SJL Deep South, August 2014 by Southern Jewish Life

Southern Jewish Life P.O. Box 130052 Birmingham, AL 35213-0052

Peanut Butter Cup Waffle: Our Annual Food Issue

Standing with Israel

Stumbling upon an unexpected mitzvah

Southern Jewish Life

Day School students support alumnus in Gaza

August 2014

Volume 24 Issue 8

Southern

Life

There have been many irritating aspects to the conflict in Gaza, not least of which is Israel having to go into Gaza in the first place, and having to explain to the rest of the world that thousands of missiles being launched indiscriminately at major cities is generally considered a no-no if the target is anywhere other than Israel. Recently, there have been several columns by people in the Jewish world who, eager to burnish their humanitarian credentials and distance themselves from the rest of us callous souls, decry the lack of concern in the Jewish community for the Palestinian women and children who have been killed in Gaza. Let’s forget for a moment that Hamas has instructed everyone, media included, that anyone killed in Gaza is a civilian, even if he is in the process of firing off a missile. Let’s also forget that Israel goes to measures above and beyond any country to try and minimize civilian casualties. If Israel wanted to commit genocide as critics charge, it’s doing a terrible job of it. Let’s also forget that a true examination of Gaza casualties finds civilian deaths in the 1:1 ratio typical of modern warfare despite the more difficult urban house-to-house setting. The ratio is more impressive given Gaza’s demographics, where half the population is under the age of 14. Also forget that Israel set up field hospitals at the Gaza border to treat the Palestinian wounded, but Hamas is blocking those who need care from accessing it. To answer the charge, all one has to do is attend any pro-Israel event. Prayers and concern go out to Israel, of course — one always starts with your own family, and Israel is our family — but it does not end there. Every rally I have seen includes prayers and concern for the welfare of Gaza civilians. The most ardent, most vocal Israel advocates are out there saying “Free Gaza from Hamas” — so that the long-suffering Palestinian people can have quiet and build a decent society instead of the kleptocracy that is enriching the leadership. Leaders making a killing off of the conflict have no problem continuing the killing of their subjects and have little incentive to end it. Ultimately, we care for Palestinian civilians more than their own leadership does. Rare is the soul that is not moved by the horrifying images coming from Gaza (the actual ones, not the “this is Gaza” photos that are actually from Syria, or in one callous twist, an Israeli family killed by Palestinian terrorists but labeled as Gaza victims of Israel). To say the Jewish community is unconcerned is a shocking canard. Unfortunately, what is happening in Gaza is a battlefield form of suicide by cop, enforced by Hamas. It is the Hamas leadership forcing its own civilians in harm’s way and seeking the highest death toll possible — so their useful idiots in the West can blame Israel’s heartless attitude. Israel’s soldiers want Hamas to lay down their arms so they can go home and leave the Palestinians alone. Hamas wants Israel to lay down its arms so they can kill Jews with impunity (such as Hamas’ little-reported Rosh Hashanah 2014 tunnel terror attack plan that would have been “Israel’s Sept. 11”). What about that is so difficult to understand? Larry Brook Editor/Publisher

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August 2014

Southern Jewish Life

My Jerusalem, my Birmingham

Publisher/Editor: to practice my Arabic and experience a Lawrence M. Brook, editor@sjlmag.com

By Shaina Shealy Special to Southern Jewish Life

On Sunday, July 6, four days after the bodies of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali were found outside of Jerusalem, I attended my first course of the summer semester at Hebrew University, where I’m completing a Masters Degree in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. The course covers inter-communal relations in Jerusalem, a topic that regularly puzzles, fascinates and angers me. In the first 20 minutes of class, my classmates and I introduced ourselves with our names and a comparison between our hometowns and Jerusalem. “My name is Jia-li, and I come from the Szechwan province, where it is hot in the summers like it is now in Jerusalem.” “My name is Roberto, and I come from San Juan, which is a walled city resembling Jerusalem.” “My name is Jackie, and I come from Boston, where historic architecture is all around like it is in Jerusalem.” I was the last person in the room to share. “My name is Shaina…” My voice was unexpectedly shaky. “I grew up in Birmingham, a city known for its history of racism and hate crimes. Today, systemic racism and segregation in the public sphere in Birmingham exist. I did not interact with African Americans other than grocery-store clerks, maintenance workers, house cleaners and ‘nannies’ until I was in high school. I joined dialogue groups and workshops to talk about race, and made black friends who were afraid to come to parties at my house because they did not want to be stopped by the police in an all-white neighborhood. I ventured to neighborhoods that I was told not to go to. I became comfortable with the discomfort of being in a place where I am different and comfortable with the discomfort of being in a place where everyone is just like me.” I was almost in tears at the end. I did not have to explain how my hometown was similar to Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, I moved from an apartment in Nachlaot to a Palestinian neighborhood. Nachlaot is in West Jerusalem. Its residents wear high-waisted jeans picked from the racks of trendy vintage stores, American Apparel leggings (the kind of thing to stock up on when moving to Israel from the U.S.) and old leather backpacks. They are hip Jewish-Israeli artists, students and young professionals. I moved to a Palestinian neighborhood 4

August 2014

different space of the city. My new apartment Publisher/Editor: Lawrence M. Brook, Associate Publisher/Advertising: is a 15-minute walk from my old one and it editor@sjlmag.com Lee J. Green, lee@sjlmag.com feels like it’s in a separate country. Even the pavement on the streets is different. Associate New Orleans Bureau:Publisher/Advertising: The day that the boys’ bodies were found Lee J.alan@dsjv.com Green, lee@sjlmag.com Alan Smason, in Hebron, I was in the library until evening, Cait Muldoon, Gail Naron Chalew multitasking between writing final papers and Creative Director: Ginger Brook, Creative ginger@sjlmag.com Director: reading the news. When I got to my apartment, Ginger Brook, ginger@dsjv.com I squeezed through barricades of soldiers to Photographer-At-Large: reach my front door. I found my roommates Photographer-At-Large: Rabbi Barry C. Altmark packing overnight bags. Neither of themBarry — a C. Altmark Palestinian-American and a Dane — felt safe Contributing Writers: Doug Brook Contributing Writers: staying in the apartment. We shared updates Doug Brook Mailing Address: from our Facebook newsfeeds and the op-eds P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 we had read. I listened to the PalestinianMailing Address: American’s accounts of the situation in PGaza .O. Box New 130052, Orleans Office: and Hebron. We left the apartment Birmingham, and 3747ALWest 35213 Esplanade, 3rd Floor, headed in different directions — I walked Metairie, LA 70002 Telephone: back to Nachlaot, my old neighborhood. Birmingham: (205) 870-7889 Ten minutes later, I was on Jaffo Street in the Telephone: FAX: (866) 392-7750 city center. A mob of pre-teens emerged from Birmingham: (205) 870-7889 New Orleans: (504) 780-5615 an alley shouting “death to Arabs,” followed by Tips/Letters: Story Toll Free: (866) 446-5894 police on horses. Young girls wearing Israeli editor@sjlmag.com flags laid down in front of the horses while FAX: (866) 392-7750 Information: the teens ran in the streets with sticks in Subscription their Story Tips/Letters: connect@sjlmag.com Jewish Life published monthly hands, cheering and shouting like they Southern were and is free by request to Information: members of the Subscription at a football game. I started crying. I followed Jewish community in our coverage area of monthly Southern Jewish Life published the mob, and watched them surround two Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and NW and is free by request to members of the small Arab boys against the wall of a shop. The Florida. those areas,insubscriptions Jewish community our coverage area of police were gone. The boys sprinted away as Outside Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and NW fast as they could. The mob cheered. are $25/year or $40/two years. To Outside thoseorareas, subscribe,Florida. call (205) 870-7889 mail subscriptions I arrived at my friend’s house in Nachlaot are $25/year or $40/two years. To payment to the address above. and plopped down on his leather couch next subscribe, call (205) 870-7889 or mail to others just like me. They had gathered The publisher is solely responsible payment to the addressfor above. to comfort one another in face of the the day’s contents of SJL. Columns and letters solely responsible for painful news. The conversation vacillated representThe the publisher views of theis individual contents Columns between things like the health benefits of Allthe writers. articles that of doSJL. not have a and letters represent the views of the individual sprouted grains and how only a society of byline on them are written by the publisher. animals could celebrate something so brutal writers. All articles that do not have Southern Jewish Life makes no claims as to as the murder of children. I was too shaken a byline on them are written by the the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains publisher. to say anything. My 15-minute walk from Southern Jewish Life makes no claims as to the right to refuse any advertisement. neighborhood to neighborhood illuminated the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains the separateness of the multiple realities Advertising onany request. therates rightavailable to refuse advertisement. being lived by Jerusalem’s inhabitants. These Copyright 2010. All rights reserved, realities are divided by vast gaps, but have Advertising rates available on request. reprints only by permission of publisher. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved, reprints been built right on top of each other. The next day, the body of Muhammed Abu only by permission of publisher. Khadier was found. Another tragedy. In Philosophy: spite Philosophy: To link the Jewish To link the Jewish communities of the communities of warnings from friends, family and Israeli of thetoDeep South, to tell you the Deep South, tell you the fascinating security, I went to Muhammed Abu Khadier’s fascinating stories of one another, and another, and to mourning tent in Shuafat, a 15-minute stories walk oftoone document and preserve the news and from my university’s campus. I thought about document and preserve the news events large and small, allofa part of the the 15 minutes it took for me to get events from large and small, all a partJewry. of rich culture of Southern Mountain Brook to Ensley — going therethe wasrich culture of Southern Jewry. the only way to bridge the gap. Visiting Muhammed Abu Khadier’s family was sad and uncomfortable and important.

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Continued on page 37 26

September 2010

Southern Jewish Life

Front Porch BHEC L’Chaim event honors Bayer: The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center will honor Jeffrey Bayer at its fourth annual L’Chaim (“to life”) fundraising event on August 24, at Temple Emanu-El. The 2:30 p.m. L’Chaim event is the culmination of the volunteer-led organization’s annual fundraising campaign. The BHEC’s work is focused on educational programming. Funds are raised for teacher training, special programs for students and the community, and the development of educational resources. A key element in BHEC programming is the group of Holocaust survivors who live in Birmingham and who speak publicly about their personal experiences. This group of survivors is rapidly dwindling, and funding is also needed to record and preserve their stories for future generations. “The Holocaust theme naturally expands to discussions about social justice, intolerance, bullying, and the consequences of prejudice and discrimination,” said Weinstein. “The impact and relevance of our work have increased the demand for Holocaust education programming throughout the state. This year, our goal is to raise enough funds to hire professional staff to help us expand our outreach.” Currently, the BHEC is run by volunteers and a part-time office manager. Because of an increased demand for programming, the group is hiring an executive director. Bayer “has provided a home for the BHEC in the Bayer Properties

Building at 2222 Arlington Avenue for the last 10 years,” said Phyllis Weinstein, BHEC director. “His generosity has made it possible for us to concentrate on our mission, which is to keep the history and the lessons of the Holocaust alive.” The L’Chaim program will include music by the Eric Essix Trio, Cantor Jessica Roskin, and the Birmingham Community Mass Choir. A dramatic reading, “The Slippery Slope,” will feature Bob Penny and other actors from The Seasoned Performers. Essix, a Birmingham native, has a long history of combining contemporary jazz with Southern genres and themes. He founded the Preserve Jazz Festival in 2007 and this year created Eric Essix’s Jazz Escape which showcases national jazz recording artists in the relaxed setting of Marriott’s Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Birmingham. In May 2011 he performed in Birmingham’s sister city in Israel, Rosh Ha’Ayin, at the opening of the Sister City International Music Festival. “L’Chaim is always a varied program,” said event producer Deborah Layman. “It’s a mix of entertainment, education, and acknowledgement of the contribution of a member of the community. We select the music based on the tastes of the honoree. In this case, Jeffrey is a fan of contemporary jazz. Since jazz was a target of Nazi propaganda in the 1930s, there’s a nice educational tie-in. It’s one of several educational components in the program.” The event is open to the public. Tax-deductible tickets are $50 each and may be purchased at www.bhamholocausteducation.org. A dessert reception will follow the program.

