Southern Jewish Life, Deep South, May 2021

Southern Jewish Life MUSEUM OF THE SOUTHERN JEWISH EXPERIENCE OPENS THIS MONTH

Late May 2021 Volume 31 Issue 5

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

2 48MayMarch 2021 2021 • Southern Jewish Life Life • Southern Jewish

shalom y’all As this issue hits mailboxes, parents throughout the region will be pinching themselves to make sure it’s real — yes, the kids are indeed going to camp. We think.

Now that a decent percentage of the population is fully vaccinated against Covid, many congregations around the region have started opening their doors somewhat, with capacity restrictions and other tentative steps along the road to normal. It feels odd to be among others, something that was rarely considered before the world shut down 14 months ago.

Who knows, eventually the big Shabbat morning luncheons will return, there will be crowds without masks, and dare we say, even hugs?

Will the High Holy Days be normal this year?

Part of the fun for us is being on the road, sharing in community celebrations and learning about interesting people and their stories. It is hard to fathom that for a year, our road trips were on hold.

In the past, there were occasions when we could not be at an event in person, but it was at one of the few congregations that streamed services, and we could still do an article.

One nice aspect of this past year is that since everyone had to put everything online, we could easily cover a wider range of events despite not being on the road.

Now, organizations and congregations have a decision to make. As we get back to the “real world,” how much will remain online?

After a year of very successful virtual galas, do organizations go back to more costly in-person dinners and events? Or were the past year’s events so successful because everyone was finely tuned in to the circumstances and wanted to be supportive, and in future years virtual events will not be as successful because of a lack of community atmosphere in everyone’s living rooms?

Do adult learning sessions continue having an online option, making them accessible to a much wider audience? Or is learning better in person, with the free-flowing discussions? continued on next page

SJL Online: sjlmag.com Southern Jewish Life is an independent Jewish periodical. Articles and columns do not necessarily reflect the views of any Jewish institutions, agencies or congregations in our region.

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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commentary

MESSAGES

Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games

I have had the honor of attending many Maccabi competitions around the world. From Israel some things will be worth keepSeders — though even that was quashed toCertainly, Australia to South America, Europe and the JCC Maccabi games around the United States by ing, notlogged they are done as regularly Judaism is meant to be practiced and whether Canada, Iorhave many miles seeing howCovid sports—can be a vehicle to help build Jewishas a as duringespecially the pastinyear.

The Alabama small community, from celebrations to comforting identity, our young. communities Havdalah, for example, builds those who mourn.

I felt honored to come to Birmingham for the first time and fell in love with not just the city unity among five or six smaller communities.

As Jews, we are called to assemble as a combut the people. You have taken Southern hospitality to a new level with your kind and caring And there has been a partnership with Gem- munity. To echo a phrase, may we be able to approach to the JCC Maccabi Games. iluth Chassodim in Alexandria taking part in assemble as in days of yore, bim’heira b’yamLed byonline the Sokol Helds,Sinai your in hard-working volunteers were services withand Temple New Or- einu (speedily inwonderful. our day). They partnered with your outstanding staff, led by Betzy Lynch, to make the 2017 JCC Maccabi a huge hit. leans.

And we hope to see all y’all,games throughout the I want to take thisbook opportunity executive director of Maccabi USAsoon. to say thank you on behalf Are in-person talks andasscholar in resregion, in person, of everyone involved. going to bring lecturers idence presentations in virtually rather thanfrom physically?

I had just returned the 20th World Maccabiah games in Israel with a U.S. delegation of As 1100, thesewho questions are pondered, it must over joined 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries. Back in July the eyes of the entire be remembered Judaismand is the participaJewish world were that on Jerusalem Maccabiah. This past month with 1000 athletes and tory andfrom community based. much of coaches around the worldWhile being in Birmingham, you became the focal point.

Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor what we do is family-based, such as Passover Everyone from the Jewish community and the community at large, including a wonderful police force, are to be commended. These games will go down in history as being a seminal moment for the Jewish community as we build to the future by providing such wonderful Jewish memories.

letters

JedThank Margolis you for the excellent editorial on anExecutive Director, Maccabi USA our Jewish tisemitism (April issue).

Perhaps brethren of the progressive (left) persuasion will start to realize that the J Street gang and the Jews OnPeace Charlottesville for types do not represent the best interest of the Jewish people as they provide a smokeEditor’sfor Note: reactionon to the the left. events in screen the This antisemites Charlottesville, written by Jeremy Newman, Master of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Theta Colony at Auburn University, was shared by AEPi National, which called it “very eloquent” and praised “our brothers at AEPi Theta Colony at Auburn University and… the leadership they display on their campus.”

White supremacy has been a cancer on our country since its beginning, threatening its hopes, its values, and its better angels.

The events that took place in Charlottesville represented the worst of this nation. Those who marched onto the streets with tiki torches and swastikas did so to provoke violence and fear. Those who marched onto the streets did so to profess an ideology that harkens back to a bleaker, more wretched time in our history.

A time when men and women of many creeds, races, and religions were far from equal and far from safe in our own borders. A time where Americans lived under a constant cloud of racism, anti-Semitism and pervasive hate. The events that took place in Charlottesville served as a reminder of how painfully relevant these issues are today.

Auburn’s Alpha Epsilon Pi stands with the Jewish community of Charlottesville, and with the Jewish people around the country and around the world. We also stand with the minorities who are targeted by the hate that was on display in Charlottesville. We stand with the minorities of whom these white

So few in the media are willing to point out the anti-Judaism of the “Progressives.” I applaud your efforts and courage. It will be interesting to learn of the negative comments you will get for supremacists would like to see pushed back your efforts. into a corner and made to feel lesser. We stand Max Rosenthal with and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, who was there standing up to the face of this hate.

We recognize the essence of the American narrative as a two-century old struggle to rid ourselves of such corners, and allow those in them the seat at the table that they so deserve.

It is the struggle to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” We know our work is far from finished, but we know we will not move backwards.

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your childfully will live for thetake When menjourney and women, armed, of their lives, the first steps to the streets rest in droves withbutswastikas and Wander of is how other symbolsonly of come hate, once. it is aEye reminder proudly offering photo and video relevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism packages for this special moment. are today. It is a wake-up call to the work that And if you book both photo and needs to be done to ensure a better, more video services, you’ll receive a welcoming country.

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Visitborn us at eyewanderphoto.com, America was a slave nation. A century or call at 225.366.4567 to in seepart into our history weusengaged in a war we can capture their moment. to ensure we how would not continue as one. We found ourselves confronted by the issue of civil rights, and embarked on a mission to ensure the fair treatment of all peoples no matter their skin color. Although we’ve made great strides, it is a mission we’re still grappling with today.

America was also born an immigrant country. As early as the pilgrims, many groups and families found in the country the opportunity to plant stakes, chase their future, and be themselves. Few were met with open

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4 May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

January 2021 May 2021

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Richard Friedman richard@sjlmag.com V.P. SALES/MARKETING, NEW ORLEANS Jeff Pizzo jeff@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com SOCIAL/WEB Emily Baldwein connect@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rivka Epstein, Louis Crawford, Tally Werthan, Stuart Derroff, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 2179 Highland Ave., Birmingham, AL 35205 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/249-6875 TOLL-FREE 888/613.YALL(9255) ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com Jeff Pizzo, jeff@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South.

To that end, our commitment includes mailing to every Jewish household in the region (AL, LA, MS, NW FL), without a subscription fee.

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Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher.

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Documenting this community, a community we are members of and active within, is our passion.

We love what we do, and who we do it for.

agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events The Success Story Ensemble performs for the Jewish Children’s Regional Service virtual Jewish Roots Jubilee on April 11, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the social service agency’s current form. Pianist Joshua Sadinsky is from Fayetteville, Ark., and studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Bassist Caroline Samuels is from Baton Rouge, and studies at Boston University.

Violinist Basil Alter is from Memphis, studying at the Manhattan School of Music. Trumpeter Joshua Dolney is from Deer Park, Tex., and is at the University of Illinois. Drummer Bruce Miller, a tax attorney in Metairie, is a past president of JCRS.

Relatively quiet season bringing a few changes to area pulpits Beth-El’s Slater leaving for Ohio, Day School names interim director, new rabbis in Mobile, Pensacola With the Covid pandemic, there has been much less mobility among Jewish professionals in the region, but this summer will bring some changes.

At Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El, Rabbi Stephen Slater will be departing to become the new rabbi at Agudas Achim in Columbus, Ohio.

Since winter, Beth-El had been working with him on an extension, but he decided to pursue other options, and the Columbus congregation announced his hiring on April 22.

Beth-El President Ron Levitt said the congregation will rely on the remaining professionals and lay leaders to fill in the upcoming gaps as the congregation begins the process of searching for a successor.

With the rabbinic hiring season pretty much over for the year, Levitt said they would not be in a hurry, exploring interim arrangements while looking for the right person.

At Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El, there will be a congregational vote on May 21 that would extend Rabbi Adam Wright through June 2025, with a possible two-year extension to 2027. Wright arrived in 2019 with the typical three-year deal and a two-year extension option. It was decided by the board to recommend those two additional years and add the additional year, to 2025.

On April 26, Paul Mosteller announced that he would be stepping down as music director at Emanu-El, a position he has held since 1993.

In his note to the congregation, he said that his retirement was inevitable after ending his 40-year academic career, but due to transitions in the congregation over the last few years, he felt continuity was important.

Now, with Wright and Cantor Robert Wittner in place, he feels this is the time for the congregation to search for his successor. He will continue through the end of this year.

Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School announced that Brian Cain will be the interim head of school for the coming year. Debra Abolafia is stepping down after 10 years at the school.

Cain has 30 years of experience in education, including 18 as assistant principal and principal in the Hoover school system. He will begin on June 1 so he has a month of overlap with Abolafia.

