SJL New Orleans, October 2013 by Southern Jewish Life

Chanukah Gift Guide

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October 2013

Volume 23 Issue 10

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Chanukah? It’s difficult for us to imagine that, because as of when this is being written, it’s still September and yet we’re putting the finishing touches on our pre-Chanukah issue, the gift guide. It’s still 80-plus degrees every day. What gives? Usually our November issue is the Chanukah gift guide, with the Chanukah issue in December. Not this year. As has been noted in many venues, this year Chanukah is early. Way early. In fact, this year is the only time in a 70,000-year span that the first day of Chanukah falls on Thanksgiving. Even more impressive when you consider that Chanukah has been around a bit over 2100 years and Thanksgiving was formally established in 1863 (which of course makes this the 150th anniversary). The first candle will be lit on Wednesday night, and Thanksgiving dinner will include the second night’s lighting. The Jewish calendar, of course, is based on the moon. Twelve lunar months equal around 355 days and a solar year is 365 and one-fourth days. Muslims, who use a lunar calendar, ignore the discrepancy, which is why their holidays shift around the seasons. Jewish holidays have to line up with the seasons — you can’t have Passover in the winter, or the Sukkot harvest festival in the spring. So every 19 years, there are seven years with leap months. Also, some months are flexible in having either 29 or 30 days. Since all the holidays are early this year, it is clear that this will be a leap year, and in late winter an extra month will be added, so holidays after that will be on the late side. Because of the mathematics involved, paired with where in November the fourth Thursday falls, having Chanukah and Thanksgiving coincide is exceedingly rare. This is the first time it has happened on the fourth Thursday (Thanksgiving used to be the last Thursday of November, which means they coincided in 1888). Because the Hebrew calendar is still slightly off, the earliest Chanukah will be in the future will be Nov. 29, making it a mathematical impossibility for it to fall on the fourth Thursday unless the Jewish calendar is corrected. However, the first candle will be lit on Thanksgiving in 2070 and 2165. Mark your calendars. Some are already hawking Thanksganukah shirts, or turkey menorahs. If there is any year to try a fried turkey, this will be the year. Sweet potato latkes, anyone? Or, we have a version of latkes that include that Southern staple, fried pickle chips, mixed in. It’ll be a challenge for our annual Chanukah lights display, as it is improper to put up such lights before Thanksgiving. Perhaps my brother can ask Bava Gump if there is a special loophole for this situation. Larry Brook Editor/Publisher NOLA

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October 2013

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Front Porch Sarna to speak at Loyola: Loyola University is hosting “American Jewish History Backwards and Forwards” with noted historian Jonathan Sarna on Oct. 30. A reception will begin at 6:45 p.m. with the lecture at Nunemaker Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Illustrating how the past can both inform and inspire, Sarna goes back to the colonial era, recounting the dynamic story of people struggling to be Americans and Jews. He shows how each generation has had to wrestle anew with the question of whether its own children and grandchildren will remain Jewish. Gazing ahead, Sarna examines key trends that will affect American Jewish life in the 21st century and beyond. He concludes with a call for a new mission for American Jews, and a discussion of how to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Sarna is the Chair of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University, as well as Chief Historian of the new National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. Dubbed by Forward newspaper in 2004 as one of America’s fifty most influential Jews, he was Chief Historian for the 350th commemoration of the American Jewish community, and is recognized as a leading commentator on American Jewish history, religion and life. The most recent of his more than 30 books is “When General Grant Expelled the Jews.” The Loyola Jewish Studies Lecture series is in conjunction with and recognition of the Centennial Celebration of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and with gifts from The Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, Lester and Beverly Wainer, The Luther and Zita Templeman Foundation, The Steeg Family, The Goldring Family Foundation, and the The Woldenberg Foundation.

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On Rosh Hashanah, services at Woldenberg Village were led by Rick Epstein of Touro Synagogue, Cantor Sam Krush of Shir Chadash and shofar blower Hilton Title of Beth Israel. This year, the service ended differently. Epstein is commissioner of the New Orleans Synagogue Softball League and Touro team captain, while Title was captain of the championship Beth Israel-Chabad-Anshe Sfard team this season. After the usual closing hymn, they did a second closing hymn in the form of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame, complete with a Harry Caraystyle introduction. Title accompanied on trumpet, then Epstein said that closing was likely a first “in the history of this religion, or any other organized religion.” NOLA

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Front Porch Congregations team up for kosher lectures: Beth Israel and Gates of Prayer in Metairie are holding a Keeping Kosher series on Wednesday nights this month. Each of the three sessions deals with a different aspect of Jewish life. The sessions are all at 7:30 p.m., the first two are at Gates of Prayer and the third is at Beth Israel. On Oct. 9, the series started with Kosher genes, a discussion of genetic issues that affect the Jewish community, and testing that can help prevent problems. Guest speakers are Chris Dvorak, Tulane University Genetic Counselor, Dr. Gabriella Pridjian, Ob/Gyn and Clinical Geneticist and Dr. Leonard Kancher, Internal Medicine. On Oct. 16, the topic turns to Kosher Jews — new expressions of Jewish affiliation that go beyond synagogue, Federation and women’s groups. Speakers will be Alana Himber, AVODAH: Jewish Service Corps, Jakob Rosenzweig, Jews Pursuing Justice, and Liba Kornfeld, Community Mikvah Task Force. The final session, on Oct. 23, is the Kosher Web, the vast array of information about Judaism online — including a lot of misinformation. Speakers are Yehuda Halper, Debbie Schlackman and Alan Smason.

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Shir Chadash in Metairie took time during Tashlich to dedicate its new playground, constructed over the summer. Funds for the new playground were provided by the Shir Chadash Sisterhood and the Gilda Finkelstein Gift of Israel Fund. Top row, left to right: Diane Schleifstein and Judy Roth. Bottom row, left to right: Esther Light, Joyce Ellis, Madilyn Samuels and Lisa Finkelstein. Bonds recognizes Louisiana purchases: Israel Bonds for the Southeast Region was holding its New Orleans community reception on Oct. 10 at Beth Israel. Keynote speaker is Ido Aharoni, Israel’s consul general in New York. A member of Israel’s foreign service since 1991, Aharoni is an expert on the media and how Israel presents itself to the world. He was appointed to serve as the Head of Israel’s Brand Management Team in 2007 and he helped bring about a paradigm shift in the perception of Israel’s public image by Israeli officials. He has emerged as one of the most popular Israeli diplomatic personalities. As part of the evening, there is a special presentation to Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy in recognition of the state’s $10 million investment in Israel Bonds this year. The state has been able to purchase Israel Bonds since 2004. 6

October 2013

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Front Porch Delta Jewish Open set: The 26th annual Jay Mosow Memorial Delta Jewish Open is scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 16 in Greenville. The tournament is a benefit for the Henry S. Jacobs Camp and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, as well as a reunion for the small Jewish communities of the Delta. One need not be a golfer to attend. Tee box sponsorships are available for $100. Cost for golfers is $120 single, $135 with date, $195 for a golfing couple. Non-golfer cost is $40, or $75 per couple. The weekend starts with the traditional steak dinner at Hebrew Union Congregation on Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. A group from San Francisco that will be touring the Delta will be in attendance. The four-person scramble tournament begins with a shofar start at 9 a.m. on Nov. 17, at Greenville Country Club. Lunch will be available for purchase. For registration and hotel information, contact Barry Piltz, (662) 332-3322, or Alan Silverblatt, (662) 887-5878. Registration deadline is Nov. 8. On Oct. 27 at 6 p.m., Beth Israel in Metairie will hold a Casino Night as its fall fundraiser. The entire community is invited for the red carpet event with casino games including poker, blackjack, roulette and craps. The entry fee is $35 per person for early RSVPs and $50 per person at the door. All paid admissions include 18 casino chips. There will also be a silent auction, cocktails and food. Israeli folk dancing classes are held every Monday starting at 7:30 p.m., at Starlight Dance Studios, 5050 West Esplanade. Peter Wolf, a New Orleans native who recently wrote “My New Orleans, Gone Away,” will speak at the monthly Temple Sinai Sisterhood breakfast on Nov. 10. His ancestors were among the founders of Temple Sinai, but he had little contact with Jewish life while growing up, learning about his “casual” Jewishness when he went off to school in the northeast. He is also scheduled to speak to New Orleans Hadassah on Nov. 4. Following Shabbat morning services at Anshe Sfard on Oct. 19,

NOLA

internationally-recognized artist Anna Gil will speak about her Judaic pieces. A buffet lunch follows her presentation. On Nov. 9, Brenda Brasher will discuss her research into the first 100 years of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. On Oct. 20, Community Day School will hold its fall fundraiser, “Music of the Night.” Local trio Bon Operatit will perform selections from “Phantom of the Opera” and other Broadway selections. There will also be a silent auction as the school celebrates 18 years in the New Orleans area. The event will be at Shir Chadash at 5 p.m. Camping at Touro Synagogue? The congregation’s first family Shabbat sleepover will be held Nov. 15 and 16, starting with a family Shabbat dinner, services, oneg, games, scavenger hunt and late-night stories. The event will end at 9:15 a.m. on Nov. 16. Reservations are $36 including meals and activities, and are required by Nov. 1. The Morris Bart Sr. Lecture Series continues at the Uptown Jewish Community Center on Oct. 14 with John Magill of the Historic New Orleans Collection. In “The Geographic Basis for the Settlement of New Orleans,” he will trace the urban development of New Orleans and its suburbs using maps, bird’s-eye views and other images. It will highlight the city’s 19th-century growth patterns on high grounds along the Mississippi River, its 20th-century expansion on low-lying ground toward Lake Pontchartrain with establishment of the city’s drainage system, as well as post World War II suburbanization. The event starts at 11:45 a.m. On Nov. 11, Michael Cowan of Loyola University and Common Good will discuss “Seeking the Well-Being of the City: Transforming New Orleans in the Wake of Katrina.” As one of the leaders of the ongoing post-Katrina effort to reform public institutions, Cowan will discuss progress made, remaining challenges, and the likely impacts of reform on the future of the city. Community Day School in Metairie is holding four Open Houses in October, Tuesdays Oct. 1, 15 and 29 at 9 a.m., and Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. The event is for parents looking for a place for Kindergarten to fifth grade. School tours will be available, information on the curriculum and time to speak with Head of School Sharon Pollin and Admissions Director Deb Marsh.

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October 2013

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The Jewish Community Center at the Goldring/Woldenberg campus in Metairie will have a membership appreciation day and summer camp reunion on Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day will include fitness assessments, class demonstrations, family-friendly activities, games, face painting and more. Food and drinks will be served, with music by DJ Terrance. On Oct. 20 at 3 p.m., Temple Sinai will present the New Orleans Vocal Arts Chorale and the Loyola Chamber Singers performing the Rachmaninov Vespers, under the direction of Meg Frazier. Sinai Cantor Joel Colman will be singing with the Chorale. Colman said the piece is based on chants of the Russian church, and as a counterpoint he will be doing the Kol Nidre chant. Gates of Prayer Sisterhood in Metairie will have a Chanukah gift show and bake sale on Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Temple Sinai’s “Live from the 92nd Street Y” broadcasts return this month. On Oct. 23 at 7 p.m., the series starts with “Full Court Press: Inside the Bush and Obama White Houses” featuring Robert Gibbs and Ari Fleischer with Ben Feller. On Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., Alan Dershowitz will appear with Jeffery Toobin, discussing Dershowitz’s new book, “Taking the Stand.” Shir Chadash in Metairie is introducing an early childhood Jewish music class for ages 0 to 5 and “their grownups.” The class will be Wednesdays at 5 p.m., for six weeks starting Oct. 16. The class is taught by Meryl Zimmerman, the congregation’s religious school director and Tot Shabbat leader. Cost for the six sessions is $60 for members, $70 for non-members, and drop-ins are $15 per class. Reservations are requested. Tulane’s Department of Jewish Studies is holding numerous public lectures over the coming year, all housed at the new Jewish Studies Department House at 7031 Freret. The series begins on Oct. 6 with Jack Kulgelmas of the University of Florida. His topic is “Sifting the Ruins: Jewish Journalists Return to Poland.” On Oct. 28, Tulane’s Yehuda Halper will speak on “Was Aristotle Good for the Jews?” Mitchell Bard, executive director of the American Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, will visit on Nov. 11 for a talk on “Fiddler on the Roof Meets Exodus: Tevye in Palestine.” Tulane’s Brian Horowitz will speak on Nov. 25 on “Jabotinsky and Violence, The True Story.” The year concludes on Dec. 2 with Tulane’s Michael Cohen speaking on “Cotton, Credit and Capital: Niche Economies and the Rise of the Jewish Merchant Class in the Gulf South, 1840-1890.” All talks are at 7 p.m. JewCCY, the combined Reform youth group in New Orleans, will have Havdallah at Rock ‘N Bowl on Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. with bowling to follow. An anonymous visitor is traveling the country looking for “welcoming and comforting spiritual communit(ies)” for members and guests, and making sizable donations to those who meet expectations. B’nai Zion in Shreveport recently received one such donation from the unknown visitor, whose website is ChaiMinded.org. Each congregation receives the same donation, $10,008. So far, there have been 31 congregations recognized, including one in Columbus, Ga. But the website only lists the city, not the congregation. B’nai Zion, which is currently renovating its sanctuary, is using the one-time gift to help “make our sanctuary space more welcoming.”

