SJL Deep South, May 2015

Southern Jewish Life

CELEBRATING ISRAEL IN THE SOUTH BUTTERFLY GARDEN COMMEMORATES THE HOLOCAUST ANTI-SEMITISM REMAINS RARE IN REGION CONCLUDING THE “TOO JEWISH” TRILOGY REAL ESTATE AND HOMES ISSUE May 2015

Volume 25 Issue 5

Southern Jewish Life P.O. Box 130052 Birmingham, AL 35213

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shalom y’all shalom shalomy’all y’all Should a kosher caterer have the option of turning down a wedding at a “messianic” congregation? Or some other kind of church?

Over the last few months, controversy has raged nationwide over legislation, adopted in many states and debated in others, that purports to protect business owners who are exercising their religious beliefs from being sued over any blowback from said free exercise.

That these bills are coming about as same-sex weddings are being recognized in more and more states, and cases of vendors refusing to provide services for those ceremonies are splashed all over the news, is purely coincidental, one is supposed to believe. Sure.

On the face of it, one wants to tell these business owners to grow up, they are in business to make money, and the money from same-sex couples is as green as anyone else’s, and the checks cash the same. You find the ceremony objectionable? You’re not the one being married.

Conversely, if you were having a wedding or other simcha, would you really want to hire and give money to someone who did not want to be there? I’d be concerned about what surreptitious ingredients a baker might slip into the cake, or how good the photos would be from a photographer who objects to the proceedings.

And that’s without dragging said vendor into court and through the media buzzsaw.

Should a gay caterer be able to refuse to cater a wedding at Westboro Baptist?

While all of the focus has been on fundamentalist Christians who say same-sex weddings (let alone relationships) violate their beliefs and they don’t want to be seen as giving any approval, there are so many more possible scenarios.

The “messianic” movement is viewed with suspicion — at best — by the Jewish world, and the community has been vigilant in maintaining a clear distance while the missionaries try to continued on page 34

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May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 3

commentary

May 2015 March 2015

Caught in the Women of the Wall confrontation On April 20 I experienced a confrontation of new heights in Jerusalem. A confrontation involving shouting, pushing and crying. A confrontation involving worshippers, police and arrests. A confrontation of great embarrassment to me as a Jew, human being and lover of Israel.

A confrontation not between Jews and Muslims, not between Israelis and Arabs, but between Jews and Jews.

Women of the Wall, or Neshot Hakotel, began 26 years ago when 70 women approached the Kotel to conduct their very own prayer service with tallitot, tefilin, and a Torah.

Since that day in 1988, women have been struggling to re-create that service and to earn the right of women to pray at the Western Wall in the same fashion as men.

Each Rosh Chodesh, women, men and children gather at the Western Wall to pray and advocate for the right of women to equally experience Judaism at the Western Wall. There are currently over 100 Torah scrolls in use at the Kotel, but even today not one of them is permitted to be used in the women’s section. Women of the Wall is fighting for their right to read from a Torah scroll in front of the Kotel.

On this Rosh Chodesh Iyar I had the opportunity to experience the services of Women of the Wall. It started like any other Women of the Wall service: men praying on their side, women on theirs. Both men and women were fulfilling the mitzvah of wearing tallit and tefillin: practicing the right they have earned through years of perseverance and dedication. They are singing the same prayers heard on the men’s side; the same prayers heard in Reform, Conservative and Orthodox synagogues worldwide. The women at the Kotel this one morning were trying to have the same experience men have each morning at the Kotel. All was calm; each person was having his or her own spiritual experience at the Western Wall.

This calmness changed dramatically with one historic passing of the Torah. The minyan of men took a Torah from the men’s section, opened the wall separating the men’s and women’s section, and passed the Torah to the women’s section. The first time a Western Wall Torah has ever been read on the women’s side was about to occur. While the women sang and read from the Torah, the men continued singing 4 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

and praying to distract the hundreds of Hassidic men from witnessing what was happening. I felt an overwhelming amount of pride supporting the women’s 25-year dream of once again reading Torah at the Western Wall.

Before I had time to react, I was in the middle of a brawl. Despite the attempted diversion, the more traditional Jews quickly realized the missing Torah. They ran from the other side of the men’s section while yelling and screaming at the men and women involved in prayer.

The sense of pride I felt moments earlier quickly mixed with emotions of embarrassment and confusion. In a matter of seconds, the services died down and the fighting picked up.

Very observant Jews pushed their way through the wall of men and women in an attempt to reclaim the Torah. The egalitarian men pushed back trying to protect the women reading the Torah. Pushing and shoving ensued, causing men to fall to the ground.

Jews were fighting Jews. Humans were fighting humans.

When the police separated the people, the shouting and yelling continued. One man called another man a thief. I heard one man say, “we are all brothers” to which another responded, “We are not brothers. You are not Jews.” A man told another that he was not acting in the image of God. The screaming went so far that a 12-year-old boy called girls whores and prostitutes. The insults were coming from both sides: Haredim and egalitarians alike.

Jews were insulting Jews. Humans were insulting humans.

As this was just before Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, this experience makes me question the current status of Judaism in Israel and worldwide. While it was amazing to see women reading Torah at the Western Wall, I struggle to comprehend the utter disrespect shown from one Jew toward another. How do Jews move forward from a confrontation of this magnitude? Is the answer to continue having demonstrations such as the one held each Rosh Chodesh by Women of the Wall? Or is the answer political action such as petitions and court hearings? I can only hope that religious equality is achieved in a method that advocates for respect from one person to another.

I hope that Jews can live together as equal Jews, and that humans can live together as civil humans.

Mack Krell, 18, grew up in Birmingham and is studying in Israel for the year on a gap year program called Kivunim. As part of the program, he studies in Jerusalem and travels to different countries to learn about Jewish history and culture. Next year, he will be attending Northeastern University to study engineering.

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com WEB EDITOR Eugene Walter Katz eugene@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITER Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 13 Office Park Circle #6 Birmingham, AL 35223 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/780.5615 TOLL-FREE 866/446.5894 FAX 866/392.7750 connect@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to Lee Green, 205/870.7889 or lee@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.

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agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events

At the March 27 Shabbat service, Rabbi Harry Danziger called visitors from the University of Missouri Hillel up to bimah for aliyot at Adath Israel in Cleveland.

Seeing another butterfly: LJCC dedicates Holocaust memorial garden The proliferation of decorative butterflies near the entrance of Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center can be traced to a conversation Executive Director Betzy Lynch had shortly after taking the position.

At the April 16 dedication, Lynch explained how the Holocaust Memorial Butterfly Garden came to be. After her arrival she met with everyone on the LJCC’s professional staff and asked three questions — what they like at the LJCC, what they don’t like and what they would like to see happen.

While most of the answers were similar, Priscilla Denard had a very different response for the third question. Why, she wondered, does the JCC not have a memorial to the Holocaust?

She had read “Night” by Elie Wiesel in high school and it had “changed her life.”

Lynch reiterated, “It is because of a non-Jewish staff person that we have the butterfly garden here at the JCC.” Nine months after the initial conversation, they sat down and started figuring out how to do a memorial at the LJCC. “We wanted the memorial to be something hopeful and something living,” Lynch said.

The words of Pavel Friedman were chosen as the inspiration for the garden — his poem “The Butterfly,” with the famous line “I never saw another butterfly.” A native of Prague, Friedman wrote the poem at age 21 in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. He was later deported to Auschwitz, where he died. His poem was discovered after the liberation of Theresienstadt.

Three students from the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School read the poem at the dedication, which was held in the lobby due to threatening skies.

So many stories from the Holocaust are about death and destruction,

Lynch explained, and they wanted something that showed hope, and that “the Nazis had not achieved what they wanted, and that people would be able to see butterflies again.”

The garden, located in front of the main entrance between the covered drop-off and the parking lot, “softens” the LJCC entrance, where before there had been holly bushes, “which is nature’s version of razor wire,” Lynch noted.

May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 5

agenda

A crowd larger than Selma’s remaining Jewish community turns out for a Shabbat service at Mishkan Israel led by Cantor Joel Colman of Temple Sinai in New Orleans. Colman is visiting several small Jewish communities in the South as part of his sabbatical this Spring.

Coach Bruce Pearl and other members of the Auburn basketball coaching staff joined with Alpha Epsilon Pi at Auburn for AEPi’s We Walk to Remember Holocaust commemoration on April 16.

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agenda Dutch survivor to speak in Homewood Dutch Holocaust survivor Ben Benninga will speak on “Hidden: A Holocaust Survivor’s Testimony” at the Homewood Public Library on May 12 at 6:30 p.m. He had been scheduled to speak there on Jan. 3 but had to postpone due to health issues.

Born in 1934 in Enschede, a small town in eastern Holland only five miles from the German border, Benninga and his family lived a quiet life until the Germans invaded on May 10, 1940. By the time Benninga finished his first year in school in 1941, life for Jews had forever changed. When roundups began, the Benninga family was forced into hiding. All survived because of the sacrifice of others.

Benninga will share his family’s wartime experiences including the efforts of the Dutch resistance and the righteous who hid them during the German occupation of Holland.

The talk is presented by the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center and the Henry Frohsin Family. It is free and open to the community.

MIGNON FAGET Ronald Marks, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon from Alexandria, participates in the morning flag raising ceremony at an army base in Israel. In February and March he was in a three-week program through Volunteers For Israel. Marks is also a past president of Gemiluth Chassodim in Alexandria.