Sheri Krell, the school’s vice president of education, will serve as advisor on the Judaic aspect of the school, and be the liaison with the general community should any concerns arise.

The search for a permanent successor will resume in the fall.

On March 14, Springhill Avenue Temple announced that Rabbi Edward Boraz would become the rabbi at the state’s oldest Jewish congregation.

For two decades, Boraz was the rabbi at Dartmouth College Hillel while also serving the Upper Valley Jewish Community. A St. Louis native, he most recently served a congregation in Wausau, Wisc.

Rabbi John Kaplan of Jackson, Tenn., has been serving as Springhill Avenue’s interim rabbi this year, along with visits by Rabbi Natan Trief of Atlanta.

Pensacola’s B’nai Israel is welcoming Rabbi David Cohen, with his first Shabbat scheduled for May 21. Cohen is a descendant of Moses Cohen-Henriquez, a 17th-century pirate in the Caribbean.

In Dothan, Cantor Neil Schwartz informed Temple Emanu-El that he intends to retire when his current contract ends in the summer of 2022, but he will remain in the community after retiring. He arrived in Dothan in 2019 after serving Agudath Achim in Shreveport.

In Montgomery, Jewish Federation of Central Alabama Executive Director Tzlil Bandy McDonald has moved to New Orleans. She will continue working remotely part-time until a new director is in place.

May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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agenda “Hedy!” show at World War II Museum

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Hedy Lamarr, a Jewish immigrant who became a movie legend and was considered “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” had much more than acting in her repertoire.

The remarkable story of the Vienna-born star will be told through the one-woman show, “Hedy!”, at the National World War II Museum’s BB Stage Door Canteen in New Photo by Al Foote III Orleans, May 21 to 30.

Broadway actress Heather Massie will return to live performances with the first full live theatrical production at the museum since the pandemic hit over a year ago.

Lamarr was married to a Austrian arms dealer, Friedrich Mandl. She learned about munitions from him before fleeing from him in 1937, and then used that knowledge to help the U.S. Navy during World War II, collaborating with composer George Antheil to invent The Secret Communication System.

What became known as frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology made torpedoes more accurate, but after the war became the underpinning of today’s cell phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and many other wireless systems.

Massie, who studied astrophysics, explored the “unexpected genius” of Lamarr “to empower women, to inspire audiences to find ways each day to make the world a better place, and to encourage young women in endeavors of science and technology.” During the show, she also plays 33 other characters who were influential in Lamarr’s life.

The show will run from May 21 to 30, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40, $37 for members, and dinner reservations can be made at Rosie’s on the Roof.

Covid protocols, including masks, will be observed.

Chabads co-host evening with “The Ballerina of Auschwitz”

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6 May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

An evening with ‘The Ballerina of Auschwitz,” Edith Eva Eger, will be presented by the Chabads of Louisiana, Metairie and Baton Rouge on June 3 at 6:30 p.m.

“The Choice: Embrace the Possible” is Eger’s internationally best-selling memoir, and she has since published The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life.” After the war, Eger became an eminent psychologist specializing in post-traumatic stress disorders.

She was a teen when she and her family were sent to Auschwitz. Her parents were immediately exterminated, but she and her sister were kept alive. A 16-year-old trained ballet dancer and gymnast, Eger just hours later would be forced to dance for the infamous Josef Mengele, who gave her a loaf of bread that she wound up sharing with fellow prisoners.

She and her sister survived several death camps and eventually wound up in Austria, where on May 4, 1945, an American soldier noticed her hand move slightly among a pile of dead bodies. She was rescued and brought back to life, and moved to the United States in 1949.

For decades, she had survivor’s guilt and kept quiet about her experiences.

Eger said she eventually found that “true freedom can only be found by forgiving, letting go, and moving on,” and she “made the choice to heal” rather than be a permanent victim, and now helps others along that same path.

The event will be held online. Reservations are $20 before May 25, $25 after, and can be made at jewishlouisiana.com/editheger. Sponsorships start at $180.

agenda ISJL plans regional summer programs The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life announced its summer lineup of virtual programs for its 13-state region. All organizations and congregations are welcome to sign up as partners and make them available for their memberships.

In recognition of LGBTQ Pride Month, Rabbi Denise Eger will present “Where Pride Dwells: A Celebration of LGBTQ Jewish Life,” June 17 at 7 p.m. Eger, who grew up in Mem- Rabbi Denise Eger phis, is past president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and editor of the book “Mishkan Ga’avah: Where Pride Dwells, A Celebration of LGBTQ Jewish Life and Ritual.”

For Independence Day, The Braid will present “Jews in America,” a theatrical storytelling of unsung Jewish heroes from American history.

Formerly Jewish Women’s Theatre, The Braid will explore stories going back to the very first Jewish immigrants in the 15th century. The program will be on July 1 at 7 p.m.

On Aug. 19, as the High Holy Days near, Ron Wolfson will lead “The 7 Questions You’re Asked in Heaven,” questions about how one lived life on Earth as imagined by rabbis through the ages. Wolfson is president of the Kripke Institute and Fingerhut Professor of Education at American Jewish University.

SJL columnist takes on legacy of Shakespeare’s “Shylock”

In the theatrical world, one of the most notorious and troubling characters is Shylock from “The Merchant of Venice,” a grubby money-lender who is seen as the embodiment of a Jewish trope, ready to be embraced by antisemites. What does one do with the character in the 21st century?

Southern Jewish Life “Rear Pew Mirror” columnist Doug Brook, a longtime veteran of the Bay Area theatrical scene, takes on the controversy with the provocative one-man show, “Shylock,” which will be performed from the stage of the Tabard Theatre Company in San Jose and streamed live as a multi-camera production from June 4 to 20.

Written by Mark Leiren-Young, “Shylock” provokes conversations about censorship, history, representation, cancel culture and problematic classics. Brook plays the role of Jonathan Davies, a Jewish actor who has been cast in a production of “The Merchant of Venice” and plays the character as an outright villain. The show meets with heated controversy, forcing a shutdown of the remaining run, and the play depicts Davies doing a talkback session with the audience to defend his work.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Silicon Valley is partnering with the production. JCRC Director Diane Fisher said the show raises For information on partnering with ISJL for these events, contact Ann issues over “the current debate over definitions of antisemitism, lack of Zivitz Kientz at akientz@isjl.org. knowledge on what antisemitism is, general biases of all kinds baked into

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agenda society that are historical and need to be unlearned and are often held without thinking, the lack of open discussion and listening to lived experiences of discrimination, antisemitism and other; how theater... and art can provide pathways of learning about bias due to their big platform and ability to open minds.”

The production is being presented in collaboration with Silicon Valley Shakespeare, from which Brook recently stepped down after six years as executive director. He has directed numerous shows, and performed as Boolie in “Driving Miss Daisy,” Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof ” and Mitch in “Tuesdays With Morrie,” among others.

Brook, who grew up in Birmingham, also directed Theatre Chevruta at the Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos and was longtime vice president for the Alliance for Jewish Theatre. A playwright, he wrote the Muppets Purim that was done at Gates of Prayer in Metairie in 2020.

Tickets are available at tabardtheatre.org, and a standard ticket is $35.

Friend tickets “for anyone who needs a little help” are $15, and patron tickets are $50. Evening shows are 8 p.m. Pacific time, but several of the matinee performances are regarded as “Central time zone friendly.”

You Belong in Huntsville, a new initiative of the Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama, will have its inaugural event on May 23 at 12:30 p.m., at Stovehouse.

Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile will resume in-person Shabbat services on May 21, with typical restrictions. Services will continue to be available on Zoom.

Gemiluth Chassodim in Alexandria will be celebrating the repair of a Torah. The soferet who did the work will bring it back the weekend of May 22, and there will be a congregational brunch on May 23.

The outdoor pool at Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will open for the season on May 15. The pool is available for Elite level members. Starting May 1, the LJCC will not be using Sign Up Genius to reserve the indoor pool or group fitness classes, or for any other areas of the facility. They will revert to first come, first served.

Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will have a Mitzvah Day on May 23 from 9 a.m. to noon, with projects including DIY dog toys at Two

By Two Rescue, necessities bags for First Light Shelter, organizing the Emanu-El library, cleaning and organizing at Grace Klein Home, and refreshing the dog play yard at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. Registration is available at the Emanu-El website.

Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School will celebrate the graduation of JJ Stein on May 20 at 2 p.m., in a Zoom event that is open to the community. The school’s annual meeting will be held virtually at 7 p.m.

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

The next Shabbat Hilicha for Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will be May 29 at 10:30 a.m., meeting at the Frankfurt Drive entrance of Red Mountain Park for a Shabbat hike and outdoor service.

Camp Chai, the day camp for ages 3 to 13 coordinated by the North Louisiana Jewish Federation, will be held from July 26 to Aug, 6. Registration will open soon.

Shravya Utlapalli has been named the new director of Camp LJCC continued on page 19

On Our Cover: Part of the Merchant Store exhibit at the

Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, featuring the cash register from Galanty’s Store, in Lake Providence, La., along with reproductions of various newspaper ads for 19th and early 20th century Jewish-owned stores across the South.

At Home in New Surroundings Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience opening late May in New Orleans, celebration in October The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience is opening on May 27, though the celebration will wait until this fall as the Covid pandemic continues to fade.

“We are excited to announce an opening date after a pause as a result of the pandemic,” said Jay Tanenbaum, museum chair.

Located in the museum district of New Orleans, the museum explores over 300 years of Jewish history and involvement in the South, focusing on 13 states.

Multi-media exhibits will illustrate how Jewish immigrants and succeeding generations adapted to life in the South. The museum will also address issues of race and antisemitism, and the many ways that Southern Jews navigated them at different times. Understanding through education is a primary goal.

While May 27 is being billed as a “soft opening,” Executive Director Kenneth Hoffman said it really means “we’re open, there’s no ‘not open’.”