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NOLA, Israel team up for emergency preparedness training: As a major American tourist destination, New Orleans routinely hosts a wide range of huge events that draw large crowds, from Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest to sporting events that often include the college football national championship and Super Bowl, not to mention the regular-season Saints games and the Sugar Bowl. While New Orleans has the unfortunate expertise in dealing with hurricanes, what would happen if an incident occurred similar to the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15? With that in mind, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans has spearheaded the New Orleans/Israel Partnership on Emergency Response and Medicine. In December, a team of Israeli experts will visit New Orleans for several days. The partnership will include workshops, site visits and panels on topics including crisis management, operational readiness, hospital evacuation and temporary medical facilities, pandemics, terrorist response, hazmat and neighborhood containment, and more. Many of the experts are from Rosh Ha’Ayin, which is New Orleans’ Partnership2Gether community. New Orleans partners in the effort include Jones Walker LLC, Acadian Ambulance Service, Children’s Hospital, Ochsner Health System, Touro Infirmary and Tulane University Medical Center. Emergency response to terror attacks is a specialized field in which Israel has a great deal of expertise and experience. Emergency management officials there have a worldwide reputation in quick and effective response to earthquakes, military attacks and terrorist bombings. Israeli expertise was on the ground in Kenya last month shortly after Islamic terrorists took over a popular shopping mall. After the massive January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Israel had the first fully staffed and equipped field hospital up and running in the relief effort. And IsraAID divers were among those who came to New Orleans immediately after the levees broke following Hurricane Katrina. Israeli teams had done similar training in Boston prior to the bombing, and Boston officials credited that with saving lives and enabling a smooth response to the bombing. Israeli video technology is also credited with helping catch the suspects. Registration will open this month as the Federation announces more details. Naomi Ragen to speak in Birmingham: Naomi Ragen, a leading women’s advocate in Israel and bestselling novelist and playwright, will speak in Birmingham on Nov. 2 at Temple Beth-El. She will discuss and sign her latest book, “The Sisters Weiss,” the latest in a series of explorations of women in the ultra-Orthodox world, following “Jepthe’s Daughter,” “Sotah” and “The Sacrifice of Tamar.” Her hit play “Women’s Minyan” has been performed more than 500 times in Israel’s National Theatre. In 2007, Ragen filed an ultimately successful suit to halt gendersegregated public bus lines in Israel where the separation was being enforced by ultra-Orthodox passengers. She referred to the rules as “the latest crazy idea of fanatics with too much free time on their hands.” She also battles against domestic abuse and gender bias in rabbinical courts. Birmingham is one of only 12 stops on her U.S. tour. “The Sisters Weiss” is available at The Little Professor in Homewood, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Beth-El Sisterhood. Reservations for the 7:30 p.m. event and dessert reception are $10 by Oct. 30. Southern Jewish Life

October 2013

Front Porch Camp Barney Open Houses: Camp Barney Medintz, summer resident camp of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, will present their annual new musical slide production and dessert reception in Birmingham on Nov. 7 at the Levite Jewish Community Center beginning at 7 p.m. In New Orleans, an early December program is being planned. Camp Director Jim Mittenthal will meet with new and returning families, answer questions about the 2014 summer camp season, and provide applications for registration. Camp Barney Medintz is located in the North Georgia Blue Ridge mountains on over 500 wooded acres surrounding two lakes just 75 miles northeast of Atlanta. According to Mittenthal, the setting facilitates “every imaginable activity”, including water skiing, hydro-tubing, wake boarding, swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing, the “Iceberg,” the “Rave” water trampoline, leaping off the “Blob” or soaring down the 180-foot “Hurricane” water slide, horseback riding, campouts, “zipping” over 1000 feet across Lake Wendy, whitewater rafting, tennis, all land/court sports, theatre, crafts, music, Israeli culture, dance, radio, video, camper cooking “classes,” mountain biking, climbing the adjacent Appalachian Trail and a series of high-adventure rock climbing, rappelling and ropes courses. Specific age groups may also participate in fencing, karate, ceramics or scuba diving. “Camp Barney,” celebrating its 52nd summer season, has created “a unique community that is all about adventure and self discovery, exhilarating activities and exciting events, being in a strong culturally Jewish environment with special friends, all under the supervision of a carefully selected group of mature, talented, conscientious, loving, and enthusiastic staff,” said Mittenthal.

Camp Barney annually develops new construction projects to improve its mountain facility. Recent additions include a major cultural and performing arts complex, a new sports complex and “Food Network”-type camper kitchen, the band new Marcus Health Center, and “Sam’s Deck.” This year’s projects include a second swimming pool with double water slides. Inquiries about the 2014 summer season are again far exceeding previous years and each of the two- and four-week sessions is likely to fill to capacity very rapidly. For more information about Camp Barney programs, Family Camps, staff opportunities or other CBM adventures, call the camp office in Atlanta at (770) 395-2554 or local parent representatives. In Birmingham, it is Susan Lapidus, (205) 930-9185. New Orleans representatives are Lisa and Brian Katz, (504) 301-1196.

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Past Federation presidents at centennial annual meeting

After 100 years, NOLA Federation has ambitious plans for future Morton Katz, incoming president of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, said “This is not your grandmother’s or grandfather’s Federation,” as the Federation’s annual meeting on Sept. 11 was a time to look back at the Federation’s first 100 years and talk about the decades to come. As part of the evening, Katz and Federation Executive Director Michael Weil spoke of Federation initiatives that would continue to grow and transform the community beyond its current state. The centennial celebration was held in front of a full house at the Uptown Jewish Community Center. A central part of the evening was a 17-minute video outlining the Federation’s history, containing interviews with many leaders, past and present. There was also a live performance from the 1978 campaign musical, with many of the original performers reprising their roles as Federation calls them to service. A video of the 1982 campaign “We can reach a goal musical was also shown. of 25,000 Jews” Noting lyrics from the song in the 1982 video, Katz said “We grew and we grew and we grew. Now Federation needs you. Well, nothing has changed,” he said. “We need you more than ever. In fact, we’re growing more than ever.” In recent years, programming has expanded and the newcomers’ initiative has expanded the community’s post-Katrina population from a low of 6500 to just under 10,000 today — just more than the 9500 estimated before the storm. Katz noted that the community has grown in all but one way — the annual campaign has been “relatively flat,” at roughly $2.5 million. “We need to find ways to expand our campaign and bring it back to the vigor we had prior to Katrina.” Last year the campaign raised $2.58 million from 1,440 donors, with a 5.5 percent increase per card. He said it is time to think “out of the box,” including outreach to the corporate and non-Jewish communities. “Why not? We’re doing things in the general community.” With the real estate market hitting new heights, he said the community surely can increase. “We want to reach $3 million this year, and I’ll be the first to do better,” he said. Weil said three aspects of the Federation’s history struck him while examining the past 100 years — the Federation continued to adapt to changing circumstances, welcomed many different waves of newcomers, and showed a sense of responsibility to the wider New Orleans community. He mentioned four goals for the Federation as it enters its second

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October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

Bobby Garon presents the Margot Garon Young Leadership Award to Stacy Weinreb

century. First is to continue the commitment to the same core values as those who came before, but with the flexibility to adapt to changing times. Second is continuing to emphasize community growth. Weil said “I believe we can reach a goal of 25,000 Jews.” He noted there is infrastructure to support a larger Jewish population. The community has seen an influx of young Jews, “and they are having babies, God bless them.” The Federation must also continue to work with the greater community, which has “its challenges of racial and ethnic diversity, and social and economic issues.” He urged the Federation to concentrate its energies on one or two major projects, such as working with the rejuvenation of the Central City/Dryades Street area, which used to be a Jewish neighborhood. Last, he noted that the New Orleans Federation was only the sixth in the country when it was established, and should continue to be “cutting edge” and “innovative.” As one of the most involved communities in the country, “we can be the number one Federation in the country in quality and the number one Federation in innovation,” with New Orleans as a “center of Jewish experimentation.” In his remarks as outgoing president, Alan Franco noted that his son Eli had called to order his first meeting as president, and now was in attendance for his final meeting. “Our community has a great spirit,” Franco said. “I know our community is a place where people want to come and participate,” and noted a 61 percent involvement rate. He mentioned that the centennial also fell on the 100th birthday of legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, which elicited a few rumblings from the largely-LSU crowd. “He always said the price of victory is high, but so are the rewards,” Franco noted. “For the last two years, every day has been a victory and the rewards have been phenomenal.” Julie Wise Oreck promoted the Centennial Endowment Campaign, where members of the community are urged to contribute at least $100 each to the community’s endowment as a centennial tribute on top of this year’s annual campaign gift. As of the event, 430 individuals had contributed $62,000. “There is still time for you to make a gift,” she said. “Take advantage of this very special moment in our history.” The evening was also the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana’s annual meeting. Eddie Soll noted that the JEF’s assets now are $44 million, up $4 million over last year, in 450 administered funds. The Foundation made $2.575 million in grants last year; “for an intermediate-sized Jewish community we provide an impressive amount.” The Create a Jewish Legacy initiative has attracted around $9 million in planned bequests, “but we must have much more to secure the future of our Jewish community,” he said. As part of the evening, Dana Shepard and Henry Miller were honored as outgoing annual campaign chairs. They were presented with Gary Rosenthal New Orleans streetcar tzedakah boxes. Janice Stern and Eddie Soll were presented with the Anne Goldsmith Hanaw and J. Jerome Hanaw Tikkun Olam Award for Campaign Excellence. Bobby Garon presented the Margot Garon Young Leadership Award to Stacey Weinreb. Currently Women of Touro Synagogue president, Weinreb is incoming Partnership2Gether chair for the Federation and its relationship with Rosh Ha’Ayin.

