SJL Deep South, July 2018

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

Volume 28 Issue 6

July 2018

Southern Jewish Life

shalom y’all shalom y’all y’all shalom It is one of the best-known moral tenets in Judaism — one should not rejoice at the downfall of one’s enemy.

Each year at Passover, the most widely observed holiday in Judaism, part of the Seder is the spilling of a symbol of joy — wine — to acknowledge what Egypt had to go through for the Israelites to gain their freedom.

Remember, this was after 400 years of slavery and inhumane edicts by Pharoah, and yet we are commanded to feel some sorrow for the Egyptians.

As we are told, when the angels celebrated the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea and the Egyptians’ inability to follow, God rebuked the angels, asking how they could sing while Her children were drowning in the sea.

If anti-Israel activists on the extreme left are to be believed, though, the Jewish community feels no pain at the deaths of Gazans over the last couple of months, and the activists set out to do something about it, using one of the most important prayers in Judaism — the Mourner’s Kaddish.

Yes, the same Kaddish recited by even the most secular and uninvolved of Jews when close relatives die, was used by these groups to mourn Hamas members who are sworn to kill Jews.

On April 4, in a demonstration outside the Union for Reform Judaism in New York, a group from IfNotNow — the same group that wants Jewish summer camps to teach about the “evils of occupation” — said the Kaddish for Hamas members.

A week later, members of the same organization forced their way into the office of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, demanding the Federation condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza, and again reciting the Kaddish while naming Gazans killed that week.

The most notorious event came on May 16, two days after the May 14 clashes that left 62 Gazans dead. About 50 British Jews gathered outside Parliament to condemn Israel, culminating in the reciting of the names of Gazans who were killed, followed by

Read SJL Cover Image: Courtesy Haspel

Anywhere Read SJL editions are Our digital Anywhere always available at

SJLmag.com.

Our digital editions arealso choose to You may always available go paperless and have at each sjlmag.com. month’s magazine You may alsoto your inbox. delivered choose to go paperless and have each month’s magazine delivered to your inbox.

sjlmag.com sjlmag.com /sjlmag

/sjlmag

@sjlmag /southern /sjlmag jewishlife

@sjlmag /southern /sjlmag jewish sjlmag sjlmag /sjlmag life

Larry Brook EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Larry Brook

EDITOR@SJLMAG.COM

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

EDITOR@SJLMAG.COM

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 3

commentary

MESSAGES

Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games I have had the honor of attending many Maccabi competitions around the world. From Israel Kaddish. services asgames a weapon inthe its United battle States for power to Australia to South America, Europe and the JCC Maccabi around The demonstrators received a harsh reagainst Hamas.

And both groups foment and Canada, I have logged many miles seeing how sports can be a vehicle to help build Jewish the sponse person, magnified many times over threat of violence that has kept checkpoints identity,inespecially in our young. on social media, with many bemoaning that and Israeli security measures in place.

I feltJewry honored come to Birmingham for the firstAlso, timeunless and fellone in love with the city British wastotearing itself apart. relied on not the just horrible mainbut people. have taken Southern hospitality to a new levelcoverage with your of kind and caring If the Israel had You mistakenly bombed a civilian stream media Gaza, it became approach the JCC Games. target in toGaza andMaccabi killed non-combatants, widely known pretty quickly that almost all of that’s thing.

Fewand would object memori- those killedwere on May 14, and They goingpartnered back severLedone by the Sokol Helds, yourto hard-working volunteers wonderful. alizing innocents.

(Of course, is notoriweeks the JCC startMaccabi of the “March Return,” with your outstanding staff, ledHamas

by Betzy Lynch, toalmake theto2017 games of a huge hit. ous for using civilian facilities like schools and as the “demonstrations” were called, weren’t I want to take this opportunity as executive director of Maccabi USA to say thank you on behalf hospitals as involved. cover for military bases, but that’s random civilians, but Hamas operatives, emof everyone another column). bedded in the civilian crowd that Hamas had I had just 20th World Maccabiah games in paid Israeltowith a U.S. While thereturned Kaddishfrom was the what attracted at- bused in and storm thedelegation border. of over 1100, who joined 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries.

Back in July the eyes of thewould entire tention, these gatherings weren’t to mourn These operatives are people who Jewish world were on Jerusalem and the Maccabiah.

This past month with 1000 athletes and Gazans, they were to castigate Israel for de- have no problem killing every single one of coaches itself, from or around world being in Birmingham, became the focal point. fending as thethe demonstrators called it, thoseyou British or IfNotNow demonstrators, and committing actscommunity of violence,” and these idealists in their advanced form of moEveryone “outrageous from the Jewish and the community at large, including a wonderful to criticize the Jewish community rality away. police force, aremainstream to be commended.

These games will goexplain down inthat history as being a seminal for insufficient condemnation of as Israel’s ac- to theOne of the British organizers acknowledged moment for the Jewish community we build future by providing such wonderful Jewish tions. that some of the Hamas members might have memories.

Kaddish wasn’t for Gazans to hear, it wanted to kill him, but he told JTA “their politiJedThe Margolis was for rest ofMaccabi the unenlightened Jew- cal opinions are not the issue.”

Executivethe Director, USA ish community, When a Palestinian is killed while perpewhich for some trating an act of terrorism, it is typical to see Saying to see pusheddelighted back reason has the asupremacists news reportwould of thelike proud mother, On Charlottesville Kaddish to into aher corner to feel lesser. We stand odd notion that that son and has made become a martyr.

With that with and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, has in a right type of reaction, does one really think that mourn those Editor’s Note: This reaction to Israel the events whowould was there standingand up tohave the face offuzzies this to do something she be touched warm Charlottesville, written by Jeremy Newman, who want to hate. about 30,000 that a group of Jews did the Jewish memorial Master of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Theta Colony people trying to prayer in his memory?

We recognize the essence of the American at kill Auburn University,

by AEPi Jews andwas shared Of course, the Kaddish narrative as a two-century oldnever strugglementions to rid National, which called it “verybreak eloquent”through and destroy Israel? border death or mourning.

Instead, is a declaration ourselves of such corners, anditallow those in praised “our brothers at AEPi aTheta Colonyfence at numerous of enduring Godthat during individuthem the seatfaith at theintable they an so deserve.

Auburn University and… the near leadership they Israeli communities and follow instructions to al’s time of deepest grief and despair.

It also It is the struggle to fulfill the promise of the display on their campus.” “rip (Israeli) hearts out.” mentions theofestablishment God’s Declaration Independence,ofthat “allkingdom men are The implication is that anyone acknowledg- “speedily” with the entire by House Israel. with How created equal… endowed theirof Creator ingWhite Israel’ssupremacy right to self-defense noton being does one even utter those words has been a and cancer certain unalienable rights. ” We knowover oursomework sufficiently perfectly happy seeing one to but seewe Israel completely our countryoutraged since itsisbeginning, threatening is farwho fromwants finished, know we will notdedead Palestinians. couldangels. be further stroyed and the death of Jews, as the Hamas its hopes, its values,Nothing and its better move backwards. from the truth, and it is ain blood libel against charter calls for?

The events that took place Charlottesville When men and women, take the Jewish community.

The Kaddish ends withfully twoarmed, lines praying represented the worst of this nation. Those to the streets in droves with swastikas and When Palestinians are killed, are torches Israelis for peace “for us and all of Israel.” Organizers who marched onto the streets with tiki other hate, it is a reminder of how passing out candy streets?

Never, thesymbols May 16 of British demonstration referred and swastikas did soin to the provoke violence andyet of relevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism that routine inmarched Palestinian towns when Israeto the end of the Kaddish as “a plea for unifear.isThose who onto the streets did are today.

It is which a wake-up calloftocourse, the work that lis murdered. versal peace,” is not, how the soare to profess an ideology that harkens back to needs to be done to ensure a better, more Are Israeli public soccer Kaddish has always been, nor is it the desire a bleaker, moreparks, wretched time squares, in our history. welcoming teams afterand those who kill Palestinians?

Hamas. country. But it should not come A timenamed when men women of many creeds, of without reflection onadded how far come.

Of course but itwere is just dayand in the Some agroups have thewe’ve phrase “for all races, and not, religions faranother from equal far America wasEarth” born in a slave nation. life forsafe theinPalestinian Authority, which pays a who dwell on addition to, A orcentury in some from our own borders.

A time where into our we engaged in a war partfinal generous to those who attack cases in history replacement of, “Israel” ininthe Americansstipend lived under a constant cloudIsraelis. of to ensure we would not continue as one.aWe Yes, there is outrage and among supporters Is- sentence of the Kaddish.

Admittedly, lot of racism, anti-Semitism pervasive hate. of The found ourselves confronted the issue of civil rael at what is happening in Gaza. But the out- groups who have made thatbychange aren’t on events that took place in Charlottesville served rights, and and embarked onphrase a mission to ensureunirage is directed at the Palestinian leadership the fringe use the as benign as a reminder of how painfully relevant these the fair treatment of all peoples no matter their that from and abuses the Palestinian versalism. issuessteals are today. skin color. Although people in their fruitless quest to get rid of IsraMourning Hamas? we’ve made great strides, Auburn’s Alpha Epsilon Pi stands with the it is a mission we’rebestill grappling with today. el, the Hamas leadership that steals cement for It is good to Jewish community of Charlottesville, and rebuilding homes and around insteadthe rebuilds terror open minded, America wasbut alsotoborn an immigrant with the Jewish people country tunnels, that refuses assistance from Israel and quote an old saying, country. As early as the pilgrims, many and around the world. We also stand with the damages own Pales- “not open thatfound in the country the groupssoand families minoritiesits who areinfrastructure; targeted by theand hateathat tinian Authority that uses funding for basic your brains fall out.” opportunity to plant stakes, chase their future, was on display in Charlottesville. We stand with the minorities of whom these white

4 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

and be themselves. Few were met with open

July 20182018 February

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING SPECIALIST Annetta Dolowitz annetta@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com SOCIAL/WEB Alexis Polack connect@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rivka Epstein, Zach Aaronson, Tally Werthan, Alex Bloch, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 14 Office Park Circle #104 Birmingham, AL 35223 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 985/807.1131 TOLL-FREE 866/446.5894 FAX 866/392.7750 connect@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com or Annetta Dolowitz, annetta@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South.

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

Outside the area, subscriptions are $25/year, $40/two years. Subscribe via sjlmag.com, call 205/870.7889 or mail payment to the address above.

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed in SJL are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. SJL makes no claims as to the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains the right to refuse any advertisement.

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 Three weeks after arriving in Birmingham, Bethany and Rabbi Stephen Slater have a bris for their newborn son, Emet James Madison Slater, at Temple Beth-El on July 4. Slater, who just started as Beth-El’s new rabbi, did the procedure, assisted by Fran Ivker.

In Alabama, where have all the rabbis gone?

Due to unusual circumstances, state will have only one full-time Reform pulpit rabbi this year With the announcement that Temple Beth Or in Montgomery has hired Rabbi Scott Looper as its new rabbi, Reform congregations in Alabama have avoided an unprecedented circumstance. Before a June 10 congregational meeting at Beth Or, it looked like there would be no fulltime Reform pulpit rabbis in Alabama for the coming year.

As it stands, only one Reform congregation — Beth Or, which has 137 families — will have a full-time rabbi, something that has not happened in the state since the 1800s, when there were fewer, and smaller, congregations.

In a state where many rabbis have lengthy tenures, this circumstance is seen as a fluke because of two retirements around the same time, and unfruitful rabbinic searches.

Those involved in searches at some of the congregations related that the U.S. Senate special election in Alabama was a hindrance, as some candidates were reluctant to apply before the Dec. 12 vote, with former Alabama Chief

Justice Roy Moore seen as the strong favorite.

Moore’s religious grandstanding led to him being removed from office twice for ignoring court orders that went against his interpretation of his religious obligations. He also was dogged by allegations of long-ago improper relationships with then-underage girls.

Democrat Doug Jones eventually won the special election.

Beth Or’s previous rabbi, Elliot Stevens, died in June 2017 after a bout with pancreatic cancer.

Ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1989, Looper left Or Shalom in the Chicago area in 2014 after 20 years with the congregation.

Last year, there were just two full-time Reform pulpit rabbis in Alabama, already an unusually low number. Temple B’nai Sholom had Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar, who left in June to take a pulpit in Jacksonville after nine years in Huntsville.

Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile had

Rabbi Dana Kaplan, who came to the congregation as an interim rabbi in 2015, following the retirement of Rabbi Donald Kunstadt. Kunstadt had been at the Mobile congregation since 1987.

Kaplan, who had previously been rabbi of the United Congregation of Israelites in Jamaica, and B’nai Israel in Albany, Ga., was asked to stay beyond his interim year, but last month, it was announced that he would not continue with the congregation when his current contract ends on July 31.

On June 8, an email from Springhill Avenue Temple President Mike Pereira informed the congregation that on June 6, a rabbinic search committee had been formed, with Alan Goldberg and Maure Sternberg as co-chairs.

Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El, which is the state’s largest synagogue with 609 families, had an interim rabbi this past year, Douglas Kohn, following the 2017 retirement of Rabbi Jonathan Miller, who came to Emanu-El in 1991.

Emanu-El will be served by Student Rabbi July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 5

Moving? Downsizing?

Estate Sale?

Call Thomas F. DeVine DeVine Estate Sales

(205) 238-9356

agenda Leah Nussbaum twice a month starting in September, while the search for a full-time rabbi will take place this year. Emanu-El has an interim director of education, Lynda Gutcheon, and a new director of congregational engagement, Monika Flurer Singletary.

The other Alabama Reform congregation that had a full-time rabbi recently is Temple Emanu-El in Dothan, where Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith retired in 2017 after 10 years in the town. They will have a student rabbi this year.

Among other Reform congregations in the state, Tuscaloosa’s Temple Emanu-El is served part-time by Rabbi Steven Jacobs, the Aaron Aronov Chair of Judaic Studies at the University of Alabama. Mishkan Israel in Selma has only a handful of members remaining. Beth Shalom in Auburn receives educational and rabbinic services from the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson.

On June 22, Rabbi Irving Bloom retired from Temple Beth-El in Anniston, where he had been visiting rabbi for 15 years, traveling monthly from Atlanta.

Florence’s B’nai Israel is served every other week by Rabbi Nancy Tunick of Nashville.

Among Conservative congregations in the state, Rabbi Steven Silberman has been at Mobile’s Ahavas Chesed since 1990 and is now the pulpit rabbi with the longest single-congregation tenure in the state, and Rabbi Scott Kramer has been at Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery since 2007.

Temple Beth-El, the state’s largest Conservative congregation, welcomed Rabbi Stephen Slater in June, and he and his wife had a son on June 27, two weeks after arriving in the city.

Etz Chayim in Huntsville, the state’s smallest Conservative congregation, does not have a full-time rabbi, but Rabbi Stephen Listfield visits monthly from Atlanta.

Rabbi Moshe Rube started at Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel, the state’s Orthodox congregation, in 2017. With just one year, he is the longest-serving congregational rabbi in the state’s largest Jewish community.

Chabad maintains a rabbinic presence and educational centers in Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Mobile.

letters to the editor ForbeAhere Fit New Year!

Summer will before you know it…

AdvoCare Independent Distributor JoEllen Brown is happy to work with you on health/wellness/nutrition products. Customer programs, distributorships and business opportunities available.

205-249-3202 joellenb@ymail.com www.rehydratelife.com

6 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy bodes ill for the future of many issues the National Council of Jewish Women cares deeply about and that affect all Americans and others living in our country. From reproductive rights to civil rights, from immigration to civil liberties and to many other matters of urgent concern, we have reason to be alarmed about what kind of justice President Trump will nominate.

With the elimination of the filibuster, a tool for moderation, we worry how that nominee will be judged by the Senate.

The odds are great that the next nominee will resemble Neil Gorsuch in ideology. Regardless, we will not back down in our efforts to educate the public about what is at stake when a Supreme Court seat is open, as well as when federal judges are nominated at every level to lifetime seats.

We will not back down in our efforts let our senators know how we regard any nominee. We will not give up pointing out how much voting in November matters to the direction of our judicial branch. We will continue fighting to preserve rights we have won over the past decades.

And, we will not stop until we save our federal courts from ideological extremists’ intent on favoring the wealthy and corporations over everyday Americans.

Ina Weber Davis New Orleans NCJW Washington Operations Office Maddie Fireman New Orleans NCJW State Policy Advocate

agenda Belgium’s Righteous Rescuers

In Baton Rouge talk, Jan Maes explores heroism during Holocaust Historian Jan Maes will visit Baton Rouge for a presentation on those who tried to rescue Jews from the Holocaust in Belgium.

“Rescue in Belgium: Life and Death Choices for Jews and Their Rescuers During the Holocaust” will be on July 17 at 7 p.m., at The Red Shoes. The event is presented by Chabad of Baton Rouge.

Maes will discuss the roles of bystanders, victims and perpetrators involved in an informal network of Protestants who tried to rescue Jews from 1942 to 1944 around Antwerp and Louvain. He originally did the research while pursuing a master’s degree in religious sciences at the Catholic University of Louvain in 2006.