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May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 7

agenda Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel will hold its annual Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament and Casino Night with Scotch Tasting on June 7 at 6 p.m.

The entry cost is $54 before May 15 and $60 after. There will be a kosher buffet catered by Cliff Holt of Little Savannah restaurant, $10 for tournament participants and $20 for those who are not entering the tournament. There will be five tournament tables set up, and to guarantee a spot reservations need to be made by May 15. There will also be one poker table set up for beginners and two blackjack tables. As the tournament progresses and poker tables become vacant, they will become blackjack tables. Sponsorships are also available, starting at $250.

Mobile’s Springhill Avenue Temple will have a farewell dinner for Rabbi Donald Kunstadt on May 16 at 6 p.m., at the Country Club of Mobile.

Kunstadt arrived at Springhill Avenue in the summer of 1987 and is currently the longest-serving rabbi at a single pulpit in the state. Reservations are $40, and there will be a cash bar.

Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El will have a celebration of Rabbi Joseph Robinson’s first year with the congregation on May 8. The family-oriented Shabbat service will be led by the religious school students and a dinner will follow. Dinner reservations are $18 for adults, free for students 12 and under. Robinson is the Director of Congregational Learning.

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Theater Tuscaloosa will be auditioning for roles in this summer’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” May 10 and 11 at 6 p.m. at the BeanBrown Theater. Actors should prepare 16 bars of a musical theater song and bring sheet music. There will also be a cold reading and short dance audition.

B’nai Zion in Shreveport will hold its fourth annual Mitzvah Day on May 17, supporting non-profits in the area. The Mitzvah Day will be followed by an early dinner and the congregation’s annual meeting.

Laura Golovin-Greer is the new case consultant for Jewish Family Services of Mobile. The agency provides information, assistance and direction for those who are going through life situations that they need help with. She can be reached at (251) 219-8699, and all contacts are confidential.

Shreveport Hadassah is hosting “Israel’s IDF: Saving Lives On and Off the Battlefield,” May 3 at 4:30 p.m. at B’nai Zion. Guest speaker will be Major Ari Benov, deputy in the Israel Defense Force’s trauma and combat medicine branch. He will present a first-hand report on humanitarian rescue efforts undertaken by Israel all over the world. The community is invited.

Beth Israel in Gulfport will be holding its annual fundraiser on June 4, “Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue,” in Magnolia Hall at Florence Gardens.

The evening will include barbecue, beer from Chandeleur Brewing Company, and Sazerac and Buffalo Trace Bourbon. There will be a draw-down for cash and prizes. Tickets, including a draw-down ticket, are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Donations and sponsorships are welcome.

B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge will have the B’nai Israel Classic on May 7 at the Island Golf Club in Plaquemine. The tournament will start at 9 a.m.

Registration is $125 and includes the round, cart, range balls, lunch and prizes. Hole sponsorships are $125.

There will be a Lag B’Omer bonfire and barbecue at Knesseth Israel in Birmingham on May 7 at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $5 per person.

The Brotherhood at Temple Emanu-El in Dothan will travel to Montgomery for a Biscuits game on May 24. First pitch is 5:35 p.m. Tickets are $13.

Knesseth Israel in Birmingham will have a pre-Shavuot class on mozzarella cheese making. The class will be on May 20 at 7 p.m.

8 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

agenda

Choose your own path.

Deadline nears for JCRS college aid May 31 is the deadline for Jewish youth in a seven-state region to access “needs-based” financial assistance for undergraduate college programs.

For the 2015-16 academic year, the college program at New Orleans-based Jewish Children’s Regional Service will assist over 100 students.

Applications received by the deadline will receive priority funding and those received after that date will be considered if funds are still available.

The JCRS has been providing social services, care and funding to the Jewish youth from the states of Alabama. Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas since 1855. It is the oldest Jewish children’s agency in the United States, having recently celebrated its 160th anniversary.

Each year, over 300 Jewish youth receive scholarships to non-profit Jewish sleepaway summer camps, also based on financial need. Virtually all 2015 camp scholarship awards have been made, but JCRS will still consider some hardship funding for this summer.

While late applications to the JCRS education or camp scholarship programs are not eligible for maximum awards, applications for the special needs program are accepted throughout the year.

Today, there are numerous lay leaders and professionals throughout the United States who were assisted as youth by JCRS. Many stories about these individuals appear on the JCRS website.

Applications are available online by accessing the agency’s website at www.jcrs.org or by calling (800) 729-5277.

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The National Federation of Temple Youth had its Southern Region Spring Conclave at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica the weekend of April 17.

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May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 9

agenda Shalomfest celebrates 125 years of Temple Shalom’s building in Lafayette

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Temple Shalom in Lafayette will have Shalomfest the weekend of May 17 as part of its celebration of 125 years in its current location. The evening of May 17 will include a series of short Judaic movies. The afternoon of May 18 will be a celebration of Jewish heritage through music, food and crafts, open to the community. Details had not been announced as of press time.

Numerous Jews from France settled in Vermilionville, which was renamed Lafayette in 1884. In 1869 Governor Alexander Mouton gave the Jewish community land for a cemetery. The congregation, Rodeph Sholom, was organized in 1881, with Mouton again donating land, this time for a synagogue building. The building was constructed in 1889. Originally Orthodox, the congregation soon became Reform.

Over the decades the synagogue was remodeled. After 1960 the community became much larger thanks to the oil industry. Rodeph Sholom added a social hall and kitchen in 1953, and a rabbi’s study and library in 1960.

In 1973 a small group desiring more traditional services broke away and established Yeshurun Synagogue, which nevertheless also affiliated with the Reform movement. In 1992, the congregations reunited and changed the name to Temple Shalom. They decided to retain the historic building downtown and a couple of years ago sold the Yeshurun building.

Today there are roughly 65 families in the membership, and the congregation is served by Rabbi Barry Weinstein of Baton Rouge. Joint programs are regularly held with the Jewish communities of Lake Charles and Alexandria.

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On March 19, Rabbi Arnold Task was honored with the Lifetime of Service Award at the Alexandria Human Relations Day. The breakfast at the Alexandria Convention Hall is sponsored by the Alexandria Human Relations Commission. Each year, the commission honors individuals and organizations for enriching the lives of people in Alexandria by their actions in the areas of community service, education, music and arts contributions. The group is continuing its work to help in the creation of a Civil Rights Memorial Park to pay tribute to civil rights heroes. Pictured here are Judy Task and Rabbi Arnold Task with City Council members Harry Silver and Lee Rubin, both members of Gemiluth Chassodim.

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10 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

Anti-Semitic acts up nationally, remain rare in Deep South The Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States spiked 21 percent in 2014 “in a year marked by a violent anti-Semitic shooting attack targeting Jewish community buildings in Kansas and anti-Jewish expressions linked to the war in Gaza.”

Despite the increase, the ADL noted that the 912 incidents still represents one of the lowest totals since the audit began in 1979.

In the Deep South, instances of anti-Semitism remained relatively rare. In the New Orleans region, which includes Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, there were seven reported incidents, up from five in 2013.

“While it is notable that anti-Semitic numbers are historically low, including in our region,” said Nancy Timm, ADL Regional Board Chair, “the great increase from last year is certainly upsetting. 2014 was a year that put all Jews on alert, and we all have much work to do to speak up against hate.”

The Atlanta office, which serves Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, reported 22 incidents, up from 14 in 2013.

Nationally there were 36 assaults on Jews or individuals believed to be Jewish, up from 31 in 2013. There were 363 cases of anti-Semitic vandalism, up from 315 the year before.

Harassment, threats and events accounted for 513 cases, up from 405 the previous year. Most of the incidents in the Deep South were in this category.

Another category is foreign hackers taking over Jewish websites, re-

placing them with Palestinian or pro-ISIS pages.

Alabama had one incident in the category of harassment. Last year the state had a total of five incidents.

Florida had 70 incidents, up slightly from 68 the year before. There were 50 harassment incidents, 19 vandalism reports and one assault.

In Mississippi there was one incident in the same category — last September, Rabbi Ted Riter, interim rabbi of Beth Israel in Jackson, was kicked out of a restaurant for being Jewish. The incident drew national attention and led to a meeting between Riter and the restaurant owner a few days later.

In 2013 there also was just one reported incident in Mississippi.

Louisiana’s three reported incidents were also in the harassment category, up from two last year. The Louisiana incidents included ongoing threatening phone calls and mail sent to Jewish agencies, and anti-Semitic letters to the editor and “hateful” online responses.

Arkansas had one incident of vandalism, as a Neo-Nazi group keyed swastikas into a car parked in front of a home. There were also two incidents of harassment, including an anti-Semitic verbal attack on a teacher by a student.

“The incidents in our region in 2014 were particularly disturbing,” said Allison Padilla-Goodman, ADL Regional Director. “While Jews generally live well in the South and we have certainly come a long way these past few decades, the anti-Semitic incidents that have occurred in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas are sharp and a clear reminder that it is not a phenomenon of the past.”

May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 11

Above, the Rabbinic Council does an Israel Memorial Day program.

Below, Nancy Spielberg fields questions after the screening.

“Above and Beyond” uplifts Israel Independence Day crowd

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In a convergence of storylines, the Jewish community of New Orleans celebrated Israel Independence Day by watching a film about American volunteers who created the Israeli Air Force out of spare planes and daring, with the film’s producer on hand to discuss the film in a museum that her family has been involved with since before it opened.

