor of History at Penn State, will speak on “Jews and American National Holidays,” March 3 at 6 p.m. at Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville. The program, in partnership with the University of Alabama in Huntsville, will discuss the

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significant role civic U.S. holidays have played in the Jewish community. She will speak on “Antisemitism in American History” on March 4 at 7 p.m. at UAH Morton Hall, room 145.

“Mason’s Meshugenas” will have Torah and Tequila on March 2 at 7 p.m. at Beth Israel in Gulfport.

The next Torah on Tap with Rabbi Joel Fleekop of Temple Beth El in Pensacola will be on March 5 at 5 p.m., at Odd Colony Brewery. Topic will be “Fertility Treatments and Jewish Values.”

The next Falafel Sunday at Bais Ariel Chabad in Birmingham will be on March 3 from noon to 2 p.m.

The next “Honor Our Parents” Shabbat service at Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will be on March 1 at 11 a.m. with Temple Emanu-El Cantor Robby Wittner.

Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville will have a rummage sale and silent auction on March 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The silent auction will be opened to members and friends on March 4.

Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will have a Through the Decades Adult Purim Party at The Wine Loft, March 16 at 7:30 p.m., with costumes encouraged from the 50s to the 00s. Reservations are requested by March 14.

The Pensacola Jewish Federation’s annual Purim carnival will be held on March 17 from 12:15 to 2 p.m. at Creative Learning Academy. There will be costumes, pizza, cotton candy, face painting and games. A $5 to $10 donation per family is appreciated.

New Orleans holding a Purim parade

It’s New Orleans. Why not a parade?

The Greater New Orleans Jewish community is uniting for a Purim Parade and Party on March 23, open to all.

The evening will start with an 8:15 p.m. megillah reading at Anshe Sfard, followed by a parade through the streets at roughly 9 p.m., finishing at Tchoup Yard. While the reading and parade are open to all ages the Tchoup Yard event, starting around 10 p.m., is for ages 21 and up.

The Purim party will include a costume contest around 10:45 p.m. Tickets for the Tchoup Yard party are $18, which includes snacks and the first two drinks. While the parade is free, registration is requested for planning purposes. Reservations are available on the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans website.

Treating allergies at home

By Lee J. Green

For some patients at ENT Associates of Alabama, the solution for allergy issues could be easy, at-home treatments.

Last fall, ENT Associates, with 10 offices across central Alabama, started incorporating SLIT, Sublingual Immunotherapy, to treat allergies without injections.

“It’s a more convenient option for patients,” said Jack Aland of ENT Associates of Alabama. “SLIT treats all types of inhalant allergies and it has an up to 80 percent success rate.”

Aland said patients come in every six weeks to get more dissolving tablets, taken anywhere from three days per week to daily.

Studies have shown that SLIT is just as effective as allergy shots and can be given to children as young as five years old. The caveat is that the FDA has yet to approve the immunotherapy, so it’s not covered by insurance.

Aland said due to the usually more mild, humid weather in Alabama, “allergy season” can last from February through November.

“There are many allergy medicines that are available over the counter,” he said. “Those don’t cure the allergies, they just potentially treat the symptoms.”

Aland also recommends getting flu and RSV shots, since those cases are on the rise in Alabama.

health/wellness

an annual SJL special section

The Birmingham native has been in practice at ENT Associates of Alabama since 1988. He practices the full range of Otolaryngology with a special emphasis on pediatric ENT, sinus surgery, voice problems and snoring.

He said big advancements have been made in recent years with snoring remedies.

“We have found success with an in-office procedure called Injection Snoreplasty. It tightens the palate tissue,” said Aland. “A tighter palate vibrates less and thus causes significantly less snoring.”

This Spring, Sow the Seeds

Open Channels Wellness Studio brings healing modalities together

By Lee J. Green

Erica Malone’s goal was to create a space that allows individuals to channel total body and mind wellness.

With that in mind, last January she opened Open Channels Wellness Studio on Montclair Road, just a mile from the Levite Jewish Community Center — an umbrella company offering massage therapy, reiki, diet and nutrition classes, art therapy, yoga, counseling and other healing modal-

“We look at the total picture that contributes to our physical, mental and spiritual wellness,” said Malone, who also works in the pediatric gastroenterology department at Children’s Hospital. “Every individual is different. We assess their needs so we can recommend programs that would help them to heal and grow.”

Malone has been a licensed reiki specialist since 2012. It’s a healing technique in which the therapist channels energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient’s body.

“Reiki is very intentional,” she said. “Your intent should be to heal yourself. We guide our clients to focus on their own power and their energy”

The Birmingham native earned a degree in Human Development at Amridge University in Montgomery, and is studying Bio-Behavioral Nutrition at UAB. She also leads the diet and nutrition classes for Open Channels.

“We have a 30-Days-to-Healthy-Living jumpstart the last Saturday of every month,” said Malone, who keeps halal at her house. “Our classes help people to understand their bodies and understand more about the foods they should (and shouldn’t be eating). It’s research, meal planning and detoxing that are the most important goals.”

