A well-worn joke is that a popular Jewish pickup line is “Hey, didn’t I see you at Sinai?”
That references the tradition that all Jews from across time were present at the Revelation at Mount Sinai, directly receiving the Ten Commandments.
Who did we not see at Sinai?
Members of the Louisiana Legislature.
And yet, those legislators have rushed forward to turn the foundational document of the Jewish covenant with God into their own political graven image, in the name of restoring morality in society by putting God “back” into public schools.
Their version, of course, not ours.
If they were at all interested in historical accuracy, they would be putting the Hebrew version up. But no, they adapted a Protestant version that can be made more Catholic-friendly and made that The Official Version. As we Jews might say, they made a Christian version “m’Sinai” — “from Sinai.”
It’s just another virtue-signaling measure that goes against the Constitution, the majority throwing its weight around and trampling the rights of minority faiths.
There is virtue in teaching that the American system was set up on an acknowledgement that our rights come not from government, but from our Creator, and thus come from something larger than ourselves. The Founders in their wisdom left vague the concept of the Creator, rather than stating either the Jewish or Christian form of God, as a way of universalizing human rights.
The idea that our rights are inalienable and not subject to the whims of man or government is fundamental to our country and something that is often forgotten. That philosophy must be taught, for the benefit of our society.
Hanging the Ten Commandments in each classroom is not the way to do that.
Louisiana should have learned from Alabama’s bruising battles in the 1990s and early 2000s, which saw a 5,300-pound granite monument of the Ten Commandments dropped directly into the church-state battleground.
Southern Jewish Life is an independent Jewish periodical. Articles and columns do not necessarily reflect the views of any Jewish institutions, agencies or congregations in our region.
In 2001, we did an editorial, “Ten Problems with the Ten Commandments,” pointing out the dangers of mixing the Scriptural dictates with American law. Unlike the characterization of those pushing the public Ten Commandments, these objections come not from lawless atheists, but from a careful religious reading of the commandments by those who take them seriously.
We have updated the piece for the current controversy, and it is available at sjlmag.com at the bottom of the home page, under “featured stories.” It would be nice if some of those pushing the Ten Commandments bill would take those arguments to heart — it would have saved Louisiana taxpayers the expense of fighting the inevitable lawsuit.
In other news…
The state of Alabama agreed not to conduct the routine autopsy on Keith Edmund Gavin after his July 18 execution, deferring to his Muslim beliefs.
Good.
Muslims, like Jews, have major restrictions on when an autopsy can be performed, because of the sanctity of the body. It is good that the state is taking that into consideration and not forcing a needless procedure that
violates the tenets of a faith that is a tiny minority in the state. If, heaven forbid, a member of the Jewish community were in a similar circumstance, we would be expecting similar deference.
Admittedly, it took a lawsuit to get that courtesy which should have been granted at the outset, and the state should have to answer as to why it had initially opposed the request.
What is the purpose of an autopsy after an execution? To determine cause of death?
Gavin was convicted of a 1998 murder in Cherokee County, which he committed while on parole for a murder in Illinois.
One side note… the Council on American-Islamic Relations had issued a statement urging Alabama to take this path, as one might expect. It would be nice if CAIR stuck to such advocacy topics, rather than seeking to foment anti-Jewish hate and spreading absolute lies about Israel, and then complaining about “Islamophobia” when the inevitable pushback comes.
Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor
Southern Jewish Life Staff
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interesting bits & can’t miss events
Celebrating Juneteenth with a Seder
On June 18, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans hosted an inaugural Juneteenth Seder, a program of the Goldring Family Foundation Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs and the Center for Interfaith Families.
Wendell Shelby-Wallace of Philos Black and Terrell Mims of the Federation led guests through a deeply meaningful time of connection and celebration. While the traditional Passover Seder focuses on the story of Exodus and the liberation of Israelites from slavery in Egypt, the Juneteenth Seder recreates the traditional ritual, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and the ongoing journey towards freedom and equality for all.
“Just as the Israelites were commanded to tell their story of liberation to each generation, we gather tonight to tell the story of Juneteenth and reflect on its significance,” said Shelby-Wallace. “Both the Exodus and Juneteenth are narratives of a journey from oppression to freedom, stories of resilience, hope, and the unyielding human spirit.”
“Breaking bread together goes beyond symbolizing the support and friendship between our communities — it acknowledges our shared past, present and future,” Mims reflected. “While much progress has been made, we recognize that the work towards true freedom and equality is far from finished. We reaffirm our commitment to working together towards a world in which all are liberated.”
This event was made possible in partnership with Philos Black, Tulane Hillel, the Anti-Defamation League’s South Central region and Dillard University’s National Center for Black-Jewish Relations.
Founder of Holocaust Survivor Band to speak in New Orleans, Baton Rouge
The Chabads in New Orleans and Baton Rouge will host “Survival Through Song: An Evening with Saul Dreier,” founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band.
Chabad in New Orleans and Metairie will host an event on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center, while Chabad Baton Rouge will hold its event on Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center. Tickets are available at the Chabad websites.
Dreier grew up in Krakow and was 14 when the war started. His father, a Polish soldier, was imprisoned by the Germans, putting him in charge of the family. In 1941 they were forced into a ghetto.
His father escaped from prison and returned, but before long, the family was rounded up. Dreier was taken to the Plaszow labor camp, then was relocated to the Schindler factory at Zablocie.
He was taken to Auschwitz, but wound up at Mauthausen before being sent to work at Linz in Austria. Eventually, American troops liberated the camp, and he went to Italy to recuperate until 1949, when he went to America, hosted by an uncle and cousin, as the rest of his European family was gone.
At the age of 89, he read a story about a Holocaust survivor who was a pianist, playing for the Jewish community in Germany until she died at age 108. He wanted to continue her legacy, and figured music would be the path. He went to a local store and bought a drum set, and everyone thought he was crazy. Some time later, he and five other musicians and a
Juneteenth Seder in New Orleans
IT’S TIME TO RENEW YOUR CAR TAG
Alabama is one of three states who currently have an ovarian cancer car tag. The Drive Out Ovarian Cancer car tag raises money for research in hopes that one day, doctors will discover an early detection test for ovarian cancer, so that women will be tested for this insidious disease at their annual checkups just like cervical and breast cancers.
The mission of the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation (NLOCF) is to raise funds for ovarian cancer research and to increase awareness about the risks, symptoms and treatments of this disease.
The net proceeds of the $50.00 are distributed to the NLOCF to be used for ovarian cancer research at the UAB hospital. The Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization. Your $50 contribution is tax-deductible.
female singer gave a concert at a local synagogue, receiving a standing ovation.
They have since played all over the world, including Israel, Brazil, Las Vegas, Berlin, Warsaw — and at Auschwitz. A documentary, “Saul and Ruby’s Holocaust Survivor Band,” was released in 2020.
A Florida resident for the past four decades, Dreier has played the drums with the U.S. Marine Band at a White House Chanukah celebration, and uses his music to promote peace and fight antisemitism.
In Metairie, early bird tickets are available through Aug. 8, and are $36 for preferred seating, $20 for general seating and $15 for balcony. After Aug. 12, tickets are $45 for preferred, $30 for general and $20 for balcony. There is a $10 student discount off balcony or general seating. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
VIP packages that include premium seating and a 6 p.m. meet-andgreet with Dreier are $180, $250 for a couple.
In Baton Rouge, tickets are $18 before July 21, $25 after. Premier seating is $36 before July 21, $45 after. Student tickets are $10. Sponsorships are $180 and include four premier seats. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
The events replace the previously-announced programs with Irene Zisblatt.
MSJE holding three-part virtual summer speaker series
It’s summertime, so the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans is saying “Sit a Spell.”
The virtual Southern Summer Series is a free, three-part online lecture series detailing lesser-known Southern Jewish figures who nevertheless had important roles in history.
The series starts on July 26 at noon Central with a program on National Disability Independence Day, “Stanley Stein and The Star: Tales of Louisiana’s Leprosarium. Stein, who was from Texas, was admitted to Louisiana’s National Leprosarium in 1931, a time when patients suffering from Hansen’s Disease were generally shunned by society and quarantined for life in leprosy hospitals. The Leprosarium, located in Carville, was the only national leprosarium in the continental U.S., and was open from 1894 to 2005.
Elizabeth Schexnyder, curator of the National Hansen’s Disease Museum in Carville, will share how Stein launched a patient-run newspaper called “The Star,” which gave a voice to leprosy patients worldwide, publicized new drug treatments, and helped reduce the millennia-old stigma of the disease.
The Olympics take center stage with the noon program on July 31, with the story of Herman Neugass, “A Southern Jew Boycotts Hitler’s Olympics.” Herman ran at Tulane University and was one of the fastest runners on the planet, with the “Green Wave Express” being one of his nicknames. A Mississippi native, Neugass held the world record in the 100-yard dash.
When he was invited by Avery Brundage, president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, to try out for the 1936 Olympics, hosted in Adolf Hitler’s Berlin, he had a choice to make, and the choice ultimately was to decline — while urging a full U.S. boycott of the 1936 Games.
The 1936 Games were known for Alabama’s Jesse Owens showing up the idea of the “master race” by winning Olympic gold. It can’t necessarily
The Ovarian Cancer Research Tag may be purchased for private passenger automobiles, pickup trucks, motorcycles, and pleasure motor vehicles (i.e., recreational vehicles).
be said that Neugass’ absence paved the way for Owens to make history — the three times they competed, Neugass narrowly lost each time.
Richard Neugass, Herman’s son, will join MSJE Executive Director Kenneth Hoffman for a discussion about that decision of personal conscience.
On Aug. 7 at 6 p.m., cultural historian Danny Fingeroth will discuss “Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Lee Harvey Oswald’s Jewish Assassin.” A Chicago native, Ruby became famous for killing accused presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV two days after the Nov. 22, 1963, murder of President John F. Kennedy.
Ruby was a nightclub owner in Dallas who had questionable alliances and a hot temper. He showed up at the Dallas police headquarters on Nov. 24, mixing with a gaggle of reporters who were there to witness Oswald’s transfer to the county jail. He then emerged and shot Oswald at point blank range. He said he had been an admirer of Kennedy and did it on impulse.
Fingeroth’s new book includes interviews with Hillel Silverman, the legendary Dallas rabbi who visited Ruby regularly in prison and who was witness to Ruby’s descent into madness. The book also has interviews with Ruby family members and associates. Ruby died in 1967 of an embolism after being diagnosed with cancer.
Registration for the free events is available at the museum website, msje.org.
Alex Edelman of “Just For Us” headlines B’ham Federation annual kickoff
After a challenging year, it will be time to laugh — award-winning comedian Alex Edelman will be featured at the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s 2025 Annual Campaign kickoff, Aug. 22 at Red Mountain Theatre.
Tony Award-winning Edelman blurs the line between standup comedy and narrative storytelling. A Bostonian, Edelman broke out in Edinburgh, winning the comedy award for best newcomer in 2014, the first American to do so since 1997. His first show, “Millennial,” was about traumatic stock photos and young people.
His followup show, “Everything Handed to You,” about identity and the availability of outlets in airports, sold out its entire Edinburgh run.
His third show, “Just for Us,” about a neo-Nazi meeting he attended in New York, was the best reviewed comedy show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in a decade. He performed it over 500 times around the world, then it became an HBO comedy special in April.
He has written extensively for television, including “Teenage Bounty Hunters” and “The Great Indoors,” and was head writer and executive producer for “Saturday Night Seder,” a virtual celebrity Seder held during Covid. He is also a founder of Jerusalem’s Off the Wall Comedy Club, which he founded while spending a year at a yeshiva after graduating from an Orthodox high school.
Tickets for the 7 p.m. event are $36, and there will be an opportunity to make a pledge to the 2025 Campaign during the evening. Tickets are available through Aug. 9.
You Belong in Birmingham will have a cocktail hour at 6 p.m. The group is for ages 21 to 39, and the event is open to those who have a ticket to the kickoff. Reservations can be made through Aug. 16.
LimmudFest at Ramah Darom over Labor Day
LimmudFest Atlanta and Southeast returns to Ramah Darom on Labor Day weekend, for a four-day celebration of Jewish thought, arts, culture and life.
The annual festival brings hundreds of participants for a variety of workshops, discussions, art, music, performances and outdoor activities, and will be held from before Shabbat on Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. Limmuds are all-volunteer experiences held around the world, with
dozens of presentations on a wide range of topics. They are open to anyone interested in Jewish knowledge, regardless of experience.
Areas include art, camp and leisure, environmentalism and policy, health and wellness, Israel and Jewish history, Jewish culture, religious services, and Torah and sacred texts.
The weekend will also include a variety of Shabbat experiences, Havdalah around the campfire, youth programming and a gala musical performance on Sept. 1.
Registration closes on Aug. 8. Accommodations range from tent camping to shared or semi-private cabins to the camp’s retreat hotels. There is also single-day registration for the Sept. 1 sessions, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Partnership2Gether has launched Gaming2Gether, to promote Israeli and American youth ties. The partnership involves Rosh Ha’Ayin in Israel, sister city Birmingham and partnership community New Orleans. The gaming initiative is for ages 8 and up, playing popular online games together in a safe and friendly environment. More information is available from Hadas at the Birmingham Jewish Federation, or Jessie at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.
