Southern Jewish Life
December 2018 Volume 28 Issue 11
Southern Jewish Life P.O. Box 130052 Birmingham, AL 35213 Mural on the side of Northshore Jewish Congregation, Mandeville. Story, page 36.
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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A Cadillac makes a great Chanukah gift…
4 December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
shalom y’all
shalom y’all
It is sad but not surprising that the echoes of the bullets at Tree of Life in Pittsburgh had barely faded when politics, partisanship and accusations started to take over. As is often the case in complex stories and the rush to get information out, there were plenty of errors in the immediate coverage from Pittsburgh, some of which persist on social media. Some were relatively minor, such as the erroneous reports that the 97-year-old woman who was killed, Ruth Mallinger, was a Holocaust survivor. It was also quickly assumed that the shooter was inspired by President Trump, but it eventually came out that he hated Trump, who he saw as a merely a puppet of “the Jews.” That rush to judgment came back just before this issue wrapped, when a man shouted “Heil Hitler, Heil Trump” at a production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Baltimore. After the social mediasphere declared him just another Trump true believer, it turned out he shouted that as a protest at the hatred he perceived as coming from the administration. A few glasses of wine before the show also didn’t help his judgment. While the Pittsburgh attack was an unprecedented murder of Jews at prayer, it is far from unique. Have we forgotten the 2014 shooting at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, where three were killed (ironically, all of them non-Jews); the 2006 Seattle Jewish Federation shooting where one was killed; the 1999 Los Angeles JCC shooting — all of which predate “Trump’s America.” Not to mention the numerous synagogue bombings during the civil rights era, including what had been the worst attack on a Jewish prayer service,
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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 in in 1960. istration eager to jump all over him on to Gadsden Australia to South America, Europe and the JCC Maccabiwere games around the United States One of the more egregious stories after social media for his insensitivity to Jews. and Canada, I have logged many miles seeing how sports can be a vehicle to help build Jewish Pittsburgh came courtesy of Ha’Aretz, which It turns out the story was much more biidentity, especially in our young. published a story alleging that in the news- zarre. Pence and his office had nothing to do I feltMakor honored to come to Birmingham the first time fell in love of with not just the city paper Rishon, Israel’s Ashkenazifor Chief with theand appearance Loren Jacobs at the but the people. You have taken Southern hospitality to a new level with your kind and caring Rabbi David Lau refused to refer to Tree of Life Michigan campaign event — Jacobs had been approach to the JCC Maccabi Games. as a synagogue because it is not Orthodox. invited by the local Congressional candidate, The author of the Ha’Aretz piece, inciden- Lena Epstein, is Jewish. Pence had Led by the Sokol and Helds, your hard-working volunteers werewho wonderful. TheyAllpartnered tally, is theoutstanding same one who thoroughly was JCC that Maccabi there was “a rabbi” with your staff,wrote led byaBetzy Lynch, tobeen maketold the 2017 games a hugepreshit. misleading in August about Birmingent, hesay ended hisyou prayer “in the I want to takepiece this opportunity as executive director of though Maccabiwhen USA to thank on behalf ham’s JH Israel and the National Leadership name of Jesus,” that should have been a tipoff. of everyone involved. Center in Ariel, which led to this publication’s When the backlash began, Epstein cited her I had just returned from the 20th World Maccabiah games in Israel with a U.S. delegation of article correcting the record. four-generation membership at a synagogue over 1100, who joined 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries. Back in July the eyes of the entire As often happens, reporting from the in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where she is a past Jewish world were on Jerusalem and the Maccabiah. This past month with 1000 athletes and Ha’Aretz piece about Lau was picked up by the board member and her daughter received her coaches from around the world being in Birmingham, you became the focal point. Washington Post and spread from there to the Hebrew name earlier this year. She said she Everyone Press from the community and the community at large, including wonderful Associated andJewish beyond, with commeninvited Jacobs “because we amust unite as a police trashing force, areLau to be These games will go down in history as beingour a seminal tators forcommended. his insensitivity. nation — while embracing religious difmoment for the Jewish we build the futureafter by providing such wonderful Jewish The story spread likecommunity wildfire onassocial me-to ferences” what happened in Pittsburgh. memories. dia and was seen as just another example of That the “messianic” movement exists to the rabbinate denigrating the non-Orthodox try and convert Jews to Christianity, and that Jed Margolis streams Judaism. And how ExecutiveofDirector, Maccabi USA much worse, having people who were murdered because to do so in the immediate aftermath of such they were Jews memorialized by someone a tragedy. But anyone going to the original whose entire job is to convert Jews is at the supremacists would like to seetopushed back interview saw a completely different story. very least insensitive, seems be completely On Charlottesville into a corner and made to feel lesser. We stand Lau sought to shut down any discussion of lost on her. with and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, what Life is,tobecause “itinhas no In fact, she said anyone complaining about Editor’sflavor Note:Tree This of reaction the events who was appearance there standing“is up guilty to the face this relevancy to what happened. are talking Jacobs’ of ofnothing Charlottesville, written by JeremyWe Newman, hate. about Jews murdered Master of the Alpha Epsilonbecause Pi Theta they Colonywere short of religious intolerance and should be Jews… Does it make difference ” We recognize the essence of the American at Auburn University, wasany shared by AEPiwhich ashamed. synagogue theycalled attended which liturgical She is the who should be ashamed. narrative as a one two-century old struggle to rid It National, which it “veryoreloquent” and text of prayers they were reciting?” is akin to,ofafter 2016 and massacre at theingay ourselves suchthe corners, allow those praised “our brothers at AEPi Theta Colony at In theUniversity original Hebrew, heleadership did use the in at Orlando, a so pastor who them the seat the tableasking that they deserve. Auburn and… the theyterm nightclub for synagogue. specializes in “pray the gay away” conversion It is the struggle to fulfill the promise of the display on their campus.” He was further pressed by reports that therapy to offer a memorial prayer. Declaration of Independence, that “all men are some publications catering to the Orthodox created Should Pence,endowed upon hearing “rabbi”with refequal… by theirthe Creator White supremacy has been a cancer onthan erence world referred to a “Jewish center” rather Jesus, have rights. stepped away orour caused certain unalienable ” We know worka our country since beginning, threatening synagogue. After itssaying he often dislikes scene? Some who but think havewebeen silent is far from finished, weso know will not its hopes, its publications values, and itssay better what those andangels. “sometimes on Billbackwards. Clinton and other dignitaries nonchamove The events took place between in Charlottesville there is nothat connection what they lantly sharing the stage with notorious hater When men and women, fully armed, take represented the reality, worst of thisreiterated nation. Those write and the ” he that “we Louis Farrakhan at Aretha Franklin’s funeral. Is to the streets in droves with swastikas and whotalking marched ontoJews. the streets are about ” Whilewith he tiki saidtorches he has a funeral an appropriate place to register disother symbols of hate, it is a reminder of how and swastikas did sodisagreements to provoke violence strong ideological with and other approval, either? relevant the issues of racism and anti-Semitism fear. Those“so who marched onto the streets did branches, what?” So much of this speaks to the polarization in are today. It is a wake-up call to the work that so He to profess an ideology thatkilled harkens to continued, “Jews were in aback location our society, of the “gotcha” nature of partisanneeds to be done to ensure a better, more a bleaker, more wretched in our history. that the murderer saw astime having a prominent ship, the willingness to believe the absolute welcoming country. But it should not come A time when men and women of many Jewish character. A place with Torah creeds, scrolls, worst about those on the other side of the without a reflection on how far we’ve come. races, and religions wereshawls, far fromaequal andwith far spectrum. Jews wearing prayer place America was bornof a slave A century from safe in ourwhere own borders. time where prayer books, peopleAcame in order The propagation falsenation. narratives — yes, into our a war— in part Americans under a constant cloud of to be closerlived to G-d. This is why the murderer one mayhistory even we callengaged it “fake innews” doesn’t to ensure we would not continue as one. should We racism,specifically anti-Semitism andand pervasive hate. The came here not somewhere help. Whenever possible, such wounds found confronted thehaste issueto ofpoint civil events took place else in that order to kill. ” in Charlottesville served not beourselves self-inflicted throughbythe rights, and embarked as JTA a reminder of how painfully was among the outlets relevant runningthese stories fingers at “the other.” on a mission to ensure fair treatment all peoples matter their issues are today. about Lau’s “refusal,” relying on the Post story, theThat, in a way, isofwhat got usno here. skin color. Although we’ve made great strides, butAuburn’s Editor-in-Chief Andrew Silow-Carroll later Alpha Epsilon Pi stands with the it is a mission we’re still grappling with today. wrote that Lau did not deserve the headlines. Jewish community of Charlottesville, and In another story, headlines blared that Vice America was also born an immigrant with the Jewish people around the country President PenceWe hadalso invited rabbi and aroundMike the world. stand awith theto country. As early as the pilgrims, many say a prayerwho for are thetargeted Pittsburgh victims, but the groups and families found in the country the minorities by the hate that “rabbi” outCharlottesville. to be “messianic. Naturally, opportunity to plantBrook, stakes, Publisher/Editor chase their future, was on turned display in We”stand Lawrence those who are not of fans of the current with the minorities whom these whiteadmin- and be themselves. Few were met with open 6
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
December 2018 January 2018
Southern Jewish Life PUBLISHER/EDITOR Lawrence M. Brook editor@sjlmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING Lee J. Green lee@sjlmag.com V.P. SALES/MARKETING, NEW ORLEANS Jeff Pizzo jeff@sjlmag.com ADVERTISING SPECIALIST Annetta Dolowitz annetta@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 14 Office Park Circle #104 Birmingham, AL 35223 205/870.7889 NEW ORLEANS OFFICE 3747 West Esplanade, 3rd Floor Metairie, LA 70002 504/432-2561 TOLL-FREE 866/446.5894 FAX 866/392.7750 ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries to 205/870.7889 for Lee Green, lee@sjlmag.com; Jeff Pizzo, jeff@sjlmag.com; or Annetta Dolowitz, annetta@sjlmag.com Media kit, rates available upon request SUBSCRIPTIONS It has always been our goal to provide a large-community quality publication to all communities of the South. To that end, our commitment includes mailing to every Jewish household in the region (AL, LA, MS, NW FL), without a subscription fee. Outside the area, subscriptions are $25/year, $40/two years. Subscribe via sjlmag.com, call 205/870.7889 or mail payment to the address above. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed in SJL are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. SJL makes no claims as to the Kashrut of its advertisers, and retains the right to refuse any advertisement.
Documenting this community, a community we are members of and active within, is our passion. We love what we do, and who we do it for.
agenda interesting bits & can’t miss events
On Nov. 2, members of B’nai Israel in Panama City held their first Shabbat service since Hurricane Michael tore through the area on Oct. 10.
Adam Wright recommended as new Emanu-El rabbi Pending a congregational vote on Dec. 9, Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El has found a new rabbi. Congregational President Al Cohn announced on Nov. 20 that the search committee “whole-heartedly recommended” Rabbi Adam Wright, and the Board of Directors unanimously agreed. Wright is associate rabbi at Temple Solel, a 700-member congregation in Cardiff-by-the Sea, Calif., in the San Diego area. He has served there since he was ordained at the Los Angeles campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2014. Wright visited the congregation the weekend of Oct. 19, and felt “this is home.” A native of West Bloomfield, Mich., Wright graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in religion and Judaic studies. He pursued graduate studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, earning a Master’s in Theological Studies. Growing up in the Midwest, there was an emphasis on “family, faith and a sense of belonging” that is also prevalent in the South. While at Vanderbilt, he worked with Lynda Gutcheon, long-time educator at The Temple in Nashville. “She exposed me to Southern Jewish life that I’d never really seen before,” he said. He enrolled at HUC-JIR to start his rabbinic training, and served several congregations in California. He and his wife, Rachel, a pediatrician, wanted to find a community where faith and social action matter, and which has an academic and intellectual tradition. When he saw the opening at Emanu-El, “I jumped in.” He knew about the congregation through a consulting firm that worked with former
Emanu-El Rabbi Jonathan Miller during the congregation’s renovations. He also had been to the area before. At Temple Solel, he created the Hartman Leadership Program for grades 11 and 12, which includes a civil rights tour to Alabama, Selma, Birmingham and Montgomery. Another trip to Little Rock and Memphis is forthcoming. “It’s fun to take a lot of Southern California Jewish teens” and show them other regions of the country, he said. When he and his wife visited in October, “within a matter of minutes, we realized we were in the right place… we absolutely fell in love with it.” He cited the history from Samuel Ullman to Rabbi Grafman, to the current long tenure of Cantor Jessica Roskin, as showing Emanu-El as “a place where people want to belong.” “I felt this was something I wanted to be part of,” he said. In California, he developed advanced studies lectures, many with an interfaith angle. He also has been a strong advocate for Israel, including serving on the advisory committee for Stand With Us. The Wrights will be in Birmingham for a “meet and greet” Chanukah event on Dec. 6, Shabbat services and a dinner on Dec. 7, and additional programs to be announced. The congregation will meet on Dec. 9. December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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As many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives switched from Republican to Democrat, Elaine Luria was part of the trend in a narrow victory over incumbent Scott Taylor in Virginia’s second district. Luria, a native of Birmingham’s Jewish community who also has family in New Orleans, received 139,350 votes to Taylor’s 133,335 in the Nov. 6 election. The district was seen as a possible swing district, having voted for President Donald Trump by a 3 point margin, but in 2017 preferring Democrat Ralph Northam by 4 points in the gubernatorial election. In April 2017, Luria retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years of service. After her victory, she said she is “honored to once again answer the call to serve our country and look forward to representing Virginia’s Second District in Congress.” She told Taylor’s supporters that “my door will be open, my phones will be on. And my job now is to work hard for all of my constituents, regardless of who they voted for on Election Day.” The hard-fought race included allegations that the Taylor campaign was supporting a third-party candidate in an effort to split the opposition, including his campaign staffers allegedly forging signatures on petitions to get the third party candidate on the ballot. The Friday before the election, Norfolk resident Clair Berube reported that two hooded men knocked on her door and asked if she and her son were planning to vote in the election. When they replied that they were, one of them said not to vote for Luria, using an anti-Semitic slur. “It’s very unfortunate in 2018 that we have this kind of division in the country and this hatred and polarization,” said Luria. “I feel that people know that when they go vote on Tuesday that they’re really voting for the future of our country.” Taylor told 13News Now that “Antisemitism and hate have zero place in a civil society. The alleged behavior we were made aware of is appalling and I condemn it in the strongest possible way.” An Indian Springs alumna, Luria graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997 with a degree in physics and history. After being commissioned, she served aboard the USS O’Brien, based in Yokosuka, Japan. When she entered the academy, women were not allowed to serve on combat ships, but that ban was lifted in 1995, and she became one of the first women able to serve her entire career on a ship. When she retired, she was commander of Assault Craft Unit TWO. Under her command, the unit deployed to operations in Honduras, Panama and Norway, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations following Hurricanes Joaquin and Matthew. In 2013, she also became a small businesswoman, establishing the Mermaid Factory in Norfolk, and later a second location in Virginia Beach. The Mermaid Factory has blank mermaids and dolphins that visitors can paint and decorate. In her victory remarks, Luria said “I have always been honest about what kind of leader I will be — an independent voice who will put country over party and lead in a bipartisan way. While I will always look for common ground, while I will always be willing to listen, I will never compromise when it comes the Coastal Virginia values of decency, community, and service to country that we all hold dear.”
