SJL Deep South, September 2014

Southern Jewish Life haspel

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ROSH HASHANAH 5775 DRINK THIS: TEQUILA GADOLA GULFPORT CELEBRATES ELLEN HAS ERICA JC HAS LEFT THE BUILDING GREGORY KALLENBERG AND THE LOUISIANA FILM PRIZE JERUSALEM IN MOBILE 52businesses

September 2014 Volume 24 Issue 9

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NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE.

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shalom y’all shalom y’all

As you have already noticed, there is a lot of new in Southern Jewish Life as we begin the Hebrew year 5775. Read SJL We have done a redesign of the magazine, adding some Anywhere new features and sections.

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jewish As we prepare to begin our 25th year of publishing, not only does our publication look life far different from the early days, so does the publishing landscape.. We hope you enjoy the changes as we continue endeavoring to provide our small Southern Jewish communities with a big-community quality publication.

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 3

commentary Why Germans Say “So-Called” Kristallnacht

by Taylor Davis and Lindsey Fenton

rooms evoke a sadness that hangs in the air, heavy and stagnant. But most surprising was the This June, we participated in the Third Gen- eerie sense of serenity upon emerging from this eration Initiative trip to Berlin. We joined other horrific building.

American Jews and non-Jewish Germans as we That night, the group gathered at the New attended Shabbat services, toured Berlin’s his- Synagogue, which was not damaged during toric Jewish sites and German parliament, vis- “Kristallnacht” but was by Allied bombing ited the Leadership Development and Civic Ed- during the war, to discuss our thoughts and feelucation Center of the German Armed Forces, ings about Sachsenhausen. After each member spoke at a local Berlin high school, and walked of the group shared initial thoughts, the floor through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of was opened to discussion. One of the AmerEurope. ican participants, who had shared the story of her grandfather’s escape from Berlin in 1938, asked the Germans about their family stories.

Bravely, many German participants shared what they knew of their family’s actions during the war. One had a great uncle who joined the Waffen S.S. at 18 and died at 19 during combat; another had a grandmother whose family hid Jews. One had a grandmother who was so active in the Youth Nazi movement that her own parents were afraid of her, while his other grandmother snuck food to concentration camp prisoners.

We learned that, whether out of a desire to re-build after the war, shame of standing by as Nazis tried to exterminate entire groups or even still holding The Third Generation group at the Bundestag Nazi beliefs, those that survived the war generally did not speak of it. As their The purpose of the trip was to experience children came of age in the late 1960s they bemodern Germany first-hand; learn about Ger- gan demanding answers from their parents and many’s response to the Shoah and World War grandparents, and the country began to have II; engage in dialogue with our German peers, a national conversation that continues today: diplomats and other civic leaders; and help fos- “How did we let this happen?” ter transatlantic relations.

While there are neo-Nazis and Holocaust deOne of the most moving sites we visited was niers in Germany, they are in the minority. As a Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp, country, Germany is making sure that the Howhich served as an experimentation center for locaust is never forgotten. That is why it is illegal various killing methods to be used at exter- to deny the Holocaust or fly a Nazi flag. Every mination camps. We toured each area of the high school curriculum includes a visit to a congrounds, including officers’ housing, prisoners’ centration camp and all religions are taught in barracks and the prison’s brothel, while learning schools by a leader of the specific religion. what life in the camp was like.

It is why Germans say “so-called KristallThe tour ended just past the execution trench, nacht” instead of merely “Kristallnacht” — not in a building that housed a gas chamber, crema- to deny that it happened but because it was a torium, and room where unsuspecting prison- term developed by Nazis, and modern Germans ers were shot in the back of the neck through a do not want to adopt Nazi terminology. It is why hole in the wall. On one side of the building sits an Israeli diplomat who met the group stated a statue erected as a memorial to the victims, that Germany is Israel’s strongest ally in Europe. where our group stood by and lit Yahrzeit can- And it is why many Germans today are taking dles. We recited the Mourner’s Kaddish; then steps to atone for the Holocaust’s atrocities and those holding candles — both Americana and support the Jewish people around the world.

Germans — gingerly placed the candles at the The authors are young professionals from Atbase of the memorial. The remnants of these lanta.

We invite your feedback! Send your letters to editor@sjlmag.com, or mail to P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 4 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

September 2014

Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com WEB EDITOR Eugene Walter Katz eugene@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITER Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 13 Office Park Circle #6 Birmingham, AL 35223 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/780.5615 TOLL-FREE 866/446.5894 FAX 866/392.7750 connect@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to Lee Green, 205/870.7889 or lee@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.

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agenda interesting bits & can’t-miss events

Architectural rendering of the upcoming renovation of Pensacola’s Temple Beth-El

Temple El, New Againon horizon for Pensacola’s Beth-El MajorBeth building changes Preparation is underway at Pensacola’s Temple Beth El as it embarks on a major renovation project.

Preparation is underway at Pensacola’s TempleaBeth El refurbishment as it embarks on Florida’s oldest Jewish congregation is undergoing major of aitsmajor 1930srenovation Art Deco project. building. Founded in 1876, the congregation Florida’s oldest Jewish is undergoing a major refurbishment of its 1930s Art Deco building. Founded in 1876, the added an education wing to thecongregation current building in the 1950s. congregation added an education wing tothe thesanctuary current building in the adding 1950s. a new grand entry, adult education center and welcoming lobby, The renovation project includes preserving and windows, The renovation project includes preserving the sanctuary and windows, and enlarging the Max Bear Auditorium. A more efficient kitchen is also planned. adding a new grand entry, adult education center and welcoming lobby, enlarging the Max Auditorium.

A with moredisabilities, efficient kitchen is also planned.

The project will also and make the building moreBear accessible to those including adding an elevator.

Thecases project also theand building accessible to those disabilities, including adding an for elevator.

Display willwill be in themake upper lower more lobbies, with items from with the Pensacola Jewish Museum slated the lower lobby.

Display cases will be in the upper and lower lobbies, with items from the Pensacola Jewish Museum slated for the lower lobby.

Outside, the parking lot and access to the property will be improved.

Outside, the parking lot and access to the property will be improved.

The Pinn building was demolished to make way for a construction staging area and new parking. Extensive work on the existing building will The the Pinn building was demolished to make a construction staging area and new parking. Extensive work on the existing begin after High Holy Days, with completion by way nextfor summer. building will begin after was the High Holy Days, with completion by next summer.

A congregational meeting held on June 29 to display preliminary plans and gather feedback. The project is part of a long range strategic A congregational meeting was held on June 29 to display preliminary plans and gather feedback. The project is part of a long range plan that the congregation adopted in March. strategic plan that the congregation adoptedFundraising in March. continues for the project and has already topped $1.7 million.

The entire project is estimated at $2.2 million.

The entire project is estimated at $2.2 million. Fundraising continues for the project and has already topped $1.7 million.

New look greets Day School students After a flurry of activity during the summer, Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School opened on Aug. 18 with a new look and configuration.

The Kindergarten through eighth grade school underwent a makeover this summer, reworking communal spaces. The large main area, which was seen as being underutilized for lunch and some community gatherings, was redone into a technology center and library. The former library was converted into a new lunchroom.

The classrooms were equipped with Smartboard technology and other upgrades, the Kindergarten room was expanded and areas made brighter with more natural light.

The school is in the midst of a $3.5 million Building for the Future campaign, enhancing the school’s ability to teach critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration.

September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 5

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Harold Ripps, Sheryl Kimerling, Andy Saag and Louise and Jim Abroms will be honored at this year’s joint Birmingham Jewish Federation and Israel Bonds event, Oct. 29 at Temple Emanu-El. Ripps, a long-time supporter of both agencies, will be the Israel Bonds honoree.

Saag will receive the Federation’s Joanie Plous Bayer Young Leadership Award, which is given to an outstanding volunteer age 40 or younger.

Kimerling will receive the Susan J. Goldberg Distinguished Volunteer Award. She is the current vice chair of the Jewish Federations of North America.

The Abroms family will receive the Birmingham Jewish Foundation’s N.E. Miles Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given to community leaders who have long-standing support for the Federation campaign and who have made provisions to endow their annual campaign gift through the Foundation.

There will be a reception at 5 p.m., followed by the program at 6:15 p.m. The event is free and open to the community.

Dothan Chamber inducts Blumberg The Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce inducted Larry Blumberg into its Business Hall of Fame on Aug. 21. The hall, which was established in 2011, added five members this year.

A Dothan native, Blumberg graduated from the University of Alabama and spent a few years in Atlanta preparing for a retail management career in his family’s business, Blumberg’s Department Store, founded by his grandfather in 1892. But after he returned in 1970, he sought a different path, developing a hotel. Twenty years later he added the Dothan Fairfield 3:54Inn, PM launching a string of hotels under Larry Blumberg and Associates that numbers 66 properties in 10 states.

The company started LBA C.A.R.E.S., which contributes to organizations in each community where they have a hotel. He also supports the Blumberg Family Jewish Community Services, which works to relocate Jewish families to Dothan, and the Blumberg Scholar program for Jewish students at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The Hall of Fame recognizes “individuals who have spent a lifetime demonstrating civic leadership, philanthropy, and humanitarianism toward their fellow citizens.”

Photo courtesy Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce

The 2014 Dothan Business Hall of Fame Class: John F. Conti, accepting on behalf of his father John A. Conti; Larry Register; Norma Saliba Hanson; Dr. Jack L. Sasser and Larry G. Blumberg.

6 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

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Israeli artist Mali De-Kalo will have an exhibit, “Relaying: Testimonies on Motherhood Lost” at Centenary College’s Meadows Museum from Sept. 13 to Oct. 25.

There will be an opening reception on Sept. 13 at 5:30 p.m. where she will speak.

The four-channel video installation confronts boundaries between art and social action. Middle Eastern women, projected at life size, speak in English, Hebrew and Arabic about tragically losing children through the breakdown of the family unit.

She will be scholar in residence at the college from Sept. 11 to 18, working with classes and community groups on transforming oral history and personal trauma into art to promote healing.

On Sept. 12 at 6 p.m., she will speak at the Shabbat service at B’nai Zion in Shreveport.

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Hadassah co-sponsors forum on bullying Birmingham Hadassah is partnering with several community agencies for a Community Bullying Forum on Sept. 18. The 6 p.m. forum, which will be held at Samford University’s Orlean Bullard Beeson Hall, will feature a panel of experts to inform parents, caregivers and the community at large about Alabama’s efforts to reduce bullying and harassment. It will also provide information on anti-bullying and harassment laws and what parents and school officials can do to make certain schools are safe and children can focus on learning.

Hadassah is partnering with United Way of Central Alabama, the Jefferson County Children’s Policy Council and the Alabama School Connection to host the forum.

Nearly a third of students experience bullying each year and many miss school due to fears of being bullied. Jefferson County Children’s Policy Council Safety Work Group Chair shared that bullying was among the highest concern in their 2013 needs assessment for children and families in Jefferson County.

Although in 2009 Alabama schools worked to make schools safe by putting in place bullying and harassment policies required by the Alabama Department of Education, the concern is that many school districts’ current policies may be inadequate, or inadequately enforced.

According to Trisha Powell Crain, executive director of the Alabama School Connection, “Schools are taking many different approaches to eliminate bullying and harassment, but it appears that the law that was passed, the Student Harassment Prevention Act of 2009, has gotten lost somewhere along the way. Only 720 incidents of harassment were reported during the 2012-2013 school year, out of a student population of 740,000. Either Alabama is doing something amazingly right, or reports are not being made.”

The event is free and the public is invited to register at www.uwca.org/ bullyforum.

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 7

agenda It’s Greek to you… from us!

Agudath Achim selling “excess property” In July, the Agudath Achim board in Shreveport voted to list just under two acres of the congregation’s property for sale.

The “excess property” will go toward the search and salary for the congregation’s next rabbi. A rabbinic search committee has been established and has met over the summer.

The congregation was formed in 1902 as a merger of two smaller Orthodox groups, and became Conservative in 1965. The current building was completed in 1981 on five acres, with the extra property viewed as room for expansion, a Jewish community center or an investment.

Any offer will need to be approved by the membership.

Agudath Achim president David Ginsburg noted that the Jewish population of Shreveport has declined, and selling the property will free up resources for “more pressing needs.”

According to the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, an estimate of the community’s size reported 2500 in 1960 but about 800 in 2000.

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Agudath Achim and B’nai Zion in Shreveport will have a joint Shabbat service on Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. at B’nai Zion to honor Byrd High School’s class of 1964 on their 50th reunion. A dinner for the Byrd graduates will follow.

Chabad of Alabama presents Major Shaul Abir speaking about the shifting political alliances in the Middle East, on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. Abir fought in the Yom Kippur War and is director of ICTS International, an Israeli firm established by former Shin Bet and El Al Security agents. They consult on security topics worldwide.

The Pensacola Jewish Federation and PJ Library will have a Rosh Hashanah celebration on Sept. 21 at Bayview Park pavilions 3 and 4, from 2 to 4 p.m.

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In response to intermarriages, Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El is establishing a portion of the Beth-El section of Elmwood Cemetery where there could be burials of couples and immediate family members of interfaith marriages. Previously, there was no section of the Beth-El section where non-Jews could be buried. Those who are interested in the new section are urged to contact the Beth-El office. This is not to make a commitment to the section, but to gauge how many lots might be needed for the new section.

Rabbi Steven Silberman of Ahavas Chesed in Mobile is taking a different approach to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. He is challenging every member of the congregation, including children, to donate at least $3 to ALS. The one who donates the most wins the right to douse him at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 14.

The Rabbi Milton Grafman Endowment Fund at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El celebrates its 35th anniversary on Sept. 12 with a Shabbat service featuring a symphonic ensemble and the congregation’s choir. A champagne oneg follows the 7:30 p.m. service, sponsored by past and present Endowment Fund board members.

Christians United for Israel will have a Night to Honor Israel, “an evening of solidarity and celebration with the Christian and Jewish communities,” in Columbus, Ga., on Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. Holocaust survivor and noted lecturer Irving Roth will be the keynote speaker, and author Victor Styrsky, CUFI eastern regional coordinator, will also speak. The event will be at Solid Rock Church, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The event is free but reservations are requested, and can be made at cufi.org.

The Jewish Federation of Nashville and NowGenNashville is hosting a RoshBash 2014-5775 on Sept. 27 from 9 p.m. to midnight. Dairy appetizers will be served with a cash bar, featuring a specialty Rosh Hashanah cocktail. The event will be at Pop on Gallatin Avenue. Cost is $20 and an Uber discount code will be provided. Tickets can be purchased online at NowGenNashville.org.

agenda

Alexandria congregation celebrates National Historic Register listing Gemiluth Chassodim in Alexandria will celebrate its 155th anniversary and the addition of its building to the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation’s cemetery in Pineville has already been named to the register.

A historic marker will be dedicated on Sept. 21 at 2 p.m., followed by an anniversary reception. The event is open to the community and tours will be conducted.

The application was approved on Jan. 29 on the basis of it being an “outstanding example” of “Mid Century Modern” architecture. Numerous Alexandria buildings from just after World War II were heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. Gemiluth Chassodim is seen as perhaps the largest and most distinctive.

The building was designed by former Temple member Max Heinberg of Barron, Heinberg and Brocato. The first phase of the construction included the current Social Hall, kitchen and Religious School wing in 1952. The current sanctuary was added in the early 1960s, with Temple member Barnet Brezner as the contractor in both phases.

Gemiluth Chassodim’s first synagogue was completed in 1871 at Third and Fiske Streets. The second building, from 1908, burned in 1956, prompting the congregation to fully complete its move to the current location.

Isaacson, Broza headline expanded Jewish Culture month in NOLA The week-long Jewish Book Festival at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center is expanding into a Jewish Cultural Arts Month, sponsored by Cathy and Morris Bart.

The new event will feature film, literature and music.

The month begins on Nov. 9 with the screening of the French-German film “Run Boy Run,” the story of a nine-year-old who escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto and learns to survive on his own, until he is taken in by a farmer and given a new identity as a Christian war orphan. The film had its Southeast debut in January at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

Ari Shavit will discuss his book “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel” on Nov. 13. Children’s author Eric Kimmel, who has over 50 books to his credit, will speak on Nov. 23.

Native New Orleanian Walter Isaacson returns on Dec. 1 to discuss his new book, “The Innovators.” In 2011 he appeared at the festival to present his previous book, a biography of Steve Jobs.

Author Tova Mirvis, who recently published “Visible City,” her third novel, will speak on Dec. 11. Her best-selling book “The Ladies Auxiliary” was set in the Orthodox community of Memphis.