At the 2024 Olympics, there will be the usual commemoration of the 11 Israelis killed by the Black September Palestinian terrorist group at the 1972 Munich Olympics, including David Berger, a Tulane alumnus. But the commemoration will not be “usual” in that it will not be at Paris City Hall, as originally scheduled, but has been moved to a secret location due to concerns that the commemoration will be a target for violence.
Deep South
B’nai Israel in Pensacola welcomed Rabbi Yehoshua Mizrachi as its full-time rabbi on July 5. On July 6, Rabbi Israel Vana, who formerly served at B’nai Israel, died in his sleep in Tampa where he was living with his son and had started treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He had served B’nai Israel from 1993 to 2012, and again from 2015 to 2017. Vana will be buried in Israel.
The Jewish Community Center of Indianapolis announced that Samantha Dubrinksy-Clayton will be their next CEO. Originally from Birmingham, she was executive director at the Levite JCC before becoming CEO of the JCC in Springfield, Mass., where she led the agency through a recovery after a fire that took place after the Covid shutdowns.
Temple Beth El in Pensacola will present “Jews Who Cook,” with over 30 star chefs, Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door.
Beth Israel in Gulfport will have its Night with the Biloxi Shuckers on Aug. 4. First pitch is 5:05 p.m. Tickets are $18 for members, $21 for non-members. Deadline for tickets is July 28. Through arrangements with the team, there will also be kosher and vegetarian hotdogs available for purchase, also with a July 28 deadline.
The new season of Torah on Tap with Rabbi Henkin of Temple Beth-El in Birmingham will start on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m., location to be announced.
The Birmingham Jewish Community Relations Council will have a back to school bagels and coffee with Joyce Shevin and Margaret Norman, for parents to give input about working with schools to educate about antisemitism and respond to any incidents. The meeting will be on Aug. 22 at 9:30 a.m. at the Levite Jewish Community Center board room. Reserve by Aug. 19.
Louisiana heads into the Ten Commandments battlefield
Two decades after a lengthy battle in Alabama leading to the removal of the state’s Supreme Court chief justice from office, Louisiana is jumping into the battle over governmental displays of the Ten Commandments.
On June 19, Governor Jeff Landry said he “can’t wait to be sued” as he signed a law requiring all public schools in the state to have a display of the Ten Commandments in each classroom by Jan. 1, 2025.
The lawsuit followed immediately, filed by nine families, three of whom are Jewish and reside in Orleans Parish.
On July 19 in Baton Rouge, U.S. District Judge John DeGravelles signed a compromise between the plaintiffs and the state to halt implementation of religious displays until Nov. 15. A hearing on the suit has been set for Sept. 30.
The new law makes Louisiana the first state to mandate posting the Ten Commandments in all K-12 classrooms, as well as at universities that receive public funding. The display must be poster-sized and be in a “large, easily readable font,” and is to be funded through donations, not through public funds.
The posters are to be accompanied by a four-paragraph explanation of how the Ten Commandments were part of public education for almost three centuries.
The law also “authorizes” but does not mandate the display of the Mayflower Compact of 1620, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance.
Similar bills have been proposed in Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.
Representative Dodie Horton, the primary sponsor of House Bill 71, said the law would “have a display of God’s law in the classroom for children to see what He says is right and what He says is wrong.”
The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans issued a statement on June 20 stating that while Judaism holds the Ten Commandments in high regard, “this mandate undermines the core principles of religious freedom and the separation of church and state that are essential to our democracy,” and goes against “the spirit of religious neutrality.”
Furthermore, the statement read, it “imposes a specific interpretation that does not encompass the diversity of religious beliefs in our society.”
The statement continues, “We urge the state legislature to prioritize creating inclusive educational settings that respect and accommodate the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds of all students,” so all students can learn without “imposition of specific religious doctrines.”
The bill prescribes one specific English translation that divides the Ten Commandments into 12. The version includes “Thou shalt not kill,” a translation popular among Christians, but the original Hebrew references “murder.”
Most of the longer commandments are abridged, though the commandment about honoring parents continues, “that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
The suit notes that many faith traditions do not have the Ten Commandments, and that there are different versions among Protestants, Catholics and Jews. “The version of the Ten Commandments mandated in H.B. 71 does not match any version or translation found in the Jewish tradition,” and the suit notes “key language and context” in the Torah that is omitted, such as the message about being brought out of Egypt to freedom, and that several commandments are summarized.
The lawsuit points out that there are factual errors in the Ten Commandments bill, including a fabricated quote about the Ten Commandments attributed to President James Madison, and that there is no “longstanding tradition” of the Ten Commandments being displayed in Louisiana schools.
The lawsuit states that “As evinced by the nature of the mandatory displays themselves, the history of H.B. 71, and comments made by various lawmakers, the state’s main interest in enacting and implementing H.B. 71 is the imposition of religious beliefs on public-school children.”
Rep. Sylvia Taylor stated that “A lot of people, their children, are not attending churches or whatever… So what I’m saying is, we need to do something in the schools to bring people back to where they need to be.”
Rep. Roger Wilder, a co-author of the bill, said opponents are “waging a war on Christianity,” and bemoaned that if his wife were a teacher “she would be asked to teach evolution which is in complete contradiction with the theory of creation that we believe out of the Bible.”
Unitarian Rev. Darcy Roake and Jewish spouse Adrian Van Young, as an interfaith couple, seek “a secular, religiously unbiased education,” and the Ten Commandments displays interfere with that by misappropriating and altering the text from the Jewish version, and lack context for Unitarian interpretations, such as the commandment about coveting thy neighbor’s wife centering a heterosexual male perspective that regards women and others as property.
Gary Sernovitz and Molly Pulda also joined the suit on behalf of their child, who is being raised Reform and attends Jewish summer camp. They object to a Jewish text being misappropriated and altered, along with the characterization of it as a “historically significant document” that reflects nothing more than the “function of civic morality to the functioning of self-government,” as opposed to being a sacred foundational document to Judaism.
Removing the part of the First Commandment about freedom from Egypt, they argue, is “tantamount to an official, governmental erasure of the Jewish significance of the Ten Commandments.”
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They are also concerned that their child would be taught that the state-mandated version is the “correct” one, not the one being taught at religious school.
Joshua Herlands says the law would usurp his parental role in his children’s religious upbringing, and goes against Jewish values of not forcing religious teachings on others.
He also objects to God being written out in the posters, as many Jews use “G-d” in written form as a way of not taking the divine name in vain.
In the suit, he also notes that the official version prohibits any graven images, while the actual commandment also prohibits any “likeness,” which he says “ensures that popular Christian iconography of G-d (e.g., images of Christ) is not in violation of the commandment, erasing the commandment’s Jewish significance and rendering the display of the state’s approved Ten Commandments Christian-centric.”
Writing for Religion News Service, Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, senior rabbi at Temple Israel of West Palm Beach, said that the Ten Commandments aren’t merely a list of moral precepts. “The revelation of those commandments forms the core of the Jewish covenant with God,” which makes their posting in government buildings a violation of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
Alanah Odoms, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, stated that “public schools are not Sunday schools. We must protect the individual right of students and families to choose their own faith or no faith at all. The separation of church and state is a
Visit sjlmag.com to view our updated Louisiana version of “Ten Problems with the Ten Commandments”
The original editorial about Alabama’s Ten Commandments controversy won the 2001 Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism from the American Jewish Press Association, first place in the editorial category.
bedrock of our nation’s founding principles; the ten commandments are not.”
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin from Chabad of Louisiana said that “We must certainly protect against the encroachment of one religion on the rights of others” it is “it is valuable for Americans to otherwise recognize that our moral foundation is the commitment to Divine Truths articulated in the passages we call the Ten Commandments.”
The display in government buildings and deciding what version to use, he noted, “may be problematic,” and a better fit would be the Seven Universal Noahide Laws, especially since at least one of the Ten Commandments — the Sabbath — was given exclusively to the Jewish people.
On July 18, Landry said in an interview at the Republican National Convention that had there been Ten Commandments posters in classrooms where would-be presidential assassin Thomas Crooks attended, “maybe he wouldn’t have took a shot at the president.”
Past legal battles
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar law in Kentucky, saying the law plainly served a religious purpose.
In 1995, there was an effort by the American Civil Liberties Union to stop the practice of Christian prayers in state courtrooms, as well as displays of the Ten Commandments. In 1995, a suit was filed against Etowah County Circuit Judge Roy Moore, who had both in his courtroom. In 1997 a judge ruled it had to be removed, but Moore vowed to defy the ruling.
In 2000, Moore was elected chief justice of the state Supreme Court, and after six months had a three-ton granite monument of the Ten Commandments brought into the judicial building overnight. In November 2002, it was ordered removed, but Moore refused. An ethics complaint was filed, and in November 2003 Moore was removed from office.
Moore then ran unsuccessfully for governor twice, and in 2012 ran for his old seat on the Supreme Court, which he won. He did not bring the monument back, but in 2016 he was removed from office again after advising probate judges to not issue marriage licenses to samesex couples, despite the 2015 Supreme Court decision recognizing such unions.
In the newsletter from his Foundation for Moral Law, Moore responded to the Louisiana act by praising God, “in a time where the People of our Nation are more sick, depressed, and lost than at any other time in history, desperately in need of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.”
He added, “The enemies of God and freedom are fervently speaking out against Louisiana’s law and plan to attack it at the first available opportunity.”
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Responding to the worst of humanity
ZAKA, which helped New Orleans after Katrina, returned for program describing aftereffects of working the Oct. 7 massacre scenes
Since Oct. 7, ZAKA has played a key role in dealing with the aftermath of the Hamas massacre in Israel, and is preparing for the possibility of war in the north. Israel’s non-governmental rescue and recovery organization is now turning to supporters around the world to ensure that its volunteers have what they need to do their jobs, and the mental care resources to deal with what they have seen.
On June 5, ZAKA held a program in one U.S. community that is very aware of the organization — New Orleans, which was the site of ZAKA operations following the levee failure after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
An iconic photo shows ZAKA volunteer Rabbi Isaac Leider carrying waterlogged Torahs in waist-deep water through the flooded sanctuary of Beth Israel. The June event began with a donor reception in the sanctuary of the Orthodox congregation’s new building, and continued next door at Gates of Prayer, a Reform congregation that housed Beth Israel until the new building could be constructed.
Dan Forman, president of Gates of Prayer, said after Katrina, “we took care of each other, as Jews generally do,” and the decision to have Beth Israel build next door was based on the close relationship that developed after the storm. “This gathering is a true reflection of our values.”
ZAKA has about 3,000 volunteers around the world, ready to deploy anywhere in the world on two hours’ notice. The organization has just 12 employees.
One of the volunteers is Micha Lader, who has been a volunteer search and rescue supervisor for the Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol for 15 years. Among the sites he has been sent to over the years are the World Trade Center and the Surfside building collapse in Florida.
He was at Shemini Atzeret services in Toms River, N.J., when “we knew something big was going on” as the sheriff entered the sanctuary and said “don’t get scared, but you will see a lot of police outside now,” as a precaution.
He contacted his brother, who by then was at the Shura military base near Ramle, “where all the bodies were taken to get identified.” At that point, initial reports had the death toll from 400 to 600, but his brother told him “it is far more than that.”
At that point, it was only a matter of when, not if, he would head to Israel. The June 5 event, held in conjunction with Jerusalem Day, was the first time he publicly spoke about his experiences. “It’s been difficult to put into words.”
About two weeks after Oct. 7, Lader was part of a team sent to the Gaza Envelope communities to relieve those who had been there since Oct. 7,” to “give them a break.”
Though the scenes were still horrific, “what we saw and what they saw were two different things.” They were looking for bodies and helping clean up the scene. There was a list of places they still could not go, because live grenades were present.
Moshe Rozenberg, executive director of ZAKA, said at the beginning, the priority was “collect the bodies and go,” because it was too unsafe to collect tissues and other samples. There were still terrorists who had not been located, and constant rocket barrages from Gaza.
They finally got a call from the government that it was safe to expand their work, but it was still on ZAKA to fund the needed supplies. Some volunteers on Oct. 7 were relying on the flashlights from their cell phones.
While Lader said he has been to sites of hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters, “this was different. This was deliberate,” and what he had seen in the past did not prepare him for what he would see.
Or smell. He knew the smell of death, but this was far worse, and pervasive.
Kibbutz Be’eri, where 101 civilians were murdered along with 31 security personnel, “was the worst I have ever seen,” with holes in every single home. There were homes that had rooms
Photo by Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90
A ZAKA—Disaster Victim Identification volunteer at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, near the Gaza Strip, Nov. 2, 2023.
with blood but no bullet holes, shrapnel or fire markings. That’s where terrorists stabbed people or killed them with their bare hands.
He said it was a scene of “murder for the sake of suffering,” and “there was no line that was not crossed.”
As houses were checked, they were marked with an X and codes for what was found inside — markings familiar to anyone who experienced the aftermath of Katrina.
Getting the word out about what happened “is everything,” Lader said.
Lader insisted “we will rebuild. We will heal. We will ensure the light of those we lost will live on through our acts.”
Responding to terror
The roots of ZAKA go back to what is called the first Palestinian suicide attack, in July 1989 when the 405 bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was commandeered and plunged into a ravine, killing 16. Students from the nearby Telz-Stone yeshiva rushed to administer aid, and one of them went on to found ZAKA in 1995.