“Arbonne products are vegan, kosher and halal certified,” she said. “I wouldn’t recommend anything I wouldn’t eat myself.”

Malone’s daughter, Darien, is in her senior year at UAB and teaches studio art classes at Open Channels. “Tapping into your creative side and expressing that ability is very therapeutic,” said Malone.

She said they have some open spaces at Open Channels and are seeking some professionals to bring into the practice — including a family counselor, yoga instructor and massage therapist. For more information go to www.openchannelswellness.com

LimmudFest celebrating 30th anniversary of “The Jew in the Lotus”

LimmudFest New Orleans announced two upcoming programs, as the weekend of Jewish learning is in its off year between the every-two-year events.

On April 3, LimmudFest is partnering with JNola for Food for Thought, Dinner with a Purpose. There will be 10 dinners in 10 private homes, with 10 seats at each table and 10 dynamic presenters. Information will be announced regarding topics, presenters and hosts.

On April 18, there will be a 30th anniversary dialogue for Rodger Kamenetz’ bestselling book, “The Jew in the Lotus.” Kamenetz and Norman Fischer will discuss the contintuing mpact of the book for the Jewish and Buddhist communities. The program will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Lavin-Bernick Center at Tulane, in room 215, the 1834 Club. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Image pictured is from McWane’s new traveling exhibit Earth Matters: Rethink the Future, created by Scitech and Imagine Exhibitions, sponsored locally by Alabama Power Foundation.

education

an annual SJL special section

Ron Gubitz stepping down as head of Tulane Hillel

On Dec. 19, Tulane Hillel announced that Ron Gubitz, who has been executive director for four years, will be stepping down at the end of the spring semester and moving to St. Louis.

Gubitz came to New Orleans in 2010 from St. Louis, where he worked for Teach for America. Before taking over from Rabbi Yonah Schiller at Hillel in 2020, he worked for the ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy, and was principal coach for Turnaround Arts.

Mark Mintz, board chair for Tulane Hillel, said “I am grateful for the inspiring work Ron has contributed to continuing Tulane Hillel’s reputation as an inclusive, innovative, and impactful Jewish community.”

According to the announcement, Gubitz “strengthened our Hillel by increasing the quality and quantity of Jewish student engagement,

steadfastly representing the needs of Jewish students with University leadership, and attracting and mentoring incredibly talented pro-fessionals who are deeply committed to the mission of Tulane Hillel.”

During his four years, Hillel revamped its financial systems, increased monetary reserves, launched the award-winning Portrait Identity Project, piloted the Tulane Israel Leadership Trip and alternative spring break programs, and partnered with Onward Israel.

These accomplishments came despite having to deal with Covid shutdowns at the begin-ning of his tenure.

The board is working with Hillel International on a nationwide search for a successor, with Kevin Wilkins chairing the search committee.

Isidore Newman builds on reputation of excellence

When financier and philanthropist Isidore Newman founded the Isidore Newman Manual Training School in 1903, he envisioned a superior education for the children of New Orleans and those of the Jewish Children’s Home. He wrote, “For years it has been the desire of my heart to do something for this city and State which have made me what I am. I have my reward in the school.” He hoped to provide skilled, competent, and well-trained labor to do the work that is necessary in a community.

Over the past 120 years, Isidore Newman School has developed into one of the nation’s finest college preparatory institutions. The curricu-

lum has evolved into an academic program which today offers a full range of choices and rewarding challenges. From an opening enrollment of 125, the student body has grown to almost 1,100 in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Distinctive Academic Programs

Now in its 12th year, Global Studies has become a signature program at Isidore Newman School. A requirement for graduation, Global Studies offers a slate of courses from which each senior selects one. Although at its core Global Studies teaches students about history, woven within the lessons is an implicit goal to help

In November, Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum hosted leaders from MSU Hillel for lunch and conversation.

students understand the complex, interconnected factors that created the modern world. With current Upper School students moving into a complex, globally interconnected environment, the course teaches students how to navigate across cultural barriers, understand multiple perspectives, and look beyond America’s borders to experience world history with an open mind and a critical eye.

All Newman students will take either Art History or History of Jazz prior to graduation. Art History exposes students to the art of many cultures dating from the ancient world to contemporary works. History of Jazz provides students with an understanding and appreciation of the history and artistry of jazz music, a genre that originated in New Orleans.

Newman’s Math curriculum is designed so that the most advanced track progresses from Pre-Calculus Honors to Calculus Honors to AP Calculus BC.

Recent Campus Enhancements

In the past several years, Newman has focused on improving its physical plant, with substantial construction projects transforming the 11.5acre campus. In Fall 2022, Newman dedicated the new Joy and Boysie Bollinger Performing Arts Building. The 5,500 square-foot building features two spacious, acoustically optimized rehearsal rooms for Newman’s award-winning Band and Choir programs, three practice rooms, as well as the Bart Gallery featuring student work alongside Newman’s permanent collection.

