Southern Jewish Life, New Orleans, August 2022

Southern Jewish Life SouthernJewishLife P.O.Box 35213130052Birmingham,AL Aug./Sept. 2022 Volume 32 Issue 8 SouthernJewishLife 3747WestEsplanadeAve. 3rd FloorMetairie,LA70002 NEW ORLEANS EDITION Southern Jewish Life Photo by Steven Leonard/Auburn Athletics

Naturally, the church has jumped on the Israel as an apartheid state libel, with a reso lution claiming Israeli law gives preference to Jews and places Palestinians in “separate reserves and ghettoes.”

Another resolution refers to Jerusalem as “three faiths, two peoples, and one human family,” bemoaning a recent “heightened Zionist-Jewish identity” in the eternal capital of the Jewish people. It calls on Israel to respect the rights of Christians and Muslims to access and worship at their holy sites — which it does and they do, unlike when Jordan controlled the city and barred Jews completely, destroying synagogues and holy sites. And what about places in Palestinian controlled areas that have Jewish holy sites, which the Palestinians keep trying to destroy?

In fact, the only form of religious discrimination is on the Temple Mount, where Jews

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine warranted one resolution — which condemned the in vasion, but also is critical of the U.S. sanctions against Russia and how the U.S. and NATO “flooded Ukraine with lethal weapons” in a “hyper-militarization.”

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The Presbyterian Church (USA) has declared Israel’s cre ation to be a disaster, calls Israel an apartheid state, made an explicit comparison of Israel to Nazi Germany under the banner of “never again” and redefined antisemitism to en compass non-Jews. Why, then, is the organized Jewish community even talking with them any more?

At their 225th General Assembly, held online from July 5 to 9 after a series of committee meetings in late June, the Protestant denomination continued its recent history of hostility to the world’s only Jewish state, with resolutions filled with inaccuracies, hyperbole, a lack of context and little regard for Israeli lives. Like many international bodies, the church is obsessed with Israel. This year, there were 19 resolutions under the category of International Engagement. Four were castigating Israel. No other country was singled out in more than one, except for two resolutions about seeking a peace treaty between the Koreas.

Documenting this community, a community we are members of and active within, is our passion. We love what we do, and who we do it for.

Which makes it further perplexing that the PC(USA) would be so hostile to the only place in the Middle East that is a de mocracy respecting LGBTQ rights (instead, they favor a leadership that throws such people off roofs), freedom of worship, and advancement of women. But nobody ever said that hatred of Israel is rational. are barred from certain areas altogether, and in the rest of the site, one making any hint of Jewish prayer is subject to arrest, for offend ing the sensitivities of the Muslims. That, of course, is not mentioned.

The resolution also repudiates the U.S. em bassy move to Jerusalem, and urges visitors to utilize Palestinian service providers and to make sure they include encounters with Palestinians, being “mindful” of the “disputed status of Jerusalem.”

Of course, the resolution also uses the “open-air prison” cliché about Gaza. The condemnation of Israeli “collective pun ishment” actions, citing the far-left anti-Israel group B’Tselem, encompasses 822 words in the resolution. The rather matter-of-fact state ment about the “rockets, with no guidance systems” (they forgot to mention the words “thousands of”) fired into Israel by Hamas and other Islamist groups received just 83 words.

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

Epsilon Pi stands with the Jewish community of Charlottesville, and with the Jewish people around the country and around the world. We also stand with the minorities who are targeted by the hate that was on display in Charlottesville. We stand with the minorities of whom these white Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games

MESSAGES

The blockade exists solely because the Gaza government seeks to use anything it can toward making war against Israel and attack ing Israeli civilians, not caring about their own Palestinian civilians. All that cement going into Gaza wasn’t used to build hospitals or schools, but tunnels under the border so they could sneak into Israel and attack civilians. But you wouldn’t know that from the resolution.

I have had the honor of attending many Maccabi competitions around the world. From Israel to Australia to South America, Europe and the JCC Maccabi games around the United States and Canada, I have logged many miles seeing how sports can be a vehicle to help build Jewish identity, especially in our young. I felt honored to come to Birmingham for the first time and fell in love with not just the city but the people. You have taken Southern hospitality to a new level with your kind and caring approach to the JCC Maccabi Games.

4 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCI ATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com V.P SALES/MARKETING, NE W ORLEANS Jeff PizzoCREATIVEjeff@sjlmag.comDIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.comSOCIAL/WEB Emily BaldweinPHOTOGRAPHER-connect@sjlmag.comAT-LARGE Rabbi Barr y C. AltmarkCONTRIBUTINGdeepsouthrabbi.comWRITERS Rivka Epstein, Louis Crawford, Tally Werthan, Stuart Derroff, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 2179 Highland Ave., Birmingham, AL 35205 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/249-6875 TOLL-FREE 888/613.YALL(9255) ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com Jeff Pizzo, jeff@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South. To that end, our commitment includes mailing to every Jewish household in the region (AL, LA, MS, NW FL), without a subscription fee Outside the area, subscriptions are $25/year, $40/two years. Subscribe via sjlmag.com, call 205/870.7889 or mail payment to the address above. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed in SJL are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. SJL makes no claims as to the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains the right to refuse any advertisement.

But when the resolution insists that the placement of metal detectors for security is a provocative act, what do you expect?

Editor’s Note: This reaction to the events in Charlottesville, written by Jeremy Newman, Master of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Theta Colony at Auburn University, was shared by AEPi National, which called it “very eloquent” and praised “our brothers at AEPi Theta Colony at Auburn University and… the leadership they display on their campus.” White supremacy has been a cancer on our country since its beginning, threatening its hopes, its values, and its better angels. The events that took place in Charlottesville represented the worst of this nation. Those who marched onto the streets with tiki torches and swastikas did so to provoke violence and fear. Those who marched onto the streets did so to profess an ideology that harkens back to a bleaker, more wretched time in our history.

supremacists would like to see pushed back into a corner and made to feel lesser. We stand with and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, who was there standing up to the face of this hate.We recognize the essence of the American narrative as a two-century old struggle to rid ourselves of such corners, and allow those in them the seat at the table that they so deserve. It is the struggle to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” We know our work is far from finished, but we know we will not moveWhenbackwards.menand women, fully armed, take to the streets in droves with swastikas and other symbols of hate, it is a reminder of how relevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism are today. It is a wake-up call to the work that needs to be done to ensure a better, more welcoming country. But it should not come without a reflection on how far we’ve come. America was born a slave nation. A century into our history we engaged in a war in part to ensure we would not continue as one. We found ourselves confronted by the issue of civil rights, and embarked on a mission to ensure the fair treatment of all peoples no matter their skin color. Although we’ve made great strides, it is a mission we’re still grappling with today. America was also born an immigrant country. As early as the pilgrims, many groups and families found in the country the opportunity to plant stakes, chase their future, and be themselves. Few were met with open

Southern Jewish Life January 2021

One important note — there are two main Presbyterian groups. The Presbyterian Church (USA), with about 1.3 million mem bers, is the larger, more moderate group, while the Presbyterian Church in America is smaller and more fundamentalist. A local Presbyterian church is one or the other — differences include PC(USA)’s ordination of women, acceptance of same-sex marriag es, and of abortion as “a last resort.”

Led by the Sokol and Helds, your hard-working volunteers were wonderful. They partnered with your outstanding staff, led by Betzy Lynch, to make the 2017 JCC Maccabi games a huge hit. I want to take this opportunity as executive director of Maccabi USA to say thank you on behalf of everyone involved.

The Jerusalem resolution also refers to Christian Zionism, the support of Israel by Christians, as a doctrine that “tend(s) toward idolatry and heresy… portraying a wrathful and arbitrary God, dividing and ignoring parts of the Christian community, and making of the land an idol to be possessed, exclusive of moral conditions.” Furthermore, Christian Zionism is declared to be “one of the very threats to the Christian presence in Israel and Palestine.”Another resolution references the “siege of Gaza” and, in an effort to appear even-hand ed, the “collective punishment of innocent Palestinians and Israeli civilians.”

On Charlottesville ASSOCIATE EDITOR Richard Friedman richard@sjlmag.com August 2022commentary continued on page 39

While there is plenty of concern for the Pal estinian refugees, there’s no mention of the roughly 150,000 Jews who were kicked out of their homes and their villages razed when Jordan took over what became known as the West Bank, and Egypt occupied Gaza, and did real ethnic cleansing, making sure no Jews remained in the areas they controlled, while any Arab who had remained in what became Israel became an equal Israeli citizen. Not to mention — because they didn’t — the 1 mil lion Jews who were forced out of Arab nations where they had lived for two millennia or more.That’s because Israel absorbed those refu gees, while the Arab leaders forced theirs into a permanent refugee status unlike any other refugee population on the planet, treating

I had just returned from the 20th World Maccabiah games in Israel with a U.S. delegation of over 1100, who joined 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries. Back in July the eyes of the entire Jewish world were on Jerusalem and the Maccabiah. This past month with 1000 athletes and coaches from around the world being in Birmingham, you became the focal point. Everyone from the Jewish community and the community at large, including a wonderful police force, are to be commended. These games will go down in history as being a seminal moment for the Jewish community as we build to the future by providing such wonderful Jewish Jedmemories.MargolisExecutiveDirector, Maccabi USA

Interestingly, the word “Egypt” isn’t in there, despite Gaza’s border with Egypt — a border the Egyptians control even more tightly than Israel does on its side. Why the omission?

The church also designated May 15 as “Pal estinian Naqba Remembrance Day” on the church calendar. May 15, 1948, of course, was the day that Israel was established, and the term “naqba” means “disaster.”

PC(USA) or PCA?

The church has thus declared that Israel’s very existence is a disaster of historic propor tions, much like how the Jewish world would refer to the Holocaust or the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem. You know, those ancient Temples that an ti-Israel activists and Palestinian leaders deny everTheexisted.church is apparently oblivious as to how that argument takes a giant sledgeham mer to the Christian gospels, because much of the narrative happened in… the Second Temple.Butone can forget such things when show ing a zeal to portray Jesus not as a Jew, but as the first “Palestinian martyr,” as is currently popular among anti-Israel activists. Forget that the term “Palestine” did not exist at the time, it was inaugurated by the Romans a century later, well after the destruction of the Second Temple, in an attempt to erase Jewish ties to the land by renaming it after the Philistines, the already-extinct Biblical archen emies of the Israelites. Or that the term comes from the word for “invader.”

The weekend, which draws participants from around the region, usually has 90 or more pre senters on a wide range of topics, including academic, theological, artistic, musical, cultural and historical programs. There are also handson workshops and children’s programming.

Limmud is a grassroots program that relies entirely on volunteers — including the speak ers. A steering team is being organized “that reflects the diversity of the New Orleans Jewish community in terms of interests, Jewish back ground, affiliation, and age,” and the first meet ing was set for Aug. 30.

Everything was planned out — speakers lined up, venues reserved and community Shabbat services planned for the biennial LimmudFest New Orleans in March 2020.

LimmudFest New Orleans returning in 2023 agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events

On Aug. 21, students and volunteers at B’nai Israel in Pensacola buried unusable old books and other ritual items.

Registration is now open for Festival Jew Or leans, a three-day festival by JNOLA, the Next Gen group at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, for their counterparts from around the Southeast.

On Oct. 22, there will be a Tikkun Olam project with a local non-profit in the morning, with lunch included. Afternoon options include a Jewish history tour or a visit to the Studio BE arts collective. In the evening, after a visit to the Holocaust memorial at the Riverfront, there will be a walk to Barcadia, where there will be Havdalah followed by the Krewe of Boo celebra tion and the JNOLA annual gala, and dressing for the parade is encouraged. After the parade, there will be time to explore the French Quarter Festival Jew Orleans invites Jewish young adults from around the region andOndowntown.Oct.23,there will be a visit to the Na tional World War II Museum for a self-guided tour that can be done before or after the fare well brunch. There will also be a spiritual yoga session available, and an opportunity to join the community’s Chanukah gift wrapping for low-income families, coordinated by Jewish Children’s Regional Service.

Sessions then continue on Sunday at the Up town Jewish Community Center. Registration and keynote speaker informa tion will be announced later this year.

The community’s congregations combine for Shabbat services at Gates of Prayer in Metairie, holding different service formats under one roof and then coming together for communal meals.

Registration is $75 until Sept. 1 and $100 after, and space is limited. There are two hotel block options available for those from out of town, at the Holiday Inn Express St. Charles, and the Royal Frenchman. All meals except breakfasts are included, and are kosher-style. Kosher meals can be Registrationrequested.can be done at festivaljeworle ans.eventbrite.com.

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 5

LimmudFest organizers announced that the festival will return in 2023, the weekend of March 17. It will be the first in-person Limmud Fest since “Though2018.wehad a thought-provoking virtual LimmudFest in 2021, Zoom just could not rep licate the feeling of community created by an in-person experience,” said Gail Chalew.

Then, 11 days before the weekend of Jewish learning was to begin, it was “postponed” be cause of this new virus called Covid-19 “out of an abundance of caution,” though at that point there were no reported cases in Louisiana.