Lader said the 405 attack showed a need for knowledge on how to treat a disaster scene — marking where bodies were taken from, finding out where survivors had been sitting, “all these details are extremely important to identify bodies later on.”
That was especially important following Oct. 7, and many bodies were beyond recognition. Days or weeks later, Zaka volunteers went to where unidentified charred bodies had been found, based on details on the body bag, to look for any blood, tissue or other source of DNA. “Many bodies were identified based on this,” such as in burned-out cars.
ZAKA is the acronym for disaster victim identification in Hebrew. In Israel, they have sole responsibility to deal with incidents of “unnatural death,” such as from terror attacks. They work with emergency services and security forces to ensure that the dead are handled with respect, a mitzvah of the highest order because the deceased has no way to repay the kindness.
In addition to working in Israel, an international team is ready to be dispatched to major mass casualty incidents. The ZAKA International Rescue Unit works in close cooperation with Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the IDF and other government bodies.
In 2005, ZAKA was recognized by the United Nations as an international volunteer humanitarian organization, citing its work at the scenes of terror attacks in Mombasa, Istanbul and Taba, recovery of remains from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, and natural disasters such as a tsunami in Southeast Asia.
The organization has a legal department to help families when a government insists on an
autopsy, which most of the time violates Jewish custom, or if cremation is ordered. When there is no other choice but to do an autopsy, there is a ZAKA volunteer “to make sure nothing is taken out.”
Though many think of ZAKA as an Orthodox agency, Lader said it is apolitical and ready to grant humanitarian assistance to anyone, anywhere. They have secular volunteers and volunteers from other faiths, such as Muslim volunteers versed in their rituals in handling the dead.
Rozenberg says his organization steps in “when Magen David Adom is stepping out.”
Nobody else does what ZAKA does, he said. “Very few people in the world can physically and mentally do the work that ZAKA volunteers are doing.”
But even that has its limits. Rozenberg said two “perfectly healthy” volunteers died of heart attacks since Oct. 7 — one was 39, one was 44. “They couldn’t take it.” Nineteen volunteers have been in and out of psychiatric wards after what they saw in the communities bordering Gaza.
Rozenberg met with a volunteer in New York who is a successful real estate lawyer. He is paying for weekly therapy sessions. He told Rozenberg, “That, I can afford. What about the people who can’t afford?”
The organization is looking to raise funds “to give them the proper
mental support they need. Also, their spouses and kids, who now have a ‘different’ father.”
Gates of Prayer Rabbi David Gerber said that the ZAKA volunteers “witnessed first-hand the cruelty of our enemy.”
Arnie Fielkow, former CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, said he knew a little bit about ZAKA, but “the more that I learned about this organization, the more impressed I become. They are truly doing God’s work.”
After ZAKA showed “dignity and respect” for the Beth Israel Torahs and the Jewish victims of Katrina, the event was “our opportunity to thank ZAKA and those affiliated with it for all they do in Israel and around the globe.”
Rabbi Phil Kaplan of Beth Israel said the Torah rescue was not why ZAKA originally came to town in 2005 — in addition to general assistance, they sought to retrieve the body of Meyer Lachoff, longtime gabbai of the congregation, who died two days after being evacuated to Baton Rouge. Lachoff was eventually buried in New Orleans, and the ruined scrolls were buried next to him.
Fielkow said the best way New Orleans can show appreciation to ZAKA is to support their efforts in a time of great need and uncertainty in Israel. “Let’s partner up and make sure they have whatever they need in order to fulfil their mission.”
Photo by James Henry Brook
Beth Israel Rabbi Phil Kaplan, ZAKA volunteer Micha Lader and Gates of Prayer Rabbi David Gerber
1751 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA, 70001-7206
3 blocks East of Causeway Blvd. 504-378-1000 • 888-957-9555
Inspired by the concept of l’dor v’dor and a shared love of mahjong in her family, entrepreneur Vivien Judson came up Menschie Mahjong — a Jewish-themed set of Mah Jongg tiles.
In May, she launched Goldielox, a web-based business that sells the sets, along with t-shirts and other related products.
“The company name is a reference to two things close to my heart — Golda Meir and smoked fish,” said Judson, who lives in Dallas. “The idea first came to me in 2021 when I was putting together my wedding registry and realized I didn’t love any of the Judaica on the market. I wanted pieces for our home that were beautiful and fun, but also had the quality to be an heirloom someday.”
It was about this time she was introduced to the game of Mah Jongg by her mother-in-law. “I quickly realized why the Jewish communities across North America have a deep love and connection to this special, Chinese game,” she said. “I set out to learn everything I could about Mah Jongg and its history. With the Menschie Mahjong set, I wanted to honor the Chinese origins of the game and the Jewish celebration of it.”
The game features important, symbolic Judaica, including an olive branch instead of bamboo; cracked matzo for cracks: dreidels on their sides to represent North, East, South, West; pomegranates; glasses of wine and jokers that are bubbies with matzah ball soup.
“Every aspect of this journey has been so joyful. It gave me the opportunity to connect with my family and people who have played the game for years while also scratching a creative itch,” said Judson. “I wanted to create something that was both fun and meaningful.”
Goldilox also sells Shalom Y’all patches, Kibbitz and Nosh pennants and its signature Bubbie hoodie.
Judson is originally from Dallas, but she has some New Orleans and Birmingham connections. Her great-great-great grandfather is Isidore Newman, and she graduated with a degree in business from Tulane University.
She also lived in Birmingham in 2017 and 2018 while her father, Jeff Eliasoph, was working as a reporter and anchor for NBC 13.
“We’ve lived in Boston. My dad is from New York and my mom is from Los Angeles,” she said. “But we love the South. It’s our home and we wanted to have a company we’re proud to say was made in the South.”
And someday, she and her husband, Scott, hope to pass on that love of Mah Jongg to their 15-month-old son.
“Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents played,” she said. “We want to continue that tradition and connect from generation to generation.”
Several organizations see boost in this year’s GiveNOLA Day
While GiveNOLA Day raised funds for a record 1,004 organizations on May 7, the overall tally declined for the third year, coming in at $7.369 million on 50,074 donations, down from last year’s $7.779 million through 54,561 donations to 951 organizations.
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art repeated as the top earner, with $337,473 from 102 donors. Last year, they raised $368,411. The Louise McGehee School repeated as second place, at $249,476, down from last year’s $343,218.
The Isidore Newman School took over third place, raising $154,041. Last year they were sixth, though they had raised $161,517.
The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans had a long string on the leaderboard under the leadership of Cait Gladow, who left earlier this year, usually placing third overall with a major emphasis on the day and GiveNOLA-related programming. This year, the Federation was 25th overall with $43,820 from 92 donors. Last year the Federation raised $210,427 from 209 donors.
The Federation had just held its annual phone-a-thon, Wonderful Wednesday, on April 17. In prior years, what was called Super Sunday was held much earlier in the year, further away from GiveNOLA Day.
Jewish Community Day School rose from 58th to 40th, with $34,988, up from last year’s $26,044. The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience dropped from 37th to 44th though their take increased to $34,052 from $33,112 last year. They just edged out the National World War II Museum, which placed 45th
The Anti-Defamation League was 51st, up from 70th, with $30,948, an almost $10,000 increase. The Jewish Community Center saw a major jump, to $16,357 from $4,403, going from 325th to 103rd
Tulane Hillel rose from 300th to 201st, taking in $7,688, up from $5,024 — even though Hillel’s Global Giving Week was May 12 to 17, with a $100,000 goal.
Temple Sinai, which raised $715 last year, placed 205th with $7,522 from 33 donors. Avodah, which raised $9,228 last year, was 215th with $7,152, still significantly above their 2022 take. Their major fundraiser, the Partners in Justice Jazz Brunch, was June 2.
Touro Synagogue, which entered the field this year, raised $6,300 from 32 donors to place 243rd. They had announced an ambitious goal of $18,000 for new state-of-the-art musical equipment, including new assisted-listening devices.
Jewish Children’s Regional Service raised $5,437, down from $9,453 last year. Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans surpassed its $5,000 goal, with $5,231 from 53 donors, placing 288th. Last year, they were 324th with $4,429.
The National Council of Jewish Women was 380th with $3,058, down from $4,844. A new entrant, the Louisiana Community Mikvah, placed 498th with $1,890 from four donors.
Gates of Prayer raised $894, Hadassah raised $773 and Slater Torah Academy raised $771. Shir Chadash raised $744.
Northshore Jewish Congregation in Mandeville returned, raising $560 from 11 donors to place 741st
All organizations will also receive a bonus from the Lagniappe Fund, where funds from the day’s sponsors are allocated to the participating organizations based on how much they raised.
For the fourth year in a row, none of the Jewish organizations received one of the hourly Rock Around The Clock bonuses.
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With Shir Chadash’s okay, Metairie JCC opening on Saturday mornings
For Shir Chadash, New Orleans’ Conservative congregation located in Metairie, the busiest time of the week is Saturday morning — but parking has not been a concern, as the Goldring Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus next door has been closed on Saturdays until 1 p.m.
That arrangement dates back to the construction of the Center on land that was purchased from Shir Chadash in 2001. As of July 6, that arrangement has changed.
In a message to the congregation, Shir Chadash President Esther Hendler said that late last year, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans made a request on behalf of the Jewish Community Center’s Metairie location that it be allowed to open at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, for just the fitness center, so it can be more competitive with other fitness facilities.
The Uptown JCC opens at 8 a.m. Saturdays for fitness facilities, 10 a.m. for swimming.
Hendler said the congregation’s board entered into a three-year arrangement to allow the 8 a.m. opening, because the shared parking lot has ample space and “it is in the interest of Shir Chadash to continue to be good neighbors and see the JCC succeed.”
Under the new arrangement, the pool will still be closed until 1 p.m., and there will not be any parties, tournaments, classes or special events before 1 p.m. There is also a verbal agreement among the different organizations housed on the campus to communicate when large events are planned that might affect parking.
The agreement will be revisited six months before its expiration to see how it has worked.
Applications open for JCRS Chanukah Gift program
It may be the middle of the summer, but thoughts are already turning to Chanukah.
Applications are open for Jewish Children’s Regional Service’s Oscar J. Tolmas Chanukah Gift Program. For over 20 years, the program has enhanced Chanukah celebrations for hundreds of children whose families are facing challenging financial times.
The program provides a minimum of eight Chanukah presents, individually wrapped by a group of volunteers, that are age-appropriate and tailored to general interests of each individual child.
To apply, families must reside in the JCRS service region of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. The application is available on the JCRS website, jcrs.org, and families are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Applications close on Sept. 27.
community
Louisiana legislature passes resolutions supporting Israel, state’s Jewish community
By Lara Crigger
In a strong show of solidarity with the Jewish community and with Israel, the Louisiana state legislature stood firm against antisemitism and extremist terrorist groups in its most recent session.
During the 2024 session, which ended June 3, Louisiana lawmakers introduced and considered several pieces of legislation that condemned Hamas, denounced antisemitic violence and speech, and affirmed sup port for Israel and Louisiana’s Jewish community.
The legislature passed two such legislative instruments.
Joint Support for Israel, Condemnation of Hamas
The first, SCR 21, was a concurrent resolution introduced by Senator Valarie Hodges (R-Denham Springs), as well as House Representatives Bayham, Billions, Carson, Schamerhorn, and Wyble.
A concurrent resolution is one of three resolution types that lawmak ers can pass. Concurrent resolutions require approval by both legislative chambers but do not function as binding law. Instead, concurrent resolu tions often set or update rules for legislators or express shared sentiments between chambers.
Introduced in mid-March, SCR 21 “memorializes Congress to support the nation of Israel in the wake of the October 7, 2023, terror attacks and Israel’s ongoing efforts to root out Hamas.” To “memorialize Congress” means to officially request Con gress take action.
Louisiana remembers Israel’s assistance after Katrina and the 2016 flood
The resolution affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense and expressed condolences for the Oct. 7 attack victims. It also condemned Hamas, calling on the terrorist group to release all hostages, living and dead. Louisiana law enforcement agencies were tasked to “remain vigilant in protecting Israeli Americans and all supporters of Israel.”
Movingly, SCR 21 also acknowledged Israel’s history of support for Louisiana in times of need. “The state of Louisiana has not forgotten the humanitarian aid provided by Israel to the people of Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the 2016 flood,” read the resolution.
SCR 21’s Dramatic Fight to the Finish
SCR 21 sailed through the Senate, adopted on a vote of 26-0. The resolution faced a particularly dramatic advance through the House and Governmental Affairs Committee.
In May, dozens of pro-Palestinian activists attended the committee’s open hearing to register opposition to what they called a “Genocide Resolution.” Activists cited casualty statistics provided by Hamas, shared debunked news stories of mass casualty events, and promoted antisemitic tropes, such as blood libels.
After each activist spoke, Rep. Mike Bayham (R-Chalmette) asked them if they condemned Hamas and its actions. Most activists declined to answer.
In one notable exchange, Bayham asked a Jewish Voice for Peace activist from New Orleans if she had ever called for the release of Israeli hostages. She replied, “I don’t have jurisdiction over that,” only to continue by saying she had publicly called for the release of tens of thousands of Palestinian “hostages,” prisoners held by Israel.