Since the School’s founding in 1903, the arts have always been an important part of a Newman education, with classes in music and the arts being required. Blending traditional and contemporary architecture, the Bollinger building highlights the connection between this new, state-of-

the-art performing arts building and Newman’s historic Jefferson Building, which serves as a part of the new building’s structural integrity.

“This building serves as a sign of our commitment to offer a Newman education that embraces both classical liberal arts and forward-thinking, innovative educational practices,” Head of School Dale Smith said.

Last fall the School also unveiled the state-of-the-art Manning Fieldhouse and renovation of the historic Tuohy Gymnasium.

Named in honor of proud Newman graduates, Eli ’99, Peyton ’94, and Cooper ’92 Manning, children of Olivia and Archie Manning, the Manning Fieldhouse abounds with stories of success both on and off the field. The Berger Family Atrium is another component of the Fieldhouse building. To recognize the legacy that their parents, Darryl and Louellen, established, Allison, Darryl Jr., Brandon, and Ryan meaningfully dedicated the space in their honor. The new, state-of-the-art facility houses the Adler Goldring Pavilion, Sean Tuohy Court, Bordelon Family Locker Room, the Montgomery Head Coach’s Office, along with flexible gathering and meeting spaces, such as the Eustis Flower Room and Miles P. Clements ’72 Conference Room, for the entire Newman community to utilize.

Athletics touch the lives of every Newman student — more than 85 percent of Middle and Upper School students participate in at least one sport. This comprehensive renovation of physical education, locker rooms, and community spaces provides amenities appropriate to the stature of the Newman athletics program and spirit of the community it serves.

These new facilities, coupled with the Rupa and Tarun Jolly Science and Technology Building, which opened in the fall of 2018, and the over 250 dedicated faculty and staff at the School, ensures Greenies are prepared for success for years to come.

Help The Hebrew University Community Serve Israel Through the ‘We Are One’ Fund

The October 7th Hamas terrorist attack has threatened the State of Israel’s future like nothing before. Nevertheless, the country, its students, soldiers, and citizens have united amidst unimaginable tragedy.

While Israel focuses on the immediate battle of protecting its borders and rooting out the Hamas threat, its people face both short and long-term struggles. A massive and far-reaching effort looms in keeping the country moving forward and addressing the myriad economic, medical, and academic needs.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem community — its students, professors, staff, and families — are suffering. Some have lost relatives who were murdered in the attacks. Others continue to endure endless days worried about the status of kidnapped family members and friends. Students and faculty are once again soldiers, having been called up to serve, suspending their academic pursuits, research, and jeopardizing their financial security. Just in the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Law, alone, an estimated 40% of students have been called to active military duty.

In the face of dire need, Hebrew University has launched the We Are One fundraising campaign to provide aid and support to the 28,000 students, faculty, and staff impacted by the war.

“The Hebrew University’s American friends will do everything we can to support our community members during the war and its aftermath, which we hope will bring lasting peace,” says Joshua Rednik, chief executive officer, American Friends of the Hebrew University. “Every dollar raised goes to mitigating significant, critical needs to ensure safety, security, and continued educational excellence on campus once the academic year begins.”

Significant We Are One funding priorities include:

Scholarships and Academic Assistance for Soldiers Called to Duty

Thousands of students who have been called to military service will incur academic and financial losses while risking their lives. We Are One will provide scholarships and financial aid for students and staff serving in the military. Once the school year begins, Hebrew University will also continue to provide financial and emotional support, and academic assistance for students, staff, and faculty serving in the reserves.

Relocation and Shelter

Hebrew University is assessing how best to help employees and students who have had to evacuate their homes. Many have lost all their possessions while facing the trauma of kidnapped, injured, and/or deceased loved ones.

Campus Security

The current conflict brings with it increased security needs on all campuses, including equipping guards with bulletproof vests and helmets, increased first aid supplies, and other security mobilization equipment.

Counseling Services

The University is providing counseling for anyone in the community who is coping with severe trauma, grief, and loss. This includes assistance for families of hostages and other missing people.

Beyond Fundraising: Volunteering Where Needed

Hebrew University volunteers are addressing urgent needs in their surrounding communities as well. Faculty of Medicine students are volunteering in Israeli hospitals struggling with staff shortages due to the war. The University is also working with the Jerusalem Municipality to establish a school and kindergarten for children evacuated from their homes in Sderot in southern Israel. In addition, some of the half million displaced people from the North and the Gaza border regions are being housed in Hebrew University dormitories.

In its role as Israel’s premier university and academic research institution, Hebrew University will continue to address the devastating impact of this terror attack, and its toll on human and financial suffering, just as it has faced adversity throughout Israel’s history.

As the war continues to demand time, resources, and attention, Hebrew University, across its six campuses, must also continue doing what it does best: pursuing extraordinary innovation, developing transformational technologies, and delivering educational excellence to solve some of the world’s most urgent challenges.

When the immediate crisis subsides, the University will once again provide an academic home for a full cadre of students, researchers, and faculty. In the meantime, the HU community is supporting each other, providing critical medical resources, helping farmers harvest their crops to prevent food shortages, and looking after the families left behind as Israel’s soldiers heed the call for security.