One of Israel’s best-known singers, David Broza, will perform on Dec. 14 to conclude the month.

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It may be time for the High Holy Days, but Jewish Children’s Regional Service is thinking about Chanukah.

Each year, the agency sends out Chanukah gifts to a wide range of clients in their seven-state region, which includes Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.

There will be a Gift Wrap Party on Sept. 28 at the Jewish Community Campus in Metairie, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed to wrap thousands of gifts. Wrapping paper is provided, and pizza and refreshments will be available all day.

Each recipient receives eight age-appropriate and gender-specific gifts, accompanied by Chanukah ritual items and hand-made cards. In client households with multiple children, sets of gifts are sent to each child.

The agency is looking for families that may be in need of gift packages this year. Typically they may have special needs or may be new immigrants, may have experienced a natural disaster, or may be in residential care. Their families may be coping with unemployment or divorce; their parents may be absent, disabled, deployed, incarcerated or just struggling financially.

To participate in the program or alert JCRS to a family in need, contact the agency for a Chanukah gift registration form, jcrs.org or (800) SAYJCRS.

conexx holding golf tournament conexx: America Israel Business Connector in Atlanta will have its inaugural golf tournament, Nov. 3 at the Standard Club, one of the most prestigious and historic private clubs in the city. Proceeds will go toward connex’s efforts to connect Americans and Israelis through business connections.

“Clean on the Greens” will highlight Israel’s green technology industry.

The scramble format tournament begins at 11:30 a.m., with an awards party at 5 p.m. Early bird registration for a limited number of foursomes is available through Oct. 3.

SJL Online: sjlmag.com 10 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

Summer of activism As Gaza operation kept going, so did Southern communities

Jahan Berns, Dov Wilker, Margaret Duvdevani, Nate Salant and Daniel Odrezin discussed the situation in Gaza and life in Israel.

As the conflict in Gaza continued well into August, Jewish communities and Christian allies throughout the South continued to rally in support of Israel’s right to self-defense from Hamas missiles.

For some, the fight was personal, as the Stein and Duvdevani families in Birmingham and Colman family in New Orleans had relatives fighting in Gaza.

Birmingham and New Orleans had held large rallies in July, and activity continued there and in numerous other communities throughout August.

Four members of the New Orleans Jewish community — Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans Executive Director Michael Weil, JCRC Chair Brenda Brasher, Federation Past President Julie Wise Oreck and Temple Sinai Cantor Joel Colman — went on a solidarity mission to Israel from Aug. 18 to 21.

Oreck was asked to co-chair the mission, and on Aug. 24 she spoke to the Hattiesburg and Gulfport communities about the trip.

When she said she was going, people asked her if she was crazy. “I felt safer there than I do in downtown — name it. Were there sirens? Yes. Did we have to go to bomb shelters? Yes.” One such siren came in the middle of a presentation about the Stop the

Sirens fundraising campaign.

She spoke of several people they interacted with, from Lone Soldiers who were wounded in Gaza and were in the Tel Hashomer hospital to family members of soldiers who were killed.

Weil said they saw Zeev Rotstein, who was in New Orleans for the New Orleans-Israel Partnership on Emergency Response and Medicine. He told Weil about how they are treating both Israeli soldiers and wounded Palestinians.

They visited the Mount Herzl military cemetery, “a difficult place to go on a normal day,” let alone during a military operation.

Many people they met were being helped by programs that were in place before the Gaza operation, but made more important in light of needs from the conflict, Oreck said.

“The common thread every place we went, from stores to Mount Herzl to the hospital” was “thank you for being there for us.”

That is why Oreck feels it is so important to let the communities in the United States know how much their support means in Israel.

The group was unable to visit Kibbutz Kfar Gaza, which is right by the border with Gaza. New Orleans has adopted that community, facilitated by partners in Partnership2Gether community Rosh Ha’Ayin. The New

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Orleans Federation earmarked funds raised at the July 29 Music Over Sirens event to build the kibbutz a new playground. Representatives of the kibbutz met the group for a presentation.

Supporters of Israel, including the Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama, the Alabama-Israel Task Force and North Alabama Friends of Israel, held rallies at the “peace corner” of Airport Road and Whitesburg Drive on Saturdays in August.

After the first rally, the North Alabama Peace Network protested that it was their spot and attempted to secure permits with the city for all four corners of the intersection for the next six months. The network has held several anti-Israel demonstrations in recent years. After they were told that they could not reserve all four corners, they had counter-demonstrations on three corners while the pro-Israel rally went on at the fourth.

As part of the effort in the region, North Alabama Friends of Israel did a Blue and White Ribbon Rally, urging people to display blue and white ribbons in solidarity with Israel. The Surprise Store in downtown Florence has the ribbons available.

Several churches had a Support Israel Sunday on Aug. 24, complete with blue and white ribbons on their doors.

On Aug. 10, about 300 attended a rally in downtown Pensacola’s Seville Square. Jerry Gordon and radio host Mike Bates co-hosted the rally, which included messages from several political and religious figures. Rabbi Steven Silberman of Ahavas Chesed in Mobile spoke, and Rabbi Joel Fleekop of Temple Beth-El in Pensacola gave the invocation.

Bates said the rally was “to stand up for the good guys.”

Rep. Mike Hill urged the crowd to “show the nation that Florida is leading the way in support for Israel.” He drew a rousing response when he said that the next day would bring a vote on a resolution standing with Israel at the state legislature.

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633 Royal St. • (504) 586-8373 Michael Weil represented the New Orleans community in presenting a donation to Kibbutz Kfar Gaza from funds raised at a July 29 event Three people at the rally held Palestinian flags and signs accusing Israel of targeting civilians.

Also on Aug. 10, a group of over 100 gathered in Jackson at the corner of Northside Drive and the Interstate 55 access road to show support for Israel. Several churches joined with Beth Israel members for the event.

In Mobile, there was an interfaith gathering of over 100 at a mid-day rally downtown on Aug. 14. Among them were Joy and Shaul Antar of Fairhope, whose 21-year-old daughter Simcha had left for Israel two days earlier with plans to join the IDF. Rabbi Steven Silberman spoke of seeking shelter with Israelis when sirens sounded on his recent trip. “Now I understand much more what it means for Israelis who are isolated and have nowhere else to go,” he said.

Robin Rowan, president of Church for Israel, said when she was speaking about the rockets from Gaza, there was a sudden noise from a three-car accident near the square. “I stopped and reassured them that it was just a car crash, but if we had been in Israel we would have all been diving for the bomb shelter.”

The rally was organized by Pastor Fred Wolfe of Luke 4:18 Fellowship. Mayor Sandy Stimpson was among the speakers.

Chabad of Metairie held a Shabbat dinner on Aug. 15, preceded by a memorial ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers. Several veterans of the IDF were in attendance and lit the memorial candles as Jill Halpern read the names of the 64 Israeli soldiers who had been killed in Gaza up to that point.

Rabbi Yossie Nemes spoke about some of the fallen soldiers and recited psalms.

As the conflict settled down, a forum was held at the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham. While the event didn’t draw the overflow crowd of 500 that a rally in July attract-

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ed, over 200 turned out for the panel discussion.

Jahan Berns, Dov Wilker, Margaret Duvdevani, Nate Salant and Daniel Odrezin discussed the situation in Gaza, life in Israel and what they anticipate next.

Sheryl Kimerling welcomed the crowd and recalled being in Israel when the fighting started. She was visiting her daughter in Tel Aviv and heard sirens. At first she was confused, thinking Israel doesn’t have tornadoes. A woman ushered them indoors, where “we heard all the booms, then we waited.” After realizing what they had been through, they waited 10 minutes, then in true Israeli fashion went out for dinner as if nothing had changed.

Wilker of the American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta office said the conflict in Gaza needs to be seen in terms of the entire region, given the surge of influence by ISIS and Boko Haram. It is important for the community to know what is happening all over the world, he said.

While Jews are obsessing over the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe, Wilker said he wants to bring attention to huge challenges for Jews in many Latin America countries.

He also said that it is a responsiblity of the Jewish community to advocate for Christian minorities under the threat of radical Islam.

Salant said he was under rocket attack seven times when visiting Israel this summer. He made his way to Sderot, usually a bustling place but virtually a “ghost town” because of its proximity to Gaza and the missile launches.

Dahan, who was raised Muslim in Uganda before converting to Christianity, said she gets upset “when people refuse to acknowledge that radical Islam is a danger to our way of life.”

Odrezin remarked that Birmingham had

raised $500,000 in the Stop the Sirens emergency campaign, and nationally there had been $17 million allocated from the campaign. He noted that was an impressive proportion from such a small community.

Duvdevani, a Birmingham native who has lived in a community near the Gaza border for 30 years, did not speak about the “so-called permanent cease-fire” in such decisive terms.

“I’m just thankful there’s some quiet. Peace isn’t imminent but we welcome quiet as long as we can get it.”

For years, their lives have been around the 15-second window between a missile launch and it reaching their village, during which they had to reach a shelter.

“Every little decision was had to make was very difficult,” she said. Do you go to the grocery store? What time of day? When do you take a shower?

She was asked about the tunnel network that Hamas dug under the border. The plan was for Hamas operatives, dressed in IDF uniforms, to emerge simultaneously in groups on Rosh Hashanah, then make their way to the nearest town and start killing.

Duvdevani called the tunnels “a new dimension” in the war and noted that one infiltration of terrorists from a tunnel happened in the kibbutz across the road from them.

She recalled that in 1980 their farm workers were from Gaza, and they would visit their homes in Gaza on Saturdays. “They knew us.

They knew what Israelis are like.” But the new generation hasn’t had that experience, nor have they seen what a better life is like.

Duvdevani concluded, now it is time to “sit tight and wait for the next round.”

Houston welcomes new Israeli Consul After serving as deputy consul general of Israel in St. Petersburg, Russia for three years, Daniel Agranov was ready for some warmer weather. On Aug. 14, he became the new consul for Israel in the Southwest United States.

The Houston consulate includes Louisiana in its territory.

Agranov moved to Israel from Russia with his family in 1990 at age 11. “I was raised in a Zionist family,” he said, and it was important for him to serve Israel. After being in the military for three years, “I felt it would be good to serve as a diplomat.”

It isn’t an easy path. In his diplomatic class there were 35 selected from a pool of 3,000 applicants.

He never thought he would be sent to Russia, but that is what happened. “Because I spoke Russian fluently, it helped the decision” to send him there. It was the first time he had been back in 20 years.

After his time in Russia he had enough time 14 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

in so he could give input to where he wanted to serve next. “I wanted to change the weather,” he said. Also, for Israel, “it is very important to work in the U.S. because it is our main ally.”

Only when you live somewhere can you understand it better, he added.

He will soon start visiting the various states served by the Houston consulate, continuing to nurture connections with the Christian and Hispanic communities.

While the summer brought the Gaza operation, Agranov said his focus will be more toward building relationships and “present the real Israel to the American public.” He will work on scientific and start-up business connections, and at a consulate in Texas the energy sphere is of tremendous importance.

That has increased with the recent natural gas discoveries off Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

“For us, it’s not only milk and honey, we also have gas now,” he said.

Courtesy Tobin, CC BY-SA 2.0

Rigs, like these in the Gulf of Mexico, will serve the Leviathan natural gas field off Israel’s Mediterranean coast

U.S.-Israel Energy Summit at Tulane The inaugural U.S.-Israel Energy Summit was held in New Orleans to highlight the benefits of partnership between Israel and the United States in energy research and development.

Held at Tulane, the two-day summit starting Aug. 25 brought together 11 academic institutions for discussions on how university energy research can lead to new breakthroughs to solve technical, business and social challenges in the energy industry.

It is also seen as a first step toward establishing a U.S.-Israel Energy Center to further collaboration.

Participating were Tulane, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Louisiana State University, McNeese State University, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, The Hebrew University, The Israel Institute, University of Haifa, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the University of Texas.

“This summit is a big step forward in our work to enhance the energy partnership between Israel and the United States,” said Senator Mary Landrieu. “Louisiana and Gulf Coast companies are in a unique position to use their unparalleled expertise in offshore oil and gas development to help one of the United States’ closest allies develop its newly discovered energy resources. We are poised to help Israel secure its energy independence and security for years to come and to boost economic opportunities along America’s working coast.”

This year, Landrieu introduced the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Enhancement Bill, to further the collaboration between the U.S. and Israel on energy development — including natural gas and alternative fuels — and seeks to bolster that relationship by encouraging cooperation in Courtesy Mary Landrieu Senate Office the academic, business, governmental and Landrieu Chairs Senate other sectors. She also organized oil and gas trade missions to Israel in 2011 and Energy Committee Hearing 2012.

There has also been cooperation between Israel and Gulf Coast companies as Israel develops the recently discovered Leviathan natural gas fields off its Mediterranean coast. The field is being developed by Noble Energy of Houston.

There was one public event during the summit, a lecture by Peter Evans, vice president of the Center for Global Enterprise. His research explores and explains he structural changes in the global energy industry that arise from new production technologies, increasingly dense transportation networks, and the surging adoption of information technology.

Tulane President Michael Fitts said the summit “incorporates several of my long-term goals for Tulane: to promote interdisciplinary collaborations that address societal, economic and environmental challenges; to develop new areas of technological innovation where Tulane can make a real difference in the world; and to expand Tulane’s global impact.”

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 15

Standing for Israel throughout the South

The Chabad and LJCC day camps in Birmingham held a joint Israel event in July

Happy New Year!

Chloe Valdary, a student at the University of New Orleans, was a featured speaker at the Israel Festival in Memphis on June 8

Marvin Shemper, Phil Stotland and Julie Wise Oreck at a campaign briefing in Hattiesburg on Aug. 24

Rallies for Israel were held in Huntsville each weekend in August, much to the consternation of the area’s Peace Network, which usually demonstrates in that spot and has protested Israel in recent years (below)

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Rally for Israel in downtown Mobile on Aug. 14

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AVODAH recalls early days in New Orleans by honoring Jackie and Dan Silverman On June 1, the New Orleans chapter of Shelter, with help from the Jewish community.

AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps revisited Baron and her sister kept volunteering at the its early history by honoring Jackie and Dan shelter, and Jackie Silverman told her about Silverman at their Partners in Justice Jazz attempts to start AVODAH in New Orleans.

Brunch.

The first AVODAH worker placement was at The event at Gates of Prayer drew about 150. the shelter.

In 2008, New Orleans During that year “we had became the fourth host the fortune of being in a city for AVODAH. An city that was thriving with organization that has new thoughts and ideas, been recognized by the excited to bring them to Slingshot guide as a Jewish action, and eager to share it innovator, AVODAH all with us.” also has operations in Today Baron is a medical New York, Chicago and case manager for inmates Washington. Each year, a and ex-offenders in Boston new set of young Jewish and “my experience with Leslie Jacobs Presents Award AVODAH helped me build adults move into the communal AVODAH to Jackie and Dan Silverman the foundation for the life I house and commit to a year live today.” of working for a non-profit that promotes social Jessica Greenberg of Memphis, who was in justice and fights poverty. the past year’s AVODAH group, worked at the Each participant is matched with a social Ruth Fertel Tulane Community Clinic. She service agency, where they become a full-time recalled spending summers with family in New worker at no cost to the agency.

Orleans, and five years at Tulane, then marveled Dani Levine, director of AVODAH in New how through AVODAH the city “could once Orleans, spoke about how the program has again become new to me.” created many Jewish leaders to fight the causes “AVODAH has given me the tools to make and effects of poverty, and many of them remain my own personal connection to Judaism and, in New Orleans.

In the last six years, 22 local organizations through that, understand its relationship to the received $1.3 million in added capacity through work that I am doing and hope to continue,” the AVODAH workers, who served more than Greenberg said.

Event co-chair Leslie Jacobs presented the 20,000 people, Levine noted.

“There are many ways to fight poverty, from S i l v e r m a n s a changing policy, to direct service, to community with “AVODAH HAS organizing, to philanthropy,” she said. “But the watercolor of GIVEN ME THE the original most important thing you need is people.”

Eliza Baron, a member of the first New New Orleans TOOLS TO MAKE MY Orleans year, spoke of her family’s connection W o m e n ’ s OWN PERSONAL with the Silvermans. She had been visiting New S h e l t e r CONNECTION TO Orleans when Katrina approached and managed b u i l d i n g , JUDAISM AND, painted

by THROUGH THAT, to leave for New Jersey well in advance.