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Over 500 packed Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center auditorium on July 29 for an Alabama Stands With Israel rally, featuring Jewish and Christian speakers, along with Israeli Consul General Opher Aviran. Complete coverage online at sjlmag.com. Bullying forum: The Birmingham Hadassah Social Action Committee will present a public forum, “Bullying and Cyberbullying: The Evolving Role of Schools,” Sept. 18 at Samford University’s Dwight Beeson Hall. The forum is for parents and caregivers to hear and learn the specific roles that schools play in preventing and reducing instances of bullying. The forum will be in collaboration with United Way of Central Alabama, the Jefferson County Children’s Policy Council, Alabama School Connection and Dr. Yvette Richardson, Alabama State School Board Representative, District 4.

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August 2014

Southern Jewish Life

The Bloom Hillel at the University of Alabama welcomes Jewish students back to the Capstone with a wide range of activities. Welcome bags are being prepared for new students and can be reserved on the Hillel website. On Aug. 20 there will be a freshman pizza party at 7 p.m., a welcome back barbecue and live band patio party on Aug. 24 at noon, a freshman ice cream social on Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. and a welcome back Shabbat dinner on Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. Pictured here is the new Hillel board: Secretary Elie Allen, Dallas, Tex.; Treasurer Joe Bloomston, Birmingham; Membership Vice President Kerri Fogel, Atlanta; President Risa Hayet, Atlanta; Public Relations Vice President Kelsey Kunstadt, Mobile; Programming Vice President Stephanie Arkin, Atlanta; Executive Vice President Matthew Filderman, Memphis.

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August 2014

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Alison Goldstein Lebovitz of Chattanooga is returning to her childhood congregation as the guest speaker for the opening Temple Beth-El Sisterhood event in Birmingham on Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. Lebovitz will discuss her book, “Am I There Yet? A Journey Through Marriage, Motherhood and Miles of Minutiae.” She is on numerous non-profit boards and hosts “The A List with Alison Lebovitz” on the PBS station in Chattanooga. The event is open to the community, and reservations for the continental breakfast are $5, free to all new Sisterhood members. Christians United For Israel’s CUFI On Campus presented the Outstanding Established Chapter award to Mississippi College.

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Tuscaloosa’s Temple Emanu-El will participate in Caring Days Walk to Remember, Aug. 23 at University Mall from 8 a.m. to noon. Emanu-El is a founding member of Caring Congregations, which supports the Caring Days Alzheimer’s center. The next Nite on the Town for Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach is Aug. 23 at 5:45 p.m., at One20 in Niceville. The next community Havdalah and Kumzing will be Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. Mobile’s Springhill Avenue Temple started repairs to the building’s roof. The roof was damaged by the tornado that went through the neighborhood on Dec. 25, 2012. Traffic patterns to the parking lot will be affected, but work will not take place on Shabbat or during weekend functions. The work is expected to last until the end of November.

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August 2014

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Theatre LJCC at Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center presents Disney’s “Peter Pan Jr.” Shows will run from Aug. 7 to 17, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students. Rocket City BBYO will host a Back to School Shabbat, leading parts of the Shabbat service at Etz Chayim, Huntsville, on Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Going to Tuscaloosa’s Temple Emanu-El? Don’t be packing. Because the new Emanu-El building is on land leased from the University of Alabama, the congregation is subject to the university’s ban on weapons anywhere on campus. The Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge will have its annual end of summer pool party on Aug. 24 at noon, at Bocage Racquet Club. The Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama will have a cookout at Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville at noon on Sept. 7, following the first day of religious school classes. The Jewish Federation of Central Alabama is teaming up with First United Methodist Church to field a team in Montgomery’s Dragon Boat Festival on Aug. 23 at Riverfront Park. The Holy Rowers will join 80 other teams in a benefit for Bridge Builders Alabama and Rebuilding Together Central Alabama. Dragon boats are 44 feet long and 3 feet wide, with 21 people aboard. The Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival will present a “Fiddler on the Roof” screening and sing-along on Aug. 17, honoring the 50th anniversary of its Broadway debut. The 2 p.m. screening will be at the Manship Theatre, and lyrics will be provided at the door.

B’ham Day School students support Lone Soldier alumnus in Gaza As the ground battle started in Gaza, students at Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School gathered to show their support of a Day School alumnus who is in the middle of the fight. Corporal Asaf Stein, 29, is a member of the Golani Brigade. Born in Israel, he grew up in Birmingham and earned his doctorate in biomedicine from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Then he moved to Israel and joined the Israel Defense Forces. “A lot of people ask me why a 29-year-old man would join the IDF,” Asaf said recently on the IDF blog. “I tell them I just wanted immigrate to Israel and join the army. They understand me.” The son of Susan and Michael Stein, Asaf was home in early July for what was to a three-week visit, but his trip was cut short by the callup. He spoke to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces at The Temple in Atlanta on July 10, then had to return to Israel the next morning. Susan Stein is a teacher at the Day School, and the students have rallied around the family. On July 21, a quickly-assembled group of Day School students assembled at the Bais Ariel Chabad Center to draw posters showing support for the Steins. Though it was the middle of the summer and many students were away, about two dozen came on a moment’s notice. Michael Duvdevani said the evening was to “send a message to the Stein family that we as a community stand with them and support them.” Asaf is what is referred to as a Lone Soldier, someone who serves in the IDF but who does not have any family in Israel. Lone Soldiers are paired with Israeli families for support, but for the soldier’s family abroad, there is no social structure supporting them emotionally as there is in Israel. Duvdevani and Oren Azrad, a former Olympics swimmer for Israel now living in Birmingham, coordinated the event. Duvdevani explained that the event was one of three initiatives that started that week. He also set up a WhatsApp group, “Birmingham Supports Asaf.” He made Asaf a member of the group, though he will not see any of the messages until he returns from Gaza. Duvdevani also said that many reservists were called up with no notice, so they had no time to prepare or bring anything. He started a fundraiser on July 20 that would go toward buying essentials for the soldiers — toiletries, shampoo, underwear, socks — and by the next evening $4500 had been contributed. The donations were being put to immediate use. He said a friend in Israel was fronting funds so he could bring the supplies to soldiers the next day, and Duvdevani would reimburse him with the funds raised. They would be presented in the name of Chabad of Alabama, he said. In 2008, Asaf was a counselor at a children’s camp in Nitzana through the Jewish Agency. That camp was established for children

Southern Jewish Life

August 2014

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August 2014

from Sderot and other communities near the border with Gaza, who have dealt with years of rocket threats and dashing to bomb shelters. At the time, he told the Birmingham Jewish Federation “I am grateful I was able to participate in a program aimed at giving these children a break from constant danger, and showing them that they are not alone; and, that the rest of Israel and Jews from all over the world will support them.” He volunteered in Israel in 2009, and decided to stop just visiting, setting a goal of becoming a soldier in a combat unit, though he was much older than most entering the IDF. Through persistence, last July he was accepted into the Golani Brigade, one of 100 accepted out of 350 candidates. He told Israel Hayom that in a meeting with two highranking army commanders, they said that only four men close to his age had ever been selected to combat units. “So I’ll be the fifth,” he responded. Ever since Asaf joined the IDF, the Birmingham Jewish community has been supporting its home-grown soldier. For example, in December, Day School students sent Chanukah cards and raised money to buy sufganiot — Chanukah jelly doughnuts — for Asaf ’s group. After the students and parents finished making posters of support at Chabad, the group drove to the Stein house to show their support. With all of the students on the porch, Duvdevani told the Steins “we are all thinking about you, thinking about Asaf… we’re so proud of what Asaf is doing.” Susan Stein said what they needed most is “prayers and good wishes.” Afterward, she said they last heard from Asaf on the morning of July 16, when he told

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them that he was given three minutes to talk, and then the military would be taking his phone until he returns. “I’m going to be gone for a few days,” she recalled him saying. “We’re just praying” and getting very little sleep. Michael Stein showed a photo of his son with a large rifle, which he said generally is given to the taller soldiers. Because he was so good at navigation, that is his current role, so he and a partner are out in front guiding fellow soldiers. It is a tense time for soldiers’ families, with Israel trying to find and expose the smuggling tunnels used to hide armaments, protect Hamas leaders and infiltrate Israel. The tunnel entrances are generally hidden in civilian areas, and it is estimated that the tunnel network cost hundreds of millions of dollars to construct. On July 20, 13 members of the Golani were killed in Shejaiya, from where a large proportion of missiles had been launched at Israel. One of them was Sean Carmeli, a Lone Soldier from South Padre Island, Tex. Carmeli was buried in Haifa. With his parents on the way from Texas, the Maccabi Haifa soccer team put out a call to support the Lone Soldier by attending his funeral; the turnout was estimated at 18,000. For Duvdevani, the current conflict also hits home. He grew up on Moshav Talmei Yosef, a couple of miles from the Gaza border. His parents and brother still live there. While there has been the threat of Hamas missiles for years, he noted that the moshav was the “second line” of communities from the border and somewhat removed from the infiltration threat posed by tunnels under the border. His mother, Margaret Kartus Duvdevani, is a Birmingham native. In 2012, the Birmingham Jewish community worked with Operation Lifeshield to place a rocket shelter in the moshav.