The mezuzah affixing ceremony and family celebration will be on Oct. 3, “in order to allow more people to travel to New Orleans to be with us, because we think it will be even better with people feeling comfortable traveling,” Hoffman said.

Details of the October events are yet to be confirmed. Hoffman said a group of hotel rooms will be announced, and the weekend will include “opportunities for doing Jewish tours of New Orleans, on the Sunday I can imagine music, food, lots of kvelling.” There will also be a special event for founding donors.

As the opening nears, Hoffman said “It’s a vision that a lot of people have been working very hard toward. It will be an exciting day for New Orleans and the Southern Jewish community, the museum community, and I hope everyone can come this summer, learn something and enjoy themselves.”

While Hoffman has been in his position for three years, “members of the board have been working on this for much longer,” Hoffman said.

The museum began at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, Miss., in 1986 as small communities in the region closed or downsized their congregations, sending their memorabilia to the camp. Some of the ritual items, such as an ark, were used by the campers during the summer.

Jacobs Camp Director Macy Hart continued to grow the museum, which soon had its own building. Photographer Bill Aron doing a series of “Shalom Y’all” photography tours of the Jewish South. An “Alsace to

America” exhibit was held in Jackson and then was permanently installed at the museum.

In 2000, the museum spun off into the Jackson-based Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which provides an array of services to Jewish communities in 13 Southern states. After three decades of leading the camp, Hart became the founding executive director of the Institute, which had the museum under its umbrella.

By 2012, with the camp needing space and the museum being located in an area where it was difficult for tourists to access, the museum shut down temporarily and a new home was sought. The Institute, which had grown out of the museum, then spun off the museum as a separate entity, and New Orleans was announced as the museum’s new home. A $10 million campaign was launched in 2017 and is ongoing.

In 2019, the museum’s collection of artifacts was moved to New Orleans from Mississippi. Due to space, a small fraction of the items will be displayed at any particular time.

Some of Aron’s work will be in the new museum, and the first special exhibit will recall Aron’s original 1990s tours. “As we move forward in this new iteration of the museum we want to pay respect to what came before,” Hoffman said, adding that Aron and Vicki Reikes Fox, who also worked on the original exhibit, are helping curate the new exhibit.

Another link to the past came as Hoffman led Macy and Susan Hart on a tour of the new museum in late April. Hoffman, a Baton Rouge native who grew up at Jacobs Camp, said he has “very big shoes to fill” in leading the new museum.

He said the museum’s new incarnation isn’t just geographic, it has an expanded mission and expanded storytelling. “Outreach to non-Jews is a major preoccupation of the museum. This isn’t just for Jews, this is for everybody, we’re telling universal stories through a particular population, we want everyone to see something of themselves in the stories we are telling.”

Tanenbaum said “Jews in the South formed bonds of deep friendship and community-building with their non-Jewish neighbors. These stories May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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Macy and Susan Hart check out the museum’s interactive quilt activity

Southern Jewish Life

Broadening Our Reach, Opportunities to Teach “So really, y’all are becoming a Jewish news service.”

That’s what the editor of a newspaper in our region said after learning more about one of Southern Jewish Life’s new strategies.

He had just been briefed on our goal of running Southern Jewish Life stories in newspapers and on news sites throughout the region. The purpose is to teach people throughout the four states we cover more about Jews and Israel.

Stories we’ve run in the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, for example, and Hattiesburg American include: • A profile on a Christian woman with Mississippi ties who is leading the American Jewish Committee’s fight against antisemitism.

• A Mississippi-born Tulane University sprinter who stood up to Adolf Hitler.

• A groundbreaking Mississippi State University production of a play based on Anne Frank and Emmett Till.

• An oped on the Israeli Consulate to the Southeast reestablishing its presence in Mississippi.

Most recently, the Montgomery Advertiser ran our Southern Jewish Life story on Wanda Battle on its front page. Ms. Battle, a local African-American vocalist, sang “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, at the Israeli Embassy’s Independence Day celebration.

Vibrant and Healthy As other Jewish publications nationally have gone by the wayside, we are proud that Southern Jewish Life remains vibrant and healthy. Part of this is due to donor dollars.

Our growing donor base has helped us add staff, create more stories and expand the number of pages in each issue. With more dollars, we can do even more.

So if you value what we’re doing, which includes sending our magazine free to every known Jewish household in our region, please consider helping us by becoming a Southern Jewish Life donor. To contribute, send a check to SJL, P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213, or go to https://sjlmag.com/contribute/ (Donations are not tax-deductible.)

Our goals are simple: To provide quality, independent journalism that covers our region comprehensively and imaginatively; to educate the broader community about Jews and Israel; and to help build a strong future for Jewish communities throughout the Deep South.

Oh yes — and to become a regional Jewish news service!

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

show how people of different backgrounds come together to create the American experience. This can be a bridge to a better understanding and future for all of us.”

The museum’s exhibits were designed by Gallagher and Associates, which has also done exhibits for the National World War II Museum and the Sazerac House in New Orleans, the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia and the National Archives Museum in Washington.

Located on the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, the museum is close to the National World War II Museum, Ogden Museum and the Contemporary Arts Center, and near the Oretha Castle Haley cultural district.

After entering through the storefront, visitors will view an introductory video. Exhibits begin with the small Jewish communities of the Colonial period, through the Revolutionary War and the first major wave of Jewish immigration in the decades leading up to the Civil War. Hoffman notes that the museum will not “shy away from uncomfortable history,” and topics such as Jewish involvement in slavery will be explored.

The first area will include how Jews so often became small-town merchants and, for the most part, integrated into Southern communities, including becoming mayors and other civic leaders.

The middle area, formerly an open-air atrium, contains exhibits about Judaism, including ritual items from around the region, life cycle events, holidays and texts. From the ceiling, there will be images of stained-glass windows from synagogues around the region.

The third section will explore 20th-century topics, from the spread of Jewish communities throughout the South, to how Southern Jews responded to the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel, to the civil rights era and the decline in smaller, rural communities in favor of larger cities.

For those who want to dive deeper into a particular community or state, video screens will be available with access to a wide range of historical resources, including items from the museum’s collection.

At the end, there is an interactive video quilting station, where visitors can explore their own stories.

Of course, there will also be a gift shop featuring regional art and Southern Jewish-themed items.

Tickets will be available on the museum’s website and will be for a particular day, but not a particular time. Walk-up tickets will also be available. Hoffman said that “depending on how busy we get, how popular we are, there may be some waits,” and if capacity is reached, the museum will put “the health and safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers above all else.”

The museum is following state mandates for capacity and CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of Covid.

The museum is open daily except for Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The museum is also closed on New Year’s, Mardi Gras, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $15, $13 for seniors, students and active military, and $10 for ages 6 to 17. Children under 6 are free, as are museum members, and the membership plan will be announced soon. Group rates are available.

community Antisemitism levels remain high, with numerous incidents in region While antisemitic incidents declined by 4 percent after hitting an all-time high in 2019, 2020 was still the third-highest year for incidents against American Jews since the Anti-Defamation League began its annual audit in 1979.

The 2020 audit was released on April 27, the second anniversary of the deadly white supremacist attack on the Chabad of Poway, Calif. It recorded a total of 1,242 incidents of harassment, an increase of 10 percent from 2019. At the same time, reported acts of vandalism and assault declined by 18 percent and 49 percent, respectively, and there were no antisemitic fatalities reported in 2020.

ADL’s South Central Region, serving Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, increased from 24 reported incidents in 2019 to 34 reported incidents in 2020, including a significant spike in Mississippi from 4 to 17 between 2019 and 2020, with reported incidents of harassment increasing from 2 to 16. ADL noted a slight drop in Arkansas from 10 to 7 reported incidents, and numbers held steady in Louisiana at 10 reported incidents, eight of which were harassment and two were vandalism.

In ADL’s Southeast Region that covers Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, incidents of antisemitic vandalism increased by over 50 percent. While the total number of antisemitic incidents across these four states only saw a slight increase, 2020 was a year marked by many horrific vandalism incidents in the Southeast, including the desecration of multiple synagogues and Holocaust memorials across the region.

The Southeast region also recorded 30 incidents of antisemitic harassment in 2020, a 16 percent decrease from 36 in 2019, including seven incidents of antisemitic Zoombombing. There were no incidents of antisemitic assault recorded in 2020 after recording one in 2019.

Photo from ADL Audit

Members of the Autonomous National Socialists, a neo-Nazi group, posed next to the Holocaust memorial outside of the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Nashville.

In all, Alabama reported six incidents in 2020, five of which were vandalism and one was harassment. In 2019, there were no vandalism incidents, but all six incidents that year were harassment. Tennessee had 14 incidents, up from nine, and Georgia had 21, down from 29. Florida had 127 incidents, up from 91 the previous year.

The swastika graffiti at Etz Chayim and Chabad in Huntsville during Passover, and swastikas found on the street outside a Jewish cemetery in New Orleans in June, were among the incidents highlighted in the national report.

In Alabama, Chanukah decorations were vandalized at a Jewish home in Mountain Brook, and a swastika and “White Rights Matter” were

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spray-painted on an overpass in Huntsville. In September, Zoombombers interrupted the Alabama small communities Havdalah with antisemitic insults. The other incident was swastikas and “KKK” etched in a bathroom at Rogers High School near Florence.

Of Florida’s total, the only three incidents near the panhandle were in Tallahassee, where one harassment incident was deemed confidential. A mailbox was vandalized with a swastika in October, and in March 2020 pro-Israel students at Florida State University reported harassment by members of the stridently anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine.

The Mississippi incidents were two clumps of harassment. One group was literature distributed by neo-Nazi group Folksfront in several Mississippi suburbs of Memphis. At Delta State University and in Cleveland, Moonkrieg Division distributed swastika-laden and Holocaust denial propaganda at several venues from February to April, with the phrase “Me and the boys on our way to the local synagogue.”