Despite the pushback, SCR 21 made it out of committee without objec-
Birmingham Tree House
tion. The resolution then passed to the broader House floor, where it was adopted on a vote of 75-8.
Supporting Jewish College Students in Dark Times
Bayham also sponsored HR 353, a resolution to condemn antisemitic violence on college campuses throughout Louisiana.
The resolution cited several specific instances of antisemitism at local universities, including vandalism of campus buildings; antisemitic chants such as “LSU, LSU, you can’t hide; we charge you with genocide” or calling for an Intifada; physical attacks on students at an October 26 rally; destruction of Jewish students’ property at Tulane and Loyola; and the construction of fortified encampments at Tulane and Loyola, at which “Zionists” were specifically barred from entry.
Additionally, HR 353 pointed out that university faculty and administrators had not held the instigators fully accountable for their actions — in some cases, even arguing student suspensions should be dropped in the name of “restorative justice.”
The resolution also expressed support of Jewish college students, faculty, and staff, affirming their rights to feel safe on campus and enjoy full access to classrooms and facilities, without fear of intimidation or violence.
How HR 353 Beat the Clock
HR 353 began as HCR 123, a concurrent resolution that contained nearly identical text to its final form. HCR 123 breezed through the Committee on Education and through the larger House, which passed the resolution, 71-0.
However, HCR 123 ran into difficulties in the Senate, which delayed calling the resolution for a vote, despite dozens of emails and phone calls from constituents asking them to do so. Without approval from both chambers, HCR 123 would have died when the legislative session ended on June 3.
Sometimes, when a concurrent resolution can’t secure approval from both chambers, its sponsor will repackage the legislation as a “simple resolution.” Simple resolutions, designated by “HR” or “SR,” express sentiments only relevant to one chamber and do not require approval from both House and Senate. They still carry weight, however, as they often express that chamber’s view on policy matters to the executive branch (i.e., the governor).
On the final day of the legislative session, Rep. Bayham repackaged HCR 123’s text and reintroduced it as a simple House resolution, HR 353. Once again, the resolution sailed through the House, adopted on a vote of 88-0.
In addition, Governor Jeff Landry proclaimed May 19 to be a Day of Prayer for Israel in Louisiana.
Resolutions Left on the Cutting Room Floor
Several other pieces of legislation relevant to Louisiana’s Jewish community were not adopted, however.
These included a bill that would have mandated Holocaust education in Louisiana classrooms (HB 928), resolutions that would have urged the Department of Education to prohibit the use of “edu-tainment” videos said to peddle in “anti-Semitic tropes” [sic] (HR 323 and SR 152), and a resolution introduced by Rep. Joy Walters (D-Shreveport) that would have designated her House District 4 as a “place of sanctuary for supporters of Israel and supporters of Palestinians” (HR 263).
There have also been anti-Israel legislative efforts. At the local level, pro-Palestinian activists have pushed for “ceasefire resolutions” at New Orleans and Baton Rouge city council meetings and urged the Port of New Orleans to cancel contracts with the Port of Ashdod. So far, their efforts have yet to meet with success.
Eeki Elner, John Buhler, Andrea and Pastor Patrick Penn and Governor Kay Ivey have a moment of prayer in the governor’s office on May 31.
Knesset speaker thanks Alabama for support, “moral clarity”
In a May 31 ceremony at the governor’s office in Montgomery, the state of Alabama received official gratitude from Israel for the state’s support.
Eeki Elner, chair of the Israel Leadership Institute, presented Alabama Governor Kay Ivey with a personal letter and commendation from Amir Ohana, speaker of the Knesset. Several members of the Alabama-Israel Task Force, an interfaith coalition that supports the institute, also attended the ceremony.
John Buhler, co-founder of AITF, explained that within hours of the Oct. 7 massacre, Ivey and others issued “strong public statements of support and solidarity,” and early on Oct. 9, ordered the lowering of flags throughout the state for the rest of the week. The order included a call to prayer for Israel and the Jewish people.
A couple weeks later, Ivey and State Treasurer Young Boozer issued a joint statement affirming Alabama standing with Israel and announcing an investment of $6 million in Israel Bonds, adding to the $4 million the state already held.
In March, the Alabama Legislature passed Senate Joint Resolution 29, expressing “unequivocal support” for Israel and condemning Hamas and its supporters. The resolution condemned Hamas’ use of sexual violence against Israelis, recognized that the Jewish people are indigenous to the land and rejected the argument that Jews are colonizers or occupiers. A signing ceremony with Ivey was held on April 9.
The letter from Ohana, on behalf of the Knesset, was to convey “sincere thanks” for SJR29. “At a time when the justness of Israel’s cause and its right to defend itself are consistently called into question, the moral clarity of you and the Alabama Legislature is greatly appreciated.”
He added that as Israel continues to mourn its losses, “it is comforting to know that Israel is not alone in its fight against terrorism and in defense of our shared values.”
Ohana also sent Ivey a large commemorative photo album, “Memory Fragments,” in remembrance of Oct. 7. The album was created for heads of state, and Ohana signed it “in commemoration of the Jewish people’s darkest day since the Holocaust and with deep respect for your strong support for Israel.”
On a personal level, Elner also presented Ivey with a signed copy of his recent book, “The Last Year of My Life.” Elner recently survived cancer, and Ivey is also a cancer survivor. The book chronicles his journey from a deadly diagnosis to renewal.
Ivey presented Elner with an Alabama photo album and a newly minted governor’s edition state coin, and an official signed copy of the resolution for Ohana.
Pastor Patrick and Andrea Penn of The Dwelling Place in Huntsville led a prayer for Ivey, proclaiming a biblical blessing over the state of Alabama for honoring and standing with Israel and the Jewish people.
Ivey noted on X that the visitors had called the state’s support a “ray of light from Alabama,” and that “here at home, we will always support Israel and continue to combat antisemitism.”
Alabama legislators launch Israel caucus
As the Alabama Legislature wound down its annual session, numerous legislators delayed heading out to an end-of-session party on May 8 to announce the formation of the Alabama-Israel Legislative Caucus.
Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon joined the legislators for a press conference launching the new group.
The bipartisan caucus consists of House and Senate members dedicated to strengthening the relationship between Alabama and Israel in political, economic, academic and cultural fields.
Co-chairing the caucus are Arthur Orr in the Senate, and Phillip Ensler and David Faulkner in the House.
Faulkner and Orr have been prominent in promoting pro-Israel resolutions and legislation for years, while Ensler, the only Jewish member, is new to the Legislature.
Alabama has a long history of friendship with Israel. The caucus logo acknowledges that history, with “1943” written above the image of the historic Capitol building. In 1943, Alabama became the first state to call for the establishment of a Jewish state in the ancient Jewish homeland.
There have been a series of economic missions over the years, along with a series of resolutions supporting Israel. Last month, Governor Kay Ivey signed a joint resolution supporting Israel in its war in Gaza and condemning Hamas and its supporters around the world.
Of the seven states served by Israel’s Atlanta consulate, Georgia and Kentucky also have Israel caucuses in their legislatures. On the national level, there is also a Congressional Israel Allies Caucus.
The Kentucky caucus, for example, issued statements following the Hamas invasion of Israel on Oct. 7 and the recent Iranian attack on Israel, and has urged presidents of public universities in the state to condemn Hamas.
“The establishment of the Alabama-Israel Legislative Caucus is a testament of the deep connection and friendship between the state and people of Alabama and the State of Israel,” Sultan-Dadon said. “At a time when Israel is fighting a war against a genocidal terror organization and those who seek the destruction of the Jewish state and people, the establishment of this caucus highlights the shared values and interests that unite Israel, Alabama and the United States. We are all made stronger by standing together for life, freedom and the values that we all hold dear.”
Ensler said he was honored to co-chair the caucus. “It is essential that Alabama and Israel maintain and further their strong bonds — particu-
larly during these trying times for Israel and the Jewish people.”
Ensler said those standing on stage were Republicans and Democrats, “supportive of Israel, supportive of Alabama having strong ties with the country, and furthering those ties… this is just the beginning.”
He said the caucus is “an opportunity to further that work, not just during challenging times like we are living in now, but certainly during good times that we are all praying and hoping will come in the near future.”
Faulkner said it was exciting and meaningful to launch the caucus the day after the state held its official Holocaust Remembrance ceremony. “We do lift up our prayers, we lift up the people of Israel, in what they are going through in the war that is taking place, and our prayers are with them constantly.”
Israel “has always been a special place in Alabama,” he added.
Orr commented that “this is long overdue, we should have done this years ago,” and he thanked Ensler for moving it forward. “Only good things can result” from the caucus and strengthening ties with Israel, he said.
Many of the legislators said they haven’t visited Israel yet and are hoping to soon, so the idea was floated about a group trip. Sultan-Dadon told them now is the time, not just to see the country, but as a show of support to the people.
One who has been to Israel several times, Rep. and Pastor Mark Gidley, spoke of visiting Israel as feeling at home, and said he is “thrilled to be part of this.”
Sultan-Dadon thanked the founding co-chairs. “We are at a point in time where there is much confusion where it shouldn’t be — confusion between right and wrong, confusion between good and evil. We are not confused, Israel is not confused… the state of Alabama, fortunately, is not confused either.”
She added, “Today is another step in a long journey of friendship and support between Israel and Alabama. As Israel celebrates, next week, 76 years of independence, we will do so with mixed emotions. Because of the Oct. 7 massacre, the ensuing war and the fact that there are still 132 hostages who remain still in brutal captivity in Gaza. But we will also celebrate with pride, because we know what it is we are fighting for.”
She said Israel will continue to write its story “together with our friends” in Alabama.
Alabama Legislators and Israel Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon launch the caucus in Montgomery on May 8.
>> Agenda continued from page 8
The Mobile Area Jewish Federation is holding the second MAJF Open golf tournament, Aug. 23 at The Falls: Magnolia Grove. Checkin will be at 7 a.m., with the shotgun start at 8 a.m. Play is $125 per player, $440 per team. Sponsorships start at $118 for a sign at a hole, and go up to $1360 for a swag bag, social media shoutout, a large sign on the first hole and two teams. The tournament is four-player scramble, and lunch will be provided. There will be longest drive, closest to pin, straightest drive and putting contests.
Falafel Sunday returns at Bais Ariel Chabad in Birmingham on Aug. 4 from noon to 2 p.m., with all you can eat falafel, pita, Israeli salads, pizza, fries and more. Cost is $13 per adult, $9 per child.
The next Honor Our Parents Shabbat and Lunch at Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will be on Aug. 23 at 11 a.m., led by Temple Emanu-El Rabbi Adam Wright. Reserve by Aug. 21.
New Orleans
Cantor Rebecca Garfein of Temple Sinai in
New Orleans will compete in the 13th annual Stage Door Idol competition, at the National World War II Museum. On July 30 at 6 p.m., she and others from around the area will perform hits from the 1940s in four preliminary rounds. The winners of each round will compete in the finals on Aug. 13, accompanied by the Victory Six Swing Band. Local celebrity judges will decide the winner.
Temple Sinai Sisterhood in New Orleans will have its annual Homewares Sale, Aug. 11 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations can be dropped off on Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon, Aug. 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, and Aug. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. There are several categories, including clothing, that are not being accepted, so check with the congregation before bringing.
Temple Sinai in New Orleans will have Snoball Sunday, Aug. 4 at 10 a.m., during the dropoff time for donations to the Sisterhood Homewares Sale.
For JNOLA members, all new and increased donations to the Federation’s Annual Campaign through July 31 will be matched by Morris and Cathy Bart, and will receive 25 per-
cent matches from the Goldring Family and Woldenberg Foundations, and from Hugo and Lis Kahn, making a 150 percent amplification.
The annual Summer BBQ for Gates of Prayer in Metairie will be on Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. Chabad of Louisiana will have a Fish Fry and “How Israel Wins: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Vision for Achieving Lasting Peace,” Aug. 4 at the Uptown Chabad. A fish fry lunch will be at 12:30 p.m., followed by the multimedia seminar led by Rabbi Mendel Rivkin.
On Tisha B’Av, Gates of Prayer in Metairie will screen “Legend of Destruction,” a film about the events leading up to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. The film will be on Aug. 12 at 7 p.m.
Tulane’s Jewish Studies Department and the Stuart and Suzanne Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience will have a Fall Open House on Aug. 21 from noon to 3 p.m. There will be conversations with professors, students and community leaders, prizes and food. Students, parents and community members are invited to view future programs and initiatives at the event.
Her cure
happened
Kennedi is cured of sickle cell disease thanks to a life-changing bone marrow transplant she received from her sister here at Children’s of Alabama. The amazing treatments, discoveries and innovations for pediatric blood disorders and cancer happening here are helping change lives for the children of Alabama, across the country and around the world.
community
Even the South not spared in surge of antisemitic incidents
Annual ADL report shows region had increased leafletting, post-Oct. 7 harassment
To the surprise of nobody, the Anti-Defamation League’s 2023 audit of antisemitic incidents shattered all previous records. The audit, released on April 16, counted 8,873 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism, up 140 percent over the previous record, in 2022.
That does not include the widespread incidents of white supremacist propaganda from groups like Patriot Front and Goyim Defense League, which made their presence known in towns throughout the country. There was also occasional activity by the National Justice Party, and one Klan distribution in Hernando, Miss., in May.