pittsburgh
Photos by Rabbi Barry Altmark
Street outside Birmingham’s Beth-El filled in statement of solidarity Pittsburgh vigil one of largest events in local Jewish community history Birmingham has long been known as the Pittsburgh of the South, because of the city’s iron and steel manufacturing history. A couple of days after a gunman opened fire at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, a crowd of over 2000 assembled for an evening memorial outside Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El on Oct. 30. Rabbi Stephen Slater of Beth-El welcomed “people of all faiths and people of none.” He said the Jewish community was “humbled by your support at this difficult time.” He thanked the first responders and police in Pittsburgh, as well as the Birmingham police for their support. “Something broke this Shabbat,” Slater said. “A sacred trust was betrayed. The trust that here in America we respect people of other faiths, and their right to worship, was broken. And for that, all of us are lessened.” But the gathering was “to restore that trust. To enact our sacred commitment to each other as fellow Americans who will stand together and face down hatred when it rears its foul head.” Slater told the interfaith crowd that “Tonight we share a single faith — the faith that the God we all serve wept over the killing of innocent Jews in Pittsburgh. Tonight we share a single hope that this must never again occur in a house of worship in our country.” Black ribbons were distributed to those in attendance, and it was explained that those are worn “when we lose people that we love.” The ribbons are used for k’riah, the act of tearing clothes while in mourning, but the crowd was asked to “merely pin it to symbolize the rending.” Representatives from all sectors of the local Jewish community took part in the program, which was organized by all 10 local Jewish congregations and agencies, and Faith in Action Alabama. Rabbi Moshe Rube of Knesseth Israel said “we cannot make sense of this horrific tragedy, and we should not try.” He spoke of Jewish teachings that compare each person to the world in its entirety, and 11 worlds were lost on Oct. 27. He urged the crowds to “build the world in the name of those who can not any more.” Each act of kindness, Rube said, “helps build the world.” He said, “storm the heavens with our prayers,” because “our brethren could not complete their prayer, so we must do it for them.”
“Today, we look to our fellow native Birminghamians and see the faces of love,” Rube said. “The faces that prove to the world that anyone who fuels hate, evil and murder will always be outnumbered by the unified forces of brotherhood, by those that recognize and appreciate the world contained in each human being and who are ready to take up the tools to raise what was made low.” Many representatives from the local Christian and Muslim communities were attendance, as was U.S. Senator Doug Jones. Statements of support were sent by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. In Woodfin’s statement, which Slater read, Woodfin called it “one of the most heinous hate crimes in American history.” He was taught that “our synagogues, our churches and mosques, are supposed to be among the safest spaces in our communities, places where people of faith come together to share fellowship, receive teaching and wisdom, find support and reassurance and practice peacefully one of the core freedoms that we as Americans are guaranteed.” By continuing to congregate, “we will be expressing the depth of our belief in the ability of our nation to meet challenges, to overcome flaws, to carry on in the face of even the most incomprehensible of tragedies.” Birmingham’s own history makes “our city especially attuned to the pain now reverberating through Pittsburgh,” as the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church “brought Birmingham to grips with the horrors that can be wrought by the forces of fear and hatred. But it also delivered us unto the realization that the time for constructive engagement and positive change was nigh.” “Birmingham’s Jewish community continues to have my full support, along with my heartfelt prayers and my undying admiration and appreciation,” Woodfin said. Rev. J.R. Finney of Community Covenant Church, clergy leader for Faith in Action Alabama, spoke of Shalom, saying “I can’t help but think those 11 Jewish brothers and sisters who I’m sure greeted each other with “Shalom” on Saturday; and my hearts breaks knowing they never had the opportunity to say “Shalom” again to each other in parting.” December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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OFFICE OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY
THIS IS AUBURN. “This wonderful country of ours allows us to gather together, to be Jewish and be free… I’m grateful I can be Jewish and a basketball coach in the SEC.”
— Auburn Head Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl, at the 2017 JCC Maccabi Games Opening Ceremony
WE ARE COMMUNITY. Hillel, Auburn University’s Jewish student organization, was the recipient of the 2015 AU Student Involvement Award for Overcoming Adversity. diversity@auburn.edu www.auburn.edu/diversity
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
Unity: Rabbi Yossi Friedman from Chabad of Alabama, Rabbi Moshe Rube of Orthodox congregation Knesseth Israel, UAB Chaplain Cantor Michael Horwitz, Rabbi Stephen Slater of the Conservative Temple Beth-El and Cantor Jessica Roskin of Birmingham’s Reform congregation, Temple Emanu-El, recite the Kaddish and lead “Oseh Shalom.” His shalom is also a commitment to “stand in solidarity with our Jewish community in prayer for our country, pleading ‘How long, Adonai, how long,’ must we wait until this evil stops, until we can respect each other’s personhood, differences, and worth?” Jimmy Krell, who grew up in Pittsburgh, lit the 11 memorial candles as the names were read by Temple Emanu-El Cantor Jessica Roskin in the middle of the El Malei Rachamim memorial prayer. Roskin also recited an English version of the Kaddish that has been written in response to gun violence. The Hebrew version was led by the clergy from the community’s four synagogues, and Cantor Michael Horwitz, chaplain at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. Rabbi Yossi Friedman from Chabad of Alabama recalled playing basketball when he was at Yeshiva School in Pittsburgh. “I remember Tree of Life Synagogue. They were the only team we had a chance against,” he said. “I prefer to remember Tree of Life Synagogue that way, rather than the headlines that made it world famous this week.” Friedman discussed what each person can do in the aftermath of Pittsburgh, saying the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Schneerson, taught of the importance to “turn hate and tears into positive action,” because then light always prevails. “I look around tonight,” Friedman said, “and this is the America I prefer to see us as. This is who we are.” He gave three ways to “add goodness and kindness to those around you that you know, and that you don’t know.” A Charidy website has been set up, “respondwithlight,” to collect 1100 good deeds “in memory of the 11 souls that were taken away from us.” He continued, “the world can’t be what it needs to be without you, so be the one to do the mitzvah.” He also urged participation in that week’s national #ShowUpForShabbat effort, and encouraged Jews to put mezuzahs on their doors, “especially the front door, because this is America and we can.” Sarah Metzger, music and youth director at Beth-El, led several songs throughout the program, including “Hashkiveinu: Let There Be Love,” “Olam Chesed Yibaneh, the World is Built on Love,” “Od Yavo Shalom, May Peace Come Upon Us,” “Oseh Shalom” and “We Won’t Back Down.” After the final song, Slater said “let’s commit to coming together in new ways… I want us to dream together of a community that embraces everyone” — even those who are struggling with hate, “how can we draw them in?” Slater referenced Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the greatest Jewish philosophers of the 20th century, who marched with Martin Luther King in Selma in 1965 and said “it felt like my feet were praying.” He urged the crowd to let their feet pray in a quiet march down Highland Avenue. Holding their phones with the lights on, the crowd then walked down the block to Temple Emanu-El and gradually dispersed.
pittsburgh
Shir Chadash overflows as New Orleans community remembers Pittsburgh congregants Vigil held just a day after the deadly attack One day after 11 Jews were murdered during Shabbat services at Tree of Life in Pittsburgh, an overflow crowd filled the sanctuary and social hall of Shir Chadash in Metairie for a community vigil. Members of the general community joined with representatives of every branch of the local Jewish community in the Oct. 28 memorial service, which concluded with the placing of hundreds of stones on the steps of the pulpit, reminiscent of the practice at Jewish cemeteries. Shir Chadash, like Tree of Life in Pittsburgh, is a Conservative congregation. Shir Chadash President Julie Finger said “it is tremendously touching to see such an outpouring of support from the greater New Orleans community,” with over 500 in attendance for the quickly-called event. She continued, “let us show the world at large that love will always be greater than hate, that good can and will triumph over evil, and let their memory be for a blessing.” Rabbi Alexis Berk of Touro Synagogue cited a Talmudic story where one is to leave space in one’s stomach so if one becomes angry, he or she does not feel distressed. “I just feel really angry right now,” Berk said. “Angry that we are gathered again as citizens and members of communities that mourn and grieve atrocities at the human hand.” Citing a quote that anger is the deepest form of compassion, she said the anger should be used “that we may be the change we need to see in our world.”
Rabbi Deborah Silver of Shir Chadash spoke of the symbolism of the tree in Jewish lore, starting with the Tree of Life, the Etz Chaim, which first referred to wisdom, and later to Torah. “When the congregation called Etz Chaim has been so cruelly struck, then it falls to us, each of us in this room, each of us in this community, each of us in this city, each of us across the world to be that tree, to be an etz chaim, each of us in our way,” she said. “We have to represent the way that it is possible to grow again and we have to represent the possibility of growing deeper, growing stronger, growing more beautiful and reaching to the sky in the memory of those who have been lost. Each of us is an Etz Chaim… we must not fall.” Beth Israel Rabbi Gabe Greenberg led the El Malei Rachamim, reciting the 11 names. He said usually when it is recited graveside, it is for a peaceful transition for the departed from this world to the next, but in this circumstance, “I struggle.” He also urged those in attendance to focus on the 11 and consider what to do upon waking up tomorrow, to help prevent such attacks in the future. Rabbi Matt Reimer of Temple Sinai referenced a favorite saying of Mr. Rogers, whose real-life neighborhood was in Pittsburgh. In bad situations, “always look for the helpers,” he reminded. Reimer led an English Kaddish that was written to be recited after gun violence, then led the crowd in Kaddish in Hebrew. Rabbi Yossi Nemes from Chabad of Metairie said everyone in the Jewish community can identify with those who were lost. “All of us have that bubbe that has been sitting in the front row for 50, 60, 70 years.” He added, “There is a lot of work we have to do in the days ahead… both practical and spiritual.” At a meeting earlier in the day, Nemes said, Rabbi Zelig Rivkin, who heads Chabad of Louisiana, said every Temple and Synagogue in New Orleans “should look like Rosh Hashanah, should be packed” during the coming weekend, “to show that we persevere.” Nemes said the service “is Members of the New Orleans City Council were among the about coming together as one” speakers at the Oct. 28 event as in New Orleans “we are a
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pittsburgh very unified community.” Though there is unity, he said the attack was still an important reminder. “An attack on the Etz Chaim, Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, is an attack not only on Shir Chadash, but on Gates of Prayer and Beth Israel and Chabad Center and all the other synagogues in New Orleans… we’re all in this together as one family.” Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto referenced Rivkin’s call, saying that on a typical weekend, “millions of us went to services and we went home safely, but it wasn’t a news story.” Lopinto said “we can’t let evil take that” away from congregations. “We have to make sure that we can come together as people and continue to worship.” To that end, he said, “Next week I want every synagogue down this corridor to be packed. On behalf of me and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff ’s Office and the men and women that I lead, we’ll be outside to protect you. You come on inside and do what you have to do. We’ll be here for you.” Rabbi David Gerber from Gates of Prayer noted that Jews are “a stubborn people. We are no strangers to the fall, but we are masters of the rise.” That is because “we’re commanded to find blessing in every single day,” even in days where one can’t find the blessing. “God tasks us to find goodness.” Gerber said “we are in a dark time… (but) there are sparks of light, and it is for this light that we give thanks at this moment.” He told the non-Jewish guests “we Jews have fallen before, but never have we had so many hands reaching to help us up. Blessed is the light within you.” Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans CEO Arnie Fielkow also spoke about the response in the greater community, “the expressions of unity and support coming from every corner to condemn the terrible acts of yesterday.” Federation Board Chair Designate Joshua Force said the incident is a reminder of the importance of security. He said the Federation instituted a program several months ago to work on a security plan for area synagogues and Jewish agencies. Chaired by Aaron Ahlquist of the Anti-Defamation League and Irwin Lachoff, the committee is working with the Jewish Federations of North America’s Secure Communities Network “to identify and develop standardized practices to make our community safer, more resilient, better integrated and better informed.” More information will be coming in the weeks ahead, he added. Ahlquist, regional director of the ADL, said “we all have the right to feel safe when we are in our houses of worship. The act of prayer in a sacred place should not put one’s life at risk.” Numerous political leaders also spoke, starting with U.S. Representative Steve Scalise, who was severely wounded last year as a gunman opened fire on a baseball practice for Republicans in Congress. The Pittsburgh attack “was a clear display of anti-Semitism, of the bigotry that’s still out there and unfortunately still persists.” But he continued, “What also persists, and what is more important, is in the face of that bigotry, this country shows unity. We come together.” Scalise said there are people with evil in their hearts. “I’ve seen it personally,” he continued. “From the one act of evil that I saw — that’s not what sticks with me. What sticks with me is that out of that one act of evil, the thousands of acts of kindness, of unity, of warmth. That’s what gave me strength.” He concluded, “We’re not going to let the Jewish community be out there on an island by themselves.” Many members of the New Orleans City Council spoke, led by Council President Jason Williams, who reached out to ZBT brothers around the country. “There was a lot of anger,” he said. “An attack on a synagogue is an attack on any house of faith,” Williams
pittsburgh said. “An attack on a Jewish home is an attack on my home. An attack on a Jewish person is an attack on me. And in the end, we don’t remember the words of our enemies. We remember the silence of our friends.” Councilman Joe Giarrusso, a member of Temple Sinai, said he is “tired of having to explain to my children why they are not safe.” As a member of the local Jewish community and “here with all my brothers and sisters on the council… if there is one thing I am heartened by, (it) is the outreach of other faith leaders who stand together with us.” Councilor Jarett Brossett spoke of the “strength in numbers” of those at the commemoration. “We will speak out every chance we get, because we will not let evil prevail.” Councilor Helena Moreno said “this is really hard.” She said, “the local Catholic community actually has a prayer that we recite every Sunday — it’s our Family Prayer — and part of it says ‘Give us the perseverance to be a voice for life and human dignity’. “By all of us coming together,” Moreno continued, “we are that persevering voice, calling for love, acceptance, peace, compassion and unity. We all strongly stand with you and we will win.” Councilman Jay Banks took a different angle, saying he was “sick and tired of having to come to these. “This week it was a Jewish synagogue. It’s been an African Methodist Episcopal Church. It has been mosques. It has been far too many instances like this. The question is: ‘When will the adults in the room going to step up and say we’ve got to stop this’?” Banks continued, “As long as we allow the gasoline of hatred to be poured on this fire, it is going to continue to blaze up… Hold the people accountable that have the ability to pump the brakes on this.” Councilor Kristin Palmer said this is an era where words and actions can open doors to hatred. “Only us in this room, in this city and in this country, can close that door through our actions.” In the middle of the service, Temple Sinai Cantor Joel Colman, Gates of Prayer Cantorial Soloist Tory May and Touro Synagogue Cantor Kevin Margolius led the crowd in “Heal Us Now,” a song May said was “very familiar for a lot of us in 2005” after Katrina. The final line of the Kaddish, “Oseh Shalom,” a prayer for peace, was also the closing song, led by Colman, May and Margolious. After the conclusion, Silver invited everyone to bring a stone and place it on the steps of the bimah before filing out.