While the Belgian state cooperated with the Nazis in deporting Jews, in 2013 Yad Vashem re-

ported that Belgium had 1,612 Righteous Among the Nations, non-Jews who saved Jewish lives in the Holocaust, the third-highest number in Western Europe, behind only France and Holland.

Of Belgium’s 66,000 Jews, 28,902 were murdered by the Nazis, and in 2012 Belgium finally officially admitted complicity.

Among the stories Maes uncovered is that of Madeleine Cornet, who hired three housemaids in 1942, not wanting to ask them about their ethnicity. The three women were Jews who had escaped the deportations being organized by Nazi collaborator Leon Degrelle — Cornet’s brother.

Tickets are $20 after July 4, and can be purchased at chabadbr.com. Sponsorships start at $180.

B’nai Israel Synagogue in Pensacola is hosting a Candidate Forum, featuring the candidates for Florida’s first Congressional district.

July 15 at 1 p.m. The Democrat and Republican candidates will do brief introductory speeches, and then answer audience questions on a variety of foreign and domestic issues. Mike Bates of WEBY-AM will moderate.

The forum is free and open to the community, a kosher lunch will be available for a nominal fee at noon.

Pensacola’s Temple Beth-El is having its 11th annual poker night on Aug. 25, the congregation’s largest fundraiser. The No Limit Hold’em tournament is $100 for the first 100 pre-registered participants, $110 at the door.

Participants get $3,000 in chips and can rebuy for $100 until 7:15 p.m. There is a one-time add-on of $5,000 from 7 to 7:15 p.m. Blinds start at 25/50 and go up every 45 minutes until the break at 7 p.m., then at 30 min. intervals.

Doors open at 4:15 p.m., play begins at 5 p.m.

Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel will bring Refreshments are free, there will be a cash bar. back the SEED program this month. Four Non-monetary prizes will go to the top nine rabbinic students will be visiting the commu- players. nity from July 12 to 24, doing a series of edBirmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will celeucational programs and outreach throughout brate the culmination of the first summer of the community, including Shabbat dinners. Hillel Connections, July 27 at the 5:40 p.m.

On July 22 they will lead a Tisha B’Av program, service. The program, through the University “Walking Through Tears.” The program sched- of Alabama Hillel, matches students with sumule was not finalized at press time. mer internship opportunities in Birmingham, Temple B’nai Israel in Tupelo is holding a where the students can also learn about the musical tribute in memory of Jack Cristil, a Birmingham Jewish community and future B’nai Israel member who was the radio voice opportunities. They will share their thoughts of Mississippi State athletics for decades. Don about the experience during the service. OrPuglisi and The Sharecroppers volunteered to ganizers are looking for additional employers do the July 12 concert, which is free but dona- for next summer, and “family friends” to be tions are encouraged at the door, as proceeds paired with Jewish students during the year, from the 7:30 p.m. event will go to the small as 89 percent of Jewish first-year students at congregation. The performance will feature Bama last year were from out of state. “some music you know and some you don’t, Chabad of Mobile announced that the from blues and rock to the British invasion.” Chabad Roving Rabbi program will be in The event is BYOB, set-ups and soft drinks will the region from Aug. 6 to 15, visiting locations be available for purchase. from Dothan to Dauphin Island.

The North Louisiana Jewish Federation will hold its annual meeting on July 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Wine Country Bistro on Line Avenue in Shreveport. Reservations are required, and one needs to be a Federation member to attend.

The Annual Bazaar at Beth Israel in Jackson was just a couple of months ago, but donations are already being solicited for the 52nd annual event, which will be held next spring.

Each member is asked to donate at least two items for the silent auction. Items can be

Sanders Painting Residential Repaint Specialist • Interior/Exterior Painting • Wood, Plaster, & Sheet Rock Repair Family Owned and Operated

205/563-9037 Involved Members of Birmingham’s Jewish Community

Experience Matters.

Trust the care of your trees to the professionals.

Tree Removal Crane Services Stump Removal Tree Trimming 24 HOUR EMERGENCY STORM SERVICES Fully licensed & insured • Call for free estimates

205-956-3000 July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 7

Does your security system need an update?

agenda dropped off on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the gift shop.

The Temple B’nai Sholom Brotherhood in Huntsville will have a poker night, July 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Chabad of Baton Rouge is holding its annual scholarship raffle, selling $50 tickets to a raffle with a grand prize of $10,000. The proceeds go toward scholarships for JUDA, Jewish Learning Institute, holiday programs and more, so nobody is turned away from programs due to financial difficulties. Tickets may be purchased at Chabadbr.com/ raffle, and the drawing will be July 18.

Alscan’s new network-based security systems can be monitored and controlled from anywhere, so you can hold down the fort wherever you go

Florence’s B’nai Israel will have a Sunday Picnic in McFarland Park on July 29. The picnic will be catered, with a $10 charge per person for food and drink.

The next meetings of the Criminal Justice Reform Group at Beth Israel in Jackson will be July 17 and Aug. 19 at 1 p.m.

Now available! Israeli-developed employee integrity testing

Our Business is Minding Yours CCTV

TM

ACCESS CONTROL PERIMETER PROTECTION Atlanta Birmingham www.alscaninc.com • 800-951-0051

Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge will have a Shabbat celebration and dinner honoring Dottie Smith, who is retiring after three decades of service as director of the Alfred G. Rayner Learning Center, which serves children from infants to preschool. The service will be on Aug. 3 at 6 p.m.

The North Louisiana Jewish Film Series continues on July 24 at 10:30 a.m. with a screening of “An American Tail” at the Robinson Film Center in Shreveport. The campers from Camp Chai will be attending.

This is part of a new series, where a Jewish-themed film will be shown every other month, rather than having a week of films for a Jewish film festival.

Rabbi Robert Loewy, rabbi emeritus of Gates of Prayer in Metairie, will lead Shabbat services at Temple Shalom in Lafayette on July 20. There will be a dairy dinner at 6:30 p.m., followed by the service at 7:30 p.m., during which the Barber family will be welcomed to the community.

Torah On Tap in Pensacola returns on Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. at Union Public House. This month’s topic with Rabbi Joel Fleekop will be “Babies at the Border: Jewish Approaches to Immigration.”

Temple Sinai in Lake Charles will have a Reuben Night on July 13 at 6 p.m. The $10 per person will go to offset expenses from the corned beef fundraiser. An abbreviated service will be followed by the screening of “Broadway Musicals.” Reservations are needed.

Camp Chai in Shreveport, coordinated by the North Louisiana Jewish Federation, will be at B’nai Zion from July 16 to 27.

Gan Shalom Preschool at Ahavas Chesed in Mobile holds “Beyond the Sea” summer camp the week of July 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Conexx Young Professionals group will have a Cryptocurrency panel, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. (Eastern) at Salesloft on West Peachtree Street in Atlanta.

Outdoor Dining (weather permitting) Expanded Dining Room — Perfect for Private Parties

Check out our Changing Seasonal Menu!

Lamb Chops • Beet Salad • Seafood • Local Organic Produce and Meats

Contact us for your catering needs!

Open for Lunch and Dinner

www.bistro-v.com

Mon-Sat 11a-2p & 5-9p

521 Montgomery Hwy, Suite 113 Vestavia Hills (205) 8 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

823-1505

Ahavas Chesed in Mobile will have a tallit-making workshop on July 24 and 31 at 7 p.m. Any Jewish person age 13 and over is welcome.

Attendees must provide their own fabric, and the fringes are available for $18 per set.

On The Cover: As part of the “Violins of Hope” programs

in Birmingham in April, over 40 students in Birmingham city high schools did an art project as part of attending Holocaust education programs. They used found objects, with industrial pallets as the main material, in the style of noted artist Thornton Dial, to create a visual story. The works are on display at the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center.

Photo by Matt Tarr

Rabbi Robert and Lynn Loewy

Shalom Rav

Gates of Prayer honors Loewys for over a generation of service to congregation, community After 34 years on the pulpit of Gates of Prayer in Metairie, there are plenty of stories about Rabbi Robert Loewy.

Many of those “shared experiences” were related at a gala weekend on May 11 and 12, celebrating Loewy’s retirement from the pulpit and “promotion” to rabbi emeritus.

His many accomplishments over those years were recounted, and recurring themes throughout the weekend included the importance of Jewish summer camp, and Loewy’s efforts following the levee breach after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The weekend was themed “Shalom Rav,” after the prayer that is sung in the evening service. While the prayer’s translation is “a great peace,” it can also mean “Shalom, rabbi.”

As a theme, “It’s a lot better than ‘out with the old, in with the new’,” Loewy commented.

Loewy recalled how his childhood at summer camp was where he first heard the now-common tune for “Shalom Rav.” Rabbi Howard Laibson was guest speaker for the Shabbat evening service on May 11. Loewy met Laibson during the summer of 1967, when Laibson was president of the Southern California Federation of Temple Youth, and Loewy was president of the Long Island Federation of Temple Youth.

In 1981, Loewy was associate rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El in Houston, and Laibson was the newly ordained rabbi coming there to be the assistant rabbi. “A fast friendship has been made ever since,” Loewy said.

Laibson said when the Southern California boy arrived in Houston, he was “completely out of my element and had no idea what I was doing.”

Loewy took him under his wings and showed him the ropes “He mentored me. He mentored me really well, and thoroughly,” and through that experience Laibson said he “truly became a rabbi.”

Loewy later commented that while he learned Judaism at the seminary, it was also at Emanu-El where he learned how to be a rabbi. The two moved on at the same time, with Laibson heading to New Mexico and Loewy arriving in Metairie during the summer of 1984.

It was mentioned that Loewy did a filmed tribute for Laibson’s 60th birthday, which was a fundraising gala for his congregation. Loewy was in a tuxedo and bow tie, but then the camera panned down to show him in shorts and flip-flops.

During the service, Gates of Prayer President David Dulitz recounted

“Shalom”

The mysteries of Ancient Hebrew letter forms enhance the study and understanding of Torah…

New Orleans Artist Marla Jean Clinesmith paints Ancient Hebrew word pictures in bright, contemporary compositions, showing the letters’ deeper meanings

Art Jewelry Prints Cards “Shalom” pendant

15% discount for SJL readers: Use code SJL15

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 9

Want a smile like Cathy’s?

Donate your old car to Collat Jewish Family Services

You’ll be happy knowing you’re providing care and support for older adults, and you can donate from any state, whatever the condition of your car!

To learn more, contact elaine@cjfsbham.org or call 205.879.3438

www.cjfsbham.org

10 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

community Loewy’s accomplishments.

“Who would have thought a nice Jewish boy from Long Island would wind up not only being a rabbi in the South, but would remain in the South, New Orleans in particular, for the next 34 years,” he mused.

“They made New Orleans not a stop, but made it their home.”

He said Loewy focused on education for all ages, and was a strong proponent for a citywide youth group instead of smaller, individual chapters at each Reform congregation.

“The process was challenging… but eventually a stronger Photo by Chip Mann program emerged.”

A picnic was held in Rabbi Loewy’s honor on Shabbat Loewy encouraged outreach to unaffiliated young adults afternoon, May 12 outside the walls of the synagogue and strongly promoted the benefits of noting that “we have made the West Esplanade Jewish summer camp. corridor a model of respect and cooperation Dulitz also spoke of Loewy’s actions follow- among Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and ing Hurricane Katrina. “It was during this time Chabad congregations, a model for the entire that Rabbi Loewy shone brightest” as a “con- country.” stant, steadying and reassuring presence.”

On Shabbat morning, a parade of Loewy’s He had the “foresight and empathy” to help former B’nai Mitzvah and Confirmands led the Beth Israel, New Orleans’ Orthodox congre- service, with Rabbi Judith Lazarus Siegal, who gation, whose facility was completely flooded grew up at Gates of Prayer, giving the d’var Toand rendered unusable. Beth Israel moved into rah. space at Gates of Prayer, remaining there until The morning was “all about you,” Loewy told their new building next door was completed in the crowd.

2012.

The night before, Loewy related that because Dulitz also credited Loewy with helping se- he had been asked, he counted that he’d done cure the long-term financial future of the con- 430 baby namings and brisses, 172 weddings, gregation, including urging the creation of a 607 funerals, 80 conversions, with a little over rabbinic endowment fund. “Today, the fund has 400 B’nai Mitzvah and Confirmation students. grown to well over $1 million,” Dulitz said.

The next morning, he added to the total as Loewy also promoted the capital campaign to there was a baby naming during the Shabbat expand the building in the late 1990s. Among service. the improvements was an expansion of the lobWhile the numbers are interesting, he said, by, and Dulitz announced that the lobby is being “It’s what they represent that is most important. named in Loewy’s honor.

Hundreds of personal connections.”

“The lobby serves as the gateway to the sancIn introducing Siegal, Loewy said how meantuary, the spiritual center of the synagogue,” he ingful it was to watch her grow “from Bat Mitzsaid. vah to colleague.”

Loewy has been a passionate advocate for Siegal, who heads Temple Judea in Coral GaReform Judaism, and said Gates of Prayer is a bles, Fla., spoke of the week’s portion, saying stronger congregation because of its connec- in this world, reward and punishment are not tion to the movement. For evidence, he said, always dependent on one’s actions. one need only look at December 2005, when Because one is never sure if he or she will be he addressed the 5,000 delegates at the Reform rewarded or punished for actions, one has the biennial, talking about how the movement was opportunity to choose and “do the right thing besustaining the New Orleans community in its cause it is right, not for any reward or advantage.” time of need after the storm.

Siegal commented, “What a perfect parsha “As your rabbi, it was the most challenging to read and teach on this Shabbat as we honor time I have faced, and perhaps the most fulfill- our rabbi, who has led his life and taught all of ing,” he said. us to lead our lives with the strong moral ethics “A synagogue is not an island, but an integral taught in the Torah.” part of a larger Jewish community,” Loewy said, She concluded with the top 10 things Loewy

community “has taught us,” citing his influence on countless people at Gates of Prayer, Jacobs Camp, the greater community and the Reform movement as a whole.

Siegal and Laibson then invited Loewy and his family onto the bimah to bless them with the priestly benediction.

The Shabbat service concluded with Debbie Friedman’s “Lechi Lach,” which Loewy said was related to his Bar Mitzvah portion, “Lech Lecha.” He also said Friedman was at Gates of Prayer in 1985, for his installation.

After the service, there was a congregational picnic at Lafreniere Park.

At the “Under the Jerusalem Stars” gala that evening, Rabbi David Widzer, Loewy’s sonin-law, led Havdalah with his children, Judah and Elisheva. Widzer serves Temple Beth El of Northern Valley in Closter, N.J. Widzer tied the three blessings of Havdalah to aspects of Loewy’s time as rabbi, urging those in attendance to “share something special” with a neighbor before each blessing was sung.

The service marking the conclusion of Shabbat is “the service of separation,” he said, adding that this Havdalah would “mark the beginning of this separation of (Loewy’s) time between being rabbi and rabbi emeritus, recognizing what has been holy about our interactions with him, and what has been special about him and his role in our lives.”

Judah spoke of how wine brings sweetness to Havdalah, and asked attendees to talk about how Loewy “brought sweet blessings” to them.

Elisheva spoke of the variety of spices, saying “we have all had a variety of different experiences with Rabbi Loewy.”

With the candle, Widzer said, “we weave together all of the many blessings and all of the varied experiences that we have shared with Rabbi Loewy… Our world is brighter for the work that he has done and the relationships he has made.”

Despite the transition “to being just another Jew in the pews,” Widzer said, just as the feeling of Shabbat lingers into the week, “so too will the blessings and experiences that you have shared with Rabbi Loewy remain with you. He will always be your rabbi, and you and he will always carry the holiness you shared together.”

Rabbi David Goldstein, rabbi emeritus of Touro Synagogue in New Orleans, returned from New York early to attend the event. “I would have traveled from Mars to be here for you,” he told Loewy.

Goldstein commented, “it really is unusual for two rabbis living in the same community to have not one iota of rivalry or competitiveness, but only mutual respect and trust, admiration.

Bob has always been a reflection of the highest Jewish standard we all aspire to.”

He referred to Loewy as a “mensch” and a

Community.

All this & so much more in a weekly email delivered straight to your inbox.

This week in

Southern Jewish Life Email subscribe@sjlmag.com to receive the most interesting and clever bits from our community and around the world.

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 11

•

FREE CONSULTATION

•

Medicare Supplement And Long Term Care

I can help you save hundreds of dollars for comparable coverage with Medicare Supplement — whether you currently have a plan or are new to Medicare.

Find Out

I work with a lot of different companies and have many years of experience to provide you with the best, customized plan.

If qualified, you can buy or change your Medicare Supplement any month of the year.

Also specializing in Long-Term Care Insurance

Milton Goldstein, CLTC

Certified Long Term Care Specialist Medicare Supplement Specialist

Cell: (205) 907-0670

E-mail: miltgold@bellsouth.net Licensed in 11 States

•

•

OFFICE OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

THIS IS AUBURN. “This wonderful country of ours allows us to gather together, to be Jewish and be free… I’m grateful I can be Jewish and a basketball coach in the SEC.”