The ADL Southeast region, which includes Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee, experienced 403 incidents in 2023 – a 110 percent increase from the 192 incidents reported in 2022. Georgia had 172 incidents, up from 80 in 2022.
Tennessee’s tally went from 40 to 90, South Carolina increased from 44 to 85, and Alabama had 56, up from 28. In 2021, Alabama had just six
The South Central office in New Orleans recorded 98 incidents, up 250 percent from the 28 in 2022. Louisiana had 64 incidents, a 357 percent increase from the 14 in 2022. Arkansas went from seven to 25, and Mississippi went from seven to nine.
Historically, the South has not had to deal with large numbers of antisemitic incidents. Last year, the states with the highest number of incidents were California (1,266), New York (1,218), New Jersey (830), Florida (463) and Massachusetts (440). Combined, these five states accounted for 48 percent of the total incidents.
In the past year, incidents of harassment nationally surged by 184 percent compared to 2022; acts of vandalism rose 69 percent; and physical assaults jumped 45 percent.
In the Southeast, there were two antisemitic assaults, both in Georgia. There were none the year before. Harassment grew 120 percent, including a 78 percent growth in Alabama, from 27 to 48. Vandalism in Alabama grew 700 percent, from one to eight incidents.
“The Southeast is no exception when it comes to the surge in antisemitism we’re seeing across the country,” said Eytan Davidson, ADL Southeast Regional Director. “But knowledge is power. The more we understand about these disturbing trends unfolding in our communities, our workplaces and on our campuses, the more we can do to address and combat this growing problem.”
“The astronomical spike in antisemitic incidents experienced in our region mirrors what is being felt in Jewish communities across the country,” said Lindsay Baach Friedmann, ADL South Central Regional Director. “Jewish communities throughout the South Central region are deeply impacted by the sheer number of incidents experienced in our small towns, however Jewish life continues to thrive against a backdrop of hate and bias exhibited by our neighbors. This 2023 audit shows everyone that antisemitism is a heightened problem for all of us. What we do with this information moving forward, how we confront bigotry and make the world a better place, is a responsibility that belongs to everyone – Jews and non-Jews alike. Especially for Jewish communities of our size, we cannot fight hate alone.”
Around the South
For most states, harassment incidents skyrocketed following the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel.
In Louisiana, the year started with a banner on a highway overpass in
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Shreveport charging that Jews control the media, banks, slavery and the porn industry. On Jan. 11, a Tulane student published an article, “Ye Did Nothing Wrong,” defending the singer’s antisemitic rants.
In Donaldsonville, students reenacted a Nazi concentration camp display, with roles of Jewish prisoners and Nazi guards, at a school event.
A New Orleans synagogue received an email threatening terror attacks on multiple targets, and the congregation in Mandeville received a request from a white supremacist to attend services. A series of bomb threats was received by synagogues on Oct. 7, in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and two in Metairie. Later in the year, Alexandria, Lafayette and Mandeville were also targeted, and someone shot a paintball at the Goldring/ Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus in Metairie.
“A Jewish museum” in New Orleans received a flyer advertising Louis Farrakhan interviews, and received a sign-up form under the name “anti-Semite.”
A “messianic” congregation in Baldwin County was also targeted. Many of the congregations had also been targeted on Oct. 5.
Chabad in Birmingham was targeted by a “swatting” hoax in November.
In Mobile, a Dec. 21 rally included chants of “Stop doing what Hitler did to you” and “resistance against occupation is a human right.”
A Birmingham anti-Israel rally on Nov. 19 included “Thinking anti-Zionism is an attack on Judaism is saying denouncing the KKK is an attack on Christianity. You sound dumb.”
Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham called the Oct. 7 Hamas attack “natural and justified.” On Oct. 25, a student at the University of Alabama at Huntsville reportedly said in class “Jews were genocidal killers and [they] should be taken out and beaten in the street.”
In Metairie, “Jews” was graffitied on a stop sign, and in New Orleans, a swastika and “SS” were graffitied on a sidewalk. In Baton Rouge, a department store employee said “F—ing Jew” to a customer.
A New Orleans high school student was targeted with antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ bullying from a student in a different school.
There were numerous antisemitic incidents involving anti-Israel rallies after Oct. 7, from signs saying “victory to the Palestinian resistance” two days after the Oct. 7 massacre, to “F-- the Zionists,” “from the river to the sea,” “Zionism = terrorism,” “globalize the Intifada” and “respect existence or expect resistance.” Hostage posters were also torn down on the Tulane campus, and there was graffiti of a Star of David with dollar signs inside
A speaker at an anti-Israel rally said Israel turns Jews “into pawns of global imperialism.”
At a store in Harvey, someone browsing the Chanukah section of a store had “Free Palestine” and “dirty f---ing Jew” shouted at them.
In Mississippi, there were bomb threats against the synagogues in Tupelo and Columbus in December.
Under Harassment, on Nov. 26, there was an anti-Israel rally in Oxford with the “river to the sea” chant, the only such rally mentioned for the state. In August, high school students in Purvis drew swastikas and made Nazi salutes during class.
Perhaps the busiest day for Alabama was Dec. 16, when synagogues in Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Montgomery, Mobile, Selma and Tuscaloosa all received bomb threats.
The initiative to provide blue and white mailbox ribbons in Birmingham led to an anonymous email to the Birmingham Jewish Federation asking “Are there any bows being sold for the thousands of innocent Palestinians murdered these last two weeks and the hundreds of thousands over the last several decades, or is my family just animals as always?”
In Cedar Bluff, a Jewish middle school student was harassed by a classmate showing her swastikas and saying “Hitler was right.” Antisemitic graffiti was also found at a restaurant in Auburn and a public restroom in Oneonta.
In addition to Patriot Front, the White Lives Matter movement held a roadside demonstration in Blountsville saying the ADL promotes white genocide, and promoting several anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.
In the Florida panhandle, the most publicized incident was the antisemitic vandalism on Chabad and Temple Beth El in Pensacola, along with other antisemitic graffiti in the area. Four teens were arrested, and Raw Story reported that at least one of the teens is active in a regional neo-Nazi group, the 2119 Blood and Soil Crew.
The Goyim Defense League and Patriot Front also distributed literature during the year, and antisemitic slogans were chanted at Pensacola anti-Israel rallies following Oct. 7.
On Dec. 17, Beth Shalom in Fort Walton received a bomb threat. B’nai Israel in Panama City was also threatened.
In Crestview, an elementary school student was harassed with antisemitic comments at school, and swastika graffiti was on a golf course. There was also a controversy in March when a public official in Milton used the term “Jew you down” to a store owner. To learn about volunteering at CARES, email lise@cjfsbham.org or call 205.879.3438 To learn if CARES is right for your loved one, email pam@cjfsbham.org or call 205.960.3411
Brick in Pensacola
community Brotherhood at universities with small Jewish populations
AEPi launches Chapter Without Walls
Alpha Epsilon Pi, the world’s largest Jewish fraternity, has made a name for itself in fighting antisemitism and promoting Jewish pride on campus. But what about campuses too small to have a chapter?
For such students, AEPi has launched a “Chapter Without Walls,” for those looking for the specific brand of Jewish leadership development and advocacy training that AEPi provides, despite not having an active chapter on campus.
The AEPi Chapter Without Walls currently has members from schools such as Clemson University, The New School, Savannah College of Art and Design, Furman University and Fordham University. The group meets virtually on a regular basis and receives guidance and support from the AEPi headquarters staff.
“I was very involved in BBYO in high school and when I chose where I went to college, I knew that there wasn’t going to be a big Jewish community or the brotherhood of a fraternity. I thought that would be ok, but I was wrong,” said Chapter Without Walls President Andrew Biller, who attends SCAD. “I met some people from AEPi International at the JNFUSA conference, and they have worked hard with me to get this started. It feels great to be a part of AEPi.”
Members are able to avail themselves of AEPi International’s regular leadership and advocacy training programs such as the Leven Leadership Academy and the AEPi International Convention along with a proprietary online leadership training program which is provided to all AEPi members.
There are current chapters at Alabama, Auburn and Tulane. Mississippi State and Louisiana State had AEPi in the past.
“Our mission — to develop the future leaders of the Jewish community — is more important than ever at this time of rampant antisemitism and anti-Israel activity,” said Rob Derdiger, AEPi’s CEO. “Jewish communities on college campuses — no matter their size — need leadership and AEPi can provide it. I’m proud that we are continuing to innovate and finding new ways to bring the AEPi experience to more students.”
Junior League honors CJFS grocery project
Hillary Weiss Realtor and
Assistant Manager
Junior League of Birmingham presented the 2024 Outstanding Community Project Award to Collat Jewish Family Services for its Senior Grocery Initiative.
The initiative is a collaboration with the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, dedicated volunteers, and community partners. The program offers greater food stability and provides socialization for low-income older adults, employing volunteers who deliver 30 pounds of food to clients monthly. Beyond meeting the immediate needs for food and nutrition, the program also fosters meaningful connections between volunteers and seniors, reducing feelings of isolation and fostering a sense of community.
Junior League has provided a core group of volunteers to support the program since 2019. “Our volunteers love engaging with the seniors receiving deliveries and being part of an integral solution to improve food security and well-being for our neighbors,” said Junior League President June Clark.
Upscale apartment community opens near the LJCC
New luxury apartment living has come to Crestline, adjacent to the Levite Jewish Community Center.
The Station at Crestline Heights community opened last month where Trinity Medical Center used to be.
“We saw that there was a need for luxury living in an area that’s very convenient to the LJCC and downtown,” said The Station at Crestline Heights Community Manager Rebecca Worthington. “This is a perfect location and it’s ideal for those who want luxury living without having to worry about maintenance or yard work.”
The first building in the community opened last month, with the other three buildings comprising 270 total units having phased-in openings through 2024.
The Station at Crestline Heights includes one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including some Luxury Executive and Junior Executive units, with enhanced apartment features such as European gourmet-style kitchens.
Property amenities include a saltwater pool with private cabanas, a rooftop lounge entertainment space, a fitness and wellness studio, a gourmet coffee bar, a conference room, electric charging stations, plus a dog park and pet spa.
“We’re leasing the first building and pre-leasing the others,” said Worthington. “The response thus far has been excellent… and those interested are welcome to do virtual or in-person tours.”
real estate/homes
“Gary became part of the family. When my husband and I first decided that we would put our toe in the real estate waters, I knew the only person I wanted to represent us was Gary. He’s a real gem!” — ST, Metairie
“As first time home buyers, my wife and I were very unfamiliar with the process of purchasing a home. From the moment we met Gary to the day we closed he was great about answering all our questions, walking us through the process and being an advocate for us. I recommend Gary to anyone in the New Orleans area looking to purchase a home.”
— DH, New Orleans
Hurwitz Mintz celebrates a century of furnishing New Orleans
Hurwitz Mintz has been a part of the fabric of New Orleans for 100 years, and the company founded by two Russian Jewish immigrants continues to thrive as a family-owned business.
Gary Lazarus
Buyer/Seller Representation
Investing & Consulting
Cell: 504.382.2603
Office: 504.866.7733
gary@garylazarus.com www.garylazarus.com
“Putting You First since 2009” Crye-Leike - Oxford 1310 University Ave. Oxford MS 38655
Direct 662.401.4632
Office 662.234.5344
https://oxford.crye-leike.com/
“Furniture styles, trends and business operations have changed over the years,” said Hurwitz Mintz CEO and president Mitchell Mintz, whose grandfather Morris co-founded the company with his brother-in-law Joseph Hurwitz. “But what hasn’t changed is our commitment to customer service and to serving our community.”
Mintz took over the business in 2000 after his father Ellis, Morris Mintz’ son, retired but he remembers helping out in the business from when he was young and becoming a full-time employee in 1973 after graduating from Alabama, where he was in ZBT.
“It’s gratifying to be a part of a long-running, family-owned business,” he said. “Multiple generations of family have bought furniture from us. Our stability and success are attributed to serving our customers well and treating our employees like family. We have some people who’ve worked with us for 40 and 50 years.”
Mintz said Hurwitz Mintz, which has been headquartered at its showroom and warehouse on Airline Drive in Metairie since 2000, will be having a big Warehouse Sale in August. Celebratory events for the 100th anniversary are still in the planning phase.
Joseph Hurwitz and Morris Mintz came to New Orleans in 1920. They started selling furniture in 1924 and one year later opened their new store on Royal Street across from the Hotel Monteleone.
They grew the business significantly. Morris Mintz died in 1945 and Joseph Hurwitz died in 1965. The business remained in the hands of family members, including Ellis Mintz, who joined them in 1930s working summers in the furniture warehouse.
During his more than 60 years at the helm, the company became one of the leading furniture stores in the region. In the 1970s and 1980s, TV actors Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) and “Batman” star Adam West even appeared in commercials for Hurwitz Mintz.
“I shadowed my father for years and learned so much about what it
Polina Schlafer Wheeler, REALTOR
Photo by Angelo Pantazis on Unsplash
real estate/homes
takes to run a successful business,” said Mitchell Mintz. “His philosophy focused on giving good value and servicing the customer afterward.”
Just five years after Mintz took the reins, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Mintz, his wife, Christie, and daughter Cheryl evacuated to Dallas. The Royal Street location’s roof was severely damaged and mold from water damage rendered the building uninhabitable.
The Airline Drive store also sustained significant damage and lost millions of dollars in inventory, he said.
