Southern Jewish Life, New Orleans, November 2020

Southern Jewish Life NEW ORLEANS EDITION

INSIDE:

Nov./Dec. 2020 Volume 30 Issue 11

Southern Jewish LifeLife Southern Jewish 3747 West Esplanade Ave. P.O. Box 130052 3rd Floor Birmingham, AL 35213 Metairie, LA 70002 Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Dia de los Muertos event at Pepper Place in Birmingham

shalom y’all Quick, how many people were murdered in the Armenian genocide?

Okay, here’s an easier one. In what decade was the war where the United States took control of what is now Texas?

That big African genocide in the 1990s, who were the main players in that?

If you had to ask Alexa any of these or check with Google, then congratulations, you’re a typical American.

That’s why, when a new study comes out decrying how ignorant most people are about the facts and figures of the Holocaust — such as the state-by-state one we reported on in last month’s issue — instead of the standard wailing and gnashing of teeth, those reports should be taken in stride.

Not ignored, but understood in context.

Of course, Holocaust education has been a major emphasis in the Jewish community for the last few decades, with the understanding that the lessons to be derived from the unique event that was the Holocaust can be applied universally in teaching people how to get along and prevent future genocides.

Given that the lessons of the Holocaust are universal, and the amount of time and energy devoted to educating everyone about the Holocaust, we tend to think that knowledge of the Holocaust is also universal.

But we forget that unless we are in a certain arena, we just don’t know all that much.

Those of us who spend a lot of time examining what is happening in the Middle East might assume that most people have a pretty thorough knowledge of the dynamics. But a study just came out showing that most Americans had never heard of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement against Israel, a movement that is roiling college campuses across the country and prompting around 30 state legislatures to ban state contracts with companies that adhere to the boycott.

Despite all that, most people have never heard of a movement that those in the arena take so seriously.

In pro-Israel advocacy circles, it is sometimes asked how this or that ethnic group can be attracted to the cause. A reminder that keeps popping up is that often these groups

SJL Online: sjlmag.com Southern Jewish Life is an independent Jewish periodical. Articles and columns do not necessarily reflect the views of any Jewish institutions, agencies or congregations in our region.

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commentary

MESSAGES

Maccabi USA leader praises Birmingham Games I have had the honor of attending many Maccabi competitions around the world. From Israel to Australia to South America, andIsrael the JCC42Maccabi around United States have many other priorities, andEurope for them percentgames identified the the Battle of the Bulge as and Canada, have many miles seeing howbeing sportspart canof beWorld a vehicle build Jewish is simply not Ion thelogged radar, one way or the other.

War to II? help Which, unbeknownst identity, especially in our A similar argument canyoung. be made about most to a significant number of people, is when the historical events, not just the Holocaust. Do we Holocaust was taking place.

I felt honored to come to Birmingham for the first time and fell in love with not just the city really want to tie ourselves up in knots because We absolutely must continue to push for Hobut YouAmericans have takencan’t Southern to a new level withbut your caring a lotthe of people. our fellow namehospitality a sin- locaust education, wekind alsoand need to do so approach to the JCC Maccabi Games. gle concentration camp when it is very likely with the recognition that this is part of a larger that alsoSokol can’t and say Helds, what decade the Span- issue — thewere general lack ofThey knowledge about Ledthey by the your hard-working volunteers wonderful. partnered ish-American war was fought in?

Or even the history. with your outstanding staff, led by Betzy Lynch, to make the 2017 JCC Maccabi games a huge hit.

War? In Maccabi Holocaust education, it is you often that IKorean want to take this opportunity as executive director of USA to say thank onsaid behalf This year has seen a tremendous introspec- those who do not learn from history are doomed of everyone involved. tion in our country over issues of race and the to repeat it. legacy And yet,the how our Not knowing history, not knowingofhow I had of justslavery. returned from 20thmany WorldofMaccabiah games in Israel with and a U.S. delegation fellow Americans can name or more signifnation works whythe things were up over 1100, who joined 10,000one Jewish athletes fromour 80 countries.

Backand in July eyes of the set entire icant battlegrounds the Civil Or say theThis waypast they are, is a huge problemand that exJewish world were onfrom Jerusalem andWar? the Maccabiah. month with 1000 athletes why Neshoba County the is significant? tendsyou farbecame beyondthe how much coaches from around world being in Birmingham, focal point.people know or Probably very few, considering that a 2012 don’t know about the Holocaust.

Everyone from graduates the Jewish showed community and the community at large, including a wonderful survey of college fewer than 20 percent able identify the These effect of the will go down in history as being a seminal police force,were are to beto commended. games Emancipation moment for theProclamation.

Jewish community as we build to the future by providing such wonderful Jewish How can we expect to see widespread knowlmemories. edge of the concentration camps when only Lawrence Brook, Publisher/Editor Jed Margolis Executive Director, Maccabi USA

Remembering Fran Mendler Lake As most of you know, our commu-

On Charlottesville nity lost a titan this past month. Fran-

supremacists would like to see pushed back into a corner and made to feel lesser. We stand with and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, who was there standing up to the face of this hate.

cine “Fran” Lake was Editor’s Note:Mendler This reaction to theknown events in and loved in just about every Charlottesville, written by JeremyJewish Newman, organization NewEpsilon Orleans, and deMaster of the in Alpha Pi Theta Colony spite her prominence in our commuWe recognize the essence of the American at Auburn University, was shared

by AEPi nity, she held a cherished placeeloquent” in our and narrative as a two-century old struggle to rid National, which called it “very hearts at“our Avodah.

Fran nearly ourselves of such corners, and allow those in praised brothers at touched AEPi Theta Colony at every aspect of our work at Avodah. them the seat at the table that they so deserve.

Auburn University and… the leadership they Living on justtheir a few doors It is the struggle to fulfill the promise of the display campus. ” down from the Avodah bayit (house), she hosted Declaration of Independence, that “all men are Service Corps Members each year for created equal… endowed by their Creator with meals andsupremacy swim parties — modeling White has been a cancer on certain unalienable We know ourat work Avodah New Orleans honorsrights.

Fran ”Mendler Lake the country beauty since of a itsmultigenerational our beginning, threatening is far from finished, but to weright: knowAvodah we will at not the 10th anniversary event (left community. its hopes, its values, and its better angels.10 Honorees moveJosh backwards.

Lichtman, Dana Keren and Fran Fran wasthat a long-time of Mendler Lake).

The events took place member in Charlottesville When men and women, fully armed, take our Avodah the Advisory Council, where represented worst of this nation.

Those to the streets drovesI with swastikas she signed letters, made phone calls, raised visions of theinfuture. left every lunchand meeting who marched onto the streets with tiki torches other symbols of hate, it is a reminder of howthe money, and set the bar high for organizationwith Fran inspired and eager to take on and swastikas did so to provoke violence and relevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism al layThose leadership.

I remember fondly the did many world, and grateful to have such a wonderful fear. who marched onto the streets are today.

It isgreat a wake-up to the work that months Franan spent volunteering in theback Avodah mentor with taste incall restaurants. so to profess ideology that harkens to needs to be done to ensure a better, moreknown office.

She even graciously volunteered to take I know I am a better person for having a bleaker, more wretched time in our history. welcoming country.

But it should not comeeffecon the painstaking process of modifying our Fran, and I am certain Avodah is a more A time when men and women of many creeds, without a reflection on how far we’ve come. internet service — and those hoursequal she spent on tive and a stronger organization for Fran’s leadraces, and religions were far from and far the phone trulyAa time demonstration ership.

We were proud to honor Fran’s incrediAmerica was born a slave nation.

A century from safe inwith ourCox ownwere borders. where of love and lived commitment. ble impact on Avodah and on New Orleans into our history we engaged in the a war in part Americans under a constant cloud of In between and all around these acts of serJewish community at our 10th Anniversary to ensure we would not continue as one. We racism, anti-Semitism and pervasive hate. The vice, Fran questions about our work and found Partners in Justice celebration ourselves confronted by in the2018. issue of civil events thatasked took place in Charlottesville served shared lessonsoffrom leadership.

Fran and I rights, In this time of upheaval loss, to I know I will and embarked on a and mission ensure as a reminder howher painfully relevant these read books about systemic justice together and the missfair Fran’s steady of reassurance, wry wit,their and treatment all peoplesher no matter issues are today. talked about our visions for a more just future. skin her encouragement to always learn and grow.

Although we’ve made great strides, Auburn’s Alpha Epsilon Pi stands with for thethe May color.

Fran was a role model for collaboration, all bewe’re blessed with just with a fraction it is a we mission still grappling today. of Jewish community of Charlottesville, and power of relationship building, and for how to Fran’s commitment to others and to our comAmerica was also born an immigrant with the Jewish people around bridge differences and focus on the the country shared goals. munity. country.

As early as the pilgrims, many and around the world.

We also stand with the For the past few years, Fran and I had regMay her memory always be a blessing and an groups and families found in the country the minorities who are targeted by the hate that ular lunch meetings, in which we talked about inspiration to us all. opportunity to plant stakes, chase their future, was on display in Charlottesville.

We stand Avodah, about life, and the intersections of Dani Levine themselves. Few were met with open with whom these white our and be both.the Weminorities discussedofour plans to actualize Avodah, National Service Corps Director 4

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Richard Friedman richard@sjlmag.com V.P. SALES/MARKETING, NEW ORLEANS Jeff Pizzo jeff@sjlmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ginger Brook ginger@sjlmag.com SOCIAL/WEB Emily Baldwein connect@sjlmag.com PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE Rabbi Barry C. Altmark deepsouthrabbi.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rivka Epstein, Louis Crawford, Tally Werthan, Stuart Derroff, Belle Freitag, Ted Gelber, E. Walter Katz, Doug Brook brookwrite.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE P.O. Box 130052, Birmingham, AL 35213 2179 Highland Ave., Birmingham, AL 35205 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/249-6875 TOLL-FREE 888/613.YALL(9255) ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com Jeff Pizzo, jeff@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South.

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agenda interesting bits & can’t attend events

Nechama: Jewish Response to Disaster continues the cleanup from Hurricane Laura in the Lake Charles area

Shir Chadash to hold virtual celebration for 60th anniversary

Limmudfest New Orleans making plans for hybrid 2021 event

Shir Chadash, the New Orleans area’s Conservative congregation, will celebrate “60 Years of Support, Service and Song” on Jan. 31.

The congregation was formed in 1960 as Tikvat Shalom, a breakaway from the Orthodox Chevra Thilim over the issue of mixed seating, a battle that eventually went before the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Eventually, the older congregation also adopted mixed seating and in 1999 the congregations reunited, with the new name Shir Chadash, a new song.

Chaired by Barbara Kaplinsky and vice-chaired by Beth Hershberg, the 6 p.m. virtual celebration will honor numerous congregants who have contributed for decades to the Shir Chadash community. The first announced honorees include Israel and Sylvia Finger, Elliot and Lisa Finkelstein, Lis and Hugo Kahn, and Alvin and Madilyn Samuels.

There will be musical appearances from Meryl Zimmerman, Shir Chadash Education Director; David Kaplinsky, Ziegler rabbinical student; and a capella music from Shir Chadash students. There will also be a historical video and messages from current Shir Chadash Rabbi Deborah Silver, and former Rabbis Ethan Linden, Geoffrey Spector and Eric Cytron.

While nobody can predict what March 2021 will look like, the new leadership team at Limmud New Orleans are working on Limmudfest, scheduled for the weekend of March 12 to 14.

Limmudfest New Orleans is traditionally held every other year, bringing hundreds of participants from New Orleans and surrounding areas for a weekend of Jewish unity and learning, with about 90 sessions on a wide range of topics. Originally scheduled for March 2020, Limmudfest had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.

Next year’s festival is being chaired by Leslie Goldberg and Marissa Knell.

Goldberg said they are exploring virtual and in-person options for Limmudfest. For “Covid-safe” in-person learning, they are looking at “chavruta pods” and having a special delivery menu from local kosher restaurants. For the virtual side, there would be an opening ceremony followed by a series of virtual sessions in the afternoon of March 14.

“Holding a (mostly) virtual event means being able to bring the Limmud experience to more of our far-flung Jewish neighbors, and being able to bring big-name presenters from around the world to our humble Southern event,” they said.

Goldberg has been a member of the New Orleans Jewish community since 2012, serving as a religious school and Hebrew teacher at Touro Synagogue, and participating in the lay-led Torah chavruta. She first got involved with Limmud by leading a Torah study session soon after arrivNovember 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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agenda ing in the community, and this is her first time working on the administrative side of the event.

Knell also arrived in New Orleans in 2012, currently organizing Shabbat services with Kol Halev, a group that holds a monthly meditative Shabbat service, and is also studying public health at Tulane.

Limmud also has a new technology director, Max Lapushin, for a festival that will rely on technology to an unprecedented extent.

Limmudfest is entirely volunteer organized and all the presenters volunteer their time. The organizers are looking for additional volunteers, especially for registration and the technology help desk.

More information about Limmudfest 2021 will be forthcoming.

Stephen Herman heads national civil justice group

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Herman Herman and Katz Partner Stephen Herman of New Orleans was elected president of the Pound Civil Justice Institute for the term starting Aug. 1, 2020. The Pound Institute is a national legal think tank created by pioneering members of the trial bar and dedicated to ensuring access to justice for ordinary citizens. Their programs provide opportunities for open dialogue among judges, legal academics, policy makers, and attorneys on issues vital to civil justice. The resulting research is published and utilized throughout the legal community.

The Pound Institute’s prominent event is the Annual Judge’s Forum offered to state appellate court judges to examine current issues affecting civil justice in the United States.

Last fall, Pound held a symposium in Portland on T”he Future of Mass Torts, Class Actions and MDLs.” Herman co-presented an article with Lynn Baker on the role and responsibility of court-appointed counsel, which was recently published in the Lewis & Clark Law Review. Next summer, Herman will preside over the annual Judges Forum, on the importance of voir dire, particularly in the time of Covid, to secure fair trials for litigants of all races, religions, sexual orientations, and countries of national origin.

Rubin receives rare legal service award On Oct. 6, Baton Rouge attorney Michael H. Rubin was named the 2020 recipient of the Frederick S. Lane Award by the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, in recognition of his exceptional service to the public and the legal profession. This highly coveted honor, which is not given out annually, has been granted to only 12 others since 1993.

ACREL is the premier organization of U.S. real estate lawyers. Admission is by invitation only after a rigorous screening process that seeks out preeminent lawyers.

Rubin is a member of both Beth Shalom and B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge, and for many years was a member of Beth Shalom’s board. He is an attorney with the McGlinchey Stafford law firm, which has offices from the West Coast to the Gulf Coast to the East Coast, and is on its management team. He has served as president of many local, state, and national organizations, including the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Southern Conference of Bar Presidents, and the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

He has delivered over 450 major presentations throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and his scholarly writings have been cited as authoritative by state and federal courts. He also is the author of two national award-winning legal thrillers, “The Cottoncrest Curse,” about a Jewish immigrant to Louisiana, and “Cashed Out.”

Young Rembrandts Classes Now Forming!

The upcoming Four Seasons in New Orleans

Alon Shaya to open new restaurant in Four Seasons Hotel Award-winning chef Alon Shaya and his Pomegranate Hospitality will be opening a new restaurant next year, as the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences opens in New Orleans.

The unnamed restaurant will offer “a fresh perspective on a classic Louisiana dining experience in a festive and inviting atmosphere” at the hotel’s street level.