Southern Jewish Life

August 2014

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August 2014

Southern Jewish Life

As the war in Gaza continues, Rosh Ha’Ayin is taking part in supporting the soldiers as the city also deals with numerous Code Red alerts of incoming missiles. Danny Shani, who chairs the Rosh Ha’Ayin-New Orleans Partnership, and his friend Ziv Parwar, have made trips to visit troops in the South and deliver goods to them. Rosh Ha’Ayin is New Orleans’ Partnership2Gether community and Birmingham’s sister city in Israel. On July 22 Shani and Parwar took 1,000 pairs of socks, 1,000 cans of drinks, ice cream, snacks and cakes from a Rosh Ha’Ayin bakery to the soldiers. They visited several units and also distributed shampoo, deodorant and soap. As noted in a post to the Partnership Facebook page, “The soldiers are tired but motivated to continue to defend Israel.” One of the soldiers commented that he never though he’d “get an ice-cold Coke here, while fighting.” Their final stop was to the unit of a friend’s son, but he had been injured shortly before their arrival and in fact had unknowingly seen his ambulance to Soroka Hospital in Beersheva leaving as they arrived. After distributing goods to that unit, Shani and Parwar went to Soroka to visit the soldier, who had inhaled smoke from a fire that had broken out at their position and had respiratory tract burns. “Luckily the injury is not severe and he hoping to return soon to his friends and continue the activity,” they reported. Previously, the pair had raised funds for a July 11 trip where they brought pizzas and drinks, along with underwear. They raised over $15,000 for that trip, including a $2,000 allocation from the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and local leadership. The food and beverages they distributed were purchased in Ofakim, a town in the southern part of Israel that has lived with incoming missiles and struggled economically due to the uncertainty. In what is likely an unintentional nod to the relationship with the Southern United States, many of the soft drinks were RC Cola. Shani said “I was moved by the soldiers reactions when we got there, they ran to us happy to get the food and drinks, but you could tell they were much happier about us caring for them. The hugs we got from the soldiers were our treat.” One of the volunteers who made the trip south noted that when he returned to Rosh Ha’Ayin there was a rocket attack. He heard the siren before he even got out of his car and dashed to his home’s shelter. “After about a minute a loud explosion sounded very close to the house.” They started getting messages on WhatsApp, then started receiving pictures. They heard sirens as the fire department arrived in the area to extinguish the fire, which was not far from his house. After 10 minutes he left the shelter. His home was not damaged and nobody in Rosh Ha’Ayin was hurt. On July 17, it was reported that three Israelis were hurt trying to run to shelters, as well as a person in Rosh Ha’Ayin who was “hurt from panic.” On July 25, Iron Dome intercepted two rockets over Rosh Ha’Ayin and three over neighboring Petach Tikva. Donations for future Rosh Ha’Ayin trips to the troops are being collected online.

You can relax… Chabad to debut in Mississippi

New emissary coming home to Gulf Coast And then there was one. With Rabbi Akiva and Hannah Hall moving to the Mississippi Coast this month to set up Chabad of Southern Mississippi, South Dakota is the only state in the country without a Chabad presence. Mississippi’s Jewish community is estimated at 1,600; South Dakota has around 350 Jews. What makes the establishment of Chabad in Mississippi more unusual is that Hall will not need a map to find his way around — he went to high school in Ocean Springs. Hall, who was raised by a Rabbi Akiva and Hannah Hall with Jewish mother and non-Jewish daughter Leah father, said his family was always Jewishly active and connected to the community. While visiting relatives in Las Vegas, he attended Camp Gan Israel at Chabad there. “That was my first exposure to a full Torah lifestyle, and I really took to it,” he said. Around his Bar Mitzvah age, the family became close with Rabbi Mendel Rivkin of Chabad in New Orleans. While in high school, he started observing Shabbat and keeping kosher, making weekly trips to stay with the Rivkins over Shabbat. In 2007, at age 18, he coordinated what was considered Mississippi’s first public Chanukah menorah lighting ceremony, attended by Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr. The ceremony has been repeated in recent years, and he and Rivkin have also visited the Fort Polk Army Base on Chanukah. “After I finished public high school, I was looking to go to a yeshiva,” Hall said. Hall said his family has been supportive of him. His father, Ron, is the regional director of guest experience at MGM Resorts International. His mother, Lara, was active in theater and died in 2009 at the age of 41; she was buried at the Beth Israel cemetery in Biloxi. Just as Hall was finishing up his rabbinic degree, he was introduced to Hannah Black, who had grown up in another small Jewish community: Bakersfield, Calif., where her family belonged to a Reform congregation. After Chabad opened there when she was 10, the family became more involved and she started attending a Jewish school in Los Angeles at age 14. They were married in the fall of 2012. The Rivkins and several others with New Orleans connections attended the wedding in Los Angeles. After the wedding, the Halls lived in Crown Heights before becoming Judaic teachers for a family in an area of California where there was no such opportunity. As the Halls were finishing up their commitment in California they started looking at different options. Rivkin told him that there was an opportunity to start a Chabad House in Mississippi, “and you have a background in the area.” “The idea of going on shlichus,” becoming a Chabad emissary, “wasn’t necessarily something I had in mind,” he said. But he figured if he didn’t take it, it might be a while before someone else did, “so it was

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our responsibility to accept it.” He added, “we felt that we had been given an opportunity and a mission that was unique to us, and couldn’t decline such a responsibility.” The Mississippi center will be linked with Chabad of Louisiana, but will be autonomous. Hall’s base will be the Gulf Coast because that is the area he is most familiar with, but he hopes to branch out to places like Hattiesburg and Jackson. Biloxi is also a tourist area, and there are numerous Jews serving at Keesler Air Force Base. They are moving the first week of September, and likely will have a Sukkot event as their formal introduction to the community. They plan to renew old friendships and network in the community to establish relationships. They plan to have people over for Shabbat dinner and lunch, but are not anticipating holding services or a minyan right away.

“People are loyal to their synagogues,” Hall said. “We’re not coming there to compete or offer the same programs” as Beth Israel in Gulfport. He plans to supplement “what is already there” and offer a resident rabbinic presence that has not been in the area before. He said the likely offerings will be adult education and Torah learning, while also providing outreach to the unaffiliated and to tourists. He said the opportunity “to bring Jewish people close to Torah and chassidus is quite remarkable. In addition, my family still lives there, which will allow us to spend much more time with them than we were able to in the last few years.” Rivkin said “We are excited about this unique opportunity the the Halls have. We believe that they will do a great job working with the existing Jewish presence and the people of the Gulf Coast Jewish community.”

Mobile also gaining Chabad presence Just days after it was announced that there would be a new Chabad center along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Mississippi center picked up a new neighbor. Rabbi Yosef and Bina Goldwasser are setting up Chabad of Mobile this month after visiting the community earlier this year. While there have been several visits to Mobile by traveling Chabad rabbis, Goldwasser said Rabbi Yossi Posner from Chabad of Alabama in Birmingham was interested in seeing someone move there. Goldwasser hopes to open a Chabad House that “should be a home where every Jewish person could feel welcome regardless of their background or affiliation,” he said. Goldwasser visited Mobile for Chanukah and met with many people in the community. They “were very positive” about it, he said. He went back a couple of moths later and led a class on Chassidism, and held a Purim party. They are moving to Mobile from Crown Heights with their two-year-old son, Menachem Mendel. Goldwasser was a Day School student in his native Pittsburgh, then went on to yeshiva in New York and France. Bina Goldwasser was raised in North Miami Beach, then attended high school in Chicago and women’s seminary in Tzfat. She has worked in Jewish day camps in four states. They plan to provide classes, community events, Shabbat and holiday meals and other

Southern Jewish Life

services to the community. Mobile’s Jewish community numbers roughly 1,200. Goldwasser said he has already met with the Mobile Area Jewish Federation leadership and Rabbi Steven Silberman of Ahavas Chesed. He also said that in his visits he met with many who are not currently affiliated in the community. He is eager to expand the availability of kosher foods in the area, and will be working with Rabbi Yeshayahu Tenenboim from Chabad of the Emerald Coast in Destin. “We are excited to fulfill our life’s dream by putting our skills, passion for Judaism and love of people into serving the spiritual needs of the Jews in Mobile with innovative, fun, and informative Jewish programming with a personal touch,” Goldwasser said. Their one question for Mobile is “what can we do for y’all?”

Bentonville congregation celebrates 10 years while planning new home While many small-town congregations struggle as their memberships age, a Jewish community continues to grow in northwest Arkansas. Congregation Etz Chayim in Bentonville, Ark., is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month after closing its building and taking down the mezuzahs. But for this congregation, that’s a good thing. Michelle Malashock, immediate past president of Etz Chayim, said when the congregation bought its previous location in 2005, “they never thought we would be here this long.” On July 27, congregants took down the mezuzahs and the Eternal Light and said Shehecheyanu “as a nod to new possibilities.” Many of the religious items have been put into storage temporarily. Susan Abrahams, the congregation’s treasurer, said it was “a great starter home” but “we have outgrown it and we are ready for the next.” The tipping point, they said, came last August when it poured all night. Malashock had a “sinking feeling” knowing that the building

was lower than the surrounding area, and sure enough she got a call that “it’s water everywhere” in the building. With Rosh Hashanah fast approaching, “we had a wonderful offer to move for the High Holy Days,” and though the building wasn’t completely unusable, concern that another rainstorm could happen closer to the holiday without a backup plan in place led the congregation to ac- Etz Chayim’s “starter building” cept the offer. With a temporary home, Etz Chayim was That temporary arrangement with First Christian Church to use their Waterway lo- able to list their property and start thinking cation has “formed into a long-term relation- about their next building. They did have an ship,” Abrahams said. The church is located in offer earlier this year but rejected it because what was originally intended to be a stable for it was not in line with what the congregation a horse-themed development, and is set up in needed. With the July 27 ceremony done, it is an informal setting for coffeehouse-style ser- now on the market again. Malashock said the new building will likely vices. Etz Chayim works with the church on many be flexible in its design and available for other initiatives, Abrahams added. “They had what religious groups to use. The growth of Bentonville’s Jewish comwe would call Mitzvah week, and we participated in that,” and the congregation donates munity came with the explosive growth of the Bentonville area as a whole, due to one factor to several of their initiatives.

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Southern Jewish Life

August 2014

Delta Jewish Open including LSU reunions The 27th annual Jay Mosow Memorial Delta Jewish Golf Open will have several new additions for 2014. The fall event is a reunion for Jews from Mississippi Delta communities, and this year it will also be a reunion for ZBT and AEPhi at Louisiana State University. The Open will start with the annual steak dinner at Hebrew Union Congregation in Greenville on Oct. 18. A social hour starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the 7:45 p.m. dinner, during which mulligans may be purchased

and teams are announced. There are also prizes and drawings. The golf tournament will be on Oct. 19 at 8 a.m. at Greenville Country Club. The weekend is also the Greenville Hot Tamale Festival. The tournament is a four-person scramble format, and proceeds benefit the Henry S. Jacobs Camp and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Registration information will be distributed soon.