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pittsburgh At Emanu-El, Sen. Jones draws parallels to 1963 bombing at 16th Street Three days after an estimated 2,000 people jammed Birmingham’s Highland Avenue in front of Temple Beth-El on Oct. 30 to remember the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who was part of the remembrance crowd that night, “Showed Up for Shabbat” at Temple Emanu-El. Jones spoke at Emanu-El during a national initiative — #ShowUpForShabbat — which was conceived as a response to the Pittsburgh tragedy. Jews nationwide were urged to make a special effort to attend synagogue Nov. 2 and 3 as an act of solidarity, support and remembrance. The synagogue’s large sanctuary was heavily crowded and, in addition to those who typically attend on Friday nights, included people who came to express their support and solidarity in the wake of the Pittsburgh tragedy and to hear Jones. Jones, a Democrat who narrowly defeated Republican candidate Roy Moore last year in a bitter and hard-fought race, served from 1997 to 2001 as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, which covers Birmingham. In that role, he successfully prosecuted two of the men who perpetrated the infamous 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963, which killed four young black girls. In his remarks at Emanu-El, Jones drew comparisons between the Oct. 27 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre and the Birmingham church bombing which took place on a Sunday morning. He said that the message of the prayer gathering at Beth-El — “a call for unity not division, love not hate” — was the same one “heard in Birmingham in 1963” and one that has been heard more recently across the U.S. in response to violent attacks on religious and other institutions. “We are living in a very politically toxic environment right now, it is straining families and friendships,” Jones observed, as he recounted some of the recent hate crimes and violent attacks that have occurred in America. “I am afraid we have moved into dangerous territory.” Added Jones, “I contend we live in a very important time… intolerance is acceptable again, notions of civility have been thrown out the window. “Some of our leaders on both sides of the political aisle promote this kind of environment using hate and prejudice and ridicule as a means to winning elections and gaining power,” he lamented. “Civility is the hallmark of a mature democracy… we can disagree without insult. “Leaders should win by sharing a compelling vision of the future while hate and ridicule should be left behind,” he continued. “I am not talking about one side or the other, and while I personally believe and will candidly say that I believe the president is the offender-in-chief here, he is not alone. I have seen Republican friends of mine — colleagues — harassed in restaurants, airports and in the halls of the Senate office buildings in part because of the urging of Democratic leaders,” Jones added. “We have to do better.” He further argued that people aren’t always willing to make the connection between bigoted and inflammatory rhetoric and violent and murderous acts of hate, and, he said, in some instances where they do, they blame others, not themselves. As someone who has studied the Civil Rights movement, Jones believes that the bigoted and racist language and culture promoted by government leaders and other civic officials at the time “empowered the Klan.” “Let no one doubt the link” between that rhetoric and the murderous and violent attacks and attempted attacks that took place against black churches and synagogues during the darkest days of the Civil Rights era, he explained. Furthermore, he maintained as he continued his call for civility, “the truth is that most American families, regardless of political persuasion, worry about the same things” — things that affect their family’s well-being such as paying bills and healthcare. “We have more in common than 14
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
pittsburgh all the differences that divide us.” Jones, a native Alabamian, also believes that Birmingham and the South in general, scenes of some of the nation’s most violent and bloody incidents, can be a place “where healing can begin.” As an example, he noted there are many different denominations in the heavily religious South, “but neighbors are willing to help one another.” In a reference to the healing that has taken place in the aftermath of the Civil Rights movement, he said, “The South can lead our nation to a better place, not only because we know how to do it but because we have done it.” America, he said as he concluded, is at a “watershed moment” and the country can get to a better place by everyone “working on the betterment of ourselves.” Americans “are proficient at the art of compromise… for 250 years we have found ways to work together.”
Rabbi Steven Jacobs speaks at the vigil in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 30, held between Temple Emanu-El and the Alabama Hillel.
Shreveport: “We’re not going to stop now” In Shreveport, Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith held a press event on Oct. 31, featuring members of the Jewish, Catholic, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and Unitarian communities. The event was at Church for the Highlands, whose pastor, Rev. John Henson, said they were standing “with our Jewish brothers and sisters… to condemn the acts of violence perpetrated this week.” The religious leaders spoke out about the need to not teach hate, and to not be silent in the face of evil. The Tree of Life shooting “happened because of hating the other, Agudath Achim Cantor Neil Schwartz said. “The only solution is to stop teaching hate and to stop saying hateful words.” Schwartz, Rabbi Jana De Benedetti of B’nai Zion and Bethany Sorkey of the North Louisiana Jewish Federation wrote a joint letter to the greater Shreveport community, saying that while the pain of what happened in Pittsburgh “is almost unbearable,” the Jewish community does not lose faith. “We are comforted by the outpouring of support from the non-Jewish community here. Our friends and neighbors here have reached out to say that they mourn with us and stand with us against hatred and violence,” they wrote. On Nov. 2, B’nai Zion held a solidarity Shabbat service. “Hatred is not going to stop us from coming to services,” De Benedetti said. “Most of this is going to be a regular Shabbat service, because that’s the point… We haven’t cancelled Shabbat in over 5,000 years and we’re not going to stop now, for any reason.”
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• December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
As congregations across the region gathered to try and sort out what happened in Pittsburgh, Etz Chayim in Huntsville had a particularly close view. Rabbi Stephen Listfield of Atlanta, who is the monthly visiting rabbi for Huntsville’s Conservative congregation, used to be the rabbi at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life and knew six of the 11 who were murdered. Ordained in 1974, Listfield became rabbi of Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery in 2002, leaving to become rabbi at Tree of Life in 2006. He was rabbi at Tree of Life until 2009, when he took a sabbatical year as part of an agreement as the congregation was merging with Or L’Simcha. On Oct. 28, the afternoon after the shooting, he sat with members of Etz Chayim to give his reflections, and discuss security. He had spent the entire previous night talking with friends in Pittsburgh. He also spoke at a community memorial service at Ahavath Achim in Atlanta on Oct. 30, talking about the six that he knew, “five of them quite well.” The others had joined the congregation as part of the mergers after he left. The victims were “11 Jews who simply loved their synagogue, felt it was their home and wanted to worship.” He continued, “whatever you heard about the kindness, decency, gentleness, sweetness, innocence, goodness of the people who were killed, I knew them, and it was 1000 times more than the TV could possibly report.” Listfield said he and his wife used to see brothers Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and David Rosenthal, 54, “all the time.” They had a condition called Fragile X, which led to mental deficiencies. They were “always in the synagogue, unable to work, living in a group home,” Listfield said. “They were always greeting everyone, and they made everybody happy.” Their parents are very elderly and living in Florida, “and they entrusted our country to take care of their sons.” If you put the Rosenthal brothers in a room for a week with a flea, in the entire week “they would not have been able to figure out how to harm the flea, but they were murdered,” Listfield said. For Rose Mallinger, 97, the synagogue was her second home, he said, and she was there “all the time. “She was old, but she was young… trust me, she was younger than anybody here,” Listfield said. Her daughter was wounded in the attack. He also remembered Sylvan Simon, 86, and Bernice Simon, 84, who were married at Tree of Life six decades ago. “You know them because they are the bedrock of what every single community is, what every Jewish community, Christian or Muslim, Hindu or Sikh… just the best people,” Listfield said. “These people are your neighbors, maybe they are your family, maybe they are you or me.” Among those he did not know was Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, a noted AIDS doctor. Listfield noted that Rabinowitz would hold the hands of AIDS patients, despite being urged by others to wear gloves. “I’m not going to wear a glove, I’m going to touch their hands,” he would say. After attending a gathering at The Temple in Atlanta on Oct. 30, Listfield said he turned on the news and saw that “the blame continues,” with the “what abouters” pointing fingers at the other side and acting like 8-year-olds on a playground. He asked, “where is leadership? Where are our leaders?” The 11 were “taken from us meaninglessly,” Listfield said. “The dearest people who lived the most serene of lives, who were nothing but kindness and gentleness… who were my friends, killed in cold blood for some maniacal reason. We saw that.” Listfield noted that the incident is going into the record books as the
pittsburgh worst attack on a Jewish worship service in U.S. history. “Jews don’t accept that kind of record book,” he said, and they should be in the record books for a different reason. That week’s Torah portion was about the death of Sarah, but the title is “Chaye Sarah,” the life of Sarah. “The 11 people who were murdered… they are going to go into the record books because of life. Those people were so kind, so simply generous, so innocent, the world has no idea. We’re going to celebrate that.” As the nation’s leaders blame and insult each other, “We’re going to say something until this country gets it, that we’re all going to be sweeter, better, kinder and gentler, and learn how to love each other better.”
On Oct. 29, a multi-faith vigil was held at the Holocaust memorial in downtown Alexandria
New Orleans Mayor Cantrell shows love at Temple Sinai As congregations across the country emphasized #ShowUpForShabbat the weekend of Nov. 2, at Temple Sinai in New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell showed up and addressed the congregation. She spoke about combatting darkness and showing love. “The only thing that will crowd out dark will always be light,” she said. The darkness the previous weekend in Pittsburgh “touched us, but we continue to show that we are the light and we have to be the light, even in times when there are people who express their hate and try to dim our light or even extinguish it altogether.” “Darkness is definitely among us,” she said, “but it is not us.” She spoke of the “power of community” to be present, “touch one another and show love.” As mayor, Cantrell said, “I want you to know that my heart was hurt just like yours… but it has given me a real passion to recommit myself, and hopefully you as well, to do everything possible to uplift the lives of all people… We have a responsibility to do it.” She noted that the last funeral for “our 11 citizens whose lives were taken” at Tree of Life occurred earlier that day. “I’m just here this evening to show my love, in ways I can, and the best way is to be present, to touch you and show you love.” She told the congregation, “You will always be a part of the fabric of the city of New Orleans.” Cantrell concluded her remarks with “Thank you and Shabbat Shalom.”
An Attack Against One Faith is an Attack on All Faiths The freedom to worship without fear is a right to be fiercely protected. There can be no tolerance for acts of anti-Semitism. We stand together as a community in condemning religious bigotry and the cowardly act of vandalism that defaced the Mandeville synagogue.
District Attorney Warren Montgomery speaking at a solidarity gathering at the Northshore Jewish Congregation, Sept. 16. Photo Credit: Anya Nebeker of Geaux Smile Photography No public funds were used to pay for this ad
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Though Rabbi Barry Block of B’nai Israel in Little Rock had promised to introduce each of the politicians, candidates and clergy attending the Oct. 29 vigil, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson advised him not to — because when Block called them up to the bimah, this is how many were there. “This level of support is not taken for granted,” Block said. “We are a very blessed community.”
Interfaith gathering fills sactuary at Mobile’s Ahavas Chesed On Oct. 30, about 500 packed the sanctuary at Ahavas Chesed in Mobile for a prayer service, which was followed by a candlelight vigil in front of the building. Mayor Sandy Stimpson called for the Mobile community to unite as an example to the world. Ahavas Chesed Rabbi Steve Silberman said the “community turned out beautifully” for the evening, in a demonstration of that unity. “For each one of you, for each one of us to set aside time and bring caring into the broken world is more spiritually compelling than any other element of life itself,” he said. That is much more powerful than the choice of a person “to bring wickedness and cruelty and hate and destruction into our world.” Rabbi Yossi Goldwasser from Chabad of Mobile and Springhill Avenue Temple President Michael Pereira also spoke, along with Springhill Avenue Temple Ritual Chair Jonathan Fratkin. Law enforcement was represented by Richard Moore, U.S. District Attorney for Southern Alabama; James Jewell, FBI Special Agent in Charge; and Mobile Police Assistant Chief Clay Godwin. Godwin said the event “rejuvenated my faith in humanity” and said the Mobile Police Department would do everything they can to protect the Jewish community and those of all other faiths. Moore echoed that, saying the Pittsburgh attack was “an attack on all faiths,” not just the Jewish community. Rev. Joy Blaylock of Episcopal Church of the Redeemer spoke of “the compassion, the wisdom and brilliance of the Jewish faith,” which “changed my life and that of millions across the world.”
Photo courtesy Rob Herbst, The Catholic Week
Mayor Sandy Stimpson speaks at Ahavas Chesed on Oct. 30 She was there “as a friend, a minister, a wife, a mother, to denounce every form of racism, bigotry and hatred that is stirring or being stirred among us.” Among the other religious representatives were Imam Ron Ali of the Mobile Masjid of Al-Islam, Buzz Wilcoxon of Springhill Presbyterian Church, Pastor Ellen Sims of Open Table United Church of Christ, and Archibishop of Mobile Thomas Rodi. “The darkness cannot overcome the light,” Rodi said. “May we be a light and encourage others to be a light as well.” Silberman told the crowd that “you are adding indescribable holiness to this synagogue and every synagogue, every church, every mosque, every house of worship here and beyond.”