They decided to close the Royal Street store and put all their efforts into building the Airline Drive store back.
“We knew we had to be there for so many people. There was so much demand for replacement furniture and it was hard to supply everyone,” he said. Remarkably they re-opened the Airline Drive store in October 2005 and then made the investment in the store and the community by adding 100,000 square feet of display space.
“It was certainly a very challenging time,” he said. “But we felt so grateful that we had gotten such great support from the New Orleans community that we wanted to be there for them. We all came together to do anything we could to help people rebuild their lives.”
The company’s commitment to the community also extends to its involvement and philanthropy. Mintz said that they participate with the National Council of Jewish Women’s New Orleans Section, B’nai Brith, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Touro and Beth Israel synagogues. They’re also active with the New Orleans Ballet and the Heart Association.
“We’re grateful to have been a part of New Orleans’ rich history,” he said. “I think we are well-positioned for the future.”
Outreach helps Sikora find properties in low-inventory market
Ray and Poyner Real Estate Agent Bridget Sikora successfully navigates a challenging market through community involvement.
“We’ve started doing monthly seminars to help buyers and sellers understand things such as how to make your best offer and how to stage a home before selling,” said Sikora.
She also said through her volunteerism as a vice president for Hadassah Birmingham and serving on the board at Temple Beth-El, Sikora has gotten referrals and brought in new listings.
“One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced is low inventory, especially in places such as Mountain Brook” where Sikora and her husband, Steven, live, she said. As of the first of July, there were only 25 houses on the market in Mountain Brook. “Reaching out to the community has helped us to uncover more inventory and match buyers with sellers.”
Sikora said they’ve been able to get more than asking price for many seller clients. As of July 1, she has the highest-dollar listing in the Birmingham metro area — a Brookwood Forest home on eight acres listing for more than $7 million.
She was appointed the director of relocation for Ray & Poyner, working with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Sherwin-Williams and others to help those who are coming to the Magic City.
“We’re still seeing a lot of people moving here,” said Sikora. “The quality of life is so great. We want to provide any resources to help people who want to call Birmingham their home.”
There are advantages to not sitting on the sidelines in today’s market
In today’s housing market, Lesha Nugent-Freeland of Keller Williams’ Nugent Freeland team in the New Orleans area said that “a lot of people have been sitting on the sidelines,” but there are advantages to not following the crowd.
Lesha Nugent-Freeland is a second-generation Realtor with the Nugent Freeland team, which has over 35 years of experience in the New Orleans metro market. In 2016, she was elected president of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors.
Affordability, especially in metropolitan New Orleans, can be difficult when insurance is so high, especially south of I-12, and interest rates are also high, she said. But if you can afford to buy, “you are more likely to get a better deal on the house right now.”
She urges clients to “marry the house, date the rate. You can refinance when the rates drop, and when more insurance companies come back into the market you’ll be in a better place.”
She added some historical perspective, because before the recent rise in interest rates, now at their highest point in two decades, they had historic lows for a long time. “When our parents bought homes, interest rates were much higher. It was your starter home, your little house, and people worked their way up.”
For those who can wait to sell, when the market improves there will
HELPING BUYERS & SELLERS IN BIRMINGHAM SINCE 2004
Ashley Lewis and the Fred Smith Group employ an aggressive marketing plan unlike any other Realtors in the area. We believe in marketing beyond the sign, and go the extra mile to help our clients. Our goal is to sell your home or property for the most amount of money in the least amount of time.
be “pent-up energy… and you will find yourself with multiple offers,” she said.
For buyers, of course, that means less of an advantage and more competition for limited inventory.
The state legislature has been working on ways to deal with insurance availability. She noted that FEMA recently changed the way flood risk is rated, driving up prices. Many insurers have exited the market, and the rates have soared at the remaining companies.
Last August, Jefferson Parish started requiring permitting for new roofs, while Orleans Parish has not yet done that. In addition to ensuring that new roofs comply with stronger building codes in a hurricane-prone area, having statistical information available on the age and style of roofs throughout the parish “gives a sense of peace” to insurance companies looking at whether to write policies in the area.
As part of the permitting change, Jefferson Parish adopted the 2021 IRC building codes, and the roof criteria is 90 percent of the Fortified Roofing Program, which is designed to help homes better withstand severe weather and is part of the Louisiana Department of Insurance grant program..
Not everyone can afford to buy right now, she said, but if you can, “you’re going to find yourself in a better place than others.”
real estate/homes
Katz specializes in New Orleans-style landscapes, second homes
Debuts DIY Masterplans
With today’s fast-paced world, Exterior Designs wants to help homeowners find respite in their outdoor environments.
Bev Katz, founder of Exterior Designs, said they are happy to help transform outdoor spaces for clients and offer advice on what works best with the climate.
“Surrounding yourself with beauty indoors and out is a worthwhile endeavor that can improve your mood and outlook on life in general,” said Katz, a licensed landscape contractor, horticulturalist and regional board member for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.
Katz said when planning an outdoor living area, the first thing to do is a site analysis to consider how an outdoor space will be used, and by whom.
“Do you want a place to entertain, a play area for the children, or do you need to camouflage utilities and gutters? These are some things we need to consider when planning the space,” she said.
Exterior Designs specializes in creating traditional New Orleans courtyards that include vibrant colors, deep dark greenery, terra cotta urns and indigenous plants such as camellias and azaleas.
Katz said one of the biggest challenges they face is subsurface draining issues, often stemming from obstructed gutter spouts.
She said they are seeing a trend of homeowners tearing out their lawns and swapping them for drought-tolerant and pollinator-friendly plants.
The appreciation for lawn alternatives continues to grow, with “meadow gardens” becoming more and more popular. Meadow gardens are appealing because they support pollinators instead of harming them with chemicals. Meadows don’t require mowing and their organic nature means there are no hard and fast rules for how they should be achieved.
Katz said she has also seen more homeowners focused on curb appeal of their front landscaping. They are replacing outdated shrubbery with pollinator plants. Some are even removing a part of their manicured lawns with hospitable spaces for gathering with neighbors.
“We’ve also done some stepped-up landscape designs with raised beds, benches, stairways and bi-level patios,” she said.
Exterior Design has carved a niche with offering renovation and maintenance services to those who own a second home in New Orleans. Katz said that many of her clients have come to trust them to maintain those second homes while they are out of town.
She also said they recently started offering a new DIY Masterplan
service. Exterior Designs creates a landscaping plan that clients can execute. The DIY Masterplan includes a thorough consultation, landscape/hardscape plan, plant selections and recommendations as well as contractor installation quotes for those contracting out the labor.
Lazarus predicts a great year for New Orleans real estate
New Orleans native Gary Lazarus says his thorough knowledge of Crescent City neighborhoods has helped him to grow his real estate business amidst varying markets.
“Through growing up here and volunteering, that has really helped me to build a network over the years and I’m so grateful for the many referrals I get,” said Lazarus, a real estate agent with ReMax New Orleans.
He said the current real estate market can be a bit unpredictable due to interest rates and changes with insurance. “But with my experience I can help buyers and sellers to navigate the market and the nuances.”
Lazarus said his grandparents and parents owned a construction company. He worked with the company until earning his real estate license in 2002. He has been with ReMax since 2013.
“That experience working in construction gave me some insight about what to look for and ask about regarding inspection… as well as what structural improvements could be done on a house to help sellers to get more value,” he said.
Lazarus said he is continuously researching new neighborhoods and said most of his buyers are specific about where they would like to be. “That’s the fascinating thing about New Orleans real estate. There are so many unique neighborhoods and there is that special feel of community with our neighbors.”
“I love researching cool restaurants and familiarizing my clients with a neighborhood,” he added. “Sometimes they say things such as ‘I want a place on a Mardi Gras parade route.’ I’ll do anything I can to find them everything they are looking for.”
Lazarus and his family have been involved with Touro, Shir Chadash and Gates of Prayer. He also serves as camp chair for the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, where his son is in the oldest camper class.
“There are some exciting things going on at Jacobs and I’m honored to serve them,” he said. This month the camp will hold a celebration for the dedication of the new fitness center, and to honor Anna Herman for her 10th anniversary as camp director.
real estate/homes
Oxford area experiencing growth
The thriving Oxford community and Ole Miss University have spurred real estate sales growth in northeast Mississippi.
“Oxford is growing and the economy is good here, but housing is still very affordable,” said Wheeler, an involved member of the area Jewish community. “Interest rates are likely going down in September, but it’s still very much a strong seller’s market.”
Wheeler recently joined Crye-Lyke Realty after working as a real estate agent for TM Homes since 2009. The national company has in recent years significantly grown its portfolio in Mississippi and south Alabama.
She said Oxford has been ranked by AARP magazine as one of the nation’s top places for retirees. “We have a new hospital and the University offers some free classes for seniors,” said Wheeler.
Area real estate sales growth has also been prominent with condominium developments as well as buyers acquiring houses to rent out to those looking for places to stay during football season.
Wheeler emigrated from the former Soviet Union in 1989, first coming to Phoenix and then Washington to work with the International Monetary Fund.
While she was working in Germany at a U.S. Army Base, she earned a masters degree in International Affairs from the Troy University global campus.
She came back to D.C. and met her husband, William, who was working with the Department of Agriculture. William is originally from Tupelo and would go on to start his law practice there in 2004.
Having moved around a lot has helped Wheeler to understand the needs of those moving to Oxford from other cities nationally and internationally.
“I have worked with professors coming to the University and others who are new to the area to help them understand all that Oxford has to offer,” she said. “It’s very rewarding to be able to help people to find their perfect home to and help them best stage and price a home to get the most value they can for it.”
RealtySouth’s Lewis credits a strong team for her successes
Ashley Lewis says that being a part of a strong team has helped them produce wins for their buyers and sellers.
“We have a lot of resources within RealtySouth and The Fred Smith Group,” said Lewis. “Our group has 11 agents and five support staff. We regularly help each other to match buyers and sellers as well as to secure off-market listings.”
When asked about current trends in the Birmingham area, she said that inventory is still on the low side and that sellers who have homes that are “ready to sell” tend to get at or over asking price.
She said that she is seeing increased interest in communities such as Brookwood Forest in Mountain Brook and West Homewood.
“Location, location, location is the oldest truism in real estate and still is always the most important factor,” said Lewis. “There are so many great neighborhoods across the Birmingham area and we’re always doing our research to find more options for our buyers.”
She added that she and The Fred Smith Group have worked with several clients recently who moved to Birmingham to be close to their grandchildren.
“We’re still seeing a lot of folks who are moving to Birmingham to be close to family or for new opportunities,” she said. “Birmingham has so much to offer and we’re proud to help people find their perfect home here.”
High-tech grills that can be set for Shabbat?
Shabbat-friendly barbecuing?
Grilling classic Jewish dishes on an outdoor grill is now easier with BriskIt grills that can be set for Shabbat.
The grill is featured at Hollywood Outdoor Living, a family-owned company in Vestavia offering outdoor furniture, kitchens, entertainment areas, pool and spa products and services.
BriskIt grills are pellet grills, fueled by wood pellets that feed automatically. This allows home outdoor chefs to season the food, set the temperature and let the grill handle the rest.
Many BriskIt grills come with WiFi-enabled features and AI capabilities, allowing for the monitoring and adjusting of cooking temperatures remotely via one’s phone. The AI capabilities can come up with the recipes and cooking process, then monitor and self-correct if conditions change.
As its name alludes to, BriskIt is ideal for low-and-slow cooking brisket to deliver tender and flavorful results. But the pellet grills are also versatile and can handle a variety of kosher favorites from chicken and fish to vegetables and even challah.
Hollywood Outdoor Living was founded as Hollywood Pools in 1986 at its original location on Hollywood Boulevard. In 2000, they moved to a building on Highway 31 in Vestavia and began offering lines of luxury outdoor furniture.
In 2005, they renovated and moved into an expanded facility further south on Highway 31 in Vestavia. They expanded their pool and spa services in 2018 through the acquisition of Alabama Outdoor Pools.
Then in March 2021, Hollywood acquired another long-time, family-owned business, Alabama Gaslight & Grill — a 52-year-old company that offered gas/charcoal grills, luxury lighting, fireplace products and accessories. For more information, go to www.hollywoodoutdoorliving.com
Rome Curate a one-stop shop for your home and lifestyle
You have the home, now what are you going to put in it?
A good source of inspiration is Rome Curate, which opened in Birmingham last fall. Nicole Ruby, interior designer and founder of Nicole Roby Designs, said she was inspired by her quest to help clients see their visions come to fruition.
“I’ve always been attracted to timeless, elegant design with modern sensibilities,” said Roby. “And I’ve always looked at the bigger picture of interior design. It’s creating an environment that feels like home… personalizing that space for clients.”
“Time is very important,” she said. “You need a one-stop shop that can provide everything you need for your home and lifestyle, and we want to meet that need with Rome Curate.”
In addition to furniture and accessories, Rome Curate’s tailored collection includes art, photography, books, rugs and candles.
But there are also items that many might be surprised to find — the O Hui and The History of Whoo lines of skin care products for men and women from South Korea, and even products for pets.
“Rome Curate encompasses anything used in the home,” said Roby, who is from Scottsboro, but her mom is from Seoul, South Korea. “The skin care line has been a family business for years and they are among the leaders in the skin care industry. We thought it fit very well with what we’re all about.”