— Auburn Head Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl, at the 2017 JCC Maccabi Games Opening Ceremony

WE ARE COMMUNITY. Hillel, Auburn University’s Jewish student organization, was the recipient of the 2015 AU Student Involvement Award for Overcoming Adversity. diversity@auburn.edu www.auburn.edu/diversity

12 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

community “rabbi’s rabbi.”

The Loewy children, Mica, Sara, David and Karen, said it is a family tradition to do Top Ten lists for special occasions, so they did the Top Ten perks of growing up as rabbi’s kids at Gates of Prayer, adding the perks of growing up as the rabbi’s wife’s kids.

David Loewy cited camp, saying that because congregational rabbis visit camp every summer, “we were able to go to camp before we could walk, before we were aware we were at camp.”

His father’s time at Eisner Camp “was one of the main reasons he became a rabbi in the first place,” David Loewy commented, adding that 34 summers at Jacobs amounts to “a lot of fried chicken dinners.”

Lynn Loewy spoke of the Rabbi Loewy behind the scenes, affirming that he is the same at home as he is at Gates of Prayer. “He is cheerful 98 percent of the time.”

She said Shabbat is his favorite holiday, and also described his joy at celebrating all of the festivals.

Though a rabbi is always on call, “In all of our years together I have never heard Bob complain about being asked to leave the house at any hour to comfort congregants. This is his calling, and I fear he will miss this the most.”

After Hurricane Katrina and their evacuation to Houston, she said he immediately returned to Metairie to tend to the needs of the synagogue and lived upstairs in their flooded home.

She concluded, “I consider myself the most fortunate woman in the world. I just hope I feel that way six months from now.”

Anna Herman, director of Jacobs Camp, first got to know Loewy when she was a camper, and went to camp with two of the Loewy children. “To meet Rabbi Loewy is a joy that can’t be described,” she said. Coming from the small community of Dothan, “I really felt like Rabbi Loewy was my rabbi. I felt that I had an honorary membership at Gates of Prayer.”

Citing Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s teaching about the importance of the personality of a teacher, she spoke of “the thousands of lives he touched” at Jacobs Camp.

She concluded, “This is not goodbye, this is a celebration of all Rabbi Loewy has done for our community.”

Past presidents Lee Plotkin and Dan Silverman then took the stage for what Plotkin called “a little roasting, a little toasting, a little reflection,” having “seen first-hand (Loewy’s) incredible devotion to our congregation and our community.”

After talking about travel adventures and devotion to the New Orleans Saints, Silverman said Loewy needed to publish his 5,823 sermons in an anthology.

Plotkin thanked him for “the amazing, wonderful occasions we have shared,” and said “the work we did together after Hurricane Katrina is when we truly bonded.”

Silverman said Loewy has been involved with four generations of his family, through “numerous happy and some very difficult times.”

“When we needed him, Bob was there,” he said. “He’ll still be around as our rabbi emeritus, and more importantly, as our trusted friend.”

Cantorial Soloist Tory May, who was hired at Gates of Prayer in 1987, called Loewy “my mentor, my teacher, sometimes my parent, my work husband… my dear friend.”

She performed “How Do We Say Goodbye to Rabbi Loewy” a takeoff on “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria” from “The Sound of Music,” then called for dancing, as the Panorama Jazz Band played.

At the gala’s conclusion, the congregation presented him with a musical piece written in his honor by Judaic composer Julie Silver, performed

by May. What’s next for Loewy? Travel, certainly, but he will also continue his national and community projects.

And for the High Holy Days this year, he will be leading services — aboard the Queen Elizabeth.

community

From Boston to Mound Bayou Jo Ivester describes experiences as the only Jewish family in all-black Mississippi town in the 1960s In early 1967, Boston pediatrician Leon Kruger asked his family where in the U.S. they would like to live. After they all chimed in, they learned the game was his way of letting them know that he was closing his practice and they would be moving to Mississippi.

More specifically, Mound Bayou, in the Mississippi Delta, in one of the poorest counties in the country. Mound Bayou is an all-black town where they would be one of only two white families, and the only Jews.

Thus began an odyssey that daughter Jo Ivester, who was 10 years old at the time, recently chronicled in her book “The Outskirts of Hope.” She recently spoke at the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson and at Beth Israel in Metairie.

The book is told through the eyes of Ivester’s mother, Aura, and she used her mother’s diaries extensively in writing the book, which is a window on how slow the progress in society was despite the civil rights movement’s legal victories.

In moving to Mississippi, she said, “my father became a footsoldier in the war on poverty.”

Not that it came as a surprise. “His parents were Jewish socialists in Boston,” and in the 1930s it was routine for socialist politicians visiting the area to stay with them. “What he picked up was taking care of people who needed help,” she said.

When he was in his 40s, he pursued a degree in public health, and a class speaker one day was recruiting volunteers for a clinic in Boston that was opening up to help the underserved.

When Kruger volunteered, the doctor in charge, who had volunteered in Mississippi in 1964 to take care of those working for voting rights, told Kruger what he really needed was someone to work at a clinic they were opening in Mound Bayou. He immediately volunteered, then headed home to tell his family.

The clinic, Delta Health Center, is still in Mound Bayou, and is the

Photo by Maya Willis

At the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Jo Ivester meets Hezekiah Watkins, who at age 13 was mistaken for a Freedom Rider in 1961 and was sent to Parchman Prison. An ardent civil rights worker, he was arrested over 100 times during the 1960s, and in 1962 shared a jail cell with Martin Luther King in Jackson.

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 13

community largest employer in the town.

Kruger headed to Mississippi in April 1967, while Ivester and her siblings finished the school year in Boston.

Before the move, Ivester’s mother traveled to Mississippi to see the town. She arrived in Memphis, where she and her husband set off from with another couple from the clinic. For the drive to Mound Bayou, she figured the men would be in the front seat so they could talk about the clinic and the wives could get to know each other while sitting in the back seat, but the other man — who was black — insisted on her sitting up front. After she repeatedly stated the chivalrous move wasn’t necessary, he finally told her that as a black man in the front seat with whites, they could all be in danger.

Though it was 1967, the Klan was still very active, and there was a sense in the region that if a black person voted or went against decades-old societal norms, “you were taking risks.”

Mound Bayou, though, was a “safe haven” with the Klan not bothering the town, unlike other towns where there were both whites and blacks, with their neighborhoods divided by the railroad.

In Mound Bayou, the Krugers moved into a trailer, as the housing stock in the town was very basic.

Ivester was entering the fifth grade. Her father warned her that the experience would be very different from Boston — “it’s going to be like you’re not in school. And he was right. I knew more math than my teacher did, at 10 years old.”

Her mother decided to become an English teacher, which she would continue doing for 25 years. The students accepted her, because they could sense that “she cared, from day one.”

During her talk, Ivester described a moral quandary shortly after she arrived, when she saw some boys playing football. Wanting to get to know other kids in the area, she asked if she could play, which turned out to be a loaded question.

On the one hand, blacks in the region were conditioned that when a white person asked for something, you put your head down and just do it. On the other hand, physical contact of any kind between the races was taboo, to the extent that on a sidewalk, if a white person approached, a black person had to immediately step into the street to avoid the possibility that they would rub shoulders, even by accident.

One of Aura’s students was stabbed in a nearby town for not getting off the sidewalk quickly enough.

The boys decided to let her play, but agreed among themselves that they would tackle her so hard, she would never want to play with them again. They didn’t know she regularly played football in Boston. The first play, she was given the ball, and even those on her own team started tackling her — but she bounced up, ready to go again.

One of the boys commented that she could really play, and that’s when she knew she had been accepted by her peers.

Though the Krugers did not hide that they were Jewish, they made a conscious decision not to be part of the nearest Jewish community, about 12 miles to the south in Cleveland. “Many in Mound Bayou weren’t comfortable with the Jewish community,” she said. While they may not have known anyone Jewish, they felt they knew about Jews, and the Krugers did not want anything to complicate the work that the clinic was doing.

Nevertheless, when they heard that Beth Israel in Jackson had been bombed by the Klan in September, 1967, Kruger drove his family to Jackson so they could see what happened, and Rabbi Perry Nussbaum, whose home would be bombed that November, showed them around.

She said relations between Jews and African-Americans in the region

“Fifty years later, we are still dealing with many of the same problems”

Makarios Kabob & Grill 940 20th St South Birmingham Tel: (205) 731-7414 Fax: (205) 731-7416

Makarios Kabob & Grill at The Ranch House 2931 Columbiana Rd Vestavia Hills Tel: (205) 979-6495 Fax: (205) 979-6425

14 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

community Rehab Reality...

By Judy and Julie Butler

were a “two-edged sword.” While Jews were visibly active in the civil rights movement, Jews were also merchants in towns throughout the area. In general, white stores were discriminatory, with blacks being restricted to certain hours, not being allowed to try on clothes, or having to wait as white customers were served first.

Jewish storekeepers were generally more lenient and would address African-Americans as “Mr.” and “Mrs.,” a courtesy rarely seen.

“They felt they were the good guys, but the African-Americans didn’t always see it that way,” Ivester said. She added that the extension of credit, seen by storeowners as a way of helping out, was also an issue, because one doesn’t necessarily like a person they owe money to.

She added, “in many cases the Jewish shopkeepers were hanging on by their fingertips and they were targets of the KKK as well.”

Ivester’s mother decided to teach Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” in the high school, from the perspective of “the tragedy of Shylock.” She started by asking the students what they knew about Jews — and many of the responses were highly negative. Nevertheless, she wrote them on the board.

Finally, she asked the students if they had forgotten that she is Jewish — and they immediately protested that they weren’t talking about her.

“Yes, you were,” she replied, and despite their pleas, refused to erase the board until the students had “earned” it after a long discussion on prejudice, centered around the quote “if you prick us, do we not bleed” and applying it to different groups.

She eventually set up a “pipeline” of students from Mound Bayou to attend Brandeis and Tufts, which endured long after the family left Mississippi.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, two hours up the road in Memphis. “It felt personal,” she said. Everyone in Mound Bayou was grieving as if “they lost a family member,” and there had been plans in the works for King to speak in Mound Bayou.

Friends from across the country called to urge the Krugers to leave Mound Bayou immediately, citing riots that were breaking out all over the country. Instead, they set off on their normal daily routine.

When Ivester arrived at school, classmates were hugging and crying, and she was immediately embraced as well. “We were not met with hostility. We were part of the community’s grieving.”

Just by being in Mound Bayou, the Krugers were pulled into the civil rights movement, Ivester said.

But they were eventually forced to leave Mound Bayou. Mrs. Kruger ordered a wide range of books for the school, many dealing

with black history and pride, books that would never be purchased by a Mississippi school system in those days.

When the packages arrived, she was instructed not to open them. Many parents were concerned that by reading the books, the teens would start to rebel against the social norms of the area, and if through increased self-pride they refused to defer to whites while in other towns, they could get killed.

A huge controversy erupted, and there was a lengthy public forum to discuss the issue, with the promise that there would be a follow-up the next week.

That follow-up meeting never came, as four teens assaulted Ivester, who was 11 at the time.

A local priest advised them to keep the assault quiet and leave, that the assault was likely related to the book controversy — and that if the Klan learned that four black students had assaulted a white girl, they would burn down the town.

While the Krugers did not want to leave, they soon saw that the safety of Mound Bayou was at stake, so they planned to pack up the next day.

That evening, about a dozen of Mrs. Kruger‘s students came by to say goodbye and express appreciation for what she had taught them. When they were done, they mentioned it was time to let the next group in — much to the Krugers’ astonishment, their yard was filled with students, who came inside in groups of 10 to 15 well into the night.

The Krugers headed to Miami, where there had been riots, as they “wanted to go where the trouble was.” Then they headed to Los Angeles, where Mrs. Kruger taught at South Central.

Despite the assault — which, while doing interviews for the book, Ivester learned was a prank gone horribly wrong and not a political statement — “when I talk about Mound Bayou, I have such incredibly warm feelings about the town and its people.”

She goes around speaking to groups about her experiences because “Fifty years later, we are still dealing with many of the same problems,” and “in sharing our personal stories, we are able to raise awareness.”

She is working on a new book, “Once a Girl, Always a Boy” inspired by her transgender son.

Her Jackson talk was part of a three-day conference, “Reclaiming Our Humanity: Lessons of the Holocaust for Today,” sponsored by the New York-based Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights.

Her talk in Metairie was coordinated by the Anti-Defamation League’s regional office in New Orleans, and co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Section of the National Council of Jewish Women and Hadassah New Orleans.

Many Opioid Addictions Can Begin With Doctors and Dentists

This begs the question of who can you trust if not your medical professionals. When we say, “no one plans on becoming an addict,” this proves it. Sadly for most, it begins with a trip to the dentist for a toothache or the doctor for minor surgery or an injury and they are quick to prescribe Oxycontin or Loratab when a simple Ibuprofen would do.

So what is the answer to this crisis? There can be many answers. Lawmakers are working on possible opioid tax bills throughout the country.

The pharmaceutical industry argues that this will only be passed on to the consumer. Well, hello, isn’t everything passed on to the consumer?

On the other hand, big pharma is giving billions to states for drugs funded by Medicaid, not to mention the millions, make that billions, that are given to doctors, hospitals and anyone who will prescribe their ‘wonder drug.’ Does anyone ever question the effects of the misuse or long term use of this drug might cause?

There is an effort to cross-reference patient information to prevent drug shopping. Today most doctors and dentists, etc., will require a patient visit before writing a prescription, however the patient may or may not have it filled, which leaves it available to a family member or friend who might desire it. Whether it’s putting vodka in a water bottle or filling someone else’s prescription, the addicted brain will find a way.

Opioid addiction can be beaten with education, counseling, getting and maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle… these are all things that we do at Bayshore Retreat.

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 15

community Southern Jewish Life

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.

16 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

Draining but fulfilling: Staffing Dream Street

by Jake Davidson It is 7 a.m., and I am completely drained to the point that my first thought is coffee, but each time I turn over the edge of my top bunk to look at my camper below, he is sitting right up and ready to go. I then have to change a diaper, dress him, and help him brush his teeth. I pack my bag with his necessities for the day before I can even address myself.

While he is flying out the door in arm crutches and the biggest smile on his face, I am just trying to manage my bed head and get my act together before some girl sees me.

This winter, I applied to volunteer my time during the last week of May at Dream Street, a summer camp for children with disabilities.

Since 1975, Dream Street has been held at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica. I had been going to Jacobs Camp as a camper for nine years, so I had always known about Dream Street. The staff converts the HSJ campus as their own for the week.

Last year, a few of my friends from camp had participated as Dream Street counselors, and all of them had encouraged me to come the next year. I happily agreed to sign up. I was accepted in March and felt honored that a committee believed my 17-year-old self would be a good fit to be a counselor to a child with Spina Bifida.

Orientation took two days, going over everything from Ace procedures and enema procedures, to changing a diaper correctly. While some of the children could do some things themselves, there were also some children that were completely dependent, so each one of the staff members needed to be ready for anything. The second day, we received our own camper’s application, detailing each camper’s limitations. Could they shower on their own? Can they feed themselves?

Can they move from place to place easily?

On my first day, I learned that “my kid” loves to fish. Every time we had the choice to kayak, cook, or even experiment with mad science, my kid always chose fishing, rain or shine.

One day down by the lake, he could not get anything to bite. Cast after cast, worm after worm with no payout in any shape or form, he eventually snagged a dead tree limb. After a while, I realized that he needed a fish soon because this day was not getting any shorter. I got the attention of one of Dream Street’s occupational therapists there and explained the issue.

The OT told my camper that he was going to put on a magic worm that was sure to catch a fish.

While I distracted my camper, the OT took a live fish from the bucket and put my camp-

er’s hook through it. We pointed out some cool geese in the water while we tossed the “magic worm” into the lake. Once my camper’s attention returned to his line, he had “caught” a fish. He was bragging to everyone about how he caught his fish. I was just happy that he was happy.

I had been told by some of the more experienced counselors that my camper was probably the best type of kid to have for a first-time counselor. Though my little guy had Spina Bifida, he was semi-dependent as he was able to get around in his arm crutches without my help and did not need me to help push him in his wheelchair, except on hills. He could pull up his pants, get his shirt on and brush his teeth.

He was very vocal and could feed himself.

He was a bit picky with food, but a PB&J always put a smile on his face, and he chowed down.

He was a great camper, and I gained a lot of understanding and responsibility from my time at Dream Street. While I helped him, he helped me learn much about myself as a person as well.

For five days straight, I was consumed with a continuous morning routine. I had been told that this week would be the most mentally, physically and emotionally draining experience.

Believe me, it lived up to the hype.

The first two days were restless, but I could easily keep up with my energetic child. By day three, however, the mere six hours of sleep and an often times 18-hour day began to take its toll. Of course, I was completely engaged with my child all the time, but the second that I put him to bed, the wear down would hit me like a freight train.

It was all worth it, though. The smile that he had every morning and throughout the day was worth every drop of coffee I consumed.

Dream Street has been the most fulfilling experience of my young life, and I welcome the challenge of participating again.

Jake Davidson is a rising senior at Lamar School in Meridian.

community B’ham teacher facilitates Holocaust memorial in Max Steinmetz’s hometown Thanks to the efforts of a Birmingham-area teacher, a town in Romania that was the birthplace of one of Birmingham’s Holocaust survivors now has a memorial to the town’s little-remembered Jewish community.

