Southern Jewish Life, New Orleans, April 2022 by Southern Jewish Life

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Southern Jewish LifeLife Southern Jewish 3747 West Esplanade Ave. P.O. Box 130052 3rd Floor Birmingham, AL 35213 Metairie, LA 70002 Volume 32 Issue 4

Late April 2022

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

shalom y’all In recent months, we have written far too often about how the Jewish community is a bit jumpy right now. Certainly, a huge part of that has been the rise in antisemitic incidents and the increasingly brazen nature of them There have been several high-profile ones, such as Tree of Life, Poway and Colleyville, but a rash of very under-reported ones, especially in New York, which haven’t been dwelled on as the perpetrators have not fit the Central Casting role of white supremacists. The increasing anti-Israel activism on college campuses, egged on by radical faculty members — far too many of them Jewish — has also added to the tension. Many campuses recently hosted the annual slanderous Israel Apartheid Week, a raw display of anti-Israel hostility filled with distortions and hyperbole. It is nice to see that Students Supporting Israel is now taking on the haters full-force, with a complementary Palestine Apartheid Week. It doesn’t defend Israel — it simply states the outrageous policies and real apartheid of the Palestinian leadership. Hopefully their response will expand beyond the handful of campuses they were able to reach this year. A big part of anti-Israel propaganda has been to deny any Jewish history in the land of Israel, which is why archaeology is seen as anti-Palestinian. But this has become far more widespread, adding to the angst, and there have been many egregious examples lately. Earlier this month, an article in the New York Times spoke about how “Israel insists that there has been a Jewish presence in the West Bank for thousands of years.” Israel insists? As if that is a debatable proposition that a thinking person should take with a grain of salt because, well, Israel is making that claim? And don’t go looking for “authoritative” sources to be authoritative. Wikipedia has a long reputation of editors who are hostile to Israel slanting the information on their site. Rewriting history is part of the overall mission. A Palestinian Islamic scholar went on official Palestinian television to claim the Russian invasion of Ukraine was done by the Jews, because we Jews know that Israel is failing and we need to come up with an alternative homeland quickly. For that, he insisted, the Jews have our sights set on Ukraine.

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Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games I have had the honor of attending many Maccabi competitions around the world. From Israel about the 3,500 years Europe of Jewish never games underestimate theUnited ingenuity to What Australia to South America, andhistothe JCCbut Maccabi around the Statesof anry inCanada, the Land of Israel? Forget heseeing said — and I have logged manythat, miles howti-Zionist sports cangroups. be a vehicle to help build Jewish becauseespecially we will, when weyoung. declare that the First Slightly better but still not great is, of all identity, in our and Second Temples were actually located in people, the Disney Corporation. Debuting last I felt honored to Birmingham the first time and fell in love with not just the city Ukraine instead to of come in Jerusalem. You see,forwe’d year, on “In The Nook,” was a five minute segbut the people. You have taken Southern hospitality to a new level with your kind and caring been lying about that in order to take the Pal- ment on Passover that was pretty accurate, exapproach the JCC Maccabi Games. estinians’ to ancient land. cept for its tagline, “Next Year in the Holy Land.” But by who the and West watches Palestinian volunteers Led thein Sokol Helds, your hard-working They partnered Sure, let’swere usewonderful. a generic “Holy Land” rather television? Well, rewriting Jewish history has tothan with your outstanding staff, led by Betzy Lynch, makesay theanything 2017 JCCpolitically Maccabi sensitive. games a huge hit. So what mainstream. Let’s look at a recent Ibecome want to take this opportunity as executive director of Maccabi to say thank you on behalf if that ignoresUSA reality? piece in Teen Vogue, which, believe it or not, of everyone involved. There has been a push in California to rehas a history of anti-Israel coverage. quiregames ethnic in schools. That’s a noble I had just returned from the 20th World Maccabiah instudies Israel with a U.S. delegation of If Passover were a question on Family Feud, idea, but the execution has been suspect. over 1100, who joined 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries. Back in July the eyes of the entire what would be the top responses for “Name There have been myriad stories of proposed Jewish world were on Jerusalem and the Maccabiah. This past month with 1000 athletes and something said as part of the Seder”? curricula that either ignore or dismiss Jewish coaches from around the world being in Birmingham, you became the focal point. One of the top answers, if not the top, would contributions to history. Worse, Jews are not Jewish community large, including a wonderful noEveryone doubt befrom “Nextthe Year in Jerusalem. ” and the community seen as an at example of diversity, with us being police force, are to be commended. These games will go down in history as being a seminal Not in Teen Vogue. The 1200-word piece labeled as white-adjacent or passing as white, moment the Jewish as including we build to the by providing suchis wonderful discussesfor many aspectscommunity of the Seder, andfuture our success in society chalked upJewish just to memories. a reference to opening the door for Elijah as that. Discuss antisemitism in class? Who has kindMargolis of a Jewish version of Santa Claus (uh... time for that trivial issue? Jed sure). But Director, no mention of Jerusalem. Furthermore, how those curricula treat the Executive Maccabi USA Wouldn’t want to mention a connection history of Israel as a European colonial transbetween Jews and the land of Israel, after all. plant is as predictable as it is outrageous. would like to see pushed back Remember, they’re just colonizers, a foreign supremacists Now those ideas are spreading to MassaOn Charlottesville into a corner and made to feel lesser. We stand entity. No history there. chusetts, and will likely be all over the country and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, It’s kind difficult to to discuss the inExodus with Editor’s Note:ofThis reaction the events soon. When we reflexively slam parents who was there standing up to the face of this from Egypt without referencing a destination, who Charlottesville, written by Jeremy Newman, “Don’t Want THAT Taught In Our Schools” rehate. Master of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Theta Colony garding certain current issues, we might want recognize thehave essence of the American at Auburn University, was shared by AEPi to We listen a bit and a smidgeon more unnarrative as a two-century struggle to ridare National, which called it “very eloquent” and derstanding about what old their concerns ourselves of suchjust corners, allow even those ifin we praised “our brothers at AEPi Theta Colony at (unless they’re plain and phobic), them the disagree, seat at thebecause table thatthe theyshoe so deserve. Auburn University and… the leadership they strongly is about It to fulfill the promise of the display on their campus.” toisbethe onstruggle our foot. Declaration of Independence, thatby“all men are It is said that history is written the victors. created endowed by the theirJewish Creator with When itequal… comes to Israel and people, White supremacy has been a cancer on certain ” WeIncreasingly, know our work it seemsunalienable that is notrights. the case. our our country since its beginning, threatening is far from finished, but we know willerased. not history is getting rewritten or justwe plain its hopes, its values, and its better angels. move We backwards. are of good nature and have a desire deThe events that took place in Charlottesville sire for peace and women, to get along, and aretake willing When men and fully armed, represented the worst of this nation. Those to see multiple sides of an issue. That is the streets in droves with swastikas andbeing who marched onto the streets with tiki torches to exploited by those nothing for us, other symbols of hate,who it is care a reminder of how and swastikas did so to provoke violence and as they run straight over our history and over relevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism fear. Those who marched onto the streets did what we cherish. are today. It is a wake-up call to the work that so to profess an ideology that harkens back to Andtoinbe many cases, theymore do so with needs doneoftothose ensure a better, a bleaker, more wretched time in our history. a goal of destroying not just our history, country. But it should not come but A time when men and women of many creeds, welcoming our present and future. a reflection on how far we’ve come. races, and religions were far from equal and far without A line has to be drawn, and we have to insist America was born a slave and nation. A century from safe in our own borders. A time where that we, too, have history traditions that into our history we engaged in a war in part Americans lived under a constant cloud of are to be respected, even when they conflict to ensure we wouldofnot continue as one. We racism, anti-Semitism and pervasive hate. The with the opinions others. confronted by the issue civil events that took place in Charlottesville served found If weourselves don’t respect our history, if weof don’t rights, on aour mission to ties ensure as a reminder of how painfully relevant these honor and and embarked stand up for historic to Jethe fair treatment of way all peoples matter their issues are today. rusalem, there is no we canno expect anyone skin color. Although we’ve made great strides, else to do it. Auburn’s Alpha Epsilon Pi stands with the it isAnd a mission we’re how still grappling with today. if we don’t, can we expect our fuJewish community of Charlottesville, and ture generations to do so, having not America was also born an immigrant taught with the Jewish people around the country them? As early as the pilgrims, many country. and around the world. We also stand with the groups and families found in the country the minorities who are targeted by the hate that opportunity to plant stakes, chase their future, was on display in Charlottesville. We stand Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor and be themselves. Few were met with open with the minorities of whom these white 6

April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

January 2021 April 2022

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Richard Friedman richard@sjlmag.com V.P. SALES/MARKETING, NEW ORLEANS Jeff Pizzo jeff@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com SOCIAL/WEB Emily Baldwein connect@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rivka Epstein, Louis Crawford, Tally Werthan, Stuart Derroff, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 2179 Highland Ave., Birmingham, AL 35205 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/249-6875 TOLL-FREE 888/613.YALL(9255) ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com Jeff Pizzo, jeff@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South. To that end, our commitment includes mailing to every Jewish household in the region (AL, LA, MS, NW FL), without a subscription fee. Outside the area, subscriptions are $25/year, $40/two years. Subscribe via sjlmag.com, call 205/870.7889 or mail payment to the address above. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed in SJL are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. SJL makes no claims as to the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains the right to refuse any advertisement.

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agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events Shir Chadash in Metairie recently elected its 2022 Executive Committee. Pictured here (left to right) are Rabbi Deborah Silver; Mia Bagneris, Ritual Vice President; Ali Simon, Education Vice President; Karen Sher, Membership Co-Vice President; Ben Horwitz, Executive Vice President; Peter Title, President; Hal Levkowitz, Men’s Club President; Charisse Sands, Sisterhood President; Barbara Kaplinsky, Membership Co-Vice President; and Daniel Mintz, Treasurer. (Not pictured are Davida Finger, Recording Secretary and Andrea Rubin, Financial Secretary)

Area Jewish institutions plan for GiveNOLA Day on May 3 Once again, many Jewish organizations in the greater New Orleans area are preparing for GiveNOLA Day, which will be held on May 3. Over 900 non-profits are signed up to take part in the annual online 24-hour fundraiser. Last year, over $8.1 million was raised from over 67,000 donations from across the country and around the world. While the main campaign is from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on May 3, gifts can also be pre-scheduled from April 18 to May 2. Sponsors and donors contribute to the GiveNOLA Lagniappe Fund, which is divided proportionally among the participating non-profits based on how much they raise. There are also hourly Rock Around the Clock bonuses of $500 all day, and any organization with a donation during that hour is eligible for the random drawing. Pre-scheduled gifts are not counted toward Rock Around the Clock. The organizations with the most money raised gets a $7,500 bonus in the large, medium and small organization categories. Similar awards go to groups with the most individual donors. Bonuses are given through fifth place. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans has consistently been one of the top fundraisers, coming in first among small organizations for five years in a row, until the categories were restructured two years ago, moving the Federation to the large organization category. Last year, the Federation ranked third among 910 organizations, raising almost $222,000

from 221 donors. They had set a goal of $150,000 and 250 donors. The Louise McGehee School placed first overall, with $324,380 from 922 donors. Each year, the Federation holds special programs in connection with GiveNOLA Day, including Power Hours where gifts are matched. In all, the 17 participating Jewish community organizations raised over $336,000 last year, an increase of $100,000. In addition to the Federation, this year’s participating organizations are Jewish Children’s Regional Service, the Jewish Community Day School, Jewish Family Service, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, National Council of Jewish Women, Northshore Jewish Congregation, the Anti-Defamation League, Avodah, Beth Israel, Gates of Prayer, the New Orleans Jewish Community Center, Shir Chadash, Slater Torah Academy, Tulane Hillel, Hadassah New Orleans and Temple Sinai. Touro Infirmary Foundation is also participating. The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience has set a goal of $25,000, having raised $19,007 last year. Hadassah New Orleans says GiveNOLA Day is a great way to pay an annual Keepers of the Gate, Chai Keepers or other gift, but those doing so should notify Treasurer Arlene Hines or Charisse Sands. Donations can be made at givenola.org, and can be made from anywhere around the world. The minimum donation is $10. April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

agenda Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans will have its Spring Soiree, to benefit mental health services through JFS, on May 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Calcasieu. There will be music and a kosher-style heavy appetizers menu with pescatarian and vegetarian options. Tickets start at $150.