Flynt reminds of the power of words
A diverse group of clergy from Hattiesburg attended a solidarity Shabbat at B’nai Israel on Nov. 2. Neil Solomon, president of the congregation, is from Pittsburgh. 18
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
In Auburn, about 300 attended a Nov. 3 vigil at Beth Shalom, with 11 different religious representatives lighting memorial candles for the 11 Jews who were murdered at Tree of Life in Pittsburgh. Wayne Flynt, professor emeritus in Auburn University’s history department, said that though one might ask why a Baptist preacher was one of the main speakers at the event, “tonight, we are all Jewish.” Flynt spoke about the power of words, from the Biblical notion that words carry the power of creation. He said words need to be used carefully, because “what happened in Pittsburgh did happen in Alabama half a century ago,” when individuals motivated by hate-filled rhetoric from leaders killed four girls in bombing the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, and killed another 13-year-old later that day. “The guns that kill are fired by the people who hate, who listen to words of bigotry and misrepresentation spoken by people we elect to office, who are often unworthy of our respect,” Flynt said. Mayor-elect Ron Anders said he would propose a city diversity task force, to “bring Auburn to its greatest place.”
pittsburgh At Mississippi State, university community turns out in solidarity On Oct. 31, Hillel at Mississippi State University held a vigil at the Chapel of Memories on campus, and the 125-seat venue was filled to overflowing. There were 12 white roses standing individually in the front of the chapel, for the 11 who were murdered in Pittsburgh and one for all those who are murdered in hate crimes. The vigil was coordinated by Hillel at Mississippi State, which has about 20 to 30 active members. President Tyler Daniel opened the vigil by saying “Your support means more to us than words can describe… reach out to the Jewish community, your Jewish friends. Let them know you consider this an attack on you, too.” University President Mark Keenum spoke of the campus’ diversity, and how the different groups “are here for each other… Respect is a fundamental value here on this campus and is a value that gives us our structure during challenging times such as this.” Myah Emerson, president of the Student Association, said she struggled with what to say. “I don’t have a word, but I am here. Your fellow students may not have words to say to you, either, but we are here. You are not alone. We are with you.” Muslim Student Association Advisor Rani Sullivan said there is “no space” between the Muslim and Jewish communities in standing together. She said the best response to hate is to live one’s faith. “It is to be more Jewish than you have been before. It is to be more Muslim than you have been before. It is to be more Christian than you have been before.” Seth Oppenheimer, student rabbi at B’nai Israel in Columbus, led a me-
Twelve white roses at the feet of the angel outside the Chapel of Memories morial prayer, and rejected the notion that this was an isolated incident. Among so many groups, he said, there have been so many canaries in the coal mine that “the flock is large enough to blot out the sun.” In an age of divisive political speech, “All of us who still believe in love and hope and recognize the divine hand of holiness in each soul must come together to fight this hatred… the only way we can get it together is together.”
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Rabbi Jordan Goldson of B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge speaks at an Oct. 29 vigil at Beth Shalom, which was attended by over 500. For Solidarity Shabbat on Nov. 2, the two congregations held a rare joint service at B’nai Israel.
Candlelight vigil in Huntsville
Hundreds attended a vigil outside Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville on Nov. 2, followed by a Solidarity Shabbat service. B’nai Sholom President Ann van Leeuwen said there was a different side to the Pittsburgh tragedy. “Within hours of the tragedy, flowers appeared on the Temple steps. A local church offered to have their congregants circle the Temple on Friday so that we could worship without fear.” In her South Alabama home town, she said a church rang their bell 11 times in memory of those killed in Pittsburgh. “I’ve lost count of the calls and emails of love and support we’ve received and the people who came by to say how sorry they were that this happened.” B’nai Sholom Rabbi Eric Berk said the candles at the vigil “are lit for our right to worship free from fear. Our candles are candles are lit for the 11 holy souls who have ascended into the firmament.” On Oct. 28, the night after the Pittsburgh shooting, Berk and about 40 members of the Huntsville Jewish community attended a previously-scheduled Alabama Celebrates Israel event at The Rock Family Worship Center, where about 700 local Christians expressed solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people. Berk commented that after the events in Pittsburgh, the uplifting event was exactly what the community needed to see. 20
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Rabbi Cantor John Kaplan of B’nai Israel in Jackson, Tenn., said this was a “partial view” of the floral tributes and over 100 cards and letters awaiting congregants on Nov. 2 as they assembled for Shabbat services. Among the cards was a letter from Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist. “Truly a moving gift of outreach and love from the greater Jackson community,” Kaplan said.
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Representatives from Chabad of Southern Mississippi in Biloxi and Beth Israel in Gulfport held a Night of Unity at Jones Park on Oct. 30. The office of Mayor Billy Hewes also sponsored the event.
Overflow crowd at Pensacola service On Oct. 30, there was a Service of Solidarity and Healing at Temple Beth El in Pensacola. Rabbi Sam Waidenbaum of B’nai Israel sang the El Molei Rachamim memorial prayer, and Beth El Rabbi Joel Fleekop recognized the overwhelming outpouring of interfaith solidarity from faith leaders in Northwest Florida. An overflow crowd was seated downstairs. As part of the evening, three Artists in Residence from the Pensacola Opera sang “Soave Sia Il Vento” from Mozart’s Opera “Cosi Fan Tutte,” “Gentle is the wind, calm is the wave, and every one of the elements answers warmly to our wishes.”
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pittsburgh Gadsden’s Beth Israel was previously worst U.S. attack on Jewish service
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Before Pittsburgh, where was the worst attack on a Jewish prayer service in U.S. history? Gadsden, Alabama. Gary Zola, director of the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Pittsburgh attack was the first time in U.S. history that Jews were murdered while worshiping. He added that the previous high watermark was at Gadsden’s Beth Israel on March 25, 1960. Beth Israel, Gadsden The congregation was holding a Shabbat evening service to dedicate the Zemurray Social Hall, with several Christian clergy in attendance. After Franklin Denson of First Methodist Church gave a benediction, Jerry Hunt, a 16-year-old Nazi sympathizer, threw a firebomb through a stained-glass window, but it did not ignite. As Rabbi Saul Rubin told those in attendance not to leave the building, two members ran out to see what had happened and were shot by Hunt. Alvin Lowi was hit in the hand, but Alan Cohn had an aorta nicked, and had a long road to recovery, requiring 22 pints of blood in the immediate aftermath. Earlier that week, Hunt had attended a rally for Rear Admiral John Crommelin, a World War II hero who became a notorious white supremacist and anti-Semitic politician. Hunt had also recently had a confrontation with a Jewish student over a chess game. According to reports from the time, Hunt had been interested in Nazism since seventh grade, and admitted painting a swastika on a local store a few months earlier. There had also been complaints by Jewish high school students over his wearing of a Nazi armband and helmet, so he was immediately a suspect in the case. Hunt was captured within seven hours. That Sunday, sermons in churches throughout Gadsden condemned the attack, and a week later, Beth Israel was packed to overflowing as the next Shabbat service was also broadcast on local radio. Days after that service, Hunt was killed when his car left the road and hit a tree. The attack was seen as an “anomaly” in an otherwise positive relationship that the Jewish community had with the greater Gadsden community. During the civil rights era, there were several bombings of synagogues, including the bombing of The Temple in Atlanta in 1958. Other bombs went off in North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. An attempted bombing took place at Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El in April 1958. The bomb, which had been placed in a window well and malfunctioned just short of detonation, was three times as powerful as the one that would kill four girls at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 1963. Other bombings were at Beth Israel in Jackson, Miss., in 1967, and Beth Israel in Meridian in 1968. In all the bombings, the buildings were unoccupied at the time of the blasts, but a bomb went off at the home of Beth Israel Rabbi Perry Nussbaum in Jackson in 1967 while he and his wife were inside. They were not injured. In a statement, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said the Pittsburgh attack is “likely the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States.”
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
In 1977, a white supremacist randomly chose Brith Sholom Knesseth Israel Synagogue in St. Louis and killed a guest in the parking lot after a Bar Mitzvah. In 1999, Buford Furrow Jr. opened fire in the lobby of the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles, injuring five. In 2006, a gunman killed one and injured five at the Seattle Jewish Federation. In 2014, a former Klan leader shot and killed three people at a Kansas City Jewish Community Center and a Jewish retirement facility. All three of the victims turned out to be Christians.
JCC bomb hoaxer sentenced to 10 years
Birmingham, New Orleans targeted The 20-year-old Israeli who was convicted of a series of bomb threats to Jewish institutions in the United States in early 2017 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Among the over 150 bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers and Jewish Day Schools were four threats in Birmingham and one in New Orleans. The sentence for M., whose full name has been publicly withheld, was handed down by Judge Tzvi Gurfinkel in Tel Aviv District Court on Nov. 22. The prosecution had asked for seven years. The sentence also includes a fine of NIS 60,000, about $16,000. As the sentence was read, M.’s father shouted “He has autism! He is sick.” His family blamed the youth’s autism and a brain tumor for his actions, a defense that was widely criticized. The judge said the 10 years took his condition into account, as under normal circumstances he would have given 17 years. “The defendant’s condition requires considerable mitigation of the punishment,” he said, “however, it is impossible to ignore the severity of the defendant’s actions.” He concluded that M. was responsible for his actions and understood the difference between right and wrong. From 2015 to 2017, M. offered his services on the dark web, using a calling service that disguised his voice. Clients could hire him to make bomb threats against schools, airports, airlines, police stations and other places. He admitted to over 2,000 such calls “out of boredom.” Some of the calls led to emergency airplane landings, evacuations and general chaos at targeted institutions. He also tried to extort a Republican state senator in Delaware. Recently, he was also indicted for three new hoax calls made from prison. He has also been indicted on hate crime charges in the United States.
community
Alabama Baptists officially praise move of embassy to Jerusalem Against a backdrop of the people of Israel facing an onslaught of deadly rockets, fired by Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorists from the Gaza Strip, the Alabama Baptist State Convention adopted a resolution to “affirm and celebrate” President Trump’s decision last May to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The messengers to the Alabama Baptist State Convention meeting in Trussville, Alabama, November 13-14, 2018, do affirm and celebrate the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem,” stated the resolution, which passed overwhelmingly. Trump’s action, which many considered long overdue by the U.S., was seen as an important affirmation of support for Israel. “In 1995, Congress passed the U.S. Jerusalem Embassy Act with overwhelming bipartisan support, encoding in federal law the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and requiring the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem,” the resolution noted. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, despite suggesting that they would move the embassy, repeatedly deferred
implementation, maintaining that such a move and recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would complicate Middle East peacemaking. Trump, on the other hand, saw the move as potentially fostering Israeli-Palestinian negotiations by taking this issue “off the table.” The Trump decision does not preclude negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians to determine the final status of Jerusalem. Rev. Jim Cooley, chairman of the resolutions committee, pastor of First Baptist Church of Birmingham and moderator of the Birmingham Baptist Convention, told al.com that the resolution reflected “a sympathy for the nation of Israel that has been pervasive, an appreciation for the historic nature of Israel and support for them. They are the democracy in the Middle East. There is a recognition that our faith has sprung from there.” The resolution also noted that “the nation of Israel, reborn in 1948, has historically claimed Jerusalem as its capital” and stated, “Judaism, the official religious faith of Israel, recognizes Jerusalem as the center of life for the Jewish people.” The Baptist measure also praised Israel’s re-
cord of respecting other faiths. “Israel is an established Jewish state that protects not only the holy sites of Jews but also those of Christians and of Muslims within its borders,” it noted, adding that under Israeli administration “Jews, Christians and Muslims all freely gather for worship in the city of Jerusalem.” The Alabama Baptist State Convention is comprised of delegates from Southern Baptist churches throughout the state. It is estimated that there are more than a million Southern Baptists in Alabama, making it the state’s largest denomination. In many Protestant denominations to the left, Palestinian activism has made Israel a controversial topic, but one observer said the Israel resolution at the Baptist convention was supported “98 percent.” One of the main proponents of the resolution was Rev. John Killian of Fayette, a past president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention who has visited Israel multiple times. Killian has been at the forefront of building ties with the Jewish community of Alabama, advocating for Israel and speaking out against anti-Semitism.
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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community
Happy Hanukkah
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Florence unveils historical marker before holding open house On Nov. 9, the dedication of a historical marker at Florence’s B’nai Israel also became an opportunity for the greater community to express solidarity with Northwest Alabama’s small Jewish community. Congregational President Ken Wolf and Rabbi Nancy Tunick unveiled the plaque, which Wolf noted was written by Karen Goldstein, with “a lot of information in a very small space.” Mayor Steve Holt said “We are so honored that you are part of this community, and all that you have done for 100 years or more you’ve blessed us, I hope that we’ve blessed you back in what we do, and I hope the next 100 years are the best yet.”
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
On Oct. 14, B’nai Israel Synagogue in Pensacola inaugurated a weekly Sunday tefillin and tallis minyan, with a bagel, lox and cream cheese breakfast. Rabbi Samuel Waidenbaum gave instructions on tefillin wrapping, pointing out the significance and how the nusuf tunes for the minyan service differ from Shabbat. Minyan was followed by an adult Hebrew literacy class, which complements the weekly Torah commentary classes on Wednesdays and renewal of the successful conversion class that added new members in 2017. The new tefillin class began as the American Journal of Physiology published a study showing that the wrapping of tefillin may help ward off heart attacks.
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Janet Israel Ellis Beerman of Atlanta stands in The Israel Room, by a portrait of her grandfather, Sam Israel
Pioneering Jewish presence in West Blocton remembered On Oct. 28, there was a ceremony honoring two notable figures from the West Blocton Jewish community as a new library was dedicated in the central Alabama town. Two plaques honoring Sam Israel and his son, Elmo Israel Ellis, were unveiled by Ellis’ daughter, Janet Israel Beerman of Atlanta. She also donated her father’s books to the library at his request. Wolf Israel was one of the founders of West Blocton’s Orthodox synagogue, Ah Goodies Ah Chem, and his son, Sam, lived next door to the building, which was dedicated in 1905. With the community dwindling, the building was demolished in 1938 after being damaged by a storm and by a fire. A historic marker was dedicated in 1997, and the home next door became the residence of former mayor Gary Donner. Sam Israel was fire marshal, and a Masonic master. A broadcasting innovator and legend, Ellis was captain of the high school football team in West Blocton, graduated from the University of Alabama and then was a communications officer in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. After the war, he wrote and directed radio shows, then became production manager of WSB-TV in Atlanta in 1948, producing the South’s first television program. Ellis then moved to WSB radio in 1952 and turned the station into a powerhouse.