Nancy Spielberg’s “Above and Beyond” was the attraction at the National World War II Museum on April 22, and the screening was repeated the following night for the general public.

Spielberg said she was “so humbled” to have her film at the museum, that “if I didn’t have to speak to you I’d be crying in the corner.”

She was inspired to produce “Above and Beyond” after reading a 2011 obituary for Al Schwimmer, who was credited with being a founder of the Israeli Air Force. She researched the story of U.S. and Canadian pilots, World War II veterans, who were inspired to fight for Israel’s independence despite the risk of losing their U.S. citizenship because of an administration embargo through the U.S. Neutrality Act. The pilots — both Jews and non-Jews — trained and coordinated in secret to stay ahead of the FBI and played a critical role in repelling five invading Arab armies in 1948 after Israel declared independence.

Some of them wound up flying repurposed Nazi planes, which had been abandoned in Czechoslovakia, that they had tried to shoot down a few years earlier.

The evening began with a reception and a brief Israel Memorial Day service by the Rabbinic Council of Greater New Orleans. Rabbi Robert Loewy of Gates of Prayer read Psalm 126 for Israeli soldiers missing in action. Cantor David Mintz of Touro Synagogue did the memorial prayer for the 23,085 Israelis killed in war or terrorist incidents since 1860, and Beth Israel Rabbi Gabe Greenberg led the Kaddish.

Nick Mueller, president and CEO of the museum, noted the Spielberg family’s involvement with the museum.

The Omaha Beach gallery is named after Arnold Spielberg, now 98, who was communications chief of the 490th “Skull and Wings” Bombardment Squadron, known as the “Burma Bridge Busters.”

Mueller said he was in Los Angeles for Arnold Spielberg’s 97th birthday and heard about the documentary. Nancy Spielberg told him to wait until it was finished to see whether he would want to show it at the museum.

“Of course we want to have it,” he said.

Arnold Spielberg was originally slated to attend the screening but did not receive medical clearance to travel. He has been to numerous screenings, and Nancy Spielberg said he is “shepping nachas like you wouldn’t believe,

May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 13

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and not just for Steven,” her famous filmdirecting brother.

Mueller told the crowd that the Liberation Pavilion, the museum’s next expansion, will include a Holocaust education component while exploring “the meaning of the war… why did 65 million people die during that war, most of them civilians? What did they die for?”

The Holocaust will be discussed in the context of the war as part of the Road to Berlin exhibit, he said. “We discover the Holocaust and the camps as the GIs begin to open the gates.”

For younger visitors, the “And Then They Came For Me” gallery will tell the story of Anne Frank. Groundbreaking is scheduled for next year, with completion in 2017 or 2018.

Alan Franco, past president of the New Orleans Federation, introduced Spielberg. He reflected on the challenges Israel faced 67 years ago as well as today, given that he had just hours earlier flown back from Washington, where he had a briefing on the S-300 missile system that Russia is planning to give to Iran.

Franco said “Above and Beyond” was done “from a position of love” and he sees it also as a “documentary about her father.”

Spielberg wanted “Above and Beyond” to be entirely about the veterans and not a political piece, giving the pilots their moment to shine.

Noting that she now has “a bunch of 90-yearold boyfriends” she said the veterans “deserve to be heard.” One of the highlights for her has been screenings in the hometowns of some of the pilots, with their descendants in attendance.

She watches the children as they watch their father on the screen.

Two of the pilots in the film have died since their interviews. “We captured a story that would have been gone,” she said.

While working on the film, having her last name opened many doors, but not all. Because they had access to very few planes, they needed to do computer generated imagery for some of the scenes with multiple planes.

She called George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic and they agreed to do it pro bono. She wasn’t as lucky with one of her best resources — the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive in Israel, where she “had to pay full price” for footage.

For those who haven’t seen the film, it became available on iTunes and streaming services on April 28. Eventually she wants to give it away and hopes it will be seen on college campuses.

The iTunes version will have extras, including a piece about the Sonneborn Institute, a secret group that sent money and armaments to Israel in 1948, including funding the purchase of airplanes, and whose members included Abe Berkowitz of Birmingham.

The film has been at numerous film festivals, and Spielberg asserted that in South Florida, “Above and Beyond” outdid “50 Shades of Grey.”

“We knew the demographics,” she said.

Making a statement Declare Your Freedom, the third annual pro-Zionist festival in New Orleans, was held at Tulane University on April 12, with Matisyahu as headliner. Chloe Valdary, one of the organizers, said the aim of the festival is to show the indigenous roots of the Jewish people in the land of Israel, and to present the positive story of Israel. She added that one fascinating aspect was that the majority of those who braved the rain to attend weren’t Jewish.

Among the speakers were (below): Ryan Bellerose, an Aboriginal activist from Calgary; Kasim Hafeez, a British Muslim with Pakistani roots; Pastor Dumisani Washington from California, and Izzy Ezagui, a Miami native who lost an arm fighting for Israel.

Also performing were the Rebirth Brass Band and the Ori Naftaly Band.

Photo by Lauren Clarice Cross

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community JCRS Chanukah Gift Program receives major sponsor For 2015 and beyond, the Chanukah Gift Program of the Jewish Children’s Regional Service, which provides holiday gifts to the neediest and easiest overlooked Jewish children residing in the seven-state service district of the agency, will now have its major expenses underwritten by a grant from the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust.

The Chanukah Gift Program, which will be in its 18th year this winter, currently serves approximately 200 Jewish minors and residents of state institutions. Each recipient receives eight small gifts, one for each night of Chanukah. Thousands of gifts are annually wrapped by hundreds of volunteers. Before Chanukah, gift boxes are shipped to the homes of families and to state institutions, while other packages of gifts are delivered by volunteers or picked up at the JCRS offices.

“We are quite pleased to be able to honor the memory and charitable interests of the late Oscar J. Tolmas by underwriting the costs of valuable programs such as this,” explained Trustees Vince Giardina and Lisa Romano. “Oscar Tolmas wanted his legacy to serve those with the greatest of needs, and these individuals, like our veterans, need to be remembered and served.”

This was one of three grants made by the Trust to the major programs at the agency, which is headquartered in New Orleans and serves as the oldest Jewish children’s agency in the United States. New, permanent scholarship funds at JCRS have now been established in the name of Oscar J. Tolmas in the Special Needs Program and in the Education Program.

The special needs program is a unique service, which underwrites the care and treatment of the most developmentally challenged and dependent Jewish youth in the region. The education program provides financial assistance to Jewish undergraduate college students from the region.

In each of these programs, awards to youth are based on documented financial need.

Tolmas died December 2, 2013, at the age of 93. The New Orleans native served as a Naval Officer during World War II. Upon discharge, he pursued several career paths, including law, real estate development and horse racing. He served for several years on the Louisiana State Racing Commission and as chairman for four years in the early 1990s. In 2013, he was honored by the Louisiana Bar Association as a 70-year member, having graduated in 1943 from Tulane University Law School.

JCRS is the only regional Jewish children’s agency in the United States.

The organization was created in New Orleans in 1855, in response to the periodic local yellow fever epidemics, and it served as the first home in the U.S. for Jewish widows and orphans. For the last 70 years, JCRS has operated as a social service agency for Jewish children and youth, and it annually provides needs-based scholarships to over 500 Jewish youth for special needs, college aid, and the overnight camp experience. Through various outreach programs, including the Chanukah Gift Program, JCRS serves another 1,000 Jewish youth annually.

“If one sees the notes, emails and letters of gratitude that JCRS receives throughout the year, the reader would get a sense of the impact that JCRS makes on the lives of children and youth,” explained JCRS Executive Director Ned Goldberg. “Many of the kids we serve have physical, educational, or emotional challenges, while others have families that have suffered through significant turmoil. The job of our staff is not only to help youth by providing guidance and scholarship opportunities, but it is also to provide the message to the parents and children that they are not forgotten by the Jewish community. These generous grants from the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust go a long way in transmitting that exact message, while fulfilling the ideals that Oscar stood for.”

More information: jcrs.org 16 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

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Above, IDF band members reunite with Montgomery Shaliach Barak Levy for a musical performance at the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama’s IsraelFest67 event on April 19 at Wynlakes Country Club in Montgomery.

Right, author and microphilanthropy expert Danny Siegel gives out books of his poetry and urges proIsrael advocacy.

International crowd at Huntsville event Huntsville’s Israel Independence Day celebration attracted a large crowd of over 150 to Etz Chayim on April 23.

The celebration was attended by liaison officers and their families from Korea, Japan, Colombia, Chile, Germany and the Netherlands, all stationed at Redstone Arsenal, as well as members of the local community. A reception and meal of traditional Israeli food was provided immediately after the program by women of the local Israeli community.

The evening began with a siren blast in recognition of Israel Memorial Day for those who have been killed defending Israel.

Speakers included Major Yigal, Israeli Liaison Officer Aviation and Major Dror, Israeli Liaison Officer Air Defense Systems. They presented informative slide shows on Israel’s history, diversity, strong economy, agricultural and ecological advances, tourism and more. Dror also shared how Israel celebrates Independence Day with the official ceremony held on Mount Herzl the night before.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joe Paddock, vice president of the Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama, urged the crowd to learn more about Israel’s early struggles in becoming a nation. “If you haven’t taken a few moments to study the road leading to Israel’s independence I hope you will,” he said.

Top: Lt. Col. Joe Paddock.