Etz Chayim’s ark with its roots on the town square, in a building with the words “Walton’s 5-10” on the front. That storefront is now a museum about the history of Wal-Mart. In recent years, vendors and suppliers have opened up shop there, bringing an incredible diverse population to the area, and many have been Jewish. Initially, the handful of Jews traveled half an hour south to Fayetteville for services, but soon figured that there were enough to support their own congregation. In the summer of 2004, a group of 15 families established CEC, as they call it. Soon there were 35 families involved, and the numbers continued to climb. The area also attracted a Chabad family. Rabbi Mendel Greisman set up Chabad of Northwest Arkansas in neighboring Rogers. Etz Chayim services started at the Bentonville Boys and Girls Club. In 2005 they converted a former Assembly of God church into a synagogue, and welcomed representatives of the Baptist, Catholic, Muslim and Hindu communities to the dedication. Malashock said Bentonville “has totally embraced us. Everyone is so interested in what we do.” The congregation has not affiliated with a particular movement because of a diversity under its roof. Some members keep kosher while others come to services once a year. Since 2006, Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft has traveled from Tulsa once a month to serve the congregation. After it opened, Etz Chayim received numerous items from small-town Arkansas congregations that were disappearing. The state’s Jewish population is currently estimated at 1,725. Many items were contributed from Temple Beth El in Helena, which closed in 2006. Beth 16

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Come See Our New Bar and Expanded Dining Room Perfect for private parties and other simchas Israel in El Dorado gave them a Torah, which they later found out had originally been brought to Camden, Ark., by the Feibelman family in 1938 as they fled their hometown in southwestern Germany. They took their congregation’s Torah with them before the 400-year-old congregation was destroyed. The Torah and ark are now housed at Waterway. This past January there was a ceremony welcoming 11 new families into the congregation — but while the congregation is growing, it is not growing exponentially. Malashock explained that there is a lot of turnover, because many executives are sent to Bentonville for just a couple of years, then they transfer away. The congregation currently has about 55 families, and that number is starting to increase as more people elect to stay longterm. But the new congregational board is mostly people who have arrived in the last couple of years. Only one board member has been around since the beginning. Malashock is from Kansas City, Abrahams came to Arkansas from Atlanta. With a young-skewing congregation, Etz Chayim has far more Bar Mitzvahs than funerals. The 30 students in the religious school make it the second largest in the state. That was one of the problems with the old building — there were two small classrooms. Just before the flood, a closet at the entrance was being converted into a third, even smaller classroom. As part of the long-term building plan, Etz Chayim is embarking on a campaign called ReJEWvenate Bentonville. The goal is both to raise money for a new building and to raise engagement and activity within the community. The 10th anniversary celebration will be on Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. at Avondale Gardens. The Shabbat dinner will be catered by Kosmos Greek restaurant, and many founders who have since moved on to other communities will attend. Malashock said it was scheduled so local members would be back because school will have started, but former members along the East Coast could travel because school has not yet started for them.

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Brandt leaving Jacobs position Gary Brandt, Senior Assistant Director of the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, has announced his plans to leave his current position soon after the summer season concludes. Brandt’s announcement comes as the Jacobs Camp community says goodbye to current camp director Jonathan “J.C.” Cohen, who will also be leaving at the conclusion of the summer. A farewell event for Cohen is scheduled for Aug. 9. Incoming Camp Director Anna Herman, who is already on site in Utica spearheading a comprehensive transition process, noted that “to the current camp community, J.C. and Gary are respected and viewed as inspirational leaders.” Brandt has served as assistant camp director since April 2009, and has been one of the longest-serving assistant directors in the camp’s 45-year history. During his tenure at Jacobs, Brandt worked to institute a range of eco-friendly improvements, transformed the camp’s staff training model, and traveled many miles to recruit campers. In October 2013 he completed the Yitro Fellowship Program, a professional development seminar sponsored by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Brandt said that during his time at Jacobs Camp “I have learned an immense amount about how to be the kind of leader that helps others grow and learn. To do this I have had to develop a lot of patience, and cultivate my listening and communication skills. I have found fulfillment in helping create a program and community that has pushed our campers to develop their identities, explore Judaism in meaningful ways, and make lifelong connections.” Herman has already begun the search for new assistant directors, with hopes of filling the positions by summer’s end.

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The Union of Reform Judaism announced its second group of URJ Service Corps Fellows, bringing experiential camp education to 38 Reform institutions throughout North America. Three Fellows from the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica will be serving in the region this coming year. The Ramah system has not announced its Fellows as of press time. Ivy Cohen will work with the Reform congregations of Greater New Orleans — Sinai, Touro and Gates of Prayer. She has been involved in URJ camping for 18 years and this summer was her first at Jacobs Camp, where she was program director. She hopes to incorporate her hobbies of cooking, the outdoors and travel into programs that show the diversity of experiences that camp offers. Julia Solomon will work with Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El for the second year in a row. Solomon has been a camper and counselor for 10 years and plans to start nursing school in 2015. Alex Shindler will work with Temple B’nai Israel in Little Rock. He has been counselor and sports department head at Jacobs Camp for two years. The Service Corps is a joint venture between the URJ and Ramah camping movements to provide camp-style programming throughout the year outside the camp setting. Though each Movement runs their own cohort, they share professional development programs and materials, and learn from one another. The Ramah movement started the program four years ago and the Reform movement joined last year. It has been recognized by Slingshot as an innovative program in the Jewish world. The young adult educators work 4 or 5 hours per week in the communities, promoting the concept of Jewish summer camping.

Claiming an unexpected mitzvah Fla. rabbi finds seven sets of tefillin at Scottsboro’s Unclaimed Baggage When Rabbi Uri Pilichowski and family stopped in Scottsboro at the Unclaimed Baggage Center on July 2, it was just another interesting place to see on their cross-country adventure. It quickly turned into much more than that for the Boca Raton, Fla., family, as they found seven pairs of tefillin, setting off an Internet odyssey to return the sets to their owners. Unclaimed Baggage purchases truckloads of suitcases from airlines, rental car companies and unclaimed cargo after the respective carriers have exhausted all avenues to return the lost items to their owners. The items are sold at the north Alabama store, and unsold items generally wind up going to charitable organizations. Pilichowski’s wife, Aliza, had read about the store and figured it would be an interesting place to visit. They were driving from Baltimore to visit her sister in Memphis, and Scottsboro “was only slightly out of the way,” he said. Four years ago, they set a goal of visiting all 50 states by the time their daughter Avigayil graduated from high school. Since then they had moved from California, where he was assistant rabbi at Beth Jacob in Beverly Hills, to Florida, where he was at Boca Raton Synagogue and started an Israel advocacy group for high school students. At the start of this summer they had been to 35 states — and had taken Alaska and Hawaii out of the challenge. With their decision to move to Israel later this summer, “it put a rush on our plans” to hit the remainder of the Lower 48. Pilichowski said his wife found the sets of tefillin, which were marked at $45 each. “She immediately started crying” because she was sad to see them unclaimed. She quickly called him over to see what she had discovered. He noted that in Jewish law there is a prohibition on turning away from a lost item, and

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Two sets of tefillin had been handed down by the Lubavitcher rebbe’s former chef

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a commandment to try and return items to their owners. “We bought them all,” he said, and they quickly took pictures in the store and posted their find on Facebook, with “HELP! HELP! HELP!… We found Tefilin!!! People are missing their tefilin! Please share this entire post.” That post was shared over 1700 times, and within a day, six of the seven sets had been claimed. The name “Abie Malka” was on two pairs of the tefillin, so Pilichowski contacted Yossi Malka, a fellow counselor from several years back at a Passover camp in Ukraine. Yossi Malka confirmed that they were indeed his oldest son’s, having been given to him by his grandfather, Dovid, shortly before his passing in 2011, in anticipation of Abie’s Bar Mitzvah. They became lost in Charlotte, N.C., on a Passover trip to Cancun. Dovid Malka of Crown Heights was a chef for the Lubavitcher rebbe and Oholei Torah. When they were lost, Yossi Malka explained to the New York Daily News, “it was devastating. I did not want to share it with the rest of my family.” He even returned to the Charlotte airport to search the lost-and-found. Though six pairs were identified quickly, the last pair proved more challenging. It was the only one that did not have a name or initials. According to VIN News, an Israeli man whose daughter is friends with the Pilichowskis reposted the story on Facebook and then set out to find the owner. A sticker on the tefillin indicated they had been checked at a store in Holon, so Ami Mintzer contacted the store’s owner, who found the sofer who had checked the tefillin. He was able to verify that they beto Emilion Maimon of Bat Yam, whose suitcase was lost while 3:54longed PM traveling from Mexico to Denver last December. In all, two pairs belonged to Israelis, the Malka sets went to Los Angeles and the others were reunited with owners in New York. In a post reflecting on the odyssey, Pilichowski said “After a tragic week, in which our people collectively sat in mourning over three kedoshim, the speed in which the owners were found speaks not only to the power of crowdsourcing, but to the importance of following God’s commands, the resilience of our people, and our nation’s ability to come together in good times and bad.” He added, “Thousands participated in this mitzvah, and it is a tribute to them that the owners were found.” After leaving Memphis on July 8, the Pilichowskis headed back to Boca to get ready for their Nefesh B’Nefesh flight to Israel — with one more stop in Scottsboro. “No more tefillin” on the return visit, he said. But “they knew what we were talking about this time.” Anyone who wants to look for sets of tefillin in the future should check the jewelry department, he added. Because they are moving to Israel, this will likely be his last time through Scottsboro. A set of tefillin “is more than a purchase, it’s sentimental value,” he said. “If you got it for your Bar Mitzvah, that’s your Bar Mitzvah pair.”

More tefillin found

Shortly after this story broke, Rabbi Laibel Berkowitz of Chabad of North Alabama in Huntsville decided to visit Unclaimed Baggage. Sure enough, he found four more pairs. The first of those to be claimed belonged to a Shaliach at Chabad of Oregon. Berkowitz said “I also arranged with the management that if any more come in to contact me directly and I will buy it from them.”

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There are many types of dishes that are considered to be traditional Jewish cuisine. And then there are waffles. Waffles on Maple, the New Orleans area’s newest kosher establishment, opened in the spring, becoming the first kosher dairy restaurant in the area. Manager Zev Attias said he and owner Rotem Dahan had discussed opening a venture at the Maple Street location some time back. When the space became last December, they decided to try something Dahan had seen while visiting Israel last summer. In Jerusalem, Dahan came across a waffle establishment that primarily sold to students in the area, and felt something like it would do well near Tulane University. While waffles aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind for kosher establishments, they have a universal appeal. “We took it to the next level and added the savory waffles,” Dahan said, and transformed the front of the building at 7712 Maple Street into an eye-catching waffle motif. The restaurant has a selection of waffles that stay on the menu and others that are featured every so often. Last month, they added personal pizzas to the menu, and for those looking for something lighter, crepes are available. They decided not only to make the restaurant kosher, but to go the additional step and make it Cholov Yisrael, since it is close to Uptown Chabad. Chabad Rabbi Yossie Nemes and Anshe Sfard Rabbi David Polsky oversaw the certification. Cholov Yisrael refers to dairy products that come from milk that was milked under the supervision of an observant Jew. The tradition came from centuries ago when it was common for farmers to mix the milks of various animals, including non-kosher ones. With modern labeling laws and governmental inspections it is assumed by most that this problem no longer exists, but some still adhere to the stricter standard. Being Cholov Yisrael means “we cater to Reform Jews to very Chassidic,” as well as non-Jews, Attias said. He added that because no dairies in the region are Cholov Yisrael, they have to import those ingredients from Miami or New York. Other ingredients are locally sourced, and many of the items take on local flavors. Sweet waffle options include “Waking in New Orleans” with crushed pralines, whipped cream, rum caramel sauce and chocolate shavings. Also on the menu are Bananas Foster and Strawberry Shortcake. Savory waffles include Sunny in Holland, with two fried eggs and hollandaise; Better than Feta with sun dried tomatoes, ricotta, feta and basil; and Gimmie Gravy, which is a take on sausage gravy using vegetarian sausage. There is also occasionally a crab (substitute) au gratin waffle on the menu. Customers can also build their own waffles and crepes from a wide range of toppings, and of course one option is maple syrup. One waffle that has been making waves is the “heart attack,” which includes two eggs, three cheeses, mushrooms and onions on top. They have added a food challenge, the “quadruple bypass,” which is four heart attack waffles. Whoever completes it in 20 minutes gets it free and becomes a legend on the Wall of Fame. It comes with a smoothie “to wash down the