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The Southwest United Synagogue Youth Alumni Gala honoring New Orleans’ Will Samuels posthumously was postponed from March to May 1 at 8 p.m. over Zoom. Samuels was SWUSY director from 1996 to 2002. Also being honored is Maury Jacobs, who was Agudas Achim USY advisor in Austin from 2007 to 2011 and SWUSY director from 2011 to 2017. Donations will be allocated to SWUSY’s Richie Herskowitz Scholarship Fund and the SWUSY Regional Scholarship Fund. These funds provide needed financial aid to USYers to enable them to fully participate in regional and international programming. Registration is available at usy.org/swusyalumni. Israel’s Memorial and Independence Days will be commemorated on May 4 at the Uptown Jewish Community Center in New Orleans, starting at 5:30 p.m. Israeli foods will be provided, and there will be a concert with Gilad Paz and his TLV band. Before the concert, the Jewish Clergy Council of New Orleans will lead a ceremony in the Grant Board Room honoring those who have fallen during the wars and in acts of terrorism since the birth of the State of Israel. The event is free and open to the community. The Temple Sinai Brotherhood in New Orleans brings back its Brotherhood Bingo fundraiser, this year with a side of barbecue. The event will be on May 14, with brisket, BBQ chicken and sides from Blue Oak BBQ. Tickets will be available soon, sponsor levels range from $36 to $360. Gates Gifts at Gates of Prayer in Metairie will be closed from April 18 to May 22, as the shop undergoes a makeover and receives new merchandise. A grand re-opening is planned for the Sisterhood’s annual closing event. The Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge will hold the 22nd annual religious school Mitzvah Day on May 1 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Donations are being accepted for the initiative. That morning, there will be four groups. One will make toiletry packages for the Battered Women’s Shelter, snack bags for St. Vincent de Paul, and cards and treats for the United States military troops. Another will show kindness to animals by making chew ropes, blankets, and other items needed by local dog rescue groups. For ages 9 and up, a group will work on spring cleaning projects, including power washing the playground and doing repairs in the outdoor chapel. The fourth group will join the Men’s Club in preparing lunch. Anshe Sfard in New Orleans will host a Shabbat dinner for Tulane graduates and their families, on May 20. Much of the graduation events will be held nearby, at the Superdome and the Convention Center. Contact Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin for a reservation. Moishe House New Orleans will volunteer at Solitary Gardens, a social project, living art piece and community garden that cultivates conversations around alternatives to incarceration by catalyzing compassion. Volunteers should wear closed-toed shoes, long sleeves, and gloves if possible. They will be at 2600 Andry Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 30.

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A path of holy words Louisiana mikvah will have unique entrance, with buried hurricane-damaged Torahs Louisiana has always had a complicated relationship with water, and the dichotomy of water as destructive and rejuvenating will be reflected in a unique way in the new Oscar J. Tolmas Louisiana Community Mikvah. The facility, which involves every Jewish congregation in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, is currently under construction behind Shir Chadash in Metairie. On April 5, there was a ceremony to bury three Torah scrolls belonging to Shir Chadash that had recently been damaged beyond repair. Those scrolls, and a collection of worn holy books from Shir Chadash and other area congregations, were buried beneath what will be the ramp leading into the mikvah building. “It’s absolutely unique,” said Rabbi Deborah Silver of Shir Chadash. “The path to the mikvah is strewn with holy words.” On Aug. 29 — 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina hit the area as a category 3 storm

Photo courtesy Rabbi Deborah Silver

— category 4 Hurricane Ida struck New Orleans. It made landfall on Sunday, so that Friday the congregation took most of the Torahs to a location that had been used during Katrina and that had remained safe and dry during the flood. After Shabbat, they took the last couple of Torahs that they had used that day, double-wrapped them in plastic and put them at a high location in the synagogue. In 2005, the levee breach left a couple feet of water in Shir Chadash. This time, Shir Chadash was safe, but “unfortunately, this time the other place took water,” and four of the congregation’s

Torahs were damaged. Silver contacted a classmate and friend who is a scribe, Rabbi Rachel Salston, who examined the scrolls. One had minor damage that was easily repaired, but the other three “she found as we suspected that they were damaged beyond repair.” Some sections were water-damaged beyond repair, while in some places the sections had come apart with damage that almost looked like the parchment had burned, she said. Silver felt that since it was clear that the scrolls would need to be buried, she consulted

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The rabbis carry the casket with the Torahs with Rabbi Gershon Grossbaum, a Chabad mikvah expert who is overseeing the New Orleans project, as she figured it would be meaningful to bury the scrolls in the foundation of the mikvah. “He advised the Torahs should be encased in a way that shows due respect, and an honorable interment would be appropriate,” Silver said. Silver spoke to Xiomara Morter at Tharp Sontheimer, which constructed and donated a casket “to honor the Torahs.” The scrolls were wrapped in plain white sheets and placed in the casket with their damaged mantles and bags of earth from Mount Zion, then Silver prayed over them. She noted that the scroll on the top was rolled to Deuteronomy 21, which describes a ceremony that takes place when a body is found and there is no way to determine if anyone is at fault. The ritual is that the town elders take a calf and break its neck, then wash their hands declaring that they did not shed the blood of the murdered victim and the town should not be held responsible. Silver said the ritual shows “things happen that are nobody’s fault. But there needs to be honor in that situation.” As Shir Chadash is the product of a merger, even with the loss of three Torahs, the congregation currently has enough scrolls to use, but there may be a new one acquired in the future. The ceremony was held on short

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

community notice, when the construction crew said they were ready to do the ramp. Numerous rabbis attended, including Rabbi Robert Loewy, emeritus of Gates of Prayer and leader of the mikvah project, Beth Israel Rabbi Josh Pernick and Rabbi David Posternock, Rabbi Yossi Nemes from Chabad of Metairie, and Rabbi Michael Cohen of Jewish Community Day School. They carried the casket to the top of where the mikvah ramp will be, at the threshold of the building, and then books that were being buried were placed further down the ramp. Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana Executive Director Bobby Garon, who is also head of mikvah board, attended, as did Sandy

B’ham Jewish Food Festival returns May 15 Also celebrates Israel Independence Day

Birmingham is known for all manner of ethnic food festivals, and on May 15 the Jewish Food and Culture Fest re-enters the mix after time off due to Covid. The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Levite Jewish Community Center. There will be live music, the Tickled Pink Petting Zoo, improv comedy from Etc., the Extemporaneous Theater Company, bounce houses and the Alabama National Guard’s rock climbing wall. There will also be vendor tables. The menu will include brisket, falafel, corned beef sandwiches, matzah ball soup, cabbage rolls, hot dogs and more. “It’s a heckuva lot of work,” said Katie Hausman Grace, community engagement director at the LJCC and the main coordinator of this year’s event. About 70 volunteers will work in several groups to prepare the almost 400 pounds of brisket and over 100 pounds of corned beef, along with many other items. The festival will also be a celebration of Israel’s 74th birthday, on the secular calendar’s date of its founding. A series of banners will highlight cities and sites throughout Israel, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Masada, the Dead Sea and Birmingham’s sister city, Rosh Ha’Ayin. Souvenir flags and hats will be available. On the Hebrew date, corresponding to May 5, the LJCC will unveil the banner tour and have Israeli bags of souvenir flags, beads, Israeli chocolate and more. “It’s hard to imagine a better public expression of Jewish culture in Birmingham” than the food festival, Grace said. The festival was last held in 2019. The When Pigs Fly kosher barbecue contest often held in conjunction with the festival will not take place this year.

Lassen of the Chevra Kadisha, and Morter represented Tharp at the ceremony. A crew from the funeral home was needed, since just like a regular funeral, the straps to lower a casket were used. Students from grades 3 to 6 at the Day School attended, and sang “Etz Chayim” as the Torahs were carried up the ramp, and they picked up shovels to participate in the burial. Silver then led the Kaddish d’ithadita, which is said on only two occasions — after a burial and after study. She said that while in rabbini-

cal school she never would have thought of an occasion where both reasons were appropriate. The ceremony was “incredibly meaningful,” she said, as it “honored the mikvah, it honored the Torah and honored every word of the books that were buried.” It also underscored the transformative nature of the mikvah. Being accompanied by the words of the scrolls that were destroyed by water, one enters the waters of the mikvah, where “the whole point is you come out different than you come in.”

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community Baton Rouge’s Unified congregation holds first annual meeting Concepts for facility expansion on Kleinert unveiled

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The Jewish community of Baton Rouge took another step toward unification on March 6 with the first annual meeting of the Unified Jewish Congregation of Baton Rouge and a resolution authorizing the sale of the Jefferson Highway property. The congregation became one on Jan. 1, a reuniting of B’nai Israel and Beth Shalom 77 years after a congregational split. The meeting was held in the sanctuary of the B’nai Israel building, now referred to as the Kleinert Avenue location. Members approved a resolution, 176 to 11, allowing the board to sell the Jefferson Highway property of Beth Shalom, with several stipulations — a minimum price must be met, there must be a review from a six-person special committee with half of the committee’s membership coming from each of the former congregations, and the continued operations of the Rayner Learning Center must be secure until it is able to move to the Kleinert Avenue location. As one possibility, the Rayner Center, Beth Shalom’s preschool program, could continue in its current location by leasing the space after the building is sold, until Kleinert Avenue is ready. Marc Sager of the Facilities Action Team said over half the membership had been engaged through small groups or larger gatherings, and the team was continuing to hear suggestions and receive input. Sager introduced Trula and Chris Remson of RHH Architects, who he said were charged with the task “to make our new Jewish home a vibrant and healthy place.” Trula Remson said it is an honor to be working with the congregation on this project, especially since “we’re also impacting Baton Rouge, not just the Jewish community but the whole city” because of the significance of the Jewish community to the area. Chris Remson said they worked to “create a campus that is not only for worship, but also the home of the Jewish community of Baton Rouge,” inviting everyone in for a range of activities. The Kleinert Avenue facility is currently about 17,000 square feet, and Jefferson Highway is slightly larger. In combining the congregations, the ideal would be to add about 8,000 square feet to the Kleinert Avenue

community

building, which needs to be reconfigured for the enlarged congregation regardless. Updated security is also a concern for the expanded facility. A couple of concepts were presented. One would be to build a new sanctuary that is expandable in the round, from around 110 on a typical weekend to 400 for large events. The social hall space would be attached to the sanctuary. This would be “a new place that belongs to both congregations” rather than seeming like Beth Shalom is just going into a B’nai Israel space, “and it will sit into the center of the campus.” The current sanctuary space would be repurposed into several uses, including “a living room that would be the epicenter of Jewish life in this community.” Rayner and the religious school would meet in the current building. Another proposal would keep the current sanctuary and add closer to 9,000 square feet of classroom and other space. The proposal also includes an outdoor event space with an oak grove. Even with the sale of the Jefferson Highway property, a significant capital campaign will need to occur, and decisions will need to be ratified regarding final plans for the expansion. The meeting also included the formal installation of the congregation’s first board Rabbi Sarah Smiley, Eliana and Rabbi and officers, with Rabbis Josh Leighton Batsheva Appel and Teri Appleby officiating. For the past two years, they have been the interim rabbis as the merger process developed. Appel declared, “with great joy we come together as one congregation.” As the board members stood in front of the bimah, both rabbis gave an installation prayer. Rabbi Barry Weinstein, who was rabbi of B’nai Israel from 1983 to 2008, gave the priestly benediction. Scott Berg, the congregation’s vice president, read proclamations from the governor and mayor. President Steve Cavalier recognized the members of the Joint Synagogue Exploratory Committee for their two years of work, and recognized Joel Goldman, Mark Posner and Andy Blumberg, recent presidents of the “legacy congregations.” Harold Brant gave the Rabbinic Search Team report, saying it had “successfully completed its mission of finding a rabbi” with the recent announcement of Rabbi Sarah Smiley, who will start on July 1. She will move to Baton Rouge with her husband, Rabbi Josh Leighton, and their daughter, Eliana. A video greeting was circulated to the congregation. Before the meeting, a fig tree was planted, and after the meeting there was a champagne toast to the united congregation.