Right, three Israeli children read a poem, “When a Country Grows up a Year,” written by Smadar Shir.

Photos by M. Smith 18 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

real estate/homes an annual SJL special section

Photo from Liberty Park

Liberty Park still growing with new home communities search before making a decision. Liberty Park recently redesigned its website to add more feature and be even-more user friendly, with even more Liberty Park in Vestavia Hills can offer residents freedom to live in highenhancements and features still on the way at www.libertypark.com. end, custom new homes (from the high $300s); send their kids to some of Alabama’s top-rated schools and enjoy an abundance of outdoor recreational activity opportunities.

The developments located off of Interstate 459 comprise nearly 4,000

by Lee J. Green acres and include several communities such as the newest Forest Hills deBridget Sikora said that today’s real estate market in the Birmingham area velopment, according to Liberty Park Broker Vickie Reid. is cause for sell-abration among sellers.

“Our set-up is unique in that we have our own real estate company for “It has for sure become a seller’s market with inventory being very low, Liberty Park. It is rare to find such high-end, exquisite, new, custom homes especially in the Over the Mountain communities,” said Sikora. in such a nice area of Birmingham metro,” said Reid. “We are well-posiConsidering that interest rates are still low and new technologies have tioned to respond to where the market is today. New home inventory is low enabled RealtySouth agents to find more home options, buyers can still do overall, but we have plenty of ideal opportunities for buyers here.” well in this climate.

Donna Bonds, a Liberty Park real estate agent for more than 20 years, According to the Greater Alabama MLS, Birmingham metro area resisaid “Liberty Park is centrally located; the schools are among the best, and dential sales increased by almost 13 percent over February 2014. The houswe offer home buyers everything from garden homes to estate living,” said ing supply went down more than 7 percent over the past year.

Bonds. “We have some of the top designers and builders here too to ensure “We have the resources and I have the experience to find ideal houses that for a new custom home, it exceeds a new resident’s expectations.” for those who want to buy a home,” said Sikora, adding she specializes in That has been the case with Mitchell Schnidkraut and Norma Starr. The Mountain Brook and surrounding areas. couple recently became part of the Jewish community here after moving In early April, MLS launched its new Paragon system that makes it even from McLean, Va., to The Hill development of Liberty Park to be close to easier for Realtors such as Sikora to access important information that their daughter and grandchildren. would aid both buyers and sellers.

“We and our daughter did an exhaustive search of communities that She also mentioned a new RealtySouth mobile application feature availwould be ideal for us to retire to. Liberty Park met and exceeded all of our able at no cost on the iPhone and Android phones called Virtual View. If expectations as well as our criteria,” said Starr. someone points a phone at a given point, all MLS listings of homes for sale She said this is the third home they have had built from the ground up within a 3 to 5 mile radius will pull up. and “by far this was the best experience we’ve had. I cannot say enough Sikora said that most of the folks she is working with on buying and sellgood things about the builder, the realtors and the design center. They were ing homes are moving from one part of Birmingham to another. willing to do anything we wanted to customize this home.”

“This is a great city. Folks don’t want to leave but they may want a larger Liberty Park Sales Ambassador/Communications Coordinator Amanda house or to be in a different school system,” she said. “We’re seeing some Parker said they know prospective residents today want to do much re- very positive signs.”

by Lee J. Green

Sikora says it’s a seller’s market

May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 19

real estate/homes

Crowne at Overton Village

Crowne Partners continues developing luxury apartment communities

by Lee J. Green

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Crowne Partners co-founder Alan Engel has always believed that having a quality living space in a desirable area is only the foundation of why someone would be happy in apartment community.

This month Crowne Partners opens its newest apartment community, called Crowne at Cahaba River, located just behind the former HealthSouth hospital, soon to be Trinity Hospital, off Highway 280 in the Birmingham area.

“We pride ourselves on providing all of our residents excellent service and the amenities they desire. We’re focused on giving them as much value as possible,” said Engel, a Jasper native.

Engel and his business partner, Alan Levow, who leads the Atlanta office, met in the MBA program at Northwestern University in 1977. Both worked in real estate for a few years following graduate school and in 1984 launched Crowne Partners with its first community — then called Crowne Point on Overton Road in 1985.

“It just made sense. My family was in the apartment business. Our focus then just as it is today is to provide value with communities in desirable areas of secondary markets such as Birmingham, Nashville and Greensboro, N.C.,” said Engel.

Keeping the core values and never “cutting corners” has helped Crowne Partners be successful, even during some up and down market cycles.

“We know that most of our residents have lived or will live in single-family homes but we want to offer them the best possible apartment living experience while they are with us,” said Engel.

In the past few years, Crowne has also entered the student apartment community market with some properties across the Southeast, including Crowner at Long Leaf Trace in Hattiesburg, and Crowne on 10th, which is near the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Several years ago the company also reacquired its flagship community and renamed it Crowne at Overton Village after enhancing the community.

It has become a desirable community for those who are members of Knesseth Israel or Chabad nearby. “For those who observe the Sabbath and don’t drive, it is an easy walk to both, along with great shopping nearby,” added Engel.

In Birmingham, Crowne also has Crowne at Grandview on Grandview Parkway off Highway 280. As for the new Crowne at Cahaba River, Engel said the community will consist of five buildings with 255 units.

“These have a more urban building style and all buildings have elevators, which is a very desirable feature,” he said. “This whole (Highway 280/Interstate 459 corridor) area has now become mid-town and great place to live considering everything the area has to offer.”

Crowne Partners has marketed in Southern Jewish Life since its inception as The Southern Shofar in December 1990.

“We are proud to have thriving Jewish communities in Birmingham and the other markets that we serve. We are appreciative of our residents who feel at home in our communities,” said Engel.

real estate/homes

McGill Crossings offers higher-end, gated community living in Hoover

by Lee J. Green On May 7, the new McGill Crossings custom home development community on Ross Bridge Parkway will host a ribbon-cutting reception, along with a special model home visit at the Parade of Homes on May 9.

The development offers 69 homes ranging from $300,000 to $500,000.

Brian Sparks, a manager for Ingram and Associates, the company marketing for developer Embassy Homes, said the development will consist of two gated communities across the street from each other. One of the communities will include e n t r y way bedroom media center kids office craft the larger, estate homes.

“These custom homes California Closets creates the perfect storage range from 2,200 to 5,000 square feet, and three to five solution for you and the way you live. Call today bedrooms,” said Sparks. “It’s unique to have a gated community in Hoover, esto arrange your free in-home design consultation. pecially with this variety. We have homes resting on anywhere from one to eight acres. No house backs up to another. There is an abundance of greenspace.”

The communities provide close access to a trail system next to Shades Serving Alabama and the Florida Panhandle Creek and offer the Shades Mountain setting. The communities are right 709 Third Avenue North, Birmingham next to Deer Valley Elementary and are zoned for Hoover City Schools, which carry a strong academic reputation.

800.448.1915 CaliforniaClosets.com “McGill Crossings is within five miles of the Ross Bridge Resort, which is the fifth-longest golf course in the nation and has a great reputation,” said from this…

Sparks. “It’s also a mile from Highway 150 and (two-to-three miles) from Kitchen and Bath 4/16/15 AL Birm_3.8x5_0415.indd 1 Interstate 459. Plus it is close to great shopping and restaurants” in the RivRemodels erchase Galleria area.

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The Maids offers advice for keeping things neat between cleanings

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by Lee J. Green

One of our Mountain Brook kitchen renovations

Those who seek a clean house mostly free of allergens and work with The Maids, as well as heed the company’s advice on maintenance cleaning they can do between The Maids visits, will have it made.

David Senseman, who owns The Maids of Alabama and Roswell/Alpharetta with his wife Kathy, said a good cleaning not only makes a home look nice but also can rid homes of allergens that can cause health problems.

“We had one client whose son used to go to the allergist once a week and after we started cleaning their home a few years ago, her son has gone only a few times in those years,” he said. “We had another customer who had trouble breathing because of allergies and could not sleep through the night but after regular cleaning they were able to sleep.”

By far the main stimulant for allergies to flare up inside a home is dust, which comes from human skin shedding and pet dander. Much of that is held in carpets.

“It can be difficult to keep floors and carpets clean. People bring in a lot of grime on their feet or shoes, so we advise them to have multiple doormats,” said Senseman. “They also can use a battery-operated leaf blower to clear debris from entryways. This time of year it’s important because there is so much pollen in the air that people could track in the house if they are not careful.”

He said one of the main products The Maids uses dusts and disinfects. It is strong, but has neutral pH so it is safe on all surfaces. It is environmentally friendly and safe.

“We also recommend that customers buy a robotic vacuum cleaner. They clean very well even in hard-to-reach places and can help to keep a home as clean as possible in between our visits,” adds Senseman.

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May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 21

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ARC Realty sees huge growth in B’ham

by Lee J. Green Growth for Birmingham’s ARC Realty and in home sale numbers continue toward the top of the arc.

From March 2014 to March 2015 in metro Birmingham, home sales increased 9 percent, with an average increase in sales price of 11 percent.

Total inventory was down 7 percent in this strong seller’s market.

“We still have historically low interest rates so it is also a good time for buyers,” said ARC Realty President Beau Bevis. “Consumer confidence is the highest it has been in seven years.”

A few years ago, it was more difficult to sell homes. Bevis encourages ARC’s agents to check with people who two or three years ago had trouble selling their homes to offer them advice on how they can likely be more successful in today’s market.