“There’s no question that New Orleans has long held an influential place in America’s culinary evolution,” notes the property’s General Manager Mali Carow. “Now, in partnership with Chef Alon Shaya, our aim at Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residence New Orleans is to continue that tradition, while forging an imaginative new path into the future.”

Built in 1968 for the 250th anniversary of New Orleans’ founding, the 34-story tower was originally the World Trade Center and International Trade Mart. The hotel will have 341 rooms, two signature restaurants, a spa, fifth floor rooftop swimming pool, private garden and a two-level rooftop observation deck. There will also be 92 private residences in the development.

Pom Hospitality currently has two Israeli restaurants — Saba in New Orleans and Safta in Denver.

A native of Israel who was raised in Philadelphia, Shaya, who won the 2015 James Beard Award as Best Chef in the South, first came to New Orleans to work at Besh Steak in 2001. In 2009, Shaya’s passion for Italian cuisine led him and chef John Besh to open Domenica, followed by the casual Pizza Domenica in 2014. The next year, he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef — South.

A 2011 culinary trip to Israel, organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, reawakened Shaya’s childhood memories of Israeli cuisine, and in February 2015 he opened Shaya, a modern Israeli restaurant that quickly achieved international acclaim. In 2016, it won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

He was forced out from Shaya restaurant and the Besh group in 2017 after being one of those who spoke out when many Besh employees alleged sexual harassment among the group’s restaurants. He first tried to purchase the restaurant, then was unsuccessful in forcing it to change its name.

He and his wife soon launched Pomegranate, with an emphasis on creating a comfortable team environment for employees. In 2018, Pomegranate announced the new Israeli restaurants.

He is also the author of “Shaya:An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel.”

“We are very happy to work with Four Seasons, a company that shares the love of great food and gracious hospitality with a team-first approach,” said Shaya. “We are honored to be part of this project that will help reenergize New Orleans’ riverfront. Together, we will create a grand dining experience that celebrates Louisiana’s diverse culture and cuisine.”

Guests at the new restaurant can expect “a spirited take on beloved New Orleans dishes,” an emphasis on the abundance of Gulf seafood, vegetables and other ingredients sourced from Shaya’s extensive network of fishermen, farmers and other purveyors.

The complex is set to open “in early 2021.”

Sign up now for in-person classes as well as live & on-demand classes and workshops Robin Corradi, Program Director Young Rembrandts Southeast Louisiana Robin.corradi@youngrembrandts.com Register online: www.youngrembrandts.com/selouisiana

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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Gates of Prayer in Metairie announced a five-year contract extension for Rabbi David Gerber, starting in July 2021.

Shir Chadash Sisterhood and Hadassah New Orleans are starting a new, weekly culinary series, Good Lookin’ Cookin’ via Zoom. Each session will be approximately an hour long and will be held on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m., beginning on Nov. 17. Benay Bernstein will be the first Chef du Jour. She will demonstrate three dishes: Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti, Eggplant Rounds, and Grilled Orange Circles with Cinnamon. Ingredient lists will be e-mailed several days in advance so each participant will be able to purchase the ingredients to prepare the dishes in real time. The program is free to all who RSVP to receive the Zoom link by contacting Charisse Sands at annsandsc@ aol.com. Volunteer presenters are welcome.

B’nai Israel and Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge will have a joint online performance by comedian Pamela Rae Schuller, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.

Schuller is known for her observations on disability, mental illness, dating, family, and past misadventures, coming from someone who is 4-foot-6 and has Tourette Syndrome.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans is hosting a webinar, “The State of Antisemitism in America — Let’s Review the Data,” on Dec. 2 at noon. Dov Wilker, director of American Jewish Committee’s Southeastern office, will discuss AJC’s assessment of this issue. American Jewish Committee’s first-ever State of Antisemitism in America Report finds anxiety among American Jews and a disturbing lack of awareness among the general public of the severity of antisemitism in the United States.

The next Jewish Virtual Vacation with the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life will be Jewish Cemeteries, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. on the ISJL Facebook page.

Chabad of Louisiana in New Orleans has started a weekly, socially-spaced outdoor Shabbat service in the Chabad tent on Shabbat morning, as of Oct. 24. CHILLIN with the Rabbi starts at 9:30 a.m. and includes the recital of select parts of davening and a discussion of the Torah portion that will contain life-affirming lessons. CHILLIN will conclude with Kiddush wine and a prepackaged Shabbat snack. To reserve a spot, contact Rabbi Yossie Nemes.

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

As part of their 60th anniversary year, Shir Chadash will have a virtual visit from Rabbi Vic Hoffman, who led the congregation from 1969 to 1981, Nov. 29 at 10:30 a.m. Part of his talk will be reflections about Israel and the significance of Nov. 29.

Baton Rouge Young Jewish Professionals will meet at Chabad of Baton Rouge on Nov. 21 at 6:45 p.m. for wine, cheese and Havdalah.

Masks are requested.

Jewish Community Day School in Metairie will have a Book Fair online, with Follett, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4. The e-fair will be at efairs. follettbookfairs.com and enter JCDS code 97R7X. Touro Synagogue’s News and the Jews series presents Fox 8 reporter Lee Zurik and “Measure of Hate,” Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. online. The series is part of the Touro Synagogue Antiracism Initiative.

Bazsinsky House, a Jewish landmark in Vicksburg that is now a bed and breakfast, was recognized with a Traveler’s Choice Award from Tripadvisor. The family owned the home for four generations, until a 2006 purchase by the current owners.

Phil Minnisale will lead a lesson on Irish whiskey, part of a free virtual series for the New Orleans Jewish Community Center. The discussion will be on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. He recommends Silkie Irish Whiskey and Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey for this tasting.

community Antisemitism study probes trends in the South, nation and political parties

By Richard Friedman The American Jewish Committee’s recently-released report “The State of Antisemitism in America 2020” finds “anxiety among American Jews and a disturbing lack of awareness among the general public of the severity of antisemitism in the U.S.” Yet the study contains positive indicators when it comes to the American people seeing attacks on Jewish support for Israel as antisemitic and believing that Holocaust education is important.

The AJC study marks the first time this influential educational and advocacy organization has surveyed Americans at large in addition to the Jewish community.

There are some disparities between the views of the two groups. Jews, naturally, display greater understanding of antisemitism and sensitivity to its presence. Yet there also is an awareness among the population atlarge — deeper than one might expect but not as deep as one might hope.

AJC found 88 percent of American Jews think antisemitism in the U.S. is very serious or somewhat of a problem today; 62 percent of Americans agree.

Those who have analyzed the recent rise of antisemitism in the U.S. and Europe generally concur it is coming from three sources — the far right, far left and extremist Muslims. AJC found 89 percent of the Jews surveyed believe the extreme right poses a threat to American Jews; 61 percent saw the extreme left as a threat, and 85 percent identified radical Islam as a threat.

The AJC report was released on Oct. 26. The organization’s research, conducted during this heated election season, found that a noteworthy number of Jews and Americans in general believe there is antisemitism in both political parties.

“More than two-thirds of American Jews (69 percent) and over half of U.S. adults (52 percent) say the Republican Party holds at least some antisemitic views,” according to AJC. “This is compared to 37 percent of American Jews and 42 percent of the general public who say the same about the Democratic Party.”

Jews are influential in both political parties, though in Presidential elections over the last 40 years they have tended to support the Democratic nominee over the Republican candidate by a relatively consistent margin of 70 percent to 30 percent.

Frustrated Republicans point to the GOP’s strong support for Israel but fail to take into account other issues, such as abortion and the Supreme Court, where Jews see the Democratic party as more friendly to their views. Though studies show that many Jews who vote Democratic care about Israel, these and other issues, such as immigration and assistance to the poor, often take precedence in national elections.

The difference in Jewish perceptions about the level of antisemitism in the Republican Party vs. the Democratic Party — 69 percent vs. 37 percent — may be another reason that Jews affiliate with the Democrats.

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The Deep South The AJC survey also broke down responses by region of the country, using the geographic categories of the U.S. Census Bureau. The Southern region covers a broad swath of states from Florida to Missouri and Maryland. The responses from the South generally parallel the national results November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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community with one notable exception.

According to AJC, 75 percent of Jews in the broadly-defined South see the Republican Party as antisemitic versus 69 percent nationally.

This is a noteworthy statistic given that many of these states are Republican-dominated.

AJC’s Atlanta-based director Dov Wilker offered some observations regarding what the study reflects about antisemitism in the South, particularly in the Deep South — states such as Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

The data from the overall South is consistent with national findings, though based on his experience heading AJC’s Atlanta/Southeast office, Wilker has some additional perspectives.

Regarding the perception of antisemitism in the Republican Party being higher among Southern Jews, Wilker noted that during this election there have been several incidents in the region involving GOP candidates which have been interpreted as having antisemitic overtones. This, he suggested, could have driven the survey response to a higher level.

In general, Wilker contends there are two types of antisemitism — “malicious and ignorant.” He believes that in the Deep South, where there are relatively few Jews other than in Atlanta, you find more of the ignorant kind of antisemitism — people saying things and holding on to beliefs because they just don’t know better or never have been educated.

He also said that the Deep South’s large number of Evangelical Christians, many of whom historically have not had positive attitudes toward Judaism, may over the decades have created additional anxieties among Jews. Though today, as a result of an evolution that has taken place over the last 20 years, many Evangelicals have become ardent supporters of Israel and, more recently, have become increasingly concerned about antisemitism.

“I am not sure there is a region of the country where support for Israel is stronger than in the South,” says Wilker, adding, “I believe that today because of the rise of antisemitism in the U.S., we are seeing a greater interest from the Evangelical community in understanding and helping to combat antisemitism.”

Overall, there were heartening findings as well, especially when it comes to Israel and Holocaust education, noted Alyssa Weiner, AJC’s Associate Director for Combating Antisemitism. “A majority of the American people view attacks against Israel and support by American Jews for the Jewish state as antisemitic. They also believe that Holocaust education is important,” said Weiner.

“Three-quarters of US adults report they know a lot or something about the Holocaust, while 24 percent say they don’t know much or continued on page 44

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community

Shedding light on the Light

Self-described “local” paper has almost no local reporting, wild circulation numbers — but plenty of ads from politicians and others thinking they are reaching the local Jewish community For years, the Jewish Light has claimed to be the “true community newspaper” for New Orleans and Baton Rouge that “carries Jewish Community related news about the Louisiana Jewish community and for the Louisiana Jewish community,” attracting advertisers on that basis.

But while the publication accuses Southern Jewish Life, which is the community’s news magazine, of being “deceptive,” an analysis of the Light demonstrates that the Light does almost nothing to cover the “local” Jewish community, filling its pages with wire service material while claiming circulation numbers that are vastly out of proportion to the size of the Jewish community.

Despite the large circulation numbers claimed by the Light, it apparently has little impact or readership in the Jewish community.

Southern Jewish Life asked over 100 local Jewish households whether they knew of the Light.

Over half of those responding had never heard of the publication, and only two recalled ever receiving it in the mail. Many of those who said they were not familiar with the publication are organizational leaders or agency professionals in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge communities.

A majority of the fewer than half who had heard of the Light said they never pick it up.

Only about 20 percent of those responding said they ever look at a copy of the Light, with most of them saying they did so when they came across a stack at a synagogue or coffee shop, and generally would flip through it quickly.

Michael Weil, who was executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans from 2006 to 2017, said he viewed the Light as “acting under false pretenses. It claimed to be a paper of and for the Jewish community but in practice was neither.”

Knowing the History The Light is published by United Media, with Donald Gares as editor and his son, Richard Rault, as advertising manager. They are not members of the Jewish community, and also have a Christian publication, Changing Times, published by On Eagles Wings Unlimited as part of their Save The Nations Ministries.

Neither publication lists Gares or Rault — or any other staff — in the staff box, which is very unusual for a news publication.

Gares’s history with Jewish publications goes back to the mid-1990s. In 1989, the Federation had contracted with Abner Tritt to produce a paper for the community, the New Orleans Jew-

ish Voice. Through an editor on Federation staff, the Federation would provide content.

Tritt had been publishing the New Orleans-based Jewish Civic Press, a publication with its own checkered history, since 1965, having previously worked for the Jewish Monitor in Birmingham. At one point the Civic Press claimed to have editions in Atlanta, Houston and Alabama/Mississippi, with ads from those areas, but the actual editions were rarely seen in those areas by anyone other than the advertisers.

In 1995, the Federation ended its relationship with Tritt and set up Gares to produce the renamed Jewish News for them, leading to a lawsuit from Tritt, which was dismissed.

Disagreements over some procedures led the Federation to look at other options in 2003, with this publication, then known as Deep South Jewish Voice — not to be confused with the former New Orleans Jewish Voice — submitting a proposal to take over as the community publication, but the Federation and Gares worked out their issues.

When the levees broke in August 2005 and the community became scattered throughout the country, it quickly became clear that the Jewish News would be on hiatus and the mailing list was pointless. Deep South Jewish Voice contacted the Federation, which at the time had set up a temporary office in Houston, and volunteered to serve as the community’s publication for as long as needed. Previously, DSJV covered Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle.

New Orleans updates were routinely run on the DSJV website, and bulk copies of the paper were sent to various locations in an effort to keep the community informed. The Postal Service would not resume delivering standard mail in the New Orleans area until the following March.

When the Federation was finally able to assemble in Baton Rouge three weeks after the storm for its annual meeting, DSJV was there to cover it, along with the first religious services to be held in New Orleans after the storm, two weeks later on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, at Shir Chadash and Touro Synagogue.

DSJV’s coverage was also intended to keep the rest of the Jewish world informed about what was happening in New Orleans, and keep an international focus on the rebuilding.

At some point in October 2005, Gares contacted the Federation to opt out of their agreement. But in December 2005, stacks of a new

Publication Scorecard Confused by the number of publications in the community?

So are local marketers.

Here’s the who’s who:

Southern Jewish Life Began by editor Larry Brook as Southern Shofar in 1990, an independent tabloid newspaper covering Alabama. Changed name to Deep South Jewish Voice in 1999 upon expanding into Mississippi.

Added the Florida panhandle in 2001, then began serving Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Became a magazine in 2009, changing the name to Southern Jewish Life. Currently produces two editions — Deep South and New Orleans, the latter of which includes The Jewish Newsletter, the newsletter of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and its constituent agencies. Also produces a weekly online newsletter, This Week in Southern Jewish Life.

Crescent City Jewish News was launched in 2011 by Alan Smason, who previously wrote for The Jewish News, DSJV and others. The online publication includes a weekly email newsletter, and from 2013 to 2018 produced a semiannual print edition, Source and Best Of CCJN.

Produced by United Media, which originally did the Federation’s newspaper, The Jewish News, from 1995 to 2005.

Publisher Donald Gares, who is not Jewish, opted out of the arrangement after Katrina and began a new paper, Jewish Community News. In the summer of 2011, the name changed to the Jewish Light. Gares also publishes a Christian paper, Changing Times.

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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community publication entitled Jewish Community News appeared at Jewish institutions and a few stores around the community. Though sporting a new name, the layout was almost identical to the Jewish News and had generally the same advertisers — and was run by Gares.

Though DSJV was covering the community, Gares said that after the storm “there was no local paper. I spoke to a lot of the community agencies, JCC and synagogues, they had no representation. We decided to continue a community-oriented newspaper without connection to the Federation.”