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A century of changing and adapting to new circumstances At the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans’ centennial celebration, incoming president Morton Katz commented that his grandmother, who died in 1983, had lived to the age of 109. She remembered hiding in the attic during pogroms in Russia. A lot of changes can take place over a century. At the Sept. 11 event, a centennial history book about the Federation was unveiled, with a history of the Federation written by Brenda Brasher. There was also a 17-minute video detailing the Federation’s history, containing interviews with leaders from several decades. By 1913, the Jewish community of New Orleans already had a lengthy history. Brasher noted that as the community was noted for its “assimilationist inclinations,” it was “far from a given” that they would organize into such a community-wide Jewish endeavor. Organized Jewish life had been the province of synagogues and social organizations. The idea of a Jewish Federation first came about in Boston in 1895 and first adopted in Cincinnati in 1896 as a way of bringing Jewish groups together rather than competing with each other. The huge influx of Eastern European Jews and their needs for assistance in getting established also prompted the formation of community-wide organizations. A group of New Orleans philanthropists met in December 1912 to consolidate the fundraising appeals of the many different organizations in the Jewish community, saying the frequency of the solicitations was no longer to the organizations’ advantage. A minimum membership of $5 was called for in the original “Federation of Jewish Charities” charter, though the signatories all pledged a minimum of $100, and three — J.K. Newman, Mrs. S. Gumbel and E.V. Benjamin — pledged $1,000 each. A major proponent of the Federation idea was Julius Rosenwald, head of Sears, Roebuck and Co., who is better known for the thousands of black schools he helped build throughout the South over the next two decades. The New Orleans group invited him for a March 1913 speech at the Athenaeum. At federation events, Bill Hess has done re-enactments as Rosenwald. That kickoff led to the creation of the Jewish Charitable and Educational Federation, which officially became the umbrella group for Jewish charities in New Orleans. At first there were 850 members and $32,000 was raised, and one of the first agenda items was resettling the Russian Jews who had immigrated to the area. With the Federation model in place, some started pushing for a similar community-wide effort with the Protestant and Catholic communities. That led to the formation of the Community Chest. In 1925, the Federation gave its fundraising tasks to the Community Chest, becoming the central coordinating and planning body for affiliate agencies and coordinating one Jewish community allocation Incoming Federation president Morton Katz makes presentation to outgoing request. The 1930s brought president Alan Franco

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RABBI ERIC YOFFIE for the annual Leadership Matters Lecture Tuesday, November 12, 6:30 p.m. Bruno Great Hall, 3rd floor Norton Campus Center This event is free and open to the public Rabbi Eric Yoffie served for sixteen years as president of the Union for Reform Judaism and speaks frequently around the world on the importance of interfaith dialogue, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and the intersection of ethics and business. Join us to hear his thoughts on leadership, sponsored by BSC’s Hess Center for Leadership and Service and the Seymour Gitenstein Endowment in Judaic Studies.

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turmoil for Jews worldwide, and the Great Depression at home. In 1933, the Federation created the Jewish Welfare Fund to address outof-town fundraising drives for national and international agencies, which were not under the purview of Community Chest. The Fund also organized educational events and emergency campaigns in response to events in Europe, and established the idea of political activism on behalf of the Jewish community. In 1943, the Federation changed its name to the Jewish Federation of New Orleans and the charter was changed to reflect its duties of administering charitable, philanthropic, and educational efforts for the Jewish community; coordinating programs and social services of affiliated agencies; and expressing the local Jewish community’s viewpoint. After the catastrophe of the Holocaust, the Fund raised money to assist European refugees, and New Orleans took in many of them. Sara Stone recalled how new boatloads would regularly arrive for three years starting in 1949. The establishment of Israel brought a huge change to the Jewish world. In 1947 requests began for the Fund to raise money for the new Jewish state, but the idea of a Jewish state was very controversial among numerous Jewish groups. The Fund raised money for Israel, but the difference in opinion on “the Palestine question” was thoroughly examined. Ultimately, the idea of separate line items on pledge cards for Israel and for other needs was rejected. To strengthen Israel, the Fund borrowed against future campaigns. A 1953 community study by the Federation and Fund showed overlapping of functions in the community. By 1962, there was a desire to consolidate the boards of the Federation and Fund, so one unified board was created — though the move was not without opponents, and some families left the Federation because of it. Roswell Weil, who was president of the united Federation in 1962, said the consolidation was very difficult but “it worked,” and it is hard to believe today that there was a time when the community wasn’t one. The Federation’s first Israel mission took place in 1966, and the next year’s Six Day War brought an emergency appeal that immediately raised almost $200,000 — and much more unity across the community on the question of support for Israel. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy’s destruction led to the formation of a community endowment as a “fiscal safety net” in case of future disasters. The 1960s were also a time of civil rights protests, with the Federation remaining out of the fray, though many in the community did work to resolve the issues. Because of anti-Jewish bombings and attempts in other Southern communities, the Jewish Community Relations Council was formed to be the community’s voice. In 1972 the group would coordinate a huge rally in front of City Hall after Tulane graduate David Berger was murdered by Palestinian terrorists while he was part of the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics. With the community spreading beyond its original area, in 1977 the Federation changed its name to the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. The extent of the community’s spread was examined in a 1984 community census, and in 1985 an institutional presence began in Metairie. The 1980s also marked a time of increased activity in the general community, especially with the repeated candidacy of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke for governor and the U.S. Senate. The Federation’s role as the central planning agency was put to the test in 2005 as the entire community was evacuated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed the levee failure. As it became apparent that it would be months before many could return

to the area — if at all — the Federation set up a temporary home at the Houston Jewish Federation, and later in Baton Rouge. The national Federation system raised over $20 million to keep New Orleans Jewish institutions viable as the community rebuilt, and the Federation had to look at short-term recovery and long-term rebuilding, both of institutions and population. Eighty percent of the Jewish community had moderate to severe damage at their homes. Alan Franco noted that “if it had not been for the American Jewish community and its support for us post-Katrina, we would have been out of business.” Julie Wise Oreck noted that Katrina became an opportunity for the Jewish community to grow and come together, and “become the community we need to become.” While some High Holy Day services were held a month after the storm, the ﬁrst major community event would not be until Chanukah, four months later. In an echo of the 1952 study, the Federation coordinated a community-wide eﬀort after Katrina to eliminate duplication and promote cooperation among Jewish institutions and organizations, to help scarce dollars stretch farther. There were questions as to how much Jewish “infrastructure” would ultimately be needed, as only half of the pre-Katrina Jewish community of 9500 had returned within a year. Within two years, two-thirds of the original community had returned, and the Federation was the central force to attract newcomers. A strategic plan was adopted in 2007, and today community institutions have been rebuilt and the Jewish population as of the Federation’s centennial is just under 9900.

Rose Sacks reflects on 100 years The Federation wasn’t the only one in the New Orleans Jewish community celebrating a 100th birthday last month. On Sept. 26, a party was held at Woldenberg Village for Rose Sacks on her 100th birthday. She received an official birthday card from the White House signed by the Obamas, and a framed official proclamation from New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Alan Franco, immediate past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, spoke on behalf of the community. A Chicago native, Sacks moved to New Orleans 17 years ago from South Florida when her son took a position at Ochsner. Sachs said “The first thing I saw was a Mardi Gras. I was more excited than some of the kids,” and she thinks she may have pushed a few. After a time of adjusting to a very different lifestyle in New Orleans,

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she said Woldenberg turned out to be a “wonderful place to live,” and is impressed by the non-sectarian atmosphere. Helping her learn about New Orleans was a retired Ochsner administrator who took her out for her 89th birthday. “We became the best of friends,” and they were together for 10 years, until his death two years ago. She has a passion for music, and in Florida worked to provide opportunities for young people to play with professional orchestras. “When I moved to Florida after I became widowed, I was trying to ﬁnd myself again,” and music was a way to do that. She also went back to school, taking courses in international relations. When she moved to New Orleans she had to give up her piano, but she admits to sneaking downstairs at night when everyone is sleeping and doing a concert or two. She also almost scandalized fellow residents soon after her arrival by sitting in with a jazz pianist who had come to play. “When he got up I kissed him,” she was so excited. Her father was musical, and “what do Jewish daddies do? He bought a piano and I did real well with it, almost made a career of it.” She was a young bride and mother during World War II, and her husband built planes for Boeing. “Considering he didn’t know how to operate a screwdriver, he did pretty well.” With all the technological advancements of the past century, what did she thing was most signiﬁcant? The washing machine. When she moved to an apartment that had a washing machine in the building, “do you realize how we went up in everyone’s estimation?” A wire recorder was also quite the novelty. “People would come over and look at this miracle.” When Israel was established “we were glued to the radios.” She remembers evacuating in advance of Hurricane Katrina, and how the new leader of Woldenberg Village took charge. She said Mayor Ray Nagin “made a mistake” by not authorizing evacuation earlier. She asks herself how she made it to 100. “What did you do right? I don’t know!” It’s certainly not the genes, she said. The previous generation of her family all died young. One key, she said, is “if you have love in your heart it comes back to you. If you have love to give, you will get.” And her legacy? “I contributed a wonderful human being — the only child I have.” And then there’s the grandchildren who like to “take the old lady out because she’s fun to be with. “That’s something my mother would have liked.”

Emanu-El demonstrates itself truly a house of prayer for all people At Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El, the phrase “My house shall be a ing year, Independent Presbyterian Church was formed and got its house of prayer for all people” is written into the building. At the Aug. start at Emanu-El. He jokingly attributed the church’s split to a de24 Selichot services ushering in the High Holy Days season, it was sire by roughly half of Southside Presbyterian’s members to meet at evident that was no mere platitude. Emanu-El “on a more regular basis.” Hurley said the churches and synagogues on Southside “were built To cap off a year of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the congregation’s sanctuary, representatives of five churches took part in the ser- to last” and “to make a statement, to offer a visible presence other than vice. Four of the churches have been housed in Emanu-El’s sanctuary, the businesses and restaurants.” A favorite painting in his office shows his church in the foreground while the other opened its doors a decade ago as Emanu-El underwent extensive renovations. Soloists and choirs from the churches were in- with Emanu-El in the background. He said it is “a beautiful parable of what we represent as faith communities. terspersed with the traditional Selichot liturgy. “I heard God say, “The dome and the steeple have borne witness In his introduction, Emanu-El Rabbi Jonathan together” for a century. Miller said “I don’t think there has been a building ‘Call Rabbi Miller’.” He recalled how Emanu-El welcomed delegates that has done more for Christian life than these walls. We have spawned and built up (at least) six — Rev. A.B. Sutton to the Presbyterian Church USA’s national assembly in Birmingham in 2006 for Shabbat services, when churches… and we are very proud of it.” The first, Central Presbyterian, met at Emanu-El’s previous building a contentious resolution on divesting from companies doing business on the Northside for a year in 1890, and in 1900 First Baptist Church with Israel was on the church’s agenda. He also recalls being at Emanu-El for Shabbat services with Miller met there while constructing their building. According to recollections of Rabbi Mayer Newfield, who served the congregation from 1895 to and Southside Baptist Church’s Rev. Steve Jones when Mel Gibson’s 1940, the Congregational and Universalist churches also routinely met controversial movie, “Passion of the Christ” came out, when they were asked not only to react to the film, but to speak on their understanding at Emanu-El. The first church to meet at the current Emanu-El building was South of those events 2,000 years ago. “You invited, and you heard with love Highland Presbyterian Church, which is located diagonally across the and respect, the preaching of the cross,” Hurley said. “And we heard street. They spent two weeks at Emanu-El in June 1914 while their a reminder of the shameful persecution of Jews by Christians in the GusMayer_FauxFurRevoluton_SJL.pdf 9/18/13 2:33 moved PM church was being renovated, mere months1after Emanu-El in. Middle Ages during Holy Week.” Independent Presbyterian’s Rev. Susan Clayton said that in 1915, South Highland Presbyterian Rev. Ed Hurley added that the followLEOPARD VEST $195