“These tragic times remind us of the human cost of war and the true blessings of family and friends,” says Hebrew University President Prof. Asher Cohen. “As we mourn those we have lost and persevere through difficult days ahead, we find comfort in community and strength in solidarity. We hold onto hope — hope for the safe return of hostages and faith in our nation’s resilience. Hebrew University is grateful for the support.”

To make a tax-deductible contribution to the We Are One Fund, go to www.afhu.org/wr1

or mail a check payable to American Friends of the Hebrew University PO Box 98212

Washington, DC 20090

Hebrew University students volunteer to prep food

Alabama Hillel provides a home away from home

By Lee J. Green

The University of Alabama continues to grow its Jewish student population and involvement, with Hillel providing a home for students, especially during these challenging times.

“We’re there for the students for whatever they need,” said University of Alabama Hillel Executive Director Lisa Besnoy. “Our goal is to be a home away from home. It’s so much more than Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations. It’s about creating a community.”

She said that the University has always been very supportive of Hillel and diversity on campus. That commitment has been very evident especially since the Oct. 7 attacks.

“The University and the Administration have been incredibly supportive of us through this,” said Besnoy. “They have been amazing; providing us everything we need for our emotional and physical safety needs.”

At a gathering for peace and solidarity, University of Alabama President Dr. Stuart Bell spoke with students and “was giving our students many hugs and assurances.”

Later in October, Hillel connected with an elementary school administration in Israel, sending more than 150 hand-made cards offering support. “Our students took the initiative to come up with ways they could support Israel and the children,” she said.

Hillel’s Chanukah celebration was the most highly attended since Besnoy came back to Alabama to serve as director in 2013.

She said the students and alumni turned out in big numbers for the Alabama football home game tailgates at Hillel. Those have also been ideal for hosting prospective Jewish students.

“We’re so lucky to have such a great building for everything from Shabbat dinners to study times to tailgating and social events,” said Besnoy.

She said Hillel is blessed to have strong student leadership. Thanks to a Birmingham Jewish Foundation grant, Besnoy and Hillel student leaders enjoyed a retreat to the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans this past November.

They were given tours by University of Alabama graduate Abbey Lewis, the Visitor Services Manager for the MSJE. “That was a very pivotal, moving experience,” said Besnoy. “We want to make sure our programs are very student-centric and we’re fortunate to have wonderful resources in the BJF and Hillel International.”

Temple Emanu-El, located next door to Hillel, has also been a very supportive partner, she said. Students often attend services there and several teach Sunday School and B’nai Mitzvah prep.

She said in the spring, Hillel is planning a big Purim party. In partnership with the Alabama Holocaust Education Center, they are planning a Holocaust commemoration event March 26.

The University estimates that there are more than 1,000 Jewish students on campus and enrollment numbers continue to rise.

In the spring, they hope to expand the number of cities they will go to on recruiting visit events and always welcome prospective students to visit.

“We’re seeing more incoming freshman coming from the northeast and out west, discovering what a gem we have here,” said Besnoy.

Indian Springs forms a community of learning

With an atmosphere of student autonomy and rigorous college-level courses, Indian Springs School continues its reputation as one of the top private high schools in the country.

Set on 350 acres half an hour south of Birmingham, with a 12-acre lake, the school emphasizes the concept of Learning through Living, with respect for individuality and independent thought, participatory citizenship and fostering creativity. Students are largely self-governed, with the freedom to try new things and, on occasion, fail at them, so they can learn and grow.

The student body is highly diverse, with students from several states and foreign countries. Roughly one-third of students board, and many faculty members live on campus, providing a community atmosphere and an ability for students to seek extra help outside class hours.

Enrollment is around 330, starting with a small eighth grade class that usually numbers around 26, then larger groups starting in ninth grade.

There is a wide range of student organizations, generally getting their start when a couple students express an interest. Among the organizations is the Jew Crew, and a sukkah is constructed on campus every year for Sukkot.

Student organization showcases each year provide opportunities to learn about other groups on campus.

The school’s music program is highly-regarded, with its famous choir comprising one-third of the student body. A contemporary music program leads to elaborate student concerts where the only faculty member involved is the one operating the sound board. The drama department does cutting-edge plays, and student photography and sculpture are displayed in the Town Hall.

Over the last two decades, almost all campus buildings were updated or replaced, with Silver LEED-certified buildings that complement the natural setting. The most recent is the Kayser/ Samford Community Commons, a new dining hall and gathering spot. Learning from the Covid experience, there was a redesign to provide more outdoor seating, which proved popular.

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Kayser/Samford Community Commons

Auburn Jewish student numbers, participation on the rise

By Lee J. Green

Bolstered by support from Auburn Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl, Athletic Director John Cohen and the University, Auburn’s Jewish student and participation numbers continue to rise.