What was the cover story for Gares’s first issue back after perhaps the most catastrophic local event in recent memory? It wasn’t about Katrina, it was the first part of a series published six weeks earlier by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about anti-Israel bias in school textbooks.

In the Jewish publications world, JTA is the equivalent of Associated Press for mainstream publications. Southern Jewish Life dropped JTA in 2009, choosing instead to fill its pages with local content instead of national articles that had been available online for weeks by the time a monthly publication could be printed and distributed.

JCN relied mainly on the New York-based JTA for its Katrina coverage in subsequent issues, along with verbatim copying of articles posted on the Jewish Federation’s website, complete with the copyright notice. The Federation soon sent JCN a cease-and-desist letter to get them to stop reprinting Federation content.

Conversely, this publication’s coverage of Katrina and the aftermath received first place for comprehensive coverage in the national Simon Rockower Awards from the American Jewish Press Association. The Rockowers are the highest honor in the field of Jewish journalism.

When the newspaper industry tanked in 2009, Deep South Jewish Voice switched from a twice-monthly newspaper to a monthly magazine format and became Southern Jewish Life. Concerned about the format switch and desiring a newspaper, the Federation looked at options, including discussions with Gares to produce a Federation paper.

Gares said because of the Federation’s desire for him to rebrand, he changed the name from JCN to the Jewish Light, and after the talks fell apart because “there was some wording… my lawyer and I did not approve of,” changing the name back “would be kind of dumb.” However, the name change actually happened in the summer of 2011, long after discussions with the Federation had broken off in early 2010.

Gares said the Federation recruited him “to replace” Southern Jewish Life, but Weil said “it was never about taking over” from SJL. In the talks, Gares had insisted that the Federation and local agencies cut any cooperation with SJL. Weil said Gares “did suddenly back out and I got the impression that he was never really serious about it.”

Soon thereafter, more local options were available, with the introduction of the SJL weekly e-news, “This Week in Southern Jewish Life.” In fall 2011, Alan Smason, who previously wrote for this publication and others, started an online publication and weekly e-news, Crescent City Jewish News.

In 2014, the Federation began running its previous standalone Jewish Newsletter as an insert in Southern Jewish Life. Jewish Community Day School and Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans also run their annual reports as inserts in SJL. The Federation also issued a letter stating that though Southern Jewish Life is an independent entity, the local Jewish agencies provide SJL with “proprietary and exclusive content,” as “we do not partner with any other print Jewish newspaper or magazine, nor does any other print periodical speak on behalf of the Greater New Orleans Jewish community.”

Got What Covered?

The Jewish Light promotes itself with “Cover to Cover, we’ve got you covered.” However, the Light does virtually no original coverage of the lo-

community cal Jewish community, filling its pages instead with national wire service material, and occasional profiles of businesses that advertise.

Local content consists entirely of items the Light copies word for word from synagogue bulletins and websites, the occasional press release or listings from the New Orleans Jewish Community Center’s calendar.

Over the past two years, those items have generally taken up four or five pages in a typical issue, with six pages being the most. The rest of each issue is wire service material.

The local content in the mid-October 2020 issue of the Light consisted of two pages of items from the JCC’s calendar page, and a press release from Jewish Children’s Regional Service that was reprinted verbatim. The rest of the publication was entirely national and international JTA stories.

Even in cases where a JTA story could be supplemented with local coverage, such as the reopening of Jewish day schools during Covid, there was no attempt at providing a local angle.

Each of the four issues of the Light before mid-October, going back to early summer, had no local content. The only exception was an advertiser promotional profile for a disinfection company in August, with the story reprinted from the Advocate, and several advertiser profiles in the July issue.

Despite most activities being suspended due to Covid, Southern Jewish Life ran over 60 original New Orleans pieces from June to October, not counting briefs or special section promotional pieces.

For the last couple of years, one The total distribution of the biggest local stories has been the upcoming opening of claimed by the the Museum of the Southern JewJewish Light is three ish Experience. While the project been extensively covered by times the number of has numerous publications, includJewish households ing SJL, the only time the Light has run a piece was the summer in the Greater New of 2019, when New York-based JTA did an article on the muOrleans area seum’s collection moving from Mississippi to New Orleans. Their Light’s 2020 annual community guide does not have a listing for the museum but mentions it in passing, deep in a listing for its former home, the Institute of Southern Jewish Life.

The only time in the last four years that the Light had a local story on the front cover was in the summer of 2018, when Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards barred state contracts with any company engaged in a boycott of Israel. While Southern Jewish Life extensively covered that story, the Light merely reprinted the short JTA piece from New York.

This isn’t new. From April to June 2017, Southern Jewish Life published 62 articles that were original, New Orleans area stories. In that same period, the Light published one — which was a contributed piece by JCRS. Everything else was copied from the synagogues or the JCC, taking up the first three to six interior pages each issue.

When the synagogue in Mandeville was vandalized in 2018, Southern Jewish Life interviewed numerous people who were involved in the community response, and covered the community solidarity event. The Light’s entire coverage consisted of asking the photographer from the event for some photos and ran them with very little context — with more of an explanation coming from solidarity ads that the Light solicited from local political figures.

While neither of Gares’ publications have run articles that would be considered overtly offensive to Jews or denigrating Judaism, a piece in the Light in April 2020 on the Dead Sea Scrolls was a curious choice. Originally published by Catholic News Service in April 2019, the piece was written by a “messianic” who promotes the Christian interpretation of a section of Isaiah that is commonly used by Christian missionaries to try and convert

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community Jews by stating that Jesus was foreshadowed in the Hebrew Bible. In the piece, he mentions but dismisses the Jewish interpretation of that section.

That author is also controversial among scholars for claiming that the Dead Sea Scrolls are not from 2,000 years ago, but are from medieval times and have Chinese symbols throughout.

Characterizing the Community In its current sales materials, the Light touts print as “the strongest option” to reach “the highest net worth niche market in Louisiana.”

As evidence, the Light emphasizes the Sabbath and how Orthodox Jews turn off all electronics “in favor of relaxation and reading,” and says “the Ultra-Orthodox market has recently protested overuse of the internet due to morality standards so print marketing is generally the best and only way to promote successfully to this market.”

In places like New York, with large Orthodox concentrations, that is why Orthodox-oriented print media thrive while more secular ones struggle, but that does not translate locally. The vast majority of the New Orleans Jewish community is Reform, with a small percentage of the community identifying as Orthodox.

The Light’s materials also say “Jews are no strangers to social networks.

For thousands of years, Jewry has been a close knit, often ‘clique-ish’ and isolated community that relied on their networks to do business, buy goods, and create opportunities.” The synagogue, according to the Light, is the hub for that networking, as “when one community member finds quality buys and bargains, this close-knit community gets the word out quickly to each other.”

Aaron Ahlquist, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League office in New Orleans, said the Light’s “marketing ‘research’ and strategies are offensive and borderline antisemitic,” trivializing the synagogue as a place of commerce instead of a place for worship.

He noted that he had not been aware of the publication, and nothing in their approach to soliciting advertising “makes me think that the Light has the best interests of the Jewish community at heart.”

A major source of advertising revenue for the Light comes from politicians who they get to place greetings ads to the Jewish community on the three major holidays and, more recently, also on Israel Independence Day. They also secure a large number of campaign ads from politicians trying to reach the Jewish community ahead of local elections.

Weil said the Light solicits “campaign ads and holiday greetings from unsuspecting politicians, judicial candidates and so on, who were made to believe that they were speaking to and greeting the Jewish community,” but “this was furthest from the truth as the paper was rarely read by anybody, even if piles of copies were dumped at Jewish stores.”

Many candidates have expressed confusion when contacted by Southern Jewish Life, thinking the two publications were the same.

According to campaign filings with the Secretary of State, and not including federal offices, such as the routine greeting ads from Rep. Steve Scalise and others in Congress, from August 2018 to the end of 2019 the Light raked in over $69,500 in political advertising.

With many October disclosure forms still to be submitted, the Light has already totaled around $25,000 in political ads for 2020.

Counting the Numbers In its advertising materials, the Light currently claims a distribution of over 11,000, plus “2500 additional copies delivered to Kosher eateries, coffee shops, Synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, and grocery stores.”

The total claimed distribution of around 14,000 is three times the number of Jewish households in the area, according to Federation figures.

In the CityBusiness Book of Lists in 2020, the Light claimed a circulation of 10,500 by “mail, drop off.” Full page ads start at $1,499.

Also in that list, the Light’s sister publication, Changing Times, a 14

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community Christian newspaper, claimed a circulation of 70,000. By comparison, the ubiquitous weekly publication Gambit has a circulation of 40,000, and the monthly Where Y’At has 50,000 at over 650 drop points.

The Changing Times website has a list of 410 distribution points in the region. The Light’s website does not have a similar list.

In 2011, then-Jewish Community News claimed a reach of “over 16,000 community members” at a time when the Jewish community was inching close to reaching its pre-Katrina population of 9,500.

When asked about the numbers, Gares said 14,000 “sounds big. I don’t think that is what we put down” but said he did not have the numbers in front of him.

Gares said “when we have filled out a survey form, we have used the word readership, not just the word circulation,” but the CityBusiness form sent online to publications specifically asks for circulation, and the publications are ranked by circulation size.

The Light’s own ad material breaks down its distribution by zip code, listing the number of “units” in each area, to reach its total of over 11,000.

Readership numbers are always much higher than circulation, as it is standard practice in publishing to assume more than one reader per copy.

How are the copies distributed? As previously mentioned, only two community members in the SJL survey recalled receiving the Light at home, though Gares said the paper is sent The Light’s ad by bulk mail, which is now called Stanmaterials refer dard Mail. Gares said “We’ve got a large list we’re mailing and dropping off and to the Jewish have been since taking over. We’ve purcommunity as chased lists.”

Standard mail requires a minimum of “clique-ish” and 200 copies, a postage imprint at a specific isolated, looking location on the cover and enough white for “quality buys space for an address, along with a return address. The Light does not have any of that and bargains” on its cover, but Gares explained that the copies that are dropped off around the community “we label differently.”

The online version of the Light also does not show evidence of the required mailing indicia.

Southern Jewish Life is distributed by mail using the entire Jewish community mailing list, plus supplemental copies to advertisers, institutions and others who request it. The Light does not have access to the community mailing list.

As for additional copies around town, the Light typically places about 100 copies each at Kosher Cajun and the Uptown Jewish Community Center. They are not permitted to distribute at the Metairie JCC. Each of the synagogues and Torah Academy, accounting for another 10 locations, receive a couple dozen copies, and there are some restaurants, coffee shops and retail establishments that also receive a couple dozen copies. A couple dozen copies are also dropped off at the two synagogues in Baton Rouge.

Gares and Rault did not respond to followup requests to further clarify their circulation numbers, including how many are actually mailed or dropped off.

A 2015 experiment sought to figure out the pickup rate for the Light at two of the newspaper’s largest distribution points. After a new issue was delivered to Kosher Cajun and the Uptown JCC, those stacks were counted, and tiny identifying marks were placed on the spine of the paper at certain points down the stack, to ensure that the stack had not been refilled.

After four weeks, the stacks were counted again, showing that in one month only 20 copies had been picked up at Kosher Cajun and just 31 at the Uptown JCC.

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community ans community “deserves its own periodical from cover to cover with no deception in between.”

The Light claimed that Southern Jewish Life put New Orleans on the cover “to trick readers and advertisers of its content,” adding, “The last time we checked, there isn’t any Bama in Louisiana. Ask any LSU Tiger fan.”

Southern Jewish Life publishes two editions — New Orleans and Deep South, the latter going to Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida panhandle and areas of Louisiana outside the Greater New Orleans area. There are some regionally-oriented pages common to both editions, but generally 24 or 32 pages that differ from the other edition.

In the Light’s 2020 Community Resource Guide, which lists itself as the only local Jewish publication, the Light asserts “you won’t see New Orleans edition on our front cover with over 50% Alabama news and advertising in between the covers” and touts its local nature “from cover to cover and every page in between” — though the vast majority of the Light’s pages consists of national JTA stories.

From the July to October issues of this year, 70 percent of the ads in the New Orleans edition of Southern Jewish Life were local to New Orleans, while an additional 17 percent were of regional interest.

Still, Gares said it is “facetious” when Southern Jewish Life “puts a New Orleans label on the front cover and yet it’s not New Orleans through and through… I’ve had people who complained about you guys, ‘why do they put New Orleans only (sic) when it’s clearly a lot of Alabama stuff in there’.”

Gares and Rault did not respond when asked how they claim to be “cover to cover” local if almost all of their content is JTA material.

In 2016, when an advertiser switched from the Light to SJL, Rault sent an email saying the Light was the best way to reach the local community, and that unless that professional was practicing in Alabama, she “is paying a lot of money to reach people that cannot work with her,” though the Light’s rates are higher than SJL’s while apparently having a smaller local reach than Southern Jewish Life.

In the email, Rault added, “Smooth talking doesn’t always mean truthful talking, and we have honestly represented this community for over 20 years. We live here and pay taxes here.”

When asked to name the most recent New Orleans Jewish community story the Light has covered in person, Gares said “I don’t need to explain why I’m a newspaper. We have lots of compliments from the community.

It’s working for us… and we’re going to continue as long as we can.”

Likening the Jewish publication scene to the battle between Coke and Pepsi, Gares said “It’s just commerce, bro.”

Both Southern Jewish Life and the online Crescent City Jewish News have received multiple recognitions for journalistic excellence in the national American Jewish Press Association Rockower Awards, and locally by the Press Club of New Orleans. The Light is not a member of either organization.

In addition to their respective weekly email newsletters, both SJL and CCJN have extensive websites that are regularly updated with local news, and an active social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, among other outlets. In an age of online presence and social media, the Light’s website has only a link to their latest print issue and a JTA feed — and traffic too small to be measured by website monitor Alexa.

The Light’s Facebook page, created in January 2019 and “constantly publishing new articles keeping the community informed and connected” has four followers and placeholder images, with no content since it began. They do not have a Twitter feed.

In 2022, AJPA plans to hold its annual convention in New Orleans, co-hosted by Southern Jewish Life and CCJN. As with everything else that has happened in the New Orleans Jewish community over the last 15 years, the Light will not be in attendance.

community “Unexpected Modernism” explores legacy of Shreveport’s Wiener brothers Documentary finally debuts after two Covid delays After a red-carpet premiere was delayed twice due to Covid-19, “Unexpected Modernism” was having its world debut online on Nov. 12, and filmmaker Gregory Kallenberg is excited at the opportunity to debut the film to a much wider audience.

The 43-minute documentary tells the story of Jewish architects Samuel G. and William B. Wiener, half brothers from Shreveport, whose modernist designs of residential, institutional and commercial buildings from the 1930s through the 1960s made Shreveport an early hub of International Modernist design in the United States.

In the late 1920s, they traveled to Europe and brought the Bauhaus influence back with them “influencing all the architecture in the city,” Kallenberg said.

The original premiere was set for April 2 at The Strand Theatre in Shreveport, which is also a story of two Jewish brothers from Shreveport. The Strand opened in 1925, developed by Julian and Abe Saenger. It would be the flagship location of what became a 320-theatre chain across the region. The Saenger brothers moved their operations to New Orleans in 1927 and then sold the chain to Paramount Publix.