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Rev. A.B. Sutton speaks at the Temple Emanu-El Selichot service on Aug. 24. when Rev. Henry Edmonds felt he had to resign at South Highlands, many members urged him to form a new church. Rabbi Newfield encouraged him to stay in Birmingham and offered Emanu-El’s sanctuary as a temporary home. Due to World War I, the arrangement lasted seven years. “There was not one ripple of disagreement or uncertainty” for the entire time. They made an arrangement that was a “song without a discord.” “Our church was born within these walls,” she said, and they moved into their permanent home in 1922 — with a gift of two sevenbranched menorahs that “continue to hold a place of honor in our church.” Then tragedy struck in April 1992, as Independent Presbyterian caught fire. Clayton said Rabbi Miller, Rabbi Emeritus Milton Grafman and Emanu-El’s president came to the parking lot to be with them as the fire raged, and they told Rev. Scott McClure to “come home” to Emanu-El. The offer was accepted, but they had one more service that night in the parking lot “across from the charred remains,” with Rabbi Grafman in attendance. Grafman had served at Emanu-El from 1941 to 1975. “I know that it was here in our first home, through your gift of grace, hospitality, friendship, respect and love that we learned some of our greatest lessons of faithfulness,” Clayton concluded. Rev. Tim Kelley represented Southside Baptist Church, as Rev. Jones was recovering from a stroke. In 2001, Emanu-El began 14 months “in the wilderness,” housed at Southside Bap-

tist while Emanu-El’s building was renovated. For Emanu-El, it was a return visit. In 1913, their building was not ready for the High Holy Days, and the old building had already been rented to a relatively new congregation, Beth-El. Emanu-El accepted an invitation to hold their High Holy Day services at Southside Baptist. Kelley noted that as Emanu-El members marched the Torahs down Highland Avenue to their temporary home, “there was a lot of anxiety and fear by both the congregations,” and Miller probably wondered if Emanu-El members would follow him through the doors of a Baptist church. “But you did, and for that we are thankful, for you taught us a lot in that experience,” he said. Miller noted that Emanu-El had looked at South Highlands and Independent Presbyterian, but both had huge crosses as part of their sanctuary décor, and he felt “this is probably going to be diﬃcult for the parents of the Bar Mitzvah kids” to accept. Southside had just one small cross high in the room, and it was covered when EmanuEl was there because, Kelley explained, “the cross had been for so long a sign of hurt and pain” for Jews. But when it came time for Emanu-El’s ﬁnal service at Southside before returning home, Miller left the cross uncovered, “a visible symbol of the understanding we had all come to,” Kelley said. “We were friends and family and we worship the same God, and there is more we could do in union together without the

What service is this? Emanu-El’s openness to churches sometimes leads to amusing confusion. When Independent Presbyterian met at Emanu-El in the 1990s, an out of town patient at a nearby hospital called Temple Beth-El, one block up the street, to ﬁnd out when Shavuot services would start later that week. He lost the directions but remembered Highland Avenue. Arriving at Highland Avenue, he saw Emanu-El and walked in. That year, Shavuot was on a Sunday. The ﬁrst clue something was amiss was that nobody was wearing a yarmulke. But when the liturgy started referring to Jesus, well… An usher explained what was going on to the puzzled visitor, and brought him to BethEl, where he had quite a story to tell. And for the record, Emanu-El’s Shavuot service was later that morning, in the chapel. 18

October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

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suspicion, without the fear, that would bring a vitality and strength to our community that could never be achieved otherwise.” Miller said when they arrived at Southside Baptist for the ﬁrst time and saw the new, large banner welcoming them to a house of prayer for all people, “it was one of the most powerful moments of interfaith work that I have ever experienced.” Rev. Sarah Shelton of Baptist Church of the Covenant spoke of her church’s origins at Emanu-El after “all hell broke loose at First Baptist Church in June 1970” when a black family applied for membership and were denied three times. At the third refusal, Pastor J. Herbert Gilmore submitted his resignation and surgeon Byrn Williamson urged those who had a moral problem with the refusal to follow him out of the church, and over 250 followed. They established Baptist Church of the Covenant, which started meeting at EmanuEl in February 1971 and stayed for three years until they found a permanent home. Shelton related how the schism at First Baptist roiled the Birmingham Ministerial Association, and Grafman uncharacteristically simply watched the turmoil quietly. When he was ﬁnally asked for his view, Grafman asked simply, “How many of you have read the ‘series of little books’ called the New Testament? I have! How many of you have ever walked in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? I have! When you read these books and when you walk in His path, you will have your answer. Jesus Christ has settled this matter, Gentlemen!” After that, a resolution supporting racial inclusiveness in all Birmingham houses of worship quickly passed unanimously.

Shelton noted that she is sometimes asked how Covenant “can afford to be hospitable to so many different types of people in our congregation. My answer is that we learned about hospitality from those who do it best: our Jewish neighbors at Temple Emanu-El.” Rev. A.B. Sutton spoke of Emanu-El’s legacy of “faithful love.” He saw it in 2010 when he had “a theological controversy of my own” at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. While visiting Tibet, he heard God telling him it was time to leave the place where he was serving. When he returned home, he heard the voice again, and replied “God, if this is you talking and not me, then I need a place to go. “And I heard God say, call Rabbi Miller. Desiring to be obedient, I did.” They had lunch, and Sutton told Miller what had transpired. Miller told him to come to the synagogue. “It had never crossed my mind. It was the farthest thing from my expectation that I could possibly be at the synagogue in any capacity.” He resigned from Sixth Avenue the last Sunday of October 2010. The next Sunday, Living Stones Temple had its first service at Emanu-El with 800 in attendance, and within a year was able to pay cash for a building. Sutton explained, “We call ourselves Living Stones Temple, so we don’t ever forget where we came from. So we know what love looks like and what hospitality feels like. Because of Temple Emanu-El.” The choir from Living Stones then brought down the house with a rendition of “Pulling Me Through.” At the end of the two-hour service, Miller remarked that “I have never had a worship experience where I have felt so uplifted,” and invited everyone back for the bicentennial.

Craig Taubman performed at Beth Israel, Jackson, on Sept. 28 as part of a Southern tour that also brought him to Mobile and Montgomery for community concerts during Sukkot, and a private concert in Birmingham. Coordinating with the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, he added those dates after a previously arranged concert in Memphis. 20

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Judaic performers flocking to the South this season Just weeks after Craig Taubman performed in several Southern communities, four other well-known figures in Jewish entertainment are coming to the region. Dan Nichols returns to the South for the regional debut of “Road to Eden,” a documentary about his Southern tour during Sukkot 2011. The film will be screened during Dinner and a Movie at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $36 and include a fried chicken dinner, Havdalah, the movie, a conversation with the director and a concert by Nichols. On Oct. 13, Nichols will travel back to Dothan, one of the smaller communities that he visited during the tour. There will be a 5 p.m. screening of the film at Temple Emanu-El, followed by a concert. Sam Glaser’s The Promise tour will be in Baton Rouge and Birmingham. He does an annual 50-community tour leading up to an Israel visit. He will be at the Louisiana State Police Academy in Baton Rouge on Nov. 3 at 4 p.m., in a concert co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge, B’nai Israel and Beth Shalom. On Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m., he will be at Temple Emanu-El in a concert that is co-sponsored by Temple Beth-El. Emanu-El’s TEENs will be included in the program, which is from his award-winning musical, “Kol Bamidbar: A Musical Journey Through the Five Books of Moses.” Glaser has released 22 albums, and is a five-time winner of the ASCAP Award. He also has Parent’s Choice, John Lennon and International Songwriting Competition awards. He has been the in-house composer for WB network, and has done work for ESPN, PBS and the Sports Channel. Rick Recht will be in Pensacola on Nov. 9 for Havdallah and a concert. Presented by the Pensacola Jewish Federation, the concert is free to ages 18 and under, $10 for adults. The 7 p.m. event will be at the Creative Learning Academy. Recht plays over 150 concerts a year and is the national music spokesman for PJ Library. He is also the founder and

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executive director of Jewish Rock Radio, which is available online and on an app. He shared the stage with acts including the Guess Who, Chris Rock, America, Supertramp and Three Dog Night. He released two acclaimed secular albums, then shifted to Jewish music in 1999. Now he is artist-in-residence at United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis. Rabbi Bob Alper, the only rabbi doing stand-up comedy intentionally, returns to the South with an appearance at Temple Beth Or in Montgomery on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. Alper was a pulpit rabbi for 14 years when he decided to enter a “Jewish Comic of the Year” contest in Philadelphia. He came in third, but found a new career. In recent years, he has done an interfaith comedy tour with Azhar Usman and Rev. Susan Sparks. The three of them performed at Millsaps College in Jackson last January. Now living in Vermont, he still leads the occasional High Holy Day service or oﬃciates at a wedding or two. Reservations for the program and reception are $15 in advance.

Feinstein benefits area food banks The Feinstein Foundation of Rhode Island made grants to food-related charities in the region this summer as part of its annual challenge grant program. Each year since 1997, Alan Feinstein’s foundation gives away $1 million proportionally to food banks and anti-hunger groups that raise money in the spring, with a minimum of $250 for each participant that raises at least $250. This year, 1,857 charities raised over $211 million. Feinstein is founder of the Center for a Hunger Free America at the University of Rhode Island. Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana received $6876 after raising $2.59 million. The Montgomery Area Food Bank received $3623 for raising $1.32 million. The Wiregrass Area Food Bank in Dothan raised $812,312, earning $2331, and the Food Bank of Central Louisiana in Alexandria raised $766,090, earning $2212. Auburn’s Food Bank of East Alabama raised $113,545 and earned $541. Other participants in Alabama were the Association of Christians in Tallassee for Service, Catholic Social Services in Baldwin County, Helping Hand in Town Creek, Inside Out Ministries in Madison. Panhandle organizations were West Pensacola Baptist Church’s King’s Market, Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, Community of Christ in Milton, and EPPS Christian Church, Pensacola. In Mississippi, the Mississippi Food Network and Community of Christ in Jackson participated. Additional Louisiana charities were the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana in Shreveport, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, His Hands Ministry in Jonesboro and the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Ruston.

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October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

Health and Wellness Emanu-El embarks on year-long community wellness program This year, Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El is embarking on a wellness campaign. In addition to congregants’ spiritual needs, “Be Well at Emanu-El” will focus on emotional and physical well-being. Emanu-El is partnering with other local agencies in a series of programs which are open to the community. As part of the effort, the Levite Jewish Community Center is extending a free membership to Emanu-El members who are not LJCC members, through the end of 2013. Small group fitness sessions will be available. Collat Jewish Family Services is partnering on several emotional wellness programs, starting with the Oct. 13 appearance of “The Cake Lady,” Fay Tenenbaum of Atlanta. Temple Beth-El and Knesseth Israel are co-sponsoring the event. In November, Stu Jaffe and Lynn Rathmell will lead a three-part series on “Aging Well: Honoring Your Parents in their Later Years,” and next spring Catherine Findley will lead a three-part series on “Life After Death: Finding Happiness and Meaning as a Widow/er.” Judith Schulman-Miller will lead two-session marital enrichment workshops, for empty nesters and couples with children in November, and young couples without children in January. Conversely, Linda Levin will lead a three-part workshop on “Life After Divorce,” starting Oct. 30. Spiritual wellness workshops include a Nov. 21 and 22 visit by Lynda Fishman, who survived an Air Canada crash in 1970 at age 13. Her mother and sisters were killed, and her father spun into deep depression. She now lectures about choosing life over sadness. The weekend of Feb. 20, Rabbi Rex Perlmeter will speak about Jewish wellness and spiritual significance. Nutritional wellness will be the focus of an eight-week program that meets before Shabbat evening services, along with two individual consultations at Homewood Family Medicine. Sari Weisberg will lead the FirstLine Therapy program, improving total body function to enhance healthy living. The first session is Oct. 18, but a consultation needs to be scheduled before the program begins. Shabbat morning yoga, held at 9:15 a.m., started an eight-week session on Sept. 28. Drop-ins are welcome. A Health Wellness lunch and learn series began in September and has 16 different topics over the course of the year, with members providing expertise from their fields. The series began on Sept. 17 with Adam Godron discussing vision and eye care, and on Oct. 1 with Robert Russell talking about podiatry. Upcoming noon sessions include pediatric discipline and motivation, on Oct. 15 with Robert Levin; arthritis and osteoporosis on Nov. 5 with Kenneth Saag; Alzheimer’s and dementia with Gordon Kirschberg on Dec. 3; and hearing loss with Jack Aland Jr., on Dec. 17. There is also a Temple U series, with an estate planning and values program that was held Sept. 29, and a Shabbat Like Never Before on Nov. 15, with a range of sessions on life skills, followed by services during dinner. Brochures for the entire program are available at Temple Emanu-El, with registration forms and session information at ourtemple.org/bewell. Southern Jewish Life

October 2013

Health and Wellness

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Breast Imaging & Screening: What You Need to Know from Touro By Dr. Eva Lizer

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This Week in Southern

Screening mammography has been shown to contribute to a 30 percent reduction in breast cancer mortality. But screening mammography is not the only tool radiologists use to assess patients for breast cancer. Here’s a look at the tests your doctor might recommend to evaluate for breast disease.