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
community Why do American Jews and Israelis see Donald Trump so differently? Israeli journalist Herb Keinon addresses Alabama Jewish communities In the days before America’s Nov. 6 midterm elections, amid growing political strife and divisiveness within the U.S., veteran Israeli journalist Herb Keinon spoke in Alabama. Keinon, diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, has covered more than his fair share of divisiveness and strife in his own country and he offered an array of observations during a talk at Birmingham’s Levite Jewish Community Center on Nov. 4, and Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville on Nov. 5. Much of his speech, however, focused on why Israelis continue to overwhelmingly support two controversial leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump, who many American Jews feel are divisive. Keinon stressed that this support of Netanyahu and Trump among Israelis is not a 100 percent endorsement of everything they do or say or a defense of the controversies that surround both leaders. Rather, it is a reflection that when it comes to major issues that drive Israeli thinking, these are two leaders who enjoy widespread support among the Israeli public on those issues. Netanyahu, who is on the verge of becoming Israel’s longest serving prime minister, is seen as a protector of the Israeli people and someone they trust to make the country safer for them and their families. “You have to understand what it feels like to feel insecure,” the Israeli journalist said reflecting on day-to-day life in the country. “This insecurity is real and shapes how we think about the world.” He said 18 years ago, the outbreak of an unprecedented war of terrorism against the Israeli people by the Palestinians, after their leader Yasser
®
Arafat rejected Israel’s unprecedented peace concessions, transformed the Israeli psyche and created a trauma that goes on to this day. “We were mugged by reality,” Keinon said. “Terror came into the cities and affected everybody — the terrorism left a scar on the people that we have not yet gotten over.” This was a traumatic period for Israelis that instilled fear throughout society as Israel bravely faced what seemed to be a nonstop barrage of suicide bombings and other acts of terror. Keinon also gave Netanyahu high marks for his handling of the Israeli economy, another issue that is important to the Israeli people. Turning to Trump in more detail, Keinon stressed that he was giving an Israeli perspective and again reminded his audience that “Israeli Jews are consumed by security.” Trump, in the eyes of many Israelis, has been a great and steadfast friend of their country which, Keinon says, is what drives their admiration for Trump. Appreciation for the American president is reflected in Israeli opinion polls. As a result, “Israelis look at U.S. presidents in terms of who is best for Israel while American Jews think about other things.” And when it comes to Israel, Keinon maintained, Trump gets high marks for his leadership in three key areas. The first is “changing the conversation about Israel” and creating a much more positive tone in U.S.-Israel relations, and not “airing disagreements in public.” Additionally, as part of this change, the Israeli journalist noted that Trump has surrounded himself with influential advisors “who like, understand and support Israel.” The second area involving Trump is his withdrawal from the Iranian
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nuclear accord and the new economic and political pressures that he has put on the Iranians. “This has had tremendous implications in thwarting Iran and it is now a different ballgame,” said Keinon. “Trump has put the Iranians on the defensive.” The third area, which Keinon described as “major for Israel,” is the moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “Symbols matter,” he said, “and also by moving the embassy, Trump sent a message to the Palestinians that there is a price for continued rejection of Israel and unwillingness to negotiate. “As a whole, Trump has been extremely good for Israel.” Keinon, who immigrated to Israel from America, is well-known to those who read the Israeli news media. He has worked for the Jerusalem Post for 31 years and took over the diplomatic beat in 2000. In that role, he covers Israel’s prime minister and foreign minister. His Nov. 4 appearance was co-sponsored by the LJCC, Birmingham Jewish Federation and Knesseth Israel. The Nov. 5 program was an event of the Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama
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Loading the van at Ahavas Chesed
Ahavas Chesed donation “largest ever” for South Alabama food pantry On Oct. 17, the Donor to Diner food pantry at the University of South Alabama received its largest donation ever, thanks to the Yom Kippur food drive at Mobile’s Ahavas Chesed. Kathy Bronstein organized the food drive, which filled the transport truck. Rabbi Steven Silberman said the pantry’s warehouse “was not large enough for all of our donations, so we had to put the remainder of the food in another place.” Congregants and student volunteers unloaded the truck, which had been donated for the effort by Gulf South Distributing. Congregant David Meola, Bert and Fanny Meisler Assistant Professor of History and Jewish Studies and director of the Jewish and Holocaust Studies Program at South Alabama, said as a professor he knows “students who are insecure in their food are also going to have problems focusing on their studies.” Nationally, about 48 percent of students are affected by hunger at some point while in college, especially students of color and first-generation students, according to the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. Over 300 universities have set up food pantries for students. The food pantry at South Alabama is unmarked so students can use it anonymously, after emailing organizers confidentially the day before. 30
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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Making a gift count for this year The Birmingham Jewish Foundation and Birmingham Jewish Federation want year-end donors to remember some important dates. Both organizations are grateful for their generous supporters and want to ensure that donors’ gifts get credited in the desired year, in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines. To be considered a 2018 donation, checks must be postmarked on or before Dec. 31, 2018. Just dating a check Dec. 31 is not sufficient for it to be considered a 2018 gift, if it is mailed or hand-delivered after that date. A stock gift must be completed and actually in the Foundation or Federation account by Dec. 31 to be considered a 2018 gift. Check with a broker as to the needed time frame, but it is recommended to begin the process of gifting no later than Friday, Dec. 21 in order for the gift to be complete by Dec. 31. Transferring mutual fund shares can take even longer, so consider starting even earlier for this asset. Those gifting stock should contact the agencies and let them know what stock and how many shares are being gifted, so they can be sure it gets credited to the right account or fund. For the Federation, contact Tiffany Hyche, tiffanyh@bjf.org or (205) 803-1513. For a gift to the Foundation, contact Hyche or Sally Friedman, sallyf@bjf.org, (205) 803-1519 or Janet Aarons, janeta@bjf.org or (205) 803-1524. The Foundation offers a variety of opportunities to open a named fund. • For $1,000 one can open a fund for one of the partner agencies, such as the Federation, the Levite Jewish Community, Collat Jewish Family Services, the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, Camp Dream Street MS, Huntsville’s Temple B’nai Sholom, Knesseth Israel Congregation or one of the region’s Jewish camps or Hillels. • For $1,000 one can open a special purpose fund, such as for youth programming or for needs in Israel • For $1,000 one can open an Unrestricted Fund which will enable the Foundation Board to make grants, wherever the need is the greatest. • One can open a Donor Advised Fund for $2,500 from which one can make recommendations over the years as to grants from the fund.
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
The Foundation also welcomes gifts of any size to existing funds. The above is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax or financial advice. You should always consult with your own legal and tax adviser, as to planning strategies. For more information, contact sallyf@bjf.org or (205) 803-1519.
At a Nov. 14 special meeting, Springhill Avenue Temple voted to hire Rabbi Howard Kosovske as interim rabbi through June 30. He will be in Mobile for six 10-day visits over the course of the year. He most recently was interim rabbi for two years at Sinai Temple in Springfield, Mass., and has served congregations from South Carolina to Hong Kong. In October, the sukkah at Temple Shalom in Lafayette was hit by vandals. Congregational president Fay Bowen said it was uncertain whether it was a hate crime or criminal mischief, as the fire station next door was also hit by graffiti. The Lost Bayou Ramblers and Aurora Nealand will headline the 28th annual Jazz Fest Shabbat at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans. The special service will be held on April 26, which according to Reform practice is also the evening when Passover ends. The youth group at Beth Shalom in Fort Walton Beach will meet on Dec. 8 at Destin Commons for pizza, movie and Starbucks. The event is for all youth age 13 and up.
community
Water, energy and security emphasized as La. Governor Edwards visits Israel At the end of October, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards spent a busy week in Israel, leading a trade mission that included meetings with companies in a range of industries, visiting government officials and seeing holy sites. “I am honored to represent the State of Louisiana on this historic visit to Israel,” Edwards said. “Our country and our state share much with the people of Israel – in matters of faith and culture, as well as commerce.” He explained, “this is an economic development mission, where we will look to strengthen ties with Israel in several key sectors.” In May, Edwards hosted a celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday at the governor’s mansion in Baton Rouge, and signed an executive order barring the state from signing contracts with firms that engage in anti-Israel boycotts. During the ceremony, Gilad Katz, the consul general of Israel to the Southwest United States, invited Edwards to visit Israel. Among the state officials on the trip were Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson. Edwards met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Louisiana’s strong relationship with Israel, as well as trade and economic development issues of mutual importance to Israel, the United States and Louisiana. “This long-awaited meeting is the result of many years of friendship and partnership… I was proud to share with Prime Minister Netanyahu that Louisiana stands with Israel, and we will always remain faithful to our staunch ally in the Middle East,” Edwards said. The mission’s first day was Oct. 28, starting with an early morning Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is said to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and tomb. At Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial, Edwards and First Lady Donna Edwards laid a wreath at the main memorial room. While there, they also offered prayers for the previous day’s victims at Tree of Life in Pittsburgh. “Words are hard to come by,” he said, “but as a country, we must commit to be better.”
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Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards at signing of collaboration agreement between the Water Institute of the Gulf in Baton Rouge and Israel’s Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, at Ben Gurion University on Oct. 29.
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Happy Chanukah It is an honor to serve our citizens
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community They also visited the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. As is traditional, Dardenne placed a note in the Wall. He said it was an “emotional time” as his brother died in June, and his nephew died a week before the trip. State officials received a briefing at a Ministry of Foreign Affairs luncheon. They also met with Israeli Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz and with officials of Start-Up Nation Central, an innovation partnership that has supported such entrepreneurial companies as Vayavision, a provider of software systems for self-driving vehicles, and Skyline Robotics, which is developing automated window-cleaning systems for skyscrapers. With recent large natural gas discoveries in Israel, energy was a key component of the trip. “Louisiana is an energy state and a global leader in oil and gas exploration and production,” Edwards said. “We have a long-established track record of exporting our technology and expertise to international oil and gas markets. We are encouraged that there could be opportunities based in Israel for Louisiana companies, and companies with ties to Louisiana, to find opportunities there to invest, generate new revenue and create good jobs through growth.” They met with Bini Zimer, manager of Israeli operations for Houston-based Noble Energy, which has extensive operations off Israel’s coast in the Mediterranean. They also met with Yossi Abu, CEO of Delek Drilling. Pierson said Noble and Delek “are leading the way in offshore exploration and production in Israel, and we are exploring what role Louisiana companies might play in that region. Today’s discussions were an encouraging start to what we hope will lead to meaningful partnerships in the energy sector between Louisiana and Israel.” Dardenne noted that Louisiana has more offshore drilling experience than anyone, with widespread exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. The group also met with officials of Delek US, which has an oil refinery in Krotz Springs. They discussed the possibility of future growth for the plant, which currently has a capacity of 74,000 barrels per day. Another focus of the trip was water management, which at first would seem odd, as Louisiana has “too much” water and Israel has a dry climate. At Ben Gurion University on Oct. 29, the Baton Rouge-based Water Institute of the Gulf and the Israel-based Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on groundwater research, applications to improve farming, better utilization of drinking water aquifers, surface water and stream research, and other fields that support and enhance human life.
Thank you to the Jewish community for your support. I look forward to serving you well as Jefferson County’s District Attorney
The Edwardses reflect at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem 34
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
community Water Institute President and CEO Justin Ehrenwerth said “the lessons Louisiana and Israel have learned through our respective decades of pioneering water research represent a strong foundation for working together to address future challenges.” Edwards said “both of these institutes conduct water management research all over the world, and both can bring their scientists and research together to solve our biggest challenges related to water.” Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority manages a $50 billion Coastal Master Plan that is generating private sector growth in water management as the state implements coastal preservation solutions for decades to come. The Authority, Water Institute and the LSU Center for River Studies are housed on the 35-acre Water Campus in Baton Rouge, where up to 4,000 employees eventually are expected to work. Over the next generation, as many as 45,000 direct and indirect jobs could result from Louisiana’s growing water management sector. Adding to the fortuitous timing of the trip, Edwards is co-chair of the National Governors Association’s Resource Center for State Cyber-Security. The NGA national cyber-security conference will be held in Shreveport in May, and it is expected many of the companies the delegation met with will take part. One of the delegation’s final visits was with Twistlock co-founder and Vice President of Research and Development Dima Stopel, Vice President of Finance Pini Karuchi and Chief Technology Officer John Morello from Baton Rouge. The company, which opened an office at the LSU Innovation Park in April, provides automated and scalable cyber-security platforms for cloud-based computing systems. The Baton Rouge location has eight Louisiana employees, with plans to expand to 12 by January. There were meetings with several other cyber-security companies, and a visit to the CyberSpark Industry Initiative in Beersheva. Israel Innovation Authority chief scientist Ami Appelbaum told Edwards “It’s not every day we have a governor from any U.S. state coming here… We don’t take it for granted that you are coming here. We take it as a big compliment but also a big responsibility.” In 2017, 16 percent of all global investment in cyber-security ventures went to Israeli companies, second only to the U.S. During their meeting, Netanyahu and Edwards discussed partnerships between Israel and Louisiana in cyber-security, including the National Cyber Research Park in Bossier City, Louisiana Tech University’s research leadership on the I-20 Cyber Corridor, and LSU’s Stephenson National Center for Security Research and the Transformational Technologies and Cyber Research Center. On Oct. 30, the delegation visited the Golan Heights, where they could see into Syria. Edwards commented that the area they saw from a distance had been held by rebels, ISIS and the Assad regime over the course of just a few months. Israel’s role in providing humanitarian aid to Syria civilians was discussed, as Syrians are brought into Israel for medical treatment clandestinely, as they have been taught hostility and hatred toward Israel from an early age. The role of Friend Ships Unlimited in providing humanitarian aid to Syrians was highlighted, as the faith-based volunteer group is based in Lake Charles. Among U.S. states, Louisiana is ninth in exports to Israel, with about $200 million annually, though that is a tiny percentage of Louisiana’s $57 billion in exports. Louisiana imports less than $150 million annually from Israel, out of a total of $22 billion in exports to the U.S. each year. Fertilizers, minerals and metals are the leading Israeli exports to Louisiana.
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Protective garden takes place of hateful graffiti at Northshore The wall at Northshore Jewish Congregation that had been spray painted with swastikas and neo-Nazi symbols in October has been spray painted again. But this time, it’s all good. Considering the graffiti “a domestic terror attack,” Metairie artist Laurie Alan Browne approached the congregation with the idea of painting a mural where the graffiti, which had been removed by a local businessman a day after it was discovered, had been. Browne grew in Greenville, Miss., where her family was close friends with the Steins. “I have Jewish friends,” she explained, and the graffiti “made me feel it was a low blow… I, as an individual citizen of Louisiana, did not feel it was warranted or justified in any capacity.” The Jewish community belongs in Northshore, she said, but antiSemitism doesn’t. Browne designed a mural with a sunflower as the centerpiece, with trees and a garden nearby. One of her Jewish friends suggested a hamsa, a protective hand of God amulet in Middle Eastern folklore, as the center of the flower. ““I like the idea of a protective symbol,” she said. She also placed a Star of David in the middle of the pupil of the eye. The mural shows “this is a community that needs to be protected.” She laid the base layers on Oct. 22, then continued work on Oct. 29 and 30. On Nov. 11, the religious school students drew the flowers and leaves along the bottom of the mural. A mixed media artist, Browne has exhibited at the Ogden Museum in New Orleans, and in galleries in several states. This was her first work made entirely from spray paint. Though she has drawn attention for her artistic endeavor, she does not want it to be about her, but about the congregation and their efforts to raise funds to enhance security. She has been promoting the congregation’s GoFundMe page and also urging people to contribute directly to the congregation’s security needs through their website. “We’re fortunate that we’re living in a time when it is easy to do that.” Before the project, she did not know anyone in the Northshore congregation, “but now I do, which is wonderful.”