That December, she and other family A V O D A H UNDERSTAND ITS members came to New Orleans with a group alumna Jordan RELATIONSHIP TO from their local Jewish Federation and “each of Aiken, whose THE WORK THAT I AM us, in our own way, knew we were far from done placement was DOING AND HOPE TO at the shelter. with New Orleans.”

CONTINUE.” T h e Her family continued to visit New Orleans Jessica Greenberg “several times a year” and met the Silvermans S i l v e r m a n s in April 2006. They “continued to offer us their took on the invaluable insight and connections as we learned shelter despite not having had prior experience how their experience with Katrina opened their in running a shelter, but it became “a passion” eyes to their city in a way they never could have for the Silvermans, said Rabbi Robert Loewy.

Jackie Silverman said “AVODAH is teaching imagined.”

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, the so much to us all if we would just stop and Silvermans began volunteering at a makeshift listen. Dan and I stopped and listened to the women’s shelter, and it was there they began needs of homeless women,” and they thanked their work of building the New Orleans Women’s the community for their support.

Southern Jewish Life

September 2014

19

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Groups like the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center strive to ensure through education that genocides like the Holocaust never occur again. The current resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe was an undercurrent of BHEC’s “L’Chayim” event.

The L’Chayim event was also a celebration, as Jeffrey Bayer was honored for his support of the center. The center is housed in the Bayer Properties building on Southside. Bayer noted that his business partners, the Silverstein and Rotenstreich families, are part of that support of the group’s mission.

The center, which is currently looking for its first executive director, coordinates teacher training, talks by survivors and educational exhibits in the region.

The August 24 event packed the sanctuary at Temple Emanu-El, raising over $155,000, up almost 50 percent from last year.

While Bayer mentioned the threat of ISIS to civilization (see sidebar), the event featured “The Slippery Slope,” a dramatic presentation by The Seasoned Players and Hoover High School Theatre. Written by BHEC Development Vice President Deborah Layman, the piece was a recitation of anti-Semitic incidents in Europe just since 2012.

Layman said the response to rising antiSemitism must be “education, building bridges, standing firm.”

The Birmingham Community Mass Choir also joined Emanu-El Cantor Jessica Roskin for “Use Me,” and the Eric Essix Trio played contemporary jazz selections.

Why does Bayer Properties support BHEC?

by Jeffrey Bayer Why have we provided a home for the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center for 10 years?

While we listen to the press, and the world, focus on Israel and the Palestinians, we as members of the Jewish family focus on anti-Semitism and what it may lead to again. However, the news organizations are deafeningly silent as Christians are being slaughtered in the Middle East, and in Africa the Christian communities are being eliminated after living in peace for centuries.

Jeffrey Bayer Muslims are killing Muslims.

There seems to be evil everywhere. We, as people of morality, just don’t understand how others live this way. People have asked for decades why European Jews silently went to be slaughtered. Was it because they just could not comprehend that there were people in the world who believed in such a totality of evil?

Yes, the Jewish people have a mission not to let the world forget, and to deliver a message that it will never happen again; but The Center has a much broader mission, in my opinion.

We as free people cannot live quietly as zealots around the world state their mission, which is to destroy us. Hitler clearly told the world, and so many pretended that nothing was happening.

Today ISIS is clearly articulating that same message — they are intent on destroying civilization as we know it.

There will always be evil in the world, but the question is “What will all of us do about it?”

That really is why we are all here today. People of many walks of life, coming together, to join hands, so the BHEC may deliver our joint message. We must not, we cannot let these atrocities continue to happen to any of us, not just to people of the Jewish faith.

If we do not do our small part in making this a better, safer world, for the generations to come, who will?

That is why our three families have made a commitment to The Center. We have a shared responsibility to turn the world from evil and not let history repeat itself.

20 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

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Ellen DeGeneres has Erica; Erica has Dream Job Erica Barstein went from #EllenNeedsErica to #ProductionCoordinator on her #1 Talk Show

by Lee J. Green It took a dream, much hard work, creativity and worldwide social media networking support to change a status from “Ellen Needs Erica” to “Ellen Has Erica.”

But Birmingham native Erica Barstein earned a “dream job” just after graduating last year from the University of Arizona. Since then Barstein has been promoted twice and now is a Production Coordinator for the nation’s number one talk show, “The Ellen Degeneres Show.”

Barstein was back home on hiatus from the show through July and recently went back to work on season 12. “It is for sure a dream come true,” said the TV and Film Production major. “The Ellen show has been my favorite show for years and I tried for four years just to get tickets to see it. Now I work on the show and love every day. I could not imagine anything better.”

But her achievement came with hard work, ingenuity and a little help from her friends. She got a call from the show in December 2012 saying she got tickets to the Feb. 21 show. However, Barstein didn’t want to do just go to the show, she wanted to work on the show.

She wanted to do something that could catch the attention of Ellen and her production team in a positive way instead of just sending a resume and then crossing her fingers. Barstein decided she would do a few-minute video each day from the day she found out about the tickets to the day she would be in the show audience. She posted them on her YouTube channel and Facebook page then tweeted it out.

Each video was in the theme of “Ellen Needs Erica.” She said, “it started off small and the production value wasn’t great. But then I started having friends ask if they could help me and the videos became more elaborate, professional.”

Still, it was quite a daunting task. “I think 90 percent of my day was spent working on each video. There were some times I called home to my mom and said I didn’t think I could do it. But if you want something, you go out there and try to achieve it. If you put yourself out there and work hard, you can achieve your goals and dreams,” said Barstein.

Ironically what inspired her to keep moving on with the “Ellen Needs Erica” project was the many responses that came in through social media from across the world saying how Erica had inspired them. “That inspired me to keep going,” she said.

Barstein heard back from the show right before she went to see it. They had become aware of the “Ellen Needs Erica” campaign and thought it was wonderful. However, they said there were no job openings at the time and to check back closer to graduation.

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the story of us • personality After she came back from the show taping at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, Erica did one more video to thank everyone for their support. She said she would not give up and encouraged everyone to continue to follow their dreams.

Two weeks after she graduated in May 2013, she got a call from “The Ellen Degeneres Show” saying that they wanted to offer her a job as an intern. She made one more video — a celebration entitled “Ellen Has Erica.”

Last September her hard work paid off and she became a full-time production assistant before being promoted to production coordinator a few months later.

For the show, Barstein does everything from find content on social media for the show to answering fan mail to coordinating things with Ellen’s guests.

That has put her face-to-face with many A-list stars. “Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Matthew McConaughey, these are some of my favorite actors and actresses, and I get to work with them when they come on the show,” she said.

Of course the biggest star in Barstein’s world is Ellen. “It is amazing to be around someone so talented, smart, hilarious and driven. She makes me strive to want to be like her,” said Barstein.

The daughter of Mark and Debbie Barstein, long-time members of Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El, Erica said the dream of being involved in television and film came at an early age.

“When I was young I would put on skits that my family would film with the video camera. I had ‘The Erica Barstein Show.’ I would write and perform skits. I would do anything for a laugh. I have always been the kind of person who just wants to make others smile,” she said.

When she was younger, she had to overcome dyslexia. “School was difficult but I found that I could communicate well and learn from TV and film.

Whether it was in front of or behind the camera, I fell in love with broadcast,” said Barstein, who graduated from Mountain Brook High School.

She said her career goals are to work up into higher levels of production management and do some work in front of the camera. But for now, she could not be happier where she is.

“The Ellen Degeneres Show appeals to so many different demographics. It’s such a feel-good experience to watch the show and even better to be a part of it,” she said.

Jacobs Camp hires alumni

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Anna Herman, the new director of Henry S. Jacobs Camp, announced two familiar faces will be taking on new roles at the camp.

Sam Pailet of New Orleans has been named the camp’s assistant director, and Becci Jacobs of Jackson will be the new NFTY Southern regional advisor and the camp’s summer assistant director.

“We are excited to have added two home grown Jacobs magicians to connect all of our generations. Together with Ellen Alexander, our Director of Development, and Sandy Doucet, our Business Manager, we will engage, connect and inspire our children, parents, alumni, and stakeholders,” Herman said.

Pailet attended Jacobs Camp since his Olim summer, with eight years as a camper. After his NFTY in Israel trip in 2007, he returned to camp for the next seven summers and has served as a Machon, counselor, Cornerstone Fellow, sports department head and Olim unit head for the last two consecutive summers.

Pailet is a 2014 graduate of Louisiana State University Ourso School of Business with a major in management and a minor in entrepreneurship.

He was an active member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.

He will live in Utica year-round, and Herman said his “business degree, service experience and relationships will add new dimensions to our future.”

Jacobs spent eight years as a camper, then was on staff as a Machon, counselor, Cornerstone Fellow, and this past season as a member of the senior leadership team as the camper care associate.

She was active in NFTY throughout high school, serving as regional president. At the University of Georgia she was on the executive board for Sigma Delta Tau sorority.

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 23

Four things Adrian’s Tree Service is proud of from 5754 (2013-14): • Formosan termite treatment in New Orleans Garden District: 250 trees in 75 city blocks of historic homes, with our “Pork’n’beans” mixed with 2 million gallons of water (Aug.-March) • Final tree treatment for Mountain Pine Beetle at Art Janklow’s Mystery Mountain Resort, Rapid City, S.D. and the collapse of the beetle epidemic in the Black Hills. (Oct.) • Planting 108 shade trees in memory of Art Janklow II at Henry S. Jacobs Camp, Utica., Miss. — a diversity of 25 species (Oct-Feb.) • First bottling of American Chestnut honey from Gerd Oppenheim’s farm in Norwood, La. (August). Chestnut honey usually has to be imported from Italy.

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24 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

the story of us: family Suits quickly followed, breaking the uncomfortable tradition of flannel in the hot weather, and they quickly caught on.

By the 1920s, students in the Ivy League were wearing seersucker as its reputation continued to spread. Haspel made uniforms during World War II, including seersucker uniforms for nurses in military hospitals.

In the 1950s, Joseph Haspel Jr. and his brother Leo took over the company. It was then that one of Haspel’s iconic events occurred.

At a trade show in Florida, Joseph Haspel wore his suit into the ocean.

Demonstrating its resilience, he let it Laurie Haspel Aronson dry and wore that same suit to dinner that night. “He probably just did it on a whim and thought it was funny,” Aronson figured, and that he was amused by all of the attention it got in a 1950s version of “going viral.”

The brand continued as a cultural icon. Gregory Peck wore a Haspel suit in “To Kill A Mockingbird” and Cary Grant wore one in “Charade.”

Every president since Calvin Coolidge has worn Haspel.

In 1977 the family did not have a third generation that wanted to run the iconic New Orleans business, and they were approached by a company that wanted to buy them out. “It was the right price at the right time,” she noted.

But under new — and then changing — ownership, the brand flagged.

“It was really diluted and a lot of the appeal of having the family behind it… was not there.”

The family bought the company back in the mid-1990s. Aronson already was busy with her father’s company, Lipsey’s, where she is now president and CEO, and wasn’t ready to take over all aspects of Haspel, which is from her mother’s side of the family.

They decided instead to At a 1950s Florida trade show, Joseph Haspel wore his seersucker suit into the ocean and license the Haspel name. then to dinner to demonstrate its resilience Lipsey’s is now the nation’s leading wholesale firearms distributor, selling exclusively to Federally licensed dealers.

In 1943, Joe Lipsey Sr. bought a hide and fur trading company from his uncle, Morris Steinberg. Steinberg’s expanded into a sporting goods department store that became iconic in Baton Rouge.

Richard Lipsey, Aronson’s father, took over after his father died in 1973.

The family bought S&S Wholesale Sporting Goods in 1977 and became an athletic distributorship, including the Converse tennis shoe brand.

Aronson explained, “we went from being in retail to wholesale.” In the 1980s as big-box stores proliferated they got out of the athletic markets, closed the Steinberg stores and focused on the firearms distributorship.

In late 2012 the licensing agreement for Haspel ended, and Aronson set out to rebuild Haspel by controlling the entire process in-house. Haspel now has its own team of designers and everything is made in the United States. Aronson noted the emphasis of family pride and the attention to detail in the line.

While older consumers know the Haspel brand, the redesign was aimed at the younger consumer. They “changed the silhouettes and added more categories that we haven’t had in the past.”

You can relax…

From the Spring-Summer Haspel Lookbook Aronson brought in designers Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos to modernize the Haspel line. It’s much more than the traditional two-piece suit, as separates are encouraged and the collection contains much more sportswear.

The redesign has “brought in more people who weren’t familiar with the brand because they weren’t around in its heyday.”

As an illustration of that, Halmos told the Wall Street Journal that when he was approached by Aronson, he was “completely unfamiliar” with the brand — but his father “knew all about them.”

The designers started with the classic blue and white, and added some new colors, such as tan and white, grey and white, “which people expect to see.”

Responding to requests, they added some other colors — red and white, green and white, purple, “even orange… we got to experiment with some beautiful colors.”

The Haspel line includes items in fabrics other than seersucker, but even those have a reminder of the company’s heritage. Suits and sport coats have seersucker trim, there is a loop of seersucker on the back of sport shirts and a seersucker pocket on T-shirts.

Aronson said her favorite use isn’t even visible — seersucker lining in chino pants pockets, which the wearer can feel when putting something into his pocket.

“We own seersucker. Seersucker belongs to us,” she said.

For fall, the line includes a suit that has a dark stripe on dark fabric, which from a distance simply looks like a dark suit and does not seem like a summer suit, but it is still light-weight. “You can wear this suit nine months out of the year,” she said.

In October 2013 Haspel hosted a press preview of the relaunch in New York. “We’re really excited that we’ve been able to relaunch it and refresh it properly,” Aronson said.

At the launch they brought Louisiana coffee and pralines to give the fashion media a further taste of the region.

On June 11, a Capitol Hill tradition returned, National Seersucker Day. Especially in the days before air conditioning, seersucker suits have been a common sight in Washington during the summer.

In 1996, Mississippi Senator Trent Lott started Seersucker Day to kick off summer, which included House and Senate members doing a group photo at the start of the day. This year, Louisiana Rep. Bill Cassidy brought back the event, including a photo of 25 House members in seersucker suits. Aronson noted that at the bipartisan event “everyone for at least five minutes would agree on something.”

Cassidy said “I am proud to have brought together dozens of members of Congress, of both parties, to celebrate what is now an American tradition manufactured by American workers.”

Noting that Cassidy represents Louisiana, Lott said it was appropriate that Cassidy revived the day.

Aronson said there was a great deal of publicity about the day, and drew a lot of buzz on social media.

What’s up next for Haspel? Aronson wants to see a women’s line. “I have wanted to do it for 15 years but haven’t had the opportunity to do so.” While she wants to see it happen soon, she is taking “one thing at a time.”

Haspel is available at select retailers, such as Nordstrom nationally, Perlis in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and Rubenstein Bros. in New Orleans.

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On the weekend before the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Beth Israel in Gulfport celebrated its fifth anniversary in its new, post-Katrina building.

About 60 attended the Aug. 24 dinner, which featured Julie Wise Oreck of New Orleans, who spoke about her trip to Israel that past week as the Gaza operation wound down.

Beth Israel, the only Conservative congregation in Mississippi, is one of two congregations that had to completely rebuild following Katrina.

The other was Beth Israel in New Orleans, an Orthodox congregation which has since rebuilt in Metairie.

Beth Israel President Milton Grishman commented that “it seems like yesterday when we celebrated and marched the Torahs” into the new building.

For the fifth anniversary, he set off a chain of high-fives across the room.

Richard Kline makes Richard Klein of North Carolina reppresentation to resented the Jewish Federations of North Milton Grishman America’s Network of small communities.

Grishman pointed out that “when we had Katrina, Federation came through for us big-time. When there was no power and the city was dark and under curfew, Federation representatives came in and they brought us help.”

Klein recalled being there for the new building’s groundbreaking. “I even got to use the shovel, and I treasure that photo.”

The congregation’s first building was dedicated in Biloxi in 1958, two blocks from the beach. When Katrina came ashore in August 2005, a 22-foot storm surge inundated Biloxi, flattening structures well inland.

While Beth Israel still stood, much of the brick façade was peeled away and water that flooded in made the building a moldy, unusable mess.

Not far away, the surge had lifted a casino barge out of the Gulf and deposited it on top of U.S. Highway 90.

Beth Israel took up residence at Beauvoir United Methodist Church while trying to figure out its rebuilding plans. The first High Holy Day services, a month after the storm, were held at Keesler Air Force Base.