“We’re seeing more students at our events and Shabbat dinners than ever before,” said Faculty Advisor and Auburn communications professor Eleanor Patterson. “We don’t have a large population here (estimated at close to 150 students), but we are mighty,” and this year’s freshman class had the largest Jewish contingent in history. “It is our hope that we’ll be able to fundraise and have our own Hillel building here within the next five years.”

Coach Pearl’s annual Chanukah Party drew a record crowd of Jewish and non-Jewish students. Pearl also led an interfaith effort to send care packages to IDF soldiers, recruiting the basketball and baseball teams to join the Jewish students. He also led students in a chant of “Am Yisrael Chai” at the university’s annual lighting festival, where the campus Christmas tree and menorah are both lit.

Pearl and the Auburn Hillel also organized a dinner with Athletes for Israel and its director Danny Posner at Neville Arena. Athletes for Israel helped organize the August 2022 trip to Israel for Auburn’s basketball team.

“I think we’ve really seen the strength and resolve of our Jewish community” since Oct. 7, said Patterson. At the Sunday Bagels with Bruce following the attack, they did prayers and sang Hatikvah together. “It’s meaningful for us to come together as Jews to grieve and to discuss ways

we can support Israel.”

“We’re lucky that we’ve gotten much support from the University. John and Bruce are always advocating for the Jewish students. They’re always there for them,” she said.

Patterson said the students have organized some tailgates for football and basketball games. Hillel coordinates monthly Shabbat dinners, movie nights and other engaging programs. Auburn’s AEPi fraternity also hosts regular events for its members and some combo events with Hillel.

For the spring, they plan to coordinate a big Purim party and an open celebration for Israel Independence Day.

Patterson said they are also grateful for Temple Beth Shalom, Auburn’s congregation. She is on the board and many of the students attend services there. Some of the students also teach Sunday school.

“Our students feel like they are ambassadors for Jewish culture and traditions,” she said. “They also have taken great initiative with outreach… and to show what a great environment this is for future students.”

Alabama School of Fine Arts growing math and science programs

By Lee J. Green

Alabama School of Fine Arts has arts in its name, but the Birmingham tuition-free public school providing specialty education continues to produce many National Merit Scholars in math and science.

ASFA’s inaugural seventh grade Math-Science Department class started last fall. Dinah Henkin, daughter of Temple Beth-El Rabbi Steven Henkin and his wife Orly, has excelled in the Department as a ninth grader.

“I really love this school,” said Henkin, who started as an eighth grader at ASFA. “It is so diverse and we get such a strong, specialized education.”

She said she is especially interested in marine biology and medical engineering. “We took a field trip to Dauphin Island last fall and it gave us the opportunity for some hands-on learning.”

Henkin has relished opportunities to be involved on competing academic teams and with extracurricular activities. She’s on the ASFA Math Team and is doing the Science Olympiad.

She also has taken an interest in prop and scenery building, working behind the scenes on last fall’s production of “Urinetown.”

“I really enjoy seeing how science, math and art can come together,” added Henkin.

In her history class, Henkin did a project on the Jewish community of Monaco, and they had a special commemoration on the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

“I’ve shared with my friends and teachers about how we celebrate holidays and the meaning of our traditions,” she said.

Henkin said students have options to shape their own curriculum outside of the required core and do volunteer work at places such as the McWane Center.

“They’ve also brought in some ASFA alumni to speak to us to let us

know about how they are using their (ASFA math-science education) to further their careers,” she said.

For the ASFA 2023-24 academic year, the school added other programs for seventh and eighth graders, including piano education.

“Students ranging from seventh to 12th grade in the same school is both rewarding and challenging,” said Brad Hill, vice president of specialty and academic studies at ASFA. “Our new programs seek to empower middle schoolers. An early start is beneficial to students’ ‘deep dive’ in their chosen area, and ASFA’s excellent faculty makes sure they are ready for advanced high school classes as they pursue their passions.”

ASFA was voted the Best Public School in the Birmingham Region. Ninety-one percent of the school’s seniors earned merit scholarships, compared to the national average of 22 percent. For more information, go to www.asfa.k12.al.us.

MSJE hosting Rosenwald student essay contest

In conjunction with their current exhibit, “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America,” the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans is holding a middle school writing contest.

Open to students in grades 5 to 8, the contest asks “Why do you think the United States should create a Rosenwald Schools National Park?” Contest entries should be done in the form of a persuasive letter to members of Congress, explaining why the proposed park should be approved.

Background information on the Rosenwald Schools is available on the museum’s website, along with an entry form. Letters must be no more than 500 words in length, and the contest is open to students in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The contest is open to all students, including non-Jews.

WINNER OF THREE BOOK AWARDS

Based

“A product of love and of intellect”

— Rabbi Steven Silberman Ahavas Chesed, Mobile

First place is $500, second place is $250 and third place is $100. The deadline is April 15.

Space Camp: The Gift of Exploration

Does your family value experiences over material things when it comes to gift giving? The U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Space Camp programs in Huntsville are both meaningful and memorable and may be just the thing to consider this holiday season.