ARC started in the Cahaba Heights section of Vestavia just more than two-and-a-half years ago. Bevis said in that area there has been a very high 35 percent increase in the number of sold and closed homes from March 2014 to March 2015. “Vestavia is doing some great things with new parks and more greenways for people to walk on,” said Bevis.

For ARC Realty as a whole, the number of home sales increased 118 percent from March 2014 to March 2015. The company now has 165 agents.

The Cahaba Heights and Valleydale Road offices will be joined this month by the company’s newest office in downtown Birmingham.

“We are seeing some great urban revitalization in downtown Birmingham and we want to be a part of it,” added Bevis.

California Closets solve storage issues California Closets has been opening the door to unique storage solutions through custom designs in Alabama and the Florida panhandle since 1985. By using high density melamine in a variety of finishes and fully adjustable shelves and rods to meet changing needs, they are able to overcome a multitude of storage dilemmas.

The process is simple. A free in-home consultation with a designer will be set to discuss your needs, measure and come up with a design just for you. Then they manufacture and install your new system. The results of these designs is normally double or triple the previous capacity of your standard closet.

California Closets not only handles your closet storage needs but can also help you with offices, garages, laundry rooms, utility rooms, pantries and more.

Transforming a space easy for experienced, certified interior designer

Birmingham area interior designer Mary Rooney can transform a space, repurpose a room or free up more space — and it sometimes involves a client not needing to buy much of anything new.

“I work with clients to customize their space to fit their lifestyles. Even some small changes can open up a space and give them something that is totally fresh,” said Rooney, who has lived in Mountain Brook for 35 years and is especially experienced with styles prevalent in the area.

Rooney said she has done a few recent interior design projects turning a room in a house into a home office. “I can design a flexible workspace that is organized and professional enough to bring clients to but also warm and functional for having family and friends hang out in on other occasions,” she said, mentioning a home office she designed that has a murphy bed in case it needs to be used at times to sleep a guest.

She also said re-organizing furniture and taking out a wall can be done to open up more space and allow for everything to flow together more seamlessly in a house.

Rooney is the president-elect for the Alabama chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and earned her ASID accreditation a few years ago. She advises to always work with an ASID-certified designer.

22 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

real estate/homes

Renta Landscape Architecture translates visions to reality When asked to explain to clients what Renta Landscape Architecture does, owner Tony Renta said they refer to themselves as translators of sorts.

“People have an idea of what they want. They have a vision but need someone to put that vision to paper and carry it out as a finished project,” said Renta, who started the company over three years ago and lists some of their successful jobs as the Vestavia Library, the Stewart and Perry office building on Overton Road and a major retail mall development in Hammond, La. Renta said that in the past few years, technology has greatly aided the planning process. “We employ some advanced 3-D modeling software that allows us to design a model then move it around so a client gets a really good idea on how everything will look before any (construction) work is started,” he said.

Water and topography can present design challenges in landscape architecture, but RLA considers these challenges opportunities. “That is what we specialize in,” he said. “We have to design for water. We don’t just see water as something to collect and get rid of. We treat it as a resource and not a liability.”

“We want our projects to be sustainable and try to use as much vegetation that is natural and native to the area,” said Renta. “I am from here. We want these projects to fit ideally well in the area they are in and have a deep understanding of the topography of the region.”

Not long after Renta earned his undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture and master’s degree in city planning from Auburn University, he worked for a company that provided the architecture and landscape architecture as part of the major renovation at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El. He said RLA handles landscape architecture and planning for corporate, retail, homes, community centers, government facilities and religious institutions.

“The beauty of what we do is that we can do a lot of our design and planning from our local office and use the computer to communicate with clients all across the region,” said Renta.

Tree removal isn’t a Do It Yourself job Those who try to cut and remove trees themselves, or hire companies without much experience, licensing and insurance, will be barking up the wrong tree.

National Tree Service in the Birmingham area brings more than 40 years of experience in the tree service and removal industry, according to co-owner Mary Peppers. The company is licensed; carries workmen’s compensation insurance and has an extensively trained team.

“Anyone who has a chainsaw and pick-up truck can cut a tree but tree service is very dangerous. It is best left to the professionals. It’s best not to guess which way a tree will fall and risk significant injury or damage to one’s house,” said Peppers.

Her husband, Dennis, worked for years in landscaping and tree removal for his father’s company. In 1992 he started Pepper’s Tree Service and then expanded in 2002, changing the name to National Tree Service. Dennis’s son, Dennis Jr., is one of the company’s tree removal experts.

Mary Peppers noted this is the midst of severe storm season in the Southeast. National Tree Service has experience working with many insurance providers and clients to remove trees and limbs following a storm or just during normal conditions.

“Our estimator will let them know how much it costs upfront and we will stay until the job is done,” said Peppers. “Some others start a job then go to the next job. They also go over their estimates or don’t finish a job. We do it right every time at the price we quote.”

She said it is important for a tree removal company to have workmen’s compensation insurance since tree removal and service is “listed as one of the most dangerous jobs.”

Peppers also advised individuals to consider proactive maintenance with their trees. “We recommend a professional trimming at least once a year and to be wary of trees that are leaning toward one’s house or business,” she said.

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May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 23

real estate/homes

Lawnguard offers advice on maintaining nice lawns The Lawnguard team has more than 50 years of experience in developing and maintaining healthy lawns, specializing in the chemical management of lawns and shrubs.

They also are happy to educate customers on how they can do their part to ensure that lawns are healthy and green year-round.

Senior technician Philip Mathews has earned numerous awards in his 25 years of technician service and runs Lawnguard with his brother and his son, James.

“What makes chemical services successful are the quality of the blended products, the experience of the techs and knowing what works best for different types of grass for a customized solution,” said Philip Mathews.

He said weeds are controlled, not eradicated. Lawn conditions are affected by environmental conditions such as slopes, poor drainage, shade, excessive water, drought, heat and freezing temperatures. Weeds germinate in every season.

Insects and pests are not preventable; but controllable. Pests cause damage by slicing of roots, thinning, discoloring or tearing the turf.

Lawnguard applies its chemical management service nine times a year to reinforce the barrier and strengthen the lawn. They also want to help customers with lawn management in other ways.

Fertilization — Most grasses will benefit from four applications of fertilizer per year. Applications should be spread out 60 days apart starting in early spring approximately 30 days before growing season starts in the area and continuing through the growing season until fall. Be sure to follow the listed guidelines on the bag and not to over-fertilize, which can lead to fungal growth and weaken the grass.

24 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

Proper Mowing — Mowing is the most misunderstood part of lawn care.

Too many people set mowers too low or “scalp” the lawn. This leads to thin and dying-out grass and shallow root systems.

Watering — Lawnguard advises that an automatic underground sprinkler system is the most ideal way to water one’s lawn, especially with larger lawns. Also, shrubbery and annuals need to be watered separately from the lawn.

Garage Experts offer garage makeovers

Garage Experts of Central/North Alabama believes that a garage can be a functional living and storage space, much more than just a place to park one’s vehicles.

“We can greatly enhance the functionality of a garage and make it much more aesthetically pleasing,” said Vernon Starling, who owns Garage Experts of Birmingham, which covers all of north and central Alabama. “Anything someone can envision, we can do.”

Typically the “garage makeovers” include lifetime-warrantied epoxy floor coatings, custom cabinets and other storage solutions.

But Starling said some people want to turn the garage into a space to entertain or hang out with the family. “We can unclutter the clutter and also transform a garage into essentially an extra room of the house that can be used for a variety of things,” he said.

He said they even can do some “cool, fun things” such as putting logos and other designs on the garage floor. The flooring is very durable and also is not slippery like many garage concrete floors are. “It is safer and nicer looking,” added Starling.

real estate/homes

Granite Transformations delivers a no-maintenance, low-worry countertop

MARY ROONEY INTERIOR DIMENSIONS

by Lee J. Green

Mary Rooney, ASID, RID 205.305.1915 www.maryrooneyinteriors.com

Granite Transformations of Alabama offers countertops that are on top, literally and figuratively.

Owner Brandon Plowden said the countertops are durable, stain and scratch resistant but also thin and lightweight. They go on top of existing surfaces and can usually be installed in one day.

“Our products are designed in Europe and offer elegance coupled with functionality. They are heat-resistant up to 500 degrees and have a lifetime warranty. Plus our countertops never have to be resealed,” said Plowden, who leads Granite Transformations with his wife, Darcie. They can do jobs across all of the Southern Jewish Life coverage area.

Granite Transformations started in Italy and came to the United States 12 years ago and has been operating in Alabama for 11 years. The company’s products are created by grinding up granite, quartz or recycled glass, then cooking it to create a new solid material. The end result is thinner but stronger than traditional granite and quartz. Instead of being porous, it’s solid and sturdy.

The company offers product and installation on granite countertops, recycled glass countertops, quartz countertops, mosaic tiles and cabinet re-facing. “The countertops have zero porosity and are FDA-approved for food preparation as well as for hospitals and labs. Plus that makes them easy to clean. For cleaning, you just need to use warm water and liquid soap,” said Plowden.

The thin design also allows the product to be installed easily on top of existing countertops with no demolition required. The experts at Granite Transformations provide a quick turnaround. Ninety percent of installs are completed in one day, but that won’t be the first time they visit a customer’s home. Instead of visiting a showroom with staged commercial lighting, a design consultant brings samples to the home, allowing the customer to select the product in the natural light of the kitchen or bathroom where it will be installed.