In 2017, Stacey Pfingsten, executive director of the Louisiana Architecture Foundation, found the book “The Modernist Architecture of Samuel G. and William B. Wiener,” by Karen Kingsley and Guy Carwile. Amazed at how little awareness there was about the Wieners, even among architects, Pfingsten and the LAF board decided to have the documentary made. They approached Kallenberg, founder of the Louisiana Film Prize, and producers Chris Lyon and Rachael Hansil.

Home of Samuel Wiener in Shreveport “At the time I wasn’t a big architecture fan or knew much about it” beyond driving around and being able to say “that’s a house that doesn’t fit in here,” Kallenberg said. He did a “deep dive” into the subject and was “astounded” at what he learned. Having the Jewish connection in northwest Louisiana was an added bonus.

“Being able to do something on these gentlemen, who did something so incredible for this area and bring it to the big screen is such a huge honor for us,” he said.

He said people in Shreveport are used to seeing the buildings all over town and don’t think much about it. Now that he knows more about it,

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“you can’t unsee it.” And, he added, the city is “very lucky” that so many of the structures not only have been preserved, but are still being used and lived in.

The film “is an enlightening and long-overdue tribute to two incredible Shreveport architectural trailblazers who made our community among the first American launch sites, of sorts, of the early 20th century modernist movement,” said LAF board member and Shreveport architect Mischa Farrell, AIA. “It is our hope that this powerful film will rejuvenate an appreciation for modernist architecture, its preservation in Shreveport, and the priceless contributions of the Wiener brothers.”

Having the film premiere online instead of at the Strand is one opportunity created by the pandemic, Kallenberg said. The film can raise awareness of Shreveport’s architectural riches among those who travel to see such things.

“There are people all over the world who travel to places like Fallingwater,” a Frank Lloyd Wright creation in Pennsylvania. “Shreveport has this incredible opportunity, it is this undiscovered architectural tourist destination that this film will shine a light on.”

He recalled driving Dallas Morning News architecture critic Mark Lamster, a New York native, around town, and when they passed one particular building “he almost jumped out of the rolling car” and exclaimed that he’d never seen a Bauhaus-inspired office building that large.

Among the film’s sponsors are the Evolve Foundation and the North Louisiana Jewish Federation. The Federation especially took an interest in the Wieners’ roles in the Jewish community.

The film includes interviews with Wiener family members, architecture experts and the book’s authors. After the premiere, Kallenberg said they will talk with other groups that can show the film. “Our job is to get this film seen.”

ISJL continues cultural offerings around region The Jackson-based Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life continues to organize virtual programs for communities throughout the region.

On Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., there will be a performance by the Bible Players, doing their award winning unkosher comedy show for adults. On Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., Julie Silver will present a concert for the first night of Chanukah.

The Jewish Federation of Central Alabama has signed up for both events. Communities or congregations that want to join in these or any other ISJL cultural offerings should contact the ISJL director of cultural programming, Ann Zivitz Kientz, at akientz@isjl.org.

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That knock on a dorm room door B’ham-NOLA couple makes mark on Jewish world

By Richard Friedman There was the day, almost 30 years ago, that a knock on the door of a University of Texas dorm room not only changed the lives of two young people forever but would eventually affect the Jewish world in ways they never could have imagined.

What prompted Judith Lazarus to knock on Brian Siegal’s door on their first day of college?

“My roommate, who I knew previously, and I were both very outgoing and we liked to meet people,” remembers Judith. “So when I got to our dorm, the first thing I did with my roommate was to knock on doors and introduce ourselves.” After meeting Brian, and realizing that though they had never met, they knew many people in common — it’s called playing Jewish geography — and Judith sensed “this guy is going to be a good friend of mine.”

They each came from families active in their hometown Jewish communities and had inherited strong traditions of service and leadership from their parents, Betty and Harry Lazarus, of New Orleans, and Bobbie and Don Siegal, of Birmingham. So, not surprisingly, Judith and Brian began running into each other everywhere — in their heavily Jewish dorm, at Hillel where they both were on the board, and at other Jewish activities on the University of Texas campus.

The two connected, became close, started dating, and then, as sometimes happens in college romances, took a hiatus. They would later reconnect for good, though, after Brian shrewdly maneuvered his way back into Judith’s life.

“We were both very involved on the Hillel board,” Judith recalls. “He would be cracking jokes, I would roll my eyes. But he always had a joke.

Then we had a little bit of a rift.” It didn’t last long. “He called to solicit me for a Jewish cause. I thought that was funny. He knew I’d give and I think it was just his way of reaching out to reconnect.”

It worked.

“We cemented our relationship on a Hillel bus trip from Austin to New Orleans. It was just a fun trip, though looking back it was significant because our relationship was started and strengthened through our Jewish involvement,” she notes.

Marriage would eventually follow, beginning a partnership that would lead to Judith becoming a rabbi and Brian, after starting out as a lawyer, coming to work for the American Jewish Committee, one of America’s oldest national Jewish organizations.

The Latest News… www.sjlmag.com

Profound Effect As their journey unfolded, they found themselves in Israel for a year in 2001. Judith was pursuing her rabbinic studies and Brian was continuing his legal education, clerking for the Israeli Supreme Court and studying at Hebrew University. It would be a transformative year — for both the United States and Israel, and Brian and Judith. It was the year of the Sept.

11 attacks in the U.S. and the acceleration of an unprecedented war of terror and suicide bombings against the Israeli people.

That year in Israel left a profound mark on the two of them and shaped what would become for Brian a dramatic change of course professionally.

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life 19

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By Beverly Katz

He saw the devastation of the suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks first-hand, including an attack at Hebrew University that killed the girlfriend of his best friend.

“Those attacks against Israelis for being Jewish shaped what I wanted to do with my career in terms of advocacy for the Jewish community and Israel,” he explains. But he also wanted to still pursue his passion for civil rights and human rights — “to help be a bridge between the Jewish community and other ethnic and religious groups.” When they returned to New York, where Judith continued her rabbinic studies, Brian’s dual passions led him to a job with the American Jewish Committee.

Then in 2005 came another turning point — Hurricane Katrina. Knowing that this relatively new AJC staff member was from the South and his wife, especially, was from New Orleans, Brian was asked to head the organization’s Hurricane Katrina relief effort, another experience which had a profound effect on Brian — as well as Judith.

Together they brought a vision to the assignment built on assisting the New Orleans Jewish community, which was very close to Judith’s heart, and also helping the broader community.

This further cemented Brian’s commitment to serve in a Jewish community leadership role that focused on building relationships with the larger community and different constituencies, purposes that are at the heart of the AJC’s mission.

As the past 15 years have unfolded, that fateful knock on the door has resulted in the Siegals becoming one of the Jewish world’s “power couples,” particularly in South Florida where they now live with their three children. Judith has served as a rabbi at Temple Judea in Coral Gables since her ordination, and became the senior rabbi in 2014. Brian serves as regional director of the AJC’s Greater Miami and Broward County office.

They also are among a notable number of Jews from Birmingham and New Orleans who have become connected through marriage, and who have gone on to make an impact in the Jewish communities where they’ve settled.

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Brian’s and Judith’s love for their respective native cities, particularly the Birmingham and New Orleans Jewish communities, is evident in conversations with them. They credit growing up in these communities with playing formative roles in shaping their Jewish values and careers. Broadly similar, these two Southern Jewish communities are small but close-knit and provide a rich and supportive environment for families with children to become deeply involved in Jewish life.

Brian’s Jewish upbringing in Birmingham was heavily influenced by his parents’ commitment to public activism and social justice, and Judith was heavily influenced by the centrality of Juda-

ism and religious life in her family. Judith also credits her family’s multi-generational involvement with the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica with being an important influence in her Jewish development.

“Birmingham and New Orleans really helped solidify our values, our sense of purpose and our sense of agency,” says 47-year-old Brian as he looks back. “Growing up in Birmingham, many times I was the Jewish kid who was asked to explain the Jewish holidays and what being Jewish meant. Growing up in Birmingham, I always had a sense of belonging — both within the Jewish community and the broader community.” However, he emphasizes, “If you wanted to be part of the larger community, you had to be confident enough in your own background and yourself and be open-minded and willing to listen to others.”

Having both spouses involved in high-profile jobs in the Jewish world is not always easy. It can be tremendously rewarding to be engaged in the work as partners. However, it also can be stressful. It can take a toll on the family if not managed carefully within boundaries.

Explains Judith, “We are two working parents in demanding jobs. We have meetings in the evening that often take us away from each other and our three children. I think we do a pretty good job of balancing it out — if we can’t have dinner as a family, we try to have breakfast together. In addition, I chose my current synagogue because it is a very child-friendly synagogue and that has been important to me as we’ve raised our children.” They have two boys and a girl, ages 16, 14 and 9.

It all sounds pretty compatible, and in fact, a marriage that was beshert — meant to be. Certainly when it comes to Judaism, Israel, leadership, family and a couple’s core values.

Compatible, that is, until you get to the one other thing that’s so important in the lives of most Southerners, Jewish or not: College football.

There, some differences and distinctions emerge.

How could they not when Judith, raised as an LSU fan, had a grandfather, Bernard Bennett, who was called Tigie? That’s right, Tigie — as in the LSU Tigers. Or Brian having a Tuscaloosa-born dad who bled Crimson and was the first and only Jewish Student Government Association president at the University of Alabama?

Judith was actually worried that when the two families first met, this could be a deal-killer.

“I was seriously concerned they were going to go at it, maybe not a fist fight, but I really didn’t think they were going to get along,” she recalls, laughing. Well, her concerns were unfounded and the families hit it off. That’s the good news.

The even better news is that nearly 30 years ago, a young girl from New Orleans named Judith Lazarus knocked on Brian Siegal’s door.

An Official Publication of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans

THE

JEWISH NEWSLETTER November 2020 | Cheshvan 5781

Vol. XV No. 4

Together, but virtually.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by Southern Jewish Life belong solely to the publisher. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of any other person; or the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, its constituent and beneficiary agencies, or any other entity.

Hurricane Laura relief efforts continue Repairing the world starts with helping our neighbors. The Jewish Federations of Greater New Orleans, Greater Baton Rouge, and North Louisiana, and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, have partnered to create a relief fund for our neighbors in areas impacted by Hurricane Laura. We are collecting funds for both short term and long term needs. If you would like to donate, please visit jewishnola.com.

Financial relief applications have been launched to help those in the Lake Charles Jewish community. Jewish Family Service is acting as the fund administrator and handling case management, aided by Jewish leadership in Lake Charles. We have raised more than $220,000, but what we’ve raised is not enough. As of November 6, Jewish Family Service has so far approved 58 Lake Charles stipends and 8 financial assistance grants.

(Pictured, right): The Greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge Jewish communities partnered in mid-October with Jewish disaster relief organization, NECHAMA. Volunteers assisted a Lake Charles resident who lives on land she shares with her sister and father - all of whom suffered extreme property damage due to hurricanes Laura and Delta.

November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

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Jewish organizations partner for Thanksgiving food drive Through the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, the Jewish community is partnering with Tulane Medical School students for a holiday food drive for CrescentCare, a New Orleans clinic that offers comprehensive health and wellness services to the community, advocates for empowerment, safeguards the rights and dignity of individuals, and provides for the public.

Using our grocery list below, you can drop off your donation from November 9-30 at the Goldring-Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus in Metairie, and from November 16-30 at the Uptown JCC. Through the clinic’s New Orleans Children’s Health Project, your donations will support patients and their families, many of who are in a state of food insecurity that has significantly worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questions? Contact Tana Velen at tana@jewishnola.com or Garrett Moore at garrett@jewishnola.com.

- rice - dried red beans - dried black beans - dried pinto beans - canned sweet corn - sazon seasoning - bouillon cubes - dried bay leaves - creole seasoning - dried cumin - canned green beans - canned tomatoes - canned chipotles - canned refried beans 22

November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

- spaghetti and other pasta - dried oregano - dried basil - garlic powder - onion powder - kosher salt - black pepper - pasta sauce - vegetable oil - corn masa mix - cake mix - cake icing - disposable cake pans

2020 Marion B. Steeg Award for Excellence in Jewish Education to be presented to Philip Gaethe The Marion B. Steeg Award for Excellence in Jewish Education Committee, led by Rabbi Robert Loewy, reviewed nominations and selected Philip Gaethe as the 2020 recipient. Phil Gaethe is an educator, a motivator, a model of Jewish behavior and a true mensch. For decades “Mr. Phil” was a Religious School teacher, and has been the educator at Congregation Gates of Prayer for years. He has worked with students of all ages, from kindergarten to adult B’nai Mitzvot. Recently, he implemented the J-FLEX (Jewish Fun Learning Experiences) educational program at Gates of Prayer. This wildly popular program is designed to mimic the informal learning of Jewish camping within a religious school setting.

Phil is a native of New Orleans. He received his B.A. degree from the University of New Orleans and earned a Master of Science Degree in Judaic Education from Spertus College in Chicago. In 2005 Phil was awarded the designation of R.J.E. (Reform Jewish Educator). In the summer of 2016 the Rabbi Nathaniel Share Religious School of Congregation Gates of Prayer, overseen by Phil, was awarded Accreditation by the Association of Reform Jewish Educators, an honor currently shared by only 23 other synagogues throughout the country.

A virtual event recognizing and honoring Phil will be held on November 17. For more information, contact Michelle Neal at michelle@jewishnola.com.

Optimize your giving to Jewish New Orleans On behalf of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, we wanted to invite you to a special event about how to optimize your charitable giving, scheduled for November 30 at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom.

This event is yet another example of the close collaboration that is occurring between our two agencies.

We will be joined by legal experts, Carole Neff and Larry Lehmann, both of whom have served as President of JEF, for an informative webinar about the power of endowment and the prospect of a successful future for our Greater New Orleans Jewish community. We will be recording this event, and it will be available for those unable to attend.

To receive the registration link, please contact Sherri Tarr at sherritarr@jewishnola.com.

November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

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Goldring Family Foundation Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) off to a busy start The Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs (CJMA) is an in-house initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans which contains all of the Federation’s external relations programs, and directly reaches out to the wider community, both Jewish and non-Jewish. The Center is initially focusing on four primary outreach areas: [1] African-American relations; [2] LGBTQ relations, through the existing Jewish Pride New Orleans (JP NOLA) program; [3] Latin-American relations; and [4] multi-faith relations.

What’s the mission of the Center? The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans: Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs is committed to 1) fostering relations between the local Jewish community and the local African-American, Latin-American, and Multi-Faith communities as well as (2) enhancing opportunities for the LGBTQ Jewish community, and in so doing will seek to build and maintain strong, mutually beneficial, and lasting partnerships with the wider community in the region. Through extensive, impactful outreach programming within and outside the local Jewish community, the Center is one of the primary mechanisms by which the Federation will put into practice the Jewish tenet of tikkun olam (“repairing the world”), while simultaneously increasing the visibility of the Federation, engaging increasingly larger segments members of the Jewish community, and helping to counter the rising tide of anti-semitism. The Center will seek to serve as a gateway, providing education and information about the Jewish community to other groups in the area – and vice versa – with the goal of creating a heightened understanding and shared purpose between the Jewish community and these groups. The Center for Jewish-Multicultural Affairs is led by an Advisory Council co-chaired by Bradley Bain and Ina Davis. It was made possible by a generous gift from the Goldring Family Foundation. Learn more at jewishnola.com/multicultural.