Space Camp was founded in 1982, when the space shuttle program was just taking off. NASA knew that it was going to take a lot of engineers, scientists, and technologists to keep that spacecraft flying and to build the International Space Station. So long before STEM became an emphasis in the education world, Space Camp opened with the goal of inspiring kids interested in space exploration.

With more than 1 million graduates from all over the world, Space Camp and its sister programs — Aviation Challenge, Space Camp Robotics, and U.S. Cyber Camp — have done exactly that. Thousands of engineers, pilots, astronomers, and, yes, astronauts, attribute the seed planted at Space Camp to their later successes.

Space Camp Robotics and U.S. Cyber Camp are available for ages 9 to 18, but Space Camp and Aviation Challenge, with its focus on pilot training, also offer family camp options. Families with children as young as 7 may attend the two-night program on site at the Rocket Center.

Each family member is assigned a different role in a simulated space or aviation mission, providing an educational, and fun set of activities to experience together.

Family camp programs are not only a unique way for families to spend time together, but they also provide the confidence for children to come back on their own. Sometimes it’s just the spark that ignites an exciting future of exploration.

Southern Jewish Life Business

Lifestyle brand launches in Birmingham

When Nicole Roby launched her luxury lifestyle brand Rome Curate in October, her goal was to not just launch a brand but create a community.

The interior designer and founder of Nicole Roby Designs, which started in Birmingham in 2019, said she was inspired by her quest to help clients see their visions come to fruition.

“I’ve always been attracted to timeless, elegant design with modern sensibilities,” said Roby. “And I’ve always looked at the bigger picture of interior design. It’s creating an environment that feels like home… personalizing that space for clients.”

“Time is very important,” she said. “You need a one-stop shop that can provide everything you need for your home and lifestyle, and we want to meet that need with Rome Curate.”

In addition to furniture and accessories, Rome Curate’s tailored collection includes art, photography, books, rugs and candles.

But there are also items that many might be surprised to find — the O Hui and The History of Whoo lines of skin care products for men and women from South Korea, and even products for pets.

“Rome Curate encompasses anything used in the home,” said Roby, who is from Scottsboro, but her mom is from Seoul, South Korea. “The skin care line has been a family business for years and they are among the leaders in the skin care industry. We thought it fit very well with what we’re all about.”

She said Rome Curate also wants to offer a platform for artists and photographers to showcase their work to a broader audience.

“We definitely want to foster the local art and design community,” said Roby. “In addition to our featured artists, we have used local and regional craftsmen for most of our exclusive products and furniture.”

These functional white bone boxes are decorated with rectangular tiles handcrafted into a mosaic arrangement of elegance. Each one is unique with its own design of brass trimming.

She came up with the Rome Curate name by combining Roby with Home. “Plus, we wanted something to reference a European center for style… coupled with Southern flair.”

Roby and her husband, Chris, just had their third child back in May. She said she knows what it’s like to juggle family and career.

“I know it’s about striking a balance. I’m lucky to have a good team at Rome Curate and some great support at home. We want to make it easier for other families to make their homes an oasis for loved ones to enjoy,” she said.

In November, Rome Curate hosted a skin care event, and they plan to have regular events and workshops in 2024. Programming will vary and span many topics such as health and wellness, entertaining, decorating, gardening and more.

Rome Curate’s showroom at 3409 5th Avenue South in Birmingham’s Southside is open by appointment, and customers can also shop the website at www.romecurate.com. Website purchases can be picked up in store or shipped to your home.

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From the back page of this magazine to under your drink on the coffee table

Fresh off of Ruining Jewish Book Month!

“He periodically spells my name right.”

– Moses

“Yes, we gave him a graduate degree. We’re looking into it.”

– chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary

“Half of the things he says I said, I never said. Including this.”

– his mother

“He knows more about Judaica than most, and you won’t find any of it in this book.”

– his fourth-grade teacher

“His translation skills are second to none, and it’s a very close second.” – his Hebrew professor “I’ll deal with him.”

– The Almighty Big G

Knitting a community

Rubio moves from non-profit world

Having founded and served as the CEO of a major non-profit in Birmingham, Knit Bham owner Isabel Rubio sought to not just open a knitting store but to create communities — one stitch at a time.

After 20 years leading the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, Rubio has followed her passion and opened the store in Forest Park this past September.

“The work I did with HICA focused on building community,” said Rubio. “The pandemic made us realize how much we need togetherness. I wanted to build a shared space for those of us who love the creative fiber arts.”

Knit Bham already hosts a few groups for knitting get-togethers and classes for beginners taught by certified instructor Katherine Berdy. Rubio’s longtime friend and Jewish community member Susan Barstein will also teach a “mystery knit-along” in which participants solve clues to what they are to make.

Rubio grew up in McComb, Miss., with her mom influencing her love of knitting, sewing, cross-stitch and needlepoint.

She said her grandfather on her mother’s side was Jewish and Rubio has always embraced the tradition. “My Jewish heritage has always been very important to me,” said Rubio. “I have a mezuzah on my door and some beautiful menorahs. I love celebrating with my friends.”