Amy McDonald, a history teacher at Shades Valley High School, made a return visit to Targu Lapus in April, visiting local schools and speaking at the memorial’s dedication.

McDonald is author of “Determined to Survive: A Story of Survival and One Teacher’s Passion to Bring That Story to Life,” about Max Steinmetz. She worked with him for two years to produce the book, which describes his childhood in Romania, to surviving the horrors of the Szaszregen ghetto, Auschwitz, Dachau, a death march, to liberation by American solAt the dedication on May 4, Amy diers.

In 2016, she received a grant McDonald places a memorial from Fund for Teachers, en- candle underneath the plaque. The abling her to visit Germany and Steinmetzes gave her the candle to Romania for research on the place there. book. While in Targu Lapus, a town of about 12,000, she spoke to students and teachers about her research, and the importance of Holocaust education.

“One of the most surprising parts of Amy’s time in Romania was the total lack of knowledge, an almost complete erasing, of once vibrant Jewish communities,” said Joyce Spielberger, interim executive director of the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center. “There also seemed to be very little overall knowledge about the Holocaust.”

“After the trip I stayed in touch with people in the town,” McDonald said. She connected her Holocaust studies classes with the school in Romania and they read “Night” by Elie Wiesel together. “When my book came out, we read that together,” she said.

They also communicated through a blog, “Together We Remember: A Romanian and American Classroom’s Study of the Holocaust.”

McDonald first came to BHEC in 2010 for guidance in developing a Holocaust studies curriculum. She attended BHEC-sponsored workshops, then received BHEC scholarships to attend educator workshops with Jewish Foundation for the Righteous in the U.S. and Europe.

Spielberger said, “In short, she has become a leading Holocaust educator and frequently speaks at national workshops, recognized as an expert in the field.”

Last October, McDonald got an invitation from Mariana Pop, headmaster of the Petru Rares High School in Targu Lapus, and thought “that would be amazing.” She figured that she would spend a couple of days in the school talking about Steinmetz, discussing the Holocaust, “whatever they wanted me to do.”

She received a grant from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for the trip, but also had to get approval from the superintendent and princi-

Hot Summe r Sale

Reduc apartme ed nt r Call for d ates. etails!

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 17

community 81 Church Street Crestline Village

Open Late Every Day (205) 848-2080

Get protection and live worry free Hobie Hobart, Agent 1351 Decatur Highway Fultondale, AL 35068 Bus: 205-841-7485 hobie@myagenthobie.com

State Farm® provides life insurance policies to millions of people, and with more choices to protect you and your loved ones, I can help find the right policy for you.

Here to help life go right.™ Call me today.

State Farm Life Insurance Company (Not licensed in MA, NY or WI) State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company (Licensed in NY and WI) 1605581 Bloomington, IL

18 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

pal, since the trip would be during the school year so she could “connect the classrooms.”

Her trip was from April 27 to May 9, and the teachers in Romania kept McDonald busy. “They took me to class after class.”

Visiting the high school, she immediately was struck by the “culture of respect. When you walk into a class, all of the students stand up. I almost passed out.”

Also, when she walked into the classroom, her book was sitting on all the tables.

Because “I have this issue of continuing to stir the pot,” before her return trip, McDonald had asked some of her friends in the town if there was a Holocaust memorial, or something about the Jewish community that had lived there, and she was told there wasn’t.

She asked if the town would be receptive to having a plaque in the town, and was told that the mayor would have to approve it. But the mayor, Mitru Lese, does not speak any English.

She sent a letter, saying “it is extremely important to challenge students with not just the facts and statistics of what happened during the Holocaust, but to tackle the more complex questions of how and why it happened.”

She contacted the Bucharest-based Elie Wiesel National Institute for Studying the Holocaust in Romania, and was told that Holocaust memorials in the country can be very political. She asked the museum to send the mayor the proposal, which they did on official government letterhead, as the museum is supported by the government.

McDonald, who hadn’t heard anything from the mayor’s office previously, then heard from the mayor’s In 2017, there assistant, saying he had approved the proposal. “Now, how do I get a plaque was little made in Romania,” she wondered.

A couple of the teachers connected awareness of her with a plaque maker in a nearby town, but the next step was coming up Jewish history with the text. “Even that, you had to be in Targu Lapus careful” to say the right things and get it translated properly.

The BHEC funded the actual plaque, which reads “In memory of the 717 Jewish victims who lived in Targu Lapus and vicinity, who were deported in May 1944 by the Hungarian Fascist Authorities to the killing center of Auschwitz-Birkenau and murdered there by Nazi Germany. May this memorial serve as a reminder and warning to future generations.”

In 1941, the local census showed a population of 2,411, including 717 Jews.

When McDonald first saw the finished plaque, “I couldn’t believe it,” as it was much larger than she had envisioned.

The plaque is located on the side of a building by an empty lot where the synagogue used to stand. The dedication took place on May 4, “because that is when the Jews of Targu Lapus were rounded up and sent to the ghetto.”

In her dedication speech, McDonald said the ceremony was to “remember people, not just facts or statistics. People with hopes and dreams, just like all of us.”

She had “great hope” in seeing so many youth at the dedication. “As Max Steinmetz would say, they are our future. May they choose compassion and decency, take a stand against what is wrong, protect what is right, and most important, never forget.”

Under the plaque, she lit a candle that the Steinmetzes had given her.

Before she returned to Alabama, the students gave her a stack of letters for Steinmetz, and she filmed him reading the letters so the students could see his reaction.

“After reading these letters,” he said, “I am glad we started this and followed through.”

Holocaust education seminar held in Jackson, visits civil rights museum The New York-based Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights, also known as TOLI, held its first Satellite Seminar of the summer in Jackson from June 6 to 8.

The Satellite Seminar program brings the TOLI educational model to teachers across the United States. Begun in 2011, these multi-day seminars are designed to provide a collaborative and safe environment in which teachers can explore the difficult subject of the Holocaust and other genocides, generally with a local theme.

The 23 educators who attended the Jackson seminar focused on comparative experiences between the Jim Crow laws, state and local laws in the South which enforced racial segregation, and German anti-Jewish laws, which institutionalized Nazi racial ideology against Jews.

Tracei Willis, a leader of the seminar along with Dolyene Davis, reflected on the origins of the connections between Jim Crow and the German anti-Jewish laws. “My students always asked ‘How is this possible?

How were they able to do it?’ And I explain that it’s because these laws were created to separate people based on their differences.”

Willis teaches ninth grade in Louisville, and has taught about the Holocaust since 2005, but changed her approach to the subject after attending the Institute’s program in New York in 2016. This past March she attended an international TOLI seminar in Austria.

The seminar included testimonies by Holocaust survivors, pedagogical approaches, and a visit to the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. One teacher remarked on how “the visit to the Civil Rights museum had a real impact on my way of thinking… how the Nazis slowly took away the people’s humanity by taking their names was eye-opening.”

The seminar also included a visit by Jo Ivester, author of “The Outskirts of Hope,” a memoir depicting her experience of being the only Jewish and white person at her school in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, during the height of the civil rights movement.

The educators discussed the dangers of segregation, using writing as a tool for reflection and as a technique for how to approach such sensitive issues in the classroom.

There was also a discussion of the long history of relations between the Jewish and African-American communities in Jackson. Some teachers were surprised by these relations, exclaiming that they “never realized the sim-

ilarities or how active Jews had been during the Civil Rights Movement.”

Davis described how Beth Israel “was actually bombed in the 60s because they worked with the civil rights movement,” showcasing how these two communities have a complex, storied history of suffering and solidarity.

Beth Israel, which dedicated a Holocaust memorial last year, was visited by the group.

Organizers sought to model cooperation and sharing, citing the group discussions as a “safe place to try and fail.”

“You must model humane teaching if you want students to adopt a more humane way of treating others and become our next leaders,” one teacher observed.

The Olga Lengyel Institute is named after a survivor of Auschwitz who dedicated her legacy to education. The mission of TOLI is to educate students in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world about human rights and social justice through the lens of the Holocaust and other genocides so that such atrocities may never again take place.

To accomplish its mission, TOLI provides professional development seminars for educators in the U.S. and abroad that link the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides to current world events, thereby working with teachers to promote a human rights and social justice agenda in their classrooms.

This summer, there are 13 seminars across the U.S., and seven more around the world. Plans are underway for another seminar in Jackson next summer.

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 19

community

BEING ONE OF FIVE SIBLINGS, SHE STILL HOLDS THE RECORD FOR KID WHO CAN PUT A HOLE IN THEIR JEANS FASTEST. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Finding Friendship in Interfaith Trip to Israel, Jordan

by Barry DeLozier

CHILDREN A M A Z E U S E V E R Y D AY

and at Children’s of Alabama, we want to see every child grow up and live to their fullest potential.

That’s why we recruit, train and retain the most inquiring minds, the most skilled hands and the most compassionate hearts in pediatric medicine.

1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H B I R M I N G H A M , A L 3 5 2 3 3 (205) 638-9100

Hole In Jeans - 3.8 x 10 - Southern Jewish Life.indd 1

20 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

ChildrensAL.org

In 25 years of marriage, my wife, Cathy, has rarely asked for anything significant. So, in late 2016, when she told me she wanted to travel to Israel with two Bunko girlfriends and their spouses, how could I refuse?

My parents had often described their 1999 trip to the Holy Land as “life-changing.” Two weeks in Israel, plus a few days in Jordan. We signed up to participate in Friendship Journey Five and I blocked 16 days on my calendar in April 2018.

At a meet-and-greet of Christians and Jews at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El in spring 2017, it became obvious our trip would be different from a sightseeing vacation. Rabbi Jonathan Miller predicted seeing this special place together would magnify our views. “Like our ancestors, our journey through life is also a spiritual one,” he said. “We start from where we are, and we go to where God wants to take us.”

Ronne and Donald Hess chaired the first four friendship journeys, but for Friendship Journey Five, they passed the baton into the capable hands of Sheryl and Jon Kimerling, and Lisa and Alan Engel. “We believe this is the most diverse, spiritual, and historic way to experience Israel,” says Sheryl. “You see the country through many lenses, in a way you cannot get from the media.”

Our travel companions came from Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Washington and New York, 50 of us in various life stages with diverse careers and family configurations, many repeat travelers to Israel, and several first-timers like myself. We had an equally remarkable itinerary. Careful planning put us in Israel for Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day. Transplanted South Africa native and Israeli citizen Julian Resnick served as host. To say that his brilliant insights enlivened our experience would be like saying the nation of Israel is mentioned in the Bible. Sometimes provocative, often choked with emotion, always brimming with keen observations, Resnick read poems, quoted movies and scripture, and even crooned Beatles tunes, all with a charming accent.

“For me, travel is about confronting powerful questions,” said Resnick.

“Those moments when we stand outside our comfort zones, when we stand trembling in the shoes of others, when we see ourselves — as if for the first time — via the eyes of the ‘other’.”

Walking the Old City under umbrellas in a rare spring rain, we contemplated Jerusalem’s significance to three of the great world faiths, the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All share a reverence for the Temple Mount.

“Our world is fractured, especially in our faith communities,” said Rabbi Miller. “Religion teaches absolute truth and makes a stab at the world’s most vital questions about the meaning of life and what God wants of us.

So, it is hard to hear the truth of others.”

On a sunny day, our visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Center, fulfilled my parents’ prophecy that our trip would be life-changing. Profoundly haunting, beautiful, symbolic and painful, every square inch of the 44-acre complex challenged me to reflect on 6 million Jewish lives lost during World War II. The Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations honors the memory of non-Jews who, at personal risk and without a monetary or evangelistic purpose, helped rescue Jews during the Holocaust.

From our base in Jerusalem, we ventured out to settlements in Gush Etzion, to Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, through the Judean desert to the ancient mountaintop fortress of Masada where the energetic in our group climbed rocky cliffs while the still-adventurous but less-en-

3/14/18 2:12 PM

Travelers with Friendship Journey 5 gather near the Western Wall in Jerusalem with the Mount of Olives in the background. Back row (l-r) Donna Schiff, Amy Saag, Sheryl Kimerling, Cathy DeLozier, Angie Letzer, Karen Allen, Judi Schulman- Miller, Debbie White, Kim Carter.

Kneeling (l-r) Lisa Engel, Ann Goldstein, Jenny Ives. ergetic waved from a cable car. An afternoon float in the Dead Sea felt refreshing.

Rabbi Miller, assisted by an American cantorial student and a rabbinic student on the guitar, led us in a lovely Shabbat service on the southern steps of the ancient Temple, followed by a time of prayer at the Western Wall. For centuries, world leaders have tucked petitions in crevices between these stones. “Be careful what you ask for,” Rabbi Miller warned. “Prayers here have an unusually high percentage-rate of being answered.”

We left Jerusalem on a Sunday morning, stopping along the banks of the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized. Reverend Ed Hurley, senior minister at South Highlands Presbyterian Church, led us in worship, accompanied

by University of Alabama at Birmingham neuropsychologist Dan Marson on the harmonica. “Jesus taught that our faith is like a little mustard seed that grows into a vast tree which provides life-giving shelter and nourishment to all,” Reverend Hurley shared. “May that be your experience.”

We visited the Mount of the Beatitudes and walked the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee in Capernaum. From the Golan Heights, we looked into war-torn Syria.

Throughout our trip, guests provided insights on life in the Middle East. A high-ranking Israel Defense Forces official stood on a mountaintop overlooking Lebanon and briefed us on military threats in the region. American-born Israeli author Daniel Gordis lauded his adopted homeland’s many accomplishments. Israeli-Canadian journalist Matti Friedman described how disproportionate news coverage gives an inaccurate view of Israel. Our tour of the Yemin Orde Youth Village, home to more than 400

immigrant, disadvantaged and at-risk children, was narrated by a compassionate Ethiopian Jewish woman.

In Rosh Ha’Ayin, Birmingham’s sister city in Partnership Renewal for more than three decades, an architect and cultural director led us through a performing arts space under construction at the Kimerling Center. Resnick and his gracious wife Orly and their children hosted dinner at Kibbutz Tzora where we participated in the community’s memorial service. Afterward, young Israelis led small-group discussions on compulsory military service and life with Palestinian neighbors.

We observed Memorial Day and celebrated Israel’s 70th Independence Day in cosmopolitan Tel Aviv, buildings everywhere draped in blue and white flags. Drivers and pedestrians paused along highways and busy streets to stand in silence for a two-minute siren at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day. To celebrate 70 years of democracy, skies above the beaches were filled with planes and the Mediterranean was teeming with military ships.

The weather was spectacular with only one day of rain, the food delicious. We always felt safe. During one of our last suppers in Tel Aviv, world-renowned AIDS researcher and UAB physician Michael Saag took the stage to sing “Sweet Home Alabama” as others in our group danced. The mostly Israeli crowd knew the lyrics to the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, but they appeared baffled by our chant of “Roll Tide Roll.”

After bidding farewell to more than half our group, 22 of us crossed into Jordan where we spent a night in a Bedouin tent camp, rode camels across the desert (ouch), marveled at the spectacular sites of Petra, inhabited since prehistoric times, and noted the juxtaposition of

at the Pizitz Food Hall 1821 2nd Ave N, Suite 170 Birmingham 205/939-3111

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 21

community

Senior Living Community

The Lifestyle you deserve at surprisingly affordable prices.

Independent Living Assisted Living

Short Term Rehabilitation Skilled Nursing

Greenbriar on Hanover a part of Greenbriar at the Altamont, will provide you or your loved one personalized care in a warm homelike environment.

new and old in the capital city of Amman.

On a bus ride through the desert, Resnick, an Israeli Jew, shared a microphone with our Jordanian tour guide Lou-aye, a Palestinian Muslim.

They respectfully disagreed on politics and the future of the Middle East.

Unbeknownst to anyone on the bus, Dan Marson was in the back, learning the Jordanian national anthem. Prior to leaving Birmingham, he’d memorized Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. When the discussion concluded, Dan played both anthems on his harmonica. It was a stunning moment.

Karen Allen with Gil Travel Group has managed details for all five Friendship Journeys. Her familiarity with Israel and her passion for travel proved incredibly valuable. “Each Friendship Journey is special, as each one provides an opportunity for Birmingham’s community leaders to meet, interact, learn and grow together,” said Karen. “One of the most exciting parts of the trip is not what happens in Israel, but what happens back in Birmingham upon our return. It’s been thrilling to see the energetic application of the lessons learned in Israel in the local community.”

At two points along our journey we gathered in a large circle to share impressions. Both conversations were emotional. “I have traveled to many places with many groups of people,” shared Resnick. “But the Friendship Journey groups from Alabama stand out in terms of unforgettable moments, because of the interfaith element.”

While I was impressed by how beautiful, safe and hospitable Israel is, I sat looking at my new Jewish and Christian friends, feeling especially proud of Birmingham; of our community’s collective desire to learn, to understand, and to support causes around the globe. Allen is already planning Friendship Journey Six. “Along with co-founders Ronne and Donald Hess and Rabbi Miller, I have worked with some of the most intelligent and compassionate clergy, volunteer leaders and Israeli thought-leaders over the years and incorporate their insights and teachings into the Journeys that follow.”