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Southern Jewish Life

August 2014

Food and Dining With Israeli roots, Doris Metropolitan not the typical NOLA steakhouse One of New Orleans’ newer high-end restaurants, recently named one of the ten hottest in town by Zagat and Best New Restaurant by New Orleans magazine, has its roots in Israel. Doris Metropolitan, which opened in the Quarter last fall, started as Doris Katzavim, Doris Butchers, in Rosh Pina in 2003, specializing in high-quality dry aged beef that is hand-selected from private farms. Itai Ben Eli said the first location was a small place, but “Thank God, we had a lot of success,” and its uniqueness attracted a lot of attention in Israel. After he and Doris Rebi Chia opened two more locations, in Tel Aviv and near the Sea of Galilee, they sold it “to a big company that saw the potential of growth” and it was the right time for them to sell. They went to Costa Rica and saw the potential for high-quality beef, and in 2009 opened Doris Metropolitan in Santa Ana, which they saw as an up-and-coming area ripe for development. Soon they started thinking about expansion

August 2014

and traveled around Central America. Many of their customers in Costa Rica have second homes in Miami and urged them to open there, so Rebi Chia moved there to look for the right location. As they were preparing to finalize a location, Rebi Chia traveled to New Orleans “as a tourist,” and immediately fell in love with the city, the people and the Quarter. Ben Eli said he “felt comfortable” there and told him that he needed to come see for himself. They spent a month in town researching, but when they came across the former Alpine’s space “it was the final deal maker,” as it would enable them to accomplish everything they wanted to do with the new location. Ben Eli said one thing he particularly likes about New Orleans is that 90 percent of conversations involve food, even with people who don’t realize he is in the business. “This is the kind of crowd we want to work with.” While procuring high-end beef in Israel and Costa Rica is more of a challenge, the U.S. has “the best beef in the world.” They serve USDA

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Prime, and as much as possible try to ensure it comes from nearby, extending to Mississippi or Texas. There are exceptions, including last month’s supply of Wagyu beef from Japan and Australia. While one can have a New York Strip there, as in most steakhouses, “we always try to do something different.” Their signature is the Classified Cut. “For us, it’s the best cut of beef… beautifully marbled, soft, the best you can get.” But don’t ask what that cut is — it’s classified, hence the name. They also aim to show a different experience than the traditional dark-wood steakhouse. Instead, the décor is light and European. Aside from beef, there are a handful of

chicken and seafood dishes available, and several inventive appetizers. The entrance is dominated by a horseshoe bar with views of the kitchen where Chef Shachar Kurgan runs the show, and across from the bar is the glass case where Doris dry-ages the beef for 21 days. The up-front case with the beef on pedestals shows how Doris takes the dry-aging process seriously and places a lot of importance

Waffles (cont. from page 21)

pain.” Dahan said there has been one attempt at the quadruple bypass so far, and it was unsuccessful. In addition to the Tulane area community, they try to appeal to kosher visitors who are in New Orleans for vacations or conventions. Theirs is the closest kosher option to the convention district. They have used Couchster to deliver waffles Uptown and to the Garden District, but because Couchster did not go downtown or to the Quarter at first, “I have sent waffles in taxicabs,” Attias said. Out of town visitors are always asking when they will open a location in their hometown. Attias also observed, “I don’t know of any international airports that have a kosher option.” Dahan said there is already interest in franchises from some larger communities, and he is looking at additional locations in the Quarter, Warehouse District and Metairie. While those locations would be kosher, they likely would not be Cholov Yisrael. “We did it mostly for the frum community near here,” Dahan said. They opened the restaurant in the narrow Maple Street building just before Passover, so they had to shut back down for eight days. It also was close to the end of the school year at Tulane, so during the summer they cut back their hours. Now that classes are resuming and students are

on it. As they explain, dry aging deepens and concentrates the beef, pulling out the most amazing natural flavors, as if the meat was gently cured while retaining its juiciness. The restaurant also serves as a butchery where one can bring home their dry-aged steaks. Doris Metropolitan is open nightly for dinner and Friday to Sunday for lunch.

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Zev Attias prepares for the day returning, they are going back to a 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. schedule weekdays, closing at 3 p.m. Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. When classes are in session, Attias said, that area has plenty of foot traffic 24 hours a day.

Golden Flake turns up the heat The temperatures in the South continue to heat up into August, as does interest in the upcoming college football season. Something else hot in regard to both spiciness and popularity is Golden Flake’s new Jalapeno Dip potato chip flavor. The Birmingham-based snack maker, which celebrates its 91st year, proudly maintains its OU certification on many of its products and continues to expand what it offers to consumers. “We do a lot of test studies and ask our customers what they like before adding new flavors,” said Golden Flake Marketing Director Jim Ward. “Golden Flake is the flavor of the South and in the South, we all like more flavor. We season at a higher level than most other chip-makers.” Right now, the main “season” is football season. Golden Flake has been a sponsor of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers and UAB

Blazers for many years. The company also is a sponsor of the Sun Belt Conference and Talladega Motor Speedway. “We’re a sponsor of all things outdoors and fun,” added Ward. Golden Flake distributes across the Southeast and in recent years has expanded into Texas and Oklahoma. For products under kosher certification, a rabbi comes by several times a year for unannounced quality checks to see that Golden Flake continues to meet all the requirements. “It is very important to us and a part of our overall quality initiative,” said Ward. Last year, more than 30,000 people of all ages took the Golden Flake plant tour, which was named by Flip Key Travel as one of the top factory tours in the world. In mid-July, one of those visitors was new Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl (story, page 27).

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www.auntsallys.com August 2014

Executive Director for Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation The Executive Director leads and supports the mission and values of Shir Chadash, serves as the chief administrative coordinator of the congregation, collaborating with the Rabbi, professional staff, the Board and other lay leaders to establish strategies, goals and programs for the ongoing successful operation of the congregation. Working under the supervision of the President, the Executive Director is responsible for the overall management of the congregation’s operations and support staff, all administrative, accounting, and maintenance functions as well as outside contractors. Minimum required skills include a bachelor’s degree, 5 years of management experience, financial acumen, computer ability including Quickbooks, Microsoft office, etc.; ability to multitask, and must be a self starter. It would also be desirable for the applicant to have non-profit experience, volunteer experience, management of a budget in excess of $500,000, Jewish or Jewish knowledgeable, some event planning experience as well as building management experience. Interested parties should contact lisaafinkelstein@ gmail.com.

Mardi Gras Zone born from necessity What started as a necessity for kosher-keeping Mardi Gras Zone owners Benny and Orit Naghi, along with helping their neighborhood just after Katrina, has turned into one of the largest, most diverse kosher selections in the New Orleans area. Mardi Gras Zone started in 2000 as a store for buying Mardi Gras sundries such as beads, boas, masks, and souvenirs. But after people began settling back into the Bywater-Marigny area by the store after the storm, it was difficult finding even some basic foods and supplies. The Naghis used their connections to start bringing in items, and things expanded from there. “We had some flooding issues with our house and when we were in the FEMA trailer on our land, we thought we would do some planting and really develop the farm. That plus the food supplies connections at the store and we were able to help others as well as ourselves,” said Benny Naghi, whose family was exiled from Iran in 1979. He has been in New Orleans since his high school days and Orit is originally from Tel Aviv. Today Mardi Gras Zone offers customers the opportunity to buy challah, made by Orit every Friday, Osem soups, all types of matzah, kosher organic pickles, pareve dairy items and much more while they pick up some Mardi Gras tchotchkes. “Since we keep a kosher home, it was important to us to have a wide variety of fresh kosher and also gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan options,” said Naghi. “The farm has really allowed us to offer our customers some of the freshest, healthiest, organic products. Plus we support local as much as possible.” They raise bees on the farm and “our honey is some of the best around. We make sure it is light in color, which signifies the best quality.” They also raise chickens for farm-fresh eggs in addition to numerous vegetables, fruits, herbs and other farm-grown foods. Naghi said that he would like to start a kosher slaughter so the store can offer fresh kosher meat. He said during Pesach, the Mardi Gras Zone kitchen becomes kosher for Passover and they prepare meals to go. The store also offers a regular delivery service. Mardi Gras Zone also can make deli sandwiches and fresh, store-cooked pizzas. The store also has gained a reputation for its fresh-made, Israeli-style hummus. “We love this (Bywater) area and New Orleans. It is such a great mixture of different cultures. It is our goal to provide customers with many fresh food options that work with their cultures and diets,” said Naghi.

V. Richard’s specializes in hard-to-find V. Richard’s, in the Forest Park neighborhood of Birmingham, prides itself on being a neighborhood, independent grocery store that can get in — within a few days at the most — “any product that a customer wants that we don’t already have in the store.” That is according to owner/operator Rickey Little, who himself is almost always in the store to greet customers and help them with their shopping needs. “We get to know the community and our customers. That helps us to 24

August 2014

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August 2014

Food and Dining

Fall’s not far away. Top program. Top facilities. Top players. Ranked 20th in Division III preseason Top 25 by Lindy Sports. www.gomajors.com Delicious

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Publix adds online ordering In addition to expanding its extensive list of kosher items Publix offers in its store brand at stores across Alabama and the Florida panhandle, the grocery store chain now offers an easy online ordering system from where customers can order deli meats as well as sub sandwiches in advance. “Publix continues to offer a variety of foods for our customers,” said Publix Public Relations Director Brenda Reid. “For customer convenience, we have compiled a list of Publix brand products that are kosher on our website. We’ve indicated what’s dairy, meat and pareve, as well as information about certification.” She also encouraged customers who keep kosher to check product labels regularly, since some ingredients in products change periodically. Publix is happy to order any kosher products that it carries but cannot be found at one’s nearest store. Reid said that also on the website are many kosher recipe ideas.

August 2014

Southern Jewish Life

Sports Bruce Pearl settling in at Auburn While the upcoming football season may be getting all the attention in Southeastern Conference territory, new Auburn University Head Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl is hard at work rebuilding that program — and getting acclimated to Alabama’s Jewish community. Pearl had been head coach at Tennessee starting in 2006, and was active in the Jewish community there. In 2009, he coached the U.S. basketball team to a gold medal in the 2009 Maccabi Games in Israel. He was fired from Tennessee in 2011 following an issue over NCAA rules violations and was out of coaching for three years. He was named Auburn’s coach on March 18, taking over a program that was 14-16 last year and had an RPI of 160 — which was up from an average of 204 over the last four years. While Pearl was at Tennessee, his teams averaged an RPI of 17. Shortly after Pearl arrived in Auburn, he attended a Passover Seder at Beth Shalom. At Chanukah he will host a party at his home and make latkes for students. Knoxville has a Jewish community of roughly 2,000; Auburn’s is a fraction of the size and Beth Shalom did not even exist until 1989. Pearl said “There are more small Jewish communities in this world than there are large ones, so you just adapt. “I’m just glad I’m in a community where God’s presence — religion is out front,” he said, “whether it is in Bible study, in synagogue or Sunday service, spiritual life in this part of the country is important, and it’s important to me.” He noted the common threads present in the three Abrahamic faiths. “I spend a great deal of my time trying to put teams together, trying to get different folks from different places and different backgrounds who all have goals and dreams and aspirations to all play together.” But he added, “Unfortunately in some parts of this country, religion divides us… I don’t understand it.” A Boston native, Pearl said he was raised with a strong sense of mitzvah, and is grateful for the opportunities he has to exercise that,

Jewish Southern Leaguers There are a few Jewish baseball players in the Southern League according to JewishBaseballNews.com including Mobile Bay Bears outfielder Zac Borenstein, Jackson Generals pitcher David Colvin and catcher Jack Marder, Tennessee Smokies catcher Charlie Cutler, Montgomery Biscuits pitcher Lenny Linsky and Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Jon Moscot.