After another store Rubio used to get yarn and knitting supplies at closed during the pandemic, she started planning Knit Bham.

“I got some great support from the community and things just fell into place,” she said.

Rubio sought out many yarns that weren’t

counselor’s corner

a monthly feature from Collat Jewish Family Services

Feeling stressed? Try the Rule of Two

By Amy Neiman, LMSW

I told myself that 2024 would be less stressful. Seriously. I had a conversation with myself while I was walking my dogs. I was going to be more organized. I was going to plan out dinners for the week. I was going to walk these dogs every day — rain or shine. I was going to make sure lunches were packed the night before. I was going to change my car oil on time. I was going to answer all emails in a timely fashion. All these small changes were going to make 2024 productive, with less anxiety and more joy.

Then there was a day of tornadoes followed by five days of friged cold weather with icy conditions and there was no way I was walking the dogs or planning out dinners, lunches and breakfasts for ALL these people in my house. Within days, my 2024 had become just as stressful as the end of 2023. Disaster.

It wasn’t just the weather that derailed my plans. It was my biology. Our bodies simply rebel when we try to change too much at one time. Maybe I would have been able to sustain all those changes for a bit, but eventually, my mind and body would have put on the brakes. Too much! Too quickly!

In fact, this would mean that my body was doing exactly what it was created to do. Change, even if it is good change, creates stress on our brains. Adding too much change at once, well, brains can go into overload and our stress response takes over.

This is why researchers today discuss the Rule of Two. The Rule of Two is based on the concept that changing just two things at a time will allow our brains to adapt to the stress, and thus, we will be more successful. Once we start getting the hang of these two new changes, we can add two more, but you need to give yourself time. Science suggests that it takes six to eight weeks to create a new habit. So along with the Rule of Two, you need to add a bit of patience to the mix.

With this knowledge in place, I’ve decided to rethink 2024 and use the Rule of Two. For now, I’m working on walking the dogs each day and answering emails within 48 hours. Given that I’m only in week two, I’m feeling pretty good about my progress. Of course, these sunny days have helped, and as has my phone by allowing me to set reminders that show up each day. Maybe you can try the Rule of Two as well.

A very wise woman once told me “Amy, it’s progress, not perfection, that we’re looking for.” I’m a believer. Progress here we come!

Professional counseling from CJFS is confidential, and it is often covered by insurance. To learn more, visit cjfsbham.org/our-mission/professional-counseling or email jfs@cjfsbham.org or call 205.879-3438.

continued from page 42

available anywhere else in the Southeast, including Ginger Twist Studio from Scotland; hand-dyed yarns from the Hudson Valley and those from Japan, Denmark and South America. Knit Birmingham also sells patterns, buttons and other accessories.

“It’s about creating sustainable wardrobes through made fashions,” she said. “We think this is a very unique store. There is great joy in the process that leads to the product. It’s a labor of love.”

Executives, Emerging Leaders, Parents, Retirees and other Curious Individuals

WHAT CAN WE ACCOMPLISH?

• Increase your emotional and social intelligence

• Find your current purpose and take action towards attaining it

• Strengthen, restore and understand your boundaries

• Improve your decision making

• Improve your emotional regulation and emotional courage

•

•

Simple Poke

Recipe

Serves 1 person

Ingredients:

4 oz. Tuna/Salmon/Beets

½ Avocado (diced)

3 oz. Edamame

3 oz. Pineapple (diced)

2 oz. Cucumber (seeds removed and diced)

1 oz. White Onion (thinly sliced/optional)

1 Tbsp Tamari or Regular Soy Sauce (can substitute for 1 tsp Hawaiian Sea Salt)

Instructions:

Mix well in a bowl. Serve as is or on top of mixed greens or bed of rice. Sprinkle in toasted sesame seeds.

Maro

By Lee J. Green

After having success with his Mountain Brook Village restaurant Abhi Bar and Eatery, entrepreneur Abhi Sainju and his wife Ainah began thinking toward the future.

“We wanted to create a high-quality, fast-casual, Asian-fusion concept,” he said. “I’m from Nepal and my wife is from the Philippines. We are bringing in some of our cultures and traditions through the food.”

Tomorrow is today with the October opening of Maro in Lane Parke Village. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Maro’s menu includes poke bowls, salads, tapas, specialties, beer, sake and wine.

“You can get a great meal to eat here or quickly when you are on-the-go,” said Sainju. “The idea was to give our customers high-quality foods at affordable prices, served hot and fresh in minimal time.”

Maro allows customers the option to choose their own proteins, vegetables and sauces for DIY poke bowls.

“People can get exactly what they want, which is ideal for those with special dietary requests… so anything can be made (kosher-style) or vege-

tarian. We also have many gluten-free options,” said Sainju.

Everything at Maro is homemade and they work with local growers. “We’re very supportive of local/area growers and makers,” he said. “That’s very important to us. We want to support Birmingham and Alabama.”

Sainju moved from Nepal to Montgomery to attend Faulkner in 1996. He would go on to graduate from UAB.