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Southern Jewish Life “Different & Distinct”

Why is our magazine different from all other magazines? That’s a good question to ask, especially during this Passover season with the Seder echoing in our ears. The answer is that Southern Jewish Life plays a distinct role in a four state region — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Northwest Florida. We are the only nationally award-winning Jewish publication in the region, and we connect Jews in the Deep South with one another which strengthens us all. Southern Jewish Life also plays another important role. We educate the broader Deep South population about Jewish traditions and events, Israel and the Jewish world, and what is important to us as a regional Jewish community. No other publication or website has the impact and reach that we do. So, given that part of the Passover season is dedicated to reflection, there’s no better time to realize the value of Southern Jewish Life and its new affiliate magazine, Israel InSight, and to support these important media endeavors. In addition to our advertising revenue, a growing number of donors, recognizing the unique value we bring, have stepped forward to make contributions to help underwrite and expand our efforts. To continue to make our magazine different from all other magazines, we hope you would consider such a contribution. If you would like to become a Southern Jewish Life donor, please send a check to SJL, P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213, or go to https://sjlmag.com/contribute/ (Donations to Southern Jewish Life are not tax-deductible.) We hope you’ve had a great Passover! 14

April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

Special to Southern Jewish Life

The Jewish sages teach us that Abraham’s tent was open in all four directions because he wanted to be prepared to lend assistance to anyone who happened to pass by. In the spirit of our forefather, Israel has been working since its establishment to provide much-needed assistance in catastrophes around the world. Israel’s tradition of helping its friends across the globe during their most difficult moments is now being realized in Ukraine. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine is undoubtedly changing the face of the international arena and creating a large-scale humanitarian challenge that the world must now grapple with. Since the outbreak of the conflict, Israeli diplomats have been at the forefront of realizing the State of Israel’s humanitarian response, as set out by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. In a landmark operation, Israel has established a field hospital in the city of Mostyska in western Ukraine, the first foreign country to do so during this crisis. The “Shining Star” field hospital was a joint initiative of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Sheba Medical Centre, and was established with assistance of the entire Israeli healthcare system and support of the Schusterman Philanthropy. In response to requests it received from the Ukrainian authorities, Mashav — the Foreign Ministry’s Agency for International Development Cooperation — sent a 100-ton shipment of humanitarian aid to the citizens of Ukraine and also sent six mega-generators to Lviv’s central hospital that will allow it to continue operating even in in the event of power and electricity outages. Israeli non-profits have mobilized in an unprecedented manner to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people as well. IsraAID, a veteran Israeli humanitarian NGO, is on the ground in Moldova with psychosocial and other professionals to assist those recovering from trauma and with a clinic for women and children. Topaz International has formed a joint task force to prevent vulnerable women fleeing Ukraine from falling prey to human trafficking. Access Israel, a non-profit that promotes accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, has coordinated assistance for people with disabilities attempting to flee Ukraine, sending special ambulances and more as part of its “Purple Vest Mission.” To centralize and coordinate all these humanitarian aid initiatives and donations, and connect Israeli civil society to the Ukrainian people, the Foreign Ministry has established the “Matat” donation and coordination center. Matat has coordinated with NGOs on the ground, whether that be with medical clowns from Dream Doctors who are cheering up children at border crossings, or with NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief, which is providing psychosocial counseling and medical assistance on the Polish border. The unprecedented number of offers to help are heart-warming. To this end, the Israeli government recently announced its intention to ease entry restrictions in order to provide refugees temporary shelter in the country and speed up its immigration process for Ukrainians who are seeking Israeli citizenship. The images of refugees fleeing war in Europe have undoubtedly evoked the memory of our own grim moments, and we therefore feel especially compelled to help. As the situation unfolds and develops, Israel will continue to offer assistance in the hope that it can contribute to alleviating the humanitarian tragedy. Ambassador Daniel Meron is head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘MATAT’ Coordination and Donation Center for the Ukrainian People.

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Consul General visits Montgomery Israel Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon and members of Israel’s Atlanta Consulate made a special trip to Montgomery to enhance bilateral relations between Israel and local leaders. The key focus for the March 16 visit was a meeting with Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed. The two leaders discussed opportunities to collaborate in the fields of culture, academia and technology. “I’m glad to have had an opportunity to once again visit the important city of Montgomery with Consulate team members. We enjoyed an extensive conversation with Mayor Reed and we look forward to exploring many opportunities to expand relations between Israel and Montgomery. We are fortunate to have in Mayor Reed a forward-thinking leader who is keen on strengthening relations that will benefit both our peoples,” Sultan-Dadon said. She also met with Alabama state Representative Juandalynn Givan, who is also president of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women. The meeting, which appropriately occurred during Women’s History Month, centered around the Consulate’s work with African American community, Black women legislators and opportunities to collaborate. Sultan-Dadon also had the opportunity to tour the newly opened Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration. “I was most impressed by the Legacy Museum,” Sultan-Dadon said. “The intentionality of the design and the ability to connect this important history with contemporary issues was very impactful. As a Jew and an Israeli, this museum highlighted for me the necessity of continuing to work together to eradicate the terror of hate and injustice.” The visit culminated with a special tour of Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. Tour guide Wanda Battle, who sang the U.S. and Israeli national anthems during last year’s Israel Independence Day celebration livestreamed from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, led the Consulate staff and senior Rhodes Scholars in a session on the history of the only church pastored by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

community American Jewish Historical Society to meet at Tulane The American Jewish Historical Society’s Academic Council will hold its Biennial Scholar’s Conference at Tulane University in New Orleans from May 15 to 17. The conference’s theme will be “Building Bridges in the Americas,” with how bridges facilitate going from one place to another. The theme lends itself to discussions that could include “indigeneity; Jews of color; multiracial, interfaith, queer and trans experiences; migration; cultural flows; translocality; diversity and inclusion within the Jewish community; less represented voices, populations, and subjects; new models of periodization; ties between American Jewry and Israel; and Jewish studies’ relationship to other fields of study.” While the conference will be in person, there will be a virtual option. The conference will include an evening musical performance on May 15. John Boutte will headline, and Wendell Brunious of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be featured. There will also be an evening happy hour and open house at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience on May 16. Discounted admission to the museum will be available May 13 to 23 for those attending the conference. The morning of May 15 will also include a walking tour or seated bus tour of the French Quarter. Participants will shuttle back and forth to Tulane, as the main hotel will be the Pontchartrain.

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans will celebrate its grand opening at its first anniversary. The museum opened to the public last May, but due to the ongoing pandemic, they decided to postpone a regional dedication. The ceremony was originally scheduled for October, but the Delta variant and aftermath of Hurricane Ida ended those plans and there was a low-key mezuzah hanging in early October. The Celebration Weekend will be June 11 and 12, and registration is open. The museum itself is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., every day except Tuesday. There will be a hospitality suite for museum donors and members, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and June 12 from noon to 4 p.m. The suite will be in the Ferber Family Foundation classroom on the second floor, with water and light refreshments. Founding donors at the $18,000 and above level, along with sponsors, are invited to a patron party on June 11 at 5:30 p.m. All donors and members are invited to a celebration of the museum’s first year, starting at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required for the evening events, as space is limited. On June 12, there will be a jazz brunch at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute, across from the museum, starting at 10 a.m. There will be traditional brunch fare, drinks and music. Tickets are $35 for adults, $10 for those under age 18. The main celebration will be from noon to 4 p.m. on June 12, with free admission to the museum, crafts, music and food trucks. As part of the weekend, a commemorative program is being published, detailing the museum’s history, listing donors and celebrating the first year. Mazel Tov messages are being solicited for the program, for supporters to do a congratulatory message, recount their family’s Southern Jewish heritage, or promote a company. Quarter pages are $250, half pages are $500 and full pages are $1,000. Sponsorships for the weekend are also available. For more information or to register, visit msje.org/celebrate.

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community Emanu-El hosts screening of Begin documentary Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin was a polarizing figure. The first Likud member to serve as prime minister, Begin had been part of a breakaway military group before Israel’s independence, and moved from the political fringe to the mainstream. Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will host a community-wide screening of “Upheaval: The Journey of Menachem Begin,” a new documentary about Begin’s life, May 5 at 6:30 p.m. Seen as a right-wing warrior, Begin nevertheless made peace with Egypt in 1979, signing the Camp David Accords and winning the Nobel Peace Prize. He also made the decision to bomb Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor to prevent Saddam Hussein from making a nuclear weapon, a move that was widely condemned in 1981 but praised years later as a worldwide coalition went to war against Iraq. The documentary was made to look at Begin’s legacy in a new light, given the recent Abraham Accords agreements with several Arab nations. The film was written, produced and directed by documentary filmmaker Jonathan Gruber.

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

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By Richard Friedman As a result of growing antisemitism and other forms of hatred, the FBI has launched an aggressive campaign urging both victims and witnesses to such events to report such incidents. One of the venues selected by the FBI to advertise its message is Southern Jewish Life magazine. “A federal hate crime is defined as a criminal offense against a person or property mo- Johnnie Sharp Jr. tivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity,” the FBI explained as it initiated this project. This awareness campaign is especially important to Johnnie Sharp Jr., special agent in charge of Birmingham’s FBI office. Sharp grew up in Knoxville, Tenn., where, as the son of a Caucasian father and a Japanese mother, he experienced anti-Asian prejudice. “I am bi-racial. My father was a career army officer and met my mom in Japan. I grew up in south Knoxville, which was not the most diverse area,“ Sharp explained in a recent interview as he reflected on an upbringing that has made him especially sensitive to racial, ethnic and religious hatred. “In middle school, I was subjected to slurs directed at me, so I speak through that lens.” As he was climbing the FBI career ladder, Sharp did a stint in Jackson, Miss., where he encountered the racism and bigotry that has plagued the South historically. “I’ve grown up in the South and it is has a very horrid past, especially when it comes to the African-American community and to some extent the Jewish community.”