Screening Mammography

Screening mammography is a special type of low-dose X-ray of the breasts that has been used for decades to detect early breast cancer. The American Cancer Society, American College of Radiology and American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists all recommend annual screening mammography for women 40 and older. X-rays of each breast are taken, and patients receive their test results in about a month. If an area of either breast needs further study, the patient will be contacted to return for additional tests.

Diagnostic Mammography

Diagnostic mammography is used to evaluate abnormal areas seen on screening mammograms as well as lumps or other concerning ﬁndings found by breast exam. Diagnostic mammography uses the same techniques as screening mammography, but also gives tailored views to better see small abnormalities like calciﬁcations.

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Breast Ultrasound

Ultrasound, or sonography, uses sound waves and the speed at which they travel to create images of the body without radiation. Breast ultrasound is an extremely useful tool to evaluate abnormal areas found on breast examination (such as lumps) as well as to further investigate abnormalities found by mammography. Ultrasound, which is very useful in determining if a lump is ﬂuid-ﬁlled or solid, is not limited by the density of a woman’s breasts.

Breast MRI

MRI is a noninvasive medical test that uses a strong magnetic ﬁeld to help produce detailed images of the soft tissues, internal organs or any other area of the body under study. It is a useful addition to mammography but is not a replacement. Breast MRI can be used for screening asymptomatic patients at high risk for the development of breast cancer. It can also be used to problem-solve abnormal areas found on mammograms or ultrasound. MRI is also frequently used after a diagnosis of breast cancer has been made to plan surgery or assess the eﬀect of initial chemotherapy. MRI has been proven valuable in diagnosing a broad range of conditions, and unlike mammography, MRI is not limited by the density of a woman’s breasts. Touro’s Women’s Imaging Center is designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. Visit www.touro.com/imaging to learn more. Eva Lizer, M.D., is a radiologist at the Touro Women’s Imaging Center. She is a fellowship-trained breast-imaging specialist who obtained her medical degree from Tulane University.

October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

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Robotic surgery very effective for St. Vincent’s gyn. patients By Lee J. Green Advancements in robotic surgery and other minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgeries have aided the recovery times for St. Vincent’s Health System gynecology patients and lessened the risks for at-risk patients. Dr. Christy Heath of St. Vincent’s Birmingham OB/GYN group said they have used the daVinci Surgical System robots since 2007 with very positive results. “On the patients and procedures we can do this on, we’ve been able to significantly lessen the recovery times; lower the pain rate, lessen scaring as well as blood loss and prevent complications that could arise from laparotomy (open, larger incision surgery),” said Heath. From a volume standpoint, she said daVinci has had the greatest positive impact on hysterectomies. “With laparotomies there is more trauma to the tissues and a higher risk of tissue damage, blood clots and pneumonia. Robotic surgery minimizes these risks and the recovery times are closer to two weeks instead of two months,” she said. Heath said daVinci robotic surgery also has been a more desired approach for the removal of fibroids in women who are trying to get pregnant but are at greater risk for, or who have had, miscarriages. It is also ideal for surgery to correct pelvic organ prolapse and women who have or are at a greater risk for endometriosis. “It is also more effective for patients who are obese and may have a history of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The daVinci decreased tissue trauma. A woman can get up and move around more quickly after surgery. It lessens the risks of infection, pneumonia and other things that can be more damaging to someone with these conditions,” said Heath, who graduated in 1999 from the Alabama School of Medicine and has been with St. Vincent’s for eight years. She explains to her patients that she sits in the “driver’s seat” at a console in the operating room. The daVinci cannot be programmed nor can it make decisions on its own. Rather, it requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from one’s surgeon. “This is the natural progression of minimally invasive surgeries and we’ve had a great deal of success using daVinci and other laparoscopies on patients that qualify,” said Heath.

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Southern Jewish Life

October 2013

To Life…

Health and Wellness Children’s of Alabama helps kids, parents manage childhood diabetes

Medical partnership with UAB’s Center for Aging

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Every year in the United States, 13,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and more than 1 million American children and adults deal with the disease every day. Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, the main type of sugar in the blood. Glucose comes from the foods we eat and is the major source of energy needed to fuel the body’s functions. The glucose level in the blood rises after a meal and triggers the pancreas to make the hormone insulin, then release it into the bloodstream. In people with diabetes, the body either can’t make or can’t respond to insulin appropriately. Without insulin, glucose doesn’t get into the cells and stays in the bloodstream. As a result, the level of sugar in the blood remains higher than normal. There are two major types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, and both cause blood sugar levels to become higher than normal, just in different ways. Type 1 diabetes, formerly called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes, results when the pancreas loses its ability to make the hormone insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Once those cells are destroyed they won’t make insulin again. The symptoms of diabetes are not always obvious and can take a long time to develop. Type 1 diabetes may come on gradually or suddenly. Parents of a child with typical symptoms of type 1 diabetes may notice that their child urinates frequently; is often thirsty; loses weight, and often feels tired. Type 2 diabetes, formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adultonset diabetes, is different from type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes results from the body’s inability to respond to insulin normally. Unlike people with type 1 diabetes, most people with type 2 diabetes can still produce insulin, but not enough to meet their body’s needs. Kids and teens with diabetes need to monitor and control their glucose levels by: • Checking their blood sugar levels a few times a day • Giving themselves insulin injections or using an insulin pump • Eating a balanced and healthy diet • Getting regular exercise • Working closely with doctors and diabetes health care professionals Living with diabetes is a challenge, no matter the child’s age. But young kids and teens often have special issues to deal with. Young kids may not understand why the blood samples and insulin injections are necessary. They may be scared, angry, and uncooperative. Teens may feel different from their peers and may want to live a more spontaneous lifestyle than their diabetes allows. Even when they faithfully follow their treatment schedule, teens with diabetes may feel frustrated when the natural adolescent body changes during puberty may make their diabetes somewhat harder to control. Having a child with diabetes may, at times, seem overwhelming. But Children’s Hospital of Alabama is happy to provide resources, education and expert care help. For more information, go to www. childrensal.org.

October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

Health and Wellness It’s all in the legs Vascular health can help prevent heart attacks, strokes By Lee J. Green

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Tulane University Heart and Vascular Institute Director Dr. Corey Goldman knows it can be good to be “vain,” especially when focusing on vascular leg health and treatments that help someone avoid a more major health issue. “We sometimes take our legs for granted until we have a problem — pain in the legs when we walk, nighttime cramping issues and so forth. Proper vascular leg health is very important and in some cases we can prevent a more serious condition. I can help patients whether it is a health issue, an aesthetics issue or both,” said Goldman, who is an active member of the New Orleans Jewish Community Center with a son that has been at the Community Day School. He said the legs will give someone the first clues to possible problems with the circulatory system, as well as blockages caused by cholesterol and high blood pressure. “There is a lot we can detect even when someone just comes in because they are seeking an effective treatment for varicose veins and spider veins,” he said. Technology has led to significant advances in the elimination of varicose and spider veins, Goldman said. “We use a specialized laser treatment that is minimally invasive; 100 percent effective and with no down time. At one time, all we could do was surgery — pulling them out one by one,” he said. “Now it’s an easy in and out. My biggest passion is the treatment of varicose or

spider veins. It is rapid-response, instant gratiﬁcation. You see (the varicose and spider) veins disappear right before your eyes.” Goldman said he can let patients know if their leg issues are nerve-related, muscle-related or vein/artery related. “It can be confusing. People feel leg pain and they sometimes don’t know where to turn. But we for sure can help them and recommend them,” he said. Goldman was born in the Bronx. He received his BA in biochemistry and psychology from New York University, then his MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He subsequently completed a surgical internship at Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Then he came to Birmingham for a PhD and internal medicine residency at the UAB School of Medicine. He left Birmingham in 1998 for vascular medicine and vascular intervention fellowships at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. From 2003 to 2008 he was with the Ochsner Institute in New Orleans. His home was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and he had considered leaving the Crescent City, but the spirit and resiliency of the city kept him there to rebuild. In 2010 he joined the staﬀ at the Tulane University School of Medicine. “We’re very happy here. I like to be able to work with patients to help them to improve their health as well as to be able to train and educate the future doctors,” said Goldman.

Daily disposable contact lenses seeing immense growth in US By Lee J. Green For those who want to know the latest in contact lens advancements and put that advice into practice, Dr. Ami Abel Epstein is the one to contact. The owner of the Birmingham area’s Eye Do, Epstein regularly speaks at symposiums as well as to groups about developments with contact lenses. “We’ve seen about a 25 percent growth in the market for daily disposable contact lenses,” said Dr. Epstein. “This is the fastest growing segment of products in eyewear in the U.S. by far today.” She said today’s daily disposable lenses have lubricants that keep them moist throughout the day. Putting in a new pair every day means that the contacts stay cleaner, healthier and more comfortable. “Some people were sensitive to the chemicals in contact lens cleaning solutions (for extended wear) and even if that wasn’t the case, you know with daily disposables that there aren’t the issues of contacts getting dirty and irritants that remain 28

October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

in the eye on extended-wear lenses, even sometimes when cleaned every night. Plus you don’t need to remember to clean the daily disposables or remember if they have been in longer than, say, the month they were supposed to be for some extended-wear ones,” said Epstein. That is of particular importance in the South, especially during times of the year that allergy suffering is more prominent than any other region in the country. “Allergens can easily get into contact lenses, but with daily disposables, you throw out the pair of lenses every night,” she said. She said that today’s daily disposable lenses can be used to correct just about all types of astigmatisms and a couple of brands even make multi-focal daily disposable contact lenses. Epstein added that due to enhanced contact lens technology, she is able to ﬁt even-younger patients in contact lenses instead of glasses. “It’s especially ideal for kids who play sports. They don’t have to worry about breaking glasses and contact lenses give them better peripheral vision. Contacts and sports go hand-in-hand,” she said — or “eye-in-eye” as the case may be.

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Building a healthy community Touro to screen “Shellshocked,” film an effort to deal with New Orleansʼ murder rate Touro Synagogue will screen “Shellshocked” on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., followed by a panel discussion. Currently touring film festivals in the U.S., “Shellshocked” is a documentary that seeks “positive solutions to an extremely negative situation,” that New Orleans is regarded as the murder capital of the U.S. The murder rate in New Orleans is four to six times the national average, with black males accounting for 80 percent of the victims, most often teens. Filmmaker John Richie uncovered a community that has adapted to the reality of gun violence and sees it as part of the landscape. Richie wants the film to serve as an entry point for those who want to help change the situation in New Orleans, and it features groups that are working to make a difference. More than film festivals, he wants to screen it in venues where people are prepared to turn around and roll up their sleeves to tackle the problem. The film is also available as a digital download at shellshockeddoc. com. The screening and discussion at Touro follow the 6 p.m. Shabbat service.