Assistance came from a wide range of groups and individuals across the country, from the Federation, United Synagogue, B’nai B’rith to individual families.

The decision was made to move to a different site, several miles inland on the other side of Interstate 10 in Gulfport.

When bids came back for the new building, they were two to three times what was expected. The congregation decided to modify a conventional house plan and make it code compliant, rather than go with commercial construction. As a result, the building opened mortgage-free, and with a surplus for a maintenance fund.

Just before Shavuot in 2009, the congregation had a Torah procession from the church to the new building.

As the anniversary dinner started, Debbie and Steve Goldin recited the Kiddush, and later building chair Martin Goldin offered a brief toast.

Grishman said “a congregation is more than a building. A building is important but it is the people, the generous donors that we deeply appreciate.”

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Hurricane Katrina may have been nine years ago, but there is still plenty of work to be done, and many groups continuing to volunteer in the area.

One that comes every summer is New Orleans and Back, an initiative of Cesar Chavez Public Charter School in Washington. It started with Jennifer Sonkin, a Mississippi native who spent 13 summers at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp.

While it appears that the project is an effort to help rebuild New Orleans, a “WHAT JACOBS major emphasis is taking lessons back to INSTILLED IN ME IS Washington and rebuilding community REALLY WHAT I AM where the students live.

A teacher for 16 years, Sonkin has been IMPLEMENTING IN at Chavez for 10 years. While attending THIS PROGRAM.” Mississippi State she tried to spend a lot of her free time in New Orleans, and she also wanted to move there after graduation. “It didn’t end up happening,” she said, because her closeknit group of Jacobs friends decided to move to Washington instead.

After seeing a story about housing issues in New Orleans after Katrina, she wanted to design a program for the 10th grade Capstone program at the school. She reached out to Andrea May, a New Orleanian who wound up in Washington after the storm, and they came up with this idea.

Special Education teacher Michael Bolds said the students at Chavez come from the two poorest wards in Washington, which have the biggest issues with high school dropout rates and chronic poverty.

Samuel Leonard, who became a chaperone early in the project, noted that “our students often tell us that they have never used a hammer, ridden a bike, learned to swim, or traveled outside their communities.”

The group has traveled to New Orleans for seven summers. This past June, they worked at two sites in Gentilly, working on Opportunity Houses for the St. Bernard Project. The project buys blighted properties and brings them up to standard, then sell it at market rate for the neighborhood so not to spike rates in the area.

The project works with first-time buyers and conditional subsidies are available. The goal is revitalization of neighborhoods by filling them with people who are committed to living there.

During their visit they also spent time doing a writing workshop with Abram Himelstein at the Neighborhood Story Project, and heard firsthand experiences from residents in the area.

Sonkin said she tries to infuse New Orleans and Back with ideals she learned at Jacobs Camp. In the leadership program, they had to lead and develop their own programs and create a strong community. “What Jacobs instilled in me is really what I am implementing in this program.”

Sonkin said the older students lead younger students through the process, modeling leadership. They make art as a fundraiser, selling it at a Washington market.

The students are committed to the program. “I get 50 kids out on a

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community Thursday and Saturday on a regular basis,” Sonkin said. “That is not normal.” The students work on fundraising and other committees in planning for the summer trip. Using social media, communicating with peers in New Orleans and a documentary group are all part of the program.

The overriding message is “about being part of something bigger than them, being leaders and building community,” Sonkin said.

Living together while in New Orleans also is a life lesson on cooperation and working together, and realizing that their actions reflect on the group as a whole.

During the year, the students also write a lesson plan for a community service project, which they then implement with middle school students. This past year they were a service site for the National Global Youth Service Month and hope to present at the conference next year.

A project the students did was “Globes of Inspiration,” ornaments to inspire patients at a children’s hospital. Student Anna DeLarosa said they would put something on the globe that inspires them, to let the patients “know that we

are thinking about them and care about them.”

The students have to interview to go on the New Orleans trip and be a “model scholar.” They have to fundraise in their communities, making the case to their churches and communities for why they should take part in the trip.

This year, there were 33 students and two alumni. For some it was the third year participating. The seniors are pretty much running the program, Sonkin noted.

Xaviera Thomas made her second trip to New Orleans this summer. “The whole experience in New Orleans is life-changing for me,” she said.

Last summer they got to meet the person who would later own the house they were working on and hearing their story “pushed me harder.”

Thomas and DeLarosa said they compare experiences with peers in New Orleans, learning about housing and education issues. Sonkin noted that Washington used to have the most charter schools, now New Orleans is fully chartered.

As the program continues to expand, Sonkin seeks additional funding resources.

In 2012, she received the Mayor’s Arts Award for Arts Teaching in Washington.

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A New Orleans initiative won the Jewish community, the possibility of replication in Community Centers Association’s “Shark Tank” other communities, and Helman-Darley’s competition for the Marcus JCC in Atlanta. presentation style and pitch.

Modeled after the ABC television show by “We are thrilled that Amy’s was selected as a the same name, the competition was to reward project to incubate, as Amy impressed our panel innovation in Jewish teen engagement. The of judges with her project idea and pitch. Her competition took place at the JCCA biennial in idea will be a game changer for the engagement San Diego in May. of Jewish youth and teens,” Amy Helman-Darley, said Jodi Sperling, director MJCCA teen community of camping and the JCCA outreach director, will be Merrin Center for Teen receiving a $1500 microEngagement. grant of start-up funding to Helman-Darley said she incubate her idea. Through the plans to expand the service MJCCA’s Teen Community trip next year to engage more Service program, she led a teens and collaborate with trip to New Orleans in April other JCCs to plan a trip Courtesy MJCCA together. “Teaching teens the 2014, based on social justice Amy Helman-Darley (right) significance of Tikkun Olam and community service. with MJCCA teens David is very important and I am Five teens were selected to participate and they attended Hoffman, Jacqueline Weiss, lucky I get to do this through pre-trip learning sessions to Katie Goldstein, Ted Grant, the MJCCA Teen Community be educated on different social Sam Grant and Ross Brill on a Service program,“ she said. issues. While in New Orleans, The Shark Tank was part service trip in New Orleans. the teens had a packed of the concluding seminar itinerary, including volunteering at Sustain the for the 18-month Merrin Fellowship, a selective Nine where teens helped to build a house in continental training program that helps JCC the Lower 9th Ward, and two visits to NOLA professionals working directly with teens Grassroots where teens planted and harvested in develop their own leadership and management an urban garden. The teens were educated on the skills, enrich their Jewish literacy and that of history of New Orleans. their participants, and network and collaborate The project was selected because of the with teen professionals from JCCs and JCC creativity of concept, the impact for the local camps across North America.

New Orleans Garden District Colin Grussing, Jason Seidman and Maxwell Walters in front of BOB, the Business Operations Bus.

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Business weeks Jason Seidman part of team creating new business each week for a year

Starting a business can seem like a daunting task. Jason Seidman, a third-generation New Orleans entrepreneur, is part of a team that is in the middle of launching 52 businesses — one a week for a year.

Seidman was brought on board to 52businesses by Colin Grussing, a Lafayette native who got the idea from the movie “Julie and Julia,” about a woman who set out to do every recipe from Julia Child’s “The Joy of French Cooking” in one year. Grussing initially considered launching a business every day before settling on one per week.

Grussing isn’t new to entrepreneurship — he developed RootSuit.com, which was on ABC’s “Shark Tank” but did not receive an offer. He also has a few other businesses, including bear coats and motorcycle sidecars.

Seidman’s family was in the fabric industry in New Orleans, with his grandfather starting the largest wholesale fabric warehouse in the world, “servicing all 50 states and 33 countries,” also with retail stores in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

With the passing of his parents, Fabrixx is no more, but they were “huge advocates of trying to build the city up into what New Orleans is now becoming.”

Since 52businesses began on March 17, the idea “has transformed tremendously,” Seidman said. Originally they planned to launch and spin off their own business ideas each week, but they pitched that idea “almost immediately” and started helping others start their own businesses.

They aim to help entrepreneurs “realize what they are capable of doing in one short week.”

After spending the first week launching 52businesses, they worked on Touracle, a tourism app for locals to tell visitors about the best parts of their cities.

Next, they helped New Orleans Saints player Thomas Morstead launch a foundation, What You Give Will Grow.

Some recent weeks include Apocalypse Camp, a two-day crash course and competition in unusual skills; CruiseAids, a clothing line to raise awareness about HIV transmission; Paeity, modeled on Airbnb but for festival parking; the Kiss Your Grits food truck and working with the Law, Culture and Innovation Initiative at Tulane.

As 52businesses began, there were a few stories done by national media outlets, which brought a flurry of submissions from all over the world. “Very few are from New Orleans or even the state,” Seidman said.

Regardless, the initiative is a New Orleans project. Some entrepreneurs who have been selected flew into town to undergo the intensive business crash course, while the team goes to wherever is convenient for local entrepreneurs.

Those from out of town “are interested in trying out their concepts here” and then establishing the businesses in New Orleans.

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community One goal of the initiative is to show that “there are opportunities here in New Orleans” and that one does not need to spend a lot of money to launch a business.

Much of the week is spent on determining whether an idea is viable. The week of “boot camp” provides a week’s worth of mentors, meetings, deliverables, and “homework” with everyone from accountants and lawyers to marketers and investors. Those in the network offer their services pro bono.

Once the week is over, 52businesses may do additional work in the background, depending on the business and its needs. Some of the entrepreneurs continue to be involved with the program, but the week is designed to give the entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed.

Though they have received far more submissions than they can respond to, they do not schedule companies more than four weeks in advance. Seidman explained, “if there is something that fits with what is currently going on, it helps us do our job because it is more relevant to the community” and has a greater chance of success.

Seidman also is executive director of NOLATech Week, a “city-wide preplanned unconference.” Those planning to attend submit what they want to discuss, as long as it has something to do with technology, then host the event on that topic. In 2013, there were 40 events scheduled and over 1,000 people came from all over the world.

The event runs on a shoestring, “Southern hospitality, and everyone’s willingness to get involved.”

As with 52businesses, NOLATech Week demonstrates that “you can really put on an event for almost no money,” Seidman said.

If 52businesses sounds like a reality television show, well, at least 10 production companies have approached them. “This is not supposed to be glamorous. It’s not fun to watch,” Seidman said. It’s “14-hour days plus homework for five days, and I don’t know how that would be interesting to watch.

“This is all reality but there is no show,” he added.

It isn’t just Hollywood that has come calling.

They have also heard from three different cities that want to start a 52 Businesses program.

“We’re trying to figure that out.”

What will happen in Week 53? They are still trying to figure it out, but they know theirs is a sustainable model and with additional volunteers they can help even more budding entrepreneurs.

Because he and Grussing have their safety nets and “we don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from,” they “can focus on helping others get to the same place.”

He considers that freedom a continuing gift from his family.

community

J.C. has left the building Jacobs Camp says farewell to former director Native sons of Tupelo got together at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp on Aug. 9 as the camp community said farewell to Jonathan “J.C.” Cohen.

Elvis Presley was on hand for the tribute.

Cohen has headed the Reform movement’s camp in Utica since February 2000. Only the third director since the camp opened in 1970, he was the first who had attended the camp as a child. Growing up in Tupelo, he spent 13 summers there as a camper and counselor.

His successor, Anna Herman, is also a former Jacobs camper from a small community. She grew up in Dothan and returned to the camp in July to become the new director.

Cohen is moving to Massachusetts to be the first executive director of the jData Project at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. His wife, Rabbi Valerie Cohen, had been rabbi at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson since 2003. She became the rabbi at Temple Emanuel Sinai in Worcester, Mass.

He noted that there will be a transition for him as he will no longer be able to wear shorts to work, but it also snows a lot up there.

There were video presentations, including a slideshow of photos of Cohen from his camper days to the present, and one highlighting all of the physical changes that have occurred at the camp during his tenure.

He said he was asked about the best improvement during his time, and he said it was the service road.

One of the biggest challenges was Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many families found refuge at the camp, and the storm necessitated rebuilding the lake. Just after the storm, the camp found itself uniquely positioned to channel relief efforts from the Jewish world and opened Jacobs Ladder, a warehouse that distributed over 3 million pounds of goods to “forgotten” communities. That effort “rejuvenated our image within the region” and gave them a national visibility, he said. “It put us on the radar of the Grinspoon Foundation, which led to a transformation of our fundraising and our facility.”

It also was a “turning point” for him. “While running camp was my job, being here when God called was my purpose,” he said.

He called his time at the camp “an incredible journey for me and my family. In many ways I feel victorious – it was a great run. While my path now leads me to a colder climate, the journey of this institution will continue for many years to come.”

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September 2014

Southern Jewish Life

the high holidays

Yom Kippur prompts last-minute change for Louisiana Film Prize Festival for independent filmmakers in Shreveport-Bossier City shifts to week later, community embraces the reason why Plans were rolling along for this year’s Louisiana Film Prize, a weekend festival in Shreveport, when the sister of executive director Gregory Kallenberg told him she would not be there this year. She would be at services. Yom Kippur services.

Kallenberg quickly looked at the calendar and discovered that the Film prize was right on top of Yom Kippur.

“There was this incredibly chilling effect that it had on me,” he said.

At that point, the planning was mostly done for the weekend of Oct. 3 — theaters were booked, along with other venues and hotels, and filmmakers were making their plans.

He called Rabbi Jana DeBenedetti of B’nai Zion in Shreveport.

Kallenberg said she gave him “this incredible strength” to push for moving the Film Prize and “it was nice having someone behind me” who also was standing up for Yom Kippur.

Still, “sitting in front of a group that had worked for seven months to nail down a date and tell them that… I was certainly nervous of the reaction.”

The next day he sat down with his team and gave “a fairly impassioned speech about who I am,” and the response “was incredibly inspiring.”

There wasn’t any grumbling and “an action plan was put in place immediately” to move the festival to the following weekend.

Kallenberg said last year Yom Kippur was nowhere near the KALLENBERG GAVE “A FAIRLY festival, so it never occurred to IMPASSIONED SPEECH him that it might fall this late ABOUT WHO I AM,” AND THE in the year. They also were tryRESPONSE “WAS INCREDIBLY ing to time the Film Prize so it would occur during the opening INSPIRING.” weekend of the Red River Revel Arts Festival in Shreveport.

“We just didn’t check the calendar like we should,” he said.

Kallenberg said the Shreveport arts community “bent over backwards to change the date for us.”

Now, the opening night party will be Oct. 9 in conjunction with the Music Prize. Films will be screened on Oct. 10 and 11, with the awards “bruncheon” on Oct. 12.

The Film Prize is a contest for independent filmmakers with just one overriding rule — the film has to be shot in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Twenty finalists are chosen to show their films at the Film Prize weekend, and the winner receives $50,000, one of the largest short film cash prizes in the country.

Each of the Top 20 finalists receives $500, and this year there will be a $1,000 Best Actor and Best Actress prize. The Top 5 finalists receive a distribution agreement with Shorts International and film festival slots in Dallas, New Orleans and Los Angeles.

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 33

the high holidays The Founders Circle committee also has the discretion to award a $3,000 grant toward shooting another short for next year’s Film Prize to a standout film that does not win the grand prize.

The grand prize winner is selected by an official jury and audience vote.

The jury is made up of artists, critics, writers, filmmakers and educators.

The jury counts for half, the audience vote is the other half.

Audience members receive a uniquely numbered festival badge, are allowed to vote once and must view all 20 films. Kallenberg said it is important for filmmakers to interact with audiences to help boost their films.

The films, which are 5 to 15 minutes each, are shown in two sessions of 10 videos each. Each session occurs multiple times at four venues, and one’s pass is punched at the end of each session to enable voting.

This year, there were over 100 entries, Kallenberg said. He describes the Film Prize as the “anti-Film Festival” because this is all about the filmmakers.

In the first two years, the Film Prize is estimated to have brought $5 million to the local economy through film production, with about 1,000 cast and crew members involved.

Kallenberg is originally from the area but “I swore I’d never come back.”

He received a degree in film from the University of Texas and wrote for publications including Esquire, Texas Monthly and the New York Times.

He first directed “Eating Levi,” about competitive eater Levi Oliver of Austin, the first World Tamale Eating Champion.

His breakout film, “Haynesville: A Nation’s Hunt for an Energy Future” discussed the need for a balanced discussion about energy issues, the Rational Middle Energy Series, away from the “shrill extremes.”

It focused on the Haynesville Shale, a region of northwest Louisiana, southwest Arkansas and east Texas which has one of the largest recoverable natural gas reserves in the country, and currently delivers almost 10 percent of all the gas produced in the United States.