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
On Nov. 11, students at Northshore Jewish Congregation helped complete the mural by Laurie Alan Browne
chanukah Chanukah at Temple Beth El in Pensacola last year
Below is a list of Chanukah events in the region, as of press time. Alabama: Anniston’s Temple Beth El will have its Chanukah celebration and covered dish dinner, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. The dinner will be followed by the 7:30 p.m. service. The Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood in Birmingham will hold its annual Chanukah luncheon on Dec. 2 at 11:30 a.m. The event has allyou-can-eat latkes, blintzes and salad, with a raffle that features a flatscreen television and many other prizes. Raffle tickets will be available at the door. Temple Beth-El in Birmingham will have its Chanukah lunch, bake and blintz sale on Dec. 2 at noon, following the 11 a.m. religious school program. Roz Bloomston will be the featured guest, talking about her new cookbook, “You Asked For It!” Reservations are $12 for adults, $6 for ages 5 to 12. Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel will have its Chanukah Extravaganza on Dec. 5, with dinner at 6 p.m. and Bingo starting at 7 p.m. Jeff Eliosoph of NBC13 News will be the caller. The dinner is $18 per person, $36 per family, and a dinner reservation includes one Bingo card. There will also be a drawing during the evening for four gemstones from Kerry Whitt and Co., worth approximately $300 to $400 each. Tickets are $5 each or 12 for $50, and will be available at the event. One need not be present to win. Pre-orders of items like noodle kugel, blintz casserole, gefilte fish, mandel brot, latkes and more can be made by Dec. 2 for pickup on Dec. 5. The fourth annual Grand Menorah Lighting at The Summit in Birmingham will be on Dec. 9 at 4:30 p.m. at Saks Plaza. The event is a collaboration of the Levite Jewish Community Center, Chabad of Alabama and the Birmingham Jewish Federation. The festivities will include music, street performers, a photo booth and Chanukah foods. The lighting will be at 5:15 p.m., followed by a Gelt Drop at 5:30 p.m. Chanukah and hatchets — there will be a Chanukah party for those in the 20s and 30s community at Civil Axe Throwing in Birmingham, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. In addition to axe throwing, there will be appetizers, latkes, an open bar and a menorah lighting. The event is a project of the LJCC, Chabad of Alabama and the BJF. Reservations are $15.
Happy Chanukah to all of my friends in the Jewish community
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The Levite Jewish Community Center will have a “Chopped”-style Latke Fry-Off Challenge, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m., with teams from Birmingham Jewish organizations competing. A kosher dinner will be available for $10, there will be a kids area with arts and crafts, and the Chabad Olive Oil Press. Cahaba Ridge Retirement Community in Birmingham will have “A Celebration of the History and Traditions of Chanukah,” with Rabbi
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chanukah
Barry Altmark, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. The event is open to the community. Florence’s B’nai Israel is having its Chanukah celebration on Dec. 2, the time had not been set as of press time. Applications were being taken for Team Latkes, “The Few, The Proud, The Grease-Spattered.”
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Chabad of Huntsville will hold its Grand Menorah Lighting event at Bridge Street on Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. The menorah lighting will be at 4:30 p.m. There will be latkes and doughnuts served. A car menorah parade will be held on Dec. 6, starting at 5:30 p.m. On Dec. 2, the North Alabama Community Hebraic School will hold its Chanukah party at 10 a.m. at Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville. The NACHaS latke party will be on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. at Etz Chayim.
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On Dec. 8, Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville will have a Family Havdalah service at 5 p.m., followed by the annual Fry Fest, where anything and everything that can be fried will be fried.
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The Huntsville community menorah lighting in Big Spring Park will be Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. at the gazebo. The B’nai Sholom choir will sing.
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Thank you for your continued support! The Birmingham Jewish Federation & The Birmingham Jewish Foundation
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Chabad of Mobile will have two Chanukah carnivals with public menorah lightings. On Dec. 4, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson will be at the lighting of the 6-foot menorah at Bienville Square. The 6:30 p.m. event will include carnival games and snow cones, gelt and dreidels for the kids, latkes and doughnuts, raffle prizes and music. The event is open to the community, free of charge. The other carnival will be I Baldwin County on Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. at Fairhope Park. Springhill Avenue Temple and Ahavas Chesed will have a joint Chanukah celebration, Dec. 2 at Springhill Avenue Temple at 5 p.m. There will be a dinner of potato latkes, Israeli latke pizzas, sufganiyot and beverages. Reservations made after Nov. 22 are $15, free for ages 4 and under. On Dec. 7, Springhill Avenue Temple is having its traditional Shabbat Chanukah Service with the Religious School students. Glen Mutchnick will conduct the service and students will perform their Hanukkah skit during the service. Dinner will include the famous potato latkes by David and Richard Rose. Chanukah Hoopla at Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery will be on Dec. 2 with doors opening at 11 a.m. and a lunch buffet starting at 11:30 a.m. The event includes Chanukah shopping and a free lunch with a purchase of $50 or more. The food bazaar includes items made by members. There are also hot dog and latke plates, and a vegetarian plate. A musical presentation will be made by students at the Rabbi Elliot Stevens Kol Ami Religious School. Temple Beth Or in Montgomery will have its Sisterhood Chanukah dinner on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., following the 6 p.m. Shabbat Chanukah service. Reservations are $15 for adults, $7 for ages 5 to 10, 4 and under free. Tuscaloosa’s Temple Emanu-El will have its Chanukah celebration on Dec. 2.
Florida Panhandle: Chabad Emerald Coast will hold its Chanukah celebration and Grand Menorah Lighting on Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Harbor Walk Village Stage in Destin. There will be live music, doughnuts, latkes and menorahs for everyone. The free event will also honor the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre “by spreading light vs. darkness.”
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Temple Beth El in Pensacola will have a Brotherhood Latke Making Party on Dec. 2, starting at 7:30 a.m., to make hundreds of latkes for the week’s events. The Chanukah Shabbat service and dinner will be Dec.
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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7 at 6 p.m. PJ My Way and PARTY will have a Chanukah event on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. at Sky Zone Glow.
Louisiana: In Alexandria, Gemiluth Chassodim will have a Chanukah birthday and anniversary Shabbat dinner, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. Chabad of Baton Rouge is holding its fourth annual Chanukah at the State Capitol, Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. on the front steps. There will also be a Top Chef Latke Edition at Rouse’s at Arlington Creek Center, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m., with two chefs competing, a sushi bar and Chanukah treats, and a menorah lighting. On Dec. 9 at 2:30 p.m. there will be a dreidel workshop at Home Depot on Coursey Blvd., with Chanukah treats and a menorah lighting for kids.
JCRS wraps up Chanukah for region
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
With Chanukah coming early this year, the New Orleans-based Jewish Children’s Regional Service was shipping packages in mid-November to at least 250 Jewish youth and state hospital residents in a seven-state region. Each recipient gets at least eight gender- and age-specific wrapped gifts through the agency’s Oscar J. Tolmas Hanukkah Gift Program, making sure that the youth from financially challenged families in the mid-South and those who are socially isolated are not forgotten. The thousands of gifts were wrapped in October at a huge community event in New Orleans and at a second, smaller event in Dallas, co-sponsored with the Jewish Federation of Dallas, in mid-November. The Chanukah program typically helps 250 to 350 individuals each holiday season, and is one of seven major programs of JCRS that annually assists 1700 unduplicated Jewish youth in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Youth who are provided overnight camp scholarships, college financial aid, and targeted subsidies to address special needs or dependency, must have families or guardians who can document their financial need, as well as the underlying need for the service. Approximately 500 unduplicated Jewish youth are funded each year for these scholarships and subsidies. JCRS also assists close to 1100 Jewish youth annually in five states, through the nationally-heralded PJ Library program, which provides free Jewish books monthly to all children up through age 8. JCRS also operates a Special Friends Club that communicates with approximately 50 isolated Jewish youth and recognizes birthdays, life cycle events and special achievements, by way of cards and gifts. The agency conducts special Jewish holiday outreach mailings to approximately 125 of the most socially isolated and vulnerable Jewish families in the region. In addition to the gifts that families receive at Chanukah, families receive apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah, masks and hamantaschen for Purim, and in 2019 will begin receiving a small box of matzah from JCRS staff and volunteers for Passover. All JCRS programs receive their primary funding from individual, family and foundation support.
chanukah
B’nai Israel’s Chanukah party on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. will be the culmination of its 160th anniversary celebration. There will be a menorah lighting, Shabbat service, B’nai Israel birthday cake and music by the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars. The B’nai Israel Men’s Club will hold its annual Big Buddy Shopping Spree on Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Mall of Louisiana’s Macy’s. The program pairs volunteers with children in need who are then able to shop for gifts for family members. At Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge, there will be an ISJL Camp Shabbat and Havdallukah celebration, with a dairy potluck dinner, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. Monroe’s B’nai Israel will have its Sisterhood Chanukah brunch on Dec. 4 at 11:30 a.m., at the home of Betsy Laudenheimer. The congregation’s covered dish Chanukah party will be Dec. 7, with the Men’s Club providing their famous latkes. The Jewish bluegrass duo Nefesh Mountain will highlight the New Orleans Community Chanukah Celebration, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. at the Uptown Jewish Community Center. There will be a menorah lighting, fried chicken and latke dinner and live concert. The event is free and open to the community. The annual Chanukah at Riverwalk, coordinated by Chabad in New Orleans, will be Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. There will be music, kosher food, entertainment and children’s activities. The Grand Menorah Lighting will be at 5 p.m. Krewe du Jieux will have its annual Chanukah parade, Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m., following the Chanukah at Riverwalk program. On Dec. 8, the Mobile Menorah Parade will depart Chabad Uptown at 7:30 p.m. and continue down St. Charles to Poydras, into the French Quarter and back Uptown. Chabad will also host a Menorah Making Workshop at Home Depot in Harahan, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. There is a new design this year, and latkes will be served. Latkes with a Twist, declared by the Washington Post to be one of the best Chanukah parties in the country, returns on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at NOCCA’s Press Street Station. The benefit for Jewish Children’s Regional Service features Adam Biderman, chef and owner of The Company Burger, as “Latke Master,” with NOCCA students. There will be live music by the Joe Gelini Trio, an open bar with Vodka Latke Punch and Bourbon Chanukah Hi-Balls, wine and beer, and a silent auction. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Hadassah New Orleans will hold a Chanukah party on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., at the home of Bonnie Blackman. In Mandeville, Northshore Jewish Congregation holds its Great Latke Cook-Off and Chanukah Bazaar on Dec. 2, starting at 9:30 a.m. Rabbi Gene and Bobbye Levy will be in for the weekend and serve as judges in the contest, and prizes will be awarded. Gates of Prayer Sisterhood in Metairie will host a Chanukah Dinner on Dec. 7 after the 6 p.m. Shabbat Chanukah service. The dinner will have open seating and participants are encouraged to bring their own Chanukiah. Gift cards will be collected for Angel’s Place, a non-profit agency caring for families of children with life-threatening diseases. Reservations are $10 for ages 12 and up, free for those under 12. Beth Israel in Metairie is having a Shabbat Chanukah dinner following services on Dec. 7. A special guest speaker is possible but details had not been confirmed as of press time. December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
Temple Sinai in New Orleans will have its nuts will be served. Family Chanukah Shabbat, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., Jewish Community Day School in Metairie with the band, dreidel wars, a Chavurah@Sinai will have its Chanukah Musical Extravaganza attendance competition, “Light the Avenue” on Dec. 7 at 8:30 a.m. and more. In Shreveport, the Jewish Community Temple Sinai will also have “Chanukah at Chanukah party, sponsored by the North ‘Home’,” a gathering for the LGBTQ communi- Louisiana Jewish Federation, will be Dec. 2 at ty, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. B’nai Zion, with games, music and lunch startTouro Synagogue will have its Chanukah ing at 11:30 a.m. There will also be Chanukah family dinner on Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m., with fried parties at area retirement homes. chicken, latkes, a sufganiyot bar, Chanukah At B’nai Zion, “Shabbanukah” will be Dec. games and more. The dinner will follow the 6 7, with a Chanukah potluck dinner following p.m. family-friendly service. Reservations are services. $15 for adults, $10 for kids. Red River Radio has Chanukah programs Before Chanukah, Touro Rabbi Todd Silver- scheduled throughout Chanukah: “A Chanuman will lead the Chanukah edition of Holi- kah Celebration with Chicago a cappella,” Dec. days At Home, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. in the social 2 at 7 p.m.; “Candles Burning Brightly” on Dec. hall and kitchen. Due to limited space, reser- 3 at 11 a.m.; “Hanukkah Lights 2018” on Dec. 4 vations are requested by Nov. 26, and are $18 at 1 p.m.; “The Kabbalah of Chanukah” on Dec. for non-members, free for members. 4 at 8 p.m.; “Eternal Echoes for Hanukkah” on The New Orleans VA Hospital will have its Dec. 5 at 1 p.m.; “Hanukkah — A Great Miracle Menorah lighting and recognition ceremony Happened There” on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m.; “Chanuon Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. The ceremony will take kah — Celebration Across the Globe,” Dec. 6 at place on the first floor main concourse near the 8 p.m.; and “Chanukah: Itzhak Perlman’s ChaCanal Street entrance of the hospital. Chabad nukah Radio Party,” Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. Rabbi Mendel Ceitlin will facilitate the lighting, and members of the Ben Katz Post 580 of Jew- Mississippi: ish War Veterans will participate. Chabad of Mississippi will light the largest Moishe House New Orleans will have a menorah in Mississippi, Dec. 9 at 4:45 p.m. at menorah making session on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. Edgewater Mall in Biloxi, behind the carousel. On Dec. 8 at 8 p.m., the Moishe will host Vodka There will be latkes and sufganiyot, face paintand Latkes. Moishe House member Shoshana ing and “create your own Chanukah glasses.” Madick will lead an evening of Chanukah hisB’nai Israel in Columbus will have a Chatory and Jewish learning on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. nukah potluck dinner and fundraising auction, JNOLA and Tribe from Gates of Prayer com- Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. The event is open to membine for Shabbat Chanukah at Hibernia Tower bers, friends and students. Bring a dish to share, Apartments, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m., with dinner and an item to auction, usually under $40. Students need not bring a dish or auction item. and a latke-making contest. JNOLA holds its Light It Up Chanukah Gala on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m., at Generations Hall. Hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be provided by Casablanca and Saba, with live music from Eric Benny Bloom and the Oy Veys, comprised of Jewish musicians from Jon Cleary, Lettuce, New Orleans Suspects, Cha Wa, and other local bands. There will be an open bar, photo booth, sufganiyot and dreidel pinatas. After 10 p.m., the party continues at the Rusty Nail. Tickets are $18 before Dec. 1, $30 after, with discounts for students, military and synagogue employees.
In Gulfport, Beth Israel will have its Family Fun Chanukah Party on Dec. 2. Jackson’s Beth Israel will hold its annual Chanukah dinner on Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. The Jewish community in Oxford will have a Family Chanukah Party on Dec. 2 at 4 p.m., at The Stone Center. There will be latkes, doughnuts and activities for children. The second annual Bubbe’s Table will be Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., at The Farmstead at Woodson Ridge. Chefs Karen Carrier, Elizabeth Heiskell and Shay Widmer will each give their takes on the latke. Dress is farm party casual, and the first drink is included with the $40 ticket. Cocktails are sponsored by Cathead Vodka, and Bar by Best-of-Oxford top bartender Joe Stinchcomb.