JNOLA is the local group for ages 21 to 39, and similar groups in communities such as Austin, Birmingham and Charleston are being invited to participate in the event, which will be Oct. 21 to 23 and is presented by the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust. The weekend begins with a lunch on the rooftop of the Higgins Hotel. Afternoon activity choices are a street mural tour or kayaking through the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at City Park. A There will be a tour of the Museum of the Southern Jew ish Experience, along with Reform-style Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute.

Several communities are holding preview events for Ken Burns’ new documentary se ries, “The U.S. and the Holocaust.”

A discussion with Alexandria Ruble, assistant professor of history at Springhill College, and a light dessert reception will immediately follow the preview. The event is free, but reservations are required by sending the names of all those planning to attend to majf.director@gmail.com.

Premiering on PBS on Sept. 18 to 20, “The U.S. and the Holocaust” is directed by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein, written by Geoffrey C. Ward, story by Kevin Baker and produced by Burns, Novick, Botstein and Mike Welt.

In New Orleans, the National World War II Museum and WYES will host the preview, Sept. 8 in the Solomon Victory Theater. There will be a reception at 5 p.m., with the screening at 6 p.m. and a panel discussion afterwards. The event is free, but registration is required, and it is expect ed to sell out early.

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center will host a Birmingham-ar ea preview on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. at the O’Neal Library in Crestline. The event is free, but registration is required. After the preview, Dan Puckett and Amy McDonald will speak. Puck ett is a professor of history at Troy University and chairs the Alabama Holocaust Commission. He is the author of “In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama’s Jews, the Second World War, and the Holocaust.”

McDonald teaches AP History and Holocaust studies at Shades Val ley High School. She is a United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow and a Lerner Fellow with the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. She is the author of “Determined to Survive: A Story of Sur vival and One Teacher’s Passion to Bring That Story to Life” and “Word Smugglers: A Story of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto.”

ISJL researching Jewish food and culture in Mississippi

The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson is working on a project about Jewish food and culture in Mississippi, and wants to interview those who have anecdotes to tell about this essential part of the state’s Jewish story.

6 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life agenda SUPPORT QUALITY, INDEPENDENT, ORIGINAL SOUTHERN JEWISH JOURNALISM

The Mobile Area Jewish Federation, Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education and Alabama Public Television will cohost a preview on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m., at Bernheim Hall at Ben May Library.

Over the next couple of months, they are collecting stories by remote vid eo, and want to interview those who are from Mississippi but are now else where, are currently in Mississippi, or have stories to share about great meals they had in Mississippi. They want to hear from all ages and backgrounds. There is an online form for those interested in participating, or one should contact Nora Katz, the director of heritage and interpretation.

Visit supportSJL.com to contribute Communities to preview Ken Burns’ PBS “Holocaust” series

“The U.S. and the Holocaust” is a threepart, six hour series that tells the story of how the American people grappled with one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the 20th cen tury, and how this struggle tested the ideals of American democracy. The preview is about 45Byminutes.examining events leading up to and during the Holocaust with fresh eyes, this series dispels the competing myths that Americans either were ignorant of what was happening to Jews in Europe, or that they merely looked on with callous indifference.

The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experi ence is looking west in September.

Rau is considered one of the foremost experts on 18th- and 19th-cen tury European and American antiques and fine art. He has worked in the gallery full time since he was 21, having started part-time at the age of 14. An avid collector as well as an authority in his field, he has helped to place several items in museums around the world. He has written nu merous articles published in a wide variety of antique journals, lectured around the world at museums and events, and was the youngest senior member ever accepted to the American Society of Appraisers.

“Art

jewelry

MSJE goes west for film screening

The 40,000-square-foot gallery on Royal Street features carefully se lected works from a diverse array of artists and makers including Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Bouguereau, Tiffany & Co., Thomas Chip pendale, and René Lalique, as well as important jewelers such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Oscar Heyman.

The film details the unique contribution of Jews in shaping the western United States. In the same way that many Jews immigrating to the United States left New York and found their way to small towns all over the South, many others headed west, and by 1912 an estimated 100,000 had made that journey.

Hadassah chapters partnering for virtual visit to M.S. Rau Hadassah Birmingham and Hadassah New Orleans are joining forces for a special on line event with a New Orleans institution, exploring M.S. Rau. Bill Rau, CEO and third-gen eration owner of the largest fine art, and antiques gallery in New Orleans, will discuss and Jewels a Jewish Twist.” He will give a glimpse into the world of rare gemstones, as well as a brief history of Jews in the jewelry trade and the art world. The webinar is on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. There is no charge, but donations to Ha dassah are welcomed. Registration information is available from the Hadas sah chapters and on the SJL website. There is a two-step process to register, with the second part arriving by email after the completion of the first step.

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 7 agenda New818www.msje.orgHowardAve.Orleans,LA70113504-384-2480 Shalom. Make yourself at home. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! New medical research studies have opened at Tandem Clinical Research. Enrolling studies include: Study participants may receive compensation for time and travel. No medical insurance is required. Call or visit us online to find out if you qualify. • Alzheimer’s Disease • Asthma • Celiac Disease • Cirrhosis • Colitis • Crohn’s Disease • COVID • EosinophilicEsophagitis • Fatty Liver Disease • Gastroparesis • Hearing Loss • Heartburn • Hot Flashes • Low T • Memory Loss • Migraine • Rhinosinusitis • Tinnitus • UTI 504.217.7714 TandemClinicalResearch.com

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Even the first Western film, the silent 1903 “Great Train Robbery,” had a Jewish story. The iconic Broncho Billy Anderson is considered the first film celebrity cowboy — but his real name was Max Aronson.

The film talks about well-known Jewish figures, like Levi Strauss, the Guggenheims and Golda Meir, who spent formative years in Denver. It also talks about lesser-known but significant Jewish artists and leaders, and that by the end of the 19th century pretty much every notorious Wild West town had a Jewish mayor. What’s Jewish about the Fight at the OK Corral? Josephine Marcus Earp, Wyatt Earp’s wife, was Jewish, and her beauty is reported to have been the trigger for that notorious event.

A new documentary, “Jews of the Wild West,” will be screened on Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. and Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. After the Sept. 15 screening, filmmaker Amanda Kinsey will speak about the making of the documentary.

“Jews of the Wild West” debuted at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival earlier this year, and will be at the Nashville Jewish Film Festival in Oc tober. The MSJE screenings are $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

Touro Synagogue in New Orleans is debuting B’rinah, a new min yan that is a collaboration of clergy and lay leaders, to do a traditional chanted service with a Torah reading on Saturday mornings. Congre gants are encouraged to “follow along, sing or let your mind wander.”

Author Roy Hoffman will discuss “Literary Inspiration: Where Sto ries Come From” at the Uptown Jewish Community Center in New Orleans on Sept. 12 at 11:45 a.m., as part of the Morris Bart Sr. Lecture Series. He will discuss the origin of his new novel, “The Promise of the Pelican,” and how to be open to inspiration in one’s own creative life.

Gates of Prayer Sisterhood in Metairie will have a Jazz Brunch and Bubbly, honoring Nita-Joan Sams, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. Reservations are $36, patron levels start at $72. Funds raised will help start the Nita-Joan Sams Sisterhood Special Programs Fund, to supplement Sisterhood’s budget for special programs during the year.

Jackson’s Steakhouse in Pensacola and Chef Irv Miller will once again host a Rosh Hashanah dinner on Sept. 25, with seatings beginning at 5 p.m. In addition to the regular menu, there will be a Rosh Hashanah dinner with challah, apples and orange blossom honey, potato and squash latkes, pecan-wood smoked brisket, kugel, glazed carrots and roasted brussels sprout halves. The Rosh Hashanah dinner is $35 per person, and reservations are now available.

There will be a six-session Learn to Play Mah Jongg class at the Metairie JCC, led by Renee Zack. The sessions will be at 10 a.m. on Sept. 13, 15, 16, 20, 22 and 23. Registration is $75 for members, $85 forJNOLA,non-members.Chabad of Louisiana and the New Orleans Jewish Commu nity Center will have a Shofar Factory on Sept. 11 at 4 p.m., at the Up town JCC. Participants will learn how to clean, carve, saw, drill and sand a kosher shofar. Reservations are $5 per family and spaces are limited.

Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans is holding its first in-person group since 2019, with the return of the Caregiver Support Group. The weekly group at the JFS office is for primary caregivers of aging loved ones, or loved ones with disabilities. The confidential group is a space for sharing and connection. It will meet on Wednes days from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Oct. 12 to Nov. 16. Participants must register by Oct. 1, and registration includes a required short individual meet ing with group facilitators. Registration is $40 for the six sessions.

The Jewish Education Project of New York City announced the launch of the second cohort of The GENERATE Fellowship, a yearlong professional development program, open to early career teen engagement professionals from across the country who work in youth movements, synagogues, camps, JCCs, and any other educational set tings. Fellows will learn about challenges teens are facing, explore tensions that arise in their roles as educators, while building a robust network of peers from across the country. GENERATE fellows will re ceive ongoing mentorship from an experienced mentor and learn with leading thinkers in the field of teen education and engagement. Applications are due by Sept. 16. For more information, and to apply, please contact The Jewish Education Project’s Jodie Goldberg, Direc tor of the GENERATE Fellowship, at jgoldberg@JewishEdProject.org.

8 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life agenda Embrace the Spirit of COMMUNITY More Freedom, Purpose, and Peace of Mind in a Northshore private-residence Senior Living community with no buy-in fees Schedule a Tour: (985) 273-3810 601 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington • stanthonysgardens.org

The services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, except Sept. 10. Babysit ting will be available.

Lunch is available with a reservation by Sept. 8. There is no charge for members, non-members are $10.

Temple Sinai in New Orleans will have a So Long to Summer Cele bration on Sept. 11 at 4 p.m., at Port Orleans Brewing Company. The event is for ages 21 and up. Snacks and one drink ticket will be provid ed to all in attendance.

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 9 EXPERIENCE our learn about VISITNATCHEZour@ FOLLOW US “The temple, built in 1905, houses the oldest Jewish congregation in Mississippi. Its stained glass windows and ark of Italian marble make this synagogue one of the loveliest and most historic in the www.natcheztemple.comregion.” Culture History plan your TRIP TODAY visitnatchez.orgat BYWATER BREW PUB WITH FULL BAR & VIET-CAJUN MENU 3000 ROYAL STREET • Beers Brewed In-House • Trivia Mondays • Book Your Next Event Here! bywaterbrewpub.com • (504) 766-8118 • @bywaterbrewpub Monday 4pm-9pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday Noon-9pm Stop by for a L’Chaim with owner Nahum Laventhal! From the Plains to the Promised Land: Auburn basketball in Israel

After Auburn made history as the first Power 5 basketball team to play in Israel, Coach Bruce Pearl is determined for a repeat next summer. That’s despite the fact that Auburn won’t be the team to play there next year, as NCAA rules state a team can do a foreign tour once every four years. Still, Pearl wants to see what he called the Birthright for College Basketball tour continue every year, with two or three top college basket ball teams competing in Israel.

The Auburn team played three games in Israel, defeating the U-20 na tional team in Jerusalem on Aug. 2, 117-56. Thirteen Tigers scored, led by freshman Yohan Traore with 20 points. The team had a whopping 32 assists on its 46 baskets.

On Aug. 7 in Tel Aviv, the match against Israel’s All-Star Select Team was tighter, but Auburn pulled away in the second half for a 107-71 win. Defense was the story as Auburn forced 30 turnovers, including 18 steals.

Aside from the historic significance of being in Israel, Pearl said that teams often have a hard time finding quality competition on foreign trips. That isn’t the case in Israel, where basketball has a huge following and highly-developed infrastructure.

The biggest challenge came in the final game, against Israel’s national team. The national team, which would represent Israel at the Olympics, Youth basketball clinic at the Jerusalem YMCA, with Tamir Goodman Photos by Steven Leonard/Auburn Athletics

“We have a number of high-profile Power 5 college basketball pro grams that are very interested in going next year,” Pearl said. The issue will most likely be “which two or three get to go, then we are going to need to continue to raise money to offset some of the costs” as an Israel trip is a bit more expensive than other locales.

Why is this trip not like any other trip…

Mid-way through the trip, Israel struck at Palestinian Islamic Jihad

is comprised of professional players, led by Deni Avdija, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, and current Washington Wizards player. He led the game with 25 points. Former Boston Celtics draft pick Yam Madar is also on the team, and scored 24.

Wendell Green Jr., who led Auburn with 19 points, said “We didn’t get the result we wanted, but we’ll take it and work in the fall leading up to November. It was a great experience for us.”

He asked, “Why is it okay for someone to ask me who I’m going to be talking to and where I’m going to be when I go to Israel?”

Chris Moore said “We were playing against some grown men. It was a real battle on the boards, and we all competed well.”

Taking a team to Israel is not the same as going to places like Italy, Germany or Mexico. Unlike many campuses, Auburn does not have active anti-Israel groups, but a few days before the team headed to Israel, the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Auburn to either cancel the “pro paganda tour,” or at least ditch their Israeli “handlers” and meet with av eragePearlPalestinians.tookumbrage at the request. Since he was an assistant coach at Stanford for a trip to Japan in 1982, through many other foreign trips including Auburn’s trip to Italy in 2017, “nobody asked me who we were going to talk to, or where we were going to go.”