The film follows a single mom who is an environmental advocate, an African-American preacher trying to build a Christian school with a gas windfall, and a “country boy” weighing whether to sell his land to an oil company and become a millionaire.

Kallenberg based himself in Shreveport during the filmmaking process and found “the people here are some of the kindest, most giving people I’ve ever dealt with,” and there is “a very sweet spiritual” sense in Louisiana.

He has also found a home in Shreveport’s Jewish community, and while some friends in Austin wonder when he is going back to Texas, “I’ve kind of laid down in the poppies here.”

While the community there is rather small and “we’re not always the most vocal religious group,” the smooth nature of the date change and that the greater community understood why the date was being changed “was very important to me.”

Bluff Park Art Show on Yom Kippur This Year Another major art show is on Yom Kippur this year. The Bluff Park Art Show, which has been on the first Saturday of October since its founding in 1964, will be on Yom Kippur this year.

The Birmingham-area show usually draws a large crowd from the Jewish community, from attendees to “Which Came First - The Circle volunteers to exhibitors. or the Square” by Toby Klein Because of the schedule conflict, long-time exhibitor Toby Klein will not be in attendance this year. Last year, she won the top prize at the festival, the Permanent Collection Purchase Award. Toby, who is very well known for her Judaic art, will be featured in an exhibit at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover beginning in December.

34 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

the high holidays

The Beauty of a Worn Machzor

by Richard Shavei Tzion

Editor’s note: The author will be leading High Holy Day services at Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel for the eighth year this month. The services are open to the community and no tickets are necessary.

Those were days of awe. The Shul in Cape Town was packed with generations of families in their finery. The men, many topped with formal hats, wore dark suits and solid ties, the women resplendent in variations of the season’s fashionable colors, glittered with a sense of the occasion. The elders appeared stern faced, some leaning on carved walking sticks while the kids, shoes unusually I HAD DEVELOPED polished and ties slightly askew, strained on A STRANGE tip toes to get a glimpse of the solemn rabbi SENTIMENTALITY and executives, sitting upright in their solid TOWARD THIS oak “boxes” on either side of the Holy Ark. INANIMATE OBJECT Teenagers and adults carried machzors, the WHICH CONTAINED “Adlers” bound in black, the “Birnbaums” in red, all looking in mint condition. After all, SO MUCH VALUE they were removed from bookshelves for use AND MEANING just three days a year.

BETWEEN ITS LINES It was the first night of the “High Holidays” in 1968 and I was a 13-year-old highpitched soprano choir boy. That evening represented the culmination of months of our preparation, learning the great pieces composed mainly in the 19th Century, for the imposing liturgy of Rosh Hashanah. Just a month before, the Shul president had presented me with a Birnbaum on the occasion of my bar mitzvah and I held it with pride and reverence.

As evening fell, we found our places around our flustered choirmaster who fidgeted nervously, anxiously wondering if we were all focused and in good voice. Our instruction was to watch him at all times. But I could not help staring at the great cantor as he strode onto the bima to begin the service. Majestic in velvet white cloak and silk pom-pom hat, it seemed to us youngsters that his countenance was just like that of the Temple’s High Priest and I struggled to take my eyes off him. Then I looked down at the gold embroidered cloth covering the bima to peep at his machzor.

Expecting a large, pristine, impressively bound volume befitting his high station I was astonished to see a tattered, hand-sized edition seemingly fit only for burial. The rough blue binding was almost detached and as he opened it I noticed that the worn, sepia tinted, well-thumbed pages were covered with scribbled markings and rough musical notes. Yet the cantor, whose dramatic tenor voice filled the large sanctuary, turned the brittle leaves with love and care as if this humble book, with old-fashioned, fading print was a rare treasure. Too intimidated to ask, I could only wonder why he was not in possession of a machzor in keeping with his status and responsibility.

As I grew into adulthood I began to serve communities as their service leader during these days of prayer, feasting, fasting and repentance. I informally studied nussach, the special musical scales and modes which serve as settings to the deep, moving liturgy and I developed a personal set of markings as an aid to pronunciation and accenting, which I marked in my Birnbaum. I collected and occasionally composed lyric melodies, to complement the nussach. I penciled in musical notations including the composers’ names when known to me.

Over the years the pages began to yellow from the imprint of my fin-

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 35

the high holidays

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gers perspiring with the physical and emotional effort entailed in reciting with meaning and feeling, the hallowed words on behalf of the congregation. The binding began to disintegrate and some of the print became almost illegible. New publications, “Rinat Yisrael,” “Art Scroll” and others, offered a selection of beautiful, modern machzors which made the old Birnbaum look worn, passé. So I contemplated copying all of my notations to a new volume.

But how could I? I had developed a strange sentimentality towards this inanimate object which contained so much value and meaning between its lines. The aged compendium of prayers, composed and collected through millennia, had become a part of my life, serving me faithfully in the moments of my deepest spirituality.

It had travelled across oceans and continents with me, the one item I would always carry on the plane, not entrusting it to the baggage hold, for were it to get lost, I would be lost. It fit my hand like a glove, accompanying me not just three days a year but through months of preparation and nervous, excited anticipation. I would pull it from the bookshelf each time a friend or colleague asked for musical ideas for Melech Elyon or Ata Bechartanu and it had become the signal to my wife and daughters that the season was at hand when they encountered its familiar presence at strategic points around our home.

And so, 46 years later my beloved machzor grows old with me. It traces paths of my life and stories of my experiences, echoing the sounds of synagogues on three continents. It holds the memory of my dear teachers and continues to be an inspiration and guide to God’s gift of prayer. It is the source of so many life’s lessons and perspectives that linger through the year — “We are the dream that flies away and You are the King, the everlasting God” and the most beautiful of prose, “I remember your youthful devotion, the love of your bridal days, how you followed me through the wilderness, through an unsown land.”

Over the past seven years I have been leading the services at Knesseth Israel in Birmingham, where a group of young boys has joined me at the bima, singing melodies in the Mussaf service.

Last year, as is our custom, on the night before Rosh Hashanah we gathered for practice. Just as we were about to commence, one of the boys looked down at my machzor with a quizzical expression and asked, “Chazzan Richard, why is your machzor so old and broken?”

I expect that one day he will understand.

Pensacola “Wine Down” at Jackson’s for Rosh Hashanah For the last few years, Chef Irv Miller of Jackson’s Steakhouse in Pensacola has offered a special Rosh Hashanah menu.

This year, seatings begin at 5 p.m. for the Sept. 24 dinner, the first night of the holiday. In addition to the regular menu, there is a Rosh Hashanah menu that is $29 per person. It starts with challah, red and golden delicious apples along with orange blossom honey. The first course is sweet potato latkes with toasted pecans, fig preserves, sour cream and green onion, and the entrée is braised beef brisket with tomato and apricot, golden raisin kugel and cabbage with date syrup.

Since it will be a Wednesday, the restaurant celebrates Wine Down Wednesday with all bottles of wine on the award-winning Governor’s list offered at half off.

Maria Goldberg, marketing director for Jackson’s, said she is an Italian Catholic married to a northeastern Jew. She didn’t know much about making a traditional Rosh Hashanah dinner, so she spoke with Miller “about how we could create a meal and celebrate the holiday at Jackson’s.

We put our heads together and made it happen.”

The kugel recipe came from Miller’s mother “and is always a big hit,” Goldberg said.

the high holidays the high holidays

Shofar Shofar Factory Factory hits hits the the road road throughout throughout the the region region

This High Holiday season, Rabbi Levi This Highfrom Holiday season,ofRabbi Levi Weinbaum Chabad Alabama Weinbaum fromtheChabad of Alabama traveled around state presenting the traveled around theFactory. state presenting the interactive Shofar The Shofar interactive Shofar Factory.

The Shofar Factory brings Rosh Hashanah alive for Factory Rosh Hashanah alive for childrenbrings showing them how a shofar is childrenand showing them howthe a shofar is made, teaching them signifimade, teaching them the significance ofand the shofar. cance of the safety shofar.goggles, the children Donning Donning safety therams children sand, saw, drill and goggles, shellac the horn sand, itsaw, drilljust andlike shellac the rams until looks the shofar theyhorn see until looks in just like the shofar they see beingitblown synagogue. being blownthe in synagogue.

“Seeing excitement in the kids’ “Seeing the in just the made kids’ eyes when they excitement realize they’ve eyes when they realize they’ve something special and holy, andjust thatmade they something and holy, and that” they can blow itspecial themselves is amazing, said can blow it themselves is amazing, ” said Weinbaum.

“The High Holidays become Rabbi Levi Weinbaum at the Weinbaum. “The High Holidays become Rabbi LeviJewish Weinbaum at the something more than just sitting in synN.E. Miles Day School something just sitting in synagogue for more hours,than it becomes something N.E. Miles Jewish Day School in Birmingham agogue for hours, it becomes something that they can relate to, and something in Birmingham that theyare canexcited relate about. to, and that they ” something that they are excited about.

The Shofar Factory was presented at the N.E. Miles Jewish”Day School to Thestudents Shofar Factory presented at the N.E. Miles Jewish Dayclass.

School to their and the was Levite Jewish Community Center’s Pre-K Oththeir students and the scheduled Levite Jewish Center’sand Pre-K class. Other presentations were for Community Auburn, Tuscaloosa Hunstville. er Weinbaum presentations were for Auburn, Tuscaloosa and Hunstville. said thescheduled Shofar Factory is going to be reaching close to 500 Weinbaum said the Shofar Factory is going to be reaching close to 500 children in the state this season. children theLouisiana state thisalso season.

Chabadinof does the Shofar Factory as part of its Living Chabad of Louisiana the Shofar Factory as from part of its Living Legacy Series.

The seriesalso hasdoes traveled to congregations Gulfport to Legacy Series.

The series has traveled to congregations from Gulfport to Lafayette, and Rabbi Mendel Rivkin said this year is another “busy Shofar Lafayette, and Rabbi Mendel Rivkin said this year is another “busy Shofar Factory season.”

Factory season.

On Sept.

11 ”the Shofar Factory and a dinner will be held for young On Sept.

11 the Shofar Factory and astarting dinner atwill bep.m. held for young Jewish professionals, at Uptown Chabad 7:30 Jewish professionals, at Uptown Chabad starting at 7:30 p.m.

High High Holy Holy Days Days on on NOLA NOLA radio radio

High Holy Day services from Temple Sinai will Holy Day services Temple Sinai will beHigh broadcast in the New from Orleans area, thanks be broadcast the New OrleansFoundation, area, thanksa to the Ferber in Family of Houma to the Ferber Family of Houma Foundation, supporting foundation of the Jewish Endowmenta supporting foundation of the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana.

Foundation of Louisiana.

The services will be on WRBH-FM (88.3) for The unable servicestowill be onservices.

WRBH-FM for those attend These(88.3) services those unable to attend services.

These services will also be streamed on the internet. To listen will alsogobe on the To link listen online, to streamed www.wrbh.org or internet. click on the at online, go to www.wrbh.org or click on the link at www.templesinai.org. www.templesinai.org.

The broadcast services will be the evening of TheHashanah, broadcast services be the evening of Rosh Sept. 24 will at 7:30 p.m., and Kol Rosh Hashanah, Sept.

24 at 7:30 p.m., and Kol Nidre on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Nidre onFerber Oct. 3 at 7:30 almost p.m. her entire life in spent Temple Sinai, Dora Dora Ferber spent almost herfriends entire inlife in Temple Sinai, Houma, but she had many New New Orleans Houma, but she had many close close friends in New New Orleans Orleans. She was a member of Temple Sinai Orleans. was a her member of Temple Sinai and always traveled from HoumaShe to be with synagogue community and the always traveled from During Houma her to belifetime, with hershe synagogue community for Jewish holidays. started funding the for thebroadcast Jewish holidays.

During lifetime, sheTemple startedSinai, funding the radio of High Holy Dayher services from and the radio broadcast of High Holy Day services from Temple Sinai, and the foundation has been funding it since 1998. foundation has been funding it since 1998.

September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 37

34

September 2014

Southern Jewish Life

culture art • books • apps • music • television • film • theatre

Rascal House, Sunny Isles, August 31, 1996 Photo Courtesy Albert Barg and Jeff Weisberg

MUSEUMS

Growers, Grocers & Gefilte Fish Many people’s first thoughts of Florida’s contribution to Jewish cuisine likely tend to visions of amber-encased Art Deco temples to deli meat. That’s fair, but there’s worlds more. Florida is home to the “King of Citrus,” with groves three times the size of Manhattan, sixth-generation Jewish dairy farmers, and James Beard Foundation Award-winning chefs like Michelle Bernstein.

Isaac Bashevis Singer was having breakfast at Jewish-owned Sheldon’s Drugstore when he learned he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978. Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant is now in its 100th year, still owned and operated by the family of Joe and Jennie Weiss, the first Jews to settle on Miami Beach. And Burger King? Right. It was started by Ben Stein of Jacksonville in 1955.

“Growers, Grocers & Gefilte Fish: A Gastronomic Look at Florida Jews in Food” at The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU in Miami Beach spans nearly 200 years of history, is comprised of more than 400 photographs and 60 artifacts, and includes information on over 250 Florida Jewish families and companies. The exhibit runs through October 5.

DATES

CALENDARS FOR 5775 The Jewish Museum Calendar 2015 Featuring 16 images of paintings, prints, sculptures and ceremonial objects from The Jewish Museum, New York

Jewish Celebrations 2015 Paintings by Malcah Zeldis Each month, a work by Malcah Zeldis drawing on her childhood memories and experiences of Jewish tradition

Hebrew Illuminations: L’Chaim - To Life! 2015 Calendar Jewish artist Adam Rhine’s Judaic paintings that combine modern styling with medieval illuminated manuscripts and lettering

APPS

DIGITALLY DE-BURDEN G-dcast’s eScapegoat app makes lighthearted atoning available on your phone. With no High Priests sacrificing one goat and placing the collective sins of the Israelites on another wildernessbound goat, it was probably only a matter of time before someone came up with the idea of taking the postcard out of PostSecret to expunge on a cute digital billy. eScapegoat keeps everything anonymous, and puts the ‘best’ entries on their website, e.g. “I missed work to watch all of Breaking Bad in a sleep-deprived four-day weekend.”

This year, they’re making available ‘Mini Goats’ for shuls, schools and other organizations via a customizable URL. The site advises that some rabbis chose to include (again, anonymous) eScapegoat sins into their Yom Kippur sermons to “encourage congregants to think more deeply about their own confessions.” g-dcast.com/goat

September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 39

culture THEATRE

Biloxi Efforts to Restore Historic Saenger Originally operated by Julian and Abe Saenger, druggists from Shreveport who decided to get in the amusement business in a big way (at one time with over 100 theatres featuring their name), Biloxi’s Saenger Theatre, the “Gem of the Coast,” opened in 1930 with Paramount Pictures’ first full-talking movie and a Vitaphone feature with Eddie Cantor.

Declared an official Mississippi Landmark by the state Department of Archives and History, the theater has been owned by the city of Biloxi since 1975 when it was purchased it for $1 Courtesy Brent Moore CC BY-NC 2.0 after a fire. FEMA allocated $191,000 to help fix the building after Katrina and more since, Biloxi’s Saenger but an additional funds need to be raised to seal the roof and stop water leaks. If the work isn’t completed soon — and the city of Biloxi has indicated it doesn’t have the funds in its budget — there is fear that FEMA will rescind its grant. A total of $3.5 million will be needed for a restoration.

The building hosts regular performances, and last month there were almost 600 patrons who viewed the 1971 hurricane documentary, “A Lady Called Camille.” Broadway South Repertory has committed to put on at least three shows there each year. Volunteers plan to put on a fundraiser, “Celebration of Saenger,” in the fall. To help with renovations, contact Rafe O’Neal at rafeoneal@gmail.com.

MUSIC

And Another Song Will Rise: A Tribute to Debbie Friedman

Eleven artists (Julie Silver, Craig Taubman, David Broza, Peter Yarrow, Josh Nelson, Neshama Carlebach, Theo Bikel, Rick Recht, Michelle Citrin, Dan Nichols and Yaron Gershovsky) each perform one song in tribute of Debbie Friedman and her musical legacy. Rockbeat Records, 2014.

YOU ARE

UA

I reconnected with my faith by getting involved wtih Bama Hillel.