New doctor at Total Skin focuses on pediatric dermatology

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www.FertilityLeaders.com

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By Lee J. Green Dr. Zoey Glick could be called the “new kid on the block” at Birmingham’s Total Skin and Beauty. The recent addition to the medical staff, who completed her residency in pediatric medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical School, enjoys her focus of working with kids to help them to achieve skin wellness. “My dad is a pediatric surgeon and my mom is a pediatric pulmonologist. I knew I wanted to do something medically related and work with kids, but something a bit different. I like focusing on medical that makes people feel good about themselves. I call it happy medicine,” said Glick, who came to Birmingham a few years ago from Buffalo. Glick said through her family’s pediatric medicine experiences as well as her own, she knows how to make younger patients feel comfortable and how to communicate treatment options and proactive medicine to them and their parents in way that is easy to understand. “Especially if a child’s skin is more prone to be sensitive to sunlight, we can recommend regular wear of the appropriate sunscreens and UV-protected clothing that is comfortable,” she said, adding that for young women and teens she can recommend some UV-protecting makeup. Glick also said Total Skin offers some very effective treatments to help with hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. “This is something I struggled with as a teen. It can’t be cured, but with an effective regime with something such as Botox, it can be improved significantly,” she said. “This is something that can be managed and it gives kids a self-esteem boost. It also helps them to be able to play sports most effectively (eliminating excessive sweating on the hands and feet for example) and they know that they can still go into a profession such as medicine in which you need steady, dry hands.” Another area dermatology has made great strides in is the treatment of warts. She said pediatric dermatologists can inject yeast into the body to effectively attack the warts, and today’s treatment plan for kids and adults involves fewer, less invasive and less painful injections. “The best part of what we do is to be able to educate our patients on ways that they can stay as healthy as possible, and then working with them to see those results come into fruition,” said Glick.

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October 2013

Your Neighborhood Place…

Chanukah Gift Guide

Great food, drinks, entertainment and friends Flat-screen TVs for sports, jukebox, pool, darts, Wii Open 7 Days a Week Always a good time, never a cover

Families, Pets and All Happy People Welcome

Not your typical Chanukah gelt: Blue Frog Chocolates in New Orleans carries French chocolatier Michel Cluizel’s chocolate menorah, above. It’s certified pareve. Blue Frog carries a wide range of chocolates with many gift ideas. Specialties include Louisiana-centric items, from chocolate covered Zapp’s chips to chocolate crawfish and alligators. New Orleans Saints party trays and chocolate “red beans and rice” are also available, as are chocolate Mardi Gras doubloons and Kate Latter’s pralines. The store is at 5707 Magazine Street, and orders can be shipped nationwide during cooler months. A large sampling can be sent with the NOLA basket, and there are also chocolate-centric T-shirts and children’s books.

Monkees makes shopping fun 5500 Crestwood Boulevard, Birmingham • 205.520-0053 Happy Hour Starts at 3 p.m. • www.crestwoodtavern.com

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3431 Colonnade Pkwy, Birmingham • (205) 968-7600 maxsdelionline.com • Open 7 Days A Week • 11am-8pm • Catering

October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

By Lee J. Green Monkees, a women’s clothing boutique that opened this summer in Mountain Brook’s English Village, wants to make shopping a fun experience as well as a family bonding opportunity. “We’re a locally owned store that is part of a national chain” that started in Wilmington, N.C., 17 years ago, said Melissa Cunningham. “So we can oﬀer the special, friendly customer service touches of a local boutique along with the buying power of the national company to get in some of the big brand names our customers want.” When visiting her daughter, Caroline, in Greenville, S.C. while Caroline was attending Furman University, Melissa shopped at the Monkees there and fell in love with the concept. “It was just such a fun shopping experience,” she said. The Cunninghams moved to Auburn to be close to their younger two children attending school there. Melissa opened the ﬁrst Monkees in Alabama there in February 2012. “We had people come in to the Auburn location from Birmingham when they were going to an Auburn football game. They kept telling me they loved the store and wanted me to open one up in Birmingham. At the same time, Caroline had graduated and said she really wanted to manage a store in Birmingham. So it was the perfect storm,” she said. They found the ideal location in Mountain Brook and opened up in July. Caroline buys the clothes they sell for the women her age and Melissa buys the clothes for women of her age as well as older. “That’s the great thing about this place,” said Melissa. “We have customers that come in who are in their 20s all the way up to their 80s. It’s multi-generational shopping together.” Monkees of Mtn. Brook carries brand names including Channel Vintage, Lily Pulitzer, Charisma, Kate Spade Shoes, Julie Brown and Elisabeth McKay. But they also sell fashion designed by Alabama designers including Leona. “We want to help encourage young designers and support those who are making some wonderful, fashion-forward items here in Alabama,” said Cunningham. She said the store plans to have several fun events this fall, including a Chanukah Open House at a date to be determined. “It gives us a great chance to get to know our friends in the community and ask them what they want us to bring in to Monkees,” she said.

Judaica ceramics artist puts religion, spirit in her work By Lee J. Green Huntsville-based artist Shoshanna Rosenthal puts her faith, spirit and soul into the Judaica ceramics she creates. And she knows that “art” is always within “heart.” “I usually do Judaica art that is joyful, spiritual and expressive,” said Rosenthal. “I like exploring the obscure aspects of Judaism and to express what they mean to me in ways that can uplift.” Rosenthal was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Texas, Atlanta and Birmingham before settling in Huntsville. She said she has been “doing art since I could walk. I would make dresses for my Barbie Dolls and mini-sculptures for their dollhouses.” She has been making and selling art, mostly Judaica ceramics, for 25 years and in the past 10 years, starting doing commission and custom works. “I have done some menorahs, Havdallah sets, dreidels, mezuzahs, and ceramic works to commemorate Jewish weddings,” said Rosenthal. “I find out about peoples’ lives before I do a commissioned piece for them. It’s really fun to be able to create something that is significant to these people. It reminds them of a special time or person and what that means to them.” Rosenthal has created a menorah shaped like a cruise ship; a wedding piece with a theme of the ice cream shop the groom cleverly proposal to his bride in, and used some of the ashes of a client’s dog that passed away in a scene of their favorite park they used to play in. “This one Jewish family commissioned me to do a ceramic art piece and when I asked them about their memories they said the family loves to have food fights, so to make something that represents that,” she said. “Each piece I do is completely unique and specialized for the client.” A member of Huntsville’s Etz Chayim and Chabad, Rosenthal relishes the chance to volunteer her talents for any needs such as Jewish community fundraisers and art auctions. She more recently created the mezuzah for the doorway to the newly-refurbished kitchen at Etz Chayim. “For that one I thought about what kosher means. It’s about structure and a way of life that brings you closer to God, versus just what you can and can’t eat,” she said. “I like to be more interpretive than just literal in my art and that project had significant meaning for me.” That was also the case for some artwork she did at the request of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Shoshanna’s father, Max, is a Holocaust survivor and still speaks across the region and country. “I believe that anyone could be carrying one or several of the souls of the six million,” she said. For more information on Rosenthal’s art, go to www.shoshannarosenthal.com.

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October 2013

Got Louis Vuitton?

Chanukah Gift Guide Pizitz family builds on Gus Mayer tradition By Lee J. Green

Local Women CRAVE Your Designer Handbags! Don’t let your authentic designer bags collect dust in your closet. Make money for you or for your charity by letting Collage Designer Consignment sell them for you! For info on how to consign, go to ShopCollage.com.

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Tradition meets trend with Birmingham’s Gus Mayer. But what never goes out of style is knowledgeable, friendly customer service, according to President Herman Heinle. Gus Mayer was born in Louisiana and he began his career as a bookkeeper. He rose up through the ranks in the retail industry and in 1900 opened the first Gus Mayer Co, Ltd. Store on Canal Street in New Orleans. That building now houses a CVS drugstore. The chain eventually grew to more than 20 stores across the South. During the 1970s the stores were sold off individually. The Pizitz family in Birmingham purchased the local operation in 1976 and acquired the Nashville store in 1987. The original Gus Mayer store was located on 5th Ave North in downtown Birmingham. It would later move to Highland Avenue and Brookwood Village before settling in its current home at The Summit in 2011. “Gus Mayer’s personalized service, attention to detail, knowing our customers’ wants and needs and bringing designer fashions from around the world to Birmingham’s most fashionable women has made us a success,” said Heinle. While known mainly as a women’s apparel and cosmetics retailer, Gus Mayer has recently expanded its gift department. That includes Michael Aram silver serving platters, glass bowls, menorahs, scrapbooks and photo books by Sugarboo Designs and even a nice assortment of fragranced candles. Leather and furs should be big for this fall. “We’re also seeing more color for fall than we have in years past,” said Heinle. “Our buyers are always ahead of the curve and can respond more quickly since we are a specialty store. We want to be very fashion-forward and provide customers with what they know they want as well as introduce them to things that we think they will want.” Gus Mayer is the exclusive provider of the high-end Brunello Cucinelli line from Italy that includes a lot of fine Kashmir knits as well as other fine fashions. They also are exclusive to La Marqe leather/suede jackets, Diktons sweaters, Joeffler Caoc, along with Lola and Sophie, which are contemporary and more affordable. Long-time advertising manager Margie Hess said in the past few years, Gus Mayer has expanded its customer base to bring in some younger, fashion-savvy shoppers as well. “We have something for everyone here,” said Hess, who is no relation to the Hess family in Birmingham that owned Parisian. On October 10, “Gus Mayer Goes Pink.” All of the proceeds raised in this event will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Birmingham, and has been led by Carole Pizitz.

Looking for a unique gift? Post Paint Pub in Metairie has pottery you can paint and design yourself, including several Judaica options. The shop can host private functions, and has afterschool and vacation art camps. 32

October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

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Southern Jewish Life

October 2013

America’s First Table Tennis store and proud carrier of the Brunswick brand!

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A Little Something Gifts brings in unique Judaica Some of the Judaica gifts at A Little Something Gifts in Cahaba Heights include “Shalom Y’all” towels, Stars of David as well as Chai charm bracelets, and plates people can customize with ceramic Judaica decorations. “I consulted some of my Jewish friends and asked vendors as well as customers what they recommended. We wanted to find some items that were as unique as possible to go along with our hand-crafted artisan gifts used in celebrations such as menorahs and dreidels,” said Carol Cain, who had worked with Southern Progress for 20 years before opening A Little Something Gifts in November 2012. Working at Southern Progress gave her unique insight into arts, crafts, gifts and what shoppers were looking for. “I talked to a friend about how much we loved gift shops but there were some things we struggled with finding. I thought Birmingham needed a gift shop with unique, cool items that are affordable,” said Cain. Some of the other Judaica A Little Something Gifts carries include tzedekah boxes, Seder plates, kiddish cups, commemorative picture frames for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, colorful ceramic “Be Happy” bowls with inspirational Hebrew sayings and aprons with the word “nosh” on them. Other items the store features include items for tailgating, cheese markers shaped like spoons, monogrammed jewelry, pottery, candles, cards and other décor items.