The team did travel to Bethlehem, which is under Palestinian Author ity rule. They walked through the marketplace, which Pearl said doesn’t look much different than the Old City in Jerusalem, and the team visited the Church of the Nativity. They also were hosted for lunch at the home of the coach of the Palestinian national team. “I felt grateful and very welcomed,” Pearl said. “He and I could probably figure out how to continue to have that dialogue for peace.”

He said it should be seen as normal, not unusual or groundbreaking, that a Jewish basketball coach from Alabama would be having lunch with a Christian coach of a Palestinian team in Bethle hem.The team also participated in the Tamir Goodman Basketball Camp in Jerusalem, which brought together young players from the Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze communities at the YMCA. In addition to Goodman, known as the Jewish Jordan, Turkish Muslim NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom participated. Kanter Freedom has hosted basket ball camps in the U.S. for Jewish and Muslim children, and promoted a Holocaust education program at a Muslim school.

While many noted the interfaith aspect of the clinic, Pearl said “that stuff shouldn’t be any big deal” as Jerusalem is an international city, open to Anotherall. difference is the possibility of a flare-up with the neighbors.

Part of the experience was matching up against a current NBA player.

Still, Auburn held its own, leading 41-40 in the second quarter and cutting its deficit to one in the fourth quarter, before falling, 95-86.

10 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life community Southern Jewish Life 4510www.AcropolisOnFreret.comFreretStreet•(504)309.0069 DINE IN or TAKE OUT! Tues-Sat, Lunch and Dinner Music and Mediterranean Every Thursday, 6-9pm Israeli Wines by the Glass or Bottle See Our Facebook Page for Daily Menus and Special Offerings! /AcropolisOnFreret Reservations Encouraged: Call 504.309.0069 COOLinary11am-2pmTues-SatLunch: COOLinaryTues-SatDinner:5-9pm World Games and More We say we are a regional magazine, but at times we are more than that. Though Southern Jewish Life mainly covers Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and NW Florida, our journalistic reach of ten goes beyond that. Our coverage of the Israeli team’s activities and achievements during the World Games, held recently in Birmingham, was fea tured nationally by Jewish News Service. In addition, two of our recent stories appeared in the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. One was about UAB pediatrician Morissa Ladin sky’s fight against Alabama’s new restrictive transgender care law, and the other was on Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans CEO Arnie Fielkow’s Ukrainian family. Both Ladinsky and Fielkow are from Wisconsin. Aside from feeling good about these achievements, this national coverage of Jewish life in the Deep South enhances interest in our region which sometimes leads to more Jews visiting, attending col lege here and even settling in our region.

It’s a nice dividend of the quality, nationally-honored journalism that we continue to offer and one more way that Southern Jewish Life benefits all of us.

“It was amazing… he guarded me most of the game. I think I got his respect. But it was just fun to match up against a pro, someone who is in the league which is a dream as I want to make the NBA one day.”

Pearl said playing Israel’s national team was “an honor and a challenge.”

If you would like to help our magazine grow, you can contribute to Southern Jewish Life by sending a check to SJL, P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213, or going to https://sjlmag.com/contribute/ (Donations to Southern Jewish Life are not tax-deductible.)

Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl and the coach of the Palestinian National Team

“Jerusalem is a place that can bring us all together, if we focus on the things we share in common,” Pearl said. The team walked from the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, and visited the Lion’s Gate and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

R positions in Gaza as the terror group planned to launch a major terror attack in Israel. During the three-day operation, Israel took out the PIJ leadership, but the group responded by launching about 1,000 rockets from Gaza toward Israel. Many rockets fell short and fell in Gaza, killing many Palestinian civilians. Though rockets were aimed at the middle of Israel, Pearl said “we felt safe. Thank God for the Iron Dome,” which intercepted most of the rock ets that were headed toward populated areas. “We heard the sirens, we saw some of the pops in the air and you could see and hear… It was obvi ously very real, but thanks to Iron Dome we were safe.”

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He also reminded that at any given time, there are tens of thousands of Americans in Israel. Through Iron Dome, “Our taxpayer dollars were at work protecting not only the 9 million people of Israel, they were protecting the thousands of U.S. citizens, including the Auburn men’s basketball team.”

The next day included visits to the City of David, the Western Wall

Several Auburn players were baptized in the Jordan

Naturally, “some of the reporting back home scared some of our par ents, who had concerns about their sons,” Pearl said. “I spoke with a few by phone, made sure they understood we were safe.”

While cautioning that he was not minimizing the danger of rockets being launched at Israel, Pearl made an analogy for players and parents to living in the Southeastern United States, when there is a severe weather advisory. “You are advised to take shelter, and that’s what you have to do when you are under that kind of threat.”

A cease-fire was declared right as Auburn started its Aug. 7 game in Tel Aviv. Beyond Expectations Pearl said the overall experience “exceeded my expectations, and my expectations were pretty high.” This was his fourth trip to Israel, includ ing the 2009 World Maccabiah where he coached the U.S. men’s basket ball team to its first-ever gold medal. Upon arrival, the team went to Jerusalem, where Pearl led prayers over challah and wine, and the traditional Shehecheyanu blessing of gratitude for special occasions, while overlooking the city.

For college basketball teams, “Israel has never really been an option, and now it is a great option.” He added that he will be back in four years, when it is Auburn’s turn again.

Johni Broome thanked Israel and called it the “trip of a lifetime.”

Green, who was among those who took part, said it was “truly a bless ing” and he was “so thankful for everything.”

Bringing it all home was the team from ESPN, which broadcast all three games on the SEC Network. Pearl also gave updates on the Paul Finebaum Show, and at halftime of each game there was a video segment about the team’s experiences.

community and Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial. A highlight was the Dead Sea, where the big athletes who have trouble in swimming pools were able to float on the surface. The team also went to the Galilee, for a boat ride across the Sea of Gali lee, and several team members and support staff took the opportunity to be baptized in the Jordan River.

Being in Israel also made an impression on the Auburn players. Of course, senior Lior Berman has family ties to Israel and had just been in Israel competing for the U.S. team in the World Maccabiah Games. He was unable to play in the Auburn games because of a mi nor calf injury. Also accompanying the team was Romi Levy, who was on the All-Freshman SEC wom en’s basketball team in 2021, then missed last season with an ACL tear. A Herzliya native, she is the first Israeli on Auburn’s women’s team.

A personal highlight for Pearl came at the end of the game against the Israel National Team, as he made his way to the stands where there were a couple hundred high school and college students. “All I had to do is say ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ and they went nuts,” he said. He told the students that “God has blessed us,” but that comes with a responsibility. Just as the Auburn players represent Auburn and their families when they wear the jersey, those students represent “God’s Chil dren, the Jewish people, with how you act, with how you study, with how you love each other and what kind of neighbor you’re going to be.”

Dylan Cardwell said it was “the closest I’ve ever been to God, physically, spiritually, emo tionally. I just thank him everyday that I can step foot in His Holy Land and the land that He created.” He said it was “insane seeing all of this come to life by touring Jerusalem.”

Traore said a highlight of the trip was “just visiting, getting closer to God and just having fun.”

Pearl said one of the greatest joys about Israel is “bringing people who have never been here before, and having them just see it.”

12 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life Pictured from left to right: Alan Weintraub, Financial Advisor, First Vice President-Investments, Bari Bridges, CFP®, Financial Advisor, Steven Wetzel, Financial Consultant, Linda Hodges, Senior Registered Client Associate, Jonathan Schlackman, Branch Manager, Senior Vice President-Investments, Alan Brockhaus, CFP®, ChFC®, Assistant Vice President, Branch Liaison, Joshua Zamat, Financial Advisor, First Vice President-Investments Birmingham, AL Location 2501 20th Place South, Suite 350 Birmingham, AL 205-414-215135223www.SWZWMGROUP.com Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured / NO Bank Guarantee / MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company CAR-0521-03268 New Orleans, LA Location 1250 Poydras Street, Suite 2400 New Orleans, LA 504-569-240370113 Boca Raton, FL Location 5355 Town Center Road, Suite 600 Boca Raton, FL 561-338-801533486 Whether it is selling your current home or finding a new one, let me help you make the right decision. Hilary Weiss Realtor (205) 876-3052 hillaryw@lahrealestate.comcell2850CahabaRoadMountainBrookAL,35223lahrealestate.com

Pearl said the trip was coordinated by Lea Miller-Tooley of Complete Sports Management, which also produces the Battle for Atlantis, along with Athletes for Israel. “It was first class,” he said.

Pearl said Cardwell is the team’s spiritual leader, and if he does not make the NBA, “Israel would be an incredible place for him” to play pro fessionally.Cardwell posted a video to his social media, a dunk that he said is his new move — the Passover.

The award is earned by acquiring 100 GO-Camp Phil Shekels during the year, through an activities list developed by a parents committee. Ger ber said the requirement “is not meant to be a barrier,” and students who are engaged in Jewish life will earn the Phil Shekels — many of them could have the year’s allotment earned by November or December. Half of the shekels must be earned through attendance at J-FLEx on Sundays or the Shabbat programs and retreats. A Sunday class is four shekels, so with 27 class sessions, the award can be earned entirely through attendance, and as an example, 13 Sundays covers the minimum requirement.However,knowing that schedules can be tricky for some families, there is a long list of ways to earn shekels. Being a member of Gates of Prayer Gates of Prayer campers at Henry S. Jacobs Camp this summer

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Gates of Prayer in Metairie announced a $1 million initiative to defray the cost of Jewish summer camp for its members.

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 13 community

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Gates of Prayer making $1 million investment in summer camp experiences

The tuition award is available to all congregational members in good standing who achieve participation milestones during the calendar year. All sleepaway camps affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism are eligible, other camps will be decided on a case by case basis. Campers from the New Orleans area generally attend the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in RabbiUtica.

David Gerber said the program came from the idea of treating summer camp like the Birthright Israel trips, so that “regardless of need, every kid who walks through our doors has the opportunity to go to Jew ish summer camp.”

The Gates of Camp Initiative, called GO-Camp, will reduce the cost of sleepaway camp by 50 percent for all qualifying students in the 460-fam ily congregation’s J-FLEx program. The program begins with the summer of J-FLEX2023. is the congregation’s “camp style” experiential education pro gram for pre-Kindergarten through Confirmation.

Gerber said that the expense is a barrier for some people, even with numerous scholarship opportunities in the community.

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Studies have shown that Jewish summer camp is a key indicator of fu ture involvement in the Jewish community. Gerber said they have “higher rates of engagement, understanding of their traditions and support for Israel.”Theinitiative is also structured in a way to encourage regular participa tion in congregational life by the entire family. “For a lot of our families, they are going to spend a lot of time with us, and that’s great.”

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Gerber said it is entirely possible that a family would turn down the award and continue to pay for camp themselves. In that case, the award would remain in the fund and help it grow for future years, or can be designated to another fund in the congregation.

The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life’s Septem ber program will be about “Serving Tzedek: Food Insecurity in America.”

Two speakers from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger will be on the Sept. 8 program, which will be on Zoom at 7 p.m. Central.

ISJL welcomes MAZON for program on food insecurity

Having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah adds 18 shekels, and shekels can be earned by visiting the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience or the Nation al World War II Museum. High Holiday services are three shekels.

Naama Haviv is vice president of community engagement, and Joey Hentzler is program manager for the organization. They will discuss what hunger looks like in America and how it has shifted in the pandemic, along with ways the Southern Jewish community can make a difference.

Parents can also earn shekels through attendance or participation at services, participation in adult education, serving on a committee or membership in the Brotherhood or Sisterhood, but the program does not require parents to earn shekels.

The shekels are tracked by software normally used for customer loyal ty, with a bar code students have either on a card or on their phones in Google Pay or Apple Wallet. Families can already start earning shekels toward next summer.

Future programs include award-winning writer Rabbi Danya Rutten burg, known widely as “The Twitter Rabbi,” discussing her new book “On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in a Unapologetic World,” on Nov.On3.Dec. 15, composer and musician Chava Mirel will lead a pre-Cha nukah musical celebration.

Temple Youth or attending conventions earn shekels. Attending a Shab bat service is two shekels — even attending services at a different congre gation earns a shekel, two if it is a life cycle event.

Gerber said the goal is to “get as many kids to camp as we can.” And be tween having the students engaged at the synagogue during the year and experiencing summer camp, “we have a good chance of having highly engaged families and next generations of good Jews to come.”

The congregation will have a GO-Camp introduction party in the park ing lot on Aug. 27 at 6 p.m., to explain the program. There will be games and inflatables, food and crafts, and the entire community is welcome.

Communities can register for the Zoom for $100 to provide access to the program for all community members, student groups can register for $50. Individuals can also register for $5, and some proceeds from the registration fees will go to MAZON.

As an example, a family with three children showed up for a Shabbat service in July, so each child received points for attendance, and each child also received points because both parents were in attendance.