She said Rome Curate also wants to offer a platform for artists and photographers to showcase their work to a broader audience.
“We definitely want to foster the local art and design community,” said Roby. “In addition to our featured artists, we have used local and regional craftsmen for most of our exclusive products and furniture.”
Rome Curate’s showroom at 3409 5th Ave. South in Birmingham’s is open by appointment, and one can shop the website at www.romecurate.com.
Southern Jewish Bookshelf
In case of Rapture… who takes care of their dogs?
An unusual request from a small town in Mississippi leads to a “fun” novel by Rabbi Jonathan Miller
When Rabbi Jonathan Miller was still rabbi at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El, he got an unusual phone call that led him to say “I’m going to write a novel about this when I retire.”
That novel is now complete — “Take My Dog: A Southern Detour Through the Apocalypse.” Now, what is a rabbi doing writing about the Christian view of the End of Days?
Critical (acclaim)
“He periodically spells my name right.”
– Moses
“Yes, we gave him a graduate degree. We’re looking into it.” – chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary
“Half of the things he says I said, I never said. Including this.”
– his mother
“He knows more about Judaica than most, and you won’t find any of it in this book.”
– his fourth-grade teacher
“His translation skills are second to none, and it’s a very close second.”
– his Hebrew professor
“I’ll deal with him.”
– The Almighty Big G
The phone call came in 2016 from a Christian living in a small town near Meridian, over two hours from Birmingham. The caller was taking classes at his church about the Rapture, when faithful Christians are swept up into heaven before the War of Armageddon takes place on Earth.
When he disappeared, what would happen to his dog, he worried. He didn’t want to entrust the dog to an atheist, so he figured he needed to find someone Jewish, thus the call to Miller. Miller reassured the caller that he would be honored to do so.
In the novel, the call comes in to Rabbi Tuvya Greenblatt, a mediocre rabbi who can’t get out of his own way. His series of congregational stops has placed him in fictional Cumberland, Ala., where he has to deal with a somewhat indifferent congregation and a “vindictive” congregational president who is working feverishly to get rid of Greenblatt. Through that phone call, Greenblatt’s story intersects with unusual events in Brookhill, Miss., where the very Christian small town near Meridian goes through a theological crisis as many members of the two main churches are attracted to a teen, A.J. Pierson, with odd visions and prophecies. Some follow him as a prophet while others deride him as troubled, but it sets in motion a series of inexplicable events that end up with dozens of dogs suddenly being delivered to the synagogue in Alabama, in the middle of Rosh Hashanah services, after many Brookhill residents mysteriously vanished.
One call led to a wild interfaith tale
Even so, Greenblatt’s moment in the sun soon comes back to bite him.
Miller cautions readers — especially back in Birmingham — not to try and connect characters and events to reality. “With the exception of the phone call, everything is from my imagination.”
The book’s Temple Sim Shalom does not reflect Temple Emanu-El, nor does Greenblatt’s dysfunctional family have any parallel to his own.
While he uses thinly-disguised euphemisms for some public figures and place names, on occasion he will mention the real things, such as naming the actual Birmingham television stations when referencing news coverage of an event in the book.
Aside from the phone call, “nothing in here is based on truth,” he said.
“Humor, and this is my attempt at it, is an exaggeration of things that are true.”
“It’s meant to be a fun read,” he said. Unlike his decades of sermons, “nobody is meant to learn lessons about life, or Torah.”
But he does hope that people come away with an appreciation for the challenges rabbis and ministers have in guiding their communities, and that they have many of the same issues everyone else deals with.
The book is certainly meant for both Christian readers and Jewish readers. At one point, Miller went to a Sunday school class at South Highland Presbyterian Church, which is across the intersection from Emanu-El, and read excerpts, “and they roared.”
While Southern readers will find familiar elements, Miller also regards the novel as a glimpse into Southern culture for his colleagues who have never served in the region.
Miller arrived in Birmingham from Los Angeles in January 1991 with the idea that he was coming for five years. “They were extended,” he explained. “We liked it.” He retired from Emanu-El in 2017.
Noting that he has always loved to write, he has kept himself busy with a free Substack, doing “little essays, typically 1,000 words, just observations about life.” He had already written a book in 2016, “Legacy: A Rabbi and a Community Remember Their Loved Ones,” a collection of eulogies he had delivered during his time at
Emanu-El.
It is hard to write about Southern culture without referencing college football. “There’s always football,” Miller said, and perhaps surprising for a rabbi from Birmingham, though the Alabama Crimson Tide gets some play in the story, “Take My Dog” actually highlights Mississippi State football culture, cowbells and all. Miller said that the late Mike Slive, a congregant who was commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, took him to a couple games at Mississippi State, located just up the road from Meridian — and probably near where Brookhill would be.
“I love the small-town Mississippi culture,” Miller said.
The story itself went through “many iterations,” and “so many people encouraged me along the way,” he said. Friends who are Christian clergy added their input. Scott Stantis, long-time editorial cartoonist at the Birmingham News, did the cover illustration.
The book is also an exploration of how every community has secrets — the book opens with a lynching in the Mississippi town early in the 20th century — and how those debts must eventually be paid.
Miller returned to Birmingham for a visit during the High Holidays this past fall. “While I’m happily retired in Washington, I miss the people I’ve cared for in Birmingham, and who care for me.”
“Ned-isms” immortalized in book benefiting JCRS
As the first Father’s Day approached since the death of longtime Jewish Children’s Regional Service executive director Ned Goldberg, his family launched a tribute in the form of a children’s book.
“This marks my dad’s long-awaited publishing debut,” said Adam Goldberg.
“The ABC’s of Ned” highlights his “Ned-isms,” from A to Z. Adam explained that “as my dad’s cancer progressed, my family decided to write a children’s book as a creative coping mechanism. We wrote this book, with my dad’s help.”
In the 1980s, Ned nearly published a comedic manuscript titled, “The Single Man’s Illustrated Dictionary.” However, he soon met his wife, Wendy, and “lost all credibility within the singles community.”
Ned, who died on Dec. 25, was described as an avid fisherman and a collector of rocks, shells, souvenirs, close friends, distant cousins, and stories. In his lifetime, he cared for two dozen turtles, a vibrant fish tank, and had a deep
love for all living things and helping others.
The book is illustrated by Gripless, Zach Weinstein. Proceeds from the book go to JCRS, which provides financial assistance to Jewish youth in a seven-state region, including summer camp scholarships and college aid. Under Ned’s leadership, the portfolio widened to include special needs and disaster relief, along with JCRS coordinating PJ Library regionally.
Wood, Plaster, &
“Sophia’s
By Lee J. Green
Gift” looks at doll collecting, Jews in the South during the Civil War
A new children’s book from an award-winning author offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Jews in the South during the Civil War.
“Sophia’s Gift,” the latest book from former Fairhope resident and award-winning author Karen Kurtz, illuminates a friendship between a wounded Confederate soldier and a Jewish mother and her daughter that nurture him back to health.
The book is based on the true story of the soldier’s friendship with Sophia Strauss and her mother, Caroline, in Culpeper, Va., in 1862. When the soldier is well enough to travel, he gives Sophia a china doll, which she names Grace Darling after the British Victorian icon, Grace Horsley Darling.
“I had been writing for doll-collecting magazines,” said Kurtz. “While I was doing some research, I just came upon a fascinating story I thought really needed to be told. There are very few books, especially for children, focusing on Jews in the Confederate states.”
Kurtz said she began reading stories about dolls during the Civil War and the role that some played in helping slave families gain freedom through the underground railroad.
“There is some important history that deserves to be preserved,” she said, adding that Sophia’s doll lives on today at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Va.
Jewish merchants were among the first to settle in Culpeper, which is about 80 miles northwest of Richmond. The town was hit hard during the Civil War, with 160 battles fought there.
Kurtz was born in Iowa and earned a master’s degree from Indiana University. She is a former elementary school teacher, college administrator, editor, publisher and consultant.
She and her husband, Mark, a photographer, lived for years in Goshen. “We had some friends who lived in Gulf Shores. On our visit, we went to Fairhope and fell in love with the community. We moved down there and lived there for 20 years before moving back to Goshen a couple of years ago,” said Kurtz.
Following the success of the book, Kurtz said she plans to write a book about how children learned to sew before the invention of the sewing machine.
SJL Online: sjlmag.com
Born to Care
If there’s one thing we were born to do, it’s care for people. Not only for the babies we deliver every day, but for everyone in the city we serve. We were born to keep hearts strong, seniors healthy, keep hope alive, and keep all of New Orleans happy and healthy. Because at Touro, we were Born to Care.
Lakeshore brings Paris to Birmingham for Olympics kickoff
By Lee J. Green
The Lakeshore Foundation will bring Paris to the Magic City as they celebrate the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games on July 26.
Tickets and tables are available for the Celebration of Champions fundraiser, starting at 6:30 p.m. and coinciding with the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“Lakeshore is proud to play a role in preparing athletes to pursue their greatest dreams. The Celebration of Champions is a wonderful and unique opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the athletes as they prepare to represent our nation,” said Jen Allred, Chief of Programs and Special Projects at Lakeshore.
“The power of sport to unify us is incredible and being a part of Celebration of Champions is an important way for us all to show our support. This event holds such a special place in the hearts of so many,” she added.
The Celebration of Champions will transform Lakeshore into a bustling Parisian boulevard with food, music and festivities.
Thomason said July 26 is also significant because it coincides with the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The 2024 Paralympic Games open Aug. 28 and run through Sept. 8. The U.S. Wheelchair Rugby team, which trains at Lakeshore, has won four world championships and three Paralympic Games gold medals. It has earned a medal every time it has been at the Games since 2000.
Today, Lakeshore has become an internationally renowned organization, serving more than 4,000 unique individuals annually through physical activity, sport, recreation, advocacy, policy and research. It serves as an Olympic and Paralympic Training site, strengthening the ongoing commitment to the development of para sports.
Authors seek food-related Southern simcha stories
The co-authors of “Kugels and Collards: Stories of Food, Family and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina” are looking for Southern Jewish food stories for their new work, “Southern Simchas: Food Traditions for Jewish Celebrations.”
They are looking for food-related family celebration stories from across the region, and those planning to submit a story should let them know by Sept. 30 at rgbarnettsc@gmail. com.
sports
Alabama baseball icon Willie Mays’ Jewish best friends
By Louis Keene
(The Forward) — Willie Mays was in the prime of his career in 1963, but his finances were a mess. The Giants’ star outfielder had plunged into debt amid divorce proceedings, and even with more than half of his career home runs under his belt, was staring down bankruptcy.
Then he met Jacob Shemano.
Shemano was a banker whose kid, Gary, was shagging fly balls during warmups that day at Candlestick Park. They connected in the locker room afterward, where Mays asked Shemano to help him smooth out his money problems. Shemano agreed on one condition: He wouldn’t take a dime for his work.
What began with Shemano rescuing Mays from bankruptcy evolved into a close friendship that spanned generations and made Mays an honorary member of sorts not just in the Shemano family, but also in the San Francisco Jewish community. Mays in 1964 told the San Francisco Examiner the Shemanos were “the best friends I’ve ever had in my life.”
“Anything that we did, Willie was here,” Gary Shemano, now 79, recalled by phone on June 18, hours after 93-year-old Mays died. “He was close to the Jewish community because of my dad.”
To some it might have seemed an unlikely pairing: Shemano, a Conservative Jew who had immigrated from Russia as a toddler, and Mays, a Black man born and reared in coal-mining, rural Alabama, who got his start with the Birmingham Black Barons at the age of 17. But both had overcome the odds against them as minorities to find success. Shemano was one of the first Jews in California to receive a charter to run a bank. Mays played in the Negro Leagues as a teenager prior to Major League Baseball’s integration.
Shemano had a civil rights bent — he insisted on hiring Black tellers for his bank — and in Mays, he had found a stylistic peer. Shemano favored green velvet shirts and Mays steered a pink Cadillac around the Bay — including on trips to his Jewish friend’s home.
“The kids in the neighborhood all knew when he was at Shemano’s,” Gary recalled.
The founder of Golden Gate National Bank, Jacob Shemano did squeeze something out of his new friend: Mays became a celebrity ambassador for the business. He was universally popular, a star in the field and at the plate, a perennial winner with a carefree smile.
The slugging center-fielder was helpful when Gary and his brother Ritchie took dates to the ballpark, too. They’d call him up and give him the girl’s name in advance, and Mays would toss them a signed ball as he ran onto the field.
When Gary enrolled at the University of Southern California, Mays would swing by the
dorms if the Giants were in town playing the Dodgers.
“‘Let’s go shopping, get your ass out of bed’,” Gary recalled Mays telling him. “We had so much fun.”
As good as he was with a bat — Mays retired behind only Babe Ruth for career home runs, and his 660 still ranks sixth today — Gary described Mays as an awful golfer. The elder Shemano taught the slugger how to play.
“He said, ‘Jake, how can this game be so tough when the ball’s not moving?’” Gary said.
The relationship ultimately ingratiated Mays with the Jewish community. Shemano once took Mays on a visit to the local Jewish Home, Gary said, and Mays later made visiting there a habit.
He appeared at Jewish community events so often that Mays was eventually invited into the local Concordia-Argonaut Club — a Jewish social club — as the first Black member, according to James Hirsch, author of the biography “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend.”