Slater Torah Academy in Metairie hosts a STEAM Chanukah party, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. The Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math demonstrations include an electric Menorah, an olive oil lava lamp, an online Chanukah game, Chanukah tangram puzzles and a B’nai Israel in Tupelo will have a Chanukah dreidel scratch art project. Latkes and dough- potluck on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.
pet care
How a scrawny, shy Jewish kid from Birmingham with an operatic voice became a wrestling star…
an annual SJL special section
Keeping pets and owners happy and safe during the holidays Seasonal suggestions from Hollywood Feed Family, friends, and food. These are some of the things that come to mind when we think about Chanukah and the holidays. Today, our pets are important parts of our family, so we want to include them in our festivities. Especially if you have a new pet, making them a part of your holiday traditions can be intimidating. If you know that company will be coming, have a jar of treats handy to encourage positive interaction between your pet and your guests and to discourage them from handing out table scraps. Fill it with Grandma Lucy’s Organic Biscuits. These Certified Kosher teddy-shaped cookies are made from dog-safe human-grade ingredients, and come in Cranberry, Blueberry, Pumpkin, and Coconut flavors. It is imperative that your pet has a safe place to go if he feels overwhelmed. Make sure that any younger family members know that this area is off limits, and teach them how to approach pets in a respectful manner. If you don’t already own a crate, now may be a good time. Put a blanket over the top to create a cave. Leave the door open and place a soft crate mat, such as the Mississippi Made Snoozepad, inside along with a favorite toy or treat. Make it a happy place. To reduce anxiety, try offering your pet a mentally stimulating toy such as a treat-filled, frozen Kong Classic a good half-hour before family arrives. Twenty minutes with one of these toys, filled with kibble or treats, is equal to an hour running around in the yard. Natural calming supplements like Heavenly Hounds Peanut Relaxation Bars, Dale Edgar’s Calm K9, or Vet’s Best Comfort Calm may be able to help as well. If you are boarding your pet or if your pet seems overwhelmed, pick up a 5-pack of Prudence Absolute Immune Health. Adding this powder to your dog’s food for a few days will help boost his or her immune system and prevent stomach upset. Food is, of course, a big part of most holiday traditions. Just like people, dogs love the smells and tastes of the holidays. While they may beg and even swipe at scraps while no one is looking, many of these foods are not good for your pet. Cooked bones are brittle and will splinter easily, potentially causing blockages or perforations. Primal Raw Bones are a great alternative and are meant to be fed raw. They are much safer and have the added benefit of live enzymes that help get rid of plaque and encourage healthy mouth flora. Keep any foods that contain grapes or raisins far away from pets. Grapes, in addition to being a choking hazard, contain compounds that are not easily metabolized by dogs. Mild effects can be lethargy or gastrointestinal
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distress, but for some dogs it can cause organ failure. Meat scraps are heavenly to a dog’s taste buds, but never offer your pet seasoned meat and always remove the fatty skin. Instead, try Hollywood Feed’s Georgia Made Jerky or another of our favorites, lung bites. These healthy treats are low in calories and have a huge reward value. With the addition of Hollywood Feed’s Fresh Bakery in Memphis there are more options than ever! The bakery is free of corn, wheat, soy, artificial preservatives, colorings, sugar and refined sweeteners. Each recipe has been created by a classically trained pastry chef and hand-crafted by Hollywood Feed bakers. Biscuits in flavors like Superfood, Peanut, Oat and Flax, Pumpkin and Cranberry, as well as Apple Bacon are sold at all Hollywood Feed stores and online. Hollywood Feed offers a wide selection of natural and holistic pet food and products, and supports local rescues through regular pet adoption and community events. The company has grown over the years to include stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas, among other states, with stores coming soon to Florida and Ohio. For more information, visit www.hollywoodfeed.com.
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
Dogs and cats are living longer today because pet owners have been made aware to treat their pet care as they would their own health care. “For the most part, what we do to take care of ourselves applies also to pet health,” said Arthur Serwitz, co-owner and founder of Riverview Animal Clinic. “Our pets’ wellbeing and health is a result of a combination of factors: nutrition, exercise, preventative medicine, regular check-ups, and early detection of severe and chronic medical problems and organ system degeneration. New approaches to pet health insurance is one new tool that may help afford some complicated and expensive health problems and remedies.” Serwitz, who started the clinic in 1984, recommends that owners take their dogs out two or three times a day, whether it is on a walk, shopping, to a park or to a restaurant that allows dogs. Dogs need regular exercise and socialization and stimulation. Cats also need regular socialization and exercise, including active play. If a cat is primarily an indoor cat, screened in-porches and “catios” allow them to get a taste of the outdoors in a protected environment. If cats do go outdoors, they should have all their appropriate vaccinations, as well as a preventive program for fleas and ticks. There are more specialized nutrition options today than ever before. But that can also make decisions more confusing for pet owners. Diets are customized for life stages, size, breed, special needs, as well as acute and chronic medical conditions. It is always a good idea to partner with your veterinarian for the best choices to meeting your pets’ nutritional needs, according to Serwitz. Good regular dental care is a very important part of pet health care. It may start with choosing some of the very good “chews” that can be recommended for aid in controlling tartar and calculus buildup; learning how to brush pets’ teeth on a regular basis, and then having a veterinarian do regular, deep cleaning. As pets get older, new conditions require different attention and needs. It may start with a more comprehensive health check which might include base line blood work, blood pressure measurement, glaucoma testing, tear testing, urinalysis, and possibly even special imaging such as radiographs or ultrasound. Diet changes and weight control or weight loss are also important considerations, Serwitz said. “One of the most common medical problems we deal with in Birmingham and in the South, relates to our Southern climate and environment. We see a lot of allergy problems relating to inside/outside environmental exposures, fleas, ticks, and even food allergies manifesting as skin allergy
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problems. Ear infections are all too common, and most often are another manifestation of an allergy issue,” he said. “During these changing times we have seen many advances in the ways we deal with the ‘itchy’ dog or cat,” added Serwitz. The first concern would be to eliminate or protect against the cause, such as protection or preventives against fleas and ticks; then to use symptomatic treatments for relief, such as antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, medicated shampoos; and protocols for dealing with secondary skin problems, such as antibiotics for infections. Programs for desensitizing a pet from its allergens might involve allergy injections, oral antigen desensitization remedies and immunotherapy. Serwitz notes that in Birmingham there are now three veterinary emergency/urgent care clinics, and a fourth is about to open on Highway 280. Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham should be opening their new facilities, moving from Acton Road to Highway 280, very near Riverview Animal Clinic, by the end of December. It will have three boarded veterinary surgeons, a veterinary internist, and emergency clinic services as well. Their goal is to establish a comprehensive animal medical referral facility with emphasis on the cutting edge of advanced specialty services and technology. Riverview Animal Clinic is a full-service general veterinary practice, open seven days a week. They have nine veterinarians on staff, which includes a boarded veterinary ophthalmologist, two exotic animal veterinarians, and several veterinarians on staff capable of doing advanced ultrasound imaging and well as endoscopy services. Riverview also works with several wildlife resource groups, dog and cat rescue groups, and animal shelters. Serwitz added that there are a growing number of new pet insurance options. He recommends doing some research online with pet insurance rating services before selecting one. “It’s advised to sign up a pet that is young and healthy without pre-existing conditions, as well as to consider insuring for major medical issues with a deductible that makes the policy affordable and customized to your needs,” he said.
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
Cindy Levy, Marilyn Martell and granddaughter Leah, Ellen Bander and Paula Samuels Hadassah Baton Rouge held “A Healthy and Delicious Luncheon, and Learn the Secrets of Good Health” on Nov. 4 at Beth Shalom. Ellen Bander, a certified health coach and Hadassah past president, talked about the dangers of excess sugar, and explained how to get and stay healthy. Paula Samuels led an eight-minute meditation session to help alleviate stress and help people “unclutter” their minds, relax and focus better. Marilyn Martell, immediate past president, talked about Hadassah and the newest Hadassah 360 initiative. A luncheon of healthy dishes prepared by Hadassah members followed. It was also a fundraiser for the Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel.
After Everyone Yells “Mazel Tov…” Marcie Cohen Ferris receives Foodways Lifetime Achievement Award The idea that there is a story to be told in how food is a vital part of the Southern Jewish experience propelled Marcie Cohen Ferris to a career in food studies, leading to her recognition in October with the Southern Foodways Alliance’s Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented “to an individual whom all thinking eaters should know, the sort of person who has made an indelible mark on our cuisine and culture, set national standards, and catalyzed important dialogues.” Earlier this year, Ferris, a Blytheville, Ark., native, retired as American Studies professor at the University of North Carolina. Ferris was the first project director for the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in Utica. The museum, which was housed at the Henry S. Jacobs Camp until 2012, will reopen in New Orleans in 2020. According to a release from the Alliance, Ferris did “transformative” work at the museum, “published genre-defining books, framed public dialogues about food and identity, and helped pioneer the food studies discipline.” In the tribute video, “Marcie Cohen Ferris Does The Work,” she describes food as always being “always my lens on place and identity that went with me from when I was a little girl.” Blytheville was “a deeply Southern space to grow up in,” with her Jewish world and the non-Jewish world. “A big part of my identity was the boundaries between Jewish foods and Southern foods and the foods of Northeastern Arkansas,” she said. She cooked alongside her mother, especially on holidays. When she went to college in Rhode Island, it was “kind of a shock. I did look for Southerners… and felt like a fish out of water.” She made her traditional Shabbat dinner of fried chicken in her apartment “for my friends, and they loved it.” When she took a class on folklore, she asked if it would be permitted for her paper to be about “something Southern and Jewish.” Before long, she got a call from Jackson asking if she would be interested “in this project,” the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. “It felt like home,” she said, and “I saw the complexity of Mississippi.” She pursued a doctorate in American Studies at George Washington University, saying “I’m going to follow this Southern Jewish food thing.” That led to her being recruited by the University of North Carolina and the publication of her first book in 2005, “Matzoh Ball Gumbo: Culinary Tales of the Jewish South,” which was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award. Much of the material came from a Southern Jewish Foodways survey she sent out throughout the region in 1998, and dozens of interviews. She is also co-editor of the 2006 collection, “Jewish Roots in Southern Soil: A New History,” and the 2014 book “The Edible South: The Power of Food and the Making of an American Region.” From 2006 to 2008 Ferris was president of the Southern Foodways Alliance, growing it into a national organization. “Marcie is a tireless advocate and cheerleader for her students,” Sara Camp Milam, SFA managing editor, said when presenting the award. “She has encouraged scores of emerging scholars — most of them women, and myself included — to reach further than we thought we could. She has made us her peers.” Milam spoke of returning to Chapel Hill last June for a surprise retirement party for Ferris, a gathering of “Marcie’s Girl Gang,” which was described as “a gang to be reckoned with, and Marcie is at its center.”
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December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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community A new wrinkle for year-end planning by Sally Friedman
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With the new federal tax law taking effect this year, you might want to consider new strategies for your charitable gifts. As you do your year-end tax planning, this might be the year to consider opening a Donor Advised Fund or adding to one you already have. Charitable donations are deductible only if you itemize, which is a less likely scenario for many taxpayers given a new, higher standard deduction of $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples, possibly slightly higher if you and/or your spouse is over the age of 65. If you find yourself short on itemized deductions, you might want to “bundle” a few years’ worth of charitable donations into a single year to help push you over standard deduction threshold. The bundled amount may be put into a Donor Advised Fund, providing you with a tax deduction this year. You can make recommendations as to grants from this money over the next few years. A Birmingham Jewish Foundation Donor Advised Fund can be opened for $2,500 and can be done in just few minutes. You can recommend grants from both the earnings and the principal, as long as $2,500 is maintained in the fund. Recommendations can be made to your synagogue, other Jewish organizations and organizations in the broader community. Appreciated stock you’ve held for more than a year may be a great asset to donate. If you donate stock and you are above the standard deduction threshold, you can deduct the full fair market value of the stock, without paying tax on the gain. The Foundation sells the stock, and you would now have that money available in the Donor Advised Fund to recommend out for charitable gifts. An important caveat: You may only deduct donations up to 60 percent of your adjusted gross income if you are donating cash, and up to 30 percent if you are donating securities. So how does this work in real terms? Let’s suppose that in 2018, you are a couple with deductions of $10,000 from state and local taxes, the maximum deductible under the new tax law, and $14,000 of charitable gifts. That would add up to a total itemized deduction of $24,000, which is equal to the new standard deduction. Thus, you would not be getting any tax benefit for your $14,000 of charitable gifts. Now imagine that instead of directly giving your $14,000 annual gifts to charity each year, you bundle two years of gifts into a single tax year by donating $28,000 to a DAF. Now, you have $38,000 of itemized deductions and that additional $14,000 reduces your tax bill, a tax savings of about $5,180 for individuals who are in the 37 percent tax bracket. You still can request that money be granted out per year to your charitable beneficiaries as you’ve done in the past, as long as $2,500 remains in the fund. Further, let’s say that this $28,000 is stock you bought a few years ago for $15,000. If you sold the stock, you would have taxable income on the $13,000 gain. If you gift it, the fund will be credited with the full net proceeds from the sale of the stock and you won’t owe any tax on the gain. Furthermore, this strategy is scalable. You could put several years of donations up front into a DAF as each additional dollar is deductible, as long as you stay within the 60/30 caveat mentioned above. If you did this year by year, the first $14,000 each year would not provide an extra deduction. Money gifted sooner accelerates the timing of the tax deduction into the current year and the money in the charitable fund grows tax free, providing additional charitable assets. Check with your tax adviser to find out if this would work for you. Sally Friedman is executive director of The Birmingham Jewish Foundation. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax or financial advice. When considering gift planning strategies, you should always consult with your own legal and tax advisers. For more information contact Sally Friedman at sallyf@bjf.org or (205) 803-1519
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community Inaugural Mike Slive Invitational tips off Dec. 15 in Birmingham by Lee J. Green Matching up a Southeastern Conference and Conference USA team at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Legacy Arena for the inaugural Mike Slive Invitational was a slam-dunk idea for organizers. The Dec. 15 basketball game between the Auburn Tigers and the UAB Blazers will honor the memory of Slive, who was the commissioner of both conferences, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Mike Slive Foundation. The Foundation partnered with Knight Eady to organize the event. In September 2017, Slive and his family launched the Mike Slive Foundation for prostate cancer research. The mission has been to save lives through cutting-edge research and raising awareness of prostate cancer, which affects one in seven men and is the most common cancer among men. Slive, who was an involved member of the Birmingham Jewish community while serving as the SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2015, passed away this past May after a hard-fought battle against prostate cancer. Ed Meyerson, Foundation co-founder and board member, said the Foundation raised more than $500,000 in 13 months. “This is a fitting tribute to a man who was very special to so many,” said Meyerson. “Mike was a great commissioner, friend, husband, father and grandfather. He would be proud of all we’ve done and what we’re going to do.” Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl called Slive one of the finest people he has ever known, and added he is proud to have his Tigers play in the inaugural Mike Slive Invitational. “Mike was a mensch,” said Pearl. “He wore his Jewishness on his sleeve and was always doing mitzvot for others. That’s the kind of guy he was.” Slive was friends with both Pearl and UAB head coach Rob Ehsan. He left his seven-year stint with C-USA, the conference UAB plays in, for the SEC, the conference Auburn plays in. The ultra-competitive UAB-Auburn series is tied 10-10 over the series’ 20 meetings. The Tigers narrowly beat the Blazers 85-80 last year at UAB’s Bartow Arena. “Both of our teams match up well,” said Pearl. “We look forward to this game every year, but now even more so since this rivalry is tied to a great cause.”