Granite Transformations offers many customization options with several materials, styles and close to 75 different colors to choose from. With the glass product, they can also include such things as back-lighting.

“Most of the work is kitchen and bathroom countertops,” added Plowden.

“But we have also done some fireplaces and outdoor kitchens. The product is beautiful and durable.”

To learn more about Granite Transformations, visit gtalabama.com or call 866-437-6884.

Latter & Blum continues growth in New Orleans, Gulf Coast Latter & Blum is leading the way in New Orleans growth and the area market continues to report strong home sales numbers.

The real estate company began in 1916 when Harry Latter and Joseph E. Bloom founded a commercial real estate company. Latter & Blum has since expanded and branches out to include residential sales, remaining in the Latter family for 70 years. In 1986, Robert W. Merrick purchased

May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 25

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the company and in recent years it has expanded its geographic footprint as well.

The company is now the largest full-service real estate brokerage in the Gulf South with over 1,400 agents and operations in greater New Orleans, Lake Charles, Greater Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Alexandria and Southern Mississippi. It is Louisiana’s first and only $1 billion real estate company, as well as the 34th largest brokerage in the country. Latter & Blum handles all phases of residential, commercial, leasing, property management, appraisals, mortgage and title services.

Alabama Gaslight and Grill offers tips for selecting a new grill Alabama Gaslight & Grill wants to help outdoor grilling enthusiasts get cooking as the warm weather leads to more “outdoor chefs.”

The company has been serving the greater Birmingham area for more than 40 years with the latest in grills, gaslights, electric gas logs and fireplaces, space heaters and other related products.

For those in the market for a new grill, Alabama Gaslight and Grill offers some help on making the selection.

Their most popular grill choice is a natural gas grill, according to owner Mike Barnett. They are popular because of convenience — natural gas grills can be connected to a customer’s existing residential gas line so there is a continuous gas feed.

When looking for a gas grill, think about how many people one will be cooking for and what kinds of food one is preparing. This information will help in the selection of the grill size and the proper cooking grids.

Gas grills are made from a variety of materials including cast aluminum, stainless steel, powder coated steel, porcelain steel. Alabama Gaslight and Grill recommends high-quality cast aluminum grills that will last for many years. Modern Home Products gas grills, based in Antioch, Ill., offers cast aluminum grills that can last for decades.

Ceramic grills are very popular today and use lump hardwood charcoal as the fuel source. These grills are built to provide a wide range of cooking temperatures from 200 to 850 degrees. They can be used as smokers cooking foods at very low temperatures over several hours or at very high temperatures for steaks. The thermal dynamics of these grills allow both moisture and heat to remain in the grill while cooking.

Purchase a grill from a retailer than can support the grill well after the sale. Many of their grills come with limited lifetime warranties. They also maintain a large supply of gas grill parts.

Today the grill industry has created many different and unique grilling tools. Everything from basic grilling tools to digital thermometers and wood chips to burger presses help make the grilling experience fun and easy.

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26 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

by Lee J. Green Remodeling kitchens and baths are two of the best ways to add value to a home. But when it comes to styles and colors for remodeling, the trend is to not be too trendy.

“I usually recommend going with something that is more timeless with styles and colors if you are thinking about a remodeling so you can sell your house within the next few years,” said Christopher Youngs, owner and founder of Birmingham’s BMR Homes, Inc. Remodeling and Restoration.

“You don’t want to get too wild or trendy if you are looking to sell the house in the near future.”

For many years, Youngs’ father was a home builder and remodeler in New Orleans. Ever since he was 8 years old, Christopher helped his dad every summer on projects and learned the trade from a young age.

Youngs graduated from the University of New Orleans with a degree in Real Estate and Finance. He would later move to Birmingham, starting up BMR Homes in 2004, named for his oldest daughter, Brittany, wife Michelle

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and youngest daughter Reagan.

“This is in my blood and it is what I enjoy. I started out buying, fixing up and selling real estate… but these days we focus almost exclusively on remodeling,” he said. BMR is licensed in Alabama, but he said Mississippi and Louisiana could be a possibility as well if interest warrants.

For kitchens and baths, Youngs recommends a budget for the projects based on the home value and home values in the neighborhood. “You want to do something that fits well with the home, the area and something that will get a good return on investment,” he added.

BMR Homes works on everything from roofs to new windows to full house repainting to heated floor systems. But Youngs said the most common project is a kitchen remodel.

“People want to beautify the kitchen and, for example, have us knock down a wall to open it up more. The kitchen is the room the whole family gathers in together more than any other usually,” he said.

BMR Homes also has its own cabinet line — Timberlake. Youngs said the cabinets are all made in the United States by a Virginia-based company and come in a variety of colors, styles and types of materials.

Youngs advises that people pick a contractor to design and lay out the project based on what the person is seeking. “If they do that with us, we do it at a small fee. Then when they bid it to us and others, they have something that clearly lays out what they are wanting so they can compare estimates in apples to apples terms. That way they can really be on the same page with the contractor they choose,” he said.

Youngs said they are happy to provide as much education as they can to clients and prospective clients. There are 61 pages worth of helpful information that can be viewed at www.bmrhomes.net.

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by Lee J. Green Peristyle Residences in the New Orleans area fills a niche for seniors in need of care by providing room, board and care much like larger assisted-living facilities but in a smaller, more personal setting.

“It’s a true home experience. These are actual homes anywhere from four to eight seniors live in together with around-the-clock care. Thus we can provide all the care, companionship and socialization a senior wants and needs,” said co-owner Sean Arrillaga. “We serve those who can no longer safely live at home but who do not need or do not prefer more institutional settings such as large assisted living facilities and nursing homes.”

Because each home has at most a one-to-four caregiver to resident ratio, seniors and caregivers living in the homes develop strong companionships.

“The residents and the caregivers become like family,” added Arrillaga.

He and co-owner Jason Hemel together have more than 30 years of healthcare and living experience including nursing home and assisted living administration, home health and hospice management, nursing care and nurse education. Both are from and went to school in New Orleans.

In 2011, they started Peristyle Residences. There are now three residences in Metairie, one in the West Bank and one in Lakeview, with more planned in the near-term. Three of the houses are at capacity with eight residents, with one having six residents and another seven residents currently.

“We purchased these homes in nice communities and in each one put at least $100,000 in enhancements to meet all ADA requirements as well as

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May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 27

real estate/homes

the needs of our senior residents,” said Arrillaga.

The homes were also selected for the flow of the house — no laundry room next to a kitchen; no bathrooms in which someone would have to go through another bedroom to access, and so forth.

Peristyle Residences offers family-style meals geared toward specific nutrition requirements and likes of residents, social activities such as bingo, gardening, cooking, arts and crafts, playing cards, cognitive activities and assistance with all Activities of Daily Living.

“The beauty of it is that this is all resident-directed care. There are no set meal times and they can choose the activities that interest them the most.

The care and service is customized. Residents can also decorate their rooms any way they want to,” said Arrillaga.

He said there is a current market demand for senior living services and within 10 years many of the 76 million Baby Boomers will require or seek senior living services.

“We feel we are reaching the most underserved market,” said Arrillaga.

“This is a great niche and we plan to grow this model as much as demand and resources allow.”

For Home Improvement month, tips on lowering power and water bills Since 1901, One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating, and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing have provided their customers with dependable products and service.

The Birmingham company also wants to help customers be energy efficient to lower power and water bills, as well as be proactive to prevent an emergency situation.

Adjust the temperature on your hot water heater According to Energy Star, by setting your hot water heater at 120 degrees or lower one can save energy and money. If it is set at 140 degrees or higher, it can waste up to $400 a year in standby and demand heat losses. One can also turn off the water heater when away on vacation to conserve energy.

Check for leaks Do a quick inventory of sinks, showers, toilets — and hoses outside a home. Make sure washers and gaskets are tight. The most common cause of a leaking toilet is often the inexpensive, rubber flapper. Check for wear and replace if needed. Remember plumbers have professional grade products that often last longer than store-bought parts.

Consider water saving and energy efficient upgrades Many new faucets, shower heads and toilets are low flow or have water conservation features. These can be easy to upgrade personally or with the help of a professional plumber. There are also new energy efficient options for water heaters.

Start small Sometimes small projects can have a big impact. Simple, inexpensive upgrades like installing a programmable thermostat or upgrading and repairing the weather stripping on windows and doors could help keep costs low.

It could also help keep the heat out as the warmer summer months arrive.

Air conditioning maintenance Make sure to change the filter on the air conditioning system once a month or as required by the system’s manufacturer. Also, make sure there are no plants or vegetation growing too close to outside units, and that no debris or leaves are in the unit itself. Vegetation can damage the unit, so carefully clean it out. Inside, make sure paint, cans and cleaning supplies are not stored near HVAC equipment. These can be flammable and hazardous.

Use fans Ceiling fans can help people keep cool and reduce the amount of AC usage. Just remember to turn off the fan when leaving the room. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. Also use bathroom fans and exhaust fans in the kitchen to help remove heat and humidity from a home.

SJL Online: sjlmag.com 28 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

culture

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Fans of “Too Jewish” will want to open “Do Not Open” Many novels have a disclaimer that any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

With Patty Friedmann’s “Too Jewish” trilogy, not so much.

The New Orleans author releases the final installment of the trilogy, “Do Not Open for 50 Years” with a launch party at Garden District Book Shop on May 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

She said the series is “unabashedly autobiographical” in dealing with parents who have a complicated relationship and her growing up feeling like an outsider in the New Orleans Jewish community.