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Religious Targets Reflecting on his tenure in Birmingham, which began in 2017, Sharp said, “We want to serve all communities and specifically those communities that have been targets based on ethnicity and religion. The Jewish community fits in that category.” The FBI has a good relationship with the Jewish community in his region, Sharp noted. “The community knows it can reach out to me directly,” said Sharp. “Just yesterday we got an email about an antisemitic flyer in Florence, Ala.,” he said on the day he was interviewed, noting that the FBI would follow up. The FBI offices in Birmingham and New Orleans have been working extensively with the local Jewish communities on recent security initiatives. A main reason the FBI has undertaken the public awareness program is that hate crimes go largely unreported. This makes it hard for the FBI to pinpoint the exact number of such crimes. The FBI has reached out to other minority communities. These include the African-American, LGBTQ, Hispanic, Asian and Muslim communities, said Sharp, because historically all have been targets of hate crimes. Relatively speaking, he has not seen a broad uptick in hate crimes against Jews, though some have occurred. During his tenure in Alabama, he’s encountered just three incidents. “I have not seen a lot. I think that’s a good thing as it relates to the Jewish community in north Alabama.” April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

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Sharp believes the new FBI ad campaign is having an impact on awareness but, he admitted, it’s too early to tell for sure. He’s waiting for more data. When it comes to the awareness initiative, the FBI, Sharp said, also faces two challenges — making the public aware and working with local officials. In certain situations “mayors or police chiefs may not want statistics accurately reported because it reflects poorly on them… We know hate crimes go unreported where there are mayors and police chiefs who don’t want those statistics publicized.” The FBI special agent also said local officials don’t always understand when an incident is a hate crime and thus don’t always report it. Explains the FBI: “Hate crimes are a high priority for the FBI because of the intended, devastating impact such crimes have on entire communities.”

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

Hadassah Birmingham is hosting a virtual tour of “Hello Gorgeous,” the Barbra Streisand exhibit currently at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, the only Southeast location. The Zoom will be on May 9 at 7 p.m. Central, and is free to attend, underwritten by Michael J. Freeman in celebration of Mary Anne Freeman’s 65th birthday. The tour is open to all, not just Birmingham members. The one-hour tour is a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the life of Streisand. The exhibit was organized by Bernard Museum, Temple Emanu-El, in Palm Springs, Calif. Donations are welcome and will go to benefit Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah villages as they take in Ukrainian children. Donations of $18 or more include the option of sending a Hadassah Mother’s Day e-greeting. Registration is available at hadassahsupersouth.org/BhamHelloGorgeous.

New discount for Louisiana Israel trip Registration is now open for the Louisiana Mission to Israel, scheduled for July 12 to 18. The mission features an Explore Israel track open to the entire Louisiana Jewish community, as well as three industry tracks. The mission includes visits to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and industry specific places of interest for each of the business tracks. For those in the Greater New Orleans area planning to go on the Explore Israel track, a $1500 discount is available, until April 30, using the code PESACH. The track includes a private meeting with Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, at his official residence; wine tasting at the Tishbi Winery, a dialogue about “Women of the Wall” with Anat Hoffman and an exploration of the City of David. The discount makes the trip $3,999 instead of $5,499. The delegation is expected to include approximately 200 business, community, educational and government leaders. Participants will also enjoy an exclusive opportunity to attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Maccabiah Games, the third largest sporting event in the world. More information is available at louisianatoisrael.com.

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Alice Walker announced for Mississippi Book Festival Famous author disinvited from Bay Area festival for endorsement of antisemitic conspiracies Just two weeks after novelist Alice Walker was dropped from the Bay Area Book Festival for her “endorsement of antisemitic conspiracy theorist David Icke,” the Mississippi Book Festival announced her as the first speaker for this year’s event in Jackson. Walker is the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and this year is the 40th anniversary of the release of that book, “The Color Purple.” “We are thrilled to have Alice Walker back in the city where she once lived and the place where her Photo by Maxine Dovere daughter was born,” Mis- Author Alice Walker and playwright Eve sissippi Book Festival Ensler clasp hands at the 92nd Street Executive Director Ellen Y in New York City on the night they Daniels said in an April 7 appeared together in dialogue in 2013. release. “Her appearance will be a homecoming of sorts for her and we are honored that book lovers and festival-goers will have the opportunity to share in that moment.” In San Francisco, Walker was scheduled to interview Honorée Fanonne Jeffers at the headline event for the May 7 festival. On March 24, the festival cancelled the invitation after learning of Walker’s history of remarks that are considered antisemitic. Jeffers, a noted poet who graduated from Talladega and the University of Alabama, had requested Walker and also pulled out of the festival when Walker was disinvited. Julia Drake, publicist for the Bay Area festival, told j. the Jewish News of Northern California that “We were aware of the fact that Alice Walker had made some controversial statements in the past, but we weren’t aware of the extent of it. One of the big missions of the festival is we won’t tolerate any hate speech or antisemitic statements, so we realized that this was not something that we could do.” The main reason for disinviting Walker was her endorsement of Icke, promoting his work “And The Truth Shall Set You Free” in a 2018 New York Times interview. When the interview came out, the Times was widely criticized for not mentioning the antisemitic or conspiratorial nature of the book. Icke promotes the idea that Jews control the world, and often references the notorious antisemitic forgery “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.” Icke claims to be the “Son of the Godhead” who has special spiritual revelations, and one of them is that a secret cabal of alien lizard people run the world, and most of them are Jewish. He also states that the Holocaust probably did not happen, but if it did, the Rothschilds funded it. More recently, Icke has claimed the Rothschilds funded the creation of the coronavirus, and Israel was using the pandemic to “test its technology.” Walker also posted that on her blog. Walker has defended Icke, saying he is neither antisemitic nor anti-Jewish. But Walker has her own history of hostility to Jews and Israel. In 2012 she refused to allow the publication of a Hebrew translation of “The Color Purple,” because of Israel’s supposed mistreatment of the Palestinians. She participated in a 2011 flotilla to try and break an Israeli block-

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

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ade against weapons shipments to Gaza, and is among a group of activists that tries to get performers to cancel concerts or shows in Israel. Her 2013 book, “The Cushion in the Road,” was “replete with fervently anti-Jewish ideas and peppered with explicit comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany,” according to the Anti-Defamation League. One-fourth of the book, a section called “On Palestine,” is “rife with comparisons of Israelis to Nazis, denigrations of Judaism and Jews, and statements suggesting that Israel should cease to exist as a Jewish state,” the ADL continued. She also justifies terrorism against Israeli civilians. Abraham Foxman, ADL national director at the time, said Walker “is unabashedly infected with anti-Semitism,” and “has taken her extreme and hostile views to a shocking new level, revealing the depth of her hatred of Jews and Israel to a degree that we have not witnessed before.” In 2017, she published a poem, “It Is Our (Frightful) Duty to Study the Talmud,” where she used fabricated or out of context quotes popular among antisemites to “prove” that Jews condone things like sexual abuse of minors and murdering Christians. She said that in her “YouTube study” of the Talmud, she found “an ancient history of oppression” of “Goyim, sub-humans, animals, the Palestinians of Gaza” executed “With impunity, and without conscience,/By a Chosen people.” Walker wonders where Jews look “For the inspiration/For so much evil?” and finds “the poison” of the Talmud.

Mississippi Homecoming In Mississippi, Walker is seen as a groundbreaking figure. In 1967 she married Mel Leventhal, a Jewish civil rights attorney, and they moved to Mississippi shortly after. It was the first legal interracial marriage in the state, and it was still illegal in her home state of Georgia. Leventhal’s family refused to accept the marriage, and he reportedly refused to confront his relatives on their bigotry toward her. The marriage ended in 1976, and she soon moved to California. In “The Cushion in the Road,” she wrote of meeting an elderly Palestinian woman in the territories, who blessed her with “May God protect you from the Jews,” to which she replied, “too late, I already married one.” She was a writer in residence at Jackson State and Tougaloo, and published her first novel during that time. In 1976, her second novel, “Meridian,” described activists working in the South during the civil rights movement. “The Color Purple” was published in 1982. This is the eighth year of Mississippi’s “literary lawn party,” held on the State Capitol grounds on Aug. 20. Organizers of the Mississippi Book Festival did not respond to questions by press time. 22

April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

community Another era Remembering Rep. Tom Bevill and his ties to the small Jasper Jewish community By Richard Friedman Tom Bevill was from a long ago era, that was not too long ago. It was a time when there was no social media, when policy was at least as important as politics on Capitol Hill, when character mattered over soundbites, and power was used to help people, not self-aggrandize. No one perhaps epitomized that recent bygone era more than Bevill, a tall, thoughtful small-town lawyer from Jasper, Alabama, who understood intuitively that the way to help people is by listening to them and fashioning strategies and solutions, often based on compromise, that lead to the betterment of all. The longtime Alabama Congressman, who would’ve turned 100 last year, is the subject of a new Alabama Photo courtesy University of Alabama Public Television documentary. Bevill, who died in 2005, represented Alabama’s Fourth Congressional district, which includes Jasper and Gadsden, for 30 years. A Democrat, he became a powerful figure on the all-important U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, which positioned him to direct massive amounts of federal money into his district as well as elsewhere in the state. He did it quietly and strategically, and specialized in building and sustaining friendships on both sides of the political aisle. The documentary, which traces Bevill’s life from his hardscrabble Walker County background to the pinnacle of Congressional power, notes that Bevill was often referred to as “Alabama’s third senator.” Olivia Barton Ferriter, a longtime Bevill staff member who is featured in the documentary, to this day continues to call him Mr. Bevill, even 17 years after his death. “I would never think of calling him anything else.”

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Christian Mensch Yet behind this story is another story; the saga of a skilled and humble Christian mensch who enjoyed especially good relationships with the small Jewish community in Jasper where he lived. “He was absolutely a wonderful person,“ Birmingham’s Alan Engel, a Jewish community leader who grew up in Jasper, recalled in an email. “There aren’t many like him left.” Engel’s first cousin, Ronne Mitnick Hess, who also grew up in Jasper, remembered the 15-term congressman as “a good, solid person — honest and hardworking. He was a friend.” She recalled that Bevill and his wife, Lou, a dynamic and influential person in her own right, bought her parents’ home. Ronne’s grandmother, Fannie Engel, who lived to be 100, resided in the house next door. “The Bevills lived next to our grandmother until she died. Lou was very good to her and checked on her when they were in town.” It is said that “all politics is local.” This may also be true of enduring relationships, such as the one Jasper’s Jewish community enjoyed with Bevill as he ascended to power.

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community While attending a conference for young Jewish leaders in Washington years ago, the two cousins visited Bevill in his Capitol Hill office. One of the issues of the day was prayer in school. Many Jews, especially those who lived in communities where they were a small religious minority amid a large Christian majority, were uncomfortable with prayer in school, believing that it would violate America’s church/state doctrine, and discomfort and isolate Jewish children. “Congressman Bevill said something to the effect that he wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about,” Engel remembered as they brought up the issue. “Ronne then told him in very emotional terms what it was like for her to have to participate in the prayers at the Jasper schools as a Jewish student. He listened intently, thanked Ronne for her candor and said he now understood,” Engel continued. “Then, on the way out, he told us that, while he would not be taking a public stance, he would delve more deeply into the issue to learn more about it. We don’t know what the congressman did after that meeting on this issue, but we appreciated that he listened. We do know that particular legislation did not pass.”

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The congressman’s willingness to listen and learn more is not surprising if one studies Tom Bevill’s character — it was marked by a respect for all people and a genuine openness to considering the views of others, attributes highlighted throughout the new documentary. “Dad was somewhat unique,” the late congressman’s daughter, Patty Bevill Warren, observed in a recent Zoom chat. “The Tom Bevill you would have met is the exact same person that we grew up with at the dinner table. He was the same person for all groups of people.” Added Warren, who now lives in Birmingham, “My father had a real strong sense of fairness for all people.” She also talked about her mom, a well-respected CongressioCourtesy Patty Bevill Warren nal spouse. Among Mrs. Bevill’s achievements was her work on behalf of Soviet Jewry, a major international human rights issue during much of her husband’s congressional career. Immediately upon being contacted for this story, Warren proudly sent a screenshot of a certificate Mrs. Bevill received from B’nai B’rith Women honoring her for her role in Congressional Wives for Soviet Jewry. Mrs. Bevill was commended “For effectively bringing the cause of Soviet Jewry before the conscience of public officials and citizens both in the United States and abroad.” Warren also shared a personal story that reflected how close the Bevills were to the Jasper Jewish community. “My best friend in elementary school was Jewish so I often attended services at Jasper’s temple while growing up,” she said. “I came home and told mom I wanted to join the temple. It was the warmth of the people, their obvious love for each other, the atmosphere and the rituals of singing, prayer and reading. I loved the sounds,” continued Warren. “Mom listened and nodded in an understanding way. Then she sug-

community gested I take a little more time to think about it before I decided. Good advice to an 11-yearold!”