The funds came from an anonymous donor, and will underwrite the program in perpetuity. The goal is that the fund will grow, especially in years where there are fewer campers, and also attract additional gifts. “I hope that one day we are paying 100 percent and it is truly a birthright,” Gerber said. Like Birthright, GO-Camp is not need-based. Families will still need to apply for other scholarships that they are eligible for, such as the schol arship that covers half the cost of Olim at Jacobs Camp for those in New Orleans. The GO-Camp funds would then cover half of the remaining cost. There is also a Campership award from the Sisterhood and Brother hood that one would still be able to use.

Nathan also served as president of Jewish Family Service and the An ti-Defamation League, and on the boards of various other Jewish orga nizations, including the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and TempleNathan,Sinai.who passed away in 2021 at the age of 86, worked closely with a number of the nonprofits he and his wife, Dotty Gold Nathan, support ed during their lifetimes. Dotty died in 1988. Together, they instilled a strong sense of civic responsibility in their children — Nancy Nathan, Kathryn Nathan, Marcy Nathan, and Courtney Nathan.

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Descended from Jewish immigrants who lived through the Great Depression, Nathan was born and raised in Shreveport. He excelled in public speaking and debate and was the first in his family to go to college, earning a full scholarship to study at Northwestern. He continued his studies at Yale Law School, eventually transferring to Tulane University Law School in his final year to be able to practice in Louisiana and marry the love of his life. Nathan would become a found ing partner of Sessions, Fishman and Nathan, and one of the nation’s leading estate attorneys.

Nathan Family Supporting Foundation opened at JEF with $3 million gift

Nathan loved the practice of law, but equally loved teaching at the Tu lane Law School for more than 40 years. He was widely known for his attention to and care for others, whether young attorneys, clients, friends, or “Maxfamily.valued relationships above all else,” said Carole Neff, Nathan’s protégé, co-author, and partner at Sessions, Fishman and Nathan. “His drive to teach and mentor was also reflected in his philanthropic work and this gift, especially.”

“Being able to carry out Max’s wishes the way he envisioned and to create a supporting foundation that will allow the family name to live on and impact the community he loved is such a special gift and reinforces why JEF exists,” added Garon. Today, the “rainy day” agency he helped start has grown into a state wide organization with over $100 million in assets under management for Jewish and secular fund holders. with a Masters of Sacred Music from the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in good standing of the American Conference of Cantors for 28 years on the executive from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

and

In the eyes of Max’s four daughters, “Above any accomplishments, our father made it a life-long practice to be good to others and pass on what is known to the next generation. Through this supporting foundation, we may support the organizations and causes so close to both of our parents’ hearts, allowing us to continue his legacy of preserving the past while providing for the future.”

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The Jewish Endowment Foun dation of Louisiana announced the establishment of the Nathan Family Supporting Foundation, with a be quest of more than $3 million from the estate of Max Nathan, Jr. The gift from his IRA is also pro viding additional funding to the existing Dotty Gold Nathan Desig nated Fund, also held at JEF.

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“Max was a beloved and dedicat ed member of our community who was responsible for assisting in the founding of JEF and serving as one of its first board presidents,” said Bobby Garon, executive director of JEF. “He was also a brilliant attorney who took great pride in helping families through estate planning and successions. It is not surprising that Max would leave such a generous and intentional gift to JEF, enabling his fam ily to carry on his philanthropic legacy.”

Fielkow to step down as New Orleans Federation CEO at end of year

On Nov. 1, Israel will have its fifth national election in just over three years. One of Israel’s leading economists will be in New Orleans on Sept. 13 to give the big picture of the chasm in Israeli society that has led to this political stalemate.

“I have greatly enjoyed my Federation tenure and believe a very solid foundation has been laid for my successor’s future success,” Fielkow said.

16 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life community

“I’m thankful for the great opportunity to lead this wonderful organi zation the past 5-plus years,” Fielkow said in a message to the community. “Thanks for bringing Susan, me, and our family back to the greatest city in the world, and thanks for allowing me the opportunity to re-connect with my Jewish roots in a very meaningful way.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans announced that CEO Arnie Fielkow will retire at the end of the year, and a search is underway for his successor.

Despite hurricanes and Covid, in addition to a “significant health challenge” in 2018, a lot was accomplished over the past five years. There was an emphasis on building partnerships in the greater New Orleans community, and two new “centers of excellence” were launched — for multicultural affairs and for interfaith families. Outreach to LGBTQ+ members of the community was also made a priority. New revenue streams came from sponsorships and grants, and there were special efforts for hurricane relief, Covid and Ukrainian relief. After Hurricane Ida, the Louisiana Jewish Coalition was established, linking communities statewide.

Fielkow will step down at the end of the calendar year.

Brian Katz, chair of the Federation board, said Fielkow “has truly been a bridge builder in the broadest sense. He has been able to increase the Federation’s impact throughout the communal, philanthropic, business andHereligious communities.”added,“wewillhave a chance to celebrate all of his accomplish ments with the Federation at our Annual Celebration on Dec. 7 at the Audubon Tea Room.” Fielkow came back to New Orleans in 2017 to lead the Federation af ter six years as the executive director of the National Basketball Retired Players Association in Chicago. Before that, he was on the New Orleans City Council, after parting ways with the New Orleans Saints in 2006, where he had been executive vice president since 2000.

Professor Dan Ben-David founded and heads the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research and is a senior faculty member at Tel-Aviv Uni versity. Ben-David was named “Person of the Year” by the Calcalist news paper and was included three times, most recently in 2019, in Haaretz-The Marker newspaper’s list of the 100 most influential people in Israel.

Fielkow has not announced his next chapter, but said “stay tuned as I still have much to give back to a community I love.”

The Federation has also implemented a security program for the community, in cluding the hiring of a full-time community security director and formation of a com munity-wide alert system.

The event will be at 6:45 p.m. at the Uptown Jewish Community Center, and reservations are requested to Michelle Neal at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. There will be a reception by invitation at 6 p.m.

Nola Federation holding discussion about Israel’s upcoming fifth election

In “Israel’s National Challenges Unpacked: What’s at stake as the na tional election approaches,” Ben-David will discuss challenges that are often obscured in the often-outdated discussion about Israel. Shiresh is the Hebrew word for root, and the independent socioeco nomic policy center uses evidence-based analysis to get at the root of Israel’s existential challenges.

The Federation also led the effort to rescind a New Orleans City Council resolution that anti-Israel groups touted as supporting the boycott-Israel movement, and two Israel celebrations in the Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge with Governor John Bel Edwards. The state also passed anti-BDS legislation and held a trade mission to Israel.

A nationwide search has been launched for Fielkow’s successor, with DRG Talent Consulting Experts advising the search committee, Katz said. The search is being chaired by Melinda Mintz and Jonny Lake, with committee members Alan Franco, Josh Force, Rebecca Friedman, Kathy Shepard, Rabbi Bob Loewy and Sarah Schatzmann.

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 17 I N S P I R I N G A C A D E M I C S | J E W I S H V A L U E S | C O M M U N I T Y A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 1 / 2 0 2 2

D R . B R A D P H I L I P S O N | S U S A N G R E E N | O S C A R J . T O L M A S H E A D O F S C H O O L C H A I R B O A R D C H A I R

As JCDS continues to grow and thrive, we are flattered by the attention and accolades we receive in the community. We were honored this year to partner with the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE) for our annual fundraiser, a delightful jazz brunch honoring our past presidents The MSJE is a remarkable museum Though not as physically expansive as some of the other Downtown museums, it manages to outpunch its weight class with the depth and breadth of its exhibits, and it has quickly established itself as a noteworthy attraction and center for scholarship This makes the MSJE a perfect collaborator for JCDS, which garners some of the same admiration Our small (but growing) school continues to prove itself at the forefront of schools in the region. Not only are we, too, a center for scholarship, but the support of our donors is unparalleled when measured by the giving per student, driving our ability to make a Jewish education possible for a broad swath of the Greater New Orleans community What’s more, we have been at the forefront of health protocol development in this second year of the pandemic, with policies designed in close consultation with Ochsner Health System and the Louisiana Department of Health. We continue to work towards the goals laid out in last year ’ s strategic plan, including expanding our reach in the community and preparing for middle school expansion. The School is also in the middle of a rigorous self study process as part of the path towards a prestigious accreditation we hope to achieve in 2023. With all of this talk about the future, however, we don’t want to forget just how wonderful our present truly is. Thank you to all the students, parents, teachers, and supporters who have made the 2021 2022 school year such a resounding success!

When we think about what defines a thriving Jewish community, the first indicator for someone new to town will always be the strength of the area ’ s Jewish institutions For a city of our size, the success of our Jewish institutions is remarkable, and the emergence of JCDS, what was once “the little school that could,” as a thriving, growing institution gaining increased regional and national attention is and should be a major point of pride. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a whole city to raise a village of children, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the support we receive from our community Thank you to all of you who have played a role in our success, and, to those of you who have been thinking of getting involved but haven’t yet reached out, what are you waiting for?

D r . B r a d P h i l i p s o n | O s c a r J . T o l m a s H e a d o f S c h o o l L i z A m o s s | 3 r d & 4 t h G r a d e T e a c h e r P a u l a A p f f e l | 3 r d & 4 t h G r a d e T e a c h e r R a b b i M i c h a e l C o h e n | S c h o o l R a b b i T i f f a n y C o t l a r | D i r e c t o r o f A d v a n c e m e n t T o b y D a v i d | L i b r a r i a n & J e w i s h S t u d i e s T e a c h e r S e r e n a D e u t c h | D i r e c t o r o f A d m i s s i o n s J u d y F r i e d | P r e K & K i n d e r g a r t e n T e a c h e r C a r o l G a r c i a | P r e K & K A s s i s t a n t T e a c h e r L a u r e n G i s c l a i r | M u s i c T e a c h e r & A d m i n . S u p p o r t S r u l y H e l l e r | L i b r a r i a n & J e w i s h S t u d i e s T e a c h e r H e m d a H o c h m a n | H e b r e w T e a c h e r J a n n a J a c k s o n | D i r e c t o r o f B u s i n e s s & O p e r a t i o n s C o a c h P J J o n e s | P E T e a c h e r E l i z a K a s e | 5 t h & 6 t h G r a d e T e a c h e r C a m e r o n L o w r y | 1 s t & 2 n d G r a d e T e a c h e r R a b b i D a v i d P o s t e r n o c k | T o r a h S t u d y C h a v i v a S a n d s | J e w i s h S t u d i e s , H e b r e w , & S T E A M A b b y W e t s m a n | A r t T e a c h e r & A d m i n . S u p p o r t M a r g a r e t W i n s t o n , L P C | S ch o o l C o u n s e l o r M E E T O U R T E A M F A C U L T Y A N D S T A F F B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E S u s a n G r e e n | B o a r d C h a i r R o c h e l l e A d l e r E f f r o n | V i c e C h a i r C a r o l N e w m a n | S e c r e t a r y M a x Z w a i n | T r e a s u r e r J e s s i c a B a c h | M e m b e r a t L a r g e M i c h a e l W a s s e r m a n | M e m b e r a t L a r g e C a r o l e N e f f | I m m e d i a t e P a s t P r e s i d e n t D r . B r a d P h i l i p s o n | O s c a r J . T o l m a s H e a d o f S c h o o l T R U S T E E S B a r r i B r o n s t o n E m i l y D v o r i n R a b b i L e x i E r d h e i m D a n F o r m a n L a u r a F u h r m a n L a u r e n G e r b e r H o w a r d G r e e n A n n H a r r i s J o s h H e s s B a r b a r a K a p l i n s k y L i s a K a t z D a s h k a R . L e h m a n n A d a m M i l l e r W i l l i a m N o r m a n R a b b i J o s h P e r n i c k K a r e n W . R e m e r M a d i l y n S a m u e l s D e b b i e S c h l a c k m a n E i l e e n W a l l e n M i c h a e l W a s s e r m a n P A S T P R E S I D E N T GS R E E N P R E S C H O O L S T A F F A v e r y L o s s | G r e e n P r e s c h o o l D i r e c t o r A l y s e D o w n e y | P e r a c h i m A d r i e n n e F a l g o u t | N i t z a n i m A n n a F e s m i r e | D e v o r i m M a d d y K i r g o | R i m o n i m D e b o r a h M a g e e | R i m o n i m S a b r i n a R o u b i o n | D e v o r i m A m a n d a R u h l m a n | N i t z a n i m A m y S t e r n | N i t z a n i m T a n i a V e l a s c o | E n r i c h m e n t & C l a s s r o o m S u p p o r t

22 August 2022 • The Jewish Newsletter E D W A R D G O T H A R D 2 0 0 8 2 0 1 0 C H A R L E S S T E R N 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 8 R A B B I B O B L O E W Y 1 9 9 8 2 0 0 2 H U G O K A H N 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 5

This spring, we honored the past presidents at our first fundraising event since the start of the pandemic, a Jazz brunch at NOCHI coupled with special access to the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. The custom glass mezuzahs presented to each past president were but small tokens of the incredible debt of gratitude we owe to each and every one of these individuals

Countless people play a role in making a school successful, moving out in concentric circles. Not only do teachers, staff, students, families, board members, and donors play a role, but also the Federation and JCC staff who partner with us, the other community organizations with whom we collaborate, and all of the constituents of these organizations There are the firms we contract with for support on H R , accounting, and technology There are the colleagues at other schools to whom we go for advice. Moving away from center, those concentric circles continue ad infinitum. Moving back to the center, however, one individual stands side by side with the head of School, providing counsel and oversight, a sounding board for the challenges of the present and a watchful eye on the institution’s past and future That person is the Chair of the Board of Trustees, known until a 2020 by law change as the Board President These women and men guided the school from its inception, through Katrina and waning enrollment, to the thriving Jewish Day School we know today and it’s current streak of continuous growth. They fielded late night calls and mediated difficult board decisions. They hired heads of School and gave them the support they needed to be successful and the honest feedback requisite to their growth and the School’s success. They made speeches at School events, advocated for the School in the community, and raised the funds necessary for the School to survive and thrive.