Hoover Florist does much more than flowers By Lee J. Green One of Hoover Florist’s favorite custom gift basket projects over the past few years was a custom Passover basket filled with holiday-pertinent kosher foods, symbolic of a tradition of Seder hosting passed down from a mother to daughter. Owner Karen Jenkins knows something about tradition and keeping it in the family. Her grandmother opened a flower shop in Homewood in the 1940s. Jenkins’ mother worked for her grandmother, as did she for her mother growing up. Jenkins’ mother opened up Hoover Florist in 1981 and ever since has been working with customers on everything from floral arrangements for all occasions, event floral and customized gift baskets. “When I was 12 I helped my mom and learned how to make corsages as well as special arrangements,” she said. “It is something that has been a part of our family and it’s all we’ve known for many years. To help for the holidays, my son is going to be working with us on weekends, so that’s four generations of family members in the floral business.” In addition to the Passover baskets, Jenkins said they can customize a gift basket with fruits and other foods, flowers and gift items such as Beanie Babies or toys for Chanukah, Bar-Bat Mitzvahs, new birth celebrations and other simchas. “We can work with traditional Chanukah colors such as blue, white and silver. Pretty much whatever a customer can dream up we can find and put together for a gift basket, or include special things they provide for us,” said Jenkins, mentioning such Judaica items customers have brought in to include Stars of David and dreidels. They sell a wide variety of different types of flowers. “We’re seeing more simple arrangements but people are being very creative. I think flowers can be a reflection of one’s personality, so the arrangements we sell run the gamut,” said Jenkins. 34

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Chanukah Gift Guide Levy’s blends service, tradition and knowledge of current trends By Lee J. Green Going green is trending with jewelry this year, according to Levy’s Fine Jewelry co-owner Jared Nadler. A Birmingham tradition since 1922, Levy’s has earned a reputation as the Southeast’s leading estate jewelry dealer. Getting the best possible deals for its valued customers and advising them on style trends involves drawing on its team’s vast knowledge and research tools. “We’re always researching and working harder to acquire high-quality jewelry and sell it to our customers at the best possible price,” said Nadler. “Our business model is buy, sell, trade. After 25 years my cousin Todd and I have realized that despite how things have changed over the years, my grandfather had it right all along. He said treat customers fairly and kindly. Get them the most value for their money.” Nadler said that green is the pantone color of the year, and thus emeralds are very popular. They have also seen an increase in sales of “cocktail rings” for the left hand. “We’re seeing bright colors that represent one’s personality,” he said. On the estate market, Levy’s looks to acquire quality-made pieces that stand the test of time. “We have the largest research library in the Southeast and we have a very experienced team for jewelry restorations. Because of our experience and the relationships we’ve developed over the years, we can get jewelry sellers more return and jewelry buyers can get high-quality items at less cost,” said Nadler. As far as Judaica, Levy’s sells some affordable Star of David and Chai charm jewelry. They also deal in art and antiques, so they have sold some oil paintings of rabbis and antique Yads. “Judaica is just a small part of the market, as expected, but we find the hard-to-find pieces. In the 1950s and 1960s, larger and chunkier pieces was the style but today’s Judaica jewelry designs tend to be more simple and lightweight,” said Nadler. He said his favorite part of the job is making people happy. “I have been doing this long enough that I have helped people when they were getting engaged and today it’s their children we are working with to find them ideal engagement and wedding rings here,” said Nadler. “We are honored to have been a part of their special family Simchas and life events.”

Based in Nashville, Christie Cookie is the gourmet cookie company that makes the famous Doubletree Hotel cookies. They are now available in a wide range of gift arrangements, including a Chanukah tin that contains 18 cookies — six each of chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia nut and oatmeal raisin. Other tins include seven Southern college football teams, ideal for tailgating. Alabama and Auburn are available, but the Mississippi teams and LSU aren’t yet. Christie Cookies are made from French chocolate, fresh nuts, real butter, tender raisins and bits of Heath toffee. All the ingredients are measured by hand for a truly gourmet cookie experience, and the cookies are certified kosher by Star-K. Products are easily purchased online at www.ChristieCookies.com, are baked fresh with each order, and can be shipped directly to the gift recipient.

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October 2013

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At Wizard of Odds in the Birmingham suburb of Alabaster, the magic of Dead Sea minerals in beauty and wellness products coexists with timeless European antiques under one roof. Alina Krancer opened up the antique furniture and accessories store in 2004 and recently became familiar with the “miraculous,” Israelimade line of Premier products. “My brother in California told me about it and how effective the Premier products were in helping to treat his skin cancer,” said Krancer, 64, who moved from her native Romania to the heavily Jewish Chicago suburb of Skokie, Ill, when she was 25. “The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth and one of the wonders of the world. There are many minerals in there that can do wonders for one’s health and wellness.” Krancer had long been a supporter of Buy Israel. Wizard of Odds is the only retailer in the Southeast offering the complete line of Premier products. One such product is an all-natural skin care product for both men and women called Biox. It produces similar anti-aging results to Botox but is all-natural. Krancer also raves about the Premier mud mask cream, salt scrub to aid dry skin and a shampoo that helps to regrow hair. “All these products are natural and from some of the most rich minerals on earth,” she said. Krancer said she has put much time and research into acquiring some of the finest French, Italian, Dutch and British antiques as well at Wizard of Odds. Every piece of furniture and accessory is authentic and of top-quality. None have been refurbished or repaired. The oldest piece is a secretary desk from England circa the 1820s-1840s, and the range goes through 1930s art nouveau and art deco. “I grew up in the shadow of Communism and we learned to be very frugal. I have developed a skill in finding some of the most exquisite antique pieces and being able to acquire them at low prices so I can offer them to my customers at prices in many cases well below their actual value,” said Krancer, adding that because most of the antiques sold at Wizard of Odds are timeless they fit with any décor, including more modern. She also said they are happy to deliver to customers. “I am so passionate about this. It’s great to sell things that contribute to people’s wellness and make them happy.”

The Temple Beth Or Sisterhood in Montgomery is selling classic cheesecakes from New York’s Carnegie Deli. A 6-inch cheesecake is $25, and an 8-inch cheesecake is $35. They will arrive frozen and can be picked up on Nov. 12 or 13. Order deadline is Oct. 25. Orders can be sent to Marlene Beringer, 2200 Wentworth Dr., Montgomery AL 36106, or email sisterhoodtbo@gmail.com. 36

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Civil rights panel kicks off SJHS conference With the Southern Jewish Historical Society meeting in Birmingham next month as part of the city’s 50th anniversary commemoration of pivotal Civil Rights events, there will be a civil rights roundtable to kick off the weekend. The 2:30 p.m. forum on Nov. 1 will be at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church and is open to the community. Judge U.W. Clemon, the first black Federal judge from Alabama and a former state senator, will be part of the panel, as will Rev. Calvin Woods, co-founder of the Alabama Christian Movement for Civil Rights and brother of Rev. Abraham Woods. Both worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. Sol Kimerling will also be on the panel. He is currently co-author of a Weld newspaper series, “No More Bull,” about the Civil Rights era. Karl Friedman, who was deeply involved in the Birmingham Jewish community response to the 1963 events, will be on the panel, as will Stephen Grafman, son of Rabbi Milton Grafman, who was rabbi of Temple Emanu-El during the 1960s and was in the middle of the conflict. Julian Bond, co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, will respond to the discussion, which is being moderated by Dan Puckett. Bond will also give the conference’s keynote address at Temple Emanu-El during the 5:40 p.m. Shabbat service., also open to the community. The conference starts with a tour of Jewish Birmingham on Nov. 1 at 9 a.m. Panels on Nov. 2 include Alabama’s Jewish communities, Building Classical Reform Judaism in the South, and Jews and Southern Civil Rights. There will be a tour of the Samuel Ullman Museum and a session on Allen Krause’s conversations with Southern rabbis during the Civil Rights era. Rabbi Irving Bloom will comment. Sessions on Nov. 3 include a panel on the “Charleston Diaspora,” which includes the Moses and Jonas families in Alabama. There will also be a Meet the Author session at 10:30 a.m. Among the authors will be Barbara Bonfield, who recently wrote “Knesseth Israel, Over 123 Years of Orthodoxy” in Birmingham, and Dan Puckett, author of “In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama’s Jews, the Second World War and the Holocaust.” Catherine Kahn, archivist emeritus at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, will receive the Saul Viener Outstanding Career Service Award. Registration is due by Oct. 16. A full schedule and registration charges is available at jewishsouth.org.

Buy a Tag Help a Child Choose the Hope for Kids specialty tag and help provide research, training and care to benefit the thousands of children suffering from diabetes. For only $50.00 each year you can give hope and help to kids who live with this disease every day. Children’s of Alabama receives $41.25 from each tag purchased. You can also personalize your tag for free! For more information, visit: www.ChildrensAL.org/hopeforkids Southern Jewish Life

October 2013

Sukkot in the South

Above, Ladies Cork and Canvas Night at the Beth Israel, Metairie, sukkah. Pictured are Jessie Wilson, Alla Golubitsky, Jessica Posternock, Staci Strauss and Elizabeth Cato.

Above: For years, the sukkah for Barry and Lori Ripps of Pensacola has been a family hands-on project. “Though our children are off at school, we still build it every year,” he said. Below, B’nai Israel, Florence.

Above: Simchat Torah at Springhill Avenue Temple, Mobile. Below, Rabbi Mendel Ceitlin builds at Chabad Jewish Center, Metairie

Above: Beth Shalom, Auburn. Left, Young, Jewish, Pensacola held its monthly meeting in the sukkah at Temple Beth El. Lower left: North Alabama Friends of Israel held a Sukkot event at Church of the Shoals in Florence. Below, Beth Israel, Gulfport. Below right, studying Tractate Sukkot at Beth Israel, Jackson.

October 2013

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Above, Simchat Torah Consecration at Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El (photo by Barry Altmark). Left, Rabbi Debra Kassoff explains the lulav and etrog while James Bowley looks on, at the Millsaps Jewish Culture Organization sukkah. Below, Simchat Torah at Temple Sinai, New Orleans.

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Left: The Jewish Student Association Sukkah at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Below, Beth Israel in Gulfport.

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October 2013

UAB names business school for Collats following $25 million gift

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For the first time, the University of Alabama at Birmingham will have a school named after a donor. On Sept. 13, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved naming the UAB School of Business in honor of Charles and Patsy Collat, in recognition of their $25 million in gifts and pledges to the school. The naming comes as the university prepares to publicly launch the Campaign for UAB this month, its most ambitious fundraising campaign to date, with the Collat donation as the lead gift. Collat Jewish Family Services in Birmingham is also named in their honor. Charles Collat is former CEO of Mayer Electric Supply Company Inc. Under his leadership, Mayer grew to be one of Birmingham’s largest privately held companies. He and his wife Patsy are longtime supporters of UAB, and their collective gifts represent the largest philanthropic support from any donor to UAB. Calling theirs a “transformational gift,” UAB President Ray L. Watts said “We are so proud that our business school will bear the Collat name. Charles and Patsy have set a tremendous example for others who want to see UAB faculty, staff and students continue to bring recognition to our city and state through outstanding education, patient care, research and service. This is just the beginning.” Shirley Salloway Kahn, Ph.D., vice president for development, alumni and external affairs, noted that the Collats’ support over the last three decades “has helped UAB grow into the dynamic institution it is today, and their generous gift and confidence in our ambitious plans comes at a crucial time in our growth strategy. The naming of the school in their honor is so fitting, as they have been so faithful to UAB and the School of Business with their service and support throughout the years.” The Collats’ gift will establish an endowment, the earnings from which are to provide vital funding for scholarships and support for programs throughout the school, such as industrial distribution and entrepreneurship, that will enhance student experiential learning opportunities. “We are so grateful for the Collats’ continuing support for our school, and we will carry our new name with tremendous pride,” said Eric Jack, Ph.D., dean of the business school. “This generous gift will enable us to grow in

Southern Jewish Life

our targeted areas of strategic excellence, and it will have a transformational impact on the lives of thousands of students. It will also raise our profile as one of the premier business schools in the Southeast, and this will benefit our beloved city and state for years to come.” The Collats endowed the first nonmedical academic chair at UAB, which was named in the Ben S. Weil Chair of Industrian Distribution in honor of Mayer founder and Mrs. Collat’s father and is held by Tom DeCarlo, Ph.D.; and made substantial contributions to the Department of Neurology and established the Charles A. and Patsy W. Collat Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery (held by Mark Hadley, M.D.), as well as the Patsy W. and Charles A. Collat Scholar in Neuroscience at UAB (held by David Geldmacher, M.D.). The couple enabled UAB to become one of the country’s few degree-granting industrial distribution programs in accredited schools of business and engineering with the Charles and Patsy Collat Industrial Distribution Program; and propelled two successful preschool education initiatives in the UAB School of Education. Gifts from the Collats have benefited UAB Athletics; the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care; AIDS, surgery, ophthalmologic and cancer research; and the schools of Education, Engineering and Medicine. “I am so absolutely excited to be in a position with Patsy to make something like this happen that reaches into every program in the School of Business,” Collat said. “I am also terribly humbled. Being able to support an institution like UAB that plays such an important part in so many lives is something I wouldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams.” Collat is a past chair of the President’s Council, honorary life member of the National Alumni Society, member of the Executive Committee for the Campaign for UAB, incoming chair of the UAB School of Business Dean’s Council and former member of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Supporters Board. In 2009, UAB presented him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. “My family and I have worked extremely hard to be in a position to help others, and very few entities are in a position to make as broad a positive impact as UAB,” Collat said. “I expect great things from the Campaign for UAB and am fortunate to have the opportunity to help launch the campaign.”