He would work for years as a bartender and restaurant manager in Birmingham. It is while doing sushi for private parties he realized the vision to start Abhi Bar and Eatery, which opened in 2016 at The Summit.

Sainju opened the second location in Mountain Brook Village in 2019, closing The Summit location a couple years ago to focus on the new concept.

“We’ve been really pleased with the reception Maro has gotten so far,” he said. “We’re foodies and it makes us happy to see others who want to enjoy the foods we love.”

Sainju said they plan to continue to add to Maro’s menu and future locations have been discussed.

community

>> Rear Pew Mirror

He says, “No, I don’t know where the rabbi could be,”

As a smile ran away from his face, “So, I better come up with a sermon dvar, Or we’ll never get out of this place.”

La, la-la, di-di-dum

All Shabbos I bi di-bum

Now Saul is a retired physicist

Who never had time for a wife, And he’s talkin’ with Dvorah, who’ll soon chant the Torah

To teach us some more about life.

And the board members arguing politics

As we hear about sinners getting stoned, Yes, they’re standing and praying in cold silence

But it’s better than prayin’ alone.

Sing us a Psalm, you’re the P’Sukei Man, Sing us a Psalm today,

Well, we’re all in a tallis and yarmulke

And you got us ready to pray.

It’s a pretty good crowd for a Saturday

And the rabbi he gives me a smile, He arrived nine-fifteen which by me went unseen

I forgot about life for a while.

And the courtyard, it sounds like a carnival, And we’re starting to smell lox and schmear, And they sit in the back and sneak their kids a snack

And say “man, how long have you been here?”

La, la-la, di-di-dum

All Shabbos long bi di-bum

Sing us a Psalm, you’re the P’Sukei Man, Sing us a Psalm today,

Well, we’re all in a tallis and yarmulke

And you’ll get us ready to pray.

Doug Brook is a lifelong Billy Joel obsessive wannabe fanatic, whose first date and first concert ever were both the Billy Joel concert on March 7, 1987, at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Arena. Even though she brought a friend. And her father drove us. (Yes, he had to research the exact date.)

He also always gets to services by nine. (Him, not Billy Joel. That we know of.)

If you want to actually hear the song, check out the Rear Pew Mirror podcast.

To acquire the FIVE-star rated Rear Pew Mirror book, read past columns, or listen to the FIVE-star rated Rear Pew Mirror podcast, visit http://rearpewmirror.com/

connection CAREGIVER

Support group for spouses/partners of women battling Ovarian & other GYN cancers.

3rd Tuesday of each month at 5:30 PM

Homewood Public Library

1721 Oxmoor Rd., Homewood, AL 35209

ashley@nlovca.org 205-999-8021

cureovariancancer.org

P’Sukei Man

Billy Joel recently announced his first new song in decades. In recognition of this Messianesque return, this column presents another nevertofore heard classic.

The few. The proud. The people present at the start of Shabbat morning services. The nearly several people who pray the introductory Psalmfilled service, P’Sukei D’Zimra. The least we can do is give them a song. As we’re always ready to do the least, here one is.

In 1973, Billy Joel released what would become his signature song, “Piano Man.” As with many songs by many artists, this ballad went through early iterations that significantly differed from how it was ultimately recorded.

Owners of the My Lives boxset have heard the demo track where he sings, “Sing us a song, little piano man.” In this take, at nine o’clock on a Saturday “drinks were going fast,” and the old man sitting next to him was “dreading the time that has passed,” along with other lyrical changes, more prominent harmonica, and excessive reverb.

This happened with many of his songs, such as “I’ve Loved These Days” originally being “These Rhinestone Days,” “Worse Comes to Worst” was originally “New Mexico,” “The Longest Time” has roots in “The Prime of Your Life,” “Elvis Presley Blvd” evolved from “The End of the World,” and “Only the Good Die Young” was a reggae track until the drummer, the great Liberty DeVitto, hurled his drumsticks in protest.

According to legend, even “Honesty” was once “Sodomy,” though it was never clear if this alternate lonely word was in allusion to the book of Genesis or Leviticus.

Next: Scenes from an Italian Synagogue

But Billy Joel, like so many of us, is a nice Jewish boy. So, it’s little-known that an even earlier version of the song that ultimately became “Piano Man” was, in fact, a tribute to those early-morning Saturday stalwarts who get the service going so latecomers don’t have to wait too long for the Kiddush luncheon afterward.

It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday

The regular crowd shuffles in, There’s an old man sittin’ next to me

Wonderin’ when we’ll get a minyan.

He says, “Son, can you daven the liturgy?

I’m not really sure how it goes

But it’s now nine-o-eight and the rabbi is late, And I’m late for my mid-morning doze.”

La, la-la, di-di-dum

All Shabbos I bi di-bum

Sing us a Psalm, you’re the P’Sukei Man, Sing us a Psalm today, Well, we’re all in a tallis and yarmulke And you’ll get us ready to pray.

Now Sy in the back is a friend of mine

At the ripe young age of eighty-three, And he’s quick with a joke I heard last time we spoke But it still gets a laugh out of me.