M I C H A E L W A S S E R M A N 2 0 1 6 2 0 1 8 C A R O L E C . N E F F 2 0 1 8 2 0 2 0 L I S K A H N 2 0 1 4 2 0 1 6 D A S H K A R O T H L E H M A N N 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 4 K A R E N W R E M E R 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 2 H O N O R I N G O U R P A S T P R E S I D E N T S

Even the small non Jewish student population of the School (about 15%) provides an important benefit to the Jewish community In exchange for an outstanding education that teaches shared values, those students and their parents become allies and supporters of the Jewish faith, advocating on our behalf with others and supporting our work in the community. A vibrant Jewish Day School makes a statement about the strength of Judaism in New Orleans, making the city more appealing to those considering a move here.

Perhaps most of all, your support for JCDS perpetuates something Jews have been doing for one another for millennia: You are sending the message to Jews everywhere that they have a home here in New Orleans, that we are a place that will take them in and care for them for no reason other than that they are one of us. You are telling Jewish parents that you care about and love their children as they do, because a Jewish child is a child of all of the Jewish people, is a part of a community that encompasses all who came before us, all who are here now, and all who have yet to arrive This acceptance helps define who we are as a people, and Jewish Community Day School is honored by its place in a thriving Jewish New Orleans.

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 23 C A S E F O R S U P P O R T

Support for JCDS helps us keep up with the latest in educational technology, curriculum, and field trips, as well as allowing us to provide need based aid to families who cannot otherwise afford the full cost of tuition.

Jewish Community Day School of Greater New Orleans (JCDS) is the only pluralistic Jewish Day School in the region, providing a strong secular and Jewish education in a setting that celebrates all of the major streams of Judaism. In its effort to make a Day School education affordable to as many Jews as possible, community support and grants provide for more than 40% of the expenses of the school, subsidizing the cost of tuition and keeping the School accessible to families. These acts of loving kindness by our community perpetuate the Jewish life of New Orleans and increase the likelihood that the students who benefit will go on to lead enriching, Jewish lives.

Children who attend Jewish Day Schools are more likely than their peers to lead a Jewish life as an adult. In turn, they are more likely to support our synagogues and the Jewish nonprofits in the future, perpetuating the importance of Jewish institutions in our lives.

For more than twenty five years, JCDS has been an important part of our city’s educational landscape, and its recent growth has expanded its profile even further. In economic terms, the benefits of JCDS to the larger community would be classified as “positive externalities.” What this means is that the benefits are felt not only by the students, but by the rest of our community as well. To wit:

355 GIFTS Annual Campaign Efforts | Individual donors (spreading from our own community across the entire country) support the Day School and its mission throughout the year, including the Annual Event, GiveNOLA, and general donations. Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans | Support includes monthly allocations and targeted grant funding. Endowment | Distributions from the Charles Zucker Fund and the Susan and Howard Green Fund support school operations and scholarship funds for those who otherwise would not be able to attend JCDS. Designated Funds | JCDS receives annual draws from several funds administered by the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana. G r a n t s | J e w i s h C o m m u n i t y D a y S c h o o l r e c e i v e s g r a n t m o n i e s f r o m s e v e r a l s o u r c e s . T u i t i o n | W i t h e n r o l l m e n t a t a r e c o r d h i g h , t u i t i o n r e v e n u e i s a t a r e c o r d h i g h . Jewish Community Day School is thrilled to report that the year 2021 2022 was a financial success! The following categories played a significant role in JCDS achieving its highest revenue total in our organization's history, as is appropriate for our record growth. 210% 37 DONORS $124,110 B Y T H E N U M B E R S 2 0 2 2 H I G H L I G H T 2S 0 2 2 H I G H L I G H T S of 2021/2022 donors were NEW! $386,517 in JCDS Board of Trustees' gifts raised for this year ' s Annual Campaign fundraiser, a Jazz brunch at NOCHI honoring the JCDS Past Presidents. $340,000 $3,275Average gift size of in grants

JCDS enrollment has reached new milestones in recent years as we continue to grow Green Preschool and PK 6 divisions In the 2021 2022 school year, our enrollment reached the mark of 100 enrolled students. Enrollment 100

M E N T | R E T E N T I O N | E N R O L L M E N T 100 STUDENTS INFANTS T8 O TH GRADE Inspiring Academics Jewish Values COMMUNITY

We are

When new students start at JCDS, including students starting as young as infants in Green Preschool and as far along as fifth grade, they will have the option to continue all the way through eighth grade.

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We are proud of our first class of Green Preschool graduates, our Rimonim students

Over the past year, brought back crowd favorite events such as the annual JCDS Family Fun Fest, and we continued to innovate with virtual, hybrid, and in

Funneling Students from Green Preschool to Prekindergarten C R U I T

This past year was the first time that our own preschool was a funnel for the incoming 2022 2023 prekindergarten class. This upcoming fall, we will have a prekindergarten of 13 students.

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Successful events with Shir Chadash included a Beignet Food Truck for Chanukah and a joint Purim Fun Run program Through the generosity of the Greens and the Wassermans, JCDS co sponsored a kids area at GatesFest and brought families and volunteers to the music festival down the street. always excited to work with other Jewish community organizations and hope to continue more collaboration in the future!

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person events We also found new ways to engage with our Metairie neighbors: Community Engagement Success TUITION 55% ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 25% PRIVATE UNRESTRICTED GRANT 9% RESTRICTED/UNRESTRICTED GRANTS 7% JEWISH FEDERATION ALLOCATIONS 3% ENDOWMENT DISTRIBUTIONS 1% CURRICULUM & FACULTY 87% OCCUPANCY 6% ADMINISTRATION 4% MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT 3% REVENUE TOTAL $1,807,878 EXPENSE TOTAL $1,752,706 Coming Soon!

30 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 2 0 2 1 2 0 2 2 T H E C O L O R F U L Y E A R O F J C D S I A M F O R M Y B E L O V E D , A N D M Y B E L O V E D I S F O R M E . K I N G S O L O M O N , S O N G O F S O N G S , 2 : 1 6 A B L E S S I N G O N Y O U R H E A D , M A Z E L T O V , M A Z E L T O V The naches that comes from seeing those you love find happiness is unparalleled. When we see these pictures of JCDS alumni wedding their beshert, we are overcome with joy and pride at the happiness they have found and the wonderful life ahead of them

mazels

months (L R):

Many, many to the following JCDS alumni who had weddings during the last twelve Sally Bronston and Michael Katz, Sarah Fuhrman and Michael Harris, Jodie Goldberg and Edwin Partovi, Nick May and Taylor Kreinces, Geoffrey Samuels and Anna Rose Kline. Mazel tov!!!

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 31

32 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life STOCK SALE | Contact Morgan Stanley at 504.587.9645 BY PHONE | Call us at JCDS! Contact Tiffany Cotlar (Director of Advancement): 504.887.4091 IN-PERSON | Stop by! We would love to thank you in person. VENMO | @JCDS-School SCAN QR CODE FOR ONLINE GIVING | Students become inquiring, capable youth who are passionate lifelong learners. Teachers are dedicated to best educational practices Families are engaged in their children’s academic achievement and holistic development Ethics and morals of our students are nurtured through commitment to Jewish values. Positive connections to the language, land, culture and people of the State of Israel are created. Children are primed for full participation in our global society At JCDS we ensure that: JCDS Mission Statement The mission of Jewish Community Day School (JCDS) is to instill a love of learning invigorated by academic excellence JCDS is grounded in Jewish tradition, fostering spirituality (emunah), dedication to repair our world (tikkun olam), and commitment to the entire Jewish people (k’lal Yisrael). JCDS is a nurturing school where families of all backgrounds are welcomed and children are prepared to be engaged compassionate leaders Mark Amoss Barbara Beerman Adam Drew Cherny Maria Dolores Joseph Baptiste Dugas, Jr. Joyce Blotner Fertel Miles Friedlander Brian Friedman W I T H D E E P E S T G R A T I T U D E I N Y O U R B L E S S E D M E M O R Y George Haas Alan Jacobs Ann Scott Zivitz Kimball Kientz Carol Levy Frieda Lor Gloria Newman Alan Philipson Harold Pollin Sarah Ames Rabin Leon Hirsch Rittenberg, Jr Will Samuels Annette Smason Sylvan Steinberg Richard B Stone Beverly Smith Wainer Arieh Zarum 3747 West Esplanade Avenue | Metairie, Louisiana 70002 Larry Brook, Editor at Southern Jewish Life Magazine Rochelle Adler Effron Vivian and Richard Cahn The Franco Family Susan and Howard Green Jewish Community Center of Metairie JCDS Board and Faculty The JCDS Past Presidents Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans Lis and Hugo Kahn Legacy Heritage Fund Carole Neff Our Community Rabbis Michael Wasserman Parents' Association President Lauren Gerber and the entire JCDS Parents Association S U P P O R T A thriving Jewish day school is key to a vibrant Jewish community. Please support JCDS with a tax-deductible charitable gift.

By Richard Friedman

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 33

Wilker also noted that more than half of the young Americans surveyed — about 54 percent — “believe that Israel is important to their Jew ish identity.” AJC’s findings, he said, “counter the anti-Israel narrative that younger Jews are falling away from Israel. In my opinion, the

The AJC study provides some answers, as do conversations with staff at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Birmingham Jewish Federation who are involved in their Federations’ outreach to and engagement of Jewish Millennials.

Having watched the new film “Image of Vic tory,” the true story of one of the most gripping battles of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, I can’t get the movie out of my mind as I reflect on a recent American Jewish Committee study on the attachment today’s American Jewish Mil lennials have to Israel. In the film, most of the young Jewish defend ers featured so powerfully are the same age of those whom we today call Millennials. They were from an array of backgrounds and expe riences who, just as their adult lives were be ginning, were called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Israel’s rebirth as a modern Jewish state.

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The AJC study defined Millennials as those between the ages of 25-40. Key findings suggest that significant majori ties of American Jewish millennials say it is im portant that the American Jewish community and Israel maintain close ties, with 72 percent in agreement, and 48 percent saying it is very important.Seventypercent of millennial American Jews think a strong State of Israel is necessary for the survival of the Jewish people, and 81 percent think a strong Jewish community outside of Is rael is Reflectingnecessary.on the study, AJC’s Atlanta-based regional director for the Southeast, Dov Wilk er, said, “First and most important to me is that Millennial Jews both in America and Israel think that a strong state of Israel is important for the survival of the Jewish people.” The study also surveyed Israeli Millennials.

Keeping MillennialsJewishConnected

For me, what links the Millennials of today with their age-counterparts from that era are questions many have asked about the depth of ties they have to Israel. And beyond that, what are the implications — especially as political at tacks against the Jewish state mount and Iran, the terror groups it supports and other hostile countries still dream of destroying the world’s only majority-Jewish country.

Newcomb has worked for the BJF for seven years. Before that, she worked for the Memphis Jewish Federation. Born in Moldova, she and her family immigrated to Birmingham in the early 1990s with assistance from the BJF and agencies it funds. Lately, she has seen a significant uptick in young families becoming interested in taking family trips to Israel. “While what goes on in Israel is not something we discuss day to day, it is telling that I am seeing more families wanting to go to Israel and experi ence it together. Also I think there is a desire to learn more about the country.”

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Florina Newcomb is the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s Senior Di rector of Engagement. Through her work and social relationships, New comb, 38, constantly engages with Jewish Millennials, many of whom are her“Ipeers.personally agree with a lot of the findings,” Newcomb said. “I think the state of Israel is necessary for the Jewish people. I agree personally with all the majority viewpoints. Professionally, I like what this study is saying — that a significant number of Millennial Jews feel an attachment to Israel. There have been other reports over the past few years that have painted a different picture, so I am glad that the attachment among a sizable portion of Millennials is strong.”

“Given the parallel time frame between heightened interest in Israel among Millenni als and the growth in antisemitism, which is something that is now real in our lives, I as sume there is a connection. Suddenly you are singled out and begin to realize more deeply the importance of having a strong Israel to which Jews can move to if need be.”

Wilker also suggested the survey results reflect the emergence of Israel as a world leader in areas such as high tech and social issues, things that appeal to Millennials.