And while Mays frequented the Shemano home on holidays, there was one Jewish delicacy he couldn’t handle.
“He loved my mother until she made him eat some smoked salmon on a bagel for Thanksgiving and he couldn’t swallow it,” Gary said. “It was hysterical.”
Gary said that Mays’ short-term memory was fading when he last visited, about six months ago. There was a photo of Jacob Shemano, who died in 1979, and his wife, Rhoda, on the wall.
“The day that my grandmother died, my father’s mother, he called my dad,” Gary recalled. “He said, ‘I don’t know what to do for you, but, you gonna go to the game tonight?’ My dad said, ‘Yeah.’ He says, ‘Well, I’m gonna try to do something for you at the game.’ He hit three home runs.”
Louis Keene is a staff reporter at the Forward covering religion, sports and the West Coast. He can be followed on Twitter @thislouis. Reprinted with permission.
Courtesy of Gary Shemano Willie Mays (left) with Jacob Shemano and the Dodgers’ Leo Durocher.
counselor’s corner
Am I ready to retire?
By Mark Driskill, LICSW-S
For most of our working life, retirement planning is about money — how much do I need and when will I have enough? While money is key to successful retirement, there is so much more to consider. In addition to income, our professional life is often a significant part of our identity and work provides purpose, structure, social interaction and mental challenge. Proactively planning new ways to have these elements in our lives after work ends helps to ensure our mental health and wellbeing through the transition and beyond.
I have a friend who retired a few years ago. She told me she went to a therapist before she made the decision to stop working. She had saved and had a financial planner to assist with a retirement budget but felt she needed to talk to someone about how she would spend her time when she was no longer working. That surprised me at the time, but working at CJFS with an older population, I see both how important that proactive planning can be and also how people get stuck when they skip considering these things. Did I mention my friend is very smart?
Identity and Purpose
It is common when we work for many years to identify ourselves with the work we perform or the title we carry in our jobs. We may be eager for the day when we no longer have to face a commute, report to a boss, or get dressed in work clothes on a daily basis. But when we are no longer that attorney, salesperson, clinician, or mechanic that we were for so long, who are we? Just retired?
It is critical that we maintain and bolster the other roles we play in our lives — partner, parent, friend, community member etc. Some people seek to create new roles for themselves, such as volunteer, student, or mentor, to expand ways that they share the values that are important to them. Through these actions we find purpose, self-efficacy, identity, and self-worth.
Structure
When life is rocky, work can provide a sense of stability and structure. Having a reason to get up and a place to go creates structure in one’s life. How do you see yourself spending your time? Perhaps you haven’t had time for hobbies. What sounds appealing to you — gardening? Golf? Bridge? It is never too late to learn something new. Having a grandchild to care for, a volunteer job to go to or a reason to execute something one is good at is an invaluable part of a good “retirement plan.”
Social Interaction
For many people, much of their social interaction is in the workplace. For people who are not partnered, or those who live far from family, colleagues may also be their social circle. It is important to think about how you might carry these relationships forward into retirement. It might also be a time to reconnect with friends from earlier in life or seek out opportunities to find new connections with people who have similar interests and values. There is immense value in that group of ‘old codgers’ having coffee at the local coffee shop every morning!
Mental Challenge
The discipline of work keeps us mentally sharp and offers ongoing opportunities to learn and grow and be challenged. Retirees often express surprise and frustration over this loss. If you tend to become bored eas-
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ily, it will be vital to consider how to remain mentally challenged when you no longer are expected to meet a deadline or complete a report on a regular basis. Perhaps consider taking a class at the local community college or university or even teach a class at the J! Playing games, using your creativity, traveling, and even taking up a new sport like pickleball all support our brain health and mental health.
Enjoying Life
For most of us, retirement is about having more time to enjoy life. It takes much more than money to find joy. Being intentional about these other aspects of retirement are just as important as meeting with your financial advisor.
If you are interested in exploring/planning how to live a fulfilled and meaningful life in retirement, CJFS professional counseling can help. Contact us at (205) 879-3438 or info@cjfsbham.org
J’la helps make Birmingham’s LJCC accessible for all
Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center will hold its third J’La, “Growing Stronger Together,” on Aug. 8 to raise funds for the local agency.
The 5 p.m. gala, which has sold out its first two years, will celebrate the role the LJCC plays in creating community. Proceeds support partnerships that provide access to the facility for groups like Girls Inc., Glenwood, Veterans Affairs, I3 Academy and Collat Jewish Family Services. Free memberships are offered to first responders.
The J’la also helps support over $160,000 in annual preschool and summer day camp scholarships.
Tickets are $125 and include a cocktail hour, three-course kosher dinner prepared by Chef Maureen Holt, a silent auction and live auction, and a Fund-A-Need board. Sponsorships start at $1,800.
Now Serving Jewish Communities Throughout the South
Southern Jewish
Life
, the independent, award-winning Jewish news magazine of the Deep South for the last 34 years, is now covering the entire South.
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Sidewalk Film Festival rolls Aug. 19-25 Short films include Alabama Jewish history
By Lee J. Green
The 26th annual Sidewalk Film Festival, held in downtown Birmingham from Aug. 19 to 25, will spotlight films about Temple Beth-El’s Civil Rights Experience, Alabama Holocaust survivors, a rabbi who is a self-proclaimed “Drag Queen Rebel” and glimpse at a 1970s Jewish glam rock icon.
The short film “In Solidarity” goes back to April 28, 1958, when a bag of dynamite was discovered at Temple Beth-El in Birmingham during a series of attacks on Jewish institutions across the South. The bomb’s fuse stopped just short of detonating.
In the past couple years, director Tyler Jones and his company 1504 was brought in to help create and document the Temple Beth-El Civil Rights Experience.
The film starts off with scenes of Charlottesville in 2017, drawing some parallels between the fights against against a common enemy of white supremacy.
It then delves into the attempted bombing of Beth-El and how it compelled some Jewish community members to take action in the Civil Rights movement.
The film includes interviews with Rabbi Steven Henken and Reverend Thomas Wilder of Bethel Baptist Church, which was also attacked in 1958 and whose building had been completed the same year as Temple Beth-El, in 1926.
The film will screen on Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. at the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
Another documentary short, by Jenna Bedsole, “The Torch: Stories of the Holocaust shared by Alabama Families,” features four Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Alabama, their sons and their daughters sharing these heroic stories.
The legacy of Jewish glam rock legend Marc Bolan and his band T. Rex are put in vibrant light in a new film by Oded Horowitz — “Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex.”
The documentary, which will be screened at the Lyric Theatre on Aug. 24 at 5:15 p.m., blends rare archival footage with a behind-the-scenes look at modern artists such as U2 and Nick Cage creating a tribute album. It offers longtime fans and newcomers an engaging glimpse into the life and enduring influence of the British rocker.
“Sabbath Queen” paints a deeply human portrait about embracing complexity and conflict in pursuit of something higher.
The documentary feature follows gay Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s epic journey. Lau-Lavie is torn between rejecting and embracing his identity. The self-proclaimed “drag queen rebel” searches for spiritual meaning as he founds his experimental, all-are-welcome congregation.
Joel Fendelman, a North Carolina filmmaker whose cousin Barry Dreayer is an involved member of the Birmingham Jewish community, is back in Sidewalk following his successful “Finding Lucinda” documentary in 2023.
His latest documentary, titled “North Putnam,” depicts a year in the life of the community served by North Putnam School Corporation in Indiana.
Taking a “fly-on-the-wall” approach, the film provides a candid glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of the community, showcasing the visionary work of a school district that makes the most out of minimal resources.
This article will be updated online and in the next Southern Jewish Life print edition with more information from the filmmakers and updated screening times/locations.
>> Rear Pew Mirror continued from page 30
children of Israel, helping the Israelites forge ahead through their 40-year journey to the Promised Land.
One additional connection between Moses and Vulcan relies on a little help from their respective relatives. Moses’s brother, Aaron, was the first Kohein. The Kohanim are the ones who do the hand gesture which was adopted as the Vulcan salute made famous on Star Trek which, in its original network run in the 1960s, was broadcast from the WVTM tower on Red Mountain, near Vulcan.
Similarly, Moses is a reason why Jews say, “may you live to 120.” Vulcans say, “live long and prosper,” which is similar but avoids making exact numerical predictions. This is logical, but contrary to their predilection for citing the odds.
Doug Brook’s home’s in Alabama, no matter where he lays his head. It’s only logical. To acquire the new FIVE-star rated book “Rear Pew Mirror: Reflections From the Back of the Sanctuary,” read past columns, or listen to the FIVE-star rated Rear Pew Mirror podcast, visit http://rearpewmirror. com/
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Shakespeare Festival
By Lee J. Green
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents the classic story of redemption, love and dreams — “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” — through Aug. 11.
“At its core, this musical is about the dreamer inside all of us,” said Director Melissa Rain Anderson. “There is something magical about this tale of a boy whose dreams came true.”
“My vision for the scenic design was desert playground — seeing life through the eyes of a child,” added Anderson. “We have added local actors in the children’s ensemble and there is something so beautiful about hearing the children sing. It really brings so much magic and impact to this classic story.”
The musical debuted on Broadway in 1982 and has become a worldwide sensation. It tells the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers with musical styles spanning from country-western to bubblegum pop to rock and roll to hip hop.
“It’s a beautiful story of humanity, forgiveness and redemption,” said Anderson, who is based out of New York. “I’ve been in this production a few times as an actress and when this opportunity arose, I jumped at the opportunity to direct a story that means so much to me.”
Her husband, Jim Poulas, plays Pharoah in this production, an Elvis-like character. “When Jim was five years old, he performed ‘Blue Suede Shoes.’ His love for Elvis and for this musical go way back.”
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is Anderson’s third time helming a show at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. In 2019, she directed “All is Calm” and then in 2021 with “The Marvelous Wonderettes.”
She said “building the show” has been an exciting process. “We have such a talented cast (of local and national actors),” said Anderson. “And I feel that the set, the costumes play important roles. We collaborated with our incredible design team to create this beautiful panorama of color and some special lighting/visual effects to further the story.”
Anderson said the story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and their father Jacob is a “story with great humor and heart that resonates with adults and children alike. It’s such a privilege to be able to share this with audiences at such an incredible place.”
For tickets and more information, go to www.asf.net.
Announcing the new magazine for Israel’s Christian friends…
Live Long to 120
“May you live until 120” is a common phrase in Judaism. Moses lived 120 years and The Dude wrote in Deuteronomy that Moses’s “eyes still hadn’t dimmed and his strength hadn’t weakened.”
What’s more, early in Genesis, the Almighty Big G said that His “spirit won’t reside in man forever… so his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” Sounds like a commitment but, if so, almost everyone these days is getting shortchanged.
High up on Red Mountain, overlooking the expanse of downtown Birmingham, is Vulcan — the world’s largest cast iron statue. Vulcan just turned 120 years old, so this Jewish blessing worked well for him.
Perhaps it was inevitable. As one can learn from the final frontier, Vulcans have longer lifespans than humans. But perhaps the Vulcans had some inside help with their longevity — the Vulcan salute, made famous by Terran actor Leonard Nimoy, is based on a hand gesture which Kohanim use during the priestly blessing.
On the occasion of Vulcan’s 120th birthday, and with the Torah reading about Moses’s supercentenarian denouement just a few months away, it’s interesting to note the surprising similarities between Moses and his iron-clad Vulcan counterpart.
Because Hebrew is read from right to left, starting at the end of the Torah is appropriate.
In the end, Moses stands high on a mountain getting to see the Promised Land that he’ll never be allowed to enter. Vulcan stands atop Red Mountain, looking over a land of great promise, and he’s not exactly allowed to come down for a stroll through it, either.
Only this column would explore the similarities between Moses and a Roman god
The Talmud claims that Moses was 10 cubits tall. That’s approximately 15 feet. Of course, one should take such Talmudic assertions with a pillar of salt, but Moses is traditionally regarded as extraordinarily tall. Vulcan stands 38 cubits. That’s about 56 feet. So, both are atypically tall.
What’s more, counting his pedestal, Vulcan stands at 180 feet. That’s just over 120 cubits. So, Vulcan has been living to 120 all along.
Moses stretched his hand out and held his staff over the Red Sea to part the waters so the Israelites could cross through. Vulcan’s outstretched hand holds a spear from atop Red Mountain over Jones Valley which parts the mountain ranges so trains can cross through.
Moses’s act at the Red Sea might seem almost magical. Vulcan presides over the Magic City, which is named for it springing into existence in the 1870s.
Moses is known, in part, for hitting a rock when he was supposed to just speak to it. Vulcan stands atop Red Mountain which is named, in part, for its rocks being hit to mine hematite (red iron ore).
For 40 years, Moses led the Israelites through the desert, sometimes led by a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. For 40 years (plus 15 more), Vulcan held a torch instead of spear, glowing red if there was a traffic fatality in the previous 24 hours, and green if there wasn’t.
Vulcan is the Greco-Roman god of the forge which is why he holds up a spear and has a hammer, block, and anvil. Moses, was the leader of the
Coming in the 24 | 25 Season
Dear Jack, Dear Louise A Christmas Carol The Watsons Go to Birmingham Hamlet Kudzu Calling The Wizard of Oz