Jewish Issues According to his long-time Chief of Staff, Don Smith, Bevill embraced Jewish issues. Jasper’s George Mitnick and Mobile’s Mayer Mitchell, nationally-known Jewish activists, continually advised the congressman. Bevill and his wife visited Israel on a congressional trip and she went back with a Christian group. “I remember him saying that Israel can’t afford to lose a war,” said Smith. “He was very empathetic. I think he felt an obligation to the people of Israel and the struggle Jews have faced for thousands of years. He had a good record when it came to voting for measures related to Israel.” As the new documentary prompts more people to reflect on the Alabama congressman’s impact on Congress and his contributions to his district, state and nation, they will likely find themselves agreeing with this summation from Gerson May, a member of another longtime Jasper Jewish family. “I found Congressman Bevill to be a friendly, knowledgeable and kind man,” said May, who served with Bevill in the Army Reserve. “He was a pleasure to work with.”

ISJL has challenge grant to match in April The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson has embarked on a $20,000 Passover matching challenge. An anonymous donor has offered $10,000 to match new or increased/additional gifts made to the Institute in April. All funds raised will enable the ISJL to deliver on their mission to support, connect and celebrate Jewish life in the South. “We are so grateful to this donor,” said Michele Schipper, CEO of the ISJL. “The ISJL serves so many Jewish communities outside the ‘mainstream’ areas of the country, covering a large 13-state region. Offering all the resources we do requires financial support. Visionary donors stepping forward, and grassroots givers supporting our work through their donations, is truly humbling — and necessary!” The ISJL has three service areas: Education, Culture, and Spirituality. Through these three inter-connected departments, the organization provides inclusive, comprehensive service to a diverse collection of more than 100 Jewish communities across the South. The ISJL also offers secular literacy programming, and works in partnership with a wide network of organizations. April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

John Cohen, Donna Orender and Craig Hersh spoke at the Gala

Getting Back in the Game Jewish Children’s Regional Service holds sports-themed gala after Covid hiatus

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New Orleans-based Jewish Children’s Regional Service swung for the fences with the return of the in-person Jewish Roots gala series, hosting the Jewish Roots of Sports on March 27 at the Sheraton in New Orleans. The 2020 gala had been one of the last major events in the region before the Covid shutdown, and after a year with a virtual gala, about 350 attended the return to in-person events, raising over $200,000 for the agency’s camp, college and special-needs scholarships for Jewish children and students. The evening began with the Martin Luther King Jr. High School Marching Band parading through the room. The Hamotzi was led by Rabbis Josh Pernick of Beth Israel in Metairie, Barry Weinstein of Temple Sinai in Lake Charles, Daniel Sherman of Temple Sinai in New Orleans and Deborah Silver of Shir Chadash in Metairie. All wore jerseys of favorite sports teams. President Michael Goldman thanked those in attendance for “your dedication… to help Jewish children and their families in the region.” The agency serves Jewish children in a seven state region, including Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma. Through PJ Library, which is administered in much of the region by JCRS, children learn “our traditions.” Through summer camp assistance, he said, children can “be with children of similar backgrounds from all over the country” and “make lifelong friends and learn about their religion and heritage.” He also noted the agency’s assistance in college scholarships and in providing assistance to families who have children with special needs. In recent

Cheering on the Gala were Rabbi Josh Pernick, Rabbi Barry Weinstein and Rabbi Daniel Sherman, along with Rabbi Deborah Silver 26

April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

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Betty Kohn and “Whistle Monsta” Leroy Mitchell years, the agency has also been able to provide disaster relief, especially following hurricanes. “You have given these young people a fresh start,” Goldman said. “This is your legacy and we thank you.” Three MVPs were honored at the event. Gayle Baer, Alan Krilov and Mark Sands were recognized for how they have “impacted the lives of countless Jewish youth through their compassion and generosity,” said Executive Director Mark Rubin. Krilov spoke of the origins of the Hanukkah Gift Program, now supported by the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust. It started with eight families around 20 years ago and now serves 300, including children with special needs. He also initiated a “college connection” to stay in touch with Jewish students when they went off to college. Baer said her work as co-chair of the Special Needs Committee with Sands is “the most gratifying thing I could have done.” Sands said “it has truly been a labor of love to work for this organization.” The first inductee into the JCRS Hall of Fame worked a long time for the organization — Ned Goldberg, who retired last year after heading JCRS since 1988. “No one deserves a healthy and happy retirement more than Ned Goldberg,” said Rubin, his successor. Goldman noted that Goldberg’s tuxedo jacket, with its black and gold splatter paint design, “changed the expression Who Dat to What’s Dat.”

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Sports Talk Mississippi State University Athletic Director John Cohen, WNBA player and former president Donna Orender, and soccer veteran Craig

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

community Hersh spoke at the gala. Hersh spoke about growing up as one of just a few Jews in a small town near Houston. Through JCRS, he and brother Robert were able to go to Jewish summer camp, “an experience we would never forget.” They excelled in sports, and wound up in the JCC Maccabi Games for four years. Craig pursued soccer while his brothers, Robert and Jonathan, were kickers in football, and went on to open a camp to develop kickers. While they were in college, their mother died from cancer in 2009. The brothers received college scholarships through JCRS, which “made it possible for us to graduate, and especially for me to keep my promise to my mother and complete my 4-year degree.” Without JCRS, “my brothers and I could not have been able to do the things we have done or become who we are today,” Hersh said. Cohen said his mother, Doris Cohen, who came to the event from Tuscaloosa, noticed that the background music before the event did not include the Alabama fight song. “I did find it very interesting, though, that this is the first Jewish function I have ever been to where the Notre Dame fight song was played,” he said. Cohen said he was there mainly to talk about his father, Harry Cohen, and said he recently found out that his father had volunteered for World War II at the U.S. Customs building across from the Sheraton almost 80 years ago. When his father wanted to emphasize something important, he would use “the,” as in “the law” or “the family.” Cohen said he would talk about “the Home,” meaning the Jewish Children’s Home in New Orleans, where he grew up, not their family home in Tuscaloosa. Harry’s mother died just before he turned 9, and his father was unable to provide for three boys in the midst of the Depression. “He made a difficult decision to send his three boys to the home.” It was a place “that propped him up, shaped him, educated him and eventually sent him to law school.” When John was young and his father would throw to him in batting practice, always a curveball or a slider, he finally explained to his son that “everything in life is a curveball,” and “nothing will look straight to you until you get much older.” He said the Home taught the children how to handle the curveballs, and “it is remarkable.”

Why Not “The power of sports has a unique ability to bring people together,” Orender said, and also “can change the trajectory of a young Jewish girl’s life.” She grew up when girls’ sports were still looked on as an oddity. She played six sports in high school, but wanted to play a seventh — tennis, but there was no girls tennis team. The coach told her to face off against one of the boys on the team, and if she won, she was in.

Mark Rubin and Michael Goldman with MVPs Gayle Baer, Alan Krilov and Mark Sands 28

April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

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The Hall of Fame Family — Jodie, Ned, Wendy and Adam Goldberg She did. And she said her life was shaped by two words — “why not?” The next “why not” was giving up an academic scholarship to a prestigious university to play basketball for one of the top-10 college women’s basketball programs. She had the opportunity to play for Team USA in the World Maccabiah in Israel. “Up until then I felt like I was the only Jewish girl in the world who was playing basketball.” She was ready to give up a hard-to-get position in order to play, but they finally said she could come back to her job afterward. The top two teams were the U.S. and Israel, and on the way to the gold medal game, they found out they were playing in a small school gym while the men’s final was in a large arena. The Israeli women were protesting, and wanted support from the U.S. team. Conversely, if the U.S. team just showed up and went onto the floor, the gold medal would be theirs by forfeit. Despite the sacrifices they made to be at the Games, “we honored these women who worked hard for equitable recognition.” This was 35 years ago, she added. “What is the value of a gold medal not contested, and what is the value of standing up for what you believe is right?” She does not have a gold medal. But she has a ceramic artwork the Israeli women presented the U.S. women as thanks for standing with them. “Little did I know that 25 years later I’d be sitting in Madison Square Garden as president of the WNBA” and a woman would come up to her and say she was on that 1989 Israeli team, and remains thankful — and works with one of the most successful women’s teams in Israel. The concept of “why not” is “what you do with JCRS,” Orender concluded. “You let young kids say ‘why not me,’ and when you say yes, their whole worlds change.” Several sports legends also made remarks by video. Baseball All-Star Ken Griffey Jr. sent a “shoutout” to Goldberg. He emphasized the importance of programs that assist children, based on his own work with Boys and Girls Clubs and Make A Wish. Kerri Strug, gold medal Olympics gymnast, said ”what JCRS is doing for Jewish kids is just awesome, “ and “really makes an impact on so many lives.” Former pro basketball player Dan Grunfeld spoke about his family’s history and how “I can’t tell you how many organizations helped my family when we needed it.” His grandparents survived the Holocaust and his father was born in Romania, and the family immigrated to the U.S. when his father, Ernie, was 9 years old. He arrived “without a word of English and never touching a basketball.” Playing basketball in a New York park to make friends, “he turned into an amazing basketball player” who was a star at Tennessee, then played for the New York Knicks and became an NBA general manager. The gala was chaired by Barbara Kaplinsky, Carole Neff and Sue Singer. During the cocktail hour there was a silent auction focusing on sports memorabilia donated by TRISTAR Productions, Archie Manning and others, along with unique sporting experiences and once-in-a-lifetime vacations. Karen Weissbecker-Remer was the big winner of the raffle drawing for a Tag Heuer Aquaracer watch donated by Chad Berg, president of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry at Lakeside, and his and her “weekender” leather bags courtesy of Dillard’s.

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Historical marker installed at site of 1958 attempted Beth-El bombing

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While Birmingham was known in the 1960s as “Bombingham” because of the number of Klan bombings of Black churches and homes of civil rights figures, Blacks were not the only targets of the Klan’s ire. In 1958, there was an attempted bombing of Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El, shocking both the Jewish and general communities. That lesser-known incident, part of a campaign against Jewish communities in the region, is now commemorated with a historical marker that was placed right by where the bomb had been hidden, on the 21st Way side of the building. “The Attempted Bombing of Congregation Beth-El” marker will be dedicated on July 17 at Beth-El’s annual meeting. There will be a lunch at 11:30 a.m., followed by the dedication at 12:30 p.m. and the meeting at 1 p.m. The marker is part of Beth-El’s Civil Rights Experience, which is being coordinated by Margaret Norman, director of programming and engagement. The program is a multimedia exploration of the intersection between Birmingham’s Jewish and civil rights histories. A driving tour and walking tour of Jewish and civil rights sites has already been developed, and the project has launched several programs. The goal is to have a civil rights center at Beth-El to present history to visitors, “a permanent space for learning and dialogue,” especially for Jewish groups doing civil rights tours of the region. On April 28, 1958, a bomb with 54 sticks of dynamite was placed in a window well below street level outside Beth-El. Those window wells by the social hall, now the KidZone, were filled in many years ago in an effort to prevent flooding, and a concrete slab is now over where the bomb was placed. In a 2018 program at Beth-El, former Alabama attorney general Bill Baxley said “There were two 20-foot fuses leading to the dynamite, and both burned out within five feet.” The police were able to get fingerprints from the bomb. The congregation’s janitor discovered the bomb the next morning. The 54 sticks were enough to level a city block. Condemnation of the attempt poured in from around the city. A couple of weeks after the Beth-El attempt, a couple of men in a car shouted at a custodian for Temple Emanu-El in the alley behind the building that Emanu-El would be next. Through the civil rights era, there were dozens of bombings at African-American homes and churches, culminating in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing.