The CJMA is excited to partner with the New Orleans Public Library to present the Yiddish Book Center “Coming to America” Program. The program is a four-part book club series that will center on the theme of immigration to America.

Participants will read four books over the course of approximately six months, and story circle sessions will be held for each of the four books. The program will then culminate in an engaging keynote speaker event! Three of the selections are acclaimed books by notable Jewish authors: Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem Enemies, A Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer A Jewish Refugee in New York by Kadya Molodovsky A limited number of copies of these books will be available to program participants, first come first served, for FREE at the Latter Library on St. Charles Ave. Questions? Ready to register? Please contact Mithun Kamath at mithun@jewishnola.com.

On December 21, the CJMA will be hosting an exciting Virtual Civil & Human Rights Mission, open to the entire Greater New Orleans community. This CJMA signature event is an approximately half-day in length virtual experience that will bring participants to five places around the world at which a group suffered from, or is currently experiencing, an incidence of identity-based hate. It will be centered around the four CJMA outreach areas – African-American outreach, multi-faith outreach, Latin-American outreach, and LGBTQ outreach – as well as anti-Semitism. Interactive sessions on each topic will be presented by experts in the field, and a prominent keynote speaker will tie the five segments together at the conclusion of the event.

The CJMA also plans to sponsor an essay contest open to all student participants to win scholarships for college. Please let us know if your organization would like to partner with the CJMA to help promote this event and/or contribute to the event as a sponsor.

For more information, contact Mithun Kamath at mithun@jewishnola.com or 504-780-5608.

24 November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

Jewish Endowment Foundation 2020 Year-end Strategies to Help Make Charitable Giving Tax-smart Year-end is often the most opportune time to consider financial and tax-planning strategies. There are many ways JEF may help you make thoughtful, generous and tax-wise gifts:

1. Establish a Donor Advised Fund (DAF): • Make a charitable contribution to JEF to establish a DAF. • Receive an immediate tax deduction.

• Recommend grants from your fund over time.

2. Give Long-term Appreciated Assets: • For those who itemize deductions, appreciated assets, such as stocks, ETFs and mutual funds held more than one year, may offer additional tax benefits in comparison to cash gifts.

• Donors can claim an income tax deduction for the fair market value of the asset not to exceed 30% of their adjusted gross income and potentially eliminate the capital gains tax.

3. Bunch Deductions: • Combine multi-year deductions into one year. Many taxpayers won’t qualify for the necessary deductions to surpass the standard deduction threshold established by tax reform in 2017.

• However, you can still receive a tax benefit by “bunching” multiple years’ worth of charitable giving in one year to surpass the itemization threshold. In off-years, you take the standard deduction.

4. Make a Qualified Charitable Deduction (QCD) of IRA assets: • Except for the year 2020, individuals over 72* are required to withdraw a certain amount of money from their retirement accounts each year, called a required minimum distribution (RMD).

• Individuals over the age of 70-½ can direct up to $100,000 per tax year from their IRA to operating charities like JEF. • The distribution must go directly from the plan administrator to the charity.

• The distributions may go to the General Fund or a Designated Fund that has a spending plan in place. *The change in the RMD age requirement from 70½ to 72 only applies to individuals who turn 70½ on or after Jan. 1, 2020.

5. Contribute Cash in 2020: • The CARES ACT allows donors who itemize to elect to claim a charitable income tax deduction up to 100% of adjusted gross income (AGI).

• Any contribution in excess of 100% AGI for 2020 can be carried forward for the next five tax years, subject to the normal 60% AGI limitation.

The Jewish Endowment Foundation staff can help you maximize your gift to our Jewish community, but we do urge you to meet with your professional advisors to review your investment portfolio and consider tax, financial and charitable giving strategies.

For more information, contact Bobby Garon (bobby@jefno.org) or Patti Lengsfield (patti@jefno.org) at 504-524-4559.

November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

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Jewish Community Center Cathy and Morris Bart Jewish Cultural Arts Series continues

Safe “Social Fitnessing” offerings expanded

This year, the Cathy and Morris Bart Jewish Cultural Arts Series The JCC continues to expand its fitness offerings, providing diverse features four feel-good movies shown in socially distant screenings at options for safe “social fitnessing.” the Uptown JCC. In addition, three authors will speak in virtual book At both locations, members can make reservations to work out in events held in partnership with the Nashville and Memphis Jewish the cardio and weight rooms and to shoot hoops in the basketball Community Centers. gymnasiums. Lap swimming is available throughout the day Uptown, Each film will be screened three times in the Mintz Auditorium of and swim lessons for all ages have returned, as well. Aqua Fit classes are the New Orleans JCC Uptown campus. Both evening and matinee offered both indoors and outside in the heated lap pool. showings will be offered. There is no charge for members or non-memA variety of the JCC’s popular group exercise classes are back at the bers. Due to limited space at each viewing, reservations will be required in advance. Individually packaged snacks will be provided to all who Uptown and Metairie locations. Held outside, these classes offer the camaraderie and motivation of a group class in a socially distant, fresh attend. air setting. Most recently, Zumba and cycling were added to the fitness Author events will be held virtually. Featured books can be pur- schedules, which already included circuit classes, boot camps on the chased locally through Octavia Books, which donates a portion of each back field, Pilates by the pool, morning and evening yoga options, and sale to the JCC. multiple adult chair exercise classes.

The third film of the series is “Douze Points.” A proud, gay, Muslim Additionally, both locations have begun offering pickleball by ressinger is fulfilling his dream of representing France in Europe’s biggest ervation. song contest, this year taking place in Tel Aviv. This action-comedy Visit www.nojcc.org/group-exercise-schedule for schedules and to mixes bumbling ISIS operatives, tough Mossad agents and a unique reserve a class, or visit nojcc.org/membership to join the JCC. relationship between two young Muslim men in the most rainbow-colored song contest imaginable.

“Douze Points” will be screened on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., and Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.

The next Book Talk will be “Feast Your Eyes” by Myla Goldberg. Goldberg is the New York Times bestselling author of “Bee Season,” “Wickett’s Remedy” and “The False Friend.”

Tulane Hillel

Tulane Hillel hosted a Virtual Town Hall on Oct. 22. Featured Her new book tells the story of a female speakers included Tulane President Michael A. Fitts, Hillel Internaphotographer grappling with ambition and tional CEO Adam Lehman, Tulane Hillel’s new Executive Director motherhood — a balancing act familiar to Ron Gubitz, and student leaders Jessie Lehman ’23 and Rebecca Corwomen of every generation. mack ’21.

The virtual event will be Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.

As Ron’s first official introductory event, he shared his background On Dec. 15 at 7 p.m., the Book Talk series and discussed this new chapter at Tulane Hillel. He highlighted our continues with Alan Zweibel’s “Laugh Lines: Helping Funny People Be focus on exciting, innovative developments at the Mintz Center along Funnier.” Zweibel started his comedy career selling jokes for $7 apiece with student leadership opportunities, programming, Shabbat, and all to the last of the Borscht Belt standups. Then one night, despite bomb- that’s offered to our greater community. Before personally introducing ing on stage, he caught the attention of Lorne Ron, Tulane President Michael A. Fitts addressed the close relationMichaels and became one of the first writers at ship between Tulane Hillel and the University and discussed how our “Saturday Night Live,” where he penned classic organization provides benefits to the campus and Greater New Orlematerial for Gilda Radner, John Belushi and ans community as a whole. all of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Jessie Lehman, sophomore and member of our Tulane Jewish LeadPlayers.” ers program, spoke about her own experience with Hillel before introFrom SNL, he went on to have a hand in a ducing her father, Hillel International CEO Adam Lehman. Adam series of landmark shows — from “It’s Garry Lehman highlighted Tulane Hillel’s radically inclusive atmosphere and Shandling’s Show” to “Curb Your EnthusiHillel International’s close ties with our organization. asm.” Throughout the pages of “Laugh Lines,” Senior TJL member Rebecca Cormack shared her personal expeZweibel weaves together his own stories and inriences and how, as a freshman, she tasked herself with saying “yes” terviews with his friends and contemporaries including Richard Lewis, to unique involvement opportunities. One of the first “yes” decisions Eric Idle, Bob Saget, Mike Birbiglia, Sarah Silverman, Judd Apatow, she made was to explore Tulane Hillel and TJL. Rebecca spoke about Dave Barry, Carl Reiner and more. programs she’s coordinated such as an annual Friendsgiving Feast, our 26

November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

Jewish Family Service Repair The World With Friendship: Become a Friend of JFS Only two months remain in this long and difficult year. How did you help repair the world in 2020? Join JFS in sowing seeds of hope for our community. Help us harvest well-being, stability and joy in 2021 and the decades to come. Your generosity guarantees mental health services, holistic support, and financial assistance for our vulnerable neighbors and friends.

“Just six months before the pandemic closed my kids’ school, my wife passed away. Amelia* and Adam* were only 5 and 7. I had no idea how to support their grieving, manage my own pain, keep up at work, and help them with distance learning. I was in over my head, and I felt like I was failing them as a parent. I wouldn’t have made it through these last few months without JFS. They set me up with a weekly telemental health counseling session, taught me strategies to help the kids, directed me to resources for help with school, and made sure I stayed up to date on my bills through the Financial Resource Center. JFS threw me a lifeline during the worst months of my life. I know they’ll help my family as we move forward.” *To respect client privacy, we use pseudonyms

-Daniel B.*

jfsneworleans.org/donate 3300 W. Esplanade Ave. S. Suite 603, Metairie, LA 70002

Creative Ways to Help Your Neighbors Did you know your old car or boat can help your neighbors?

When you donate vehicles to JFS through CARS, you are also bringing hope and assistance to your vulnerable neighbors.

Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS) gives sales proceeds from your vehicle to JFS, which supports some of our essential services, such as affordable counseling and holistic care through case management. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to earn a tax credit and bolster our community’s future. Visit our website for more information.

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Rebecca Cormack, Ron Gubitz, Shelley Freed and Adam Lehman

recent Sukkah Soiree, and even a “Bachelorette” Viewing Party. She also shared thoughts on her time as Birthright Intern for Tulane Hillel, on the relationships she’s formed here, and on her overall positive experiences throughout her undergraduate career.

The event closed with an interactive Q&A session hosted by Ron Gubitz, Adam Lehman, Rebec-ca Cormack, and Tulane Hillel Director of Development Shelley Freed.

For more information and to view the Virtual Town Hall, visit Tulane Hillel’s YouTube channel at: tulanehillel.org/Tulane-hillel-youtube.

November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

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Jewish Community Day School JCDS Steam STEAM is a commonly used acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math. While our classes often integrate science into their interdisciplinary approach to learning, our specialized STEAM class helps us ensure a broad-based science education that meets Next Generation Science Standards while using project-based learning to teach students how to take thoughtful risks, work collaboratively and develop critical thinking skills. Students not only learn developmentally appropriate scientific methods and facts, they also learn how to creatively apply that information to discover new knowledge on their own. This facilitates a lifetime of curiosity and discovery, as well as a sense of agency in regard to one’s own learning.

October inspired all kinds of cool STEAM experiments.

Students made fake snow using polymers, assembled lava lamps, created Mobius strips, explored hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds, watched oceans come to life inside of recycled bottles, studied the huge variety of spiders that exist, and even exploded pumpkins on Bart Field.

In honor of Simchat Torah last month, Toby David (JCDS Jewish Studies teacher) brought the Sefer Torah (Torah scroll) to the prekindergarten and kindergarten classroom. Students got an up-close look at the Torah then discussed how the Torah is full of mitzvot (613!) or “good deeds” that we can all do.

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November 2020 • The Jewish Newsletter

Messy play brings all of the senses to life, allowing children a chance to explore the world with observation as their guide. These experiences may require a lot of clean-up, but for young children in their most formative years, messy experiences may form the very foundation of knowledge. When allowed to dig in the dirt, jump in the puddles, or smear paint all over, children’s brains connect touch, smell, sound, sight, and even taste, forming lasting impressions about their world and their active role within it. Accomplishing a messy project and being part of the clean-up process can instill a sense of confidence and strength in the child, encouraging them to be curious, engage with their surroundings, form relationships, make choices, and effect change. Get messy!

To learn more about Green Preschool at JCDS, email admissions@jcdsnola. org or call (504)887-4091.

Sukkot Scavenger Hunt JCDS families celebrated Sukkot with the first-ever Driving Sukkot Scavenger Hunt. Serena Deutch, JCDS Admissions Director, created a fun — and informative — game using clues to guide families from stop to stop, collecting one of each of the four species along the way (Etrog, Lulav, Hadas and Aravah). At the last stop, each student had all the components to build a take-home Lulav and Etrog. Very special thanks to Lauren Gerber (PA President), friends at Shir Chadash, Gates of Prayer and Beth Israel, and JCDS parents Rick Elsky and Rabbi David Posternock for helping build the drive-up Sukkah! The Green Preschoolers learned all about Sukkot through stories, art, and even creating their own classroom Sukkah in which they rested as they learned.

community NCJW wraps up antisemitism series with look at anti-Zionism

By Richard Friedman As antisemitism grows nationally and globally, one of the most difficult challenges is determining when criticism of Israel is antisemitic and when it is not. This is not only an intellectual distinction; it is crucial to understanding the roots of antisemitism today and arming those engaged in battling this scourge with an understanding of the challenges they are facing.

In the last of a series of online webinars on antisemitism, the Greater New Orleans section of the National Council of Jewish Women tackled this subject on Oct. 4, enlisting a prominent New York rabbi as a speaker and resource. “Is it Anti-Zionism or Anti-Semitism?” featured Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. The webinar drew participants from throughout the country.

Hirsch has been widely recognized. Two years ago, the Jerusalem Post selected him as one of “The 50 Most Influential Jews of the Year.” He also served for 12 years as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America. From 1977 to 1980, he was a tank commander in the Israel Defense Forces.

Hirsch began by answering whether today’s anti-Zionism the latest form of antisemitism” with “could be and it often is.” He then took his audience back to the Biblical origins of the Jewish people. He said that Jews and Judaism are rooted in “nationhood and national territory,” framed by a belief that the land of Israel was bequeathed to the Jewish people by God. Zionism — the belief that integral to the destiny of the Jewish people is having a sovereign country in their historic homeland — goes back to the origins of the Jewish people in the Hebrew Bible, he explained. “Our story essentially begins with Genesis, after the creation of the universe. This is the key that starts the Jewish story.” God, Rabbi Hirsch emphasized, tells Abraham, “Go to a land that I will show you and I will make you a great nation.” Right from the beginning, nationhood and national territory were the cornerstones of Judaism, he stressed.

During 1800 years of exile, he explained, Jews prayed for their return to Zion, never losing sight of the centrality of the land of Israel to their faith, relationship with God and their peoplehood: “We have always prayed for the return… It is a miraculous thing that we were still around and that we never lost this love… for this dream.” As an example, he pointed to the Passover Seder declaration of “Next Year in Jerusalem” as a transcendent reflection of the unbroken spiritual and historical ties of the Jews to their ancient land.

The rabbi further noted that many of the modern Zionist leaders of the late 19th and 20th centuries were secular Jews who nonetheless were rooted in the belief that Jewish destiny could only be fulfilled by a return to and replanting of the Jewish people in their historic homeland. “They sensed that Judaism means that we are a people; that we are a family. They were restoring in a political context what was the essence of the Jewish spirit — that we were a people and that a people needs a land.”