Newcomb also believes that connecting with Israel, especially at times of Jewish un certainty, provides comfort, and creates a broader collective that can strengthen each Jew psychologically. “Connecting with Israel reminds us that ‘we are all in this together.’ When your religion is attacked you seek com fort within your group.” Through her work and on a personal lev el, as a younger member of the Birmingham Jewish community, Newcomb still would like Florina

Necessary for Jews

34 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

Newcomb thinks that the well-document ed increase in antisemitism that has taken hold recently is also playing a role in awaken ing and reawakening interest in Israel among Millennials, many of whom went to Israel on Birthright trips when they were younger.

community overall majority of young Jews believe in the state of Israel as a Jewish state.”This, he believes, “reflects the effort that the organized Jewish commu nity has put on creating connections with Israel, a direct reflection of the success of Birthright and the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

Different Ways When asked what the Jewish community should do with the study’s findings, Wilker said “We continue to de velop initiatives and programs that engage young Amer ican Jews. We need to build on what has been successful; to consider the different ways we can be successful.”

At the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, 34-year-old Amanda Loflin serves as the director of Next Gen and Mentorship, engaging Jewish young adults. She’s been in her job just five months and moved to New Orle ans only two months ago. She is passionate about the importance of Israel in Jewish life, though frustrated at times because she has en countered Jewish peers, both in New Orleans and elsewhere, who have distanced themselves from the Jewish state. She thinks the way the media portrays the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has deterred more people from becoming involved, she said — “partic ularly those younger Jews see the Israeli-Palestinian issue as a human rights issue in a way that disadvantages Israel.” community

attacked‘wereminds“ConnectingwithIsraelusthatareallinthistogether.’Whenyourreligionisyouseekcomfortwithinyourgroup.”

However, based on the AJC study, as well as her own work, she believes such Jews are in the minority. Yet it frustrates Loflin nonetheless. The backbone of her job is outreach and, as she noted, in smaller Southern communities, such as New Orleans and Birmingham, every Jew is im portant.“Idefinitely think that the programs the Federation puts on and na tional programs such as Birthright are important. These programs generate excitement and people who have been on trips to Israel tend to have different and better informed views than those who haven’t been.”

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 35 to see more offerings that connect people to Israel. “I want to make sure that peers my age and their families continue to stay connected to Juda ism which I think will help them stay connected to Israel — I feel that Judaism and Israel are intertwined.” She speculates there may be one other factor influencing the study’s re sults, something she can especially appreciate given her family’s decision to leave Moldova in the early 1990s. “We are living at a time of great political instability and tension, at home and abroad. Anyone who knows Jewish history knows that in the past such times have resulted in problems for Jews. All of this is in the back of my mind personally and I am sure others are thinking the same way.”

Generating Excitement

For today’s Millennials, the young heroes who defend ed Israel in 1948, such as those portrayed in the film, “Image of Victory,” were part of their grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ era. Their heroism and sacrifices live on, though as the decades unfold those daunting times may become less remembered.Nonetheless, it is they who bequeathed Israel to today’s Millennials -— and to the Jewish people in general. Protecting that legacy and sustaining those bonds is serious and sacred work, and the AJC study not only pro vides insight, but it also illuminates opportunities.

36 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life community 6 0 5 M E T A I R I E R D M E T A I R I E , L A 7 0 0 0 5 5 0 4 3 0 9 8 7 7 8 | @ H E M L I N E M E T A I R I E

He succeeds longtime Regional Director Allison Padilla-Goodman, who is now the vice president of the ADL’s Southern division, which manages five regional offices across the South.

Eytan Davidson’s professional life has been about building healthy communi ties. He will be taking that experience with him in his new position as Southeast regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, based out of Atlanta. The grandson of Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe, Davidson had been working in the gen eral community, but said the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh “really galvanized me” to focus on fighting antisemitism and hate. He increased his volunteer in volvement in the Jewish community, and “when I saw this position was available, it made all the sense in the world that this is where I need to be spending my time, and I feel very honored to do so.”

The Southeast region consists of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina andOriginallyTennessee.from New York, Davidson was most recently vice president for communications and policy at Purpose Built Communities, counsel ing outstanding leaders in dozens of neighborhoods across the country focused on breaking the cycle of intergenerational urban poverty. He also worked as communications director for Atlanta Beltline, and started his career as a campaign staffer for Michael Bloomberg, and then worked in his mayoral administration for five years.

Even ADL’s mainstream decades-old No Place for Hate anti-bias curriculum for schools has been receiving increased scrutiny by those alarmed about some teachings connected to Critical Race Theory, and because of that are suspicious of any anti-bias training.

“We have been in a very difficult atmosphere for quite a few years,” he said. “It will continue to be hard for some time to come,” but that means “we have to double down on our work, on educating and fighting antisemitism and hate where we see it, and creating that environment of mutual respect and dialogue, listening to people and looking out for people.”Thekey is to continue building relationships. “We have to keep at it, we have to keep showing up, we have to keep the relationship going and we have to get past these difficult moments,” Davidson said. “The controver sy of the day will change over time, what you can do consistently is show

Davidson new head of ADL’s Atlanta office Eytan Davidson

“I am thrilled to bring Eytan to our team and to entrust this region’s important work to his great leadership,” Padilla-Goodman said. “Eytan is a strong, community-rooted leader who will lead the Southeast in fight ing hatred and bigotry in a crucial time.”

Davidson served as the first vice president of the Jewish Communi ty Relations Council of Atlanta and was a Frank Fellow with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs from 2019 to 2020. He previously served on the boards of Jewish Kids Groups, the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, and Limmud Atlanta + Southeast. He also participated in the ADL’s Glass Leadership Institute in 2013 to 2014.

“The work of ADL is more vital and relevant than it has ever been in my lifetime and it is an honor to join the team,” Davidson said. He acknowledged that it is a challenging time, with the recent rise in antisemitism and controversies involving the ADL, such as last year’s controversy over ADL instruction in the Mountain Brook school system, which was painted as extremist by opponents.

Concert Against Hate honors two New Orleans leaders

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 37 Michele Karno Varon & Jeff Varon, Owners Mobility City of Greater New Orleans 3501 Severn Ave., Suite 3B/C, Metairie, LA 70002 (504) 584-8780 www.neworleansla.mobilitycity.com We help people maintain their independence and improve their quality of life. HospitalLiftWalkersRollatorsPowerMobilityWheelchairsWeRepair?NeedComeToYou!ScootersChairs&OutReclinersBeds We Repair, Rent & Sell:up and maintain relationships.” He said sometimes “it can feel like pushing Jello up a hill,” but per sistence and consistency “is the only way we are going to make progress.”

community Swin Cash Will Snowden

Padilla-Goodman added, “We have important work to do to ensure the future of Democracy, the rooting out of hatred and extremism, and the building of communities of allies and advocates moving forward — and Eytan is a key leader in helping us get there.”

The South Central region of the Anti-Defamation League is holding its second “annual” In Concert Against Hate, Sept. 29 at the New Orleans Jazz Market. After the first concert, there was a two-year hiatus due to Covid.The event will recognize Swin Cash and Will Snowden as community leaders in the fight against hate, extremism and intoler ance.Cash is vice president of basketball oper ations and team development for the New Orleans Pelicans. After playing for two national champion ship teams at the University of Connecticut, and being named most outstanding player at the 2002 Final Four, Cash was drafted second overall by the Detroit Shock. She played over 500 games in the WNBA over 15 years, winning three championships and being named an All-Star four times. She also was on two gold medal winning teams in the Olympics, and was named one of the WNBA’s 20 best and most influential players.She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, and in September she will be inducted into the Na ismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Cash is the founder of Cash Building Blocks, an urban development company that renovates and offers affordable homes for low income families; the Cash for Kids Charity, whose mission is to motivate, ed ucate and elevate kids through physical fitness, nutrition, education, cultural trips, and sports camps. She has also worked extensively with the NBA as a global ambassador for social responsibility and NBA Cares.

The South Central office covers Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.

Tickets are $100 in advance, $125 at the door. Sponsor levels start at $300 and go to $25,000. A VIP reception for those at the $2500 level and above will begin at 6:15 p.m., and doors for general admission open at 7 p.m.

Snowden is the Louisiana director of the Vera Institute of Justice. Based in Brooklyn, the institute brings researchers, organizers and government officials together to find evidence-based solutions to end mass incarcera tion, and takes successful initiatives nationwide. Snowden works on part nerships in the region to improve criminal justice systems in the South. Before joining Vera, he was a public defender for five years, and launched The Juror Project, to improve the diversity of jury panels and change people’s perspective of jury duty. Snowden leads workshops around the nation, showing how implicit bias, racial anxiety and stereotypes influence outcomes in the legal system.

Through a partnership with Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell, former Senator Doug Jones and the late, great John Lewis, they per formed “Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963.” The ASF-produced pro duction centers on the four girls who were victims in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.

By Lee J. Green With a focus on “transformative theatre,” the Alabama Shakespeare Festival announced its 51st season, including the classic “Cabaret,” the Tony-nominated “Clyde’s” and the Memphis-based musical “Million Dollar“ThereQuartet.”iscertainly something for everyone in our 2022-23 season,” said ASF Artistic Director Rick Dildine. “All of our shows fit our focus of transformative theatre. Everyone has the capacity for transformation, and each of these stories speaks to an aspect of change.”

The ASF closes the season with the classic “Cabaret.” Winner of eight Tony Awards in 1967, “Cabaret” takes viewers back to 1929 Berlin during the twilight of the Jazz Age as the Nazis are ascending to power.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival announces 2022-23 season

Creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incar cerated kitchen staff of “Clyde’s,” a truck stop café. This play from two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage, through heart and humor, shows that sometimes a hero is more than a sandwich. The Tony-nominated Broad way hit will be produced in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative.

“Our production will be a very immersive experience,” said Dildine. “We’re putting (Kit Kat Klub) café tables in the audience and this is the first time we have done this classic. It goes with our focus to present new shows and classic shows in a way that is very much our own.”

Then “Million Dollar Quartet” rocks the ASF April 13 to May 7. On Dec. 4, 1956, a twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins to Sun Records in Memphis. “Million Dollar Quartet” is a celebration of the thrilling sound and excitement that came from this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Dildine said they have also begun the first major renovation of its Montgomery campus since 1985, including refreshed surfaces, a new gift shop, lounge and HVAC system.

The 2022-23 season kicks off from Dec. 1 to 31 with “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” This is a whimsical take on the classic holiday story. “It’s being done as a live 1940s radio broadcast with our ensemble brining a few dozen characters to the stage. We’re transforming a classic into a live radio play,” said Dildine. Then the inspiring story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers hits the stage Jan 5 to 29 with “Jubilee.” Playwright and director Tazewell Thompson brings an innovative and heart-stirring score to life with this a cappella tribute in spired by real life. The world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers shattered racial barriers in the U.S. and abroad, entertaining kings, queens and dignitaries.

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“The Tempest,” from Feb. 23 to March 9, was William Shakespeare’s final play. It is a story of adventure, music, magic and forgiveness. Prospero has been exiled on an island with his daughter for more than a decade when he conjures a storm that crashes his enemies on the island in a violent ship wreck. Dildine directs and ASF alumnus Greta Lambert stars as Prospero.

Dildine came to the ASF from St. Louis, where he served as an artistic director of the Shakespeare Festival there. He said his main goals were to diversify the theatre; expand educational partnerships and extending the geographic reach of the theatre.

Dildine said they will soon announce schedules for the Southern Writ er’s Festival, which has served to help more than 100 new works to get published since its inception in 1991.

38 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

“The Southern Writer’s Festival developed ‘Gee’s Bend’ and ‘Alabama Sto ry’,” he said. “Today both of these productions are playing around the world.” community

them as pawns in the conflict and keeping them stateless so they can be an embittered weapon to use in their fight to destroy Israel. Even better, when they resort to violence, they can claim it is justified and moral because of what Israel “did” to them. And they get cheered on by the likes of the Presbyterian Church (USA).Tobe fair, the ethnic cleansing of Jews is alluded to, but not in the way a responsible organization would be expected to do. In its claim that Israel keeps taking Palestinian property, they note that in 1967, the population of eastern Jerusalem was almost entirely Palestinian, and now there are “approximately 190,000 Jewish settlers” in Jerusa lem’s Old City and surrounding neighborhoods. How terrible. Well, about that lack of Jews in 1967… Jerusalem was majority Jewish going back to the 19th century, and in 1948 Jerusalem was two-thirds Jewish. But when Jordan captured “eastern Jerusalem,” a designation that had never existed before, and its Jewish holy sites, all the Jews were kicked out. So of course in 1967, when Israel re-captured it, it was “almost entirely Palestinian” — because of ethnic cleansing. But that doesn’t seem to bother the church, when it comes to cleansing Jews.

Never Again The cherry on top of this rancid cake is in the resolution “On Recog nition That Israel’s Laws, Policies, and Practices Constitute Apartheid Against the Palestinian People,” which passed 266-116. The resolution invokes how after the Holocaust, “Jews around the world said ‘never again’.”

The church then takes that lesson from the attempted elimina tion of the Jewish people and turns it against the Jews. The church is speaking out against Israel because Christians “vowed that never again would they be silent if a government passed laws establishing and maintaining the domination by one ethnic group over another ethnic group through systematic separation, oppression, and denial of basic human rights. Silence in the face of evil was wrong then, and it is wrong now.”