Part of a Pattern In November 1957, a bomb that failed to detonate was found at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, N.C., and another was found at Temple Emmanuel in Gastonia in February. On March 16, 1958, a bomb damaged the religious school at Temple Beth-El in Miami, and on the same day a bomb went off at the Jewish Community Center in Nashville. The day that the bomb was placed in Birmingham, a bomb went off at the Jacksonville Jewish Center and James Weldon Johnson Junior High, a Black school, simultaneously. On Oct. 12, 1958, in perhaps the most famous such incident, a bomb exploded at The Temple in Atlanta. Two days later, Anshai Emeth in Peoria was bombed. There were also bomb threats against B’nai Israel and Agudat Achim in Little Rock. Though the bombings were not solved, members of the National States Rights Party were suspected. In the first such public pronouncement,

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community Baxley said at the 2018 program that NSRP co-founder J.B. Stoner was behind the bombing at Birmingham’s Beth-El. “In my opinion he was the most anti-Jewish human being that’s ever lived in America,” Baxley said. “He did more to spread that awful hatred than anybody else I know of.” On March 26, 1960, as Beth Israel in Gadsden was dedicating its new Zemurray education wing, a teen threw a Molotov cocktail through the window but failed to detonate. Two congregants who rushed outside were shot, and until the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting in 2018, this was the worst attack on an occupied synagogue building in U.S. history. The suspected bomber was killed in a car wreck three weeks later. In 1967, a Ku Klux Klan cell in Mississippi decided that the Blacks had not been the problem, it was the Jews behind the fight for civil rights. In September 1967, Beth Israel in Jackson was bombed, and two months later the home of Beth Israel Rabbi Perry Nussbaum, who was outspoken on the topic, was bombed. In May 1968, Beth Israel in Meridian was the next target, with heavy damage to the education building. The next month, a trap was set for the bomber using the home of Meyer Davidson, who was on the Klan’s target list, as bait. Kathy Ainsworth, a Kindergarten teacher from Jackson, was killed as law enforcement intervened, and Tommy Tarrants was wounded several times while carrying the bomb. Tarrants would later undergo a transformation in prison, and eventually became pastor of an interracial church in the Washington area.

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

Many people have a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer, but also have questions or concerns about recent advances in genetic screening. The National Council of Jewish Women, Greater New Orleans Section, will host a community-wide multi-disciplinary question-and-answer panel on these topics on May 15, at 4 p.m. at Tulane Hillel. The program is in partnership with Sharsheret, and co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Jewish Family Service, and Hadassah New Orleans. Sharsheret educates and advocates for Jewish individuals and their families who have been touched by breast and ovarian cancers. According to Sharsheret, Ashkenazi Jews are at a higher risk for both cancers, as well as 10 times more likely than the average American to possess a genetic mutation that predisposes them to these cancers. Expert speakers will inform the community and provide resources relevant to the New Orleans area. The panel will include a local breast surgical oncologist, a local gynecologic oncologist, a genetic counselor and a moderator from Sharsheret. Various tools will be introduced relating to knowing how to access their family pedigree chart, basic information about mammograms and pap smears, as well as other regular screenings for both women and men — no matter what age, life stage or gender. According to panel organizer Nancy Pesses, “We want participants involved to feel comfortable asking questions they may not otherwise consider until they are personally impacted with cancer or a genetic mutation.” The plan is to offer this as a hybrid event — in-person and livestreamed on Zoom. For those who attend in person, a social hour will follow the panel. The Covid-19 guidelines in effect at the time will ultimately dictate the gathering proceeds. Those planning to attend in-person must show proof of vaccination and wear a mask. The organizers and sponsors “are excited to bring NCJW and the New Orleans community the first in a series of programs focused on cancer and genetics,” Pesses said. They also welcome anyone interested in joining the committee to plan future events in the series.

Loyola serving as home base for Anne Frank exhibit, student docents As is the case with so many, Naomi Yavneh-Klos, chair of the Religion, Languages and Cultures Department at Loyola University New Orleans, had long-arranged plans altered by the coronavirus pandemic, but those changes will benefit education in the region for years to come. Yavneh-Klos had just started a Fulbright Year in the Netherlands, where she planned to work with the Windesheim Honors College and Anne Frank House, but after the pandemic broke out she returned to New Orleans. She had been working with the Anne Frank House since around 2015 and was planning to bring the traveling exhibit “Anne Frank: A History For Today” back with her. That 30-panel exhibit, primarily for ages 11 to 18, is currently being hosted at Loyola. As a Jewish girl in New York, in the days before PJ Library, there weren’t many books by or about Jewish girls, aside from All Of A Kind Family and Frank’s diary. “As a kid, I found the diary very meaningful,” she said. She was invited to be part of a course in the Netherlands on the lessons of the Holocaust for today, and “it was really interesting to see the perspective.” For many people, their entry point into knowledge of the Holocaust comes from the diary, and it has “colored perceptions” of the Holocaust. She explored the nuances of Frank’s story that people miss, and how they relate to issues of today. As she was thinking about how to write about her experiences, she returned to a quarantined America, where people were going on social media talking about how “I’m just like Anne Frank,” stuck in isolation at home.

“No, you’re not,” was her reaction. “It’s not the same, but why do people feel this sense of connection” to Frank, and “how can we use it to educate people and create greater tolerance, compassion and empathy.” She developed an honors-level course, “In Quarantine With Anne Frank,” to explore those questions, and to apply the lessons to today. The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis occurred shortly after she re-

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

community turned to the U.S., and incidents like that were added as contemporary examples of systems that perpetuate inequities. In the course description, she notes that many people who invoke Frank haven’t read the diary, and even those who have are unaware of many aspects of her story or its context. The “little Dutch girl” was actually an immigrant from Germany writing in a second language, and her family was denied permission to immigrate to the United States because of a U.S. fear of immigration. Yavneh-Klos also notes that the anti-Jewish Nuremberg Laws were modeled after the Jim Crow laws of the American South, and that the Netherlands lost a larger proportion of its Jewish population in the Holocaust than any other Western European country. As a compelling story of one individual in the Holocaust, “people find connections to the story that they don’t find in statistics” of 1.5 million Jewish children murdered in the Holocaust. “We’re all created in the likeness and image of the divine, and each of the 1.5 million has their own compelling story, we just don’t know it.” Through the course and the exhibit, “How can we take this connection with the one to create compassion for the many.” Loyola students taking the course underwent training with representatives from the Anne Frank House, learning to be docents for the exhibit and leaders of discussions of stereotype, inclusion, tolerance and hate. They are also training younger students, as the exhibit will remain in New Orleans for several years and be available to schools throughout the area as a teaching tool. The plan is to have the exhibit travel to schools for a couple weeks at a time, so small groups of students at those schools who have been trained as docents can take other students through. “The exhibit itself is very ed-

April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

ucational and teaches the story of Anne Frank in the context of the Holocaust as a point of access to the larger issues of the Holocaust,” she said, and the training educates students “about issues of tolerance, diversity and inclusion, so it is a powerful experience for the kids who participate.” Discussions of contemporary lessons include “issues of tolerance, inclusion, bystandership, and racism in a majority Black southern city.” The first group of students to be trained were in the sixth and seventh grade at Holy Name of Jesus School, next door to Loyola. In March, she planned to have students come in from Touro Synagogue, where she is a member. But she noted, “it’s important for the exhibit to reach beyond the Jewish community.” By having Loyola students trained for the exhibit, it makes it easier for them to turn around and teach others, making it “more equitable” for schools to participate. In some communities, projects like this generally happen in more affluent schools, but “I want to be sure this is available for all students” as there is “tremendous inequity in our schools.” She also wants to see students from different schools get to know each other. While many might think of the Holocaust as distant history, it “is neither long ago nor far away: Not only is anti-Jewish hate a continuing presence in our world… but in the words of Black, feminist, LGBT advocate and poet Audre Lorde, ‘among those of us who share the goals of liberation and a workable future for our children, there can be no hierarchies of oppression’,” Yavneh-Klos said. “We must commit to a world of inclusion, free from hatred, racism, and fear.” She said “our job is to teach students to tap into their compassion and approach the world with compassion,” and these “are the skills that will help make the world a better place and help them in any profession or vocation they choose.”

community Holocaust commemorations planned throughout region The Alabama Holocaust Commission continues one of the oldest Holocaust commemorations in the nation, with this year’s event on April 26 at 11 a.m. at the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery. Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth will present a proclamation, and the keynote speaker will be Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher. Auerbacher was sent to Terezin at age 7 and survived three years in the camp, where only 1 percent of the children who had been sent there survived. A chemist, she has written three books about her experiences and has spoken to audiences nationwide. Reservations for in-person attendance can be made with Rabbi Scott Kramer of Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery, and a Zoom option will also be available. Birmingham’s commemoration, “Stories Remembered and Retold,” will be on April 28 at 6 p.m. at Temple Beth-El. Local Jewish community agencies and synagogues are partnering with the Alabama Holocaust Education Center for the event, and the public is invited. This year’s program will feature George Nathan, son of Alabama Holocaust survivors Sophie and Henry Nathan. Both of George’s parents were from Emmerich, Germany, but had very different journeys to the United States, where they ultimately married and lived in both Anniston and Birmingham. Through George’s extensive family research, he will show the strong family bonds that brought many survivors from Emmerich to the United States, and remember their contributions to the communities. This year’s program will also include special musical performances, a memorial candle-lighting ceremony honoring those lost, as well as a student art exhibit inspired by the AHEC’s “Darkness into Life” exhibit.

The AHEC is also organizing “Unto Every Person There is a Name,” a reading of the names of children who perished in the Holocaust. Schools, churches, and synagogues are participating in the city-wide reading. Pre-registration is requested, and the event will also be livestreamed. The New Orleans commemoration will be on April 28 at Gates of Prayer in Metairie. A new video of local Holocaust survivors and sisters Anne Levy and Lila Millen will be featured. The 7 p.m. program is open to the community. During the program, the menorah that was hand-crafted for the Uptown Jewish Community Center by local survivor Isak Borenstein will be lit. The program will also be livestreamed on the Gates of Prayer website. On April 28 at noon, the Uptown JCC will screen “Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War,” the previously untold account of Waitstill and Martha Sharp, an American minister and his wife from Wellesley, Mass., who left their children behind in the care of their parish and boldly committed to a life-threatening mission in Europe. Over two dangerous years they helped save scores of imperiled Jews and refugees fleeing the Nazi occupation across Europe. The documentary is by Artemis Joukowsky and Ken Burns, and Tom Hanks and humanitarian Marina Goldman lend their voices to Waitstill and Martha Sharp. In Baton Rouge, the Unified Jewish Congregation will host this year’s commemoration on April 24 at 3 p.m. at the Kleinert Avenue location. A Zoom option will be available. The program will include a memorial service, candle lighting and presentation, “Remembering Auschwitz: The Documents That Remain,” with guest speaker Suzanne Grimmer.