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Auburn Head Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl samples the goods while visiting Golden Flake, which sponsors Auburn athletics. whether representing the university as a head coach or in the Jewish community. He wants his “brothers and sisters in the state of Alabama” to know “I’m here to serve. Please call on me when I can serve the community and do the mitzvah.” He added, “Obviously I’d love for them to come down and watch our team play.” He recalls speaking to Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El in October 2008 while he was still at Tennessee. “The Birmingham community is extremely important in the Auburn fan base,” he noted. In late July he spoke at a Jewish Federation of Central Alabama Brews and Jews event, and will speak at their annual dinner in late October. He noted that the Auburn-LSU football game is on Yom Kippur this year, and “It’s going to take me out of action” depending on what time of day the game is. To get the gold at the Maccabi Games, the U.S. team had to take down defending champion Israel, 95-86, in overtime. Among those on the team was Pearl’s son, Stephen, who at the time was a top high school player in Knoxville and averaged seven points per game during the Maccabi tournament. Stephen is now Auburn’s assistant strength coach and director of basketball camps, and “It’s great to have him on the staff.” A common theme at Auburn is the Auburn family. “I am a very new member of the Auburn family and I can’t say I’m part of the family yet, I haven’t been here long enough,” Pearl said. “I’m trying to be… family takes time.” He said he is in it for the long haul. “When you move, you move your family. I’m not renting, I’m not leasing, I bought. I’m all in. It’s a total commitment.” As for how the upcoming season is looking? He simply said “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

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August 2014

Sports Salant retires after 22 years as Gulf South Conference commissioner By Lee J. Green

August 2014

After 22 years and many accomplishments as a Jewish, Yankee commissioner of the Division II Gulf South Conference, Nate Salant has retired from the conference and been named into its first-ever Hall of Fame. On June 30, the last day of his long tenure, he spoke at a Men’s Club event at the Levite Jewish Community Center. Last month he spent 15 days in Israel and then went to Italy for the first time. “It has been quite an incredible run, but I felt that it was just time,” said Salant, who is from the Bronx originally. “It will be nice to go to Jerusalem and not get calls about conference issues at 1 a.m. This is my first trip over there where I won’t need to think about this.” Salant’s great-great-great grandfather was the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and he still has some family in Israel. “Every time I go over there, I always uncover something new and significant,” he said. The Gulf South Conference was formed in 1970 and “had been run at the (university) presidential level” until a few years ago. Currently the conference’s members include the University of Alabama at Huntsville, Christian Brothers, Delta State, University of North Alabama, Valdosta State, University of West Alabama, University of West Florida and the University of West Georgia. Union University and Shorter University join this year and Lee University will join in 2015. Salant was working as a university administrator in the Philadelphia area when he interviewed for the commissioner’s job at the Birmingham-based conference. He had never been to Birmingham before. “Oddly enough, the interview was right by a travel agency and I went in there. It was owned by Fred and Robin Benjamin, who I am still good friends with to this day. So the first people I meet in Birmingham were Jewish,” he said. Traveling to many small towns in and around where Gulf South Conference universities are located, Salant in some cases was the first Jewish person some had ever met. “For the most part, I did not experience any incidents of anti-Semitism. People would ask me questions to try and understand,” said Salant. Several universities in the conference today and previous members are Christian-affiliated universities. “I think devout Christians tend to like and respect observant Jews.” Salant recounted some experiences in which religion came into play, but most of the time he served as a mediator for “wars of words” between those affiliated with different Christian universities in the conference. Salant tries to keep kosher close to 100 percent of the time and never works on the major

Southern Jewish Life

Jewish holidays. He always would observe the Sabbath. When traveling to some Saturday college football games he would arrive Friday before sundown and always walk to the stadiums. “As you can imagine, it’s pretty difficult finding kosher in some of these small towns,” he said, especially some places in Arkansas when the GSC had some teams there. “But once folks knew I was Jewish and kept kosher, they started accommodating by bring in kosher foods and not scheduling meetings on some of our holidays. By standing up for what I believe in, I effectuated change.” Salant attended the University of Albany for undergraduate work. He noted the university was 40 percent Jewish, but the teams still played on holidays. “Most of the athletes weren’t Jewish and those that were did not stand up for themselves. I was the sports editor of the school newspaper and worked at the radio station. I explained to those who administrated why it is important for observant Jews to observe these holy days,” he said. “So it’s not just the South.” When asked about the changing landscape of national collegiate athletics — especially as it pertains to some recent court cases revolving around “pay to play” and revenue issues — Salant expects some major changes in the next few years. “I think the NCAA people know today will be radically different in the next few years,” he said. If college athletes are paid to play it will take away revenues for Division II and Division III athletic programs that really need those funds, since a portion of revenues generated by Division I conference universities goes to the lower-tier divisions, he noted. “I think we are heading to five Division I superconferences that would break away from the NCAA. It is certainly going to be a time of great change,” he said.

Barons’ announcer returned from Yom Kippur break to call championship By Lee J. Green Birmingham Barons’ baseball Director of Broadcasting Curt Bloom has called many games in his 26-year professional career. But he knows he made the right call when it came to not calling Game 4 of the Southern League finals last year, which fell on Yom Kippur. “I knew in my heart what my answer was, but I wanted to ask Rabbi (Randall Konigsburg) at our Temple (Beth-El) his advice. He said that if I don’t do the game and went to Temple, no one will remember I didn’t announce the game 10 years from now. But I will always remember and know that I did what I felt was right,” said Bloom, who is in his 23rd season with the Barons. To explain his reasons why he would not be on air in Game 4, Bloom posted on Facebook. He got all positive comments and encouragement from those who replied, most of whom were not Jewish. It turns out that Birmingham lost Game 4 but went on to win the deciding Game 5 in the at home with Bloom in the booth. Just a few blocks away, there was a special commemoration event at the 16th Street Baptist Church to remember the four girls killed at the church 50 years ago that day. “You can’t even dream up a script like that,” he

said. “Mayor (William) Bell paused in his speech to announce the news of the Barons winning. Everything just aligned perfectly. Oddly enough, the Barons scored four runs to win Game 5 and the championship.” Bloom said he has four minor league baseball championship rings, but last year’s might have been the most special. The Barons had just moved from Hoover to a new stadium in downtown Birmingham before the start of the 2013 season. “It was certainly very memorable. When your team wins a championship, you share the joy with everyone in the organization and all of the fans. There was for sure a big wave of excitement,” he said. After the season, Bloom was asked to fill in announcing some basketball games for the Samford University Lady Bulldogs. After this season, he will become the full-time radio broadcaster for Samford women’s basketball. “Of course calling baseball is very different from basketball. Basketball is more fast-paced and keeps you on your toes. Baseball has more (dead air), so the challenge is to come up with things to say when you aren’t calling a play,” he said. Bloom spent 10 years announcing UAB basketball games. Bloom and his family live in Pelham. His wife,

Laura, teaches at the University of Alabama, where his older daughter, Chloe, just earned all A’s her sophomore year. She is majoring in Kinesiology. Younger daughter Alexis is in high school. With so many games at home and on the road during the baseball season, Bloom said it can be hard to make it to Temple regularly. But you can find “CB” at Beth-Elmany Fridays from October through March. “I really enjoy it. It cleanses my mind and my soul,” he said.

YOU ARE

The warm hospitality and UA spirit brought me to the Capstone. “I always knew I wanted to attend The University of Alabama, but a campus tour opened my eyes to the beautiful campus. Bama Hillel has enabled me to become actively involved at UA. As programming VP last year, I planned fun events to motivate the Jewish student body. One of my favorites was “Hiking with Hillel,” where we hiked at Lake Lurleen State Park after a Sunday brunch.” — Kelsey

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August 2014

Front row: Jared Davidson (LF), Aaron Karlin (SS), Fred Shear (Team Manager), Jeremy Jacobson (1B), Jon Lappen (2B). Second row: Mark Jaffe (RCF) Henry Rosenblat (Team Statistics) Allan Berger (Bench Coach), Scott Friedman (C), David Hirsch (DH), Michael Gilman (3B), Martin Fischman (RF). Third row: Brad Rosenblat (LCF), Seth Shear (RCF), Damion Michael (P).

Gates of Prayer takes softball title Epstein retires as league commissioner

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August 2014

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After 22 years at the helm of the Synagogue Softball League, Richard Epstein heads into “voluntary” retirement, but his Touro team fell short in giving him the retirement present of a league title. Gates of Prayer took the newly-named Epstein Championship Trophy with a 10-1 victory at Miley Playground on July 20. Touro was thwarted early after Jason Adler and Steven Fielkow each had hits with two out in the first. Zak Rosenberg singled to left, but Gates left fielder Jared Davidson made a perfect throw to get the out at home plate. Gates answered with one run in the bottom of the first, with Brad Rosenblat singling home Michael Gilman. After holding Touro scoreless in the second, Gates added two runs. In the top of the third, Touro got on the board as David Hammer drove home Jonathan Tebeleff, but in the bottom of the third Gates put the game away with five runs. As part of the attack, Seth Shear hit a two-run overthe-fence homer. Insurance runs were added by Gates in the fourth and sixth innings, but Touro couldn’t touch Gates pitcher Damion Michaels. Touro had just eight hits, none for extra bases. Zak Rosenberg said “it just wasn’t our year.” The semi-finals were held on July 13, during which Epstein was presented with an engraved rocking chair. He said with his solo law practice he no longer has the time to devote to coordinating the league. He also managed Touro’s team. It was fortuitous that the retirement presentation was made that day, as Epstein was unable to attend the championship game, because he had to speak at a funeral that morning. Touro, which was the third seed based Regular Season Standings on a tiebreaker, defeated second seed Shir Gates of Prayer 5-3 — Chadash in the semifinals, 7-5. Touro took a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh Shir Chadash 5-3 — Touro 5-3 — and final inning, but Shir Chadash’s Andy Beth Israel 4-4 1 Adelman and Bruce Wainer hit singles to drive in a run each with two outs. Touro Sinai 1-7 4 pitcher Jason Adler intentionally walked Ben Jacobson to load the bases, because Jacobson had won numerous games for Shir Chadash in the past. Shir Chadash’s Jeff Asher then hit a liner to left field, which Austin Marks flagged down with a leaping one-handed grab, preventing an extra-base hit that would have won the game for Shir Chadash. Gates of Prayer made the finals by walloping next door neighbor Beth Israel, 14-7, in a game that was interrupted by lightning.