Three rabbis walk into a bar… Three rabbis walk into a bar, but in New Orleans, it was for the Aug. 15 JNOLA program. The informal mingle and “Ask the Rabbis” sessions were co-sponsored by the Rabbinic Council of Greater New Orleans, and will continue on Nov. 6, Jan. 23 and April 3.

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Above, Rabbis Mendel Rivkin of Chabad and Ethan Linden of Shir Chadash with Austin Marks. Left, Gates of Prayer Rabbi Robert Loewy with Ashley Merlin. Futre JNOLA activities include an Oct. 10 meetup with Jason Seidman, founder of Nola Tech Week, and the first annual JNOLA DineAround on Oct. 23.

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Southern Jewish Life

October 2013

A Prairie JCC Companion?

Keillor making appearance while in town The New Orleans Jewish Community Centers Jewish Book festival isn’t until the middle of November, but a big-name author is already slated for October. Garrison Keillor, who is in town for a Prairie Home Companion broadcast from the Saenger Theater on Oct. 12, will be at the Uptown Jewish Community Center on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be used toward the purchase of his latest book, “O, What a Luxury: Verses Lyrical, Vulgar, Pathetic and Profound.” It is the first poetry collection written by Keillor, though he has edited poetry anthologies before. His verses touch on topics of love, modernity, nostalgia, politics, religion, and other facets of daily life. His appearance is co-sponsored by the Garden District Book Shop. The formal festival gets underway on Nov. 18 with the Booklovers Luncheon at noon, featuring Austin Ratner and “In The Land of the Living,” a novel about a Jewish family from Cleveland, Ohio, and how a series of premature deaths affects their relationships across two generations. The Featured Author Event welcomes Sheri Fink on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. She is the author of the recent “Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital,” about the doctors and nurses who struggled against chaos for five days at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans after the levees broke in 2005. Every year, authors from around the nation visit the New Orleans JCC to read from their works and talk about their ideas. The annual JCC Book Festival is the centerpiece of this effort featuring Jewish authors and authors of books with Jewish content. Recent guests at the JCC have included such noted authors as Dennis Ross, Madeline Albright, Steve Roberts, Judith Viorst, and Walter Isaacson. Jewish religious school children from across Metro New Orleans participate in our annual Bookmark Contest and winners receive “book bucks” to spend in the bookstore.

Executive Director Wanted The Jewish Federation of Central Alabama, headquartered in Montgomery, is seeking applications for the position of Executive Director. Applicants should have strong communication, interpersonal, fundraising, and organizational skills, as well as experience with the use of social media. Salary is commensurate with experience. If interested, please mail a writing sample, cover letter, and resume with three references to Mark Sabel, JFCA president, P.O. Box 231348, Montgomery, AL 36123. For inquiries, please call 334-277-5820. 42

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NOLA

Melton offers distance Judaic learning High-level Judaic studies is now available to everyone, regardless of whether they live in a large or tiny Jewish community. Melton Online is making it possible to learn over a laptop with Jews across North America. The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, a program of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is the largest pluralistic adult Jewish education network in the world. With over fifty locations in North America, Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Hong Kong, the Melton School uses high-quality, text-based, interactive Jewish study and offers world-class curriculum that informs and inspires adult learners from all knowledge-levels and backgrounds. Until last year, Melton classes were available only in specific communities in partnership with a local Jewish education agency, such as New Orleans. Last year, the Hebrew University launched Melton Online, a program that allows learners to take classes using an interactive learning platform. All students can see and hear each other in real time via the internet. Melton Online is the first Jewish education program to be designed with Jewish plural-

ism as a central value. Although affiliated with Hebrew University, this program is not degree granting. It is designed for a lay learner but provides comprehensive, sequential learning on a high level. The program is especially designed to offer Jewish communities without access to high quality Jewish education the chance to be engaged with other Jews across North America and the world. Last year Melton Online was piloted with learners across North America. Each Sunday participants from places as far apart as New Hampshire, Alexandria, La., and the Wine Country of Northern California met weekly to explore the “big ideas” of Jewish life and the daily and yearly practices of Jewish living. Adults who had never had the opportunity to explore key ideas in Jewish thought, such as Judaism’s thinking on why bad things happen to good people, engaged in series learning across cyberspace. Melton Online is set to offer four courses beginning in mid-October. To learn more about the program visit www.meltonschool. org. Information about the program can be found under “Courses.”

JCC fundraiser celebrates 65th anniversary The Jewish Community Center is celebrating “65 Years on the Avenue,” marking 65 years at its current Uptown location. The program will celebrate the agency’s long history in New Orleans. The Nov. 2 fundraiser at 7 p.m. will feature the acclaimed musical revue “Oh What A Night! A Musical Tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.” A cocktail hour will precede dinner, which is being catered by Chef Rommel Hernandez. A live auction will follow the performance.

JFS needs volunteers New Orleans Jewish Family Service has volunteer opportunities in its Teen Life Counts teen suicide prevention workshops, Lifeline presonal emergency response and Bikur Chaverim friendly visitor programs. To learn more about volunteering, call JFS at (504) 831-8475.

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October 2013

Nola Hadassah says BraVeaux to breast cancer fundraiser New Orleans Hadassah is holding an “uplifting event” to raise breast cancer awareness and support medical research on Oct. 12. Bra-Veaux New Orleans will feature dozens of art bras, many of which were created by members at an August workshop. Local professional artists are also making art bras and other breast-themed pieces for the event, and all of the bras and artwork will be auctioned. Some of the pieces will be in a 2014 calendar that will be available after the event, and those in attendance can vote for their favorite art bras from the amateur artists. Prizes will be awarded for prettiest, funniest and most creative. Originally some of the bras were going to be modeled, but after they were made it was decided that they were generally too fragile to be worn on the runway. The idea was suggested when Southern Region President Lee Kansas, who is from New Orleans, attended the Brapalooza Memphis and suggested a similar event to the New Orleans chapter, but with local flair. Co-chair Carole Neff said the proceeds “will be used for cancer research at Hadassah Hospital in Israel.” Nationally, Hadassah also provides breast cancer educational programs. Neff said the August workshop produced about 30 bras, some of which were taken home to be finished. Actor Rob Steinberg will be the master of ceremonies. He plays the man who saves the slave in Steve McQueen’s acclaimed film starring Brad Pitt, “12 Years a Slave,” which opens this month. He also has a recurring role on the HBO series “Treme.” Steinberg noted, “It’s the first time I’ve res- I am truly in awe of my character’s character.” cued someone in such dire straights...on film. The event will be at the Crescent City Auction Gallery starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $90 for “A cup,” going up to $1,000 for “DD cup.” Neff, who is co-chairing the event with Marisa Kahn, said there is an effort to encourage attendance by younger members. A “training bra” ticket for ages 36 and under is $55. The event includes libations, “voluptuous appetizers” and dessert from Honeybee Catering, the Siren Sisters singers and raffle prizes, along with the silent and live artwork auctions. 44

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NOLA

That leads to giving gifts on Simchat Torah. It’s already a festive day, lots of celebration. While the Torah wasn’t given on Simchat Torah (bonus points if you remember when), it celebrates the gift of the Torah. Passover would be an ideal holiday for gifts. It even already has a tradition built in of giving a gift to whoever finds the afikomen. And it might be nice to receive something better from seder guests than some of the dishes they bring. (To other people’s seders. Ours are yum.) Scholars can debate whether, if Shavuot were the gift-giving holiday, anyone would start observing it more. Gift of the Torah, give gifts. It’s a perfect fit. What’s more, not only is it relatively unobserved, few people even remember what it’s for. If it got commercialized, little would need to be forgotten. There are others — think of the gift-giving potential for Tisha B’Av or the minor fast days — but consider that all of these holidays have seemingly apparent gift connections. But what about the holidays that have actually been for gift giving before? Purim celebrates avoiding a genocide. Jews wear costumes, make lots of noise, and drink until they can’t tell the good guy from the bad guy. Chanukah is about the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and spinning tops. Aside from gift giving being generically celebratory, what do these holidays have to do with presents? Doug Brook is a regifted writer in Silicon Valley, who expects Tu B’Shevat to become the next gift-giving bonanza. Think after-Christmas sales. For past columns, other writings, and more, visit http:// brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, like facebook.com/the. beholders.eye.

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On the other side of the desk: David Kaplinsky, part of the only 8th grade graduating class at Community Day School in Metairie, returned last month as a substitute teacher. A member of the New Orleans Jewish Day School Class of 2005, Kaplinsky recently graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in theater studies. He is back in New Orleans performing with the Ninth Ward Theater Company and teaching Sunday School at Shir Chadash. “It’s truly beautiful to see students become the teachers,” Lauren Ungar, CDS marketing associate, said. “It’s wonderful to see that he has kept up his Hebrew and is so thrilled to teach the students at his old elementary school; it’s really precious seeing David engage with the new students at CDS. I could hear the 3rd graders say as they left the room how much fun they had with him!” NOLA

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October 2013

The Beholder’s Eye by Doug Brook

Regifting holidays

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October 2013

Southern Jewish Life

Once upon a time, Purim was the Jewish holiday for gift giving. Chanukah was the holiday of gelt giving — not to be confused with guilt giving which, in Jewish culture, has never required a holiday of its own. The shift to Chanukah of gift giving occurred largely due to external socio-cultural pressures, and some really good sales in December. Chanukah gift giving arose soon after Christmas became a national American holiday in the late 1800s. This is one example of how religious practices periodically shift, sometimes to match the world at large. So, what would happen if gift giving were to shift again? This time from Chanukah to another Jewish holiday? Or, to ask it another way, what would Jewish gift giving look like if Christmas had fallen near a different calendar milestone in the first Does “Happy place? Yom Kippur” Let’s begin with the September sound right? holidays, as that’s the timeframe when researchers commonly say Jesus was really born, rather than late December. (Of course, biblically, the new year starts in Nisan, the month of Passover. But, like politicians, let’s avoid getting sidetracked by research or facts.) Rosh Hashanah is already a holiday where Jews indulge in apples and honey. Even though Rosh Hashanah is not actually a gift-giving holiday, Apple’s annual September announcement of its latest iPhone, iPad, iMac, or iEverything would horn in on the holiday faster than you can blow a shofar. Would gift-giving on Rosh Hashanah have changed the fundamental theological intent of the holiday? Sure, but not as much as its successor… Yom Kippur. With presents. But, wait. Don’t give up on the idea too fast. We’re not starved for justification. Yom Kippur is traditionally about receiving the gift of your X inscribed in the Book of Life for another year. What’s more, Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, and how do many people atone? By giving stuff to the people they’ve wronged. Even the Yom Kippur service involved a large afternoon ritual of sacrifices to the Big G. Just think of it. If Christmas fell in September, there might have been volumes of rabbinic dispute about whether it’s best to give gifts before Kol Nidre (thus distracting all day by wanting to play with them) or after Neilah (thus distracting all day with anticipation of what they might be). Also, people too eager to open their gifts might forget their post-fast apple juice and collapse in mid-unwrap. Worst of all would be, “Happy Yom Kippur!” If Sukkot were the gift giving holiday, it would look a bit more like Christmas. Gifts could be piled in the sukkah, under a bunch of festively arranged green branches. What a lovely image, until it rains. Or outdoor pests invade the wrapping in the evening.

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Southern Jewish Life

October 2013