April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

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Grimmer is an archival associate at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. She is working on her master’s in library and information science at Louisiana State University, and last fall she was a digital repository volunteer at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. The 39th annual Holocaust remembrance service in Shreveport will be on May 1 at 3 p.m. at Broadmoor United Methodist Church. Bishop L. Lawrence Brandon, senior pastor and CEO of Praise Temple and presiding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, International, is this year’s chair. The winners of the Literary and Arts competition will be presented during the service. There will be 11 candles lit, one for each million murdered in the Holocaust, and one additional candle will represent modern tragedies due to hatred, prejudice and injustice. The Gulf Coast Holocaust Center will hold its annual commemoration on April 27 at 7 p.m., at Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile. Rabbi Edward Boraz will issue the call to remembrance, and student writing and artwork from the Center’s annual contest will be displayed. The service is open to the community, and will also be available online. Temple Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach will take part in the annual Day of Remembrance event at Eglin Air Force Base. The ceremony will be on April 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Armament Museum. Pensacola’s commemoration, coordinated by the Pensacola Jewish Federation, will be April 27 at 6 p.m. at B’nai Israel, followed by a 7 p.m. screening of “The Survivor.” In Alexandria, Gemiluth Chassodim will participate in the annual program with Emmanuel Baptist Church, April 27 at 6 p.m. at the Holocaust memorial. Commemorations were held earlier in April in Tuscaloosa and at Jacksonville State University.

Happy Passover Celebrate Freedom!

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

community

Great Expectations Study by Tulane professor shows girls with Jewish parents routinely set higher education goals By Barri Bronston

Special to Southern Jewish Life

Girls raised by Jewish parents are 23 percentage points more likely to graduate college than girls with a non-Jewish upbringing, even after accounting for their parents’ socioeconomic status. Girls raised by Jewish parents also graduate from more selective colleges, according to a newly published study by Tulane University professor Ilana Horwitz. But the explanation is not simply that Jews value education. Horwitz and researchers from Cornell and Stanford universities followed 3,238 adolescents for 13 years to conclude that girls raised by at least one Jewish parent acquire a particular way of viewing the world that influences their education choices, career aspirations and various other experiences. The study, “From Bat Mitzvah to the Bar: Religious Habitus, Self-Concept and Women’s Educational Outcomes,” was published in the American Sociological Review, the leading journal of the American Sociological Association. “Girls raised by Jewish parents articulate a self-concept marked by ambitious career goals and an eagerness to have new experiences,” said Horwitz, an assistant professor in the Tulane School of Liberal Arts’ Department of Jewish Studies and the Fields-Rayant Chair in Contemporary Jewish Life. “For these girls, elite higher education and graduate school are central to attaining self-concept congruence. “In contrast, girls raised by non-Jewish parents tend to prioritize

motherhood and have humbler employment aims. For them, graduating from college, regardless of its prestige, is sufficient for self-concept congruence.” Horwitz and her colleagues came to their conclusions based on survey data from the National Study of Youth and Religion and the National Student Clearinghouse. Among the findings: girls raised by Jewish parents fared better than boys raised by Jewish Professor Ilana Horwitz parents, a trend that is opposite of what happens to conservative Protestant women, where boys fared better. In the study, Horwitz debunks the myth that Jews, like Asian Americans, are predisposed to educational success because of their ethno-racial background. Framing Jews’ achievement as a cultural trait erroneously spreads the belief that educational success comes from adopting the “right” cultural values. But Horwitz argues that Jews value education because “it has worked for them throughout history, not because they are genetically or culturally predisposed to it.” Religious subcultures, she said, are not just shaped by theology but by such factors as historical events, demographic patterns and political

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

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concerns. For centuries, the daily life of Jewish people, regardless of social class, occupation or age, was organized around reading and studying Torah. As a result, Jews became literate much earlier than other people. That focus on schooling continued through the ages, with education woven into the fabric of contemporary Jewish life. As Eastern European Jews immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century, formal schooling became increasingly important for occupational success. Education played such a significant role in helping Jews survive in Europe and in the United States that it now permeates Jewish religious subculture. The gender-egalitarian nature of Judaism, especially non-Orthodox Judaism, also matters. Girls raised by Jewish parents have distinctive gender self-concepts that stem from Jews’ strong levels of support for gender egalitarianism. Jewish parents sent messages to their sons and their daughters that they can aspire to professional careers, Horwitz said. “They developed a self-concept marked by openness to new experiences and a vision of themselves as prominent careerwomen,” Horwitz said. “They were highly attuned to what these careers take and organized their educational ex-

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periences to position themselves for elite colleges so they could realize their professional visions and attain self-concept congruence.” In addition to Horwitz, the study’s other authors are Kaylee Matheny and Krystal Laryea of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, and Landon Schnabel, a gender scholar at Cornell University. “One of the biggest stories in higher education is the gender gap in education and the reversal that’s occurred with women now more likely than men to go to college,” Schnabel said. “The gender and education story is incomplete without thinking about religion because religion and gender are so intertwined.” He said religious upbringing is a key factor that can help explain why some people are not only much more likely to go to college than others but also more likely to go to more selective schools. “Just as we shouldn’t ignore things like class, race, or gender when trying to understand the educational landscape we shouldn’t ignore religion,” Schnabel said. This is the first study to show that the level of embeddedness in and exposure to a religious subculture through parents matters for educational outcomes.

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PUTTING YOUR SUCCESS FIRST B’nai Israel Rabbi David Cohen-Henriquez blesses the crowd

CUFI founder urges Christians to fight the sin of antisemitism At a Night to Honor Israel in the Pensacola area, Christians United For Israel founder Pastor John Hagee spoke of how “antisemitism is a sin, and as sin it damages the soul.” The event was held on Feb. 27 at Pace Assembly Ministries, with several hundred in attendance, including many representatives of the area’s Jewish community. Hagee spoke about the origins of his group, which now claims 11.5 million members. In 2006 he called 400 leading pastors to San Antonio and charged them with holding Nights to Honor Israel in all 50 states. “It’s time for the American church, American Christians, to stand up and speak up, to defend the Jewish people, without apology.” He also said it has to be done with a strictly non-conversionary agenda. “That was a big ask,” he acknowledged. “Christians were calling me a heretic all over the country.” Hagee’s Cornerstone Church had been holding Nights to Honor Israel since 1981, after Israel bombed the Osirak nuclear facility in Iraq. It was a much tougher sell back then, he said — to the Christian and Jewish communities. At the time, Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg, an Orthodox rabbi in San Antonio, urged others in the Jewish community to give Hagee a chance, as the Jewish community has plenty of experience dealing with enemies, but not as much experience in trusting possible friends. Hagee said Christians “owe a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people,” and that antisemitism isn’t a Jewish problem, “it’s everyone’s problem” and it “also brings the wrath of God.” Pace Assembly Pastor Joey Rogers opened the event by praying for the armed forces, the people of Ukraine and “for the nation of Israel. We know the threats are real and they are happening day by day.” Rogers said it is time to “stand up and speak up like never before.” Pastor Victor Styrsky, CUFI educational national outreach director, said his daughter, Sterling, now lives in Israel, and “we sleep soundly at night having entrusted her to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… and the most moral army in the history of the world.” He said it is a sanctification of God’s name “to love the people God has so uniquely loved,” and said they ask God and the Jewish people for forgiveness for what the church has done to the Jews over the centuries. “You are not alone,” he said. “Am Yisrael Chai,” the nation of Israel lives. Evan Terry and Kirby Calhoun spoke of the struggles Jewish students

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community face on campuses, and how CUFI on Campus is standing up for Israel in the face of hostile groups. Rep. Jeff Miller, who served the area in Congress from 2001 to 2017, spoke of how personally meaningful his visit to Israel was. Ari Morgenstern, CUFI’s Senior Director of Policy and Communications, said American Jews are “being terrorized” by increasing antisemitism. “There is an answer,” he told the crowd, “and I am looking at it… this is the way it must be.” He said Hagee and Scheinberg gave the world an “exceptional relationship” between Christians and Jews, and that must be nurtured. Christians must “stand up and speak up with one unequivocal voice against the hatred,” Morgenstern said. Hagee said supporting Israel is not a political issue, it is “a Bible issue. If you believe the Bible, you will support Israel and the Jewish people.” He added that the day the United States stops blessing Israel will be the day God stops blessing the U.S. Rabbi David Cohen-Henriquez of B’nai Israel in Pensacola closed out the evening by quoting Isaiah 2, which states that all the nations will look to Jerusalem to find God’s ways and walk in God’s path, and that swords will be beaten into plowshares.

Leanne Silverblatt named Citizen of the Year in Indianola On April 4, community volunteer and fourth-generation Indianolan Leanne Silverblatt received the Morris Lewis, Jr., Citizen of the Year Award at the annual meeting of the Indianola Chamber of Commerce/ Main Street. The event was held at the B.B. King Museum. Silverblatt and her husband of 50 years, Alan, are the owners of Young Ideas clothing store, which they opened in 1973. The family Leanne and Alan Silverblatt has been involved in retail businesses in Indianola continually since 1909. The generational legacy is also exemplified with the Chamber, as her grandfather, Abe Weinberg, was the first president. Her mother, Maurine Weinberg Lipnick, also served as chamber president and was the recipient of the Citizen of the Year award in 2007, and Leanne Silverblatt has also served as president. Silverblatt was recognized for her service to numerous civic groups, including the 21st Century Club and the Mid-Delta Arts Association. A founding member of the arts group in the 1970s, Silverblatt has choreographed almost all of their productions since then, and in 2016 played title character Daisy Werthan in their production of “Driving Miss Daisy.” The award was first presented in 1994, and honors “a citizen of Indianola who exemplifies Mr. Lewis’s concern and commitment to Indianola.” Morris Lewis immigrated to New York from Poland in the 1880s, soon joining aunt Regina Goldstein Hyman in Sidon. After joining the Herrmans in Lexington, forming the Lewis-Herrman Company, he established the distributor Lewis Grocer Company and Sunflower Food Stores, moving the headquarters to Indianola in 1933. They eventually merged with Supervalu of Minneapolis, and Morris Lewis Jr. became the CEO. In addition to the Chamber award, the local Boy Scout hut is named for Lewis Jr.

community Philip Kaplan named new rabbi at Metairie’s Beth Israel Beth Israel in Metairie announced that Rabbi Philip Kaplan, his wife Abra Forman and their son Roee will be the next rabbinic family for the Orthodox congregation. Kaplan will succeed Rabbi Josh Pernick, who is moving to Connecticut in early May. A Yeshivat Chovevei Torah graduate, Kaplan is former associate rabbi of The Great Synagogue of Sydney, Australia. A native of Queens and Long Island, he graduated from City University of New York-Queens College. While in rabbinical school, he was a rabbinic intern at Beth David Synagogue in West Hartford, Conn., Sherith Israel in Nashville and at Congregation Tiferet Israel in Austin. He also completed the AIPAC Leffell Fellowship, the iCenter for Israel Education Fellowship, a Certificate of Spiritual Leadership and Social Impact from New York University and one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Thomas West Hospital in Nashville. He also sang with the Jewish a capella group Six13 for seven years. Subject to the congregation’s final approval, it is expected that he will begin in mid to late May. The announcement about Kaplan came two weeks after Rabbi David Posternock, the congregation’s administrator for the last 14 years, announced that he is stepping down on April 30 to become the new director of business services for Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans.

Ronit Ziv presents“Cassandra Machine” Contemporary dance work premiers at Tulane The Newcomb Dance Company of the Tulane University Department of Theatre and Dance will present the premiere of “Cassandra Machine,” a contemporary dance work about the lone voice in a crowd, beginning April 26 on Tulane’s Uptown campus. “Cassandra Machine” revisits and revives classic Greek mythology through the tragic journey of Cassandra, who is blessed with premonitions but cursed by the gods to never be believed. The immersive and interactive contemporary dance piece connects the story of Cassandra and her struggles to modern day women and the many others in society who face the harsh reality of speaking, yet not being heard or understood. The dance work is the creation of award-winning choreographer Ronit Ziv, who as part of the Israel Institute’s Visiting Artists’ Program has been serving as a Jill Karp Guest Artist for the spring semester at Tulane. Ziv is known for her unique choreography featuring release technique everyday gestures, text and, for this performance, contributions by Tulane’s own dance talent. She will moderate a talkback with select cast members following the April 28 performance. Performances will take place in the Lupin Memorial Theatre in the Dixon Performing Arts Center Annex at 7:30 p.m. from April 26 to 29, 5 p.m. on April 30 and 2 p.m. on May 1. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public and can be purchased at the box office, online or by calling (504) 865-5106. Because of the complex and interactive nature of the performance, late seating will be prohibited. Ticket holders who arrive late will have the option of exchanging their tickets for a performance that has not sold out.