In Louisiana, a man circled a New Orleans synagogue while shouting antisemitic slurs in September. A November harassment incident in Arabi is classified as confidential.

In August, a Jewish high school student in New Orleans was harassed on Snapchat, including a message that the student should be sent back to Auschwitz. A woman in New Orleans found a swastika in her apartment building’s elevator, a Harahan business posted a flyer calling Covid a “communist criminal hoax” from “Jewish Bolshevik filth,” and a New Orleans business negotiation included one party refusing to “let you or your client Jew me down.”

In February 2020, a threatening voicemail was left at the Jewish Community Center in New Orleans, a Jewish individual in New Orleans received a harassing antisemitic message on NextDoor, and an unknown group distributed flyers saying Jews are the root of “Communism, debt and war.”

“In a year marked by incidents of hate impacting all vulnerable communities, this year’s Audit illustrates the ongoing hatred directed at the Jewish community remains near an all-time high, and increased in the South Central Region, particularly in Mississippi,” said Aaron Ahlquist, ADL’s South Central Region director.

“These findings demonstrate that even in the midst of a global pandemic, antisemitism continues to plague our communities across the Southeast,” said Allison Padilla-Goodman, ADL vice president of the Southern Division. “Vandalism impacts communities tremendously as they are often witnessed by many, causing the pain to reverberate throughout communities. However, while physical displays of hate found on Jewish institutions make a lasting impact on the community, we continue to be inspired by the resilience and collaboration of people from all backgrounds who respond with outpourings of support.”

As the Huntsville vandalism occurred at the start of Passover, members of several churches immediately flocked to the affected congregations to clean up the graffiti, despite it being Good Friday.

The year was dramatically impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which led in some cases to Jews and other marginalized communities being blamed or scapegoated for spreading the virus. After the pandemic became more widespread starting in March, incidents of antisemitism at schools and colleges dropped precipitously as learning moved online.

This led to an increase in incidents of antisemitic “Zoombombing” — the intentional disruption of live videoconferences. In 2020, ADL recorded 196 incidents of antisemitic videoconferencing attacks. Of those incidents, 114 targeted Jewish institutions such as schools and synagogues.

“While any decline in the data is encouraging, we still experienced a year in which antisemitic acts remained at a disturbingly high level despite lockdowns and other significant changes in our daily lives and interactions with others,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and national director.

“We can’t let our guard down. As communities begin to open up and people spend more time in person with others, we must remain vigilant.”

community Spreading the News Shreveport native Blake Kaplan now in charge of three newspapers

By Richard Friedman Every journalist knows the news business gets in your blood.

Blake Kaplan discovered this truth more than 30 years ago.

His passion for holding government accountable, coupled with covering the drama in the lives of the famous and lesser-known, has coursed through his veins for decades.

Like every good journalist, he’s driven by stories that matter; those that affect peoples’ lives.

Kaplan is executive editor of not one but three Southern newspapers: the Sun Herald in Biloxi, the Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga., and The Telegraph in Macon, Ga. All three are owned by the McClatchy Co. It’s an usual position to be in, but it’s both a sign of the times and a reflection of Kaplan’s accomplishments and pursuit of journalism challenges.

Kaplan was promoted from city editor to executive editor of the Sun Herald in 2015. A year and a half ago, he was asked to take on the two Georgia papers as part of staffing changes at McClatchy.

“It is a challenge for sure. I’m based in Biloxi but we have good senior editors at each location. They run the day-to-day operations, and consult with me daily.”

Kaplan’s journey has taken him from majoring in journalism at Louisiana State University; to his days as a hustling, scrappy young reporter for several papers; to a rise through the ranks, including being part of a Pulitzer-prize winning team in 2006 for the Sun Herald’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina; to the helm of three daily newspapers.

Kaplan, 55, was raised in the Jewish community of Shreveport. He became a bar mitzvah and was confirmed at B’nai Zion and attended Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica for 12 years.

Today, he, his wife and 10-year-old son live in Gautier, near Pascagoula.

Just from a Zoom chat with Kaplan you see the traits that make up a good editor. He’s warm but to the point, passionate yet professional, humble and self-confident at the same time, an attentive listener, and his newsman’s heart never stops beating.

Whether it’s talking about the success his three papers have achieved when many other newspapers are struggling; his vision of what makes a good mix of news day to day, or the satisfaction he finds in mentoring young reporters, he loves what he does.

“It’s not a nine to five job. Every day is differ-

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community ent and every day is exciting,” says Kaplan.

Sweet Spot All three newspapers follow the same formula for both online and print: A diverse mix of local, regional and national stories, attractively presented in a user-friendly format.

Their sweet spot is local stories in each community. That’s what Kaplan’s papers do that others can’t. That kind of coverage draws digital readers from around the world thanks to a heavy emphasis on search traffic from Google and social media traffic from Facebook and Twitter.

“We have been pretty successful in Biloxi,” Kaplan says with pride. “I like to think we are considered one of the better smaller papers in the chain. We have seen a decline in print readership at all three papers, that is an industry trend. But more people are reading and interacting with us online.”

All three of his papers get about 1 million unique visitors a month, which often translates to multiple millions of page views. A page view is when someone comes to a paper’s website and clicks a link.

Just as the news business has transitioned, so has Kaplan as his career has evolved. A turning point for many journalists comes when they move from being a reporter out in the field to being an editor behind the desk.

Not everyone wants that, but many do — with this Louisiana native being one of them. He, like others who’ve made the transition, recognizes that though his byline appears less frequently, he now has multiple bylines.

“A good leader looks out for the development of the people he works with — mentoring and helping people go to the next level. This is what I’ve

focused on since becoming an executive editor; this is what I find the most satisfying,” says Kaplan.

“When I was a reporter, I took pleasure in seeing my name. Now the pleasure comes from seeing others succeed and rise to be the best journalists they can be.”

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community Israel’s Memorial Day: Birmingham couple reflects on family loss

By Richard Friedman As Jews, we are taught all Jews are responsible for one another. Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, provides a sacred framework for all Jews remembering one another.

This powerful truth was brought home the evening of April 13 as the Atlanta-based Israeli Consulate, which covers much of the South, including Alabama and Mississippi, convened an online program to mark Yom Hazikaron.

This day is a solemn one. As much as any observance, it connects Jews not only in Israel but worldwide on a visceral level as it commemorates those lost in battle and terror attacks.

It is a day that reaches into the hearts of Jews everywhere. Not only do many Jews both within Israel and abroad know soldiers who have lost their lives defending the country, but they’ve also known people who’ve died in terror attacks.

Yom Hazikaron also is a day, as Israel’s Consul General to the Southeast Anat Sultan-Dadon said in her remarks, to remember the impact of the sacrifices Israelis have made since their country’s rebirth as a modern Jewish state 73 years ago.

“We bow our heads in memory of the 23,928 soldiers, men and women, those who fell in Israel’s military campaigns and the victims of terror,” said the Consul General. “It is thanks to our heroes that we are able to celebrate our sovereignty and hold our heads high every day.”

Close to Home One fallen soldier was Avihu Ya’akov, nephew of Raymond Tobias, a retired doctor who, along with his wife Cynthia, have been involved in

Birmingham’s Jewish community for years. was lightly wounded. Major Avihu Ya’akov, shot Avihu was killed in battle in 2002, leading a in the head, was killed.” raid against a Palestinian stronghold. The operation was part of Israel’s response to the barbar- Under Fire Shortly before Nablus, Avihu fought in Jenin, ic war of terror that the Palestinian leadership scene of an especially fierce battle. had launched against the Israeli people.

There, while under fire, he risked his life to The son of Raymond’s sister, he was 24 and retrieve the body of one of his comrades who lived in Kfar Hasidim, near Haifa. had been killed. Avihu carried “Yom Hazikaron has always him back over the line into Israbeen sad for us, as we have el, so that he would be buried in always felt attached to Israel. a proper Jewish funeral.

Having a close family member For sure, pain and rememsenselessly killed has brought brance unite the Jewish family it closer to home,” said the Biron Yom Hazikaron. Muted in mingham couple. the background is triumph and “Whenever we visit and see optimism. the girl Avihu was to marry and Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Menow, after many years, her fammorial Day, is held 24 hours beily and children, we think of the fore Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Inchildren he would have had and dependence Day. It is a seamless the wonderful father he would From Israeli Foreign Ministry flow, signifying the connection have been.”

Major Avihu Ya’akov between the two events.

A posting on the Israeli MinLinking these two experiences also is a reflecistry of Foreign Affairs shortly after his death tion of the Jewish persona. captured their nephew’s heroism: What animates the Jewish people and binds “IDF officer Major Avihu Ya’akov was killed and two other soldiers injured in Nablus in a the Jewish family is not only the capability to reraid against a terror cell that was planning a sui- member, but also to draw from dark memories the strength to go forward, driven by optimism cide attack in Israel.

“While operating within one of the buildings and passion for our collective well-being.

As the Consul General said, “It is thanks to near the casbah where several wanted suspects were hiding, Palestinians opened fire towards our fallen heroes that we can be unapologeticalthe force from one of the apartments. As a result ly proud, independent and strong. It is thanks of the shooting, two IDF officers were hit, Golani to them that we can be the colorful Israel that Brigade Commander Major Avihu Ya’akov and we have become — and that our children can the Company Commander, and another soldier fearlessly paint the future.”

May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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Every summer, the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life’s education conference draws participants from dozens of congregations throughout its 13-state region to Jackson for a couple of days of professional development and networking.

Due to Covid, for the second year in a row the much-shorter conference is being held virtually.

On June 13, the focus will be on Social Emotional Spiritual Learning, with keynote speaker Nancy Parkes, education consultant and founder of JTeachNOW, which trains and mentors Jewish education professionals.