Fast-forwarding to today against this Biblical and historical backdrop, Hirsch said that if someone wants to criticize the policies of Israel’s government “that is fine,” nothing that this is something he has done himself.

However, if someone contends Israel has no right to exist they are “ripping out” part of the essence of Judaism — national territory — and that is antisemitic.

Turning to the core question that framed the webinar — “Is today’s anti-Zionism the latest form of antisemitism?” — he answered, “Personally, I do not believe it is always the case.” He also said that he thinks Jews sometimes overreact to criticism of Israel and claim comments and acNovember 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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tions are antisemitic when they are not. Yet, he implied that Jews should not under-react either.

As Jews, “we have developed exquisite instincts” when it comes to antisemitism. “We know it when we see it and when we experience it.”

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which rather than addressing specific Israeli policies often strives to defame, destabilize and ultimately destroy Israel itself, “can be and often is a new manifestation of the age old virus of antisemitism for which there is no vaccination and cannot be cured.”

Several times the rabbi made reference to the antisemitic anti-Zionism that emanates from the political left. In the wake of the Holocaust, he said, it is no longer acceptable to say “I hate Jews,” so there are those on the left who instead hate the nation-state of the Jews, Israel. Accusations that Israelis behave like Nazis are a prime example of antisemitic anti-Zionism, he said.

Hirsch was asked about antisemitism on college campuses that often masks as anti-Zionism and what can be done to better equip Jewish students to respond and feel comfortable in publicly expressing Jewish and pro-Israel identities. The rabbi contended that the Jewish community has failed to educate young Jews sufficiently on these matters and hence, too many young people go off to college ill-equipped to handle the situations they will face. Anti-Israel groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine, have become increasingly active on college campuses.

He added these stark words: “This is a terrible challenge for us, it is probably the existential challenge for the Jewish community… It reflects that we are raising a generation of Jews who are ignorant — who have trouble recognizing antisemitism when they see it. It is hidden under this concept of liberalism that we taught them.” Earlier in the program, Rabbi Hirsch had classified himself as a liberal.

On a positive note, he was asked if the recent breakthroughs between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain could be ushering in a new era that could play a role in diminishing the antisemitic attacks on Zionism and the Jewish state, many of which historically have emanated from the Arab world. The Arab countries “are concluding that whatever held them back from recognizing Israel no longer applies,” he said, suggesting that “there is a strengthening of Israel in every way — diplomatically, militarily, economically and politically — that portends better for the future.”

A desire to educate and combat the recent surge in antisemitism prompted the Greater New Orleans Section of the National Council of Jewish Women to develop this four-part series under the banner “The Plague of Antisemitism.” This program was moderated by Aaron Ahlquist, regional director of ADL South-Central, which along with Hadassah New Orleans and Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans has been a partner in this series.

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community

On Sept. 26, Tulane Jewish Leaders held a Create and Donate event at Tulane Hillel for students to make tie-dye masks and bags for themselves and to be donated to a local school.

gift guide

chanukah

Let’s Get This Party Started IT’S NOT CALLED THE HOLIDAY OF LIGHTS FOR NOTHING. USE THOSE EIGHT DAYS FOR CHIC, SPARKLE AND SHINE.

Fisher & Sons Jewelers

5101 West Esplanade Avenue Metairie 504/885.4956 fishersonsjewelers.com

1. WISH THEM A HAPPY HOLIDAY WITH CUSTOM CARDS

From bridal rings and bands to Your favorite shayna fashion and timepieces, we provide punim gets the cover on meaningful adornments with a touch personalized cards. of elegance. After all, each ofvaries our according to quantity ordered.

Cost one-of-a-kind items is meticulously crafted Rudman’s Gifts and artfully designed 741 Veterans Memorial Blvd Customer Service • Superior Sewing Machine Brands Unmatched to be as unique and Metairie wonderful as the person That’s what has attracted sewing enthusiasts from Alabama, who owns it.504/833.1286 rudmans.com Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana

Rudman’s is a gift, stationery, Machine invitation and greeting card shop with Judaica and unique gifts, and they are especially proud to offer locallly Chateau Drugs and Gifts designed and produced Louisiana products. Individualized service is a specialty with 3544 West Esplanade Avenue Metairie wording and design assistance on any time of personal or business correspondence, 504/889.2300 chateaudrugsrx.com and their partnership with industry leaders guarantees a top-notch finished product.

Chateau Drugsthey’re and Gifts Customer service famous for, plus free gift wrapping and at-cost UPS shipping has been a pharmacy aroundsince the country make selecting and sending any gift a pleasure.

1977, but it also has a diverse selection of gifts, including art and handmade pottery, clothes (mostly sweaters, robes, pajamas), lamps, purses, small luggage, kids’ costumes, New Orleansthemed gifts from Jax Frey as well as Purple Pumpkin, Beatrice Ball, toys, bath and body products, wine charms, as well as much more.

to downtown Homewood for over 70 years!

Sales and Service • Scissor Sharpening

Since 1950

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Located at 1722 28th Avenue South, Homewood 2. REMEMBER: BLUE AND WHITE 205.870.1931 sewingmachinemart.com ARE TRADITIONAL FOR CHANUKAH Open Tuesday-Friday, 9:30-4:30

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Price upon request.

Wellington & Company Fine Jewelry

505 Royal Street New Orleans 504/525.4855 wcjewelry.com

Chateau’s Judaica gifts include menorahs and mezuzahs from Michael Aram, “Jewish History of New Co. Fine Jewelry’s team of Orleans” books from Images of America, alongWellington with a nice & selection of greeting cards for Chanukah and other holidays and B’nai Mitzvah more than half a jewelry associates possesses celebrations, along with a few options for wrapping paper and gift bags. century of antique, estate and contemporary

fine jewelry knowledge and sales experience.

National World War II Museum

945 Magazine Street New Orleans At Wellington & Co., their passion for what they do, combined with the store’s warm 504/528.1944 store.nationalww2museum.org and inviting atmosphere in the heart of New The National World historic War II Museum’s Orleans’ French Quarter enables gift the shop and online hasand a wide them to provide visitors from around world with astore unique inviting shopping variety of memorabilia,experience including unlike any other.

.indd 59

note cards, stationery and even mousepads designed by New Orleans’ own Alexa Pulitzer. Pictured here are the WWII Paratrooper Folded Notecards.

10/20/2014 2:21:34 AM

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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chanukah gifts

Bearden Design et Boutique and Salon 2846 18th Street S. Homewood 205/502.7678 beardendesignboutique.com

Israeli Designer T 9. Made from recycled fibers.

The Latest News… www.sjlmag.com

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Gil and Deb Mouyal teamed up to offer customers complete style solutions from head to toe with Bearden Design et Boutique and Salon.

During the quarantine, the married couple decided the best way for their businesses to thrive was to marry Gil’s hair salon with Deb’s boutique.

“We are a team. We are very involved with the people we work for and we’re focused on treating our customers like family,” said Deb Bearden Mouyal.

Bearden Design sells fashions from across the globe, including four independent Israeli designers — Matti Mamane, Gershon Bram, Kedem Sasson and T9, all of which feature clothing made from recycled fibers.

Bearden Design strives to find designers as well as manufacturers that use eco-friendly fibers and manufacturing practices.

“We do our very best to meet with every designer before we start working with them to make sure they understand our mission to empower women through fashion with function and comfort,” said Bearden Mouyal.

She started Bearden Design et Boutique five years ago and moved to downtown Homewood this past January. Prior to opening the boutique, Deb Mouyal provided interior design and home renovation services.

Gil Mouyal is Jewish and originally from Paris. He has been a hairstylist in the Birmingham area for 41 years.

“I have experience working with men and women with all types of hair,” said Gil Mouyal, adding that the hair products in the salon — Moroccan Oil — are made in Israel. “I specialize in doing color and I use a no-ammonia hair color (by Matrix) that leaves hair shiny and undamaged.”

Deb Bearden Mouyal said she wanted to bring unique style to Birmingham. Approximately 90 percent of the fashions at Bearden Design come from international designers and manufacturers, along with a few independent U.S. designers.

The jewelry they carry includes creations from two independent female designers — Debe Dohrer from Nashville and Santa Fe’s Laurie Lenfesty with her Bittersweet Designs.

Bearden Design also carries a line of “athleisure wear for the mature woman,” leggings, skorts and legging skirts designed by Deb Mouyal herself under the name Jade Sport.

The shoe lines they sell are from Fly London, Cappelletti, Gabor, Softinos and others.

“We carry fashions and accessories that make women feel empowered, stylish and comfortable,” said Bearden Mouyal. For more information, go to www.beardendesignetboutique.com and Bearden Design et Boutique on Facebook as well as Instagram.

chanukah gifts

Chanukah Gifts!

King Cake Hub provides taste of normal season With several Krewes already cancelling their parades for the 2021 Mardi Gras season — including the Krewe du Vieux, home of the Jewish Krewe du Mishigas — Will Samuels is working to ensure “that we can still revel appropriately throughout Carnival.”

Starting Jan. 6, King Cake Hub will be operating for its third season at the Mystere Mansion on Canal Street in New Orleans, and “New Orleans will find a way to celebrate the season no matter what events are (or are not) taking place.” To help the celebrations, the King Cake Hub is presenting Quarnival, with expanded curbside pickup and local delivery for over 50 varieties of King Cake from over a dozen bakeries.

The King Cake Coterie will consist of six exclusive specialty King Cakes, every Tuesday starting Jan. 6.

The Coterie includes a new collaboration between NOCCA and Steve Himelfarb of Cake Cake, Bywater Bakery’s Key Lime King Cake, Gracious Bakery’s Cherries Jubilee King Cake, Cannata’s King Berry Royale, Zuppardo’s savory Brie, Fig and Candied Dates King Cake and Breads on Oak’s Bourbon Praline Pecan.

Reservations are being taken through Dec. 31, and the cakes can be picked up each week or, for $50 over the six weeks, delivered locally. The season package is $180 and is available through kingcakehub.com.

Though the Coterie is only for local delivery, other King Cakes can be ordered online for shipping nationwide.

King Cake Hub has also launched MardiGrasTV, with livestreamed concerts, entertainment shows, cooking, sports/exercise, comedy, history, education and the arts. There are also plans to broadcast live events when possible, and on what would be parading days, previous years’ parades will be aired.

MardiGrasTV is available via Strimm, and partnerships are planned with Plex, Samsung Plus, Fire TV and other streaming services. It will also be available on MardiGrasTV.com

Opening Soon in !

Destrehan

We’re Open, Come On In! Inside, Curbside or Delivery Mon-Fri 10am-6pm • Sat 10am-4pm

5101 W. Esplanade Ave (at Chastant) Metairie 504-407-3532 nolagiftsanddecoronline.com

Manischewitz, PJ Library build Chanukah houses Bayonne, N.J.-based Manischewitz, an iconic name in traditional kosher products, is offering a do-it-yourself Chanukah House cookie decorating kit that comes with everything children need — from cookies and icing to a sanding sugar and a candy menorah — to build their own edible holiday cottage. And this kit also comes with the gift of books to kids the world over.

The kit is at the center of a special promotion

by Manischewitz to drive consumer sales and raise awareness for PJ Library, an organization that sends more than 225,000 free Jewish children’s books every month to households in the U.S. and Canada.

“We are delighted to partner with PJ Library to help make both baking and reading fun for children, especially during holiday time,” said Shani Seidman, CMO of Kayco Kosher Food.

“We are proud to have the retail support of supermarkets and chain stores as well as Amazon, to continue to provide kosher food choices directly to consumers, especially during the holidays as well as year-round.”

“We are excited about partnering with Manischewitz to bring new traditions and fun activ-

ities for families to celebrate the holiday together,” said Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, president of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Every box features a callout encouraging consumers to sign up for free storybooks of their own from PJ Library.

While the Chanukah House kit is designed for Jewish families, any parent looking to enrich their children’s cultural experiences will find this to be a fun and educational discussion starter. The Chanukah House cookie decorating kit will be available at Walmart and on Amazon, among other outlets.

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

33

chanukah gifts Happy Raptor Distilling

1512 Carondelet Street New Orleans 504/654.6516 happyraptor.com

Chef’s hammock, pedestal bowl, platters with figs, cheese

Earthborn Pottery

7575 Parkway Drive Leeds, Ala 205/702.7055 earthbornpottery.net Food and art share much more in common than a palate and palette.

Artist Tena Payne began collaborating with Chef Chris Hastings in 1997 to design and create plates for Hot & Hot Fish Club. Today her Earthborn Studios provides artistic pottery plates, bowls and related functional artwork to restaurants around the world.

“I think there are a lot of similarities between culinary art and ceramic art,” said Payne, who in 2006 opened Earthborn Studios in a 25,000-square-foot facility in Leeds. “We both make creations. We put them in the oven. What comes out is something so beautiful and expressive. Plus, it’s like alchemy — there is both art and science in our processes.”

Their clients range from the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas to Alabama Power and Alabama Goods.

Payne said Earthborn pottery is organic by nature and design. The clay they use is durable and the abrasive-resistant glazes are industrial dishwasher safe. Their pottery can be used in the microwave and in the oven.

The pieces she has commissioned are custom works and most employ her trademark design element of an Ammonite fossil. “It is that spiral shape and flow that symbolize the continuation of time, life and art,” she said.

Payne said it’s a family affair at Earthborn — her husband, Winn, and son, Nathan, both work at Earthborn in the production of the pottery. “It makes it more special and something we can share in,” she said.

They also share their knowledge with those interesting in making pottery art. Payne teaches classes at Earthborn Studios, with a four-week class this month, followed by one in January.

Their big annual event also hosts artists of various media the second weekend of December. The Blue Light Special on Dec. 12 and 13 features more than 50 artists who can not only bring their best work, but the show also gives them the opportunity to sell some of their artwork with imperfections, such as pieces that are nicked or slightly damaged in some way, at a discount.

As a part of the Blue Light Special event, attendees can also give back to those in need. Empty Bowls is a hunger-prevention endeavor pairing local potters and local chefs, who will be providing lunch. For a donation of $25, attendees get hot soup and bread served in handmade Earthborn bowls, which they can keep. Proceeds go to First Light Women’s Shelter.

“Giving back is an important part of my philosophy,” said Payne. “There is so much we can do to make a difference in someone’s life.”

For more information about the events, classes and the gift shop, go to www.earthbornpottery.net.

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

Inspired by the iconic New Orleans dessert, in October Happy Raptor Distilling released its newest rum, 504Bananas Foster. Handcrafted in the Crescent City at the distillery’s historic Central City location, the rum is created from 100 percent Louisiana molasses, with an infusion of real banana, cinnamon, vanilla and spices and no artificial ingredients.

“We are so proud to introduce this product in time for the holidays,” said co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Meagen Moreland-Taliancich. “Crafting a rum inspired by bananas foster has been a dream of ours for a long time, and we intended to release it much sooner. Of course, the coronavirus shutdown had other plans for us.

Despite the obstacles we encountered, this rum is a true product of New Orleans made with love and deep appreciation for our community.”

504Bananas Foster was originally unveiled for tastings and cocktails, but not for purchase, during Mardi Gras 2020 when Happy Raptor opened its doors for the first time. One month later, the pandemic shut down bars and tasting rooms across the state and created significant obstacles to the product’s development.