The trilogy’s roots came after Hurricane Katrina, when Julie Smith was developing an anthology of short stories, “New Orleans Noir.” She asked Friedmann for a story, but Friedmann protested that this was not her genre.

After Smith continued to urge her to expand her repertoire, she started to think of what would be the darkest place in New Orleans, and she came up with Newman School. “I wrote a story about mean girls, and it turned out to be the most dark story in the collection,” she said. The story was “Two-Story Brick Houses.”

Smith saw the story as the launch point for a novel, but instead of carrying the story forward from the 1960s, she carried it backwards.

“The girl in the story had a father who was a Holocaust survivor, so I went back into his history… that became ‘Too Jewish’,” she said. She called it “the story I was probably put on Earth to write.”

Friedmann’s father was a Holocaust survivor who had escaped Nazi Germany, leaving his mother behind. He wound up in New Orleans, married to a fifth-generation assimilated native.

“Too Jewish” was her way of saying “look what you did to him.” Her father grew up in an observant family in Europe, then wound up in New Orleans attending Temple Sinai, where “I don’t think anyone knew Hebrew. He had to push aside all of his upbringing to fit in.”

Between his traditional upbringing and having his education cut off at the eighth grade by the Nazi regime, “his in-laws definitely thought he was unacceptable.”

Nevertheless, she did a presentation several years ago at Temple Sinai, which she marveled had changed quite a bit since her father’s time. “Everybody was really sweet to me,” she said.

Reaction to the books from some of her mother’s family was “we love you anyway.”

She felt that in “Too Jewish” she was going to say everything she had to say. “I got a lot out of my system with that book.” Her 1991 work “The Exact Image of Mother” became “Too Jewish: The Next Generation,” the second part of the trilogy, then “Do Not Open” “let me deal a little bit more with the father and a lot more with the mother.”

In “Too Jewish,” the mother was sympathetic, having grown up “spoiled to the point of being beaten down by it.” She was loyal to her husband — but as soon as her husband died, “she winds up back in the thrall of her parents” and goes back to being self-centered.

She calls it “an unusual Holocaust story. Here is a man who escaped one form of prejudice only to learn of prejudice that comes from his own people in the mid-century Deep South.”

As the books continue, there is also the exploration of a daughter who comes from “that sort of mixed marriage” who is also “an outcast

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May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 29

culture

in school,” where most of the Jewish kids go to Sunday School each weekend and view the few kids who go to the Conservative congregation and have Bat Mitzvahs to be less Jewish.

“Do Not Open” is set in recent times, as the daughter, Darby, has become a bestselling New Orleans author by writing about the tragedy of her father’s life.

The title comes from her father’s wishes to shield her from oral histories he did before his death in the early 1960s.

In “Do Not Open,” she feels ambivalence as her mother is missing after Katrina, her daughter returns from evacuating to Florida, bringing back a boyfriend who goes against everything Darby stands for in the second book.

While she struggles to get back on her feet after the storm, long-lost high school classmates resurface and want to reunite, despite their role in the death of Darby’s father decades earlier.

She is quick to explain one controversial passage in the new novel, where Darby slams the comparison of Hurricane Katrina to the Holocaust.

“I’m not making that comparison,” Friedmann said, but she has “personal autobiographical material that gives me a certain understanding” of a parallel.

Her father had left his mother behind in Europe because she did not want to believe what was happening, and he wrestled with survivor’s guilt. When Katrina hit, “I wouldn’t leave” but she sent her son — who was named for her father — to Houston, where he “cried for a week” until she was rescued.

After that, “for the first time I understood the whole mechanism of the relationship between my father and his mother,” she said. If she could speak to her father now, she would tell him that “a mother doesn’t think of anything but her son getting away safely, so you can forgive yourself ” for leaving.

“There is no real analogy between the two large catastrophies,” she said, “but on the personal level there is that small connection.”

Friedmann is also the author of “Too Smart to be Rich,” “Odds, “ “Taken Away,” “No Takebacks,” “Pick-Up Line,” “A Little Bit Ruined: Eleanor Rushing Meets Hurricane Katrina” and “Secondhand Smoke.” Another recent novel, “Through The Windshield: An Extremely Dark Comedy” comes with a money-back offer if readers find it too disturbing.

In 2011 “Taken Away” was a finalist for Book of the Year for small presses. In 2001–2002, she was writer-in-residence at Tulane University.

She said “Do Not Open” closes out the story of Darby, “unless I want to live another 30 years, which I haven’t figured out yet.”

30 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 31

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Catherine Cahn, daughter of Sarah and Cory Cahn, at Temple Sinai, New Orleans, on March 14.

Isabella Dalto Muslow, daughter of Christina and Jason Muslow, at B’nai Zion, Shreveport, on March 14.

Jamie Grace Perlman, daughter of Lauren Perlman and Marc Perlman, at Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, on March 14.

Yehuda Benyamin Potash, son of Michelle and Mordecai Potash, at Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, on March 21.

Marley Aamodt, daughter of Jodi and Peter Aamodt, at Temple Sinai, New Orleans, on March 21.

Madelyn Ruth Goff, daughter of Lisa Kullman Goff and the late Douglas Adam Goff, at Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, on March 28.

Rebecca Dykshorn, daughter of Michelle Edelman and Donald Dykshorn, at Temple Sinai, New Orleans, on March 28.

Eli Jaffe, son of Rachel and Mark Jaffe, at Gates of Prayer, Metairie, on March 28.

Naomi Adler, daughter of Brian Batchelor celebrated his Andrew and Polly Watts Adler, Bar Mitzvah at Temple Emaat Shir Chadash, Metairie, on nu-El, Birmingham, on April 11.

March 28.

A graduate of Troy University, he Gabrielle Joyce Oser, daugh- is a senior financial analyst with ter of Rachel Oser and Allen Protective Life Insurance. BatcheOser, at Temple Emanu-El, Bir- lor is the son of Julia and Keener mingham, on March 28.

Batchelor of Dothan. He also celeNaomi Adler, daughter of brated the event with wife Jennifer Andrew and Polly Watts Adler, and children Abigail, Mary, Tyson at Shir Chadash, Metairie, on and Levi.

March 28.

Emma Benjamin, daughter of Jennifer and Jack Benjamin Jr., at Temple Sinai, New Orleans, on April 18.

Nicole Glickman, daughter of Patricia and Jimmy Glickman, at Shir Chadash, Metairie, on April 18.

Samson Sands, son of Lynn and Harlan Sands, at Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, on April 18.

Melissa Stein, daughter of Amy and Scott Stein, at Temple Beth-El, Birmingham, on April 18.

Mitchell Halpern, son of Mary and David Halpern, at Gates of Prayer, Metairie, on April 25.

Nickolas Siegel, son of Joanna and Herrick Siegel, at Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, on April 25.

Musical mitzvah: The centerpieces on the tables at Shir Chadash for the Bat Mitzvah of Nicole Glickman were musical instruments that were then donated to schools in the New Orleans area. The Glickman family owns New Orleans Music Exchange.

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A change of venue worked well for Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School annual gala. The Boots ‘n BBQ Bash on March 15 was the most successful the school has held. The event far exceeded its goal and netted $70,000.

The gala moved to the Friedman Family Center for Jewish Life because renovations in the school gym have not begun as the capital campaign continues.

Marisa Yammer was called into service as the caterer, Tamara Goldis, fell ill the day of the event. Barbara Aland and Stacey Eddy cochaired the event, which included a silent auction and a live auction led by Al Cohn.

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get mainstream acceptance in the Jewish umbrella. Should a businessperson in the Jewish community be able to refuse service?

Jewish publications, including this one, will not knowingly run ads from “messianic” groups (there was an incident a decade ago when a last-minute ad buy across the country turned out to be for a messianic-themed movie and it caused a major furor in our industry — we were not among those who had the ad).

Because in many communities, kashrut certification is as much about politics as it is Jewish law, it isn’t inconceivable that a kosher caterer who did a “messianic” event could see threats of having certification pulled.

That’s a hypothetical, here’s a reality. For a significant segment of the Orthodox world, it is not permitted to even enter a church for just about any reason. Should they be forced to?

And what of a ceremony involving Westboro Baptist, which is among the most virulent haters of gay people (and they are not particularly fond of Jews either). A gay caterer could not use the religious objections card in that case. Nevertheless, should the caterer be forced to accommodate?

As with so many passionate topics, there are many facets to the argument, generally overlooked as the two sides polarize and refuse to cede any point that could lend credibility to the other side.

If you don’t cater a same-sex wedding, you are an extremist bigot who needs to be drummed out of civilized society. If you don’t allow a vendor to refuse service, you’re an anti-religion troublemaker just trying to ruin good God-fearing people while you work toward the moral decay of our society.

There’s not much in between. There needs to be.

As the examples mentioned here indicate, there are instances where the shoe switches feet. Should there be some room for a business owner to decide who to accommodate?

But then…

Should a business be able to refuse to serve blacks?

That is the unspoken background to this whole debate. Half a century ago, it was the rigidly-enforced norm that “white” establishments did not have to serve blacks, and that was not long after it was common to see establishments that did not want to serve Jews.

The country said that was wrong, if you are a public business you can not discriminate on race or religion. That is why so many people are uncomfortable with allowing businesses to pick and choose based on sexual preference, or any other criteria.

Until it is their criteria.