“More important even than making our pilgrimage is the conversation and sharing within our group,” said Rabbi Miller. “We leave this miraculous country with the wonder of questions unanswered and an appreciation for the complexities we face as people of faith. These questions, better than any answers, are the most enduring and enriching part of our journey.”

Barry DeLozier is a writer and business communications consultant from Vestavia Hills, Alabama.

Greenbriar on Hanover offers Memory Care Assisted Living, commonly referred to as Specialty Care Assisted Living (SCALF) and Assisted Living (ALF)

Noland Health Services offer your loved one a compassionate environment to help maintain both physical and mental independence for as long as possible.

Call Today

(205) 323-2724

www.greenbriaratthealtamont.com

22 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

Morissa Ladinsky, Mitch Cohen and Bernis Simmons listen to UAB Neuropsychologist Dan Marson play blues on the harmonica outside their hotel in Tel Aviv. Marson’s musical contributions provided a unique soundtrack for the two-week trip.

Exploring Jewish India

by Rabbi Judy Caplan Ginsburgh In April 2014, I was privileged to serve as rabbi on a cruise ship that sailed from Dubai to Singapore, with stops in Mumbai, Goa and Mangalore, India; and Sri Lanka. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. I was so exhilarated by the few days I spent in Mumbai that when I returned home, I immediately started thinking of ways I could get back to see more of India.

I found a trip that was billed as a Jewish Cultural Trip of India, so I signed up.

Not only would I get to learn about the Jewish side of India, but I would get to return to a place that I found incredibly spiritual and exciting. I talked my sisterin-law, Alice, who is from Chicago, into going with me.

On February 5, we flew to Mumbai to begin a 16-day tour of India. The flight was very long, 22 hours, and included a transfer in Istanbul, Turkey. We arrived in Mumbai at 5 a.m. and were met by a driver who took us to the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel.

This was a five-star trip, and every day was jam-packed with things to see, do and experience. During the course of the trip, we visited seven different cities; four UNESCO World Heritage sites — Elephanta Island, the Astrological Observatory in Jaipur, the Kutab Minaret and the Taj Mahal — and 12 synagogues. We rode on 12 different modes of transportation, including an elephant in Jaipur and a rickshaw through traffic in Delhi.

A nationally-known recording artist, Rabbi Judy Caplan-Ginsburgh lives in Alexandria and serves B’nai Israel in Monroe part-time. She is available for presentations about her India trip. For information, contact judy@rabbijudymusic.com

Ernakulam Synagogue, owned by Babu, a Jewish native who purchased the synagogue and the surrounding property. He runs a tropical plant and fish business, which one must walk through in order to get to the synagogue.

There are not enough Jews left in this congregation to hold services, but he maintains it.

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 23

Run-Off Election • July 17th

District Judge • Place 3 Jefferson County Family Court

4 The Only Candidate in the Run-Off Recommended To The 4 4 4 4 4 4

Governor By The Birmingham Bar Judicial Commission to Fill The Unexpired Term of the Previous Judge Most Qualified — 26 Years Experience in Family Law Committed To Placing Children First Committed To Fairness Committed To Applying The Law Committed To Justice Committed To Serve With Honesty, Respect & Integrity Endorsed By:

www.VotePamelaCousins.com

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Pamela Wilson Cousins, P.O. Box 13616, Birmingham AL 35202

24 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

community We began our trip in Mumbai, visiting the Sassoon Dock, begun by a Jewish merchant, David Sassoon who came to Mumbai from Baghdad in 1832. At one time, there were over 40,000 Jews in India. Today, there are fewer than 4,500 and many communities do not have enough people to make a minyan.

All of the Jews in India were Orthodox, and when Israel became a state in 1948, most of the Jews made aliyah to Israel.

Jews were always able to worship freely in India and they were also very well respected. Most of those who moved felt they could be more religious in a place where there were more Jews.

There were two main types of Jews who originally came to India, and all were Sephardic. The Baghdadi Jews came from Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Persia. Like David Sassoon, most of them came to India as merchants in the trading business.

The other Jews who lived in India were the Bene Israel Jews. Legend has it that a group of Jews escaping religious persecution in Palestine over 2,000 years ago were shipwrecked off the coast of India, south of Mumbai. Seven couples survived and began the Bene Israel community in India. The Shema was one of the prayers they remembered from their tradition and it was recited at all occasions. So, the Shema is prominent in all of their synagogues. We visited the site where, according to legend, the shipwreck occurred, and visited a Jewish cemetery with a monument dedicated to their memory.

The first of many synagogues we visited was the Magen David Synagogue, built in 1861 by David Sassoon. There is a Jewish school, the Jacob Sassoon School, next door to the synagogue. The enrollment is now 90 percent Muslim.

The synagogue and the school are painted a beautiful light blue color.

Shoes are removed before entering all synagogues in India. As is common in all synagogues in India, the ark is at the far end with a bimah in the middle. There is also a second bimah upstairs where the women sit behind a mechitza. The Torah and Haftarah are always read from the balcony bimah. In all of the synagogues we visited, we saw many light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. These were often assigned to families and they would light lights in them to commemorate a family Yahrzeit.

We spent five days in Mumbai and the surrounding areas. We took a ferry to Elephanta Island, a 7th-century Hindu Temple dedicated to the god Shiva, which was carved out of a cave. We visited Alibaug, where we were treated to an amazing Israeli meal by Chef Moshe, who owns a cooking school and restaurant there. We visited the Chabad House to remember the victims of the 2008 terrorist attack and we visited Gandhi’s House. We attended Shabbat services at Knesseth Eliyahu Synagogue and enjoyed a traditional Indian Shabbat meal hosted by a relative of David Sassoon and other members of the synagogue.

Our next stop was Cochin, called the “Miami of India” because of its tropical climate, palm trees and beaches on the Arabian Sea. We saw the Chinese fishing nets and walked through Jew Town, the area where the Jews lived. Today, fewer than 25 Jews remain in Cochin.

We visited four synagogues in Cochin, including the 450-year-old Paradesi Synagogue and the Kadavum Bagam Synagogue, which is maintained by a private citizen and is entered by walking through his business, a tropical fish and plant store.

The Jews were very well respected in Cochin and very much liked by the Maharaja. In fact, he donated land to the Jews to build a synagogue right next to his palace and Temple. This was the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry. The ark is a dramatic red and gold, and the floors are blue and white tiles which were imported from China in 1762.

While in Cochin, we had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Arabian Sea and attended a Kathatali dance performance, an ancient form of storytelling through dance and movement performed by men who study 6 years to learn the craft. Then we ate an Indian meal served on a plantain leaf.

Rabbi Judy Caplan Ginsburgh leading Shabbat morning services in the Maghen David Synagogue in Kolkata Our next stop was Jaipur, the “Pink City.”

Most of the buildings are made of pink sandstone. In 1876, when Prince Albert visited India, the ruling Maharaja of Jaipur ordered that all buildings be painted pink, the color of hospitality, and in 1877 a rule was actually passed that all buildings in the city had to be this color. Here we rode elephants to the top of the Amber Fort, which guarded the Palace of the Maharaja. we saw the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar Observatory. We then visited a carpet and textile factory where we saw craftsmen making carpets and hand blocking fabric.

After lunch, we went to the textile area, where we were able to shop for custom-made clothing.

We each had a personal shopper who helped us make selections of fabric. We would tell them what we wanted made and someone would take our measurements. The items we ordered were delivered to our hotel by 9 p.m. and everything fit perfectly. That evening, we enjoyed a traditional Indian dinner served under the stars while we watched a traditional dance performance. We did not see any synagogues in Jaipur.

Our next stop was Calcutta. In 2001, the name was changed to Kolkata. Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Most of what we saw in Calcutta looked like every scene you have ever witnessed of India in a movie or on TV — crowded, impoverished and dirty.

The first place we visited, however, was sparkling clean and gorgeous. It was the Jain Temple, also called the Jewel Box of Calcutta. The Jains are an offshoot of Hinduism. The Jain Temple is surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens and the Temple itself is all mosaics made with semi-precious stones and Belgian glass. Inside there are pillars of gold and crystal chandeliers.

We visited three synagogues in Kolkata and held Shabbat services in two of them. Friday

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 25

community

3815 Clairmont Ave S.

205 224 4450

Look for the greenhouse on the hill

ELECT JUDGE KECHIA DAVIS PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT KECHIA DAVIS | P.O. BOX 39452 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35208

26 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

evening Kabbalat Shabbat was held in the Beth El Synagogue, followed by a traditional Baghdadi meal cooked by members of the Jewish community.

On Shabbat morning, I was honored to lead part of the Shacharit services at Maghen David Synagogue, which was built in 1884. Behind the ark door of this synagogue is actually a room where originally there were 75 Torah scrolls — one for each family. Now, there are only two scrolls.

The Torah scrolls are contained in silver canisters and are read upright instead of laying them down as we do.

That evening, we were hosted for dinner in the home of Calcutta native and cookbook author Flo Silliman and her daughter, Yael. She is 88 years old and sharp as a tack. Her home was lovely and large and she served a scrumptious meal of fried fish, stuffed tomatoes, coleslaw, aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower) and aloo makalah (fried whole potato) with rice pudding for dessert. We had a wonderful visit as we learned about her life in Calcutta.

From Kolkata, we flew to Delhi, the capital of India and the second most populous city in the world. Although Delhi is said to have the most toxic air in the world, it was a beautiful and clean city with lots of government buildings, parks and gardens. We visited the Kutab Minaret, a 13th century Muslim monument, and Judah Hyam Synagogue, the only liberal synagogue in India. The caretaker is Ezekiel Isaac, a retired Jewish lawyer who felt a calling to take care of the synagogue full-time and speak to non-Jewish audiences about Judaism.

The next day in Delhi, we road in a rickshaw, an open surrey driven by a man on a bicycle, through Delhi traffic — probably the scariest thing I did in India. We stopped at the tomb of Sarmad, a Persian mystic, poet and saint who was born a Jew. We also visited Gandhi’s tomb at Raj Ghat on the site where he was cremated.

After lunch, we visited the Sikh Temple. This Temple has a community kitchen where over 20,000 people are fed each day. We ended the day with a visit to the Khan Market, where we were able to purchase fabric and jewelry.

The next day, we drove about 4 hours to Agra, passing high-rise communities in the suburbs of Delhi, then brick factories and wheat and mustard seed fields along the way.

Of course, the highlight of any trip to India is seeing the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal was built by the emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century as a memorial to his wife, who died in childbirth at the age of 38, having their 14th child. It took 22 years to build and is built entirely of marble. There are four gates that surround the Taj and block it from view until you pass through the gate. Then you see this magnificent structure before you that seems to be floating on air.

The next day, we visited the Red Fort in Agra, a massive structure that protected the Palace of the Maharaja. It is also the place where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his own son. After Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal, he announced that he was going to build another Taj, a black Taj, across the river from the white Taj. His intention was to build the black Taj as his own tomb. When his son found out about this, he had him arrested so that he would not spend all of his inheritance. The Shah’s quarters at the Red Fort looked out on his beloved Taj in the distance, and this is where he remained until he died.

We also visited Kalakriti, a marble factory where we saw how they make the marble-inlayed tables Agra is famous for. All the work is done by hand, and is a family business. There are about 360 families who belong to a cooperative where the craft is passed down from father to son.

Each family has their own designs. It was fascinating to watch and to see the beautiful showroom of marble inlay products.

There is so much spirituality in India and I was so at peace there. Everyone is basically happy and satisfied with their lot. It is a beautiful culture, steeped in history, and a visit is truly life-changing.

community Stillman becomes director of Nashville Federation

Former head of New Orleans Federation guided community in immediate aftermath of Katrina Eric Stillman, former executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, has become the new executive director of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, effective July 1. The Nashville Federation’s board unanimously adopted the search committee’s recommendation at its May meeting.

He succeeds Mark Freedman, who retired on June 30.

Nashville Federation President Lisa Perlen said Stillman “meets all of the essential characteristics sought for our next Executive Director. He is an engaging visionary with organization savvy and a sense of and connection to the broader North American and international Jewish world.

“He brings extensive experience from the world of Jewish philanthropy, and specifically Federation, to the job. Eric is an excellent fit for where we are now and where we will be going as the Nashville and Middle Tennessee Jewish community continues to grow.”

Stillman told the Jewish Observer, Nashville’s community paper, that the size of Nashville’s community appealed to him, as well as being in the South. “Working and living in New Orleans, I’ve grown to really appreciate and understand how Southern Jewry is special and the sense of community is genuinely inclusive in the South.”

Stillman originally arrived in New Orleans in January 2000, after four years as associate executive director and campaign director for the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island.

In August 2005, the community was evacuated because of Hurricane Katrina and the levee breach, leading the Federation to open branch of-

fices in Houston and Baton Rouge until services and facilities could be restored in New Orleans. The Federation also coordinated the distribution of funds from national relief efforts.

In May 2006, Stillman became president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, where he served until April of 2015. He then returned to New Orleans, becoming director of development in neuroscience for Ochsner Clinic Foundation.

He was also vice president of programs for the Association of Fundraising Professionals in New Orleans.

A farewell Shabbat was held for him on June 23 at Beth Israel in Metairie.

Nashville and New Orleans are both part of the Intermediate Federations group.

Currently, the Jewish community in New Orleans numbers around 11,000, up from 9,500 before the storm.

A 2015 study counted 8,000 Jews in the Nashville area, in 4,700 households, with 17 percent having moved to the Nashville area since 2009.

There are 3,000 non-Jews in the 4,700 households, and an intermarriage rate of 56 percent, higher than the national average of 44 percent. Vanderbilt University also has about 1,000 Jewish students.

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 27

Small Town Feel… with Big Town Connections

community

“Newcomers” leading Central Alabama Federation Offering Residential and Commercial Sales and Rentals

(205) 942-5306

allsouthp@gmail.com

265 West Valley Avenue, Suite A, Homewood, AL 35209 facebook.com/All-South-Properties-Inc -402090563175023/

More Southern

Life online at www.sjlmag.com!

Check our Website for updates between issues

28 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

Though Montgomery has the second-oldest Jewish community in the state and has numerous fifth-generation families, the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama has relative newcomers at the top.

Tzlil Bandy McDonald, a native of Israel who first came to Montgomery as the community Shlicha, is now executive director, and New York Phillip Ensler is the Federation president.

Montgomery “has become ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ to both of us,” they said.

Tzlil McDonald A native of Beersheva, McDonald graduated from Ben Gurion University in 2013, and spent her final year there as a member of a Federation-CJA young leadership program, working with Montreal’s Jewish community.

“The feeling of being part of a big mishpacha, part of a big, global family” appealed to her and led her to do shlichut, becoming an emissary for Israel in a location somewhere in the world.

In 2013, she became the JAFI shlicha in Montgomery, then returned to Israel the following summer to work for Beit Kobi, which helps lone soldiers and provides value-based courses to its officers.

She then worked for a couple of Israeli companies, most recently ProPrep, which revolutionizes e-learning.

During her first time in Montgomery, she met Nathan McDonald at Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem. When she finished her year in Montgomery, he went to Israel with her and did a MASA internship program, and soon were married.

“I never thought I’d live in the United States,” but she returned to Montgomery in 2016 and was asked to become community engagement and operations coordinator of the Federation.

She is excited to be “part of an organization that does so much for Israel and helps the community to thrive.”

While in high school, Ensler developed a strong interest in civil rights history in the South. He traveled to Montgomery in 2010 to see the historical sites and was “spiritually impacted by being in Martin Luther King’s church.”

He didn’t think he would wind up back in Montgomery, but in 2012 he returned for a two-year stint with Teach for America, working at a public high school. “I had a great experience teaching. I was able to really be happy here and thrive because of the support of the Jewish community,” he said. He was welcomed as family and felt as if he were part of the community, though he had no previous connection to the area.

After attending law school in New York for three years, he decided to return to Montgomery last August.

Ensler said the community has challenges common to other places in the region, with a shrinking and aging community. “We do have very dedicated members here,” he said. “Even though it is a small community, it is a strong community.”

The Federation aims to engage those who are not as engaged currently, “making sure we are providing events and opportunities they would want to be part of.”

He also hopes his story shows how much the Jewish community’s presence means to others.

Ensler also plans to expand engagement with the communities in Auburn and Dothan, which are under the Federation’s geographic umbrella.

McDonald also mentioned greater engagement in the community, especially with educational programming. “We hope to lead and look forward to the future.”

community McInerney named Bronfman Fellow Katelyn McInerney of Birmingham is one of 26 teens nationally in the 2018 Bronfman Fellows program.

Founded in 1987 by Edgar Bronfman, the Fellowship is a premier program for outstanding young Jews in North America and Israel, facilitating open and creative discourse for Israeli and American Jews.

Each year, high school juniors are recruited for the program, which includes a five week, all-expenses-paid Summer Fellowship in Israel. Over 250 applications were received, and 75 finalists were interviewed in New York.

High-caliber educators focus on teaching a broad range of traditional and contemporary Jewish texts at a university level. Fellows encounter the land and people of Israel, study major issues in contemporary Jewish life, meet with some of today’s most influential figures, and learn about themselves and each other.