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Mel Rosen: A Jewish kid from Brooklyn who made it big at Auburn

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A biography of legendary Auburn University Track Coach Mel Rosen is also a glimpse into Southern Jewish history. Author Craig Darch was drawn to the story of how a Jewish kid who grew up in Brooklyn during the Great Depression was able to become such an important figure at a “quintessential Southern university.” Rosen was coach at Auburn for 28 years, and he coached the U.S. Olympics track team to a record 20 medals in the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. He also coached in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. In all, he coached seven Olympians, 143 All-Americans and led Auburn to four consecutive Southeastern Conference indoor championships. For Darch, who has previously written three textbooks, the book was a departure. Growing up in South Bend, Ind., he was in a household of sports fans and “it was always significant if there were any Jewish personalities.” Darch, who is the Humana Foundation-Germany-Sherman Distinguished Professor in the College of Education, got his doctorate at Oregon, “the epicenter of collegiate track and field,” so when he took a position at Auburn in 1982 he had heard of Rosen. He got to know Rosen through events in the local Jewish community. The idea of telling his story clicked early one day. Darch was running through campus at 4 a.m. when he noticed a bus waiting, ready to take one of the athletic teams to a competition. The lone figure on the bus at that point was Rosen. “Here’s a guy in his 80s who is there before anyone else, waiting to go to the next event,” he observed. He later asked Rosen if he’d be interested in being interviewed, and after a couple days of thought, he agreed. Darch said Rosen’s story is “often a story not told, how the Southern communities for the most part were a great place for Jews to come. Coming from the north, sometimes you don’t expect to hear that.” Rosen was coaching during the turbulent 1950s and 1960s. After Auburn integrated, many of the black athletes, even from other sports, gravitated toward Rosen. While Auburn has a synagogue today, in the 1950s they imported Rabbi Eugene Blachschleger from Montgomery every so often. Rosen admitted that he came out “not so much for the rabbi but for the corned beef and pastrami.” The book has a great deal of Jewish flavor to it, and Darch was concerned that he might have to tone it down. Instead, he has found audiences to be fascinated by descriptions of the Jewish experience in Auburn and the South. Despite Rosen’s track and field success, he was able to bring only three Jewish athletes to Auburn — the Bresler brothers from Birmingham, and a Tel Aviv native who left Auburn after one year. The book’s foreword is written by 1976 Olympics Gold Medalist Harvey Glance, who Rosen coached. Glance later became Auburn’s track coach and joined Rosen in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, the track at Auburn was named the Hutsell-Rosen Track. Wilbur Hutsell was Auburn’s first track head coach. Darch will be speaking at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El on Aug. 15 at 5:45 p.m., and signing books at Homewood Public Library on Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. He and Rosen were scheduled to sign books at the Alabama Booksmith in Birmingham on Aug. 5 at 4 p.m.

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Southern Jewish Life

August 2014

Sports SEC Network kicks off a couple weeks before football season By Lee J. Green The SEC Network launches Aug. 14 and Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has found himself doing a lot of networking along with an increased workload. A vote that would allow for more autonomy and decision-making by the five major conferences — SEC, Pac 12, Big 12, Big 10, ACC — is scheduled for Aug. 7, so there’s lots of news even before the first SEC game kicks off on Here are the predicted Aug. 28. standings as voted upon “With all of these new, important by the media: initiatives, it has been a busier time than usual for all of us with the SEC,” Western Division said Slive, who started things off on 1 – Alabama Crimson Tide July 14 for SEC Media Days at the Hy2 – Auburn Tigers att Regency Hotel near Birmingham. 3 – LSU Tigers That evening, Slive and his wife, 4 – Ole Miss Rebels Liz, celebrated their 46th wedding 5 – Mississippi State Bulldogs 6 – Texas A&M Aggies anniversary. “There is a lot going on, 7 – Arkansas Razorbacks but these are big, positive, important things shaping the landscape of not Eastern Division just the SEC, but all of college foot1 – South Carolina ball,” he said. Gamecocks Slive said the SEC Network hopes 2 – Georgia Bulldogs to have agreements with most ca3 – Florida Gators ble and satellite providers before its 4 – Missouri Tigers launch. On its television and digital 5 – Tennessee Volunteers 6 – Vanderbilt Commodores platforms, the network will air more 7 – Kentucky Wildcats than 1,000 SEC live sporting events as well as interesting stories, features, documentaries about current/former SEC athletes, administrators, coaches and fans. “They are so many extraordinary stories out there that we will be able to tell. We want to let people know about exemplary student athletes who go the extra mile… and everything that makes the SEC so special,” he said. Paul Finebaum, who was a print and radio fixture in Birmingham for over 30 years, will have his show simulcast on radio stations and satellite radio and the SEC Network from 2 to 6 p.m. each weekday. His new book entitled “My Conference Can Beat Your Conference: Why The SEC Still Rules College Football” — about the dominance of the conference on the field along with the colorful personalities that call into his radio show — comes out Aug. 5. The SEC was 13 seconds away from claiming its eighth straight college football BCS Championship, but Florida State came back to defeat the Auburn Tigers in the waning seconds of the game at the Rose Bowl. In 201415, the college football champion will be determined for the first time by a four-team playoff. For the 16th consecutive year last season, the SEC led all conferences in average attendance per football game with 76,000 fans, more than 7.5 million total. Despite losing its last two games of 2013-14 and having to replace all-everything quarterback A.J. McCarron, the Alabama Crimson Tide have been tabbed by the SEC media to win the Mike Slive SEC Championship in 2014-15. 32

August 2014

Southern Jewish Life

Bent Brook a pioneering public golf course Bent Brook Golf Course, a locally-owned public course located just south and west of Birmingham, has the drive to always please customers by being “ahead of the curve” with golf course enhancements, expansions and quality of greens and the type of grass that rival those of private country clubs. When Bent Brook opened its fairways in 1988, it was the first public course in Alabama to use bent grass, according to Director of Golf Mickey Smith. Now it will be the first nationally to employ a hybrid bent grass invented and manufactured at Auburn University, called AU Victory grass. “Most golf courses in the South use Bermuda grass, with more courses in the north using the bent grass. Bent grass is thinner, but is not as heat/drought tolerant, making it more expensive to maintain,” said Smith. Bent Brook Superintendent Johnny Perry said the AU Victory grass is the most heat-tolerant bent grass there is. “This makes it easier to maintain the quality of the bent grass (which is how Bent Brook got its name) and to give our customers high-quality play” with a faster fairway and greens game than most Bermuda courses, added Perry. Bent Brook also is one of very few public courses in the region to feature 27 holes (the “Brook Nine” the “Windmill Nine” and the “Graveyard Nine). Work on getting the new AU Victory grass on the courses will begin in mid-August and the entire project will be finished by the fall of 2015. “Because we have 27 holes, when we are working on one of the sets of nine holes, the other two will be open,” said Smith. “We hope to have the

AU Victory grass in on 18 of the 27 holes by this November.” Perry who has worked and played at the course for 24 years, said what also makes Bent Brook special is that it has been locally owned by James C. Lee III since it opened. “Mr. Lee only wants the best for those who play Bent Brook. When something needs to be done, he does it. He puts revenues back in the course to continually improve the golfing experience out here,” said Perry. Smith said that Lee also had the foresight to purchase land around the golf course so to allow Bent Brook to expand several times over the years. “As new equipment has come along that lets people hit balls farther, this course has been expanded to accommodate and we’ve moved some of the tees back,” he said. “Our course is user-friendly for the average golfer as well as challenging enough for the scratch, low-handicap and professional players.” In 2004 Bent Brook was the first public course to host the Alabama State Amateur Tournament. In September 2015, they will host the National Amputee Golf Association’s international tournament. Smith said that for those who play regularly, Bent Brook offers a yearly membership fee that offers unlimited golfing for an annual fee. “We’re not a country club and we don’t have the amenities or some of the features of a country club,” he said. “But we offer a public golf course experience that is comparable to a private club experience. We are all about golf and that’s all we do.”

Who is a pinball wizard in Birmingham? Chris Warren, that’s who. The regular at BumperNets Riverchase Galleria and the founder of the Magic City Pinball League ranks as one of the top pinball players in the nation. BumperNets ranks as the largest retail venue for pinball in the South. Its founder and owner, Homer Brown, ranks as one of the top table tennis players in the nation, and BumperNets is also the largest table tennis retailer for sales, rental and play. “We’ve really seen a resurgence in what we call table sports such as table tennis and pinball in the past several years,” said Brown, who competed in several events in the U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships last month in Grand Rapids, Mich. Brown said BumperNets hosts tournaments and open play for those of all skill levels primarily on Tuesdays at the store. Warren has been coming to BumperNets for years to play and has bought several machines there that are now in his house. Now 49, “I started playing when I was 10 and there’s something special about pinball,” said Warren. It was very popular in the 1970s but that faded when arcade games really became prevalent in the 1980s. “Then in the mid-to-late 1990s there

was this resurgence. You see today with all these apps on phones and games, young people might start out playing a pinball app or video game then get interested in playing the real thing.” He said for a while, the Jewish-owned Stern company was the only manufacturer of pinball machines, but these days there are several companies. Warren said every pinball machine plays a little bit differently. “You have to have good hand-eye coordination. To get better you have to play as much as possible on different machines. There is luck involved, but it is certainly more skill than luck,” he said. In 2009, Warren competed in the U.S. Pinball Open Championships for the first time and he will compete again this month. After he came back from the tournament in 2009, he started the MCPL. Since then, “involvement has grown by 400 percent,” he said. Brown said BumperNets hosts table tennis tournaments and open play every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Recently they also started up an 18-and-under play opportunity at 5:30 p.m. every Friday. “It’s great to see more kids taking an interest. Table tennis is great for your hand-eye coordination and it also improves your mental skills,” he added.

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August 2014

It’s Greek to you… from us! “Skanks” at Sidewalk: Religion and acceptance in the South By Lee J. Green

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What started as an original musical comedy farce at Birmingham’s Theatre Downtown in January 2012 has “kudzued” into a feature film that explores issues of religion in the South, acceptance, community, sexuality and dispelling myths about the region. “Skanks The Documentary,” written and directed by Mountain Brook native David McMahon and initially centered upon the “Skanks in a One Horse Town” theatrical production, will be one of the featured films at the 16th annual Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham’s downtown, Aug. 22 to 24. It will screen at the Alabama Theatre at 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 24. The film already has garnered rave reviews and won some festival awards. It premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah this past January and debuted in the South at the Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia, S.C. “It is such an incredible feeling to be able to come home and share with everyone at Sidewalk a film that tells such a personal story of these different communities and interests that unite us in Birmingham,” said McMahon. “This film is really about any minority (race, religion, sexual preference) and how they form a community to gain greater support as well as acceptance. Growing up in Mountain Brook I was impressed at how vibrant the Jewish community was. It parallels the theatre community and other communities here,” he said. McMahon, who now lives in New York City, grew up doing theatrical acting at Birmingham professional and community theatres. He majored in English at Birmingham Southern College. He earned his Master’s degree in acting in California. A few years ago he transitioned into filmmaking and made his first documentary feature, “Bayou Blue,” about a serial killer in south Louisiana. His filmmaking partner was Alix Lambert, who is Jewish. “I was looking for my next project and I found out about my friend Billy Ray Brewton’s play… I knew it would be a very unique, original, funny show — something so different from other Birmingham theatre,” he said. “When we first starting filming at rehearsals, I didn’t even really know what the movie would be about.” “Skanks” is about former Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell inventing a time machine and three New York City “skanks” use it to go back in time from 1977 to 1877 in the Old West. The fish-out-of-water hilarity follows as does the quest to get back home through comedic dialogue, physical comedy and song. “Then when I started interviewing cast members, I knew there were bigger issues at play than just a funny play,” said McMahon. He followed writer/director Brewton to his native small town of Pisgah, Ala., and how it was for a gay man growing up in the smalltown South. The film crew also delved more deeply into the lives of cast-members Chuck Duck and Juan Battle, both of whom had families who loved them but had issues with acceptance of their homosexuality due to religious reasons. “I wanted to show in the film how important theatre and religion and football are to a lot of people down here,” said McMahon. “The theatre community can provide a safe haven in a sometimes not-sosafe world. It is ironic in that we feel we can be who we are in the

theatre and in the community, even when you are acting as another character.” Speaking of the “religion of football in the South,” the Monday of the play’s tech week was the night of the Alabama-LSU BCS Championship game in New Orleans. The handful of those who wanted to move rehearsal to watch the game live were outvoted by the “non-football fans.” Editor’s note: One of the “Skanks” cast-mates was the author of this article. Green is featured in a segment in the documentary wearing a Hebrew “Roll Tide” shirt. McMahon said the shirt went over very well at a festival screening in New York City, and during a discussion on why college football is an important part of the region’s fabric.