“504Bananas Foster is intended to draw upon the nostalgia of a New Orleans tradition without a syrupy sweet taste or unnecessary additives,” said co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Peter Rivera. “Finding the right balance of sweetness, spice, and banana was difficult, but I think we’ve hit on something special. In addition to seasonal drinks like hot cocoa or eggnog, the rum works beautifully in a variety of cocktails such as a traditional daiquiri or an old-fashioned, and we’ve been dreaming up new ways to use it in cooking and baking.”

504Bananas Foster is joining a line-up of signature 504Rum products created at Happy Raptor’s distillery. Happy Raptor specializes in a Caribbean style of infused rums, known as rhum arrangé, in which a white rum is infused with a variety of citrus, botanicals, or spices to create a flavor without unnecessary or artificial additives. Their new product is the most extensive infusion to date, each batch taking over a month and a half to infuse.

The new rum is currently available for purchase in the Happy Raptor tasting room at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Carondelet Street, and at select stores around the city.

M & M Jewelers

440 Inverness Corners Birmingham 205/991-0593 mmjewelersbirmingham.com For over 25 years, M&M Jewelers has offered “one to one” personal assistance with finding that special piece of jewelry, no pressure sales, repairs, appraisals, custom designs — and a home town atmosphere.

Pictured here are timeless Stackable Bands.

chanukah gifts Mon Ami

40 Church Street, Crestline Birmingham 205/848.7800 monamibham.com Mon Ami is French for “my friend,” and the Mountain Brook children’s clothing store prides itself on being a friend to the community.

“We really appreciate our friends who shop locally,” said Aja Michel Powanda, who opened Mon Ami in February 2019 with her mother, Farren Michel.

They’ve even reached out by going to their customers. “We do local delivery and pick-up on approvals for those who want to try things on at home,” added Powanda. Customers can also order online from www.monamibham.com.

A Birmingham native, Powanda worked for several years as a buyer at a high-end Chanukah Knit Pullover children’s clothing store in New York City.

Powanda and her husband wanted to raise their children in Birmingham, so they moved to the Magic City four years ago. “It was always my goal to open my own children’s clothing store here,” she said.

Mon Ami sells formal and casual clothes for boys and girls sizes 4 to 18, but it’s so much more than just a clothing store, said Powanda. The store’s selection includes jewelry, watches, accessories, fun Band-Aids, Bluetooth speakers, purses and shoes.

“This past spring, we started selling puzzles (along with puzzle mats) and masks” for adults as well as kids, she said. “Those have been popular.

The kids love the glow watches and the fun jewelry we have too.”

Mon Ami also has brought back its popular “Llamakkah” loungewear pants for girls. They also recently got in Chanukah shorts and t-shirts with penguins on them.

For simchas, Mon Ami offers a large selection of formal wear for girls and boys including a few of the name brands worn by adults, such as Southern Point and Johnnie-O. They also sell high-end blazers made in Italy.

“We want to make shopping a fun experience for kids and their parents,” said Powanda. “We love helping them find exactly what they want.”

an outstanding wine store and bar in the heart of Homewood Wines from all over the world in all price points & access to over 6000 selections for order.

Virtual and In-Store Wine Tasting Events Every Friday — Check our Facebook Page for Schedule Classic Wine Company • 1831 28th Ave S, Ste 110 Homewood • 205-871-WINE (9463) Curbside Pickup Available

Make Chanukah Magical…

NOLA Gifts & Decor

5101 West Esplanade Ave. Metairie 504/407.3532 nolagiftsanddecoronline.com At this locally-owned boutique, there is a wide range of New Orleans-inspired home décor, gifts and accessories, as well as Jolie Home Paints.

Along with year-round items, there are plenty of seasonal options, including Chanukah merchandise, such as these Chanukah towels. There is also plenty of LSU, Tulane and Saints items for gift-giving, and New Orleans-themed masks, including many local schools. Orders can be placed online for shipping. A second location is opening soon in Destrehan.

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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chanukah gifts

Sewing Machine Mart

1722-C 18th Avenue South Birmingham 205/870.1931 sewingmachinemart.com Today’s sewing machines can do “sew” much more and Birmingham’s Sewing Machine Mart has seen an increased interest from new customers who want to do everything from make masks to embroider clothes.

“In 2020, 35 percent of the people who bought sewing machines were first-time buyers,” said Sewing Machine Mart owner Shawn Jackson.

“Sewing and embroidery are fun hobbies that can be easy to learn. We’ve also seen some experienced sewers come in to get machines for their clothes-making business ventures.”

Sewing Machine Mart opened in 1950. Jackson’s father was a friend of the owner of the downtown Homewood store. In the early 1990s, they needed someone who could repair machines. “I had fixed cars and lawnmowers, but not sewing machines,” he said. “I really picked it up on my own and developed a love for it.”

In 1993, Jackson bought the store. “We pride ourselves on the customer service, education and expert repair we can provide,” all in-house, he said. “That’s what gives us an advantage over other businesses” who sell the machines.

Sewing Machine Mart sells machines by manufacturers who have been in business for a long time — Baby Lock (50 years), Husqvarna Viking (nearly 150 years) and Pfaff (more than

Bromberg’s

2800 Cahaba Road Birmingham 131 Summit Boulevard Birmingham 205/749.6787 brombergs.com Family owned and operated since 1836, Bromberg’s has provided fine jewelry and giftware options for the most discerning customers in Birmingham. Bromberg’s has established a solid reputation as a fine purveyor of quality diamonds as well as jewelry timepieces and gifts. The Wedding Registry offers the finest selection of china, crystal, sterling and giftware.

Above, the quatrefoil is a longstanding emblem of good fortune that gained popularity during the Gothic and Renaissance eras. Bromberg’s quatrefoil jewelry is available in various styles featuring diamonds and gemstones in gleaming 14 karat yellow gold. Prices starting at $495. The red onyx necklace pictured solo is $550.

150 years).

But many of today’s machines can do so much more than their predecessors. “Designs can be programmed into the machines. You can connect some of the machines to your Wi-Fi and store your designs on the cloud,” he said.

On some of the machines, sewers can project images onto their pattern so they can see what it will look like ahead of time. In March, Pfaff will introduce a sewing machine that can respond to voice commands.

Jackson said Sewing Machine Mart also takes trade-ins and sells pre-owned machines. “We have machines here from $150 to $23,000,” he said. “When someone comes in we are happy to consult with them and make some recommen- English Tea Room dations based on needs and budget.”

734 East Rutland St. Covington, LA

985/898.3988 englishtearoom.com

A slice of England in Louisiana, the English Tea Room does a full-service breakfast, lunch and High Tea every day from Monday to Saturday, with authentic English dishes and popular cheese boards. The venue is also available for special events and private parties. Not going to be in the Covington area? That’s fine, English Tea Room has over 200 varieties of premium tea that can be shipped nationwide.

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

financial an annual SJL special section

Overcoming Election Paralysis

By Leigh A. Kaylor As I write this article, I do not know the outcome of the Nov. 3 election.

There seems little chance that the Democratic majority in the House flips, but will the Senate? Will there be a new administration in 2021 and what would that mean for estate and gift taxes? Even without knowing the answers to these questions, I can tell you that taking action on your estate plan right now is something you should consider, and that is because of our current, historically low, interest rates.

Many of the techniques estate planners use involve the applicable federal rates (AFR), and even more specifically what we call the 7520 rate. Each month the IRS publishes a table of interest rates for private loans that are deemed by IRS to be sufficiently high that there is not a gift element in the transaction. The 7520 rate is used in valuing interests transferred or retained in certain types of transfers, and is 120% of the midterm AFR. In October 2020, the AFR for a nine-year loan (midterm) is 0.38% and the 7520 rate is 0.4%!

How can you use these low interest rates to shift wealth to your favored beneficiaries? One way is to sell an appreciating asset to a trust for your children. Assume you own a family business that is a limited liability company, and you are willing to transfer some of your ownership interest to your children, but you don’t want to just give it to them. One plan would be to sell the interests in the LLC to a trust for your children in exchange for a promissory note bearing interest at the proper AFR. If you sold $10 million of LLC interests in October 2020 in exchange for a nineyear note, the interest rate would only have to be 0.38%. If you believe the LLC interests will appreciate more than 0.38%, you will have frozen the value of those assets in your estate at minimal appreciation and passed along a majority of the appreciation to the trust for your children.

For example, in nine years the value in your estate of the aggregate note payments, plus the interest, would be approximately $10,019,000, but if the asset stayed in your estate and appreciated at 5% each year for nine years, it would be worth more than $15 million. The low interest rate target allowed you to move significant appreciation to your children at no gift tax cost.

Another popular strategy is a grantor retained annuity trust, or GRAT, where you transfer assets to the GRAT and retain an income stream, or annuity. The values of the interests transferred and retained by you are calculated using the 7520 rate. If the value of the assets in the GRAT appreciates at more than the 7520 rate and you survive the term, the GRAT will be successful at passing that appreciation to the GRAT remainder beneficiaries at the end of the term.

For the charitably inclined, a charitable lead annuity trust, or CLAT, is a trust you can create that will pay an annuity to a charity for a term of years, with the remainder coming back to your family. If you put $10

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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Celebrating 30 Years of Covering and Connecting Our Communities

Well-informed communities are stronger communities Help Strengthen Our Southern Jewish Communities — By Supporting Independent, Award-Winning Original Jewish Journalism!

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

million in a CLAT paying a 6.8% annuity with 5% growth for 15 years, the charity would get more than $10 million and nearly $6 million would come back to the family at no gift tax cost.

All of these techniques require careful planning and execution by someone knowledgeable in this area, but don’t be paralyzed waiting to know how the election comes out and miss taking advantage of these low interest rates.

Leigh Kaylor is an Estates, Wills and Trusts attorney at Sirote and Permutt in Birmingham. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than legal services performed by other lawyers.

Southern Jewish Life tells our story, keeping our communities connected and informed!

City

financial

Setting up a health savings account can lead to tax-saving wellness An option that converts non-deductible medical expenses into deductible ones can help with tax savings wellness, according to Birmingham accounting firm Bruce Downs, CPA. A Health Savings Account, also known as an HSA, offers tax filers an immediate tax savings through this “IRA-type” account without income limitations.

The current Federal tax law can severely limit the tax benefit for many who have medical expenses and those who wish to contribute to a traditional IRA account.

Only when the total of medical expenses is greater than 7.5 percent of one’s income do they have a chance of helping. That is only when that excess is added to one’s mortgage interest, donations plus state and local taxes (up to $10,000), exceeding one’s standard deduction, which can vary from $12,400 if single up to $27,400 if married filing jointly and over the age of 65.

Who is eligible to set up and contribute to an HSA? Someone must be at least 18 years old and not claimed as a dependent on another return.

Individuals and married couples must be covered only by a High Deductible Health Plan where the deductible is at least $1,400 Single or $2,800 Family and the maximum out-of-pocket in-network is $6,900 Single and $13,800 Family, which means one cannot be enrolled in Medicare nor a health Flexible Spending Account at work.

To set up an HSA, filers can contact their bank or financial advisor. For 2020, they can contribute up to $3,550 for a single or $7,100 for family, increased by $1,000 if someone is age 55 or older. They have until April 15 to set it up.

But if an HSA is opened and funded beforehand, then all subsequent medical expenses incurred can be paid with those tax-deductible contributions in the account. That essentially converts medical expenses from nondeductible to deductible.

If someone wants to pay for medical expenses with an airline credit card, there is no time limit to reimburse from the HSA account. Like an IRA, its earnings will compound but unlike an IRA, funds can be withdrawn without paying taxes if they are attributable to medical expenses for which one has not been reimbursed.

Another big advantage of HSAs is that they can be used to pay for long-term care insurance premiums, converting them into something that is tax deductible.

If someone is employed and does not participate in a Health FSA but is covered by a health plan, he or she can verify with the employer that the plan is HSA-eligible. If someone is self-employed, he or she can verify with their insurance carrier to see if the plan is HSA-eligible.

Bruce Downs, Sallie Downs and Barry Dreayer are all involved members of the Birmingham area Jewish community. For more information or a consultation, please contact them at barry@brucedownscpa.com.

community Incentive grant available for first-time summer campers in region This year’s cancellation of sleepaway camp was one of the toughest disappointments Jewish children faced over the past year due to the COVID pandemic. The countdown until they may see their camp friends may be longer than usual, but the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana in New Orleans hopes that it will make their next camp experience even more special.

For those children who have not yet had a Jewish camp experience, JEF announced that the Goldring Family Foundation will once again fund the Jewish Summer Camp Experience incentive grant program for 2021.

The Jewish Summer Camp Experience, funded by the Goldring Family Foundation and administered by JEF, provides one-time-only grants of up to $1,500 to help families send their children to nonprofit Jewish sleepaway camps for their first time. Children in grades one through nine who reside in Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle are eligible to apply.

Established by JEF in 1999 and funded by the Goldring Family Foundation since 2001, the Goldring Jewish Summer Camp Experience has distributed grants for more than 1,500 children to attend Jewish summer camp since the program’s introduction.

Research confirms that one of the most effective ways to create positive Jewish identity and develop children’s commitment to living Jewish lives is to expose them to a camp experience, where they will meet other Jewish children and appreciate the precious heritage of Jewish traditions while enjoying fun activities in a classic Jewish summer camp culture.

The Goldring Family Foundation has continued to make this program available, describing these camp grants an investment in a Jewish future for each child.

Grants are not based on financial need. Both parents need not be Jewish. Neither temple nor synagogue affiliation is required.

The deadline for applications is March 31, 2021, with award notifications sent by May 31.

For more information and an application form, contact Debbie Berins at debbie@jefno.org or visit the JEF website, jefno.org, and select the “Youth and Camping” tab.

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The RoseMary and Saul Brooks Fund for Jewish Youth Engagement was created in 1995 by RoseMary Brooks with the goal of helping children who are physically distanced from synagogues, youth groups and other Jewish community events and activities increase their exposure to their Jewish heritage and peers during their formative years.

Originally formed as a charitable trust to help her grandchildren travel to Israel as well as a permanent legacy for other Jewish youth, the fund is now bring relaunched as a Designated Fund, as her oldest grandchild has reached the age of 18, and redefined for this new program.

RoseMary and Saul Brooks raised four children in a Jewish household in New Iberia, and truly understood the importance of providing them with as many Jewish experiences as possible. At the time, there was no regional Jewish camp. RoseMary and her husband saw the profound impact on their grandchildren of having that experience available to them.

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community and traditions, they wanted other children living in rural areas of Louisiana to have opportunities to connect to other Jewish youth.

“I can see myself in those kids living in rural areas of Louisiana,” said Joan Brooks Cox, RoseMary Brooks’ daughter. “Growing up, my mother made every effort to ensure we felt connected to the larger Jewish community, and I am so proud to work with JEF to continue her legacy through this grant.”

“For some children who do not live in areas with a readily accessible Jewish community, sleepaway camp can be an important foundation for their Jewish identity,” said Bobby Garon, executive director of JEF. “We are grateful to the Brooks family for their generosity and are delighted to work with them to help provide this kind of shared experience to more children.”

“My mom’s ultimate goal was to encourage kids to value that Jewish identity, and grow to become active participants and leaders in their Jewish communities,” added Cox. The fund will provide an incentive grant of at least $550 for up to 10 Jewish children to attend a Jewish nonprofit sleepaway summer camp annually.

To be eligible, students must have at least one Jewish parent and identify as Jewish themselves, reside full-time for the past year in a Louisiana community that is outside of the major metropolitan areas such as New Orleans or Baton Rouge, be entering grades one to 12 after camp and be attending a nonprofit Jewish sleepaway camp. One application must be submitted per child, and they can reapply each year they are eligible.