The Fellowship year continues with seminars in December and March in New York, and there is a 1,200-member alumni group.

McInerney attends Mountain Brook High School is a member of Temple Emanu-El and the local B’nai B’rith Youth Organization chapter.

She is involved in several clubs and honor societies at her school. She is the founder and co-president of the Sign Language Club, a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Spanish Honor Society, Interact Service Club and the Justice Club.

McInerney is a research intern at Farah Lubin’s Neuroscience lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she works with graduate students studying the role of genetics in the onset of epilepsy. she is also the founder and co-president of the non-profit Special Siblings, which holds monthly support group meetings for siblings of special needs children.

A member of the Girl Scouts of North Alabama, McInerney has been recognized with the prestigious Gold Award. She works as both an office administrator for the Pavones Yoga Center in Costa Rica and a weekend employee at Holler and Dash Biscuit House, and is a past presenter at the Young Women’s Empowerment Conference.

McInerney is the daughter of Kerry and Jenny McInerney, and granddaughter of Lester and Jane Seigel.

“Belong” at Top Golf in Birmingham For the first time, the Birmingham Jewish Federation is combining young Jewish professionals, those who recently moved to Birmingham and parents of young Jewish children for a joint program.

“We ALL Belong in Birmingham” will be at Top Golf on July 29 from 5 to 8 p.m., with members of the professional outreach group You Belong in Birmingham, newcomers group Shalom Birmingham and parents of children enrolled in PJ Library.

Thanks to Hilary and Scott Gewant, and Teri Aronov, the event is free to those who sign up on the Federation website.

Space is limited and the event is open to any young Jewish adult.

Drinks and food will be served and all are invited to play some golf.

Samantha Dubrinsky, Federation Director of Community Impact, said “our goal is to showcase how wonderful our next generation is — from those who just moved to Birmingham to those who have engaged in our young professional offerings to parents of young children — and the role they play in making our Jewish community so vibrant and connected.”

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 29

community National Jewish groups split in lawsuit over Pensacola park cross Full-service professional auction and liquidation company

In business for over 20 years, with a combined 60+ years experience in antiques and estate liquidation.

Antiques, Mid-Century Furniture, Fine Furniture, Paintings, Artwork, Pottery, Oriental Rugs, Coins, Sterling silver, Jewelry, Military Items, Advertising Signs, Toys, Fine China & Crystal.

Auctions Held Every Friday at 6 p.m.

Preview after 1 pm on sale day.

8126 Parkway Drive, Leeds, AL 35094 Licensed & Bonded Auctioneers:

Drew Tucker AL #5351 (205) 249-3376 drewtuck47@yahoo.com Jerry Tucker AL #5352 (205) 253-4693 jerryt@anntech.com

tuckerauctions.com

A decision is anticipated soon at the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals over an ordered removal of a large cross from Bayview Park in Pensacola.

In May 2016, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the American Humanist Association filed suit on behalf of four plaintiffs, Amanda and Andreiy Kondrat’yev, Andre Ryland and David Suhor. All four are described in court documents as humanists, and argued that the cross shows city preference to Christianity. The 34-foot cross overlooks Bayou Texar, across from a public boat launch.

In June 2017, Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled the cross violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government establishment or endorsement of a particular religion.

In the ruling, Vinson made it abundantly clear he disagrees with the decision, but precedent required it. “It is still the law of the land and I am not free to ignore it,” he wrote.

While he ordered the cross’ removal within 30 days, the order was suspended pending a hearing by the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

That hearing took place on May 16, and a ruling is expected later this summer. Becket is defending the city.

According to Vinson’s ruling in Amanda Kondrat’yev et al vs. City of Pensacola, et al., the National Youth Administration built a wooden cross at that site in 1941, for dedication at the first Easter Sunrise Service scheduled for that spot.

A small amphitheater was built in 1949 by the Junior Chamber of Commerce at the foot of the cross, to be the home of the sunrise service.

The plaque on the amphitheater dedicates it to C. Frasier Phelps, who chaired the 1941 service.

In 1969, the Pensacola Jaycees replaced the wood cross with the current concrete one, which was dedicated at that year’s Easter service.

Vinson stated “The Bayview Cross is part of the rich history of Pensacola and of Bayview Park in particular. Thousands upon thousands of people have attended services in the park over the years. It has also been the site of remembrance services on Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, during which flowers were placed at the foot of the cross in honor of loved ones overseas and in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our country.”

He continued by stating that while the cross “has hosted tens of thousands of people” over the past 75 years, four people “contend they are ‘offended’ by it and want it removed.”

He concluded his ruling with “Count me among those who hope the Supreme Court will one day revisit and reconsider its Establishment Clause jurisprudence, but my duty is to enforce the law as it now stands.”

Last October, five Jewish groups, representing Orthodox viewpoints, files a joint Friends of the Court briefing in support of overturning the decision. The groups are Jews for Religious Liberty, Agudath Israel of America, Coalition for Jewish Values, the Rabbinical Council of America and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

Among the other groups calling for a reversal of the ruling is Roy Moore’s Foundation for Moral Law, and several states, including Alabama and Louisiana.

The Jewish groups argued that while this case is about a symbol of the majority faith, the greater danger is its effect on minority religious groups. Should the doctrine of “offended observer” stand, it “will make America a less hospitable place for members of minority faiths.”

The brief argues that a negative emotional reaction is insufficient standing to challenge a religious display, “a plaintiff must have suffered a concrete injury.”

Because the general public “tends to lack familiarity with the practices of minority religions,” observers target those groups with challenges, and continued on page 32

30 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

community ISJL honored again in Slingshot Guide Many other regional groups recognized in final edition of national philanthropy listing The Jackson-based Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life is once again listed in Slingshot: A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation.

Published annually since 2005, Slingshot highlights innovative organizations in American Jewish life “with particular resonance among the next generation.” The guide is distributed to 7,500 funders, foundation professionals, federation executives, and not-for-profit leaders annually, in addition to tens of thousands of online downloads.

This is the 13th Slingshot guide, and the 11th that has listed ISJL. But Slingshot Executive Director Stefanie Rhodes said this will be the last Slingshot Guide, as “we dedicate our energies and resources to new initiatives,” continuing to “highlight innovation, but will adapt our guide to reflect our new priorities” as they shift from guiding funders to guiding “future philanthropists.”

The guide is divided into categories of StartUp, Mezzanine or Legacy, based on size and longevity. ISJL is considered a Legacy organization.

SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource for Gender and Sexual Diversity was listed again.

The Atlanta-based organization works with religious communities in Georgia, Alabama,

Florida and Louisiana to encourage inclusivity, affirmation and empowerment for the LGBTQ community, through teaching Jewish values.

Also listed is JScreen at Emory University in Atlanta, a national public health initiative that seeks to prevent Jewish genetic diseases by promoting affordable at-home genetic screening tests and genetic counseling. Over 10,000 participants have been screened, and last year the testing panel was expanded from 100 to over 200 diseases.

The University of Florida Hillel was listed for the first time, recognized for shaking up the traditional Hillel model and structure. Over 80 percent of programming was eliminated, in favor of a “less is more” philosophy of student engagement through “tradition, inspiration and activation.” In the second half of 2017, the Hillel engaged 10,000 students in person and online, Birthright participation increased 56 percent and engagement rose 167 percent.

Moishe House is listed once again. Moishe House establishes group residences for 20-something Jews who lead programs for their communities. New Orleans has a longstanding Moishe House, one of 108 now open across the country.

PJ Library also was listed. Inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the organization

sends age-appropriate Judaic books monthly to Jewish children ages 6 months to 11 years, with no charge to the families. The Jewish Children’s Regional Service in New Orleans coordinates PJ Library in its seven-state region, which includes Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, in communities that do not have their own PJ Library infrastructure. Currently, PJ Library sends out over 180,000 books monthly in North America.

A first-time honoree, The In(heir)itance Project, uses theatre for interfaith and multi-ethnic communities to explore sacred texts and expand the definition of community. Its first project, “The Genesis Plays,” brought together the Jewish and African-American communities in Charleston, S.C. Ride for the Living is a first-time honoree.

Established in 2014, the fundraising event is a 55-mile bike ride from Auschwitz-Birkenau to the Jewish Community Center in Krakow, remembering the Holocaust and celebrating the rebirth of Jewish life in Poland. This year’s ride was June 28 to July 1, led by Greg LeMond, and included Julie Wise Oreck of New Orleans, who is planning to do it again next year.

Avodah Chicago was listed in the Chicago Slingshot guide. One of the four Avodah loca-

Great journalism digs out the facts, examines all of the arguments, and includes diverse voices and opinions.

WBHM brings you great journalism every day.

And we do it with your financial help.

Become a member today at wbhm.org.

Listen on 90.3 FM in Birmingham, 91.5 in Gadsden, 104.5 in Fort Payne, online and through the app.

WBHM is a listener-supported service of the University of Alabama at Birmingham • 800-444-9246

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 31

community tions nationally is in New Orleans.

Listed organizations were selected from among hundreds of finalists and reviewed by nearly 100 professionals with expertise in grant-making and Jewish communal life.

Organizations included in the Guide were evaluated on their innovative approach, the impact they have in their work, the leadership they have in their sector, and their effectiveness at achieving results.

Selected organizations are eligible for grants from the Slingshot Fund, a peer-giving network of young donors with an eye for identifying, highlighting and advancing causes that resonate the most with the next generation of philanthropists. Furthermore, the Guide is a frequently used resource for donors seeking to support organizations transforming the world in novel and interesting ways.

>> Pensacola officials decide displays aren’t worth the trouble.

“In this way, offended-observer standing drives acknowledgement of our nation’s religious pluralism out of the public square.”

The brief cites “countless lawsuits challenging public displays of menorahs,” including the invoking of the Establishment Clause to prevent display of a menorah in the Georgia state capitol rotunda, despite a state-sponsored Christmas tree presentation. It also cites challenges to sukkahs and eruvs.

A brief filed last November urging the court to uphold the decision came from 14 groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, the Reform movement’s Central Conference of American Rabbis, Hadassah, Jewish Social Policy Action Network, National Council of Jewish Women, the Union for Reform Judaism and Women of Reform Judaism. Among the other groups were the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Muslim Advocates and the Sikh Coalition.

The groups stated they are “united in respecting the important but distinct roles of religion and government in the life of the Nation.”

In the brief, they argued “the official display of the Latin cross — the preeminent symbol of Christianity — sends divisive and harmful messages… It tells members of other religions, or of no religion, that they are excluded, second-class citizens. It co-opts the Latin cross’s spiritual content for governmental purposes, offending many Christians. And it divides communities along religious lines.”

They note the cross was erected in the park “with an unambiguously religious purpose… it communicates to all observers that the City favors Christianity.”

The city’s argument that erecting a cross can have “a variety of secular reasons,” suggesting the cross symbolizes anything other than Christianity, “may be deemed offensive to Christians.”

32 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

health/wellness an annual SJL special section

Tulane Bariatric Center earns accreditation

by Lee J. Green The recently-accredited Tulane Bariatric Center wants to show patients the “weigh” to a healthy lifestyle through not just effective, safe bariatric surgery but education on nutrition, exercise, genetics and food science.

“In addition to educating our community at large about the benefits of bariatric surgery, it is also my dream to create a healthy version of my grandmother’s noodle kugel,” said Shauna Levy, who recently moved to New Orleans from the Houston Jewish community and will soon become director of the Tulane Bariatric Center.

“Losing weight and keeping it off is not easy, but we want to be there for patients every step of the way to help them help themselves,” said Levy.

“Obesity isn’t due to a lack of self-control. It is a disease. The most proven and durable therapy for obesity is bariatric surgery. We are a comprehensive care center. It’s so much more than surgery and recovery. It’s a whole team of medical professionals dedicated to setting up patients for success.”

That team involves dieticians, nurses, surgeons, educators, psychologists, cardiologists and pulmonologists working together.

Current Tulane Bariatrics Center Director Christopher DuCoin said they started seeing patients in 2015. The new accreditation comes from the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

“They did some extensive processes before granting us accreditation.

We’re the first ones in downtown New Orleans to earn this,” said DuCoin.

“It is a strong validation of the work we are doing. It also means that insurance will cover bariatric surgery here for all who qualify.”

So how do patients qualify for bariatric surgery? Levy and DuCoin said it could vary from individual to individual but those with a Body Mass Index of 35 to 39.9 with an associated obesity-related condition, also known as a comorbid condition, like hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea or diabetes could be a candidate. Those with a BMI over 40 don’t necessarily need to have a comorbid condition.

Anyone with a BMI under 35 should inquire about bariatric surgery.

“We have a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator on our website (www. tulanehealthcare.com/service/weight-loss-surgery) that can help us as one tool in the process to determine if bariatric surgery is the best option for someone,” said Levy.

DuCoin said that both he and Levy have been conducting surgeries for a decade, and bariatric surgery has greatly advanced in the past 15 to 20 years.

“We’ve gone from big incisions to small incisions. It’s laparoscopy… and it is safer than having your gall bladder removed. Usually patients can

Immerse yourself in tranquility Therapeutic Massage & other modalities | Organic Facials featuring Hylunia® products Dermasweep™ Microdermabrasion Treatments | All- Natural, Organic Airbrush Tanning Manicures & Pedicures | All-Natural Body Treatments & Wraps | Full Body Waxing with NuFree® | Xtreme Lash® Eyelash Extensions | Couples, Group & Individual Packages

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 33

health/wellness

Compounding: Custom Medicine for the Whole Family…

Including Your Dog! Online Refills • Smartphone App • Text Message Alerts Delivery Available 90-Day Supply Script Alignment Auto Refills

leave the hospital the next day following surgery with minimal recovery times,” he said.

“The risks of obesity far outweigh the risks of surgery,” added Levy.

Once a patient qualifies for surgery at the Tulane Bariatric Center, they work with the professional team there for six months of pre-operative education, sessions and evaluations. Then after the surgery, they work with patients to help them keep the weight off.

“What you eat and getting exercise is so important in weight loss and maintenance,” said Levy. DuCoin advises a minimum of 20 minutes of activity a day, and Levy adds that people need to drink 64 ounces of water daily.

But it’s not easy since much of weight is “out of our control,” said Levy.

“Seventy percent is genetic and only 30 percent is diet and exercise. It’s fighting a genetic battle. We should not blame ourselves or ever feel ashamed. There are positive solutions.”

She said that most patients are aware that weight loss and successful bariatric surgery help those who suffer from diabetes, sleep apnea as well as elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

However, many are surprised to learn how weight loss can contribute to lessening one’s chances for developing certain cancers — close to onethird of all cancers.

“Fat cells cause inflammation and make the cells more susceptible to cancer,” said Levy. “We already know, for example, that Ashkenazi Jews have a higher propensity for developing breast cancer due to the BRAC gene. Excess fat cells also could cause a woman’s body to produce excess estrogen, thus also increasing the risk for breast and some other cancers.”

Levy and DuCoin both are professors in the Tulane School of Medicine. “We love educating future medical professionals and in our practice we love educating patients on healthy living,” said Levy.

Adds DuCoin, “the beauty of bariatric surgery is that you can fall back in love with the person you look at in the mirror as well as live a longer, healthier life.”

All Major Insurance Accepted (including Medicare and Medicaid)

For opioid addiction, Methadone and Suboxone are not the answers

Voted #1 Baby Store in Greater NOLA! Mom-owned modern baby boutique specializing in the latest gear, local gifts and natural baby products.

• Online Ordering • Nationwide Shipping • Gift Registry

Mention SJL and get 10% Off Your Next Purchase 3248 Severn Avenue • Metairie

zukababy.com

by Judy and Julie Butler 7211 Regent Street, New Orleans (504) 309-2449 charbonnetpharmacy.com

A New Approach To YOUR HEALTH Chiropractic Acupuncture Health Center • Chiropractic

• Acupuncture

• Nutritional Counseling

• Hair Analysis

• Detox Programs

• Supplements

2800 Greystone Commercial Blvd. Ste 2B, Birmingham (205) 408-5600 34 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

www.cahc.biz

Every summer we get at least one or two phone calls a week from people who are going on vacation and have to find a place for their Methadone treatment. Seriously? The same can be said for Suboxone.

Both of these forms of “treatment” are costly and are just another dependency. In fact, they’re called “replacement therapy,” which is appropriately named since patients are replacing heroin and other opioids with these.

We’ve had many clients who have used these forms of treatment and finally realized the trap they were in with them. Likewise most, if not all, said that they reached a point where they couldn’t afford the “treatment” any longer so they went back to using heroin. Now with the government’s attention on the opioid addiction these centers will flourish, and probably with government (our) money.

If you or someone you know in this trap or heading toward it, there is a better answer. It’s not a short-term medical detox or the big box rehabs where patients go from one 12-step meeting to another. It’s Bayshore Retreat, where we sweat the toxins out, replenish the nutrients the body has lost and work with clients through quality counseling to restore confidence and self-esteem.

Clients bring their cell phone and laptop and are able to stay in touch with family and work. We allow this because many times it helps us identify some of the stress factors the clients endure and address it with them.