The chutzpah and gaslighting are breathtaking. The lies and hyperbolic statements in the text are numerous. They rely entirely on extreme anti-Israel groups for their misinfor mation, and reference the debunked recent reports on “Israeli apart heid” by groups with a long one-sided track record of being hostile to Israel, thus giving them an undeserved legitimacy. They use Richard Falk’s definition of apartheid — Falk is one of the more extreme anti-Is rael voices out there, who twisted the definition to fit what he claims Israel is doing. They even use the long-debunked “Palestinian loss of land” series of maps from 1946 to 2000, which purport to show how “Palestine” has been gradually taken away from the Palestinians by Israel, starting with the completely false notion that the Palestinians owned about 97 percent of the land in 1946. Invoking the Holocaust to criticize Israel is no accident. They know full well that the best way to inflict the deepest psychological dam age on the Jewish community is to compare it to Nazi Germany. It is a deliberate, provocative act designed to insult, while desecrating and

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commentary >> Presbyterian continued from page 4

Traditions

of blatant hypocrisy, the church, which has voted in the past to support the Boycott, Divest and Sanction move ment that seeks to isolate Israel and destroy it economically, passed a resolution against international sanctions — saying they are not only ineffective, they mainly harm innocent civilians. Of course, the examples they bemoan are sanctions against the upstanding regimes of Iran, Venezuela, Afghanistan and North Korea (and to add racism to the mix, they mention that it’s the white United States imposing sanctions mainly on nations of color). The resolution does not mention sanctions against Israel. But they have an out — the resolution calls on the church to “deter mine that said sanctions do not cause undue harm to civilian popula tions, and to withdraw support from any sanctions regime that does not meet this standard.” So either they consider sanctions against Is rael to not be harming civilians, or they don’t care whether sanctions cause harm against Israelis — even though BDS actions usually cause much more harm to the Palestinian workers that they supposedly are concerned about. Moving forward?

The default setting for the Jewish community is dialogue. Having so many groups who have hated us through the centuries, and eager to keep lines of communication open, it now takes a lot before we think that a relationship has become impossible, that a group is too far gone — such as the Klan, neo-Nazis, Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam. It is abundantly clear that when it comes to the Presbyterian Church (USA), that ship has also sailed, and the Jewish community needs to disengage completely.

The same individual, after the July vote, said the denomination is committed to continuing dialogue with interfaith partners and com bating antisemitism, and “we are convinced that there is a funda mental difference between antisemitism and the right to critique the policies of Israel deemed illegal under international law.” This comes at the end of a statement justifying the resolutions by citing a litany exclusively of far-left anti-Israel voices and repeating numerous lies about Israel and Israeli policy.

But hey, after the lengthy anti-Israel litany, to appear even-handed, there’s an obligatory statement that “The PC(USA) strongly supports Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign nation within secure and interna tionally recognized borders” (oh, sure), a brief acknowledgement that terrorism and Hamas rockets are bad, and a repudiation of “all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.” So we’re good, right? Well, no. Define antisemitism. The church is more than happy to help — their Racial Equity Advocacy Committee recommended re placing the term antisemitism with “anti-Jewish” because antisemitism “encompasses other people groups in addition to our Jewish siblings.”

It isn’t as if the Jewish world hasn’t tried to dialogue. The 2006 PC(U SA) biennial, held in Birmingham and which I attended, was regarded as a major battleground over a series of anti-Israel resolutions, with months of arguing beforehand. That debate took a huge proportion of the convention’s schedule. Through extensive outreach and dialogue, and with the effort of some more mainstream Presbyteries, especially from Mississippi and Alabama, the more extreme elements were taken out. The finished product was by no means supportive of Israel, but it was somewhat more evenhanded.

40 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life

On the local level, there are longstanding ties between synagogues and PC(USA) churches, and many of the churches would be appalled at what is being said in their name.

Presbyterians for Middle East Peace is fighting the good fight. The Philos Action League, Pathways for Peace, Combat Antisemitism Movement and the Anti-Defamation League demonstrated outside the PC(USA) headquarters in Louisville as the committee vote was tak en in late June.

The church leadership has made it clear that while it claims to have an open door, it really has no interest in honest dialogue about Israel. There is legitimate criticism of Israel, and then there is what the Presby terian Church (USA) does. It goes out of its way to insult and denigrate the Jewish community, while paying lip service to opposing antisem itism (or whatever they are calling it) and while bearing false witness against Israel.

Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor

The church is slapping the Jewish community in the face, then de manding that we turn the other cheek so they can slap it, too.

But on the national level, what do we expect when the Stated Clerk of the church gives a speech on Martin Luther King Day equating Isra el’s treatment of the Palestinians to slavery, and telling the American Jewish community to use its influence over the U.S. government to change that, a clear antisemitic trope?

It’s the old “Palestinians can’t be antisemitic because they are Semites too” argument that ignores the term’s history — and the particularity of InJew-hatred.anotherexample

Similar resolutions have come up at every biennial since then, lead ing to 2022, where despite the engagement over the last two decades, the resolutions have become more extreme and the pushback within the denomination almost nonexistent — and most members in the pews have little or no awareness that this is going on.

commentary minimizing the memory of the six million. It also falls under the inter national working definition of antisemitism.

Some kind of friend you turned out to be.

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They have sent a clear message that they are not and do not wish to be our friends. It is high time that we listen to them, take their message seriously and treat the Presbyterian Church (USA) accordingly. We are a proud people. We are a confident people. We are a people who fight for what is moral and just. We know truth is on our side. We do not need to demean ourselves and grovel for a meaningless sign of acceptance that they are not willing to give. It is time to admit that, unless there is a huge change from within, the Presbyterian Church (USA) on a national level has become a hostile entity and has gone full-blown antisemitic, and it is time for us to walk away.

The exhibit will be organized into six sections by theme: “Human Rights and Their Collapse,” “The Rights of Global Ref ugees,” “The Right to Resist,” “The Rights of Nationhood,” “The Right to Expose: Executioners at Work,” and “The Right to America.”Visitors will be able to see the entire Szyk collection digitally, and have the op portunity to use an interactive work station to repurpose elements of his pieces and create new cartoons, which will then be published online.

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“In Real Times: is curated by Frances co Spagnolo of the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the University of California, Berkeley. The acquisition of the Taube Family Arthur Szyk Collection in 2017 and research for this exhibition were made possible by a gift from Taube Philan thropies.Theexhibit will showcase more than 50 of his original works from the collection’s 450 pieces, focusing on humanitarian is sues that were being dealt with at the time and still resonate today.

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The National World War II Museum in New Orleans is hosting an exhibit by illustrator and political cartoonist Arthur Szyk, “In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Art and Human Rights,” from Sept. 1 to May 7. An opening reception will be held on Sept. 1, in person and virtually. There will be a reception at 5:30 p.m. and a program at 6:30 p.m. Reserva tions are encouraged but not required.

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Born into a middle-class Jewish family in turn-of-the-century Poland, Szyk led a life shaped by two world wars and dominated by the collapse of democracies and rise of totalitarian ism in Europe. Szyk was a refugee who settled in the United States in 1940. As an artist, he became renowned for his caricatures and political cartoons, throughout which he displayed a broad concern for human rights. The artist fearlessly ridiculed dictators, exposed Nazi genocide, supported the Polish resistance, and criticized the Ku Klux Klan and civil rights violations in America. Many of his works appeared on the covers of America’s most popular magazines during World War II. Throughout his artwork, he paired his com mentary on human rights issues with motifs drawn from religion, history, politics, and culture.

“Also, with the best true-crime reporting, one key faith com ponent is rachmones, a Yiddish term for compassion,” he added. For him, his Jewish faith re mains a time-tested compass as he goes about his work. “On the road, as I research a murder, of ten alone, my Judaism grounds me — no matter how horrific the mayhem. When these reporting trips stretch over weekends, I try to find synagogues to attend Shabbat services, often in small congregations from Montgomery to Rapid City, S.D.”Pinsky’s journalism career has been diverse. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and was a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times and reli gion writer for the Orlando Sentinel. His stint in Orlando led him to write another book, “A Jew Among the Evangelicals: A Guide for the Perplexed.” Promoting the book in 2006, the publishing company wrote it “takes the curious reader on a tour of the fascinating world of Sun Belt evangel icalism. Pinsky, religion reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, uses his unique position as a Jew cov ering evangelical Christianity to help non-evan gelicals understand the hopes, fears, and moti vations of this growing subculture and breaks down some of the stereotypes of evangelicalism.”

42 August 2022 •

Pinsky’s latest book, “Drifting Into Dark ness: Murder, Madness, Suicide and a Death ‘Under Suspicious Circumstances’,” is anchored in Montgomery. The focus is the brutal 2004 murders of Montgomery socialites Charlotte and Brent Springford, Sr. by their troubled son, Brent Jr. Even though you know who did it from the outset, Pinsky, with his penchant for probing and his narrative talents, turns it more into a “whodunnit.” He delves into a dark and unre solved theory of the case: That the younger Springford was manipulated into murdering his parents by a mysterious older woman who controlled his ac tions and mind.

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While “Drifting into Darkness” is Pinsky’s lat est book, it is not his first about an unresolved Southern murder. “Met Her on the Mountain: The Murder of Nancy Morgan,” released in 2013 and recently reissued in an updated paper back by the University Press of Kentucky, tells the story of a young VISTA worker in western North Carolina, who was brutally murdered in 1970 while Pinsky was a student journalist at DukePinskyUniversity.takesyou deep into North Carolina mountain culture as he recounts and further investigates the events surrounding the young woman’s death.

In short, he’s a very interesting guy.

By Richard Friedman Mark Pinsky is a guy who’s chosen a path rarelyHe’staken. merged his fascination with brutal crimes with his considerable investigative jour nalism skills, infusing it all with a lifelong love for Judaism and Israel as he’s lived a life of ad venture and achievement.

The journalist/author sees his Judaism as be ing integral to his true-crime writing. He wrote about this linkage for Religion News Service, saying “my tangled tales of murders, madness and suicide have usually served the spirit behind the verse from Deuteronomy that fronts my lat est book: ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue’.”

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It’s a book worth reading. Not only is it gripping, Pinsky tells the story through exhaustive research, a page-turning cadence and a free-of-fluff style. “Drifting into Dark ness” will likely stay in your mind for weeks after finishing it, especially because so much of the story takes place in Montgomery. The book was published by Montgom ery-based NewSouth Books. The publishing company, featured recently in Southern Jewish Life because of its Jewish offerings, was recently acquired by the University of Georgia Press.

Pinsky, now 75, speaks from his Durham home with obvious pride in what he’s achieved. Yet there is a hunger for the next big story, and a healthy restlessness about life that is uniquely Jewish. These ingredients keep him going while, in his words, he “keeps one eye on the clock.”

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Time-Tested Compass So, what’s Jewish about all this? Pinsky, who now lives in Durham, N.C., grew up in a strong Jewish home in Pennsauken

Township, N.J., where he was a United Syna gogue Youth leader and regional president. He volunteered in Israel in the days following the 1967 Six Day War, an experience he has written about in Moment magazine. In his latest book, he mentions attending synagogue in South Da kota as his research journey takes him there, and to Colorado and Wyoming.

Yes, I want to help keep our communities connected through Southern Jewish Life Online: www.supportSJL.com or call 888.613.YALL (9255) Please Indicate Your Support Level r $10000 SuperMensch r $5000 Publisher r $1800 Editorial Circle r $1000 Reporters r $500 Columnists r $360 Headliners r I want this to be anonymous As you want to be acknowledged in our alphabetical supporter listings r I am interested in partnering with Southern Jewish Life to develop marketing strategies to grow my business! r Check Enclosed r Credit Card: We can process Mastercard, Visa, Amex and Discover Card ExpiresNumber CVV (4 digit for Amex) Card Billing Zip Feel free to call us or use supportSJL.com for card payments r Monthly Supporter: Please Charge My Card $________ Monthly r $180 Correspondents r $100 Typesetters r $54 Friend of SJL r $25 Voluntary Subscriber r $ Other Well-informed communities are stronger communities Help Strengthen Our Southern Jewish Communities — By Supporting Award-WinningIndependent,OriginalJewishJournalism! Southern Jewish Life tells our story, keeping our communities connected and informed! Celebrating 32 Years of Covering and Connecting Our Communities CityAddressName/s State Zip EmailPhoneAddress (for our weekly e-newsletter): Thank You for Supporting Southern Jewish Life Mail to: P.O. Box 130052 • Birmingham, AL 35213 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 43 community New Orleans Museum showing the Love in memory of Sydney Besthoff

The event will feature cuisine from 20 local restaurants, including Ar naud’s Restaurant, Aunt Sally’s Pralines, The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Blue Oak BBQ, Café Degas, Café NOMA and Ralph Brennan Catering at NOMA, Chef Bryon Peck, Elizabeth’s Restaurant, Crescent City Brewhouse, Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse, Highly Seasoned Catering, LLC, Larder Gourmet Market + Eatery, Lula Restaurant Dis tillery, Mandina’s, Nothing Bundt Cakes — Metairie, Silk Road, Southern Candymakers, The Station Coffee Shop and Bakery, St. James Cheese Company, Swiss Confectionery, and The Vintage.