“I applied to a bunch of schools around the South, but I felt comfortable at The University of Alabama. Coming from a public high school, I had lost some of my Jewish connection, but I was able to gain that connection back by going to Friday night Shabbat dinners and high holiday activities and becoming more active in Bama Hillel.” — Devin

36

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September 2014

Southern Jewish Life

culture TELEVISION

Middle Feast

The newest season of “The Great Food Truck Race” is now showing on Food Network. One of the trucks, Middle Feast, is run by Israelis Tommy, his sister Hilla and friend Courtesy Food Network Arkadi. In June, the Jewish The Middle Feast community of Mobile came out to welcome them as the show stopped in the city for one of the race’s final competitions.

Courtesy Film Movement

FILM

The Jewish Cardinal

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Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will screen “The Jewish Cardinal,” the true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, who maintained his cultural identity as a Jew even after converting, joining the priesthood and being appointed Archbishop of Paris.

The film will be screened as part of the Selichot program on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. A dessert reception precedes the screening at 6:30 p.m.

The Projected Image: The Jewish Experience on Film Every Tuesday in September, starting at 7 p.m., Turner Classic Movies will examine Hollywood’s relationship with the Jewish community with 22 films. Among the films scheduled are “The Jazz Singer,” “Judgment at Nuremberg,” “Exodus,” “The Way We Were” and “Avalon.”

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3590 Grandview Pkwy marriott.com/bhmmc September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 41

culture BOOKS

FDR AND THE JEWS Richard Breitman, Allan J. Lichtman (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press)

Why didn’t, or couldn’t, President Franklin Roosevelt do more to save European Jewry? What were the reasons behind his failing to open America’s borders to Jewish refugees, or deciding against bombing the gas chambers of Auschwitz and its transportation portals? The authors, Richard Breitman and Allan J. Lichtman, assert that there were four different, distinct phases Roosevelt went through regarding Jewish issues, and only by understanding the dilemmas of the day, such as the turning away of the USS St. Louis, could Roosevelt’s actions be best evaluated, and they assert that FDR did far more to assist Europe’s Jews than any other world leader of the time.

While this book does go into the government’s considerations of resettling Jewish refugees to other parts of the world, look to Dan J. Puckett’s “In the Shadow of Hitler,” University of Alabama Press (reviewed in an earlier issue of SJL) for the experiences of Alabama’s Jews working to save European Jewry during that era, and of those who came to call Alabama home.

MOADEI HASHANAH, THE DAYS OF AWE Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus (Feldheim Publishers)

Moadei Hashanah Elul and Rosh Hashanah is based on lectures delivered by Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus on the importance of acquiring a relationship and closeness with Hashem, who should be put in the center of our lives, how every tefillah has an effect, and the deeper meaning and approach to these vital days. This is the seventh of his many Hebrew books to be made available to the English-speaking public. A world-renowned speaker, Rav Pincus educated and influenced audiences across the Jewish spectrum.

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

HERE IS THE WORLD

by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal (Abrams Books for Young Readers, New York)

Beautifully illustrated, and written at an earlyelementary reading level, Jewish holidays and life-cycle events are written in rhyme which makes for fun reading. The book concludes with an easy craft or recipe for many holidays. “Here is the World” is a perfect Rosh Hashanah gift for young children.

The Garden of Time

by Jill Hammer, illustrated by Zoë Cohen (Skinner House Books)

Author Rabbi Jill Hammer is the director of spiritual education at the Academy for Jewish Religion and a cofounder of the Kohenet Institute, a program in spiritual leadership for Jewish women. The book uses the style of the Story of Creation and the setting of the Garden of Eden to explain the entire Jewish year.

42 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

culture

culture

TELEVISION AUTHORS

Middle Feast Sally Rosenthal The newest season of

“The Great Foodhad Truck Sally Rosenthal her first book, “Matzo Race” ispublished now showing on It was picked Frogs,” this year.

Food Network.

One of up by PJ Library and published by New the trucks, Middle Feast, South Books in Montgomery.

Rosenthal is best run by Israelis is known as Tommy, a documentarian who produced the his sister Hilla Food Network three-part 2013 and PBSfriend miniseries, “Superheroes:Courtesy A NeverArkadi.

In June, the Jewish The Middle Feast Ending Battle,” the six-part PBS series, “Make ‘Em Laugh: community of Mobile came The Funny Business of America” in 2009 and the sixout to welcome as the The showAmerican stopped in the cityfor for part PBS series,them “Broadway: Musical,” one of the race’s final competitions. which she won the 2005 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Series. She says the Jewish American immigrant experience is an integral aspect of all three series.

Inline Lighting

“Matzo Frogs” is a charming children’s book about a team of frogs who help their unsuspecting neighbor after she accidentally spills the matzo ball soup she’s been cooking for her cousins.

INLINE

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The Jewish Cardinal

This was our bedtime story one will night, and “The I asked my Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El screen Jewish five-year-old thought the ideaLustiger, of the story Cardinal,” thewhat true he story of Jean-Marie the was.

He answered that if frogs can do this kind of mitzvah, son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, who maintained his just think what people can do. Is that the message you cultural identity as aout?

Jew even after converting, joining were trying to get

Where you are the Rock Star!

the priesthood and being appointed Archbishop of Paris.

Oh, that makes me so happy. Yes, I wanted to convey the The film part of the Selichot program that idea that will if it be canscreened be fun toasdo nice things for somebody, 20 atreward.

7 p.m.And A dessert reception precedes themaking itonisSept. its own the frogs are having a blast the soup. Iatlike idea that they are working together to screening 6:30thep.m. do something, things they couldn’t do by themselves. They’re using creativity, teamwork, and all of it to help someone.

It’s a universal idea. Mitzvot is a Jewish concept but it’s not something that is limited to Jewish people.

The Projected Image: The Jewish Experience on Film

Every Tuesday in September, starting at 7 p.m., Turner Classic Movies will examine Hollywood’s relationship with the Jewish community with 22 films. Among the films scheduled are “The Jazz Singer,” “Judgment at Nuremberg,” “Exodus,” “The Way We Were” and “Avalon.”

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 43

culture INTERVIEW

AMY SAAB Amy, I know you’re an artist and you come from an artistic family. Let’s start with your great-grandfather, the renowned sculptor Louis Rosenthal.

He lived in Baltimore, Maryland and was a famous artist. A lot of his pieces are Judaic. King George V changed the name of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters to the Royal Society of Miniature Painters and Sculptors to allow him, an American, membership. I never knew him but felt like I had because his pieces were in my family’s homes.

Did you always know you were an artist?

I was always surrounded by art, by my greatgrandfather’s sculpture, my grandmother’s paintings ... my father was a photographer and we had a darkroom in the house. When I was five he taught me how to take photographs. Art was always present.

When I was about 10, my father told me I don’t see like other people see, because I’m blind in one eye, so I judge depth and distance in shadow and sizes and that made me hyper-aware of how I see differently than other people. That helped me understand lighting.

You branched out into watercolor.

When my first daughter was born, I could no longer go out and shoot photographs, so I decided to try to find another way to try to get the art out.

44 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

I tried every medium. I really enjoy realism because you paint light.

Everything we see, the one common element is light. Light flows, and it bends, and it’s similar to water. Going from photography to watercolor is a perfect match. They complement each other.

Everything I learned in photography can be transfered to watercolor because of the element of water. It’s magic for me. I learned that water bonds to itself and will follow my brush. If I give it a little bit of freedom and understand that I have to let it go, it will create some amazing things on its own.

I was thinking about how so many people here know your art, and it’s probably from the paintings you did for Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El siddur. How did that come about?

Robin Berger was familiar with my art, and when she asked me to do it, she didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t know what to expect. But I photographed everything in the Temple. My favorite piece to do was a sculpture of Moses in the foyer. While I was painting him, I felt very connected to my great-grandfather, because I felt I was creating a three-dimensional image by bringing Moses to life in watercolor. There were 30 8x10s.

I understand one of the meaningful aspects was that you got to work with your mom.

Yes. It was an extraordinary gift that my mother Sculpture by Amy Saab’s and I were partnered in something that’s going to great-grandfather, last. We were partners on an epic scale. We learned Louis Rosenthal.

Private collection. while we worked. She was the graphic designer.

All the Hebrew that was done was checked and re-checked by Cantor Jessica Roskin. She practically moved into my mother’s house and was there all the time working on this book and they became such wonderful friends. The three of us became a family from this project.

Three of the artworks Amy Saab created for Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El

I teach art classes to children. They teach me so much. They taught me never to fear blank canvas, ever. When children paint, they are not interested with the final version of what they are creating, they enjoy getting lost in the process. It’s magical to watch.

What are you working on right now?

I do a lot of family photography, mostly for holidays. Lately I’ve been doing something for 12- and 13-year old girls just on the cusp of becoming women, where they get dressed up and they can do their hair and makeup, with a friend, and they get silly and I take photographs of them. And I tell them, after they see how I see them, that being beautiful is like a hidden super-power that’s to be taken out on occasion. And just knowing they’re capable of turning into this powerhouse of beauty really gives them self-confidence. I have two daughters. When they began to worry about how they looked became somewhat paralyzed about what to wear, I took portraits of them, for fun. After seeing themselves, they started to feel a lot more confident in just being themselves.

What’s next for you and your art, and how can you be reached?

I work by commission only. I like to do family treasures, architecture, pets. I really enjoy painting things that have deep spiritual or historical meaning to someone. It’s a very powerful thing to try to bring something to life that means so much to other people.

I’d like to have other synagogues find treasures and ask me to reproduce them in my art. I’d also like to design stained glass.

People find me on my blog. I post my photos and my art there; it’s 2me4art.com. I can also be contacted at asaabsfables@gmail.com.

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46 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

automotive an SJL Special Section

Ford’s 50th Anniversary Mustang

Automotive Special Section

Retro-Cool Plus Modern Tech

control; more contoured, comfortable “zero gravity” seats; a computer that can change from “luxury” to sport mode while sensing changing road and traffic conditions and other standard amenities, as does the Lincoln MKZ mid-sized sedan.

“It’s really a very exciting time at Ford and Lincoln. The automakers are always thinking so progressively and with the customers in mind,” said Mason.

Excitement about the 50th anniversary Mustang at Long-Lewis Ford Lincoln

by Lee J. Green Late this month Ford gallops out its 50th anniversary Mustang special edition with even more horsepower and enhanced fuel economy.

These vehicles, and many other fine ones produced by Ford and Lincoln, are featured at Long-Lewis in Hoover.

“This 50th anniversary Mustang has been completely redesigned and Ford has been working on it for five years now. It is really something special to tribute an automotive legend,” said Long-Lewis Ford Lincoln New Vehicle Manager Gary Mason.

Mason said the Mustang comes in four, six and eight-liter engines.

Featuring Ford’s patented Ecoboost engine technology, the new Mustangs offer both greater horsepower and fuel efficiency. Demand has been high and one-third of the initial shipment to Long-Lewis has already been spoken for. The new Mustang convertible comes out in January 2015.

“The body redesign for the 50th anniversary Mustang is retro-feel but with all of the technology it features, it is retro meets modernism,” added Mason.

Thanks also to Ecoboost, the V6 engine Ford F-150 trucks outsold the V8 engine version for the past 12 months. Mason said the Ford F-150 truck has been the top selling vehicle of any kind for 23 years running and the top-selling truck for 37 years running.

The F-150 has been redesigned for 2015 and now with a body made of aircraft aluminum, is 700 pounds lighter. This has enhanced its fuel economy, which is in the mid-20s, acceleration and braking. “It is sleeker and still offers the same great towing capacity. It offers the best of all worlds,” said Mason.

The Ford Fiesta sedan gets 43 miles per gallon on the highway, but is only a three-cylinder vehicle with 128 horsepower. “Ecoboost adds torque and power. On the Fiesta, Ford has reduced the engine size but the RPMs stay down,” he said.

Lincoln has redefined luxury by adding performance and enhancing fuel economy, said Mason. The Lincoln MKC small crossover vehicle gets 30 mpg on the highway while offering a comfortable, luxurious driving experience.

It features hands-free voice communications and push-button

2015 Acura TLX

Acura introduces new 2015 TLX

by Lee J. Green The new 2015 Acura TLX, now available at King Acura in the Birmingham area, combines sport and comfort.

The TLX replaces the TL and TSX. The sedan allows drivers to adjust the suspension from “sport” mode to “comfort” mode. The vehicle gets 34 miles per gallon on the highway with a 290-horsepower engine.

“It is such a quiet vehicle, especially considering all the power it has and it offers excellent fuel economy,” said King Acura GM Reed Lyles.

“This is an Acura that can please everyone.”

Lyles said similar to the MDX and RLX, the TLX comes standard with touch-screen control and Bluetooth control capability. For added safety, The TLX offers front, side and knee-level air bags.

He said that King Acura is on pace for a record sales year. Its most popular vehicles have been the MDX (seven-passenger SUV) and RDX (five-passenger Crossover).

“They were redesigned for 2014 and 2013 respectively and can get as high as 28 miles per gallon in the highway. To get the cargo room you need, you don’t have to sacrifice power or fuel economy,” said Lyles.

September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 47

automotive automotive special section

2015 Honda Fit

Honda Enhances Fit, Adds HRV to its Fleet Honda Rearview Camera Standard on all U.S. Models

by Lee J. Green The 2015 Honda Fit, out now at Brannon Honda, is in even better shape, and the manufacturer continues to lead the automotive world in re-sale value.

Patrick Brannon, who co-owns Birmingham’s Brannon Honda with his brother Ben, said in addition to the new, improved Honda Fit, Honda has launched the new HRV. “The HRV will be widely available this fall. It is ‘sub-compact meets SUV.’ It is more spacious than the Fit and sits up a little higher” but still offers 33 miles per gallon on the highway with 145 horsepower, said Brannon. “Both the HRV and the Fit allow Honda to please everyone with everything they would want in their vehicle.”

Brannon Salesman Rodney Thurman said that Fit offers a streamlined navigation system and comes Bluetooth-ready. It also features a back-up camera and its back seats fold down flat if extra storage is needed.

“Honda has added more horsepower to the Fit, so it has more pick-up especially uphill,” said Thurman. “Plus it’s a great overall value” at just under $20,000.

Brannon said Kelly Blue Book also named Honda Best Overall Value for Lifetime of Ownership in 2013. Brannon Honda’s service department also once again earned the top 5 percent service award among all Honda dealerships. “Service and offering value are two very important things to us,” he said.

Honda also prides itself on its safety. All Honda vehicles now come equipped with Bluetooth as a safety feature. “Many other manufacturers consider Bluetooth a luxury feature and part of an add-on package. At Honda, our motto is ‘safety for everyone’,” said Brannon.

In that vein, a backup camera is now standard on every U.S. Honda. In fact, Honda builds more top safety rated cars in America than any other brand.

He said the Honda Accord, Civic and CRV, in that order, are the top selling vehicles at Brannon Honda. But the new Fit and HRV could give those vehicles a run for their money.

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48 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

8/13/14 7:56 PM

automotive automotive special section

The S-Class, with all-LED lighting, is the first car in modern history without a single lightbulb

Safety, Luxury and Innovation at Mercedes-Benz of New Orleans Mercedes Benz of New Orleans and the New Orleans Saints — who play in the Mercedes Benz Superdome — both can be aptly labeled winning teams.

Mercedes Benz of New Orleans, owned by Saints owner Tom Benson, recorded a record sales year in 2013 and is on pace to eclipse that mark in 2014.

General Sales Manager Christopher Stuben said the S Class higher-end sedan, redesigned and released for 2014 last fall, has been very popular. New for 2015 comes the C Class sedan, which arrived last month at the dealership. Referred to as the “Baby S Class” the new C Class Sedan offers much of what the S Class offers at lower price points.

This month Mercedes Benz launches a brand new model — the GLA. “This is Mercedes Benz’ first foray into the SUV Crossover vehicle market,” he said. “It is considered an entry level SUV in the way the CLA is our entry-level sedan. It’s a very exciting, please-all vehicle and we’ve already pre-sold our share.”

Base price on the new GLA will be $33,300, added Stuben. The vehicle gets more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

Also new for 2015 and out in October will be the S Class Coupe, which replaces the Mercedes CL. “This is a two-door S Class, which is our high-end sedan,” said Stuben.

Mercedes has earned a stellar reputation for luxury, but in recent years, innovation has improved fuel economy significantly. Most Mercedes Benz vehicles come standard with Eco Start/Stop. It will be standard on all vehicles soon, added Stuben.