There is a better way to beat addiction, and we have it. Bayshore Retreat’s small home environment is different and it makes a difference.

health/wellness

Think of eye health when using computers and electronics

by Lee J. Green Schaeffer Eye Center and Dr. Brooke Kaplan want to help patients obtain 20/20 vision, but 20-20-20 is also very important.

“These days, many of us are on the computer and our electronics devices much of the day,” said Kaplan, daughter of Schaeffer Eye Center founder Jack Schaeffer. “We recommend the 20-20-20 rule. After every 20 minutes you are on the computer, look away 20 feet for 20 seconds. That will help prevent digital eye strain.”

Symptoms of digital eye strain include headaches, shoulder/neck pain, dry/irritated eyes, blurred vision and light sensitivity.

It’s summertime in the Deep South and Kaplan recommends proper eye protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

“We work with patients to make sure they can get not just sunglasses they like the look of, but ones that offer them the UV protection they need,” she said. “A lot of people will be at the beach, lake and pool this summer. It is important to remember that light refracts off of water differently and that can be a concern for eyes that are not properly protected.”

For those contact lens-wearers enjoying summer activity, Schaeffer Eye Center recommends daily disposables. Longer-wear lenses can pop out, dry out and get infected. They also can recommend cleaning solutions that help prevent infections.

Before everyone knows it, back-to-school time will arrive and the focus increases on the importance of eye exams for kids.

“Good vision means more than seeing 20/20. A child might see 20/20 but still have some vision problems,” said Kaplan. “Even if a child doesn’t seem to be having symptoms of vision issues or already isn’t wearing con-

tacts or eyeglasses, we recommend at least an annual eye exam.”

Kaplan added that a child might have vision issues but is not able to communicate it. “We’ve seen some cases diagnosed as ADHD, when the root of it is a vision problem. They can’t see well so they get frustrated, bored and can’t keep up,” she said.

Eye exams for adults and kids can also find symptoms for diseases that are not diseases of the eye. “That’s why we dilate patients in an exam. We are not just looking for vision issues, but we can detect symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease and even some cancers,” she said.

Kaplan takes pride in being an involved member of the community, with three kids at the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School. “This is an amazing community for us and our family,” she said.

Best of both worlds: How chiropractic and acupuncture complement Chiropractic and acupuncture… while those practices may seem like two different worlds, Cherie Johnson of Chiropractic Acupuncture Health Center in the Greystone area of Birmingham said the two work synonymously.

“Many acupuncture points run along the spine,” she said. “When we adjust, we stimulate those points.” Because of that correlation, she recommends having an adjustment first, followed by acupuncture.

Citing a professor that said “acupuncture is the glue to an adjustment,” Johnson said “if a patient has a disc issue, we will typically treat with chiropractic and then follow with acupuncture to help reduce swelling and inflammation.” She noted some patients are not helped by chiropractic

Cahaba Ridge Retirement Community It’s the little things.

Throughout the years, we’ve learned the most important things in life are often the little things.

Small details matter.

Here at Cahaba Ridge, we take great pride in recognizing what brings a smile to your face every day in our all-inclusive community. That means our managers live on site to help with anything you need. It means we believe in making every meal a world-class, how-you-like-it experience, and it means we hire top-quality staff who provide top-quality service.

Please call with any questions:

205-259-2695

3090 Healthy Way 

Vestavia Hills, AL 35243  CahabaRidgeRetirement.com

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 35

health/wellness

Since 1994, “NewLIFE” has provided high-quality, lower-cost and patient-friendly fertility care on the de-stressing Gulf Coast.

Barry A. Ripps, MD & Meaghan A. Delaney, MD Fellowship-trained and Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

www.FertilityLeaders.com Pensacola • Panama City • Tallahassee Mobile • Dothan • Destin • Biloxi Recognized by Best Doctors, Inc. Best Doctors in America THE TOP DOCTORS IN AMERICA

R

because of the amount of inflammation in the body, “therefore we may switch to acupuncture to help with the pain, inflammation, swelling and nerve discomfort.”

Good candidates for acupuncture, a “drug free option,” include those with migrane headaches, back or neck pain, sciatica, arthritis, disc issues, rotator cuff injuries, insomnia, depression, anxiety, infertility, hormone issues and digestive issues.

Johnson’s practice is more than chiropractic and acupuncture — nutritional counseling and supplements are emphasized. In studying acupuncture, “one of the first things we were taught is to treat the whole body, and that includes nutritionally,” she said. “We do know the necessary supplements to support this system. It speeds up the healing and repair time when we combine the two.”

Similar situations are addressed through chiropractic. “Many musculoskeletal issue can be resolved with simple supplementation,” she said.

“Our job is to listen to the patient and lead them in the right direction to support their body with the necessary foods for healing.”

Johnson also explained the difference between Dry Needling and acupuncture. “Dry Needling is done by most physical therapists,” she said.

Dry Needling is focused more on loosening up bound or tight muscle tissue through placing a needle in the muscle tissue that is tight and then moving the needle up and down to loosen the tight tissue. “Kind of like having a knot in a piece of yarn and using your needle to unwind or loosen the knot,” she said.

Acupuncture “is dealing with different meridian/energy points to balance the body and help bring energy to or away from the biological systems of the body,” she said. “Acupuncture works more with energy/Chi, which in turn can affect muscles, nerves, inflammation, organs, joints.

Our treatments last 15 minutes.”

Beyond the surface at Escape Day Spa

by Lee J. Green Every day, Escape Day Spa in Homewood strives to be more than a day spa, according to owner Carrie Holley.

They focus on a holistic approach to a total healthy lifestyle for their clients. “We love not just providing wellness services and all-natural products to help people feel good, but also letting them know why we do it and education about the things that have helped us live healthy lifestyles,” said Holley.

Escape plans to launch some healthy lifestyle educational classes, demonstrations and open houses soon. “We want to take that hands-on approach to wellness,” she added.

Holley said they make all their salt scrubs and muds in-house. Those are 100 percent natural/organic and hypo-allergenic, as are the essential oils and massage creams. Some, if pertinent, are vegan and some are gluten-free.

“Our skin is so absorbent and there are a lot of things in our environment that can damage it,” she said. “It’s not just about what we put into our bodies that is so important, but also what we put on our bodies.”

Escape Day Spa’s experienced massage therapists, including Holley, take continuing education at least once every two years as a part of maintaining their licenses.

“I have been doing massage therapy for 18 years and there are a lot of new things out there just in the past few years,” she said.

“Everyone knows how relaxing a massage is and how it can help sore muscles to heal. But many people don’t realize how much it benefits our circulation. It gets toxins out of the body and can clear up allergies; get rid of headaches as well as improve metabolism,” said Holley.

Escape Day Spa also does pedicures. Holley said those, along with the facials and massages, have health benefits that extend beyond just feeling or looking good.

“We are all about going beyond the surface,” she said.

36 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

health/wellness Ned Marshall Design

Tips to Beat the Summer Heat from Touro Infirmary When the days get hotter, it’s important to prevent sunburns and other mishaps, such as heat exhaustion or stroke. Summer provides plenty of opportunities for fun in the sun.

However, children, teens and the elderly have a tough time adjusting to extreme heat. They produce more heat with activity than adults and sweat less. Therefore, it’s important for everyone to stay vigilant during these scorching summer months.

Here are a few tips on how to stay cool!

Stay Hydrated

When the temperature rises, getting enough fluids is important, whether you’re playing sports or out and about in the sun. Water is essential for maintaining blood circulation throughout your body. Other sources of water include fruits and vegetables. Also, sports drinks with electrolytes are useful for people doing high intensity, vigorous exercise in the sun. You should always drink water before, during and after exercise to stay safely hydrated.

A good rule of thumb is to drink at least eight 8-ounce servings of water daily. In a hot and humid climate like New Orleans, people tend to sweat more, which requires additional intake of fluid. You should drink enough fluids to avoid feeling excess thirst and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless (light-yellow) urine a day. It’s also best to avoid drinks containing caffeine, which acts as a diuretic and causes you to lose more fluids.

Dining Room as Featured in House Beautiful Magazine

Interiors . Exteriors . Planning

Complete Design Services services available in all locations Website www.nedmarshall.com

Office 504.899.2869

Email pastichellc@bellsouth.net

Cell 646.509.7889

Understand the Warning Signs of Heat-Related Illnesses

Heat-related illnesses require immediate medical attention. The warning signs include Practice Sun Safety Sun safety is extremely important in protect- fever, lack of sweating, muscle cramps, confuing us against skin cancer. Here are a few ways sion, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat and fainting. If a person is exto prevent sun-related skin problems: periencing these symptoms, you should call 911 • Apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or immediately. A heat stroke is the most severe greater at least 30 minutes before sun form of heat illnesses and can cause permanent exposure, and then at least every 2 hours damage or death. thereafter, more often if you are sweating Here are a few things you can do while waitor swimming ing for help to arrive: • Select cosmetic products that offer UV protection • Get the person to a shaded area • Wear sunglasses with total UV protection • Remove clothing and gently apply cool • Wear wide-brimmed hats, along with water to the skin followed by fanning to loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants stimulate sweating • Avoid direct sun exposure as much as • Apply ice packs to the groin and armpits possible during peak UV radiation hours, • Have the person lie down in a cool area which are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. with their feet slightly elevated • Perform skin self-exams regularly to become familiar with existing growths and For additional health and wellness tips, or to to notice any changes or new growths find a healthcare provider in your neighborhood, • Avoid tanning beds visit www.touro.com today.

NAGHI’S Diamonds Platinum 14k & 18k Gold Antiques Estate Judaica

633 Royal St • (504) 586-8373

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 37

health/wellness Hearing and Speech Milestones

This Week In Southern Jewish Life The South’s Most Comprehensive Weekly Jewish News Email To Subscribe, send an email to subscribe@sjlmag.com

From the moment a baby is born, he or she is learning. That’s why it’s important for parents to be aware of and watch for important developmental milestones from birth the age 3. Jill Smith, the director of the Hearing and Speech Center at Children’s of Alabama, said engaging in simple activities like talking to your baby while changing a diaper actually helps them learn to communicate. Smith said even the routine task of feeding your baby lays a foundation for speech.

“Those same muscles they are using to suck on the bottle are the same muscles they will use when learning to talk,” Smith said.

Crying is a form of communication for several months of a baby’s development. Babies cry to let parents know when they need something or when they are overwhelmed or tired. They can also engage in two-way “conversations,” exchanging smiles and cooing with mom or dad.

During this important developmental stage, Smith recommends parents consistently talk to their child. This may include reading to them, engaging in “conversations” with them and pointing out objects or animals when at the park or around the home.

“You can be saying, ‘Oh! There’s a bird,’ or ‘Look at our friend, the dog,’ and even though they may just be laying back in their stroller, they’re taking it all in, listening and learning,” Smith said.

Babies should begin reaching basic speech and hearing milestones as they grow:

3 Months Old Smiling (responding to parent) Cooing, babbling with parent 6 Months Old Should understand “No” Recognizes his or her name Recognizes when a parent is in the room 1 Year Old Should be speaking basic words like “No,” “Dada” and “Mama” 18 Months Old Should be able to speak 30-50 words

Healthy Legs are Beautiful Legs Are unsightly, painful spider veins or varicose veins standing between you and the healthy activities you enjoy? You don’t have to live with the embarrassment and discomfort. Trust your veins to the vascular experts at the UAB Vein Clinic.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION TODAY. Located at UAB Hospital-Highlands 800-UAB-8816 uabmedicine.org/vein

• Alabama’s premier comprehensive vein center • Physicians specialty trained in vein disease • Minimally invasive and surgical treatments

Vein Clinic ad 2016-SEAL-Jewish Life 5.125x5.indd 1

38 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

9/13/17 3:18 PM

2 Years Old Should be able to string words together like “I don’t want,” “My ball,” and “Go outside” Should have a vocabulary of 200-300 words Children communicate at different rates, just as they mature physically at different rates, but Smith said if a child is not using any words by 18 months old, parents should consult a pediatrician and request a speech evaluation.

Early speech and language skills are associated with success in reading, writing and social skills later in life. By engaging in “baby talk” with your baby, you help build a foundation for his or her future.

community

Birmingham Wellness Massage Sports Massage for Athletes and Weekend Warriors Swedish • Deep Tissue • NMT • Prenatal • Stretching

At 95, Clarksdale native Sam Baker publishes children’s book Sam Baker of Scottsdale, Ariz. made his book debut in April, penning a story that was inspired from his childhood in Clarksdale, Miss.

“It’s been fun writing” the book, “The Silly Adventures of Petunia and Herman the Worm,” he said.

The 95-year-old author then added, “I’ve got two more in the works.”

Petunia is a 6-year-old girl, while Herman is a caterpillar with a human-looking face, arms and hands, and the ability to speak.

Naturally, Petunia and Herman become friends.

The Herman stories began when his children were young and they were living in Florida. His work with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey required him to “go downrange” two weeks out of every month.

Stationed at Cape Canaveral, Baker was in charge of being sure that all the tracking devices for missile launches were tied to the grid.

When he was away, his wife would read stories to the children at bed time, but when he came back to town, they wanted him to come up with an original story.

He created Herman and tied him to the space program, having him go into space with the astronauts.

The son of a cotton farmer, Baker recalled they had a lot of cucumber plants and dill plants. He would watch the large caterpillars that were attracted to the plants, and when they neared the pupa phase, he would put the caterpillars in a shoebox and “watch them come out as beautiful swallowtail butterflies.” He used that memory to create Herman.

His family lived two blocks down from Beth Israel in Clarksdale, which in the 1930s was the largest Jewish congregation in Mississippi; it closed in 2003. In the 1930s, there were over 60 children in the religious school, and the local Orthodox and Reform communities shared space.

“I would walk there Friday nights, when I wasn’t in the band at ballgames,” Baker said.

Emma, who is in the book, was the cook his family had when he was growing up. “My mother had a store and worked all day,” he said.

“The depression wiped it out.” During the depression, his father had to renegotiate to keep their home.

In 1930, Baker got a paper route at age 8, making $1.50 per week. “I gave it to my mother. It was a big help.”

He later worked for Mr. Bloom, “who had a bread route.”

He offered to take a year off from school to make money, but his mother told him “they can take your money, but they can’t take your education.”

He wound up getting a job at the Mississippi State stadium for 25 cents an hour.

“I was in school when the war started, and I volunteered for the Marine Corps four months after Pearl Harbor,” he said. Since he needed a birth certificate, he went to Jackson to get one — and that’s when he discovered he had a different name.

They did not have a record of Samuel Baker, but they did have a Leonard Samuel Baker. They asked him if Samuel was his middle name, and he said “I don’t have a middle name.”

Brice Jackson, LMT • 205.370.4116 • alabamawellnessmassage.com 1933 Richard Arrington Blvd. S #250, Birmingham AL 35209 Across from Vulcan • Packages Available • Like us on Facebook

ONE STOP KOSHER FOOD SHOPPING Eat In — Take Out — Catering

Sushi and Fried Chicken Friday

ed Saturday)

-3pm (Clos Mon-Thu 10am-7pm • Fri & Sun 10am

-2010

3519 Severn, Metairie • (504) 888 www.koshercajun.com

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 39

community

SJL

goes anywhere digital editions at ISSUU.COM/SJLMAG 40 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

Since he was born on Shabbat, his parents waited to fill out the birth certificate.

Unbeknownst to them, a nurse wrote down “Leonard” as a placeholder, and it stayed on the official document. On the book, he goes by Sam Baker.

A further complication was that he was listed as being born on Aug. 16 instead of Aug. 26 — the latter of which was a Saturday that year. When he was told they had him listed as being born on Aug. 16, he exclaimed “That was Charles Levine’s birthday!”

Looking back on it, “I don’t know how that thing got so messed up.”

When he brought the paperwork back to the Marines, the sergeant said “Son, you want to join the Marines Corps and you don’t know your own name?”

After time at Paris Island, Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton, he went to Pearl Harbor for his first platoon — which turned out to be a brig platoon, prisoners who were given the option to enlist. “They were the sorriest-looking troops, and this was my first platoon,” he said.

He served in the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal, then headed to Okinawa. After the war, he was in New Orleans and Pensacola for a brief time, and joined the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.

As part of that work, in 1951 he got to fly over the North Pole. “At that time, only about 400 people had flown over the pole, so it was a big occasion,” he said.

He retired in 1978, then worked for Teledyne and Brookhaven National Laboratories on a fusion project. After that, he was the world’s first GPS salesman.

The units weighed 45 pounds and took 6 hours to get a position, but he calls GPS “probably one of the greatest inventions.”

When Baker got his first computer, son Michael urged him to write down the Herman stories. He eventually decided to publish the stories, and daughter Sally, a publicist, helped him find illustrator Ann Hess and a publisher.

He said the book teaches children things they need to know — to wear their seatbelts, be courteous to people and “laugh and enjoy life, and still be good.”

Approaching his 96th birthday, Baker spends 45 minutes a day in the gym and is active on the resident advisory council at his development.