Established in 1992, The Bucktown All-Stars are a brass-driven New Orleans party band specializing in 1960s classic R&B and soul, ’70s funk and New Orleans jams. They are a multi-year winner of Gambit’s Readers Poll in “Best Band That Doesn’t Fit Any Of These Categories” and 10time winner of the prestigious Offbeat Magazine Best of the Beat Awards.

Patron party tickets are $125 for members, $150 for non-members. Garden party tickets are $75 for members, $100 for non-members. Spon sor levels range from $175 to $10,000.

Proceeds from the rain-or-shine event support the museum’s mission “to unite, inspire, and engage diverse communities through the arts.”

“With Walda, Sydney’s goal was to create a new way for NOMA to ex pand and broaden its audience, while creating ways for New Orleanians to experience art in a relaxed and informal setting. It is a demonstration of this desire to share their passion that they wanted the Garden to be free and open to the people of the city of New Orleans,” Taylor said in a tribute to Besthoff last February. She noted that on Feb. 11, two weeks before he died, he supervised the installation of another new sculpture in the garden. Besthoff was founder of the Contemporary Arts Center in 1976. The center’s Besthoff Building was the former headquarters of the K&B drug store chain. When he relocated the headquarters, he invited artists into the building, to break creative boundaries. In 1980, he was the first recipient of the City of New Orleans Arts Award, and was recognized with a Louisiana Humanities Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2004, Sydney received NOMA’s Isaac Delgado Award, and the museum also established the Sydney Besthoff Legacy Award in 2017, honoring “outstanding contributions and distin guished philanthropy in the arts.”

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden was recently named the best sculpture park in the country by USA Today’s 10Best. Besthoff died in February at the age of 94, and “We are honored to dedicate this year’s LOVE in the Garden to the memory of Sydney Besthoff, who creat ed this incredible space with his beloved wife Walda,” Taylor said. The sculpture garden, with over 90 works of 20th and 21st century out door art, opened in November 2003, and underwent a 6.5 acre expansion in 2019. The garden is free and open seven days a week.

Susan Taylor, the director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, said benefactor Sydney Besthoff III envisioned the museum’s sculpture gar den as “a joyful place.” That will certainly be the case on Sept. 23, as the museum holds its LOVE in the Garden event in his memory.

In a 2018 series celebrating New Orleans’ 300th anniversary, the Times-Picayune declared him one of the 300 people “who have made New Orleans, New Orleans.”

There will be a patron party at 7 p.m., with entertainment by the NOC CA Trio. The Garden Party will be from 8 to 11 p.m., with entertainment by the Bucktown All-Stars.

Besthoff first became a NOMA board member in 1992, then started talking about the idea that became the sculpture garden.

Sitting in his office at the Birmingham Jewish Federation, the broad-shouldered Brown, relaxed and outgoing, reflected on both the irony of him now working for the Jewish community and how it has im bued him with a new sense of mission, exactly what he was looking for when he decided to retire from the FBI.

Western Wall Meanwhile, in Alabama, where Brown has been on the job just four months, he, too, reflects on his new position. Finding himself in Israel a while back, he approached the Western Wall to put a prayer note into its ancient crevices. At the time, this Lutheran Michigander never could have imagined that one day he would become the Birmingham Jewish community’s first regional security advisor.

As the leader of an international FBI counter-terrorism team, Brown and his colleagues journeyed to Israel to meet with members of the se curity services. Though retired now from the Bureau, he won’t elaborate other than to say that those visits were productive and collaborative.

Both Stewart and Brown have been working with their community’s religious institutions to review and enhance se curity for this year’s High Holy Days.

A Scranton, Pa., native, Stewart came into the job not totally unfamil iar with Jews and Judaism, stemming in large part from law enforcement stints he did in New York City, Florida and New Orleans. However, now that he works for the Jewish community in this newly-created position, he has embarked on expanding his knowledge. Stewart is part of a growing network of Jewish community security advisors and directors throughout the country. They are employed in partnership with Secure Community Network, a national organization that provides safety and security for Jewish communities across North America and are co-located within local communities. Their positions are typically anchored at and funded by local Jewish Federations.

“I am honored to work for the Jewish community, though it has been a learning curve,” Stewart said. “I’ve had to learn more about Judaism, Shabbat, the High Holidays, etc. But I am not alone. There are a number of non-Jews now working for SCN.” In response, SCN has produced the manual, “Judaism for Law Enforcement.” Stewart is enjoying the learning process. “I am constantly reading web sites and articles about Judaism and Israel. I am learning things I never thought I would learn. I am learning about a new faith, it is great. I am enjoying expanding my knowledge.” He has not been to Israel but would like to go. He said SCN is planning a trip to Israel for Jewish community security directors.

“Jimmy has spent his first year getting acquainted with all of our local Jewish institutions and he has been very active in hosting security train ing sessions, making recommendations to our synagogues and agencies on hardening their facilities, and helping lead our community security committee. Jimmy brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to his position.”

One of those most enthusiastic about Stewart coming on board is Ar nie Fielkow, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.

44 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life community

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said of the officiating. But which is harder — satisfying football coaches or tracking down bad guys? “That’s a good question,” he answered with a laugh. “I’m not sure.”

His final stint for the Bureau, after numerous overseas deployments and assignments, was as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Bir mingham Field Office. Not wanting to leave Birmingham, this new career opportunity seemed ideal. Brown was offered, and happily accepted, the opportunity to serve in this newly-created Jewish community position.

“It’s a growing threat. Even when I was at the FBI, it was a growing threat. It only takes one or two guys to pull an active stunt. And the in creasing vandalism we see can lead to violence. If they have the nerve to spray-paint swastikas, what is going to hold them back from attacking members of the Jewish community when they are on their way to synagogue?”

antenna is up constantly when it comes to growing antisemitism and increasing attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions.

Though he is anchored at the New Orleans Federation, Stewart, as well as his Birmingham counterpart, Jeff Brown, serve as resources for the regional Jewish community. For example, as summer was approaching, Stewart did a training session for counselors and other staff at Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica. Brown will do it next summer.

Not Just Big City

Stewart is not just a big city guy. He is drawing on his experience as a small-town police chief in Hammond when it comes to getting out of the office and mingling with the community. Visibility, accessibility and availability are essential — whether it’s being a police chief or community security director, said Stewart.

Heightened Awareness

Brown, who exudes a warm and engaging presence, has stated that a

JimmyBrownStewart

Brown, who made several trips to Israel during his FBI career, had something else on his mind as he quietly placed his note in the Wall. “I prayed that my team and I would return home safely — and we did.”

The New Orleans security director, however, is not all lawman. Like his Birmingham colleague, a former college linebacker, Stewart has football in his background — not as a player but as a referee. He got his start officiating high school games and expanded to the college ranks. In 2014 he officiated in the Division II national championship game.

By Richard Friedman

Jeff

When it comes to security, Stewart believes the biggest challenge fac ing the New Orleans Jewish community is sus taining and increasing both government and community funding to maintain and enhance this new initiative. “We need more federal and state money to continually maintain and strengthen our security hardware and provide continued training to the community. We never want to sacrifice security preparedness for lack of Stewart’sfunding.”

With decades of law enforcement experience under his belt, Jimmy Stewart reflects on his recently completed first year as community securi ty director for the New Orleans Jewish community. Stewart, who is Cath olic, has developed a burning interest in Judaism and Jewish life because of his new position.

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

The safety of the Jewish community already has been enhanced through Brown’s leadership and efforts, said Danny Cohn, CEO of the Birmingham Jewish Federation.

top priority has been to get to know members of the local Jewish com munity and develop a working knowledge of all of Birmingham’s Jewish Institutions. By doing this he has been deeply touched at how well he’s been received.

“Since Jeff started, we have rolled out a robust training program for our Jewish institutions and community. Aside from the training, we have been able to offer security assessments to all our Jewish agencies and in stitutions, as well as audit current security practices to ensure best prac tices for our entire community.”

Doug Brook doesn’t go to meet women at local watering holes, because he might get disbarred. For nearly several more laughs, listen to the fivestar rated Rear Pew Mirror podcast at anchor.fm/rearpewmirror or on any major podcast platform. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/ rearpewmirror.

Metairie,

For past columns, visit http://rearpewmirror.com/ Street LA 70005 504.837.6400 flowers@federicosflorist.com

August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life 45 community

815 Focis

“My job is geared toward establishing a security baseline in our Jewish community here in Birmingham and to understand each Jewish facili ty. How each views and approaches security is a little bit different,” said Brown whose goal is “to establish a security culture throughout our com munity to collectively improve upon our security posture.”

The note Brown placed in the Western Wall on one of his FBI trips to Israel reflected his purpose then, as leader of his FBI team, and his mission now when it comes to protecting the Jewish community. “My note prayed for the safety and security of my team and my goal now is to provide that same safety and security for our Jewish community.”

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Federations have a long history of being the “central address” for local Jewish communities and taking the lead in meeting unmet needs. In a recent strategic planning study done by the Birmingham Jewish Feder ation, the Jewish community identified increased security as a top need. Said Cohn, in a comment that reflects the sentiments of New Orleans’ Fielkow and other heads of Jewish Federations which have established similar security positions, “As a result of the additional security measures put into place, our community has a peace of mind that did not exist before — which is invaluable.”

As Brown emphasized, based on statistics and accumulated knowledge gained from his diverse FBI career, threats and actions against U.S. Jewish communities have grown significantly over the past decade. Though Jews make up just two percent of the U.S. population, the Jewish community is the target of 60 percent of all religious-based hate crimes, Brown noted. He remains deeply concerned about both overseas and domestic threats to the Jewish community.

continued from page 46>> Rear Pew Finally, the five daughters of Tzelafchad came to Moses because their father died with no sons and they wanted to claim inheritance instead of it divesting to others. They got it, on condition that they ultimately marry within their tribe (Menasheh) so their portion didn’t go to another tribe. The silver lining is that this was a rare biblical assertion of women’s rights; the touch of grey is that it’s an early instance of marrying for money.

A Federation-sponsored training session he and other SCN officials conducted for the community in late June emphasized both aspects of his mission — to ensure good systems are in place along with collectively understood, rapid response mechanisms in case an incident occurs.

He believes the reception he’s gotten reflects a heightened awareness among many community members about the importance of having good preventative security measures in place along with effective and collec tively understood response protocols in case there is trouble.  These are not just theoretical strategies.

Speaking of Moses, early in his story he went on the lam after killing an Egyptian who’d been beating an Israelite. While hanging out in Midian, he married the Midianite woman Tziporah. Sometimes when you travel to a foreign land, you meet that special someone.

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Joseph was driven away by his family. Once he become a macher down in Egypt, Pharaoh “gave” him the daughter of Potiphar to marry. Yes, the Potiphar whose wife tried to seduce Joseph about 25 minutes into the musical, thus landing him in jail. (See the aforementioned question about quality of your religious school education.)

Given the recent passing (not demise) of Tu B’Av — known by some because of its newer, secular variant on Feb. 14 – it’s apt to look at how our forecestors (including our threefathers and foremothers) first hooked up. What do those nascent moments say about what to do after giving Jdate a credit card number?

People in the Bible were… people. They put their shoes on one sandal at a time. They ate, drank, and didn’t like getting stung by bees, just like people today. A primary purpose of reading from the Torah every week is to find new things it can tell us about our lives, our world, and our quality of education at religious school.

Adam and Eve didn’t have many options nearby. In recent pandemic lockdowns, many were in a similar plight. Perhaps the only other person they’d see is a roommate or neighbor on their floor. Or, in Eve giving Adam the apple, the Torah gives precedent to falling for the DoorDash deliveryAbrahamperson.married Sarah. That’s all the Torah says, giving precedent to not telling anyone (including your mother) about your dating life, and to holding a private ceremony.

Jacob left home around age 20, as one does, and met a girl at a well. To day, one similarly goes to college and meets someone at the local watering hole. Happens all the time. But then it got interesting.Isshethe one he married? No. It wasn’t a typical case of being unable to tell her from her sister, but that’s still an import ant lesson — especially if you’re dating twins. And he did marry her next. Putting obvious lessons on polygamy aside, Jacob worked seven years each before getting to marry them. That’s devotion, though no matter how romantic that perseverance seems, this kind of thing comes to fruition a lot more on screen or in print than in real life. And don’t date someone and then her sister — they don’t like that.

Without JDate, how did ancestorsourmeet? continued Torah Tells: Modern Dating

Isaac was a man of few words. At least, not many words loud enough for the Torah’s stenographer to hear. Abraham sent a servant to find his soft-spoken son a wife. He brought back Rebecca, which ended well enough. Today, it’s okay for someone to help with your online dating pro file. But sending someone else to actually meet the women for you is a bad idea on several levels.

Is there a modern application of the mother wanting someone, and him marrying her daughter? Yes, but you probably need to be 17 or older to see the film about it without parental supervision. Also, contrary to what you might think, this is not the first — or last — instance where a forecestor married someone not born Jewish. (See also Adam, Abraham, Moses… Actually, almost all of them, if you think about it.)

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46 August 2022 • Southern Jewish Life rear pew mirror • doug brook

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