With Eco Start/Stop, the vehicle shuts off the engine when one is stopped, then turns it back on when a driver first accelerates again. “This saves 18 percent of fuel costs,” he said. “Keeping miles per gallon numbers up is good for the customer and the environment.”

A new safety feature added to the Mercedes Benz vehicles, called Collison Prevention Plus, can automatically, safely stop a Mercedes vehicle going 65 miles per hour or lower if there is a danger that the Mercedes driver could hit the vehicle in front that stops short or if the driver is trailing too close.

“Most of the Mercedes vehicles also have Attention Assist. If it senses that a driver might be changing his or her driving pattern and could be falling asleep, the vehicle senses the deviation and immediately puts out an audible warning,” said Stuben.

In 2013, Mercedes Benz of New Orleans was once again recognized as a Best of the Best Mercedes Benz dealership. This is awarded to the Top 50 dealers for performance in sales, service and customer satisfaction. Its service department offers a fleet of more than 100 loaner cars for those who have Mercedes vehicles being serviced.

September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 49

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For those who want a sports car at a sporty price and for those who seek sportiness and performance along with plenty of cargo room, Mazda has it covered.

The Mazda Miata sports car and CX9 larger crossover vehicle have been redesigned for 2015. The CX9 is out now and the Miata will be in by January 2015 at Med Center Mazda in the Birmingham area.

“The CX9 is a seven-passenger vehicle but it gets some of the best fuel economy in its class and it handles like a sports car,” said Med Center Mazda sales leader Bobby Bloomston.

Mazda has only seven vehicles — the Mazda 2, 3 and 6 sedans, the Mazda 5, CX-5 and CX-9 crossover SUVs, and the Miata. Because of that, Mazda can focus on making a smaller core even stronger with features that can please everyone, noted Bloomston.

“Mazda continues to prove that you can have it all — space, fuel efficiency, handling, performance, friendly prices and high resale value,” he said.

A few years ago, Mazda created its Skyactiv engine. This and lighter vehicle body weights while still making stronger, even-more-durable vehicles has allowed for some of the industry’s best miles per gallon numbers in class.

The smaller sedan, the Mazda 3, is still the top seller at Med Center Mazda and gets 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The CX5, smaller crossover SUV, gets 35 mpg and is the number two seller at the Pelham dealership.

Bloomston said the new Miata has a sleek new design and improved fuel economy. He said his customers tend to come to in having already researched much about the vehicle.

“When they come in, the best way to sell them is to have them test drive and experience it for themselves,” he said.

Allstate’s Smart Star Driver System The cell phone, a device maligned for contributing to accidents as drivers text while driving, can now be employed to encourage teens to drive safely.

Allstate recently launched a new system called Star Driver for drivers ages16 to 19 who are on their parents’ insurance. “These are the drivers with the least amount of experience and who are responsible for the highest percentage of accidents. This offers incentives to encourage safe driving that can offset for inexperience,” said Birmingham Allstate Agent Eyal Ron. The smart-phone based system allows parents of teen drivers on Allstate policies to set parameters the young drivers are asked to follow.

The GPS-based technology features three categories.

The first is curfew. Parents can set a time that teen drivers can be on the road until at night, whether as a driver or passenger. If the teen is out past that time, the parents will be sent a notification text.

The second sets parameters on the distance teen drivers might be allowed to travel, and the third setting can be speed. In these instances, a text notification is sent if a teen goes outside boundaries.

“These only go to the monitoring parent and it doesn’t affect the cost of the insurance,” said Ron. “But it encourages safe driving and teens being accountable. If they follow the rules, they earn points with which they can purchase some cool items.”

In the fourth quarter of this year, Allstate will launch its usage-based rating for adult drivers. Policy holders can get Allstate software installed on their smart phone that tracks rates of acceleration and braking.

Those who meet positive parameters can receive a 2 to 10 percent discount off of their policy. “It rewards safe driving but it will not cause rates to go up otherwise,” said Ron.

automotive automotive special section

2015 Chevrolet Tahoe

Growth at Bryan Automotive

by Lee J. Green For those seeking Chevrolet, Mitsubishi and Subaru vehicles in the New Orleans area, Bryan Automotive is just what the doctor ordered.

Recently, music legend and New Orleans resident Dr. John bought a new Chevrolet from Bryan, which has been a New Orleans tradition since 1955.

“He was just so nice to everyone and he said he was really happy with the service he got here,” said Bryan Marketing Director Morgan Lee. Jimmy Bryan started the Chevrolet dealership almost 60 years ago on the West Bank. A few years later he moved it to its current location on Airline Drive in Metairie.

His son, Jay, took over the dealership in the mid-1980s and would add what was then the newer Japanese brands of Mitsubishi and Subaru.

“Jay saw the immense growth with these newer brands and the chance to offer some great vehicles to the New Orleans area that were not as readily available before. These additions were good complements, not competition, to Chevrolet. This allows us to sell cars and trucks to people of all demographics and at all price points,” said Lee. Today, Bryan is one of the heaviest volume Chevy dealers in the New Orleans area and has won the automaker’s Mark of Excellence award many years running.

Lee said that in 2014 the Silverado truck was redesigned and a “big hit; one of our top sellers.” It was named the 2014 North American Truck of the Year and the best trade-in value in its class.

The Chevy Tahoe and Suburban trucks for 2015 are out and feature bold new redesigns. The trucks have increased towing capacity and fuel efficiency at the same time. Some new safety features include parking-assist, lane change alerts and seven airbags.

The Chevrolet Malibu and Cruze sport sedans offer the highest fuel economy in the line, up to 36 miles per hour on the highway.

Mitsubishi has made some enhancements to its popular Outlander Sport crossover SUV. It’s listed as a top safety pick and on the 10 most affordable SUVs list. It gets 32 mpg on the highway.

The four-door, all-wheel-drive Lancer sedan gets 34 mpg and customers can choose from a few different body styles going from “traditional sedan-like up to something that looks more like a rally car,” said Lee. All Subarus have all-wheel drive, which helps with better handling during difficult conditions. “Most people consider the advantages of having all-wheel-drive when traveling on ice and snow or up mountains,” she said. “But in New Orleans, especially in the summer, we get our share of torrential downpours. There are also a lot of potholes. The all-wheel drive can help a driver to prevent hydroplaning and not lose control when hitting a pothole.”

The Subaru Outback and Forester are most popular at Bryan, she said.

The Outback and the Legacy are newly redesigned for 2015.

The Legacy is Subaru’s mid-sized sedan and the Outback, which gets 33 mpg, is its four-door wagon. Of all of those vehicles sold in the past 10 years, approximately 95 percent are still on the road, added Lee. She said Bryan is proud to be the first sponsor of New Orleans Zephyrs Triple-A baseball and in October, for the third year in a row, they will drive the Camaro pace car wearing a bright pink wrap in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides with Breast Cancer walk in New Orleans.

“We pride ourselves on giving back to the community… and giving our customers the best service,” said Lee.

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New Orleanian Roselle Ungar, left, was one of the national chairs for Hadassah’s 97th annual national convention, held July 21 to 23 in Las Vegas.

Above, the Southern Region takes part in the festivities, joining 800 members and associates at the convention.

southern jewish scene

On May 18, Achdut Israel in Panama City held a Lag B’Omer picnic and bonfire that included a first haircut ceremony for two three-year-olds.

Beth Israel in Gulfport held its annual International Food and Wine Tasting at the Island View Casino Resort in Biloxi on June 12.

Tuscaloosa’s Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood held its end-of-year lunch on May 4 at the University Club.

Chabad of Louisiana held Project Talmud Summer on Aug. 18. Below are Bill Norman, Rabbi Mendel Rivkin and Eli Shindler, the owner of GCP Labs in Gulfport, who underwrote the event

September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 53

simchas: confirmation

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Confirmation classes of 2014 around the region: Temple Beth-El, Birmingham (May 10) above: Molly Bloomston, Haley Lewis, Olivia Mannon, Jake Stein, Brian Weintraub, Eric Weintraub.

Temple B’nai Sholom, Huntsville (May 2): Aaron Simon, Josh Hovanes, Ethan Smyth.

Ahavas Chesed, Mobile (June 13): Rebecca Mulholland.

Springhill Avenue Temple, Mobile (May 30): Madison Reid Friduss, Steven Richard Hirsch, Daniel Robert Kinsella.

Temple Beth-El, Pensacola (June 3): Ada Ejikemeuwa, Amara Ejikemeuwa, Allan Tucker.

Beth Shalom, Baton Rouge (June 3): Max Levy, Abby Rayner, Alyssa Winkler.

Gates of Prayer, Metairie (June 3): Benjamin Cohen, Alex Dines, Marlee Michaels, Max Michaels, Georgia Plotkin, Samara Plotkin, Victoria Preston, Rebekah Renee, Megan Rittenberg, David Scharff, Avery Seelig, Bevin Zlatkiss.

Temple Sinai, New Orleans (June 3) below: Adam Jordan Bressler, Anne Elise Cohen, Carin Angelica Entrekin, Haley Samantha Fried, Jeremy Philip Meyer, Nigel Aggio Duthuit Rizzo, Howard Matthew Weinstock, Miriam Lillian Zitler.

Touro Synagogue, New Orleans (May 30): Alex Morais Abramson, Todd Jacob Hamilton, Samuel Evan Baum, Samuel Matthew Laufer, Samuel Axelrod Schaefer.

Hebrew Union Congregation, Greenville (May 16): Gaines Lamensdorf Beth Israel, Jackson (May 9): David Crystal, Lily Katz, Benjamin Hearon, Jonathan Springer.

simchas In May, Jordan Braunig of Shreveport was ordained as a rabbi at Hebrew College in Massachusetts. He is now the director of the Initiative for Innovative Community Building at Tufts University Hillel, where he had been a Rabbinic Fellow. He will mentor and teach as part of the Initiative.

Braunig attended college at New York University. He is the son of Helaine and Bill Braunig; his mother is the director of the religious school at B’nai Zion in Shreveport. On his rabbinical school application, he cited Judith Grunes, one of his teachers at B’nai Zion, as being an early influence on his Jewish curiosity. He also accompanied his grandfather, Neal Nierman, there for Torah study.

Marisa Yammer of Birmingham was honored at the Rutgers University Hillel’s annual gala on June 17 as a member of the Israel Inspires Team from 2003. The 10 alumni received the Young Alumni Award.

In April 2003, the students and two Hillel professionals got together to brainstorm a new approach to campus Israel activism, especially given that the International Palestine Solidarity Conference was to be held there in October 2003.

Instead of defending Israel, they set out to counterprogram around the idea of what inspires them about Israel. On Oct. 9 they held an Israel Inspires rally that drew 7,000. Among the guest speakers was Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama.

On Oct. 10 there was an Israel Block Party at the student center, drawing over 1,000.

An Israel Inspires weekend, co-chaired by Yammer, was held Oct. 10 to 12, drawing 600 students from 68 universities across the country for an exploration of all aspects of Israel. A 9,000-square-foot sukkah was constructed atop the Hyatt Regency.

uate Award in Exercise Science. He was chosen as the banner bearer to represent his school and class at graduation, and entered the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the School of Health Related Professions at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Emma Buchthal, an alumna of Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, was accepted to the Contemporary Chinese Studies program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Christine Clolinger, daughter of Debbie and Tom Clolinger, Mobile, was recently a delegate to the 2014 International Animal Rights Conference in Barcelona, Spain, as a representative of Florida State University, where she is a third-year law student.

As classes began for the year at Indian Springs School near Birmingham, Eli Cohen began his term as mayor of the student body. The student body self-governs in a Town Hall format, with a mayor who provides leadership to the community and with commissioners who direct various aspects of student life. Class representatives represent their grades in student government meetings and organize class activities, and judiciary members rule on infractions of student rules and standards. Julia Fleisig was elected a commissioner of education, while Hannah Rezonzew is 12th grade class representative and Clark Thompson is an 11th grade class representative. The elections were held May 20-21.

Lillian McClure, who completed fifth grade at Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School in May, won the Alabama Chemists Celebrate Earth Day competition. Students from Kindergarten to 12th grade submitted illustrated poems on the theme of “The Wonders of Water.” The contest is sponsored by the American Chemical Society.

CityBusiness in New Orleans named its 2014 class of Women of the Year on Aug. 28. Among the class are Mindy Brickman, Julie Wise Oreck and Dana Shepard. A luncheon honoring the women will be on Nov. 14 at the Hyatt Regency, and the Nov. 28 issue of CityBusiness will have an insert spotlighting all of the honorees.

Bert Rosenbush of Demopolis, often referred to as the “last Jew in Marengo County,” was honored by the Greensboro Masons on Aug. 26 for his 60 years of membership.

Matthew Mosow received the 2014 Taylor Medal in Applied Sciences at the University of Mississippi, and received the Blackburn Undergrad-

Photo by Barry Altmark

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 55

simchas: b’nai mitzvah

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Axel Elliot Strynar, son of Mark and Mary Strynar, at Beth Shalom, Fort Walton Beach, on May 3.

Daniel Blokh, son of Rita Meikson and Alexander Blokh, at Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, on May 10.

Brenan Alan Kronenberg, son of Mark and Kirsh Kronenberg, at Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, on May 10.

Sophia Rebecca Feldman, daughter of Rob and Gina Feldman, at Beth Shalom, Fort Walton Beach, on May 17.

Joshua Brandon Hecker, son of David Hecker, Longview, Tex., at B’nai Zion, Shreveport, on May 24.

Jessica Rachel Neal, daughter of Burt and Michelle Neal, at Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, on May 24.

Mary Beth Muslow, daughter of Jason and Christina Muslow, and Amy and David Quinn, at B’nai Zion, Shreveport, on May 31.

Lorraine Williams and Marc Dahlman celebrated their adult B’nai Mitzvah at Gates of Prayer, Metairie, on June 28.

Asher Charles Altman, son of Judi and Kenneth Altman, at Springhill Avenue Temple, Mobile, on July 26.

Joshua Lowentritt and Sarah Jane Lowentritt, at Temple Sinai, New Orleans, on July 26.

Sydney Bouchner and Morgan Laviage, at Temple Shalom, Lafayette, on Aug. 2.

Liv Komisar, daughter of Kim and Barry Komisar, at Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, on Aug. 9.

Sophie Saab, daughter of Amy and David Saab, at Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, on Aug. 21.

Jessica Michaela Campbell, daughter of Jamie and Chuck Campbell, at Temple B’nai Sholom, Huntsville, on Aug. 23.

Daisy Kallenberg, daughter of Heidi and Gregory Kallenberg, at B’nai Zion, Shreveport, on Aug. 30.

When the only other Jewish child in your entire county is your brother, it can be difficult to find community as your Bat Mitzvah approaches.

For Abby Craig, that is where the Henry S. Jacobs Camp came into play. On May 24 she had her Bat Mitzvah at the place where she feels the most Jewish, according to her mother, Becci Craig.

Becci and John Craig live in Brooksville, a little over 20 miles south of Columbus, with Abby and her brother Jacob.

“My kids are second generation campers and have been at HSJ every summer since they were old enough to attend,” Becci Craig said. “The friendships and bonds that she has made are lifelong. They have become our extended family that we visit during the school year.”

They decided that since out-of-town relatives were flying into Jackson they should have an all-inclusive destination for the weekend, and holding everything at camp would allow everyone to have more time together. Many camp friends also attended.

They had outdoor services and camp activities, finishing the weekend with wish lanterns being released on Lake Gary.

For a service project, she collected puzzle books for older patients at the Blair Batson Hospital in Jackson, the only children’s hospital in the state. During a stay there, she realized there wasn’t much for the patients to do to pass the time and was inspired to take on this project. At the end of the summer — after she got back from her regular camp session — she delivered the books.

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“Jerusalem” in Mobile “Jerusalem” in Mobile complement film at Exploreum Two exhibits complementTwo filmexhibits at Exploreum

IO N A T A Tree Service

L

N

The “Jerusalem” National Geographic IMAX film “Jerusalem” that has been The National Geographic IMAX film that has been screening Birmingham’s screening at Birmingham’s McWane Center this at summer opens atMcWane the Gulf Center this summer opens at the Gulf Coast Exploreum Coast Exploreum Science Center in Mobile on Sept. 13.Science Center in Mobile on Sept. 13.

In Mobile, will be accompanied by two complementary In Mobile, the movie will be accompanied by the twomovie complementary exhibits and there will be a lecture series. exhibits and there will be a lecture series.

Daniel Ferguson, who produced, Daniel Ferguson, who produced, directed directed andthe wrote for a grand and wrote film,the willfilm, visitwill for visit a grand Sept.