Funding is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis. Applications will be reviewed by a small group, including JEF staff, Board, and a representative of the Brooks family, and funds will be paid directly to the camp.

For more information, contact Debbie Berins (debbie@jefno.org) at (504) 800-8007 or click the “Youth & Camping” tab at jefno.org.

Grant supports exploration of changing historical narratives Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts was awarded a $225,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to convene a year-long site-specific inquiry exploring changing historical narratives in New Orleans and the greater Gulf South region.

Mia Bagneris, an art history professor and director of the Africana Studies Program at Tulane University, co-organized “Sites of Memory: New Orleans and Placebased Histories in the Americas” with Adrian Anagnost. The sessions will examine how myth and memory inform contested Photo by Arielle Pentes sites of public history, such as plantations, Mia Bagneris historic houses, monuments and memorials.

The seminar also engages scholars based in other cities to explore varied approaches to public history and collective memory across the Americas to understand New Orleans’ layered histories through a new lens.

The highly regarded Sawyer Seminars were established in 1994 to provide support for comparative research on the historical and cultural sources of contemporary developments. Tulane last hosted a Sawyer Seminar in 2001.

The Latest News… www.sjlmag.com 40

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community Zioness: Progressives need not check their Zionism at the door Growing national organization starts expansion into region with Baton Rouge

By Richard Friedman Before long, a new roar may be heard in Baton Rouge. This one, though, may not be coming from Louisiana State University’s Tiger Stadium. Instead, it may be the roar of Zioness.

Zioness is not a typo. It’s a new, fast-growing organization made up mostly — but not exclusively — of younger women determined to blend their Zionist and Progressive ideals and forge new paths of Jewish activism.

They are especially committed to countering what they see as the false and harmful notion that mainstream Zionism and left-leaning Progressivism are incompatible. They are motivated and passionate, and have begun fighting like lionesses, carving out new space in the social activism landscape for their group and what they represent.

One such Zioness is Baton Rouge’s Rachel Posner, an impressive 20-year-old Princeton University student. She is so committed to her Jewish, Zionist and Progressive identity that it was the topic of her college application essay.

Posner became involved with Zioness this past summer as an intern.

She helped create a Zioness chapter in her hometown, making Baton Rouge the first city in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama to have such a group. “I was excited to put Baton Rouge on the Zioness screen. Growing up there I know how important it can be and how well it can fit into our community,” says Posner.

Zioness, with more than 30 chapters across the country, “fights for the advancement of social, racial, economic and gender equality in America

and for the inclusion of Zionists in social justice spaces,” according to the group’s website.

One of those most passionate about Zioness is Rabbi Lindsey Danziger, its national director of organizing. She grew up in New Jersey and lives in Cincinnati, where her husband, Michael, also is a rabbi.

“Zioness is really personal to me,” says Danziger, 33, who was ordained in 2017. “The rabbi who was my rabbi when I was growing up had marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights movement. Fighting for equality and justice is really ingrained in my experience.”

She faced an internal challenge. “If when I was young someone told

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

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42 November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community me I had to choose, I would’ve picked being a Progressive over a Zionist.”

Zioness, she believes, solves that dilemma.

The group’s website says “Zionism is itself a progressive value: the movement for liberation and national self-determination of the Jewish people in our indigenous homeland. We are rooted in Jewish values, stand for justice and equality, and fight against all forms of oppression.”

Accurate Understanding Many in the larger Progressive community are uncomfortable with Israel. They see Israel as favoring one religion over others, subscribing to colonialism and a nationalism that marginalizes its non-Jewish citizens, using harsh military tactics and practicing apartheid (racial segregation) in relation to the Palestinians. Zioness members want to give their fellow Progressives a more accurate understanding.

The group’s recent open letter to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on pulling out of an event honoring the late Yitzhak Rabin reflects the challenge Zioness members face. Ocasio-Cortez, one of the country’s most prominent Progressives, withdrew after becoming uncomfortable with Rabin’s military background, according to reports. The gathering was to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination.

“There is so much about you that inspires, activates, and empowers so many American Jews, who overwhelmingly share your passion in the fight for social, racial, economic, gender and environmental justice,” Zioness wrote to Ocasio-Cortez.

However, the group also told her, “We are deeply troubled that you have decided to pull out of an event honoring the life and legacy of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who paid the ultimate price for his commitment to peace and justice, assassinated by a right-wing extremist for trying to advance the cause of Palestinian statehood. This makes us genuinely feel that your commitment to progressive values, equity and equality for all excludes the Jewish people.”

Feeling excluded from the Progressive movement is what led Jewish attorney and activist Amanda Berman, who grew up outside Philadelphia and lives in New York, to launch Zioness in 2017. She now serves as its executive director. “Amanda wanted to show up and support women’s rights, including the right to control one’s body. Amanda is a proud feminist, but she wanted to do it through the lens of a proud Jew and Zionist and to not have to check those identities at the door,” says Danziger.

“She felt that if we show up in these spaces we can build bridges and have conversations. We are Progressives, we are feminists, we are committed to LGBTQ+ rights, we care about all of these issues. But we want to express ourselves within the framework of our full identity, which includes being Jewish and supporting Israel’s right to exist, and we want to first build bridges and then educate other Progressives about what we believe,” added Danziger.

Berman, in an interview with the Jewish website Algemeiner, talked about what prompted her to form Zioness. “I personally refuse to cede spaces that I care deeply about. We launched as a reaction to the antisemitism in the Women’s movement… I really truly felt that I couldn’t participate in the feminist movement in America, which relates directly to my bodily integrity and autonomy.”

After being shunned by her fellow feminists, she had her “aha” moment. “Because I am a Zionist, I was not allowed to fight for reproductive health and equal pay and health care and family leave, and all these things that matter deeply to me as a woman, and affect, literally, my body. And it hit me as, ‘No one can tell me that I can’t participate in that space, there’s no way that I’m going to cede that’.”

Grassroots Strategies At the core of the group’s strategy, as the article explains, is a simple premise: “To engage in the causes of others without giving up our own.”

community Zioness is a grassroots organization. “Chapters have a degree of autonomy to decide strategies and actions. They have a lot of leeway in terms of how to pursue racial, economic and gender justice,” explains Danziger. Many chapters have male members and also include women of all ages. Not all members are Jewish.

Chapters use speakers, educational programs, one-on-one relationships, public statements, mobilization initiatives, and partnerships with other Progressive groups to advance their goals.

Requests to form chapters are pouring in from throughout the country. The organization has hired a new Grassroots Community Organizer, Darryl Coulon, to help respond. Coulon is a 2019 LSU graduate from New Orleans, where Danziger expects a chapter to be formed soon.

Zioness is a perfect fit for Bree Spielfogel, a 32-year-old early childhood mental health consultant who converted to Judaism about five years ago. Spielfogel has stepped forward to lead the new Baton Rouge chapter. She is passionate about her faith and has a deep attachment to Israel. She also is passionate about her Progressive values.

Spielfogel has a vision of what she would like the chapter to be. “I would like us to be a safe place for Progressive Jews in the Baton Rouge area to come together to discuss political ideas and also become allied with other groups in the area to advance a Progressive political agenda.”

Of particular importance to her is bridging the gap between the sometimes limited or inaccurate perceptions that the broader Progressive community has of Jews and Israel and developing allies in the Progressive movement for Jewish and Israel causes.

A former Teach for America teacher, Spielfogel believes education should be at the forefront of her chapter’s agenda — from educating Jewish Progressives about Zionism and Israel to educating Progressives in general about these same topics. She especially wants to combat the notion that supporting Israel means you are politically conservative; a false perception that can deter Zionists such as herself from fully owning their Progressive values.

What comes through in talking to these Zioness women is their passion, persistence and sense of purpose. Perhaps the most important purpose is one that Posner expressed: “Zioness addressees the worry that the younger Jewish community is going to abandon their Jewish/ Zionist values for Progressive values.”

Whether Zioness is successful in addressing this concern and achieving its other goals remains to be seen. What is clear is that Danziger, Posner and Spielfogel and their Zioness colleagues across the country intend to put up a roaring good fight.

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

community >> Antisemitism continued from page 10 anything at all. Ninety percent of U.S. adults say it is important to teach middle and high school students the history of the Holocaust,” reports AJC. This last figure is highly significant and gives propulsion to ongoing efforts by the Jewish community and others to seek government funding and initiate strategies to educate the American people, particularly younger Americans, about the Holocaust.

Antisemitism and Israel Respondents in the general public category were presented statements about Israel and asked if they believed the statements were antisemitic.

Seventy-four percent felt “Israel has no right to exist” is antisemitic. Fifty-five percent said the statement “the government only supports Israel because of Jewish money” is antisemitic. An even half said “American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to America” is antisemitic.

Other findings AJC deemed important include the growth of antisemitism on the Internet, the growing number of actual incidents and the spreading of conspiracy theories that paint Jews as malicious and untrustworthy. The Internet continues to be a perplexing new arena for those striving to combat antisemitism and other forms of hatred and because of the widespread, omnipresent nature of social media the problem is growing and becoming more complex.

Other troublesome conclusions such as this one are found throughout the report: “The number of American Jews who say they have avoided certain places or events out of concern for their safety as Jews increased to one in three (31 percent) from one in four (25 percent) in the 2019 AJC survey.”

One question asked was, “If a Jewish person or organization considered a statement or idea to be antisemitic, would that make you (more likely) to consider it antisemitic, (less likely), or would it make no difference to you?” AJC leaders were concerned that a significant number of Americans (65 percent) said it would make no difference. Weiner sees this as a contrast with people seeming to be more willing to acknowledge other forms of prejudice based on the views of the victims, such as racism, for example.

Weiner also is frustrated that many Americans don’t know what the word antisemitism means. It once could have been explained as hostility and hatred toward Jews, but, she believes, the growth of antisemitic conspiracy theories and anti-Zionism masking as antisemitism has made explanations more complex. In cases where respondents were unfamiliar with the term, it was explained to them to enable

community them to answer the questions.

Ten years ago, many American Jewish organizations saw antisemitism as a diminishing concern despite occasional incidents. Today, this has changed. Not only is antisemitism a growing concern nationally, local Jewish communities have taken steps to beef up their security. AJC and other national organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and Secure Community Network are playing important roles.

How the presidential election and its aftermath shakes out remains to be seen. Jewish thought-leaders are preparing for an array of possibilities, running from traditional post-election analysis of what the implications might be for Israel and the Jewish community to more pointed strategies, such as how to prepare for and respond to any spikes in antisemitism.

AJC is among the national Jewish organizations that will play a role in charting the post-election course for the American Jewish community.

Said Weiner, one of the AJC national officials assigned to help combat antisemitism, “All of this data is important for our advocacy so that AJC can use the study to speak to Members of Congress, our interfaith partners and other groups, and point to data that can undergird strategies and initiatives.”

>> Rear Pew Mirror

continued from page 46

Abraham asked Her to spare them if there were 50 good people there.

When the Big G said sure, Abraham changed the count to 40, and so on all the way down to 10.

The Big G found only one good person there — Abraham’s nephew, Lot. Lot was saved, even though he alone wasn’t enough to save the cities.

This clearly teaches that every vote matters, even if it’s not enough to win.

Whoever finds themselves in a position where they get to play god needs to be endowed with such wisdom. In the words of (the originally Jewishly-performed so it counts here) Captain James T. Kirk, “above all else, a god must have compassion.”

Doug Brook wonders why we all can’t just get along. To read past columns, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, follow facebook.com/rearpewmirror

Unveiling Hadassah’s Mask-erade

On Oct. 18, unable to do an in-person event, Hadassah New Orleans channeled the virtual spirit by holding a Mask-erade. About 50 participated in the event on Zoom, which included videos featuring the latest developments at Hadassah Hospitals at Mt. Scopus and Ein Kerem, Israel, and Hadassah work around the globe.

The event raised funds for Hadassah Medical Organization, and included a mask contest. Becky Alexander won the Funniest Mask contest, Mark Effron modeled the winning Fanciest Mask designed by Rochelle Effron, and Jacob Bain won the children’s division.

Singer-songwriter Monika Schwartzman performed live from Vancouver, British Columbia.

“Of course there was also time set aside for just seeing and schmoozing with each other, something sorely needed when we all have been so isolated,” said Briann Shear, Hadassah New Orleans President.

Special “Hadassah Heroine” certificates were presented to Keepers of the Gate, who pledge annual gifts of $1,000 or more to Hadassah for as long as they are able.

November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life 45

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life

This column is being written amid the continually breaking news on Election Night in America. By the time it’s read, nearly both of its readers will know more than is known at its time of writing, more or less. Or will they…

The following are Election Night predictions, guaranteed to provide 100 percent accurate aforementions about what will be to have happened by the time almost both readers read this. To file any claims against this guarantee, please mail them to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 90210. Allow four to six weeks for delivery.

First and foremost, who will be happy about the election results? This is staggeringly simple to answer. Because of — and in spite of — the polls, it’s been obvious for weeks. Without any doubt, a significant number of Jews are happy with the election results so far, while a significant number are not. Meanwhile, numerous agnostics just don’t know.

Second and fivemost, what difference will the election make? Plenty.

Things will never be the same again, in fact.

Third and sixmost, now that things are at least this much closer to over, is everyone getting along yet? Not remotely. And if you ask anyone why that is, they point you straight to “them,” while supplementing that pronoun with other four-letter formations.

Fourth and sevenmost, is there anything that the entire Jewish people can agree about at this point? Absolutely: All can agree that if the next paragraph begins with “fifth and eightmost,” the only suitable response is civil war. Or forcing the columnist to attend minyan every day for a year.

Whichever comes worst.

It’s also noteworthy that after election night all Jews will be unified in one other way. They’ll all think that over 65 million voters are stupid. Of course, they disagree about which 65 million.

Nonethemore, now that this column has united the Jewish people in a way unseen since Abraham was the first Jew, it’s time to considerately consider some other considerations.

For nearly 2000 years, Jewish scholars Two Jews, have gone to great lengths to ensure that every two rabbis there are three opinthree opinions? for ions. They’ve gone through those mentalmatical gymnastics specifically to remind That prevents us that polarization — the reduction to a mere us-versus-them binarity — is, well, polarization polarizing.

Even modern Western Judaism has three main denominations, not two. Game, set, match. (Note: It wouldn’t work if it was just “game, set” or “game, match.” Or even “set, match.”) Even comedy works in threes, which is all the proof needed.

(Another note: For a great film about modern Western Judaism, see “The Frisco Kid.” Set in the 1849 gold rush, starring Gene Wilder as a rabbi and Harrison Ford as a bank robber in The Old West.)

Back to Judaism’s long tradition of defusing polarization. In the words of Rabbi Telfone, the great communicator, “every battery has two poles, but it’s the stuff in between that makes things work.” He realized this centuries before batteries were even invented.

His successor Rabbi Selfone made a farther-reaching connection, saying, “everyone is entitled to their wrong opinion.” The Talmud recounts, however, that his wife didn’t agree that it applied to him.

Speaking of recounts, count on the Torah to provide a recount of the first recount ever counted. (Take a moment to parse that sentence. There’s time.)

When the Big G was gearing up to destroy Sodom and Gemorah, continued on previous page

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November 2020 • Southern Jewish Life