The ISJL, asserting that every Jewish child deserves access to a quality Jewish education regardless of the size of their community, developed a trans-denominational standardized curriculum for religious schools of all sizes, even if that size is in the single digits. Dozens of congregations now use the curriculum, and the an-

nual conference is a requirement for those using the curriculum. The curriculum is designed so even those with no formal education training or limited Judaic knowledge can provide lessons.

During non-Covid times, Education Fellows from the Institute are paired with congregations that use the curriculum and routinely visit on weekends over the course of the school year.

The conference will begin at 10 a.m. with a welcome from the ISJL education team. At 10:30 a.m., Parkes will give her presentation.

A “BYOLunch” will start at 11:30 a.m., with breakout rooms for discussions, and at 12:30 p.m., ISJL Director of Education Rabbi Matt Dreffin will discuss “The ISJL Education Department: Focused on the Future.”

The conference is open to all who have an interest in Jewish education, not just school administrators. Registration is available on the ISJL website.

Alabama Legislature calls for quality Holocaust education in state’s schools A resolution encouraging Holocaust education in Alabama, initiated by Christians United for Israel and backed by numerous Holocaust education and Jewish groups, passed the Legislature.

House Joint Resolution 160, along with HJR172 recognizing the annual state Holocaust commemoration that was held in April 11, was spearheaded by Rep. David Faulkner, who is a member of the Alabama Holocaust Commission. Co-sponsors included Reps. Jim Carns, Danny Garrett, Victor Gaston, Mac McCutcheon and Chris Pringle. After being introduced on March 30, it passed the House and Senate by voice vote and was enacted on April 27.

The Mobile Area Jewish Federation welcomed the resolution, saying it “will support MAJF’s continuing efforts to combat antisemitism and educate our local students about the Holocaust.

Through our support of Mobile Jewish Film Festival’s Julien Marx Student Film Series and of partner organizations such as the Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education, we hope to provide support and resources for our local public school teachers and students to learn the lessons of the Holocaust and the far-reaching implications of hate and bigotry,” said Cassie Morgenstern, MAJF executive director.

In addition to CUFI, the Alabama Holocaust Commission, the Alabama-Israel Task Force, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama and the Mobile Area Jewish Federation were involved in advocating for the bill.

CUFI founder and chairman Pastor John

Hagee praised the measure. In a message that included a statement on the passage of CUFI-backed bills in Utah, Idaho and West Virginia countering anti-Israel boycotts, Hagee also noted “in Alabama, after close communications with a host of allied organizations and the Department of Education, we are now seeing that state endorse quality Holocaust education.”

The resolution cited a 2018 study by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which found that 31 percent of Americans and 41 percent of millennials “erroneously believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed in the Holocaust,” and a 2020 study by the same group found that “31 percent of young adults in Alabama could not name a single Nazi Concentration Camp, 10 percent were not sure if they believe the Holocaust happened, and nine percent erroneously believe the Jewish people caused the Holocaust.”

It also mentioned the 2020 antisemitic vandalism in the state, and called for the state Department of Education to ensure “Alabama’s students have access to quality Holocaust education.”

The resolution calls for the forthcoming revised Alabama Course of Study social studies curriculum to include “components that ensure students learn the breadth of the history of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, including the Third Reich dictatorship, concentration camp system, persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish resistance, and post-World War II trials,” and communicate “the impact of personal responsibility, civic engagement, and societal response in the context of the Holocaust.”

community Mayors in region join national stand against antisemitism

By Richard Friedman

Recognizing the Challenge

You can’t fight City Hall, as the old saying goes. But these days, City Hall can help fight antisemitism.

This is what motivated the American Jewish Committee and US Conference of Mayors to team up recently and get more than 500 mayors and county executives to issue a statement condemning antisemitism.

In the past five years “vicious attacks on American soil have demonstrated that antisemitism must be confronted with… urgency in the United States,” these government leaders declared.

“In October 2018, 11 Jews were killed in the deadliest attack against the Jewish community in U.S. history at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa.. Jews have also been murdered in Poway, Calif.; Jersey City, N.J.; and Monsey, N.Y. simply for being Jews,” the group said as it recalled some of the most tragic incidents.

“We witnessed chants of ‘Jews will not replace us’ in Charlottesville and ‘Camp Auschwitz’ and other antisemitic messages displayed during the assault on the U.S. Capitol,” their statement further read.

The problem of hostility and hatred toward Jews has become significant. As the mayors’ statement noted, “According to the FBI’s 2019 Hate Crimes Statistics, American Jews — who make up less than 2 percent of the American population — were the victims of 60.2 percent of anti-religious hate crimes.”

An annual survey from the Anti-Defamation League found that onefourth of American Jews have personally experienced anti-Semitism in the past five years, and that most American Jews have witnessed anti-Semitic comments targeting others.

Dov Wilker, Atlanta-based regional director for the AJC, sees the mayors’ statement as important. “By having a diverse group of mayors representing more than 88 million Americans, it shows that leaders in our community recognize the challenge that we face and that they support the Jewish community,” said Wilker.

“Across the Southeast, mayors and county executives who signed the statement are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and unaffiliated.

They are Jewish and Christian, African American and Caucasian,” he noted. (To AJC’s knowledge, there are currently no Muslim or Latino Mayors in the Southeast.)

Given the fact that mayors sit at the heart of American democracy — the political town square — this comment in their statement was particularly relevant: “Antisemitism is not only an attack on Jews but an assault on the core values of any democratic and pluralistic society.”

Many observers feel that the growth in antisemitism is coming from three areas: the hardcore radical right, Islamic extremists, and the far left for whom Israel, the world’s only majority-Jewish country, continues to be a whipping boy.

It is also generally agreed that the growth of the Internet has played a role by creating a virtually infinite number of venues for antisemites to spread hatred of Jews and connect with one another.

Mayors who signed, as of when this story was written, include four Alabama mayors: Randall Woodfin, Birmingham; Tab Bowling, Decatur; Steven Reed, Montgomery; and Walter Maddox, Tuscaloosa. Pensacola, Fla., Mayor Grover C. Robinson IV also signed, as did Mayor LaToya

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community Cantrell of New Orleans. They each were contacted by this publication for comment.

A vow to uphold “Birmingham has stood for generations as the personification of freedom in this country. It’s not just our legacy, it’s a vow we work to uphold each and every day,” said Woodfin.

“Therefore, it’s our obligation to stand against all forms of antisemitism and to ensure the promise of freedom for all who call this country home,” he added.

Decatur’s Bowling said, “Diversity is the strength of our communities. By embracing the qualities that define us, we can only become more successful.”

He added, “I encourage my friends and fellow mayors to join me in this pledge against hatred directed at our Jewish communities. Antisemitism is abhorrent and must be eradicated.”

Tuscaloosa’s Maddox said, “The strength of our cities, states and nation is grounded in the diversity of our country — whether it’s our race, politics, socio-economic status and/or religion. On our journey to form ‘a more perfect Union,’ we must continue to extinguish the flames of division and hatred,” he said.

“Our humanity and our duty to serve requires all leaders to condemn antisemitism and never retreat from doing what is right,” he added.

Montgomery’s Reed said, “As the first Black mayor of Montgomery, the Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply aware of the dangers of acts of hate and bigotry. Therefore I unequivocally stand with my fellow Alabama mayors, as well as those from across the nation and around the world, as we speak out against racism and acts of antisemitism.”

Added Reed, “Intolerance has no place in today’s world. My visit to Israel a couple of years ago was deeply moving and inspirational — I was honored to visit with leaders while there and proudly stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Montgomery and throughout the world.”

As of this writing, Pensacola’s mayor has not responded to a request for comment.

None of the mayors in Mississippi have signed on.

AJC’s Wilker said mayors and county executives have until June 6 to lend their name to this effort and can do so by sending an email asking to be included to Mayors@ajc.org. Citizens on the local level should consider contacting their mayors and county executives to urge them to become part of this initiative.

Five Strategies Not only did those signing the statement speak out against antisemitism, they called for five action strategies: 1. Condemning antisemitism in all its forms, including hatred and prejudice directed toward Jews, stereotypes or conspiracy theories about Jews, Holocaust denial or distortion, denying the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and/or negating the Jewish state’s right to exist.

2. Supporting national, state, and local government efforts directed at eradicating antisemitism and preventing extremist indoctrination and recruitment; and supporting expanded education programs, including Holocaust programs, to counter intolerance and discrimination.

3. Rejecting the notion that opinions about the policies, actions, or existence of the State of Israel can ever justify or excuse antisemitic acts.

4. Recognizing the ever-present need to be vigilant about efforts to prevent and report acts of antisemitism and other hate crimes.

5. Affirming that a climate of mutual understanding and respect among all citizens is the bedrock of pluralistic communities.

Through a previous AJC and US Conference of Mayors initiative five years ago, mayors from all 50 states called for measures to combat growing antisemitism in Europe.

Now it is five years later — and the problem has come to our own country.

18

May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

community >> Agenda

continued from page 8

at the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham. A Huntsville native, she previously worked at Camp Kesem. The camp runs from June 1 to Aug. 6 for rising first through eighth graders.

Camp Gan Israel of Huntsville will be open from June 28 to July 9.

The camp, run by Chabad of Huntsville, is for ages 5 to 12, with limited counselor in training slots for ages 13 and 14, and meets at Monte Sano Lodge. Registration is available on the Huntsville Chabad website.

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The Birmingham Jewish Federation, Temple Emanu-El, Temple BethEl and Knesseth Israel are holding a Summer Kick-Off Party on May 23 at 6:30 p.m. for all incoming 8th to 12th graders in the community.

There will be a kosher BBQ and DJ Platinum by the outdoor pool at the Levite Jewish Community Center. Advance registration is required.