16. After a screening openingopening on Sept.on16.

After a screening he he will For starting times and more discuss film’s creation purpose. will discuss the the film’s creation andand purpose. information, call (205) 424-2368 Complementing will be “Cultural Complementing the film the willfilm be “Cultural www.bentbrook.com of the Holyand Land” and “Families of ArtifactsArtifacts of the Holy Land” “Families of Follow us on twitter Abraham. ” Abraham. ” Like us on Facebook The artifacts will include over The artifacts exhibit exhibit will include over itemsthefrom the original settlement of 7900 Dickey Springs Road | Birmingham 50 items50from original settlement of Jerusalem 20th century.

They Jerusalem throughthrough the 20ththe century.

They on loan NewOrleans Orleans Baptist will be will on be loan fromfrom thethe New Theological Ceremony.

Seminary.

Baptist Theological “Families of Abraham” is a contemporary “Families of Abraham” is a contemporary photography 180 pictures by photography exhibit exhibit of 180 of pictures by eight photographers showing the of lives of 11 eight photographers showing the lives Jewish, Christian Muslim families over 11 Jewish, Christian and and Muslim families theby course of aEleanor year. It Brawley, was created by curator over the course of a year. It was created curator with Brawley, with assistance assistance from the Levine Museum ofEleanor the New South, Charlotte, N.C. from the Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte, N.C. ranging from A five-part lecture series will showcase a variety of topics Experience Matters A five-part lecture series will showcase a variety of topics ranging from everyday culture to significant archeological discoveries throughout Trust the care of your trees to the professionals culture to significant archeological discoveries throughout history. The series will feature localeveryday and regional scholars, as well as history.

The series will feature local and regional scholars, as as archeological experts, who will unveil historical and cultural topics as Specializing inwell Commercial & Residential archeological who Cole will are unveil historical and cultural topics as they relate to the exhibit. John B. Switzer, Bill Warrenexperts, and Dennis Removal they of relate to the exhibit.

John B.2014 Switzer, Bill Dangerous Warren andTree Dennis Cole are• Tree Trimming • Crane Work the featured speakers, presenting a series topics from November Stump Grinding Lot Clearing • Bobcat Work the featured speakers, presenting a series of topics from November •2014 through March 2015. through March 2015.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to host such an exciting film Over 40 Years Experience pleased to have the opportunity to host such an exciting film and exhibit combination here on the “We GulfareCoast.

This experience is Free Estimates exhibit and combination here on the Gulf Coast. This experience is something we feel will shed light on a and very historic cultural significant 24 Hour Emergency Services something we feelJan will shed light on a very historic and cultural significant area of the world,” said Exploreum Executive Director McKay. area of the ” saidon Exploreum The 45-minute National Geographic film willworld, be shown the IMAXExecutive Director Jan McKay. 45-minute with National Geographic film will be shown on the IMAX dome screen, giving one a bird’s eye viewThe of Jerusalem, a perspective dome screen, givingtimes. one a bird’s eye view of Jerusalem, with a perspective that is new even to those who have been there numerous thatthe is new even towho those who have The film traces Jerusalem’s story from Jebusites, inhabited thebeen there numerous times. film traces story from the Jebusites, who inhabited the site 5000 years ago, through the Jewish,The Christian andJerusalem’s Muslim periods.

5000 one years the Jewish, Christian and Muslim periods.

The story is told through three youngsite women, of ago, eachthrough faith, detailing The respective story is told throughIn three what Jerusalem means to them and their religions. the young film, women, one of each faith, detailing what Jerusalem means to them and their respective religions. In the film, their stories intertwine but rarely intersect. stories aintertwine butscreening rarely intersect.

The Mobile Area Jewish Federationtheir is hosting community Mobile Area Jewish Federation is hosting a community screening on Oct. 12 at 4 p.m., and reservations canThe be made by calling the Federation Oct. 12 at 4” p.m., and reservations office. The screening is “a gift to theon community, and contributions to can be made by calling the Federation office. screening is “a gift to the community,” and contributions to support the Federation’s work in Ukraine andThe Israel are requested. support the April Federation’s work in Ukraine and Israel are requested.

The film and exhibits will be in Mobile through 4. In Birmingham, The Nov. film and Birmingham, the McWane Center run continues through 26. exhibits will be in Mobile through April 4. Innationaltreeservice.com the McWane Center run continues through Nov. 26.

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September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 57

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Shop Jerusalem in Mobile Not only can visitors to the Exploreum Science Center in Mobile experience Jerusalem through film and exhibits, they can also shop Jerusalem.

Sabra Joines of Fairhope, who founded Sabra Style, is working with the Exploreum to import Sabra Joines films her first commercial Israeli products to sell during the film’s run, from Sept. 13 to April 4.

In 2009 Joines met Mayor Ron Nachman of Ariel, who was in Mobile to formalize a sister city arrangement. She became communications coordinator of American Friends of Ariel, building ties between Israel and the Christian community in the South.

She launched Sabra Style as a way Americans could support Israel through commerce, referring to Proverbs 31, which mentions discovering Israel “like a merchant ship.” She explained that while history of the time of King Solomon deals mainly with military matters, sea trade was vital to a kingdom’s survival, just as commerce is important to the modern state.

The Sabra Style products tent has traveled to many pro-Israel events around the region. A friend who bought products at an Art Walk in Fairhope told the Exploreum about her, establishing the connection.

Cincy’s Cohen becomes head of UAB pediatrics The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced that Mitchell Cohen, a national leader in pediatric medicine and an internationally renowned specialist in children’s digestive disorders, has been named chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the UAB School of Medicine and has been elected physician-in-chief of Children’s of Alabama by its board of trustees.

Cohen is a professor of pediatrics, vice-chair for clinical affairs, and director of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

At UAB he will succeed Sergio Stagno, who last fall announced his intention to step down as chair and physician-in-chief after serving in those roles since 1988. Cohen joined UAB and COA on Sept. 1.

“I am looking forward to leading a faculty well-known for its excellence,” Cohen said. “This is an opportunity to meaningfully advance the health of the children of Alabama, to work with a faculty that is driven to improve the quality of care and to work in an exceptional facility.”

The Department of Pediatrics at UAB has more than 170 faculty members and trains more than 100 residents for careers in primary care and pediatric subspecialties. Children’s of Alabama, with its new Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children, had nearly 14,000 hospital discharges and 660,000 outpatient visits in 2013.

“Mitch Cohen is the ideal person for this important leadership position,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, senior vice president for medicine and dean of the School of Medicine at UAB. “Cohen will build on the legacy of excellence established

by Dr. Stagno to reach new heights for the people of Birmingham, the state of Alabama and beyond.”

“Mitch Cohen is coming to Birmingham at a very important time for UAB’s Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama. We look

forward to welcoming him to our campus and to the important work that we will accomplish together on behalf of children throughout the state and the region,” said Mike Warren, Children’s of Alabama’s president and chief executive officer.

Stagno, who will remain on the UAB faculty, said, “Mitch Cohen is a proven and very strong leader in pediatric gastroenterology with the skills to be a very effective chair of pediatrics.”

“The energy and vision of Dr. Vickers, and the alignment between UAB and Children’s of Alabama, made this opportunity very attractive,” Cohen said.

A native of New York, Cohen completed medical school at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and pediatric residency training at Johns Hopkins. He became director of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 2005 and vice-chair of the Department of Pediatrics in 2009.

From 2002 to 2004 he served as president of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and received the organization’s Shwachman Award in 2013 for lifelong scientific contributions. He also has been active in the Maimonides Society at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.

Cohen and his wife, Morissa Ladinsky Cohen, M.D., also a pediatrician, have five children: Seth, 32, Noah, 28, Raphael, 26, Andrew, 17, and Nicole, 13.

Birmingham’s recent growth and revitalization also figured into Cohen’s decision to leave Cincinnati after more than 30 years. “Birmingham is a very welcoming community,” Cohen said.

“The city seems very proud, and justly so, of UAB and Children’s. I hope to capitalize on that to achieve greater heights. We think Birmingham is going to be a great place to live.”

nosh

jewish deep south: bagels, biscuits, beignets

Courtesy Ron Almog cc-by-2.0

Sweet Shanah Tovah Gifts

hive stemless glasses from Mignon Faget, New Orleans, $45/set of four

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

LolliaWish shea butter handcreme from A Little Something, Birmingham, varies

Fashionista Blooms from Hoover Florist, varies by size

For a Good Year cards from Rudman’s Card and Party, Metairie, $2.43/ea set of 25

Creamy Pralinettes from Aunt Sally’s Pomegranate Plate from Adler’s, Pralines, New Orleans, $139 New Orleans, $12.99/box of 12 {High Holiday Cocktail}

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KOSHER

ORDER IN For the first time, this year Birmingham’s Chabad of Alabama (chabadofalabama. com) is offering a new year catering service. Metairie’s Kosher Cajun (koshercajun.com) is also offering a Rosh Hashanah catering menu, with traditional dishes plus other favorites like jambalaya and fried chicken. Order deadlines for both are Sept. 15. Deltans can place orders by Sept. 18 at Nosh-A-Rye Deli (thenoshmemphis.com), certified by Vaad Hakehilloth of Memphis,which won first place best chicken at August’s ASBEE World Kosher BBQ Championship.

COOKBOOK

THE GOURMET JEWISH COOKBOOK

by Denise Phillips (Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin’s Press)

England native Denise Phillips, author of three other Jewish cookbooks, pens “The Gourmet Jewish Cookbook” with over 200 recipes. Not simply a compendium of refined kosher classics, the book includes dishes likely new to one’s repertoire. Recipes for guacamole and brownies should have been omitted to make room for more than the 16 color photographs included, but it’s especially nice that besides the usual milchig/pareve/fleishig categories, many recipes are also marked as gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian. The sweet potato, pomegranate and pumpkin seed salad (vegetarian, gluten-free) makes a perfect new addition at Rosh Hashanah.

September 2014 • Southern Jewish Life 59

nosh KOSHER-STYLE RECIPE

GG’s Dine-O-Rama

by Lee J. Green

GG’s Dine-o-Rama, located on the corner of Magazine and 8th Streets in Uptown New Orleans, describes its cuisine as refined comfort food.

Owner and Head Chef Dave Gott focuses on homemade, fresh, unique and creative dishes, with as much organic and locally grown ingredients as possible. Everything is made inhouse at GG’s, which is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday brunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Since switching from Gott Gourmet to GG’s Dine-o-Rama this past January, the restaurant went retro with the interior to celebrate the history of the area. Adorning the walls are images from that section of Magazine Street in the 1950s along with replicated old signs from area businesses that existed back then. On each table at GG’s is a different set of vintage salt and pepper shakers.

Some of GG’s tasty kosher-style menu items include Gott Salad, Fell’s Point Wedge Fries, BBQ brisket platter, the Mac’N on Magazine fancy mac and cheese and the Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins with Blueberry Maple Butter.

GG’s Dine-O-Rama

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Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins with Blueberry Maple Butter

1 cup liquid egg whites, whip to peaks Mix wet ingredients together and pour into dry ingredients. Add onion-pepper-cheese mixture as well. Fold together all ingredients lightly and carefully — do not over-mix.

4 cups yellow cornmeal 4 cups all-purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder ½ cup sugar 6 tsp kosher salt Mix all ingredients in bowl and set aside.

1 white onion 4 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped 1 cup shredded cheddar Pulse onions and jalapenos in food processor until finely minced. Place in a bowl and add cheddar.

4-1/2 cups whole milk 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen 6 eggs, lightly beaten

Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pan spray three muffin pans. Fill muffin pans with mix, enough so it is above the pan line. Garnish with a thin slice of fresh jalapeno and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes and store.

Blueberry-Maple Butter 3 lbs. softened butter ¼ cup organic maple syrup 15 frozen blueberries 3 tsp blueberry puree Whip all ingredients in mixer. Store in fridge.

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Continued from page 62 recommends doing so during the president’s fundraising plea. You’ve heard it all before, including the introductory joke.

Some might say it’s appropriate to commemorate 18 years of this column so close to the Day of Atonement. With that in mind, this column asks the forgiveness of everyone who has never read it — it’s not their fault. They’re merely to blame.

So, sip your chai in comfort. Despite court orders to the contrary, this octodecennial celebration is not an end, but a new beginning.

May this column be inscribed in the Book of Life. Not only because that would mean finally appearing in multiple publications, but also because the columnist would have to live so long, too.

Rest assured that if anything funny happens in the next 18 years, it’s possible that you’ll both read about it here first.

Next tea in Jerusalem.

Doug Brook is a writer in Silicon Valley who has continually baffled scientists by, since August 1996, aging even more than his jokes — impossible as that seems. For past columns, other writings, and more, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/ the.beholders.eye.

Birmingham’s Emanu-El holding B’nai Mitzvah expo Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El Youth and Education Department is hosting a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Expo on Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Vendors will be on hand to give ideas and information for those planning a simcha in the coming years. There will be caterers, entertainment groups, florists, invitation providers, hotels, linen providers and photographers. There will also be information on possible mitzvah projects for students to undertake in anticipation of their weekend.

LJCC announces Food Festival changes Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center is reworking the popular Friedman Family Foundation LJCC Jewish Food Festival, which in past years has been held indoors in early November.

In celebration of Sukkot, the Jewish Food Festival will take place on Levite Field “in a true fall festival atmosphere” on Oct. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aside from the usual menu including deli, falafel, Israeli street food and some traditional Jewish foods, the festival will also feature craft vendors, live music, a pumpkin patch, hay rides, Owls Hollow Market and more.

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the beholder’s eye • doug brook

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205.989.0053 62 Southern Jewish Life • September 2014

18

In the beginning, there was a question.

It was a warm, sunny, summer Shabbat morning, when an unsuspecting woman was approached in a synagogue parking lot, and asked the question that would launch a thousand quips.

“Do you think you know four rabbis who would prefer people sleeping through the sermon, rather than talking during it?” She said, “probably.”

From that came the headline, “Rabbis prefer sleeping during sermon.”

In that first fateful column, 18 years ago, her innocuous “probably” was the basis of the scientific assertion that four out of five rabbis prefer sleeping during a sermon. From where came the fifth rabbi? Simple: When was the last time five rabbis agreed on anything? Thus, four out of five.

The journalistic integrity and investigative skills demonstrated there could have easily led to a prestigious career today in covering the Middle East for most major news outlets. But instead, this column labored every month (except for the ones that were missed), and sometimes twice monthly, to bring almost several laughs to its almost several readers.

It rode the sound waves of The Southern Shofar though, despite contractual stipulation, never rode in the seat behind a Southern Chauffeur. It then spoke in its own Deep South Jewish Voice, before settling in to Southern Jewish Life‘s hind end — unless you read the magazine right to left, which does not make most of the news today make more, or less, sense.

Over the years, this column presented the wisdom of the recentlydiscovered, long-lost Mishnah tractate Bava Gump which, among other things, teaches how shrimp can be kosher.

The column retold the legendary adventures of the beloved young kabbalist, Harry Plotzer, and his adventures with The Sanhedrin’s Stone, through The Chamber of Shpielkis, and with The Prisoner of Ashkenaz and The Gabbai of Fire, though not yet getting to The Deadly Challahs.

Occasionally there were guests, such as the recurring one due to a harebrained rabbinical typo, Ask the Rabbit, as well as Gurb the Caveman Rabbi, and the occasional special report from The Oynion.

Explored were calendar anomalies and events, real and surreal, such as Thanksnukah, Mezuzapalooza, Kol Nidre the 13th, Purover, Chrisnukah, Yomtober, and the pirated Rosh Hashaarrrnah and Day of Aarrrtonement.

The chorus of “Bubbe’s Been Run Over By a Reindeer” was sung, the Rebbe at the Bat got his bell rung, and the Grinch who hated Jew-ville had his hatred unstrung.

In case it wasn’t apparent, this is the 18th anniversary of this space not being for rent. In honor of this Chai anniversary, it would seem appropriate to toast it with some chai tea.

Except that chai tea has baffled rabbinic scholars for hundreds of seconds. (“Should we have seconds? Is one cup enough? Let’s drink on it.”) After all, chai is not pronounced like Chai, though a cup of chai makes it easier to pronounce Chai. And some say that chai has properties that help to extend one’s life, one’s Chai.

And what is chai tea’s relationship to Thai Iced Tea? Is there such a thing as Thai Chai Tea? If there is, are its effects best described as tai chi for the digestive system?

These are questions to ponder during this High Holy Day season, though perhaps not late afternoon on Yom Kippur. This column

continued on previous page