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THIS SPRING AT THE CAC THE WAIT ROOM by Flyaway Productions May 27 – 29, 2022

TICKETS AT CACNO.ORG 42 April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

Jewish children in Greater New Orleans who belong to or join PJ Library or PJ Our Way may now receive free kindness kits, created as part of PJ Library-New Orleans Little Mensches’ family volunteering program. Designed for kids ages 4 to 12, these activity kits include directions and materials for multiple service activities for children and parents to do at home. The various projects offer meaningful opportunities — within a specifically Jewish framework — for children to demonstrate compassion and generosity toward shelter animals, isolated elderly, refugee children and others. Families who sign up can pick up Kindness Kits at the JCRS office, 3500 North Causeway, in Metairie. The Kindness Kits are free and available while supplies last. PJ Library Kindness Kits are funded through the Goldring Family Foundation and the Bruce J. Heim Foundation. PJ Library is an internationally acclaimed Jewish outreach initiative sending free and age-specific Jewish-themed books every month to Jewish kids from birth to age 8. PJ Library New Orleans has provided outstanding Jewish-themed books to over 1000 children to date. The nearly 500 children currently enrolled in greater New Orleans are also invited to participate in local family activities. Children ages 9 to 12 are invited to enroll in PJ Our Way, the “latest chapter in the PJ Library story,” which allows them to select their own Jewish-themed book each month. PJ Library and PJ Our Way are administered in Greater New Orleans and in parts of six mid-South states by Jewish Children’s Regional Service.

GatesFest Gates of Prayer in Metairie held its second GatesFest music festival on March 27, with 17 acts including the headlining X Ambassadors. Above, the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars. Right, a Stephen Sondheim tribute with Gates of Prayer Cantorial Soloist Jordan Lawrence

community NCJW looks to future with Legacy Giving campaign As the New Orleans Section of the National Council of Jewish Women celebrates its 125th anniversary, it is also planning for the future with a Legacy Giving campaign. President Gail Pesses organized a Legacy Giving Committee for the Section, co-chaired by Susan Hess and Carole Neff. The Section isn’t starting from scratch, as there has been a history of philanthropy going back many decades. As they gathered information to see what legacy giving has already occurred, “we were delighted to be reminded of the generous philanthropy of those who showed their love for our Section of NCJW by providing for us in their wills,” said Neff. Several women have also made significant lifetime gifts, along with donating time and energy to projects. Martha Graf Israel created the Meyer Israel Memorial Trust that provides a source of income to NCJW for “programs deemed necessary by the organization’s leadership.” In 1973, Sara Stone created the “Irma Isaacson Scholarship Fund” in memory of her dear friend. This fund has significantly grown since then and has allowed NCJW to distribute tens of thousands of scholarship dollars to needy and deserving students. Much of its growth is due to the substantial contributions Marjorie Bissinger made over decades. There is also the legacy of Margery Stich, who provided funding for leadership development, and Vera Klein, for scholarship funds for women who, like Klein, returned to their schooling after their education was interrupted. Joan S. Berenson directed funds to NCJW from the Joan S. and Gerald S. Berenson Donor Advised Fund at the Jewish Endowment Foundation, to be added to the NCJW Endowment Funds at JEF. Other bequests were made by Margot Garon and Phyllis Nitzkin. Ina Davis, Flo Schornstein, Sara Stone and Joan Berenson made lifetime gifts. “All of these amazing women have enabled our Section, through their generosity, to carry forward the programming that exemplifies the values they demonstrated to us during their lifetimes,” Neff said, citing them as the role models for the Legacy Giving Campaign. Neff said there are many who have planned legacies through wills, life insurance or retirement plans, and those willing to share that information should let them know “so that we can acknowledge you in an appropriate fashion.” She added, “We are hopeful that through this Legacy Giving Campaign, we are able to generate even more endowment funding for the future of our productive organization… as we carry on the values we have learned over these past 125 years.” Those who want to know more about planned giving should contact the co-chairs.

Rabbi Goldstein presents “Samurai Rabbi” Rabbi David Goldstein will discuss his new novel, “Samurai Rabbi,” at the Uptown Jewish Community Center in New Orleans on May 10 at 7 p.m. Set in 1965, it is the story of Abner Hamburger, who has just completed his rabbinical studies and will soon be a navy chaplain. He loves the navy, opera, and most of all his new bride, Judy. Her father opposed the marriage, but they’re soon far from him and stationed in Japan. The year that follows will change Abner forever, as he and Judy navigate not only a different culture but also marriage, new friendships and the realities of the war in Vietnam, which had seemed so far away. Goldstein, rabbi emeritus at Touro Synagogue, was ordained in 1965 and became a chaplain in the Navy, stationed in Japan until 1968. The talk is free and open to the community. April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 43

community

“Freedom Rider” world-premieres at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival By Lee J. Green

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Ricardo Khan believes theatre can inspire change and unity through sharing history about people coming together to change the nation. The writer-director’s play “Freedom Rider,” which centers around four students — including a young Jewish man from Ohio — celebrates the watershed journey of Freedom Riders coming from Washington to the Deep South during the heat of the Civil Rights movement, in May of 1961, to challenge segregated spaces in interstate travel. “Freedom Rider” debuts April 8 and runs through April 24 at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery. “We have challenging times today. With ‘Freedom Rider,’ we want to share moments of people from all backgrounds coming together to support something they believed strongly in… to take action. I look at it as not just a history lesson but as an inspiration for today,” said Khan, who produced “Fly,” the play he wrote at the ASF in 2018 about the Tuskegee Airmen. For “Freedom Rider,” Khan collaborated with four other writers — Kathleen McGhee-Anderson, Murray Horwitz, Nathan Louis Jackson and Nikkole Salter. Each wrote one of the four characters. Horwitz, who gained some acclaim as the first Jewish clown with Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, wrote the Jewish character. “There is a long history of people in the Jewish communities playing important roles and aiding in the Civil Rights movement,” said Khan. “That character in ‘Freedom Rider’ is not doing what he is doing because he is Jewish, but his background certainly prepared him for this.” Khan is from Philadelphia. His mother is African-American and his father is from Trinidad. Growing up, Khan went to a Quaker school. “I was the only African-American and my friend was the only Jew in the school,” he said. “We both experienced some prejudice and we bonded over some shared experiences. I believe in the power of tzedakah and Tikkun Olam. We must come together and help those in need. Only then can we heal the world.” Khan said the characters represent an amalgam of some of the Freedom Riders and the play is inspired by actual events. He said that he, his collaborative team, crew and cast spent additional time before rehearsing to go through much research as well as visit the Freedom Rider Museum in Montgomery. “I believe in the magic of the theatre and we hope that people will be moved by this show,” he said. “We want people to recognize themselves in that history, but we want that recognition to be visceral and personal. We wanted to create something that is engaging and ultimately uplifting.”

community >> Rear Pew

continued from page 46

symbolic offering. But in baseball, a sacrifice involves a person entirely giving up oneself for the sake of another. In baseball, someone who successfully executes a sacrifice is himself eliminated — he’s personally sent off the field, for the sake of helping another advance. Unlike in Leviticus, it’s not merely symbolic. It’s not like the player sends the team mascot to the plate in his place. The player sacrifices himself. Take that, Leviticus. Also, baseball now has another direct connection to the book of Leviticus: The new owner of the New York Mets is a Cohen. However, this column is deeply saddened to confirm that, with the start of spring training, the Mets were once again mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. Doug Brook hopes that his prediction about the Mets’ inevitable downfall ensures that karma will spite him and they’ll win the World Series – except now that he’s admitted to this feeble deception, he’s jinxed the jinx. For almost several more laughs, listen to the five-star rated Rear Pew Mirror podcast at anchor.fm/rearpewmirror or on any major podcast platform. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/rearpewmirror. For past columns, visit http://rearpewmirror.com/.

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In early April, Israelis who will be Shlichim this summer at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica got together for orientation and a learning session at Kibbutz Shefayim.

Rosenwald Schools talk at JCC An ambitious program between Julius Rosenwald, the Jewish president of Sears in Chicago, and Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, built over 5,000 public schools for Black children across the South, with one-third of Black children in the region attending what were called Rosenwald Schools by 1928. Susan Hess of New Orleans, wife of Bill Hess, the great-grandson of Rosenwald, will discuss the “5,000 Schools that Changed America” at the Morris Bart Sr. Lecture Series, May 9 at 11:45 a.m. at the Uptown Jewish Community Center. There is currently an effort to establish a national park with remaining Rosenwald Schools. There is no charge for members, non-members are $10. Lunch reservations are required by May 5. April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 45

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April 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

The Art of Sacrifice In the weeks concluding March and starting April, Jews everywhere brace themselves for a major religious occurrence that happens around this time every year. Yes, it’s when the weekly Torah readings reach the book of Leviticus. As its English/Greekish name implies, Leviticus is largely about the Levites — a litany of laws, lots of which lay out the labors of these loyal lugs. Many people remember little about this book because what Leviticus brings in laws, it lacks in story. This third book of the Torah is about as related to Passover as the third book of Harry Potter. So, nearly several people have expressed that it would be more relevant for the Torah readings around Passover to instead be from the book of Exodus, for two reasons. First, the story of Passover is the story of the Exodus which is, by coincidence, recounted (not counted again) in the book of Exodus. Second, and more significantly, it’s also the time of year when ABC rebroadcasts “The Ten Commandments.” Ignore that this topical tie-in has prompted the Torah readings on most actual days of Passover to be from Exodus. (Especially because a small number aren’t.) Ignore that having the near-Passover Torah readings be from Exodus would save a lot of time and forearm aches from rerolling the Torah scrolls back and forth between Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Ringo. Ignore these things because, despite Exodus’s relevance to Passover, Leviticus has even more relevance to an even more significant religious event that comes every April: The start of baseball season. Why is this book more related to baseball than all other books? Because Leviticus and baseball both involve sacrifices. Leviticus delves into several kinds of sacrifices: Burnt offerings, meal offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, peace offerings and guilt offerings. (Jews have always been big on guilt.) As for baseball, while recent labor negotiaGenerally, tions could imply that nobody involved understands making sacrifices, the sacrifice is a sacrifices time-honored play in baseball — which will hopefully survive Major League Baseball smitin baseball ing the National League with the plague of the aren’t nearly Designated Hitter. While Leviticus and baseball both involve as messy… sacrifices, baseball involves sacrifices that are literally more deeply giving of oneself than any sacrifice mentioned in Leviticus. In Leviticus, people are told to bring sacrifices as offerings for when they feel guilt, when they want peace, when they’ve sinned, and when they think they might have sinned and aren’t really sure but they probably did something so bring an offering just in case. For example, according to Leviticus, one should bring a sin offering and a guilt offering for the transgression of being the league official who scheduled the opening games of the new USFL to coincide with the first days of Passover. (Go Stallions.) Of course, the sacrifices mentioned in the bible are symbolic gestures. They’re a symbolic chance for people to act on the intention behind the offering, such as making up for a sin or to do something about their own guilt. It’s not about the literal act — it’s not like the Big G has a constant craving for biblical barbecue. So, all the sacrifices in Leviticus involve a person giving an object as a continued on previous page