After an absence of a year, the South East Chavura is resuming in-person Torah study. The next meeting will be on June 19 at 11 a.m. at the Comfort Inn in D’Iberville, Miss., discussing Parshat Chukat. The community is welcome, and lunch follows.

The North Louisiana Jewish Community is planning a mission to Israel, Feb. 14 to 24. The itinerary includes two nights at Kibbutz Hagoshrim, two nights at the Renaissance Hotel in Tel Aviv and six nights at the Dan Panorama in Jerusalem. Over 20 have already expressed interest in the trip. Details will be available from the North Louisiana Jewish Federation.

Chabad in Baton Rouge is planning to participate in the JLI Israel Experience, The Land and the Spirit. Interest is being assessed for the trip, which will be March 20 to 28. Registration is not open yet, and pricing has not been announced.

Torah On Tap at Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach will be on May 19 at 7 p.m. at The Craft Bar, Uptown Station.

Moishe House in New Orleans has three openings for the coming year. Moishe House is a national initiative for Jewish young adults where the residents receive a rent subsidy, programming budget and support from national staff to provide innovative Jewish programming at a community’s Moishe House for young adults. Applications are now being accepted for the coming academic year, at moishehouse.org/apply.

Program focuses on Ethiopian community in Rosh Ha’Ayin While those who were involved in the early days of Birmingham’s relationship with Rosh Ha’Ayin remember it as an almost-entirely Yemenite community, a June 13 program will explore the Ethiopian Jewish community that now lives there.

The 11 a.m. Zoom program is part of an ongoing series with the Birmingham Jewish Federation, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Partnership2Gether steering committee in Rosh Ha’Ayin.

Rosh Ha’Ayin is Birmingham’s official sister city in Israel, and New Orleans has been linked with Rosh Ha’Ayin through P2G. In the early 1990s, what had been a development town for Yemenite Jews expanded significantly, and is now a bedroom community for Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with numerous industrial parks.

The June 13 event will discuss the culture, music, food and history of the Ethiopian community, which arrived starting in 1991.

The April program, about Yemenite culture, is available for viewing online.

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

19

Mrs. Bellingrath’s Birthday Celebration – May 20

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

At the Fairview Inn in Jackson

Fairview Inn an ideal getaway in Jackson

Don’t miss a bloomin’ thing this spring.

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summer travel

When Peter and Tamar Sharp were looking to fulfill a long-held dream of owning a bed and breakfast, not only were they looking for the right property but also a welcoming Jewish community.

They found that when they acquired the historic Fairview Inn in Jackson in 2006, an 18-room inn with a spa and lounge that also attract from the local community.

When they took over the Fairview, the Sharps already had a long history in the hospitality industry. A native of Kent, England, Peter began bussing tables at age 14 and worked his way up. At Florida International University he switched his major from pre-law to international hotel management. Tamar, who majored in Jewish studies at Ohio State University, also has a background in room and food and beverage departments with Hyatt and Radisson hotels, and they met while both were working at a Hyatt in Columbus, Ohio.

While living in the Bahamas, Tamar brought a newfound Jewish community together and organized arrangements for a Torah and rabbinical services. A local Jewish Bahamian donated a the store front where a Jewish fellowship was formed.

When the Sharps returned to the U.S., their children were in first grade and they settled in Celebration, Fla. Rabbi Valerie Cohen, who was at Jackson’s Beth Israel at the time, had a large impact on the Sharps moving to Mississippi.

Constructed in 1908, the Fairview is one of the only architecturally designed homes of that period remaining in Jackson. Designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Spencer and Powers, it was originally built for Cyrus Warren, vice president of Warren-Goodwin Lumber. Spencer was an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright, and Fairview is his only known example of the Colonial Revival style.

Fairview changed hands twice more before 1930, undergoing several renovations and expansions, and by then only the library was as it was in 1908, which is still the case today. In 1930, D.C. and Annie Belle Simmons purchased the home, which went to their son, William Simmons, in 1972. William Simmons founded the Citizens’ Council in Jackson, which opposed racial integration during the civil rights era.

Upon his retirement, William Simmons turned Fairview into an inn, constructing a major addition in 2000 to add 10 luxury bedrooms.

After the Sharps bought the property from Simmons, they turned part of the mansion int a restaurant, did extensive renovations to the guest rooms and public areas, and included a beautiful Victorian gazebo on the Magnolia deck.

summer travel

Next to the gardens, they also opened nomiSpa, one of the only holistic spas in the area. Part of the spa’s local appeal is packages for brides-to-be and their entourages. The spa’s name is a reversal of their son’s name, Simon. He died in 2007 at the age of 15, after battling leukemia.

In 2012, the Sharps turned the original 1908 library into the Library Lounge, with drinks named for Mississippi literary figures. Dinner service has since been added to the lounge, after numerous guest requests.

The inn also has a Southern farm-to-table restaurant, 1908 Provisions.

The 18 rooms and suites are individually decorated, and many have in-room whirlpool tubs and working fireplaces.

The four-diamond property has won numerous awards and has seen plenty of celebrities come through over the years, including Mick Jagger, Matthew McConaughey, Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Olivia Spencer, Renee Zellweger, Jon Voight and Prince Andrew.

The facility has also hosted numerous events in the Jewish community, including a 2015 reception with Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer, Governor Phil Bryant and a wide range of dignitaries for an Israel Meets Mississippi summit.

The Fairview Inn is also ideally located for a parents’ getaway each summer after dropping off or before picking up the kids at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp, just 40 minutes away.

Birmingham’s Grand Bohemian seeing a resurgence in travel

By Lee J. Green Birmingham’s Grand Bohemian Hotel has seen a resurgence in travel and tourism in the Magic City.

“We’re seeing occupancy rates, class participation and operations back to where they were in 2019 before the pandemic,” said General Manager Jorg Wesche. “People know they can come to Birmingham and enjoy a nice, safe, enjoyable stay.”

Located in Mountain Brook, the 100-room boutique hotel includes an on-site art gallery, spa, interactive cooking school, one of the country’s only wine blending experiences led by expert sommeliers, a rooftop terrace along with dining at the Habitat Feed and Social.

“We’ve seen increased demand for the cooking and wine-blending classes, which are open not just to hotel guests but to anyone in the community who wants to sign up,” said Wesche. The wine-blending classes let you create your own bottle of wine with the name of the wine and any photograph you want on the label.

The Grand Bohemian Hotel includes 6,000-square-feet of ballroom space along with smaller meeting rooms.

For those visiting Birmingham and seeking some attractions near the hotel, Wesche recommends the Birmingham Zoo and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens — both within walking distance.

“We are an Autograph Hotel. Our ‘mark’ is the botanical theme and you see that throughout the hotel,” he said. “We have a wonderful relationship with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and it’s free to explore these lovely gardens.”

Wesche also recommends learning about the history of Birmingham and the fight for civil rights by visiting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute as well as the Negro League Museum.

“We also have a partnership with the Porsche Driving Experience at the Barber Motorsports Racetrack. It is great especially for corporate team building,” he said.

Wesche also added the hotel staff always adheres to strict CDC guidelines coupled with those from its parent company Marriott as it pertains to cleanliness and Covid safety. “That is very important to us and we’re grateful that our guests have been very cooperative of working with us to ensure their safety.”

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

21

summer travel

Space and Rocket Center reopens for exploration

is a live and interactive tour of all things Mars.

Join us as we explore the latest imagery and data from the Red Planet.

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

@RocketCenterUSA

A year ago, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville was closed to the public — like so many other venues around the world — because of the global pandemic. This year, this showcase for America’s space program is open and ready to welcome visitors for an awe-inspiring experience that includes new exhibits, planetarium programs and fun.

The Rocket Center has long been Alabama’s top paid tourist attraction, with visitors from around the world coming to see its world-class collection of artifacts, including the National Historic Landmark Saturn V Moon rocket and other mind-boggling achievements in space exploration. As the Official Visitor Center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Rocket Center shows how a small Southern agricultural town became the hub for space, defense and biotech research and development it is today.

Along with telling the story of the “Rocket City,” the Rocket Center brings in traveling exhibitions that provide visitors with a new experience each time they come. This summer’s exhibit, “Drones: Is the Sky the Limit,” will examine the modern phenomenon of drones, how they are being used today and the future role these unmanned aerial devices will play.

Developed by subject experts from the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and produced

by Imagine Exhibitions, “Drones” includes indepth label paneling and rich audio-visual content to explore one of the most intriguing and sometimes controversial topics today.

A visit to the Rocket Center isn’t complete without seeing a show in the INTUITIVE® Planetarium. This state-of-the-art planetarium provides stunning visuals of the universe and beyond. The planetarium’s staff puts together original programming based on the latest images available, including from the Perseverance rover that landed on Mars in February 2021.

Since it touched down in Jezero crater, the rover has sent back tens of thousands of images that will help us understand the planet better and assist in planning future missions, including ones with humans one day.

The Rocket Center has also added many new ways to explore the museum, which opened in 1970. Primarily reserved for attendees in the Rocket Center’s famed Space Camp program, the Underwater Astronaut Trainer is now open for visitors to try out a DIVR+ or Sea TREK experience. DIVR+ is a virtual reality snorkeling system with sensory feedback that provides a realistic VR experience for ages 7 and older, while Sea TREK is a fully guided underwater walking experience suitable for swimmers and divers of all skill levels, ages 10 and older.

summer travel Unmatched Customer Service • Superior Sewing Machine Brands Both these activities take place in the heated Underwater Astronaut Trainer, so participants should prepare to get wet!

Other extras include testing skills in an F-18 Super Hornet flight simulator, taking a spin on a Multi-Axis Trainer or walking in the moon boots of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin in a virtual reality recreation of the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Every Friday and Saturday, families can also sign up for IDEAS Lab and explore the universe through this hands-on learning lab.