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UAB Coach Rob Ehsan, Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl and Ed Meyerson at the press conference announcing the Mike Slive Invitational December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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culture “A Jewish dog in a Christmas show” The South’s Israeli actor plays Snoopy in “Charlie Brown Christmas Live” Most Comprehensive experience and felt like it was Weekly Jewish E-Newsletter by Lee J. Green Stay Informed Between Print Editions
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Israeli dancer and actor Yochai Greenfeld took a leap of faith moving to New York City a year and a half ago to try and make it in the U.S. as a professional musical theatre actor. Today Greenfeld couldn’t be “dog-gone” happier playing the iconic character Snoopy in “A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage,” presented by Broadway in Birmingham and coming to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, for one performance on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. The show will also be at the Saenger Theatre in Pensacola on Dec. 13, Mark Smith Concert Hall in Huntsville on Dec. 18 and The Strand in Shreveport on Dec. 20. “I love being a Jewish dog in a Christmas show,” said Greenfeld. He added the current production now has a Chanukah song in its medley, but it had nothing to do with him being in the cast. “Snoopy is such an icon. He brings joy to kids and adults alike. “I wanted to approach playing Snoopy with humility. He has some very human-like qualities. The challenge is to communicate the character through facial expressions and body language,” said Greenfeld. “What resonates with me is Snoopy’s joy and optimism.” Greenfeld’s mother is from New York City. When she was 21 years old, she made Aliyah and met Greenfeld’s father in Israel. They would go on to have five children. Greenfeld grew up Modern Orthodox in Jerusalem and was very involved with the synagogue. From a young age he also took an interest in dance and musical theatre. He would take classes and perform in productions regularly until he turned 18. After two years in Yeshiva and five years serving in the Israel Defense Force, Greenfeld got back into musical theatre for a year at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, followed by a professional opportunity for two years with the Fresco Dance Company. “I felt this calling that I wanted to try and make it in New York,” said Greenfeld, now 31. “I knew it was a big step, but I have family here and friends through Yeshiva, Birthright Israel and IDF.” He moved to the Big Apple and went on many auditions for three months. He then went back to Israel for a month and decided to change his approach. “I was going on all these auditions just for the
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more of a testing-the-waters deal,” he said. “When I came back, I was dedicated to making a permanent go of it and auditioning for fewer, select productions I thought might be best suited for me.” Just before Passover of 2017, he got an opportunity with a production in the Washington Fringe Festival. Two cast members in that show also were in “A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage.” Greenfeld was encouraged to audition earlier this year and landed the role of Snoopy in the current production, which is touring for six weeks with more than 50 performances. Prior to this production, he played the Cowardly Lion in “Oz” and Pawn in “Gilded.” He said he proudly wears his Jewishness on his sleeve and loves to share traditions, customs as well as religious knowledge with any of his non-Jewish friends who are interested. “They ask about kiddush and some holidays. I live in a Moishe House (with young, professional Jews), so I have invited friends and castmates over for some of our Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations,” said Greenfeld. “I believe that people of faith can relate to each other, no matter what you believe. Friends have told me they were moved by my practice of Judaism.” He observes the Sabbath as much as possible, though with shows usually on Fridays and Saturdays, “showbiz is not a Shabbat-friendly business sometimes.” “I can do things most of the time such as walk to a venue, keep kosher, not be on my phone and just ask friends in the cast to let me know if there are any important show updates,” he said. “I hold on to my faith strongly. I am dedicated to always making it a priority in my life.” Greenfeld’s “life as a Jew changed profoundly when I moved from Israel to the U.S. In Israel, just about everyone is Jewish. It’s more of what sect of Judaism and where your family is from,” he said. “It’s different in America. I feel it’s about creating your own religious identity in a melting pot of faiths,” added Greenfeld. He said he is looking forward to his first trip to Birmingham, and even though the production is only in the Magic City for a weekend, Greenfeld hopes to be able to experience the community. “That is one of the great benefits of doing this,” said Greenfeld. “I enjoy every minute of doing this. Bringing smiles to people’s faces always brings a smile to mine.”
culture Fashion designer lost in the Holocaust lives on through her sketches Exhibit will be in Birmingham this winter While many Jewish fashion designers have become household names, like Isaac Mizrahi and Michael Kors, the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham will host an exhibit about a designer who never got that chance, because she was murdered in the Holocaust. “Stitching History From the Holocaust” features the sketches of Hedy Strnad, along with garments that were inspired by her drawings. It will be displayed from Jan. 7 to March 16, with an opening reception on Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. A talented dressmaker in Prague in the 1930s, Strnad was not able to escape Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. However, some of her fashion designs did. The exhibit was created by the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, which is loaning it to the Birmingham institute. The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center is partnering with UAB, the University of Alabama, AEIVA, UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Birmingham Jewish Foundation and Red Mountain Theatre Company to present programming, including gallery talks, a fashion show of Strnad’s designs, and a play in conjunction with the exhibit. Docent-led tours will be available. In March 1939, Hitler’s army invaded Czechoslovakia. In December, Hedy’s husband, Paul, wrote to his cousin in Milwaukee asking for help in acquiring visas for himself and his wife to emigrate to the United States. “You may imagine we have a great interest of leaving Europe as soon as possible,” Paul wrote. He included eight samples of Hedy’s dress designs to make the case that she would be employable in the American apparel industry. The cousin’s efforts to help them emigrate were unsuccessful. For decades, the letters and sketches were stored away in a box in the cousin’s attic, where they were discovered in 1997. They were donated to Jewish Museum Milwaukee, which teamed with the costume shop at Milwaukee Repertory Theater to turn the sketches into garments. “Stitching History from the Holocaust” is a detailed personal and historical exhibit built around the Strnads’ story, their life in Prague in the 1930s and Hedy’s garments, which are displayed on mannequins. “The stories of the Holocaust are stories of loss,” said Deborah Layman, BHEC president. “Hedy’s story represents the loss of a talented woman whose creative life was cut short. Her story is one of the millions of heartbreaking Holocaust stories that we tell and re-tell as a reminder of the consequences of hate.” On Jan. 22 at 6 p.m., there will be a Gallery Talk, “European Jewish Fashions in the 30s and 40s: How the Jewish Fashion Industry Was Extinguished by the Nazis and Struggled to Return to Prominence After the War,” with Kristen Miller Zohn, executive director of the Costume Society of America. On Feb. 5 at noon, Jonathan Wiesen, incoming chair of the UAB Department of History, will speak on “The Holocaust in Czechoslovakia.” “A Stitch in Time” will be performed by the Red Mountain Theatre Company on Feb. 17 at 2 and 4 p.m. The one-act play by Susan Westfall is based on Strnad’s story. On March 5 at 6 p.m., University of Alabama Professor Janek Wasserman will speak about “Immigration Then and Now.” December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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Whistling Table 3916 Clairmont Ave. Birmingham whistlingtable.com
by Lee J. Green
205/407.5460
For Mac Russell, spending summers on his grandparents’ ranch in Marion Junction, Ala., planted the seed that would blossom into a long career in the culinary industry. In June, close to seven years after he and his business partner started Shindigs Catering and launched Shindigs Food Truck, Russell realized a dream by opening Whistling Table, his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, in the former V. Richard’s location of Birmingham’s Forest Park. “We wanted to create an environment where folks from around town and the neighborhood can come to have a unique dining experience; to commune around the table daily, not just on special occasions,” said Russell. “I have also always wanted to expand my footprint as a company so that collaborations with local farmers, ranchers and makers could create a more sustainable culture.” Whistling Table sources locally as much as possible. Patrons can even come in and buy many of the raw ingredients and even some of the prepared foods in its market area. Flavored vinegars, olive oils and its signature hot sauce will hit shelves next year. “All of our dishes start from the nostalgic memories of family meals or traveling, but usually have fun twists,” said Russell, who describes the menu as Americana eclectic with a farm-to-table fabric. The menu changes at least in part three or four times a year, with the seasons. At lunch, Whistling Table offers counter service and a fast-casual menu. Dinner brings a more “elevated dining experience” with full table service and higher price points, though at dinner they do also offer a bar menu as well as an array of appetizers and small plates. Russell said they are happy to customize any dish to make it kosher-style upon request. Some of Whistling Table’s menu items include local lettuces, spaghetti squash, foie gras, beef duo, cheese plate, eggplant, fried chicken, lamb, duck, beef filet, snapper as well as desserts such as Baked Alaska and Morning Call. Whistling Table is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch; Monday to Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday until 10 p.m. and open Saturday all day. In January they will add Saturday and Sunday brunch. Expansion of the retail market area will let them include more “grab-and-go” items as well as ingredients from their favorite local purveyors. continued on page 53 52
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life
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>> Rear Pew Mirror Daniel – two front row seats to Disney’s “The Lion King.” Elijah – a copy of “Ten Ways to Pass a Breathalyzer Test.” Jeremiah – a bullfrog. Samson – a gift certificate for Super Cuts. Ezekiel – an IOU, so he has something good to look forward to for a change. Haman – two Scratchers from Super Lotto Plus. The Big G – his own image consultant. …and a parchment in a palm tree. Doug Brook apologizes to the professor of “Introduction to the Bible,” and hopes this doesn’t affect his grade. To read past columns, visit http://brookwrite.com/. For exclusive online content, like facebook.com/rearpewmirror.
>> Whistling Table
BEING ONE OF FIVE SIBLINGS, SHE STILL HOLDS THE RECORD FOR KID WHO CAN PUT A HOLE IN THEIR JEANS FASTEST. NOT EVEN CLOSE.
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After graduating from Hampden Sydney in 2001, Russell would go on to earn a degree at Culinard in Birmingham, then studied abroad at Apicius in Italy before returning to Birmingham. He would work as a chef for Jubilee Seafood, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Ross Bridge Resort, Little Savannah, Standard Bistro and the famous Flora-Bama Oyster Bar in Perdido Key. In 2011, he and Chad Schofield opened Shindigs Catering and purchased a food truck. Russell said Shindigs’ food truck was originally purchased as a catering tool, but had to take to the streets daily to survive and promote the catering company. “Miss Piggy,” as the truck came to be affectionately known, gained a cult following on her own and was the first to launch a renaissance of food trucks in Alabama. In 2015, Russell and Schofield parted ways. Russell kept Shindigs Food Truck and Catering with the idea of a brick-and-mortar to follow afterward that would ultimately become Whistling Table. The Food Truck is still available for private, catered events and in the future will provide Whistling Table’s late-night bar menu. Over the years, Shindigs Catering has provided the fare for several simchas, including a few that have been kosher. “We will always go the above and beyond to make sure that everything is planned to wow and exceed expectations,” said Russell. They are happy to share any kosher-style recipe or customize most dishes to make them kosher-style. Contact Mac Russell at 807-7774 or email Maggie@whistlingtable.com. CHILDREN
The next Torah on Tap in Pensacola will be on Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. at Union Public House. The next Temple Trip for Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham will be on Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Those caravanning from Emanu-El should meet by the gift shop at 9:30 a.m. The Brotherhood at Temple Beth El in Pensacola will present Chinese and a Movie, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. With an executive order from Governor Matt Bevin, Kentucky becomes the 26th state to have an anti-BDS law, barring state contracts with companies that engage in boycotts of Israel.
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At an event in Tehran, Louis Farrakhan railed against Israel, said the U.S. isn’t a democracy, vowed to help Iran get around sanctions and led a chant of “Death to America.” Upon returning to the States, he contradicted his hosts and angrily claimed he never led such a chant. U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham of Louisiana has offered Farrakhan a one-way ticket back to Tehran. Hole In Jeans - 3.8 x 10 - Southern Jewish Life.indd 1
December 2018 • Southern Jewish Life 3/14/18532:12 PM
rear pew mirror • doug brook
Black Erev Shabbat Since long before the Maccabees swung their first hammer, before there was a Temple in Jerusalem to rededicate, and even before there was a Jerusalem, there’s been a holiday shopping season. The recently discovered Mishnah tractate Bava Gump suggests a Chanukah shopping guide for all your favorite ancestors from before the oil lasted for even one day. So, get some plutonium for your flux capacitor and borrow Tommy Charles’ DeLorean. Faster than you can spin a dreidel, you can go back in time and deliver these timeless Chanukah gifts to generations of Jews who don’t know a Chanuka from a Konika Minolta. Worried about corrupting the timeline and changing history? Worry no more. If you were going to do that, history would’ve been changed before you read this. You’re reading this, so if you interfered with historic events it led us to where we are today. Thanks a lot. So, here’s the list. You don’t even need to check it twice. Adam – a nice fruit basket. Eve – a copy of the fear-inducing film “Anaconda” and an iPad to play it on. Make sure it’s charged before you leave. Cain – a certificate for a series of anger management classes. Abel – a life insurance policy. Methuselah – an AARP membership. Noah – for a change of pace during his later years, tickets for a Mediterranean cruise. Abraham – a sky atlas, so he can keep counting how many descendants he’s supposed to have, even during the day. Lot’s Wife – a margarita glass. Sarah – a joke book. The only time it’s recorded that she ever laughed was when she was told she’d become a mother at 90. Starved for humor, that one. Isaac – for the least verbose forecestor of the Jewish people, a copy of “The Fine Art of Small Talk.” Rebecca – a copy of Parents Magazine’s issue on raising twins. Esau – an Epilady. Jacob – to avoid all that controversy with And the his brother, a brochure for Birthright chance of any Israel. – a Carrie Fisher action figure from of these being Leah “Star Wars.” regifted is… Rachel – an epidural. Joseph – a royalty check from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Moses – a map. Or a laptop bag large enough to hold two tablets. Aaron – for his priestly garments, a free consultation from “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” Miriam – capitalizing on her famous song that’s included in the best-selling book in history, a three-album deal. Saul – nothing. It’s good to be the king. David – an eraser for that errant silent “p” at the start of psalm. Goliath – a gift certificate for three fighting lessons from Andre the Giant. Solomon – an ADT security system for Solomon’s Temple. Jonah – copies of “Whale Rider” and “Big Fish” so he can settle the misunderstanding once and for all. continued on previous page 54
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