Decades ago, many used Biblical interpretations to back up their bigotry toward blacks or Jews. It wasn’t used that often, but some people did see a religious justification for segregation.

Today, only those on the extreme use Biblical arguments about the inferiority of this or that group. Fifty years from now, will such Biblical arguments against same-sex couples be viewed the same way as we now look at the Biblical justifications for segregation?

Meanwhile, ponder this.

Should a black caterer be able to refuse a Klansman’s event?

Should a Jewish hotel owner be able to refuse to host a gathering of Holocaust deniers?

Where can the line be drawn when rights collide?

Larry Brook 34 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

EDITOR@SJLMAG.COM

commentary

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On March 14, a typical Saturday night at Vanderbilt University ended with a sobering and nauseating sight: swastikas spray-painted on the walls of a Jewish fraternity.

The Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs condemned the act in a message to the student body. The Vanderbilt Police Department is investigating it as a hate crime. The executive director of Vanderbilt Hillel called what happened “inexcusable.”

In early April, a gunshot was fired into the West End Synagogue in Nashville. Police were “not aware of recent threats to harm the synagogue or its membership.”

Unfortunately, events like these are nothing new.

In April 2013, three people, including a 14-year-old boy, were murdered in a shooting at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas. The gunman reportedly shouted “Heil Hitler” during the attack.

In April 2014, on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, a student at the University of Central Florida had swastikas carved into the wall of her apartment and her mezuzah broken in half. A $500 reward was offered for information about the crime, and the act was condemned by UCF administrators. No arrest was ever made.

In July 2014, swastikas were spray painted on the mailboxes of the Jewish fraternity at The University of Oregon. The Eugene human rights commission “strongly condemned” the “hateful actions.”

In October 2014, shortly after the end of the observance of Yom Kippur, swastikas were spray painted on the Jewish fraternity at Emory University.

Emory President James Wagner released a strong statement “denouncing the abhorrent act” and pledged Emory’s ongoing commitment to raising awareness and preventing all forms of violence and discrimination. The perpetrators were never identified.

On February 10, 2015 a Jewish candidate for the UCLA Judicial Board was questioned not about her qualifications for the position (which were indisputable), but about whether her status as a Jewish student and subsequent involvement in Jewish organizations on campus made her biased.

After a 40-minute debate, she was rejected for the position. However, the board’s academic advisor weighed in, and the board subsequently unanimously approved the student’s appointment. The students serving on the board apologized and the UCLA student union passed an anti-Semitism resolution. UCLA’s Chancellor, Gene Block, denounced the board’s action and called it a “teachable moment.” No other action was taken.

There are many more examples than these.

Similar events have been reported at universities and in communities around the country.

When did behavior like this become acceptable? When did we let our college campuses and communities become places where some individuals feel unwelcome, or worse, unsafe?

Perhaps these events wouldn’t be as worrisome if they weren’t occurring in the context of the growing tide of anti-Semitism in Europe and other parts of the world. In May 2014, four people were shot to death at the Jewish Museum of Brussels. Pro-Palestinian rallies in Belgium and France this summer not only denounced Israel, but included signage and chants such as “Gas the Jews!” and “Death to the Jews!” In the wake of these and many other events, immigration to Israel has reached a 10-year high with 26,500 people making aliyah in 2014. Seven thousand of them were from France alone.

In July 2014, a German synagogue was torched with firebombs. German courts ruled it an “Act of Protest” motivated by a desire to “bring attention to the Gaza conflict.” James Kirchick, a foreign correspondent

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Continued from page 38

This did not lead to enough confusion, so the rabbis added another level of complexity by forbidding mention of the number to be counted until it is counted.

“Thou shalt not say the day of which thou counteth, until thou hast counted it.

“If thou doest so, thou hast counted before thou intended to count, thus surprising yourself.

“Imagineth: ‘We are about to count the twenty-fifth day of the Om… I just counted the twenty-fifth day of the Omer’.”

Bava Gump believed the worst part of this was that this guy probably did the same thing on the previous twenty-four days, too. And lived.

Of course, the culmination of the Omer is Shavuot — the third of the three festival holidays. It commemorates the giving of the Torah with two days of services attended only by the few remaining people who were actually

(and not midrashically) present for the giving at Sinai.

This year, Shavuot is coincident with Memorial Day weekend. For those who don’t usually attend Shavuot services, it gives them double the excuse not to. However, the simultaneous Shavuot and Memorial Day weekend reduces by one the usual calendar events people use for avoiding services.

Next year, it will return to normal, adding back another day for fewer people to notice the guy muttering to himself in the back pew.

Doug Brook is a writer in Silicon Valley who is brushing up his Shakespeare as the new Executive Director of Silicon Valley Shakespeare. For past columns, other writings, and more, visit http:// brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/the.beholders.eye.

>> NeverAgain with The New York Daily News, made the following comparison: “A group of skinheads torch a black church somewhere in the Deep South. Upon being apprehended by the police, they cite the injustices that Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has visited upon the white farmers of his country as justification for their arson. Mugabe is black, he rules on behalf of ‘the black race,’ and therefore black people everywhere must be made to feel responsible for his crimes.”

Can you imagine the (justified) outrage?

Many defend anti-Semitic words and actions as free speech and worthwhile protest in the ongoing dialogue about Israel and the Middle East conflict. However, in many instances we see the line become blurred. Manuel Valls, the Socialist Prime Minister of France, says, “it is legitimate to criticize the policies of Israel. This criticism exists in Israel itself. But … [t]here is an incontestable link between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.”

Free speech is a fundamental tenet of our democracy and should be protected fiercely. However, we must be cautious in allowing the First Amendment to be used as a shield for bigotry and overtures of hate.

Recently, members of the University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity were videotaped on a bus singing undeniably racist songs. The University of Oklahoma’s actions were swift. The University’s president permanently ended the school’s affiliation with SAE and expelled the two students identified from the video. The public response to these actions was positive and echoed President Boren’s sentiments: we will not tolerate this type of behavior.

Only now, as the dust has begun to settle, have questions about the legality of the University’s actions been raised.

The student’s behavior was undoubtedly re-

pugnant and indefensible. We should not allow such hatred and intolerance, particularly on our college campuses. Furthermore, our society must stand against such bigotry when it is directed at any group.

The truth is this: swastikas do not feel like a political statement or innocent prank to the Jewish college students that are the victims of these crimes.

Swastikas are a statement of violence and hate, which these students feel very personally.

We forget that it has been barely 70 years since the Holocaust, and that many of them may have lost family in the genocide. In this context, the swastika is not a theoretical, ideological symbol; it is synonymous with genocide and extermination. This should be personal not just to the Jewish students, but to our communities as well.

We find ourselves at a critical juncture.

Will our universities and communities rise in defense of our Jewish friends, colleagues and neighbors and stand with them in defiance of these recurrent acts of anti-Semitism? Or, will the United States find itself following in the footsteps of Europe and allow anti-Semitism to continue to grow unabated?

I know where I will stand. Do you?

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“Has the like of this happened in your days or in the days of your fathers? Tell your children about it, and let your children tell theirs, and their children the next generation!”

1 Joel, 2-3 (Displayed on the walls of Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.)

Mary Margaret-Fill is currently finishing a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and will become a member of the Center for Disease Control’s Epidemic Intelligence Service starting in July.

May 2015 • Southern Jewish Life 37

the back pew • doug brook

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38 Southern Jewish Life • May 2015

By any other name Judaism has a long history of name changes. Since early in the Torah, numerous names have been changed to add a piece of the Big G to certain special people’s monikers. Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah.

Jacob became Israel. Hoshea became Joshua. Zimmerman became Dylan.

Following in that divine tradition, but with decidedly less divine influence, this column is changing its name. It is not changing to protect the innocent — that ship sailed long ago for this columnist as well as for both of you readers, by virtue of prolonged exposure.

So, what is the significance of The Back Pew? At most synagogue services, the front row is empty. Sometimes the family for a bar or bat mitzvah is there, but that is either by instruction or because they don’t know better.

A rabbi with whom I worked in Pittsburgh often explained this orchestra-seat emptiness by stating that the front row is reserved for the righteous and the pure of heart. After hearing that, I acted on my newfound obligation and immediately started to sit in the back row at all services, unless compelled by family.

It’s just as well because it’s harder for a rabbi to WHAT’S IN hear sermon heckling from back there.

Similarly, this column has been featured A NAME on the back page of the magazine, though (CHANGE)? technically it is the front of the magazine for any Hebrew readers who out of habit approach each issue from right to left.

As always, this space is still for rant. Both of you will continue to receive the same quality of humor as before, for which the editorial staff insisted on including this apology. So fear not, while you gather your remaining Passover marshmallows for the Lag b’Omer bonfire so you can make S’mor-a Matzah.

Speaking of the Lag chag, too little in Jewish humor is said about the Omer. That gap will not be filled by the following.

Why do we count the Omer each year? For the same theological reason as many other things we do: Because the Torah says so.

However, while the original verse is widely published in Leviticus, the recently discovered Mishnah tractate Bava Gump reveals an additional excerpt that provides still more detail as to the Omer counting process.

From the Book of Omerments, Chapter Four, Verses 16 through 20: “Thou must count to forty-nine. Forty-nine shall be the number of the counting, and the number of the counting shall be forty-nine.

“Fifty shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count forty-eight, excepting that thou then proceedeth to forty-nine.

“Fifty-one is right out.” continued on previous page

A vA i l A b l e A t

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