With the closure of the museum for almost three months and the suspension of its Space Camp programs, the Rocket Center’s future was uncertain in 2020. It will be some time before the shadow the pandemic and the economic challenges it created for cultural and entertainment destinations is fully in the past, but the Rocket Center is ready to soar again in the spirit of exploration.

For more information about visiting the Rocket Center, visit rocketcenter. com.

Spend a day in the beauty of Bellingrath Gardens Guests at the Bellingrath Gardens and Home step out of time to stroll through a vibrant, ever-changing 65-acre estate Garden and tour the historic Bellingrath Home, built in 1935 and filled with the original antiques and collections of founders Walter and Bessie Bellingrath.

The oldest public garden in the state of Alabama, Bellingrath first opened to the public on April 7, 1932.

It takes most guests about 45 minutes to walk through the Gardens on their self-guided tour. The Bellingrath Home tour is a 30-minute visit led by veteran tour guides; on this tour, guests hear the Bellingraths’ story and view their original possessions. The Home, built in 1935, offers a unique look at life on the Gulf Coast in the 1930s and 1940s.

Walter Bellingrath was Mobile’s first Coca-Cola bottler. In 1919, overworked and under a great deal of stress, he purchased this property, which featured a rustic fishing camp, with the idea of using it a weekend retreat. His wife decided to plant old-growth azaleas and camellias to beautify the property, which they called “Belle Camp.” A few years later, the Bellingraths hired architect George B. Rogers to design their Gardens and give them a formal look.

As the Gardens were developed, their reputation grew as well. In April 1932, Mr. Bellingrath placed an ad in the Mobile Register, inviting the public to come and see the Gardens. According to some estimates, more than 4,700 Mobilians thronged to see Belle Camp. Life at the idyllic Fowl

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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summer travel

River retreat would never be the same.

In 1934, the Bellingraths decided that the Gardens needed to be open year-round and hired Rogers to design a permanent home at Belle Camp.

After the Home was completed, Mrs. Bellingrath began collecting fine antiques to furnish it, traveling around the South as well as to New York. She bought the finest quality antique silver, porcelains, furniture and crystal.

Dealers knew that she wanted the best and was willing to pay high prices when other wealthy customers were more interested in making a deal.

Bessie Morse Bellingrath died on Feb. 15, 1943, at the age of 64. She is buried at Magnolia Cemetery with her parents and other family members.

Mr. Bellingrath died 12 years later and is buried beside his wife.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home is dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Bellingrath, and the foundation created by her husband directs that the property is to be maintained as a suitable memorial to this generous and talented lady. The Home, which Mrs. Bellingrath took such a delight in furnishing, has been open to the public since Jan. 1, 1956.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home is in south Mobile County on the Fowl River, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Mobile. The Gardens are a 20-minute drive from Dauphin Island, which has beautiful beaches and charming restaurants. The Island also offers regular ferry service to Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores.

It’s easy to make a day of it at Bellingrath! Lunch is served daily in the Magnolia Café, which has room for up to 80 guests, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

After visiting the Gardens and Home, the perfect souvenir can be found in the well-stocked Gift Shop.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year, closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days.

Guided tours of the Bellingrath Home are offered hourly beginning at 9 a.m., with the last ticket sold at 3:30 p.m.

For details, visit bellingrath.org, or call (251) 973-2217.

Discover your story at L’Auberge Baton Rouge

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Life along the Mississippi is captured in every exquisite detail of the guest experience at L’Auberge Baton Rouge Casino and Hotel.

A contemporary interpretation of the classic lodge, the casino is a thrilling homage to the beauty, tradition and energy of Baton Rouge. Featuring the latest greats and classic favorites — 1,400 exhilarating slots grace the casino floor, combined with over 50 of the area’s most exciting table games and a smoking and gaming veranda with 3,000 square feet of open air and sweeping views of the Mississippi River.

Experience the best cuisine in the region at one of the distinct restaurants. Feast on eclectic cuisine and Southern comforts, featuring the allnew Red Lotus Asian Kitchen. Dine in on prime cuts of beef and perfectly paired wines at 18 STEAK, or take in a game while enjoying outstanding, colossal wings at Stadium Sports Bar & Grill. Dance the night away with DJs and rock out to area bands or see top-name entertainment at the 1,500 seat Event Center.

Experience the epitome of fine Louisiana living and revitalize at the AAA Four-Diamond hotel. Each gracious guest room and lavish suite tells a story, steeped in tradition of the South and inspired by the journeys of world travelers. All rooms include views of either the Mississippi River or the city of Baton Rouge.

After a night’s rest, be sure to take a dip and soak up the breathtaking views of the mighty Mississippi at the unique rooftop pool.

community Missing Louisiana, first Israeli Arab in top Israel Basketball league excels

New Name • New Hours Same Great Food & Drinks Same Great Service

By Richard Friedman “There is no difference between us when we are on the court,” says 25-yearold Shahd Abboud, the only Arab on Israel’s national women’s basketball team, and a former player at Northwestern State in Louisiana.

Abboud was one of three professional female Israeli basketball players who highlight- Shahd Abboud at the 2021 FIBA Women’s ed a recent online pro- EuroBasket Qualifiers gram on the impact of sports on race and religion.

The Maccabi USA program was sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League, Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, the Jewish Federation of Milwaukee, and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.

New Orleans Federation CEO Arnie Fielkow, a former president and CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, was one of the moderators.

Abboud’s basketball prowess has taken her all over Israel while growing up, to play with Jewish teams; to junior college in Texas, to Louisiana where she became a widely-admired star at Northwestern State, and back to Israel where she’s made a name for herself as one of the country’s top female basketball players.

Most young Arab women, be they Muslim or Christian, like Abboud, don’t have the chance to pursue sports careers. That’s because the emphasis in their culture is mostly on academics and developing professional skills. Women’s sports are not promoted.

Abboud, however, was cast in a different mold. Both of her parents are educators and basketball coaches, and progressives compared to their general culture. So they supported their daughter’s basketball pursuits.

Her parents would drive her all over Israel from their home in Nazareth so she could play on Jewish teams, which offered a higher level of competition.

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Trust and Dreams Allowing her to come to the U.S., first to play basketball at a junior college in Texas, then at Northwestern State, was another big show of support for her. “I was just 18 and didn’t speak much English. Yet they trusted me and let me follow my dreams.”

In high school, Abboud already was a part of the Israeli national team.

After a game in Europe, she was approached by an American who asked if she’d be interested in playing college ball in the U.S. That led to her playing two years of junior college basketball at Jacksonville College in east Texas. Her success there led to a scholarship offer from Louisiana’s Northwestern State University, located in Natchitoches.

Abboud has been back in Israel for four years where, as the first Christian Arab Israeli to play in the First Division League, she plays for Maccabi Haifa. Last year, she was named the league’s domestic MVP. Versatile on the court, Abboud at 5 feet, 11 inches, can play guard or forward. She can hit three-pointers, handles the ball well and plays with aggressiveness.

May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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ExtErior DEsigns, inc.

By Beverly Katz

community On the recent online program, Abboud was impressive and poised. She acknowledged that living in a region where religious and ethnic tensions are ongoing is a challenge. Israel is 75 percent Jewish. Of the remaining 25 percent, most are Arabs, though Muslims vastly outnumber Christians.

As an Israeli sports pioneer, Abboud receives media attention. She’s often asked about politics, a subject she doesn’t discuss publicly. On social media, about half the comments directed toward her are positive and half are negative. However, she says, that does not faze her.

Respected and Admired

Same Opportunities Now that Abboud is back home in Israel, advocating for women athletes, particularly in the Arab community, is important to her.

“I’m trying to do whatever I can in my community to have more female athletes have the same opportunity,” she said during the online program.

“We need to use our voices. I go to different schools and communities and tell younger Arab women that they can get to where I am now and they can do it,” she said.

“I think society will appreciate and respect women in sports when we stand up for what we believe in and voice what we deserve. I think the change is coming.”

As a result of the country’s preoccupation with security, being an Arab in Israel is not always easy. When the national team travels abroad, Abboud often is the only member airport security pulls aside for extended questioning. “It is not a good feeling. But my teammates never treat me differently, and at the end of the day that’s all that counts. I remain true to my identity and proud of who I am.”

She also doesn’t hesitate to dialogue privately with her Jewish teammates about issues that at times cause tension between their two communities. “We get along great. We love and respect each other in every way possible.”

Abboud doesn’t know how much longer she’ll play professionally. But she already knows that post-basketball she wants to work with athletes.

Meanwhile, her Louisiana legacy continues.

The Northwestern State community loved her, said Stoehr, a love that continues to this day.

“When a young man or woman puts on a jersey, our fans fall in love with these athletes — and they loved Shahd.”

And she, in turn, loved them.

Playing professional basketball is great, she says from her home in Nazareth, but playing at the college level, especially for the Northwestern State Demons, was something special.

She loved her teammates, she loved her school and she loved Louisiana, especially the people, their warmth, and the food. “I miss it very much. I’m grateful to God for the opportunity I was given.”

4 Storm Clean-Up

Northwestern State’s athletic director Greg Burke and Brooke Stoehr, who coached Abboud for a year, rave about her.

They say she was a serious and determined student-athlete, a fierce competitor who practiced good sportsmanship, and someone who was respected and admired by all who knew her.

Not only was she a winner, they agree, but she won over countless fans because of the way she carried herself on and off the court.

“She was an incredible teammate — one of the most selfless people you will meet,“ said Stoehr. “She wanted to be part of something bigger than herself.”

In addition to making her mark on the court, Abboud was involved in the community.

“She got to know people, in the program and beyond. They loved her personality. They appreciated how grateful she was, how respectful she was,” said Stoehr.

“Shahd sacrificed to go to college in the U.S. and have an experience outside of her normal upbringing. When you have players who do that it shows a lot of courage and commitment. There was a desire to represent her family and country well.”