Other films with Jewish connections at Sidewalk Jewish filmmakers and actors Lawrence Michael Levine and Sophia Takal return to Sidewalk with “Wild Canaries.” The feature narrative, written and directed by Levine, includes him and Takal as a newly engaged couple investigating signs of foul play after an elderly neighbor dies suddenly. But it’s not what people might think. “Wild Canaries” has some drama, but can be described as a “screwball comedy” reminiscent of those in 1930s Hollywood. “I have done some improv comedy on stage, but I have never written, directed or acted in a comedy film,” said Levine. “I was inspired by the screwball comedy movies featuring the Marx brothers and Buster Keaton. I wanted to pay homage and also insert a modern, urban element.” Levine wrote the movie a couple of years ago while planning his wedding to Takal. The couple lives in Brooklyn and plans to visit Birmingham again during Sidewalk as they did with “Green” and “Gabi on the Roof in July.” “The movie looks at how men and women negotiate the terms of their relationships,” added Levine. His character doesn’t suspect anything suspicious but Takal’s character is convinced of foul play. Levine’s and Takal’s characters in the film are both Jewish. Levine said he gained inspiration from Jewish-style comedy of Woody Allen, George Segel, Alan Arkin, Gene Wilder, Larry David and Elliot Gould. The film debuted at South by Southwest in Austin this past March and has played well at a few other film festivals. “There are not too many comedy feature films on the film festival circuit so I hope this offers some fresh ideas, concepts and laughs.” Director Keva Rosenfeld will take the festival back to the 1980s with Sidewalk’s opening night film — a documentary called “All American High Revisited.” The Los Angeles filmmaker made the original “All American High” movie at Torrance High School of Los Angeles in 1983 and 1984. It is a documentary about high school life in the 1980s with a mostly funny, colorful bent as primarily told by Finnish exchange student Rikki Rauhula. Rosenfeld, who will also attend Sidewalk, put together “All American High Revisited” after he discovered his original 16mm film in a storage facility. That original film twice aired on PBS but was never released to a wide audience. “All American High Revisited” premiered at South by Southwest as well. It will screen at Sidewalk on Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. He was in his mid-20s when the first movie was made. “That was an era when kids were still allowed to be kids — fun-loving, dumb, bold, naïve and overflowing with the promise of youth,” said Rosenfeld. “Bringing this story full circle a generation later has been strange and surreal and one of the most personally gratifying things I’ve ever done.”

Southern Jewish Life

August 2014

Kosher-Style Recipe: The Egg & I By Lee J. Green For The Egg & I franchise owner Bobby McGurk, Jr., life is sunny side up. McGurk, who owns locations in Chace Circle, Hoover Birmingham. Montgomery and CoCity Center, Vestavia lumbus, Ga., just opened The Egg & Hwy 280 near Lee Branch I’s third Birmingham area location Zelda Rd., Montgomery this month, on U.S. 280 across from Weems Rd. Columbus, Ga. Lee Branch. An even-more-important new addition came with the birth of his son back in May. “I grew up in the restaurant business. This is what I know and love,” said McGurk, whose father worked in upper level management positions for several different restaurant. “I was interested in The Egg & I because it already was a proven concept. Plus with it just being open just for breakfast and lunch, I can use the evening to spend more time with the family and be involved in the community.” The company started in 1987 and has 105 locations across the country. McGurk opened up the Chase Circle Hoover location just south of the Riverchase Galleria in 2009. Then Montgomery came on board in 2011 followed by Columbus in 2012, Vestavia City Center in 2013 and the new Greystone area location on Aug. 4. “Everything is made fresh to order every day. We have a dedication to and passion for food,” he said. “Because everything is made fresh to order, we’re happy to customize to make a meal kosher-style or vegetarian.” The menu already contains numerous items that Ingredients: are kosher-style including 1 English Muffin Artichoke Florentine Bene- 1 ounce heavy cream dict (recipe below), Veggie 3 cups whole spinach Benedict, Eggs Plus, Athena 3 tablespoons diced artichoke hearts Scramble, Wild Mushroom 2 whole eggs and Veggie Hash, Egg Byte 3 ounces tomato hollandaise sauce Omelette, Fresh Fruit and Sprinkle of paprika Yogurt, Breakfast Sundae, a couple kinds of oatmeal, Instructions: a few versions of French Toast, pancakes, waffles, Drop dry English muffin in toaster. grits as well as build-your- Place heavy cream in lightly oiled pan own omelettes and frittatas. and place on heat. Add vegetables McGurk said his five The and cook until tender as heavy cream Egg & I restaurants can seat thickens. on average 150 people, and Place the sautéed vegetables on the each one has a private din- dry English muffin in the skillet. Place ing or meeting room that the eggs in poaching water and cook can host 40 people. The to desired temperature. Place the restaurants open 6 a.m. to eggs on top of the vegetables. 2 p.m. during the week and 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on week- Top each egg evenly with 1-1/2 ounces of the tomato hollandaise ends. “It has been a busy time,” sauce. Sprinkle the paprika on the he said. McGurk and his hollandaise and eggs. wife also have a 4-year-old The Egg & I serves this dish with a daughter. “But it is a won- lemon twist and either ranch potatoes derful time. Life is good.” or grits.

Artichoke Florentine Benedict

August 2014

Southern Jewish Life

Continued from page 38

Evans the resanctification of The Temple by the Maccabees, after some thoroughly revolting behavior, is perfectly commemorated by jelly-filled doughnuts. (The preceding paragraph was brought to you by your friends at Krispy Kreme. This Chanukah , check out our seasonal Snowmensch and Red Velvel offerings.) Finally, consider Yom Kippur. What? Food associated with Yom Kippur? Just try to say — given all we know about the Talmud and rabbinic debate — that the following isn’t entirely plausible: The rabbis debated for so long about what food to associate with the holiest of days that is Yom Kippur that, before they knew it, Kol Nidre had to start, and there was no food at all to be had. Doug Brook is a writer in Silicon Valley who has never tasted taffy of any kind. Or wookie. For past columns, other writings, and more, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/the. beholders.eye.

Jerusalem (cont. from page 4)

The severity of the conflict has escalated. People in Jerusalem are scared; people in Tel Aviv are scared; people in Gaza are scared; I am scared. What does this violence mean for the future of the families around me? These days have been a painful time for Jews and for Palestinians. Today, a Muslim-American friend asked if I wanted to meet up for dinner in a place that feels mutually safe. I laughed to myself. I responded over text message, “LOL yes!” And then, “Sorry, not funny... just feeling confused about where that place is supposed to be.” I am embarrassed to admit this: when I walk the streets of Jerusalem my heart remembers driving around Birmingham. It remembers being conflicted, torn and confused about where I’m supposed to be. It remembers the dialogue groups I participated in in high school — Anytown Alabama, Heritage Panel and PEACE Birmingham — that positioned me to see individuals beyond their homophobia or evangelical conviction that I was eternally damned. In Birmingham, I learned that trying to bridge gaps can curb violence and fear; I learned how to speak and think in I instead of we and they; I learned that no one has exclusive ownership of the truth. Is it naive to think that teaching our children to communicate — to think — could make the world more livable? I thank you all for sending your prayers — please, continue to do so. But more importantly, let’s talk.

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It’s much more than the typical annual guide… Southern Jewish Life’s Chai Cotton is more than a listing of organizations, institutions and congregations… It is a portal to the history of the Deep South Jewish communities of Alabama, Louisiana, the Florida panhandle and Mississippi, and a guide to the present.

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August 2014

The Beholder’s Eye by Doug Brook

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August 2014

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It all started with the presentation of a half-empty bag of kosher taffy, called Orthodox Chews. The label indicated that they are salt water taffy, which seems an apt homage to the Dead Sea. But the label also called them “A Chewish Tradition,” which would make any Star Wars fan suspect that they might taste like wookie. This line of sleep-deprived thought led to pondering the variety of flavors that could be appropriate to Orthodox Chews. What if — inspired by the jellybeans in “Harry Plotzer and the Sanhedrin’s Stone” all the way through “Harry Plotzer and the Deadly Challahs” — the flavors went far beyond the norms for said confection? After all, wouldn’t the flavor of a grey Orthodox Chew be gefilte fish? If so, it follows that a black one would be a brisket taffy. A red one would taste like marror. A white one would be a marror stronger enough to make your Ma roar. The burnt ones taste like homemade latkes. The pink ones taste like lox. The purple ones go down like Manischewitz. This could lead one to think that silliness is ruling the day, and that a blue Orthodox Chew would taste like an Israeli flag stripe. Please. The blue ones How did some taste like the colored strand in the tzitzit foods get linked to on a tallis. (Which actually might taste like the stripe on an Israeli flag…) Jewish holidays? The brown ones taste like the fronds on the sukkah when it’s finally taken down three months after sukkot ended. Yellow would taste like etrog, and green would shake your taste buds like a lulav. This then makes the train of thought derail into wondering how any of the foods associated with Jewish holidays make sense. Why does nothing say “happy new year” to Jewish palates like apple dipped in honey? On Rosh Hashanah, Jews are supposed to eat apples dipped in honey to symbolize having a sweet year. And then, almost instantly, Jews are shown exactly how sweet a year they’ll have by dealing with cleaning the honey from their kids’ now-sticky hands and from their nice High Holiday clothes. (Granted, this is nothing compared to what sometimes has to be cleaned up after secular New Year celebrations, but still…) Speaking of which, consider Purim. Hamantashen is supposed to be based on the three-pointed hat worn by the arch enemy. Are Alabama fans supposed to create a dessert in the shape of a visor after beating South Carolina? It could be worse: Hamantashen could’ve been based on something else of his, if one changed the final “a” to a “u.” Consider Passover. (After all, you’re already less than eight months away from starting to cook.) How could matzah be designated the Jewish bread of affliction by a people who have spent generation after generation picking rye seeds from between their teeth? What about eating dairy, particularly cheesecake, on Shavuot? Why mix dairy with the holiday during the warmest part of the year, giving its food a table-life shorter than the blessing over eating it? And why tie the delicacy (to most people) that is cheesecake to a holiday that (to most people) is forgotten, not just for what it commemorates but even for its existence on the calendar? Chanukah makes much more sense. The connection between

Continued on previous page

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August 2014

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