His sister just celebrated her 99th birthday at the Jewish Home in Memphis, and he plans to visit her soon. While in the area, “I’ll drive to Clarksdale and visit the place.” Walking through the Jewish cemetery there “is like memory lane… it’s sad to go back, nobody is there… all my friends are gone now.”

community

Runoff Election

VOTE Tuesday, July 17

Not “what Reform Judaism says about” Rabbi Dana Kaplan edits volume with range of opinions

While “A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism’s Sacred Path” contains 56 pieces about different aspects of Reform Judaism, Rabbi Dana Kaplan says the book is not “what Reform Judaism says about…”

Kaplan, who has served as rabbi of Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile, edited the work, which was published recently by the Central Conference of American Rabbis Press.

Kaplan has written numerous books on Reform Judaism, and said there have been “a number of these collections over the years of the Reform movement,” on “different aspects of Reform Judaism. I thought it was time for another.”

He started on the book when he was still in Jamaica, reaching out to potential writers, and finishing with 56 authors.

“It wasn’t intended to be only Reform rabbis,” he said. Most of the writers are, but there are a few cantors and non-rabbinic scholars in the book.

Kaplan started assigning different topics with the suggestion that the pieces be short, interesting and somewhat personal.

The book is divided into six sections, with the first section containing essays about Knowing God, followed by sections on Choosing Covenant, Connecting to the Divine, Living the Texts, Building Community and Dignity of the Other.

One piece reflects on teaching about God after being told “I love discussing this stuff but I don’t get the God thing.”

Another author is a Holocaust survivor’s child, whose piece explains how her mother’s trauma was transferred to her.

A discussion of the covenant leads to exploring pluralism, freedom and modernity in the context of covenant. What does the covenant between God and the Children of Israel mean today, and how can one embrace the concept and not be seen as excessively exclusionist in today’s society?

Ben Zeidman of El Paso discusses the concept of individual religious autonomy within Reform Judaism. What, then, if the autonomous individual decided he or she does not need to do anything?

“How do you embrace religious autonomy while creating an environment where people will do many ceremonies and rituals?” Kaplan asked.

In his introduction, he notes how the Reform movement started with considering Jewish law “antiquated and purposeless,” but many Reform Jews now argue that Jewish law should be a focus of Reform Judaism.

“It is our covenantal responsibility to undertake the task of interpreting the Jewish religion in the light of who we are today,” he wrote.

In the book, Kaplan’s essay is on “Converting to Judaism.” The book concludes with Rabbi Eric Yoffie’s piece on “The Importance of Reform Judaism.”

Kaplan said “A Life of Meaning” is “designed to get people thinking” about “what different Reform perspectives might be and what they might believe.”

Each essay is syncretic, going in multiple directions. Also, “each essay was from the perspective of that particular author, so we’re not trying to be comprehensive” about every aspect of Reform Judaism.

“In the end, you don’t come out with ‘oh, this is what we believe.’ It’s

We’re Better Together I’m running for the Alabama State House in District 54 because I bring the dedicated experience and accountable leadership we need to build healthy and just communities.

Endorsements:

Patricia Todd, current State Representative House District 54 Sierra Club of Alabama Central Alabama Labor Federation, AFL-CIO Victory Fund American Federation of Teachers Jefferson County Citizens Coalition Alabama New South Alliance

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Neil Rafferty, PO Box 321579, Birmingham, AL 35232

raffertyforstatehouse.com

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 41

community not so simple.”

Kaplan’s other works include “The New Reform Judaism,” “Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal,” “The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism,” “American Reform Judaism: An Introduction,” “Platforms and Prayer Books,” and “Contemporary Debates in American Reform Judaism.”

For the last couple of months, Kaplan has been leading a Wednesday night Torah study group at Springhill Avenue Temple, picking out 12 chapters from the book so one can be discussed each week.

Mama Mia star “made it” with Center Players and Irving Stern

by Lee J. Green

It’s Dog Day Out Bring Your Pup to Just Happy Hounds Dog Fraternity for a Great Time With Friends!

Providing the Ultimate in Doggie Daycare, Dog Boarding, Grooming and Training!

Convenient 10,000-square-foot Indoor/Outdoor Facility Loving Staff with Over 65 Years Experience Doggie Daycare Monday-Saturday Dog Boarding 7 Days A Week Luxury Dog Boarding Available

Make Your Summer Vacation Dog Boarding Reservations Today!

www.justhappyhounds.com 2222 5th Avenue South, Birmingham • 205.777.3699 42 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

Kyle Holman, who plays Sam in the hit musical “Mama Mia” in Red Mountain Theatre Company’s current production, has a long-time connection to the Jewish community through the stage.

“Mama Mia” will be performed at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham from July 13 to Aug. 5. and who also starred as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof last year for RMTC, Holman, who also starred as Tevye in Red Mountain Theatre’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof ” last year, grew up in Birmingham, the son of beloved local television personality Cousin Cliff. He developed a love for acting as well as technical aspects of the stage and screen.

He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, living at the YMHA during his first year there. He later worked in film and theatre in New York and Chicago before returning home in the mid-1980s.

It was during that time he became a regular in the Jewish Community Center’s Center Players, helmed by the legendary director Irving Stern.

“I did ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,’ ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs,’ ‘Biloxi Blues’ and several other shows,” he said.

“Irving was the greatest guy and greatest character in the world,” said Holman. “He studied with Lee Strasberg. He had so much intellect and so many tools. I learned so much from Irving about acting and the theatre… and I considered him a great friend. Sometimes I would just sit and talk to him for hours.”

Holman’s many friends in the Jewish community helped him in his “Fiddler” performance.

“Acting involves delving not just into a character, but going beyond the surface to understand how people feel and what influences their actions,” he said. “Irving talked to me a lot about actions and the process.”

Henry Scott directs RMTC’s production of “Mama Mia” and Katie Holmes handles music direction duties.

Holman’s character, Sam, is one of the three suitors reuniting with a woman they all had a romance with more than 20 years ago.

At 53, “I am at an age that I have been through some of the things that my character has, so I can bring some personal things to the role. Plus, Henry has a great vision,” he said.

Holman said acting is serious business but it’s also fun being in such a beloved musical featuring the songs of ABBA. “It is amazing how many people I talk to who say that they just love this show. It has widespread appeal,” said Holman, adding that he has only seen the movie version starring Meryl Streep.

Holman primarily earns his living doing professional voice work, but said he knew he had “made it” in acting from a review of a Center Players production.

“Up to that point in Birmingham, when they did a review they always said I was the son of Cousin Cliff. In this review they focused the review on me and as a side note said he was my father,” said Holman with a smile. “Even though he primarily did television and I primarily did theatre, I was honored to follow in my father’s footsteps.”

antiques an annual SJL special section

Amidst antiques, Tucker has auctioned some unique Judaica

by Lee J. Green Everything from rare antique menorahs to mid-century modern furniture can be had at Tucker Auctions’ weekly events, where old finds find new homes.

“The landscape of auctions and antiquing has changed in recent years with eBay and other online auctions,” said Drew Tucker, who owns Tucker Auctions LLC of Birmingham with his dad, Jerry. “But there is nothing that can replace the experience of a live auction and being there. In addition to getting some rare finds, it makes for a fun evening.”

The Tucker family had been in the antiques and auction business for four generations, dating back to Drew’s great-grandfather. His parents owned Crestwood Antiques for many years until closing a few years ago and focusing exclusively on the auction business, which is located in Leeds.

Five years ago, Tucker became a licensed auctioneer and took over for his dad’s retiring business partner, “but I have been involved with the family businesses for more than 25 years, since I was around 12 years old.

It has been so rewarding over the years to do this.”

They work with antiques dealers, individuals with estate sales, other sellers and buyers. They host an auction every Friday night at 6 p.m., as well as some special auctions on other days, for a total of 60 or so a year.

“We’ll post each week (www.tuckerauctions.com and www.auctionszip.com) many of the items in the auction,” said Tucker. “Usually once a month we will have a special auction that has more mid-century furniture or collectibles, antique toys and specialty items like that.”

Items auctioned have included everything from heirlooms to coins to jewelry to rugs to furniture to menorahs and other Judaica. They also specialize in doing full estate auctions.

“We have done many auctions for Jewish estates over the years and love working with folks in the community,” he said.

Tucker said they get about a dozen calls a day from potential sellers.

Tucker Auctions can either purchase the items in the auction or work with the seller on a consignment agreement.

“We tell them to send us some photos and background about some of the key pieces in the collection so we can get an idea of the interest these might generate, as well as how we want to promote the auction,” said Tucker.

Tucker is from Crestwood and went to elementary and middle school with current Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.

He said while some things have changed in the world of antiquing and auctions, especially with the rise in internet transactions, some things have remained the same.

“We use technology in a way to make it easier for folks to buy and sell with us,” he said. “We have adapted to seek some things that are still antiques but might appeal to our generation and the next generation.”

Southern Ingredients Meet Coastal Italian Fare in Downtown Birmingham From Chef Akhtar Nawab OPEN 7 EVENINGS A WEEK HAPPY HOUR MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 5PM TO 7PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BRUNCH LOCAL SOURCING OF INGREDIENTS

One Block from The Alabama Theatre and The Lyric Theatre Join us for dinner and a show, or just drinks

THE PIZITZ FOOD HALL 1821 2ND AVE N SUITE 176 BIRMINGHAM (205) 582-9250 FERORESTAURANT.COM

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 43

Coffee Ice Cream Soda 2 scoops of chocolate or vanilla ice cream 1-½ ounces of coffee 1 ounce Fox’s U-Bet syrup (OU certified) Soda water

Crestwood Pharmacy

5502 Crestwood Blvd.

Birmingham 205/564.0429 bhamrx.com

Put in first three ingredients, then fill up with soda water.

Mix and enjoy.

Crestwood Pharmacy

by Lee J. Green Even though Taylor Trammell graduated from the Samford University School of Pharmacy only a few years ago, he considers himself very “old school.”

That, plus a strong desire to bring wellness advice to the community, led Trammell to open up Crestwood Pharmacy almost one year ago, including a soda fountain and ice cream shop, and décor that harkens back to the grand old days of local pharmacies.

“I wanted this to be so much more than just a place to get prescriptions and over-the-counter pharmacy products,” he said. “I grew up in the country,” at Hayden/Corner in Blount County, north of Birmingham, “and we used to always go to a community gathering spot at this gas station/store.

“That’s what I was looking for when we started toward our goal of opening up a community pharmacy,” added Trammell. “I looked at several places and fell in love with Crestwood. I live just a few blocks from the pharmacy. I am happy to be a part of this great community.”

While in pharmacy school at Samford, he worked with CVS and they offered him a job in North Carolina after graduation. But after a year he was homesick and set the plan in motion about three years ago to open his own pharmacy.

“I knew all along I wanted it to be a place that was a community gathering spot. I knew I had to have the ice cream and soda fountain counter like places from the past too,” said Trammell.

Friend and store manager Tyler Shaddix designed and built much of the soda fountain. “We based it off of the pharmacies from the 1920s that used a lot of wood, marble, arches, a certain type of lighting and sconces,” he said.

Crestwood Pharmacy is the only one in the Birmingham area to serve Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream, which started in Mobile in 1969. They have chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and lemon ice cream all the time, as well as a sorbet on rotation. Three additional flavors change every week.

They also make milkshakes, coffee ice cream sodas, soda floats and 44 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

Continued from page 46

and Jerusalem Talmuds are bestsellers at synagogue gift shops worldwide, the South London Talmud never attracted the same following.

Thus, Rav N Yud’s legend has long fallen into the realm of legend.

Rav N Yud’s nemesis was poverty and strife.

Unfortunately for his legacy, and possible book sales or film rights, that’s less intriguing than actually battling an evil Sheriff or some guy from Gisborne. And don’t even start about Maid Marian.

However, some of Rav N Yud’s legacy continues. For instance, his most recognizable feature has been immortalized by a contemporaneous, more secular and thus better known outlaw’s feathered hat.

Much later, a certain Yankee doodle dandy was just copying Rav N Yud who’d centuries earlier stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroony.

Doug Brook is the writer of “The Hood of Sherwood,” premiering in July in Northern California.

To read past columns, visit http://brookwrite. com/. For exclusive online content, like facebook. com/rearpewmirror.

>> Crestwood Pharmacy classic egg creams in vanilla or chocolate, made with Fox’s U-Bet Syrup from Brooklyn.

Trammell said that within a year, they plan to serve other food, such as deli sandwiches, egg, chicken and pimento cheese salads.

On the pharmacy side, Trammell said they are happy to meet their customers’ wellness needs with pharmaceutical medicines and other products, natural remedies and health advice.

“They can come to me at the store and e-mail me day or night,” he said. “If they tell me their problem, like for example they are having trouble sleeping, I might first suggest that they try to alter some of their patterns to sleep better. I want to earn their trust. It’s about offering the best wellness advice versus focusing on just selling them products.”

30 Years on 30A

Experienced in sales of second homes and investment properties

Alice J. Forrester - Mickey Whitaker Brokers/Owners

45 Sugar Sand Lane, Suite D Seagrove Beach, Fl 32459

850-231-5030 • 30Arealty.com

July 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 45

rear pew mirror • doug brook

Rav N Yud

Live Music

Tuesdays 6-9p Sunday 11a-3p

Full Bloody and Mimosa Bar at Brunch Full Bar with Beer, Liquor, Wine and Champagne

…and don’t forget parties!

(We cater too)

4100 3rd Avenue South • Birmingham 205-703-9895 Tues-Thurs 11a-9p Fri-Sat 11a-10p Sun 11a-3p

46 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018

Long before Super Sunday asked for its first dollar, another iconic Jewish entity benevolently lived by the credo of “take from the rich and give to the poor.”

Over one thousand years ago, a renegade traversed the left side of the roads throughout the Lower East Midlands of England. He helped the poor through selfless deeds of kindness, and helped enrich the rich by reapportioning their riches to the masses. While he was innocent of any crime, guilt was involved.

This was none other than the soon-to-be legendary Rav N Yud. Throughout the shires of several counties, people knew if Rav N Yud had been there because he’d leave behind a purse with a few pounds in it, and a few pounds of brisket and gefilte fish.

Rav N Yud’s real name was Rav Nachum. Of course, in those days, many notable rabbis were known by a pronounceable acronym of their names. For example, in the 12th Century, Maimonides (aka Rambam) was Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon. RaMBaM. But this was England, and there were a long line of Rav Nachums. So, following English tradition, this scholar was known as Rav Nachum the Tenth. In Hebrew’s letter/numbering scheme, ten is a Yud. Hence, Rav Nachum the Tenth was known as Rav N Yud. He was a little-known piece in the longstanding Jewish tradition of helping the poor. This ethic has existed throughout Jewish history, all the way back to the beginning of the Torah when Eve gave an apple to Adam, who didn’t have any money to buy groceries.

Those who would see Rav N Yud pass through caught little more than a glimpse of a figure riding off into the cloudset. (Middle England. No sun.) But they knew it was Rav N Yud because of the feather sticking out of his shtreimel.

Most people today associate the origin of shtreimels with Eastern Europe, and some believe they were inspired by the Tatars. Nobody knows where he got his, but Rav N Yud was obviously new to them. The aforementioned feather had fallen into his shtreimel one day, and he didn’t notice it for six months until someone asked him about it. (Shtreimels are big.) His answer inspired similar reactions from generations of leading Judaic minds: “What feather?”

The someone was among Rav N Yud’s followers, one of his merry minyan. Best SO WHY known among them was Rav N’s hulking, HAVEN’T THEY muscular sidekick Yonatan Katan. Someknown by the littler name YoKatan, MADE A MOVIE times he is best remembered because of his deABOUT scendants who generations later migrated to the new world. There his legend became RAV N YUD? so revered that part of eastern Mexico bears his name: the YoKatan Peninsula.

Of course, Rav N’s merry minyan was more than a one-man band.

After all, every minyan of minions has music. Providing that service, three times a day plus festivals, was Rav N Yud’s minstrel, who handled all cantorial responsibilities for the group. Through song and poetry, he helped everyone to be not merely religious but to greet the Big G in their daily lives. Appropriately, his name was Ahlan Ad-El (literally, “hello to the Big G”).

With these and many other colorful characters involved, why don’t more people today know of Rav N Yud’s exploits? While the Babylonian continued on the previous page

WHATEVER YOUR STYLE We add variety to senior living.

No matter what lifestyle you’re looking for in a senior community, Noland Health Services offers several exciting views on living.

From city life to country dwelling, we create a senior lifestyle to look forward to with new opportunities and friendships. Just one look at our communities, and you’ll know why more seniors choose Noland Health Services.

• Independent Living • Assisted Living • Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care • Short Term Rehabilitation

Greenbriar at the Altamont

• Skilled Nursing

Charming City Life on Birmingham’s Historic Highland Ave.

(205) 323-2724

East Glen

Center for Nursing and Rehab, across from St. Vincent’s East

(205) 836-4231

Village at Cook Springs

The Oaks on Parkwood

Convenient Suburban Living just minutes from the Galleria

(205) 497-4560

Sylacauga Health and Rehab

Serene Country Living just down the road, off I-20 East

Conveniently located on West Fort Williams Street

(205) 822-0405

(256) 245-7402

Call Today. We’ll be happy to arrange a tour. www.nolandhealth.com

48 Southern Jewish Life • July 2018