Abboud’s uniqueness gave her the chance to make an impact beyond the basketball court, a role she welcomed.

“It was unusual to have a player from Israel, especially an Arab,” Stoehr recalls. “As we got to know Shahd, we got to know things we didn’t know — about her family, culture and country.”

This was a great experience for the team, says Stoehr. “It doesn’t happen very often. It was great for us to listen.”

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Three more virtual visits are planned for Re-Discovering the Land of Israel, a series of free virtual Israel tours, led by tour guide David Sussman.

The series is coordinated by the Atlanta Israel Coalition, in partnership with the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern U.S., the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Herut, and the Evans Family Foundation.

On May 23, the tour will be of the Artist Colony of Tzfat, the winding alleys of the city of Kabbalah. June 6 will be the Old and New in Tel Aviv and Jaffa, and June 27 will be a visit to the Golan Heights, one of Israel’s most scenic areas.

The tour will include a discussion about the politics of the Golan, with Major Ya’akov Selevan.

All tours are at 9 a.m. Central.

Register at bit.ly/TourIsrael-AIC

counselor’s corner a monthly feature from Collat Jewish Family Services

Thinking About How You Think

By Cynthia Bryant, LICSW The Covid pandemic has obviously impacted everyone’s life. Just when you think you have adapted to the current reality, new information and recommendations emerge.

Every day there seems to be a new report about vaccine effectiveness, mask guidelines and daily totals for active cases and mortalities. In addition, we hear of new Covid variants which may be more dangerous or contagious than previous strains. For many of us, being exposed to wave after wave of new information about this frightening virus has added stress and uncertainty to daily life.

How does one continue to cope in a healthy way? By now, you have likely heard how important it is to talk to others regularly, as well as getting fresh air, exercise and sufficient sleep — and all of these are vital to our well-being. However, In times of stress, it is also important to think about the way we think. The pandemic has put many of us in a state of “high alert,” which may cause us to assess every situation through a filter of caution, worry and fear. Interpreting daily life through such a negative lens can lead to depression and/or anxiety.

So how can we prevent these thoughts and concerns from damaging our mental health? Through the framework of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, a person can learn how to identify ingrained assumptions and negative thoughts. Once we have identified these assumptions, we can then “challenge” them with alternative interpretations of the same events.

Here are a few simple questions you can ask yourself to defuse “automatic negative thoughts” related to the pandemic or other troubling situations in our live: • Am I making assumptions about the situation? Am I assuming the worst?

• Is there a way to look at the positives in the situation? What can I accept about the situation?

• Is the way I am thinking helping the situation? Or making it worse?

• How much of the situation is in my control?

• Do I have a trusted friend with whom I can check in about my anxious/depressed thoughts?

• How can my religious or spiritual beliefs help me with this?

• How have I made it through stressful times in the past?

Asking ourselves these questions may enable us to: • Release matters that are beyond our control.

• Feel empowered in the things we can control.

• Gain a sense of balance rather than becoming mired in “all or nothing” thinking.

• Accurately assess a stressor and recognize our own strengths and resiliency.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help individuals find a healthier way to respond to many of life’s challenges, past or present. The Licensed Clinical Social Workers of CJFS offer CBT as well as other approaches to overall wellness and improved mental health.

To learn more or make an appointment, contact Clinical Director Marcy Morgenbesser, marcy@cjfsbham.org or 205.879.3438.

May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

Evelyn’s Southern Fare

By Lee J. Green Family and the farm-to-table fabric fed the inspiration for Christie and Tim Lowe, who officially launched Evelyn’s Southern Home in Mountain Brook’s English Village on May 3.

The restaurant was known as Bobby Carl’s Table since it opened in the summer of 2019. The Lowes parted ways with co-owner and executive chef Trey McLemore late last spring. They hired Chris Melville as their executive chef and incorporated some changes to the menu as they reached out to their customers during the pandemic.

“The name change is the last step in this evolution that started last spring,” said Christie Lowe. “Evelyn was Tim’s grandmother. His grandfather was the mayor of Vincent and Evelyn was the embodiment of hospitality. She was a great cook and she always saw the beauty in everyday life.”

Lowe said they feel like their customers and employees are family.

That is what helped them to together navigate the changing environment during the pandemic.

“Caring for folks and cleanliness have always been so important,” she said. “We put even greater emphasis on those things as we reached out to our customers with curbside pick-up, take-home meals, online ordering… and expanding our patio seating. The community has been so supportive of us and we want to do anything we can to show them how important that is to us.”

community >> Rear Pew

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what was once sacrificed for the stage and how we continue to sacrifice for it even today.

In ancient times, men performed all the roles.

Even today, some traditional, non-egalitarian services still follow that custom. We are an egalitarian establishment, so women are allowed and encouraged to play women’s roles. In some instances, you might find women performing roles originally intended for men as well.

As mentioned before, much of our service is done facing the location of the First and Second

>> Evelyn’s

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Evelyn’s Southern Fare currently opens at 4 p.m. for a cocktail hour and small plates. The cocktails include some of Quinton Chandler’s craft cocktail creations, such as The Civitas (Herradura, tamarind, ginger, lime) and the 2101 (Tito’s, Chambord, Hummingbird), along with beer and wine. The kosher-style small plates include fried Brussel sprouts, pimento cheese and fried green tomatoes.

Other kosher-style menu items include the snapper sandwich, wedge salad, the Alabama collard melt, gulf flounder and sauteed sunburst trout.

The dinner menu adds some higher-end, fresh seafood and meat entrees including gulf flounder and sauteed sunburst trout.

Lowe said Evelyn’s Southern Fare has enhanced its craft cocktail, beer and wine lists.

Quinton Chandler’s craft cocktail creations such as The Civitas (Herradura, tamarind, ginger, lime) and the 2101 (Tito’s, Chambord, Hummingbird) highlight the list.

“We’re all about fresh, made-to-order and local-sourcing,” she said, adding that they were inspired by Tim’s grandparents, who also ran a successful farm. “We want to serve our customers the foods that we love and grew up with, presented in a creative way. It’s all about good food prepared the right way.” continued on page 24

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Globe Theatre in our ancient capital, London.

Of course, the First Globe burned due to a cannon accident during Henry VIII. The Second Globe was built on the old foundation, but it too was razed after too short an existence, forcing worship of the Bard to scatter throughout the diaspora.

Hundreds of years later, in the latter half of the 20th century, the remaining Globe foundation was made accessible again. With a replica now built on those same grounds, hundreds of thousands flock to this spiritual and cultural hub every year.

If you are here in the fall, you might see a special hut outside. It’s part of an annual holiday celebrating the small temporary shelters in which traveling actors had to perform in the

days before The Globe was built. The hut has a special thatched roof similar to those temporary shelters of old and to that which topped The Globe itself.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask the people around you. While fair is foul and foul is fair, no fair question will be treated as foul. Even if you ask about the annual rite of spring: The Passover Satyr Play.

Doug Brook appears live in the one-man play “Shylock” online June 4 to 20, including Central Time-friendly matinees. For tickets, go to https:// www.svshakespeare.org/our-season/shylock/. To read past columns, visit http://brookwrite.com/.

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

The Bard Mitzvah Reimagined after 13 more years training b’nai mitzvah and six years leading a Shakespeare company…

Welcome to this morning’s Bard Mitzvah celebration. This guide explains the service you are about to experience, and the fundamentals of its underlying faith system.

You’ve already noticed that people are wearing unusual head coverings and pieces around their necks. These are traditional garments, similar to those worn since the beginning, in the Sixteenth Century along the River Avon.

Many people find the language you’re about to experience cryptic and difficult to understand. You should still be able to follow what’s going on even if you don’t understand every word. Also, with a little attention and study, the language comes to people in time. The books in front of you will help guide you, providing translations into modern English as well as commentary on the original text.

This service is divided into five parts.

The preliminary service, or Prologue, sets the mood for what’s to come.

It includes the reading of numerous Sonnets. The Sonnets are a collection of the Bard’s 154 poetic renderings that, in many varied ways, express love and devotion.

The second part of the service is a devotional. When we rise to our feet, we face northeast, the traditional direction from the Americas and lower England toward the original center of our worship: the sacred Globe Theatre in London.

Included in this part of the service is an expression of monothespism, the belief that there is only one true Shakespeare (referred to informally as HaShakes). This communal declaration denies any theories that there was no single Shakespeare, or that his mastery was the work of other hands.

The third part is usually cut, except on holidays. It contains several more Sonnets, reserved for extra praise on those special days.

The fourth part of the service is the main event: a reading from scripture. A particular script is associated with every week of the year. Originally written on papyrus, many of the scripts recount historical events and the lives of kings, while others are more allegorical on social themes.

Some readings are lighter or philosophical, while others demonstrate war and intrigue at levels some consider surprisingly graphic.

The scripts include the 37 commonly attributed to Shakespeare, plus three others previously considered lost. These plus the 11 scripts in the Shakespearean Apocrypha comprise a full year of readings.

Traditional establishments read an entire play every Saturday. Some newer movements follow a quintennial cycle, in which one act is read each year. This way, all plays are read in their entirety after five years.

For example, a popular mid-fall reading is best known for the pivotal role of a great storm and the people on a boat that weathered it: The Tempest.

The readings themselves have a special rhythm and cadence in which they are performed. Every Bard Mitzvah student must learn an excerpt, but it often takes years of study to master the skill for all texts. Even more difficult is that the script itself does not include notation of the rhythm or cadence, and sometimes little more than paragraph breaks.

The final part of the service is reminiscent of the sacrifices made in ancient times, figurative and sometimes literal, for the craft. While we don’t indulge in the same practices today, this service is a reminder of continued on previous page

May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life

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May 2021 • Southern Jewish Life